Tinman

Thieves in the Night

A month later...

Barricade was just returning from a late night of chasing vehicles to pass the time on a lonely strip of highway when a deep rumbling from above caught his attention. Like bolts of metal lightening three jets screamed overhead, buzzing the disguised police cruiser.

His auditory line filled with the gravely basso voice of Thundercracker, "Hey Cade! How's the scenery down there?"

The police cruiser grumbled sourly in his engine, "It's about time you three showed up. What are you doing out in the open sky? Don't you know the humans and Autobots can pick up your signatures?"

"Don't take me for a fool Barricade. I know ALL the Autobots' sensory capabilities and I have compensated." Starscream boasted harshly.

"How?"

Starscream and his aerial companions broke formation and screamed back around to buzz Barricade from the other direction, "I have developed a scrambling device that cloaks our signatures from all primitive Earth sensors as well as those of the Autobots."

"That's why we took so long to get here." Skywarp announced.

Barricade raised an impressed optic ridge internally. Starscream long ago had been a scientist which is why Megatron had valued him as his second in command. Though he was insubordinate and treacherous, Starscream could find holes in devices and plots Megatron came up with which often shielded him from being terminated outright by their former leader. The problem with Starscream was he was too power-hungry and brash in his methods, dooming most plans he ever came up with. Barricade hoped this wasn't going to be one of those plans.

At once an image of a map flickered across the hunter's optics as Starscream announced, "This is the spot where we will land and discuss my plan."

"En route." Barricade sped up.

"Don't take all millennium getting there ground roller!" Thundercracker mocked, igniting his thrusters with his distinctive sonic boom and disappearing with the other two jets over the horizon.

Barricade growled bitterly. Thundercracker always gave the non-fliers a hard time, rubbing their flightlessness in their faces. He'd regret that one day.

...

It was their fourth trip to town that week for building materials and supplies. After the old barn had collapsed Ironhide incinerated the rubble with a well placed cannon blast leaving nothing but a charred rectangle on the ground. It wasn't until months later that Will decided to rebuild the barn as a new "garage" for Ironhide as well as a workshop for both of them to work in. Much to the weapons specialist surprise Will announced his plans and agreed to aid in the building project.

"You doing all right Ironhide?" Will asked as he and the Topkick drove down the dirt road toward the house, fully loaded with lumber and steel piping.

Ironhide rumbled his engine, "This weight is nothing Captain Lennox. I can haul and lift ten times this weight."

"Well, gee. Why didn't you tell me before? Would have saved us a few trips to town."

"You never asked." the truck responded curtly.

The man leaned back in the comfy leather seat, letting Ironhide do the driving which is what the Autobot preferred. They'd poured the concrete foundation earlier that week, though Will was sure if Ironhide fell or stepped too heavily it would be no more. But the Autobot didn't protest his choice of building style. Ironhide's only request was that it be predominately metal. Luckily, Will had excellent property insurance thanks to his military profession and the building materials were practically paid for. All they had to do was construct the thing.