Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.

Authors Note: I hope that this isn't too short, but I feel that I got what I needed to say, said. As always, enjoy.

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Enigma fought against the hands holding onto her shoulders, she had to get away, she had to get back to Ironhide and the others. She tried to activate her canons, however the sudden hand gripping the exposed wires of her back stopped her. She had no real option in the pending matters, it was either submit to them or be killed. She was going to go with the former and try her best to get a signal out to her fellow Autobots.

Sideways was quite pleased with himself for capturing an Autobot, even if Starscream would most likely want the renegade scrap destroyed, he felt that he might be able to convince their new leader to use the captive. He didn't quite remember her from Cybertron but her fear of him made him feel all the powerful, and he planned on using her fear to his advantage. Who knew what he would be able to get the femme to do, and with her back damaged as much as it was he could insure her complete obedience.

He came to a stop, the remaining members of his team surrounding Enigma, preventing her from attempting escape. Even if she did try to get away it wouldn't matter, she would be brought down in an instant, however the state in which she would be brought down was of little concern to them. Enigma looked at Sideways, if her face could have shown emotion it would have shown great fear. She want to speak but she was much to afraid, her vocal processors seemed to have chosen that moment that refuse to work.

"Starscream will not be pleased," said one of the Constructicons eyeing Enigma. While he was right, Sideways had plans for her.

"He might not be pleased at first, but she is Autobot, and so can be used to get at Optimus Prime and the others." It was clear that he had been thinking it through ever since he had laid optics on her. She bowed her head, she was going to be killed and she knew it. There was no way for the others to save her, and she had no way of protecting herself. The missing section of her armor prevented her from shifting and made it relatively easy to bring her down. All it would take was a well aimed blow and she wouldn't be getting back up.

Sideways to Starscream. We are successful, and are bringing a surprise.

Primes head I hope. came the reply, Starscream was flying towards them hoping to find Optimus Primes lifeless body. He circled down towards them, transforming instants before any normal jet would have crashed. He landed on his feet and walked towards them. He came to a stop before Enigma, a sneer on his face as he looked her over.

"What is this Autobot doing alive, Sideways," he demanded.

"My lord, I thought that we could use her to trap Optimus and the other Autobots. They would not leave one of their own behind," he answered quickly.

Starscream looked at him, then back at the femme. He wasn't pleased with his followers at the moment, but he had a plan slowly forming. They could use the femme to attract Prime and the others and be done with them all thanks to her.

"You will carry her back," he said pointing a massive finger at the Decepticon responsible for their captive. He then transformed and took off back towards the location they had decided to call a temporary home base. One of the small unnamed and uninhabited islands that was one of the thousands belonging to Greece. They changed islands every few days so as to avoid attracting attention from the locals.

Sideways groaned, he hadn't thought about that and he was sure that the femme wasn't going to make it easy for him to transport her. He grabbed her, sliding his hand under her broken armor and gripped her tightly, she flinched and gave a whimper. There really wasn't supposed to be a hand there, nor were the wires and gears supposed to be exposed.

"I am not going to have any problems with you am I?" he growled as he pushed her forwards, it would slow going until they got to the boat. She bowed her head and kept her mouth shut, resigning herself to forming a boosting a signal.

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Ironhide rolled off the C-17 slowly, refusing to believe that she was gone, it just wasn't possible. And yet it had happened; he should have tried to get to her sooner, he should have gone with the other team of humans. Lennox would have defended her better than the others, surely. He rolled past the Optimus and Bumblebee and his spark all but broke. How was he going to tell him?

He refused to stop despite their calling after him, he rolled into the hanger and shifted back into his bi-pedal form. He glanced over at Ratchet who was looking back at him, he sank down on to the concrete slowly.

"Ironhide, what is wrong, you are usually in a much better mood than this," asked Ratchet as he walked over, giving the weapons master a quick scan. He had some minor damage, but none of it would effect him so.

The old mech didn't answer, to say it out loud would make it real. He looked at the entrance to the hanger as Optimus, Bumblebee and the humans walked in, he could see the piece of armor in Major Lennox's hands. So the human had told them when he couldn't, he was supposed to be a warrior slag it! He looked at Bumblebee and it was clear upon the young mechs face how he felt. Ironhide turned his gaze away from the little mech but he couldn't shake the feeling of eyes burning into him.

Optimus walked over to him, his mood solemn as he laid a massive hand on his friends shoulder. "We have lost a great comr--"

"She's not dead, Optimus." whispered the great mech as he looked at Bumblebee.

"I hate you." They all stared at Bumblebee in shock, they had heard him use the word hate before, but never in reference to a fellow Autobot. Ironhide lowered his head, he hated himself enough for the both of them.

After a few minutes of silence Ironhide stood up and walked over to the yellow Autobot, he stared straight into his optics and held his gaze.

You promised, Ironhide.

I know I did, and I will get her back. You know she's not dead, so don't you forget it.

I can barely feel her, Ironhide. I think she is…

"Don't you dare say it, 'bee," grumbled the black mech as he placed a hand on his shoulder, with his other hand he took the piece of armor from Lennox. He handed it to Bumblebee before he walked out of the hanger and transformed in a black topkick. They watched him drive away, Lennox and Epps watched him a few moments before turning back to Optimus.

