June, being the overprotective mother, had a bit of a meltdown at the Autobot's base, and really got Jack upset. Sari, sensing some danger, wanted to ride back with her.
After leaving Outpost Omega One, Sari and June got on the highway headed back to Jasper. They were quiet for a while. Finally, June broke the silence. She sighed, and said "I guess I made a fool of myself back there."
"No you didn't," replied Sari sympathetically. "You had every right to be upset. I'm the one who should feel foolish. I should have anticipated that attack, and instead, I allowed Jack to be put in danger with that trip."
"But then, on the other hand, if you didn't bring Jack to Jarlie, your friend wouldn't have been able to give him that warning." June shook her head. "Oh! I don't know what to think! I just wish I'd handled that whole scene better."
"Nobody should blame you! You're his mother! If the Autobots don't understand, well, that's their problem, not yours."
June smiled and put her hand on Sari's arm. "Thanks!"
"So, did Jack enjoy the trip?" she asked.
"Oh! You should have seen him, June! When we got above the Earth and were flying in space, he actually let loose! It was amazing; he started flying around and being silly – I had to laugh!"
June did a double-take. "Jack?"
"I know! He's usually so serious, so…reserved. It was wonderful to see him have fun."
"He takes after me…" June caught herself and chuckled. "Well, duh…of course he does!"
They both laughed at that. "It's OK," said Sari, "I'm just like my Dad, too. I love science and research. It's one of the special bonds we have."
June sighed. "I hope Jack doesn't stay mad at me for too long. I know I'm overprotective, but with the way I found him, and with his Dad gone, I just worry so much."
"He'll cool off," Sari replied. "Jack's level-headed, and will come to realize that with the Decepticons out to get him, he needs to stay at the base."
"Oh! But what about school?! How are we going to explain all this come Monday?"
Sari thought for a moment. "Maybe Agent Fowler can help. We can…" Just then, there was an explosion to the right of June's car! She swerved to the left and ran into a ditch. "What was that?!" she yelled.
Sari got out of the car and looked up to see several Vehicon planes attacking. "June! Get out and stay behind me!" she yelled as she transformed and began firing at the planes. She got on her comm. "Ratchet! June and I are under attack from Vehicons! Request immediate assistance!"
"Acknowledged, Sari!" said T:Prime Ratchet. T:Prime Optimus and TFA Optimus both responded to the call. They immediately grabbed both Bumblebees, Jazz, TFA Arcee and TFA Ratchet. T:Prime Ratchet opened up a ground bridge to Sari's location.
"Mom!" Jack heard the communication over Ratchet's console, and started running toward the ground bridge.
"No, Jack," said T:Prime Arcee, getting in his way. "You're to stay here."
Jack screamed at her. "That's my mother in danger – she's all I've got! God damn you!"
The ground bridge was closing. Suddenly, there was a crash from the raised floor. Miko, running to watch all the Autobots leaving, accidentally bumped into her amp, knocking it over. Arcee turned in the direction of the sound, and seeing the opportunity, Jack powered up his plasma boosters and jetted out through the bridge at breakneck speed just as it closed up.
"Jack!" Arcee yelled. "Scrap! I'll kill that kid! Ratchet! Re-open that bridge!" He opened the bridge again and Arcee transformed and sped out after Jack.
The bridge opened up at the location where Sari and June were. Sari was battling the flying Vehicons, shooting them down as they blasted the ground all around. June was crouched behind her, holding on to Sari's legs. The Autobots transformed and placed themselves ahead of Sari, firing up into the sky at the Decepticons.
"Somebody try and get June back to Outpost Omega One!" Sari yelled. Suddenly, Jack appeared from the ground bridge. He landed beside Sari and bent down to June. "Mom? Are you OK?"
She looked up to him. "Jack? What are you doing here? I told you to stay at the base!"
"What? No! Mom, I had to come – with dad gone you're all I've got!" He looked at Sari. "Go, help everyone else, I'll stay here with my mother." Sari nodded, and went with the others.
Suddenly, another bridge opened up right beside Jack and June. Out stepped Knockout! "Well, well, isn't this sweet; mother and child reunion!" And he reached down to grab them.
"Get away from her, you freak!" yelled Jack, and released his broadsword and Skyboom shield. He stood between June and Knockout. He powered up the plasma jets on his pedes and brought himself up to Knockout's face. "Maybe I'll slice up that pretty face of yours, huh?" Knockout backed away, holding up his servos, "No! No, stay away!"
What Jack was unaware of was the fact that by backing away, Knockout was separating Jack from his mother. At a certain point, another Decepticon, Soundwave, came out of the space bridge and snatched up June. She screamed, and Jack turned to see her being carried off. "Mom, no!" At that moment, Knockout took out his electrical staff and shocked Jack hard, putting him into stasis. He fell down to the ground.
Knockout reached down to pick up Jack, but just as he had him in his arms, Arcee came flying out of the Autobot's ground bridge. She saw Knockout and sped toward him, transforming in mid-air, and aimed her blaster right at him. "Go ahead, make my day – I can think of nothing better than putting a hole right through your pretty face!"
Caught off guard, he said, "Oh, forget it!" and dropped Jack at Arcee's pedes. "Doesn't matter, half a glass is better than none!" and ran into the closing space bridge.
The remaining flying Vehicons all turned and flew away. The Autobots watched this and wondered what happened. It was at that moment that Sari realized that June was gone. She ran to Arcee and June. "What happened?"
Arcee picked Jack up and shook him. "Jack? Jack!" His optics flickered, then lit back up. He came to. "Mom! Mom! Where is she?"
