Alright so this is the latest chapter, the one that wasn't published in the old Torn.
To be brutal, it's intense. Enjoy ^-^
Seated in Bumblebee, I crushed the AllSpark to my chest softly, paying it no mind as it sent me short, sharp zaps rhythmically. It didn't seem to be harming me at all, so I decided against mentioning it to the autobot. It would be bad if I had to give up ownership of the AllSpark so soon after I had gotten it.
"There's Optimus!" Sam suddenly called, and I cursed softly. They were already here, damn it.
'Where the hell is that stupid autoscum?' A new voice cut through my head, causing me to reel back in shock. *Bonecrusher?
'Focus, 'Crush! We're narrowing in on Hazel's position now.' It was Barricade this time.
What the hell was this? Is Blackout beaming the messages to me or something?
Then it clicked. The All Spark. The All Spark has given me access to all of the decepticons comm links. It knows, the Cube knows.
So why is it helping me?
"Patience, young one." The Cube voiced. My eyes widened before snapping up towards Sam. He didn't even blink. I'm the only one who heard the Cube. I didn't have time to dwell on this now. The Cube continued to zap me softly, but I took no notice of it. Instead, I connected to the comm link.
'Guys, hurry. Prime and the rest of 'em are already here providing support.' I stated softly, and I felt Blackout's shock through our bond. It was silent for a few moments, before surprisingly, Bonecrusher spoke up.
'Fleshie?'
'The one and only! I have the All Spark in my hands. I think it's done something to me. I don't know. Just, hurry guys. Prime's approaching fast.' I explained quickly. And Barricade ordered them to hurry up. I breathed out softly, relaxing more into Bumblebee's seat.
Bumblebee vibrated slightly, much like Blackout would do when he was trying to make me relax or fall asleep. It was nicer when Blackout did it though.
"AUTOSCUM!" Bonecrusher's voice cut through the air like a bullet. He was speaking in cybertronian, and telling by the confused, yet fearful looks Mikaela and Sam were sharing - I was the only one who could understand him. Stifling my grin, I pretended to look as frightened as they were.
"No, no, no, no," Sam chanted, causing Mikaela to look at him fearfully.
"What?" She shrieked, grabbing at his hand.
"It's the same cop car from before! Block them. Block them. Block them," Sam screamed, and I turned to look out of the back window, giving a small smile when I saw the familiar cop car I had come to see as my brother.
'Cade, I thought affectionately.
"Who?" I shrieked for effect.
"That cop car, you see that one there? Bad cop, bad cop!" Sam yelled, repeating himself over and over. I looked out of the window to see all of the ground vehicles approaching. Bonecrusher, Barricade and Brawl (who I had learned the autobots/humans also called 'Devastator').
Bonecrusher began to use his scoop to throw cars out of the way. I flinched, feeling guilty for all of the death that was occurring at our hands.
'Not now, Femme!' Blackout roared. Okay, okay. I clenched my fists together and shut my eyes, trying desperately to calm myself.
"Jace, what is it like to be in a war?" I asked my brother wearily as we talked over skype. The screen flickered for a moment, and I saw that he was in deep thought, pondering his words. It was silent for a few more moments before he said;
"Haze, it ain't like nothin' you've ever seen. Nothing you ever want to see. You never wanna see a war, Hazel. Never."
My eyes flashed open once more, and I felt more determined. Twisting in my seat, I turned to see Bonecrusher transform.
I marvelled as every piece on his large frame twisted and melded together perfectly.
"Oh my God," Mikaela bit out, and I watched as Bonecrusher growled before yelling, 'Prime!'
As he said that, Optimus broke from our little 'posse'. His back wheel arches began to twitch violently, before he too was transforming into his bipedal mode.
"Shit," I breathed as Optimus turned around mid-transformation in preparation to take on Bonecrusher, who had smashed his way through a bus - splitting it clean in two.
Optimus barely had time to get ready as Bonecrusher leaps into him, tackling him off the side of the freeway, they fell together.
We continued to barrel down the curving highway, which I was thankful for, because it gave us a full view of what was happening with Prime and 'Crusher. My heart leapt into my throat as Bonecrusher landed horribly, allowing Prime to get the upper hand on him. Prime crashed on top of Bonecrusher, and immediately began to punch him.
Crusher socked him the face, before Prime elbowed him, causing his face to contort unnaturally. Then, they both fell once more onto the next tier.
"Bumblebee! Speed up! Optimus might need us," Mikaela screamed, and the autobot scout was quick to oblige. The entire entourage of autobots increased their speed greatly, so much so that my head felt like it was being sucked into Bumblebee's seats.
We came around the corner once more, and Prime and Crusher seemed to be squaring each other off. Prime ripped his arm off, and I almost screamed.
Then, Primes blade went right through the side of 'Crusher's head.
