Wtf can happen next coz I have NO clue!
x x x please review and comment or message me :)
Zoe's POV
Chapter 17 – Waking and the Twins
With countless aches and pains of a numb mind and a sore body ruling out any possibility of slipping quietly into the comfort of unconsciousness, Zoe wondered sourly where all her good memories had gone. They flitted around her eyelids like hornets but they never remained still long enough for Zoe to grasp one and focus on it. Childhood memories intertwined with Ironhide's optics and a low sound of a jet engine pounded its way through her parent's voices.
She had thought, perhaps naively, that it would be easier to retreat into her memories than face reality, but the dreams provided her with nothing but the cold comfort of revisiting only the most bitter times in her life. Maybe it was the drugs, maybe it was the exhaustion, but her mind played as many tricks on her as her truck did.
She must have turned over in her sleep for a searing pain screeched along her spine and over her ribs, but she was a long way from consciousness so she tried vainly to ignore it, hearing her rasping intake of breath as her body sucked in oxygen. Zoe concentrated and pushed the pain away, bundling to the back of her mind like a discarded box.
Her pain mastered – slightly – Zoe decided to try and move. Focusing solely on her uncooperative limbs, the teen managed to twitch her muscles and let them slide over the soft surface she was lying on. It was a mattress, maybe, and a thin sheet covered her body. Lifting weary hands to her hips, Zoe realized she was dressed in soft baggy clothes and her eye-lids fluttered open in surprise but she closed them hurriedly when a mind numbing sensation pulsed through her pupils as they hit the harsh light above. Gritting her teeth stubbornly, Zoe pulled herself up onto her elbows and then into a rough sitting position, choosing to block out the angry complaints from her ribs and backbone.
Cupping her hands to her eyes, Zoe squinted around her, taking in rather worriedly that she was in a cocoon of white light, an eternal blackness surrounding her little bubble. Once her pupils relented to the fact she wanted to look around, Zoe lent against tired arms and called out timidly.
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
The silence that replied was as loud as a thousand drums pounding on her ears and unable to stare around at black, Zoe winced as she looked down; most of the pale skin on show was wrapped up in many intricate swabs and bandages, a light red occasionally seeping into view. The young human picked absently at one of them and once the material was in her grasp, she began to unwind it. The cut that was revealed was clean looking and although no longer appeared life-threatening, it probably had been once; her wrist looking incredibly small as the wound itself stretched from her palm up to her elbow.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you, unless you want Ratchet on your ass faster than you can say 'stop'!"
Squeaking in alarm, Zoe swivelled her head around so fast it cricked painfully. Bright blue optics followed by a familiar metal exterior loomed into view and Zoe felt a relieved smile play on her features.
"Ironhide!" She exclaimed, and despite the protests of injured body parts, Zoe scrambled to her feet and hurried to the edge of the massive berth she was placed on. The clothes made the teen look thin and swamped her but Zoe's eyes radiating happiness drove away all other thoughts from an onlookers mind. Unseen by Zoe, heavy bandages were wound expertly around her torso and collarbone, hiding bruises and the cracked bones underneath.
Said Autobot made his way over and lowered his head so that he and his human were at eye level. "How are you fairing young one?" He whispered, raising a finger of the same width as Zoe's bicep and ruffling his charge's hair. A mock annoyed hand caught it and held onto it playfully, Zoe patting the metal reassuringly as her guardian stared into her own eyes.
"I'm fine, re-" A small but sharp spasm of pain shot up Zoe's side but she swallowed a cry and continued as if nothing had happened. "-ally. Just a little shaken I guess."
Although Ironhide looked far from convinced, he nodded and cupped a hand behind Zoe and the human leant against it, glad for not only the relief of pressure off her legs but also a soothing hum Ironhide seemed to be emitting. Closing her eyes, Zoe decided to break the silence.
"Are you ok though? You came out of the forest worse than I did..." Although ashamed of not looking Ironhide in the optics the teen shifted slightly and Zoe couldn't seem to open her eyes, tiredness not only seeping into her words but her mind as well.
