Disclaimer: Same as before! Sheesh!!
But this, I don't mind saying. THANK YOU!! (offers Lady Starscream ANOTHER cookie) (Offers her reviewers a cookie as well) Thank y'all!
In the med bay, First Aid was fussing over Alpha, who was still unconscious, but clutching the berth like a lifeline. She had pain written all over her face and body, energon was dripping out of her mouth, but it appeared to be slowing.
Hammertread appeared in the doorway silently. He just watched, waiting for them to notice him. Or for Ratchet or Wheeljack to come into the room do he could ask them if they'd suggested it to her.
Just as Hammertread thought, Ratchet stepped through. He ignored Hammertread, but noticed him, as he made his way over to Alpha. He shook her shoulder gently but when the femme didn't wake, he pulled something out of subspace and held it too her face.
Alpha shot up almost instantly. "Eck! What in the pit?!" She yelled, covering her nose.
Ratchet smirked, but put it away. He looked at her, sighed and told her the plan.
Alpha's optics got as wide as dinner plates. "...No." She said simply.
Ratchet was shocked. "He'll be out of your spark..."
Alpha glanced up at Hammertread and noticed him. She leaned down to Ratchet and whispered. "But you don't understand…" Her voice sounded different…almost afraid, "I don't want to…I don't want to be a bother." She added quickly, trying to hide her real reason.
Hammertread perked an optic ridge. He looked over at Preceptor, who was sticking his head out through the doorway. The scientist eeped and disappeared. Hammertread sighed.
Alpha glanced up at him and then down at Ratchet, who was frowning. "...What?"
He gave her a look then asked, "There's something else, isn't there?"
"..." Her gaze shifted downwards. She nodded. "...Yeah...there is..."
Ratchet raised an optic ridge, as if asking for a bit more than that. Alpha shook her head, but then eeped when the elder medic growled softly. "I'm afraid." She whispered softly, not wanting anyone to hear her answer. She looked at the ground and away from the others in the med bay. She stood.
"Where are you going?" Ratchet asked, not stepping out of her way. He frowned deeper when the femme maneuvered around his boxy white body, heading for the exit.
"For a walk."
Ratchet narrowed his optics. "You're not allowed to leave the med bay!" Not after what you did to yourself, you stupid femme! He wanted to voice, but decided not to.
"Watch me."
Alpha slid around Hammertread, avoiding his optics, and then headded down the hallway, something drawing her towards the cells. She frowned when she realized what that thing was, but kept following it. She couldn't help it...she was afraid, yes, but she had to confront the mech that made her terrified of everything. "It's stupid..." She mumbled to herself as she walked, "It's stupid that I'm afraid of...of that...I mean...I used to be the femme that would go out and take on mechs nearly twice, sometimes more, my size just to prove I could...just to prove I was tough, but...now..."
She turned a corner and sighed. "Now I'm scared of everything...now I'm weak..." Alpha glanced up at the lights and then back in front of her. She knew she shouldn't be feeling sorry for herself, but she couldn't help it. She had been hurt badly, forced to bond with someone that's only use for her was to hurt her friends...make them hate her...she closed her optics, but then opened them after a moment.
She wasn't going to take it anymore...
Alpha didn't realize she was being followed. Hammertread kept his distance, knowing there were only two corridors that led in that direction. He just shook his head. The pig-slagger's asking for more pain. He knows I won't be able to lay optics on him without inflicting damage. He thought, following her.
After a minute or so, he decided maybe it would be better to stop Alpha before either of them got there. "Alpha." He called, deep voice echoing off the metal walls.
Alpha nearly screamed when she heard Hammertread's voice coming near her. She turned on her heels a bit too quickly and ended up falling on her aft. Her emerald optics gazed up nervously and saw Hammertread's red ones; the femme let out a soft sigh. "Slaggit! You fraggin' scared me!" She mumbled, standing up. She crossed her arms, trying to look angry, but there was a bit of fear in her optics. "What do you want?" Alpha growled.
She hadn't known he had been following her, obviously, and was a bit annoyed by that fact. Not only that, but he had scared her! ...He still was scaring her. She had a feeling he wasn't going to hurt her, but she just couldn't help but be a bit nervous around him. The young pick up had heard his roar when he found out about what Orcus had did, and felt the pain he had inflicted on the psychotic werewolf, and, though she knew deep in her spark he wouldn't lay a hand on her, she was still scared that he would think that she had done it willingly and try to hurt her.
Alpha gave the empty corridor behind her a half glance.
It was that stupid werewolf's fault for making her like that...for making her paranoid. Before any of this happened, she wouldn't have been afraid to talk to Hammertread alone, but now...now she didn't even want to be in the same room with anyone alone. Even Prime.
"Where are you going?" The tank asked simply.
"None ya." Alpha mumbled, a bit angrier than she had meant it. She turned back around. "And I don't appreciate being scared, thank you very much." She started to head off.
The tank perked an optic ridge. "Now there's the femme I used to know." He muttered, still following at a distance. It didn't matter where she was going, she could lead him in circles all day for all he cared. He didn't have anything better to do. And she'd have to talk to him sooner or later.
"You know, going to confront Orcas isn't the wisest thing to do." He said after a few minutes.
