CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

XXX

Happy early Valentine's Day! Had I planned this out better I probably would have put something spicy in there, but alas, I suppose this will have to do. Close enough, I think, as you will see once we get to the end! Hope you guys are ready . . . things are about to pick up again! Again, this is a super long chapter that I planned to break up (~9900 words) but then when I noticed this was Valentine's Day week, I decided why not keep it a little long, as a gift? Things might slow down again in terms of updates, but we'll have to see.

This is another re-written episode, but I hope it's switched up enough to keep your interest. Thank you to everyone who has continued to support this work, hope you enjoy!

XXX

One week passed without incident, Jack exchanging a few messages with Arcee to schedule his visit back to the base as the weekend approached with agonizing slowness. A lot had transpired in his absence, and despite his initial goal to try and settle in Parn, Washington without frequent visits back to the 'bots, he was eager to return.

He could imagine Miko and Rafael's enthusiasm to have him back, wondering just how poorly Vince would take to his return. The bully had been eager for their race, however now things had taken a drastically different turn from what either of them had anticipated. Because the Autobots knew his secret - which was arguably even worse than what the redhead thought he was keeping - there was nothing to use against Jack in his never-ending quest to give the younger man a life of mild hell. Though he had to admit, things between him and Vince had simmered down a touch. Something about being in the Autobot base, having friends, really seemed to turn the senior around for the better; though it was still a gradual work in progress.

"Hey mom, I'm heading to base," he announced, slipping on his tennis shoes at the back door. June popped her head out of the master bedroom, her hair pulled back as she prepared to go in for a mid-day work shift. "Be back before eight tonight?"

"Six o'clock, please," she said softly, appearing reluctant to even let him go. When he initially told her, he was worried an intense fight was about to break out; his mother's displeasure was, admittedly, not displaced, and technically this was a WP violation waiting to happen. However, June had simply nodded, requesting to know what time he was going to visit.

The early return home was disappointing, though he knew for certain she was still paranoid - protective. Being with the Autobots always held the risk of encountering Decepticons; he swore to remain at base for her sake, though part of him wondered how that would be possible with Miko.

"Okay. Six it is," he forced himself to not sound upset.

Stepping into the middle of the living room he sent a message to Arcee, his coordinates logged and a Groundbridge sent to his location. The familiar portal, though foreign to his human body, sent a wave of relaxation with a buzz of excitement through his muscles. He was ready to catch up with his friends, and hopefully put some of the recent past behind him.

The stale air of the base hit him like a ton of bricks, a stark contrast to the fresh Washington atmosphere he had become accustomed to. His eyes barely had time to adjust before a wall slammed into him, pink and black hair obscuring his vision as Miko wrapped her arms around him and squeezed.

"He lives!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, not allowing her enthusiasm to be quelled for a single second. "Couldn't stay away for long, could you?"

He smiled, returning her hug with about half the strength she used to try and crush him. "I'm glad to be back."

"How's the new place?" Rafael asked innocently, happy to accept a hug from the elder teen as well.

Jack paused. He did not want to give away anything that could narrow down his location - not that he believed any of the Autobots or his human friends would tell Megatron where he was, however a part of the Witness Protection deal was that they knew as little as possible. Fowler only barely got the government to agree to keep Jack in contact with the Autobots, arguing if Soundwave managed to get through even their most thorough of efforts, Jack would need to call for back-up, and local law enforcement was not going to cut it.

"It's nice," he said, having to somewhat force his smile. "I think I'm finally getting used to everything."

"Maybe you'll be able to give us a house tour once it's finished."

Jack angled his body to address the new voice, relieved and yet simultaneously terrified of the familiar presence of his guardian, who was slowly walking up to join the small reunion. He had to take a soft, deep breath, reminding himself that he did not have any secrets anymore. He shouldn't be afraid of her, or the way her blue optics analyzed him. Arcee was always giving him once-overs, as was her saboteur nature, but usually it was just a casual sweep to assess his body language. This felt like an in-depth CT scan.

"I dunno, we'll have to ask Fowler about that one," he said sheepishly, trying to play off his nervousness. "Since you could possibly peep the address or guess the location."

"I'd keep my NAV turned off," Arcee assured, kneeling down and offering him a smile in return, though it was strained. "I'm glad to hear everything is going well."

Jack nodded, cursing himself quietly as things delved into awkward silence, fishing for something, anything to talk about. "So . . . any more Optimus clones running around?" He asked, his joke a little weak, but it was a start.

"Thankfully, no," Arcee sighed, rotating one of her shoulder joints. "Though I swear my frame still aches from getting blindsided by the fragger."

"I could always help with that," Ratchet threw over his shoulder from his workstation. It was then Jack realized Optimus and Bumblebee were on respective medical berths being repaired. Their wounds were minor, yet they were not the standard type of scorch marks from energon - they were scratch marks, gouges rimmed with energon, like a feral animal had given them a piece of its mind.

He recognized the marks from when Arcee had returned from Cybertron - Insecticon.

"I'll pass," the two-wheeler replied, shooting the doctor a glare from her spot. Jack snorted, amused by her clear disdain for any sort of check-up. If there was one thing Arcee could not do well, it was sit still - and let someone poke around under her hood.

"Why? Scared he'll knock another screw loose?" The sneering drawl of Vince came from the catwalk, the senior draping his arms casually over the side. Jack looked up, his mouth drying as steely green eyes shifted from the cobalt femme to him.

"Perhaps you need a few of yours tightened," Arcee replied dryly, though the answer was far more than Jack was expecting after the quip. He looked between his guardian and the red-head, wondering when they had gotten close enough for Vince to be brave enough to smart off without fear of getting his head blown from his shoulders - and receive a snark in return.

