-( Diego Garcia NEST Base)-

Ratchet paced around the entrance of the main hanger as he watched a C-17 carrying a special kind of precious cargo descending onto the runway. Wheeljack was also there, he come because of the complicated nature of Ratchet's inbound patient. Optimus stood at the medic's side, a frown of concern settled on his faceplates. A little more than three cycles ago a near frantic Bumblebee had called in reporting Sam was seeing ancient Cybertronian hieroglyphs again and was in pain because of them.

"I wonder what this could mean?"

Ratchet stopped pacing and looked at his leader. "What do you mean, Optimus?"

The blue and red mech vented heavily. "The last time Sam started seeing old Cybertronian text the Fallen appeared with the Sun Harvester."

"Do you think something similar will happen this time?" Ratchet asked, head tilted in curiosity. There was a possibility something would happen. It would only be another stroke of Autobot luck if that were the case.

"From what I was told, the boy has been exposed to raw energy from both the All-Spark and the Matrix of Leadership. Could they have affected him in some way more than we know?" Wheeljack questioned thoughtfully.

Ratchet knew he and 'Jack would need to give Sam a more thorough scanning when he got the boy in his med bay. There was no telling what kind of changes from exposure to two ancient and mysterious Cybertronian artifacts had done to the little human. Especially if there was a chance those said changes were hazardous or lethal.

Optimus shook his head and answered, "I do not know, old friends, but in light of past events it would be prudent to prepare for what may come." Prime crossed his arms as he watched the C-17 land and slowly taxi itself towards the hanger.

By that time the plane had parked and its ramp was lowering, Mikeala came running out of the base wearing a jumpsuit and tool belt with Wheelie rolling along after her in his toy truck mode like a loyal puppy. "The med bay is all prepped and ready for incoming bots." she notified the hummer almost absently as she pointedly watched a bright yellow Camaro roll out of the plane and drive over to them. At the moment the Banes woman was more worried about Sam than anything.

"Good work Mikeala."

Bumblebee drove up to them, flashing his headlights at them, and popped his doors open. Leo got out as Mikeala helped a barely lucid Sam out and into Ratchet's waiting palm. "What happened Leo?" Mikeala turned her piercing blue on the college techie as Bumblebee transformed. The young spy scooped up the two humans and ex-Con before following after a retreating Ratchet and Wheeljack to the med bay. Leo took the moment to gather his wits and tell the woman and surrounding mechs what happened earlier that day.

(((O))) (((O))

-(Tranquility, Nevada)-

"Hey guys, that damn cop car is still following us." Damien announced around his cigarette over Hawkeye's comm. He had his neck craned to looked out the meach's tinted rear window. The man sat easily behind Hawkeye's wheel, posing in a driving position. It wouldn't do if anyone noticed them if he wasn't pretending to drive.

Shanti was half-sitting half-laying on Nightgale's seat as the foursome idled in traffic at a red light. Unlike Damien, she couldn't turn her head to look. That would alert the one following them to their notice of it. "Why's he following us?" she asked through a comm. device in her helmet.

Hawkeye huffed. "He probably thinks we're Autobots or something." he answered before pausing. "Oi, Damien, toss the smoke or I'll dump you on the street. That stench is gonna set in my cab's upholstery! You're cleaning me out if it does."

"How would you know how you smell? You got no nose with olfactory sensors and you upholstery is leather!" the blond groused but took one last puff before flicking the half-burnt stick out the window anyway; he didn't like the way Hawkeye started leaning driver side down and the door lock released. "In any case, if this guy thinks we're with the Autobots wouldn't he be more aggressive? He's just been playing Follow-The-Leader with us." the magical law enforcer rubbed his stubbled chin in irritation.

Shanti offered up her own analysis, "Maybe he's hoping we'll know where the Autobots' base is? Or at the very least thinks we're in contact with them."

"…um, we n-n-need to find a w-way to ev-vade him. Fast." Ever since Nightgale informed them of their stalker the quartet had become very cautious about what they did and where they went. It was very obvious their unannounced add on was one of those Cybertronian Transformers of the Decepticon variety. The stiff red eyed holoform of an officer, the even more noticeable 'To Punish and Enslave' decal instead of 'To Serve and Protect' printed on its rear fenders, and the purple faced sigil of the Fallen on its doors declaring its faction gave it away so very perfectly.

