Authors Note: Just wanted to apologize for how long it's been between updates!!! I'm soooo sorry!!! Please forgive me!!!! But with two kids, and a hectic life, its hard to spend the time to sit down with my husband and proof read what I've written and I refuse to post something that has errors!! Even though I'm sure it STILL has errors, at least MOST of them have been taken care of!! Please read and review?! Reviews make me happy and brighten up my day and encourage me to bagger my husband into proof-reading with me. So please, PLEASE review?! Please??????? Thanks! Enjoy the story!! If you have any questions just ask and I'll clear it up for ya!!
Chapter four:
Lyn was lying in bed, she knew Starscream was beside her, resting against the wall. She heard the sound of the door hiss, she frowned. "Starscream, are you there?" She called softly.
There was an evil chuckle. "Hello creator." She heard a soft whining sound and saw the flickering light of the cannon as it charged softly for use.
Lyn shook her head in denial. "No . . . NO! You can't be here! They said you'd stay away from me!" She cried as she felt panic rise up in her throat.
Another maniacal laugh, she could barely make out the form of Incinerator as he stood looming up over the bed, the cannon held just inches from her face. "You are never safe from me. Goodbye creator." He said as a blinding flash as green lit the room and a scalding hot sensation ripped through her . . .
The high pitched scream ripped through the corridor as Starscream leapt to his feet, cannons charged and ready to fire before his mind could register what was happening. He flipped on the light at the same time the door slid open and Barricade came rushing in. "What the hell is going on?!" He demanded, eyeing Starscream's charged cannons as they pointed at him out of reflex.
Starscream lowered his cannons and knelt down instantly to Lyn, who was wide-eyed with terror, very pale and shaking visibly. "It's okay . . . it's just a bad dream." He said smoothly to her, without looking at Barricade he spoke. Have you heard about our newest member? Incinerator?
Barricade grunted an acknowledgement. Who hasn't? He nearly took out Ashalyn. That story's been around twice already. He informed the Seeker.
She was deeply bothered by it. This is the first time she's come face to face with death and it has a face. She just had a nightmare. Starscream told him as he continued to comfort Lyn, saying soothing words to her.
Lyn looked over at Barricade warily. "How'd you get here so fast?" She asked the fear deeply embedded in her voice.
Barricade shrugged. "I was patrolling the corridor. Wasn't hard to guess where the scream had come from. I was afraid someone might be trying to hurt you." He told her.
Lyn gave a weak, shaky smile. "Thanks for checking up on me."
Barricade gave her a nod. "My honor. Now since Starscream is here, I will leave you two alone." You will have to tell me sometime why you were in here in the first place and not in your own room. Barricade sent to Starscream, who glared at Barricade. Shrugging, Barricade just walked out, closing the door behind him.
"Feeling better yet?" Starscream asked Lyn, rubbing her back with a finger.
Lyn gave a small smile which faded quickly, replaced by a sudden loss of color. "He tried to kill me again. He was in my room; he shot at me point blank." She said softly, Starscream didn't think it was possible for her face to get any paler.
"Shush. It's alright now; it was only a bad dream. You're safe; no one will harm you while I'm here." He reassured Lyn softly, gently pressing her back down against the bed. "Try to sleep. You will feel better in the morning." Starscream told her, making note of the lack of resistance as Lyn laid down obediently.
She murmured something unintelligible and closed her eyes. Starscream hit the light again and resumed his resting place at Lyn's side. At least some of the night could be salvaged. He thought, wincing at how trying the next day was going to be on a half-recharge. Oh well, wasn't like he hadn't gone without a decent recharge in the past. With that, Starscream slipped back into recharge, only after listening to the deep even breathing of Lyn.
The sound of the door opening brought Starscream out of his recharge with a start. He raised his cannon defensively at the intrusion. "Relax, unless you intend to try." Megatron's lilting voice drove the remaining fatigue from his mind.
"Sorry. It's been a rough night." Starscream muttered as he lowered his weapon and looked over at Lyn, wincing slightly as he realized she was sleeping on her wounded shoulder.
"How was it a rough night?" Megatron asked, walking over to the bedside next to the Seeker.
Starscream cringed as he thought about the nightmare Lyn had woken up from. "I'm surprised Barricade didn't tell you in the report for last night's patrol." He mumbled as he glanced back at Lyn before looking at his leader once more. He sighed and recounted the nightmare.
Megatron had figured it bothered Lyn, but he was a little irritated to find out how deeply it had upset her. Her weakness wasn't what irritated him; it was his lack of being there for her that irritated him so much. His second had sheltered her from the torment that her dream had given her. "And she slept the rest of the night? No more nightmares?" Starscream shook his head. Megatron took a deep breath. "I have a mission for you. You will take a group to go and retrieve the energon from the coordinates I give to you. Than you are to return directly back with what you manage to get away with. It's a simple mission, I'm sure you can do it." He said with a mocking smile.
Starscream growled softly. "Why do I have to lead such a simple mission, I'm sure there are other qualified . . ."
Megatron interrupted him sharply. "You will do as you are told. Go gather your wingmates and go to bay 3; the others are waiting for you."
"What about Lyn, she shouldn't be alone." Starscream protested, knowing the fear she would feel when she woke to find her room empty.
"I will see to that . . . Dismissed." Megatron said with a finality that made Starscream realize there was no getting out of the mission. Starscream gave Lyn one last look before leaving the room to do as he was commanded. Once the Seeker was gone, Megatron settled himself down against the wall that Starscream had recently occupied and waited for Lyn to wake up. By her standards, it was still very early; her days were remarkably shorter than theirs. He allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction for getting rid of Starscream; this would give him some vital time alone with Lyn. This day would be spent with her testing the limits of her power. What she had wanted to do for a while now and he'd never had time for. Now he finally had time.
Lyn felt her mind slowly come back to the waking world. Throbbing pain was her first waking sensation, she groaned softly as she rolled carefully off of her bandaged shoulder. "Good morning." The deep voice rumbled softly, Lyn was confused for a moment, it wasn't Starscream's voice. She opened her eyes and looked over.
"Megatron? Where's Starscream?" She asked groggily, wiping her face with a hand.
