Okay, Okay, yeah I know it's been so long. Too long, so get ready for my long explanation. And my opinion on TLK. I've got 4 reasons;
So first things first; it got really hectic in 2017. School was just so overbearing with all of these things that I had to do and prepare for. So by around June, I was drained. (And still had to be in school until the 23rd, but that's a whole nother issue). Anyway, things happening with school and life just kept me busy in general and fanfiction just slipped my mind. I decided to take a short break from writing, and that break kinda extended into the summer time when my laptop just spazzed on me. (The screen is blown out) and I have still yet to get it fixed. So I've been writing on the family computer.
The second is my muse. It's not that I've given up on this story, my muse just made this chapter in particular incredibly hard to write and I do not know why. I've been writing and rewriting and editing this chapter for most of the freaking summer, and then I don't want to get all of you guy's hopes up since I haven't updated since March just to come out with something kinda short. It really made me irritated and extremely guilty because of my absence. Just know that I still love this story deeply and I still have a couple of things planned in upcoming chapters, there is still a plot and I haven't given up.
And third, is kinda the suckiest one of all. I saw TLK, and I was kinda disappointed. It wasn't a bad movie, per say, but I just felt frustrated with it because it felt like the Transformers were 2nd rate characters to their own movie. And it shouldn't be that way. I don't mind that Bay puts in new human actors to go along with the Autobots, but I do start to mind when the movie becomes too focused on them and not the Autobots. I mean, from the trailer I thought the main plot was gonna be Optimus' struggle against his loyalty to the Creators, and to his fellow Autobots. Unicron was even mentioned in the movie and I was really looking forward to seeing how they'd put it together all nicely...only to find out that 75% of the movie was about a girl who had blood ties to a knight with a special Cybertronian weapon and Cade finding love in life. Which is cool and all, but shouldn't have been the main plot. Period.
And sorry if this is sounding like a rant, but as a long-time transformer fan, I felt really dissatisfied with it. I didn't spend money to watch Cade find love, I paid to see my favorite robots on the screen. And speaking of screen time, I can't believe how little screen time the rest of the Autobots got. Of course Bumblebee was in it because well, he's Bumblebee. And of course Hot Rod and Optimus. Other than the finale I think those poor guys only had one scene and it was when they were in the junkyard. (There may have been another, but that's the only one I can remember).
Unicron didn't show up to the end, but when he did, he didn't do much so I felt like there wasn't much need to put him in the movie, unless more would be explained to his character. But Bay claimed TLK was the 'last' one so I don't really know what happened there. The way the movie left itself off had so many unanswered questions, so maybe he was just trolling us in the classic way Bay does. And if there is another movie, I sincerely hope that the Bots get more screen time in it...since you know, it's their movie. One thing I did like about the movie was it's introduction of Hot Rod, and the little butler Bot that the older fellow (Sorry, I don't remember names) was keeping around. He was funny, and in some ways saved the movie for me because his behavior reminded me of Quickshift.
But about that part with unanswered questions...If Hot Rod and Bee really were there during the time of Hitler and fought Nazis and stuff, why didn't Bee stay on earth like Hot Rod did? Why did he go back up into space, only to come back some 60 years later? Wouldn't it make more sense to stay on Earth and hunt for clues to the Allspark? Or maybe they were doing something else entirely... I think that's my biggest question because that confused me. If anyone knows, you can PM me or tell me in the reviews.
And the 4th reason is probably just a personal opinion on the matter, but does it feel like the fandom is lacking a little to you guys? It may just be me, but it feels really dry this summer and I feel like we're losing people. I dunno if it's because of the movie, or just a general loss of interest, but I really feel like we should encourage more peeps to start writing again. Like I really miss some of my favorite stories on here, which also inspire me to write. But I guess that's another reason why I was a bit wary of posting this. I don't even know if y'all are still out there anymore. And don't get me wrong, I know there's loyal transfans who's been here since day one still writing and working their hardest on this site. I applaud you guys and I wish I could keep my crap together in order to do that. But, I will try my hardest to update regularly again...if any of y'all are still out there and interested.
Okay thanks for reading this if you stuck around till the end. I know it was incredibly long but I had to be honest with you guys. Love y'all.
