A/N: Been a while, huh? I have been really busy, so sorry for the wait. At any rate, here is the next revised chapter. Enjoy!
Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Jazz were almost racing each other to the Decepticon base, where the twins figured they would taunt the Race Track team and maybe get into a few brawls or races. Prowl and Smokescreen both worked to keep up with them with Prowl calling for them to slow down many times.
On the way to their destination, however, they saw two jets buzz past overhead. Both were going low and fast. Prowl quickly identified them as Seekers, one of them being Skywarp.
The sonic booms from them broke the sound barrier and shook the ground under the cars, "Whoa, where they headed to in such a hurry? Think something might be up?" Jazz asked.
"Good question." Smokescreen replied. "Should we follow them and find out what they're up to?"
"To Pit with them! I want Barricade's team!" The red Lamborghini called.
There was the roar of engines and both Leo and Trent looked around, wondering where the sound was coming from. They didn't see anything at first, but the two dots quickly approaching caught their eye. Leo's jaw dropped as jets appeared to be headed right for them, "Is it normal for jets to be flying so low out here?"
"No, dude, those aren't jets, they're called Seekers." Miles answered with a smirk.
"Seekers?" Leo asked in curiousness mixed with fright. "What the hell is a seeker?"
Both jets, before anyone could blink, began transforming as they made a final approach. Skywarp didn't slide, remembering what happened when he tried that when he first arrived on Earth. Acid Rain followed him, both coming to a bouncy standstill and looking down at the situation, "Ah, what have we here…?" Skywarp asked, leaning down to get a better look. "Find yourself in some slag on Earth today, Miles?"
"More like they found me," Miles answered as he looked up.
"That doesn't look like the jet-thing we saw on your computer," Trent said lowly. "What is it?"
"I don't know. It's different." Leo replied wondering to himself what they'd really gotten themselves into.
Hearing the accent of the bigger black robot got Trent and Leo's attention that something wasn't right here. "Were they made in Australia? What the hell is going on?" Trent asked, looking at the giant robots now basically surrounding them. "What are those things?"
"Ha! Made in Australia…" Skywarp echoed with a chuckle of disbelief, "That's one for the records!" His optic twitched at the small human and he frowned. "Not hardly, insect."
Yes, they expected robots, but something was just off with them being just 'robots' as Leo had assumed. An air about the situation told them that they were perhaps up against something far worse and far more dangerous.
Barricade propped her hand and reached for her flail and began spinning I threateningly. She looked at Trent when he instinctually took a step back then snarled darkly. The femme looked at Leo, "You. Get out!" she ordered. Leo wasted no time in getting out, tripping away from it, afraid of being killed by the spiky thing the robot now had.
Barricade hit the front of the truck with her flail hard enough to crush the front end. Oh, how she longed to do that. She knew Trent adored his truck and it made her feel so much better to see her flail through the nose and engine.
Trent ran to the side, avoiding pieces of the now wrecked Hummer, "My truck! My wheels!" he cried out. "Why!"
"Because you have been hounding my human…and I could," Barricade hissed as she retracted her flail. "You're lucky 'Screamer wants you alive. If it was up to me, I'd kill you where you stand. But, I imagine he has something far more sinister in mind for you."
"W-who's 'Screamer?" Leo asked.
Ignoring the human, Skywarp looked over at Acid Rain. "You take one and I will take one. Be careful and don't make any stupid moves… they can't control some reverse bodily functions and you do not want that to happen. Trust me on this."
Trying to imagine what he'd learned about humans and what could happen, Acid Rain wrinkled his nose in disgust, "Gross. I'll keep it in mind," he said as his body began to shift as he knelt down. Trent and Leo watched in fascination and fear as panels shifted over his body and soon an F-15 took the robot's place. Skywarp reached for Trent and Leo, both of whom broke out of their shock and decided now was a good time to try to run.
