Author's Rant: Hello my fellow readers! Thank you for your kind reviews, they made me really happy! I'm glad that you like this story so far! I tried to get a new chapter out ASAP since I was gone for so long and my readers/reviewers made me so happy! (Sorry things didn't go according to plan). I'll be honest with you I came up with the entire story line while in the middle of one of my summer prep courses for an exam. ;P Oh well, the important part is that my readers enjoy it! With that out of the way, if you saw the Super bowl then you know that the Broncos got DESTROYED by the Seahawks. It was really bad; the Broncos didn't score a touchdown until the 3rd quarter! I mean seriously?! Now a more up-to-date question: who saw Transformers: Age of Extinction?! That movie was AMAZING. It was better than I was expecting but, it was still not as great as I was hoping. There were some bad parts (Ratchet's death Dx), and some good parts (Optimus killing the bastards that killed Ratchet xD) Anyway, enough of the rant!

Enjoy~! :D

Sam stared at Optimus with a look of shock before his emotions faded behind a stoic mask. He turned his head to the side and clenched his fists. He didn't want help. He didn't need it. All he needed was his sister. He wasn't mad at Optimus, he was mad at himself for failing his sister all these years. He was mad at himself for having to rely so much on others. He was mad at himself for being a coward. He was mad at himself for being weak. He was mad at himself for forgetting about her. He was mad at himself for the sake of being mad. He couldn't stand it.

The room was deathly silent and everyone was staring at Sam waiting for a response. Before Sam could get out a word Sally spoke up.

"Wait Sam, they know about Kim? And Sector 7? And the rescue mission?" she and TJ had a look of confusion on their faces. Soon Sam's anger melted away and he joined them in their state of confusion.

"Yeah I guess," he turned to Optimus, "but how do you guys know about all of that?"

Optimus looked a little nervous, but proceeded to explain. "I apologize for not informing you Sam, but Bumblebee has been informing me of what has been going on. He, as well as all of us, are concerned for your safety. This mission you plan to go on is a dangerous one and we do not wish to lose any good friends to Sector 7 again, which is why I ask of you to accept our offer to help you. However, if you do not wish for us to help, we will not intervene in your mission."

Sam stared at Optimus for a minute before looking around at the other Autobots. They all had looks of concern or pity on their faceplates and looked as if they wanted to help, even Sunstreaker. Sam then looked over at Sally and TJ.

"It's your choice Sam, she's your sister. You should decide, not us." Sally said as if answering the unasked question. Sam looked over to his parents and they nodded then he looked back at Optimus.

"Well we already have a plan which we worked hard on, so if you want in you're going to have to figure out how to work your way into our strategy." Sam said with a hint of humor in his voice and a slight smirk on his face. "I know I said before that I didn't want to burden you guys with this, but seeing as how you already know about what we're going to do, I think you'll find a way to help us whether we want it or not. So. . . If it's not too much trouble on your part, we would appreciate your help Optimus." He concluded with a smile on his face. Optimus smiled down at him and nodded. Prowl then stepped forward and kneeled down next to Sam.

"Alright Samuel, since we are assisting you now would you mind informing me what your strategy is so I can work ourselves into the picture?" Sam nodded, and with Sally and TJ's help, explained the plan to Prowl and the rest of the Autobots. Soon enough they had a new plan figured out, one with the Autobots playing a bigger role then Sam thought they would, and agreed that they would go through with the plan the next day. The new plan wasn't hard to come up with to everyone's surprise. Prowl came up with a plan right after Sam, Sally, and TJ finished explaining their plan. In addition to their original plan, the new plan consisted of: A). the Autobots creating a diversion on the opposite side of the base while they snuck in, B). Ron and Judy having Autobot and human soldier protection, and C). three Autobots hiding and waiting to be used as escape vehicles. No Autobot was entirely sure who would be where except for Optimus and Ratchet. Optimus would lead the assault while Ratchet would wait for the humans to return. Based on Sally's horrific description on how Sector 7 treats certain human prisoners, he felt it was best to examine Kim once she was retrieved. Sally was more than positive that Kim will be in critical condition when they reach her.

After the plan was run by everyone in the base Sam and Sally were pulled aside by Optimus and Prowl. They were lead into Optimus' office at the end of the hallway away from everyone else. Optimus sat down in his desk chair while Sam and Sally sat on his desk. Prowl was standing rigidly over Optimus' left shoulder obviously a little anxious about something. Sam was about to ask when Optimus spoke up.

"I am sure the both of you are wondering why you are here." They nodded. "The two of us wished to discuss some more details with you both about your plan and a back-up plan."

Sam looked up at Optimus confused. "Wait, why pull us aside and not discuss it with everyone?" he asked.