"Right," Damien agreed as he fingered a long six and a half inch stick made cider with a dragon's heartstring as its core in his pocket. "Get us outside of the city. We'll make a break for it as soon as the light turns green 'cause I got a feeling he won't stay passive much longer." he said. Damien had to be subtle about his casting due to being in a city. The American Ministry of Magic may be more tolerant and more lenient than the others about open employment of magic, but not to the point of obvious use. They had laws like everyone else and being found out in the city by the surface Aurors could land them in a very difficult situation.

"Hang on tight them." the other three could hear the excitedly nervous tone in Hawkeye's voice. This would be his first battle not against a simulation or training partner, but against a real enemy.

When the traffic light suddenly turned green and the line of cars and truck moved, Hawkeye's and Nightgale's tires squealed as the spun. With a cloud of smoke the Transformer pair shot away, leaving black marks on the pavement and surprised bystanders. The fake cop car was after them instantly, trailing not far behind.

The Transformers of Las Magia raced down strait roads, turned and drifted around corners, and dodged around cars. It didn't take long for the four to make their way away from the general populous of the city, leading the 'Con along. It was only when they reached the more uninhabited border of the desert did the Decepticon start to get hostile and advanced on them like a hunting lion springing on its prey.

Hawkeye yelped when he was suddenly rear-ended. "Ahh! Son-of-glitch!" the orange pick-up growled and picked up speed. "Get ready to bail out, Damien! I'm going to transform and beat the slag out of this glitched fragger!"

(((O))) (((O)))

High above the car chase, Starscream flew overhead watching with an interested optic. He had scanned the new mech and femme several times over and found something truly odd about them. Not only did they hold no Decepticon or Autobot signal, but they're weren't registering as Cybertronian in origin at all and that was what intrigued the Decepticon Air Commander. Aside from a few planets colonized by Cybertronians no other planet had life even remotely as advanced as them. But here, on this dirty little organic mud ball of a world was a mech and femme pair with unknown origins. Starscream knew they couldn't be of this world, Earth and its fleashling inhabitance were far too primitive to ever create something as grand like himself, so that left the question of where these two came from and if there were others?

:: Starscream to Barricade! ::

:: I read you, now what do you want? ::

:: Orders from Megatron, you are to capture both those bots and escort them back to base to him. I am to assist you. :: he drawled the last part out in annoyance. :: Thundercracker and Skywarp will be on their way shortly once we've subdue them. ::

:: Whatever, Barricade out. :: Starscream growled hatefully as the line suddenly cut off. Barricade was working on his last good circuit with his insolence. He would let it go… for now. His mission at the moment was to retrieve the mech and femme. The cursed Autobot scum may have picked up on them and would come looking. If these two had no already existing allegiance with anyone, it would take much time to sway them into joining the Decepticon Empire. Their Earth ranks were beginning to thin dangerously. If they refused… well, the femme looks like she might prove to be amusing entertainment for a while and there was always room on top of the scrap heap for the mech.

Starscream angled his alt down to descend on them.

(((O)))(((O)))

-(Tranquility, Nevada: Desert/City Limits)-

With a quick scan of the area and determining no other humans around Hawkeye made a sudden tight turn, kicking up a dust cloud as he went, already beginning his transformation sequence. His driver-side door opened, causing Damien to spill out onto the sand in a practiced fall, the wizard rolled off to the side safely.

The frontliner was already in his bi-peddle form just as Barricade came careening at him in a tackle. The colony mech used the incoming bot's momentum and rolled back onto his back with the black and white when the two connected. Planting one of his peds in the 'Con's abdomen area Hawkeye kicked, sending Barricade flying away before standing. His hand disappeared as his arm reconfigured into a blaster.

"Who the slag are you? We didn't want any trouble so why are you chasing us?"

Barricade was already standing back on his feet, the sharp edges of his saw-like mace weapon glinted wickedly in the light of the afternoon sun. "My designation id Barricade of the Decepticons. I got orders from Lord Megatron to escort you and the femme to him. He's got a proposition for you, one you should heed. Come quietly and there'll be no need for me to hurt you. Your little meat bag pets can rot in the sun for all I care."

A sneer overcame the colony mech's faceplates. "I knew it. So you're a 'Con? In that case, no thanks!"

