A/N: We're almost at the end of this long journey. Thanks to all who have stuck by me whether I was aware of your presence or not.

Chapter 49

It is said there is a border that separates the world of living and the land of the dead. Some doubt its existence while others believe it is as real as the sky. During times like the Winter Solstice, the line between the two is blurred and the border is more visible. Right now, a lone figure stood in the middle of a desert, black sand gently blowing in the wind. At this moment, he was trying to determine whether he was alive or dead; if the latter, then it meant he had failed.

ShadowStrike stood completely still, his entire life replaying in his mind; from meeting the Autobots to becoming what he was. He'd made few, but great, mistakes along the way to his "destiny". He got involved in that stupid street race with Vince just to impress Sierra, putting the Autobots secret at risk. It all worked out for the best and he did end up catching Sierra's eye, but he swore to himself that he would never do anything so stupid again. Little did he know, it was just the beginning.

From the Shadowzone incident to MECH capturing his mother, who subsequently discovered the Autobots. From Raf nearly dying to him going to Cybertron to restore Optimus' memories. Vector Sigma; that's where it all changed. Ratchet had said that not everyone was destined for a normal life; perhaps the "destiny" the medic was referring to was being the one to restore Optimus' memories. How wrong the medic was, considering what would happen only seven days later.

Becoming a ninja warrior meant to discover and retrieve ancient relics of an alien civilization would seem exciting to anyone. Jack, however, quickly found it was nothing more than putting himself endanger and giving the Autobots more enemies. He'd become a liability to them and the Liege Maximo, the ultimate evil, saw fit to worsen the situation. Thanks to his insecurities and anger, he caused the 'Bots even more distress and Arcee was hurt. Seeing no place among them anymore, Jack left, leaving is supposed "destiny" behind.

It was then that he would meet the Ninja Tribunal and learn the ways of the ninja, helping him along his path. He would also learn the pain of a broken heart, losing a woman who taught him so much, yet he could not use it to its fullest extent. After wandering in the darkness for so long, the ninja found an glimmer of light in the form a young girl; Sunny. In the end, Jack wasn't surprised that Sunny turned out to be anything but a normal child. He seemed to attract that type of female.

But now he failed; Sunny was going to die, if not by the hand of the U.S., then possibly at the hands of the Autobots, who didn't know it was her. All Jack would be able to do is lie in this border dimension while it all happened. His family would kill his daughter. His vow to protect her was broken; now all he had was death. A sensation caught his attention, his eyes focusing on the figure before him.

Standing across from him was a tall man, dressed in a black cloak with a red hue and boots; his arms were in his cloak, giving him the appearance of a phantom. He had long, messy, black hair that blew in the wind and unkempt facial hair and wore narrow sunglasses. Jack had never seen him before, but he seemed so familiar. The ninja tried to speak, but found he was unable to. The man walked closer to Jack until he was right in front of him, looking down at the boy.

Rather than speak, the figure held up Getsuga, and it was then that Jack knew who it was; Zangetsu, one of the Thirteen Primes. It wasn't surprising that the Prime could change his appearance, having transcended physical form. ShadowStrike's eyes shifted down to the sword in the spirit's hand. It was different from Zangetsu or Getsuga; it had both of their auras and more. The young man looked the spirit in the eye, trying to determine what he was doing.

From his actions, he was offering Jack a chance to return to the world of the living and save Sunny, but it would mean that he and Zangetsu would become one again, thus exposing him to the Thirteen and their influence. It would also mean that Jack would be vulnerable to another possession by the Liege Maximo. But that didn't matter to Jack at the moment; all that mattered was saving his daughter. He would deal with the Liege when the time came, but for now, Sunny needed him. Without a second thought, he took the sword, feeling its energy surge through him.

Zangetsu allowed a faint smile to appear on his face as ShadowStrike felt the world around him disappear.

