Chapter Ten:

Kandler sat quietly in his office, staring out the back window overlooking the cargo and loading area of the outpost. He had too many things on his mind, as he rubbed his eyes tiredly from the stress of it all. He had made various phonecalls to staff and fellow officers back in the states, mostly to get the reviews on keeping the death of Annabelle Hutchins under wraps from the media ear. It was beginning to take its toll on his psych as he received the majority of calls from the Secretary of State, whom continued to press the issue beyond word of mouth, and Kandler had to give all he could of his convincing skills to prevent the commanding officer of spreading the word of the lost teen. It was becoming too much, not when a kid became involved.

He barely responded as a soldier came in with a report. He didn't look to him as he spoke. "What happened now? Megatron attack a village school this time?"

"It would be more believable as bad as that sounds, sir." The young lieutenant replied. He fiddled with a report in his hand. "But no, it's something else."

"As hard as it is to believe, I'm not in the mood for small talk, kid." Kandler mumbled, staring out the window still from his chair. "Just spill it already so you can get on your duties."

"Well, um, there's no easy way to say this, uh…" The soldier dragged awkwardly. Instead, he came forward and put the report on the officer's desk. "There was a raid at a small train cargo station about fifty miles southwest, nearly all supplies of food and, um, Energon, was taken. The statement from the workers there said it was Megatron. He nearly killed half their patrol when they tailed him out."

"Doesn't sound like anything new from him. Why bring this to me if it's not even—" He stopped himself, repeating the report in his head as he swung around to read it himself. "Did you say they took food supplies too?"

"Yes, sir. That's what we wanted to tell you of." The lieutenant shrugged. "Why would Megatron take human supplies like food if he doesn't need it?"

Kandler frowned at the document in hand. He didn't have to guess why. "…Get Carlsbad in here, I'll need to tell him this myself. I want you to organize a search team for the southwest train post and move along where they said he escaped."

The young soldier stood there, stunned and not going anywhere in confusion. "Um, sir, what exactly is going on?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He pushed the soldier out of his office. "Just do what I told you and report to the other officers. Tell them to scratch off our last casualty from the list." He nodded. "Miss Hutchins is still alive."

-X-

Annabelle had taken a nap to rid of any repercussions from drinking the beer earlier, her back against the rock wall of the shelter. She awoke with a frustrated and tired groan as Megatron shoved her further into the back of the shelter to the back wall.

"Dude, what the hell? I was trying to sleep for once." She grumbled with a glare, and then blinked when she saw Megatron crouched somewhat at the front of the shelter to the dusk ahead, growling low with a lava glare. "What's going on?"

Megatron didn't answer for a long while, concentrated at what he saw far away. He sneered. "Insects…" He glanced back at her only slightly. "Humans. They never come out this far unless they beg for trouble." Megatron's claws rippled at his side with a rumbling growl.

Annabelle stood and came to his side to see for herself. They were too far out to see with her pitiful human eyesight, but as she squinted she could see a few flashlights off in the distance moving about in the brush. She looked up at the Decepticon beside her. "You think it's because of the raid at the station?"

"Most likely, they have no other reason to be out here." He huffed with a smirk of fangs. "But they will not locate us." Megatron looked down at her, resting an arm on his knee. "Using what I could of my cloaking technology, I managed to refill my systems of enough Energon to perform the task of cloaking the area we are in now. They could walk right by and not see or detect us."

Annabelle stared up at the tyrant with wide eyes. "Seriously?" She chuckled as she knuckled bumped his giant pede. "That's pretty cool, actually. I didn't know you guys could do that."

Megatron scoffed. "There are far too many things you do not know about my kind, girl. I would be here the rest of my fragging cycles telling you all of them." He sneered again as the flashlights swung about more in the distance. He shoved her back further under the shelter without a word.

"What the hell now?" Annabelle spat, before she was cut off by a flash of piercing lightning in the sky. She hadn't even noticed the storm coming in.

