Chapter Twelve

June 12th, 2010

Washington, DC

Coulson's Apartment

Optimus had pulled up close along a dark that allowed Jack to walk down the street. Despite there were no other vehicles coming down their way, they didn't want to risk being spotted. Right before leaving the cemetery and back into the district, Jack had explained to Optimus that Coulson had not yet told his superiors that he was in Washington, and they were waiting for the opportunity to inform him. It surprised the Autobot leader, but he didn't question it. If Coulson kept his presence a secret, then there must be something going on.

Optimus had taken the way back into the capital via the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge, mindful of the passenger he had with him. Jack sat quietly, staring out the window as they passed over the Potomac River. The Prime was concerned, although he did not show it, and for good reasons. He had heard their companions at the base talk about him a lot — as Spider-Man! Granted, he did not tell Jack of his suspicions, but he could tell how Miko spoke of the feats that it had to be him. The sudden revelation made Optimus feel more concerned for the boy's safety, and Ratchet's words came barreling at him. Now the Prime felt more conflicted than he had been before.

"I am sorry for not getting to you sooner than I had to. Had I thought of this before, had I expected that the men would be hunting you down, I would have been more considerate of your safety," Optimus apologized. His sudden words had startled the boy out of his stupor.

"It's okay, Optimus," Jack said as they halted before a stoplight. "We're all fine now. No harm, no foul." He shrugged his shoulders as if to dismiss the incident, but he was still angry at himself for what he did.

"The man that had taken you to the cemetery," Optimus inquired, "do you know of him?"

Jack didn't say anything for a while. The Prime guessed that he was thinking of his words to say carefully without giving himself away.

"Not really. I just found out that he used to know Silas, MECH's leader. I don't know how, but from what he just told me, he had his own agenda. I guess I was just lucky that he didn't do much damage," Jack muttered.

"Yes, we were indeed fortunate for even the individual that had prevented them from doing further harm," Optimus continued, noticing Jack looking at his dashboard in confusion. "Had he not have intervened, even when the police had done their best to apprehend them, more people would have been hurt, including that child and his family."

It was until the light turned green that Jack spoke.

"I was more surprised that out of all the people that were there, Supercharger was among them. He was practically still a kid when he became violent after his dad was killed by enhanced individuals like himself." Jack nervously tugged at his sleeves. "And the guy who picked me up was the same one that was there that day. He and Silas knew each other somehow and they both knew the significance I had because of my parents. Or my dad if you want to be more particular," he mumbled that last part.

"You've never spoken much of your father," Optimus pointed out. "I never realized you had one until Raf and Miko had to explain the birds and bees to Bulkhead one time." He frowned at the conversation that had become awkward for the Autobots in the end.

"Well, I do, but the last time I saw him was nine years ago," Jack explained.

"Hmm. May I ask why he hasn't lived with you?" the Prime inquired.

Jack frowned. "I'm not really sure. All I remember was that my mom had packed us all up and took us to Jasper. She never really said why." He looked away, as if it obvious, not wanting to meet the dashboard.

"Jackson, did that man tell you something to upset you?" Optimus asked.

Jack lowered his eyes, not wanting to meet the dashboard. How was he going to explain this one to Optimus? He was more worried how he would react.

"Yes." Clearing his throat he said, "He said something. We…spoke."

Optimus hummed, but he waited for the teenager to continue.

"But it's not so much that he said something that pissed me off. It's what I did and didn't do."

"I see…"

Jack glared out the window, bitter with the Autobot's reply. It didn't matter if he did it to save lives, just letting him get away with it was a terrible feeling.

"If you were given an ultimatum when you knew you could have done so much to prevent it, what would you have done?" Jack grumbled.

"Why did you become Spider-Man, Jack?" Optimus asked evenly. A question he hadn't expected.

"I…I…" Jack thought Optimus would chastise him for his rudeness, not to question his choice. "I don't…"

"Jackson, did you not think I would have figured it out? You were bitten by one of the spiders that could have potentially have hurt you, but you weren't. Then there were the strange displays of the arachnid's biology that followed up. The day after you arrived in Washington, when those MECH agents were after you, a masked vigilante with the same abilities you had acquired. And none of you had openly expressed excitement over seeing Spider-Man in action until that day. Need I say more?"

Knowing that there was no way to skirt around this (Miko and Raf had claimed he had a way to wheedle information out of people), Jack slumped in his seat. "Are you mad at me?"

"Normally, yes because not only did you put yourself in harm's way, but you chose to omit this from us after the children had called to see if you were still safe. I am more disappointed that you had not said anything since then."

"I guess that's fair."

"I would also like to know what it was that drove you down that path. Was it for your mother or because of MECH?" Then he asked, "Or did that boy you save inspired you?"

