I have a poll on my profile page asking a question I really want to have answered. I'm trying to get as many answers as I can, and very few people visit my profile. I've gotten literally one answer in a week, and that's sad. Please answer, and be honest about it.

I only own my OC's!

DARKNESS RISING PART FOUR

We run through the ground bridge and regroup behind a rock. "Are your bones vibrating?"

"Yes." Even I think I sound like Katara did in the desert.

"How are we going to do this? Miko's reckless. She could get hurt in there."

"Jack, the Blind Bandit was a lot like Miko, and she, along with three others and Aang, faced the Fire Lord. And Aang never left a friend in danger. We're a team."

"What's the plan?"

"We go in, save Miko, and get out. We find Bulkhead, we find Miko."

Jack, Raf, and I peer out from behind the rock. "Where's Miko?" Bulkhead yells down to us. He hears a loud banging in his chest plates, and opens them.

Miko leans out and sighs. "Miko?"

"I heaved on your floor mats. Sorry!" Miko gags again, and covers her mouth. Bulkhead holds out a hand and she crawls into it. He lowers the hand to the Decepticon ship and she all but falls out, landing on her knees. "Remind me never to do that again."

"Just like Toph." I shake my head. "Always has to learn things the hard way." Jack and Raf stare at me. "What?"

Raf shakes his head.

"Nothing."

Raf looks up to me. "You think they forgot about us?"

Just then two Decepticons come up behind us. The first picks up Jack and Raf, while the second grabs me. Try as I might, I can't airbend myself free.

"Bring them to the brig. Commander Starscream is keeping the other human there."

Jack and Raf share a look.

I turn to the two. "I do have one question."

"What is it?"

"Why is it that the Avatar always manages to get captured?"

Jack and Raf shrug.

We are carried past another hall and Bumblebee slams into the decepticons legs and Arcee ramps over him, transforms, and grabs Jack and Raf.

As she sets them down, Bumblebee transforms and grabs me. He walks over to Arcee and sets me down. "Bumblebee!"

"You shouldn't have come out here. You're not safe."

"Appreciate you clearing the front door for us, but storming the Decepticon warship was not on the activities list."

'Spirits, I wish I could tell her, I wish we all could tell her.'

"Tell me about it."

We all run down the hall. Arcee stops at another hall and activates her blasters before stepping around the corner and right into Bulkhead's extended blaster. "Friendly."

"Hello."

"Brought the humans, huh?" Arcee retracts her blaster.

"You try getting them to stay behind."

"We need to find Fowler and get these kids out of here."

"Again, not kids."

"He's in the brig."

Vehicons start firing at us. Jack and I look at each other before the four of us take fighting stances. Bulkhead jumps in front of us and starts firing back. Another group of vehicons start firing at us from behind. Raf turns nervously as Arcee and Bumblebee take them on. Jack grabs Raf by the collar as we all run toward the wall. We're stopped by a decapitated head. We run the other way, just to almost get hit by a body.

"Over here." I create an air ball around us as Jack kneels on the ground and puts his arms around the kneeling Miko and Raf.

Another vehicon grabs Bulkhead's leg, just to get flipped over him and killed by Arcee.

As the dust from the battle clears, I let the air ball disperse and run over to the three.

"That. Was. AWESOME!"

"Thanks." Jack rubs his arm nervously.

"Don't mention it." I glance at the bots before lowering my voice. "All in a day's work for the avatar."

Arcee knocks on a door. A random vehicon answers the door and Arcee blasts him before jumping in and blasting any other con she sees. Bumblebee and Bulkhead soon join her. "Clear." Arcee glances back. We run around the corner. "Wait in here."

"What do you mean?"

"They're slowing us down and they're easy targets. They'll be all right in here, as long as they stay put." Arcee leaves the room, followed by Bulkhead and Bumblebee. The door closes behind them.

"That. Was intense."

"Was?"

"It's your fault we're stuck in this intensity. What were you thinking, Miko?"

"Did I ask you to follow me?"

"You wanted us to be a band. Doesn't that usually mean playing together?"

"Well maybe I decided to go solo."

"Well, maybe I have some regard for your safety."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is your name Optimus?"

