I'm BAAAACCCKKKK! ^_^

After what was another long bout of writer's block, I got a sudden stroke of inspiration due to excessive amounts of Venom Energy Drinks, Sour Skittles, Pepperoni Pizza, Ben and Jerry's Phish Food Ice Cream, Movie Theatre Butter Popcorn, watching the Transformers movies over and over and over, and very, very little sleep. (Yes, all in the same night. I almost died. -_-)

I apologize for making you wait, but hopefully this will make up for it.

Thank you again to my awesomely epically-amazing reviewers. 43 reviews to date. I wish I could hug every one of you. ^_^ But since I can't, I guess I'll just have to let you steal a hug from your favorite transformer. Don't worry about them running. They know the consequences if they try. *evil grin*

Please enjoy and review!


"So, where do you want to talk?" Prowl asked. He had transformed into his sleek motorcycle alt mode and his holoform was waiting next to him. He appeared to be a few years older than Artemis. He stood about 6'1" and had medium jet black hair and sunglasses concealing his eyes, despite it being late at night, and wore black jeans and shoes, with a long sleeve black turtleneck that had gold streaks around the arms and stomach.

Artemis glowered at him, arms crossed, while taking in his holoform choice. "You sure like the color black, don't you?" she asked, a tone of sarcasm in her voice.

"Yes. I tend to stay in the shadows so I feel more comfortable with this choice. So where are we going?"

Artemis could see he wasn't to be distracted and looked away. "I don't even want to talk. I want to run. I should just run away. I don't want to be around any of you!"

"But you haven't run yet," Prowl observed, his holoform leaning against a tree. "And I'm hardly forcing you to stay right now. So that leads me to believe you not only want to talk about it, but you also want to talk about it with one of us." Artemis scowled at his logic. And the fact that he was right. "I think you ran from Ironhide to see if anyone cared enough to follow. He would've come after you, you know. But you nicked one of his main energon lines."

"Yeah? So why did you come after me instead? Did he send you as a messenger or something?" Artemis scoffed.

"No. Believe it or not, Ironhide isn't the only mech that cares about you."

Artemis was silent for a while, contemplating Prowl's words. Then, without a sound, she walked towards Prowl and his holoform. He took the hint that she was ready to leave and situated his holoform to give the illusion of driving, though in reality it wasn't necessary. Artemis climbed on behind him, lightly wrapping her arms around his middle to steady herself. "We're going to my apartment."


An hour later, Prowl pulled into a small, quiet, tree-lined neighborhood. He stopped at the third apartment building and Artemis walked to the side door, pulling a key out of her pocket. His holoform followed her inside. Her apartment was small but not too cramped, with a kitchen/living room, bedroom, and a bathroom.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you keep paying for this place even though you don't live here anymore?" Prowl asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I don't know…I guess its because even though I don't really live here, its still home to me. Plus its not like I can't afford it," Artemis replied, sitting down on her couch.

"How? I don't believe you have a source of income, do you?"

Artemis smiled without humor. "Because I'm rich. Filthy rich, actually. When almost every living relative I had died, all their money and assets came flying to me." She lowered her head, finally at her breaking point. Over a year of stress and worries and emotions came pouring out. "I was a normal kid before all that. I had…friends. I went to school, got good grades, was never a trouble maker, and managed to keep myself out of bad situations. But then that day happened…everything changed. I got waves upon waves of sympathy from everyone, including people I never knew. I hated it so much…And I got people picking on me and talking behind my back. I got into fights and was suspended from school once, but it would've been more if my principal didn't take pity on my situation. My grades dropped so bad I almost didn't graduate. My weekends were spent flying across the country to settle financial dealings instead of hanging out with my friends. Most of them drifted away. A few of them tried to keep with me, but in the end…I pushed them from me too." Artemis looked up, tears falling from her eyes. "I became a totally different person. I kept to myself and shut everyone else out. I was just so depressed…seeing if anyone cared enough to break down the walls I put around me, and when no one did, I gave up on just about everything. But then…I met Optimus and the others. I found a reason to be happy again. I found so much in them that I wanted for so long. I was cared about."

Prowl sat next to her, gently pulling her into a hug. "You still are cared about. You didn't hear the rest of our conversation. We didn't mean that you were some sort of freak, or that you were a danger to us. We're afraid that we are a danger to you. You were already almost killed because of us. No mech wants that to happen again."

Artemis wrapped her arms around Prowl's neck, crying into his shoulder as he continued. "Ironhide was going to get you to let you know that we were concerned. That's when we noticed you were gone. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was worried sick about you. The news hit us all like a cannon blast to the Spark…because we care about you, Artemis. You're like family to us."

Prowl sat on the couch, hugging Artemis to him for a few minutes while she cried. Finally, she said, "I can't believe what I did. I should've known better…I was just so insecure about being wanted and cared for, so I morphed what I heard into my worst fear. And Ironhide…I…I can't even think about that. It hurts too much! I must have destroyed him. How can I make up for that?" She looked up at Prowl helplessly. "I can't take back those words. And apologizing won't do anything. What can I do?"

