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Shadows of Tomorrow	By : Breech_Loader Category: Transformers > Transformers: Animated > Het - M/F Views: 1756 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Shadows of Tomorrow

Co-Written by Harley Quinn hyenaholic and Froggy22651

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Harley: That’s nice, some critique. Always satisfying to get some. I know everyone prefers that it’s good, but I just prefer it looking like the reviewer’s actually read the damn story. It’s a relief to know Hotwire’s going down well.

Froggy: There will be sex. We just need to build up to it. Don’t you worry, Harley’s been reading other people’s essays on how Cybertronians do it.

~~~

Chapter Five: Fight! Fight! Fight!

Ratchet, now in his bipedal form, looked around the golf course. He was in his bipedal form because the place was simply swarming with men in black suits taking readings. They'd detected both him and Ironhide in seconds, and there was little point hiding from them. There was a distinct concentration of the men at a particularly fresh-looking sandtrap.

"I take it that our visitor has been here recently,” Ironhide commented, glancing around at the men in black suits rushing around below him. He didn't trust them after what they had done to Bumblebee, but they still seemed to be on the same side for now.

Obviously Sector 7 hadn't been dissolved. It had probably just been reassembled and renamed. Ratchet felt extremely uncomfortable around these... agents. He always felt odd, talking to humans. Sam was one thing, but these people, who saw them all as things... "Yes, she must have arrived here," he said, "Maybe the humans can help us. I'm sure they don't want a Decepticon wreaking havoc or training new recruits. In return, we grow to trust each other somewhat."

"If you say so,” Ironhide replied, his targeting circuits feeling itchy. He didn't care about their alliance with the secret organization. He just wanted to settle this business with Hotwire and Barricade, "You're the diplomatic one,” he pointed out to the medic.

Turning his linguistic circuits to 'English', Ratchet bent down to talk with the agent who seemed to be in charge, "Excuse me," he said, as politely as possible, "We're both here, searching for a... a previous member of the Autobots. I believe you are too."

Agent Simmons would usually have denied that he was searching for a giant robot, but considering he was talking to a 20 foot alien robot right now, he saw little point, "Searching, yes," he said, "We believe that N.B.E. 5-"

"Hotwire," Ratchet corrected him.

"N.B.E. 5 landed here, alerting several people and then fled," said Simmons, "Its-"

"Her. The term for that kind of Cybertronian model is femme-bot."

"Its trail went cold on the highway, so we're trying to pick up more clues here," Simmons replied.

Ironhide glanced around at the golf course, finding it a strange place. Every blade of grass and every plant seemed so neatly sculpted by human tools... and for what? He couldn't quite figure it out, but then human aesthetics was still a concept he was learning. The massive robot knelt down behind the agents and examined the tracks leading away from the landing zone. They weren’t big but somebody was wearing heels.

"So, the last place Hotwire was seen, was the Highway," Ratchet said thoughtfully, "Where she met up with Barricade."

"We have reason to believe N.B.E. 3 was seen at Hoover Dam," Simmons said quietly, "It's possible he picked up the remains of an N.B.E. that was troubling us."

"Frenzy?" Ratchet asked, "Frenzy survived?"

Ironhide grumbled unhappily. Not that he would be pleased by another sentient creature’s death, but why did the living ones have to keep giving him problems? "Frenzy is no threat on his own, but if he is with Barricade, he could cause considerable problems for the humans."

"He was heavily damaged in Hoover Dam," Ratchet commented, "Barricade would want him repaired, and lo and behold, along comes a medic with a grudge against Autobots. But where would they go to repair him?"

"They couldn't go far,” Ironhide deduced, "It would have to be somewhere two vehicles could stay and be unnoticed. They would also need spare parts available."

"There's a junkyard about thirty miles north of the highway they vanished on," Simmons said, almost helpfully.

"A junkyard?" Ironhide spoke, rising to his feet. He understood the basic concept of a junkyard, although to a Cybertronian, it sounded like the equivalent of a graveyard, "Fitting,” he uttered, "That would have what they need. This junkyard sounds worth visiting."

Ratchet turned back to Simmons, "Human, I strongly advise against you bringing your forces with us. Hotwire will interpret such an act as an ambush, and will react extremely violently. We'll also have Barricade and Frenzy to deal with. On the other hand we may be able to get Hotwire to come peacefully."

"Advice noted," Simmons said calmly.

"Well, Ironhide, it's time to find that junkyard," Ratchet told Ironhide.

Ironhide agreed, transforming into his vehicular form and driving away from the team of agents, his wheels tearing up patches of grass in his wake. The truck quickly manoeuvred onto the highway, driving in the direction the fleeing Decepticons took.

Speaking in Cybertronian once again, Ratchet told Ironhide, "Remember, violence should be the last resort. If Hotwire sees you as a threat, she'll go wild. I don't think she could beat you even then, but somebody would get badly hurt."

"Don't worry,” Ironhide assured the medic, cruising into traffic, "I will not attack her, but if Hotwire is the one to turn hostile, I will use force to defend myself."

"Just as you like," the Search and Rescue van replied, "Of course, this all depends on us finding her."