ShadowStrike Rising

Opening his eyes, Jack was met with a bright light as he struggled into a sitting position, hearing voices. As his eyes adjusted, he felt someone wrap their arms around him. His vision finally clearing, he found himself being embraced by Miko and Raf, their voices now registering. Miko wasted no time speaking, "Jack! Are you okay! We thought you were a goner!"

"What happened?" he groaned out.

"The ship was destroyed and we found you sinking to the bottom of the ocean," a new voice called. Jack quickly focused his gaze on Karai, the latter leaning against a wall. She continued, "Miko and I managed to grab you and swim you back to the ship. You're in the Autobot base."

"As are you. Here to spy on us for your father?" he stated rather than asked.

"She's not!" Miko shouted.

"It's okay, Miko." Karai walked closer to the bed. "I don't blame you for not trusting me and I really don't care if you do. I'll do everything I can to help you stop my father and save that girl."

"Sunny?" Raf asked. "She with the Shredder and that robot?"

"She is the robot," Jack said plainly, earning shocked gasps from Miko and Raf. "Shredder injected her with a serum when she was younger. It gave her the ability to subconsciously interface with technology."

"My father's plan is to have her terrorize New York and have her destroyed by the army," Karai explained. Raf turned to the girl in shock, horrified at the thought of what might happen. The Autobots were already devising a plan to deal with the machine, which meant destroying it; destroying Sunny.

"We've got to stop him!" Raf said, surprising the two girls. "Sunny doesn't deserve to die!"

"I agree, Raf," Jack said as he swung his legs on the side of the bed, pulling out the IV. "Where's my gear? We need to ground-bridge to New York and stop the Shredder once and for all." He turned to Karai, "I'm sure you know what I intend to do, so do yourself a favor and stay out of my way." Before any of them could respond, Jack left the room, grabbing his things and heading for the ground-bridge.

"Jackson Darby!" his mother called from behind. "Where do you think you're going?" He turned to find his mother glaring at him, but caught the worry in her eyes. His wounds were still healing and he knew there would be no shortage of enemies in the city. The odds of him getting out of there alive were next to none (but when had thought ever stopped him before?).

He gave her a soft look as the ground-bridge activated (no doubt, thanks to Raf), "To save my daughter." Had the circumstances been different, he would have given a small laugh at the shocked expression on her face. But right now, Sunny needed him; and the world needed to be saved. Not by a hero; this world had too many heroes who refused to make the hard choices. What the world needed right now; was a ninja.

ShadowStrike Rising

The ground-bridge opened above a New York building, allowing ShadowStrike to enter the city undetected. He was quickly met by the sight of destroyed buildings and people running in the streets. So the military hadn't been able to evacuate the city in time before the attack. ShadowStrike could only hope that no one had been killed yet. An explosion caught his attention.

He turned to find a large figure in the distance, moving through the city as it was being destroyed. The machine chassis that was once the Autobot, Cliffjumper, blasted buildings as it slowly stalked through the city. Even with his enhanced vision, he could see she was still a good few miles off. He didn't waste time jumping from one building to next, worry and anger filling his heart. He was going to kill the Shredder for what he'd done to Sunny.

But he was afraid of what would happen when it came to face that machine and if he managed to destroy it. What would happen to Sunny if the chassis was destroyed? Would she die? It wasn't like she was completely gone, evident by the machine's behavior back in the sea. And if Jack did destroy her, would it still trigger the Key to Vector Sigma's explosion?

These thoughts and more raced through the ninja's mind as jumped from building to building, getting closer to his objective. Something, however, caught his attention. Out of the corner of his eye, ShadowStrike saw several of Shredder's Cyber-Fiends attacking innocent people, who trying to escape the chaos. His conscious getting the better of him, he adjusted himself in the air and landed on the ground behind the Fiends. The creatures turned to face while the people got over their shock and ran.

The creatures wasted no time in charging him, but he didn't have the time to fight them head on. With a quick hand sign, he summoned the Art of the Dark Void, sending a black orb towards them. The orb connected with the Fiends in the center, staying in the air before imploding, sucking the rest of them in. With them dealt with he took to jumping up the building and continuing his pursuit, only to be met with Cyber-Fiends on the roof. Before he could summon a Ninpo, they attacked, keeping at a close range.

