A/N: If you're a concept artist and you see this message, do not post a fake review of how much you love my story and how you would be willing to do art for a good price yada yada. Money doesn't grow on trees, and if I wanted an artist, I would look for one.

I doubt you lot read the actual story. You most likely just skip to the end.

Do not even think of PMing me, concept artist. Anybody else that is normal can though :)

Silas hadn't anticipated how challenging it would be to capture the three brats, despite their heavy internet presence practically serving them on a silver platter. They spent almost all waking moments with the Autobots, their metallic guardians.

Snagging them without their guardians was impossible—until tonight. The Autobots were fiercely protective of their human companions, and any misstep could've jeopardized everything. Now, staring into the cell where the trio huddled together, whispering futile escape plans, he knew the effort had been all worth it.

Project Chimera was finally within his grasp.

Ever since he had laid eyes on the Autobots during the D.N.G.S. skirmish, Silas had dreamed of possessing a Transformer under MECH's absolute control. Initially, he had viewed the robot's as nothing more than advanced machines—sophisticated automatons equipped with weaponry beyond human capability.

But then he had his first glimpse of a spark. The size of a basketball, colored like a neutron star and pulsing in the chest cavity of the feminine robot, Ar-cee, Silas knew he had to have it. Of course, the Autobot had managed to escape before he could take what was rightfully MECHs.

No matter. If MECH could harness and replicate a spark—because he knew that it would be extremely difficult if not outright impossible to get a Transformer's spark due to how hard that were to keep in possession, and if a spark was anything like a human's heart, he doubted it would survive without a body or blood—they would become unstoppable.

It was then that the spark became his obsession. Without what these beings referred to as a "spark," a Transformer was no more than a lifeless husk. He had no interest in an empty shell; he wanted something alive, something capable of adapting and evolving under his control. To wield the power of a Transformer, he needed that spark.

After monitoring the Autobots for weeks, watching how they interacted with each other and even the humans they protected, and after studying their biology, he realized they were more than machines. They were alive. These titans possessed consciousness, personality and a spark—a version of a human's heart. They were in many ways, disturbingly human-like. It was ironic how these gods among insects were so like them, something that made them all the closer to his grasp.

And now, after countless failures, setbacks, near-misses, and nearly scrapping the project for a spark to merely hollow out the drone's frames for a human pilot, he had found the key.

Airachnid.

The spider-bot Decepticon had been a wild card he hadn't accounted for, and her trap had nearly ended MECH, if it weren't for her... deal that had kept them alive. Most of his men had been killed in her ambush, save one. One of his men had survived the attack, having been sprayed by her acid, and in him, Silas had discovered the breakthrough they needed.

The survivor, though gravely injured, began to exhibit remarkable changes. He had come back from nearly dying to alive and healthy within hours. Over time, the survivor's displayed superhuman abilities: enhanced strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, far behind the limits of human physiology.

But this incredible transformation came at a horrific cost. Day by day, his body weakened. He could no longer eat or drink, and his organs began to shut down as his body consumed itself from the inside out. Within a month, the man was dead, consumed by the very force that had empowered him.

MECH's scientists dissected the unfortunate soldier and uncovered the cause: a foreign, alien substance had infected his blood, accelerating cellular decay faster than regeneration. Silas concluded that it was Airachnid's acid.

By extracting and studying the substance, MECH successfully isolated its properties. And after using it on other subjects, discovered that it could stimulate the creation of a spark within a human host.

But there was a catch. Human bodies were too fragile to sustain the spark's energy. Every test subject succumbed to the same gruesome fate—cellular burnout, rapid physical decay, and eventual death. Their main issue was preserving the spark. Every time they took it out, within just a day it withered and died.

After Starscream "assisted" MECH, providing them with the knowledge that energon was a Transformers life force, much like human's blood, they had started to mass collect the substance. They needed to it to live and to sustain their other systems, which Silas found was the key to nourishing the sparks they created.

Since human bodies couldn't handle energon, he devised a solution. It was simple: the human spark had to be transplanted into a Transformer's body. MECH had recently acquired several Vehicon frames, which were being repurposed. These drones were being stripped and refitted to MECH's image. All that remained was finding the right candidates to undergo the transformation.

That's where the children came in.

