Authors Notes- Here I am back again with yet another chapter to Otherworld. As you can gather by now. I only own the plot. Everything else belongs to Hasbro. Now that we got that out of the way here is Chapter Six. I hope you enjoy.
Silence once again fell over the trio of humans as Starscream lead them down the hall to the command room. Thankfully the trip didn't take that long as they soon reached their destination, and found themselves staring at the back of the very Decepticon they never thought they'd want to be around.
Megatron.
They stood in silence as they looked up at the sterling silver being before them. Slowly Megatron turned to face Starscream. Crimson optics when settling on them. The three of them suppressing the urge to take a step back as Megatron approached.
"Are theses the humans you and Airachnid rescued from the Autobots?" Megatron asked, as Raf stepped behind Jack and Miko, a terrified whimper escaping his lips.
Starscream nodded, also looking down at them. "And they have the most interesting story to tell." Starscream said.
Jack looked from Starscream to Raf and Miko, before looking to Megatron, swallowing as he took a step forward.
"Jack?" Raf whispered, looking to the older boy with wide eyes. Giving him a reassuring look before looking to the looming form of Megatron once more.
And despite the fact that this wasn't their universe, wasn't their Megatron the mere sight of him caused Jack's mouth to go dry. Images of Megatron from their universe flashing through his mind. Which Jack quickly shoved to the back of his mind. Swallowing thickly he looked up at Megatron.
"I suppose I should start at the beginning." He said after a while.
"That would be best." Megatron agreed.
Taking a deep breath Jack shoved all thoughts of his universes Megatron from his head once more as he told him everything. From their world where things were not like they were in this world, Autobots being the good guy while the Decepticons were the evil ones. To their ground bridge malfunctioning, to the incident in the woods that lead them to running into Airachnid and Starscream.
By the time Jack was done he was feeling exhausted. Silence permeated the control room, when from the darkened corner they saw movement. Miko letting out a startled scream as the thin, menacing form of Soundwave emerged from the shadows.
"Relax." Starscream drawled, rolling his optics. "It's only Soundwave."
As he said this Megatron turned to face the Comms officer. The kids watched as something flashed across Soundwave's cracked visor.
"Uh, Raf do you know what that says?" Miko asked, looking over her shoulder at the smaller boy.
Raf worried at his bottom lip as he scanned what popped up on Soundwave's visor as it appeared on the screen behind Soundwave. "It looks like the ground bridge malfunction that caused us to end up here." He said.
"The boy is right." Megatron said, looking over his shoulder at them. "I must say your little friend is rather well informed. And to answer your question these are the readings we picked up when you arrived in our world." The kids listened as Megatron spoke. "When we had received these readings we had been about to send someone out to investigate. Unfortunately it would seem that the Autobots had also caught on to your presence." Megatron explained.
"And thus us spending our first night here playing hide and seek with the Autobots." Jack muttered.
Megatron nodded, his usually harsh features softening as he looked down at them once more. A look fell over his faceplate, one the kids never thought they would see on the warlord's face. Guilt.
"So..." Miko spoke. "Do you guys know what caused us to end up here? And if so do you know how we can get back to our universe. Because, no offense, I want to get back to Bulkhead and the rest of the Autobots."
"Bulkhead?" Starscream murmured, arching an optic ridge at her. "The wrecker?"
Miko nodded, a wide grin on her face. "Yup. He's my guardian and one of my best friends." She told them.
Both Megatron and Starscream looked to each other. Apparently they were having a hard time picturing Bulkhead the way Miko was describing him.
"W-wait, what?" Starscream muttered, looking down at Miko. "You mean that you actually spend time with them?"
"Uh, yeah since we kind of got involved in their war, and thus Optimus felt it necessary to have Bulkhead, Arcee, and Bumblebee as our guardians in case the Decepticons came after us." Raf explained, stepping out from behind Jack to look up at Megatron.
"The Autobots really let you get involved in this war?" Megatron asked, arching an optic brow at them.
"Well," Jack said, rubbing at the back of his head. "It's not like we ever intended on getting involved. It just kind of happened."
"But despite that we did our best to help the Autobots whenever we could." Miko added.
"How interesting." Megatron murmured.
"Maybe we should have lead with that?" Raf said, looking to Jack who only sighed.
"Maybe," Jack murmured. "It's been a long day and my mind is still reeling from everything that happened today."
"You're exhausted." Starscream commented, crouching down before Starscream said this it was Miko who let out a yawn
"Sorry." She said, offering the seeker an apologetic smile.
"There is nothing to be sorry for. You guys had spent all evening running from Arcee and Cliffjumper. And if what you're saying is true, not being from around here. It is safe to say that you don't really have any place to go so..." Starscream trailed off, looking to Megatron. "Perhaps it would be best if you stayed with us tonight." Starscream finished.
