Hello, everyone. I really, truly, hope you're ok...

This story, yet again, comes from one random idea I had one day, when realizing that Optimus was never left alone with the kids in the entirity of the show; so, what if he suddenly finds himself in the middle of nowhere and with the three humans depending on him? Oh, and with the 'Cons coming after him, of course...

Warning: English isn't my mother language, so there might be some grammar mistakes here.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers Prime, nor its characters. It is a registered trademark of Hasbro.

ROAD TRIP

Optimus woke up feeling the feeble dripping of a soft rain over his frame; his processor and body hurt literally everywhere, and his audios were yet ringing from the explosion. Groaning, he opened his optics and picked himself off the ground, only to notice that he was nowhere near the place he remembers; in fact, he was currently at some forest, when, barely five minutes ago, he was battling Decepticons at a desert. "The ground-bridge", thought the Prime, remembering he and his team were retreating back to base, the moment in which the Nemesis appeared floating over the battlefield. After that, he recalled the roar of a blast, and, then, the portal's failure… Then nothing. That must've been the moment in which he lost consciousness. He really hoped the others made it through before the vortex snapped. Especially the children… After all, this mess was due to Miko following them into the field again, thanks to which Jack and Rafael showed up too, claiming they were just trying to stop the girl ―he believed their word, considering it wasn't the first time the boys attempted to save Miko from herself.

Sighing, he tried to report back to base, but all he got was an audio-piercing noise, followed by static. The overload must've damaged his com-link. Noticing this, and fearing it wasn't his only off-lined system, the bot made a quick diagnosis over his tools, and came to realize that his homing beacon was down too… In other words: he was currently stranded, without means for Ratchet to track down his position, and unable to call to base in order to provide exact coordinates for a bridge. At least his GPS was still working… "No options, then", told himself the mech, looking for any nearby road, since he would've to drive himself back home. So, making his mind, he pushed himself to his feet…

And utterly froze at the sound of three familiar small voices, not far from his current position.

"Oh, no…" He whispered, whipping his head in the general direction from whence the voices came.

Forgetting about the road, the Prime pushed through the trees, getting himself further into the forest, until he had a visual of them; the children, just a few more steps ahead, who were completely unaware of his presence, and were too entertained arguing with one another over their current predicament.

"Why's it always my fault, again?!" Miko yelled at Jack, scowling, with her fists tensed on the sides of her body.

"Oh?! I'm sorry, did I made a run for the ground-bridge on the last freaking second?!" The boy retorted, exasperated, and gesturing furiously with each word.

"Did I ask you to follow me?!"

"Well, maybe, next time I'll let a 'Con step on you and save us from the headache!"

"Guys, please! We need to find a way back home!" Rafael, standing helplessly in between his friends, reminded the older kids, attempting to break the fight.

"Jack, Miko, Raf" called the red and blue mech, coming into view for them, and stopping another imminent discussion, right when the girl was opening her mouth.

The three humans turned around instantly, their eyes almost gleaming in happiness of seeing a familiar face around, and wasted no time in running up to the bot, calling his name.

Optimus knelt down to talk to them more comfortably, and was happy to see that the children seemed unharmed by the explosion ―save for one or two bruises that he noticed on their arms, but, other than that, they were fine.

"So… What happened back there?" Jack asked, clearly referring to the explosion.

"I do not have the means as to be certain, but I believe the energy provided by the Decepticon's cannon resulted in an overload; thus unsteadying the bridge's vortex." The Autobot attempted to explain.

"C-can you call back to base?" The oldest teen, anxiously, wondered then.

"We tried, but our cellphones aren't working…" Rafael stated, showing the bot his own phone, while trying to turn it on, unsuccessfully.

"I fear that my com-link is not operational either, Raf. The residual charge has damaged some of my systems." He told the boy, who quickly deflated, next to the others; the three of them understanding the situation they were all in. In all truth, he, too, was feeling a bit down due to this new setting… His original plan was driving nonstop until reaching Jasper, which was several miles away; yet, not as many miles as he has had to travel during the war for Cybertron, without the luxury of recharging nor refueling. If everything went smoothly, he should've been back in a week or so; and, since his tanks were almost full, he knew he could manage. However, the children meant a huge change in his plans… They wouldn't survive such strenuous trip.

Then again, it was their only chance right now…

Suddenly, as the echo of a thunder called his attention, the Prime realized that the drizzle was quickly and steadily turning into a storm. It was best to get going; so, offering his hands to the children, for them to hop on, the bot picked up his charges, only to quickly cradle them against his chassis. It wasn't much, but at least they would be shielded from the wind and some of the water, while Optimus searched for a way out of the forest. Due to the terrain, he was unable to transform at the moment.

Before he had gone far, however, the heavy rain caught up with them, meaning that his frame offered no sort of shield for his companions; not while on bipedal, at least, and he couldn't drive in this area. Not to mention that the ground was becoming muddier. In his vehicle form, he would, most likely, end up stuck. "We better wait this out" thought the mech, already scanning his surroundings, looking for shelter for his charges, who were starting to get soaked wet as they trembled against his chest-plates. At that moment, he almost hated the fact that all of his body heat was safely concealed by layers and layers of heavy armor, because it meant that he couldn't offer much comfort from the temperature drop.

Luckily, his optics soon noticed a cave, not too far ahead; and, setting his mind, the Autobot made his way towards it. Unfortunately, he slipped and fell on his knees thanks to a muddy puddle; but, thanks to his keen reflexes, developed after mega-cycles of conflict, he was capable of catching himself without dropping nor squashing the children.

"Are you alright?" He, nevertheless, asked looking down at the three of them.

"Still in one piece" answered Jack, giving the giant a thumbs-up, though his eyes betrayed him, wtill showing the scare he just had.

"Great!" Gleefully said Miko, smiling.

Rafael simply nodded and hummed in confirmation, while holding his glasses with one hand.

Nodding in relief, the mech picked himself up and kept going.

Finally reaching cover, the red and blue bot bent down on one knee and, gently, placed his companions on the ground; the three kids hopped off of their ride and, hugging themselves to warm up, walked further inside to stay away from the chilly wind that dragged some rain inside, especially near the entrance. Also, they were giving room for Optimus to shelter himself too, which he did.

The Prime couldn't stand straight inside the cave, so he resourced to sit down near the entrance. He bended one leg, as to rest his arm on his knee, while leaving the other stretched ―a subtle way to block the door, preventing anything from coming inside; especially any probable wild animal in the area; plus, this way, he could keep the children in, too. Also, staying there, he could shield the teens from most of the wind; even when that meant he would catch plenty of ice cold water, which was already accumulating and dripping off his armor, making a pool below his frame.

"Doesn't it bother you, Big Guy?" Miko asked, suddenly, clearly worrying over something. This earned her a quizzical look from their current guardian who was confused about her concern. "The rain?" She indicated, pointing at the storm outside.

Optimus glanced at the sky for a split second before returning his optics to the kids beside him, only to offer the girl a reassuring smile while shaking his head. The water didn't bother him all that much, and, anyway, even if it did, he was incapable of catching a sickness out of it; unlike the children, reason why he gestured them to get further inside the cave and to catch some sleep. They would be leaving as soon as the storm stopped.

Nodding, the three of them did as told.

From his spot, the mech watched as his charges made themselves comfortable against a dry wall, making a small pile of themselves in order to stay warm. Once their breathings slowed down, indicating they were fast asleep, he returned his gaze to the outside, where a few lightning kept illuminating the sky from time to time. "Let us hope that the weather remains as our only worry" pleaded the bot, before he, too, fell into recharge.

… … …

Ratchet was fumbling with the equipment, somehow managing to repair most of the hardware in record time; though the ground-bridge controllers were yet smoking, due to the overcharge. "Come on, come on…" His stress levels were higher than never before, as he struggled with a burned hardwire. He couldn't know where his friends winded up until everything was functional again; and, only to make things worse, there were high chances for the children to be stranded somewhere over the planet, next to the team. Those three could've even being separated from the others! Worse! There was no way to know where the vortex expelled them; one of them could be at the bottom of the ocean, or in deep space for all he knew at the time! Such conditions were bad enough for an Autobot, but for a human child-…!