Before Trent could get very far, the Skyline suddenly broke apart, a robot quickly taking its place and got in his way with a big gun aimed at him. "Oh, don't even give me a reason…" Breakdown threatened with a predatory grin. Instantly, the teen slid to a stop with wide, frightful eyes.
Leo hadn't gotten very far either, as he was suddenly looking at the tip of a big black foot that was only inches from his body. Then and there, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fainted. Skywarp gave an amused chuff and picked the kid up gently, setting him in Acid's cockpit. "Well, that was easy enough. Perhaps he has an earthen version of Prowl's glitch, too."
Breakdown had started toward the other human. Trent heard a body hit the ground and turned quickly to see Leo on the ground and out cold. Then and there, he realized he was really on his own and there was no way he was getting out of it. "Mikaela, get these things away from me!" It was illogical that these robots had minds of their own. "Call them off!"
Miles stepped closer to Trent with an enormous grin on his face, "We aren't controlling them. I don't know where you even got the idea that we were."
Trent looked to him in fear and confusion, "Wh-what? Then stop whoever it is that's controlling them!" he said with panic.
Skywarp listened to the jock, somewhat amused by his ignorance, "You think we are just simple 'robots' being controlled by your inferior race? You have a lot to learn." If at all possible, Miles' grin got even bigger.
Trent looked up at the Aussie-sounding Seeker. He asked, his eyes wide, "What does that mean?"
Skywarp leaned down, his face getting extremely close to the teen, scaring him more then stated with a dark calm."To put it bluntly, we are Extraterrestrials. And we're the bad guys." His body changed shape right in front of Trent, who had to take a step back, afraid of being squished. "Now, get in."
"You're aliens?" Trent asked with disbelief, staring up at the fighter jet. "From Mars or-or something like that?"
"Scary, isn't it?" Skywarp agreed. "Get in."
Trent, almost positive he wasn't going to die just yet, looked up at the black F-22 and gave himself a moment of wow. Letting let his body catch up to his adrenalin rush in that moment as well, he stared for a few seconds before Skywarp's Cockpit began to rise and a ladder appeared along the side of the jet. The man approached slowly, flinching when he first touched the jet. He looked back to Mikaela and Miles again, seeing how casual they were taking it that he was now the one being kidnapped.
"By the way," Miles then called as Trent looked back at them, "Before you get in, you should know that he can teleport," he gave a half-assed salute before addressing Skywarp, "Be easy on him 'Warp." Trent stilled for a long moment, wondering if Miles was serious. The young man turned to Barricade, whose attention went to him.
After an anxious climb up the side of the F-22, Trent slowly sat down in the cockpit, scared and unsure if he was going to be killed. As he did, the seat straps came over him and buckled down, squeezing him and making him gasp. "Shit," he cursed. He figured he was going to die right then and there, but instead, the canopy on the jet began to lower, enclosing him and making him claustrophobic.
"I was ordered not to kill you, so I won't." Skywarp said condescendingly as the straps tightened more. "I'm just making doubly sure you don't fall out or anything." His engines began firing and his systems began preparing for a warp, "I'll bet 'Screamer's gonna want to see you first," he cackled.
In the sky, the noise of the engines jolted Leo awake. It took him a moment to realize he was in something and they were moving through the air. He instantly began trying to get out of his seat, "Fuck! What the…?" He struggled more when he realized he was harnessed in.
"Don't move, okay?" came a voice. "It's the first time I have had a human in my cockpit."
"Huh? What's going on? Where am I?"
"We are on our way to my base," the Seeker replied, monitoring the human's vitals as he did so, "Calm down, I ain't gonna kill ya,"
Leo, pulling at the straps, was still trying to get out, quite panicked, "Let me outta here!" He reached for the controls, causing the jet the falter in the air. Leo panicked when the jet was forced into a roll.
Acid Rain quickly straightened his flight, "Don't do that! You'll make us crash, you idiot!"
"Lemme out!" Leo called again.
"You sure that's such a good idea?" the voice reasoned, "We are a few thousand feet from the ground and you can't fly. At least in here, you're alive," it pointed out.
