TFP: Spinning Eyes and Burning Hate

by Dark demon619

For Humanity, weapons, devices, and political power are all methods of gaining power. Yet within them, there lies more. Things to be discovered, to be remembered, and in one boy, something quite ancient. But in truth, what will this strengt lead to? Safety for those he cares about? The end of a massive war? Or just more hatred? TFP/Naruto X-over. Title changed, description altered.

5. Of Void and Flames

Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi, Viz Media, and Shonen Jump.
Transformers Prime belongs to Hasbro.

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RxR- Read & Review please.

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Chapter: Of Void and Flames.

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"Any strange muscle spasms? Locking up or contorted sensations?"

Deep within the Autobot's base, Jack sighed.

A hint of downtime had peacefully stuck the base. There was no blaring alarms or races to action. No Decepticon strikes or activities that required the attention of the bots. Heck, Agent Fowler hadn't even called once in the past few days. The entire base was just peaceful for once; an occurrence that was rarely encountered anymore.

Such peace made hanging out at the base nearly irresistible for the Autobot's human allies. With School over and none of their guardians off scouting or on a mission, Jack, Miko, and Raf began to enjoy the moment without being interrupted.

"No, nothing." Jack grumbled, trying not to yawn.

Or at least most of them were.

When often present in the bot's base, Jack and his friends normally occupied themselves by hanging out on a platform within the compound. The base itself had previously been a military installation. As such, it was filled with multiple platforms and levels, all that were ideal for humans to occupy themselves on. While still allowing the humans to interact with the bots without getting in their way, the platforms were perfect to keep the Autobots far away from a certain 'No Squishing' rule.

And given the size of most Cybertronians, it was a rule well avoided..

"No sudden fractures, broken bones, loss of ability to move and or function?"

Jack rolled his eyes, "No, no, and obviously not."

Though in one teen's opinion, he might of preferred getting crushed instead.

Unlike his friends, Jack had not the chance to enjoy such a peace. Miko and Raf sat off to the side, minding their own business. But Jack? He was busy entertaining the musings of one of the Autobots. The bot in question being the very same Autobot that had been bugging the boy ever since he and Arcee had returned from a fateful scouting mission just a few days prior.

Ratchet, the Autobot's chief medical officer and the team's unofficial second in command. He was a tall bot, around one of the three tallest of the team. With a white and red color-scheme, Ratchet often preferred a human ambulance as his alternate form, as fit his profession. A tough, no -nonsense Autobot, Ratchet is a gruff bot that did things without as much cheer as one would except.

In the mech's hands was a massive clipboard. Something he kept around just in case he needed it.

Thankfully, it was very easy to replace…just in case it was broken by accident.

"Really?" the medic question, not entirely trusting the boy's words, "No illnesses, queasy sensations, or otherwise?"

Jack rubbed his face, clearly irritated, "None. Nothing, I'm just a bit sore. That's all."

Ratchet raised a brow and scanned his clipboard. He searched through his list of symptoms, all of which were rather gruesome in some way or another. Blood poisoning, muscle decay, and even mental decay. Anything you would hate to have, was on that list. But to both of Ratchet's irritation and relief, none of the symptoms had appeared.

Jack seemed perfectly fine, despite all the options he had to be otherwise.

"Very well." The medic grumbled, lowering his clipboard, "And you remember my recommendation?"

Another sigh escaped from Jack, "Yes…"

Three days had passed since the dreaded scouting mission, the day Arcee came face to face with her vile enemy. Jack and Arcee escaped from the encounter with their lives, closer than they had been before. Airachnid had escaped however, now loose on Earth due to Jack destroying her ship. It had been a tiring, dreadful, and life threatening encounter between all parties. One that Arcee and Jack were glad to be free of.

Once the pair returned, Ratchet was almost instantly in their faces. With Arcee's explanation of what had happened, Ratchet immediately demanded a full check up on the duo. The medic fully remembered the hell Airachnid had put Arcee through the last time they met each other.

He was a grump about the whole thing but no one complained, especially after the day they had.

Arcee was cleared with nothing but a few scratches and a recommendation of some re-charge coming out of it. But with Jack's beaten appearance, the concern over the boy was a bit more warranted. Arcee was especially concerned, especially once she got a good look at him.

Beaten-up didn't even began to describe how Jack looked. His shirt was covered in soot and torn to high hell, having suffered through both Airachnid and facing a ship exploding in his face. Jack' himself wasn't in the best condition either. The teen had dirt, soot, cuts, and more bruises than he could count.

Hell, he even had soot IN his cuts as well. If anything, Jack was particularly lucky that his arms and face had taken the blunt of the damage.

Of course, Jack tried to wave off most of his condition as nothing but both Arcee and Ratchet instantly shot him down.

Surviving an encounter with an insane, vicious spider was no excuse for avoiding a check-up.

Thankfully, Ratchet's scans detected only a rather intense case of exhaustion at worse. His blood pressure, heart rate, and even his muscles all had been pushed far over their normal limits. By Ratchet's guess, if Jack had continued to push himself to the degrees he had, the boy might have collapsed due to exhaustion alone. And that was only the best case scenario.

The worse however, partially concerned the matter of Airachnid's ship exploding, which warranted most of Ratchet's concern. No records on hand detailed what could happen to a human once exposed to Energon, let alone experiencing a ship exploding due to the substance. So finding out that Jack nearly took an explosion of such properties to the face? Naturally, Ratchet was concerned.

Luckily, it hadn't come to that. To Ratchet's knowledge, the exhaustion had been the lengths of Jack's condition. The general consensus was that it was caused by the strainious running Jack had been forced through while facing Airachnid. But aside that and a few bruises, both Jack and Arcee were relieved when Ratchet concluded that nothing was truly wrong.

Just as long as he took it easy for the next day or two.

"So...can I...?" Jack nervously asked, pointing back over to the others.

Ratchet scoffed and waved her servo, "Yes, yes, go on. We're finished here."

Smiling, Jack pushed away from the railing and walked back towards his friends, "Thanks Ratchet!"

His work done, Ratchet grunted at Jack and stepped away. As the medic lumbered back over to his terminal, Jack hopped back over to his friends and sat next to Raf. The younger teen had been merely watching television in the meanwhile and smiled up at Jack upon his return.

"Hey." he greeted, "Everything going alright?"

Letting out a sigh, Jack nodded and leaned back onto the couch, "Yep, good to go."

"You sure?" Raf asked, "You looked like a mummy after Ratchet was done the first time."

Flinching, Jack sighed. While not nearly as bad as Raf's description, Ratchet had gone a bit overboard regarding Jack's injuries. It was a wonder why the medic even had so many bandages to begin with! By the end of it Jack had his arms almost completely covered in bandages while his face had quite a few band-aids as well.

It wasn't all that bad, at least compared to what could of been.

But upon returning home...

---

Darby Residence, Three days ago:

---

"Jack! What happened!?"

It was late at night when Jack finally returned home. The events of the day still present in his mind, the boy and his partner slowly drove up the driveway of his home and pulled into the garage. With bandages still wrapped around his arms, Jack let out a sigh and dismounted Arcee. He then offered the femme a small goodnight and made his way towards the nearest door.

After such a trying day, Jack wanted to do nothing but drop on his bed and fall asleep.

Before he could find such relief though, the garage innermost door slammed open, revealing both a worried and frustrated June.

Anger seemed to fuel the woman as she marched into the garage, likely aiming to chastise the boy due to his late return home. However, June's anger evaporated once her son's condition came into view. His bandaged arms and scuffed up face called for her attention far more than his tardiness had. So without delay, June quickly began going over the boy's bandages despite pleas for the opposite.

"Mo-Mom! Seriously, its fine!" Jack grumbled.

"Shush!" June ordered, "Hold still."

With a twitch, Jack grumbled to himself and allowed June to do what she needed. She swiftly checked Jack's bandages, loosening them and re-tightening them before Jack could object.. None it hurt thanks to June's skills as a nurse, but what came next made Jack twitch all the same. For once she finished, June sent her son a look that anyone who lived in their home would know.

"Alright, it isn't bad..." she mused, "But spill, what happened?"

The teen averted his gaze, "It was nothing-"

"Jack, seriously." June pried, not letting the boy slip away so easily, "What happened? Did you get in an accident or something? Was it that motorcycle?"

Even without his eyes, Jack could have sworn he saw Arcee twitch at that statement, "No Mom, it wasn't an accident. I promise. It actually happened at school."

Crossing her arms, June raised a brow at her son, "School? This happened at school."

The sound of skepticism was heavy in June's voice, and why wouldn't it be? If something happened at school, then why hadn't she been notified? Her job at the hospital normally dragged at times but it didn't mean someone wouldn't contact her if something happened to her son. Hell, she would have been down there in a flash if something had happened.

"Well...yeah." Jack shrugged, "Something happened in the lab today. Someone mess with something they shouldn't of, things happened, and the nurse patched me up. No biggie."

To explain his injuries, Jack had tried a few excuses. Blaming the local bully, something happening after school that was unrelated to Arcee, anything really. Some of them seemed reasonable, but to explain why he looked like a partial burn victim? Very few matched up. In the end, Jack simply used the one that seemed...less insane in comparison.

The High School did have a reputation regarding experiments and projects going horribly wrong...though, some of those had an outside, extraterrestrial reason behind them.

June frowned, seemingly considering it, "Alright..."

"But they better watch what they're doing." she muttered with a sneer, "If I hear about anything else, I may need to have a talk with your science teacher."

A nervous chuckle escaped Jack, "Of course..."

If pity was ever deserved, it was for the poor fool that manged to get a moment with June during one of her 'talks'. The amount of intimidation the woman could put into words was almost unreal. Though, that could have been just Jack's opinion, having been on the wrong end of such talks on more than one occasion.

Shifting gears, June smiled and walked back towards the house, "Good, now come on. Dinners ready."

"Wait, you made dinner?" Jack blinked.

"Yep!" June smiled, a bit too cheerful for Jack's taste, "I whipped something up while I waiting. Now, come on. My treat."

