"Ooooh Jack!"

Jack moved his head. StarScream was calling him… or was it someone else. He was loosing all sense of being. All of his senses were messed up. His body was in so much pain that he felt nothing. Was he even here? Was he alive? He groaned twitching slightly.

"Tell us Jack. Why do you hold back?"

Jack saw a blurry red puddle beneath him. How much blood had he lost? He felt a cold metal finger under his chin. His eyes were lifted up to Airachnids face.

"I don't think you method is working StarScream. Maybe we should return to mine."

Airachnid hissed loudly, Jack could hear voices arguing. At this point even if he wanted to tell them he couldn't. He was far to weak. His heart was pumping slower and slower. His breathing was become more and more labored. His wheezing was loud now. He willed his body to give up. He couldn't stand it anymore. He just wanted to end it.

Airachnids shadow came back over him. She looked back at StarScream.

"This is what I suggest."

She reared her head back, spitting out a wad of acid onto Jacks left arm. Jack screamed in agony as the acid ate through his arm. StarScream stepped back. His mouth dropped open. His energon processor twisted.

Jacks arm was eaten through, his body slammed to the right putting more weigh on his crushed arm as his left arm was burned free from his body.

Airachnid laughed, eyeing Jack. "Just tell us Jack and I will end your pain."

Jack wasn't what was happening anymore. Where was he? What was happening? Why was he bleeding?

StarScream was leaning against the all. "That doesn't repulse you!"

He point to Jack severed arm. Airachnid waved her hand. "I hunt down beasts and take off their heads. This is nothing."

StarScream back up. He was hunched slightly.

"What's the matter faint at the sight of blood?"

Airachnid laughed. StarScream growled. "Cybertronian dismemberment I am fine with; human flesh is something else."

…

Optimus eyed Arcee and June, they had formed a little revolt and were sitting away from the others. They had taken to just staring at Optimus. Optimus sighed he had been working tirelessly for hours trying to find Jack on the scanners. Nothing was leading them anywhere. No signs of Airachnid.

He had reached out to Agent Fowler. Hopping that perhaps he would have something, maybe he could detect a flight pattern that was off had Airachnid used her helicopter mode. His monitors rang. Agent Fowler. His spark flighted, hopefully it was good news.

"Prime."

"Agent Fowler, do you have news?"

"Good News."

Arcee and June had come over, Hope all over their faces.

"We ran a check on ion in the area of the Darby's house. We found a trail leading away from the Darby's to an old underground warehouse about 30 miles west of the Darby's."

Arcee's fists were clenched. She turned her gaze hard on Optimus. Optimus nodded.

"Thank you, Agent Fowler."

Agent Fowler nodded. "I pray you find him. I will keep my men on alert if you need them."

Optimus nodded in response while hanging up the call. He had not intentions of involving any more humans.

"Bulkhead, Bumblebee…" Optimus called to them. He hesitated as he turned to Arcee. "Arcee."

Arcee's chest was heaving. "If you stop me from trying to kill her, I will stop you."

Arcee arched her head toward Optimus. She spoke in a calm, eerie whisper. Optimus watched her walk over to the bridge. He looked up to Ratchet.

"Please unlock the bridge."

Ratchet nodded. He was watching June. She was standing on the humans area. She watched the bots leave.

"June?"

Ratchet called to her. June turned slowly.

"I hope Arcee destroys her, rips her apart, turns her into powder."

Miko and Raph were silent.

"If I know Arcee she will try."

June looked up at him. She hadn't let herself cry in hours. She was too angry and scared.

"I want you to know Ratchet I don't blame you. But I do blame Optimus."

June narrowed her gaze. Ratchet kept his eyes on her. That statement was like a knife to his spark.

"Why?"

"Had he kept the kids out of this, none of this would have happened."

Ratchet sighed. Perhaps. He decided against arguing with her. She was scared. And she needed something to….someone to blame.

….

The Autobots appeared at a broken-down warehouse. "Agent Fowler said they are below."

Optimus spoke quietly. "Proceed with extreme caution."

