Author's Note: Hiya, peoples! Woo, thank you so much for those who read, reviewed, and/ or favorited my story! I honestly had no idea how you guys would like it. All right, upon request, here is the sequel to Amaranth. I don't combine these into one story because I intended for all of them to be one-shots. I was able to get this one up fairly quickly because I had it written up already, but the third one might take some time, seeing as I haven't even begun to write it yet. This might even have a fourth one if I can't fit everything into the third, but we shall see. But I will let you guys know that when I put up the third story to this, I'll be updating, hopefully, all of my stories I have on here so far (yes, even including the ones I haven't touched for a while), and possibly putting up my new full length Transformers story I've been working on for the past year. Anyways, I'm rambling again. Thank you, readers, for all of your support! You don't know how happy just one of your reviews makes me! Please read, review, and enjoy Always on my Mind!
Disclaimer: Hasbro has control of Transformers not me... don't make me say it again or else I might just have to throw something at you...
Always On My Mind
No rain for a change as the sun shone pleasantly on the small town of Neah Bay, Washington. Many citizens were out, soaking up as much sunshine as they could before the day was over, hoping to add a little color to their Casper-white skin.
The younger generation, on the other hand, were all dying to get outside; not paying attention to their lessons as they watched the second hand of the clock slowly count down the seconds till the end of the day. Unfortunately for the students, Washington state schools never cancelled for nice days.
The ring of the final bell had never sounded so sweet as in a blur of colors, teenagers were already pushing and shoving to get out of the building; rushing past their lockers and not stopping for a second. Teachers knew the work they had assigned would not be complete the next day; it was custom for students to ignore their studies and enjoy the few hours of sun they had left on days like this. Who could blame them?
Groups were already making plans, meeting up with friends as they crowded out the door.
"Hey, do you want to grab an ice cream?"
"Let's take the long way home!"
"I want to go to the beach!"
"It's not that warm!"
"What the heck, let's go anyway!"
"Why don't you want to hang out? We never get days like this!" Todd Bishop's noisy whine carried well over the excited conversations of the large mob of students surrounding the school as he followed Sydney Watkins out of the building.
"I told you I can't, Todd," Sydney cast a weak, apologetic smile behind her as she continued her quick pace through the sea of bodies, "My Uncle Orion wants me to come home and I don't argue with him about it because I know I won't win."
"Don't you mean Ryan?"
"No, Orion. Like the great hunter, Orion. Constellation ring a bell?"
"Hm, must have had some pretty cruel parents… but I'm sure he'd understand and make an exception this one time. Of what you told me, he seems like a pretty cool guy."
Sydney's brow furrowed, worry taking over as she slowly eased herself to a stop on the sidewalk outside, finally having made it out of the building behind her. What all had she told Todd about her "Uncle"? He knew "Uncle Orion" had come shortly after her parent's divorce to help take care of her… but what else did he know? Had she told him about her three other "Uncles"? Had what they really were slipped subconsciously from her lips recently?
"He can be… overprotective at times," Sydney remembered to answer her friend as he ran into her back, snapping her out of her thoughts. "He told me to come straight home after school because he doesn't want anything to happen to me."
"Okay, we live in a small town at the tip of the left hand corner of America. Our total population reaches maybe 300 plus people and it takes maybe half an hour to get from one end of town to the other, maybe less. What could POSSIBLY happen in Neah Bay, Washington?"
It was Todd's turn to furrow his eyebrows, but in a look of confusion, as he watched a small smile creep across Sydney's face, but she couldn't help it.
Four months it had been since her life had been turned upside down and flipped inside out after meeting the Transformers. After they had saved her, Optimus and the Autobots had decided to stay with her. She wasn't sure why they chose what they did, but, to be honest, she was kind of glad they had. After the divorce, her mother had disappeared with her "secret" lover, her Harry had turned out to be a Jordan, and no one had heard from them since.
Her father might as well have disappeared as well. He was always at the office now, constantly writing news for The Washington Times and quickly transforming into a workaholic. Sydney never saw him and whenever she did get a chance to talk to him, he didn't seem to know how to act like a father anymore. So Optimus had stepped up to fill in that role. Him and the other Autobots now acted as her new adoptive family; her new giant alien robot family that had sworn to protect her against the Decepticons that always seemed to have their sights on the young teenager now. Why that was, she wished she knew; all she knew was that in the past four months, she had nearly been killed over a dozen times. She found it amazing that her body was all still in one piece… well, minus one tooth, but that one had been her fault.
"You honestly have no idea."
"Please, Sydney?" Todd clasped his hands together, putting on the poutiest face he could muster. "Make up an excuse for your Uncle, just this one time?"
Opening her mouth to make another protest, Sydney was unable to get a single word out as the sound of a distant engine caused her throat to squeeze shut… the sound of a distant jet engine…
"Oh, cool! A fighter jet!"
Sydney followed the gazes and fingers of the excited students pointing towards the sky, her eyes widening as well, but in horror, when she saw the large metal bird in the air.
"What is that? An F-18 Hornet?"
"No, no, I think it's one of those F-16 Fighting Falcons."
"Whoa, is it just me, or does that jet seem kind of close?"
Sydney wished she could stretch out her legs for what she was about to do. "Todd, I have to run…"
"I know, I know, you have to get home," Todd sighed as he turned away from the ever-nearing fighter jet to face his worried friend, "At least let me walk you home."
"No, I literally have to run! Sorry, Todd!" Sydney was shouting over her shoulder, for she had already taken off at a fast sprint away from the school and all the kids that were in danger of being hurt if she stayed there.
"Sydney!" Todd didn't even get a chance to try and stop his friend as within a few seconds, she was already almost out of sight. "When did she get so fast?"