"He had a mission that needed his attention. We will be spending the day together, if you don't mind." Megatron told Lyn as he watched her struggle into an upright position. He flipped the lights on and frowned at the bloodstain that had seeped through the bandage. "But it looks like we'll have to pay Bonecrusher a visit first." Megatron informed her as he watched her move to the side of her bed. "Does it hurt?"
Lyn nodded. "Yeah, it does. I didn't mean to sleep on it . . . guess I just rolled over on it during the night and never rolled off." She looked over at her wounded shoulder, there were heavy bloodstains seeping through, she glanced back at her bedcovers and flinched as she saw bloodstains in the sheets as well. "There is a little too much blood . . ." She mumbled as she stood up and stretched. Megatron admired her body as she stretched, letting his optics stroll the length of her. Lyn resettled herself and walked over to her dresser and pulled open the drawer. "What's on the schedule for today?" She asked, glancing back.
"We're going to test your powers after we see Bonecrusher, if you feel up for it that is." Megatron told Lyn as he watched her sift through her clothes until she pulled out a sleeveless tank top and a long skirt.
"Look that way, please." Lyn stated as she set the clothes across a chair.
Megatron turned his head, but kept his sights on Lyn. Her body was near perfection, marred only by several pink scars across her body, he made a mental note of them as he watched Lyn pull the tank top over her head and adjust it, than pull the skirt on and tie the strings tight so it wouldn't fall off. She made a few last minute adjustments before telling him it was okay to look. Megatron turned his head back and smiled. Her tank top was low-cut, not too low, but low enough to show a good bit of cleavage. "You look beautiful." He told her smoothly, appraising her with his optics.
Lyn blushed slightly, obviously not used to complements, and waved a hand. "You're just saying that." She scoffed as she tested her wounded shoulder painfully. "I think you're right, seeing Bonecrusher isn't that bad of an idea." She murmured. Megatron stood up and walked the short distance to Lyn, he carefully picked her up and carried her out the door, headed towards the repair bay.
"From your obvious hatred in doctors, I take it you have had bad experiences with them before." Megatron observed as he walked, Lyn, relaxed in his grip, looked up at him with a mild expression of interest.
"You could say that." She answered as she studied his face.
Megatron decided it was time to pry a little farther. "Why do you hate doctors so much?"
Lyn took a deep breath. "When my sister and I were young, very young, we were . . . experimented on due to our unfamiliar physiology. Doctors assailed us with all kinds of tests and procedures to see what our differences from their own species were. Some tests were painless, others uncomfortable, but others were extremely painful and long. So, I have learned to hate doctors." She answered plainly, falling silent.
Megatron had known they had experimented upon the two girls, but he wasn't sure exactly what kind of experiments. From what Lyn was suggesting, any they could manage to think of. He let her remain silent as they finished the walk and finally entered the repair bay. Bonecrusher was replacing a fried wire in a fellow Decepticon's cannon relay when they entered. He finished quickly, after all, it was a fairly simple procedure and sent the Decepticon on his way and walked over to Megatron.
"That's a lot of blood. Didn't overstrain yourself did you? I can't imagine what could be in your room that you might have tried to lift. What happened?" Bonecrusher asked as he gestured to a table to set Lyn down upon.
Lyn straightened her outfit and sat down on the table as Bonecrusher gathered a few things together. "I slept on it, that's all. Rolled over on it in the night and slept that way. I swear that's all I did!" Lyn confessed as she looked at the suspicious things he had brought over.
Bonecrusher carefully removed the bandage off of her shoulder and eyed the wound with a grim expression. The wound was bleeding and angry. He sighed. It's what I feared. The plasma residue did more damage than it appeared to us last night. Bonecrusher sent to Megatron, who was watching Lyn closely.
What can be done? Megatron asked Bonecrusher as he spoke to Lyn. "You're alright." Megatron reassured her as a worried expression fell over her face. He was happy that she was not trying to hide her obvious distress.
I will clean the wound again and put some sterilizer on it. Than hope for the best, with this much damage, there will probably be an infection, however if she comes daily to get the wound cleaned and sterilized, we might be able to keep that from happening. Bonecrusher was telling Megatron as he spoke to Lyn. "I'm going to clean the wound, than sanitize it. This will probably hurt, but it shouldn't hurt nearly as bad as it did yesterday." Bonecrusher said as he used a clean cloth doused in a funny smelling liquid to gently rub away the blood and ooze that covered her shoulder.
We will do what is necessary, whatever it takes. Megatron told Bonecrusher as he watched the other work. Lyn gave Megatron a pleading look. "It's alright, after this I'll let you play with your power as much as you want." He told her with a smile.
Lyn smiled back weakly, pain reflecting deeply in her eyes. "That sounds nice." She responded weakly. Thankfully for Lyn, the whole process of cleaning and sterilizing didn't take very long.
Bonecrusher was rewrapping her shoulder when he spoke to her next. "I will want to see you again tomorrow to repeat this procedure. If we can keep it clean and sterile, we might be able to prevent infection. Less pain for you, less trouble for me." He said the last with a smile.
Lyn smiled back weakly. "Deal, I'll see you tomorrow then." She said as Bonecrusher stepped back from her and nodded to Megatron.
"Anytime you feel unusual or are in more pain than usual, come back to me right away." Bonecrusher told her as Megatron picked her up carefully. Lyn nodded and Bonecrusher waved them away, going back to a terminal to do whatever work he did in his 'free' time.
Megatron carried Lyn out of the repair bay and headed in the direction of Lyn and Starscream's favorite hanger bay. Lyn recognized the path. "I figured you would like to have room to experiment with, this way, you will have a massive space to work within." Megatron told her as they entered the hanger bay.
"And what will I be doing today? Anything specific?" Lyn asked as she was lowered to the ground, eyeing equipment that had been moved into the bay within the past night. "What's with the equipment?" Lyn asked, taking it all in.
Megatron smiled and lounged against the wall. "Those will be your test. You are going to try to bring them to life. Without touching them physically." Lyn looked back at Megatron in surprise.
Without touching them physically? Was that even possible? She asked herself as she eyed the equipment in sudden interest. "When shall we start?" Lyn asked, watching him curiously.
Megatron smiled down at her. "When ever you feel ready we will start with that one." He gestured over to the piece of equipment closest to Lyn. It looked like a huge hauler.
