Chapter 7 Funeral Processions
The little house was quiet in the early hours of the morning. A few small flowers were pushing their way up through the slush-filled flower beds, their delicate stems exposed to the cooled temperatures. Lights were on in the upstairs washroom, the windows fogged up from shower steam. The Hummer sitting in the driveway glinted slightly in the sunlight, appearing as ordinary as the next vehicle, before a loud scream broke the silence and made it snort.
"Frenzy! Get my bra off of your head!" Caraden snarled, charging after the silver mech, dressed only in pajama pants and an undershirt.
"F-f-fleshy can't keep up!" Frenzy taunted, weaving back and for the down the hallways before dashing down the stairs.
Caraden snarled angrily before speeding up, taking the stairs three at a time and almost tripping over Rumble as she took the corner into the kitchen after the escaping mech. Rumble leapt out of the way quickly as she grabbed a frying pan out of the drying rack on the counter and started swinging at Frenzy's head. The silver mech screamed in terror as it missed his head by mere centimeters, quickly followed by several curses as she wound up for another try.
The only thing that stopped her from beating the silver mech's helm in was a large arm wrapping around her waist and holding her back. She struggled for a moment, snarling about shoving Frenzy's head onto a spike and parading it around, before calming down enough for some amount of discipline and order to take hold. Rumble gently pried the frying pan out of her hand and placed it on the counter out of arm's reach.
'Frenzy, return Caraden's breast plating,' Lazerbeak sighed down the mind-link.
He glanced at the condor before sticking his glossa out. "N-n-no!"
Sighing, Soundwave walked over and removed the undergarment from his creations head. He gave him a gentle scolding for taking something of a female's before handing it back to Caraden. She glowered at the silver mech before spinning on her heels and heading back upstairs to dress for the day. Rumble gazed after her before looking up at him curiously.
"What's up with Cara?" he asked.
"Funeral processions today," he replied with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose slightly in irritation.
"Oh," Rumble murmured sadly, instantly understanding.
The funeral for her parents was taking place today, along with the reading of their will. Caraden had been testy for the past week, snapping at them for any reason that cropped up, even if it was menial and unimportant. He had taken the moody nature for a short while before he had told her to find a different outlet for her frustration. She had started taking off after school, jogging down to the lake and back before returning home to eat. It seemed to take away her anger towards them; no doubt some small part of her blamed him for her parents' deaths.
As well as that, she was waking up during the night screaming for her parents to move out of the way. He had taken to getting the other creations to watch over her and alert him if she started thrashing around in her sleep, muttering incoherently, or screaming. Dark circles were forming under her eyes from lack of sleep and she had passed out twice during each of her classes. Valerie was over often to comfort her and it took a great deal of scrambling for his creations to hide from the "intruder" one the first day. After she had turned up a few times though, they grew use to her and ceased hiding, although they never openly accepted her into their midst. Prowl expressed slight concern for Caraden's mental state, but he refused to let the Autobots touch her; Caraden would recover from his support alone. After all, who knew the inner workings of the mind better than he did?
Caraden came back into the kitchen, combing her hair while trying to pull her arm through the sleeve of her shirt. "Batty, where'd hide my dress-shoes?" she asked as she grabbed a pop-tart package out of the cupboard.
Ratbat flicked an ear before flying out of the room. Buzzsaw chirped gently before flying down and landing on the counter beside her. She stroked the golden condor's helm gently as she munched on the pastry, her eyes focused on the ground by her feet. Lazerbeak hopped onto her other side and ran his beak through her hair, getting out the tangles that she had missed in her haste.
"Thanks Laze," she murmured sadly.
Ratbat came back into the room screeching, her shoes held tightly in his claws, and a proud smirk on his face. He dropped them at her feet before flying over to the table and landing, sliding along the flat surface before turning towards her. He wiggled his nose, waiting for praise from her, but only got a curt nod as she pulled her shoes on. He wilted slightly, squeaking unhappily before she walked over and scratched his ears apologetically. He squeaked happily, burying his face into her neck and attempting to hug her. It turned into an awkward hanging position wince his arms did not bend properly to actually reach around her shoulders.
"You're…you're coming right, Soundwave?" she asked, glancing over at him with pleading eyes, one hand on Ratbat's back to hug him back.
He nodded before walking over and wrapping her up in his arms. She sniffled against his chest, hugging him tightly in an attempt to hold herself together. Rumble scuttled over, red optics blinking before he hugged her waist tightly, nuzzling her side.
"Don't cry, sis," he cooed gently. "We're here to protect you now."
She sniffled again, nodding slowly. "I know," she whispered. "But it doesn't stop the pain from being there."
'We will not let you feel such things again,' Lazerbeak cooed down the link.
'We are one family unit,' Buzzsaw agreed.
