Hello, so this is not a very long chapter (Sorry about that) but there is a lot to it. Now, I was hoping to get your guys' opinions about something moving forward. Obviously, the genre of this story is romance, so I was wondering what you might be looking for with "romantic description' aka: smut or no smut? Since this is my first story, I obviously have no experience with writing about... ahem... 'private situations' but I have a couple ideas for as to how to go about it. Obviously, if i go forward with it, the rating will go up. And stuff between the twins has already been implied, so please don't feel shocked if one of these chapters has SSXSS. I just wanted to hear your opinions. I also kind of just want to encourage more reviews. They fuel me!

Speaking of reviews, thank you to angel9507, Vanilla Skittles, and Edges05!

And, as always, thank you for reading!

Chapter 14

The mission assigned to them was simple enough. Get in, grab the weapons, get out. It was a good way to monitor their cohesiveness as a team. If they couldn't manage a simple delivery run, they wouldn't serve much for Team Prime.

The plane trip was uneventful Erin reviewed maps provided during transport, something Sunstreaker smugly said a 'bot would never need to do on this planet since they had complete access to the internet. She didn't even have internet access on that flight; while her data pad would allow it, she did not bring it. The Raptors were trained to pick up on any oddities, and if they caught a glance at her alien device, they would likely become suspicious. Besides, Erin had been trained not to depend exclusively on technology, present company excluded. She had learned to both read and memorize maps and terrain.

Erin distinctly remembered one instance in her training. She and seven other recruits were dropped off in the middle of the Vietnamese jungle, by the Kong River. At the time, she was so focused on avoiding the poisonous spiders and finding food and ample shelter, she had delayed the entire mission, to escape. Meanwhile, her ability to decipher exact direction was weak. It took them three weeks to reach the objective point rather than the allowed two. Erin had learned that, while survival was important, the mission always came first. And she paid a hefty price. Punishments were gingerly handed out with every failure. It was a part of what carved her into becoming such a skilled soldier.

Erin knew N.E.S.T was different. Encouragement was used in place of most threats, with the exception of Ironhide. Erin wouldn't say that made the soldiers softer. Soldiers like Adam, who displayed impressive strength and skill during training, proved that specialized intensive training was not the only way to become a strong soldier. She did wonder, however, how her life would have turned out had she been a normal recruit, or even a civilian. Certainly different. Maybe even then, she would have a true sense of freedom?

While Erin studied her maps, Sunstreaker polished his finish to an impressive sheen that Erin could not help but admire. Sideswipe played some game on his data pad, rather than pushing her for a conversation. It was likely to allow her time to rest and recover, something for which the soldier was grateful.

They all needed a moment of R&R. Their time in the brig was not the most relaxing, and they had twenty hours of travel ahead of them. Eventually, both 'bots found a comfortable place to lounge in. Luckily, the plane was a massive transport vessel with twenty feet between each wall. All three fell asleep, hoping to get a few hours rest before heading out on their mission.

The drive was a bit more eventful. Once they landed the twins folded back down to their alt-modes before the ramp could descend. The Raptors, a group of highly proficient no-nonsense soldiers, met them on the airstrip. As professional as they were, the men did not even spare minutely confused glances to the out of place vehicles that rolled onto the tarmac, followed by a lone, female soldier.

The men were all tall, had athletic builds, and wore the same style of hair; short, with shaved sides. Their uniforms consisted of forest green and browns, which matched the Pacific woods perfectly. Erin was still suspicious of their location. Erin new there were hidden domestic terrorist organizations in places where most civilians would not expect. The middle of a Washington State National Park would be an admittingly odd location. However, the Raptors themselves were trained for international deployment in populated areas. The only reason she could consider their location at the time would be either they were located their for specialized training, tat was the base of their operations, or the weapons had been discovered in a different location and moved to that region. The third possibility was the most likely. It made sense, the Raptors did not interact with other forces of the military. Keeping secrets from their fellow service members and even commanders was natural. She had considered questioning Colonel Bishop over the purpose for their deployment. He, after all, oversaw all Raptor activity. However, as a mere specialist, she had no place to question the Colonel's motivations.

Erin was, at least, grateful to ride in a jeep among other humans. The Northwestern climate was humid, albeit cold, something Sunstreaker openly grumbled about over the short distance radio Erin had lodged in her ear. Not to mention, the road was unpaved. With each bump and jerk, the yellow autobot cursed. While he spoke English, it was in an odd alien fashion. Erin could guess the general meaning of most his choice phrases, 'frag' and 'slag' were familiar, but calling the creator of said road a "piston head who doesn't know the difference between a retro-rat path and a scrap head" was new.

