Chapter 7


Disclaimer: all publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respected owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors (AutobotNightfury and PixelTheLittlestFembot). No money is being made from this work and no copyright infringement is intended.


Nirvana held Rose close as they made their way to Mission City. There was no telling what would be waiting for them. Decepticons were a given but there was this Megatron mech that they also had to worry about. Optimus had spoken of his cruelty and strength. The Autobot leader acted as if Soundwave and Barricade were nothing compared to this tyrant.

The elder sister wished she could somehow cover her sister. Nirvana herself was not the most clothed at the moment, but she couldn't help but notice Rose trying to pull the tatters of her shirt over her chest.

"Don't worry, we'll get something to change into. Okay, sissy? It's going to be all okay." Nirvana soothed, a gentle hand running through the younger's hair. When this was all over, they would take the longest shower/bath of their lives. Both felt filthy after their ordeal.

"I'm not worried about the clothes, Nirvana. I'm worried about what Soundwave did to you... I can't always be the one to be worried over. Barricade may have humiliated me, but that mech hurt you." Rose whimpered, a delicate hand coming to lightly brush against where the wires had entered the elder's body. Nirvana stiffened at the contact but put on a weak smile.

"It's nothing I can't handle. Maybe a few nightmares here and there... but I'll be fine." the eldest said as she tried to put up a mask of strength and confidence. It was easy to see that Soundwave had done a number on her. Whenever she looked to Rose, she could see her mutilated form ripped to pieces by those Decepticons. It was an image so strong that she could almost smell the blood. Soundwave had done more than a little damage.

"How the girls doing?" Ironhide grunted, trying to match their speed so that they stayed side by side.

"As well as to be expected after being handled by Decepticons. They are strong, but the Cons have done their damage." Drift responded softly, trying not to alert the girls as they preened over each other's well-being.

"Damn Cons are gonna pay for it. Cowards preying on the weak." Ironhide spat, his engine roaring with anger.

"I agree they are cowards, but the girls are far from weak. Most would have broken from the ordeal they have been through." Drift corrected, his belts wrapping them a little more snugly. He could feel Nirvana subconsciously lean into the 'embrace' his belts offered. No, they deserved more credit. The glasses would have been lost if Nirvana had not made that distraction.

"Ya know what I mean." the veteran mech huffed. They were quick to enter the city and collateral damage was quick to greet them.

"Looks like the party already started." Ironhide growled, transforming into his bipedal mode. It wouldn't matter for the humans to see them now. Once the humans had caught sight of the Decepticons, their appearance would not matter. Blasts were coming from every angle and asphalt was quick to spray across the two mechs armor.

"We need to put the girls somewhere safe!" Drift shouted, his voice hard to hear over the explosions. His attention was caught as he felt Nirvana shift in his seat.

"Take us to that clothing store over there. We'll take cover in there until you and the other Autobots draw the fire from this area." Nirvana stated, a small fire in her eyes.

"A clothing store...?" Drift asked with confusion. Why did the girls need to go there?

"Yes, Rose and I barely have anything on. With all this debris flying up, we're going to get pretty beaten up." she spoke calmly. It was aware that it was an odd request but her explanation was sound. Though the protection was true, Nirvana really wanted something that would cover their bodies better. Drift's engine rumbled with agreement as he drove closer to the store. It was a beaten down store but at least it's structure was sound for the time being. As soon as they exited the seat, Drift joined Ironhide in bipedal mode. His optics watched the girls as they made their way to the store.

"Trust me, femmes don't get any easier to understand with age, kid. Let them do their thing and we'll draw away fire." Ironhide chortled, noticing how Drift's face had shown confusion at the sudden request for clothing.

"Nirvana, do not leave this area until we come for you. It's not safe out here. I promise I will not abandon you." Drift spoke, catching Nirvana's attention before she went inside.

"I know you won't... Just come back alive, okay?" Nirvana asked, her tone willing the mech to be safe. Drift nodded as he put a servo over his spark as he did before when he had made an oath to this strong femme. They were bonded in some unspoken language. He was her protector and he had sworn himself to keeping her safe. It was a kindness no one had ever paid her.

"Be safe, Mr. Ironhide. Don't g-get hurt." Rose pleaded, running from the store one last time to hug onto his ped. Ironhide almost seemed to flinch at the affection she showed him, not used to the gentle kindness.

"Of course I won't. What ya take me for, a rookie?!" he laughed, stroking a gentle servo down her back. Nirvana was quick to usher her inside as more blasts hit the ground.


