Chapter one
Beginnings
The Grand Canyon was a beautiful sight for anyone and everyone who beheld it but she didn't even have a moment to enjoy it. She was running, sharp talons digging into the soft red sand of the desert not even slowing down as a massive cliff came into view.
You don't even have a name. The mocking words rang true in her processor as she jumped, arms out stretched as she hung in the air for a few seconds before gravity took a hold and she began to plummet to the ground she couldn't see. What good is a seeker who can't fly? The same words said, spoken by a different being burned into and she did a partial flip, angling her head towards the ground as she pressed her arms flat against her flanks to gain speed.
She felt the presence of her trine briefly, feelings of calm from one and hatred from the other and it made her smirk before she allowed her body to transform by instinct, the metal pulling apart and fitting back together like some intricate puzzle that shouldn't exist. The sun glinted off of her pitch black armor that was trimmed with an almost neon purple, the Decepticon symbol proudly displayed on both wings.
"Who needs a name?" She asked to nobody in particular as she continued to freefall coming closer to a ground that wasn't there. She concentrated, a static build up, arching underneath her body in an almost painful fashion. Inches away from the ground she unleashed the energy and the f-22 just seemed to disappear in a momentary flash of light before reappearing high above the clouds still moving with the momentum of her fall. Slowly she let her thrusters activate, roaring to life briefly and she lazily flew through the blue sky, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her armor. That isn't even your own body. A voice hissed in her head but this time she ignored the acidic burn from the memory, allowing her mind to drift into nothingness.
"Megatron's looking for you, Skyw-." A voice hissed through her comm. system and without him even identifying himself, she knew that it was Starscream. She grunted in acknowledgement.
"Freefall." She stated calmly, interrupting him and catching the second in command off guard.
"What?" He all but shrieked.
"My name." She paused. "Designation." She corrected. "It would be a dishonor for me to keep his identity." She slowly said, feeling the anger rising from her trine leader.
"Why should I care?" He hissed and she sighed, audibly for the other seeker to hear.
"He was your trine mate." Freefall stated but there wasn't any aggression in her tone, just sadness.
"Well." Starscream snarled, his voice tapering off into a horrible nails on a chalkboard screech. "He's dead. That is no longer my concern." He finished but Freefall could tell differently. He resented her because she wasn't the other seeker. Just wearing his armor and using his abilities.
"I'll reach base in a few minutes. If that would please our ever gracious lord and master." She bit out, earning a snort from Starscream.
"I'd warn you, he's in one of his moods." Starscream sneered and she laughed, a low rolling sound.
"Lucky me." Freefall grunted. "but isn't he always in one of his moods?" She retorted, before adding. "Screamer."
"I can understand why he's taking a liking to beating the slag out of you instead of me lately." The second in command growled as she snorted.
"If you're feeling jealous there Starscream, I can always let you have your place back as old Megsy punching bag." She teased, doing a lazy aerial flip, the wind almost teasing her wings and she couldn't help but let her powerful engine purr in delight even as her trine leader snarled loudly.
"I will deal with you when you return, after lord Megatron finishes with you. If there will be anything left that is." He sneered, his usual self assured tone smoothing out into a sadistic rumble. Freefall laughed, and insulting sound to the other seeker.
"I look forward to it, oh wonderful second in command." She teased again before cutting off all connections to him, including dampening the bond trine bond between them so she couldn't feel his rage. Before she cut it completely she felt Thundercracker's amusement and she could almost hear the stoic seekers snort.
Freefall cut all power to her thrusters, letting only the silence and the roar of the wind fill her thoughts before she turned all of her attention past the clouds.
"Where are you 'warp?" She spoke out loud. "What happened to you?" Freefall muttered once more before angling her nose to the ground and letting inertia do its work and once again living up to her new designation. As she fell to the ground, she couldn't help but contemplate what would happen if she didn't teleport in but she snorted in amusement and let the energy build up again.
4444
The Nemesis, as it was rightly called seemed to dominate the very sky, filling it with the very essence of dread but Freefall flew beside it, trailing on its air currents, sensors dreading the inevitable contact she would have to make. She dipped slightly, before transforming still beside the air craft, allowing her thrusters to keep her in the air before lowering her body onto one of the many angled wings of the ship.
Freefall pranced to the only entrance, her sharp almost heel like talons clicking pleasantly against the almost impenetrable armor and she paused taking a moment gain her composure with a sharp inhale of unneeded air before steadying her frame and raising her massive wings in a proud manor before entering the ship.
The halls were dim as always but Freefall didn't let that bother her as she moved through them at a leisured but forced pace, swinging her hips as she walked, stopping occasionally to talked to the many Eradicons that were passing.
"Our lord is looking for you." One of them finally said and she paused, standing much taller than the mech. She tilted her head to the side.
"Let me guess, control room, with Soundwave?" She asked, placing both hands on her hips and the mech nodded and she snorted before walking away.
"Lovely." Was her only response as she made her way to the designated area, putting on a cool and calm façade as the door hissed open with an audible burst of air. Megatron was standing with his hands interlocked behind his back as his red optics were locked on something Freefall couldn't see. Soundwave was equally busy, his slender fingers moving at a speed that seemed illogical as the blank black screen that served as his face remained focused.
