Ch. 2
Demons
The light of the room was dim casting long shadows across the prison's floors. The barricaded windows just another testimony to the said cell. Shakily the shadowed figure crept weakly across the dirty floor. Said figure reached out in an attempt to gain water from the slow drizzle outside.
A pale hand just barely able to slip through the bars to the outside world. That hand was attached to me. I was in this horrid dank room. The Fun Room was an abhorrent place that reeked with the prevalent stench of fear and decay. It was my tomb.
The weak mist fell into my hand, dragging it back through the bars quickly I nearly sloshed all of the liquid from my hand. I brought said necessity to my parched lips and sipped the water. Again and again my hand darted through the bars, scraping mud and water into my hand.
At this point I did not even recognize the taste of soil and earth, I only concentrated on the soothing cool substances sliding down my aching esophagus. I feebly attempted to reach my hand further out of the bars, barely managing to get up to my forearm before the narrow space halted my movement.
A puddle of water lay just out of my reach and within that puddle lay a half eaten apple. My stomach gurgled and twisted into knots at the sight of the food. The singing bile raced up my throat as I feebly retched what little water and stomach acid was left in my abdomen.
The sickly green liquid ended up all over the floor before me, splattering my knees and the walls. A soft cough escaped me as I leaned my head against the barrier to the outside world. Oh how I just wanted to break it all apart and shimmy through the gap. My hips and chest were no doubt small enough to allow that kind of movement.
However, daddy had made sure I was too weak to be able to do that. I couldn't move the bars; I could barely keep my eyes open. I was sure that I would die in here. There was no way I could get out. For the first time in awhile I felt my eyes and throat ache and clench as salty tears stung my scraped cheeks.
A soft choked gasp escaped me as I slumped against the walls and began to cry. Defeated I lay there unmoving. My chest heaving as I felt a sudden swell of comfort. It was like something was curling itself around me. Whispering in my ears as my eyelids drooped closed. The song my mom used to sing me was lulling me soothingly. It was almost as if I could feel her with me.
Quickly jolting upright some I looked around with wild eyes, something was pulling me into the abyss of sleep. However, I knew instinctively that if I allowed myself to sleep I would never awaken again. Clumsily I managed to slide onto my knees and clamber up to my feet.
Swaying I stumbled into the blockaded window and grabbed onto the thin, but strong, pieces of metal. I had one last chance at this. Only one. I reached out through the bars, slamming my face and chest up against it in my futile effort to get any passing cars to notice me.
My hand waved about, as I could not shout for help. It seemed like I had been doing this for hours. My energy draining significantly even from those small movements, however it was only a few small minutes. Sullenly I choked on another quiet sob, my hand falling into the mud and sliding back towards me slowly.
Suddenly something, or rather someone grabbed my wrist. My eyes shot back open with new found hope only to see something I wish that I hadn't. Daddy.
"Tryin' to get out? Tryin' to signal fer help?" The obviously intoxicated man snarled. He snagged my arm more firmly, his grip enough to bruise my dainty wrist within a second. Lips parting in a silent cry I attempted to drag my arm back only to have myself yanked forward so hard three things happened at once.
My face slammed into the obstructed window, my right shoulder was dislocated, and finally the man I called father twisted my arm and snapped my bone at the elbow. Agony shot through me as he dropped my damaged arm, dragging said arm back through the window I curled over my now useless limb. It hung limply at my side, elbow joint broken, and blood pouring down my face.
"Try'n get help again. You'll have more than a b'oken arm t' deal with." He snarled before standing from the mud and kicking some in onto my face. I ducked my head feeling the sticky substance splatter my hair and mingle with my bloody visage.
As if in slow motion, I dropped to the ground and curled around my wounded side. Dark eyes staring straight ahead with an empty expression to them. I hated to admit it, but I had lost. It was time to throw in the towel and accept defeat. I would get out of here eventually; I just wouldn't be breathing when I did.
Days seemed to pass. The sun rising and falling, the moon and stars ever changing. My body became thinner and frailer, my mind weary, patience and hope eroding away like the sands of time. Something had changed; even in my pathetic state I could pick up on it. Somewhere along the lines of this desolate slow death, something was altered.
Perhaps I first noticed when a shadow was cast through the bars. Maybe it was when I heard the crunching of dry grass. Or perhaps it was the voice; it was an accented voice that I was not familiar with. Possibly I was hallucinating, but it was the best damn hallucination I had ever had.