Not to far away, Nightgale had turned around and stopped next to Damien some good yards away from the battling mechs, letting Shanti dismount, before transforming. The saboteur's entire shy vanished in an instant leaving a soldier in its wake, the moment she confirmed an immediate threat to herself and her mate. This was not one of the training simulations she used to partake in. Now she was in live combat against a being she knew was far older and experienced than herself, there could be no room for a mistake. A pair of thin shafts sprung up as she lifted her arm, the exhaust pipe of her alt form was now a type of pump/barrel from which beam arrows were shot from. Nightgale stood in a guard position, her human partners standing behind one of her legs, her clover green optics narrowed as her battle analyses chip activated.

Blood red optics narrowed as the Selene bot crouched in a readied stance, studying the obnoxiously orange mech in front of him. The bot was just a little bigger than him, around the same high as the Autobot's Weapons Specialist Ironhide, a bit bulky but not overly top heavy, and had an arm blaster that sported cannon-like aspects to it for a right arm and a grenade launcher mounted on left arm. Barricade them looked his opponent in the optics, which were an odd hunter green color, and could see a mixed expression of grim determination and nervous excitement. The shock trooper could tell without further scrutiny that the mech standing against him was just a youngling with a weapon, a trained armature who never really fought in a real life-or-death battle before but came off the assembly line built for combat.

"Hahaha…" the black and white chuckled as he and the orange mech circled each other.

Hawkeye growled. "What are you laughing at?" he asked in a deep, dangerous voice.

Barricade gave a fanged, dark smirk. "Nothing, just another runt looking to get scrapped." he was amused by the annoyed grunt that answered him.

"Scrap THIS!" Hawkeye opened fire.

Barricade dodged and then darted forward faster than anyone though he could move, activating and swinging his mace. Hawkeye jumped back away from the cutting edges and loosed another round from his blaster that took of a bit of the Decepticon's armor. Barricade hissed as he sent a fist that caught his opponent's faceplates in a right hook. Hawkeye gritted his dentals as he stumbled back two steps. He then lashed out harshly with a backhand before his foot came up in a kick.

As the two mech brawled, knocking each other down while throwing punches and kicks wildly in the sand, the remaining three had become distracted as a new Decepticon descended on them from the sky.

Nightgale, Damien, and Shanti were hunkered behind an outcrop of large rock under a Protegra Maximus spell cast by the wizard. The shield spell itself was taking a heavy beating as rounds of bullets rained down on it, bouncing off harmlessly. Damien was already sweating and panting as he kept pouring in the magic to keep his Protegra up. Nightgale was busy returning fire, shooting arrows in rapid succession at the transformed F-22 Raptor. Shanti was busy analyzing the mech with her computer, looking for weak spots to exploit.

"Gale, aim for the wings. Take those out and he wont be able to dodge or fly away!"

"Right!"

Above Starscream was growing frustrated as he continued to empty his machine gun while evading arrows. The femme was good, he'd give her that much. She had detected him coming just before he reached within shooting range and had some sort of energy shield erected around her and the squishies. If he knew how to get around her defenses he could knock her out easily and rid the world of two more human insects in the process.

(((O))) (((O)))

Several miles away, some two thousand feet off the ground, from the fight were two C-17s, one of them carrying a quartet of strapped down mechs and a group of over fifty soldiers while the second held the remaining soldiers, and the four AH-64 Apache helicopters were gradually making their way closer.

"We picked up two unregistered signals and two known 'Cons, Barricade and Starscream. This is our chance to take out two important enemy bots so no screw ups." Major Lennox ordered from his seat onboard the lead cargo plane , his voice carrying to all open lines between his men and the Autobots. "We're not to engage the unknowns with lethal force unless fired upon first, understood?" he continued to say as he checked all his gear and weapons.

There was a chorus echo of "Sir, yes sir!" from the soldiers.

"Those are Optimus' direct orders." Prowl said pointedly to the black Topkick truck in front of him and to the silver and gold Stingrays in the second plane. He knew full well how trigger happy, as humans would say, Ironhide was and would go in cannons blazing.

Ironhide's engine rumbled in response. "I know that. Quit busting my manifolds about it already!"

From the second plane the twin were listening Sideswipe was already beginning to feel giddy with anticipation., "You know if Starscream is there his loser Trine Partners ain't far away. Leave that screechy glitch and his wing mates to Me and Sunny. We can handle them." It had been a while since he got the chance to use his Jet Judo. Sunstreaker was also looking forward to meeting the Trine again in battle so he could rip their wings off and decorate the walls of his shared quarters with them.

