Me: Yes I am finally updating after… ( Eyes grow wide and blushes) Blame it on the dreaded Writer's Block. (Shoots it several rounds with a large stun gun)
Ironhide: Hey look who it is everyone!
Me: (screams and runs around trying to avoid a hug)
Kicker: (calls out) It took you long enough.
Me: (glares) Jeez, I'm sorry this took so long everybody.
Ironhide: Uhh…Dreamer!
Me: What! (Looks forward, smacks into a wall and crashes to floor)
Ironhide: Uh-oh. (looks from side to side, whistles innocently, and runs off)
Meisha: How long do you think she is going to be out?
Kicker: Hopefully long enough so she doesn't have to write this story anymore.
Meisha: (glares)
Me: (nursing nosebleed) I heard that.
Kicker and Meisha: Eeew.
Me: Yeah I know. Oh yeah and people this is a little dark and graphic and has angst just to warn you. You don't have to read it if you don't want to. Well on with the story.
Ironhide: (From safe distance) Aren't you going to hurt Kicker for what he said?
Me: Oh yeah. (glares evilly)
Nightmare Scare
Sahara cringed as she felt fresh energon ooze down her back. She could just see it now. The others yelling and growling at her; blaming her for Tana's condition.
"It's not my fault." She would plead.
"You were the one who was with her."
"What kind of excuse for a terracon are you?"
(Angry snarls and growls)
"You've let us down Sahara."
"But I…"
"Shut your trap!"
"We don't need you here."
Sahara roared at the never ceasing voices. "Shut up!"
The voices all died away. Then realizing she was alone the terracon hung her head and cried silently.
The next few moments were spent in regretting silence. Only the sound of metal clanking against stone could be heard as Sahara took her time.
Finally Sahara stopped at two titanic doors that blocked her way in. "Looks like who ever built this place wanted to keep it safe and secret." She murmured; the word 'secret' echoing throughout the hall.
She sighed and carefully slid her mother off her back and onto the side. There was no use trying to go through the doors even if the others were on the other side.
"I could try…"she started. "But…does it really matter anymore?" she asked getting rather annoyed at the echo.
Once again she stared at the large doors blocking entry. Strange markings and lines decorated the twin doors with a never ending, mind boggling maze that seemed to never end and kept the person…or mech spending hours just trying to find the handle to get in.
Sahara gave a deep sigh. She just felt tired. Tired of being responsible for everything she never believed in or never even cared about.
Taking one last glance at the doors, she carefully lied next to her mom and closed her optics hoping that sleep would give relief from the hurt.
"Maybe everything will be better by tomorrow." She thought hopefully. Then the unwanted cloud of doubt seeped into her mind making her spark wrench in pain.
"Maybe not." She sighed again and tried to fall asleep as the last repeating 'not' finally died away into oblivion.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(Few hours later)
Sahara tossed, twitched and grunted a little in her sleep from yet another nightmare.
Unknown to the sleeping terracon a pair of bright eyes kept watch over her.
(A/N Warning: Graphic coming up)
Dream
Sahara's ears pricked as she heard the all too familiar sound of fire crackling and popping.
'What the…?' she thought her optic ridges furrowing in puzzlement.
Slowly she sniffed the air, immediately opened her optics, and gagged.
"What is that…" she stopped in mid sentence as her voice caught in her throat.
"Holy Primus." Was all that escaped from her mouth.
Large flames danced on all of what remained of twisted and torn fallen structures and once living life-forms. Thick black smoke rose into the starless black abyss that surrounded the planet as the indecisive bodies of flesh and metal littered the ground.
The soil bore an eerie, unhealthy grey and the air smelled of destruction and decay.
"Wha…what happened here?" Sahara breathed. Cautiously she strode through the horrid scene. There were no sounds of life anywhere. No birds calling or crickets chirping; nothing.
Everything was dead silent except for the sound of fire licking and devouring everything that was left and unstable structures giving way and meeting their final resting places.
The sight was so terrifying it was as if you could reach out and touch death itself.
Suddenly Sahara gave a quick gasp and jumped back as a small piece of something cracked and enveloped her in a thick cloud of dust while hissing angrily at her.
The terracon coughed and waved a paw in front of her face trying to clear her vision.
As soon as she did she stopped with optics widened in fear and a high pitched scream echoed throughout the lifeless planet.
Disturbed from its place a human skull stared at the now empty spot where the terracon had once stood with empty eye sockets. Pieces of burnt skin and hair still clung to the blackened bones as its mouth held back in an endless scream.
