The next day the Terrans are trying out combining (though its more like playing at combining via stacking on top of one another) with the Maltos, Bumblebee, and Ratchet looking on.
Twitch is getting frustrated by their continued failures and asks Ratchet and bumblebee if there isn't some secret to combining they haven't been told.
Bee cautions Twitch that shes rushing things too much and that combining isn't something you can just force to happen between two bots. No matter how close they are.
Ratchet adds that, even after millions of years of research on both sides of the war, what actually makes two transformers a compatible combining pair isn't actually known. Theories abound that it could be a genetic component, a matter of compatible alt modes or t-cogs, something in the spark itself, etc. There are even theories that external influence can cause transformers to combine or that its something a Cybertronian develops into rather than something they just are.
Furthermore not all combiners are created equal as some have better control over the combined form than others. Though a general rule of thumb is that the more bots involved in the combination the harder it is to stay together and to control.
Thrash says that if thats the case, how are the terrans supposed to figure out if they're even capable of combining like the other cybertronians can.
Bumblebee reassures them that if they're meant to combine together they will.
Ratchet takes a more practical view and simply points out that as powerful as combiners are, they're basically useless if the bots invovled don't extensively train and practice and that, on the whole, given the Terrans are still young and relatively inexperienced, a combined form between them might be more of a hindrance than a help. After all, a lot of combiners involve mind melds between the individuals in question and that that simple factor has been the weakness of more than one combining team.
(Not sure how it happens but Jawbreaker somehow says something that unveils that he saw Breakdown use the database without being watched. Maybe the conversation comes around the stunticons again and Jawbreaker shows confusion over who is and isn't a member. Maybe asking who the "other one" was.)
Ratchet immediately asks Jawbreaker what he means.
Surprised by the sudden question jawbreaker stammers out that he "just thought... Cause of yesterday... With the computer..."
Ratchet repeats his question.
Jawbreaker says that the "other one" was the bot Breakdown looked up while they were talking about combiners. He saw him looking something up but thought it was okay since they'd said there were five stunticons and, well, counting the last one he'd looked up five people total.
Nightshade points out that since breakdown was a stunticon himself that meant he was the "fifth one" and therefore should have only looked up four cons. Not five.
Bumblebee can't believe what he's hearing and asks jawbreaker if he can remember who it was he looked up.
Suddenly the center of attention jawbreaker starts to panic a bit and struggles to remember. Finally he gives up and admits all he can recall for the moment is that they were Red. He asks if that narrows it down.
"Not even a little" is bees response.
Hashtag asks Jawbreaker if Breakdown was looking up an Autobot or a Decepticon. Jawbreaker frustratingly admits that he doesn't know. All he can remember is they were red. And that they were maybe spiky?
Ratchet immediately asks Twitch to go get Optimus and the others. Saying that they need to discuss a potential security breach. Leaving Bumblebee looking downcast.
Cut to hours later at the barn.
Optimus asks Nightshade and Hashtag if there's a way to look up the previous searches. Hashtag tells him they'd planned on putting in a search history function, but admits that they hadn't actually gotten around to putting it together yet. As a result there's no way of finding out who it was Breakdown looked up while their backs were turned.
Optimus asks Jawbreaker if he's certain it was just the one additional file Breakdown looked up. Jawbreaker admits that he only saw him looking it up by chance, and can't be sure there weren't any additional searches.
Ratchet growls that they should never have let their guard down around a known Decepticon. Now there was no telling what information Breakdown might've skipped town with or what he was planning to do with it.
Bumblebee pipes in that he can't believe Breakdown would do that, and that there HAD to be another explanation.
Ratchet harshly (and sarcastically) asks if he thinks Breakdown was trying to look up something else like a new paint job or a cooking recipe. He tells Bumblebee to "wake up" and acknowledge that Breakdown used him.
Bumblebee insists again that Breakdown wouldn't do this. Not to him.
Ratchet asks why not him? After all Breakdown has likely pulled the same type of stunt over his career as a Decepticon scout against countless autobots.
Optimus steps in and breaks up the argument. Saying that just standing around arguing isn't going to get them any closer to the truth.
Bumblebee says Optimus is right and immediately heads for the exit to the dugout. Dot asks where hes going, and Bumblebee says hes going to chase after Breakdown and get an explanation. Megatron points out that he has no idea in which direction Breakdown has gone, and that even if he did it would be foolhardy to go after them alone. They already know that Breakdown has allied with Hardtop and Swindle and its possible he's allied with other Decepticons as well.
Bee points out that Megatron vouched for Breakdown just as much as he did. (Maybe he acknoledged him as a "trustworthy soldier" or something like that) and asks if he really thinks Breakdown would do something like this.
Megatron responds that that was before learning Breakdown violated the rules they had set for his accessing the database and that he violated their trust by breaking them. He violated Bumblebees trust as well.
Bumblebee looks frustrated but becomes surprised when Megatron speaks and again and says that thats why he agrees that Bumblebee needs to track after Breakdown.