"Don't call me Sunny!" Sideswipe ignored his brother's nickname rebuff for the nth time as he plotted. :: Anyway, you going to be alright against Barricade, Prowl. You two got history after all. :: Sunstreaker asked over his comm.

Prowl was silent for a moment before answering in a clipped tone, :: I will be fine. Your concern is appreciated but not needed. ::

It was only a few minutes later the intercom crackled on and pilot's voice reverberated through the cabin, :: We're coming over the drop zone. :: he informed, :: Jump Master, prepare for bail out. ::

The Jump Master of the plane hooked himself up to a safety harness and prepared to open the ramp as the collection of soldiers as they stood to secure their gear and fastening parachutes on themselves and the mechs while removing their restraints.

Both of the C-17s cargo doors began opening as they flew over the fight. Three cars and a truck drove out from the flying transports and began to free fall, closely followed by eighty-six armed human soldiers.

(((O))) (((O)))

Thundercracker and Skywarp had arrived at the scene of the fight moments before and immediately began their assault on the Nightgale and Hawkeye, though it irked Barricade when Skywarp began to assist him as if he couldn't hand the young pick-up on his own.

The Protegra spell Damien had cast had long since collapsed when he exhausted his magic reserves under the combined weight of both Seeker's attacks. Shanti had to half drag his worn out body away under the natural protection of the boulders around them as Nightgale herself was forced to run to draw their fire away from her vulnerable companions.

"Run, little femme, run! It make the hunt all the more enjoyable."

Thundercracker chuckled in dark amusement at Starscream's taunting as the femme tried to escape. "Try not to damage her to much Starscream, Lord Megatron wants them in one piece." he reminded his Trine Leader.

The two were so distracted by their fleeing prey that neither F-22 noticed a pair a of gleaming silver and gold dots disconnecting from parachutes grow into a pair of near identical mech above them.

The tattooed flyer scoffed. He knew enough of Megatron to know he would see the femme as weak. He would offline her when she outlived her usefulness, which would happen the moment she came into base. The mech of the pair would probably be reprogrammed and branded to better suit the Decepticon needs. "I doubt he truly cares how we bring them in as long as-"

"JET JUDO!" chorused a pair of voices in stereo cut Starscream off.

Starscream and Thundercracker were unexpectedly burdened by a sudden weight on their backs. The blue Seeker screeched in pain as a silver blade pierced through his right wing and a gleefully maniacal voice, woefully familiar, all but shouted in his audio, "Hey Cracker! I missed you!"

"What's the deal Screamer! You don't write or call! Don't you care about me anymore? " came Sunstreaker's sarcastic greeting as a vicious fanged smirk graced his faceplates, one clawed hand raking harshly into Starscream's back and locked in place, drawing out a screech of pain.

The two F-22s bucked and twisted in mid-air, trying to dislodge the whooping and cheering Autobot twins from their frames. Over with Skywarp and Barricade, the black and purple Seeker turned off his attack on the strange orange mech when her heard T.C.'s pained scream. He hadn't even moved two yards when Skywarp came under fire. Ironhide and Prowl transformed and landed only a moment after the twins fell on the Seekers. The black Weapons Specialist's cannons spun out as he immediately opened fire on the youngest of the Trine while Prowl, who's bipedal form looked somewhat akin to a samurai, rushed at Barricade, knocking him off the unfamiliar orange mech. The human soldiers touched ground three minutes later to provide support fire against the Seekers. Lennox ordered several of the soldiers to locate and secure the two civilians he had seen during the air drop.

Before too long the tides of battle began to change with the appearance of the Autobots and the NEST soldiers.

"Yahoo!" Sideswipe cheered as he held the Seeker's wings in a painfully tight grip.

Thundercraker managed to through Sideswipe from him to the ground several yards below. He reached back and slowly pulled the silver blade out of his wing, grunting and hissing in pain as mech fluids and Energon leaked from the wound. Flame red optics looked down at the silver twin with burning hatred and anger. Thundercracker threw the Cybertronian blade at its owner like a javelin, intending to skewer him. Sideswipe, however, saw this and rolled out of the way before the sword could impale him, and right into the path of a shower of bullets from the fighter jet's machine gun.

Thundercracker smirked as the twin used his second sword to shield his more vital areas from the Seeker's attack. "Let's see if that measly sword of yours can protect you from this!" The blue 'Con had drawn his rocket launcher and target locked. "Die!" he yelled and moved to squeeze the trigger.