'We're here to help!' Ratbat shouted happily, flapping his wing and bouncing on the table.
Caraden smiled weakly at them, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Thanks guys," she murmured before she pulled away to finish getting ready.
It didn't take her long to finish preparing for the day. In ten minutes, she was lugging Lazerbeak, Buzzsaw, and Ratbat out to Soundwave's body with Rumble and Frenzy walking behind her, hidden behind holograms. Soundwave had the door open waiting for her so she didn't have to put any of the Cassetteicons on the dew-covered ground and she gently placed her "brothers" in the back seat. She left the door open for Rumble and Frenzy while she hopped into the front seat.
"Why does she get shotgun?" Rumble asked.
"Because I don't look like a twelve-year-old," she replied bluntly as she buckled herself in.
"Fair enough," he replied as he settled down on the backseat beside his twin.
The ride to the cemetery was silent, giving Caraden some much needed time to compose herself for the gathering. Soundwave gave his creations orders to behave themselves and not draw attention to the fact that they were not from Earth. They agreed before he pulled into the cemetery parking lot, although Frenzy was the most reluctant since he did not trust humans. There were a few other cars parked around them, black clad owners whispering in small groups a short distance away. Caraden swallowed before opening the door and climbing out, careful not to slam the door shut behind her since he wasn't another inanimate car. Frenzy and Rumble scrambled out behind her, one of the identical boys holding a "snoozing" brown bat in his coat. Soundwave came around his alt. mode, Lazerbeak and Buzzsaw sitting quietly on his shoulders, hooded to make them appear tamed to anyone else around them. They were all clad in black like the other people present, making them all appear even paler than they normally were.
Whispers started up like buzzing bees, dark glares shot in their direction as Caraden began to lean heavily on his arm, her knees going to jelly underneath her. Rumble; or Frenzy, they looked too much alike in holoform; stood by her elbow, petting Ratbat's head as he sniffed the air. The other twin stood beside Soundwave, shifting slightly and glancing up at the stoic man beside him. Soundwave gave a soft hum before nudging Caraden forward, telling her to head over to the whispering pack of people. She swallowed again before heading over, the three men following her lead.
"Caraden!" one of the black-clad women cried. "Darling, how you've grown!"
Caraden winced slightly as a thin woman with a face of someone that did not smile very often strode forward to hug her. "Hello, Aunt Guinevere," she replied with a forced smile. "It hasn't been that long, has it?"
"Too long in my opinion," she retorted as she tried to drag her away. "So unfortunate; your mother was such a dear."
Caraden dug her heels in, an almost feral snarl set on her mouth. "Yes, it is, isn't it?" she growled before tugging her arm back. "But, I don't want your pity, and I doubt my parents want it either."
The woman looked shocked for a moment before her eyes darkened. "Young lady, I will not be spoken to like that. Apologize and redeem yourself for such blatant disrespect," she ordered.
Caraden seemed to twitch on the spot, her mind flying in a hundred directions, insults, curses, and accusations flying around until she settled on one. "I will not apologize for speaking the truth; my mother did not accept your pity and neither will I," she stated with a calm detachment.
The woman seemed to grow in rage before Caraden walked past her. A middle-aged man with graying black hair smirked before walking idly over to her. He gave her a broad smile before hugging her tightly. She stiffened momentarily before relaxing and returning the hug with true affection behind it.
"Hello there little Caramel," the man joked. "Pissing off darling Guinevere, again, as usual, are we?"
"It's good to see you too, Uncle Camren," she laughed. "And yes, I am, but it isn't really that hard to do."
Camren chuckled before looking up at Soundwave. "Forgive my sister's lack of manners; I'm Camren Rutherford, Caraden's uncle," he greeted, hold his hand out and beaming.
Soundwave shook the man's hand and nodded, sensing that he was a favourite of Caraden's. "Socrates Wayland," he replied before gesturing to Rumble and Frenzy, who had taken to hiding shyly behind him. "Robert and Fredrick, my sons."
"Single parent huh?" Camren asked after shaking the twins' hands. "Not an easy thing to do."
Rumble; Caraden was positive that it was Rumble now; held up Ratbat, who hissed from being exposed to the bright lights. "This is Ratbat," he announced proudly. "Dad's letting me look after him until he's big enough to return to the wild."
"Pretty cute," Camren commented. "Won't be long 'til his release, I'd say; he's quite a big baby."
"That's because he's always eating," Frenzy snorted.
Lazerbeak cawed at him, making Camren jump. "Condors?" he asked. "I thought that falconry consisted of birds of prey, not carcass-pickers."
Lazerbeak ruffled his feathers angrily before Caraden sighed. "Unc, don't talk trash about condors just because one pooped on you at a zoo," she scolded. "And don't give me that 'one of them chased me around in Arizona' story again."
Camren laughed before glancing at the condors. "They get names too or are they just One and Two?" he asked.
