Disclaimer: Don't own Transformers

Third Time's a Charm

Chapter 3: The New Recruit

"Darkshade, why aren't there as many officers running this base compared to the others?"

"You're new, so I wouldn't expect you to understand." Darkshade replied, red optics flickering over to the door before looking back to the new Decepticon. "Besides, you'll find out eventually if you stick around long enough."

"Is it true that you can get on the good side of the higher ups by giving them high grade and the occasional 'face?"

"Static, you certainly learn fast." Darkshade chuckled, "If I'm not careful, you'll get promoted before I do and I've been here for a vorn!"

"I've learned from the best." Static put his pedes up on the table in the Rec Room.

"How about I give you a good polishing when we get back to our quarters?"

"Did I miss a spot?" Static gave himself a once over, "I could have sworn I got everything."

Darkshade lowered his voice, "I have a reliable supplier of polish. It'd make you look so good, Lord Megatron will drop Starscream without a second thought for a chance with you."

"You flatter me." Static smirked, "What do you want in exchange for such a luxurious offer?"

"Nothing." Darkshade responded at his normal voice level, "Think of it as a way to celebrate your first day here and as the start of our friendship."

"Friendship is a big deal in the 'cons." Static mused, "But we all need as much support as we can get. You got a deal."

Darkshade grinned, "Welcome to the Decepticons!"

"What do you want?" Bodycount questioned without even looking up from his datapads that were spread out across his desk.

"Bodycount, why won't you even look at me?" Silverstreak sniffed, "Sometimes I think you don't even like Gambler and me."

Begrudgingly, Bodycount looked up, locking optics with the younger praxian. "I'm busy."

Silverstreak grinned, "You're so silly! You can't tell us you're busy all the time. After all, you'll run out of datapads eventually."

"That's what I thought when we first came here." Bodycount grumbled.

"Gambler and I would really appreciate it if you helped us with a betting pool."

"I don't gamble."

Silverstreak plopped down into one of the chairs, "The troops need some assurance that the officers are just like every other bot, especially after what happened the other day."

Bodycount crossed his arms, giving his trinemate a disapproving look, "Our presence is a secret from the Autobots. The less who know of us, the better."

"Anyway, there's a bet going on that's based on how well you know how to play card games, but in order for any of us to see the fun-loving side of our resident workaholic, you need to take a break from all of this." Silverstreak motioned to the various datapads. "Besides, you need to refuel and I'm not getting it for you today."

With a raised optic bridge, Bodycount questioned, "What does the betting pool contain this time?"

Silverstreak shrugged, "A lot think you don't know how to play while most think that you're going to give up early due to doing poorly. A small handful know, or just guessed the truth."

"I'll take a break this time." Bodycount chuckled, "If just to prove their beliefs to be incorrect."

"Thank you, Bodycount!" Silverstreak bounced up to his pedes in order to tackle Bodycount in a hug as the officer left his beloved desk.

"You're welcome." Bodycount nuzzled his helm into the warm armor around Silverstreak's neck as he gently stroked Silverstreak's back, right where the doorwings connected.

Silverstreak gave a purr of delight before wiggling his way out of Bodycount's arms. "Come on! We need to get going before the high grade is gone!"

"Silverstreak, you didn't say anything about high grade." Bodycount halfheartedly protested as Silverstreak pulled him out of the room.

"Hey Darkshade, who's that?" Static discretely pointed at the purple praxian who was getting ready for a card game as the Constructicons brought in high grade with the assistance of their alt modes.

"Gambler." Darkshade whispered, "He's in charge of all betting, card games and bets held on the base. If it wasn't for the fights he gets himself into, we'd all still be thinking he was all talk and no action without a single weapon to his designation. The only time I've ever seen him fight the Autobots was when they attacked the base and even then, those who saw him didn't live very long to talk about it."

"What, are we talking cloak and dagger?"

"Something like that."

Static watched the praxian move about, making sure that everything was appropriately set up for what was to come. "What does he do for the base other than that? Surely it must be something important to not have to leave the base for attacks."

"Many wonder the same thing." Darkshade paused, "Some think he's an assassin of some sort especially after seeing how skilled he is with his blades."

Cassettes ran into the room, followed by a much more relaxed Soundwave, in order to set up the sound systems.

"How about the tape deck?"

Darkshade shivered, "You don't want to get on his bad side. He can read processors. He's in charge of communications and some say he's also in charge of the special operations on this base. Regardless, don't mess with him. Soundwave's brother, Shockwave, is another mech you don't want to mess with. Shockwave's very cold and has nothing against turning you into his next experiment. Luckily, Shockwave moved to a new base, so we don't have to worry as much about the disappearance of troops."

As time went on, more and more Decepticons began to show up. Some were there to help set things up while the others were waiting for the party to begin. Right before it started, two more praxians entered the Rec Room.

"Hey, who are they?"

"Gambler's trinemates. That brown one is Bodycount, the leader of the trine and the other is Silverstreak. Silverstreak really likes his sniper rifle. He's good with it, even at close range. Like Gambler, we don't see them joining us for any attacks though sometimes I think Silverstreak is out there with us, at a distance, because it's not natural for Autobots to spontaneously have a bullet wound and drop over dead. Silverstreak's renown for getting under the plating of others, for the amusement and because he can get away with it. He was running away from Ironhide the other day, no clue why."