Lyn smiled and nodded. "Okay." Great and how do I do this again!? Lyn asked herself as she gathered her power together and brought it up to sharp focus within her. Lyn held the power until she felt it would burst from her, than looked up at Megatron. "I've never done this before . . . I don't even know if I can do this." She told him, her eyes shining with silver light as her power swirled within her.
"Let your instinct guide you. See where that takes you first." Megatron told her as he folded his arms across his chest plate from where he leaned against the wall.
Lyn sighed and reasoned it out. If she needed her power to touch the hauler, than she would have to send it to the hauler first. Maybe using her mind to guide her power would be sufficient. She hoped at least as she reached out with her mind and touched the hauler's cool bulk. Retaining that touch, Lyn released her power, trying to guide it into the hauler. Instead, it flew out around her in all directions, unguided and un-concentrated. Thankfully there wasn't anything near her that could be given life. She cursed under her breath and cast a futile glance back at Megatron. "Sorry." She mumbled, her shoulders slumping down in defeat.
"I didn't expect you to get it on your first try. Practice makes perfect, try again." Megatron said softly, urging her to keep it up.
Lyn took a deep breath and gathered the power up within her once more, holding tightly to it when it struggled for release. This time, she tried another method. She kept a tight hold on her power and stretched her hold out to the hauler. Still embracing her power, she released her power upon the hauler. The release caused an impact like loud thunder only without sound and the hauler started to vibrate. Lyn got excited, she'd figured it out! She looked back at Megatron in triumph. "I did it!" She squealed, momentarily forgetting about her arm, wincing as she raised her bad arm up too high.
"Yes you did." Megatron told her as he walked over to the transforming hauler. It looked around in confusion, than locked its optics on Lyn.
"Who are you?" The new mech asked, he was remarkably smaller than Megatron, but stood probably at least twenty-two feet in height.
Megatron smiled easily. "I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. What are you called?" The small mech seemed to ponder that for a moment before shrugging.
"My name's Burden, if that's what you mean." The small mech replied, looking over at Lyn. "What is your name?" He asked her softly, walking over to her.
Lyn swallowed hard, before Incinerator she would have been unafraid, but fear suddenly choked her. "Ashalyn." She replied softly, swallowing back her fear and trying to put on her face for the mech she'd just created.
Burden seemed to sense her fear and stopped short of her. "I won't hurt you." He murmured gently to her, taking another small step forward. Megatron watched interested how this was going to play out. "Thank you for giving me life, creator." He told her shortly as he stopped just ten feet from her and knelt down. "I owe you a great deal." Burden murmured softly to her.
Lyn felt her fear slip aside. Surely if he was going to destroy her he wouldn't be trying to reassure her. Lyn thought as she took a few steps forward, casting a glance at Megatron. "It is reassuring to hear." She said with a little more confidence.
"I want you to serve me, Burden; I have use for one such as yourself." Megatron told the mech as he stepped closer to them.
Burden looked at Megatron warily. "I serve Ashalyn." He looked over at Lyn nervously. Megatron's smile faded, irritation at Burden's insistent loyalty to Lyn was getting to him.
Lyn sensed it and smiled reassuringly. "And I serve Megatron; it is alright to serve him. It will be okay." She reassured the mech as he looked back at Megatron.
Burden nodded to Lyn and looked at Megatron reluctantly. "Than I suppose I follow under you as well." He said to Megatron hesitantly.
"Please follow these directions to receive your debriefing." Megatron quickly sent the coordinates to the other mech, who nodded, gave Lyn a last look and left. He looked at Lyn with a smirk. "Well done. One down, let's see you perfect that gift of yours. There are four others. Start with that one next." Megatron pointed at another piece of equipment, this one however looked more like a military vehicle than loading equipment.
Lyn nodded and gathered her power within her, as soon as she felt the familiar rush; she reached out with her power and unleashed it on the vehicle. Without fail, it began to shudder and vibrate as the power coursed through it, giving it life. Megatron watched fascinated at how similar her powers were to that of the Allspark. The vehicle transformed and looked around nervously, clenching and unclenching his fists. Lyn felt a little flutter of fear in her stomach as the mech's eyes locked onto her. She stepped forward despite her fear and smiled.
"Hello creator." The mech said softly, his voice was kind of gruff sounding.
"What are you called?" Megatron asked the mech.
The mech looked over at Megatron and than back to Lyn. "Nitrostrike." He answered Megatron shortly before stepping closer to Lyn, stopping ten feet from her. Lyn felt a strange sensation wave over her, her skin prickled and the hairs on her arms and neck stood up on end. "Ashalyn, I live to serve you." Nitrostrike said easily, giving her a slight bow, Megatron felt his irritation raise once more.
This is proving to be a most irritating ordeal. Megatron thought as he shifted his weight and walked over to the 31 foot tall mech, looming over him. Nitrostrike looked at Megatron curiously; Megatron felt the icy sensation of a mental touch brush across his processors. He growled. "I would never do that again, if you value your life." He growled . . . he had a deep distaste for telepaths, that Lyn had created one was going to be a problem if Nitrostrike didn't learn to keep his powers to himself.
Nitrostrike shrugged. "I do not necessarily believe in your goals, or your vision, but I will serve you as long as my creator serves you." He told Megatron, than looked down at Lyn. "I will see you soon." Nitrostrike told Lyn as he looked to Megatron, a small smirk crossing his lips. "Where do you wish me to go?" He asked, obliging the tyrant for his hatred of mind-reading and asking for direction instead of getting it himself from the tyrant's mind.
Megatron growled, but sent him the location. With that, Nitrostrike left. "Try to re-create the same thing you did with Incinerator." He requested of her as he stepped closer to Lyn. "I will protect you. You have nothing to fear." He added quickly when Lyn's face paled visibly and her hand went automatically to her bandaged shoulder.
Lyn swallowed hard and nodded. "What next?" She asked, looking out at the remaining three.
Megatron smirked suddenly. "All three."
Lyn blinked and looked up at Megatron, thinking she had misunderstood him. "All three?"
