I only own my OC's!
Chapters of this story will be slow in coming as of now, as I am focusing on Youngling, Abandoned, and A New Family. I've been under a lot of stress lately, meaning my health issues caused by the PTSD have reared their ugly head again. I've barely been able to work on one of the three at a time, and ideas are slow in coming. I have the basis of this story planned out, so I will post as I have chapters finished.
Superheroes!
two hours later
I glance to Bluestreak before turning to my closet of sorts, and smile when I find my old super-suit. I haven't used it in years—not since Ratchet's death—but I'm ready now, and it wouldn't do for someone to see me flying without a cape. After all, Wonder woman isn't blonde, and I don't have hawk wings.
I change into a strapless azure blue mini-dress with diamonds at the neckline and waistline with a white star and a red Autobot symbol, azure blue leggings, white ankle-length cape, white mid-thigh stiletto heeled boots, and white elbow-length gloves. I slip in my silver tiara with two S swirls and a small loop under a center star, clip on a cybertronian star-shaped pendant with the Autobot logo in relief—the star matrix—and snap on two light blue and white paracord bracelets. Finally, I slip on my azure blue domino mask with three stars above the eyes, with lenses to replace my glasses.
I leave the bathroom and spare one more glance at the thankfully still recharging mech before shifting forms and leaving a note on the datapad on the table, then grab my phone and earbuds. I set it to play the song list I save for when I'm remembering, then leave through Gipsy's bay doors rather than the front. I really don't want anyone to stop me right now. It's my first non-assisted flight in four years, and, though I'm not a seeker—and my fear of heights beside the point—I've got sky-hunger worse than any seeker I've met.
The first free-floating moment is exhilating, and I grin beside myself. I needed this.
I fly around for about a half-hour, just enjoying the free time—time on my own, without a well-meaning Praxian shadow or my two hovering Guardians and their equally well-meaning bond-mates. Truthfully, after dealing with spark-break and not having the will to do anything, then dealing with the weight of suddenly being put over the team, and needing to be a lantern again…
I glance down to my neck, and smile when I see my ring beside my ever-present locket. I thought I'd forgotten it. "Thank Primus."
I'm just glad I'm back to normal—well, a new normal.
I fly over to a roof and settle on it, just watching over the city I've recently claimed—even though I don't know their language at all.
"Is this seat taken?"
I shake my head and glance back over the ocean with my phone in a concealed pocket, and my earbuds off. I'd wanted quiet—something rare after Chicago, and especially rare after losing Ratchet. "Go ahead."
Whoever it is settles on the roof—which is at least ten stories up—beside me. "Thank you."
I glance up to respond and have to do a double-take. "Kal-El?"
"You—"
I shrug. "Duh. I'm part Cybertronian. Starlight Prime, human name Sheyenne, hero name Mariposa. I'm also a green lantern." I glance back out over the cityscape toward the harbor. "What brings you to Hong Kong? Mission, or…"
"I've been staying around the pacific rim since Aquaman mentioned—"
"The breach re-opened. Yeah. I know. I'm a Ranger. I have a jaeger—Star Warrior." I sigh heavily. "How do you do it?"
"What?"
"How do you do it? How do you deal with being the last of your kind?"
"You're not the last of your kind."
"I almost was, and it broke me, Kal. Literally. Spark-break. I lost friends before, and during, Chicago… The mech I loved… Then, my Guardian was killed by a bounty hunter… My commander left me in charge…" I look at my hands before fingering the star matrix. "Then the rescue team I was hiding with to recover sacrificed themselves. I got to them quick, but…" I sigh heavily. "The damage was done. Then the last three besides Bee and I were killed… We moved out here to the Shatterdome… We all but lost Blades… put all that together, and…" I glance back toward the bay. "This is the first time I've gotten outside the shatterdome on my own since it happened." I shrug. "Bluestreak is one protective mech, but I can't blame him."
"Wait… You lost me."
"I found out I could heal longer than Shining Star, and started reviving my family—they all raised me. I kept Ratchet's—my guardian's—spark next to my own for four years. back for two weeks. I'm the ry since Chicago—at least, that wasn't revived with their sparkling." I shrug. "Fraggin' mech hid his sparkling from us. She's healthy, thank Primus, but took us all by surprise."
