Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. It was really hard to re-read and go over all the mistakes. My husband helps me to go over it and with his new schedule and the kids we didn't have much time to go over it. I'm actually currently writing on chapter six, so I do have the chapters done, just not proof-read and gone over with a fine toothed comb. I like to have things as perfect as possible before I post them. Please leave me reviews on what you think? They are deeply appreciated and help to encourage me when I feel the difficult parts to the story making it hard to write.
Chapter Three:
Dawn woke up to the feeling of someone watching her. She opened her eyes and found herself looking into the deep black eyes of some creature. She screamed! The creature screamed in response and leapt down and scampered around the corner, through the open door. "Did she wake you?" A female voice came from outside as a woman peeked around the corner, than she pointed down at the large puff-ball of a creature. "Bad Binkbee! Bad! You know we don't go waking people up when they're in a sick bed!" She scolded the creature.
"Bad Binkbee! Bad!" The little creature repeated before trotting off out of sight.
"I told you that thing would disturb her." Dawn recognized the voice of Ironhide outside.
The woman raised a finger to the out-of-sight mech. "Don't you take that tone with me!" There was a soft whining sound and she waved her finger threateningly. "And don't you charge your cannons at me either!! I'll have Ratchet deactivate them again!" There was a grumbling and the whining sound died down. The woman walked into the room and smiled. "Nice to see you awake. Everyone was kinda surprised you were sleeping so long."
"How long have I been out?" Dawn asked propping herself up on one elbow, wincing at the pain her ribs gave her.
"Oh, for about two and a half hours, 'Hide's been outside waiting for you to wake up. I think he's got a crush on you!" The woman said a little loudly.
"HEY! I do NOT have a CRUSH on ANYONE!" Ironhide yelled, poking his head into the doorway.
She waved him away. "Yeah, sure you don't. We all believe you, you trigger happy moron." She muttered, loud enough for Ironhide to hear. Again, there was grumbling and a few minor curse words. "Be careful! I don't want Binkbee to learn those words!" The woman hollered as she walked over to Dawn's bed. "Anyway, my name's Elena, but everyone calls me Mirage." She said as she extended her hand out to Dawn.
Dawn took her hand lightly in her own and shook it. "Hi. I'm Ashadawna, but please, just call me Dawn or Asha. Either one is fine with me." She told the other softly.
"Dawn it is then! You were pretty banged up when you got here, you realize that? Took Okelani a while to mend you back together and she's a pretty good healer!" Mirage told her as she stepped back and folded her arms.
"Umm . . . can I ask you a question?" Dawn asked.
"Shoot!"
"Why are you called Mirage?" Dawn asked her mind still a little fuzzy with sleep as she tried to work out the newest puzzle.
Mirage/Elena smiled. "Easy! Let me demonstrate!" She said cheerfully and than promptly disappeared. Dawn blinked in surprise. She was gone! "See? That's why I'm called Mirage!" The voice seemed to come from the air itself. Than suddenly, she was back, standing exactly as she had been before she had disappeared.
"Wow, that's an impressive gift! I wish I could do something that cool." Dawn muttered as she watched the other.
"From what I'm told, my gifts are nothing compared to yours! I hear you can do some pretty awesome stuff yourself!" Mirage said with a smile.
"Eh hem . . ." The throat clearing came from beyond the door, Mirage rolled her eyes.
"ALRIGHT! FINE! SHEESH!" She yelled in the direction of the door, than smiled at Dawn. "I'll talk to you later, there will be plenty of time to play catch up then. 'Hide wants to talk to you something fierce. He's been guarding that door for a long time now." She waved and walked out the door, stopping to talk to Ironhide. "Ya know, 'Hide, you're really rude sometimes."
"Bug'er off." Was his growled response as he walked past Mirage and into the room with Dawn. "You look like you feel better." He commented, giving her an approving look.
Dawn gave a small smile, feeling slightly intimidated by the weapons specialist. "I do feel better." She said shyly.
Ironhide settled himself next to her bed. "You can adjust the bed with that little remote beside you." He informed her softly as he gestured to the small remote hanging on the rail of her bed.
Dawn flushed slightly at her failure of noticing it sooner and nodded. "Yeah, thanks." She muttered lightly as she grabbed the remote and pushed the button to get her into an upright position. "No one pointed it out to me sooner." She muttered, taking a deep breath as she released the button, her bed now in an upright position. "So you wanted to see me?" She asked, wincing internally at how feeble her voice sounded.
Ironhide smiled suddenly. "You don't have to be afraid of me. I would never hurt you. Goes against everything I believe." He told her softly, his blue optics watching her patiently. Dawn didn't feel very reassured. "And about that incident in the hall, that was nothing. I and Mirage always have a tussle. We were just playin'." He told her with a slight chuckle.
"Have you ever had your weapons deactivated before?" Dawn asked in a small voice.
'Hide pursed his lips before answering. "Yes. But not for the reasons Mirage makes it sound. But not for quite a while, besides it's a long story." He told her softly, hoping to ease her mind a little.
"Sorry, I'm trying really hard not to be intimidated by your . . . you just look so . . . aggressive." Dawn hated how small and feeble her voice was sounding, she wished she could be more like Lyn, fearless and brave.
'Hide smiled gently down at her. "Think of me as your guardian angel. Anyone that wants to hurt you will have to come through me first." He told her, and this time, she did feel reassured.
Dawn smiled warmly, her fear easing off at the statement. "That helps me a lot." She said as she rested her head against the mattress. "So what did you want to see me about?" She asked again.
Ironhide shifted a little, Dawn turned and looked at him expectantly. "I heard how bad you were fairing and I just wanted to make sure everything was okay now. I mean, from what I've heard about you and your sister, you're the frail one of the two and I just thought I'd come and offer you protection. If you'll accept it, of course." He added the last quickly.
