Renegade had her arms folded across her chassis, her red optics narrowed "You're saying that I have to walk around in my Protoform for the next couple of days? You do know that's the equivalent of being naked right?"
She glared down to Major Lennox "I'll go out and scan a car and be right back squishy, Why in the Pit would I go out and track down Decepticon's that I would kill anyway?"
"It's a violation against orders from the Human Government and the Autobots to allow a Decepticon prisoner out onto human soil. You are not to be trusted." Lennox said with practised ease, his hand on his gun ready to shoot if necessary.
Renegade felt her fans switch on and her vents shuttered eerily before she bent down to the humans. She knew it threatened them, having her leering red optics staring at them, "Listen here human" she threatened, "Like I said before, I am not listening to the Humans, if it weren't for Prime and Bumblebee, Howlback and I would have killed every last one of you and gone on our way. I am an experienced War Veteran that has endured Millennia of pain and torture; you humans will never be able to match what I had to endure."
The darker skinned man next to Lennox raised his gun and Renegade hissed and got back up "You think you know the meaning of War? Do you know how much pain it can bring? Do you know how long it can last?"
Lennox nodded his head, "I know exactly how hard it is Frontslayer, I will not disagree with you. War is harsh and unfair; I never said it was easy. I have seen battle and I can sympathise with both you and the Autobots-..."
"You don't know" Renegade seethed "I have endured War for over 9 million years, to see my Race clash together in hate and slaughtering each other. My Creators were killed and dragged through the streets when I was just a Youngling. I was dragged and forced to join the Decepticon's, I was worked like a pathetic beast. I was hung up by chains and tortured; being a Femme was dangerous back in my time. My pride was stripped down until I had nothing!"
Renegade felt the anger burning through her chassis as her memories came back through her processor.
"Autobots and Decepticon's alike tried killing me, in equivalent; I was the age of a human teenager when I was put through this. I watched a Centre that raised our Young be blown to the heavens, I had failed in saving them and I was banished, I landed on Earth; falling to pieces and dying of poisoning for centuries before I was almost killed by a fellow comrade."
She shook her head "You have no idea what any of these Cybertronian's have gone through. You think that they will stay to protect the humans? It's a fight between us and its every 'Bot for itself. The War will never stop until every last one of us will die."
Renegade spun around and stalked from the Hangar and Lennox looked to Epps who shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I don't know what you want me to say" the Lieutenant said, "She is obviously a PMS'ing female with the memories to boot."
They both looked up to see Prime emerging from behind the wall with his optics sad, "Everything she said held true honesty" he said looking down to the humans. "Do not be quick to judge Renegade. I have been witness to her pain and torture; it is something that will not be fixed overnight. At Spark, she is a kind Femme, I can trust her; along with everybody else. Just give her time and let her do little things at a time to regain her confidence in herself."
Lennox and Epps lowered their guns and put them away.
"But she is a Decepticon" Lennox argued "We have been told by the Government, told by you to keep a close watch on the Decepticon's if we were ever to hold one captive."
"I know those were my words" Prime said "But the circumstance has now changed regarding the two Femmes. I will allow Renegade small things; just enough to regain her dignity and eventually find her place among the other 'Bots, It might be a good thing to get her to gain her independence without Howlback."
"So you're saying separating them?" Lennox asked, "How are we going to do that? Howlback is vicious and powerful. It's not going to be-..."
"I'm not saying separate them fully. Get Renegade to do things that require her to be by herself, get her interacting whilst I am busy with affairs. Howlback may linger but she will tire and go do her own thing."
Lennox nodded, "As you say Prime."
"Uh- Major Lennox?"
"Yes?"
"And get her an Alternate Mode; we are a base of Male Robots. It's not good having her walking around in her Protoform."
"I can't believe that squishy human; it makes me wonder why I hate them so much."
"They're still going to make you walk around in your Protoform?" Howlback sounded disgusted "You think they would at least give a Femme her dignity and allow her an Alternate Form!" The two Femmes walked through the base, their scarlet optics whirring and focusing on the Autobots stationed around the main Hangar.
"I think I would have rathered offlined" Renegade muttered, "I'm not going to be able to handle this."
"Bumblebee was looking for you," Ironhide said in his gravelly vocals "You're a tough one to find when we need to find you."
Renegade turned her head, her processors whirring and Howlback turned and growled "And here he comes, I take it you want me to leave Renegade?"