"Laze," he replied, stroking Lazerbeak's head, "And Buzz," he added as he stroked Buzzsaw's belly.
"Cute," he chuckled before frowning and looking around his side. "Friends of yours?" he asked, pointing at three approaching men.
Caraden frowned. "Big guy?" she asked, tugging Camren back a few paces as she sensed that they were Decepticons.
He nodded before facing the men, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. The leader, a tall man with sandy blond hair, high cheekbones, athletic build, and tanned skin wearing blue jeans and a red shirt, smirked at him before bowing. "A pleasure meeting you here, Socrates," Starscream stated.
"What is your reason for attending?" Soundwave demanded.
"Well, since the stolen military vehicle came from our base, I figured the polite thing to do would attend the funeral of the poor people that were killed," he replied smoothly.
"You really have a way of talking," Caraden snapped as she stepped forward, hands on her hips in an attempt to appear braver.
"Caraden, my dear," Starscream almost purred, "such harsh words! I would have thought you'd be happy to see me!"
"Considering you dangled me above the ground the last time we met, no," she replied before Camren tapped her shoulder.
"Who…?" he started to ask before Starscream stuck out his hand.
"Stephen Sternly," he stated in a snobbish tone. "These are my brothers, Theodore and Sean," he added, gesturing to the men beside him.
"Camren," he replied, giving Starscream's hand a brief shake. He glanced over his shoulder at the congregation and sighed bitterly as they made beckoning gestures. "And, unfortunately, that is my cue to return to my lovely relatives," he grumbled before turning around and heading back.
Caraden glanced at Starscream before looking at his brothers. "And you two are?" she asked, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice.
"Thundercracker," the man on the left of Starscream stated in a gruff drawl, a rather bored expression set on his features.
"Skywarp," the other replied, grinning widely and winking, "best looking mech in the whole army."
Caraden smirked as she took in the two holograms. Thundercracker towered over her, but he didn't give off the same aura of malevolence that the other Decepticons did. He had the same high cheekbones as Starscream, dark brown hair with blue highlights, a perfectly toned body, and full lips; which she noted a little too quickly for her own liking. He was wearing faded jeans and a dark blue and white shirt with a set of sunglasses hidden in his hair. She noted the red tinges in his brown eyes and shivered slightly; why did the robots have to be so unnaturally handsome? It wasn't fair considering they were fake.
Skywarp was tall as well, with long, toned limbs and a muscular chest. His hair was jet black with purple highlights, long, and hanging in his eyes, perfectly hiding his red irises. He too had the high cheekbones and the typical pretty-boy look to him. His clothing was all black, fitting in perfectly with the mood, unlike the other two. He grinned, showing perfectly white, straight teeth before walking forward, taking her hand in his, and kissing it.
"Au chante, mademoiselle," he cooed, grinning down at her.
Caraden swallowed before grinning nervously. "Ok, the hot holograms flirt. This is so wrong on so many levels," she squeaked.
Skywarp laughed before hugging her close and nuzzling her. "She's so cute!" he laughed as she yelped in surprise. "Can I keep her, Soundwave? Please?"
"Negative," Soundwave replied as he gently pried her away from Skywarp. "Caraden must remain with her own kind."
"Aw," Skywarp whined, "but she's so cute!"
Caraden felt extremely uncomfortable now, her body confused at the affection shown by Skywarp. She huddled closely to her guardian's chest, breathing heavily to try to regain her control and composure. Sound let out several electronic noises that made Skywarp blink in shock before muttering in reply, kicking at the ground with the toe of his shoe. Soundwave snorted before stroking her hair and leading them into the cemetery after her relatives.
They wandered past hundreds of tombstones, barely paying them much attention before they stopped at a set of holes. Caraden sniffled weakly as she stood up straight and waited for a moment before she looked back the way they came and tears welled up in her eyes. He turned to see what was wrong and understood immediately; two caskets were being hauled towards them, held on the shoulders of six men each. Camren led the first coffin over, his eyes filled with pain as they stood there and waited for the speaker's speech to be given before lowering their caskets. He briefly wondered if the pain was from the fact that a relative was in the casket or if the casket was just really heavy.
Guinevere stepped forward and cleared her throat. "We all have come here to pay our final respects to our beloved family and friends. My youngest sister and her new husband are gone, killed by a drunken fool in a military vehicle," she stated calmly, dabbing around her eyes with a handkerchief to at least make it look like she was crying. "They are gone, leaving darling Caraden alone, but our love for them will keep their beings alive."
Several of the other mourners nodded to each other. Starscream let out a fake yawn behind them and Caraden took great care to step onto his foot without anyone noticing. He hissed at her before Camren cleared his throat to capture everyone's attention. He grinned at them, shifting around to set the coffin on his shoulders comfortably.
