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okami_huNow, children. I really need you for this. It's actually a TF story, but a Human!Verse AU, so actually, you don't need to know anything about the fandom. It centers around my OC anyway. I just want you to read it, and tell me what you think. Boring? Okay? Fascinating read, and you'd totally like to see more? What's missin? What's too much? Any mistakes you caught?
If you're on my friends list, then I suppose you're there for a reason, so here's your chance to prove you care. Pretty please?
Endless summer nights. The perfect time for lovers to stroll in the moonlight, to go wild with friends, cruising from one party to another, sipping colorful drinks, or just sit on the balcony and gaze at the stars. The night air was fragrant and pleasantly warm, the traffic was low.
The blue Dodge Ram slowed down and eventually stopped. Inside, the pretty young woman smiled fondly at the blond guy at the wheel.
"Sean, you're the only one who'd take your date to the junkyard. When romantic sense was handed out, you were surely somewhere else."
"I'm SO glad you're not my date," Sean replied with a huge grin. "Come on, Lyssa, it'll be fun! You need to get away from work and studying! You need to relax!"
"It's not that I'm complaining," Alyssa reminded her friend. "A junkyard in the middle of the night, sure it sounds fun." He glanced at the guy. "Is it safe? If they knock me out, I can't tend to your injuries. I don't have my bag with, either."
"Relax." Sean was optimistic, as ever. "The place has a night guard, the old Smithson. He's pretty tough, you'll see. And, we have instant protection. Right, Dudette?"
The Irish setter on the Dodge's backseat whined with delight as her master rubbed her ears. Alyssa rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe you named the poor thing 'Dudette'. I know that you're a surfer type, but if I were her, I'd chew all your shoes as revenge."
"Hey," Sean was able to look extremely innocent, when he put an effort into it. "I couldn't call her Duchess Happy-Crazy Dulcinea, either." Alyssa nearly forgot her fingers in the way of the closing car door. "WHAT?"
"She's a purebred," Sean announced with pride, and blew a kiss to her majesty, as she bounced around him. "Purebreds have all kinda crazy names, but their owners usually just give them a call name. I'd say it was a compromise."
Alyssa ruffled the setter's silky rust-golden fur and smiled as the dog began to swish her tail, nearly knocking her off her feet. "At least she doesn't seem to mind. So, do we have everything?" She turned her attention back to Sean. "Flashlight, gloves, bags? And exactly what do you plan to find?"
"A friend of mine is building cars," the blond guy handed out some of the necessities to her friend. "He needs a few parts, and perhaps one or two, more exotic car emblems for his collection. If you find something rare, just show it to me. What I specifically need, is a motor block, as intact as possible, preferably from some kinda big car, like a Cadillac. Oh, and if you happen across a dancing Elvis, or some fuzzy dices, snatch them."
"Got it, capt'n," Alyssa started to develop the feeling that this is indeed going to be fun. Prowling among old, rusty cars, armed with only a flashlight – it sounded like an adventure.
Not that there were no adventures in the hospital she worked at. It was a perfectly normal hospital with a crowded ER section, and her personal favorite place – the children's floor. She loved children. And, thank God, children seemed to love her back, confiding in her, trusting her, and ever since that accident, which left her with a particularly beautiful shade of sapphire for hair color, teens seemed to accept her more, too. Some of them even outright told her, that with that hair, she looks more like them, instead of just an ordinary grown-up doc. Of course, the board didn't really approve it first, but eventually, they got tired, and Alyssa kept her azure hairdo. She liked blue, too.
The old Smithson was some two meters tall, with shoulders about twice as wide as Sean's – and the blond guy wasn't too delicate, either. He was also packing a gun beneath his desk. Alyssa's worries started to disappear.
Eventually, she got so bold, that she snatched a crowbar and attacked a Hummer's door to get inside. The exercise felt good – lately, she couldn't get to the pool. That's what one gets for spending too much time with studying to get a second degree.
The Hummer contained several ragged maps, half a pair of an earring and a chew toy in a surprisingly good shape. "Hey, Dudette," Alyssa waved the setter close, "you like it?"
Dudette sniffled the toy with interest, and attempted to take it, but the young woman didn't let her. "No-no, first, we'll clean it. But you'll have it, no worries. Now, let's move on, shall we?"
The dog barked, and followed Alyssa to the next car. However, a few minutes later, she started to stare up into the air and eventually began to bark and growl. Finally, even Alyssa noticed, and she patted the dog's head. "What is it?"
Dudette whined. Somehow, she managed to look unsettled enough for even a human to notice, and the woman swept her hair behind her ears, listening. "It's surely just a bird. Let me see." She aimed the flashlight forward. It was a powerful little thing with a sharp light; the bright circle traced up the nearby telephone pole, along the wires…
And suddenly reflected on… something. Alyssa's eyes widened and she snatched the flashlight back. What… was that? Of course, she could only make out a blurry shape, but… it seemed a little too big for a bird. The wings were too wide… and that reflection, as if there had been glass or metal-
In the next second, she heard it. A soft humming, like a very timid jet engine's filled the air and it was growing louder. The dog tensed up at her feet, staring upwards and growling, but the brave attitude soon turned into fear. Alyssa felt the hair on her back to rise and panic gripped her by the throat. Something was bound to happen… She backed to the car and raised the flashlight again.
