CHAPTER THIRTEEN

XXX

Going to school was a terrible idea, but Jack had no excuse to not go.

Arcee was waiting for him in the garage, his guardian thrilled to hear her partner was feeling much better. The two-wheeler had been forced to worry while out on patrol, Ratchet using Jack's illness as an excuse to have her scout more ground. The human's arrival back to base was met with warm relief, Jack spending what time he could with his guardian before she had to leave again. Then Miko took his attention, the girl insisting on a rematch after Jack had defeated her last time.

He had also visited on Sunday, despite Megatron lingering on the back of his mind. His condition had yet to change, however Jack was paranoid he would crash any moment. What made Monday worse, however, was that while he was at school, his mother was home. She had the day off, which was plenty of time to snoop around his room if she wanted.

An irrational fear, as June had always respected his space. Still, it would be just his luck if she decided, for once, to enter his room and closet. For what reason, he could not fathom, but it made his heart race all day.

"Hey, Jack," Sierra startled him out of one of those moments at his locker, the senior tucking a hair behind her ear as she gave him a soft smile. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

"H-hey," he said, caught off guard by her approaching him. He placed a book in his locker, shutting it closed before it could fall back and hit him in the face. "Yeah, I got better on Saturday, and by Sunday I was pretty much back to 100%. Also . . . I'm still really sorry about the shoes."

She laughed, the pleasant sound drawing some attention that made his cheeks warm. "It's fine, I promise. Like I said, it's not the first time it's happened."

He nodded, not sure what to say after that. Truthfully, he was distracted by the fact his crush was talking to him, floundering for a reason why she would even bother paying attention to him. A glance over her shoulder showed Vince glaring at him from a distance, but he just ducked his head and tried to draw as little attention as possible.

"I, uh, have to get to chemistry class," he said, then almost smacked himself. Sierra was in that class with him. "Er, want to walk with me?"

She shrugged, looking thoroughly amused. "Sure. Did you get the homework done? It's due today."

"Y-yeah," he replied, tapping one of his folders. "Did you think it was . . . oddly easy?"

Sierra smiled. "Just a bit. Question four was a weird one . . ."

As they conversed, Jack felt like there were a pair of eyes boring into him. He was certain it was Vince, but chills ran down his spine as the irrational part of his mind considered Megatron.

Calm down. He doesn't even know who she is, and he definitely has no idea she's your crush. And it's not like you're . . . cheating on him.

His lips remembered the feeling of the cold metal pressed against them, his heart pounding in his chest while his stomach twisted.

Jack tried to focus on their conversation as they slipped into the classroom, ignoring the intrusive thoughts which plagued him. Megatron - and the anxiety he gave him - was driving him insane.

Sierra now also stayed in his mind, the young man still trying to piece together why she would want to even speak to him. Maybe she was going to make a move, but why? Surely Vince would be more than happy to date her, and he would actually ask instead of being a wimp like Jack.

Though, Jack had to bitterly admit, that was not his fault. If he even entertained the idea of dating Sierra now, Megatron would kill her, and probably him too. It was dangerous, and he doubted Megatron would allow him to "date" her to keep up appearances.

By the end of the day he had thought himself into a headache, the junior packing up his bag and shutting his locker, the front of his head pulsing with each movement. It was not as bad of a headache as when he was sick, but it was still an annoyance. As he made his way to the entrance he saw Miko there again, Rafael standing next to her. They both looked urgent, Jack's heart stopping as she spoke once he was in inconspicuous earshot.

"Doc Knock is back!"

He looked outside, seeing indeed the Aston Martin had returned, parked on the street in front of the school. Electricity tingled in his hands as adrenaline began pumping, Rafael coming to the obvious conclusion.

"H-he's coming back for Vince," he stammered.

Not quite.

Jack knew he had to get a message to the Decepticon CMO, otherwise he would continue to harass him until Soundwave became impatient, and ordered him to dismantle the Darby house brick by brick. In the communication officer's defense, it had been over 24 hours since Megatron could have been in contact with him. His impatience, though warranted, would spell the end for Jack if he did not figure something out.

