You will probably have lot of unanswered questions at the end of this chapter, but the answers are coming, promise. If you wanna be sure I remember to explain some of the weirder things that happened during the fight, just review and I'll be sure to touch on it. Thanks for the support ya'll, and thanks for voting for Brav's alt mode!
3 finals down, 2 to go! *dances*
For a moment there was an eerie silence. Starscream was blocked from my view by Skywarp's broad back. The purple Seeker's fingers twitched in what looked like some kind of hand signal, and Barricade immediately slipped backwards until he was standing with me. His hand fell on my shoulder and I couldn't help but jump. Bad memories.
He began dragging me down the street and away from the Seekers. When I tried to dig my feet down and resist he simply jerked me off the ground for a moment. When they start, we run.
No! We're not abandoning him! The thought of leaving Skywarp alone was horrible; he'd done too much for me to be left behind like this.
What, you're worried about him? You didn't ever seem to mind leaving him before!
It's different now. I looked up at Barricade's perpetually snarling face, willing him to listen. I can't leave him.
Yes, you can. He'll be fine. They're bonded, they can't kill each other. This is a fight for dominance. There are very few mechs who can take on a Seeker at full power, and I'm not one of them. You're sure as Pit not one of them. We're going.
Skywarp and Starscream were arguing in a sharp language I couldn't understand, their voices laced with frequencies I wasn't sure even counted as 'sound.' Their feet boomed against the concrete as they began to circle each other. From this angle I could see both, and Barricade's grip tightened.
Frenzy is staying with you. He's driving.
If only I could trust Barricade. With a twist I slipped out of his grip and skittered away from him. I didn't care if it was true about the dominance thing. No matter what happened, I'd be there if my Seeker needed me.
Your Seeker? Since when? my logic processors questioned.
Since he scared away three men in a field and took a human for a pet on a whim. After all this time, I'd finally taken something back.
"I'm staying." Frenzy beat my head like a little jackhammer as soon as I said it. Without thinking I reached up and grabbed at the pest. Remarkably, I caught the little thing.
You would never leave Barricade if you thought he might lose. I won't leave Skywarp. You can run if you want, but I'm not coming with you.
You're the Stupid Frenzy, he snapped silently.
And you're the Frenzy who's getting off of me right now! I yanked him off of my head. There was a screech as his claws fought for purchase, and then he was free. I flung him at Barricade before he could latch onto me again.
Barricade looked more pissed than ever as he caught his partner, but I didn't care. I focused on my hands, and they transformed into scalpels, then turned my attention back to the Seekers. The tension had reached an unbearable pitch, and I knew it would start soon.
Barricade snarled and lunged for me just as Starscream leapt at Skywarp. They met with a roar and a clash, suddenly devolving into a flurry of indistinguishable parts. Barricade didn't meet much resistance at all; I waited until the last moment, and then slid out of his way, slapping his shoulder with the flat of my scalpel to ruin his balance. He hit the concrete awkwardly, quickly leaping to his feet and turning on me.
Frenzy was missing. Where was the little monster?
"You don't understand!" Barricade cried. I could barely hear him over the noise of the Seekers, one of them smashing into a tree and breaking it like a twig.
"Then explain it!" I screamed back. "Why do you care what happens to me now?!"
"I don't!" the Saleen roared in frustration, walking towards me. "It's Frenzy. He says you're 'another Frenzy,' and he's gotten the idea that you're part of our spark bond. You're not!"
"That's right!" I yelled back, wincing when one of the Seekers made a high pitched, pained noise down the street. I hoped it wasn't Skywarp. "I have nothing to do with you. I might be the same metal as Frenzy's little chip but I am NOT Frenzy!"
"Physically you're twins. Your frame is a metallic match with his. Look, if it were up to me I'd leave you, but Frenzy wants you to come with us!"
My attention was torn from Barricade when I heard another screech. To my horror one of the Seekers had pinned the other. The one with the upper hand was dark iron gray in the starlight. I was running before I could think, and I heard Barricade give a frustrated snarl, but he didn't follow. More worried about his own skin.
Starscream was talking to Skywarp in that other language, Cybertronian. He was so absorbed in whatever he was saying that he didn't see me until it was too late. Leaping as hard as I could, I slammed into his head.
