Chapter One Hundred and Three

Lost in the Dark

Within the mine, it seemed that no-one had managed to survive the cave in as the area was silent apart from some small rocks still moving and dropping like small marbles from where the larger rocks had fallen.

That was until some movement was heard and Donatello pulled himself out of a hole he had fallen into, covered in dust and a few bruises and cuts, but luckily no broken bones.

He coughed a few times and looked around, yet it was pitch black and the air smelt stale.

"Damn!" he said "Megatron brought down the cave!" he took a small torch from his belt and switched it on, then looked around as he tried to see if Arcee and Kemeko were nearby.
"Kemeko? Arcee?" he called out "Where are you?"

"Uncle Donnie?" A scared and tearful voice was heard.

"Kemeko?" Donatello cried out then listened hard for his nieces' voice.

"Donnie!" Kemeko called out again.

"Kem? Lotus?" Donatello shouted, "Where are you?"

"Over here!" Kemeko cried out "Follow my voice!"

"I'm coming sweetie!" Donatello called as he followed Kemeko's cries, and he soon found her in a crevice surrounded by smaller rocks and a large one over her right leg!

"Kemeko!" he cried then jumped down "Are you alright?"

"Alive." Kemeko said "But my leg! I'm trapped!"

"Shit!" Donatello looked at the rock and he went over and wrapped his hands around it "Hold still!" he said, and he took a deep breath before lifting it up with all his strength.

Kemeko gritted her teeth to hold in a scream as she felt the rock get lifted off her leg, yet she was glad she was free.

"Kem? Are you hurt?" Donatello asked anxiously.

"My ankle." Kemeko replied "I think...I think it's broken!"

Donatello gritted his teeth.

"Let me have a look." He said kneeling down to Kemeko's leg and began to feel it and analyse it for any broken bones.

Kemeko winced as she felt Donatello's fingers, yet she let him do what he needed to do as he was the best medic close by.

Donatello felt around then he opened his duffle bag he always carried with him which contained medical supplies.

He soon found some bandages and he wrapped Kemeko's ankle securely.

"You're lucky there Kemeko!" he said "No broken bones! It's just sprained!"

Kemeko sighed and wiped her eyes.

"Thank goodness." She said.

Donatello then gathered her into his arms.

"We better see if we can find Arcee, Bulkhead, Mikey and Pandora." Donatello said as he looked around "They gotta be around here somewhere!"

Kemeko wrapped her arms around her uncle tightly.

"I hope they're alright!" she said, "If the cave has collapsed, what if they...?"

"Don't worry sweetie." Donatello said fervently as he leapt out of the crevice "The Autobots are tough and I'm sure Bulkhead is looking after Pandora and Mikey!"

Donatello swallowed hard.

He hoped against all hope that the others were okay, he knew the Autobots would be able to withstand a cave in, given how touch they were, but his stomach was tight, and his heart was beating hard as he feared for the welfare of his younger brother and Pandora.

"Please be alright." He thought "Please."

Meanwhile in the other part of the mine, Michelangelo coughed as he looked up and opened his eyes, his arms still wrapped around Pandora, and he looked up to see Bulkhead standing above them covering them from the falling rocks.

"Did I do that?" the wrecker asked as he looked around.

"Don't think so." Michelangelo said as he let go of Pandora who looked around.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I'm not sure Geisha." Michelangelo said.

"Are you both okay?" Bulkhead asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Michelangelo said then he looked up and gasped.

Hearing her uncle's voice, Pandora also looked over and she saw Bulkhead was standing above them and holding up the ceiling with his servos almost like Atlas in the Greek Myth holding up the skies.

"Whoa shit!" she cried.

"Bulk!" Michelangelo exclaimed.

"Don't worry Mike!" Bulkhead reassured the turtle "I got it under control!"

"What do you think caused the cave in?" Pandora asked.

Bulkhead shook his head.

"Who knows." He said, "I just hope Arcee, Donatello and Kemeko are safe because we could definitely use an assist!"

"You mean we're trapped?" Pandora cried as she looked around "Oh shit! Shell no!"

"Pandora!" Michelangelo said.

"We're trapped Mikey!" Pandora shouted, "What do we do!"

"Calm down kid!" Michelangelo said as he grabbed Pandora's wrists and pulled her close to him "Just stay calm! We need to try and figure out a way and getting in a state isn't going to help us!"

Pandora let out a few sobs as she looked at her uncle, but she knew he was right.