"We need a plan, and quick," he said, pulling his phone out. His eyes scanned the crowd for Vince, not seeing him at his car and assuming he was not in detention. That meant he was somewhere inside the building still.

"I see him," Arcee confirmed her visual of the Decepticon as soon as she picked up the line, Jack speaking quietly so people did not freak out - or draw the wrong conclusions.

"I don't see Vince, which means he's still here, somewhere," he was frantic, trying to construct two plans at once. "But we've gotta get him out of here."

"Anybody got that knock-out stuff?" Miko asked, "We could put it on a rag and make him sniff it, then drag him out to one of the 'bots!"

"We're not chloroforming him, Miko!" Jack hissed.

"I don't want to engage Knock Out here, if we can help it," Arcee spoke over the phone. "And it looks like we'll be bringing Vince in, at least until we can get this situation sorted out."

"Ugh, come on!" Miko whined. "Why should he go to the base? I would choose literally anyone else!"

Jack felt his heart pounding in his chest, his mind stalling as he tried to figure things out.

"Miko, Raf, go," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I'll figure out a way to get Vince, you two take Bumblebee and Bulkhead and head back to base."

"And leave Arcee to fend for herself?" Miko raised an eyebrow.

"It'll put you guys out of danger," Jack reasoned, mind racing as he tried to come up with some kind of solution. "Go with Bulkhead, or Bumblebee, and leave the other for back-up. Call Ratchet."

While he knew it would be much simpler to not get Vince involved, as it was obvious to him that Knock Out was there for him, it provided a cover Jack could not afford to dismiss. If his partner caught on to the fact that Knock Out was there for Jack, she would be more suspicious than she already was. He figured she only bought his first, big lie because she could not conceive of any logical reason as to why he would try to deceive her. Jack was a bad liar, that was no mystery. He needed something solid to back him up.

"What are you going to do?" Rafael asked.

"Uh, Jack, Vince is already outside. He's getting in his car," Arcee announced.

"Scrap!" He took off, Miko and Rafael following, Jack watching as Vince took off in his sporty car. The junior launched himself onto Arcee, urging her to just go, his hands gripping her handlebar tightly. The femme took off immediately, revving her engine as she followed the redheaded bully.

Knock Out's lights flared to life behind them, Jack cringing as he heard the purr of the fancy European engine. He was still trying to figure out how he was going to get a message to the Decepticon without immediately tipping off his partner that something was wrong; but first, he needed to play the Vince card.

The older boy was driving as if nothing was wrong, his left elbow draped over his open window, the top of his car down.

"What are we going to do about him?" Arcee asked.

Jack looked around, noting the various people milling about. Several were stopping and staring at the Aston Martin that was pursuing a sleek motorcycle and a flaming car, Jack keeping his head down as he spoke.

"Try and get him away from civilians. Things might get intense."

"And how do you propose we do that?" His partner questioned.

Jack took only two beats to come up with a solution. "We race him."

"No, I already told you we were done with-"

"How else are we going to get Vince away from 'con without causing a scene?" Jack asked her, the pair nearing a red light. He tried to ignore how Knock Out was getting real close to the back of Arcee's bumper, the Decepticon practically venting on the back of his neck. Arcee sidled up to Vince, Jack getting brave enough to lean into the passenger-side window.

"Get out of my car, Darby," Vince snapped at him. He clearly had yet to notice the vehicle trailing behind them.

"What, still bitter about losing our last race?" Jack taunted, though it hardly felt genuine. "Want to try again?"

"Last time was a fluke," Vince countered, his competitive streak almost immediately shining through. "This time, on a real dirt road, Darby. I want to see that mo-ped roll."

The light turned green, Jack righting himself on Arcee.

