The Delivery Driver

Chapter 1: The Second Interview

(Because the first one was a disaster).

"Why don't you tell us how long the Decepticon has been in your possession? That seems like a good place to start." the rough voice cut through the silence of the room, causing her to nearly jump. He had been silent for nearly 15 minutes after arriving, observing her as she fidgeted in obvious anxiety and distress.

It was hard to focus on the uniformed man, the many medals decorating his collar reflecting the already blinding lights focused on her. The metal cuff around her wrist connecting her to the table clattered lightly as she moved it, trying to keep herself from fidgeting further under his seemingly patient gaze. It was bad enough that the room had no mirrors or windows for her to distract her attention to, but the cameras beeping every now and then positioned in the corners of the ceiling made the room seem tiny and hard to breath in.

How long had she been in the room before someone had decided to come speak to her, again?

The previous man that had given her a visit in the room had terrified her and was definitely less willing to hear her side of the story, constantly cutting her off as he quickly attempted to piece together the conclusions he had come up with. It left her in tears and unwilling to say anything while he became more aggravated.

She had refused to speak and suited man had left in a flurry of angry, snarling curses then proceeded to slam the door on his way out.

"Miss Harper?"

The voice startled her as it cut into her thoughts. Making eye contact with the man across from her, she tallied off the months in her mind.

"It...uhm…was..."

After another moment of silence, the woman turned her focus back to the handcuff.

"About a year ago, after my car accident."

Memories of the accident were something she definitely had been trying to bury in the deepest part of her mind. Nightmares plagued her for months and were worsened when her co-workers had made jokes in an attempt to lighten her mood after noticing the growing dark circles under her eyes.

"And...he's not 'Decepticon'. He has a name..."

"His designation is Shor-"

"No, it's Marco."

The man's eyebrow hitched up curiously when she cut him off. "Marco?" He repeated and leaned forward to rest his hands on the table.

She really didn't appreciate her current situation as much as she appreciated that this man was more willing to work with her and take her feelings into consideration. She was terrified enough of everything that had happened over the week and all she wanted was to go home and sleep. But even that seemed impossible now and she could only let her fear and anxiety wear her out every moment she had been stuck in the white room.

Had the other man still been in the room, she was sure he would have cut her off, or even laughed at her for saying such a thing.

"Marco." she replied while twisting the metal cuff.

"Alright then. Marco. Is there anything else you'd like to add before I continue?"

A brief shake of her head was all she could muster at the moment.

"We are still needing the full story from your side." The man continued. "I'm sure you're aware, but my team is trying to piece together the circumstances and details aren't adding up. Marco-" he said the name slowly, watching the woman make eye contact with him for a brief second before returning her attention to the table she was attached to. "has been unwilling to cooperate at the moment and we were hoping you would be able to give us some insight as to what all is going on, here. Is there a reason he's trying to hide?"

Another shake of her head, but this time more forceful than before.

"He's as scared of you as I am." She told him in a polite yet shaky tone, earning another raised eyebrow in response. "When Marco saw that he injured one of your soldiers and the Autobots attacked him, he panicked. "

"The injuries were minor and no one was killed, if that's what you're getting at."

"It's still something that shouldn't have happened."

"Miss Harper, the actions of my men are what started that fight. That's not something you should be trying to take the blame for. We didn't understand your situation and I'm the one who should be apologizing. It's what put you and Marco on the Autobot watch list."

Her fidgeting continued as she quietly mulled over her thoughts at the words. Yes, the man was right. Had those soldiers and mechs understood what had been going on at the time, they would have most likely approached her in a far safer and appropriate manner rather than waving their weapons around.

"Now that I've made that clear, I'm willing to hear what happened whenever you're ready to speak. Let's start with obtaining Marco, alright? How did he end up in your possession after the accident?"

There had been another few moments of silence, followed by a heavy sigh from the woman as memories came back to her once more.

It had all started after she was released from the hospital with a heavy cast on her arm; a fractured elbow, bruised ribs and a dull throbbing ache in her body was the only reminder of what had happened.

