Before I start on this story, I want to announce a few things. First of all, I got a new episode posted up for my own version of Transformers Prime Season 3. This involves the arrival of a Transformers Animated human villain, Headmaster. Truly a good villain compared to all the others that were on the series. Really want to expand the TFP universe with characters from other arks, just like those of Sari, Professor Sumdac, and Sam Witwicky. Don't know if I can add more or not, but we shall see.

Secondly, I'm going to add an extra story with the Transformers Prime universe. It's going to be called Transformers Prime: Invasion and it focuses on Noble Team surviving the Jasper Invasion and the wrath of Shockwave. This won't involve the Autobots since they are scattered across the states during that time. But I promise a lot of action. I will post this around the time of the third episode and will post one chapter of one story to the next. You see, episode four is about John and Elsa returning to search for John's family. And to do that, I have to finish with this one. And trust me, it was a little difficult getting this out of the way due to many reasons. As soon as I'm finished with this and episode three is out of the way, I will get through with episode four. I hope…

Lastly, I am going to do a collaboration story with FictionFan1024 that is a crossover between Transformers Prime and Bioshock Infinite. It's going to be called Transformers Infinite and it's going to take place in FictionFan's Transformers Prime universe. If you want to see this, you should start checking up on his story series, Sari and Transformers Prime Episodes 1 – 4. He's going to do a Skystrikers Arc within the TFP world and you need to catch up to see what he's got. Trust me, you will like it.

Now let's get back to this story and what happened last chapter. It's just the usual so far, just one review and 165 hits. Not much to do with that. Perhaps in the next one will be better cause it's involves a lot of actions in there. I think that's what people were expecting, action in this story. Guess that's what they're looking for. Let's hope this will get their attention. Now to get on the real action of John and Elsa. In this chapter, John decided to get through with a few loose ends and decided to leave Elsa with Jack and Arcee. What none of them didn't know is that trouble is a brewing as a certain Decepticon is searching for them. What's bound to happen?

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime and Gunslinger Girl.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Kidnapping

A day later at Japser, Nevada, the town was quiet as always as the people weren't fully aware of the secret that was close by. Down at K.O. Burger, Jack Darby was doing his job as he was giving food to another customer through the drive-thru. After giving the food, he smiled to wish the customer a good day.

Jack: "Here's your order sir. Thank you for choosing K.O. Burger."

Soon enough, the customer left the drive way and the place was empty. Looking to the clock, he could tell that his shift is over and turned to his boss to say it.

Jack: "Okay, my shift is over. I'm going to leave now."

He waited for the manager to respond until he could hear his booming voice.

Manager: "Make sure you count the money in the register before you leave. I not going to have some pompous kid ordered food without paying! If anyone didn't pay a single cent, it's coming out of your paycheck!"

Jack sighed to himself and could tell that the manager was a little picky about money being missing in the register. After all, he has to be the one that would have to pay him when the money is lower then before.

Jack: "Sure thing sir. On it."

He opened the register and started to check if there is any money that hasn't been accurate. During the counting, he was in deep thought about what happened yesterday. News that the Social Welfare Agency, where his dad works at, had been breached by Cons seemed to be disturbing. And whatever they were looking for got the entire place on edge. Fortunately, his father told a friend of his that he got friends in Jasper that can help. He didn't say that the type of help were the Autobots because no one knows that they were a bunch of robot aliens taking part of a galactic war that lasts centuries. He doesn't want to get into the details and the last thing he wants is to let the Agency go into a major panic about aliens living amongst them. As long as John said that he has help, he's pretty much in the clearing. Still the main problem is what the Decepticon took from the SWA and how will the Autobots be able to stop them, let alone find them? It would be impossible to locating their ship and stopping them. Jack just hope that they find them soon or the Agency would be doomed. Checking the money, he could tell that everything is in the register. He nodded and told the manager about it.

Jack: "Money seems to be all in. We're good. I'll see you tomorrow after school!"

Quickly, he put away his apron and hat on the rack and headed to the exit. Opening the door, he could see Arcee in her vehicle mode, waiting for him to come. But what surprised him the most is that a Harley Davidson Cafe Sportster XLCR motorcycle next to her and standing there was his father, Jonathan Darby and his young girl, Elsa de Sica. John simple smiled and greeted his son.

John Darby: "You seem slightly happy at work. I should've known that boss of yours was going to nag on you."

Jack blinked a bit and didn't think he would come. But he did make an unexpected arrival at his job before all this mess started. So he'll let it slide as he kept his cool.

Jack: "Dad. Surprising that you're here so unexpected. What are you doing here anyways?"

He simply shrugged his shoulders a bit and let him know why he's here.

John Darby: "Just dropping in to say hi is all. Nothing as serious as the last time I was here for the bonding time."

Jack groaned and remembered what happened at that moment a few days ago.

Jack: "Please dad, don't remind me about what happened back there. I want to forget about it."

Jack's dad chuckled a little and could he didn't want to remember about that.

John Darby: "That might be true. But if it hadn't been for that, I would've known of our little 'club' and knew that you were well protected. So I do believe things have worked out well then I expected."

Arcee overheard it and turned her front to retort back.

Arcee: "Not a picnic for me you know. Wasn't expecting Airachnid ruining your moment."

John peeked to her and could tell that she wasn't pleased. But turning back to Jack, he told them some interesting news he would like to share.

John Darby: "Anyways Jack, I'm here ask for a little favor. I got a few things I need to take care of by myself and I can't bring Elsa with me at this moment. So, I was hoping that you and Cee here can watch over her while I handle a few things. If it's all right with you."

Jack looked to the young girl, who looked a little distant, and decided to accept his offer.

Jack: "Sure thing dad. We'll take good care of her. You have my word."

John smiled and knew that Elsa's in real good hands. Elsa though looked back before peering back to the ground in disgust.

Elsa de Sica: "I don't like this. I should be with you. We are a Fratello."

John look down to him and sighed to himself, knowing that she didn't like this since he told her. Getting down on one knee, he used his finger to turn her head to his and explained his reason.

John Darby: "I know you don't like it as much as I do, but this is something I have to take care of myself. It's important for me and I need to see this through and I can't have you getting involved. Don't worry; it's only going to be for a day. Stay with Jack and Arcee and everything will be all right. Okay?"

Elsa turned to him with a cold glare and still didn't like where it's going. Both she and John have always been together, ever since the first met, and they never separate from each other. Now this is all new for her and she felt a little upset over it. But it's going to be just for a day; perhaps it's for the best. After all, she's going to be with Jack and Arcee, so she is well protected. Letting out a deep sigh, she gave up and responded the best she could.

Elsa de Sica: "Yes John, whatever you say."

John gave a small smile and knew she can trust him.

John Darby: "That a girl Elsa. I knew I could count on you."

He got up and turned to Jack with a pleasant smile to him.

John Darby: "Well Jack, she's all yours. Make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble."

Jack smiled a little and responded the best he could.

Jack: "I'll try. Wasn't easy for me when I was with Arcee the first time around, I'm certain I can handle this."

The femme overheard that and sarcastically laughed.

Arcee: "Ha, ha, ha… Very funny partner…"

John gave himself quite a chuckle and headed to his bike to leave.

John Darby: "I'm certain that Elsa isn't as big of a problem as Arcee. Well, I better be heading off now."

He got on his bike and started the engine, getting ready to leave. But before he could do that, he checked the parking lot to see if no ones there and said to his son something.

John Darby: "By the way, I got a call from Jose about news on what the Decepticons took from the Agency's databanks."

That got Jack's attention as he looked to him seriously and asked about it.

Jack: "Really? What does he say?"

He gave off a deep sigh and explained about the situation.

John Darby: "Well that is the bad news of the whole thing. Turns out, what the Cons took from them is the schismatic of the cyborgs and the list of the girls they've recruited."

Jack got a sorrow look and could tell that his father didn't like the news.

Jack: "That bad huh?"

John Darby: "Yep, pretty much. Sector 2 is on complete lockdown now until the matter is resolved. I'm hoping Team Prime can get this settled, cause I have no clue what these Decepticons can do with them."

Arcee listened in and turned her review mirror to him and calmed him down.

Arcee: "Not to worry John; we'll stop them for whatever they're planning. You have my word."

John sighed and was worried about that.

John Darby: "Hope you're right Arcee. The last thing I want is for the SWA getting under attack by those bastards. Better get going now. Already behind as it is."

Looking down to Elsa, he smiled and said his fair well.

John Darby: "Bye Elsa, I'll see you tonight. Just don't get into too much trouble."

To that, he revved his engines, backed up, and turned to leave the parking lot. As soon as he disappeared from view, Elsa scowled and turned to Jack and Arcee for an answer.

Elsa de Sica: "Is John always like this? That nice one moment then serious the next and back again?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders and explained as much as he could.

Jack: "Some times. Dad was pretty much a military man when I was younger and always has those mixed emotions. Whenever there's something serious, he always a bit strict. But whenever nothing bad is happening, he's always cheerful. It's something I tend to get use to. Anyways, it's just the three of us now. You want to go for a ride in the desert? My treat."