In the next moment, something crashed literally at her feet. Alyssa screamed but she couldn't move; for a moment, she was frozen with fear and surprise. What was that?? She could feel the setter's warm body pressing against her legs – they were both shaking. From the distance, voiced drifted toward her – a gunshot, Sean's cries, barking…
Blue eyes fixed on the unmoving, dark heap seeping smoke. It crashed into a steady pile of cars. Such an odd shape… it had wide wings, or they looked like wings at least… Alyssa gulped and took her fallen flashlight. For a moment, she could swear the… thing… before her was oddly human. He inched closer, and nearly dropped the light again, when the figure on the ground suddenly winced.
Steeling herself, the woman aimed the light at the dark form. It was undoubtedly metallic, and it did have wings – one of them now painfully bent and twisted. And, it proved to be a human as soon as it struggled up and turned, or at least, humanoid. The head – helmet? – resembled an odd bird's, the hands – gauntlets? – had dangerous-looking claws. The movement, as it lifted those taloned hands and gingerly touched its head seemed very familiar, though.
"H-hey…" Alyssa ventured, inching even closer, crouching down. "Are you okay?"
The large, dark visors turned at her immediately, and the woman's heart started to race even faster. The weird figure jerked forward, but in the next moment, it doubled over in pain. That immediately switched Alyssa into professional mode. "Don't move," she said, stepping closer and kneeling down next to the armored body. "Relax. I think you cracked a rib or two, and you might have a light concussion, too. Let me help, I'm a-"
The statement turned into a painful squeal though, as the stranger lashed out with its claws, marring her lower arm lightly. "Don't touch…" the thing rasped. "Leave Swoop alone!"
Somebody grabbed Alyssa by the shoulder and wrenched her away. Dudette barked madly, and there was a click, the telltale sound of a cocked gun. "What the bloody hell is this?" the old Smithson inquired none too happily, aiming at the stranger's chest. It scooted backwards, then reached up to fight the helmet off.
"Lyssa! Lyssa, are you alright?" Sean was shaking her lightly, measuring her from top to toe, searching for more injuries.
"Fine, fine, just some scratches…" she reassured him and turned her attention toward the armored form. The helmet fell on the ground, revealing a human face. As Sean turned the flashlight toward it, it flinched and shielded his eyes, but again, Alyssa thought she got a glimpse on them – large, shining golden-red gems in the sharply angled face. She fought off her friend's strong arms, and despite the disapprovals of both Sean and the armed night-guard, she approached the armored man again. "Please, calm down. I'd only like to help. You need to get treated, we can take you to a hospital-"
"No!" The hoarse screech was filled with panic. "No hospital… Me Swoop fine!" He attempted to get up, but fell back again, clutching his side firmly. Apparently, he indeed cracked, or even broke a rib. Those inhuman eyes flashed at Alyssa, a little wondering, then they rolled back, and the armored stranger slumped against the wreckage.
Smithson lowered his gun. "That's a pretty odd bird. I'll go call the cops."
"Wait a minute, please," Alyssa pleaded. "Look at that armor, it's not something you see any day… It might be some military thing, and I don't think it would be a good idea then to attract attention… Let's take a closer look. Come, Sean!"
Smithson rubbed his chin with a thoughtful look. "Well… now that you mention…"
Sean was poking at the armor, examining the metallic wings and eyeing the engines on the back with wide eyes. Alyssa was checking pulse, the eyes, and counting the seconds how long the unconsciousness lasted. The night-guard kneeled down as well, and reached out, tapping at a strange, face-like logo on the chestplate.
"Just as I thought. I know this sign." He turned to the others to explain. "The youngest son of mine is a soldier, he had been all 'round the world as a peacekeeper. Several times, he encountered such armored guys with this sign. He has a good eye and found it interesting, so he drew it for me last time he was at home. They were always on the good side, helping people; this little guy must be one of them, though why he is here is beyond me…"
The little guy chose that exact moment to regain consciousness. He moaned and opened his gem-like eyes. "Wh-who you are…?" Despite the obvious light dizziness, he looked alarmed. Alyssa carefully brushed a strand of hair out of his forehead.
"I'm a doctor. I take you don't want to go to a hospital, and I think you're quite fine, aside a concussion and a few broken bones, so I'll take you home, tend to your injuries the best I can, and let you call your associates. Please, don't wiggle, and don't claw me again if you can help it." The bleeding already stopped, the scratches were rather shallow, though the young woman wouldn't have minded some disinfectant and bandage on them.