Dawn smiled. "I'd be honored. But, if I can ask, where did you learn about my sister and me?" She asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"I guess there isn't any harm in telling you. We picked up a signal from a Decepticon transmission; it was giving coordinates, descriptive detail, and all sorts of information about a wreck nineteen and some odd years ago and two small female offspring that had survived the crash. They sent about your unique ability of transferring life into electronics and machinery. We knew what that meant, so we rushed to the sent coordinates to try to intercept you two before they could close the deal." 'Hide explained as he gazed up at the ceiling, hoping that Optimus wouldn't mind his telling Dawn the story.
"Where did the Decepticons learn of us from? I mean, our planet was a backwater planet, so there isn't much way of word getting out." Dawn stated her confusion showing plainly on her face.
'Hide shrugged. "Don't know. Could have been any way, maybe one of the buggers landed on the planet to chart it and came across some government file about the two of you and thought Megatron would be interested. Maybe they had something to do with the ship that crashed all those years ago. Or maybe yet they had something to do with the entire ordeal, from your conception to your mother's mad escape, to the crash which landed you on the planet. The latter is unlikely, seeing as how Megatron could barely stand to look at fleshlings let alone work with one." He was saying when a sudden smirk crossed his face. "Must really irk ol' Megs that he has to work with a fleshling now!" He chuckled.
Dawn, who didn't know anything about Megatron failed to catch the irony. "Is my sister in danger?" She asked, fear rising to her throat.
'Hide shook his head. "Not for as long as ol' Megs needs her. Which could be the rest of her natural lifespan, or it could be until he manages to retrieve the Allspark."
Dawn blinked in confusion. "What exactly is the Allspark? Optimus mentioned it the first time we met, but I didn't think to ask for an explanation."
Ironhide sat back and thought for a moment. How did one explain the source of all life for their kind? "Well, hmm . . . it's difficult to explain. The Allspark is . . . well . . . simply the source of life for our kind." That was simple enough, he thought.
"What does it do?" She asked, still a little confused.
"Well, it . . ." He was starting to say when the puff-ball creature hopped up on Dawn's bed and startled both of them. "Bloody hell! Binkbee! Damn it!"
The little creature looked at Ironhide with what looked like a smile. "Bloody hell, damn it!" It repeated, than looked at Dawn and made a slight cooing sound.
Dawn took a moment to study the creature before her. It was calico, colored white, pink, and brown. It was very, very fluffy, its little legs barely poked through the fur. Long ears swiveled as 'Hide clenched and unclenched his fists; the creature looked back at Ironhide and gave a small chirp. "Yeah, you're cute. Now get lost!" 'Hide hissed the last and the little creature hopped down and trotted off.
"What is that thing?" Dawn asked, 'Hide shrugged.
"I can't remember what its species is called, but her name is Binkbee. And don't look at me about the name, I didn't name her!" He said with a snort.
"She can talk?" Dawn asked surprised that the little creature had repeated words Ironhide had said.
"Yeah, to an extent, she's a mimic. She can repeat words you tell her. But she knows a few words on her own. Like 'drink' and 'food' and her name." Than he growled as he thought about the next part. "Mirage is teaching her to say 'pretty shiny'. She's also a thief! If it's shiny she'll try to steal it. So watch what you have lying around." He cautioned her.
Dawn nodded slowly. "So, you were explaining the Allspark?" She reminded him as he seemed to have forgotten.
He winced internally. He had been hoping she'd been distracted enough to forget about that. "Right. Well, the Allspark gives life to theoretically anything. There have been planets that were previously charted as dead, and once the Allspark landed there, poof! Suddenly there was life! And not just any life, sentient life. There has been no solid proof that the Allspark gave the planets life, but that is what some of us suspect. But for our kind, it gives us our spark . . . umm . . . our soul, the core essence of our being. Much like your and your sister's powers actually, from what I've been told. It gives life." Ironhide almost winced at how badly he was explaining it. Why couldn't she have asked Ratchet or Optimus, they were much better at words than he.
But it seemed to be enough for Dawn. "I think I understand. The Allspark is your creator, so to speak."
'Hide winced. "In a manner, I guess you could say so. But the Allspark's power must be focused by an individual. So the Allspark is in fact just the power, the person wielding the Allspark is the true creator." He tried to clarify.
Dawn nodded. "I understand it a little better now. So where as your Allspark is simply power that has to be wielded . . . my sister and my powers make us both the power and the creator, since we give direction to the power."
Ironhide was relieved that she understood. "Yes, that's right." He said as he nodded, resettling himself on the floor.
Dawn fell silent, watching Ironhide, taking in the details of his build. While she was still a little intimidated, she felt a little better knowing that his massive cannons would be pointed at her enemies and not at her in particular. Let me never become his enemy, she thought pointedly as she was jerked out of her thoughts by a figure walking into the room.
"Ironhide, Jazz told me I might find you in here. You were supposed to meet me half an hour ago. But I can see that you're busy, so I'll just go." A man said from the doorway, turning to go.
"Wait, let me introduce you." 'Hide said as he gestured to the door. "This is Zandaros; he is the military leader of the planet on which we inhabit at the moment." Dawn frowned, wasn't she on a ship? "Zandar, this is Ashadawna, or as she prefers, Dawn or Asha."
Zandar walked up to the opposite side of Ironhide and stretched out a hand. "Nice to meet you finally. My wife has already started talking about you and she barely knows you! She acts as if you two have been friends for a long time." He chuckled to himself, than turned serious. "I am the biological mastermind of the military around here, along with a few other biological elements. My wife is an espionage expert, you already undoubtedly know about her special ability. Our resident healer, Okelani who also specializes in veterinary medicine, her special ability is to shape shift into the creatures she sees. With some exceptions of course. And finally, her husband, Nicolei, who is in charge of ammunition, as well as being an explosions expert and a pretty decent tactician." Dawn felt a little lost, Zandar sensed it and smiled. "Don't worry, there is no pop quiz or anything, you'll get to meet them all in due time. I don't expect you to remember them all now." Dawn took a moment to observe him, he was about 5'11 and looked handsome with a tan complexion and muscular build that she guessed came from all those years serving in the military. He had a strong facial set, clean shaven and short nearly black hair with hints of lighter brown when the light hit his hair just right and steel blue eyes that seemed to pierce straight through her. He was wearing a thin blue overcoat overtop a black shirt with what looked like a pair of black loose cargo pants with a military belt that contained more pockets than she could count, and was wearing white shoes. She noted a gold wedding band wrapped around his ring finger of his left hand.