Forced to draw his sword, ShadowStrike took to cutting them down, their blood splattering the rooftops. He slashed two, their bones and circuitry crunching and crackling against his blade. His sword, now called Mugetsu, was glowing in the light of the moon as shined down on them. One of them managed to get behind him and slash his back, and reopen his wounds. He managed to give a full swing and cut down several more of them, only for more to continue to crowd him.

His injuries were already starting to debilitate him, but wouldn't give up; not until he knew Sunny was safe would he allow death to take him. He'd give whatever it took to save the girl and ensure she would live a nice, peaceful, life. Even with the Autobots, she would be out of danger and safe from anyone who would exploit her. His will was as strong as any Cybertronian armor, but his body was still flesh and blood, the latter he was starting to lose. He was so busy holding off the Cyber-Fiends, he failed to notice several being cut down from behind him.

As he struggled with the one of the Fiends, a familiar sword pierced its head, though ShadowStrike was certain the wielder of the blade wanted that to be him. He turned to find Oni-Kage, cutting down several creatures at once with Uramasa. It was no surprise that the ninja was helping him, considering he had decided it would be him who would end Jack's life. Rather than complain, the ninja decided it was best to accept the help, "What took you so long?"

"Megatron was rather adamant about my stay of hand in this matter," the ninja grunted as he cut down more of the Cyber-Fiends. "He does not think this concerns him. He wishes to wait until the Shredder has destroyed the U.S., along with the Autobots, before battling him for dominion of this world."

"And yet you're here because of me? I'm touched, " ShadowStrike replied dryly as they stood back-to-back, ready themselves for the onslaught of Cyber-Fiends. The ground-bridge opening caught their attention as Karai leapt out of it. Taking down three Fiends upon her landing, she quickly joined the two males.

"Looks like you boys could use a lady's touch," she quipped as she began cutting down each of them. She locked eyes with ShadowStrike, "Skully and I can handle this. Go get the girl."

"Thanks," he curtly replied as he left the two ninja to fight the Cyber-Fiends.

"I don't suppose you have a plan," she said as she was now back-to-back with Oni-Kage.

"Hack and slash," he replied.

"Works for me," she said as much larger Techno-Fiends appeared before them. They climbed up a building, oblivious of the white race car speeding towards them. Transforming, the Wrecker Wheeljack slashed the three in his reach. The rest jumped down and started attacking.

"And I thought this rock was boring," he grinned as he donned his face mask and attacked. Karai and Oni-Kage jumped down to aide him with the smaller Fiends, cutting down each one that appeared. Noticing them, the Wrecker quipped, "This reminds of me a fire fight I was in during the Iacon siege. Me and the Wreckers were taking on about a hundred 'Cons."

"How did that work out?" Karai asked.

ShadowStrike Rising

Running through Times Square, ShadowStrike was met with more Cyber-Fiends, causing the ninja to wonder where they were coming from. Perhaps they reproduced asexually like some insects, but he banished the thought and focused on fighting them. Using the Art of the Ice Storm, he summoned a whirlwind of ice and spread out the area, freezing several Fiends in the process. He then focused his energy again, "Ninpo, Art of Inazuma!" Electricity surrounded him as he sent a shockwave, destroying the frozen Fiends.

He panted as his wounds started to ache, forcing him to slow down despite his protest. He could hear the destruction and could tell he was close, but his body was starting to give out as more of the Cyber-Fiends emerged. He readied to defend himself as they neared, the sound of an engine revving catching his attention. Flying of a ramp made of building debris, blue motorcycle landed in the center of the Cyber-Fiends. Standing on its front wheel, the cycle spun around, knocking the Cyber-Fiends back.

Rolling up to the ninja, the motorcycle shifted to form his partner, Arcee, standing in all her glory. After a six month absence from the battlefield, she was ready to fight and the Cyber-Fiends would no doubt quench her thirst. She knelt down to check on him, "Jack, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he grunted. "Don't worry about me. I have to stop the Shredder and save Sunny."

