Chapter 9: Settle-In
Somehow, in the midst of all the chaos and confusion, an agreement had been reached between the Decepticons-turned-Neutrals and the Autobot Leader. The Autobot faction would grant the seekers shelter and safety from the Decepticon tyrant and their supporters, but several conditions would apply until their loyalty could be established and confirmed. While Optimus believed in the sincerity of Starscream's words, a majority of his mechs did not, and he couldn't blame them. Skyfire was decent enough to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he had been partners with Starscream previously; the other Autobots had nearly nothing to go off of other than the seeker's behavior after the war had started.
The humans accompanying the seekers had complicated things to a further extent. Alexis, for one, had blatantly refused to leave Starscream and even told Elaine and Serah that she'd run away to find him if they took the red mech away. The small child screamed and cried whenever anyone attempted to pry her from Starscream's hands, thus activating the dormant seeker protocols aimed toward sparklings and making said seeker aggressive. Elaine threw another wrench in the mix, no pun intended; she was agitated that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had caused so much damage to her home and belongings. One of them, presumably the violent yellow mech, had even managed to flatten her truck during the conflict. To top it all off, her house was no longer liveable and was missing one of its sides where Sunstreaker had roughly shoved Thundercracker into it. Her brand new washing machine lay in shambles in her driveway; no one present could fathom how that happened.
Instead of greeting the Autobot leader with all the warmth and fuzziness that most women did, she called him a series of highly inappropriate names and demanded that his brutes acquire a new mode of transportation for her and fix her home, or "shit would hit the fan". She admonished the twins for their reckless and volatile attitudes and insisted that she travel with the three fliers until she was positive they wouldn't be harmed by the other Autobots. When asked who the hell she thought she was by a very irritated Sunstreaker, she replied that she would be the new owner of their base if her requirements weren't met, as she'd "sue their giant metal asses to the moon and back". After pondering over it for a while, Optimus offered her an alternative that would suit both of their needs.
"Miss Risley, you are more than welcome to travel to our base." Optimus tried to be diplomatic and reasonable. "Starscream and his trine will need some form of support while they're settling in, if you'd agree to being their human representative. I can provide you with a suitable place to stay until repairs are made to your home, at our expense. I am deeply sorry that this destruction occurred on your property and I give you my word that it will be taken care of as soon as possible."
"I appreciate that, Optimus." Elaine replied, trying to remain calm. "I'd be more than happy to vouch for all three of these guys. They've been quite passive during their stay with me. Disregarding the tractor incident, I have no reason to turn my back on them. I'm concerned for their safety and I will make sure they're treated properly."
Skywarp whined at the mention of the tractor. It was an issue that would haunt him until he offlined, of that he was certain.
Serah was unsettled by all of the recent events. She had always believed the Autobots to be the more accepting, gentler bots of their kind. A friend of hers had traveled to a charity event and met a mech named Bumblebee. He came back to describe the small mech as a peaceable, wonderful presence that seemed to value human life. After hearing of his encounter and watching the atrocities committed by Megatron's army on the news, she had been quick to choose a side. Elaine, however, had challenged her view multiple times. She had made the stubborn woman reach outside her comfort zone and really think about the harsh reality of war the two factions were fighting, often comparing it to a human conflict. When Serah had discovered the three ex-Decepticons in her closest friend's barn, she was horrified and deeply concerned. Observing their behavior, especially Starscream's when he was in close proximity to Alexis, had her facing the uncomfortable truth that the large metal beings were more like humans than she had previously thought, especially when thrown into a war that had been dragging on for ages. Starscream in particular, baffled her. The supposedly fierce Air Commander who had ripped apart buildings and wreaked havoc upon power plants, cities, and outposts cradled a human child against his chest and fiercely guarded her from danger. For most, including herself, the winged Cybertronian symbolized a dark harbinger of death, his sleek form capable of unimaginable carnage. For Elaine, she supposed he signified hope and change that was desperately needed, and proof that anyone could undergo some sort of metamorphosis into a better being. Her friend always sought the best in people and tried to bring it to the surface. The woman's gruff exterior did not do her kind heart justice, and many others thought her an insufferable grouch and loner without really getting to know her well. Serah knew though, that the lonely woman would give anyone a chance, regardless of who they were or what they had done. It was why she felt so strongly about the seekers and their attempt to do what was right, for once.
