Fifty miles an hour was slow. Frustratingly indolent. Sunstreaker wanted to move, zip forward and feel the wind struggling against his frame as he gave his engine a good run. Instead they were going just barely above the speed limit. And if the golden lamborghini did race ahead then he'd have to deal with that stupid human sooner. Either way, Sunny lost.
The two flashy vehicles rounded another curve in the pavement and Sideswipe sighed, "I still can't reach her. You?" His words whooshed past as they drove at a moderate pace instead of their normal racing.
Not that Sunstreaker had tried that hard but he answered anyways, "No. We're almost there. She might not show. Probably ran off again."
"Sunny! You have no faith."
"Nope." A low grumble came from the yellow lambo as the crimson one edged forward in agitation, tires kicking up miniscule particles of dust from the warm blacktop. Birdsong quieted and stilled under the engine noise violently stalking through the air. Farther away in the direction the two had come, the clutter and hubbub of people grew distant. Sunlight cast tree shadows down to make stripes on their glossy paint jobs as Sideswipe disagreed, "Shay said she'd meet us there, so she will!"
"Or she'll run off like last time."
"Suuuunnnnnyyyyyy." whined his twin and then a jolt went through his frame, "Found her!"
Hesitantly, Sunstreaker reached out as well and found...
Irritation. Patience
It was like Sideswipe but not. The sulkish frontliner couldn't get over the fact that he was able to feel emotions from someone other than his twin. Strangely surreal and vexing, either way Sunstreaker didn't like it. But there was no more time to dwell on that annoyance as the Autobots rounded the last curve and came to their warehouse.
An ugly building by the golden warrior's standards, it was built at least three decades ago and set right up against a rising and layered stone cliff that kept prying eyes from it. Wide sash windows set high up did little to help the faded cream tinted outer paneling that clashed horribly with the surrounding trees and hillside. The two story building served the twins' purposes. Slightly hidden but still close to city life in case they needed to disappear quickly. Within easy driving distance of the Ark but their own personal space to relax. Or hide things.
Leaning back against the outer wall, Shay lifted a hand in greeting but didn't smile as they pulled into the asphalt drive before her. Today the woman's brown hair was pulled out of the way with a lavender head scarf and the denim jacket kept her arms warm from the late spring chill. The ever present jeans and leather work boots wrapped around her form although the latter tapped against the concrete step beneath her in a soothing slow rhythm. Sideswipe skidded to a stop and bounded on his shocks, only a few feet away with his brother staying back farther.
"We could feel you about 300 yards away. That's not very far at all." Plating slid against itself and folded as Sideswipe transformed, "How far away before you could reach us?" His helm leaned down as he questioned the female.
She studied the giant suddenly crouching down over her and lifted an eyebrow as if to inquire about how she was supposed to know how far away they had been. Rubbing the compilation of tiny purple bruises and cuts adorning her arms and hands, she sighed. A few marks showed on her neck but the woman's face remained scratch free. Thoughtfully, she replied while twisting the bottom hem of her jacket.
"About twelve, maybe fifteen minutes ago. How far away were you then?"
Sunstreaker returned to bipedal mode and ignored her while his brother replied, "I'm thinking five miles?" He turned to Sunny for confirmation and got a nod, "Yeah, five miles. How come we can't reach you as easy?"
The woman shrugged at Sideswipe's complaint, "I have no answer for that."
"What about you bleeding? Got an answer for that?" The buttercup tinted lambo snarked.
Her previously neutral posture shifted into a decidedly frosty expression. Sunstreaker wasn't reaching out but Sideswipe was and he frowned in confusion at the darker feelings that slithered up. Very pointedly, Shay glanced down at her scratched up arms and seemed to examine the cuts before lifting desaturated blue eyes to meet their optics.
"More than one person mentioned to me that you sometimes pull pranks, mainly you Sideswipe. When I got here I believed I was at the wrong location. And then a box of nails fell on me and proved it was the right place." A flat tone hinted at dry exasperation and annoyance as her foot kicked a short and wide cardboard box filled to the brim with shiny and sharp steel nails. The little metal sticks jangled against each other in chiming notes.
