[ti]Ep 2[/ti]War Stories (Closed)

[Deleted]

(Set afternoon of day 2, week 1)

Earth was...weird.

Yeah, weird, lets go with that. Xenobiology was one of the many gaping holes in Smokescreen's knowledge and adapting to his new home was...well. Was it supposed to take a long time? Was it supposed to be happening faster? Was he adjusting at all? Smokescreen really wasn't certain. How did one know measure these sort of things anyway?

He didn't let his uncertainty put him off. After a few rocky first days, the young Autobot stopped giving the world funny looks, as if Smokescreen believed that he was still in recharge and had merely imagined the whole series of events that had brought him here. Besides, there was plenty to keep Smokescreen occupied. The Omega base was growing in numbers but there was always work to be done. The young Autobot had seized his chores, initially grateful for the distractions they represented. It had been good to be useful and keeping occupied, even if this wasn't exactly the sort of work he was expecting to be doing, out on the frontline. He wanted to be out there, kicking Con tailpipe, making a name for himself. As Smokescreen grew more comfortable with the Omega base, the less he was content he was to be missing out on the action. It'd come...eventually, right?

But there were so many new things to learn about! Smokescreen was kinda reeling just from the staggering amount of information he needed to grasp. And there were new people to meet! It had been so...very, very long since he'd been able to relax in the company of his kind. At first, Smokescreen had been hesitant but as time passed and he'd got a firmer grip on his new life here, he'd started to unwind and appreciate that there were mecha he could actually talk to. Aaaand talk he did, it was like he was trying to make up for all the lost time spent in stasis.

Still. There were some days when he came out of recharge and the Omega base...was too much for him. No, too small. It hadn't been built for their kind and despite the renovations, Smokescreen couldn't help but to feel like the walls were pressing in on him. It'd strike him, there and then and it'd feel like he was back in the prison ship, stuffed inside a containment pod. Trapped. Stuck. Unable to move. Those moments would leave him with a deep, burning ache to leave the Omega base, to go out and just keep going. Smokescreen had always been fast in his alt-mode and to have it available again but not being able to use it...it was maddening. He wanted to revel in his freedom, remind himself that he'd escape and drive fast, but couldn't.

Human road rules. They had speed limits. Civilian traffic that he might disrupt hurtling over the roads. And the need to take a partner with him, if he was leaving the Omega base. Smokescreen just wanted to burn rubber, he didn't want to drag someone off their schedule and interrupt their downtime to watch him drive around in circles all day. And there was, of course, the ever present threat of MECH that put a dampener in the whole leaving the Autobot base thing. As much as he wanted to go out and drive, Smokescreen also didn't want to put himself and another mech at risk.

So when the stress got too much, Smokescreen had finally decided to take it up with Command. A few phone calls later and a solution had presented itself. There was a nearby military base, with plenty of roadways for driving on and the humans stationed there were in the know about the Autobots. It was safe, a controlled environment where Smokescreen could run himself ragged without any worries that he'd put civilians at risk or break cover. MECH wouldn't be able to reach him there.

The visit had been scheduled though it did come with a few stern instructions. It was a military base and so Smokescreen was expected to keep within such formality and bearing. Another Autobot, Fortress Maximus was currently in residence but Smokescreen was under instruction to give the mech space and not to bother him. The young Autobot had heard rumours about Maximus, about the events that had occurred less than a week ago. Everybody had. It was kinda hard to miss the explosion that rocked the Omega base and then Maximus's subsequent relocation. What had happened well...Smokescreen tried to not put much stock in base rumour unless Command had explicitly confirmed or denied events. The young Autobot didn't know much about Maximus, beyond his involvement in the events at Simanzi, which had made the news back during the war. As far as Smokescreen was concerned, the mech was a war-hero and that was the end of that. As much as he was bursting with questions, it had been made clear that Fortress Maximus was to be left alone and Smokescreen would respect those orders.

It was with anticipation and excitement that Smokescreen stood in the control room, waiting for the ground bridge to fire up. Finally, he'd be able to let loose and put pedal to the metal. He shifted with restless energy as the green portal swirled into existence. Smokescreen wanted to charge down the ground bridge and out onto the other side but given that he was supposed to be conducting himself with proper military poise, he restrained himself. But his pace was brisk as he walked down the bridge and out into the dry heat of the Black Rock desert.

