Black Wolf-Dog: Uhh...hi? I could give a hundred excuses as to why this took forever but I won't. I'll just tell you all that this is being posted from a borrowed computer because slaggit all you all have waited long enough, you shouldn't have to wait for my laptop to get fixed on top of it! This is also why I religiously back everything onto a flashdrive :D

So I know many of you were slightly upset that I left off on such a cliffhanger….but I couldn't resist! That scene was literally what birthed this story, it was the very first idea that popped into my head and the rest of the story just evolved around it. I had never imagined that it would take me this long to get to that scene (honestly, when this fic first started that would have been in chapter 3!) or that I would have such a positive response. So a huge thank you to all of you who give me support through your kind words! I never get tired of hearing that others enjoy the mad ramblings of my head as much as I do! :)

Shadowstreaker27: Hmm, well…she'll certainly find out about Prowl and John….can't say she'll get through it all okay though ;)

2211Nighthawk: Perhaps your reading it kick-started my muse again? Haha, glad you liked the chapter! And yes, he certainly would if he was able, we all know how much Prowl just *loves* being disobeyed repeatedly :)

murdercrowther: Haha sorry? Except I'm not…I enjoy writing brutal cliffhangers almost as much as the responses they get :D I'm so glad you loved the chapter and that you are liking Darcy! I've read a lot of those fanfictions as well, they're what helped inspire this story actually. I strive to always make my characters as realistic as possible, so I love hearing that I'm succeeding! I hope I can keep the realism throughout the story, and I plan to do so in a big way I haven't seen done before later on ;) Luckily both of your wishes shall come about, I do hope you're satisfied with the result!

ThemSoundWaves: I'm so glad you liked it! I'm sorry you had to wait! I had thought that this chapter would just write itself right after I had finished the last but obviously that didn't happen. Hey, we all have a secretly creepy side, ya'll are going to see mine in all its lovely details in the coming chapters ;)

Silver-Streaked Wings: Aww thanks! I love hearing that the most recent chapter is the best, makes me feel like I'm improving. Sorry to leave you hanging for so long!

Frog1:Yes, yes I did have to, the temptation was too great to resist :) Well….you'll see!

Khalthar: Thank you! Pretty much, her entire life has revolved around being a cop and she hasn't exactly let it sink in that she won't be once she closes the case. But Prowl will find out about it for sure, even if it will be a while. Oh she'll be learning about others very quickly, she'll just wish she hadn't! And thanks! I have to admit that my knowledge comes from a mixture of research and experience; while I don't work in law enforcement, I have taken several college courses in criminal justice and both of my professors used to be cops so I do have a lot of inside knowledge. Although I will openly admit now that I have flubbed and ignored some realistic points for the sake of moving the story along, but I tried to do it in a way that wasn't obvious or ridiculous. I'm glad to hear that this story has captured your interest and I hope it continues to do so!

SomeoneI'mSure: Well you might have to wait a *little* bit for our dear spy, but he will appear eventually! And of course Darcy will be alive! All of my plans for the future of this story wouldn't work too well if she died so early! You'll get some explanation, no worries about that!

Kathy3meme: Haha, I do that with a lot of stories as well, I wish I could update more often but my muse and life seem to enjoy preventing that. Of course Jazz is back! I couldn't resist! Plus he has his part to play later on ;) That was the other part I hated about his death, he just gets tossed to the side and then Optimus saying "We lost a great comrade" but that was it?! I mean….they'd all known Jazz for so long, OP knew him from before the war! And that's it?! Oi, nothing bothers me more in movies than a death that has zero emotional impact when it clearly should. Tis why I love fanfiction! I can fix the mistakes! :D

SilverZelenia: Awww thank you! I'm so glad that you loved the chapter so much and that my worrying was for naught! I admit I had a lot of fun with Darcy and Prowl working around each other; and Prowl's lack of tact is just awesomely fun to write, something about a complete aft-head who doesn't even realize that he is one that is endlessly entertaining! Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed their short interaction! I hope you enjoy it as it continues here :)

Komanah24: Hahahaha, yes, shame on me….I will do it again if I can! :D Aww thanks! I'm so glad you continue to love this story! I love that I was able to satisfy the psycho half of you! I'm sure it will get more than it's fill in the coming chapters, even my creepy side gets its fill and that's saying something! ;) Hmm…soon? Mayyyybbbeee. Haha

