First off, I want to apologize for deleting this story. The only reason why I did was because, um, I looked over this story and I realized that I didn't have much of an idea where I was going with it at first. I mean, I know how it'll go down at the beginning and the end, but it's the in-between that I have a hard time with.

But yeah, this story isn't gone nor will it be anytime soon. I just decided that I'm going to clean it up and then decide where to go from there. This time I will have to rewatch the movies and shows and take it a little slower.

I know some people out there have read the original and, let's face it, you're not going to be happy with the changes. Despite the fact that I am keeping the plot as it is, a lot of elements have been changed for many reasons. Starting with the first chapter.

Now, let's get on with the show, shall we?

Chapter One

May 4th, 2010

Jasper, Nevada

The Darby Residence

Jack sighed in frustration, frustrated by how dull his life had been as he concentrated on his homework. Being banned from Arcee and the rest of the Autobots had pretty much destroyed his social life. He still hung out with Raf and Miko at school of course, but every time he watched them leave with their guardians reminded him of what he was missing. His bike was not a great conversationalist.

A soft purr interrupted Jack's concentration from his Spanish. A familiar near white queen cat with markings was slowly stalking her way towards him. Her brown eyes were vivacious, even in the evening hours.

"Hey, girl," Jack greeted the cat. He smiled and laughed as she jumped onto the couch. She sat on top of his Spanish book and purred at him.

"Come on," Jack chuckled. He picked up the cat and set her back down. She made a face as if she were pouting up at him. "I know, but I have to concentrate. Spanish is really killing me, and Mrs. Montoya is really cutting me down. Plus, you know how Mom can be."

He had just picked up his book again when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was his mom. He sighed and answered it.

"Hey, Jack," she greeted. "Hope you're not planning on ordering takeout. I took my break early so I could cook a wholesome meal for my grounded son."

Jack gagged slightly before responding, "Organic tofu? Awesome. I'll see you soon." He hung up and immediately went to check on Arcee. To his disbelief, she wasn't there. He quickly dialed her number.

"Come on. Pick up, pick up," he pleaded.

"Yes, Jack?" Arcee answered.

"Arcee!" he cried, relieved. "Where are you?"

"Can't answer," she replied. "Can we talk about this later?"

"No!" he yelled. "Mom is on her way home. If you don't race back here right now, I will be grounded for life, and Mom will make me sell you for parts."

Jack heard blaster fire before he got a reply. "Bee, can you handle it?" Jack heard several beeps and whirrs, and the line went dead.

"Hello?" he asked "Arcee? Come on. You can't leave me hanging like that!"

"JACK!"

He jumped at her sudden voice. Carefully, he stumbled for the garage door, only to see his mom storm into the house, still dressed in her nurse's attire.

The look of pure rage turned into confusion. "What? But you…I mean…Where is the motorcycle?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

Jack looked past her, just in time to see a familiar green glow opening up behind her. "What are you talking about? It's right where I left it." He pointed behind her to prove it.

June turned around, and to her shock, the bike was there, parked and everything. She shook herself and turned back to Jack. "Did you get one of your friends to sneak it in? Or did you just walk it up again?"

Jack groaned inwardly. He felt like he had no choice but to tell her the truth now. He knew it was going to make him look like an idiot, but…

"Okay, Mom. Do you really want to know?"

Arcee twitched in the background, warning him not to. His mom gave him an expectant look.

"Fasten your seatbelt," he said. He scooted around her and walked up towards Arcee. "My motorcycle is a sentient robotic organism from a distant planet, part of a team stationed here on Earth fighting a secret war. And, I spend most of my time after school hanging with her crew."

June squinted at him.

"And the coolest thing is," Jack continued, "this isn't her actual form. She's actually a giant robot that can transform into a vehicle."

"Jack," June said.

"It's okay, Arcee," Jack said. "Show yourself."

Arcee remained motionless.

"She's shy," Jack stuttered, his face turning slightly red. "Arcee? Really. No more lies. No more hiding."

June just looked at her son sadly. She couldn't help but feel something was starting to go off with him.

"Oh, come on. Roll out, already," he growled. He kicked at her tire for emphasis.

"This crowd you've been hanging out with," June said. "Is it a science fiction club?"

Jack glared at Arcee's vehicle form. He had just about everyone notion to give a few fresh scars on her.

"Jack," June said as she walked up to him. "I know that things have been tough for you. I know the pressures you've felt when things come get put on you and your changes. Can't have made it easy. But you don't need to make up stories like this."

Jack couldn't believe she said that. Of all the hypocrisy she had to spew out, this had to be one of them.

"You're a lot like your father," June continued. "You really are, Jack, and I'm proud of that. But he lived by a philosophy, a principle. He believed that if you can achieve greatness, you had a moral obligation to do them! That's what I'm trying to get at to you."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I know. I've got your message. So where is he?"

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah. Where is Dad? Is he still alive? Or is that one of your stories?"

"How dare you?"

"No! How dare you? You know, all you've ever done is shut yourself away ever since we got to Japer. And even when you do listen to me, all you do is make up excuses and never allowed me a chance to speak for myself or let me express myself. So, yeah. Forgive me if I do act out because you're overbearing and controlling."

