Mrs. Matthews sat at her kitchen table, sipping coffee, but not relaxing in a single drop of it. The room was dead quiet, making the ticks of the clock above the fridge seem ten times louder. It was as if every second that passed mocked the woman; teasing her utter loneliness in the kitchen. With nothing on TV, and no paper to read, the mother could only replay last night's events over and over in her mind.
Both her and Kayla arrived home about an hour after the tearful goodbye to Jazz. For the whole journey, neither spoke a word to each other. The second they were in the house, the musician immediately made a beeline for her bedroom and slammed the door. And that's where she stayed for the rest of the day…all through the night, and now into the next morning. The mother found her daughter's retaliation odd, in that she completely expected a screaming match the moment their feet hit the welcome mat. To be getting the cold shoulder instead…it was more than unnerving. At least yelling meant attention; to be completely ignored just made her feel worse.
The mom tried everything to coax the girl out of her room; calling her down for dinner…then bringing the food directly to her. Snappy remarks escalated to yelling, which softened to logical reasoning, then tearful pleading. But all she got in response was cold, indifferent silence. The door remained shut. The mother never felt so lonely in her life…then realized that maybe that was the red head's goal all along-to make her mom feel more lonely than she most likely felt. Well, if that WAS her motive, she was doing one heck of a job.
Mrs. Matthews stared at the clock for the hundredth time-almost noon. With a heavy sigh, she rose from her chair, and began the long ascent up the stairs to her daughter's bedroom. She could stand the silence no longer-the girl hadn't spoke, hadn't come out, and hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. Something had to give, and right now. Her hand now on the doorknob, the mother took one more moment to brace herself for the fight that was sure to come, before quietly entering the room.
Kayla was lying on her bed-her back to her mom. She was still in her same clothes from yesterday; her hair matted down and tangled from sleeping with wet head. As the woman approached, she immediately noticed the damp blankets. A dark circle encased the girl's whole body-evidence that not only did she not change clothes, she also never bothered to dry off from the rain. Hesitantly, the mother sat at the edge of the bed; the movement making the musician tense up.
At long last, Mrs. Matthews broke the quiet with a clearing of the throat, "You know you can't stay in here forever."
The girl responded by burying her head deeper into the pillow. But the mom wasn't about to give up so quickly, and arched an eyebrow, "I'm sure you must be getting hungry."
She nearly cracked a smile when she heard her daughter's stomach growl, as if on cue. But never the less, the red head curled into an even tighter ball; trying to put the proverbial foot down that she refused to budge. Her mother leaned forward, trying to get a glimpse at the girl's face. Sunlight crept in through the window blinds, and for a moment, her damp, red cheeks glistened in the light-a clear sign she had been crying, and in plentiful amounts.
Taking a deep breath, the woman finally let the sentence escape-the one she'd been trying to say for hours, "…I did it for your safety." A long pause, then a whisper, "…I'm sorry."
And she truly meant it too. She hated to take her daughter away from her friends…but when those friends break a promise and pose a danger to their lives…
She was about to give voice to all her thoughts, when suddenly, for the first time since yesterday, Kayla spoke. She didn't turn around, but her tone was crisp, clear, and filled with venom, "No, you're not sorry. You've been saying for years how you wanted me to live a "normal" life, which was just another way of saying you didn't want me there. You were just waiting for the one slip up where you'd have an excuse to take me away. And you knew Optimus wouldn't argue with you."
Mrs. Matthews was more than hurt at the accusation. True, that WAS part of her reasoning, but saying it like that made her out to be a villain. Of course she felt sad for what she felt she had to do. Making the decision to leave was just as hard as them having to bear it. She started to explain; her eyes sorrowful, "Kayla…"
But she was cut off when her daughter threw her arm out-voice even louder, "I didn't care what the risks were! I finally had a life and friends; the best friends I could ever ask for, and you took them away from me!"
And then, the mother was taken by surprise when the girl suddenly sprang up and spun around-facing her with such anger and intensity, it actually frightened her a moment. Fresh tears spilled out of dead eyes as the red head hollered, "You got what you wanted! Are you happy now?!"
The mom was at a loss for words. Was she truly relieved the Autobots were out of their lives? Or did all she do was simply open up another can of worms? For once in her life, she had no clue what to do or say next. All that escaped her breath was a tiny, "I…"
"Get out!" Kayla pointed towards the doorway and screamed at the top of her lungs, "JUST GET OUT!"
A harsh silence fell upon the bedroom; the only sound being the girl's heavy breathing. She then swiveled around and plopped herself back on the bed-lying even farther away so her mother wouldn't dare touch her. Mrs. Matthews realized there'd be no reasoning with her daughter-at least, not right now. So, she did the only thing she could think of; she slowly rose to her feet and left the room. But she stopped at the doorway and turned once more; fighting in vain to hold back tears. The girl might've been blind, but she could hear emotions as clearly as someone seeing them. With that in mind, the mother put her entire soul behind the following seven words.
"I did it because I love you."
Without missing a beat, Kayla spat:
"Well I hate YOU."
A long pause, save for the barely-audible sound of one tear hitting the carpet, and the mother calmly shut the door.
As soon as wood met wood, Mrs. Matthews leaned against the door frame-trying everything to keep herself composed. She was tired of yelling, and what was the point? Her eyes drifted; looking at everything and nothing as she thought. Before long, her gaze landed upon the framed picture of her husband. It hung just outside her own bedroom, and his strong, confidant eyes stared back at her, as if to say "just give her time". Thinking about it, however, the mom figured he'd say something more along the lines of, "well, you REALLY mucked things up this time. What're you gonna' do now?"
Said three year widow exhaled a sigh of frustration. He would've known exactly what to do-what to say. Her head drooped, and she whispered, "I wish you were here right now."
The mother was snapped from her thoughts at the sound of the doorbell. An eyebrow arched; who could that be? The two red heads hardly ever had visitors, which she always found a bit odd, considering the revolving door of Autobots that daily swung by the neighborhood since they first met. She figured at least one or two curious (more like amazed) neighbors would've come knocking by now with more than a few questions. Funny how she never gave that weird fact much thought until just now. It's not until it's over that you reflect…
The bell rang again, and Mrs. Matthews quickened her decent down the steps, calling out, "I'm coming." Arriving in the threshold, she gave a quick glance in the nearby mirror-hoping she looked presentable to whoever was calling her. It wouldn't do to look frazzled, especially after her…discussion. As soon as she was ready, she carefully opened the door a crack to see who it was.
A human-sized, blue and purple mech, with piercing red optics, glared back at her; standing on the porch like he was the milkman. He flashed a grin, "Special delivery."
The woman promptly let out a blood curdling scream and slammed the door shut.
She wasn't even halfway up the steps when she heard the explosion of wood splintering and an oak door crashing into a wall. A thick cloud of drywall and plaster smoke filled the threshold like a fog. And through the mist stepped Rumble and Frenzy; the latter splitting off into the living room-the former with his arms still stuck as pile drivers. He strutted into the kitchen with all the confidence of a cat playing with its prey-calling out, "Now, is that any way to treat a guest?"
There were no humans to be found, but the cassette knew the fleshling was somewhere near, listening. His optics landed upon the fridge, and with a chuckle, he hoisted the entire appliance over his head as if it weighed nothing. Just then, his "brother" called from the other room, "Hey Rumble! Where should we start?"
"Who cares?!" the 'Con yelled back, "Boss says we ain't leavin' 'till the job's done!"
He then thrust the refrigerator at the opposite wall, where it proceeded to burst through, scatter food and debris across the den, then smash through the picture window and land on the front lawn. The tiny ball of terror practically skipped through the hole he made, and together, he and Frenzy took great delight in tearing the whole house apart. From ripping furniture in half, to throwing plates and candy dishes around like ninja stars, the two seemed to take all their anger and frustration over their war, and thrust it upon the poor, little dwelling.
