Hello readers! I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I got tired of the blank photo that came with the story so I sketched what I thought the twins might look like. That is what the rather unimpressive and blurry image you see is. But I am not an artist! Please, if any of you can draw, I would love a new cover image. Just message me. Please!

I do not own transformers. Especially Sunstreaker. I don't think any one could claim to own him. They'd become very, very squished squishies.

Chapter 9

Mission report.

Data gathering in progress.

Files included:

File A: Details of various training regimens for human soldiers.

File B: Information regarding social interactions between autobots and human soldiers.

File C: Information regarding known decepticons on earth. Locations of deceased decepticons. Last known locations of living decepticons.

File D: Images of possible energon refining plant.

Note: Product appears different from energon rations.

Analysis of Autobot team. Jazz

Third in Command of Autobots. Twelve feet tall. Silver. Pontiac Solstice vehicle form. Combat ability: skilled. Known weapons: Sword, claw-like hands- magnetic ability, pair of energon cannons- in each hand. Manipulation: highly unlikely. Saboteur. Recommendation: threat to mission objective, cautious engagement.

Analysis of Autobot team. Ironhide

Weapons Expert of Autobots. Twenty two feet tall. Black. Topkick vehicle form. Combat ability: highly skilled. Known weapons: extreme weapons capability, do not engage. Manipulation: highly unlikely. Responsible for training human soldiers. Recommendation: analyze fighting patterns for data, otherwise- avoid at all costs.

-Scene Change-

How did this happen? Why him? Why did he even agree to this? Scrap Sideswipe to the pit! Sunstreaker took no expense in letting his animosity flow through the bond. Sides only responded with a half-hearted mental shove. He hated how his twin could manipulate him so easily.

One moment, he was beating the slag out of him for setting up that ridiculous trial, then one thing led to another, and Sides knew his twin didn't have the spark to fight after a good overload so…

After their 'activities', Ratchet came storming in after hearing complaints of their ruckus. Luckily, he seemed none the wiser to what had fully transpired. Either that, or he was more concerned with the gaping holes in Sides's armor.

For once, he was actually happy to be dragged off to Hatchet's med bay. Maybe they would be berth ridden long enough to miss the meeting with Ironhide and the squishy femme. Then Ironhide had to frag it up and drag both of them to the training ground where the squishy was already exercising. Those creatures were so weak that, if they did not constantly train their meaty little bodies, they'd go even softer. There was no fate worse, in Sunstreaker's mind, than being organic. He could not imagine how they managed to live with themselves in such weak and disgusting frames.

Although, he was begrudgingly impressed by the squishy's combat abilities. She could take out Ironhide, although he wasn't fighting with intent to kill. However, just because she had a few skills, did not mean he was willing to work with her, unlike his twin.

It all goes back to that glitched brother of his! The whole situation was fragged up because of him. And that was the message he conveyed when their little 'team sparring match' turned into what the human's call 'a game of cat and mouse', where Sunstreaker tried to bash some sense into his aloof other half. By the time he and his twin ended their fight, Ironhide and the squishy had already left.

At the present moment, Sunstreaker was laying on his berth, exhausted and considering what had transpired earlier that day. Meanwhile, Sides read a primitive human comic book, a victorious smile still stretched across his faceplates.

Sunstreaker let out a growl of frustration. "How do you think this will end, huh?" he suddenly asked while shooting up from his berth.

A mock look of shock crossed Sideswipes optic ridges. "And what is it you may be talking about?"

By Primus, if he wasn't carrying the other half of his spark he'd… "What makes you think that it'd be a good idea for a squishy to team up with us? They're weak! Not even the other 'bots have dedicated team-ups with them. If it joins with us, your pet will be dead before the 'cons come."

"Sunny-" he tisked as if he were speaking to a sparkling.

"Don't call me that!"

"- Remember what Prime said? Human's aren't pets."

"Fragger." Sunstreaker stood and stalked to his brother. "She's human. You know this is a bad idea."

"She's pretty good isn't she?" Sides asked softly as if he hadn't heard his twin.

"Huh?"

"I know you think so too." He leveled a hard glare with Sunstreaker. You could've refused if you really wanted to."

He tried to find a retort, but it got lost on the way out. "Whatever."

