Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership of the Transformer franchise. The only thing I own is the plot and my OCs.
Summary: A devastating past leaves Callie Andrews with one choice: to trust robotic aliens from a distant world. Trust, even when the world is collapsing around them and a mysterious weapon rises to the surface, is harder than ever. Or so it seems.
Rated: M (violence, language, sexual content, and the occasional horror)
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A Leap of Faith
Chapter 1
The different colors of red, yellow, and orange slowly disappeared within the horizon as dark storm clouds slowly approached across the black sea, the smell of rain upon the warm breeze that drifted over the empty beaches and up the high cliffs. A single vehicle drove down the black highway, the sides and top removed as mid-length brown hair blew against the wind. One hand gripped the steering wheel tightly as she reached for the gearshift, switching it harshly before pressing her foot against the pedal. The landscape flying quickly by just as the rough sea waves crashed against sharp rocks.
Callie Andrews grabbed the manual brake, pulling it hard as she turned the wheel. The old Jeep spun before stopping, grass and dirt flying behind. Releasing her tight grip upon the wheel, the young woman leaned her forward against the rough padding. She gritted her teeth sharply before slamming her hands against the steering wheel. Breathing deeply, she removed the seatbelt and stepped out the vehicle before walking to the cliff's edge.
The young woman stood standing near the edge of the cliff; the beach below empty with waves crashing against its sandy shore. Her hands moved to grip her uppers arms as she held them across her body. Her dark emerald eyes stared out watching as the storm rolled in, lightening dancing within the dark clouds followed by the distant echo of thunder. Her brown waves blew down and across her back from the humid sea breeze as she slowly blinked, her eyes raising high into the sky watching as a pair of seagulls cawed as they flew out towards the horizon before dropping them down to white seafoam that danced against the grains of sand, pushing and pulling it back out to sea.
Three months have changed for Callie, but it wasn't that those three months were the only times that have changed her. Her arms fell to her side. She traced her emerald eyes along the skin seeing the multiple scars that danced inside near the crease of her elbow. Her body shivered remembering how each injection burned within her skin, how she cried out for the giant monsters to stop and let her go.
Dropping down into a crouch, she wrapped her arms around her knees. She never knew the world housed strange alien type creatures; creatures that were not flesh but made of metal. A night returning home late caused her life to be shattered. Dungeon walls with thin bars planted its mark within her mind, reminding her of the screams, the damp floors, and glowing red eyes.
Callie closed her eyes, tears pricking and burning as they slowly ran down her cheek. She along with four other women were tortured upon before slowly she was the only remaining one. Eventually, those metallic giants turned upon her, leaving her empty and broken. It was by some struck of luck that an experiment went wrong allowing her to escape and finally receive the warmth of safety, or so she thought.
Callie stared at the dirt, the sound of thunder echoing upon the horizon as the storm rolled in. She felt as the wind began to blow stronger as her hair danced across her shoulder, pieces flickering against her cheek. She heard in the distance the sound of a unique diesel engine. Standing with her back straight, she curled her hands and glanced over her shoulder.
The young woman watched in the distance as a custom flaming red and blue Peterbilt rolled down the highway, stopping upon the high hill, the beams from the headlights dancing across the black, deserted highway. Her emerald eyes narrowed. Never alone, never far. It seemed even if she was free, someone was always watching her.
Taking a step back, the young woman watched as the large semi rolled back, another vehicle cresting and rolling down the hill. The dark green SUV pulled to a stop next to the old Jeep. The door popped up and black boots hit the dirt grown. Major William Lennox's hand gripped the frame of the Hummer as he stared out towards the black sea.
"Callie, we can't keep doing this," spoke the older gentleman. He closed the door to the vehicle and approached the young woman. Callie crossed her arms, her head canting to the side.
"I shouldn't need to report everything I do," retorted the young woman, her emerald eyes dropping into slits. She wasn't one to hold such a bitter tone, but after her past six years of being held captured by Decepticons, her trust was one thing she had lost no matter what the species was.
Lennox sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, "I know, but even being this far out isn't safe. You should have told someone."