Meanwhile, in a certain upstairs bedroom, Kayla and her mother were both huddled under the girl's bed; trying everything in their power to stay quiet. Earlier, the red head thought she heard a noise from downstairs, but before she could investigate, her mom had suddenly burst in-yelled, "Under the bed, now!", then tackled her when she didn't respond fast enough. As the woman barricaded the door with everything she could find, her daughter put an ear to the floor and listened. Between the sounds of crashing, yelling, and twisted laughter, she didn't need to guess at who invaded their home. Both red heads now practically clung to each other; trying everything to be as quiet and small as possible-all the while thinking of a plan of escape.
When the sounds of destruction increased, Mrs. Matthews felt it safe to whisper, "How did these monsters find us? What do they even want from us?" She glanced at her daughter, "Who are they?!"
Unlike her mom, Kayla's expression held more disgust than fear, "Rumble and Frenzy. Two of Soundwave's cassette tapes…" Her blank eyes narrowed, "…which means the others aren't far behind."
"Others?!" the mother gasped, "Oh my God…we've got to get out of here!"
Eyes wide, the woman searched the room with a glance; mind racing to find a solution. Just then, her gaze landed upon the window, and for a split second, she smiled.
"The window!" she exclaimed. At once, she abandoned her hiding spot; dragging the girl along with her. She pulled up the blinds and picked the lock at lightning speed, explaining, "It's a long drop, but it's our only chance. We'll sneak out the back and-"
But as the mother slid open the window, the musician's sharp hearing picked up a familiar bird screech. Without thinking twice, she grabbed her mom by the shoulders and pulled her to the floor, "We can't!"
The woman struggled to break free of her daughter's grip, "Why not?!"
"Because I heard Laserbeak out there!" the girl spit out her reasoning faster than she could think it, "That's exactly what they expect us to do. He's circling the house, making sure we don't try anything funny." Her tone softened slightly as she added, "Forget it…we're surrounded."
But Mrs. Matthews was still too afraid to accept the sad fact, and only continued to struggle, "Kayla, this is no time to argue! This could be our only chance!"
The musician had enough. She loosened her grip on her mom, but only so she could turn her so they were face to face. There was a tense pause as mother and daughter stared each other down; each not willing to back down. But then, the girl's eyes and tone became more apologetic as she sighed, "Look…I'm really sorry…for everything I said. But please…just for once, will you LISTEN to me? I've dealt with these guys before; I know how they operate." She then pointed in the direction of the outside, "And I know for a fact that if we jump out that window, we're both dead."
The mother was taken aback at such a blunt explanation. But soon, at long last, her anger melted into genuine concern, as her daughter finished, "Please…I know the past week's pretty much ruined whatever faith you had in the Autobots…maybe even in me. But I ask you now…if there was only one time you had to completely trust me, it's NOW."
A tear threatened to escape the mom's eye, as her glance darted between the open window; possible freedom, and her daughter's stone cold serious stare, which lessened to an almost pleading expression. For an instant, her mind flashed to her husband…who, were he there at that moment, would've been following his baby girl's advice and put together a plan by then. Suddenly, a black and red blur swooped by the window; screeching as it went past…and the mother had her answer.
"I trust you."
Suddenly, an explosion downstairs caused the entire house to shake, no doubt caused by Rumble. Mother and daughter held on to each other until the mini earthquake subsided. The woman then looked to her child; trying to sound confident, "So, now what?"
The musician sighed, knowing her mom wasn't going to like what she had to say, but had no choice, "We're pretty much dead no matter where we go." When the mother gasped, she quickly continued, "But if we try the window, they'll spot us for sure. At least staying in the house gives us more hiding spots."
Although stricken with fear, Mrs. Matthews nodded at the logic. When she didn't say anything for a full minute; opting to just listen to the kayos below them, Kayla broke the pause, "I'm sure the neighbors got out in time. Most likely called the cops too. And I know the Autobots'll be coming any time now…we just have to hold out until they get here."
The mother had curled herself into a ball; trying in vain to not let any tears fall. Her home was being demolished, and her and her daughter could only sit and let it happen. And more importantly, she knew that once the Decepticons were finished downstairs, the bedroom was next. And there was nothing she could do about it. On instinct, she began reaching in her pocket for a certain communicator, only to remember that she'd given it back to Jazz. Her cheeks flushed as she gritted her teeth; cursing her bad luck. She wanted nothing more than to just be rid of the Autobots-believing them to be a burden…and here now she found herself praying for them to come and save them.
Damn karma.
Without thinking, the mother suddenly mumbled, "Then…what're we supposed to do?"
The red head whispered only one word, "…survive."
Just then, the commotion downstairs stopped. Both women perked their heads up at the sudden silence. No gradual decrease like an ocean wave; just a bleak and utter halt-as if someone used the mute button on all the destruction. For a full minute, all was quiet…and for one tiny moment, Mrs. Matthews hoped the calm meant the 'Cons didn't find whatever they were looking for and left.
And then came the sound of slow, heavy footfalls coming up the stairs.
Both girls didn't need to speak to know what to do. Immediately, both of them darted back under the bed; curling up even smaller than before. Beads of sweat trickled down their foreheads the louder the footsteps became. The mother couldn't help herself and began to hyper ventilate, to which her daughter had to practically cover her mouth to keep her dead quiet. The steps drew closer…and closer…their hearts pounding so hard they could feel it in their ears, which blocked out all other noise for a moment.
And then…the doorknob turned…
The humans froze.
Due to the amount of things the mom had shoved in the entrance, the door wouldn't open. After some struggling, the cassette on the other side felt it easier to just bust through with his pile drivers. Two quick punches made everything go flying in all directions, including the door itself…and Rumble and Frenzy entered the room.
Please don't find us.
From under the bed, the mother stared and the daughter listened as two large pairs of metal feet shuffled around the room. Rumble knelt down and began sorting through the mess he made upon entry, while Frenzy made his way over to the dresser on the opposite wall. One by one, he rooted through each drawer-tossing clothes over his shoulder, before throwing the drawer itself on the floor and starting on the next one. In particular, he giggled at the bras and other undergarments-not knowing what they were used for, but finding them funny looking none the less.
"Pervert", the mom almost mumbled.
For a steady ten minutes, the cassettes took their time in turning over everything-amazing the two humans at how quiet they were, considering all the ruckus they made before. Two hearts skipped a beat as robot legs brushed against the sides of the bed. The sounds of pillows and a mattress being torn up followed...but not once did a pair of red optics glance underneath. Odd as it was, the girl and her mom weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth and just thanked the Lord for the 'Cons' lapse in judgment.
Just then, Rumble spoke up, "Hey, look at this."
Frenzy moved away from the bed. The girls breathed a sigh of relief.
The pairs of feet were now by the open window. A pause, and then, "Slaggit. They must've jumped out."
Good. They think we left.
"So, what now?" That was Frenzy.
It sounded like Rumble shrugged, "Let's go ask the boss."
With that, the two cassettes made their way out of the room.
All was quiet, save for two women's frightened breathing-a call cut WAY too close. The two waited a full five minutes; listening for any sign of their invaders…but there was nothing. Slowly, and carefully, Mrs. Matthews peeked out from under the bed curtain; looking one way, then the other. The coast was clear. She turned back to her daughter and whispered, "I'm going to go see if they left. Then I'll run for help. Stay here and don't move."
The red head was about to nod, when a chilling thought occurred to her. It may have been quiet, but she never recalled hearing the cassettes going back downstairs…and under the bed is always the first spot anyone searches in a bedroom…so why hadn't they bothered to look there?
…unless…
"Mom, DON'T!" she whisper/shouted.
But no sooner did the words fall out of her mouth, did her hunch prove correct. Her mother was just starting to get to her feet, when a strong force pounced on the woman's back. She didn't even have time to gasp or react. One moment she was standing-the next, her face was digging into the carpet as something had her pinned by her arms and legs. She was about to scream, when a deep, inhuman growl rumbled in her ear, and her voice caught in her throat.
