Thank you all for the follow/favorites and reviews! Thank all of you 500+ people that have visited my story! It means the world to me, plus, I'm really happy :D
Oh my god. I didn't realize I was capable of writing a chapter this long ðŸ˜
It's 7k words, and I didn't realize that until I put it here. So enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think :)
And for anybody else who thinks I killed Steve, I swear I didn't. He had a role to play in this story. Plus, he's my favorite Vehicon and the best one too. Change my mind.
Oh, and a warning:
There's some torture in this chapter.
For what seemed forever, they had been left alone, thankfully. Raf wasn't sure if he could do anymore torture again. The preteen glanced up at Jack, who was staring at the door. He spoke quietly, catching his friend's attention.
"They... they injected something into me. B-before they..." He trailed off, unable to finish the thought. He didn't want to think of what they did to him or his friends.
Jack and Miko immediately looked at the youngest in their group.
"Injected you?" Jack asked, tilting his head slightly.
The sickly green substance glowed ominously, the needle glinting menacingly as it was plunged into his leg, bringing excruciating agony.
Raf nodded timidly. "It was... green. And glowing," he said softly, shuddering at the memory.
The oldest teenager glanced at Miko. "They did the same to me," he admitted grimly. "The needle... it burned like hell."
Fire spread through his veins, making his blood boil like lava. It felt as if he were about to burn from the inside out. Then, it abruptly stopped, leaving a frigid coldness in its wake.
Miko sat up straighter. "Yeah, me too. Felt like my insides were on fire." Her hand instinctively rubbed her leg where the needle had no doubt gone in.
Raf looked down at his own leg, brushing over the spot that the sadist had injected the needle. "I think... I think it's why our wounds healed so fast."
That gave them pause. Jack looked down at his own arms, at the bloodstains on his clothes that should've been accompanied by deep gashes and scars.
"So, wait," Miko said, perking up with that look of hers. "You're saying... we have, like, superpowers now?"
Jack shot her a look, but Raf hesitated before giving a small nod. "Kinda," he murmured, not sure but it would explain why they didn't have any wounds. Or scars for that reason. "I think. I mean... our bodies are doing things they shouldn't be able to."
The exchange student's eyes widened, and she suddenly looked excited. "Oh man, that's awesome!" she exclaimed. She grinned despite herself, leaning close to Raf. "Like, what kind of superpowers? Healing? Super strength? Can we, like, punch through walls now?"
"Miko," Jack said sharply. Raf wistfully listened to the scolding tone, reminded of his Ma. That was the tone she'd use when any of them were trouble. "This isn't a comic book."
Miko rolled her eyes but leaned back. "I'm just saying," she muttered.
Raf's brow furrowed. "I don't know what else it can do," he admitted quietly. "But... I don't think it's a good thing."
That sobered them all.
Jack exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. "Whatever this stuff is, it's not natural," he said firmly. "And I don't trust anything MECH did to us."
"Yeah," Miko agreed. She looked at Raf, frowning. "You think it'll... you know, hurt us later?"
Raf shrugged helplessly, hoping that wouldn't be the case. "I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe. But... I don't feel sick right now."
"I—" Jack was interrupted when the door to the cell creaked open. Silas stepped inside, flanked by two MECH soldiers. His friend immediately moved, placing himself protectively in front of them. Raf saw an emotion that he had never seen before in the eldest teen's eyes—hatred.
Silas scanned the room before his piercing gaze settled on the trio. "Your friend there," the cruel man began, nodding toward Raf, "is smart."
Raf flinched at being singled out, managing to muster a glare at MECH's leader. Though the dark memories that flashed before his eyes tampered the heat in his gaze somewhat.
"Stay away from them," Jack growled.
Silas ignored the warning, taking a step closer. "That 'green stuff,' as you so eloquently put it," he continued, "is what we like to call E-X1."
E-X1? That was the green substance injected into them? What did it do? Raf sucked in a sharp breath, rubbing his thigh. He could almost feel the overbearing warmth again.
"E-X1?" the eldest of the trio repeated, narrowing his eyes.
Silas's lips curled into a smile, devoid of any warmth. "A serum designed to push the human body beyond its natural limits. You three..." He gestured to them like they were specimens in a petri dish. "...are the first to ever use it. Congratulations. You're pioneers."
Horror settled over Raf as the implications of what Silas had just revealed hit him. MECH had turned them into lab rats. Experimented on them with a possibly unstable formula like they were nothing more than tools for his twisted ambitions. But they were tools.
"You sick freak," Jack snarled, balling his hands into fists. "You kidnapped my mom, you nearly got her killed, you... you opened up Arcee... and now you're doing this to us?"