The Femme hesitated, as she looked down to her partner "I'm not leaving you behind Howler" she said as they both turned back to the tunnel of the hangar. "Whether we like it or not, we're partners, connected to each other. We can't exactly leave each other."
Howlback bared her teeth and looked down to her paws.
"It's almost like your keeping me hostage as well Renegade."
Bumblebee came striding into view, his large blue optics focusing on Renegade and Howlback. The her averted them and tried to keep them focused on Renegade's face, trying not to acknowledge that she was still in her Protoform.
"Are you still upset Renegade?" he chirped and whirred "I tried to speak with the Pr-..."
Renegade held up a servo, silencing the young Autobot and replied in Cybertronian, it being the only language Bumblebee was able to speak.
"I'm still a Decepticon Bee," she said seriously "Howlback and I are moreorless prisoners; I will not be accepted as an Autobot. You are all still enemies, so how do you think I feel?"
The other Autobots and the Military Personnel stopped talking and gazed over to the two young Cybertronian's, a sight that they thought they wouldn't see again.
Two very different robots, a Decepticon and an Autobot. Able to connect on a level that the others couldn't.
"I can't believe you were appointed a Guardian" Renegade seethed to Bumblebee "You're leaving me as well. I have nobody other than Howlback! I know the Prime will have a dirty plan on trying too secretly separate us. I have nobody on the inside except you."
Bumblebee held out his servos, trying to get Renegade to lower her loud whirs and chirps as the others stared on "Sam needs protection" he tried to explain "He is...special, he cares about our welfare on this..."
"Cut the crap" Renegade interrupted "He wouldn't care, give him a couple of months and he will decide he wants a normal life. He'll ditch us and one of us will die to make him even consider coming back to help us."
She waved her servo's, turning back around, facing away from Bumblebee "Go Bumblebee, I don't care. It's not the first time I have turned my back on you, leave...I can't take care of myself."
Renegade watched the planes land, making the dust billow out and the water getting pushed down by the force of the air propelling through the sky around them.
Howlback sat beside her and Jitter sat comfortably on Renegade's shoulder as if he belonged there. "I wonder where we're going" Howlback muttered "I wonder if they built a prison cell especially for us, so we can't escape?"
"They're not like that" Jitter chirped in his tiny voice "If you went out and spoke to them, they're actually really nice. Decepticon or not, we're going to have to start trusting them." He looked up to Renegade "Am I right?"
"I don't know" Renegade muttered watching the plane land "I don't know what to think Jitter, things have changed since Howlback and I have interacted with others of our species. The way the Autobots are acting... It is different to how they were back on Cybertron. They've...changed and to be honest...I'm starting to get afraid on how much they actually have."
"That's why I still don't trust them" Howlback growled "I was able to read them, run scans and determine their next moves, but since encountering them on Earth. I have nothing but failed diagnostics on them."
"Well I believe what you say" Jitter said "Seeing your memories Renegade, I know what they are capable of, but for now, they're helping us in more than ways than just one. If there's a chance that the Decepticon's will come back, we can have protection?"
"That's not an option" Howlback snarled, "Renegade and I are War Veterans, Warriors built for the Front Line of War! We do not need protection. I have said get used to War Jitter and if your training to be a Medic with that grumpy old Mech you're going to see a lot worse."
Howlback was irritated and angry; she didn't know whom to trust. She knew that the Autobots were reforming, trying to protect the humans. However, what made the Beast Bot worry was that Renegade was acting differently as well.
Ever since Bumblebee left with those cursed, humans she had helped save in Mission City.
Jitter slumped back down on Renegade's shoulder, he knew Howlback had a savage temper and when she believed on one thing, there was no way you could change her mind, of course if you were Renegade, but with the Femme off in another world. Howlback had taken over and giving her thoughts instead of Renegade's.
All three Decepticon's- well one neutral... All looked up when the Prime came striding over to them. Howlback snarled, getting up to all four legs and Renegade got up with hisses of compressed air and clicks.
"We are scheduled to leave now," Prime, said, "We are off to our new base, we need you to get in and get ready for take-off."
"Am I going to get an Alt Form when we get there?" Renegade asked, "I'm sick of walking around in my Protoform! Give me my dignity back at least; you've taken that off me. What next? Jitter or Howlback... Your pick?"