Something wormed its way into his heart, though he tried to ignore it. Gone for a few weeks, and his partner was already becoming friendly with someone else. Though to be fair, she was far from cold or distant with him; yet there was a new, underlying wedge which kept them apart. He struggled to decide if the awkward tension between them was real, or a figment of his imagination. Arcee was only aware that Megatron had been hanging out in his room while she was supposed to be on watch, protecting him. Jack knew his partner - she mostly likely blamed herself for not being better, for even allowing the tyrant to slip under her guard and go straight to her charge without her so much as suspecting anything was wrong.

Trust, he realized with a sinking feeling. She doesn't trust me anymore.

Not that he didn't deserve it. He was just glad Optimus and Ratchet had elected to keep the rest of the team in the dark, for the most part. If Arcee ever realized things had gotten physical, well . . . if it was not anger at Megatron, it would most certainly be disgust at Jack.

"So . . . Insecticons?" He guessed, gesturing to the mending Prime and scout.

"And Airachnid. And apparently, the Decepticon warship too," Arcee seethed with the first name.

"Airachnid?" Jack felt his jaw drop. "What happened?"

Arcee did not hesitate launching into her story, her partner and his human friends migrating to the catwalk as she continued - how the Autobots received a massive signal which lead them to Airachnid and her Insecticon hoard, which Optimus suspected had joined with Megatron after the spider-bot had been trapped in a stasis-pod, forever putting her to sleep unless someone released her.

Bulkhead also had an interesting tale, one in which he accidentally found himself aboard the Nemesis after energon scouting gone wrong, sneaking around to find a way out when he ran into Starscream. The Wrecker admitted to killing the mech, however that was when the surprise came - he heard the Seeker shouting commands at some unlucky Vehicons, despite having very clearly offlined him minutes prior. The discovery led to a singular conclusion: cloning; though how he got that technology was just about anyone's guess. It hardly seemed like a surprise to the Autobots, so Jack did not question it too much. Agent Fowler came out around the middle of the tale, hearing how Bulkhead managed to find himself in the belly of the Nemesis where he encountered the power core.

Bulkhead finished his side of the story in earnest: "-but when the Insecticons backed off, I got inspired by my proximity to the power core, and did what I do best."

"You trashed Megatron's ride like a rock star in a hotel room!" Miko cheered, grinning at her partner.

"And with that power core, the shielding is down," Ratchet lightly tapped a digit to the monitors, "and I doubt it will be up for some time."

"So we hit them while they're still vulnerable," Arcee said, still feeling the fight in her veins, "take them out as fast and hard as we can."

The medic was still as level-headed as ever. "Except we are still vastly outnumbered. Especially now that he has added the Insecticon hive to his ranks."

It was then Fowler decided to speak up. "Perhaps I can call in an airstrike. Uncle Sam has enough firepower to at least cripple the 'cons. Maybe even damage their ship more."

"I believe we may need to take more extreme measures, Agent Fowler," Optimus Prime stirred, standing to his full height, "one more powerful than even what your military has to offer."

Jack felt his stomach flip-flop at that, hating how it did so without hesitation. An uneasy chill cooled his hands, and he subconsciously pulled at the sleeves of his shirt, then crossed his arms. Once again, the young man felt ill, torn by his feelings and their validity.

The most frustrating part of his therapy was they had yet to answer the big question: why. Why did Jack still feel this way? Why could he? After everything which happened, all the highlights which pointed to being everything so wrong, why did it feel right?

Bumblebee buzzed something he could not understand, however the Autobots' flickering armor was enough to tell him that whatever he said struck a chord within everyone. A few pairs of optics flickered his direction, only making things even worse for him.

Optimus's jaw moved, then he gave a final nod. "Yes, I do mean the spark extractor."

The mech might as well have punched Jack full force and sent him through the wall.

The spark extractor?

Miko and Raf had told him all about it upon its discovery: a Decepticon superweapon, it held enough energy at just the right frequency to disable a Cybertronian's spark, literally yanking it out of their body and leaving behind nothing but an otherwise untouched corpse. It killed indiscriminately, just like Megatron's Cybonic Plague; it was designed for death, and nothing more.

And Optimus wanted to use it. A mech who usually spoke of peaceful resolutions and negotiating compromise had reached the end of his rope, and was considering something which could kill the Decepticons . . . and his team.

"Jack? You're looking pale," Miko said, jerking him violently out of his swirl of thoughts.

He tried to play it off, realizing all eyes - and optics - were now focused on him.

"I-I'm fine," he said, trying and failing extraordinarily hard to play it off. He unintentionally locked eyes with Optimus, hoping the heat on his cheeks was just something he felt, and there was not any true redness to them - wishful thinking, perhaps, yet he did it all the same. "Really. If you think this is the only way . . ."

The Prime only seemed more convicted, Jack wondering if this was part of it. Optimus knew the young man was unhurt, though maybe he did not entirely believe him. Maybe Megatron made him think otherwise, taunting him with false, graphic pictures designed purely to throw the Autobot leader off and make a mistake during one of their many battles. Whatever it was, Jack had this sinking feeling the perceived dubious nature of it all made Optimus all the more willing to go to extremes. To hurt Megatron like he had Jack.

Attempting to defend the Decepticon leader would only land Jack right back where he started, likely with a higher-trained psychiatrist, if not a prisoner inside of the Autobot base itself. He would be considered a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, subject to more therapy until he was finally free of his feelings for the Decepticon.

Feelings he was not sure he could let go of, even if he wanted to.

"Megatron has shown time and time again that he is not willing to change," Optimus replied, his tone soft yet Jack felt as if the judgement of a god was on him, "that he will not compromise for the sake of our species, or any other. If we are to defeat him, we must strike the Decepticons at every opportunity. This may be the only way."

Jack nodded, feeling a lump form in his throat.

Optimus was not done, "Jack . . . he will risk his own life, his very spark, to stop me. Megatron will not rest until he is done, even if it means offlining in the process."