"I was sent off-world when I was a baby. I grew up here."
"Ditto. At least you had a nice family. Mine verbally abused me. I ran away at fourteen and was lucky to find my real family… Only to watch most of them fall…" I laugh nervously when I realize I've just gone all Bluestreak on this superhero that, while I've liked him since I was little—like, still with Aaron little—I've just met. "I think I'm turning into Blue." I sigh at his blank look. "He was the only survivor of Praxus—a city on Cybertron. The cons leveled it—started the war, actually." I sigh heavily. "Now he talks to cover up the sounds of destruction from his memories. I know how he feels, after Chicago. That's…where we lost him… I-I saw it happen… I-I never got to tell him I loved him…"
"You got a second chance."
"One I don't plan to sacrifice. I kept telling him I wasn't ready, because we met when I was fourteen, but when I was eighteen, I was ready for a relationship. The crazy sniper left me with the humans and got himself killed. I had a nightmare about it for the first time in years last night, and got booted out of the med-bay—er, I'm a field medic—this morning because of it. Fraggin' SiC and his fragged logic!"
He sighs before turning to me. "You said you were Cybertronian, but they're robotic, and you're…"
"Don't ask me to show you mine, because it can't fly, and I'll more than likely crush this roof." I smile. "I'm a minibot, but it doesn't bother me like it did the others, back—" I groan and wipe a tear off my cheek. "Frag it! It's been nine years since she imploded, and I—"
"I understand."
I shrug. "Best guy to go to about an exploding planet is the guy who would." He gives me a look. "DC—your superhero cartoons, and Batman's, and Young Justice… Justice League…" I smile. "They kept me from having nightmares, over my birthfather's mistreatment." I rub the back of my neck. "Right… I was born human. Didn't know I was special until I was fourteen. I'm also autistic, so the combination of being strange for an unknown reason, finding out I had power—psychic at first—and being different left me to be bullied all the time. Lennox was a huge help, there." I look down. "Sorry, I talk so much… I think Blue's rubbing off on me."
"You're not any worse than Flash."
I shrug. "Still… Don't want to be as bad as Wally—or is it Barry?"
"Wally. How do you—"
"Made a point of it—I had the movies, why not memorize everything I could about you all?"
"Mari? Where are you? Why did you take off? Why—"
I can't help but laugh as I tap my comm. "Sky-hunger worse than any seeker I knew. I had to get out."
"Sky-hunger, but…"
"Give him a moment. I think he just woke up."
"Right. I forgot you could fly."
I laugh. "Want me to give you the list again?"
"I think I'm good. So, where are you?"
"Talking with Superman on top of a ten story building. Don't worry. The Last Son of Krypton—sorry about reminding you, Kal—won't hurt me."
"You're sure?"
"Blue, I've got instant healing, he's not a bad guy, he doesn't have tox-en or dark energon, I doubt he's got anything else dangerous to our kind, and he's not a terrorist. He's just like us—an alien refugee with nowhere else to go."
"He's a what?"
"Krypton—right. You never joined us for movie night because the twins didn't like you talking through the movies. Krypton blew up, Blue. Just like—"
"Cybertron. But that means—"
"All it means is that I have more than one reason to get the Alien-Autobot Cooperation Act reinstated. Them, us, and…" I turn to Superman. "I assume the Martian Manhunter is alive?" He nods. "And J'onn."
"Who?"
"He's a Martian. He's a good guy, but he's the last of his kind. It's the same with Kal-El."
"At least I've got you and Prowl to keep me from that title…"
"Blue… I know I've shown you the cartoon series I have. J'onn's got M'gann, and Kal-El's got Kon."
"And I have you."
"I have who?"
"Clone, in a series. You didn't want to accept him. Made me so mad… Then I had to face KSI cloning Bumblebee, and keep him calm while dealing with Spark-break… That wasn't easy, trust me, but I did see his side of it. I wish we could have saved them, rather than destroyed them, but Megatron's clone—king con's gone, but his chromosomes infected the lead prototype—took them over before we could. I was lucky to get Ratchet's frame." I turn back to my comm. "And Prowl. Don't forget your older brother, Big Guy."
