There were seventeen of them to begin with, seventeen strangers on a small bus heading to a destination, a loved one or even a new future.

There were now only eleven.

How quickly life could be taken away. Especially with an enemy who was relentless, a towering, dominating figure who couldn't even be seen unless one had a clear view out the window.

Alexis still couldn't believe how quickly it happened. One moment she had been trying to position herself better so that she could sleep, the next she was shooting forward out of the seat. She would have been hurt further if she hadn't been buckled in.

That was how the first two died. Not that she knew that then.

There was screaming, yelling and frantic movement as people tried to figure out what was going on. The bus swerved and teetered to the side until it made contact with the road once more, coming to a final stop as it crashed into something.

And then they were actually lifted off the ground. But not before large spikes shot through the roof, tearing through the metal as if it was a piece of paper, grappling hold of the vehicle. Alexis' stomach swerved inside of her as they took off.

She watched out the window as the ground became smaller. Lights in the darkness dimmed to become small glowing specks. There were the sounds of something loud, a plane, a jet perhaps, something that was carrying them to who knows where, the sound decreasing until it became a steady hum. They swivelled back and forth, picking up speed and height as her ears popped.

Alexis blinked and focus came back. The direness of the situation was accentuated by more yelling and loud moans. A kid howled for his mom. A woman shouted something about giant robots. And the sound of retching was not far from behind where she sat.

Questions were being asked. Many wanted to know what was happening. What was going to be done with them. What it could possibly want.

The vehicle seemed to even out somewhat. Alexis unbuckled her seatbelt. An unstoppable impulse had her walking toward the front. People screamed, telling her to go back to her seat, telling her she was going to get hurt. Alexis didn't stop. Holding on to the sides, she walked forward step by heavy step. She went toward the low grumble of pain that was obviously coming from someone. Alexis had always been a person to try to help someone. And even with her stunned state of mind, she found herself doing the same. Maybe it was due to the way her mind had turned off as well.

She leaned down, finding it was the bus driver, a middle-aged man who was holding his stomach tightly. Tears were on his face and a permanent scowl of pain; a large piece of glass stuck out of him. Alexis felt panic rising up, memories awakening inside her that were a little too similar to what she was looking at. Only that had been a car accident, and she knew that person, loved that person, she watched that person die while helpless to do anything. She couldn't handle it happening again.

Not again.

Bile rose in her throat, her hands shaking as she tried to get back up. She was normally a strong person, a helpful, loving person. But detachment settled in, her thoughts churning once more with a hectic disorder. Alexis was grabbed and wet stickiness spread against the back of her hand to settle into a firm grip, fingers laced hard against her own.

"Please," the man coughed, blood spluttering between his lips. He blindly reached with his other hand, getting hold of a folder that was sticking out below the wheel. He struggled with it. Alexis moved forward a little and took it from him. The man's gray eyes dug into hers. "I was supposed to watch over this kid until he reached his mother." He groaned when the bus suddenly lurched. They were about to land. Looking upwards and out the window, Alexis found it was nothing but an expanse of blackness. She turned back toward the man. "I am responsible for his safety." The man laughed dryly before he stopped. "Take care of him for me." His eyes glazed over, his hand tightening a little as he said what were to be his last words, "If you survive this, please tell my daughter that I'm sorry I couldn't make it to her birthday."

The man took a deep breath, one that shuddered and stopped unfinished. And he died. Alexis found tears forming in her eyes, her hand still held by the dead man's. She detached herself. People were talking behind her, saying something. A gentle hand reached over from a seat that was behind where she was, settling on her shoulder.

She tried to stand then, tried to since suddenly with a jerk; they started to drop. Shouts were all around her again, ones that were cut off when they landed. The impact threw Alexis down and back. A screeching sound started, nails against a chalkboard only amplified a hundred times over. Alexis managed to roll over and get herself seated upright. She noticed scratches and holes on her jeans. However, other than that Alexis found she was fine.

Until the roof ripped right off. Two red lights hovered in the darkness and came closer. Metal strips appeared on the frame before it curved and molded itself over the outside rim. Alexis realized after several long-drawn-out seconds that they were hands. And the lights, the ominous red orbs, were eyes. Ones that froze her blood as chills splashed through her body.

And then there was a voice. A hard, taunting, amused voice that seemed detached since most of the body was still hidden in the shadows. However, that didn't stop it from carrying and reverberating around them.

"Welcome, vermin. I am Starscream, your new master. You will serve me or die."

And then the owner of the voice came completely into view. Nothing really happened until a cloud parted from the moon, allowing the light to shine down more fully.

That was when the screaming started again.