Doubled Altered Life

Prologue

"Hey Ratchet, I've been wondering something in the back of my mind." Asked Jack, as he approached the Autobot medic.

"No shame in such a question, Jack, ask away." said medic gave his response to Jack. He put his tools back in his makeshift crate, now paying attention to the teenager looking up at him.

"Since my mom is a medic, she has seen… many rough things happening to people. What is one of the worst things you have seen happening to a Cybertronian?"

Ratchet gasped at the question and settled back at his curiosity. "Jack, aren't you too young for that?" He asked him back.

"Yeah, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Just being curious, and I am only interested because human or not, my mom probably has dealt with things similar to your kind." Jack stated.

"Well, that is true, but they are not that… well… I-it's just that imagine the worst thing that can happen to us, it certainly would be possible..."

"Oh… what about if you name just one from your personal experience?"

Ratchet looked at Jack and answered his question, at his curiosity.

"The worst things I've seen are the things that I as a medic have no clue or idea of things happening to us that we have no control of. The idea of us being the same, yet… not as it once was, in body and mind…"

Jack woke up from his memory dream, slouched in his bed still wondering about the possibility of what could happen to a Cybertronian. Though in his thinking, he woke up earlier than usual and, on a Friday, no less… 'it could have been worse...'

School is one of the most important purposes for teenagers across the world, as for their everlasting relating days, they have to endure countless hours of school berating and study, to achieve a goal for a better future. For many is hell, for some, it's just a normal part of the day. For Jack, is something he has to endure, to help his mother, after the disappearance of his father.

Unfortunate to be awake 30 minutes earlier then he was used to, as he would normally wake up at around 6, still wanted to fall back to his bed and just ignore going to school for this day. But at this point, he couldn't fall asleep, as he would probably fall back and regret oversleeping at school or by missing school in general, and it would make his mom mad, and a certain two-wheeler angry and disappointed.

He ran into his kitchen, seeing a note that June, his mom left, reading that she had an early shift and left early. He shrugged it off, being the usual news for Jack as his mom was a busy nurse, took bites of his breakfast, washed himself of his grogginess, and got himself dressed for today.

He then walked towards his garage, seeing his guardian, friend, partner, Arcee, revving her engine, waiting for Jack.

"Mornin' partner, woke up early I assume?" said the two-wheeler, her mood much better than his.

Jack grumbled, exhausted and regretting waking up. "Yeah, just couldn't sleep much, but it should be fine. Though I'll sleep later when we get to the base or back home. Thank God it's Friday." He added.

"Well, that's good! Now let's go before you miss class, Jack-boy." She ended with a bad joke of a nickname, but he shrugged it off. 'Miko probably taught her that...'

As the garage door was opened and closed, two of them speeded at high legal speeds, as they arrived at school, with Arcee parked at the usual spot and Jack dismounted and waited for Miko and Raf to come by. Few minutes have passed, and the crowd around the school was getting bigger. Then Bee and Bulkhead showed up, with Miko and Raf both waving at their respective guardians and approached Jack and Arcee.

Then, a certain loud green annoyance of a car arrived next to the parking lot. The teenager stepped out of it was no other than ginger haired Douchebag Vince, with Sierra and 2 girls behind him. "Oh hey! Looks like Jack decided to show up early. How's a going, loser? Still driving your shitty moped?" he spoke out loud.

"Ignore him" whispered Arcee to Jack. "He is not worth your time." She suggested, though she herself always had her Cybertronian blood boiling at the thought of Vince.

Arcee, despite infuriated that she must keep her race a secret to humans, always had to watch Jack get berated. Especially when it came to Jack's work shifts at KO, having to endure constant berating from him and other customers. For others being so cruel to him, like he is just some wasted scrap, he had to endure it for years. It wasn't much for Arcee's lifespan, but she could relate to that certain aspect of humans, especially Jack. He wasn't worth this crap, he did more good work in saving the world then Vince could ever dream of. And for that, Arcee admired Jack, and she felt glad that he was her partner. A partner she could relate to, on emotional level.

"What, Jack? Being silent? Not a word from your wimping mouth?" Vince spoke, trying to push buttons on Jack's temper. Though Jack kept his mouth shut but stood up from his position and staying in front of Raf and Miko, making sure that other 2 won't fall in trouble for interfering.

