(A/N)

Hey, guys! Thanks for the positive reviews last chapter, I'm glad folks have taken an interest in the story. I think I've finally figured out an update story schedule, which is a chapter every other weekend. Technically, if you're following both of my Transformers Prime stories then it will be a chapter every weekend as I will be rotating between the two stories.

Anyway, enjoy the story!


Rafael was terrified. Absolutely terrified. As soon as the portal disappeared, so did his chance of getting back home anytime soon. He stared at where it was, not even registering the words being said around him. When he finally did, he looked up at the giant mechs but didn't dare make eye contact with Megatron himself.

"Pardon my inquiry, my Liege, but why have you brought an organic aboard the ship?" Dreadwing asked as he looked down at the boy, whose eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"A question I too wish to find the answers for," Megatron began to walk down the corridors, Dreadwing and Soundwave following close behind. "Soundwave, alert Knockout to meet us in the medical bay." He ordered his Third in Command and almost didn't hear the young human speak. "Speak up when you talk to me, human."

"I..." he sniffed, "... I d-don't k-know where t-the Autobots' bay-base is..." he finished. Megatron would have grinned at the fear evident in his voice, however, making a small, organic child terrified is not a very difficult feat.

"You're a terrible liar, human. Regardless, I will seize that information when I require it." He responded bluntly. "However, for now, there is something else about you which requires my immediate attention."

Rafael looked at the silver mech confused but didn't dare to say anything else. He only continued his sniffling while the First, Second, and Third in Command of the Decepticon army continued their way to the medical wing. When they arrived, the doors slid open to reveal a bright red yet small Decepticon standing inside.

"What will be the occasion today, milord?" He asked nonchalantly. The Decepticon warlord looked down at the human he held in his servos.

"I want you to perform an energon reading on this human." The other mechs in the room looked at him confused.

"Uh... I mean no disrespect, Lord Megatron, but..." Knockout paused. "Erm... it's a human."

"I am fully aware of that, Knockout. However, I sense the presence of dark energon within it and I intend to know why."

"Of course, Lord Megatron." Knockout responded before being handed the human. He plopped Rafael down on the large medical berth, or at least large to a human. For a cybertronian, it was rather small.

Rafael didn't dare run away with so many dangerous mechs in the room. So he could only gulp down his fear and watch Knockout as he activated the scanner. Rafael then turned his head to watch as a ray of light, similar to Ratchet's own scanner, started heading towards him. He wanted to run but he knew he would anger Megatron by doing that. A shiver went down his spine as the beam harmlessly passed over him.

"What?" Knockout said, staring at the monitor in front of him. "This can't be right..." he mumbled.

"What is it, doctor?" Megatron asked.

"Well, Lord Megatron, it seems that you were correct." Rafael noticed that Dreadwing's shocked expression matched his own while Megatron's gaze swiftly glanced over the boy. Soundwave... well... Rafael couldn't really tell what the creepy con's reaction was. "While energon, especially dark energon, should be fatal to humans, it seems that his blood and the dark energon are coexisting in his body without any difficulties."

They all looked down at Rafael, who was no longer crying but seemed to be on the brink of a panic attack.

"How is this possible?" Dreadwing asked.

Knockout subtly shrugged. "My guess is as good as yours. There's no sign of dark energon being injected into his system nor is there evidence of him consuming it. Plus I doubt that the Autobots would let humans anywhere near the substance."

Megatron looked down at Raf. "So indulge us, human." The boy flinched when the warlord spoke to him. "How did you obtain dark energon in your systems?"

Rafael was silent for a moment, trying to calm himself so he could answer. "T-the only thing I can think of is w-when you... sh-shot me..." Raf nearly broke down crying again but tried to remain strong like the others would want him to. He desperately wanted his friends. He wanted Bee to go racing with him, he wanted Miko to make jokes and annoy Ratchet, he wanted Jack to comfort him and he wanted Optimus to smile at him and tell him everything was going to be alright.

But no. Instead, he has four of the most dangerous Decepticons standing around him, probably deciding how to kill him off. Actually, Raf just realized that he didn't really know what they were deciding because he accidentally spaced out.

"What?!" Knockout suddenly shouted.

"Is there a problem, Knockout?" Megatron asked in a warning tone.

"I-well-no Lord Megatron, but why not have one of the vehicons look after it?" Knockout nervously asked.

Megatron turned away to walk out of the room. "The vehicons are incapable of watching a human, and out of all my officers, you seem to have the most 'free time'." The warlord glanced over his shoulder, glaring at the medic. "Unless you have something more important to do?"