She'd picked up every single one. Or at least, all that she'd been able to find due to several staying undoubtedly lost in the nearby grass. But after Shay had finished she had investigated the trap. A balance sat on metal framework above, tucked under the striped awning. Apparently it was rigged to tip it's platform (and whatever was on the platform) when someone turned the doorknob. Smart, she'd thought. And maybe the woman could've appreciated it, if all those points hadn't hurt so much.
Shock. Regret
Both bots looked at her in surprise before Sideswipe swore and his brother started to chortle, engine rumbling in muted laughter. Shay glared hard at him while the red twin tried to apologize.
"I completely forgot we rigged that...!"
"Sunstreaker interrupted, "You put that there."
"But it was an accident! I should have warned you!" A very apologetic look flashed across Sideswipe's faceplates, "That was to keep intruders out."
"So glad you find amusement in my pain Sunstreaker. And a box of nails is supposed to stop Decepticons?" Sarcasm slid to a frank and disbelieving tone. Nearby crickets deemed it warm enough and started their orchestra, even though it wasn't anywhere near evening. They were ignored by the group.
Speaking to Shay for the first time, the golden frontliner remarked, "It's too keep nosy human's out."
"Sorry Shay." Added the carnelian Autobot, leaning down farther so she could easily see the apology in his face.
Sighing once more, she uncrossed her arms and used one hand to rub her forehead, "Fine."
"Fine?" They echoed.
"You say it's an accident, then I'll believe that."
"Really?" Sideswipe sat back on the parking lot pavement. People tended to always think he'd played a prank on purpose. But there was that once in a blue moon that something went wrong and it got the wrong person or it really wasn't him. The others rarely listened when he did claim innocence to something like this.
Shay frowned and studied him, "Yes. Although you lied to me before. The only reason I will not try to get you back for it is because I am sure your brother already has or is planning to do so." A nod to the scowling lambo.
"Slagging right." he agreed.
"So I'll let it be." She continued, pushing strands of hair away as she turned back to Sideswipe, "And I'll give you the benefit of doubt. If you say it wasn't purposeful, then it wasn't. However."
A frigid and stone solid voice, "Lie to me again and I will lose trust in your words."
At that silence grew. Then Sunstreaker snorted and unlocked the cargo bay doors to stride inside, "You talk too much."
"Most people tell me I talk too little." the woman informed him flatly.
She carefully followed him inside with the last member of their party at her heels. Keeping a wary eye out for more ambushes and traps, Shay took in the renovated space. The red bot moved past her to flop himself on the couch.
And it was a giant mist blue couch, set against the left wall with the small windows above letting in soft filtered light. The floor was clear but stacks of things piled here and there. On the right wall hung a large TV with neat pyramids of movies and video games beneath, a fire house red plastic bin holding the overly sized controllers just the right size for someone three or four times her height. Bolted framework shelves held collections of odd things, from cans of paint to brushes to toy race cars to dart guns and piles of rubber ducks that looked like they had gone to war with a wolverine and lost. Shay really wasn't sure she wanted to know why they had the squeaky plastic things.
Farther back she caught sight of what looked like a table holding pulled apart weapons and humongous canvases leaning against the table legs. Lines of shiny cans near the back took up the right corner and then Sunstreaker moved to cut off her view. Shay took a deep breath and recognized grease and car oil mixed with a few other fumes. Definitely paint though.
Overall, not clean but not messy either. No dust lingered except for on a human sized door to the right where a few cobwebs had collected.
"Well," stated Sideswipe, still pondering, "I think it's more like; when you do talk, you use a bunch of words and talk kinda formal. Are you sure you're not just a human female version of Prowl sent to torment us?" He grinned cheekily and the woman could easily see the joke in his optics.
"I'd believe that." Sunstreaker put in.
Shay rolled her eyes skyward leaned against the couch, "I am not like Prowl. Does he break the rules?"