'NO!' I screamed through the comm, and Blackout's fear increased ten fold through the bond.
'Hazel? Hazel, answer me!' Blackout roared, and I quickly sent him soothing waves through the bond. His fear quickly left him.
'Bonecrusher?' I tried softly, zoning in on a private comm. To my surprise he answered me.
'F-F-F-Fleshie-e-e.' He croaked, and my eyes widened in shock. Prime dropped him, before turning towards us, he motioned for us to keep going forward.
'Barricade! Bonecrusher is alive, barely, but he's alive!' I called out to him, it was silent for a few moments.
'So?' He replied, nonchalantly. He sounded as if he didn't care.
'So? SO? Barricade you have to help him!' I screamed at him.
'Fleshie, this is a war. Comrades die. Big deal. You'll get used to it soon enough.' He stated, monotonously. This was not the 'Cade I knew. This was some kind of, war made monster.
'Barricade!' I bit out, angered. But, his decision was made for him as suddenly, he was knocked sideways onto another highway. One that was heading away from mission city, but straight for Bonecrusher.
'Barricade.' I tried again, keeping my eyes on his now retreating figure. 'Help him.'
'Okay.' He replied, and I breathed out in relief. He might not be able to save him, but at least 'Crusher would have someone with him.
'Bonecrusher.' I breathed out, into our private comm. 'Barricade's coming for you. Don't worry, everything is going to be okay. You did good, okay? You did good.' I soothed.
'H-H-Hazel.' He replied, but he sounded extremely weak. Scared out of my mind, I continued to talk to him.
When I was being trained by the decepticons, being prepared for war. There was no amount of preparation that could prepare you for this. You're not taught how to console a dying comrade, how to keep someone calm, how to help a comrade who is seriously wounded have hope. This, this is something that can only be learned through experience. Horrific experiences.
It was only just occurring to me now, that Bonecrusher, as rude and grouchy as he was - was my family. And now, I'm on the verge of losing him, just like I've lost everyone else.
What the hell do you say to someone who's dying? There's so much you want to say… but so little ways to say it. Time, something that seems to go on forever, is little more than a few moments, a few minutes tops. You don't know how much time you have. It's a terrifying prospect. One that can make a battle hardy soldier, mind numb.
'I've got him.' Barricade called out softly, and I knew this was it. This was the last time we'd communicate whilst Barricade was focusing on the immense task of getting 'Crusher to safety.
'Be safe, 'Cade. Please be safe. I'll be seeing you soon.' I cried out softly, and it was taking everything in my power to stop myself from blubbering all over Bumblebee's seats. Now, that I doubt would go down too well. The little autosqueak would freak, and be hella confused too.
It was silent for a minute more, before Barricade's soft, smooth voice filtered back into my thoughts. 'You too, Fleshie-con.' He then added on a more serious note, 'I mean it Hazel. You better come back in one piece.'
And then the connection was severed.
/ ~ / ~ / ~ /
No amount of training would ever prepare you for a war.
Yeah, there was no doubt in my mind that this was true.
When I'd stepped out of Bumblebee, alongside Sam and Mikaela, ready to re-group and prepare for a fight, I'd been expecting some minute of silence Braveheart speech.
Not this.
Not the screaming.
Not the pain.
Not the ferocity, or the noise.
Not the sound of death and chaos.
I had been expecting many things, but I hadn't been expecting this.
"Come on! Let's go. Mount up!" Lennox roared, but even his voice sounded inferior in comparison to the chaos around him. His voice was almost completely drowned out by the sounds of panic.
"Move out! Move out! Go go go!" A soldier screamed as they began to prepare themselves.
Epps and Will said a few more things, but I wasn't focusing on them at all. Instead, my eyes were locked on an approaching figure.
"F-22, twelve o'clock!" Epps yelled, and I swallowed slightly. It was flying too low. Way too low to be a friendly.
'Prepare yourself, Fleshie-con.' Oh, shit.
"Raptor, Raptor, do you copy? We have you visual. Green smoke is the mark. Provide air cover and vector Black Hawks for extraction," Epps ordered into the radio. There was no response obviously, and the F-22 continued to gain on us.
"It's Starscream!" Ironhide, the weapons specialist which of whom I had heard plenty about, roared. He turned around and began to run.
"Back up! Take cover!" He ordered, and suddenly, there was chaos. Screaming, civilians and soldiers ran in all sorts of directions. There was panic as we all rushed to get off the street. I was just behind Sam and Mikaela when Starscream fired.
The three of us were sent flying forward, and the my side screamed with pain, like it always did when it came into contact with heat. Heat engulfed my body as I hit the pavement with a bang.
It was as if the whole world had frozen. Everything was blurry, and really...distant almost.
I felt woozy as my eyes tried to focus on the two squirming figures ahead of me.
"Blackout! Stop it, that tickles!"