AnimeFreak2306: Glad you enjoyed the chapter! I love hearing that particular scenes sucked you in more, and that cliffhanger was just begging to be ended there, and who was I to disobey?

xXFallen-Angel-Of-DarknessXx: Glad you like it! I never get tired of hearing that, makes me feel like I'm doing something right! J Haha oh yes, Barricade will have lots and lots of screen time, he is, after all, on the story cover, and Prowl's nemesis, and Darcy's now by extension so….lots of 'ole sadistic 'Cade! Hehehe. I admit, I originally picked up Barricade as a favorite villain because of the Mustang. I may be more of a Camaro girl, but who can resist a muscle car?! And vwa-la! Here is a new chapter!


The universe doesn't like secrets. It conspires to reveal the truth, to lead you to it ~Lisa Unger

Pulsing pain was the first thing to greet Darcy as she groaned her way back into the conscious world. Head pounding from the constant blood rush, she blindly fumbled with the seatbelt's clasp. Numb fingers somehow managed to work the release and the restraint snapped off, sending her limp body crashing onto the ceiling. Broken glass struggled to carve its way into her arms as she fought against the disorientation to right herself.

While darkness hid the metal beast from her sight, she could hear it traipsing around the car. Hydraulics hissed and an engine purred as the thing stayed just out of view, taunting as it circled her like some twisted predator.

"Darcy, you still with us?" The smooth voice of Major Lennox broke through her rapidly rising panic.

"I'm here." She moaned into the CB's mic, panting as her left shoulder burned with every move.

"Try to get somewhere he can't reach you, we're almost there." The earth-shaking steps from the monster belayed his order. Almost wasn't close enough and Darcy sucked in a pained gasp as it sunk in that she probably wasn't going to make it through this.

"I can't, it's right outside." There wasn't anything that offered much in the way of coverage anyway. No, she was safest right there in the totaled cruiser.

"It?" Row's voice cut in, the dark undertone even more prevalent than before.

She was about to tell him just what was moving around out in the dark when a massive chunk of black metal crashed into the ground inches from the driver's door. Fear choked off her voice as it didn't splinter into pieces or fall over as it should have. Instead, in the odd gleam of white and red from somewhere overhead, she could make out the smooth surface of solid metal that faintly resembled a foot.

The bone-chilling chuckle that had come from the Mustang before echoed again and she screamed as the car jolted and her injured shoulder was shoved into the steering wheel. Stars danced across her vision as the joint was fully forced out of its socket.

"Come here, pet." The voice she finally recognized as the elusive 'Officer Cade' ordered with a sickening sadistic glee. Metal shrieked as some massive force started working its way through the undercarriage. Darcy pulled herself as far into the passenger side as she could, cradling her left arm as she worked to put as much distance between herself and the thing outside as possible.

The car groaned and jolted again as some part of the body gave way and the detective came to the terrifying realization that the thing was tearing the car apart and the cruiser wasn't going to keep her safe for much longer. Desperately looking around, she knew there wasn't much hope for her out here, but the small drainage ditch she could just make out would provide at least something over the open she was about to be in.

With the thing occupied trying to bust into the car, she make the decision to go for it. Shoving herself out of the broken window, she took only the time to gather her feet before bolting, her heart pounding with every step. She had taken only a handful of strides before the cruiser gave one last ear-splitting shriek and the beast gave a snarling roar. Thundering steps shook the ground and threatened to wipe out her balance. Darcy knew she barely had seconds and so poured everything she had into the last few steps she was able to take before diving for the ditch. Wind ghosted over her back as she missed getting hit by scant inches.

Another roar she expected, the sadistic laughter she did not and it turned her veins to ice. Rolling over in the ditch, she finally got a proper look at the thing attacking her, and promptly wished she hadn't.

A vaguely humanoid robot towered over her, glowing red lights somehow expressing psychotic madness and reflecting off two hands of clawed digits eager for destruction.

"Clever one indeed, but running is useless." The thing rumbled and Darcy had just long enough to recognize pieces of the Mustang on its body before a giant hand was reaching for her.

Moving into the deepest part of the ditch and pressing her body as close to the ground as possible, Darcy managed to keep herself just out of reach. The thing would have to take a handful of dirt if it wanted to grab her now.

