At this point, we will be seeing what Shrapnel and Kickback are doing while they are still considered missing. I will be going possibly back and forth between these two and then Bombshell and Bumblebee. Just a reminder to you all that the Insecticons designs are mostly based off their Fall of Cybertron designs but the only real difference is that I gave Bombshell and Shrapnel claws since Kickback already has them. I don't know...I just think claws are cool!

One more thing, this chapter will introduce the Predacon Ser-Ket from the TFP "Rage of the Dinobots" comics. She is the leader of "The Forged" and one of Shockwave's helpers. So I don't own her, Habro and IDW Publishing does.

Anyways...let's continue!

Chapter 3: Escape

Being all alone in his lab always felt nice. There would be no one to bother him and he could keep on experimenting on dead corspes and building advanced weaponry. Most of which he experiments on are insecticons. Shockwave was busy working on one mech who he had kidnapped off the streets and the mech was now praying to Primus that the pain would go away. Shockwave had been on edge for awhile now, Kickback and Shrapnel escaped only after a year of being tortured and experimented on by him. Luckily the results of the experiments weren't permanent. The only things that were permanent were a few scratch marks, dents and burns all over their frames. Shockwave's methods were brutal and he constantly beats them for no reason at all. They were never repaired so they suffered for a long time. Kickback and Shrapnel were too afraid to fight back at the time since they were little. But now they have escaped and were nearly adults, they believed they may have a chance.

6 Years ago...

A large hallway was filled with different cells. The cells were old and rusted. It was a surprise the locks stayed on. Nothing whatsoever was in the cells but walls, ceilings and floors. Mechs were dying in most of them, some have killed themselves. Upon the few that remained, Kickback and Shrapnel sat huddled together. They often did this to keep each other warm and they hated to be seperated. They were in deep pain and were covered in dry energon. They cried every night since they missed the outside world, the sunshine, but mainly their brother. Primus knows what was happening to him and how he felt. They were lucky that Shockwave didn't experiment on them everyday. Sometimes they didn't get taken out for a month, sometimes only one of them would get taken out much to the anger of the other. Shockwave had been trying to provide upgrades to the insecticons to make them more violent and stronger. In a stunning twist, Shockwave once forced them to fight each other for his amusement. When they refused, they were beaten up by some of the guards while Shockwave laughed. Right now they laid in the cell still hugging each other for warmth.

"You okay, okay?" Shrapnel asked.

"Yeah, I'm scared, scared, SCARED!" Kickback whined.

"Me too, too!"

"Will Ser-Ket come by again, she seems to love hanging around us when Shockwave's not busy torturing us!" Kickback asked.

"I hope so, I'm surprised Shockwave can trust Ser-ket, Ser-ket. One day Kickback, we will get out of here, here. I promise, promise!" Shrapnel said rubbing his brother's head.

"I want to see Bombshell!" Kickback began to cry.

"I do too but he must be okay, okay! He's probably being taken care of, of. We will see him again, again!"

Just then the familiar footsteps of the scientist started to come closer and closer to the cell. The footsteps were followed by another pair that were also familiar. Kickback and Shrapnel watched as Shockwave and Ser-ket appeared.

"Ser-ket!" Kickback weakily said.

Ser-ket waved while Shockwave opened their cell and walked in. Kickback is grabbed by the neck and dragged out.

"NO! NO! SHOCKWAVE STOP! NOT ME! SHRAPNEL HELP!" Kickback yelled as he struggled to break free.

Shrapnel attempted to get up but one look from Shockwave made him sit back down crying. Suddenly, Ser-ket stopped Shockwave.

"Hold on Shockwave, how long do you plan on keeping these guys? It's been nearly a year!" Ser-ket asked confused.

"As long as I want! Why? You're going to try and stop me now?" Shockwave sneered and tightened his grip on Kickback's neck who started gagging.

"No...I was just wondering!" Ser-ket said nervously.

Shockwave could tell something was up, he got right in Ser-ket's face.

"Just watch where you stand femme, I better not ever find out you are trying to set them free. I can easily experiment on you just as easily as I can on them. Mabye I can snap those wings and tail off!" Shockwave threatened. "I should've captured that dumb Bumblebee kid after he abandoned me because he thinks I've gone insane."

Ser-ket raised an optic ridge in curiosity.

"Bumblebee? You're talking about that yellow and black kid?" Ser-ket asked.

"Yeah...now I'm off to do my next experiment. Don't stay long!" Shockwave warned before walking off with Kickback still struggling.

Ser-ket sighed and looked back in the cell to see Shrapnel crying. She walked in to comfort him. As she placed a clawed-servo on Shrapnel's back he seemed to twitch at the soft touch.

"Why do you work with him, him?" Shrapnel asks looking up at her.

"I'm forced, he kid-napped me a year ago and forced me to work for him and if I ever tried to escape he said he will beat me. What could I do?" Ser-ket asked.

"Well, you're nearly his size, I bet you'd whip his ass, ass!" Shrapnel smirked as he wiped his tears away.

"He-he, if only I could. Hey listen, I really hope your other brother comes through, I'm sure he's doing everything he can to set things right!" Ser-ket assured.

"Yeah, Bombshell never gives up on ya! He's always there for you, and will do anything for you, you!" Shrapnel explained with a smile.

Ser-ket smiled back and sighed. But their slight happy moment was ruined when the screams of Kickback could be heard.