She had the Decepticons to thank for that. Ever since she met them, Sydney was constantly running, building up endurance and stamina while she tried to save herself. Maybe she was too distracted by fear to grow tired or maybe the will to live kept her legs moving, she wasn't sure anymore as she quickly made her way down the freeway that ran next to the Endless Wonder Woods.
"Stop moving, insect!" Shots from a plasma cannon began to explode behind the running teenager as Starscream's high pitched voice roared after her.
Not wanting Starscream to shoot an innocent civilian driving by, Sydney quickly veered to the right, tripping and rolling into the woods. Broken sticks and twigs littering the dirt ground scraped and tore at her legs and jeans, but she ignored the sting of pain, got back up to her feet, and kept running.
Usually, Sydney never got lost in these woods, but as she turned and dodged the multiple trees standing in her path, she began to wonder. If, but not likely, she lost the ever-persistent Decepticon, how would she find her way back to the freeway?
After she was sure she was completely lost, the teenager stopped and collapsed from exhaustion next to a large tree. She tried to silence her heavy breathing while also trying to calm her racing heart, both from fear and adrenaline, as she prayed for the towering giants to shelter her…
Sydney unleashed a startled scream as a couple of energy blasts skimmed past her ear and disappeared into the earth right next to her feet, leaving behind small, but deep glowing craters.
"Hiding doesn't do you any good, girl! You may be able to disappear, but your heat signal will always give you away!"
Of course… stupid body heat! "Stop coming after me!" Sydney shouted into the air, hoping she was loud enough for the mech to hear. "I have nothing you want!"
"Don't be so sure." Yelling was a mistake as more energy blasts crashed closer to Sydney.
"I'd like to live, thank you very much!" The teenager leapt from her sitting position and took off at a run, nearly crashing into a tree in her haste.
"You won't be living much longer," Sydney took a quick glance behind her and could see that Starscream had transformed and was now crashing through the trees after her. "You're my ticket to Prime, nothing more."
"You'll never touch him!"
"Oh? And how do you plan on going about protecting him, fleshling? You have no weapons, no defense."
"I…I can… save myself! He doesn't even have to know where I am!"
"He knows, though. When it comes to someone close to his pathetically weak Spark, he always knows."
Sydney's legs were on fire. She could barely lift them up anymore. I won't call for Optimus… I won't put him in danger again because of my weakness and size. "No, I won't let you touch him!" With a burst of motivation, she took a flying leap and tossed herself into a long line of bushes.
Expecting to land on dirt, she was surprised when loose gravel dug into her arms as she rolled across concrete. She had found the freeway, but it wasn't the best place to be when you're lying right in the middle of it.
As the teenager stopped rolling, a loud blare of a truck horn caused her to look up. A large black eighteen-wheeler was speeding towards her. Noticing she was in the middle of the lane, Sydney pressed herself as close as she could to the road and prayed for a miracle. The gizmos and gadgets sticking out from the truck's underside just barely skimmed her back, but the large beast roared over her without a scratch.
Sydney knew she had dodged a very close bullet, but she wasn't out of the woods yet. She had to get off of the road, but how could she when her legs wouldn't work and a Durango was quickly closing the gap between them? Closing her eyes and covering her head, she knew that her luck had just run out.
The impact she braced herself for did occur, but it happened a lot differently than she expected. Horns blared as the sound of screeching tires rang in her ears, but instead of hitting her, the Durango hit another vehicle. Gazing up quickly to see what had happened, her eyes widened when she saw a large blue Peterbilt Truck with flames licking the sides blocking the Durango from view.
"Optimus…" Sydney managed to say as, not caring about the surrounding watching eyes, the semi transformed. Bending down without a word, Optimus gently lifted the girl from the road and placed her in the safety of the tall grass nearby. Then, he turned towards the sound of the crashing trees, standing between Sydney and the aggravated Starscream.
"Optimus," Sydney struggled to stand on her wobbly legs as she tried to inch closer to her guardian's foot, "You shouldn't have done that. People are staring…"
Traffic had come to a complete standstill as people gaped at the twenty-foot tall robot standing on the side of the road. Cell phones were whipped out in the blink of an eye as a million voices began to communicate to others who weren't there what they were witnessing. Others tried to take pictures with their small camera phones, but Optimus was too big for the frame.
"Let them see, Sydney," Optimus spoke calmly as he cast his optics down towards the teenager, "This involves them as well if Starscream reveals himself."
Sydney jumped as two glowing sabers shot out from where the Autobot leader's hands should've been. "Stay here. I'll be back," and with that, Optimus ran towards the woods, careful not to step on anyone along the way, and disappeared into the trees.
People began to get out of their cars, their eyes wide as they stared at the woods that served as the two mechs' battle field. Trees toppled, loud crashes sounded whenever the two robots collided, loose energy blasts shot upwards and disappeared above the clouds from time to time. Suddenly, everything grew silent; as silent as if this supernatural phenomenon had never happened.
"Did all of that really just happen?"
"What happened to the robot?"
"How many robots were in there? Who won?"
"Wait! Don't go in there! Somebody, stop that girl!"
Heads turned as the sudden worried cry filled their ears. A young teenage girl was racing towards the woods!
"Are you crazy? You'll get hurt!" Hands reached out to grab her and bodies tried to block the young girl's path, but Sydney had her mind set on one thing and easily slipped past the crowd trying to stop her.
"Optimus!" Sydney immediately began to shout as soon as she couldn't see the road anymore. She stumbled and tripped over splintered trees and glowing craters in the ground as she neared closer to the heart of the battlefield. It definitely was a battlefield… more like a warzone as she scanned the leveled ground that used to be full of trees, searching for her guardian and friend. "Optimus!"