Leo stopped to think about that. The jet-thing had a point.
Blacklight was growling as soon as Skywarp appeared outside of the building in a gust of ionized air. He saw someone in Skywarp's cockpit, and while not recognizing who it was, he knew it was the human that attacked Miles. Immediately he started for the Seeker. Everyone stopped a moment to watch Blacklight's bizarre display.
"What's he doing?" Runabout asked, leaning back to get a look at the little mech.
"Blacklight!" Starscream called, realizing what he was doing. The Sparkling stopped to look at him and Starscream's optics furrowed at the look in Blacklight's features, he had only seen it once before. He knew Blacklight was going to attack the human as soon as Skywarp's canopy rose. "Someone, grab him!" the Seeker called, knowing he wouldn't be quick enough.
It was Thundercracker who was closest, reaching for Blacklight as he leapt at the black F-22's nose. She had to hold him tightly because he was struggling in her grasp to go after Trent, hissing and buzzing madly, "Calm, little one," she coaxed.
Blacklight wanted no part of being calm and just watching. In fact, he wasn't sure where the anger had come from, all he knew is he wanted to hurt the humans for hurting Miles. He struggled in the blue femme's grasp.
Starscream did not hide that he was pissed; he stood over Skywarp, looking down into the cockpit, "Ech… Where'd you get that thing? I would have traded it in for a different one," he said with a disgusted tone. Skywarp's canopy began to rise, giving Trent a very detailed look at just how pissed off one giant alien robot could be.
Trent was quite scared having just been through the strangest occurrence of his life, looked around, realizing they were somewhere else and he wasn't dead. Immediately his eyes followed the voice, "What just happened? You're not gonna kill me are you?" Trent asked. It sure looked like it was going to do just that.
"I haven't decided just yet, actually." The leader knelt down, his hand going over the nose of the black F-22 as he hissed at Trent, "What you did was incredibly stupid."
Trent silently agreed. "Wh-what are you?"
"What am I?" Starscream asked with a hint of amusement, "I'm the leader of a race of big-bad-evil-scary aliens."
Curious if this was the being he'd heard that one robot mention, he asked, "Are you that 'Screamer'-"
"-That's Lord Starscream to you, fleshbag!" the Seeker snarled with a stomp, interrupting Trent. Trent flinched in his seat, trembling. Starscream stopped and looked up at the sound of Acid's approach. He rose up as the F-15 began descending. "Ah, there's your friend now," he said coolly.
Acid came to a hovered landing, touching down and stopping at just about the same time. Inside of his cockpit, Leo looked afraid, but more so, he looked like he was going to be sick. Starscream stepped around Skywarp and stood over Acid just as he had with Skywarp. "You don't look like the type that would kidnap someone. What is your role in this ridiculous operation?"
"What?" Leo asked, panic setting in as the canopy rose on the green jet. "What do you mean? I was just the driver!"
"I see," Starscream said. He then rose and backed from both of the jets, growling, "Both of you… get out of my Seekers." When they hesitated in fear, he raised his voice, "Now!"
On her way back to the Decepticon base, Barricade, through her sibling-link to Prowl, realized her brother was within close proximity to the base. Assuming he was coming with Jazz, she sent him a lash to stop, but he wasn't heeding it. She knew she needed to head them off before they saw what was going on, because there would surely be problems then.
She got close to the base, she came to a sliding halt and announced, "Prowl is on his way here. I'm going to try to intercept him before he gets closer. Breakdown will be here shortly with Miles." She sent over the Spread-link.
"Don't let him know what's going on here," Starscream sent back. "These cretins are mine."
"You're not gonna kill them are you?" Mikaela suddenly asked over the link.
"I don't know." Starscream answered honestly. "Guess they better be on their best behavior so they don't find out,"
Mikaela deactivated her new device. "Wow, he sounds mad, 'Cade." she said with a slight trace of worry in her voice.