"AAAHHH! IT BURNS! STOP, STOP, STOP!" Kickback yells in pain.

Ser-ket hugged Shrapnel tightly as they both began to tear up. They could hear the evil laughter of Shockwave.

"We can't keep doing this, I want to go home, home!" Shrapnel cried.

"Trust me kid, I would help you two escape, but he knows where I live. Where else would we go? Surely we couldn't go back to Kaon, he'd probably think that." Ser-ket panicked.

They both thought and thought. Tyger Pax was known for having a few empty warehouses on the other side of town that nobody really used anymore...mabye they could hide there...but for who knows how long? Since Shockwave knew where you lived, going there was just asking to be offlined. Ser-ket was like a mother to them, she rubbed Shrapnel's head.

"Shrapnel, tonight...we escape...I promise you that!" Ser-ket said in a serious voice.

"I trust you!" Shrapnel smiled.

That night, Ser-ket walked down the long hallway leading towards the insecticon's cell not realizing a large red optic staring her down from the way she came. Ser-ket could sense someone was behind her but tried to ignore it.

"Ser-ket!" Shockwave's voice boomed.

Ser-ket turned around nervously to see Shockwave coming over. This wasn't going to be good.

"What are you doing out here so late?"

"I'm just...taking a walk! I couldn't sleep!"

"You've been acting strange all day today."

"I've just been tired is all!"

Shockwave could tell Ser-ket was lying. He held up a fist making Ser-ket shutter.

"Don't play with me Ser-ket, why come down the hallway with the insecticons?" Shockwave sneered.

"What? I can't talk to anybody but you?" Ser-ket said rather angrily.

In response, Shockwave sent his fist crashing into Ser-ket's face earning her a swollen optic and a cut next to her mouth leaking drops of energon.

"Talk back to me like that again, and I'll make sure to rip out your teeth!" Shockwave snarls before leaving.

Ser-ket whimpers as she turns around and continues her walk. She placed a claw to her mouth and it was covered with blood in seconds. Once Shockwave was gone from her sight, she found Shrapnel and Kickback awake since they heard everything. Kickback only recieved more burn marks from Shockwave's latest test.

"Did he hit you?" Kickback asked.

"Yeah, but I'm okay! Come on, I know a way out of here...Shockwave's groundbridge." Ser-ket said unlocking their cell.

"Ser-ket you're bleeding. That Shockwave is so dead when I get my claws on him!" Kickback whispered angrily.

Once out of the cell, they walked down the hallway and they proceeded to find the main lab room where Shockwave usually worked at. Inside were two drones guarding the room. Ser-ket walked towards them just as they were about to try and contact Shockwave, she grabbed them both and slammed them against a wall. The drones were only half her size.

"You tell Shockwave anything about this...and I will come back and kill you both slowly!" Ser-ket threatened.

The drones nodded and raised their hands in defeat.

"Now activate the groundbridge!" She demanded.

The drones typed in the coordinates she requested and the green vortex opened up scaring the insecticons at first.

"Say hello to the groundbridge." Ser-ket smirked.

"How long has he had that?" Kickback asked.

"He's had it for quite a while now, barely used it though." She shrugged as they jumped through the groundbridge. The groundbridge led them straight to the other side of Tyger Pax where the warehouses were placed.

"We actually escaped!" Kickback cheered.

"So what now, now?" Shrapnel asked.

"I can take care of you guys if you want, besides we may need to lay low for awhile until Shockwave decides to stop looking for us...if he even cares! Knowing him, he'll probably forget." Ser-ket chuckled.

Once Shockwave realized she and the insecticons were gone. He was enraged but realized it was a waste of time to go looking for him when he could just simply force someone else to do his bidding. But instead he found himself doing better alone. He didn't need Ser-ket or those insecticons...but promised to kill them if he ever found them. For 6 years they stayed hidden and Shockwave wasn't really bothered with them anymore. He didn't even believe Bombshell would ever come to look for them. Why would he care for a bunch of "Scrap-eaters"? There was more where that came from. It was just a minor setback.

Back to the present...

Bombshell and Bumblebee arrived back at Ironhide's house talking and laughing. Ironhide thought he had been clocked in the head after seeing the two getting along so well.

"So I take it you guys didn't fight at all?" Ironhide teased.

"No, but...I heard Dreadwing was killed by a gang tonight!" Bombshell said and winked at Bee who winked back quickly.

Ironhide bought it and walked away smiling.

"Hey Bombshell, what happened with that paper you found?" Bee asked.

"Don't worry, I still got it and I'm going to start looking up some info tomorrow. And if somehow I got to go on a dangerous mission to find my brothers then Primus damn it I'll do it. What about you?"

"I'm in!" Bee said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah!"

"Even if the journey's long?"

"Yep!"

"If we have to fight people?"

"Bring it on!"

"What if we don't get to come back?"

"Oh there's always a way!"

"You know Bee, I'm starting to like the way you think!" Bombshell said bending his grill mouth up to look like he was smiling.

The two fist-bumped before retiring to their beds...Ironhide had seen the whole thing and looked worried...

To be continued...

More scenes with Ser-ket, Shrapnel and Kickback will be shown and mabye even a few more backstories with Shockwave and Bumblebee also. I am hoping to strengthen the bond between Bombshell and Bumblebee as the story goes on. Please Review!