Arcee back flipped, slamming her boots against Blackout's head, jerking his neck back. He staggered and raised his fists. Arcee landed, legs spread in a defensive stance.

"I will tear you apart!" Blackout roared, punching his fist against her as she leaped, sending her flying down the hallway and crashing against the wall. Arcee fell from the crater in the wall, slamming to her knees. She groaned in pain, looking up to see the blurry image of Blackout walking towards her, slamming his fist against his palm.

She activated her right blaster firing at him, holding her wrist to steady the recoil. Blackout shielded his head with his huge wrists as blue energy pounded against him.

The blaster fire ceased and he lowered his arms to see Arcee battle cry as her flying kick smashed against his head. He fell to the floor, landing on his back. She leaped at him, wrist blades extended.

Blackout raised his leg kicking her across the hallway again. He rested on his palms and launched himself back up to his feet, staggering slightly.

"I must say Arcee, I am impressed by your combat skills" He congratulated her, brushing his wrist across his jaw, wiping the Energon from his mouth. She was stood with fists clenched. She hid her pain and wounds, trying to look strong and tall.

"I know you are growing weaker Arcee. Tell you what, I'll put you out of your misery" He lunged at her, rotor saw scraping and cutting at the wall, sparks flew and illuminated the darkened hall. The terrifying whirring of the saw grew near her. Arcee ducked and swooped as the saw swung over and around her.

She fell to the floor and he pushed the saw down onto her, but felt something stopping him. She was pushing his fist up away from her, the saw buzzing inches from her throat.

"Not long now Arcee. Just relax and let me end your suffering!" He roared, pushing with all his strength, but she pushed back, bellowing with all her might, but he was stronger.

"You do not deserve survival. Oh and I understand your human pet has radiation poisoning? Well after I kill you, how about I end his torment!" Blackout taunted. Arcee's eyes widened at his threat and she placed her palms on his fist, pushing him away.

Blackout was shocked to feel his arm being raised, he roared as he pushed down, but the small motorcycle sized Arcee pushed his fist up, growling and snarling as she used all her strength, her arms quaking. Blackout was being beaten.

...

Jack quaked looking up at Starscream, stood between him and the panel. He aimed the blaster at him.

"So, how is radiation sickness treating you?" Starscream mocked, arms behind his back not feeling threatened in the slightest. Ratchet looked at Jack, concerned.

"Radiation sickness? Jack how did you-"

"Oh you didn't know? They crossed Chernobyl to save you" Starscream intervened, mocking them.

"Chernobyl? Why-"

"Long story Ratchet!" Jack shouted aiming at Starscream. Ironhide groaned as he looked at Starscream walking in front of him and Jazz. He looked at Jazz and nodded, tilting his head towards Starscream's back. Jazz smirked as he lifted his unshackled legs.

"Now Jack...your bravery was commendable, but in the end you are a weak creature, playing with powerful bots"

"Look who's talking Starscream" Jack snarled. Starscream did not like Jack's foul mouthing. His teeth snarled and he raised his clawed hand and prepared to swipe at him.

"Hold still Screamy!" Jazz shouted, wrapping his legs around Starscream's neck, tightening like a coiled vice.

"Ah let go scum!"

Jack took his chance seeing the panel and firing at it. The blue energy sailed towards it.

"No!" Starscream cried as he reached out seeing the shot destroy and deactivate the shackles.

Ratchet, Jazz and Ironhide dropped as they were freed, the shackles falling from their arms. Jazz leaped off of Starscream and he stroked his throat, coughing.

"You will pay for..." His confidence disappeared when he saw all three of the angry Autobots glaring at him, fists clenched.

Starscream cowered, transforming into his Jet form and bellowing down the hallway, a trail of orange light following his form.

Ratchet knelt down looking at Jack.

"You brave human, what were you thinking?"

"You're all family. Family stick together, right?" He struggled to say as he grew weaker. Ratchet smiled at him.

"Right. Come on, we need to get you home so I can begin your treatment"

"You know how to treat humans?"

"For radiation sickness? Yes of course. It's not that different from Cybertronian, you'll just need to go through the decontamination stasis"

"Will it hurt?" Jack perked up.