Anxiety squeezed his chest, though he was unsure what specifically triggered it - imagining Megatron dying, the implications of Optimus telling him this, justifying his actions, or the judging gazes from his friends as he was singled out. He simply gave another nod, forcing the words from his mouth. "I understand, Optimus. I get it. You have to do what you have to do."

The base was eerily silent, Cybertronian joints creaking as Optimus gestured quietly for Ratchet to follow him into the depths of the base, likely to retrieve the relic in question. Jack tried to shake his feelings of anxiety, now wondering if they were disappearing to talk about him, or the task at hand.

He wondered if it mattered either way.

"Hey, maybe you should sit down," Vince spoke from just behind him, making him jump. He shot the former bully a glare, trying not to snap and sound defensive.

"I said, I'm fine," he said, accentuating his point with a deep breath. "I'll be fine."

"Alright, alright," the older boy put his hands up, shrugging as he took a step back. "Just saying, there's a couch right there if you need it."

"I still know where stuff is, thanks," Jack muttered, keeping himself in check. The last thing he needed was Arcee, or anyone else, breathing down his neck because they suspected Jack and Megatron were somehow still involved. He had told them the warlord had not spoken to him for some time, however . . . He had lied to them before. Many times, in fact.

He felt his partner staring at him, but he refused to meet her optics, not caring how guilty it made him look. Right now, he wished these things would just stop.

Luckily, Optimus and Ratchet returned before anyone could think to make a quip, or ask a question, which would make this situation all the more awkward. The medic drifted back to his computers, typing in the coordinates to the fallen Decepticon warship. The Groundbridge controls hummed to life, waiting to be activated, the sound tying more knots in Jack's stomach.

You should be happy, grateful. This will end everything, once and for all.

And yet Jack wanted to do nothing more than scream, beg for them to come up with a better solution.

More than anything, at the least Jack wished to see Megatron one last time. To know if what they had was real or not. To get some final closure instead of remaining stuck in this endless loop of guessing.

"Bumblebee, as our scout, I believe you are best suited for this task," Optimus carefully offered the spark extractor. "As you will be able to bypass the Decepticon defenses and activate the device."

The scout buzzed in acknowledgement, taking the device with careful servos.

"Arcee, Bulkhead, and I will provide cover fire and draw away the Decepticon forces from your path," Optimus explained further, every word like a new pit in Jack's stomach, "once the warship is within range, activate the extractor and stay out of its radius."

Another twitter to indicate the scout heard him, delicate servos holding the extractor as if it was a nuclear bomb - which, quite frankly, was probably the human equivalent to Rafael being handed a nuke.

A frantic beep drew their attention away from the plotting, Ratchet quickly returning to the monitors, his digits tapping across the keyboard. His optics quickly skimmed the data scrolling across the screen. "Optimus, I'm getting a massive energy reading from the Decepticon warship. It appears to be Dark Energon."

Everyone, human and Cybertronian alike, looked at one another. If Megatron was meddling with Dark Energon again . . . that was never a good sign.

Not a single word was exchanged as Optimus grabbed the handles to the Groundbridge controls, pulling them down and activating the bridge with its typical whirrr.

"Prime," Agent Fowler drew his attention before the Prime and his Autobots could make haste. "If you are going to release a weapon of mass destruction against the Decepticons, then as a representative of the United States government I should be there to bear witness."

There was a minute hesitation as Optimus considered it, however it was not long before the Prime agreed, and allowed Fowler to join them. Jack wondered if it was because they were in such a rush, or if he really did find his proposal to be legitimate. Personally, Jack would not want to be there to witness the destruction of the entire half of an alien race . . . but maybe the Agent really had to.

The Autobots disappeared through the Groundbridge, and something constricted in Jack's chest.

They're going to do it. They're going to kill them all, kill him, without even asking for a surrender.

He knew Megatron would never consider it, fighting until his dying breath to continue the cause he had so passionately started, yet the idea of the Autobots not even trying made him sick.

It made him ill to realize Megatron was going to die.

"Excuse me," he said, turning so fast Miko had to jump out of the way as he forced his legs to walk, to get away, climbing down the stairs and plunging into the depths of the Autobot base. He thought he heard a single metallic footstep, as if Ratchet was going to pursue, which made him quicken his pace. The last thing he needed right now was for the Autobot medic to confront him about his feelings at the moment. As pure as his intentions could be, Ratchet was certainly abrasive, and not the kind of person he really wanted to talk to at the moment.

Jack did not walk for a long time, however once he was sure he had reached a safe distance away from the main hub he released a long, painful breath. The sob caught in his throat, and he took another long, controlled inhale and exhale. He needed to calm down, to let his feelings get under control.

We're done, over with. He made that clear when he cut me out. So why does it hurt so much?

He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth with frustration. No matter what was happening, it always seemed to be spiraling out of control. Clawing at the edges of this metaphorical pit was useless, doing nothing but bloodying his nails and causing more agony for himself and those around him. To an outsider he was probably losing his mind, though he certainly felt like he was.

Trying to swallow the guilt and nausea which accompanied it, Jack continued to wrestle with his composure. He tried to consider how he would approach the Autobots after this, bearing the knowledge they killed a mech who had meant something to him, no matter how much his consciousness wanted to deny it.

Deep breaths, like they told you. What matters right now is addressing what you feel, now.

"Hey."

He jumped almost ten feet in the air, whirling to see Vince striding towards him, hands in the pockets of his worn jeans. His shocked expression quickly degraded into a frown, turning his face away as he huffed.

"I'm not exactly in the mood, Vince," he grumbled.

"Mood for what? It seems like you're in a lot of those," the elder jerked his head, moving a piece of hair which had fallen into his face.

"Judgement, teasing, fighting, I don't care," Jack crossed his arms, "I just want to be alone right now."