"Well, look at him trying to be tough. What a pain for my eyes…" Vince then walked past them, but quickly then threw a punch at Jack's face, throwing him back at his blue bike. Vince spat his spit on the ground near them, leaving Jack and his 2 friends as other girls went to follow him. Though Vince swore he heard very loud engine roaring, but he dismissed it.

"Who in the scrap he thinks he is?!" Said Miko spoke. "Jack, one day you have to punch him back! It's not fair!"

"Miko, life sometimes just isn't fair, but I'm fine if that's what you are asking." Jack said. Though silently as his head was near Arcee, she whispered something back to his partner.

"Jack, she is right you know, you can't let him just be like that to you, partner."

"Arcee, I'm fine." He said, some of his brushed off blood from his face. "Besides, Vince or Megatron himself, I would never let them get near my friends and family."

"I would not let them get to you too, partner..." He said silently, and massaged Arcee, his hand on her gas tank, calming her down. He would always do this, ever since he first met her, every time her temper was high, he always would caress her, and act that would always surprise her, but not dismissively rejecting it. She calmed down, her spark was rather beating faster, but in composed rhythm. 'I swear, he is always so gentle to me… None deserve you too, partner' she thought, slightly embarrassed but appreciated at Jack's kindness. She needed to discuss this with someone fast.

"Alright you three, get inside, I'll be at base, Ratchet needs me for some Recon. Pick you up soon, Jack." She said to all three.

The trio went to the school's entrance, while Miko and Raf were talking to each other, Jack looked back at the blue bike, giving a soft smile. Unnoticed to him, certain blue alien guardian herself was looking back at him, feeling comfort, and felt something new yet strange. A feeling that was new to her but had to keep it on the back of her processor, focusing on waiting other students to leave, getting a chance to secretly leave the premises or the school and going towards the base.

Back at base, she was last to arrive, with Bulkhead and Bee leaving trough the ground-bridge, with Optimus and Ratchet near the console. "Arcee here, what do you need, Ratchet?"

"Me and Optimus found an anomaly signal, we need your help to gather Intel. Bulkhead and Bumblebee have Energon scouting today, so you won't have backup, but we will be on coms. Thankfully Jack isn't here, and Optimus and Wheeljack are on standby. Something goes wrong, hail to us quickly, got it?" he said with a stern voice. "Report to us soon."

"Fine, but I can handle it myself, but noted." She reported quickly and went towards the activated green vortex, walking through it, now finding herself in a green forest. Not knowing where she was, she went on top of a cliff, to find some answers to this anomaly, her internal radar beeping at any nearby signals. She climbed the cliff and arrived on the top. She then heard a crunch beneath her pedes, removing it, finding a piece of paper, with many words imprinted on it. She kneeled to read it what it was. *Jasper's national park, shut down due to complaints of its big size and its very low popularity, as it no longer was financially stable to upkeep. Many also report that the wildlife was small, so many animal enthusiasts were disappointed. Park's shutdown was announced 39 years ago, and now it remains as an abandoned piece of Jasper's History. * it read. 'Well, at least I won't be spotted by other humans, this recon got much easier for me.'

"Well, well, well, look who decided to show up." A venomous voice spoke behind her. Arcee immediately turned around and transformed her servos into blasters and pointed at her enemy. The enemy she knew too well, and the one she hated with fiery passion of her own.

"Airachnid…" A deep grumble in her throat was heard. "You came to snuff my spark out?"

"If I had the chance, I would…" She responded. "Yet, I don't have the time nor luxury. It seems we both came here for the anomaly, aren't we." The equally tall dark purple and yellow outlined Decepticon with her spider legs approached Arcee.

Arcee and Airachnid both hated their guts. The hatred between these 2 was high, bigger then Megatron's hate for Optimus, and these 2 were standing close and near each other, now in a standstill between on who is going to attack first. Arcee could simply shoot trough her armor, ending her life there. Airachnid could rip her helm off, adding her head to the collection.

But yet both did nothing, for a minute or two. The warm soft wind was heard as both were eying one another, just waiting for the attack. In the silence, Arcee took initiative.

