First Impressions
"— she seemed to know about us, and with traces of decepticon energy around, I decided it wouldn't be right to leave her there." Hound finished his explanation to Optimus Prime and the rest of the autobots. Optimus rubbed his chin.
"Our code of secrecy from the humans has been breached again. This is becoming all too frequent. You must return her to her home before she wakes up. Post a patrol around her house, I will not be responsible for endangering another human with the knowledge of our existence." Hound was about to give an affirmative nod, when he noticed the human stirring in his hand.
"She's waking up! What do we do?" But before anyone could say anything, she opened her eyes.
Charlie blinked blearily. Her head was pounding, her bed was hard, and she seemed to be much higher off the ground then normal, damn she passed out on her roof again. She rubbed her eyes and started to sit up when she felt something push her down again. She tried to get up again and the same thing happened. What the hell? She attempted to flip on her back and see what was going on, but she only made it half way. Suddenly she found herself staring at a giant robotic face.
"I'm still drunk." The giant metallic face stared at her with shining eyes. She reached for it. "Pretty." All the autobots looked at Optimus, trying to figure out what to do. Hound tried to push her down again, maybe she would just go back to sleep and he could take her back and pretend none of this happened.
Charlie stumbled and tried to stand. "Well thank you very much, but I need to—oh boy." She stumbled again and fell off the side of Hound's hand. He fumbled and caught her in his other hand. "Ouch, stop already. Geez, stupid drunkness, screw this I'm getting back in bed. She tried to pull the edge of Hound's hand over her like a blanket, but only managed to scrape her nails on his hand. "Ow. This is the worst drunk morning ever."
"Hound man you broke her."
"He did not break her Jazz. The human is simply recovering from intoxication, and is experiencing shock like symptoms."
"Well, she's seen us now, what we gonna do?" Optimus sighed.
"We can't take her back now. Ratchet, is she functioning enough to speak with me?" Ratchet frowned and stared at the girl contemplatively. She was trying to climb down Hound, who kept yelping and grabbing her whenever she slipped. She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she was surrounded by giant metallic aliens.
"Optimus, she's not yet in full use of her senses, if we were to take her back to her dwelling she might believe this is, as the humans say, a bad dream."
"Giant robots I know you're talking about me. It's rude. Learn some manners. Where are my shoes?" They blinked and looked at her in surprise. She pointed at Ratchet and Optimus in accusation. "Yeah you! I've had dreams about giant emus before, you don't scare me! Now give me back my shoes!" She stamped her foot on Hound's hand. He looked at Optimus and Ratchet with a pleading expression on his face. He didn't know what to do with the little human, and frankly, she was scaring him. Optimus sighed, there was now no way not to involve this human.
"What is your name young one?" Charlie got angry.
"God damn it it's not my fault I look like fifteen, for your information I'm nineteen. I'm a legal adult both here and in Canada!"
"Whoa calm down little lady he only called you that because all us here are older than your entire race." Jazz looked at the human girl, who at least had the decency to look ashamed.
"Oops sorry. Didn't know. My bad, I've got a hang over and once again I've woken up in a home that isn't mine. My name's Charlie. I'm really sorry about yelling at you."
"All's forgiven. Tell me, have you noticed anything strange near your home recently?" Charlie frowned.
"Well, the mailman used to come at exactly 12:32, but now he comes at 12:49. I sense a conspiracy, but as of yet have been unable to prove anything. But I am watching." Ratchet looked nervously at Optimus.
"Like I said, she is not in full use of her senses yet. My data base indicates that a liquid substance called coffee will help her recover from her recharge cycle. Perhaps I should go and get some from the human quarters." Optimus nodded.
"Go, we will watch her to make sure she doesn't harm herself." He looked over just as Charlie once again fell from Hound's hand.
"Thank you. So what are you guy's, gundams or something?"
"We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron, commonly referred to as autobots."
"Huh?"
"We come from a planet light years away that was devastated by a war that has plagued us for millennias." Charlie listened attentively as the large red and blue robot told her about their war and their existence on Earth.
"Um that's a lot to take in. You guys can really never go home?"
"No young one, we cannot."
"I'm sorry." Optimus looked down at Charlie, surprised by the odd compassion this girl seemed to have.
"We have found a new home and new allies on your planet." Charlie nodded and tried to think of something to say, awkward moments of silence and alien robots didn't mix well she decided.
"So what are your names?"
"I am Optimus Prime, leader of the autobots. The one holding you is Hound, an autobot scout, and this is my first lieutenant Jazz."