"Mad is an understatement," the Saleen replied, her tires kicking up dust and dirt as she spun and took off.
Groundhog, Roller Force and Motorhead, as if it was second nature to them, immediately began transforming, having overheard Barricade's words. Two rambunctious Challengers followed the white Viper, black Mitsubishi Lancer and red Corvette. All of who were now all following an Evil-Printed Police Mustang.
Starscream turned towards the humans and nodded toward the building while looking across the desert and ordered, "Take them to my office. If Prowl gets close, he'll tell the other Autobots. This is strictly a Decepticon affair until I deem otherwise."
"Th-the Autobots? Who are they?" Leo asked warily.
"They are our sworn enemy and were your only hope." Skywarp stated ominously. "Barricade will make sure they never know about this."
Leo and Trent both looked at each other before they were scooped up by black hands and were being taken elsewhere. So far, neither had died and neither was hurt – not counting the painful grasp the black jet's harness had on Trent.
The black mech brought them to a desk and set them down none too gently, "Soundwave, can you send Ravage and Skorponok in here to keep an eye on these two?" he asked over the Officer Spread-link. Skywarp preferred to be closer to Starscream to help keep him calm.
A few seconds later, Trent and Leo both shied back as a giant scorpion-type creature with a lance-looking tail appeared in the corridor, headed for them. Its feet clicked on the floor as it walked. It stopped at the end of the desk, looking up while its tail swayed back and forth threateningly. Just afterwards, they gasped at a cat-like creature that was running for them, arriving shortly after. The cat measured the distance, jumped up onto the desk, and hunched at the humans with a hiss. Skywarp nodded approval and turned to leave, shutting the door behind him.
Inside the closed office, both terrified men were staring at the cat, whose tail was swishing angrily, "What do you think they're gonna do with us?" Leo asked.
"How the fuck should I know? You're the one who supposedly knows all about them, genius!" Trent bit back.
"Maybe I was being a little ahead of myself in saying that," Leo admitted. "They didn't even act as if something else was controlling them."
"Ya think?" Trent retorted bitterly. "They said they're aliens for Christ's sake!"
The jock's eyes went to Ravage and he only stared at the cat, who stared right back. He idly wondered if it was able to understand them, "Do… do you know what we're saying?" he asked it. Ravage didn't even hint that he understood, he snapped his jaws threateningly at the human instead. Trent wondered just how many teeth it had and if it was going to eat them.
"I wonder if they're some kinda pet or something?" Leo asked hesitantly.
"I don't know. I just hope we don't become their lunch." Trent said as he leaned slightly to look down at the scorpion.
"Man that silver one looked pissed," Leo stated. "It looks like the one from the videos but it's got marks on it. Think it's the same one?"
"Why do you keep asking me?" Trent growled, "I have no fucking clue what is going on anymore! You wanted in on it; I say we are in on it now!"
On the way to the Decepticon base, Miles was pushing Breakdown to get back to the base faster. He knew Starscream wasn't happy and hoped he wouldn't kill Trent and his friend. Breakdown was moving across the desert, and the base was coming quickly into view. Miles barely watched as Barricade and five other cars zipped by in the blink of an eye.
"You don't think he's gonna kill them do you, 'Down?"
"I dunno. He's pretty nasty when he's mad. You remember what happened to Sunstorm…" the Skyline replied.
"Yeah, but that was another mech, not a human."
"I heard what he did to humans when they messed with Blacklight. Didn't turn out very well for them, either," Breakdown reminded him.
"Yeah, well, as much as I hate Trent and as bad as it sounds, I don't think they need to die," he said as Breakdown got ever closer to the base.
About ten minutes later, Leo and Trent watched as the door opened to reveal the self-proclaimed evil leader first, looking a bit different than he had previously. He was also holding something in his hands and adorning him were three other smaller bodies that were chirping and beeping.
Two others followed the leader in, Trent and Leo recognized the first one as the one that brought them here, the second was a blue one, which had none other than Miles in its hand. Behind them was one that had a red visor and seemed different from the others. The door shut behind them.