Elsa looked onward at the Arcee in her vehicle mode and was a little nervous.

Elsa de Sica: "I… I don't know. The only time I ride on a bike is when John took me on his Harley. I don't think sitting on a living alien robot is safe."

Jack laughed about it a little and told her it's all right.

Jack: "I could imagine. When I first met Arcee, I thought she was just a regular bike until she dragged me into a little chase around town. But two days later, she really showed me how good she drives. Gives me a real good joyride across the desert. Since then, she had always taken me for a little spin when she's not on missions. Hell, you might actually like this once you get on her."

Elsa look back to him and then the femme in her vehicle mode and still feel a little hesitant. Arcee simply shrugged it off and told her that it was okay.

Arcee: "Jack does have a point Elsa. I may be tough as nails, but I do have a kinder side in me. Don't worry, I don't bite like Airachnid."

The girl remained silent until she spoke up.

Elsa de Sica: "Fine... I'll take up your offer. Just as long as there isn't any trouble near by."

The young Darby looked to her and raised an eyebrow.

Jack: "Any trouble? We're in Jasper. There's not much of trouble around here."

The two-wheeler overheard that and slightly smirked in her vehicle form.

Arcee: "Funny Jack, you said that to your mom before you got yourself hitched by me."

He looked to her and was a little embarrassed about that.

Jack: "Well, that happened before I even knew aliens exist, let alone robot ones. But I'm certain lightning doesn't strike twice. Come on Elsa. Hop on."

He then approached the femme and put on his bike helmet. Elsa soon followed behind and took a seat in the back, grabbing a spare in Arcee's compartment John put in before he left. Holding onto him, Jack backed up as Arcee started her engine as the two left the parking lot.

Jack: "Hold on."

The two quickly drove down the street as they were leaving town and headed to the desert.

As they leaving, John was riding his Harley through town until he approached the entrance of a cemetery. Parking his bike, he looked on at the field of tombstones and remained silent. Since he's back in town, he decided to visit someone he never thought would see in a long time. Dismounting, he walked to the hills of the sand and grass and was searching for something.

John Darby: "Where are you?"

Looking around, he spotted a lone tombstone standing close by and was a little lonely. Seeing this, he knew that he found it.

John Darby: "There you are..."

Approaching the tombstone, he bent down on one knee and read the title of the tombstone. On that graving, it said...

Kevin Darby Smith
March 4th 1971 – November 15th 2003
A Brave Soldier
A Proud Husband
A Wonderful Father
A Caring Brother

John turned his head down and felt a little sorrow for a moment. This is the spot where they buried Kevin's, his brother's, remains. It's been seven years since he came here and it haunts him completely. It was days after the incident at Baghdad's district where his brother died in that horrendous car explosion and John was at the funeral. He couldn't bear the day that the soldiers fired the shots of his life in the air, the day that Kevin's family left Jasper to get away of the memories, the day that he promised his late brother that he won't rest until he find the person that took him for his brother. Yet after seven years, he couldn't find his killer, and this agency that would help him has giving him nothing but leads and small jobs taking care of crooked police officers. Still, it's a start since he had nowhere else to go and he's hoping that he finds his killer soon. Standing up, he gave a deep breath and began his talk with his grave.

John Darby: "Hey there Kevin. How are you? I could tell that you're resting comfortably in your coffin. I haven't seen you in a while. I've been gone for seven years to find the person that took you away from me. Trust me, it's never an easy feat when you're halfway around the world looking for this person. But, I made some strong strides as of late. For one, I join an underground anti terrorist organization in Italy and stop a small group of Italian terrorists that distribute the very bombs that took your life. I can't tell you much except the methods they use are a little extreme. But they get the job done and they have experience in the field. I also got myself a partner and family member joining this organization. I know... In know... It feels wrong to bring someone into the family. But she is kind and although she's a little sour, she can follow orders very well. Oh and by the way, you know Jack right? My son and your nephew? Well turns out he made some friends of his own at his age. They are from... out of town basically, but they adapt well in their new home and are helping me in a case that happened recently. Can't get in the details but I say it's a strict one. Wish I could show you his friends but... Let's just say they're more then meets the eye. Though to be honest, I just really wish you were here at all."

He slowly digged into his collar and took the dog tags out of them, looking at Kevin's with his own eyes. Getting a little silent, he was in deep thought and continued talking.

John Darby: "Seven years... Seven years since you were gone. Now a day goes by when I think about that day. Wish you were here now. You can imagine all the things you've missed over the years. Birthdays, anniversaries, our small get together. They were all memorable. Now they are just memories of the life that was taken from you. Still, it doesn't matter. I haven't given up on you and I will never abandon you."

Looking down to the grave again, he decided to finish this conversation.

John Darby: "I swear by my own life, out of every fiber of my being, I will find the bastard to took you away. You can count on it. That is a Darby promise."

He stood at the gravesite and was silent as he slowly turned around and headed to the second spot he needed to go.

Around the same time, Jack was driving down the desert road with Elsa in the back and holding on with Arcee at the wheel in her vehicle mode. Looking on, Elsa was amazed of the Desert Mountains and never really thought it would be peaceful. During that time, Jack looked to Arcee and nodded, letting her know on what to do. With a mental understanding, she lifted her front wheel up and popped a wheelie. Elsa was caught off guard by that and held on for dear life as she grasped Jack's waist tighter. Once the femme dropped the front wheel, the young girl took a breather and was glad that it was over. Jack looked back and could tell that she was a little uncomfortable.

Jack: "What do you think Elsa? Bet dad never done that to his Harley before."

Elsa looked to him and had a bit of fear to her.

Elsa de Sica: "Never in my life I've ridden like that, ever. Please don't do that."

Arcee heard that and responded with a kind tone.

Arcee: "Not a problem."

The rest of the ride was silent, as the three didn't know what to talk about. But then, Jack decided to start the conversation with the girl.

Jack: "So Elsa, I take it my dad's been taking good care of you. I mean besides teaching you how to be a soldier, he's teaching you to be a real person."

Elsa looks to him and was a little hesitant in her answer.

Elsa de Sica: "I don't recall John teaching me to become a real person, but he did treat me well. All those missions we have together and the pictures of the places we went to kept our bound strong. It's almost like John is a real brother to me, a part of a real family if you can think about that."

Jack look back to her in the review mirrors and was a little silent about that. A real family? She doesn't have the slightest of clues that her real family was killed in that horrendous explosion in Catanian. Ever since that talk about Elsa's origins up on the roof of Omega One, Jack promised his father that he wouldn't tell Elsa that truth. But giving the circumstance, he doesn't know how to respond to that. Luckily, Arcee was quick with that as she told her about the family.

Arcee: "Sounds like the two of you are a tight fit, that you cared for each other."

The girl looked yonder at the digital gauges that the two-wheeler responded to.

Elsa de Sica: "Well I don't recall that. John and I are a fratello, siblings, and partners and we protect each other. That's a promise we kept for so long."

Arcee: "And what about your friends? I'm certain they are proud of you heading to the U.S."

The young cybernetic girl remained completely silent as she spoke in a harsh tone.

Elsa de Sica "I don't have any friends."

The two were taken back by her response as Jack retorted back.

Jack: "What?! You don't have friends? Come on Elsa, I'm certain you have a few within the Agency that cares about you."

But the girl turned her head away and grunted.

Elsa de Sica: "No, I don't. In the Social Welfare Agency, you only care about the one person that matters most. Your Fratello. John is the only person I trusted the most. He cares for me, and I care for him. If I make friends with all the other girls, then it will slow me down. Friendship with them is so weak."

That's when Arcee had had it with her and she boasted out loud with her speakers.

Arcee: "Don't you dare say that! You think that not making friends makes you better then anyone? Do you?"

Elsa remained silent and didn't have a response for that as the femme continued with the conversation.

Arcee: "Listen to me Elsa, whether you like it or not, having friends makes you a better person. Look at Raf and Bumblebee, look at Miko and Bulkhead, look at us. You friendship got us through the toughest of situations and we'd work together through thick and thin. You expect us to not be friends so we can be like you? Acting all high and mighty while at the same time becoming extremely selfish? No! You got to suck it up and make friends with others; otherwise you won't last in a firefight. Sometimes friendship could be the greatest weapon of them all."

Elsa listened to that and remembered what her fratello said to her before, then turned her head in sheer confusion.

Elsa de Sica: "You know what? You're starting to sound like John a few days ago. It almost scares me."

Jack sighed and decided in join in as well.

Jack: "Arcee is right Elsa. You can't rely on yourself all the time. Friends can help you no matter what the outcome. Think about the time you had with the Autobots. When Miko asked you to play a video game and you beat her to the point of submission. When Miko tried to pull a prank on you and you got her back with the help of others. You were starting to make friends with the team. I know dad treats you well and always makes you happy, but you can't rely on him all the time. What happens when he dies? Who are you going to turn to? If you don't find any friends soon, you'll be alone in this world."