Jack opened his mouth to answer, but he stopped himself, thinking he was going to fall into a trap. His cheeks turned pink as the boy's face flashed before his eyes, remembering the fear he had displayed during the chaos. "Save the boy's life or get answers from the Vulture. Disregard life for my own interest or make it a priority. It wasn't my problem, but the firemen weren't really there and I would never have forgiven myself if I let him suffocate when I knew I could crawl up the walls to get to him. What was I supposed to do?"

"Only what you thought was right. You could have continued your fight with the Vulture, but you instead chose to save that child's life. One your age should not have to sacrifice yourself like that, but what you did was selfless. You have that kind of power, and with great power comes great responsibility. I'm sure you've been told that before."

Jack blinked rapidly. He was right; he had heard that somewhere, but he couldn't remember who had said that. His shock almost made him miss what Optimus said next.

"As to your question, I have been given the ultimatum many times. Those choices I made kept Megatron alive all this time because I was foolish to believe that he could redeem himself, that by giving him a second chance things would mend between us."

"What?" Jack asked, glaring at the dashboard in surprise. "You mean you and Megatron used to be close?"

"Once," Optimus confessed. "Before the war, I was once an archivist in Iacon named Orion Pax. I had met Megatron during my visit in Kaon, and I was inspired by his words and ideas to fix the corruption that existed among the high places. We began to correspond and formed a strong friendship. But I didn't quite agree with his idea of achieving justice. Megatron had wanted to be Prime to achieve that justice, but when I was chosen instead of him, he took it as betrayal, believing that I had used him."

"But you would never use anyone like that."

"No, but Megatron's pride and stubbornness had clouded his judgment. I have come to believe that there will be nothing to sway him from his beliefs. He cannot see what lies beneath the Matrix."

Jack's face softened. He asked quietly, "Do you miss being friends with him?"

For a moment, the Autobot leader was silent. Finally, he spoke, "I would be lying if I said I did not, but I miss the friend I had before the war. Am I going the right way?"

Jack looked up, noticing they were heading towards 30th Street. "Oh, we've missed our turn. Here, take a left up here and then another at N Street. We'll just have to go in a circle."

Optimus did as Jack suggested, and the silence hung over them again. Jack squirmed in his seat a little more to get comfortable. There was now a clearer understanding to the dynamics between the pair from what he had heard, and yet he was surprised that Optimus was sharing it with him. He could see now that it mirrored his past relationships somehow.

"I get it, Optimus. And I really am sorry for what I said. I screwed up bad. I was just mad and I let myself get lost in the moment like the first time." Jack took a calming breath, leaning into the seat he sat in.

"Understandable, but there is a time and place for it. Taking it out on others is not one of those moments."

That ended their conversation until they came to where 31st Street met Blues Alley. Optimus parked as Bulkhead called to say they had secure Bumblebee, although he had a problem transforming, and asking he would meet them. Then Optimus contacted Coulson to let him know that he had Jack with him, explaining what was going on, but he left out some details. He would let Jack explain himself later.

"How are you enjoying it here?" Optimus made conversation as they waited for Coulson.

"I haven't really decided yet. Had been focused on other things," he said. "But I guess coming back here was inevitable."

"You must remember where you have come from, Jackson. Whether we like it or not, home is a part of you."

Jack smirked. "They say you can take the kid out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of the kid. Not really saying that I would call Washington or New York home, but the one thing I missed when moving to Jasper was the sound of traffic at night. For some reason it was my lullaby."

"How many do know?" the Prime asked.

He had to mean about him living in Washington. "Only a few do. They're loyal to Fury, but they won't rat me out because of my mom."

"Your mother?"

"Yeah."

"I do not understand. I would if you did not want her to throw a fit if she found out what you do in your spare time, but would she not have approved of it?"

Jack flinched. His question didn't match what he was thinking of, but now he knew what he was asking about. "Wait. You meant about me being Spider-Man? Not many. Coulson and a few others—"

"For how long?"

"Since that very day. I mean, I should have known he would have figured it out since I've been there for one day when this random person in tights shows up. Wasn't mad about it, but he'd probably skin me if I so much as come home with a scratch."

"He truly cares for you."

"I didn't remember the relationships my mom made with the agents she worked with, but I knew him since I was so little. He was like an uncle, and at the same time the closest I got to a dad before I knew who my real one was. I guess not contacting us during our absence was his biggest regret. Thought for sure that after hearing what happened to my mom, he'd start a manhunt."

"But he went to you instead. You are more important to him. Do you remember when I told you how your mother would move heaven and earth to save you? I'm sure he would have done the same."

"You have no idea."

They had stopped talking, and Jack turned on the radio. Optimus had told him that Fowler had played some country music for him before, but he didn't care for it. After fiddling with the channels, he stumbled upon a Michael Bublé song. At one point, Jack could have sworn that Optimus was tapping his windshield wipers along to Fever.

