Author's Note: Man, just when I think I'll get to work on this and get some chapters out I end up going into surgery. And of course after I got done rolling around in agony and the pain meds finally wore off my muse decided to ditch me because I was being so lame. Talk about a kick in the pants. Recovery times are always longer than what your doctor tells you, take it from me.
Guardian
7-Acrimony
Danny
If it was possible, Danny hoped to never experience a drive that long and tense ever again. She rode in Bonebite, seeing as it'd been a while since they'd driven together, all the way back to the Lennox house with Roadbuster in the lead. The green Autobot had protested, of course, even after Danny promised to take turns. 'Tha' isn't the point, lass' he'd grumbled before transforming. Bonebite had looked, of all things, smug, as he too turned into his truck form.
Seriously, like a pair of five year olds.
They didn't talk to each other as far as Danny could tell, but she could still practically feel the anger and tension between them as they drove down the highway. She'd stayed silent the whole way back, not even bothering to try and ease them up with banter as she normally would have.
Chromia and Ironhide were in the driveway, and she felt the tension multiply tenfold when they parked alongside them. None of them liked Bonebite, that much was quite obvious, and she couldn't help but feel defensive of her first Guardian. Though she knew it was irrational, she was irritated that they were so hostile towards him when he'd done nothing in return. Logically, of course, she understood that he'd probably done terrible things a long, long time ago and that there was a certain stigma that came with being a Decepticon, ex or not.
While she felt a little bad leaving Bonebite out in the driveway with three not-so-friendly Autobots while she retreated inside, it was mingled with guilty relief at getting away from the volatile atmosphere.
"Hey, Danny." Greeted Lennox from the kitchen. She smiled a little as she walked in to meet him. From the looks of things, he and Annabelle had been finger-painting if his colorful fingers and old, kaleidoscopically stained shirt were anything to go by. She could hear the girl in the other room, humming some tune or other over the rustling of paper. "How'd getting your friend back go?"
"Oh, it went well."
Right on cue, mechanical voices rose up angrily through the open window above the sink. Bones and Buster were getting into another argument in their odd techno language again, and she could hear the deep baritone of Ironhide as he ground out his two cents on whatever the matter was that they were getting so worked up about. Neither she nor Lennox said a word as the voices escalated and the sounds of transforming hit them, though the soldier peered outside the window with a concerned frown.
Danny was beginning to worry that they might actually harm each other at the rate they were going when Chromia's lighter voice cut through the argument. Everything went quiet for a beat or two before Chromia continued. The words were incomprehensible to the humans, but the tone was quite clearly pissed. Again, the sounds of transforming came from outside, then silence. Lennox looked at her.
"That well, huh?"
"You guys are such dweebs."
It was an hour or two after they'd arrived back at the Lennox household. Danny had eaten and showered and felt ready to take on the problems that awaited her in the driveway. Well, readier. They hadn't left in a huff as she'd half expected them to, but they'd obviously played a game of musical parking spots or something. Chromia and Ironhide were now situated between them, and Danny shook her head at the fact that her Guardians, beings tens of thousands of years her seniors, still behaved so badly as to need that kind of treatment.
"'Dweeb'?" Bones sounded confused.
"You're idiots."
"Lass, tha's fairly rude, don't ye think?"
"Not as rude as disturbing the peace and yelling at each other right outside someone else's house." She folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot, frowning at the pair of them. "If I had anywhere else to go I'd take you both so the Lennox's could get some peace."
"What about yer human friend? Th'one ye had me call?"
"Nathan? 'Buster, are you kidding? I'd have to explain you guys to him, and I'm already in deep shit with the people at NEST. And I'm not sure how well he'll handle it even if I do. He's nice, but some things just aren't... well, he doesn't handle certain things very well, I guess. And this definitely falls under 'certain things.'" The young woman sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was getting sidetracked. "This isn't why I came out here. I don't want to argue, and I don't want the pair of you to, either."
Silence abounded, and Danny let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'm not a mind reader! Machine-mind... reader... Whatever. You gotta say something to let me know I'm getting through to you." Big babies.
