Their Pet (TFP Fanfic)

15

I was walking down the seemingly endless halls of the Nemesis, the purple lighting cascading down on me in the ominous silence. I tried opening some of the doors I crossed but none of them I recognized and the motion sensors weren't working. I tried calling out a few times but it was always responded with silence.

"Knockout?" I yelled, hands cupped around my mouth. "Lord Megatron?" I called again, going around a corner. "Anyone?" My voice grew quiet, a whisper almost.

I hated being alone. This felt wrong. Where was everyone?! Trying to remain calm, I kept my pace at a steady walk. Running would raise my heart rate and cause me to start panicking. Maybe they're all on a mission. Maybe they're in recharge?

I started to walk faster, moving from hall to hall, turning down different corners. It all just seemed endless! Suddenly I heard something that broke the eery quiet.

Tap tap tap tap tap

It was fast and rhythmic. Echoing like light footsteps but short between. It fell silent again and I stood, frozen, listening.

Tap tap tap tap tap tap

There it was again! It was closer this time, and nothing like anything I'd heard before. I turned away from it and started running down the halls, trying to distance myself. I made it a ways away before I turned and hid, far into the shadows of one of the supports for the ship. I pulled my knees to my chest, silently slipping into the corner where I felt safest. Trying to slow my breathing and heart, I listened again to the silence. Waiting for any sign of what was after me. There was a long pause of quiet.

Tap...

Tap...

THUD!

The sound came from somewhere in my hallway before something heavy hit the floor and I heard the sound of moving parts in transformation. I sat completely still, holding my breath. Just waiting for something, anything, to happen.

Suddenly, something dripped from above and landed next to my foot. It was a bright green and sizzled, burning into the metal. I didn't move. I couldn't. A hiss came from above and all I had time to see was bright red eyes and sharp claws swiftly closing in in front of me and I screamed.

I woke up screaming, flailing my arms and trying to claw my attacker. I opened my eyes and gasped, my lungs on fire and my skin drenched in sweat. My brain was reeling as I screamed again, my feet swinging out and making contact with something metal.

"Frag! Brynn, stop!" A scratchy, tired voice sounded next to me.

I was hyperventilating, swinging my head around and trying to process what was happening. I looked up and saw red eyes and a silver face. His red headpiece had a dark scuff on it and his claws held me close to his face.

"S-Starscream?" My voice shook and came out almost in a whimper. In fact, my entire body was shaking and I could hardly breath. My eyes swelled with tears for a moment and I cried out, grabbing his closest finger and holding it to me as my body wracked with sobs. He watched me in worry, lowering me a bit and using his other hand to stoke my back.

"Its okay, your safe. I'm here. Shh"

I slowly stopped crying, my body shivering from the amount of energy it exerted. I looked up at him with red, tired eyes. I could still see the scuff mark and I frowned. "D-did I hurt your head?" My voice was still weak and shaky.

He made a face at me halfway between confusion and frustration. "You just woke up kicking and screaming and your worried about the minor damage you did to me?" He slowly lowered my shaking form back onto my bed, getting down on one knee to stay level with me.

"Are you okay?" He asked, for once his voice soft and lased with genuine concern.

I shook my head and pulled my legs to my chest. "I had a really bad nightmare. I think it was about Airachnid." He reached out again and gently stroked my back. "She isn't here. Your safe. We're all here and I don't think any of us have the spark anymore to let that wretch take you away from us." Star gave me a reassuring smile and I smiled back softly, leaning my head onto his digit.

I yawned, "I'm so tired... I don't really want to go back to sleep though. What if I have another night terror?" He watched me in silence as I pulled my blanket around my shoulders and sat on my bed in a little bundle. I looked up at him, "Can...Can you stay with me? Just so I can sleep? Please." He stood there for a moment then sighed, nodding once and closing his optics. I smiled and leaned onto his servo, laying down in his fingers. Slowly, but surely, I fell asleep.

The next morning, Knockout came back to the med bay from his own sleeping quarters and was shocked to find Starscream asleep, leaning onto the desk with Brynn sleeping in his outstretched servo.