Elsa remained quiet and thought that through. Hearing Jack say this made her realize that her fratelo isn't immortal, they he would someday leave this world. It was proven when his brace gave way on a mission in Verona that he was defenseless and she had to sacrifice her own life to save him. She knew the risks and would do anything to protect him. But if she's not around to look after him, how will he defend himself? Perhaps they were right about making some friends, after all, Henrietta was the first girl she got assigned a mission to and she was resourceful in her job. And Treilla was her first friend in a while before distancing herself with the girl. Maybe it's time to take the next step and follow the son's the Autobot's advice. As they were driving, Arcee noticed its getting late with the sun slowly starting to set.

Arcee: "It's almost that time to head back to base. Let's go."

Quickly, she applied the breaks and made a straight up drift to 180-degree angle before going to the opposite direction and was returning to base. What none of them didn't know is that someone was close by and it would spell trouble for all of them.

Up in the sky over the desert, a blue and yellow jet was flying overhead observing the land below. But this was no ordinary jet, it was the Decepticon, Dreadwing, as he was scouting and looking for someone. Since he had given a mission to search and retrieve a certain human girl, he's been patrolling the air looking for her, starting with the weapons depot where the incident with Airachnid took place and fanning out from there. So far, he didn't find anything and his patience was wearing thin. But during the search, he looked at the radar and notices a blip with an Autobot insignia close by. Intrigued, he altered course and headed to that location.

As all of that was going on, John was having his own thing to do. He arrived at the military base near the town as Agent Fowler was waiting for him. Once he reached the area, he dismounted off his Harley and approached the former Army Ranger.

Agent Fowler: "Jonathan Darby..."

John nodded and responded back.

John Darby: "Fowler..."

The two looked at each other for a few good seconds until the agent spoke up.

Agent Fowler: "I've already taken the liberty in telling the general that you're here. He's expecting you right now, but he's not happy of your arrival."

John laughed it off and knew this would happen.

John Darby: "No surprise there. I don't think Bryce like me coming back at all after what happened the last time."

Agent Fowler: "I'll take you to his office and re-introduce you to him."

The Darby thought of that and decided to not let Fowler do it.

John Darby: "That's great and all Will, but I think I know the way. I can handle it myself."

The agent nodded and decided to give him a bit of advice.

Agent Fowler: "Very well then, I'll leave it up to you on how you're going to approach this. Just remember not to tell him about your son and wife. He doesn't know that the Autobots are protecting human civilians and if word got out on that, then I'm going to get a major lashing from him. Just keep it on the DL, okay?"

John nodded in response.

John Darby: "Of course Will, I'll keep my mouth shut over that. Wish me luck."

He then walked to the general's office and past the former Army Ranger. Just as he was leaving, he said one more thing.

John Darby: "Oh and Will, does he know about the agency?"

Fowler turned to him and explained about that.

Agent Fowler: "That I do not know. Giving that he's the general, Bryce never shares Intel like that to his underlings. But be prepared for when he talks about it."

John remained silent and could tell that he isn't going to like this.

John Darby: "Very well..."

He then walked away from Will and headed straight to the general's office.

Inside that very office, Bryce was at his computer putting together another incident report created by the Autobots. Apparently, one of them arrived from Earth and started to shoot off at a Con at a town close by. Not only that, but this Autobot blew up a gas station and nearly caught the attention of any human in that town. Luckily, no one witnessed the incident and Fowler did put up an excuse of the gas station blew up due to tight pressure in the pipes. But this was almost too close for the military. The human race doesn't know of the Autobot/Decepticon war with the exception of the military. But if anyone finds out about this, then if could spell trouble for the government. Sighing to himself, he hope that nothing bad will happen in the near future, or it's going to be his head. As he was working on the report, there was a knock at the door.

General Bryce: "What is it?"

The door opened and the assistant came in and told him who's waiting.

"Forgive me sir, but Jonathan Darby is outside waiting for you."

Bryce looked up to his assistant and gave a deeper sigh. This is the last thing he wanted, a visit from a discharged soldier like him. But giving it's a former military soldier; he decided to let it slide and told the assistant to bring him in.

General Bryce: "All right, send him in."

The assistant nodded and closed the door to let John come in. After a few seconds, the door opened again and John stepped in, seeing Bryce sitting there with a cold expression.

General Bryce: "Jonathan, so nice to see you again. It's been a long seven years since your discharge from the military. Please have a seat."

John starred him down and could tell that he's still the same. Entering his office, he offered a handshake. The general looked at him hesitantly and decided to stand up and shake his hand anyways. Once they were down shaking, they took a seat and started the conversation.

General Bryce: "So tell me John, how are things in the discharging life?"

John took a breather and told him how was things.

John Darby: "Pretty fair I guess. Since the resignation, I have a simple life.

General Bryce: "And that knee of yours, how it's holding up?"

He look down to his right knee and could see the indents of his brace under his pant leg. Looking up, he told him how that is.

John Darby: "Still walking, if that's what you mean? I do have to not put too much pressure on that leg since it will cause the knee to snap temporarily. But other then that I got use to it."

General Bryce: "And what about your family? Heard that you walked out on them after your discharge. Care to explain to me why?"

John looked at him and knew that he was getting a little suspicious. So he explained it as much as he could.

John Darby: "Oh it's nothing of importance. I just needed a little time for myself, just to clear my head."

General Bryce: "But for seven years? That's an incredibly long gap."

John Darby: "Well recovery physically and mentally isn't easy, let me tell you. Sometimes you need as much of a break as you could. Besides, my family is being financed, right? All those military bonds are keeping them in the house?"

General Bryce: "True… But when a former soldier like you leaves the military, you can't be absence from your family for this long. Care to tell me about that? Is this about your brother?"

The Darby remained silent and didn't know how to approach this. So he went straight away for a little bit.

John Darby: "Well, that's where the mental recovery comes in. You know Kevin and I were twin brothers right? Well loosing Kevin is like loosing a part of me. Never really easy, let me tell you. That's why I need some time for myself, a way to clear my head."

The General though took a file out and began reading it.

General Bryce: "So I heard. I got a report from Fowler that you were at Italy for those years. Your passport had the Italy stamp with the date of your departure of Jasper and then a stamp that has you returning to the US a few days ago. Seems like a long extended vacation to me."

Now this is getting hard for him to explain, as he didn't expect the general knowing he was in Italy. But at least he doesn't know about the SWA yet. So he told the truth halfly.

John Darby: "Yeah… Well guess any retired soldier needed a vacation after their experience. Italy seems like a nice place to be. The rich history, the views, the art. Something to keep your mind off your lost."

General Bryce: "So I hear. But I also heard you took a job there. Some charity place huh? Never thought you were the giving guy. You even have one of the girls with you on that trip too. You certainly like to take care of her."

John was actually getting a little uncomfortable about that and tried to talk his way out of it.

John Darby: "Well, everyone has a hobby. I like the be a charitable person no matter what."

General Bryce: "Is that so? Because I heard rumors of this Social Welfare Agency and I'm a little worried about you joining some anti terrorist organization in disguise."

John could tell that he was getting close to the truth. Fortunately, he had a way in avoiding it and told them about the little secret he kept.

John Darby: "You're saying to me that I still have some form of revenge after all these years. I'm a changed man. Besides, you're one to talk. How are things at the military? I hope nothing wasn't complicated while I was away."

General Bryce looks to him to find that question completely suspicious. But he played along and told him what was going on.

General Bryce: "Well, it's nothing of your worry John, since you left for health reasons. But we have been a little productive for a while."

John Darby: "Productive? That's a big word compared to huge alien robots that transform into cars, let alone the aliens bringing their war to our planet."

There was a bit of a blank expression from Bryce as he was extremely quiet about that.

General Bryce: "Who told you that?"

The Darby shrugged his shoulders and passes it as an excuse.

John Darby: "No one. However, I did hear rumors that you got some unexpected visitors arriving. Now I'm not the type of guy that believes in extra terrestrials. But hearing something like that along with a huge war that could destroy us, it worries me and I don't want my family to get hurt. So please tell me, what's going on around here?"

Bryce heard this and was getting a little nervous about that. He has no clue who spread rumors like that, but it could be trouble, escapecially from a former soldier in the military. Lowering his head, he told him that it isn't wise to talk about something like that.

General Bryce: "I'm sorry John, but that news is classified. I can't tell anyone about this except soldiers and higher ups in what we're up against."

John looks to him strangely and told him who he was.

John Darby: "Well, I'm a soldier. And discharged or not, I'm still part of the military. So it's best you tell me what has happened."

The general gave a deep sigh and decided to let this out now before John keeps pestering him.

General Bryce: "Very well, but you might not like it."

He got up and approached the window, ready to begin the story.