In her vehicle mode, Arcee watched the pair argue. A mean, stomp-my-foot feeling rose up in her. She wanted nothing more than to prove her son was being honest, but she didn't want to face Optimus if he learned.

Jack brushed past her.

"Where do you think you're going?" June demanded.

"To work!" Jack shouted back.

June bristled, but she bit her lip. She looked at her watch. "I have to go back to work myself," she shouted after him. "We'll continued this discussion later."

Jack didn't want to. As he stormed down the sidewalk, he was still bristling at her hypocrisy. She told him millions of times that just because someone did something gave him no excuse to. And now here she was turning that all around on him!

He kicked a loose pebble and watched it skip down the sidewalk. His shoulders loosened and hunched over. He couldn't believe how much he envied the rock. It could be kicked around and it would still be free. His mother's overprotectiveness was starting to grind on him.

It hurt. That he forced himself to resort to this. He was used to taking the blunt of his mother's lecturing, but this was a step too far for him. The same excuses and the same old story. He wanted to do nothing more than to corner his mom and force her to hear him out, even if she wouldn't make any promises to him.

Jack slowed down as he heard shouting. He looked up to a small house and grimaced. Before he knew it, the door burst open and Sierra stormed out of it. He blinked in surprise. Did she really live in this house? She must have, as she could just about afford anything she wanted.

But to his surprise, she was quietly crying. She wiped away her tears as she stormed down the sidewalk of her house. When she looked up, she gasped when she saw Jack.

"Jack?" She cleared her throat and said, "How much of that did you hear?"

Jack nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Um, I think I heard something about the dishes?"

Sierra looked at him suspiciously. "Is that a question or an answer?"

"A little bit of both." He looked at the house. "Are your parents at it or something?"

Sierra dragged a foot along the cement. "I don't think I remember seeing you outside that much."

They were, but Jack chose to say instead, "We see each other. Um, chemistry class, remember?"

"No. I mean, I don't think I remember seeing you around town."

"Oh. Well, I don't really have a reason to get out that much." Jack looked her over and raised a brow. She wasn't dressed in her casual outfit or in her cheer uniform. She was wearing something that a typical motorcyclist wore. "Going somewhere?"

Sierra looked down. "This? Oh, that's what they're arguing about. My sister got me a scooter for my sweet sixteen, but it sure doesn't feel sweet right now."

"Can I see it? I bet it's cooler than what I ride."

Sierra smiled at him. "I highly doubt that, but okay." She motioned for her to follow him toward the double-doored garage, and he followed her. "So, what brought you out into the open? Did you and mom get into an argument or something?"

Jack looked at her. "How did you—"

"Experience," Sierra gestured at the house. "My mom and dad have been arguing all the time lately, and now they want me to pick a side.

"And the embarrassing part about it," she added as she stopped in front of the garage door, "is that the neighbors can hear them. Do you know how many times this week they would come knocking at our door or call the cops?"

Jack winced. "Then you'll be glad that you don't live in my area. There's shouting all the time."

Sierra flicked her eyes down the road where Jack came from. "Really? They must be super quiet about it."

"Oh, they shout. They shout to the point that they had to soundproof the inside of their houses so no one outside can hear them." He scratched the back of his head. "Listen, I don't know what you've heard about me—"

"I only heard what the other students say," Sierra said. "But I wasn't sure whether to believe them or not. I was actually worried for you after hearing them."

She pushed open the door to reveal two cars and the motorized scooter. Jack's mouth dropped open at what he saw.

"Holy…" He walked inside and ran his fingers over the smoother surface. "This isn't just a moped; it's an X-Pro. How did your sister afford to get this?"

"Some guy from Las Vegas was selling it," Sierra shrugged. "But ever since the circuit race, I wanted to have a ride of my own, so I took it." She handed him a helmet. "You want to take her for a spin with me?"

Jack's eyes widened, then flicked out to the street. "I don't know."

"It's just one ride. Besides, there's a place uptown that just opened up. It's supposed to be the biggest hit in Jasper. We can go as friends."

"Friends?"

Sierra looked embarrassed. "Vince and I kinda started dating last week."

Jack was surprised at this news. He hadn't seen Vince and Sierra act like a couple and there had been no public displays of affections. He wasn't sure if there any private displays of affection. He nearly gagged at the last part.

"I really don't feel like hanging out with him right now," Sierra said. "He apparently has some issues at home that he's dealing with, and I could really use a friend right now. I'd ask Mandy, but she's teaching swimming classes at the Y. So, pretty please?"

Jack reconsidered this, then shrugged. "I guess one ride won't hurt."


Later that night, June walked through the near empty parking lot, thoughts on the conversation with her son from earlier. To hear that Jack wasn't part of some dangerous crowd was a relief. But the accusation was stronger than the relief.

Jack had called her out for many things. Justifiable or downright untrue, it drove into her heart. Because she was keeping so much more from her son than what he believed.

"I know I've never been the best mother to him," she told herself. "But he's lied to me before, and he's lying to me now. And the only way he'll learn is if I stick to my guns."

She let out a shaky breath and looked to the heavens. "Who am I kidding? I know I've been lying to him since we've got here, but his father was right. I have to do this for his own good. Oh, what would you have done?"

She cradled her bag. She gulped and reached into it. She stopped herself in time. "Easy there now. Easy, girl. You're just concerned about what your son is doing behind your back, that's all. Heh. Phil did say you were always paranoid no matter what."