The familiar sound of gears shifting was heard behind her and as Sydney whirled around, a large semi drove out of the remaining trees and pulled up beside her.
"Get in, quickly," Optimus' voice emanated from the truck as the driver's door opened, revealing an empty interior.
Nodding, the teenager did not hesitate as she clambered into the truck. She turned around once again as Optimus began to drive to inspect the damage left behind from the fight… How was anyone supposed to explain this scene, when it looked like a bomb had just exploded? Terrorists, perhaps?
"Where's Starscream?" Sydney tried to revert her attention to what was at hand rather than what was already done.
"He fled, for now." Figures. "But to be safe, I'm taking you home, then I will lead him away from you. My signal is shielded, he won't discover where you live, I promise."
"Why are they even after me?" Sydney couldn't help but blurt out, her feelings of unease taking over. "I have nothing they could possibly want."
"Actually, Sydney, you do."
"What?"
"You have us. The Autobots. The Decepticons will stop at nothing till all of the Autobots are destroyed. They know if they capture you, we'll be right behind them. You are their key to our extinction."
Horrorstricken, Sydney slowly began to shake her head, tears of confusion, frustration, and defeat threatening to be unleashed. "I don't… I don't want to be the cause… the key to the end of your kind. You don't deserve this… and I wouldn't… I couldn't live with your deaths on my shoulders. Please… I'm begging you… Leave while you still have a chance…"
"It's too late for that, Sydney."
"What do you mean?" Sydney rapidly blinked her eyes, keeping her tears hidden from her guardian, though the mech could probably already sense she was upset.
"Well, for one thing, even if we were to leave, the Decepticons might not follow us and wreck havoc here to lure us back in."
"…And the other reason?"
"You have become very close to my Spark. I feel very protective of you and I take my duty as guardian very seriously. You are also still healing from your parent's separation. I take the responsibility of being both your guardian and your father, since yours doesn't seem to know how anymore."
"… I'm sorry…"
"For what?"
"All of this… You shouldn't have transformed, people have seen you now…"
"I did it to protect you."
"It's always my fault!" Sydney broke down, not able to hide her tears any longer. "I'm so weak, I can't even defend myself!"
Silence claimed the inside of the semi; only the girl's soft sobs cut through it. Then, in a low, soothing voice, Optimus began to talk again.
"Sydney, listen to me. This was not your fault. You waited for me at the school and Starscream caught you off guard. You did what any other human would do. You acted on instinct."
"But… now every news station is going to be out looking for you and the others and this town is not that big."
The truck's engine revved, but it almost sounded like an amused snort. "Not if I step on them first."
"Yeah, like you could do that," a small smile managed to penetrate through the tears as Sydney managed to throw in a hint of sarcasm. "Since when did you get a sense of humor?"
"Since I met you. Here we are." Sydney was surprised to see her house right outside the passenger's window. She had been so distracted talking to Optimus, she hadn't realized when they even found a road to slip inconspicuously onto.
"Starscream isn't around, so you'll be safe," Optimus spoke as Sydney slowly slid out of his alt mode. "The other Autobots are out on patrol tonight, so I want you to stay inside. I'll be back soon."
Sydney could only nod to the Autobot leader, fresh tears lingering at the corners of her eyes as she turned towards her small, empty house.
"Sydney." The teenager turned at the sound of her guardian's gentle call. "This isn't your fault."
"Be careful," she managed to whisper as she continued walking towards her dark front door, knowing if she looked back, she'd miss the Autobot leader even more. But the harsh, stabbing pain of being alone still hit her as the roaring engines of the semi slowly faded into silence.
"Can you even begin to tell me what the hell you were thinking running into those woods, young lady? You could've been hurt, or worse, killed!"
Sydney had to hold the phone a few inches away from her ear as her father's voice roared clearly through the speaker. The news cameras might not have been at the scene to film what had happened earlier, but some kid with a camera phone had, and he had posted it on YouTube for everyone to see. So far, it already had over three million hits within an hour's time.
"That wasn't me…" Sydney tried to lie, but was unsuccessful.
"I watched that video about twenty times. I'd think I'd know my own daughter when I saw her."
"Are you sure about that?" Sydney snapped. "Seeing as you're never home long enough to see me, I'm surprised you can still remember what I even look like."
Silence followed on the other line. Minutes passed… Maybe that was uncalled for, but the teenager was too upset to care. Finally, after five long minutes, she could hear her dad clear his throat on the other line.
"I'll be a little late. Trying to calm everything down here before our damn doorbell starts ringing like crazy," it didn't help the situation that her dad worked for The Washington Times and it also didn't help that Neah Bay was such a small town and if something "out of the ordinary" happened, EVERYBODY found out about it. "Don't leave the house. When I get back, we're going to have a long talk."
"Can't. Have school tomorrow. Going to bed early."
"I'll keep you up all night and keep you from school tomorrow if I have to, but I WILL learn what's going on in that crazy head of yours."
"Fine." After short, snippy replies, Sydney hung up the phone before her dad could say anything else. She was already upset, the last thing she needed was a lecture. Breathing out slowly, she reached for the remote on the coffee table in front of her and flipped on the TV. Deal or No Deal came to life before her very eyes and before she knew it, the bright screen had lulled her to sleep.
The house was silent; so silent that the creak of an opening door was enough to wake the teenager sleeping on the couch.
"Dad?" Sydney slowly opened her eyes. The TV was still on, but she hadn't realized it was at its lowest volume. The sound of the creaking door came again, drifting from the entry way behind her.
"Dad?" Sydney managed to speak louder, rubbing her tired eyes as she slowly stood up. "Dad? Are you home already?" No answer.