As the meeting was taking place, outside the desert, Arcee was driving Jack and Elsa down the road, reaching the base as fast as her tires could. The three had a nice ride through the desert and were ready to head on home. Arcee then turned on her comm. and told Ratchet that they're heading back.

Arcee: "Ratchet, this is Arcee. Jack, Elsa, and I are returning to base. Stand by."

As soon as she said that, she heard nothing but static. Curious, she talked to him again.

Arcee: "Arcee to base, come in."

Still nothing to hear from the other end as she was starting to get worried. Jack saw this as well and asked what happened.

Jack: "Arcee, what's going on?"

The femme turned her review mirrors to her partner and explained about it.

Arcee: "Radio interference. Can't get a click in the base. Doesn't matter, we're going to the right direction anyways."

Elsa heard this too and thought of something that could cause such a malfunction.

Elsa de Sica: "Maybe it's the desert that's causing all this interruption. All that sand around could gunk up the comm. systems. I'm certain that it's natural."

Cee checked her mirror to see Elsa and told her that it wasn't the case.

Arcee: "I don't know about that Elsa. I got a feeling something bad's about to happen. Let's head back to base and hope that we don't get into too much trouble."

So the two-wheeler twisted the accelerator hard as the group head to Omega One as fast as they could. But up in the air, someone was watching the sky and was following behind. It was the Con Dreadwing as he spotted the femme with the two human companions. Since finding an Autobot signature, he investigated and found the group driving down the hallway. He also has taken the liberty in jamming communication signal between her and the other Autobots just so he doesn't get overwhelmed by her friends. Once he got that taken care of, he checked the passengers she had on and spotted a girl with blonde braided pigtails and checked the SWA record Megatron gave him. Studying the features, he found a match and knew it was the girl his leader wanted. He contacted the base and told Megatron what he found.

Dreadwing: "Lord Megatron, I have found the target. The girl is with the female Autobot and another human, driving down the freeway. What do you want me to do?"

He waited for a few good seconds until he heard the warlord on the other end.

Megatron: "You know what must be done Dreadwing. Destroy the Autobot and human, but I want the girl alive. Do you understand?"

The jet mentally nodded as he responded to him.

Dreadwing: "Yes my lord. It shall be done."

In his jet mode, he dived in and drew closer to his target. At the same time, Arcee was speeding as she was watching any angle for either cops or Cons. She didn't know that someone was coming from above as Dreadwing was at just the right height for an attack. But Elsa felt something not right as she heard a jet engine nearby. Peeking up, she could see a jet flying low and following them. Quickly, she turned the femme and told her that they have trouble.

Elsa de Sica: "Arcee, I think you're right about your suspicion. Something is following us!"

Curious in what she was talking about, she looked up through her review mirror and noticed the blue and yellow jet too. When she spotted the Decepticon insignia, she panicked and realized that they were in trouble.

Arcee: "Scrap! It's a Con! Everyone hold on tight!"

Quickly, Jack held onto the handles while Elsa held to his waist. Quickly, the two-wheeler accelerated at top speeds, trying to get away from the flying enemy. Dreadwing though was catching up to her as his height speed matched her ground. Jack looked back and could tell they she wasn't loosing him.

Jack: "He's still gaining on us!"

Cee looked at it too and could tell that this wasn't getting them anywhere. Looking for an alternate option, she noticed that they were passing through the high mountains that there's a gap that can let them through to the right. Seeing this opening, she decided to pull it off now before they get caught.

Arcee: "You guys better hang on! This is going to get extremely bumpy!"

Quickly, she brake and drifted to the opening as the two humans held on for dear life. In position, she jumped off the highway and right into the desert terrain, through the mountain walls. Dreadwing spotted it and tilted upwards, flying high in the sky. Reverting course, he flew over the cliffs to pursue the femme. Figuring he can't take the girl, he decided on another method.

Dreadwing: "Clever little femme. Let's see how well you fair against this!"

Lowering his blaster at the middle, he targeted Arcee and opened fire on her. Blasters shots surround her as she tried to avoid them. But with the walls too closed up, it was difficult trying to avoid the blasts. The two humans were starting to get a little nauseous as Jack decided to intervene.

Jack: "Is this your idea in loosing him? Driving down a narrow cliff path while he tries to shoot us?!"

Arcee felt a little aggravated and told him what she was going to do.

Arcee: "It was either that, or have him shoot up a highway filled with innocent civilians while he peruses us. Take your pick."

Elsa overheard that and nodded in agreement.

Elsa de Sica: "She does have a point Jack."

Up in the air, Dreadwing continued to fire, but the distance is making it impossible to make a direct hit. So he tried the next phase of his mission.

Dreadwing: "Very well… If I can't take you down, then I'll flush you out!"

Almost instantly, compartments opened up and little projectiles came out, falling to the cliffs. All the objects latched onto the floor and walls as they started to tick away. Those objects were none other then detonated charges, designed for one thing and one thing only. Blowing up. Seeing all of this, the three knew that it was trouble for them.

Jack: "That's not good…"

The two-wheeler noticed the bombs and knew she had to get them out of this death trap and fast. Seeing a way out, she decided to make her departure now.

Arcee: "Hang on!"

She performed a quick wheelie and sped as fast as her tires could take her. As she was getting away, all the charges continued to countdown until they all hit zero in Cybertronian terms. Almost immediately, they all exploded as rocks and fire were all over them. Arcee tried her best avoiding the many explosions as the place was acting as the scene from Armageddon while Jack and Elsa hold on for dear life. She was incredibly fast, as she was getting closer to the way out. But just as she could make an escape, a huge explosion from the charges came up from behind her and pushed her out of the tightening cliffs, sending her and the humans in the air. Both Jack and Elsa were in a panic as they were flailing their arms and legs around, not knowing what to do next. On quick reaction, Arcee transformed into her bipedal mode in midair and did a quick flip to land safely on the ground with her pedes on the floor. Looking up to see the kids, she lifted her arms up and on precise timing, they landed on her hands. She took a deep breather and was glad they were saved for the moment. She placed them down and looked up to see the Decepticon jet flying overhead. But he then dived down and transformed into his own bot mode, landing hard and looking straight at the femme and two humans. Arcee got in front of the humans and gave herself a stance to get ready while Dreadwing stood his ground and looked at the two-wheeler intently.

Dreadwing: "Ah, the female Autobot known as Arcee. Airachnid told me about you. That you are what she said a hothead when it comes to your previous partners. I wonder if that is true."

The femme had a sour look, but she tries to contain her anger, as she demanded what he was doing here.

Arcee: "What do you want Con?"

He could tell that she was loosing her patience and decided to tell her anyways.

Dreadwing: "Nothing for you to worry about. But Megatron wants to see the human girl you have in your possession. Kindly hand her over to me and no harm will come to you."

Arcee looked back at Elsa and knew he wanted her as Jack got in front and blocked her from him. Looking back, the femme responded with a cold response.

Arcee: "That's not going to happen…"

Dreadwing narrowed his optics and could tell that she's not handing the girl without a fight.

Dreadwing: "Then if that's the case, I will forcefully take the girl from you."

Getting his servo behind his back he took out his huge blaster and carried it both servos, pulling the trigger and fired shot after shot right at the femme. Arcee turned to pick the humans off and made a mad dash to safety while at the same time using her free servo to form a blaster to fire at him. A few hits hit the armor but it didn't phase the con as he continued to fire. The femme managed to get into cover and placed the kids down. Knowing the situation she's in, Arcee contacted base and demanded for an immediate escape.

Arcee: "Arcee to base, I got caught in a Decepticon attack. Requesting an emergency bridge back."

She waited for a response but still have nothing and she still couldn't get anything out of it.

Arcee: "Ratchet, do you read? I need a bridge now!"

Still, she can't get anyone and cussed to herself.

Arcee: "Scrap! Still can't get a read from anyone."

Jack checked his cell phone and noticed they the screen had zero bars on it.

Jack: "Can't get a signal here either. We're pretty much in a dead zone around here. If we can get to a high altitude, we might get one."

Looking back to Dreadwing, he was still shooting away as the huge boulder was protecting them, for now at least. Turning back, she told Jack on what to do.

Arcee: "Take Elsa and head to higher ground. Check the cell phone to see if you can get a signal and contact Ratchet. I'll hold him off for as long as I could."

But Elsa doesn't like it as she stepped in and demanded that she could help.

Elsa de Sica: "No! Let me help you Arcee. I've assisted in stopping Airachnid didn't I?"

The two-wheeler looked to her and told her that it won't do.

Arcee: "No Elsa, this is different. You heard what Dreadwing said. He said that Megatron wanted to see you. That means it's nothing good. Stay with Jack. I'm going to go ahead and distract him long enough for the two of you to escape."

Elsa de Sica: "What? But Arcee-"

The femme interrupted her and told her to move.

Arcee: "That is a direct order Elsa! Now go! I'll handle him."

Quickly, she got out of cover and transformed into her motorcycle, driving and keeping the Con distracted. Dreadwing saw her leaving and started to shoot at her so he could get rid of her first before grabbing the girl. With her quick driving, she was able to avoid all of those shots. As she was distracting him, Jack looked on and knew it was time to leave.