Silas tilted his head, unimpressed by Jack's outburst. "Your anger is misplaced, boy," he said coolly. "You should be thanking me. Without E-X1, your little bodies wouldn't have survived the damage we inflicted. Consider it a gift."
"A gift?!" Jack nearly shrieked, furious. "You tortured us! For what? To see how your science project works?"
"Precisely. Pain reveals much about the limits of the human body—and how far they can be pushed."
Before Jack could respond, Silas snapped his fingers. The two soldiers immediately moved forward, grabbing Miko and Raf.
The boy squirmed and twisted, shouting his protests as they restrained him and Miko with ease, forcing them to watch their friend struggle.
"No!" Jack shouted, lunging toward them, but Silas stepped into his path. The ex-military man easily swatting Jack aside like he was nothing more than a fly. Raf watched as the eldest teen hit the ground hard but quickly scrambled back to his feet.
"Let them go!" Jack yelled, charging Silas again. But the MECH leader, with years of combat experience, easily grabbed his friend's punch, twisting his arm and slammed him against the wall, pinning him there effortlessly.
Jack struggled against the grip, teeth baring into the beginnings of a snarl. "Don't touch them!"
That seemed to be the soldier's cue. They dragged the kids out of the cell, Miko struggling as she yelled. "Jack! Don't let them—"
"Raf! Miko!"
His friend was obscured from his view as the door slammed shut, Silas following his men into the halls after dumping Jack like a ragdoll. Raf squirmed helplessly as the MECH soldier tossed him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It was humiliating but there was nothing he could do about it.
At just 4'6, he was small even for a preteen, and Vince, the ginger-haired bully at Memorial High School, never let him forget it. But as much as Raf hated Vince's daily torment, he'd trade this nightmare for Vince's petty bullying in an instant.
Being shoved into lockers, pushed around and called names paled in comparison to what MECH had already put him through. The beatings, being cut open, having his bones broken—they were forever seared in his memory. He failed to suppress a shiver, hoping that they weren't going to be taken to a torture room.
Miko, hauled over the other soldier's shoulder, put up a much fiercer fight than him. The Japanese girl thrashed and screeched at the top of her lungs, trying to twist out of her captor's grip. "Let me go, you jerks!" she yelled, kicking wildly and pounding on the man, who didn't even flinch.
The hallway suddenly disappeared, opening up into a cavernous space. His struggles ceased as his eyes took in the scene before him. It was a massive warehouse. One side contained metal boxes stacked one on the other, each having a biohazard sign on them. A forklift was lifting some more of these boxes to the large and seemingly ever-growing pile. What...?
The other side of the room had weapons, cars and motorcycles along with metal, scraps and other... things. Bustling around the large space were dozens of people in lab coats and tactical gear, some having thick armored masks as they used welders to cut open metal.
Cybertronian metal. There were at least four slabs to one side, each containing a Vehicon. Strapped down with thick, industrial restraints, though only three out of the four soldiers seemed to be active. Ladders were leaned against their bodies, allowing the people to climb up and down at will.
MECH scientist buzzed about, poking and prodding at the fallen Decepticons, while cables ran from their frames, feeding into monitors by their slabs. How did they even get Vehicons? MECH had somehow managed to capture Decepticon soldiers. The sight made his stomach churn. What were they planning?
Before he could stomach any more of this hell, the man carrying him unceremoniously dumped him onto the hard floor. He hit the floor with a pained grunt, landing in a tangled heap. He groaned, trying to push himself up, but froze when he heard the sharp click of heels.
A woman approached them, having short black hair that framed her pale face, round glasses perched on the edge of her slightly pointed nose, and wore a lab coat with absolutely no wrinkles over her business attire. Her gaze from Raf to Miko, who was being restrained. The soldier gripping Miko's arms tightened his hold, making her hiss in pain.
Finally, the woman's piercing eyes settled on Raf. Her lips curved into a pleasant smile. "You must be Rafael," she said gently.
The preteen narrowed his eyes, glaring at her in silence. He wasn't falling for her act. He knew better than to trust anyone who acted "nice" in a place like this. That other sadist, the one who'd tortured him for hours, had been sickeningly polite the entire time, inflicting unspeakable pain without batting an eye.
After receiving no response, the woman continued, "Well, Rafael, we have a task for you."
"I'm not helping you," Raf spat, trying to sound brave but hating how small his voice sounded.
"Oh, I think you will." She made a subtle gesture, and two men carried in a large barrel filled to the brim water. Raf's eyes went wide with horror as saw white, jagged chunks floating across the surface of the clear water.
Ice.
Raf's heart sank. He felt the blood drain from his face, but he forced himself to maintain a brave front.