"Someone down the'e?" A pair of oddly bright blue eyes appeared through the dirty opening I dared to call a window. Said eyes, from what I could see, were occupying a soft caramel colored face. It was like the person was mixed or spent a lot of time at the beach. Blonde hair framed his face, the sun around his head that shot through the opening made it appear as if he had a halo.
"Woah! Hey! Ya alrigh'? Can ya hear meh?" The sudden concern in the voice and the pain in my slowly numbing body made me realize something, this felt too real to be a dream or hallucination. I twitched my fingers to show I had heard him.
"Damn! I knew that signature wa'n' lyin'...Okay don' panic! Ah'm gonna get help!" My eyes slowly fluttered closed as I listened to the man speak quickly. His voice fading as he seemed to be speaking distractedly to someone else, but no one was there. I didn't think so at least, but it was hard to tell when my consciousness was fading away fast.
The sound of something crunching and snapping sounded far off. It sounded almost like a cannon blast, like gun shot, but louder. The noise echoing in my head, light pouring over me as hands gently touched my arms. A soft gasp escaped me as my eyes barely managed to flicker open, pupils dilated. The light stung my eyes causing me to shut them tightly shut.
"Primus..." I heard the voice whisper. The voice sounded...pissed. Suddenly the arms were wrapping around me and levering me up gently, passing me to someone or thing else. It was warm and felt alive, but whatever it was, was a large surface that seemed to envelope my entire body.
There was the sound of something shifting, grinding, twisting and then I found myself laying on something cool and soft. Leather? My eyes barely opened to see the foggy visage of the interior of the car. Someone, possibly my rescuer if this all wasn't some fantastical dream, sat in the drivers seat. Those brilliant blue eyes locked on me.
"I's alright baby girl, yah're safe. Can ya do somethin fo' meh?" The strange accented voice asked. I nodded weakly, my eyes focused on those of this blessed stranger.
"Jus' stay awake a lil bit longer." He crooned, the engine of the vehicle roaring louder as it tore off down the road. My eyes fluttered closed, body slumping in the seat as I felt my pulse slowing down.
"Hey! Wha' did ah say?! Don'-" I never caught the rest of his words as I was swallowed into oblivion.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
That incessant noise slowly pierced the silence as I scrunched up my face. The sterile smell catching my attention next, finally the sensation of people in the room caused my eyes to shoot open. My delicate body lurching as finally slightly numbed pain shot through my body, the artificial light stinging my eyes.
"She's waking up!" It was the voice of the other person who had been with the man whom saved me. My eyes slowly fluttered back open to see the man from before, a few others stood in the room.
The congregation felt odd to me, they all were miss and matched. That's when it struck me; the doctor was the one from before. His lips pressed into a thin line as he stared me down. This must be his team. He had mentioned them in passing, well his leader more than anything.
"When we parted before I expected you to rest, not get slagged to the pit and back!" The medic snarled, striding over and checking the equipment with a rather pissed air about him. I flinched only slightly but set my jaw and bravely scowled up at him. He reached over and slapped a pad and pen on my abdomen rather gruffly.
"What happened?!" I twitched again and simply glowered at the writing utensils in my lap. The few other people in the room looked at me expectantly as well causing me to grow tense with anxiety. Who were these people?
"Well?" He demanded insistently.
I frowned up at him and jotted on the paper clumsily, as I was using my non dominant hand, my left being in a cast and all. Yes I was left handed, odd right?
Accident.
"That was no accident femme! Do. Not. Lie. To. Me." His voice took a dangerous tone causing the heart monitor I was hooked up to, to go haywire. I flinched back into the pillows and turned my face away quickly. When the hit never came I slowly looked back up through my messy bangs. The medic giving me a scrutinizing expression.
Suddenly he turned and made a shooing motion with his hands. The few males in the room with him quickly left, the door closing surprisingly softly.
Jazz POV
"Wha' was tha' all about?" I asked quickly. I had been the one to find the poor femme in that down trodden place. I had gone to inspect the area when my sensors picked up on a weak energy signature, immediately I had been concerned.
When I had found her, I had been even more troubled. Angry really. Who would dare do that to an innocent? Whoever they were, they were no better than the cons. Our medic's words caused a chill to course through me. My best friend, Prowl, tensed as well.
Rachet's POV
"She's not going back to wherever she came from. Last time I sent her back Jazz found her like this. Whoever did this to her has been at it for a long time." I scowled at the doorway, my arms crossing over my holoform's chest.
"What do you mean, Ratchet?" Optimus questioned softly. His worry clear in his tone. I took in a harsh breath, my jaw clenching harshly. My inspections of her had caused me much anger and regret.