"Why is he here?" Callie nodded to the silent Peterbilt, its blue and red colors reflecting as lightening traced across the sky.
"He worries, you should know that by now."
Callie turned away and walked towards the edge of the cliff. Her eyes dropped down, trailing against the jagged terrain that led to the rough sea splashing against the sharp rocks. Lifting her head, she stared out at the sea before taking a deep breath. Callie turned around and marched back to the old Jeep. She jumped in and turned the key, the old vehicle rumbling to life.
Her hand grabbed the gearshift, shifting the vehicle into drive. "You can tell him that I want nothing to do with them, and he can leave me the hell alone."
Callie pressed the pedal down and drove back to the highway. The speed jumped to sixty miles per hour as she drove head on. The Peterbilt stood idling, the lights bright. Callie shifted again, the vehicle jumping another ten miles. Right before both collided, Callie pulled harshly on the manual brake. The vehicle stopped, the nose barely touching the grille of the large, big rig.
Callie stood, her hands gripping the frame of the Jeep and yelled bitterly, "Leave me alone. I want nothing to do with you or your kind."
Sitting back down, the woman drove around the huge vehicle, the taillights of the old Jeep being the only light remaining.
William Lennox sighed as he watched the Jeep disappear down the hill. The Peterbilt turned its engine and rolled to the side of the Hummer. Lennox watched as the huge vehicle broke apart before a twenty-eight-foot Cybertronian stood in its spot.
"I don't know what we are going to do with her, Prime," spoke the Major as he stood leaning against the Hummer. Thunder echoed closer to the shore. The breeze no longer warm as the storm continued to make its approach. "I haven't had a chance to take her to see Ratchet yet regarding the metal we found near her. Plus, each nightmare, she is found with another piece."
The Autobot commander walked towards the edge of the cliff, his metallic colors of red and blue reflecting against the setting sun as it disappeared behind the dark storm clouds. "The young femme will come to realize we mean no harm," spoke the deep baritone of the commander, his blue optics gazing down at the rolling waves. "What happen to her was a tragedy. While Megatron is known for his tyranny, experimenting on humans is far beyond him. No, he is planning something."
"I wouldn't worry, Optimus," spoke Lennox as he stared at the empty road and then back at the commander. The Prime of Cybertron turned to look over his metal shoulder. "We will make sure to be ready for whatever Megatron throws our way."
Optimus cycled deeply. "As much as I hate to admit, it would be easy if it was my Autobots he was after, but I fear that might not be the case." Prime cycled deeply before turning to stare out towards the incoming storm. "No, it is you humans I fear for, especially the young femme and the results of Shockwave's experiments."
Optimus raised his servo to rest over his chassis. He felt both the Matrix of Leadership and his spark pulse against his metal frame. So much has changed that not knowing exactly what Megatron was planning bothered him. The results from finding the Matrix still laid heavy upon his processor that to know humans were now part of something made Prime wish that this war was over once and for all.
"Tomorrow, I will make sure Callie sees Ratchet," stated Lennox snapping Prime from his thoughts. "We need to know everything about her, and he is the only bot who might have the answers," he continued, his voice full of determination.
The Major walked back to his vehicle. The lights of the Hummer clicked on before the Autobot commander watched the vehicle disappear in the distance. Lightening began flickering stronger while wind whipped around the metallic giant. Optimus' optics glowed a bright blue as thunder echoed, the last of the evening sunset disappearing.
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Emerald eyes rolled under closed eyelids. Fear raced through skin soaked in sweat. Hands reached above, fingers tightening against metal. Smooth sheets laid where steel bars once stood. Callie's hands fell hard against the bed, her eyes shot wide open, her body sitting straight up as her breathing came out in deep pants, a scream echoing from her rosy lips.
An older woman crashed through the door and ran to Callie's side, her hands wrapping around the shoulders of the young woman. Callie fell against her, sobs wrecking her body. Emma shushed the young woman, rocking her as she cried. It wasn't uncommon for the young woman to wake up in the middle of the night, tears streaming down her face.