There was a sudden yellow-orange flash and a whistle before a short beam exploded on impact with Thundercracker's arm. "I'm still here!" The blue flyer turned to see the purple femme they'd been sent to retrieve with the orange mech. Nightgale began shooting her arrows with increasing speed forcing the Decepticon away from the Autobot. Sideswipe immediately got back on his wheeled peds, snatched up his sword, and went on the offensive.

Nearby Sunstreaker was positively tearing into Starscream with a viciousness borne of many long years of battle. The Seeker leader had thrown Sunstreaker off his back violently and shot at his spark chamber in hopes of offlining the gold twin quickly. The vein mech was able to protect himself but ended up ruining his armor in the process. Starscream's attack kept Sunstreaker pinned for a few moments when distraction came in the form of the femme he'd been taunting earlier when she shot him in the back, nailing him on one of his twin thrusters. Once given an opening, Sunstreaker, after noticing the state of his appearance, came at the flier hard and fast. It was all Starscream could do to barely keep the golden twin from offlining him after his lapse of attention. Much of his plating and Energon now decorated the desert floor as a testament of Sunstreaker's wrath.

Nightgale never missed a shot when she found an opening between the two fights. She wasn't the only one offering support fire either. Half of the NEST humans were all hunkered down around her shooting their munitions rounds empty in a serious effort to kill off the Seekers. The Trine, from the beginning, had been the most sought after hunting targets next to Megatron and a few other Decepticon officers.

Two of NEST's field medics and a gunner had located Shanti and a barely conscious Damien, both of them sporting impressive scraps and bruises.

Hawkeye was standing at Ironhide's side, his fight against Barricade had been rudely taken from him, with about a dozen or so human soldiers and was making good use of his cannons and launcher against Skywarp. The black and purple jet was a trick opponent to pin down with his warping ability, but he did destroy the two of the helicopters that kept him pinned closer to the ground for Ironhide.

Barricade's battle against Prowl was more quick and decisive in the Autobot's lead tactician's favor, as Barricade observed. The Decepticon black and white had known Prowl for many vorns before the war started. They had both been Praxian enforcers and protectors of the Youth Centers and at times worked together as partners.

Because of their shared work history, Barricade knew much about Prowl, from his hard-aft, cool and calculating persona to the fact that he was one of the few mechs to master the Circuit-Su fighting style, and that he fought with both a rifle that shot acid pellets and several throwing stars. It was a bit of a shock to see that instead of trying to disarm and disable him, as he'd done in their previous encounters as enemies, Prowl intentionally trying to permanently offline him; strategically going after all his potentially lethal weak points with fast, pinpoint accurate strikes. Then there were also the occasional fleshling soldiers taking potshots aimed specifically at the gaps and joints between his armor plating during the intermissions of Prowl's attacks. Their sabot rounds, and modified weaponry did hurt and was very capable of killing him. This kept him in constant movement and was all together wearing him down fast.

Barricade had fallen to one knee with a pained cry as when the humans shot out one of his knee joints form behind and was knocked back by Prowl with a shot to his chest. ~Good bye, old partner~ was the last thing he heard in Cybertronian before a blinding, burning pain of acid eating away into his spark casing. He was offline within moments.

It wasn't long before Starscream began seeing how he and his fellow 'Cons were at a great disadvantage. "Decepticons! Fall back!" he called, already fleeing, leaving a trail of black smoke from his one disabled thruster. His injuries were grievous enough that he was unable to transform.

Thundercracker glared down at Sideswipe and Nightgale in rage. "This isn't over, Autoscum!" he announced before transforming into his alt form and flying off. Skywarp, the least damaged of the Decepticons, his warped away after his Trine Mates.

(((O))) (((O)))

When the dust of the fight settled, the mechs (and femme) all looked at each other in wary suspicion, taking in each others' appearances.

"… so, Autobots, eh?" Hawkeye began not really sure of what else to say. At his side Nightgale stood, her battle computed still active and waiting to be put to use again, and being held protectively in one arm was Shanti and a disoriented Damien. The orange mech kept his arm cannon hot and charged for any sudden threatening movement.

Prowl, as the highest ranking officer, stepped to the fore. He gave the two a quick once over before greeting them. "Yes, we are the Autobots. I am Prowl, Second in command and tactician. My comrades are Ironhide, our Weapons Specialist,"

The hulking black mech nodded and grunted his greeting, "Nice set of cannons you got there kid." Hawkeye smirked at the praise.

