Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

HUNTERS MOON

Chapter 8: Regroup

NEST base, mid afternoon:

This had not been a good day

First the Insecticons, then the Dinobots; then the mysterious humans, and now this...

Watching his unconscious son lie motionless on the birth: listening to his fluctuating heartbeat on the life support, as each breath came soft and slow: while the hemogon in his body glowed intensely, lighting up the veins and archeries beneath the softer areas of skin in varying hues of red.

With his hand clasped in Ashley's massive paw-like hand, John simply sat there in silence; having hardly moved in hours: he didn't know what else to do...

Except just be there. Be there for him.

Sitting some way off by the entrance to the isolation ward, Tom kept one eye on Ashley, and another on the various bots who were recovering from their injuries in the main ward of the med-bay. Of the original search and rescue party that disembarked to find and retrieve the kids and Firefly from the Insecticons, over two thirds had been rendered out of commission due to the wounds and collateral damage sustained during their fight with the bugs. Another small percentage received substantial injuries during their evacuation, as they tried to hold the beasts off.

In the end, a total of sixteen bots were now not fit for duty: and the fact no one died during the battle was a miracle in itself. But with Optimus MIA and Majestrix and Grimlock at each other's throat cables; moral was at an all-time low.

And no one knew what to do...

After navigating his way through the bustling med-bay, Danny quietly slipped into the isolation ward; looking over at his uncle, and seeing how oblivious he was to everything around him, he decided not to ask the obvious: and sat down next to Tom, feeling very useless.

"I take it there's still no change?" Danny whispered into his cousin's ear.

"Nothing: Perceptor and Wheeljack are still running the tests, Ratchet's been looking in where he can; but with everyone else needing treatments it's not been easy" Tom sighed quietly, "Anyway, what kept you? You've been gone ages"

"I know, I'm sorry: I had a hard time getting away" Danny explained, "Majestrix and Grimlock have been going around in circles since they got back; between Ironhide, Jetfire, Ultra Magnas, Elita, and Prowl, they've been tearing at each other over Prime: and how to go after him. But Grimlock wants a second crack at the Insecticons, and is refusing to budge on any rescue op, unless they go after the bugs first"

"So? There's only nine of the Dinobots, and over sixty bots on this base: he doesn't get the final say if the majority rules" Tom replied with a sceptical frown.

"I know, and Majestrix made a point of that to him (not that he gives a shit: he thinks now that Prime's gone, he can automatically call the shots)...But right now, Grimlock's the very least of our problems"

Tom glanced at him quizzically: "What do you mean?" he pressed him.

With a worried look in his eyes, Danny elaborated further: "I just got back from the command centre, and things have been getting pretty tense over in Washington. Those kidnappers, whoever they are, they got both the administration and the Pentagon in a real twist: Majestrix and the other officers have been questioned umpteen times over what happened (ergo, how could they let it happen), and the question of whether Prime should've gone to rescue Morri at all's been debated to the point it's now completely ridiculous"

"What are you saying?" Tom frowned, "That he shouldn't have gone after her? That she's expendable?!"

"Not-...Not in so many words," Danny replied carefully, "But-... I have to confess: Galloway looked very tempted to want to say it" he admitted awkwardly.

Tom stared at Danny in disbelief for a brief moment, before he held his head in his hands; rubbed his tired eyes, and let out a frustrated sigh: "...What about Bishop?"

"He's pissed that their playing witch-hunter with us over this, so he's getting the next flight back to California. But honestly? I don't see what difference that's going to make at this point? Prime's MIA, Majestrix has her hands full with Grimlock and Galloway: and the fact the kidnapper's used cybertronian tech has everyone both pissed and scared at the same time"

"Not least for the obvious reason, (I hope?)" Tom raised a sceptical eyebrow

"Well that," Danny shrugged, "And, him..." he directed his gaze over at Ashley.

"...It doesn't matter either way," John quietly spoke up, "One way or another, they're going to have to pull their heads outta their arses and deal with this. They know we're the only ones qualified to go after Prime: all the political and military posturing isn't going to compensate for the fact that those bastards sneaked in right under their noses, and got within striking range of the most powerful being on the planet..." he looked up at them with a reserved look of anger, "This is as much on their heads as it ours: we should have known, they should have known. Someone somewhere allowed this to happen: and God have mercy if I ever get my hands on them..."

Tom and Danny were a little taken aback by his statement: unsure how to reply, they both glanced helplessly at one another. But their worry for him was spared as the neurosurgeon walked in with a clipboard in hand. Knowing why he was here, the three of them stood up as he approached.

"Doctor? How is she?" John asked nervously

With a calm, yet unreadable look in his eyes: the surgeon drew in an uneasy breath, before replying: "...Well, I gotta hand it to ya John, she's one tough cookie"

"She's okay?!" Danny's face lit up.