The lighter colored hellion started sorting through stacks of CDs by the television, apparently searching for a specific one. Noting how tiny the discs were in his hands, Shay wondered how he handled the thin material without it snapping. Sideswipe rested his chin on the arm of the sofa before answering, "No."
"Then I'm not like Prowl."
"Are you saying you've broken rules?"
She paused, "I admit nothing."
A cackle burst it's way out his throat, red frame shaking as his engine rumbled in delight, "Pfft haha ha! Oh Sunny, I really like our human. She's hilarious!" The other two responded at the same time, words overlapping.
"She's not our human!" Sunstreaker snapped, helm whipping up and blue optics lightening.
"I am not hilarious!" The woman growled, crossing her arms, "I was completely serious!"
Glowering at each other, the yellow lamborghini and young human got into a serious staring contest while Sideswipe started laughing again. She refused to break eye contact even when he stood over her and brought his faceplates down close to her. Shay was mightily tempted to flick his nose but refrained. After a few more seconds he pulled back and went over to finish sorting through the music.
"Idiot human."
"Overgrown toaster." she retorted. Mischievous and glowing cerulean optics appeared above her as Sides peered over the edge, grinning like a maniac, "Stop laughing you." Shay huffed at him.
"Stinking messy organic." Apparently Sunstreaker couldn't let her have the last word.
"Rusty tin can." The woman could go on for a while and undoubtedly, so could the bot.
Frustration
"QUITE THAT!" The more volatile lambo snarled at her. Her scowl just deepened and she raised an eyebrow, not appearing fazed at the raised volume in the least. And apparently, ignoring the very real threat. Instead, Shay continued to piss off the Cybertronian with more weapons than she had socks.
"Then stop being a jerk. I know you don't want me here, I can feel it you know. So ignore me. But stop insulting and I'll stop."
"What if I don't?" A sarcastic snarl as his brother remained silent and content just to watch the aggressive quarrel.
Her eyelids dropped to half mast as she gazed at him coolly, "I will shoot you."
Now Sunstreaker laughed, "With what? Foam darts? Not even bullets can do that much damage." Scorn heavy in his voice, he just got up. It seemed he'd found the CD he'd wanted.
Heading toward the back of their converted warehouse, he failed to notice the change. Perhaps if the tall Autobot had turned around he would have seen the woman's face harden in resolution, eyes and demeanor turning flinty. Perhaps he would have seen her draw the small metal and rubber slingshot out of her jacket and marble from a pocket. Perhaps, if Sideswipe's optics were not on his twin, he would have seen it too. And maybe, he would have tried to stop it.
But Sunstreaker did not turn around and his brother was not looking at the human for half a moment. Long enough for her to launch the short distance projectile at the lambo's large and hard to miss body. A sharp crack as the glass sphere's spinning route was cut short by smashing into a black helm and shattering into two larger shards and one smaller one. They fell to the floor in tiny high-pitched dings, as miniscule slivers glittered like diamond rain and fell into the spaces between golden plating. No doubt getting caught on the internal wires
Dead silence.
Fury
'Jazz said one of them was vain,' she suddenly recalled with impending dread. What was her luck that it was the one she'd just scratched?
With a loud roar, the frontliner whirled and lunged at the the human. Just her luck then. Sideswipe leaped up and snagged the female before scrambling out the still open door. His twin gave chase, snarling the entire times as Shay clung to the warm metal fingers wrapping around her squishy midsection. She still held the slingshot in her hand.
"Give me that human!" Sunstreaker skidded out to the pavement and drew up sparks in the slide. He pursued them as the red hellion danced around the building and just barely kept out of reach. Growing bored of that, he started crashing through trees. Shay closed her eyes as the blue above, greens, and sepia browns spun into a blur. Fast moving air whipped around her.
"Not a chance bro!" Sideswipe called back gaily. Another engine roar answered him.
And then the noise of the other became distant and faded as the red one lost his twin in the woods. Deciding they were a good distance, Shay called up to her would-be rescuer, still with eyes tightly shut, "Sideswipe."
