A/N: sorry it took so long people.
Kit got out of the passenger's side. She looked around the city surveying the scene before her. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she realized that soon this city was going to be a battle ground. None of the autobots would transform in the presence of humans unless engaged by the enemy. The Decepticons of the team were perched on a roof top watching the autobot's progress as they moved through the city. The roar of a diesel engine made Kit look up. Three army green hummers pulled up and about six soldiers piled out of each of the hummers. Kit recognized some of the soldiers and some not. Captain Lennox stepped out holding his gun. He moved towards Kit. She saw the man look around cautiously at her Decepticon partners. A smirk graced her features. Captain Lennox stopped in front of Kit and she saluted her superior officer. He mimicked her actions. Kit relaxed and turned to look up towards her partner.
"Starscream got any word on Megatron," she shouted up to her partner.
She knew that he heard her. His fiery red gaze caught hers. He turned his gaze towards the horizon. Without words having to be exchanged she knew exactly what he had said. The enemy was on the rapid approach.
"Get ready gentlemen all hell is about to break loose."
Kit looked around at her companions. Jazz moved closer to her. She looked around. Captain Lennox moved closer to Kit. That action made her scoot away from the man. Even if they were on the same team didn't mean she trusted him. Her steps moved her closer to Jazz. The Captain noticed it and looked at her pointedly, as if it was his job to protect her and no one else's.
"You never did mention what Megatron wants now."
The lieutenant turned her dark gaze upon the Captain. Her eyes seemed different and even the autobots picked up on it. It made all of them nervous if only for a millisecond. The only one that didn't seem fazed was Jazz.
"Then you haven't been paying attention, or you have a selective memory."
Her eyes deadpanned as she looked at him. "Whoever controls the Catalyst controls the winning side."
"You're just a tool then?" he asked bluntly.
"Depends," Jazz started.
"On what?"
"It depends on the hands in which that hold her."
A heavy thump drew their gaze behind them. They all saw Starscream standing there. Kit shook her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose as if trying to rid herself of a migraine. Looking around at the grim faces of those around her she wondered what had been said. Starscream moved forward and scooped Kit up. She wasn't even startled. The two of them leapt up on a huge building. The Decepticon sat her down close to the edge wall. Kit moved to the edge and swung her legs over the side letting them dangle as she sat on the wall. Her gaze scanned the city curiously. She had been a country girl and big cities were different and attracted her curiosity but not enough so to make her want to stay. The wind tossed her long hair gently. Some of the Captain's words had hurt and she wondered if that's how her Decepticon companions viewed her as well.
"Starscream do you think I'm just a tool?"
"Yes," he started.
He didn't miss her wince at his words. "At first."
"And now?"
"You're one of us now."
She smiled up at her partner but the smile vanished quickly. A few black dots were rapidly approaching them. Kit rose to her feet and swung her legs back over onto the roof. Starscream turned to see what she was gaping at. He scooped her up and leapt over the edge of the building. He landed with a loud thud amongst their allies. Optimus Prime and the others transformed. The humans were backing away from the group. Every bot was tensed around Kit. She moved closer to Starscream and Jazz who were standing side by side. A whoosh of air was their only warning. Megatron plowed into the gathering group. They didn't get past the outer ring of autobots. The other bots scattered to push back the enemies all around them. Jazz was the only one left guarding her. She clung to his side. Megatron managed to throw Optimus and Starscream to the side and went strait for Jazz. Suddenly the roar of a Kawasaki dirt bike made her look over her shoulder. Her face faulted for a moment. Something was entirely wrong but she couldn't place what it was. She backed away as the bike pulled up beside her, and they held their hand out to her. The biker was decked out in all black.
"What's wrong Kit?"
Her eyes widened and she stumbled backwards. She knew that voice. Turning she started to run. The sound of shifting and grating metal made her cringe knowing that she was in trouble now. Kit was slammed face first into the nearest wall. Rough cold metal held both of her hands behind her back. Black metallic fingers glinted up at her from her shoulder as the other hand held her in place. In the corner of her eye her fears came to realization.
"Wild Card," she snarled. "How did you get out of the mp's care?"
"When my hatred of you got to his ears they helped me get out knowing I'd be more than willing to destroy you Kit."
"That's all well in good but did you figure your master might want me alive?" she said with a sneer.
"Yes," he hissed as he moved closer to her, close enough to whisper in her ear. "He promised me something I've been wanting to get my hands on for a long time."
There was an edge to his voice that made her shiver and it had nothing to do with the cold metal pressed against her neck. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was offered to him and then figure out what he wanted with said item. The sound of another dirt bike roared to life. Hope flared to life in her heart. When a cocky voice spoke up she knew for sure;
"Hey ass wipe let her go and face me."
Kit had to inwardly smile at Jake's carefree nature. She was sure Viper was standing beside him. The metal fingers around her neck loosened as the unknown bot stepped away from her. Kit sank to her knees and rested her forehead against the cool glass. The sound of fighting erupted around her. Her world slowed down a small bit. Closing her eyes she tried to focus on her surroundings. A numbness of the mind was trying to overcome her, but her world panned back into focus as a hand landed on her shoulder.
"Kit?" he asked softly.