Sunstreaker returned to his berth and started his meticulous polishing. While he did not admit it to Sides, a small part of him agreed to the trials so he could see the squishy who beat his brother in action. With that done, there was no other reason to ever see her again. The front liner was not a glitch, he knew there was only so much he could do to protest the team, aside from actually squishing her, accidently or not. But that would be messy. Maybe he could use his cannons. Or throw Sides again. No, even if it was an accident, he'd be thrown in the brig for the next vorn, or worse, take him off the mission roster. The only thing the autobot leadership could do to keep him in line was allow him the sweet release of crushing some 'cons. If they took that away, who knows what he would do? He'd just have to hope that Ironhide won't approve of their little alliance, for everyone's sakes.

-Scene Change-

Prowl was drowning in frustration. His processor, equipped for quick battle analysis, was sorting through every possible scenario. He knew there was a leak somewhere. The data informed him that whomever hacked the NEST computers did it directly. The hacking signature showed it was done using an adaptive algorithm. The program had to combat the ever changing counter measures Prowl had installed after the first hacking. As of the moment, one more known event had occurred, in his very office. While the electronic traces left behind by the hacker could be identified, they did not reveal the recipient of the sent data. In fact, there was no sign that his data pad had sent any information to either an offsite terminal or a directly connected device.

It was possible that even more events may have taken place but neither the programs he sent or whatever Sideswipe created had detected anything. Considering they had to be direct attacks, there had to be at least one agent on Diego Garcia. Improving security with updated key pads did not prevent his office from being infiltrated. The cameras he had installed around vital information depots on the base caught nothing, not even the culprit entering his office. Somehow, the enemy had a way of countering every physical and digital security measure he installed. While it was unlikely a human could do this, it was even less improbable that a decepticon would be hiding out on the base.

Prowl attempted to run simulations with every known decepticon, none would both be successful and leave said signatures behind. It had to be a human agent. His processor ran the possibility of devices a human could use to hack the systems. Most of the disrupted securities ran independently of each other, making infiltration even more difficult. If a human could get past the physical countermeasures, a predownloaded file could potentially stave off the digital security systems. The decepticons had mechs back on Cybertron who could create such programs, however terrifying the thought was.

Soundwave could do it. That thought alone nearly sent Prowl into his battle protocols. He would have no problem adapting the human language to create a unique coding system. As long as his minions collected the proper 'human servants' they might be successful in such an infiltration.

He ran more simulations. If he could find the agent, he could figure out what the overall plot was. All N.E.S.T personnel received thorough background checks. A file crossed his processor. Private Erin Brook. Her history was sealed and she shoed incredible skill for a human. Those indications alone showed she was a prime suspect. However, Colonel Bishop had ensured N.E.S.T that he had performed his own background check of the femme. Apparently, her file was sealed due to a previous mission in which she acted heroically. His logic programming and his guilt fought over suspecting a brave soldier such as Ms. Brook. She would remain a suspect, but he would not rely his entire investigation on her. However, it would be safe to keep an optic on her.

Another file came to mind. Private Francis Sixt. Another recent recruit. While his past is rather uninteresting, he has displayed skilled beyond that which his recommendations had described. He was just behind two other recruits, Ms. Brook included, in combat abilities according to Ironhide. He also was skilled, for a human, in working with computers. He wrote codes that would scan the internet for mention of decepticon activity. He could also scrub any evidence to keep it from the prying eyes of the public. His technological knowledge and skills put him on the list of possible suspects.

While it was possible that a new recruit was the spy, due to the timing of the first hack, it was also possible that there has been a sleeper agent in N.E.S.T. The appearance of a new, and rather large, batch of recruits would distract away from a more seasoned soldier. Prowl sifted through personnel files. He matched any report or record of their locations, marking out whomever would have an alibi. The list was not short in the slightest. It seemed like he would be going without sleep for a while.

Checking his internal chromometer, Prowl quickly stood and headed down the hall to Optimus's office. At some point, he nearly lost track of time and would have been late for his daily security report. He was not the kind of 'bot who would keep anyone waiting, punctuality was engrained in his processor. He gave two firm knocks on Prime's door, a human custom which he had taken to, and entered when Optimus called him in.

"Sir." He greeted as he took a seat in front of Prime's desk.

