Hello Dear Readers! Look! I'm posting another chapter on time! I'm trying to be somewhat consistant again. This was actually going to be two chapters, so there is a bit of an odd break in the middle. But I wanted to give you guys something a bit bigger to read.
Many thanks to the reviewers; THE Ellie, guadadominguez4, Anonymous, Spoffen, .Princess, and ImpartingAbyss
Chapter 40
Erin leaned against the tall metal wall, waiting for Que to emerge from the wash racks. While she was the one who chose to wait for him, the woman belatedly realized it would take a while for the mech to make himself halfway presentable. Of course, the inventor must have been so used to blowing himself up, he probably had his maintenance routine down to a science.
Still, after only ten minutes passing, Erin felt sleep began to pull at her eyes once more. It was still too early to be awake. The only one Erin had expected to be up at such an hour was Prowl. Of course, Ratchet made sense, since he had to care for the Que, and Erin knew why the inventor was up.
He certainly had it rough. It couldn't be easy for him to keep such a positive disposition as he usually did. Erin was fully aware of that after the mech opened up to her. She initially thought he was just grieving for his drinking buddy, but the mech had so much more on his mind. He told Erin how, whenever someone didn't come back from a mission, he felt he was partially at fault. The mech designed every weapon used by the humans on Team Prime. And he would wonder whether they would have survived if he had done more. Every human casualty weighed on his conscious. Not only that, but Que made each and every one of Wheeljack's famed explosives. The scarred mech had once told him that no one was better suited for the task. Little did he know those words would weigh on the inventor's conscious when those weapons proved to be insufficient against Skywarp.
But that wasn't what brought the old mech to the point of despair Erin found him in. After learning of the casualties, Que respectfully attended the memorial, and then went to work on his lab. He claimed it made him feel better when he was making improvements to the gear the humans had, doing his best to work alongside the strict regulations in place. However, when he felt at his lowest, he decided to take a quick break. So, he headed over to the human barracks where Adam lived, hoping to talk things through as they had done in the past. When he got there, they were moving the body bag.
All while hearing this, Erin's internal chant of reasons for her actions died out. She decided that she didn't deserve a convenient excuse. She needed to live with the guilt and learn how to move on. That was easier said than done. Just like her penance in making the twins happy, Erin would do what she could for Que. All the mech needed was a friend. And while his quirks could be off-putting at times, his genuine kindness and curiosity was endearing. So, she would wait for him and do her best to bring back his cheerful attitude.
Allowing herself to slide down until she was seated, Erin gave herself a moment of rest., closing her eyes. Que would be a while still. She could at least take a bit of a nap. Heavy sleep tried to pull at her and she did little to fight it off.
However, it was not meant to be. A set of metallic footsteps plus wheels announced the arrival of the twins. It wasn't until they were standing right over her that Erin decided to open her eyes.
"Hey guys." She mumbled sleepily.
"Femme, what the frag are you doing on the floor?" Sunstreaker asked in his usual award-winning tact.
She waved them off. "I promised Que I'd wait for him. He's taking things hard right now and Ratchet wanted me to cheer him up." As she spoke, she remembered the twins were planning on spending the day with her. Feeling guilt, and emotion that seemed to act like floodwater over a damaged dam, she asked, "You guys don't mind, right? I just don't want to leave him alone right now."
Sideswipe put on a small smile. "Of course not, sweetspark. We think it's really kind of you to look after him." His disappointment was apparent, but Erin was grateful he was being understanding. He tilted his helm in curiosity. "What do you plan on doing, though?"
Erin did not have any grand plan on cheering the mech up. She could imagine Sideswipe would come up with something elaborate, but it would likely involve a prank or two. "I thought we could go to the human rec room. He seems to like hanging out there. We'll see who's available for an impromptu get together." After a moment she added, "Do you want to join?"
Before Sideswipe could answer, Sunstreaker cut in, "It would probably be best that it stays between those close with Que. Besides, the humans probably won't come if we're both there."
"You mean if you're there." The silver mech shot at his brother. "Humans love me!"
"Alright, guys," Erin cut in before the twins could fall into one of their squabbles. "I guess I'll see you later."
Sunstreaker's optics were unreadable and his faceplates added nothing. But his voice was serious, "If you end up free later today, let us know, alright, squishy? We'll be available." It seemed they were still more concerned about her.
"Sure thing." She returned a tired smile.
"If not," Sideswipe added, "we'll try to say high to you before nightfall."
"Sure." Erin decided not to mention that they would see each other in the morning, regardless. She didn't want to disappoint the silver mech.
She watched the twins head off for their morning dose of energon. It took another twenty minutes before Que came out. He still had a burnt smell about him, but most of the scorch marks were gone. It appeared some of his paint had been stripped away, but tiny patches were coming back around the edges. His paint nanites would probably take care of it before the next night.
"Sorry that took so long, dearie." He said in his usual bright tone, "Are yea ready to head out?"
Jumping to her feet, Erin nodded. She did her best to smile and look energized. It was no use sapping the poor mech's mood even further with her usual indifferent gaze. "Yep, I had just enough time for a quick nap so all's good."
The two walked over to the human side of the island. When they arrived at the rec room, it was unsurprising that no one was there. The sun had barely rose. Still, Que seemed happy to wait for company and made himself comfortable. The room itself seemed to brighten his mood a bit.
In the background, the tv buzzed with a football rerun. Que sipped on his energon, which Erin was silently grateful for. If he was still consuming energon, he was in better shape. She was also delighted that Que's focus turned to something she was interested in: weapons. It made conversation flow easily.
"So, I've been working on year e-blade designs while it's been in my possession." He curled his leg onto the large concrete couch. He certainly appeared comfortable. "Hopefully Prowl will approve its distribution soon. I know it's different from my other designs, but it technically meets all the requirements."
"The mech's a stickler for red tape." Erin waved the concern away. She didn't know how much the mech knew about Prowl's investigation. "So, what do you gave in mind?" Erin secretly hoped she would eventually get to see her prized weapon again. Even with Adam as a distraction for Prowl, he might still not entirely trust her.
"Nothing extreme," he said, "I'm working on the energon flow, focusing on the main vain. Right now, it's focused below the edge of the blade where it's less likely to rupture from pressure. But by redirecting it closer to the edge, even by a few millimeters, the blade will be more effective and the edge will better maintain its sharpness throughout battle. The issue is, the blade is lightweight and not as strong as normal Cybertronian blades."
"So, efficiency vs. safety?" Erin mumbled. "I've been hit by energon before, and it certainly isn't ideal."
"Really?" Que asked, shocked, "I had no idea. When did that happen?"
Erin tried not to smile at his excitement. He sounded like a gossiping school girl. "Several months ago, when I first fought the insecticons." She pointed at the scar on her forehead. "But don't go around telling everyone, I don't want to make a big deal about it." She honestly couldn't care is any human found out. Sideswipe still thought her scar was from shrapnel and not his own energon. She had planned on admitting the truth to the mech, but it never came up.
