Invisible String

Forever And Always

The tunnel was just as messy now as it was when she had last left it. Dorothy took notice of the collapsed ceilings from the other entrances, seeing that they blocked off the other ways to and from the large open area that was once an arena of sorts. After spending a week trying to save her friend, she almost felt familiar standing in the middle of the ring. A gory mess still covered the floor, sticky pink puddles of energon covered the concrete where the fire hadn't been able to spread to.

What had gone on in these tunnels was straight from a horror movie. Bots being forced to fight for their own life force, with the losers being off-lined and stripped for parts, Autobot and Decepticon alike. It disgusted her, making her stomach churn at the thought of how many lives were lost before Bumblebee found it. The worst part was knowing this was not the only place where atrocities were happening. The laws on who was and wasn't protected, space alien wise, were shaky at best and nonexistent at worst. The only countries that recognized Cybertronians who wanted to get Earthly citizenship were Brazil and Norway, and even then, the hoops individuals had to jump through were ridiculous. Most were denied unless they were useful. Construction or military-like-bots got accepted the most, but some were allowed to be racers or scientists for different research facilities around the world.

It had always given her a bad taste in her mouth that the trapped visitors weren't allowed to just live a normal life on this planet. It was half the reason Dorothy was upset at seeing one of her oldest friends be thrown back in the field to work for G.H.O.S.T. The other half being, he was deserved of much more respect than G.H.O.S.T was giving him. Dorothy saw how they treated him like an animal that was one mishap away from mauling everything and everyone in his path.

She could admit that some of the aliens she had come into contact with were bad. Some killed on sight, some messed with humans, but some were genuinely good even if they were on the "other" side. The worst demons Dorothy had dealt with were always home grown. Humans were naturally killing machines. While the Cybertronians were able to mod their bodies with weapons, humans were almost worse in the sense that they could come off as innocent and harmless. In a lot of cases however, it was a façade. It was their best defense against the Cybertroinians, she thought. Most came here and underestimated the bloodlust a human could conjure up. Thinking that since humans were smaller than even their smallest kind (in most cases), they must be harmless and easy to keep down. But as Dorothy looked up at the chains that once held a myriad of God like beings, she could only wish that idea would be crossed off in the minds of those who held it.

But that wasn't what she was here for. She was here for information. Her legs knew the path well, climbing over large chunks of fallen concrete that made a makeshift stairway to where the crazed doctor held all of his data on the inter-dimensional technology. Walking to the computer almost gave her flashbacks of the week she had spent down in the hell hole. it was worse now that she was alone. Or she was supposed to be.

A crumbling sound behind her had her reaching for her blaster. Military instincts kicked in as she held her breath, finger covering the trigger.

"Who's there?" She demanded, the waver in her voice was hidden, covered by years of training. She wasn't followed by a civilian, if she was, she would have heard them during the walk. It wasn't Dr. Meridian; he wouldn't be able to hide his movements so easily. It could have been an animal. She didn't want to harm it, but if she had to protect herself she would.

"Hello?" She asked again, her voice a tad softer this time. In response there was another shuffle sound. This time followed by a voice.

"Dottie, It's just me." Alex threw his hands out from behind the rock that unintentionally hid him from view. Dorothy let her shoulders relax as she let out the breath she had been holding. The tension that left her muscles gave room for the adrenaline to rush down her arms and to her fingertips. She lowered the blaster, sitting it on the ground and walked to the edge of the platform to help him up.