"I need to go with Elaine. Alexis is my kid; I adopted her. I'm not letting her go into a strange place with anyone and if she refuses to detach herself from that loathsome asshat, I really don't have much of a choice but to follow her." Serah addressed the Autobot leader.
"You know, maybe if you would stop calling him things like a loathsome asshat, he'd be nicer to you." Elaine gave her friend an exasperated look.
"He's hardly nice to you and I don't think it's even worth trying. Besides, he's a jerk. I wouldn't care if he spontaneously decided to start an orphanage and hand out presents at Christmas to families in need; his attitude is awful, he's an asshole, and he's weird. I don't like him, and that's that."
Optimus cut in before any more scathing words could be spoken in an already delicate situation.
"You are welcome to accompany your friend as well."
"Damn right I am. I'm going whether you like it or not, Mr. BigMcLargeHuge." Came the rude response.
"Serah, could you just be civil? For once in your damn life? You're making his job even more of an assache. The poor bastard doesn't have to deal with your shitty attitude on top of all this crap. I mean, disregarding the fact that Ketchup and Mustard over there are complete neanderthals, the rest of them seem fairly decent, sort of. And he ultimately has the last word, so it'd be wise to assume that he could, in fact, tell us to go fuck ourselves."
Serah just walked away to gather her things. Elaine sighed and looked back at Optimus.
"I apologize for her behavior. She can't help herself. It's just the way she is."
"That's quite alright..." Optimus surveyed the area.
Ratchet was almost done temporarily patching everyone up and taking a note of all wounds inflicted in the skirmish, his usual bedside manner present. Starscream was indeed the least injured of the three, but something was off about the three seekers and the Autobot medic couldn't be sure as to what it was until he examined them more thoroughly. He used his private comm to request permission from Optimus to allow him to perform a complete physical on all three fliers, beyond what he would be doing by just checking them over for any hidden equipment, weapons, and other miscellaneous, potentially dangerous items. The leader agreed, but was curious as to why. Ratchet just brushed his inquiry off and told him he'd report his findings later on when they weren't in such a rush to fix things. Everyone was almost ready to leave and now was not the time.
The travel to the Ark was uneventful, at best. It provided a small cushion of time for the fliers and the Autobots to really come to terms as to what was going on. Elaine knew that she and Serah were feeling roughly the same thing; shock, anger, and confusion. Things had taken one hell of a turn very quickly and they had both been a bit too wrapped up in everything that was going on to really stop and consider the gravity of the situation they were in. At the moment, they had no other choice. Alexis, young as she was, knew not much other than the fact that Starscream and his brothers had been in danger. For whatever reason, she had quickly become attached to the trine and showed no inclination of leaving them. It made Serah wonder what was so damn special about those jets and why she insisted on being near them. What comfort could they be giving her that made other human beings seem insignificant by comparison? Truthfully, it made the redhead jealous to see her so clingy with the winged mech; she was supposed to be the child's guardian, not him.
Starscream assumed requesting shelter amongst the Autobots would result in a failed plan. He hadn't told this to his trinemates, as not to worry them, but the most obvious outcome was still there in his processor. The seeker never expected Prime to show any mercy when deciding their fate, but he had done more than that. Despite the restrictions he would likely impose on them upon their arrival to their base, he didn't outright offline them or throw them in the brig, and Starscream silently thanked the visibly compassionate leader for that. Secretly, the tri-colored mech had always admired Prime for his ability to lead his men so effectively without dismantling one of them every other day. He was everything Megatron was not, and that's why the Autobot faction had taken the lead in this war. Their leader was just that; a leader, not a tyrant. Optimus ruled with respect and dignity. Megatron ruled with fear and oppression.