Still, Sunstreaker had taken the front of the formation, forcing Sideswipe to be in the back where he was being thoroughly coated in dust. Erin was not entirely sure why the twins were speaking openly with their comm links to her radio. Usually, only Sideswipe would even speak with her, and that was face to face. Or with never ending texts to her data pad. This time, however, the mechs were engaged in small various conversations with her as their silent audience. Most of what they said was nothing extraordinary, laughing about the misfortunes of various 'bots back on base, Wheeljack and Mirage being at each other's necks, how annoying Mirage is, Prowl's glitch, their distaste for Mirage, Bumblebee's upcoming arrival along Sam Witwhicky, future plans for pranking or otherwise torturing Mirage. They really did not like that mech. Sunstreaker even called him a ''con sympathizer'. Apparently, the infiltrator was shunned for wanting the war to end with a peaceful agreement between both sides. None of the other 'bots, including Optimus, thought such an arrangement was possible.

About an hour into their drive, Sideswipe addressed Erin for the first time. "Hey, Rin. Why do humans even live in areas like this? There has to be better options than forests and cheap roads. Why don't they just stick to the cities?"

Sunstreaker added his two-cents, "Yeah, this is just primitive and filthy."

Erin considered not answering, she couldn't hide her side of the conversation from the men around her, but knowing Sideswipe's persistence… Erin placed two fingers over her ear to show she was speaking to her team, and not randomly striking up a conversation. "In combat, natural cover provides an advantage. As for civilians, there are several reasons; family history in a given area, agriculture, and practicality. Not everyone wants to live in a big city, and not everyone can afford it."

"They should just pave over it." Sunstreaker huffed.

"That costs money that not everyone has. Besides, we need nature. Oxygen comes from plants, we'd die without it." Erin hoped her argument wouldn't sound too odd for the Raptors around her, most adults already knew this stuff. "Also, other species would go extinct without their natural habitat. Besides, city life has its own problems."

Sideswipe chuckled, "Yeah, we get that last part."

"It's the fault of you squishies for not developing an artificial way to make oxygen." Sunstreaker grumbled, cursing at another pothole.

Erin couldn't help but smile at his tone. "Perhaps you and your scientist can get together on that when we get back."

The drive itself was three hours. At the end of it, they came across a well-covered bunker that was nearly buried under the earth. It was odd how an anti-terrorist organization was able to hide in a publicly available National Park, but they were so far from any trails, as Erin surmised considering her study of the maps, it would be nearly impossible for a tourist to stumble across their base of operations. The entrance, which was made of thick concrete, was the only sign of the bunker's existence. When they drove down, it was apparent that there was too little room for the twins to transform should the need arise.

In a large open room, they exited the jeeps and the Raptors led the soldier and two vehicles down a corridor to a smaller dimly lit room. At the far wall, six crates sat, bathed in portable halogen lights.

Erin stepped forward to inspect the contents, mostly to lift them within view of the twins so they could get a proper scan. Two odd electrical sounds emanated from behind her. She jumped in to a defensive posture, pistol drawn. One of the Raptors held a large, cannon-like device, lowering it away from Sideswipe. Small, visible electrical currents buzzed around each vehicle.

"What did you do?" She demanded, aiming her weapon. Her actions were greeted with six, much larger, guns pointed at her.

A deep voice called from behind her, "Lower you weapon, Specialist Brook."

Erin spun to see Colonel Bishop enter in from a side door, followed by eight men wearing black armor from head to toe. "Colonel! What is the meaning of this?" she hissed.

"This, my dear, is an opportunity. And feel free to call me by my other name, Silas." He grinned, hands behind his back like a proper commander. "You are a good soldier, I would like to offer you a position under my command."

Erin, not seeing any way out that didn't end with her being full of bullet holes, lowered her weapon. "Explain." Her tone took on a more subservient tone, to show her compliance.

"I run an organization called Mech. We collect and study cutting edge technology. You are a smart girl with top notch training; I have no doubt you can see the wars on the horizon."

Holstering her weapon, freeing her hands, Erin gestures to the cars behind her, "What does that have to do with us? If you just wanted to recruit me, you could have done so before bringing me to N.E.S.T, or even back at base the other day."

