Chapter 21: The Voices

*pout* So... only three stories are updated... *sigh* My apologies... I need to go for now. I am also kind of in a hurry.

My health is failing me currently but as soon as I get back, I hope you all won't take it to heart that I might ditch for a while.

I'll try to finish... I promise.

It took her three days of staying at the med bay before Hook had let her off without even telling her what was wrong with her. She didn't even know why he had kept her with him at all times throughout each day but as soon as he did released her, he was then replaced with her guardian that had the same agenda as the medic (only that he would stay with her wherever she would go, even to the bathroom. It's quite flattering if you ask her). Maybe it was because of the voices that had been popping up suddenly in her head for the past days? Well, that was most unlikely because she hadn't told anyone about it.

She had remembered when she was talking to Knockout about his looks again, the smallest and tiniest voice had suddenly come out and gave another name. This time, it was 'Sideswipe'. She had tried to gather who was that mech in silent research but she would never turn vocal about it.

Then, there was another time when a group had visited her to ask for her presence. It had immediately turned into a brawl with cannons and such, giving him the designation, 'Ironhide'. After that fight though, she sported another bruise that had Hook, Barricade and some others to be on the rowdy group's trail. She couldn't do anything about it but she had managed to lessen their punishment into keeping the whole ship clean. They had thank her for that because they wouldn't want to face the Leader about the accident involving me.

The next thing she was hearing was the sound of metal colliding even though she could clearly see that Hook wasn't bashing his gigantic crowbar at others. When the medic was irritated but would only give a long heck of a lecture, there it was! Along with the name she had first heard.

Every time something happens… Voices would name some Con or whoever it was making her crazy out of thinking too much.

Aside from that mystery was the fact that every mech in the Nemesis that she would greet and spend time with in the Med bay, for the past days, were still longingly looking at her like they needed to stick to her every trail.

She sighed in exasperation. This was becoming too much for her it seems…

"'Cade, why are they staring at me?" She asked her guardian softly, not wanting to give the others discomfort from what they were making her feel. She had guessed that they were doing it for a reason so she had just decided to let them be.

In an instant, the mech growled in reply as he turned his head towards the others, making the girl want to smack him in the face plates for being a glitch again. She didn't want it to be an issue but there he goes, making it into one. When was the last time he wasn't such an insensitive glitch?

"Don't mind the scraplets they are…" Shein wanted to snort at his reply but held it in. He really must have been glitching… Maybe later, when they pass the med bay, she could call out to Hook and let him take her guardian out for his daily maintenance. Maybe he just had some loose bolts in his helm? She would never know… She also should have been accustomed to his rather bi-polar moods.

"We have better things to do…" Barricade continued as he started walking again. The mech had matched her pace as she walked on her own but she could clearly see that he was twitching on just wanting to grab her to get things done.

"The Lord has requested us for an audience." The mech said stoically but that didn't spare her from being surprised of the sudden news as she froze in mid motion. She stared wide-eyed at him from her position with her mouth gapping open.

Barricade saw the sudden jerk of her head to him with an expression that clearly tells he had done something wrong. He had to reboot his optics in a manner to blink before he mentally scowled at the forgotten fact that the femme had also rebooted from the time when Hook had gone off. That means, every single fight he had with her till then was missing or inaccessible for now… this was also why she was talking to him currently. He doesn't have to worry about what had happened the past week.

He can't fathom if he should find his self lucky or not after being spared from her dramatic break down… He took her sudden stiff form into his servo and just scowled at her. If she forgot, then he would too… He will act as if she had never been gone and the same as before.

"T-the Lord…?!" She snapped out of her trance as she shouted in shock. She had grabbed hold of his finger to stabilize herself when she stood up. They were walking down the hallway again that would lead to the throne room but it will still take time to get there.

He gave her a nodded as his only answer. He was not a mech of vocals… He preferred to be as silent as he could be. It always gives him the opportunity to slip off to another place unnoticed.

"Why in the fragging pit hadn't you mentioned to me, that the Lord was already here, huh 'Cade?!" She hissed as she violence sprouted in her burning stare again. It was not as agonizing to see as the other but an angry Shein was still dangerous.

"Ask the medic, not me." He retorted immediately in automatic. Poor Hook would be put in the hot spot again later when she gets a hand on him… all because the mech had given him the blame but Barricade missed that look on her face that shows that she knows he was lying to her.

She chose not to open or make the small problem worse though after counting down from 10. She just seethed in silence, pointing dagger at his guardian. If this was Bee, he would ha- wait… who was Bee? She suddenly grew confused at the thought. The name was really familiar to her… like it had been just on the tip of her tongue.

Wracking her brain again, she only got a headache and a foggy mind after trying to look for an answer.

Her sudden change in demeanor had Barricade narrowed his optics on her. She didn't even hear his query earlier. He could have pushed the femme for her some answers but he wouldn't. All until they had reached the door…