Waking up in a shaggy shelter with only a cardboard as your mattress is not very comfortable. Saphira felt very cramped, it didn't help the bruises on her body were still present and very much letting her know they were there. She groaned and sat up slowly, her stomach growled angrily at her and her bladder ached as she really needed to go. At least she could use public restrooms when she needed to. She brushed off her clothes and stood up, picking up her bag, she walked away from the small shack to find the nearest restroom. She licked the roof of her mouth as it was dry and she really needed something to drink. She decided she would get a bottle of water, she would be able to at least reuse the bottle when she needed to. She had enough cash on her for that at least.
She made her way to the nearest gas station to use the bathroom to relieve herself and purchased a two-litre water bottle. It was all she was going to have as breakfast this morning, after all she had to wait for a response from the employers about whether she would get a job or not. She drank a bit of the water, filling her stomach and helping to ease off the hunger a little bit. She made her way to school, it would be mostly empty as the teachers were the only ones who would present. But it would give her the opportunity to charge her phone and continue working on homework.
As she arrived at the school, she spotted Jack arriving with a frown on his face. She was surprised to see him at the school early and ran over to him. "Morning Jack. You look a little...upset this morning."
Jack jumped when she spoke and looked at her with a relieved expression. "Oh, I thought you were someone else. You say that I might be a bit upset, but don't worry, it is nothing I can't handle." He raised an eyebrow at her curiously. "Why are you still wearing the same clothes from yesterday, Saphira?"
"Oh..." Saphira looked away from him as she felt a little embarrassed. "Let's just say good clothes are hard to come by."
"I am sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, I just am surprised." Jack glanced around for a moment. "Though I know you saw the start of what happened yesterday. Just so you know, forget that it ever happened. Please."
She studied him curiously and shrugged. "Sure, I suppose I can. I guess that is what is getting you down. If anything, I would say it must have been unbelievable."
"Oh, you have no idea. I'd rather forget about it." Jack walked past her towards the stairs. "I'm heading to the library to do some homework."
"That is where I am heading too." Saphira caught up to him to walk by him. "I have to say...it's a little strange."
"Strange how?" He looked at her with a frown.
She shrugged a little. "Usually, nobody really cares to talk to me. People just look through me, not at me."
"You are not the only one, Saphira. You might think it is strange, but people generally don't talk to me either. It is nice to talk to you too." He smiled at her and opened the door for her. "I guess since we could be co-workers, it would be incredibly rude to ignore you."
"Yeah...I have to wait for a call." Saphira was not sure if she was confident about getting a job, though she needed one. "I hope I do. I really need a job."
She looked down sadly, Jack saw her expression. Her whole body language told him she was incredibly sad, and likely has not been happy for a long time. He did not know what the reason was for it, though he wished her well. He wasn't going to pry into her business since they both had just met each other.
"Listen, I will talk to my boss about you, Saphira," Jack said to her gently. "I will tell him how hard of a worker you are, and that you need a job because you are in a financial pickle." She looked at him with smiled slightly. "I promise you will get a job. I admit, there are better jobs out there. But you get something from it."
"Thank you, Jack. If I get a job there, you will be practically my life saver." She hoped that what Jack said was true, she didn't have a lot of trust for people these days. "So, what type of homework do you need to finish today?"
He shrugged with a smile. "Just some Maths and history stuff, I am almost done with it until the next lot. What about you? You are in your last year of high school, it must be pretty tough."
She shrugged a little. "It is, I suppose. But we go over a lot of what we are taught in the last two years, so it's really just revision honestly. I actually have to finish a biology homework today. After that, I have a Math assignment to finish."
"Oh, fun. And thanks for the heads up."
They enter the library and find a table to sit at. She plugs her phone into the wall to charge and the two got to work on their homework. It was nice to be able to talk to someone, it was strange though since Saphira was not used to talking to people. However, if Jack managed to help her get a job, she would forever be grateful for him. Saphira and Jack had more small talk with each other as they work on their homework.
Once school began, they both go their separate ways to their own classes. Saphira was not quite looking forward to her day, though she did her best to get through it. Her dirtier appearance had not gone unnoticed by the other students. It was normal for her to show up with worn clothes, but as she had not gone home to wash, people noticed the odour from her clothes and her greasy hair. The girls who often whispered behind her back were out laughing at her. Saphira, of course, did not react as words often meant nothing to her anymore. Especially from people who were not close to her.