One of my hands turned back into fingers, and grabbed onto the side of his face for purchase, then slashed at his optic with my scalpel. He reared back and I only managed to make a tiny scratch in the plate of his cheek. Something connected hard with my body, and I bounced across the concrete almost instantly.
I was shocked by the violence of it. The one time I'd ever been faced with life or death, I'd been defending myself from the men in the field, and I'd avoided getting hurt. I realized I didn't stand a chance this time.
It didn't stop me from forcing myself to my feet. Skywarp had leapt into Starscream now, holding him from behind in some kind of lock.
His eyes drilled into mine. "Run!" He screamed. Starscream shifted beneath him, and I saw what was going to happen if I didn't interfere.
I dove in again, this time throwing myself into the leg Starscream was leaning all his weight into. The two top-heavy Raptors pitched forward, and it was all I could do it get away from their bulk.
I thought I'd cleared them when suddenly I jerked to a stop and slammed forward into the ground. It took one look to understand what had happened; Starscream had my leg, and Skywarp still had Starscream. The gray Seeker dragged me closer, and like lightning he snatched a better grip onto my waist. I was too scared to make a sound.
Starscream began to speak in Cybertronian again, but I could understand what he was saying now, maybe because of the contact.
"Look what I found!" He squeezed me tightly, and a traitorous cry escaped my vocal processors. "You know I always win brother. This femme will carry my sparklings."
Skywarp responded in kind, but what he was saying was still a mystery to me.
"You're still mad about what happened? That must have been before we lost the Allspark! You hadn't even bonded that femme yet!" Starscream shook me a little, as if he were making a point.
Skywarp deep voice lowered viciously, and the odd frequencies heightened in a beautifully strange counterpoint.
"Fine, I'll let you have her when I get the first sparkling! Slag, have you always been this much a bleeding heart?"
Skywarp squeezed his brother so hard they both started to give of the sounds of strains metal. Starscream struggled, bouncing me inadvertently. I could almost guess at what Skywarp snarled to his brother. You'll never have her.
Gathering my courage into a flimsy shield, I finally spoke up. "I can't carry sparklings! If that's what this is about, it's a waste. The Autobot medic told me I that can't reproduce!"
Both of the faces swiveled to look at me, similar and yet so different. "What do you mean? You're infertile?" Starscream growled in English.
I nodded frantically. "I'm not even a real Cybertronian. I was human first!"
The grip on my waist tightened so much that I screamed.
"Impossible!"
"It's true, brother," Skywarp growled. "Remember the organic particles you played with, back before Thundercracker agreed to join the Decepticons with us? I rebuilt your machine and used it on her, and it turned her into this."
Starscream's grip suddenly loosened, and I dropped to the concrete with a clank. "Let me up, brother," he ordered icily.
Surprisingly, Skywarp released him. The purple mech edged away from his brother and put an arm between me and the other Seeker.
"Prove you're infertile, femme," Starscream commanded.
I stared at him blankly. I didn't know how to go about doing that. I looked up at Skywarp, and he nodded.
"Don't worry, he won't hurt you. Open your chassis, Bravura," the Raptor said softly.
I shuddered. Expose my spark?
"Please," I whispered. "I don't-"
Starscream cut me off with a hiss. "Open your slagging chassis, femme. Quit with the coy act, you're not that attractive." If he'd been a human, I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd spat on the ground then.
With shaking hands I reached to my chest. I fumbled for a few agonizing moments, then found the locking mechanism. I touched it just right, and my chest opened slightly. Reaching into the new opening, I pulled my chest apart, controlling my dismay.
Starscream leaned in, pushing Skywarp's arm out of the way. He got frighteningly close, but Skywarp was right. He didn't hurt me.
After a long minute, he made a frustrated sound and pulled back, climbing to his feet. "It's a freak," he growled. "A disgusting mistake, Skywarp. You should've killed it and tried again."
I closed my chest with a loud snap, and suddenly I was being lifted into the air. Skywarp held me up to his shoulder, and I crossed to it quickly. I felt foolish up there, but safe.
