Disclaimer: I of course do not own Transformers. As for the OCs, you know who belongs to who and I promise to put you back when I'm done playing with a minimum of mental scarring.

Author's Note: Yes, Sideswipe is a sadistic, pervy letch

Ch. 10

Taken

"Enjoying the show, kitten?"

I about jumped out of my skin as Jazz sat down on the bench beside me, flashing me a perfectly white smile. His holoform looking far more clean and neat than my grubby appearance, though in my defense I shouldn't be expected to look my best while being kidnapped by aliens.

"Are you all crazy?" I asked, relieved that he only chuckled instead of taking offense.

"Crazy's just a state of mind," he replied, winking at me as Dagny and Kayleigh all but rushed out of Spencer's faces flushed. Sideswipe sauntered out after them, grinning widely and followed by a sheepish looking Bluestreak.

My eyes caught on the black bag swinging in Sideswipe's grip. "Tell me he didn't buy that thing," I pleaded, eye widening. What the hell could a giant alien robot possibly want with one of… those?

Sideswipe caught my look and his grin widened until he looked like a Cheshire cat. "I'm supposed to learn about the indigenous population," he purred, waggling his eyebrows and I struggled to remind myself that it was a holographic alien thingy and not a real guy. I had the sudden epiphany that yes, he had bought the thing and that he'd only bought it for the sole sake of using it to torment any and all humans on the base.

"Oh my God," Dagny muttered, looking anywhere but at Sideswipe. "Oh my God."

"I think it needs batteries. Any of you ladies care to show me how it works?" Sideswipe seemed to be enjoying watching us squirm.

"Ew. Just ew," Kayleigh mumbled, skirting away as Sideswipe attempted to hand her the bag.

Jazz chuckled. "Ready to head back?"

"For the love of God, yes! Sideswipe I swear to God!" Kayleigh ducked behind Dagny as he pulled his new toy out of the bag to read the back of the package. "PUT THAT THING AWAY!"

A few shoppers glanced over at the scene our little group was causing; a few teenage boys guffawing and an old man scowling in disgust. Sideswipe looked politely offended as he put it back in the bag.

I turned on my heel and started for the front door of the mall, face no doubt scarlet. I didn't even check to see if the others were following.

Out in the parking lot, we separated into the three different alien cars. It was getting dark and our breath puffed out in little clouds in the chilly air. I almost felt sorry for Kayleigh as Sideswipe's passenger side door opened and wiggled invitingly at her. No doubt, he'd torment her the whole way back. As I stood with one hand braced on the little Solstice's roof, about to climb in a thought struck me. I could run. I could duck back into the mall and hide- surely they wouldn't cause a scene and drag me out kicking a screaming? I could find a security guard and pounce on the guy and refuse to let go. This nightmare could finally be over and I could go back to-

What? What did I really have to go back to? I lived alone out in the middle of nowhere writing romance novels and amusing myself with my pitiful art skills. I'd go back to just barely making payments off the royalties of my novels and working a job I hated just to have a little extra money to live on. Sitting around that run down house, waiting for Adam to show up and pester me, because that was the only entertainment I got.

"Forget something?" Jazz asked as my fingers fisted against his roof.

"Further down the rabbit hole," I muttered more to myself than him as I slid into the seat and the door shut behind me.

I laid my head back, Jazz leaning the seat back before my fingers could find the switch. I watched the streetlights blur past, lulling me to relax. Jazz's radio flipped stations idly as he sought out something to listen to and I wondered if I'd made the right decision. I had just made my last payment, so I had a month more or less until the next payment for my house. Could I really just turn my back on my life and run off? I'd never been that adventurous of a person. I'd grown up quick taking on responsibilities and duties, childhood suppressed in favor of more practical pursuits. Books had been my one enjoyment, and it had only been natural for me to turn to writing. But this was real. A real adventure and the idea was terrifying and exciting.

I smiled slightly, suddenly determined to make the best of it.

The car that hit us came out of nowhere.

Screaming, I slammed my hands against the dash as Jazz went spinning and his tires squealed. It seemed we swung around in slow motion and there in front of us was the silver and black car illuminated in Jazz's headlights. I screamed again as Jazz suddenly threw himself in reverse with a roar of his engine. My head bounced off of the side window as he jerked himself around, peeling out. I scrabbled for the seatbelt, yelping as he dove off the road kicking up gravel and dirt as I was tossed around his interior like a doll.

The world slowed down into brilliant flashes of instances. The passenger side door swinging open and Jazz's momentum throwing me out into the grass. The piercing awareness that we were behind some buildings in an empty lot. Sideswipe and Bluestreak devolved into clips of silver and gray. Jazz transforming to slam into Sideways as he transformed. Dagny and Kayleigh running from out of nowhere, screaming.

I heaved myself onto all fours, scrambling back to keep from getting trampled as Sidesways grabbed Jazz and threw him, the smaller mech crashing into Sideswipe and sending them both into one of the buildings, brick and mortar raining down. Bluestreak had a weapon of some sort, firing wildly as Sideways charged him.

A loud shrill shriek of sound had me clapping my hands over my ears as I screamed and something massive slammed to the ground behind Bluestreak and backhanded the sniper. The new alien was the biggest by far, all sharp angles and snarling face. It hissed at Bluestreak as he stumbled into a building. Sideswipe regained his footing and charged, twin blades scything through the air and biting into the new alien's bizarre winglike panels on his back.

With an angry snarl like a furious cat, the new alien slashed claws at Sideswipe and the two crashed to the ground roaring and scrabbling to get a blow in.

Bluestreak and Jazz both charged Sideways, weapons fire heating up the air and temporarily blinding me with bright flashes. I crawled further away, trembling and tasting bile. It wasn't that I was a total coward, so much as that I didn't want to die horribly. The fighting was utter chaos to follow as I huddled partially under an abandoned car.

The new alien suddenly broke away from Sideswipe, grabbing Bluestreak from behind. It screeched at Sideways in their own language, before taking off straight up, Bluestreak yelling in the bigger alien's grasp. Sideways transformed suddenly, tearing off back out of the lot.

"Starscream!" Jazz roared, the smaller mech's dental plates gnashing.

Starscream dangled Bluestreak by an arm as the sniper thrashed in a panic. "You want this back, Auto-scum? You will tell your cowardly leader to meet me in two cycles at coordinates 64 degrees North, 165 degrees West," Starscream snarled as he turned tail and raced off.

Sideswipe and Jazz stood there in silence for a moment, before snarling at one another in their own language. I reluctantly crawled out from under my makeshift shelter, glancing around and spotting Dagny and Kayleigh warily eyeing the angry aliens. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling new bruises forming.

That thing… it'd taken the gentlest of the aliens. I swallowed compulsively, fighting down the urge to retch.