Disclaimer- Transformers and all recognizable characters are property of Hasbro. As in I don't own them. All plots and original characters are property of me, myself, and the people in my head. We don't let other people use them because it's not cool. So don't steal them, because you really don't want to piss us off.
Title- Immorality of Morals
Author- MooMoo-Sama
Rating- T
Summary- It had been a slim chance. A slim chance that she would find him, a slim chance that he wouldn't kill her, a slim chance that they'd become friends, and a slim chance for survival. But how can you choose what's right or wrong in a war that you shouldn't be in? Meet her dilemma.
Author Notes- Oh, ye of little faith. I have to say I'm disappointed in my reviewers. Did you all really think I'd make Vanessa into a Sue? That makes me really sad guys. There is a method to my madness you know, and I do everything, and I mean everything, on purpose. These past few chapters have been so full of foreshadowing and hints to the past and future and character construction that I don't know what else to do with the lot of you.
-sigh- Well, I hope I haven't lost readers because they're impatient. Again, thank you to anyone who did review. I love criticism, and I accept it with open arms. You might want to read this chapter slowly though, because like before there are many many hints among the words. Enjoy this installment, and leave a review!
Immorality of Morals
Chapter 5
The dawn was mild and stunning all at the same time. The sun crept slowly upward, leaking tendrils of light onto the mountains, and valleys, and fields that covered Earth. So slowly was the light crawling into the sky that from her position she could actually see the shadow left from the night, breaking apart in the wake of the day star.
Vanessa stood on her patio pajama clad. She'd woken early, as she had the rest of the week, enough to catch the sunrise as it bled over Tranquility Valley. Today was Saturday though, so she didn't have to cut her appreciation short to get ready for the day. The air around her was chilled still, the trees looking foreboding without the light to shine through their branches. Birds had begun their call with the sun, and Vanessa smiled as she turned to go back inside.
Not ten minutes later she was out the front door. Cool air filled her lungs, sending a shiver though her body. She wore her usual running gear, shorts and a tank, and a water bottle clutched in her hand. Clipping her phone to her side, she started on a the path she'd discovered previously.
The week had flown by in a blur of activity. She received no hero's welcome if word got around about what had happened on the track. The looks she got continued to be odd, though those alone were happening less and less as time was passing. It appeared the curiosity of having a new person was fading already. Part of her was glad for it, whilst another part of her craved it.
After having the lime light for so long, it was like she was blind without it. What did normal teenagers do? She had the school thing down, but it didn't seem to be working correctly. The bid for normalcy that her father had made for her was no more forthcoming as a regular teenager then it was as a track star. Be it her mentality, her appearance, or her interests she was different from them.
Then there was the subject of Mission City. That alone was frustrating enough to giver her a freaking aneurism. When questioning the few people she knew, she received mixed answers. Most knew the tales, but had no first hand accounts of the action. Be it a military weapon gone wrong, to a terrorist attack, and even as far as giant alien robots. Then, they all pointed her in one direction. Samuel Witwicky.
How ironic.
She'd brought the subject up as lightly as she knew how. In retrospect, that probably wasn't the best method. Her version of 'lightly' was vastly different then others. But the rumors she'd wrestled from her peers said that he was in Mission City on the day of the destruction. Then there was his car, that she'd never seen, that he apparently received from the government because his original was confiscated 'or something'.
Vanessa had stuck with Sam all week. Since they were on the same route they sat together on the bus. During lunch she was invited to join Sam and his friend Miles, and any classes she had with either boy they generally stuck together. The two were good company, she had decided, and funny as all hell to boot. Apparently outcasts in the high school society though.
Not surprising, she doubted Sam's wit and Miles sheer..originality was not often appreciated. That meant that they were quite alone in the crowds, and that she was a welcome new addition. Still, she wouldn't claim to know Sam very well, so she wasn't exactly sure what his reactions to her questions had meant.
He'd looked shocked when she brought up the subject on the bus, that was for sure. He didn't stutter really, just claimed he'd been in his car which was confiscated by some militant guy because there was an attack going on. He didn't know weather it was terrorists or a weapon gone wrong, but he followed the crowd and ran when things started exploding. Later, because his old car was apparently destroyed, he received a new one.
