Curiosity Killed the Cat
Summary: For Cadet Wilcox it starts as an ordinary night at cadets but by the end of the night she is involved in the Decepticon/Autobot war. Captured by the Decepticons, Cadet Wilcox is dragged all over the globe while the Autobots strive to retrieve her.
Disclaimer: Transformers belongs to Hasbro and other respective companies
Note: Stores is the name of the building where stores are kept.
Chapter 1
The whistle blew and the Airforce Cadets started pouring out from the classrooms and marching in from the parade ground. Everyone was looking forward to getting a sausage and standing around the side of the squadron building in order to see the new aircraft on the tarmac. The roar of aircraft was constant in the air coming from the commercial/defence airport. The night was dry and hot leaving everyone wanting to take a break. The base was sparsely lit and the surrounding buildings and tarmac loomed as darkened shadows outside the range of clear sight.
"Here's you change" Cadet Wilcox repeated for what seemed like the millionth time that night.
Ending up on duty while everyone else got to stand around peering out to the tarmac to look at the multiple jet aircraft sitting there just wasn't a good thing from Wilcox's point of view. Airforce operations don't happen every day, especially not on the same night as cadets. So all the cadets not on duty were making the most of it by buying their sausages quickly and then moving on to the unlit side of the squadron building in order to see what was going on. Older cadets and even staff were gravitating towards the side of the building, the best vantage point of the tarmac.
'Just my luck, getting stuck on duty the week of an airforce operation,' Wilcox thought to herself.
"Stop sulking and start packing up. Break's over and we've got to clean up," Corporal Johnson commanded.
"Yes Corporal," Cadet Wilcox replied meekly, restraining the urge to glare. 'Oh great,' Wilcox groaned inwardly. Cleaning up was the bad thing about duty, sitting around talking and getting out of classes was the fun part.
An hour later and debrief was finally finished, a fact that had most cadets grinning inwardly. Despite loving cadets Monday nights always dragged especially considering they all did a full day of school and went till 9:30. The only cadets not smiling inwardly were the ones on duty because they had to stay behind to clean the squadron buildings; a chore that dragged more than any of the others.
Corporal Johnson marched up to the awaiting duty group and started to give out jobs. "Okay, Leading Cadet Haines, you're on bins. Leading Cadet Neve you're on vacuuming and Cadet Wilcox you're on stores.' Corporal Johnson ordered.
Cadet Wilcox cheered up at the prospect of cleaning stores, it definitely wasn't the worst job and quite possibly it was the best. The Corporal, done with giving out orders turned and strolled towards the office.
"Ugh, vacuuming," Leading Cadet Neve muttered under breath, or rather tried to mutter under her breath. Cadet Wilcox glanced up, breathing a sigh of relief as she noticed that the corporal was out of hearing range.
"Be careful what you say at cadets," Leading Cadet Haines warned. Shooting them both warning looks.
'Not like I did anything,' Wilcox thought to herself. Rather than risk an argument the three split up to go about their individual tasks.
Cadet Wilcox or to those outside of cadets Charlie, wandered over to the darkened stores building after acquiring the key from the Squadron Office. The stores building was enclosed in darkness as she made her way towards it. Lights from across the road shone brightly enough that Charlie was able to dimly see the lock and handle. Giving the door a good shove she managed to open it, flicking on the lights as she did so. Taking a look around, she grimaced. Stores was definitely not clean.
"There, done," Wilcox declared to no one in particular.
Outside another set of aeroplanes were coming in for landing, just adding more noise to the already loud airport. Charlie smiled as she heard them come in. She had finished cleaning up, definitely earlier than the others and was particularly pleased about it because it meant she might be able to snatch a good glance of the tarmac and the aircraft shining dimly as they sat turned off and abandoned. Wilcox turned out the lights and as she stepped out of the door.
There was a great crash as a huge explosion shook the base, rattling everything, smashing windows and sending everyone in the vicinity flying. Charlie was sent flying backwards straight into one of the shelves in the stores building. Thwack. Her head hit the shelf plunging her into unconsciousness.
