Chapter 3

Time passed slowly and Josephine's anxiety began to ebb and morph into a form of restless energy. Simon simply called it being stir crazy, but it didn't fully encompass the other emotions that were mixed with it.

Not that she was wanting time to move faster, but a part of her was growing impatient. Waiting for the inevitable shoe to drop only made her more on edge. Josephine had been bracing for the guards to come back and haul her and Simon off, but as one day bled into two and then three and then a week, she had grown tired of waiting.

The passage of time was marked by consistent meals, or at least what she assumed were consistent, she had no means of timing them, but Simon was confident that their three meals a day were four hours apart. How he'd managed to calculate that, Josephine had no clue and didn't ask.

There was nothing in their cell to entertain themselves with, so they'd resorted to talking to each other. Something that Josephine found she didn't mind. And slowly she began to feel less apprehensive about him as they'd shared their collective survival stories and all of their close calls while on the run.

She had evaded any more talk of her own parents but had learned that his were still alive and in government jobs. His bitter tone had suggested his disdain for their positions and, Josephine assumed, their compliance with what was happening.

Josephine had asked if they'd attempted to keep him from being selected to be sold by the government once the US had begun forcing its citizens to comply. Simon had merely laughed and changed the subject. She hadn't broached the topic again.

Their room was currently quiet as Josephine lay on her bed while counting the hairline cracks in the concrete ceiling for the millionth time.

And just as she was about to finish her mundane task and begin again, a woosh and the sound of metal scraping along concrete sounded alerting her to their final meals for the day.

Sighing, Josephine gathered her tray and just for a change of pace, sat on the ground in front of her bed before picking at the stale bread and what she assumed was a chicken broth. Simon did the same, sitting across from her and picking up the plastic spoon.

"I'm surprised they'd give us such an incredible weapon."

Josephine snorted, dipping a piece of bread into the broth, a half-smile gracing her face.

"I'm glad one of us can find the humor in a spoon."

"It probably just means I'm losing it," he said.

When she didn't deny it, he slapped a hand against his chest, "You wound me with your silence."

"And you wound me with your dramatics," she clipped back.

"Whatever happened to non-sarcastic Josephine? I want that version back, please and thanks."

She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

"She was much more mature too," Simon angled his head, "Maybe you're the one that's losing it."

"I've known that since day one actually."

Josephine picked at another piece of her bread before looking back up at Simon. He seemed to sense her shift in mood and returned her stare, waiting for her to continue.

"Do you know if anything would happen to us if we aren't…chosen?"

He shrugged, "I've never heard of anyone just being let go, if that's what you mean."

She tried not to let the disappointment show on her face. But it must have shown anyway because Simon's expression softened slightly.

"Not that that couldn't happen," he amended, "but the likelihood is low at best."

Josephine nodded absentmindedly. The thought had crossed her mind as the days had ticked by that maybe if they didn't end up being bought, perhaps they'd be let go. It had been irrational, she knew that, but it hadn't stopped a flicker of hope from igniting within her anyway.

"Hey," Simon's voice softened, "maybe I'm wrong. We really have no way of knowing, and chances are if they did release people who'd not been sold, they'd probably keep it under wraps to prevent intentional sabotage."

It was a valid point to her delusional hope.

"Not that I want this whole ordeal to move forward, but I'm also tired of waiting for the inevitable."

He nodded, "I agree."

She watched him for a moment, the thought briefly crossing her mind of how in the world she'd ended up entrapped with a stranger and said stranger was becoming less of one the longer they were here in this hellish place.

Echoing her own thoughts, Simon huffed, "How the hell did we end up here?"

"Life's annoying like that," she quipped. "But if I had to be stuck with somebody, you're not too bad, I suppose."

He chuckled, "You're not too bad yourself, Morris."

Josephine wrinkled her nose at the use of her surname, before shoving her tray of food away and sighing, "You're insufferable."

"You've spent seven days with me and are just now reaching that conclusion? You wound me yet again." Simon placed both hands against his chest and let his head fall back against the bed.

She snorted, held out a hand for his tray, and then shoved it in the same general direction as her own.

Raised voices from outside their cell had them both on their feet in an instant, watching as groups of soldiers made their way to the center of the stadium where the largest ship Josephine had ever seen began to land.

Her jaw dropped as she watched the multi-story ship hit the earth with a force that had the entire facility shaking.

"What the hell is that?"

Simon's question remained unanswered as they watched multiple soldiers approach with guns raised. Apparently, these visitors were unexpected.

Josephine swallowed thickly as a ramp slowly extended from the ship to the concrete field and what emerged made her pale in fear.

She had never in her life seen something so huge.

All the time she'd spent running Josephine had just assumed the entities she was avoiding being enslaved to would be humanoid in nature or at least flesh and bone creatures, and most certainly not as tall as a building and metal.

Suddenly, the government's fear of an extraterrestrial takeover or war made sense.

There were unintelligible shouts from the soldiers, but the metal creatures seemed completely unphased by the humans and their weapons.

Minutes passed and slowly the soldiers lowered their weapons as a man in an all-black suit ran towards the groups, hands frantically raised. Josephine was fairly certain he was yelling: "Stop," over and over again.

Tense seconds passed before guns were dropped completely and the sharply dressed man motioned the metal creatures to follow him.

One of the metal creatures who had what looked like a pair of wings protruding from his back turned to examine the facility and Josephine could have sworn his red eyes hovered over her for the briefest of moments before he followed the man in the suit.

Josephine backed away from the glass, colliding with her bed and nearly falling to the ground.

Simon didn't move an inch, fear seeming to pour off of him in waves, "Maybe the government isn't as crazy as we thought."

That or they were somehow much crazier, she thought, a shiver coursing down her spine.