He nodded. "At the same time . . . I'm sure you can do it. Just touch them all at the same time." Megatron coaxed Lyn, imagining in his mind what her powers could do on the battle field if this experiment worked. As their enemies swarmed up against them, Lyn could transform their machines into 'transformers' and suddenly the battle would sway in the Decepticons favor.
Lyn felt intimidated by both the task and the evil smile which had slid onto the Decepticon leader's face. "I'm not sure I can do that." She said in a very small voice.
"Try . . . that is all I am asking. I have faith in your abilities." He told her simply, walking back to the wall and leaning against it.
Lyn took a deep breath and reached for her power, it flooded through her with the familiar rush. She held it until she felt she would burst, than turned to look at the three remaining vehicles. They were spaced a fairly good distance apart from each other and a pretty good distance from her. She knew from earlier talks with Megatron that she was not to move from her spot to get any closer, she would have to reach the distance with her powers. But to all three locations at once? Wasn't that going to be impossible? Lyn shook herself mentally, she could do this! He was expecting her to succeed! He had faith in her! That was all she really needed, the knowledge that someone had faith in her powers. The thought spurred her on and she reached out gingerly at first, testing her ability to touch all three at the same time.
It was taking her longer than she thought it would take. Lyn glanced back at Megatron to see him waiting patiently. Of course he was patient, he wanted her to succeed, and would wait forever if that meant having her powers at their maximum ability. She steeled herself up and reached out once more, for the hundredth time. This time, however, she succeeded in touching all three of them at once. Unbeknownst to Lyn, the three vehicles she was about to give life from originated from the backwater planet known as Earth.
Lyn split her power into three separate branches, touched each vehicle independently, and held her power back to make sure she had all three before releasing her power. There was again the hard impact to the ground like thunder without sound as all three vehicles started to vibrate and tremble. The first one to start transforming was the black 911 Turbo Cabriolet Porsche, than next was the massive white Cadillac Escapade, than finally the silver Jaguar XF. Lyn felt drained as she looked back to Megatron with a content smile.
We'll have to stop after this. Megatron thought as he realized just how much the past hours had drained Lyn. Given time and practice, she'll build better endurance. He told himself as he walked over to stand next to Lyn. "Did you do as I instructed?" Lyn nodded. He looked over to the three mechs standing a ways apart from each other. "What are you called?" He asked them.
The three looked at each other, but it was the Porsche that answered first. "I am Shadowhand; I am at your service." He said with a bow, his red optics falling on Lyn, he gave her a glare that made her step back behind Megatron a little.
Megatron noticed how the others were looking at Lyn. "She is of use to me; no harm is to befall her." He said in a deadly soft voice, instantly the interest of the three new Decepticons was off of Lyn. "I am Megatron, your leader." He looked at the other two in disdain. "I will accept nothing short of absolute obedience. Insolence is not tolerated." Megatron told them harshly, they all straightened a little. "And your names would be?" He asked the other two.
The Cadillac took a step forward. "I am Negotiator. I am at your service, Lord Megatron." He replied easily.
The Jaguar XF stepped forward as well. "I am called Steelsbane." Than added after a short pause. "I am at your service."
Megatron grunted. "Very well, go here." He sent them instructions and coordinates for the meeting place within the ship. "You are dismissed." He said as they walked past Lyn and Megatron. Once they had all gone, Megatron looked down at Lyn with a smile. "You did well! It took you a while, for a moment, after the first couple of hours, I didn't think you would be able to do it, but you proved me wrong. I am glad you did." He told her, Lyn took it as a complement and smiled.
"I can do anything I put my mind too. Nothing is beyond my ability." Lyn stated, a little cockier than normal. Megatron smirked.
Nothing beyond your power? We shall see, young one, we shall see. He muttered to himself as he bent down and picked her up. "Let's get you to your room so you can eat and rest, it has been a hard day, I'm sure you want to recuperate from it." He told her gently as he carried her to her room. Lyn just nodded and relaxed in his grip.
Back with the Autobots . . .
Dawn had been walking around the Autobots base for a long time now. She'd gotten most of it memorized, and was walking down another nameless hallway when just ahead of her there was a loud BOOM, followed by a huge crash and an Ironhide flying through the wall. Dawn ran a couple of steps towards the commotion as Ironhide slowly got up, obviously not seriously injured from his unexpected trip through the wall, and a man ran through the hole after him. The man looked to be about six foot in height with an athletic build, pale bronze complexion, short black hair with a military style haircut. He was well groomed with a gray military style t-shirt and desert fatigue pants with high lace army boots.
"Sorry 'Hide! I didn't know it was gonna be that strong!" He was telling the mech as he stopped in front of Ironhide.
Ironhide's cannons whined as they came online and pointed at the man. "You did that on purpose!" He growled as he fired two quick shots at the man, who adeptly leaped out of the way.
"I said it was on ACCIDENT!!!" He hollered as Ironhide looked over and saw Dawn.
"Nothing you do is ever an accident." Ironhide mumbled as he gestured to Dawn.
The man looked thoughtful for a moment. "True enough." He muttered.
"Hey Dawn! I'd like to introduce you to Nicolei. He's a pain in the aft, and loves to blow things up." There was a slight pause as Ironhide looked at Nicolei in a death glare. "Especially me." He said the last in a low growl.
Dawn walked over to them with a shy smile. "Hi."
"Nice to meet you finally. I've been meaning to get around to introducing myself to you, but I just haven't had the time. New experiments and all." Nicolei said the last with a shrug, than looked back through the hole and winced. "Optimus isn't going to be happy . . . I've trashed another room." He muttered, than looked cheerfully at Dawn. "So how do you like it here?"
Dawn smiled a little. "It's nice; everyone is so nice to me. But I kind of feel like a fifth wheel. I haven't really been able to help with anything." She said with a hint of disappointment.
"I'm sure we'll all find something for you to do. Talk to Optimus about it, I'm sure he'll think of something for you to occupy your time with." Nicolei said with a smile, looking up at Ironhide. "You'd better go and have Ratchet look you over. You're sparking." He said as he gestured to Ironhide's chest, which was occasionally emitting a spark or two.
Ironhide started a stream of curse words in several different languages, but looked down at Dawn and gave her a gentle smile. "I'll see you around." Than walked off in the direction, she supposed, of the repair bay.