"What's tox-en?"
"Essentially, Cybertronian Kryptonite. Not good. I can't heal it. Same symptoms, too."
He makes a face. "And dark energon?"
"Blood of Unicron. Saps my powers and weakens the others. Don't really enjoy being around either of them, but I'm stronger against it than others."
"Not right now, you aren't!"
I roll my eyes. "Hi, Dad. As I told Blue, Kal-El doesn't have any of either, so that's moot." I shake my head. "Primus. I leave the shatterdome to get some flight time, and I can't get any peace!"
"Kal-El?"
"Yeah. Last Son of Krypton? Man of Steal? Big Blue Boy Scout?" He raises an eyebrow. "Told you. DC fan."
"Thank Primus they didn't go after them too."
"Excuse me?"
"Cemetery Wind didn't—"
"Gotcha. How did you know they were alive, when I didn't?"
"We've been all over the universe, Starlight, and I was only referring to Kal-El, J'onn, and Shayera. The others are still citizens without the act in place."
"Right. I figured that out when I met him. It quadruples the weight I carry, though."
"Star—"
"No. If I'm going to stand up for one type of alien, I'm standing up for all of them, end of story. I'm a Prime, the Star Healer, and a Green Lantern. I'll be damned if they get booted out when we finally get clearance."
"We're not—"
"Clark, stop it. Race means nothing to me. You're sentient, that means you're worth my time. Same goes for J'onn, Shayera, and my own race. Besides, you need a yellow sun for your powers, Cybertronians use suns to create their fuel… we're all connected." I smile and shrug. "Freedom is everyone's right. No matter how much or how little faith I have in this war, or sometimes even the cause—" I sigh at his look. "I went to a pretty dark place when I lost Ratchet, all right?" I shake my head. "No matter how I felt, I've always believed in freedom. Optimus taught me that from day one, and I won't falter. I didn't when I felt Ratchet fading, and I won't now. I didn't when I watched Blue fall, and I won't now. I've proved my mettle—literally and physically." I look down. "But just the thought, that I could lose… My favorite superhero… Right after I lost my family, and had to save them…" I sigh and pull out my phone and earbuds before setting everything up and starting a song, then singing along. I have to check my voice, though. Singing as high as I usually do when I'm upset could hurt Kal.
Baby blue staring in the window pane
Just counting drops of rain
Wondering if she's got the guts to take it
Running down her dreams in a dirty dress,
Now her heart's a mess
Praying she will find a way to make it
So keep on climbing, though the ground might shake
Just keep on reaching though the limb might break
We've come this far, don't you be scared now
'Cause you can learn to fly on the way down
Searching for a sign in the night even like a lonely string of lights
That'll burn just long enough for you to see it
The road's been long and lonely and you feel like giving up
There's more to this than just the breath you're breathing
So keep on climbing, though the ground might shake
Just keep on reaching though the limb might break
We've come this far, don't you be scared now
'Cause you can learn to fly on the way down
On the way down
You won't forget the heavy steps it took to let it go
Close your eyes, count to ten, hold your breath and fly
Keep on climbing, though the ground might shake
Just keep on reaching though the limb might break
We've come this far, don't you be scared now
'Cause you can learn to fly on the way down
Oh, oh
Fly
Fly
"Are you okay?"
I shrug. "I will be, with time…" I smile weakly. "Now that they're all back, it's just the remnants of trauma I have to wade through. I've done that before. I'll—"
"Listen…"
I blink at him, but sigh and focus on my own super hearing as I put my headphones away. "Helicopter." I blink, then groan as it hits me. "Blades."
"What?"
"I leave the base for…" I check the time on my phone. "Half an hour, and my best friend decides he's got to come looking for me." I facepalm when I remember. "Right. I never told him I could fly. He's probably afraid I ran into a kaiju or something…" I shake my head. "Usually, I'm glad he's not as bad as he used to be in Diego Garcia. Right now, I'm just annoyed." I wave to the helicopter as he closes in on us.
