Chapter 11

Liana felt like she was going to hurl at Starscream's question. She did go flying before and she wasn't fond of it at all. That happened when she had been abducted by Blitzwing and she ended up fainting from it all. Thankfully, she had been unconscious for the majority of that ordeal but the thought of soaring like a falcon unnerved her and made her want to empty her stomach of what little contents were in it.

"Flying..?" she pieced together slowly. "With you?"

"Oh, you act as if you're going to be tied to that Human torture device," Starscream rolled his optics. "What was it called? The Wheel..?"

"I fainted because I had a legendary meltdown when Three Face shanghaied me! I have to admit I'm not completely cool with flying, especially if the plane is alive and is trying to talk to me!"

"Well, sooner or later, you're going to have to get used to it considering you're part of the family now."

The DJ groaned mentally.

"This is one fucked up family," she shook her head.

"Oh, jou can be my little sister!" Random beamed.

"NO! I don't want to be your sister!"

"Ugh, again vith ze screaming," Hothead grumbled. "Starscream, get her and go or I vill smash her like grape!"

Liana very easily got the mental image of being crushed in the exact way he described. Her stomach tumbled and churned and she averted her gaze from the crazy triple changer.

"I don't think he's bluffing," she said to Starscream. "Crazies frighten me."

"Let's just go so you don't cause more chaos and mayhem with that big mouth of yours," Starscream rolled his optics.

Cradling her in the palm of his servo, the seeker exited the room and walked down the long corridor with the intentions to obey the orders Blitzwing relayed to him from Megatron.

(…)

"Do you have a barf bag inside of you just in case?" Liana wondered. She was still frightfully nervous of taking to the sky with Starscream.

"Would you rather be left in that mine with those wolves?" he retorted. "I can make it happen."

"Absolutely not but you didn't answer my question… Do you want me to blow chunks all over your interior? And if I do, don't say I didn't warn you."

"You wouldn't dare. I'd peel the flesh from your fragile bones if you did such a thing to me!"

Liana decided to not bicker with him anymore if he wasn't even going to answer her simple question. Again, she earnestly pleaded to God why this was happening to her. What did she ever do to deserve this?

"Alright, whatever," she said, raising her hands in a surrendering posture. "I will try my hardest to not puke. But if I do, get over it."

Starscream nodded back at her in mutual agreement. A second after he did that, he transformed into his vehicle mode. Amidst all the shifting and creaking metal, Liana found herself deposited into an empty pilot's seat. To prevent her from thrashing about or trying anything slick at all, the living jet strapped her into her seat with a seatbelt that came over her shoulders. With a firm click, she was locked into her chair.

"Oh, this is creepy," she murmured. Liana felt as if she was being lowered into a tank full of worms as if she was contestant on some outrageous reality show. "I'm just happy my stomach is empty."

"I can assure you that I'm not a dreadful flier," he said. "At least I can fly in a straight line unlike my other comrades. I promise you will have a smooth, easy ride. You were being tossed around when you got abducted, didn't you?"

"I tossed myself around. And then I blacked out."

Starscream laughed at the brisk summarization of her capture. He rose up into the air picked up speed.

The seeker lanced through the clouds before Liana could even realize it; she had miscalculated just how fast he really was. When he said it was going to be a smooth, easy ride, he meant it. Liana went slightly slack in her seat, letting her guard down and placing some of her trust in him. After all, he didn't tell any of his fellow 'Cons about her failed escape attempt mainly because he wasn't vigilant enough and had bought her ruse of using the bathroom behind a tree.

"So, where are we off to?" she asked her inorganic pilot.

"Just for some patrol and reconnaissance and nothing more," Starscream answered. "Megatron probably wants me to head out to Detroit and see if I can see what those Autobots are up to."

As soon as he told her this, Liana dared to let some hope into her heart. Somehow, she could escape from him, get a hold of the Autobots and then move on with her life. All she had to do was formulate some kind of plot that she could hatch within a half an hour or so. With how swiftly he was travelling, his patrolling duties would be done before she knew it and she'd be denied a chance at salvation. In addition to that, Liana would need to procure a plan that was not so full of holes so her chances of success could be more likely guaranteed.

"Oh, don't even think about that, you thorn," he reminded her, slicing through her meditation.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Don't take me for a fool, you ought to know better than that!"

"Do you think I'm trying to escape or something? Pssh, yeah right… You'll actually tell your scary boss the second time."

"That's right, so don't do it. If you have a brain, use it. You won't trick me either. There'll be no bathroom breaks for you this time and I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"I'm not going anywhere because I'm strapped in like a goddamn baby!" She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I pretty much accepted my fate. I'm not going anywhere and I'm stuck working for you and your whacked friends forever."

"Consider it a privilege due to the fact you live. For now, you've proven your worth to Megatron so you're safe…for now."

(…)

Liana whined in her throat when she saw Detroit below her. Her home was located in the heart of downtown and she never thought she'd miss it so much. More than anything else, she wanted to take a nap in her bed, rinse the grime and filth off her body with a hot shower, eat a good heavy meal and then watch TV. Realizing the simpler and safer things in life suddenly became so sublime and enlightening.