The medic shook his head as if trying to shoo the thoughts away. He may be the least demonstrative bot around, but he would never forgive himself if anything happened to the children. He had to find them. One way or the other, he had to find them.

Biting his lip, he replaced a few melted down chips, and, much to his delight, the com-link was up again… The only problem was that it wasn't receiving; from anyone, actually. "Their system's must've been damage in battle too" considered the white and orange mech, as he, anyway, attempted to call the team. Nevertheless, all he got was static. Even then, he also tried the children…

Same result.

Ratchet leaned against the mainframe keyboard, using his arms for support, and let his head hung; a tired vent came out of him, as the depression settled within his spark. There was no way to tell how long it would take him to find each one of his friend, nor in which state they were currently in. And that's without even counting the children, whose only way to communicate with him were their phones, but, by all indications, those were broken too. With all these thoughts plaguing his processor, the medic couldn't help but feel utterly useless at the moment…

Only for things to get even worse, as the elevator's door opened, revealing the figure of Agent Fowler, who came looking for Optimus… Instead, he found the base halfway torn apart with parts, wires, and tools scattered all over the floor and every single available surface; all plus a very tired medic, almost ready to jump into the scrapheap himself.

"What in Sam's beard is going on here?" The man wondered, walking into the catwalk.

"Megatron happened… The team found an unclaimed Energon mine this morning, but the Decepticons showed up. They fired up with their ship, as soon as the team attempted to return to base via ground-bridge, causing the system to overload, destabilizing the portal, and causing the vortex to snap" Ratchet barked, frowning at the liaison, who took a step back ―for a moment, it did look like the bot was ready to bite someone's head off. "The blast fried half of our systems, including communications; so I have no way to know where anyone appeared after the bridge's failure! Not to mention that their homing beacons aren't working, either!" He kept ranting, as he ran to fix something else ―at this point he was clearly yelling at the man simply to vent out his frustration. "Oh! And to make things even worse, the children were in transit too, because they ―most likely thanks to Miko― followed the team into the field! Again!" Pissed off, he ended up ripping out a wire which refused to collaborate. "So, I don't particularly care about whatever reason why you decided to show up right now Fowler; nor I have the time. And if you were looking for Optimus, then I'm afraid you'll have to leave a message." He finished, finally sparing a glance to the human, while placing a fist on the side of his hip. "Agent Fowler?" He called with a much calmer voice, blinking with wide optics, as he suddenly realized that the man wasn't standing anymore.

Unfortunately for the doctor, his temper was enough as to render the agent unconscious. "Great… Just another thing I need to fix" thought the Autobot with a growl, while rolling and narrowing his optics. Shaking his head, and deciding that the human was fine where he currently was, the medic turned away and resumed his repairs.

… … …

Much to Optimus delight, the moment he opened his optics again, the sky was much clearer; at least it wasn't raining anymore, meaning they could keep moving. He checked his chronometer… Only to find it wasn't working either; sighing, he decided to ignore it, and simply wake up the children so they could start the drive.

He nearly had a spark-attack when he turned, noticing the three teens were gone; but relaxed again, when he saw that they simply moved closer to him while he recharged. The pool beneath him wasn't fully dried yet, so they stood as close as they could without getting any more wet. Actually, they were almost leaning against the servo he let lying on the ground ―Jack was in the middle, supporting the other two, while the boy struggled to find a position comfortable enough in order to catch any sleep.

Now that he thought about it, this was the first time he saw them asleep, even though he was aware that they had done such thing before within the base; alas, he was never around during those occasions.

Sighing, knowing that time was precious, the tall mech called his companions, awakening them, and stating that they had to keep moving; meanwhile, he got to his feet and walked out of the cave to take a look. Indeed, the weather was much better now; so, not seeing reasons to wait any longer, he gestured the children to keep up with him, and started walking ―though measuring his steps, making sure they could follow.

Jack and the others had to jog a bit, but managed to stay close to the Prime at all times; not to mention that the bot, also, checked on them every ten or fifteen minutes, making sure they could stand this rhythm. From time to time, however, the red and blue Autobot found himself helping them getting across some obstacles, such as rivers or sudden rifts; also, the leader, from time to time, had to stop because one of the children was tired and needed a moment to catch their breath. Nevertheless, a few hours later, as the sky started to turn orange, they had all come across what they were looking for: a road.

Noticing the decreasing cover, the Prime knelt down in order to better hide among the trees, while making sure there were no other humans around; then, deciding it was safe, he stepped into the clear and shifted to vehicular-mode, quickly opening his doors and calling for his charges. The oldest boy went to the driver's seat, while Miko and Rafael had to share the other ―because there was no way for Optimus to drive if the three of them weren't using the seatbelts. And, finally, the red truck rolled out, in hopes to make it back as soon as possible.

… … …

It was almost midnight by now, and Ratchet, even though had managed to, somehow, miraculously repair the systems, was yet unable to track down and locate anyone from the team. His only hope now was for them to try to reach him, or to find their way back to Jasper. There was nothing else he could do at the moment; reason why, and in order to prevent himself from suffering a spark-attack, the medic was currently nursing a fainted Agent Fowler, in hopes for the man to recover… And, quite honestly, to have someone to talk to while he waited. Ever since this disaster happened, the silence around the base had become eerie for the old Autobot, who never believed before that he would come to miss the children's ruckus while he worked.

This was why his attention perked immediately, the moment in which his audios detected a roaring engine coming down the tram. "Someone made it back!" He mentally told himself, soon forgetting Fowler again, as he ran toward the entrance.

A white sport car with double thirty-eights on the doors sped down the hallway, coming to a sudden halt before transforming into a young mech of big blue optics and wide door-wings. He was covered in dirt, from head to toe, and parts of plants peeked from between his plates; however, he seemed to be in one piece, although agitated.

"Smokescreen!" called the medic, hurrying to the youngling's side.

The other mech, however, kept scanning the surroundings without minding Ratchet's presence too much. He was looking for the rest of the team, since he hoped someone else made it back by now; but, upon seeing how empty the silo was…

"Did anyone else show up?" He asked, turning and focusing on the medic, his worry showing with full strength on his optics.

"No… You're the first in returning." The old bot admitted, with a sadness that transmitted over to the Elite Guard, whose door-wings fell flat against his back at the news. "Where do you come from?" The medic asked, then, taking in the other's looks.

"Texas. The bridge tossed my aft into a cornfield" said the white mech, while reaching to remove some leaves from one of his junction. "It'll take me a month to clean this up…" He added, showing a nice and golden piece of corn.

"That's of none importance right now." Ratchet growled, pushing the warrior's servo out of his face, and frowning. "Get to the med bay. I need to repair your com-link and homing beacon, ASAP."

Nodding, Smokescreen was about to do so, when the mainframe alerted the two bots of an incoming call; and, since they both hoped for it to be from one of the team, they didn't hesitate in answering… Though, their hopes soon proved to be misplaced, and utterly regretted their choice.

"Ratchet, here; who-…?"

«Oh! Hello, doctor! » was the cheerful greeting the medic immediately received. Both Autobots grunted in disappointment, as they recognized that the caller was merely June. «Sorry to call this late, but Jack hasn't come back home yet, and- you know, I worry… I tried to call him, but his cellphone is off. Is he there with you all? Can I talk to him? »

As if stricken by lightning, both mechs froze on the spot, optics wide and shoulders tense ―door-wings up in the Elite Guard's case. How to explain the whole incident they were enduring to Jack's overprotective mother, without having to go through any nasty consequences? Biting their lips, both bots exchanged a quick look, almost hoping for the other to come up with something to say; but all they did was shrug and/or shake their heads, as their processors came back empty.

«Hello? » June said over the line, fearing the call got cut off when no answer came. Only then did the Autobots realize that they've remained silent too long, and that they had to face the consequences…

"We're so scrapped…" muttered Smokescreen, while Ratchet took a deep vent to answer the poor woman.