Jack: "Looks like he took the bait. Come on Elsa, let's get out of here quick before that brute sees us."

Still Elsa isn't taking any chances as she turned and told him that she has to help.

Elsa de Sica: "But I have to help her. She can't do it alone!"

Jack look back to his partner and could see that she has everything under control.

Jack: "Don't worry; Arcee's likes to fight solo on many occasions. She can take care of herself. Now let's go!"

He quickly ran to the cliff wall while Elsa looked back and was worried of Arcee. But saying that she can handle herself, she sighed and decided to follow Jack. The two hurried to the wall as Jack found a safe walking hill that could take him up and followed it. But Elsa had other alternatives as she found a path higher and jumped up with her sheer agility. Jack stopped and looked up to see Elsa going up higher and sighed to himself.

Jack: "I really should've done track and field."

Soon enough, the two were making the slow decent upwards to the top, hoping to get a reception from Jack's cell phone. During that time, Dreadwing was firing away as Arcee was avoiding as much as she could in her vehicle form. As he was shooting, he looked back and saw Elsa and the human boy trying to make an escape. Knowing that he had to make a grab for her, he turned and was about to chase her down. Unfortunately, he kept his eye off the target. Arcee saw him getting to Elsa and intervened. Turning to his direction, she charged in and deployed her blasters in her vehicle form, shooting away at him. Dreadwing felt the shots on his back and turned back around to see the two-wheeler heading to him. Getting his gun ready, he continued to fire while Arcee sped in blinding speed. Seeing a slab slanting up that looked like a ramp, she took it and popped a wheelie, riding up it and jumping off. Dreadwing then pointed his blaster up and kept on firing, but she flew too high in the air that it was impossible to get to her. Once she's at the right height, she spinned and transformed, plummeting down like a missile and using her blasters to keep shooting. Once she got a good enough distance, she extended her leg and performed a torpedo kick to him. The con then used the huge blaster as a shield and managed to block off the attack, using his strength to push her off the cannon. Cee managed to recover from that and did a flip backwards, landing gracefully on her feet and getting into a battle stances with her blades deployed. Dreadwing saw this and put his cannon away, only to be replaced by a huge broadsword meant for close combat.

Dreadwing: "You really are persistent, aren't you femme. Doesn't matter, you will be tasting my blade that shed the energon of many Autobot warriors.

The two-wheeler gritted her dentals and knew she was in for a serious fight.

Arcee: "We shall see about that."

The two formed a circle to each other and waited for one of them to make a move.

General Bryce: "What do you know about the NASA's SETI program?"

Back in Bryce's office, the general started his story by asking John a simple question. The Darby looked to him a little confused and wondered what he meant by that. Clearing his throat, he answered the best he could.

John Darby: "Not much general. Why do you ask that?"

Bryce looked back and could tell that he hasn't had a clue about that project, so he explains it as best as he could.

General Bryce: "In 1980, a group of scientists led by Dr. Carl, formed the U.S. Planetary Society, an organization that was funded by the U.S. government to study life past our solar system. They have reason to believe that the human race isn't the only species living in this universe and wanted to contact other alien races to confirm their beliefs."

John looks to him and raised an eyebrow about that little story and thought it was ridiculous.

John Darby: "Making contact with other alien species? Sounds like someone was watching way too many Sci-Fi flicks when they were kids."

The general starred him down before turning to the window and continued with his story.

General Bryce: "As ludicrous as is sounds, it seemed to be a promising venture. They wanted to find a way in getting contact with other life forms beyond our solar system. So on July 3rd, 1983, they partnered with NASA to create the SETI program. SETI, which is short of The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, was meant to send a powerful signal through the vast reaches of space to get into contact with these beings. It was a highly top secretive project that no one knew with the exception of the Pentagon and the President that year. But as the years progressed leaks were spreading across the state and many people thought that this project was a waist of time and public money. About five years into the program, the government realized the mistake they have made and were about to cut off SETI entirely. But when they were about to pull the plug, the scientists finally got back an answer."

Now John was intrigued by this story and asked about it.

John Darby: "An answer? From who?"

Turning back to him, the told him what the General knew.

General Bryce: "No one knows who answered our transmission back then, but it would seem like is as a message of grave importance. The language was difficult to understand since it was alien in nature, however, we've managed to get the best linguistics out there to cipher the language. Playing it back, we discovered that they a group of metal species known as Cybertronians."

Back out at the cliffs, both Arcee and Dreadwing stood their ground as they waited for one to move. After a few short seconds, the Con gave a war cry and charged right in for the attack. Arcee could tell that he was a brute and used that to her advantage. Getting close, he lifted his sword up to prepared to give off a heavy blow. Lifting her arms up with her blades sticking out, she blocked the attack and held with all her might. And with sheer might, pushed him off of her and separated her arms in the process, causing him to stagger back. Looking to her, Dreadwing was getting a little agitated and went back to the attack by swinging his sword and many directions. Arcee easily dodged each attack as she tried to look for an opening. Finding one, she rolled away from the last swing and got up, using her blade to cut the left side of his waist. Dreadwing seethed in pain as he got back and went to the defensive. Now Arcee was going to the offensive. With her blades deployed, she went into multiple slicing attempts as Dreadwing used his sword to block each attack. After the last attack, he twisted his arm back and slapped her away, causing her to fly to one end. Yet, she quickly recovered and switched back to her blasters and fire away. The Con got down and used his side to shield himself from the projectiles. Landing down on the ground, she switched back to her blades and charged in for another attack.

General Bryce: "Cybertronians are living metallic organisms that are bigger then us and poses many abilities we don't have access to. They have sheer strength, agility, and firepower within their own bodies. The biggest thing they could do is transform into alien vehicles for transport. And the best part of it all is that they can live for billions of years. They are completely immortal. No one in the government knows where they come from or how they were created. Our guess is that someone built them but they kept that in the dark. However we do know that the contact was that of distress."

Arcee then charged in and went to the attack once more. Jumping up, she did a quick corkscrew with her blades acting like a buzz saw, wanting to slice him up in multiple pieces. All that unfortunately didn't work as Dreadwing used his sword and protect himself from the barrage of attacks. Getting his feet in position, he went into a thrusting attack and was ready to pierce the two-wheeler in the chest. Quickly, she jumped high and avoided the thrust, landing on the blade with sheer balance. Dreadwing saw her standing on the weapon and flinged it up high to get her off of it. He succeeded, only to make things worse to himself. Arcee was high in the air as she did a quick spin and came down fast, delivering a back heel kick to his helm and brought him down a peg.

Back in the general's office…

John Darby: "Distress? You mean Cybertronians were in trouble?"

General Bryce: "Of sorts. According to the messages being sent, their planet suffered centuries of war, maybe even more. It would seem that these Cybertronians were split into two factions, Autobots and Decepticons. The Autobots, lead by Optimus Prime, were a peaceful faction that believes in equality and stability. The Decepticons are lead by Megatron, a sinister warlord that believes in nothing but destruction and taking everything for themselves."

John listened to that and has a quick guess as to who responded first.

John Darby: "I take it that the Autobots got hold of Earth's signal."

Bryce nodded and went on with the story.

General Bryce: "Their response is that they were seeking refuge when their planet became nothing more then a wasteland. They needed a temporary home and a place to hide."

John Darby: "So you gave them our planet. Do you ever think for a second that it wouldn't end well just like in the movies?"

Bryce was silent about that for a moment until he explained the government's reason.

General Bryce: "We were hesitant at first when they wanted a temporary home. But hearing their pleas for sanctuary, we have to assist them in anyways. After we've responded to bring them here, the wait was pretty much twenty years until they arrived on our home planet. That's two years after you were discharged from military service."

John laughed a little and responded as sarcastically as ever.

John Darby: "Thanks for the heads up."

The general ignored that joke and decided to speak more clearly about the aliens especially.

General Bryce: "It wasn't a walk in the park in anyways, but we had to help as much as we could. The moment they've arrived, we gave them refuge and so much more."

Out in the battlefield, Jack and Elsa were quickly reaching to higher ground. Jack noticed that there was no paths yet and started to climb up to where Elsa was. So far, going up was easy for her as her inhuman agility let her jump high to safe areas. During the climb, Jack was reaching the top of a safe path he could walk on. But he started to feel weak, as his arms can't take it anymore. Elsa noticed it to and extended a hand, giving that he was close to her position.

Elsa de Sica: "Here, give me your hand."

Jack looks to her and nodded, extending his hand out to her. The moment she got a hold of him, she used her strength to pull him up and got him to a safety. As he was taking a breather, Elsa looked down at the battle and could tell that Arcee was doing a good job holding off on her own. Still, she felt as though she had to do something to help her.

Elsa de Sica: "I should be down there, protecting her. Just like I would protect John."