"We'll discuss it once we're safely off this ship" Ratchet said in a final tone. He stood up, nodding at Ironhide and Jazz. They raised their arms, transforming their wrists into blaster rifles. Bumblebee and Bulkhead joined them,rubbing their wrists. they nodded at Ratchet, activating their blasters.

"Where's Optimus?" Ratchet pondered.

"He's fighting...Blitzwing" Jack shuddered, remembering him tackling the giant hunter.

"By the Allspark. Blitzwing's back?" Ratchet's optics widened.

"We need to hurry, Arcee's in trouble" Jack pleaded. Ratchet nodded to him with a comforting smile of reassurance. Ironhide and Jazz walked with him as they exited the cell. Bumblebee and Bulkhead covered their rears, wrists raised.

The sounds of robots fighting violently sounded in the hall. Ratchet pointed at the hallway through the door and nodded to Ironhide to get in position.

The sound of Optimus taking battering blows to his chest and then sending his own blasts back at Blitzwing rattled through the ship.

"You're weak Optimus! You fight for the weak, you save the weak...doing so has made you weak!" Blitzwing roared, throwing Optimus done the hallway like a rag doll. As soon as Optimus was out of their range, Ratchet, Ironhide and Jazz filed into the hall, blasting at the huge Decepticon bounty hunter. Optimus struggled to get up, dents and scratches covering him. Bumblebee and Bulkhead ran to Prime, trying to help him up. Ironhide, Ratchet and Jazz defended their downed leader. Blitzwing shielded himself and finally retreated.

"We'll meet again Optimus Prime!" He roared as he transformed into his massive Jet form and bellowed down the hallway, escaping.

Ratchet, Ironhide and Jazz shielded their faces as the heat from the jet's engine scolded them. Jack was by Optimus's side, along with Bumblebee and Bulk.

"Come on Prime, get up! Arcee needs us, she's dying!" Jack cried out. Optimus's eyes widened.

"Arcee? Family stick together" He groaned as he clambered to his feet, roaring with pain. Bumblebee caught his arm, helping him to his stature.

Yeah, come on Prime, get up, you can do it!" Jack rallied the Autobot leader.

"Jack, where'd you see her last?" Ironhide asked him, pumping his wrist cannon.

"Down that hallway. Bla...Blackout has her" Jack stammered.

"Whoa, Blackout's here?" Bulkhead asked.

"Ratchet. Take Jack, Bumblebee and Bulkhead and open a ground bridge to Jasper. We can head to the base from a random arrival zone to avoid surrendering the location of our home" Optimus explained as he stood tall.

"Yes Optimus" Ratchet said, opening a panel on his wrist.

"You sly old bot, you destroyed the control device but that was a decoy wasn't it?" Jazz chuckled, remembering his actions in the warehouse.

"Cortical psychic patch my rusty ass! I am never giving up my secrets" He grinned. The bridge activated.

"Jack, come on, quickly before Soundwave picks up on it" Bumblebee said.

"Whoa, Soundwave's back?" Jack questioned in horror, remembering seeing him disappear into the shadowzone.

"Yes, now go!" Ratchet said. He looked back down the hallway to the sound of her fighting Blackout. Jack reached out to the hallway, her cries of pain echoing.

"Cee" Jack cried with a trembling voice, his eyes blurry with emotion. Optimus leaned down.

"Jack...I promise to bring her back alive" He nodded to him, stern faced.

"You come back alive too Optimus. Your family" He pleaded.

"We will. Now go" Optimus smiled and nodded to him as he gently nudged him through the portal, followed by Ratchet. Bumblebee nodded at Optimus before heading through with Bulkhead. The green aura of swirling light disappeared, severing the escape to Jasper.

Jack was safe. Now they needed to save Arcee.

"Jazz, Ironhide...you're with me" Optimus said, eyes squinting in aggression towards the end of the hallway.

...

Arcee slammed against the wall, quivering and trying to clamber to her exhausted feet. Blackout laughed as he walked towards her, enjoying tormenting her and slowly avenging Grindor. She raised her Energon bruised face and looked at his demonically chuckling face. He cracked his knuckles against his palm and cricked his neck.

"It all comes to an end. Grindor would love to see this" He snarled, lifting her chin to look at him. She flinched as he raised his arm, extending a long blade from his wrist.

"One swipe, to avenge my fallen brother" Blackout's eyes widened.