"Don't worry dear. It's not my place to talk about other's scars." He assured her. "And I certainly don't plan on risking your safety. I just need to find a way to strengthen the metal without making it too heavy to wield."
Out of curiosity, Erin asked, "How heavy are Sideswipe's blades?"
"Oh, not too bad, about 80 kilograms each."
"Not too bad? One sword is heavier than I am."
"And would he have any problem carrying you around?"
Erin recalled all the times the overzealous mech carted her around like his favorite doll. "No." she admitted, "And I see where your dilemma is. Going from 80 to 1 can't be easy."
"That has been my predicament," he agreed. "but I have an idea. Have the twins showed you different styles of Cybertronian blades?"
Erin thought for a moment. She'd certainly interviewed the pair on different fighting styles, but there was less variety to weapons. "They showed me different Kaonian designs."
"Kaon's gladiators were equipped to use their strength to cause maximum damage." The inventor explained. "Look at Sideswipe's blades for example. The energon flows through constantly because he doesn't pause his barrage of attacks. Your fighting style and weapon are different." Que projected a hologram of her favorite weapon. "To make your blade lighter, it has a more delicate curved design, like a talon. That matches the Kalisian style. They specialized in spears, but the concept is the same." A thin spear tip appeared next to the first hologram. A vein of energon visibly moved through the edge before disappearing. "You see, for Sideswipe, the energon for his blades feeds directly from his own lines. But for the mechs of Kalis, energon was stored in the base of the spear and they controlled the pulse. If energon was stored in a secure compartment at the base of your blade, where the pump is currently housed, you could apply the energon voluntarily. If the line were to break, the pump would stop. You'd still be able to use the blade, but be safe from energon leaks."
Erin smiled at the thought. Moving the energon line would make her attacks more devastating to the 'cons. And the design change would be unnoticeable to humans not privy to the details. It was another secret she could keep away from Division. "That sounds great, Que. Do you have any designs yet?"
"I'll send the schematics to your data pad and get you a prototype when I get approval. I doubt Prowl would mind a practice piece, something made of plastic for you to get used to it."
Erin wasn't so sure the SIC would be as open to the idea as the mech thought. "I would run it by him first, but I don't see a problem with that."
Que didn't seem to share her concerns, though. Instead, he moved the focus back to his inventions. "The twins mentioned to me they wanted you to have an upgraded long-range weapon."
She had no recollection of such a discussion. But it was clear why the mechs had brought it up with him. "Of course, they did." She muttered.
Unaware of her internal thoughts, Que rambled on. "I was thinking of designing a rifle with acid bullets. If you managed to hit between pieces of armor, it would damage the circuitry."
Rifles weren't her specialty, but that didn't mean she'd say no to fucking acid bullets. "That sounds pretty awesome."
"However," the mech interrupted her thoughts, "I am having difficulty designing bullets capable of holding much acid."
"What is the effect of what you can make?" she pressed.
"It could melt through wires within two inches of the target."
Erin grinned. "I could work with that." She'd need to improve her long range attacks, but with her accuracy at the moment, the two inch window could be devastating. "Would it work on insecticons?"
"I'm not sure." Que admitted, much to Erin's disappointment. "The corrosive I designed contains chemicals I've only found in this planet, so it hasn't been tested on any Decepticons yet."
"Has Optimus Prime approved of this new design?" Erin wasn't sure the Autobot commander would approve such chemical weapons.
"He said he's open to it." The inventor replied unconvincingly.
He might not want to give such a weapon to humans. Still, Erin decided not to discourage the mech. "Anything else you got working?"
"Oh, yes!" His optics brightened up before he seemed to catch himself. "But, eh, it's actually a secret. Sorry girly."
"It's alright, no need to spill." Erin had to squash down her curiosity. If it was secret, she wouldn't want to know. The less she had to report to Division the better. In fact, Erin forced herself to stop thinking about the acid bullets. Division could never know about those.
Male voices caught Erin's attention. She glanced to the entrance to see none other than Chip Horton and Shawn Gilbert, from unit 2 of Team Prime. Their third member, Mitchel Faireborn did not survive the last mission. Erin had sent each unit a message, asking them to come for a small get-together in honor of the victims. It was good to see some interest. She had been worried they wouldn't come since she didn't seem to be the party organizing type.
When Que saw the men, he instantly lightened up. "Chip, Shawn! It's good to see you."
The three all greeted each other warmly and Erin felt herself begin to relax. Que had plenty of friends to take care of him. He was such a kind mech, after all. If only the twins got along with humans like he did. But that wasn't something she could demand of them. After all, she wasn't much more social than they were.
\Well… Sideswipe was social. Welcoming might have been a better term. They didn't welcome other people as well as some mechs. It only made her plans that much harder. There were few to no cases where she defects from Division and survives. Either they take her out and the twins mourn her loss or they learn of her past and get lost in the betrayal. There were no good situations. And the twins had for people to turn to. That did not change the fact that she had to do something about the organization. And her next step could ruin everything.
As men continued to file in, Erin noticed some were carrying various snacks and what looked to be beers stuffed in their jackets. Breakfast was not even over. At least there were more people to keep Que company and that had been the goal. It felt good to help someone, even if she was the cause for their pain. Perhaps she could make a positive difference from time to time.
Franky appeared from just past Erin's peripheral vision, motioning towards the empty spot next to her. The other men didn't seem to interested in being nearly as close, it came with the territory of working with the twins. She patted the spot to show he was welcomed. Silently, he sat, looking subdued. Erin waited for him to say something, but he just stared down at his hands.
Taking pity on the man, she leaned back in her seat and stared at the table, letting him think in peace. Regardless of anything else, Franky and Adam were close. Things couldn't have been easy for the man.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Franky's infrequent glances towards her face. It seemed he was searching for something. After a few more minutes of silence, the woman sighed, realizing she needed to stop putting things off.
Standing, she turned and shot a hard glare to her fellow soldier. "Come on." She motioned with her head before stepping towards the exit. She didn't need to look back, the hollering from various voices around the room told her what everyone else thought of her leading Franky out the door. When they got a decent distance away, Erin finally turned to see pure fear in his eyes, confirming all her suspicions.
Reaching out. She grabbed a handful of his shirt and thrust him against the wall, causing the man's head to smack back. He gave little in ways of defensive posture, instead blinking fearfully as he shrunk in on himself. He knew what she was capable of.
Whatever plan she had before faded to nothing. "How loyal are you to Division?" she blurted, shooting him an icy glare. The tactless words were a shock to herself.
Franky's eyes shot wide as he tried to pull himself away from the wall. Erin had little trouble slamming him back against it. His flight response kicked in to overdrive as he thrashed in her grasp, but she kicked his knees to the side, causing him to collapse limply. Erin couldn't blame him, he had to know what happened to monitors when the agents they watched caught on to their identity.