"We are so dead," Leo whispered, gaping at the many robots in the rather small room.
The one with the visor only stared at them. Neither Trent nor Leo could identify a feeling from it, as if it was an actual robot. Whatever the case, it gave them the creeps.
Starscream seemed to struggle with the thing in his hand, wrapping his fingers around the little body that was growling and hissing. "This one here is Blacklight," he told them calmly, bringing the Sparkling closer. Immediately, Blacklight's little arms reached for the two, "He's really, really pissed at you two. I don't think I have ever seen him this mad." The leader told them. "I am guessing he gets it from his mother, although…" he suddenly looked up as if in thought, then back to them with a wicked glare, continuing, "I'm known to be pretty mean myself…"
Both humans only stared between all of the robots in silence, too afraid to speak or perhaps even breathe.
Starscream then nodded to Soundwave, making the two look in the same direction, "Over there is Soundwave, my Second-in-Command. She's known for torturing beings in unbelievably nasty ways. That makes her the best interrogator on the planet," he continued with an evil smirk.
"Wh-what are you gonna do with us?" Leo asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure why he asked because he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
Starscream looked directly at Leo. He didn't say anything for a moment, instead just deciding to study the human. "What's your name?" he then asked, choosing not to answer.
"Leo," the human replied quickly.
Starscream watched Trent a moment longer, "I know who you are… You're that punk I kept hearing about. Still think Mikaela will be your – how did she put it… 'little bunny'?" He couldn't help but ask after hearing it. It was funny the way human males thought sometimes.
Trent didn't answer, just looked between him and the one that was in his hand. Starscream nodded toward Ravage who quickly jumped down from the desk, giving the humans some breathing room. He looked back at the humans, "Before I sentence you for the act you committed, I want to know what makes you think you could take my pet and run away with him."
Leo looked up at the Seeker in the optics with confusion, "Pet…?" he asked, trying to derail the evil leader. "What do you mean?"
"Sentenced? What do you mean 'sentenced'?" Trent asked nervously looking over at the sci-fi geek. "For what?"
"For what?" Starscream asked condescendingly, "Why, for kidnapping a Decepticon, most notably the human that belongs to me." He turned to Soundwave and stated, "They both have cell phones. Whatever information they have, I want it gone."
"One moment," the femme said with a monotonous tone, making Trent and Leo quickly look at her. After a few minutes, she spoke again in that same creepy dialect, "I have traced back to two laptop computers, an iPad, two iPods, one desktop and an external hard drive. All information has been deleted. All CPUs will be destroyed."
"What?" Leo called in question to the creepy one's words. He stopped when he noticed a small copper body was approaching him, "You – you can't delete all my stuff! M-my school work is on that laptop!" he said a little more hesitantly, shying back as the small one got closer. Starscream stared at Leo until the human became uncomfortable, and stuttered, "Wh-what?"
"Oh, I'm just waiting for the moment I should give a damn…" After a quick pause, the young Seeker suddenly pointed randomly into thin air with a grin, "Oh slag, there it goes… I must ask whatever prompted you profound idiots to kidnap Miles in the first place. Did you honestly think you would get away with it? What were you looking to gain besides giving me more reason to dislike your race?"
Neither human answered the Seeker since they really didn't have one they thought would get them out of their situation.
The Seeker sat and stared at the two. "Hmm… what to do with you two?" he asked in mock thought, "You can thank Miles that I don't kill you. He says it would be better to give you to your authorities. I think I'll hand you over to the United States Government with an added bonus of using a bunch of Toyota IQs to assist you in whatever you did."
"What?" Leo scoffed. "We didn't do anything like that! How can you have us charged for something we didn't do?"
Starscream hiked an optic ridge, "Silly me… I forgot to mention we could get into any records anywhere in the world and change them. Until then, you both go to the brig. I don't want to look at you, you disgust me."
