"I believe one has to escape oneself to discover oneself.” 

~Rabih Alemeddine I

>>•<<

"Bulkhead, when I said 'take down the shields so I can get you a Groundbridge', that did not mean 'throw yourself off the ship and pray that I catch you!!" Ratchet raged the moment he was able to get Wheeljack stabilized. "Do you understand how lucky you are?"

"Soundwave was the one that Groundbridged me overboard!" The Wrecker argued back. "I was trying to get away, and that Decepticon scum used his dirty trick!"

Ratchet paused, and then sighed, pinching the middle of his faceplate. "Alright, alright. I'm being to harsh. I'm sorry."

"Hey Ratchet, what does this mean?"

Primus, Shovel. "That is a sparkbeat monitor. It's very sensitive, don't touch." The medic replies curtly, going back to his main patient. Bulkhead only suffered a few dents that would heal without his help, and thus Wheeljack remained top priority. "Shovel, go check on Ultra Magnus. If he's awake, give him a little energon."

"Yes sir!" Shovel immediately bounds off to the other side of the makeshift infirmary.

June sat there on the couch again, a cup of coffee in one hand and a donut in the other, Agent Fowler standing at the railing and looking over the Autobots. As soon as he had heard that a rescue operation was underway- and that June had little breakfast -he came over as fast as he could, shoved a box of donuts, and coffee, and a bucket load of creamer and sugars at the nurse, and got in the ready position at the railing.

For once, the Agent was silent, not berating the Autobots for who knows what or complaining about how the government was going to have his hide for this. He was just as anxious, she realized, to have the kids back.

"How is he, doc?" Fowler broke the brief silence quietly.

"Stablized, but barely." Ratchet was already welding some other parts back together. "He's in critical condition and his prognosis is poor. But hopefully it will begin improving as I mend him."

Poor. Only one level up from "bad." June bit her lip, then distracted herself with another bite of donut. There was Good, Poor, and Bad when it came to prognosis. Good meant survival, Poor meant survival with problems or potential death, and Bad meant that death was imminent, and there was only so much one could do.

Wheeljack was toeing the line here.

"Keep up the good work." Despite his many flaws, Fowler knew a thing or two about keeping up morale. "He's a tough 'bot, and you're a good doctor. He'll make it."

Ratchet simply grunted his response, and kept working.

>>•<<

He had to admit, Optimus Prime was well aware of his own weakness, and how to not let the enemy exploit it.

They fought like gladiators in a small ring, not daring to take their brawl any closer to the children than necessary, sparks flying and bodies spinning as they countered each other's blows. Optimus was not nearly as graceful anymore with his upgraded size, but he used his bulk properly and knew his limitations.

His partner was a panther in comparison, slinking around and striking, unafraid to use his claws and strength to turn the fight into his favor, his red optics blazing with bloodlust that came from his past. Megatron would not be sated until someone's energon was spilt on this ground, staining his arms and legs and giving him the hard-earned victory he craved.

Optimus had the advantage of two swords, one of which he could use to counter Megatron's larger sword as his other went in for the killing blow, but he had a far cleverer opponent.

Megatron kept his body turned to the side, like a fencer, only giving Optimus a few chances at an open abdomen. And even then those chances made it slim for the Prime to get under his guard. Even during all his years of space travel, of isolation from any other Cybertronian being, he had not let his fighting skills waste away.

A loud clash rang through the bridge as sparks flew and burned them from the impact of their weapons, the two mechs grunting with effort as they try to overpower the other, Optimus having height and weight but Megatron having strength.

This was the time for the former gladiator to play dirty. His fist cocked back and gave little warning before slamming into Optimus' gut, a move he had used before back when Orion Pax had tried to defeat him while the Autobots fought to regain Optimus Prime.

It seems you haven't learned, Prime!

Optimus weakened just enough that a well-placed kick to his injured leg could be dealt. The Prime fell forward onto his knees, Megatron backhanding him hard enough to knock him into his side.

"Optimus!" Jack cried.

"Come on, get up!" Miko was bouncing on her pedes, the Vehicon guns the only things preventing her from doing something as foolish as charging out to Megatron.

"Please, Optimus." Rafael was not scared for himself; he was scared that Optimus, their only hope for defeating Megatron, was going to die.

"Listen, Optimus, they're cheering for you." Megatron sneered. "And now I suppose comes the time when the underdog rises up, and saves the day!" His sword came down faster than Optimus could move, severing the freshly-welded wires and armor again, the Prime crying out in pain and anger. "But it's hard to do anything with one leg, now isn't it?"

Move! Move! Jack screamed silently to Optimus. But the Prime wouldn't move. He wasn't going to; and Jack could only sit there and watch- doing something would be suicide.

But I have to do something!

Megatron, having sensed that he won, now took his sweet time toying with his prey, kicking Optimus whilst he laid on the ground, stomping on an arm so he couldn't use it while the other, which had attempted to sock Megatron in the jaw, was caught in the warlord's fist.

