Unexpected Allies

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's Notes: Seeing as there's been some confusion over who comes from what universe, allow me to clarify on all of them. Slag and Soundwave (G1), Dinobot and Waspinator (Beast Wars), Hot Shot and the gray tank mini-bot, Leader 1 (Armada), Arcee and Sixshot (Energon, around episode 42), Signal Lancer and a yet-to be identified Decepticon (Cybertron), Jazz and Frenzy (2007 film), & Wreck-Gar and Blackarachnia (Animated).

I apologize for making it so unclear; I shouldn't have assumed that it would be obvious this early on.

I hope you all enjoy what's to come, and I promise that the chapters will be getting longer past this one.

Chapter Five

Quite ironically, Waspinator's entrance and grabbing of everyone's attention caused a problem or two.

Seeing that Blackarachnia's gaze was on the new arrival, Frenzy took the opportunity to disarm her. A pair of round steel discs shot out of his chest at light speed and proved to be sharp enough to slice through her weapon.

Blackarachnia shortly let out a screech when one of the discs partially planted itself in her hand. As the rest of the group turned to look at her (most with startled expressions), Frenzy dropped down from the ceiling and took off running.

Blackarachnia growled after an instant, yanking the metal disc from her hand and throwing it in the direction of the retreating mini-bot. Though she looked furious, she made no move to pursue Frenzy, but Soundwave did hear her think, I'm going to kill that stinking little runt when I catch him!

Soundwave idly glanced around the room, merely listening to everyone's foremost thoughts to try and get a better sense of who or what he was dealing with. His gaze had just swept over the unnamed gray mini-bot still at his feet when it spoke, beeping at him insistently in that foreign tongue, but Soundwave just ignored it for the time being.

From the now-cowering green and yellow bot who'd just stumbled in here: Waspinator not want to get scrapped…

From Sixshot: So much for making Optimus Prime pay for killing my brother in cold blood… Soundwave didn't even flinch at that one, but he was struck by the improbability of the statement. Optimus might be many things, but ruthless wasn't one of them. Sixshot either had to have been misinformed, or his world's version of Optimus was a wild card.

Frenzy was still near enough that his thoughts could be read loud and clear, but his musings proved he had something of a one-track mind. The only two words crossing his thoughts, in a frenetic manner, were either Megatron or Witwicky. The latter seemed to be something additional that Soundwave and this version of Frenzy had in common; in both their universes, there existed a human (or humans) with such a surname.

The mini-bot at his feet once more issued that beeping sound, this time managing to come across as being agitated. Soundwave spared it a longer glance and offered an explanation, guessing it believed that it was deliberately being ignored.

"Language -- unknown," was all Soundwave said. The mini-bot didn't react for a moment, then it's entire frame slumped and something like a groan sounded from it's vocal processor. At least it had an understanding of English, Soundwave reasoned. They'd really have a problem if the language barrier had been double-sided.

Blackarachnia looked over, her attention having been caught by Soundwave's words, with a scowl. "Great," she spat out. "That's just what we need to make this situation absolutely perfect! Another little runt that we can't even understand!"

The gray mini-bot stiffened, whirling in her direction in an instant. Blackarachnia must have sensed it was going to fire, for she leapt out of the way just as a powerful laser beam shot out of a port at it's chest.

Soundwave, in an uncharacteristic move, blinked in surprise, then slowly turned to look at the large, fresh char mark decorating the wall. Tiny as this mini-bot may be, it clearly carried an enormous amount of firepower.

A second later, Soundwave picked up on Sixshot thinking, with an amused tinge, The spider's gonna get creamed if she keeps this up… though that could be fun to watch…

Aware that this could quickly get out of control, Soundwave was prepared to plant mental suggestions in the minds of his comrades to get them to simmer down. Unfortunately, he had somehow missed the fact that someone else had entered the corridor and missed his chance to calm everyone down when a haughty, high-pitched voice rang out.

Even as Soundwave turned to see a purple and gray femme (that anyone not big on emotional suppression would surely find attractive), she was saying, "You have got to be joking! I traded the company of some of the hottest mechs alive for a group of freaks!?"

It was unclear as to just whom Thunderblast (which Soundwave gleaned through a brief probing of her thoughts) was referring, but Blackarachnia quickly took offense to it. The spider let out another angered screech and the pair of stinger-like implements at her shoulders began moving forward, even as she began stepping towards the other femme.

Sensing that Blackarachnia intended to inject Thunderblast with a strong dose of venom highly deadly to Cybertronians, Soundwave, not wanting any casualties on their first day, moved to intervene.

Big mistake.

Though Blackarachnia had to be startled when her stingers sank into an unintended target, a jolt still passed through Soundwave's systems. At least he could be thankful that no venom was introduced into him. An instant later, she retracted the stingers, but it became apparent seconds later that the damage was already done.

Blackarachnia backed up a step, then two, looking around with all four of the red optical slits decorating her face as wide as could be. "Why is everyone so chatty all of a sudden?!" she said in a shrill tone, causing all but Soundwave to regard her quizzically. After another few seconds, she covered her audio sensors as though to block out some loud din. "Shut up!" she screamed.

Fighting to cast off the tingling sensation throughout his systems, Soundwave hurriedly placed some mental blocks in Blackarachnia's head to banish all the thoughts she must now be hearing, then offered a clarification. Pointing to his own chest, then to the female spider, he said, "Telepathic abilities -- evenly distributed."

Oh, slag! This guy's a telepath! Blackarachnia thought wildly after a few seconds. Didn't expect to copy that kind of power. Thank Primus the effects don't last long… And maybe I should watch myself from now on. Who knows what I would have inherited from that stuck-up snob over there! A short hesitation, and then, Slag, he's probably hearing what I'm thinking!

Soundwave offered no response, telepathic or otherwise, to her. As out of his element as he might be, surrounded by these six strangers, at least he already knew that half of them would prove useful in days to come. Frenzy's nimbleness, the gray mini-bot's impressive show of force, and Blackarachnia's powers of absorption would come in handy for whenever his group came face to face with the Autobots.

All he had to do, until then, was to keep his six comrades from killing each other…