Chapter 7: Escape

Slipping out of her room she looked down the hall. Her door wings were tensed into a high 'V' as she stepped out into the hall. It sucked that she didn't have her weapons, but it didn't matter; she'd be gone before anyone noticed her absence. She grinned in satisfaction as pressed her back against the wall, slinking into the shadows. How she despised her red paint job, but it would have to do for now. Looking like a glowing ember in the darkness, she made her way past Starscream's door. Her stomach revolved in hatred, such an annoyance he was. Gliding right past the giant door she continued on her way. A crowd of Decepticons made their way down the hall. Slipping into the crowd, she walked with them. It wasn't until they passed the wash-racks did she step out of the group before they noticed. Stupid mechs she thought. Digging her claws into the crack of the door she pulled it slightly ajar. Throwing a make-shift bomb inside, she stepped around the corner as angry Decepticons made their way out. Waiting for the right moment, she slipped into the door and jogged towards the vent in the corner of the roof. She stacked a few towels together to give herself a boost and manually unscrewed the screws. Swinging open she hooked her claws into the inside of the vent only to use her feet and throw the towels on the other side in an unorganized lump. Still hanging she swung her legs back and forth gaining the need momentum. Voices started to shout and come closer as she swung her legs upwards. Bringing her knees inside the vent, she pushed her upper body only to quickly switch her hands and claw her claws into the slits of the vent door. Various cybertronians suddenly burst through the door their weapons charged up and poised. No one ever saw the red face slink away along with the claws the held onto the vent. Carefully crawling through the vents on her hand and knees she envisioned the way to the entrance as if she were walking through the halls. Passing vent past vent she got glimpses of what was happening beneath her. In one hall more and more mechs burst through each and every door checking for intruders. Passing another hall she noticed that they seemed to be doing that in every hall.

Speeding up a little faster she was almost to the entrance. Reaching the last vent she punched the corners so the screws would pop out. It swung open and she checked her sensors for any life signals. Finding none, she quickly switched her feet and fell down into the hall. Falling through she was sure to hastily slam the vent shut. She landed in a crouch and stood up slowly, her guard on high. Shouts and clamor could be heard from everywhere and it only pushed her further. Looking up to the vent she made her way towards the hologram blocking the way to the cave. It wasn't until her father's voice reached her audios that she froze.

"At least you aren't a total imbecile. But, what use are you if you have no weapons on-line?" He said. Turning around, she looked at him with a cold face and approached him.

"I don't always need weapons; you of all bots should know that. You taught me." She said. Glaring at her he snorted.

"See to it that you get your weapons on-line."

A shadow cast against them made them look at the intruder.

"My liege, I cannot-" Starscream was quickly cut off.

"Did you fail to notice you forgot to post someone at the main entrance?" Smacking his second, Megatron glowered down at the seeker.

"Shadowblur, make sure no one gets passed you, unlike the imbecile I am forced to share my existence with." And with that he turned, but not before we heard his roar down the halls.

"Find the Autobot before I wring all of your insolent necks!"

Turning towards Starscream, she couldn't help the small smirk that formed on her lips when she saw the dent he now sported. Growling, he grabbed her neck and pushed her against the wall. The smirk widened on her face, despite her being choked.

"You should go find the Autobot, Starscream." She said smugly. "Don't want another dent now do we?"

"Laugh now femme, I'll be back for you." Releasing her neck, she slid against the wall as the smile widened even further. Watching his figure walk away, she powered as to how she was going to escape now. Both Starscream and her father had seen her by the door and it'd only be a coincidence that she escaped, wouldn't it? She could afford a few more days inside this pit of a ship right? Her father finally was letting her get her weapons on-lined, so that could give her an advantage for when she finally escaped. After a few for minutes she heard the speakers turn on with Soundwave's voice escaping from them.

"Autobot: unfound. Return to quarters. Instructions: tomorrow we plan ambush."

Grumbling mechs started to fill up the halls as she made her way through the crowd. It didn't help that her bright red paint job made her stand out against the darker colors the soldiers wore; much less that she was a femme. To say she was sexually harassed throughout the halls would be a mild way to put the way they had treated her.

Using her memory from the first day she was here, she easily found the throne room. Pushing open the doors she found her father, Starscream, and Soundwave hunched over the security cameras. She walked over her father. He snapped up his head and looked at her annoyed.

"Do we know which Autobot had infiltrated the base?" she asked. If only they knew the supposed intruder wasn't an Autobot and wasn't intruding at all. Instead the 'intruder' had been trying to escape and was stranding right in front of them.