"What?" Leo called worriedly, imagining some dungeon of a castle, "You can't do that, we have rights!"
"Rights?" Starscream laughed, "You both lost all rights when you got involved with my Decepticons." He looked at Skywarp and ordered, "Get them out of my sight."
Skywarp came forward and picked them up but Starscream halted him, an idea coming to him. He leaned forward and grinned at the humans darkly, "Before you go, know this… we can be anywhere at any time. And don't, for one second, think Earth vehicles are the only things we can imitate."
In the middle of the desert, a billow of dust followed a line of cars that were driving side by side. Coming from the other side a handful of others were coming in the same way. If anyone were to view the scene from above, they'd think some kind of clash was going to happen, but instead, they all slowed as they approached. "See that, they came to us!" Sideswipe called stopping in front of Groundhog.
"Oh please," Roller Force grumbled, stopping in front of Sunstreaker, "We aren't here for your entertainment, Sides,"
"Wow, really?" the red twin retorted. He was curious as to why. Usually it was Roller Force that started the trouble.
"Now is not the time for this," Barricade snorted. She was anxious to get back to the base and see what was going on there. Sideswipe idly noted that was number two that was refusing.
"Why are you out here, then?" Smokescreen asked.
"Mighty fine day for a drive, isn't it?" Motorhead commented.
"Yeah," Sideswipe stated doubtfully, "Sure…"
"Obviously this meeting isn't what you three were expecting," Prowl said, somewhat thankful. He watched between all of them for any sign of hostilities, unsure of what to expect.
"I never did get to get you idiots back," Roller Force growled.
"Well now's as good as any day to try," Sunstreaker challenged, "I sure as pit have nothing better to do than to kick your afts today."
"I am not in the mood to deal with any of it. It's best you go home, Autobots," Barricade stated evenly. And it was true, she didn't want to be here all day or make the Autobots suspicious.
There was a tone that Prowl read well. He could hear the anxiety in his sister's voice, deciding it was best to heed it. "She's right. There are other days to get into whatever it is you plan to get into. Let's go." He really didn't want to deal with it either, honestly.
There was growling and grumbling from the twins on both sides. When the Autobots didn't move in a timely manner, Prowl added in an incentive, "I'm leaving. If I beat you back to base, I'm sure Ironhide can come up with something to do with you," he threatened. The police truck began backing up.
Smokescreen was the first to follow, being as he didn't even want to be here in the first place. Jazz followed him but the twins seem to want to hold on as long as possible. They ended up leaving when the 'Cons made no move toward them. "Fine, but you get double what's coming," Sunstreaker told Barricade's team.
"Don't make us laugh," Roller Force chuckled.
"We'll be waiting!" Motorhead called. He quickly got a door slammed against his own thanks to Roller Force.
Barricade and Mikaela shared a moment of silence as they dodged that bullet. "Let's go," the femme called to the others. The Decepticons all turned and headed back to their base.
As the Autobots left for their own base, it was Sideswipe who spoke first, "They were acting kind of odd, weren't they?"
"Maybe they grew up, Sides," Prowl remarked dryly.
Smokescreen kept his vocal processors to himself for a moment as he wondered what was really going on. He was a diversionary tactician and knew the tactics when he saw them. Voicing his concern, he asked, "Think we should check just to be sure? Sideswipe might have a point,"
Prowl chose to remain quiet, his own tactical mind wondering if Sideswipe and Smokescreen's words held any merit. He had to admit, Runner did seem a little apprehensive about something.
Miles watched Skywarp take Trent and Leo away, then asked his friend, "How long you gonna keep 'em here, big guy?" he asked his friend.
Starscream looked down at Miles, then back up to where Skywarp disappeared, replying as he did so, "Until Keller sends someone to get them. I don't want them on my base any longer than necessary."
Miles nodded, and shortly after, Barricade showed up with Mikaela. The typical chirping and beeping went on as their newborns headed over to the femme immediately.
