Chapter 2
While all the chaos had ensued on Okinawa island, a large household in a mountainous valley on the Japanese mainland had just ended a heavily wrought day of their own. The household, that was so close that they could be considered family, were actually not family at all. Over the last few months, family comprised of three men had haphazardly encountered seven females, who while looking human in every way, shape and form were much like the Transformers in the fact that they were all alien women from outer space. Coming from different backgrounds and upbringings, the one thing all seven females had in common was a strong admiration for the teenage human boy, named Tenchi Masaki. Every day of Tenchi's life since he had met the women seemed to hand him another over the top adventure of mischief that his usually quiet and peaceful disposition really didn't wish to be involved with, and today was no exception.
For most of the day, Tenchi Masaki had been chasing a mechanoid that had been created by the house's resident genius- a pink haired mad scientist named Washu Habuki. Along with a pair of marooned galaxy police officers named Mihoshi and Kiyone, it took the four great effort for most of the day to stop and shut down Washu's failed experiment, much to her own personal sadness. Washu had tried once more to reprogram her robot, nicknamed Mecha-Washu -due to the fact that the robot looked exactly like her. But heartbreak filled Washu's soul once again when the robot, that was meant to take on her personality and superior intellect had taken on the intellect of the strange alien pet of the household, known as Ryo-Ohki- a rabbit with very cat like mannerisms and behaviour.
Now dejected and somewhat humiliated from presenting her failure publicly to the rest of the house's residents, Washu was now sadly dragging the shut down cyborg from the living room by its legs, while her estranged daughter, the strong alien woman, Ryoko continued to laugh heartily at the scientist's mistake. Once she was out of ear shot of the rest of the group in the living room, Washu continued to drag Mecha-Washu through the house by its ankles, grumbling angrily as she did so.
"Stupid, ignorant, arrogant fools." Washu grumbled with a frown. "If I wasn't surrounded by bumbling buffoons and stray cabbits, Mecha-Washu would be working perfectly."
Washu continued to drag Mecha-Washu along a corridor, stopping once she arrived before a green door that stood underneath a staircase. Sighing, Washu waved a single hand in front of the door, causing the door to shockingly open with nothing more than a simple flick from the scientist's wrist, who then grabbed Mecha-Washu and prepared to drag her through the door, when a number of footsteps caught her attention. Washu looked up to see Tenchi had walked up towards her, only to stop as he stood in a doorway, where he rested his right palm against the door frame while he looked towards the small scientist.
"Miss Washu?" Tenchi called softly.
"Yes, lord Tenchi?" Washu replied in as soft of a voice. "What is it?"
"I just wanted to offer my apologies for what's happened today with Mecha-Washu, and I'm sorry about what you just went through in there. I'm sure it wasn't nice."
"Why, that is very kind, lord Tenchi. Thank you." Washu replied to Tenchi with a small smile.
Tenchi looked to Washu, who took a step backwards towards the open green door, for she prepared to drag Mecha-Washu through the door, but Tenchi spoke once again.
"Would you like a hand with that?" Tenchi asked, causing Washu to stop and look to Tenchi.
"Hm? Oh no, don't worry." Washu cackled slightly. "I'm not only a genius, AND cute, but I'm also pretty strong too, don't you know!"
Tenchi smiled nervously towards Washu, who flexed her arms before Tenchi to humorously demonstrate her strength to him. With no more words shared between the two, Washu watched Tenchi walk back towards the kitchen before she finally dragged her robot through the door, into the darkness of her personal chambers. The door, of what used to be the broom closet, shut behind Washu, but once inside, one would have found it was clear that the room was no longer a broom closet. Instead, the broom closet was now the gateway to an interdimensional rift that Washu called home. The black hole underneath the stairs had everything Washu needed, that weeks could literally go by before she emerged from her hideaway. With a living area, bedroom, laboratory, study and everything else she needed behind the green door, Washu spent her days toiling over her favourite thing in the entire universe- science.
With a small sigh, Washu dropped Mecha-Washu's legs towards the floor. As the robot's legs dropped to the floor, Washu looked on to see that the robot began to float in mid air, but on a closer look, one could see that a holographic, floating gurney had materialized under the robot, before it began to hover away from Washu, who turned around in the dark room that was her study. With a mutter to herself, Washu dropped backwards, looking as if she would hit the floor, only for a small plush cushion to appear under her, where it caught her backside gently, holding her up so she now floated in the air as her legs dangled towards the ground. Washu held her hands out in front of her as a black holographic laptop phased out in front of her. Now back in the comfort of her familiar surroundings, Washu's slender fingers began to run over the holographic keys as she looked to the information on the screen before her.
"This whole mind-data transfer project still needs to be fine tuned." Washu said to herself. "Maybe I can put some measures into place that would hold the procedure if it isn't my mind data being transferred to Mecha-Washu's memory banks."
