Chapter 3:
Running through a forest barefooted at night was not a good idea.
Neither was fast walking through a forest barefooted at night.
Walking, though painfully slow, was the safest way of travel. Of course, walking away from giant robots is almost a sure fireway to get caught again. Yet here I was, walking, as fast and carefully as I could, away from the robots, with a sore right foot. From the freaking Autobots, I reminded myself.
Auto. Bots.
The only plus side to this was that I was small enough to squeeze pass the densest parts of the forest. The parts I knew they wouldn't be able to fit through without leaving a whole lot of evidence and a huge mess. Yay for me.
The downside?
I was probably being chased by the Autobots. And if Optimus informed Agent Fowler, which he probably would do eventually, I would also have the US government on my trail.
Also I was still in my PJs and it was fucking freezing.
Mud and dirt caked my foot as I walked through the forest. I tried to step on the roots hoping that there would be less damaging, pointy things to stab at my feet that way, but alas eventually my luck ran out. I slipped on a particularly wet root and my right foot took a step back to rebalance myself, right into a particularly sharp twig. I fell into the mud, and the shock momentarily distracted my mind from the pain.
Just momentarily.
I managed to muffle my loud scream, and after the pain turned into a sharp throbbing, I looked at the damage. The twig was actually a stick, and it had pierced my skin, on the same foot I had kicked with from before. With the mud and general uncleanliness of my foot, I would be surprised if it didn't get infected.
"Shit!" I cursed softly. Great. Just great. I leaned against the tree behind me and closed my watering eyes.
I wasn't going to find home here. Not Mom or Dad or Carie. No one. I was in a fictional world. Transformers to be exact. It was impossible, but the proof had stared me in the eyes. Transformers was fiction, yet here they were, and here I was. Personally I would very much like to wake up from this nightmare.
I curled into a ball and began sobbing. I was going to die here. How would I be able to go home?
Where were ruby red slippers when you needed them?
…
I smiled a little through my tears at the thought.
"There's no place like home. There's no place like home."
I brought my head up onto my knees, my eyes still pouring tears. It was then I noticed an ethereal blue glow from the mud besides me. Curious, I dug and unearthed a glowing blue rod.
I dropped it like it was from the pits of hell itself.
There was no mistaking it. It was that stick from before, unless there were multiple of these things. How...? How did it...? But…?
This dumb thing was trouble. Big trouble.
I picked it up and threw it as far as I could.
Well that's done wi-
Something hit the back of my head.
"Ouch!" I rubbed my head where it was hit.
I glared at the offending object and was shocked it was said rod I had just clearlythrown away from me, from the exact opposite direction.
It was cursed. Im clearly cursed right now. I groaned and resumed my fetal rocking position. Occasionally glancing at the demon stick to see if it was still there.
I'm crazy. I'm going crazy. Mad mad mad.
2
Once I had calmed down I began thinking.
I was in the Transformers Universe. Which one? I had no idea. But if I had to guess I'd day the Prime Universe considering the design of the bots.
How could I get home? Currently I had no idea. I needed more information before I could begin to answer this one.
What to do right now? I...I needed to find a town. But I didn't want to go back the way I had came, though that was probably the quickest way to a town. Maybe I could circle around the rest stop? That way I could avoid being in the open. I couldn't go anywhere with this injury though, or if I did, it would take me a very long time to get anywhere hobbling on one foot.
My stomach growled. Damn it. I should have eaten that chilli. Not to mention my mouth was very dry.
What to do?
I looked at the demon stick.
"I don't suppose you're good for anything other than being a flashlight?" I addressed it. Hey, I didn't know, maybe it could talk, okay? I wasn't crazy. I think… I hope. Yet.
Thinking back to traveling I looked at the rod. The glowing stick was too bright. It would draw attraction to me immediately if I traveled with it. Yet, I couldn't exactly get rid of it either. I took it into my hands and turned it this way and that. Maybe there was a dim setting?
I sighed when I found nothing.
A snap of a twig brought my attention up. I held onto the rod tighter and pointed it around me. It snapped and extended. I swept it around, trying to see if I could see what had found me. Yet, the blue glow only made the shadows around me darker. My heart pounded and my palms became sweaty despite the cold. I used the tree to help me stand on my one good foot, my eyes darting around.
"Who's there?" I whispered. Another crack sounded to my left and I turned towards it, rod shaking from my fear.
"Who's there!" I demanded louder.
Something small darted out from the bushes and past me. It passed by the light and I saw the red coat of a fox dashing past. I relaxed. It was just an animal, no need to scare easy Rachel.
"You sure spook easily."
I screamed, but quickly put my hand over my mouth. I looked around for the source of the voice desperately. Who had found me? An Autobot? Maybe a Decepticon had come back. Oh please no!
I started walking away from what I thought was the source, when I put pressure on my right food. I hissed and fell to the ground, clutching it. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I heard rustling, so I quickly picked up the rod I had just dropped, and pointed it towards the sound.
"Don't...don't come any closer. I'm warning you." I said as loudly as I was willing, which turned out to be little more than a whisper. Yet, it was still heard.
"You're hurt. You need help." It was a feminine voice.
"I'm warning you."
A sigh.
"Look, I'll come into the light. Don't unleash your fury." The last sentence was clearly mocking. But it was true, what was I going to do? Beat her from the ground with my stick until she died of laughter? The bot came into the blue glow, but all I could see were long legs with wheels attached to them. I slowly raised the stick until her long silver face which had a blue armor helmet with golden streaks on the side and a streak of gold from the middle of her helmet upwards was visible. In the center of the golden streak on her forehead was a single red jewel. On her shoulders were small wings. Gazing at her face I realized she did not look happy with me.
Arcee.
