Author's Notes: This chapter is for Melral CT-3718, who suggested Huffer for a chapter of this fic. I'm pretty sure it was a joke entry, but I still wrote it because...I don't know why. I guess the idea just seemed cool. Now, something I probably should've mentioned before, since this fic is a series of Reflector-themed oneshots it will not follow a linear timeline. Some chapters take place on Cybertron, and others take place on earth. There is no order to it. I hope you guys enjoy this installment of "Point and Shoot" :)
Chapter 3
Huffer
The Reflectors had been spying on the Autobots for more vorns than they could count. Back on Cybertron they spied on the lower sectors while Soundwave spied on the Prime's crew. Now that they were on earth they would spy when none of the cassette minions were willing to go to the downed Autobot ship; the Ark.
Viewfinder always looked at the files first to see who their targets would be. Sometimes they would turn into their camera mode and take photos of a single Autobot, but other times they would split up and each record audio in a sector that they agreed on. Either way they relished in being allowed to spy, because it meant they didn't have to do any grunt work or work with the other 'Cons.
On this particular day they were splitting up. Viewfinder would take the most dangerous job of spying on the control room where they kept Teletraan 1, Spectro would search for an empty office and copy and files on the computers, and Spyglass would spy on the rec room to see if he could overhear conversations.
With their plan in motion, they separated through the halls. The cassettes usually traveled along the air vents, but the Reflector triplets knew their movements would sound amplified from that kind of space, so they simply scurried around in the hallways and hid whenever they thought anyone was onto them.
Viewfinder's mission was being hampered by the fact that there was a very large crowd of Autobots using Teletraan 1. It looked like they were watching...what was that? There were humans on the screen, but it didn't look like a news broadcast. In fact, it looked staged. Wait, this was just a TV show, wasn't it?
A quick look through the database revealed to Viewfinder that it was a soap opera known as "As The Kitchen Sinks".
Seriously, the Autobots waste their time with this? Viewfinder thought with distaste. Are we Decepticons, who conquered Cybertron, of so little threat to you that you can now lounge around and watch TV? What is wrong with you people?
As Spectro sifted through Prowl's files he could feel Viewfinder's frustration. He didn't know what was wrong, but it didn't feel like danger, so Spectro sent laughter over the bond. Hey, whatever it was, it was probably funny, right?
Spyglass was behind an energon dispenser in the rec room, and he could feel his brothers exchanging sour feelings over the bond. They probably got into a fight over something stupid. Spyglass decided it was better to not get involved.
He finally saw that an Autobot was coming to sit down near his hiding place. He just needed to record whatever conversation was had, and then he could leave. When he peered around the corner to see who was sitting there, however, he spark sank. Why did it have to be him?
Huffer sat down and sighed as he looked listlessly into his cube of glowing purple energon. Spyglass cursed his rotten luck. Why did his nearest target have to be sitting alone, and why did it have to be Huffer?
There was once a time when Spyglass thought nothing of any of the Autobots, and never really noticed Huffer at all. Sure, he was one of Optimus Prime's go-to mechs, but beyond that he was just another minibot. That was on Cybertron, but on earth things began to change.
One thing Spyglass and the other Reflectors loved about spying on Autobots is that they got to know them on a level that no other Decepticon could hope to match. They learned their personalities, their likes and dislikes, and how they strategized. Cybertronians, being nearly ageless creatures, didn't really change much. Starscream was a jerk today, so he will be a jerk tomorrow. Megatron lusted for power today, so he will lust for power tomorrow. History was slower on Cybertron, and mechs and femmes didn't learn their lessons quickly. The only thing that could change the landscape of Cybertron was the loss of a Cybertronian.
On earth the Reflectors expected the same, and for the most part they weren't disappointed. Jazz still loved music. Bluestreak still loved to talk. Optimus Prime still believed he was fighting for a righteous cause. Most of the mechs were the same. Huffer, however, was not.
Huffer had been a reliable and jovial face among the crew when he lived on Cybertron. When the Reflectors spied on him they rarely got anything useful, but it was vaguely interesting to observe him as he worked on a construction project or shot the breeze with his fellow minibots. He was a mech that had known Optimus Prime since before Alpha Trion had changed the Autobot leader into his current form, and he was mostly content to work and not much else.
Now though, Spyglass once again had to watch Huffer as the life slowly drained out of him. Most of the Cybertronians were homesick, but Huffer was actually depressed. He didn't do the activities he once enjoyed, he rarely talked to anyone during his breaks, and he constantly bemoaned how hopeless their situation was. Huffer seemed to like the humans okay, but it wasn't enough to make him not be sad.