"I'm listenin', lass, it's jus'-"
"As am I, though your 'friend' here-"
Danny groaned as they switched to their techno language again and started bickering. This almost wasn't worth the effort. Ironhide visibly shook before growling something out and then getting drawn in for a second time. She leaned back against the door of the house and folded her arms, expression quite flat. Well, it didn't look like they were going to let up any time soon on their own. The human shook her head and looked at the only silent vehicle left.
"These guys fight over the stupidest shit, huh?"
"True, indeed."
The gents fell into shocked silence before trying to defend themselves; 'He started it-' 'I was just saying that-' 'These two needed to be put in their place-'. The two females ignored them and carried on.
"Do I even want to know what they were actually arguing about?"
"I'm afraid it might lower your IQ, and mine, just to state it."
Roadbuster grumbled audibly. The other two didn't comment on their banter. Danny put on an overly wide smile. "You three done now?" No reply. "Fantastic. Roadbuster, Bonebite, a word if you would deign to humor the human?" It was a similar sickly sweet tone to the one she'd used for Mearing, and neither Guardian made a sound as they rolled after her out behind the barn and transformed to face her in a way that allowed her to see their, well, faces. Once out of earshot and hidden from the others, Danny let the facade drop. "You two really are idiots, you know that?"
Roadbuster looked away, frowning, and Bonebite didn't seem to react.
"I literally just asked you not to argue. Not thirty seconds pass and you're at each other again. Why? I just don't understand it." They both began to speak, and the moment they almost simultaneously mentioned 'the war' she raised a finger to shut them up.
"All the crap about 'the war' is really starting to get to me. It was bad, I know. It destroyed your homeworld. I got that. But you two are my Guardians, the both of you. I really do like each of you and I wish you didn't fight this much. We haven't even been together as a group for more than five hours and I'm having the same conversation I did with you at the start of it!" Her voice rose with each passing statement and by the end of it she was pacing around in a circle, throwing up her hands in impotent frustration.
It was a minute or two until she calmed down long enough to stuff her hands in her pockets and glare at them, waiting for a response or reaction of some sort.
"Lass. Danny. Yer makin' light of an issue that nearly brought m-... our kind to extinction. Ye don't know what yer talkin' abou'. The things they've done to us over th'vorns-"
"Autobots do so like to forget every 'little' wrong they ever did to the Decepticons." Bonebite hissed.
"You big fat wankers! Shutup!" Danny actually did stomp her foot and shout this time and damn did it feel good. "You," She pointed Roadbuster. "He's an ex-Decepticon. This is the last time I'm going to say it to you. Get it through your thick metal noggin. And you," She pointed at Bonebite. "Stop reacting to what he's saying so much, it's only making things worse. Your old buddies did terrible shit, that much is true, so unless you really do believe in their methods you gotta stop defending them. And stop antagonizing him and treat him like a fucking equal. Actually that goes for the both of you!"
She stopped, hands clenching as she got herself back under control. Neither Guardian dared look at each other; she had their complete and undivided attention now. About damn time.
"Now, I'm really fucking tired of this. I've been dealing with a lot of moving around and leaving my old haunts and yelling and robots trying to kill each other and friends not getting along and handling Mearing twice in two damn weeks and I have had it. I'm going to the park with Annabelle and Sarah and getting some time with human fucking beings and away from the pair of you because I can't deal with your fucking robot politics and blood feuds right now. I've been in a state of transition for the last twelve years of my life and I finally have a place to stay, for once, and you're both being asses to the people taking me in."
The Lennox house was as much Ironhide and Chromia's home as it was Will's, Annabelle's, and Sarah's, after all. Picking fights with the big black mech didn't seem like a good idea even under the best of circumstances. On his home turf? Please.
Neither of the two spoke, nor moved, and Danny was at least satisfied that she seemed to be getting through to them now. She didn't really like yelling at them but when they were together there didn't seem to be any other way to get their attention. When she'd learned that they were of opposing factions she'd expected some sore topics between them, of course, but she hadn't expected them to end up full-on shouting at each other in the Lennox's front lawn.
