Note: I don't own Transformers in any way, shape, or form. I only own Erin, Katie, Jordan, the finches, Armonie, and Snowy. I also don't own the songs that inspired this story. :(
For those who wanted a sequel, here it is: 'The Truth About Heaven', sequel to 'What I've Done'
XD;; The only songs I listened to while writing this was 'The Truth About Heaven' by Armor For Sleep, 'Citizen Soldier' by 3 Doors Down, 'Let the Bodies Hit the Floor' by Drowning Pool, and 'My Shiny Teeth and Me' from Fairly Odd Parents. XD;;
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They were all aware of the newcomer – that was the reason they had all clustered in the lounge, after all. Even Erin/Mei (as the symbiotic pair was usually known as), Arcee, and Rewind who generally stayed home to avoid suspicion were there. Those mechs who were off-duty or guardians had gathered in the lounge to await the arrival of the newcomer at the end of his Ratchet-and-Optimus-led tour.
The humans sat on the floor chatting idly amongst themselves, and the finches seemed to understand what was going on for they were cheeping excitedly but remained grounded. Snowy sat between Katie and Erin/Mei, green eyes half-lidded in a lazy stare directed at the door. Arcee and Jazz stood on either side of them, hovering protectively over the two females.
"Do you know who it is?" Sam asked, cautiously approaching Erin/Mei; he was still wary from that bloody nose she gave him and having not really met the AllSpark, wasn't sure if it would react badly to him attempting to destroy it.
Erin turned to look at him. She smiled slightly despite her dislike of him – his callous words had cut her deeply and though usually very forgiving, found that she had a hard time forgiving what he said to her, especially since he never really apologized or made any movement to suggest that he was sorry or regretting his words. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Whatever Sam was about to say was interrupted as the doors opened and the newcomer entered, followed by Optimus and Ratchet. "…the lounge."
Erin winced at the description she acquired from Rewind and Mei of the mech: an odd sort of dusty gray-blue-green that she immediately disliked. She winced again as she heard subtle screeching and clanking of his systems – it sounded like an unoiled machine trying (and failing miserably) to work quietly.
The finches cheeped their welcome but restrained themselves from flying over to greet him in a tornado of feathers. It also helped that Snowy held Primo and Leone – the leaders of the flock – under his paws.
The old mech looked over the mechs (and femme) gathered in the lounge with a cautious eye, frowning deeply when he spotted Hot Rod talking with one of the tiny creatures on the floor. "Quite frankly, Prime, I'm surprised that you've survived for this long. You have five people on duty – counting the Security Director! Judging by the count you've given me, you also have no Autobots on patrol – how did you manage to survive for an entire Earth year?"
"We have our ways," Optimus told him flatly, obviously not liking the criticism of his base.
"What are they saying?" Mikaela whispered, coming up behind Erin/Mei. The other humans followed suit, remembering that the symiotes could understand Cybertronian speech.
"The new mech is saying that he's displeased with the way our security is," Erin whispered back.
"Hot Rod says his name is Kup – he used to be the Security Director of Cybertron," Armonie told them in a quiet tone, coming over from her talk with her guardian.
"My, you have the troublemakers, I see. Hot Rod, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Bluestreak!"Kup appraised. "How did you manage?"
"By giving them something productive to do," Ratchet told him bluntly. "We also have the humans to keep an eye on them, which is an added bonus on our side. They generally keep them out of trouble, even when the cat and finches don't."
Kup eyed the humans as Erin gave a whispered translation of the conversation. "It is also unwise to keep so many pets underfoot – especially when they're so tiny. Get older ones so there isn't a chance of them being stepped on," he added to his list of criticism.
'Oh no he didn't.' Mei growled and Erin found herself glaring at the mech.
'He did.' Her symbiote growled back. Out loud, she translated for the others.
"You did not just call us pets!" Katie roared, eyes flashing. Jordan, Mikaela, Armonie, and Maggie's eyes flashed just as dangerously while Sam stared. "Snowy." The cat released the flock leaders and shrieking, the birds flew at Kup who surprised, flailed at them. Optimus and Ratchet moved out of the way.
"They aren't pets. They're our friends and an example of the sentient life on this planet." Jazz told Kup firmly as he tried to swat at the birds who were now flitting at his face, Hatchet leading the attack. "I suggest you learn to respect them – you may be assigned to protect one."
