Arcee groaned, error messages flitting across her heads-up display. She felt as if she had gotten hit by a train, feeling the ache through her frame.

Wait...

Train. Train.

Subway.

Her optics snapped open, and she jerked up, groaning when she hit something metal. Arcee looked up to see Bumblebee hovering over with the concerned look.

"Wha—"

"You were knocked out by Knock Out."

"How long?"

"Just a couple of kliks."

"Ugh, that staff can pack a punch." She took the scout's servo, and he pulled her to her pedes, steadying her when she nearly fell over again. Rubbing her helm, she took one look around and saw the parts of Vehicons scattered around, along with a lack of Agent Fowler.

"Where's Fowler?"

"The 'Cons took him."

"What?"

Bumblebee transformed into his alt-mode, revving his engine as he took off. "Come on, they went this way."

Arcee followed her friend's suit, putting metal to the pedal and speeding ahead of the Camaro, following the trail of blaster marks on the walls. They came to the end of one tunnel, and she swerved around, noticing another trail of scorch marks that lead down.

The 'Cons were leaving them a trail. Why?

The cobalt femme sped ahead, noticing a flash of red up ahead. Knock Out. She pushed forward, only for something heavy to slam into her side. Arcee was thrown to the side, and transformed at the last second, tumbling into the wall.

Bumblebee stopped.

"Bee! Go get Fowler!" she ordered, rising to her pedes as a blue vehicle transformed into the bulky form of Breakdown. He grinned slightly, his servo transforming into a hammer, and she shifted hers into her blasters and peppered the lug with superheated energon.

Out of the corner of her optic, she noticed Bumblebee speeding away. Her attention was directed to Breakdown when his shoulder plating shifted back and a blaster fired red energon at her, forcing her to flip and dodge the blasts.

"Hammer time."

She nearly rolled her optics. "You need to start coming up with new quips, that one is starting to get old."

The blue mech let out a battle cry and ran at her with his hammer, slamming down right as she flipped away. Her side blades extended, and she jumped at him, slicing at his thick plating, leaving shallow grooves on his armor.

Breakdown snarled and swung at her, only for her to jump. What she didn't realize was his other hammer coming at her, which slammed into her side, sending her flying into the rails of the ground with a cry. She groaned as her static filled her vision. Heavy pedes shook the ground beneath her, and she rolled out of the way right as a hammer slammed down where he helm was two seconds ago.

Arcee jumped to her pedes as he vision started to piece itself back together, and she fired energon blasts at him. One clipped his optic patch, and he cried out when it burnt the plating around the hollow, followed by an angry engine.

The cobalt femme transformed into her alt-mode, speeding down where she last saw Bumblebee. It wasn't long before she found the scout, along with the medic, who was holding Agent Fowler up like a trophy. Arcee transformed and got into an offensive position, glaring at the medic as Breakdown sped past her and behind his buddy, shifting back into his bipedal form.

"Hand over the relic, and we'll give back the squishy," Knock Out drawled, waving Fowler around in his clawed servo. The man looked sickly, with a pale face twisted in pain as he cried out when the Decepticon's claws dug into his delicate form.

"Let him go, Knock Out!" Arcee snarled, ready to pounce on the 'Con.

"Now, now," Knock Out replied with a mocking chuckle. "Let's not get hasty. You give us the relic, we give you the human. Fair trade, don't you think?"

Arcee glanced at Bumblebee, who was clutching the relic, a strange claw-like device, in his servo tightly. "Bee..."

"Don't do—argh!" The man let out a cry of pain as the pointed tips of the medic dug into his skin, and the red liquid—blood—started to seep out onto his white shirt, which was visible through his ripped jacket.

"Tick-tock, Autobots," Knock Out sing-songed. "I don't have all solar cycle."

"Stop hurting him! We'll give it to you."

Bumblebee stepped forward, carefully holding the relic out. Knock Out grinned wickedly as Breakdown stepped up beside him, snatching the relic from the scout.

"Good choice," Knock Out sneered, tossing Fowler unceremoniously in the air. The agent let out a startled cry, then a grunt of pain as Bumblebee dashed forward and caught him in his servo.