"I suppose I must congratulate you on your valiant effort, Prime. I must say, while you're groveling and begging for mercy would be most satisfying, it is fitting you go down this way. It's very martyr-like of you, and I really thought you would do no less."

Megatron savored the struggling expression of the Prime, how his denta was grit as he tried to struggle, optics narrowed in a determined expression.

"And now, your time has come." The warlord finally raised the sword over his head, only hesitating to give a few last words. "On this day, the mighty Optimus Prime falls!"

Jack's anger-fueled, enraged fist suddenly snapped into view, and with more strength than he thought possible he hit Megatron in the side of the face, sending the warlord flying across the bridge and hitting the array of consoles on the other side.

The entire bridge paused, the shocked boy looking down at his fist and mouth hanging open.

"Did I just-"

"That was totally wicked!!" Miko yelled, pumping her fist. "Whooo- oh no."

All of the present Vehicons turned their weapons on the stunned Jack, who stood frozen in terror as he realized that, though he might have saved Optimus, he was about to die.

Blue energon blasts streak past him from behind, taking out the Vehicons before they could shoot, the excited Miko punching, kicking, and body-slamming any Vehicon who so much as dared to avoid the shots of Optimus Prime, while Raf timidly looked around and wondered whether or not to join in the fight. He was a hacker, computer nerd! Not some crazy jujitsu fighter like Miko. Or at least, that's what he thought it was.

"We need to retreat immediately." Optimus struggled to get up as Megatron groaned from his bed of broken equipment. "Ratchet should have a Groundbridge ready for us."

Jack slung the Prime's arm over his shoulder, having more strength than he realized as he supported the Autobot leader. "Is anyone else here with you? Arcee? Bumblebee?"

"Yes, they are all here." Optimus turned on his comlink as he limped through the door, Miko at the front with her fists out and ready to fight while Raf tried to help with Optimus.

::Ratchet, we need a Groundbridge immediately. Arcee, Bumblebee, do you copy?::

::Optimus, do you have the children?:: Ratchet immediately asks, sounding slightly frantic and frazzled.

::Yes, all three are in my possession.::

::You need to take down the shielding around the Nemesis as quickly as possible so that I can get a fix on your immediate location. Have Rafael use his skills to do that.::

::Understood, old friend.:: Optimus relayed the message to the youngest human, who immediately went to the nearest console in the hall and began to type frantically.

::Also, do your best to avoid Soundwave. According to Bulkhead, he is not in a good mood.::

::I will keep that in mind. Has Bumblebee or Arcee responded to you since our departure?::

There was a slight hesitation. ::No. They have not.::

Optimus immediately became worried. ::Find their locations immediately after Rafael has put down the shields.::

::On it.::

"I've almost go it, but I can't expect these shields to stay down for long." Rafael cuts in as he types frantically. "Once Soundwave figures out what's going on he's going to try and stop me, and I can't only do so much."

"Just do your best, Rafael. That is all I ask." The weary Optimus kept an eye out for intruders, and possibly their missing comrades. A few more harrowing seconds went by before Rafael spoke again.

"Shields are down!"

::I have your location. Groundbridging immediately.::

"Prime!!" Came the angry screech of a warlord who didn't get his way.

Optimus didn't dare look back, instead corraling the kids into the Groundbridge and arriving to the other side, arriving to base that looked so familiar, and yet now so small...

"Oh my god." June dropped her coffee and ran over to the railing, gripping it tightly as she saw a Cybertronian that looked much like her son carry a wounded Optimus through the Groundbridge.

"Bulkhead!"

"Miko?" The Wrecker was both confused and delight to hear his charge's voice, reluctantly embracing the wild-looking femme who had rushed over and wrapped her arms as far around him as she could.

"Hey, were's Bee? And Arcee?" Rafael asks, looking at a stunned and slightly mortified Ratchet.

The medic paused, collected himself, reminded that there was a mission still to be accomplished, and he finally spoke as he tried to ignore the fact that precious, precious Rafael was now one of them.

"It's not good." He points at a screen where the Nemesis was still in view, several blips in various places indicating where all the Decepticons were, but the two Autobot's were their biggest concern. "Shockwave, Knock Out, and Starscream have got them surrounded, and Megatron is heading that way."

"We have to help them!" Miko exclaims, throwing a few punches in the air. "Let's show those Decepticon baddies who's boss!!"

"No, you won't be doing anything!" Ratchet snaps. "I don't know what in Primus' name they did to you, and I'm not about to find our by throwing you into this huge mess of Decepticons!"

"They turned us into Cybertronian's, one of you." Jack suddenly flipped the Groundbridge back on. "That means we can fight like you-"

"And you can die like us! Not happening on my watch!" Ratchet knocked the boy out of the way and gripped the Groundbridge lever, fully intending on shutting it down.

"As mad as he'll be, Megatron won't want me killed. Watch."

"Jack, no!" June screamed as her son, her baby, ran back through the Groundbridge before Ratchet could disable it.

And in that moment, the Nemesis shields went up, giving little hope and room for error for Ratchet to re-open the bridge and drag Jack through it again by his neck.

There was no going back for him now.