"We need samples of advanced technology. Just consider your own weapons. They are powered by the aliens' energon, are they not? Strong enough to take down titans such as these." he gestured to the prone vehicles, "Just what mech needs. Typically, N.E.S.T teams are too large to take on quietly. We needed a scenario in which only a few would be required."

She needed to gather information as quickly as possible, while trying to find a way out alive. "Even with a small team, taking on the twins is risky. How did you know those weapons would work on them? From what I know, N.E.S.T hasn't tested anything like these."

Silas's eyes were full of confidence and egoism. "They were created after studying the remains of another of their kind."

Erin needed to choose her words carefully, certain phrases could accidently give her intentions away, but she had to know. "Were these remains gathered recently?"

He raised his brow, an appraising eye brushing over her. "Perceptive aren't we?"

Erin wasn't surprised. She didn't feel too emotional either. Silas was starting a war, and that was what happens in combat. It's not like she felt much for Cybertronians to begin with. "So you want to 'study' them?"

He nodded, "They are not my sole interest, though. I collected you for N.E.S.T along with several other skilled soldiers throughout the years to create a positive relationship with the autobots. That way, they wouldn't expect any of my men to be spies."

"Why have spies in the first place?" she questioned, "You were the one who lobbied for an alliance with the autobots." Her hands fidgeted, two fingers tapping on her hip twice.

"Let's just say, Mech is not sanctioned by the U.S Military."

"If you tried to use political means to get to the autobots," she clarified, "the military would see you as a threat and go after you."

He grinned, the smile turned wickedly dark in the shadow of the cavern. "Precisely."

She had to be careful over how much she probed for information. "I'm guessing the men accompanying you are mech." She only paused long enough for him to nod. "And the Raptors, are these men part of your infiltration, or do you own them all?"

"Analyzing my forces, are we?" he responded.

Shit. She went too far. Erin took a couple of steps back to be between the vehicles, one hand placed on Sideswipe's warm hood. She needed to through him off. "It wouldn't be betrayal if you recruited me to begin with, huh?" The heat under her hand warmed slightly. She tapped six times. "So, what happens to them?"

"Officially, Mech ambushes then and terminates, dumping their husks into the sea. You manage to escape." Good. He followed her lead in the conversation.

"After some 'questioning', no doubt." She gave him a knowing glare.

"Don't worry, they'll be gentle." He motioned towards the armored men behind him.

"And unofficially?" She inquired.

"They'll be taken apart and studied. You will return to your base and gather information on their biology and whatever else you can observe, and wait for further commands.

Erin straightened. "Yes, sir." A faint smile played on her lips. 'Here's to hoping he got the message', "Ready!"

A flash of sliver exploded next to her. A wheeled leg hooked around her back as she turned on the men behind the 'bots. Within a fraction of a second, her gun flashed. Energon bullets, too strong for use on humans, tore through two men and left a gaping hole in a third's shoulder. He would bleed out within seconds. Erin dropped as the first bullets pinged off Sideswipe's armor behind her. One more shot obliterated three legs, followed by a third which tore a Raptor clean in half. By then, the first victim's body hit the floor, followed by the thumping of more corpses and agonizing screams. Erin fired off two more shots at potential survivors.

She turned to the mech who shielded her six. Past his side, she could see the splatter of blood. It didn't take a genius to guess what happened to the Mech agents. Sunstreaker was still motionless in his vehicle mode.

"Bishop?" she questioned the silver mech who was half splayed out on the ground due to the low ceiling.

"Escaped through the side door. You get him, I'll take care of Sunny."

Erin wordlessly pulled her blade, keeping the hilt in her left hand, blade resting against her forearm as she held the gun in her dominant hand. She stepped over a body and paused for a second. Quickly, she fired off at each of Sideswipe's victims, sending a spray of organic fluids across the room.

"What are you doing?" Sideswipe asked, disgust apparent on his faceplates. He raised an arm as the blood speckled both him and Sunstreaker's hood.

Erin continued towards the door, only sparing a quick explanation. "I kill the enemy humans, it gets written off. You do it, there will be serious consequences."

Without another word, she passed the threshold into darkness. The hallway was narrow, nowhere to hide. Slowly and silently, she passed through, becoming engulfed in the dark. One hand felt along the walls as a guide. The hall split at an intersection. Her eyes barley registered the darker entrances from the solid blackness of the walls. The humming of air vents overhead echoed down, drowning out all other sounds.