"I'm not going to separate you three" Prime said evenly "And yes, you will receive an Alt Mode, all of you."
He turned to face the plane "Now follow me."
"We're in the middle of the desert!" Howlback snorted as she lowered her visor at the harsh sunlight "When are we ever going to benefit from this?"
Renegade lowered her large metallic visor as well, her sensitive optics sizzling under the sunlight "I knew we had to be hidden, but this a little...Over the top don't you think?"
"We have to keep the humans happy," Prime said walking out of the plane behind them "Diego Garcia was specially made for us; I'm rather quite surprised they were able to put it up so fast." "I still think it's over the top," Renegade said searching the surrounding trees.
"We're on an island" Howlback stated "A desert like island surround by water? It's like the humans are trying to imprison us, all of us."
"Howler" Renegade sighed, looking down to her partner "Can you stop about being prisoners? I know that, Jitter knows that. You can stop talking about it. I don't need to hear it every hour or so." Howlback didn't like being reprimanded, she lowered her head and growled, "I hope it finally gets past your processors then, that I'm clearly unhappy with all this!"
"Howlback!" Renegade shouted as the Beast Bot took over the dunes and into the trees, "Howlback get back here. You don't know-..."
The Panther was gone.
"She is right" Prime said, "We are on an island, if she can turn into a submarine, there is no way she can get off it. She'll come back."
"Howler's changed" Renegade said simply "She's speaking in full sentences, with emotion. She used to be so robotic and computer-like. I've never seen her like this. I don't know if it's better or for worse. It's doing my processor in."
She felt the rage building up inside her and Prime said simply "Maybe it's because, you have the feeling of being safe from such a War that we had come from? I know it will not stop here Renegade Frontslayer, but we have escaped such severity."
"No" Renegade said watching the others get off the plane and explore the hangar "I will never feel safe; even with the 'Auto Scum' I just don't want to lose my Partner. She's all I have."
"We'll see about that," Prime rumbled, "Priorities change Frontslayer, maybe yours have changed already and you just don't realise it."
It was an SS Ultimate Aero.
A highly advanced turbo boosted Sports Car.
It went fast, it was sleek, it was shiny.
And it was purple.
Renegade took a shining to that car immediately; she chose that as her Alternate mode.
When Howlback eventually returned, being almost a symbiotic Bot, she was given an array of items that could still connect with Renegade's Alt Form.
She chose Speakers, Subwoofers. A large booming Bass that sat in the boot of the Sports car. It was massive and it was heavy, nothing that Renegade couldn't handle though. Howlback received new abilities from choosing that Alt Mode as well.
As well as having large, blinding reflectors, Howlback had bass, deep enough to shatter the hearing, audio receptors in a 'bots head.
Ironhide was deaf for a week, until Ratchet fixed him and created soundproof barriers in all Autobots, and Decepticon's audios. So they were protected by the crushing low frequency.
Jitter was given the Alt Form of a customised Apple Ipod Touch.
With a lot of Wi-Fi and Internet interaction and the abilities to open numerous applications made his learning capabilities higher.
With a camera built into the top, he was still able to use his holographic imaging and interactions and with the heat sensitive touch pad, Jitter was able to comprehend the heat of the patients he was able to work on.
He became an advanced little 'Bot, worthy of working with the Chief Medical Officer of the Autobots.
That and he was able to stay with Renegade, connect into her internal systems, along with Howlback's, and double their capacity to analyse critical situations. They were a fighting, dangerous trio.
Now if they could work together without arguing. It would both a blessing to the audios to the Autobots... and a valuable asset to the upcoming fights to come.
"Shut it Jitter! I know how to handle a Car!"
Renegade sped around the tarmac, racing on it before pulling up and spinning around to get used to her functions and capability of being a car again.
"This car is highly advanced" Jitters voice argued back as he ran diagnostics on the inside of the windscreen, "Look at how your insides work Renegade, the turbo kicks in to give you that extra boost, if you lose control as that kicks in, you can hurt yourself."
"I'll manage" Renegade snapped, "It's just been a while since I could drive again, I love the speed!"
"You're not listening!" Jitter scolded "With Howlback in the back, its knocks your equilibrium off balance. You're a heavier car Renegade, especially with Howlback."
"Are you saying that I'm dead weight?" Howlback's voice blared through the speakers in the car "Just so you know, I'm just as, or better company that you'll ever be Jitter! At least I can get out there and fight!"