"Yeah," she said. "Raf told us after you left. Optimus is talking with the government to try and keep them from dropping a bomb on this place, at least, until the entire city is evacuated and you're out of harm's way."

"What about you?" he asked. "We can't have you getting sent back to med bay so soon. Ratchet might beat us all with his Wrench of Doom." Despite the situation, Arcee gave a small laugh, something that was foreign to her. It gave ShadowStrike a warm sensation in his heart to hear such a sound come from her voice, but he had to focus. And judging from how she was acting, she didn't know what the chassis was made from. It pained Jack to say it, but had to; he needed her to understand that nothing was going to stand between him and saving Sunny.

"Arcee, did Optimus tell you anything about the chassis Shredder is using to control Sunny?" he asked, hoping the Prime had broken it to her gently.

"No, why?" she replied, earning a tick in ShadowStrike's eye. He'd have to talk with the Prime later about this.

"I won't sugar coat it," he sighed. "That chassis Shredder is using to control Sunny is… is Cliffjumper's body." Had this so many months ago, Jack would have flinched the moment he told her something like this for fear she would strike him. But that may as well as been a lifetime ago as he watched shock and disbelief cross her face.

"That's not… it can't… Cliff was…" she found she was unable to form words at this point. As much as she wanted to believe that Cliff's body survived the explosion so she could finally bury him, it was impossible. What a time for her to unable to cry right now because she felt her spark start to ache. "It can't be. Cliff was killed by Starscream and we destroyed the mine with his body inside."

"But you didn't check," he said softly, not wanting to upset her further. He knew this reaction was reserved only for those she counted as her "partners". He wondered if she was this broken up when she thought he'd died. He hated seeing her like this; lying to herself, her emotional walls coming down as she tried to make sense of all this. He'd been told countless stories about what she and the Autobot had been through. She always said the two of them would have gotten along well, but Jack wasn't so sure because of the feelings he harbored.

The jealousy of knowing he'd never share such memories with her, even with his newfound powers. He would always pale in comparison to both Cliffjumper and Tailgate, but he couldn't think about that now. He couldn't allow those thoughts to enter his mind when he finally did what needed to be done to save Sunny. But he needed to know that Arcee would be okay and that she would understand. He couldn't bear the thought her hating him; there was enough tension between them thanks to her knowledge of his relationship with Chikara.

"Arcee," he said finally, "I'm so sorry for what you're going through. I wish I could help you, but Sunny needs me and I have to protect her. Even if it… even if it means I have to…" He couldn't finish his sentence as he saw realization dawn in her optics. She knew what he was alluding to and that he wanted her approval. She knew it must have been killing him to have to ask her for something like that. He'd always tried to protect her from such pain, even though she was guarding him.

"I have to save her," he said softly. "I don't any other way to do it. I'm sorry." This was the first time he'd shown such emotion since his return a month ago. This whole situation had changed him and her. They'd both gotten a taste of each other's world. He'd been given access to Cybertronain relics while she learned more about the human world. He'd been through so much and lost his innocence and he relied on Sunny to maintain it. He didn't need her selfish desire to hold onto the past to keep him from saving his daughter.

"Go," she said finally. "Do what needs to be done and bring your girl home?" He looked up at her; even with his red masked eyes, she could see gratitude and guilt. He nodded and darted off in the direction of the machine, ready to save his daughter.

She noticed the Cyber-Fiends approaching and readied her blasters, "I'm sorry, Cliff. I love you."

ShadowStrike Rising

Running onto the rooftop, ShadowStrike caught the sight of the machine rampaging through the rest of the city. It seemed like the military managed to evacuate the rest of the population, thankfully. Jack could feel his heart rate increase as he neared the titan, hoping to end this as quickly as possible. He didn't want to prolong this any longer than he had to, for the sake of Sunny and Arcee. He finally managed to near the machine, getting a good look at it.