Kayla's eyes widened in shock-Ravage.
The woman was so entranced in watching the cassettes, she hadn't even noticed a third one slink into the room. The girl, meanwhile, cursed under her breath. The panther was sitting on top of them the whole time, waiting for them to come out. They ALL knew where she and her mom were the whole time…merely toying with them like a cat with a mouse before he eats it.
But now wasn't the time to sulk-her mom was in danger.
Without a second thought, the musician bolted out from under the bed; throwing herself on top of Ravage. Her whole body flowed with adrenaline as she punched her attacker directly in the head with all her might. Her knuckles bruised and bled from whacking the hard, black metal, but it hardly mattered to her. She couldn't even feel it-her energy and anger blocked out everything else.
Finally, the cat had enough, and in one fluid motion, he bucked the red head off his back like a raging bull. The girl went flipping through the air; landing in the pile of clothes and debris on the floor. At that moment, Rumble and Frenzy came rushing back in-scooping Kayla up like a rag doll. Each cassette took a hold of one of her arms; laughing as she struggled in vain to get free.
"About time you fleshbags decided to come out", Rumble sneered.
The musician twisted and turned; trying to pry loose-to no avail, "Lemme' go you son of a-!"
"Nuh uh-UH…" Frenzy cut her off; wagging a finger with his free hand like a person scolding a bad pet, "We wouldn't want any "accidents" to happen now would we?"
With that warning, the girl wisely kept her mouth shut. But she still continued to struggle, regardless. Meanwhile, Ravage loosened his grip on Mrs. Matthews just a smidgen; just enough so she could lift her head up and gasp for air. Tears began rolling down her cheeks when she saw the state her daughter was in, "Please! Don't hurt her! I'll do anything! Just leave us alone!"
Frenzy shot her a nasty glare, "Aw, shut up ya' stupid fleshy. It's not you we want anyway." He turned his gaze on the musician, "So, where did ya' hide it?"
"Hide what?!" she grunted; pulling one way, then the other, "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Rumble gave the girl's arm a hard twist, making her yell. The mom screamed out to stop, but the cassette ignored her, "You know EXACTLY what we're talking about! Where's the chip?!"
"What chip?" the red head managed to gasp…even though she realized what they meant at that moment.
"Don't play dumb!" Frenzy motioned for his "brother" to let go. He then grabbed her by both wrists and slammed her into a closet; the door splintering with the pressure. His face now inches away from hers, he seethed, "You know we got optics and audios everywhere. We've been watchin' you. We already got a team surroundin' the Ark, so don't think yer' buddies are comin' to your rescue anytime soon. They're actin' like the chip's not with 'em anymore, which means there's only one other place it could be!"
Had the situation been different, Kayla would've laughed. In all the years she'd been with the Autobots, that had to be the smartest thing the cassettes ever said. She would've told them they weren't as dumb as they looked, had she not been withering in pain at being smashed into a plywood door. But Frenzy only pressed down harder, growling, "Did you steal it? Hide it? Did it absorb into your body? What?! Where is IT?!"
He shook his victim with ever increasing frustration. But still, the girl wouldn't talk. All she mumbled was, "I'm sorry…I really don't know where it is. When I changed back, it just…disappeared."
But the mini-Decepticon wasn't buying it. He finally released the red head, to which she slid to the floor, moaning. For half a minute, he paced the room, trying to piece together what he was just told and coming up short. Nothing was making sense-Soundwave's calculations were never wrong. In a last bit of desperation, he motioned for Ravage to let go of Mrs. Matthews. The panther hissed, but did as he was told and backed off. Rumble immediately stepped behind the mother and held her arms behind her back-twisting them for good measure. Despite the girl being blind, Frenzy pointed to her mom anyway, "Last chance. Either you tell us where you're hiding the chip, or the fleshbag gets it!"
Kayla's mom was too stricken with both fear and confusion to know what to do, much less say. Her daughter obviously knew what was going on-what they were after. So her first instinct was to shout, "Whatever they're looking for, don't give it to them!" But then there was the fact that if they didn't find the object of their search, her child would most likely be killed along with her. Do they risk the life of one, or the many? An impossible decision the mother thought she'd never have to be faced with…or rather, one she never hoped her daughter would have to make.
The red head wasn't faring any better. She had to make a life-saving decision in a matter of seconds. Had she been holding the transforming chip right there, she would've simply handed it over. She'd be giving the enemy a major advantage, yes, but she had faith in the Autobots-she knew they'd find a way to defeat the very thing they created. And she also knew they'd be forgiving when they knew the hand off was due to a life being threatened. But what could she possibly do when she truly DID NOT know where the pendant was?
While holding Mrs. Matthews back with one hand, Rumble activated the laser rifle in his other arm and pressed it to the back of her neck, sneering, "My trigger arm's gettin' shaky…"
Frenzy merely shook his head and sighed, "Just do it."
The rifle hummed as it powered up.
The mother squeezed her eyes shut; praying.
And the girl finally got an idea.
"WAIT!" she threw her arm out.
Both cassettes froze; the mom held her breath.
The musician cursed herself for not thinking of it earlier. She didn't possess the MacGuffin, but that didn't mean she couldn't be useful in another way. Her mom would protest-she was going to cry; the girl was sure of that…but it was the only option they had. Bracing herself for the hell sure to follow, she took a deep breath and made her point clear, "I don't know where the chip is…but I know you won't get far with the Autobots without a hostage."
Her mother let out a soft, but horrified gasp.
No…not my daughter…
"You can use me in whatever way you wish", the red head explained; trying to hide the fear in her voice, "If I go with you…you have to promise you'll let my mom go…and never come back here again."
The two Decepticons glanced at each other, as if holding their own private conversation in their heads. They had their own experience with this human before-they knew her for her word twisting and quick actions. Trusting her would be a gamble. And yet…seeing the pure and poorly-hidden terror on her face…the way she kept her head trained in her mom's general direction; putting on a brave face…it was no trick this time.
Frenzy flashed a devilish grin, "…I think we can settle for that."
The mother's heart caught in her throat, as a waterfall of tears flowed from her eyes. Suddenly, all her pent up energy came flying back, and she struggled to break free from Rumble's grasp-completely forgetting about the pistol still pointed at her head. All she could think about was how her only child was being taken from her. Images of all the horrible things they could do to the girl flashed across her mind, and she finally found her voice, "NO! Please! Take me instead! She's got a whole life to live!"
But her cries fell on deaf audios as Frenzy grabbed the musician by the shoulder; spun her around to face the entrance, and began to lead her out. At that point, Rumble felt it safe to let the mom go, but not before ordering Ravage to stay between them. The panther was to keep Mrs. Matthews out of the way until they secured their bargaining chip. The woman felt like exploding; screaming, throwing something, but their attackers left nothing for her to take her anger out on. She could only watch helplessly as her daughter was led away to God-knows where. This could've very well been the last time she'd ever see her child alive…and she never got to hug or kiss her goodbye…
The mother's whole body shook as she sobbed, "Kayla…why…?"
Her voice was barely a whisper, and yet, the red head stopped and turned-more for her mom's own benefit of getting to look at her one more time. A short pause later, the girl actually sent a tiny smile as she echoed words spoken that morning.
"I did it because I love you."
The cassettes then shoved her down the hall, and she disappeared from view.
Ravage glanced up at the woman once more, before slinking out after his masters. A moment later, the mother found herself rushing out the doorway-not caring about the consequences. Her only desire was to catch another glimpse of her daughter; hoping to yell out anything to stall for more time. But she stopped dead in her tracks upon facing the robotic panther again out in the hallway. He stood at the edge of the stairs like a black road block-baring his teeth and daring the lady to try and cross him.
Strangely enough, she was able to ignore his threatening stance for a moment, as her gaze stretched beyond to survey the destruction done to her house. Food splattered everywhere from the fridge going through the picture window; smashed furniture; precious family photos ruined; broken glass dotting the floor like glitter. To all of it, she could only stare slack-jawed; too stunned for tears to even come. A large crack was already snaking up the far wall-a clear sign the very foundation was about to crumble under the pressure of being torn apart. It was as if a nuclear bomb had gone off in their living room.