"Stop arguing!" Renegade shouted, "Let me drive!"
...
Optimus and Ironhide stood in the frame over hangar watching the purple sports car sped across the tarmac.
"Are they arguing again?" Ironhide growled, "At this rate, they'll end up killing each other!"
"They have to get used to fighting again" Optimus explained "For a long time, Howlback was the one in charge. Renegade gathered her skills over time, but now with a third party opinion. Howlback has to get used to that fact. Jitter is a valuable asset; by what Ratchet says, his knowledge is better of that by most Cybertronian's."
"So we're lucky to have got him then?" Ironhide growled, "By what I heard, he was brought to life as a demonstration. He was going to be killed again but Howlback unintentionally saved him."
"He's demonstrated himself," Optimus said, "Now if he can get the cooperation of those stubborn Femme's we just might have a chance."
…
"Alright!" Renegade stopped the inner arguments ringing inside her cabin.
"Demonstration! We're getting attacked by an enemy, I have to swerve around and open up my back half to allow Howlback to transform out and attack!"
"Go for it" Jitter said and Howlback snarled, "I'll show you whose dead weight."
Renegade stopped at the end of the long tarmac and her engine purred lightly. "Are we all ready?" she asked and she got a simultaneous 'Yes' in return.
She pushed the accelerator and her engine roared as she let go of the brake and raced down the tarmac. The scenery blurred around her, Renegade then squealed on her brakes and spun around, lifting her boot and beginning to transform.
Howlback transformed and jumped out from the height, with a roar, the Beast Bot spun around in a flurry of sparks and began to race down the tarmac with her claws extended as if she was going to an enemy.
That was when the Autobots saw a large tree stump situated at the end of the tarmac that Renegade must have torn out and bought back to the base.
Renegade was up and running behind Howlback, pushing her clawed feet back into her legs and extracting the wheels so she could scoot along behind the Beast Bot.
Howlback lunged as Renegade shot the large stump, as if to paralyse a target and Howlback ripped the stump to shreds.
It was gone in a matter of seconds.
Renegade skated back over the tarmac casually as Howlback ran beside her.
"We need a better target than a tree stump," Howlback said disapprovingly.
"It was all I could find" Renegade spat "It was the biggest stump I could find on the whole fraggin' island. You weren't supposed to rip it apart Howlback!"
…
"They're none too shabby" a voice said in between Optimus and Ironhide, "They know how to coordinate with each other."
Lennox watched the Femme's go back to the other end of the tarmac still arguing, "They train well."
"Your observations are correct," Optimus said "They are a formidable team, gathered that they are good fighters on their own, but together, they're more than deadly."
That's when Renegade realised that she had been watched.
The Femme came over, her optics whirring, "Were you watching me?" she demanded "Cant I get a bit of privacy to work with my partner?"
"Partners!" Jitter corrected sitting on her shoulder "I knew they were here the whole time, you have to be more alert Renegade."
"Quiet Jitter Bot" Renegade seethed before looking back to the Prime "Anything to criticize me about?" she snapped.
"Stop the arguments" Prime said evenly down to the smaller Femme "It will get you distracted and an enemy will target you."
"I'm not used to having two other voices in my processor," Renegade said, her optic ridges clicking down into a Cybertronian version of a frown "It's highly distracting!"
They all looked back to Howlback who had her head raised to the sky and Renegade knew right away that something was wrong. "Howler?" she called "Howlback, situation?"
Her processor buzzed to life through the link, she and Howlback shared:
"We have a Situation Renegade!"
As Howlback said that, alarms began to ring in her head, incoming enemies.
A moment later Prime and Ironhide looked up as well.
"There are signals of incoming Autobots!"
They disappeared back into the Hangar followed by Lennox and Renegade scooted back over to Howlback "Detect where they land, how many life signals to they have?"
Renegade could see Howlback's visor scanning rapidly before her robotic voice broke out.
"Five life signals confirmed"
"Five?" Renegade said outraged "They're coming in by the wave, what if there ones we can't even trust?"
Howlback's scan stopped briefly as her optics locked on Renegade's "I had that situation when you were in stasis Renegade" she said, "I was allied with Jazz."
Renegade went silent "You-two... your enemy Saboteurs, you hate him more than Prime, H-How...?"