"Hey, is that a good song?"

Jack screamed as Optimus jolted. Coulson had shown up just as the song was finishing up. For someone who wasn't much of a field agent to him, he could sneak up on someone like a cat. Had to have been taking lessons from Tiger.

"Phil? How long were you there?" Jack asked.

"Long enough to see you two jamming out," Coulson chuckled. "Okay, big guy. I'll be taking him off of your hands now."

Here Jack knew it meant they were going to have to talk about what happened that night. He heard Optimus talk to him, but he left out Stark's unannounced presence and another thing. Was he leaving it up for Jack to tell him or did he not want to risk the man's wrath?

Jack smiled shyly as he climbed out of Optimus's cab, pausing to wave goodbye as the Autobot take off. Once he was nearly gone, Coulson turned to him with a raised brow.

"Something sounded very suspicious when he called me. Did he leave something out?"

Jack winced. "Yeah, but you're not going to like it."

Sierra had finally arrived at the base, keeping her moped on the far side of the room to avoid being crushed. She was currently feeding the spiders in their hiding spot, having been moved since summer vacation had started, especially since Miko had applied for another year. Ratchet was the only Autobot in the base, and Raf had explained to her why. Everyone was hanging out in the human area, watching TV and waiting for the call. Sierra, however, chose to remain in the med bay with the bookcase.

She had to admit she was expecting Jack to be surprised. Except for some of her closest friends, no one else knew she and Vince were dating. Once again, she was left wondering about the past the boys had together, but they kept mum about it. Her parents didn't approve of Jack, but they were cautious about Vince as well.

That was why when she had come home that day, not only was she surprised that Jenna had gotten her a moped, but the reason for it: her parents had found out that the two were seeing each other, and they wanted her to break it off. Jenna tried to act as the mediator, but they wouldn't listen. The fact her parents would cut her college fund.

A bit of information she left out. If Jack knew the truth…it wouldn't matter.

Six weeks had passed since her parents found out and cut her off. Three since she got the job at the café in the town's mall. The Guys and Dolls café wasn't glamorous, but it was better. The pay and tips made up for the humiliation. She only wished the dresses weren't drab and she didn't look like a Broadway maid.

Earlier she had put in Tom Jones's Greatest Hits as she got to work feeding the spiders. It couldn't have belonged to Raf or Miko. Jack must have sneaked the CD over. He seemed more like the type to appreciate the old classics, and Sierra like more than a few songs on it. She might burn Miko with track ten, but she decided not to. She could have sworn she heard Ratchet humming to one of the songs.

She couldn't afford to quit her job. The Guys and Dolls work hours allowed her to enjoy her summer, and they would have benefited for the school, allowing her to study for tests and finish homework. It also gave her time to think. She couldn't understand why her parents were against her decision to date Vince. Sure, he could be a jerk when he wanted to be, but he hadn't been that mean to her. She wasn't dumbing herself down since it started, but bending to whim was lowering her self-esteem. A reason why she needed to save jobs and prove she could ace high school, to get into college and move away to make her own choices.

After another long minute, Optimus had called for a bridge. She looked up as the ground bridge activated and watched as he came through with the other three. Bumblebee was set on the medical berth in the room.

"Do you remember what happened?" Ratchet asked him.

Bumblebee shook his head. He laid down on the table so Ratchet could examine him. Sierra looked to the others for an explanation.

"Something had happened earlier," Banner told her.

"You can fix him, can't you?" Raf asked.

"For all we know, those men could have hit his — what on Earth?" Ratchet said. He went over an area over Bumblebee and gasped, "By the Allspark!"

"What?" Tiger spoke.

"They took his t-cog!" Ratchet exclaimed.

Bumblebee let out a shriek, but for some reason Thor was laughing. This earned glares from the Autobots alike.

"I'm…I'm sorry. But it's such a really funny word," the Asgardian wheezed.

"What are you, twelve?" Arcee said.

"What's a t-cog?" Sierra asked.

Optimus was about to answer when …

"It's the organ that allows them to transform," Tiger stated.

"Wait," Miko looked at the feline being, "How do you know that?"

Tiger gave her a look that said "really?" Sierra looked up at Ratchet for confirmation who slowly nodded.

"Well, that's just stupid," Miko piped. "Why would they even want to take it to begin with?"

Ratchet paused in the examination, noticing something on Bumblebee. It was a small circular device. Ratchet reached over and plucked it off of him.

"Um, what's that?" Raf adjusted his glasses.

Ratchet looked at the others when it started to blink a pale blue light. Everyone stared at it in horror before it made a hissing sound. In a matter of seconds, it projected a small hologram.

"Greetings, Autobots," the hologram spoke.

"Megatron?" Bulkhead was incredulous.

"You mean the guy from the cave?" Sierra said.

