A/N- Hope you enjoy, whoop, got over some writer's block and some plot issues, yay!
Chapter 9
Long metal fingers reached into the container and plucked Alexis out, blankets and all.
Starscream prodded the prone lump on his palm. "Wakey, wakey, Alexis…"
To his amazement, the girl ignored him and rolled over, wriggling deeper into the covers.
He prodded her again, harder. "ALEXIS!"
She shot upright in his palm. "Whoa… what?" Then, realising where she was, groaned and flopped back down in the covers.
"What do you want?"
"Is that any way to speak to your owner?" he whispered dangerously, elevating the bundle to his face.
Alexis was too tired to even be afraid. "Sorry sorry, et cetera," she murmured grudgingly, stifling a yawn. "I'm knackered. From bowing and scraping to your friend during the night. What I meant was… how can I assist you?"
"What makes you think a pathetic creature such as you can assist me?"
Alexis groaned again, inwardly. There were numerous facets to Starscream's personality, she had come to realise. Dangerous Starscream, which was when rage, malice or both simmered on a strained leash beneath his metal hide, and the best thing to do was duck and cover. Angry Starscream, where he would explode in a violent, but usually brief fit of temper. If you stayed out of the way, you were fine. Subdued Starscream, when he would be pensive and watchful, sometime studying her with a strange expression. She found this side of him as unnerving as the others.
But this morning he was Snide Starscream, taking delight in winding her up like a clockwork toy, rejoicing in his hold over her, making a game out of her resentful subservience. In other words, on top form. She sighed and leaned back on his fingers. Then something occurred to her.
"You've never come in to fetch me from in here before."
"Am I required to need a reason? You belong to me."
"No, no, it's just…" she shrugged. "I'm honoured," she said dryly.
He chuckled wickedly. "You should be." Then abruptly his tone became business-like.
"You are going to Station 12 again with Long Haul, to fetch fresh supplies for my new shipment arriving today."
Something from last night's conversation stirred in her memory. "Shipment… There are… more people coming here?"
He nodded curtly. "Go out and bring back enough food to sustain yourselves." His optics narrowed. "ONLY the basics, do you understand me?"
"I understand. Food, water, bedding." And maybe some other stuff I like the look of. " I just need to get shoes on, and…"
"No." He lowered her to the floor and dropped her the last couple of feet. "You are to leave now."
"Thanks a lot," she muttered, as he stalked off, leaving her to walk the long vast corridors by herself. She looked up to see some of the others peering through the mesh, anxiously
"Are you alright, Alexis?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, just having fun with His Lordship. Do you want anything from the shop?"
There was a pause. "Cornetto," someone shouted, followed by sniggering.
"Very funny." She grinned and stifled another yawn, before setting off, the metal floors cold on her bare feet.
She was sent out alone this time, unless she counted Long Haul. She was surprised, but then, as Starscream had pointed out, she wouldn't be trying anything funny. Not with her phone still nestled inside his circuitry… though, as she reiterated countless times to herself, he technically hadn't harmed her since her arrival, nor had he called anyone in her address book. At times she found herself even relaxing slightly in his presence. She was certainly less jumpy around him than the others, something that had not gone unnoticed by the other humans. It seemed she had become a sort of link, an ambassador even, for the people imprisoned in his headquarters. Despite all this, she would not be lulled into a false sense of security. He was dangerous, evil. And she couldn't, mustn't, trust him.
Like last trip, she used the time on the journey to stare out of the window at the scenery. When they exited the base through the huge doorway, she noticed with disquiet that the metal and concrete extended further out than it had before, sterilising the landscape… The Great Conversion…? But eventually they were driving amongst trees and grass. The early morning was beautiful, mist rolling and dispersing as the sun rose through small clouds, the air was chill and crisp. Birds sang in the trees, free and oblivious to the monumental change that had come over their world. The route they took didn't take in any towns or cities, but Alexis was sure she didn't want to see what they looked like now. The memory of the devastated town from all those months ago reared up and made her shudder.
In the large store, she hurried through the aisles. She had already filled several trolleys, and emptied them into Long Haul's trailer. The shelves reared above her, and she used a long pole she had found to knock items to the floor. Cereal… no milk, but we can eat it dry… cans of meat and vegetables… crackers… bottled water… dare she take back some more 'medicine?'…
It was around noon when she emerged, exhausted, pushing the final trolley. The pebbles underfoot hurt her bare feet and she swore. The she looked up and exclaimed in surprise to see Long Haul in robot mode, goods scattered all over the ground from when he had transformed, assuming a wary stance.