Breathless from running and still shaking with pure terror the terracon just managed to call out to anyone who was listening…or alive for that matter.
"Okay whoever brought me here can I go back now, please!" Only the sound of fire hissing and crackling came as a reply.
"I'm going to need some serious therapy after this." She thought aloud; still shivering as the image replayed in her mind again and again.
Then the sound of approaching footsteps from behind reached her ears and the terracon switched from little scared-cat to angry bounty hunter.
"You're going to need a lot more than that once I'm done with you." A deeper voice said menacingly.
Sahara whipped around with claws unsheathed and teeth shining in the light from the fire, but stopped short and stared at the figure in front of her with a puzzled look.
The figure was tall and had on a black cloak with their face hiding in the shadows of the hood, but from what Sahara could tell he looked like he had on black armor of some sort. On the tips of his covered hands claws ripped through the armor and the figure's right hand held a black sword that resembled the Energon Saber.
"Kicker!" the terracon asked surprised but tried not to let it show.
The figure's unoccupied hand lifted and grabbed a side of the hood. "No…" The hand pulled back. "But nice try." The figure said giving an amused yet evil smile.
Sahara gawked at the figure. He looked like an older version of Kicker… yet it wasn't him.
The "clone's" helmet was gone while his dark hair was longer and a little ratted.
Gashes on parts of his black armor and the skin on his face betrayed him of being in a merciless battle of some sort.
There was a long slash mark over his left eye that started from the top of the forehead and ended at the lower part of his cheek.
The scarred eye itself looked like it had been drained of its color while the iris was of the purest white rendering the whole eye was useless, yet seemed to look straight through you; the other eye was a bright green and it mimicked its white twin on the same level.
"Who are you!" Sahara demanded.
"Now is that anyway to ask someone their name; not even a simple hello?" The Kicker clone asked in a fake nice tone.
Sahara gave a low growl as a response.
The figure scoffed. "Name's Raze."
Sahara sputtered at the name, but Raze seemed unaffected by it.
" 'Tis simply a name." he replied matter-of-factly pretending to be interested in his sharp claws.
"Yeah…now state your business, you maggot." Sahara spat rudely, but not really caring at the moment.
Looking up from his claws; Raze's upper lip curled up in a small snarl. Obviously this guy's patience was almost out.
"Impressive talk for a naïve one such as yourself." He said tightening his grip on the lethal black weapon. "Too bad they will be some of your last."
The terracon took a few steps back yet still retained her defensive mode. "When will I learn to keep my voice box turned off?" she asked quietly.
Slowly the terracon lowered herself into a pouncing position signaling she was ready to fight.
Yet surprisingly, Raze just lifted his unoccupied hand and rubbed the corners of both of his eyes as if he was tired and impatient to get his job done.
"Amateur." He murmured then lifted his hand up and snapped his fingers.
Instantly the flames smothered out on their own making the surroundings dark and even more unwelcoming than before.
Then an unknown gust of wind picked up; bellowing dust everywhere, made metal clash against metal and bones rattle against each other in a spine-chilling symphony of some sort.
Sahara quickly sat on the ground and cringed as the unnerving feeling of being watched by something unseen passed over her. Her claws sheathed and unsheathed involuntarily as her body shook furiously.
Raze laughed like a mad man at her fear as his form disappeared into the black abyss. "Please, save your childish pretend play for someone who has all the time in the world to waste."
Sahara stopped shaking and pinned her ears back in annoyance. "Oh and you don't?" she asked trying not to let her voice squeak.
"As much as I would 'love' to stick around and play pretend with you all day..." he answered sarcastically.
"I'm afraid I have a schedule to keep." Raze finished with a crazed laugh.
The terracon gave a snarl of agitation and quickly turned around again and again trying to locate the twisted character.
Then suddenly everything turned icy cold and she froze dead on the spot as she felt a clawed hand gently place itself on the back of her neck.
"How did you…" she began, but for some reason her mouth stopped moving and clamped shut on its own. Her optics grew wide as she saw ice forming around her paws; rooting her to the ground.
"This is my world you're in now and I have control of everything here." Raze whispered menacingly in her ear.
Sahara whimpered and trembled a little as she heard a series of screeches and growls erupt from the darkness.
"I don't know how or why you came here, but since you are here I guess I can let you in on some secrets."
Sahara gulped at the way he had said those words.
Giving a twisted smile, Raze lifted his hand off of the terracon's neck and held it before something unseen.
Then a dark portal opened up before the duo and revealed a blurry image of someone.
