It had been a month since that terrifying ordeal with the xenomorph threat. Optimus Prime wanted to feel relieved that the xenomorph queen and her brood had left, but after they had infected Miko, he was still wary. Miko was safe after having the parasite removed from her, but things were never quite the same now.
Optimus had been looking over some reports when he heard a murmur from behind him. He turned to see Miko asleep on the couch. Jack and Raf had gone home an hour ago, but Miko wanted to stay the night. She had contacted her host parents about staying the night at a friend's house and they said it was okay. She and Bulkhead were watching monster movies before she fell asleep. Bulkhead had stayed with her before he went to go looking for more blankets for his friend.
Miko was starting to whimper in her sleep. Optimus frowned and approached. He noticed that she had been drawing before she fell asleep and saw her unfinished creation. It looked like Megatron, but there was something different about him. He had features similar to the xenomorph such as the long sharp tail and those awful inner jaws. Miko continued to whimper in her sleep before they turned to panicked cries as she awoke, screaming and clutching her chest. Tears were welling up in her eyes as she looked over at him.
"What happened, Miko?" Optimus asked as he got closer to the platform she was on. Miko let out a heavy sigh as she tried to compose herself, but it didn't look like it was working. She still clutched her chest with a pained look on her face.
"Just…Just a bad dream. Nothing t-to be worried about," she said while forcing a smile. That didn't fool Optimus.
"Miko, you are in distress. What happened?" He asked.
"I…I had a dream about the xenomorphs. They came back and they…they hurt you guys and I…I got infected again," Miko murmured while clutching her chest with a pained expression. Optimus nodded as he listened to her. He had experienced this with many autobots after battles that were more intense than others. Himself included.
"All of that is over, Miko. You are safe and these nightmares will go away with time," he said while offering his hand to her. Miko sniffled a bit and clambered onto his hand, sitting and hugging one of his fingers.
At that moment, the ground shook with heavy footsteps rapidly approaching. Optimus turned to see a panicked Bulkhead rush into the room with a bundle of blankets in his arms.
"I heard Miko scream. Is she okay?" He asked, looking from him to Miko who began to giggle.
"I'm okay, Bulk. Just a bad dream," she said. Even though she was smiling and laughing, Optimus could see the pain and fear in her eyes remain. He could only hope this was all over.
The underground of the Nemesis was too quiet as Starscream walked around. He hated this. Why did Megatron make him responsible for training his abomination of a child? Shouldn't that be Megatron's job? This was just punishment for trying to overthrow him. A cruel punishment. He hated that child and the child hated him back.
A soft hiss filled the air, making Starscream stop in his tracks. The child had made the underground her living space and it showed from all that disgusting residue coating the walls. She had been busy making it her home.
"Where are you, you disgusting wretch?" He grumbled. This training didn't feel necessary. The child was already an efficient hunter and a formidable fighter. She was lacking in certain areas. She didn't have the means to transform which irritated her and she couldn't properly handle weapons. All she could use was her brute strength.
Starscream paused when he came across a half-eaten human. She had requested that her victims were brought down here so she could properly hunt them down instead of having them caged up. He was glad he didn't have to be disturbed by the humans screams now, but there was always going to be a chance of one possibly escaping. He would probably be in charge of hunting them down which always felt like a waste of time. Spitfire would most likely get them before he could do anything.
Looking around, Starscream noticed movement ahead. He noticed the glimpse of a sharp tail and smirked as he approached. She was never that good at being stealthy
"You need to get better at stealth, brat," he said as he reached forward to grab Spitfire's tail. It fell apart under his touch and he realized it was a part of the secreted resin.
"Scrap," he growled as he tried to shake the sticky residue off. He froze when another hiss filled the air. He looked up and saw her above him, holding on to the ceiling and glaring down at him. She let go and Starscream grunted as he jumped to the side, avoiding her just in time. He turned and watched as she stood to her full height, baring her teeth. He could see the faint glow of her red eyes under her helm as she glared at him. She was determined to fight him.
"Starscream," she hissed as she lunged forward. Starscream's mind was racing as he dodged her again. How could he come out triumphant from this? He couldn't harm her or else he would get hit by her acid or worse, face Megatron's wrath for hurting his sweet child. Megatron had quickly grown attached to his child and it showed. Spitfire was often by his side, watching and learning from him. There were times when he was even gentle with her, which was always strange to come across.