Vince, naturally, did not listen to him. But instead of just standing before him, the bully leaned against the wall next to him, green eyes staring straight at him. "Probably, but I doubt being alone is all that good for you. Especially since you're dealing with . . . this."

"Whatever 'this' is anymore," Jack sighed, rubbing his face. "Whatever it was."

"I get it, now," the senior kept talking, "why you were so freaked, so desperate to have me in the loop but not too close. You knew if the Autobots found out, they would do exactly this: put you in Witness Protection, get you out of Jasper. But if Megatron thought I was involved, he'd kill me. And despite all the scrap I put you through, you didn't want that either."

"You're a jerk, Vince, but you don't deserve to die," the statement finally pulled Jack to look at him, his expression wry, "and you're way too smart for your own good."

"And you're way too altruistic," the redhead mirrored his look, pulling out a piece of lint from his pocket and working it through his fingers. "Arcee says that about you a lot. How self-sacrificing you are."

Jack frowned again, staring straight ahead. "You guys talk now?"

His jealousy did not go unnoticed. "When she's bored and has no one else," Vince attempted with a tease, though it only eased some of Jack's insecurities. "Believe me, you're the much preferred companion out of the two of us."

When that did not elicit much of a laugh Vince looked back at him, noticing how sad Jack looked. He was struggling to come to terms with . . . everything. Vince could not really understand the appeal of a relationship with a robot easily three times his size, but he also was not really interested in them in general. He only hung around the Autobots because Arcee terrified him - and before that, it was because of Jack. He did not care for anyone else.

He could understand pain, though, on an emotional level.

The hallway became quiet, only the noise of energon running through silo lines breaking what would otherwise be silence. Vince tossed his piece of lint to the floor.

"Ja- Nick," he huffed, "screw it, I'm calling you Jack. You don't even look like a Nick. Anyways. I'm just here, because you looked like you felt awful, and I thought . . . you'd like a friend. Or a person, since I'm not really a friend. So . . . I'm here."

He did not look at Jack when he said that, instead looking down at his feet and scuffing the base floor. It was an odd gesture from someone who used to not hesitate attempting to punch him in the halls, Jack quietly wondering what possible ulterior motives there could be behind it.

"Why are you here, Vince?" He asked, brow furrowed. "With me?"

That drew the bully's gaze to him, surprise etched in his expression.

Vince actually took the time to consider his answer.

"You . . . well, you saved my life, when you really didn't have to," he admitted, "and I've been a jerk to you for most of it. I . . . feel guilty, I guess. And I . . . I know what it's like to be in that kind of situation. Happened with my dad. I felt like a real ass treating you like that when you had bigger things going on. So . . . I'm trying to make up for it."

Jack watched him awkwardly talk about it, his eyes flickering anywhere but him. He listened quietly, not daring to interrupt until he was sure the young man was done.

"Thanks . . . I guess," he said sheepishly.

Vince shrugged, trying to play it off as his cheeks warmed. "It's whatever," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "And, uh, thanks too. For saving me from Knock Out. I know I never really thanked you for that - both times too, I suppose."

A little surprised by the gratitude, Jack smiled weakly. "You're welcome."

They both stood in silence for a while, unsure where to go from there. Footsteps brought them salvation, however with them came Miko, her face pale despite her exertion as she ran towards them.

"Something's wrong."

XXX

"They're alive, but I have never encountered this form of stasis lock before," Ratchet mused from the medical computers, optic ridges furrowed in deep concern.

Each Autobot was frozen solid in an odd position, Jack realizing fairly quickly they were in varying stages of movement. Arcee had been running when she was hit, Optimus while he was jumping. Bulkhead and Bumblebee were also completely stiff, Ratchet able to pick them up like chess pieces to move them. The medic's strength was rather impressive, Jack only able to assume he had been able to pick up and carry Optimus, who was easily twice his height, and Bulkhead, three times his weight, with ease. Despite Ratchet always touting about his age, he lifted like a pro wrestler.

"The 'cons are crossing the Atlantic, making a beeline for North America!" Agent Fowler, the only one to make it out intact and untouched, announced as he crossed the catwalk to Ratchet.

"Wait, we can track them?" Rafael easily deduced, "why aren't they cloaked like usual?"

"None of this makes a lick of sense," Fowler huffed, "they had us in their crosshairs, but they just . . . took off."

"They even bailed on that spark extractor thingy!" Miko pointed out.

"Wait, if the ship isn't cloaked, maybe their communications are open," Vince pointed out, tapping his chin. "And if that's the case-"

"Eh ep, are you suggesting we just call Megatron and ask him what's happening up there?!" Ratchet demanded, completely floored by the implications.

The four high-schoolers looked at one another, then back at him, shrugging. It was a good plan, and Jack was grateful he had not been the one to suggest it. Things were bad enough with the medic already witnessing his distress at the idea of the Autobots using the spark extractor to deal with an enemy he had no personal qualms obliterating. To have Jack act chummy with the idea of simply calling Megatron was even worse.

Ratchet looked at Agent Fowler, who also shrugged. He didn't have a better idea.

With a few seconds of contemplation Ratchet acquiesced, motioning to the children to run up the stairs and to a safe height where they would not go squish. Moving to the main hub of computers, the medic hailed the ship with a few swift keystrokes, though Jack noticed he specifically accessed Megatron's personal hailing frequency.

"Autobot Outpost Omega-One to Decepticon warship. Megatron, do you read?" He called, silence permeating the other side. Jack frowned, his expression mirrored by the others. Ignoring him was one thing, but he doubted the Decepticon warlord would pass up the opportunity to speak with the Autobot medic - or any Autobot in general.

"This is Ratchet with the Autobot outpost. Megatron, do you read?" The medic repeated, his patience clearly starting to thin.

A beep informed them someone picked up, but the rumbling voice which answered was completely different from what they were expecting.

"Megatron has been relieved of his command."