Starscream notified the Department of Defense and after a discussion with Secretary Keller, it was decided that one of their humans would be bringing the offenders to Nellis and the proper authorities could deal with them there.
Jess was the one to show up, using a truck from the Air Force base. He had been working on a jet when he was called and Skywarp wasn't anywhere in sight. It took him a while to arrive at the base. He walked over to where he was told the two were being held. When he arrived at the too-large-for-humans brig, both teens appeared perfectly fine. A little scared, but fine. "What did you two get into, huh?" he asked with a smirk. He waited for the bars to disappear before waving them over.
"You know about those things too?" Leo asked hopefully. He figured if he could find a human that could help them, it would strengthen any case he could hold against them.
"The black Seeker is a good friend of mine…" Jess laughed. "Now come on, don't make me use cuffs on you."
Trent scowled, offended, knowing he was speaking of the one that had teleported with him inside. "How can you call that thing your friend? It tried to crush me in its cockpit!"
Jess laughed again, "Be happy that's all he did."
"Where are you taking us?" Leo asked.
"MPs are waiting to take you into custody at Nellis." Both quickly got up and moved to Jess, relieved they were going to live and were leaving the place. Both had decided they would never look at another vehicle the same way again.
When they got to the truck, Leo turned to Jess and said, "If you know about them, why wouldn't you turn them in to the government? They destroyed Mission City!"
"Because the government already knows about them," Jess informed him, knowing well what happened. He made sure the two were in before getting into his truck himself. He turned over the engine, watching the various mechs' scowls in the rearview mirror before driving off. "There's already a gag order set on the both of you about what happened today. I say don't tell a soul, because if they find out," Jess thumbed behind them toward the Decepticon's building, "they just might come back with a vengeance."
"How would they find out?"
"Well, you know that one with the red visor?" Jess asked. When they both nodded, he nodded as well, "There are some bizarre stories I heard about Soundwave. I heard she can use any satellite she wants, do whatever she wishes through the internet and is completely untraceable. The shit I heard about what that 'Con can do would make your skin crawl."
Leo tilted his head, wondering if they were so horrible, then why would they want to be around them. "Can it-"
"-She…" Jess corrected.
"-she," Leo corrected himself. "Can she really destroy information and computers from far away?" he asked, worried about his school work.
Jess only looked at him from the rearview mirror with a raised brow, wondering if the kid was serious in his question after what he had just told him.
At the Autobot base, Prowl had singled out Optimus and Ironhide. He discussed his concerns and what Smokescreen had said. After a little deliberation, it was settled that he would take someone and pay a visit to the Decepticon's base, if for no other reason than to make sure all was well.
Jazz was the one who had gone with Prowl.
Ironhide looked towards Optimus after they left and asked, "Is it just me or is Jazz even further up Prowl's aft than before she died?"
"I think everyone has noticed, Ironhide," Optimus replied with a chuckle.
Ironhide frowned, "I'm wonderin' why…" he paused, unsure if he should entertain that thought further.
Optimus chuckled again, Ironhide's question not even needing to be finished as far as he was concerned. "I think it's just that they're close. They always have been, you know that. Perhaps while Jazz was gone she still missed him even though she doesn't remember dying," the Autobot leader speculated.
Prowl moved fluidly in traffic with the silver femme behind him as they both headed to the Decepticon base. On the way, both of them saw what looked like Jess in his truck with two unknown people in the back headed the opposite direction.
"Who were those other two with Jess?" Jazz asked.
"That's a very good question." Prowl answered. He was now positive that Barricade and her team were hiding something and their meeting had been nothing more than an effective diversionary tactic. He was willing to bet those two humans in the back of Jess' truck had something to do with why.
Recognizing the two vehicles that went by as Autobots, Jess immediately called Mikaela's phone, seeing as Teri was working at Nellis at the time."Hey, you might wanna let Starscream know to look out for a couple Autobots," she began as Mikaela answered the phone.
"What you mean? We already headed them off," Mikaela replied.