Unease clutched at her heart as Sydney inched towards the entryway and peeked around the corner. Even if her dad had been in a foul mood, he would've let her know it was him. Peering through the darkness, her eyes widened when she saw the bolt on the front door unlocked. She had locked it when she came in earlier…
"Someone's here," she whispered to herself. She whirled around to find something, anything, she could use to defend herself with, but a large black shadow blocked her path, and before she could react, it wrapped a large hand firmly around her neck.
"That's right, sweetheart, I'm here to keep you company," a man's amused voice drifted to her ears from the shadow as she began to gasp for air, the firm grip cutting off her intake. "But if you scream, I'm going to have to kill you."
Sydney tried to cough, thinking it might help her to form at least a couple words, but she only made the situation worse for herself. Instead, she decided that actions speak much louder than words as she reeled her right leg back and rammed it into the stranger's crotch.
Surprised by the teenager's reaction, the man hunched over, cradling his balls as Sydney, now free, raced into the kitchen behind him. Her frantic eyes immediately sought out the collection of steak knives resting in their wooden domain upon the counter. Reaching for her protection, she had barely wrapped her fingers around the cool handle when arms wrapped around her stomach, restraining her by pinning her arms to her side.
"Think you're pretty slick, don't you, little girl?" The man hissed into her ear through clenched teeth. "Bet you can't pull off a stunt like that twice in a row."
A smug, proud smile crossed the stranger's face as he thought he had come out the victor, but what he failed to notice was the sharp blade hiding next to the teenager's side. Sydney had managed to inconspicuously grab the knife before the man even had a chance to notice.
"All right, then. I win," Sydney whispered just loud enough for the man to hear before she flicked her wrist and dug the steak knife into his thigh.
He screamed in pain, but was not so easily distracted this time. For when Sydney tried to run again, the stranger entangled his legs with hers and brought her crashing down to the hard tile with him.
"We got a fighter!" The man shouted into the air, pain clearly heard as his voice cracked.
Sydney really began to panic as another larger, older man rushed into the kitchen, bent down, and took firm hold of the upper half of her body, clamping his dry hand over her mouth. It was getting pretty crowded in here. How many of these guys were there and what did they want?
"Keep her secure," the first man growled as he took hold of Sydney's legs. "She's got a lot of tricks up her sleeve, but she won't scream." He groaned as pain coursed through his thigh, limping just to keep up with his companion as they made their way out the now-open front door.
"Her big alien friends probably already know we're here. Get a move on, Gimpy!" The older man hissed.
"What?" Both men looked down when they heard a muffled voice. The teenager they held was maneuvering her head around the old man's hand so she could talk. "That's what this is all about? What happened today?"
"We saw it all. We were there. We want those robots and since you seem to be in league with them, you'll bring them right to us."
"What do you think you could possibly do to them? They'll step on you before you can even lift a finger!" Sydney's voice held a tone of amusement, but it also held worry as she tried to speak loud enough for someone, preferably an Autobot, to hear her as the strangers dragged her across her front lawn to a black SUV parked in the street, hidden by the night.
"Shut up, girl!" The older man hissed as he ran the last few steps to the truck and rammed her head into the hard metal. Startled, the younger man dropped her legs as the teenager's body went completely limp.
"Come on, Greg, grab her feet!"
"Was that really necessary, Bill?" Greg stared at the girl and wondered when and if she would wake up from a blow like that. "It was a little uncalled for…"
"I don't care what's necessary! Conscious or not, we're taking her! So shut up, grab her feet, and get into the goddamn truck!"
Without another word of protest, Greg helped Bill push the teenager's limp body into the backseat. Then, dashing to the front two seats, the men took off.
To get to the ocean from any part of the small town of Neah Bay, it took someone about ten minutes driving at a speed of twenty-five. It took less than three as the men drove fifty-five miles an hour, ignoring stop signs and running through the red light of the only stoplight the town had. As they hit the beach, Greg and Bill were already getting out of the SUV before they even came to a complete stop.
"You're late," a tall, muscular man was walking towards the truck from a speedboat sitting on the sand. Three others waited by it.
"We had an unexpected struggle with this one," Bill spoke sharply, irritated with how the night was going as he wrenched the back door open and dragged Sydney out. "Keep a close eye on her when she comes to. She's a riley one."
"Will do, boss," the tall man picked the girl up with ease, then headed back to the speedboat. Once inside, the roar of a starting engine broke the silence of the night as the boat sped out to the open water and disappeared from sight.
Thirty-five minutes out, Sydney slowly began to stir. Her head was pounding, making it difficult for her to pinpoint where she was now. All she could make out was that she was rocking back and forth and could hear water sloshing around her. Struggling to open her eyes, she tried to bring her hands up to hold her aching head, but stopped as soon as she realized her wrists were tightly bound together.
"First Decepticons and now my own kind. This is getting way out of hand… ow…" Sydney mumbled to herself, her voice hoarse.
"Well, look who finally decided to wake up." Forcing her eyes open, the teenager expected to see one of the men who had kidnapped her. She was surprised to see a new man, a thin man who looked as if he hadn't eaten anything for a week, hovering over her. Two more bulky shadows sat on the edges of what Sydney guessed was a boat, and there must have been one more to drive it. "Feeling better, Sleeping Beauty?"
"Well… let's see…" Sydney began, "My head hurts, my wrists are bound, and I'm in a boat heading to God knows where. So, to answer your ridiculously obvious question, no, I'm not feeling better."
"Would you change your mind if you knew one of your robot friends was coming to save you?"
"Why do you even bother going after them?"
"We just want to take them apart, little missy. See what makes them tick."
"Not to burst your bubble, but you won't even come close to dismantling them."
"Ah ha, see, now that's where you're wrong. Take a look at this." Sydney had to strain her eyes to see the small electronic device cradled within the man's delicate fingers.
