Beta Reader: PaperBerry of DeviantArt
Chapter 003: Meet the Queen of Hearts
Elita-One stared into Arcee's eyes and optics with a feeling of dread and confusion. "Arcee?" she whispered tentatively.
"You're supposed to be dead," Arcee snarled.
Before Elita could really process it, Arcee leapt for her. She dodged just as Arcee-Handler's bladed right arm would have hit her mid-section. Elita's entire body protested as she moved, and the pain nearly brought tears to her Companion's eyes. An internal systems check told her that even though her run in with Starscream's Neo Allspark had not killed her, she was still severely injured. She needed to end this battle quickly.
"What do you mean?" Elita cried in response as she ducked another blow.
Arcee stopped for a moment, and her eyes and optics narrowed. Elita warily moved back a few steps, taking in the surroundings for the first time. The place they were in was obviously a junkyard of some sort judging by the piles of scrap metal. Elita-One's soldiers were with her, but there were several others that seemed familiar. She didn't dwell on it just yet as she was still trying to process Arcee's animosity.
Arcee's next words brought Elita's attention back to her new enemy. "Who are you? You cannot be Elita-One. I killed her with my own four hands."
Elita-One eyed the femme that she knew as Arcee. Little had made sense up until now, and the fact that this femme claimed that she had murdered Elita set off all kinds of alarm bells in Elita's head. What was going on? Where were they? She decided to answer the other femme, and stood up as straight as her protesting body would allow. "I am Autobot designation Elita-One, commander of the Praxis Forces, member of the Autobot Council."
Arcee-Companion's face transformed into an expression of complete shock. "Impossible. Elita-One was a Decepticon," she breathed in utter disbelief. "You lie!"
"Well, who are you? You can't be my sweet little Autobot Arcee," Elita shot back. With every word spoken, Elita became more convinced that something had gone horribly wrong with the Neo Allspark. Was its power the force that had brought her and her warriors here? So many questions needed to be answered.
"I?" Arcee drawled, "An Autobot?" She laughed menacingly. "Now I know you're utterly insane."
"The feeling's mutual." Elita stepped back towards her soldiers. She didn't like the way the wind was blowing. This Arcee was acting unpredictable, and Elita was wary of what she could do.
Arcee examined the stranger who said she was Elita for a long moment. "Decepticons, retreat."
Killerbee spoke up. "But Lady Arcee -"
"Do as I say!" Arcee stepped away, but turned back to look Elita in the eye. "You've bought yourself some time femme. The next time we meet, I will settle who you are, once and for all."
Elita watched her walk off and then turned to Grindcore. "What in the name of the Allspark and the Ancient Gods is going on?!"
Signal Flare nodded to the two mechs and the strange organic creature that were still staring at them like they were aliens. The organic creature gave Signal Flare pause because it looked like a female Companion, but he wasn't completely sure. "Right now Mistress I'm more worried about them."
Elita met the eyes and optics of the mech who stood slightly in front of his fellows. She noted the sigil on his breast. "What's your faction and name soldier?" The mech took a moment to glance back at his fellows. "I am Autobot Barricade. And you say that you're Autobot Elita-One?"
His voice left little doubt in her mind that he was struggling to reconcile the entire scene that he had witnessed. Elita was just glad that he wasn't taking the opportunity to retreat in the face of the unknown. She needed some answers. "Yes. Where are we?" she asked.
He blinked, thrown by her mundane question, but he answered perfunctorily. "Planet Earth."
Elita shared a look with Grindcore. "Earth?" he murmured.
She turned her attention back to Barricade. "Look, I'm just as uneasy about this as you are, but we need help. All of us are injured, and we have no idea where we are. I don't know what the Pit is going on, but I want to get to the bottom of it," she said. "Will you help us?" Barricade took a moment to consider it. He had known the Decepticon Elita-One, and this femme was a dead ringer for her, the name not withstanding. "I want proof that you are not a threat."
Elita shook her head. "If you think I'm going to deactivate my weapons systems, you are wrong. I will not allow my team into a potentially dangerous situation without arms."
"I cannot risk mine," he retorted.