The woman crouched to meet the boy's gaze. "We need you to bypass the Vehicons' firewalls," she said, brushing the dust off his shoulders. "You've spent so much time around the Autobots, haven't you? Surely you've picked up a thing or two about Cybertronian coding."
Raf's heart pounded so loudly, he thought that everyone could hear it. There was no way he'd help MECH, not after everything they'd done. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to meet her gaze. "I don't know anything about that stuff," he lied, grateful that his voice didn't give away the fear coiling in his chest.
The woman sighed and stood up straight and turned to Silas, who had been silently watching the exchange. Raf followed the woman's gaze, seeing that the MECH leader was staring at him, unimpressed. "I don't believe you," he said flatly. He turned to the soldier holding Miko. "Put her under."
Raf's stomach dropped. "Wait—"
The soldier dragged Miko toward the barrel, gripping her by the hair tightly. Miko thrashed wildly, screaming curses and insults, but the soldier was too strong.
"Don't!" Raf shouted, scrambling to his feet. "Leave her alone!"
But his protests were drowned out by Miko's screams as the soldier adjusted his grip and he dunked her face-first into the icy water. Her struggles quickly turned frantic, arms flailing as she tried desperately to grab the edges of the barrel. The water sloshed violently as her muffled screams turned into frantic gurgles.
"Miko!" Raf shouted and then turned to Silas. "Stop it!" He felt helpless, powerless to do anything as the few seconds that dragged by seemed to be hours.
Finally, the soldier yanked Miko out of the water. She gasped for air, coughing and choking as water streamed down her face. Her entire body shook. Raf's fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms.
"Still think you don't know anything?" Silas asked, mockingly. He knew. He was just trying to get him to admit it.
Raf stared at his friend, then at that... that monster! He knew one thing for sure: if he played along, he might buy them some time. But if he gave MECH what they wanted, he'd be helping them hurt even more people.
Through chattering teeth, Miko managed to force out, "R-r-r-a-f-f—d-d-d-o-o-n-t-t—" she began, but the soldier didn't let her finish. The extremist forced her head underwater again, cutting off whatever she was about to say.
Her words were lost in the icy depths, bubbles rising to the surface, and Raf flinched as the water splashed out of the barrel, soaking the floor. Miko's arms flailed violently, her body twisting as she fought against the soldier's vice grip.
The preteen felt panic clawing at his chest. "Stop it!" he yelled. "I told you—I don't know anything!"
The soldier yanked Miko back up, her disheveled soaked and sticking to her face, the twin buns drooping. She coughed and wheezed, desperately trying to grab some air. The MECH soldier didn't give her enough time to recover and before she could even fill her lungs, he shoved her back under.
"No!" Raf screeched, reaching out a hand for her. He stumbled forward, but another soldier grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back, keeping him from interfering. "She's going to drown!"
Miko's struggles started to weaken from the lack of air, though that didn't stop her from groping around the edges of the barrel to find purchase. When the soldier pulled her up again, she gasped raggedly, coughing water and greedily sucking up all the air she could.
The Japanese girl turned to stare at Silas. "R-r-r-a-a-a-f-f—d-d-o-on't—" she croaked, voice raw from screaming. "D-d-o-o-n-t-t y-y-you d-a-a-r-re—"
Silas's expression remained impassive as he watched the boy's face. When Rafael didn't say anything, he nodded at the soldier again. Her head disappeared below the surface once more.
Raf couldn't take it anymore. Miko didn't deserve to be tortured because he was unwilling to work with MECH. His heart hammered in his chest, and tears streamed down his face as he broke. "Please!" he begged, falling to his knees. "Stop it! I'll do it—just don't hurt her anymore!"
The soldier looked to Silas for confirmation.
Silas raised a hand, signaling him to pull Miko out. She was dragged from the water again, coughing violently as she gasped for air. Her body trembled, and her teeth chattered from the cold, but she still managed to look at Raf with wide eyes.
"Wise decision," Silas said calmly, as if he hadn't just nearly drowned an innocent kid. "But understand this, Rafael—if you think of lying or wasting our time, there are far worse things we can do. To all of you."
The man released Miko, who slumped to the ground, coughing and shivering uncontrollably. Raf rushed to her side, scanning her, unsure of how to help. "I'm sorry," he whispered, sniffling. "I'm so sorry."
Miko turned her head to look at him. Her eyes burned with fury—not at him, but at MECH. "Don't apologize," she rasped. "It's them. This is on them."
Her words gave Raf little comfort. Silas watched the scene with an unreadable expression before motioning to the woman in the lab coat. "Take him to our... guests," he ordered. "Let's see what the boy can do."
The woman nodded and gestured for two guards to grab Raf. He tensed but didn't resist as they hauled him to his feet. The boy flinched when he felt warm breath blow against his ear. "Don't disappoint me," Silas hissed darkly, "if you want your friends to stay alive."