By the time school came to an end, Saphira was feeling very tired. The lack of food really made it hard to concentrate, but she reminded herself she could only eat what she could. Though, she did think about locating the local soup kitchen as it would be the only other option to get something to eat. As she walked out of the doors, she noticed a familiar bike parked waiting. She walked over to it and looked at it curiously. It was the same bike as the day before. She rolled her eyes and turned to walk away from it.
"I guess whatever happened yesterday has followed Jack," Saphira muttered out loud to herself, not noticing a twitch from the bike as she walked away.
She grabbed out her phone and saw she had no phone calls just yet, that was a little disheartening. However, she was not going to lose hope. She decided to try searching up the location of the local soup kitchen while she was waiting, and maybe find a shelter she could stay at occasionally instead of out on the street. As she walked along the sidewalk, she heard the sound of a familiar car engine.
She tensed and glanced over her shoulder to see a Porsche slowing down. "Well, well, I thought I would you out here, Saphira." It was her ex, Xavier! "When you didn't come home last night, I was so mad. I punched up so many walls, now my dad is angry at me. It is your fault for running away. So where you living now?"
Saphira ignored him and picked up the pace, she glanced at the garages deciding she could lose him there. "Oh? Do you live there? Come on, lads! Let's find her home and destroy it!"
She winced as the Porsche speeds past her and turn into an alleyway. She shakes her head, thankfully it would be hard for them to figure out. There were a few things she saw last night that indicated there were other homeless people living among the buildings as well. However, she had to avoid them as much as possible. She walked around the block to hide by a large dumpster. She sat down and searched the internet for a nearby soup kitchen, hoping that by hiding Xavier would leave her alone. She really only needed her bag so moving was not a problem.
She jumped as tyres screech to a stop and she scrambled to her feet, the young man with golden, brown hair and hazel eyes glared back at her. "I couldn't find your home. But, time to finish what I should have done already!"
"Xavier, you can forget I ever existed. I'll be gone from this town soon, you don't need to do this." She backed away from him nervously, he pulled out a hammer from the car and his three friends step out with weapons of their own. "I already don't have anything."
"Your life is something you don't deserve, sweetheart!" Xavier sneered coldly, smirking slightly at her. "And I ain't gonna stop until your blood stains the ground! No one is ever going to miss you!"
Saphira turned and ran from him, the boys laugh loudly, and she heard them running after her, yelling and mocking her. Saphira felt her adrenaline pumping through her veins as she ran. She heard the boys getting closer and pulled several bin cans to block their path.
"DISGUSTING!" Xavier yelled angrily. "I am so going to kill you bitch! You got my new pants dirty!"
She did not glance back, she skids slightly as she ran to the right and left to lose them as quickly as possible. She ran down a narrowed alley, knowing it had several turns that would hopefully lose them. She didn't hear them behind her, but she did not stop to find out. She kept running and found another slightly wider alley. She made a left, glancing behind her to see she was not being followed. She realized now she had to find somewhere else to sleep.
However, as she turned her head to look up, she widened her eyes as she had not expected to run into something. "OOFF!" She fell backwards after running headfirst into the being.
"Double scrap." Saphira groaned and looked up, gasping loudly as she saw a pair of blue optics looking at her, a slim, female bot with the similar features as the bike earlier.
"Saphira?" She blinked and looked at Jack approaching her. "Are you okay?" He reached down to help her up, Saphira groaned as her legs and back burn from the pain of the bruises. "You weren't running from suspicious cars, were you?"
Saphira looked at him, the large bot and a young girl who approached with black hair, pink tips and a pink streak with a smile on her face. "Uhh...not really..." She took deep breaths, looking up at the bot in confusion. "Sorry for running into you...I wasn't looking where I was going."
"Hmmph...no problem, you did not cause any damage." The bot transforms into the bike and Saphira widened her eyes in surprise. "I can't take the three of you, one of you will have to go with Bumblebee."
Bumblebee?
Saphira heard a horn and looked ahead to see a yellow and black stripe camaro. She raised an eyebrow before tensing as she heard the sound of a Porche engine roaring. "I'll go with Bumblebee."
She ran over to the car as the door opened and sat in the passenger seat, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. "Hi there." Saphira yelped in surprise and turned her head to see a younger boy with brown eyes, glasses and brown hair styled to look similar to a Dragon Ball Z hairstyle. "I'm Raf."
Saphira had her hand on her chest and sighed deeply. "I'm Saphira."