Screeching tires and dual snarling engines in the nearing distance gave the detective the courage to stall one last time. Pulling the gun that had been useless against the thing as a car, she aimed for what was hopefully its face. Using the red lights as targets, she squeezed the trigger.

The robot reared back, shouting indiscernible curses as it clutched its head. It did have a weak point then, she realized, struggling back to her feet and taking off in the direction of the incoming cars. With a roar, the ground lurched and Darcy hardly made it four steps before she suddenly found herself surrounded by metal. Four steel digits wrapped harshly around her, binding her body in place and squeezing the breath out of her lungs. The gun fell harmlessly from her grasp.

"Stupid flesh bag." It growled, hoisting her up into the air and tightening its grip until her ribs threatened to give way. The world spun and her stomach lurched into her throat as the giant turned and bent slightly back down. With its free hand, it grabbed onto what she could dimly recognize as half of her cruiser and turned, hurling the piece towards the incoming noise.

Tires squealed as the hunk of car crashed onto the pavement, narrowly missing a blessedly familiar black truck and Charger as they swerved out of the way. Relief clashed with confusion and panic as the two vehicles exploded upwards, pieces coming together in the same way it had done with the Mustang until two large robotic machines stood in their place.

"Leave the human alone Barricade." Row's monotone came from the black and white that had been the Charger. Darcy felt her head spin as reality continuously threatened to slip away. Was Row controlling the thing from the inside?

"Put her down so I can tear you apart!" the black one demanded, giant glowing cannons purring on its arms. Who was controlling that one then?! She could dimly make out Lennox standing next to the thing and that had certainly not been his voice.

"Tempting." The sarcasm was thick even through the mechanical tone the voice carried. "One more step from either of you and I squeeze."

The grip on her body loosened only enough for her to get her breath back before tightening again, forcing her to let it out again in a soundless gasp as the pressure pulled on her dislocated shoulder.

"What do you want?" Row's voice echoed out of the black and white again.

The faux-Mustang shrugged loosely, jostling the detective enough to keep the firm reminder of her precarious position.

"Your head in my trophy room." Darcy could hear the sinister edge to the voice echoing above her head. He meant every word and it was terrifyingly stunning to have all the theories confirmed on just how evil the people she was after were. And she was trapped in the robotic claws of one of them as it cackled again, "But not yet, I have special plans for you."

The beast moved backwards, taking one thunderous step that rattled every bone in the detective's beaten body. The world swirled and spun but Darcy forced herself to focus on the Charger and truck, on her last chance of safety. The black and white hadn't moved much, it was steady and stoic as a rock. It was an entirely different story with the truck. Massive cannons whined and pulsed as it constantly shifted its weight from one pillar-like leg to the other.

Static and an assortment of technologic tones burst through the air in such quick succession that Darcy quickly lost track of which robot they were coming from. But the beast that held her did stop moving and for that she was momentarily grateful. With her left arm going numb, it finally gave her the chance to catch what little breath she could.

She couldn't spot Lennox anymore, what she could see was all illuminated by the headlights still shining on the chests of the robots and it didn't reveal much but strips of asphalt and metal.

"Ha!" The faux-truck let out a sharp laugh and Darcy suddenly found herself staring straight into the glowing barrels of twin cannons. "If you think we're just gonna let you leave then yer even dumber than I thought!"

"Go ahead." Her capture snarled, holding her directly in front of its chest, "Unless you do exactly as I say then this flesh bag's termination is your fault, and that violates dear old Prime's orders doesn't it?"

"Ironhide." The Charger rumbled after a brief standoff, Row's voice back to a monotone that gave absolutely nothing away.

Whatever that command meant, the black behemoth stood his ground for one agonizingly long minute before the cannons dropped and powered down.

"Let the human go, she's of no use to you." Darcy stayed as still as she possibly could as Row gave his order, attempting in some pitiful way to stay out the focus of the thing holding her. She had never been so completely and utterly helpless in the face of something so dangerous and it took focusing on the pain and every detail she could see to stave off the rising panic. Questions rattled off in her head faster than she could consciously think them, but with every passing second in the beast's grasp, it became less and less likely she would ever learn the answer to one.

"Perhaps not now, but I'll find a use for it." The sadistic glee in Barricade's voice was missed by no one and it zapped every bit of warmth from the detective's blood. "Any idiotic rescue attempts and I'll throw its pieces across the highway."