"No back-up. Arrived alone? Your typical MO', though I would be surprised if Breakdown or Soundwave would be nearby to assist you." Said Arcee.

"Correct…" Airachnid spoke in fake pleasant tone, before continuing, with her pattern of speech changing into anger she is known for. "You have Megatron to blame for that. Bastard and others send me on a mission in the frozen tundra, left me to die in snow, as he sends his troops to finish me off. I managed to escape in time, flew back and now I'm going solo." Anger and hatred were high in the air. "Deceptions… No scrapping better then Autobots, all of them can go up Unicorn's ass if they want to."

Arcee took a quick glance, seeing her sigil above her chest, the Deception sigil horribly scratched off, leaving only a black marked upper chest of hers. 'Typical of her again, never trusting anyone.' She thought. "So, what, you expected that defection from the Deceptions will win over something? Tough luck, Airachnid, guess that's karma for you."

"Yea? Easy for you to say… That said, where's Jack? Is he maybe nearby?" She asked. "I am envious, little Arcee, he is quite a partner to have."

"What does that mean to you?" Arcee snapped back at Airachnid.

"Simple, since I've studied humans up close. I've seen how they act, how they exist. How they live through their lives, by looking at them from distance. And yet, no one dared, or showed enough bravery to go against us. To speak to us like we matter."

"And yet, Jack arrives, and from what I've heard, he is quite fearless in many degrees. He dared to look me in the eyes and never breathed or spoke in fear of me, and he even blew up my ship and scratched my armor that gives your own blades a run for their money…"

"Yea, but he is not here right now, is he? And he certainly wouldn't come close to you." Her blasters getting slowly hotter. Though she hated to admit it, she is correct. Jack has proven himself this war. More than herself could ever dream. Though both were not so up to conversations, both had a fight to go through.

"Guess we shall see what this fight of ours will entail for us, Arcee…" She spoke, changing her spider posture into a fighting stance. Arcee did the same, as both femme warriors were about to fight in a brawl.

"You are not going to win Airachnid…" She hissed at the spider Cybertronian.

"Same to you, Arcee…" She hissed back.

Both charged at each other, blasters scorching, and blades sharpened, clashing.

Back at base again, Ratchet was looking at his screen, checking and monitoring the situation. As he looked at the screen, he noticed that Arcee's spark rate was elevated, suspected that she might be in a bad situation. He tried to get in contact with her, but the communicator was unresponsive, yet the vitals were still present. This was too odd that one thing was working, while the other wasn't. Optimus was behind him, noticed his frustration. "My friend, is something wrong?"

"Indeed, her communicator does not work." He replied to his leader and his close friend. "Though it's odd. I have her life signal on the display, yet the communicator…" Stated, but he couldn't finish the sentence.

"What are you implying, old friend?" He asked.

"The communicator. It's not jammed. But… D-Disabled?"

Optimus knew suspicion in was in the air, too high to be precise. He tried to signal a response to her but yielded same results. "Open the ground-bridge to her, Ratchet."

Ratchet clicked his denta, triangulated her position, but couldn't open the bridge. "Blasted! The bridge won't activate it there." He clenched his servos in frustration. "Blasted piece of scrap!"

Optimus couldn't let his frustration reach to him. He sighs, but monitors the situation at the screen in front, but gets alerted by a certain notification on the screen. He looked at the tunnel that was their entry at their base and saw a white car approaching, stopping at nearby corner, as June stepped outside her car, greeting the 3 Autobots at their base.

"Ms. June, pleasure to meet you again." Cybertronian medic greeted back the human nurse, now hiding his frustration. "You caught us surprised, but we are glad to see you."

"Hello again, June" Optimus spoke, kneeling front of June. "Something troubling you?"

June politely smiled at both of them, slowly getting more comfortable to talk to both robot aliens. "No, everything is fine. Came to check up on others. Still getting used to this newly found situation." She spoke. After her kidnapping by MECH, she had to adjust to her new life, now living among the big robot giants from another part of the universe.

"I also came here to thank Arcee, since I haven't thanked her for her and Jack saving my life back then from MECH."