"Ok, I'm not the only one thinking that the baby of our family deserves a better eulogy than that," he chuckled before sighing. "Carmen was a happy person, content with everything she had and never asking for more. She tried to make everyone else happy and she sure as hell did a good job. A single mother until a year ago, she struggled to give Caraden everything she wanted. They pulled through together, supporting each other and being closer than best friends."
"Then, a miracle happened; Carmen ran into John at a job conference. They connected instantly and, two years later, were married. Yours truly was in attendance to see her off since dad had passed away already, and commented on how their life was going to go. John was no Patrick, but he made her happy again, killing the lonesomeness that had plagued her since his passing. Now that she is gone, I know Patrick will be waiting to greet her in heaven and meet John at last. And, as closing words, I say this; Carmen is going to have one hell of a good time up there with her two lovers. Have fun, baby sister, have fun," he finished, sniffling and wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his jacket.
Caraden smiled through her tears before moving forward to stand beside her uncle. He nodded to her, giving her his signature grin before she took a deep breath and faced everyone. "My mother was my hero; she showed that women can do things on our own and live life properly, all without the need of a man. She worked hard to put me through school, put food in our stomachs, and still be there when I needed her. When she started seeing John, I was jealous at first, but then I saw that he made her happy and I accepted him. He wasn't a father figure to me; he wasn't there at the right time to be that; but I still called him 'Dad' none-the-less. He was my mother's husband and therefore was my dad, although I slipped up often and called him 'John' He bought me my first real car, or rather Hummer, and moved us here."
"Because of him, I met Valerie; my best friend, who is recovering from a cold; Sam and Mikaela; who are out of town meeting each other's family; and Miles; who is likely sprawled out on his bed and snoring his head off; all who are close to each other. They were there for me the whole week after my parents' passing, leaving only at night to sleep," she paused to wipe her tears away. "My parents are gone, they are never coming back, but I can never forget them. I never will, I never plan to, and I know no one else will. I just hope they're happy, wherever they are now. God, my mom's probably hovering over Hawaii right now working on her tan," she sniffed and laughed. She rested a hand on the casket. "Rest in peace, mom," she whispered.
Camren nodded before he led the other casket bearers to one of the open holes. They grunted before they lowered the casket slowly and carefully into the hole. Then, they shoveled dirt over it, mumbling good-byes until the casket was buried, the soil patted down to hide the scar. Then the process was repeated for the other casket. When they finished, they lowered their heads in respect before heading back to the parking lot.
Soundwave walked over to Caraden and hugged her. She hid her face in his chest, crying quietly before Camren stroked her hair. She looked back and him and sniffled, "Yeah?"
"They're going to read the will now," he stated gently. "Socrates can come if you want him to; I give you full permission."
She nodded before pulling away and wiping her eyes again. "Kay."
Camren smiled before hugging her tightly and leading them towards the church. The Seeker brothers appeared beside them, demanding to be in attendance as well. Camren was slightly surprised at the demand of the men, but shrugged and allowed them entrance, even with Guinevere whining about too many non-family members in attendance.
"Ignore her," Caraden sighed as she sat down beside Camren at the front of the room, just off the main area of the church. "She's just an old grouch."
"Well put," Camren laughed before motioning the other four men to sit down.
Lazerbeak and Buzzsaw cawed softly from Soundwave's shoulders, causing many of the others to cry out in terror. Caraden rolled her eyes before gently picking Buzzsaw up and sitting him on her lap, running a finger along his back in silent awe of his soft feathers. The brilliantly coloured condor settled down, tucking his head under his wing to feign sleeping. Grumbles rang out before the lawyer walked in holding her parents' will.
"Is this everyone?" he asked.
"Plus a few extras," Camren replied with a nod.
"Very well," the lawyer replied before sitting himself down behind the desk in the office. He cleared his throat before placing the papers on the table. "If in the misfortune of our passing, we give, in all legality, custody over our daughter, Caraden Mazer, to her godfather, Camren Rutherford. In addition, all our belongings, estate, and money are in the sole possession of Caraden. Should she have passed with us, all possessions will go to Camren. Signed John and Carmen Smith," he read.
There was a heavy silence in the room before Camren spoke. "Is that all?" he asked calmly. "There are no other legalities that you skipped over?"
"That is all," the lawyer replied before standing up.
"Impossible!" Guinevere shouted, rising to her feet. "Carmen is much more sophisticated! She must have left others with rights!"
The others shifted nervously in their seats before Caraden rose, Buzzsaw hissing in her arms. "What were you expecting, dear Auntie?" she asked. "Half of their earnings? All of my mother's jewelry?"
"I've earned my rights for helping her financially for the past seven years!" she snarled.
Caraden opened her mouth to retort before Soundwave rose and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Cease actions," he ordered.
