SUP PEOPLE! So... the world hasn't ended yet, (I hope), so I decided to put up the next chappie! :)
Just to say, this chapter takes place about 5 minutes after the last one ended XD. Some stuffs about to go DOWN!
As always, criticism welcomed. I wish to improve my writing at all times :)
Random Reviewer - I tried going for a world where he didn't exist, and just realized that there was no way I could make that work, so I kept him alive :3 Glad to know you're enjoying the story!
Sunstreaker's Squishy - ...
Sweettea1 - Glad to know you still enjoy my craziness!
(Hehe, listening to REM's 'end of the world' while writing this. LOLS!)
Anyway, as always, I own nothing!
The entrance had led to a large underground bunker with a large sunken area in the middle with wide walkways. There were harsh fluorescent lights that lit the place, with various tunnels running off into different directions. They were all large enough for a robot the size of Optimus to walk through. The place was a hive of activity with ragtag soldiers running around doing various activities. Cars and motor bikes would flit in and leave, with or without drivers. They were obviously preparing for something, but what was up for debate.
Arabella could care less. She didn't care who had shot who first, but the point of the matter was that the entire world was now in ruins thanks to an alien war. People might have thought that she would have jumped at the opportunity to join the Autobots, but they were all wrong. Her family was gone, her friends were gone, her dreams were gone. She wanted no part in this. She was not playing neutral, she was removing herself from the game entirely, or was trying to, at the very least. The entire race could go to hell for all she cared, but that would not restore the damage that had already been caused. And besides, she was happy where she had been. Her little hole in the ground, quite literally, was grand by her standards. She didn't need anything and didn't want anything either. She just wanted to eventually die in piece, not shot to pieces.
She walked over to the rails, scrutinizing every last detail as she tuned out what the large Autobot and Will was talking about. There were a few curious eyes here and there. Some of the vehicles would unfold into robots themselves, only to talk to another person for a moment before leaving again. It kind of reminded her of a bee hive. She turned back to the people that were talking and noticed something. Epps had joined her at the edge.
"Hey Rob. The old guy in over by the hummer. Who's he?" The black man glanced over.
"Oh, that's Commander Simon Clarkson. He's been running this outfit for a while now."
"Huh." She tilted her head back a little, scrutinizing the white haired man. "Call him over will ya? I want to talk to him." Epps looked at her funny for a moment, but waved the man over. The commander frowned, but started walking closer. Arabella straightened up as he walked closer.
"What's the meaning of this, Epps?" Simon Clarkson was not really tall by anyone's standards, but was built like a house. His piercing blue eyes seemed to cut into your soul.
"Sir, this is Arabella Micheals. She's the one that brought William Lennox back to us."
"And?" He asked in a no nonsense type of voice that made Epps shudder.
"I asked him to call you so I can talk to you," she paused, "Simon." She practically spat out.
"Well, what do you want?" His question was answered with a fist to the face. There was a loud crunch as her fist collided with his nose. His head snapped back and he took two steps back to try and regain his balance. There were shouts of alarm all around and Rob tried to restrain her.
She, however, was having none of it.
She forced herself out of Rob's grip, flipping him over to land quite solidly on his back. The commander had recovered well enough to throw his own punch, which she deftly dodged, landing a sharp jab to his stomach. The man winced, but stood standing. She aimed a roundhouse kick for his head.
Her foot stopped millimetres from his face, held in place by the strong grip of his right hand.
"After all these years, that's the way you decide to greet your father?" The room froze.
"Oh, so now you're my father? If I remember correctly, you died." The tension in the room doubled. Will's eyes flitted between the two. She had always avoided the topic of her father. Arabella's face was a tight mask and Simon's was one of contempt.
"Well, I can't be standing here if I'm dead now, can I?" He shifted his face a little closer. Her leg was tight in his grasp, but her balance was impeccable.
"You died the day you disowned me," her balance shifted and using her biological father's shoulder, she flicked herself over, her left leg on the travel trajectory for an imminent impact on his head from the side. It only took a blink of an eye, but the foot collided, knocking him out cold. She got up gracefully. "and that was for the day you left me and mom out in the street to die." Everyone froze in a state of shock. She simply dusted herself off and walked over to Will.
She defiantly held out her wrists to him.
"Gonna clap some irons on me, Cap?" He only stared at her with a very prominent frown. "No? Well, then I'd like to deliver my boxes and go home now, please. I mean," she dropped her hands and looked off to the side "now that you're with your buddies and all you don't need me anymore right?" There was note of upset betrayal in her voice. Will sighed.
"Arabella…"
"You know, for a while there, you might have convinced me to stay here for maybe a week or two, you know, to make sure you settle in, all that jazz, but I will not, I repeat, WILL NOT stay within a thousand miles of that sorry excuse of a human being." Will looked over her shoulder. The commander was already being carted away to the med bay. She paused for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was a defeated whisper.
"I'd just like to see the people's faces when I give them what I have. Then I'll drive out of here, and you'll never see me again." Everyone looked at each other awkwardly. Most of the people around them just returned to what they had been doing before.
"You know, I would just find the caves again." Will joked lightly, trying to get the girl to cheer up. She just smirked.
"Please, you couldn't find that place even if I gave you a detailed map to it and besides," she paused, leaning in mysteriously "who said it's my only set of caves?"
xxxxxPCxxxxx
It was roundabout midnight when the party left for the barracks. The truck had been driven up to the main hall where the gifts would be handed out in the morning. Will and Arabella were, however, taken to a separate area of the bunker. Epps was their guide through the narrow tunnels that were only sized for humans. They stopped outside one particular room. Epps said nothing, just staring at the door. The men were frozen in anticipation outside the door. After a while, Arabella just rolled her eyes and knocked.