"I'm going to turn you into SCRAP!" Blackout roared, I couldn't take him seriously. Instead, I erupted into giggles. It's hard to take a sparkly, pink decepticon serious.
_._._
"'Cade, wait up!" I called. Barricade stopped immediately before turning around to face me. His holograms eyes filled with warmth.
"What's up, femme?"
"Can you help me prank Starscream?"
_._._
"YOU INSOLENT FOOLS!" A high pitched voice screamed from the other side of the base, causing me to laugh. Hidden in the vents, Frenzy and I shared a quick brofist as we watched Starscream scream and parade around in fury.
"YOU DARE COMPARE ME, THE MIGHTY LORD STARSCREAM, TO A TORTILLA CHIP?"
_._._
"Blackout, I can't sleep." I muttered softly, cringing as my side burned with relentless agony. He sighed softly, before transforming into his alt mode. The door to the passenger side of the chopper popped open, and I climbed in wearily.
The weariness soon left me however, as with Blackout's soothing humming - I was out within seconds.*
Jasons' face appeared in my vision. He was yelling something at me. I couldn't hear him however, only see his lips moving. Jason? How did Jason get here? I thought he was staying at the base.
Will quickly joined him, grabbing my hands. Will crouched down in front of my face and barked something at me, but again I didn't hear it. Suddenly, my vision started to clear and I began to hear again. My side broke out in agony.
"-ut you have to listen to me, Ashley. We need you. You need to help Sam with the Cube!" Will was saying. Oh yes, the Cube. I must've dropped it. My head lolled to the side lazily as I saw Sam clutching the Cube tightly to his chest.
"You're a soldier now, Ashley." I know I am Lennox. I'm a decepticon now. "We need you, Ash." I nodded to him, before using Jason to pull me up. Will nodded at Jason, before running to his men.
"Hazel, hey hey hey, Hazel," Jason whispered, trying to get me to focus on his face. I turned my eyes away from Sam, who was now trying to urge Bumblebee to get up. The autobot was missing his legs. I was kind of glad, this way he couldn't hurt any of my comrades.
My family.
"Look, I know things have been rough but you have to know this. I love you Hazel, you're my baby sister. I have no idea how you found me, or why the hell you know about all of this, but I am so glad. I'm so proud of you, Haze. And I'm so glad that you found me. I love you, baby sis. I love you so much. Now go out there, and show these decepti-freaks what the human race is made of," Jason whispered, and I nodded, before turning around to join Sam. The pain in my side was distracting me badly, so I tried to block it out as I approached him.
"I'm not gonna leave you," Sam was saying to the critically injured bug. I moved towards him, grabbing his shoulder lightly. He didn't look at me as he passed me the cube.
"Come at me, you Decepticon punk!" Jazz, another autobot, suddenly yelled. My head snapped to where his voice was coming from. I noticed that Brawl was at the end of the street, taking on both him and the weapons specialist.
Jazz leapt on to Brawl, who suddenly transformed. They clawed at each other, before Brawl was thrown across the street.
"Concentrate your fire!" Will screamed, and then, Brawl fell. I screamed, loudly.
"Brawl! Come on Brawl! Again, again!" I laughed as he tossed me up into the air before lightly catching me once more.
"Blackout, 'Cade! Look what me and Brawl can do!" I yelled, and they both turned to face me. Blackout smiled softly at my expression, whilst 'Cade grinned wickedly.
_._._
"Click, squeak, click click click," Blackout tried again. He was saying something in Cybertronian, trying to teach me how to understand it. I looked at him blankly.
"K-K-Kuwait, brah?" I gussed. Blackout literally facepalmed.
"No, that was Starscream in Cybertronian, Fleshie."
"Oh. Frag this! I can't do it at all!" I stated. I swear Blackout's optics bulged out of his head.
"Fleshie-con, who taught you that?" His voice was dangerously low. My eyes glanced at 'Cade and Brawl, who were sitting at the table next to us. Their optics widened. Blackout followed my gaze and turned on them with a menacing growl. "WHO?" He roared.
'Cade and Brawl immediately pointed at each other.
_._._
Tap, tap, tap. I instantly shot awake. Turning to my right, I was surprised to see Brawl tapping on the conference room window. I turned at my head at him in confusion, and he gestured for me to come outside with him. I followed him, happily.
We walked until we came to my plane hangar. "Fleshie, I made you something!" He stated. I raised my eyebrow at me.
"You woke me up at twelve AM 'cause you made me something, Brawl?" I asked. He nodded, like an excited kid on christmas eve. He passed me a box, opening it up, I found a hand carved knife, covered with intricate patterns, alongside a matching gun.
"Brawl, this is-" I began, but he cut me off.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FLESHIE-CON!"
Who died a little whilst reading this? I most certainly did whilst writing it, that's for sure :'( Much sadness at this time.
Gonna go and have a major cry now.
~Rei