Silas's initial preference had been adult operatives loyal to MECH, but the idea of using the precious charges was too delicious to ignore. The three brats presented a unique advantage: their deep connection to the Autobots. What better way to strike at his enemies than to turn their beloved human charges into living weapons?

Turning the Autobot's humans into loyal soldiers of MECH would be the ultimate insult—and the ultimate weapon.

His musings were interrupted by the arrival of MECH's lead scientist, who informed him that the preparations were completed. Silas nodded and gave the order: the children were to receive their first dose of the serum immediately.

As the scientist departed to carry out his orders, Silas's gaze returned to the screen that showed the footage of the children in the cell. The brats would undergo daily treatments, carefully set to avoid a fatal overdose. Their transformation could take weeks—though with their altered version of Airachnid's acid, it could be less than two weeks with multiple injections—but the former colonel was patient. Soon enough, they would be ready.

He imagined the looks on the Autobots' faces when their precious wards stood against them as lethal, unrecognizable weapons. The thought brought a thin smile to his lips. Project Chimera would be his ultimate triumph. And the Autobots? They would fall.

30 minutes before the Fall...

Jack shivered as he trudged through the undergrowth, the vivid memories of that horrifying night when Airachnid had hunted him like prey clawing its way back into his thoughts. He glanced at Arcee walking next to him, holding a scanner.

Her optics were narrowed in concentration as she followed the faint energon signal they had detected earlier. Arcee had reassured them that this mission was just a routine scouting trip, no danger involved. That reassurance had convinced Optimus to allow him, Miko, and Raf to tag along with Team Prime.

"Are you sure this is safe?" the teenager asked, uneasy.

The cobalt femme turned to look at him, electric blue optics studying him. "It's just a standard sweep, Jack. No Decepticons, no danger. Besides," she added with a smirk, "I'm here, aren't I?"

Jack nodded, but didn't entirely believe her. He still remembered the last "routine" mission in a supposedly stripped energon mine, where they had encountered the Decepticons Starscream... and Megatron. He could still see him in his mind's eye.

The image of the Decepticons leader's smoldering vermilion optics bore into him, burning with disgust as the teenager saw his helpless state, buried under ten tons of rock from the collapsed mine, weapons out of commission and claws stuck flashed through his mind.

"You might as well use the drill to finish me. I guarantee you will never have a better opportunity."

Megatron was a monster. He destroyed his home world, killing billions in the process. And when their war spread to other parts of the galaxy, he destroyed other systems, bleeding them dry in the heat of war. Now the Autobot-Decepticon war was on Earth, and it could be very well the next on the list for imminent destruction.

And he could've ended it all. With a flick of a switch, he could've ended the war, the suffering, the death.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Think of the glory! Seize the day! You know Optimus would..."

Those words had snapped him out of the trance he had been in. He knew that Optimus would never kill a defenseless enemy. It was murder. And it was less than what the warlord deserved. It was the easy way out. Eons of war, waging to win against his mortal enemy, only to be slayed by a lowly human with barely any knowledge about their war. It wasn't right. It wasn't his call. It wasn't his war.

It wasn't what Optimus would do.

It wasn't what he would do.

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

"Ugh, this sucks!" Miko's voice shattered his dark thoughts. She stomped through the forest behind him, boots crunching the dry leaves. "I thought we were gonna see some action, not just wander around sniffing for energon!"

Arcee sighed. "It's a scouting mission, Miko. That means no action. Just keep your eyes open and stay close."

"Where's the fun in that?" Miko grumbled, kicking at a rock, sending it skittering into the underbrush.

"Yeah, because fighting Decepticons is so fun," Jack muttered under his breath. He didn't mean to sound bitter, but his nerves were already frayed. He couldn't help thinking about the close calls they'd had in the past. Mostly because of Miko running out into the fray.

She turned to Raf, who was walking quietly behind her, clutching the handles of his backpack tightly. "Don't tell me your enjoying this, Raf."

Raf shrugged, adjusting his glasses. "I think it's kind of interesting. If we find energon, that's a big deal, right? The Autobots need it."

"Yeah, but it's boring," Miko retorted, kicking a rock. "We could be back at base doing literally anything else."

Jack rolled his eyes. "You were the one that wanted this. Besides, you'd rather be playing video games while the Autobots run out of energon? Real helpful, Miko."

"Hey, I'm just saying," she shot back, crossing her arms."A little excitement wouldn't hurt."