Raf balls his hands up and looks at the floor.

"You can leave my protection to Bulkhead, thank you very much!"

Raf shouts. "Stop it, both of you!" He runs to the edge of the platform we're on and sits on the floor before pulling his knees to his chin and wrapping his arms around them.

I glare at the two. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves. Raf is a sensitive little kid. You need to think of who you're arguing around." I cross the room. "You okay?"

Jack and Miko join us. "Oh, hey hey hey, Raf. Raf, it's okay."

"Yeah, we're gonna be fine."

"Our bots'll come back for us."

"Yeah, they're gonna take us home."

Raf slumps. "How do you know?"

"They may not." I crouch behind him. "But I know Optimus. He's like the Air Nomads, like Aang, and Aang would never leave a friend behind."

Jack looks over at a screen. "Hey, Raf, what do you make of that?"

Raf looks up before jumping down the two steps and looking at it again. Miko, Jack, and I join him. "It's important. Real important. We've gotta get this to Optimus."

"How do you know it isn't just a recipe for space nachos."

"I know math when I see it. And that is one serious equation."

"Can you download it?"

"I got a flashdrive." Raf takes off his backpack. He unzips it and reaches in. "But I don't see anywhere to plug it in. This tech is WAY alien."

"That may be because we're on an alien spaceship. And speaking of alien… Guys, Decepticon at three o'clock." I point up.

Jack gasps. The con looks around at the dead bodies. Miko takes off and hides under a computer. Jack and I follow, Jack grabbing Raf's hand. Raf pulls free as he sees that he forgot his backpack. Jack slides on his knees to join Miko and I as Raf returns to the bag. He zips it and slides it on as the con looks toward him. Raf cries out in fear as the con aims his gun.

The con steps closer as Raf backs up.

"Raf!"

"I got this." I whisper in response. I run out after him and take an airbending stance, prepared to attack. "Raf, run. I'll hold him off."

"Miko, take a picture!"

"Great idea! Hey you!" Miko snaps a picture of the con.

"Not of that!" Jack points to the screen. "Of that!"

Miko turns to the computer. "Oh." She then takes a picture of what Jack had been referring to: the Decepticons schematics.

We run out the door as the thing shoots behind us. "Go, go, go!"

The con charges his gun again as we hear a horn and see headlights. Bulkhead transforms and runs over us (as in, we're under him, not under his feet) and throws himself at the con, knocking him down. He then does a clumsy flip and transforms.

Bee pulls up beside us, and so does Arcee. Raf and Miko climb into Bee. "I told you to stay put!"

Jack and I climb onto Arcee. "Well, it was disobey you or get killed, Arcee." I say before grabbing onto Jack.

"I like pie. Can we stop for pie?" Agent Fowler. Obviously not in his right mind.

"You found Fowler! ROCK ON!"

The delirious Fowler's head falls next to Raf, causing him to flinch.

AT BASE

Fowler is lying on a medical bed. Jack, Miko, Raf, and I are all gathered around the Agent, whereas Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee are in the middle of a chat. "I'm going with Optimus. I'll be right back. You two, good work. Miko…" I shake my head as I walk off.

I watch silently as Optimus puts a metal brace onto the medic's arm and welds it in place. After he's finished, I walk over to the medic and climb into his lap. "Does your arm hurt?"

"Not too badly…"

Optimus reaches down and picks me up before helping Ratchet up.

We walk back into the main room. Optimus glares at Bulkhead while I glare at Miko. Miko returns my glare. Jack doesn't look happy, not one bit.

Raf stepped forward. "What happened to you guys anyways?"

"We engaged an army of undead Cybertronian warriors."

Miko's jaw drops. "Zombies? They fought zombies and I missed it!"

Optimus looks over towards Bulkhead after setting me onto the second level. "Bulkhead, you exercised extremely poor judgment in allowing Miko to follow you."

Bulkhead sighs and hangs his head. "It won't happen again Optimus, I promise."

Miko takes out her phone and runs up to Optimus. "But, it wasn't his fault!"

Bulkhead's head snaps back up, his eyes wide. "Miko, please!" Bulkhead hisses, but she obviously ignores him.