She growled but ceased fighting with her aunt, starting to rub her cheek against Buzzsaw's wing. He cawed gently to her, running his beak through her hair soothingly. She sighed softly before straightening up and giving the lawyer an apologetic smile.
"Sorry you have to hear our family squabble," she apologized.
"This happens often," he replied before leaving quickly.
"Caraden," Camren called, "I'm going to be heading home now. I want you to come and visit me to decide if you want to stay in your house or move in with me," he added before hugging her shoulders. "I don't expect you to choose right away. Just come down for a visit on the weekend, get a look at the town, and then decide."
She nodded slowly. "I'll meet you there; I really need to get out of town," she replied before smiling.
He kissed her forehead before heading for the door. She was quick to follow him, leading the holograms outside. Rumble and Frenzy were leaning against Soundwave's tires, Ratbat poking his nose out to breath. Camren got into his old pickup and backed out, waving out the window before heading for Mission City some three hours away.
"All done?" Rumble asked before climbing to his feet.
"Yeah," she sighed before opening Soundwave's door. The Seeker brothers went around to Soundwave's other side to vanish from sight. In the distance, jet engines whirled to life before three F-22 Raptors roared by overhead. "Now that's traveling in style," she laughed.
Soundwave chuckled before they all climbed in and headed back home. They were silent again, the holograms fading away to reveal the mech beneath. Rumble hopped onto the back of her seat and clicked at her curiously from the headrest.
"Why'd ya lie about your friends?" he asked. "They didn't know about the funeral."
"They didn't need to know about it," she replied. "Not even those in attendance cared. Other than Camren, but he and my mom were always close."
Rumble hummed softly until they pulled into the driveway, almost crashing into Prowl's tailgate as the mech slid backwards at them. Caraden yelped as he swerved to avoid the Mustang as it practically backed into him. She hopped out and walked over to the black car, slamming her hands down on his tailgate.
"What the hell, Prowl?" she growled. "You just tried to hit Soundwave!"
"Forgive me, young Caraden," he replied, "but it was the easies way to get your attention."
"Why?" she demanded.
"Valerie has proposed that we go to Mission City for a 'shopping spree' and help cheer you up," he stated in his usual calm voice.
"I was heading that way anyways," she replied. "I'm spending the weekend at my uncle's."
"I will go collect Valerie, Sam, Mikaela, Miles, Bumblebee, and Beachcomber," he stated. "I will be back in an hour."
She gave a brief wave before the black Mustang backed off and drove away. Soundwave pulled in beside her, snorting in disgust at Prowl's actions. The side door opened and the twins darted out, hiding in the bushes to avoid catching any of the neighbor's attention. She leant across the back seat to pick up the other Cassettes, careful not to jostle them too much as she headed for the door. Rumble opened it for her before scuttling in.
'Freedom!' Ratbat cried as he transformed and flew away. 'No more shirts, no more worms, no more people's dirty looks!'
"You're a freak, Ratbat," Caraden called after him as she set Lazerbeak and Buzzsaw down on the table to let them transform.
Rumble snickered before clambering onto the counter. "So, we're coming too, right?" he asked, blinking his red optics at her.
"Yes, I'm not leaving a bunch of men behind to go through my clothes," she replied with a smirk as she began to make herself a sandwich.
"Touché," Rumble laughed before flopping down to sit out of the way. "Why don't you get along with that aunt of yours?" he asked.
"Because she does nothing but complain," Caraden replied as she opened a can of tuna.
"But she's still your aunt," Rumble pushed.
"She's done nothing for my mother and me to show that we can trust her," she replied as she tore into her tuna sandwich hungrily. "She kept nagging my mom to get with someone to create a "stable environment" for me," she snorted. "Stupid glitch even threatened to call Child Services and let them take me away."
"Hag's got issues," Rumble snorted before smirking. "You realize that you used a Cybertronian curse, right?"
"I've been hanging around you guys too much," she laughed as she licked her fingers clean of any tuna; she had become almost unceremoniously messy when it came to eating fish as of late.
'You look like a cat,' Buzzsaw commented.
"I feel like one!" she replied before heading upstairs to pack and get changed into something other than dress pants and a blouse.
Soundwave kept watch from the driveway, waiting for the Autobots to return. Their relationship was strained since Megatron's return; they wanted to take Caraden out of his care, arguing that she was not safe now that his loyalties to the Decepticons were rekindled. Caraden had refused a guardian change, claiming that Soundwave would never let anything hurt her. They still tried to change her mind, inviting her into their base to get to know them better, develop a bond with one of them, and then allow the change in guardianship occur. They were unaware of just how deep their bond ran, how much he would do to protect her at all costs. She was his "creation" and he would protect her with his like, as would his creations.