Once Jack was fully recovered, he turned to her and could tell that she's upset about his partner's decision. Walking up to her, he placed his hand on her shoulder and told her it was all right.

Jack: "Arcee's a tough gal, she can handle herself. We just need to get you away from the Cons as fast as we could. I fear what Megatron has planned for you."

Elsa turned to him and gave him a simple nod, understanding the situation they're in. Jack then took out his cell phone to see if he got a signal. So far it was zero bars, but he could see signs of it going to one bar on a couple of occasions.

Jack: "Looks like we got little reception, but it won't be enough. We have to get to higher ground. Come on, this way."

He headed to the right and ascended upwards. Elsa though remains her ground and looked to the battle, worried that the two-wheeler would get hurt.

Jack: "Elsa, come on. We have to go."

The girl looked back as she knows she has to get on going. So she followed Jack and hope that the femme would be safe.

Back to Bryce's office, the General continued telling the story of the Autobots.

General Bryce: "The moment they landed, Optimus explained the situation they were in when their planet was consumed by this war. The masses scattered across the globe, as they needed a place that they call their home. We eagerly gave them one and offered them a bit of refuge. We've even offered them a base of operation near Jasper, Nevada."

John knew that the Autobots have set up shop near his hometown. Yet he pretended he didn't know and to be surprised by it a little.

John Darby: "You gave them a base of operations in Jasper. My hometown?"

The general nodded and told him that it was all right.

General Bryce: "Let's be brief and say that the base is within the decommissioned missile silo close to town. No one knows about it and it's the perfect location because it keeps them hidden from the public eye. It's one of the promises we agreed upon. That no human casualties would come to any harm. Getting on track, the Autobots made themselves right at home; they used the resources necessary to build their own technology from scanners to the ground bridge. Also, it turns out that they've discovered energon deposits across the globe, energon they desperately need. It's somewhat the lifeblood of their planet. Every thing was going well and the Autobots were following the protocols we gave them. But turns out they weren't the only ones that got the signal."

John crossed his arms and could tell what he's going to say next.

John Darby: "Let me guess… The Decepticons?"

The general nodded and talked about that.

General Bryce: "You bet."

Back down in the fight, Arcee was duking it out with Dreadwing and was hitting on all cylinders. With her blades, she was cutting and slicing like there's no tomorrow. The Con used his sword to continue to block each attack and was looking for an opening. Turning his back, he used the hard armor to avoid the last of the strikes. Twisting forward, he used his sword to cut her in two. Cee quickly ducked down to avoid it and used her leg to knock him off his feet. Dreadwing tumbled to the ground and was down for the moment. Seeing the opportunity, she got on top of him and deployed both her blasters at his helm, ready to finish him off. Opening his optics, the Con saw her ready to deliver a finishing blow. Making a quick escape, he transformed into a jet and flew out of harms way. Unfortunate for him though, Arcee retracted her blasters and held on for dear life, as they flew in the air. Quickly, she placed her pedes on the jet's metal surface and started to bang on he cockpit area. During that time, Jack and Elsa was slowly reaching up to the top as the teen checked his phone to see if they got a signal. So far nothing, as they ascended higher. But as they were climbing and stepping up, a blue and yellow jet flew past them in a diagonal ascend. The two looked up and as Dreadwing flying in the sky with Arcee riding on top of him. The two watched on as the femme continued to bang on him hard. The Decepticon just about had it with her and tried to shake her off as much as he could. Arcee was teetering as she was trying to regain her balance. The two humans watched on and were now concerned of their friend. Just as she was able to hold her own, Dreadwing did a quick corkscrew and forced the two-wheeler to fall off of him and falling to the floor near the edge of the cliff. Elsa was shocked about this and rushed to aid her.

Elsa de Sica: "Arcee!"

As she was running to her, Jack tried to stop her.

Jack: "Elsa, wait! Don't go there!"

But she didn't listen as she kept heading to Arcee's side. He groaned to himself and knew that his father won't like this.

Jack: "Damn it…"

Looking to his cell phone, he could tell that the signal was weak, from one to two bars. Seeing this, he decided that now would be the time to call for an assist.

Jack: "Oh what the hell…"

He started to get to the contact list and called the base, hoping someone is there. As he was calling, he was running to Elsa just to catch up to her. As they were approaching her, Arcee felt a little woozy and slowly got up to recover. As she was getting up, a jet flew over her helm as she looked up to see the Decepticon coming back to her. Flying high, he transformed into his bot mode and landed hard on his feet. Looking down to the femme he felt a little confident to himself.

Dreadwing: "You are such a skilled fighter. I condulge for you on that. But I'm afraid that time for fighting is over. Surrender the girl and perhaps I will give you a painless death."

The femme looked to him and cold optics and didn't want to do that.

Arcee: "Not a chance…"

To that, she charged in as the Con got his huge laser cannon out and continued to fire. With a quick skip and parry, Arcee managed to avoid each shot and jumped on top of the rock, only to jump off seconds before the laser blew it off. Flying to him, she performed a spinning heel kick in the air just to knock him in the face. But then, he grabbed the leg with his one hand and held on to it while the femme hung upside down. But that doesn't mean she won't give up without a fight, so she deployed her blasters and fired at the brute. Even though she made a few shots, it didn't slow him down. With his strength, he swings the two-wheeler to the wall and she flew towards it, hitting hard on the wall and felt some incredible pain. Moaning in agony, Dreadwing slowly approached her and was ready to deliver the final blow.

General Bryce: "The Decepticons, to what Optimus said to me, were once labor workers, those that didn't live a fine life like the Autobots. They sort of like the slum type of people. Their leader, Megatron, use to have been an undefeated gladiator warrior at the time. He wanted to become the future Prime and wished that the help the poor folks down there. Even had Optimus to be his partner in his campaign. But his method of being a Prime seems to be too… extreme for this council on Cybertron. And when Optimus explained some things to this council, they decided to make him a Prime due to his knowledge and understanding. So he was the one that took the mantle, while Megatron was left in the dust."

The Con slowly made his approach until he stopped a few feet from the femme. Arcee looked up at see him put away his gun and then took his sword out to deliver the final blow.

At the general's office…

John Darby: "So long story short, this Megatron guy wanted the throne to himself but Optimus took it from him. That's a bit of poetic justice if I do say so myself."

The general rubbed the temples of his head and talked about that.

General Bryce: "In a way. Apparently, the council on Cybertron wants peace more then war. However, Megatron didn't took kindly to that and declared war on that planet to take his rightful place. In fact, that's one of the reasons why the Great War on Cybertron has started. And since then, even after their planet has fallen, they are still fighting. Back to the subject in matter."

He then opened a file cabinet underneath the desk and started looking through for a specific file. While he was searching, he started to explain how the Cons got to their planet.

General Bryce: "A few years after the Autobots picked our signal up, the Cons found out about it and sent scouting troops to investigate the planet to both search for Autobots and looked for untapped energon mines. Of course, it's only a few lackeys here and there and nothing to serious. The team managed to mop some of them up and kept the mines to themselves. They've even added a few new additions years later. But months ago, there has been a huge attack that costs the Autobots one of their own."

Finding the file, he placed it on the desk just so John can look at it. The Darby saw the file and looked into its contents. What he saw was a profile picture of one of the Autobots that was red and had gray horns. On the middle of the paper is a stamp that says, 'KIA'. Bryce then told him about the incident.

General Bryce: "Autobot's name was Cliffjumper. The report from Optimus says that he was killed in a Decepticon ambush while he was scouting for energon. He fought valiantly until his sudden termination. From what we can put together, the Cons seem to have a flagship of their own and floats over the planet. Which could mean only one thing, the Decepticons have already reached our world."

Back to the cliff, Dreadwing placed the sword to the femme's helm and was ready to finish her off.

Dreadwing: "Goodbye Autobot."

He lifted his sword up and was ready to decapitate her head. But before he could do that, he felt a few pings on his helm. Turning to the direction of the shots, he saw Elsa rushing to him with her trusty pistol by her side. The Con looked at her and wondered if she was looking for a death wish. But that simply distracted him as Arcee took that opening and quickly got up in a track and field position. Lunging at him, she speared him down to the ground and pinned him to the ground, giving him multiple punches to the face. He quickly used his servo to close off the last punch and tightened it to prevent her from escaping. He then gave her a knee jab to the stomach as she grunted in complete pain. Then with his free servo, he punched her square in the jaw and brought her down for the count. Getting up, he pointed his gun at her and was aiming squarely in the chest. But then more shots hit the cannon in the same direction, getting his attention again. He turned back to see the Elsa getting closer and decided to change his target. Aiming his cannon at her, he started to fire. Realizing the situation, she took cover behind a rock and reloaded her pistol for another go while the projectiles hit the rock. Looking back a couple of blasts nearly grazed her as she got back into safety. Readying her weapon, she took a deep breath and picked up some rocks to create a diversion. Tossing them at one side, Dreadwing turned to that direction and realized too late that it was a trick. Elsa got out on the other side and continued to shoot away as the Con was caught by surprised, by a human no less. Getting his cannon towards her, he fired away while Elsa ducked and rolled out of the way. As that was going on, Arcee started to stir and regained her sight. That's when she saw Elsa avoiding blaster fire and Dreadwing firing at her. Fearing for her life, Arcee got her blaster armed and aimed it squarely in the face. The Con heard the sound of gears shifting and looked down, just in time for the blaster to fire right at him. He was blinded for a few seconds, just in time for the femme jumping off her feet, getting in position, and side kicking him hard with a forceful blow. He flew from the impact and crashed right into the cliffside wall, taking him out temporarily. Looking to Elsa relaxing, she approached her and was fuming in her ventilation.