"Arcee is currently tasked, and we have trouble reaching out, but the screen indicates that she is fine." Optimus replied. "Though, do not worry for MECH anymore. Agent Fowler confirmed the arrest and shutdown of their group and confirmed that Silas is decreased."

June raised her eyebrow in surprise. "Silas and their men are gone?" Optimus nodded. He explained that Silas tried to create a Cybertronian body and went to try to find the edge in battle against Autobots, though killed by Prime himself, leading a strike force with the help of Fowler and his men. "Well, that's the best news I've heard so far. Jack said that he is worse than your rival from his memory. What about the big spider woman?"

Both Cybertronians optical ridges were narrowed at mentioning Airachnid. Ratchet spoke first. "She is alive, her whereabouts unknown. As much as we need to hide ourselves from your kind, Deceptions and she herself have to keep their secrecy as well. We hope that she won't go after you and Jack."

"Oh, well…" She spoke, Optimus now viewing her. "How come she is how she is? And how does she know Jack so much?"

"What do you mean, Ms. June?" Optimus now had his own interested peaked in June.

"Well, when I was captured, Silas wanted to… extract information from me, but she prevented that. She only wanted to use me as bait, as what I remember her saying…"

This time, the room went silent.

"What" said Ratchet, in big disbelief. Optimus kept his mouth shut, hiding his surprised reaction.

"What Jack told me about her, I was surprised too. But I don't trust her what she said. She said that she 'kept my life out of respect of my son'…" She stated, in uncomfortable unassured tone.

Optimus then spoke. "Airachnid would always get information out of people, and then proceed to harm them right after. Known for keeping hostages as baits during the great war, she would always resort to that strategy to get information out of our allies or to make them fall into her web."

"So why she spared me?" June asked the Autobot leader.

Wheeljack decided to give his own opinion. "As a Wrecker, as our name implies, we are known to wreck things. But me and my fellow Wreckers find pride in others that share our nature. No wonder why me and Bulk like Miko and her antics so much. She is much as a Wrecker as me and my friend are. Same how little Ratchet tolerates Raf for being a smarty."

"Same way I view your son with the greatest of respect, Ms. June" Optimus said.

"In what way do you view you see my son, Optimus?"

Optimus breathed in and out.

"Your son has not once, nor twice, but many times was there for our Autobot cause. The same how he reminds us of things we care about. Without Jack, my memories would be lost, as my cause of living, fighting and surviving the war would be lost forever, yet he helped and prevented that outcome. In same way, he shows fearless commitment and sense for bravery in front of danger. The same way I would view him as one of our own kind." stated Prime.

"If he were a Cybertronian, he would be granted the position as Prime, but even his humble spark would not accept that."

'That makes me very proud of him' thought June. "But what about the spider woman? Airachnid you say?"

Wheeljack gives another piece of his mind. "Maybe Jack reminds her of simpler times before the war."

"Airachnid before the war was an someone who was a part of a branch of cybertronian law division. She was known to be one ruthless officer of the law, always getting information out of criminals before with her brutality. But not as much as she is now. Everyone, even Megatron, had normal lives before. I was known as Orion Pax, and I was a small scribe, someone who would you call a 'librarian' for Cybertronians." Optimus said. "Airachnid changed when the war began. She's changed, unfortunately for worse…"

"Oh…" June could only mumble. "I am afraid of the things she is capable of doing, but...'' She said, now stuttered, but looked up to Optimus's optics. "But what does she even see in Jack?" she said.

"Same way Arcee sees something in Jack as well. I suspect that your son reminds both of them of while rough, yet simpler and innocent lives." Wheeljack replied. "We even call him 'young Pax' here at the base as a joke, but it's true." Said in a chuckle.

'Still so much to process...' "Well, I never knew that. Thanks for the input, all of you" June concluded. "is it okay if I can wait for Arcee to arrive back?" Optimus nodded and agreed to her request, as June went to the human area in the center of the base and rested her head from her nightly shift. 'I guess I have to get some information from my son as well. Hope school treats him alright for today.'

While Jack was in the school going through his English classes, Arcee and Airachnid were in combat, both in standstill, evenly matched. "Looks like you know how to fight dirty, Arcee…" Said Airachnid, Energon spitting from her mouth.

