Taylor

I sat against the wall of the large room, hugging me knees and burying my face in it as well. Despite how big the space was, it felt constricting, like it was slowly swallowing me. I knew I had no hope of escaping myself. Over the past two days since my capture, I had tried to transform my hands into blasters or blades, in a small hope I could sneak out and shoot my way through any Deceptions coming. However, there were two reasons that plan would never work. One, it was utterly dire and overconfident. I couldn't just hope that I would make it through whatever threats came my way. I was only human, no matter how much I had changed, and stood no chance against an army of Vehicons. Two, my powers, even if I could use them, brought me immense pain. To my horror, I had discovered that transforming meant agony to my body. Sometimes it wouldn't even allow me to transform, my body probably keen to the fact that it was straining and hurting me. When I had realized this, all hope had seemed lost. I sat curled up, crying silently into my legs and wishing my guardian were here.

Sometimes I could feel his loneliness and worry, which only made me feel worse. I wondered why I could still, but I was mostly sorry for ever having to leave my love interest feeling that way in the first place. I could tell that he was struggling with his emotions now just as much as I was.

Not only was I suffering from his emotions and the loss of my abilities, my body and mind were also hurt because of the wretched Starscream. The seeker, ever his cruel nature, loved to do what he could to torture me for information. He was convinced that if he could get me to talk, Lord Megatron would be pleased with him, and all past problems would be put to and end. I was at first surprised to hear that he honestly didn't want to fight his master anymore, but that was quickly replaced with pain. Physical, emotional. As he would skim his claws down my arms or legs, enough to cut the skin and a little of the flesh, he enjoyed whispering harsh words into my ears, words that I could never escape nor ignore. No matter how much I wanted to.

You're useless, human femme. Whatever you were before is gone now, isn't it? Now you're nothing, just like the rest of your kind.

You ought to be less than your own kind now. You're a... freak, as what you humans call it? You're nothing like them. You had powers, now they are gone, and now you are no longer human. Just a wretched species for me to play with.

Do you honestly think anyone would care for you? Even your "guardian", the medic? Ratchet had never been one to particularly care for anyone.

At times like that, when he had talked about Ratchet that way, I had wanted so badly to snap at him, tell him that Ratchet wasn't like that. He cared so much for his team it almost hurt. He was a medic because he cared for his people, not just because he didn't enjoy fighting. However, I held my tongue and said nothing, always squeezing my eyes shut as tear flowed and trying to ignore the fire coming from my aching body.

Days of that torture left me to wonder if some of what he said was true. My 'gifts', at the moment, were truly gone. Whenever I tried, it was pain, and/or nothing. Only a short while ago, I would have been grateful, overjoyed. The things that made me a freak, that my horrible 'father' had given me without a second thought, would never hinder me again. Now, I missed them a little bit. Maybe a part of me had hoped that those things made me closer to Ratchet, more like him, in a way. That, and at times like these, I had to admit, they were useful. And even though they were gone, I still had Energon flowing through my body. I still was different. I could never be truly human again.

Maybe some would find that interesting, or even fun. I'm sure Miko would. Which was a bit comforting, knowing that she, and the other kids too, would never really abandon me. Yet I had a sense of doubt for the rest of human kind, and even for the Autobots. Would they think differently of me now? Had they already?

...And what about Ratchet? Could what Starscream said about him ever really be true. At first, I had no doubt in my mind that Ratchet did care about me, even if it wasn't the same as mine. But as time flowed ever so slowly, I started second guessing. What if he really was unhappy that I was his charge? What if he had only accepted because Optimus had ordered him? Was he just putting on a show?

No, no, it can't be true, I found myself thinking again as I sniffed and huddled tighter. After a few moments, I unfurled myself and reached up to wipe the tears out of my eyes. My skin felt hot, yet I was shivering like crazy. I took a shaky breath and spread out my legs, hissing in pain at the pain I felt.

Why did it feel like everything happened to my legs? It seemed like they were always in recovery.

With another sigh, I leaned my head back on the wall and closed my eyes. I could feel my silver hair brushing my shoulders and remembered it had been a while since I'd last cut it. It had been on my sixteenth birthday, and I had finally cut it short, leaving some longer parts at the side of my face and bangs over my forehead. Those bangs were now brushing over my eyes constantly. I was so used to it now it didn't matter.

Birthday.

I felt a pang in my heart as I realized that my sixteenth birthday was three hundred sixty-four days ago. Tomorrow was my birthday.

Tomorrow I was seventeen.

Fresh tears flew into my eyes as I remembered my mother on my sixteenth birthday. I had felt so special, and my sadness and loneliness had disappeared that day. I had had so much fun with her, seeing a movie for the first time, making a cake at home, staying up late while eating the dessert and chatting for hours. It had felt like one of the best days of my life.

Tomorrow would be one of the worst. Mom was gone. I was separated from my new family. I was being tortured by Decepticons.

How could anything possibly get any worse?

It was just then I felt a pang in my spark, and then a violent chill went up my entire body. I tended up immediately, bringing my hands to my arms instinctively. My blue eyes went wide just before the chill disappeared, leaving me to wonder what the cause had been in the first place.

Something felt so wrong...

It was quite a few hours later when Starscream arrived. I jumped, just like every other time, and scooted as far back as I could, despite the fact I was leaning against a wall. I seemed to shrink as he got closer, curling tighter and tighter in an effort to get away. I almost wished that I would continue getting smaller, shrinking and shrinking until I was gone.

Starscream smirked as he stopped just in front of me, getting down low and reaching one thin servo to poke at my chest. "Such a pitiful creature," he sneered, jabbing me a few times hard enough to make me cough. "I must admit, as fun as you are, you are beginning to bore me."

I whimpered in reply, shakily grabbing his servo and trying to pull it away from me.

The seeker rolled his red optics. "How weak." Nearly effortlessly, he snatched me up quickly with his other servo, squeezing me a little harder than he needed to. "However, I still need you alive. When Shockwave heard that there was a human aboard, let alone one with 'abilities', he seemed interested."

His voice got lower as he spoke about the new Decepticon, someone I had only heard about from Ratchet. I was pretty sure everyone had assumed he was offlined...

Starscream turned his attention back to me as he began to head out of the room. A smirk fell upon his derma as he squeezed a little bit tighter. "Maybe he will get something interesting out of you."

I swallowed, trying to shake the fear out of my chest. That, and the horrible pitting feeling in my stomach telling me that something was terribly wrong...

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I UPDATED-

Omg sorry this took so long!!!!!! I have had a lot going on lately.

Lol it seems I always do, doesn't it?

But anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! This book is coming to a close soon! I think the next chapter may be the last one...

AND THEN IT IS ON TO THE THIRD BOOK!!

Yay!!

Also, everyone, please pray for me. I just recently went through some problems.. I'm a little depressed and stressed for the future.

I love you all!! Thank you so much for waiting!!

*waves*