At that Megatron nodded as he looked to his Second in Command, as Starscream moved to lead the three children out of the room.
Silence once again permeating through the darkened room as Megatron turned away from them, and looked towards the screen. Red optics scanning the screen once more, at the readings that landed those three humans into their laps. And now, it would seem they were now the Decepticons problem until they could find away to get them back home. Letting out a low growl Megatron looked to where Soundwave stood, silently watching him.
"It would seem that things are going to get interesting, old friend. And something tells me that the Autobots will no doubt be interested in what happened tonight." Megatron turned away from Soundwave. "And what is most worrisome is that if they discover that those three emerged from the portal then I have no doubt my old friend will do everything in his power to get his hands on them. And that," Megatron growled, optics narrowed, fists clenched. "Is something I cannot allow."
Soundwave stared at Megatron before nodding. "But, I fear those three do not trust us yet. If what they told us of their world is any indication. Funny..." Megatron rumbled, moving towards the exit, intent on heading his own quarters, exhaustion gripping him, Soundwave following close behind. "To think there is a world where we're the villains, and the Autobots are the heroes, it's almost amusing." He continued on, casting one final glance at Soundwave, before wishing the comms officer a goodnight before disappearing into his quarters.
Soundwave stood there for a moment longer before disappearing into the shadows. Now, Soundwave couldn't put his finger on it but something told him that things would soon get complicated.
"So, we agree." Miko spoke up after Starscream had shown them to where they would be staying. A dark and rather chilly room that was no surprise to them, nor was it a surprise that the room was a tad too large. As was the berth Starscream helped them onto before bidding them a goodnight. "That all of this is all messed up?" She asked, legs swinging off the edge of the berth.
"Well, it's certainly different." Raf commented, brown eyes scanning the room, obviously a bit wired from all that had happened tonight. "I just wonder what the Autobots are doing? Do you think they know we're gone?" The smaller boy asked, sounding worried as he looked to Jack for answers.
Jack worried at his bottom lip as he also looked around the almost empty room, running a hand through his hair as he did so. "I have no doubt that they do, after all, if things had gone as they were supposed to we should have returned to base. And yet here we are...in bizarro land where everything is backwards." Jack said.
"Well, hopefully Ratchet gets things fixed soon." Miko grumbled, as she unfastened her boots, and placed them on the foot of the berth before moving to take her hair out of its pigtails, running her fingers thought it as she did. Shaking leaves and twigs from it.
"I second that." Raf said, moving to where Starscream had been kind enough to place a ratty piece of fabric on the berth for them to use as a makeshift blanket.
All three kids moved to try and get some rest. Jack couldn't help but wonder, would they get home? Or would this strange new world be their home from now on? Moving to lay down Jack couldn't help but wonder what his poor mother and Arcee were thinking. No doubt June was giving poor Optimus, and the rest of the Autobots an earful. And hell, if he ever got back home? She would no doubt ground him until he was at least thirty.
Giving his head a shake he moved to lay down next to Raf, Miko of Raf's other side as they tried to get some sleep. Something that would prove nearly impossible for them.
"Dude," Miko spoke after a few moments, turning to face Jack, as Jack cracked his eyes open to look at her. "What do you think the rest of the Autobots are like?"
"What?" Jack murmured, brow furrowed.
"You heard me." Miko said, resting her head on her fist, as she looked to him expectantly.
Jack was silent as he continued to look at her. Why was she asking this? If Jack was being honest he really didn't want to think of what the other Autobots were like in this world. Hell, it was a little overwhelming to be in the presence of the Decepticons in this world. Sure, they had proven that they were the good guys after their near death experience at the hands of Arcee and Cliffjumper. But Jack sincerely hoped they wouldn't run into the others, and something told Jack he wasn't alone in that regard. As he looked to Raf, who despite everything had managed to drift off to sleep, and was snoring softly.
"Well?" Miko prompted, continuing to look at him.
"Why would you ask that?" Jack asked, turning away from her. "Wasn't our encounter with Arcee enough? With Cliffjumper? You really want to see what Bulkhead and the others are like?"
Silence greeted him.
"I suppose you got a point." Miko said, moving to lay on her back, looking up at the ceiling, a frown on her face. "You think we'll get back home?" she asked after a while.
Jack was silent as he thought for a moment. "I sure hope so." He told her.
Miko murmured something as her eyes slid closed, and she too drifted off to sleep, leaving Jack to his thoughts. Would they make it back home?
Authors Notes- And thus concludes Chapter Six. Sorry it was rather dialog heavy and kind of boring, but things will pick up in the next chapter...hopefully. And with that this is The Exhausted Writer signing off.