Suddenly, she was snapped out of her trance when she found Ravage edging closer to her; growling and hissing in warning. Apparently, she was stepping toward the stairs-too close for the cat's comfort. She backed up a tad, hoping the panther would stop. But instead, he kept sneaking toward her; appearing ready to pounce. The mom held her hands up in surrender-trying to show she meant no malice. But this clearly wasn't good enough for the Decepticon, who continued hissing and spitting-walking her backward until she found herself in her own bedroom. The cat's red optics motioned to the door, and the woman didn't have to think twice to get the hint. Carefully, and slowly, she closed the door…then waited. A minute later, sounds of paw prints faded away.
By that time, Mrs. Matthews was about ready to curl into the fetal position and sob. Everything she had lived for and worked for had been taken from her in a matter of minutes…and whatever was left behind was destroyed. She could feel her entire life withering around her, and there was nothing she could do about it. To be so utterly helpless…it wasn't only terrifying, it was soul-searing.
So, she did the only thing left to do; she folded her hands and prayed out loud.
"Oh Lord", she whispered, though, in her mind, it may have well have been a scream, "Please help us out of this. Even if it's just one small chance…I just want my daughter back safe."
And then, a moment later…the answer came.
Under the dresser.
Minutes seemed like hours. Precious seconds were ticking by. And yet, the mother took the time to finally glance around her room. It was a complete mess, not unlike Kayla's pile of destruction. The only difference was the claw marks on the walls; Ravage was clearly the ran sacker of this area. But apparently, the solid cedar/oak, double wide dresser was too heavy for him to flip over on his own-it was the only piece of furniture still in its proper place. The woman was only compelled to notice because she suddenly remembered something, and thanked every higher power that the panther didn't find it.
Hidden underneath, in the space between the dresser and the floor, was a loaded shotgun.
It was something her and her husband always argued about. The man felt it necessary to always have a weapon at the ready, just in case, and he made it a point to remind her of that time and again. She felt stupid for forgetting such an important fact, although truth be told, after living alone for such a long time now, it simply slipped her mind. With hesitant hands, she carefully slid the gun out from underneath the dresser; feeling the weight of the heavy metal in her palms.
She'd taken a shooting class (by husband recommendation) years ago…but hadn't touched a gun since then. She hated weapons. She hated violence.
The woman quietly cracked open the door and peeked out into the hallway. Ravage was still positioned at the top of the stairs, keeping watch. His back was to her.
This was her only chance to act…could she REALLY do this?
A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead; the gun shaking in her hands…when suddenly, images of her daughter being tortured cast her apprehensions aside. Normally, she may not have supported violence, but having a military man for a husband taught the woman that sometimes, one has no choice but to do what's necessary. Ironic, that the one person in the house who hated guns now had to bear arms.
But she would make an exception. She would save her daughter.
The woman glanced out at Ravage again; he still wasn't looking. Heart pounding, she gritted her teeth, said one final prayer, and cocked the rifle. She wasn't sure if she could kill him.
But she was positive she could shoot him.
Rumble and Frenzy had almost made it to the front door with their hostage, when suddenly, there came a silence-shattering bang-almost like a small explosion. The pair instantly swiveled at the noise, and soon after, there came the distinct sound of something heavy thumping down the steps. Rumble gave a knowing glance at his brother, who nodded in understanding and sprinted down the hallway to see what the commotion was.
The black and red cassette was met with the shocking sight of Ravage lying at the bottom of the stairs; alive, but clearly dazed. The back of his head was one huge scorch mark-a tiny trickle of energon flowing from a golf ball-sized dent. Frenzy could only stare, utterly flabbergasted, muttering, "What the frag…?!"
Click-click.
The two clear sounds made him glance up…to be staring down the business end of a smoking shotgun aimed directly between his optics. The bearer of said weapon looked positively out of her mind…and VERY angry.
He didn't even get a chance to yell. The last thing he saw was an explosion of fire, followed by the sound of two bullets ricocheting off his thick, metal skull. He fell to the floor and blacked out a moment later.
Mrs. Matthews turned at the sound of footsteps sprinting down the hall towards her. She knew she only had a few seconds to reload her weapon. Sure enough, just as she was cocking the rifle, Rumble appeared from around the corner. She let instinct take over and took aim.
When suddenly, the cassette yanked on the weight he was restraining, and Kayla was thrust into the line of fire.
The mother gasped…she was only a fraction of an inch away from pulling the trigger.
"KAYLA, GET DOWN!" she screamed.
The girl barely had any time to comprehend what was happening, but didn't question the order. She immediately threw herself on the floor-a feat only possible because the Decepticon was too distracted by the gun in his face to worry about his hostage.
With her daughter out of the way, the mom was safe to take aim again. But it was too late. Rumble took full advantage of the opening and hurled himself at the human-grabbing hold of the gun. Human and robot then began to battle it out for control of the weapon-pulling back and forth like a deadly game of tug of war.
The 'Con twisted one way, then the other; trying anything to loosen the woman's grip. But no matter how hard he wrestled, the lady just would NOT let go. He couldn't help but be utterly shocked…as well as even a bit impressed. As a robot, he was at least five times stronger than the average human, so how could this woman not only keep such a tight grip, but manage to hold out this long?
Oddly enough, the mother, in the very back of her mind, was thinking the same thing. Only she knew the answer. Love for your child; the instinct and desire to protect them; the unbelievable adrenaline rush…they were the only things keeping her going. She had heard stories about people performing incredible and almost impossible feats of strength when faced with danger; now she knew exactly what it felt like.
But she'd dwell on it later. At that moment, the whole world seemed to fall into slow motion and fade away-the two wrestlers the sole occupants of their own little universe. The mother could feel her strength beginning to fade, as she grew more exhausted. But just then, she felt a strange, yet familiar presence come over her…as if someone took her by the hands and helped her hang on just a little longer. And then, a voice rang out in her mind.
You can do this.
A single tear escaped her.
…Peter.
The woman finally gathered her energy into one last push, and thrust the end of the rifle directly at the 'Con. She wasted no time in pulling the trigger.
A pair of bullets exploded into Rumble's chest, throwing him backward. He hit the opposite wall; energon splattering in all directions. He could only stare blankly at the gaping hole-smoke billowing out of it like a volcano. The ammo was still inside him, just barely missing his spark chamber.
Rumble glanced up at his former opponent, unable to move, "You slaggin'…"
His voice trailed off as he fell unconscious.
Mrs. Matthews took a moment to catch her breath, before sprinting over to where Kayla was still lying. Putting the rifle aside, she helped her daughter to her feet, still panting for air, "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
The girl shook her head. Instantly, the mom breathed a sigh of intense relief, before pulling the musician into a hug. Both red heads stayed that way for a full minute, until Kayla broke the silence with a tiny chuckle.
"What is it?" the mother asked.
Her daughter perked her head up, smiling, "Dad always told ya' that thing would come in handy."
The woman blinked in surprise, before joining in the laughter. Of all the strange times to be giggling…and yet, it felt right. A calm after such intense kayos. But soon, the girl's smirk faded, and her tone went serious again, "We better get outta' here while we got the chance."
Her mom frowned, but nodded, "Right. Let's go."
But little did they know, that the calm they thought was after the storm, was really BEFORE it.
Suddenly, another earthquake shook the entire house, only this one was ten times more massive than anything Rumble and Frenzy caused. Mother and daughter were thrown off their feet, and they could do nothing but hold onto each other for dear life. A massive, car-sized hand burst through the already-broken window; its fingers wrapping around the frame. It then hoisted upward-a crack snaking from either side as it tore through the walls like cardboard; wall separating from ceiling. Within seconds, an entire section of the roof was gone, and both women found themselves face to face with Soundwave.