She slapped a hand up against the cockpit glass. The young woman bit her lower lip and began to pout a little. It was just so unfair and cruel.

"I can't get a vacation for at least a day or two?" she begged him. "Please, I'm begging you, Starscream! I want to get a shower and sleep in my bed and not some crappy crate!"

"You'll have to take that up with Megatron," he duly replied. "He's the boss… not me. You've no idea how much I'd like to be the major domo though."

"Well, go for it, I don't care."

"Easier said than done, Liana. It's not as easy as you think it is. There's a reason why he's the leader of the Decepticons and why I'm the…" The words that followed were filled with bile and bitterness. "Lowly second in command."

"Second in command ain't all that bad. I'd be happy with it if I were you. Besides, I wouldn't want to be the leader… Too much pressure and responsibility if you ask me."

Starscream decided to say no more. Just thinking about Megatron made his systems start to overheat a little. He didn't want to be thinking about him while he was on his solo flight. Anymore, he started to see this little patrol as a much desired and valued period of solitude. He took Liana with him for the stroll but in truth, he didn't mind it. As long as she didn't complain too much, he knew he could manage just fine.

"So, in other words, no?" she sighed, leaning into her seat. "No to not stopping at my place?"

"No," he confirmed. "As I said before, take it up to your glorious, omnipotent leader. I have no say in it."

"Whatever… You need to stop sounding so miserable and whiny. You sound worse than me."

She had some gall to say that to him but he brushed it off, deciding it wasn't worth it to get into another mundane and petty squabble with her.

About a minute or two passed when Liana felt him lurch or hesitate almost as if a Human was stopping in their tracks at some surprising sight. For a moment, she got a little paranoid and apprehension gripped her. She looked out the window, trying to identify why he halted. As far as Liana could tell, there was no immediate danger or anything else otherwise that would make him stop.

"What's going on?" she wondered aloud.

"Directly below us is the enemy," Starscream smirked inwardly.

"Wait, your concept of an enemy and my concept of an enemy are two different things!"

"Autobots. I can spot them all the way from up here. You can thank my sharp optics for that."

"So, what's that mean..?"

"The other drones that follow Megatron's command would report it to him and await further orders. But I am certainly no dispensable, nameless, mindless soldier. I do what I please with the enemy. Since I am feeling rather dour and mean, I'm going to drop in and extend my friendly greetings to them."

Her green eyes widened at what she thought he was hinting to. Liana's fingers gripped the side of her chair.

"Wait, you're gonna attack them?" she stammered. "With me in you? I'll get killed! I don't think Megatron would like it if you did that!"

"I promise that you will survive the ordeal," he said arrogantly. "All you just have to do is hold on for your pathetic life!"

Cackling, he dove for the oblivious Autobots thousands of feet below in the city. Liana screamed at the top of her lungs and hoped he would keep his promise.

(…)

The five Autobots were finally warned of Starscream's encroaching presence when they could see a shadow above them grow larger. They thought it was passing cloud but then that was quickly dismissed when they heard it roar which reminded them an awful lot of a jet engine. When they turned their optics up to the sky, they realized they were about to be struck at.

Starscream chuckled menacingly and shot out a volley of null rays at the friendlier Cybertronians, making them scatter and scramble to recover. He quickly pulled up before he could take a nose dive into the concrete sidewalk below. The dark pink and gray harrier jet ascended rapidly, in order to place a safe distance between himself and the Autobots. He also needed to plan another course of attack on his earthbound enemies.

"REALLY?" Liana screamed. "Do you have to act like this? I am your passenger!"

"Yes, it is all necessary," he said snidely. "As I said, they are the enemy. I know I can't kill them unless if Megatron commands it but who says I can't engage in a little play date with them?" He paused for a moment. "Also, what better way to insult them by showing you off?"

"Wait..! WHAT? Are you serious! No, I'm staying right here in my chair, restrained by the seatbelts!"

He disregarded her pleas and transformed around her. Starscream morphed in a way in which she would end up sitting in the palm of his servo, keeping her out of harm's way and displaying her smugly as he desired before the Autobots. His organic hostage curled up in his metal hand, quaking over the fact that she was hovering in the air and no longer guaranteed protection with her seatbelt.

"It is only inevitable either way," he explained to her. "They would've detected an organic signature in me."

Liana eyed the Autobots on the ground below. In all honesty, she felt like leaping out of his servo and taking a wild chance. At the time being, all that mattered was trying to escape so she wouldn't have to go back to the mine and live the rest of her life in fear and misery. She hoped one of the robots below would be able to catch her in enough time. If she died, so be it. It was a dangerous and chancy risk she was willing to take. At least she was free from being enslaved by the Decepticons for the rest of her life.

