A/N: I just got back from Kuwait last night (9/21) close to midnight. Whoo ho! I'd been there since January and I left for good on Friday. I worked on most of this story during the last few weeks of my time there. I hope you like it. I did this chapter while dead tired. I was falling asleep editing! Hopefull it gets better now that I have more time.

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Heatseeker is trying her hardest to pay attention. Her aft counts on it. But, considering the company, that's easier said than done. Not too many things can put the fear in her, but the present company has the ability do just that. The mission seems easy enough, but looking at who she'd be working for and with, she's starting to feel sick. She knows she'll have to be more than on top of her game if she wants to get out of this unscarred either mentally or physically.

Why? Echoes through her mind like a cry for mercy. Why me? She knows the answer, she just doesn't want to accept the truth. Starscream notices the fact that her face appears to be draining of color, if that is possible. He knows very well how she views Megatron, Shockwave and Soundwave. He gives her a look that undeniably says "Pull yourself together!" She tries her hardest to do exactly that. When she realizes that Soundwave is staring at her with that look she hates, that one that says he's trying his best to figure out what she is thinking. She ignores him and attempts to appear to be hanging on every last one of Megatron's words. She wonders if her face shows how much she feels as if she is failing at doing so.

"They have a new form of communication that is encrypted in a matter of which our current crypto programs are not able to translate. I'm leaving it up to you two to break the code, add it to the system and translate what it says. It's a given that Soundwave would be tasked with this, but considering how time consuming this is and the amount of info involved is going to be, you, " and his lip components curl up as he glances in her direction, " will assist him. Do as he says, no debate, Heatseeker. You know the consequences."

She nods respectfully, or so it appears, "Yes, Lord Megatron."

"You were chosen because of your known silence and lack of... socializing. I expect things to stay that way. The only individuals who will know of these transmissions are those in this room right now. You will answer directly to Shockwave for this mission. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my Lord." Primus, she feels like she's a sparkling being scolded for something she hasn't even done yet.

The most unnerving presence in the room, even more so than Megatron at the moment, is Shockwave. Everything about him is menacing looking, right down to that one eye in the middle of what is supposed to be his face. His haunting voice makes her circuits jump. The walking computer, as he is called, fits the bill quite well. It is well known that logic dictates all in Shockwave's world. If it isn't logical, it must be eliminated and he doesn't hesitate to take action once that decision is made. In this specific circumstance, Soundwave definitely is the most logical choice. As Megatron already stated, she is as well but her involvement is hanging by a thin string of energon, she is sure. The mission can continue without her, should she be calculated as a risk by him. She is getting the "look" from Starscream again, which must mean her normally metallic grey face is turning a flat grey. Soundwave must be enjoying every second of my discomfort. Megatron probably thinks I'm fighting off some femme emotional breakdown, Starscream looks like he is silently wanting to strangle me and well, Shockwave , more than likely, is working out how long it's going to be until I am un-necessary. Oh the luck!

"Shockwave, get started."

"As you command, Lord Megatron," the droning voice of Shockwave's makes all the fluids in her system run cold.

Megatron departs with Starscream in tow. Starscream turns and gives her the, "Don't make me strangle you." look for sure this time. Heatseeker wonders what he has up his sleeve. He was quiet the entire time, again, which is odd and he kept giving her the wierd looks which is equally as odd. She'll have to get it out of him later. Right now, she feels like she just arrived in Pit. She's stuck in a room with the brain scrambler and the laser shooting calculator. Life is good. Hahahahaha. She's too nervous to do anything but listen to Shockwave's direction. Plus, right now, her aft is counting on it.

She sits down, not in her usual position across the room but at the console adjacent Soundwave. She's sure he can tell what her emotional state is right now. She may be able to block him from reading her thoughts, but emotional levels are a different story. You can't block a telepath from reading those. Just like facial expressions, they too are obvious to someone who is well trained in how to read them. She doesn't hide behind her fear by trying to fake her state. She admits it when she speaks to him telepathically. "Soundwave?"

"Yes?"

"You aren't planning on scrambling my circuits anytime soon are you?"

"Not unless you give me a reason too."

"Good. Just checking."

"Why?"

"I just have a feeling I may need every last one I have." She turns her attention to Shockwave long enough for Soundwave to follow her line of sight but not to look suspicious to the large purple mech.

Soundwave laughs telepathically in response to her last comment. He reads her emotional state, he is surprised to actually get a slight sense of fear off of her. So she fears Shockwave...okay. He'll have to remember that. "Then don't give me a reason too and you'll be fine."

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She was surviving her time working with Shockwave and Soundwave. Soundwave didn't try to read her thoughts, at all. She was pleasantly pleased by that, even if it was a bit shocking and border line disturbing. Shockwave hadn't decided to eliminate her from the equation, so she was elated about that. They had managed to break the Autobots new code almost as soon as they were tasked with doing so, much to Megatron's pleasure.Starscream was safe from Megatron's wrath for the time meaning, she didn't have to deal with any drama from him. . So far so good.

The info they were collecting told of everything from the Autobots base of operations, to cells in various city states. The Decepticons learned of movements and placements of Autobot weaponry. Perfect, the Decepticons now had the element of surprise. The Autobots did not know that they had already broken the code or so the Decepticons thought.

