Several more days passed without incident, much to her pleasure.
Lauren had busied herself with what little work she was able to pick up (thank you Mr. Jenkins). The small pocket change was nowhere near enough to even begin to fix her housing problem, but God damnit, she was going to take what she could get and nobody could say she didn't try.
Megatron was growing impatient with himself. He hadn't a single solid idea on what he was to do. The decepticon knew his end goal, but first he had to get there and that was the hard part. On top of his festering impatience, he was growing antsy. He felt like a sitting sparkling. He longed, thirsted, for action. For a chance to plunge his claws into something and shred it. It had been a good while since he felt well enough to do so and he was becoming stir-crazy. But he'd wait a while more, biting his time for the moment that felt right.
What has become of his fellow decepticons?
He was entirely certain that they were being hunted by human military forces. If they were willing to turn on autobots, then they'd surely try to eliminate his men.
How the humans were accomplishing that feat, was a question in and of itself and he had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer.
The 'why' didn't need to be answered.
"It's time to begin, isn't it? I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit I'm just the same as I was." Lauren sang along to the radio openly as she fiddled with the backside of a vintage fridge. If she could get it working, someone would buy it surely. It did need a new paint job though. She'd get to that later.
She bobbed her head, singing along happily, her volume steady till the songs crescendo. "Now, don't you understand that I'm never changing who I am?"
Megatron was ripped from his thoughts by the femme's insistent vocalization. "What is with your racket, girl?!" He barked harshly. "Stop that vocalization."
Lauren startled slightly before turning to the imposing bot with a sheepish smile. "It's called 'singing'." She turned back to her hunk of metal-turned-project. "Figured you didn't want to talk to a lowly insect like me." Lauren teased sarcastically.
Megatron growled out in disdain. "Well, at least you are aware, human."
Shooting a look over her shoulder, Lauren sat up. "And here I thought we were becoming best friends." Her tone was playful as she wiped sweat from her brow.
The decepticon sneered at her words, his spark shuddered in disgust at the thought of such an association. Such a benighted species. "You are an insect worthy of cowering at my pedes."
She turned her form to face him fully and did a mock bow. "Yes, yes. All hail Lord Megatron." A giggle left her as she turned away to resume working.
Unknowingly, he puffed his chest out with a swell of pride. Oh, how he longed to be lionized once more, to have his decepticons chant his name to Primus and smite down all that even dared to oppose him. "Soon..." A small voice whispered through his processor. The small human femme before him was just the start in his soon to be upheaval. "That is a more efficient use of of your vocal processors girl, hailing your lord."
"Yeah? Well, don't get used to it big guy." Lauren dropped a handful of screws into her ever growing pile, rust stained her skin in various shades of copper and bronze.
"Human insubordination will only further your downfall."
As if her species wasn't already dooming themselves. She hummed at his gruff words, but made no move respond as she retrieved a Philips head.
A comfortable silence passed between robot and human. The quiet chime of the radio and the occasional quiet vent from Megatron filled the air as his optics watched her diligently work. He watched as her lip plates vocalized along with the tune of the radio's wavelengths and the way her brow ridge creased in concentration. Unconsciously, the decepticon tuned his audio receptors acutely to better hear the reverberations she was emitting. Admittedly, the vocalizing she was partaking in wasn't horrible on his audio receptors and he found himself rather enjoying it. It eased a part of his spark that never knew recharge.
"Sparks fly, it's like electricity. I might die, when I forget how to breathe." Lauren kept her volume low as to not bother her uninvited guest (but a guest nonetheless) as she began to replace the screws one by one, slowly bringing the vintage appliance back together and instilling a new life into it. "You get closer and there's nowhere in this world I'd rather be. Time stops, like everything around me is frozen." The lyrics died on her tongue as she struggled with bent plating.
"Why do you vocalize to waveforms so often, girl?" His question was one of genuine curiosity. He didn't understand, and he didn't like that.
Lauren forced the metal backing into place harshly before answering with an exhale. "Again, it's called 'singing', and I dunno. I enjoy it." Torquing the last screw into place, she straightened up, her back cracking audibly. "Do you not have music in your planet?"
Megatron replied swiftly. "No. We have no use for it."
She frowned. "No art? Anything?" Came her inquiry.
"We have statues and architecture. We have no use for such frivolous, trivial things, unlike you insects who litter it everywhere and kill your own planet." His tone sharpened towards the ending of his statement.
She shrugged. "You can just say I'm a bad singer, it won't hurt my feelings." Rising to her feet tiredly, she made her way around the appliance to begin pushing it back upright. Some things are easier said than done. People weren't kidding when they said older appliances were made to last. The smaller woman struggled to find a secure grip, her clammy palms did nothing to help her.
Megatron glared at her words as he plucked the small piece of junk from the floor with ease, causing her to stumble forward, hitting the ground with a thud. "Do not speak for me." He threatened.
Lauren sat up from her position and glared back, wiping away the dirt from her palms. "Well it's kinda obvious you don't like it, so just say that."
He roared at her, causing the barn to vibrate with his volume. "You know only what you are told and that is nothing, fleshling." Vitriol seeped from his tone as he slammed a closed fist down into the Earth below him.
Getting to her feet, she dusted off her pants. "I'm not a God damn mind reader, genius!" Lauren shouted up at him in defiance, red beginning to crawl up her face in irritation. "Aren't you supposed to be the 'superior race'?!" She instigated with a wild gesture of her hands.
A growl ripped through his vocal processors as he seized her from the ground aggressively, bringing her to his face. Red bathed her small form, but that fire in her eye didn't relent and part of him was glad for the fact. Not even his own men could hold a stare and something occurred to him in that klik, "You have not a clue what you are getting yourself into, human." His tone came out even, but the edge remained in silent warning.
