When they got to the ship wheeljack took off to where bulkhead was located but the ship was a little small for the big bot "you and bulkhead share quite the history and yet you prefer to work alone." Optimus said

"The wreckers scattered a long time ago and alone usually lease complicated, the kid gets it."

"How?" Optimus simply asked

"before dreadwing and I crashed landed he kid was an outcast in his clan, they blamed him for his brothers death." Wheeljack replied "his clan took us in and heal us but after that, they stayed as far away from us as they could all except for the kid, he walked right up to us and gotta knew us, dreadwing took him under his wing and trained him how to fight and how to live honorably and all that stuff."

they followed bulkhead signal to a loading dock.

"We are close to the civilian population, remember." Optimus started.

"Yeah, yeah I know, keep hidden and all that stuff." Wheeljack said "our boy is just up ahead."They kept on walking with optimus keeping a lookout and when they found him he was strapped to some cargo containers with a bomb on his chest counting down "um hey guys."

To the story

"Scrap." wheeljack said as he and Optimus looked at each other "you really got yourself into a heap of trouble, panter." as he got closer.

"Can you disarm it?" optimus asked

Wheeljack got a closer at the bombs he press a button and opened up the interworking "failsafes, dummy leads and boobytraps its a work of art, no wonder the kid blew his arm off." he took a step and comm the autobot base "hey doc is the kid there."

Back at the Autobot base "yeah wheeljack what's going on." jack asked

"Bulkhead is strap to a ticking bomb and it's a masterpiece." wheeljack replied

"why are you calling the base." I said I felt someone grab my arm but I pulled it away. "comm frequencies could cause it to go off early." I replied "I will be right there." I turned to ratchet "ratchet opened a groundbridge close to his location." then I turned to Arcee "you coming." with her agreeing

I jumped down to the ground floor. "Jack." I heard miko say, i turn to her "Please bring him back."

I gave her a small smile, "I will, I promise." Arcee transformed and i got on and we went through the bridge.

On the other side.

We shot through the groundbridge "so what are you hiding this time?" arcee asked

"Not from you or the bots but from raf." I replied and took a deep breath "the CIA has a file on all known hackers and raf name is on the file."

"The CIA wouldn't do anything to a kid would they?"Arcee asked

"It's the CIA, they would do anything to anyone in the name of national security." I replied

"Does this agent guys know you?" Arcee asked

"Not me." I replied "the shadow."

"oh OH does that mean." Arcee asked, realizing what that could mean.

"No." I replied "the shadow goes after the worst of the worst, a few years ago some of the big bads around the world had a meeting and the shadow interrupted that meeting and agent Harold Attinger was there."

"Why?" Arcee asked

"Don't know." I replied "the shadow gets order to go after a target and the shadows go after them no questions ask."

"thats terrible." Arcee asked shocked

Softly I replied "I know, remember I take a back seat when the shadow takes over."

We pulled into the harbor and drove up to wheeljack with Optimus was nowhere to be found "hey kid it's a ticking time bomb and your masters handy work." He said bending down to let me get on his hand and he lifted me up to bomb.

"Wheres Optimus?" bulkhead asked

"I told you when scrap hits the fan the general's are the first to clear out."

"Not Optimus." Bulkhead said

"If you knew optimus like we do, you wouldn't say that wheeljack, now let's get down to business" I said "bulkhead don't move a muscle, this type of bomb is what blow my arm off so stand still."

I took a set of small scissors out and got inside the bomb there was a lot a wires but the ones I was looking for was white, black, red yellow and blue but I also found a another black cord going out. Slowly I took care of the bomb by cutting the color cords white red yellow but I had to wait to cut the black and the blue one at the same time and at the very last minute or the bomb would go off as a fall safe when It came down to the last minute I cut the wires at the same time than I came out slowly "don't move bulk." I said climbing underneath him.

"What's going on kid?" wheeljack asked

"That was too easy." I followed the cord behind him and the cargo container when I looked inside it was full of energon with a detonator connected to a pressure plate "arcee wheeljack clear out." I said

"Why?" Arcee asked

"I know that tone, is it what I think it is kid? Wheeljack asked

I simply replied with a simple yes "we need to do as he says now." Wheeljack

When they cleared out I said "now bulkhead, when I tell you too you need to run as fast as you can." I said as I pulled out a small but strong clamp and a piece of gum to keep tension on the cord that wouldn't stop the pressure plant but it would buy me a second or two

"What about you jack?" Bulkhead asked

"Don't worry about me bulkhead." I replied "Miko needs her best friend."

After a minute passed "bulkhead… now." Bulkhead breaking the clamps holding him and ran as fast as he could, a second later the tension broke and the clamp and gum held for a second longer giving me enough time to clear the cargo container before it blew sending me straight into a cargo container breaking my shoulder.