Cheerful excited whoops, "I can't believe you did that! Oh Primus is he mad." It felt like she was being moved in all sorts of directions. Only the feeling of his servo let her know which way was up or down. Shay repeated his name louder.
They stopped and she warily looked around to find they were now much farther back. Huge oaks and a few young red woods surrounded them on all sides, blocking the sun above in patches. Looking upside-down, she found the carnelian Autobot grinning like a lunatic. Maybe he was, Shay was still figuring them out. To their right came a distant crash and shout to stop messing around and get out here.
"Would you set me down?" the woman inquired. Sideswipe snickered but didn't release his grip.
"Sunny's really mad at you."
Shay rolled her eyes, "Yes, I noticed. The malevolent feelings I'm picking up aren't a clue at all." More chuckles, "Seriously. Why don't you put me down and pretend to carry me that way? And I'll head back."
A hand pointed ahead through the wooden pillars as she stowed the slingshot back into her light denim coat. Sideswipe thought about it, before setting her on a craggy limestone boulder jutting from the ground. Then the bot informed her dryly, "He's not going to calm down anytime soon."
She nodded and frowned, "I know. Are you telling me you can't pull off pretending to carry me?" The red lambo protested and picked up a small log that was half buried under moss and bracken. It was roughly the size of her. Blue jays screeched nearby.
"Can too." Sideswipe huffed, "And don't think I'm stupid. Questioning my skills doesn't normally work you know, I just want to get my bro good." Sideswipe winked and Shay bowed her head in apology. Then he pointed behind them at an angle with an impish smile, "Building's that way."
A nod of thanks from the female before he disappeared through the plant life, making enough noise to attract his twin's attention and scare the local wildlife for hours. Shay had only gone a few feet before there was a distant clamor and more loud crashes. By the time she was in sight of the warehouse, the normal forest sounds had returned along with far away vehicle commotion from the highway nearby. A few of last Autumn's wet leaves stuck to her leather boots as she tromped around the side of the old structure. No one was within and the rolling doors were still up where they'd been left. The woman planted her butt on the concrete step. Only a moment or so passed before one of the Cybertronians stalked out of the woods.
Pale silvery face leaning close to her once again, he growled. Shay decided that they needed another intimidation tactic besides getting in someone's personal space but held back the comment. Annoyance and anger shivered off his gargantuan frame in waves. The young adult merely looked at him solemnly and blinked back. Finally he pulled his shard sharp glaring blue orbs away and sat on the blacktop next to her.
The ground shivered a little from the light impact but Shay just played with the long flower stems in her hands. Apparently, he'd vented a good portion of his rage while chasing his twin. Said lambo would soon realize he was no longer being hunted. Sunstreaker started to pull leaves and small branches off himself with a disgusted look before he finally huffed.
"Why aren't you scared? You must be an idiot." A low rumble as another stick came out. He shook himself and many little bits of debris fell off. It reminded her of a dog shaking off water.
"I'm not afraid of you." Shay stated and looked up directly into his scowling face.
The female turned back to tying the plucked shoots into complicated knots. Her feet came up and tucked themselves neatly under folded knees as she thought. Shay truthfully couldn't stay scared of them. Sure, the roaring and stomping wasn't exactly pleasant. But every time she looked at them, the memories from before came up. When they'd been swirling little balls of light chasing each other around and poking her for fun. The woman couldn't forget that nor could she fail to remember how cute and fragile they'd been. She was pretty sure Sunstreaker would not be pleased if she mentioned the cute part.
A derisive huff, "And that is why you are a moron. Your survival skills suck." Grumbles echoed from his chest and he leaned back against the building wall with his legs sticking straight out. He pulled a square satiny looking cloth out from somewhere near his hip and started to wipe down his lower body.
She added another stem to the twists, "No, my survival instincts are yelling at me that you could kill me easily and within seconds. They are saying to get to a small underground place where you can't reach me and stay there."