"You're intimidating her with your wisdom." 'Hide said sarcastically to Zandar, who gave him the finger, Ironhide acted offended. "Not in front of a lady! Shame on you!" He scolded the military leader mockingly.
Zandar made another rude gesture before apologizing to Dawn. "Forgive me if I offend. Sometimes it's the only thing to get through his thick circuits." Dawn suppressed a smile. She didn't want to encourage them.
"I believe the lady might be hungry?" Ratchet asked from the doorway, a smaller figure in front of him.
"Yes, actually, I am." Dawn answered, grateful for a distraction from the two males who were glowering at each other.
The figure was a woman who was about 5'9 with wavy brown hair kept at shoulder length with hazel eyes, a heart shaped face with a tan complexion. She was wearing a flower print dress that was clinched just below her breasts. "Nice to see you doing so well, last I seen you, you were lying on my surgery bed dying." She smiled warmly and pulled a bedside table over to Dawn's side, placing a covered tray on it. "I don't know what you eat on your planet, but I hope you find our food to your liking." She said as she removed the cover and Dawn's hunger escalated.
"Alright, let the girl eat! All of you, out!" Ratchet snapped, shooing Zandaros out and grabbed a rough hold of Ironhide and practically dragging him out of the room. With all of them out, Ratchet smiled at the woman, left himself, and closed the door behind him.
"Feel free to eat, I know you're hungry. My name is Okelani. I'm the one who patched you back up! Who did that to you? I've seen simpler wounds from Decepticons!" Okelani exclaimed as she walked over and pulled up a chair beside the bed.
Dawn used the fork to poke at her food a little before getting the nerve to try a bite. "This is delicious!" She said excitedly, eager to change the subject.
Okelani wasn't so easily tilted. "Who hurt you?" She insisted.
Dawn felt her heart ache as she thought about it. "My twin." She said so softly Okelani almost didn't hear it. But Okelani could tell it was a painful subject.
"Oh." Was Okelani's only response, than she smiled, stood up and pushed the chair back to its original place. "In this dresser over here are some outfits that should fit you. I had them ready for you once I got your size. When you finish eating, feel free to get up and try them on, anything has to be more comfortable than that drafty thing." She said as she headed toward the door. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to push the comm. Okay?" Dawn nodded as she took another bite, glad for the upcoming solitude. "I'll see you later." Okelani said as she walked out.
With Okelani gone, Dawn studied her surroundings harder. The room was different than it had been before she woke up. Had they moved her while she had slept? Were they now on the base? Dawn sighed and just concentrated on eating. Food was what she needed right now. And a shower, Dawn thought distantly as she put another bite in her mouth.
Lyn stretched luxuriously on the crate, her back arching as she spread her wings out far. "That looks like it feels good." Starscream said with a smirk, resisting the urge to tip the crate over.
Lyn smiled at him upside down and shrugged, pulling herself out of the stretch. "Felt good, that's all that matters." She said as she settled herself back into a sitting position, holding her wings out to her sides. They had taken to doing these exercises on their free time to strengthen her muscles and tone them for flight. They had gotten at least seven hours a day for the past two days and Starscream had made her practice nearly every second of it. At first, Lyn had complained, but he had reminded her of her goal by taking her on short flights from the ship. Each time they returned, Lyn's resolution was astounding.
"Raise them up higher. You're not holding them straight. Level them out." Such admonitions were common to hear through out the exercise, and Lyn would always correct herself and do as Starscream commanded. She found herself as eager to please Starscream as she was Megatron, why, she wasn't entirely sure, but she found their praise to be music to her ears.
After nearly two more hours, the hanger bay door opened and Megatron came in, he smirked as he watched Starscream hold a balancing Lyn on his hand. His second had developed a quick bond with the little female. He would have to keep a tight watch on what the Seeker instilled within her. Megatron couldn't have his second ingraining thoughts of treason into Lyn's fresh mind. But he highly doubted that Starscream would try any of that as long as she was being treated fairly and kindly by himself.
Starscream looked over and stiffened. Megatron didn't come to get Lyn himself; he'd always sent another to retrieve her. Lyn sensed the change in Starscream and looked over. "Hi." She replied as she hopped off the Seeker's hand and glided down to the floor.
"What does us the honor of your presence, mighty Megatron?" Starscream could barely keep the resentment out of his voice. He still had two more hours of alone time with Lyn. He didn't like being interrupted.
Megatron gave Starscream a hard look. "I have a task for our young Ashalyn." Lyn folded her wings to her sides and walked over to Megatron, looking up at him.
"A task?" Lyn's interest was piqued. She was about to use her powers again! The thought sang through her mind like sweet rain to the desert.
Starscream suppressed a scowl. "A simple task, like all the others, I presume." He muttered darkly, upset that something so simple would interrupt his time. He could have waited another few hours, Starscream thought darkly as he glared at his leader. Lyn didn't seem to notice, or didn't care.
Megatron ignored his second. "I have something I want you to give life to. Come with me." He gestured to Starscream. "Carry her." Starscream grumbled, but was happy to comply.
"Hide your wings." Starscream muttered to her softly before he picked her up, Lyn quickly retracted her wings and let herself be carried as Starscream followed his leader. They were headed toward the more heavily used hanger bay. The ship toted three hanger bays, on different levels. It was a fairly large Decepticon vessel. One of the last. They followed Megatron until he came to a stop before a huge, intimidating machine. Lyn wasn't sure what it was, as she'd never seen it before, but she was certain whatever it was, it was wicked in a fight.