~~~

It was about half an hour before they arrived at the junkyard. There was a police car there, but close inspection proved it was not the Saleen Mustang they were looking for. Ratchet turned on his hologram. The last thing they wanted was to be spotted by humans and panicking them. That was what 'hiding in plain sight' as Optimus put it, was all about.

"Something happened here,” Ironhide mentioned needlessly, glancing at the yellow police tape tied around what had to be a crime scene as he drove in as quietly as he could.

"Another clue," Ratchet mentioned, "I dare say they'll let my vehicle form in, though I'm not sure about you." Indeed, the single cop still there was waving his hands and blocking them. Ratchet's hologram wound down his window, "I'm here to pick up the body," he guessed, "And my friend over there," he pointed to Ironhide's hologram, "Is an... an expert in such matters as these."

"You're late. It's already being inspected," said the cop, but let them both in anyway.

"That was lucky," Ratchet radioed Ironhide.

The other Autobot had to agree. Entering the junkyard, glancing at the trash around them, he lamented to himself that it was wasteful. He could see several weapons he could make out of the scrap around him. A pity. He had more important things to worry about, though. "I'd say the chances of our Decepticon visitors being here was good,” he mentioned, seeing the red stain on the ground where a human had once been.

"Very good," Ratchet agreed, looking at the much larger stain where the dog had been crushed. Hotwire probably wouldn't do such a thing, but Barricade wasn't well known for having self-restraint, "Look around for signs of them, or even vehicles in good conditions." He started to drive around the junkyard, garbage crunching under his heavy tires.

Ironhide sent a signal of acknowledgement and began to patrol his own route around the piles of junk. He only knew what Ratchet told him about Hotwire, but he knew enough about Barricade all on his own. That robot was a devious one and not to be underestimated. He seemed to be a true believer in Megatron's ideals, making him even worse. Tire tracks crisscrossed along the dirt road from numerous vehicles, and it was difficult to tell which one was what.

Elsewhere in the junkyard, Hotwire, Barricade and Frenzy were all hiding in their alternate modes, "What alt forms did you say the Autobots took here?" Hotwire radioed to Barricade.

Barricade risked breaking radio silence to answer her, "The Autobots have taken the form of various civilian transports." The robot mentally sneered. "I suppose it's make them look 'friendly'."

"Which ones?" Hotwire asked more urgently, "There's a big Search and Rescue van out there, and a huge black SUV. They shouldn't be here!"

Barricade's circuits sparked briefly in fear, but the scout pushed the feeling back down. The fear wouldn't control him; it would fuel him, "That's them. They're here,” he growled. Activating his engine, Barricade quietly rolled out onto the road, moving along like another police car on patrol.

Hotwire's BMW form on the other hand, retreated briefly into the garbage, before after a few seconds choosing to follow Barricade. He'd help to protect her, right? And if he wouldn’t, she could protect herself, and give him such a beating for lying to her... the brief fear was already sparking into anger.

Barricade's engine rumbled in irritation. He was hoping that Hotwire would have the sense to stay behind longer. He looked normal in the junkyard. She stood out quite spectacularly. And they were coming alongside the Autobots any moment, the weapons specialist Ironhide and Hotwire's old mentor.

Hotwire's default hologram was still on; she hadn't had the chance to scan a human yet. That was a dead giveaway, and she'd have changed it if she could but there weren't many humans roaming around a junkyard.

Coming up on their left, Ironhide spotted a police patrol car and a motorcycle driving alongside them, passing them on the way towards the junkyard exit. That alone didn't strike him as out of the ordinary. However, the fact that each vehicle appeared to be driven by the same human certainly did, "It's them!" he called out, transforming into his bipedal mode and reaching out toward Hotwire, trying to capture her. Barricade immediately hit the brakes and spun his wheels, doing a half-donut to face his enemy and slamming on the accelerator.

Hotwire gave a mechanical shriek and transformed into her bipedal form, lashing out at Ironhide with an armful of power tools, even though the Autobot was over twice her size. The swipe missed, mainly because Ironhide dodged it.

However, he didn't miss Barricade slamming into him, and the Decepticon didn't stop, driving until he shoved Ironhide into the side of a pile of trash. The weapon specialist tried to get a grip on the scout, but Barricade transformed and shifted around his grip, grabbing his arms. The two of them fought and struggled, trying to bring their weapons to bare, rolling against the rusty scrap metal.

Hotwire was about to jump at Ironhide with a charged energy cannon, when Ratchet's voice rang out, "Stop that, Ironhide!" the medic shouted, "Hotwire, have you less self-control than the last time we met?"

Hotwire growled, "Ratchet..." she hissed, but didn't attack. Her tone and stance said that her grudge against him was still very active though.

Ironhide tried to stop the fight, but Barricade was having nothing of it. The Decepticon's gun went off right by his head, temporarily causing his audio receptor to malfunction. Hot lead sprayed the trash pile behind them, and Ironhide clutched at his enemy's weapon, twisting it away from him.