After padding her son on the shoulder, June walked back into the house. Once gone, Jack let loose a sigh and shook his head. The boy sent Arcee a small glance and waved goodnight before following the woman inside. He might of escaped the clutches of an insane, murderous spider that day, but his mother's cooking?

Oh, were it so easy...

---

The Present:

---

A shiver ran through Jack. No words could describe the concoction his mother had created.. The mere remembrance of how it tasted made the teen shudder in fright. He loved his mother dearly, that was a fact that would earn someone a punch in the face if called into question. But the matter of her being a good cook most of the time? Such was harder to answer, especially when she tried to be healthy.

Most of the time Jack wasn't even sure if that stuff was actually food, or could be qualified as such.

"Bleh..." he muttered, shaking his head, "So, anything interesting on?"

Raf shrugged and handed Jack the remote, "Nah, nothing really."

The Autobot's base was the home of giant transforming robots from a world far beyond Earth. They were aliens intertwined in a war that had gone on for centuries. A single Autobot could likely tell stories that could span days on end due to how long they lived. So when compared to that, television wasn't as entertaining.

"Well thats great," Jack muttered and set the remote aside, "What about you, Miko?"

Off to the side, Miko shrugged. The girl was casually strung across a nearby chair, doodling away on a sketchpad she had brought from home. Strangely enough, Miko hadn't done a thing other than doodle since she arrived at the base. Sitting, drawing, and nothing else.

Raf and Jack glanced at each other. Miko was the 'Energizer Bunny' of their little trio, always wanting to do something not matter how utterly dangerous it was. The fact that she wasn't freaking out due to being bored...was worrying.

Miko's antics aside, Jack and Raf silently turned their attention back to the television. Instead of focusing on the confusion, the pair tried to find something of interest on television. A odd movie, goofy television show, or even some old cartoon. Heck, the two considered playing a game too, anything would do really.

Off to the side, Ratchet ignored whatever the humans were doing and focused on his work. The many screens of data, scanners, various other pieces of valuable information occupied the medic's time. Of the various topics, possible locations of Energon placed itself at the top of Ratchet's to-do list for the moment. Earth was so large, even to the Cybertronians. And with the Decepticons also searching for the material, finding a location first was very important.

As he scanned nearby locations, a sudden beep caught the medic's attention. The sign of an Energon signal, finally having stumbled into the range of his scanners. Realizing this, Ratchet quickly got to work and set off to assure the exact location of such a source. But as he worked, Ratchet began to take notice of the signal itself.

Numerous oddities plagued the signal, stemming from being far too small an Energon vein to actually changing position every few seconds. The most alarming trait about the signal however was the exact properties it had, differing greatly from what Ratchet knew about Energon. In fact there was only one material that had similar characteristics...

"Optimus," he spoke, activating his communicator, "I've discovered something quite...grave."

The Prime entered the chamber a few moments later, quickly catching the attention of Raf and Jack. Their eyes followed Optimus as he walked through the chamber, the floor nearly trembling underneath his treads. Once present, Ratchet quickly pointed the Prime toward the signal in question.

"I had hoped that my growing expertise on the subject would remain purely academic, but though faint, this is clearly a Dark Energon signature." the medic described, "And whats worse. It's moving fast."

The 'Blood of Unicron'. Some of the most vile, revolting, sinister, corrupting, and fiendish substance in all the universe. The very touch of the material being capable of disturbing the nature of life and death itself. Dark Energon had become one of the most dangerous weapons in the Decepticon's arsenal, and whats worse, only one foolish Cybertronian was foolish enough to use it...

"Megatron." Optimus sneered.

A black spark, with a shard of Dark Energon at his core, Megatron seemed the most likely suspect for such a disturbance. The dark substance was vile to most Cybertronians with even the slimmest of sanities yet Dark Energon followed Megatron wherever he and his horde went. Like death, hounding after the horsemen himself.

"Where'd he find more of the bad stuff?" Arcee asked. She and the remaining Autobots followed in shortly after Optimus, each having heard the bad news.

Bulkhead huffed, "And whats he going to do with it? Recruit another army of the undead?"

Off to the side, Miko popped her head up excitingly, "Zombiecons?!"

Unaware of the delighted expression the girl had, Optimus looked grimly at such news, "We cannot rule out the possibility, especially since Megatron seems to be heading towards a familiar site."

Expressions widening, the bots and their human allies glanced at the console. The signal was constantly on the move, seemingly flying over anything that was in its way. The data displayed was that of an empty, rocky environment like a desert or outback-like area. Wherever it was, the location was far away from any trace of civilization and perhaps deep within the middle of nowhere.

As they watched though, the data displayed caught the attention of one of the bots. Bumblebee frantically pointed at the monitor, beeping nearly hysterically at where the signal was apparently headed. It was a place both he and Optimus knew quite well.

The burial place for a warrior that nearly took the both of them offline.

"Megatron has just barely awoken from stasis, and it seems he's already making up for lost time." the Prime announced, "Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Ratchet. Prepare to roll out!"

Nodding, both Bulkhead and Bee made their way over toward the Ground Bridge tunnel. Back with Ratchet though, the medic blinked and sent the Prime a confused look, "Me?"

"If we are truly dealing with Dark Energon, then we may require you expertise." Optimus explained, detailing the reason for the medic's inclusion.

Once finished, the Prime turned to the only remaining Autobot, "Arcee?"

The femme smirked, "Bridge Operator? Got it."

Their roles and objectives now established, the Autobots quickly moved into position. The away-team all piled up near the massive tunnel made just for the Ground Bridge while Arcee manned the controls. As things prepared to get underway, the three teens watched the bots with worried expressions. Or at least, two of them did.

"Go get'em Bulk. Bring the hurt!" Miko called out, still doodling on her sketchpad. She sounded rather calm, without the normal excitement that came with an action packed mission. Even so, Bulkhead pounded fists together like two massive hammers, the mech more than ready to kick enough aft for both of them.

Back with the children however, Jack and Raf stared at their friend, neither buying her uninterested act.

"Not wanting to go? Thats not like Miko." Jack muttered, earning a nod from Raf.

"Shes definitely up to something..."

With a flick of a leaver, the Ground Bridge sprang to life. Arcee manned the controls while the others stood just feet in front of the massive vortex. Then with a quick transformation, Optimus and his team rolled on out. The four vehicles drove through the massive vortex and disappeared, surely reappearing at their destination.

As the bots vanished, Miko smirked.

With a small glance over her shoulder, Miko shot to her feet and made her move. She tossed her sketchpad aside and made a dash towards the stairs, aiming to make a beeline straight towards the Bridge itself.

Sudden as she was though, Miko did not escape unseen. Arcee might have been busy with the Ground Bridge's controls (making sure it didn't collapse on her team), Jack and Raf were not so easily fooled.

"Making a break!" Jack snapped.

Shooting to their feet, Jack and Raf instantly shot after their friend. The former nearly tripped over a box as they ran, the two teens quickly running down the stairs and after the girl in question. Thankfully, Jack manged to snag Miko by the arm right before she made it to the bridge, though barely. Raf eventually caught up, arriving just as Miko struggled to escape.

"Its too dangerous!" Jack growled, holding Miko rather tightly.

Not tightly enough however. Even with having caught the girl, Miko ripped her arm free and finally shot down the portal. Jack and Raf sighed and quickly followed. With one leading the charge, the three children quickly made it through the bridge without issue, Arcee having unnoticed them due to having been focusing on the controls.

However, due to their concern, neither Jack nor Raf noticed the small device that fell from Miko the moment she made her escape

A small pink phone, sitting just feet away from the Bridge itself.

---

-Desert-

---

Deep within the barren wastes of the landscape, a large Ground Bridge swirled to life. It appeared between a small canyon, nearly taking up all the space between the massive stone walls. The canyon itself seemed similar to a massive hallway, going on four countless miles in either direction.

The Autobots emerged from the Bridge seconds later, transforming before stepping out into the familiar landscape once again.

As the Cybertronians continued forward however, none noticed the three small figures following in their footsteps. The three kids silently emerged from the Ground Bridge and followed after the bots, Miko leading the charge while Raf and Jack quickly ran after her.

Thinking fast and with a smirk on her face, Miko quickly ran forward and scaled a pile of boulders. Such a height easily allowed for a great angle, putting the girl up and out of the way while still giving her more than enough room the watch the carnage to come.

"Come on!" she cheered, "Lets see some fight of the livin dead already!"

Of course, the act of stopping to watch also gave Jack and Raf plenty of time to catch up. Once they did, Jack quickly grabbed Miko by the arm and nearly pulled her off her feet. The girl let loose a yelp and glared at Jack but the boy easily matched it. All the while, Raf finally caught up with the duo and sat down to the side.

"Miko, what were you thinking!?" Jack demanded.

Raf frowned, "She wasn't."

With a quick yank of her arm, Miko ripped herself free from Jack and sent him a glare "Hey! I totally missed out last time! This can be my only chance to take some snaps!"

Her intentions clear as day, Miko reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone. While Jack and Raf watched though, Miko blinked and began searching the rest of her pockets. From her pants to even the toy clipped to her belt, the girl sat up and glanced back towards the Ground Bridge once she exhausted every place her phone could of been.

"I must of dropped it back at base!" she whined.

Jack rolled his eyes while Raf hung his head, "Figures."

Hopes crushed, Miko tensed up and sent Jack the mother of all glares. She stood straight up and marched right over to the boy, who stood up just in time. Raf got to his feet as well, preparing himself for what was about to happen.

Unbeknownst to the three teens though, the Autobots continued their mission despite their own grievances. Instead of standing around, the bots deployed their weapons and strolled forward just the moment they emerged from the Ground Bridge. Each were on guard, more then aware of what could be waiting for them due to the factors involved.

As the bots entered a nearby clearing though, the group came face to face with the source of the signal...

"Thats not Megatron..."

One they weren't expecting.

Far across the clearing stood a tall mech with a frame nearly entirely grey in color. Heel-like treads dug into the ground, attached to the mech's frame via a set of thing legs. Missiles were attached to the equally thin arms while a pair of wings spread out from the back of the looming Decepticon. As his talons crackled though, the bots took note of the Con's many wounds. From scratches to dings, the Decepticon looked ready to fall apart at any moment.

