Hi guys, I'm back again with a new one...ok technically this is the backstory for my character in 'Playing with Fire'. For those of you who are reading 'Playing with Fire' you'll get to see the important bits of what happened between her and Sideswipe.

Enjoy!

"Why am I going?"

"Because there's no one else."

Usually that would amuse Sideswipe, but tonight he didn't care. "What about the new kid?"

"Bumblebee is still in training."

"How about Jazz?"

"He's training Bumblebee." Ratchet commented from behind him.

"Mirage?"

A frustrated look past over Prowl's face. "We can't find him."

Damn slagger. "What about Sunny?"

Prowl just stared at him. "I would prefer to keep all of my limbs."

Sideswipe smiled at the image his mind conjured of Sunstreaker chasing Prowl and Ratchet around the base.

"So how do I look? Do I look like a Decepticon?"

Prowl and Ratchet moved away to allow Sideswipe to look in the mirror.

Extra armor plating had been added to his chassis to both change his appearance and decrease the likelihood of receiving a fatal injury if he got caught. The aspect of the mission that would have sent Sunstreaker running was the new paint-job. Sideswipe was now a shiny deep blue. The purple Decepticon insignia glared distinctly on a pale blue stripe that ran from his neck to his elbow. Two more similar stripes ran down his back. Red optics stared back at him.
"I want to kick my own aft."

Prowl and Ratchet smiled at the success of their makeover.

"How do I get outta here?"

"Like any other Decepticon found in Autobot territory." Ratchet replied.

Prowl smiled. "Retreat."

Firefly tried valiantly to control the rising level of panic she felt as even more mechanoids entered the large hall. So far Firefly had seen only mechs walk through those double doors and had begun to suspect that maybe she was the only femme interested in joining the Decepticons.

Firefly carefully made her way through the crowd towards the raised dais. If she could avoid bumping into any of the battle-hungry recruits around her she might just survive long enough to sign her name.

Firefly stopped four rows from the podium. Any closer and she might get noticed.

The mech infront of Firefly suddenly stepped back, hitting Firefly and causing her to fall back into several other mechs. She tried to hide her fear as they glowered at her.

"S-s-sorry." Firefly quickly moved away from them and bumped into the back of another large dark mech. The mech turned, if Firefly had been able to she would have gulped. The machine was at least four feet taller than her with armor as dark as night.

Finding her voice Firefly stammered a frightened apology.

The dark robot stared at her inquisitively. "Stop apologizing, you'll get ripped to pieces."

"W-why?"

"You're showing fear and fear is considered a weakness." He looked at her closely. "What is a femme doing at a Decepticon rally?"

"Why? Aren't they allowed?" She cast a nervous glance around her.

The mech smirked. "They are, but most join the Autobots."

Firefly's anxiety died under the assertion of her relative safety and her budding hatred of the Autobots. "I'm not like most femmes." She glared into his red optics.

The dark face turned thoughtful. "Hmm. My name's Barricade and if you want to survive in these ranks you'd better curb your timidity and sharpen your claws."

Firefly straightened her back. "Thanks for the advice. I'm Firefly. What's happens at one of these?"

"It's a recruitment rally. Some high-level officer gets up there and makes a speech about how glorious the Decepticon army is. At the same time he belittles the Autobots and ridicules anyone associated with them. At the end he'll ask them to sign up."

Firefly watched her new acquaintance curiously. "You sound like you've been through this before."

Barricade smirked. "I have. This is my fifth meeting, excluding my own enlistment."

"You're a Decepticon?"

"Yep. I'm working security."

"Is there a chance something will happen?"

"Always. These are Decepticons."

"Is there any way for me to sign up right now? I don't need to be convinced."

Firefly fidgeted under the probing scrutiny of Barricade's gaze. He stared at her for several moments before grabbing her arm and pulling her through the crowd towards the back of the hall. Panic welled in Firefly as she was led through a set of side doors and into a dark hallway.

"At the end of the corridor is a room. Go in there and tell them I sent you. Then wait for me to come back. Don't sign anything."

Firefly nodded. Barricade must have seen what he wanted in her expression because he nodded jerkily before disappearing back into the hall.

Barricade marched through the crowd wondering why the little red femme had affected him so much. Maybe it was the way her optics blazed when he had mentioned the Autobots, or the way she didn't hide from his gaze. Either way she had the potential to rise through the Decepticon ranks and become a force to be reckoned with.

Glancing out over the massing transformers he spied the rest of the security detail working their way through the room. They would soon have spoken to the majority thus cementing a significant increase in Decepticon numbers. Pleased that the meeting was going well Barricade leaned against a wall and watched the crowd, as soon as Thundercracker started speaking he would check on the femme. It would be unwise to let anyone take advantage of her naivety.

