Two not very well known bots this time. If you don't know who these two bots are I'd recommend google-ing a youtube vid of some of their scenes. Bonus points if you find the scene that had me trying to for half an hour to work a "He's close. REAL close" joke in here some how. I couldn't manage it. -_-; My mind kept going to, "Objects in mirror are closer then they appear." as it's best result. :P

Words: 659
Chapter includes: No real warnings
Disclaimer: Not mine, but if I ask really pretty like do you think they'd let me lick G1 Red Alert?

_(*)_Loneliness_(*)_

As a frameshifter in the Autobot ranks Punch was used to keeping to himself. Not that he didn't interact or talk with the bots around him, but speaking to them and letting himself get close were two very different things.

As Punch he'd known that being a frameshifter set him apart, even ignoring the secrets he had to keep as a spy. Then there were the actions he'd taken in the name of both sides. Who would want to be around a bot that got close to others only to stab them in the backplates? Who would want to be around a bot that shot at his own side?

Any friend he made as Counterpunch was one he might be called on to kill one day, and one he'd be actively betraying just by being his real self. Any friend he made as Punch was one he'd have to leave behind most of the time and have a large chance of facing down the sights of a rifle. Becoming romanticly involved had the same problems.

All these thoughts and more ran through his mind as he looked down at his servo at the band glowing up at him. At the two names glowing at him.

He knew Dealer, though not well. The other Autobot was someone he only peripherally knew, and only because he was a special ops groupie. He'd been investigated by the Head of Intelligence himself and come up clear, he was just an ornamental fanstalker. The truck bot hung around the ops building hitting on any mech that came in or out, giving his contact information. He'd even accidentally hit on a janitor bot once. It'd been the talk of the building for orns.

Counterpunch's faceplates twisted in disgust to be Primus bound to a mech that saw what he did as glamorous.

Doubledealer was another mech he knew, if only vaguely. A well known Decepticon spy, the missile platform was known to be in the most inconvenient places at the worst possible moments. Punch respected him, even if he'd like him to die in a fire.

Two very different mechs, and he was now bound to the both of them. To the point he could feel both of them in his spa-. Counterpunch frowned. There was only one presence in his spark other then his own.

Suspicious and needing to know the jet checked that his barrack room was locked before he dug out the small portable console he had for emergencies.

Patching though and bouncing his signal, he thanked Primus your average Decepticon had gooey energon for processors. Independent thinking was not encouraged for most of the rank and file, and if you don't use it you lose it. It made it easier to hack in and hide his signal.

He'd never contacted this number before, but like any decent ops member he'd hung on to the information just in case it turned useful. The mech was thankful for that now.

The other end of the connection opened and he took a good look at the other blue bot that blinked blearily at him, rubbing his chestplates absently.

"Wha?"

"Hello, Decepticon." The minute tensing before Dealer started his denials was all he needed to confirm it and he shifted to his car bot configuration.

Speaking into the sudden silence he made optic contact. "I am your Primus selected bondmate. I hope we can learn to get along." There was a few more moments of silence before the sounds of transformation and the optics meeting were once again blue and red and not two sets of blue.

Each lost in their own thoughts about this, Punch reflected that whatever may come, he wasn't alone now. And... He took a good look at the one his spark was now linked to, who was as deep in this slag as he was. Primus could have chosen worse for him.

This one knew what it was like.

I'm a big fan of the Special Operations members from G1, and I have to admit to spending more time then is probably healthy imagining what that kind of life must be like for them. This is sort of a send up to those bots. Even Jazz can't smile all the time, Mirage was suspected of betrayal no matter how loyal he was, and people keep forgetting Bee was an Ops bots too.

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