A solid black van suddenly pulled up beside her. The door slid open to reveal a man with a gun pointed at her.

"Telegram!" he shouted, and shocked the nurse, knocking her unconscious.

He pulled her into the van and restrained her, climbing back into the front seat. His partner gave him a weird look "What?"

"Really, that's the best you could come up with?" his partner asked.

"Hey! I didn't hear you come up with anything better!" he retorted.

The rest of the drive was spent with the two bickering over one-liners.


A lot of people would call her insane for wanting to hang out with him, but the idea of Jack when she first saw him actually left her wondering about the boy. Maybe she'll learn a thing or two about him to quench the long-piqued curiosity had had for so long.

When the first day of seventh grade had started, whispers of Jack Darby were circling around the students. She ignored them at first, believing that maybe he was just some bizarre legend, but she grew curious the more she heard his name.

Sierra finally managed to pry the story from her friends during one of their slumber parties. They explained that Jack had gotten into a fight with another kid named Trent. Trent face expulsion, but Jack was forced into house arrest due to the nature of the reason. Just what the reason was, no one knew except for one person, whose name wouldn't be released to the public due to his age. All they knew now was that he was forced to be enrolled to a different school — their school

When Jack had arrived to school on probation, he had slipped into a silent spell and was always shaking. No one knew the cause of the trauma, and the teachers were growing concerned by his strange behavior. The school's counselor had advised Jack to take everything one step at a time, which was why he first started on the school's paper. But outside of schoolwork, he never interacted with anyone. Instead, he kept up the shy demeanor. It was all he ever did — go to school, do his thing, go home, repeat. It was like no one else existed.

So it came as a surprise when she ran into him outside K.O. Burger that he knew not only her name, but also that they took the same science class. And then the time he actually made small talk with her before taking up Vince's challenge at the circuit race.

But Sierra knew only of his mom's job and the bike he rode. Jack had no other family, he didn't talk much about himself except when he expressed recent problems, and he evaded questions about his life before the house arrest. For all that his peers knew, he was the last survivor of an alien race. Or some entity entirely from another dimension.

Jack sighed as they pulled into the drive way. It was odd that his mom's car wasn't there. She usually got home right at this time of the night. Did she pick up an extra shift? But he was relieved as he opened up the garage and found Arcee parked there.

"Guess Mom's not home yet," Jack said.

"What time does she normally come home?" Sierra said.

Jack walked up to his work bench. Maybe his mom had left him a message after he took off like that. But instead, a manila envelope was seated on the table with his name on it.

He frowned, picking it up. He didn't recognize the handwriting, and the contents inside looked weird. He opened the envelope and flipped it over, and a small device that looked like an old game boy spilled out.

"What is that?" Sierra asked.

Jack looked up at her when the device beeped.

"Hello, Jack."

Both of them turned back to the device. Jack recognized the voice, and he shuddered.

"We know things about your family that even you don't know," Silas said. "For example; do you know where your mother is?"

Jack felt the coldness in his veins replaced by the heat of fury. "What did you do?" he demanded.

"Understand, Jack," Silas said, "we have no intention of hurting her. In fact, we'd like to reunite you two as soon as possible."

"Uh-huh, what's the catch?" Jack asked, wanting to get this over with.

"I just need you and your fellow friend to follow the coordinates programmed into this communicator. They'll lead you to the temporary facility I've set up," Silas said.

Arcee had to make sure none of them were paying attention to her as she quickly set up a dispatch. "Ratchet," she whispered. "We…" She was cut off as something scrambled her CPU. She gave out a sharp cry and she was forced to transform, clutching her head in pain.

"Oh, my god!" Sierra shrieked.

"Arcee!" Jack cried.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Silas said, not sounding the least bit sincere. "Did I not mention that the communicator's signal scrambles our signal and her brain?"

Jack glared at the communicator.

"Any break in communication or attempt to contact the other Autobots and Miss Darby…well, I wouldn't want you to feel responsible for the outcome," Silas finished. The communicator shut off, and the pain in Arcee's processor stopped.

"Jack? Your motorcycle," Sierra started.

"I don't have time for that," Jack snapped. He never meant to, but his mom was in danger. He had to get to her and fast! He reached for the helmet on the workbench. "I have to go save her before they do something bad to her."

Sierra looked to Arcee, and then she looked back at him. She seemed to be considering her options for a change. Her eyebrows furrowed down as she declared, "I'm coming with you."

"Sierra, no. It's too dangerous. If you come along and we both get hurt—"

"Look," Sierra hissed. "I may not have been in a situation such as this one, but I know what it's like to lose a family member like this. You shouldn't have to have gone through with this, so it's best that you have backup with you in case something goes bad, okay?" When he didn't answer, she tilted her head. "Okay."

Jack just stared at her. He shook his head and grabbed his helmet. "Arcee?"

His guardian wasted no time. She transformed to vehicle mode. "Hop on," she said.


The pair and Arcee zoomed down the road. Jack's grip on the handlebars tightened, and tears stung his eyes. "If anything happens to her because of me, I'll never be able to forgive myself."

Arcee was not quick to respond, but she said, "They're after me, Jack. Once they get me, they'll let your mother go."