"How you doing little lady?" Charlie smiled up at the white and blue bot. He was cool. Just then two more autobots entered the room. She recognized the white and red bot as the one who told everyone she was drunk. She didn't know the other one, he was white with green and red paneling, with what looked like light bulbs as ears.
"Ah and this is our chief medical officer Ratchet." Optimus motioned toward the white and red autobot. "And our engineer Wheeljack." She waved, feeling slightly self conscious. They were all at least twenty feet tall, and they were all staring at her.
"Umm, nice to meet you. What's that?" She pointed to the tiny thermos in Ratchet's hand.
"This is for you. To help you recover from your recharge cycle." Ratchet held his hand out to her, the tiny thermos balanced in the palm of his hand. She reached out and grabbed it, curious.
"Hey, it's coffee! Wow, how'd you get this?" Ratchet seemed pleased with himself.
"We keep human food and beverages in the human quarters for our visitors." Charlie took a long swig of the coffee.
"You have human visitors?"
"Yes, at times it's necessary to have them stay with us." As Charlie started drinking the coffee her sobriety slowly started returning.
"Are any humans here now?"
"No they are all gone." Charlie stopped drinking her coffee at that moment. Realization slowly dawned on her; she was sitting on a giant alien robot's hand. There were no other humans around, and she had absolutely no idea where she was. And in every single alien movie she had ever seen had the aliens planning on eating the entire human race. A chill went down her spine. What if there was something in the coffee?
"Um Hound can you put me down please?" Hound smiled down at her.
"Sure." He lowered her slowly to the ground. She looked up at them all staring down at her. She swallowed and told herself not to panic. Of course they would lie to her, dear god she was surrounded by giant robots. She smiled at them and started backing up slowly.
"So where exactly are these human quarters? I need to use the facilities." Ratchet nodded.
"Not far, down the corridor to the left. Hound will escort you." She looked nervously up at Hound, who was smiling at her.
"Okay, lead the way."
"I could carry you there, it would be faster." Charlie shook her head.
"No, no. I would rather stretch my legs." He began walking very slowly, looking behind him to make sure she was following. She looked nervously at the others before following him. She could get away from one of them, then barricade herself in their 'human quarters' until she found a vent or something she could escape through.
"Just through there." Hound pointed at a much smaller doorway, and Charlie almost sighed with relief. She skated around him anxiously and ran through the sliding doors. Hound frowned and went back to join the others.
"I think she might be intimidated by us." Ratchet nodded.
"Yes, after she drank that coffee, I noticed her heart rate increase and her adrenaline spike." Optimus frowned.
"She is afraid of us." Hound looked surprised.
"But she was acting so friendly! It looked like she was taking it rather well." Ratchet sighed.
"Only because she was intoxicated. It is rather like being over-energized." Exclamations of understanding went through the room. Ratchet nodded.
"It is natural for humans to fear us. We are far larger and stronger than them, not to mention inorganic. All life here is organic. To them, we go against nature itself. But she will calm down, then we may question her about the traces of decepticon energy." Optimus nodded.
"Yes, give her time to herself. We will question her later. Hound, keep an eye on her, and tell us when she comes out." Hound nodded.
"Right."
Charlie was freaking out. Being surrounded by giant robots was fine when she had a hang over and wasn't at full thinking capacity, but now she was terrified. She walked around the large room, looking around. There was a row of beds, a couple of couches set up in front of TV, a fridge, and a stove with a microwave over it in the corner. Charlie walked through the door leading to the bathroom. It was huge, with a full shower and Jacuzzi tub. She sighed and leaned over the sink.
Her short brown hair was sticking up and she was still wearing her captain planet shirt, tights, and plaid shorts. All in all, she looked like she spent the night drinking. She sighed. What was she going to do? She didn't even know where she was. Yet…they could have killed her when she was asleep, or maimed her or something. Instead, they gave her coffee. Maybe they weren't going to hurt her. Really they gave her coffee when she had a hang over, that's the mark of a good person. She took a few deep breathes. This has been the oddest past few days of her life. Her car runs away, she gets abducted by aliens and she had a killer hang over. Today sucks. She took another few deep breathes. If they planned on killing her they wouldn't have told her their story or left her alone. Charlie opened the door leading out of the human quarters, and went back into the autobot control room.
"Soundwave to Barricade: Captured human consort of Blackfire. Returning to base, continue ground patrols of area designation: Nevada." Soundwave looked down at the organic femme he captured. She had passed out due to lack of oxygen from the high elevation he was flying at.