Hotwire's glare darted between Barricade and Ratchet, then she appeared to make her decision, focusing on Ratchet, blocking him from helping Ironhide without fighting her, "I should have known you'd be the one to come looking for me, Ratchet," she said angrily, her lopsided focus ignoring the fight behind her, "Do you want to scold me some more for my methods?"

"Your 'methods' included cold-blooded murder," Ratchet said, "But I don't believe you're beyond redemption. For all your flaws, you've never displayed cruelty as one of them. Do you really think the Decepticons care about you? They just care about your medical skills."

"Whereas you care about neither," Hotwire replied, "If you won't let me practice-"

"You have massive skill as a medic, but you need to stop killing people!" Ratchet said. Hotwire was unbearably stubborn, "The Autobots would be glad to have you then."

"But I don't have to change at all for the Decepticons," Hotwire argued.

Behind them, the close-quarters battle still raged, with neither robot gaining an advantage over each other. At least, not until a third combatant came into play. As Barricade kept his arms tied up, Frenzy left his hidden compartment, unfolding and climbing onto the much larger Autobot. Chattering madly, he activated his buzzsaws, driving them down against Ironhide's back. Sparks flew and Ironhide cried out in pain, trying to shake the smaller robot off of him.

Both Hotwire and Ratchet turned their attention to the fight, and Ratchet advanced, trying to get past Hotwire to help Ironhide, but she wasn't moving, "So weak on your own ethics?" Hotwire sneered, "I remember when you wouldn't kill to save your own life! Well, war may have changed you, but it hasn't changed me! Bring it!"

Ratchet was about to take on Hotwire, when a number of Sector 7 vehicles pulled up, and the Agents started firing nitrogen at Ironhide, Barricade and Frenzy.

The Cybertronians hit by the spray cried out in pain, but Barricade was in no mood to be frozen by a bunch of humans. Holding his Autobot adversary as a shield, he redirected his weapons and opened fire on the fragile agents.

Hotwire gave what could only be a scream of rage. Ignoring Ironhide and Ratchet completely, she turned on the humans, and fired her light energy cannon at them. Since it took about a second to charge, she leapt at them instead of waiting for another blast. Most of the humans had scattered by then, and she was left with destroying their vehicles and firing at anything that showed itself.

Barricade shoved a weakened Ironhide off of himself, snatched up Frenzy, and ran to Hotwire's defence. "We can't win this one,” he called out to her, his voice pained.

Hotwire looked ready to disagree - ready to fire at him just for being there, in fact. But something seemed to click inside of her, "Are you hurt?" she asked him, kicking a fridge at some retreating humans in case they tried to come back, "Are you?" She actually sounded concerned. No Decepticon was ever concerned about another.

Barricade had sustained a few blows during his scuffle with Ironhide, and the liquid nitrogen stung like hell, but none of it was major, "I'll function,” he answered, gunning down a couple of fleeing agents.

"Then let's motor!" Hotwire agreed with him, switching into vehicle mode.

Barricade transformed into vehicle mode, leaving his door open for Frenzy to enter. The smaller robot leapt inside, slamming the door shut, and Barricade's wheels screeched as he took off, following Hotwire's lead. Ironhide staggered to his feet and fired in frustration at the fleeing machines, cannon blasts blowing away trash piles as they rushed onto the streets.

"I told you not to act violently towards them," Ratchet practically scolded Ironhide, "Now Hotwire will see you as an enemy too!"

Ironhide grumbled and rested against some junk, rubbing where Frenzy had sliced into him, "They got away from me,” he said unhappily, disappointed in himself, "...And I wasn't fighting her!"

"And you thought taking on Barricade wouldn't start a fight?" Ratchet sighed, "Hotwire seems to be following him quite obediently already. Barricade is a lot more intelligent than he pretends to be. Hotwire is not officially a Decepticon yet, but that's only a matter of time. Painful as failure may be, it may be a simpler matter to go back to Optimus and tell him we found her and she's an enemy now."

"No!" Ironhide spoke, rebelling against that notion, "Hotwire was an Autobot once. She can be one again. We have to get her away from Barricade's influence!"

Ratchet blinked, "She was made to be an Autobot, Ironhide. Barricade is not solely responsible for her actions. I know it's not easy to accept, but Hotwire made a lot of bad choices before she came here."

"She's not dead, Ratchet,” Ironhide insisted, "She can still turn back. We have to give her that chance." Normally, Ironhide was more keen on blasting enemies than convincing them, but this was an Autobot they were talking about. He didn't want to have to fight one of their own.

Ratchet sighed again, "Very well, we'll try again," he said, although he clearly thought it was pointless to do so, "But not until I've fixed you up. Barricade was really intent on taking you down."

"Probably because he knew I'd do the same to him,” he replied grimly. Then the large robot sighed, glancing around at the human casualties, "Very well. Patch me up, and then we'll go after them again."

~~~

Harley: Sometimes boring chapters have to happen. You can’t have full-scale action all the time or you’d be watching a Bruce Willis film.
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Shadows of Tomorrow