Hello! Welcome to chapter 10. It's a fairly short chapter compared to the others but I felt it was better than not posting anything (since this week begins finals, and I debated on waiting until afterwards to post at all. Glad I could get this out now, I think).
Once again a thank-you to the lovely Colorful Crayola for all your feedback. She's been diligently revamping her own transfic "Better Days" (One of my very favorites, definitely worth looking into if you guys are looking for some great content). Solidarity to my fellow author~
***OH! Also I must thank her for the excellent cover-art for Civilian Soldier I am now using! She dealt with my strange and vague specifications and made the amazing piece of art that suits this story so well! She's got a knack for photoshop, I am seriously jealous. All credit to Crayola for such a badass cover, thank you!***
Anyway, this is just some side-stuff happening after the event from last chapter, setting up for the next installment. Enjoy!
Piper's eyes opened to the same gray ceiling she'd woken up to for several weeks now. And just like every morning, she wondered if she was still asleep, perhaps still within the Decepticon base and unconscious in Barricade's quarters.
Figures, she thought with grimace. For many months of her imprisonment she had wondered if she was trapped in a nightmare and would wake up at home. Now, her mind was reluctant to believe that she had actually escaped.
Though I'm still not technically free, she reasoned, sighing as she swung her legs over the edge of her bunk.
Checking the clock, it was almost 10AM, which meant she'd slept in and missed the arrival of breakfast. She knew that she'd needed the sleep after yesterday, and for whatever she might face today if she was asked to try again. Peeking into the hall, she found that a meal had been left outside her door, and Piper brought it in and picked at it without much enthusiasm.
In truth, she was reluctant to offer to speak again so soon. Lennox had told her she was free to try again when she was ready, after all. That didn't mean she wasn't prepared to be asked, however, and when Lennox himself (rather than one of his men) visited a few hours later with lunch she braced herself for the question.
Which didn't come.
Except for asking how she was feeling, which was, while awkward, not unexpected, Lennox merely made simple small-talk with Piper until leaving for work once more, taking her half-eaten breakfast with him. She furrowed her eyebrows at his retreating form in confusion but did not ask.
"How is the girl?" Lennox heard the voice from above him as he made his way back to the mess hall with Piper's plate. The Prime's optics had been dimmed in concentration as Lennox passed, and the soldier recognized that his mind - or processor, as they called it - was elsewhere. He hadn't intended on bothering the leader, but it seemed that he was still noticed.
"She seems okay. Didn't say much," he replied. After a moment, Lennox continued. "...Are you sure about this though? I think if we asked, she might try again."
"It was not my decision this time," Optimus admitted. "Ratchet was the one who requested more time for her. He believes that more progress in developing positive associations with us is necessary before she will be comfortable speaking of her ordeal. He claims that it will help her manage the psychological healing," he finished.
"And you think so too?" Lennox inquired. Before answering, Optimus lowered a servo and Lennox climbed on without hesitation, allowing the Autobot leader to lift him. He only responded when they began forward toward the mess hall once more.
"...Of course, I am anxious to hear what she has to say about our enemies. Especially after my soldiers' discoveries at the former decepticon base," the bot said. Lennox saw what he thought was a grim expression cross Optimus's faceplates then, and he understood why. Bumblebee, Jazz and Mirage had been sent to investigate the location Piper had given them days ago, and had reported back with unpleasant news.
The mountain was partially destroyed, the Decepticon ship having been removed from the mountainside in a hurry. However, this meant that they had to dig into the rubble in search of clues, only to find the mine Piper mentioned along with the caves where the humans had dwelled. Inside were the bodies of many Decepticon prisoners who hadn't escaped with Piper's group, who'd been crushed or left to die when the Decepticons departed.
It had been decided that Piper was not to be informed of this unless necessary, the added stress on the girl not ideal for either her mindset or their cause.
"However," he went on, breaking Lennox from his thoughts. "I think it was a good decision." The two of them entered the mess hall, where Optimus observed the brothers who were sharing a cube of energon, talking quietly in Cybertronian. "The right one, I believe, for all of us," Optimus added after a moment, his optics still trained on the two.
Following the leader's gaze, Lennox furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He didn't comment, though he got the feeling that he was missing something.
When the twins noticed their leader's arrival they nodded their helms at him briefly in respect, receiving one in response.
"Down you go then, Major Lennox. I must get back to the hangar," Optimus said, lowering his servo so the Major could get off.
"Ah, Mirage, Jazz and Bee are coming in, huh? When do they arrive?" Lennox asked.
"Sometime late tonight, I believe. I am going to go and insist that Ratchet get some recharge. I want him to be well-rested for our team's arrival tonight-they will be bringing back what they've been able to salvage from the ruins of the Decepticon base, and he will no doubt wish to begin analysing it."
