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Rachel couldn’t believe what was happening, Heavystep was coming out of the safety of the barn! Ironhide stepped back but he kept his cannons hot and ready to go.
She kept her weapon trained on Ironhide as she gave Heavystep enough room to come out of the barn. “I told you to stay in the barn, Heavystep.” She said.
“Your safety is more important then mine, my dear.” Heavystep said standing to his full height.
He was a little taller then Optimus, he looked like he could easily take on Ironhide, but knowing Ironhide he would take on any one, he’d probably take on Megatron if he had the chance.
“You speak to Rachel like she’s your lover, punk.” Ironhide growled his left cannon spinning.
“We’re close, but we not lovers.” Heavystep said calmly not going for his weapons.
“Rachel how could-” He stopped when he heard Optimus contacted him.
He turned to the side to hear what Optimus had to tell him and his optics widened a little.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can, I’m bringing a Decepticon punk that Rachel has been harboring for Primus knows how long.” Ironhide replied.
“Very well, make sure that Rachel isn’t hurt on your way to the base. Optimus out.”
Ironhide turned back to Heavystep and Rachel. “Decepticon, you are to follow-”
“He has a name, Ironhide, its Heavystep and damn well better remember it.” Rachel said cutting him off.
“Fine. Heavystep, you are to follow me to the Autobot base. There seems to be a situation happening.” Ironhide said trying not to growl.
“What, Ratchet finally snapped and Optimus needs you to help him restrain the good Dr.?” Rachel asked.
“No, it seems that there is a Decepticon loose in the base, Sideswipe can’t remember who it could be due to a bit of memory loss. He must have been hit pretty hard in the back of the head.” Ironhide replied.
Both Heavystep and Ironhide transformed into their alt modes, Ironhide opened his passenger side door. “Get in.” He ordered Rachel.
Rachel rolled her eyes and walked toward Heavystep.
“What are you doing?!”
“There is no way I’m riding with you Ironhide, not the attitude your in right now. I think I’ll take my chances with Heavystep.” Rachel said putting the safety on before stuffing it in her pants.
Ironhide growled then backed out of Rachel’s drive way, Heavystep not that far behind him.
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Flare had Storm stay close to her so if she needed to protect her at the last second she’d be there.
“There’s no permanent damage to his head, he only has temporary memory loss. He should be fine.” Ratchet said.
Shame, I didn’t hit him harder, so he‘d have permanent memory loss. Flare thought crossing her arms.
She noticed that Sunstreaker was looking at her. “What?” She asked a little to snappy.
“Nothing just thinking that the Decepticon loose in the base is you.” Sunny said.
Flare narrowed her optics and growled quietly.
Storm gently grabbed Flare’s forearm to stop her attacking Sunstreaker.
“Sunstreaker, that’s enough. Flare is no longer a Decepticon.” Optimus said firmly.
Ratchet had noticed that Flare looked reluctant to leave Storm’s side for some reason, he looked over to Nightfall and their optics met, she had noticed the same thing.
“Before we continue this we should wait for Ironhide to get back from Rachel’s house.” Skyfire said.
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It didn’t take long for Ironhide to arrive at the base, the other Autobots could hear Ironhide and Rachel arguing.
“Go choke on a magnet, Ironhide.” Rachel said.
“Looks like Rachel is in one of her moods again.” Sam said sitting on one of the tables with Michaela.
Ironhide walked threw the large door followed by a larger bot with green camouflage armor walked in as well followed by an upset Rachel, she looked like she wanted nothing but to rip Ironhide’s head off.
“Optimus, this is the Decepticon that I told you about.” Ironhide said.
“He hasn’t been one for a long time, Ironhide.” Rachel snapped from where she was standing next to Heavysteps foot.
Ironhide ignored the urge to growl at Rachel instead he turned his gaze toward Optimus.
“So what’s this about a Decepticon loose in the base?” Ironhide asked.
“From what Sideswipe told me this Decepticon has been with us for a while now, he just can’t remember who.” Optimus said.
“I think Heavystep here has some thing to do with the Decepticon that is among us. Shockwave did the same thing.” Ironhide said crossing his arms.
“Heavystep has nothing to do with the Decepticon that’s loose in your base. He left the Decepticons along time ago.” Rachel argued.
“Enough,” Optimus said. “Ironhide, I want to speak with you and Heavystep alone, Rachel your more then welcome to join us.”
“I was going to join you with or without your permission, someone has to back Heavystep up.” Rachel said.
Flare watched Optimus and others leave, some thing flashed before her and she saw Storm locked in a cell, she could see that the fire in her blue-sliver optics was gone. Only a spirit broken version of her daughter was left.
Just sudden as the vision appeared it left just as fast.
“Flare are you alright?” Storm asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Its just a sudden dizzy spell. I’ll be fine.” She replied sitting down.