"Blackfire? I thought he was dead."
"Negative, Blackfire still functions."
"Right. Barricade out." Soundwave continued flying towards his base one hundred miles off the coast of Oregon. Once in range he had Rumble raise the tower and entered.
"Hey boss, whoa, what's with the squishy?" The small purple decepticon leaned up and peered curiously at the human in Soundwave's hand.
"Identification: Human associate of Blackfire."
"Blackfire? He's on earth? Huh, well what'd ya know. What are we going to do with it?" Soundwave lowered his hand and Rumble took the girl from him, casually letting her flop over his shoulder plates.
"Confine organic in containment cell." Rumble nodded.
"Right on boss." He bounced down the corridor to the brig, unaware of the girls head hitting his armor. He opened the smallest cell and tossed her in. The fleshy groaned when she hit the ground. "I've never heard a squishy make that sound before!" Rumble was amazed, and started poking the human.
"Mmphu. No!" Rumble stared amusedly as the fleshy tried to swat him away.
Alex groaned to herself. She must have hit her night stand or something. Her arm was throbbing and something kept jabbing her. She rolled over and rubbed her eyes before sitting up. As she opened her eyes, something jabbed her in the side of her head.
"Ouch! What the hell! Cut it out!" She turned around, expecting to see her little brother. Instead she was met with a seven foot purple robot. She stared incomprehensibly.
"It talks!" Rumbled crowed happily. Not only did the squishy make funny sounds, but it talked to him! He'd been really bored since Frenzy had died. Now he had something to play with! He jumped up happily and grabbed the squishy's appendages and began pulling and swinging them around, curious. Alex yelled.
"Stop it! That hurts!" Rumble stopped, and peered at her.
"Hurts? It can't hurt, squishy's are squishy! Look!" He pinched her stomach.
"Ouch! My skin is sensitive! It hurts when you do that! I don't know what the hell you are, or where I am, but leave me alone!" Rumble leaned forward, so that his face plate was near hers.
"Squishy is with Rumble and Soundwave. Soundwave brought squishy back as a prisoner!" He laughed. Alex paled. There were more?
"What is Soundwave?" Rumble puffed up.
"Soundwave's the big boss! He's the awesomest, strongest decepticon ever!" Alex blinked. So this robot was a lacky? Soundwave sounded robotish too. She blinked. For being captured by robots, she felt oddly calm. Maybe because the purple guy was acting like a little kid…
"Well I want to talk to your 'boss'." Rumble laughed
"You can't talk to Soundwave fleshy. 'Sides it's not like you could get anything out of him." Rumble was about to start playing with Alex's limbs again, when she quickly scooted away.
"What the hell does that mean? And why the hell am I here? How did I get here?"
"Soundwave brought you here don't you remember squishy?"
"No I—he was the tape deck wasn't he? I insulted a giant tape deck and now I'm going to be pulled apart by his lackey!"
"You insulted the boss? Not smart. But that's not why you're here. It's cause you're Blackfire's consort." Alex stared at the purple robot did he just call her a prostitute? Do robots have hookers?
"Who is Blackfire?"
"You don't know him? Hm maybe Soundwave got the wrong human. Guess we just have to kill you. Oh well." Rumble brought out his guns and pointed them at Alex.
"Wait! Did you say Blackfire? Oh I know him we go way back. I thought you said Blackmire. I don't know a Blackmire, but me and Blackfire are like two peas in a pod."
"Oh well in that case." Alex sighed as Rumble put his weapons away.
"Well what's he gonna do with me then?" Rumble scratched his chin.
"Well, you'll be used to lure out Blackfire of course. Don't know what he'd want with you though. Hm, well he always was an odd one." Alex swallowed as Rumble came towards her again and grabbed her arm. She kept it tight.
"It bends this way, but not this way?" Rumble bent her arm toward her, then tried to bend it away. Alex screamed as he twisted her arm away.
"Of course it doesn't! Does yours!" Rumble stopped and bent his own arm. It didn't go that way either.
"Hm, but you're so soft and squishy you should be able to go in all directions."
"Well I don't."
"You just have to try harder." Rumble made an attempt to bend Alex's arms in the wrong direction again, before he received a call on his comm link.
"Soundwave to Rumble. Report to command center."