The beaten and worn-out mech stood just a few feet in front of a mass of boulders, laughing hysterically as a bright purple glow shined through the cracks in the pile.

Be that as it may though, Optimus' battle mask instantly slammed into position, "Starscream!"

The Prime's booming voice instantly snapped the flyer out of his laughter, the insane chuckling quickly replaced by a frightened gasp, "Autobots!"

Blasters activated as the Seeker turned to face the new arrivals. Starscream lifted one of his battered arms and pointed it at the bots. Optimus did the same, resulting in a sort of 'staredown' between the two forces. The four Autobots on one side while Starscream was alone on his own (aside from a glowing mound of dirt just a few feet behind him).

"Stand down."

Scowling, Starscream sneered at the Prime, "You stand down!"

With the Dark Energon making him even crazier than normal, Starscream attacked the Autobots. He fired one of his missiles, sending it on a direct course with the bots. It crashed into the space between the four mechs and exploded magnificently in a wave of fire and metal. As the missile detonated though, Optimus and his Autobots quickly took action.

They leaped out of the missile's path and hid behind a few nearby boulders, which protected themselves from the missile's range.

Once the bots were out of sight though, Starscream cackled like a madman. His optics even turning purple as he laughed, "Fools! Nothing can harm me while Dark Energon flows through my veins!-"

It happened in an instant. The moment Starscream finished talking, Optimus snapped up from his cover and fired. A blue bolt was discharged from the Prime's weapon and traveled through the air within seconds, almost like a flash of light. But despite its speed, the bolt easily hit its mark.

Starscream didn't know what happened at first. One second he was gloating at his obvious supremacy and the the next?

His arm exploded, reduced to a stump while everything from his elbow downwards flew countless feet behind him. The limb crashed into the ground, leaving Starscream with one less arm, weapon, and method of defending himself.

For a second or two, Starscream stared at his limb with wide optics. Eventually though, the clear lack of feeling in his arm (or lack there of) snapped the Decepticon back into reality. And once that happened, the Screamer was off. He turned on his heel and ran, eventually hiding himself behind a nearby boulder.

As one mech hid himself though, another four emerged from a very similar position.

Optimus and the others stepped out from their cover and watched as Starscream made himself scarce.

"You clipped his wings. Hes grounded." Bulkhead noted, readying his blaster.

Optimus nodded. Even though it was just his arm, such a critical part of a Cybertronian was needed for a Seeker to fly. And without it?

He as about as fly capable as a brick.

That in mind, Optimus and the other Autobots emerged from their cover and approached the beaten Decepticon. Footsteps slowly crossed the clearing as the bots moved, each ready to fire if necessary. The Prime took point while Ratchet covered the rear, ready in case anything happened.

"Agh! I can't BELIEVE you made me drop my phone!"

"W-wait! Hold on, how is this MY fault!?"

Anything, except for that.

Ratchet, Optimus, and the others turned around at such a noise, their blasters ready. What they saw however, made the bots stop and stare. It was the children, standing just a small distance away, back near where they had arrived. They stood atop a nearby pile of boulders, utterly unaware of what was happening. Instead, Miko was busy screaming at Jack, requiring the boy to defend himself while Raf watched.

"Oh No..." Bulkhead muttered, almost cursing the universe for such bad timing.

The Universe wasn't done yet however. Less than a few seconds after discovering the children themselves, Optimus was contacted by Arcee, "Base to Optimus! The Kids are missing!"

Prime frowned, "We have a visual. Send a Ground Bridge immediately!"

Even though Starscream was beaten and broken in his current state, the Prime was NOT going to risk the children's life. When Dark Energon was involved, even while in the hands of someone like Starscream, there was no chances the Prime was willing to take when it concerned the lives of their comrades.

A small confirmation quickly followed, as did another Ground Bridge.

The portal sprang to life just left of the teens, forming on the side of the canyon's wall. But before either of the bots could call out to the children to catch their attention, something odd occurred.

Another, second Ground Bridge appeared. Like a mirror, the Ground Bridge appeared like a reserved reflection, appearing on the same wall yet on the opposite side of the canyon. The shock of such an occurrence grabbed nearly everyone's attention, including the children. Seeing two Ground Bridges at the same time was not something commonly witnessed.

Ratchet, despite his shock, quickly called out to the children, "You three! Into our Ground Bridge! Now!"

Haste evident in his tone, Jack and Raf wasted no time in following the medic's command. After grabbing Miko, for which the girl groaned for, the tree teens swiftly descended from the stoney pile and made a dash towards the Ground Bridge. Unbeknownst to them however, a certain Seeker did the same for his Ground Bridge.

And he made it through first.

Jack, Miko and Raf didn't notice, as neither did the bots. The teens simply continued onward and ran through the nearest Bridge. As the three entered it however, something...strange began to occur. The swirling vortex began to shift and contort, twisting in unnatural ways. The energy bent and pushed, the very Bridge itself leaning to the right.

While still inside it, Jack, Raf, and Miko's pace slowed to a crawl. The Bridge around them began to shift and contort, unraveling to a unnatural degree. It was like an Earthquake, shaking the entire portal wildly. But the worst part? The part that actually made the teens stop in their track?

The other end of the Ground Bridge? It vanished, like the door had been closed on them. The portal between the canyon and the base now resembled an empty hallway, with only one exit remaining. The one behind them.

"That...doesn't seem right." Raf whimpered.

Jack gently gripped the boy's shoulder and pushed him back, "Come on, somethings up..."

Miko sent Jack a look, "Yah think!?"

Rolling his eyes, Jack silently began leading the three back towards where they had entered. Before they could even come close to reaching it though, something happened.

Everything that had been happening to the portal prior? Everything grew worse. The ground shook and rocked, cracks appearing throughout the portal's interior. Jack and the others felt a powerful trembling underneath them, like the portal had lost it's supports. The walls contorted, continuously pushing out from the side. Like a paper-bag, the very sides of the Ground Bridge began to thin, like a paper-bag being poked full of holes with a sharp knife.

Jack, Raf, and Miko ran even faster. The entrance to the bridge sat just a few yards ahead of them, almost in spitting distance. With a final push, the trio just nearly reached the entrance when-

An explosion tore through the air. Wind rushed in from the entrance and knocked the three even further into the portal. The very Bridge itself contorted, pushed over its limit by the sudden force. Chaos followed. The floor collapsed, ceiling cracked, and energy flared in nearly every direction. Everything turned unstable, inside and out.

What followed blinded everyone. A thunderous crack and a ear piecing explosion, both ripping through the area like an atomic bomb. Everyone was knocked off their feet by the shockwave alone. The teens and the bots both fell backwards and crashed into the ground.

With heads and helms smacking against the ground, darkness claimed them all.

A cold, empty darkness.

---

-Unknown-

---

"Stop him!"

"Take him out!"

"Attack at once! He can't-"

A raven haired boy shot forward, a sword in his hand. He snapped toward the closet target and sliced down. The man's own sword shattered as the weapons struck, one cutting through the other. A bloody gurgle was all the man could say as the boy cut him down, slicing a grizzly cut down his chest.

Two more enemies leaped from the side, both with swords lifted high in the air. They quickly brought their blades down, aiming for the boy's head. He ducked, the tips of the swords grazing his hair instead of his scalp. Both men growled and then howled. The boy grabbed the broken end of the first man's sword. He used it as a knife, stabbing one of his foes in the leg while punching his partner in the chest.

Both men staggered back. The boy shot into the air and cut one of them down. A man fell, a loss of an arm and part of his face. The other man fell backwards and pulled out a Kunai. He threw it, aiming at the boy's head. It missed, instead falling between his target's teeth.

A new weapon in hand, the boy fell right on top of the third man. Using his shoulders as stepping stones, the boy stabbed into his foe. His sword drove through the man's collar and into his chest, impaling his heart. He then took the Kunai and tossed it to the side.

A scream followed, as well as a few curses.

Standing up, the boy looked around. The landscape was filled with dead, from both sides of the conflict. Many wearing armor and blue clothes, neither were spared the grace of death. Yet still, more men approached. Some holding weapons, some weaving hand-signs, and some already launching attacks.

An explosion of wind thundered behind the boy, tearing the landscape up even further.. He narrowed his eyes at the approaching men and sheathed this sword. The men grew closer as the bow began tow eave hand-signs on his own. They flashed past even the keenest of warriors in just a few seconds. Once finished, the boy took a deep breath.

"Fire Style..."

"...Great Fire Destruction!"

---

"Ah!"

With a sudden yelp, Jack shot upward and awoken from his dream.

That was instantly proven to be a bad idea. Before he could even groan, Jack felt his head do somersaults like he had been thrown through a washing machine. Everything was blurry, and whats worse? He didn't even have a chance to question it.

Things were just...everywhere, all at once.

"Ow..." Jack groaned.

What...what happened?

Opening his eyes, Jack was quickly assaulted by a painful headache. In fact, everything hurt. The ground beneath him was hard, not comfortable in the slightest. The teen could practically feel his body ache due to laying on it. Such a place was not the best place to take a nap.

Rolling himself on his side, Jack stood up and glanced around. The canyon was still their destination, the Ground Bridge apparently having spat them back out before collapsing. To the boy's side was his friends as well, each waking up in a similar manner as he was.

"You guys okay...?" Jack asked, sitting up.

Raf adjusted his glasses and nodded, "Yeah, I think so..."

Nodding, Jack and the others slowly got to their feet. They weren't to only ones either. Just a few feet away, the Autobots stumbled and groaned, each having suffered through the strange happenings as the children had. Of the bots though, Bulkhead was the first to awaken, and to a mighty big headache too.

"Ugh, what happened?"

Ratchet let out a groan, "I can't be certain..."

"But if two Ground Bridges sent to the same coordinates, the feedback could have triggered a system overload."

Miko looked up at the Medic and waved her arms, "Could?! HELLO! It totally did!"

If causing the entire Ground Bridge to implode on itself, knock the kids back through the entrance, and then nearly knock everyone out didn't clarify as an overload, then nothing did! Heck, they were lucky that the two portals didn't pull a 'Ghost Busters' due to the crossed steams and ended the world!

