The robot stumbled over his own wheels for the fourth time on the second day of our travel. His condition seemed to slowly worsening the more we traveled. I did feel a tiny spark of pity for him but I brushed it off quickly. Did we have choice on stopping? No. Those other robots are still on the hunt for us. We couldn't risk capture just because the bot was having trouble staying on his feet.
That thought was thrown out the window the next second.
This time though, Sunstreaker fell into a tree which easily broke under his weight. He luckily protected the already injured child in his grasp by landing on his free hand. A grunt sounded from him. The yellow tin can eased Anna onto the ground before collapsing on his side. "Sunny!" The girl limped over to his face and held his large cheeks in her hands. "Are you okay?"
If she wasn't an injured seven year old, I would have gave a sarcastic comment of his health. With her being around, I had to watch my tongue and filter my words. Younglings pick up what others say around them.
Sunstreaker didn't say anything for the longest moment and made me believe he had died. "Yes, I will be, Anna. I need to rest for a little bit," he answered and maneuvered onto his back.
This gave me an idea though. "We'll rest for the rest of the day until dawn then head out. This will give me time to gather supplies for us. Anna, you're leg needs to be cleaned thoroughly and wrapped." It was worsening the longer we traveled. "We're both in need of food and water that gives electrolytes. I'm going to head out now for a quick trip. Sunstreaker, keep the kid safe," I explained my plan and ensured the robot knew his part.
His eyes narrowed down at me but he was too weak to do anything to me. I launched myself into the air but was stopped by the girl. "Wait, Midnight! What happens if the Decepticons attack while you're gone?" She was definitely scared of those nasty robots.
"Run, run as far as your legs can take you." This just caused the fear in her eyes to tenfold. Whoops.
With that said and done, I headed off towards the buildings off in the distance. There was hopefully a chained grocery store like Yokes or Wal-Mart.
No sense of danger came to me the further I flew from the two. It had been only two days from the beginning of our long and tiring trip. Sunstreaker and I had taken small breaks along the way and had barely made it twenty miles from the abandon building. It didn't mean we were safe though. At any turn, Jasper or those Decepticons could be waiting for us.
Two days of walking was nothing though. If I calculated this right, it would take us a good twenty-eight days, at least, to reach Washington. That didn't included stops/rests or the fact I was forced to travel with a severely injured robot that could barely walk!
None of this will end well for me.
Small buildings appeared over the last tall tree and stretched over a couple miles of land. I searched from the sky for any sign of a chain store since this town was on the large side. It was bound to have some sort of grocery store.
A blue sign with the words 'Wal-mart' stuck out of the ground near an oversized brick building. Perfect. I camouflaged my scales to become invisible to these pathetic and lazy humans. My talons noiseless touched the concrete a few feet away from the entrance. People were filtering in and out of here with carts full junk food and other supplies. Disgusting.
If anyone really paid attention to the ground, they would notice the strange shadow of something humanlike but not human. To my favor, everyone was trying to get in and out without much trouble.
I swiftly trotted into the store and slipped past the large amount of people in here. Odors overwhelmed me instantly and a headache rose from it. My ability to track nearly dead scents was a curse and blessing at the same time. Like a dog, the part of my brain that controls processing of scents was huge, larger than human and just a bit bigger than a dog.
No one suspected a draconic to be wandering around in search for supplies. This trip had to be quick and simple with no complications.
The things needed consisted of: meat and lots of it, vegetables', kid clothes, maybe a blanket, and medical supplies. I first headed over to the deli side of the store and scanned over what they had.
None of it was entirely what I needed to replenish my lost energy as it had chemicals put in the animals themselves. A normal calorie intake for me is about five to six thousand a day. I choose four massive Styrofoam plates of steak and used my wings to hide them. A human glanced in my direction in confusion but brushed it off and went back to their phone. Smart.
One thing down, four more things to get.
For the vegetable's, I got some peas, broccoli, carrots, and green onions for the kid and I to share. Anna might not like it but she didn't have a choice from me. Those are health foods and will help her heal. She needed it with her leg being infected for the past two days.
Unlike me, I couldn't use the venom in my teeth to cleanse the wound. That would just cause more injury to her leg. That reminds me. The bullet holes littering my body were healing nicely with barely any sign of them. Surprising they were already healed that much due to me shifting into a giant dragon.
Back to getting supplies. Anna didn't seem too big for kid clothes and it didn't matter if it was pretty or nice looking. I grabbed a camouflaged matching shirt and pants with a thick, black jacket to keep her warm during the nights. That's the reason I wanted to get her a blanket but my time here was becoming too long.
Lastly, I rushed over to the medical side of the building and scanned through what they had. First off, one of those pads that are used to cover the wound. Second, gauze to dress the wound properly and secure the bandage into place. Last of all, antibiotic ointment to keep it clean.