Whoa, okay, this place was hot. Smokescreen's plating rippled uncomfortably before adjusting itself, pulling tight in a vain effort to keep the heat from getting in. A coolant cycle started, flushing his interiors with a pleasant chill. It was a moment before Smokescreen collected himself and remembered what he was doing and what he was there for.

Agent Fowler had set a meeting point for this whole visit. Smokescreen had been deposited inside the base itself, not too far from the central block itself. The Autobot could see a row hangars and a runway nearby. Base personnel went about their business. Various vehicles rumbled as they moved about, trucks, jeep and the occasional plane. It was all very alien to Smokescreen but he could recognise the military precision to their actions, that clean efficiency.

Two soldiers were waiting for him. Smokescreen gazed at them curiously, he really hadn't had much experience with the humans and there was much he was still learning. He also was not certain where Autobots stood within their military structure.

"Autobot Smokescreen," he introduced himself. "I believe you were expecting me."

[Deleted]

The soldiers were young, perhaps in their mid-twenties. Both wore dusty khaki fatigues and helmets. The only visible weapons they carried were their sidearms - small pistols. They stood side by side, talking affably.

At least, until the ground bridge spiralled into their midst. The instant it did they broke apart and stood at attention, waiting to see what would step through.

They had been briefed that it would be one of their alien allies: the Autobots. But evidently they had not been told much beyond that.

Both soldiers stared up at Smokescreen as the bridge whirled shut behind him. Though their eyes were shielded against the intense desert sun by dark sunglasses, their expressions still radiated awe.

One of them was a little quicker on the uptake than the other. He hastily saluted.

"Yessir, Agent Fowler said you would be coming," he said. "It's good to meet you. I'm Corporal Garcia, and this is Corporal Adams. Welcome to Black Rock."

He gestured to the rest of the base. It was an active site: a wide collection of hanger complexes, maintenance sheds, dormitories, weapons bunkers, and two-story administrative buildings. The base was a test airfield at heart, going by its long ten thousand foot runway and neatly aligned taxiways and aprons. A tall control tower stood on the other side of the field, partially hazed behind a rooster-tail of blowing dust. Even as Smokescreen stood there he would be able to see a large transport aircraft taxiing onto the runway for takeoff, its massive engines humming.

"We've been told you're here to visit the base and take advantage of some of our facilities," said Corporal Garcia. "Is there anything we can point you towards?"

[Deleted]

Whoa. Okay, being saluted. Didn't expect that. Normally Smokescreen was the one doing that and not on the receiving end. And wasn't that weird that both species managed to develop…

No wait, never mind. Irrelevant to the current situation. He'd think about it later. Smokescreen was here strictly at Fowler's discretion and he didn't want to waste the precious time allocated to him. The mech noted down the names of the two soldiers, a friendly smile on his face. The humans might be awestruck about him but Smokescreen was probably as equally as curious about them as they were him.

His gaze briefly followed Garcia's arm to the rest of the military base. Smokescreen's focus settled on the tracks of tarmac. Wide open road that he could just...drive. His smile broadened. Already the tension he'd built stuck up inside the Omega base was starting to melt away under the yellow sun and in the broad open space.

"Is there anything we can point you towards?"

Smokescreen gave a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, I'm just here today for some driving and to burn some rubber." His doors flicked, as if to emphasis the wheels attached beside them. "Are there any unoccupied or low traffic areas that I can speed around and not cause too much of a problem?"

[Deleted]

The two soldiers exchanged looks.

“Where did the 19th SFG go after taxiing in?” said Corporal Garcia.

Corporal Adams worked his fingertips beneath the strap of his helmet and scratched his chin.

“Straight to Apron Four, I think,” he said. “That was gonna be their staging area until sixteen–hundred. After that they’re relocating for the night into the hangers by the maintenance shops.”

“So all of Four and Foxtrot is still closed off to anything but their vehicles, right?”

“Yeah, until sixteen–hundred.”

Corporal Garcia nodded and turned back to Smokescreen.

“Well, sir, if you're looking for a place to drive where you shouldn’t run into a lot of traffic, there’s a road that loops around the base that’s tends to be fairly empty. It remains within the perimeter fence too, so you don’t have to worry about wandering off–site.”

He pointed south, where the apron that Smokescreen currently stood upon led past some administrative buildings before ending at a refuelling area. Beyond that was an open gate and a rough road that wandered to the west.