What? The humans all exchanged alarmed gazes, wondering who that could possibly be. Who would be powerful enough to defeat Megatron and take the helm as the Decepticon leader?

"Who is this?" Ratchet demanded.

"Who is this?" The voice returned, almost mockingly.

The war veteran was not having it today, moving on to the next question. "Have you taken control of the Decepticon vessel?"

Once again, they were surprised by the answer.

"I am the vessel. Any Cybertronian who interferes with my mission will be neutralized."

The computer screens glitched, sending images of Decepticons, as still as the Autobots within their base, in various parts of the ship. Ratchet glanced at the humans, exchanging looks of complete disbelief. The baffling situation was made worse just because the medic appeared as clueless as his human charges; this was clearly something he had never encountered before, which in a war which took place over thousands of years was hard to come by. Jack was not exactly reassured by the fact this was a new experience.

"What is your mission?"

"Priority One: Decrypt Iacon database and recover Decepticon technology."

"For what purpose?"

A pause, then the wavelengths indicating the communication line was open went flat, a series of chirps indicating the comms had been shut off.

Miko realized what was happening first, gripping the railing. "It hung up?! Rude!"

"Rude?!" Agent Fowler saw the understatement. "There is a giant warship running around collecting weapons of mass destruction!"

Jack saw the silver lining. "A warship full of neutralized Decepticons," he pointed out. He looked at everyone, who were staring back as they tried to follow his line of thought. "This might be our chance to sneak aboard and download the Iacon database."

"So Optimus can decode it!" Rafael added excitedly.

Ratchet nodded. "Ingenious. I will infiltrate the Decepticon warship-"

"Not ingenious," Jack corrected, "you saw what it did to the Decepticons. To Megatron."

"And Team Prime," Miko looked pointedly at their friends.

Fowler scratched his head. "But that tub had me dead to rights, and I'm still breathing!"

"It might be incompatible with humans, then," Vince looked at the medic, "makes sense, being an alien warship and all."

"In this case, you are the aliens," Ratchet pointed out, though Jack noted how the older boy's statement did not seem to bother him as much as it probably should have, "very well, Agent Fowler. But at the first sign of trouble, I am bridging you back."

He turned away from them, skimming a digit across the bottom of the computer modules. Once he found what he was looking for - something which looked suspiciously like a USB drive, he pulled it from its port. "In order to download the database, you are going to need a compatible data drive."

"Ah, what?" Fowler raised an eyebrow as he took the drive, the thing easily almost as long as he was.

"He's gonna need tech support," Rafael adjusted his glasses with an amused grin.

"And back-up!" Miko declared enthusiastically.

Ratchet appeared less than approving of the idea, though it quickly became apparent why. "Very well. Rafael, you will help Agent Fowler with the data drive. Miko, you may accompany with Vince."

Jack frowned. "Ratchet-"

"Need I explain to you why I am not allowing you to board?" the medic cut him off, Jack wondering if he was being intentionally condescending, or if he truly was concerned.

"Because you think I'll go running back to Megatron?" He snapped back in challenge, deciding he was not going to accept the mech's tone.

He was not necessarily expecting the shocked reaction, having anticipated the judgmental doctor to merely confirm his theory. Why wouldn't Ratchet make his disapproval all the more obvious? Jack, with Megatron of all mechs, probably disgusted the loyal Autobot to his very core.

"On the contrary," Ratchet replied, equally snippy, "If Megatron realizes you are aboard his ship, he will go running to you."

Jack paused, the answer not quite what he was thinking he would hear.

"Uh, if Megatron is running around on his ship right now, then we've got bigger problems," Miko pointed out, saving Jack from needing to come up with his own rebuttal, "he's frozen, remember? Jack will be fine!"

"For how long?" Ratchet posited, mouth twisting into a frown. "Minutes? Hours? This type of stasis-lock is foreign to me, and I am inclined to treat it as an extremely volatile condition until proven otherwise. We have already established you are in danger, Jack, and I will not put you at unnecessary risk."

"But this risk is necessary," Jack argued back, "for the Autobots, for Earth. If we don't get that Iacon file now, who knows when we can get it later? Every available hand on deck is needed, and I won't just sit here and twiddle my thumbs while everyone else risks their lives to get it!"

Human and Cybertronian stared at each other for a long time, both unwavering in their resolve. Just when Jack thought the stubborn Cybertronian would not let up, Agent Fowler stepped in.

"The 'cons are frozen, and time is of the essence," he said, "let Jack come. If there is any point things get unsafe, we'll be bridged back faster than any Decepticon could get to us. Because he's right, we do need any available hand. And if the kid wants to help, I say we let him."

Ratchet looked appalled by the idea, yet it was 2 to 1, and one of them was his own human liaison. In his spark he knew agreeing to this would only lead to an inevitable bad outcome, yet the longer they argued, the closer the Decepticon warship got to its goal - and collected a weapon that could turn the tide of the war.

"If a Decepticon so much as twitches," he began.

"We leave," Both Jack and Agent Fowler confirmed.

XXX

The second time Jack was bridged onto the warship he was prepared for the cold chill which swept across his skin, the other humans with him shivering in disdain. At such a great height Jack wondered why the Decepticons would even have atmosphere control, as they did not need to breathe and were not bothered by space. He recalled being able to breathe and operate aboard the Nemesis when he was bridged the first time, having not questioned it before as he had been preoccupied with other things.

His spine tingled. Maybe they didn't have atmosphere control at first. That was, until he met Jack - found Jack. If an emergency dictated he needed to be on the warship, for any reason, they would have to wait for who only knew how long for everything to stabilize. If the ship was already atmospherically compatible, however . . .

And it still was, much to his increasing apprehension.

Megatron, what were you planning?

"We're in," Agent Fowler spoke into his earpiece.

"Good," Ratchet's voice filtered into each of theirs, Jack swearing he could still hear the sound of displeasure laced through the mech's tone. "You should be able to access the data core from any console."