"Sorry if I scared you. I am not old enough to sit in the front seat yet." The boy smiled at her from the back seat. There was a whirring sound from the car that surprised Saphira as the car rolled forward. "I don't know why she was running, I suppose we can ask her."
She smiled slightly. "Um...I wasn't running from your enemies, if that is what you were worried about."
There was some more whirring from the bot, Saphira raised an eyebrow as she did not understand him. "He still wants to know what had you so worked up."
She sighed deeply and looked out the window. "It isn't something that will affect you. It is best you do not know. But...curious...how can you understand Bumblebee?"
"I don't know. I just can." Raf shrugged with a proud smile. "I am sure it is nice for him to know a human can understand him."
Saphira smiled, hearing some cheerful whirring from Bumblebee. She somewhat understood the feeling, not being able to be heard until someone actually understands you. Saphira kept her eyes out the window, not knowing what journey now lay ahead of her. She felt like she has gotten into something so deep she won't be able to get out of it.
Especially as the bots drove them out of the town. She could see Jack not enjoying the ride with the girl on his bike, it seemed she was yelling a lot. Saphira didn't really recognize her, though was a lot younger than her. Saphira was glad that she was with Bumblebee though, at least she would not have been seen by Xavier. It felt safer for her already, although...that was yet to be determined. Especially as they drive further into the Nevada and Saphira was familiar with the known fact about a missile silo out here.
"How did you meet these bots?" Saphira asked Raf curiously, turning her head to look at him. "Was it by accident?"
"Pretty much. I was just racing my remote control car when Jack launched down out of nowhere on that bike," Raf explained cheerfully. "I thought it was pretty cool, though. Especially when they transformed and began to fight, although it was a little scary. Then Bumblebee came in to help and he accidentally broke my car." There was a low, sad whir when he spoke about the car. "I told you, it's no problem. It was just a toy, it can be replaced."
"Ah...right. I sort of saw a little bit of the start of that chase last night when I handed in a resume at KO Burger." Saphira looked at the dash when Bee whirred again, and it sounded like he was asking a question. "What did he say?"
"He was asking what a resume was. I'll answer that for you if you'd like." Saphira nodded with a smile. Raf looked at the dash happily. "A resume is a written document people make up to hand into managers at different businesses to try and get a job."
"Yeah...I desperately need one." Saphira looked ahead, gazing at the various rock formations around them. "I have to see, Nevada never gets old." She pulled out her water bottle to sip, needing to rehydrate after that adrenaline rush. She widened her eyes as Bee drove off road directly towards a large formation. "Um...Bee?"
There was no response as a set of doors open automatically from them. Saphira and Raf gasp in surprise as they enter a lit tunnel. She couldn't believe it, even though she was seeing it. The bots slow down as they approach a large room. Saphira jumped as the window winds down to allow a better look. She looked out curiously, seeing an orange and white bot staring back at them, along with a large, bulky, military green bot watching them arrive. She suddenly felt shy and held her hands together nervously as Bee came to a stop. She stepped out nervously, looking around and jumping when Bee and the other bot transformed. She placed the tip of her bottle to her lip to drink, mostly because she was nervous.
"I thought there were two," The orange and white bot said with slight confusion in his voice as he stepped closer.
"Haven't you heard? Humans multiply," The female bot responded with her hands on her hips.
Saphira gasped suddenly and coughed out loudly as she drank water down the wrong way. She closed the bottle quickly as she coughed loudly. "Oh, just great! Already making a mess!" The orange and white bot complained in irritation.
Saphira glanced up at the bot as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Are you okay?" Jack asked with a frown. "I wasn't expecting her to say that either."
She coughed some more, rubbing her throat and nodded. "Yep...I'll be fine."
Raf looked up at the bots with a polite smile. "I'm Raf."
"I'm Miko." The girl stared at the bots with pure joy and ran towards the large bot. "Who are you?"
The military green, bot looked uncomfortable when he was asked the question directly. "Bulkhead."
Miko gasped in delight, her eyes were practically sparkling in their presence. "Are you a car? I bet you're a truck, a monster truck! Do you like heavy metal? How much do you weigh? Ever use a wrecking ball for a punching bag?"
Oh boy, these kids are already embarrassing...except for Jack.
Saphira put her bottle away and clasped her hands together in front of her nervously, keeping quiet for the time being after embarrassing herself with making a mess. She wished she had a mop to clean it up, at least it would make amends for it.
"So, if you guys are robots, who made you?" Raf asked curiously.
Saphira heard the orange and white bot scoff in irritation and saw him roll his optics. "Pa-lease!"