"Well? That's just it," the surgeon replied awkwardly, "We got her into surgery just in the nick of time, and the craniotomy was a success: we managed to locate the hematoma and deal with it accordingly. But we can't say for sure just how long it was there prior to treatment"

"What are you saying?" John frowned

"I'm saying: we can't be sure if Morri will be a hundred percent or not. The scans thus far, show there hasn't been any additional trauma to her brain, and so far she's stable, with all her vitals in the green. But there is a chance there could be some minor brain-damage to her temporal lobe: in which case her emotions, memory, or even her learning and linguistically capabilities could be impaired"

"...You're saying: she might be brain-damaged? For life?" Danny blurted out in horror.

"Like I said, the scan's say she's alright: if there is any minor damage we won't know for sure until she wakes up. And if that's the case? Then, there are a number of treatments and therapies we can put in place to help her recover. But it's too soon for that; we're just going to have to wait..." the surgeon replied sympathetically. "She's in recovery if you want to go and see her. She's still out, but I don't mind visitors calling in; if anything, it might help you're 'big buddy' to have a little company. Poor guy's been going outta his mind over her"

"Deathshot," Tom realized, "I'll go check up on him"

"Thanks" the surgeon turned to leave, "...I know this has been a rough day for you all, and I'm sorry for what went down; but honestly, this kind of head injury? It could've been much worse, believe me" he added as he left the room.

As the human-sized door closed behind him, the adjacent bot-sized door opened as Que strode in with a data-pad in hand: "Oh, was that the surgeon? Is Morri okay" he asked in his unusual Scottish accent.

"Yeah," Tom sighed in a flat tone, "she's going to pull through"

"Well, that's good news: I just wish I could say the same for Ashley" he sighed in a worried tone.

"Why? What've you found?" John asked pleadingly

"Well? ..." Que scratched his helm awkwardly, "That's just it,..." he explained as he plugged the data-pad into the computer terminal on the wall, and brought up a large collection of holographic data and images; the humans had no idea what the data said; the only thing they recognized were the micro-images of blood cells, and various other kinds of strange microscopic cellular structures: "I don't know we're looking at. The unidentified cells Ratchet located the other day have suddenly turned themselves 'on': and as a result, made his metabolism go into overdrive. Their transfiguring his cellular morphology at an exponential rate"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning...he's undergoing some kind of 'metamorphosis', from the inside out; and-...we don't know what he's turning into..." the Autobot scientist sheepishly replied, "Ratchet's going over the data as we speak, and Wheeljack's double-checking the tests: but at this point, I really don't know what to tell you?"

Meanwhile, in the command center:

"This is growing tiresome, Galloway" Majestrix venomously growled as she glared at the human on the main monitor: "I have already told you, if I have not told you three times already: WE COULD NOT DETECT THEM ON OUR SCANNERS!"

"So you keep saying" Galloway replied in his usual stuck-up manner, "If you at least maintained visual contact with them, why did you not pursue them?!"

A collection of agitated sighs and groans went up around the room as the other bots facepalmed and held their heads in their hands: "We already told you! Their weapons were far too powerful for us to take on in our then-current condition! It was either hold off the Insecticons, or go after Prime and risk further injury, or both if the bugs caught up to us during the pursuit! We had very little choice!" Jetfire argued back.

"That's you're excuse?! You had 'very little choice'?!" Galloway exclaimed incredulously, before leaning into the camera, and lowing his voice to a calm yet threatening tone: "...Listen, let me tell you something: half of Washington's going apeshit, because of your 'noble leader's' heroic sacrifice; he knew it was a trap, and still he went in to rescue the girl anyway. Hell! The whole thing was a damn waste of time and money! You should've left those kids and written them off as MIA!"

"Be careful what you say next, Galloway" Ironhide growled dangerously, "One of those 'kids' is my charge, and I will not stand here and let you talk of her, of any of them as expendable commodities"

"I concur!" Bluebird frowned, "Being in the wrong place at the time was not their fault! How were any of us supposed to know those new arrivals were Insecticons?!"

"Sorry, but Autobot protocol rules on this one" Prowl added nonchalantly, "As dangerous and life-threatening as the situation was: the Autobots do not abandon their allies (regardless of their military or non-military status). Plus, regardless of whether the human younglings and Firefly had been kidnapped or not: we would've had to neutralize the Insecticons as soon as possible anyway. And tactical logic dictates, that if those humans hadn't taken a hostage in the first place, the number of their weapons and tactical resources indicates they would've found an alternate course of action in procuring Optimus: regardless of whether a specific 'bait' had been implemented or not"

"That's it? That's your excuse?" Galloway stared at him dubiously.

"It is the most likely hypothesis: but whether it would've been true if the circumstances had transpired differently? We'll never know" Prowl admitted reluctantly, "All we can do now, is concentrate our energy and resources on locating Prime, and how best to rescue him"

"Indeed: which is why I'm taking charge on this one"

"Say what?!"

"Since you all were not in any position to go after Optimus the first time round, I can't say my confidence in your abilities to get the job done a second time are, shall we say, 'substantiated'?. Therefore, we're assembling an elite rescue team to fly out there and go after the kidnappers; and I can assure you, they will get the job done" Galloway added sternly before he offlined the live web-cam feed: not giving anyone a chance to argue back.