Dawn watched him go before looking back at Nicolei. "Um . . . what happened?" She asked, gesturing back to the huge hole in the wall.
Nicolei gave a big grin. "I've been playing around with this stuff and it's really, really sensitive. So I let Ironhide see my newest toy, and since I forgot to warn him about how delicate it was, it sort of well . . ." He looked back at the hole and his grin got wider. "Blew up!" He said the last cheerfully.
Dawn could barely suppress a frown. Nicolei seemed a little too happy about having done damage to the building and to Ironhide for her taste. But than again, the thought of destroying anything made her frown, so she shrugged it off. "I see." Was all she could safely say.
Nicolei gestured Dawn down the hallway. "Walk with me, please?" He asked her as he took a few steps away, glancing back to see if she'd follow.
Dawn shrugged. Not like I have anywhere else to be going at the moment, she thought as she nodded and followed. "Alright." She agreed.
"So, who all have you gotten to meet yet? I might be able to introduce you to the others if you haven't had the chance to meet them yet." Nicolei asked as he walked.
Dawn thought about it for a moment. "Well, I've met you, Zandaros, Okelani, and Elena-slash-Mirage, than the Autobots who of course came to my rescue." She said as she looked around at her surroundings, they had taken a turn in a direction she'd not been in; she took care to memorize the surroundings so she could find her way back again.
"Well, sounds like you've met the whole of us than. Or well, the most important of us, there are hundreds more, but I don't think you want to meet all of them." Nicolei said as he glanced back at Dawn.
"Hundreds more? No . . . I'm having trouble with the ones I've already met." She answered feebly; the possibility of meeting more people was not thrilling to her.
Nicolei chuckled lightly. "It's alright, honestly, you'll get to meet more people, but we're the ones you'll be stationed around the most. Optimus doesn't trust the others as much and wants to keep you as secret as possible, for as long as possible." He reassured Dawn as he stopped walking at a huge door. "Well, this is it, my destination." Dawn felt a little uncomfortable, and it must have shown. "If you go down just two more doors, you'll come across a door-less room, that's the repair bay." Nicolei winked at her. "Go see if your boyfriend is doing okay." He told her with a laugh as she blushed.
"He's not my boyfriend." Dawn muttered lightly, taking no serious offence as Nicolei waved her gave the door a knock and walked in after the huge door opened. She sighed and followed his directions. When Dawn came into the big room she felt immediately intimidated. She shuddered; it was just like a huge doctor's office. She didn't like doctor's offices . . . they brought back bad memories.
Ratchet happened to be glancing in her direction and did a double take when he saw her. Last he knew Dawn hadn't ventured this far yet. "Well hi! What brings you here? You are feeling okay?" He asked a mild look of concern etched on his face.
Dawn smiled warmly. "I'm fine, just walked with Nicolei and he told me where this place was. I know Ironhide was supposed to come here, so I thought I'd check up on him." She told him warmly.
Ratchet smiled back at her in relief that nothing more was wrong. "He's right over there. But he's grumpy, just thought I'd warn you." Ratchet cautioned her as he led Dawn over to where Ironhide was sitting, scowling. "You have a well-wisher, Ironhide." Ratchet informed the other as he smiled down at Dawn and went back to his work.
"Hi." Dawn said with a small smile as she looked up at the mech. Ironhide looked down at her and the scowl instantly disappeared, replaced with a soft smile.
"Hello. It's good to see you venturing around more than your little 'safe zone'." Ironhide and the others often joked with Dawn that she had a 'safe zone' and never left it. She ventured only so far, than would turn around and go back.
Dawn felt herself blush a little. "Yeah, well, I think I'm lost, so I guess I'll have to find my way back somehow." She shifted nervously at the thought of wandering the base looking for familiar sights. "Are you alright? Were you badly damaged?" Ironhide felt touched at the concern Dawn was expressing for his wellbeing.
Ironhide waved off her concern. "No. I'm made of stronger stuff than that! It was just a minor problem that was easily rectified." He reassured Dawn as he looked over at Ratchet. "Am I free? Or do you intend to make my life difficult?" He asked Ratchet.
Ratchet gave Ironhide a wicked grin for a moment, laughed at the look on 'Hide's face, and shook his head. "You're fine, you can leave." He told Ironhide, still laughing at the look on Ironhide's face.
"One of these days . . ." Ironhide muttered as he carefully got off of the berth and stood in front of Dawn. "You said you were lost? Want me to show you how to get back?"
Relief flooded through Dawn as she nodded. "Yes, please!" She said, happy that she wouldn't have to find her way back alone.
Ironhide nodded and let Dawn lead the way out of the repair bay. Once outside, he looked down at Dawn. "I'm going to have to carry you; I don't think you want to run to keep up with me."
Dawn nodded up at him. "I'm okay with that." She said as she braced herself to be lifted up. Ironhide gently scooped her up and held her gently. "I'm surprised at how gentle you guys can be for as big as you are." She commented as she looked back at Ironhide.
He shrugged. "You're little, I gotta be careful or I'll hurt you." He said simply as he started to walk down the hallway. Dawn watched Ironhide in silence; the big mech offered no conversation so she studied him. He was scarred and his tough exterior hid something softer beneath the surface. Dawn was good at feeling what others would rather stay hidden, and she could feel the warmth, compassion and caring behind Ironhide's rough shell. He had a soft heart beneath all the aggression and trigger happiness.
Dawn wasn't sure how long they walked, but it seemed to be taking them much longer to get back than it did to get there in the first place. She was about to speak up when Ironhide stopped suddenly. His had communicator beeped. "Ironhide." He answered gruffly.
"Ratchet said you had Dawn with you . . . she still there?" Dawn recognized Optimus' voice.
"Yeah, I was takin' her back to the 'safe zone'. Why? You were lookin' for her?" Ironhide asked, looking down at Dawn in his hand.
"Yes, in fact, I was. I was slightly worried when I couldn't locate her." Optimus said sounding relieved that Dawn was, in fact, not missing.
"Anywhere in particular you want me to take her? Or anywhere you want to meet us at?" Ironhide asked, looking away from Dawn.
"Bring her back to the 'safe zone'. I'll meet her in the recreation room. Optimus out." Optimus told Ironhide as he disconnected the link.
