Numb

By: Sinead

Written on: 10 September 2003

 

Author’s Note: Okay, here’s the next installment . . . most likely not on time, but whatever. I’m not in the manga business. Do I have a deadline to fill? Not on this! Oh-kay, now for the disclaimer: Don’t own Starath, Megatron, Beast Wars, Linkin Park, “Numb,” or any unknown references I have made. Don’t own Dinobot either, but that’s common knowledge by this time.

 

---

 

I’m tired of being what you want me to be

Feeling so faithless, whilst under the surface

 

 

Megatron walked into the girl’s room, sighing, as he saw her, still asleep, in a velvet-y purple pyjama set. They had gone shopping the day before, to get him some extra clothing. With a never-seen gentle smile, he reached over, and touched her shoulder. “Get up.”

 

She blinked sleepily, after a moment, then yawned, and sat up. “Out. I’m getting changed.”

 

“What’s this? You’re ordering your leader?”

 

“Don’t make me threaten you.”

 

 

 

I dunno what you’re expecting of me

Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes

 

 

Megatron did as his . . . his more-than-friend had told him to, knowing that she was right. He had walked in on her the day before, and had found that she was quite accurate with projecting random items at his head. He knew also, that she would do as she had said, and would most likely go after him with something. He heard a frightened yelp, and knocked upon the door. “Starath?”

 

“Get in here!!!”

 

He rushed in, and looked where she was pointing.

 

The mirror.

 

 

Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow

Every step that I take is another mistake to you

Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow

 

 

He reached over to it, and felt it pull at him. He could only see shadows. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Starath looking at him. “What is it?”

 

“Sinead said that the moment that she was in her right time, and the others were in theirs, you know, the Wars, then the portal completely shut down for her. She couldn’t go back through.”

 

“And this is still active.”

 

She nodded. Megatron blew at the curly, dark brown hair hanging in front of his face, then blinked back at the mirror. “Well. Why not go through and see?”

 

 

I’ve become so numb

I can’t feel you there

 

 

Walking through, Starath grabbed Megatron’s hand, and held on. The moment she could see clearly once more, all she could see was his shirt. He was shaking. “Don’t look.”

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t. Look.”

 

“Why?”

 

 

I’ve become so tired

So much more awake

 

 

She managed to look around him, and saw . . .

 

“Isn’t that . . . you?” she asked, looking up at the human young man. He nodded, still shaking. Taking his hand in hers, she looked up into his face. As she pushed a strand of hair away from his face, she asked, “What is it?”

 

“I . . . I think I died.”

 

 

I’m becoming this

All I want to do

 

She swallowed, then looked at the metal behemoth that she had once known as Megatron lying upon the bed. She walked over, and looked the familiar figure over, then stopped at a point upon his neck. “You were killed. I think. There’s like a dart here.”

 

“Tarantulus.”

 

The door opened abruptly, and Megatron spun, to look up at Rampage. The Transmetal looked down at the humans. “You’re Starath. And you also see that Megatron’s dead.”

 

“Yeah, that’s only kinda obvious!” she screeched at him, running to behind the human male.

 

“Replaced him quickly and easily as well with that boy, I see.”

 

 

Is be more like me

And be less like you

 

 

“Nobody replaces me!” Megatron bellowed, glaring death at the leviathan.

 

“Who ever said I replaced him?” Starath ventured, looking around Megatron’s side.

 

His hand rested upon her shoulder, and squeezed once before letting go, and taking a step forward. His mannerism was gruff. “You remember what happened to Dinobot.”

 

“Yeah. And?”

 

“That’s happened to me as well. And at quite a shock, no doubt. Where’s that blasted spider?”

 

“Oh, I killed him,” Rampage replied indifferently. “Can I kill you two as well?”

 

“Slag, no!” a voice shouted through the comm. They all looked to see Optimus. “Rampage, you remember your oath! Starath, is what he says true? Is that Megatron?”

 

 

Can’t you see that you’re smothering me

Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control

 

 

Starath nodded timidly. “Yes. Neither of us knew he was killed.”

 

Terrorsaur burst into the room, and stopped short. “Starath! What the Pit is going on?”

 

“Wait one moment, Terrorsaur,” Optimus said, interrupting. “Where’s Waspinator?”

 

“Here!” came the reply, as the bug sped in, landing beside Starath and the human Megatron.

 

Optimus blinked. “This is odd. Really odd.”

 

 

’Cause everything that you thought I would be

Is falling apart, right in front of you

 

 

Megatron sighed, and Starath wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his side, trembling as he had been a moment before. He blinked at her, then replaced his arm around her shoulder, glaring point-blank at Rampage. The Transmetal made a face in return, then huffed, and stomped from the room. Terrorsaur leaned closer to Starath, resting his hand lightly upon her hair, asking, “Hey, you okay?”