"I understand you guys warred, and for a very long time at that. But it's more or less over now. You just don't have the man power- bot power, whatever- to keep this up. You're literally hunting yourselves to extinction, and if you can't see that I really don't know what else to say on the matter. Cool off, work this out, or at least agree to be civil around others. I don't care. I'll see you later."
Her rant done, Danny turned and went around the barn again to go back inside the house. Almost immediately she felt a twinge of regret for being so angry and frustrated and taking it out on them, but it was smothered by those same feelings. She didn't ask for Guardians. She didn't ask for them to fight all the time, or ask for Mearing to come and threaten her freedom and insult her. She didn't ask to be forced to keep secrets from her only human friend.
This was petulant, and she knew it, but she was very, very tired and it was a relief to take it out on something. She'd face how selfish that was later. When she could handle it.
Bonebite
Temperature: 77.2º F/25.1º C. Local time: 14:15. The sky, clear. Lighting, bright
Neither of them had spoken to each other since their Charge had thrown her fit. Roadbuster had glared at him sullenly, nearly melting holes in his chassis with the sheer intensity of his hatred, but had done no further arguing. Bonebite ignored the Wrecker as he stood, stock still, to process what his Charge had told them both.
It was a refreshing reminder that she was no little Sparkling in need of intensive guidance or lacking sense. At least, not all the time. Some of what she'd said had merit, even if he was reluctant to admit it. And, judging from Roadbuster's reaction, the Autobot didn't like it any more than he did.
Ironhide had threatened to dismantle him the moment he showed any signs of hostility to any of the fleshlings within the house, and it'd only been through the reluctant intervention of his sparkmate Chromia that he hadn't followed through during their arguing. And, as she'd made clear, she'd only intervened because they didn't want a brawl so close to the house.
Danny was right about that much, at least; if they were going to argue, they couldn't do it near the house or around the very people that were taking their Charge in. She needed time with her own species and she wouldn't get that if they, her Guardians, drove them all away.
What a pain in the aft it was to admit it, though.
Without a word to the seething green Wrecker, Bonebite abruptly marched off, transforming mid-stride to rest in his spot on the driveway. A breem or two later and Roadbuster had taken his place on the other side of his fellow Autobots. Danny, Sarah, and Annabelle came out of the house and hopped into Ironhide, although the human-sparkling paused to hug the black mech's bumper. If he'd been able to, Bonebite would've rolled his optics.
Annabelle was loud and completely obnoxious, even for an organic. It was one thing to allow affection for Sparklings of their own kind. It was something else entirely to watch a renowned warrior such as Ironhide soften up for a fleshling.
He didn't read too much into how hypocritical that was.
Still, he couldn't ignore the fact that most of his sensors were trained on the black Autobot as he backed out of the driveway and drove off down the road with his Charge inside. From what he could tell, Roadbuster seemed even less pleased than he, and Bonebite felt some grim satisfaction that at least his enemy was in no better state.
Wreckers were cowards, anyway. Couldn't do a fragging thing unless they were in a group and mobbed their opponents. The fact that they also happened to be very effective? He ignored that. All that mattered was that he thought less of Roadbuster because of it, and that was on top of being a bleeding-spark Autobot.
"If you two bits of slag are just going to sit here and stew, you have even less CPU power than I thought. Go do something productive for a change."
Ah… right. Chromia. It figured that the only, or one of the only, surviving femmes was the ornery mate of Ironhide. Although, she was a powerful warrior in her own right, and with medical blocks all over his systems Bonebite wasn't keen on picking a fight with her.
"Ye're one to talk, Chromia. I bet ye haven't even been t'check in with Optimus in th' last two weeks."
"Clean up duty in three different countries on top of swapping shifts with Prowl to watch over this fraggin' 'Con and having to chart out Decepticon movements, all within those two weeks? I'd say I've earned a day to myself."
"...Point taken."