Elita sized up this "Barricade". Physically, he looked the same as the mech she knew, but there was a slightly different air about him. Then, the proverbial flouro-light went off in her head. "Look, you know me as a Decepticon, correct?"
"Yes."
"Well, where I come from," she said for lack of better terminology, "You're the Decepticon. I don't trust you farther than my Companion can throw your Handler, but right now you are my team and my best chance for safety. We know nothing about this planet, and we must receive some treatment for our injuries. I give you my word that we will not harm you or yours."
Barricade considered this. "Alright. I'll take you to our home base."
"But Barri-"
"Hush Frenzy," Barricade barked. "We're taking them back with us."
Elita-One nodded. "My thanks."
Barricade eyed her with interest and caution. "Thanks are not necessary. I believe it would be in both teams' best interests if I kept you close."
Elita nodded, fully comprehending where Barricade was coming from. "Understood."
Frenzy sighed. "Fine, if you want to lead them back to the house, go ahead. They'll need disguise modes."
Barricade snorted and shot a round of exhaust. "You're right. Follow me."
The four Autobots and the Decepticon followed Barricade to the road that ran along side the junkyard. However, Barricade led them down the highway for about a mile before they came upon what he was seeking. It was a hill situated above a fairground that was teeming with people and vehicles. He pointed to it. "Take your disguise from among those vehicles, and hurry. We must not be seen."
Crankcase-Companion sneered for a moment as his Handler used his sensitive sight to scan a blue car that he found pleasing. "I guess this'll work."
Grindcore looked around, and then whistled and whirred. "Nice," he murmured as he scanned a sleek super-car.
Warpath spied a truck that he particularly liked. "This looks like it will do."
Signal Flare took a moment to look before settling on something a little less flashy than what his comrades had decided on. "Hum, I think I will take this one."
Elita-One carefully looked over her choices, trying to find something that would suit her size and preference. "Ah," she murmured.
Barricade was more familiar with the vehicles that they had chosen then they were, and as such he was amused by their choices. Signal Flare and Warpath had both chosen serviceable enough vehicles, an SUV and heavy duty truck respectively, but the other three had chosen cars known for their speed and price tag.
Mikaela was impressed as well. She walked over and stared at Elita-One and Grindcore. "A Dodge Viper SR10? Cool."
Barricade started. "You know cars?"
"My dad loves them and he taught me all that I know," she answered.
Elita-Companion smiled at the girl. "So, my disguise impresses you?"
"Oh yeah."
Barricade nodded to his new compatriots. "Now that we've gotten you disguises, let's get somewhere safe."
"Ravage! Stop doing that!"
The white cat looked up at the female innocently. :Srry,: he sent digitally.
"I regret the day that I allowed you to look at LOLCats with me." she muttered. She turned back to cooking the evening meal. "I wonder when Barricade and Prowl will get back. It's lonely without the Twins."
:U has meh!: Ravage chirruped.
She looked down at the cat. "As much as I love you Ravage, I'd like to also have mechs around who don't find the need to play with dying rodents."
Ravage-Companion shook his head and then completed his meal. She tried not to retch when she saw the poor mouse's tail slipping in between Ravage-Companion's lips. :Srry Thunderblast. I'll stop being icky.:
Thunderblast-Companion patted his head. "It's okay Ravvy. I'm not completely disgusted. Just eat the mice you catch somewhere else from now on, okay?"
:K.:
She returned to cooking supper. She'd found that human cuisine was fun to make, and she especially enjoyed the ability to create so many different dishes. She stirred the stew and began to sing under her breath. She stopped when she heard the sounds of multiple vehicles pulling into the drive. The house that the Autobots were renting was on the outskirts of town, and there wasn't a neighbor close by.
Ravage-Companion and Thunderblast-Companion walked to the door when her Handler realized that there were newcomers with Barricade. She called to him when he got out of his car. "What's up Brandyn?"
"It's okay Thunderblast. They're alright."
She nodded, dropping the ruse. She was wary of the newcomers, but she didn't become truly suspicious until she saw the female Cybertronian who accompanied them. Thunderblast didn't think as she powered up her weapons. "No! Thunderblast stand down!" Barricade cried.