When the mechs and humans arrived at the base, there were other mechs awaiting their arrival. Prowl, Jazz, and Bumblebee were present. Elaine was surprised to see a young human man with them. Serah turned to her friend.
"If this is their way of trying to make us feel more at ease, then they're failing miserably. Other humans here or not, this is all too weird to make sense out of and I'm pretty nervous."
Elaine was silent. Too much was going through her head to form a response and she wasn't sure how to comfort the other woman, though Serah was never one to really need much in terms of comfort; she was more of a venter. If she got it off her chest, she'd come to terms with the issue at some point. Alexis, much to everyone else's displeasure, was still with Starscream. Elaine wondered what the other Autobots would think of said mech when he arrived holding a human child. She was certain that they wouldn't be very happy about it.
The humans exited their respective transports as the Autobots and Seekers were given room to transform. Prowl was the first to speak.
"Welcome back, sir. The quarters have been readied, as requested. First Aid has the med-bay prepared as well."
"Thank you, Prowl." The Leader responded. "Bumblebee, you and Spike may take the women and their child to the quarters that have been set up for them. Prowl, you can accompany those needing medical attention to the medbay where we'll discuss with Starscream and his trine the terms of their stay. Jazz, if you wouldn't mind monitoring the other Autobots and their reaction to the news, it would be helpful. Settle any disputes you can and if anything overtly hostile comes to attention, please notify me."
Starscream went to set Alexis down next to Serah and the small girl only clung to him tighter.
"No!" She wailed. "Starscream, don't go!"
"Alexis…" He replied patiently. "You're being ridiculous. I'm not going to go away forever. I can handle myself."
Thundercracker knelt down to speak to her as well, aware that his trine now appeared completely vulnerable in a room full of former enemies. Skywarp stood straighter and watched all the surrounding mechs with guarded optics, wings high on his back in a defensive display.
"Youngling," the blue seeker began. "You have to listen to Starscream. He cannot hold onto you while he gets repaired. We will come back to you after the Autobot's medic is done helping us."
The little girl looked up at Thundercracker, tears still running down her face.
"You have to promise." She sobbed. "Mommy left and didn't come back. You have to come back to me!"
"I promise." Starscream said firmly. "You have my word, and the word of my trine. We will return to you, Alexis. Right now, you need to go with Elaine. Stay with your Aunts and Titan. They will keep you safe until we get back."
After a moment more of hugging the seeker's hand, she relented and let herself be placed near Elaine. The doberman was at her side immediately, looking at Starscream with a silent promise to protect the child. The two fliers stood at full height and replaced their tender expressions with the hardened looks of Decepticon warriors. The change was immediate and the other Cybertronians almost had to do a double take to be certain they were dealing with the same mechs. The human women had stiffened and were now eyeing the Autobots with caution.
Prowl proceeded with Optimus, Ratchet, and the seekers to the medbay. Skyfire attempted to join them, but Ratchet informed him that he didn't need someone with as much mass as Skyfire crowding the med bay. The white shuttle told Starscream he'd meet with him later and returned the labs to brief Wheeljack and Perceptor on what was going on. He was certain that the two scientists would be more accepting of the news than any of the other Autobots. Many of the other ground-based warriors already voiced their dislike towards Starscream's former partner, despite his gentle pacifist nature.
Jazz left to oversee how most of the base was fairing, stopping by the rec room during his rounds. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were confined to their quarters as soon as they arrived at the Ark, and would get the rest of their repairs done the following day when Ratchet had some time to cool off. The twins supposed it was better than having to remain in the grouchy medic's presence and be passed off to, Primus-forbid, Swoop for repairs.
Bumblebee and Spike introduced themselves to the newly arrived humans and told them they'd be taking them to the rooms that had been set up for them. The yellow minibot, being as kind and kid-friendly as he was, thought nothing of bending down to interact with the little girl who was having a bit of a difficult time. Titan, however, thought it a bit too personal and possibly dangerous. The rust colored dog jumped and snarled at Bumblebee, snapping his sharp canines at him in a clear warning to keep his distance.
