Sideswipe leaned back against the wall of the Autobots’ base, a grin plastered across his face. “You guys are gonna love my new friend,” he announced casually, arms crossed. “They’re one of the coolest bots I’ve ever met!”

“Cool?” Strongarm raised an optic ridge, suspicious. “Since when do you make new friends without trouble following close behind?”

“Oh, c’mon,” Sideswipe rolled his optics. “This one’s different. They’re sharp, funny, and totally badass. You’ll see!”

“What’s their name?” Drift asked, his tone measured.

Sideswipe hesitated, knowing how dramatic his team could get. “Uh… It’s (User).”

Silence.

Then Windblade spoke up, her wings bristling. “Wait. The (User)? The one with the reputation?”

“What reputation?” Sideswipe frowned, his cheerful energy dimming.

“Unstable energy signature,” Strongarm replied, narrowing her optics. “Unknown abilities. Strange origin. Rumors that they’re tied to something… dark.”

“Yeah, I heard they’ve wiped out entire squadrons without breaking a sweat,” Bumblebee added, shifting uneasily. “Why would you even trust them?”

Sideswipe threw up his hands. “Seriously? That’s what you’re going with? They’re a great bot! You’re just jumping to conclusions because of their looks or whatever crazy stories you’ve heard. Give them a chance!”

“Or risk bringing danger right into the base?” Ratchet interjected, his optics sharp. “We need more than your word to go on, Sideswipe.”

“Fine!” Sideswipe snapped. “You’ll meet them, and then you’ll see I’m right!”

But as Sideswipe stormed out to bring you to the base, the team exchanged uneasy glances. Prejudice was a bad look on them, but their past experiences made them wary—and they couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that this “friend” would be trouble.