Everyone stood there, completely dumbfounded at what Galloway had just said, and as the reality began to sink in, the only thing that came to mind was: "That's it?!" Tangostar exclaimed incredulously, "That can't be it! He doesn't even know where Prime is!"

"Even if I had a week, I couldn't list how many things could go wrong with that decision" Prowl frowned disapprovingly as he folded his arms.

"It's bad enough we don't know where Prime is: even if the whole US army were to storm the kidnapper's hideout, their weapons would outgun ours over ten to one!" Epps threw in angrily.

"They could've shipped Prime outta the country by now. He could be half way across the Pacific or the Atlantic for all we know?" Jazz added

"...Majestrix? What do you think?" Elita asked the sour-faced Prima, who was standing by the human's main platform, brooding in her usual dark and threatening manner. She glanced over at Optimus's spark-mate for a moment, before turning to leave, "I'll be back momentarily-" she replied hastily as the doors closed behind her. Leaving a room of bewildered and confused bots to ponder on what just happened.

A fast-paced walk to the Black Solstus soon brought Majestrix to the ship's bridge, and the command deck, where Blackshot had been waiting patiently for her commander to return.

"Before you-"

"DON'T-" Majestrix snapped angrily, "Just-, don't. The only thing I want to hear from you're lip-plates, is an explanation as to why you did not reply to my comms!" she growled, "And don't you dare think for one minute, that I did not see you sneak off like a turbo-rat down a drain pipe; what were you doing?! And where were the others when we needed back-up?!"

Knowing she was in no mood to be pacified with anything else, Blackshot obliged, and with a heavy sigh, tentatively explained: "...When we split up to cover the various Insecticon trails, I picked up a strange reading on my scanners. It was some distance away, and the signal was weak, so I decided to go and investigate to see what it was. Sure enough, I found the humans and their encampment; but no sooner had I landed and tucked myself away into a hidden position: I then realized the signal in question was a scanner-pulse detector"

Majestrix blinked in surprise: knowing what the latter was, she listened as Blackshot continued: "I knew if I tried to call for back-up: or if someone commed me at that moment, they would've detected me, and in all likelihood would have tried to shoot me. So the only thing I could do was stay put, and wait for an opportunity to slip away"

Majestrix stared at her with a frown, as if not quite convinced that what she had heard was all truth: "And the others?" she pressed her.

"The same as me; Longrange and Coldbore landed behind me, on the opposite side of the valley: Velocity and Eclipse were about a mile in front of them, while Shadowstar was about two miles south of their position. The human's scanner range covered well over ten miles in every direction. And even if we hadn't commed for back-up, there's no guarantee they could've had another means of detecting us"

"That's no excuse!-"

"-They had weapons that could discharge stasis energy!" Blackshot angrily pointed out, "The Decepticons never had the forethought to think up a weapon like that. I was not about to take any chances and risk putting you, or the other Autobots in danger"

Majestrix backed away a few paces; she calmed down a little, but was still very riled: "...And Prime? Did you see what happened?"

"...He came, just as the human instructed: though the ambush had been laid out well in advance. The humans must have taken up their attack positions sometime during the night, because I never saw anyone move out of the encampment"

Majestrix stared at her in disbelief: "...They had been waiting for him all night?"

"That was my assumption too" Blackshot shrugged lightly, "Like I said, I didn't see any other humans aside from the ones in the encampment; and I assumed they must have already moved Morri out to the rendezvous point, because I didn't see her there"

A mixed look of confusion and deep thought seemed to come over Majestrix's face for a moment, as she seemed to be processing what she just heard.

"...Look, I know it was rash of me to take off like that, but I just-" Blackshot paused as Majestrix held her hand up to stop her: "Just fill in your report; we'll discuss this in further detail when this is over. But right now, I have to find my brother..." Majestrix replied as she took off back towards the command centre.

'If they were able to locate Morri as soon as she and Max separated, that could only mean they'd been surveying her since they left the cave; and if they already knew of youngling's whereabouts, they had to have known the Insecticons location too...' Majestrix thought sceptically as her frown deepened, '...This wasn't just a fluke: someone went to a lot of trouble to set this up'

Meanwhile, outside the human medical unit:

"Deathshot? ..." Tom grabbed his guardian's attention as he gently approached him.

"The surgeon already told me..." the Autobot sniper replied quietly, as the mixed look of worry and uncertainty flitted in his one optic: while his tensed-up wing joints squeaked slightly.

Knowing the implication of what the surgeon had told them, it was hard to think of anything positive to say when a 50/50 uncertainty was hanging in the air: not least when it concerned someone they truly cared about. And so, in an attempt to avoid confounding the already-stressful situation, Deathshot turned the subject in another direction: "...Has there been any word on Prime?" he asked.

"Danny got back from the command centre a minute ago; it's not looking good" Tom replied sombrely

"Galloway?"

"Who else?"

"Figures..." Deathshot frowned, "What about Ashley?"

Tom looked up at him as a fresh wave of worry ran through his gut: "The-...test results came back" he replied awkwardly.

"And?" the sniper pressed him

"...It's-, gotten more complicated: we know less than what we knew before, only this time it's getting weirder"

"Weirder?" Deathshot exclaimed, "How?"