The Decepticons' communication expert surveyed the area; his gleaming red optics zeroing in on his injured cassettes. He then stared at Mrs. Matthews with a look that could only be described as a mech out for blood. His voice was monotone, but still cold and calculating as he made his point clear, "You will pay for your insolence."
For someone who was so used to the warm, friendly tones of the Autobots, the woman visibly shook at how inhuman the mech sounded. Next to her, her daughter started to rise to her feet, grumbling, "Great. We just ticked off papa bear…"
Just then, the robot reached in, making the mother's heart skip a beat. Was he going to kidnap them? Swat them? Crush them? She closed her eyes and held onto the girl.
But instead, he gently picked up Rumble, followed by Ravage and Frenzy. He stared into his cupped palm-looking over his cassettes like a concerned parent. Laserbeak circled overhead; landing on his shoulder and peeking at what could've been considered his brethren. It was a strange sight-one that the mom would've smiled at, had he not been the enemy trying to kill her.
Seemingly satisfied that the trio could be repaired, Soundwave turned his sights back on the two humans. His words were short, but none the less threatening, "Relinquish the chip now."
The musician knew he wouldn't like her answer, but she had no choice, "…we don't have it."
Red optics narrowed dangerously.
"Then DIE."
Without another word, the Decepticon swung his arm across the top of the roof; cutting clean through it like butter. Coupled with all the previous damage done by the cassettes, every wall struggled to keep itself upright. Quickly, the mother grabbed her daughter and began to race for the hallway, when a chunk of ceiling crashed down in front of them, blocking the path. With no other way of escape, the mom looked every which way-mind racing to find anything they could take shelter under.
Suddenly, another large quake shook the foundations, and the woman knew it was the last one that would end it all. Her head whipped up at the sound of a loud snap, and for a split second, a falling support beam filled her line of vision. Instinct took over, and she threw her daughter in the direction of the kitchen, and out of the line of fire.
She felt a large weight come down on top of her; the girl's terrified screams fading away as she blacked out.
A moment later, the entire house finally caved in on itself and crumbled-a tsunami of smoke and dust bursting through the neighborhood as the dwelling was completely flattened to the ground.
Mere minutes seemed like an eternity. Much like a passing storm, all was deathly quiet-the smoke now reaching up towards the sky like a desperate signal flare.
And then…
In what was once the kitchen, a hand burst through the rubble; feeling around for a means of escape. It then slithered back in its hole; the dinner table popping up and down a moment later, as something kicked it from underneath. At long last, it overturned, and Kayla emerged-battered, bruised, dirty, and bloody…but triumphant. She could feel the sun warming her skin; a gentle breeze wisping through her hair, as if mother nature was trying to comfort her after the horror of losing her house.
But her small victory was short lived as a new horror crossed her mind.
Mom.
"Mom!" she yelled, "Where are you?!"
All that answered her was a deafening silence.
"MOM!" she cupped her hands over her mouth to give her voice more volume, "WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Silence.
Her breath caught in her throat, and tears threatened to escape her eyes, as desperation began to mount. Her mom was right next to her when the roof collapsed; she couldn't be far. She had to hear her, she just HAD to.
"Please", her voice hitched as she sobbed, "Say something! Give me a sign! ANYTHING!"
Standing in a pile of rubble, with no one responding to her pleas…the girl never felt so lonely in all her life. She didn't consider that Soundwave might still be nearby. She didn't care if he heard her. She didn't care that she no longer had a guitar or a house…she would give up everything and anything just to hear her mother's voice again. And she swore at herself for getting into such a heated argument just moments before the whole disaster happened. What if she never got the chance to properly apologize?
Please…I already lost Dad…don't take her away from me too…
And then…through the wind…below the debris…came a barely-audible moan…
The musician gasped, "Mom?! Is that you?!" She stood stock still-ears straining to hear even the tiniest of sounds. Then:
"…Kayla…"
Her heart skipped a beat; the voice was close by! If only she could pin point it…
"…Kayla…I can't see you…"
The mother's cries were starting to gain strength. The girl got down on her hands and knees; trying to weave her way through the mess Soundwave caused. Every few seconds, she'd pause to listen for any sign of her mom. Then the voice would call out again, she'd get her bearings, then head in the sound's direction. Her knees ached, her hands were scraped; her torn jeans caught on every little thing sticking out, but it was of no consequence. She'd no sooner swim in a pile of needles to find her mom.
Just then, the red head lost her footing, and she went tumbling down the pile of rubble. She cried out as things slashed her and poked her, only to be relieved when she finally came to a stop. Judging by the rough texture, she figured she'd landed on top of a chunk of the roof. She gritted her teeth in utter frustration; cursing her blindness…but then…
"Kayla…?!"
"Mom?!"
"…I'm right underneath you!"
Without another thought, the musician began to dig her way through the bricks and the scrap. Little by little, piece by piece, she made her way further and further down; all the while, her mother's voice grew louder and clearer.
And finally…
Mrs. Matthews squinted as the sun shone brightly upon her battered and bruised face. The smoke and dust caused her to cough, which was all the more sound that her daughter needed to find her. Within seconds, they were at each other's side again; the mom looking up into pale blue, worried eyes.
"Kayla…" the woman strained through a throbbing headache, "Are you alright…?"
The girl nodded, "Are YOU okay?"
Her mom grimaced for a moment. Her house was destroyed-all the memories within taken with it…but as she stared at her child again, an odd smirk formed at the corners of her lips. Her home was gone, but her daughter wasn't…and that's all that mattered. The musician must've thought the same thing, for she asked a different question, "Can you get up?"
"No", the mom shook her head, "There's a support beam lying across me. I'm pinned."
It was then that the girl felt around, only to come across something very large and made of wood. The beam was directly on top of Mrs. Matthews' upper legs. The red head couldn't hold back a gasp-her mom's lower body had to have been completely crushed. But she still managed to choke out, "Can you still feel your legs? Can you move them?"
The woman's teeth clenched as she fought back waves of pain, "Barely…I think there's a just-big enough gap that my legs haven't been totally broken." She pulled as hard as she could to try and break free, to no avail, "…but it's still close enough that it's got me trapped."
With that, Kayla wasted no time in ramming her shoulder against the foot-thick plywood. Breaths turned to panting, then from panting to gasps for air, as she gathered every ounce of strength-trying with all her might to get the beam to move. But no matter how hard she pushed, the board refused to budge.
The mother could see her daughter's mounting desperation and frustration. She attempted to calm her with a sigh, "Kayla, forget it. It's too heavy."
But the girl was going to do anything but give up. She resorted to outright punching the wood; anger rising, "If I was still an Autobot, I could do this!"
She was about to throw another fist; arm gearing back, when just then, a gentle hand stopped her. Instantly, she calmed down; realizing her mom had managed to somehow sit up. Said mother squeezed her daughter's hand in comfort, "It's okay…you did your best."
The musician froze at such simple words. You did your best. It certainly didn't feel like it. She was the reason the Decepticons came after them. If it wasn't for her, they'd still have their home. Her voice softened considerably as bottled up tears finally poured out, "…this is all my fault."
Mrs. Matthews pulled the girl in for the best hug she could do sitting up. Her thumbs wiped away sobs as she explained, "We had no way of knowing this would happen. Don't blame yourself."
The red head buried her face in her mom's shoulder-hoping this entire nightmare was just a dream, "But…where are we supposed to go?"
Worry lines creased the mother's eyes. But not wanting to upset her daughter even more, she just rubbed her back in comfort, "…we'll figure it out. One step at a time."
The girl was about to respond, when just then, she felt some kind of sticky liquid on her mom's back. She pulled her hand back, which the woman could see was completely red. A moment later, the smell made the musician gasp, "Are you bleeding?!"
The mother blushed; not wanting to answer. When she didn't respond, the girl took it as a yes, and began fishing through her pockets, "Jeez, why didn't you tell me you had a cut like that? Lemme' see if I got a handkerchief to-"
But as she started digging into her other pants pocket, her fingers brushed against something small…and very familiar. Thumbing the object, her initial confusion turned to complete bewildering shock.