“That’s it right there,” said Garcia. “Just go through the gate and you’re on the loop. It’s mostly paved and should be pretty dusty, but it’s dead flat. It continues to the west before making a sharp turn north, at which point it opens up into a long stretch that parallels the runway for over two miles. You can actually race aircraft on it if they’e on their takeoff roll when you hit it.”

Corporal Adams laughed. “Like the major and his Porsche and that C–17.”

“Yeah,” said Corporal Garcia, grinning. “Anyway, that road will eventually take you all the way up to the test fire range that lies north of the airfield. The 221st is there doing some live fire training on the southern range. You can stop in and watch them if you want, sir, they’re pretty used to seeing Autobots by now. The big one trains with them a lot.”

Adams thumbed back his helmet and looked up at Smokescreen with undisguised curiosity.

“What kind of car do you turn into, sir?” he said.

[Deleted]

Patiently, though buzzing with nervous energy, Smokescreen watched and listened to the interaction playing out before him. Some of the military jargon was unfamiliar and completely flew over his head, but he was able to follow the general gist of what they were saying. With his much greater height and sharper vision, Smokescreen was able to clearly see the path Garcia had pointed out for him. Just needed to continue south past the buildings and through the gate. Then sweet open road to his spark's content.

Smokescreen's optics gleamed with excitement and interest at the mention of racing one of the departing aircraft. He'd have to time it carefully. "Chasing a plane, huh?" he mused out loud. "I'll have to keep an optic out for one of them, see how well I do." The Autobot shot the two soldiers a smug grin. He liked them, Smokescreen decided. Hadn't been certain what to expect coming out here but the humans were friendly and helpful.

The young Autobot perked again when Garcia mentioned the 221st up in the firing range, doing live training. The big guy...that must be Fortress Maximus. He wondered idly what sort of training humans and Cybertronians could do together. Maybe he'd stop by...or, Smokescreen remembered his orders regarding Maximus, maybe he wouldn't if the other Autobot was over there.

"So, down this apron and then straight through the gate. Got it. Thanks for the help, I appreciate it."

At Adam's question, Smokescreen tilted his head at the human, a pleased grin on his face. "McClaren 12C," he said smugly. Even amongst for the Omega base Autobots, with their fondness for the most exorbitant alts, Smokescreen's choice was one of the flashiest. But hey...like he was going to pick something plain and boring. Where's the fun in that?

And then, since Adams was curious and the two soldiers had been more than helpful, he transformed. His legs folded down, his arms compacting inwards towards his chassis, bringing the wheels that had been situated behind his shoulders to the ground. The motions were smooth and easy, he hadn't gotten much use out of his alt yet but it had been a good match for him. When he was done, a white McClaren with blue racing stripes sat in front of the soldiers.

"Pretty neat, huh?"

[Deleted]

Startled, both soldiers had recoiled when the young Autobot dropped down into his alternate mode. But when the sleek car sat gleaming under the sun in front of them they took a cautious step forward.

Corporal Adams walked alongside Smokescreen from bumper to bumper, his eyes full of admiration. He almost reached out to touch the supercar on the hood, then seemed to remember himself and politely kept his hands down. He hooked his thumbs into his belt instead.

He grinned.

"Seriously awesome, sir," he said.

"Yeah, not bad," said Garcia. "We'll keep an eye out for you when you're on the straightaway alongside the runway. We don't get to see a lot of McClarens down here in Nevada. Well, maybe in Vegas. I'd love to see how fast you can get up to on an open stretch of road. The McClaren's gotta from zero to sixty in like, what, four seconds?"

"He's an Autobot, it'll be less than that," said Adams. "Anyway, have a good drive, sir. Just call up Security or the operations manager in the control tower if you need anything else. Tower frequency is 128.70, and Ground is 121.9. We're here to help."

He stepped back and saluted.

"Yeah, enjoy the drive, sir," said Garcia. "We'll be watching for you."

[Deleted]

The McClaren didn't move, waiting for the two soldiers to recover themselves. He hadn't thought that they'd be surprised by it, so used to the children back at base. Easy there, he scolded himself. Its not everyday they dealt with a giant robot. Or. Well. Fortress Maximus was here but who’s to say they interacted with him personally?