The sisters were quick to try and find some kind of clothing that would cover them best. It had taken Nirvana a second to get Rose to stop gawking at the lingerie on display. The young girl could just not understand why a woman would need such frilly undergarments to go to bed. Nirvana had shaken her head at her sister's naivety. She had simply told her that when she started becoming 'active' she would understand why such items were sought after.

Nirvana had chosen to grab a leather jacket, another tee shirt, and a change of pants. Her pants may have stayed on, but they were beyond tattered at this point and not worth keeping on. She had chosen the jacket for protection against a stray blast skidding her across the paved road. There was thought put to each item she had put upon herself.

Rose, on the other hand, needed Nirvana's assistance in finding clothing. Nothing seemed to be right to wear. The elder was quick to pull a thick tee over Rose's head and find a jacket similar to her own for her to wear. The jackets may have seemed unnecessary in such warm weather, but it wasn't about fashion sense, it was about survival. Anything to protect them from the falling rubble and other such objects.

"Do you think they'll be okay, Nirvana...? There's so many Decepticons and they're so ruthless. Tell me the truth..." Rose asked, voice quiet as she straightened the jacket her sister had placed on her.

"You think they'll go down that easily? Rosie, I can't promise that they'll be okay. But they sure as hell won't go down without a fight. Just trust them. They survived this long, right?" Nirvana soothed, petting her sister's head. Her words had a calming effect on her until some weird pulse flashed throughout the city. It felt like an electromagnetic field flushing over their bodies until it finally passed.

"What the...?!" Nirvana shouted, hearing a weird hum throughout the building. It was enough to make them feel like their was electricity running through their very veins. It was soothing almost, like a warmness flooding their bodies. What had caused the sensation?

"Nirvana!" Rose cried, seeing the store's cash register starting to shift and change. It was starting to spit coins and dollars from it's drawer. They didn't know what was going on but somehow that register was coming to life with the same energy that ran through the other robots they had encountered. Nirvana pulled her sister back as it's strange little legs crawled toward them, a torso becoming apparent as long with red optics peering out. Strange words and sounds fell out in screeches as it lurched toward them. For a second, that strange language almost made sense. But that was impossible. How could they understand that alien tongue.

"Get the hell away!" Nirvana yelled, kicking the creature so hard it went flying backwards. There was no way that thing didn't want to cause them harm with the way it's daggered hands had jabbed at them.

It twisted and snarled as it tried to get to it's feet to get at them. Whatever the creature was, it was pissed and wanted to rip them apart even more now. Rose stared at it, frozen in place. How had this thing come to life...?

"Come on!" Nirvana commanded, grabbing the sleeve of her jacket and dragging her ward behind. The creature was getting back up and Nirvana did not know if they could outrun it after it transformed it's body completely. They didn't have a choice, they were going to have to run outside. Drift and Ironhide had told them not to leave this place, but a cash register turned psychotic robot was more than enough reason to disobey the command.

The girls screamed at the same time as a silver metal body flashed beside them and landed nearly on top of them. They had only been outside for less than a second before they were already in fear of their lives.

"Get out of the way, humans!" Jazz yelled, struggling to free himself from the building he had crashed into. He was looking up at something as he spoke. Nirvana was quick to follow his optics as she realized there was another mech there, standing upon the building that towered next to them. The new mech wore a grin as he jumped from the building and landed next to them, the resulting quake knocking the girls off their feet.

"Do you know these fleshies or are they merely ornaments to our little conflict?" the mech sneered, his gray form larger than any of the others they had seen. He looked as if he could rip an entire building in half with ease. His red optics lingered on the two females as he recognized them. It had been in the data Soundwave had streamed to him after he had awoken. His men were fond of these two for whatever reason. It did well to reward his soldiers for their part in his resurrection.

"Come here, little ones~." he purred, stepping closer.

"So you're Megatron? You're somehow different than I imagined." Nirvana said, inching backwards. Rose was latched on to her back, face burrowed in the elder's jacket.

"How so, Nirvana?" Megatron chortled, a smirk curling his features as he saw the shock on their faces. "Oh, yes. Soundwave has been sure to update me on you two. They're rather fond of you. Comply, and you may live to be their pets."

"Stay the hell away from them!" Jazz hissed, switching into his own language. It wasn't any use to speak to the tyrant in the language of humans.

"I don't think so, Autobot. You and the others seem just as fond of them as my soldiers. What is so important about them? Do you keep them as pleasure toys?" Megatron smirked, glancing down at the humans. Surprisingly, Nirvana was glaring daggers and Rose had a confused expression.