Megatron gestured to the machine. "Give it life, just like I told you how to." He commanded Lyn, his voice loud and carrying throughout the hanger, all activity stopped. Suddenly the eyes of dozens were on her. She swallowed past the sudden dread. Lyn took a deep breath and gathered her power within her, feeling it swell until she thought she would burst with it. Lyn walked over to the machine and placed her hand on its cool surface. She held the power until the air around her seemed to crackle with energy, than released it in a wave directed into the machine and stepped back. Megatron smiled as the machine shuddered and vibrated. Starscream watched, fascinated.
Suddenly the machine transformed, taking the form of a thirty-seven foot mech, he looked around him at Megatron and Starscream, than looked down at Lyn. "Hello creator." He said smoothly, Lyn felt the fine hairs on the back of her neck and arms stand on end. Something wasn't right. His arm rose smoothly, the huge cannon on his arm flickering to life. "Goodbye creator." As he said 'goodbye' Starscream jumped into action, diving, he grabbed Lyn and rolled right as a blast of something resembling napalm and plasma combined fired from the cannon.
Megatron frowned. It tried to kill her, it wasn't loyal. He found that incredibly odd. "Enough. She is of use to me, do not destroy her." He commanded the mech. The other stopped, and looked up at Megatron. "I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. What are you called?"
"I am Incinerator." The mech replied with malice, his cannon charging again as he looked back toward Starscream and a very pale, much shaken Lyn.
"Leave her be. She has her uses. She holds no power over you." Megatron assured Incinerator. He powered down his cannon and relaxed, still glaring a death glare at Lyn.
The mech, Incinerator, turned to Megatron and gave a small bow. "I live to serve you, Lord Megatron." He said smoothly, Megatron couldn't suppress the grin. Lyn had created a pure Decepticon. And no loyalty issues, he thought with satisfaction as he watched Lyn.
"Take her to her room to calm down." Megatron commanded his second in command. Starscream was happy to oblige.
Lyn didn't know what to say. Her creation had attacked her. It hadn't been like that since she first started creating them! She could still feel the heat that had radiated off of the blast in her shoulder. Starscream bore light scorch marks from where he had been hit by part of the blast. "You saved me." Lyn sounded awestruck as she looked up at Starscream.
"I couldn't let you die. What was I suppose to do?" Starscream asked her, mildly irritated and in pain from the burns.
Lyn looked at Starscream's arm and shoulder and winced. "Does it . . . hurt?" She asked, running a psychic touch over the scorched metal.
Starscream flinched a little and shuddered at the touch. "A little, but I've had much worse, it's nothing." He told Lyn as he continued walking.
"Will you stay with me in my room for a while?" Lyn asked, her voice sounding weak.
Starscream was about to say something mean when he looked down and saw the distress in her eyes. He sighed. "Yes, of course." Starscream relented as he turned down another hallway.
The rest of their walk was in silence, Lyn was still struggling to overcome her terror at what had just about happened and Starscream was trying to ignore the pain in his arm, shoulder and back. When they finally arrived at Lyn's room he was nearly about to throw a tantrum about Megatron's lack of concern for Lyn's safety. He could have reached Lyn with remarkable ease! But no! He'd expected me to do it! Starscream was about to vocalize this as he sat Lyn down, but something unexpected happened. Lyn looked up at him with watery blue eyes, her lower lip quivering and said in a trembling voice: "He tried to kill me . . . why would he want to do that?"
Starscream lowered himself to the floor beside Lyn. "That's a Decepticon for you." He answered softly, knowing it wouldn't ease her pain any.
"But I created him . . . they've always been loyal to me before!" She cried, a tear rolling down the side of her face.
Starscream lowered a hand down to Lyn and she went automatically to it, she clung to him and cried hard. He felt a bit sorry for her. After all, he'd been shot at more times than he cared to think about, and this was probably the first time she'd gotten this close to death before. Starscream sighed and stroked her back absently with a finger while she cried. "It's okay. I stopped him." Starscream murmured over and over again to her while she cried. At least I'm bonding with her while Megatron's not, he thought grimly as he continued to comfort Lyn.
Suddenly Lyn's whole attitude changed, Starscream could sense it like a switch within her. She pulled away from him and stepped back out of his hand. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Lyn face was blank, only the tear stains on her cheeks and red eyes were proof that she'd just recently been crying.
Starscream shook his head at her. "I promise I won't tell anyone that you cried. It's okay to let your guard down around me. I promise I won't use that against you." He told Lyn, watching her expression closely.
Lyn remained guarded and stiff. "I shouldn't have shown weakness. I had no right to cry. Forgive me. You took a blow for me. I owe you one. Thank you." She told him, giving Starscream a slight bow of respect.
Starscream was a little taken aback; she didn't show Megatron this kind of respect. Not even once! "You have nothing to be forgiven of, you did nothing wrong. I hardly expect you to be war-hardened just yet. You're young. You didn't expect it. It's through no fault of your own." He reassured her as he held his hand out once more for her. Lyn looked at his hand for a moment, than felt her resolve dissolve as she slide back into his gentle grip, he lifted her carefully to and held her close to his face. "You have a right to be upset. It's okay. You can show me how you feel. I won't betray you." He murmured to her softly.
Lyn nodded and tears whelmed up in her eyes again. "Thank you." She simply said as she relaxed in his grip, wrapping her arms around one of his fingers. Starscream simply held her for an undisclosed time, he didn't even check his internal clock to see how long she remained in his grip, relaxed and secure in the knowledge that he was there.
As long as she continues to trust me, I can gain more trust this way. The closer I get to her, the closer I get to fulfilling my goal. He thought as he struggled to keep the smirk off of his face. A knock at her door jolted both out of their thoughts. Starscream cursed lightly under his breath as he set Lyn down by her bed and went to the door. He was about to curse out the intruder when he blinked in surprise. "Megatron! What are you doing here?" The contempt was clearly evident in his voice.
"Checking on my charge." Megatron answered just as maliciously. He shoved past Starscream and looked at Lyn. "Are you okay? Perhaps you should get checked out." Megatron said with worry in his voice as he looked over her shoulder which had turned a deep red from where the burn was setting in.