"Hey! What…"
"Quiet fleshbag!" he growled ferociously. He seemed to be listening and scanning for something. Alexis frowned and looked around her. The wind blew softly across the tarmac, rippling through small trees and the overgrown grass. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.
After an age, he grunted and transformed. Alexis grumpily gathered up the dropped items, and reloaded them. It nearly didn't all fit in his trailer.
"What was all that about then?" she asked as she climbed into the cab.
Long Haul didn't answer, and roared away from the supermarket.
************
They arrived back, zooming straight into the hall. Alexis jumped down, and Long Haul sped off to the quarters, grumbling to himself as usual.
Her heart began to bang in her chest when she spied the group of new arrivals in the middle of the room. There were between eighty and a hundred people, huddled together, the reek of fear undulating out like ripples on a pond. She saw the others at their normal stations amongst the scrap, craning over. There were no decepticons in the hall. She made a decision, and began to run, not towards her companions, but towards the large group, heart beating even faster… she was supposed to be with the others working on the scrap heaps… there would definitely be punishment in store for her… but she didn't care…
She reached the group and began to gently ease her way into the trembling crowd, looking for familiar faces. Within a few minutes her heart leapt with recognition.
"Charlie!"
There she was, her friend from Alton Towers, standing rigid and terrified in the midst of the huddle. As Alexis fought her way closer she spied the man called Ben she had met briefly that day, standing next to Charlie, holding a bundle. His pale worn features turned to face her, and his eyes widened.
"Alexis?" Ben jabbed Charlie in the ribs, and the girl turned too, a stunned look dawning on her face as she recognised her- within seconds, the two of them were embracing tightly, clinging to each other for dear life.
"We thought you were dead," she gasped, clutching Alexis so tightly she couldn't breathe. "What happened to you?"
"I was snatched," said Alexis. "By a man up at the house."
Charlie let go of Alexis and held her at arm's length, staring as if she couldn't believe she was real. Her clothes were dirty and a nasty gash went from her cheekbone down to her jaw, the blood congealing in the wound. Her blonde hair lay lank on her shoulders.
"Are you OK?" said Alexis, rubbing the other girls arms, as if she could rub some comfort into her, some assurance things would be alright.
"Loads of them came and tore the place apart," she replied in a fearful whisper. "Then we got put inside this crate thing. There were people dead on the floor..."
Her voice cracked and her shoulders shook. Alexis took her in her arms again. "It's OK, it's OK… we stick together in here, I can help you, I promise…"
Charlie broke away, the tears shining on her cheeks. "But w-what will they d-do to her?" she wailed, distraught.
"To who?" Who was she talking about? Alexis looked at Ben, nonplussed. Ben slowly withdrew the covers from the bundle in his arms.
The colour drained from Alexis' face, she gazed at the baby as she stirred and fretted in Ben's arms.
"You still have to name her," Ben whispered. His face was ashen and he clutched the infant tightly. "I couldn't decide on a name..."
As one, the crowd jumped, as heavy footsteps made the floor shake. The huddle shrank and moved closer together, inching backwards away from the sound of the approaching feet. Charlie swallowed hard and buried her face in Ben's sleeve. Most faces were fixed on the doorway as if held in place with a vice.
Starscream, Thundercracker and Sideaways appeared in the tall entrance. A low moan of fear escaped the crowd as they beheld the three decepticons. Starscream took one step forward, and the crowd shuddered and lurched back, like in a twisted game of Grandmother's footsteps. Starscream couldn't help but grin with relish at their fear. Down in the huddle, Alexis rolled her eyes. This must be like Christmas to him, she thought.
The three robots approached until they loomed above the humans. Alexis kept her head bent low as they scanned the crowd. She wasn't going to leave Charlie and Ben alone if she could help it. Risking a tiny glance, she saw Sideways fidgeting, shifting from one foot to the other as if impatient for something to begin. Thundercracker stared down at the humans, his gaze inscrutable. Starscream looked irritable. Not good…
Then, surprisingly, Thundercracker spoke up first.
"Welcome, humans," he rumbled. "You have been selected to contribute to the furthering of the Decepticon Empire."