"What is it?"
"Thirty volts of electricity can kill a delicate motherboard, but this," the thin man's eyes boggled, he was practically drooling over the small device that looked like a handheld taser, "this little baby contains 20,000 volts of electricity. We tested it, fried a supercomputer within two seconds."
Not believing this crazed man's fairy tale, Sydney glanced up at the sky, losing interest in reality as she gazed at the multiple stars scattered across the vast dark slate draped above her. "You'll just piss them off…"
"Look, I don't have to be told what will or won't work by a child," the man fumed, "Shut up or I'll toss you overboard."
Not wanting to already be dead before the Autobots found her, Sydney bit her tongue, forcing the crude remarks to stay inside where they belonged.
"Uh, sir?" Sydney had to try so hard not to laugh as the man driving the speedboat spoke in a high, falsetto voice. "We have someone following us."
The three remaining men all turned simultaneously to look behind them. Sure enough, bright lights outlined a boat slightly larger than their speedboat and was quickly closing the distance between them.
The thin man hovering over Sydney smiled. "Is that one of your friends, sweetheart?"
Catching herself at the last second, Sydney decided to get the man back by not talking. He had told her to shut up, so the teenager leaned against the backboard of the boat and stared blankly at the thin man.
"Did you lose that chatty voice of yours or what?"
"You told me to shut up, remember?"
"Don't back sass me, girl! Is that one of the aliens or not?"
"I have a freakin name, alright? It's Sydney! And as far as I know, they only take the form of cars."
"Then that must be the coast guard behind us," the falsetto driver spoke again.
"Oh, shit!" One of the silent men sitting on the edge of the speedboat stood up. "They must have seen us take the girl!"
Even through the darkness, Sydney could see the worry on the thin man's face as he struggled to think of their next course of action.
"Sir, island on the starboard side!" A large shadow loomed over the northern horizon.
"Speed up and pull over there! We need to lose these guys!"
Sydney struggled to prevent her head from being hit again as the falsetto driver jerked the wheel right; the three other men nearly falling into the water. He turned the wheel left and right, zigzagging and mixing up his course, hoping to confuse their pursuers. Within five minutes, the speedboat had pulled up onto the island's sandy beach.
"Come on, girl," the thin man lifted the dazed teenager from her seat on the floor and half dragged her out of the boat. "Pick up your feet! Let's go!"
Getting rather annoyed with her captors, Sydney immediately sat down, jerking the thin man back a few steps.
"Get up, girl!"
"I don't want to go anywhere with you, MAN!"
"Get up or I swear…"
"You'll what?" a sly smile crept across the teenager's face. "You can't kill me or my friends aren't going to be too happy with you guys."
Visibly annoyed, the thin man breathed deeply through clenched teeth as he gazed back and forth between the open water and the sheltered forest that covered the mysterious island. "Brent, pick her up and let's move, quickly!"
Sydney noticed that when the thin man dropped her hands, one of the buff guys sitting in the boat was walking towards her.
"No, Brent," she began to inch backwards in the resisting sand, "No, don't you dare…"
She couldn't do anything about it as Brent bent down, picked her up like a rag doll, and draped her over his shoulder. The wind was knocked out of the teenager as the man's hard bones made contact with her stomach. Before she knew it, they were off.
Large, thick leaves smashed into her face as the small group of men scrambled through the never-ending forest. She didn't even know how far they had gone when a sudden sound caught her attention; a familiar sound she knew all too well that sent a wave of relief rushing through her. The Autobots had come for her and these men were going to be sorry.
The four men stopped dead in their tracks; silence reclaiming the night; that is until thunderous pounding footsteps broke it.
"There's something out there…"
"You think we didn't know that, Einstein? Shh!"
The footsteps were getting louder with each passing moment.
"It's coming closer!"
"Shut up, Captain Obvious!"
Too late. Sydney smiled as a large metallic being crashed through the trees towards the small group of humans. The smile soon vanished though once the moonlight broke through the shade of the canopy and reflected off of silver metal. A Decepticon!
Everyone, including the Transformer, stood very still. No eye or optic twitched as they stared at each other.
"Brent," the thin man spoke quietly behind him without turning around, not wanting to take his eyes off of the mech, "give me the girl…"
"Get her yourself! I'm outta here!" Without warning, Brent threw Sydney onto the thankfully some-what cushioned earth as he and the remaining two men took off screaming into the night.
Wimps.
"Now that's no way to treat your own kind, especially a youngster like her." Sydney was surprised to hear the concern this mech was showing for her. No Decepticon would ever dare do that. She was soon kicking herself when, upon further inspection, she realized he had blue optics; not the blood-red ones Megatron and Starscream had, but the same sky blue as Optimus and the other Autobots.
Not knowing what to say, the thin man decided to take action instead by slowly reaching into his pocket for his proud little gizmo.
"Oh ho ho," the silver mech chuckled as a long blade slid out from his right hand and lingered dangerously close to the human's delicate flesh, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Eyes growing ever wider, the thin man gave up and took off running after his friends into the forest.
"Sorry about scaring you there, Squirt," the mech's friendly voice drew her attention away from the wimpy men and back to him, "I sensed your heart rate skyrocket once you saw me."
"I thought you might be a Decepticon. You are an Autobot, right?"
Hovering over the small human still sitting on the ground, the silver robot crossed one arm in front of his chest and rested his other elbow upon it, leaning his head heavily upon his hand almost as if he were deep in thought as he stared at her; looking slightly surprised, yet curiosity was more dominant. "So, you do know about us."
Sydney nodded. "Optimus told me all about you guys. Or, you guys, meaning the Transformers. You all have such an amazing past."