Alpha froze again. She whipped around. "Why do you keep following me?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Oh how she wanted just to give him a headache at the moment! Not a big one, mind you, but one just big enough for him to get the hint and leave! Too bad the werewolf had her powers under his control... "And why do you care?"
Taking that as his cue, the tank walked up to her in a few large steps. "Why do I care?" he echoed, red optics narrowing slightly. "Because what he did was wrong. And if I didn't care I wouldn't still be here. I would have gone back to the Decepticons. Hell, I could have a long time ago. But you would have followed me. Because you used to be stronger than this. You had a fighter's spirit. The Decepticons have knocked you down more times than I know about, but I do know you've gotten back up every single time. I don't want you to give up." He turned around like he was about to leave, shaking his head.
That made a whole helluva lot of sense. He thought to himself. Not. Why can't I just say it and be done with it.
He glanced back. Because I don't want to look like a mushy idiot, that's why.
He rolled his optics. "You know." he called over his shoulder as he started to walk. "I thought you could take care of yourself." He stopped and turned around. "Although you do make for quite the damsel in distress." He flashed a smirk, but it disappeared. He slowly walked back, and looked up at the ceiling. "How do I say this?" He glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone else was coming down the hall.
"Yes I do care." he shrugged then turned quickly to walk away.
There. I said it. Whatever she does now is her choice.
Alpha had near about trembled when he had walked up to her, but had managed to control herself. As he talked, she calmed. His voice, deep and rumbling, seemed to have that effect on her. She put her hands on her hips when he told her she make a good damsel in distress and growled. "I am not a damsel in distress no matter what you say!" She yelled back once he had finished his little speech. She took a step forwards and then quickly caught up with him. "Seriously, though...you do?" She asked, looking up at him.
Hammertread had never been one to admit to anything like that; she knew that. And all she had wanted was for him to leave her alone, but...slaggit, why did he do that? Now he was confusing her...not scaring her. Arg! She scratched her head furiously. "I hate it when you try to make me feel better."
Hammertread had a confused look on his face, too. "Uh... Yeah." He shrugged. "I give up. I can't be all nicey nice and cheer people up." He shrugged. "Yes I care. Why else would I let you tag along with me back to my ship, save you from the Decepticons, save you from the Autobots..." he realized this was going nowhere and stopped. Now he was feeling really unsure. Great. Idiot. You can't be romantic so why even try? You're just going to make yourself into a bigger idiot. He thought. He looked down the hall behind Alpha towards the cells.
Alpha followed his look as he peered down the hallway, but then glanced back up at him. "'Tis impossible for you to be 'nicey nice' as you put it," She made those air quotations like he had used before, "yes, we all know that. Yetcha managed to say ya care. Hmph. Maybe Wheeljack was right..." She shrugged, "Maybe there is hope of turning into a 'mushy Autobot' yet." She grinned up at him.
"However..." She frowned and bit and punched his arm. "That was for not making sure I really was high on painkillers before going out and tryin' to cut Orcus' spark out of his chest." A slight smirk crossed her silver face.
Hammertread ignored the first comment, and instead replied with "And you still hit like a girl."
Alpha frowned, but couldn't hide her laughter for long. She put her fists up and smirked, "C'mon...say that again. I'll show you what this girl can really hit like." She joked, looking like she really was ready to fight.
Hammertread folded his arms across his chest and stuck out one elbow. "Go ahead. Free shot." He smiled at her, ruby optics twinkling.
Alpha smirked and grabbed his arm where the elbow was sticking out, somehow managing to get a good grip. She spun under him and then twisted the arm almost painfully behind his back. "Now, HT...since when have I ever fought fair?" She asked, smiling. "Hmm? You should know me better than that by now." She let go of his arm.
As soon as she let go, he turned around and grabbed her, pulling her up off of the floor, up to eye level in a bear hug-hold. "And you're shorter than I am. Let's see you get away now." He grinned.
"Why you!" Alpha tried to sound angry. "Darn us femmes for being shorter!" She grumbled, trying to squirm out of his grip. She managed to shove down the bit of fear that had bubbled up as she looked up at him. "Just wait until I get my hands on you..." She smirked softly, showing she was joking, "I'll personally rip you a new one!"
Hammertread suddenly realized anyone could walk up the hall and see them. He let go of Alpha. Even though he was strong enough to rip metal apart with his bear hands, he'd let her get him. "Just wait till she tries it again, though." He smirked.
Alpha punched his arm. "Jerk." She mumbled, looking up at him. "Say I hit like a girl and I'll make sure the next one hurts." The femme smiled softly.
So, what now? Hammertread thought. It would seem there's two things either find a way to undo the bond, or... He brought his thoughts back to the present. And what if Orcus got away again?
Alpha guessed his thoughts and looked up at him. "Uh...I'm gonna go talk to Ratch about Percy's theory...maybe it could work if me and brother did it..." She started to head back towards the med bay. "I dunno..."
Alpha was halfway down the hall when she started to feel a bit different. Her spark started to ache, but her head felt light. She stumbled and had to hold onto the wall. "Wha'...?" She managed to ask, shaking her head. "Wha's goin' on...?" The femme shook her head again as her vision blurred. Her feet slipped out from under her and she hit the ground, optics dimming.
Hammertread saw her fall and ran over to her. He picked her up gently. "Alpha? Can you hear me?"
No response.
The tank hurried towards the med bay...
YP: As usual, ya read. Now review.