"I'm not going to kill you." She deadpanned, earning a confused, if not relieved, look from the man. She sighed, hoping against hope she was right about this guy. "You don't seem like the kind of guy who goes for Division's rhetoric. You don't even seem like a good monitor. I was on to you from minute one, you know."
"But… why-"
Erin interrupted him with another hard shove. "Why didn't I kill you? Because I didn't care you were there. I knew you wouldn't find anything against me and I needed Division on my side." It was true. Killing a monitor, though not entirely outlawed, was considered suspicious activity. Pausing for a moment, she tried to calm her racing heart. Was this a mistake? "I need to know if you are actually loyal to Division or not?"
The man didn't seem to think before shaking his head. "These guys freak me out. And I never bought that monitor superiority over agents thing."
Some part of her felt relieved at his verbal conformation. But she needed more information. "Why did you join in the first place?"
He swallowed nervously. Apparently, she seemed scarier than Division itself. He must have seen her training history. "They got me cleaned up, offered me a job. I started out working communications, turning my head the other way whenever they asked." He took a shaky breath, voice quick and eyes nearly blind. "They liked that, so they added me to the monitor program. You were the second person I was assigned to."
"Really?" she asked incredulously. That was nearly insulting. "They assigned a newbie to their one of their favorite assassins? Did they want you to die?"
He shook his head as much as he could in Erin's grasp. "They thought it wasn't necessary to watch you that closely. Sending me was for procedure more than anything else."
"That's good," she admitted, relaxing a bit, "then it seems I have their trust."
Franky paused before asking, "What gave me away?"
"What didn't?" Erin released a rare amused grin. "When we first met, you were way too nervous for your confident and flirtatious routine. And you were never in the right place. Why would someone terrified of the Autobots unnecessarily go to their hanger time after time?"
"Division wanted me to run interference, trying to keep you from spending too much time with the twins." He shrugged, seaming to realize she wouldn't hurt him. "They didn't want you to become distracted."
"Well that didn't go their way, now did it?" The agent hummed. "Look, I am going to betray Division." She admitted firmly. "They will likely kill me for it, but I don't care. Are you in?"
"Yes." He nodded frantically, not wasting a second of thought. But, after another moment, he looked down. "I don't care what the intel says, Adam was my friend." He looked up at her, hope in his eyes. "You… you didn't want to kill him, right?"
"I had no choice." She answered honestly. It wouldn't help the man to know he attacked her first. Franky probably assumed they could have worked something out. If holding on to that thought made him hate Division even more, then she would use it to her advantage.
"You have my support." He added with more confidence.
"Good, I need you to use your contacts." She started, cutting to business, "Monitors have freer rein than agents do. I also need you to get in touch with an agent called number 25. I've set the pieces already, but we need to prepare to put them in motion."
She waited only long enough for him to nod before finally letting the man go. "We'll work out the details later, come on." They returned to the rec room. The jeering was less obtrusive that time around as most of the men were well-distracted by Que's animated story-telling. Silently, they sat on the human-sized couch, both staring at the full beer bottles before them.
It was clear to Erin that both Division traitors felt fear. Franky was sacred the woman would go back on her word and kill him. Meanwhile, she was worried his fear would lead him running back to Division. Her plan hinged on the man upholding his half. Both sat silently, knowing the memorial celebration around them was filled with lies.
Slowly, with hesitance, Franky turned back towards Erin. "I probably wouldn't have agreed with you last week." He muttered cautiously. Erin shot him a look, warning him to be more careful about what he said. But the man continued, "I miss him though. And I don't care about the reasons. He was my friend. He shouldn't have died." In his terrified eyes, Erin noticed for the first time his vehemence. Not directed at her, the killer, but the overarching operation pulling all the strings. Those eyes told Erin all she needed to know.
Nodding in agreement, Erin took two bottles, condensation dripping into her lap, and offered one to Franky, her new ally. Together, they drank to this secret partnership. Then, they had another. And Erin had a third…
Fast forward six hours, and a barely conscious Que was murmuring the lyrics to "Stand by Me" outside the rec room. The on-duty had chased most of the soldiers away. Erin managed to keep enough composure to walk past him without any kind of scolding. But she was stuck, stone-hard drunk… wait. Cold Stones drunk? What was the euphemism for it? Stone-cold? Yes, she was stone-cold drunk, next to an even worse off Que. Where he got the high grade, Erin wasn't sure. But she had to deal with the aftermath.
Before seeing them, Erin could hear twin engines fast approaching. She tried to look minimally put-together but it was hard to do while she was leaning heavily on the mumbling inventor. When Sideswipe and Sunstreaker transformed, their reactions were nearly opposites.
Sideswipe, grinning madly, asked Erin, "Had fun?"
She managed a short nod, not quite sure if she should be feeling vertigo while on the ground.
Sunstreaker just crossed his arms. "You alright, squishy?" he asked seriously, seeming to already know the answer.
Shrugging, she pushed off any concern. "I'll sleep this off before tomorrow morning. But I need help bringing Que to his berth."
The mechs glanced to each other, apparently speaking over their bond. Sideswipe looked back with a suspicious smile. "We'll help him, but it looks like you can't walk much either, sweetspark."
Erin shook her head. "Don't worry about me, I'm right next to the barracks." She hooked a finger towards the doors which had been cleared for use after all the caution tape was removed.
Sunstreaker leveled a glare at her. "You will not be staying here alone. Not in this condition." He gestured towards all of her as if making his entire point.
On a normal day, Erin would brush off such comments, after all, she always proved herself beyond expectations. But that was not a normal day, since the woman was overcharged at noon. Wait? That was the Cybertronian term? Whatever. "You saying I can't take care of myself?" she asked, aggression seething uncontrollably in her tone.
"Yes." Sunstreaker deadpanned. "I doubt you could even walk a straight line to your berth." He motioned his helm, as if daring her to try.
"I don't have to prove anything to you." She replied slowly, making sure he clearly heard each word. She wasn't quite sure she meant it to be so aggressive, but he started it.
Before Sunstreaker could make a smart retort, Sideswipe knelt down in front of Erin. "You're right, Rin." He placated, earning a scoff from his brother. "But we would feel better if you charged down with us." He added with pleading optics, "Please?" Erin didn't even try to hide her grumbling. Damn these mechs had her wrapped around their fing- digit. The woman didn't even have to say anything for Sideswipe to give a big smile, knowing he had won. He quickly transformed and opened his side door for her. "I'll drive you back to our place, then help Sunny with Que."
Defeated, Erin entered the cabin, Sunstreaker's retort of 'don't call me that' was muffled by the closing door. While she didn't intend to, Erin began dosing off on the way to the hanger. It wasn't entirely her fault, since Sideswipe was driving far slower than he usually did. The gentle motion lulled her to sleep. It was a dark, dreamless rest. Time was lost to her.