"Yeah," the now-known Autobot snorted as he revealed his sword again and cut through the ropes that bound Sydney's wrists together. "A past of a war that has yet to come to an end because neither side refuses to surrender or give in."
"It's not just about your war, though," Sydney knew the Autobots were touchy around the subject of how long their war had lasted, but she wanted to assure them that it would come to an end. "Remember before the war? The golden age of Cybertron? If you can always keep that in your… processors, don't you think that's something worth fighting for? To strive to obtain that peace once more?"
The silver mech's forming foul mood slowly began to vanish and was soon replaced with amusement as he began to chuckle. "I'm on this planet for an hour and already I've met a human who knows almost as much about my home planet as I do."
"Well, your guy's history lessons are the only ones I don't fall asleep to."
"I like you, Squirt. What's your name?"
"Sydney Watkins."
The mech held out an index finger which the human grabbed in return. "Sideswipe, swordsman and proud solider of the Autobot team."
"So I figured," Sydney chuckled. "Well, if it's the other Autobots you're looking for, they're not here… wherever here is. They are in Neah Bay, Washington though. They might still be out on patrol, but Optimus went after Starscream."
Sydney kind of expected the reaction she would get from the Autobot. They all seemed to tense up and become defensive whenever a Decepticon, Starscream and Megatron in particular, were mentioned.
"Starscream's here?" Sideswipe growled, metal grinding as his large fingers curled into fists. After an answering nod from the young human, the soldier began to go off on a tangent. "The next time that jet crosses my path… I'll tear him apart and scatter his scrap across the galaxy! Who else is here?"
Startled by his sudden outburst, Sydney couldn't help but jump as she flinched away from the irritated mech.
"Oh, sorry. You shouldn't have heard all of that."
"No, no, it's fine, it's just, the only Autobot I've heard talk like that about Decepticons is Ironhide."
"Ah, good old Ironhide. He's here?"
"Uh-huh. So is Ratchet, Bumblebee, and… unfortunately… Megatron."
Sideswipe let out something that sounded like a human sigh as he shook his head, his fingers coming up to rub what would be his temples. "Figures. Where Prime is, Megatron is never far behind. Are there any more Decepticons here?"
"I don't know," Sydney's brow furrowed. How many of them were on each side exactly? "I sure hope not, though."
"Ah, I don't blame you there, little one. I'm guessing they're the reason you met us in the first place?"
Sydney nodded slowly as she unleashed a long sigh. "Wrong place, wrong time. Megatron tried to kill me, but Optimus and the others saved my life. Now, they have decided to stay and protect me because the Decepticons are trying to kidnap me to lure you guys in… I'm sorry…"
The Autobot couldn't help but cock his head curiously as he watched the teenager turn her face away from him and stare at the dirt ground. Realizing her emotional stability was dropping fast, Sideswipe knelt down to one knee and placed a finger under Sydney's chin, turning her watering eyes back up to gaze into his optics.
"Don't worry, Squirt," Sideswipe started as soothingly as his mechanical voice could go, "I won't let anything happen to you."
"I know that," Sydney swallowed hard as she wiped the forming tears lingering at the corners of her eyes, "it's just… it doesn't feel right to me. You guys shouldn't have to risk your lives to save mine because of what Decepticons want. You should leave… not because I want you to leave, personally, but because you HAVE to save yourselves while you still can…"
"Listen, Sydney, as Autobots, we have been raised to fight for and protect all that is good in this Universe. We stand and defend those who need it most. If we left, not just you, but everyone would be in dancer because the Decepticons know that we won't let them hurt innocent life forms without a fight. And if we die, we'll have died with honor protecting someone as an Autobot soldier rather than wrecking havoc as a Decepticon doom bringer."
For a seemingly young and short-tempered mech, Sideswipe was really getting through to Sydney. She found herself smiling as her gaze never wondered away from the newest member of her family. "You sound just like Optimus."
"Yeah, well," Sideswipe shrugged his shoulders, trying to hide his pride, "the big guy rubs off on you. He's an amazing leader and I am proud to serve him as both a comrade and friend. Now, come. Let's get you home."
"How," Sydney paused as she rushed to catch up with the Autobot's long strides, "do you even know where you're going?"
"We're going to the beach. Those men took you pretty far inland, but once we reach the water, I can navigate my way back to Neah Bay, no worries."
"It was you."
"Hm?" Without stopping, Sideswipe looked down at his feet to see a small smile crossing the human's face.
"You were the boat, weren't you? The one that was following us."
"Actually," Sideswipe had to look away as a sudden wave of guilt washed over his circuits, "that boat really WAS your coast guard. They turned around once those men zigzagged off course. You were sitting in me the entire time. I knew something was wrong and I wanted to help you, but I didn't want to transform till I was sure that only you guys would see me in my robot form. Sorry I didn't act sooner."
"No, no, you don't have to apologize. I'm just surprised. I thought Autobots always transform into cars."
"We can transform into anything we want, but we prefer cars. Really gives us an advantage over the Decepticons. No, the boat is only temporary till we get back to the mainland, then I'll need your help in finding a nice set of wheels."
"I don't know how much luck we'll have there, Sideswipe, but I'll do the best I can," Sydney laughed. There was something about walking next to a giant alien robot that made her feel comfortable, safe, and at home. In Washington, the Autobots always had to hide who they really were and if she was ever caught talking to a car, people would think she was crazy. But out here… in the middle of nowhere… she could and was walking next to Sideswipe and talking, almost as if they were two people conversing. Sadness began to claim her as she wished Optimus could walk beside her as well, but it quickly vanished as a wave of drowsiness hit her, forcing her to yawn.
"Would you like to stop for some recharge?"
"Huh? Oh, but, what about getting home?"
"It'll still be there tomorrow. You need some rest and plus, I prefer to travel during the day. It's easier to keep track of my surroundings in my opinion."