"Star? How did you get up here? Who's this?"
"I can fly, first off, I just hate heights, and Superman."
"Prove it's Superman, or prove I can fly?"
"Prove you can fly. I've seen Cody's comics back in Griffin Rock."
I shrug, and close my eyes before floating off the roof. "Happy?" I turn back to Clark with a heavy sigh. "I'd better get back, just in case. We haven't had an attack in two weeks, and we can't be sure when the next one will happen."
"Want a ride?"
I shake my head. "I'll be fine so long as I don't look down."
"When did you learn to fly?" I sigh softly, and look down—fear of heights beside the point, I really don't want to tell him—not when I only tried the day after he left because I missed him. "Star? If you don't want to—"
"I-learned-the-day-after-you-left!"
"What?" He stops mid-air and turns to face me, causing me to float in place.
"I missed you, and wanted to fly away, okay!? I hadn't felt like that since I'd left home, and I didn't want to feel that way again!"
"Star…"
I fly the short distance before sitting lightly on his runners. I know better than to tell a heart-wrenching story when I'm floating. My powers are emotionally controlled, and I don't want to risk falling out of the sky. "I'd only had you guys for six months, then you were gone! Wave and the others barely know I knew you before, and I don't want Dani or Charlie knowing I learned my rescue skills from you and Aid when I was fourteen! Dani's like a sister to me, and she only knows that I've known you since I was fourteen!" I wipe tears off my face before continuing. "When I got to Griffin Rock…and I heard Dani say your name…it was all I could do to keep myself in check…" I whimper softly as I run a hand over the white frame, noticing several old scratches on his side for the first time—remnants from either his old life as our resident brawler, or the crash—I'll never know for sure, and I'd never ask him for fear I'd set him off. "I-I thought you were dead…from the bonds… I'd have given anything to see you again… any of you… even for just a day… Just one more day…"
One more day…
One more time…
One more sunset, maybe I'd be satisfied…
But then again…
I know what it would do…
We'd be wishing still for one more day with you…
I sigh heavily and run a gentle hand over the scratches, making a note of how different the paint feels, and remember belatedly that Dani gets him detailed all the time. These obviously aren't new scratches, but they're not from his battlefield escapades, either.
"Star? You're never this quiet…"
I sigh softly. "Just thinking, Blades." I rest my palm over the worst spot, wondering if Aid's noticed it yet, before smiling gently and patting his runner with my other hand. "The best thing for me…when we first met…would have been knowing who you were… We could have had eight rescue robots in Griffin Rock…I could have been the town's Paramedic…had help when you all drained your energon…"
"Wait. You lost me…"
"The Laurentian Abyss is close to Maine, and I'm the Star Healer. If you had told me, I would have asked Charlie to take us out on the Darby Eva—just you and me—and I'd have revived them then, and we'd bring them back to Griffin Rock together. They'd have worked with us—you don't know how many times Spot would have been a big help in those fires…or when you were stranded on that cliff with Cody and Dani…"
"Dani wouldn't have had to comm Chief Burns."
"Spot would have picked up your distress through the bond and came running. Wave and them would have followed, of course, because you're still their friend…"
He sighs heavily. "You were already so broken… I didn't want you to cry for me… Not when you were already crying on Heatwave." He sighs heavier. "I messed up, didn't I?"
"N… Oh, Blades… Of course you didn't, and that was very sweet of you, but…" I blink as something hits me like a ton of bricks. "No. Fraggin'. Way."
"What? What's wrong?"
"You're having ghost drifts!?"
"Drifting with ghosts?" He laughs nervously. "That's not possible… Is it?"