Raf took a step back. The memory of Megatron possessing Bumblebee was still fresh, and it startled him. Seeing the distraught state he was in, Miko stood protectively before him as if the image would enlarge itself and attack.

"If you are watching this, then I take it that you are already aware of your scout's disability now. Consider this a lesson to you all who dare humiliate me again. If you are watching this, Optimus, I can only wish to see the look on your face right now."

The projection vanished, and the device burnt itself up. The Autobots were looking at it with various expressions.

"You have got to be kidding me," Tiger grounded out.

"I don't get it," Banner came over to stand by the table. "I thought the people who did this were the ones who got him. How did this guy manage to get a hold of him?"

Thor frowned. He wasn't quite the type to listen and process information, but this situation obviously didn't seem like a natural one.

"Who's to say this Megatron person did it alone?" When all eyes were on him, he explained, "Your friend was knocked out and taken somewhere else during your time over there."

"You're saying that they crossed paths?" Tiger surmised.

"And with all they know and did with all of that stuff, who says that it didn't catch his attention?"

"Are you suggesting that Megatron had forged an alliance with random people?" Ratchet caught up to what Thor was thinking, though he found the thought laughable. "I highly doubt he would entertain such an idea."

"Why not? It worked with us," Miko pointed out.

"Most of the time," Arcee deadpanned.

Miko sighed. Times like this made her wish Jack had stayed.

"I must admit that the very thought of Megatron forming an alliance to humans is unimaginable. But if their knowledge on Cybertronian biology and technology is innovatory enough to gain his attention, then there is a chance he would if he is running out of options," Optimus said.

Bumblebee began to panic. He jumped up from the table mumbling away in hurried noises when Optimus stopped him.

"Bumblebee, please. You are not best equipped to handle this."

Bumblebee turned to him and clutched his head. He continued to spill out the noises as he frantically ranted away.

"You misunderstand me, Bumblebee. I do know what it is like to lose a vital part of myself. And that is what has taught me the value of putting one's faith in the hand of others. We will do everything in our power to make you whole again."

"And if we don't, we'll just make you another one of these doohickeys," Miko added.

The Autobots looked down at her, until Bumblebee's optics narrowed in anger.

"Uh-oh," Arcee and Bulkhead said concurrently.

"What? What did I say?" Miko wondered.

"Miko, a t-cog is not just some scrapyard finding. It is a vital organ such as a heart or brain," Ratchet explained.

"I didn't know," Miko shrugged.

"Okay. I say none of us transform until we get Bee's t-cog back," Bulkhead declared.

"Your spark's in the right place, but I don't think it's the time to limit ourselves," Arcee replied.

"Not with Megatron potentially seeking out doomsday devices," Optimus said. "And not while, as I fear, with these men using Bumblebee's t-cog for their own purposes."

The very next morning, in the early afternoon, Jack was alone in the apartment. Coulson had been called away on business again, this time to help coordinate the investigation near Iceland. The teen suspected that after what happened last night and what they said, there had to be security detail to watch him.

For some reason Jack was writing a list of the main characters from Jane Austen's books when his phone went off. He looked at the screen, half-expecting it to be from Miko. However, it was coming from an unnamed caller. Jack knew better than to answer from numbers he didn't know, so he hit Ignore. The caller rang again. And again. On the fourth ring, he caved in.

"Jack, you wouldn't by any chance have seen anything out of the ordinary this morning, would you?" Ratchet's started in.

Jack was surprised, but he said, "Um, depends on the definition and what we're talking about."

"I can't find Bumblebee. I'm not sending anyone out until I'm absolutely certain where he's at."

"Oh, my god. I completely forgot about this! Is he okay? How is he doing? What did those guys do—"

"One question at a time!" Ratchet barked. He eventually calmed and explained, "Bumblebee is fine, but they left him…handicapped."

"Handicapped?" Jack frowned.

"Yes, and the main reason why he's supposed to be confined at the base. But I can't seem to find him anywhere, so I thought perhaps if you had any ideas."

Jack's brows creased in thought. "You wouldn't have spoken to the others, would you? I know how some can easily cave in…"

"You have got to be kidding me!" Ratchet growled. "I can't believe he would sneak off like that."

"It's not much of a deal," Jack said. "I get pretty antsy myself whenever I get hold up in the house after a period of time. But I'll keep an eye out for him. If anything, I'll probably be able to look up for anything on the conspiracy sights."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Ratchet groaned.

Jack laughed before the call was terminated. He looked out into the distance. "If I were Bumblebee, where would I hide now?"

He knew the answer, but he didn't know where to start. Washington was a huge city and a district, plus the various parks and recreations there that could hide an Autobot. He should have asked Ratchet where he had opened up the bridge at so he could track Bumblebee down easily.

Unless he went back to where it started.

Eyes widening in realization, he raced to his room to grab a change of clothes. His only hope was getting their before someone else did.