Thinking about her theory, Washu was about to review her blueprints for her mind transfer machine, but before she could, a continuous bleep began to ring from her laptop, with the screen of the laptop flashing with a red colour. The alarm that was blaring from Washu's laptop was actually one Washu had put in place if any more UFOs crashed from the skies, down into the mountainous region the Masaki household was nestled in. Now, with the laptop sounding the alarm, it was clear to the scientist that something had landed near the house. However, judging by the information her laptop was presenting her, Washu noticed that the UFO hadn't landed- instead, it crashed.
More information flashed up on the screen of Washu's holographic laptop, which the scientist took in instantly. She looked at the facts and figures that came up on the screen. The UFO had crashed only but a mile or so away from the Masaki home, and initial readings of the UFO, based on information picked up by her systems revealed to Washu that that UFO was quite large.
"Ahh. Interesting." Washu said to herself as she ran an index finger over her chin. "This could be worth a look. If, for nothing else, a bit of amusement."
Washu rose from her cushion, which, along with her laptop flickered away as they disappeared. Now on her feet once more, Washu strode across her study towards a wall beside a bookshelf, before another green door appeared just before the wall, where it quickly opened, allowing Washu entry. The scientist passed through the door, before another door before the small scientist opened, causing a bright light to infiltrate the blanket of darkness that covered the passageway between her inner sanctum and the outside world. Following the light, Washu walked out of the door, finding herself out in the wilderness of the mountainous range which was just over a mile from the Masaki household. She found she didn't have to go far to find the UFO that her computer had picked, for as soon as she left the confines of the door, Washu was taken aback slightly as she saw a large red and white robot, with blue livery here and there lying in a smoking heap before her.
"What's this?" Washu gasped excitedly as she ran to the fallen robot.
The robot, who was the fallen Decepticon, Starscream, lay face down on the ground of the forest that he and Washu were currently alone in. Washu had taken note of the many broken and fallen trees in the area, as well as the cracked ground that had turned into a crater underneath Starscream's body, which Washu knew meant that Starscream had violently crashed to the ground as she walked all around his motionless body. From feet to head, Washu walked all around Starscream, taking note of the dents, scrapes and burns that his metallic body had taken from situations she wasn't sure of. After doing a complete circle around Starscream's body, Washu was slightly puzzled as to whether the robot was piloted by something, or if it was an actual creature. Looking up, Washu realized she was unable to see what was on the robot's back, aside from the wings that protruded from its upper back. Due to that, the scientist phased away, only to reappear, now standing on Starscream's lower back where she then gasped. Looking down at Starscream's body, Washu saw a large, charred and still smoking circular hole through Starscream's middle. Sparks flickered from inside the hole that Washu looked through, seeing that something had torn through Starscream's body to the point Washu could see the grass that Starscream lay upon.
"Well, you're interesting, big fella." Washu said softly while she ran a hand across Starscream's wound. "I wonder if I can fix you up... What am I saying? Of course I can! I am the greatest scientific genius in the universe, of course!"
The first sense to come back to Starscream was his sense of hearing. In the cold, dark void, the Decepticon could heard the constant whirring of a mechanical drill, then he heard the constant hard taps of a hammer on a metallic surface. It was then the second of Starscream's senses returned, as he felt something cold slamming into his robotic stomach, which paused for a moment, only to start again, which began to rouse Starscream from unconsciousness.
Wh-where am I? Starscream thought to himself. What's going on?
Starscream reactivated his optic scanners- the robotic version of eyes -but he found his sight flicker violently, due to the fact that his camera like vision was no longer calibrated. This was thanks in no small part to the damage he had suffered earlier. Finally, after much static and a flickering background, Starscream's robotic eyes were finally able to broadcast the information his optic lenses could see, sending them to his computer brain. Unfortunately though, Starscream at this moment couldn't see in colour- instead, he saw everything in a dark red colour. His vision was still damaged, but he could make out a ceiling high above his head, which had large circular lights attached to it. The lights glared down onto Starscream, and although he couldn't see the white light because of his damaged sight, there was enough glare that he knew they were very bright.
Starscream attempted to move, but as his computer brain sent a signal to the rest of his body to sit up, his body didn't co-operate. This realization coaxed Starscream a little bit more out of his stupor, enough that a sense of panic filled his circuits, before he tried desperately again to move, where he was only able to cause his left blue index finger to twitch. Then, for the first time, he noticed that the loud tapping of the hammer stopped and Starscream also noticed that the thumping sensation on his body stopped also. There was a long pause of silence, during which Starscream attempted to move out of fear for what might happen next- a bid which was unsuccessful every time he tried. Starscream's sight began to fail again as his sight flickered violently with static, causing his view of the ceiling and the lights to become engulfed in red static, until that is a small head appeared in his line sight. This small image seemed to be enough to stimulate Starscream's vision back into working once again. Starscream looked at the head in his line of sight, realizing it was a human female; her head was lined with hair in such a wild style, Starscream couldn't help but think her hair resembled a crab! With a long ribbon in her hair, that trailed down the back of her head, the woman grinned at Starscream as she realized he had awoke.