Roadbuster reversed out of the driveway and left without further comment. Bonebite would've gloated in seeing the Autobot take off with his- what was that charming human expression? - tail between his legs, except for the fact that now he was the sole beneficiary of Chromia's attentions. On top of that, of course, was the constant nagging of his Guardian protocols, as though he needed reminding that Danny was not within his immediate vicinity. Well, there was a way to remedy both things.
He, following the Autobots, reversed out of the driveway, very aware that Chromia had her systems locked in on him should he try anything. Not that he was going to, of course, considering the fact that she could crush him in an astrosecond, but her scrutiny chaffed.
"We've got eyes on you. Remember that." She growled out as he reached the street. "One inch out of line and I'll use your head as a hood ornament."
Bonebite thought it best not to respond as he left the Lennox property.
The city was, as usual, bustling with activity. To use another human expression, it was like watching a disturbed anthill. In spite of the many vehicles and the loads of foot-traffic, it wasn't very hard to keep tabs on Roadbuster, Ironhide, and his Charge.
For one thing, once they arrived at the park the humans had more or less stayed within the same area and made it easier to keep track of them. Secondly, now that his sensors and systems had been maintenanced, he could actually scan for energon signals again. Seeing as both Ironhide and Roadbuster were in good, healthy condition, they were rather easy to find.
Bonebite had parked himself in a parking lot two blocks from the park, well out of the way of other vehicles and out of sight of the humans. If Danny realized he'd followed her she might do something drastic to get space to herself, and he'd rather not risk it. The fact that Roadbuster was here, on the other side of the park and also out of sight, would not save him from her wrath.
They'd come to a sort of mutual agreement, he and the Wrecker, at least for the moment. They were both there because of their protocols and they were going to stay away from each other in the meantime. That didn't prevent the ex-Decepticon from keeping several sensors trained on the green fragger and the big black warrior near the park. He didn't think they'd attack him, but he did not trust them enough to ignore them.
What was left of his processing power was keeping tabs on Danny. He could just hear some of what she said when she raised her voice, and her heat signature was often frolicking around with the human-sparkling Annabelle's. At the very least she seemed less angry when around the Lennox family.
A police car drove by, sirens on, which was the only reason he even registered its existence. It ran the light at the intersection next to the park and nearly clipped an oncoming car as it swerved to cross the other side of the street. That got his full attention. As a huge van and truck followed after it he abruptly revved his engine and skidded out of the parking lot.
Slag, slag, slag, he couldn't believe it but he was hoping Ironhide was paying better attention that he.
The trio was driving right through the park, ruining the green turf and smashing shrubs flowerbeds as they went. Most of the humans screamed and managed to get out of the way, although a few unlucky ones got crushed under the trio of Decepticons as they transformed about halfway across. He himself was only just reaching the intersection, forced to avoid vehicles and human traffic.
Ironhide revved his powerful engines and transformed, bellowing a challenge and raising his massive cannons as Sarah picked up Annabelle and ran across the street with Danny on her heels to get out of the way of the coming fight.
Roadbuster was already pulling up. A fast mech such as he didn't need much warning to get his aft over here, and Bonebite was grudgingly grateful for that much. If anything, the green fragger was good for getting the others to safety. Even Ironhide had come to that conclusion, apparently.
"Roadbuster, get them out of here."
"Aye, sir."
Bonebite would have thought more on the lack of complaint from the green mech if everything hadn't gone to the Pit right then. The three mechs, none of whom he'd had time to identify, sprung into action after blustering and posturing. Two went right for the great black warrior who, quite frankly, looked simply thrilled to be in a fight again, while one leapt at Roadbuster as the humans were getting inside. Bonebite changed course spun sideways, swiping the legs out from underneath the Decepticon as he landed with a hand outstretched. The sharp claw just grazed Roadbuster, chipping the mech's paint even as the Wrecker's wheels spun underneath him to escape with his precious cargo.
"Bonebite?!" Danny stuck her head out of the driver side window as Roadbuster sped off down the street, looking back at him with a mixture of surprise and fear, as best as he could read her face.
No time to worry about that with a hostile Decepticon practically on top of his head.