Arcee looked at him. "With all due respect… frag that command and shove it up your exhaust."

She active her swords and bolted toward an opening. She had no intentions of waiting for Optimus to come up with a plan. She raced into the tunnel. She looked around. There was a network of tunnels. She stopped a listened. Voices. She hurried down a tunnel that the voice came from. She slid to a stop when she saw StarScream and Airachnid.

"Airachnid!"

She belted out. Her eyes shift behind them. Jack. Her energon processor let go. Her knees went weak. StarScream groaned.

"How did they find us?"

Airachnid shook her head. "You must have lead them here you idiot!"

Arcee regathered herself quickly. Jack. Look what they had done to him. Was he even alive? She darted her eyes at Airachnid.

"If Arcee is here, the others aren't far behind."

She jumped at the wall and began to drill her way out. Arcee yelled jumping up. StarScream was against the wall. "traitor!" he bellowed after Airachnid. Arcee was in a blind fury. She dove into the tunnel being drilled. She was crawling after Airachnid was Jacks dismembered form popped into her head. She stopped. What was she doing? Jack was the priority. She shook her head. But if she didn't stop Airachnid she would come back.

She heard StarScream's jet fire as he quickly flew out of the area. She also heard the others behind her attacking him. She was frozen. What should she do? She shook her head. Kill Airachnid. Her vision went red as she raced after Airachnid.

…..

Optimus charged in, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were pursing StarScream. He stopped dead. For the first time in centuries his energon processor rocked at the sight before his eyes. Jack, hanging by an arm that looked deformed. His legs were cocked to the side. And his left arm was… was…. Optimus grabbed onto the wall. His mind whirled. Jack's one arm was burned from his body, acid still dripped off it. His body looked like it had been dipped into an acid vat.

The smell in the area made him sick along with the sight of Jack. He heard Arcee holler in a hole in the wall. No doubt Airachnids attempted escape. He bent over. He couldn't stop it. His energon processor upheaved. He had seen more then his fair share of cut to pieces soldiers, including ones that had been tortured, blown up, and other wise torn apart but to see a human like this.

He tried to regain his composer. His energon processor grumbled as he stood back up. His legs threatened to give out. He made it over to Jack. Blood trickled from his mouth and nose. His skin was burned and seared. His face had a large acid scratch burned crossed it. His eye was burned shut and swollen. Optimus reached up. His legs still shaking. He carefully cut Jack free. He dare to glance over at the severed arm.

Most of the skin ha been eaten by acid leaving behind muscle and bone. Optimus took in a deep breath. An attempt to keep his energon processor from upheaving again. He wrapped his hand gently around Jack as he cut his legs free. A thick, sticky sensation touched his metal. He gently tilted Jack upward. His back was raw with burns. Optimus's chest heaved. His mind was on June. She was going to be in a state when she saw this.

He studied Jack. He appeared to be alive but barely. He quickly turned from the area. He needed air. His battle mask did nothing to stop the smell. He race out of the underground area. Bulkhead and Bumblebee were running back towards him. He caught Arcee in the corner of his eye battling Airachnid. Bumblebee was veering off to join her. Bulkhead staid his course.

"Did you…"

Bulkhead stopped dead. Thick, dark red, almost black blood dripped out of Optimus's hand.

"Yes. He needs medical right now!"

Optimus looked at Bulkhead. "Help Arcee. I am taking this boy to the hospital I will call June on my way."

Bulkhead kept his eyes on Optimus's. He dared not look down. Optimus quickly transformed. Taking to the road at high speeds. His felt Jacks blood running on his floors, his seats.

"JUNE!"

He called into the com link. It crackled.

"Optimus did you find him?"

Optimus cringed. "Yes, but he is critically injured I am heading for the hospital now! I need you there!"

He heard June gasp and he call to Ratchet. The com link staid open and Optimus heard Ratchet tell Raph to man the bridge as he and June left.

Optimus tried to avoid the bumps and potholes. "Hang on Jackson." He spoke. His spark breaking at what had happened. "Primus hear me! Primes I call on you to save this boy!"