A month had passed since Optimus was last seen. When he had given himself up to save his planet. Sure, the Prime had put a contingency plan in place beforehand, but the teenager walking through the abandoned junkyard didn't understand why exactly he was chosen to be involved in that plan. Ratchet had said that Optimus was like himself when he was younger. When he was simply known as Orion Pax; but Jack just couldn't imagine either one of them being similar to the other, in any universe. Optimus was brave, charismatic, and strong. All things Jack wished he was. He stood up to Vince sometimes, but it was only to help Raf. He'd been scared the entire time too, knowing he'd likely lose an actual fight against him, despite what Miko's encouragement might say.

"Jack."

But that wasn't entirely true. Jack knew Optimus, not Orion. Someone who was once a librarian, as Agent Fowler had called him. Someone who had once sought to better his world and its people, not with weapons or strength, but with words and wisdom. Was Jack really like that? He didn't think so, he didn't see what Ratchet, Optimus, or the others saw in him when they discovered what he'd been entrusted with. He didn't think himself a Prime. Honorary or not.

"Jack."

"Huh?" Jack's train of thought was derailed by the sound of Arcee calling out his name, and lightly placing her pede down his path to grab his attention.

"I've been trying to ask you what exactly we're looking for. This place is like a graveyard and half these cars don't seem to be entirely stable." Said Arcee as she eyed a few of them being held up by old rims. "I'd prefer not to spend too long here and have you hurt yourself. Don't need to worry your mom even more."

Jack looked around at the decrepit rows of scrap metal and demolished vehicles, suddenly realizing how this may feel for his fifteen-foot friend.

"Sorry Cee, I'll be careful. I'm looking for a hose for my mom's new car. New probably wouldn't be the best word choice though. She got it used and I noticed a hose for the power steering is a bit weathered and cracked." Jack scanned the rows of cars, searching for a specific make and model, and one that didn't look in too bad of shape. "It's best that I take care of this for her now, instead of it letting it get worse and end up letting it leak everywhere. The car makes I'm looking for should be over in this direction."

"Ever the responsible one Jack." Arcee lightly quipped.

Jack continued his search, as he dragged himself back into his thoughts. He technically hadn't lied just now, just emitted some details about why he was doing this. He was doing his best to help his mom with what little time he had left. The daily energon doses from the doc helped him feel better and if Ratchet was correct (so far he was), it bought him some more time; closer to two months from now. That just meant he had more time to prepare. All the money Jack earned from his job, he put into his savings; it wasn't much but it could help his mom. If he didn't take care of the clogged sink, leaky faucet, and standard maintenance on the car now, while there was still time, no one else would.

"It's the least I could do for her. She does a lot for the both of us."

Arcee hummed in response as she slowed down, and fell in step with Jack, following him as the soft desert sand and rock crunched under their steps. She hadn't asked if his dream rehearsal therapy had been working, but the bags under his eyes had shrunken, but they were still slightly noticeable. He was still taking naps sometimes and though she wasn't certain, he felt lighter than he had before when she picked him up from school.

"Sorry if this bothers you Jack, but how have your dreams been? I've been meaning to ask, but you look a little better."

"They've been better. Fewer nightmares, so I'm getting more sleep." Jack replied as he finally found the car he was looking for. An early 2000s Ford Crown Victoria.

Arcee watched as Jack fiddled around inside the car until a popping sound came from the front. He came back out and lifted the hood, and began inspecting the engine bay. "That's good, but something still seems to be on your mind, Jack. You still take naps and you've been looking thinner. I know it's important for humans to maintain their body mass at a healthy level."

"I'm fine, nothing to worry about." He responded, as he pulled out a pair of pliers and began loosening the clamps around the hose.

"I just want to make sure you're alright. Especially considering the, uh, responsibility you've been trusted with. You don't need to feel like this is only your burden to share."

Jack struggled as he pulled on the stubborn hose, loosening slightly with each tug until it finally came free. "Really Arcee, I'm fine. I know Optimus entrusted me with something important to all of you, and how much it means."

