Author's note: Here is the second revised chapter. As you can tell, things will be a little bit different this time around. The scenario is still the same but I will change or add certain details to try and give you, the readers a little to work with. What I mean to say is that I will be trying to make everything flow with bits of humor and banter along with the higher level of detail and better transitions.

readingeverythingican: Thank you. My hope is that the story won't be just point A to point B, which IMO was what the original felt like despite the positive feedback. As for updates, I will always try to update every couple of days, if not every day. If I think I won't be able to update within those periods of time, I'll post a notice in the author notes. I'll admit I've got a lot of spare time at this particular moment.

Delicious Pretzel: Glad you like this story. I'll try to keep it interesting as I can.

Metalhead411: Thanks, both for the Faceplate debacle and for the prievous suggestions, which I admit I will be incorporating some of them into the revisions.

Anduren: Thank you and I'll most defintely try.

Chapter #2: The Beginning of Evolution

"You're joking," Jack said nervously. He looked at the two legendary figures with wide, pleading eyes. Prima, to his credit, looked slightly ashamed. Maximo on the other hand gave of the feeling he was about to burst of laughing at any give moment.

"Oh, we are not," he stated slowly, his red eyes boring into the frightened teenager. "Where's that bit of bravado you had just a second ago? Please don't tell me you humans are all...how do you say it? 'All bark and no bite'?"

"But you said that I was going to recieve a gift!" Jack spat. "How does me dying do anything? And I refuse to believe that Primus would send you just give the 'gift of death' or some bullshit like that!"

Maximo laughed, causing Jack to cringe. "You do have some bearings on you. I'll give you that! Few beings ever get away with saying that to me!" The dark enitity decended into a fit of sinister chuckles.

Jack paled. Was he really going to die? He always pictured dying of old age in some bed at an old folks shelter or hospital. That was before he met the Autobots. Now, it was more likely he'd get crushed or hit with a stray blaster bolt.

Seeing his distress, Prima intervened. "Jack, what we mean is that your physical human body is going to stop functioning for a brief period of time. We will then infuse your soul with Primus' gift and send you back to your body. Once that happens, your body will swiftly be restored to amoung the living."

Jack let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. "That's okay, I guess."

"Now, let us be done with this." Maximo said, still chuckling.

He and Prima held out their arms. Jack could only watch as white energy poured of them. The energy then started to spiral around itself. As it did, it quickly condensed a glowing white orb. The newly formed orb started to drift towards Jack. When it was close enough, Jack reached out his hand and grabbed. Instantly, everything around, including Prima and Liege Maximo, faded away, breaking away from his vision like shards of broken glass.

((XXXX))

Back with the Autobots and company, the watched as Jack's painful expression vainshed. Slowly, his thrashing ceased, allowing Fowler to release. The red hue of his skin cleared and he seemed to exhale and relax. Ratchet immedialy made another scan. His expression darkened considerably. He turned towards June, who was now hovering over Jack with a worried expression.

"Nurse Darby, " he started. June looked up to the red and white Transformer with a hopeful glint. Seeing her look at him with her wide, expressful eyes made Ratchet hesitate, if only for a second. Only countless years of doing this procedure allowed Ratchet to forge onward. "I am sorry. Jack is dead." His tone was clear and regretful.

June fell to her knees, her head bowed. Hot tears of despair spilled out of her eyes, cascading down her cheeks before falling onto the floor. Her son, her baby, her Jack was gone...

"No...no...no...NOOO!" Her voice started as a whisper and gradually rose to a heart-breaking wail. She brought her hands up, covering her face. Muffled wails were all that came from behind her fingers as her shoulders shook. Her body started to heave with sobs. Agent Fowler placed a comforting hand on her back, his eyes closed and face pained.

Miko wasn't too far off. The normally upbeat girl was sniffling and hugging Bulkhead's leg. The Wrecker simply placed his large hand against her back, his face grim. He may not have been as close to Jack as he was to Miko, but he knew the pain of losing a comrade well.

Raf had started crying, forcing him to remove his glasses as he attempted to wipe away his tears with his shirt sleeve. Bumblebee couldn't even muster up any words to say his friend, his own posture slumped and projecting an air of depression. He his human friend into his arms and Raf pressed himself against the scout. Bumblebee had seen this human gesture of comfort before and though he was not human, it was all he had to offer.

Ratchet was slumped over at his computer monitors, his hand placed over his face, obscuring it and his head was bowed. While the Autobot's human charges had grated his nerve more times than he cared to count, that didn't mean any of them should've had to die.

Optimus stood motionless, eyes closed in regret and his fists clenched in quiet sorrow.

Arcee's expression no better. If she could, she'd be crying. Her bottom lip seemed to quiver. Her hand was outstretched shakily towards Jack's body. Just as she was about to touch him, she pulled back, like she'd been scalded. Suddenly her face contorted in anger. With what could be described as a roar, she pounded a fist into a nearby wall, denting it. It was like there was a curse on her. Everytime she took a partner, they died. That seemed to be the painful and costant reality that refused to be ignored in Arcee's life.