"Good evening Prowl." The Prime set down the data pad he was looking over. "Have you made any progress in the investigation?"

"Sideswipe is still unable to pull anything from the code. It seems that there is not enough data. I have, however, started a list of possible suspects. After going over the personnel files, I have accumulated a list of a hundred seventy two soldiers. I will go in depth with each file to narrow down the list potential culprits. Also, I have upgraded the security systems as we agreed upon. However, until we find the human responsible, I believe it to be prudent that we assume they have a way of bypassing our security."

Prime did not hide his concern. "Is there no one whom we can consider a main suspect? We only have so much time until the human authorities become involved."

He did not need to clarify the repercussions of what could happen. While the humans were valuable allies, an investigation from external sources would be disruptive on the base. There was also the chance that the humans would become dangerously suspicious of each other if they knew one of their kind was working with the decepticons.

"There are a couple of soldiers whom I hesitantly suspect." Prowl admitted.

"Go on." Prime folded his hands together, watching Prowl over his fists.

"Private Francis Sixt is a new recruit who came the day before the first event. He potentially has the technological knowledge required to pull off such a hacking. And he has no known alibi. Another soldier I suspect is Private Erin Brook."

Prime lowered his optics in consideration. "She does have a peculiar set of skills." Optimus had, in fact, already researched the femme. It was disconcerting that her file was classified, although Colonel Bishop vouched for her. She could speak multiple languages, had impressive physical ability for a human, and kept a calm head even when facing off a cybertronian. If the decepticons wanted to recruit a human, however unlikely that seemed, she would be the ideal candidate.

"I do have an idea for as to how we could monitor her, sir" Prowl added. "We placed Mirage on Team Prime so that we could have Wheeljack watch him closely. I think Sideswipe's idea of working with her may prove beneficial."

"Do you believe the twins would be capable of handling a mission such as this one?" Optimus questioned, sounding less than convinced.

"I think it would be best to allow things to remain on course. Ironhide already stated that he approved of their team, depending on Private Brook's consent. Perhaps we should allow things to continue as they are and stay observant. Sideswipe is nosy and he is intelligent, if Private Brook was up to something, he would likely catch on." Prowl frankly added, "However, if we create false suspicions of her, I doubt Sunstreaker would be of much help. In fact, he would likely just crush her and be done with it."

"I trust your judgement, Prowl. I just hope that Private Brook proves herself to be trustworthy. We need more soldiers like her if we are to finish this war."

"Optimus," Prowl changed the subject, "I unfortunately have another concern. Arcee and the humans she was deployed with have not checked in for twenty seven hours."

Prime sat straighter in his chair, the idea of one of his 'bots being at risk no doubt worrying him. "Have we tried multiple ways of contacting them?"

"Yes. Neither comms nor radios are getting through."

Optimus paused to consider his options. "Continue to attempt contact. I will speak with Captain Lennox. We have allies stationed near there whom know of our existence. We will request an investigation into their last known location."

"Yes sir." Prowl stood and left, allowing his leader some time alone. He would no doubt be feeling the weight of the recent threats to his team. Prowl, however, was not skilled in the art of comfort, and saw it best to leave. He headed back to his own office, ready to continue grinding through personnel files.

"Hey Prowler!" A rather small and jovial mech sauntered down the hall. "You look beat! Let's grab some energon."

"I'm operating just fine, Jazz. I need to focus on work right now."

The silver mech looked less than convinced. "Nuh uh," he grabbed the SIC's arm and pulled him to the rec room, "You are gonna refuel with meh and rest for more than a breem, then we can work on those personnel files together, at least until training later today. Ya hear me?"

Prowl was not surprised the mech knew what he was working on, information gathering was his job, after all. And he was rather good at it. "That sounds… acceptable." He allowed the smaller mech to drag him on, too tired to argue. Jazz always seemed to know when Prowl pushed himself too far. As it so happens, he was also skilled at bringing whatever relief Prowl needed at the time, whether it was a refuel, recharge, or just going out on a peaceful drive. Jazz was good like that.

-Scene Change

This was going to be a mistake. There were countless reasons why she should not be doing this. She wished that Ironhide had just taken her 'no' at face value and did not let her 'sleep on it'. Thanks to that, she was facing off a very ticked off Sunstreaker in a continuation of their team sparring match. What exactly had she done wrong to earn the yellow mech's wrath? Well, she was organic, small, and stood too close to him.