It wasn't until the sound of sliding metal and a hard slam that vibrated through the seat did Erin wake up. She glanced around, still sitting in Sideswipe's alt. Sunstreaker was there, glaring down at his brother. It didn't take long for Erin to realize they were all in the twins' berth room.
"You glitch." Sunstreaker growled at Sideswipe. "Why did you leave me to carry Que's aft alone!"
Irritation was clear in Sideswipe's voice, likely reflecting off Sunstreaker's. "Because she fell into recharge. I didn't want to disturb her. At least that was until you charged in sounding like a Helixian enforcer."
Scoffing, Sunstreaker shot back, "She's overcharged, she'll go back to recharge the moment she hits the berth."
Erin, feeling more composed, opened Sideswipe's door and glared at both mechs. "I said I was fine staying in my own room." She slammed the door, prompting Sideswipe to quickly transform. "Don't make me the center point of your argument."
Immediately, both mechs reacted. Sunstreaker looked down, seeming thoroughly chastised. Sideswipe, on the other hand, crouched like a guilty puppy, trying to look small, "Sorry, Rin. We'll behave, I promise."
Again, she couldn't stay mad at them long. So, she reached forward and patted his lowered helm to show she wasn't upset. The action seemed to brighten Sideswipe's mood considerably. Resigning herself to spend the rest of the day in the twins' room, she let them place her on the berth where her comforter waited. Although it was the middle of the day, they seemed content to stay near her while she slept off her remaining drunkenness. Water was helpfully provided, which Erin greedily chugged, hoping her coming hangover would be minor. She quickly fell asleep, wasting away most of the day.
Unfortunately, her rest eventually had to end. Regardless of Erin's relentless water chugging, the first thing she felt when consciousness returned, was a rolling headache right behind her eyes. She did not want to get up, but an annoying prod to her side refused to let her sleep again. Grunting as the room's light scoured her eyes, Erin found the source of her aggravation: Sideswipe. She gave him a glare, which the mech promptly ignored.
"Wake up." He whispered gently, digit moving from her ribs to her shoulder. "You should consume something before it's too late."
"I can wait till morning." She slurred; each word felt like a brick falling on her aching brain. Covering her head with the edge of the blanket, she turned over and willed Sideswipe to let her sleep.
It was not meant to be. The blanket was pulled from around her, leaving her on the hard berth. Managing to sit up, she met Sunstreaker's challenging gaze. "Come on, squishy. You need fuel and you need to move around. We'll drive you to the mess hall.
Erin momentarily considered feigning nausea. The mechs would be too disgusted to go near her. But upon further thought, she realized Ratchet would be called in and that was the last thing she wanted. Seeing no way out, she nodded her head, eyes shut and fighting the bright lights overhead. "Is it dark yet?" she asked hopefully.
"Not yet." The silver mech unknowingly squashed her dreams.
"Alright, I'll go." Adding, "Can you check in with Que, make sure he's alright?"
"Que commed us earlier." Sunstreaker replied while his brother helped Erin to the floor. "He asked us to tell you how grateful he was. It was a nice thing you did for him."
Erin shrugged her shoulders. "I just acted like a decent person."
"Come on, Rin." Sideswipe said with too much amusement as he started walking to the door. "You look like scrap but you need fuel."
On the way out the hanger, Erin took the time to fix her hair and adjust her clothes. Nothing could hide the wrinkles from her nap, but she looked presentable enough for the mess hall. Besides, she had a feeling she wouldn't be the only one in rough shape.
The drive was quiet, luckily. Sideswipe seemed content to keep to himself and for that, Erin was grateful. She wouldn't be contributing to any meaningful conversations for the rest of the day.
Upon arriving at their destination, the soldier was somewhat surprised to see none other than Sarah Lennox in front of the mess hall. When they drove up, the woman's eyes shot straight to Erin. She gave a small wave, which Erin returned. Sideswipe must have noticed because he pulled up right in front of her.
Getting out of his alt so he could transform, Erin greeted the older woman. "Mrs. Lennox, how are you this evening?"
"I'm doing just fine, thank you. How are you holding up?" she asked knowingly. Of course, she would know Erin was meant to be mourning. She had a grasp on most of the social life around base.
"I have plenty of friends looking out for me." She replied, motioning towards the twins. "So, I'm doing better than expected."
"That's great to hear." The woman said kindly. "I can't hear the details, but Ironhide told me you were extremely heroic in Texas."
Secretly, Erin felt good the old mech had been bragging about her. He had reason to, since he was her primary trainer, even after her year-long program under the mech ended. Ironhide always had a good read on her emotions and knew better than to push. But he always offered his own form of support. "Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were integral to our victory." Erin replied, glancing back to them with a sad smile.
Sunstreaker chose that moment to transform. "Can it, squishy." He replied, "Everybot knows you made the plan that saved our hides. We just went along with it."
Mrs. Lennox chuckled. "You have quite the team." She said, obviously saying less than what she was thinking.
Erin decided to ignore the glint in her eyes. "So, may I ask who you're waiting for?"
"Right," the woman nodded, "I was actually looking for you. I was hoping to ask a favor of you."
"Oh, what do you need?" It wasn't common for Sarah Lennox to make requests of other people. When she did, they were little things, like helping to set the table for dinner or calling Annabelle inside.
"Well, this is going to be announced tomorrow morning;" She said, "Prowl is temporarily moving to Washington D.C to oversee a building project. Optimus Prime asked me to help with some of his duties."
"Really?" Erin wasn't sure how to feel about the news. For one, she wouldn't have Prowl venting down her neck anymore, so that was a relief. Although, she was planning on using him when or if she was going to expose her identity to N.E.S.T. That was why she targeted him with the forged message from Adam. How long would he be gone? She was also confused as to why a civilian would be chosen as his replacement.
Sideswipe did not seem to have any qualms. "Yes!" he shouted, too loud for Erin's liking. "No Prowl means no brig means plenty of time to prank!"
"Actually," Mrs. Lennox kept her smile when addressing the overexcited mech, "One of the tasks given to me is discipline over the Autobots. I hope you can respect that."
Erin faced Sideswipe with narrowed eyes. "Of course, he will." She replied for him. It was actually a smart plan. Even Sunstreaker had a begrudging respect for the woman.
Deflating a bit, the silver mech asked in a subdued tone, "Aw come on, at least go easier on me than Prowl."
Choosing to ignore him, Erin turned back to the woman. "What other duties will you have?"
"Just rotation and training schedules." She answered, "Prime and Jazz will take over the rest, and Prowl will still advise. I'm just there to help with organization, mostly."
"So, what do you need of me?" Erin thought she might just ask her to keep an eye on the twins. Primus knows they were a handful and a half for the SIC, let alone poor Mrs. Lennox.