It couldn't be…it just COULDN'T!
Her mom must've noticed her surprised reaction, for she asked, "What's wrong?"
Instead of using words, Kayla answered by holding her hand out.
Cupped in her palm…was none other than the pendant.
The woman stared at the tiny Autobot symbol a moment…then it clicked. Her eyes widened as big as saucers, "…THAT'S what they were after?!"
The girl could only nod; dumbfounded. Of all the places for that thing to disappear to…it was in her pocket THE WHOLE TIME?! Seriously?! HER POCKET?! She felt like screaming out to the heavens; asking why they didn't give her enough sense to remember the saying, "It's always in the last place you look."
The woman broke from her thoughts, "Is…is that the thing that…that turned…"
She couldn't even finish the sentence, so the red head merely nodded again. Over a million questions swam through her mind; what to do now? Throw the thing away? No, the 'Cons might find it. Off in the distance, she could barely make out Soundwave's voice-what he was saying, she couldn't understand. Why was he even still here? Did he even know they were still alive? Was he coming back to finish the job? Call in reinforcements? What should she do?
Just then, Jazz's words from a few days ago came back to her.
Let your instincts guide you. When the time comes, you'll know what to do.
Suddenly, the answer came to her…and she wondered if she'd finally gone insane. Could she really pull off what she was about to do? But thinking about her mom being trapped; not knowing when help was going to come…this was the only way to help her now.
Mrs. Matthews broke the silence, "We've got to get rid of that thing!"
But as she reached for the chip, the red head's hand balled into a fist, and she took the pendant back-holding it close to her heart. Blind eyes narrowed in determination as she spoke, "No…I'm not letting Soundwave get away with this. He's gonna' pay for what he did to us."
The mother glanced at the girl oddly; wondering what she was thinking, "Kayla…you're not thinking of…"
Her daughter's cheeks flushed as she became angrier. The mom realized her child was serious, and her eyes began to water, "Oh God, Kayla! NO! Don't do this!"
"Or what?!" the red head snapped, "The cassettes broke into our house; tortured us. Soundwave destroyed what was left. You're pinned under a support beam. We got no way of calling the Autobots, and we don't know if help's coming!" She held up the chip to emphasize her point, "If I transform, I might be able to get us out of here!"
The woman failed to hold back tears, "Please don't do it! You'll be killed!"
"And if we don't do anything, we're dead anyway", the girl finished.
Mrs. Matthews went silent; not knowing what else to say that could possibly convince her daughter otherwise. She knew she was powerless to stop her now-all the more emphasized when the girl rose to her feet; head held high with confidence, "You're in no position to stop me. I'm going to do this."
The resulting quiet told the musician her mom was angry-obviously thinking her child was doing this for kicks. So, to prove her wrong, the girl smiled, "I'm going to save you."
At those words, the mother looked up at her daughter with wide eyes, filled with fear…as well as an odd sense of pride. She hated what the girl was about to do, but she was still impressed with her total courage…Peter would be beaming right now.
Slowly, and carefully, Kayla took a few steps back. Her hand now clenched the chip so hard, it made an Autobot imprint in her palm. The first time the transformation happened, it was a pure accident; how was she to purposely get it to work now? She thought about her mom being trapped…how she wanted the power to help her. How she wanted the ability to finally fight back; to protect her family…protect everything she held dear…her home…her friends…
Suddenly, she felt a burning sensation as the pendant began to react. Beams of red light burst through her fingers, and the mother gasped at the sight. But the musician wasn't afraid-she was exhilarated. She had faced the Decepticons before…but now she was going to fight…on EQUAL ground.
As the red light absorbed her body, a phrase came to her. One that would ignite the transformation, and all future ones if she lived through this day. Since it was her first and possible last, she let her voice scream it out to all who could hear.
"AUTOBOT MODE, ACTIVATE!"
Soundwave found Hook to be rather annoying, and yet, he couldn't help but silently thank his comrade for the first aid skills he picked up from him. There was no way the cassettes were making it back to headquarters-not with the injuries they sustained from that filth of a human. The giant tape deck was kneeling in the middle of the road; trying his best to patch up his minions. If he could at least get them stabilized for the long trip, he knew they'd be okay.
He was just about finished up with Ravage, when suddenly, an odd, but strangely familiar humming sound started up behind him-increasing in volume until it blocked out all other noise. The Decepticon peered over his shoulder-eyeing the house he mercilessly destroyed. A thick plume of smoke and dust still hovered around the pile of rubble…only when a bright ray of red light shot through the haze did the mech give his full attention.
The 'Con glanced at the cassettes once more-making sure they were in a safe place, before rising to his feet. Slowly and cautiously, he crept toward where the dwelling once stood-wondering if what he heard and saw was real. Or was his panic over his injured minions making him hallucinate? Either way, he wasn't taking any more chances, to which Laserbeak circled overhead for good measure. He tensed when he picked up the distinct sound of debris being moved…
And suddenly, an orange and aqua femme lunged from the smoke-completely airborne; fist geared back for a punch. Even behind a visor, her optics glowed with a fierce intensity-expression screaming nothing but full blown rage and revenge.
Soundwave only had enough time to flash his greatest "oh frag" face, before receiving a dead center knuckle thrust to the jaw. The sheer anger-induced force sent him flying off his feet. He hit the pavement; making it crack from his dead weight of being spread eagle like a KO'ed boxer.
Kayla stood tense and at the ready; taking heavy breaths through her air vents. All the while, her heart/spark pounded in an odd mix of rage and excitement. Few humans ever get to say they sucker punched a Decepticon. She was also thankful the transformation went much smoother than the first time-perhaps because this time, it was of her own will. Hopefully, changing back wouldn't be as hard either.
The femme put that mental note aside as her mind harkened back to something more important. After listening to make sure the tape deck wasn't getting up any time soon, she spun on her heel and knelt down to where her house once stood, "Mom! Are you still there? Say something!"
"I'm down here!" called a voice; now five times smaller than it was a minute ago.
Following the voice, the girl carefully felt her way through the debris-not wanting to accidentally crush her own mother. At long last, she felt the accursed support beam in her fingertips. With one, gentle motion, she lifted the board off her mom's trapped legs; the two ton beam now feeling like nothing more but a toothpick. The woman started to try and stand up, but before she knew it, two giant hands cupped around her body, and she was lifted up to Kayla's optic level.
"Are you okay?" the femme asked; her worried, once-normal voice now loud and metallic.
The mother could only stare at her daughter in wide-eyed shock-still not completely believing what she was seeing. Back at the Ark, she only caught a glimpse of her child's transformation; now she was eyeing it up close, in all its glory. Is this what her daughter and her friends felt when being held by the Autobots? Her child just turned into a robot, saved her life, and was holding her over ten feet off the ground…what COULD she possibly say? She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Suddenly, the musician let out a scream and fell forward; still protectively cupping her hands around her mother. The woman peeked through the giant fingers, only to spot a trail of smoke coming from the femme's back. She gasped in horror, "Kayla! What happened?! Are you hurt?!"
The girl's face wrenched as she tried not to let her pain show. The agony was a whole new experience, but the sound was all too familiar-she had been shot in the back with a laser rifle. So, Soundwave played hard AND dirty? She expected such a cheap shot from Starscream, not the former. Apparently, foul play ran all across the 'Con ranks. Knowing time wasn't on her side, she carefully set her mom back down on the ground, "Can you walk?"
The woman tried taking a few steps. Both her knees and ankles were throbbing, but that was nothing compared to having a house dropped on top of her, "I can manage."
"Then get outta' here!" the musician waved an arm, "I'll hold him off here 'till help comes."
The mother shook her head, "I'm not leaving you!"
The red head let out a groan; now was NOT the time to start another argument. With a sigh, she began to rise to her feet, "Then find a safe place to hide."