"Recognize this person." Raze asked once again placing his hand on the back of Sahara's neck.
Sahara growled in disapproval, but still tried to answer the question after stealing a nervous glance at Raze's weapon; which was slowly inching its way closer to her.
"No I don't…wait a minute…" she murmured.
The smoky image grew clearer; revealing a teenage boy lying in bed with bandages wrapped around him in various areas. Small blood stains on the bandages and smaller cuts and bruises that were still visible; told that he was in bad condition. The boy's muscles twitched in pain as his chest rose and fell and his breathing sounded raspy through the oxygen mask that helped him to breathe. Machines that were hooked to him monitored his heart rate, breathing, and other important needs.
"Kicker?" Sahara asked; shocked thinking he would've been the last person to see now.
Raze's hand flexed and dug his sharp claws into Sahara's neck making her snarl in pain.
"Correct, Sahara." He said with another crooked smile.
Sahara shifted against her restraints in vain. "How did you know my name?" she growled.
"I know a lot about you… including…" Raze paused for effect "that I have you to thank for the condition dear Kicker is in."
Sahara snarled at the twisted character as he dug his claws in her neck again.
Then a piercing scream erupted from nowhere and Sahara cried out as her audios nearly fried.
Once again she turned her attention back on the portal to see the machines screaming and flashing. Kicker's body shook violently and convulsed. Smaller wounds reopened and began to bleed a little. Sweat and tears stained the sides of his face and body as he coughed furiously through the mask. He gasped for air and gave a scream of pain; followed by another series of hoarse coughs.
Sahara's optics widened in horror as she saw blood splatter on the inside of Kicker's mask and onto his face. Then realization hit her in the gut, that Raze was killing him. "Stop! Please, stop it now!" Sahara pleaded.
It was getting too much to bear. Her hurting Kicker was one thing but letting this sick person do this to him…especially when he was already so weak…was cruelty.
"I thought you didn't care about humans Sahara." "Why the sudden change of heart?" Raze asked and let his grip on her neck relax.
Kicker stopped shaking and quickly passed out. Soon enough the blaring alarms quickly silenced themselves and everything went back to work; only this time the heart monitor beeped slower. It didn't look good for Kicker.
Sahara sighed and hung her head. "Why..." She whispered.
"When he is weak it's easier to take over his mind." Raze replied flatly.
Sahara dug at the ice with her claws.
"Why do you want to take over his mind?" she asked through gritted teeth; trying to make him just spill everything.
Raze shot her a lethal glare; making the terracon wince as the scarred eye turned her insides out.
"Are you pulling my leg or are you truly that stupid?"
"Oh yes how could I forget?" "Terracons aren't supposed to be intelligent; their just lifeless bodies of metal and clockwork." Raze spat venomously.
Sahara roared and tried to bite Raze's hand, but only succeeded in causing the growls and roars to erupt again; even louder this time.
Raze backed off and seemed at first angered by this, but his facial expression quickly changed back to calm. Too calm.
"Meaningless effort." He said and turned to walk away.
Sahara clenched her jaws tightly in anger and slowly turned her head in Raze's direction.
By some unknown power; Sahara managed to force her claws through the thick sheets of ice and break out of her prison sending shining pieces of ice hurling in various directions while leaping into the air.
"You worthless piece of…" she began.
Raze immediately turned around and with a crazed look plastered upon his face swung his weapon and connected with the terracon.
Sahara blacked out as a severe burning sensation coursed through her body and was slammed into an invisible wall.
Thunder clashed and lightning lighted the sky as rain started to pelt on everything.
Raze positioned his weapon at Sahara's spark.
Sahara awoke to the feeling of Raze's blade poking her in the chest. She looked up and noticed that his teeth had turned fang-like through his crooked smile.
"It's been nice knowing you Sahara." "Too bad your dear old mum can't see you."
The screeches and growls rose again and this time outlines of large, twisted creatures started to part from the darkness. As the swarm of creatures all came out of hiding it was obvious they were hungry for something… fresh.
"Oh well." "I guess my army will have to do." Raze said as his irises became almond shaped.
Then he raised his weapon up as another flash of lightning split the sky.
"This is just like before." Sahara murmured as she pressed herself against the wall.
The creatures all gave a series of hisses as if they were laughing.
"Just like old times, eh Sahara?" Raze declared and lunged.
Sahara jolted awake from her dream and screamed.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Me: Please don't hate me for this. (Screams and avoids getting hit by a series of weapons) Just read and review! (runs away)