"I know this is an odd request," she started, biting her lip, "but could you watch Annabelle tomorrow morning? I'm supposed to meet with Prowl at 0600. Will is busy and Ironhide doesn't come back from Texas for another day."
Erin was nearly speechless at the request. She wanted her of all people to watch Annabelle? "While I am not averse to this," she stated cautiously, "are you sure I'm the best option? Won't it seem inappropriate for someone you are meant to manage to be watching your child?" she tried to phrase it as gently as possible. She certainly wasn't accusing the woman of abuse of power. But she couldn't admit just how much she did not like kids.
"Actually, it was Ironhide's idea, he said he couldn't imagine Annabelle being any safer. And Prime supported the decision." The woman added cautiously, "But I won't make you do anything you're uncomfortable with."
Surprise was at the forefront of Erin's mind. Ironhide knew she wasn't any good around children. Sure, she could probably keep one alive, but that was as far as her knowledge went. But, if both Prime and Ironhide were behind it, there wasn't much room to say no. Besides, a sudden role was sprung on Mrs. Lennox, she wouldn't have much time to find a different sitter. "I can do it." She replied, faking certainty. "How long do you need me for?"
"Could you do it from 0530 to 1530? I know it's a long day, but you'd be free from any other duties for the day and you can have whatever you want from the fridge or pantry." Hope was clear in Mrs. Lennox's eyes.
"Sure." She said rather unprofessionally. "Just… please write down everything you need me to do. I don't want Ironhide coming after me if I forget to have Annabelle brush her teeth."
"Of course, and thank you so much!" the older woman gushed. "I promise this is a one-time thing."
Dear God, Erin hoped so.
Sideswipe was bored, plain and simple. And he made as much apparent over the bond, if Sunny's moody reaction was anything to go by.
:Clamp it down.: the yellow twin groused. :We'll see her later tonight. Primus, you're hopeless.:
:But I miss her.: he whined in response. :She makes everything more entertaining.: Sunny was the one who insisted he join the yellow mech's shift. Sideswipe was meant to have the time off, but his twin didn't trust him not to prank anyone, even though Prowl had yet to leave.
:You just like staring at her like a fragging stinkbot.: Sunny replied, clearly unphased by Sideswipe's explanation.
:That's mean!: Sideswipe shot back. :I know you enjoy her company as much as I do. Primus, you let her recharge on you the night before.:
As usual, Sunny refused to submit to his desires. :Just drop it. What kind or front liner can't get through one shift without-:
:Hey, there she is!: Sideswipe interupted, catching Rin at the edges of his sensors. She was on the beach with Annabelle, right along their patrol path. Without waiting for his brother's answer, the silver mech sped up to meet the two femmes.
He transformed before reaching the sand and chose to walk on his pedes, rather than wheels. Otherwise, he'd spray sand up his armor. "Heya, how are you two doing?" he asked with a casual wave just as Sunny caught up. He didn't show his disappointment at seeing his femme was wearing her boring P.T armor. What kind of human femme went to the beach in that?
The look on Rin's face was nothing less than sheer terror. "Sideswipe." She greeted, sounding strained. "It's good to see you."
The mech tried not to laugh at the pleading look on her face. Primus, she was petrified and it was no secret as to why. "Back at ya, Sweetspark." He shuttered one optic before crouching to address the youngest among them, and the source of Rin's worry. "Annabelle, how has your day been?"
The sparkling, oblivious to the femme staring at her as if she were a bomb, was gathering sand in small mounds. She had six in total and each was decorated with different pieces of sticks, other organic litter, and pebbles. The mech couldn't be sure what she was intending to make, but she seemed to be dedicated to the odd task. "Making sand castles." She said, not looking up from her work.
Sideswipe quickly looked up the word to make sure it held the same meaning he thought it did, because those things could not serve any function a castle was meant to. He summed it up to sparkling imagination. "That looks like fun" he cooed, seating himself more comfortably. "Are the castles for a Princess?"
He caught Rin's startled gaze. She signed to him in their code, "You understand k-i-d-s?"
It took everything in Sideswipe not to burst out laughing. Instead, he signed back "I-N-S-T-I-N-C-T-S." In the past, the mech had the impression that human femmes were naturally good caretakers. At least that was what the internet showed. Meeting Rin shattered that reality. She had also explained to him that while humans didn't have caretaker protocols like all Cybertronians were created with, some seemed to have 'parenting instincts'.
Rin seemed to have caught his little reference, because she narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't say anything. What she was thinking probably was not good for a sparkling's audio receptors.
Seeing the femme's concerned gaze towards the sparkling made Sideswipe feel a hint of pity. "Would you like me to hang out here for a while?" he offered
Rin looked relieved but the sparkling piped in, "Iwonhide says I'm not supposed to play with Sunny, Sides, or red eyes."
Sunny chose that moment to transform. He stood close enough to listen, while still being on the edge of the gritty sand. "Ironhide doesn't know his t-cog from his vocalizer." He replied with a glaring lack of vulgarity. Even the deadly daffodil wouldn't dare infect a young sparkling's processor. He still couldn't hide his true outrage over the bond. Both mechs knew the weapon's specialist had taught the young femme that phrase, but Sunny was far more infuriated by it. Sideswipe could sympathize. It was all too often other mechs put them on the same level as the 'cons. Annabelle might have been Ironhide's charge, but that didn't mean he had the right to spread such toxic thinking to her. Sunny turned to Rin, "You hear the sla- stuff he's been putting in this fleshy's helm?"
"What's a fleshy?" the sparkling asked innocently, apparently forgetting Ironhide's orders.
"Ok!" Rin cut in, "Let's watch what we say around the kid." She added with a mutter, "The last thing I need is her expanding her vocabulary with the two of you." She stated the last part while looking directly at Sunny.
"There's nothing wrong with that word." The yellow mech shot back while choosing not to say that exact word.
"There is when you say it." Rin replied evenly. "Besides, what would Mrs. Lennox think if Annabelle came back to her talking like that?"
"She'll probably think Sunny skipped out on patrol to hang with you." Sideswipe snickered.
Sunny scoffed at his twin. "Why don't you gli- you play with the femmes so I can finish my patrol in peace?"
Sideswipe, seeing his brother subtly was giving him an excuse to hang out with their femme, replied with a lazy salute. "Yes, sir!" He always cared more than he let on.
The yellow mech nodded to Rin as if to say 'keep and optic on him' before transforming and driving off.
Sideswipe turned back towards Annabelle, optics on her construction efforts. "So, how can I help?"
The sparkling beamed up at him before directing him to build a channel around her small village of mounds. It was not the most pleasant of experiences, using his digits to sift through the gritty sand. He'd be doing self-maintenance for the rest of the night, but Annabelle's excitement was enough to satisfy him.