This was going to be a long night…

… … …

Rafael was the first wakening up, as a sudden jump shook the truck's cabin, after Optimus unfortunately drove over a bump on the road. So, trying not to disturb Miko, who was somewhat leaning on him, the young boy took off his glasses and rubbed his face, before stretching his back for a bit; then, he spied on Jack, who was fast-asleep too, head fallen over his chest. After a few more seconds, Raf looked out the window, noticing that the scenery was much different from what he remembered. Confused, he frowned and tried to see any landmarks around: not only the trees were decreasing, but there seemed to be more cars around them now, as if they were on a different road too. He checked his wristwatch ―which, fortunately, was mechanical, reason why they depended on it as to know what time it was― and noticed that the only way for them to have travelled so far so fast was-…

"Optimus?" He shyly called, receiving a soft hum, which meant the bot was listening. "Did you drive nonstop, all night?" He wondered, worried for their guardian.

Taking a quick glance over his youngest companion, the leader noticed the concern in his eyes, and couldn't help but mentally smile. Of course… The children were human, so they weren't aware of the physical capabilities of his kind.

"There is no reason to alarm, Raf. Autobots can manage long drives, such as this one, when required" assured the bot, calmly.

"But… You didn't sleep" insisted the boy, still fussing.

"I realize this must be hard to hear, Rafael, but sometimes, during the war, I have had to stand my ground without recharging or refueling for several cycles" admitted the red and blue mech, slightly tightening his hold over the boy, as if to physically comfort him when his eyes widened a little bit ―quite possibly in disbelief. "Thus, I am aware of my limits. Not to mention that I must watch after you three, at the moment; and I cannot risk myself becoming a liability…" He added, scanning over the other two kids, who were starting to stir out of their sleep. "I will rest when necessary; but, as long as I do not require it, my first priority is to take us all home."

The boy accepted the explanation with a nod, and fell silent, as his friends stretched and greeted the Autobot; only to, as he did earlier, notice that they weren't anywhere near the place they last remembered. Thanks to which, the Prime had to repeat his explanation, comforting the other two children too, and assuring both of them that he was fine and didn't need to stop and rest. Not for now, at least.

A soft growl, however, made the bot realize something he hadn't considered: sustenance. A Cybertornian could last days with one tank of Energon, if measuring their fuel consumption closely; but his companions were human, and they wouldn't make it far without food and water. And, if the way in which the girl was currently covering her midsection, blushed in embarrassment, was any indication, they hadn't eat anything in a while now…

Jack, noticing, reached for something within his pockets, before handing a small package to his friend. The Japanese teen arched an eyebrow upon inspecting what it was.

"Breath mints?" She questioned, unimpressed.

"What? It's all I have on me" defended himself the boy, shrugging.

"I had some cookies in my backpack… But I left it on the couch…" Rafael apologized to his friends, suddenly remembering that he had some food with him the day before.

Sighing, Miko accepted the offered candy, and shared some with the younger boy, before giving it back to its owner. However, Optimus was more than aware that it wasn't going to fulfill their basic needs, and, as such, started taking another look into his GPS, finding a gas station a few miles ahead. Three hours, tops. They could stop there; and, upon giving these news, he saw the children checking their pockets in order to see how much money they currently had.

Suddenly, an idea popped inside of Jack's head, when noticing he had more coins than anything else.

"That's it! I know how to call back to base!" He announced, smiling and earning everyone's attention. "Gas stations usually has payphones, right?" He told the others, who quickly caught his drift.

"Well thought, Jack" praised Optimus. "Ratchet should be able to triangulate our position from the call." He admitted.

That said, the Prime kept driving with a, now, lighter spark, thanks to the hopeful faces within his cabin. And, if anything, he was feeling a bit hopeful too… With some luck, they would reach the building and be back at base before anyone else got wise of their presence; after all, the last thing he wanted was for Megatron coming after him, while the children were yet in his company ―the memory of Raf being hurt with Dark Energon was, painfully, forever burnt into his processor. "Cannot think about that. Not right now" told himself the bot, forcing his mind to think of something else. Anything else.

Thanks to his inner struggle, the mech missed to notice another bump on time, reacting only when his tire fell into it, making the children gasp a bit.

"I apologize for that" sheepishly said the leader, since he was a tad distracted, while making sure of not passing over it with his back tires.

"Don't worry, Optimus." Jack said with a lopsided smile, not giving it much importance. "The road is just really worn out…" He added, taking a look ahead. He could see plenty more holes coming up, and feel the poor Cybertronian maneuvering to avoid the ones currently beneath him, while attempting to stay on his side of the way.

"Guess you didn't have to deal with this such of thing on Cyberbron; huh, Big Guy?" Miko chuckled.

"Like on your planet, the state of the roads depended on the zone where it was located, and the usage of it" answered the giant without missing a beat.

The three teens shared a saddened glance, before focusing back on their friend's dashboard.

"You miss it, don't you? Your home?" The oldest boy asked, feeling sorry for the red and blue bot.

Optimus allowed himself to sigh… He should've probably known this question was coming, and he really didn't mind to speak about his world, to explain it out for them; nevertheless, he hated to see them downhearted over it. So, he decided to, somehow, change the conversation topic; yet, at the same time, he had to answer with honesty. Among other things, the bot knew himself as a pretty pathetic excuse of a liar; meaning that if he tried to cover up his sorrow over the loss of his home planet, the children would notice it from light-years away.

"Indeed, I do. Sometimes." He forced himself to admit. "However, I still believe it possible to restore Cybertron. Reason why I also hope to see my birthplace again, someday."

Jack lowered his eyes for a moment, remembering his brief experience on the Autobot's planet. He saw the ruins and could pretty much guess how painful it was for the bots to see their home's current state… He saw Arcee's reaction to the view, after all. The teen could yet remember the tumbled buildings, and wrecked bridges and roads; the charred walls, and all the other evidence of fighting. It was simply awful… It was hard to imagine how it all looked before the conflict started.

"Um… Optimus? Ratchet-… You know he told us a bit about you being a former data-clerk, and all that, but… What was it really like? The life on Cybertron, I mean." The oldest teen wondered, curious, and suddenly making the other three feel curious about it too.

Why the children would feel so curious about his boring pre-Prime life escaped his comprehension. After all, who better than himself to know that his routine consisted in waking up early, going to the Hall of Records, working late hours, getting back home for some overdue recharge, and, then, repeat, all over again. Strangely enough, even when he never considered his lifestyle too interesting, his three companions were somewhat entertained with it… Apparently, they liked to hear what it was like to live on Cybertron on an everyday-basis. Though, they all arched an eyebrow and asked profusely as of why on Earth the red and blue mech became friends with someone like Megatron ―took a while to explain them the context, so they could see why he trusted the former gladiator; and, even then, they weren't fully buying the story. He had to admit that he, himself, found hard to believe they used to be friends… Especially when remembering the day in which the silver grey bot started the war…

The sad print in the mech's voice made the three kids share a look, silently planning how to change the subject. Then, Raf came up with something, and asked if Optimus knew Ratchet before, or after, the Decepticon leader.

"Ratchet is one of my oldest friends, Rafael. I've known him much longer than Megatron." The bot admitted.

"How exactly did you two met? Was he a clerk too, or-…?" Miko asked, confused at this point. It was weird enough to know that the Prime and the King-Con used to be best buddies, but when trying to imagine how the Boss Bot met the Doc Bot, considering the different jobs and all, her brain was having trouble with the scenario.

"No. Ratchet has always worked as a medic, and that was how we met. I was his patient a couple times, back when he worked at Iacon's Clinic."

"Was he grumpy back then too?" wondered the girl, narrowing her eyes and arching her eyebrows.

"Miko!" The two boys yelled at her, reprehending and making her jolt a bit, closing her eyes.

Optimus understood and appreciated the reaction of the boys ―Primus knows he has had to shut a few of his friends in the past too, due to untimed comments―, but he could also understand where the question came from… The old doctor was known for his temper, even before the war. The Prime could yet remember some of the nicknames he has been called in the past ―'Hatchet' seemed to be Ironhide's favorite, now that he thought about it.