"I wasn't trying to make a Cybertronian out of her, I was trying to heal a wound. This was unexpected." The vibrations of Skywarp's deep voice shivered through me.
"Even so, you should destroy it. It's an abomination." Starscream was eying me in a way I didn't much like.
"Bravura's still a she, and I'm not destroying her."
"You never were very bright," the gray Raptor said with the faintest amusement.
"And you never had a girlfriend."
Starscream laughed, to my surprise, then turned away from us. "I've brought a few friends with me back to this smelly little planet. The Contructicons are working on a new underwater base. I expect to see you there at sunrise."
The Seeker suddenly leapt into the air, his thrusters roaring to life, and then he was a jet blasting away into the dark night.
We both stared after him until he was a speck in the sky. When it was clear he wasn't coming back I looked down at Skywarp from my place on his shoulder.
"Thank you," I said simply.
He looked up at me too, and suddenly I was off his shoulder and pressed tightly to his chest in what certainly seemed to me like an awkward embrace. I got my bearings, then pulled myself up his chest to be able to look up at him instead of having a close up of his wide torso.
"You know," he said, rearranging his arms to support my new perch, "if you'd told me this was your plan, I never would've allowed it."
Shaking my head, I reached up and touched his face. "You couldn't have stopped me." There was a deep crack in the armor of his forehead which I refrained from passing my fingers over. "You're hurt."
"So are you. But we're free now. We can do whatever we want, go wherever we want. We can leave this planet behind and make a whole new life somewhere they'll never find us."
I was beginning to feel like a bobble head with all the 'no's I was shaking. "I can't leave this place behind. I still love this place, and I have friends here."
Our quiet talk was cut short by the beat of helicopter blades, several sets. We both looked, and I leaned closer to Skywarp's head. "We have company. Humans?"
"Yes." He leaned down and carefully set me on the cracked concrete. The wailing sirens coming from South Lake Tahoe now seemed much closer. He stepped away from me, and transformed as I watched. When a fully functional Raptor was before me I almost expected him to fly away.
"Well? Get on!" He said urgently.
I stared. "Get on?" Ride a jet?
"It's not that difficult! Just lay flat and hold on tight!" One of the helicopters had reached us and blinding lights were shining down. A man was talking indistinctly into a loudspeaker. Red and blue lights were appearing at the far end of the woefully damaged street.
Bracing myself for a rough ride, I clambered up onto my Seeker's back, then lay flat atop him, latching onto the sharply slanted leading edge of his wings, just behind the cockpit. "If I fall, you'll catch me, right?"
"I'll always be there to catch you. Hang on!"
With a roaring explosion of sound we went from a full stop to a racing, wind whipping speed. The nearest helicopter fell back, then made as if to follow, but we were already too far away. I felt my fingers slipping, so I clamped down to the point I was sure it must have been hurting him. I would apologize later.
This is the harder part, the Seeker sent to me. Don't be afraid, and definitely don't let go.
What are you doing?
We're warping, he said, chuckling out loud. Remember, don't let go. On three.
I ducked my head against him, cutting off my optics to try to prevent any more fear than I was already experiencing. Heights and I did not mix well.
1… 2…
I thought about begging him to change his mind, but before I'd even finished the sentence in my head he sent 3!
For a brief moment things were chillingly cold, but not enough to threaten to ice my systems. Skywarp! I sent frantically. Where are we?
In response there was a ripping sound, and then the air felt warm. Wind that I hadn't noticed was missing now whipped around us again.
Why don't you see for yourself? Skywarp sent.
He began a slow spiral down, but I couldn't really tell where we were. It wasn't until we landed and I thought to access my GPS that I knew where we were.
"Autobot City?" I slid off of his back and he transformed back to mech mode. "I thought… I didn't think you'd ever want to come back here."
We were at the top of the mesa. The City's alarms must be going wild right about now, and realized I'd never gotten the chance to ask Frenzy how he'd gotten so close to the base.
Now that things had calmed down, all of my cracks, scratches, scuffs, and gashes came to life with a vengeance. I hurt all over, especially in places I hadn't had before my trip. Most of the damage was superficial, only affecting my alt mode, but there were a few energon leaks and other red lights flashing in my mind's eye. Skywarp couldn't be any better.