"I agree," Sydney was practically sleep-talking as she plopped to the ground, thankful that the leaves and brush beneath her were fairly soft. She barely heard what the Autobot said as she laid her head down to sleep.
"Get some rest, Squirt. I'll keep a look out. I won't let anything happen to you…"
The sky's dark night blue began to glow with a light pink as the sun slowly rose, symbolizing the beginning of a new day. In front of the Watkin's small ranch house, a large Peterbilt Truck pulled up as quietly as possibly along the side of the road. Optimus had returned to check on Sydney, for she was upset when he had left.
Starscream ran away as always, Optimus thought to himself as he tried to pick up the human girl's signal from within the house, but that doesn't mean he won't try to return to harm Sydney again…
"… no, I just talked to her like sever hours ago. Yeah… no, I… I tried to call when I was coming home, but she didn't answer. And when I got home, the front door was open and there was a bloody steak knife in my kitchen… Yes, officer, I'll hold…"
Optimus became alert when he picked up Sydney's father talking to the police over the human's form of communication. The man within the house was exhausted and sleep deprived, but his heat signature was constantly on the rise. Something was wrong, not just because of Mr. Watkins, but also because the Autobot leader could not find a trace of his human's signal.
A cell phone could be heard ringing from within the house… Sydney's cell phone…
"Hello?"
"Oh, Mr. Watkins. Um… sorry to be calling so early, but I was just checking to make sure Sydney was alright. She took off in a hurry after school yesterday and she seemed really worried about something."
"I can't answer you right now, Todd, because I don't know the answer myself."
"What do you…"
"Sydney's gone."
That's all Optimus had to hear as he cut off his line to the inside of the house. Sydney… gone… where? She wouldn't have run, never from him, so she must have been taken!
Sensing security cameras perched atop the dimming lampposts lining the quiet street, the Autobot leader tapped into them without so much as even lifting a finger, rewinding the tapes back seven hours prior of the present six o' clock time. A dark unfamiliar SUV he had never seen before was parked in the street on the tape and after fast forwarding an hour or two, he saw the front door of the house swing open. Two men carried a squirming body, Sydney, across the yard towards the truck. They paused for a minute, conversing silently, seeing as the camera did not pick up on sounds, then the guy holding her arms rammed her head into the truck's metal door, shoved her into the back, and took off.
Roaring his engines to life, Optimus took off as well. He used the multiple security cameras scattered randomly around the small town to follow the men and to find out where they had taken his human. Within minutes, he found himself at the beach. He transformed as soon as his tires hit the sand and stood at the water's edge, waves lapping over his metallic feet as he gazed out over the ever-brightening scenery.
The silence of the fading night was soon penetrated as the sound of jet engines grew louder and louder. Optimus was barely able to roll out of the way as a few energy blasts hit the ground where he had been standing shortly before.
"So long, Prime!" Starscream sneered as he zoomed over the Autobot leader's head and rapidly made his way across the glistening water. The rising sun was revealing a shadow that must have been an island sitting on the northern horizon. The Decepticon fighter jet was headed straight for it.
"Sydney must be on that island," Optimus' fingers curled into fists. "Primus, if there were any time I needed wings, it would be…"
The loud blare of a low horn distracted the large mech from his rant. Looking to his left, Optimus could see a large cargo ship gliding rather quickly across the water and heading towards the island. Without hesitation, he ran towards it, jumping and disappearing beneath the forming surf.
The sun was rising higher into the sky, its warm rays beginning to penetrate through the thick trees as the dew-covered leaves began to glisten. Sideswipe sat on the leafy ground, staring at the human sleeping soundly beside him. He wanted to get moving as soon as possible, but she hadn't woken up all night and she looked so peaceful, he just couldn't bring himself to wake her.
The sound of engines filled the air, but sounded too close for comfort. The Autobot soon rose to his feet, now alert as the engines suddenly cut off and silence surrounded the area once more.
"Sideswipe?" Sydney said groggily, rubbing her blurry eyes to see what was going on. "What's wrong?"
"Stay where you are, Sydney," Sideswipe spoke sternly as he slowly walked through the trees, his optics cast towards the sky.
Her tired mind quickly went on alert, knowing that even in the short time she had known the mech, Sideswipe only called her by her real name when he was serious. Frightened, she ignored the Autobot's orders and began to rise to her feet, hoping to stand closer to him for protection. She froze as two large metal feet landed on either side of her small body, vibrating the ground beneath her.
"That's right, insect, stay right where you are."
Knowing that voice anywhere, Sydney slowly turned widened eyes up towards the Decepticon looming above her.
"Miss me?"
The teenager swallowed hard. "Not really," she managed to squeak.
"Get away from her, Starscream!" Both Starscream and Sydney turned their gazes to the Autobot racing towards them, his long, fatal blades springing out from his arms.
"Ah, the lone twin," Starscream sneered, not seeming to be intimidated by the slightly smaller Autobot before him. "Tell me, how is life without your other half?"
"You'll pay for what you did to him!" Sideswipe did not stop running as he leapt into the air, lunging towards the Decepticon jet. Plastering herself to the ground, Sydney waited for the two mech's to form a wide enough gap between them as they tumbled away from her, then she quickly picked herself up and started running, hopefully, in the direction her and Sideswipe had been headed earlier that morning.
"Now, must we quarrel over something that happened nearly forty stellar cycles ago?" Starscream growled as he tried to push the Autobot off of him, surprised at how strong the small mech was.
"You tricked me!" Sideswipe roared. "You put another bot in Sunstreaker's place to fool me and lure him away from me! By the time I was able to sense what was happening, you had already extinguished his life source! If I had known where he had been, he would be the one alive and your Spark would be mounted on a scrap heap on Cybertron!"