Lennox nodded. "I'll be by tomorrow to greet them, then. Tell them hello from me," he replied. Optimus returned the nod, standing straight again before turning to leave.
Left in the mess hall before the twins who were speaking in their native tongue, Lennox made his way somewhat awkwardly past them toward the kitchen. The brothers were nearly as unsociable toward him as the day they'd arrived, barely sparing him a glance as he entered their space, and any brief conversations he'd had with them were all business and only when necessary. While Sideswipe had seemed merely uncomfortable at the interaction, Sunstreaker had always appeared almost aggressive, and Lennox had long since given up trying to form a relationship with the two.
Entering the human-sized space of the back kitchen, he made for the sink with Piper's plate but stopped as he noticed the familiar figure leaning against the back counter.
Half-eaten sandwich in hand, the evidence of a self-made meal on the counter, the man looked absolutely pleased as he looked back at Lennox.
"Sneaking food from the kitchen, Epps?" Lennox asked, shaking his head at his friend.
"Hey, I blame you. You've got me so busy around here, Major, I don't have time to eat breakfast with everyone else. Man's gotta eat," he shot back, taking another large bite. Lennox chuckled, scraping Piper's breakfast remains into the trash and placing the plate in the sink. As Epps watched him, he stilled a bit, swallowing then as a realization seemed to dawn on him.
"That's hers, huh?" He asked casually. Lennox glanced up at him and nodded. "She gonna try again today?"
Setting the plate on the drying rack, Lennox turned around, leaning against the counter beside his friend and snatching the last bit of sandwich out of Epps's hand. "Nope," he said, eating the morsel without apology. Epps furrowed his brows.
"She okay?" He asked. At this, Lennox sighed, slapping his hands past each other to remove the crumbs and shoving off from the counter to make his way back to the hall. Epps followed.
"Difficult to tell. She's not in a talking mood today, I guess," Lennox replied, stepping out into the open. He did not notice the gazes of the twins move onto them.
"So that means she's not gonna talk today, then?"
"Doubtful. Ratchet's orders, we can't press her," he said, but even as he did, Lennox couldn't help but internally second-guess Ratchet's decision on this. Something about the reasoning seemed off to him, but he couldn't figure out why.
Is it really that important to them that Piper has a positive opinion of the Autobots? Wouldn't it just be easier, for everyone, to have her tell us what she knows so that she can leave?
"I don't know when is a good time to apologize. Last time I went to see her, she wouldn't even look at me," Epps said, bringing Lennox from his thoughts. Looking over, he saw a deep frown on his friend's face, an unfamiliar look from the jovial character. Lennox visibly winced.
"Can you blame her? From her perspective, it's their kind against our's. There's no way she could've understood that we are a team. She's probably never met a human who'd side with them during her time in captivity," he said.
"Ya think she understands now, then?" Epps' eyes met Lennox's and Lennox could see the guilt there. Thinking back on the girl, he wanted to believe that she understood their intentions now. After all, she'd trusted them enough to reveal her companions' location. Placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, he gave him a forced smile.
"If you're really that worried about it, just talk to her, man. You had your orders, and you kept her safe. If she doesn't understand it when you see her, she will eventually. Not much more you can do than that."
"Yeah. I guess the whole thing just left a bad taste in my mouth. Gotta make that right," Epps said, "and you know, I can't leave the ladies upset. Gotta fix that, too," he laughed then. Lennox grinned back, releasing the man. It was then he noticed the silence that had fallen in the room, the sounds of Cybertronian having ceased upon their entrance back into the space.
Glancing up, his eyes met optics with the more approachable of the two Cybertronian brothers. Their gazes locked for only a split second before Sideswipe turned his helm away. On the other hand, the gold mech's optics didn't leave his brother.
"Something you want to say to them, Sides?" Sunstreaker asked suddenly, the English startling the two men. Even Sideswipe seemed startled as he regarded the golden mech.
"...I was just listening for any news, to see if we would be getting any more information today," he responded carefully, holding his brother's gaze. Lennox could see Sunstreaker's optics narrow.
"Ratchet already gave the order. There won't be any debriefing today," Sunstreaker continued.
"I know that!" Sideswipe snapped. "But who's to say she won't talk to her human companions?"
"You sure you're not the one who wishes to be spoken to?" Sunstreaker asked, the calm in his voice betrayed by the harshness of his gaze. The red bot paused at this, his optics widening imperceptibly.
"...what's that supposed to mean?" he asked in a low voice. Sunstreaker said nothing for a moment, observing his brother keenly.
"Just making sure you weren't hoping to gather any extra information on your own," he stated. Sideswipe's optics narrowed his brother, suspicion and alarm flashing in them as he did so.