"You two are the most devoted to this plan and also have the most information on our victum-"

"We also have suspicion of a spy from Sector 7." Prowl interrupted. "Since you two play a major role in this plan we thought it best to discuss with you. Also you two were the only two in that division that we trust without a doubt-"

"With the exception of Major Lennox and Sergeant Epps." Optimus cut in.

"Of course. Overall, we thought it most logical to discuss this with you two." Prowl finished.

Sally chose that moment to speak. "So do you have any idea who the spy is? 'Cause believe me, I'll tear 'em a new-!"

"No." Prowl said short and sweet. "We have no lead as to who just a suspicion of a spy."

"How?" Sam asked even more confused.

"It is simply logical. We are preparing to break into an organization that is very powerful and has probably been anticipating this assault since Sally has escaped." Prowl stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Sam nodded seeming to understand it better. "Yeah, I guess you do have a point. So what makes you think our first plan will go smoothly?"

"I don't. That's why we have gathered you here to discuss a back-up plan. As far as our original plan is concerned, we have decided that along with Ratchet, Jazz and Mirage will be waiting for you at the exit. If something goes wrong they are masters at infiltration and can get to you fastest. We will equip you two with emergency communicators that, at the push of a button, will alert Jazz and Mirage. They communicator will give them your exact location instantly and they will be on their way. Bumblebee will guard your parents alongside the N.E.S.T. soldiers. You two will be escorted by Major Lennox, Sergeant Epps, TJ, and a few other N.E.S.T. soldiers into the cell room. Everyone else will be creating a diversion on the east side of their base."

The two humans nodded before Sally spoke, "Wait. So what exactly is the back-up plan here?"

Prowl looked to Optimus who was quietly listening to his S.I.C. for a majority of the meeting. Optimus' shoulders sagged as he let out a sigh. "The back-up plan is not very admirable, however we plan to install a virus in Sally's computer so, when given the signal, it can be transferred into Sector 7's systems. It is a special Cybertronian virus that Wheeljack came up with for us to use in times of dire emergency. It will shut down everything and render any weapon they use connected to their base useless, including guns."

Both Sam and Sally perked up when they heard this. "So why not just use it from the start?!" they shouted in unison.

Optimus' expression then turned serious. "Because, everything the virus shuts down will self destruct 30 seconds afterward. The size of each individual explosion depends of the size of what is blowing up. The radius of the explosion is three times greater than the object blowing up. All of us would only have 30 seconds to get as far away as possible…with or without your sister Sam…"

The silence that stretched after that was deafening. No one spoke for a solid ten minutes. Sam finally gathered the courage to speak again. "So…I guess we'll just have to execute the plan and hope for the best, right?" The sad smile on his face sent a pang of guilt through Optimus. All his Autobots knew all too well what it was like to lose someone you care about. He didn't want Sam to have to understand it as well.

Optimus got up and leaned over to the humans with a gentle expression on his faceplate. "I have the utmost confidence that we will retrieve your sister Samuel. Do not doubt yourself, because I have faith in the both of you and your abilities. By this time tomorrow we will have Kim in our custody." He smiled gently to them and they smiled back. Optimus then stood up again and turned to Prowl before speaking. "Inform the rest of the Autobots of our plan. I shall inform Major Lennox and Sergeant Epps. This conversation is to be kept in secret."

Prowl nodded and with a quick 'Yes sir' left the room. Optimus then escorted the two humans to the door of his office before giving them one final nod. They nodded back to him and went on their way.

For the rest of the day everyone agreed to get preparations ready. Sam, Sally, TJ, Ron, Judy, N.E.S.T. soldiers, and the Autobots all went around doing everything they could to help each other prepare for the big day. They all loaded the C17's with supplies full of ammunition and medical supplies. They reviewed the plan over one more time as a group before disbanding. Sam, Sally, TJ, Ron, and Judy were given spare rooms to spend the night in and were being shown to their rooms by Major Lennox. Sam was the last one to be given a room and he and Lennox walked in silence side by side until Lennox decided to break the silence.

"How are ya feeling kid? It's a big day tomorrow. Are you gonna be alright?"

Sam sighed heavily before nodding slowly. "Yeah I'll be alright, it's just. . . it's been so long and we're so close. . . I guess I'm just afraid that this plan won't work or . . . she might. . . be dead. Sally was telling us before about all the different ways they tortured her when she did something wrong. Kim helped Sally escape and is being held prisoner! The punishments given to her each day must be insane! What if she won't hold out until we get there? What if we are too late? What if I screw up? What if she dies in my arms? What if I can't help her? What if - "

"Woah, woah, take a deep breath and breathe kid. Everything's going to be fine. You care about your sister a lot right?" he nodded. "Then you won't screw up, I know you won't. Hey, you faced down Megatron and survived, how hard could handling a bunch of psycho humans be?"