If a car could preen, then Smokescreen definitely was at the admiration. Yeah, he'd picked a seriously awesome alt. Of course, amongst the Autobot numbers there were some equally flashy alts but out here, Adams and Garcia had no way of knowing that and their appreciation was for him alone.

"Less than that," he agreed with a smirk. "I drive fast."

With a friendly rev of his engine, Smokesceen pulled away from the humans slightly. "Thanks for the help, again," he said. "Hopefully, I'll see you two around."

Smokescreen then began to drive off, heading down the apron for the aforementioned gate. He took a sedate pace at first, mindful that there would still be traffic until he made it past the gate. The Autobot drove past to the refueling area, where he briefly observed the ground crew servicing a few planes stationed on the ground. He didn't stop, no matter how much he was curious to know more about what they were doing. Fowler probably wouldn't be very pleased and Smokescreen didn't want to disrupt the operations going on around the base.

The moment Smokescreen had made it beyond the gate…

The McClaren floored it, kicking up dust and gravel into a cloud as he took off. His wheels spun, eating up the tarmac as his engine roared to life. It was a rush, exhilaration and excitement coursed through Smokescreen as he finally put all that speed and excess energy to good use. The outside world faded out as he focused on driving. His worries about the war, his deep space experience aboard the prison ship...all that left his processor.

Finally, he was free.

[Deleted]

The instant he hit pavement the road opened up ahead of him. It was cracked and pitted in spots where age had worn it down, but compared to the surrounding desert it was a two mile oasis of smooth and sun-warmed asphalt.

Overhead the sky was a brilliant blue, streaked with thin cirrus clouds. The air was dry and hot, and the sun was a white disc overhead. It was a beautiful day to race.

For the first time since arriving on the base, Smokescreen would be able to open up his engine. The road hummed away beneath his tires, while everything else blurred into speedlines. The runway lay beside him, baking in the heat. The ground shook and a thunderous roar filled the air as a big C-130 Hercules rotated and lifted off it, soaring past the young Autobot. Its vortexes filled the air behind it with swirling tornadoes of dust and then the aircraft was gone, banking gently to the west as it climbed.

His tremendous speed would carry him over two miles in a matter of minutes. At the end of the straightaway was a gentle bend in the road, swinging east. It he hit it it would carry him past the fenced off end of the runway and then sweep him away towards the north in a series of winding curves - perfect for accelerating through at a dizzying pace, light on his tires.

Only at the end of the last curve did the pavement turn back into hard-packed dirt. A gate stood ahead, barring the path of several roads that met in front of it. It was a simple lever gate, guarded over by a grey watchhouse. A battered white sign was mounted nearby:

YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE BLACK ROCK TEST SITE
NO TRESPASSING
BY ORDER OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Already two more armed soldiers were stepping out of the watchhouse. Both of them were grinning as they waved him down.

"You must be Smokescreen!" one of them hollered.

[Deleted]

He'd hit the stretch beside the runway when he heard. A rumble, the ground shaking. A plane thundered past, just like the two soldiers had said. Smokescreen reached his maximum speed and chased after it briefly before the Hercules took off. Amused, the Autobot tracked its flight path until the road curved, requiring his attention as he manoeuvred through the twists and bends.

Then the asphalt ended, turning into a dusty dirt road. Smokescreen decelerated gently, coming to a halt in front of the gate. The test fire range was just ahead but he hadn't decided yet whether he 'd swing by. Smokescreen was in half a mind to turn back and make the drive again, maybe see if he could beat his time for the drive over and be a little quicker on the way back. But the guards waved him down before he could act upon such thoughts so Smokescreen settled to wait and let them approach. He wouldn't transform and scare them, he decided to stay in alt-form this time.

"That's right," Smokescreen replied warmly. "Fastest bot on wheels in the neighbourhood. I heard the 221st are using the range, is it alright if I go watch?"

Well, decision made.

[Deleted]

The two soldiers approached him with the leisurely strides of armed men who knew they had no reason to hurry anywhere.

"We heard you coming up the road!" said one soldier. He thumbed back the brim of his helmet. "Then we saw the dust. You were really humming when you hit that straightaway. Dunno what you topped out at, but it had to have been fast."

The other soldier pointed back over his shoulder with his thumb.

"We just got the all-clear from Apron One," he said. "If you want to watch the 221st on the range you're welcome to do so. They're conducting live-fire training that way, so just be careful to stay south of their machines at all times, by the bunkers. You can't miss them. They've got eight M1A1s up there. It's noisy as hell."