"Not exactly reassuring," Jack said.

"Well, if the worst comes, we'll just have to kick their asses," Sierra said.

Jack smiled. It was small, but he was seeing a side of Sierra he never knew about.

Jack looked up ahead as their destination came into view. It was an old, abandoned cement plant that shut down years before. Jack pocketed the device as they slowed down.

"You ready?"

"Whenever you are."

Arcee revved her engines, and they bolted for the building. Sierra shrieked and ducked her head at the sudden, loud popping noises. Jack could feel the air from the near misses.

They pulled right up into a large garage. Jack practically jumped off of Arcee.

"Mom?" he called out.

"Mrs. Darby?" Sierra shouted.

"Looking for June?"

Chills attacked Jack's body.

"She's hanging around here somewhere."

Sierra turned to where the voice was and almost screamed. Jack didn't want to, but instinct forced him to. He whirled around to find Airachnid crawling on the ceiling with a sadistic grin. Arcee transformed, placing herself between the teenagers and the Decepticon.

"Airachnid," she growled.

Airachnid fired something from her hands. Before they knew it, Arcee's arms were pinned to her sides with thick, sticky silk. Spider webbing! The Autobot struggled to break free, but the attempts were fruitless.

About a dozen or so MECH soldiers rushed into the warehouse. They pointed their rifles at the teenagers and Arcee. They knew they were powerless as long as June's life was on the line.

Arcee looked at a large, grizzled man with scars running across his face. "Help them," she pleaded. "They're human, like you! You can't let Airachnid—"

"A few human lives are a small price to pay for a miracle of science like yourself," Silas said.

One of the soldiers lifted a gun and fired a stream of electricity into Arcee. She gave a short scream and fell to the concrete floor, unconscious.

"Arcee!" Jack shouted, coming to her side.

"Besides," Silas added coolly, "there are far worse things than getting caught up in someone else's game."

The soldiers went over to Jack and Sierra and took their phones and the communicator.

"I swear that if you hurt my mom in any way," Jack began, but Silas cut him off.

"Like I said, Mr. Darby; we have no intention of hurting your mother…yet. I have better things to do right now than to have blood spilled on my own hands."

"I'm still learning about humankind," Airachnid said, stalking forwards. "But one thing is clear to me that you people care deeply about family. Therefore, the sweetest revenge I could possibly devise is to make you watch as I take your family apart."

"What's she talking about?" Sierra asked. Her grip on Jack's hand was tightening. She had to be as scared of this situation as Jack was, but he wouldn't show it. He only hoped he had a way to save everyone he cared for and got out of there.

"You remember how much I enjoy sport, don't you, Jack?" Airachnid ignored Sierra's question. "So, I'll give you the opportunity to save your mother. I've stashed her close by somewhere."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jack interrupted in a rush. "What's the catch here?"

They heard a faint beeping and turned to a clock, ticking the seconds away.

"If you can rescue her before the stroke of twelve," Airachnid purred, "I will let the three of you go, unharmed. Deal?"

Sierra frowned at her. "And what if he doesn't get to her in time?"

Airachnid seemed to toss it in her head before purring, "Well, what do you think?"

Jack turned to Silas. He rushed up and slammed his hands against his chest. "You can't let her do this! Please, let her go!" In the process, he was able to swipe the device from Silas's belt, but then he was shoved back.

"Enough," Silas growled. "If Mrs. Darby was the woman she was supposed to be, she should have been smarter about keeping her only child."

Jack glared at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing personally. But considering all that she knew, well, only one stands out above the rest."

"As interesting as this may be," Airachnid said. She nodded at the clock. "Six minutes!"

Jack stood, and they ran out of the building as fast as he could.

"Mom?" Jack cried "MOM!"

After a time, Sierra looked around. "This place is huge. How will we be able to find her?" She nearly bumped into Jack as he stopped. He looked up and saw him gaping up ahead. As she looked past him, she could see a shadow on top of a structure.

"Where's my mom?" Jack shouted.

The specter pointed towards a tall structure. They both turned and ran towards it.

"Mom?" Jack called up as they reached it. "Mom?!"

"Jack?" June yelled from far above them.

Jack started to climb with Sierra in tow. They finally got to the top, panting heavily.

"Jack!" June yelled. "What's going on here? Who are these people? How did I get in this…stuff?"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Darby," Sierra said as she knelt and grabbed the webbing. "We're gonna get you out of here."

June looked up. "Oh. Hi. I've seen your on Jack's computer before."

"Mom," Jack groaned. She really had bad timing.

"Really?" Sierra smirked. "I can't say the same for mine with your son—"

A loud, metallic thud crashed into the metal nearest to them. They yelped, startled as Airachnid came into view, laughing.

"Jack!" June whispered. "The robots are real?!"

Jack stood, ready to take her out. "We beat your deadline!" he shouted.

"Afraid not, Jack,"Airachnid sneered. "The task was not for you to find your mother by midnight, you had to rescue her."

Jack looked to where the clock was, watching the numbers change to midnight.

"And time's up!" Airachnid shot webbing at Jack, pinning his arm to the ground. Sierra stumbled back and fell. It allowed her foot to be pinned down as well.

"Take a seat," Airachnid purred to Jack. "Sit back and enjoy the horror show."

