Shadowfire

Chapter 55

The Cybertronian awoke. She- she didn't know who she was. Her body ached but it was her mind that was in agony; fractured, cleaved open and seeping. The Cybertronian was unbound, so she got to unsteady pedes, staggering towards the door. Something was thrumming within her, something insistent. She needed to go home, needed to- needed-

Voices echoed down the hall, three mechs. She shrank back, clenching her denta tightly as she fought to keep from crying out, their voices lightning arching through her shattered helm, setting her alight from the inside out. She needed to get out, needed-

Everything ground to a halt and collapsed out from under her. Her brain whirled, maelstrom tearing at her innards, splitting her open.

"Have the medics finished with their reports? What's wrong with Shadis?"
"Overload thinks the Matrix was damaged decades ago, has slowly been eroding within the Prime, leaking-"
"None of this explains how she knew me, how she knew my name, how I was the only one who could touch her without pain"

Shadis. Prime. Energon dripped from her helm, leaving slick trails along her faceplate, droplets shattering against her chassis, the floor, filling her vision, staining the world the colour of her blood. Her savaged mind burned. Shad. Shadowfire. Shaeleah. Shadow. Leah. Shad. From deep inside, she heard herself scream.

And she woke.

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"Come on Vivian, you're getting picked up" the girl frowned. It was early for Mum to be coming her from school, but she followed the teacher out of the classroom and out to the front of the building. Her eye was immediately drawn to the truck idling across the road, small- for the type of truck it was, built for speed without sacrificing too much size, but still intimidatingly large to the child. There was a woman leaning against it, blonde hair unmoving in the slight breeze, far, far younger than the girl's mother. The girl dug her heels in and the teacher rolled her eyes, letting go of the stubborn youth and heading back into the building. Vivian Witwicky began backing away. This wasn't her mother, or her father, or anyone she knew. She knew better than to allow herself to be kidnapped by a stranger, better than most kids her age. But then she looked at the truck again, a single headlight clicking on in a wink, and relaxed. It was just 'Bee. But why was he picking her up from grade school, looking like that, and who was the strange lady? Her breath quickened as she realised what must've happened, and she hurried over to the woman.

"What happened? Are Mum and Dad okay?" She demanded as she climbed into the truck, seatbelt fastening itself around her securely. She relaxed, 'Bee always did that.
"They're fine Viv" the woman assured, appearing in the drivers seat as the vehicle took off "I just had to come get you, you're clearly not safe there"
"Why not?" The girl, slowly, trying to figure out what was going on- the woman was obviously not telling her everything.
"Because I just came and took you, they didn't even ask me to prove my relation to your parents"
"And are you? Related to Mum and Dad I mean" asked Vivian, idly working a few cogs between her fingers.
"'Course kid" she laughed "your parents're family"
"How come I've never heard of you?" She asked, suspicious.
"What? You tell me kid, why haven't you head of your Aunty Leah?" The woman barked another laugh, grinning wider as she caught sight of the cogs the girl was playing with "you're your mother's daughter all right"
"That's my name"
"Huh?"
"Leah, that's my middle name. Vivian Leah Witwickety"
"Witwicky kid, your mum had trouble with it at first too. But there you go, knew Sam and 'Kaela weren't ones to forget" her good mood flickered at that and for a second Vivian thought she flickered too, but that was impossible.