Sideswipe's voice came on over her radio, "Sunny's conscious, what's your status?"

Erin growled in frustration. "I lost him. I'm moving back to rendezvous with you We need to get out of here. Comm our transport, let them know we need an emergency airlift and enemies may be in pursuit."

"No luck, sweetspark, whatever they blasted us with fried our comms, and scanners."

Erin doubled back, they had to get out as soon as possible. Light greeted her as she stepped back into the scene of carnage. Both mechs had apparently stepped over the corpses and were waiting in the alt-modes, engines angrily growling. With their mission in mind, Erin didn't hesitate to climb into Sideswipe's cab. The twins practically soared out of the bunker, only to be greeted by a hail of gunfire. They were surrounded by men on the ground and in vehicles.

Sideswipe stayed in his alt-form, locking Erin in, most likely to protect her from the never ending barrage of bullets. Sunstreaker transformed and grabbed the nearest jeep and tossed it at another. He flipped another over a group of Mech agents, crushing them in a second, and kicked it clear across the open space, mowing down men who were too slow to get out of the way. He grabbed a third vehicle, still loaded with humans, and tore in in two, throwing each half at different enemy vehicles.

Within moments, the Mech agents were retreating. The yellow front liner, apparently not yet satisfied, let out a furious war cry before sprinting after the survivors.

Just then, a loud whirring noise started behind them. Ern could see a helicopter gaining altitude. Without warning, the cab surrounding Erin tore itself apart. Swiveling parts flashed before her as she was thrown into the air. A four fingered hand caught her as her vision began to swim. Gravity seemed to strengthen as Sideswipe leaped into the air. Erin could only see his wheeled pedes kick off a spray of earth under him. A moment of weightlessness allowed Erin a second to panic before they descended back to the ground.

Erin mentally slapped herself as she forced her eyes up to see a helicopter fighting in Sideswipe's grasp. His weight was enough to drag it down. Inside, Erin saw Silas. Her vision narrowed to her objective. Quickly, she climbed out of Sideswipe's gentle grip, freeing his servo, and crawled up his outstretched arm.

The fear could have liquified her organs, but she pushed through it. Heights or death, she had chosen which she feared most. Right as she reached the mech's hand, the chopper door opened, showing Silas armed with a large, familiar looking weapon. The exertion on his face from carrying the heavy device was a stark reminder. How could he have gotten a hold of that?

The man aimed it down at Sideswipe's chassis. The mech had to use both servos to keep a hold of the helicopter, but he managed to swing his arms, forcing the vehicle to careen to the side, throwing off Silas's balance. Right when Erin grabbed the bottom railing, Silas redirected his weapon lower on Sideswipe and fired.

Sideswipe lost his grip as the helicopter suddenly ascended. The sudden release caused the machine to wildly fishtail in the air. Erin hung on desperately as they zoomed over the woods, barley scraping above the tree line. She tried to climb, desperate the find something solid for her dangling feet. Silas stared down at her, disappointed contempt all over his scarred visage. Erin glared back, she still had a job to complete.

"You chose the wrong side, Brook." He yelled over the sound of the rotors. His massive weapon was aimed back at Erin, a purple glow emanating from within the barrel. With a surge of adrenaline, Erin pulled herself up and grabbed the gun, wrestling to direct it away from her. The man was strong, for his age, but Erin was younger and stronger. Her arm wrapped around the thick strap which was attached to the weapon, giving her maneuvering power. She managed to direct the gun away just as it fired. The energy blast tore to her left, right through the pilot's seat. As the chopper violently careened to the side, Silas kicked Erin straight in the chest, sending her falling to the earth, newly obtained weapon weighing her down.

Falling. The wind cut at her, scraping mercilessly and laughing at the stilling shock that froze her body. Her gaze was locked on the merciless sky as it pushed her out of the heavens, down to the hellish end awaiting her. Her body would crumple and decay, alone and without love. No one would save her. She was alone.

In her peripheral, Silas' scowl, only yards above her, as time seemed to still. He's angry. Why? Is he angry about dying? Falling in a crash, only to be burned to death should his broken body survive? Or was it because she got his mini cannon, the one Que had designed. She couldn't conjure such an emotion as anger at that time. Only fear.

Green clouded her vision as whips beat her back. Her shoulders screamed as it was slashed into. Then, nothing.