I leaned against my Seeker's leg as bright lights swept to the top of the mesa. Humans in cars, as well as the Autobots, spilled out and pinned us to the edge of the mesa. Neither of us moved, and then Optimus appeared in his alt mode. He transformed, stepping over the human vehicles, which carried men with guns big and small.
The others transformed too, Prowl, Ratchet and Mirage. Ironhide and had probably gone back to Lennox already, but Hotrod was missing. I realized with a start that we'd abandoned Mikaela in South Lake Tahoe.
"Thank you, Skywarp." Optimus began. "My CMO can see to both your damage. Bravura… we'll talk about this later." With that he nodded to one of the humans. "You can return to your posts, they aren't the enemy." The Autobot leader turned away, stepping gingerly around and over vehicles, then transformed and went back down the mesa's road.
The two of us waited until the majority of the humans' vehicles had managed to get turned around and head back down to the City. Prowl and Ratchet followed shortly after. Ratchet looked especially upset with me. Mirage stayed where he was, staring.
Giving Skywarp's leg a quick pat, I left his side and walked quickly to Mirage. The foot Frenzy had been picking around in hurt vaguely, but it didn't impede my movements.
Mirage started towards me, and when we met halfway he lifted me up and swept me off my feet, spinning me around, just as he had the first time he'd seen me in my new body.
"You look good in blue," he said, hugging me tightly. He let me down gently.
I looked down at myself and laughed. I was mostly covered in bright and horribly scratched blue paint.
Shrugging, I looked back up to my friend. "Am I in big trouble?"
Mirage nodded, but he was smiling. "Optimus hasn't said anything, but Ratchet said he's gonna give you a pair of extra large audials to make sure you actually hear him when he tells you not to do something."
Self-consciously I rubbed the side of my head and was only a little surprised that is was now even more oddly shaped than before.
"Do I look… weird, Mirage?"
He shook his head firmly. "You look nice and solid now. You were an awful lot like that crazy little Decepticon before. You look like a real Autobot," he said with a smile.
Too bad I had already thrown in my lot with a Decepticon.
I turned to Skywarp, who was standing alone on the edge of the mesa. I motioned for him to come to me, and he did, though reluctantly. The three of us walked down the mesa's thin road to get back into the base.
When we entered the base several guns immediately centered on Skywarp. I deliberately got too close to one of the men, easily at least three feet taller than the poor soldier, and glared him down while Mirage called them off. I made sure they all got a hard stare from me before I followed the two mechs into the base.
Ratchet took care of me first. Skywarp had a lot of damage, but nothing any more serious than mine, and he refused to get repaired before me.
I could tell the Autobot medic was mad at me, but he went about soldering things and repairing energon lines with his usual precision.
When I mentioned the pain in my leg where Frenzy had been digging, Ratchet removed the plate covering the lower part of my shin to see the damage.
The medic clucked quietly. His tools whistled to life and he began poking around, giving me uncomfortable little jolts and stings. "He broke some tension cords, as well as an energon line. Looks like he took a chunk out of your frame too. He could've totally ruined you leg. In fact, it's odd that he didn't. Frenzy usually goes right for the primary suspension cables. It has the same effect as hamstringing a human, and it's rather difficult to repair."
"Barricade said Frenzy actually wanted me to come along with them. Something about matching metals."
"Hmm… It is likely that you are metallically identical with Frenzy. I hadn't ever considered the repercussions. It's improbable that Frenzy would decide to adopt you, but I can't think of any other excuse for that kind of behavior." Ratchet replaced my shin plate, looking thoughtful.
"Barricade still hates me just as much as ever, so I doubt there's anything to worry about. Am I good, doc?" I swung my legs
"No, I would say you're exceedingly bad, running off and getting yourself smashed to pieces for a silly alt mode. But you're physically fine, except for the windshield and the side windows. I'm sure Mirage will show you how to rebuild all of your glass."
Mirage nodded from his place against the wall. I hopped down from the table, smiling at the medic as sweetly as I could. Ratchet went to Skywarp, who was waiting on the other exam table looking extremely uncomfortable.
