Grimlock decided he really did not like the red Autobot who strode in the storage room and started screaming at them that he was leader. All Grimlock ever knew was that he was leader. Either him or the pretty spider lady.
Snarl couldn't care less about this new leader. As long as he could bash stuff, like he was doing to the empty crates Perceptor gave him.
Swoop knew he would do all he could to help out this new leader of theirs, even if he had never seen him before. With my technological know-how, he could be a very helpful hand indeed, he thought to himself.
Rodimus Prime couldn't be angrier at his new situation. He'd been trying to explain to these guys that he's their leader for a while now, and Grimlock always seemed to interrupt him.
"Alright, you, you aren't going to talk anymore so I can give you guys our-" Rodimus began but was interrupted for what seemed like the millionth time, again by Grimlock.
"You no leader! Me Grimlock leader! You little and red! No leader is little and red! Only big and red like Optimus!" Grimlock yelled at the top of his lungs. None of what Rodimus was saying was getting through to him in the slightest.
"Me Swoop know our assignment. Optimus told me Swoop because me the only one that can understand. Me willing to help Rodimus get Grimlock under control if you let me Swoop have larger access to Perceptor's equipment."
Rodimus looked confusedly at Swoop. This was the first time he had even heard that the Dinobot could speak. From all the stories he was told, Swoop and Snarl didn't even have vocal processors, let alone be much easier to work with than Grimlock. "I. . . You can talk?" Rodimus managed after a brief stare.
"Me Swoop studied hard this past year. Me make own vocal processor." Swoop was obviously proud of himself, and for good reason. Rodimus had never heard of anyone making their own vocal processor since all Cybertronians that were either constructed from the AllSpark or Vector Sigma and were thus born with it. He had seen them repaired, sure, but built from scratch?
"That's quite the accomplishment. Thank you for your help, Swoop. Optimus tells me you can track Shockwave's Energon signature?" Rodimus asked.
" Oh, sure," Swoop said and stopped to think. When he seemed to come to a conslusion, he said, "Me do it for free. Swoop on Rodimus' team, after all."
"Right. Could you calm down Grinlock now?" Rodimus asked as he looked over to Grimlock, who had been standing idly by getting angrier at the both of them.
Swoop looked up at Grimlock and gave a long, hard stare that seemed to eventually calm down the hulking Autobot. Grimlock uncrossed his arms and his eyes became less aggravated than Rodimus thought he was capable of.
"What did you do?" Rodimus asked in amazement.
"You gotta let him know that you know how he feels. Me Swoop can do this in only a look. It good to know how to do," Swoop said, still staring intently at Grimlock.
"Oh. Okay. Um. . . Can we start now? What do you say, Snarl?" Rodimus said, for the frist time including Snarl in the conversation, who had wandered off to a crate nearby where he now sat, dangling his legs like a protoform.
"Hmm? Yeah," were the only things Snarl could muster with his prototype vocal processor Swoop had installed in his throat.
"Alright then! Let's head out! C'mon, Grimlock," Rodimus said.
For one reason or the other, this upset Grimlock to a dangerous level. He does not like being pushed around, and he will respond with violence.
Which is exactly what he does.
Grimlock transformed to dinosaur mode and whipped Rodimus Prime to the ground and transformed back to robot mode faster than Rodimus could hit the ground, and, taking advantage of the mid-air Rodimus, Grimlock kicked him so he slammed against the wall. When Rodimus hit the ground, he looked up, dazed, and shouted, "What the- who was that?! Grimlock, was that you?!"
Grimlock said nothing. He merely stood there, with his arms fodled yet again. This gave him away.
"Grimlock, I'm your leader now. You cannot do that to me again! Do you understand?" Rodimus got to his feet and stared at Grimock, but he was unresponsive.
Instead, he transformed and yelled, "Dinobots, transform and find Shockwave!"
The other two transformed as well, and they all stormed out the storage facilities ramp. And Rodimus could not believe what just happened.
Rodimus thought I cannot let this opportunity get away from me! I'm going to be a better leader than I ever have been, and it starts with getting Grimlock under control!
And with that, Rodimus Prime transformed and sped off after the rampaging Dinobots, who seemed to be heading for a space bridge. Did Swoop's tracking system really have such range that he could detect Shockwave's signature so far away they needed a space bridge to reach him? Only time would tell.