I got up holding my shoulder and overhead the bots were fighting some drones that were firing at them and Optimus was fighting three bots at the same time. I slowly got and looked into the sky and cannon fire was getting close. I jump into the sky with Unicron armor forming around me 'how do I stop these things from hitting arcee.' I thought

"Use a dark energon sword to send out a shock wave." Unicorn I did as he said and released a shockwave by swinging the sword around and sent out a shockwave that stopped all but one that hit me and the blast sent me straight into the cargo containers.

I was in pain and dizzy. I got up and threw some kunai taking out the bots fighting optimus "Guys get out of here." I said just then drones started firing on me the armor was protecting me "wheeljack get her out of here." I yelled as I got up and a drone rammed into me the cargo container behind me.

I slowly got my breath back as a bot almost as big optimus with green eyes slowly walked up to me "lockdown." i said

"Autobots, Decepticons like little children always fighting, making a mess out of the universe and I've got to clean it up. There's only one way you leave here alive, tell me where he is, where is optimus prime." lockdown said

"Forget it." I said dropping a smoke grenade and when lockdown started blasting the ground I was already gone. "You may be the universe's best booty hunter but you're on earth now." i said as i disappeared like the wind.

When i got far enough away from the harbor i called the base and ground bridge opened when I exit the bridge I was holding my shoulder.

I was almost tickled by Miko and her bear hug "thank you jack thank you for saving bulkhead."

I looked her in the eyes "any time Miko." I said using my good arm to wipe away her tears.

"What is wrong with your shoulder?" Mom asked

"I'll be okay, I just broke my shoulder." I said

Miko, mom, arcee and ratchet yelled "what!" At the same time

"Guys Its just my shoulder I've been through worse." I said backing up

"Jackson William Darby, you will sit down while I look at your shoulder."

"Mom, I'll be fine." I said

"Ep ep ep are you the medical officer." Ratchet grabbing me and dropped me on the medical breath "sat there and stay still." ratchet said grabbing his medical equipment "you maybe a fully trained ninja with a con for a master but I'm the medical expert here now take off your shirt so I can work on your shoulder."

I sighed knowing I was fighting a losing battle "fine" and did as he said to his and pulled off my shirt, everyone shock when I turned my back to them and it was littered with scars and when I pulled off the false skin to show off the metal arm and it was limp ratchet didn't ask questions and went to work.

Someone touched a long one going across my back "did dreadwing do this." Arcee asked

I hang my head "no." I replied softly "years before master and wheeljack crashed land on earth, my brother who was going to be next head of the clan and when he died the clan blamed me for it but baa-chan still wanted me trained so the trainers had to train me and the first thing they did was train me in pain tolerance that where must of these came from well the life of a ninja isn't the easiest."

Optimus looked me in the eyes "did dreadwing ever hurt you." He asked me directly

"No." I said firmly "master would never hurt me outside training but he did believe in corporal punishment if I ever lied to him."

"And what was this corporal punishment?" Optimus asked

I gave a small smile, "he would have me climb a pole that is almost as tall as you optimus. It was rough enough to climb but smooth enough that if I made a misstep I would fall."

"That doesn't sound so bad." miko said

"It wasn't." i replied "expect for the fact that i would have stand on the top for an hour and if i fell i would have to start again and while i was climbing master would throw stuff at me and when i would fell master would catch me every time even late into the night and the worst part wasn't the punishment it was the look in his eyes because he wanted the punishment to end as much as i did." Ratchet got too close to the skin. "Easy ratchet, I need that shoulder."

"Stay still and you keep it." ratchet replied, when he was finished he started scanning my shoulder "by the allspark."

"Found it, did you?" i said

"Found what ratchet?" Arcee asked

"You have part of a spark." ratchet said

"Yeah" I said, rubbing my chest "the day I blew myself up, Skyquake showed up and when I got hurt, my master saved my life by giving me a part of his and skyquake spark, when he died a part of me died as well."

"I'm sorry about that jack." bumblebee said

I gave him a small smile, "don't be bumblebee, Skyquake died as a warrior just like he would have wanted, a ninja life is hard and dangerous."

"How many ninja clans are there in the world?" Arcee asked

I thought it over "officially there are none in the world, unofficially there are little groups in the world the top six, my clan the Arashikage we protect the world from our enemy cobra and there red guard who are bodyguards for their import export business." i looked at miko "have you ever heard of a group called the foot or the purple dragon."

Miko looked scared. "Yeah, they terrorized me and my family back in Japan."

"The foot specialist in blackmarket deals and their leader is named the shredder and he is ruthless and Miko is right they terrorized Japan underworld, the one of oldest clan in the world is called the league of shadows with their immortal leader Ra's al Ghul if something is going on in the world the league more than likely had something to do with it civil war in Libya them, politician assistant them but the last clan is the youngest and worst of them all."