I smiled to the Seeker, who didn't quite smile back, then went to lean against the wall with Mirage.
While Ratchet busied himself with the Seeker I looked up at Mirage. "So we're the blue bots on campus, huh?"
"Looks that way. What'd you end up picking?"
"A… hmm. I don't know. I didn't even see it, I just scanned it." I looked down at myself curiously. I was still scratched and scuffed, but Ratchet had said that would heal on its own.
"Well, transform and I'll look for you," Mirage suggested casually.
I nodded eagerly, then stepped away from the wall and ran the transformation protocol. It was easier the second time around, quicker and less disorienting. In a couple of seconds I was sitting with all four wheels on the ground.
Mirage stood up straight and walked around me. "Hmm…" He stopped behind me. "Ah. It says 'Lotus' in big letters, and 'Elise' in little letters."
A giggle escaped me before I could stop it. "No way! That's a really nice car!"
"Not after you happened to it. You don't have any glass left that isn't cracked." Mirage reached around and wiggled his fingers in the driver's side where my glass window used to be.
"You'll kindly refrain from leaving rubber streaks all over my floor," the medic called without turning around.
I transformed back, smiling to myself. "Sorry Ratchet." Mirage winked at me, and I lightly punched him in the hip. He feigned intense pain, staggering back and hunching over. Even though I knew what was coming, I still couldn't stop Mirage from suddenly leaping forward and catching me in a headlock.
I was laughing and trying to wrestle myself free when I heard Skywarp's boulders-breaking growl. Mirage let me go, and I straightened to see the Seeker sitting up, his hands clenched into fists.
"It's ok, Warp, we were just playing," I said nervously, holding up my hands. "See? I'm fine!"
The Seeker frowned at me for a long moment, then laid back on the exam table with a grumble. Ratchet cautiously returned to his work, and I looked at Mirage, shrugging with a little embarrassment.
"He's… protective."
"Yeah… maybe we can go get some energon while Ratchet fixes up your friend?" Mirage looked to Skywarp nervously.
"Yeah, that'd be good." I looked to my Seeker. "I'll be back soon, Skywarp."
He waved to me from his table, so Mirage and I headed out of the sick bay into the hallway. As soon as the door slid shut Mirage turned to me and dropped down to my level.
"Ok, what's going on? You're not… with him. Are you?"
"Well… I don't know, Mirage. It's hard to explain. He saved me. He fought his brother for me! He sat in the brig for over a month for me! Everything good that's happened to me since I got away from Bucklin has been because of that Seeker. Even meeting you, Mirage."
"I don't like it. Do you really think his brother, Starscream, the Second in Command of the entire Decepticon army, will let him just stop fighting?"
"We'll find a way to stay out of it. He doesn't seem to want to deal with the war anymore. Isn't that what you all wanted?"
"I was kind of hoping he'd just sort of fly away, not take you with him!" From his voice it was clear that Mirage wasn't mad. He was… hurt?
"Oh…" I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to make him see how much I cared about him. "No matter what happens, even if I leave with him, we'll always be friends, Mirage. I'll never forget who taught me how to piss Prowl off in seven seconds or less."
The Lexus suddenly hugged me tightly. "You're just so young," he sighed. "I'm afraid you'll get hurt out there, and there won't be anyone to help you get out again."
"Well, someone's always gotten me out of trouble before," I said ruefully. "I've got to stand on my own two feet sometime. If I leave with Skywarp, he'll take care of me until I can do that."
"Why can't we take care of you until then? I know it's tough here, believe me. I wasn't always a warrior. In fact I was kind of spoiled. I had everything, and the army life was the last thing I wanted… But it's better than the alternative, Bravura."
Pushing away from him a little, I smiled. "What alternative are you talking about? We're going to fly off into the sunset, presumably."
"It's never that easy, little lady," he said sadly. He nodded his head down the hallway. "I bet you're wanting that energon right about now, huh?"
"Yeah… Mirage?"
He looked at me oddly. "Yes…?"
I hugged him tightly. "Thank you for everything."
He returned the embrace, then stood up without saying anything. The dark blue mech took my hand and tugged me in the direction of the rec. hall. He wouldn't look me in the eye.