Jack snarled, pulling harder at the web. He never felt desperate to get out of anything before until tonight.

"You know, Jack?" Airachnid started. "She's your mom, why should I have all the fun? So you get to choose: agonizing or excruciating!" She spat, a glob of acid venom spattering the railing, letting some of it melt away.

"No!" June whispered.

Jack grabbed a nearby pole.

"Jack," Airachnid continued. "Your mother wants to know. Don't leave her dangling."

"A little too late for that," Sierra scoffed as she tried to break herself free.

"Well then," Airachnid said, smugly. "If you won't decide, I guess it's lady's choice."

"Mom, I'm sorry," Jack said. His voice was close to breaking. Even if he did manage to free himself, Airachnid would stop him long before he could get close to his mother. Their only chance at making it out of this alive was if somebody saved them, but even that looked to be impossible.

"Stop!" Jack's head immediately shot up at June's anguished cry. He watched in horror as Airachnid's claws inched towards her throat. Desperate, he dipped the end of the pole into the puddle of the still-melting acid. Once the bottom of it was heavily coated, steam hissing and rising into the air, he quickly jabbed it at the webbing holding him down. All the while he could hear his mom's growing protests; the hitches in her breathing that were growing louder as she held back the screams she no doubt wanted to unleash.

Too soon and yet not quickly enough, Jack felt the webbing loosen and immediately tugged his hand free with a victorious shout, only to hiss as a droplet of the acid touched the base of his thumb.

"I think it's time to end this, don't you?" Airachnid said sweetly as she used one of her hands to caress June's cheek.

"Leave her alone!" Sierra made one last attempt to free herself. Her foot came free from her boot, and she fell quickly got to her feet. She rushed forward, but one of Airachnid's legs slammed in front of her.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Sierra glared up at the Decepticon. "Saving Mrs. Darby, that's what."

"You? I never said anything about you," Airachnid said.

Sierra tilted her head and tapped a finger to her chin mockingly towards her. "Actually, you just said you. So technically, it could have meant anyone in particular. You should have just been more specific."

Airachnid's optics flared up. "Say goodbye, Jack!" With that, Airachnid released a mouthful of acid onto the webbing that held his mom in place, simultaneously leaping into the darkness and out of his sight.

June looked back at Jack, their eyes meeting. He was shocked when all she gave him was a sorrowful smile. Was she really going to accept her fate like that?

"Mom, no."

Jack ran forward, getting as close to the edge as possible and arrived just in time to see the last of the web melt away. He reached his hand out towards his mother in a desperate attempt to save her, screaming out and watching her still smile as she fell towards the ground, right before he heard a faint splat. Everything became unnaturally silent.

Time felt nonexistent as he stared at the ground. He could make out the white of Airachnid's webbing down below as it practically glowed in the moonlight. The cocoon she was wrapped in had stayed together for the most part, but she was too far away to be seen much except for the growing puddle of red.

He forgot for one second that Sierra was there until he felt her fingertips brush against his hand. She was just as horrified as he was. She looked to him and then back down. He turned his attention to the ladder they had climbed up on. Maybe if he got down there and she was still—

Too quickly and yet not soon enough, his feet hit the ground and he stumbled forward towards her, eyes stuck on the cocoon. Jack stopped once he reached the pool of blood. He nearly bowled over at the strong smell of copper that threatened to consume him with nausea.

Walking around the webbing, he crouched down to inspect what Airachnid had done. He almost threw up at the damage that had been done. Out of desperation or of hopeful denial, Jack tentatively reached towards her twisted neck with a shaky hand. Instead, he covered his face with it.

"Jack?!" Sierra called out for him as she scrambled down the ladder and ran over. She came to a halt upon seeing the mess. She gasped and covered her mouth up.

They looked up when they heard the distant sound of helicopter blades chopping through the air. Three of them were rapidly approaching in the sky. Jack didn't know for sure if they were good people or not, but it wouldn't matter now. If they were friendly, they would have been too late to save his mom.

His entire body tensed in preparation for whatever was to come when they heard a whistle. An explosion caught their eyes, and they watched as Airachnid was sent flying to the side. Jack paused in confusion, feeling as if the whole world had teetered. A flash of purple and black caught his eye as the shadowed figure suddenly came to light. His bow glistened in the darkness as the moonlight was cast upon it.

Everything else had become a blur to him — the sound of helicopter blades, gunfire, and yells were all nothing to him. He lost track of time before he heard a shout coming towards their direction.

His eyes were a blur suddenly. Sierra reached over and draped an arm around his shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Jack. I'm so sorry."

It sure did it for him. He took in a shuttering and weary breath, and it came out as a sob. Sierra pulled him closer and held him as he cried. Tears were slipping down from her own eyes. She didn't want to, but she could imagine it being her own mother because of earlier.

"The last thing I said to her was…was…"

Sierra held him tightly, rubbing his back. "It's okay," she whispered shakily. "It's okay."

"Jack!"

"Fowler?" Jack hiccupped. But as he looked up, the bowman was running towards them. He stumbled forward at the sight before him, his mouth gaping like a fish on land. His partner, a woman with red hair in a black tactical suit, slowed down as she stared at the mess before her. She looked just as lost as the bowman did. Did these two know June?

