Inevitable (Megatron x FEM/OC)

Chapter 42 - Aonaran

September 9th, exactly eighteen days before the 27th. Just a little over two weeks. It wasn't a long time to wait, all things considered, but when the whole world has gone to shit and tomorrow is never promised- yeah, eighteen days is a long time.

Lauren, as well as those around her, had grown familiar with budding routine; she and Megatron awoke typically before all others, Blackout made a point to always take guard duty no matter the time, Laserbeak remained upon his perch with ever watchful optics, Barricade and Nitrozeus would gripe at one another while Onslaught and Soundwave stayed out of it. Cade would wake Tessa and shoo away Shane, said father would find work to busy himself with, the remaining autobots would strike up conversation amongst themselves. Lennox and Epps integrated into that in only a matter of hours. Said soldiers would make due with gun maintenance while they exchanged words with Simmons coming along to interrupt with his big personality.

All was fine and Lauren was growing accustomed to their unique day to day lives. Dare she even say it was nice in that odd and unusual kind of way.

It was nice, though she just couldn't shake the irking feeling that something was amiss. Something wasn't quite right and she couldn't place her finger on it.

A part of her had surmised that perhaps she was being paranoid. Maybe even crazy, but the intuitive primal side of her conscious reassured her that she wasn't. The mechanic didn't know which she preferred; being crazy or being right. Both had their drawbacks.

Dread, that same impending doom feeling she'd had weeks prior, had crept back up and she found no way to truly block it out this time. With each passing second, her anxiety increased tenfold.

And maybe she could've deluded herself into ignoring it. Pushing it away to loom over her shoulder another day, but...

Lauren busied herself with menial tasks to keep her mind at bay; sorting and then resorting the tools (even if Cade had told her not to), folding her small pile of clothes for the umpteenth time, anything to busy her hands. Sapphire eyes flicked up from the pile of screws and surveyed the cathedral again, taking a mental note of all its occupants. A head count.

There were thirteen mechs in total, including Scalpel and Blackout who wasn't present. Five humans not including Simmons. The numbers didn't change, but...

Her hands worked tirelessly to keep her occupied, but she couldn't keep her eyes from wandering and hyper focused on things she'd never noticed before or maybe she'd never been looking hard enough.

Something was wrong and she knew it. She knew it.

Optimus stood tall and Megatron stood taller, silent and optics trained with intent. The decepticon hadn't even chanced a glance in her direction. Bumblebee stood off to the side, optics roaming his surroundings as the small antenna like protrusions atop his helm stood at attention.

She flicked her sights to her human allies and those who she'd like to consider friends and nothing. Nothing outwardly amiss stood out to her. Tessa whined to her father, Shane cracked wise humorless jokes, Lennox and Epps remained focused on their firearms.

They didn't seem in the least bit perturbed and for some reason that irked her further.

What was going on? Surely she was just having some kind of episode, no.

Lauren ran her tongue along the backside of her teeth as her jaw clenched, every muscle in her body was taunt and terse as the pull within her chest tethered her to her own sanity.

She'd watched Blackout's fleeting form leave the building that morning and couldn't quite shake her nerves as he dipped his helm in a single smooth nod before disappearing. He'd been back on the two hour mark like clockwork since then for status reports and nothing. Nothing was new, nor called for concern.