"Ladies' first," he gestured, Vince giving him a furious glare. He revved his engine, loudly, then peeled off down the road, a signal for Jack to follow him. It was obvious by the way Vince was driving that Jack had successfully ticked him off, the bully leading him out of Jasper and down a county road. They turned off onto a gravel street, which quickly turned into smooth, red dirt.

Jack followed, grimacing as Knock Out stayed right behind them. This time Vince took notice, eyes narrowing.

"Who's the friend?"

"Spectator, probably," Jack said loud enough for the Decepticon to hear, though whether Knock Out listened was an entirely different story.

"In an Aston Martin? No way." Vince stepped out of his car, Jack cursing as the testosterone-fueled senior just had to make things difficult, and secure his ego. "I recognize it. It was the car at the race. What the hell is this, Darby?"

"Vince-" Jack scrambled off of Arcee as Vince stalked around the car, his guardian's EM field noticeably buzzing in anticipation.

"Is this that gang initiation you were telling me about? Are you part of some gang?" Vince's voice became increasingly louder and angrier. "I'm not an idiot! You've lured me out here to do something to me. Well, I'm not afraid of you. Come out, you cowards!"

His fist slammed into Knock Out's car door, denting it just a touch. But it was enough to invoke the wrath of the egoist, who swiftly transformed.

Jack lunged before a servo could backhand Vince, the bully screaming as Knock Out swore at him, cursing about how the insolent fleshling ruined his paint job. Both boys hit the dirt as another sound of transformation followed suit, Arcee getting between her charge and the enraged Decepticon.

This was not how Jack had imagined things would go.

"What the-" Vince scrambled to his feet alongside Jack, his wide green eyes taking in the scene as the pair of Cybertronians brawled. "Darby-"

"We need to go, now!" Jack grabbed his shirt and tugged him along, but their brief getaway was interrupted by the growl of a bigger, heavy-duty engine. Sand burst forth as Breakdown cleared a dune, his tires effortlessly spinning and gripping the capricious material. Jack stumbled back, the pair going the only other direction they could.

The young man tried not to look back as he heard his guardian shout and growl in anger, the thunderous noises of metal clashing against metal making his head pound more than it already was. There was a third sound of transformation, Breakdown entering the brawl. Arcee cried out, the only warning Jack got before a slim set of digits wrapped around his torso.

"Let's go on a drive," Knock Out hissed, Jack given no time to struggle as he was thrown back into a dizzying display of moving parts, then settled in the passenger seat of a car far too nice to be coasting the streets of Jasper.

"No!" Jack started to struggle as seatbelts wrapped around him, constricting his movements. He grimaced in pain, the restraints tightening with every wiggle. "Listen, this is all a misunderstanding-"

"Soundwave doesn't seem to think so," Knock Out said in an infuriatingly sing-song voice. "You know, I find it very interesting that our lord and master would elect to spend any time with a mere human, which makes me wonder why you're so special."

The boy grit his teeth. "Listen! If you're here because Megatron's missing, then I can help. I don't know what happened, but I think his energon levels were too low and he shut down. I haven't been able to contact Soundwave or any of you because I don't have your hailing frequencies!"

Knock Out made a clicking noise, like Jack was just caught putting his hand in the cookie jar. "It seems our lord had forgotten his limits. Is he injured?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Jack struggled again. "Look, the 'bots are going to get suspicious, and I don't think Megatron would appreciate you blowing his cover. Take me back."

"Now that would be even more suspect," Knock Out pointed out, Jack glancing at his speedometer and nearly choking on his own air. He was driving well over 110 mph - away from Jasper. The Decepticon chuckled darkly. "And besides, I won't pass up the opportunity to cause your Autobot friends some pain."

"Look, we should be working together," Jack reasoned. "Otherwise, you blow not just Megatron's cover, but mine. I've already made up this story you're after Vince for revenge. It's the best cover I've got."

The young man watched Knock Out adjust one of his side mirrors, a yellow and black Urbana 500 speeding up to catch them. Bumblebee.

"Hmph. Looks like our party is going to end early. I will only ask this once: where is lord Megatron?"

