A/N: Thought, just for good measure it might be a good idea for another disclaimer, so:

Final score of rights and privileges: Epsilon Pax & Bumbee= -8, Transformers: Prime + Hasbro= +200,000,000-(just say the zeros keep going)

Please R&R!

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"Arcee…Bulkhead…Bumblebee, you need to get Optimus out of there," Ratchet's voice was tight with worry as he reached out to the three of them on a private channel.

Bulkhead was startled at the suddenness of Ratchet's response, "How did you…?"

"Optimus, just contacted me to thank me for all of my help…and to tell me that his medical officer had just arrived." Ratchet's tone made it all too clear about what he thought of such things.

"You mean Orion contacted you," Bitterness dripped from Arcee's words and even Bulkhead could discern the tenseness in her every panel and servo. She nearly jumped out of her frame when suddenly Orion placed a comforting hand on her slight shoulder. He too had noted the change in her stance, though not the reason.

"Are you alright, Arcee?" He asked gently.

"That's it!" Ratchet exclaimed.

Like Arcee and Bumblebee, Bulkhead was nonplussed, "What's it doc bot?"

"Arcee, I need you to come up with some sort of symptom, some sort of illness."

"What?"

Back at base, Jack caught on quickly and leaned eagerly forward towards the monitors to ensure that Arcee would hear him, "Arcee you need to faint! If Optimus thinks you're still hurt, we can convince him that he still needs to help you. That way if Ratchet opens a ground bridge we can get him to just walk through, no fight, no argument, nothing."

"I don't think he's going to buy that," Bulkhead spoke up, "Not with Knockout here…"

"Not if you tell him that only I can treat whatever condition Arcee has," Ratchet replied rapidly, watching none too easily on the screen as the two signals that represented Knockout and Breakdown moved closer and closer. The two Decepticons had began to descend the cliff-face as fast as they dared, obviously eager to reach them as quickly as possible.

"C'mon!" Jack urged Arcee, "You don't have much time! I know you can do this Cee!"

Throwing her pride out the window, Arcee half turned toward Orion, raising one slender arm up and across her face, trying to mimic the way the human actresses fainted in the movies that June would sometimes watch when she spent some of her free time at the base. On more than one instance, June would invite Arcee to watch some of these movies—the ones that Jack called "chick-flicks" and took great pains to avoid—with her.

Most of the time Arcee would decline such invitations, but, the few times when June was at the base and Jack was still at school, Arcee would join the nurse, not that she understood the films, but rather because she was still getting to know Jack's mom. Indeed, mostly Arcee had found such things to be down right ridiculous, but at the moment, they were all she had to go on, and she promised herself that if this actually worked, she would always watch whatever movie June wanted to. With no objections. Whatsoever.

As dramatically as she could, Arcee let her head fall slightly backward, flickering her optics off-line, then purposely let her legs give out as she allowed her systems to mimic those of stasis; it was, in a word, the Autobot equivalent of a human faint. Though she was sure to keep her audio receptors keenly tuned so that if need be, at the first sight of trouble, she could online her entire system—more importantly her weaponry systems—in an instant. After all, countless eons of training would never allow for Arcee to let down her guard entirely, especially not with Knockout and Breakdown so close.

In an effort to further convince Orion that Arcee's sudden swoon was indeed real, Bumblebee emitted a sharp and plaintive wail of concern as Arcee slumped toward the ground. Just as they would have expected, Orion, being the closest to her, caught Arcee as she fell, scooping her delicate frame up in his arms without a second thought, "Arcee!" he called to her.

Bumblebee couldn't help but to wince at the all too real worry in his voice; the yellow scout didn't like to deceive his leader like this, but he knew, logically, that this was the best chance they had of getting Optimus back to the base without risking an open fight or without risk of hurting him.

As soon as Orion had caught Arcee, Bulkhead turned to him barking, "We have to get her back to our base! She needs medical attention—"

Before Bulkhead could finish, Orion called out to Knockout, who had only managed to descend half way down the cliff, "Quickly Knockout! Arcee needs—"

Bullkhead grabbed Orion's shoulder, cutting him off, "No, only Ratchet knows how to treat her, she has…um…a unique…condition…"

Beside him, Bumblebee nodded fervently, clicking in a chorus of agreement, "We can get her back to our base faster than your medic can reach us." His tone was confident, reassuring and persuasive. As if on cue—Bulkhead and Bee assumed that Ratchet had been listening in—Ratchet activated the ground bridge, the swirling tunnel of light blossoming into existence just steps behind them. Bulkhead calculated the distance; five steps, just five steps and Optimus would be through the bridge and back in the Autobot base, back home.

At the sudden burst of light, Knockout and Breakdown hastened their downward climb, panic rising within him, Knockout even considered just jumping.

"Orion! No!" He shouted down to them, "Commander don't go with them! You can't! They're our mortal enemies!"

Orion was torn, true these Cybertronians were their foes, but as he looked down at Arcee who lay limply in his arms, something within him just wouldn't allow him to believe as much. There was nothing malicious about them, and, after all, when he was in trouble they had tried to save him. Could he do any less for them now that the tables had turned?

Orion's gaze locked with Bulkhead's, "I need your word that as soon as we return Arcee to your base, as soon as she receives the medical attention that she needs, you will let me return to my ship."

"Uhhhh…"Bulkhead faltered, he couldn't just outright lie to Optimus, especially when he knew that as soon as they got him to walk through the ground bridge they would do everything they possibly could to keep him there.

As Bulkhead struggled for an answer, Knockout at last shrieked, "Orion it's a trick! That cycle-bot is faking it! They're trying to take you prisoner, to hold you as a political hostage! They want to use you as leverage against Megatron—I mean, Megatronus!"

Arcee's optics immediately flew open as Knockout's words echoed over to them, the slight movement serving to draw Orion's own gaze downward. His optics narrowed, and though most of his expression was hidden behind his battle mask, Arcee couldn't help but shudder; their ploy had failed, she realized, he knew and was anything but pleased. For in that moment he recognized that they had indeed been lying to him and that, for once, Knockout had been telling the truth.

"Well…so much for that." Bullkhead spoke up suddenly, " I guess plan B it is."

Hearing as much, Arcee bolted upright, or rather tried to, for Orion still held her in his arms, apparently still trying to decide if she was potentially hurt, trying, she realized, to even now give her the benefit of the doubt. "Bulkhead, wait!" She cried out frantically, "Don't—!"

But even as the words left her processor, Bulkhead threw himself into Orion, who, still holding Arcee, could do nothing as Bulkhead effectively tackled him and promptly knocked all three of them backward into the ground bridge. Bumblebee remained a moment more, providing covering fire as Knockout and Breakdown at last gained the canyon floor and had opened fired. But with a triumphant whistle and a last volley of shots that sent Knockout and Breakdown diving for cover, Bee turned and similarly dove into the ground bridge.

Knockout reached the tunnel just as it collapsed, and his raging cry against the Autobots reverberated throughout the canyon.