Strangely, Ratchet didn't acknowledge Miko's statement. Hell, he didn't even look at her. No angry look or anything. In fact, none of the bots did. Each of them even Optimus merely ignored the girl. And while that would have been a major achievement in their day and age, it was a bit confusing at the moment

Especially given Bulkhead's next words, "But the kids made it though, didn't they?"

The children blinked, "Huh?"

"Whats he talking about?" Jack asked, not entirely sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Miko however, did. The girl hated to be ignored, especially when people were acting as if she didn't even exist. So instead of standing around as if she really DIDN'T exist, Miko marched over to her guardian and yelled about as loud as she could mange, "Bulkhead?! Hello! We're right here!"

No matter how much Miko yelled at the bots, none of them reacted. Not even a twitch. It was even more than simply not hearing them. Optimus himself didn't even bat the children a glance, and he wasn't the type to ignore anything if given the opportunity. But instead of that they were there, Optimus reactivated his coms. and contacted the base, "Arcee, did the children make it safely back to base?"

"Negative," Arcee replied, "You don't see them!?"

Ratchet frowned, "No sign."

The utter ignorance of the three children earned a shocked expression from each of them. For some reason or another, the Bots were seemingly ignoring them or just frankly didn't know that they were there for some reason. Regardless of which though, such words proved to be the last straw in Miko's mind. The girl huffed and walked awfully close to her guardian, standing just a few feet away from the Wrecker's foot.

"What?! 'No sign'? Okay, seriously Bulk-"

Before Miko could even finish that sentence, something beyond words happened.

Bulkhead, out of ignorance or just unsuspecting coincidence, took a step forward. His massive foot lifted itself in the air and moved in Miko's direction. The girl herself quickly realized the danger she was in and covered her face. But instead of slamming into Miko and knocking her down, Jack, Raf, and Miko herself stood and watched as something...different happened.

"Whoa-!"

It went through her. The limb, passed through her like nothing.

Bulkhead's massive foot actually when right through Miko, as if it could actually ignore her presence both literally and figuratively. There was no collision, no painful impact, and there wasn't even a reaction on the Wreckers' end. It was like one of the two just wasn't there in the slightest.

Miko stumbled back, unable to process what had happened. Her entire body felt chilled, as if someone had stepped on her grave. It felt unnatural and nearly made Miko loose her sense of balance for a few seconds. Thankfully, Jack and Raf caught her before she face-planted, though it wasn't comfort enough for what they just witnessed.

"He went right through out..." Jack muttered in shock, "Does that mean we're...?"

Raf whimpered and clutched Jack's leg, "I don't wanna be a ghost!"

Dead. Without the feeling of being able to touch or communicate, being a ghost seemed like the most reasonable explanation in existence. Such was a spirit of the dead, capable of numerous things aside from touching. But all that depended on one thing, being actually dead. A fact that none of the children wanted to be true.

What Jack quickly realized though, was that he was holding Miko. Actually, physically holding her up.

"Wait," the teen pointed put, "How can we still touch each other?"

If the teens were truly ghosts, then why were they still able to feel each other? Hell, why could they feel the ground too? Wouldn't ghosts merely float or go through any solid matter? One could assume that ghosts would simply float on through nearly everything. And yet, the children could touch each other without issue.

Miko and Raf released Jack and looked down at themselves. So much confusion was making the duo's heads hurt.

Though, the act of thinking didn't last long. As before the teens could realize what was going on, the three quickly took notice of the Autobots. The mechs had began to walk over to where Starscream had been, likely to take into account anything they could use. As they ran though, Jack, Miko, and Raf quickly followed as fast as they could.

Such silence quickly gripped the area, making the lack of colors seem all the more lifeless in comparison.

"Ratchet," Optimus spoke up, musing on an idea as they walked, "Could it be possible for the children to have been transported to the Nemesis instead?"

The medic shook his helm, "Not likely. If Starscream didn't arrive at our base, then the most likely explanation would be a dislocation. The children might have simply been bridged to an unintended destination."

Still trailing behind the mechs, the three teens stopped with wide eyes. They couldn't believe Ratchet's explanation. It didn't seem possible. How could the teens have been sent somewhere else, if they were still there? If anything, the only thing that had changed was the fact that no one could see, hear, or feel them anymore!

"Another place...and yet the same place?"

Blinking, Jack and Miko sent their shorter friend a confused look, "Wha-what do you mean?"

Concentration eclipsing his expression, Raf tried to explain his idea as best he could, "If Ratchet's right, then maybe we did get bridged somewhere else. But instead of being sent someone else on Earth, maybe we were sent into a...sorta, different dimension?"

"An...alternate reality, some sort of 'Shadow Zone', where we're still here and yet, not at the same time."

Jack, for a moment, was speechless. Miko on the other hand...

"Nerd Alert."

Back with the bots, the four mechs silently approached the same mound Starscream had been laughing over just moments before everything had gone to hell. Before, it had been a large pile of rocks and boulders, easily large enough to contain a Cybertronian. But now? After all the insanity that had plagued the short mission?

"Look," Optimus gravelly noted, "Skyquake's tomb is empty."

The mound was now nothing more than a giant hole, containing neither rocks nor a deceased Cybertronian.

Bulkhead gawked at the newly emptied grave, his processor spinning in confusion, "How in the heck did we miss Skyquake rising and shining!?"

Skyquake was a massive Decepticon, easily towering over most Vehicons. He was even nearly the same size as Optimus. With such bulk and intimidating presence, which would only be increased by his resurrection as an undead, the idea that he could rise up and escape his tomb while remaining unnoticed just didn't seem possible. And yet, it had happened.

"It seems Starscream got what he came for." Ratchet grumbled.

Optimus nodded. Starscream now had a powerful weapon at his disposal, and there was no telling when he might try to bring more fallen warriors back from the grave. But be that as it may, there were more important dealings to focus on than the Seeker's quest for power.

"Another matter for another time." he decided, "Right now, our priority is locating Jack, Miko, and Rafael."

Finding Starscream would be a matter for another day. If anything, he still had to deal with Megatron if the warlord discovered the Seeker's activities. Given how busted up he already was, some of the bots might even pity the Con if that happens. But in the meanwhile, they had a few children to find.

"Arcee, bridge us back to base."

In the background, the very same children silently watched as the bots prepared to depart. They had little idea what to do. If anything, they were prepared to follow the team back to base. At least there, they might find away to contact the bots or something.

"Maybe we can find something to draw on, write something on the ground that they could see?"

It wasn't the best plan (as Miko liked to point out) but it was the best one they had.

So while the bots called for their Bridge, the three teens waited patiently for the portal to appear. But while they watched, a large shadow suddenly loomed over the trio.

A massive arm creeped over a nearby boulder and clutched it, both crushing the stone and gaining the attention of the three. Sharp claws tore into the stoney surface, ripping and tearing it like it was paper. The sound it made was also like rusted knives on a chalk board, causing a terrible sound that echoed through the entire canyon.

The children covered their ears at such a noise and silently cursed the cause of it. Of the three though, Jack was the first to turn around and actually see the cause of their pain. Yet upon seeing it, Jack took a step back and froze.

"What the heck was-" he muttered, "Oh no..."

Curiosity followed suit with Raf and Miko unknowingly mimicking Jack's actions. Soon enough, all three children were staring up at the looming figure, their mouths wide with shock.

Towering over them, the massive creature was covered in black, rusted armor. Its arms, legs, and entire frame was beaten hell and back with numerous cuts, scratches, and damages covering its body. The creature's movement was slow, almost as if it was dragging itself along. But even such a slow rate of movement couldn't take away from just how massive the creature was, looming over the kids as if it was as tall as Optimus itself.

Claws as sharp as knives, wings tattered and broken, and eyes filled with nothing but a lifeless purple glow, the undead beast that had one been Skyquake had risen from the grave, active once more.

The massive, metal corpse pushed its way past the teens, its shadow briefly looming over them. Watching, the trio silently observed as the undead Decepticon pushed itself across the clearing, walking straight towards the Autobots. Optimus and the others stood painfully unaware however. A Ground Bridge had swirled to life in front of them, making more than enough noise to drown out the thunderous footsteps.

"ZOMBIE!"

Screams filled the air. Each of the teens screamed at the bots, trying to catch their attention. Warnings, frightened yells to move, everything they could come up with was thrown into the air. And yet despite their screams, the bots didn't hear them. They couldn't, not in their present state.

Skyquake continued to stalk towards the bots, even as they entered the Ground Bridge. His undead optics quickly found his first target, Bulkhead being the farthest back of the group, and the slowest.

With talons sharp enough to rip though even the thickest of armors, Skyquake lifted its undead apendage and prepared to tear through the back of the Wrecker's frame. Miko screamed, one last time, desperate to save the Wrecker. Yet still, her voice went unheard...

Within the flash of a second, the Undead stuck, flailing its massive arm and swinging it right at Bulkhead's back...

For which, it passed right through.

Literally.

"Huh?"

There was no connection, no meeting of talons and steel. Like the kids had earlier, Skyquake's limb passed right on through Bulkhead without a hint of resistance. Noting occurred, not even the slightest of scratches or the dullest of sparks. Undead or not, Skyquake passed right on through, as if he hadn't even been there.

Skyquake, despite his undead state, stared confusingly at his limb while the bots departed, leaving the children to process what they had witnessed.

Miko was the first to realize what had occurred. And when she did, laughter sprang forth from the girl, "Alright! It can't touch them either!

A horrid groan escaped from the massive undead. It's prey were gone, escaped with the closing of the Ground Bridge. The massive pile of broken metal shifted in place, thunderous vibrations echoing through the vacant clearing. Like the corpse that he was, Skyquake's massive legs began dragging itself across the clearing once more.

His new destination though, just so happened to be in the very same direction as the children were.

"Oh, scrap." Jack muttered, "If that thing can't touch the bots..."

Miko winced, "Just like we can't...and we can touch each other..."

"Then I guess he can touch us!"

Horror quickly gripped the three children. The massive, dark corpse of a Con loomed over them with its shadow growing ever bigger as it approached. The ground practically shook with every step it took. No anger or violent thoughts were present on the Corpse's face. There were no thoughts at all in fact. Just instinct, the need to destroy.