"You wished to see me my lord?" She finally spoke, her confidence hiding any and all fear in her voice and she all but forced her wings to remain still. Megatron didn't acknowledge her at first and the seeker couldn't help herself but shift nervously before walking closer to him. He spun around quicker then Freefall expected a mech of such size to be able to do, landing a swift but agonizing punch to her abdomen.
She doubled over, realizing her mistake of giving him the room to strike as she clenched at the black armor that now had a slight dent, which was surprising because she had armor thick enough to survive a blast from one of Ironhide's cannons at point blank. Shockwave had made sure of that.
"Holding back your punches my lord?" She coughed out, her red optics meeting his furious ones. "How generous of you, I'm still standing." She mocked earning a snarl from her leader as he reached out again, throwing her halfway across the room.
"Disobeying a direct order from me?" He hissed, allowing his voice to fade back into a disturbing calm as he smiled, the disturbing scars that coated his face, moving with the gesture. She tried to pull her body off of the ground, only to receive another devastating kick to her side. "Foolish." He calmly remarked tilting his head as she rolled back onto her stomach. "I already have enough issues with that traitorous second." He rumbled, "and speaking of Starscream, unlike you, at he knows when to shut his mouth." Megatron snarled, wrapping one large taloned hand around her slender neck and holding her up so she was level with his optics.
"Well that's just me." She coughed out, feeling as a trickle of energon slipped through her lip plates, the bright liquid contrasting highly off of her silver face plating. "Got my pride to think about." Freefall calmly tried to retort only to be cut off as he squeezed her throat and slammed another punch into her abdomen, causing her to curl from the pain.
Freefall winched as he punched her yet again and she knew that if she had wanted to, she could have easily teleported away from him; away from the agony but she remained strong, keeping the bond clamped shut, preventing her trine from feeling her pain. That was the only reason she stayed. For them, both Starscream and Thundercracker. She felt like she owed them and it was that loyalty that kept her ever obedient to the Decepticon cause.
"Do you know why I allow you to remain online?" He asked and though Megatron spoke with a calm, almost pleasant tone, Freefall knew better as he loosened his impossibly tight grip to allow her the moment to speak.
"Cause my good looks?" She offered knowing instantly that she would regret the words the second they left her mouth but it didn't stop her as she gave him a cocky half grin that would only infuriate the warlord more. She expected him to strike her, but he didn't, instead his lips pulled into a full grin, showing the fangs that lined his mouth.
"I keep you around, dear little seeker because you are marginally more useful than that other blasted seeker that you replaced." He finished, dropping her to the ground and Freefall slumped as her legs couldn't support her weight. She clenched her fist, wanting to defend who was talking about but for the first time in a while she kept her mouth shut. "Now get yourself fixed up, you're leaking energon all over the place." Megatron snarled as he strode past her and out of the control room.
Freefall waited a few seconds after the door shut before she pushed her aching body up, wobbling unsteadily as she held her injured side. Soundwave looked at her, his emotionless face, reflecting her damage like a mirror. Slowly, she cracked a weak but cocky grin.
"Yeah, I know. My mouth's gonna get me killed one of these days, 'Wave." She calmly stated and the mech just swung his head back around to the screen, not bothering to show any emotion what so ever at her predicament. "See ya around." She called over her shoulder as she hobbled her sore body out of the room and into the empty hallway.
Freefall let the energy build up again, the electricity arching around her as she limped her way through the hallway before teleporting, her form disappearing with a loud snap of air that sounded oddly like thunder before reappearing beside the ever calm and stoic Thundercracker. He didn't even jump, instead he angled his head to look at her weakened body, barely able to support her own weight, as she clung to the side of the wall.
He didn't say anything as she made her way past him, to the uninviting metal berth that was covered with thick tarps used for protecting vehicles from the elements. She laid down, burying her body deep in the tarps like one might do with a blanket.
"So you're still alive." The ever brutal and cruel voice of Starscream called out as she heard him approach and Freefall wanted to shoot her hands out and strangle him. She could have if she wanted to, her being much larger than him with a thicker armor build but she bit back her anger and raised her hand out from underneath the tarp and proudly displaying the middle finger. It was a human gesture, a very childish human gesture but it kept her from snapping on the person whom she took the beatings for.
4444
"Starscream!" Freefall called out, sounding merrier than she had in the longest time as she leaned over his completely metal berth, digging her talons over the side, right next to his torso as she loomed over his slim, if not feminine form. He growled loudly as his optics onlined before striking out, his claws glancing over her armor, barely leaving a scratch thanks to Shockwave's design.
"What!" He shrieked, claws ready to strike at her again but she had already moved out of the way of his range, placing both hands on her hips in practiced ease.
"Touchy are we?" She mocked before taking a low easy bow. "Megatron has left. I thought I'd inform you." She paused, straightening her back. "and I'm going on an energon run this fine night." She said and he narrowed his crimson optics.