"We are 'not' pleasure toys! You're just as sick and depraved as the others." Nirvana hissed. Megatron and Jazz's optics widened at her outburst. Had...they understood their conversation?

"Did... you understand me, little one?" Megatron asked, kneeling down so that he could bring his face platings closer. Nirvana was quick to back up farther but there was nowhere else to go and Rose was clutching harder to her back.

"Of course we understood you! We have the capability to hear." the eldest growled, but fear suffocating her heart. What were they going to do?

"Yes, but I was not speaking your language. I was speaking Cybertronian." Megatron mused, a digit reaching out to brush across them. There was something different about these humans. There was a sort of field around them, almost like the kind Cybertronians gave off to interact with each other. They were coming more appealing by the moment.

Had it had anything to do with the pulse the Allspark had given off mere moments ago?

"That's funny, but the last time I checked, we didn't understand a language that sounded like frequencies." Nirvana spoke, trying to sound as tough as she ever was. She had to be. Rose needed her to be the strong one. The eldest needed to keep the giant mech's attention on her. Her response had caused a laugh to rumble in the mech's throat.

"Then you must not even know what's going on. I shouldn't expected such young creatures to understand." he spoke, digits slowly sliding around them.

"If you're going to kill one of us, kill me! Rosie hasn't done anything to you Decepticons! I was the one that distracted Barricade from getting those damn glasses!" Nirvana yelled, trying to push his digits away or at least make sure they didn't get around her sister.

"I don't plan on killing either of you. But tell me, is it courage or fear that compels you to fight me? Or perhaps the affection you feel for the little one that clings so closely to your back? You're much too young to be her mother." the mech sneered, optics glancing toward Rose. "Soundwave says you raised her. That's not common for your kind."

"Megatron! Leave the humans be!" Optimus yelled, crashing into the mech. The girls had to jump back to prevent the giant mech from taking them with him. Jazz was too hurt to find shelter, and definitely too hurt to try to defend the humans.

"Run... Run and try to get to Drift and Ironhide. They.. will be able to protect you better than I can..." Jazz sputtered, his lingo faltering without the same energy he usually felt.

"But what if a Decepticon finds you?!" Rose cried, running close to cling to his armor.

"I'll be fine. I got a gun. You two don't have armor like us. One shot... and game over for you guys." the mech wheezed trying to straighten himself up. Rose gently petted the warm metal but knew they could not stay.

"Be safe..." she whispered, finally pulling away as Nirvana whispered their need to get away from this area as soon as possible.

"Don't worry, kiddo. I'm tougher... than I look." he chortled, body sparking as he tried to raise himself a little more. With those words, the two sisters ran as fast as they could. Bits of buildings blew on them as the war of the mechs raged. It was amazing that they were not crushed as they fled. The farther they ran, the quieter the area became. Most humans had ran away when the robots began fighting. Nirvana could not blame them, that's exactly what they were trying to do.

She wished that they could run farther but Rose was falling behind by a large margin. While Nirvana had long and powerful legs that carried her well, Rose was rather petite and her speed was no match to her sister.

"Sissy...I...can't run any far...ther..." Rose panted, her sprint becoming a wobbling walk. She hated herself for being so weak but she couldn't barely get the air in her lungs fast enough.

"It's okay. I think we're far enough for a tiny breather but we need to get going as fast as possible. There's no telling how soon those mechs could be here if they decide to start their death-style wrestling match in this direction." Nirvana huffed, the adrenaline still rushing but starting to ebb where she felt the effects of their little run.

"I'm sorry... I know I should be stronger... Where did all these thick cables come from...? Be careful, they may be electrified." Rose warned, delicately stepping over the obstructions.

"...Cables...?" Nirvana asked, looking to where her sister pointed. The sight made her blood run cold. Those were definitely not cables, they were something much deadlier. "Rose, get out of the-"

Her words were cut short as the probes quickly wrapped themselves around her body. It felt awful how familiar they felt squirming along her skin and it sickened her. The trap had been perfect and Soundwave stepped out of a nearby alley to reveal himself. The plan had formed when he had seen the two young humans running from where Optimus and Megatron had started their duel.

"You made a poor choice escaping, Nirvana Evangelous. I made it clear that you belonged to me." he hissed, probes raising both humans up until they were wiggling in front of his faceplates.

"I don't belong to anyone!" Nirvana yelled, horrible memories flooding back from the feeling of the probes.