The confusion on the armored man's face spoke volumes. "Me Swoop not trust you," he hissed. Alyssa quirked a brow. Interesting speech patterns…
"Look, you have to. You can barely move, and judging by the symptoms, you have a grade three concussion." She flashed her most charming, innocent and honest smile at him. "Please, let me help. I honestly want nothing bad to you."
The guy – Swoop, most probably – furrowed his brows. "No hospital?"
"No," Alyssa reassured him.
"No cops?"
"No cops, either."
"You let me call Wheeljack."
"Whoever he might be, you can call him, yes. Sean, bring the car, okay?"
Sean nodded and ran off. Alyssa placed a light hand on Swoop's forehead, checking for change in temperature, perspiration, anything that might have indicated more serious injuries. She didn't feel perfectly sure about this, but hoped, the little guy will be in the best hands, soon.
"What your name is?"
She smiled again. "Alyssa. Alyssa Blake. And I take, you are Swoop."
He nodded and peered at her, still a bit suspiciously. "Why do you help Swoop? Me Swoop scary… You Alyssa not afraid of Swoop?"
"Swoop is injured," Alyssa replied. "And I'm a doctor, who swore to protect life. Yes, you are rather unusual looking… But you need help. Actually, I've seen worse."
The corners of the thin lips twitched slightly upwards. "You Alyssa sound like Ratchet."
Swoop, Wheeljack, Ratchet, those were unusual names for sure. Alyssa suspected, they're like identification codes, and she decided not to ask. She couldn't deny that she felt more curious by the moment – who were these armored troubleshooters, and what was this winged little guy doing here?
***
Sean managed to maneuver the car next to them, and he and Smithson, with a little trouble, placed the injured on the truck's bed. Fortunately, Alyssa's place was not too far, so in a mere five minutes, the Dodge was parking in front of her apartment, and she and Sean, praying that none of the neighbors were up this late, somehow carried Swoop inside. It helped a lot, that the strange guy – after some extensive begging, pleading and a few threats from Sean - decided to part from his chestplate and the wings with it.
Alyssa's first thing to do was to check on him again, feeling around for tender or swollen spots on the stomach, the signs of internal bleeding, and for her relief, found none. Swoop was watching her with both interest and unease, a thing she couldn't really place, and professional curiosity was nagging her. She decided to poke around a bit, just lightly of course. Maybe she could charm some information out of the little guy. However, first things first; she handed out her cellphone to Swoop, and while he dialed and waited, she let Sean tend to her scratched arm.
The ensuing conversation proved to be both amusing and confusing. Swoop suddenly perked up a bit – apparently somebody on the other end picked up. "Hi, Wheeljack, it's me Swoop. Um, well, it's… Me Swoop kinda crashed." He winced then and chewed on his lower lip. "Me knows… me knows… Wheeljack… Wheeljack, me FINE! No, not –" he let out a whimper. "Aww, man."
Alyssa couldn't help but giggle. Swoop looked so perfectly miserable, and despite all his strangeness, sort of cute. She noticed, that beneath the simple, nondescript clothes, the body was sinewy though painfully thin. As if he had no body fat at all. She noticed a few scars, thin white lines as well, suspiciously similar to those surgery used to leave, and that made her think.
Swoop sighed on the couch. "Evening, Ratchet. Me sorry… Wheeljack being spazzy, me fine… She Dr. Blake says me have broken ribs and con- umm, concussion, right? That. That's all she says… Ratchet, me not know! Ask her!" He held out the phone straight toward Alyssa with a disgruntled look. She took the phone.
"Dr. Alyssa Blake speaking."
"Good evening, miss." The voice in the phone was nice, sort of deep and just a little rough, the voice of a man in his prime, sure of himself and his abilities. "I'm Dr. Ronan Chase. What have you done to my patient, if I may ask?"
Alyssa quirked a brow. "Checked him for injuries, and eventually managed to charm him out of that armor; I certainly hope it's nothing fatal. As for his condition, he seems to sport a few cracked ribs, and a grade three concussion, with one and a half minutes of unconsciousness. He's taking both rather well. Nonetheless, I'd be much more relieved if you came and properly examined him. That I found nothing doesn't mean there isn't more damage."
"You don't sound very convincing, miss Blake," Dr Chase mocked, but Alyssa responded calmly. "That might be, because I'm a psychiatrist, Mr. Chase."
"Oh." Chase reconsidered. "I'm sorry if I sounded harsh. Have you informed the authorities of Swoop…?"
"No. He protested against the idea, and I suspected, he had a reason. The insignia on his chestpiece identified him as a government-related individual, and I assumed, you won't be happy if he, or the technology he carried had been exposed to unauthorized personnel."
"That is the exact case. Thank you, miss Blake. Please, give me your address, and we'll be over as soon as possible."
A few formalities were exchanged then Dr. Chase hung up. Swoop looked questioningly at Alyssa. "Dr. Chase said they'll be here in an hour at most." She told him then walked to Sean and lowered her voice. "You should go home. I don't want you here when they arrive… who knows what'll happen."