Ironhide sighed and Dawn frowned. "Optimus wants to speak with you. I suggest we hurry." He muttered.
Dawn felt a little bit of Ironhide's annoyance, and before she could stop it, she muttered. "You're the one carrying me, so the hurrying is all up to you." She immediately regretted saying it, but Ironhide didn't seem affected by it. Dawn wasn't even sure he had heard it.
They walked for another few minutes before things started to look familiar. Another ten minutes and they were standing outside the recreation room's door. Ironhide seemed to hesitate for a moment. "If you ever feel the need for company, I am usually available." He mumbled and Dawn looked up at him in slight surprise.
"Okay." She stammered as he nodded and opened the door, stepping in, it was obvious that Optimus was eager to see Dawn as he stood quickly and looked very relieved to see her safe and sound. "You wanted to see me?" Dawn asked as Ironhide set her carefully on the ground.
"Yes, you've been asking if there was anything you could do around here to help out." Dawn nodded, so Optimus continued. "I have finally found the perfect job for you to do."
Dawn walked over to one of the 'smaller' couches and sat down, Optimus followed suit and sat down in one his own size. "Oh? What's that?" She asked, instantly intrigued, her boredom looking to be near an end.
"You can learn to master your power the way your sister has." Optimus said as he watched Dawn closely for her reaction. He gave Ironhide a quick glance, the other already knew what Optimus had planned; they had talked about it for the last few days, and finally decided it was time for young Dawn to learn her powers.
Dawn looked uneasy, slightly unnerved. "You want me to learn more about my powers? Are you sure that's wise?" She shook her head. "I don't know that much about them, I could end up hurting someone, or destroying things! I'm not safe!" She felt panic rising up in her chest and did her best to squelch it.
Ironhide instantly knelt down to her and put a finger beneath her chin forcing her to look at him. "You're not dangerous. You are simply ignorant of your abilities. There is nothing wrong with experimenting. Besides, you couldn't possibly do anymore damage than Nicolei does." He gave her a reassuring smile with the last part.
Dawn felt her anxiety leave her slowly as she looked into Ironhide's blue optics. He was confident in her; she drew upon that confidence and gave him a shaky smile in return. Ironhide released her and leaned back. She looked back at Optimus. "I guess I can try . . ." She muttered lightly, but Optimus was shaking his head.
"No. Don't try. Succeed. We believe in you." Dawn looked near panicking again, so Optimus sighed and reassured her quickly. "All I want is for you to give it your best efforts. If you want to face your sister, you are going to have to embrace who and what you truly are." He told her as she swallowed past the fear.
"I certainly don't want to see Lyn die." Dawn answered in a feeble voice; she envied her sister at that moment, no matter how distraught Lyn was, she was always so collected and together. And here she was, panicking at the mere thought of experimenting with her power. Dawn gave herself a mental shake. "I'll do my very best." She said with a little more confidence.
Optimus smiled at her. "That's what I like to hear! You'll find that experimenting with your power isn't nearly as bad as you fear. There will be no repercussions for your actions . . . no punishments . . . you will learn to embrace your power, and hopefully you can become just as talented as your sister, Ashalyn." He told her as he leaned forward and looked at Dawn with interest. "You said you could manipulate objects, show me." Ironhide shifted his position, his interest also peaked.
Dawn felt herself blush and fidgeted a little. "Alright . . . what do you want me to do?" She asked, looking nervously from Optimus to Ironhide.
"We'll start small. See that remote over there?" Dawn nodded that she saw it. "I want you go bring it over to you." Optimus told her as watched her with interest, scanning Dawn to see if he could tell when her power obeyed.
Dawn relaxed herself and reached out with her mind, feeling the remote first, than wrapped her mind around it, imagining her mind as a hand, than picked it up. Since it was small, there wasn't much effort; she had moved small things around before, that much of her power was allowed to be used. Dawn directed the remote into her outstretched hand. She looked over at Optimus. "That's fairly easy." She said, stealing a glance at Ironhide.
"It was just a start." Optimus told her, content that his scanner had picked up the energy that her power gave off, if he could pick up Dawn's powers, than they'd be able to tell if Lyn was using her power as well when it came down to a battle. "Now, lift this table." He gestured to the massive table in front of him.
Dawn looked a little confused, but repeated her process only this time with simply lifting the table. This took a little more effort. The table was huge after all, where the remote had been small. Lyn had always told her that size and weight made no difference when lifting it with your mind, but she always found that it did make a difference. At least for her, it did. Dawn managed to lift the table up a little bit before it slammed back down into the floor. "Try again." Optimus urged her softly; her power had only been slightly elevated from when she levitated the remote. She needed to unlock more of her power to lift the table, even he could see that. Dawn pursed her lips and tried again. She reached out with her mind, grasped the table and felt the power course through her. This time, she opened herself up a little more, channeled a little more power to compensate for the size of the table.
Size means nothing, weight means nothing, and it is the object which is entirely at your mercy. Lyn's voice echoed through her mind. She had to think hard to remember that Lyn was no longer with her, the voice was so clear. She released the added power and put a firm grip on the table, than lifted it upward. This time the table moved with a little more solidarity. Dawn felt a smile pull at her lips, than something strange happened. Her grip on her powers slipped and it burst from her in a surge.
Suddenly the table that Dawn was holding exploded . . . no . . . exploded wasn't the right word, evaporated into nothing was a better term! Her power latched a hold of the table and destroyed it down to a molecular level. It also emitted an ear shattering BOOM which caused Dawn to put her hands over her ears and whimper. "Sorry!" She whined. "I'm so sorry!! I told you I was dangerous!"
Optimus was dumbstruck. He had been watching her power carefully, but the amount that suddenly sprang out of her was stunning. "It is nothing that cannot be replaced." He reassured Dawn softly, looking over at Ironhide. That was quite unexpected! To contain that much power and be unaware of how to control it is a dangerous thing for her. She could destroy herself and her sister in a fight if she doesn't learn control. Optimus said to Ironhide.
I agree. But with practice she will improve. I have faith in her dedication. We will just have to be supportive. Ironhide replied back, his optics never leaving Dawn as she looked at them quizzically.
"What are you two saying?" Dawn asked her panic under control if not her heart rate and her breathing.