I laugh softly. "No, Blades. A ghost drift is sort of like a spark bond, even when they're separate—it's just muted. But when someone dies—say, Yancy…well, they were actually connected when it happened, so not the best example, but…Rals could still feel the remnants of his brother—still has his memories in his mind, can telepathically communicate with him now—even had his memories and habits—personality traits—when he was gone. When Knifehead took him…" I sigh heavily. "When Knifehead killed Yancy, he was helpless, but Gipsy came alive and helped him defeat the kaiju. When he and Mako drifted for the first time, they both went out of phase: Rals because of ghost drifts with Yancy…Mako because her family was killed by Onibaba… I've seen it, Blades. I've seen her past, and I've seen Raleigh's, because she was his drift partner at the end of the Kaiju war." I shake my head. "I was the one who helped Raleigh pull himself out of the rut he'd fallen into after Yancy died. I was here, in Hong Kong, at the Shatterdome, when Gipsy was blown up in the breach. I knew she was sentient, Blades. Their drifts were strong enough to bring their jaeger to life, and they killed her like she was nothing—they didn't even know she was alive…"
"Calm down, Star. You're getting yourself worked up…"
I can't help but roll my eyes. "I'm aware of that, Blades." I sigh heavily. "Now Mako and I have it, too—so strong I wonder if it's like what you have…and I'm scared to lose her, after watching you… I mean, I'm Cybertronian, but my spark can't take another loss, and… I'm just not as strong as you are. I may have proved my mettle, but…" I sigh heavily. Cover: blown. "When our bonds broke… You turned into me, and I turned into you…"
"You what?!"
"After the Xanthium was destroyed… Uncle 'Jack killed… 'Hide killed… My twins killed… Blue was killed… I wanted their heads, and I wanted to do it. Optimus killed Sentinel… Sam killed Starscream—he, er, blew up the Xanthium—I wanted Barricade and Soundwave, but the other Rangers got to them while I was focused on making sure Bee was okay… They—they almost killed him too…" I sigh softly. "You already know I wanted to kill Lockdown… But it took seeing how pathetic he was, and then meeting Rals and Gips, and seeing them for what it all was really worth, for me to realize—I wasn't going to solve anything with more senseless killing."
"That's when you came to Griffin Rock?"
I nod. "That's when I went to Griffin Rock." I rub the back of my neck with the hand that had been on his runner. The scratches offer a great hand-hold. "Well, after my term ended, six months later. I was their field medic."
He sighs softly. "If Lockdown came back…"
I scowl. "I'd slag him upon sight, so he wouldn't kill my family…" I sigh softly. "But only to keep my family safe. I've learned a lot since Griffin Rock, Blades. Most important: family is everything, so do everything you can to keep them safe. But also: don't jump into anything without a plan—sometimes more than one. Things can go south in seconds, and reckless slaughter of the enemy only ends in injury, and someday, death." I shrug. "Actually…I learned the last part watching Defensor…"
"You mean watching me?"
I nod sheepishly. "From all the time I had to sit and reminisce in the bunker…all those nights when I could hear Chicago in my mind… The regret over not striking the night before—all those lives are on my hands… The regret over being too scared to do my job—because I hid, 'Jack and Blue died, and Bee almost did… The regret over not being in DC—Hide and my twins needed me, and I wasn't there… The regret that Lockdown only came around because I didn't do anything the night before—Sides, Sunny, Raj, Topspin, Leadfoot… Daddy…" This time, I can't hold back, and start sobbing harshly. I'm still just as upset about losing him as I was the day I found Blades, even though Ratchet's back now.
Blades sighs and opens his canopy. "Get in."
"Blades…"
"I can't transform up here, and you're carrying. Get inside before you fall." I huff before climbing in, then curl up into a ball on his seat. "Shoe…oh, what the frag does it matter. Dani can deal with roof muck for one day." I shake my head and pull off my boots before putting my feet on the seat and my arms around my legs. "You're still…"
"It takes time to heal, even when they're revived. I know you know that."
"I know. I didn't realize you'd just been hiding your pain…" He sighs heavily. "I almost died six weeks ago, and you…"
"I would have gotten through it…"
"Not when Heatwave and I had been the ones to put you back together. You said it before… That if I'd died, then we'd lose Heatwave, and if he died, we'd lose you…"
"Humans are resilient, Blades. We're tougher than we look—even when we're broken…"
He sighs, and thinks over my words. "Primus…you had a good reason for wanting to kill Lockdown…"
"He killed my Daddy…"
"And most of the remaining Autobots, if I—"
His comm comes to life with the sound of Heatwave's voice. I sit up straight and put my feet on the ground, just in case he can see me from the little screen in Blades. "Blades, where the frag are you? I thought you were with Hot Spot!"