"Lyssa, don't think I'll leave you alone," the blond man protested but Alyssa raised her hand. "I know, Sean. But just this time, let me worry for you. Bring the armor in, and take the car home. If you want to, stay up, and if everything is alright, I'll call you. If I don't call… _then_ start to worry." She hugged him. "I don't want you to get involved. You know the deal… you can help me more from the outside."
Sean hugged back and gently kissed her forehead. "Alright. Damn, I made you read too many of my books."
Alyssa laughed and gave his friend a light kiss. "Good night. I'll call."
"You better do."
As the other man walked out, Alyssa walked back, and settled down next to Swoop on the couch – not missing the involuntary little twitch as the guy pulled away.
"Seems it's just the two of us for now. Are you thirsty? I can get you some water – I admit, I don't dare to offer anything else."
"Water nice… Me Swoop would like it… please." She nodded, but first, she took a soft blanket, and draped it over him – ignoring the puzzled look for the time being.
As she handed out the glass, she could see how skillfully Swoop handled his gauntlets – his grip never loosened. Though, as he gave the glass back and she sat it on the coffee table, he suddenly caught her wrist in a tight grip. Alyssa gasped; those talons could easily slice his skin and the delicate veins beneath it. She froze, and stared at his guest. Swoop's smile had a cold edge. "Me Swoop could kill you Alyssa easily," he cooed. "Me Swoop warrior, you Alyssa medic… foolish, trusting, fragile."
"I take my chances," she replied, not trying to wiggle free. "I helped you and you could indeed easily kill me if I tried anything. You don't have the reason to kill me."
The ice slowly melted away, leaving a mischievous little smile, and the grip loosened a bit. "You Alyssa brave… You much like Ratchet." He pulled the captive hand closer carefully, and nuzzled her palm. "You have warm hands like him. But his hard and yours soft." He let go, and she pulled her hand away with a light blush. Her skin was unmarred, the talons didn't leave marks.
"Well, I don't need to touch my patients, I don't use tools," she said. "I take care of the mind, not the body."
"The mind?" Swoop tilted his head sideways, a bit like a bird. "What you do to minds?"
"I heal mental illnesses," Alyssa explained. "Like depression, and compulsions, I help people to tame their feelings, make their fears and nightmares disappear."
The jewel-like eyes opened wider. "Make nightmares… go away? Kill fear…?"
"If I have the time, and I get to know my patient, then I have good chances," she agreed. Swoop lowered his head and stared at his gauntletsfor a long minute; Alyssa almost thought, he won't say anything more when he finally spoke up.
"None of their hands were soft," he whispered. "Them doctors were cold, always cold. Light was too bright, shades were too dark. We Grimlock and Sludge and Snarl and Slag and me Swoop were dead. Silence was in us and red and gray and black."
Alyssa listened to the quiet confession and she could feel the cold creep up on her spine. The words, so simple and symbolic, but yet so painfully obvious, the surgery scars, the nervous gestures all cried out to her now, telling a horror story. Swoop and his comrades were put through Hell, she was sure of it. Suddenly, she could feel the darkness lingering around the man's thin frame, and it scared her. Never before had she faced with such a mind, tainted by pain and fear, a soul so frightened and desperate, which was hidden by such a hard, perfectly fitting mask. As if the armor had been a barrier, a container of all those dark feelings – smooth, cold and stoic, never letting the world know what lies beyond.
Swoop looked at her. His alien, gem-like eyes, despite their strangeness, reflected his emotions. "You Alyssa different. Wheeljack looks at Swoop and sees armor first, then pain. Ratchet looks at Swoop, and sees bird eyes and pointy ears and claws and then pain. You Alyssa first saw pain… then saw freak and didn't step away."
"Hey." She placed a hand on his armored one. "You are not a freak. You look strange indeed, a bit scary, yes, but that does not make you a freak. You should see some of my patients."
Swoop smiled at that. His sharply angled features softened a bit, he looked almost handsome. "You Alyssa… could make memories come back, too?"
That sent a chill through her again. "Technically, I should be able to do that, but it depends on a lot of things. What memories do you miss?"
"All of them," Swoop said quietly. "Wheeljack and Hound tell we were humans before… before bird eyes and armors. But we not remember. No names, no friends from before. Wheeljack and Hound taught us to speak after taking us away from them doctors."
There was a long story behind this, Alyssa knew; and she couldn't help but feel curious. That, and something deep inside urged him to help – these men were obviously tortured by a terrible past, and if they snapped under the tension… She was letting her imagination run freely maybe but if five armored and possibly well-armed men gave in to madness, that would end up in a massacre. They needed help, and Alyssa happened to be the one who could offer it to them. If they decided to take it.
"Swoop… I'll talk to Dr. Chase, and if he agrees, we'll see what I can do for you and your comrades. I don't know if they'll trust me, but if they do, I'll come and see you guys, and try my best. I promise."