The Autobots grudgingly observed a sight that they most certainly preferred to not see. Although Starscream was hovering above them by hundreds of feet, they were pretty sure they could see the figure of an organic femme in his clawed servo. A little sneak attack from him was bad enough but to see he had a prisoner made the situation all the more delicate and intense. For a moment, the five didn't know what to do for fear of exposing the Human to harm.

"Starscream's got a Human with him!" Bumblebee squinted his optics to confirm what he was seeing really was the truth. "He's got a hostage! That dirty, no good…"

"Figures he'd do something like that just to make the day worse," Bulkhead grumbled. The hefty green Autobot turned to his leader. "Boss, what do you think we should do?"

Optimus gripped the axe in his servos more tightly. His optics narrowed and his gaze hardened on the flier. He simply just hated it when the Decepticons used hostages as leverage in any situation.

"Starscream!" he called out. "Release the Human! Don't make us utilize drastic measures to retrieve her!"

"If you want her that badly, you have to catch me," Starscream chortled. "And since you insignificant pests have such a hard time of doing that to begin with, I highly doubt that will happen, Autobots…"

Liana continued to survey the Autobots. The fall couldn't be that far. She heard miracle stories of people falling from great heights and surviving…although they were quite rare. She bit her lower lip. It was now or never. Not only that, she wondered how many other opportunities she had at escape. Jumping out of his servo would catch Starscream completely by surprise in her mind.

She stood up and had to balance herself for a moment after experiencing a bout of vertigo. The red-haired woman hesitated. Then she swallowed whatever fear she had and decided to take matters into her own hands. Starscream certainly wasn't going to make her life any easier or pleasant for that matter.

"Nice knowing you but I quit my job," she said to him, shooting a smirk at him. "I'll be sure to get the Hell out of this crazy if I live!"

Before Starscream could process what was happening, Liana jumped out of his servo. He halted for a full three seconds, disbelieving what she actually had done before his very optics. But then he quickly recovered and dove for her.

"She jumped!" Bumblebee said in an aghast tone.

"Can't say that I blame her," Ratchet added, putting a stabilizing servo forward to try to catch the organic before she could splatter onto the cement.

"Bulkhead, throw me," Prowl ordered calmly.

Bulkhead gripped Prowl, immediately knowing where this was going. He held him as if he was playing darts. The Human was falling at an alarming rate and each second was an extremely valuable commodity. Any second too late or too early could cost her life. It had to be a perfect timing with a perfect throw.

Starscream extended his digits out to catch her. He was literally inches away from her but she remained elusive by that miniscule distance. He growled gutturally and bore his fangs. Out of the corner of his optics, he could see the Autobots ready themselves to intercept Liana from him.

"Not today!" he said loudly.

"Okay, this is stupid even for me to pull," Liana silently bemoaned. "Talk about desperation."

"Now!" Prowl shouted. "Throw me now!"

Without a second to lose, Bulkhead tossed Prowl. The ninja bot outstretched his arms with the intentions to catch the organic femme and save her.

Liana saw what was happening and made eye contact with the black and gold bot. Her eyes flared and she held hope in her heart.

"CATCH ME!" she yelled to the slender Autobot.

"You belong with me!" Starscream viciously reminded her.

At last, he stretched his digits out enough where he could curl them around her and snatch her up. When he did so, he maintained an iron grip on her, not caring at all he applied a little too much pressure which made her yelp out. With his other servo, he swatted Prowl away who was only a mere few feet away from catching Liana.

"No, you asshole!" Liana cursed the seeker. "You ruined my plan! I almost got freed!"

Starscream ascended again before he could slam into the ground. He rose upwards and looked down at the Autobots. Then he turned his cold, displeased gaze towards her.

"What is wrong with your processor?" he demanded. "Were you aware of the fact you could have killed yourself?"

"Of course," Liana dourly remarked. "I wanted to escape if it was that hard for you to realize. I was willing to risk being killed in order to get away from you! I put my faith in the good robots! The one was so close to saving me too!"

"They're called Autobots…"

"Yeah, whatever, you know what I mean! Don't correct me now!"

"If Megatron found out I had lost you to them, he'd have my helm mounted on a wall!"

"I'm gonna do the same thing to you when I get back on solid ground! I am not going back to that Hell hole and living another moment there! I'm no one's music bitch!"

"Apparently, you're ours whether you like it or not. Looks like the patrolling is finished for today… It also seems like I can't take you anywhere either."

"Took you long enough to realize."

He applied pressure, making her squirm in discomfort. When he saw this, Starscream smirked grimly. He'd make her learn to not make a fool of him and not try to escape him anymore.

"Time to head back to our home sweet home," he snickered.

"NO!" she debated.

"Just keep fighting, it will do you no good."

Eager to vacate the area before the Autobots could try once more to recover Liana, he assumed his disguise. With her screaming, kicking and protesting in the pilot's seat, he managed to restrain the frothing Human. Then he flew away as quickly as possible before things could get any more out of hand.

"Oh, and I'm seriously considering telling Megatron about this little incident too," he reminded her. "You got away with murder last time because it was my careless, temporarily daft negligence that allowed you to escape. I promise you that it will never happen again."