He sensed Prowl reenter the area that was claimed as his territory and alerted his creations. They all reacted accordingly, waiting patiently for a signal to move out. Caraden came out with a suitcase and Lazerbeak's stereo alt. mode tucked under her arm. She walked over, "opening" the side door before lifting the suitcase into the back seat. Prowl pulled in beside her, blocking off her route back to the house.
"Ready to go?" Valerie asked as she got out of the driver's seat.
"Almost," she replied before placing Lazerbeak on the back seat, "just got a few more things to get."
"I can run in for you," she offered.
"That…wouldn't be wise," Caraden sighed before walking around Prowl's fender.
"Why not?" she asked as she followed Caraden up the front steps. "I mean, it's not like you're harboring fugitives," she joked.
Caraden gave a short laugh before picking up Buzzsaw and Ratbat. "Rumble, Frenzy, we're leaving," she called.
Frenzy rushed past, shouting in Cybertronian and waving his arms over his head. Rumble followed, flashing Valerie a grin before taking off after his twin. Valerie shivered as they left the house, locking the door behind them. Valerie reached out to pick up Ratbat and was hissed at, causing her to jump in alarm. Caraden scolded him before hefting him onto her shoulder and heading for Soundwave.
"Why don't they like me?" Valerie asked a she leant on Prowl's hood.
"Because you reek of Autobot," Soundwave chuckled, causing Prowl to rev his engine in warning while Valerie rolled her eyes.
"And here I thought we could be friends," she sighed dramatically.
"F-f-fat chance, fleshbag," Frenzy growled before squealing and grabbing Caraden's arm. "Witwicky!"
Sam froze as he got out of Bumblebee, brown eyes wide at the silver mech. "Oh no."
Frenzy went to go charge forward when his sharp fingers sliced into Caraden's arm, causing her to scream in pain. "Frenzy, halt actions immediately!"
He materialized beside her, wrapping his arms quickly around her, and pulling her close to him. She whimpered weakly, more surprised than in pain, but allowed him to gently pry her hand off of her arm and assess the damage. The wound wasn't deep and wasn't in need of stitches, but would need to be cleaned and wrapped to make sure it did not get infected. He looked at Frenzy where he stood shaking, both in fear of repercussion and the need to capture Samuel Witwicky, and gave him a silent order. He nodded quickly before taking off into the house through Caraden's slightly ajar basement window. He was out five minutes later as Beachcomber and Miles pulled up, holding the first aid kit.
"Soundwave," Prowl growled as he set Caraden down on his own hood and got out the wet wipes to clean away the blood, "we need to talk."
"Caraden is fine; minor scratch," he replied as he cleaned away the blood from the wound.
'It could have been worse,' Prowl growled in his mind.
'Frenzy did not intentionally harm her,' he replied calmly as he ran a rubbing-alcohol covered cotton swab over the cut, causing her to hiss in pain.
'She is not safe with the Cassetteicons! Surely you realize that?!' Prowl bellowed.
'Caraden is not to be harmed,' he replied calmly, wrapping the linen around her arm a few times, holding it out for Rumble to cut.
'You cannot ensure that,' he pushed.
'The Cassetteicons show complete obedience,' he replied as he put the fastener in place. 'They do not disobey.'
"You ok, Caraden?" Valerie asked, leaning forward to get a good look at her friend.
"Yeah," she replied as she pulled her jacket on since her sweater had a hold in it now. "I was more startled than hurt."
"That's good," she sighed before getting into Prowl.
Caraden nodded before hopping down and climbing into the passenger side of her guardian. Frenzy and Rumble hopped into the back as Soundwave pulled out of the yard. The other Cassetteicons transformed and stretched their limbs out, excited at the prospect of a road trip.
"Yoh, this is the Yellow Bug to Big Blue, come in Big Blue," Sam's voice rang out through the radio, using Bumblebee's com-link.
"Sam, don't abuse that thing," Caraden laughed as she fumbled with the dial so that she could send a signal to all the others and not just back to Sam.
"Miles' idea," he replied. "So, what are you planning?"
"Visiting my uncle for the weekend," she replied. "I might be moving in with him after the school year."
"No!" Valerie cried out. "We'll never get to see you!"
"There's something called 'weekends' and 'shopping'," Caraden laughed. "We'll get by just fine."
"Yeah, good point," Valerie laughed.
At some point during the three hour trip, Miles started singing "The Song That Never Ends", to which Sam, Bumblebee, Beachcomber, Caraden, and Rumble joined in. Frenzy joined in after he realized what the words were. Valerie started making background noise with "I Know a Song", to which Mikaela joined in. Soundwave could feel Prowl's outrage at the annoying songs, and started humming along quietly. Lazerbeak, Buzzsaw, and Ratbat were singing a Cybertronian song, adding it in to the cacophony.
"Louder!" Rumble shouted, prodding his dashboard when he heard the soft humming. "Come on, big guy!"
