Back again.
Thank you for your reviews :)
BreezesofSpring: Not so much butt-kicking in this chapter...but that will come later :)
Maybe I have been a bit mean to Cameron for a little while...and I've continued for a little bit in here...I'm sorry to anyone who liked Slider. Well, enjoy! I don't own Transformers...but i did find several toys from the 80's while cleaning up the playroom. I now had an original Kup and Bombshell on my shelf :)
Chapter 21
Cameron saw the world through a red haze, she breathed deeply as the last of Starscream's life energy was absorbed into her spark. Her mind felt blank, as if everything she had ever known had been wiped from her memory, her head throbbed with pain. The dark energy made her body burn with hate and anger. Cameron fought with herself to gain control over the violent force.
It was no use, Starscream's insidious energy was going to burn her body from the inside out if she didn't release his poisonous power.
Tipping her head back Cameron screamed as Starscream's energy jumped from the tips of her fingers into the ground. It crackled in the air over her head and around her body; it was almost a visible force.
As the energy faded from the air Cameron dropped her head onto her chest. She stumbled backwards as the strength drained out of her. Cameron quickly found herself leaning against something hard. Shifting her eyes to the side she saw Scorponok.
She'd deal with him when she was stronger.
"Cameron?"
Her head came up slowly, there was someone there. Someone she should know. Memories slowly leaked back into her brain. It took Cameron a couple of minutes to give the face a name. Optimus Prime.
Crouching infront of her was Optimus Prime. A sense of safety and calm spread through Cameron as she pushed away from the brown Decepticon to stumble forward into Optimus' face.
With a contented sigh Cameron embraced as much of Optimus' face as possible. His nose was under her right arm with her left hand curled on his temple, her body pressed close to his battle-mask. The light from his optics bathed Cameron in their soft blue glow. Resting her head on the smooth metal between his optics, Cameron felt her spark cleanse itself from the encounter with Starscream.
"Hello."
"Cameron, are you all right?"
"I've been better." Cameron smiled weakly. Damn it was good to be with her friends again.
Friends. Why did that word cause a niggling in the back of her mind? What was she missing? It was as if something was just beyond her grasp, teasing her like an oasis in the desert. A mirage, a hallucination.
Slider!
Cameron wrenched away from Optimus and spun on her unsteady legs. Her gaze zeroed in on Slider's crash site. The little red frame looked like a burnt pretzel. Cameron's eye's widened as she noticed Frenzy hovering over her friend. Lurching forward, Cameron ignored the pain in her body, she staggered to Slider's side. Frenzy jumped out of the way as she collapsed on her knees in the dirt. She reached for the small body, sparks of energy arched between her fingers and Slider.
"Slider?" Cameron gathered the limp metal frame close. "Slider!" The small optics remained dark.
Lowering her head Cameron gave in to her tears. Just as she had thought that she was whole again, a piece of her was extinguished. Cameron gripped the lax body to her chest and cried. Salt water stung as it ran into the cuts on her cheeks but Cameron didn't notice. Blood mixed with the tears that ran down her face and dripped onto her legs.
She was only dimly aware of the other mechs gathering around her, even the Decepticons watched as Cameron grieved for the smallest Autobot.
"Uhm…Cameron?"
Cameron held Slider tighter, unwilling to let go of her grief.
"Cameron…Cameron?" There was a light tapping on her shoulder. "You're choking me."
Rearing back slightly Cameron watched in happy amazement as two little blue lights stared up at her.
"You're alive. Slider, you're alive! Are you okay?" She shifted the little femme into her lap.
"Owie…I hurt everywhere."
Cameron searched the small group above her for a face. "Ratchet! She's alive."
The medic appeared infront of her, his face reflected both concern and relief. "Both of you are in need of medical attention. Cameron come with me, you have endured extensive damage."
Cameron shook her head. "I'll be fine in a few minutes. Slider needs you now."
Ratchet looked at her doubtfully but still took Slider out of her hands.
With Jazz's help Cameron was back on her feet. Clutching the silver hand, she looked over the three remaining Decepticons.
Scorponok was hunched, practically lying on the ground. His body language screamed surrender and begged for mercy.
Barricade watched her guardedly. His posture was stiff, but that could have been because Ironhide's pulse cannon was aimed at his head.
Frenzy, curiously, seemed to have his attention divided between Cameron and Ratchet…or at least what Ratchet had in his hands. Cameron stored that information away.
"If you haven't figured it out by now, the Allspark is a part of me. That said, I am weak and it will be you who restores my strength."
Scorponok's claw moved forward. "Not you Companion, your payment will be paid later. Barricade will donate his energy to renew me."
The mech in question looked uneasy but knelt before her. "My apologies Allspark. I did not know."
"Frenzy didn't tell you?" Cameron cast a glance at the little mech.
"He guessed, but I was not sure."
"Well you are now." Cameron placed her hand on Barricade's arm and let the energy flow through her.
Optimus Prime watched with trepidation as Cameron touched the Decepticon. He was waiting for one of the three to attack. They didn't, instead they moved aside and watched.
Prime was astonished as he observed the Allspark's power emanating from Cameron's fragile looking body.
Slowly the blood stopped running down her face, the gashes along her body became pale scars and the burns that covered most of her legs healed.
