Boulders shook and a hand twitched to life, tightening around the first thing it felt. It lifted the faintly warm object with ease and broke free of its crushing prison. The being known as Skyquake arose, groaning and panting on his knees. He then looked down to the soft creature it held. A moment passed before he recognized it for what it was.

Then he screamed.

It was his body! But then...then what was this? Jack felt the stirrings of panic, his body shaking madly as he held his human shell.

"What the hell happened?!" He shouted, cringing at the vastly different sound of his voice. It certainly wasn't his. His terror increased ten fold. This couldn't be true, it had to be a dream... It wasn't supposed to be like this!

How was he going to tell the Autobots about this? How was he going to make them believe he was Jack when everyone knew Skyquake was dead?

Jack sat on the ground, clutching his former body desperately even as it stiffened with death. His cries could be heard a mile away, if there had been anyone to hear them.

Back at the base, everyone was in a frenzy. Jack hadn't been seen in hours, his life signal having vanished and their calls would not go through. Arcee was the one worried the most, bar June, searching every place that he might have been or gone.

A blip on the radar appeared outside the town of Jasper, within one of its many canyons. Ratchet was the first to notice it, busy as he always was with the low standard of technology.

Its location was instantly recognizable to Optimus and Bumblebee. And yet it's signal was both known and unknown. It was uncannily familiar to Jacks, yet held a Cybertronian flare and mixed with another who they knew was dead. It was preposterous and absolutely insane to even consider the possibility.

But it was the only lead they had. Ratchet turned to look at Optimus, a hard look in his optics. "Locking onto the coordinates now." His voice was low, a testament to how concern the normally loud and abrasive medic was. Optimus nodded to him, signaling for 'Bee to follow him.

"Remain cautious. Megatron may have made an undead warrior." The big bot warned as the groundbridge opened, a swirling mass of green. Bumblebee nodded, giving a small whirl of agreement. He was determined to bring their human friend back, no matter what it took. "Keep the com links open should we need assistance." Optimus ordered the others before vanishing along with the yellow 'bot.

Ratchet looked to Bulkhead and Arcee, a hard glint to his optics. "What are you waiting for, a green light? Get your gears in drive and keep searching!"

"Yeah..." Bulkhead murmured, crashing into a piece of equipment. He expected to hear the usual cry 'Bulkhead, I needed that!' from Ratchet. But the medic was too concern with his current task to even care.

They wasted no time in leaving, Ratchet going back to the monitor whilst Bulk and Arcee sped out of the base, skids marks left behind in their wake.

Primus help them if the Decepticons had Jack in their grasp.

Jack looked up sharply when he heard the familiar sound of a bridge and metal footsteps clanging against the stone. He cradled his smaller body to what was now his chassis, standing as he caught a glimpse of blue and red plating. Jack ran, not wanting to be seen by anyone in his new state, not even his friends.

So naturally they followed, guns blazing. Jack ducked and dodge as they fired at him, terrified as he evaded the pair. It was exceedingly difficult, unused as he was to his new body. Many times he stumbled or his limbs jerked out of his control. He cried out in pain as a shot clipped his shoulder. He ran that much faster, determined to get away. Praying that they wouldn't find him in the maze like canyon, he nearly gave up hope as he turned into a dead end.

Optimus and Bumblebee soon came, cornering the former human as he frantically tried to scale the cliff with one hand to no avail. They stared in shock at the seemingly revived Skyquake. Then they saw the person he held.

'Bee had never understood the human term of 'seeing red' until that moment. One of their humans, his friend was dead. He charged forward, intending to rip the far large mech limb from limb, the harmless bee suddenly a hornet as the decepticon attempted to grab the icy cold body.

His hand was stopped as the youngest 'bot slammed into him, causing his head to painfully smack into the the rock wall behind him.v Jack cried out in agony as Bumblebee practically mauled him, punching on every piece of armor he could reach. He tried crawling away and blocking his face, anything to get away from the righteous fury.

Optimus watched with surprise. The Skyquake he knew would never let his pain be known, nor flee from a battle. And as he gazed at the mechs face, he found his optics were shockingly blue. He moved with a quickness not expected for one of his size, prying the angry Bumblebee from his target.

"Bumblebee! Stand back!" He ordered. 'Bee reluctantly obeyed, fist clenched and shaking as he sent Jack a death glare. Optimus looked down, a hard look in his optics as he stared from the too still body of Jack and back to this Skyquake look-a-like. He pointed the barrel of his gun to him, his suspicion only strengthening when the mech flinched.

"Why have you killed this human?" Jack looked up at him, optics full of fear. How could he make Optimus believe? He shied away, covering his face. In a quiet, depressed voice, he whispered a reply.

"I'm...I'm Jack..." Bumblebee stiffened, anger coursing through every wire and cable.

"That is not possible." Optimus replied coldly, gun revving.

Jack panicked, covering his head and ducking. "I-I swear! I'm Jack! The key...! The key did something...it put me in this body!" He spoke quickly, terrified of the blaster that could go off at any moment. "You gave it to me! You said it was the key to the groundbridge..."

Optimus paused, processors whirling as he took in the information. It simply couldn't be. And yet he knew of Vector Sigma and how Jack had come to possess the ancient key.

"You're coming with us." There was no room for argument as Optimus pulled Jack up by his wounded arm. He flinched as the the big bot dragged him to his feet, requesting a bridge. None too gently he was pulled through as 'Bee picked up the stiff body with a sad croon. He followed his leader, sparing no glances for either of them. He merely held him close, wondering why Primus would allow this to happen.

And as Jack was met with the frosty glare of Ratchet, he wondered how he was going to make it out alive.

If 'Bee didn't kill him Arcee surely would.

So should I continue this? Question my sanity for thinking up this crazy idea?