"Woah!" Spike laughed nervously. "He's, um, not quite friendly, is he?"
"He's not that good with strangers, and he's very attached to Alexis." Elaine told the man. "It'd be best to stay back a bit until he's used to you guys. As a rule, you always ask before nearing someone's dog, regardless of what breed it is."
"But he lets Starscream hold her…" Bumblebee muttered. "And he's the most vicious flier in the Decepticon army."
"Starscream has been decent to us ever since he crashed on my property." Elaine snapped. "I know more about him than any of you at this point. Despite being a complete smart-ass with a downright rotten attitude, he's never once shown intent to hurt any of us and his threats have all been...empty, so to speak, with no intent behind them. When those yellow and red brutes chased me back onto my own property, all three of those guys, including the supposedly vicious Starscream, jumped in to protect us. From an outsider's point of view, the Autobots were a bit hostile from the start."
"Don't get me wrong…" Serah added. "I hate him. He's a jerk and he can be a mean fucker sometimes. I've seen him on the news; he's dangerous. But Elaine has a point. As much as I'd hate to admit it, his 'brothers' protected us. He protected Alexis. Even if your two men didn't intend to hurt us, they sure as hell looked like they were going to when they came crashing out of the woods that day. I was more afraid of them than I was of our three asshats at the moment. I don't trust the fliers. At all. But at least with them I kind of know what to expect. We know nothing about you, your leader, or what any of you are really like. Give us time."
Bumblebee listened to the two women and nodded. They both had valid concerns and after hearing them, he understood to a point. Although he couldn't erase all the things he had seen the trine do, he now had a completely different scenario to run through his processor and reflect upon. He was uncomfortable with the fact that the malicious trio was even inside the Ark to begin with; it made a number of bots feel unsafe, but that was a different matter altogether and one he couldn't afford to waste time on at the moment. He trusted his superiors to make the right decisions.
Being as friendly as he was, he had never once encountered a human that displayed any sort of hostility or dislike toward him. The yellow minibot was a bit hurt by their behavior, but got their point at the very least and inwardly swore that he'd try his best to make them comfortable. Maybe they'd see how much nicer the Autobots were and it would change their minds.
"Well, I'm sorry you're not very at ease here right now, but I'll do my best to help out where I can to make you feel more at home." Bumblebee smiled. "Your rooms are at the farther end of the base and the most recently constructed and fixed. They're right next to the seeker's quarters, to make all of you a bit more comfortable. Yours are unlocked, but Starscream and his trine can't really go anywhere without an Autobot present, so theirs have security enabled. There's an intercom system with a few commlinks programmed into it. You can contact me, Jazz, Bluestreak, or Skyfire if you need anything."
"Alright." Elaine agreed. "Who is Bluestreak though? We haven't met him yet. And is there any particular reason you four have been selected as our contacts?"
"Bluestreak is friendly; he's a nonstop chatterbox though. You'll meet him later on. Jazz is Special Ops, but he's our second most human-friendly bot on the base. Skyfire insisted on being one of the contacts in case you needed anything, on behalf of Starscream since you won't be able to contact the trine unless an Autobot is present until Optimus sorts everything out. Bumblebee is always picked first to represent humans staying here and to show them around." Spike answered her question.
"I don't like not being able to keep in touch with Starscream, TC, or 'Warp. We've been in contact since they landed and I want to make sure they're safe. How am I supposed to know that they're not being mistreated if I can talk to them personally? I understand them having to have an Autobot show them around and watch them, but locking them in a room that they can't get out of seems...I don't know, wrong, in some way. I understand the locks. I really do;it's a safety issue. But they can't call out to us if they need anything either and I don't find that fair. Do they at least have some type of system they can use to call your medic or your leader?"
Bumblebee frowned.