There she was, between two new craters, each releasing a small billow of smoke. No bean bags or paint balls, just the remnants of cannon fire. Sunstreaker stood over her, engine thrumming and fans pushing hot air out of his frame. Erin's legs shook with exhaustion and anticipation. He lunged forward, attempting to grab her. She stood still as his hands came closer. One second left… Half a second left… His massive fingers began to curl around her body. Just as she felt the metal make contact with her skin, she dropped to the ground an rolled forwards in between the 'bot's feet. Sideswipe, who was behind Sunstreaker, undetected by the enraged mech, did the rest. Using his twin's forward motion, Sideswipe made one swift kick to Sunstreaker's back, sending the yellow mech tumbling over face first. The sound of metal screeching on the earth mixed with an infuriated yowl.

Erin and Sideswipe both turned their weapons on the 'bot, ready for retribution. Although, Erin hesitated to shoot him with the paint loaded in her pistol. It would take at least five seconds for her to change cartridges, did she have time? Instead of attacking, the yellow mech rolled over and stood while grumbling what Erin could only assume to be curses in their native language. He had been doing that all morning. It did not take long for Erin to realize that the series of clicks and whistles were actually the Cybertronian language. He stalked a few yards away, both Sideswipe and Erin visually followed him, still waiting for another furious attack.

Sideswipe knelt down to be at a closer eye level to Erin. "Nice job distracting him." His goofy smile did not inform her whether he was joking or actually serious.

She responded with a glare. Yep, she was definitely gonna die.

Erin sat down for a quick breather. This training had been going on for the better part of three hours. That was after, of course, an intense warm up courtesy of Ironhide. It felt less like training in preparation against the 'cons and more like her just trying to survive the yellow brute's rage. Although, the way he interacted with Sideswipe was oddly… comforting? Satisfying? No that sounded weird. Familiar? She pulled herself out of her thoughts, now was not the time to reminisce.

"As much as I love running for my life, how about we change things up?" she suggested, looking up at the pair. Sunstreaker, already disinterested, had pulled out a cloth from somewhere and started wiping dust off his shoulders. Well, he seemed to have blown off enough steam. She continued, "Ironhide has already started giving me basics on cybertronian battle tactics, but from what I hear, front liners like you can have slightly different methods. Care to tell me about them?"

Sunstreaker scoffed, "What's there to kn-"

Sideswipe excitedly jumped in to answer, although he sounded like he was reading and answer off some database, "We're what you might call melee warriors, we fight hard and fast to overwhelm our opponents. Our strategy is less from the processor and more from what you humans would call muscle memory. Our defenses are also different. Unlike other mechs, who have armor that is stronger in some places than others, ours is consistent throughout our frames 'cause-" His lesson was interrupted by a slap on to back of his helm.

"Stop your rambling, you're worse than Bluestreak." Sunstreaker scolded.

Erin ignored their bickering in favor of imagining battle scenarios. The twins offset each other's weaknesses so well. She struggled to see how she could fit in with the pair of warriors.

Past the rather loud pair of front liners, Erin could hear a very distinctive engine noise. A black topkick rolled up behind her and quickly unfolded into Ironhide's massive form.

"How has training been?" he inquired, eyeing the craters in the ground.

The twins had stopped their chatter to face the older mech. Erin wanted to voice her doubts but did not dare do it in front of the others.

Of course, she didn't have to. "Are you sure the squishy can take down a 'con?" Sunstreaker, of course.

Ironhide gave him an incredulous look. "She's been here two weeks and has already proven herself to have the most skill of any human on the base." He pointed a finger at Sideswipe, "She beat your fragged up twin with a paintball gun and a rope on her second day." His tone grew increasingly defensive as he continued. " I think she's as qualified as any 'bot here."

Sideswipe wisely chose to stay silent while Sunstreaker shot Erin a dark glare. He really did not like her.

Ironhide caught their attention again, "Enough chitchat! If you're done playin' around like sparklings, then get to the city-scape. You three will be facein' off Jazz and Prowl."