Miko took the lead as they started walking, certain they would run into one eventually. Peeking around corners, they occasionally passed by an unfortunate Vehicon stuck in a position of what looked like pain.

Jack cringed.

Rafael glanced to his left, the youngest human stiffening and gulping as he pointed with a shaky finger. "Um . . . there's one."

Four additional pairs of eyes looked, seeing what had made him so apprehensive in the first place. There, locked in place, was the Decepticon medic.

Taking initiative Miko ran forward, operating under the assumption he was in stasis lock just like the rest of them. Approaching his leg, she gave it a few solid raps with her knuckles. When nothing happened, she shot the others a grin. "Doc Knock is knocked out!"

"Look!" Rafael pointed up towards the computer monitors. "The ship has already decoded two coordinates!"

A beep, Decepticon numbers flashing across the screen before settling beneath the second string, the soft flashing continuing as data streamed through the computer at a dizzying rate.

"Three!" Rafael corrected astonishingly. He turned to the others. "Let's rip and run!"

Agent Fowler beat him to the Decepticon medic, clambering up by using the intricacies of the Cybertronian armor as foot and handholds. Rafael was next, Miko, Jack, and Vince following behind. Once he reached the top, the Agent took the drive out from under his arm and plugged it in, Rafael overseeing the procedure.

Jack's eyes wandered across the screen. The numbers were foreign to him, but a map of his home country was not. A dot flickered in Manhattan, a line leading from it to the first set of coordinates, which were also on the screen. His jaw worked, drawing the conclusion with uncertainty.

"Uh, why is the Decepticon warship moving towards Manhattan?" He questioned aloud.

Fowler looked up, without hesitation taping his earpiece.

"What is a Decepticon relic doing in the Big Apple?" He asked, the question clearly intended for Ratchet to answer.

"The Iacon relics were sent to Earth eons ago, Agent Fowler," dread filled Jack's bones, "long before the cities built overtop of them."

"So, if the ship wants the relic, it's going to have to move a few buildings out of the way," Jack concluded, hands numb.

"Is there any way we can stop it?" Fowler demanded, the former soldier more than ready to defend his home soil.

"You may be able to override the ship's navigation systems. Pull up the main navigation menu!"

Rafael made to move, however Fowler stopped him.

"Step aside, son. I've got this," he assured, walking towards what appeared to be the main button on the Decepticon console. Squatting down his hand pressed against it, applying enough pressure for it to read in the system.

Immediately, electricity arced up his fingers, the Agent screaming in pain as it raced up his arm, entire body convulsing as enough volts to stun a Cybertronian filled his body, stopping after what felt like an eternity of horror. His body slumped, knees buckling and sending him over the edge of the console.

"Agent Fowler!" Jack ran to the edge with the others, looking over to see his body splayed out on the ground. He did a quick calculation, bracing himself before he followed him over the edge.

His legs hit the ground and he allowed himself to crumple and roll, the shock absorbed through his smooth motions. As soon as he was able he stood, running to the Agent and checking for a pulse. Fowler groaned, Jack relieved at the obvious sign of life.

"Do not tamper with my systems! All those who interfere will be neutralized!" The ship declared, echoing voice nearly blasting out Jack's eardrums.

"Up there!" Miko pointed, drawing their attention to a camera. It swung by them without hesitation, the young girl excitedly announcing "it can't see us. Sweet!"

"Yet," Ratchet reminded them gravely. "It must not be scanning for carbon-based lifeforms. But once it widens its search parameters . . ."

"We're toast," Rafael finished fearfully.

"That's it, I'm bridging you back-"

"No," Vince cut him off, the redhead glaring at the map of Manhattan. "This ship is heading towards one of the biggest major cities in the United States. Millions of lives are at stake, and we might be the only ones to save them."

"Absolutely not! All of the readings, the ship having a mind of its own, all point to one thing: Megatron used Dark Energon to repair it."

"So it's fueling the ship," Vince argued in return, "which means we can dump it, right? It's a ship. We've got stuff like that too."

A pause, Ratchet considering his options. Unfortunately, Vince was right; the human's organic nature was the only thing standing between the ship and its total annihilation of innocent civilians. "You could. But you will have to do it in the main fuel systems, and manually override it yourself. Follow the main overhead conduits, they will lead you to the power core!"

"Let's go," Vince jumped down, Rafael and Miko following behind. He glanced at Jack, who merely nodded and gestured for him to lead the way.

A little bitterness coated his tongue, yet Jack pushed it down. Vince was always one to take charge, and he would have done the same thing. As a person who studied - and practically worshipped - automobiles, Vince was the right guy for this kind of stuff. He knew what to do, and like how Rafael could recognize the gist of a computer system with a single glance, a ship was no different for Vince. He might not know the idiosyncrasies, but he could certainly work out the general idea of it. He was the guy for the job.

They ran by more frozen Dececpticons, only stopping to confirm they were going in the right direction when arriving to a T. It was not long before they came across the wide-open doors of the main fuel hub, the two oldest of the boys looking at each other before diving into the energon cubes which stood in their way.

It was like a strange forest, the quad arriving to the other side becoming bathed in a sinister purple glow, Jack's gaze immediately drawn to the main conduit of the fuel systems.

In reflex he started, heart jumping into his throat as, for the first time in over a month, he saw Megatron.

Miko squawked in equal terror, Rafael and Vince letting out strong exclamations of surprise. Jack felt his arms instinctually extend to protect his friends, however it did not take more than half a second for them all to realize the warlord was frozen in place. His body was contorted in an odd position, however what was most important was his dominant servo, which clutched a lever.

"Megatron had the same idea," Jack said, barely able to believe he could get the mech's name off his tongue without a hitch. He felt eyes staring at him, realizing he might be the only one brave enough to even get close.