"I trust that if she had fallen you would have brought her back. So the only logical thing left is to believe that she has been taken. And if so, she is in great danger, we must find her quickly."

"I've got satellites searching as we speak," Epps stated as he walked over towards one of the relatively empty tables. Ratchet leaned down beside him, the two of them were quickly engaged in a discussion about signatures and pockets of energy.

Bumblebee sat down in a corner and leaned back, his head resting upon the wall behind him. He couldn't feel her as well now, it was almost as if she was disappearing completely. Lennox busied himself and Optimus by going over the turn of events leading to Enigma's capture.

"I don't think taking Enigma was their original goal. They had set a trap for us, knowing that we would separate our forces to find them. We ended up fighting in different locations, Ironhide was with me, Enigma was with the others. Most of whom I am going to be talking to just as soon as I finish up here. They should have tried to protect her, or at least been paying attention." He wasn't pleased with his team, their actions were inexcusable, if it were one of them being dragged off they would have gone after them. And the odds of Enigma going without resistance was very slim.

Optimus spoke. "Then we must work very quickly and hope that she thinks on her feet."

"Optimus! We've got a signal!" called Ratchet, his tone was pleased but it still held grief for the missing counter part.

"Where?" the Autobot leader replied as he knelt down to look at the small computer screen.

"It's moving rapidly so I can't track it, but it was near Greek Islands."

"That area will be difficult to search."

"Optimus, it wasn't a Decepticon signal, it was Autobot," the medical officer stated, a hint of joy in his voice. "I think she may have managed to get a message out with their location."

"Do we have proof?" he asked, glancing quickly over his shoulder at the still silent and unmoving Bumblebee.

"It has been scrambled."

"How does that help, Ratchet, the Decepticons scramble their signals as well."

"Let him finish," growled a voice that they all knew to belong to Ironhide, he had just come back to the hanger and was in the middle of transforming when he spoke. He was given a welcoming nod before their attention was once again upon the medical officer.

"I have been working with Enigma on coded scrambles. She is the only one of us who would be forced to use it. But I am having trouble finding the key to it all."

"What kind of a key are we talking about, Ratchet?" asked Epps who was willing and ready to get to work cracking the femmes code. Ratchet looked down with a Cybertronian sigh, it was very hard to know what the femme had chosen.

"Either a single of your Earth words or phrases."

"There are numerous possibilities, perhaps we can narrow it down. Bumblebee," called Optimus. The yellow Autobot got up and walked over to join them sadly. It was still evident that he was doubting. Although he had heard everything they had shared he didn't trust it. His spark was telling him that something was wrong, that Enigma wasn't going to be with them much longer.

"You know her better than any of us, young one, what would she use?" asked the leader, he looked at the little scout.

Silence seemed to settle over them, causing each of them to worry more, to fear the moment when he would offer words towards their search. He wasn't really trying to think of anything, even though he should have been. He couldn't help it, she didn't make it back when she should have, more of them should have gone along. It wasn't never a simple mission when Decepticons were concerned, and Optimus knew that. So why did he only send the two of them. Didn't he know the odds, and if he did why did he send Enigma.

Bumblebee wasn't trying when it finally came to him, Promise, would she? It was worth a try. However the odds could be against them at this point, he had a feeling in his spark that this would be the word to break it. To make everything perfectly clear, or as clear as it could be for transmission that had probably traveled halfway across the globe.

"Promise," he said using an audio clip from one of the many songs he had stored in his databank. He looked at Ratchet, his optics conveying everything that he needed to say. The medical officer nodded at Epps who quickly input the information with his assistance in the numeric coding. The others then retreated, leaving the two of them to work it out while they talked about their plans of action.

Bumblebee didn't feel like being a part of either one of the groups at the moment, so he retreated back to the corner he had claimed earlier upon hearing the depressing news. This was not unnoticed by the others, but it wasn't at the top of their lists. They had to think of how they were going to get her back, and still defeated the Decepticons who had the gall to take her in the first place. Ironhide was more than ready to destroy them without a plan of attack, however he was going to take a step back and allow Optimus to set up the operation.

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Enigma had all but shut down her systems, she refused to make it simple for them. If they wanted her, they would have to carry her. As it was, Sideways was doing so, and making a note to complain to any Decepticon stupid enough to get to close to him. It was in those moments that Starscream was more than grateful for the Earthen form he had chosen.

He landed on the small island, coming to his full height he walked towards the rudimentary shelter they had built with stolen materials. He began to build a holding cell for the prisoner they had so joyous obtained, it was a shame that he hadn't thought about it. But he would take the credit for it when it succeeded. He deserved to the one to take out the Autobots; to destroy Optimus Prime and the others once and for all. Then he could become ruler of this planet, he could control its people and their barbaric machines.

He was the only one who had any right to rule, Megatron was weak, he was killed by a human youth. A human youth that he had been unable to kill. He looked towards the shore, his minions had finally arrived with their prisoner. And, to his great amusement, they were having trouble moving her. She wasn't all that big so what could possibly be keeping them. He zoomed in, once he focused he found the cause of all their troubles. The femme had offlined herself, such a smart thing she was.

He was going to have fun with her.

Songs used by Bumblebee: I hate everything about you by 3 doors down, This I Promise You by N'sync