A wrench was thrown into her plans when Sideswipe was unable to fill the moat around her little town. His servos couldn't cup and hold the ocean water like Annabelle wanted him to. The sparkling decided to fill the trench herself, but after the third trip, it was barely damp.
With a huff, Rin stood and planted a heel in the edge of the moat and dragged her pede back until it reached the water line. After a moment, waves pushed water through. When the trench was filled, she covered the hole. Annabelle giggled with excitement at their collective efforts.
After a couple minutes, the water was reabsorbed into the sand, but Annabelle did not seem to mind. Instead, she looked at Rin and shouted dramatically, "Oh, no! The Combiner is attacking the city!"
Sideswipe barked a laugh at Rin's confused expression. "What's a Combiner?" she muttered.
Happy to provide and explanation, the mech described, "A team of 2-5 Cybertronians that link into one giant mech."
"Like…" her expression became searching, as if she was trying to remember something, "Voltron?"
Sideswipe grinned. That was one of the shows he taught her about. "Exactly!" Not quite, but there was no need to explain a Combiner spark connection. "Now, aren't you supposed to be attacking the city?" He motioned towards where Annabelle was frantically pointing.
The mech did his best to quell any more delight at the femme's unamused expression. She unenthusiastically stood and took a step towards the 'city'. Glancing at the sparkling, the femme asked, "You aren't going to cry or anything, right?" She was clearly apprehensive to upset the younger human.
"We'll webuild." She chirped in response. "Sides can't protect the city of no one attacks it."
Apparently, Sideswipe was supposed to be the guard.
Cautiously, Rin kicked one of the smaller mounds. Her eyes not daring to leave the younger femme's expression.
"Sides!" Annabelle squeaked, "The city is under attack! You have to protect it."
Grinning, he planted a servo in front of Rin, keeping her from moving any further. "Don't worry," he replied in his best 'heroic voice', "I'll stop this fiend."
"Be careful Sides!" the sparkling gushed, "She has a weapon!"
Rin tilted her head to the side. Aparently, she wasn't the best at make-believe games. Sideswipe unsubspaced several beanbags and dropped them at her pedes before standing. "Watch out Annabelle!" he called in mock panic, "She has plasma grenades." He readied his own beanbag-filled cannon.
Finally, Sideswipe noticed a small glint in Rin's eyes. Perhaps there was hope for her after all. She moved for her weapons and Sideswipe fired a low-powered warning shot near her. A smile graced the femme's lips. Armed, she dodged around his legs, making it hard for him to aim. Her eyes never leaving his cannon, she began to throw her 'grenades' at the mech. Her arm couldn't hit nearly a high enough velocity to match his own weapons, and any front liner could have dodged her attack, but Annabelle was too close for him to do quick, dramatic movements. Rin knew as much, if the victorious expression on her face was anything to go by.
Sideswipe feigned injury when he was hit, but remained standing. He kicked his pede towards Rin, causing her to dodge back and lose her footing on the soft sand. Before she could righten herself, Sideswipe shot her with three beanbags. The Combiner was offline.
"Yay!" Annabelle cheered, "Sides saved the city!"
Sideswipe noticed Rin was still smiling, chuckling as she got back to her feet. The mech bowed to the femmes, basking in the glory of his manufactured victory.
Aparently, the celebration was meant to be short because the sparkling turned to Rin and asked, "Can I go swimming?"
The femme's eyes shot open. "No!" It's high tide." Sideswipe silently agreed with her assessment. The waves were taller than the sparkling. He could imagine she'd easily get pulled down and lost in the churning water. "Besides," Rin added, "It's time for us to head home. Your mother will be done with work soon."
"Can I have candy?" Annabelle asked, instantly switching focus.
"Not before dinner." Rin replied, trying to sound stern, but still looking uncertain in Sideswipe's optics.
"I pwomise I won't tell Iwonhide Sides pwayed with us."
Sideswipe tried not to laugh. The little sparkling was an extortionist.
"One piece." Rin offered, not missing a beat.
"Three!" she shot back with a smile.
"Deal. Let's go." She grabbed the other femme's hand, muttering 'blackmailer' under her breath. Turning her attention to Sideswipe, she added, "Thanks for watching her with me. Do you have time to hang out after I drop her off?"
There was nothing he'd rather do than be around the femme. "For you, I have all the time in the universe."
Erin's expression was unreadable, but Sideswipe only got a glance of it before she turned to Annabelle. The femme ushered the sparkling away, leading her in the direction of the Lennox home.
The front liner waited there, feeling Rin didn't want him to follow. He had a hunch as to why, but didn't hold it against the femme. He knew his reputation among the humans and he knew Rin wouldn't want Sarah Lennox to worry. Or even worse, tell Ironhide he'd been hanging around his charge. The mech was overprotective at the best of times.
Instead, Sideswipe watched the ocean. The tide was pulling away from the shore, exposing washed up shells and franticly hiding crustaceans. The planet was always changing, moment to moment, cycle to cycle. The abundant life around adapted to every change. Even the non-sentient creatures managed to find a fascinating balance on such a strange world.
A part of him would always miss Cybertron, but he was grateful he had the chance to see other places. It felt wrong to admit, but if the war never broke out, he and Sunny would have never traveled away from the planet. Sure, they discussed visiting a couple different moons, or even seeing the remains of their Creature's colony, but it never amounted to anything. In fact, Sideswipe wondered whether they would still be gladiators in the pits.
He looked up to the darkening sky, speckled by a few bright stars. Cybertron was always so bright, they never saw much starlight until first being stationed away from their dead planet, not as Kaonians, but 'bots. Was there a war-free future in which they never saw the other galaxies that contained mysterious beings so different than their own?
Before losing their home, they never gave other species a spare thought. Sure, there was evidence intelligent life lived elsewhere, though the war cut off new information from other planets. None of those creatures were anything like what he saw on Earth. It was an unknown planet with the only sentient, fully-organic, species known to his kind. It was a complete marvel. And yet the mech still had to wonder, if he was still fighting in Kaon, would he have given humanity a second thought? If his and Sunny's paths somehow crossed with Rin's during a time of peace, where would they end up?
Sideswipe didn't finish those thoughts, because his scanners picked up Rin's return.
"You're pretty good with kids." She said when he turned to greet her.
A warm feeling filled Sideswipe's sparks at the compliment. He'd never been told that before. "Sunny and I always wanted sparklings," he revealed, "but he'd never admit it."
Rin chuckled and motioned for him to follow her along the beach. "I can imagine it. Sunstreaker would be the serious protective sire, and you'd be the fun one."
"Most 'bots would laugh if we told them that." The silver mech had to admit as he walked alongside the femme. They didn't seem to be heading anywhere in particular. The barracks and hanger were far behind them. "Not that they would know how to raise sparklings. The only one left with any experience is Ironhide."