"The twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe,"

Sideswipe grinned at Nightgale and said, "Thanks for the help earlier." The purple Fireblade gave a sheepish smile.

Sunstreaker was hardly paying anyone any mind as he was busy looking in disdain at each scuff, scratch, and dent in his armor. "Yeah, what they said." he said absently, almost rudely.

"And our human allies; the special military task force called NEST." the tactician motioned the crowd of humans at his feet.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Hawkeye, my bondmate Nightgale, and our friends Shanti Rowlington and Damien Moore." he pointed out each of his companions, "We're neutrals."

The declaration of their status got a bit of a reaction out of the four mechs. "Really now?" Ironhide asked as he looked the pair over more closely. "You're both packing a bit too much heat to be neutral."

"War always has a way to drag down those who do not wish to get involved." Nightgale answered. "We are prepared to defend ourselves but we will not pick sides."

Prowl nodded at this. "Any particular reason Decepticons were after you?"

The bonded pair shrugged, a very human gesture. Shanti then answered, "We were just minding our own business when that psycho cop car," she pointed at Barricade's sparkless shell, "came out of nowhere and started stalking us. When we left the city he attacked us, said something about escorting Hawk and Gale to their base and a proposition from their leader. Then those planes came and then you guys."

As Prowl carefully turned over the young woman's words Ironhide asked, "How long have you two been here anyway?"

Nightgale answered with a small smile, "Nearly ten full years." Her response was both honest yet only half true. She and Hawkeye were both sparked in the same year group almost ten years ago. These Autobots simply believed they mad planet fall all those years ago and Nightgale was willing to let them believe what they wanted until the mission was over.

"And how long have you guys known the bots?" Epps asked the humans, curious and wondering how in all the time NEST had been active they never found them before now.

Shanti smirked and said, "I've known these two for about three years." she pointed at the mech and femme. "We picked up Damien last year. We've been roaming around the country together since."

By then Lennox had already begun counting the dead and analyzing the damage before contacting NEST base to report while Epps called back the transport planes and ordered for the clean-up and disposal crew. Will looked at the four across from him speculatively as he listened to the communications officer relay orders to him back on base. Somehow, just somehow he knew, these four gave him a gut feeling that they weren't being totally upfront with them. He saw they way the bots and humans kept giving each other secrete looks of silent communication. It was like they knew something important and weren't telling. It didn't sit well with the major but it wasn't like he could call them out on it.

"Okay, time to pack up. Our air transports landed at Nellis Airbase and are refueled and waiting. Clean up crews and ground rides will be here in ten to pick us up." he informed before looking to the new bots. "Optimus Prime has requested your presence. He want's to talk with you."

Damien made a show of snorting in mild disbelief, a slight sneer on his face. "What's with all the attention we're getting so suddenly from the faction leaders today?" Not that he was complaining, this was exactly their objective, making contact with Prime, but they couldn't seem eager to let themselves be taken without some resistance. They had to keep the mission under wraps for a while longer.

Lennox shrugged as he noticed in the distance was a large rising dust cloud from two non-descriptive black semi-trucks, three white HazMat vans. "Optimus just wants to talk. And protocol states any new bots and personal must see Ratchet, the CMO for the Autobots, in case they've sustained any damage during or before planet fall or after battles. Your friends look like they could use a medic right now."

It was true. Almost all of the bots looked a little beaten up, more so the twins and Nightgale than the others.

"You do not have to come," Prowl added, "But it would be appreciated if you did."

"I say go for it." Hawkeye said, earning looks from his three companions. "What? It's not like we have anything else really worth doing."

Nightgale twiddled her thumbs in a very human show of nervousness. "… I t-th-think m-maybe it wouldn't b-be so bad?"

Shanti shrugged. "Whatever, I'm not leaving Hawk and Gale by themselves." she then muttered lowly, know the bots could still hear, "besides, bonded or not, Hawk pervs on Gale too much to be healthy."

"Hey!" came the indignant response. Gale squeaked in embarrassment while the mechs

Damien groaned in 'annoyance'. "Fine, I know when I'm out voted." he then turned to the major. "Where are you taking us anyway?" the man asked through narrow eyes

Will gave a thin smirk. "Classified location, sir. I hope you have a book or something, it's going to be a long trip."

This time Damien's annoyance was real.