Chapter 14
The crackling of the fire was the only thing that could be heard throughout the night. No sounds from the forest, no whistling in the wind, and most notably, no talking between the two people sitting around the fire. It had been like that all day, with Jack and Carter sharing the minimum amount of words needed. Other than the occasional "could you pass that" or "it's over there", they kept their thoughts to themselves.
Well, that could be said for Carter but not so much for Jack. His day was spent in his head, speaking with Agent 000 and rehearsing what he was going to say. He needed help, he knew that already, but it was a matter of how he gets that help that will dictate his future. One way, he could get the help he needed and maybe be able to return to see Arcee again, but he other way could land him alone in the forest again… or worse.
Jack looked up and inconspicuously peered at the man sitting on the log across from him. Still, for some reason, he felt as though he could trust him, even though he only met him a few weeks ago. Carter had been there when he needed him most, and although they are both living it out in the wild, Carter has taken on the role of a father figure. However, that doesn't excuse the fact that he was about to reveal everything to someone most people would call a "stranger", including secrets he'd promised the Autobots he'd keep to himself.
The teen took a couple deep breaths and silently shook off his nerves. This was probably the hardest decision he's ever made, even more difficult than his decision to leave his home and come out here. But Jack knew that he couldn't procrastinate any longer. It was now, or never.
"Hey Carter," Jack started, getting the attention of the man across from him.
"What's up Jack?" he responded, a little friendlier than Jack expected.
"Uh…" the teen stammered, clearing his throat. "I just want to say sorry about the way I've been acting recently. I know that I've been a real dick and just want to explain a little about why…"
Carter blinked, then smiled. "Hey, forget about it. Everyone has bad days, no need to explain yourself, I totally get it."
The fire started to get dimmer so the man began picking up small sticks and throwing them in to keep it going. Jack did the same, wanting to reveal everything smoothly rather than lay it all out there.
"No, it's more complicated than that. You see, my past is kind of weird and I guess things are starting to catch up with me." Jack continued, tossing some sticks into the fire. "I haven't been totally honest with you before, in fact, the reason I'm out here is completely different from what I told you."
The man sat up straight, raising an eyebrow and having a facial expression that seemed to represent his thinking face.
"Does this have something to do with that katana and sniper rifle you have hidden in your bag?"
This time Jack blinked and he knew Agent 000 did the same inside his head.
"What? You knew about that?"
Carter nodded. "Yup, for a while now. I've just been waiting until you told me why you have them. Just a little tip; if you're trying to hide something, make sure your bag isn't wide open and completely exposing everything inside."
Crap… Jack thought, hearing a little chuckle echo through his head.
"Uh, yeah, it does have something to do with that" he said, scratching his head. Jack took another deep breath, and continued. "I need help Carter. I have this one problem that's been bugging me for a while and I thought I had it under control, but it's been coming back recently, this time, with more punch to it. I need to talk to someone and you're the only one I think that can help me."
"Sounds serious" Carter said, scratching his chin. "Anything you need Jack, don't feel pressured to talk to me. I'd be glad to help, although I'm still not quite sure about what you're talking about."
Jack took his last and final breath.
Here goes…
"Carter, I'm not the person you think I am. I have a more deeper and darker past, and what I'm about to tell you may sound unbelievable, but trust me when I say, it's true. I need you to trust that I am telling the truth, otherwise nothing will make sense."
The man thought for a moment and shifted into a more comfortable position on his log. He then gave Jack a nod, telling him he was ready to hear him out.
"Ok," Jack started, staring at Carter straight in the eyes. "Before I explain my problem, I'm going to have to start from the beginning."
And so, he did just that.
He began by talking about his life before the Autobots; going to school, working at the KO Burger, his family's financial situation, and just about every detail he could think of. The one thing he didn't tell him was about his father, but that was for a good reason.