Vanessa could only accept the story and move on. His story was like many others that she'd heard, so it wasn't completely unheard of. Maybe the oddest thing was that it was an expensive car. Then again, from what Vanessa had heard about Mrs. Witwicky, she doubted a free car was the least of the military woes when it came to that particular family.
'Still' she thought to herself 'I feel like he left something out..'
Stumbling slightly over the path, she refocused with a grunt. She'd simply ask him again on Monday.
Jogging at a steady pace, she found herself emerged in the surrounding forest. The path, despite being overgrown, was wide. Roots and rocks lay like mines though, and several times she had to swerve to the side or hop over said obstacles.
'How did I even make it up here before?' she thought, dodging around a particularly large log that lay in her path.
The sun peeked through the branches of the trees, not quite high enough in the sky to seep through the gap left in the canopy. The dappled glow lit the path on which she traveled. Dark mixed with light, sometimes leaving the runner in a path of complete shadow or in brilliant rays of sun. Still, the in-between was what she preferred. Flecks of light darted all around her, bringing a mesh quality to her path. Some were larger then others, warming her skin as rapidly as she moved. Yet the dominance was shadow, cool and peaceful.
Vanessa smiled softly, eyes focused on her path but mind carried away peacefully. Ahead of her, the tunnel of trees was reaching its' end, light shining as a welcoming beacon. With a soft laugh, Fast-forward leapt forward in a sprint, smiling carefree. Gone were all the traces of stress, or thought, or being any where or anything more then she was at that moment.
She burst into the abandoned cemetery, a red streaked blur amongst the green scape. Twirling, she launched herself with the momentum of her run into the tall grass. The sunlight was blinding but welcome, and the absolute silence shattered to her laughter. On her back, staring up into the sky, Fast-forward could breathe and be. Just be.
Panting dying down, the rise and fall of the teens chest began to even out. Thoughts began to drift lazily back into her mind, and a vibration at her hip had her reaching for her cell phone. Vanessa sat up slowly, languidly. The grass kept her submerged though, so she stared into the stalks as she flicked her cell open.
A text message was on her screen, a reminder from Alyssa to call her mother. Rolling her eyes, Vanessa picked herself up from the ground, closing the cell with a flick of her wrist. Obnoxious. Stretching, she replaced the phone to the clip at her side. After a brief search through the grass she located the water bottle.
The runner sipped slowly, inspecting the area thoroughly before she moved towards one of the graves. Crouching, she ran a hand over the tombstone gently. The name and dates were long since faded from the surface, the stone smooth to the touch from weathering. This was a forgotten place without a doubt.
Yet the knowledge that someone was here, someone once remembered, left an air of reverence. Not over the single grave though, but throughout all the graveyard. Who were these people? Were they brothers and sisters? Husband and wife? Was there a murderer and victim laying side by side, under her very living feet? Who was left to remember what bodies were buried, entombed by those who had long since passed themselves. In ten years, would anyone else find this place? A descendant? Would anyone care?
The teen ran her hand over the stones as she passed, stopping once in awhile to try and make out the writing. The sun was climbing higher in the sky as she worked her way though the clearing. It was near it's highest point that she stumbled across the path, heat beating down on her neck as she looked curiously at a large opening. Shadowed by trees, it was surprisingly clean and clear. As she set foot, the soft tap she was awarded had her looking down. Cobblestones. With a soft 'hmm' she continued on curiously.
This path, like the other that she frequented, was steep - leading further up the mountain. Rather then the general straight of the other though, it curved sharply around massive boulders that had stood since the beginning of time. Rather then destroy them, they were accommodated for, leaving the steep serpent of a path a mystery of turns and bends. Every time Vanessa assumed it ended, there was another length of cobble to traverse.
"Well, I'd always wanted my own yellow-brick-road." she mused to herself, stopping to rest her straining legs.
She'd been walking for a decent amount of time, and a quick glance at her phone told her it was nearly two o' clock. Eyebrows raised in surprise, she promised herself only a little while longer before turning back.
She continued her walk, intent on the next bend in the path as her final marker for the day. As she reached it, though, Vanessa stopped short. Buildings, a dozen or so, lined the path ahead of her. They were hunched, like brooding sentries, all facing the road. The wood they were made from was old and warped, drained by the passage of time till it looked as if it shouldn't be standing. The buildings were side-by-side, some creating little alleys between them, but most pressed wall to wall.
