"If we act like prey, they'll act like predators."

~Alyxandra Harvey, My Love Lies Bleeding

>>•<<

The kids, at the moment, were resting alongside of their partners while Ratchet worked diligently at the computers. They felt tired, something they hadn't really thought about before- Cybertronians requiring rest. Their optics remained bright, however, as they watched Optimus help a weak Ultra Magnus to his feet, the metal groaning- as well as the bot himself -as it strained and protested against his new movements.

The commander insisted that he must be functional as soon as possible in order to help with their endeavor: finding Predacon bones before the Decepticons could lay their hands on them. He already claimed that his legs were mobile, but by the looks of his struggle, he used mobile as a general term.

"Easy, commander." Optimus says quietly as Ultra Magnus leaned on his arm heavily. He out one pede in front of the other, but each step was slow and sometimes he even had to use a hand to move the leg. Optimus was basically holding him, and he mimicked walking.

"I think that is enough." Ratchet pried his optics away from the computer, forcing Ultra Magnus to lay back down. "You're barely operable, and most definitely not healed enough to begin walking around."

"The sooner I get on my pedes and walking, the better." Ultra Magnus attempted to sit up again.

"Ep ep ep, don't you even think about it! Putting pressure on your lumbar struts, right where the injury is, could make it worse. Walking was bad enough, but sitting will put even more strain there. So just lie down, and rest." Ratchet shoved the commander's shoulders down, giving him a stern look before returning to the computers.

Wheeljack was leaning against a wall and, despite the doctor's orders, also moving around. His ability to bounce back from certain death was astounding, but Ratchet suspected he was weaker than the Wrecker let on.

But he had already wasted enough time and energon on healing his comrades. With two new additions, and hopefully one more in the near future, he had to find a way to create more energon. The synthetic formula proved promising, but he had very little resources to work with, and not even a sample to test out theories. It added on to the stress that made his spark ache.

His spark. Though it was not top priority, he was researching as best he could on ways to take out the shards of the Decepticons that Jack, Miko, and Rafael possessed, and possibly replacing them with an Autobot, if that was what they needed to survive. It would be a better alternative if they didn't require a spark shard in order for their own engineered ones to work, but there was no room for error. It would be more satisfying and safest just to kill the Decepticon, but terminating Soundwave and Megatron would prove to be difficult; Knock Out could possibly live just with the sheer will of needing to maintain his paint job, but that was unlikely.

"Prime!" Ratchet just about jumped as Agent Fowler yelled, gritting his denta. That human, he swore to Primus- "The 'cons are at it again! Activity has been picked up in both an oil field in Texas and somewhere in Scotland. So be sure to pack your kilts!"

"Agent Fowler, do you really think we have the people to deal with this situation right now??" Ratchet snapped, but Optimus held up a hand in a "quiet" gesture, turning to the Agent.

"We will divide up our resources the best we can." Optimus promised, looking at his functional team. Ratchet, who needed to stay with Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack, his patients, Bulkhead, Arcee, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, and Shovel. The lattermost, of which, he couldn't bear to put out in the field. Not when-

"I can go to Scotland!" The Vehicon raises his hand, waving it slightly. "I've always wanted to go to Scotland! That's where the unicorns are, right? And those little elves with the gold?"

Miko gave Raf a look, and then leaned in and whispered. "I'm gonna tell him."

"Don't you dare!" Rafael hissed back, grabbing her arm. "Let him think what he wants to."

"Somebody's gonna have to tell him." Miko pointed out, but after a look from her younger friend she sighed. "Fine, I won't tell him."

"Shovel, I cannot ask this of you." Optimus Prime replied gently. "I do not want you to have to face your friends in battle."

Shovel stood straight at attention and saluted. "It's okay Optimus Prime sir! I think I can handle a little mission like this! Besides, all my friends work in the Nemesis bridge, they won't see battle!"

Optimus felt sick when he remembered encountering all those Vehicons on the bridge not a few days ago. All of those Vehicons he shot, stabbed, and even witness termination by Miko's hands, could have been Shovel's friends. They probably were his friends, as they had been there at the bridge. And he slaughtered them all.

The Prime felt murderous, even if it had been in self defense.

"Are you sure you can handle yourself in battle?" Ratchet showed some rather shocking concern for the Vehicon. "You weren't built to withstand many blows or shots."

"I survived the explosion, didn't I?" Shovel clasped his servos together, red visor shining brightly at Optimus Prime. "Please, please, can I go to Scotland Optimus Prime sir?"

There was a brief pause, and then the Prime nodded his head once. "Bulkhead, you and Shovel will go to Scotland."

"Hey, does that mean I can tag along too?" Wheeljack asked from his station at the wall. "I'm about as vulnerable as he is when it comes to battle." He nodded his helm toward Shovel. "But again, I can handle myself."

"No, not with that injury you cannot!" Ratchet snapped, unbelievably feisty when it came to his patients, and clearly unhappy that Shovel was leaving to go on a mission as well.