"Okay." she said softly nodding her head and Michelangelo pulled her close to him and began to rock her gently like he used to do when she was upset.

"He's right kiddo!" Bulkhead said "You need to save your energy! There's no fresh air down here!"

Michelangelo gulped.

"Oh shell you're right!" he said then looked at Pandora "You need to breathe calmly and slowly Geisha." he said "If we use up the oxygen too fast, we'll suffocate."

Pandora sniffled as she looked at her uncle yet she tried to calm down.

"Good girl!" Michelangelo said "Nice and slow!"

Pandora then went pale as she thought of Donatello, Kemeko and Arcee.

"Oh shell!" she said "What about Kem, Uncle Don and Arcee?"

Michelangelo swallowed hard.

"If I know my brainy bro, he'll be figuring out a way to find us! And if Arcee's with him and Kemeko, they'll be alright! Right?" he looked up at Bulkhead hopefully.

The wrecker forced a smile despite the pain in his arms as he continued to hold up the roof.

"Yeah! You bet!" he said again with forced enthusiam to lift the spirits of the two mutants below him "They're fine! And I'm sure they're looking for us right now!"

Meanwhile at the entrance of the collapsed mine, Starscream managed to pull himself free form underneath the rubble, he coughed and spluttered as he crawled out as well as checked himself to make sure he had all his parts intact.

After realising he was outside the mine, he looked back to where it had caved in and his started laughing.

"Predicitable Master?" he cackled "Is that what you called me? Well now who has hit rock bottom?"

He then put a hand to his audios and leaned forward to where he had crawled out.

"What's that?" he asked in a mocking tone "Sorry, I can't hear you beneath all that rubble!" he cackled again.

"Farewell Lord Megatron!" he spat giving a mocking bow "May you rust in peace!"

He then started to walk away from the rubble, yet as he did, he stopped and thought for a moment.

He remembered how Megatronhad survived the destruction of the Space bridge, and this was nothing compared to what he had gone through before, and given how strong and powerful the warlord was, there was a real chance that he would be able to dig his way out of the mine!

"You have survived far worse!" Starscream exclaimed "If you managed to free yourself you would blame me for your setback, and there is nowhere that I could possiblt escape from your wrath, or worse yet." he pondered "Your mindless followers will come looking for you!"

He glared hard as he thought more about the possiblities if he left Megatron in the mine.

"And take credit for your rescue, credit! That could rightfully be mine!"

He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he realised that if he left Megatron in the mine, that he would find his way out whether by digging himself out, or the other Decepticons, especially Soundwave would go looking for him, and after the first punishment he got, the next one would be even worse!

Frustration boiled within the seeker and he bellowed Megatron's name to the heavens.

Back in the Mine, Donatello climbed over the fallen rocks, carrying Kemeko in his arms calling the names of Arcee, Bulkhead, Pandora and Michelangelo as well as tried to find a way out.

"Guys?" he called shining his torch around "Where are you?" yet his voice only echoed around the cavern.

Kemeko hugged Donatello close as he carried her bridal style.

"What if we can't find them Uncle Don?" she asked "What if we don't get out of here?"

"Don't worry Lotus." Donatello said "We will find them, and find a way out!"

"I wish dad was here." Kemeko sobbed.

"Stay calm Lotus." Donatello said "Where there's a will, there's a way, we will get out of here!"

Yet despite his upbeat tone, the brainy turtle wasn't sure if he could carry out his promise.

There was no fresh air in the cavern and he knew they would run out of air if he didn't find a way to escape.

As Donatello looked around he heard some rocks crumbling to the side and he flashed his torch to the side only to find a large drilling machine, like the ones the Decepticon miners used to drill out energon.

"Kem!" he cried "I see something!"

Kemeko looked over and she saw the Drilling Machine.

"Oh my gosh!" she cried.

"That could help us!" Donatello cried as he ran over and leapt onto it then gently placed Kemeko down on the giant seat before looking at the controls.

"Do you know how it works?" the Aisan girl asked.

"I don't know." Donatello said as he looked at the large screen on the drill as well as the strange keypad "But I'm sure I'll figure it out! I drove a flying car on that planet my brothers and I were beamed to when we met the Fugitoid those years ago!"

"I remember that story!" kemeko chuckled.

Donatello smiled then started to press a few buttons of the pad.

As he did, they lit up and before long the whole machine whirred to life and the screen showed the details of the drill.

"Yes!" Donatello cheered "I got it!"