"Ohh, awake now, I see. Well, good morning, sunshine!" Washu announced, waving to Starscream with a wrench in her hand. "I wondered if you were a sentient robot, given the kind of technology that comprises your anatomy and physiology, and it turns out I was right! I've still got quite a bit of work to do on you though, robot, so I'm just gonna put you back to sleep. Sweet dreams!"
Starscream attempted to speak, to protest against Washu's actions to make her stop. Unfortunately though, his usual high pitched didn't even leave his lips as they opened, but instead a weak series of bleeps left his mouth. Washu disappeared from Starscream's sight once again, so the Decepticon tried to move, but found all he could move once again was his blue finger; that is, until he heard a long, drawn out beep, and Starscream's vision turned to darkness once more.
Time passed. How much time had passed was a mystery to Starscream; for all he knew it could have been as little as a few minutes, or even as long as days or weeks. But finally, Starscream's sight flickered on once again, and this time, the Decepticon was able to see clearly in full colour. Slowly, Starscream turned his head from left to right, allowing his robotic eyes to zoom in and out on everything around him as he took in his surroundings. The room looked like it was the same room he had been in earlier when he had awoke for a short period, and it was then that Starscream remembered the strange looking human woman who had spoke to him earlier, as well as the fact that he was unable to move more than a finger. Now however, Starscream realized he was able to move his head, so if he could move his head, then it stood to reason he could move the rest of his body. Flexing his fingers, which he felt move, Starscream began to gain confidence that his body had been repaired. He checked his internal diagnostics, which told him that his energon tank was now half full, unlike the fumes he had been running on earlier. Other checks also revealed that any damage he did suffer was now completely repaired, so with those positive thoughts dancing around his mind, Starscream rose from his seat...
...Or at least, Starscream attempted to stand from his seat, but he found that as he attempted to stand, a force held him tightly against the large metallic chair he was in. He was able to lift his backside a few feet from the chair, but his legs and arms were firmly stuck to the chair. Now for the first time, Starscream decided to look down at his body, where he let out a scream of anger to see that his torso, wrists and ankles were bound to the large chair he was in! Immediately, Starscream began to thrash around in his chair, moving his torso back and fourth in an attempt to break free from the bondage he was in, but it was hopeless. Undaunted by that fact, though, Starscream tried again as he struggled and thrashed in his chair, causing the sound of scraping metal to echo throughout the large laboratory he was currently in, and he continued his struggle for several minutes until he noticed a human sized door materialize and open in front of him.
"Ah, awake now, I see." A voice came from inside the door, causing Starscream to halt his struggle.
Looking on, Starscream noticed a small figure now walk through the door; it was the woman who Starscream had seen with the wrench earlier! Now, with her hair tied up more, as her petite figure was clad in blue overalls, the woman, who Starscream noted as having bizarre pink hair, wiped some oil off her face as she held a wrench in her hand once again. The woman looked up at Starscream, happy to see that Starscream was again conscious. Starscream didn't share her sentiments.
"Let me go!" Starscream roared to Washu. "How do you do this to me? I am Starscream, Decepticon Air Space commander, and I demand you release me, lest you wish to die under my boot!"
"Well, that's not quite the response I expected." Washu said in response.
Casually, Washu threw the wrench that she held in her hand, away, where it simply flickered away, disappearing to a place Starscream didn't even know, before it was replaced by a large pink rag, that Washu began to wipe her oily hands with. This only served to rile up the already bad tempered Decepticon in her presence.
"I don't care what you expected!" Starscream snapped. "Release me at once, fleshling!"
"Hey, take it easy." Washu replied with an angry frown towards her guest. "I saved your life, you know. The least you could do is show some gratitude for it. Or just calm down; either one works for me."
"I was saved by an insignificant Earthling?" Starscream asked, somewhat painfully. "I would rather have died."
"I'm not an Earthling." Washu stated to Starscream. "And I'm far from insignificant! I am Washu Habuki, the greatest scientific mind in the entire universe! I'm also quite cute, wouldn't you say?"
Starscream glared down to the petite woman, who poked her own cheeks with her index fingers as she tilted her head in a cute appeal for Starscream, but once again, her charm failed to work on the large robot.
"All flesh creatures are insignificant to me." Starscream spat. "For your information, I happen to find organic beings disgusting, and that includes you!"