Turning slowly she saw Jake smiling down at her with that stupid smirk. He helped her up. Jake had his arms wrapped around her. Wild Card was on his ass in the rubble along with his black partner, but both were very much alive. She ignored them and turned to look Jake in the face. Their faces were slowly inching together but Kit saw something moving towards them out of the corner of her eye. Shoving Jake backwards they barely avoided the gliding sweep of Megatron's fist. Before the big bot could get to her Starscream tackled Megatron into the building across the street in the intersection from were she stood. She scrambled to Jake's side to make sure that he was alright, but she was dragged back from him by the black bot from before. Kit began to thrash wildly. She knew that calling out to her guardians were dangerous especially Starscream right now. She lashed out with her feet trying to dislodge the black bot that was determined to strangle her. The little black bot didn't even flinch or shutter at her attempts as feeble as they were.
"Let me go damn it!"
The bot began to mutter in an incomprehensible language. Then she saw Viper in the corner of her eye. He started shouting in the same language to the black bot. The black bot dropped her and turned to face Viper. A soft cough escaped Kit throat as she watched Viper and this unknown bot engage in a verbal battle it seemed. Jake carefully inched towards her as Viper kept the other bot in a heated argument. Grabbing her arm he encouraged her to follow him. Once they were around a corner in a semi-sheltered place he spoke;
"At the rate you're getting beat up you'll be sporting black and blue for a long time."
"Thanks," she said dryly. "At the rate I'm getting beat up I'll be dead before the end of the day."
Jake looked at her. He noticed bleakness in her eyes that belied her young age. It was like she knew she was going to die and didn't try to fight for life. Her eyes were distant as she watched Megatron and Starscream battling it out. Optimus joined the fray but was knocked backwards into another building. Megatron managed to throw Starscream into another building and turned his scalding glare towards their hiding spot. Jake tried to tug Kit to move with him, but she was in a trance or something that was making her walk towards the battle and the enraged Decepticon leader. The male leapt for her trying to drag her backwards into their hiding place, but she shrugged him off and moved forward. Optimus had emerged from the rubble and Starscream hadn't. She stopped her movements and shook her head. The roaring of an expensive engine made them look to see Jazz come pulling up. The silver autobot transformed and stood protectively next to his partner.
"Jazz I need to get to Starscream,"
"I don't think so. He's gone…"
"So were you and that didn't stop me one bit did it?" she asked the autobot in a huff.
For a moment she thought she heard him swear under his breath. The silver bot took a hesitant step towards Megatron. "Jazz distract Megatron so that I can get to Starscream."
"I don't see why you are so insistent on protecting him," the silver bot grumbled.
"Because first and foremost is because he's my first guardian. Then it comes down to the fact that he's my friend."
Something akin to a curse escaped the silver solstice's mouth. He looked out over the battle field Optimus and Megatron were at it full force. Neither was backing down and he was sure that was the way it was supposed to be. It was a life or death struggle and hopefully good would prevail again.
"Get going I'll protect you."
She nodded as she dashed out through the ruble of the nearest building. Jazz keeping true to his word kept the others away from her as she went for Starscream. At the gaping hole in the building Jazz was left to guard the entrance. Kit scrambled among the rubble towards her downed partner. She found his head and gasped at what she saw. Across his breast plate was three claw marks just like in her vision. His eyes were open and the red in them was completely gone.
"Starscream?!"
She tried pushing him even though he weight a few hundred times what she did. He didn't even move. She collapsed to her knees on his chest both of her hands bracing her on his chest. Tears dripped from her eyes onto the scars on his breast plate. "Starscream?!"
She felt something within her snap. A loud 'NO!' tore from her throat as darkness claimed her vision.
Kit gasped as she came to. The white walls around her told her were she was. Groaning softly she sat up and rubbed the bridge of her nose trying to get the migraine to go away. It felt like she'd been beaten up. Her body ached all over the place. For a brief moment she wondered if the battle had been nothing more than a dream. It hadn't felt like a dream but most of her dreams had made her wonder if she hadn't been dreaming. She winced as she moved her shoulder and neck. Throwing the covers aside she sat up and turned. Her body screamed in protest at every movement.
"You know you gave your partners a scare there for awhile. They had thought you'd died."
She looked over her shoulder to see Jake leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face. In his hands was a stuffed animal that looked like a black dog. In the other hand was a vase full of various flowers in a neat arrangement.
"Which hospital am I at now?"
"The one on the base, the Autobots didn't want those three Decepticons near the humans. They wanted to stay close."
"Did that battle really happen?" she asked softly.
"If you're talking about the battle against Megatron yesterday, yeah it did happen."
"Did we loose anybody?"
"Besides Starscream for awhile no. The Decepticons were driven into the ground or they escaped swearing vengeance. Megatron was destroyed again."
"Good."
He moved further into the room and sat down beside her. With care the vase and dog was set on the nightstand.
"What about Wild Card?" she asked in annoyance.
"The MP's have him back and their care."
"That's a relief unto itself."
"What are you going to do now?" he asked softly.
"Probably return to the U.S.S. Jackson, and finish out my career in the Navy."
"Oh," he said half-heartedly.
"Maybe I can convince Starscream to go back with me," she thought aloud not even meaning to.
"You'll be lucky if you can pry the three Decepticons from your hip at the rate their attached to you."
"Maybe."
She stared out the window feeling exhaustion creep up on her. "I guess only time will tell."
Kit smiled at Jake before laying back down. Her eyes slid shut. As she slipped into sleep her smile never faded.