Starscream decided to turn and run, hoping he could find a doorway with a control panel to close on her. He was fast, but she was quickly gaining on him. The last time he trained with her, he ended up covered in her sticky residue along with some nasty scratch wounds.
In the distance, he could see an uncovered control panel. He smiled and transformed, flying as fast as he could to it. Spitfire shrieked in frustration behind him, stomping her feet a few times before she continued to run.
"Cheater!" She cried out.
Once he was close enough, Starscream transformed again and ran for the control panel. He wanted to gloat about how superior he was with his flying, but this game wasn't over just yet. He just had to close the door and it would be over for now. He got to the control panel and pressed the button that would shut and lock the door before going to the other side just in time. The door shut behind him. An angry scream filled the air as there was a loud banging on the door.
"Maybe next time, brat," Starscream chuckled. The screams quickly died down before the door began to secrete smoke. Starscream frowned when he saw that a part of the door was melting away. She was hurting herself to get to him. That wasn't going to look good when Megatron found out and he didn't want to stick around for when she managed to melt down the door.
"You really are determined, brat," he said as he turned to go. He let out a surprised grunt when he bumped into a body. He looked up and saw Megatron looking down at him with an angry look in his optics.
"Ah! There you are, my lord. I was just finishing up my training session with Spitfire. She's getting better and better every day," he said while smiling innocently. He glanced behind and saw that the door was entirely melted away and that Spitfire was tearing into it, growling angrily.
"Is that so, Starscream? Why is my child harming herself to get to you?" Megatron questioned as he approached the doorway. Spitfire had torn a hole into it and crawled through. There was a large smoking gash in her right arm that continued to bleed onto the floor, burning holes into it. That really didn't look good on his part.
"It shows how determined she is to get to an enemy. She has been hurt many times before and she always recovered quickly. A fascinating creature, Master. Absolutely wonderful," Starscream crowed, not taking his optics off of Spitfire as she hissed at him.
"Starscream cheats," Spitfire grumbled before she nuzzled Megatron's arm. Megatron continued to glare at Starscream before petting Spitfire's helm. Starscream's optic twitched. She couldn't win every time.
"You can't expect your enemies to play fair, little one. Sometimes you need to think ahead so your enemy's next move won't surprise you. Always expect the unexpected," Megatron said, his expression softening a bit as he turned his gaze on Spitfire.
"Do you need to go to the med bay, little one?" He asked. Spitfire shook her head and gently touched her injured arm. It was no longer smoking.
"Will heal," she said, shooting Starscream an angry look. He could tell she was looking at his wings. He knew she was envious of his flying.
"Good. You're recovering much more quickly now. Let's go. Starscream will clean up your mess," Megatron said, giving Starscream a brief nod before he turned to leave. Spitfire followed close behind him, hissing and chittering to herself while still clutching her arm. Starscream watched them go, making sure they were gone before he turned to the ruined door.
"Frag that little brat," he growled, clenching his fists as he tried to figure out what to do next. There had to be some way to get rid of her. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could handle. He would need time to think things over. A truly perfect plan would come to him eventually.
Spitfire purred softly as she sat and watched Megatron work. She looked down at her arm and saw that it was now completely healed. She was getting stronger each day. She liked getting stronger. It made her and Megatron proud. Soon, she would be able to go out and fight the Autobots and explore the outside world. Megatron had told her all about them and looked forward to helping her father destroy them.
"Want to see the world, father. Want to conquer it," she said.
"Soon, little one. Once we find a new energon vein, I will send you to oversee it. Those autobots will surely come flocking to it when they discover its presence as well," Megatron replied, not looking up from his tablet that he was working on.
"Not little. Almost big as you," Spitfire spoke up while standing to her full height. She came up to his shoulder, but she wished she would grow bigger. She wanted to make him even more proud by being the most ferocious and dangerous creature on this supposedly wretched planet. No, the whole universe.
Megatron let out a soft chuckle as he pet the top of her helm again, making her hum happily in response.
"You are correct, but you'll always be little in my eyes," he crowed.
Spitfire was about to respond before she heard a cry from deep within the underground of the Nemesis. She perked up and looked in the direction of the scream. It sounded familiar.
"What is it, Spitfire?" Megatron asked.
"Pain," Spitfire replied before getting to her feet and rushing off in the direction of the sounds. It was coming from the underground of the Nemesis. A few moments passed and she came across Knockout who smiled at her as she approached. Breakdown followed close behind him.