Arcee shook her head, muttering something about humans. Her scanner's beeps grew more intense and rapid, drawing her attention. Then, they abruptly stopped. "Scrap!"

"What is it, Arcee?" Jack asked, moving closer to his partner.

"Quiet," she snapped, slowing her place and glancing over her shoulder at them. "I need you three to stay focused and close. Got it?"

The teenager frowned at her voice. Something was wrong. "What's wrong?"

"The signal moved," she said tersely, staring down at the device in her hand as if it were faulty. "And there's another one too."

"There's another one?" Miko asked. "I thought there was only one."

She was ignored.

"It moved?" Bulkhead questioned skeptically, from a few paces ahead. The Wrecker turned to face them. "Energon signals don't just get up and walk."

Arcee's brows furrowed, and she glanced at Optimus, who stood a short distance away. "It keeps shifting locations. Either it's being carried, or—"

"Or it's a trap," Bulkhead finished grimly.

Bumblebee, next to Optimus, beeped and warbled softly. Raf translated quietly for the two teens. "Bee says it could be the Decepticons."

"Possibly," Optimus replied. "We must remain vigilant. It may be prudent to split up to cover more ground."

Arcee frowned, clearly displeased with the idea, but she didn't argue. She didn't like the idea of dividing their already small group, especially with the kids here. But Optimus's logic was sound, and she knew it. "Fine," she said, glancing at Bulkhead. "I'll come with."

Optimus turned his steady gaze to the children. "Jackson, Miko, Rafael," he said, "I believe it is time for you to return to base. This area may not be as secure as we initially believed."

"What? No way!" Miko protested, throwing her arms in the air. "We came all this way just to be sent back? That's lame!"

"Miko—" Bulkhead began, but he was cut off when Optimus Prime raised a hand to his comm. "Ratchet," he said, "prepare the GroundBridge for the children's return."

Silence.

The red and blue mech tried again. "Ratchet, do you copy?"

Still nothing.

Jack felt his stomach sink. "Maybe it's just interference," he suggested, trying to sound optimistic but failing miserably.

Arcee shot him a look, one brow raised skeptically. "Really, Jack? Interference?" she said, placing a servo on her hip. "Out here?"

"It's possible," Raf interjected quietly, though he didn't sound entirely convinced either. "The forest could be messing with the signal."

After a minute of silence, Optimus spoke up, "We cannot afford to take chances. Until communication with Ratchet is restored, you will remain with us."

Miko's face lit up with triumph, but Arcee quickly deflated her enthusiasm. "This isn't a win, Miko," she said sharply. "Stay close, and don't wander off. Got it?"

"Got it," the girl replied, grinning despite the scolding.

"Bumblebee and I will follow the other signal," Optimus informed the small group. "Arcee and Bulkhead will continue to follow the primary one. Keep in communication and alert us immediately if you encounter anything unusual."

And so the group divided. Optimus and Bumblebee continued straight ahead, while Arcee, Bulkhead, and the three teens took another path, following the trail that supposedly led to the energon signal.

As they moved, Jack couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched. He constantly scanned his surroundings, but all he saw was the outline of dense foliage and trees. Lots of trees. He rubbed the back of his neck, biting his lip.

A grunt from Arcee drew his attention to her, seeing a deep frown on her face as she smacked the device in her servo. The energon signal, which they had been close to, had suddenly jumped to a different location—again. It was the third time it had happened in the past fifteen minutes.

"Come on," she muttered, smacking the side of the scanner against her palm. "This thing's useless."

Jack watched her, furrowing his brows. "What's wrong with it? Isn't it supposed to be reliable?"

"It is," the cobalt femme replied tersely, shaking the scanner before glaring at it like it had personally offended her. "But this—" she jabbed a digit at the screen. "—makes no sense. The signal shouldn't be moving like this."

Miko stood on her tippy toes, trying to get a better look. "Maybe it's a ghost!" she suggested with an impish grin.

Bulkhead snorted. "Ghosts don't leave energon trails, Miko."

"Unless they're ghost robots," she shot back, undeterred.

"Not helping," Arcee said sharply, optics scanning the forest.

"Maybe it's broken," Raf suggested tentatively.

"It's not broken," the femme said. "At least, it shouldn't be." She smacked it again, earning a pitiful beep from the device.