"According to Que, he's going under some kind of 'internal metamorphoses': but what they don't know what he's turning into"

Deathshot stared at him in alarm for a moment: "What're they doing for him now?"

"Right now he's still out, and thus far it doesn't look like 'the changes' are causing any internal trauma; but no one's daring to attempt anything in case they cause the-, whatever it is that's causing it, to turn belly-up and make things worse...They said all we can do is wait, and hope he pulls through..." Tom sighed sombrely as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Morri might have brain damage

Ashley may or may not live

This was the worst he'd felt in a very long time: and as Deathshot stood there, unable to say or do anything that might undo all this. His mind subliminally turned to a darker place, as memories of losing his family replayed through his thoughts like some guilty torture; and as his face began to betray his inner-most anxieties, the words 'I failed them' began to taunt him like a restless ghost.

Seeing that thousand-mile stare on his face-plates, and having a good idea where his mind was at right now: a pang of worry shot down Tom's spine as he tried to reassure him: "Hey, listen: we don't know for sure what's going on, for all we know it may look worse than it actually is?" he lied; a knot in the pit of his stomach reprimanded him, but what else could he say?

"Is it? ..." Deathshot's shaky voice trembled as he tried to hold his emotions in check.

As the full weight of reality hit down on him again, Tom realized he himself was only hanging onto hope with maybe's and could-be's: with no guarantees or assurances that this would be okay: for Ashley, or Morri. And it both hurt, and scared him. As the silence between them grew heavier, Tom didn't know if he could stand this: but he daren't leave Deathshot, for fear of letting his past memories get the better of him.

"...How about..." Tom thought aloud, "...We wait together, and just-...see what happens; okay?"

"...Okay..." Deathshot sighed quietly as he bent down to scoop up Tom, and place him on his shoulder. He then sat down, next to the door that went through to the recovery room, and together they sat there: listening to the life-support beep at a slow and steady rhythm. Secretly hoping and praying, that they were both wrong.

A little way down the corridor, Velocity silently watched the pair with an unreadable expression in her optics; as if waiting for something to happen...

Meanwhile, back in the med-bay:

Being careful not to get trodden on, Sam zigzagged in between the various pairs of bot legs and feet as he ran for the auxiliary storage room (the one right at the back of the med-bay), after peering around to make sure no one had followed him, he stealthily slipped in through the door; only to be confronted with a room full of defectors and Autobots, as well as the Ainsly and Waineright girls, along with Mikaela, Annabelle and Shiningstar.

"...What're all you guys doing in here?" Sam blinked in surprise

"Hiding from Grimlock and his brainless rabble, what else?" Buzzsaw scowled sarcastically as his metallic feathers bristled with agitation.

"Uh-huh" Sam nodded, "That would explain the ionized Aluminium I smelt on the door?"

"The only stuff that masks our scent from them; plus, this is the only place we could find that Grimlock would have great trouble getting to" Thundercracker replied as he took a swig of his energon cube.

"Why this place?"

"Cuz he's gotta get through Ratchet first, and I think he still remembers how hard he can throw a wrench" Bumblebee smiled

"Ah, good call" Sam nodded; he was about to say something else when a jittery Miles burst in through the door, and quickly slammed it shut.

"What the-

-SHUSH! Shhh!" Miles pressed a finger to his lips; everyone looked at him weirdly for a moment before the heavy booming footsteps of Grimlock could be heard stomping by the med-bay: everyone listened in absolute silence before a muffled curse from Ratchet could be heard shouting out into the corridor, but the Tyrannosaurus seemed to pay no attention, as he carried on walking until the sounds of his footfalls disappeared.

"Thank God-" Miles sighed with relief as he collapsed onto the floor, "I managed to lose him"

"He'sstilllookingforus?!" Frenzy squeaked in a panic.

"I think he picked up you guy's scent on me and thought he could trail me back to here; luckily I managed to run ahead and give him the slip" Miles sighed as he tried to catch his breath.

"He's not still wanting to eat you guys?!" Mikaela exclaimed as she looked up at the two seekers, "Surely he knows you defected right?"

"Mikaela, I don't think he cares: a con is a con is a con as far as he's concerned" Sam patted her on the shoulder

"Which means the only thing we're good for is dessert" Skywarp huffed as he folded his arms.

"Okay" Roxy drew their attention, "Us hiding in here means we've been the last to know everything: so what's going on out there?" she demanded as she folded her arms assertively.

"Well? For starters," Miles explained as he got back up on his feet: "Galloway's being a shit as usual, only this time he's uber pissed at the fact Prime's been kidnapped, and is somehow convinced Majestrix and the others couldn't give a shit to go after him. So to cut to the chase: he's benched NEST and is sending in another team to go after him"

"WHAT?!" the whole room exclaimed: "Their not gonna let us go after him?!" Firefly exclaimed incredulously.

"Pretty much" Miles deadpanned, "He thinks the bots aren't up for the job, so he thinks someone else can do it better"

"But-, who else could possibly be qualified to find him?!" Veebee exclaimed incredulously.