The offensive was planned. The Autobots wouldn't expect them. In the meantime, surveillance was needed of the area. She lucked out being placed on one of 3 scouting teams. After a deca-cycle of spending most of her waking moments in the same room as Shockwave and Soundwave, she was elated to have a chance to escape the confines of the base. The teams would scout out the area for cells and strategic locations, only engaging the enemy if they were spotted. She was teamed up with Sunstorm the loudest colored seeker in the group being as he was bright orange. Great, she thought, I'm with the great big walking target. So much for being inconspicuous.

They waited for the city's shields to be lowered to enter following a cargo crafts approach. Timing their landing with that of a large ship, their landing just outside of the city's perimeter went un-noticed. Heatseeker tells Sunstorm she wants to touch down away from their suspected target so that the sound of their engines won't raise alarm. She used codes gained from the message they had intercepted to gain access to a perimeter gateway. He used his long range weaponry to render the guards at the gate neutralized. Sunstorm agreed to her stealthy landing and entry, the do so and walk prudently to the area they are to search, staying below the surface, in the alleys, crevices at the base of Iacon's buildings and grand structures. This is a dark and foreboding place, providing excellent cover for them. The light is low but still useful in the allies, Sunstorm insists on taking the lead and she lets him. Let him be the shield, she thinks to herself. She can still see over him when he's crouched low. The two brightly colored Seekers travel down through winding alleys when they come to an archway marking what she knows to be the entrance to a cell. The entrance is at the mouth of what appears to be another maze of dark alleys. They continue on. A while into the maze of allies, Sunstrom peaks his head around a corner to check for any enemies when a first shot rings out. Luckily, the shot is high and hits a pipe along the wall well above their heads.

"What direction did that come from?!" She whispers hoarsely to Sunstorm placing her hand on his back pushing him down out of range of another round, should it come. .

"I didn't see." He moves his head from side to side checking the ends of the passageway.

" Good job, dip stick. How the pit are we supposed to shoot back if we don't know where to shoot at?' She hisses at the orange seeker.

"Well, you didn't see it either!" He cries back in surprise at her response.

"Good point. Put your head out there again and see if they shoot." and he does. She snickers but no one shoots. He rounds the corner to his left , staying close to the wall, still no more shots ring out. He scuttles down a bit to allow her room. She moves into position behind him again and they continued to follow the wall as it curves to the right. Still, there is silence, no shooting. How odd, she thinks. Whoever had shot at us before must've ran off. It is almost completely dark in this area. She switches optic modes for a better view. What she sees alarms her. In the dark that surrounds them, there are 5 Autobots who all appear to be well armed. Where did they come from? She hadn't thought or felt a need to send out psychic feelers so she hadn't done so. Two are in front of them, one is on the other side and slightly ahead of them in the tunnel and two behind them. As she and Sunstorm rounded the corner further back, she had checkd and saw no one behind them.

"Um, Sunstorm?"

"Yeah?"

"I have bad news." Her voice sounds amused but cautious.

"We're not alone are we?" His voice sounds regretful and expectant.

She can't explain it but she starts laughing, "No!" Her laughter trails off in an echo into the darkness.

Silence.

After a long pause, he answers up, "How many?"

"Enough to make this a worthy challenge."

The astrosecond of silence seems like forever. She draws out one of her knives.

She rushes at the closest one to her, one of the bots standing right behind her and to the right. He is prepared for her attack and raises his weapon to fire, but she ducks. The shot hits Sunstorm, knocking him into one of the autobots in front of him. Sunstorm draws his weapon and starts firing at the bots he had just been knocked into, almost as if he oblivious to having been hit. It's going to be a close quarters fight, her favorite kind. She slashes at the bot she had just rushed as he punches her in the chest causing her to stumble back. Angered from the punch she jabs a knife in his arm. Hearing his wail, she scrambles up just in time to see the second bot coming at her. Pulling a second and larger knife out of her chest plate, she clutches it in her right hand and punches the autobot in the face. He stumbles back but catches his balance. She sees the glow of an energy spike eminating from his left arm. Oh you wanna play that game huh? She cooly sheathes her knife and pulles out her swords. She spins the two swords in her hands and runs at him. The two are entrenched in a fight that resembles a glowing, dancing mess of lights. She spins to hit him twice when he hits her hard in her side with the spike. She stumbles back from the strike, looking down to check her wound, she growls upon seeing the energon start to seep. She raises her head and sees him beckoning her to come, taunting her. Just as she moves to take him, she is pulled back by someone behind her. Whoever it is, is holding a laser gun up to her neck and is not being forgiving about it.

"Drop them. NOW!! Drop the swords."

She defies the command and precedes to try and wriggle free. The bot holding her swings around fast and pulls on her neck so hard she feels her head might pop off. She sees Sunstorm on the ground, face down. She can't tell if he was offline or just unconscious. Either way it's not looking good for them right now. Five Autobots, one of her, one comrade down, she was injured. Slag. She drops the swords and raised her hands up in defeat.

"There, dropped." she says in the most defiant voice she can muster at the moment. The pain in her side is starting to build.

"Good girl."

Angry and with a racing pum,p her processors are searching for options to escape when she feels a odd pressure and a sudden pain in her side. The world seems to spin and is then followed by darkness. She hears nothing, sees nothing and was floating in absolute nothingness. One thought drifts through her mind, Slag...I think I've "passed out."

Things are definitely not looking good.