"Really. how?" Arcee asked

"The last clan are called the talons. They work for a group called the Court of owls, an international group headquartered in Gotham." I said

"That doesn't sound so bad." Ratchet asked

"Beware the court of owls, watching all the time ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them or they'll send the Talon for your head." raf said shivering as if he was cold

"You know the court of owls." Ratchet said

"Before my family moved here." ref said scared "We came from Gotham but we left when…"

"When your cousin, a member of the court, wanted you to become a talon." I said "a fate worse than death."

"How?" Arcee asked "and what are these talons and why is raf so scared of."

"think of terror cons with ninja's training and a complete lack of free will, The court uses a substance thing call dionesium to bring there talons to life."

"What's dionesium i've never heard of it." mom said

"Water down lazarus pit, it bring back motor functions but takes away free will." I said "the only thing the league of shadows and The Arashikage agree on is that these things are abomination of nature and should killed on site."

"How do you know so much?" Ratchet asked

"The shinigami shadow job outside taking out those that deserter from the clan, we are tasked to destroy any and all talons that we came across, no questions asked." I said "these things can live for lifetimes and will kill anyone the court orders them."

"They sound like feral zombies." Miko said

"With my skill and complete lack of free will, their handler's do not care for anyone other than themselves and the court." I said

"Why are you telling us now?" Arcee asked

"Because I've been trying to protect you all from worse this planet has but with the CIA and lockdown on the scene that puts you all in even more risk." I replied

Ratchet scoffed at me "what could be worse than Mech." He said

I glared at ratchet "every tech company and defense contractor on the planet would love to get there hands on one piece of Cybertron tect." I said "and they would have a heart attack if they got there hands on a mech and it's a good bet that KSI already does."

"Is there any other duties the shinigami shadow that we need to know?" Optimus asked

I smiled "there is one dury more that a shadow does that is rather fun"

"What's that?" Miko asked

"You see a few hundred years a guy named Jack who was a huge prankster took his pranks too far and lost his life and when the grim reaper come to collect jack got a hold of the grim reaper scythe so to get it back the grim reaper made a deal with jack to make him immortal which grim had no choice but to agree but when grim got his scythe back the grim reaper took jacks head in payment the council of death gods didn't like that one but so shinigami gave his human reparative his shadows the authority to break any deal that the grim reaper makes." I said

"Has the grim reaper made any more deals since then?" Arcee asked

"He made a deal with a couple of kids a few months ago." I replied

"Why haven't you broke the deal yet?" Arcee asked

I gave a small smile "Because if I solved all Grim problems he wouldn't learn from his mistakes." I replied "but I will have to get involved soon." I turned to Fowler dead serious "Waller doesn't hear a word about me being the shadow, I have enough problems to deal with, without having cadmus on my hide and before you all ask project cadmus a secret division of the United States government dedicated to countering the power of metahuman in the world, particularly the members of the justice league, now if will excuse me my arm my be fixed but the rest of my body is sore being blown out of a cargo container than hitting the ground from hundreds of feet up in the air is not very fun, I'm heading home."

I turned to walk to Arcee but was stopped by someone's arms around my middle "thank you jack, thank you for saving bulkhead."

I turned around and laid my forehead on her head "anytime miko, your family enough said." than i gently got out of her arms.

Arcee transformed and I got on and she drove me home when I got home two people were waiting for me one was an older man in a three piece business suite but his dark black eye's were far older (think of liam nesson) and the other was a beautiful lady in a red flowing dress that could take man's hearts and breaths away "well today couldn't get any worse, why not add to it." i said

"Awww, such a terrible thing to say shadow." the lady said

"It's terrible if it wasn't true but we all know you could try to kill me eight different ways with my back turn." i replied

"Now now shadow we are not here to fight." the man said "in fact we are just here to fight."

"Words are just as deadly as a blade." i replied

"Too true shadow, now let's get down." the man said "and your friend can relive herself."

"Not surprised you know about the Cybertronian civil war." I said leaning on the wall "Arcee, you might as transform and I might as well introduce you to Ra's al Ghal and his Talia the demon's head and his second in command to the league of Shadows."

Arcee transformed but she was surprised "the immortal." she said

"That one way to describe me." Ra's said "but you're correct, down to business i want to know why a harbor was attacked tonight."

I shrugged my shoulders "how do you know it was me, there could be any number of reasons a harbor could be attacked?" i asked

"Come now shadow acting stupid is very unbecoming." Ra's said "the bombs used were yours and your master's design."

I looked him in the eyes "that would be my business now wouldn't it Ra's."

Ra's took a step back "hmm,very well." we both knowing we wouldn't get any information out of each." i watched as he left

Arcee was about to say something but i stopped her telling her to be quite than pointed to a spider in the corner telling her there might be a bug, i walked over to the electrical panel opened it and pressed a button and scanner started scanning the whole room the spread out to the whole house a second later something sparked the the corner of the room i laughed a little "honor among thieves." i said "when you go back to base tonight let optimus know about what happened and tell him fowler has a leak somewhere and have ratchet run a check over harbor something was there the league of shadow wants to hide."

review and tell me what you think

electro prime sighing off