"That's what everyone else is asking" Miles sighed as he facepalmed.

"And speaking of confusing: where's Darren been all this time?" Rosy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He's still MIA, after that comm Trailbreaker patched through this morning he's been locked in his quarters all day, and still hasn't come out" Sam replied.

"That can't be good" Jeanie worried, "He always locks himself away when something majorly bad is going down online; but in this case I can only surmise that he must be onto something, or else he'd be going apeshit at Galloway right now, trying to infect his computer with a virus or somthin'"

"Everyone's on the brink at going apeshit at Galloway! It's bad enough Grimlock wants round two with those bugs; but the fact the Pentagon and Administration wants us to stay out of this is too-, 'weird'!" Miles folded his arms in a huff.

"...Wait a minute..." Sam frowned in confusion, as his train of thought suddenly derailed, and began heading in a totally different direction. In a surreal moment that seemed to stretch into minutes, everything Sam had been told of the day's event's played back over in his mind: and as he remembered everything, key pieces of information began to form a disconcerting pattern. And as he stared off into space, the distant look of deep thought in his eyes hadn't been lost on everyone; "...Galloway knows we're the best qualified team to get Prime back; he let Lennox and Prime lead an away team into the 'other universe' when we got sucked into the DRD"

"Yeah? So?" Miles frowned in bemusement, wondering where his best friend was going with this.

"So," Sam explained, "Despite the circumstances, he had to acknowledge the fact the bots knew a lot more about their own tech than the military's best scientists did; this time is no different. There are humans using cybertronian tech as weapons: even if the Pentagon has a list of basic stats on the Autobots most basic firearms; why would they go after a bunch of strangers who've reversed-engineered weapons even we don't posses, without first gathering enough intel on who or what they are. I mean, think about it: Prime's been gone barely ten hours: we don't know who took him; the Pentagon and the presidential administration don't know who took him. So why is there a separate rescue team being put together; unless..."

"Somebody wants the Autobots to stay outta this" Max suddenly realized

Sam nodded "The Pentagon and the Administration want him back, but they don't want us going after him: Why?" he proposed.

The mood of the room suddenly shifted from worried to perplexed, as everyone pondered' Sam's logic; and the scarier still: he had a valid point.

"Well-, logic dictates that if their putting a separate team together, that implies they must know where he is, or at least have a good idea of his general location" Jeanie thought aloud.

"Unless this was all set from the beginning" Sam stated in a serious tone.

Everyone stared at him in alarmed bewilderment: "Wh-what are you saying?" Shiningstar gawked at him; trying to make sense of his logic, as she sensed his thoughts bubbling in the forefront of his mind.

"Okay..." Sam drew in a deep breath, "I know this day has been moving fast: but think about everything that's happened thus far, and think about it carefully...That guy: the one who hacked the open comm, he implied he was in control of the Insecticons: And sure enough, the bugs did back off halfway through the fight (if only for fifteen minutes). He not only knew the bugs were on earth, I think he did havea way of controlling them. Plus, I read Majestrix's report on what went down when she saw those other humans capture Prime. They ambushed him in large numbers, in a narrow valley that had steep near-vertical walls, and a rocky river-bed running though it; that kinda terrain would make Prime's vast strength and size useless, and since the ground was too rough for his altmode to run on, all he could do was run, until he was backed into a corner where he hardly had any room to move at all. That's military strategics right there, plus planning way in advance: this guy knew how best to fight Optimus, without giving him any openings to fight back. And further more: Roxy said the roof of the cave they were being held in was covered with explosives, so how could anyone have possibly known, that of all the cave-systems in that area of the Sierra's, the Insecticons would choose that one to hide in"

"Unless, the guy already knew they were gonna go there" Bumblebee suddenly realized. "Whoa, that make's a lotta of sense now that I think about it" Roxy blinked in stunned surprise. "Me too" Firefly concurred in equal amazement.

"Or they were lured there somehow..." Sam stated, "This was a set-up; someone went to a hellova lotta trouble to get their hands on Prime, all the while using the bugs to keep everyone busy"

"That's one pit of a theory" Thundercracker thought aloud, "But even if it's true, why?"

"I don't know..." Sam sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, "But too many weird things have gone down today to chock it all up to being just coincidence; first the bugs land on earth and shit goes down. Then hours later this British dude pops up claiming he can call them off. Then Prime goes to rescue Morri from him, and is attacked by some 'secret army' wielding cybertronian tech: and now, we're told we're can't go to rescue Prime, and that some other team is going after him, when clearly we're the best choice...That all doesn't strike you as being just a little bit peculiar?"

Everyone looked at one another in dire concern.

"That leads to only one logical conclusion" Ravage stated in a serious tone, "The military has another agenda: one that has kept us in the dark, and to which an ulterior motive is at hand"

"But without evidence it's just a theory" Miles huffed in frustration.

"Even so, it would explain the Pentagon and Administration's injunction to our rescue mission; why else would they be so forceful at stopping us? Unless there was something about Prime's kidnapping that would expose something: something they don't want us to know about"

"That's kinda what I was getting at" Sam sighed, "I need to talk to Majestrix, she needs to know this" he added as he turned to leave.

