The Warrior's Heart Chapter 6 " Awake and Alive"
~ In this chapter, Theresa wakes up from her "vet's appointment" and gets introduced to Thundercracker and Skywarp. Sorta. ~
Waking up to a migraine is a sign that it's going to be a bad day. Waking up in a small metal cage with bars made of purple-colored electricity is a sign that it's going to be a very bad day. Well, Theresa had to deal with both scenarios. It wasn't just a normal, "staring at the computer screen too long" migraine; this kind was the mind-numbing, temples pounding, and nauseating when she even thought about moving. She moaned and growled at this frustrating migraine. She never got one of these before, except for that time she ice-skated that one time and she fell back and got a concussion. That one was nothing compared to this monster. She bit down on her tongue to try to ease the pain as she sat up. She didn't realize the ceiling was so low until she bumped her head into it. She yelped and fell back down. Shivers ran down and up her body. She wonder why she was so cold until she felt the naked feeling when her leg brushed against the oily rag someone threw on her. They didn't! She patted herself down and felt only skin. "Are you kidding me!" She screamed while she pounded her fists on the floor. She closed and opened her eyes. She tilted her head forward and finally saw the crackling, round, vertical bars. That's when it settled in that she was in one of the cages she saw last night.
Theresa cocked her head and rolled over and the painful migraine sent a dizzying sensation through her head. "Okay, I'm going to seriously barf." She moaned. She got on all fours and turned around, crawling to the front of the cage. She could feel a small feel of heat and the arcs from the bars snapped at her, warning her of what will happen if she touched them. She listened to her brain and brought her hand back down to her side. "Hey, you shrimp! I know you're out there. LET ME OUT!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her voice had woken up the other tenants around her. They barked and growled at her madly. They were practically screamed "shut up!" in dog-speak. She glared up above her and crawled back to the back of her cage as the animal noises died down. The commotion alerted Scalpel who came out with such frustration and crankiness. "Vill jou shut up! I heard jou all zhe vay in my office. Primus, I zhink Lord Megatron heard jou all zhe vay in zhe cockpit!" He cursed in German as well as Cybertronian.
Theresa internally smirked. Since she couldn't get out of the cage on her own, she just needed a helping hand, or claw for that matter. "Aw, did I wake up the wittle robot baby? I think someone needs a bottle." She said with a mocking, high-pitched tone.
Scalpel's optics flickered, symbolizing a human eye-twitch. "Vhat? Vhat did jou say? Jou VILL suffer for zhat!" Theresa's eyes widened in fear and she curled up like a frightened little girl. Scalpel turned off the bars to her cage and hopped in. The teenager snickered and she uncoiled like a snake and kicked Scalpel right in the face. He screamed as he flew out of the cage. Theresa could have fallen over laughing from how far Scalpel was kicked, but her migraine ruined her fun. His head banged on the nearby table's main support beam, causing him to spin out and crash-land and skid across the floor. The animals howled in celebration as Theresa climbed out of her cell and did a little bow. "Thank you, thank you." She chuckled. Cedric would've been proud. Knowing that Megatron could magically come in and have a fit for her escape, she knew she had to get out of the room. She remembered that aching jaw he gave her and she didn't want her headache to be even more intense. She didn't want to admit it, but the "master" was starting to freak her out. She's dealt with hormonal guys at school and their planet-sized egos before, but this is totally a different story. She just hated that he took her away from her family and he doesn't seem the type to give up what he caught. She turned the rag on its side and wrapped it up around her waist. It was going to be a pain to walk around in it, but she wasn't going to be walking around naked, let alone freezing.
Theresa glanced back over to Scalpel who was clearly unconscious. She walked up to the sliding doors, which surprisingly opened. She paused for a second, but leaped out of the doors closing once again. She looked both ways and since there was door right beside Scalpel's playroom, she decided to take her chances in the hallway. As she got further away, she started to hear chatter and footfalls. She could have covered her ears, but that would make the rag fall to the floor. She hugged the wall and unknowingly stood in front of an unmarked door. Automatically, red lettering in text boxes popped up in her line of vision. She yelped and nearly fell back on the floor. Her migraine sent her a reminder that it was still present. She had her hand on the door, supporting her weight which saved her from crashing on the ground. She leaned the door and brought up her hand right behind her ear, which triggered the alien chatter to be automatically translated into English. She was completely dumbfounded by what was going on with her. True, she should expect more to be affected after her "vet visit", but she didn't think she'd get these new appendages and their little "gifts". She shook her head and looked up, finally noticing the outline of the door. She slapped herself on the forehead and let out a low moan. Glad nothing came out and grabbed me!
"Hey, did you hear something?"