Jack barely had time to ask as he was suddenly up on his feet, a blanket draped over his shoulders. He was guided away by another person in a tactical uniform. He was pulled out of his trance when Sierra wrapped him in a tight embrace. He was too surprised to react. He had hardly been hugged by anyone except for his mom, plus Miko and Raf. As such, it took him a moment to return the hug, flinching slightly when he felt pain shoot out in his hand, traveling up his arm.

He pulled away slightly and glanced down at his hand, examining the partially melted flesh made by Airachnid's acid. He briefly panicked, wondering if the acid was spreading. Sierra's eyes widened in horror at the mark.

"We need to get you to a hospital to get that checked," she said.

"It was Airachnid. S-she…"

He managed to recover as they heard the sound of distant chopper blades. His eyes snapped up to the distant specks that were taking off into the night. The bowman's hands tightened into fists. It was enough of an answer to know who the helicopters belonged to. His mom was dead, and all that remained was a burning fire in his stomach. For the first time in a long time, he felt that horrible dark desire he had not felt in four years.


Silas once considered himself a patient man, given how long it took for the Autobots and the Decepticons to reveal themselves in plain sight. It took even longer, if not for the turncoat spies, to finally acquire how the living specimen worked.

He made his way over to the military-grade helicopter at the edge of the abandoned plant that was waiting for him. Two soldiers marched on either side, their rifles at the ready as they scanned the area. He paid little attention, knowing that they still had little time before anyone came looking for them.

If there was one thing Silas knew from his previous career in the military, civilians were always a top priority.

The image of Jack Darby was brought to the front of his mind. He was trying to envision the moment the boy took his radio without his knowledge. He couldn't believe he was outsmarted by a sixteen-year-old boy. While he hated to admit it, a part of him was impressed by Jack's quick thinking. The boy was definitely resourceful, but he had still lost his mom in the end.

Silas scowled as someone inside the chopper called out to him. He climbed into the aircraft and signaled for the pilot to take off. "What is it, lieutenant?"

"The file's been decrypted and opened just as you asked," the MECH agent reported.

Silas looked at him. "And?"

The agent handed Silas the tablet he had been holding. On it was a full file on Jack Darby. It turned out that Jack had been born outside of Jasper and hadn't lived there the first seven years of his life. There was no previous mention before on his school years, no mention of his father. However, now he was finding out why.

Silas's eyes slowly became ridiculously wide as he read over what he learned. He slowly leaned in closer to see if he was reading it right. His mind went back to the day of the incident.

"Your ships black box sustained serious damage in the explosion," Silas explained. "But our software was able to reconstruct a few frames from the security frames."

He watched the footage play out on a screen. Airachnid was in the background, trying to hunt down Jack. Meanwhile, the boy of interest was hiding right behind a tree. Silas allowed the screen to zoom in on the boy's face for facial recognition.

"That's him," Airachnid pointed out. "My Jack."

Silas blinked in surprise. Not because of the kid's age, but of his facial features. There was something so familiar about them that he couldn't pinpoint on the sudden sense of familiarity. He shook his head and allowed his lead technician to continue his work.

"Our facial-recognition algorithm will send Jack's image across the web." Looking at her, he said, "Another type of web."

His technician gave him a sideways glance before pulling something up.

"Ah, the mother lode," he said.

"Government database?" Airachnid studied the page in front of them.

"Social networking page," Silas said.

"Sir? There's something else." The technician pointed to something on his screen. "A government agency has an entire file on him."

Silas glared at him. "What do you mean? Who would have a file on a small-town kid?"

The man winced. "You're not going to believe it…"

He wasn't wrong. Silas didn't believe it until he read the file now. Unlocking it was the tricky part, but he had one of the best hacktivists on the planet. And now he knew why.

The leader of MECH glanced out the window, where movement caught his eye. The man that had attacked him from behind was standing protectively next to Jack, who appeared to be glaring back at him. Even from a distance, he could see the broken look on the boy's face, his mother's body still trapped in Airachnid's cocoon some yards away from them.

"How precise is this?" Silas asked, not looking away.

"One hundred percent, sir."

Silas scowled. He should have known better upon staring at the boy's face. There was only one other person he had met before in his life with a face as similar as that. And he knew one person of the past that had tried to do a good job of hiding something like this.

"Fury, you sly son of a…" he cursed. He turned to the man on his right. "I want a full report on Darby, his family, and any other useful information on him!"


Romanoff had never seen Barton look so angry before. But it was understandable, she thought as they watched the remaining members of MECH escape. These men were responsible for the woman's kidnapping in the first place. They should have been locked away, not out where they wouldn't be found.

Weeks earlier, she and Barton were assigned to infiltrate MECH upon a series of unusual accidents that happened. Airachnid's approach was a surprise, and she wasn't sure who Jack was until he arrived with the girl. Not only did they target a boy, but they had made a victim of his only known living relative. A very well-known agent as Barton had told her.

"We've got to get you to a hospital now."

"I'm fine, okay?"

"Your mom was a nurse! Shouldn't you know how bad this can be?" Natasha turned at Sierra's statement. She and Jack were sitting side-by-side.

Romanoff knelt down next to them. "Let me see your hand," she said.

Jack waved her off. "I'm fine," he croaked. "Really—"

"Don't make me have to sedate you just so I can see for myself."