She guessed they probably weren't actual robots, but robotic organisms. They didn't seem like robots to her, too fluid to be one. Though, she really couldn't judge considering she only just met them. She gasped as she heard heavy footsteps approaching and turned, gasping loudly as she gazed up at a tall bot who had yet to introduce himself. He had broad shoulders and carried himself proudly, his coverings were of blue and red make, and Saphira felt herself intimidated by his presence.
"We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron," The bot explained, answering Saphira's theory about them being organisms rather than just robots. "Also known as autobots."
Jack stepped forward curiously, the leader's blue optics gaze at him at his approach. "Why are you here?"
"To protect your planet from the decepticons," The bot responded, the word alone sent shivers down Saphira's spine.
"The jokers who tried to bump us off last night." Saphira widened her eyes at the female bot's words, she guessed the two cars that followed Jack were decepticons.
"Okay...why are they here?" Jack asked in a worried tone.
The commander drops down to one knee to speak with them more closely, his optics gaze at the four humans before him. "A fair question, Jack. In part, they are here because our planet in uninhabitable, ravaged by centuries of civil war."
"Why are you fighting a war?" Raf asked innocently, seemingly not able to understand why the bots were at were.
Saphira sighed a little, she looked up at the leader curiously to hear his response. "Foremost, over control of our world supply of energon, the fuel and lifeblood of all autobots and decepticons alike." The leader's optics hiss and rotate, projecting images of their world and war that had gone on for centuries. "The combat was fierce and endured for centuries. In the beginning, I fought alongside one whom I considered a brother. But in war, ideals can be corrupted, and it was thus that Megatron lost his way."
She was rather intrigued by the story, though Miko ruined it by yawning loudly and seemed bored by the explanation. "Is there gonna be a quiz?"
Saphira frowned at the girl and took a deep breath, keeping her words to herself for the moment. "So what is Megatron, or any of this have to do with us?" Jack asked curiously, not knowing where exactly they stood in the grand scheme of things.
"Megatron has not been seen or heard from in sometime," The commander responds, his voice holding grave concern as he spoke about it. "But if his return is imminent, as I fear, it could be catastrophic."
"I guess because we now know you, he could use us to get to you or kill us," Jack said thoughtfully, getting a nod from the commander. He groaned a little, rubbing the back of his head. "Geez...only yesterday I was a normal kid."
"Shouldn't have gotten on the bike, huh?" The bot teased with a smirk. She looked at Optimus as he stood up after speaking to them. "What now, Optimus?"
Optimus gazed down at the humans kindly. "Since you now know of our existence, I fear just as you, Jack, the decepticons know of yours."
"Got it, if we spot any strange vehicles, call 911," Jack said, glancing at the watch on his arm and seemingly realizing what time it was. "Can we go now?"
Miko frowned at Jack when he mentioned about leaving. "Are you insane? I'm living a dream here in botswana and I will not allow you, or anyone else to shatter it!"
Saphira rolled her eyes and glanced around, she already had enough of these kids, especially Miko. Saphira didn't really say anything for the moment, the autobots haven't addressed her. She doubted they really acknowledge her presence.
"It is best that you four remain under our watch." She glanced up at Optimus curiously, he still acknowledged her, which was a surprise. She shrugged a little as she was not worried by that. "At least until we can determine our enemy's intentions."
"Optimus." She looked at the orange and white bot curiously, she wished she knew all their names already. "With all due respect, the human children are in as much danger here as anywhere."
Saphira raised an eyebrow, she was not a child. Jack seemed to feel the same way as he responded to the bot in shock at being called a child. Saphira felt as though she was more grown up than the three kids with her, though she could only throw the bone so far.
"They have no protective shell, if they get underfoot they go..." The bot paused as he thought of the right word to say. "Squish." He stamps his foot, making the kids jump to get his point across.
"Then for the time being, Ratchet, we must watch where we step," Optimus said to the bot and glanced up as an alert goes off along with green, flashing lights.
Saphira and the other kids were slightly alarmed. Although, with the bots being distracted, Saphira moved away from them slowly, she spotted a corner in the room to side by and walked towards it. She glanced up, making sure no one sees her as she needed to be by herself for the time being. She overheard that this alarm was just a proximity alert of someone arriving and that it was a liaison for them to the outside world of this base. Saphira sighed, lowering herself to the floor with a wince and pulling out some of her books to work on her schoolwork. It was better than nothing at the moment, she didn't think she would be needed or noticed for that matter.