Kemeko smiled, hope rising in her chest as the machine began to move forward and the drill on the front glowed purple as it spun.

"Hang on tight Kem!" Donatello said "Lets roll out!"

Back with Bulkhead, Michelangelo and Pandora, they soon heard the sounds of a drill and they looked up hopefully.

"Do you hear that?" Bulkhead asked as he grunted with pain with still trying to hold the roof up.

"Sounds like drilling!" Pandora cried "It's them! They're coming!"

"Donnie! Kemeko! Arcee!" Michelangelo shouted.

"Uncle Don! Kemeko!" Pandora screamed at the top of her lungs.

Yet Bulkhead decided on a different tactic to grab the attention of who was drilling in the mine.

"Michelangelo! Pandora!" he said "Save your breaths! Grab a rock each and bang it on my foot!"

"What?" the two mutants asked.

"Trust me!" Bulkhead said "it'll save the oxygen and make more noise!"

"But Bulk!" Pandora said "We don't wanna hurt you!"

Bulkhead chuckled.

"I know it's hard to believe, but I'm tougher than I look! Now give it all you got! Alright?" he said.

Michelangleo nodded.

"Got it chief!" he said then started to bang his rock on Bulkhead's left foot whilst Pandora did the same on his right.

"That's it!" Bulkhead praised "Keep at it! Keep banging! The sound will alert them to us!"

Meanwhile, Donatello and Kemeko managed to drill their way out of the first cavern they were in and managed to get a little further through mine.

"Do you know where you're going Uncle Don?" Kemeko asked, wincing as her ankle spasmed.

"I can't say Lotus." Donatello said "But if the air smells less stale, we may just be close to hitting the surface, but our priorty is looking for Bulkhead, Mike, Arcee and Pandora!"

"Oh shell, I do hope they're alright!" Kemeko said anxiously.

"Me too!" Donatello agreed as he kept driving the drill.

Before long they came to another hole in the cavern and Donatello drove over to it to see if he could find the two Autobots or Michelangelo and Pandora, yet his eyes widened and his jaw dropped in shock.

Kemeko also looked and she screamed as she saw what, or rather who was there!

At the end of the tunnel, was the face of a furious and red eyed Megatron!

Trapped under the collapsed mine!

Megatron in turn looked over at the turtle and human girl at the other end and he glared.

"I suppose helping those less fortunate would be completly out of the question." he said.

Kemeko began to pant as she looked at the evil warlord she had seen weeks back after she, Ratchet and Pandora had tried to stop Bumblebee from bringing him to life with the dark energon shard.

"If that is the case." Megatron continued "You might as well use your drill to finish me, I guarantee you will never have a better opportunity than right now." he added.

Donatello was a little shocked as he heard that and he looked at the drill then at Megatron who glowered.

"Well?" the warlord demanded "What are you waiting for? Think of the glory, seize the day! Optimus would!"

Donatello narrowed his eyes as he looked at the warlord trapped under the rubble.

He had a point, given where he was, unable to defend himself, and Donatello did have a good chance at destroying him with the drill, just one strike with the machine to the Warlord's head and he would be finished.

Then then, Donatello knew his morals as well as his honour, and if he were to win a fight, he would rather do it in a fair one.

He also put himself in Optimus shoes, or rather pedes, and as long as he knew the Autobot Leader, he like Leonardo carried compassion and honour, even for his worst enemy and he knew that he wouldn't strike when one was down or had his back turned.

Taking a breath and looking Megatron in the eye he shook his head.

"No!" he said "He wouldn't! Not like this!"

Kemeko's eyes widened as she looked at Donatello then at Megatron who glared and gritted his teeth.

Donatello meanwhile moved the drill onewards to continue searching for Bulkhead, Arcee, Michelangelo and Kemeko yet he heard Megatron shout after him.

"I will be sure to share the details of our little conversation with Optimus, the day I rip out his spark!"

Our heroes are trapped within the mine, but Donatello along with an injured Kemeko found one of the drills used by the Decepticon miners, yet in his search to find Bulkhead, Arcee, Michelangelo and Arcee has stumbled across Megatron! Yikes!

Meanwhile, Starscream, even though he's escaped the collapse, he knows that if he leaves Megatron, he's in for trouble, so he's forced to go back! I do feel sorry for him sometimes! lol! He just can't get a break!

Also, for those who didn't spot it, when Donatello speaks of being able to comendeer a flying vehicle before is reference to the 'Turtles in Space Saga, Part 2, Trouble with the Tricertons'