With everything in hand with a little trouble, I swiftly made my way to the front doors and dropped most of it into a basket. The sudden appearance of supplies to the unsuspecting customers and employees surprised and bewildered them. I didn't pay them much attention anyhow and snatched the basket to take off.
Those scanners at the doors beeped loudly the moment I past them. I revealed myself to the humans around me as sneaking out was no longer an option. Customers scattered to get away from me barreling out of the store with a basket full. The employees gave chase but back tracked when they saw my form.
My wings pumped hard to get away from here as quick as possible. I soared higher and higher into the darkening sky and leveled out a good few thousand feet off the ground. The basket in hand disrupted the flow of wind running over my scales and slowed me down some.
I realized this was the wrong direction and turned towards where the girl and robot were. Still no sign of danger or anything amiss. At this moment, the tension should have been released in my shoulders. But with nothing wrong happening, it made me feel more unease. Were the Decepticons or Jasper tracking us? Waiting for the perfect moment to attack? Yet, we were at our weakest. They have the perfect time to attack anytime.
Most of my life consisted of fighting or fleeing or some sort of action. Yes, we were fleeing but with no threat right on our tail. It felt… peaceful, yet at the same time, dread and unease grew in my stomach.
Anxious to get back to the two, I pumped my wings harder and drew away from the reality of this calm moment. The thought of them not there caused not the kindest of ideas to spring in my mind. What was this?
When you have no connection to humanity or others, you become lonely as well. Lonely? Forcefully so.
If I didn't leave, my friends and family would be dead because of me. This war between Jasper and Aztec was far from done. Fighting over one thing: me.
Before I knew it, the location of our new temporary base came into sights. Jeez, I needed to snap out of it. They were going to leave you in the end. Her father works with the government, probably military, and the Autobot's. The government and I don't mix, just like water and oil. You could say they were almost as bad as Jasper.
Sunstreaker had moved from his previous position to rest against a strong enough tree. Anna also changed her last spot to his shoulder and had snuggled up to his exposed neck. With the sun below the horizon, she must be cold and was using him to warm up.
The sound of my nearly silent wings caught the yellow robots attention. His blue glowing eyes locked onto mine and he followed me with his gaze to the ground. The kid didn't stir from her spot and worry grew slightly inside of me. "She's not doing good. Shivering and too warm for a human," he announced.
Shivering and warm in forty degrees weather, not good. The infection in her leg must have caused her to have a fever. Her condition not good for a seven year old who was malnourished. "Let me see her. I got some supplies to wrap her leg and clean it," I ordered firmly and set down the basket to dig through it.
This is where the antibiotic ointment would come into hand and clean water. Luckily for the two of us, I can create pure water.
He picked the girl up and set her down in front of him as his range of reaching was short. I rushed over to her and immediately got to work with washing the wound out. Tiny whimpers and groan came from Anna but her body didn't let her wake. Probably for the best. She needed her rest and sleep.
The ointment would sting worse than me running fresh water on the cut. I put a decent amount of it on my fingers and eased it onto the wound. Anna's eyes snapped open as pain flooded through her. She reached to stop me from continuing but my wings pushed her back to lie flat once more. "Wait, stop! It stings," she cried clawed at my scales.
From above us, Sunstreaker went to aid his friend. "Don't, Sunstreaker. This cream is killing the bacteria and infection. It's painful, especially with an infection this bad but it has to be done. She could die if not treated," I grounded out and continued working.
Gladly, the tin can backed off and returned to his position. Smart.
After deeming the wound covered and cleaned thoroughly, I placed the gauze on it and wrapped it securely. Anna wouldn't be able to walk for awhile with her leg in that condition but tomorrow we needed to continue.
Tears poured down her cheeks. I pitied the young girl and let her go. Anna lied there, heavy breathes cause her chest to rise and fall noticeably. "Ow," she finally said and sat up. She checked over the wrap and gazed up at me. "Thank you, again."
Again with thank me. A light blush covered my cheeks. I rose to my talons and turned away to hide it from the two of them. "Anytime, kid. Now, I brought some food for us to eat. Stay here and stay off of your leg, okay?"
She giggled. "You sound like Ratchet." I raised an eyebrow in confusion at her words then strolled over to the basket overflowing with supplies.
A few things were strewn about from my frantic search. I carried the basket over to where she sat and set it down. Her eyes scanned over the supplies. "Wow, that's a lot of meat. Are those vegetables? Ew. Hey, did you get anything for Sunny?" Why would I? What would an alien need from a chain grocery store?
"No," I simply stated and pulled out all the food in there. Anna stuck her tongue out in disgust at the sight of the vegetables but realized what I had said. Her brows furrowed with hurt trickling in her eyes.