Jack had the feeling the tyrant would not want Knock Out to know just how vulnerable he was, thinking as fast as he could. "Tell Soundwave to call me. My cellphone number is . . ." he rattled them off, hoping the medic would understand. "Now please, please, help me out here. You don't need to like me. And besides," he cringed at the idea, "it means I'll owe you a favor."

There was a long pause of silence as Knock Out contemplated his offer, and finally he conceded, tapping into Breakdown's comlink.

"Change of plans, big guy. We won't be interrogating the fleshling after all. Meet me at these coordinates, I might need some assistance. There's an Autobot riding my rear."

Jack looked at his mirror again, seeing Bumblebee was right on them. He slammed into the back of Knock Out's alternate mode, as if right on cue, the Decepticon cursing. His tires squealed as he tried to correct, ending up spinning out of the road and into the dirt.

The human shrieked as Knock Out transformed, landing in his palm and struggling as his smooth digits wrapped around him, squeezing him fairly tight. Bumblebee also transformed, whirring something in his prosthetic language to the egocentric 'con.

"What? I was just having a bit of fun," Knock Out mocked, effortlessly making the cover story that Jack needed. "After you rudely interrupted my race, I thought taking your human friend would teach you a lesson. But then Prime ripped off my door! So now I think the boyfriend will suffice as payback."

Wait, boyfriend?! Jack wanted to punch Knock Out in his sleek face. He still thought Vince was somehow Bumblebee's "human friend," apparently, and now he assumed Jack was some kind of-

Ugh. This can't get any worse.

Bumblebee's optics whirred as they contracted and dilated, his warning coming out as a low buzz. He brought his fists up, ready to fight.

"What are you going to do? I can have him ripped in half faster than you can land the first punch," Knock Out taunted, gesturing rather dramatically with his servos. The movement made Jack motion sick, and he felt like he was going to throw up.

The low rumble of an engine alerted them to Breakdown's presence, Jack relieved when he saw Arcee's motorcycle form keeping pace just behind him. He wiggled harder in Knock Out's grip, slamming his fist into his digit.

Arcee transformed as Breakdown looped around Bumblebee to join his partner,the brute shifting as he skid to a stop, flashing the Autobots a leering grin. Jack noticed what looked like an eyepatch over his optic, recalling the 'bot had been subject to experimentation at the hands of MECH. By the looks of it, he got off okay.

"Let him go, Knock Out!" Arcee snarled.

"If you insist," the egocentric Decepticon grinned, Jack's stomach and heart launching himself into his throat as Knock Out tossed him towards the two Autobots.

Arcee lurched forward, arms outstretched to catch her partner. In the same motion, both Knock Out and Breakdown transformed and sped away, the former laughing as a Groundbridge opened up for them, taking them back to the safety of their warship. Jack screamed in terror even as cold, metallic arms encased him, protecting him from a fall that would have definitely broken something.

"Are you okay?" Arcee asked worriedly.

"Yeah, yeah . . . where's Vince?" He asked.

Arcee frowned, setting him down and answering his question. "I left him with his car. We should get back before he runs off or the 'cons circle back around and get him again."

Jack nodded, waiting for her to transform before he slid onto her saddle, gripping her handlebars as she took off. He was still furious at Knock Out for the whole "boyfriend" thing, and he prayed as hard as he could that Bumblebee would leave it alone. First, it would just provide more ammunition for Vince to harass him, and he really did not need that slew of questions.

"Did he do anything to you?" Arcee demanded as they drove back towards Jasper. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, no. I'm just a little shaken up," he admitted truthfully, taking a deep breath. "That did not go according to plan."

"No, it didn't," she agreed, sounding a little bitter, even angry.

Jack felt something akin to guilt, chewing his lip. "Did I do something wrong?"

His partner sounded surprised. "No, you didn't do anything. I'm just . . . Knock Out could have done anything to you. I let my guard down, I wasn't paying enough attention. I should have known Breakdown was with him and I should have anticipated he would try to get away with one of you. I assumed he was targeting Vince, but when he got to you . . ."