Sunstreaker glanced at her again and raised one boredly questioning optic ridge. The other frontliner would surely be back soon. Fingers pulling and tugging the longer grass blades, she continued.
"However, I know you won't cause me serious harm. You would not kill the person who saved your life or your brothers."
"And how would you know that?" He narrowed his optics and made his tone show how much he really thought she'd know of the subject. Shay looked away from the overgrown grass to peer at him. A pause before answering.
"That doesn't sound much like an Autobot. Besides, you trusted a complete stranger with your twin's spark. That shows how desperate you were to keep him alive." The female turned away to drop the plants and rest her chin on a palm, "You won't kill me because I saved Sideswipe, not to mention you."
Sunstreaker glared at the sky and mumbled, "I could still squish you."
"I'll be sure to haunt you as a ghost before telling Optimus Prime." A dry response.
"Tattle-tale." He retorted without any real heat and starts cleaning his chest. They could hear Sideswipe, heading in their direction. The gold and starting-to-shine again bot continued without emotion, "There's leaves and vegetation all over me. I hate you."
Shay refused to say aloud that he sounded like a sulking adolescent. She briefly wondered how old they were compared to the other Autobots and nodded, swallowing the hurt that threatened to rise up. Telling herself she deserved it. "I know."
The red lamborghini was only a few yards away and flashes of shining cardinal metal showed between trunks as the yellow one continued, "I bet you think you're such a clever human." Sideswipe walked out of the woods and froze upon seeing the Autobot and human sitting next to each other. And not trying to rip each other's throats out.
"Not clever. Perceptive." She frowned and gestures for the third person of their group to take a seat next to them, "If I were clever, I never would have gotten into this situation in the first place. I wouldn't have been chased, injured, or dealing with this irritating pain."
"It's still bothering you? We haven't felt anymore of those weird sensations." Sideswipe carefully sat on the other side of his twin, thereby putting Sunstreaker in the middle and unable to get out the conversation.
She didn't see Sunstreaker uncrossing his arms to reach over toward her, eyes now back to her knots, "I was fine when I last met with you and for three days after. The day before yesterday it came back but it's been fine since you've been here. I don't hurt now."
A dark servo grasped her by the back of her jacket and lifted, plucking her from her seat. She squawked in surprise as he lifted her a good eight or so feet up before letting go. The human yelped and landed in a crouch, heavy rough leather footwear thunking on the hard dirt.
"Now you do."mocked the golden lambo, "That's for the scratch."
She glared up at him with blazing eyes. Straightening, Shay gave him the middle finger and stomped back to her seat, "It's doubtful I even scratched you. It was a marble."
His brother put his two cents in, "I don't even see anything Sunny. Quite being a sparkling." He got a shove in return.
"Don't shoot me again."
"Don't piss me off again."
"Hey!" Sideswipe clapped his hands together for attention, "Why don't we go inside and figure out this language thing? And then we can watch a movie." He looked hopefully at them with clasped servos.
Sunstreaker didn't like that idea and threw up his servos in frustration, "This isn't a game Sides! It's serious!"
"I agree with Sunstreaker." Tossed in the female. The citrine colored bot looked at her like he couldn't believe she'd said that. His twin sighed.
"It's not like we're gonna figure this out in a day. Can't we just relax a bit?" he pleaded again, servos clasped together and a lower lip sticking out. Shay and the yellow lambo glanced at each other with hooded gazes before the woman nodded and got up to head inside. Sunstreaker scrambled after her in case she got into things she shouldn't. Shay wasn't that sort but the Cybertronian still didn't like the intrusion into his space.
Sideswipe grinned wickedly and came last. 'Oh yes,' he thought, 'We can make this work.' It would take some effort and probably lots of arguments. But they would do it. Even if he had to draw on all his charm to make them get along.
On one side of the table sat the commander with three officers. Tired, ill at ease, and very much looking forward to someone coming up with answers. Opposite to them in the meeting room, the scientists. Sighing in frustration, the latter group just shook their helms.