The only road in sight was the path that the teen stood on. It went straight through the heart of the little village, continuing onward as it wound up the mountain and disappeared around another bend. A sign marked the entrance to the abandoned place.
'Tranquility City Goldmines'.
Vanessa walked forward, eyes wind and inspecting. So this was the start of Tranquility. Shop fronts with faded advertisements, windows powdered with age. She half expected to see a saloon with swinging doors. The massive shop of the blacksmith stood next door to a general store, looking for all the world like a picture from a ghost town. Trees bordered the village as if the houses were squeezed in a clearing, branches clawing over the roofs as if trying to destroy the buildings that encroached upon their space.
As she reached the end of the villages' single street, another path came to her attention. This wasn't cobbled, as if it wasn't supposed to be noticed. But the wear of footsteps had carved it none the less. Immortalized in the dust were the tracks of hoof and foot alike, leading up through the trees. Vanessa stood, a curiosity building in her mind. To the left, and onwards to where she was sure the abandoned mines lay? Or to the right, where a path that shouldn't exist lead to the unknown?
Pssh. Like there was any contest.
With a grin, Vanessa began to jog up the dusty path, adding her own footprints to the others. She glanced at her half full bottle of water, judging it enough to last her the rest of the jog back down the mountain. This path, much like the others, was slightly over crowded by the vegetation. That didn't much matter though, because her destination was creeping up on her faster then she thought it would.
The building was absolutely massive. Barely covered in height by the trees, there was a slight perimeter of grass around it. Like the town, the wood was old and warped, but more sturdily built then the other structures. The hoof prints that she'd barely noted before were more frequent here, and as the building became more clear it snapped into place in her mind.
A barn.
A really, really big barn.
Prints of all shapes and sizes were before her, and as she looked she noticed something odd. Massive scrapes disturbed the prints, the ground torn and rugged. Vanessa's eyes trailed the marks, the scrapes leading back off the path and into the surrounding forest. The teen walked forward, crouching down at one of the marks, when the sun emerged strongly from behind the clouds. The heat beat down against the young woman's neck and shoulders, and reflected off of something in the darkness.
Jerking to her feet, Vanessa's head snapped towards the yawning opening of the barn. At first, she couldn't see anything in the brightness of the light, but the sun began to recede behind the clouds again and she saw it. It was a massive something tucked far in the back of the barn. She stepped towards the entrance, faintly noting that the scrapes on the earth led into the barn as well.
The silhouette didn't move as the teen entered. The sun had dazzled her eyes, and now in the shadow her senses seemed to be moving sluggishly to adjust. When they finally did, Vanessa had the common decency to fall flat on her rear.
"Holy shit!" she gasped before clamping a hand over her mouth.
But the figured didn't stir at the noise, as a matter of a fact it looked like it hadn't moved in quite awhile. It was huge, lain pressed against the straw the covered the floor like a forgotten toy. Eyes wide, her brain seemed to be moving double time and not at all. The shape, she realized, was humanoid. Legs spread wide, it's right arm crossed over what looked like it's stomach and the left was splayed at an odd angle across the ground.
Slowly, Vanessa struggled to her feet. She stepped closer, small details coming in clearly to her mind. What had seemed like a vaguely humanoid shape had turned into a very humanoid shape. After the limbs, she could see the defined build of a chest, and shoulders and hips. The left arm, upon closer inspection, seemed partly melted at the bend, thin strips of metal connecting it, many of the tubes that lay underneath torn and broken.
Plates of black and white metal, looking far too similar to armor, covered most of it's body. It was dirty, scrapes and dents covering the body. Caked dirt soiled it, and straw from the floor of the barn stuck to it's unmoving frame.
Again she stepped closer, for the first time in awhile completely dumbfound and awestruck and any other synonym that went with it. She could actually feel her legs shaking, adrenaline running unbidden through her veins. Her body was practically screaming 'run!' but her mind over rode the impulses.
Fear crept up her spine, and her breath came in pants. Still she moved forward. This was the unknown, this is what everyone looked for. It was frightening, it was strange, it was absolutely alien in every way possible and something was telling her that this was not safe. She had no right to be here. This was far bigger then she could handle, even someone like herself. Someone who said she could handle anything.
Yet still she kept on.