Next he started explaining his first encounter with Arcee and the rest of the Autobots. He talked about meeting Arcee in the KO Burger's parking lot and thinking that she was just a normal motorcycle. That, of course, resulted in him being chased by the two Vehicons and eventually led to his first experience with an Autobot vs. Decepticon battle. The following day, he was brought to the secret base situated in the desert and introduced to the rest of the Autobots: Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Ratchet, and Optimus Prime.
Jack continued by giving brief summaries of all the little adventures they had following their first encounter. He mentioned destroying the spacebridge, running away from Decepticons, and traveling to Cybertron to restore Optimus' memories. He was also keen in mentioning the strong bond they had developed with their alien friends, pointing out that they had become more of a family than a group of friends.
Before diving into the deeper and more recent things, Jack made sure to take a glance at Carter to make sure he was still following him. Sure enough, the man was still attentively listening, although he seemed to be deep in thought, taking in all the new information he was being told.
The teen started by speaking about MECH; a secret organization who's main goal is to rule the entire world with an iron fist. He also mentioned his strengthening relationship with Arcee, making her special to him in a way that he never thought he'd feel. Jack explained how his relationship with his partner got stronger through the telling of his kidnapping and experimentation.
Knowing that Carter was a former military officer, Jack made sure to approach the idea of Agent 000 cautiously, however there isn't a good way of explaining how a separate consciousness, implanted into his head by MECH, killed hundreds of military troops without mercy and without breaking a sweat.
Jack finished off his little adventure with MECH by telling him how he could regain control over his body and push the darkness, including Agent 000, deeper inside of him. Although some of it was the encouraging words the Autobots gave him, in the end, it was Arcee's confession that gave him the strength to push through. It was because, and only because, Arcee confessed her love for him that he could break his restraints and regain control.
After taking down MECH, Jack spoke of the struggle he began to have between his love for Arcee, and the building darkness inside of him. He was having trouble choosing between protecting the love of his life, or letting her in. Eventually, his choice was made when he realized that the darkness was not something he could control fully.
It was around this time where the Genetic Exchanger was brought out from Ratchet's storage area and accidently activated, turning all the Autobots into humans. Jack explained how his home became the home for eight, talking about how life just became a whole lot more difficult, although it did allow them to bond even closer, especially his relationship with Arcee. He mentioned the mental image he took that one day before he left for work, when all the human turned Autobots as well as his mom, were all sitting around the table, talking and laughing as they ate. It was at that time when he truly realized how much of a family they had become.
Another important event that happened around this time was the return of Agent 000, and Jack was sure to talk about his new experience in the sub-conscious realm. He talked about the little event that happened the first night Agent 000 regained control, although he did mention the change in attitude the agent was beginning to have towards the concept of "life". He explained how he eventually got through to the agent, making friends with him and Agent 000 becoming one of his most trusted allies, especially when it came to their fight with the darkness inside.
Before he moved on, Jack felt that it was necessary to explain further his fluctuating relationship with Arcee. He explained how he wanted to love her and how he wanted to show her just how much she meant to him, but the darkness inside prevented him from doing so. In fact, it was because of the darkness that he would have to push her away from him when they began getting too close, and one time even making him ignore her for an entire week. To make up for his actions towards his girlfriend, Jack brought up the idea of going on vacation with her and described every beautiful moment he had with her.
During this time, while the Genetic Exchanger was still being fixed, they were introduced to Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen: fellow Autobots who had been separated after the war on Cybertron. With new recruits that had not turned into humans, Team Prime could send them out on recon missions as well as relic retrieval missions, although that proved to be a mistake when the Hammer of Solis Prime was uncovered and taking by Megatron. Along the lines of bad luck, Megatron had also discovered Optimus Prime's "new transformation" and planned on attacking the vulnerable humans, knowing that their biggest threat was out of the way. This forced Team Prime to act and Jack explained the plan they had of bording the Nemesis, using the Hammer of Solis Prime to repair the Genetic Exchanger, and stopping Megatron's attempts of ruling Earth.
After revealing Agent 000 to the others, Jack quickly gave Carter a run down of how the entire battle happened. From Unit One's battle in the command center to the final battle that took place in the vault, Jack recalled everything in so much detail, he was surprised that he could remember so vividly. Although there were things that he remembered clearly that didn't come to a surprise to him.