Starscream frowned, he didn't recall seeing the burn . . . and he'd been with her for quite a while. How could that have escaped my notice! Starscream demanded of himself as he mentally cursed himself for not paying closer attention. "I will take her to the med bay." He offered, willing to do anything to spend more time with Lyn.
Megatron shook his head. "No. I will take her . . . she is my responsibility. She is my charge." At the last he sent a hateful glare at the Seeker. Megatron was well aware of the bonding time Lyn and Starscream had acquired and needed to make up for the lack of time to spend with her. Being the leader of the remaining Decepticons made little time to do even little else.
Lyn looked at her shoulder and winced. At least I know why I felt sympathy pain for Starscream. She muttered to herself as she walked over to Megatron. "I don't think there is much your medic can do for me. I'm not a mech." She pointed out, but Megatron shook his head.
"We've taken care of fleshlings before; you would be surprised what we are capable of doing." He informed her a little more coldly than he intended. He flinched inwardly. Good job, scare her farther away, he chided himself as he reached down and gently picked her up.
Lyn felt the distance between her and Starscream as she was carried away, she cast a forlorn look at the Seeker before disappearing, and she saw her expression mirrored in the other one. I wonder what he feels for me. Is it all an act? Is this a Decepticon trick to gain my trust, should I trust him? Lyn battled with herself as Megatron carried her toward the med bay, (a.k.a repair bay).
Megatron looked down at the suddenly fragile Ashalyn. She could have died today. If Starscream didn't make that dive to save her, she would have, he thought bitterly as he shook himself mentally and spoke to Lyn in a deep reassuring tone. "You have nothing further to fear from Incinerator. He will not endanger you again."
Lyn looked up at Megatron. When her eyes met his optics he could tell she'd been crying earlier. "I am no longer worried about him." Her voice was steady and even, her fear was well concealed. Had it not been for his ability to look within her vitals, he certainly would have missed it.
Megatron sighed and let her brood in her silence. I have to spend more time with her; she and Starscream are getting too close together. He thought as he walked into the med bay. Lyn recognized Bonecrusher right away and was surprised to see him tending to another Decepticon. Before she could ask, Megatron answered her unasked question. "Bonecrusher is our acting medic for the time being. He is quite skilled as such, despite what most think of him." Lyn was impressed; her first impression of the behemoth was that he was a hardcore fighter and nothing else. She was watching him use great care doing some delicate work on another Decepticon's damaged internals.
Bonecrusher looked up briefly before going back to his work. "What brings you here?" He asked while focusing on the patient before him.
"Lyn was attacked and while she escaped death . . . She did not escape from being harmed completely. She is burned." Megatron stated as he looked back to Lyn's deep red shoulder.
Bonecrusher stopped his work on the Decepticon and walked over to inspect Lyn. He gestured to a surgery table to set Lyn down on and Megatron obeyed. The irony of the leader of the Decepticons obeying a mere medic was not lost upon him. Bonecrusher scanned the shoulder, checking the burn for its heat signature and how big the injury was. "It needs attention." He grunted.
Lyn, who hated doctors no matter what kind of doctor they were, raised her head up defiantly. "It's fine!" Lyn snapped, trying to puff herself up. She winced as the motion caused her shoulder to throb painfully.
Bonecrusher was used to such statements. "It's getting worse. And it's gonna get infected . . . at best. I can either treat you now and save the arm, or we can wait until it has gotten infected and we can replace your arm with a bionic one once the infection gets out of hand. Which will happen fairly quickly without the wound being tended too. This is not a sterile environment. Or the residue will slowly eat through your flesh and bone until there is nothing else to eat through." He told her flatly as he eyed the wound suspiciously.
Lyn deflated slightly. Replace my arm? Could it really get that bad? She asked herself as she eyed the mech before her warily. "Could it really get that bad?" She asked the fear in her voice evident.
Bonecrusher sighed with patience. "Very quickly . . . usually within one day. Sometimes the infection is treatable, but the other is not. I suggest you take my advice and allow me to treat the wound." Lyn looked back at Megatron who nodded encouragingly.
"Fine . . . you win . . ." Lyn surrendered as she slumped down in defeat. She seldom ever won battles with doctors anyway. They always had good points and usually treated her whether she wanted it or not.
Bonecrusher nodded and left Lyn's bedside, gathering a few things from a distant cabinet. Lyn felt her stomach clench in fear at what her treatment might ensue. "Do not fear. This will not be painless, but it should be tolerable." He reassured her as he returned and set down what he had gathered.
"How many fleshlings have you treated in your life?" Lyn asked as she watched Bonecrusher bring a small piece of cloth out and pour a small amount of liquid onto it.
"Six." Bonecrusher answered as he gently held the cloth beside her wounded shoulder. "This is going to hurt." He informed Lyn as he let her take a second to brace herself before placing the cloth against her shoulder.
The pain that ripped through Lyn brought out a scream of pain. She was totally unprepared for the agony the cloth had brought on. Megatron winced at the sound, she definitely has good lungs, he thought as he wished he could comfort her. But the scream ended as sharply as it had begun, Lyn regained control over her body and simply shook as he rested the cloth against her shoulder. "You're doing well." Megatron reassured her softly as tears fell down her face from the pain.
"This is by far the worst part. I have to clean off the plasma residue. If I didn't it would keep eating through your skin until it reached bone, than it would slowly eat through that as well. This is what I was speaking of earlier. It will only be a few minutes more." Bonecrusher told her softly, his deep voice lulling her into a trance-like state because of the pain. "I have to get a new cloth; it will take me a second, than the pain will return." Lyn nodded as he removed the cloth, the pain didn't lessen, it increased as the air hit the plasma residue and it began eating again.
How did I not feel this earlier?! Lyn asked herself through her haze of pain as she watched Bonecrusher make another cloth in record time, than placed it back on her shoulder. She bit her lip hard to avoid screaming again. A thin line of blood ran down her chin from how much she was biting her lip. Megatron and Bonecrusher both flinched at the sight, she would probably gain a sore in her mouth by doing so Bonecrusher figured, but at least she didn't scream again.