"Ah, you already hear it. We have a wonderful treat for you waiting down below, Spitfire," he said.
"A human's about ready to pop down there," Breakdown chortled.
Spitfire didn't say anything as she rushed past him. Another scream filled the air. She had heard a similar scream from a long time ago. It was a mother's scream. She thought of her own mother for the first time in what felt like forever. The only memory she had of her was a feeling of her wonderful presence before she was born. She was so warm and so...loving.
The screams were getting closer along with some terrified voices.
"Oh god, what are we gonna do?" A woman's voice asked.
"Why here? Why now? A man's voice groaned.
"I...I don't want my baby to die here, Jeff. This can't...can't be happening," another woman's voice whimpered.
"Just try to breathe, Izzy. We'll find a way out of here. You...You and your baby will be okay," a third woman's voice said, more calm than the others.
Spitfire slowed down as she got closer. What was she even doing coming down here? What was going to happen when she found these humans? She was unsure as another scream filled the air.
"Do...Do you hear that? Something's here. We have to move Izzy," the first woman said.
"We can't. The baby's almost here," the third woman said.
"You're doing great, Izzy. You can...can do this," the man, Jeff, said.
Spitfire was silent as she listened. Her stomach grumbled a bit, making her growl. Humans were nothing but food to her, but something felt wrong about this. Something within her wanted to stop this. She was sure Megatron would disapprove of what she was thinking of doing next.
A pained howl filled the air before a tiny cry soon joined it. Spitfire clutched her chest, letting out another growl. She wasn't going to harm a mother and her child. They weren't going to die here.
"Oh...Oh god, she's perfect," Izzy whimpered.
Spitfire grunted and stepped around the corner, taking in the scene before her. A small group of battered humans surrounded a woman who laid on the ground. She was crying and clutching a tiny bundle close to her chest. Upon stepping out, they all noticed Spitfire and froze at the sight of her.
"No. Not now," Izzy murmured weakly. Spitfire looked at the other humans and growled. She wouldn't spare them.
"Mother...comes with me," she said as she approached.
"Izzy, get up now," Jeff said.
"I...I can't," Izzy replied, gazing at Spitfire with wide tear-filled eyes.
Two of the women stood up and took a defensive stance in front of the mother, glaring at her defiantly. Jeff joined them, looking absolutely terrified. Spitfire hissed and pushed them away with a single swipe of her hand, sending them flying to the other side of the chamber. She could hear the sounds of bones crunching along with pained cries, but didn't think twice about it. All that mattered was taking the mother somewhere safe.
"No! Don't touch her!" One of the women cried out. Spitfire ignored the humans pleas for mercy as she approached the mother. She was crying harder now and clutching her baby close. Spitfire let out a soft purr as she bent down and carefully scooped up the mother in her claws, careful not to harm her and her precious cargo.
"You come with me," she said before turning. The woman only looked up at her in confusion and terror. Her child continued to cry, her little hands curled up into fists.
"My husband. He has to come too," she said.
"He stays," Spitfire replied as she continued walking. She looked in the direction of the mother's husband and saw that he was knocked out, his head bleeding. The mother opened her mouth to object, but a warning growl from Spitfire silenced her.
Spitfire came across one of the main hallways and found Knockout and Breakdown waiting for her. They were laughing amongst themselves about something and stopped when they saw her. Knockout looked perplexed at the sight of her carrying the human.
"Um, what are you doing there?" Breakdown finally asked.
"Returning the mother," Spitfire replied. The mother started to say something, but she was ignored.
"Why? That's perfectly good food, Spitfire. You don't want it to go to waste," Knockout said. Spitfire grew silent and walked past them. She didn't want to waste any precious time explaining herself.
"Megatron isn't going to like that," Breakdown grumbled. Spitfire ignored what he said. It was true that her father would be furious over allowing a human to live, but she felt that he would listen to her instead of punishing her outright. She really hoped he would listen.
The mother was cooing and whispering to her baby now. She looked down at them, cocking her head as she watched how the mother was like with her child. The thought of her own mother came to her again. If only she had the chance to meet her. She wished to ask Megatron about her mother, but it was clear he wouldn't tell her anything. It had saddened her, but she knew better to keep pestering him over it.
"Where...where are you taking us?" The mother asked after a few minutes.