It's not the full story, but the third part is yet to be written... and I think I'll manage that.
If you're on my friends list, then I suppose you're there for a reason, so here's your chance to prove you care. Pretty please?
Endless summer nights. The perfect time for lovers to stroll in the moonlight, to go wild with friends, cruising from one party to another, sipping colorful drinks, or just sit on the balcony and gaze at the stars. The night air was fragrant and pleasantly warm, the traffic was low.
The blue Dodge Ram slowed down and eventually stopped. Inside, the pretty young woman smiled fondly at the blond guy at the wheel.
"Sean, you're the only one who'd take your date to the junkyard. When romantic sense was handed out, you were surely somewhere else."
"I'm SO glad you're not my date," Sean replied with a huge grin. "Come on, Lyssa, it'll be fun! You need to get away from work and studying! You need to relax!"
"It's not that I'm complaining," Alyssa reminded her friend. "A junkyard in the middle of the night, sure it sounds fun." He glanced at the guy. "Is it safe? If they knock me out, I can't tend to your injuries. I don't have my bag with, either."
"Relax." Sean was optimistic, as ever. "The place has a night guard, the old Smithson. He's pretty tough, you'll see. And, we have instant protection. Right, Dudette?"
The Irish setter on the Dodge's backseat whined with delight as her master rubbed her ears. Alyssa rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe you named the poor thing 'Dudette'. I know that you're a surfer type, but if I were her, I'd chew all your shoes as revenge."
"Hey," Sean was able to look extremely innocent, when he put an effort into it. "I couldn't call her Duchess Happy-Crazy Dulcinea, either." Alyssa nearly forgot her fingers in the way of the closing car door. "WHAT?"
"She's a purebred," Sean announced with pride, and blew a kiss to her majesty, as she bounced around him. "Purebreds have all kinda crazy names, but their owners usually just give them a call name. I'd say it was a compromise."
Alyssa ruffled the setter's silky rust-golden fur and smiled as the dog began to swish her tail, nearly knocking her off her feet. "At least she doesn't seem to mind. So, do we have everything?" She turned her attention back to Sean. "Flashlight, gloves, bags? And exactly what do you plan to find?"
"A friend of mine is building cars," the blond guy handed out some of the necessities to her friend. "He needs a few parts, and perhaps one or two, more exotic car emblems for his collection. If you find something rare, just show it to me. What I specifically need, is a motor block, as intact as possible, preferably from some kinda big car, like a Cadillac. Oh, and if you happen across a dancing Elvis, or some fuzzy dices, snatch them."
"Got it, capt'n," Alyssa started to develop the feeling that this is indeed going to be fun. Prowling among old, rusty cars, armed with only a flashlight – it sounded like an adventure.
Not that there were no adventures in the hospital she worked at. It was a perfectly normal hospital with a crowded ER section, and her personal favorite place – the children's floor. She loved children. And, thank God, children seemed to love her back, confiding in her, trusting her, and ever since that accident, which left her with a particularly beautiful shade of sapphire for hair color, teens seemed to accept her more, too. Some of them even outright told her, that with that hair, she looks more like them, instead of just an ordinary grown-up doc. Of course, the board didn't really approve it first, but eventually, they got tired, and Alyssa kept her azure hairdo. She liked blue, too.
The old Smithson was some two meters tall, with shoulders about twice as wide as Sean's – and the blond guy wasn't too delicate, either. He was also packing a gun beneath his desk. Alyssa's worries started to disappear.
Eventually, she got so bold, that she snatched a crowbar and attacked a Hummer's door to get inside. The exercise felt good – lately, she couldn't get to the pool. That's what one gets for spending too much time with studying to get a second degree.
The Hummer contained several ragged maps, half a pair of an earring and a chew toy in a surprisingly good shape. "Hey, Dudette," Alyssa waved the setter close, "you like it?"
Dudette sniffled the toy with interest, and attempted to take it, but the young woman didn't let her. "No-no, first, we'll clean it. But you'll have it, no worries. Now, let's move on, shall we?"
The dog barked, and followed Alyssa to the next car. However, a few minutes later, she started to stare up into the air and eventually began to bark and growl. Finally, even Alyssa noticed, and she patted the dog's head. "What is it?"
Dudette whined. Somehow, she managed to look unsettled enough for even a human to notice, and the woman swept her hair behind her ears, listening. "It's surely just a bird. Let me see." She aimed the flashlight forward. It was a powerful little thing with a sharp light; the bright circle traced up the nearby telephone pole, along the wires…
And suddenly reflected on… something. Alyssa's eyes widened and she snatched the flashlight back. What… was that? Of course, she could only make out a blurry shape, but… it seemed a little too big for a bird. The wings were too wide… and that reflection, as if there had been glass or metal-
In the next second, she heard it. A soft humming, like a very timid jet engine's filled the air and it was growing louder. The dog tensed up at her feet, staring upwards and growling, but the brave attitude soon turned into fear. Alyssa felt the hair on her back to rise and panic gripped her by the throat. Something was bound to happen… She backed to the car and raised the flashlight again.