Optimus looked at Dawn curiously. "Who says we were saying anything?"
Dawn shrugged and pulled her knees up to her chest on the couch. "I just know." She answered simply.
"How did you 'just know'?" Optimus insisted, giving Ironhide a glance. Sonic communication was something only their kind could intercept and understand, so how had she known?
Dawn shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I don't know . . . I can kinda just . . . well, I guess I can sense it when you talk to each other like that." Optimus and Ironhide shared a look. "What? Am I not supposed to be able to?" She asked, feeling a little awkward suddenly.
Optimus looked at Dawn with a kind smile. "It is . . . uncommon for someone like yourself to be able to intercept our communication. There is nothing wrong with that." He reassured her smoothly while talking to Ironhide at the same time. I wonder if her sister has the same ability. It would be interesting to know.
Ironhide gave a barely perceptible nod. Yes, just how will Megs keep his deceit to himself if he can not communicate with his fellows about Lyn without her knowledge? Ironhide spoke to Dawn softly after Optimus had spoken to her. "It is a unique gift, to say the least."
Dawn shifted uncomfortably. "I don't like unique gifts . . . they usually prove to be more troublesome than useful." She muttered lightly under her breath. Ironhide gave a small chuckle. "What are you laughing about? It's not like you have anything to worry about, all of your abilities are useful." She scowled lightly at Ironhide, whose slight smirk widened into a smile.
"Dear little Dawn . . . your powers . . . your unique abilities are very useful, you just need to learn how to control them, that's all." Ironhide told her gently, looking over at his leader for support.
"None of your powers are useless, we simply need to learn what they do in order to use them the way they were meant to be used." Optimus said in agreement with Ironhide, Dawn didn't look very convinced. "You're very useful, you'll see. You simply need to unlock your abilities and let yourself reign free. You only need practice. And practice is what you're going to be getting over the next few weeks." The Autobot leader told Dawn gently, yet firmly.
Dawn swallowed hard but nodded. "Alright . . . Okay . . ." She knew from previous experience that there was no arguing when you received an order from Optimus. Or well, you could argue, but it wouldn't do you any good. You still ended up losing the argument, she mused. "You want me to practice all my abilities?" The other nodded and Dawn sighed. "Alright, I'll do it. But I can't promise it's going to end well." She muttered.
Optimus smiled. "Practice is meant to be riddled with failures. Otherwise it wouldn't be called practice." He told her gently.
"I don't like to fail." Dawn mumbled her eyes downcast.
"There is nothing wrong with failure. We all fail at times, no one is perfect. Remember that, okay?" Ironhide encouraged Dawn softly; she looked up and met his blue optics with her blue eyes. "Trial and error is how all great things are accomplished, no matter your race or species." He told her gently.
Dawn smiled weakly. "I still don't like failing."
"No one does, but it is something we all share in common." Optimus reassured her. "Now, let's try again, this time, try to control how you grip your powers." Dawn sighed and did as she was told.
Three and a half hours later . . .
Dawn toppled down on her mattress face first, simply freefalling down onto the bed. She gave a muffled groan into the mattress. For four hours she had struggled with doing the various tasks Optimus and Ironhide had asked of her. At first, they were small things, simple enough to complete. But as time went on, they swiftly became more intense and harder to accomplish. Near the end she had been driven to tears in frustration at her inability to accomplish what was asked of her. They had been hard task masters. And she had been given homework to work on until they met again to continue the 'training'. Dawn sighed and drummed her legs against the mattress in mild irritation. I wonder if Lyn is having these kinds of difficulties. Are the Decepticons treating her with respect or are they driving her unmercifully hard? She asked herself as she stopped drumming her legs and buried her face in the blankets and screamed. Dawn wasn't exactly sure why she felt such a strong urge to scream, but she figured it had everything to do with her twin's absence and her inability to control her own powers in a satisfactory way.
Dawn reached out through the void of space to touch her sister's mind through their bond. Only a cold closed mind greeted her. Lyn's mind was still shut to her. Tears flooded Dawn's eyes and she felt herself shake as she started to sob. She missed her sister something terrible. On some days she wondered if the pain would be less if Lyn had been killed rather than simply shut off from her. But she was grateful that she could still sense her sister, even if she was far, far away at the moment.
Dawn wasn't sure how long she cried, but eventually her sobbing stopped and she found herself drifting among memories. When her door buzzed she jumped violently. She got up and wiped her face with her hands, trying to rid herself of the remnants of tears and answered the door. When she opened it, she blinked in surprise. "Ironhide . . .? What's wrong?" Ironhide stood in front of her door, looking down at her in concern.
"I just wanted to check up on you. You were rather upset when you left, so I thought I'd come and see if you were feeling better." Ironhide explained, looking slightly uncomfortable.
Dawn smiled weakly, trying to put on a good face. "I'm alright . . . just a little tired now . . . that's all." She tried to give a better smile, but it quivered a little despite her best efforts to keep it straight.
"You don't look alright." Ironhide's gruff voice was filled with concern. "Wanna talk about it?"
Dawn shook her head. "You wouldn't be interested; besides, I wouldn't want to burden you." She told him.
"You'd be surprised. I'm a really good listener, despite what others think." Ironhide told her, holding back the urge to insist that she tell him what was wrong.
Dawn sighed and stepped to the side of the doorway. "Alright, come in." She caved, he stepped through the door and Dawn shut it behind him. "I don't have accommodations for someone your size, I'm sorry." She apologized as she looked up at him.
Ironhide shrugged and walked over to her couch and sat down beside it, than gestured for her to sit. "Please, enlighten me upon your troubles." I sound like Ratchet, he mused, almost smiling, but held it back due to the seriousness of Dawn's face.
Dawn sighed and sat down on the couch. "It's terribly dull; you'll just be bored into your recharge state." She warned him, but Ironhide didn't seem concerned. "Alright, don't say I didn't warn you." She muttered as she settled down on the couch and took a deep breath.
"You miss your sister, don't you?" Ironhide's statement took the air from her lungs. It hit her hard. Dawn could feel tears brim up in her eyes once more; she looked away as she blinked past them.
