Author's Notes: I'm not entirely sure where this story is going, but until I figure it out I'm going to enjoy the ride. Hopefully you guys like this chapter. It's shorter than I thought it would be, but I think I managed to cover everything I wanted to cover. While G1 is usually the era I write in anyway, I think this story really has the G1 feel to it, in a good way of course. Please review to let me know what you think, and follow the story to keep up with updates :)
Chapter 2
The Ambush
The Constructicons were sitting around a large table in the mess hall drinking their morning energon and chatting. It was the first of the orn, which meant everyone got their new assignments today. Not every Constructicon was looking forward to the next work orn.
"I've been ordered to increase efficiency in Megatron's fusion cannon," Hook said as he swished the liquid in his half-empty cube, "That isn't going to be easy. He's asking me to improve perfection. I don't know what I'm going to do about that."
"Just fiddle with it, put it back together exactly the way it was before, and tell him you improved it. Problem solved," Scrapper said with a satisfied and smug look on his face plate.
"Sounds to me like you've done this before," Hook observed wryly.
"Hey, you don't get a spotless reputation like mine by only working miracles once," Scrapper replied jovially, "This orn I'll be working my magic on that new fortress job near the outer edges of Autobot territory."
"Hey, that's where I'm go-go-going!" Mixmaster exclaimed, "We'll get to work work work together!"
"Me too!" Scavenger added happily, "Oh, this is gonna be so much fun!"
"Maybe for you guys," Bonecrusher groused, "I've gotta stay here and take inventory of our supplies. Empires don't build themselves. You have to have supplies to do it. Oh well, I'm sure it's better than whatever Long Haul got stuck with."
"You don't know that!" Long Haul barked, but when everyone just stared at him he relented and said "Okay, you're right. I have to deliver a shipment of energon cubes to the Combaticons' new hideout."
"I don't know why Megatron puts up with them!" Hook huffed, "They're criminals, and they would destroy each other or anyone else just to get ahead."
"Yeah, those slag piles don't deserve to be a combiner unit," Scrapper added with a scowl that could be perceived even through his face mask, "Gestalts are sacred, and involve a level of commitment and intimacy that most Cybertronians will never understand. How could Starscream turn those ne'er-do-wells into a gestalt unit? Pit, Swindle actually tried to sell his own teammates for spare parts!"
"Yeah, if it weren't for their gestalt bond they'd all be dead right now," Bonecrusher pointed out, "It's kinda weird that Megatron saved their lives like that."
"Yeah, he should've fin-fin-finished the job!" Mixmaster nodded sharply, "If Swindle had been tur-tur-turned into scrap, then that would be one less piece of sl-sl-slag to worry about!"
"More like five less pieces of slag," Scavenger added with a mischievous look.
"You know guys, I was feeling pretty bad about this job," Long Haul told them, "But after hearing your words of encouragement and support, I feel even worse."
The others all laughed and Long Haul crossed his arms over his chassis as he pouted. He would've given the guy in charge of the duty roster a piece of his mind, but the mech in charge of that was Soundwave. Soundwave might not have been aggressive, but there was something about that guy that gave Long Haul the creeps. He sighed and decided it was easier just to deal with the Combaticons.
"Alright Bluestreak, just like I showed you!" Huffer called out for across the large hole they had dug in the middle of the desert.
Bluestreak then took a large tarp and flung it across the chasm, and Huffer grabbed it on the other side. They tied it very loosely and then threw sand over it so that it could not be seen. Bluestreak smiled in satisfaction and Huffer dusted his hands off and looked it over approvingly.
"So, um, where was I supposed to stand again?" Bluestreak asked; confused.
"I told you, just crouch down behind those boulders!" Huffer shouted for what he felt was the hundredth time, "I'll stand here, and when Long Haul sees me I'll surrender. When he gets close enough to me he'll fall into the hole, and then you throw the grenade inside. This'll be a piece of oil cake!"
"Well, if you say so, but I still feel like we forgot something," Bluestreak replied uncertainly, "Hey, what if Long Haul doesn't get close enough?"
"Oh, he will," Huffer reassured him, "Just keep your optics on the target!"
"I will!" Bluestreak promised.
When Bluestreak went behind the boulder Huffer allowed himself to sigh again and rub his helm. Bluestreak had been so chatty ever since they left the Ark, and Huffer just didn't feel like talking. He was nervous enough as it was. Of course that wouldn't have been so bad, but Bluestreak had to inevitably ask about Brawn's condition. The periwinkle and orange minibot didn't feel like thinking about that. If Brawn died, then not even the success of this mission would matter to Huffer. He would've still failed his friend.
As it turned out, Bluestreak had a right to feel worried. Long Haul normally took the main desert road to get to the space bridge, but today that wasn't where he was going, so he took a parallel road going in the opposite direction. He stopped driving when he noticed Bluestreak; clearly visible from Long Haul's vantage point.
Long Haul transformed, leaving the energon cubes on the side of the road, and took his laser gun out of subspace. He aimed carefully, and fired; hitting Bluestreak in the shoulder!
The poor Datsun fell down, but he wasn't hurt too badly. Huffer, upon seeing that his teammate was hurt, ran to assist Bluestreak. Unfortunately, Huffer had been standing right in front of the trap, so when he ran he fell through the tarp and down into the hole!