Chapter Forty: Biding Time
I was released from the Med Bay the next day, of course after Ratchet threatened some very dark threats if I didn't come back so that he could do his check ups on me at 1:00. The base had been so...quiet and off. It wasn't long until I realized why though. Lennox and some of the Autobots (including Sunstreaker and Sideswipe) went off on a mission last night. It ached a little on the inside that I couldn't see them again before they went off, and all I could do was hope that they were all safe. God knows I already had enough frustrations on my mind. And Quickshift...bless his spark, he tried so hard to keep me happy. He tried to keep me entertained so I wouldn't think about my family, or the Twins, or how my life was quickly falling apart before my eyes. But I just couldn't handle it right now, I needed time alone, so I slipped out of the Rec Room while he was busy talking to an Autobot named Red Alert.
I mostly walked around the halls, taking note of how quiet and empty it was. There were still people milling around and going about their normal jobs on base, but it just didn't feel the same. I eventually found my way to the courtyard, and idly watched a group of soldiers go through PT. Once they were done, they broke off, some to cool themselves down while others went back inside to the Hangar. I immediately recognized Ethan in the group of soldiers, and for a small moment, I was feeling something other than misery as I walked over to him, waving him down.
"Hey you." I joked lightly, nudging him in the soldier.
"Hey Charlie," He smiled warmly, before running his hands through his hair, which was matted with sweat.
I grinned toothily at him, "You look super gross."
He scoffed, "I feel gross, but it's whatever." He shrugged, and we walked over to the open hangar. He rolled the gray sleeves up his shirt, revealing more of his toned skin.
"Woah dude," I said, "When did you get so buff?"
Ethan rolled his eyes playfully, "Shut up Charlie."
I guess I couldn't quite call him that 'lanky boy' anymore. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't even realize Ethan had suddenly stopped in the middle of the hall, and I wasn't aware until I felt the front of my face smash into his back, with a muffled, 'oof!' before I lost my balance and nearly fell to the ground. If he hadn't caught me and pulled me back up to my feet at the last second, I would've had a nice little conversation with the floor.
He looked at me for a second, his eyes alight with amusement, "You alright, Charlie?"
"Fine." I sighed, dusting myself off, even though I didn't fall. I looked up at him, only to find him peering back at me. The previous amusement had faded into an eerie, quizzical look which I admit, had me a little on edge.
"Um...Ethan?" I asked softly.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked back.
I blinked, "What?"
"You look like you have something on your chest," He explained, "Something you haven't told your other friends yet, I'm assuming."
I resisted the urge to sigh again as I ran my fingers through my hair. Was it really that obvious that something was eating me alive? And it wasn't just the stress of my family. But who could act normal after finding out that their days on earth were numbered now? I made a deal with the devil, and now I had to pay the price. How could I explain this to Sideswipe, or Sunstreaker, or Jenna? They were already dealing with so much, and this would just be another burden they'd have to carry on themselves. Besides, if I told the twins or Quickshift, they'd try to do something to stop it. But Unicron was very clear on what he would do if I or anyone else tried to interfere.
I just shook my head, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Ethan crossed his arms, giving me a pointed look, "Try me."
I looked up at him again, and wondered if I could really trust him with this. He stared back at me, eager to listen, and I guess that's what I liked about him the most. Jenna and Sideswipe never really approved of Ethan, so I didn't really hang out with him when they were around, but I felt like I just tell him anything. Maybe it was because he was an intent listener, and the only person who really understood some of the reasons why I do the things I do on this base.
No. In the end, something in my conscious told me it probably wasn't a good idea to tell him this. Some of these issues violated the contract between the humans and the Autobots, and I didn't want to risk it.
So instead, I bit my lip and just shrugged, "Maybe another time."
Ethan looked disappointed, but thankfully didn't stress the issue anymore. I would have to keep him around a little longer before I could fully trust him. So instead, we continued our pace down the hall, "So, you wanna grab something to eat?"
I sighed, "Sorry, I can't."
He frowned softly, "Why not?"
"I have an appointment." I mumbled, with a hint of annoyance. It was almost 1:00, I don't know how time got away from me so fast.
"Well," He said, shoving his hands into his pockets, "You want me to walk you over there? The medical hall isn't very far from my dorm."
I shook my head, "Actually...it's not with a human doctor."