She's strong for a fleshling, I'll give her that much. Bonecrusher sent to Megatron as he worked.
That she is. Have you done this to others before? Megatron hadn't really wanted to ask, but he couldn't remember those six times Bonecrusher had worked on fleshlings.
Once, and it didn't go over nearly as well as this. They went into shock and died. Megatron was sorry he'd asked, now he felt a new worry for the fleshling. But she appeared no worse for wear. "Hang in there, we're almost finished." Bonecrusher murmured to Lyn as he removed the cloth and quickly prepared another one. He flinched at the angry wound that was appearing.
Lyn took the opportunity to look over at her shoulder and gasped. "It's getting worse! I thought you were supposed to be making it better!" She snapped breathlessly.
Bonecrusher shrugged. "That's the bad thing about plasma, once the right ingredient hits it, it eats through faster. I had to put that one there to remove it, but the bad side of it is that it speeds up the process slightly." He informed her as he placed the cloth back on her shoulder. Lyn hissed through her teeth at the pain.
Lyn glared darkly at him as she blinked past the tears of agony. "Slightly?" She growled, but the medic just shrugged. She took a deep shaky breath. "Don't you have another 'patient' to go back to?" She asked through gritted teeth, trying to get her mind on something other than the pain.
"I can work on him at leisure; he's in no immediate threat of deactivation. You however . . . are another matter. How did you get yourself into this mess?" Bonecrusher asked as he monitored Lyn's vitals closely for any sign of lethal complications. So far, so good, he thought grimly as he continued.
"I created a Decepticon for Megatron." She muttered darkly.
"And do all your creations try to kill you?" He inquired, doing his best to distract her.
"No. They're loyal to me, usually, or at least have enough respect in me that they don't shoot at me or try to kill me." She muttered as she took another deep shaky breath.
"Evidently this one wasn't very loyal." Bonecrusher commented. Lyn glared back at Megatron.
"No. He wasn't." She growled as her blue eyes glared daggers at Megatron, who did his best to ignore it.
"You're lucky you escaped with so little damage. It could have been much worse." Bonecrusher informed Lyn casually as he removed the cloth and quickly used another piece damp with the liquid to replace it. This time it didn't burn nearly as badly as the last. Lyn was grateful for that to say the least. "See? It's getting better." He reassured her as he gave her a small smile.
Lyn's wet face gave her an almost pathetic look, Megatron could almost bet that she hated how vulnerable she was at the moment. She wasn't exactly the kind of person who took kindly to being vulnerable. She preferred being strong and ruthless. Being vulnerable meant you were weak, in her eyes. "How much longer?" Lyn whimpered, no longer trying to mask her agony.
Megatron felt sorry for her. He knew from experience what kind of damage plasma cannons could do to one of their kind. But to a fleshling, it was much more severe. If the pain was enough to cause one of their kind to 'black out' than he could imagine the hell that Lyn was experiencing. "Not much longer now." Megatron told her softly, wishing he could touch her to send her more comfort.
"Once more, than we'll be finished. You're doing very well." Bonecrusher encouraged her gently as he replaced the cloth with a new one. Lyn hissed in pain, squeezing her eyes shut as tears slid down her cheeks.
The remaining minutes of treatment were the slowest she'd ever experienced. She'd been hurt seriously before during the 'punishment' the government military had dealt her, but none of it compared to this! Her mind desperately wanted to do nothing more than to pass out, but she refused to give in. She had to prove that she was stronger than that! Her will and determination kept her awake, if not entirely alert.
Finally, Bonecrusher removed the cloth and gave her wound a thorough check. Most of the skin had been eaten through. He was surprised that she wasn't bleeding worse than she was, there was barely any blood running freely, and already he could see where the deeper parts of her wound were trying to clot and close. Take a look at this. Bonecrusher informed Megatron as he gestured lightly to the wound. Megatron watched and saw what Bonecrusher was referring too. Her healing speed is remarkable. I don't think I've ever encountered a biological creature with such fast regeneration. He commented.
Megatron grunted softly. That is quite impressive. Do you think it will heal neatly? Or do you fear infection still? He asked the medic.
The faster it heals, the less likelihood of an infection taking a hold. But not the entire wound is healing fast. Note these parts over here; they are not healing at all. These are the parts I am worried about. Bonecrusher told Megatron as he gestured to the areas of his concern. Megatron nodded. "I will dress the wound in something that should help prevent infection, and place an ointment on it to ensure rapid healing." Bonecrusher told Lyn as she wiped her eyes with her undamaged hand. She nodded, but stayed silent. He did what he promised and once finished looked her over again. "I will need to see you in a few days to check on that. If it starts to hurt worse or anything changes, have someone bring you to me immediately." He placed a finger under her chin to lift her face to meet his optics. "It's vitally important. If it gets infected, the quicker we treat it, the less the pain and cost to you." Bonecrusher told her, looking directly in Lyn's eyes.
Lyn nodded, slightly intimidated by the massive finger under her chin. "Okay . . . I promise." She said weakly. Bonecrusher released her chin and nodded to Megatron.
"You can take her now, she'll probably want rest." Bonecrusher said as he turned and went back to the Decepticon in stasis on the other side of the room.
Megatron gestured for her to stand, she did so awkwardly. He gently grabbed her, being mindful not too accidentally hit or brush her wounded shoulder. "I'm sure you want to go back to your room." Megatron murmured softly to her. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak just yet.
The walk back seemed to take forever, but once Lyn was safe within her room she looked up at Megatron. "Can you see if Starscream will see me?" Megatron felt his circuits sizzle at the thought of her wanting Starscream, but smiled politely for her.
"I'll check for you." Megatron told Lyn nicely, hating Starscream for all the attention he was getting from young Lyn. I'll rip his spark out if he tries to use her against me! Megatron growled to himself as he looked down at Lyn with a smile. "Anything else I can do for you?" Lyn shook her head, walked over to her bed and laid down carefully.