Theresa froze and looked up to where she heard the voice. Don't look, PLEASE don't look! God, let them think it's something else! She was finally trying to get a hold on what Scalpel did and now, she had to deal with one of her "comrades". She turned to the door and hiked up the blanket up over her shoulders. She bundled up the opening into her hand and touched the door. "Come on, Warp. Starscream and the others are waiting in the washroom". The other voice was very different from the other one. The first one sounded like youthful, gun-ho, and very mischievous person. Just thinking of that one, it made Theresa think of her "deceased" brother. The one that complained to "Warp" would have caused her jaw to drop (if it wasn't for her to be freaking out in her head) because the robot sounded like someone right out of Brooklyn, New York. The red lettering popped back up and the door was actually a supply closet. It was very clichéd, but she rather take that than face those robots, who were slowly getting closer. "Hey, I think it's coming from down this way. Do you think it's one of Scalpel's pets? " Warp chuckled with glee.
" No! You are NOT keeping another one. The last one exploded in the room when you fried the slagging thing with your thruster." The older one thundered loudly. Their footsteps stopped for a second as the older one reprimanded the younger one.
Warp giggled. "Yeah, it was pretty cool. Starscream nearly fritzed my hearing from his 'lecture'."
Theresa's eyes widened. OPEN UP, OPEN UP! She slammed her hand on the door, which caused it to open. She leaped into the door, but the blanket got caught on the teeth of the bottom lock as it closed again. Theresa didn't notice until she tried walking away. She tugged and tugged, but it wouldn't budge. She turned around and thought it would be better if she pulled from the front. It didn't matter, in fact, it made it worse. A loud RIP echoed through the "small" supply closet. She held up the shredded, thick piece of cloth. It was barely enough to be a bikini top. Forget it being the bottom. She liked mini-skirts, but this piece of cloth was ridiculous short in her eyes. She wasn't exactly an expert at math, but by the width, it was about big as her average-sized hand*.
The room where she was in wasn't exactly warm, but she could tell it was a few degrees warmer. Whenever I get back to New York, I will NEVER complain again. Since there's no doubt in her mind that the younger robot's probably going to win out in looking for her, she had to get out of this room. Part of her brain was asking why she was even hiding when it was useless, and they're going to find her anyways. She might as well stay put and beg for mercy. That part of the brain lost to her rebellious part that was saying "screw that!". She took her other hand and clenched the other end of the fabric. Since it was wider in the middle and skinnier at the shredded ends, she mentally thought of an outfit she could make out of the ruined material. True she wasn't book smart, but she knew her way around a shopping center. She was thinking of doing something in fashion or maybe a food critic (being that she has such an honest opinion), but for now, those options are in the "not likely to happen" pile.
She looked around the somewhat packed room. There were metal containers with grooves on the bottom and the grooves were inverted on the top, making it studier and more secure. The corners weren't exactly corners either. It looked like someone hacked off the points and put a piece of metal that fit into the gaping hole and welded it shut*. The enormous band of light that wrapped around the middle of the walls supplied enough light for her to see. She sort of didn't understand why they couldn't have used white instead of red. She stopped with the interior designing flaws and found a piece of broken off, solid pipe. It was a bit rusted, but still enough to do some needed damage. She smirked at thinking she could skewer the prick that chopped off her hair and fondled her. He probably thought she wouldn't remember, but she did. Oh, yes. She remembered. Her "master" said he wasn't interested in her, but he didn't say anything about the others. "It's not a can of mace or a taser, but this could work." She smiled. She fast-walked over back to the door and used the arm length pipe to cut away as much as she could to make the bottom of her "outfit". She was going to have the appearance of a zombie belly-dancer, but she was going to be a not-so cold, zombie belly-dancer. The bottom was going to be tricky to figure out for her since she didn't have any underwear handy, plus she doesn't like going "commando" like some girls/women. She laid it flat out on the floor and started to slice away (with the pipe) a piece of fabric that approximately fit her bottom. She took the two right corners and tied it loosely. She bent down and she stepped into the opening with her right foot. She pulled it up until it hit her hip. Seeing that it needed to be tightened, she untied the knot and made a tighter one. She repeated the same way with the two left corners of the fabric. She was thinking of using the rest of it to be leg and arm warmers, but she just simply tied the upper left and right corner around her waist. It was either be cold shivers in her shoulders or in her legs. Sacrifices must be made now. And she hated it.
Wendy smiled and thanked the last server who gave her an extra serving of mashed potatoes. She really hadn't had anything substantially "healthy" for the last few days due to being confined to her son's room. It wasn't that military men were starving her or her husband. It was just that they rather have something simple and quick to eat like potato chips and soda from the vending machines. She was given weird looks by the doctor whenever they silently ate their food, but she was too hungry to care. Plus she glared at him to challenge him in taking her oatmeal raisin cookies from her. Her daughter was gone, possibly incinerated by those things that they "can't talk about" and her son was in a coma by the same ones that took her daughter. She will not let some nutritional-conscious doctor from taking one of the few remaining treasures away. She would send him to a doctor if he even mentions the words "disgusting food". She walked past her husband who was still piling on the succotash. She shook her head slightly. That was his favorite side dish. True, it wasn't traditional succotash that came with lima beans and corn, but he was still deprived with food so he stocking up on it like this was his last meal. She glanced around the cafeteria, which was an open barrack on the surface. Why they were up above ground when the most logical place for one would be underground? They never asked because the military personnel would give some farfetched excuse and the Butlers were getting very tired of the hiding behind the "national security" curtain. The barracks were covered all covered with tin paneling, but the large wide door was open, letting in the humidity and a cooling breeze mixed in. Wendy could get use to this calming atmosphere, except for the whole exiled to a military base for the impending future thing.