It was during the battle where he began duelling Megatron, and was also when the warlord realized he had dark energon running through him. Having been a wielder of dark energon, Megatron took advantage of his experience and unleashed the darkness Jack had so desperately kept hidden inside of him. His little outrage resulted in Wheeljack being critically injured by his blade and it was at that moment when Jack realized just how dangerous he is, even to his family, even to Arcee.
Nearing the end of his recalling, Jack talked about his distancing from everyone else. He brought up the idea of leaving, and while Agent 000 encouraged him to stay with the people in his life that made him happy, Jack knew that it was something he had to do. And so, on that fateful night, Jack packed his bag, took his necessary equipment, and left, leaving behind his life, his family, but most importantly, Arcee.
Silence followed when Jack finished speaking. The teen had to catch his breath, not realizing how long he had been talking, and spent a couple minutes taking deep breaths. After he regained his bearings, he turned to the man who had been listening the entire time, realizing that Carter had not spoken a single word.
The man across from him was no longer sitting up straight. Instead, he was slouching his back, staring down at the ground. Obviously, he was deep in thought and Jack worried that he brought it all on too quick.
"So…" he said quietly, snapping Carter out of his trance.
The man blinked a couple times before finally opening his mouth to speak.
"Wow… just… wow."
"I knew it, you don't believe me" Jack said in a sad tone. He really thought that Carter would believe him, but he can't blame him. Anyone else would say that he was crazy. "Just forget it, I'll get my things and leave. Sorry for bothering you."
Jack began getting off when he felt a hand touch his arm.
"No wait Jack" Carter said, "that's not what I meant. I believe you."
The teen turned around, his heart no longer thumping. Maybe, just maybe, Carter can help him.
"Really? You believe me?"
The man nodded. "Yes I do, although I believe you because of another reason. I guess it's my turn to confess."
Now it was Jack who was confused but he decided to hear him out. "What do you mean?"
"Take a seat" Carter replied, motioning towards the log. Jack down and the man started telling his own story.
"Back when I was first transferred to the military facility here in the US, things were going slowly and although I had years of computer engineering under my belt, I began falling behind when it came to competing with the younger fellows. It seemed like my old age and outdated knowledge started to catch up with me. It was a miracle that I was able to get anything done."
"One day, while training some new recruits on how to find cover in the field, an alarm went off throughout the compound, signaling a breach in the area. I didn't take it too seriously at the time, thinking it was just a drill for the recruits, but I followed my protocol and began leading them towards the barracks."
"That's when I saw it; a strange green vortex that appeared out of nowhere, just swirling in mid-air. Then, these 10 feet tall robots began emerging from the vortex, robots that could transform into Earth vehicles and were armed as well. All of them were purple except for two; a red sports car and a dark blue Jeep, who I presume to oversee the attack."
"Everywhere I looked, I saw destruction. The robots were heavily armed and plowed through our tanks and Humvees. Soldiers, old and young, were being tossed around like rag dolls. The new recruits and I desperately shot at the robots but it came to no avail, and like the surviving forces, we were forced to retreat. During the retreat, a tank next to me was blown up and I was knocked unconscious."
"By the time I woke up, the robots were leaving through that green vortex with what looked like one of our prototype energy sources, but this time, they were shooting at these other robots. At the time, my head was ringing from the inside and I was surprised that I was still alive but one thing was clear to me: I realized the world was not the world I used to know and that there are too many things that I just don't understand. The next day, I asked for a leave which was accepted immediately. Whether it was my veteran status or the fact that I saw things that I was not supposed to see, the army seemed eager to release me, which was perfectly fine with me."
"After the army, I spent a year trying to figure things out, trying to see where my life would take me next, and I guess it led me here. Away from normal population and from the unfamiliar world that I supposedly lived in. Out here, I can move at my own pace, not having to follow the social standards. Out here, I can live life as I want to live and so that's why I've been out here for so long. That's also why I believe in what you've told me. About the… what are they called… Autobots and Decepticons."