The Decepticon glared skyward at the rolling clouds. "Even for this planet, storms here are not to be reckoned with. I would rather stay out of the rain, it rusts my gears." He ducked back under the shelter as well and sat in the back again, the sparklings and Igor dashing in for shade near him. Annabelle watched as the three huddled under his bent knees for no apparent reason, but Megatron paid no mind to them.

Annabelle looked out at the disappearing flashlights again who have left to avoid the approaching storm. She wondered if they were looking for her as well and not to just get Megatron's reluctant and battered hide. She jumped as a sudden flash of lightning struck through the air about a mile from the camp, and she responded by stumbling back inside and falling next to Megatron's bulk. She glared up as the Decepticon sneered down at her from her reaction. "What? It freaked me out, that's all." Trying to brush it aside, the teen sat up and stared ahead.

"Are you afraid of measly Earth storms?" Megatron snickered, amused by her irrational fear.

Annabelle sputtered her lips dismissively yet somewhat awkwardly. "Hell no, what makes you think that? The risk of being hit anyway is like a million to-" She cut off with a yelp when another lightning strike struck closer outside, illuminating the shelter they're in. Annabelle staggered back again, and ended up hunkered against Megatron's hip. She awkwardly looked up at the lava gaze staring at her with a cocked optic. "…Ok, maybe I'm a little freaked by thunder storms." She angled off him a little, hugging her knees.

Megatron huffed again. "Is there a moderately good reason? Oh, I forget, humans always have irrational fears. There IS no possible good excuse for such a foolish fear."

The teen gave him a look, fiddling with her shirt sleeve and tugging it over her palm. "IF you must know, I had a bad situation during a storm. There was a flood back home, and I was stuck in the car. As the storm kept going and the water kept rising, I couldn't get out. I thought I was gonna drown and I was freezing cold." She sighed, hugging her knees again once pulling the sleeves over her hands. "I still dunno how I managed to make it through the night before someone found me and got me out."

The mech looked over her, sneering more out of thought. How was it that this girl was so intriguing with such strength and determination, yet has such odd fears alongside those attributes? Scrap, whenever he learned something new of this child he had to ponder over her admittance. He huffed at the thought. "Is that so?"

Annabelle glanced off at the now pounding rain. "Yea, but I'd rather not talk about it anymore."

Megatron shrugged, scratching at some grime on his chest left by the hanging rusted chains. "Perhaps it makes you for the better, having a near death experience. Then again, you humans terminate easily."

"Yea that really helps." The teen glared up at him with sarcasm.

"Think about it, girl. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, as I heard you humans say. Take me for example." He flicked away the grime from his claw at the rain outside, and began to fuss at his sparking helm wound as he continued. "Before my glory days as a Kaon gladiator, I was secluded into my early years as a slave miner in the Pits. We never saw the light of day or touched the surface, and we would be worked until our gears would collapse and wear to dust. I was one of the weaker ones, if you could believe that." He huffs, blinking at a zap in his wound. "It wasn't until one of the miner gangs confronted me while I was 'armed'. I collected nothing but rage and let it out on them until I left them for scrap. I took out one of their helms with nothing but a rubble detacher." Megatron paused as Annabelle's clueless look, and he rolled his optics with a growl. "Or, as you humans would call it so stupidly as, a 'pick'."

Annabelle nodded small, still hugging her knees as she looked up at him, more out of being cold from the storm outside. "So…how did you get out?"

"They saw what I was capable of, the mine masters. They took me to the surface as a gladiator punching block. I got more slag beaten out of me on the surface than I had underground. Some days my systems refused to support me, but they made me go no matter the cause." Megatron shrugged again, glancing down to her. "But the minute they put a weapon in my claw…" He snickered darkly in the memory. "Helms were rolling in that arena." With a pause, the mech vented a heavy sigh. "Those were my glory days…heh, until that vile Prime came along. My greatest mistake bringing him in as some, some, companion." He growled darkly at the thought, and he looks away.

The teen stared quietly. "I'm guessing he was a jackass?" Megatron just rumbled deeply in frustration. "Ok, yea, he's a jackass." She slumps her fists in her lap. "But what does your rough old days have to do with me drowning in a flooded car? Can't you breathe underwater or something?"