"Tell him I really need to talk to him." She muttered the exhaustion heavy in her voice.
"I will." He promised as he left the room. Once outside Megatron clenched his hand into a fist and growled into his comm. "Starscream."
"What!" Snapped Starscream impatiently obviously he was either busy or plotting again.
"Lyn wants to know if you have time for her." Megatron said, doing his best not to grind his teeth together.
"When?" This time the response wasn't as short-tempered as the last. Megatron thought he could hear 'clanking' in the background.
"Now." Megatron growled.
There was a loud metallic 'clang' and several choice curse words, followed by: "Now? I thought she'd be resting after Bonecrusher was through with her. Now?" He asked again.
"What part of that word do you not understand?!" Megatron snapped, his patience was already very thin and the Seeker wasn't helping matters any.
"I'll be there as quickly as I can." Starscream answered before disconnecting the link.
"Why do I put up with this slaggin' shit?" Megatron growled as he cast one last look at Lyn's door before walking back to his office to think.
Lyn lay on her bed for what felt like a long time. Her shoulder throbbed painfully; her head was starting to match her shoulder in agony, and knew sleep would elude her for the next few days. Lyn had her free arm draped over her eyes to block out the light. She didn't want the room dark, but she also didn't want the light in her eyes. "How do I get myself into these messes . . .?" Lyn asked herself, her voice still drawn with pain. Her mind instantly drifted back to those few moments after she had created Incinerator. She shuddered. Those words . . . 'Hello creator . . . Goodbye creator' still haunted her. She had never had one of her creations that turned on her acknowledge her as its creator before trying to kill her. "There will probably be more instances of that too." She muttered darkly.
"It isn't good to talk to yourself; people will think you're crazy." Starscream's voice made her jump.
Lyn smiled in spite of herself. "It's fine to talk to yourself, as long as you don't start answering yourself." She muttered as she peeked under her arm to look for the Seeker.
Starscream was mildly interested in what Lyn wanted him there for. She was always so fiercely independent, why did she want him there while she was at a weak moment? He noticed her searching for him and walked over to the side of the bed and lowered himself down. "I'm here." Starscream reassured her as he saw her lock onto him; she went back to covering her eyes.
"Thank you for coming. I didn't honestly think you would . . ." Lyn mumbled, her face flushing slightly beneath her hand, Starscream noticed.
"I figured you would want to be alone. But since you asked for me, I came." He answered her dismissively.
Lyn gave a small snort, but didn't say anything to contradict Starscream. She could still hardly believe that he had come.
"Was there . . . a reason for me to come?" Starscream forced his irritation down so that it did not show in his voice.
Lyn sighed and unshielded her eyes, the other reason they were shielded was because she was still crying over what Incinerator did and the pain she was going through, it was all too much for her. "Yes." She answered feebly. "I didn't want to be alone." She said in a small voice, looking up at Starscream through her tears.
Starscream immediately felt all of his irritation leave him. Lyn was vulnerable, she felt weak and she chose to let him see it. This did not escape his notice. Lyn was trusting him, and hoping he'd not betray that trust. "I'll stay here as long as you want me too." Starscream told Lyn softly, reaching out with a finger to gently stroke her uninjured side.
She smiled, comforted by the words and touch. The absence of her twin was starting to get to her. They had seldom been separated for longer than a week, and while it had not yet been a week, the finality of Dawn's absence was weighting heavily on Lyn.
"Wanna share your thoughts?" Starscream asked, watching the pain wash through her eyes.
"I miss my sister . . . I didn't think it would be this hard . . ." Lyn answered weakly, locking her eyes on his optics.
Starscream shifted uncomfortably. This was dangerous ground. He knew it. "I am sure it is a hard road to travel. Being twins, I'm sure you have shared everything your whole lives . . . but everyone must travel down their own road eventually. She has chosen her road, just as you have chosen yours. It is . . . unfortunate that your roads went in different directions." He said carefully, choosing his words delicately.
Lyn took a deep steadying breath and nodded. "I just wish she'd chosen my road." She said weakly.
Starscream stroked Lyn's side reassuringly. "I know, maybe some day she will be at your side again." He caught her eye and smiled playfully. "Maybe we'll kidnap her and make her see that at your side is where she belongs."
Lyn smiled in spite of her depression, than her smile faded as she saw Incinerator again. She shuddered. "I keep seeing him . . ." She whimpered softly, covering her face with one hand.
Starscream didn't need to ask who it was that she kept seeing, he already knew. He sighed, regretting that he could do little else to comfort Lyn. "You're safe; he's not going to hurt you any more. We'll protect you." He murmured softly to Lyn, still stroking a finger down her side. She nodded slightly, her face still hidden behind her hand, but Starscream could tell from the way her body shook slightly that she was crying. "Was this the first time a creation has turned on you?" He asked gently, he would guess 'yes' from how she was reacting to this.
Lyn moved her hand away from her face and looked through watery eyes at Starscream. "When I was little, my creations had no purpose and were driven mad by that, they attacked everything around them, including me . . . but when I got older and learned what was needed to give them proper life, they never attacked me after that. They seemed to appreciate me for giving them life and were loyal to me as a result. That loyalty always got them killed . . . but in the end, well, I guess I didn't see what happened with Incinerator as possible." She took a shaky breath. "He was my creation . . . why did he betray me?" Her eyes started to fill up with tears again as she shook her head. "I hope I don't encounter him again . . . I couldn't bare the thought of being attacked again." Lyn hated how weak and feeble her voice sounded, but it felt good to be vulnerable this time. It eased the sense of loss she was feeling due to Dawn's absence and her creation's betrayal.
Starscream smiled slightly at the thought of Lyn trusting him with her vulnerability. It meant his plans of gaining her trust were succeeding. The thought sent a thrill of excitement through him. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Megatron would not let any harm come to you."
Lyn gave him a humorless smirk. "Like he protected me today?" She snorted softly. "If you hadn't have jumped in to save me when you did, I would be dead now." Her voice softened a little. "I owe you a lot. Thank you." She averted her eyes by turning her head to the side. Her tears spilled over her cheek onto the bedspread, leaving a wet spot.