That seemed to pique Rin's interest. "I knew he was good with kids, but he had his own."
"He was a guardian to sparklings without creators." Sideswipe explained, somewhat surprised the weapons specialist hadn't told her himself. He always had the impression they were somewhat close. "After retiring as an enforcer, he raised something like 50 before picking his cannons back up."
"It's nice to see he can do that again with Annabelle."
"She's been good for him." The mech agreed. "He may seem like a hardaft, but he's a guardian through and through." It was clear to anyone who knew the black mech what his real calling was. But without any sparklings, who else would he have to care for?
"I would have thought Optimus would want sparklings." Rin commented. "For some reason he seems like a nuclear family kind of mech."
Sideswipe started. "Nuclear?" Was she calling him radioactive?
"It's just a phrase." The femme explained, seeming amused. "Means a 'traditional family', a femme and sire raising two or three sparklings."
Why did humans have to have such odd sayings? But his companion wasn't too far off with her musings. "He wanted that, still does as far as I know. He hadn't talked about it since… well, since we lost the all spark." Even Earth rotations later, it was still hard to think about. "He used to have a mate, Elita-One. Prime said they were waiting for the civil unrest to settle before they started a family. Then the war started. She was his first lieutenant at the beginning of the war. Back then, she was more famous than he was."
"She didn't make it?" It was less of a question than a statement.
"She went out like a hero." Sideswipe recalled. "When the Megatron decided to enact genocide of all the femmes, the 'bots built an arc to carry them away from the planet. Elita-One defended the ship as it exited the atmosphere. Took on Megatron himself." When Rin didn't say anything, Sideswipe decided to continue, "The Autobots were outnumbered, though. The arc was hit by an air raid and crashed. There were no survivors."
Sideswipe felt regretful, presenting such a heavy topic to the femme. She looked up at him in stunned silence. Her mouth opened, but close again.
Seeing she had nothing to say, he moved on. "Still, there's always hope. We don't know of any surviving femmes, but there is still a chance some femmes escaped early in the war. Some neutrals tried to evacuate the planet and start new colonies. The 'cons had the skies and took down any ships that tried to pass through, but there is a chance some made it out." Even he wasn't sure how much he believed that. Sunny supposed any femmes that made it off-world would stay in hiding, knowing 'cons would still be hunting them down.
"I hope that's the case." Rin stated with a sad look.
Sideswipe shrugged, trying not to show how upset he was. "It's not like we have a world to bring sparklings into anyway."
"Then what's the end goal?"
The front liner paused, considering the femme's question. Why did they still fight, when there seemed to be no hope. What were they even fighting the Decepticons? Sideswipe couldn't be sure what he could anticipate for their kind. "Prime wants us to stay allies with the humans, maybe make our own nation on a neighboring planet." He wasn't too sure about the plan. But at least he and Sunny would stay close to Rin.
"The humans will want your technology in exchange for resources." The femme said, mirroring his own concerns.
"Yeah, that's what we've been trying to tell Prime." Sideswipe admitted. Those conversations never went very far. "The thing is, we don't have the means of finding another planet with fuel."
"You could always make the trade," Rin responded, her voice flat, "get what you needed to leave, and move on." It was apparent that was not what the femme wanted, but she wasn't one to ignore all the possibilities either.
When Sideswipe first landed on the planet, he probably wouldn't have felt guilty about one day abandoning humanity. But things were different. "That's not the Autobot way." He stated firmly.
The femme sighed, slowing her pace. "When humans got their hands on Cybertronian technology, and they eventually will, Earth will end up just like Cybertron. You wouldn't want to be there for the fall out." She sounded defeated, as if she had already seen the future she described.
Unless they could safely transport Rin as well, he and Sunny wouldn't leave. No matter what happened. Still, she had a point. The Cybertronian presence on Earth gave organics access to concepts and weapons not meant for their kind. It's not like he could expect much else. Cybertronians were never meant to interact with organic species. "I guess we're too much for the universe to handle."
"I didn't mean to say you don't belong." Rin stated, looking up at Sideswipe in concern. Their walk had led them to Sunny's favorite rocky outcropping. The sun had begun its descent, signaling the near end of the day.
"It's ok." The mech placated, not wanting the femme to think she'd upset him. "I was just remembering a story. Do you recall the book I read to you, about the thirteen Primes and their creation?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "Primus and Unicron, right?"
"That's right." Sideswipe smiled lightly. What he read was just one of several versions of the tale, but there were themes consistent throughout all renditions. "Unicron wanted nothing to exist, but Primus wished for life to have a chance." He explained. "Scholars couldn't agree what was behind their motivations. Most mechs believe Primus is our benevolent creator. But some say that Primus was indifferent to what life actually did, whether it thrived or suffered." That would explain all the slag that happened. "And some even say Unicron foresaw the sorrow life would endure, and intended to spare us from it."
"What do you think?" Rin asked gently.
Sideswipe thought for a moment. His processor and spark couldn't agree on an answer. "The only way we can have hope is if Primus had good intentions for us." He replied slowly. "It's the only way for us to keep fighting. What do you think?"
The femme didn't need a moment to ponder before supplying an answer, "I think you should keep fighting, regardless."
"That's something Sunny would say." The mech grinned at his comparison.
Sideswipe had a suspicion the femme didn't really believe in Primus, not the way Cybertronians did, but that didn't keep her from asking questions. "So," Rin prompted, "why create if Primus just wanted to be a bystander?"
"To put Unicron at bay." Sideswipe speculated. "The two were evenly matched, according to legend. But, in order to defeat Unicron, Primus needed powerful warriors. We are descended from those original Primes." He sighed at the thought. "It just… doesn't seem right to unleash that power on the universe. No other creature had that advantage."
"You shouldn't feel guilty for living." Rin replied sternly. "It's your right to survive, just like everyone else." She started walking again, finally heading back towards the base. Sideswipe followed, standing just behind her. "You are only responsible for your own actions. All you can do is take the next step forward."
An incessant chirping assaulted Starscream's audials. He hated the planet and its organic filth. The seeker wanted nothing more than to do away with it. But Earth was, unfortunately, a strategic stronghold in the war. Not only would he need to destroy Optimus Prime in order to gain support of the remaining Decepticons among the stars, but the planet's resources would be needed if he planned on rebuilding Cybertronian society as he saw fit.
And as annoying as the humans could be, they still had their uses. His new allies promised to give him their own agent who had infiltrated N.E.S.T. Even better, it was the very insect that was present for the destruction of three of his warriors. The Decepticon Lord felt it was poetic that such a pest should soon be equally troublesome for the Autobots. Of course, should she not be as useful as promised, he had no qualms passing her on to Shockwave or Hardshell. Both wanted retribution. Starscream wasn't prone to the same desires, though. Human remains were far too messy.