"On my way. Rumble out. Too bad squishy. Don't worry I'll come back, and help you fix your arms so they can go in both directions!" Alex let out a breath in relief once Rumble left her alone. She looked around the room she was in. It was huge, around the size of a football field, and filled with huge holding cells. Hers was easily the smallest. She scooted to the back corner of the cell and wrapped her arms around her legs. This was not good. She'd been knocked around by a robot that thought she was a fleshy pretzel or something, and she was kidnapped by a tape deck. She was bruised, bleeding and cold. The room she was in was freezing. She looked around herself again, and she spotted something that made her heart skip a beat. Her purse! Thank goodness robots didn't know what purses were. She dug through her purse and pulled out her cell phone. Please let this work.
"----it was shown that the decepticon energy signal was strongest at your particular dwelling. Do you have any idea why?" Charlie looked at Ratchet, confused. Optimus, Jazz, and Hound looked on expectantly.
"Umm, what's decepticon energy? I haven't seen any energy around my house." Ratchet sighed.
"Of course. Cybertonians give off a particular energy signature, comparable I suppose to human scents. Decepticon energy is different still from autobot energy signatures."
"And the decepticons are the bad guys you told me about that started your war?"
"Yes."
"And they were strongest around my house?"
"Yes."
"If only that was the strangest thing that ever happened to me. Okay so, why were they strongest around my house?"
"We're not sure. We were hoping you could tell us. Have you seen anything odd around your house? Anything mechanical moving by itself, any strange sounds, equipment failure…" Charlie frowned.
"No, everything works fine." She wasn't sure why she just lied to them.
"Hm. Are you sure?" Charlie was about to respond when two autobots entered the room. One was white with blue legs and paneling on his shoulders, and what looked like a rocket launcher attached to his shoulder. The other one was larger and black with tires on his shoulders.
"Prime, we have a problem." Optimus nodded and turned his attention to Charlie.
"Would you mind returning to the human quarters?"
"Sure." Charlie left the room, but didn't return to the human rooms. Something was up and she wanted to know what. She stayed near the door and tried to listen to what was going on in the room. She had her ear pressed against the door, when her cell phone rang. She didn't even know she had it on her.
"Hello?"
"Oh Charlie thank god. I've been kidnapped by giant robots!"
"Alex? Wait you too?"
"What they got you too? Where are you? Don't let the purple one grab you! He thinks arms are fun to pull off."
"You don't have any arms!? Shit! I'm outside the control room. Wait, what purple one?"
"He's seven feet tall and worships this tapedeck called Soundwave."
"There's no purple robot."
"Yes there is he thinks I'm a human Stretch Armstrong!"
"I haven't seen a purple one yet, where are you?" Alex looked around her cell, shivering, she was somewhere near the control room, she heard Rumble enter the door right outside the one holding her in when he said he was going to see Soundwave.
"Umm, I'm in a holding cell somewhere near the control room. Come get me, but watch out for the purple guy, don't let him see you!"
"Okay, I'll find you!" Charlie looked around; a long corridor stretched in each direction from what she assumed was the control room. There were no doors nearby except for the small ones that led into the human quarters.
"Umm, Alex there are no cells by the control room, are you sure that's where you are?" Alex frowned and pulled at her tangled hair.
"Well, I think so…."
"Wait, I'll just go ask Hound, he's very nice." Alex sat up and screamed.
"NO!" Charlie dropped her phone in surprise. She could still hear Alex yelling. She picked it quickly.
"Why, its okay, they've been nice, they can help you—"
"Charlie listen, don't believe them, don't listen to them, you've got to get out, and go tell the, the army or something okay? Charlie please get out—" She was choking up now.
"Alex listen. I need you to calm down. I won't go get Hound, but you need to calm down. Breathe. There are no cells by the control room. Alex, tell me something else."
"There's nothing else to tell! I'm in a big cold room. I—AAAAHHHHH!"
"Alex! ALEX! Shit!" Charlie ran to the door of the control room and started banging on the door. "Let me in! Let me in! God damnit! OPEN THE DOOR!!!" Charlie was desperate she was running into the door trying to knock it open even though she knew it was hopeless. "FUCKING STUPID ROBOTS OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!!!" She was near hysterics, when the door finally slid open.
"What is the meaning of this?" Charlie didn't even pay any attention to Ironhide as she ran between his feet.
"Track this!" Charlie held her cell phone up for the autobots to see.
"What?"
"I just got a phone call and I want you to track it!"
"Why?"
"Because there was a scream, but not here, so she's not her so trace my fucking phone call!"
"Girl we do not understand what you are saying."