"There aren't as many as I'd hoped," whinged Sideways, his eyes glittering cruelly. "How disappointing. But I'm sure we will have fun with these creatures, don't you agree Starscream?"
Starscream was eyeing the humans with distaste as they cowered before him.
"They belong to you now," Sideways pressed. Then he lunged forward and grabbed a figure from the crowd- a teenage boy, who wriggled and screamed frantically. He threw the boy to Starscream, who caught him deftly in one fist. Fearful shouts rang out from the crowd-
"Put him down!"
"Let him go!"
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee….
The crowd fell quiet as a strange high-pitched whirring sounded above them. Starscream was casually examining the boy as if he were the most interesting thing in the world. On his other forearm, his null cannon glowed in the direction of the humans, ready to fire.
Deathly silence descended. Alexis held her breath.
Finally, the cannon powered down and Starscream returned his gaze to the speechless crowd. "Much better." He leaned down and dropped the boy back on the floor.
As he straightened, Long Haul entered the room. "Starscream…"
"What?" he snapped.
"I request a short audience with you. It's… urgent."
Starscream turned to Thundercracker. "Carry out the inspection," he growled.
The two decepticons left, leaving the humans alone with Thundercracker and Sideways.
"Now what?" Charlie whispered, clutching Alexis' arm. The two robots were beckoning people forward to examine them.
"I think they're going to assess people to see if they're fit for work," murmured Alexis. In the front, a frightened woman was snatched by Sideways and lifted screaming into the air. He leered as he let her swing from one finger, appraising her. To the other side, Thundercracker was trying to coax terrified people forward. He didn't touch them, but merely inspected each one solemnly for a few moments.
"Go and stand over there," he ordered, motioning to where Hugo and the others were. The person obeyed, sighing with relief, stumbling away from the hulking giant.
Alexis held out her arms for the baby. Dumbly, Ben complied.
"We'll go over there," she whispered, cocking her head towards Thundercracker.
Charlie took a deep breath. "What makes you think he'll be any better?"
"Just be thankful Starscream isn't here." She began to move through the crowd surreptitiously, the other two following.
Charlie shook her head, her breathing shallow as she started to panic. "Couldn't you just hide her… or…'
"No. We can't hide a baby from them, Charlie. Just let me handle it. Trust me. Please."
Meanwhile, other people had started to realise that Thundercracker was a far better prospect then Sideways, who guffawed evilly as he snatched his victims up for inspection, as opposed to Thundercracker's gentler approach. The throng of new slaves swelled towards him and shied away from Sideways like a nervous flock of sheep.
"Hey," Sideways sneered, noticing the crowd's behaviour. "Where do you think you bonebags are going?"
"Stop mauling them, Sideways." Thundercracker frowned and beckoned another candidate forward. "You said yourself there were fewer than anticipated. We don't want these damaged. They are all needed for The Conversion." He motioned for the woman before him to join the 'acceptibles' and she fled. Sideways scowled. "You're no fun."
Thundercracker grunted and turned back to the humans. Alexis and the others were nearly at the front. Ben stepped forward, with a last backward glance at the baby in her arms. Other people around her had noticed her precious cargo, and a tense murmur ran through them, apprehension palpable amongst them. Thundercracker nodded his approval of Ben and dismissed him. Alexis stepped forward.
Thundercracker stared, and Alexis raised her head to meet his crimson gaze, nearly identical to Starscream's. His faceplates shifted as faint recognition dawned.
"…Alexis." he stated.
She nodded once. He frowned.
"You shouldn't be over here."
Her heart banged against her ribs, and she felt the baby shift and mew quietly in her arms. Everyone was silent, not even daring to breathe.
"That's an infant human, yes?" Thundercracker demanded, after an eternity of silence.
"Yes Thundercracker." The crowd gave the tiniest gasp as she raised the baby slightly, the better for Thundercracker to see. "Her name… her name is… Rose."
Silence. Then Thundercracker got down on one knee. The crowd pulled back, but Alexis stayed where she was.
Thundercracker stroked his chin and regarded the tiny being, who stared back, eyes big and vacant.
Then he straightened up, shaking his head. "No," he said. "No…"
"No what?" Alexis demanded. "No, she can't stay here? What exactly will happen to her then?"
The look on the blue robot's face told her all she needed to know. Forgetting their terror, the crowd erupted again.
"NO!"
"You monster!"
"She's a BABY!"