"So you were there when the 'cons attacked that military facility" Jack said, thinking back to the event. "What are the odds of that happening?"
"One in a million" Carter sighed, "but that's enough about me, I think it's time we solve this problem of yours. You said something about a darkness inside?"
Jack's face turned serious again, remembering why they were having the conversation in the first place. He even felt the dark feeling grow stronger as if the darkness had been listening as well and was waiting until its name was called.
"Yeah" Jack responded. "It's like this dark force that seems to want control over my body."
"Could you tell me a bit about your experience with this force?"
The teen nodded. "It started after MECH had bene defeated and I had regained control over myself. I started feeling this dark feeling stirring inside of me as if it wanted to get out. For the longest time, I thought it was Agent 000 wanting to get revenge, but it turns out he had been feeling the same thing."
"Then, I found out when I get worked up about something, that's what gives the darkness the extra boost to take over. The first time it happened, I hospitalized a bully at my school after he started a fight with me. At the time, the human Autobots were with me and they had told me my eyes became red and I had become more brutal as well as stronger. The second time was, as I already told you, when Megatron took advantage of my lack of experience with dark energon which resulted with me attacking Wheeljack."
"So Megatron had experienced the same kind of darkness before?"
Jack shrugged. "I guess so. I mean he seemed to know exactly how to unleash the dark force inside of me."
"And what about Agent 000? Do you think Megatron had experienced something like that as well?"
"No, probably not. He was really surprised when he was introduced to him and even tried to recruit him/me to the Decepticons."
Carter took this information in and thought for a moment. "Ok, so the most logical answer is that this darkness is some sort of side effect to the usage of dark energon. Both you and Megatron had been dosed with a large amount of that substance which would make sense that both of you have encountered this force. It also explains why only you have encountered Agent 000 and he has not since you had been experimented on with other chemical substances as well."
"I guess that makes sense. But how does that help me?" Jack asked. "I've been in contact with too much dark energon to be simply reversed with energon."
"That may be true, but it's nice to know the reasoning behind these forces. However, I think I may have thought of an idea that would allow you to have complete control over this dark force." Carter stated.
"Really? What is it?"
"Hold on" Carter said, holding up a hand. "Before we get to that, do you mind if I speak with Agent 000?"
Jack blinked. "Um… sure. I'm not sure why you suddenly want to but whatever you think is necessary."
You want to hear him out for a bit? Jack asked into his head.
Sure, why not? He did say he might have a solution. I don't see why not.
Wait, you're not going to hurt him, are you?
The agent chuckled. Come on kid, I thought you knew me better than that. I began to trust him as soon as the conversation had started.
"Ok, he agreed to talk" Jack said.
"Perfect" Carter answered. "Now how does this entire thing work?"
"Watch."
Carter watched closely as Jack's body began to change right in front of him. His blue eyes turned to a dark shade of purple and so did his veins. Small facial features such as his jaw line and cheek bones also had a small altercation. When everything had stopped changing, Carter could sense the dark aura Agent 000 was releasing.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Agent 000. My name is Carter Hill. I've heard a lot about you." The man greeted, extending a friendly hand.
Agent 000 laughed, which somewhat surprised him, but gladly accepted the gesture. "No need for introductions Carter. As far as you should know, I met you at the same time Jack did. I can still hear, smell, and feel anything that happens in the real world while inside Jack's consciousness."
"I'm sure you can" Carter responded, letting out his own little chuckle. "You know, you are nothing like Jack had described you."
"Jack was describing my past self and in a sense, he isn't wrong. I'm sure you can feel that darkness I'm probably letting off but don't worry, like he said, I've changed."
The man nodded. "Glad to hear that. And about you and Jack, are you both mutually aligned right now or what's happening?"