Erin had yet to really meet most of the other 'bots, yet alone spar with them. She couldn't help but feel a mild sense of excitement that momentarily overtook her apprehension about Sunstreaker.

All three 'bots folded in on themselves into their vehicle modes. Erin could not help but feel impressed. Even after hours of practice, their forms were still shining and smooth. The very sounds they made as they transformed were almost musical, and the roar of their reconfigured engines was something any person would gawk at. The yellow Lamborghini peeled away, leaving a cloud of dust. Ironhide followed suit but the silver corvette remained stationary. It's passenger door opened.

"I'll give you a ride!" Sideswipe's chipper voice came from inside.

There was no way on God's green Earth that Erin was going to get inside of a sentient alien car. "I'll just run. Thanks anyway."

Before she could get more then a couple of steps out, the powerful engine roared as the car, or rather Sideswipe, cut her off. He held his door open expectantly.

"Oh, come on! Most humans would kill to have a chance to ride in a 'vette like me!"

Erin did not see much of another choice. It would take her at least ten minutes to run over to the designated area and she did not want to leave the other mechs waiting. "Fine…" Cautiously, Erin stepped inside. She could feel his engine thrumming through her feet. The seat was surprisingly warm against her back and she couldn't help but wonder how a metal being could make a car seat that was cushioned and felt like leather. That thought was quickly interrupted by Sideswipe's laughter which seemed to surround her, paired with the light bouncing of his alt-mode. Erin instinctively reached a hand toward her E-blade.

"You can relax, you know." This time his voice seemed to emerge from the radio.

Just then, Erin realized how stiffly she was sitting. She was acting like a scared little girl! With determination, she took a silent but calming breath and forced herself to sink back into his seat. How could she loose her mask so easily? False security and calmness coated her once again.

This seemed to satisfy Sideswipe because he wordlessly started to move forward. 'This isn't so bad' Erin thought to herself. As if he read her mind, Sideswipe's engine revved, causing her entire body to shake with the vibration. She willed herself not to grab the door handle or the seat as he shot off. Erin glanced at the speedometer, sixty miles, eighty miles, one hundred miles per hour. It kept climbing but her focus was distracted by the eerie sight of the steering wheel and clutch moving by themselves. It was creepy.

At their speeds, it only took a minute for them to arrive but those seconds were thick with tension for Erin. She knew that, although the 'bots were allies to humanity and they had her reluctant respect, she still had fears directed towards them. She doubted that would have even wanted to ride with Ironhide, had he offered.

"You can get out now, ya know." Sideswipe's amused voice interrupted her thoughts. Erin glanced over to see the open door. "Aww, you're so comfortable you don't want to leave. Don't worry, I have that effect on femmes."

"I was busy thinking of a battle strategy." She lied. Not too quickly, she stepped out, allowing Sideswipe to transform. They joined the four mechs that were waiting for them near the entrance of the fake city where she and Sideswipe first sparred.

Jazz, who's silver armor may have been more flashy than Sideswipe's, sauntered up to Erin. "You all ready for this?" he asked with a notable accent.

Sideswipe gave a 'yup', popping the 'p' sound, Sunstreaker only grunted, and Erin nodded her head.

The smaller 'bot crouched down near Erin. She could barely see the blue glow of his eyes behind his visor. His grin was friendly and seemed genuine, unlike the fake ones she had received from the other 'bots. "Hey'a, the name's Jazz. It's nice to finally meet ya." He presented a clawed hand towards her, palm facing up. She paused for a moment, trying and failing to read his half covered face. She tentatively reached forward and allowed him to gently grasp her much smaller hand. He shook it, careful not to jostle her. "I've heard of your skills, it'll be nice to put them to the test."

"Likewise." She responded, pulling her own hand back. It was not until the contact was lost that she also felt the lack of warmth and energy from his hand. While more fit for a claw machine game, it felt oddly alive.

Ironhide, ignorant to Erin's inner thoughts, got straight to business, "This will be a timed fight. Jazz and Prowl will play the role of the 'cons." He grinned. "Sideswipe will be their prisoner."

'Oh, no.' Erin thought.

"Sunstreaker and Erin must work together to free him and overpower Prowl and Jazz. Since Erin is still too new to this, all rounds used will be at the basic level, paints and bean bags only. Blades will have guards on them."