Thundercracker started at the response. He gazed in surprise at the enraged little creatures clustered around his feet. Then he seemed to recover. He stamped one foot, sternly.
"STOP IT," he boomed. Everyone shrank back, but Alexis stood her ground.
"You don't want to kill her," she said softly. 'I can see it."
Thundercracker did not reply. Eventually he said, "Starscream will not allow it."
"You don't want to kill her," Alexis repeated.
He seemed to struggle internally for a few moments. She waited.
"Not all of us derive joy from killing inferior life forms, no matter what you may think," he conceded. "I do not wish to terminate this little one. But Starscream will not like it."
"Won't like what?" Sideways had appeared at Thundercracker's side. At the sight of baby Rose his face contorted with disgust.
"By the allspark," he spat. "It's Starscream's pet. With a human maggot. Well, they're completely useless. Why is it still breathing, Thundercracker?" An evil grin split his face. "If you haven't got, as the humans say, the balls, then I'll be happy to oblige…"
Unseen by Sideways, a look of rage flashed across the blue seeker's face. It was only there for an instant, but Alexis saw it. Starscream isn't the only one who can't stand him, then.
"I see no point in destroying something so insignificant, let alone taking pleasure in it," he snapped. His gaze returned to the girl and the infant. Red lines leapt from his eyes and the crowd cried out, but Alexis remembered the scan from Starscream and was better prepared this time round. When the scan had finished, he knelt down again.
"Her age is approximately fifteen earth months," he recited. Alexis turned to look at Charlie, who shrugged.
"Thank you," she said softly. "We didn't know that."
He straightened up. "I cannot guarantee Starscream's reaction," he explained. "But this infant will not die at my hand. Nor Sideways,'" he growled, glancing at the decepticon beside him.
He addressed the humans. "Go to your quarters until you are sent for. Come, Sideways." And he turned and strode for the same exit Starscream and Long Haul went through.
Alexis and the others began to move slowly towards the corridor to the slave quarters. Suddenly, there was a shadow, a rush of air and people screamed and raised their hands to shield themselves, scattering left and right. A foot slammed into the ground, blocking her path.
Sideways' snarled down at her, his expression was so ugly Alexis flinched. "Be careful, pet," he spat, fists clenched. "It can be hard looking after yourself around here, let alone another puny fluid sac. How long do you think you will last?"
Breathing fast, she whipped her head round wildly, looking for Thundercracker, shit, even Starscream would be a welcome sight… but they were alone with Sideways. He had bent down until his awful face was a foot from hers, his hands flat either side of her. She shrank back in fear and anger. "Get away from me!"
In her arms the baby began to cry, the wailing growing louder and louder. Sideways' optics narrowed dangerously.
"When I'm done, there won't any bits big enough to… ugh!"
Sideways jerked back as something jabbed into his plating, at his heel. Alexis jumped and stared in disbelief. Hugo had crept up behind the monster, he was wielding a steel pole, which he had somehow driven in between a gap in Sideways' armour. As Alexis watched, he pushed hard, and twisted. The decepticon howled in pain and rage, and rolled backwards with a crash and screech of metal on metal..
Hugo hurried to Alexis' side. "Hello Ali. You OK, yeah?" he calmly ignored Sideways' roars and embraced her trembling body, drawing her away from the fallen robot. "Come on. We need to get the little one back to the…"
He gave a sharp gasp. Alexis didn't heed it straight away, she carried on walking shakily with him towards the door. Then he slumped against her, causing her to cry out, as she staggered under his weight.
"Hugo?... What is it…HUGO!"
But Hugo didn't answer her. His eyes fluttered and then closed, he fell to the floor, his face crumpling in bewilderment, pain... Someone else was there, supporting his upper body… then she took in the blood and… oh god… the smell of burning. Baby Rose was crying ever louder, pitiful mewls echoing starkly… there was blood on her arms and legs as she knelt… trying to stem the flow…
Thundercracker stomped back into the hall. "Come on Sideways…" he trailed off and his optics narrowed at the fresco of chaos. "What's happened?" He growled and stalked closer.
Sideways' hand was already transforming back, the smoking laser clicking and shifting innocently out of sight. He was toying with a small metal pole, wrenched from his heel. A slow, evil smile was spreading out across his features.
"Nothing of any consequence,' he said.
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A/N- so, who got the Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz reference then? If anyone asks you if you want anything from the shop, you know what to say...
Please leave reviews, they make me happy! Night!