"Fine, go!" He snarled waving his slender fingers in the process in obvious irritation. Freefall gave a second bow, allowing the teleportation energy to build up, holding off so it gave the impression that she was flickering in and out of existence. She met Starscream's optics briefly before giving a slight grin and disappearing with a snap of air into one of the many hallways of the Nemesis.
Freefall walked down the hallway with a smug canter as she made her way closer to the hull of ship to make another teleportation easier and less energon consuming. She paused at the minute sound of someone's silent footfalls. With a slow motion she tilted her head to the side at the sight of Soundwave, a dull purple glow emanating from his sleek form. He too paused at the sight of her and Freefall nodded her head in respect.
"Good evening, Soundwave." She said to the third in command rather seriously before letting a grin coat her features as she approached the ominous mech. "Ever busy I assume?" She stated and the blank screen flashed once before returning back to the perfectly black and reflective surface. Freefall chuckled before walking past him. "I'm going out. Do you need me to retrieve anything for you?" She offered and the ever silent mech remained silent before walking away, in the direction of the control room. She watched him leave before turning around and running, gaining a fair speed as her talons clicked against the metal below her and just before she reached the wall she leapt, allowing her body to teleport.
Freefall reemerged beside the mighty warship with her arms stretched out along with her legs in a diver's pose and she allowed her body to fall. She reveled in the sensation of the air rushing past her and the seeker offlined her optics to better enjoy the sensation.
To her, there was nothing better than falling, the rush and the slight panic gripping her spark as the clouds rushed past her, knowing that no matter how high up she jumped, the ground was always approaching. After a few more seconds, she let her optics online and even though she could not see the ground yet, she transformed and allowed her seeker engine to roar into life, her large f-22 form bursting through the air with an indistinguishable roar.
With practice ease, she coasted to the side, her wings shifting and flexing with the motions of flight, the only thing that separated her from the man made jet's build before dropping altitude rather suddenly, cutting off all power to her engine, her thrusters powering down to silence.
Below her, Freefall travel past a small desert town and over the buildings that were forever ingrained into her memory. She circled around, completely invisible to the humans below her before she slowed, taking the time to transform above the tallest building that at some point was a bank but had long since been abandoned. She hovered in the air, her black armor practically invisible with the lack of moonlight to illuminate her form before landing. Her talons gripped the building, leaving deep gouges in the thick concrete, next to the ones that she had already left.
Freefall crouched on one knee, crossing her arm over her knee as she kneeled close to get a look at the people walking below her. They were completely oblivious to her existence as always and even if one managed to notice her bright red optics, she'd be gone before they even managed to do a double take. She sat there for hours, her optics switching back and forth between an old movie theater and a small diner that she used to know well and used to work at, before this.
She let her helm fall, briefly tensing her hand in both anger and frustration before looking down to the people. Freefall tensed as her sensor rang and she turned her head to see a rather flashy yellow sports car stop, pulling in at the diner, accompanied by a large semi and a blue motorcycle. She watched them, her optics narrowing in defense as the convoy parked so they were directly facing her, watching her. It made her metal skin craw and she couldn't help but snarl in her throat.
The red and blue semi flashed his headlights, a signal that he saw her, that they all saw her. In a brief almost jagged motion she stood, lifting her head and glancing at them briefly before teleporting slowly high into the sky above her, mid transformation. As she flew back in the direction of her base she allowed memories to repeat in her head.
You can't do this! This isn't legal! It was her own voice, her old voice and she couldn't help but flinch at the memory as the resounding pitch of a man laughing cruelly filled her processor, making her want to claw at her face.
Legal? He chuckled, wrapping his hands on bars that were on either side of her prone form. She remembered meeting his cold emotionless gaze as he reached down grabbing her by the back of her neck and hauling her out. Who says I care about anything legal? She hated that man's voice.
Someone will find out! Please just let me go. Freefall remembered begging and hating herself for it. As she flew she shuddered, the memory continuing to play out.
Nobody will find out. You're a nobody. The man mocked, meeting her brown eyes. Now look at what we made for you. The odd government official practically purred, grabbing her head and positioning it to look up at a slab that was high in the air.
It was the first time she ever laid eyes on this body that she was in, completely different from how it was now, less mangled. Freefall growled, her mind seeing the body that seemed to be barely held together with their false attempts at making it "better" and more female.
You see, the few Autobots are so outnumbered and with the 'cons ever… superior numbers; they need all the help they can get. She remembered her own fear better than his word and the crazed look in his eyes. Now granted, I don't think they will be all too pleased if they found out the implications of this but with the results… He had drifted off.
Imagine our luck at finding one of the enemies own, injured and just begging to be taken. A flying one even. The scientist had continued and Freefall landed on the outside of the Nemesis, transforming and wrapping her arm over her chassis.
"I'm so sorry Skywarp." She whispered, her words being obliterated by the rushing wind.
Author's Note- And here we have another story. This was stuck in my mind and granted yes… it is a confusing start but it will clear itself up in the beginning. Anyone want to speculate on what's going on? Grin.
Anyway, do leave a reply. I want to see how this is taken.
Edit- I completely forgot to mention but the Freefall's name and partial character development was inspired by many back and forths between me and Ivanoma. The name was her invention completely. (Sorry about that.)