". . .Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks Lennox I needed that." They arrived at the room and Sam was about to enter when Lennox grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey Sam, don't stress too much. It's completely understandable that you feel like this right now, if I were in your shoes I'd be going nuts, but don't worry about it. You have the Autobots, your family, friends, and all of N.E.S.T. right behind you. You're not alone and we'll get her back."

Sam smiled. "Thanks Lennox, I really appreciate it." Lennox nodded and smiled as Sam turned into his room and shut the door. He heard Lennox walk away before kicking off his shoes and walking over to his temporary bed. He was about t lay down and try and sleep when his phone buzzed in his back pocket. He picked it up and unlocked it to see a message from his girlfriend, Mikaela.

Mikaela: Sam? Where r u? I tried calling ur house phone & cell like 12 times. Is everything ok?

Sam smiled when he saw the text. He really loved Mikaela, even though he had a hard time saying it he really loved her. She was always concerned about him. Sam texted back promptly:

Sam: Hey 'Kaela. Sorry I didn't answer u sooner, something came up. I'm away from home w/ my parent & won't be back 'till l8r. So how r u doing?

Mikaela: I'm fine, bu away from home w/ ur parents? What happened? Are the 'Bots involved?

Sam: Yeah they are, but don't worry it's not 'Cons just some family issues that need to be taken care of. I'll b back soon.

Mikaela: . . . k I'll see u when u get back then. . . luv u 3

Sam: I luv u 2 Mikaela. ;)

Mikaela: :) g'night.

Sam: 'Night.

Sam then tossed his phone on the little nightstand next to his bed before lying down thinking about the next day. Surprisingly, within a few minutes Sam was asleep dreaming about all the fun things he and his sister would do once she was rescued.

~*ELSEWHERE*~

: . . .Commencing Transmission 11.709-Beta. . . :

: . . . This is Agent Striker requesting transmition back to HQ. Is the line secure? . . . :

: . . . The line is secure Agent Striker, this is Banacheck. What is your report? Do they suspect anything? . . . :

: . . . Negative sir. They still haven't discovered me yet, the ignorant fools. . . . :

: . . . Do not be so cocky Striker, you are dealing with a former agent of mine who used to be second only to Agent Lightning. Blaze is a formidable enemy and is not so easily fooled. I know you have been working on your cover for a while, but one slip up on your part and it's over. She is smart and much more powerful than you, do not underestimate the enemy or they always win. Now what is your status report? . . . :

: . . . I have discovered their plans. They finally intend to make a move to try and rescue Lightning. . . . :

: . . . I was wondering when Blaze would decide it was time to do something. . . It certainly took longer than expected though. What is the plan? . . . :

: . . . Hold on sir, they have allied themselves with the Autobots and plan to strike tomorrow. . . . :

: . . . Do you have any details on their plan? . . . :

: . . . Yes. I was involved with most of the plans design. I manipulated it so they would walk right into our trap. However, the Autobot S.I.C. kept some details confidential. Only their leader, Optimus Prime, the brother Samuel, Agent Blaze, and he know of all the details. . . . :

: . . . That could pose a potential problem. What do you know of the plan besides the fact that they plan to strike tomorrow? . . . :

: . . . Yes. The Autobots intend to attack the base from the east wing, while Agent Blaze, Samuel, myself, and some other soldiers sneak in through the west wing. They plan on it taking place tomorrow since the dam will be undergoing construction, therefore being closed to the public. The parents of Agent Lightning will be in charge of look-out and hacking. They will have minimal protection. I suspect one Autobot and a handful of soldiers, since they will be hidden well out of the way. While the Autobots and the rest of the soldiers are attacking, we will sneak in through a ventilation shaft that drops into the prisoner's area. The plan is for Agent Lightning and the rest of us to fend off the guards while the boy Samuel retrieves Agent Lightning. Once he retrieves her we follow him back out of the ventilation shaft and outside of the base where our escape vehicles will be waiting. This is all being done while the parents hack into the base and disable the security systems with Blaze's computer. Or at least this is what we discussed. How do you wish to respond sir? . . . :

: . . . Hmmm….. I say we let them get away with it- . . . :

: . . . But sir! You can't be serio-! . . . :

: . . . I didn't say let them get away with everything, now did I? . . . :

: . . . Then what do you propose sir? . . . :

: . . . I say we let them have a small victory before taking away their hopes of retrieving Lightning. Who knows? Maybe we will be able to torture others besides Lightning. I will take care of the preparations for tomorrow. You, Agent Striker, are not to reveal your identity under any circumstances. Do I make myself clear? . . . :