Arcee checked over the government liaison. "You're okay?"

Fowler nodded weakly, clutching his side. "I'll live."

"Now that the deal's done," Knock Out said with a smirk, "we'll be taking our leave."

Arcee's optics widened as she realized what was happening. "Oh, no, you don't!" She lunged forward, knocking over the medic, and grabbing at the relic. The red beneath her disappeared and she was sent flying into a wall by a crushing grip.

"Not so fast." Breakdown grinned, shifting his servo into a hammer. The femme noticed the electricity sparking from what the government liaison called 'the third rail' right behind the blue mech, something that could fry a Cybertronian. It was perfect.

The femme subtly nodded toward it, and Bumblebee immediately understood. The scout tossed the human toward her and threw all of his body weight at Breakdown, sending him staggering back right onto the rail.

An agonized scream was torn from the Decepticon as his systems were overloaded with electricity, sparking as it arced through his entire frame.

"Breakdown!" Knock Out threw himself at the blue mech, sending him and his partner sprawling to the ground. The medic groaned as some electricity sparked over his frame, rising to his pedes quickly. He glanced at Breakdown, whose optics flickered weakly, and then at the Autobots, who aimed their blasters at the pair.

Arcee thought it was her imagination when she saw something akin to desperation in the medic's optics flash, but it was gone in an instant. Knock Out slapped the device onto his wrist, aiming the relic at them. "Stay back! I'll use whatever the frag this thing is!"

The duo immediately tensed when it whirred to life, panels extending and fluffing out to make it bigger, a soft blue glow emitting from it. Knock Out thrust his wrist forward and briefly looked away.

Nothing happened.

"What?" the medic quickly glanced back at the device in confusion, red optics flaring brightly. "Don't tell me this piece of scrap is broken!" He hit it in rapid succession in frustration, and still, nothing happened.

Arcee chuckled and aimed her free servo, transformed into a blaster, at Knock Out. "Seems like your luck is up."

She fired a blast at his helm.

Knock Out cried out, ducking until he realized that the energon blast had gone right through him.

Arcee's eyes went wide. "Scrap."

The medic grinned and grabbed ahold of Breakdown's shoulders, right as a GroundBridge yawned open behind the pair. "Au revoir Autobots!" They both fired on both Decepticons, but it was in vain as the blasts went right through them.

Arcee snarled, handing Bumblebee the human and transforming into her alt-mode, rushing after the Decepticons. She reached the portal as it snapped shut, forcing her to slam on her brakes. The cobalt femme reverted back to her bipedal form, snarling curses.

She spun around and kicked a nearby rock, sending it skittering across the ground. "Arcee to base." She activated her comm, raising two digits to her audial receptor. "Requesting a GroundBridge."

Ratchet grumbled a response and their GroundBridge opened up behind them. Arcee sighed, clamping her plating down on her protoform. What was she going to tell them? They lost a weapon that made the 'Cons invincible?

Emerging on the other side, all thoughts of the relic vanished when Arcee's optics fell on the scene in the base. "Jack?" she murmured in disbelief.

The boy was in the medical bay near his mother, June Darby, looking pale and thin, dark bags under his eyes. His lack of clothing bothered her, and the blood staining his only attire, his pants, was disturbing. Beside him, Miko was on a human-sized berth, with the woman looking over her.

"Arcee!"

June glanced up at Arcee with an unreadable expression. Her spark twisted and she resisted the urge to run away from her partner, whose mother didn't want her anywhere near him.

"You're supposed to be his guardian. Where were you when they took him?"

She pushed the dark thoughts. "Jack!"

Arcee crouched, lowering herself to his level as he stopped in front of her. "Arcee," Jack said in a trembling voice. "You're okay."

The femme scanned Jack, seeing a lack of injuries, despite the blood. Was it his? Or someone else's? "I should be asking you that, Jack. Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." He abruptly threw his arms around her waist, hugging her side tightly in an awkward embrace. She gently returned it, wrapping one of her arms around him. Relief flooded her, knowing that her partner was safe. Her spark twisted at what he said next. "Raf was taken by Starscream."