She bent down to look at my foot, and I lowered my weapon (if you could call it that).
"Looks like something got stuck into your peds."
"My foot," I corrected.
"You might need to go to one of your human medical units."
"A hospital."
I had to ask, yet at the same time didn't want to.
...
"So… robot huh?"
"What were you doing here? Just who are you?" She burst out accusingly towards me, looking at the rod in my hand. She pointed at it, "And how were you able to sneak up on me to grab it?" This I sat through looking at her blankly.
"Huh?"
"If you're working for the Decepticons I swear I'll-" She suddenly stopped and put a hand to where an ear would be on a human. Her face became stern.
"Roger that." She said, eyes not leaving me. She transformed in front of me, gears and metal pieces shifting until she became the same blue motorcycle from before.
"You have two choices kid. You can get on willingly or you can walk back to the others." She vroomed a little close for comfort. "Either way you're coming with us." She said like it was something she didn't like.
"No." I said. "I'm going to the nearest town and getting far, far away from this."
A smugness rolled off of her, which surprised me. I didn't realize motorcycles could give off a smug vibe.
"Well, it just so happens the closest town to here is about, say 2 days away walking."
"You're lying." I whined. I hated to even think it, but she had a point either way. I couldn't walk well, meaning I was stuck here unless I went with her. None of this was ideal, but at least...
I smiled the sweetest evil smile I could manage.
"Thank you for the offer! I'm just covered in mud."
3
Arcee was definitely speeding. And through a forest. With lots of trees.
It was like a scary roller coaster ride except it was real, dodging trees at the last second.
I screamed.
A lot.
"Would you be quiet for even 5 clicks?!" She yelled at me annoyed. I couldn't tell if she was annoyed because of the screaming or the mud I was getting all over her.
After a little while of dodging trees at the last second and me screaming at the top of my lungs with my eyes shut and holding onto Arcee for dear life, we came to a stop.
It was a large open field. A slight breeze whispered through the grass, and a single cow mooed in the distance from a farm on a hill awhile away. Clouds covered the few rays of moonlight creating thicker shadows. From this, I looked up to see two pairs of blue eyes staring at me.
Arcee dumped me off of her unceremoniously and transformed. Ouch. She brushed herself off and attempted to remove the mud, grumbling all the while under her breathe. My attention was brought back to the biggest bot when he began to speak.
"I am sure you have many questions, as we have for you, but I would ask that they wait until we are in a more secure location. The Decepticons may yet come back." A deep voice came from the bot. I couldn't see him well, as he was shadowed in the darkness, I could only make out his outline and blue eyes. Arcee gave the large bot… okay, I can admit, Optimus freaking Prime, the blue rod, which to my fascination had elongated and thickened in Arcee's hand. Optimus did what Arcee had done earlier and place fingers where ears would be on a human. He didn't speak though. Or, at least if he was I couldn't hear.
I was once again reminded just how small I was in comparison to them when the cheerful yellow Bumble-bot crouched down and buzzed at me, pointing at my damaged foot. Crouched, my height only reached about his knees
"I'm assuming your asking about my foot. It's fine." I replied terse. His low wine in response almost made me feel guilty. Almost.
I was tired, I was dirty, and at this point there was no denying it: I was crazy.
And I think I'm okay with that.
I sighed. What a night.
A strong shiver pulled down my spine and the hairs on my arms stood up suddenly.
A bright flash appeared in front of Optimus that swirled open into a swirling vortex of green, blue, and purple. A gust of wind poured out past us, and the tree leaves behind us rustled. My eyes were transfixed on the bright swirl of colors. When the Decepticons fled, I briefly saw the bridge open, but it had closed fairly quickly after them, not to mention I wasn't this close to it. A gut instinct of seeing something both hauntingly wrong and beautiful mixed within me, like watching the dying light of a distant star, or the darkness of a black hole.
"Can you walk?" Arcee asked taking me out of my trance. She asked a little bit too hopefully in my opinion. I tried to put the slightest pressure on my right foot only to be rewarded with a sharp stab of pain. I shook my head.
"I don't think so."
"I'm not an expert, but it looks pretty bad." Arcee commented. Great, if even an alien robot could tell it was bad, that means it must be really bad.
They were all looking at me. Of course they were looking at me, but it was still unnerving. On the other hand, Optimus was done talking, or communicating with whoever about whatever (probably involving me).
"So...uh...where does the…" I pointed towards the groundbridge, and attempted to choose my words carefully.
All I say and do, shall and will be used against me.
"The...fancy portal lead to?" Wise words Rachel. Give me an award in eloquence.
"You will be taken to what you humans call a hospital, where you may be treated for your injury." Optimus said. Damn, everything he said did sound epic.
I nodded, satisfied with the plan. Bumblebee transformed into his yellow camaro and the passenger door opened.
I'm just done at this point, I thought as I climbed into the car...bot. Whatever.
As soon as I got in and put on the seatbelt we started moving towards entering the groundbridge. Yet, the call for sleep demanded my attention, and the swirling colors on the outside were the same as I had seen, only muted due to Bee's dark tinted windows. I was strangely tired and drained. With the amount of adrenaline that must have poured into my system, I shouldn't be feeling this weary. Even if this was the post-adrenaline crash, which I'm pretty sure wouldn't be right considering my injury, I felt extremely weak.
I couldn't help it when my eyes shut and I fell asleep.
Author Note: Welcome, and hello!
I've had this story written for awhile, and I finally decided to post my first fanfic! I'll be frank, it's going to be long, so please come back to check up on new chapters. No set schedule yet for posting, but with spring break coming up, I'll try to get a lot of chapters done.
Comments appreciated.
Also note: I do not own Transformers. Rachel is mine, she's about it :/