Jack nervously glanced at the surrounding forest, praying that a spider with magenta optics wouldn't pop out to take their heads. "Then what's causing the signal to move like that?"

Bulkhead was scanning the area too, servo shifting into his blaster. "Someone could be trying to mess with us."

"Like the 'Cons?" Miko asked, sounding excited.

"Maybe," Arcee admitted, optics narrowing. "But if they are, they're being a lot more subtle than usual. Being ghouls isn't really their style."

Jack tuned out whatever they said next, staring at an odd shape nestled among the foliage. It looked almost... human. His eyes widened; they weren't alone. The figure moved, disappearing into the greenery with a soft rustle.

"Fine, what do you want to do? Go back to base and leave the energon for the Decepticons?" Arcee snapped at Bulkhead, rousing him from his observations.

"Guys," Jack interjected weakly.

"I'm saying we need to rethink this," Bulkhead retorted, ignoring the teenager.

"Guys!" Jack tried again, louder this time.

Arcee wasn't having it. "We don't have time for second-guessing, Bulkhead. We've already—"

Snap.

The three teenagers whipped to the sound of a branch breaking, and he saw a black van. Oh no... This was bad.

"GUYS!" he finally yelled, grabbing both bots' attention. "LOOK!"

All heads turned as the growl of an engine came from the dark forest. Multiple black vans tore through the underbrush, screeching to a halt in the clearing. The doors slid open, and faceless men in tactical gear poured out.

"MECH," Arcee hissed, moving to shield the children. The MECH agents started firing at the Autobots, while Arcee returned fire, purposefully missing as not to harm the humans. Bulkhead charged forward, smashing into the nearest van like a battering ram.

"Behind the trees!" Jack yelled, grabbing Raf and Miko's arms. She resisted at first, eyes glued to the fight, but the eldest teenager yanked harder, dragging her and Raf to safety of the trees that could provide some cover.

"Aw, come on!" Miko whined, craning her neck to watch. "Bulk's got this!"

"This isn't a game, Miko," Jack snapped, heart pounding loudly in his chest.

But the loud girl didn't share his fear. She pumped a fist as the Wrecker blew up one of the empty vans, throwing a few of the soldiers to the ground. "Yeah! Get 'em Bulkhead!" she cheered too loudly.

Jack looked down at Raf, who was pale and quivering, and gently patted him. "Hey Raf, it's going to be alright." The younger boy nodded, staring out at the battle.

The eldest teenager followed Raf's gaze and saw four soldiers come with strange looking weapons and aimed. They fired specialized electric darts that sent harsh jolts through the Autobots' systems. A dart struck Arcee's shoulder, then another hit her leg, sending a current of electricity through her frame as she collapsed with a cry.

"Arcee!" Jack cried, but resisted the urge to go after his partner.

Bulkhead roared, swinging wildly as more darts embedded in his frame. His massive form trembled, systems sparking before he collapsed to his knees with a ground-shaking thud.

"Bulkhead, no!" Miko screamed, breaking free from Jack's grip.

"Miko, stop!" the boy shouted.

But the exchange student didn't listen. Fueled by her adrenaline, she dashed out from their hiding spot and ran toward Bulkhead's fallen form.

"Miko!" Jack's cry tore through the clearing as MECH soldiers turned their attention to her.

Before he could stop her, they swarmed, their weapons trained on the teens. Jack barely had time to react before he felt rough hands grabbing him, dragging him and Raf from their hiding spot.

"Let me go!" Jack yelled, struggling against their tight grip.

"Stay away from them!" Arcee's voice was weak, laced with static as she attempted to get up, but failed.

Bulkhead let out a low groan, optics flickering, but he was too drained to move.

Miko screamed as they restrained her, thrashing and clawing at them. It did nothing but earn the butt of a gun to her head, knocking her out much to Jack's horror. He tried to hold onto Raf, but the young genius was wrenched out of his grip.

The MECH soldiers strangely didn't even glance at the two Autobots and loaded the teens into their vans. Bags were placed over their heads and then, Jack felt something prick the back of his neck. Without ceremony, he tossed to the ground with a thud. The last thing he heard was Raf's distressed wails before the world slipped away from him.

I just had this idea floating around in my head and I couldn't get it out. Lost some sleep over it until I wrote it out. Seems alright so far. I'll update this one when I can. Hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think :)