Raf swallowed hard and nodded numbly, knowing he didn't have a choice. The two men on either side of him ushered him away from Miko, who was hauled to her feet, taken out of his sight. The boy prayed that his friend would be alright as he stared up at the large slab that towered over him.
The Vehicon strapped to it was talking -buzzing?- the Cybertronian language, filled with electronic noises and rumbles, clicking and whirrs that were foreign to his ears yet familiar. It had more inflections and volume than Bumblebee's. It was a sound that no human could replicate, yet he could understand it. He remembered that the Autobots would sometimes speak their native language, though rarely, just to include Jack and Miko in most of their conversations.
Sometimes, they would speak in Cybertronian for private conversations that they didn't want the children to hear or use it for the occasional expletives that Raf pretended that he couldn't hear.
Rafael never understood why he was able to understand Bumblebee, and he was surprised to find that he could comprehend Cybertronian language from the bots, which is why they acted so surprised when they found out that he could, though he was not able to speak it. It would be weird and unnatural if he could. Besides, he didn't think human anatomy would allow them to.
Raf managed to see that its purple and black accented frame was marred with scorch marks, and it was missing various parts of itself. Despite its intimidating appearance, the Decepticon's visor was dim, almost lifeless, betraying its condition. Raf felt his heart clench, seeing whisps of smoke rising from the air. MECH was torturing this thing.
Even though Vehicons were part of the Decepticon war machine, they were still sentient beings. No one—Autobot, Decepticon, or human—deserved to be treated like this. The idea of tampering with its processor under MECH's orders made Raf sick, but the thought of Miko or Jack suffering again kept his feet moving forward.
The woman with the lab coat pointed to a console with three screens and keyboard underneath it. Streams of code and data scrolled down each one at a dizzying speed, filled with foreign symbols. It was a web of complex information far beyond anything any human could comprehend. Except him.
She motioned to the chair in front of the console. "Sit," she instructed.
Raf obeyed, trudging over to the chair, painfully aware of the three sets of eyes boring into his back, and climbed into the seat. His legs dangled over the ground, and he took a shaky breath, forcing himself to focus on the screens.
"Let's see if you're as smart as they say," the woman remarked, stepping back but keeping a watchful eye on him. The preteen knew they didn't need to say anything; their presence alone was enough to remind him of the stakes.
The boy's eyes scanned the screen, trying to make sense of the jumble of words. The coding was wrong. It was a chaotic mess of Cybertronian programming and human programming, sloppily inserted when they tried to hack the Vehicon. He recognized some things, but it was clear that MECH had experimented recklessly. The mech's systems were a disaster.
The processor's architecture was riddled with errors, fragmented lines of code clashing and looping endlessly. Whatever MECH had done, they'd nearly broken this one completely. He pressed a key tentatively, half expecting one of the extremists to bark at him, but they said nothing. It pulled up a schematic of the Vehicon, showing him the mess they had created.
This is going to take forever, Raf thought, panic bubbling in his chest. He knew enough to navigate Cybertronian code, but this wasn't just about fixing a problem. Silas expected him to reprogram this Vehicon into a mindless soldier loyal to MECH. That is what he wanted, right?
The thought of doing that—stripping away its autonomy—made him feel dirty. But he didn't dare hesitate too long.
Raf started by isolating the most corrupted pathways, carefully studying how MECH's modifications had been implemented. His fingers flew across the keyboard, opening and closing different subroutines. He tried not to think the lab coat's gaze drilling holes into his back or Miko, who could be being tortured for all he knew. What about Jack?
He pushed the intrusive thoughts aside. He needed to focus. The preteen worked as carefully as he could, cataloging the mess MECH had made and silently cursing them for their recklessness.
Jack hissed as his arms were wrenched behind his back, feeling the cold metal of the MECH soldier's gauntlets biting into his skin. The rough grip twisted his shoulders painfully, and he could hear the unmistakable click of handcuffs being prepared to go on his wrists.
"Get off me, you piece of scrap!" Jack snarled, twisting against the extremist.
The soldier responded by cuffing him lightly on the side of the head with his free hand, eliciting a grunt of pain as his vision blurred for a moment. Without thinking, Jack snapped his head back, slamming it into the soldier's face. There was a sickening crack followed by the man's pained howl.
"What the f—!" Jack whirled around to see the man clutching his broken nose and was momentarily shocked by his own strength. Blood streamed between his fingers, staining his gloves a dark red. The teenager's eyes locked on the man's pistol, holstered at his side. He didn't think—he just moved. Faster than what he thought was humanly possible, the prisoner snatched the weapon.
"Don't move!" Jack barked, aiming the gun squarely at the guard's chest.