Mrs. Matthews threw her head back to watch as Kayla stood up-towering over the woman; sun gleaming off the shiny metal. The mother then spotted the tape deck also beginning to rise. As he brushed himself off, the girl's optics narrowed in determination; a clear sign she was ready to take whatever he had to dish out. Mech and femme faced each other like two gunslingers in the old west-the entire world seemingly coming to a stop. In that moment, the mom's brain finally told her legs to run, and she slowly began to sprint backwards-taking one final look at her daughter, before heading off for a thicket of trees a few yards away.
God, protect her.
Kayla was done with waiting. Her boiled up anger came out in a battle cry as she charged forward-hands balling into fists. Soundwave wasted no time in aiming his gun straight between her optics; pulling the trigger in rapid fire succession. Nothing but clicks followed. The tape deck swore at himself for underestimating the mission; of all the times for him to not bother to fully charge his weapon…
The girl was only a foot away from him-just enough time to send out one S.O.S. burst. Not that the Decepticon wasn't confident he could beat the Autobot-wannabe…he just wasn't sure how long his cassettes could hold out. One of the Seekers could cart them back to HQ while he dealt with this irritation. His cockiness couldn't be more true as the femme finally reached him and began throwing punches. Being blind, she could only throw left and right hooks at furious speeds-hoping to make any contact. He couldn't help but applaud her bravery and swiftness…but her strategy was downright laughable. Taking the first opening he saw, he sought to give his opponent a reality check by socking her in the gut. All the wind left her vents, and she doubled over…then more insult was added to injury as the mech swung his foot up; catching her shoulder and knocking her back. The musician plowed through the next door neighbor's white picket fence, but managed to stop herself just short of falling on the house beyond.
"Hope Mr. Welker's insurance is paid up", the femme thought, as she got back on her feet.
Halfway through rising, sounds of clanking metal assaulted her audios…but it was the heavy vibrations in the ground that caused her to pause. There was no doubt in her mind that Soundwave was running toward her. Only a few seconds to respond-what to do?
Let your instincts guide you. When the time comes, you'll know what to do.
Before she knew what was happening, her body already decided for her. The mech was practically on top of her, when she suddenly sprang up; grabbing him by the waist. The two metal giants fell away from the house and back into the street; hitting the ground in the world's largest football tackle. The pair soon became a ball of destruction-toppling telephone poles and flattening cars as they rolled back and forth. Eventually, the tape deck managed to flip himself around-jabbing his elbow into the girl's back; pinning her down.
But this time, the femme could crack a tiny smile-it was the training room all over again.
Just like before, the red head's fist was free, and it came flying backward; catching him off guard with a hit to the face. In the few seconds he was distracted, the femme threw her arms up; wrapping her hands around the back of his head. She then channeled all her strength into flipping the mech up and over her, ending in a body slam.
…only this time, it WASN'T working. Clearly, the Decepticon was much heavier than Jazz, for try as she might, lifting him was proving impossible.
Instead, Soundwave took advantage and grabbed HER by the arms; easily flipping HER over like a rag doll. The musician went tumbling a few yards-creating massive cracks and craters in the pavement in her wake. She let out a grunt as she tried to get up quickly-every joint crying out for mercy. The one move she knew how to do was ineffective, so what next?
Rule one; yer' senses, 'specially yer' audios, are yer' lifeline. Ya' gotta' always stay alert.
She was so focused on getting up and keeping the pain at bay, she nearly forgot to keep an ear open for her opponent. Already, the familiar vibrations were stepping closer; faster this time. Her mind raced through her options; couldn't repeat the same move-he'd be wise to it now.
Well, if punching didn't work…
The tape deck was seconds from grabbing his enemy, when the femme suddenly spun around at lightning speed-windmill kicking him across the chest. Her effective "eat foot" message was underlined by the crack left in the glass of his tape cartridge. Although he wasn't completely thrown off his feet, the Decepticon was still left stumbling backwards, more in shock than actual pain.
Kayla knew she finally had a prime chance to muscle in a few revenge-fueled attacks. Unfortunately, her plan was unceremoniously cut off by Laserbeak swooping down at her head. The girl had all but cast aside the tiny fact that there was still one cassette left standing. And of course, she thought with nothing short of sarcasm, it just HAD to be the one that could fly. The mechanical bird continuously dove at the femme; claws outstretched-squawking and scratching at her face. He may not have spoke English, but it was crystal clear the falcon had his own revenge plans in mind.
The musician held her arms up for protection-crying out as razor sharp talons tore at her metal skin. Between swoops, she managed to grumble out, "If you're tryin' to peck my eyes out, you're really wastin' your time!"
At long last, the red head got her timing right, and flung out her arm. Laserbeak was met with a hard smack-damaging part of his left wing. Instantly, the bird dropped like a rock; falling into a batch of telephone wires on the way down. One electrical shock later, and he was out like a light on top of a mail box.
The girl's tiny victory was short lived, however, for the distraction was all Soundwave needed to come charging again. Instinctively, the femme held out her hands-ready for anything. The tape deck threw a punch, only for it to be blocked by her outstretched palms. When she didn't let go, the two were soon locking hands; wrestling with every last bit of stamina to overpower the other. The Decepticon was quick to show off his strength; easily pushing the musician backwards. But the girl struggled with all her might-knowing a row of homes lay just behind her. She wasn't about to let her neighbors lose their houses too, and she drove the point home when her feet began to bore into the pavement.
"Struggling is futile", the mech stated matter-of-factly; the first thing he uttered since the whole fight began. He was completely on his own; all his cassettes were down and out…and still, the mech was 100 percent certain he'd be victorious. And unfortunately, Kayla could understand why he was so confidant. Deep down, she was still just a human pretending to be an Autobot, who barely had her fighting legs. How could she possibly overcome such a powerful opponent? If there was ever a time she was in over her head…
You know what he said was true, and I know everyone here thinks the same. I've been turned into a robot, and I'm still holding everyone back.
A single tear of optic fluid trickled down her cheek. Soundwave pushed back even further. It was hopeless.
You've been granted a power you never should've gotten. Using it properly is another entity entirely.
She thought of the Autobots finally arriving to find her dead body lying across the cul-de-sac. How spark broken Jazz would be…and more importantly, how devastated her mom would be. She would be letting down everyone she ever cared about. Her mom would be all alone, with no house, and it'd be all Kayla's fault.
Metal cheeks flushed. The sorrow turned to anger.
"Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't fight! Why does everyone treat me like I can't take care of myself?!"
A new wave of adrenaline fueled the femme. She knew her mom was watching her-rooting for her-praying for her. When she said, "I'm going to save you", she meant it. Soundwave wasn't about to get ANY satisfaction what so ever. The anger turned to rage.
She was going to prove she could be a soldier; to her Mom, the Autobots…and to herself.
The Kay' I know never gives up, no matter what.
"I can DO this."
The tape deck was too preoccupied keeping his optics locked on his victim, that he didn't notice the tires on either side of the femme's helm flipping around. Only when he heard a crackling noise did he glance up…and flash his second-biggest "oh frag" face for the day.
One moment, he had almost wrestled his enemy into submission; the next, he was flying backward as pulses of deafening sound exploded from the girl's shoulder speakers. The new attack had caught him so off guard, for a moment, he was too stunned to fight back. But even as the earth-shattering noise mercilessly pelted his body, he slowly began to rise to his feet. Who cared if the fleshling developed similar powers? There was no way he was going to let himself get shown up by such an amateur. He'd show her how it was REALLY done.
The mech quickly activated his own speakers; blasting out decibels meant for taking down buildings. Kayla figured the 'Con would fight fire with fire; she just hadn't expected how hard the pulses would smack back. But then she remembered she wasn't fighting Jazz. She wasn't sparring with a friend that would hold back; trying to teach her something. This was an enemy out to kill her-to make an example of her. But she wasn't about to quit; not now. Never. If she could just hang on a little longer…
The entire neighborhood shook as both sound waves clashed; each one trying to overpower the other. The femme held her ground; internal radio searching the airwaves. The tape deck just used plain old noise-pitches used for one purpose and nothing else. The musician was at least going to get creative. "Do it with style, or don't bother doing it", as her best friend repeated time and again. Her point was all the more emphasized when she belted out the loudest song she could possibly think of.