"My friend called me, she was kidnapped by robots too, but unless you guys have been lying to me and have a purple guy who likes to tear arms off, then she's not here. So trace the phone call I got!" The autobots in the room looked at Optimus, who looked at Mirage.
"Your friend, the one with the long hair?"
"Yes, and she's gone, please help!"
"She was the one I was watching. Optimus, I was going on patrol and when I came back she was gone, the place reeked of Soundwave." Gasps went around the room.
"Soundwave is here? And he captured a human, why would he…."
"SHUT UP!!!" They all looked at Charlie in surprise. She was glaring at them, breathing hard. "This Soundwave guy, whoever he is, is hurting her, and you need to find her now." She held her phone out. Wheeljack took it tentatively.
"This is a communications device." Charlie nodded impatiently. "And, you want us to track your friend on it?"
She nodded vigorously, Wheeljack frowned, or at least she assumed he frowned.
"It is very primitive, I'm not sure I can----" Charlie grimaced and took a deep breath.
"You are an advanced robotic race from another planet and you CAN'T TRACK A CELL PHONE? WHAT KIND OF INCOMPETENT INEPT STUPID REJECT TOASTERS ARE YOU!!!" The autobots all stared at her in surprise. A tiny little human female just called them toasters and insulted their hospitality. Ironhide growled.
"Now look here, you----"
"Wait Ironhide." He looked at Wheeljack in surprise. "She's right, I'm just unfamiliar with tracing this signal, I haven't been on this planet as long as you have. I can track it." He looked right at Charlie, who deflated.
"Thanks. I'm sorry." Optimus nodded to her.
"You are worried for your friend. It is understandable. Wheeljack, get us a fix on that call, Mirage, how long ago did she disappear?"
"A little less than a joor." Jazz turned to him sharply.
"And you only now reported back to us? What the heck man?" Optimus walked over to Mirage, who was standing near the control panel.
"Mirage, you should have reported the girl's disappearance immediately."
"Soundwave had revealed himself and he was without his cassetticons. I believed taking down Soundwave would be easier when he was burdened with a human. I attempted to track him and take him out. He knew I was following him, and was able to get the jump on me and knocked me into stasis." Charlie was mad.
"You tried to attack him when he had Alex! You could have killed her."
"Defeating Soundwave was more important then the life of one organic."
"YOU SON OF A BITCH THE HELL IT IS!!!" She started toward him, not knowing what she was going to do, only that she really wanted to hit him. Suddenly, a metallic hand wrapped around her and lifted her off the ground; she turned to stare at Jazz's face. He was glaring at Mirage.
"Hey man, not cool. We owe the humans everything man. If it wasn't for them, Megatron would have us all in the scrap heap by now." Ratchet nodded.
"The humans are courageous and they are kind enough to share their home with us. They are our comrades now and you will treat any and every human you meet the same way you treat any of us. Is that understood?"
It looked like Mirage had muttered something under his breath, it was too low for Charlie to hear, but she'd bet anything that it was pretty insulting to humans.
"I said is that understood soldier?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Wheeljack, how are you coming with tracing the signal?"
"I've got it sir. It's coming from a few miles off the coast of the Pacific ocean."
"Excellent." Optimus looked at Ratchet in amusement. He had taken a great liking to the humans. It was spark warming to see.
"Yes, let's find a way to get your friend back."
"No stop it!"
"Squishy has been bad, squishy needs to be punished…" Rumble sang gleefully as he shoved his fist into Alex's stomach. She gasped and fell to the floor as her bottom two ribs cracked. He had crushed her cell phone and told her she had been a 'bad femme', before deciding to 'teach her a lesson' so her cell signal wouldn't interfere with 'the big boss's work'.
"Now now squishy, we're not done yeeetttt." He picked her up by her neck and shoved her up against the wall, his hand on her throat. Alex tried to pry his hand off. He was crushing her wind pipe. "That's not going to work." Alex stared at Rumble in horror, he looked absolutely delighted to see her trying to free herself. He was too strong, but she needed to breathe, she could feel her lips turning blue, and she was starting to see black spots. She tried kicking, tried anything she could. She didn't want to die like this! Suddenly she fell to the floor. Rumble must have let her go right before she was about to black out. So he wasn't going to kill her just yet. He was just going to torture her. Teach her a lesson he said.
"Squishy, you're----" But he stopped and cocked his head. "Sorry squishy, big boss is calling, time for you to recharge." The last thing she heard was his cackling before her head slammed into the ground.