"Oh, please," although Sideswipe was stronger than he seemed, Starscream wasn't about to show the Autobot that he had the upper hand. "Like you could really take me on."
"Watch me!"
Bursting out of the trees, Sydney couldn't help but smile as her aching feet sunk into sand.
"Yes, found it," she panted, having been running for who knows how long. Her eyes gazed over the clear blue water as she tried to steady her racing heart. The horn of a cargo ship blared in the distance, sailing quickly along the horizon.
"You won't best me, Starscream!"
"Wanna bet?"
Sydney whirled around to face the thick forest and barely managed to roll out of the way as Sideswipe flew through the air and crashed to the sand where she had just been standing. She scanned the damaged body of the Autobot. Starscream was definitely taking a toll as it took longer and longer for the Autobot to recover from a blast.
"Sideswipe!"
Starscream burst out of the trees soon after. "I will eliminate your Spark the same way I did to your brother's!"
Sydney had no idea what she was doing, but she found herself standing between the hurt Autobot and the raging Decepticon. "Stop!"
"I have no problem killing you along with him, fleshling!"
"Sydney, get out of the way!" Sideswipe didn't wait for a response from the human as he used his large hand to push her away from the incoming danger.
"No! Sideswipe!"
"I've had just about enough of this!" Sydney watched helplessly as Starscream extended his arm towards Sideswipe's vulnerable Spark chamber, but instead of time slowing down, things happened fairly quickly. Before she could even blink, the teenager saw a shadow burst from the water, rush towards the two mechs on the beach, and grab Starscream's outstretched hand just inches away from Sideswipe's chestplate.
"You'd best prepare yourself, Starscream," the low, threatening voice of the Autobot leader penetrated the air, "because I've only just begun."
Optimus…
"Sir…"
"P-Prime!"
Without much effort, Optimus thrust Starscream a few feet away and knelt down to help his damaged comrade back onto his feet. "It's been some time, my friend."
"Too long, Optimus, sir," Sideswipe was speechless. If his leader had been any second later… he didn't even want to think about that. But what the Autobot did think about was the task at hand. Now that Optimus was there, they could both take on Starscream without a problem.
Pissed beyond belief, Starscream rose back to his feet, but as he readied himself to go after the two Autobots, he froze. Optimus and Sideswipe stood still, bracing themselves for whatever the Decepticon planned to do next, yet with an amused look on their faces saying "you don't stand a chance".
Not happy with this outcome, Starscream growled as he transformed and took off into the sky, knowing he didn't stand a chance if he stayed to fight.
"Hm, even on an alien planet, he's as cowardly as always," Sideswipe crossed his arms as he watched the jet fade to a mere speck on the horizon.
"What needs to be repaired, Sideswipe?"
"Just a few touch ups from Ratchet and I'll be as good as new."
"Are you sure you're okay, Sideswipe?" Both mechs cast their optics down to the teenager at their feet, her body covered in a layer of grainy sand.
"Sydney…"
"I'm fine, Squirt. Sorry for pushing you," Sideswipe was relieved to see that the young human was safe, but found her new messy appearance fairly amusing.
"Sure you are. Just yuck it up, why don't you, but thanks for looking out for me… whoa!" Sydney was caught off guard as Optimus silently scooped her up with his hand and cradled her close to his Spark.
"Thank Primus, you're safe," Optimus let out something that sounded like a relieved sigh as he spoke softly. "I'm sorry I left you alone."
Surprised at first by her guardian's fatherly actions, she soon found herself gratefully sinking into the comfort he offered her. "Don't blame yourself, Optimus. I'm a big handful, even for you guys."
"Are you alright? How does your head feel?"
"A little headache, but I'm honestly fine. Sideswipe took good… care of…" Sydney paused as she noticed the Autobot leader's metallic armor was slick and wet. "Um, Optimus? How exactly did you get here?"
"Took a ride on a cargo ship, but it's something I'd rather not do again."
"You won't have to, Optimus, I got you covered," Sideswipe smiled as his body began to shrink, gears and parts moving until the Autobot soldier had completed his transformation; now a sleek, silver speedboat sitting in the sand. "This form is driving my circuits off the wall, but I'll be able to handle it till we reach Neah Bay. Climb aboard, Optimus."
"Will you be alright carrying me?" Optimus had no doubt in his cerebral processors that Sideswipe could hold his own and more, but due to the unfortunate circumstances, he did not want to push his comrade harder than his already damaged body could handle.
"You're forgetting who you're talking to."
"You really should rest, Sideswipe."
"I'm fine, Squirt. Ratchet can help patch me up when we get home."
Sydney opened her mouth to protest, but decided to keep her thoughts to herself this time as Optimus placed her on the beach and went to help push Sideswipe into the water. The Autobot leader knew the limitations of his men better than anyone else, so if he said that the soldier could go on, it must be true.
Once Sideswipe's boat form was gently bobbing on the waves, Optimus reached down for Sydney once again, holding the human close as he waded out to his comrade. She decided to try to take a little nap, not knowing how long it would take to get back to shore as the Autobot leader carefully climbed aboard the small boat.
Sydney was already beginning to doze off, the combination of Sideswipe's smooth ride and the gentle, continuous hum of Optimus' Spark quickly lulling her to sleep, but before she slipped completely into unconsciousness, she couldn't help but overhear the two Autobots conversing… about her.
"The little Squirt's really something, huh?"
"What do you mean by that, Sideswipe?"
"She's tough for her kind, but she also has a big heart."
"Inside and out."
"She'd make one hell of an Autobot."
As Optimus gazed down at the small human cradled close to his Spark chamber, he noticed a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.
"She's fine just the way she is."