In the next moment, something crashed literally at her feet. Alyssa screamed but she couldn't move; for a moment, she was frozen with fear and surprise. What was that?? She could feel the setter's warm body pressing against her legs – they were both shaking. From the distance, voiced drifted toward her – a gunshot, Sean's cries, barking…
Blue eyes fixed on the unmoving, dark heap seeping smoke. It crashed into a steady pile of cars. Such an odd shape… it had wide wings, or they looked like wings at least… Alyssa gulped and took her fallen flashlight. For a moment, she could swear the… thing… before her was oddly human. He inched closer, and nearly dropped the light again, when the figure on the ground suddenly winced.
Steeling herself, the woman aimed the light at the dark form. It was undoubtedly metallic, and it did have wings – one of them now painfully bent and twisted. And, it proved to be a human as soon as it struggled up and turned, or at least, humanoid. The head – helmet? – resembled an odd bird's, the hands – gauntlets? – had dangerous-looking claws. The movement, as it lifted those taloned hands and gingerly touched its head seemed very familiar, though.
"H-hey…" Alyssa ventured, inching even closer, crouching down. "Are you okay?"
The large, dark visors turned at her immediately, and the woman's heart started to race even faster. The weird figure jerked forward, but in the next moment, it doubled over in pain. That immediately switched Alyssa into professional mode. "Don't move," she said, stepping closer and kneeling down next to the armored body. "Relax. I think you cracked a rib or two, and you might have a light concussion, too. Let me help, I'm a-"
The statement turned into a painful squeal though, as the stranger lashed out with its claws, marring her lower arm lightly. "Don't touch…" the thing rasped. "Leave Swoop alone!"
Somebody grabbed Alyssa by the shoulder and wrenched her away. Dudette barked madly, and there was a click, the telltale sound of a cocked gun. "What the bloody hell is this?" the old Smithson inquired none too happily, aiming at the stranger's chest. It scooted backwards, then reached up to fight the helmet off.
"Lyssa! Lyssa, are you alright?" Sean was shaking her lightly, measuring her from top to toe, searching for more injuries.
"Fine, fine, just some scratches…" she reassured him and turned her attention toward the armored form. The helmet fell on the ground, revealing a human face. As Sean turned the flashlight toward it, it flinched and shielded his eyes, but again, Alyssa thought she got a glimpse on them – large, shining golden-red gems in the sharply angled face. She fought off her friend's strong arms, and despite the disapprovals of both Sean and the armed night-guard, she approached the armored man again. "Please, calm down. I'd only like to help. You need to get treated, we can take you to a hospital-"
"No!" The hoarse screech was filled with panic. "No hospital… Me Swoop fine!" He attempted to get up, but fell back again, clutching his side firmly. Apparently, he indeed cracked, or even broke a rib. Those inhuman eyes flashed at Alyssa, a little wondering, then they rolled back, and the armored stranger slumped against the wreckage.
Smithson lowered his gun. "That's a pretty odd bird. I'll go call the cops."
"Wait a minute, please," Alyssa pleaded. "Look at that armor, it's not something you see any day… It might be some military thing, and I don't think it would be a good idea then to attract attention… Let's take a closer look. Come, Sean!"
Smithson rubbed his chin with a thoughtful look. "Well… now that you mention…"
Sean was poking at the armor, examining the metallic wings and eyeing the engines on the back with wide eyes. Alyssa was checking pulse, the eyes, and counting the seconds how long the unconsciousness lasted. The night-guard kneeled down as well, and reached out, tapping at a strange, face-like logo on the chestplate.
"Just as I thought. I know this sign." He turned to the others to explain. "The youngest son of mine is a soldier, he had been all 'round the world as a peacekeeper. Several times, he encountered such armored guys with this sign. He has a good eye and found it interesting, so he drew it for me last time he was at home. They were always on the good side, helping people; this little guy must be one of them, though why he is here is beyond me…"
The little guy chose that exact moment to regain consciousness. He moaned and opened his gem-like eyes. "Wh-who you are…?" Despite the obvious light dizziness, he looked alarmed. Alyssa carefully brushed a strand of hair out of his forehead.
"I'm a doctor. I take you don't want to go to a hospital, and I think you're quite fine, aside a concussion and a few broken bones, so I'll take you home, tend to your injuries the best I can, and let you call your associates. Please, don't wiggle, and don't claw me again if you can help it." The bleeding already stopped, the scratches were rather shallow, though the young woman wouldn't have minded some disinfectant and bandage on them.
The confusion on the armored man's face spoke volumes. "Me Swoop not trust you," he hissed. Alyssa quirked a brow. Interesting speech patterns…
"Look, you have to. You can barely move, and judging by the symptoms, you have a grade three concussion." She flashed her most charming, innocent and honest smile at him. "Please, let me help. I honestly want nothing bad to you."