Megatron groaned out a sneer. "No girl, my point is that despite the threats to my cycle I continued to persevere, and in doing so it has made me a capable, ruthless, and fearless mech to be reckoned with. Perhaps on such a miniscule and weakling flesh level, the same shall provide for your situation. You are alive and functioning today, aren't you?"

"Well, yea, but-"

"Then you have no excuse to keep fussing over such a pointless fear." Megatron sneered. "Honestly, girl, I wonder how a girl with such irrational fears like that have gotten you this far."

Annabelle turned in her seated position to face up at him more, her neck hurting as she did so. "Hey, I have my reasons, ok? Make fun of them all you want, but I have my choice to be afraid at some things. I could get over my fear if I wanted to." She looked out at the rain as another clap of thunder rolled by overhead. "Just, not today."

Megatron gave her a glare, still not understanding her mind's way of function. He growled lowly as he looked away again. "Fine then, be fearful over such foolish idiocies." With a grunt, he picked a little as something in his fangs, and he snarled out sharply as it only makes it worse.

Annabelle blinked at the noise. "You ok there?"

"Perfectly fine, girl." Megatron mumbled gruffly with a claw still in his mouth. "Now will you mind your own prob-" He cut himself off with another pained snarl.

"Did something get stuck in there?" The teen blinked, standing up as the mech winced again, trying more harshly to get it out. "Well quit fussing with it. It'll make it worse."

"Oh, what do you know of it, girl?" Megatron sneered with a mouthful of claw.

"A lot more than you think, actually. I've been to dentist enough to get a good idea when something's up and getting worse." She promptly came closer and tapped his side, and point off at his back. "Lay down."

Megatron sneered, refusing with a growl and fiery glare.

"Look, unless you want it to keep bothering you and to make ME leave you alone, you'll bear with a few minutes. Now could you just lie down so it's easier?"

"Like I would let a human help with such a sensitive area. My armor is one thing, but near my communication module is another entirely." Megatron picked again, and hissed at the sting.

Annabelle rolled her eyes. "God, you're worse than a kid. Look it's not that bad, ok? I promise not to go anywhere near your, er…voice box thingy. Seriously, what am I gonna do that would make it worse?"

Megatron huffed. "I could name a few." He glared back as she gave him one in return. Yet, Megatron had to realize that it was getting worse the more he fussed with it. He would rather not have any other things go wrong with his already battered form. Reluctantly, the mech growled lowly as he removed the claw from his mouth, and with a distasteful rumble slid onto his back.

"Thank you." Annabelle mumbled with annoyance, and scaled up Megatron's chest and up to his helm. She crouched down as he glanced down at her. "Now open up."

Megatron snarled. "I will do no such thing. I would never do something so disgusting, letting you scale about in my mouth. You sicken me, girl."

She put her hand on a hip. "Look I don't like the idea any better than you do, But I don't want to hear you complaining about it either. Just open up, ok? I'll try and be quick about it."

"No." Megatron huffed stubbornly.

"I'll force myself in."

"Sure, girl, even if you do I'll bite your head off like a twig."

"Fine, then good luck to you getting that taste out of your mouth afterwards."

Megatron glared darkly with a rumble, wanting to just flick her off, but he stopped knowing he wanted the stinging pain to stop. He will get back at her later for this.

With a groan, Megatron rolled his optics away, and hesitantly opened his mouth.

Annabelle stared at the sharp fangs that were nearly the half the size of her, rusting and grated viciously sharp. It was dark inside his maw, and couldn't see anything but a few large grating gears and wires along two tubes. Annabelle tried to ignore the dripping orange and brown liquid smeared on them, making her want to vomit.

"Would you get it over with?" Megatron growled impatiently and disgusted.

Annabelle jumped, a moment away from having her head in as his fangs snapped down in his speaking. "Holy shit, don't talk! You almost took my head off!"

"Then do it!" He growled, opening up his mouth again.