Like a wild animal, Skyquake continued to approach the three, resulting in the only reasonable thing a teen could think of doing.

They ran.

Raf, Jack, and Miko all booked it, running as fast as they could away from the undead Decepitcon. They ran passed the pile of rocks they had been standing on previously and even ran past the very place they had arrived at. Running was the only thing the three could concern themselves with at the moment. That, and the ever present footsteps of their purser.

Skyquake never gave up. He likely didn't even know how to. The corpse merely continued to stomp after the children, its massive frame easily allowing it to keep pace despite its lack of thought.

The teens continued to run, turning a corner as the canyon shifted from the clearing into a much more narrowed passage. Walls were much closer now and places to run became limited. The only option the three had was to keep running, hoping to outpace the massive undead.

As they ran though, Raf struggled to keep up. The boy was short, much shorter than his friends, With such short limbs, running wasn't the easiest of tasks for the boy.

Such circumstances eventually stuck hard when Raf tripped over his own feet. The boy fell face first into the ground, his glasses sliding a short distance away. Hearing the boy fall, Miko and Jack stopped and turned to see what had happened. In the distance, the duo saw both Raf on the ground, and Skyquake following not that far behind.

Without a moment to lose, Jack quickly shot back down the path and to his friend. Grabbing Raf by the arms, Jack helped the boy to his feet and ran pulled him along. Eventually, the trio manged to find a small place to rest, hiding behind a small turn the path took just a few yards ahead.

Once there though, Raf pointed out something that had been forgotten, "Jack! My Glasses!"

Jack glanced down at Raf and let out a curse. Standing up, the teen glanced around the corner and briefly scanned the path. The very frames themselves still sat in the middle of the path. Unfortunately, such a path also had a undead Decepticon currently taking a stroll down it.

"Way too dangerous." Jack decided, not willing to risk it.

A lumbering, undead beast was growing closer every second. Making a run for something Raf could easily get a replacement for did not seem worth it.

"B-but, I can't see without them!" the boy pointed out.

Off to the side, Miko scoffed at Raf's insistence, "What are you, Ninety?"

"Not helping!"

Miko scowled, "Fine!"

Before Jack or Raf could stop her, Miko was off. The girl went running, dashing around the corner and made her way over to Raf's glasses. They weren't too far away thankfully but neither was Skyquake. By the time Miko even snatched the glasses, the looming Terracon was practically upon her. It's massive foot rose high into the air, about to crush the girl beneath its massive weight.

Just as the foot crashed into the ground however, Miko rolled to the side, just barely avoiding becoming quite the pancake.

With or without the girl beneath it, Skyquake's appendage fell forward all the same. The colossal foot slammed into the ground with tremendous force, cracking and distorting the very rock underneath it. A thunderous quake rumbled through the area, shaking everything from the ground to the walls, and even the earth between Jack and Raf's feet.

But such a destructive force still manged to miss one little girl.

"HOO-YA!" Miko cheered, her blood nearly boiling at the excitement.

Momentum burning bright, Miko shot to her feet and ran. The girl's feet nearly instantly took her ahead of the rusted up corpse, its massive frame slow and cumbersome. In fact, Miko ran underneath yet another near crushing as she escaped, chuckling to herself as she left Skyquake in the dust.

After safely getting some distance between herself and the massive undead however, bad luck struck once again. A small crack in the ground, caused by Skyquake's thunderous footsteps caught Miko by one of her feet. With her foot wedged in the crack, Miko fell forward.

Right onto her face.

"Ow..."

Sitting up, Miko rubbed her bruised temple and glared down at her foot. It was caught in a tiny hole, barely big enough for her fist to fit into. Miko scowled at the hole and barely bit back the urge to yell at it for tripping her up. Instead, her time quickly went to removing her foot from such an obstacle.

But as she tried, Miko froze when a large shadow loomed over her, eclipsing any light that had been there.

Miko gulped and glanced upward, "Scrap..."

Even with the small distance she had manged to gain between her and the Con, Miko flinched as she saw Skyquake stumble just over her. The Decepticon's massive feet caused mini earthquakes with every step. Such vibrations caused vibrations through everything, including Miko herself.

"Miko!" Raf cried in the distance, "Get out of there!"

"MOVE! NOW!"

Echoes of the screams sounded throughout the canyon. Yet even with her ears burning from the sound of them, Miko couldn't move. Her body froze up, unwilling to even twitch. The girl was trapped, unable to escape as Skyquake's corpse loomed over her.

Letting out a shriek, Miko clenched her eyes shut and covered her eyes.

For a moment, darkness consumed Miko's line of sight. Her heart beating like a set of drums, waiting for the end to come. Yet as her ears were filled with the rhythmic beating of her most vital organ, something else cracked through the air. Not the painful end of her life via the Terrorcon's foot, but the loud crackle of an explosion instead.

With a yelp, Miko snapped upward and opened her eye.

"Whoa..."

An explosion echoed though the canyon.

As Miko watched, a gigantic fireball smashed against Skyquake's chest. It crossed the sky in almost an instant and flew right over Miko's head, emerging somewhere from behind. The force of the collision knocked the Terrorcon back like a wrecking ball, exploding against his chest like an act of nature. Such a force interrupted the Con from taking its final step, sending it teetering backwards.

Then with his balanced lost, the Con fumbled backwards with a crash, its chest smoking as it fell.

Miko gaped, unsure of what had happened. The Terrorcon had been just seconds from crushing her, and yet now it was on its back like an upside down turtle.

Blinking with wide eyes, Miko turned around and glanced back at her friends.

Both Raf and Jack stood in the distance, just a few feet from their cover. Yet something had changed. Raf was at the side, his eyes just as wide as Miko's. But Jack? The teen as staring not at Miko, but at the Fallen Decepitcon. His hands were intertwined in a hand-sign and a frown was burned onto his face.

A frown that had smoke billowing out the sides of his lips.

"You're always so reckless, you know that right?" he grumbled.

Utter silence echoed throughout the canyon. Miko was speechless, Raf was speechless, Skyquake was still an undead zombie, and Jack just looked angry. But as the massive Con slowly started to rise again, reality seemed to smack the three right across the face.

"Miko!" Jack yelled, "Move already!"

Snapping out of her shock, Miko quickly tore her foot out of its tiny prison and got to her feet. Skyquake had almost done the same as well, rising up from the ground like the walking corpse that he was. But while the Terrorcon struggled to its feet, Miko wasted no time and ran like hell, quickly returning to her friends and a small manner of safety.

Reunited once again, the three teens took a moment to let their nerves finally settle.

A moment that was instantly ruined the moment Skyquake's footsteps made themselves known once again. The tiro turned around and glanced over their shoulders, noticing the Terrorcon as grew even closer yet again. So upon seeing the undead once more, the trio did the wisest thing they could think of.

They ran, shooting right down the Canyon yet again.

The Con still after them, Jack and the others escaped down one of the more cramped pathways that the Canyon offered. It wasn'y much, but even something of Skyquake's size would have some trobule with getting to the trio while they were there. If anything, it merely gave them a chance to rest and catch their breaths.

While they rested though, Miko reached into one of her pockets and pulled out Raf's glasses.

"Here, Gramps..." Miko sighed, handing back the boy's spectacles.

Blinking, Raf smiled up at the girl and gladly took back his glasses. Things had all been a blur without them, "Thanks."

"Its fine," the girl shrugged, waving off the boy's thanks, "Nothing much. But, what I'd like to know is..."

Miko sent Jack a look, "WHAT WAS THAT!?"

Of the three teens, Jack still struggled to regain his breath. Yet even while clutching his knees, the teen sent Miko a slight glare, "What?"

Miko blinked. Red eyes flashed across the girl's face like two hot knives, pushing past her defenses until her spine shivered. Pushing such uncomfortableness aside though, Miko got back to the matter at hand. "That...thing! The thing with the fire! What was it!? I didn't see and you were just standing there and...and-!"

"Miko," Raf pointed out, "You're blabbering."

"Don't care!" she yipped, "What was that?! How did...did you...shoot fire?!"

Just about having caught his breath, Jack stood up and averted his gaze, "I..."

The teen crossed his arms, earning a strange look from his two companions. Jack was never the type to get nervous or antsy, at least outside a few specific situations. Yet now, he wasn't even meeting their gazes (which was a kinda a relief after the glare he had sent Miko), "Its...complicated."

Miko blinked, "Complicated?"

"How complicated could it be? You shot a gigantic, FIREBALL out of your mouth! That..." the girl rambled excitedly, "...that was just awesome! What is it!? Are your lungs made of fire?! Your heart?! Are you part Dragon or something?! A wizard!?"

Jack clenched his teen. The girl's utter excitement getting to him. The teen couldn't tell Miko for one very good reason. He didn't know! How could he explain something he didn't know himself?! It wasn't something one could so easily put into words, and Miko's excited antics weren't helping either.

"I Just...I don't know, okay?" he sighed, "Its complicated Miko, very complicated and I'll try to explain latter okay? I just...I'm not entirely sure myself."

The girl blinked, "Huh? What daya mean?!"

"It means...I'm not sure." Jack muttered, pinching his nose. The whole matter was giving a headache.

Though, Miko surely wasn't helping either, "...could I get the short version then?"

"I don't know!" Jack shrugged, exasperated, "Short version, I just can! Saw something in a dream, tried it myself, and bam! I can breathe fire! Okay!?"

Such skills weren't so easily dismissed. Jack made plenty of attempts to find a reason for such a trait. Records regarding others (aside from freak-shows) with similar abilities and of the like. But as he did when investigating his eyes at an earlier age, Jack found nothing. His pyrotechnic abilities were a mystery, even to himself.

Miko huffed, "Well that sucks."

"Yes, well. Tell me something I don't know, Miko!" Jack snapped, unamused by the girl's disappointment.

As the signs of another argument began to form, Raf opened his mouth to interrupt.

But before he could even do that, the three teens were struck silent when a thunderous vibration echoed under their feet. It began as only one, a thunderous booming sound in the distance. But like a chain reaction, more and more vibrations echoed through canyon like a footsteps through an old house.