"I hate to disclose much as it is doctor-patient confidentiality. However, from what I can see she has a multitude of fresh and old lacerations, the femme shows signs of torture. Whoever has had her in their clutches has tormented and abused her to the point that it could only be a Decepticon, however, I know for a fact based on her energy signatures she was never touched by a Decepticon."
"Which can only point to another human." Ironhide spat in disgust. His jaw working as thick muscles rolled in his anger. I nodded to Ironhide and looked to Optimus, Prowl, and Jazz.
"I also have seen signs of scar tissue, through my scanning of course, on her inner thighs and sparkling gestational chamber. This leads me to believe she has been defiled a multitude of times and her ability to ever carry has been reduced to a mere point zero five percent." I lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of my holoform's olfactory sensor, pushing my glasses up with a heavy sigh.
"I fear her mentality may have been pushed to the limits as well." I grunted. Turning my head to look back at the doorway, looking through the one way glass to her room.
"We shall house her here then, until we can discern if she is any more immediate danger." Optimus rumbled softly. His human form's features held a sad look to them. Cerulean eyes focused into the room on the fragile figure. Raven colored hair with a shimmer of blue to it framed a strong jaw line. Strong arms crossed over a powerful chest and lean frame. The youngest Prime simply turned his gaze to me. Studying, thinking, calculating.
"What are the chances of us finding her attacker?" He asked abruptly. I frowned and glanced at Prowl whom also seemed to be thinking it over.
"Slim to none at this moment as she refuses to tell me." I chuffed and turned back to the window to look at the mute femme within.
"She'll need a guardian mos' likely." Jazz noted softly, his holoform's blond hair surrounding his face in choppy carefree sort of way.
"We'll think of that when the time comes." Optimus rumbled, "Until then, we must focus on her recovery."
I silently nodded at his words. Although I secretly wondered if she ever would recover. After all, what once was broken could never be whole again. Look at our race for an example.
Normal POV
I listlessly looked up at the ceiling, trying in vain to determine how I had gotten here. Although it was nearly impossible as I didn't remember much of my escape. Sighing softly I shook my head. Great. Just great. On the bright side I wasn't around my father any more. Bad news? I was stuck in a hospital room with a couple of men no doubt lingering nearby and I had no clue who they were.
Optimus POV
I sat at my desk starring at nothing while deep in thought. Our problems with the Decepticons could not be over. Even though I now held the Matrix, and Wheeljack had rebuilt what remained of the Sun Harvester into a small scale reactor that would supply us with the energon we needed, and even a ground bridge that would allow us to access any particular place on the planet in mere moments; our problems were not over. The human femmeling named Autumn was an excellent example.
It was blatantly obvious from Ratchet's scans that she had been enduring what clearly amounted to torture. To learn that there were humans who would commit such actions did not surprise me, although it left me deeply saddened. I can't help but view the human race as they are, yet I see such potential for them as a race. They hunger for many of the advancements that we can offer, yet a few of them care only for the weapons technology that we possess.
It is a spark-breaking prospect to know what would happen should those few succeed in acquiring that technology. Earth would soon suffer the same fate as Cybertron… and it would happen because of the types of human who had caused Autumn to suffer so greatly.
Autumn would need a Guardian… that much was clear. But for how long, and who was she to be protected from? Those were the questions that buzzed in my processors. She would need someone who could sympathize with her, and yet at the same time, allow her to forget the tragedy she has been forced to endure. She would need someone that she could confide in, and trust.
The femmes who were on planet were currently assigned elsewhere, although any one of them would be the perfect choice, still, whoever was assigned to watch over Autumn would also need to be able to overcome her wariness of those around her. It pained me to realize that she had fully expected Ratchet to hit her, because she had turned to shield herself as much as possible from a blow the medic would never have launched.
That was when I knew who should watch over Autumn. It didn't seem like an obvious choice at first, but then, the similarities between the two would allow her Guardian to understand what Autumn had gone through, as well as what it would take to help her lead a more normal life. That choice could only be…
Bluestreak.
AN:
Hey everyone! So chapter two is finally here, haha.
My Beta is a blessing for this one, khalthar is just amazing when it comes to grammar fixing and idea twists. Seriously, this would probably be a lot less exciting if he wasn't there. haha
I know that I said I would update/write the chapters on Thursdays and Fridays as those are my off nights, however, technically I am not cheating. I DID write this on an off day, it's just updated on what? Monday? Yeah Monday. ^_^;
Any ways, let me know what you guys think!
~D.R. Out