"What?"

"Bulkhead said so." He didn't move from his spot, and she saw a few tears streaming down his face. "He thinks Starscream wanted free energon, basically."

"MECH has energon?"

"Yeah, they—"

"Where is Raf?"

Jack answered right away. "Raf was taken by Starscream."

All helms in the room turned to the boy. "Wait... you can understand Bumblebee?"

|"Ratchet, we need a GroundBridge. We have found the children."|

June's heart leapt the moment she heard those words and stared up at the large monitors of Ratchet's console. She felt her knees weaken as the portal yawned open in a mesmerizing swirl of green. My baby is coming back.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she silently vowed to never let Jack out of her sight again. The large red and blue frame of Optimus stepped through first, and cradled in his servo was Jack. From this distance, she could see the bruises on his pale, thinned features, and his body was curled in on itself.

Panic seized her as her maternal instincts took over, and she bolted down the catwalk stairs, nearly tripping in her haste. "Jack!" she cried, reaching the bottom just as the Guardian Knight crouched low, lowering his servo to the ground.

She clambered onto the Prime's servo without hesitation, and with shaking hands, she reached out to her child. Her heart shattered and mended at the sight of him. Her eyes immediately fell to his bare chest, covered in bruises and fresh cuts. Gently, she pulled him into her arms, cradling him close to her.

At her touch, Jack startled awake with a violent jerk, and his wide, bloodshot eyes, unseeing and panicked were filled with terror. He pulled away from her, crying out in a hoarse voice. "No! Get off! Don't—!" His panicked thrashing sent made her chest tighten, and she felt pain for her baby.

"Jack! It's me! It's Mom!" She tried to make her voice calm and even as possible, knowing that telling someone who was having a panic attack to calm down was the wrong words. June gently stroked his matted hair and pressed his trembling body against hers. She could feel his heart racing and hear his short, panicked breaths. "You're safe now, baby. You're safe. I've got you."

It took a moment, but slowly, recognition dawned on her son. His stiff body relaxed into her embrace, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, sobbing. "Mom..." he choked out in a voice that broke her heart. He clung to her, burying his face in her shoulder as gut-wrenching sobs tore from him.

Oh God, what had those monsters done to him?

June held him tighter, rocking him gently as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her heart ached as she whispered soothing words, and she ran her hands over his back to reassure him he was safe. Cold anger boiled inside of her at what could've possibly happened to him.

The woman glanced up at Optimus as she comforted her son, and she noticed for the first time, the guilt and the pain in his eyes. It was something she had never seen before, from the usually stoic and serious Prime. Her gaze drifted to Ratchet, who looked unsure and when he caught her look, he abruptly turned around to face the console again.

Her eyes burned again, and she whispered over and over, "You're home now, sweetheart. I've got you. You're safe." And though Jack still shook in her arms, she promised herself she'd never let anything hurt him again.

Eventually, Jack's sobs quieted, and he simply stood there, clutching her tightly as if she would vanish. His tear-streaked face tilted upward, and tired, bloodshot eyes focused on the Guardian Knight. "Are Miko and Raf alright?" he croaked.

Blue optics dimmed and a smooth, blue head sunk down. "We were unable to save Rafael," he said quietly.

"No..." he whispered. "No, that can't be true! You have to save him! You have to!" His voice grew frantic, and he pulled away from his mother as his wide blue eyes searched Optimus' face for any hint that he might be wrong.

June bit her lip and gently grabbed her son's arm, pretending he didn't flinch at the touch. "Jack, honey, calm down. We'll find him. They'll find him." The Guardian Knight looked at her, and although she couldn't read his features, she suspected that he might be surprised at her words, considering what she had said previously the last time she was here.

Ratchet muttered something, and the GroundBridge snapped open once again, revealing the large, green frame of Bulkhead, holding a familiar face in his large hands. The girl looked tired, and her usual spunky energy had been replaced by a ghostly paleness. Cuts and bruises marred her face, and her hair was matted with something that June, terrifyingly realized, was blood. However, she seemed entirely unbothered.