Their conversation shattered, the three glanced behind each other and froze.

Despite how narrow the passage was, Skyquake slowly manged to push its way through the canyon. Even if it had to tear up its own frame, nothing seemed to be stopping the Terrorcon from getting at the children. It was like a wild animal, staving and willing to do anything to get its prey. Which, just so happened to be three somewhat defenseless humans.

"Scrap…" Jack cursed, "What now…?"

Raf and Miko glanced at each other, neither having the answer they needed. The trio was stuck in some strange dimension with an undead Decepticon. Not only that but they were trapped with no possible way to contact the bots, or even escape! So when presented with a near hopeless situation, the three did the first thing that came to mind.

They ran, again.

Still running in the opposite direction as the Terrorcon, the three children didn't wait for the beast to catch up before running. But while running, the three shifted to a topic that seemed much more important than Jack's pyrotechnic abilities at the moment. As in, what they could do about the walking, growling, undead monster.

Of the three, Miko was the first to actually give a suggestion, "We could set a trap! Try and crush'em!"

"With what though?" Raf pointed out, "Theres nothing here solid enough except for us and the ground!"

As they ran, the children quickly realized just how empty the canyon was. All it had was its walls, the children, Skyquake, and a few random bolders. And without a method of getting atop the canyon, the options the teens had when it concerned crushing their undead foe were...limited.

Frowning, Miko blinked and turned to Jack, "Why don't you try and barbecue him again?"

Somewhat glad the girl wasn't asking questions about the fire itself, Jack sighed and shook his head, "Won't help. It can stun them, but whatever I can do isn't enough to take out one of them, I've tried."

"Tried? On who?" Miko blinked.

Jack sighed, "That mission where Arcee and I got stuck on, the one with the evil spider we told you about? I shot her in the face once."

"...whoa..." she muttered, "Thats awesome!"

Memories of the event made Jack smile, "Yeah. Only made her mad though. But it was fairly useful when I blew up her ship. I never knew that Energon was so flammable."

"Still wish I hadn't stood too close though."

The explosion from the ship seriously had not been the most pleasant experience for Jack. In fact, he still felt quite sore from that one. Standing near explosions was not something Jack would advise, even for the most dreadful of situations.

Still, such memories wouldn't save them from the Terrorcon.

"Still, thats awesome!" Mkio yipped, "Is there anything else you can do!? Create waves of water? Control Wind?! Shoot Lightening!?"

Jack rolled his eyes, "No, no, and how is that even a thing!?"

Seriously? Who in their right mind could control lightening? It sounded completely insane. Or at least, it would have if it wasn't for the fact that Jack could breath fire. Hell, for some reason all those suggestions didn't sound all THAT strange to the teen. Some even sounded possible given what he knew. Heck, he could even look into some of those.

After they were safe anyway.

"So...you can't do anything else?" the girl then asked, sounding disappointed.

Still running, Jack rubbed his eyes and shook his head, "I...I can...well, No but its nothing that can help us right no! I swear. We might as well keep running until we think of something else more...reliable!"

Miko blinked, "Wait, so you can-"

"Focus! Explanation, later!"

As Jack was nearly ready to snap at his friend, a sudden noise interrupted the teen. It was music, somewhat loud and a tad bit irritating. But the very sound of it made the three stop, gasping at each other. Strangely, the music sounded like it was coming from one of the teens, which instantly caught their attention. Many of them knew what often played such music, as two of them often held one at all times.

"Is that..." Raf muttered before realizing.

"PHONE!"

Without delay, Jack instantly reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. Once in his hand, the teen noticed the incoming call. He flipped the device open and pressed it against his ear. He didn't care if it was his mother or his boss from work calling. Anything from the outside world would of been appreciated at the moment.

"He-hello!? Arcee!?" he frantically asked, "You there?!"

Static echoed through the phone's earpiece. Nothing but static. No hint of word or response at all. Just a load of static.

Biting back a hiss, Jack pulled the phone away and sighed, "Nothing."

"Well imagine that!" Miko mused, sarcastically, "The Fourth Dimension has lousy cell phone reception!"

Despite the disappointment, Jack blinked and realized something, "W-wait, hold on. Guys, the Phone rang...it actually rang. We're getting a signal here!"

The teens couldn't talk, touch, or physically interact with the outside world in any way, but the phone still got a signal. Despite their dislocation with the rest of their reality, the phone seemingly still had at least some connection to where the teens had come from, a connection to their home.

"Maybe the bots can see or here us...because we're going at Hyper speed or something?" Raf guessed, taking a shot in the dark.

The teens had little else to explain how they could in another dimension and yet still be in the same place. It made no sense and yet, they were living it.

"Maybe...but do you think the bots can read us?"

---

-Later-

---

"How can this guy be so dainty looking, yet his arm still be so freaken heavy!?"

Jack sighed, "Miko, priorities!"

"I'm just saying! He looks like a twig compared to Bulkhead!"

"Everyone looks like a twig compared to Bulkhead!" Jack grumbled, "Now push!"

After discovering the loose connection they still had to the outside world, Jack, Miko, and Raf quickly came up with a gamble of a plan. By using Jack's phone, the trio sent the Autobot's a text message, hoping to have Miko's phone receive it back at the base. Due to Miko dropping it, the teens were sure that it had to still be back at in the Command center, where at least some of the bots had to be.

Though, their plan was still a gamble. The three had to wait to see if the bots had even gotten their message, and even if they did, they had to contend with a certain Terrorcon until the bots mounted a rescue. If one was even possible.

Luckily for the three, there had been no shortages of places for them to run as Skyquake approached. In fact, the Canyon was seemingly a never ending circle of stone and dirt. No dead ends or narrowing passages appeared, not even once. Miko even swore they had passed by a particular rock over a dozen times at one point.

Everything appeared to be repeating itself, over and over again. It was like an ever repeating background, never changing or taking a different turn.

At least, that was until the teens ran into something new.

Literally.

After one turn in particular, the trio crashed face first into a large metal forearm. The limb was massive, easily bigger than Miko, Raf, and Jack combined. As it lacked the rest of its body, the arm only went up to where the elbow would have been, thus leaving a clawed hand, forearm, and a large red missile alone on the canyon's floor. Yet at a mere glance, the three instantly recognized what they had discovered.

Somehow, the three teens had discovered the remains of Starscream's arm. The same one Optimus had blown off earlier that same day.

Upon literally crashing into said appendage, Raf suggested that the same explosion that had sent them and Skyquake into the Shadow Zone might have also caught the limb during all the confusion. Things had been falling apart around everyone, so perhaps Starscream had dropped it in the confusion.

It was odd, and the timing was so good that it was strange. Yet when the teens heard their undead purser catching up with them once again, an idea struck them. Nearly everything in the Canyon, due to the nature of their predicament was impossible to touch. The teens merely passed right through anything aside from the ground, the walls, and Skyquake itself. But by slamming into Starscream's arm, the teens realized that it was solid...

And, it was armed.

The red missile was undamaged and functional, ready to be fired. It was a weapon, practically having fallen right into the children's lap. And with the undead monster still lumbering towards them, Jack, Miko, and Raf quickly rushed over towards the arm and began to redirect the arm.

Instead of laying across the Canyon's floor, the three teens slowly pushed the arm until the missile's tip was pointed towards one end of the Canyon. The same end where Jack, Miko, and Raf had ran from, where their feet had carried them away from their looming doom.

And where Skyquake soon emerged from, moments later.

With the appearance of the massive undead, Jack and the others quickly picked up the pace. They continued to push the limb until it was pointed directly at the lumbering Terrorcon. Once in position, Jack and the others quickly got into position, leaping to the limb's side and prepared to fire.

Finding how to fire proved to be difficult at first. Miko had a bit of trouble with finding the trigger and fumbled around while looking. Thanks to Raf though, the three remembered the strange gestures Starscream normally made with his fingers, which were nearly always followed with the discharge of his weapon.

Upon finding this out, Jack ran to the very front of the limb and grabbed one of the fingers.

Tension suddenly filled the air, the two forces staring each other down. Skyquake lumbered forward, approaching the trio. Jack and the others waited, watching as the Con approached. It stomped ever closer, his shadow looming over the trio. Yet still, the teens didn't grow worried or freak out...

Instead, they waited...waited, right up until-

"NOW!"

Before the Con could react, the three teens pulled down on one of Starscream's fingers. The mechanism within the arm instantly activated and set loose the ignition within. A fire exploded out the back of the missile, sending it flying straight toward the lumbering undead Decepticon.

The missile struck dead center on the Terrocon, smashing into Skyquake's frame with a thunderous bang. The Con himself only had a moment to blink at what had happened, his purple optics wide when it hit.

A massive explosion echoed through the canyon, engulfing half of the clearing within a few seconds. The booming explosion quickly consumed the Con with a wave of fire, similar to the fireball Jack had unleashed just earlier. Yet unlike then, the fire was soon followed by a wave of smoke, which expanded far into the canyon's halls.

Jack and the others ducked behind Starscream's limb as the smoke engulfed the clearing, protecting themselves from the ash and surrounding walls weren't as lucky, as metal shards and the aftershock itself crashed into everything they could reach.

Once the smoke passed however, the teens slowly emerged from their cover and looked around, watching for the results of their gambit.

"Did we get it...?" Miko muttered.

Stepping up, Jack focused his eyes and glared off into the distance. Through the smoke, the boy's eyes twisted into their crimson form and cut through the smoke. His eyes cut through the cloud of smoke and ash, gazing through into what sat at its center.

Upon seeing what was there though, Jack bit his lip and took a step back, "No..."

Before any of the teens could question Jack's words, a large metal arm swung its way through the smoke.

A revolting hiss emerged from the cloud as Skyquake emerged. His frame was till beaten and broken but nothing new had appeared. Barely a new scratch was upon the Terrorcon's frame. All the missile had caused was an spark of rage within the undead, who's purple optics glared at the children.

Miko slumped her shoulders and groaned, "Are you serious?!"

"Whats it take to hurt this thing!?"

Seconds after the Con took the step it stopped once again. Sparks suddenly sprang froth from his left arm, a painful creaking of metal and wires filling the air. Then with a thunderous crash, the Terrorcon's arm promptly fell off and smashed into the ground.