The key had stuck with Jack ever since he discovered the true importance of what he safe keeping. It never left his sight, and rarely left his person. It was always in his pocket until recently when he looped a small chain around it to wear, keeping it hidden under his shirt. He pulled it out and spoke softly, "I told him before he left, that I wouldn't let him down. I intend to fulfill that promise, for all of us."

"Just know that you're not alone in this okay? You can't get to Cybertron on your own."

"I know, thank you." Jack said with a small smile as he placed the newly acquired hose in his bag and picked himself up. "I've got what I came here for. Let's get back home quickly so I can replace the old hose before my mom's shift tonight."

Weeks had passed since their short conversation at the junkyard. No progress had been made on the Optimus search front, until recently. Arcee managed to board the Decepticon warship through their ground bridge but had been thrown out of the ship by Soundwave into the Arctic. Now she was busy being chastised by Ratchet as he examined her for injuries.

"You weren't able to determine the Decepticon's location? Or if Optimus was even aboard the ship?"

"I… couldn't confirm." Arcee dejectedly answered.

From behind Jack, Bulkhead roared in anger as he brought his fist down on an unlucky piece of Ratchet's equipment that had the misfortune of being too close to the wrecker. "Bulkhead! I-"

"What!?" Bulkhead interrupted and continued his shouting. "You needed that? Only thing I need is our head honcho back!"

"It's not your fault." Said Jack as he tried his best to comfort his friend.

"If any of us need rescuing, Optimus would've found a way. I didn't. Simple as that."

Before Jack could try to get her out of that mindset and stop blaming herself, a loud tone chimed throughout the base. Everyone was directed to the main computer as Agent Fowler appeared on the screen. "Ratchet!" It didn't take a genius to figure out that the reason for his facial expression and the recent attack on a military base by the Cons, were connected.

"What happened out there? Reports indicate at least a dozen wounded, and the heat's on me to provide some kind of explanation! You bots better get your act together or the Pentagon will make me shut down your base." Fowler finished, cutting the transmission feed, and displaying static as his image vanished.

"But, where would you go?" Raf questioned.

"Who knows? Maybe they'll ship us out to some island, or fire us off into space! Wouldn't that be a welcome relief?" replied Ratchet exasperatedly.

"I don't blame Fowler. Optimus would've evacuated all humans from the area before engaging the cons." Arcee added.

Bee followed in with beeps and whirls, the meaning of those sounds answered by Bulkhead's next words. "We don't actually know what Optimus would've done, because he's not here!"

Arcee stood from the medical berth as she sarcastically replied. "You're pretty good at stating the obvious Bulk. Anything else you'd like to mention that we already know?"

"Nothing I can say in front of the children." Bulkhead countered, getting close and towering over the smaller Autobot.

Jack quickly spoke up to diffuse the situation before it could get any more heated. "Hey! Aren't we overlooking one positive? No one's talking about what the Cons just got their claws on."

"Yes, we managed to finally allow them to acquire a power source for their space bridge!" yelled Ratchet.

"And how exactly would that be a positive, Jack?" Arcee questioned.

"Until now, we haven't had a way to reach Vector Sigma. So, we let them finish building their space bridge, commandeer it, and use it to send me to Cybertron." Jack answered.

Miko piped up in agreement with his idea, as Arcee questioned the validity of the plan if Miko was agreeing to it.

"No one is saying that this would be easy, but this could be our only shot." Jack reaffirmed. "You've seized a space bridge before."

"We blew one up! That's a whole lot different from the three of us seizing and holding one." Bulkhead pointed out.

Bumblebee beeped something in reply, and Arcee quickly agreed with him. "Bee's right. We'd have to find the thing first."

"Uh, hello! If it's in space, isn't it?" Miko called out while pointing toward the ceiling as if the answer was obvious.

Ratchet shook his head as he answered her question in irritation. "The term space refers to its transport range, not its physical location. And we've been monitoring Earth's orbit, we'd know if it were there."