"But it's Elita-One!"
"I know who the hell it is Thunderblast. Ravage, come here."
The white cat creature did as he was told. :Wuts up Doc?:
Barricade turned to Elita. "I will trust you once you submit to allowing Ravage to search your memory."
Elita-One stared for a moment before nodding. "I take it he has some true telepathic ability?"
"Yes. Do you know how it's done?"
She nodded again. "I've had my memory searched before. It's standard for all personnel that work with the Allspark . . . Or at least it was where I come from."
Ravage cocked his head and then stared at the female Thunderblast called Elita-One. Normally, Ravage was flighty and juvenile, but when he used the ability that was his gift from his Chosen he became pure business. He sat down and issued a low cry to indicate that he was ready when she was.
Elita-One strode forward and knelt down beside the white cat. She reached out and touched his head. Ravage took that as his cue. Elita froze as she felt Ravage's presence in her mind. His touch was gentle, and she began to stroke his head while keeping one hand on his neck so that he could keep the connection.
Ravage searched through her memories, finding no suspicious patches or erasures. He was sure that her memory banks, both organic and mechanical, were pristine. It was only after ensuring that fact that Ravage even began to look through the memories themselves. When he did, he was utterly amazed.
:Barricade, you won't believe this.:
"What is it Ravage?"
:I don't know how, I don't know why, but this femme isn't from here. She's an Autobot, and she has fought Decepticons for most of her life. But there's more to it then that.:
Barricade stared at the femme. "Ravage, what else is there?"
:She knows him, she knows Megatron. She can help us find him.: Elita snapped her head up. "You're looking for Megatron?"
Barricade didn't answer. "Ravage, is there anything else?"
:Barricade I really, really don't think she's from around here.:
"Why?"
:Because she knows Megatron, and he is her faction's biggest nightmare when he is our team's greatest hope.:
Barricade shook his head. "Ravage, what do you mean? What else could he be to our enemies?"
Ravage shook his head savagely. :Listen! To this Elita he is the harbinger of doom! In her world Megatron is the leader of the Decepticons!:
Barricade stared at her, and then turned his gaze to her team. "But . . . He is the one who founded the Autobots."
:He founded them in our world Barricade, but not in hers.:
"'Our world'?"
:It's the only way I can think to describe it.:
The squad all chatted amicably while they waited for their leader to show up. A large black man began to hum something as he sprawled on a bench in the back of the large equipment room. "Hey, Epps, you know where Captain is?" one of his comrades inquired.
The black man looked up, his white teeth flashing in one of his signature smiles. "Nah, Captain said he had a couple of things to do before he would meet us here."
Robert Raymond Epps went back to humming his little tune and observed the others. The soldier who'd asked about Captain sat down opposite Epps. He was a Hispanic man who hailed from Louisiana that went by the name of Fig. His full name was Jorge Figueroa, and it didn't take much to get him to revert back to the language of his childhood. Many a time had Epps and Captain railed at him to speak in English.
Another man took a seat next to Epps. "How long do you think these errands will take Captain? The men are ready and willing to go."
"Don't know Graham," Epps replied. "Captain will get here in his own sweet time."
"Be patient Jack," another man called out.
Graham shook his head. "He's taking a bloody long time."
"Careful man," Fig teased, "Your British is showing."
Graham shot the other man a look. "At least I'm still speaking something everyone else can understand when I start showing my ass."
Epps chuckled at the two and their bickering. Fig and Graham liked to pick at each other since they both hailed from cultures much different from the rest of the team. Most of the other boys had come from typical middle and lower class neighborhoods, except possibly for Captain. No one was entirely sure where Captain came from or if he had any family. He never spoke of siblings or parents, and his accent was so generic that it was difficult to place him. At best, Epps thought that he might hail from California or Nevada.
"How bout both of you boys cool it," Epps said. "I don't feel like breaking up a fight."
It was that moment that the door to the room slid open. Epps and the rest of the men looked up to see Captain striding into the room. "Let's roll boys," William "Captain" Lennox barked. "We've got aliens to hunt down!"