Jack and the others stopped, delaying their escape again.

Energon dripped from the broken Decepticon's broken body. Skyquake's armor was broken, shattered from the missile. Energon flowed from the wounds, damaged from the destructive explosion. His arm bled as well, Energon dripping from the stump that had once connected the Con and its limb together.

Seconds of silence passed, Jack, Miko and Raf simply staring wide eyed at the broken Con and its arm. One say silent on the ground while its owner watched in confusion...

Until the arm sprang back to life! The phantom limb flipped itself onto its palm and began crawling across the ground, making a beeline towards the three teens. It jerked unnaturally, moving fast despite being a mere hand. Energon even tailed behind it, like blood dripping out of a severed hand.

"AGH! What the-!?" Miko yelled.

Jack didn't wait. The moment the limb began to move, he grabbed both teens and screamed, "RUN!"

The chase began once more. Jack, Miko, and Raf ran through the clearing and down into the canyon yet again. Only this time, they had two pursers. The Undead Decepticon and his living limb. One of which, actually proved quite faster than the other.

"Seriously?! When is the Zombie's arm, faster than the Zombie itself!" Miko shouted as they ran.

"Less talking, more running!"

There was no more time for resting, no time to hide. Skyquakes arm moved along the ground like a spider, using all of its fingers to crawl across the canyon's floor with no trouble. It even latched onto the canyon's walls and propelled itself though the air, leaping from one boulder to another.

The children continued to run but found the undead limb gaining ground on them, and fast.

Raf fumbled, nearly tripping up as they ran, "W-what do we do now!?"

Jack bit his lip. Glancing over his shoulder, the teen saw Skyquake's arm, dangerously close as it chased after them. But as the monster's limb inched closer and closer to the trio, Jack's eyes caught something.

Trailing just behind the limb itself was Energon, pouring out of the arm as it moved. The broken portion of Skyquake's arm was just like a real wound. Energon poured out of the damaged section like blood would for a human. And with this gaping wound, Energon continuously continued to escape, leaving behind a trail along with a steady stream of the substance.

Merely seeing it gave Jack an idea. As they ran, the teen turned to Raf and caught his attention.

"Hey, Raf?" Jack muttered to the teen, "How much Energon do you think is still in that thing?"

While still running for their lives, Raf glanced back and shrugged, "Dunno! If its still moving, then it still needs to have some!"

Energon was like blood to a Cybertronian, they needed it to function at all times. Without it, they would collapse and offline, right on the spot. So for something like an arm or a limb to move, there still had to be something inside, even if it was a corrupted version of the substance.

Jack smirked, "Alright, hold on for a moment!"

Stopping dead in his tracks, Jack threw his friends in front of him and turned to face the approaching limb. Miko and Raf fumbled to a stop, neither quite ready to stop so suddenly.

Raf flinched, "Jack!? What are you doing!?"

"Have you gone bonkers?!" Miko yelled, gaping at the teen.

Their words fell on deaf ears. Jack forced his eyes on the approaching limb and quickly ran through several hand-signs. Miko and Raf blinked at what he was doing, the bot still confused. His hands were quick and without mistake, working against the speed of Skyquake's arm.

His eyes watched as the arm grew closer. Its sharp, piercing claws reached out to grab him and rip him apart. The mere sight pushed Jack faster, as did the screams of his friends.

As the limb leaped into the air, Jack slammed his hands together and took a deep breath.

Time seemed to come to a crawl. The limb leaping through the air, Raf and Miko screaming in shock, and Jack?

Fire blasted out of his mouth, slamming directly into the arm in mid leap.

An explosion engulfed the two forces as the fire crashed against the Undead Limb. Yet unlike Skyquake himself, the Con's arm didn't crumble against the flames. It pushed on through, tearing through the blunt of the explosion like it was nothing. The arm pushed onward toward Jack, with its claws burning read as it reached out.

Miko and Raf gasped and screamed, their voices almost drowned out by the explosion itself. As they yelled though, Jack did nothing. He didn't move or twitch. The teen merely stood on and watched.

He watched and glared, observing as the fire ran down the limb's side...

Still in mid-air, Skyquaike's arm came to a thunderous halt. An explosion ripped though the back end of the arm and sent both metal and wires flying. All momentum it had quickly turned to ash, like a powerful force had smacked it backwards.

With one final attempt to reach out and grab Jack, the limb fell from the sky and crashed into the ground like a brick.

Now disabled, Jack, Miko, and Raf all stepped forward and watched. They saw flames shot up through the back end of the arm and ignite the Energon that had been trailing out. The substance burst into flames upon contact with Jack's assault, even following the trail the limb had left as it chased them. All the Energon, outside and in quickly ignited, causing the limb to stutter and creak.

The flames began tearing the limb apart from the inside out. Fire peaked through its cracked frame, and the limb's fingers twitched as everything began to collapse. Jack took one step back as the arm reached forward, almost desperately as if it was tried to grad the teen.

Yet before it could even touch him, fire cracked through the remains of the arm and split it wide open.

A thunderous explosion, like the one that had happened when the two forces had met rang once more. The teens took a step back and covered their eyes, each nearly blinded by the intensity of the explosion.

But like before, the detonation vanished into the wind, leaving behind nothing but a shattered hole in the ground in its place.

Seeing this, Miko let loose a cheer and pumped her arm into the air,"Alright! How was that indigestion!?"

She wasn't alone in her cheering though. Even Raf took a second to sigh in his relief. The sight of the massive arm chasing the trio had nearly given the poor boy a heart attack.

Of the three, Jack merely shook his head at Miko's joke and fell to his knees. He felt tired beyond belief. Jack wasn't even sure if he could keep himself upward if he wanted to. Everything from his arms to his legs and even his lungs felt as if they had been thrown into a meat tenderizer and beaten until raw.

His friends quickly stopped cheering and turned around., "Jack?!"

Without waiting, Miko and Raf snapped to Jack's side and helped him to his feet, "Dude, you okay?"

"I...I'm fine..." Jack muttered, "Just...tired."

An unconvincing look was shared between Raf and Miko, unsure of how to react. Little time was given to do such a thing though. As before the two could comment on Jack's condition, all three of the trio stopped when a familiar rumble echoed behind them, like a nightmare refusing to let them wake up.

With great reluctance, Jack, Miko, and Raf turned around and gulped.

The phantom limp might have been taken care of, but the Con itself was still quite active. And it was moving...

Miko flinched, "Well, you can complain about your cramp later! We gotta go!"

Biting back a angered remark, Jack allowed Miko to support him as he got to his feet. With the three of them up and moving yet again, they quickly tried to put as much distance between them and Skyquake yet again. But almost as if fate itself was messing with them, a sudden noise echoed through the air.

"Oh, what now!?" Miko groaned.

Turning to face the source of such a noise, the teens stopped in their tracks. In front of them was something very familiar to the teens, a massive green portal. A Ground Bridge had appeared, swirling to life just a few yards in front of the three, snuggled right in between the massive walls of the canyon.

Jack, Miko, and Raf all gasped at the portals sudden appearance and cheered, "YES! The Bots got our message!

Their freedom now in front of them, Jack Raf, and Miko wasted no time and ran towards the portal. Skyquake lumbered after the trio, its purple optics staring at the portal as well. Haste propelled the teens forward, none of them daring to look back at the Terrorcon as they ran through the Bridge.

Within a snap of a second, Raf, Jack, and Miko fell to the ground once again. They shot out of the portal, fumbling over each other before coming to a stop. The three basically ended up in a pile, stumbling over each other as they stared wide eyed at the sky.

"We're...we're back..." Jack muttered, "Finally..."

All three of the teens sat back and laughed, the blueness of the sky starting right back at them, "Guess the bots know how to check a text message..."

"Yeah...hard to imagine with their big fingers though-"

A sudden noise stopped the three silent. Their relief vanished like a match being blown out, having come and gone so quickly.

Jack, Miko, and Raf slowly turned around, fearfully gazing back at the Bridge...

Which was still open.

A painful, creaking echoed out of from the Ground Bridge. Through the swirling vortex, a large rusted arm emerged from the portal. Its blackened talons clawed at the ground, pulling the rest of its form through the gate. The teens gasped and took a step back.

Energon dripped from the ruined Con. It howled and screamed like death as it pulled itself back into the waking world. Jack and the others stood in shock, watching as the Terrorcon re-emerged. However, as Skyquake tried to pull itself out of the Ground Bridge, the portal itself began to fade. Between two dimensions, the portal acted like a bridge.

One that was cracking and splintering, ripping itself apart under the strain.

The three teens scrambled to their feet and took a step back. Even while back in their own world, the three prepared to make a break for it like they had previously. But before they began the chase again, Jack stopped and stared at the looming Undead.

He then saw the Energon still bleeding out of the ruined Con and grasped on final idea.

Despite his weakened state, the teen weaved together one final set of hand-signs. His vision was blurry and his eyes stung like bees were inhabiting them,yet he pushed on through. Then with a deep breath, Jack pulled all his current strength in and fired one final blast of fire at the Terrorcon.

The flames struck Skyquake hard, crashing into his body. The Con itself wasn't harmed by the flames, especially with how smaller they had been in comparison to Jack's previous attacks. But what did react was the Energon on his frame. The trances and pools that had been dripping out of his body reacted in a fiery display, exploding against the beaten Con.

Skyquake roared and howled, the Energon reacting just as it had with his limb. The fire shot into his body, igniting the Energon that ran through his many veins. Explosions racked his form, loosening his grip.

And with the flames all meeting at his core, Skyquake was consumed by a massive eruption of fire.

The explosion knocked Skyquake back while tearing his hand free from the ground it so desperately clutched. The Terrorcon that had been terrorizing the three teens flew backwards into the Ground Bridge, back into the Shadowzone...and disappeared, vanishing into the vortex.

With the strain of bridging two dimensions coming to a apex, the Ground Bridge closed moments later, unable to stay open.

"Wow..."

"I think that got'em..." Miko noted while Raf nodded dumbly.