"I can go." Arcee waved a servo. "Optimus, that will leave you with Bumblebee and Smokescreen."

"How about a better idea?" Miko spread her arms.

"I don't see it." Ratchet grumbled.

"Take me!" Miko replied excitedly. "That way, Arcee can be backup!"

"Miko-" Optimus Prime began, but the former human cut him off.

"Listen, Optimus, I can take care of myself." She put her hands on her hips. "Even as a human, I was really good at avoiding the 'cons and staying out of trouble, am I right?"

"Ha!" Ratchet barked out a laugh.

"We don't have much time to argue." Miko continued. "And I want to go. Arcee can stay here in case something happens, right?"

Optimus frowned, not liking that she had a point, though it wasn't a terribly good one at that. However, if he said no, she would sneak into the mission anyways and perhaps cause more mayhem than before. It would be much easier to allow her to go do she could be more easily monitored and not feel like she had to hide.

"Take my ship." Ultra Magnus grunts. "That way she can stay on board and radio for help if need be."

Miko opened her mouth to protest, however Optimus beat her to the speaking part.

"Fair enough. Bulkhead, Shovel, and Miko, you will go to Scotland. Bumblebee and Smokescreen, with me. Arcee, stay here in case we need backup. Rafael," he looked down at the still very small boy. "Ratchet will need you here to help monitor out activities and Groundbridge us if need be."

"On it!" Rafael saluted.

"Autobots, prepare to roll out!"

>>•<<

"After the retrieval of two more specimens, Shockwave will have enough Predacons to create the army we need in order to defeat the Autobots, and take over Earth!"

Jack looked up at the warlord, for the first time realizing he was tall enough that, if he stood on his tip toes and leaned in . . .

He could bash the fragger's skull in using his head.

It was doubtful, however, that Megatron would even let him get that close. The warmonger only seemed to like close contact when he was the initiating it, but Primus forbid someone else got into his personal space.

"What makes you think that you can control all of those Predacons?" Jack replies after a moment of contemplating how else he could kick Megatron's tailpipe.

The Decepticon leader chuckled, digits curling into a fist. "It's quite easy to tame a beast, Jackson. Isn't that what you humans have done over the ages? Domesticated animals for your own purposes? Well, I plan to do the same thing. But instead of a simple pet, I will have the mightiest warriors at my beck and call!"

"Domestication took years and generations of animals." Jack quipped, not caring if he was hit. Pain, he could learn to take. Unlike the other Decepticons, Megatron wasn't going to kill him, he was far too valuable as an experiment to be terminated or debilitatingly injured. "Do you plan on just magically creating a breed that will heed you?"

"Because Shockwave will clone and raise these beasts in a laboratory, there is no need to assume that taking them will be a problem. They aren't wild; at least not any more."

"So you believe nurture is the only thing that determines a person- or thing's -personality and lifestyle? There is no nature in it?"

Megatron laughed. "Getting philosophical, are we, Jack? Think about it! They will grow up knowing that I am the one they answer to, that I give the commands, and they obey. Their instincts, their nature, is what will make them successful at their assigned tasks. So it is nurture that will teach them to heed me, and nature will give them the means to get the job done."

It was rather odd, having an intelligent conversation with the warlord. He didn't seem like the type that would have expanded knowledge in fields such as science and, yes, philosophy. Especially on such an arguably human philosophical question.

"I suppose that makes sense." Jack partially yielded, but was not done yet. "What if they show intelligence? Autonomous thinking?"

"Then I will make it very clear that I am the only one they answer to. How do you think I became leader of the Decepticons? Asking nicely?"

"Good theory, but not a very plausible one." Jack retorted with equal sarcasm. His answer got another amused laugh from the warlord. His patience seemed to be endless today, for the moment. Whatever he and Shockwave had been up to must have put him in a good mood.

"I suppose I can agree with you." Megatron admitted, hands clasped behind his back. The bridge fell silent again, the two of them staring at the monitors, Jack barely able to comprehend what it all said. Soundwave was missing, which was a bit odd, as was Shockwave. Starscream was still attending to the Predacon, tasked with putting it in his kennel.

Instead of caging him in his assigned room, Megatron had decided to keep Jack at his side, to babysit and, apparently, socialise with the boy. It was odd to be talking to Megatron in such a casual manner, given he wanted to punch his face in every waking second, but Jack forced himself to tolerate it.

"I trust you will remain here on the bridge." Megatron broke the silence abruptly. "There is something I need to attend to; and should you decide to move, the Vehicons present will alert me."

Jack briefly grit his denta, then relaxed. "Where could I possibly go?"

"I won't give you any ideas." Megatron turned and began walking out. "Consider it a test of trust."

Trusting me to not put my foot up your tailpipe as you walk away? Fine. The boy seethed to himself but didn't dare say anything out loud. "I'll be here, then."

Megatron chuckled darkly. "Good." And then he was gone.