Darcy didn't even have the chance to whimper her fear before the robotic beast whirled around and exploded again. Metal parts and pieces crashed passed her as the hand that had been holding her disappeared, dropping her towards the asphalt below. The release of pressure from her lungs gave her just long enough to let out a partial scream before she was caught, scant inches from the ground, by hard leather. Panting as the confusing terror seemed only to escalate, it took the detective only a moment to realized two very important things; one: she was trapped in the psychotic Mustang as it roared down the road with her only hope of help fast disappearing in the rearview mirror; but most notably: no one was driving.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"So what's the plan?" Lennox butted in as they watched Barricade's taillights disappear down the road.

He and Ironhide turned to Prowl, they both understood, but neither liked that he had let the 'Con take the detective, but he wasn't the tactician for nothing. Certainly he had a plan ready.

"Nothing." Was his curt reply as he turned his back on the wrecked remains of Darcy's cruiser.

Lennox felt his jaw slacken and found himself at a loss for words. Ironhide did not. "What the frag do ya mean nothing?! We can't just let him get away!"

"That is exactly what we are going to do. Now let us find somewhere more secure before another human gets involved."

He dropped back into his alt mode in one smooth move and was already driving off before either Autobot or soldier could get a word in. They were angry with him he knew, he could hear it in the excessively loud snarling of the weapon specialist's engine when he finally transformed and caught up; he could see it in the flush on the Major's face, who would no doubt be fully voicing his opinion once the solid metal of Ironhide's door no longer separated them.

"What the frag was that Prowl? You just let him get away!" Ironhide snarled as they rolled into an abandoned warehouse. Lennox barely cleared the cab as his Guardian burst out in a violent transformation. "I should'a blasted him when I had the chance."

"Then the detective would be dead and we'd have an entirely different conversation with Prime." Prowl snipped.

"Is that a crack against my aim?" Ironhide rumbled dangerously.

The tactician was unfazed, "Whether or not the blast radius would have harmed her is irrelevant. Barricade would have ensured his last act would result in her termination. This was the only course that kept her alive."

"But for how long?" Lennox cut in, pacing back and forth between the two mechs, "You've seen what they've been doing to people, how long until she's the next victim?!"

"Barricade will not kill her, not yet." Prowl had made the most logical choice of course, but that didn't mean it bothered him any less. No, he was quite irritated that Barricade of all mechs had managed to outmaneuver him and snatch the human under his protection. Unlike the other two however, he had just learned to conceal the emotions.

"How are you so sure?" Lennox snapped, a sick feeling settling into his gut. Next to Starscream, the Decepticon scout was the last mech he wanted to see any person's life in the hands of.

"He believes I am her Guardian; if he is going to terminate her, he's going to do it in front of me, once her use as leverage is up." Prowl stated straight-faced. The thought was utterly laughable, not that he was foolish enough to tell Ironhide that, but the idea of accepting a human as a charge was completely pointless; what could such a short-lived creature offer?

"Just how long until that happens?" The Major asked, wondering if the 'Cons would really reach that point before they just tired of keeping her alive.

"Until the moment we disobey Barricade's order and go after them."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Darcy didn't know for how long she sat in silence in the cruiser. Half utterly confused on what she had witnessed and half terrified of the answers, she kept her mouth firmly shut. The radio was off and the windows had all blacked out some time ago, giving her absolutely no idea of time or location. She'd tried to memorize every turn and the seconds between, but it hadn't taken long for her to lose count, nor did it help that the Mustang strained at eighty miles an hour as much as it did at twenty. She could feel the frustration, exhaustion and fear burning her eyes. There was nothing she could do to save herself, nothing she could get out to anyone who could save her. She was a victim, and she'd never been so helpless.

Unable to remember the route or forget the pain, she settled with studying the interior, looking for any indication of the robotic beast it could become. She found none and it was that much more frightening. How could she get away from an enemy she couldn't recognize?

When the silence grated too much and the shear lack of anything to focus on left her no choice, Darcy opened her mouth. She didn't know what she was going to say, but damn it all some noise would be better than nothing!