"I'm going, I'm going!" The teen sniped back. She huffed small before she took a breath and stuck her body inside, leaving her legs out.

She gagged at the horrible smell of it all, not noticing it when he spoke normally, and concluded that it was only clung to just the general area. The urge to vomit came again when the tubes at the back slacked and tightened like a throat, only giving off more of the horrific stench. She put her mouth and nose in her sleeve, gagging.

"God it reeks in here! Don't you even wash in here?" Annabelle shouted past her arm at the roof of the giant mouth.

"Wike why hwave twime fo swuch twasks." Megatron uttered, not closing his mouth all the way as Annabelle bounced slightly inside.

Annabelle yelped as she was tossed about in his maw. "Well at least stop talking! You're making it worse! I can barely breathe in here already."

Ignoring Megatron's growl, the teen adjusted herself to be able to look at every inside corner of his fangs. She flinched as energon and that nasty rusty liquid dripping from a few of them, and tried her best to avoid touching it. She shifted a little to look about overhead, and stopped as Megatron shifted himself with a small gag. The movement made her cut a bit of her jeans on one of his fangs. "Oh that's great, now who knows what stuff got in me from your damn teeth."

"Wust worry wup!"

Annabelle coughed again as more of the smell hit her in the face, and she struggled to breathe in any oxygen. When the mech gagged again, some of the brown slime flung in her face. The teen shrieked and wiped it quickly off, as it stuck to her hand in stringy handfuls.

"Oh god, that's disgusting!" She yelled out above her head, trying to get the entire residue off.

Megatron shifted again, nearly causing Annabelle to completely fall into his mouth. He was becoming impatient both from disgust, pain, and his mouth lubricants were beginning to dry the more it was open. To make her hurry, he pretended to gag again.

"NO NO NO!" Annabelle cried out, looking about more to try and find the problem. She knew from seeing where he was picking that it was the bottom row of fangs, and looked along the side it possibly was. The problem was that everything was made generally of the same metal components, making everything look like it belonged there. It wasn't until she moved a little close to find the location of the quandary.

It was a tattered, grated lid of a steel barrel, like the ones that contained the energon Megatron was refilling on earlier. The mech probably had some later on and got ahead of himself opening them, she assumed. The obstruction was wedged deep in-between the last two fangs in the back of the mouth, which was most likely why Megatron had trouble getting it out.

"Okay I found it!" She called upward. "Just hold still, it might hurt."

Megatron gave a short grunt in reply, but remained still. The sparklings and Igor exchanged glances, but stayed where they were near the mech's leg.

The stench of the enclosed space still horrible to put aside, Annabelle took a quick breath from her filtering sleeve before taking both hands to the torn steel plate, being cautious of the sharp edging. She began by attempting to wiggle it looser, but was given a sharp snarl of pain from Megatron, hitting her with another wave of putrid air. The teen gagged, feeling some pile rise in her throat but kept it down after a hard effort, and tried to wiggle it more. The piece was stuck, but it was moving some.

"I'm gonna have to yank it quick, so it's gonna suck. You ready?" She winced at the huff in reply, and nodded as she braced herself more to get a better pulling angle. "Ok, on three. One…" The teen felt the mech brace up himself to prepare. "Two…" She shut her eyes. "…THREE!" With a sharp motion she yanked back, successfully uprooting the stuck plate.

Megatron roared out at the sudden pain and immediately spit the girl out, and as she fell onto his chest he quickly put a claw to the area as it throbbed with a dulling ache.

Annabelle coughed, happy to be breathing some fresh air after being in there. Staring at the slime-covered plate, she tossed it aside. She then groaned in nauseating tone as the rusty residue now covered her clothes and skin, her shirt and vest sticking to her sickly.

"Well you're welcome." She mumbled at the tyrant. "Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna go stand outside and get this nasty fucking stuff off me. God, it reeks." Annabelle gagged again as she jumped down off the con, hearing him sit back up as she went out.