Knockout hesitated. "No, Lord Megatron."

"Good." And with that, the Decepticon leader and his top two lieutenants walked out of the room.

Knockout glanced awkwardly down at the human. With the shock fully out of his system, and Megatron no longer in the room, Rafael collapsed to the floor, crying once again. Knockout let out a groan.

"Oh suck it up, will you?" He snapped, turning to the monitors. "What are you, five?"

Rafael didn't even register the insult and just continued to cry. Knockout let out another groan and just continued looking over the medical reports.

The flamboyant medic didn't know how much time passed, but at one point he realized that he couldn't hear the human crying anymore. He looked over at the berth and found the human curled up on its side, fast asleep. Knockout remembered seeing something like this at the drive-in theaters and realized that the human must have cried itself to sleep.

The medic rolled his optics and returned to his work.


"Prime!" Agent Fowler yelled as he stormed into the Control room of the Autobot base and gripped the railings. "Do you want to explain to me why there are about a dozen reports about -"

"Now is really not the time, Agent Fowler," Optimus Prime said, his voice stern and holding a warning.

"I don't care if it's Nap Time! The Pentagon is -"

"Frag the Pentagon!" Fowler was abruptly cut off by a feminine yell. He looked over to the 'Human Area' and finally noticed that he was not the only human here.

"What are you all doing here so late? What's going on? And where's Rafael?" That last question caused Bumblebee to punch the wall and let out a series of beeps and whirs.

"Why don't you put two-and-two together!" Miko yelled at him, her eyes were blood-shot, puffy, and stained with tears. Fowler looked between the faces of all those present in the room, which was all of Team Prime, Jack, June, and Miko. Fowler did exactly as Miko told him and his eyes widened in shock.

"How." It was more of an order than an actual question. "How did this happen?" He asked, his fist tightening further around the railings. His expression morphed into anger.

"According to Bumblebee, Megatron attacked without warning and captured Rafael. With no way to contact us or retrieve Rafael, Megatron was able to leave without resistance." Optimus informed. "He has not yet made any demands of trade, but until we are able to retrieve Rafael, I believe it would be best to relocate his family as soon as possible."

Miko stood up abruptly from her spot on the couch. "What about Raf?!"

"Until Megatron announces his demands -" Optimus began but was cut off when Jack interrupted.

"Optimus, while I'd normally trust your judgment, this is Raf we're talking about." The boy placed a hand on Miko's shoulder. "He's only twelve, thirteen almost. I don't think we can afford to wait for Megatron to contact us. The longer we wait, the higher the chance of the Decepticons... hurting him."

The Prime thought over the boy's words before looking up at the faces of all the humans. They all silently urged him to try. "Very well." Optimus walked over to the main controls and sent out a transmission to the Nemesis. The others all gathered around the console as they waited for what felt like hours.

Finally, the transmission was accepted.


"My Liege, what are we to do with the boy?" Dreadwing asked when they reached the control room.

"The dark energon in my spark reacts to the boy as if he was a terrorcon. This leads me to wonder if I can control him through similar means. If that is the case, then we'll be able to use the human as a powerful tool against the Autobots." Megatron informed as he stood at his usual position in the control room. A ping sounded through the room. "Ahh... speaking of the Autobots..." He accepted the video transmission and Optimus Prime appeared on the monitor. "Optimus," He began with sarcastic joy, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You know why we called, Buckethead!" A female voice shouted off screen, whom Megatron recalled belonging to the human femme who failed to threaten him.

"Miko!" Bulkhead shouted from the background.

"Give us Raf back!" The girl screamed, finally coming into the warlord's view. Hm, he could have sworn she was taller last he remembered her. Although, he didn't really pay any attention to the humans when he was in their base, except for the eldest boy of course. The one who took Orion from him.

Megatron quickly dismissed the last thought.

"Bulkhead," Optimus started, "please remove Miko from the room until I can find out what Megatron desires in exchange."

Said warlord chuckled darkly. "And what makes you think that I wish to negotiate his release?" Optimus narrowed his optics at the screen and Bulkhead paused in his movement to grab the angered girl.

"What are you inferring, Megatron?"

"Make no mistake, Optimus Prime, I have no plans to kill the human youngling. We may be Decepticons, but we are not monsters." The warlord grinned, knowing he had both confused and agitated the Prime.

"Then what is it you want with Rafael?" Optimus demanded, his tone becoming angered. The warlord held his grin before abruptly ending the transmission.