Author's Note: Okay, I know that years ago I said MECH would have no spotlight in this story...well they are now lol. I changed my mind. :)
CHAPTER 11
"Sir, we only have the resources to transport one," Demetri confirmed from where he was piloting his new boss's helicopter.
Demetri Darby was pleased. Very pleased. He had just signed on as a mercenary for a discreet paramilitary group operating outside of legal venues. They'd found him and recruited him weeks ago. Rather than viewing his dishonorable discharge from the Navy and his criminal history as a negative, they hired him because of it. He was in the military for seven years operating as a black seal before he'd married June.
His new employer was Silas, leader of MECH. Now that Mr. Darby had an official job that paid obscenely well, he could begin a new life for himself and eventually, for Jack. He cursed June, angry that the bitch had STOLEN Jack from him. All of that was soon going to change. His son would return to his rightful home. He planned to do whatever it took to ensure that his child remained by his side. He knew it would hurt June and that was the best kind of revenge the man could concoct. Demetri was aware of how much the woman loved the boy. Well...revenge was a dish best served cold, and he would make her suffer the way she'd made him suffer.
His internal musings were cut considerably short when Silas broke the silence with a near feral grin.
"Take the victor…"
Demetri nodded and gently guided the steering yoke and the helicopter down for a landing not far from where two giant alien robots lay immobile. The big bulky green one was recently defeated by the big blue one. To say that Demetri Darby was shocked to learn that not only did aliens exist, but that they had the natural ability to transform into vehicles, was certainly an understatement. So far, he readily agreed with MECH's agenda and their goals, to master the next gen of advanced weaponry. Their organization was bound to be the dominant force in the world once they learned more about these mysterious machines.
That was the entire reason they were here right now capturing one. It was going to be dissected and thoroughly studied.
Demetri aided his comrades in hooking up and securing the bound Decepticon captive. He returned to the pilot's chair of his Blackhawk and steadily flew upwards into the sky, the Decepticon, limp beneath the vehicle as they returned to their current base of operations.
It wasn't until some hours later, that Demetri Darby got a good look at photographs of another sentient machine. It was the same red and blue truck he'd seen parked outside the grocery store! He hoped his valuable intel would gain him some leverage when it came to capturing Jack.
"Silas! I have something valuable to offer you," Demetri approached his leader, a cruel grin hidden behind his army green facemask.
"What is it?"
"That truck, there on the screen...I've seen it."
"Yes, and your point?"
"My son, Jackson Darby, was driving around with it."
The news did indeed peak Silas's interest. He raised an intrigued eyebrow.
"Your son knows the whereabouts of Optimus Prime?"
"I would believe so, Sir. I encountered both of them in town a couple of months ago."
"Excellent. Bring the boy to me. He will tell me what I want to know."
"Sir, there is just one complication."
Silas frowned and remained silent as Darby continued.
"The truck has been protecting him. I'm not sure how to get close."
"Where there is a will, there is most certainly a way. Take whatever resources you may require to get the job done. Bring me the boy."
"Yes, Sir!" Demetri Darby saluted and then sharply turned on his heel. He gathered together some of the men, those he'd been keeping an eye on when it came to their combat skills, and created his own little black ops unit.
Soon Jack...soon you will be where you belong.
Demetri's team left headquarters under cover of darkness, just a few hours before the bulky green Autobot came to rescue their Decepticon guinea pig. While it was a shame they missed most of the action, Mr. Darby was eager to complete their new mission. He now knew where the boy lived after his associates hacked Jack's school and social media profiles.
It looked like nobody was home.
Good.
Demetri and his team pulled into the empty driveway and easily lock-picked their way into the house. He was disappointed when he discovered that neither June nor Jack were currently at home. Hmm...that would throw a monkey wrench into his plans. Nevertheless, he had a brilliant strategy that would ensure Jack's capture.
After tapping the phone lines, planting micro-surveillance cameras and hidden speakerphones, the black ops unit snuck out of the house, leaving nothing out of place. Demetri set up different vantage points so that he and his team could survey the home without drawing unwanted suspicion from the neighborhood.
All they had to do now was watch and wait…
"Mom, meet my science fiction club!" Jack proudly announced with a gesture towards the five bots standing in the room together.
"So let me get this straight...everyone but me knew about this?" June turned a glare on her son, planting her hands on her hips in a no-nonsense posture.
"Mom, I wanted to tell you! I just...would you have believed me?"
June's hard expression softened and she turned loving eyes on her son.
"No, I suppose I wouldn't have."
"Welcome to Team Prime!" Miko excitedly piped in with a big smile.