"Which means we're on the right track," Vince's green eyes gazed up at the lever, chewing his lip. Jack decided to take initiative this time, stepping forward and walking towards the frozen Cybertronian.

He's frozen - he can't hurt you even if he wanted to. Besides, you shouldn't be afraid of him. Because that means he has power over you.

"Give me a boost," he threw over his shoulder, not really caring who helped him - as long as they did, and got him as high up as they could manage. Megatron was tall, and while climbing Knock Out had not been too bad, Megatron was going to be more of a challenge. His muscles were going to burn.

"Here," Vince jerked his head at Miko, "take his other foot. We're going to boost him like a cheerleading flyer."

"You've done this before?" the exchange student raised an eyebrow.

"Sierra's a cheerleader," Vince shrugged offhandedly, "and she doesn't have any siblings to practice with."

That was explanation enough, Jack grabbing the kinks in Megatron's armor as he settled one foot in Vince's interlaced fingers, and then the other in Miko's. Rafael was there to supervise, but he had little faith in the poor boy's catching abilities.

"One, two three!" Vince shoved him up, Jack, hissing as he was shot upwards. He grabbed the nearest piece of armor he could manage, feet finding purchase on the divots of his outer lining. A shuddering breath escaped him, as this was the first time in a long time he had been so close to the dictator. He was certain Megatron would find some twisted satisfaction in knowing the human had been climbing all over him; that was, if he still was not absolutely livid at him.

Armor piece by armor piece he climbed, finally making it to Megatron's extended arm and using it as a bridge to cross. Landing on the panel he oriented himself so that his shoulder was against the mech's digits, starting to push as hard as he could. He grunted as the lever absolutely refused to move, hissing in frustration. He tried another position to push, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"I am infested with alien lifeforms!" The ship boomed, nearly scaring the socks off of him. He straightened to see Miko, Rafael, and Vince scatter, an armed contraption darting after the former two. Jack panicked, trying to push harder and yet not getting even a budge.

He watched helplessly as Miko and Raf were relentlessly pursued by the ship, mind racing to come up with a plan that would not only get them out of danger, but maybe get this lever pulled. If they could dump the dark energon, then the ship could not try to kill them. He looked towards Megatron, gritting his teeth. If he wanted to move this thing, he would have to move the warlord too - and considering he did not have Ratchet's strength, it would be an impossible task. Though perhaps he could trick the ship into doing the work for him.

If this plan was going to work, he would need to get down. Abandoning the lever he carefully stepped back onto Megatron's limb, trying to figure out the best way to do this without getting hurt in the process.

"Hey!" Vince shouted, turning the ship's attention on him to give Rafael and Miko a break from the chase.

He scrambled across the arm, hands gripping sharp shoulder curves. His mistake was a moment of hesitation as he glanced at Megatron's face, which was contorted in a pained scream. Momentarily distracted, he looked down just in time to see Vince was running between the mech's legs, leaping out of the way just in time as the arm tried to pursue him.

The slam which followed nearly knocked Jack off right then and there, his grip loosening as he realized with horror what was happening. Miko screamed at him as Megatron began to fall, Vince having come up with the exact same plan, though having executed it in the same instance as Jack's poorly-timed descent.

Bracing himself, he waited until Megatron almost hit the floor to jump, momentum briefly disrupted by his change in direction. The leap was clumsy, the junior overcorrecting as he tried to land on his feet instead of his side.

Something cracked, a lance shooting from his knee and into his very core, stunning him so much he could not even scream. Jack caved, falling forward and barely able to catch himself in an attempt to prevent his face from smashing into the floor. In the same motion it was like a hammer slammed against his ankle, the thunderclap pain emanating from it agonizing. His eyes squeezed shut, unable to even tell which leg was which as his muscles spasmed.

Vince swore, hands grabbing his shoulders and rolling him onto his back. Miko shouted his name again, Rafael's pale face eventually joining the ensemble as they gazed down at him. Jack blinked away the stars, trying to find coherent words for what had happened.

"-your knee. It's way out of place," Vince grabbed his shoulders and tried to hoist him up by throwing one of Jack's arms around his neck. "Come on, we've got to go, we've gotta go."

Jack tried, quickly realizing that the affected joints were on opposite legs. Trying to walk with the knee was impossible, and the ankle . . . he took a single step before crumpling, nearly taking Vince down with him as he screamed.

A familiar-sounding groan filled his ears.

"Run," he told Miko and Raf. "Get out, now!"

They glanced at Vince, who only encouraged them to go ahead, beginning to sprint back to where they had left Agent Fowler.

"Vince, you too," Jack cringed.

"You're crazy if you think I'm leaving you behind," came the senior's retort, setting him back down. "You've definitely dislocated that knee. Maybe the ankle too - it's all swollen to hell. Give me a second."

Jack glanced at Megatron, whose arm had since fallen to his side, the menacing canon flickering as the rest of his systems slowly onlined. "There isn't time-"

"Shut up, Darby, and relax your body," Vince instructed, forcing him to remain sitting up. He counted to three, taking a deep breath as both hands viciously clutched Jack's ribs, just below his armpits.

Jack grimaced, starting to cry again as he was hoisted up, Vince wrapping one arm firmly around his waist and pressing him close, other hand on his shoulders to ensure he remained balanced, Jack slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Jack's legs protested angrily, his hands gripping the elder's shirt as he suppressed the urge to scream out a second time. Vince took a couple steps to balance himself, his strides becoming longer as he began to sprint.

Something slammed down and shook the ground around them, Jack unable to see anything at first as Vince cursed.

Green eyes looked up to meet angry red biolights, sharp denta bared as the owner growled at him viciously. Megatron was awake - and he was far from happy.

Vince was not about to try and vault the servo which blocked their exit, instead turning on his heel and sprinting in the opposite direction of the sharp talons and Megatron. Jack gasped as he got a view of the livid tyrant, which quickly disappeared as Vince darted between the energon cubes. Megatron was slowly rising to his pedes, Jack hearing a sound of transformation which chilled him straight to the bone.