"Then that means the bridge could be somewhere here on Earth." Explained Jack.

"Like trying to find a servo in a scrap yard." Bulkhead commented.

"Then maybe we better start looking. Besides, Jack did something similar a few weeks ago, you just need to know where to look." Added Arcee.

"Stop squirming or I'll leave a bruise like the first time. Your mother will have my aft after berating the both of us for keeping this a secret." Ratchet lectured.

"You seriously going to keep bringing that up?"

"Jack, the energon doses have bought you more time but that's what it is. More time. Your cells are still being mutated, though at a slower rate than before."

Jack sighed as he was left off the medical berth. "I know, but how do I even bring this up with her? I know the longer I wait, the worse it'll be, but now would be the worst time to do it. She'd never allow me to go to Cybertron and help bring Optimus back. I think it'd be best if I told her after we get him back."

"Fine, but remember what I told you before Jack. I will tell the others if you don't stay true to your word and inform them when Optimus comes back." Ratchet said sternly.

"I get it Ratchet." Jack muttered as they entered the command area of the base, alone for the moment as the rest of the team was out scouting for the space bridge. He loosely felt the key shift underneath his shirt.

"Ratchet? You told me the key was an ancient artifact and that it grants access to Vector Sigma, but is there anything else you could tell me about it? Like, why sometimes it glows?"

The doctor thought for a moment before answering, compiling his answer. "It has been said that the path of the Primes lead to Vector Sigma since its location has been shrouded in myth and rumors. The key will likely be your guide once you reach Cybertron. The key has also been rumored to read one's spark signature and is thus how it knows if the one who is wielding it is worthy. That, however, is likely false. Given, that you do not possess a spark, and yet the key reacts to your presence, and recognizes you as its wielder, and since you entrusted to it by a prime, worthy. Hence, why it sometimes glows."

"So, if it's not that, then how could it recognize me?" Jack questioned.

"That is a good question, but one that I do not have the answer for, I'm afraid." Ratchet answered before he began moving his hands in a shooing motion. "Now I believe you have homework you need to finish before Arcee returns from her scouting. I myself, have my own work to complete."

Jack reluctantly complied as he opened his book bag, and pulled out a large book to begin his reading on how the Renaissance Era impacted art today.

That night Jack lay awake in bed. The nightmares may have been less common than before, but they still slithered their way into his mind some nights. Enough that it justified trying to stay up for just a little bit longer.

Before today, Jack had felt a bit hopeless. It seriously looked as if they weren't going to be able to help Optimus. Not only because they didn't know where exactly he was or have a way to journey to Cybertron, but because Jack feared they wouldn't find a solution in time. Only he and Ratchet knew about his limited time left, and though neither had brought it up, they both felt relief wash over them after finally finding a solution.

He sat up, pulled out the key from underneath his shirt, and held it up. Inspecting its intricate design as it glowed softly, casting a gentle light that banished the darkness around his room. This tiny card was their only hope of bringing back the Autobot leader and having a fighting chance against the Decepticons. This ancient piece of alien technology, that was probably millions of years old, if not more, was here in his room. Archaeologists and scientists would be dying to get their hands on this to study it. Yet, it was just handed to him.

Jack wouldn't just let anyone take it, however. It was his to protect. He promised he would keep it safe until the Prime returned, and he was going to make good on that promise. Optimus would return, Jack would return the key, then he'd have to tell everyone the news.

He rested his head back against his pillow as he tried to ignore that last detail. For now, he reminded himself that whatever happened tonight, was just a dream. Arcee saved both his mom and him. Jack hoped that was enough to keep the nightmares away tonight.

As if in reassurance, the key pulsed faintly.

He closed his eyes and let sleep take control. As the stars shined, and burned through the night, so did the embers of a small mass of energy deep within him.