Vanessa was wide eyed, eyes trailing the figure before her. Several times she glanced back towards the entrance, her bodies bid for freedom, and winced slightly as if in preparation to run. Blood pounding in her ears, she was close enough to touch it without any idea how she'd gotten so close. The shape of a head peaked over the shoulders, and even with her height she craned to try and locate the eyes she knew were there.
The teen stood at its' right elbow. Slowly she stepped backwards, looking closely as her hand ghosted over its' arm. This was one of them, she knew it. This was the reason Mission City was destroyed. To hell with asking Sam anything. Curiosity warred with a trickle of fear, looking at the being beneath her hands. Her eyes flicked up to the head, searching for the eyes one last time, before gently touching her palm to the metal plating.
Then it all went to hell.
He'd been deep in recharge when he felt it. The damage on his leg was extensive, but not irreversible, and all his concentration had been focused towards getting the limb working. So focused that not even his sensors picked up when something entered the area. Only when the pressure on his functioning arm came to his awareness to did he come to attention.
Red optics blared to life. He looked down at the presence at his side. A human. A human dared to touch him. Pressing its' filthy digits against him. Like LadiesMan217, so full of his limited intelligence to touch his hood. His processor flashed back to that, the hunt for Allspark. How he'd had the human that destroyed it right in his grasp, and those fool Autobots had helped him.
Helped him at every turn, and now it was lost.
How dare this creature, this filth, deign to be in his presence? It which represented everything he hated, all humans and earth alike. Was it here as a scout? A spy to destroy him? Wrath, pure undiluted, blinding in every way. He could taste it, feel it, burning through his systems almost painfully.
The beast looked up at him as he moved for the first time in joors. Wide eyed, it let out a terrified squeal turning and breaking for the entrance. It was graceless, legs falling away beneath as it tried to move against the dead stalks on the floor. Snarling, he swept outwards with his right hand as it tried to regain it's feet. A satisfying thud met his auditory receptors, a cry of pain, as the human flew through the air and slammed against the wall of his shelter. Moving slower then he would have liked, Barricade tested his legs as the ape moaned in the corner.
When it began to move, all she'd seen were red eyes. The fear that had beat softly in the background of her mind hit an amazing staccato, matching her heart with every pulse. Finally, her mind agreed with her body that it was time to go, and at the sight of the head turning and those eyes. Blood red and full of hate, hate that she'd never seen in her life. Hate directed at her.
Legs moving double time, she turned. But she only made it a few paces. The straw covering the floor provided no grip, and she slid banging her exposed knees. Panic, absolute panic was singing in her mind and the adrenaline that had been shivering through her limbs was free of all restrictions. But for the first time in her life, Vanessa wasn't fast enough.
Not fast enough.
Something large slammed against her side, and she couldn't help but cry out as she hit the wall of the barn. The sturdy walls that she'd just admired had become her enemy. Pain blossomed along her right side where she was struck, her left shoulder that had taken the brunt of the impact against he wall aching. A low moan escaped her. But that adrenaline was still racing and the pain faded into the background as she looked up towards the open door, the light outside like calling to her, screaming 'Freedom!'.
Vanessa crawled forward, kicking up straw as she gained her feet again. But she didn't have the chance to dart this time because something was around her like a vice. Suddenly, the ground was gone from beneath her, and she was face to face with the monster she'd just compared to a toy. It was like a nightmare gone wrong. A scream would have been picturesque, but the teen didn't have the breath to spare. Nor the mind.
'Oh god, oh god, oh god…' was the mantra racing through every inch of her system.
Barricade sneered down at the human, a femme by the looks of it. She winced away from the display of his teeth, struggling wildly to try and break his grip. Her legs flailed, and she felt the hard metal as she hit his chest. Pain shot through her feet, but she repeated that action with vigor hoping to anything holy that she as hurting this thing. Her kicks were nothing more then annoyances though, all she did was make him more angry. With a roar, he tightened his grip, shaking the her roughly.
Vanessa thought her head was going to snap off. It was only a few seconds, but her world was tipping after what she was sure was an earthquake. Arms pinned to her sides, she was locked in the iron bands of this monsters grasp. She could feel its' grip tightening violently. From her shoulders to her thighs his hand spanned over her body. The sheer pressure had her near sobbing. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, and she halted any attempts at escape when it began to squeeze tighter.