Arcee: "I thought I told you to get to someplace safe! Why didn't you listen to me!?"

Elsa looked to her and told her the reasons why.

Elsa de Sica: "Arcee, you were in danger. I had to help you before that Con kills you. Can you imagine what would happen if I hadn't been there for you?"

Arcee was about to argue back until she remembered those near death experiences from Dreadwing. Realizing that, she started to feel relieved that Elsa was there; otherwise she would've joined her late partners. But before she could ease herself, she could hear the sounds of rocks rumbling to where the Con was taken out. The two turned to see the brute getting up and was seething completely.

Dreadwing: "You two are becoming a nuisance. You left me no choice but to show you no mercy!"

To that, he charged in and prepares to attack. Arcee immediately got into a stance and told Elsa to go.

Arcee: "Get back Elsa, this Con means business!"

Elsa nodded to step back a little, giving Arcee a chance to fight. Soon enough, the two deliver critical blows, hoping the other falls. Arcee gave a right hook, Dreadwing pulled and heavy punch, she did a high kick, he pulled a fist to the gut. Both were an even stalemate as they hit each other with everything they have.

General Bryce: "The Decepticons aren't like the Autobots in anyways. They are ruthless, maniacal, and downright destructive. Their leader, Megatron, never cares about taking this Prime mantle. All he cares about is power. And who follows him in this path cares for nothing else but serve some form of loyalty to him. Hell, it get worse when their loyalty to the Decepticon leader leads to completely violent aggression."

As the two continued to hit each other, Jack was catching up with Elsa while trying to call the base. Though he knows that he had only two bars of signal, it's enough to get a call, if barely. He kept on calling as he heard the rings on the other end.

Jack: "C'mon, c'mon… Pick up."

After waiting for someone to pick up, he heard a click and Ratchet on the other end.

Ratchet: "Hello? Who is this? This is a secure line. Identify yourself!"

Jack was relieved that he was able to contact Ratchet. Even if the reception is a little static, he can hear the conversation clearly. So he let Ratch know who he was.

Jack: "Ratchet wait! It's me! Jack."

He waited in the other end until he heard the medic spoke up.

Ratchet: "Jack? What are you doing on this line? This is for emergencies only!"

That's when Jack exploded and told him of the situation.

Jack: "This is an emergency! Arcee is battling a Decepticon on her own and Elsa is in grave danger. We need some back up and a bridge back to the base. We can't have the Cons take Elsa from us! Think you can pinpoint my call from there?"

There was a bit of silence until Ratch responded.

Ratchet: "I think I can… But your signal is weak, impossible to locate. I'll try to bridge the team close to your position, but I don't count any chance of help near by."

Jack: "Do it quick Ratchet! If the Decepticons capture Elsa, I'm afraid what they are going to do with her."

He quickly hung up the phone and started to look for the young girl. Looking around, he saw Elsa standing there, but then he saw Arcee battling Dreadwing and was looking bad for her. The two shared blows with each other and was getting harder for her to beat him. He just hopes that backup comes soon, or she won't last too long. Arcee deployed her blades and was trying to cut him up. She performed a few swings and got some scratches out of him, but they weren't as deep as she thought. Dreadwing looked down at the scratches and wasn't impressed by her attempt. With a few swings, he wanted to punch her off her feet. She quickly avoided the strikes and deployed her blaster to fire at his side just to disable him. The brute was getting a little tired over this and use his opened servo to grab the femme by the helm and slammed her from one rock to the next. Meanwhile, Elsa remained there and watches the two-wheeler getting pummeled. She wanted to help her out and fast, but Arcee's orders were to stay put. But the more she gets beaten up, the more desperate in assisting her. As she was watching, Jack came by her side to told her to go.

Jack: "Elsa, what are you doing?! You can't stay here! It's not safe!"

The girl turned to him and told him that she has to help.

Elsa de Sica: "But Arcee's in danger. I had to help her no matter what! She still needs my help, yet she wouldn't let me!"

Jack looked up to see what Elsa means and saw his partner getting pummeled by Dreadwing as he kept hitting her on the rocky walls. Jack knew that she was in danger, but he knew that she has it all under control.

Jack: "Arcee has been through worse then that. She knows what she's doing. Right now we need to get out of here. I already contacted Ratchet and he says that help is on the way. We better get out of here and wait for a bridge to open. This way!"

He then grabbed Elsa's hand as they ran to a safer place until help arrives. Elsa looked back to see the Arcee still having problems with the Con and still wanted to help. But Arcee ordered her to not get involved, so that's what she's going to do. As the two were leaving, the femme was still having a hard time with Dreadwing. She continues to get slammed into the walls and it was getting impossible to get out. The Con then lifted her up to his face and wasn't amused.

Dreadwing: "So this is the femme that defeated Airachnid on a number of occasions. You aren't as tough as I expected. Doesn't matter, I'll make sure that your termination is quick and painless."

As he said that, he heard Arcee mumbling about something and couldn't quite get it with his servo on her face.

Dreadwing: "What is that? I cannot not hear you from all you're groveling."

He slowly opened his servo to get a better understanding what the two-wheeler was trying to say. What he got though was something he didn't expect.

Arcee: "Get fragged…"

With that said, she got her blaster armed and shoot the brute's arm a couple of times. He could feel the pain and let go of the femme, freeing her for a brief moment. Getting to her feet, she jumped up and performed a spinning roundhouse kick to his helm, temporarily immobilizing him. Getting into a crouching stance with her leg extended, she charged right in and drew her fist back, deploying her blade to perform a serious strike.

As that was going on, John listened to Bryce's words and could feel a little weary, so he asked about this secret a little more.

John Darby: "Tell me something general, does the public know of this?"

Bryce sat back and placed his hands to his lap.

General Bryce: "No, thank Heavens for that. We try to keep this war under wraps and below the radar. And even if there's a disturbance close to a populated area, we tend to cover it up with a variety of excuses such as traffic accidents, toxic spills, terrorist attacks, the usual thing that get people to stay away. Fortunately, there was no attack of a huge scale cause if there were, then we would be in serious trouble with the public and would demand some answers. You can sleep well Mr. Darby. You're family is safe since they don't know of the Autobot's existence."

John mentally smirked as the general doesn't have a clue that his family already knew about them. But then he wondered how Bryce knows of the SWA. So he decided to talk about it.

John Darby: "You said you heard of a secret within the Social Welfare Agency. Tell me, what secret are you talking about?"

Bryce raised an eyebrow at him and was curious why he would ask such a question. But giving his reasons, he told him about it.

General Bryce: "It's a complicated matter John. Rumor from the grapevine is that Italy has some kind of cybernetic program of their own to help stop the growing unrest from some terrorist mafias. The same type of terrorist that delivered the bombs that blew your brother up. This type of program involves turning kids into cyber super soldiers that won't hesitate in killing crooks. That concerns the U.S. military as they sort of surpassed our own tech. The Pentagon wouldn't even think about creating cyborgs to help with our wars. Of course, we do have highly advance robots from space that have their own wars. But the one thing that concerns me is that one of our own Americans joining the Italians in their campaign in stopping small time Mafia soldiers. So tell me John, are you working for those people?"

John remained silent and had to figure out a way in getting out of this little predicament. So with a confident smile, he said in a cocky voice.

John Darby: "General… I'm shocked. You expect me to think I would join that type of program? Like I said before, I never could have a vendetta because of what happened to my brother. You know damn well that I don't do that."

Back to the main battle, Arcee used her blades to continuously attack Dreadwing. Swinging her blades, she kept on scratching him like crazy. Still the con kept defending himself as he used his arm to protect himself from the continuous strike. The brute is wasting too much time as he looked to the side to see the girl leaving with the teen. He had to get to her now before she could escape. Looking back to Arcee, he needed to look for a quick opening and take her down fast. Seeing her pulling back, he found one and quickly takes his huge blaster out and blocked the blade the moment she was about to make an impact. Arcee looked at the huge blaster holding her arm down and tried to get out, but it was fruitless. Looking up, she saw Dreadwing extending his free servo to her neck and grabbed it, lifting her off on the ground and threw her over him. She got hit on the head with the rocky floor as he used the huge gatteling blaster to hit her square in the chest. Charging it to full power, he fired his blaster at her and pushed her away from him. The blast itself didn't destroy her spark chamber; it was just enough to immobilize her. She was pushed from the blast and hit hard on the wall, screaming out loud in total pain. Jack heard her scream and turned to see her plunging to the floor and coughing up energon. He reacted in a panic state as he rushed to her side.