Jack though? He fell onto his back and sighed. The teen was exhausted, tired in more ways then he could imagine. Muscles were worn, bones felt like frail sticks, and such an urge to just fall onto his back and sleep the day away was almost too demanding to ignore. So much so, that Jack let out a sigh and sat down.

"I'm just going to lay here for a while guys..." he mumbled, "Just...rest for a minute, okay?"

Smiling to himself, Jack fell back onto the ground and closed his eyes. Miko and Raf blinked at the boy, staring wide eyed at...well, everything that had happened.

Though as their minds tried to settle back down, the duo looked up when a familiar sound echoed just a few yards away.

A Ground Bridge appeared, and a large red and blue Autobot walked out, a relieved look gracing his face.

---

-Autobot Base-

---

"I'm...sorry."

Jack blinked and barely sat up, "Wait, did I hear that right?"

Their safety assured, Jack, Miko, and Raf gladly returned back to base upon being discovered by the local Prime. They stepped through the Ground Bridge and emerged back into the base, its bright, lively colors helping sooth the torment the three had been through.

All of the Autobots were relieved to see the three alive and well, especially Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee. Even after getting the text message, the three guardians found themselves on the edge of their treads, anxiously waiting for the moment Ratchet locked onto their signal.

After returning, the three teens gladly told the bots of what they had gone through, with Miko the most excited of the trio. Things from Skyquake's rise and fall to just surviving the dimension itself, they spun the bots quite the tale. Thankfully, Raf and Miko said nothing of the details that went on inside the dimension. No mentions of any fires or explosions.

What happened in the Shadow Zone, stayed in the Shadow Zone.

Such as the Autobots being upset with the teens showing up in the first place. If they hadn't, the entire Zombie/alternative universe situation might of been avoided.

Much to everyone's surprise though, the most unlikely of people stepped up to take the blame.

"Yeah," Raf muttered, in equal shock, "You did..."

Jack did a double take and stared shockingly at the third member of their trio, "You sure? Maybe I'm just feeling light headed..."

Miko sent Jack a look and stared at her feet. The Autobots practically surrounded the three, all looking on as if they were ready to chew Miko out. Yet before they could, Optimus smiled down at the three and shook his helm, "Miko, what you had experienced today is lesson enough. We are all just glad you three are safe."

As Miko blinked up at the Prime with both confusion and relief, Bulkhead walked over to the girl and leaned forward with a tiny pink device pinched between his fingers.

"Seems it was a good thing that you lost this, huh?" he noted, "Sorry you weren't able to get any pictures though."

Smiling up at the Wrecker, Miko gladly took her phone back and shrugged, "Eh, its alright. After today, I think I have a Zombie close up permanently seared into my brain."

Bulkhead blinked at the girl and smiled. He and the rest of the boys shook their heads at the girl, each only imagining what they had seen. After all, if they really had to deal with a Terrorcon, the three children were more than lucky to be alive.

But they were, and all were happy for it. As such, once everything calmed down, each of the bots and their charges finally allowed themselves to calm down. Miko and Raf plopped themselves back on the nearest couch while the bots looked on, merely relieved that they were okay.

In the meanwhile, Jack sat down on some nearby steps and took a deep breath.

While the others were relieved to be alive, Jack was just tired. His whole body felt worn, beaten, and strained to the limit. Even the experience with Airachnid could of been compared to a light jog in comparison to how his legs felt alone. Jack had no energy, and honestly? He had no idea why. He wasn't out of shape, and he wasn't tired beforehand, so what had changed...

'Well,' he inwardly mused, 'There was all the...fire.'

With how much...fire he had been spewing, maybe that was the reason? Was he like a gas tank, and the flames had just burned up what energy he had? But then again, could that really be the case? Why did spewing fire make him tired? Where did the fire come from? Did it burn his energy like a mile jog or something?

Every question made the teen's head spin, why could he breath fire when he made some hand-signs he got from a dream? Where did they come from, why did they cause him to breath fire, and to top it off, did it have anything to do with his damn eyes-

"Jack? You feeling alright?"

Cut from his thoughts, Jack looked up.

Arcee stood just off to the boy's side, casually leaning on the human platform.

Jack shook his head, "Yeah...just a bit worn out, you know?"

Pushing herself off the platform, Arcee frowned. Concern flickered in her optics, something that had been there since the boy had returned. Physically, both Jack and Ratchet had assured everyone that the teens were fine. Scuffed up and tired surely, but fine otherwise.

But to the femme? She wasn't too sure.

The way Jack fumbled to the stairs and sat down just didn't mesh well in her Spark.

"You sure?" she asked again, "You look about ready to fall over."

Falling over was quite the understatement. The slightest breeze would of been more than enough to knock Jack on his side, "Feels like it. I actually feel like I'm one of Ratchet's tools whenever Bulkhead gets warmed up over something. Just...less squished."

The femme winced, "Ouch. Well, at least Ratchet's recommendation will have some merit to it now. Maybe some rest will do you some good?"

Glancing up at the femme, Jack yawned and nodded. He couldn't deny, that did sound nice. Crawling into bed and sleeping the pain away like a bad hangover? He could do that. Jack was even willing to just collapse on a couch instead. Something soft like a pillow, a mattress, or even a blanket? Any would do.

The femme watched as the boy yawned, her worry slowly drifting away, "Wanna head home? I doubt anyone will mind all that much."

"Eh...maybe." Jack muttered, still yawning, "Doesn't sound to bad..."

Hearing that, Arcee smiled. The femme was starting to grow worried that she might have to take a page out of his mother's handbook and drag him back home if necessary. But she couldn't deny, the teen was a tough guy, even after everything he and his friends had been through.

"Well, just say the word when you're ready." she told him, "I'm ready when you are."

A yawn was Jack's response, something as good as any nod. Satisfied, Arcee leaned down and gave her partner a pat on the shoulder before departing. She remained in earshot and merely sat in wait for whenever Jack decided he wanted to head home.

Once she was gone though, Jack leaned back and stared at the ceiling. The idea was tempting, he could admit.

After the day they had, who could blame him for wanting to head home early?

Sitting up, Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Luckily, the device hadn't been damaged during their escape and unlike Miko, Jack knew how to hang onto his phone. No having to worry about it being lost or stepped on by accident. Upon checking it, the teen noticed the time and smiled.

There was still plenty of time before his mother got home. More then enough for him to get a small nap...

"Hey Jack!"

Before he could even close his phone, Jack sighed, "...of course."

Snapping his phone shut, Jack turned around and glanced up the stairs to the human's platform. At the top, Miko and Raf smiled and slowly made their way down to their friend. Strangely, the former of the two had a smile on her face, practically brimming with excitement.

"Hey..." he muttered tiredly at the two, "Whats up?"

Of the two, Raf remained silent. Instead, he simply glanced at Miko as she grinned, "Hey, you remember what you said back in the Shadow Zone?"

"Something about explaining later...?"

Jack blinked at the duo, his mind a little fuzzy due to his weariness. Miko continued to grin though and eventually something clicked within Jack's head. Once he realized this, Jack let out a groan and shook his head at the girl, "Really Miko? Right now? Couldn't you wait a little bit? I feel dead on my feet."

Both literally, and figuratively.

At that Miko frowned, "Still?! Come on lazy bones! You can't still be tired!"

The teen turned around and glared up at Miko. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the girl froze. Jack's eyes were akin toe an angry animal, ready to snap at a moment's notice. Though in his case, that moment would arrive once he had full feeling in his legs again.

Regardless, Miko took a step back. She shook her head and huffed, "Fine. Whatever."

With her arms crossed, Miko walked back up the steps and hopped back on the couch. As she vanished, Raf let loose a small sigh. The girl had been bouncing in her seat since the bots left them alone. In fact, he wouldn't of been surprised if she came back no more than five minutes later to ask again, regardless of the answers given.

Now alone, Raf turned to Jack and gave him a concerned look, "You sure you're okay?"

"We both thought you were out of it after the Ground Bridge closed."

Without Miko there it irritate him, Jack dropped his gruffness and sighed. He leaned back and felt how worn out his body was. His bones in particular felt brittle as they could be, like they could snap with the slightest poke of even the tiniest of sticks, "Yeah, I'm just worn out, you know? Like I ran a few miles in under a few minutes..."

"Maybe you just...overdid it?" Raf suggested, "With the fire I mean."

Raising a brow, Jack rolled his shoulders and shrugged, "Thats what I was guessing. Three times seems to be my limit before I...well, you're looking at it."

Worn out, beaten, bruised. There were a multitude of ways one could describe Jack's form. And while he couldn't put the exact cause on his pyro antics alone, it did kinda fit. Each time Jack spat out some fire like a flamethrower, he felt weaker. His breath taking longer to catch up, the weakness in his body, and then just nearly collapsing from it all.

The fire had drained him, for some reason.

"Maybe some practice would help then?"

Jack stopped, blinked, and glanced up at his friend, "What?"

Despite the boy's dumbfounded expression, Raf shrugged and sat up, "Dunno. Maybe you should practice with it a little bit, build up a tolerance. Then next time, you won't be so tired if you have to do it again?"

Before Jack could comment on such an idea, the boy stood up and shrugged, "Just a thought."

Seeing how tired Jack was, Raf stood up and followed after Miko, maybe hoping to keep the girl occupied before she grew impatient again.

Alone again, Jack leaned back against the stairs and sighed. He closed his eyes and rested his head against one of the steps. Raf, Miko, and the bots themselves began to drift away like a background noise. In fact, everything began to drift away like a pleasant fog.

But as Jack slowly began to drift off to a light sleep, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Practice huh...?" he mused, "Gonna need to find a place...but..."

"Why not?"

---

AN:

So, another big one isn't it? I swear, I need to work on how long I make these chapters. I'm sure some people arn't that big of fans when there this big, and I'm not either. It just takes longer to do them when a chapter goes this long. I may work on it for the next one though.

Still, next chapter is when things FINALLY get rolling, big time. If anyone is wondering, I'm not going to follow the episodes plots that often from here on out. Things are going to shift into bigger things...after the next one of course. Though, its not Operation Break down.

Which one though? Well, you'll just have to wait and see!

---

RxR- Read & Review please.