He reversed, tires screeching, as the Decepticon tried to saw off the front of his alt form. He transformed, rolling backwards to land on the balls of his feet, and faced down his opponent with a snarl. There was no plan or tactics involved here; his weapons systems were offline and he couldn't grapple effectively with the blocks in place. The whole thing was doomed from the start and the only reason he'd entered the brawl to begin with was because everything inside him, all the way to the furthest reaches of his circuitry, demanded that he do so. Not to help the Autobots, (his very wiring shuddered disgustedly with that thought) but to protect his Charge.
Figured that it'd be a fleshling that got him killed.
Now that he was able to, however, he hesitated in retaliating against the Decepticon. He recognized the mech; more than recognized, he'd once called him friend. And from the look on his opponent's face, he recognized Bonebite as well.
"Barricade?"
"Bonebite." The black and white mech had stilled, poised as though to launch at him but clearly thinking twice. "They didn't mention that you'd be here."
"You know how they feel about attachments." Bonebite had to duck as a severed arm went flying by his head. Ironhide was having fun. "This is probably a test for you as much as it is an actual mission."
"Possibly. Or maybe they never conceived that one such as you would ever fight on the side of the enemy." Barricade growled, beginning to circle. It was obvious that he was having reservations about killing his former comrade but was in the process of rationalizing.
"Not for them." Spat the ex-'Con as he, too, began circling. "For my Charge."
Barricade's optics flashed and widened. "Your Charge? Surely you're joking."
"Why in the Pit would I jest about something of that nature?" He had to spin out of the way as Barricade lunged for him.
"I know you never deleted your protocols, my friend," Barricade began as he shook his head. "But to actually take on a fleshling as your Charge? It will never replace what you had."
"I never meant for her to." Old wounds never truly healed, and being reminded of them hurt. The suggestion that he'd use Danny as a surrogate didn't compute; he simply could never forget, no matter what he deleted off his memory banks. Nor did he want to. "Slag, I never meant for it to happen at all, and yet, here we are." He spread his hands to highlight the situation. "Why are you here, did you ever wonder? Was it for the Lennox family, or Ironhide? Was it for my Charge? Or were you sent to kill me like so many others?"
He knocked aside the next blow and ducked under Barricade's arm, quickly turning to keep his front to the Decepticon. The attacks were all half-hearted at best, and Bonebite took that as a blessing. He didn't want to fight his old friend. As to their reasons, he couldn't guess, except that the ex-'Con doubted it was the latter or they wouldn't have bothered with Ironhide. Nobody picked a fight with that mech unless they had to, save perhaps Megatron or a Prime.
"We were sent for the females of the Lennox grouping, and any other insects they had with them. I told those idiots we wouldn't be able to handle Ironhide but, as usual, they didn't listen." Barricade lowered his weapon and just looked at him, obviously having trouble processing the new information. "That creature was your Charge?"
"Yes." Bonebite lowered his hands as well and they stopped circling. "And I will protect her until I offline for good. You know what being a Guardian means." The head of one of the other two Decepticons rolled between them, coming to a stop facing Barricade. Crushed with three of the four optics gone and the last hanging out by wires, energon spilling from the stump of the neck. "Get out of here, my friend. I can't protect you from Ironhide and he won't be distracted much longer."
Barricade hesitated, then half turned, his weapons slipping back into his subspace. The short fight between them, if it could even be called that, was over. "I'd suggest you return with me, but..."
"They never forgive." Bonebite nodded slightly. Yes, he understood very well. "That doesn't bode well for you, in fact. You know they don't like missions gone awry."
"They sent me against Ironhide. He destroyed my companions, I left to report back with my frame intact. I'm sure Starscream of all mechs could appreciate that."
Bonebite let out a half-hearted chuckle. "I'm sure he would. Even so, I wish you luck in convincing him."
"I must admit, I miss your company."
That was somewhat huge. A Decepticon revealing a weakness, an attachment to someone or something else, was a huge sign of trust. Bonebite lowered his head slightly, agreeing. None of the Autobots would ever be a close friend, not with the way they all looked at him and treated him. Not with all the bad blood. Even among the Decepticons friendship and trust were rare things. Barricade had been the only mech Bonebite had ever become close enough to reveal his secrets to. They'd worked well when put together on missions and Barricade had been the one he'd broken down in front of after the attack on the neutral city. Comradeship like that... He likely wouldn't ever have that again as long as things remained the way they were.