"Somewhere better," was all Spitfire could say. She walked past some grunts who looked at her curiously. She simply ignored them as she made her way in the direction of the chamber where ground bridge transportation took place. She was sure someone would assist her. If not, then she would make them assist her.
The mother was starting to bleed on Spitfire's hands. Spitfire groaned when the smell got to her. It smelled wonderful. Her stomach rumbled again, gaining a worried look from the mother when she began to salivate.
Spitfire could hear footsteps behind her as she came across the ground bridge chamber.
"Spitfire, I have been informed that you are sparing a human," Megatron's voice grumbled. Spitfire growled softly as she turned to face him. Megatron's angry gaze immediately went to the mother and her child. The mother shuddered and held her whimpering child close.
"I am returning mother...and child. No need for them to die. Cruel," she said, baring her teeth, daring him to try and stop her. Megatron took a step forward, making Spitfire give off a warning hiss as she held the mother closer. If she had to fight him over this, then she would do whatever it took.
"How are they any different from all the countless humans you've murdered and eaten, Spitfire? All humans are the same," Megatron said. Spitfire paused as she looked down at the mother and her child. She had killed many females before, mothers maybe, but this was different.
"She has a child. Holds true innocence. They shall live," Spitfire said while taking a step toward him. If she couldn't convince him now, then maybe begging would help. She had seen Starscream do it alot when Megatron was angry with him.
"Please, father. Just once," she said while letting out a soft whine. Megatron appeared unfazed as he looked at the mother in disgust. Spitfire groaned and slowly went to her knees, gazing up at him pitifully.
"I will allow you to return the human, but after this, I want you to kill all the humans trapped down below. I shall watch and make sure you get the job done. Once they are gone, you shall do your own hunting off the Nemesis. This will not happen again or else you will face more severe consequences," Megatron grumbled before stomping away.
"Thank you," Spitfire replied before she turned to go into the ground bridge chamber. She was sure he would unleash his fury on her later, but she didn't care. All that mattered was making sure the mother and her child were safe.
Within the chamber was a grunt who was typing away at a computer. He looked over at her and appeared surprised to see the humans she was carrying.
"Find a safe place for the humans," Spitfire ordered.
"Of...Of course, Mistress Spitfire. Any place specific?" He asked. Spitfire turned her attention to the mother who looked like she knew the answer.
"Take us to Jasper, Nevada. There's a hospital there," the mother said.
Spitfire gave the grunt a nod who went back to the computer. He then pulled a lever, activating the ground bridge. Spitfire gazed at the bridge in fascination. She would have loved to go through it to return the mother, but she was not ready for the outside world just yet. She wouldn't even know where to take the mother since she had no idea what a hospital was.
"Take the mother. Make sure she is safe," Spitfire said while approaching the grunt. The grunt appeared taken aback at the request. Spitfire showed her teeth at him, a low growl emanating from her chest. The smell of the mother's blood was making her grow more hungry and aggressive.
"Take her now," she ordered.
"As you wish, Mistress Spitfire," the grunt said before approaching and transforming into a car. Spitfire lowered the mother to the ground as the grunt opened his door for her.
"Go. Be safe," Spitfire said while helping the mother get into the car. The mother looked back at her with a smile and tear-filled eyes.
"Tha-Thank you. You're a blessing," she said before the door closed. The grunt then drove into the ground bridge, leaving her alone. Spitfire looked at her bloodied claws and brought them to her mouth, taking in the wonderful taste. It was sweeter compared to the flesh of the other humans. Spitfire growled softly as she left the ground bridge chamber and made her way back to the underground, ignoring any Decepticon she came across. She had a lot to think about after her hunt.
It wasn't long before she came across the entrance to the underground where Megatron was waiting for her. He looked over at her and frowned in disappointment.
"If you are truly a ruthless killer, then you shall hunt down and kill every human down there," he said, stepping to the side.
"I shall, father. I will not disappoint," Spitfire replied as she walked past him. Megatron followed her. She wanted to please him. Disappointing him always made her uneasy. If he wasn't happy, then she wasn't happy as well.
Moments passed before Spitfire picked up the scent. The humans were close. Spitfire hissed as she turned a corner and took in her surroundings. The humans were hiding in this chamber, but she would find them easily. She sniffed the air, growling softly when she smelled the mother's blood mixed with the scent of the other humans.