With a satisfied growl he stopped the pressure, keeping it at the same level as he looked at the femme. Liquid, his scanners told him salt water, leaked from her optics. Terror shone on her face, and he held her farther away from his face plate. He didn't have the strongest nasal receptors but he knew the primal stink of fear. Some of his rage subsided, he decided questioning was in order. This was no spy, just a civilian.
"Why are you here?" he snarled.
Vanessa blanked. What ever it'd just said, her brain was translating like he'd spoken in Latin. It seemed to agree because after several seconds of silence - and her opening and closing her mouth like a fish - he began to shake her again. The grip around her tightened enough to have her let out another scream of pain, literally feeling her ribs bruise.
"I wont ask again fleshbag!" it roared "What is your title and purpose?!" it shook her again.
"Vanessa!" she screamed. The shaking stopped immediately, but her tongue seemed to have come unstuck.
"Vanessa Zeiz! That's my name and I was just out for a run so please, please don't kill me." she sobbed. Gone was the self-centered attitude.
"A run?" he growled.
The pressure around her ribs lessened slightly, and she took it as a good sign. Nodding fervently, she took a deep breath.
"Yeah, a run. I'm a runner and I was out training and I'm sorry I bothered you. So please, please you could let me go and I wouldn't tell anyone you're here or that I'd seen a giant alien robot and I'd never come back and all I want is to go I'll run the whole way if you want me too I don't live that far so if you could just put me down I'll -"
"Silence!" he snarled.
The grip on her tightened again, and she swore that she heard her ribs cracking. Vanessa let out a low yell, redoubling her struggles for freedom. Panic was surging her system as she wiggled and squirmed almost violently.
"Let me go!" she wailed "You stupid fucking toaster, let me the hell go!"
Barricade's anger peaked again at her movements. She got on his nerves, her pathetic chatter along with her insults. Only humans, could be so presumptuous. Her screams began to get louder, her insults more creative, somehow mixed with pleas for freedom. She began to kick him again, and he held her farther away from him.
The little beast would have to be deactivated.
Nodding to himself, Barricade watched her struggles with the pleasure only a sadist could possess. He wasn't much for torture, Frenzy had been far more adept at that, but the rage in his systems felt good. Generally he preferred a more fair fight, maybe a chase thrown in. But he was smart mech, smart enough to realize the chances. And even the slimmest chance that she could get away wasn't good. So he'd have to deal with this himself.
Humans made such a mess when they died though.
He began to squeeze, watching the human give up all semblance of speech as it struggled mindlessly. It let fear take over it's systems and now it would pay. He could feel the bones of the creature in his hand begin to give, just barely, under the pressure as he spoke the last words the soft thing would hear.
"You will be terminated. It may hurt, I've don't know how you beasts work. I'm going to crush your spark though. Good-bye human."
It looked at him wide eyed for a moment before it began to scream and babble incoherently. He ignored it, beginning to put more stress on it's chest cavity, when he felt something warm trickle down his digits and across his arm. With disgust he realized the human, in it's fear, had lost control over it's bowels and was lubricating on him.
Disgusting.
With a roar, he released it with a flick of his wrist. Shaking his hand to remove the wetness, he heard another thud against the wall and knew where it had landed.
When it spoke, all she heard up to was 'crush' and her fear took over completely. All she could think about was her mother, who she hadn't called. Her brothers who she would never see grow up. Her brain, and she was pretty sure her mouth, were screaming 'No no no no!' and she couldn't get away. A warmth trickled down her leg, and a little part of her broke away from her fear long enough to be embarrassed.
'Ugh. I peed on myself.' she thought, cheeks flushing further red.
But that didn't matter because she was flying through the air again. She didn't even have enough time to scream when she felt her skull slam against the wood and her world went dark.
Barricade looked down at the slumped body mildly before glancing outside. Something she'd said had bothered him, but he wasn't sure what. Scanners told him that she was alive, only in stasis. Fragile things, absolutely worthless. Glancing out the doorway, he growled to himself. The human would be down for awhile, first things first. He'd need to find out where he was and view his surroundings. Maybe he could find an easier way to dispose of the beast.
Until then, it could wait.
End Chapter
AN- Yes, this was planned. And it's my favorite chapter thus far ;D Edited very very very quickly, since I was in a rush. Excuse mistakes or gramatical errors. And don't give me 'ews' in review. I thought long and hard on this chapter, and anyone caught by something like Barricade would probably have a seizure.
Now, press the review button.