The guy – Swoop, most probably – furrowed his brows. "No hospital?"
"No," Alyssa reassured him.
"No cops?"
"No cops, either."
"You let me call Wheeljack."
"Whoever he might be, you can call him, yes. Sean, bring the car, okay?"
Sean nodded and ran off. Alyssa placed a light hand on Swoop's forehead, checking for change in temperature, perspiration, anything that might have indicated more serious injuries. She didn't feel perfectly sure about this, but hoped, the little guy will be in the best hands, soon.
"What your name is?"
She smiled again. "Alyssa. Alyssa Blake. And I take, you are Swoop."
He nodded and peered at her, still a bit suspiciously. "Why do you help Swoop? Me Swoop scary… You Alyssa not afraid of Swoop?"
"Swoop is injured," Alyssa replied. "And I'm a doctor, who swore to protect life. Yes, you are rather unusual looking… But you need help. Actually, I've seen worse."
The corners of the thin lips twitched slightly upwards. "You Alyssa sound like Ratchet."
Swoop, Wheeljack, Ratchet, those were unusual names for sure. Alyssa suspected, they're like identification codes, and she decided not to ask. She couldn't deny that she felt more curious by the moment – who were these armored troubleshooters, and what was this winged little guy doing here?
***
Sean managed to maneuver the car next to them, and he and Smithson, with a little trouble, placed the injured on the truck's bed. Fortunately, Alyssa's place was not too far, so in a mere five minutes, the Dodge was parking in front of her apartment, and she and Sean, praying that none of the neighbors were up this late, somehow carried Swoop inside. It helped a lot, that the strange guy – after some extensive begging, pleading and a few threats from Sean - decided to part from his chestplate and the wings with it.
Alyssa's first thing to do was to check on him again, feeling around for tender or swollen spots on the stomach, the signs of internal bleeding, and for her relief, found none. Swoop was watching her with both interest and unease, a thing she couldn't really place, and professional curiosity was nagging her. She decided to poke around a bit, just lightly of course. Maybe she could charm some information out of the little guy. However, first things first; she handed out her cellphone to Swoop, and while he dialed and waited, she let Sean tend to her scratched arm.
The ensuing conversation proved to be both amusing and confusing. Swoop suddenly perked up a bit – apparently somebody on the other end picked up. "Hi, Wheeljack, it's me Swoop. Um, well, it's… Me Swoop kinda crashed." He winced then and chewed on his lower lip. "Me knows… me knows… Wheeljack… Wheeljack, me FINE! No, not –" he let out a whimper. "Aww, man."
Alyssa couldn't help but giggle. Swoop looked so perfectly miserable, and despite all his strangeness, sort of cute. She noticed, that beneath the simple, nondescript clothes, the body was sinewy though painfully thin. As if he had no body fat at all. She noticed a few scars, thin white lines as well, suspiciously similar to those surgery used to leave, and that made her think.
Swoop sighed on the couch. "Evening, Ratchet. Me sorry… Wheeljack being spazzy, me fine… She Dr. Blake says me have broken ribs and con- umm, concussion, right? That. That's all she says… Ratchet, me not know! Ask her!" He held out the phone straight toward Alyssa with a disgruntled look. She took the phone.
"Dr. Alyssa Blake speaking."
"Good evening, miss." The voice in the phone was nice, sort of deep and just a little rough, the voice of a man in his prime, sure of himself and his abilities. "I'm Dr. Ronan Chase. What have you done to my patient, if I may ask?"
Alyssa quirked a brow. "Checked him for injuries, and eventually managed to charm him out of that armor; I certainly hope it's nothing fatal. As for his condition, he seems to sport a few cracked ribs, and a grade three concussion, with one and a half minutes of unconsciousness. He's taking both rather well. Nonetheless, I'd be much more relieved if you came and properly examined him. That I found nothing doesn't mean there isn't more damage."
"You don't sound very convincing, miss Blake," Dr Chase mocked, but Alyssa responded calmly. "That might be, because I'm a psychiatrist, Mr. Chase."
"Oh." Chase reconsidered. "I'm sorry if I sounded harsh. Have you informed the authorities of Swoop…?"
"No. He protested against the idea, and I suspected, he had a reason. The insignia on his chestpiece identified him as a government-related individual, and I assumed, you won't be happy if he, or the technology he carried had been exposed to unauthorized personnel."
"That is the exact case. Thank you, miss Blake. Please, give me your address, and we'll be over as soon as possible."
A few formalities were exchanged then Dr. Chase hung up. Swoop looked questioningly at Alyssa. "Dr. Chase said they'll be here in an hour at most." She told him then walked to Sean and lowered her voice. "You should go home. I don't want you here when they arrive… who knows what'll happen."