Despite the pain, Audrey Harper had managed to get a ride to her mechanic in order to oversee the damage done to her car and (hopefully) approve the needed repairs. She had spent her earlier hours arguing with her sister about returning to work and needing her car. They was a mess of aggravating words being thrown at each other, as her sister wanted her home and resting as soon as possible.

But Audrey didn't want that.

"I can't stand sitting cramped in an apartment all day." Was the argument she used, but in reality she needed to distract herself from the darker thoughts that plagued her mind whenever she had time to think to herself. The last time she had remembered the accident, the horrifying reaction to the memories had left her physically suffering.

Breathing would become difficult, walking or any type of movement made her sick, and the walls would suddenly move in closer whenever her thoughts wandered to the accident.

The whole experience felt during the accident and remembering it terrified her more than when the news had been filled with reports of incoming Decepticon attacks over the world a few years back.

Audrey barely tolerate being in a vehicle as her co-worker drove down the highway. He thankfully seemed to understand that she didn't want to spend any longer in a car than needed and turned the 30 minute trip into 15 minutes, blaring music as loud as possible to help keep her mind off of the passing buildings.

It had taken a lot more self control than she thought to keep from stumbling out of the car as soon as they pulled into the parking lot. Every ounce of her willpower was put into keeping herself from breaking into a panicked fit when her seat belt wouldn't come undone. Luckily her coworker was quick to free her.

"Does your arm still hurt?" He inquired, giving the cast on her right arm a light poke.

She didn't respond, instead deciding to distract herself with her key chain that once held her car keys.

"You should say so if it does."

More silence as he opened the door open for her and a welcomed blast of cool air hit them both.

A man behind the counter looked up at them both, his dark hair messily covering his eyes as he chewed on a toothpick. His eyes landed on Audrey's cast and the toothpick dropped from his mouth.

"Oh wow." He said in amazement. "After that entire mess, all you could managed in injuries was that?"

Judging by the tone in his voice, Audrey guessed that the damage done to her car had ended up being worse than originally thought. She had avoided looking at pictures that her nurse tried showing her, reminding her constantly that she was really lucky. Her parents called it a miracle but Audrey was quick to ignore their insight, constantly trying to tell them that she really was just lucky and to drop the discussion. The faster she forgot the accident, the faster she could get back to her life as if it had never happened.

"Please don't gawk like that, Glen." she told him, ignoring her coworker when he headed for the soda machine in the corner of the room. "I just came to see if...anything survived."

Glen was quick to avoid contact as he ran a hand through his mess of hair.

"About that, Audrey...I know I always brag about how I can fix anything." Glen started, and Audrey already knew what he was going to say.

"Your little trooper of a car didn't make it. All of the bolts for the engine are snapped, the entire frame on the right side is crumpled, your back seat was practically devoured by the trunk getting smashed in, your passenger seat is occupied by the transmission…"

Audrey's mind started wandering as he continued listing off more components that were either ripped out of place and moved elsewhere or burned to a crisp.

The escape of a wandering mind allowed her to focus on a more important matter and distract herself, and it made her heart drop knowing that she would have to find a new vehicle within the next few days with money she didn't have. This kind of situation was something Audrey had always dreaded; she needed a car to be able to work for money, but she needed money in order to get a car in the first place. Asking for a small loan was out of the question despite already being offered one by several other family members and close friends. She already owed them for several small loans that were used for groceries and helping make the last bit of rent on some months.

Before Audrey could continue with her thoughts on her situation, Glen handed her a clipboard, different than the one with the damage report. The first assumption was that there were forms needing to be signed for insurance purposes.

And her brows furrowed when she read over them in detail.

"You sold my car for scrap and used the money as a down payment through your shop?" She asked, her voice almost breaking in confusion and disbelief. Instead of Insurance forms needing to be signed, a neatly typed out agreement letter stared back at her, stating that she would agree to pay back the amount of the car's repairs within the next 3 weeks. It even included a warranty of the vehicle that covered some basic repairs, check ups, and a small warranty that lasted for 2 years.

Glen seemed more than pleased with himself at Audrey's reaction and pulled a set of keys from his pocket with a knowing smile. "I know you're picky with cars, and it turns out I've got the perfect replacement for you in my lot. Plus, I owe you and thought this would be the best way to return the favor."