"It's hard not too. We've always been together. We used to be inseparable. Nothing could keep us apart. Even when we were physically apart, we were always together mentally . . . and now . . ." Dawn's voice cracked with pain and anguish as she felt her mind reach out once more for that connection. Only bitterness filled her where once love and warmth radiated from her sister's bond. "Now there is only . . . she just doesn't want me anymore." Dawn finished quietly, looking down at her hands as they wrung her shirt anxiously.
Ironhide was quiet for a few more moments, being certain that Dawn wasn't going to speak again. "I am sure she still cares for you, deep down, beyond her bitterness and hatred for what your captors did to you. Lyn will see it in time, it is only a matter of time until Megatron and the Decepticons show her their true nature. She will be glad to leave them when that time comes." Ironhide tried to reassure Dawn.
Dawn looked up at him with tears streaking down her face. "I'm not so certain. From what I hear you talk about them, they could offer Lyn everything her heart has ever yearned for. Our lives have gone down two separate paths, and I can't follow her on hers, just as she won't follow me down mine." Dawn paused to wipe away the tears from her cheeks and shook her head. "I don't think I can take this. The solitude . . . the lack of our closeness, it's all I've ever known, all I've ever wanted. And now it's gone . . ." She stopped before the sob escaped.
Ironhide placed a finger on her knees. "It's okay to cry. Let it out, you'll feel better."
Dawn looked at the massive finger on her knees and put both her hands on it. "You've been so nice to me. So kind. I don't understand what I've done to earn such treatment." She said weakly, looking into Ironhide's blue optics.
A slight smile came to Ironhide's lips. "You are simply you. I like you . . . a lot."
Dawn blushed slightly, looking away from him. "Oh? That's a good thing, I'd hate to have you dislike me, being shot isn't something on my 'to do' list." She mumbled the last in an attempt at humor. She turned slightly serious. "So do you listen to the people you likes problems often?"
Ironhide chuckled softly at her humor, than sobered when Dawn asked the question. "No." He answered simply.
"Oh? Than why are you listening to mine?" She asked, trying to press back against the bitterness, and hatred coming from the twin bond.
"I really like you . . . more than I'll admit to anyone else." Ironhide said slowly, as if carefully choosing his words. "You're someone special . . . I can see that, hell, I can feel that." Dawn felt herself blushing more as he continued to talk. "I know how lonely it can be for you to lose someone close to you like you did. I just wanted you to know that you had someone to talk to. I will always be around to listen. I care very deeply for you. Something I do not do often." And I can not understand why I care so deeply for you, little Dawn. Ironhide said in his mind, he was a little confused as to what triggered his intense feelings for her, but the need to protect and comfort her was overwhelming.
Dawn felt herself smile slightly. "That is very comforting to hear. Thank you." She managed as unshed tears choked her. Dawn moved her hands off of Ironhide's finger and started to wring her shirt again.
Ironhide felt helpless. A feeling he both loathed and hated. As big as he was . . . as strong as he was . . . he was powerless to stop the pain Dawn was feeling. He knew deep down that Optimus felt as strongly toward Dawn as he did, but the leader of the Autobots had decided it was best that Ironhide be the one to comfort her for the time being. Optimus was constantly busy with other things and Ironhide often found himself bored and roaming around the base. He stroked her knees reassuringly, hoping that his support would help her through her troubles. Dawn closed her eyes and seemed to take strength in Ironhide's silent support. They were silent for a very long time, Ironhide simply touching Dawn reassuringly and Dawn, eyes closed, cried without sound. Finally unable to stand the silence anymore, Ironhide spoke. "You are not alone." Dawn was startled.
"What?" She managed to choke out.
"I said, you are not alone, you were whimpering how alone you were." Ironhide told her softly, his optics watching her closely. Dawn hadn't even been aware that she had spoken those words out loud. "I won't let anything happen to you. I will protect you." He told Dawn, giving her knees a slight squeeze to emphasis his words.
Dawn's smile was slightly lopsided and trembled, her eyes were red from her tears and her cheeks stained with tears. "Nothing can save me." She muttered softly, averting her eyes. "But I appreciate your efforts."
Ironhide at first felt a little insulted that she thought he couldn't protect her, than thought better of it. Perhaps she was right, there were some things that he couldn't protect her from. Inner demons she would have to battle on her own. But the outer ones would have to get through me. He thought grimly. "My strength is always yours to take." Ironhide rumbled to Dawn softly.
Suddenly Dawn folded forward and grabbed his finger like a lifeline and clung to him tightly. "I can't stand the hate . . . I can't stand the bitterness . . . The lack of love, the lack of sharing . . . it's so empty! So cold! I just want it to go back to the way it was!" She sobbed as she held onto Ironhide for dear life.
To say Ironhide was surprised by Dawn's sudden movement would be an understatement. He blinked in shock as he stroked her back with his thumb in efforts of comforting her. "It's okay. It'll be alright. The pain will subside." Ironhide murmured to her over and over again. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, her sobbing stopped and her grip on him lessened. "Are you asleep?" He asked Dawn, already knowing the answer. Ironhide smiled as he gently coaxed her into his hand and his smile widened as Dawn curled up in his hand. He carried her to the bedroom and pulling back the covers, placed her gently on the bed and carefully covered her up. He was about to leave when Dawn muttered something in her sleep.
"Please don't leave me . . ." The words struck a cord in Ironhide's spark. He felt sorry for her and bad for the pain he knew she was in. So he did the only thing he could think of, he settled himself down beside the bed and leaned against the wall.
He opened a communication line up to Optimus. Optimus, you there?
Yes, is everything alright? Optimus asked through the comm.
Everything is fine. Dawn is sleeping now, but I am going to be staying here for the night, with Dawn, she doesn't feel very good today. She needs someone here to stay with her. I'm already here, so I'll be the one to look after her. Ironhide told Optimus, hoping that he wouldn't argue the point.
Very well, take good care of her. Optimus became concerned. How is she holding up? Ironhide briefly described his evening with Dawn and concluded as to why he had chosen to stay, including Dawn's whimpered request. I see now. Yes, staying with her is a wise decision. I will see you in the morning after she has finished her recharge. Rest well, old friend. Optimus told Ironhide as he disconnected the link.
Ironhide stretched slightly before settling down into a comfortable position and let himself slip into recharge, his thoughts of the slumbering Dawn.