"Lyssa, don't think I'll leave you alone," the blond man protested but Alyssa raised her hand. "I know, Sean. But just this time, let me worry for you. Bring the armor in, and take the car home. If you want to, stay up, and if everything is alright, I'll call you. If I don't call… _then_ start to worry." She hugged him. "I don't want you to get involved. You know the deal… you can help me more from the outside."
Sean hugged back and gently kissed her forehead. "Alright. Damn, I made you read too many of my books."
Alyssa laughed and gave his friend a light kiss. "Good night. I'll call."
"You better do."
As the other man walked out, Alyssa walked back, and settled down next to Swoop on the couch – not missing the involuntary little twitch as the guy pulled away.
"Seems it's just the two of us for now. Are you thirsty? I can get you some water – I admit, I don't dare to offer anything else."
"Water nice… Me Swoop would like it… please." She nodded, but first, she took a soft blanket, and draped it over him – ignoring the puzzled look for the time being.
As she handed out the glass, she could see how skillfully Swoop handled his gauntlets – his grip never loosened. Though, as he gave the glass back and she sat it on the coffee table, he suddenly caught her wrist in a tight grip. Alyssa gasped; those talons could easily slice his skin and the delicate veins beneath it. She froze, and stared at his guest. Swoop's smile had a cold edge. "Me Swoop could kill you Alyssa easily," he cooed. "Me Swoop warrior, you Alyssa medic… foolish, trusting, fragile."
"I take my chances," she replied, not trying to wiggle free. "I helped you and you could indeed easily kill me if I tried anything. You don't have the reason to kill me."
The ice slowly melted away, leaving a mischievous little smile, and the grip loosened a bit. "You Alyssa brave… You much like Ratchet." He pulled the captive hand closer carefully, and nuzzled her palm. "You have warm hands like him. But his hard and yours soft." He let go, and she pulled her hand away with a light blush. Her skin was unmarred, the talons didn't leave marks.
"Well, I don't need to touch my patients, I don't use tools," she said. "I take care of the mind, not the body."
"The mind?" Swoop tilted his head sideways, a bit like a bird. "What you do to minds?"
"I heal mental illnesses," Alyssa explained. "Like depression, and compulsions, I help people to tame their feelings, make their fears and nightmares disappear."
The jewel-like eyes opened wider. "Make nightmares… go away? Kill fear…?"
"If I have the time, and I get to know my patient, then I have good chances," she agreed. Swoop lowered his head and stared at his gauntletsfor a long minute; Alyssa almost thought, he won't say anything more when he finally spoke up.
"None of their hands were soft," he whispered. "Them doctors were cold, always cold. Light was too bright, shades were too dark. We Grimlock and Sludge and Snarl and Slag and me Swoop were dead. Silence was in us and red and gray and black."
Alyssa listened to the quiet confession and she could feel the cold creep up on her spine. The words, so simple and symbolic, but yet so painfully obvious, the surgery scars, the nervous gestures all cried out to her now, telling a horror story. Swoop and his comrades were put through Hell, she was sure of it. Suddenly, she could feel the darkness lingering around the man's thin frame, and it scared her. Never before had she faced with such a mind, tainted by pain and fear, a soul so frightened and desperate, which was hidden by such a hard, perfectly fitting mask. As if the armor had been a barrier, a container of all those dark feelings – smooth, cold and stoic, never letting the world know what lies beyond.
Swoop looked at her. His alien, gem-like eyes, despite their strangeness, reflected his emotions. "You Alyssa different. Wheeljack looks at Swoop and sees armor first, then pain. Ratchet looks at Swoop, and sees bird eyes and pointy ears and claws and then pain. You Alyssa first saw pain… then saw freak and didn't step away."
"Hey." She placed a hand on his armored one. "You are not a freak. You look strange indeed, a bit scary, yes, but that does not make you a freak. You should see some of my patients."
Swoop smiled at that. His sharply angled features softened a bit, he looked almost handsome. "You Alyssa… could make memories come back, too?"
That sent a chill through her again. "Technically, I should be able to do that, but it depends on a lot of things. What memories do you miss?"
"All of them," Swoop said quietly. "Wheeljack and Hound tell we were humans before… before bird eyes and armors. But we not remember. No names, no friends from before. Wheeljack and Hound taught us to speak after taking us away from them doctors."
There was a long story behind this, Alyssa knew; and she couldn't help but feel curious. That, and something deep inside urged him to help – these men were obviously tortured by a terrible past, and if they snapped under the tension… She was letting her imagination run freely maybe but if five armored and possibly well-armed men gave in to madness, that would end up in a massacre. They needed help, and Alyssa happened to be the one who could offer it to them. If they decided to take it.
"Swoop… I'll talk to Dr. Chase, and if he agrees, we'll see what I can do for you and your comrades. I don't know if they'll trust me, but if they do, I'll come and see you guys, and try my best. I promise."
It's not the full story, but the third part is yet to be written... and I think I'll manage that.