The rain was still pounding down by the bucketful, and it didn't take long before she was completely soaked. Even for the storm, she did like the feeling of the warm rain on her skin. It washed through her hair and cleansed her of the filth, like a relaxing shower she would have back home. For the moment she didn't care it was during a storm, and she only cared for how good it felt on her. Annabelle shut her eyes contently to enjoy its warmth and cleaning feel, but knowing she shouldn't stay out the whole time as the occasional cold wind blew, she went back inside.

Megatron glared at the girl as she came back in, finally taking his claw from her teeth. "Quickly, you said?" He sneered distastefully. "You do not know the meaning of the word. I was better off getting it out myself, if YOU didn't insist."

"Oh shut up, I was trying to help you out. You picking at it was what made it get more stuck in there!"

"Oh really? It sounded more of that you were more concentrated on giving my already degrading form a cavity check. Yes, I do happen to give human references. But that does not require you to take so long." Megatron huffed with a growl as he picked more grime at his leg armor. The sparklings and Igor scooted away from him to the back corner, not sure what to expect from either of them now.

Annabelle could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Well I could at least ask for a simple 'thank you', but apparently it's too hard for you!" She shouted at nothing as she paced once in a circle. "Gah! What is it with you anyway? I do a good thing for you, and all you can do is complain! I didn't have to do it, you know, and I decided to have a conscious anyway and help out some arrogant, self-centered asshole like you hoping you would give one little regard of appreciation." The teen grumbled at nothing. "But no, you don't. Maybe I should have left it, let it get worse. Maybe THEN you would think about taking the help when it's offered to you. But you know what, guess I was wrong. You're a selfish, egotistical, rude, insolent, frustrating, pompous, and just plain evil son of a bitch! No matter how you twist it around, that's what you'll always be!"

Megatron stared at her without expression. They weren't the worst kinds of things he had been called, but was rather amused by how much anger she held in at him. He simply blinked his scarlet optics, not saying a word.

Annabelle fumed on the spot, fists clenched at her sides. "…Well? What do you gotta say, huh? WHAT?"

The mech just blinked again, adjusting how he was sitting to straighten himself high over her. He cocked a metal brow at her hardening glare. "…I will admit, girl, you may be right. But, only on a few of them."

"Oh, really now?" she seethed. "What about those was I wrong, exactly. I think I just about summed you up there."

Megatron didn't say it, but he did not see himself as particularly selfish. Why else would he split his spark with her, take all this time to care for her, and deal with her flesh-fragile form? No, he was most definitely not selfish. "You mistake me, girl. Even after all this time, you think me as opposite of what I truly am."

The teen quaked with rage. "Right…right…You're a FUCKING LIAR TOO!" Annabelle turned around and marched outside.

"And WHERE do you plan on going, girl, in this storm?"

"Far away from you, that's what!"

Megatron scoffed. "Don't be foolish girl, you won't last a-"

"Just shut up, will you! I'm sick of it! Just shut up and leave me alone!" She kept on marching in the rain.

"Get back here girl! Don't be idiotic!" He stood up and looked out, seeing her through the night rain even when she couldn't see him behind her.

Annabelle kept moving without pause. "You can handle yourself! I bet you'll like being alone anyway! Huh, right?" She turned and shouted out at the red eyes through the dark, rain soaking down her face. "You don't give a flying fuck about me and my kind! You never did! You were gonna kill me in my sleep eventually, once you got bored of me! There isn't any good in you, just a heartless machine! You don't care about anyone but yourself!"

Megatron growled sharply. "Girl-!"

"Just GO AWAY! Be alone! Like I ever needed you! Goodbye!" With that, she whipped back around and ran off.

The giant tyrant stood in the beating rain, watching the girl go with a scowl. He felt like going after her but stayed where he was. He couldn't avoid the throb in his spark from their bond, feeling her anger and pain. She had been holding it in for some time, and the moment just making her snap. The mech pondered with a frown and rumble, letting the rain pour off his frame.