"They're headed in your direction, its Prowl and Jazz," Jess responded.
Standing with Barricade, Mikaela continued to talk on the phone with Jess, "Thanks." She finished her conversation, and closed the cell phone, looking up at the black and white femme. "Prowl sure is stubborn, isn't he?"
"What now?" Barricade sighed.
"I guess he may be on his way here with Jazz," Mikaela shrugged.
Barricade growled at the information, aggravated that Prowl couldn't take a hint. Luckily, there was nothing going on anymore and his presence didn't matter. She watched the horizon for the telltale sign that someone was coming, and like clockwork, she saw the dust cloud. She waited for him to get closer, stepping towards him when he stopped and demanded, "What are you doing here?"
Prowl transformed, all the while giving Barricade a suspicious glance and asked, "What are you hiding?"
"Typical Decepticon stuff. Go home."
"The humans in Jess' truck are just along for a joy ride?" Prowl asked. If she knew he saw them, she might give information.
"I guess," Barricade shrugged.
Prowl stared at Barricade, knowing damned well she was hiding something but he couldn't see a shred of anything to prove it. He looked around as if he was searching for something. Barricade caught his search and glared, "Problem?"
"No," prowl replied, seeing all was still and seemed calm. He went to turn around, ushering Jazz as well. However, he stopped dead when something hit him in the side of the head and stuck there. There was a snicker from behind his back, somewhere inside the building. Jazz immediately burst out laughing after seeing what it was. Mikaela hid her smirk as well as she could.
Prowl reached for whatever it was that had been thrown at him, pulled it off, and looked at it. "Duct tape? Do I even want to know?" he asked doubtfully.
The tactician looked back at Barricade who was shaking her head at him as if saying 'really, don't ask'. Even the Autobots were not immune to the strangeness that was Starscream's base.
Jazz righted herself and pointed to the ball of duct tape saying, "That there's one of the many things that hold this planet in orbit, you know."
"See! I told you guys!" Skywarp's voice rang from inside the building after hearing Jazz. "You all thought I was joking! Even Jazz knows!"
Scuffling was soon heard after. There was a long silence and then a loud crash, making the all at the main door wince before peeking to look around the corner. Mikaela backed up until she could see while Barricade also leaned to see.
Inside the building was a semi circle of mechs around Thundercracker and Skywarp, who were wrestling on the ground. From what they could see, it looked like Thundercracker had the upper hand and Skywarp was trying to get away with something in his hand.
There was a loud yelp and another crash, and just after, everyone at the front door had to duck when Skywarp flew out of the building with Thundercracker hot on his tail, firing at him, "That's my coffee!" they heard her yell.
The Autobot femme watched the jets perform impossible acrobatics in the sky, "Did I hear that right? Is 'Cracker really shootin' at him over coffee?" Jazz asked.
Skywarp came down quickly only a few hundred feet away, landing on his legs. Soon after, he looked up at Thundercracker who had transformed and was diving for him. "You're crazy!" he called, reaching up to divert her.
Her speed was too fast and they collided with a loud crash. The tangled bodies slid to a dusty stop. Thundercracker was kneeling on the black mech's abdomen while pressing his wings to the ground harshly. A few moments and struggles later, Thundercracker stood up with the very thing Skywarp had stolen, holding it away from him. She growled threateningly at him when he reached for it again. The blue Seeker walked off with her prize, satisfied with her win.
Skywarp remained on the ground, staring up at the sky, wondering what had just happened. Thundercracker was rougher than he'd thought she'd be and she actually managed to hurt him. He would remember to never play 'catch-me-if-you-can' with her and her coffee again.
Jazz looked at the black mech and tilted her head, wondering if she should be concerned and asked, "He alright?"
Mikaela looked up at the silver femme with a smirk and replied, "You'd think he, above all of them, would know better than to mess with TC and her caffeine…"
The silver femme only chuckled while Prowl wondered if that type of fighting was common.
Until Next Time ^.^