They both turned and watched Ironhide beat the slag out of the last Decepticon, and Barricade decided it was now or never if he wanted to leave with his frame intact. The Decepticon turned and moved a few paces before stopping to turn a little and look at Bonebite. "They're after you, battle-brother. I don't know what it is you know or that you've done, but watch your aft. Not all will be as reluctant to offline you as I." A quick transformation later and Barricade was screeching off down the road.
Not a moment too soon; Ironhide came over to stand by Bonebite, the crushed spark of his final opponent in his hand.
"Fraggin' 'Cons." The mech growled out in his deep baritone, grinding the spark in his hand to dust. "Roadbuster said he's sorry to miss the party."
"Is Danny unharmed?"
"The humans are all safe. But what I want to know is what were you doing here in the first place?" The weapons specialist leaned down, getting into Bonebite's personal space, his one good optic narrowed dangerously. "Did you know this was going to happen?"
"No." Snapped the ex-'Con, turning to face the Autobot weapons specialist head-on. "I don't like what you're implying."
"It just seems a little convenient that you're still standing here with your aft intact even with medic blocks in place. I saw you talkin' with that other 'Con. Feeling homesick? Or did you have a hand in this?"
"And risk my own Charge?" Bonebite's hands curled into fists; he didn't like being accused of such conspiracy. "I had no idea they'd be here, and that is the honest to AllSpark truth."
"Mm." Ironhide leaned back, clearly not entirely buying it but dropping it for now. "I'm headed back to NEST to talk to Optimus. Head straight back to the Lennox house, and mark me," The black mech raised a finger to point it between Bonebite's optics. "We'll know if you decide to... take a detour."
The ex-'Con had to lock his jaw in place for a moment to keep his words in check before nodding ever so slightly. It was frustrating. He couldn't earn the trust of the Autobots, nor did he want it. But he needed it if he was ever to have anything akin to a normal, peaceful life. Or even privacy. Primus, what he wouldn't give to just go and drive out somewhere quiet to think by himself.
Satisfied, Ironhide transformed and drove off, leaving the ex-Decepticon alone with his anger.
Danny
"I can't believe you two followed me."
"Leadfoot said th'same thing."
"And Decepticons just attacking us in the middle of broad daylight, too?" Danny rubbed her temples, glancing over at the passenger seat. Sarah had Annabelle in her lap and while the little girl seemed a bit shaken, she didn't seem traumatized for life. Luckily, nothing much had happened. In fact, almost as soon as they'd noticed the Decepticons coming Roadbuster had been screeching into the road behind them, yelling for them to get in.
Sarah's cellphone began ringing, and the woman had to shift her grip on Annabelle to pull it out of her pocket. Danny and Roadbuster lowered their voices to keep from bothering her.
"If the other Wreckers were against you following me then why the heck did you?"
"Protocols, lass. Ye know that. And it's a good thing I did or ye'd not have gotten out of there in time."
"Yeah, well. Thanks for that, by the way."
Her green Guardian snorted. "Wish I'd gotten t'fight." He grumbled with no real animosity. "But yer welcome."
"Danny?" Sarah had her hand over the speaker of her cell when the young woman looked over. "Will wants to talk to you."
"Oh, uh, sure." She took the phone awkwardly, unsure of what Lennox would want to speak to her about. She hadn't done anything, and for details on the attack Sarah would've been enough. Right? "Hello?"
"Did you send anyone an email recently?"
"I don't even have an email address to send one with. Why?"
"You have a guest. He says he got a message about you with our address attached to it. Be ready for him when you walk in."
Danny frowned after Will hung up, looking out the window. Someone had sent a message to some guy about her? With Lennox's address, no less? This didn't bode well. Judging from the look on Sarah's face as Danny handed the phone back to her, the woman felt similarly.