Prime felt his spark lurch with sympathy as new pink skin replaced the charred red mess. In places where Cameron's clothes had melted onto her body, the new skin caused the scraps of material to fall to her feet.
The entire process took no more than seven or eight minutes, but it felt like an age as Optimus waited for Cameron to look more like she had over a week ago.
As her body returned to it's former health, Prime knew that she would carry the scars of today forever. Everyone remembered the first time they killed.
Cameron stepped away from Barricade and thanked him. Optimus immediately moved to a more protective position; standing over Cameron.
"Let them go Optimus."
He remained silent. Letting the Decepticons go was not an option, they had to be punished for their actions.
"Optimus, they didn't hurt me."
"They didn't help you either."
"On the contrary, Scorponok and Frenzy kept me alive and Barricade brought you here." Cameron's hand landed on his foot.
Optimus heard Ironhide growling next to him. He was right. "They still have to answer for their crimes during the war."
"I agree. But killing them will not teach them a lesson. Their punishment must speak to all Decepticons."
Optimus looked down at her. What she said was true, if these Decepticons were used as an example maybe the others wouldn't be too hasty to retaliate.
"Do you have a suggestion?"
A smile climbed up Cameron's cheeks. "Their punishment will start now and continue until we are ready to leave. Then they will join us when we go to Cybertron."
"Cybertron?" Barricade breathed.
"Surely that is more of a reward than a punishment." Optimus said.
"Not at all, while we wait they will be helping the humans with whatever needs their talents."
"Helping the h-humans?" Frenzy sputtered.
"Yes, and if you're good." Cameron leaned into Frenzy. Optimus couldn't hear what she said but the reaction Frenzy gave her proved that it was of an embarrassing nature.
"I d-don't know what you're t-talking about." The silver Decepticon scurried up to Barricade's shoulder. Cameron laughed and moved back to lean against Optimus' ankle.
Optimus looked into Barricade's face. "Do you agree?"
"Do we have another option?"
"I could kill you now." Ironhide snarled, his cannons whirred dangerously.
The Decepticon was quiet for a moment. "Agreed. Whatever the humans wish." Frenzy mumbled quietly while Scorponok remained silent.
"If you break this agreement, we will destroy you." Optimus promised.
"Don't forget, I can find you. It doesn't matter where you are in the world, I can find you." Cameron taunted from the ground.
"If the humans don't want you, you'll come straight to us. Understood?"
Barricade nodded curtly before transforming and driving away.
Optimus ran a hand over his face. Had he just freed the Decepticons? He made a metal note to have Ratchet check and make sure his logic circuits were not broken.
"Good work Prime." Cameron said from his ankle.
Optimus smiled at the little human. She was the reason that the Decepticons had just disappeared over the hill. She was also the reason why they would be returning home.
Cameron felt pride fill her heart as she watched Barricade and Frenzy drive off. In his spark she had felt his anger at Starscream as well as his dream for independence. If she could manage to get him to start doing some good deeds, she might be able to make an Autobot out of him. Then again that idea was quite far-fetched.
A soft chirping sound caught her attention. Scorponok was still crouched on the ground near the barn. Jazz and Bumblebee had their weapons trained on him, Ironhide stood next to Optimus. Apparently a Companion wasn't a good enough reason to pull out his cannons.
It took only a few steps to bring Cameron face-to-face with the brown Decepticon. He shuffled nervously but remained silent.
Cameron spoke in a low voice. "Scorponok. You stabbed me; if you had punctured the other side of my body I would be dead…maybe. Do you want my forgiveness?"
The broad head bobbed up and down.
"Well then, you had better prove to me that you are capable of doing something other than killing people. I want you to go to the Autobot base and wait for me there. We'll discuss your punishment when I arrive. All right?"
He nodded again and burrowed into the ground before any of the Autobots could fire.
"Cameron? What just happened?" Bumblebee asked, pointing him gun at the ground.
Cameron smiled. "He went home."
She received strange looks from all the Autobots. Optimus was about to say something when,
"Cameron!"
She turned to see Slider limping towards her. Happiness threatened to spill out of Cameron as she ran forward and picked the little femme up. Slider leaned back in her hands.
"You look like shit."
Cameron laughed. "You're not looking too good either."
There was a small sound and Slider transformed in her hands. A picture appeared on the battered phone. Cameron stared at her face. It had dried blood in thin lines around her face; there was one across the bridge of her nose as well. Bloody tear tracks ran down her cheeks. She didn't want to think about what the rest of her looked like. Dirt covered what was left and Cameron was fairly sure that she would need to have a bath before she saw her parents again.
"Prime, how are my parents?"
"Extremely worried. We informed your father that we had located you."
Cameron smiled. "Thank you. I might need a bath before I see them."
Slider transformed again. "You might want to put some clothes on too."
Confused, Cameron looked down. Starscream's overheating body had burned away her pants; there was four inches of ragged material hanging from her waist. Her shirt had been reduced to practically nothing during Starscream's venting sessions; all that was left was the shoulder section, part of the sleeves and two buttons.
"I think you might be right." Cameron replied. She turned to the group. "So, who's my ride home?"
Did anyone really think that I had killed off Slider? I wouldn't do that...I love my phone
The ending is kinda sucky but I had some trouble writing this one...hopefully the next will be better.
Let me know what you thought? Please review.