"He took off halfway through our training session. I've never known him to run from a fight, simulated or not…"
Blades sighs heavily. "I'm with Starlight. She disappeared on everyone half an hour ago. Aid mentioned not seeing her today, and I got worried."
I pat the console lightly. "I needed to fly, Blades. Fear of heights or not, I needed to fly."
"Sky hunger?"
I giggle. "Worse than a seeker!"
"I've got her now, and we're on our way back."
"Just so everyone's okay."
"I will be, and Blades is fine."
"Star…" Heatwave sighs. "Blades, what happened?"
"Star got a little upset over the past. I handled it." He turns to me. "So, what were you saying about ghost drifts?"
I rub the back of my neck. "Um…" I think back for a moment. "Oh!" I grin. "I said it was sweet of you to hold back your pain to try and protect me, but then I remembered Aid always did that—held back his pain, physical or mental, to protect the rest of you. His calm was your savior in the battlefield." I smirk. "You're Mr. Genre Savvy when we're on a spooky case, and have your moments at other times, too… like in that story Heatwave told…with the Energon Eater…where you could tell there was something out there…but that could be trauma, too. You did survive a fiery crash, after all…"
"Streets…"
I shrug. "You're really energetic when you get excited about something."
"Hot Spot…"
"Duh…"
Blades scoffs lightly. "You had your moments once you started to recover back on Griffin Rock, and you were like that all the time on Diego Garcia. I was glad Hot Spot was there to help."
"Autistic and ADHD. No meds in Diego Garcia."
"Meds?"
"For the ADHD. I wouldn't have taken them anyway, they're street drugs and I'm not that kind of girl." I sigh softly. "Your mind wanders sometimes, too…like Groove's did…"
"Yours does too, you know."
"Well duh." I giggle. "That's because of the ADHD." I blink. "Thanks, Blades…"
"What did I do?"
"You cheered me up… When you showed up, I'd been about to cry over losing Clark because of the government trashing the Alien/Autobot Cooperation Act…then Daddy…" I sigh heavily before rubbing the back of my neck. Even if it's rude, I'm asking. "What's with that scratch on your side?"
"Scratch?"
I nod. "The one on your side, with the different paint… It was jagged enough for me to hold onto it, but it's not new… I'd remember if it was…"
He sighs heavily. "I was badly damaged when the Alpha crashed…not even Ratchet could fix everything…"
"Oh, Blades…"
"I've been able to keep it from Dani, and Ratchet's offered to replace the armor plate before, but…" He sighs softly. "It reminds me to never again take things for granted. I won't have Dani or Cody forever, and I've already lost my brothers once. Even though you gave me a second chance with them…"
"It's a good idea, Blades… But… I can heal that… If Aid finds out you've been hiding an old injury…"
"What about—"
I sigh softly. "When I was ten, I lost my grandmother and started getting verbally abused. I learned that lesson then. I haven't needed anything to remind me, because it's been pounded into my head every time I've been yelled at, or gotten punished for being myself. Even after I found the Autobots, life didn't let me forget. I lost you guys six months in… then the others, one by one… then Daddy and Optimus… I knew you guys wouldn't last forever, but I had hoped you'd live longer than that." I shrug. "So when I found you again—when I knew I'd found you—and…while I promised I wouldn't tell, I had to so I wouldn't lose you again, because I wasn't taking you surviving for granted. And because I care, just as much as Aid does… Don't use an injury as a reminder. Trust me, it sucks to have one."
"Your foot, right?"
"Yep! It reminds me of the abuse, every time I take a step. You don't need to be reminded of the Alpha, Blades, and you have your brothers. You're not taking them, or life, for granted."
"Fine. You win." He looks around to realize we're still hovering in one place in the sky. "Not here, though…"
I glance down through the glass on the floor. "Hell no! Let's get home first." I actually see the Shatterdome as home now…wow.
We quickly start for home. "You're sure I didn't screw up?"
"Positive." I pat the console. "You did what you thought was best at the time, and their back now no matter how you look at it."