"You humans will give us your ammunition stores. If you don't we just might have to blow up the airbase," a screechy voice demanded, with more than a hint of a sneer emphasising the word 'humans'. Those on the airbase who had not been knocked out were scrambling to their feet taking no heed of the large red and white seeker's demands, instead anxiously moving towards the nearest weapons available.
"I thought we were blowing this base up anyways," questioned Skywarp.
"We are you lumpy bag of bolts," explained Thundercracker.
"But he just said…" countered Skywarp.
"It's a trick you astro-turkey. It'll make them help us," said Thundercracker, irritated.
"Be quiet the pair of you," Starscream ordered, "we don't have time for this!"
Ignoring him, the two bots continued bickering.
By this time some of the humans had regained composure and found some operational weapons and were using them to deter the Decepticons but to no avail. Starscream, deciding to ignore both the humans and his Trine, strode over to the ammunition shed in order to find the cargo Megatron had demanded. With only a cursory glance Starscream spotted the AIM Sidewinder missiles. Paying no attention whatsoever to the other ammunition and weapons stored in the room the Decepticon SIC moved towards them.
"Skywarp, Thundercracker, get in here. I have located the cargo," Starscream ordered, his calm punctured and impatience spewing from him.
Outside was total chaos! People were lying unconscious from the blast. Aircraft which only minutes ago had been in perfect condition were now (multiple) scrap heaps scattered along the ground.
Anyone who could was up and moving, looking for ammunition and weapons that would work against the Decepticons. Searching despite the darkness which had been caused by the explosion, making the struggle to find weapons even harder. Some of the buildings in the closest area of proximity to the explosion had collapsed into heaps of rubble. The Airforce Cadet Squadron and stores buildings were of the few buildings still standing. Flagpoles were laid out across the ground and some of the trees had even been uprooted during the explosion. No one could figure out the cause of the explosion, however it paled in comparison to the base's state of distress. Especially with the Decepticons were taking the AIM Sidewinder missiles.
"Mayday, mayday. The Decepticons are raiding our base. We need help. This is-"the radio operator breathed into the receiver desperately before the connection was cut. Starscream had cracked the antenna and smashed the satellite after flying to the top of the building.
"The puny humans have attempted to call for help. Hurry up you bumbling fools. Load up and get ready to leave," Starscream commanded.
Skywarp and Thundercracker, heeding Starscream's impatient commands, started loading up with the missiles while their trine leader sauntered outside. The tall, red and white seeker let his optic sensors roam across the base until he spotted a small but important looking building. Starscream had missed the building on his first assessment of the base, and he now stamped towards it, pondering on its significance to the base.
'Ugh, my head' Cadet Wilcox thought as she struggled to come to full consciousness. Pain was shooting through the back of her head, leaving her sick and dizzy as spots floated across her vision. She blinked rapidly and began to regulate her breathing until her sight returned. The cadet used the shelves behind her as leverage to struggle into a sitting position though doing so left her feeling thoroughly disorientated. There was light trickling in through the open door, lengthening shadows and making the room seem dark and intimidating.
'Huh? Where am I?' She asked herself silently. Head spinning and her stomach churning she tried desperately to answer her own questions. As her gaze moved towards the doorway the feeble light coming through the door was blocked out, submerging stores into complete darkness.
Seconds later Starscream ripped the roof off the store's building in order to see inside and the light came flooding back in, disorientating Cadet Wilcox even further.
"Nothing important here, there's only a worthless little human. Little even by human standards," declared Starscream, disgusted. He glanced around. "Still… a good hostage," Starscream muttered to himself.
Charlie, barely having time to grasp the situation with her disoriented mind, let alone think of any way to get away, was picked up roughly by Starscream. She watched in horror at the devastation of the base she passed over.
"Humans, you will not fire, for if you do the girl will be terminated," Starscream warned. A malicious smirk upon his lips.
Fear was crawling up her spine and suffocated her, leaving Wilcox useless and unable to move herself. Those on the base who had managed to take up arms lowered their weapons, anxious not to harm the young girl.
'Curse them, they should keep shooting, they can't let him take me' thought Charlie anxiously, the fear in her veins becoming even more potent.
The Decepticons, wasting no time, transformed into their aircraft forms and took off. Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp, laden with their cargo and the hostage left a scene of destruction in their wake as they headed for their base.