Another week, another chapter. Hope I didn't keep you guys waiting to long! Enjoy~!
Disclaimer: I only own the plot line and Katie.
Prowl had finally finished the last data pad he had set for himself for the orn. While he still had a small stack to go through, he knew Jazz and Ratchet would both throw a fit if he did not get at least some recharge before his next shift. He got up and quickly shut down his office before making his way back to his quarters. Jazz would most likely be recharging already. He usually was when he finished his work.
Slipping into the room as quietly as he could, he stealthily crawled onto the berth and curled up next to his bonded. He offlined his optics and let recharge claim him, his alarms already set to wake him for his next shift. Soft music drew him from his recharge.
"I'm in love with an angel, heaven forbid
Made me a believer with the touch of her skin"
"Jazz..." He mumbled as the music got louder.
"I'd go to hell and back with you
Stay lost in what we found."
He groaned as he onlined his optics, ready to scold his bonded, again.
"Worlds apart we were the same
Until we hit the ground"
Jazz wasn't beside him. In fact, he wasn't even in their quarters anymore. He was laying on the ground. He quickly stood up, all systems on high alert. As he surveyed his surroundings he found himself in a crystal garden. For as far as he could see, crystals. Just like the ones that had once grown in the Helix Gardens of Praxus. It was beautiful. He had never thought he would see something like this again.
"Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm weak
Maybe I'm blinded by what I see"
He turned his gaze to the nearest crystal, taking in its beauty. The music floating on the light breeze around him only made the area seem more peaceful, if not a tad bid sad. Even the glow of the crystals seemed muted.
"You wanted a soldier but it wasn't me
'Cause I could never set you free"
His gaze intensified on the crystal as he saw a flicker with in it. Suddenly as the verse changed, and the music made a slight shift to the chorus, an image appeared within the crystal. It was of a young human femme standing alone in what looked like a park of some kind. There were other human younglings running around, but none took notice of the femme. They ran by her and around her, but didn't seem to notice her presence.
"So fly on your own
It's time I let you go
Go"
He looked at another crystal, walking closer to inspect it. There was an image there too. The same human femme, older this time, running out the door of a house only to be left by a vehicle, presumably with other humans in it. Tears leaked from her bright blue optics, running down her face as she stood in the driveway before running towards a nearby woods. The image seemed to repeat, like a looped tape, once she reached the forest.
"I'm in love with an angel who's afraid of the light
Her halo is broken but there's fight in her eyes"
He wandered over to other crystals. It was the same with each of them. All a video of a human femme. Each one of the youngling being left or forgotten about. Being left utterly alone. Friends, family, each eventually leaving her to fend for herself.
"Walls are built to keep us safe
Until they're crashing down"
As he moved through the crystals he began to realize that the femme was familiar. The color of her hair and the odd shade of blue of her optics. He knew her.
"Worlds apart we were the same
Until you hit the ground"
"Katie..." He whispered as the crystal before him showed her recharging, only to be over come by a violent nightmare that had her clawing at her chest. He nearly purged as he watched her rip her shirt open and draw blood as she raked fer nails frantically across her chest. He knew it would leave scars. Did she really have them?
"Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm weak
Maybe I'm blinded by what I see
You wanted a soldier but it wasn't me
'Cause I could never set you free"
He quickly moved further into the crystals. The image changed, but it was always of her. Of her life. Of moments he had never known about.
So fly on your own
It's time I let you go
Go
Then one of the images caught his optic. Not because it was of someone else, but because of the location it was set in. Medbay. Or rather the the therapy room just off of Medbay. He watched Katie crawl out from under one of the machines, tears staining her cheeks. He watched her run, not stopping until she made it back to her quarters. He got closer to the crystal, not wanting to miss a single moment. She was scribbling something down on paper, still crying before setting her tablet down on it. There was no sound, but he knew the tiny device was playing music.
"Walls are built to keep us safe
Until they're crashing down"
The scene looped then. He cursed and began to frantically look around, hoping to find the other half of the events. A smaller crystal a few steps away held the scene. He ran over to it, kneeling down to get a better view of it. As he watched his spark clenched. He knew what would happen next, but actually seeing it. Seeing her smile sadly as she climbed into the tub. Seeing her take the blade and slide it across her skin until it bled. He wanted to purge as the red life fluid of humans began to leak quickly from her arm, immediately staining the white tub scarlet.
"Worlds apart we were the same
Until you hit the ground"
It looped before Ironhide got there. He once more searched the crystal around him for the rest of the scene. He knew there was more. He weaved, frantic to find it. He let out a puff of air as he stumbled upon the next part of the sequence. Ironhide rushing into the room and pulling her from the tub, stifling the flow of blood with a towel. The scene skipped then, something that was new. She was still in the room, hooked up to various wires and lines.
"Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm weak
Maybe I'm blinded by what I see"
She was waking up. Her optics out of focus as she took in her surroundings. He watched as she seemed to panic. Upset about something. His optics widening as she removed her needle and cut a long line across her neck. A scar he had seen many times.
'So this is what happened...' He thought, though a little voice of logic in his helm told him that it couldn't possibly be the actual events since he wasn't there for it. Any of it..
"You wanted a soldier but it wasn't me
'Cause I could never set you free"
"It's sad how she always thought the answer to problems would be her death. Sadder still that anyone would convince another that that was so." He jumped at the voice. Her voice. He turned quickly.