The soldier froze, eyes darting between Jack and the weapon. Though the armor he wore could likely stop a bullet or two, the proximity made the threat far more real. A shot at this range would be dangerous, possibly fatal. Clearly, he wasn't willing to test its limits.
"Get on your knees," Jack ordered, seeing the gears in the man's heads turning. In truth, his stomach churned at the thought of actually firing, but the soldier didn't need to know that.
The guard hesitated. "You don't have the guts, kid," he sneered, though the slight tremor in his voice betrayed his bravado.
"Maybe," Jack said, cocking the gun. "But are you willing to bet your life on that?"
The extremist's sneer disappeared, replaced by a scowl. Then, with a begrudging growl, he sank to his knees, raising his hands slightly in mock surrender. Jack exhaled sharply, relieved but still riding the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
"Good. Now," Jack said, never lowering the gun. Keeping his gaze locked onto the man, Jack bent down and grabbed the handcuffs that had been meant for him, "put these on."
The soldier glared from behind his mask but complied, snapping the cuffs onto his own wrists slowly, as to not set the boy off. The metallic click was oddly satisfying to Jack, though he didn't allow himself to relax.
"See?" Jack said, projecting mock confidence in his voice—something he most definitely didn't feel. "That wasn't so hard."
The soldier growled, but he said nothing. Jack kept the gun trained on him, realizing that if he left the man conscious, he could shout and alert the rest of MECH. Jack couldn't afford that, not with Miko and Raf counting on him.
"I'm sorry about this," Jack muttered, more to himself than to the guard.
He stepped forward and slammed the butt of the gun into the side of his head. There was a dull thud as the guard crumpled to the ground, unconscious. The irony wasn't lost on him—this was the same treatment the guard had dished out earlier. It was justified, he supposed.
Jack looked down at the gun, almost laughing. Mom would kill him if she ever caught with a weapon, a gun no less. Much like alcohol, she kept him as far away as she could from them. She would tell him horror stories about guns, warning him how dangerous they were.
The teenager felt a wistful twinge in his chest. He wanted to go back home to his mom, to give her a bear hug forever and eat her less than delicious organic tofu, though he would never say that to her. She was probably worried sick about him. Knowing her, she probably had called all the police stations once she found he was past curfew.
Pushing these thoughts aside, Jack steeled himself. He needed to focus so he could get back home to his mom and to Arcee. Somewhere in this hellhole, Miko and Raf needed him.
The teenager peered out the door, seeing that the coast was clear. There were no guards. No Silas. No sadist. Perfect. He dashed out of his former prison cell, moving cautiously through the identical corridors of the MECH base. Jack wished they had signs, without them, it made it impossible to tell one hall from another. He had no idea where he was going, just that he had to find Miko and Raf.
As he turned down one hall, he heard two voices approaching him. The boy panicked, glancing left and right before pressing himself flat against the wall, trying to become one with the shadows. Two MECH soldiers came into view and his hard thundered so loud that he was afraid that they might hear it.
Jack willed them not to look his way. Just when it seemed they might pass, they stopped, voices lowering as one pointed to a tablet in his hand. The boy prayed that they wouldn't turn around and to his immense relief, the soldiers went left, down the corridor opposite of him.
He exhaled shakily, realizing only then that he'd been holding his breath. The teen headed in the direction the soldiers had come from and snuck through the halls for a few minutes until he spotted a door that looked like it led into a prison cell. His gut told him to check it, and he crept closer, peering inside through a small window.
The Japanese girl was sitting on the floor, trembling. Her twin buns were soaked and disheveled, water dripping from her tangled hair onto her soaked shirt. She hugged her knees to her chest, lips blue and trembling. She looked cold and by the looks of it, could catch hypothermia if left like that.
"Miko," he whispered.
Her head snapped up at the sound of his voice, hazel eyes lighting up. She scrambled to her feet and darted to the bars separating them, gripping them tightly with shaking hands.
"Jack?" she whispered with a hoarse voice.
"Are you okay?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
Miko gave him a weak, half-hearted grin. "Oh, I'm just peachy. Turns out bathing isn't as fun as it sounds."
Jack felt his blood boil at the comment, realizing MECH had tortured her, but calmed himself down. Her sarcasm was forced, but it was still Miko. The boy allowed himself a small smile at her brave spirit, though he quickly focused on the task at hand.
"How did you get out?" she asked curiously.
"I'll explain later," Jack said, glancing nervously down the hall. "We don't have time right now."
Miko pouted, clearly dissatisfied with his answer. Then, as if struck by a sudden idea, she reached up to one of her twin buns. Pulling out two small, pink bobby pins, she tugged them free, letting both sides of her hair tumble down into a messy knot.