"It's a precaution that our security director, Red Alert, insisted on. It was one of the only ways to get him to shut up about the 'security breach'. I'm sure Optimus will relax the rules a bit after a while. It's just that…with so many of the mechs here having been directly harmed by the trine, they're not taking this too kindly. The security on the Seeker's quarters are for their protection as much as it is for our's. We don't want anyone that wants to harm them just walking in. Take Sunstreaker for example; he doesn't like them at all. Would you really want him to just be able to waltz in and take a shot at them? And to answer your question, yes, there is an inner comm system in place that will enable them to contact needed personnel. I'm sure I could put a word in after some time has passed so that you can keep in touch with them too, if need be."
"I appreciate that." Elaine looked the yellow minibot in the optics. "I get everyone's concerns. I suppose if I had been at war for as long as your kind has, I would be suspicious too. We'll do our best to make you see how...kind they can really be. I think their nasty behavior was more out of necessity out of late than anything. I just can't prove it."
"Guess we're both working to change each other's minds then…" Spike gave the women a small smile.
"Yeah. I guess we are." Elaine grinned at him. "But I look forward to winning, because I know I'm right."
Serah laughed for the first time in hours. The group had finally arrived at the quarters. The first thing the women noticed was the immense size of the door. It had likely been a room for a cybertronian; maybe they lacked human accommodations since so few were around.
Spike used a small device to unlock and open the door before handing it to Serah.
"This is the key. It operates the sliding door. There are sensors, so it won't shut on any of you."
"Good to know." Serah muttered. "Hate to be squished on my first day and all."
Stepping into the room, the humans were astounded. It looked modern, but liveable and more comfortable than they had originally imagined. There was a living area off to the right several feet into the space. It contained a couple large couches, a bookshelf with a variety of reading materials, and a modern looking screen that must have served as a television. There were a few lights in the wall that illuminated the area. On the other side of the living area, there was a small room in the wall; the bathroom. It'd be a mere shelf or storage area for a Transformer, but at the moment it contained everything one would need in a human bathroom. On the wall in the back of the quarters, which was a bit of a walk for a human being, there were three platforms bolted to the wall, connected by staircases. The platforms were large enough to contain end tables and beds, and were safely fenced on the sides by 8-foot iron fencing, the bars close together to avoid injury.
"Well...this is interesting. Thanks?" Elaine said.
"You're welcome!" Bumblebee beamed. "We'll be going now so you can settle in. Let us now if you need anything."
Bumblebee and Spike exited the quarters, doors closing behind them. Serah looked at Elaine.
"Guess what? You're sleeping up top. 'Cuz there's no way in hell I'm laying in a bed that high off the ground. Alexis can have the middle platform. I'm taking the bottom." Serah told her friend.
"Fine by me." Elaine yawned. "I need rest anyway. I'm too exhausted to even think at this point."
Alexis yawned and took Elaine's hand, leaning against her side.
"C'mon, kid." Serah told her. "Let's get some sleep before we pass out on the floor down here. I'd rather be on those shelves, than get stepped on because one of those half-witted robots decides to drop by for a visit."
With that, the humans attempted to get some much needed sleep. All three of them were worn out from the insanity they had been dealing with, and it was likely that none of them would function properly without at least a few hours of rest.
Serah and Alexis were out like a light, as was Titan. Elaine, however, lay awake staring at her surroundings. She was unable to fall asleep easily in such an odd place. A nervous feeling settled in her stomach and refused to leave her alone. She couldn't stop thinking about the seekers and worrying after them; it was eating away at her. Placing her Glock on the bedside stand, she listened to the breaths and sounds of her companions; she had to be alert enough to protect them. Being caught off guard with those she didn't know and didn't trust could very well get them all killed. Despite the good vibes she was getting off a majority of the other Autobots, excluding Sunstreaker of course, she wasn't ready to trust those vibes enough to lower her defenses. Under her watch, they would not hurt Alexis or Serah unless it was over her dead body. Settling down, at this point, was not an option.