June Darby was awe-struck. Her son had graciously explained everything to her about the Autobots and Decepticons. Everything he knew about their secret war on Earth. That Orion Paxton was just a hologram generated by the leader of the Autobots himself. It was a lot to take in but the woman felt much more confident in meeting the Autobot team now that she was duly informed.
"Ms. Darby…" The deep, velvety voice of Optimus Prime began.
"Call me June, please."
"June...I deeply regret that you have become a Decepticon target. Your life is now in mortal danger," Optimus Prime's serene baritone gently rumbled, as he turned his full attention to June.
"Why is Megatron after me of all people?" June questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Jack saved my life, ultimately robbing Megatron the chance to terminate me. It would stand to reason that he views you as a means of revenge," the Prime responded solemnly.
"Are you sure it's June and not Jack that is the intended target?" Fowler asked from the upper deck.
"Yes. I can confirm that Knock Out was sent to kill June Darby. If not for my intervention, she would not be here," Ratchet answered with a small growl. He felt a surge of protectiveness for his new charge. The protective edge in his voice did not go unnoticed by June.
"Thank you, Ratchet," June turned a small smile up on the Autobot medic. "I owe you a debt I cannot repay."
"No thanks necessary," the medic grumped, "Just doing my duty."
"For now, I think it best that you remain under our protective watch," Optimus continued with all seriousness. "Ratchet, as I'm sure you may have guessed, has been assigned as your guardian. Arcee will continue to watch over Jack."
June turned to give Arcee a soft smile.
"Thank you, Arcee...for protecting my son."
"Not a problem," Arcee replied with a short nod of approval.
"I think it's high time we returned home," June said as she caught Jack's gaze. "I have work tomorrow and Jack has school."
"Very well. Ratchet, Arcee...please accompany them back to their place of residence."
"Optimus...after what happened tonight with Knock Out, wouldn't it make more sense to spend the night here at base?" Jack questioned with a small frown of worry.
"You are welcome to stay, should you feel the need," Optimus replied with a gentle rumble.
"Jack, it's okay. With Ratchet and Arcee guarding us, I think we'll be fine."
Jack just shrugged in casual acceptance and wished the other children good-night, although the churning feeling in his gut was hard to ignore. It was a feeling...like something was going to go terribly wrong…
Knock Out was relieved. He knew the success of his mission was critical. At least Megatron was giving him another chance. The red Aston Martin shuddered at how close he'd come to facing his own termination at the Decepticon leader's claws. There was no room for failure this time. His spark, his very existence depended on it.
With Soundwave's assistance, Knock Out was able to hack into the local DMV database and download June Darby's house address. He was on his way there now. When he was about two blocks away, his scanners detected something alarming.
Two Autobots were in the vicinity...as were those foolish MECH humans. He clamped down on his EM field and went into stealth mode. Keeping his distance, he watched the drama begin to unfold.
"Hmm...I'm just in time for the housewarming party," he mumbled to himself with glee.
The humans remained ignorant of his presence. The two Autobots were currently distracted keeping watch over their two charges while the MECH agents slowly closed in with tranquilizer guns. With any luck, the humans would force his target into stasis for him. Then all Knock Out had to do was snatch and grab.
Soundwave was sent to assist him as backup should the vain Decepticon medic require it. The silent mech remained an invisible specter, blending perfectly into the gloom of midnight. It unnerved Knock Out because for just a moment, he'd forgotten the other mech was right there with him.
Just as the Decepticon medic was on the verge of losing all patience, he witnessed something extraordinary.
Spying his opportunity, Knock Out raced forward and transformed outstretching his right servo, ignoring the meddlesome humans that began screaming out warnings the second he was spotted.
That's when all hell broke loose…
Jack entered the house steps behind his mother. He felt on edge. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Was he paranoid? Ratchet and Arcee were right outside, protecting them. The teen ran upstairs and went into his bedroom. Choosing to keep his bedroom light off, he trusted his instinct. Sneaking up to his bedroom window, he peered out through the shades.
Nothing seemed out of place. Ratchet was taking up residence in their driveway and Arcee was next to the curb by their mailbox.
Huh.
Maybe it was just his imagination but he thought he saw shadows moving out there beyond their neighbor's house. His eyes were pulled away when he heard his mother calling for him.
"Jack!"
"Yeah, mom?"
"You forgot your backpack on the kitchen counter!"
"Okay! I'll be right there."
If only the teen had remained at his window just a few seconds longer...he would have seen the black clad strangers creeping up on Ratchet and Arcee…
Ratchet sensed MECH yards before they closed in on the Darby residence. He commed Optimus back at base after alerting Arcee.