"And, what about Arcee and the others?" Jack asked then, dedicating a side look to the Japanese girl, as a warning to measure her words next time.

"I fear that I met them all when the war was well underway, Jack" admitted the leader.

Then, after a minute or two of silence…

"Wait, if Doc Bot is one of your oldest friends, who're the others?" Miko questioned, as if suddenly realized what he actually said.

And, as such, the hours that separated them from the gas station passed with Optimus attempting to describe Ironhide to his companions.

By high noon, the place came into view and the semi-truck pulled over, looking for a place to park. Once fully stopped, he released the seatbelts, and opened his doors for the children, who promised to return as fast as possible, and went inside the minimarket in front of which the Cybertronian remained. Through the large windows, Optimus had a pretty good view of his charges, quickly noticing that, while Miko and Rafael went straight to the fridges, looking for food, Jack was asking something to the man who seemed to own the place.

Being alone, the bot made a quick diagnosis of his systems, only to discover that his self-repair hadn't been able to put back online any of his damaged instruments yet; and, also, noticing that his scanners were unreliable for now. Sighing, he dedicated another glance to the children inside the mall, before taking a good look around them, noticing of his precarious situation: there was no cover for him at that place. If any Decepticon happen to pass by, there was no doubt that he would be spotted and recognized. Not to mention that he was currently unable to call for backup…

Watching inside the shop, again, the Prime noticed that Jack was standing next to two squared devices on the west wall of the place. One of them had tape over it, and a piece of paper that read "Out of order"; meaning that the one that was currently in use by a human female was the only one available. The teenager leaned against the corner, and, crossing his arms, waited patiently for his turn. Deep inside, Optimus hoped this would work, because it was pretty much their only shot…

Meanwhile, the other two children were buying something to eat.

… … …

"I can't believe you let the kids go with! And now you have no idea as of where they are?!"

June was furious, yelling her head off to Ratchet, who was the misfortunate bot supposed to look after the children during the time of the incident. She had arrived to base as soon as the Autobot confessed what happened to her son, and his two friends; and, ever since, has been giving mother-like lectures to every one of them, being the doctor the most recurrent; though, sometimes, even Fowler ended in the receiving end of her wrath.

The white and orange mech seemed to shrink more and more, as the woman's voice reached new peaks of anger. He had tried to defend himself, stating he has being doing everything within his power as to locate her missing son, plus the other two children; however, the overload must've damaged their phones, meaning he had no other way to trace them in order to obtain coordinates for transportation. Nevertheless, he kept insisting that he was still trying to find them, and the rest of the team.

Behind the medic, Arcee, who returned during that morning, jumped off the medical slab she was sitting on and went to calm June. Knowing the woman, the two-wheeler was certain that she didn't mean any of the harmful thing she was saying; the mother was simply venting her inner worries toward her only child. She knew. She was worried over Jack too. After all, he was her charge and her partner; and she has lost far too many from that last category already. No other name would be added to the list. Less of all the one of a human child. So, mustering up all the confidence she still had, the blue and pink femme approached the nurse.

"June" called the two-wheeler, making the woman look at her. "I know how you feel; I'm scared over Jack too." She admitted, placing a hand over her spark. "But I also know that screaming at Ratchet is not going to solve anything, so why don't we both just take a step back, and let him keep trying. Ok?" The bot tried, noticing the silent gratefulness in the old mech's optics. "I'm sure he's doing everything he can."

The mother let go a breath and nodded, deflating, and apologizing to the medic, who assured there was no damage done; he understood. Nonetheless, the white and orange Autobot dipped his head toward the femme, pretty much convinced that she just saved his tailpipe…

Arcee smirked and returned the gesture, before turning to go and take a seat again. However, she didn't make it far, since the system indicated an incoming call.

"Strange… That's nobody we know" muttered the doctor, inspecting the frequency, and noticing the communication's origin point was from an Earth's phone. He felt tempted not to pick it up, but knowing the children were still out there… Maybe they borrowed someone else's device in order to call him. So, giving it a chance, he opened the channel. "Hello?" He tried.

«Ratchet? »

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise and joy upon hearing that voice.

"Jack!" They all called.

"Jack, are you ok?!" June asked, frantically.

«M-mom?! What-…?! »

"I was worried because you didn't come home last night; so I called, and Ratchet told me about the accident" explained the woman.

"Jack, where are you?!" The medic, then, asked, already preparing to trace the signal.

«Um… Pretty much at a gas station, right in the middle of nowhere. Our cellphones are fried, so we're using an old payphone, which may be about to fall apart… and smells funny… » said the boy, and everyone in the room could tell he was slightly pulling the tube away from his face with each sentence ―not to mention that he gagged on the last part.

"'Our'? Are Miko and Rafael with you?" Ratchet queried, optics wide and hoping the answer was 'yes'.

«And Optimus » announced the boy, making June sigh in relief, knowing her son was protected. «He says his com-link doesn't work either. »

"Understood. I'll try to trace back the call, and locate the ground-bridge at your exact coordinates. However" the bot interrupted his speech, heavily venting and closing his optics, "it may take a few minutes, since the systems suffered damage from the overcharge, and I'm still recalibrating it." He admitted.

«Ok. We'll try to stay put then » Jack said, cheerfully.

"See you in five, partner." Arcee said, smirking, and the boy hung up the call.

Once it was over, Ratchet got go work in finding where his friends were.

… … …

"And Optimus. He says his com-link doesn't work either" replayed Soundwave for his liege, who smiled in a predatory way at these news. Optimus Prime, his ancient enemy, stranded, incapable to reach out for his team, and vulnerable due to three little fleshies… For the first time in eons, the Autobot leader was an easy prey. It was too good of a chance to let it pass.

"Dreadwing!" The former gladiator called at his second in command, who quickly approached and bowed to him. "Assemble a team and fetch me the Prime, and his three little pets…" He ordered.

"Why the humans, my lord?" The jet couldn't help but wonder, not following.

"I've witnessed to which lengths Optimus may go in order to protect the native lifeforms under his care" stated the silver grey mech, turning around as his processor evoked the day in which he harmed the little one, and how the Prime laid waste upon his ship in order to find him. True, he was badly wounded during the fight that followed, and would've being terminated, wouldn't have been for Unicron's ironically fortunate interruption; but, he also learned something that day: the Prime had a soft spot. "Perhaps, with the right incentive, he may even surrender the war…" Megatron finished the explanation, grinning darkly.

If he played his cards properly, there was no doubt in his mind that this would end with the Autobot leader kneeling at his feet…

… … …

Jack came out of the mini-mall, finding that Raf and Miko were already waiting for him, standing on Optimus' shadow while munching at the food they got. They'd managed to buy a bag of sandwiches and a bottle of water. It wasn't much, but it was something; plus they saved some money for later, so the oldest teen didn't say anything and accepted the sandwich offered to him by the Japanese girl.

"Ratch says he'll try to open a ground-bridge at our coordinates, but that it'll take a while, cause the systems got damaged during the accident too" informed the teenager, between his bites. "So, he asked us to stay put until he manages to open the portal." He added, swallowing a piece of sandwich. He hadn't notice how hungry he was until now…

"And… How long would that be?" Miko wondered, finishing her first sandwich and reaching for the bottle of water.

"Didn't tell me" admitted the other, shrugging a bit.

The bot remained silent. He should've guessed that the residual charge may had gotten to the bridge's systems, damaging them. This represented a new setback, which, he hoped, wouldn't end up in some sort of disaster. After all, he could understand why they needed to remain at their current location, in hopes for their friends to send transport for them; but, at the same time, it left them vulnerable… Then again, he has been driving with the children for a day now, and there hasn't been any Decepticons in the proximities; so, maybe, and just maybe, they may actually make it back without incidents. The mech couldn't find the words to express how much he would like that…

Unfortunately, almost as soon as he was pondering over their chances to calmly return to base, the noise of distant jet engines reached his audios. His side mirrors immediately tilted up, only to see the distant silhouettes of several airborne vessels coming rapidly at them; one of which had a familiar paintjob. "Dreadwing" recognized the Prime.