Her brows twitched at his words, but her eyes didn't soften as Megatron clasped her in his palm like how someone would a bug and, in that moment, she really did feel like a lowly insect in his ruby gaze.
And, he was right. She had no idea.
All she knew was the familiar feeling of desperation clawing at her. The desperation to keep her home, the desperation to succeed, and the desperation of wanting to belong somewhere, anywhere. She cast her eyes away and he growled at the sign of submission.
"I know that I have nothing." Lauren's words came out stark. The statement tasted like bile and she wanted to rid herself of it. She felt pathetic. What would her grandfather think if he saw her right now? Some woman she turned out to be. Pulling her knees to her chest, she sighed deeply.
Megatron bared his denta at her display. Where did that fire, that hatred go all of a sudden? Why was she a sparkling all of a sudden? Femmes and their processor glitching ways, he hated it. The sudden submission was grotesque and not fitting for someone who could stare him straight in his optics.
It was pathetic.
"I command you to stop such a poignant display, girl." His volume jumped dramatically as he ordered her. "Now."
She refused a reply, keeping her head turned from his harsh gaze.
His fist clashed against the floor before he roughly turned her to face him, his claw hooked roughly under her jaw with bone breaking strength. Though she was basked in ruby light, he could make out her flushed face, optics wet, and brows knit together in her best attempt at a scowl.
"Are you going to kill me, or what?" She spat, hot liquid spilling from her unblinking eyes.
His glowered deepened. "If you are so quick to throw your pathetic life away, then give it to me."
Lauren snorted and ripped her face out if his grasp. It hurt, the metal of his claws scrapping roughly against her jaw. "Like I'd be of any use to you. Thought you hated humans, you never seem to shut up about it."
"I despise your pitiful race you captious creatin." He jerked his hold on her so her form would be facing him once more. "But, even vermin can prove their worth." He dropped her to the floor and she groaned out a curse. "Go, recharge and dwell." A pede shoved her further.
She offered no reply as she made her way to the exit, chancing a glance back at the bot. He gestured to her with his chin before she took her leave.
_______________
Night came quickly with a roll of thunder to accompany the setting sun.
Sleep, however, didn't come easily to Lauren. Thoughts of every Varity plagued her tired mind and she couldn't find a way to shut them off. Every time she fought off one, another came just as abruptly as the previous, attacking her from every vantage point.
Rolling onto her back, she stared up at the ceiling, he room illuminated subtly by the moonlight that filtered in. Shadows danced along the vintage floral wallpaper like the long banished ghosts from her past.
She could feel the exhaustion weighing her down and every ache that clung to her body. She felt older beyond her years and not in a good way. She didn't feel any wiser, if anything she felt the opposite. It felt like everything she knew had been uprooted and flipped upside-down, stolen from her in a moment of weakness.
How could everything go so wrong, so quick? She found herself asking with no apparent answers.
Another hour passed with no change. Another roll of thunder sounded, closer than the last. A flash of lighting accompanied the booming noise. Got to love summer, right?
Another crack of thunder had her stepping down the stairs and out into the cool night air. Strong gusts of wind swept past her, licking at her skin as she approached the barn with haste.
As quietly as she could muster, she stepped inside the dimly lit structure and pulled the door closed with a soft click.
Arms crossed over her chest, socked feet padded up to her work bench before taking a seat and resting herself atop the rough surface. Her back groaned at the change in posture, but welcomed the familiarity.
Megatron onlined, but kept still as he watched the smaller human creep into the structure and seat herself at her work area.
Hunched over the cluttered table, he watched as she rested herself atop it, brown protein strands- hair- fell over her shoulders messily. She usually had them pulled away from her face.
He onlined his optics, lighting the room in a warm glow. "What business do you have in here, girl?"
Lauren didn't lift her head, but did turn to stare up in his direction, her eyes half lidded with drowsiness, bags plagued her under eyes.
"You should be in recharge." His words came out accusatory, but his inflection didn't waver, tone even as he spoke.
For a split second, she forgot that it was her barn.
She blinked at him slowly. "You're right, I don't know what I'm getting myself into..." The brunette mumbled quietly, her voice muffled by the sound of thunder overtaking the land.
"Come, girl." He called her to him. "Closer."
Slowly, she stumbled to her feet and his clawed hand met her halfway in the darkness. She rested into his large palm and he brought her to his shoulder once more.
"You did not answer my question, fleshling. I'd advise that you do so."
Lauren couldn't help the way she curled into the crook under his helm. "Don't like storms." Came her quiet reply.
"Your fear is vacuous and meant for a coward." He rumbled.
She curled in further, absorbing the warmth he gave off as wind rapped against the barn's exterior. "Then I'm a coward..."
"Cowardry is punishable by death among decepticons." Megatron stated in a matter of fact tone.
"Mm..." She hummed below his audio receptor and he instinctively lowered his chin to further conceal her. His action was almost solicitous.
"Not a decepticon." Lauren muttered, curling herself into a ball.
Megatron's tone took on a commanding edge, despite no volume shift. "You will be whatever I want you to be, girl."
"M'kay..." Unconsciousness claimed her as his warmth enveloped her.
Megatron remained online for several cycles once she'd fallen into recharge. He counted the kliks between her vents and noted her approximate weight on his shoulder. He could still smell the sodium residue upon her cheeks and the bacteria in her sweat, her hair smelled of something unknown to him. The decepticon shifted his chin plating, nudging her slightly in the process, it became apparent to him just how fragile she was, despite her defiant disposition, he could crush her where she slept. He made no move to do so, resting his helm back.
Maybe he'd been overexaggerating on how disgusting she smelled, too.
Primus knows just how dramatic he could be.
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