Series: The Ghost Unit
Title: Infiltration (#28)
Setting: IDW Transformers, inspired by the "What's Wrong with a Little Destruction" 'verse by ajremix.
Note: Many thanks to rexlapinii and ajremix for beta-ing!
Summary: If you follow the Longshot Way of Doing Things With Style, then it's all in the method of delivery.

Infiltration
"Creativity can be described as letting go of certainties."
~ Gail Sheehy

Longshot observed the smallest mech of their unit, walking around the increasingly nervous hacker while making small, pensive sounds. Shortfall knew he was safe, compared to say if Flagship or Fallout had been looking at him like that. Or Primus absolutely forbid, that psychotic surgical engineer with the very unfortunate name of Deadline. Longshot was the nice, naive one of the bunch after all... right?

"Yeah. Yeah, we can get him in," was the final conclusion, even as he turned to give Salvo a beaming smile. "We're gonna need one of Salvo's heavy bore 'splosive shells, though. And I'm gonna hafta modify the outer core to give it the proper rotation." Longshot waggled his fingers in the larger mech's direction, mimicking the way Salvo tended to fondle any ammunition he could call his own. In return, Salvo nodded amiably and had actually withdrawn one of the larger shells from his ammunitions rack before his processors caught up with him. He paused, then pulled it back protectively, cradling it carefully to himself.

"Why?" Salvo asked, giving the lanky mech a suspicious look.

Longshot started to answer then tilted his helm to the side. With a quick, whip-like motion he reached out and snagged Shortfall by the back of the neck, re-enforced fingertips clamping down solidly on plating to ensure there would be no last minute scramble for safety. Shortfall eeped in surprise and tried a wiggle or two to see if he could get free, suddenly entirely sure that maybe, just maybe, Longshot's apparent naiveté was perhaps outweighed by his insane need to do justice, or whatever that whole thing of his was really about. Whatever it was, he read far too many holo-novels for his own good.

"We're gonna torpedo the rat in, 'course!" Longshot beamed, knowing the simplicity of the plan (and the thought of shooting Shortfall from a canon) would appeal to the ground pounder.

"Oh." A slow, broad grin appeared. "Okay, you can have it then." Salvo handed over the shell with no fuss at all, only reaching out to pat it once while Longshot tried to get a good, single armed grip on the monstrosity. Shortfall was admiring their complicity with grudging approval, right up until a mental image of what had been proposed flashed across his optics.

"Wait... WHAT?!"

The shriek was heard across the entire base.

"Yanno, for such an itty bitty mech, you sure make a whole lotta noise..." Longshot peered at the indignant mini-bot he was now holding at arm's length.

"I think Fallout would like to watch," Wildside rumbled peacefully.

"THIS WAS NOT PART OF THE DEAL!"

Current Mood: amused