"Oh." Ethan's smile fell and a strange look replaced his features for a moment. It was that same look that he wore earlier while he looked at me. Personally, I don't know what he had against the Autobots, but he was nice to me and friendly so I tried to overlook that. "Well, you be careful then."
I nodded, trying to stay nonchalant, "Okay."
"See you around, Charlie." He called from over his shoulder as I watched him walk away.
I entered through the doors of the Med Bay, my eyes adjusting to the bright fluorescence of the room, before sitting down on one of the human-sized berths. Ethan's words were still swarming around in my head, and a heavy feeling settled in my chest at the thought.
"Hmm, it seems I won't have to get First Aid to hunt you down after all." Ratchet said, upon entering the room.
I looked up from my lap, "Oh, hey Ratchet."
Ratchet frowned at me, "Where have you've been? Quickshift has been going insane looking for you."
"Oh, sorry." I said, rubbing the back of my neck, "I just needed a little alone time." I'd make it up to him later. "But...don't tell him that I'm in here."
He looked at me with that steely gaze of his, before letting out another sigh and walking over to his counter full of medical equipment. I guess that meant he would uphold his end, and that made me smile a little. I sat up straighter as he walked over to me with a needle, gently sticking it into my arm before running a few scans over me. I felt the familiar tingle in my body, but didn't say a word. Instead I stared down at the pouch that was slowly filling up with my blood. It wasn't the normal crimson red blood that it should be...it was more of a burgundy with a purplish tint.
Ratchet removed the needle, and looked down at the pouch with a heavy sigh.
I cocked my head, trying to ignore the itchy sensation crawling up my arm, "It's getting worse isn't it?"
"I've never seen energon of any kind react this way to an organic species," He admitted, "I just don't know what to do, I'm trying to recall every document I can on dark energon and its effects on living things. It's different for Cybertronians, because we are made out of metal. Dark energon isn't fatal, but it does have hazardous effects on us. But for organics," He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before sighing again, "I fear for you Charlie. This dark energy is completely unstable and unpredictable, I also fear that this growing infestation will begin displaying signs that we won't be able to cover up."
"It's okay Ratchet," I nodded, "You're doing your best. No one could predict something as bizarre as this to happen."
Ratchet grunted lowly, "Still, I wish there was a way I could cure you from all this. But, from the blood tests I've ran yesterday, and a few days ago, I've come up with a substance to at least slow the process of dark energon growth contaminating your systems." He produced a small, dark vial from his lab coat pocket.
My eyes widened, and my heart momentarily leapt into my throat. I smiled, "Thank you!"
He nodded, handing me the vial. It was cool and smooth in my palms, "I've converted them into small, gelatin pills you can take. You'll only need one a day."
I nodded, standing up, "How will we know it's working?"
"I'll run another blood test, same time at the end of the week," He replied.
I started walking towards the exit, when the sound of his voice stopped me. I turned around slowly, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Remember Charlie, it is very imperative that your condition stays strictly confidential." He reminded me, a very serious look set on his face. His marine gaze felt like it was beaming into my chest, and I felt the pressure there again. Or maybe, it was his consciousness inside me.
"I know." I murmured quietly, before walking away.
I went back to my room again, checking around to make sure Quickshift or Jenna wasn't in here, before shutting the door and heading over to the bathroom. I flipped the on the light, which flickered softly before beaming brightly and gazed at myself in the mirror. My eyes widened. Ratchet was right, the signs of the infestation were becoming noticeable. I didn't know if Ratchet caught it and didn't bring it up, but I could see the slight nuance in my eye color. My eyes were a soft brown, just like my father's while Colton and my mother both shared those bright blue-green eyes. And now they were darker, shifting towards a reddish-purple color, and they were bloodshot. For a moment, they seemed to change completely, from a chocolate brown to a deep amethyst and I let out a gasp. I blinked, and my eyes were back to normal.
Quickly, I opened the vial and popped a pill in my mouth. I grimaced at the strange, acrid taste, and swallowed it quickly so it didn't dwell on my tongue too long. It didn't matter because the taste lingered anyway, and my nose crinkled in disgust before I turned on the sink water and rinsed my mouth out. After I was done, I looked back up at myself in the mirror, watching as the bloodshot veins slowly disappeared and my eyes regained their natural, soft brown color. My skin looked a little better too.