They don't have a lot of leads on why Breakdown did what he did, how big of a security breach this is, or even who else is involved. The only lead they actually have is Breakdown himself. Thats why he supports Bumblebee following after Breakdown. But doesnt think he should go alone. He argues that at least one other bot should go with him and carefully tail Breakdown while they try and piece together what they can at the Malto's before fully deciding what course of action to take.
Before anyone can say anything Twitch immediately volunteers to go with bumblebee on this mission. Thrash says he was just about to volunteer himself. This leads to the two debating who should go as Twitch can fly but Thrash points out that as a motorcycle he'd be less conspicuous than a red drone.
They go back and forth on this a bit before Bumblebee says he isn't sure any of the Terrans should go. Which leads to Twitch and Thrash arguing with him about how much they can handle it.
Optimus says that since this is a scouting mission sending some of the Terrans should be fine. Telling bumblebee they want him to follow and track breakdown. NOT confront him.
With that in mind he allows thrash to go but sends Nightshade as air support instead of Twitch. Twitch is disappointed by this, but Megatron points he'll likely need her help sorting out their other lead.
Twitch asks what that other lead is. Megatron explains that since before looking up the final entry breakdown inquired about the other stunticons it might be worth it to track them down. Since Breakdown was explicitly looking them up as well it's possible they could be involved and even if they aren't they might be able to give them a clue as to what Breakdown might be up to.
Ratchet cautions that the Stunticons as a whole are a "wild and dangerous bunch of combiners" and if they're involved confronting them could be dangerous. Especially if they're together.
Megatron points out that that is precisely why they need to act now. If the Stunticons are planning something together then that implies Menasor could be somewhere in the picture. And even he doesn't wanna deal with that guy again.
Dot steps up and interrupts the groups plans. Pointing out that they don't get to make these big plans invovling her kids without involving their parents. Thrash pleads with her to let them go, but Dot stops him and tells him she doesnt mean to stop them. However she doesn't abide them making all these plans without involving her and Alex.
Optimus laughs and says he wouldn't have it any other way. He does acknowledge that having a human go along with the team tracking Breakdown could be useful. Especially since there's a chance they may need to ask humans along the way for information and it'd be easier to get that information discreetly if its asked by another human.
Can we see Bumblebee and his friends as sparklings?
Headcanons:
-Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are two Decivorns older than everyone else in the group. Sunstreaker is the oldest but very introverted and doesn't even talk to anyone, he talks through his brother.
-The spheres on Breakdown's body are often pink, due to constant surgeries and injuries, but he pretends that everything is fine (in fact, he is not)
-Bumblebee and Cliffjumper are twins, but Bee were often bulled, because the color of his frame is not red and not blue like his carrier and brother. Yellow is the opposite of blue, and this is the norm for those who only have a carrier.
-Springer is very tall and is feared because of this and no one wanted to be besfriended with him, this is hard for Springer, and after academy he crying hugging Prowl or Jazz
-Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, Hot Rod, Arcee, Blurr and Springer are classmates and peers.
-Hot Rod really wants to be a hero and helps everyone he can, even if it means getting hurt. Springer's first bestfriend.
-Arcee is the adopted daughter of Ultra Magnus and is a bully and often beats up older bots.
-Blurr and his parents moved to Cybertron as refugees, because Velocitron was reduced to a destroyed due to a virus. Blurr only recently entered the new academy, but quickly made friends
Wait...SPARKLING CAN HISSING?! What other sounds do they make?
Yes, Sparkling use sounds to communicate with their creators.
The main ones are hissing, chirping, and beeping.
Sparkling hisses and chirps until the age of 2 meta-cycles (26 months)
Hissing usually means danger. Sparklings often hiss at bots they don't know or feel are in danger, and hissing also means fear. For example, a sparklings may hiss after a nightmare, or if it can't feel the carries aura after taking a nap.
Beeping is used as the first attempts at communication with relatives, surprisingly, creators understand what their babies are trying to say, while others do not and perceive it as simple childish babbling.
Chirping is used to attract attention, or to show displeasure. If a sparkling chirps after sleeping, 99.99% of the time it means it is hungry.
Was the whole situation with Swindle and Bluesun solved?
You don't know Swindle well, he took advantage of Blusan's gullibility and told her that her parents had stolen his thing, namely Shockwave's freeze blaster, which was confiscated
Bluesun believed him despite the fact that Kreida constantly asked her not to believe him. The little bot stole that blaster from the warehouse and brought it to Swindle, afterhe got blaster, he wanted to get rid of Bluesun, if Kreida hadn't bitten him on the leg, and he accidentally used the blaster on himself.
At this moment, Breakdown came running, having learned about the incident from Kreida, he talked to his daughter and explained everything to her. Bluesun was very kind and was ready to forgive Swindle, which she did. Breakdown froze Swindle, and he began to play a scene of innocence, that he did not want to hurt anyone, that he was simply out of his mind with grief. But Bluesun said a phrase that remained in Swindle's processor for a long time.
"My grandfather says that everyone gets a second chance, so I'm giving you this chance, because you're not bad, just a little bit of a swindle"