A soft – oh so soft – sensation stroked her cheek and neck, leaving a path of warmth as it trailed over her skin enticing the teen to remain still. Sub-consciously Zoe tried to lean closer to it, wanting no, needing the calming aura it was emitting but pain flared up unbidden as she bent in a way her body did not recommend and she struggled to contain a moan of agony that wanted to escape her dry lips. Desperately, Zoe struggled for a second but managed to raise her arm and place it on a hard metal surface behind her, unnaturally pleasant to touch, and patted it questionably, wanting an answer from the Cybertronian. Seeming to ignore her, the touch stroked her side, lightly caressing her arms and legs and snaking over her shoulders whilst the human felt herself being lifted off the ground completely. Darkness called her name but Zoe ignored it and absorbed as much of the serene calming feelings that were working their way through her veins. She tried to speak but only managed to raise her arm in front of her again.
A force gently wrapped itself around her hand and squeezed, reassurance flooding her nerves and unloosening muscles she had no idea tensed. Zoe focused and opened her eyes, her eyelids fluttering uselessly. She felt a smile in her direction and smiled back.
"Are you ok?" Zoe repeated stubbornly and although her voice came out as a mumble, she knew Ironhide had heard her.
"Sleep Zoe, I'll be here when you wake up."
Oblivion was calling her name again, but more sternly this time, not going to take no for an answer. Zoe sighed inwardly and with a squeeze of her own to the pressure around her hand, her body slumped minutely. Her thoughts drifted away to nothing and her pain disappeared along with all knowledge of the world.
When Zoe woke again the pain had almost disappeared. It was now nothing more than an annoying ache that despite her orders to 'stop hurting dam it' stayed constant and around her like fog. With a determined sigh, Zoe sat up and although she waited for a head rush that would lift her mind clear off her shoulders, none came. In fact, the teen felt one hundred times better and that decided Zoe stood up.
Her legs shook like jelly to begin with but after a few seconds of balancing, she got the hang of it and was walking around happily, ignoring the fact most two years could accomplish this. Once the walking was perfected, Zoe looked around her curiously, the light having spread around the room allowing the teen to observe everything.
Long, twisting things that could have been vines or tentacles or metal tubes slithered like so many fat worms up the walls and over the ceiling, turning the room into a sloping cave. Walking to the edge of the berth and looking down, she saw they continued across the floor as well, though unlike the ones covering the walls those under her had flattened out into an undulating mosaic to create a level walking surface. Strange devices and machines parted the mass like a curtain, rising up out of the floor, walls and ceiling in unrecognizable shapes. Here was a cluster of something that looked like a cross between several mechanical arms and a jack port the size of a dinner plate - similar sets of appendages descended from various parts of the randomly sloped ceiling, though these ended in many-bladed knives and needle-sharp points and wickedly curved hooks that bent in every imaginable direction. Beneath each motionless metal spider sprouted a Stephen King version of a dentist's chair, each large enough to hold an elephant. They possessed no padding to speak of, and in fact there were dozens of things that she guessed were jacks or plugs jutting from the surface like so many daggers. Some part of her mind registered that they were super-efficient versions of the operating table and although logic told her it was more for healing than hurt, Zoe couldn't help but cringe away.
Ironhide couldn't be seen but for some reason Zoe did not feel abandoned or alone. Someone was watching her and at the realization of this, the hairs on the back of the human's neck stood straight and prickled.
"I know you're here..." Zoe's voice stayed strong and unwavering although inside she felt like a flag during a tornado.
A moment of silence before...
"Dam it! I tolds ya she could hear uth!"
"Well how da All Spark was I supposed to know that, aft-kisser? She's a human!"
"Stuff it Mudflap, we have to show ourswelves now!"
Despite the fact the voices came from unknown origins, Zoe couldn't help but laugh at them; they were so cute! She clasped a hand to her mouth and tried to stifle her giggles as the two started talking again but she soon found that was too difficult.