Long Haul ran to see his catch, but was distracted when he heard Huffer hollering from inside the pit. Bluestreak wasted no time and while he was distracted kicked Long Haul in the shins! The dumptruck-former slammed the butt of his gun into Bluestreak's injured shoulder, and the Autobot sniper cried out in pain and clutched his sore shoulder.
Long Haul decided to forget Bluestreak completely and see which Autobot was in the hole. He knew he should probably comm the other Constructicons, but it was only two Autobots. Surely even he could handle that!
He looked down and saw it was one of the minibots. Long Haul couldn't remember this one's name, but he did remember that this one had above average strength yet minimal weaponry. Long Haul jumped down into the pit and pointed his gun straight at the Autobot!
"Alright Auto-scum, you are now my prisoner!" Long Haul announced proudly as he kept his weapon trained on Huffer's helm right between his optics.
"Bluestreak!" Huffer shouted, "If you're still up there, throw the grenade!"
"I'm not throwing it in there with you in there," Bluestreak protested, "Let him go, Long Haul!"
"What kind of a fool do you think I am?" Long Haul asked snidely, "If I let him go you'll throw a grenade into this pit, but if I take him with me I have both a prisoner and a shield to keep me safe on the journey home. I think this Autobot and I will be on our way now, if you don't mind. Or even if you do! Ha ha ha ha!"
Long Haul cackled and hefted himself out of the pit, pulling Huffer up afterward. Poor Bluestreak didn't know what to do. He could try shooting Long Haul now, but his pistol alone wasn't powerful enough to take down the reinforced armor of a Constructicon. Besides, Huffer was still too close and might get caught in the crossfire. Bluestreak couldn't do anything except watch as their intended target forced Huffer to load energon cubes into his own truck bed.
Once Long Haul and Huffer had all the energon cubes collected, they drove off together; Long Haul's mounted weapon pointed at Huffer when they were in vehicle mode. First he would have to make his delivery to the Combaticons, and then Long Haul could present Megatron with his captured prize. Maybe then he'd finally be allowed to do something besides transport goods.
"I shoulda known this was gonna happen," Huffer muttered quietly as he drove along the lonely road with Long Haul.
Huffer only hoped that Bluestreak was smart enough to put a tracking chip on him before they drove away. That would be the only way the Autobots could get to him in time. If Huffer was forced onto the Decepticon base at the bottom of the ocean, he was sunk.
Long Haul and Huffer made it to the Combaticons' lair after 2 hours of driving. Huffer was hot and his tires felt like they were going to melt from the lonely desert road. Just once he'd like to drive through a lush spring meadow with a babbling brook or an autumn park in the evening with lots of little light posts. Today however, it was more stinking desert!
"It's about time you showed up," Onslaught snapped when he saw Long Haul, "Who is that?" He pointed to Huffer.
"Didn't you hear? I joined the Autobots," Long Haul joked, "Seriously though, this is my prisoner. I found him on the way here, and he tried to get his pal to blow me up. Sadly that isn't the first time something like that has happened."
"Yeah, yeah, we didn't ask for your life story," Brawl grumbled, "Just give us the cubes already!"
"Does Megatron know about the prisoner yet?" Swindle asked intently as he eyed Huffer.
"Not yet," Long Haul told them, "I was gonna wait until I was finished with the delivery and then comm him."
"Oh, I see," Swindle nodded; a gleam in his purple optics, "You know, Megatron doesn't have to know about this. I'll give you 400 credits if you sell him to me for parts. Slag, help me take him apart and I'll up it to 450."
Huffer gulped and looked around nervously. Most of the Combaticons were ignoring this exchange, but Vortex seemed to grin maliciously at the idea of an Autobot being salvaged alive.
"You won't get nothin' for my parts!" Huffer said a little too loudly to sound natural, "My parts are common as bolts. They're worthless!"
"Is that so?" Swindle asked; unconvinced.
"Say uh, Autobot," Long Haul turned his attention to Huffer, and the minibot was afraid of whatever might be running through that Constructicon's processor, "Are you someone important to the Prime? Maybe a special ops agent or a scientist or something?"
"Not really," Huffer admitted, "I can build stuff, and I can haul stuff, but that's about it. Sometimes I can fight, but sometimes I can't. It all depends on the threat."
Long Haul was disappointed that his prisoner was a nobody, but at the same time there was something about the way Huffer described his job that made Long Haul sympathize with him. Their lot in life sounded almost identical. Even the whiny tone Huffer used to talk about himself sounded like how Long Haul felt when he was excluded from building things with the other Constructicons.
"I don't wanna sell him," Long Haul told Swindle, "I think I'd rather hand him over to Megatron. Who knows? Maybe if he's really worthless I can keep him as a slave. We Constructicons can always use the help."
Huffer sighed but didn't protest. How could this have gone so wrong? Huffer knew now that he wasn't getting out of this. If he lived then he would be a slave to either Megatron or his pet gestalt Devastator. If he died...He could either die in vain trying to save himself, or he could die carrying out his mission. He still had one chance to redeem himself. If he killed Long Haul while in captivity then he could stop Devastator once and for all. He could save countless lives...even if his own life wasn't one of them.