Jack cringed, but he did as she said. Her lips pursed together at the burn. "We'll have to take you to one of our medical facilities," she said.

"Do I have to?" Jack choked out.

"Unless you want to lose your hand as well, yes." It sounded harsh, but to her it was better than to watch the skin rot away.

Jack covered his mouth with his other hand and looked away. Sierra only bowed her head.

"Jack! Sweet lady liberty! I thought—" He heard Agent Fowler exclaim from behind him, not daring to look at him. Fowler was speechless, a rarity if Jack ever saw one. Even when facing death in the face, Fowler was never at a lost. From both the sight of his mother's corpse and Sierra, who was now on the ground hugging her knees. He turned to the first serious one. "Jack? Is that your…?"

Barton finally turned around. He walked up to the pair and stood next to the boy. "Kid. Please look at me."

Jack barely moved a muscle. Finally, he slowly raised his face up to look at him. Barton was shocked at the redness in his eyes. Some of his hair had obscured his face with the shadows cast by moonlight. Jack looked like a lost soul cursed in the night. He recognized that haunted feeling, understood it better. Except he managed to find his way back to the land of the living. Who was to say how this kid would find his?

"Is there anyone we can contact? Any next of kin we can talk to?" he asked, something he was prepared to ask when confronting children. He knew the answer already given who his mom was, but he was trained for this.

"N-no. It was just always me and my mom. My dad died when I was six and my mom didn't really have a family of her own. We were all we had."

Romanoff looked down at her hands. "We should have said to hell with it. Should have come out sooner to…" She trailed off bitterly, glaring at the ground now.

"I'm just lucky we got to the kids first," Barton sighed.

"Lucky? It's only thanks to your quick thinking and tech that they're still alive," Fowler announced in a subdued tone. "I'm not really sure if I can say the same for Arcee, though."

Jack's eyes lit up in realization and panic. "Arcee! Oh, my god! Is she okay? I have to see her—"

"Calm down, kid," Romanoff said. "She's okay, but whatever they shocked her with hit her hard. And we don't know how long it will be before her systems come back online."

Jack's shoulders sagged. Fowler sighed as he placed a stiff hand on his shoulder. The gesture was not unappreciated, but Jack just wanted to brush it off. He didn't want to be touched right now. Not by Fowler, not by the other agents and soldiers, and as much as he hated to say it, not by Sierra.

"Listen to me, son. The government will take care of the expenses for her funeral, but we can't give out the true reason for her death."

Romanoff blinked. "Why not?"

"'Cause they don't exist," Jack mumbled as he gave into temptation and brushed off Fowler's hand.

Barton looked mad. "What?"

"Don't take it personally—"

"You mean to tell me that not only do these giant robotic things are not known to the world, but you'll just say some bullshit on her death? Like suicide?"

Jack's eyes hardened. He glared up at Fowler. "If you guys ever tell the world that that's how she died, I will never forgive you."

"Stop!" Sierra stood up suddenly. "I'm not happy about it either, but it's late. Can't this be talked about later?"

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Barton pulled away. Romanoff tilted her head back and released a breath.

"Jack! Jack, where are you?" came a familiar panicked shout. Jack drew in a breath of relief, suddenly feeling relieved and thankful. Another wave of agonizing pain swept over him and he covered his eyes. He could not break down in front of her, not in front of all these people. He turned around as he felt the ground tremble.

"Jack! Thank the Allspark! I thought that—" Whatever Arcee was about to say would stay a mystery as she cut herself off, taking in the condition both of the teens were in. Her optics were bright in shock at the blood that covered their shoes and the bottom of their pants.

"Is your mom …?" She trailed off, afraid to even know the answer. Jack couldn't bear to look at her. That faraway look washed over his face again.

Sierra bowed her head. "I have to go home now. My family is probably worried about me right now."

Jack sucked in a faint breath. He lowered his head down as he realized that she basically was going to be in trouble because of him.

"We'll take you home," Barton said. Then he said to Jack, "And we'll have to let you stay somewhere since these guys know where you live."

"I'm taking Jack back to the base," Arcee had told Fowler at the same time. Both of them glared at each other.

"Why don't you both come with us?" Romanoff compromised. She shot Fowler a look before saying, "Before you even say anything, S.H.I.E.L.D. has had some close encounters in the past before. But we should have his hand looked at—"

"S.H.I.E.L.D?" Jack looked more aware as he looked up at them. "You guys are with that organization?"

All eyes were trained on him now.

"Can I borrow one of your phones?" Jack pleaded. "Please. I know Phil Coulson, and I could really talk to him right now."

Barton reached into his pocket and held it out for him. "Here, you can borrow mine. And then once we have this mess sorted out, we'll take you back here." He sighed heavily. "But there is still a bunch of other issues that needs to be handled with soon."

Jack grimaced, a sense of hopelessness swallowing him up as he realized what Barton had meant. Both Romanoff and Fowler had parted from them, but Barton stood by.

"What did he mean by issues needing to be addressed?" Arcee asked suspiciously.

"I'll…tell you later," Jack simply said. He looked at the phone, then turned to Sierra. "Um, I have a cat at home that needs to be looked after. I was wondering maybe you could watch her until I figure something out?"

Sierra looked down before meeting his gaze again. "Whatever you need, I'll help."