"Here," she whispered, handing him the clips through the bars.
Jack took it, furrowing his brows. "Miko, this isn't the time to worry about your hair."
"Just pick the lock, idiot," she shot back with her familiar sass.
Jack's lips twitched in a faint smile as he knelt by the lock, fitting the hair clip into the mechanism. It wasn't the first time Miko had taught him some less-than-legal tricks, but it was the first time he was grateful for her rebellious streak.
He quickly bent the first bobby pin that would be used for the leverage, and then proceeded to do the same for the second, bending it slightly so that it had a curve. He inserted the first pin, applying pressure on the bottom of the lock and then inserted the other, probing the pins.
He quickly found the first binding pin, pushing it up, which was a lot easier to do that he remembered when Miko first taught him how to pick a lock. He proceeded to follow this process until all the binding pins were pushed up, each with a click. In less than a minute, the lock opened with a soft click. Jack pushed the door open, and Miko stumbled out, throwing her arms around him.
"You took long enough," she muttered, burying her head in his neck.
"Come on," Jack said, pulling back. "We need to find Raf before they realize we're gone."
It was then that the exchange student noticed the gun. "Whoa, whoa, whoa—hold up! Is that a gun? Where the heck did you get a gun?! Did you take it from one of them?"
Jack glanced at her, rolling his eyes. "Not now, Miko," he hissed.
"Yes, now!" she shot back, a little too loudly. She winced and glanced around before lowering her volume. "Jack, this is insane! You're holding an actual gun. Tell me how you got it!"
"I'll tell you later," Jack said, scanning the corridor ahead.
"What if there isn't a later?" Miko demanded, crossing her arms.
Jack stopped and turned to face her fully, frowning. Why would she say something like that? "There will be. We're getting out of here. All of us."
Miko flinched at the sharpness in his tone, then let out a small sigh. "Fine," she relented, huffing. "But you better not keep me in the dark forever."
They started to creep down the identical halls again and Jack asked, "Do you know where Raf is?" he whispered.
The exchange student hesitated, looking uncertain. "Yeah... he's in the main area. The warehouse," she replied, her voice trembling. She visibly shuddered at the word, her hands fidgeting with the edge of her soaked shirt.
Jack raised an eyebrow at her behavior but held back any comments. There wasn't time to dig into what had shaken her so badly, as much as he wanted to find out what MECH did. "Do you know how to get there?"
Miko bit her lip, then shrugged. "Not really, but hey, Sherlock always figures it out, right?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm no Sherlock, and neither are you," he muttered.
Miko shot him a glare but didn't reply, following closely behind as Jack led the way. They moved quickly but cautiously, ducking into shadows whenever they heard voices or footsteps. They had nearly been spotted twice, thankfully the soldiers were really dumb.
Soon, they came to a four-way split in the corridors. Jack stopped, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced down each identical path. "Great," he muttered. "Which way now?"
Miko stepped up beside him, glancing down each identical hallway. "Hmm," she mused, tapping her chin theatrically. "This way." She pointed confidently down the left corridor.
The teenager gave her an incredulous look. "And you're so sure because...?"
The Japanese girl shrugged. "It's a feeling."
"A feeling?" Jack whisper shouted, glaring at her. "Seriously? You want me to trust your feelings right now?"
The first—and last—time Jack ever trusted her feelings was when it came to food, ordering a Mexican food that she felt was "calling" them. Boy oh boy, he had never had a bigger stomachache than that day. He vowed never to trust the Japanese girl's feelings again.
Miko bristled, crossing her arms. "Well, unless you've got a map hidden somewhere, genius, what else are we supposed to do? Stand here playing eeny, meeny, miny, moe while Raf's stuck with those psychos?"
"Maybe we should at least try—"
"We don't have time for 'maybes,' Jack!" she snapped, fiercely. Angrily, eyes blazing.
He opened his mouth to retort, but then clamped it shut, closing his eyes and exhaling through his nose. He ran a hand through his messy hair, forcing himself to calm down. She was right, whether he wanted to admit it to her or not. They didn't have time for this.
"Fine," he said finally, lowering his hand and gesturing down the hall she'd chosen. "We'll do it your way. But if this gets us caught—"
"It won't," Miko interrupted with a smug grin, satisfied that she'd won.
Jack gave her a look but didn't argue further. He motioned for her to follow, and together, they crept down the corridor she had pointed to. After about five minutes of navigating the winding corridors, they eventually saw the exit.
"Hey, look." Miko smirked. "Bet you ten bucks that's the main evil villain lair."
Jack rolled his eyes but said nothing, quickening his pace as they grew closer to the light. The moment they reached the opening, the exchange student shot him a smug look. "Told you so," she teased with a triumphant grin.