Washu looked up to Starscream with a look of pain in her eyes; she never liked being told she looked anything but cute, for her ego never took it well. Her pained expression soon turned to a look of fury, then she tossed her oil rag away, before her holographic laptop appeared before her, where with the press of a button, her ears were filled with the loud screams of pain as Starscream shrieked painfully. The Decepticon's body was filled with a pain he had never felt before, as if every circuit and gear in his robotic body was on fire. The pain continued, for what felt like an eternity to Starscream, until Washu pressed another button on her laptop, and the pain subsided, leaving Starscream to moan softly before he slumped in his chair as smoke rose from his now hot metal body.
"You really aren't very nice or grateful...Starscream." Washu announced, after taking a moment to recall Starscream's name. "Which is strange, because Starscream sounds like such a pretty name! Too bad you can't act like how your name sounds. Now then, Starscream, let me explain something to you. You almost died...At least, the robotic equivalent to a robot dying. I've worked long and hard to fix you up and bring you back from the recycling bin, but my work isn't finished yet. So, if you're-..."
Washu's words were interrupted as Starscream spoke again.
"Wrong woman, your work is done! And so will you too, when I get through with you!"
An idea had hit Starscream's mind as Washu talked. If he transformed, he would shrink enough that perhaps he could slip from the bonds that kept him seated, then he could make a bid for freedom. Immediately, Starscream attempted to transform, but as he did, he simply felt his body jerk as gears and pistons clanked and hissed in protest. Starscream grunted before he tried to transform again, but once more, the mechanics of his body didn't allow him to do it; instead an error message appeared before his line of sight, informing him that an error prevented him to transform.
"Why can't I transform?" Starscream cried fearfully.
"If weren't so rude as interrupt a lady -particularly one as lovely as I am- you would've heard that my work isn't finished yet. The reason you can't transform is because of this..."
Starscream looked on as a black hole opened beside Washu, who dipped her arms inside the black hole, then with a grunt, the woman pulled out a large purple piece of engineering that was almost as big as she was! Breathing heavy to keep the large metallic piece of equipment in her hands, Starscream couldn't believe what she held in her hands.
"Does this look familiar to you?" Washu asked through laboured breaths.
"It's my transformation cog!" Starscream exclaimed.
Before Washu spoke again, a large flatbed trolley appeared before her, where the scientist dropped the transformation cog in question onto the trolley, which it landed softly on. Now relieved of her burden, Washu looked up to Starscream again with a smile.
"That's right." Washu said. "It was damaged in the crash- along with most of your other internal mechanics. While you're near enough repaired, there are some things here and there to take care of. I've finished fixing your transformation cog, as you call it, so all I need to do now is reinstall it. Then, I can repair things like your anti gravity systems, and your weapons...provided I can trust you not to shoot me."
Starscream was about to make a comment that would quite possibly force Washu to change her mind on repairing his weapon systems, but a comment that she made caused Starscream to think, and instead, he asked a question.
"Wait," Starscream began. "I crashed?"
"Yep." Washu replied as she and the trolley approached Starscream. "According to my computer, you did. I found you lying in the woods not far from here. You had a hole blown right through you."
Starscream looked down at his torso, seeing that it looked as good as new. His memory of how he ended up in Washu's laboratory was non existent. In fact, the last thing he remembered as being threatened by Megatron, before he heard an explosion and felt a tearing pain ripping through him.
"Ugh. How long did it take to repair me?" Starscream asked.
"Mm, a couple of days." Washu replied. "Normally, it would have not taken so long, but I've never repaired a robot like you before. You're quite a different breed of robot, I must say. Where are you from, anyway? I take it you're not from around here. In fact, according to what the media has to say about you, you Decepticons are quite the evil batch of robots, aren't you."
"So, you know I'm a Decepticon." Starscream announced.
"Well, when you were lying on the repair bay, I had no idea," was the answer. "I have been imprisoned for thousands of years, and it hasn't been long since I was released. I'm catching up on things. But that purple symbol on your wings made me curious as to what exactly your brand belonged to. The media doesn't know where you are from, just that you seem to threaten the planet Earth at every turn and they've dubbed you Transformers- robots in disguise."
"If you know so much, I'm curious as to why you would repair a Decepticon." Starscream muttered.
During their conversation, Washu had stepped on to an elevator in her lab that lifted her up to Starscream's chest. A pair of robotic arms appeared from the darkness of the laboratory and opened up the cockpit shape in Starscream's chest, revealing his internal workings, where a large piece to the puzzle that was his internal structure was missing. The trolley holding Starscream's transformation cog had levitated up beside Washu, who gathered some tools together and prepared to go inside Starscream's chest to reattach his cog, but his statement caused her to pause on the elevator. She looked up to the robot with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Well, I'm a scientist; I love to create and fix things- evil robots included." Washu stated. "Besides... one good turn deserves another, right?"
"I'm beginning to wish you left me to die."