He chuckled before adding his monotone to the mix, earning a loud whoop from Caraden. "This is the song that never ends. Yes it goes on and on my friends! Some people started singing…," everyone sang.
"Sing something else!" Prowl roared over the noise.
"99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer," Sam sang out.
"Take one down, pass it around," Mikaela and Valerie sang.
"98 bottles of beer on the wall!" Caraden shouted.
Prowl groaned in agony as the Cassetteicons cheered. Soundwave laughed again, encouraging his creations to join in. 'Soundwave, I'm killing you in the next battle,' Prowl growled.
'As Caraden often says; bring it,' he replied.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
'Are we there yet?'
'No.'
'How about now?'
"No."
"Are we…?"
'Ratbat, if you ask that one more time, I will personally throw you out of Creator and into oncoming traffic. Then, hot wire Creator so I can run you over!' Lazerbeak snapped.
Ratbat fell silent at last, earning a sigh from Caraden, who had stopped singing after her throat felt dry. They had stopped at a gas station earlier to let Miles out to relieve himself and she had gotten some oil cans for her "brothers" to drink. After that they had gotten everything they needed, they had started back on their way. Caraden was leaning against the window in boredom, watching the rock formations that had popped up.
"One little, two little, three little Minicons; four little, five little six little Minicons; seven little, eight little, nine little Minicons; ten little Minicon mechs," Rumble sang, only to get pecked by Buzzsaw. "OW!"
"Enough," Soundwave ordered as a sign saying "Mission City- 10 miles" flew past them.
"Yeah, 10 miles left," Valerie cheered. "Good thing too, cuz I gotta pee!"
Caraden smirked before sighing. "I feel all cramped up," she groaned. "And I can feel the bones in my butt."
Valerie laughed as they drove into the city. They stopped at a small restaurant for the humans to eat lunch and use the washroom. Rumble shoved a contact device into Caraden's hand, telling her to push it if she needed help. They vanished inside, some squirming in discomfort from full blades. He settled down on his tires to rest, Prowl, Bumblebee, and Beachcomber mimicking him, as they waited for their charges.
He awoke to a wailing of sirens. Rumble and Frenzy had their faces against the window, muttering back and forth to each other. They shivered as a speeding police car went flying by, glancing at the steering wheel.
"Barricade," Bumblebee stated.
"He is busy," Soundwave replied, catching the Mustang's enraged mental patterns.
He looked back at the restaurants as the charges walked out, content looks on their faces. Caraden stretched her arms over her head, chatting happily with Valerie, who looked like she had eaten just a tad too much.
"Cool, car chase," Miles commented as he hopped onto Beachcomber's hood.
"More like angry Decepticon out for blood," Caraden snorted.
"He is of no problem, at the moment," Prowl soothed. "You are in no danger, little ones."
"Good to know," Valerie chimed as they climbed back into their guardians.
Ratbat sniffed her shoulder as she sat down. "You had fish for lunch," he commented.
"Popcorn shrimp and lobster," she replied after buckling up. "Red Lobster has the best seafood around."
Soundwave frowned, worried about Caraden's obsession with fish. Due to the high amounts of poisonous mercury build-up, she was running a huge risk at poisoning herself. She leant against his seat and patted Ratbat's head, earning happy clicks from the youngest of the creations. He smiled as she hugged him over the seat, planting a kiss on his nose that made him squirm. If nothing else, she was healthy and happy with them, and that was what mattered. He put his worrying aside, following Bumblebee into traffic to get to the mall, and instead focused on the cars around him.
When they finally reached the mall, they had to drive around for a bit to find a parking space. Bumblebee and Beachcomber wound up on the roof of the parking garage, Prowl on the floor level with the shopping mall, and Soundwave in the basement/underground parking. Caraden gave them a quick good-bye before sprinting for the upper floors to find the others. Of course, the darkness of the parking lot might have made her slightly edgy; you never know who could turn up.
"Well," Rumble snorted as he hopped into the front seat, "this is boring."
"A-a-agreed!" Frenzy chirped as he crawled up beside his brother.
"Patience, little ones," he cooed to them. "We will get to be with Caraden and have fun soon."
"Hope so," Rumble replied before curling up to recharge.
He smiled mentally before settling down for recharge himself. He woke twenty minutes later to whisper and someone touching his door handle. He glanced at the human males trying to open his door and snorted softly. The two hoodlums kept whispering to each other, completely ignoring him.
'Frenzy, Rumble, operation; scare tactics,' he ordered.
Frenzy and Rumble were quickly on his driver seat, grinning viciously at the outlines of the males. He unlocked the door silently, waiting for them to grab the handle again. Sure enough, in the next moment, one of the boys grabbed the handle and started opening it.
"What the hell?" he whispered as the door started to open. "Wasn't it locked a second ago?"