"Do you think Grimlock and the Dinobots might be involved somehow? (I wouldn't be surprised if they were)" Firefly asked

"Call it a long shot, but something in my servos tells me he's not a factor in Prime's kidnapping" Ravage replied sceptically.

"But why's he so gun-hoe for the bugs? I always thought hunting them was a sporting pastime for the Dinobots, but this time? They're being way more aggressive about it; almost 'bloodthirsty'" Bumblebee pointed out.

"I can't put my paw on it, but something about the Insecticons has hit them hard: somehow, I think this time its personal"

At that moment, the door opened as Danny stepped in: "Hey guys, Ratchet told me you were hiding in here"

"Dude: any news on Morri?" Miles asked.

"That's what I came to tell you..." Danny replied in a sombre tone.

At the same time, elsewhere:

As his systems rebooted and his consciousness flared back to life, the first thing Optimus could hear was the sound of bustling human activity.

As his optics onlined and focused his vision, he realized he was lying horizontally, looking up at a bare concrete ceiling some seventy feet above him. He tried to get up, but a surge of stasis energy crackled over his shoulders and neck, sending a sharp wave of pain through his spinal unit: forcing him to remain still; it was at that moment he could feel the restraints around his waist, upper arms, wrists, legs and ankles, with a thick stasis collar securing his neck tightly to the birth he was lying on.

"I wouldn't recommend trying to move; that collar gives a mean bite if you try to struggle" a male human voice spoke from behind him.

"Who's there?" Prime demanded

The sound of gears whirring and pistons hissing suddenly flared to life as the birth steadily lowered down, and an overhead platform came into Optimus's peripheral vision. Standing on the platform were a number of humans in white lab coats with clipboards and handheld computers; scientists, but Optimus didn't recognize any of them. There were soldiers too: dressed in the same full-body black combat gear his kidnappers wore (probably the same humans too): and armed with the same semi-automatic-like weapons.

Suddenly, the male human from earlier popped his head up from where he'd staying out of view, and gazed down at Optimus with a satisfied grin.

"You!-" Optimus growled

"Now don't get you're wires in a twist old boy: there's no use trying to break free: those restraints can easily hold back the Ark Royal, and that collar around your neck will discharge at even the slightest movement" he stated: "If I were you, just sit back and try to calm down, you're not going anywhere anyway"

"If you hurt Morri-

"Oh come come now, I kept my end of the deal" The gentleman waved off: "I let her go, just as promised; whether she made it out of the valley safely is another matter. I may be a crook, but I'm not without my principles" he stated seriously.

"That goes without saying, Mr Barkiss" Another male voice spoke up, "They say there is no honour among thieves, but it would seem you are the acceptation" the gentleman smirked as he came up alongside Optimus's helm. He was a much older gentleman: shorter, and more hunched over than the latter, with a head of thick silvery-grey unkempt hair, and rest of his overall attire wasn't much different, as his white lab coat looked like it hadn't been ironed in a long time. But what really caught Prime's attention was the glint in his grey eyes; that eager, unnerving look that made one's armour feel uncomfortable against one's frame. For a moment, Prime couldn't help but wonder if he'd been a Decepticon scientist in a previous life: he certainly had that aura about him. Following close behind him was another gentleman, much leaner with a skinnier build, a slim sharp face with partially sunken eyes, and skin as pale as a sheet; he too had a particularly austere presence about him, as he looked over Optimus with a cold unfeeling gaze.

"Indeed. But, jolly bantering aside: I trust you are satisfied with the results?" Barkiss smiled

"Most definitely" The older gentleman smiled, "I'd say you earned that little gold carrot"

"Excellent; then let's discuss the second half of my payment"

"Certainly: Rook, see to the second half Mr Barkiss's deposit" the scientist ordered; the gentleman behind him nodded affirmatively, and walked off out of view.

"Deposit?" Prime echoed incredulously, "You paid him, to capture me?!"

"Well? You're not exactly the easiest subject to handle in a fight, and finding the right man for the job is easier said than done" the scientist smirked, "It's nothing personal, I assure you" he added as he too stepped out of view.

"Seriously old boy" Barkiss sighed as he patted Optimus sympathetically on the shoulder, "He's right, it wasn't anything personal: for me, it's just good business, and for him? Well? He's just following orders"

"Karma all round I'd say..." Another voice spoke up. Another human male stepped into Optimus's line of sight, but this one was different from the rest; dressed head to toe in black and charcoal form-fitting armour, with a full face mask and black hood covering his head: his voice was electronically distorted by the mask, so much so that Optimus's audio-scanners couldn't pick out any characteristic vocal patterns or distinguishing changes in pitch or tone. But his deep electronic basso tone carried a strong sense of strength and authority, and the manner in which he spoke told him this one had to be the one in charge. "Which is, in itself, quite extraordinary for these kinds of circumstances; wouldn't you agree Optimus?" he added in a nonchalant, yet surprisingly non-smug tone.

"Who are you?" Optimus frowned.