"Ironhide, as in the Autobot Ironhide?"

"Heh, who else is pair of cannons with a mech attached? Have you ever seen that 'bot angry before? I have and let me tell you, it's not a pretty sight. Energon gets everywhere in a relatively short period of time. I was lucky I was so far away or I wouldn't have made it out of there."

"How about the leader? What does Bodycount do?"

"We don't see him around much, not even in the base. He inevitably shows up to drag Gambler and Silverstreak out of trouble. Sometimes he interferes in fights while more often than not, he's pulling the two out of the brig for heavily injuring or killing Decepticons in the Rec Room. Place can turn into a battlefield if they get riled up enough."

"Joy." Static muttered, "Is he one of the officers? He'd need to be or have some pretty fragging strong connections to have the ability to take them out of the brig."

"A while back, my last roommate claimed he found a secret section of the base and was on the verge of figuring out what Bodycount's occupation was, but then he mysteriously disappeared. What bothers me the most about that situation isn't that my old roommate and 'face partner is most likely dead, it's that we didn't find any evidence that that's the case. We didn't find a single piece of him."

"Ouch. Isn't there a way to get on Bodycount's good side? Does he like something in particular like a backrub?"

Darkshade shrugged, "Not that I know of. You'd have better luck asking Silverstreak or Gambler. No one has ever had the ball bearings to ask. As far as I know, he doesn't have a good side, but you're welcome to try. Let me know what you find out, preferably before you go missing."

Light red optics leisurely trailed over the others around the large round table, faceplate reminiscent of boredom as he lightly pressed on the cards. His voice, light and soft muttered the words that had those around them lingering. Even the music had been stopped in order to better hear the card game, "Hit me."

Gambler passed Bodycount another card. Bodycount took one look at it before adding it to his hand, a small smirk pulling at the corner of his white lips.

"Anyone else?" Gambler questioned.

"Hit me." Hook answered, a determined look on his faceplate.

Gambler passed him a card from the stack. Taking a look at the card, Hook frowned and slammed his cards onto the table, "Frag. I'm out."

"Anyone else?" Gambler asked a second time.

The others shook their helms no.

"Then let's see what everyone has. Onslaught, you start."

Onslaught grumbled as he showed his cards for all to see, "Fourteen."

Starscream, slid his cards onto the table, a smug look on his faceplate, "Nineteen."

"Twenty." Vortex stated cheerfully, enjoying the dark look he was getting from Starscream.

"Seventeen." Thundercracker replied, uninterested in what was going on.

Bodycount displayed his cards, "Twenty one. I do believe that's a Black Jack."

"And I got a sixteen." Gambler chuckled, "Congratulations, Bodycount. You win."

Many of the onlookers groaned in frustration while a few looked amused by the entire situation. Quickly gathering the cards, Gambler got up and with the assistance of Silverstreak who was locating the Decepticons in question, worked at splitting the earnings from the betting pool.

Bodycount collected the bets that he and the others in the game had put in for their card game and slipped the credits into his subspace. As much as he was tempted to continue playing, Bodycount had other things in mind, such as leaving before the party devolved any further.

A dark blue Decepticon slid into his view, a grin on his faceplate, red optics focused on his, "I'm Static."

"Bodycount." Bodycount replied uninterestedly.

"What are you in charge of?"

"That is none of your business." Bodycount tried slipping pass Static, only for the 'con to get in the way.

"So you are an officer." Static purred, "I know some really good massages that I'm sure you and your trine would enjoy."

Bodycount narrowed his optics, "My trine and I have no interest in you or your services.

Static nudged closer a suggestive look on his faceplate. "You know, I'm always willing to-"

Bodycount flared his doorwings as he threatened the other Decepticon. "I will demote you so hard, you'll be taking orders from drones."

"I already do." Static retorted.

"Would you like to become one yourself?"

"Nah, there's only enough room for one spike rag."

Bodycount narrowed his optics, calculating what he should do when Silverstreak punched Static in the faceplate.

Silverstreak forced himself between the two mechs, doorwings twitching in agitation. "How dare you insult him. Bodycount is twice the mech you'll ever be."

Static brought his hand to his faceplate, rubbing the metal soothingly as he glared at the younger praxian, "This has nothing to do with you. If you want to exchange blows, go play with Ironhide."

Silverstreak reached for his rifle, only to have Bodycount stop him. "Silverstreak, this isn't the time for that."

Seeing that something was going on with this trinemates, Gambler made his way over to the others only to have Darkshade push him into Onslaught who, thinking it was Silverstreak, overthrew a table which angered nearby Decepticons because it caused their high grade to spill all over the floor. It wasn't long until the Rec Room turned into chaos as Soundwave turned the volume up even more and did his best to act as if he saw nothing even though his cassettes were cheering and making bets on who would win specific fights.

With a heavy sigh, posture erect, Bodycount started the task of straightening everything out while Static nonchalantly fled into the hallway.

Static had traveled a good distance before he picked up on the sounds of someone following him. He glanced over his shoulder to find Silverstreak stalking him as a hunter would to their prey. Static darted around a corner and waited, back pressed to the wall as he focused on Silverstreak's footsteps, carefully planning his next move.