"Explain to him what you told me. I'm sure he'll come around sometime. He still does care about you, he's just hurt," Prowl smiled sadly. "That's about all you can do."

"I guess…" Artemis sat up, hugging her knees to her chest, then wincing as a sharp pain shot its way up her right arm.

"Are you okay?" Prowl asked her, concerned.

"I think I broke my wrist," she answered, gently holding her swollen right hand. "Must've happened when I fell, and I just didn't realize how much it was actually hurting until now."

"Let me see," Prowl said, leaning towards her. "I might not be a medic, but all Cyber Ninjas learn basic first aid…Ah, yes, that's broken. If your internal structure is anything like mine, then we'll need to splint it for now."

Artemis nodded while Prowl got up to gather a few supplies. He grabbed two rulers, a roll of gauze, and duct tape before returning. "You have to be able to improvise," he said, smiling at Artemis's bemused look. He then gently but firmly wrapped her wrist up.

"Thanks," Artemis said, looking up at him, "That feels much better."

"You're welcome."

Then a thought struck Artemis, so she asked, "Why are you still wearing your sunglasses? You're inside."

Prowl looked down and, after a silent battle with himself, slowly pulled off his glasses before shyly looking up again. Artemis gasped. His eyes were a deep, pure gold.

'That's why," he replied. "I have a visor covering my optics because they're gold. And the one thing a transformer can't choose about their holoform is their eye color. No one knows I have these. Not even Optimus."

"What's so bad about gold eyes?"

Prowl looked away. "There are myths and legends about a mech born with golden optics. Going even further, there is a prophesy that includes a golden optic Cybertronian:

'The mech of optics gold unites the worlds of young and old, when joining with the last Star, from a world both near and far. This son of Primus will lead to the Evil's great defeat, if the Light is guarded close by the ones that care the most. These Guardians of Life can only win the fight, if the Doubter gains control and gets the confidence of old. New allies will be made before that fateful day, and will fight side by side with the Guardians of Life. One Innocent yet brave, whose death will spear the way, will bring forth the Healer great who alone can reverse fate. One mech will return thrice from a world of blinding white, when the Star cries tears of pain that the Healer will regain. The son of Primus will save his leader from the grave, though the Light will risk its end from the selfless act it lends. But if the Light and Star should die, then the son of Primus will not try, and Evil will reign all in the Universal fall.'"

"That's…confusing, to say the least," Artemis commented when Prowl finished reciting the legend.

"Heh," Prowl laughed humorlessly. "I'm so afraid everyone will think I'm this 'Son of Primus' or something that will bring the end to this war. The Autobots would immediately rally behind me, and the Decepticons would think I'm the one who could be their downfall and panic, destroying everything without a second thought. But I'm not special in any way. I'm just a normal mech that happens to have golden optics."

Artemis nodded. "I can see why you wouldn't want anyone to know. So why did you tell me?"

"Because I trust you," he replied simply. "And I know you wouldn't jump to conclusions because you weren't raised with that prophesy being told to you over and over."

Artemis blushed slightly from the compliment then said, "I think we should go back now. I'm sure the others are worried about me."

Prowl agreed, and activated his com link, as Artemis was still too afraid to talk to them herself. "Optimus, it's Prowl. Artemis and I are on our way back. ETA of about an hour."

An audible sigh of relief was heard on the other end. "See you soon, then."


Prowl and Artemis had been traveling for about thirty minutes when they noticed flashing lights behind them, followed by a police siren.

"Oh, shit, how am I going to explain a metal arm?!?" Artemis cursed softly.

Prowl pulled over and "turned off" his engine while his holoform and Artemis stepped off the motorcycle with their hands up. The policeman stepped out of his cruiser and approached the pair.

"Can I see your license and registration please?"

Prowl obeyed, pulling out a wallet that carried his "ID" and "Insurance Card."

"Is your arm made of…metal?" the policeman asked Artemis, confused, after reviewing the information.

"Um, yes, it's…it's a new kind of prosthetic-"

"Your name, please?"

"Artemis R-"

"Artemis, don't!" Prowl yelled suddenly. He let his holoform disappear.

"Prowl?!? What the hell are you doing?" She yelled, watching him transform into his robot mode.

"Get behind me!" he shouted, pushing Artemis behind his legs.

"But why?! This is insane! He's just a…" The rest of her sentence died in her throat. "Oh shit."

The policeman had disappeared into thin air, and the police cruiser had transformed.

"Hand over the girl, Autobot, and I may spare your life," Barricade threatened menacingly.

"Not even if you ripped me limb from limb," Prowl retorted, making sure Artemis was safely behind him.

Barricade's optics narrowed. "That can be arranged." He suddenly launched at Prowl, tackling him to the ground.

"Prowl!" Artemis screamed, watching the two mechs grapple with each other.