"I don't know," answered Arcee, putting him down. "When I came out of the ground bridge, all I saw was Knockout picking you up."
Coming to his senses, he suddenly realized. "Soundwave! He took her!"
"Soundwave?! Where were you?" Arcee demanded angrily.
"Fighting Knockout!" Then Jack realized that he'd been duped. "He led me away from her. I told Sari to go fight the Vehicons. I thought I could defend my mother. I…I"
Sari put her servo to her mouth. "Oh no!"
"You allowed yourself to be distracted," Arcee told him, optics frowning. "Big rookie mistake! This is why you are not to be involved in battle yet, partner!"
"Oh, Jack!" said Sari.
Jack was horrified! "What do we do?!" he asked.
"We plan a rescue. Now!" said Arcee. She got on her comm. "Ratchet! Ground bridge back to base." All the Autobots transformed into their alt modes and drove back to Outpost Omega One. Sari flew back in. All but Arcee and Jack. They walked back.
Knockout secured June to an examination table. "Well, well, it's been a while, hasn't it? Last time we met, I think you were in my trunk with another human."
She looked at the Decepticon with a steely glare. "I'll be rescued, you know."
Knockout laughed. "Oh, of that I have no doubt! But not quite yet." He turned and took out his rotary saw. Turning it on, he held it above her. Fear came into her eyes.
"Oh, this?" he laughed. "No, not for you. Got you worried though, didn't I?" He smirked. "Just…testing it out." He put it back down.
"No, my specialty is Cybertronians. I have no interest in," he gave June's arm a slightly painful squeeze with his digits, "…fleshy things. Eeew."
"We have some other plans for you, Mrs. Darby," came a voice from the back. Knockout stepped aside, and Starscream came forward. "Let me see. You are the 'mother', as it were, of a new Technorganic, is that not true?"
"What makes you think I would tell you anything?" she said coldly.
Starscream laughed evilly. "Of course not. And why should I expect it? But then, there isn't a need, is there?" He turned to yet another Decepticon, one with no face. This one played back a recording taken by his minion Laserbeak, only days ago when he was flying over Jasper:
"When we were first married, we tried having children, but I was barren. It was a cause of friction between your...your father and me. Then, one day, we went camping out in the high desert near the Shoshone Range. I got up in the middle of the night to look at the stars, and saw what I assumed was a meteor. But then, suddenly, this glowing pod appeared right in front of me! I went to get closer, and it opened. Inside was a tiny little being made of liquid silver. I can't tell you why I did it, but something made me reach out and touch it. I immediately got a huge shock in my arm, and I fell backwards, unconscious."
"I came to, and heard the sound of a baby crying. I got up, and inside the capsule, the little silvery being was replaced by you."
"I believe that was you, June," said Starscream, "revealing the truth to your…supposed son, Jack?"
"You…bastard!"
Starscream snickered, and got closer to her. "Oh! I'm the bastard? Or is it not Jack?"
She spit in his face!
"Aaargh!" he yelled, wiping his face. "Enough! You'll think differently after you see what we have planned!" And he stormed out of Knockout's lab.
Everyone came back to Outpost Omega One and transformed into bipedal mode. Sari landed and walked silently with the others. Jack came in last, walking slowly beside T:Prime Arcee.
"What happened?" yelled Miko from the raised floor.
"Not now, Miko," said TFA Arcee.
Jack walked alone down a corridor, his helm down low. He transferred into "human" mode. When he was out of sight, crying could be heard.
Miko looked back and forth for signs. "This blows! Won't anyone say something?"
T:Prime Arcee walked up to Miko and pointed a digit in her face. "I suggest you shut your mouth right now, or I will personally escort you out of here!" She then went up to the two Primes. "We need a rescue plan. June's been captured by the Cons."
"What?!" said T:Prime Ratchet, overhearing. "How did it happen?"
"When Jack disobeyed orders and flew out through the ground bridge, he ran up to his mother. He told Sari to leave June and go fight the flying Vehicons; he would stay with her. While the two were alone, Knockout appeared. Jack took on Knockout, but in his inexperience, he allowed himself to be distracted, and during the fight Soundwave came out of the space bridge and snatched June."
"Knockout zapped Jack with his electrical staff, and would have taken him as well, if I hadn't shown up."
"Let us get together and plan a rescue," said T:Prime Optimus.
"Did you hear that? The Cons have Jack's Mom!" said Miko to Raf."
"Poor Jack! He must feel terrible!" said Raf, looking down at his shoes. "I don't know what I would do if they took my Mama!"
"I'm gonna go talk to him," said Miko.
"Don't you dare!" said Raf, stepping in front of her. "You leave him alone!"
"Well, if it isn't the mother of yet another of those little Technorganics," said Megatron, looking down at June.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"Oh, it's not what I want, my dear," he chuckled, "it's what my specialist would like to do. Doctor?"
A diminutive, spider-like Decepticon with huge optics crawled up onto June's body and looked down at her. He poked her. "Ooh ya, ya! Nice fleshy body! Good experimentation!" The tiny servos at the end of his spindly arms transformed into medical instruments. June's eyes opened wide. "No! No, please!"
"Enjoy yourself, Doctor," said Megatron, walking out of the laboratory. "Let me know when you're done." And as the doors closed behind him, he could hear June's screams.
Megatron betrayed an evil smile. "Music to my audio receptors!" he said to himself.
Another great collaboration with LuisJM! Wasn't sure how to handle this abduction, but he had the idea of the fight between Jack and Knockout and the Soundwave snatch. And Megatron's final line!
So what's going to happen to June? Will the Autobots get there in time?
We shall see! Thanks for reading. Please review.