"You're a very sneaky man, you know that?" the woman all but squeaked at him.

There was no way she could turn this down! Her dilemma and several other problems would be solved with just a quick signature.

"Can I see the car before I sign?"

"And you had no idea at the time that the vehicle you had received was of the cybertronian nature?"

"No. Glen knew for sure, but I had no clue and was desperate enough for a vehicle that I hadn't noticed anything strange until a few weeks later."

The man sitting across from her leaned back in his chair thoughtfully to go over what she had told him. "So Glen knew he could knock out two birds with one stone." He said, more to himself. "On one hand he had an unregistered mech in his possession that he was offering assistance to, and on the other...he had you needing a vehicle."

Audrey continued to avoid eye contact, her fidgeting only noticed when it caused the cuff to rattle lightly. What Glen had done was completely illegal now that she thought about it, and she was caught up in another issue that the government could add to her growing list of charges against her. It was unnerving, but she understood why he had done it.

"In Glen's defense, I wouldn't have been given Marco if he were dangerous." She added in hopes it would help lighten the man's view of her friend. "I don't know how Marco ended up with Glen in the first place, but I'm sure the intentions didn't involve taking over the world or enslaving humans and the like."

"And how would you have known Marco's intentions?"

The question left her confused and Audrey lifted her gaze to focus on the man.

"How do you know that it wasn't all just an act? How were you certain that this mech wasn't any danger to you or anyone else? Had you even thought that maybe he had threatened Glen for assistance and you were his lucky ticket to freedom?"

"Of course I had thought of it." She countered defensively. The tone he had used for his questions was polite, but she couldn't help but feel that her own common sense was being insulted or at least put down in some way. "It was the first thought that had crossed my mind when I found out Marco wasn't a normal car."

A gruff came from the man.

"He was just as terrified as I was." Audrey bit out as she pulled at the cuff keeping her attached to the table.

Memories were coming back to her once more, though these were lighter than before. The day she had started suspecting Marco wasn't a normal vehicle always had a lighthearted feel to it.

Windows rolled all the way down, music playing over the rush of wind, and the smell of wet grass were all welcome experiences for the day as Audrey activated the cruise control in her new vehicle. Her next delivery was 9 miles down the road, giving her some time to relax and get off her feet for the first time in a few hours.

It also led to thoughts of how grateful she was to Glen's agreement. The 2006 Mitsubishi Evolution was the perfect size car to begin with, respectful amount of mileage, and Glen had even offered to do a few adjustments for her to be able to drive the car despite the cast hindering her driving ability. She wasn't knowledgeable when it came to the specifics of cars, so the adjustments were welcomed and appreciated on levels that couldn't be put into words.

Despite being a manual transmission, shifting gears felt flawless; being able to shift with an easy push of her fingers helped keep pain to a minimum and was worth the occasional engine grumbling when the clutch wouldn't go down to the angle she wanted. Audrey had to learn to drive with her left hand, which had been awkward at first but Glen had made an adjusted to where she didn't have to struggle rotating the wheel enough to make those annoying 90-degree corner turns.

And who could forget the amazing gas mileage? An extra $50 in the pocket every night was a wondrous thing, especially when a full tank lasts a week!

There were other additions that she enjoyed almost as much as the added convenience of maneuverability. Compared to her previous car, going over speed bumps and railroad tracks with a sleeping niece in the back seat was a breeze and Audrey would sometimes go over them as fast as possible to see if it would jostle the back seat….but to no avail.

The car had blue-tooth, ad-free radio, the perfect air conditioning that never seemed to fog the windows despite humidity levels…

Of course, the best part of all of the additions were definitely the seat warmers..

Audrey had nearly fainted when Glen pointed out the seat warming function, which worked wonders for her aching muscles after a long day of work. She didn't have to take the prescribed muscle relaxants and it was the best feeling in the world to be not only pain free, but also free from the dizziness and mind-numbing drowsiness.

If there was one thing she could change when she got the money though it would definitely have to be a fresh paint job.