"Find them," Megatron ordered, crossing his arms as he watched on. Spitfire nodded as she went to the closest wall and began to crawl up. She would have a better chance of finding them from above. She could feel Megatron's intense gaze on her as she crawled. She paused to look around and soon spotted them. They were hiding in a shadowed area. Spitfire crawled closer and saw that the two women had injured limbs. They wouldn't get far.
"Where do we go now? Those things could be anywhere," one woman whispered.
"I don't know. All we can do is hide in the shadows and wait until the coast is clear," the second woman replied.
"That thing...it's a murderer. It killed Izzy," the man, Jeff, grumbled.
"We...We don't know that, Jeff. Try to stay calm," the second woman said.
Spitfire crawled silently until she was right above them. She looked over at Megatron and pulled back her lips in a menacing smile, making him nod in approval. Spitfire looked down at her targets, deciding on which one to pick off first.
"Jeff, your legs are fine. You go check to see if it's safe out there," the first woman said. Jeff shot the woman a dirty look before he sighed and slowly stepped out, looking around cautiously. Spitfire watched the first woman as she stepped back to hide deeper in the shadows. The second woman stayed where she was, watching Jeff walk around. Spitfire noticed that Jeff was walking in the direction where Megatron was.
Spitfire looked back at the second woman and slowly crawled closer, dead silent. She began to salivate the closer she got. The smell was much more intense now. Spitfire stopped again and snaked her arm down until her claw tips were over a foot away from the woman's neck.
A man's scream filled the air as the ground began to shake. The women gasped softly, completely unaware of Spitfire above them.
"Ripley, we gotta go," the first woman said as she turned to go to the second. She took two steps forward and froze when she spotted Spitfire. Spitfire let out an angry scream as she grabbed the second woman named Ripley, plunging her claws into her soft flesh as she jumped onto the ground. Ripley cried out in terror before Spitfire pulled her close and swallowed her whole with ease. The second woman was already running, but Spitfire was already after her. She could hear Megatron laughing somewhere as another cry filled the air.
Jeff came back running, hitting the second woman in the process and making the two of them fall to the ground.
Spitfire smiled as she crouched onto all fours, hissing softly at them. She would take her time killing these two.
Megatron walked around the corner and chuckled darkly at the sight of the humans cowering before Spitfire.
"Ah, you already caught them. Good. Kill them now," he crowed.
Spitfire nodded and circled around the humans, taking in their wonderful fear as they watched her.
"Where...Where's my wife and my baby?" Jeff demanded in a shaky voice.
"Not here," Spitfire replied as she reached out to grab him. The mother's scent was all over him, making him smell all the better.
"She should be dead, but my child works in mysterious ways," Megatron said. The man let out an almost relieved sigh at the news of his wife and child being alive still.
"As...As long as they're safe, I don't care what happens to me," Jeff said, smiling up at Spitfire sadly. Spitfire snorted in annoyance before she quickly tore his head off and finished him off. The final woman cried out as she watched in horror. Spitfire crunched on his bones, hissing in delight at the wonderful taste. The humans tasted wonderful, but she wished they were bigger and more filling.
"You're all monsters," the final human groaned as she tried to get to her feet. She whimpered as she fell again,
"You are food," Spitfire replied, inching closer to her. She could taste the fear coming off of her. The mother's scent was on her as well. She could see the blood coating her hands. Spitfire began to salivate as she grabbed the woman.
"I had always thought humans were useless, but now they have a purpose in feeding my child," Megatron crowed, smiling as he watched on.
Spitfire chittered happily as she decided how she would eat this one. She had an idea and held the woman over her open jaws, hissing softly in content when she saw the terror in the woman's eyes.
"Food," she said before letting her inner jaws shoot out and grab the woman. The woman let out a cry that was quickly cut short when the inner jaws pulled her down her throat and she shut her jaws. Spitfire purred happily as she wiped her mouth and looked over at Megatron who chuckled darkly.
"Very good, little one. You may have disappointed me before, but you have proven yourself to be an efficient killer," he said as he stepped forward to pet the top of her helm, making her purr. She was glad that he was happy with her.
"Humans shall suffer. Swallowed whole," she replied, smiling when she felt them squirm within. She could sense their dread. It would become all the more wonderful as time passed by.
"Wonderful. Perhaps I shall send you out to oversee an energon mining site. I believe that you're ready for the world," Megatron said. Spitfire chittered excitedly, eager to go out into the big world.