"Children, get inside, now!" The bot ordered to his charges, which needed a second to understand his change of demeanor. However, as soon as they saw the 'Cons, the three ran into hiding as they were told; meanwhile, the Autobot leader started to drive away, hoping to divert their attackers attention.

From within the shop, the kids saw four airships chasing their friend down the road, and, for a moment, thought they were going to be fine, that they weren't seen… But that thought was short lived, for, almost immediately after, a fifth 'Con landed and transformed in front of the mall, evidently coming to collect them.

Optimus, however, hadn't notice about this yet, since he was currently avoiding heavy fire from the commander and his underlings. Two of which transformed in front of him, attempting to block his way; alas, all they got was two honks as a warning to step away, right before the semi-truck tackled them. The next one in cutting the road, however, was Dreadwing; and, this time, the bot found himself being fired upon. So, being forced to it, the mech stopped and transformed, taking battle stance, as the Vehicons surrounded him.

Only then did he, painfully, noticed that there was a 'Con missing.

"The children…" He muttered, looking back, alarmed.

"They won't be harmed, so long as you cooperate, Prime." Dreadwing stated, pulling out his sword.

The jet fully regretted to have ever said those words… In his mind, the leader was supposed to surrender as soon as he heard them; however, in real life, all he made was piss the Prime off. And so, the moment in which was told that his charges were being endangered, Optimus saw red…

Without anything even similar to a warning, the tall mech charged against his attackers, who barely reacted on time; nevertheless, when they started shooting, the Autobot already had subdued a Vehicon, which he used as a shield, before returning fire. Unfortunately, this left him exposed to Dreadwing who, snapping out of his initial surprise, prepared to slice through the red and blue mech with his sword; alas, his luck quickly spiraled downwards, as the grounder, noticing his approach, sidestepped the commander's attack and got a hold of him… By the wings, no less. This was enough to make the blue and golden bot cry in pain, as his opponent yanked from his limbs; then, there was a quick shift in his point of gravity, right before he was slammed against the pavement, which cracked due to the force used.

Groaning, Dreadwing attempted to get back to his feet, but another body crashed against his ―one of his underlings, which ended up lying on the ground, right beside the commander. A blaster fire-sound, followed by a yelp, was what made him come back to the present, and turn around… Right on time to be punched square in the face by an enraged Prime.

After that last hit, the jet lost consciousness and fell limply on the ground, sporting a new dent on his temple.

Seeing these 'Cons were dealt with, Optimus turned tails and, transforming onto his vehicular-mode again, he sped towards the place where he left the children, hoping they were still safe. He couldn't help but feel guilty for this situation. He truly thought that the Seekers would follow him, hence allowing his charges to stay hidden and safe, until the others came for them. The thought made him realize something: Dreadwing was planning to take the children, meaning that he was ordered to retrieve them. But, how-…

His musings were cut short when he saw the missing Vehicon, bended over and reaching into the mall's windows, cursing because the humans wouldn't stay put.

The Autobot didn't even notice when he pushed the gas further…

…

Meanwhile, inside the building, Jack and the others were jumping one way to the other, doing their best not to be caught by the Decepticon outside. The place wasn't too big, so they were pretty much going right to left, and staying close to the wall ―they tried to get to the bathrooms at the back, but the owner beat them to it, and locked himself in. To make things worse, the giant claw of the bot tipped over all the shelves, under one of which Miko was currently trapped, and trying to pull her right leg free; meanwhile, Jack and Rafael tried to hide behind the owner's desk, but when the purple mech noticed, he destroyed the thing, leaving them exposed; reason why they kept jumping one way to the other. It was a sad routine that couldn't go on for long; and, soon, they were panting, exhausted, wondering how much longer they would last like this…

That was when the youngest boy tripped over his own feet.

"Oh, no!" Miko breathed in horror.

"Raf!" cried Jack, seeing his friend sprawled over the floor, and with a giant metal claw about the grab him.

Without thinking, the oldest teen pulled the other boy up, trying to make him move; but the Decepticon's talons were already above them both. So, scared, and unable to do anything else, Jack simply covered his friend the best he could, shielding him with his own body. Both of them shut their eyes closed, waiting for the bot to catch them.

But, instead, the Decepticon yelped, making the two kids turn and watch as their attacker was dragged away, until the building was out of his reach. Then, knowing himself cornered, the bot kicked his aggressor off, and jumped to his feet, so all the boys could see from their position were the mech's legs, as he pounced onto someone else. A battle cry ensued this action, only for the shrieking sound of metal friction to follow. The building shook a bit, as the noise of a battle grew outside.

Using this chance, and noticing that they were currently forgotten, Jack and Raf went to help Miko, freeing her leg and helping her up and out of the corner. The girl couldn't help but limp a bit, since her ankle hurt.

"What's going on? Did the bots show up?" She asked, hearing the sound of blaster fire.

"I don't know" admitted Jack, looking at the ceiling as it shook a bit again.

And, then, the 'Con fell limp. The lack of glow in his visor indicated that he was deactivated, so they didn't have to worry about him anymore; though, it didn't mean they shouldn't worry about whoever else may be out there. So, the three of them simply remained there, frozen on the spot, breathing agitatedly, and waiting for anything to tell them what to do now…

"Jack, Miko, Raf!"

They recognized that voice. It was Optimus! He came back for them!

Smiling, happy for the rescue, the kids ran outside and greeted the leader, who seemed as agitated as them; plus there was clear worry in his usually calm optics.

"Are you unharmed?" The bot asked, observing them intently.

"More or less…" said the oldest teen, scratching the back of his head, before helping the Japanese girl to step forward. "Miko got trap beneath some boxes. She strained her ankle." He told the mech, gesturing to her left foot, which was held above the ground by the girl.

The Autobot's optics instantly widened in clear fear and hurt at this new information, two emotions that didn't set well with him, at least not in the teenagers' eyes; so, trying to lighten the mood, Miko quickly grinned and waved the injury off, saying it wasn't her first time. That she tripped once on an escalator… More than once, actually. Nevertheless, the mood wasn't lifting.

Optimus knew he rarely showed his emotions; he had to learn to do so, not only due to the Matrix, but because he couldn't allow himself to act irrationally, because of his post as leader of the entire Autobot army. Any rushed order could end in disaster. So, for everyone's best interest, he had to keep a collected composure at all times… But, with the children, he often found himself unable to do so. Deep inside he knew it was because he formed a guardianship bond with them… His spark couldn't help but understand those three as if they were his own sparklings; and no self-respected guardian would not show distress when discovering their charge is wounded. So, he told the boys to grab the first-aid kit, and to come back immediately. They were leaving.

"Leaving? But, what about-…?!" Jack started asking, confused.

"Staying here is not an option" interrupted Optimus, shaking his head to stress. "Either Dreadwing may regain consciousness at any time, or Megatron could send more of his soldiers after us." He explained, quickly glancing at the place where he left the blue and golden jet, who was starting to move. Then, sighing, he looked back at the three children, relaxing a bit. "I understand the consequences of doing so, Jack; but the risks of staying are simply too much. Our best option will be to keep moving, and find somewhere else where to contact to base, and wait for an emergency ground-bridge. Here, I fear, we lack cover…" He explained.

Now understanding, the kids nodded, and Raf went to grab everything they needed to help Miko with her wound ―to which he used the remaining money they had, since he didn't want to leave without paying for it. Once he came back with the others, Optimus switched modes again and opened his doors for them to climb in.

As soon as his charges were secured within his cabin, the semi-truck drove away as fast as he could, hoping to put as much distance between them and their attackers as possible, ignoring a blue and golden mech who was peeling himself off the ground.

Dreadwing, noticing his escaping prey, attempted to pursuit… Only to kneel down in pain, as he moved his wings. The Autobot had injured his limbs, rendering him unable to fly. The commander knew the implications of a grounded Seeker, and that the Prime's troops may send reinforcements at any minute now; so, sighing, he decided to drop the chase.