Sleep was elusive. For the first time in a week Josephine could not sleep. Turning over again, she sighed, unable to get rid of the feeling and memory of those red eyes looking at her. It had to have been all in her head, but it had felt as though it had stared right at her. Not a glance, but an intentional look.

Josephine flipped onto her back, bed squeaking in protest. Every time she closed her eyes she saw it. Fighting a scream of frustration, she rubbed her face with her hands.

And then she felt it again, that feeling of being watched. The hairs on her arms stood on end and goosebumps prickled along her skin.

Her eyes snapped open, and Josephine felt the blood drain out of her as she was met with three sets of large red eyes staring at her.

She screamed.

Falling from her bed with a thud, she crawled back, back, back, until her head thudded against the wall. Her heart felt as though it would fall out of her chest as she huddled as low to the ground as she could, wishing desperately that she could somehow turn invisible and get them to look away from her.

Her focus was so fixed on the creatures that she had hardly noticed Simon's startled form bolt from his bed. Several curses tumbled from his lips once he spotted Josephine curled into a tight ball. Rushing over to her, Simon tried to quiet her, his presence giving her some comfort.

Josephine covered her ears as one of the metal…aliens? Robots?...seemed to be… laughing?

"I like a creature that knows its place in the galaxy."

The alien that had just been laughing turned towards the one in the middle that had spoken, "How do you figure that, Screamer?"

A low growl filled the air, and panic was alive and well in Josephine's mind, but there was nowhere else to go. Her entire body was pressed into the concrete wall as if she could melt into it. Simon held an arm in front of Josephine, as if that would somehow protect her. A part of her wanted to laugh, and that was when she knew she had to be going crazy.

"Because," the middle alien barked, "they rightly fear us."

"So, add them to the list?" The one on the left asked, eyes not leaving Josephine or Simon.

"Captain," it motioned to a man who acted as though talking to these beings was an everyday occurrence.

"Yes, Commander?"

I'd like to view one of them without the barrier." There was a lengthy pause and Josephine could hear her heartbeat in her head as red eyes met her own.

"The female, if you will."

The door to the cell was opened and before Simon or Josephine could react, a large metal hand flicked Simon out of the way and then proceeded to curl around her before Josephine could get her feet under her.

She fought back her scream and a wave of nausea at the quick movement and from the fact that she was now dangling from this creature's hand however many feet above the ground.

Before she could think better of it, Josephine beat her fists against the metal that encircled her, as though she could somehow tear herself out of this creature's grasp. It only tightened.

"Let me go!" Josephine cried out, wincing at the death-like grip she was encased in.

The metal creature smirked, "As you wish."

Then she was free-falling. Her body didn't even have time to react beyond screaming. Josephine clenched her eyes shut, bracing for impact with the unforgiving concrete below, but instead was met with more metal.

Air felt as though it had permanently left her lungs as Josephine tried to breathe, heart hammering away like a drum in her chest.

The metal being on the left held her up to its eyes, inspecting her intently in its open palm. Josephine scooted back, one hand slipped and nearly sent her over the edge of its hand. Large metal fingers curled upward like a makeshift railing to prevent her from the same fate she had just been saved from.

"You're lucky that you didn't break her," it sighed as though exasperated, looking back to the one who had dropped her.

"I do not appreciate your tone, Thundercracker."

And Josephine did not appreciate being in the middle of whatever this was. But she had no opportunity to protest as once more she was picked up again by the one that had dropped her on purpose.

She faintly heard the beating of fists on plexiglass and the muffled sound of shouting behind her. The one holding her smirked as it examined her, turning her this way and that. It was only then that her mind registered the differences in color between the three of them.

Her eyes drifted back to the blue one, trying to weigh the reasoning behind it rescuing her from a painful death, and then the realization struck her.

Josephine's efforts to escape renewed with a newfound intensity. She strained to wiggle out of the grey one's grasp, which only seemed to amuse it even more.

"Well, flesh creature," its hand brought her even closer to its face and Josephine felt a cold dread spread through her body. "You appear to be in working condition, though we will have to work on the high pitched shrieking. But I think we can find a use for you and your…friend." The red eyes that had been trained on Josephine flicked behind her.

No.

Josephine hit his hand again, trying to extricate herself once more.

"No!" She yelled.

The one who was colored purple chuckled, "I don't think you get a choice in the matter, fleshie."

"We're done here. I'll transfer payment and then I expect them to be on my ship within the hour along with my other selections, Captain."

The captain on the walkway below Josephine nodded and said something intelligible as she was unceremoniously dropped back into the cage.

Her body shook hard enough that she couldn't make it to her feet. She felt sick.

Warm arms wrapped around her and a hand brushed soothing circles along her back, and then gently she was pulled to her feet.

Simon's hands lightly gripped her arms as though he thought she might collapse should he let her go.

Josephine blinked. It took several seconds before her ears processed that Simon was talking to her.

"Hey, hey…Josephine? You're scaring me. Talk to me."

"I—I'm fine."

Simon snorted, shaking his head, "You were nearly allowed to fall to your death. I don't think that constitutes as being fine."

Her body shook even more violently, tears welling in her eyes.

"Hey now, shhh," his thumbs gingerly swiped at the tears that fell down her cheeks. "We're going to get out of this, I swear. You're going to be alright; I promise, I promise."

Simon pulled Josephine against him, wrapping his arms around her once more. There was no stopping the tears then. She clung to his shirt, gripping it so tightly her fingers began to ache.

"We are so screwed," Josephine whispered.

And Simon had no witty reply to buoy her hopes this time.

AN:

Thank you for reading and checking this story out! Writing Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp is simultaneously daunting and exciting. Hopefully, you enjoy this interpretation of them and hopefully it's at least somewhat similar to what most people expect from them! Thanks again for dropping by and see you next time! :)