She Is Not One Of Us: Road Rage's Story
'Not One Of Us' is adapted from The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride.
Seconds after the unintentional link, as energon trickles from the cut on her cheek, the youngling knows she has made a terrible mistake.
Classmates and teachers alike surround her, a wide variety of expressions playing across their faceplates. Horror, betrayal, anger, fear, even hatred. The emotions batter her processor, draining her strength and drawing an involuntary whimper.
Slowly but steadily, the senses resolve into cold words, both thought and spoken aloud.
Deception.
Disgrace.
Evil as plain as the blood on her face.
Deception.
An outrage.
Disgrace.
For shame.
She asked for trouble the moment she came.
"No!" she wails, raising her hands to fend off the verbal assault. "No! I didn't mean to! I swear, I didn't want to hurt anyone! It was an accident!"
The words go on and on, slamming her almost physically with the hate and fear that backed them, and rising into shouts as more and more join the crowd.
Deception. An outrage.
Disgrace. For shame.
You know flaws outside our kind!
Evil as plain as the scar on her face.
See you later, agitator!
She doesn't even know the mech who throws the first rock. She only senses his anger, and the way it pulls the others toward them. Another rock flies past her head, then another and another as she starts to run, dodging whatever attacks she can. They still hit her.
Just leave us!
Deception! An outrage!
Disgrace! For shame!
Traitor, go back with your own!
Pain shoots through her shoulder as someone grabs her, wrenching the doorwing from its joint. She cries out and tears free, stumbling and almost falling. She must not fall. If she falls, they will kill her. She knows the consensus about those who can read processors all too well. They have never forgotten, or forgiven, Soundwave.
Born in grief, raised in hate.
Helpless to defy her fate!
Let her run, let her live.
But do not forget what we cannot forgive!
"Please! Why?" she half-sobs half-shouts, trying to be heard. "I did nothing! I harmed no one! Please – I was one of you!"
The response is quick and cruel, shattering any hopes she had.
And she is not one of us!
She has never been one of us!
She is not one of us.
Not our kind.
Someone once lied to us.
Now we're not so blind!
For we knew she would do what she's done,
And we know that she'll never be one of us!
Another blow, another rock, another growl of hate as she finally breaks free of the crowd and runs for home. The combined mental and audible shout strikes her in the back, resolving into just one sentence.
She is not one of us!
Spark pounding, shoulders shaking, she fights to stay on her feet and running as the crowd, and their words, fade into the distance. But every phrase rings in her processor, hitting home. She will never forget them.
Traitor.
Flaw.
Evil.
Disgrace.
Deception…