Spyglass kind of understood where he was coming from. Out of all the Reflectors he was the most pessimistic. Well, Spyglass like to think of it as realistic, but Viewfinder and Spectro disagreed. Spectro was too eager to see what was right in front of his face, and while Viewfinder was smart he also felt he had to be strong for the rest of the team. Spyglass held no such lofty goals.
No one was sitting next to Huffer today. That was actually kind of odd. Gears usually sat near Huffer, or else one of the more tolerant minibots like Beachcomber or Bumblebee. Hm, Beachcomber...how did that guy get into the army anyway?
Huffer sighed again and slowly lifted the cube up to his glossa to drink his fuel. It seemed like it took a lot out of him just to do that. This was torture for Spyglass. He couldn't go over there, he couldn't sit with Huffer, and he couldn't say anything. All he could do was watch the poor slob not even bother to pretend to be okay.
Spyglass stayed there for several minutes pensively recording the nothing in the air when he got a signal through the bond.
[Hey guys!] Spectro shouted happily over the bond, [I got it! I got the goods! We can go back to base and have Soundwave transcribe this coding from Prowl's computer!]
[Great, I'll meet you there in 15 minutes,] Viewfinder replied.
[15 minutes? Why not now?] Spectro inquired anxiously.
[Shh! Dennis is about to propose to Jessica's evil twin sister, but he thinks it's Jessica, and she'll inherit his vast fortune!] Viewfinder tried to explain, though he only left his brothers even more clueless.
The other two Reflectors sent questioning waves over the bond, but Viewfinder shooed them away. He had to see how the show ended.
Spyglass sighed quietly and scooted around the dark corners of the rec room (hard to do in such a well lit area), sparing only one more glance at Huffer. He still hadn't really done anything besides lazily sip his energon and slump in his seat.
Spectro and Spyglass got to the rendezvous point first, and it took a full 25 minutes longer for Viewfinder to show up.
[Hey, Viewfinder! I got the files!] Spectro shouted joyfully over the bond so as not to make noise.
[Yeah, well I learned about a mind control device known as the soap opera,] Viewfinder bragged in reply.
[Whatever, can we just go now?] Spyglass asked petulantly, [The last time I got so little accomplished I was in stasis lock.]
The three Reflectors nodded to each other and started to leave the Ark. Before they could get out of the parking garage, however, they were spotted by the last person they would've suspected: one of the humans.
They ran into one of those hard hat fellows. They forgot his name, but he was the older one. He yelled that there were Decepticons, and Viewfinder knocked him out of the way so they could make a run for it. Before they could get anywhere though, Wheeljack drove in from outside and transformed.
They had no time to react as Wheeljack grabbed Spectro and held him by his arms and legs with both hands. Viewfinder and Spyglass could've left him, but he was the one with the files. Besides, without him they would never combine again.
"Don't hurt him," Viewfinder and Spyglass said in unison, "We surrender."
Wheeljack took the computer file from Spectro, which caused the little minicon to feel utterly defeated. He sagged in Wheeljack's grip before he was put down to stand next to his brothers. Together they followed Wheeljack without a word, knowing they would be shot down if they tried to escape.
The Reflectors sat in the brig and wondered if Megatron would even bother bargaining for their release. Maybe the Autobots would finally kill them, or maybe they would ask for something small enough that Megatron would have mercy and bring them back to the Nemesis. For whatever reason Megatron liked them. Well, liked was the wrong word. Tolerated was a better word for it.
The Reflector triplets had been allowed to stay together since their combined form was useless for escape attempts. They were grateful they could at least see each other and defend each other if necessary, but they still didn't talk. They didn't need to. Feeling each other over the spark bond was enough.
After 10 minutes of being left alone in their cell they heard the door swoosh open. It was the first guard on shift. Spyglass moaned softly when he saw who it was...Huffer again. It seemed like he couldn't get away from this guy today.
Huffer sat at the terminal where he was supposed to monitor the cell and sighed with his head in his servo. Oh great, Spyglass thought, now I get to watch him be miserable for even longer!
After 5 minutes Spyglass was already tired of watching this guy do nothing, and judging from Huffer's dour expression the feeling was mutual. One of them needed to do something to lighten this pall in the air, and if Huffer wasn't going to make the first move to start a conversation...
"Hey Autobot!" Spyglass called out, and his brothers looked at him in shock.
[What are you doing!?] Spectro asked frantically over the bond.
"What do you want, Decepticreep?" Huffer asked derisively.
"Uh...Uh..." Spyglass tried to think, but it was so hard with his brothers sending him so many signals over the bond, "Uh...Earth sure does stink, huh? I don't know how you stand it!"
[What the frag are you doing!?] Both brothers shouted over the bond.