Jack flipped the phone open for the number. He glanced away just in time as they placed his mom's body into an ambulance. He realized this would be the last time he saw her ever.

"I'm so sorry, Mom," he whispered.


Seven years ago, all hell broke loose on the East Coast. Six days later, Coulson could do nothing as he helped smuggle June Darby and her son out of the state. Tonight, he was getting a call from the one kid who mattered most to him.

He was currently in Ireland when his phone rang in his pocket. He retrieved it from his pocket with a frown. What was Barton doing calling him right now? Had he and Romanoff run into a problem? However, as he answered, he was surprised that it was not Barton who answered, but a young man.

"Hello?"

"Uncle Phil?"

Coulson was baffled at this. "Jack? Hi. How are you? I haven't heard from you in years. What are you doing calling me? Isn't it late over there?"

Jack's sobs immediately followed. Barton's voice replaced them and explained the situation to him. As Barton informed him of June's death, the whole world felt like it was disconnected from him. He lowered his voice and asked, "Does Fury know?"

"We were hoping to wait until the morning."

"Probably not. Fury would be furious if he had to learn that much later. He needs to know about it right now. You know how he can be."

"Nat's trying to quiet down the scene as we speak. Phil, he's not going to be happy when he learns about this."

Coulson nodded. "Just get him out of there. Keep me up to date until I get to where you're taking him. I don't need him caught up in other affairs."

"Yeah, about that…"


Jack's throat grew thick as he opened the door to his house. It was dark, and he turned the lights on for the inside. The only reason he came was for a change of clothes. One of the agents that had been contacted by Romanoff for backup had driven him to his house. Barton would have come, but he stayed back to contact to help profile the scene.

Absentmindedly, Jack held up his hand that had been partially been melted by Airachnid's acid. The burning was still evident as he gently poked at it, but the wound didn't spread out more than it should have. He knew the surgery would suck, but he really didn't want to lose his hand.

Something moved across the floor. Jack nearly jumped, but he eventually calmed down upon seeing Queenie strut towards him.

"Hi, girl," he said. "You wanna go somewhere new?"

Queenie gave him a questioning look, but she didn't seem to argue as he carried her towards the carrier box he had always used whenever he took her to the vet. As he did, he went to his room to change into clean clothes, pulling a duffle bag out from beneath his bed, and started rooting around his drawers for clothes to pack. He looked at his bed, and he wanted nothing more to curl up and fall asleep on it, hoping to wake up and find it all a bad dream. Instead, he forced himself to keep moving and packed the necessities he would need.

Entering the hallway, Jack hesitated before heading to open the doorway across from his. He looked into the room that belonged to his mom, which wasn't as big as his own. A queen-sized bed took up one side of the room with two nightstands on either side. On the other side was a bookcase and a desk. He had no idea why she had it, but he always saw her scribbling out on paper since he was little.

He wondered if this would be the last time he would step foot into this house before he picked up Queenie's carrier before heading out of the house and back into the car. A quick look out the window made him swallow the lump that was about to form before the agent pulled away.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," the agent suddenly said, spooking Jack. "I lost my folks when I was only six. Is there anything you need when we get there?"

Jack wanted to curl up in his seat, but he hugged the carrier instead. "I just want Arcee to be okay right now. I've never admitted it out loud and she never has, but right now she means a lot to me. And I never wanted Sierra to learn about them this way."


Director Nick Fury of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistic Division organization, also known as S.H.I.E.L.D, was awakened by the loud ringing of his phone. He growled as he answered it. "Who the hell is this?"

"Director? It's Romanoff."

The grumpy demeanor evaporated and gave way to confusion. "Romanoff? What are you doing calling me at this time?"

"It's urgent, sir. Clint suggested it."

"Fine, but it better be good."

"It's short of good, sir. In fact…" Romanoff paused. "Well, you know how you are."

Fury turned onto his back. "Well?"

"The mission was a mild success," Romanoff reported. "But we had to take a detour."

Fury arched a brow. "A detour?"

"There was a woman by the name of June Darby," Romanoff briefed. "She was killed just about a half hour ago. It was some giant robotic organism that murdered her. Clint and I tried to stop her, but we had to deal with something else."

Fury just lay there. June Darby being murdered did not simply make itself out, nor would he believe it. She was one of the brightest and toughest agents that had worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. So, how in the world did it come to this?

"Does Coulson know about this?"

"Yeah. He was the one who suggested on calling you right now."

"She has only one child. Where is he right now?"

"They're taking him to one of our facilities for surgery. Then he's being shipped to Washington."

Fury scowled. "Change of plans. Have him sent to Barton's place after surgery, then let me know if he's ready to talk or not."

"But Fury—"

"Tell Barton and Coulson that I don't care what she promised!" Fury barked out. "None of us made that promise, and that kid is the last thing we have of her. If he's in danger, he stays in our custody until we know for sure that his life's not in danger. He's a ward of S.H.I.E.L.D. anyways, so do as I suggest. Is that understood?"

When Romanoff didn't argue, he knew he had an answer. "Good. Hang up before I say something I'll end up regretting later on."

The line went dead, and Fury was left wondering how this had happened. More importantly, what did happen in the years that she was gone? Scowling even more, he picked up his phone. "Get the good doctor on the line. I need to inform him of something."