Over her muffled laughs, Zoe managed to hear;
"Wowzers, she's wiv old 'Hide right?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"Old grumpy grill hath no humour but she's laughing at uth!"
Zoe shook her head, still chuckling weakly, and raised her eyes to where the voices seemed to be coming from. They were low down, as though they weren't tall enough to reach the edge of the berth.
She crawled to edge and peered over it, eyes widening at what she saw. The first word that came to mind was; Smarties. One was a lime green and the other a red-orange. The green one had a gold tooth and both had weird ape like appearances with large ears and facial shape to match, completely different to Ironhide's but still similar; almost like teenagers... Zoe smiled down at them, she liked them already.
"Hi," Zoe greeted, giving them a small wave. Their expressions broke out into a goofy smiles and each of their blue optics lingered to her left. Following their quirky gaze, Zoe noticed a metal ladder and edged over to it, casting her eyes back to the 'creatures' occasionally as if asking permission – to which they gave no reply.
Although she didn't really want to turn her back to the weird humanoid Autobots – yes! Memory was returning - , Zoe found she had no choice if she wished to climb down the ladder effectively. The steps were cold on her bare feet and the lower she went the chillier the air seemed to get. When her feet met the flat cold concrete, Zoe turned and was rewarded with two exceptionally close faces peering intently into her own. Zoe yelped in surprise and stumble back, but to her credit she didn't flinch as four metric tonnes leaned towards her.
"Calms your aft down little lady, we won't hurt cha." The Green One smiled reassuringly and raised his palms in an attempt to pacify the human, who visibly relaxed.
"Yeah, coz' 'Hide would turn uth too scrap if we did." The Orange one added and Zoe giggled, pressing a hand to her mouth.
Ironhide hadn't really talked about any other Autobots; he had mentioned that he had a leader called Optimus Prime, but apart from that had been quite vague. Maybe he hadn't, but the teens memory was still like sludge. Zoe shrugged inwardly, the two in front of her seemed sweet and exceedingly adorable so she probably had nothing to fear.
"Is Ironhide intimidating then?" Zoe asked curiously.
The two robots – twins Zoe guessed; they looked so alike – glanced at each other and frowned deeply. Turning back to the human, the green one nodded.
"Little lady, are you telling uth that you don't find the old trigger finger scary... at all?" He sounded quite incredulous. Zoe's brow furrowed slightly, confused. Did Ironhide have a reputation she didn't know about? Zoe shrugged in way of answer and decided to change the subject.
"Let's start again shall we?" Zoe stuck out her bandaged hand. "Hi my name is Zoe."
The orange hand that reached for her own was knocked out the way by a green one with such force is catapulted the former off into the distance. Zoe raised an eyebrow but let it go. Staring into the eyes of the lime coloured one, Zoe represented her hand even more hesitantly.
"Designation Skidz little lady, and that tangerine over dere is Mudflap." Skidz shook Zoe's hand with infinite gentleness, probably more so after noticing her injury. Zoe laughed again and allowed him to inspect the wound whilst Mudflap made his way back over. Since her hand was still being held by the Autobot, Mudflap waved and Zoe returned it.
"Dam," Skidz muttered, so quietly only his brother could hear him whilst scanning not only her hand but the cracked ribs and collarbone as well. "Screamer got her good." To his right Mudflap agreed silently.
"So where am I?" Zoe asked the 'Bots, swivelling her head around in an attempt to observe the remainder of her surroundings.
"You's at HQ." Mudflap replied.
"Top secret, double oh nothing, squeaky cleany no existy." Skidz confirmed, releasing the hand and backing away.
"Where's Ironhide?" Zoe felt her IQ dropping by the grammar used and voice patterns changing just by being in their presence. Despite that, she felt concerned by the way Skidz had sad 'no existy' – did that mean her foster parents had no idea where she was? Ironhide might know...
"Old 'Hide is probs at da target range thing wiv Lennox. We's can takes you dere no problemo."
Zoe smiled up at the twins and followed them when they gestured towards the massive hanger door.