It walked about as fast as Godzilla, and seemed to have as much brain power; it simply blasted each building in its path, regardless of importance or the civilians that may or may not have been in there. Somewhere beneath that metal monster, was Sunny, the young girl who'd illuminated the boy's dark path. Despite his reluctance to admit her into his heart, she'd made a place for herself. It was like something you'd see in today's media; a coldhearted anti-hero finds hope in the form of a little girl he's protecting.

No matter how ridiculous it seemed like on paper, it was the best way to describe their relationship. A figure leaping from the machine's shoulder caught ShadowStrike's attention. The Shredder stood before him, his Blade of the Archfiend drawn, electricity running through it. His dark eyes bored into his opponent, though he was unfazed. "You were a fool to come here, boy," he spat. "Nothing you do can stop this."

"You know, if you told me that a few months ago," he started. "I would have believed it. But then I found out that our planet's core is an ancient Cybertronian demon. I went to Cybertron itself and accessed Vector Sigma. Both things seem impossible, but they're real."

"Yes, yes," Shredder scoffed. "A lovely story about how the impossible is possible, but it changes nothing."

"It changes everything," ShadowStrike said calmly. Drawing his own blade, both men took their stances as the machine continued to destroy everything in its path. Jack noted that it seemed like something out of a video game he saw Raf playing a while back. Without another word, both men attacked, their blades clashing against one another. ShadowStrike knew he would be at a huge disadvantage in this fight.

His wounds had started to reopen and blood was seeping out while the Shredder looked good as new, save for few scratches on his armor. The blades scratched against each other as the two men locked eyes, their rage evident. They started clashing again, the Shredder managing to land several cuts on the ninja. The loss of blood was starting to get to him as the Shredder knocked him to the ground. Pinning him down with his foot, Shredder laughed.

"Once I destroy you and this girl, I will be master of this world," he bellowed. "I will destroy all that you hold dear, starting with your precious mother and ending with your beloved motorcycle." ShadowStrike gritted his teeth as he struggled beneath the man's grip. He knew it was typical villain fashion to threaten his enemies' loved ones, but it still made his blade boil. "Perhaps I won't destroy the girl just yet. I might have a few uses for her when this is over. She could be used as powerful weapon to force all other nations to submit. And even if she is destroyed, I can use her as martyr."

"No…" he growled as he started to push on his boot, "You…" Shredder started to struggle to keep the boy pinned down as he felt his foot start to lift, "Won't!" With a final grunt of anger he pushed the warlord off of him, a green aura surrounding him. It would seem that all it took was one final push of anger for him to access his Strength. It wasn't the most glamorous way for him to unlock the ability, but it was all the same to him. He ducked under Shredder's swing and drove his sword through the man's armor, his eardrums being filled with the sound of metal and flesh tearing.

The Shredder let out a grunt of pain as ShadowStrike pulled his blade out, blood dripping off it. As the ninja reeled back, ShadowStrike drove the blade into his shoulder, cutting straight through the man and into his heart. Shredder coughed up blood, but gave ShadowStrike a cold look. He wouldn't bother with some monologue of his life as he gripped the blade and drove it further in. ShadowStrike yanked his sword from the man's body and threw off the blood with a swing of his sword.

He turned to the machine, which hadn't taken its optics off of him. It didn't even try to attack him as he leapt at it, aiming for the Key's energy signature. Slashing into the device, ShadowStrike dragged the blade down as he came down. As he slid down, he could have sworn he saw Sunny for a moment. 'I'm sorry, Cliffjumper,' he thought sadly. Landing on a pole, he watched as the machine fell over, Sunny slipping through the gash. Running up the falling titan, ShadowStrike grabbed Sunny and they landed on the roof.

He held the girl close as she instinctively nuzzled him without even knowing it, "Daddy." It pained him to know that she wasn't talking about him, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that she was safe. All of the adrenaline that was driving him all this time gone, ShadowStrike lost consciousness.

ShadowStrike Rising

A/N: I apologize if the ShadowStrike/Shredder fight didn't live up to expectations. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Next time: Epilogue.