Division promised one more resource, who Starscream was still waiting for in the Primus forsaken forest. This contact was meant to have intimate knowledge of the Autobots. He was meant to be a placeholder until Division's agent could receive her new orders. The wait was an irritation, but it gave Starscream time to plan. With the increasing availability of resources, all coming from Division in exchange for Mech's secrets, Starscream had the means to grow his army. Shockwave was adamant his plan, to harness the power of twin bonds, would be key to amassing enough strength, regardless of how outnumbered their forces were. Starscream was skeptical.
Skywarp was powerful enough to take out the Autobot's explosives expert and a few humans, but he failed against the spark-balanced gladiator twins. Still, Shockwave insisted there was more he could do. But he needed test subjects. He wanted to use their new human pet to lure the gladiator twins into a trap, but the two grounders have taken a trio of seekers before and ended on top. Starscream, Shockwave, and Hardshell, regrettably, would be hard pressed to take on the pair. He needed more troops to contend with those twins, and he needed the twins to make more powerful troops. And Shockwave had yet to explain how they could use those terrors to create an army.
But there were few other options for the moment. Division offered plenty of physical resources, but no soldiers for disposal. Only an agent and the rather late informant were given. The N.E.S.T humans might have been pathetically weak, but they were still a nuisance for the 'con's meager forces. At least Mech offered their own humans to distract N.E.S.T's insects.
"Starscream."
The seeker turned; null rays armed. The sound was close, but he didn't hear its approach. He didn't see anything either. The voice did not speak again, but Starscream felt he recognized it. Dawning realization hit the mech, making him grin knowingly. He lowered his weapons, optics flicking around. "I did not expect the humans to send a former Autobot." He spat the last word.
Mirage appeared just past the tree line. "Perdonate my lack of appearance. Come dicono gli umani, old habits die hard."
Starscream hid his bubbling frustration. What nonsense language was the mech spouting? He had no time for it, so he switched to Cybertronian. "I take it the human femme introduced you to Division?"
"Erin, yes." The mech confirmed. "And she fulfilled her promise to me, to organize an alliance with the Decepticons and end this war. But I must ask you, when the 'cons win, what will you do with the surviving Autobots?" Mirage's vocalizations held more cordial respect than shrewd suspicion. Vorns into the war and the mech kept his high caste decorum.
What to do with the Autobots? Smelt them and mold the molten slag into a throne. But the red mech didn't need to know that. "Any 'bot to surrender will be given rights as prisoners of war." Starscream answered, holding his servos behind is back and straightening his wings. "We need as many Cybertronians as possible if we are to rebuild." This was where Megatron failed and Starscream would succeed. His predecessor was too proud to resort to simple lies. That was why the war lasted as long as it did.
The answer seemed to satisfy the grounder. "Very well. I will follow you. But listen," he leaned in and lowered his voice, as if the pair were not alone, "you shouldn't trust Division."
Starscream narrowed his optics. What was this petulant grounder thinking? "Explain." He ordered.
"They offered you no forces to help in your fight, yet while I was among them, they wanted me to train thousands of soldiers in combat against Cybertronians." He explained, sounding worried. "They did not seem to belong to Division. Each group had different looking humans and they spoke varied languages. Division did not want me to mention any past groups with the humans either. I do not trust their intentions."
"So, you let the humans use you as they wished? And why would you be any use to me?" It was clear to Starscream what these insects were planning, but that didn't change anything. Just as Starscream planned on using the humans for his own means, Division wished to advance themselves with minimal payout. There was never a moment when he would trust them. And it seemed the humans were selling Mirage's training to different military groups. That wouldn't complicate things too much.
"You've been forced to work with the humans just as I have." Mirage attempted to defend himself. "I couldn't return to the Autobots and I wouldn't survive without the fuel they provided. N.E.S.T would hunt me just like they do for you."
"So, you would have me break my alliance for one measly mech?" Starscream still had more to gain from Division. His plans wouldn't change.
"No, you still have Erin." The grounder argued as if the human held all the answers.
"Is she not Division?" Starscream questioned. Perhaps Mirage wouldn't be as useful an informant as a test subject for Shockwave.
"I think she can still be trusted." He explained. "As I said, she fulfilled her promise to me. And I believe her loyalty is not to Division. She tried to warn me about them, as much as she could." Seeing Starscream was not convinced, he continued, "Division had me go through the data she provided for them, to verify it. I told them is was accurate, but it wasn't."
"So, she's incompetent?" Starscream seemed to be surrounded by weaklings and dolts.
"No, she was strategic in her lies." Mirage stated quickly, seeing he was losing the seeker's patience. "I doubt any human would see the data was wrong. And I don't believe her sympathies are with the Autobots, not entirely at least. Unlike them and Division, she wants this war to end. I believe she agrees that the Decepticons can do that."
"I will give thought to your theories." The Decepticon conceded. He had yet to find a human truly loyal to the cause. If she was as Mirage described, the results could be interesting. "But one human is still useless unless she can produce something of value."
"She is in the right location, as long as we can get in contact with her, she can bring us the All Spark."
A wave of shock rolled though the seeker. "The All Spark was destroyed!" He saw it happen himself.
"No, it wasn't. A shard survived.? The red mech explained. "Most other 'bots thinks that shard is gone as well, but I found the truth. Before I left the Autobots, I downloaded high security files. They include the location of the All Spark."
That changed everything. Shockwave's little projects would have to wait. Once Starscream had the All Spark, he would have his army. "Come, Mirage." He beckoned the mech, trying to hide the venom in his vocalizer. Perhaps the grounder would be of use after all. "We will finish discussion this at our base."
He transformed and send a tracking ping to the mech. The slow grounder would never keep up with his jet form. He took off without another word, leaving the chirping organic mess of a forest below. He commed his Second in Command. :Shockwave, I have the former Autobot Mirage arriving with me. Tell Hardshell he not to attack our guest.:
There was a pause before a monotone voice responded, :Starscream, I do not see the logic in inviting him, former Autobot or not.:
:You see, this is where we differ, dear Shockwave." Starscream crowed, "Strategy cannot always follow the most logical route. He has information we need and nowhere to turn.:
:Your answer is satisfactory." Shockwave replied, giving nothing away in his tone. :There is more to report. A Decepticon signal is nearing. It was too far to provide any data.:
:Focus sensors on that signal! I want constant updates.: If his message to the scattered Decepticon forces was received, he needed to prepare for the arrival of his new army.
:Very well.:
Author's Note: Poor Prowl was right all along to suspect the human trio.
This is kind of like the reveal I did with Erin being 56, which wasn't popular at all, but it's my style. Erin compartmentalizes information very efficently, that way, she can put herself in the headspace of whomever she's pretending to be. When she reveals information, it can be a bit jarring. It was only after she started pining for a real life as Erin did she begin to reveal the full inner workings of her mind more organically. But she always suspected Franky was part of Division, but maybe she did not know for certain like she made him think.