::Optimus, this is Ratchet, come in!::
::Ratchet, what's wrong?::
::Mech agents are here. Permission to transform?::
::Permission denied. Maintain your cover! I am sending back-up::
Ratchet cursed and ended the call, thankful Optimus was at least aware of the situation. He activated his hologram and leaped deftly out of his ambulance form, not liking his dilemma one bit. His physical body was now in a power-down while his hologram took dominance, leaving his shell exposed and vulnerable. He trusted that Arcee had his back.
He all but ran to the front door and flung it open with wide eyes.
"JUNE! MECH are HER-ARGH!"
An EMP wave was detonated just outside the house, forcing his hologram into shut-down too. He heard Arcee cry out from somewhere behind him along with the 'popping' sound of multiple tires. He fell into forced stasis before he could finish his warning…
June was just preparing to make supper when Dr. Ray barged in through their front door looking wide-eyed.
"JUNE! MECH are HER-ARGH!"
She was just about to ask Ratchet what was wrong, when he cried out and fell to the floor writhing in pain. His hologram abruptly disappeared from view.
"Oh shit!" the woman cried as she heard the distinct 'popping' sound of tires as they were slashed just outside by none other than MECH. She heard Jack mention them before but never knew them to be a serious threat to herself or her family.
She ran up the stairs, meeting Jack halfway. The boy was alarmed and questioned her.
"Mom! What's happening?!"
"No time! RUN!" She instinctively grabbed Jack's arm and hauled him after her.
They ran back into Jack's bedroom and locked the door. With Jack's help, they moved her son's dresser in front of the door to barricade it and backed away when they heard the pounding of boots coming up the stairs. Mother and son winced when a loud banging erupted on the bedroom door. She heard a man shout, a man that sounded a lot like…
"Oh my God...it's dad," Jack answered her unconfirmed fear as he pressed his back against the window. Pulling the blinds up, June ushered her son towards the latch.
"I'm not letting that monster take you!"
Jack unlocked and turned the window latch and propped the slide-up window open. June gently grabbed him by the sides of his face and made sure he was looking at her eye-to-eye.
"Climb down, honey! Quickly! Don't stop...run, no matter what you hear," She whispered furiously before pushing her son lightly towards the window.
"Mom, I-I-"
"GO! NOW!" June screamed just as an axe came crashing through the wooden door.
Jack obeyed and carefully climbed out of the window, using the drainage pipe to shimmy down. When he was about half-way down, a scream ripped out of his mother's throat as loud shouts erupted from his bedroom.
He thought he heard the firing of a gun and screamed for his mother.
"MOM!"
June defiantly, stood her ground when her ex-husband came crashing through the splintered barricade. Before she could speak, a loud 'BANG' erupted from the muzzle of a gun. Rather than a bullet, a large tranquilizer dart struck her midsection. June roughly pulled the dart out but the damage had already been done. She sagged to the floor as the drug began to take immediate effect.
Demetri Darby sneered down at her.
"Where is Jack?!"
"F-fuck you…" June weakly snarled as her body slumped down against the wall.
"MOM!" the frightened cry of a teenage boy echoed just outside the window. Demetri walked past the fallen woman with a grin of triumph.
"So that's where he is…"
His jaw went slack when an unexpected party came and STOLE his boy before his very eyes.
"Damn it! NO!"
Growling, Demetri turned his wrath on June.
She cried out in pain when a heavy boot collided with her midsection, knocking the wind out of her. The young woman didn't have another chance to speak as rough hands bound and gagged her. Unable to fight the effects of the sedative any longer, the paramedic fell abruptly unconscious...
"MOM!"
Jack attempted to climb back up but was roughly man-handled when a large servo closed around his torso, prying him easily off of the storm drain. His world suddenly panned and flipped upside down, nearly making the teen heave as his body became weightless. He heard the rapid sounds of a transformation and found himself restrained tightly against a passenger seat. His eyes widened and he began kicking the glove box of the con that was kidnapping him, screaming for his guardian.
"ARCEE! ARCEE HELP! Oh shit..."
Jack's eyes widened when a sinister looking device came out of the glove box.
His struggles renewed as he tried leaning away from it.
"No! Don't! Ughnn..."
It shocked him in the eyes, forcing Jack into an uneasy darkness…
TO BE CONTINUED!
Author's Note: Well then... *runs away* XD
Seriously, this was an unexpected plot twist even for me...I'm not entirely sure how to proceed with next chapter. I have some ideas but if anyone has any, I'm open to hear them! Please review!