"What I am trying to make clear," spoke Perceptor with a light British accent, "is that we do not currently possess enough information to even begin formulating to what purpose these materials are being used for." His dark servos gestured at the contents on the table. Thin wire spools of delicate filaments, carrying containers of various liquids in carefully wrapped packages and common sheet metals all spread from the crate. Lying on the gray steel, they appeared innocuous. Jazz started tipping his chair causing it to give off a faint squeak.
"So yah dunno." Grumped Ironhide whose arms were now crossed and accompanied by a frown.
Wheeljack's ear fins lit up as he shook his helm, "There's so many things anyone could do with these."
"Although the selected chemicals are an odd mix." Put in the microscope-former.
"Right. But there just really aren't enough clues for us to figure out what they're up too." His friend agreed.
Optimus nodded, "Thank you. Why don't you keep these aside in your lab and try to discern their nature."
Understanding their dismissal, the two scientists quickly packed it all up and placed it into the carrying container. Before they got through the entrance way however, the Prime called out again. Pausing, Wheeljack looked back.
"They stay set aside Wheeljack. No experiments until we know how valuable those materials are." The Lancia slumped and would undoubtedly have been pouting if not for the blast guard protecting his lower face. "Alright alright, I got it," he muttered and the automatic door whooshed shut behind them with a near silent 'whumph'.
"It's big Prahm. Whatever it is."
The tactical officer confirmed his opinion, "With so many cargo transports all within a few months? It is unlikely to be a small operation. We need to intercept more to find out what they are building."
"They're bein' more careful." The Special Operations Officer added, putting wheels and feet up on the table. Prowl gave a slight glare but couldn't reach over to slap them down because their leader sat between the two. Said Autobot was staring off into space, lost in thought between the dull tangerine walls and the problem before them.
Finally he gave a weary rumble, "There is nothing more to do now. Jazz, keep finding the drop off points. Have Trailbreaker and Hound help you secure those crates. If we manage to get enough, perhaps we can find out what they are up too."
"We do not have a location for where they are being taken?" The black and white Praxian frowned and turned to the porsche. Jazz shrugged in return and tapped his fingers lightly on his chest as he tilted his chair. "Mirage's gotta optic on em but they're slippery fraggers. By the tahm we get there, they're headin' in all different directions. They take a different route each tahm and keep managin' tah loose us."
Ironhide made a fist, dark ash colored servos clenching, "But it ain't their base."
Jazz shook his visored helm. The red and gray bot vented in frustration. Optimus nodded and stood, signaling the end of the discussion, "That is enough for today. We will discuss the subject when we have more information."
While everyone else got up, the black and white spy had leaned back too far and tipped over. The chair (and bot) flipped backwards to land in a clatter. Jazz looked up at them with an 'I'm okay' sort of grin while Prowl shook his head, amused looks coming form the others.
"Nobody tell Red the cons are plottin' and we don't know what they're up tah. He'll breaka circuit." The porsche chuckled, picking himself and the chair up.
"When does Red Alert not believe the Decepticons are scheming?" Inquired the two-colored semi with a good-natured tone. He held the door for the others. An unusual gesture that many higher-rank officers on Cybertron had never bothered to do for others of lower rank. But Optimus was different and his bots appreciated that fact.
Trying to cheer each other up and get their processors away from the unsolved problem, the Autobots headed towards the rec room where the unmistakable sounds of laughter, talking and faint music flowed out to bounce around the nearly empty metal halls. One still had to remember to relax and live, even during a war. An hour, or two, to loosen up would help them all.
.
.
.
"There you are," the tall Decepticon stated upon the arrival of his team. As the three vehicles pulled into the half lit cavern, he slid the reinforced doors closed with a reverberating thud and crossed his lightly plated arms. Flashes of lamplight skittered across the red optic band and annoyance sparked in the con's scratchy voice. "What took so long?"
Not stopping to take in the stalagmites or oddly shaped tunnel room, the acid green bulldozer transformed in a whirling of gears and jerked upright as a thicker set mech with treads covering his legs, "Hey Scrapper. It was Autobots. Snoops tried to get the goods."