Lennox and Epps glanced at each other, wondering if they should leave. The stare-off was unnerving, and neither of them wanted to be there if a brawl was about to break out between the twins.
"...I don't see how it would be a problem if I did try," Sideswipe replied coolly, keeping his voice controlled as he continued. "What's your problem, Sunny?"
Sunstreaker looked livid, but only for a moment before he seemed to compose his features again.
"Nothing. It's no business of mine, apparently," he snapped, suddenly turning to leave. Somewhat flustered, Sideswipe watched him go, glancing at the humans before trailing behind moments later.
Watching the bots go, Epps was the first to break the silence that had fallen after the odd confrontation they'd just witnessed. "What do you think that was?" he asked, still looking at the door the two had exited through.
"Not sure," Lennox said, watching curiously as well. "But I guess it means even twins fight, then. But hey, it's been a rough couple of weeks, lots of new Decepticon activity to worry about. Can't really blame them."
"I guess," Epps agreed simply, shaking his head. "But I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that gare."
Sunstreaker had already disappeared down the corridor leading to the Autobot quarters by the time Sideswipe made it out of the mess hall after him. It seemed his brother really didn't want his company at the moment.
He vented, feeling sure his brother suspected something - although how, he could not even begin to guess.
Sunstreaker always seems to know what I'm up to, Sideswipe thought irritably. His brother had always been more keen than him, could always tell when he was lying (which was rare, the two didn't keep secrets). Sideswipe accredited it more as one of his brother's talents than the bond - since he could not always read Sunstreaker like Sunstreaker read him.
If Sunstreaker really did know what he had done, why hadn't he said anything?
And not only that, why should I be feeling guilt over it?! Sideswipe thought angrily. But he knew the answer already.
Sideswipe had had no intention of telling his brother what was going on. In fact, he really wished to keep the conversation had with the femme to himself - wondering if Sunstreaker would view it as a betrayal, considering it was rather… open, and well, certainly not a conversation Sunstreaker would want to have or approve of having with the 'organics'. Slag, he himself wouldn't have imagined it a few weeks before. And Sideswipe did feel a bit guilty over it, over his own curiosity.
Would Sunstreaker believe me if I told him I was just trying to get information? he wondered. But even if it was partially the truth, in his own processor, it felt like a lie - like a statement that would make Sunstreaker even more angry when he heard the uncertainty in Sideswipe's voice. Sure, it had been his intention at first. But the encounter left him wanting more, wanting to prove himself.
Honestly, Sideswipe had not expected things to go the way they had with the human femme the night before. She was frustrating and mistrusting, and too keen on how to provoke him. He'd wanted to snap at her and get angry. The things he had said to her, however, did not reflect these feelings.
The decision to say what he had had been one of the only times Sideswipe had ever had to make a conscious effort to be an Autobot. It had felt different treating the human soldiers coldly, dismissing them them and speaking ill of them. He wasn't ever compelled to force kindness then, like he had anything to prove to them about his ties to the Autobots, and certainly never felt like he was acting like a Decepticon, either. Maybe it was because the human femme had only known Decepticons, and she expected no less of him. But the femme had challenged his station as an Autobot, had made him actively wish to change her mind.
And for that, just the once, he would change his behavior toward a human.
He'd had to rationalize that she was not really seeing him - but the pit-spawned mechs she had come to know in her captivity. He also knew her previous impressions of Autobots were...less than spectacular, what with his little stunt in Nevada and being deceived by Optimus. And while it was true he had only complimented her because he'd wanted to prove her expectations wrong, while he said the words he suddenly found that they rang more genuine than he'd initially intended.
And when he saw that he had her attention at last, the dark, shining gaze that was not averted for once, with a look on her face that was pure surprise, he could not even think to regret his words. Sideswipe was proud all over again to be an Autobot, the feeling of kinship with his team that he had not felt since arriving on Earth warming in his spark as the girl listened to him, her occasional response not at all as cutting or derisive as it had been. He'd felt important somehow, like he was the first to represent his team to the mistrusting human and give her, perhaps, her first good impression of them.
It was such a small thing, but somehow, he left the encounter feeling like he'd done something very worthwhile. And, as he watched her slink away from the mess hall and give her silent goodbye, a look of guarded contemplation on her features, he felt a need to see more, and to show her more, too. Which would mean he'd have to try again.
Ah, the last part really gave me so much trouble . Let me know if it's weird. Next chapter, more information about Piper's time with the Decepticons, most likely. I know this one is short, but it was the most logical place to cut off since I'm still working out some kinks in future chapters. Like I said though, I was just happy to get something published this week.
Anyway, stay tuned for more! Please review and let me know what you think, I've got more in store but I've just got to find the motivation to sit down and work on it awhile T_T Should be easier after this week when school is out. They should be back to the regular length after this week.
Thanks for reading!
-PK