"This is commander Dreadwing requesting an emergency ground-bridge on my location" called the mech.

As soon as the portal appeared, he limped in, and the bridge closed.

…

Almost immediately later, another green vortex materialized at the coordinates, and a blue and pink two-wheeler came out of it, next to a tall white and cerulean mech with large door-wings.

Following the two giants, a woman dressed as a nurse came out of the portal, calling a boy's name; nevertheless, she was frozen on the stop and the words refused to leave her throat, the moment in which her eyes met the scenery in front of her: a nearly destroyed mini mall, a Decepticon lying right next to it, plus some others right ahead, on the road. Shaking her head, the woman ran to the shop and took a peek inside, pleading for her son not to be there. Fortunately, there was no sign; however, it didn't mean anything. The 'Cons may have got to him. "No, no… I can't think that. Optimus is with them, right? He-… He'll keep them safe. Right?" mentally repeated the nurse, trying really hard to convince herself; even though she was already hyperventilating.

"June" called a feminine voice that made the human turn and lock gazes with Arcee. "Deep breaths." The femme said softly, gesturing her companion to calm down.

The woman nodded at first, but ended shaking her head and whimpering in despair.

"Where're they?! They were supposed to wait here!" June asked.

Arcee sighed, winglets falling behind her back. It was pointless to try and calm the mother down; at least, at the moment. After all, they all knew she was a tad overprotective; and, truth be said, this wasn't the prettiest panorama around. "How did these guys found them so fast?" wondered the two-wheeler, walking toward the closest Vehicon.

"It's cold" said Smokescreen, approaching her from behind. "Same the others ahead." He added, pointing at the other three with his left thumb.

Listening and seeing their serious faces, June started to approach the two warriors, at the same time Arcee noticed something on the pavement. Something that made her smile.

"They're alright!" She assured the others.

"How're you so sure?" The nurse wondered, confused. None of them, after all, knew exactly what happened there.

"Truck tire-marks that matches Optimus'" stated the two-wheeler, pointing at a set of black prints on the road. "Primes don't run. The only reason for him to do so must be because he's still with the kids."

"So… He scrapped these 'Cons?" Smokescreen questioned, gesturing to the bots around them. "It's hard to imagine such thing…"

The blue femme sighed and bowed her head, suddenly remembering that the Elite Guard was yet new to the team; he hadn't seen half the things they did, nor knew their leader as much as the others… "He doesn't know about Raf" told herself the femme, recalling how the Prime did the exact opposite he always said, and faced Megatron alone. Nobody yet knew what exactly happened within the Nemesis, but, considering the throw-down the two leaders had, and how determinate the red and blue mech was to finish the war… They somewhat could guess.

"Let's go back to base" offered Arcee, before asking June to call Ratchet for a bridge, since her com-link wasn't functional yet.

… … …

"You dare return empty handed?!" Megatron roared, showing his teeth.

The blue and golden mech kneeling in front of the warlord flinched, but refused to move, head bowed down and right fist over his spark. He knew and accepted his failure, promising to compensate his liege in his next assignment.

With one last growl, the warlord dismissed his second in command, who nodded and abandoned the bridge under the glaring optics of the leader. "It seems I'll have to do it myself" thought the former gladiator, before turning towards Soundwave. Optimus' com-link wasn't working, and, evidently, the humans' communication devices weren't either; so they would've to call from a public resource again, eventually. Alas, now that they had been attacked, the Prime would most likely exercise extreme caution in any future attempt; so, noticing the Autobot seemed to be travelling south, Megatron ordered his third in command to start surveillance.

Nodding, Soundwave released Laserbeak and sent him to the Prime's last known coordinates, so he could start from there.

The mini-con acknowledged his orders, and went through his master's ground-bridge chirping loudly.

… … …

It was uncomfortable to bandage a foot while sitting inside a semi-truck, but since Optimus had refused to stop ever since the Cons' attack, Miko didn't have much of an option. Thanks to it, she was currently sat sideways, so Jack could help her out ―being the son of a nurse, he had picked up a thing or two. Unfortunately, thanks to this, Raf was being squashed between the girl's back and the Autobot's door, hoping for his friend to be done quickly… It was a relief when Miko sat straight again, allowing the younger boy to breath. Taking a look outside, however, he noticed that their guardian was clearly in a hurry to get as far from the gas station as he could, before the day was over.

"How-… How did the 'Cons find us so fast?" Raf shyly asked, breaking the silence.

"Maybe they were following us since yesterday!" Miko commented, frowning.

"Then… Why didn't they attack sooner?" countered Jack, arching an eyebrow and shrugging.

"They were not following us" stated Optimus, interrupting the children's discussion. "They intercepted our communication with the base." He explained.

He knew it far too well, how Megatron's men moved or thought. He had seen it all; how they placed all kinds of bait in order to send them astray; he had also been forced to rescue some of his messengers, as they got hijacked by Decepticons. There had been false transmissions too… He just didn't think they would be watching human communication channels. At least, there was a tiny hope for them to miss their message… But it seems that it was misplaced. Now he had to come up with a backup plan, and he had to do it fast, for the fight has made him burn through his Energon reserves. He didn't have enough fuel to reach Jasper anymore… Their only hope was to call for a bridge.

A few miles after their escape, they came across another gas station, but the Autobot decided to skip it. Just in case the Decepticons were yet searching.

As the sky darkened, night starting to catch up with them, Optimus decided to look for a good place to stop and rest; but it wasn't easy to find hiding when you happen to be a bright red and blue semi-truck, in the middle of nowhere. There was literally nothing around. The trees were long gone by now, and there were not even gas stations nearby… That was when he drove by a scrapyard, and, realizing that it would probably be the best thing he would find for now, the mech turned around and, slowly, entered the place. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any humans at the time, so nobody would mind one more vehicle in the premises; now, all he had to do was find a spot where to hide for the night. He eventually found it between two large stockpiles of crushed cars, at the back of the compound. "It will have to do" thought the mech as he parked and turned off his engine and lights. Then, he took one last look at the children, who had been asleep for over an hour now; the three seemed to be as good as they could, given the circumstances… So, with a sigh, he went to recharge too, however leaving his scanners online ―he knew they weren't working, but, sometimes, even a broken clock can give the time twice a day.

Nonetheless, it weren't his systems what brought him back online, but the chirping sound that was growing stronger. A sound he knew far too well… "Laserbeak" thought the bot, rolling forward, just enough to take a look outside; the silhouette of the mini-con immediately noticing in the distance. Megatron must've realized he wouldn't reach out for help after their last fiasco, so he sent his trusty security drone to do the job; it also meant that if he kept going south, then the Decepticons would find out the approximate area of their base, so he couldn't keep driving on a straight line.

As the drone approached their location, the truck backed into their hiding, glad to see that the bird-like bot flew right through without spotting him… A feeling that didn't last, as Laserbeak turned around and started to make another round atop the junkyard. No options, then…

Putting metal to the pedal, Optimus sped out of the compound and took the road. The movement was so sudden that the jolt was enough to wake the children, who, even half-asleep, understood that there had to be trouble behind them.

"W-what happened?!" Jack asked, gasping for the sudden motion.

"What's that noise?" Miko wondered, looking around.

Rafael spied the Prime's rear-mirrors and gasped when he saw the bird-like bot chasing them.

"It's Laserbeak!" He cried, staring at the others.

"Laserbeak, as in Soundwave's mini-con?!" Jack questioned, evidently scared.

That was when the red flash of enemy blaster-fire started, and Optimus engaged evasive maneuvers, while tightening his grip on the children inside his cabin. The three of them could practically feel the air leaving their lungs when their seatbelts pulled them backwards, into their seats; meanwhile, the leader kept swerving around the road, trying to shake off his chaser. Unfortunately, the 'Con got a lucky shot, hitting one of the Prime's tires; they all heard the pop, however, the Autobot didn't stop his way. That was when realization hit the oldest teen, hard. "He can't fight back… Not with the three of us within his vehicle-mode" noticed the black haired boy, and started looking around, searching for a solution to the present dilemma… However, finding none.