Emma saw from the side as the Major stood peeking through the door, his head held low. He grabbed the door handle and pulled it closed before walking down the wide hallway, exiting out the double glass door.
The Autobot commander stood leaning against the metal building, his arms crossed over his massive chest. Lennox sighed before slowly walking across the black tarmac towards the Autobot's hangar. Prime disappeared inside for a second before returning, a purple cube clasped inside his hand. He dropped down to sit upon the ground, his mass releasing a loud hiss.
Lennox watched as Optimus sipped from the cube before disappearing into the hangar next to the Autobots. He returned with a bottle and glass, joining the commander upon the ground. He poured himself a drink and drain the contents in one swallow.
"She woke again, another nightmare," started Lennox, his eyes dropping down to glass within his hand. "Callie did the same thing as the previous time."
Optimus' optics dropped to the Major before lifting to stare across the tarmac, "Ratchet has looked over the other metal pieces that were given to him. Once she is seen by him, we will figure out what to do next."
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The morning sun peaked in through the blinds sending a bright ray of sunlight onto a young woman's face. Callie rolled, putting her hand to her face. Unfortunately, she couldn't escape and finally sighed deeply before sitting up and swinging her legs over to the side.
Emma laughed as she stopped by the young woman, "The bright sun is a rude awakening, isn't it?"
Callie groaned as she stood, stretching her arms above her head, "It's not that. I just wish these nightmares would stay away."
"Eventually, they will," responded the older woman. When Callie arrived on base three months ago, she had a rude awakening within the medical bay. Huge metal robots stood before her. Major William Lennox and Lieutenant Emma Kane were the first two humans she saw. Emma took her in, allowing her to share rooms with her. It took time for the young woman to realize that she was on a military base and there was a different between the titans that violated her to the remaining ones working with the military.
Callie shrugged before grabbing her clothing and walking towards the co-ed bathroom. She took one of the farther stalls and quickly took a quick shower before dressing. Emma was waiting outside when Callie returned, a small towel in hand as she dried her hair.
"What is your opinion on moving off base?" asked Callie, her hand dropping the towels in a basket near the bathroom door.
Emma walked with Callie out of the human housing quarters, the morning sun bright and warm against them, the smell of the storm lingering within the light breeze. "I don't know if that would be a good idea. Plus, you would need to talk with Lennox regarding that."
"Yeah, I know," responded Callie. Emma and she began the small track across the long black runway towards one of the hangars where most of the meetings, instructions, and other discussions happened.
Major Lennox stood upon a metal catwalk almost twenty-five feet in the air. The Autobot commander, Optimus Prime, stood before him, both deep in a conversation. Usually, the discussion revolved around the plans for the day, the jobs soldiers would be doing, and what the commander wanted the Autobots to accomplish.
Callie and Emma stood towards the back wall of the hangar. Callie watched the Autobot commander. She knew he was a fierce leader and a dedicated soldier to his cause and his people. Since their arrival, Prime has dedicated his time and resources to hunting Decepticons and their leader. It caused a chill to run through Callie's body, reminding her exactly what she went through prior to arriving and why she wanted nothing to do with them.
"I forgot to tell you," spoke the Lieutenant snapping Callie from her thoughts. "Ratchet has requested that you visit him before you do anything else, and this time you are not getting out of it. He really needs to see you."
"Why is everyone pushing me towards him?" complained the young woman. She eyed the remaining Autobots within the hangar. A black mech by the name of Ironhide stood to the left of Prime. Ratchet was the Autobot medic. Since her arrival, everyone has been trying to push her towards him.
"Callie, for once just listen," retorted the older woman. Emma knew that Callie didn't like to be near the Autobots. She doesn't blame the young woman, but with what Emma saw each morning and reported to Lennox, seeing Ratchet might actually give them some idea on what happened to Callie.
Callie sighed deeply before turning towards her friend. "Will you come with me?" She finally asked with an edge to her voice as she looked over at her friend.
Emma shook her head, her long blonde hair wrapped in a tight braid, flapping over her shoulder. "Wish I could, but I am already late for my shift."