"Yeah, me neither," Huffer admitted, both surprising and encouraging Spyglass, "There's dirt everywhere, it's either too hot or too cold, and humans refuel their cars through the aft port hole! The first time I drove up to a service station, I thought I was bein' hit on! Then came the gasoline...I still cringe when I think about it."
"Eww," Spyglass commented, "I'm glad I don't transform into a car or truck."
"You know, I don't think I've ever seen any of you transform by yourselves," Huffer realized as he touched a digit to his chin, "What do you turn into when you're by yourself?"
"We don't," Spyglass replied ruefully, "Alone we are merely non-transforming mechs, but together we are Reflector."
"So you're handicapped without each other?" Huffer inquired curiously, "Huh. Weird. I don't think I could handle dependin' on another mech that much. Bein' a combiner sounds rough."
"It is for us," Spyglass replied with a shrug, "But we get by. So, you think Megatron will bargain for us, or are we going to die?"
"Prime says he won't have you killed," Huffer informed them, earning sighs of relief from the three minicons, "But I don't know what's gonna happen to you. We're hopin' to get use of the space bridge out of this little trade. I hope they'll let me go with them if we get the use of it, but I'm not holdin' my intakes. If it's a mission they'll probably want more powerful 'Bots on the team. *sigh* Life can be a load of scrap sometimes, I guess."
Huffer then went back and sat down, and the Reflectors were left to ponder over their situation. They weren't going to die, and if Megatron let the Autobots use the space bridge then they could go home. It was an uncertain fate, but at least it was a hopeful sort of uncertainty.
It was seven hours later when Optimus Prime came into the room to check on the prisoners. This was an intimidating moment for the triplets. Sure, they spied on Prime all the time, but to have such a powerful Autobot looking right at them and being trapped and unable to get away was too much for the little 'Cons to handle. They were sure he was going to beat them the way Megatron sometimes did, only worse because they wouldn't be useful to Prime later.
"Reflector," Prime addressed them collectively, and they dared not look away from him, "Megatron has agreed to a trade; your safe return in exchange for use of the space bridge. You will be escorted to a neutral location by Jazz and Smokescreen. Do not attempt to attack us or we will be forced to keep you here indefinitely."
"Yes, Prime," Viewfinder agreed as stoically as he could manage.
Prime turned off the energy bars and clearly expected the Reflectors to step out of the cell and follow him. Viewfinder and Spectro hurried to comply, but for some reason Spyglass wasn't moving.
"Hey, hurry up!" The other two Reflectors called out without using his name. They kept their names private to confuse the enemy and remain somewhat anonymous, "The Prime said we gotta get moving!"
"Prime, I will only leave this place on one condition," Spyglass said firmly, earning a raised optic ridge from the Prime and looks of shock from his brothers.
"Oh, and what condition is that?" Optimus asked; humoring the Decepticon for the moment to see where this was going.
"You have to allow Autobot Huffer to go to Cybertron with whatever team you send through the space bridge," Spyglass replied insistently.
"I see...and why Huffer?" Optimus asked in a careful neutral tone of voice; not wanting to sound too intimidating nor too lenient.
"Huffer is homesick, and I...please don't tell anyone I ever said this, but I feel bad for him," Spyglass confessed sheepishly, "I know how it feels to not be able to go home. You're his friend. You should want what is best for him. Let him go back to Cybertron, just for a cycle or two. Do that, and I'll leave."
Of course Spyglass meant the phrase not be able to go home two different ways. Like Huffer, Spyglass was trapped on earth, but that wasn't where the hurt in his spark came from. It came from Nuon, the city that was never fully rebuilt and that Spyglass and his brothers would likely never see again. Nuon might've been a dump, but it was still home.
Optimus hummed as he pondered what Reflector had just said to him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he nodded and said "You are right. Huffer does need some time off earth and back on our home planet. I am grateful to see there is still a semblance of conscience in the Decepticon ranks. Maybe someday with mechs like you out there this war will one day be nothing more than a bad memory and we will be unified once again."
Spyglass knew indoctrination into a single ideology was important to Prime. On some level it kind of made him sick, but on another level he was surprised at just how candid the Prime was in this moment. He was so used to Megatron's bluster and Starscream's scheming that he didn't quite know how to handle a big and powerful mech actually having a normal conversation with him. Spyglass hated thinking of the Autobots as anything other than enemies since it was dangerous to do so, but the Prime actually seemed...kind.
Either way though, Spyglass felt good, and his brothers felt happy for him. He had done something good for another mech, and with all the evil they were asked to do he often forgot how it felt to help others and think about something besides their own survival. He wondered if Huffer would ever know what he did. He knew Huffer would never know his name, and that was fine with him. He and his brothers had lived in the shadows for too long to feel comfortable anywhere else.