Chapter Text
Their orders had been simple: sneak out of Iacon HQ undetected, infiltrate the testing facility just outside the city, extract a specific piece of information from the mainframe and get back to Iacon HQ without being “terminated.”
The only complication was that none of them had worked together. Slapdash was a transfer from Gygax who’s team had been shot out behind him while he led the charge out of a Decepticon stronghold, and he was supposed to be their leader for this outing. Mirage was untested in the field, but he had a party trick that helped him stay unseen and off the radar. Hound wasn’t really an intelligence agent, but he worked with them often enough at his former post south of Vos that he knew a lot of the techniques and he could use his holograms for some creative camouflage. And Bumblebee himself was the best scout and spy turned out by Commander Jazz in ten vorns, and he knew the terrain from HQ to the testing facility like the back of his hand.
Everything should have been a oil cake walk, except that Slapdash didn’t know how to listen to anyone with experience, didn’t take suggestions and was vague on the meaning of “stealth”. In fact, he had given away their position as they were leaving HQ and gotten himself terminated immediately. That left the training mission to himself, Mirage and Hound.
And Bee was not getting along with Mirage either.
“We have already failed the mission,” the former noble hissed at them, from his hiding place underneath a cluster of ornamental crystals. “We should report back in for a new team leader and a second try.”
This wasn’t Bumblebee’s first round of these tests, and he knew better. “That wasn’t in the mission parameter! We have to get to the training facility, get the intel and get back or we all fail. And I happen to like working in the field, so I would rather not have to take remedial training because you got nervous!”
“Bumblebee’s right,” Hound interrupted quietly, putting a restraining hand on the minibot’s shoulder before Bee could stomp out of the concealing hologram he was hiding them with. “We get an automatic fail if we go back, even if the commander didn’t say so. Shh!”
They all froze, Mirage with his mouth hanging open to speak, as one of the palace guards stepped into the garden. “Who’s in here?”
His patrol partner joined him a moment later, but when there were no more noises, he clapped the first guard on the shoulder with a laugh. “Looks like these night shifts are really getting to you. Come on, let’s get back to patrol and I’ll buy you a drink after we’re off duty.”
The guards left, and they stayed silent for several more kliks.
Then Mirage spoke again. “Why wouldn’t he tell us that?!”
“Because seeing if we can adapt is part of the test.” Hound crept closer to the crystals, so that his hologram would cover Mirage too, when the mech came out of hiding. “Wouldn’t be surprised if Slapdash was supposed to get himself killed in the first ten minutes, just for that.”
“That is grossly unfair!”
“Yeah, well. The Cons aren’t exactly known for being fair, are they?” Bumblebee creeped forward, too. “Just because we’re being tested against the Guard and Agent Jazz’s team, doesn’t mean they’re going to go easy on us. We can’t think of them as friends right now.”
“Fine.” Mirage crawled out from under the crystals with a frown and knelt down next to Bumblebee and Hound. “I will follow your lead, under protest.”
“Thank you.” Bumblebee did his best not to huff with irritation. Grudging agreement was still agreement. “I think our best bet now is to stick to the shadows until we’re at the edge of the city, and then use Hound’s holograms to cover us across the field. If we walk, we won’t leave a dust trail.”
“What about footprints?” Hound asked.
“We don’t need to worry about being tracked out of the city, unless Jazz isn’t at the facility like the mission brief claimed. And if he isn’t? We won’t make it inside anyway.” He frowned, remembering the time Jazz had tracked him for a meta-cycle during a training mission vorns ago. Nothing the Decepticons had ever thrown at him had been so terrifying. “Honestly, I’m more worried about one of them getting the drop on us from the vents. They’re wide enough for any of us to fit easily.”
“We had best stay together, then,” Mirage said. “With one of us watching the rear at all times.”
“Good idea,” Hound agreed. “I’ll take up the rear. It’s easier to extend my holograms ahead of me, than behind.”
“Perfect.” Bumblebee nodded. “Let’s get moving.”