Starscream gave her a weak smile. "It was mostly out of instinct." He admitted. "I saw what was happening and moved into action before I really had a chance to think about it." He thought about the whole ordeal again. As soon as Incinerator had said 'Hello creator' he knew instantly what was going to happen, even before the mech's arm had risen to point the cannon at her. He had jumped into action as soon as his fears were confirmed. And it still had not been quick enough. She has still been injured, just how severely would yet be determined. He knew Bonecrusher hadn't told Lyn and probably didn't tell Megatron either for that matter that plasma burns proceeded to get much worse before they got better. Her returning in a few days would mark the end of the stage in the plasma's life of destroying tissue, even with it mostly cleaned off; the damage done would still continue to get worse. The thought of Lyn losing her arm made Starscream feel a pang of sympathy for her.
Lyn gave him a calculating look. "Still . . . if it hadn't been for your quick reflexes, I'd be dead. That means something to me, if nothing to you." She replied after a moderate silence.
Starscream sighed in contentment. He liked the fact that Lyn believed she owed him, it gave him many more options. "Alright . . . fine . . . I agree, you owe me." He said lightly. Starscream rested his hand at Lyn's side, watching her eyes as they began to droop a little. "You need to sleep."
With that Lyn's eyes snapped fully open, a momentary look of terror crossed them before she regained control. "No! I'm fine." She fought back the rising panic at being alone in the dark.
"You really do need your rest. You'll be fine. Rest is what will help you to heal. You do yourself no good by staying awake until you crash from exhaustion." Starscream told her firmly, if not gently.
Lyn sighed forlornly. I should have known I couldn't get him to stay with me while I slept, she thought sadly, wishing in vain that Dawn were here to comfort her while she slept. "Fine, you're right, I am very tired . . . but the idea of sleeping alone, with the lights off is not exactly an appealing thought." Lyn confessed as she blinked past her exhaustion.
Starscream pursed his lips together. This is an invitation to stay . . . do I take it? Or should I leave her alone tonight? He asked himself as he looked at Lyn thoughtfully. He sighed. "How about if I stay with you tonight while you sleep? So you will know that you are protected and safe." Starscream suggested, thinking of how much more trust he would gain from such a feat. He'd spent his recharge sitting upright before, it wasn't the most comfortable thing in the universe, but it was definitely doable.
Lyn smiled in relief. "You'd do that for me?" Starscream smiled and nodded. "I can't tell you how much I would appreciate that!"
"You'll just owe me again." He said dismissively.
Lyn gave a light chuckle. "That I would . . . though I don't have the slightest hint how to repay you for your kindness." She said as hope flooded through her.
Starscream chortled lightly. "I'm sure I'll think of something in due time." He told Lyn as he gestured to her bed. "Shouldn't you think about climbing into bed?"
Lyn blushed slightly; she still had to prepare to get into bed, which meant she'd have to dress with Starscream in the room with her. He's a mech! Does it really matter what he sees? Organics probably aren't what gets his circuits heated. She chastised herself as she carefully sat up and stood. "I have to get ready for bed first. I learned long ago, it's not good to sleep in your clothes." Lyn told him as she walked over to her small dresser and pulled out a night shirt, which was actually just a really long t-shirt. She gave Starscream a pointed look. "I'd appreciate it if you'd look the other way?" She made it a question so as not to offend him.
Starscream chuckled and turned himself slightly to the side to give her privacy. As he heard her start to remove clothing, he turned his head slightly to watch. Despite her loose clothing, she had a beautiful figure. Unlike what most beings thought, mechs did enjoy looking at beauty, whether it be mechanoid or organic. Lyn was the embodiment of beauty. Lyn's skin was pale and soft pink scars marred her back. He wondered what caused the scars; they looked like they had been painful when they were fresh. She was moving carefully to avoid hurting her shoulder as she pulled the shirt on over her head.
"You can look now." She told Starscream as she picked up a brush and started to brush her hair. Starscream turned fully to see Lyn. The shirt came to mid-thigh, and rose a little higher when she raised her arm to stroke her hair. A wicked looking scar ran across the front of her left thigh, Starscream frowned slightly.
"What caused that scar?" He inquired, wondering if any other eyes aside from her sister had ever lay eyes or in his case optics on Lyn's flesh before.
Lyn looked confused for a moment, than followed his line of sight. "Oh. It happened when I created one of you out of a vehicle I was given, I have matching ones on my back as well. They 'punished' me for a solid month. They healed for a little while, but eventually they stopped healing. They were open for a very long time." She told him as she continued to brush her hair.
Starscream nodded, trying to envision what caused such massive damage. "What did they use?"
Lyn shrugged, her eyes growing distant. "A couple of things like a taser wand, a small hand-held whip, and a baton." Starscream heard the level of anger rising in her voice, so he quickly changed the subject. He'd return to that one later, when she was feeling better.
"It didn't hurt to badly, what Bonecrusher did to you, did it?" Starscream asked her, showing the right amount of concern in his voice, slightly surprised that not all of it was fake.
"It hurt, a lot!" Lyn emphasized the last with a wince. "I don't think I've ever felt that kind of pain in my entire life! I don't care to repeat it either!" She shuddered as she put the brush down and walked back over to the bed. Pulling the covers back, she crawled in when Starscream told her he'd hit the light. "Thanks." She muttered as she carefully lowered herself down into the soft blankets and mattress.
"Not a problem. Just try to get a good night's sleep." Starscream told her as he scooted himself to rest against the wall beside Lyn's bed, he made himself as comfortable as possible and rested his head against the wall after flipping off the light. He could still easily see her in the darkness, but he knew she'd be unable to definably see him.
"Goodnight, Starscream." Lyn muttered sleepily as she started to nod off.
"Sleep well, little Lyn." Starscream told her as he allowed himself to shut off his optics and get some of his own recharge underway. He made a mental note to stay in his recharge lightly, so if anything happened, he'd be alert before a heartbeat had passed.