"Blackout!" Optimus's voice sounded. He peered over his shoulder. Jazz and Ironhide at Primes side, he stood tall.

"Step away from Arcee"

"Stay out of this Orion, She deserves this!" He said raising the deadly blade.

"No she doesn't" Optimus explained. Blackout struggled to lower his blade, finishing her.

"Why? Why doesn't she?"

"Because freedom is everyone's right" He boldly said, clenching his fists.

"Freedom, you're going to preach about fragging freedom? What about my brother's freedom huh?" He raised the blade higher.

"He was undisciplined, dangerous...and he paid the price for endangering refugees"

"Optimus, you are treading on mighty thin ice here" Blackout warned.

"His inexperience and violence was his downfall!" Optimus shouted.

"That's it Prime. I will hurt you, the only way I know you fear. Killing her" His eyes widened and he slammed the blade down with a bang. Optimus's eyes widened in horror.

Blackout stood looking at his blade embedded in Arcee. He pulled it free of her body, to see in his shock...a hologram. The three dimensional image of Arcee dissipated. He shook his head.

"No. No she was right there!" He roared, swinging at the ground again.

"Jazz, good work on the hologram" Optimus patted his back.

"You see Blackout, your little monologue to Optimus gave her time to sneak by, and let me replace her with an exact hologram of her. You've lost" Jazz explained to the brute as Arcee limped behind them.

Optimus stared at the beast of a Cybertronian, as rage fueled his optics.

"No...I have waited too long for this moment to slip between my fingers" He snarled, clenching his palm.

"If I must...I'll kill you all!" He roared, running like a berserker at them. Optimus roared and grabbed Blackout's slamming fists. He pushed at Prime, bellowing in rage. Optimus could feel his feet sliding back along the floor as the double his size bounty hunter roared.

"Ratchet! Bridge us! Now!" Ironhide roared, carrying Arcee. A swirling vortex erupted and Ironhide disappeared, along with Arcee. Jazz followed leaving Optimus and Blackout.

Blackout had lost the chance he'd been waiting for, for centuries. His eyes widened in horror.

"No way Optimus. You go, I go with you! I will not lose Arcee. I will kill her!"

"Blackout, you should know that I will defend my family of Autobots with my life. You want her; you will have to kill me"

"Then consider it done!"

Optimus roared and freed his palm, slamming his fist into Blackout's head. He staggered and Optimus leaped through vortex. Blackout lunged at it just at it disappeared. He dropped to his knees.

"No...No!" He roared, echoing not only through the ship, but over Chernobyl. Shockwave, Starscream and Soundwave arrived behind him.

"Where are the prisoners?" Starscream asked the distressed Blackout.

"they've escaped"

"I thought you were an expert bounty hunter. Obviously-" he felt a huge hand grasp around his throat, choking and crushing him.

"I just lost my target. I do not take defeat well...and you have lost your usefulness"

"Wait, wait, wait! I can help you find her again"

"Explain, fast" Blackout snarled.

"We're always bumping into Optimus and his team, almost daily, and she is always with them. You stay with us, you will get another chance" Starscream explained in a high pitch voice.

"Hmm. Intriguing. Alright Starscream, you live, for now" He said, releasing and dropping him to the floor.

Behind him walked Blitzwing, an evil grin on his face.

"Blitz, my psychotic friend; we will get many other chances thanks to Starscream. But I will not fail again. We underestimated them. It's time to reassemble the Bounty hunters" He smirked.

"I'll make the call" Blitzwing laughed.

...

Across the globe, several vehicles began to move out, receiving this message.

A Buffalo mine clearance vehicle, huge and six wheeled with a long razor sharp forked mechanical arm attached to its grill rolled across the tarmac of a US army base, a vinyl of a bulldog on its side with the name Bonecrusher written under it.

"Bonecrusher rolling"

Flying over the city of Paris, a black and dark purple Fighter Jet roared past the Eiffel tower, tilting towards a new destination.

"Skywarp inbound"

In the city of Chicago a Police Ford Mustang raced along a rust colored bridge, blaring it's sirens to race by traffic, The title To punish and enslave written across it's back wheel arches.

"Barricade on the move"

The team of violent, monstrous bounty hunters were being called back together...to hunt the ultimate prey. Optimus Prime and his team.