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“Rachel how long as Heavystep been with you?” Optimus asked once they were alone.
“Three months, almost four. I found him in the forest close to my house, he asked for shelter so I gave it to him. I let him take shelter in my barn.” Rachel said sitting on the counter near Heavystep.
“Very stupid thing to do Rachel. I thought you knew better.” Ironhide said.
Rachel rolled her eyes.
Optimus turned to Heavystep. “When Rachel found you, did you threaten her in any way?”
“No, I’ve seen and had enough bloodshed in my life I wanted to get away from that life. Rachel was just as surprised as I was when she found me in her woods. She was kind enough to give me shelter when I asked for it.”
“This explains why you were rarely at the base.”
“Yeah, unlike Ironhide I knew Heavystep would be there for me when I needed him.” Rachel said looking at Ironhide when she said it.
Heavystep remained silent.
“I was busy.” Ironhide said.
“Busy doing what for three months?” Rachel snapped. “To busy for your charge? That’s rich, you were keeping your precious Nightfall from falling for Ratchet, when she told you about a thousand times that she would never leave you for him. You neglected me for three damn months, and then you actually had the balls to come back and ask if we could pick where we left off.”
Ironhide remained silent but he could feel Optimus’ gaze on him.
“And like an idiot a gave you another chance and instead of you keeping me up the next morning Bumblebee picked me up, some guardian you are. I want nothing more to do with you, you overbearing jackass.”
All three of them looked shocked at Rachel none of them had ever heard her swear, if looks could kill Ironhide’s brain or what ever would be splattered all over the wall and floor.
“Alright,” Optimus said. “Ironhide, you are no longer Rachel’s guardian… until all of this blows over.”
“Yeah, good luck with that.” Rachel muttered her arms crossed.
“Easy Rachel.” Heavystep said.
Ironhide glared at Heavystep and ignored the urge to growl at him.
“Heavystep your more then welcome to join the Autobots but if you’d rather stay in Rachel’s barn that’s fine.” Optimus said.
Heavystep smiled. “I’ll think about it. Thank you for the offer.”
Optimus nodded.
Ironhide narrowed his eyes for a second when he suddenly felt Nightfall’s shock through their bond.
The door slide open and a shocked Nightfall burst inside.
“Optimus, we have a problem.”
Optimus, followed by Ironhide, Heavystep and Rachel came back to the room to find Sideswipe on the floor with Flare’s foot pinning him to the ground her weapon pointed at him. He saw the gleam in her optics but it was a deadly gleam it was protective gleam, he’s seen it before when she had protected Bumblebee from Blood-Spill. But why had she turned on her own teammate?
“Flare stand down, now.” Optimus ordered.
Flare looked at Optimus then removed her foot from Sideswipe and stepped away from him but she kept her weapon to the ground, she kept Storm behind her.
“What happened?” Optimus ordered.
“A few minutes after you left Sideswipe some how got his memory back and he went after Storm but Flare came to her defense and knocked him down,” Bumblebee said. “Then he started saying that Storm was the Decepticon spy Ratchet went to make a move toward Flare but she turned her weapon on him as well as the rest of us.”
“I knew we couldn’t trust Flare, once a Decepticon always a Decepticon.” Sunny growled.
“Flare has been an Autobot for a long-”
“Stop defending her Optimus,” Sides snapped then turned to face Flare again. “Flare was the one who knocked me out when I went to confront Storm if that is her real name. Flare and Storm are working together, why do you think Flare is so hell bent on protecting Storm?”
Optimus looked at Flare she was glaring at Sides, he could see and feel in his spark that she was struggling to keep her temper under control.
“Flare,” Optimus said calmly, he had to ignore the urge to flinch when she turned her fiery blue gaze on him. “Step away from Storm, that’s an order.”
“I’m sorry, Optimus. But you can take that order and shove it up your ass.” Flare simply said.
“See? If she really was an Autobot she would have stepped aside like you ordered her to do.” Sunny said.
“Flare had said the Storm is an old but young friend of hers.” Sam offered.
“More like an accomplice.” Sides retorted.
“Sideswipe enough. Flare, you should choice your next words carefully. Is Storm a Decepticon and your accomplice?”
“No, she is neither.” Flare said then turned her fiery blue gaze on Sides when he snorted in disbelief.
“If she isn’t either of those then why did you turn on your own teammate?”
“He was going to attack her, that’s why I turned on him. And I will do the same to any of you if you so much as scratch her armor.” Flare replied, she was dead serous.
Every one in the room went dead silent, every one in the room knew that Flare wasn’t bluffing.
“Flare, if Storm isn’t a Decepticon or an accomplice then what is she?” Optimus asked.
Flare turned her blue gaze back on Optimus. “Storm… is my daughter.”