Agent 000 raised an eyebrow. "Mutually aligned? No, I believe Jack and I have sorted out our differences and have bonded significantly over the past couple months. We've been through thick and thin and it's because of the kid that I have changed my ways. I owe him my life, although I technically don't have one. But that's also something he's done, shown me that even though I'm only a consciousness, I matter as well."
"Very well, I can see that you are indeed changed Agent 000 and if Jack can live with you inside his mind 24/7, I should have no problem sticking around with you. You're a good person agent, and I hope you will guard help Jack move towards the right direction."
"I will Carter. Thank you for agreeing to help him out. I guess I should return back into his consciousness."
As before, Agent 000's body began changing again and not before long, Carter was looking at the young teen who he had first met while he was warming around his fire.
"Well Jack, if you're ready, I think we should start carrying out this idea of mine." Carter announced.
"I'm ready. But I still don't understand why you had to talk with Agent 000." Jack questioned.
"I just had to see if he was truly devoted to living life to its fullest, rather than ending that of others. As far as I could tell, Agent 000 is a fine gentleman and will continue to help you as you please."
Jack nodded. "Thanks Carter, it means a lot, to both me and him."
The two of them sat there for a moment, not saying a word. Jack tried to figure out what the man's facial expressions were telling him but he was unreadable. Finally, Carter stood up but this time with a much more serious look.
"Alright Jack, after considering this even further, I truly believe this is your best course of action. However, you cannot take this lightly as this is a very serious matter." Carter stated.
"I've taken this serious ever since I realized how dangerous I am to everyone around me. Because of the darkness, I have lost everything. My home, my family, my friends, my life, and most importantly, Arcee."
"Understood" he answered with a nod. Carter motioned to an area in front of the fire he had been clearing out and told Jack to sit down. The teen did was he was told and didn't question anything.
"Now Jack," Carter started with a very somber tone, "as someone who has suffered many losses in his life, I understand and acknowledge the importance of meditation and self-reflection. It is something I have done for years now, and in truth, is what keeps me sane. I would like to share this knowledge onto you."
"You see, after carefully considering everything you have told me, I have found something that has acted as an unforeseen flaw. Jack, I am a man who believes in fate, and judging by what you have told me, you are too. I believe that everything in this world, everything that ever happens, has a reason for being there. Whether that reason is revealed in the present or future, there is a reason behind everything."
"The fact that you, out of all people, you, have experienced things that most could never even dream of raises an eyebrow. Jack, I truly believe that this darkness of yours is not a curse, but a gift. A gift that has yet to be revealed but a gift nonetheless. You have been fighting against this dark force inside you long enough, and it is time you finally experienced the true power of your gift."
"I tell you this now, and I tell you this once! Do not fight this fighting force inside you, but rather absorb it and let it become yours! Jack! You are destined for great things and that all starts with this! Stop fighting it, let it in, take it, and it will be yours to use freely!"
Jack's heart raced as he heard these words come out with so much emotion and passion. Perhaps he had been thinking about it all wrong from the start. Perhaps this darkness is truly a gift and one that he has been pushing away rather than taking it in. But he was scared, and that was something he would admit. He was scared that he wouldn't be able to control the darkness, that it would take over him instead and the inner monster would finally be released to the world.
"Jack listen to me" Carter's words ran through his head, shattering his thoughts. "I know you're scared, I know you're in a tough situation, but you have to listen to me. Trust in yourself, trust in Agent 000, trust that fate has a direction that you were meant to follow. Take all the fighting forces inside you, take it all, and let it become yours, let it become you. Do this, and you will become a changed person. Do this, and you will be revived."
And so, Jack did just that. His mind was clear, and he knew exactly what he was doing. He wasn't going to do this because he was being told to. He wasn't going to do this because it might be a possible solution. He was doing this for Arcee, for their love that they have shared and embraced, for a future where he may one day see her again. That is why he did it, and did it, he did.
Jack dove into his sub-consciousness, travelling deep inside to the lair the darkness has bene hiding in all this time. He saw the door he and Agent 000 had built, a barricade to hide the dark force away. He saw the holes and small creaks in the door, caused from the darkness trying to escape, but this time instead of repairing it, jack was going to do the opposite.