"Negative: I claimed you and have seen your life. It is time to give someone else the reigns. You have no choice in the matter. Submit." he ordered, agitated that those annoying coverings were back with more added. Nirvana would need more conditioning until she was the amount of obedient that he would like. He did not plan on giving her up.

It irked him that her thoughts always turned to the one she protected. No matter how many thoughts he made her experience, memories he brought forth, her thoughts always eventually turned to this 'Rose". Hopefully, with Barricade in possession of the human, Nirvana's thoughts would eventually turn to nothing but her Master.

"You can't just claim something that has thought of it's own! We think for ourselves!" she growled, twisting in his hold. There was no way she would be submitted to more of those tiny wires under her skin.

"The younger human makes you weak, Nirvana. There is so much potential that is held back by your obsession with keeping her safe. I will make sure you two are separated when we begin your training." Soundwave promised, starting to walk with them.

"Get yer dirty Con servos off of em!" a loud booming voice yelled, drawing all of their attention. The girls nearly fainted with happiness as they realized it was Ironhide, Drift close behind with the same angered expression.

"Negative. Humans will be leaving with me." the expressionless mech promised, stepping back at their approach. Their little stare down was interrupted as Megatron and Optimus went skidding into the area. The girls had never seen two bots fight with such ferocity. It was obvious that it would be a fight to the death.

"Is that Sam, Nirvana?!" Rose exclaimed, seeing a form scrabbling underneath the two bots. Nirvana nodded numbly, noticing a square object in his hands.

"Sam! Put the Allspark into my chest. Now!" they heard Optimus command. Everything seemed to go into slow motion as Sam disobeyed the order, instead turning to the Decepticon leader. And then it happened, all their struggles, all their fear and all their sacrifices turned into one fluid moment of a human boy shoving a giant metal cube into the chest of a giant mass of metallic death.

Stunned silence engulfed the small audience of bots and humans alike.

"Lord... Megatron..." the words hardly tumbled from Soundwave. All they had done, only for Megatron to be killed mere hours earlier. He was more than angry, he felt an all out rage storming in his spark. It was amazing he didn't crush the humans as he snarled.

"Don't even think of running off with them." Drift warned, stepping forward. His optics lingered on Nirvana as he tried to plan the best way to approach the situation.

"You've lost, Soundwave. Release the humans. There is no need for you to die like the others." Optimus said, struggling to get to his peds after his match with Megatron.

"They said let go!" Nirvana yelled, the words falling out fluently and not in a way she was used to speaking. But it sounded like English to herself.

"You could let us go. The Autobots will keep their word to not hurt you if you release us..." Rose whimpered, flinching in his hold. The Autobots were stunned at the words falling from their mouths. Was it even possible?

Soundwave stared shocked at the humans. Had they uttered the language of their people? The momentary distraction was enough to give Drift the chance to make his move. The Decepticon hissed as he felt the familiar feel of the blade slicing through his probes. It was becoming increasingly irritating losing his hold on these humans.

"This is not over. They will never truly be safe from us. When your corpses litter this world, we will happily let them see you and revel in their despair." he hissed, not taking another moment before transforming and making his retreat, sending a signal for the surviving Decepticons to do the same. The battle was over... for now.

Luckily for the humans, Ironhide caught them before they hit the ground. God, it was absolute heaven to snuggle into the warmth of his servos. They held a strong kindness that set them at ease, especially after being held by Soundwave.

"You guys have no idea how happy we are to see you." Nirvana sighed, stretching out against the flat of the mech's servo.

"Drift and Ironhide kept their promise! You came back for us." Rose beamed, nuzzling into his thumb.

"You two are the sappiest creatures I've ever met. I haven't seen anyone so happy to see me since I went back to a brothel on Cybertron." Ironhide huffed, handing Nirvana off to Drift so the mech could preen over her and to look for any injuries. It was amazing how protective Cybertronians were when they latched onto someone.

"Shut it, Ironhide. No one needs to hear about your conquests." Drift chuckled, a digit coming to brush the hair out of Nirvana's face. Her bun ornaments had fallen out, causing her long black hair to fall onto her shoulders and face.

For that one moment, everything was perfect. They were safe in the servos of their protectors and nothing would ruin the moment. Nirvana was just relieved that they had survived the whole ordeal. But Soundwave's words were nagging at her mind. Would he and the others truly try to hunt them down? Would it be worth it?

Drift's gentle touch brought her back to the present. If they did come back for them, she knew their bots would be right there to protect them as they had done since they met them.

There was no telling what the future held, but at least the girls had each other.