Roadbuster eventually pulled into the driveway of the Lennox household, mentioning to Danny as she got out that Bonebite was on his way back as well. She nodded, pat the hood of his alt form, and went inside.
Lennox and a man she'd never seen before were waiting for her. They both stood up as Sarah, Annabelle, and Danny walked through the front door. The Lennox's exchanged a look before Sarah excused herself and took Annabelle off to the kitchen, despite the girls protests about not being able to meet the new person. Lennox turned to the young woman now.
"Danny, this man is Chad Orburn, the man who received that email about you. Orburn, this is Danny Coleson." Danny took the moment to look the man over. Dark brown hair, freckles, thin lips, and brown eyes with bags underneath them. An overworked desk jockey from the looks of it. Still, she smiled politely and held out her hand.
The newcomer had stopped with wide eyes, staring at her with no further response. Danny fidgeted and dropped her hand. Lennox crossed his arms.
"The one thing I can say," He finally began, stepping closer. "Is that you really do look just like your mother."
Roadbuster
'Did he just say her mother? Did he know her?'
'Sounds like.'
'Can we swap places, Chromia? I want t'see in.'
'Eavesdropping on a personal conversation not enough, mm?'
'Mute it. Yer listenn' in too ye know.'
'Not my fault they forgot to close the window.'
Still, Chromia moved to the far end of the driveway, giving Roadbuster her spot by the window. As slowly as he could manage so that he didn't alert the humans to his moving around, he twisted his wheels sideways and got into place.
As luck would have it, though, Bonebite pulled up beside him, swerving around Chromia and giving her a wide berth before slowing down as he passed the newcomer's car. Probably scanning it to see if it was another Autobot. Roadbuster felt quite smug in the knowledge that, as of the moment, he knew more about what was going on with their Charge than the slaggin' ex-Decepticon wanker did. And since neither of them were keen on opening up a comm line, the ex-'Con would just have to sit there in the dark.
At least until the humans inside spoke again.
And yet the mech next to him surprised him by opening up a comm with Chromia of all 'bots. She, in turn, made the conversation a group venture by linking comms with his own.
'What happened?'
'A man dropped in half an hour ago. Said he got a message about your Charge.' Explained the femme. It was obvious from both their tones that neither of them were particularly happy about using comms to communicate with each other. But the protocols were powerful motivators, he supposed.
'Has he said anything else?'
'Aye. Might know somethin' about Danny's mother.' Roadbuster put in, keeping most of his attention on the humans inside.
'Her femme creator?' There was a brief pause in the conversation. 'Danny said she didn't have one.'
'Of course she had one, ye twit. Where the Pit d'ye think she came from? Just sprung from a hole in th'ground?' Snapped the Wrecker.
'Not anymore, you idiotic green fragger.'
'Both of you, mute it.' Hissed Chromia. 'She had a mother at some point in the past, obviously. She doesn't talk about it either because she doesn't remember or because it's painful. Either way, you'll learn more about the matter by listening than by yelling at each other over my comm.'
The thing about comms of this nature was that, the closer the two parties were physically or the longer they'd had a bond (even one so simple as an ally bond with which to contact each other over vast distances) the more both parties could experience some of what the other was feeling. It was the reason the Decepticon had kept very much to himself even when it would've been easier to open a temporary comm, such as this one, to communicate silently.
Both Roadbuster and Chromia could feel the unease that went through the ex-'Con simply because he was, quite literally, only a few feet away from the both of them, and the Wrecker grew suspicious. Bonebite reacted to Roadbuster's feelings even before the green mech had been able to transmit any words. The emotion-transfer worked both ways, after all.
'I don't like it.' The mech growled. 'The whole situation. Who's he to turn up out of nowhere, claiming to know her femme creator that she hasn't had for many Terran years? And how'd he get the Lennox address anyway?'
'We don't know.' Admitted Chromia. 'We're having Wheeljack figure out where the message came from.'
The ex-Decepticon's only response was a low growl as he shut the comm from his side. As little communication over the comms as possible, apparently. That suited Roadbuster just fine. At least now they could all settle down and listen. Should be good.
