A/N: Thank you again to my beta, Sidekicks-Anonymous, for her work on this chapter!

CHAPTER 9
BULKHEAD'S DILEMNA: PART 3

Nick felt tense as he rode in Optimus' cab to school.

Sure, he wanted to be brave about this. But so many things could go wrong. What if Bulkhead couldn't protect him? What if Optimus couldn't do anything? He didn't want to get hurt, but he also knew he had to help.

"Nick..." Nick looked up at the sound of Optimus' voice through his radio. "Are you sure you're OK. Your heartbeat is irregular."

Nick shook his head. "I'm scared. I know I need to do this, but what if..."

"Nick, there's still time to turn around." He stopped his alt mode, and stalled nearby. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. And frankly, I'm not too thrilled with the idea of sending my sparkling in there."

Nick didn't have time to correct him that he was stilljust his foster kid. "I just... I want to do this. I'm just scared. Are you sure that Bulkhead can get to me if something happens?"

Optimus understood his fear, but he also knew it wasn't warranted. "Nick, if you go in there, he'll be scanning you every second. If he even makes a single move out of turn, it will be the end of him." Optimus explained, which Nick felt was an honest answer. "I've said it once, and I'll say it a million times. You are our family now; we will protect you with our lives."

Nick wanted to believe him…but a part of him was still scared. He'd trusted people before. He'd put his trust in his mom, and where had that gotten him? "I've put my faith in people before. I always got burned."

"Not with us." Optimus replied. "But you still have time to turn around."

Nick tapped his fingers along his foster father's cab, deep in thought. He had been betrayed before, but Optimus Prime had never lied to him. He'd always stood for justice, and stood up for the humans he swore to protect years ago. If he could trust anyone, it was Optimus—and the rest of his new family. "Alright, let's do this."

They drove the last leg of the way to school. Nick calmly got out, avoiding the obvious staring of his peers. "Nick?" Nick turned his head towards Optimus. "Before you go in, I want to reiterate something. I will never let anything bad happen to you. At this point, you're family. I'd protect you with my own spark, Nick... I don't know what happened in your past that makes you think otherwise. But I have my ideas... But, just... Remember that OK? Or try?"

Nick gave Optimus a look that seemed to be that of surprise, and gratefulness. Though the Autobot leader could already tell that Nick felt a nervous at him "having his own ideas." "I'll try." Nick nodded his head. "I should go though, or he'll start suspecting something's up."

Optimus seemed to hesitate, which again surprised Nick. "Alright, but remember. If he does anything, you press that button Ratchet gave you." Nick felt the object he spoke of in his pocket, carefully. "Bulkhead will be there and I won't be far behind."

And then he was off.

Nick stood there for a long moment - fear building inside him. He hoped that everything would be OK, that Optimus was right... But at the same time, he wasn't sure.

"Mr. Wayland, have a seat."

Nick gulped quietly as he entered the principal's office. The look in the man's eyes alone already sent chills up his spine in response. All the same, he did as the man, mech, whatever one called him said, and sat right down. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Morningstar?" Nick asked. "I've mostly tried to keep my head down."

The mech snorted, seemingly amused. "That's true. Though I wouldn't say that spying on your principal at night is exactly... Keeping your head down." Nick swallowed, crap, had he seen them? "Oh, don't look so scared. If I wanted you dead, I'd have done it already. I've had so many chances..."

He crossed the room towards Nick, a cold smirk on his face. As the boy started to get to his feet, however, he felt the mech shove him back into his chair. "Oh no, you're not leaving. And if you even think of calling your "family"... Well." Nick gulped as he noticed his hand transform into a long blade. "We wouldn't want things to get messy."

Nick felt the tip of the blade poke him in the throat, nicking him ever so slightly. "I'm not afraid of you." Nick told him. "If you hurt me, they'll make sure you pay."

"Oh?" Morningstar's smirk broadened. "Shall we test that theory?"

His human disguise started to fall away.

Something was very wrong.

Bulkhead had expected to hear something from Nick by now, but had gotten nothing. He didn't like this, not one bit. Nick was his little buddy and if Morningstar had done anything to hurt him... he was going to make sure that mech got what was coming to him. He fidgeted in his parking place, wanting so badly to com him, but worried that it would go wrong. What if the mech heard him, what if...?

"Ahem—attention to whatever fragger is on the other end of this com." The voice of Morningstar brought him out of his stupor. "You have five minutes to vacate the school premises. Or I can promise you not only are you going to have Nicholas' blood on your hands, but the remainder of the school's as well."

Bulkhead tensed. They'd been found out? That was not what he wanted to hear. "I don't know what you want with him. But if you hurt my little buddy, it won't end well for you." He explained.

"Ohhh, I'm so scared. I'm the one who's got a blade an inch away from slicing him open, and you want threaten me? Not smart." Morningstar sneered on the other end. "You must really hate your little pet."

"Bulk! Bulk, don't listen to him. I'll be OK. just don't-."

"Shut up!"

Bulkhead tensed when he heard the smack. He struggled to keep his anger in check—the knowledge that Nick was being held hostage made his energon boil. "If you do anything to him, you're going to answer to me."

"You? The dunderhead who couldn't even walk right? Don't make me laugh!" His anger rose even more now. "Now, get lost. Or I'm going to make good on my promise. You don't think I was prepared for this?"