Sideswipe gazed out over the sea of mechs. With this many transformers hungry for power and glory, it was no wonder that the Decepticons had greater numbers. If only this many would join the Autobot forces, then there might be a possibility of ending the war.

Bringing his thoughts under control, Sideswipe saw that someone now occupied the small stage at the end of the hall. Thundercracker. Which meant that Skywarp was somewhere nearby, and wherever those two were Starscream or Soundwave were as well.

Sideswipe prayed desperately to Primus that it was Starscream behind the scenes and not Soundwave. The Decepticon Communications Officer sent chills through Sideswipe's chassis.

Well there was only one way to find out who was running the show, and that was to get back there himself.

Sideswipe had been at the rally since the doors had opened. Upon arrival he had quickly scouted the outside of the building. He had only approached the doors after a small army's worth of mechs had entered. It would be easier to lose himself in a crowd if he was found out.

After entering the building he had noted all available exits. There were two; the front door where all potential recruits entered and a set of double doors to the side. So far Sideswipe had seen only a handful of Decepticons pass through those doors, solidifying his theory that the main action was there. Actually there were three exits but he had left his jet pack behind, making the sky-light inaccessible.

The crowd was still milling, they hadn't noticed Thundercracker yet. Sides took the opportunity and headed for the side doors. If he was right he would be able to get lots of valuable information from whoever was behind this.

The doors were surprisingly easy to get through, no one was guarding them and there weren't any security devices.

Too easy, Sides thought to himself as he slipped unobtrusively from the hall. The corridor was dark but a quick scan showed him he wasn't alone. Sideswipe tensed as a voice called to him.

"Hello? Barricade?"

Confusion ran through Sideswipe's processors. Was that a femme's voice? It couldn't be, all the femmes had joined the Autobots shortly after the war began. But still the voice was too soft to be a mech's.

"What are you doing here?" He tried to sound arrogant.

"I'm waiting for Barricade. Do you know where he is?"

Who was Barricade?

"Yeah. Out there." Sides didn't know who Barricade was but she was obviously looking for him. She stepped closer and he could see her face faintly. Her optics glowed a soft orange.

"Have you been in battle?"

"Yep." Sideswipe replied casually.

"Is it as glorious as they say?"

The innocently hopeful look on her face tore Sideswipe's spark out. There was no way he would be able to censor his answer.

"No, it's harsh and it's painful. The only glory found is by leaders and at the expense of lives. There is no glory in killing a stranger or watching as your friends get blown apart beside you."

A sharp slam caused Sideswipe to turn away from the stunned femme. Something was coming towards them through the shadows. A hasty scan made the fuel in Sides' pipes run cold. It was Soundwave.

Firefly stared at the dark blue mech who had come across her in the hallway. his words were so strong and sincere. His crimson optics stared into hers.

"Is there a way out of here?"

Firefly, still stunned by his forcefulness, pointed to the opposite end of the corridor. She had scouted the building earlier in case she had needed a quick escape.

"Thanks, sparky." The blue mech flashed her a smile and took off.

Clunking footsteps brought Firefly back to reality. A blocky, dark navy mech stopped infront of her. Firefly clutched at her head as a sharp pain sliced through her neural matrix.

"Knowledge insufficient." The navy Decepticon turned from her. "Ravage: Eject." A hand moved to its shoulder and a cassette leapt from its chest. "Mission: Termination"

The transformed cassette snarled and charged through the exit after the other mech. Soundwave entered the crowded hall.

Confusion spread through Firefly's circuits. What just happened? As curiosity overcame confusion, Firefly moved towards the door and stuck her head through it. The navy mech mounted the small stage, a high screech blasted across the room. Within moments the room had settled.

"Autobot detected within compound." Soundwave droned.

The reaction was immediate and astounding. Roars deafened Firefly and she pulled her head back through the door. Autobot? The mech who had spoken so forcefully and stared straight through to her spark was an Autobot?

Anger, and surprisingly betrayal, flooded through Firefly's circuits. How dare an Autobot come to a Decepticon rally. What did he want? Firefly curbed her rage for a moment to peek through the doors again. The crowd was still on the verge of rioting but now their violence had a target. On the wall behind the stage was an image, a red armored mech with shoulder cannon and a silver face. It was the same face that had appeared in the dark hallway.

The navy mech was speaking to a light blue seeker. The seeker turned and addressed the hall.

"The Autobot is escaping. The mech who brings back his head will be rewarded."

A cheer rose through the hall as the glory-seekers went in search of their fleeing adversary

Firefly pulled her head back behind the doors. She should not have given in to her curiosity; she should have followed Barricade's order and gone directly to the end room, instead of waiting here like a scared sparkling.

Shaking off her self-anger Firefly moved away from the doors and, with one last look at the exit the Autobot had taken, hurried to the room at the end of the corridor.

There we go, first one down. If you'd like to see more please add and review.

The parent story can be found on my profile, if you'd like to know what she turned into.

TammyCat