To stop being in the way, they needed to get out of their guardian's cabin; but they couldn't while he was going over ninety miles per hour. He had to stop so they could jump out; but, if he did, then he would be rendered completely vulnerable to their chaser. Either way they lose!

And that was when everything got worse…

Focused as he was in protecting his charges, Optimus didn't notice an incoming body, until a purple flash made him attempt to turn; but, as he was going too fast, plus the broken tire, he lost stability and soon felt himself toppling over. By sheer instinct, he switched modes, quickly and carefully shifting around the children, who soon found themselves in between the Prime's arms, instead of on his seats. The giant managed to shield them from the hit, and leave them on the ground, before getting up to face the Decepticon who just ambushed them; unsurprisingly, he found himself face to face with no other than Megatron, already in bipedal-mode and ready to charge.

"Find refuge, now!" The red and blue mech ordered to his young companions, mask already covering his face, and optics glued to the former gladiator's figure.

"But-…!"

"Go!" The Autobot interrupted whatever Miko was about to say, swiftly looking at them over his shoulder.

Without another word, Jack grabbed his friends from their hands and pulled them away. None of them felt proud with themselves for abandoning their friend like this, but they all had to admit one awful truth: against the leader of the Decepticons, there was little they could do… Not to mention that, most likely, they would end up becoming a hindrance for the Autobot.

Megatron, seeing the exchange, smirked and chuckled darkly.

"How far do you believe your little pets would get, Optimus?" He taunted, without receiving an answer. The warlord huffed with a grin, before turning to look at Laserbeak, overflying the field. "Fetch me the fleshlings."

Optimus's optics widened in horror as the mini-con soared through the sky after his charges, at the same time that the silver grey mech sprinted towards him, roaring in rage. "I need to dispose of the drone and ensure the children's safety, before engaging Megatron" told himself the Prime, as he faced the gladiator, optics switching focus between the mech in front and the bot behind, waiting for the right moment. And, just as the warlord swung to strike, the red and blue Autobot diverted the hit and stepped aside; then, he swept his opponent off his feet with a low kick. The moment in which Megatron started to fall, face first, Optimus took his chance to aim and try to hit Laserbeak.

Not too far away, the three human teenagers were trying to squeeze themselves into a narrow cave within a nearby rock. Since Miko's ankle was hurt, they couldn't run too far, so this was their best next choice; unfortunately, like his master, the symbiont had two long cables with claws, which he was now deploying to attempt fishing out the kids. Thanks to this, Jack and the others soon found themselves leaning against the cave's wall, trying to stay away from the ends of the retractable limbs, which were nearly closed around them… Right before they fell limp on the ground.

Confused and scared, the three kids spied outside, finding Laserbeak knocked unconscious on the floor, smoke coming out of its back; meanwhile, the roars and grunts from the two warriors were yet hearable in the night. "Optimus…" realized Jack, gazing at the two fighting leaders. He gave them a chance to escape… They had to take it, he knew that, but… Where to? There was nothing in miles around!

The Prime had one of his swords locked with Megatron's, and was currently attempting to overpower his enemy. He had to find a way to get rid of the former gladiator and reunite with the children, and he had to do it fast. No matter what, this bot would never lay a single finger over one of his charges. Never again.

As he was starting to gain some leverage, Optimus was head-butted, and, immediately after, kicked in the middle of the chest. The force was enough to leave a large dent, and make him stumble several steps back before regaining balance; right on time to block another incoming hit, but missing another that put him with one knee on the ground.

The battle was starting to go south…

"What's the matter, Optimus? No backup?" mocked the Decepticon leader, grinning, before allowing himself to chuckle darkly. "And to think this war has raged for so long; both of us refusing to surrender, locked in an almost perpetual combat... Until the arrival of those three organics." This got him Optimus' attention, and an ice-cold glare, followed of a strike that nearly got the warlord. Nevertheless, the silver grey mech was capable of dodging it, and position himself to deliver a punch that send the other leader back to the ground. Megatron chuckled again. "Is that love that I perceive, old friend?" Another glare from the Prime. "So it is!" The gladiator allowed himself to chortle out loud. "Your eternal weakness: your uncanny need to care for others! Of creating bonds! We both know what happened, that fateful day at Tetrahex…"

Before Megatron could react, the red and blue mech had sprung to his feet and punched him on the face. All because he dared to mention her… Elita, the femmes' commander, an old and close friend of Optimus from his days as a civilian… And his sparkmate. Lost. Due to the war.

"Not this time" growled the Prime, striking again.

He connected a couple good punches before being blocked and pushed backwards; fortunately, however, the red and blue mech managed to keep his balance. Especially because he had to react fast in order to catch both of his opponent's arms, as he attempted to counterattack. Now locked, Optimus glared into Megatron's red optics; both of them growling through gritted teeth. The Autobot could tell, then, that his enemy was counting on his protective feelings; those, combined with his inability to call to base and his exhaustion from driving nonstop for so long, plus the fight from the day before. He noticed this all, as the former gladiator started to put more pressure into his grip, pushing the Prime back onto a rock.

The red and blue bot couldn't' help but to dedicate a quick glance to the children, who were now staring at him in obvious fear, since the battle was, obviously, not tipping on his favor; thus, they were missing to notice that Laserbeak was beginning to flutter his wings behind them. The drone was coming to; and, this time, he couldn't take it down again.

He had to find a solution. He… He needed to call to base. But, how?!

Struggling with the silver grey mech, Optimus' optics glimpsed at the gladiator's sword… And an idea came to mind. It was incredibly risky and stupid, but he was desperate; so, with all his might, he pushed himself off the rock, and broke the lock, preparing to strike… Only to get wounded first.

… … …

Back at the base, Arcee was monitoring the mainframe, while Ratchet worked on Bumblebee. The young scout had just entered the silo, covered in mud and bugs; he was tired and ready to go into recharge. However he was, also, on the edge of a spark-attack, since the others admitted that Rafael wasn't in the premises. In fact, he was yet out there… At least he was with Optimus. The downside was that the Decepticons were after the leader… But, then again, when has those clowns represented an actual danger for the Prime? But, then-…

This mental struggle ―between the side of his processor who wanted to sprint out the door and search for his partner, and the other who kept reminding him that the Prime was more than equipped to keep him safe― was showing in his inability to stay still for long, thus consuming Ratchet's already thin patience.

"Would you stop moving already?!" The medic finally barked, scowling at his patient who was, yet again, nervously moving his knees, making the rest of him bounce a little too. "It's hard enough to repair your com-link when you're still, I don't need the extra hardship!" He added, going back to his job…

Until an alarm made everyone stop what they were doing.

… … …

Afar, the children gasped in horror as the Decepticon's blade found its way under their friend's armor; the Prime crying in pain, before falling on his knees, trembling and holding his side. Immediately, and against better judgement, they three ran back toward their guardian, yelling to the menacing mech to leave their friend alone. However, one burning-red look from the evil leader was enough to make them stop on their tracks; though, they didn't stop their stream of insults, in hopes that it would draw him away from the Autobot.

"Such loyalty" muttered Megatron with a smirk and a chuckle, looking at the organics. "Were they of our kind, maybe, they would've been valuable warriors. Too bad. Now, I have you exactly where I want!" He said, refocusing on his opponent, while rising his sword.

However, as he swung the blade, Optimus blocked the hit with his own; a movement that the silver grey bot obviously didn't expect, considering his shocked expression, which intensified when the Prime locked his glaring optics with his.

"On the contrary, Megatron" he strained. "I am where I want." Saying this, he let go from his wound, revealing his Energon-stained hand and the leaking gash on his side.

As soon as these words left the leader's mouth, a green light sprouted in the area, as a ground-bridge opened almost above them. Through the vortex, three Autobots stormed into the fight: Arcee, Smokescreen and Bumblebee, whose first instinct was to scan the area, optics quickly detecting the kids.

"You tricked me!" The Decepticon leader shouted, glaring at the Prime.