"Pets are something owned, and our friends belong to themselves." Bluestreak added stoutly. "You can argue all you like, Kup, but I highly doubt the AllSpark is owned by anyone but itself."
Kup stared at the gunner for a long moment. "Surely I misheard or you're wrong, youngling. I was told the AllSpark was destroyed with Megatron."
"He is correct," Arcee told him bluntly. "We just found out that the AllSpark had transferred part of itself into the human I am currently protecting. They are now symbiotes."
"Impossible."
"Anything is possible, especially when it comes to me." Mei snapped, silvery-gray eyes flashing. "I don't care what you call other humans, and neither does my host, but if you call us pets again, not even Primus would be able to help you. Comprende?"Shakily and with a lot of screeching and clanking, Kup nodded and Mei subsided with a snort. "Men," she muttered and Katie had calmed down enough to chuckle. "Send Snowy on him if ya like." She added with a wink before giving control back to Erin who was grinning just as evilly.
Snowy, the smart creature that he was, looked hopefully up at Katie who with a laugh, nodded. As the humans laughed at the sight of the cat attacking the elderly Autobot, Erin/Mei sat down and Rewind climbed into their lap. 'Mei, I feel strange. Not sick, but like something bad is gonna happen.'
The deity was quiet for a moment. 'Me too, but I don't know what's gonna happen, Erin. I can't sense any danger, yet I feel it.'
'Same here. I don't like it at all, but what can we do?'
'Precisely. Let's just wait and see, shall we?'
'Si Let's.' both knew that the other hated to wait, but in this, they had no choice.
-
Arcee frowned. "It doesn't sound good if you both have that feeling," she said slowly.
"Indeed," Optimus murmured, looking at the symbiotes sitting in front of him. "How long have you had this feeling?"
"Just after Kup came," Mei replied after consulting Erin.
"Do you think Kup has something to do with this?" Prowl asked and immediately the pair shook their head.
"I don't know if he has anything to do with it, but we doubt it. He just happened to appear at the moment we felt something bad was going to happen."
"Great." The old Autobot grumbled. Mei glared at him and obediently he fell silent.
"Erin and I have concluded that the best course of action is to wait it out. At least until I can get a good idea of what's going to happen."
"You'll tell us, though, right?"
Mei snorted. "Of course, afthead. "
"Well, that's settled then, right?" Jazz asked, looking at Optimus.
"More or less." The enormous leader rumbled. "Dismissed."
'I don't like not knowing.' Mei murmured and Erin made a noise of agreement, walking down the halls. She had by then memorized the number of steps it took to get back to the med-bay where Ratchet insisted on keeping her. 'I can't help but feel useless right now.'
'Welcome to my world,' Erin replied dryly. 'All I am is a blind girl – I can't read Braille, I can run but risk running into something. I can't play soccer,' Mei could feel her host's heart clench at that. 'I can't run track or hurdles. I can't draw or write – I can hardly type! The only thing I am useful for is for being the host of the AllSpark and that's about it.'
'Don't say that,'
Erin snorted. 'Mei, you're the AllSpark – the giver of life to Cybertronians. You're not useless. So what if you can't see what's going to happen even if you have a bad feeling? I can't see anything at all! I can't do anything without help. I'm useless in a fight unless it's inching along painfully slowly, and my mother is thinking about getting a seeing-eye dog for me.'
Anything Mei was about to say in reply was interrupted as Erin, not really listening to her surroundings, ran into Kup's foot as he was swinging it forward to step. She was thrown a few yards back, landing with a dull thud that made aware the old mech to her presence.
"Oh no." there were two heavy steps and the mech knelt down noisily beside the dazed Erin. "Are you okay, little human?" a large finger prodded her in the back and pained, Erin groaned.
'Erin!' if Mei could have, she would've been fussing around the teen like a mother hen. 'Are you okay, Erin?' silence 'Erin?'
'It hurts,' the mind-voice of her host was soft and bore testament to her soft statement.
"Oh, my." The big gray hand picked her up and Erin's breath hitched in pain. Her eyes closed and now she couldn't move even if she wanted to.
"Hey, Kup." The hands twitched in surprise and the hands swayed as Kup turned around. "Something wrong?"
"I think she's hurt."
'Is that Roddy?' the human asked her symbiote, dazed with pain.
Gently, Mei pried control from the teen and gasped – both out loud and to Erin – at the intense pain. She found that her eyes were squeezed shut and now she opened them. 'Yeah.Roddy and Armonie.'