"Miko!" Jack gasped.

The Humvee sunk to one knee, lowering his servo to allow Miko to climb down. The moment her feet touched the ground, she bolted toward Jack and collided with him in a fierce hug, nearly knocking both of them to the ground.

"Jack!" Miko cried in a trembling voice. "You're okay! I thought—" Her words quickly dissolved into sobs as she pressed herself against him, crying in the crook of his neck. Her son wrapped his arms around her, holding her just as tightly.

"You're okay. You're safe." He echoed in his mother's words, rubbing her back as he comforted her. June felt proud of her son, seeing how much he put others above him, even though he was hurting himself. It was going to make her cry again.

The mother glanced at Bulkhead and silently pleaded for answers with her eyes. He took notice and glanced down. "We got Miko out in time," he said quietly. "But Raf..." He trailed off, his hands curled into fists at his sides. "Starscream took him before we could stop him."

"Starscream?!" Miko pulled back just enough to look at the Humvee. "Stilettoes works with MECH?!" She sounded shocked, and it was mirrored in her expression.

"I don't know, it seems like it," Bulkhead muttered, his optics flaring slightly before they dimmed. "We beat him pretty bad in the energon mine, so... he might have been looking for an easy way to get energon without having to scavenge for it in his wounded state."

"I knew I missed some epic battles!" Miko exclaimed, seeming to gain back her cheery demeanor. Her hazel eyes looked at the Humvee pleadingly. "You're going to get Raf back, right?"

"We'll get him back, I promise, Miko," the Wrecker assured her, allowing her to hug his finger.

"We will not abandon Rafael." Optimus stood up and straightened. "His safety is our priority. But for now, the two of you must rest and recover. Your well-being is just as important."

"Where's Arcee?" Jack asked, glancing around the base.

"She is on a mission with Bumblebee to recover a relic," the Guardian Knight informed them.

"Ah." Her son's disappointment could be heard clearly. Optimus noticed this and added, "She will be back soon."

June gently guided Jack and Miko toward the medical bay, where the gurney had been placed. The last time she had used it was during the whole 'Unicron' fiasco when Raf was poisoned by dark energon, dying on the bed.

She prayed that it would never happen again. Now, she was wishing she brought her medical bag.

"Mom, seriously, I'm fine. I don't need this. I'm fine!" Jack insisted, pulling slightly away from her grip. He was trying to sound strong, but his voice said anything but.

June stopped, placing her hands on her hips, and fixed him with a no-nonsense look, the kind only a mother could deliver. "No, Jack, you're not fine. You've been through hell, and I need to make sure you're okay. Now, sit down and let me do my job."

The boy groaned but didn't argue further. He helped Miko over to the gurney, lifting her up onto it. She pulled her knees to her chest, staring blankly into the distance. It made her heart ache at the traumatized look in her eyes. A child's eyes! No teenager should have that look in their eyes. What they should be worrying about was their hair, friends, and social awkwardness. Not an evil organization.

June began to inspect the Japanese girl, noticing that much of her clothes had been stripped away. Oh God...

"Miko, they didn't—"

"I don't want to talk about it," she cut in curtly, looking away. The energy from earlier was drained away, leaving a tired person behind. The woman nodded and inspected her arms, where she saw bruises and lacerations.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Miko remarked, wincing as she probed a particularly tender spot on her arm. "It's already starting to heal."

Her eyes went wide as she noticed, with growing disbelief, that the cut she was looking at was visibly closing, the skin knitting itself back together before her eyes. June's eyes skimmed the other wounds, which were also closing. What the—

A pit of dread formed in her stomach. "Jack, what is happening?" She moved over to him, and grabbed him firmly, watching as the cuts on his chest also started to knit themselves together like nothing she had ever seen.

"Um..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, MECH—"

Before he could finish, a swirling vortex of colors snapped open. All heads swiveled to the 'Bridge, right as Arcee emerged. Her optics were dim, plating was clamped down tightly and her winglets were low. Bumblebee followed closely behind, driving into the base in his alt-mode and opening the driver's door for Agent Fowler to step out, before transforming into his bipedal form.