Now with backup, the red and blue mech pushed the former gladiator backwards as he sprung to his feet, ordering his men to open fire on the enemy; at the same time, he told the children to run into their ground-bridge, which they did immediately ―being saved from an already conscious Laserbeak again, as the Prime shot him off a second time. Meanwhile, the leader and his team started to fall back into the vortex too. Megatron attempted to prevent it, but, outnumbered and outgunned, he missed his chance again.

In no time, the warlord found himself standing alone. His opponent and his bots long gone, as the bridge closed.

… … …

The children, after crossing the portal, were received by an almost hysteric medic, an angry governmental agent, and a worried-sick mom. June was immediately hugging her son, crying over his shoulder, while the white and orange bot gave the three of them a lecture for leaving the base for the umpteenth time; right then the others started returning, reason why everyone cleared the path for the arriving Autobots. The warriors were the first ones reentering the joint, with their leader closing the march, while holding his wound.

"Optimus!" Ratchet called, running to his friend's side.

"It's good to see you, old friend" managed to say the taller mech, smiling.

"Prime!" Fowler called, gaining the bot's attention. "Good to see you made it back" commented the agent, smiling at his alien friend. "And that you made sure they made it back." He, then, added, arching an accusing eyebrow at the children ―Miko sort of shrinking under those eyes.

"It's good to see everyone found its way to base, Agent Fowler" responded the Prime, before scanning the room, and noticing some absences. "Is Bulkhead still missing?" He wondered, not seeing the green mech.

"Wheeljack called earlier, saying he found Bulk wandering around his current location. He's giving the big lug a ride on his ship" admitted Arcee with a shrug. "They should arrive tomorrow morning."

At the femme's retell, Bumblebee used his chance to mutter how unfair it was that the Wrecker was being comfortably carried on a ship, while they all had to wear off their tires, in order to get home. Fortunately for him, the only ones to hear his complains were Smokescreen and Rafael.

Meanwhile, nodding, the leader searched the children with his optics, and was, both, relieved and happy of seeing the three of them; each already nearby their respective guardian, save for Miko, who was standing next to Raf. However, a sharp pain on his side reminded Optimus of his wound, reason why he automatically turned and made his way towards the med bay, where Ratchet met him in nanoseconds, tools at the ready. Tired as he was, the red and blue mech lay down on the first medical berth he found; the exhaustion of these past days was finally catching up with him now that they were all safe… He sighed, and exposed his injury to his friend and medic, hearing the voices of his team in the background as they asked the children for their status. Truth be told, he was curious about it too.

"So, using your Energon as a beacon" commented Ratchet as he returned to his friend's side, welder ready to start sealing the leak. "Both ingenious and incredibly stupid." He kept ranting, initiating the treatment. "I don't believe necessary to tell you the risks such a wound could've caused." He added, frowning at his leader.

"It was a moment of desperation Ratchet… I needed to call for help, and make sure for Megatron to remain oblivious" stated the Prime, a small smile on his lips.

The older bot sighed tiredly, while shaking his head. It wasn't like he wasn't happy for having the children back, and, quite honestly, he was starting to doubt how far would he go in order to keep those three safe; but he was yet a medic, and one of Optimus' best friends.

As the voices of the others softly echoed at the sick bay, telling the children that it was time to take them home, the leader was slightly surprised to hear small footfalls hurrying to where he was. Soon enough, three pairs of eyes were staring at him, as the three teenagers stood beside the berth; so he attempted to sit up in order to talk to them more comfortably, but it was futile, since Ratchet quickly grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him back down. Understanding it was for his own good, the Prime allowed himself to lie down again, and turned his head to look at the humans, silently telling them that he was listening.

They shared a quick look with each other, before looking at him again.

"Are-… Are you ok, Optimus?" Rafael asked, eyeing at the medic's hands for minute.

"It's not a very deep wound" interjected Ratchet, not giving time to the leader to answer by himself. "He was lucky this time." He added, giving Optimus a glance from the corner of his optic, and receiving an unimpressed expression in return. The red and blue mech never really appreciated whenever others answered for him…

"And besides the wound?" pressed Jack, making the taller bot look back at them.

"Yeah… You drove and fought nonstop since the bridge's malfunction. Are you ok, Big Guy?" Miko wondered.

"I am fine" assured the leader with a warm smile. "No reason for you to be worried about. I am just glad you are safe." Then, his face fell into one of shame as he lowered his optics to the girl's ankle. "I am also ashamed that I could not guarantee your safety…" He apologized, knowing that they all had suffered wounds.

Understanding, Miko tried to laugh it off, saying that she suffered worse things back in Tokyo ―she even admitted to have twisted the same ankle with an escalator once, because her shoelace was loose. The other two boys also making small comments about similar injuries they had suffered, either from falling off their bikes, or in P.E. class… Or having a 'friendly' fight with an older brother, in Rafael's case. They all were trying their best to relief the leader from feeling guilty about their current condition; especially because it was their own fault, since they knew that following them into the field was forbidden. "Then again, it was mostly Miko's fault…" thought Jack, restraining himself from huffing; however making a mental note to never attempt to stop his crazy friend from sneaking out again… One forceful road trip was more than enough for everyone…

The voices of their guardians made the kids turn around, as they were being called. It was time to go home; and, by reflex, they started turning around to leave. However, the three of them stopped suddenly and looked at the red and blue giant once more, only that, this time it was to apologize for something else: they heard Megatron's comment about Tetrahex, and, even though they ignored who the warlord was speaking of… They were truly saddened to know that the Prime had lost someone dear to him. So, they just wanted to let him know they were sorry for his loss…

Unable to do anything else, Optimus thanked the three with a sincere smile, while offering them his servo. Jack and the others didn't even hesitate, and placed their hands within the one of the giant, who closed his with a gentleness that seemed impossible; just enough for them to feel the contact, but no pressure of any sort. There were no words, but they knew it was a show of appreciation over their condolences; so, as the bot released, the three teenagers, smiling, simply waved their goodbyes and left with their guardians. They were finally going home too…

The leader, after losing his charges from sight, and noticing that Fowler was leaving too, rested his head against the slab's surface and sighed; he felt his optics starting to close, due to exhaustion.

"What was that about Tetrahex?" Ratchet wondered, softly, and making sure there were no curious optics around; after all, he knew that his friend appreciated to keep his personal relationships private.

The red and blue mech, stirred away from the wave of sleepiness, needed a second to understand the question. Nevertheless, as it settled within his processor, he simply shook his head with his optics closed.

"Megatron implied the events during that battle during our fight, and the children happened to hear" stated the leader. "They, however, ignore who we were referring to…" He added, then, looking away.

The medic hummed, remembering the bot in question very well. After all, she was someone hard to miss, and not only because of her pink paintjob, but because of her strong personality. Truth be told, he missed her too from time to time… It was like losing a sister… Nonetheless, he couldn't help his own curiosity as of how did that come into play; reason why Optimus explained the context, making the orange and white bot cock his head, optics suddenly blank as his mind got lost in his thoughts.

"Hmm… Well, we never actually say it, but-…" He started, still considering the words said by the warlord. "I suppose that caring for someone does constitute a type of love… Of sorts…" He admitted, shrugging and getting quickly back on task, as to avoid any further thought on the matter.

The Prime didn't push, and simply smirked at his best friend, knowing better than anyone that Ratchet was never one for admitting his feelings out loud ―always thinking that actions spoke louder than words, he would always be profusely looking after those he cared about, but would never dare say it. He always thought that was the reason why the medic, out of all his friends, was the one who showed least concern when Optimus received the Matrix, thus becoming stoic in his behavior; after all, he started doing the same than Ratchet, for, even if he couldn't say it or express it, he would show his feelings through small actions… Looking over the children was proof enough for anyone who knew him, that those three held a space within his spark. Sometimes he even had to wonder whether he saw them as three kids who happened to live with him, or as his kids ―and more than once, he also found himself realizing that he wouldn't care if that was the case. "I wish you would've met them, Lita…" was his last though as his systems finally entered recharge.

Morning would receive him right there at the sick bay, next to three children asking if he was feeling ok.

THE END

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See ya!