"If you value your pathetic life meatbag you'll keep silent." Barricade's disembodied voice interjected before she could utter a sound. She snapped her jaw shut, figuring this was one of those cases where following orders would be the best way to stay alive. So in silence she sat, willing time to pass but terrified to know what she was going to face. Her imagination was left to ponder for hours, and for the sake of her sanity she forced it to play out all the different ways her escape or rescue could come.

Whatever road they were on pitched up without warning and kept inclining. Up, up it went, until Darcy knew there was only one place she could be being taken, and it made the possibility of rescue or escape on the higher end of impossible. The mountains. What mountain in which range there was no way of knowing, and the detective felt the last shreds of hope flee. She almost wished she was at her final destination; facing death or whatever hell awaited was a small cry better than the torture of knowing there was no escaping the fate ahead but no idea of when that fate would appear.

Barricade…or was it Barricade's robot? Whatever the Mustang was, it kept utterly quiet during the long, tedious drive and it made the time creep that much slower. Hours or days could have passed, she had no idea, and even when the windows finally flashed clear again, there was nothing to tell her just how long it had been.

There was no warning to the sudden flash of light, and even the dullness of it was enough to temporarily blind her. The seat beneath her pitched sideways, dumping her unceremoniously onto hard, cold ground. Darcy took her time getting up, focusing on the details of her surroundings as much as possible, and praying for some kind of escape.

Her chances were beyond bleak. Patchwork metal ran up the length of forty foot walls in the room the size of a football stadium. Blue neon lights ran along those walls, disappearing down multiple corridors that tipped up, down and every direction. The drive had told her she'd be in the mountains, she just never would have guessed she'd end up in the mountain, smack in the center of a complex, man-made tunnel system.

"Tell me, Barricade," a dark voice sneered from the other end of the cavern. Twin red lights shone in stark contrast to the blue tint cast on the room. Eyes, Darcy told herself, they had to be the eyes of the robots. A massive body followed those eyes into the center of the room. This new beast dwarfed the Mustang even as the faux cop car twisted up into its own robotic form. Inverted wings tilted up as the thing sneered at her abductor. "Just why is Soundwave picking up Autoscum chatter about you kidnapping meatsacks?"

Half of that question flew straight over the detective's head, but the snide voice, the overbearing presence and confidence was a personality Darcy knew well. Whoever was controlling this robot was in charge, and the fact that it was so huge and had missiles secured to the arms only further confirmed her suspicion that this was one not to be trifled with.

The ex-Mustang gave a half shrug along with an ugly smirk, "I snagged it right out from under the tactician's watch."

Darcy jumped back as the leader harshly turned and backhanded the smaller robot. "You fragged glitch! We don't want the Autoscum's attention yet!"

The snarl that quickly twisted his face told the detective just how much Barricade respected this leadership. Perhaps it was just the rush of adrenaline and desire to live talking, but maybe, just maybe this was a dynamic she could use. Kill the snake by turning the body against the head right?

"Lucky for your pathetic life," The behemoth continued, turning to walk down one of the corridors, "I can still salvage this plan. We'll just have to start Stage Two sooner."

Darcy wasn't sure how a robot could display so many obvious emotions, but she was sure Barricade was barely reigning himself in from lunging at the leader. She was sorely disappointed that the self-control lasted long enough for the interruption.

The explosion sent her to the floor and rattled every bone in her body even as the echo of it lasted far longer than the source itself. There was no debris, no flame or smoke or other indication that the sound had a source, except for the new robot that was suddenly in the middle of the room. Purple colored seemingly random pieces of metal on its body but otherwise it was almost identical to the leader. Neither of the other robots were fazed by the sound, instead they seemed more annoyed by the sudden presence. Where had he come from? The floor was solid, the ceiling whole, and it definitely hadn't come from one of the corridors. But Darcy was far from ready to accept the alternative.

"Got another batch boss!" It shouted in glee, holding out a handful of something. Whatever it was was blocked by its height, until it tipped its hand just enough for the lighting to reflect off four pale faces. Human faces. She couldn't look away even as the bile rose in her throat. More people destroyed by the monsters, more lives lost in a war no one knew was being fought.

"You idiot, humans can't survive your bridges." Barricade growled.

"He can still use them can't he?" The newcomer asked, wings dipping down slightly as it turned its hand back and forth.

The leader snarled, "Shockwave needs live test subjects! Now go dump those before they rot!"