Callie watched as Emma waved to her before the older woman took off running out of the hangar. With a deep sigh, Callie started her march towards the Autobot's hangar, nerves racking through her body. She heard footprints behind her and turned. Major Lennox ran to her side, his hands dropping over his knees as he tried to gather his breath.
"I see Lieutenant Kane finally got you to go. I also figured you might need someone with you," breathed out Lennox as he stood up and arched his back. Sweat ran down his forehead which he used one of his hands to wipe away. "Ready?"
Callie shrugged, "As much as I will be."
Lennox laughed as he pressed a button for a large door within the Autobot's hangar to retract and open. The place where the Autobot's resided hid within the mountains that the small military base sat occupying next to. Built within the mountains allowed the Autobots the freedom to remain in bipedal form and stay hidden from both human and enemy eyes.
Callie walked with Lennox down the dark hallway before stopping before a large metal door. He pressed a button watching as the light switched from red to green, the door rising open. The Autobot's medbay contained a huge metal bed known as a berth. Long metal tables sat around the berth which held different tools all within the size that these metallic titans would use. There were even some datapads which contained information regarding everything on the base, all written within the Autobot's language.
The greenish yellow Autobot that Callie had seen the first time had his back towards both her and Lennox. He was holding a datapad in his hand, his metallic digits roaming across the screen, strange letterings rolling across it. When Callie arrived on base almost three months ago, she was introduced to all the terms regarding the Autobots such as digits for fingers, optics for eyes, pedes for feet, and much more. She even learned that most of the Autobots were classified as mech or male. There were some femmes or female Autobots, but they were few. While the terms did interest her, she didn't want to have a reason on knowing them. All she wanted was an easy escape, somewhere far from all metallic giants.
Ratchet sat the datapad upon the huge metal table before turning towards Lennox and Callie. "Hello Major Lennox, Callie," spoke the medic, his voice holding a metallic sound within it.
"Heya Ratchet," called out Lennox. He waved to the Autobot medic before pushing Callie forward. "Prime wanted you to check her out especially after another one was found." Major Lennox reached into his pocket and pulled out a small square piece of dark gray metal.
Callie looked at the Major, watching as he placed the metal piece into Ratchet's outstretch servo or hand. "What is that?"
"This is Cybertronian metal," responded Ratchet as he twisted the metal between his two digits. "In another word, this is our living metal, and it was made by you, Callie."
"How is that possible?" asked Callie. She moved to press her back against the hangar's wall, watching as Ratchet moved around the medical bay grabbing certain tools, her eyes wide with fear.
Ratchet stopped before the metal sheet, a few tools in his hands. He bent over the sheet and started looking through a small scope almost the size of a human. He made strange humming sounds as he dropped a certain liquid upon it. Callie recognized one of them as the same liquid that was forcefully injected into her body. When she first saw it, Lennox quickly explained that it was energon, the life blood of all Cybertronians. Eventually, Ratchet stopped and sat the tools down before turning towards Lennox and Callie.
"There is no mistake," commented Ratchet as he narrowed his optics. "Callie created Cybertronian metal using some of earth's alloy. This is not an ability humans should have. We need to speak to Prime about it."
Ratchet dropped down, laying his silver servo flat upon the ground. "What are you doing?" asked Callie as she pressed harder against the wall, her eyes drifting from the hand before her and the eyes of the Autobot.
"We are going to speak with Optimus," stated Ratchet in a matter-of-fact tone. "It is faster if I carry you."
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a/n: Well, here we go. Finally the round with the OC from my oneshots. This story doesn't follow anything related to the movies or even the oneshots. It is bayverse-centric without it being bayverse-centric if that makes any sense. Prepare for the long hall. Unlike my previous story, there are different twists but a slow burn regarding the pairings. Welcome aboard the train for I am sure this journey is going to be quite interesting.
Some chapters will be marked with three ***. This is my warning that the chapter might be a trigger or contain horror images. Please be warned when reading those chapters.
Remember, reviews, likes, kudos, and such fuel a writer, but they also let us know that you are enjoying the story. Till the next chapter! ~MM