"And check it out, recon!" Miko flips her phone open and holds it up for Optimus to look.

Optimus then leans closer to the phone and hums thoughtfully. "Ratchet, have a look." Optimus moves back. "It could be of importance to Megatron."

Jack then starts walking forward. "Woah. Megaton's back? That's really bad news, right?"

Miko then shows her phone to Ratchet, who looks confused.

"I…don't understand."

Miko looks at her phone. "Oops! That's the con that tried to blow Raf away." Miko slowly turns the phone so that the picture was facing Optimus and Ratchet again. Raf looks scared to death.

I walk over and hug him gently. "It's all right, Raf."

"At least, that's what he looked like before Bulkhead rearranged his grill." She acts out punches. I shake my head. Raf giggles a tiny bit.

"Miko, Raf was almost killed, this isn't a game, when are you going to get that through your thick skull?" Jack yells angrily, surprising everyone in the room, including Miko.

She growls lowly as she twists to face him. "Umm, we were all almost killed Jack, you, me, Sheyenne, Raf, even them!"

After what seems like forever Jack shakes his head. "Well, if this is just an average day with the Autobots, then I don't want to be a part of it, not anymore."

"WHAT!?" 'Monkey feathers. I just lost my waterbending teacher—and my waterbender.'

"Jack." Optimus starts, and we all look up to him. "Putting you in harm's way was never our intent; however, it is no longer the safety of you four that is at risk, but the safety of all humankind. We will respect your decision if you wish to leave."

Just then the ground bridge is powered up and a certain bot is standing next to the controls. "No point in long goodbyes, here's the door."

Jack walks over to me. "Come on, Raf."

"I'll be okay, Jack." Raf moves to stand next to me as Miko puts a hand on my shoulder.

"It's not going to be the same without Jack here. I need a waterbending teacher. There's a prophesy, we need to be able to help the bots out when it comes."

"And we will. We'll find you a waterbender."

"And if not, we'll get Jack back somehow."

Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Optimus transform and open their doors. "That's our cue. Miko, I'm not going to lecture you this time. I think Jack did a fair job of that."

Bulkhead pulls up to Jack's house and opens the door, letting Miko out. "Now I understand why you had to rush home." Miko walks into the Darby's garage.

"Don't you have something more exciting to do, Miko?"

"So, this is where you hang, huh? Back home in Tokyo, I have loving parents and two purebred cats—chia-chia and ding-dong. I went to the best school, took piano lessons since I was three…"

"How nice for you."

"No. How boring." Jack turns to look at her. "It wasn't me. Why do you think I jumped at the chance to transfer here?"

Jack scoffs. "To Jasper, Nevada. The entertainment capital of the world?"

Miko laughs gently. "Yeah, well, the brochure lied. Piano lessons were starting to look pretty good, in fact. But then, the last couple of days happened."

"Do you have a point?"

"You bet." Miko gets into Jack's face. "I saw what you did today, when you saved Raf. When you came to save me."

"I have been raised to be responsible. To my schoolwork, to my Mom, my job."

"Dude, hear me out. You're no fry cook. You're a rock star." Miko strikes a funny pose. "Stop trying to be normal, Jack. You'll never fit in. You were born to do so much more. You're a waterbender, after all."

"Thanks, Miko, but I think normal suits me fine."

Miko groans and walks away. "Guess we're going to have to travel the world just to find Sheyenne a waterbender, even WITH one right next door!" Miko whirls around.

"Hold on, I never said I wouldn't teach Sheyenne waterbending."

"We have a deadline!?" Miko crosses her arms, "She'll never meet it if you're not coming to base!"

"Forget it, Miko."

Miko storms to Bulkhead, climbs in, and slams the door. Bulkhead starts up and pulls out.

I jump down from the platform and climb into the waiting truck. "Is everything okay?"

"They're all benders. I lead my own team. Miko took off with Bulkhead, it wasn't his fault, and I took Jack and Raf on a rescue mission just like Aang would have. Jack's a waterbender. I need him to teach me."

Optimus tightens the seatbelt slightly, trying to comfort me.