I let out a sigh of relief, and put the pills in a cabinet under the sink, before turning off the lights and walking back into the room. It was still so quiet, and the quietness compared with all the anxiousness I was feeling swirling around inside me was beginning to became maddening. I sat down on the bed, touching the soft fabric of the sheets for the first time since my last horrid nightmare. I flopped back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling with the heaviness in my chest. It wasn't as intense as it was before, I had Ratchet's pills to thank for that, but I could still sense it. What is this feeling?
I kept my gaze on the ceiling, focusing on a tiny dot on the wall. It was the only way I could keep my spinning mind at ease, and I leaned my head to the side, my eyes never leaving the dot. Wait, was that dot moving? I squinted at it, I couldn't really tell. Maybe it wasn't a dot after all, maybe it was an insect. But the dot was definitely moving, and it stretched until it was four dots, shifting and shaping into the shape of eyes. Eyes that scarred my soul. My own eyes widened in fear.
No.
"Charlie?"
"Gah!" I jolted up with a surprised squeal, looking up to see the red mini-bot standing in the threshold. I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear sheepishly, "Oh. Hey Quickshift."
"Don't 'Oh hey Quickshift' me. Where the frag have ya been? I've been rippin' and runnin' round this base like a pyscho glitch, lookin' for ya all day!" He ranted, walking into the room, shutting the door with force. I cringed at that force.
I sighed, pulling my legs up to my chest, "I know, and I'm sorry. I just really wanted to be by myself today."
His silver eyes softened, "Well, why didn't ya tell me that in the first place? I woulda left ya alone, as long as I knew ya were safe."
I rest my chin on my knee, "I know, I know. I'm really sorry, Quickshift."
"Ya know Sides called to check in on ya, right?" He said, filling the silence that momentarily settled between us.
My eyes widened, this time in shock and delight as I lifted my head, "What? He did?"
The minibot nodded.
"W-What did he say?" I can't tell if the stutter was from excitement or nervousness.
A small smile grew on his face, "The mission was a success, they got ya family back, Charlie."
Suddenly, the heavy feeling evaporated into nothing. And a joy I haven't felt for so long surged through me so quickly that I almost toppled over the bed in shock. Tears pricked the corner of my eyes, they were happy tears but I didn't want to cry. I wiped them away quickly, getting off my bed to wrap my arms around the red robot. He didn't waste anytime holding on to me. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, a happy sob escaping me. All I could think about was them, and how happy I was that they were safe again. God, I was elated, my heart felt like it was about to burst. I wanted to do a lot of things in that moment, but my body stayed rooted to the floor with Quickshift. My heard was pounding so hard I could feel it in my ears.
"When are they coming back?" I whispered.
"A couple of hours."
"Are they hurt?" I asked.
Quickshift shook his head, "Nah, ya family was fine. They were kept in-"
"No, not my family," I said, pulling back to look at him, "Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, Lennox, the rest of the people who went to save them. Are any of them hurt? Did they all make it out alright?"
He seemed surprised by my questions, but quickly nodded, "Yeah, they all made it out fine."
Now, I could truly be relieved. A sigh I didn't even realize I was holding in came out, as I rocked back onto my heels. "Thank you."
"No prob-" He cut himself off, his silver eyes looked dazed and unfocused for a moment, before he blinked again and looked up at me, "I stand corrected. They're here."
I'm glad I got this out there. Sorry for that rant-like AN at the beginning and I thank you guys 1000 times if you read the chapter! I can't beleive this fic is in the fourties now. I am always grateful for your reviews, favorites, follows, everything. And since I totally forgot to do it at the beginning, I'll add it on to the end.
So thank you as always for being the fantastic people you are; JessieBWriting, Khalthar, sakurawriter, Bee4ever, maria-ioanna984, mostly a reader fangirl99, CastielLunaWinchester, alexae15, jgoss, The Silvernote, 99luftballonsx.o.x, NovaShifter15, SolusPrimeLightblast, Guest, jojoniles, xXTheLegendXx, and another Guest!
Oh, and don't forget to encourage others! I miss being on this site and I'm trying to get back in the swing of things so I want to read some fresh new stories. If you've got any, or you know some good ones, feel free to tell me in the reviews! Byez.