The red haired woman walked over to the one of the more emptied out tables. She caught a few straying looks, but that was nothing new. When she was younger and started dating her husband, it wasn't exactly normal for her to marry someone like him. And she didn't mean his desire to be in the army. In fact, one church refused to marry them because of their marriage decision. They didn't outright say it, but they both knew. She pushed the past prejudice out of her mind and she noticed a rather frazzled, dirty blonde woman. By the looks of it, she was in her late twenties. Her face was reddish and slightly tanned from the sun, but Wendy could easily tell she was Caucasian. She muttered something and continued to look over the small pile of paperwork in front of her. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?" The woman jumped and looked up at Wendy. She stuttered and recomposed herself. "O-of course. Please. I can leave if you want to be alone." She said, starting to pick up the papers.
The blonde woman stumbled out of her chair and a few pieces of papers flew on the floor. Wendy put her food on the table and went around to help the twenty year old get up on her feet. The woman popped up with the papers and Wendy was able to recognize the map of the world. Two points were highlighted over New Jersey and the other one was somewhere in Brazil, but she couldn't quite tell because of how quick the woman held the papers close to her chest. "I'm sorry, but it's-"
"Classified." The two said in unison. Wendy shook her head and sighed. "Yes, that seems to be you all's favorite word. It's either 'classified' or 'matter of national security'. I'm sorry, I'm Wendy Butler." She said, shaking off her bitterness and putting on an inviting smile.
"Oh, I'm Maggie Madison. I do..tech support, you could say." The blonde woman said in return, extending her hand.
"Wow. That's interesting. You don't look like you're in the military." Wendy replied.
"I'm not. Civilian, actually. Well, Australian civilian." Maggie smiled as she returned to her seat.
Derek finally unchained himself from the cafeteria line and found his wife chatting along with a blonde-haired woman. "Oh, this is my husband, Derek." He nodded at Maggie with a small smile. He wasn't quite as open as his wife is to her. This woman might not be wearing the fancy suits and fatigues, but he could tell she knew what was going on. "Hello, ma'am." He said, pulling out a chair and sat beside Wendy, whose plate was still relatively full, despite her stomach growling excessively earlier.
" Is there anything you can tell us? I know it's about national security, but do they honestly think that we're going to risk our daughter's safety by telling the world who these 'things' are?" Wendy asked, pleading with Maggie.
She shook her head. "Trust me, the Cons don't care if people know them." She muttered quietly.
The two greenhorns that were supposed to be watching the couple finally came over and were ready to tell Maggie about her "slip up", but the intercom let out a screech of static before the voice came online. "Technicians, arm your stations. I repeat, technicians, arm your stations. Higher-ranking soldiers, report to the command center." The soldiers scattered like roaches along with the civilian technicians who were catching a quick lunch/break. The blonde-haired woman got up and apologized for the abrupt ending of their conversation. She grabbed all of her papers, but one sliver of paper. The two brothers had disappeared as well, leaving the couple with a somewhat empty room. Derek looked at Wendy and gave her a peck on the cheek. He leaned in close. "Stay here. I'll be right back." He said and walked calmly over to the men's bathroom door, which was closer to the main door. He looked around before entering.
Derek noticed a man about his size was finishing up at the urinal. He waited until he was "decent" and the soldier turned around, surprised by how close he was to him. He was about his stature and by the looks of him his clothes could just about fit him. "Sorry about this, man." The soldier didn't have time to defend himself from the punch to his throat. He crumbled to his knees and held his aching throat. The ex-pilot kicked him in the chest and at the temple. The soldier was going to be sore for the next few days, but it was worth finding answers. He dragged him to the far end of the stalls and stripped him down to his undershirt and underwear. The formal airman dressed quickly and straightened up the clothing before walking calmly out the room. He found a pair of sunglasses and put them on along with the downed soldier's hat.
Derek looked back at Wendy who waved in her face like she was fanning herself to get away from the gnats, but he knew she meant "go on ahead". He calmly jogged out and followed behind some of the stragglers. He didn't know if it was the right way or if he was going to be caught, but he was not going to sit and wait like a good "civvie". He served his country and deserved some answers.
And that's about a good place to stop. I don't know if this was clichéd, but the whole Derek taking down the soldier was in my head for awhile and it was CLAWING to get out. Thanks to a few of my friends that listened to me whine on how I didn't know what I was going to do with the nonexistent reviews. I know 99% is because I'm sucking at uploading like crazy. I'm SO sorry. Leonixon is a really good friend of mine on here and I've been giving her some of my Santa's helping elf service. FrostedPurpleIrises91, thank you for reviewing my story and being a great friend. I'm still in it for the long run if you guys are. Thank you for the other reviewers. Sorry, I can't name you all, but God bless you!
*- the hand is about 20 inches long. Give or take.