"The one who hired Mr Barkiss to capture you. And the one, you are going to become very well acquainted with, over the course of the foreseeable future," the stranger replied: "To that end, it is only polite that I properly introduce myself. To my subordinates, I am commander: but you, may call me Silas"

Prime didn't reply at first, but merely glared daggers up at him, before asking: "...What do you want from me?"

"A number of things, but primarily you're technology; you and your kind are the panicle of a unique branch on the cosmic tree of life. Autonomous robotic life, completely spawned from the primordial chaos of evolution, unbound by no other influence, bar that of your own" Silas stated coolly.

"Flattering" Prime sarcastically replied, But Silas was unconcerned as he continued: "Up until now, technology, (Well, human technology) has always been within the realm of mankind's control: you know this, and have taken the necessary precautions to avoid falling into that control. Until now"

"You will not break me" Prime stated venomously.

Silas gazed down at him for a moment, before continuing: "...It is not a question of breaking you Optimus, it's about ushering in the future...For the past several millennia, humanity's technological progression has always been a fine balancing act between the cold logic of science, and the omnipotent delusion of God. But it wasn't until the age of steam and global industry: that humanity began to cast the shackles of theocracy aside, in favour of exploring its more inventive nature, in all its creative and destructive forms"

"I've read the history of this world's technological advancements; and I understand humanity's need to explore its own potential" Prime replied calmly.

"Then you must also understand, that as a result of that need, humanity's evolution has never been more pressing: more fraught with uncertainty; all for the want of knowing that if you can build it, you will build it"

"You think you can build a replica of me? Or reverse-engineer me and my technology?" Prime raised an optic ridge.

"It's not just about reverse-engineering: not anymore; assimilation is the only way forward for mankind. By our calculations, the first fully bionic, neural-interfaced limb is less than a decade away from being created; the first nano-machine based medicines? Probably less than fifteen years away. After that comes to fruition, the possibilities for 'cyborg-based' technology will be practically unlimited, and all for the benefit of everyone...But nature has shown, time and again, that the first life-form to take advantage of an empty niche in an ecosystem: is often the one that gains the most ground. For example, when the dinosaurs were alive: in the one hundred and sixty five millions years they existed, the biggest mammals never got above ten kilograms; but after they died out, the mammals flourished; ranging from whales in the sea, to bats in the sky, and from the equator to the poles, they covered every continent on the planet"

"So you're looking to fill a 'technological niche': on the back of our technology, and on humanity's behalf?" Prime surmised aloud.

"Correct: it is a fundamental cornerstone of human mentality, that when people come across a piece of information they agree with, they internalize it, without fully considering the ramifications of what that internalization can, or will do. In other words, people are prone to jumping on a 'band-wagon' without first checking to see who's driving; and in this day and age, when the fundamental relevance of what is truth and what is farce has been blurred to the point of being suspended in a constant state of moot. It's easy to paint a picture of the end of the world, when in actual fact: you are offering the chance to be a part of the new one"

Prime frowned sceptically, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying; tomorrow is forever coming Optimus, the future is always looming on the horizon. Mankind is ever pushing forward: and I intend to see that it gets the best head start in the coming first into that new niche..." Silas stepped closer to Prime's helm, and leaned in a little closer: "When you and you're kind came to this world, you were pebbles cast into a pristine, untouched pool; and even though you're war has been won and lost, the ripples are still being felt, everywhere...When an alien organism is introduced to an alien environment, one of two reactions usually occurs: said organism consumes and disrupts the environment and all the native organisms within it. Or, the environment proves too great for the alien, and the organism is either forced to adapt, or be consumed by the natives...When you came to earth, you didn't underestimate humanity's cultural vices: but when you made friends and tried to assimilate yourself into their world, you underestimated the fact, that a human is still a human, and by its nature, when it sees something it knows will grant him more than what his bare form can give. He'll take it, without care or mercy. Humanity is prone to consume that which stands in the way of its progress, and for all you're might and long-lived wisdom, you're just not cut out to survive here"

"Then you're no different than the Decepticons" Prime frowned.

"Perhaps, but the big difference between us and them, is vision. We do not intend to change the world by genocide or oppression; merely make the necessary little changes here and there: and the more subtle the changes, the less anyone notices... You're brother really should have tried subtlety as a means of conquest" Silas replied

Prime's optics flared open in surprise: how did Silas know Megatron was his brother?

"Oh, how do I know you and Megatron were siblings?" Silas purposely thought aloud, "Hmm..." he smirked as he turned and walked away, "...I'll be seeing you later"

"Quite the chatter box isn't he?" Barkiss smirked, "But then, all the smart ones usual are; can never keep their egos to themselves unless they can help it" he added as Rook returned with a large silver brief case, and handed it to Barkiss. "Well, it's been quite a party old boy; but my work here is done, and I must be dashing. Tootle-pip" he waved good-bye as he walked out of sight.

Now left alone with his thoughts, and the various teams of scientists scanning and probing every nook and cranny of his giant form: Optimus had to come to terms to the fact, that he was now well and truly in the pit; and as his spark reached out for Elita across the vast distance that separated them. He hoped and prayed, that somehow, they'd stay away; least the same fate befall them if they came looking for him.