Jack ignored her, instead peering around the corner. They ducked behind a stack of large crates near the entrance, crouching low to stay out of sight. Jack scanned the room, taking in the scene before him.
The warehouse was massive. To one side of the room were rows of large crates, each marked with bright biohazard symbols. What was inside of those things? To the other side were slabs where Vehicons were strapped down. their frames were surrounded by tools, wires, and monitors.
His jaw nearly dropped at the sight. How did MECH get their hands on Megatron's foot soldiers? Jack swallowed as he turned to Miko. "Raf's here?"
Miko nodded slowly, rubbing her arm as her gaze dropped to the floor. "Yeah," she muttered. "Mister Creepy wanted him to program their... thingamabob."
Jack frowned deeply. What the hell was MECH planning? His eyes darted around the room again, searching for any sign of their friend.
Then he saw it. A tuft of light hair and a flash of bright orange and yellow. It had to be Raf. Nobody else in the hellhole wore such bright colors. Miko also seemed to have spotted it but before they could act, they heart the distinct sound of high heels clacking against the floor.
They both ducked lower behind the crates, pressing themselves flat against the boxes. A tall woman black hair and a clipboard walked into view, heading in their direction. The footsteps paused right next them. Jack held his breath, his grip tightening on the gun.
And then, they heard him.
Silas.
"How's the boy progressing?"
"Faster than I expected," she admitted. "For such a small child, he's absolutely brilliant. He's already solved more of the programming issues than our entire team combined."
Jack's grip around the gun tightened to the point that his knuckles turned white. Not only were they torturing Raf, but they were also using him and exploiting his intellect. Who knew what they did to persuade Raf to do their dirty work, whatever that might be.
Silas chuckled darkly, and the teenagers couldn't help the chills than ran down their spines. "I would expect nothing less," he said. "As long as we have the other two brats, we have the boy. And Project Chimera will continue to progress."
Jack's brow furrowed at the mention of "Project Chimera." What the hell was that? Did it have something to do with the Vehicons? With Raf? What exactly had MECH been forcing Raf to do? They needed to get out of here before Silas' 'Project Chimera' could continue.
His thoughts were interrupted as Silas spoke again, "Speaking of which... I should go pay a visit to those two brats."
Jack's heart sank, his blood running cold. Oh no... that could spell disaster. Once Silas found that they had escaped, MECH would be immediately alerted and start looking for them. They needed to hurry up.
Miko nudged him urgently, mouthing, 'What do we do?'
'Wait,' he mouthed back, gesturing to the pair that were right next to them. Silas and his lackey continued to hold the conversation until they heard the woman's high heels walking away, then the heavier sound of boots fading away from them.
Once the sound disappeared, Jack cautiously peeked over the edge of the crate they were hiding behind. The coast was clear. He gestured to the Japanese girl, who followed him as they crawled behind the crates that were conveniently lining the wall. They moved carefully, trying to avoid making any sounds.
The crates offered cover a for a while, but eventually, they ran out, leaving them exposed. The pair of escapees pressed themselves against the last crate, scanning the room. A lone scientist stood by a large workstation near the stack of dangerous, biohazardous crates, fixated on the tablet in his hands.
They waited for the scientist to leave, and when he finally turned and walked away, disappearing into another part of the base, Jack grabbed Miko's arm and tugged her forward. They crept quickly across the open space, darting to the nearest slab where a Vehicon lay strapped down. The sight sent a shiver down his spine, but he pushed the feeling aside.
The slab they took cover behind was facing a group of cars and weapons, gasoline tanks and motorcycles. There was nobody there currently, which meant they were temporarily safe, though he doubted they would be for long. Someone was bound to come over here and spot them.
After a moment of catching their breath, they sprinted to the next slab and rounded it, spotting a small figure hunched over a desk with three monitors. Raf. The teenager's heart leaped with relief as he gave him a once-over. The younger boy looked unharmed for the most part, save for the dried blood and torn clothes from their earlier torture session.
Miko started to rise, ready to dash out to Raf without a second thought. Jack grabbed her arm and pulled her back down, shooting her a warning glare. "Wait," he hissed, point to the soldiers stationed nearby, watching the preteen with eagles eyes.
The Japanese girl's face scrunched up, and she crossed her arms, darkly glaring at the guards. It was then that the woman from earlier returned, saying something to the guards. Jack couldn't make out the words, but whatever it was, it caused the soldiers to step away, following her toward the other side of the room.
The duo didn't waste the opportunity. he motioned for Miko to stay put, then crept toward Raf. Reaching the younger boy, Jack quickly wrapped a hand around the boy's mouth to stop him from crying out.
"Don't scream," Jack whispered into the preteen's ears. "It's me. It's Jack."