"Primus, she's leaking all over my hand."
'Leaking?' Mei looked downwards and gasped, a hand going automatically to their stomach. Wheezing, she cast a silvery eye at the gray hand. Indeed they were leaking on him, a long river of red dripping away from their nose. 'Matrix.'
"Sweet Lord," this was a human voice with a strong Italian accent, and a soft, human hand touched her shoulder ever so gently. "Mei? Erin? Are you all right?" A flash of dark hair. "Roddy, go get Ratchet. Tell them Erin and Mei's hurt." There was a loud thumping sound as the other Autobot raced away. "Can either of you hear me?"
To make even the slightest sound was painful. "Yea."
"What hurts?" the gentle hands ghosted down their arms, then over their face. "Your nose is bleeding. I don't think it's broken, though. We have to stop the bleeding first, though, okay?" Mei allowed their eyes to close halfway – they both trusted Armonie, even unconsciously. "Breathe through your mouth, now." Who obeyed, neither were sure, but Armonie pinched their nose to stop the bleeding. After a moment, she took her hand away and it came away bloody, though no more of the magenta stuff was streaming out of their nose. "Anywhere else hurts?"
Neither of them could any form of coherent reply, and after realizing this, Armonie gently touched Erin's chest and collar bones, then drifted down to her stomach and ribs. Mei gasped and instinctively tried to curl up away from the gently prodding hands.
"What happened?" another voice asked and by then, both Mei and Erin were pretty much out of it.
"I don't know." Distress made Armonie's accent stronger. "Roddy and I were walking down the hall and saw Kup just standing there. He didn't look happy and something was in his hands so we asked what happened and he said that she was hurt so Roddy made me check." Armonie abruptly cut off.
"Did you do anything? There's a lot of blood here."
"Her nose was bleeding so I stopped it. She won't let me touch her stomach, though." Armonie told him promptly.
"Good. Kup, take her to the med-bay. Now While Armonie and I work on her, you'll tell us what happened to her." Mei and Erin must've dozed off as the hand began rocking, for when they opened their eyes they could see the med-bay walls. Or at least Mei could. "Scans indicate that she doesn't have any broken bones, but I think she has an inflamed knee. Mei's signature is confusing my scans, so I'll need to feel her sides."
"Mei?" jerkily, the deity pulled her head to look at the Italian woman who called the name Erin gave her. "What hurts?"
"Head…ribs…"
"I'm going to give you a sedative, okay?" there wasn't an answer as the other – Ratchet, it must have been, or at least his hologram – injected their arm. Almost immediately the pain faded and weary, Mei closed their eyes and allowed the temptation of sleep to sink in.
-
Katie was about to climb into bed when Snowy came racing into the room, message tied in the special capsule attached to his collar. Frowning, she plucked the small bit of paper out and opened it. 'Erin's hurt. She's in the med-bay. Ratchet told me to write to you to let you know. She has bruises, a bloody nose, possibly inflamed knee, and is dizzy, but aside from that she is fine, he says. Ratchet wants you to come by in the morning to talk with her. Armonie.'
"What's wrong?" Katie jumped in surprise when she heard Jazz behind her.
"Armonie sent me a note. Erin got hurt somehow and is in the med-bay."
"Is she okay?" Jazz asked, and Katie smiled slightly at the worry in his hologram's voice. She turned her head and kissed his cheek.
"Yeah, she's fine, they say. Dizzy, bloody nose, and bruises, but aside from that, okay. Ratchet says she might have an inflamed knee, but at the moment he's not sure." Katie told him. Jazz smiled slightly.
"Shall I get the revenge box out?" he asked and Katie chuckled.
"Yes, please."
-
They watched as the real body of the silver Autobot pulled out a large box – more like a crate, really – filled with random trinkets as the human pulled the awkward harness off the cat and climbed into bed.
"A good test subject," the first voice said in a hissing rasp.
"A mere human, cat, and Autobot are not enough for the experiment." The second voice admonished in a similar voice.
"The entire base can be our test." A third voice suggested, deeper and raspier than the other two.
"I agree." The second voice said, pleased.
The first voice was silent for a moment. "Shall I prepare the solution?"
"Yes." The second voice hissed, excitement threading its odd voice.
"Let the test begin." The third voice added and together they laughed and waited, eager to see if their test would work.
Bold words - Cybertronian language. Kup has yet to download English.
Romance (for those that want it) eventually. . .