"So fly on your own
It's time I let you go"
His optics widened as he looked over the speaker. It was Katie, but something was off about her. The optics were wrong. Not just the color, but the look in them. It wasn't guarded. Katie's gaze always seemed guarded. And sad. Even if this was a creation of his mind, it wasn't Katie.
"So fly on your own
It's time I let you go
Go"
"Hello Prowl. I've been waiting for you." The femme said with a smile, her golden optics shining.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
It had been several days since the femme had woken up. Barricade had found himself helping her. He tried to convince himself it was just because of the answers she held or the life debt he owed to her, but he knew those were only part of the reason. The femme was just, he didn't even know how to describe her. She was so easy to be around. She never pressured him to speak, instead was willing give him space. She was patient with him. It was obvious that she had done this before. He would be lying if he wasn't curious about it. After a few long minutes of internal debate he decided to at least get that question answered.
"Oi. Femme." He said gruffly, pulling her from her simple task of making herself something to eat.
"Yes, Barricade?" He could tell she was annoyed by the fact that he didn't use her name. She had made it very clear that she liked to be called by her name. He chose not to. It was a way he kept some control of the situation.
"You said you'd dealt with this," He struggled to find the right word. "Situation, before." She shook her head.
"Took you long enough." She muttered. He nearly growled at her. "I was wondering when you'd ask about that." She said looking up at him with a small smile. "It was a really long time ago. Before the Cybertron you know existed. Creatures called Quintessions had invaded out world. They sought to control us and didn't care how. Most of the time there was little we could do to the reformatted ones. Some we were able to save and return them to how they wee. Most we could only make comfortable as they died. But a few times we found those in a situation like yours. Sometimes when they found out they would kill them selves. Other times they would kill each other. To be honest, only one set of twins even tried to live; Surefire and Lock up." She paused a small smile on her lip components.
"Surefire was a bright eyed and eager mech. Always curious and not afraid to ask questions. He was just a youngling when the Quintessions took him. He readily accepted his bother. Didn't even question it. Said that if Primus didn't want Lock Up to exist, he wouldn't have had me there to save them. Lock Up on the other hand was quiet and not really a conversationalist. He wasn't a fan of crowds and hated being questioned. He followed orders and waited for the next set to come. It took him awhile to warm up to his brother, but once he did they became inseparable. Surefire would always end up in some situation or another and Lock Up would end up bailing him out."
"To be honest, you took things better then Lock Up did. He ended up punching me and tried to kill me once he woke up. Surefire and I had known each other briefly prior to him being taken. So he wasn't hostile at all. Lock up wasn't accepting of the situation at first. He kept saying that it was a trick. Kept trying to deny it. His brother and I were the only ones I let near him, not for fear that he would harm them, but he didn't need the pitying looks I knew he would receive."
"So I'm not the first that's had this happen..." He said. Still trying to wrap his processor around it, as he had been for orns now.
"No, but I hope you're the last. No one should go through that. No one should be told they aren't meant to exist." Something in her voice caused the mech's attention. He studied her for a moment. She wore a rueful smile and her optics held a deep pain, but it was gone in a moment. Like it had never been there. Her optics as bright as ever and her smile gentle.
"You're hiding something." Was all he said. She laughed.
"Not really." She responded. "I just know what it's like to be told that your existence is a mistake. Most of my elder siblings used to tell me that a lot growing up. I've come to believe it. After all. The war your Cybertron had would not have happened if I didn't exist. Many wars wouldn't have happened. If anything, I'm just a curse." Her optics took on that dull look again. Once more it was smothered, a calm glow taking its place. "But let's not dwell on what cannot be changed. It helps nothing."
Barricade stared at her in confusion. She had sort of answered one question, but now he had more. Great. Just great.
He was about to question her, but the sound of shifting metal caught his attention. He quickly turned, optics trained on the mech across from him. The mech groaned and shifted again. His optics onlined and he sat up holding his helm. Barricade felt his spark begin to race. His 'brother' had just woken up. The mech he had been made from was awake. He had yet to really figure out what to do when the time came for him to wake up. A gentle touch on his leg caused him to jump slightly and look down, pulling him from his overwhelming thoughts. The femme was there, her small servo resting on him in silent support.
"It'll be alright. I'll be here the whole time." He didn't want to say it, but the thought was comforting. Knowing that he had some support eased his mind and his spark, even if it was just a little. Her smile was warm and her optics were understanding. If he hadn't had better restraint of himself he may have just broke down and clutched her to him. But he wasn't weak. He was better then that, but still, he was glad to know he had someone on his side. Especially since he didn't know what side was his anymore.
The mech shook his helm a few times before checking out his surroundings, optics stopping when they fell on the odd pair. The mech tensed up and proceeded to fall into a defensive position.
Barricade glanced down at the femme as she sighed.
"Barricade, could you tell him to access the internet and become familiar with English? I'm afraid I will be of no use since I don't know modern Cybertronian." She paused looking up at him. "Not that it would help me much seeing as I'm human at the moment." He felt himself smile. It was small, more of a twitch of the mouth plates, but it was still a smile. He turned to the other mech, apprehension swelling in his spark. It was now or never.