A little while later, back at NEST, in the command center:

"There's something they're not telling us" Ironhide frowned, "They know we stand a better chance of locating Prime faster than any human means, and yet they tell us to stand down: to what end does this serve any purpose?"

"Something about Galloway's decision is off, he's been hard on us in the past, but this time something's different. I don't know about all of you, but I get the feeling there's something he's not telling us" Jazz concurred

Jetfire was about to throw in his opinion when Grimlock burst through the door, and strode over to where Majestrix was gathered with the other Autobots: "So? Have you found them yet?!" he demanded angrily

"For the umpteenth time, NO!" Majestrix barked, "All other concerns can wait until Prime returns! He is our first and only priority!"

"Our priority is the Insecticons: we did not cross half the galaxy to be caught up in your weakling brother's plight!" the Tyrannosaurus growled angrily: "We have a job to finish, and we'll do it with, or without you!"

Despite the level of aft-headedness, something about Grimlock's anger was, 'off', in a way (from the way she remembered him, the last time they worked together). Frowning in confusion, and now a little more curious than anything else, Majestrix forced her annoyance to quell, and tried a different approach: "...What is it about the Insecticons you have to kill them so badly? You've never taken a bug-hunt so personal before"

Grimlock glared at her dangerously: "They made it personal when they killed Slag, Snarl and Sludge"

The other Autobots blinked in surprise:

Three Dinobots: killed by Insecticons?" Jetfire raised a sceptical optic ridge, 'How the pit did that happen?!' he thought in disbelief.

"...My apologies, you have my condolences..." Majestrix replied, "But contrary to your belief, revenge is not the answer"

"Say's the femme who committed her very existence to destroying her brother and his army" Grimlock growled, "You have some nerve to be lecturing me about the pitfalls of revenge!"

"The femme you knew who endorsed such beliefs is long since gone; I've had twenty five thousand years in a state of suspended existence to come to terms with myself. And I have no intention, of ever going back" Majestrix stated in a threatening tone.

"Humph!" The beast scoffed, "You seriously expect me to believe that? That you're little brother's antiquated sense of moral finally made you see the light?"

"Believe what you want; but I will not stand here and be bullied by the likes of you!" the Prima stated as she got up in his face; "Ever since Shockwave used you as his own personal lab turbo-rat, you've hardly been the modal of an acceptable bot. At every turn you undermine and disgrace the name of Autobot, for your own personal and selfish means; you hold no one outside of your team with any level of regard or respect, and you use everyone as a means to your own ends. And were my brother's wellbeing not such a priority at this moment: I would gladly drag you out of here by your tail, and feed you to my Driller! After, I have pounded you to within an inch of your life!"

"You try even once and you'll live to regret it. Femme" Grimlock stared her down.

"I'm simply saying," Majestrix clarified, "Try me, one more time: and you and I will have it out when this crisis is over!"

"Fine" Grimlock smirked as he raised his fist the punch her; Majestrix and the other bots took up their fighting stances: but just before the Tyrannosaurus could swing the first blow, Swoop dived in front of him to bar his way: "MOVE IT SWOOP!" Grimlock barked angrily, as the bots watched in bemused confusion.

"I'm sorry boss, but I can't let you!" Swoop nervously stated

"WHAT?!" Grimlock exclaimed

"I can't let you make such a rash decision! Don't you remember the last time she fed you to Geo? And then to the Hellhounds? And then to-

"-Scrappy..." Grimlock suddenly blinked in realization; with a look of anxiety forming on his face as memories of the tiny robotic Chihuahua came back to haunt him, along with the memories of the aftermath of their confrontation. As his worry boiled into a seething frustration, Grimlock reluctantly lowered his fist, transformed into his beast-mode, and stormed out of the command center: grumbling, growling and smacking everything and everyone in his path with his tail as he headed for the training room to vent his rage.

Breathing a sigh of relief as she regained her composer, Majestrix glanced at Swoop with an approving nod: "Nice to know at least one of you still knows how to use his CPU"

"Hey!" Swoop objected, "...That is true, but still!"

"Well, thank you" the Prima smiled

"Eh, don't go making a thing of it" he waved off; "I just don't wanna be the one trying to pick his aft-plates outta Geo's teeth again: the first time was not fun. The second time with Scrappy? ...Well, we both remember how that went down" he winced as the memory of said event sent a nervous chill down his spinal unit.

"Carnage no like tiny hellhound" Carnage grumbled as he plodded into the command center, "Tiny hellhound try to eat Grimlock"

"Quite" Majestrix regarded him with an unreadable look.

"So? No smack-down time?" Darren called out from where he and the other humans and their guardians were standing out in the corridor, "Cuz if there's any more shit going down, a fair warning would be nice so we can run to the bunkers"

"We're done squabbling" Majestrix called out, "...For now" she added under her breath.

"Good" Darren replied as he popped his head around the door, "Cuz I found the guy who took Prime"

Tense much? Yeah, things are getting tight here: which can only mean, it'll be time for some more action soon enough :D

Please R&R before clicking off, and much love to you all dearies! :)