"Likewise, trash spider..." Arcee hissed back, holding her arm, trying to hold the cut Airachnid blades made on her armor.

"Come on, let's finish this, we don't have all day, Airachnid!" She yelled loud.

"We agree on something for once, Arcee!"

Both femmes launched at each other, blow for blow, blast for blast, cut for cut, kick for kick. One used her spider appendages in defense and offence, while Arcee used her swordsmanship retaliating back at her opponent. The fight went on for a few more minutes until-

"AAAAH" Both femmes yelled, fell through the ground, felling into a huge cave that the cliff had inside, both fell on their pedes, clenching in pain. Both stood up, shaken by the fight, yet not caring for their surroundings. They both clashed at each other for the third time, blow for blow again until both knocked apart.

"New change of scenery, huh" Arcee spoke to herself. "No matter, I have to win this fight. 'I can't let this glitch win, not after things she had done!'

"Pay attention Arcee, losing focus is something you can't have right now!" Airachnid hissed at her. 'We shall see if I can end our rivalry!"

As both charged again for the last time, a certain cube was unnoticed between them. As both neared its proximity, the cube exploded in waves of electricity and white light, engulfing both Arcee and Airachnid. Both yelled in excruciating pain, as electricity was chaining from the cube to both of them, but both of their bodies started to glow. Lightning then turned red, as then the light was overwhelming for anyone to feel, knocking them out as black void of unconsciousness consumed them both, and the mysterious cube now dusted, withered away from existence.

Jack was in his class, finishing his history lesson, went to his lockers after finishing his classes and nearing lunch. He was with Raf, as both spoke about upcoming tests and tasks that the teachers gave. Unfortunately, a certain someone arrived. A certain douche.

"Hey again, loser, still hanging out with your loser friends again?" Vince spoke behind Jack. Raf nudged Jack for both of them to leave, but Vince contradicted that, by pushing Jack at the locker.

"What's the matter, guy? Not a word or even a look?" he insulted Jack, turned him around and threw a first at his shoulder. Jack was pushed back, his shoulder smacked at the locker, but he couldn't keep quiet and unresponsive all the time.

"Go scrap yourself, Vince, I'm not your beating bag for fun." Jack said, now stood up, though still not taking a stance.

"Whatever, low-wage worker, c'mon, give me a punch." Vince tried to push his buttons again, now with the crowd forming around them. The crowd was filled with other students, as jocks were hyping up the fight, while the girls winced at the punch Vince threw until-

"ENOUGH!" the sound was heard, as the principal and school's security guard arrived. "Both of you, conclude this fight. I will not have barbarians attend at my school! Totally unacceptable!" The principal was not happy, too old to be upholding every attended moment of discourse. "Vince V. Stilwell, do not push me to give you detention!"

"Come on, I didn't do anything!" tried Vince to squeeze out of his obvious initiation of a fight between the two, now stepping back, trying to act innocent.

"Don't give me crap and separate yourselves immediately. As for you Jack, report yourself to my off…" Principal didn't finish his sentence, looking at Jack as he was on his knees, clenching his heart. Panting harder as he could, sweat and blood dripped from his ears and mouth.

"Jack, what's going on?" Raf spoke.

But he couldn't finish. Out of nowhere, a loud scream of pain, pain so hurtful, too much endearing, strained Jack, as everyone held their ears, eyes open.

The cream was so loud, almost too loud, like someone was run over by a truck, screaming like torture victims had to endure their torture, the scream too horrible for anyone to endure, to feel, to...

The screaming never stopped as bleeding was starting to get worse, Jack yelled for the last time, his throat trained of screeching, as he collapsed on the floor.

Unconscious.

The school contacted the hospital for the immediate emergency, as Jack was now the floor, his nose and mouth full of blood, leaking trough slowly. Miko and Raf as his friends were with him, as both of them were now crying in fear, in fear of uncertainty, as Jack, their close friend, was in shock and in pain. Local ambulance and paramedics now stabilized him and took him to the hospital.

Back at the base, June was called by Miko and Raf, with Bulkhead and Bumblebee seemingly left their mission to arrive to school to pick up their respective human friends in urgency. Her heart was shocked, perplexed, and terrified that something horrible would happen to Jack.

'What's going on?'