They'd had failed. In retrieving Optimus, they had lost Jack. They did not know how. They did not even know why. All that mattered was that he was no longer with them, for whatever reason.

Most of the group had turned away, leaving no one watching Jack's body. Had someone been paying attention, they would've noticed a silvery material start to appear underneath Jack. Silently, it rose upward and around the young man. It quickly started to encase him.

Meanwhile, June had brought her tear stained face out of her hands and brought her red eyes up to where Jack's body would've been. But that was not the sight that she saw. In place of painful sight of seeing her son's supposed corpse, she saw silver cube. It was around the length of Jack's body and possesed lines that ran across, appearing similiar to a computer's inner workings. The lines coursed with a strange blue energy.

She wasn't the only who noticed. Ratchet too, was now staring at the cube. For what seem to be the hundredth time, he started to scan the mysterious object. The data that was fed to him, could only be described as shocking.

"By the All-Spark..." came his amazed voice.

Everyone seemed to snap out of their respective funks and looked to the cube. They quickly huddled around it.

"W-Where's Jack?" June gasped, her voice cracking as she stuttered.

"He is inside..." Ratchet answered. "...his vitals..." he trailed off.

"His vitals are what?" Arcee asked urgently.

Ratchet looked towards her, optics wide. "...are green. He's alive." he finished quietly.

Everyone stared at the med-bot before turning to the cube. Their attitudes slowly turned from despair to questioning. They appoarched the cube, trying to get a better look while Ratchet started yet another scan.

"What's happening?" Fowler quickly asked.

"I've never seen this before." Ratchet stated with a shake of his head. "Have you, Optimus?"

The Prime took a second to contemplate before answering. "No, old friend. I have not."

"Is he okay in there?" Arcee asked, just recovering from her shock.

Ratchet turned back to his monitor. "His vitals read stable. But there's something else."

"W-What?" June gasped out. The woman was on one heck of of emotional roller coaster. First her son comes back from a hazardous mission, where just the though of him going, gave her a heart attack. He came back fine only to collaspe in pain. Then he died only to come back and be surrounded some thing.

"I-I-I," Ratchet stuttered.

"Spit it out, doc! What's wrong with him?" Bulkhead said.

"I-I DON'T BELIVE THIS!" Ratchet exclaimed, almost completely losing his compsure. "The other reading that's coming from his body is Energon!"

Bumblebee summed up everyone's thoughts with a loud exclaim that almost sounded like 'Not possible!'. The other's voiced similiar opinions, all except for Optimus.

Instead the Prime asked, "What do you mean exactly, old friend?"

Ratchet calmed down as he explained. "There is an extremely high concentration of Energon inside Jack's body. But it's not just inside him. It's spreading within him." He turned back to the monitors again. "It's...changing him...on every level! His muscles, his cells, brain, bone and even cellur structure is different. It I didn't know any better, I would say resembles a Protoform but at the same time his body still has organic components. I daresay that he's techno-organic!"

That declaration left the room in shock, but Ratchet just wasn't done yet. "His bones and muscles are starting to show a particular change. Hmmm...his bones appear to be made of Cybertonian metals...! His muscle are also showing to be infused with them aswell."

"He's turning into an Autobot!" Miko said excitingly.

"No." Ratchet dismissed bluntly. "Jack is becoming something that we've never seen before. I don't what just yet as it seems his body is still going through whatever this transformation is. We will have to wait to see once Jack emerges from his..." Ratchet didn;t know what call the cube.

"Cocoon?" Raf suggested.

"Thank you Rafael."

"That just makes him sound like a bug!" Miko rolled her eyes.

((XXXX))

It been several hours since the cube appeared. In that time, Miko and Raf had been returned home. June had also gone home, needing to sleep off the stress that the entire situation had brought on her. Fowler was preparing to leave but spoke with Optimus first.

"Optimus," He began, " you know I must speak with superiors about this."

"I do not think that would be wise, Agent Fowler." Optimus spoke gravely. "We know that Jack is unharmed despite not knowing what is now happening to him. It does not stretch the imagination to assume that your government would think to test or experiment on Jack. At the moment, none of us know what will happen, but there is doubt it is a danger to anyone."

"That's a lot of what-ifs there, Optimus."

"I understand. Until we have further information, it would be better to not say anything."

Fowler seem to accept that and left without complaint. Optimus glanced over towards berth that Jack was still occupying. Ratchet was still at the computer, monitoring with almost obsessive diligence. Shifting his gaze, he saw Arcee sitting next to the cube, while Bumblebee and Bulkhead had retired to their respective quarters.

Optimus was fully aware of how much time Arcee and Jack spent together. His SIC had lost much, but slowly she was regaining herself. He would even dare to presume just that the two's partnership may go even beyond the professional sense. He could only hope that when Jack emerged, things would still turn out well for all.

Author's Note: And that's a wrap for now, my dear readers. I'll be back with the revised chapter 3 soon with Jack's improved Transformation and the start of the extended and improved training session.