A disheveled William Fowler, with red seeping through the white of the shirt of his suit, through the torn grey jacket, limped over to them, glancing around the room. His dark eyes immediately landed on the two teenagers, and he wobbled over to them.

"You kids are alright," the man breathed, looking relieved. "Where's—"

"Arcee!" The boy bolted toward his guardian.

"Jack!" June called after him, but he didn't stop.

The cobalt femme knelt as he approached, scanning him for the injuries that had miraculously healed over. They quietly conversed with each other, before Jack threw his arms around her waist, an awkward hug, because of her much larger size.

The woman pursed her lips tightly together and took a breath. It wasn't her fault; it wasn't even the Autobots' fault. It was MECH's. She knew that now that her anger toward them had subsided some, and William had a hand in that.

A series of beeps and whirs came from the yellow scout, Bumblebee. June glanced up at him, curious as to what he was saying. Jack, who hadn't pulled away from Arcee yet, answered whatever he was saying.

"Raf was taken by Starscream."

The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to Jack. Except for Bumblebee, who started to shake with what June assumed was anger. His optics spiraled several degrees as he tried to process what had just happened.

"Wait... you can understand Bumblebee?" Arcee asked, incredulously.

Jack blinked and pulled away from Arcee, glancing up at the scout in shock, before rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh... yeah, I guess so. I probably picked up the lingo or something." He offered a small grin, trying to lighten the mood.

Suddenly, Bumblebee turned and punched the nearby concrete wall, letting out clicks and whirs and beeps that startled June and everyone else. His winglets drooped low, and he glared at the offending wall furiously, as if thinking whether to punch it again or not.

"Bumblebee!" Arcee stood, grabbing the yellow mech's forearm. The scout didn't respond, staring down at the floor. "It's not your fault."

Bumblebee turned slightly, with dim optics, to look at the cobalt femme. Another series of beeps and clicks escaped him, sounding almost mournful if her ears were tricking her. Most times, whatever lingo he spoke -or beeped?- sounded mostly the same to her.

June turned to look at Agent William Fowler, who winced as he touched his side. The woman grabbed his arm and sat him on the gurney. "William, I'm taking the kids home," she said firmly, scanning his injuries. What had he been doing? "You have puncture wounds. You're going to have to get this looked at, or you'll be at risk of infection."

Fowler's expression darkened, clearly unhappy with her declaration. "June, I don't believe that's wise," he said, wincing as she touched the tender area. "I'll get that looked at once we return to base. One of the 'Cons used me as a hostage."

"What about the kids? Are they coming to the military base, or are we going to stay here?"

"They would be safe her—"

"Jack and Miko can't stay here, William! This isn't a place for children. They're already traumatized enough as it is."

Fowler crossed his arms. "And they can't go to your house either, June," he countered. "MECH wants those kids, and they'll stop at nothing to get them back. Your house isn't secure. It's not even close to being safe enough to keep them out of MECH's reach. They'll find you, June. And they won't hesitate to hurt you to get what they want."

June's jaw tightened, and she crossed her arms. "Well, they can't stay on a military base, either! They're children, William!" Her voice rose slightly before she caught herself, glancing back at Jack and Miko to ensure they weren't overhearing. "Do you know what they should be worrying about right now? Pimples. School dances. Friends. Not fighting for their lives or being experimented on by lunatics like MECH!"

Fowler sighed heavily, running a hand down his face. "June, you think I don't know that? You have to look at the bigger picture here. If MECH finds them again, they won't just hurt the kids, they'll finish what they started. And I hate to say it, but the Autobots' base is the safest place for them right now. Even safer than a military compound."

The woman pursed her lips tightly, and deep down, a part of her knew he was right. "I can't just let them stay here forever," she said. "This isn't a solution, William. They deserve a life, a normal life. Jack's already been through so much. And Miko... she needs stability, not whatever this is."