"You're right," Rumble stated before he kicked the door open gently.
"What is that?!" they shouted in terror, backing away as Rumble and Frenzy stalked out of him.
"Name's Rumble," Rumble snickered as they walked forward. "This is my bro Frenzy."
"F-f-fleshbags," Frenzy growled before changing his arms into machine guns. "I s-s-should destroy you."
"We have our orders, Frenzy," Rumble scolded gently.
Frenzy chittered angrily before turning on the boys. 'Please, Creator, can I kill them? I've been really good!'
'No, Frenzy; we cannot kill them so close to the others,' Soundwave replied.
'Chase them away and kill them?' he begged.
'No,' he replied. 'Scare only.'
Frenzy grumbled before leaping forward and snarling at the two men. Rumble charged, roaring at them and lifting his sharp fingers over his head in an attack. The men shouted in fear, earning cackles of glee from the twins, before they turned and tried to get away, shoving the other in hopes of leaving them behind to get killed. The twins were careful to remain slower than the startled prey, shouting and snarling in Cybertronian until they had chased them to the edge of the underground parking lot. When the humans were gone, they gave each other high-fives before racing back and hopping back into his front seat.
'Well done,' he praised them before they climbed into the back seat with their brothers and got ready for recharge.
Just as he was about to settle down and go into recharge again, he heard an explosion just a block away. His snapped to attention, pausing only long enough to catch who was in the city before firing up his engine and tearing out of the parking lot. He sent a mental order to Caraden to stay with Valerie and Prowl and get out of the city ASAP, before streaking down the street towards the fight.
He transformed quickly, using his shoulder to shove one of the larger Autobots that he didn't care who they were aside. The Autobot yelped in surprise before Thundercracker flew by overhead, sending a well shout sonic boom at the ground in front of the defending Autobots. They were sent flying, smashing into the buildings and following on the sidewalk that terrified humans were running on. They almost crushed several underneath them, but the screaming mounds of pathetic flesh continued to run away screaming and yelling.
He spotted Ratchet racing towards him and snorted before pressing the button on his shoulder. "Lazerbeak, Buzzsaw, eject. Operation, medical interference," he droned out.
Both condors burst out of his chest before screeching in delight at the prospect of a fight. They flew straight at the medic, causing him to cry out in shock, before dive bombing him, raking their talons into his helm. Rumble and Frenzy were silently begging to be released before he was hit from behind and sent crashing into the ground. He snarled and rolled over, glaring up at Beachcomber.
"I don't know what's wrong with you, man," he groaned out, "but that's low."
"Back off, hippy," he growled in reply before punching him in the face and getting to his feet. "Rumble, Frenzy, eject. Operation, hippy deterrent," he ordered, pressing the button on his shoulder again.
Rumble and Frenzy flew out, not wasting a moment before attacking Beachcomber. He snorted before standing up again, ready to attack another enemy. He spotted Prowl charging at into the fight and felt his spark still in terror. They locked optics and he saw the slight smirk on his mouth.
'Where is Caraden?' he snarled.
'Shouldn't you know? You are her guardian,' he replied snidely.
'What did you do with her?!' he snarled before charging at him and grabbing his throat. "Where is Caraden?" he growled.
He stared up at him defiantly before howling in pain as he started tearing his arm off, distracting him long enough for him to dig through his mind and find what he was looking for. Caraden was with the other humans being evacuated from the city; she'd be at her uncle's when the fight was over. He snorted before turning and throwing the Autobot SIC as far as he could, watching in amusement as he smashed into the ground, bouncing back up a few times before rolling.
'Dad!' Rumble shouted before he came tearing over to him. 'Caraden pushed that contacter I gave her! She's in trouble.'
He froze for a moment before pressing the button on his shoulder. "Ratbat, eject. Operation, find Caraden," he ordered.
Ratbat screeched before taking off, heading for the coordinates that Rumble had given him. But, even from the huge distance, he caught the faint sound of a scream, a very familiar female scream.
"Caraden!"
Author's note: Holy cow! I think that's the longest chapter I've ever written! Maybe, not really sure. Anyways, as you can see, this one is really dragged out. I'm not sure if that's how a funeral actually works, but what the heck. Well, you see, the point of her not getting along with her family is that big families tend to do that. You won't get along with everyone and there is always one or two siblings that you really get along well with. Her mother and her uncle were always really close so yeah. Sorry if I seem cruel for not giving them a lot of limelight and not knowing their personality, but they really were not that important of characters. Also, Camren's last name came from my chemistry class (which I was thinking about for some odd reason); Rutherford is one of the inventors of the Bohr-Rutherford diagrams, you know, the really complicated drawings of the atoms? So yeah, the poll will be up for a little while longer, just to see which will win; two of them were neck and neck at one point…and sorry for the lack of options.