"The materials better not be damaged! They must be in perfect order!" Yelled a haughty voice from farther back behind granite pillars and piles of discarded scraps. It echoed slightly on the stone walls.
The first speaker, Scrapper, hollered at him in a nasally tone, "Focus on your task! We'll check the materials Hook."
Gravel and rock crunched underfoot as the last two neon colored vehicles transformed, one a digger and the other a dump truck. Both had a multitude of faint lacerations and blast marks on their violet and green armor. Treads rolling and spinning, the bulldozer continued, "We lost a box or two but most of it's still here. And we roughed them up a bit."
"Take them back to the main lab," Scrapper sighed with his arms crossed. His teammates pulled several crates out of subspace and headed farther underground.
Passing a low point in the ceiling and Hook deep in a project near the back tunnel, the Decepticons stomped along a wide hall. Little puffs of dust and grit rose up in their wake. The rough hewn corridor of rock soon gave way to metal paneling and scores of tubes running here and there throughout the ceiling. The tracks of wheel treads beneath them disappeared. Within a moment or so the construction vehicles entered a larger section of tunnel with brighter yellow lights set high up. Wire mesh shielded the small bulbs. Metal sheets encasing and protecting their walkway was not so lucky; scratches and dents, chemical burns and blackened patches covered the tough panels. The defining scents of flammable chemicals was noted but ignored by the Cybertronians, who were very much used to it by now.
Into a colossal room they went. Nearly four times their height, it was a proper lab with tables, work lamps and benches. Pipes connected all around while a vent in the ceiling failed to cycle out the lingering wisps of soldering smoke along with argon and potassium mists that clung high up above. The whirling fan made a quiet clicking noise, the only thing to hear besides the thrum in the tubes and an occasional dissonant creak or sputter from the machinery cluttering in any space available. Emptiness only presided in the middle of the room and off to the right where large metal shelves held identical crates of supplies and bins of random objects. This was where the new metal boxes were set as Bonecrusher, Scavenger and Long Haul skirted a massive squared off cylindrical structure in the center of the lab.
Scaffolding rose on spindly joints off the right side where the machine was obviously being worked on. Between plating and crystal panes one could see a resting turbine on the inside of the generator. Wires and circuit boards hung out where they'd yet to be set in place. It was dark and unmoving under harsh light now, but it would be finished. Shortly, it would spin and crackle with energy.
"Oooooohhhh, new supplies?" A buoyant voice called. Unlike the other Constructicons, the last one had no visor. Burgundy optics lit with glee as Mixmaster got up from his seat at a work table and studied the crates.
"For the generator," Scrapper pointedly remarked coming into the room last, "On Megatron's orders."
The cement mixer sighed and sat back down with a scowl to play with his glass tubes, colored liquids glinting and shimmering inside. Long Haul turned his head toward his fellow con before looking at their leader in the echoing room. It was impossible to tell his expression with the visor and mouth guard.
"I still don't like doing Starscream's project. If he wants it so bad then why can't he do it?"
Bonecrusher laughed harshly, a crow's caw in an enclosed space, "He can't design and make anything!"
"It is true that the seeker's skills do not include constructing." Admitted the team leader, "Our designs tend to be less flawed than his. But he understands the nature of the generator and the science. We understand how to make it."
Scrapper paused before barking an order at the quietest of them, "Scavenger! We're still low on vanadium, titanium and molybdenum. Steal from the humans if you have to, just get some."
"Yessir!" the digger saluted and eagerly ran back out the door, ignoring the snickers that followed.
Before long, new glass tubes full of vaporous liquid were being placed in the machine as they worked, sparks flying from the solders to dance upon the rough floor. The smell of heated iron filtered through to the air to join the astringent tang of chemicals. Flare light cast moving shadows around the lab as the Constructicons continued their work deep underground.
Soon enough, they would be finished.
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Music: Nick Phoenix - Planetize