Raf jerked in surprise, but thankfully, he didn't make a sound. Jack slowly released him, and the youngest of their group turned, wide eyes filled with astonishment. Miko popped up beside them, grinning despite the danger.
"Jack? Miko?" Raf's voice was barely audible, but the relief in it was unmistakable. "How'd you guys get out?"
"It's a long story, lil' hedgehog," she said, ruffling his hair affectionately. "We'll tell you once we're out of this hellhole."
Raf smiled faintly and slid out of his chair.
"Are you okay?" Jack asked quietly.
The preteen nodded. "I think so. I'm just... tired."
Jack nodded, eyes scanning his surroundings. They were safe, unless someone walked by and spotted them, or if the scientist working on the other slab of the Vehicon turned around.
"We'll get you out of here," Jack promised. "Stay close and follow our lead."
Jack turned his attention to the group of cars nearby, spotting a Humvee. It was their best chance at escaping this nightmare.
"Follow me," he said quietly to his friends.
Raf's eyes drifted to the gun in Jack's hand. Though the younger boy didn't say anything, his expression spoke volumes.
"I'll explain later," Jack muttered, brushing off the unspoken question. They didn't have time for explanations.
Before they could take another step, an ear-piercing alarm blared through the compound. Red lights began flashing, bathing the room in an ominous glow. Silas's voice crackled over the intercom.
"Attention, all personnel. Our guests have decided to leave without permission. Find them immediately."
The announcement was followed by a chorus of hurried footsteps and shouts as MECH started to search for them. Jack cursed under his breath. Silas had paid their cells a little visit, only to find a subdued man and an empty cell.
"Run!" he shouted, and the trio bolted toward the Humvee.
The commotion drew the attention of several scientists and soldiers, who turned and spotted them immediately. Shouts erupted as the trio sprinted across the open floor, dodging the scattered equipment and crates.
They reached the Humvee, and Jack threw the door open, motioning for Miko and Raf to climb in. But before he could join them, a group of soldiers encircled the vehicle.
"Out of the car!" a gruff voice barked.
Jack turned, gun raised, his finger hovering over the trigger. And then Silas appeared, striding toward them with an air of infuriating calm. The MECH leader stopped a few feet away, hands clasped behind his back, a smug smirk on his face.
"Well, well," Silas drawled. "You've been quite the troublemaker tonight, haven't you?" He cocked an eyebrow, his gaze flicking to the gun in Jack's hand. "What's the plan, kid? You going to shoot us all?"
Jack's jaw tightened, and his grip on the gun steadied. "If I have to."
Silas chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "You're not a killer," he said, mockingly. "You don't have it in you."
Silas was right. He wasn't a killer. But that wouldn't stop him from trying to bluff. His eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward, leveling the weapon at Silas. "Try me."
The cruel man remained entirely unfazed. "You're wasting time, boy. Surrender now, and maybe I'll go easy on your little friends."
Jack glanced around, realizing they were cornered. Soldiers blocked every possible exit, their weapons trained on him. Desperation clawed at his chest. And then he saw it—a stack of gasoline containers just a few feet away, the same ones he had spotted earlier. His gaze lingered on them for only a few seconds, but it was enough for Silas to follow his line of sight.
The MECH leader's smirk vanished, and his eyes widened in alarm.
"Get him!" the man barked.
Jack didn't hesitate. He turned the gun toward the gasoline and pulled the trigger. The clap of thunder followed, and fire and heat erupted, engulfing the area. The teenager felt the heat scorching his skin, sending a wave of pain through his body.
The boy was slammed into the ground by something, knocking the air out of him. His ears rang, and his vision blurred as the world tilted around him. He vaguely registered Miko and Raf screaming his name as something hit him again, harder.
Darkness crept in at the edges of his vision, and his body felt unbearably heavy. His last thoughts before the world disappeared was that he couldn't let this be the end. They had to get out here. They had to survive. But the darkness was overwhelming, and he couldn't fight it anymore as its claws pulled him down into the abyss.
I based Miko's torture on the Iron Man 1 movie, when Tony was dunked underwater until he built what the terrorists needed. I was watching it and thought it would be perfect for this chapter. Literally so perfect. I feel so bad torturing the kids though, I'm so mean...
As for Raf understanding Bumblebee, I have no idea how to explain it and it is something I've always been curious about. I've seen that Bumblebee speaks in Morse code somewhere online, but I didn't want that because if Bumblebee had his "new" voice box slapped in on Cybertron, how would they know Morse code?
I also want to let you guys know that for the sake of my story, I'm going to be messing with Prime's timeline, so there are things that aren't going to happen in order. Most likely the whole relic grabbing thing will be out of order or even pushed back.