"I get it, June. I really do. But right now, the only way to give them a shot at that normal life is to keep them alive. And until MECH is taken down for good, the safest place for those kids is right here, with the Autobots."

"Can't you work something out?" she hissed, feeling tears prick at her eyes. "You're in the military, for crying out loud. You have resources and people. Do something!"

Fowler let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. It was a gesture that reminded her so much of Jack when he was nervous or caught doing something he shouldn't have been. "I dunno, June. If the Autobots kept an eye on your house, then maybe. But the thing is, they can't babysit the kids all the time. They've got bigger problems to deal with, like fighting 'Cons and protecting the planet."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "Can't you just... I don't know, put some soldiers on the property? Someone to keep an eye out? You must have people you can trust for something like this."

Fowler frowned, dropping his hand from his neck to rest on his hip. "June, putting soldiers on your property is like painting a big target on it. Besides, you're asking for a security detail for a house in a suburban neighborhood, not a military base."

June crossed her arms, her fingers digging into her sleeves as she stared him down. "So what am I supposed to do, William? Keep Jack and Miko locked up in a base like prisoners? Let them think this is their life now? That there's no way out of this nightmare? They need something *normal,* something to remind them they're still kids."

Fowler sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "June, I get where you're coming from. I really do. But you've gotta understand, MECH is playing a different kind of game. They don't care about rules, or collateral damage, or innocent lives. They want those kids, and they're not going to stop until they get what they're after. I can't put you or them in more danger than you already are."

"So what? I'm just supposed to sit back and watch while my son and Miko lose the best parts of their childhood?"

"Of course not," he responded, rubbing his temples. Something that June knew was a sign of a forming headache. "Once MECH is brought down, once and for all, they'll be safe. But until then, the safest place for them is right here with the Autobots. I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth."

"And how long will it take to destroy MECH, William? A week? A month? A year? Ten years?" Her lips started to tremble, and she looked away, blinking furiously against the tears that were welling up. "I'm taking them home, William."

Her mind was set, and her heart couldn't bear the thought of Jack and Miko staying any longer in a top secret former military missile silo base, or whatever they wanted to call it, surrounded by giant alien robots from another planet.

A sigh escaped William's lips as he glanced at the ground before meeting her eyes again. "I don't think I could stop you if I tried," he admitted with a tired shake of his head. "Here's the deal, June," he began, rubbing his neck again, "I'll let you take the kids to a home, but not yours."

Okay, she could work with this, even though her heart ached at leaving the house she lived in for so long. But this wasn't about her, it was about keeping her son safe, and that was all that mattered in the end.

"We'll relocate you elsewhere for security reasons. We've already done it for Raf and Miko's families. We can set up a new location, with security cameras and maybe, maybe, guards, if I can work something out. They'll be on constant watch."

"What about school?"

"The Autobots would have to escort them and stay until school ends." June nodded slowly, taking in this information. It would be better than staying on a military base. "And at nighttime, the 'Bots would have to stay at night. They were doing that previously, so that won't be an issue."

"Alright. Can we go back to at least pack?"

William nodded. "You'll need to pack quickly. I can't promise how long the location will stay secure, so we'll move fast."

"What did you tell the other families about their children?"

Fowler rubbed his neck. "We told them that they were kidnapped, and that we were working on finding them again."

"Are you monitoring them too?"

"Yes. But we don't have security cameras for them for obvious reasons. It would be illegal to watch them like that, and we can't exactly tell them the truth either."

"How long would you have hidden them from their parents?"

"I... don't know." Fowler glanced at the floor, rubbing a hand over his face wearily. "I don't know."

June pursed her lips tightly and glanced back at the children, who were talking with their guardians, looking tired. Jack, I am never letting you out of my sight ever again. And if you think of taking that bike without me, you'll be grounded until thirty.

Wow... this chapter was really tough for me to write. It took me three rewrites to get it to somewhat to a standard that I "like" it. I don't really think I'm the happiest with it, I've done better, but it will do.

And yes, I know some of y'all wanted an emotional talk from June, but that will come in another chapter, promise.