It gave a snappy salute before the air around it seemed to warp, it lasted barely half a second before the explosive sound shook the walls again and the robot vanished completely. As much as she didn't want to, it was hard for Darcy to deny something she'd now seen both sides of. Teleportation. Just where did their technology end? At the very least, it seemed that not all of the robots had the ability, or at least weren't as prone to using it.

"Get rid of it Barricade." The leader snapped, "Or it's your aft being handed to the Autobots when they come knocking too soon."

Darcy's terror spiked. This was it; here she was going to die because she couldn't simply hand the case over to someone who was actually qualified to deal with it. For the first time she cursed her own determination.

"No." Hope dared to spark again. Even if Barricade had some much worse plan for her, at least death would have to wait a little longer. "She's Prowl's pet."

"All the more reason to be rid of it!"

The Mustang growled, "Starscream…"

"IT. IS. LORD!" The newly named Starscream shouted, pointing his left arm at her. "Give me one reason not to reduce the meat sack to atoms."

Darcy felt very small amidst these giants, especially when she realized that it wasn't the arm that was aimed at her, but rather the missile that was attached to it.

"Lord Starscream," Darcy could hear how difficult the title was for the Mustang to force out, and determined that if she made it out of this meeting, it was definitely a rift she would try to exploit. "You planned to use humans as leverage against the Autobots already, imagine how much more leverage you could gain by using their own charges against them."

If she had not have been conscious for the confrontation with Row and his robots earlier, Barricade's proposal would have told her nothing of the personal vendetta he was more interested in. He was smarter and more cunning than she'd given him credit for.

Starscream paused, contemplating the idea, but there was a shadow of suspicion there that told the detective he wasn't the leader for nothing. He knew his soldiers, or at least knew what they were capable of. Darcy forced herself to fight against the fear and focus on every detail of the interaction. She'd need everything if she dared hope to try and turn them against each other.

A wicked grin split across the winged robot's face as its eyes turned to her. "That's not a bad idea after all. Take her to Knock Out and get her chipped." He gave the shorter a sideways glance, "And get that optic fixed."

With that, Starscream turned and strutted out of the room, his parting words leaving behind a menacing echo, "I've got some hunting to do."

She didn't have a second to ponder the meaning of those words before steal was wrapping around her and hoisting her up again. Her shoulder ground against the joint but refused to pop back in, leaving her to grind her teeth and use every ounce of focus and control to keep from crying out. A whimper escaped but Barricade ignored her as he took a path only he knew through the maze of corridors.

"The conditions of this place are absolutely horrendous! My finish gets tarnished just being down here!" A voice echoed out of the room the Mustang appeared to be heading towards.

"It's not that bad, it gets worse when you go out racing." A second, deeper voice cut in.

"Not the point Breakdown! This sorry excuse for a med bay is the worst! Starscream gave it to me on purpose." Barricade was only three steps from the doorway and Darcy wondered just what she was going to see on the other side.

"Lord Starscream has better things to do than torment us."

Barricade rounded through the doorway, cutting off whatever the first was going to respond with. "I have better things to do than listen to your whining."

A giant blue robot was the first thing Darcy noticed; complete with off-road tires and a boxy chest, she had to guess it transformed into some sort of 4x4. The other mechanoid was smaller, close to Barricade's size and all sleek curves and red paint. Sports car maybe?

With a large dosing of luck, Darcy hoped that she could somehow escape with the knowledge of all of the mad robots' alternative forms. At least it could give her the advantage of knowing which cars to avoid if she made it out of here. And that was a big if.

"Barricade, to what do we owe the pleasure?" The red one sneered, flexing impressively sharp talons on one hand and leisurely waving the other arm, which, instead of a hand at the end, sported a rather nasty looking drill.

"Replace my optic and chip the fleshbag." He thrust Darcy towards the red mech, who in turn backed half a step and waved at the larger.

"Deal with the organic Breakdown. Now what did you do to the optic this time? They're not easy to get replacements these days you know." The detective could only deduce that this was Knock Out and sorely hoped she would never have to personally deal with him. One poke from those claw-like fingers and she would be skewered through.

Barricade's grip on her suddenly slackened until she slipped from his hand and landed hard on the waiting hand of Breakdown. She expected the blunt fingers to snap closed around her, but instead they only curled up slightly, leaving her to sit under her own power in his palm. It was a welcome change even if it did nothing to ease the pain in her body.