"Why didn't you get him anything?" Is that what she's really worried about? We had more pressing matters at hand.
"What do I get a giant alien robot?" The kid quieted down after my question, knowing I had a point.
Wait, doesn't the meat need to be cooked for humans? Probably. I sighed before getting to my feet and began to collect large sticks to burn. "What are you doing, Midnight?" she asked and went to stand up but the pain in her leg stopped her.
"Getting wood to burn for a fire. The steaks need to be cooked for you." I threw everything that was big enough to burn in a small pile and started up a quick fire. The flames flickered to life and ate at the wood it could.
During this entire time, Sunstreaker was keeping his mouth shut. My gaze glided over to the silent robot. His eyes were 'shut' with his arms crossed to deter anyone from approaching him. Did his kind even sleep… shut down? Whatever it's called. I could ask him in the morning. Would he tell? Probably not. He seems to be a grumpy robot that acts like he has a stick up his ass all the time.
I held the meat in the fire with the flames licking at my scales. "Midnight!" Anna gasped in shock and was frozen in her spot. Ah, yes, humans aren't fire proof, forgot about that. Her eyes bored into my arm inside of the fire and watched for anything. "You aren't getting burned. How?"
To explicate the fact my scales were fire proof, I set fire to my other arm. Amazement and wonder grew in her eyes as she stared fascinated. I blocked the energy feeding the flames and focused on cooking the meat. Anna had a giddy look on her face and bounce where she sat.
Hm. That was a first.
The steak took some time to cook until it looked to be done. I handed it over to Anna and tore open another pack for me. She stared at the meat in confusion then carefully took a bite out of it. Red liquids dripped down from it. It was blood. My mouth watered at the smell. I also tore into the meat and devoured the first of three quickly.
Anna gazed wide-eyed at me as she was only on her second bite. "How can you eat so fast?" I opened my mouth and lifted my lip slightly to show the sharp canines. My bite was definitely worse than my bark. "Wow. I've seen people have pointy teeth like that but not that pointy or long."
"I also don't think they can spit acid venom from them too." The look of fascination on her face doubled and I knew what she wanted me to do. I lazily spat at a nearby tree and listened to sizzle of the acid eating away at it. "Now, eat. You need to get to bed too so your leg can heal." Anna reluctantly followed my order and began eating her steak again.
About half an hour passed when we finished with our steak and vegetables. The kid didn't like eating the greens but I slightly forced her. It was for her health. "I also got you some clothing to replace your tattered ones." I grabbed the matching shirt and pants with the jacket and passed it to her. "If you need help, tell me. I'm going to get some more wood for the fire."
I turned to go through with my plan but Anna grabbed my tail and stopped me. "Wait, could you help me with my pants? My leg hurts to move." Jasper and the Decepticons were going to pay dearly for that they did to her, I swear on any god that will listen. I help take off the rags on her legs and replaced them with the brand new ones.
She thanked me once again, I still don't understand why, and continued on doing the rest on her own. I took this cue to leave and began gathering more wood for the fire.
To ensure everyone's safety, including the tin can, I stayed within sight of the camp. The closer I was, the quicker it would take for me to get back if something happened. I took back two arm full's of wood and set them next to the dying flames.
From her spot, Anna reached over to the pile and threw a couple of pieces in. A bright smile gracing her lips when she looked up at me. "Since I can't entirely help you, I want to at least help with something," she explained her action. I returned the gesture and patted the top of her head.
"You are helping me by getting better." I placed a hand on her forehead to check her temperature. Still too warm. That gave me an idea though. Her old clothing was useless to wear but could be used for another purpose. I thoroughly cleaned what was left of her shirt and cooled down the water particles just above freezing. "Lie down and put this on your forehead. It'll draw the heat from there."
Human mothers did this for their children, didn't they? The memories of my mother before Jasper were blurry and hid a darker meaning. Zayden did this for me though one time after my escape when an illness claimed me.
Quit it! Not the time to be remembering the past, Azar. I scoffed at myself and stood to rest off to the side. "Midnight, could you sleep next to me? It's cold." Don't fall for her cuteness. Don't fall for it. Don't.
"Sure, kid." Damn it! It's only been three days and Anna had me wrapped around her finger. I lied face down on the ground, rested my chin on my crossed arms, and draped a wing over Anna. I grabbed the frozen piece of cloth and placed it on her forehead. "Sleep tight." She snuggled up into my side and used the wing as a blanket. Damn kid.
Silence over took the two of us. Her breathing slowed down a few minutes later and she was out for the rest of the night. I scanned our surroundings once more before deeming it safe enough to drift off into sleep. This kid was going to be the death of me, I swear.