Using all his strength, both physically and mentally, Jack began pushing the door open. He felt the rush of cold air as he did, a force begging him to go inside and other things that he could never describe, however he knew that Agent 000 was right behind him, so he ignored the temptations and moved on. He and the agent pushed the door all the way open and the two of them faced that open area, waiting for the darkness to emerge.
Suddenly, it came out, surrounding them in a red haze. Jack felt himself being ripped apart, as if the darkness was eating himself from the inside out. He wanted to fight back, he wanted to push it away, but Jack fought through the pain and began to absorb it.
"YOU… ARE… MINE!"
A blue aura appeared, surrounding Jack's sub-conscious body and looking over, he saw that Agent 000's purple aura had also appeared. With a reassuring nod from the agent, Jack opened his mind, opened his heart, and opened his soul, and let it all pour in. Instantly he felt the power of the red force enter him, with purple forces aiding him and pushing back the force so that it didn't all come at once. Jack felt his heart begin to split in two, then repair itself, then split in two again. His life flashed before his eyes as everything was changing colours. The pain, the suffering, everything was too much but he allowed it to happen anyways. His thoughts were a swirl of unstable ideas but the one thing he saw was the angel of his life, giving him the power to take it all in. That angel: Arcee.
In the real world, Carter had stumbled back, amazed at what was happening. Jack's body was convulsing, twitching and shaking but surprisingly still remaining in the same sitting position. What was more amazing was the light show that was emitting from his body. Blue, purple, red, three colours representing the three forces inside Jack's mind, mixing and intertwining with each other. Carter could see that the red was trying to become the one with the power, but the blue and the purple auras were too much for it. Suddenly, everything began to become brighter as Carter saw the blue aura become lighter and lighter, to a point where he had to cover his eyes from the brightness. It was a blinding blue light that engulfed the entire forest, the power of Jack's driving force that pushed him forward.
Then, it all disappeared.
Carter, still amazed, slowly lowered his hand to see a hunched over body. There was an aura still surrounding it, but it was neither blue, purple, or red. Rather, it was green, and green that represented the light, and the darkness. A green that represented the new Jack.
"It is done" the man said, seeing the being arise to its feet.
"Arise Jack, for your new life has begun."
The being turned around, it's emerald eyes looking directly at Carter.
"You know me as Jack, and that is who I am, but I am not the same… I have become someone much more…"
"I am Stealth."
…
Author's Note: Hello! I have returned! Man, it's great to be back! I greatly apologize for my 3-month hiatus but there is good reason for that.
For those of you who don't know, I never planned on taking this hiatus. Unfortunately, about 3 months ago, my old laptop (mind you which contained my organizer, ideas, and finished chapters) broke and never turned on again. Without a laptop and with the loss of all my files, I was unable to publish or even write for that matter. It was a tough time for me and is the reason why I haven't updated in so long.
I would also like to address those who have supported me all this way. For my old supporters (you know who you are), I truly hope you're still hear and have been patient with me. If you are, then send me a PM to let me know that you are still with me on these stories. If not, I thank all of those who have helped me to this point so far. I could have never done it without them and I wish them the best of luck in the future.
As for my new readers and supporters, welcome! I guess we'll never get a formal introduction but I hope you enjoy what I am writing and will stick around for a while. I greatly appreciate everything you all have done for me in my time away and the number of PMs I have gotten and reviews telling me to continue inspired me to get this chapter done ASAP, so thank you.
As I have mentioned before, I did lose my organizer and ideas and truth be told, I can't exactly write out another one since it took months to plan. Instead, I'll be going with the flow and writing as I go, which means that I won't be updating with the schedule I had promised earlier. I will try to get a new chapter out every 3-4 days but if I need extra time to write a new chapter, I will take it.
Other than that, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will continue to follow this story and series. Be sure to leave a review, follow, favorite or even send me a PM, it really does mean a lot and let's me know that I will always have people behind my back. Thanks again, and have a great day.
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