The young green mech tensed even further at the notion. OK, now he was pushing it. "Just let Nick go! What do you want with him anyway?" Bulkhead asked, his voice now getting angrier in tone. "If you want to get our attention, you've got it."

There was a dark chuckle on the other end. At this point, Bulkhead had enough, transforming into his bipedal mode. Now that he was in sight of the window to the principal's office, he could see Nick and Morningstar. Seemingly the mech had been waiting for this as he was posed in front of the window, blade poised at the teen's throat. "Did you not take me seriously?" Morningstar snapped. "Back off, or I'll kill him!"

"Don't think so!"

It was in that moment, with Morningstar distracted that Bulkhead did the only thing he could do. He let his holoform appear behind the mech and tackled him. It was risky, but luckily, the blade hit the ground rather than slicing Nick.

"What!? You have a holoform! No fair!" Morningstar snapped as Nick scrambled out of the way. "No matter, I still have leverage—or did you forget I said the whole school?"

Nick's head shot up to look at Bulkhead. "He's got some sort of Decepticon outside." Nick exclaimed. "I don't know if it's Megatron, but—"

"Megatron? You think I'm working for MEGATRON?" Morningstar snickered, his eyes flashing. "Oh boy, you all really are fools. There are others out there that hate you. Including a certain techno-organic that YOUR foster parent would just love to draw out for another meeting."

Bulkhead connected the dots. It made so much sense, the use of a Pretender, a human alt form. An ORGANIC alt form. The desire to take Nick, clearly to use against Optimus... "Blackarachnia... She's here?" Bulkhead asked, his voice tightening.

"No, she leaves the dirty work these days to her Predacons. Or hired help, like me." Morningstar's grin widened. "And speaking of her Predacons... I do believe the person behind the threat I made has finally arrived. I hear you have some history with him."

Before Bulkhead could reply, he heard the buzzing of wings. He spun around, seeing the green, winged form too late. Waspinator knocked him to the ground, the shock making his holoform vanish.

"Did Bulkhead miss Wassspinattoooorrr?" Waspinator leaned in close. "I sureeee missed you."

Oh slag! Bulkhead thought.

Optimus knew there was trouble before he heard his com.

"Prime we got a problem! Morningstar wasn't working alone! He's got Wasp with him, and I think they're going to go after the kids!" Bulkhead shouted over the com link. A wave of panic washed over the Autobot leader. "I think I was able to get Nick away from him. But he's got me pinned, I need back-up! It didn't sound like he was the only one..."

Optimus shook his head. What in Primus' name was Waspinator doing back on Earth? And moreover, was Elita with him?

But his first concerns went most to Nick. What in the pit did she want with him? Was she really hoping to take him as some form of leverage? He didn't know, but the thought sent his paternal instincts into overdrive.

"I'm on my way, Bulkhead! Just keep the civilians out of the line of fire!" Optimus shouted over his com. He put pedal to the metal, silently hoping Nick was OK. He'd promised the boy that he'd protect him—and he planned to keep that promise. He tore through the roads to the school.

He'd almost made it when something hit him from the side. He swerved a moment before transforming into his bipedal form. Of course, the person he came face-to-face with was exactly who he'd feared.

"Why are you in such a rush, Optimus?" Blackarachnia cooed. "Doesn't Bulkhead have your little pet protected?"

Optimus took in the form of his once-close friend silently. She'd certainly seen a few upgrades since they'd last met. Her armor was completely gold now, with only a few black accents. She looked to have gained more muscle, and, most of all, she looked much.

"Elita, leave Nick out of whatever you're planning." Optimus growled, as if it would even help. "You wanted me, now you've got me. So call off the pretender."

Blackarachnia smirked, a giggle of amusement escaping her. "That's cute. You actually care for the kid. And here I thought that was just another Autobot publicity stunt." Optimus gritted his denta. "I mean, I knew it would probably be enough to draw you out when we got him but... Wow. You're really into this."

"You got what you wanted—"

"Ah, but I'm not the one there right now, am I? No, that would be Waspinator. And despite the fact we're now on the same team, we hardly are on the same wavelength."

"How did you two even get back to Earth?"

Blackarachnia snickered. "Well, that part wasn't hard. Waiting for a Cybertronian ship to get us back to Cybertron from that fragging Jungle Planet was. Once we had that, I could go anywhere I wanted to." She replied. "Really, I could have struck you earlier. But I saw Megatron was already busy with that."

"What do you want?"

"Ah, always straight to the point with you. What do I want? Well, isn't it obvious? Revenge! I was stuck on that planet for three years!" Blackarachnia shouted. "Meanwhile you get to play hero? I don't think so. First, I'm going to let Waspinator take out that school on your watch. And then I'm gonna make you watch him make waste of your kid."

"I'm not letting you get away with this, Elita!"

"For the millionth time, it's Blackarachnia!" The Predacon replied sharply, preparing for battle herself. "And if it's a fight you want, so be it. But I hope you don't expect to win."

Blackarachnia charged. Optimus felt his spark pounding out of his chest. He had to hope that Bulkhead would have a handle on the situation. And better yet, on Nick. Because chances were, he wouldn't be getting to them for a while.

A/N: Ah yes, and now the return of the Predacons! :D