"You need to go, Vince. Now."

"And leave you with the ex? I don't think so," Vince snapped, continuing to weave as he searched for a hiding spot, adjusting his grip on the younger. "He could hurt you."

"He'll kill you," Jack retorted, starting to squirm, "and as much as we don't like each other, I'm not about to be responsible for that. Drop me."

That ended up happening sooner, and without more argument, than Jack expected, Vince stumbling upon a wall - even worse, a corner.

He swore. "You have to be kidding me-"

The sound of metal percussing against metal, much softer than one would expect, was Megatron's only announcement as he appeared from behind a stack of energon cubes. Vince whirled, the blood draining from his face as he realized how small the tyrant had become, the young man attempting to puzzle out how in the world he had managed that. Vince started to back up as the Decepticon continued to approach, the mech's strides not breaking even a half of an inch with each step.

Jack felt himself slide down, Vince keeping a tight grip on him for support. He ended up holding the younger in a strange bridal-style sort of hold, not letting him put weight on the legs and keeping him far too close for any sort of comfort. Jack grimaced as he readjusted, face perspiring heavily in both agony and fear. His eyes widened, realizing Megatron was getting close, way too close, his hand instinctively gripping Vince's shirt to try and place more of himself between him and the approaching threat.

"Give him to me," Megatron spoke, the first time Jack heard him in weeks, and it was directed towards Vince, "and I will allow you to escape with your life."

"He's not a trading card," Vince snipped back, Jack wondering how he could muster up the kind of stupid courage he had, wishing the guy would just listen and get out before he was killed. "Back off. We're leaving."

Megatron's fist came forward, Jack flinching with a yelp as it flashed in his vision. Vince somehow managed to suppress his recoil when Megatron struck the metal beside him, cheeks so pale his freckles looked like dirt instead of natural discolorations. Megatron's other servo was pressed on the wall to the side of Jack's head, a flat palm, effectively trapping the both of them as he leaned forward.

"I will not offer another chance," he hissed, Vince setting his jaw as he refused to crumple in front of the mech. Jack felt his grip on him clench, trying to ignore the metal his ear occasionally brushed against. He instead focused on Vince and Megatron, cringing at just how close they were - another half inch and his chest would be touching Jack. Megatron had no sense of personal space, though Jack wondered if part of that was a product of him attempting to intimidate using his EM field, which did buzz against them in a frenzy of displeasure.

"Why don't you ask Jack if he wants to stay?" Vince asked, refusing to let his voice waver. The bully refused to be daunted, or at least give away the fact he was terrified, Jack wishing he would just do the smart thing. He really did not need the redhead's death on his conscious in addition to whatever the dictator had planned for him.

Megatron paused, red optics finally looking in Jack's direction. He met his gaze, unsure what kind of emotion to convey, in too much pain to really care at the moment.

Grunting, Jack tried to catch his breath as his injured joints continued to take it away. "Just go, Vince. Get out of here before Ratchet or the 'bots come looking - then we're in real trouble."

"He's going to kill you," the senior hissed, looking at Jack as if he was crazy and stupid.

"Keep acting like an overprotective boyfriend, and he'll kill you," Jack snapped back, deciding to play the card to either make Vince uncomfortable, or make him scared of Megatron enough to stop the peacock display and get out of there.

Vince froze, and even Megatron did too, the tyrant looking at the other human as things began clicking into place - realizing this was Vince, the one Jack claimed Arcee had incorrectly assumed he was involved with. The human who made him jealous, even if he did not outright admit it to Jack.

It dawned on him Megatron may feel more inclined to kill him now, perhaps perceiving some sort of competition - or to rid his "replacement."

"Let me go, Vince," Jack exhaled, grabbing his hand and slowly prying his fingers out of his shirt. "And run."

A few beats of hesitation, Vince finally loosening his hold on Jack. He took a moment to gently set him down, keeping him propped against the wall.

Seething in pain Jack looked up, motioning to Vince to leave before the Decepticon changed his mind. The redhead's expression was unreadable, something there Jack could not decipher. He eventually did as told, turning and running back through the energon cubes. The dark-haired teen took a deep breath, leaning against the wall heavily.

Closing his eyes he wished he could just escape, not wanting this pain any longer. It was sending his mind in a spiral, only able to focus on what was in front of him purely because of the fear which coursed through his mind. There was too much going on, unsure what to address first as he hoped everyone had made it out alive. Vince would most certainly tell Ratchet what happened, a problem which Jack bitingly decided could be dealt with later. He had a few other things to worry about at the moment.

Laying still was agonizing enough, not having even tried to look at the knee to see what it was like. Tears fell out of the corner of his eyes, from pain and the frustration of his helplessness and foolishness. This was stupid, wondering what part of the universe he had angered enough to deserve this. Had everything gone right, Megatron most likely would have never even known he was there.

Now, if he was lucky enough to escape this encounter alive, he would never hear the end of it from the Autobots - Ratchet included.

He heard sounds of metallic movement, opening his eyes to see Megatron was crouched down to his level, optics first meeting his gaze. Like Vince, there was something different in his expression, though Jack swore this one was much more tender.

Megatron's helm tilted, Jack familiar enough with his idiosyncrasies to realize he was focused on something within his own helm.

Diagnosing me again, probably, he thought bitterly. He opened his mouth to ask the tyrant why he even cared, because clearly he hadn't for the past month.

Without warning servos gripped his leg, one wrapping around his thigh as the other latched onto his shin, his entire body becoming rigid when he realized what the mech was preparing to do.

"Wait-"

He screamed as he moved, the knee blasted in a wave of pain so intense he felt like he was going to vomit. Jack felt a wet, sloppy pop, then he remembered nothing at all.