"Okay, calm down some, Artemis. Think. We need help. The…the distress signal!" Artemis immediately pulled out her com link and was just about to press the button when she was knocked off her feet. The force of the blast that pushed her over caused the communicator to shatter when it hit the ground, becoming useless.

"No!"


The main room was full of Autobots either sitting, standing, or pacing out of nerves. Optimus checked his internal timing system. "They should arrive in about twenty minutes," he said to aloud, though every mech already knew, before settling back into his chair uncomfortably. Something didn't feel right to him. Optimus wasn't sure if it was Ironhide, who was still sitting in the forest alone after refusing to budge an inch, or if it was something else entirely. Either way, the commander was slightly more on edge than usual.

Then Prowl contacted him through the com link. The transmission was full of static.

"Optimus! ---need help! Barricade---attacking. Going---get Artemis---Can't fight---longer!" Then the line went dead.

The room was silent for a few astroseconds before Red Alert jumped in. "I got a location on his signal. Seventeen miles northeast."

Optimus nodded curtly and every Autobot stood at attention, ready to mobilize. "Ratchet, Jazz, Jolt, Red Alert, Bumblebee! Let's roll out! Perceptor, have Wheeljack and Jetfire help you prepare the medbay. I have a feeling we're going to need it."

"What about Ironhide?" Jazz asked.

Optimus sighed. "Go to him and tell him about the situation. Then Its his choice what to do next."


Optimus and the others rolled to a stop on an empty road. Empty except for the military vehicles and personnel swarming the area.

Optimus transformed, walking up to the man facing them. "Major Lennox," he greeted solemnly. "It is a surprise to see you here with your team."

"It's a surprise for us too, actually. The only reason we came was because one of our Blackhawks passed over the fight," he replied, looking over towards where Prowl was lying. "We came as fast as we could."

Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Jolt were kneeling next to Prowl, who was offline but still alive. True to his word, Barricade had ripped him limb from limb, but left him stable enough to survive. Bumblebee was helping Ratchet furiously clamp energon and fluid lines while Jolt gently pulsed Prowl's Spark with energy through his energon whips.

"He put up a great fight. That Decepticon was having a lot of trouble with him," Lennox said.

"Did you see a human girl around here at all?" Optimus asked suddenly.

Lennox didn't answer right away. "She was kidnapped. We pulled up and managed to get a few rounds in that 'Con, but then he reached down in the rubble and grabbed a girl. We didn't know she was there until it was too late. He took off with her, and no one wanted to shoot at him in case we hit the girl."

"Artemis…"

"Who's going to tell Ironhide?" Red Alert asked sadly.

"Who's going to tell me what?"

Everyone turned to see a black Topkick and a silver Solstice roll to a stop and transform. "Jazz told me everything he knew. How are Prowl and Artemis?"

"Prowl is hurt badly but will be okay," Optimus answered him.

"And Artemis?"

Everyone, mech and human, averted his gaze.

"I'm sorry Ironhide. We couldn't stop him. She was kidnapped," Lennox said finally, still avoiding Ironhide's optics.

Dead silence hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity. No one dared to look at the Weapons Specialist, afraid of what his reaction might be. But he just stood there, unmoving, trying to process what he just heard. Meanwhile, another one of Lennox's team stepped forward.

"We need to find her," Epps said. "Do you have any way to locate energy sources?"

"Yes, but the Decepticons will have theirs cloaked around their base. I could be staring one in the face and his signal wouldn't show," Ratchet replied.

"Searching for a single human energy signature would be futile. There's way too many to pinpoint a single one, and that's only if she's not cloaked as well," Red Alert added.

"What if you searched for both at the same time?" Jazz asked, an idea forming in his processor. "She has Cybertronian technology that would give off a signal, plus a human signal. We could search both at the same time."

"That could work," Ratchet said slowly. "Searching for both signals at once would mean combining them together, which would mean searching for a different signal than just her human energy signature. Its quite possible, if she does have a different signature besides her human one, that the Decepticon cloaking wouldn't cover it."

"We need to get back to base and have Perceptor work on a device that could pick up such a signal. Autobots, roll out!" Optimus said, transforming. "Major Lennox, you and your team are welcome to join us."

"We've beat them once, we can beat 'em again!" he replied, a fierce gleam in his eyes. "Okay men! Gather everything up and follow that truck!"


I hope you enjoyed that "prophesy" thing I came up with...it literally took me two hours to get the final draft of it finished. I just had to get it perfect!!

Other than that, I guess I wanted to add my favorite humans into the story somehow, so this is how it will be :P Yay, humans! ^_^

Oh! Idea! If you review today, I will personally get to work on a Transformers oneshot of your choice! That's right! I'll write you whatever Transformers oneshot you want! But only if you review TODAY! (7/30/09) Just PM me what you'd like it to be about, who's in it, and if its funny, serious, etc. But you must review today!

(I love bribes!!!!)