BABY YOU'RE A FIREWORK YOU'RE A FIREWORK
COME ON, SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU'RE WORTH
MAKE 'EM GO, "OH, OH, OH"
AS YOU SHOOT ACROSS THE SKY
COME ON, LET YOUR COLORS BURST
MAKE 'EM GO, "OH, OH, OH"
YOU'RE GONNA' LEAVE 'EM FALLING DOWN
Cars bounced on the pavement. Brick foundations vibrated. Every last window in every house lining the street cracked. A good percentage shattered completely-glass exploding outward like confetti. But the girl didn't care. She knew it was a small price to pay in order to make sure Soundwave was taken down.
The tape deck was forced to one knee; summoning every last ounce of power to his speakers. How could this mere human equal his strength?! It was impossible! He was about to crank up the volume even higher…only to discover he already had it turned up as high as it would go.
Over the noise, the Decepticon yelled out, "Surrender now!" But internally, even he cringed. Was he saying that to the femme, or to himself?
But Kayla was about to teach him to never face the fury of a woman scorned. Amps cranked up as she screamed:
"NEVER!"
YOU GOT THE TOUCH
YOU GOT THE POWWAAAAAAAAAH!
And with that final, ominous cord, the pressure proved to be too great. Soundwave's own visor cracked-his speakers sparked and shorted out, and he was hurled backward. Concrete and gravel exploded from the ground as he slid back, leaving a ditch over a quarter of a mile long. When the Decepticon finally came to a stop, he could do nothing but sit in his own personal crater; trying to gather his senses as well as his pride. He lost the chip, his cassettes, and the battle…to humans. This day couldn't get worse…
Just then, someone cleared their throat. The tape deck turned at the voice, only to hold back a groan.
"Never thought I'd see the day you got beat by a femme."
Thundercracker. And he just HAD to show up right now; just in time to see his comrade's public humiliation. The jet had his hands on his hips; looking down on his fellow mech like a disappointed older brother. Soundwave shot him a challenging glare-the old "talk and I'll kill you" stare. The Seeker, in turn, got the message perfectly; sending a sneer as he quipped, "Sorry it took me so long. Lemme' do a little pest control here, and no one'll ever know, 'kay?"
After Kayla's last burst of music, the neighborhood had gone dead silent-save for the girl's heavy panting. That last attack had all but sapped her of her energy. She was lucky to still be able to even stand. Never the less, she tried her best to keep her back straight and chin up; shooting dagger glares in their direction. She couldn't let on just how weak she truly was. Beating Soundwave was a feat in an of itself-now what about Thundercracker? She didn't stand a chance, and they all knew it. The Seeker grinned; leveling his arm rifle at the femme's spark chamber. The girl, hearing the hum of the gun, prepared to fire more sound blasts…but also braced herself. At least, in the end, it could be said she didn't go down without a fight.
"Goodbye mom", she mumbled, "I'll say hi to dad for ya'."
But just as the blue jet was about to fire, the odd Mexican stand off of sorts was cut short by the sounds of a siren off in the distance. The 'Con took pause to scan the area; keeping his rifle trained on the femme while his optics focused on something far over the horizon. But the girl didn't need to listen twice to hear the unique alarm and know exactly what-or rather-who it was.
Ratchet.
"Slaggit", the jet grumbled, as if he read the musician's thoughts, "Autobots are inbound."
Soundwave slowly rose to his feet; his comrade having to help him up, "How many?"
"Six of 'em at least", the Seeker did a quick head count, "ETA, roughly two clicks." He turned to the communication officer, "And right now, I'm your only back up."
The tape deck knew the odds were against them. Outnumbered and outgunned, they'd be road kill in a matter of nanoclicks. The two Decepticons then glared at their opponent still standing at the ready. Sensing why they paused, the red head snapped, "Do whatever you want with me. But be warned-you'll have a VERY angry saboteur on your backs for the rest of your lives…and he ALWAYS finds his enemy, no matter what."
Thundercracker and Soundwave glanced at one another. Stay and be surrounded by Autobots? Or flee and fight another day? The tape deck would have some serious explaining to do back at headquarters as to why he failed in securing the chip…but at least he'd be alive. He gave the Seeker a nod, before pointing to the cassettes. The jet got the message and transformed, to which Soundwave carefully loaded his injured minions into the cockpit one by one. Once everyone was secure, Thundercracker repositioned himself; ready to take off…but not before giving the femme one last warning.
"This isn't over", he spit, "Even if you get rid of that thing, you'll never be safe. We know where you live. We'll hunt you down…ALL of you. Any human who helps an Autobot is an enemy of the Decepticons…you can't hide forever."
The girl crossed her arms; looking anything but intimidated, "…who said I was hiding?"
The sirens grew louder. Salvation was almost upon them. With one final glare, Soundwave and Thundercracker blasted off into the air, retreating until they were nothing but a speck in the sky.
The second the Decepticons faded from her audio range, Kayla let out a long bottled up sigh of pure relief. For the moment, it was over…it was FINALLY over. And she herself couldn't believe she actually went head to head with Soundwave…and won. Half the battle was already becoming a blur to her…and the rest of the world was going with it as she collapsed to her knees; utterly exhausted. At what price did her victory come? Her house was gone, she was on the Decepticon hit list…her Mom…
Her breathing was so heavy, and the sirens nearly on top of her now, that she almost didn't hear a tiny voice calling out behind her. Only when she felt a tapping on her foot did the femme finally turn to give the distraction her attention. Far below, Mrs. Matthews stared up at her oversized child-frightened, amazed, and relieved all at once. The mother had finally crawled out of her safety spot, but was now too stunned to do anything else. All she could mutter was:
"Kayla…"
The femme carefully picked up her mom; cradling her in her enormous hands as she held her at optic level. Optic fluid began to pour as she stuttered, "Mom…I…"
But the woman cut her off, "It's okay, Kayla…" She then managed a tiny smile, "You did good…really, really good…"
And with those words, nothing else in the universe mattered.
The Autobots pulled up; Cliffjumper, Ratchet, Bluestreak, Brawn, and Bumblebee, with Jazz leading the way-all transforming before they even came to a full stop. All six could do nothing but stare in horror at the pile of rubble that was once their friend's house-the destruction branching out to the rest of the neighborhood. Every mech hung their heads in shame…they were too late.
And in the middle of it all, sat a battered and bruised femme; tears flowing from both her optics, and from her mother's. A giant girl and a tiny woman; holding onto each other as if the world only consisted of the two of them. They lost everything they ever owned…but it was okay.
They gave up everything to save each other.
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AN: The pre-battle drama in the house turned out longer (and arguably better) than I expected. I just got so excited; I realized I've been hankering to write a scene like this. What would the humans do if they were facing a Decepticon completely on their own, with no guarantee of any Autobots coming to the rescue? I had a cake, and I wanted to eat it. The bit with the shot gun was a last minute idea. I got them all in a corner and didn't know how to get them out, when having a hidden weapon in the house occurred to me. It made sense to me, since Kayla's dad was an army captain. Plus, as an added bonus, Mrs. Matthews got to redeem herself for the earlier water works and prove she can be a bad ass when she has to be. Consider it motherly instinct. And it looks like even Kayla's dad lent a helping hand in his own special way... And I know the "chip being in the pocket the whole time" deal was sorta' anti climatic. There were other versions I toyed with, from Kayla stealing it, to Wheeljack letting her keep it, but this version made the most sense to me.
Never, EVER get Kayla mad...that's all I have to say. "Firework" is officially her theme song. And I just HAD to include "The Touch"...I had that planned from day one.