"It's a bit of a poorly guarded secret on the base, but it's actually the 11th Armored with the tanks that are doing the firing," said the first soldier. "The 221st is just a part of the 11th. Armored Recon."

As the second soldier jogged back to lift the gate, he continued to speak.

"Anyway, hope you enjoy the show," he said. "Just keep following the dirt road up to the range. I think that other Autobot is up there too. Even if not, the 221st and the 11th should be glad to see you. They like Autobots."

Ahead of Smokescreen the gate rose up on its hinge. The dirt road ahead of him was clear. The soldier stepped back from his side window and saluted in a friendly manner.

[Deleted]

Smokescreen relaxed at the unhurried approach of the two soldiers. He was getting better at this, feeling better from the drive. MECH's attack had rattled him deeply, fresh from his escape from the Avengeance, only to almost suffer a worse fate than the onehe'd left behind. At first he thought he didn't want anything to do with humans. But the kids round the Omega base were good people and the ones here were friendly and helpful.

Maybe he would follow up Wash's offhand comment about working with Fowler's people.

"Not fast enough to catch a C-130 apparently," he answered in good humor. "It beat me by like. A second. Half a second. At most. Maybe two even."

Smokescreen was a very humble bot. Completely. Totally.

Not.

The two soldiers companionably explained the situation up on the firing range. Keep clear of the tanks, it basically boiled down to. Smokescreen might be a hyper-advance alien robot with pretty neat armor but he didn't particularly feel like testing it out against human ammunition. No thank you, already been there.

"Don't wander out in front of the tanks, got it," Smokescreen acknowledged dryly. He sunk a little low on his tyres at the mention of Fortress Maximus's possible presence. He'd be good. Keep away like he was supposed to. Not say a word or bother the big mech if he was there.

Besides, there was a training exercise to watch. And if he really did go forth with Wash and Fowler, it'd be good to see how Fowler's military forces operated. Get an idea of what he was getting into. Or maybe even learn new tactics or something. There would be plenty to keep him occupied, regardless of whether Fort Max was there or not.

"Thanks for the help," Smokescreen said as the gate opened, giving the soldier a friendly flash of his lights in acknowledgement of the salute. Gently, he accelerated. Gravel crunched underneath him as he continued on the dirt road.

[Deleted]

The gate lowered once Smokescreen was through it. The two guards stood on the other side and watched him drive off. This time, both of them waved.

Ahead of him the dirt road wound up a gentle slope. The terrain he drove through was bare and open, offering little shelter from the blazing sun. It was hot too, the dirt parched into cracks and dust. Wisps of dust blew across the road and over his sleek paint. He was probably going to be very dusty by the time he reached the firing range.

At the top of the slope the landscape flattened out again. Now the desert was visible for hundreds of miles in all directions. Far to the north stood a distant mountain range, pale and hazy. The land at its foot was heavily scarred with impact craters and shelled out bunkers - targets most likely, for artillery to fire at. Dark smoke and mingled dust drifted up from several of the pockmarked husks.

To Smokescreen's right stood a row of more concrete bunkers. These ones were solid, unscarred by gunfire or soot. A dirt parking lot sat nearby, within which were parked a handful of vehicles. Two big radio towers rose up behind them.

The road continued onward ahead of him. To the left of it, perhaps one hundred feet back from the shoulder, was a small rise. At least eight dirty tanks were lined up along the top of it. Most of them looked inactive for the moment; their top hatches were cranked open and their crews loitered around their tracks. The men were sweaty in their tan fatigues and helmets, and drank water from canteens. Had to be hot as hell inside the armoured tanks - only their computers were provided with air conditioning.

Seven of the tanks were painted in dusty brown camouflage. The eighth tank, at the far end of the line, wore dark blue and grey urban camouflage.

As Smokescreen drew near several of the men looked over at him in curiosity.

[Deleted]

Smokescreen climbed the slope up to the firing range, ignoring the dust the collected on his plating from the drive. He was calm, relaxed from the drive and his field buzzed pleasantly with his cheerful emotions. Not that there was anyone to detect what rolling away in his EM field.