: . . . Crystal sir. . . . :

: . . . Anything else you have to report in? . . . :

: . . . Negative sir. . . . :

: . . . Then I will see you tomorrow Agent Striker. Banacheck out. . . . :

: . . . Agent Striker out. . . . :

~*THE NEXT DAY*~

Everyone was woken up at 5:30am and left the base by 5:45am. They all boarded the carrier planes based on three groups: the 'Bots and soldiers that were supposed to create a diversion, the 'Bots and humans that were supposed to help with infiltration, and the rest who were to hack into Sector 7's base. While they were flying to Nevada Sam couldn't help but feel extremely nervous. Even after a pep talk from both Optimus and Will he still had a deep sense of foreboding inside him. Ratchet, being the perceptive medic that he is, noticed instantly and spoke up.

"Samuel do not stress yourself, it's not good for your health. We will be arriving soon and you need to be in tip top shape. We can't allow you to have a nervous breakdown when you are inside the base or you could be put in grave danger."

Sam then glared daggers at Ratchet. "Easy for you to say! You're not the one who's weak, doesn't have weapons, and has never been in a real fight before! I may have killed Megatron but I wasn't fighting him in hand-to-hand combat! Plus my sister's life is on the line here! The pressures on, the clock is ticking, and the nerves are rising! I can't help it!"

Ratchet sighed and contemplated giving him a sedative, but quickly brushed the thought aside. If he sedated the boy he wouldn't wake up in time for the main events. Ratchet merely decided to try and calm the boy down the old-fashioned way, as the humans would put it. Talking to him in a soothing tone and being patient. Not his specialty. Not. At. All.

"Listen Samuel, we know that a lot is riding on your back right now, but we all have faith in you. Your sister is in good hands with you. We have confidence in you, so why don't you have confidence in yourself?"

Sam contemplated the thought for a minute. Did he have self-confidence? He sure sounded like he did when he decided to take action after all these years. But did he believe himself when he said he had self-confidence? Could he? He came this far and he wasn't going to turn back. That he was certain of. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He knew what he was going to do.

"I do have self-confidence. You're right, I shouldn't be acting so irrational right now. I need to focus on bringing her back. We all will bring her back with us. End of story." There was a long silence where everyone on board just stared at Sam before everyone erupted into cheers. Everyone was clapping, whistling, shouting, and most importantly looked proud of Sam. This was the strong and brave boy the Autobots had met when they landed on Earth. This was the Samuel James Witwicky who helped them defeat Megatron in Mission City. And this was the same person who would bring back Kim.

Sam did have self-confidence. He was going to bring his sister home. They were going to beat Sector 7. That he was certain of. Now he just needed to keep his nerves in check, follow the plan, and bring her back.

Jazz smirked at Sam and tussled his hair with his clawed finger. "Tha's tha Sam Ah know. Glad ta see ya came 'round kid!" Sam swatted away the claw before smiling up at Jazz. "Was wonderin' where ya dis'peared ta." Sam just rolled his eyes as Jazz chuckled.

After the cheering had died down everyone on board engaged in friendly conversation with each other. It seemed everyone forgot that they were on their way to a very dangerous place, with the exception of one person. No one noticed the traitorous smirk amongst their ranks, however the smirk disappeared as soon as it had appeared and didn't resurface.

It wasn't long until the crew reached Nevada and landed a good 30 miles away from the base to avoid detection. Everyone suited up, hopped into their respective vehicles and drove off toward Hoover Dam. By this point everyone was a little anxious, they all had bad experiences with Sector 7 in the past. The organization just spelled 'bad news'.

Optimus was a little nervous for his troops. Sector 7 was a formidable enemy and could have grown stronger since the last time they faced each other. What if they had a new weapon that could severely hurt, or kill his troops? What if this was all an elaborate strategy to capture his troops? His internal musings were interrupted when he saw Hoover Dam on the horizon. He gave his troops the signal to split up into their groups and drove toward the east wing, with his group following behind him.

However, nothing could have prepared him for what was soon to come.

END OF CHAPTER

Ahh! Another cliffhanger! I can't tell you how sorry I am about how long this took to post! Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry! (x1,000,000) Thank you guys for being patient with me, I try to get these chapters out whenever I can! On a side note: Jazz is VERY much alive in my story. I have no intention of killing him EVER! (Only spoiler you'll get outta me! ;P) Also I hope I did a good job with his accent, it's really hard to write! I apologize for any typos! Please fav, follow, and leave a review I love to hear your thoughts! :D Until next update!

-TFGIRL22