"Jazz was offlined by Megatron," Howlback stated, before running her scans again, her little antennae rising and sending off frequencies. "I'm getting signals; I can't identify who they are. One is familiar...but I cannot fathom..."
Her visor lifted and her antennae whirred as it went back into her helm "Estimated time Seven Hours."
"Later on in the nightfall" Renegade muttered "How can-..."
"They're not landing on the island" Howlback stated, "We won't be allowed to go. You know that Renegade."
"Well whoever they are. We need to keep an optic out and watch each other's backs alright? We have a lot more enemies out there, some would rather kill us, even if Prime forbids them not to" Renegade said darkly "And I can already think of two 'Bots that would already do that as well."
Renegade watched the plane fly from the base, on board, Prime and Ratchet.
They left behind Ironhide who was beyond pissed, stating that they could be Decepticon's.
Though Howlback and Renegade knew that they were all Autobots, they didn't tell Prime that. The two Bot's were perfectly capable of looking after themselves if danger arose. If they knew Howlback had super frequency receptors to confirm life signals, they would hook up to her processor.
Renegade couldn't allow that.
All they could do was sit and wait.
…
It was morning, when Renegade was woken out of stasis by the sounds of an approaching plane. In her Alt form, she started her engine and rolled forward, the hangar door opened and she could sense the incoming plane.
"Ready to fight?" Howlback's voice was dark "I couldn't gather who they were. Their life signals were scrambled."
"Don't try scanning them," Renegade said, "I want to see for myself who they are and whether or not I can kill them."
Ironhide in his Top-Kick and the Personnel approached them from the Military.
Ironhide transformed and Renegade followed suit, Howlback twisting and transforming from her back as well.
The Decepticon's stayed back in the shadows of the Hangar as Ironhide and the others went to greet the landing plane.
It took several minutes for the plane to land and the cargo bay to be opened.
The first one out was Prime.
He looked fine, no scratches or dents. No fight.
Ratchet was next, followed by Lennox and Epps. They began to speak with Prime and Ironhide and Renegade waited with anticipation, which Autobots stepped off the ramp from the plane.
Howlback tensed beside her and Jitter said coming online and pinging inside Renegade's helm.
"There's no point in attacking if they mean no harm to us."
She watched the first 'Bot come out and it was one that she didn't recognise."
"I don't know what designation he is," she muttered, Howlback's audios perked, and they were able to hear Prime say:
"Designation Jolt, Medic-In-Training. Decepticon's in the Gamma Quadrant attacked vessel approximately 1 million years ago. Been in stasis since and picked up on my signals for the Autobots."
"I don't know a Jolt" Howlback growled, "He seems weak, not worthy of having a decent fight with."
"Femmes..."
Renegade and Howlback looked up tensing
"Arcee, Flare-Up and Chromia..."
Ironhide stiffened at the name of Chromia and Renegade hissed "Arcee huh? I wonder how she's fairing after I left her mangled in the War. I haven't seen her since the transgression between Elita and..."
"Quiet" Howlback hissed, as her optics whirred and focused on the one-wheeled Femme's that approached the Mech's on the tarmac.
Chromia went up to Ironhide and Renegade stepped forward, "I always wondered whether or not they were hiding a romance behind the scenes. I almost killed her."
Prime began to speak to them, Renegade heard her name mentioned and all 'Bots looked in the shadows of the Hangar and saw her and Howlback standing there.
"Prime!" Arcee said "Why? She is not to be..."
"There's one more" Howlback hissed, "It's a Mech..."
The last 'Bot stepped from the ramp, Renegade's attention was drawn to the Mech. Howlback saw him before her partner did and the growl rumbled throughout the hangar.
"NO!" Renegade shouted ferociously extracting her wheels and darting out into the sunlight of the Hangar "I'll KILL HIM..."
Howlback ran forward her claws extracting and Prime shouted "Ironhide stop her!"
The Mech caught sight of Renegade and his optics narrowed, long swords extracting from his hands "Long time no see Renegade Frontslayer!" he shouted.
He ran forward and the two robots clashed together in a flurry of red sparks. "I'll finish you this time," the Mech snarled to Renegade "I'll finish it for him!"
"I don't think so," Renegade growled, tripping the Mech and they crashed to the tarmac.
"I'll kill you then your brother; I don't care if Prime's here. My hatred for you will never stop Sideswipe! When I kill you, I'll kill Sunstreaker too!"