 

Her head shook, causing Terrorsaur to get his hand tangled in hair. She yelped, and heard Rattrap’s laugh from somewhere. “Sorry! That’s what happened to me and Sapphire a week ago! Duck-wings, listen. Let Megs get your hand untangled!”

 

 

Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow

Every step that I take is another mistake to you

 

 

Terrorsaur did so, and then sighed, when both hand and hair left each other intact. He rested his hand upon her shoulder, and said, “I’m sorry.”

 

She embraced him on impulse, and he looked to Megatron, whose eyes were wide, then rested his hand upon her shoulders, holding her close for a moment, then saying, “Looks like I was told to be leader by the monkey. Wasn’t my idea, what with Rampage around, the stinking fish. A truce is in order. Tarantulus is dead, after Rampage decided that he was hungry.” Hearing Starath’s muffled giggle, he added,  “I think, anyway. Knowing him, he was bored.”

 

Megatron stood in view of the screen, letting Starath get her spirits back up by talking with Terrorsaur. Looking at his old nemesis, he asked, “What are the most important things that I have missed?”

 

“Too much,” Optimus sighed.

 

 

Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow

And every second I waste is more than I can take

 

 

Before Megatron could ask for a few details, a jeering, screeching voice chanted, “Megsie’s got a girlfriend! Megsie’s got– woah!”

 

Narrowly being impaled with a spare piece of metal, Terrorsaur started the chant up, grinning mischievously. “Megsie’s got a girlfriend! Megsie’s got a girlfriend! Megsie’s–”

 

His chant was cut short, when he was brained by a larger, flatter piece of metal. Megatron grinned in triumph, while Starath and Waspinator laughed. Dusting his hands off, he looked back up at the screen. “Well. Primal. Was there anything that I have to take care of?”

 

“Uh . . . not anymore.”

 

 

I’ve become so numb

I can’t feel you there

 

 

Megatron nodded once, then said, “Then I don’t see why the mirror was functioning. It shouldn’t have, since Starath and I were starting to get settled to new routines.”

 

“Yep. Dat’s likely.” The door opened, and Rattrap stood there, with a human girl peeking over his shoulder. Sapphire spotted Starath the moment the other human was looking up at her. The two ran to each other, embraced, and commenced beginning the waterworks, as they finally met in person. Megatron shook his head, and looked up at Optimus. “I think that it may all be ending soon.”

 

“Soon. Perhaps.”

 

“Starath!” came a distant call.

 

 

I’ve become so tired

So much more awake

 

 

Megatron blinked once, then ran through the mirror, opened the door, and called back to Starath’s mother, “She’s still waking up.”

 

“Tell her that her classes were canceled for some odd reason when she wakes up, please. Oh, and her two friends are here.”

 

Megatron smirked, grinning at the pair. “She’ll like waking up to you two. Come on.”

 

 

I’m becoming this

All I want to do

 

Starath and Sapphire were wiping the last tears of happiness away, when another figure ran over to them, and hooked an arm around each of them, causing them all to start bawling and laughing again.

 

Dinobot shook his head, and jerked his chin upwards in a silent nod of acknowledgment to Rattrap. He looked at Terrorsaur and Waspinator, both of which were watching the femmes with worry. He pulled his long black hair back to the nape of his neck, and wrapped an elastic around it, then said, “They’re fine. Sinead blubbers like this every so often. It’s good for them. Ow! Hey!”

 

Sinead wrapped her arms around him as he chuckled. “All right, I deserved that. Now get back to your sisters. I’ll behave.”

 

 

Is be more like me

And be less like you

 

 

She did so, and Rattrap walked over. “So you gotta die, to become human?”

 

“What? Where did you get that?” Dinobot asked.

 

Rattrap pointed to Megatron, who was watching the other human almost sadly. Dinobot walked over, and said, “You were killed.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And you are with Starath. You ever hurt her, I’ll let Sinead know. She’ll kill you, and I think that you know that. Starath is like a sister to her, and she’ll do everything in her power to keep her safe.”

 

“I understand.”

 

 

And I know I may end up failing too

But I know you were just like me with someone disappointed in you

 

 

Dinobot’s disposition changed. It glinted as a tease in the blue eyes of the human, as he said, “You have a lot to learn about humans, Megatron. I would suggest that you start by a book of hygiene.”

 

“Oh, slagging, flaming Pit . . .” he stopped, reminded. “Where’s Inferno, Rattrap?”

 

“At the Axalon. He’s doin’ fine, an’ accepts ’ya so-called death, but–”