-X-

Annabelle had stopped some miles out, the rain beginning to drag her down with its added weight to her soaked clothes. She came eventually to a ratted, lone-standing tree, where she flopped down beneath. Its bare limbs didn't keep the rain away, as she continued to be drenched in the wet weather. She made a pathetic attempt at hugging her knees to keep up her body temperature, but it was to no avail.

She thought to herself as she stared out at the blackness of the storm. How did she snap like that so easily? Was she holding it in for some time and never had the chance to, and blew her fuse at such a little thing? The teen didn't know, and assumed she was simply losing her mind from being away from actual human contact for some time. The event at the train outpost didn't count.

Yet, as she thought more, she realized just how much trouble Megatron had gone for her. Risking his hide to get her supplies, the new shelter, his gruff way of giving advice, they weren't entirely selfish. Why would he go to so much trouble when he could just let her leave? Well, technically, he just did. Annabelle assumed he just grew tired of her attitude.

To be honest, Annabelle had snapped because of her pains of the past, not just him. She missed her home, her job, her workmates, everything. Yet she began to recognize why this night made her snap:

Her father had left on a night, just like this…

The memories flooded back, and her pain had come barreling out at rage at the Decepticon instead. The horrible event had recalled her anger, pain, and broken trust. The things she had said were the same she had said to her father the night he left. She cried on the porch steps as he walked off into his truck, and drove without even a look in the rearview.

Annabelle clenched her eyes shut, and buried her head in her soaked arms. What had she done?

She did the next best thing: she cried.

The cold was so numbing she didn't know how long she sat there in tears, coughing as they blended in the rain on her face and dribbling into her mouth. God, why did she do this? She would never make it back to the base, the base with her ticket home. Nor would she find her way back to any shelter, as she just ran blindly in the open dark. She would die out here alone, where not even the nature of the world cared what happened to her.

She felt so alone…and scared.

As she cried more in her muffling sleeves, she didn't notice the sound of approaching pedes thumping against the earth.

"…Girl."

Annabelle sobbed some more, barely recognizing the voice over the pounding rainfall. Slowly with red-eyed blinks, she lifted her head, and turned to the direction of the voice.

He just stood there beside her, feet away, quietly staring down at her through the dark. All she could see were the two, gleaming red optics. He didn't bother as rain could be heard dripping all though the gaps in his armor, rusting him even slowly further.

The teen blinked tiredly and pained, not understanding why he was here…but thankful that he was. Even though she wouldn't pick him as the first she would ask for, at least she didn't feel so alone.

Shamefully, she looked away again. "…"

"Girl…"

Her voice was cracked almost silent. "…It wasn't you…"

There was a small rumble. "I know…"

"No…you don't." She blinked at the rain in her eyes. "…I didn't mean, what I said. Most of it anyway…" She sniffed. "…I brought you nothing but trouble…you'd be better off alone."

"Girl…"

"You do…maybe I do too."

"Stop it…"

"I'm a fool…"

"Just shut up…"

She was quiet a moment. "…You like being alone."

He didn't reply immediately, just silent. He thought about it, but not that long.

The crying girl tensed up, as a gentle nudge touched at her side. She slowly looked at the gruesome claw, battered and worn, but gentle in its action.

She glanced up at the optics again, eyes tearing red. "…"

They blinked at her again. "…Come."

Annabelle stared long at the red gaze, not saying a word. She had nothing to say.

The claw turned over palm up, but no other words came, as it gave the message.

The teen shivered again at the cold clinging to her body. For how long she stayed there, the claw didn't move.

"…"

She bit her lip, as more tears built up, and began crying again. There was no particular reason why this time, but she assumed it was just emotion. The emotion from her reaction to the patient kindness; one she had not had in some time.

As she cried more, the claw carefully scooped her up, and brought her to the heated chest plate. She put her face to the comforting heat, her tears dripping on the armor with the rain.

His throbbing spark eased somewhat, but it stung small at the feeling of her tears.

As there was nothing more either could say, she was carried back through the dark, where she eventually fell asleep from the warmth and exhaustion.

At the moment, as he sat down under the dry shelter again, it was all he wanted from her.