There was a faint, 'hello?' that came from the other side of the door.
"Ma'am, I hate to bother you so late but I think we found something that belongs to you." She called out. Will and Epps stared at her, aghast looks on their faces. There were shuffling sounds inside, the lethargic shuffles of someone who just got woken up. The shuffles grew a little louder and the door started scratching as locks were being undone.
A woman in her mid-thirties opened the door, her blond hair messy curls around her head. She had a set of scars on her left cheek and a small part of her ear was missing. Her overall complexion was pale and hollow, as though the life had been sucked out of her. She looked way older than she should. It was obvious that she had once been quite a looker. There were dark rings under her green eyes as she surveyed the trio outside her door.
She saw Epps first and her already sagging shoulders sagged a bit more. It looked like she was carrying the world on her shoulders. Her eyes flitted tiredly over to Arabella, who she stared at with mild confusion. She knew Arabella was not involved with the army, that was for sure. Her eyes finally settled on Will.
Disbelief coloured her face as tears started to fall from Will's eyes.
"Will…?" She whispered, not sure if she was dreaming or not. Her hand stretched out slowly, reaching for his cheek. Will took a step closer and unable to bear the separation any longer, wrapped his arms around her as he buried his face in her neck, shaking with sobs.
Sarah clung to Will for dear life, crying. After all these years of doubt, she had her husband back, the man she loved. Her hands anchored themselves to his back, holding him as close to her as she could.
Rob and Arabella could only watch in detached silence at the miracle reunion. Epps shuffled awkwardly, shifting his weight from one leg to the other while looking elsewhere. Arabella watched in silence with a pang in her heart that she won't greet any of her family in that way for as long as she lived.
Will pulled Sarah slightly away from him, only to look into her face.
"Annabelle…?" He asked softly, trailing off at the end. Sarah could barely maintain eye contact before bursting into a fresh set of tears, burying her face into Will's chest. Will took the lack of an answer to mean a lack of a daughter.
Annabelle was dead, another victim of the war.
It was only pure willpower that kept Will on his feet. He looked a little over to Epps for answers. Rob held his hands together in fists and illustrated an explosion accompanied by a soft booming sound. He pointed at Sarah and trailed his fingers over his left cheek.
Annabelle's death had been caused by an explosion that had scarred Sarah's face as well. Will nodded numbly, leaning into Sarah as fresh tears made their presence known.
Arabella felt sympathy for the crying couple. Burying your children is something no parent should ever face, or so she had been told. It was a thing that could rip families apart and she had borne witness to this in her rather short life before the war. Arabella noticed a slight shuffling sound and looked inside the room Sarah had come out of.
"Mommy?" A child's voice asked. A small boy, barely seven years old, was walking closer. In ill-fitting pajamas and carrying a frazzled teddy bear, the boy walked closer, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes with his tiny hands. Will saw the boy and looked at Sarah, frowning. Sarah smiled a little.
"Will, I'd like you to meet Jonathan William Lennox. Johnny, I'd like you to meet Captain William Lennox, your father."
xxxxxPCxxxxx
"I found out a couple of days before the whole Chicago disaster happened. I was already four weeks along with Johnny when all hell broke loose. Sideswipe was the one that came and protected us when Ironhide…" She let her sentence drift off. The small party were now inside Sarah's room in the barracks. The wing they were in was reserved for special or important people. Sarah had classified as special, and had so gained a small, apartment like area to live in. The front door led into a small hallway that led into a small living room. It had two well-worn couches, a small table and a bookcase with a variety of books. The hallway had doors on both sides. There were two bedrooms, a bathroom and a small kitchen.
The place was not much, but was as much luxury as the renegade base could afford.
Johnny had been sent back to bed. He had classes in the morning. The others had been sitting with small cups of tea as they conversed. Right now a thick silence had settled in the room. Arabella cleared her throat.
"As much fun all this story telling is, I'm tired and I'm pretty sure we interrupted your sleep, Sarah." Arabella stood up and everyone followed suit. "Will, I'm pretty sure you have some catching up to do with your wife," she turned to Epps "I'm sure you have other things to do," she hinted none too subtly, "and I'm going to go crash in my truck. Goodnight, everyone!" She was out the door before anyone could react.
"Will, what happened to her?" Sarah asked softly, clinging to Will's side, as if letting go of him would cause him to disappear. Will sighed.
"More than we will ever know. Come, let's go to bed." He turned to Epps. "Night and... thanks. Thanks for keeping an eye over her when I couldn't." Epps smiled and gave him a mock salute.
"Anything for my Captain. Night." He headed for the door.
"Night." Sarah whispered to his back just before he closed the door.
xxxxxPCxxxxx
Silent tears streamed down Arabella's face as she tried to sleep in her cab. Sure, it was dark enough, but there were other things on her mind.
It's so unfair. She whispered mentally to herself. He has a caring family and has his own kids. I'll never have my own kids. My father hates me, my mother is dead and… and… A soft sob escaped her throat. I'll go back to my caves and then one day it will be as if I had never existed. She tossed a few more times, trying to settle down.
I'll die alone.
Gah, right in the feels :'( . Anyway, RnR if you have survived the Apocalypse. If not, I assume you are a zombie with good taste :3
See all ya'll next week!