"The fleshbag shot it." The Mustang growled as Knock Out grabbed his head and forced it down. The drill disappeared with a hiss and clang of metal, replaced by another clawed hand. Said hand didn't hesitate and two sharp fingers stabbed into Barricade's injured eye and ripped it out. The faux cop reared back, swearing in languages and tones she'd never heard of. Knock Out paid him no mind as he turned the piece in his hand over and over.

"Totally useless." He announced after a moment, tossing it over his shoulder and into a large pile of scrap metal. "You are in luck today, for I do actually have a spare from one of Shockwave's….volunteers."

Digging through a different pile of scraps, he pulled out what had to be another optic and proceeded to slam it right into Barricade's face. "There! All better."

The swearing continued for another long moment before there was a faint sound of machinery powering up and the eye flared to life. It flashed a brilliant, vibrant blue for several seconds until it faded and was overpowered by red.

Darcy was so distracted by the fact that they'd just completely replaced an eye with all the grace and caution of a caveman that she failed to notice the medic until he was right in front of her.

"Arm, squishy." He commanded. Darcy hesitated, until one of those talons moving towards her prompted obedience.

"So, squishy shoots your optic and gets to live, what am I missing?" Knock Out asked as he thrust a fat needle into her wrist and injected…something.

"Nothing you need to know." Barricade snarled, snatching her up the second the medic was clear.

"Hmph. Well at least this one doesn't make so much noise. The others can be so annoying." He waved them off, drill reappearing as he turned to whatever he was doing before. "Now Breakdown, really, you'd understand the thrill of racing if you'd chosen an alt form…"

His voice muffled beyond recognition as the Mustang left the room and turned down the hall. A now sore wrist on top of everything else was too much to let the silence continue. "What was that?"

Rubbing the spot he'd injected her, she could feel a hard bump that pinched every time she felt it.

"Tracker." He grunted, before a twisted smirk stretched across his face, "And if you try to cut it out, it will kill you."

Of course, because what was an advanced tracking device if it couldn't kill you too? Darcy internally swore, but then Knock Out's words came back and she frowned.

"Others?" She asked before she could think to stop herself.

He didn't answer this time, instead he lowered his hand and dropped her to the floor. "One more Ravage."

Ravage? Who was Ravage? Just how many of these things were there?! Darcy pulled herself up and turned to face this new threat. A humanoid robot she expected. A mechanoid panther she did not. The cat was easily twice the size of a lion, had a single large red eye and a wickedly spiked tail.

It just couldn't get worse could it?

Unfortunately the answer always seems to be yes.

Ravage grabbed onto the back of her shirt with its teeth and pulled her as easily as a cat does a mouse. Dragging her into the room it had been guarding, it released without warning and sauntered back to the doorway, dropping down with its back to the room. The detective wondered if it actually slept and how difficult it would be to sneak past it. That is until, of all things, a Gatling gun popped out of its hips and pointed straight into the room.

"Darcy?" An aged, human voice asked.

She froze, wishing with all her might that the voice did not belong to the man she thought. Not him, she pleaded silently, he had to be anywhere but here.

A leathery hand fell on her uninjured shoulder, turning her around to the familiar face she had desperately searched for. The sob she had fought so hard to hold back broke free the second she saw him.

"John." It was all she could choke out before she threw her good arm around him. She was so happy to finally know he was alive, and a small part of her was glad to know she didn't have to face all of this terror alone. But she was scared, because he was thinner and looked like he'd aged another ten years and she could lose him again and both their lives hung in the paws of a robotic cat with an automatic gun.

And when he clung her tight to him, she felt that it was okay to not be strong all of the time, and the fear and confusion of the day crashed down hard and what little she was still holding together quickly fell apart.


Wolf-Dog: I know some of you were probably hoping for a hoedown showdown between Prowl and Barricade...but that comes later :D And others were probably wishing for more Prowl scenes, but at least this way you finally get an idea of what the Decepticons are up to! The full picture will be coming soon!

Honestly I despise this chapter, but that's probably because the sadistic muse didn't get to come out to play very much...next time! ;)

And I'm not doing 'Next Time's anymore because my normal muse keeps giving me new and better ideas that screws with what I tell you guys...But for those of you with dark and twisted sides like me...you should be pretty satisfied come next chapter ;)