Jack: "Arcee!"

As he was running, he let go of Elsa as she stayed behind, fearing for the femme's safety. Rushing up to her, Jack asked if she was all right.

Jack: "Arcee, are you okay? Speak to me!"

The two-wheeler slowly got up to her knees and was still coughing as the indent to her chest plate was clear as day. Rubbing her chest, she was lucky that she's online for the moment.

Arcee: "I think so… Slagging Con really did pack a number to me."

Coughing a little energon out of her mouth, she looked to him and was still upset, even in her condition.

Arcee: "What are you still doing here? I thought I told you to take Elsa and get to someplace safe!"

Jack looked to her and explained his reasons.

Jack: "And let you die?! We're partners Arcee, we look out for each other. I'm surprised that you are still online after that."

The femme looked down to her indented chest and was surprised about that too.

Arcee: "Yeah… Dreadwing should've killed me when he had a chance, but he didn't. Why?"

Just as she asked that type of question, she heard footsteps getting closer and looked up to see the Con starring at her with a confident smile.

Dreadwing: "Because I would never kill a warrior that fought with honor. But also the fact that I would like to slow you down, immediately…"

He then took some sort of cell phone out of his compartment and pushed a button. The two looked on and wondered what he was up to. That's when they heard beeping from above and looked up to see Cybertronian like charges over them on the rocky walls. They were shocked and confused as they wondered how Dreadwing got them up there? Did he plan this, or was it during his flying in the middle of the battle. But it was too irrelevant as the timers ticked down to zero and Arcee uttered one word.

Arcee: "Scrap!"

The charges soon exploded and the rocks flew down to the two. With little time to escape, the two-wheeler did the only thing possible. She got over Jack to cover him as the rocks fell around them, hitting her back on impact. The rocks and boulders continued to fall on them until they were buried completely. Elsa watched as the huge hill of rubble buried them completely and was scarred for her life.

Elsa de Sica: "ARCEE! JACK!"

She ran to them and hoped that they were all right. But before she could even reach them, Dreadwing blocked her path as she looked up to see him stare her down.

Dreadwing: "Going somewhere, little girl?"

Elsa was now getting pissed off as she took her pistol out to fire. However, the Con was quick and grabbed her with his entire fist, trapping her completely. She struggled to get out as her pistol dropped through the fist and fell to the floor. Dreadwing looked to her and told her that it was useless.

Dreadwing: "Resistance is futile human. Megatron demands an audience with you and he will get one."

Elsa looked to him and gave a threatening response.

Elsa de Sica: "I don't know what this Megatron wants with me. But he'll never get anything out of me."

Dreadwing looked to her with the optics of death and found that to be a bit amusing.

Dreadwing: "We shall see about that…"

He then tossed her up in the air and she was flying with her arms flailing everywhere. At the same time, Dreadwing transformed into his jet mode and at the right moment, Elsa landed into the cockpit as the dome closed around her. Sitting up, she soon realized that she was within the enemy and was about to make an escape. But the Con placed straps all around her and tightened them to prevent her from getting out. She continued to struggle as the straps made it difficult to move.

Elsa de Sica: "Let me go! You can't do this to me!"

Yet Dreadwing didn't listen as he wrapped the strap around her mouth and demanded her to hold on.

Dreadwing: "Not another word human. Megatron will see you one way or another. We shall not disappoint him."

He started to take off and fly off into the air, leaving the Autobot and human teen buried alive in the rubble.

General Bryce: "Don't get me wrong Jonathan, you are a reliable soldier, even after the wounded leg. But you need to understand the situation you're in right now."

Within the office, Bryce gave John a fair warning about this agency.

General Bryce: "I can understand that you're upset about what happened to your brother. But you can't go do your vigilantly justice and join some organization that creates cyborg killers out of kids. I'm trying to do this for your own safety."

John looked to him and didn't like the sound of his voice. A little worried, but at the same time forceful. Standing up, he decided to end the talk on a serious note.

John Darby: "Really? Cause the last time you're trying to protect me, you simply discharged me for my 'health issues'. I don't know what makes you think I can still be active even after my injury. To you, all you think is that I will find the killer that took my brother. Sometimes I would've had a job if you hadn't removed me for my duties. I don't care what you think of me. I'm still standing and there's nothing you can do to stop me. Now if you don't mind, I'll dismiss myself. Excuse me."

He turned around and headed back to the office. Just as he was approaching the door, the General got up and told him one more thing.

General Bryce: "John, wait! I know you don't like the decision I made years ago. But I just want to make sure you're safe. I don't want anything bad happen to you."

John turned back to him and was a little quiet about it.

John Darby: "For my own safety, huh? Says the guy that brings alien robots to our planet. I think I feel safer already."

Upon doing so, he opened the door and left the office, closing it hard.

Outside of the battlefield, everything was quiet as Dreadwing left the fight with Elsa. Suddenly, a green portal appeared and Optimus, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead entered through, pointing their weapons and scanning the area. Noticing it was empty; they stood their ground and were kept alert.

Bulkhead: "Area's secured. No sign of a battle. You're certain Ratchet got the coordinates to Jack's phone right?"

Bumblebee chimed in and thought that it was wrong.

Bumblebee: (Maybe the location was inaccurate. With a phone with little to no signal, it could be anywhere.)

Optimus looked on and could tell that this was accurate.

Optimus Prime: "Ratchet's coordinates are perfected in many ways. These are the exact coordinates of where Jack called the base. Arcee and the humans are close by, we have to find them. Split up and search the area."

The two nodded as they started their search for the three. The search lasted for a few minutes until Bulkhead noticed a huge pile of rubble close by. Curious, he approached the area and carefully removed the rubble. Checking deeper, he discovered a blue fin with an Autobot insignia on it. Realizing whose it belongs to; he turned to the others and told them what he found.

Bulkhead: "Guys! I found them!"

He quickly digged the femme out of the rubble as the leader and scout joined him in removing the boulders and rocks. After a few quick minutes of digging, they've managed to free Arcee from the burial as she looked up to see them there with relieved faces. Arcee though had a look of defeat as she wondered why they got here so late.

Arcee: "What took you guys so long?"

The others looked on and could tell that she was a little upset as Optimus explained about their arrival.

Optimus Prime: "Forgive our late assistance, but Ratchet was trying to pinpoint Jack's call."

Bulk then decided to chime in on their lateness.

Bulkhead: "Yeah, it's not easy trying to find the signal in the middle of nowhere. You're lucky we got to you guys anyways. Where is Jack though?"

Arcee looked down as tried to get up. When she got up, they could see Jack in a daze as the rocks fell on top of both of them. Thankfully, Arcee covered her partner as the boulders hit her hard metal body. But there was a bit of them that got Jack as he was bruised and there's a little bleeding oozing down the top of his head. He looked like he was knocked out and didn't move an inch. However, he was still breathing and his heart was still beating. The femme looked to the group and told them what happened.

Arcee: "Dreadwing came to us by surprise to snatch Elsa. I hold them off as best as I could, but he was too much for me. Then as an act of cowardice, he blew up a rocky wall and buried me and Jack in it. Luckily, I was able to protect him while the blast occurred. But the force from the rocks knocked Jack down and he's unconscious. We need to take him back to base and contact June of the situation!"

The Prime look down to Jack and could tell that he's in need of some medical assistance, nodding to help him. But looking at them, he noticed that someone else is missing, so he asked her about it.

Optimus Prime: "And what of Elsa? Was she with you?"

The two-wheeler simply shook her head and explained about that.

Arcee: "I told Jack to stay with Elsa and get her far away from the battle. Guess Jack came to me because I was seriously hurt. I don't know what happened to Elsa though. Maybe she got out safely."

As she was talking, Bumblebee looked around and wondered if Elsa was all right. Checking ahead, the scout spotted something and approached the spot. Bending down, he picked up the object and investigates what it was. Upon closer examination, his optics shifted wide as saucers and realized whom this object belonged to. Heading back to the group, Bee told them what he found.

Bumblebee: (Guys, I think we have a problem.)

He lifted his closed servo out and opened it slowly. That's when the team saw what he was holding. An SIG Sauer P226 pistol, Elsa's trust worthy weapon. Seeing this weapon, the team knew what it means as Arcee said the one word that sums it all up. Elsa de Sica has been taken by Cons.

Arcee: "Scrap…"

That's it for chapter twenty-six. Now that was so hardcore. The battle between Arcee and Dreadwing was perfect and it has been a while since I put a little action into the mix. I've even added a bit of history with the help of FictionFan1024 just to get some idea on how the Autobots and Decepticons went to Earth. But don't think this isn't over yet. I got a more coming the way along with a huge bout between Optimus and Megatron. It's going to be an epic finale with a few surprises you won't see coming. Please Review.