"The little vermin was lucky none of our cameras caught him." Megatron growled. Starscream looked at her and raised an optic ridge.

"Is there a certain interest you have about our intruder?" He asked. Snorting, she looked at him like he was stupid.

"I was just asking."

"Let her be, Starscream. For your incompetence we might have let the Autobot escape." Megatron said unpleased. "You should be thankful she wasn't like the rest of my wonderful troops who incidentally includes you."

She felt like doubling over in laughter as he silently chose to be submissive. Not even looking at her, he turned back onto the screens, a scowl etched on his face. Turning his back on her, she looked at her father.

"Go to the doctor and see about getting your weapons on-line, then you will return to your quarters. You will start training tomorrow morning." He spoke and dismissed her. Then he turned onto the screens as well. A small smirk fell on her lips as she turned on her heel and left his throne room. The lights in the halls seemed brighter than she remembered. Probably a safety precaution since this place is naturally dark. It was easy enough for her to find the med-bay and walking in she almost rammed into a cone-head. Sidestepping quickly, she stepped out of his way as someone kicked him out.

"I don't want to see you again for at least another vorn, Dirge!" Yelled a purple and green mech chasing out the blue and black cone-head; quickly dodging the other mech's wrath he made his way out but not before throwing a glance towards her direction. A small smile flashed across his face as he looked her from foot and up before the door hissed behind him. The green and purple mech took one glance at her and quickly sobered from his anger.

"Is there I may offer you, Shadowblur?" he asked. Taken back that he knew her name it stunned her for a moment before she responded back.

"You know my name?" She asked.

"It is my job to know the soldiers' names as I am the closest thing to a medic around here." Taking in the information, she nodded once before looking at him.

"Megatron would like my weapons on-lined before tomorrow. And I would like to change my paint job."

Nodding, he went over to a cupboard and pulled open to reveal jars of all colors. Without looking at her he reached inside to pull out a light blue paint with black. He then slid the jars across the counter towards where she leaned against the corner. Barely glancing at the jars, she slid the blue back and looking at the black for a moment, contemplating, she too slid that back. Pulling back from the counters he looked at her with a raised optic ridge.

"With your small frame the blue and black would be enough to cover the red."

"I've never been blue nor plan on being that color. Purple is my color, and instead of black I would like white." Looking at her for a moment he nodded and reached in for those colors. Sliding them across the counter, she peered down into the purple and saw it was almost empty. Picking it up she squinted and raised her head to look at the medic.

"It's empty." She said.

"Forgive me, Skywarp uses that same shade and primus knows how much he needs it after one of his pranks gone wrong. But, we will be able to re-stock on our raids next week."

Nodding, she took the white jar and looked at it pensive for a moment before she took the little bit of purple.

"Can you pass me the blue again? I might end up using it." Sending the blue jar her way he motioned her towards the medical berth.

"Sit. I'll attend to your weapons in a moment." Sub-spacing the jars, she jumped onto the table and watched the medic grab tools from around the room. Content with the things he had he walked over behind her and bent her forwards. Opening a compartment on the back of the neck she felt him start to fiddle with the wires there. An odd sensation shifted through her body like someone felt when paralyzed and then suddenly gained that lost feeling again. Small messages popped up in her vision telling her something she was aware about. Weapons 36.8% online, it blinked only to disappear and come back with another message similar to that one. Weapons 60% online, weapons 90.3% online. Then, finally everything came back on again and she felt wonderful. The feeling of being naked seemed to have evaporated from her body. The small fear that had been growing inside of her suddenly twisted into nothing. Feeling the compartment that was open in her neck close, she rotated her neck in a circle as a smile spread across her lips. It felt so good. Sending her on her way, the medic practically all but kicked her out. Walking through the halls she didn't care that mechs tried to grab her in places they shouldn't, she ignored their hoot calls. She wasn't interested. She felt powerful, majestic, and unbreakable, like a dragon a field of flowers. Nothing would deter her, not even Starscream. And, she would gain her conviction; her escape into freedom, away from the dungeon that so many Decepticons called 'home'.

A/N:

Sorry, this was so short but I've been kinda busy with finals and cramming! High school isn't fun…well at least the tests aren't. I will also start an updating schedule with this story and my other one, which I've currently been working on as well. I will update every two weeks on Monday, unless for unchangeable circumstances I do not update I will try to do it that fastest I can. Things happen you know. Thanks again to my Beta-reader, who does an amazing job proofreading this and making the story even better. More things will come and the action will pick up. Promise.