It had been stellar cycles since a space bridge explosion, caused by two Autobots, left him marooned and left for dead on their lifeless planet. He never should've left those two under the watch of the idiotic Second in Command; that mistake would not be made twice. Nevertheless, he still functioned, there was work to be done.

The Decepticon scientist stood tall at the foot of the berth, observing, and initiating the necessary protocols to awaken the subject from stasis. Average height and frame, and gray. They had almost blended in with the deceased Cybertron wasteland. Caught off guard, their carelessness would contribute greatly toward the Decepticon and scientific cause.

The bot soon groggily awakened, inspecting their surroundings before suddenly remembering where they were.

The scientist took note of their struggle against the restraints and took no immediate action. Instead, studying the stream of new data that flowed across the screens. "Resistance is futile Autobot. Do not bother with your restraints."

"What do you plan on doing to me, you fragger!" The bot shouted in question.

"What I've planned, has already been completed. You possess the processing power to figure it out for yourself. I'm certain you've noticed the new changes to your frame." the Con replied coldly, not turning away from the monitor to impede his work.

The bot turned his helm to look over his frame. A weld patch in his lower torso where his T-cog lay was the first clue, and new protrusions lay on his back. They were highly sensitive. Any movement caused discomfort and sent slight jolts of pain as they grated across the surface of the berth. Lower down, on his leg were-wait leg?

"Where the scrap is my leg? What are you doing to me? Why do I have wings? I've always been a ground-based model." The bot questioned in rapid succession as they drastically increased their fight against the restraints.

"The modification to your other leg was not complete, but I could not afford to wait any longer for you to wake. The next procedure must be completed. You will get it after the examination." The large scientist answered. "I'm certain you've heard of Blitzwing. The first cybertronian to obtain a second alt-mode. He came to me when his physiology unexpectedly began changing. I believe it is the next logical step in cybertronian evolution. The war halted any research I had planned to study over this phenomenon but in the short amount of data I was able to acquire, I made a discovery."

The Decepticon, at last, turned to face the experiment on the berth, the single-red optic piercing through him. "Blitzwing was not the only triple-changer to form naturally. Others followed suit shortly after, providing further evidence to my evolutionary theory. Possession of slightly larger transformation cogs was a common factor among them. Time is an unlimited resource I now possess. You, however, like the others, do not possess a larger transformation cog."

"Others?" The bot questioned.

"You are not the first I've experimented with. You're merely the first to survive to this stage of the project." The con slowly strode to a table near the berth the Autobot was restrained, his large back blocking the bot's view of what lay on top. "Natural triple-changers have larger frames, and T-cogs, but are also more prone to violence. If this is to be the next stage of cybertronian life, then I must demonstrate its potential to include every frame type. Preferably, without violent tendencies. All test subjects before you have died before reaching this stage of the experiment."

The Autobot watched as the one-eyed Con turned to face him, tool in hand. The experiment escalated their struggle, desperate to free themselves from their bonds as the heavy pedesteps loomed closer.

"I recommend you cease struggling, it will only increase the pain. I need to inspect your T-cog, and I will obtain more accurate data if you remain conscious for the duration of the procedure."

Screams filled the lab as hot flame touched cold metal, easily piercing through and beginning the procedure.

Hello again with another chapter! Sorry for the delay. This is a pretty short chapter, and I wasn't expecting it to take so long to write this out, but I just got busy with other stuff.

Though this chapter is one of the shortest in the series so far, it is one of the most important due to what it sets up for the future as I'm sure you can tell. Hopefully, the next chapter shouldn't take as long, and that the shorter length doesn't disappoint.

I'm always looking for suggestions from the readers. That includes ways I could improve my writing or maybe something you may want to see incorporated into the story. Speaking of which, Jack X Arcee...

I like romance stories myself, but I have no clue how to actually write one. I still haven't decided on whether on it I should in this case. I'll just say that if I do go through with it, it likely won't be a large part of the story. Probably just a background plot.

With that, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed but please leave your reviews on what you think or if you have any questions or suggestions!

6/5/23