He stopped briefly when he crested the top, taking in the flat desert that stretched on for miles. His attention drifted briefly to the parking lot and the bunkers, then up to the top of the hill with the row of tanks lined up on top of it. He debated with himself for a moment, he thought briefly about parking in the parking lot before dismissing the idea. Smokescreen's alt-mode completely stuck out here in the middle of a military base, so there was no point in hiding what he was. And the guards had told him to stick by the bunkers, so there was no wandering up the road to the tanks, anyway.

Or maybe he could.

They weren't firing right now, in fact they looked like they were on break.

The Autobot made certain that there was no one nearby or any oncoming traffic, then he transformed, unfolding out from his alt-form. The dust he'd gathered rained down beneath him, displaced by the whirring movement.

Smokescreen peered back up the slope. With his height, he'd be able to watch what was going on quite easily, even by the bunkers. There was nothing to be gained by going up the slope, cept for getting up close to watch some heavy machinery do their work and blow up the landscape. Which, he couldn't deny, held some cathartic appeal for him.

But he was supposed to stay away from Fort Max.

And he had the feeling that the tank at the other end of the line was probably a mech, going by the different paintjob and complete lack of crew around it.

And he was generating a lot of curiosity just as he was and if he walked up there, he'd probably disrupt the training exercise, even if they were taking a break.

And Smokescreen's privileges to come back to Blackrock was probably heavily dependent on being on good behaviour here.

So even though he really didn't wanna, with a gusty sigh, Smokescreen wandered over to the far end of the concrete bunkers and settled down to wait and watch.

[Deleted]

The rest of the tank crew members turned around the instant Smokescreen transformed.

They watched him as he settled himself down by the bunkers. A handful of men even lifted their gloved hands to shield their eyes from the sun for a better look at him. One or two men laughed. But the stares were friendly, and many of the soldiers waved to Smokescreen. One gave him an admiring thumbs up. Evidently his sporty alternate mode had not gone unappreciated.

But the soldiers did not call out to him, nor did they wave him over to join them. A few minutes later most of the men were talking among themselves again as they passed around their canteens, apart from a number of curious glances in Smokescreen's direction. They were probably under orders not to interfere with any visiting Autobots on the base, just as Smokescreen had been asked to refrain from disturbing the training exercises. Thought the Autobots did not hold rank as far as the military chain of command went, they did command respect.

Smokescreen would be able to find a flat, dusty spot next to the bunkers. It gave him a prime view over the vast firing range. Once they tanks began to fire he would be able to see each shot land.

It also gave him a good look at the tanks. They sat in a long row, each one separated by a distance of at least two hundred feet. A few orange pylons were placed in a line in front of them to keep the big, dusty machines in order.

The eighth tank was the largest and heaviest. It sat tensely over its tracks. None of its hatches were open. One of its radio antenna lashed back and forth.

The men standing nearest to it jumped and looked around in surprise when its engine abruptly fired up.

With a grind of its tracks it backed up. A neat pivot around one set of tracks swivelled it through a one-hundred eighty degree turn. At once it began to trundle straight in Smokescreen's direction, over the dirt path and up the small slope that led to the bunkers. It was careful to keep its main gun pointed well away from Smokescreen as it drew near.

[Deleted]

Smokescreen didn't know how long the break would take. So he'd half-heartedly started a review of his basic training and tactics before growing bored and starting up an old Cybertronian vid game he'd found on the Omega base network. He'd just started a new game when the highly likely to be an Autobot tank started moving.

Towards him.

The young Autobot frowned, narrowing his optics at the approaching tank. Nimbly, he rolled to his feet, scattering dust and rocks beneath him.

They had told him not to bother Fortress Maximus.

Apparently no one has given Maximus the same memo.

Don't think about what happened last week, don't think about what happened last week, oh his turret isn't facing me-not thinking about what happened last week, don't even mention what happened -

Cautious, Smokescreen kept an optic on the approaching tank. It had been none of his business what happened, he'd been told to keep to himself and not go sticking his gears into matters that didn't involve him. That's what he was supposed to be doing.

Had been trying to do.

Well, since no one has told him what he was supposed to do if Fortress Maximus sought him up instead, Smokescreen figured he technically wasn't breaking any rules.

So he deliberately relaxed, pretend he'd never listened to any of the base rumours of what had caused the big mech's sudden relocation here. Everything would be fine. Just a friendly chat between two Autobots, right?

Or so Smokescreen hoped. Primus, would it be awkward if this turned out not to be Fortress Maximus after all.