Bumblebee twittered in his prosthetic voice, and Jack wished he could die right then and there.

"What do you mean, he was indirectly targeting Vince through Jack? Vince hates him - and vice versa."

Jack cringed as she was given an answer.

"Jack, a boyfriend?"

"No!" He wanted to disappear, perhaps just ascend straight into heaven. "Knock Out just said that. I don't know why, but he still thinks Vince is Bumblebee's human friend!"

"Is that why you weren't answering your phone when you clearly weren't at work?" Arcee accused. "Were you . . . hanging out with him?"

"Why did you say it like that?" He asked in bewilderment, then quickly backtracked to answer her question. "And no, Arcee, I was at work! I swear."

Vince's car was coming into view, which meant the end of the conversation was nearing - for now. He could feel, deep in his gut, that Arcee was not going to let this go any time soon.

"Look, Jack, I'm not here to judge you about the . . . nature of the attraction, I'm here to judge you on the fact that it's Vince, the guy who allegedly tortures you at school, as well as Raf. Is that just a front? Is that why you're acting rather protective and insisting he stays with us at base, on the off chance Knock Out was after him?"

"'Cee, I have a crush on Sierra."

"Doesn't mean you can't play for both teams."

He wanted to scream. "I'm serious, Arcee. Dead serious. I was at work. I don't like Vince. Honestly, the only reason I care about him not getting tortured by Knock Out is just because I'm a good guy, and it wouldn't be right. I don't care about him, period."

The pieces were fitting way too perfectly in her mind, and he wanted to avoid the narrative at all costs. First, because it was completely false, and second, because . . .

Megatron.

If he found out, he would target Vince for real. He would kill him, and though Jack did not like the boy, he was innocent. It was on principle and morality that he could not enjoy the idea of Vince being punished for something he did not understand.

"This conversation isn't over," Arcee warned him as they approached Vince's car.

"I know," he sighed.

Vince was in his driver's seat, looking pale as a ghost and every muscle in his body taut with tension. He barely acknowledged Jack when he dismounted from Arcee and lightly tapped on his window, merely opening the door as wide as it would go.

"Hey," Jack tried to be calm about the situation, fully expecting a punch at any moment. "I'm really sorry about that, I didn't mean-"

"Shut up," Vince said, his voice sharp and bitter. "Shut up, Darby. I want to talk to the motorcycle."

"Uh . . . okay . . ." Jack glanced at Arcee. She did a very swift perimeter check before transforming, kneeling down to look at the man in his car. Her blue optics were narrowed, Jack watching her wings twitch. She was agitated.

"The name's Arcee," she said coldly. "And you're coming with us."

"I want some answers first."

"You'll get answers, but it isn't safe out here," she was blank and to the point, Jack remembering when she was this chilly with him during their initial encounter. "We're not here to hurt you, Vince. Only protect you."

Jack's phone rang, and one glance told him exactly who was on the other end.

"It's my mom," he lied, stepping away from the group and flipping it open, putting it to his ear. "Hey."

Silence, though Jack was hardly surprised. He counted to three, then forced as convincing of a laugh as he could.

"Yeah, I'm heading to base with Arcee. I'll be home later tonight. See you then?"

More silence, the tell-tale click telling him Soundwave had hung up. Jack suppressed the nausea in his throat, just nodding.

"You got it. Love you too." He closed his phone, glad the conversation was brief, hoping it was enough that Soundwave got the message. The last thing he needed was the mech showing up at his house with just his mom home.

When he turned back around Vince was settled back in his car, Arcee gesturing for her partner to come with. She transformed into her alternate mode, Bumblebee doing the same and taking the lead. As soon as Jack was on she took off, Vince between them as they escorted him down the road. Within moments a Groundbridge opened up, taking them to the Autobot base and leaving no trace of the battle that had transpired mere moments before.