Glen had explained that the car's owner had passed away and it was abandoned on the side of the road. He had also explained that the hood, bumper, and right fender were white instead of the original black color of the car because someone in his shop had thought the lancer was in the lot for parts instead of repair and hauled off what they needed. There were also areas where it looked like someone had ripped off little bits of the car for whatever reason, but Glen had said he would sand those out for free at the next maintenance check.

"You know, I think this may be my last run for the day." Audrey said out loud, happily turning where her GPS was sending her. Speaking to herself had been a recent occurrence; it seemed to be the only way to keep herself from thinking back onto the more negative events that landed her in her new vehicle. There were moments where she had even resorted to yelling or mumbling to herself in public and the results were embarrassing, leading her to escape into her car many times.

"Tonight's the night. I feel I can finally give you a name. I'm sure I'm not the only person to have named a car, but I have to yell something when you do start to break down on me."

The usual silence other than her music was the only response.

Of course, her shift had been extended a few more hours as the store suddenly received a swarm of orders. Delivery times had been set back to an hour, customers were unhappy, the managers making pizzas were stressed out, and the drivers were doing their best to keep the mess somewhat organized in order to prevent errors. Overall, the entire experience had worn everyone out and mood levels were dropping into the foul range once things showed no hints of slowing down. Even Audrey was doing her best to bite back her tone as a co-worker (dubbed Portland by one of the managers) pushed her aside in a rush, causing her to drop the soda she'd pulled from the cooler for one of her deliveries.

She was thankful it hadn't exploded. That mess would have sent her, and possibly several others, over the edge.

There wasn't much that could be done other than grab a fresh soda and then hurry out the door to get away from one of the managers yelling at her to be careful. Just as she was about to go through with the action, Portland rushed right back into the front door, his face bright red and his shirt dripping with a dark liquid as he held a half-empty soda bottle in his hand. "Harper! Next time remember to close your damn door!" He all but screeched while moving to get to the back of the store, most likely to grab a quick spare shirt.

Of course a few of the other drivers found it hilarious, quickly quieting their laughs when a manager yelled over them to get back to work. Audrey could only raise an eyebrow, confusion obvious on her face as she passed through the front door to be on her way.

I don't know why I would leave my door open was the thought as she moved the customer's order into her passenger seat. Just to be sure, a quick check of all the doors confirmed they were closed completely. As an added measure, all but the driver door were locked.

"You put me behind in my delivery time, Harper! Thanks a whole fucking lot!" Portland snapped at her while moving to his driver side to put the new soda into the back seat. Audrey held back her own anger and had meant to tell him to drive safely, but her words were caught in a gasp at the back of her throat when her rear passenger door flew open of its own accord.

Portland has just finished closing his own door when it happened, and the door hit him with enough force to send him face-first into the pavement.

The man across from her tapped his fingers on the table, the sound echoing loud enough to where Audrey had to pause in her story.

"You know, that sounds an awful lot like an assault." His voice told Audrey in a tone that made her feel uneasy. She could even see the positive light that the man had of Marco was starting to slip away. "An unregistered mech, originally a Decepticon, assaulting a human." He added, though more forcefully. It only made it harder for her to give the man eye-contact and left Audrey anxiously twisting the cuff on her wrist multiple times. It wasn't doing anything to calm her nerves.

It wasn't until the man pushed his chair back a few moments later to stand did she realize that her heart was racing.

Moving towards the door, he paused briefly before opening the door.

"We're done for today. I'll send someone to escort you to a temporary room for the evening."

"Is it possible for me to go home soon?"

Another pause, followed by a silence she had been dreading.

"There doesn't seem to be any current indication that you'll be able to return home at all, Miss Harper."

Time spent Writing: 4 hours

Time spent Editing : 3 days (not all in one go, mind you.)

Pretty sure the plotline will be revealed, or at least make more sense, in chapter 3. Chapter 2 will be more filling in descriptions of the world and some of characters, as well as adding in a few more bits of the plotline.

I'm just wingin' it at this point.

You don't have to review if you don't want to, but if you have any sort of criticism (even flames) please let me know. It will give me something to learn from and let me know if I'm doing anything wrong.

Thanks for reading.