"Oh," Jazz added with amusement, "and Sunstreaker's not allowed to squish Brook."

'This is not going to end well…'

-Scene Change-

No one was happy. Sideswipe was cuffed and laying on the ground, itching to get into the action. Sunstreaker was forced to work with Erin, rather than just making her sit on the sidelines or 'accidently' stepping on her. Jazz and Prowl were victims of Sunstreaker's rage. Meanwhile, Erin had to avoid her partner, for safety reasons, and rescue Sideswipe.

Sunstreaker begrudgingly consented that Erin should free Sideswipe while he distracted their opponents. He was doing quite well at his job. While the other 'bots were skilled in combat, neither of them would want to go servo to servo with an enraged Sunstreaker. Especially with his brother being vulnerable at the time. Their goal quickly changed from defeating the trio to surviving until the allotted ten minutes was up. They still had seven minutes to go.

Erin did not have time to regard the smash down going on, she was stuck figuring out how to work stasis cuffs. She and Sideswipe were several yards away from the battling mechs, but it would only take a few seconds for one of them to pounce on her.

"Ok, Sideswipe. How can I get these off you?"

Sideswipe, who seemed enraptured with Jazz and Prowl's aft kicking, had not even noticed the little human who approached him. "Oh, Erin! Uh, usually it takes a remote code to open these. You could try cutting the hinges with your E-blade, though."

Erin pulled out her blade and aimed at the hinges.

He slowly added, "But don't hit any internal wires, we'd both be electrocuted."

She froze, tip of the knife an inch from the metal cuffs. 'He could have said that first.' Carefully, she slid her knife along the top of the hinge, hesitating. She had no idea what she was doing. Just how much electricity would she be hit with? "Can Sunstreaker hack into these?"

"Well, he isn't the best at it, but I think the coding will be simple enough. These are just practice cuffs, after all."

She sighed in relief, sheathing her weapon. "I need you to convey a message to Sunstreaker for me. Tell him that I'll distract Jazz and he can take him out. Then I'll distract Prowl while he frees you."

Without another word, Erin ran off towards the ensuing skirmish. The dust that the yellow mech kicked up provided plenty of cover. Unless their scanners were set in search of her, she would be able to sneak up on the 'bots.

During the brief moment she shook Jazz's hand, she had seen marks, like scars marring his frame. He was riddled with weak spots. She ducked and slid in between Jazz's legs, slicing a vital component in his left ankle strut. The saboteur fell onto one knee. Sunstreaker jumped from his assault on Prowl to finish off Jazz. The smaller mech did not have a chance. Erin got the sense there wzx something holding the small silver 'bot back, his optics and hands darted quickly, but the rest of his frame seemed to protest each movement. A couple of pounds against his head had him twitching and sparking on the ground. Still, he tried to stand, and last just a little longer. Prowl attempted to run to his aid but Erin barraged him with ankle biting attacks. If he tried to help, he'd be too distracted and she'd get in a vital blow.

Even with the rubber bullets, one hit would take Erin out of the fight. That would be the case, if Prowl could hit her. She moved randomly around him, slicing at his legs if she was close enough, and periodically releasing low caliber burst from her sidearm. That did not even account for the pain racking his frame from Sunstreaker's earlier barrage. He trained his optics on her hips, hoping they would tell him what her next move would be. However, her own body seemed to contradict the maneuvers she took. When he tried to read her eyes, he got the same result. It was as if her legs, arms, head, all parts of her body moved with independent thought. He felt his logic circuits start to spark.

A mere ten yards away, Jazz fell, too injured to fight on. He tapped the ground in the human gesture of admitting defeat. Prowl took just enough time to see Sunstreaker working on freeing Sideswipe.

Erin took the opportunity to jump up and stab into Prowl's hip. The mech jumped back, slowed by the small injury. In a couple of bounds, the femme was back on him. He tried to bat her away, but she dodged while simultaneously cutting up his wrist. With a quick pivot, the femme made another move for his legs. While she was short, her blade gave her just enough reach to manage another puncture in his hip. This time, Prowl dropped to the ground as his undamaged struts felt the extra pressure. When his optics traveled back up, both the twins and Erin stood before him, weapons unsheathed. Before Sunstreaker could continue his earlier beating, Prowl wisely conceded.