"Willingness to meet halfway works well only if we are able to judge distance accurately."

~Faisal Khosa

>>•<<

Miko made it to the ship just in time; if she had been any earlier or later, she would have been caught by Starscream. But as luck would have it, she managed to arrive soon enough to not get caught, and when the Seeker had his guard down. Literally; as he conversed with the Vehicons while she hid atop Ultra Magnus' ship, Starscream took off the Apex Armour and set it aside, his pride having been wounded by the foot soldiers with him.

Come on, come on. She prodded, needing to get aboard. Unfortunately, there was only one way in and out of that ship, and due to her size she would be spotted immediately if she wasn't sneaky enough. I guess that's one con of not being human anymore. Too big.

An explosion suddenly rocked the ground and rattled the ship, coming from where Bulkhead and Shovel were trapped, fear stabbed through her spark, but she didn't lose hope. Cybertronians were tough, especially Bulk. They had to be alright.

"Oh, that'll do some damage." The Decepticon sneered, the two Seeker-type Vehicons that accompanied him just as distracted as him with the explosion. Miko seized the chance, standing up to leap onto the platform-

Her ped squeaked on an unsteady piece of metal, immediately snapping the attention of the three Decepticons to her.

"The experiment! Seize her!" Starscream yelled, pointing at the girl. The two Vehicons leaped into action, climbing up the ship to reach her. Miko brought out her guns and began firing, trying to not hit the ship while she took out the Vehicons.

Shots from below hit her and damaged her shields, her armor able to take the hits, but it left her distracted and unable to fire back. Running blindly in a desperate attempt to escape the Vehicons and Starscream, her optics caught the Armour.

Perfect!

Leaping from the top of the ship, she landed on the ground beside it and snatched the Armour as she went rolling, placing it on her chest. Immediately, the relic attached itself to her, reading her body size and type and adapting accordingly, the Autobot femme grinning when she saw the horrified realization on Starscream's face.

"Three to one isn't really fair." She taunted. "So I thought I'd even the odds-" her gloating was cut short as something fell on top of her head, landing with a thunk and rolling to Starscream's pedes.

"Well what do you know, it does fetch." Starscream muttered to himself.

Miko looked up to see the looming presence of the Predacon above her, shrinking a bit as it shrieked.

"Scrap."

Without any command or provocation, the Predacon dived on her, it's claws ripping at the Apex Armour as it tried to shred her to pieces. The other Autobots were nowhere to be seen, much to Starscream's satisfaction, and for once the Predacon seemed to obey his orders. Today was a good day.

"Starscream!"

Was a good day.

"Yes, my lord?" He asked, still feeling quite smug about the Predacon.

"Have you located the Predacon bone?" Megatron demanded, servos clasped behind his back.

"Yes, and the Predacon is subduing one of the missing experiments as we speak." Starscream observed the eye that was retrieved, wait I g for some kind of praise from his master.

Megatron, if he was surprised by the presence of an experiment seeing the light of day outside the Autobot base, didn't show it. "If you loose that bone or the Predacon or the experiment to your foolishness, I will have your head! Have the beast take the bone back to me, now!"

"Y-Yes my lord, right away. Assuming I can coerce the beast into- gah!!" Starscream ceased his muttering when the Predacon smashed him into the ground, causing him to lose his grip on the bone. The Predacon growled at him unappreciatively before picking up the bone, and flying off.

"What?! You never listen to my commands!!" The Seeker whined, turning his angry gaze to the immobile Miko and Apex Armour. He stalked over, throwing a command at the Vehicons behind him. "Retrieve the girl once I get what belongs to me."

Miko kept still as the Decepticon approached her, his claw extending out to take the Armour as he knelt next to her.

"Not even the strongest of armor can protect the weakest of creatures." He smirked triumphantly, only to be given a nasty surprise when he was grabbed by the wrist and shoved against the Armour.

"It protected you, didn't it?" Miko growled, her feet planting themselves on Starscream's chest plates, sending the Seeker flying into the air. The Autobot got up, servos curling into fists as she grinned at the three Decepticons. Time to kick some tailpipe.

>>•<<

Bulkhead groaned as he shoved the rocks off of himself, blinking his optics to get rid of the blurriness that remained as they tried to focus again. Shaking his helm, he looked around.

Man, Shovel caused quite the- Shovel!

He looked around worriedly for the Vehicon, helm whipping around as he heard rocks shift and move, the Vehicon sitting up and rubbing his helm.

"Shovel!" He stood up and ran over to the Vehicon. "You alright? How did you do that?"

Shovel stood up with the help of the Wrecker, coughing slightly to clean out his vents before answering. "Wheeljack said I could borrow a couple of his grenades, since all I have are my guns. I thought I could blow up the Predacon if he ate it, but his tail knocked it away."

"It's alright, but, try not to do that again next time, okay?" Bulkhead pat the Vehicon on the back, looking up. Despite the fact they had been buried, Shovel did manage to create a large enough opening for them to climb out of the top. "Think you can climb?"

"I can." Shovel nodded, grabbing onto the hand and footholds provided by the rock. Bulkhead grabbed some next to him, and the two of them began their ascension. It was easier said than done, and as they neared the top of the ledge they could hear the sounds of fighting.

A few minutes later and they were at the top, climbing over onto solid ground and viewing a rather magnificent sight.

"Miko?" Bulkhead gaped in surprise, watching as the girl in the Apex Armour tossed around the Seeker Vehicons and Starscream. As soon as the latter caught sight of her back-up, he took several steps back.

"Retreat!" He yelled before transforming and flying out, Miko running after them but not able to reach them, not wanting to try transformation in the Armour.

"Aw, they got away!" She huffed.

Bulkhead and Shovel joined her, the Vehicon grinning underneath his helmet.

"That was so cool, Miko! How did you learn to fight like that?"

The girl couldn't help but grin. "I took a few classes as a human." Turning the Armour off, she waved it around with glee. "We may have lost the bone, but we got this!!"

Bulkhead nodded. "Let's take it back to base; I'm sure Optimus and the others will be glad to have it back."

>>•<<

"Stop scratching at my seats, you worms! That is expensive leather, and I don't want to go through the trouble of getting it replaced!" Knock Out snapped at the two hostages that rode in his back seat. It was a major distraction that prevented him from attempting communication to base! He had half a mind to just terminate them right then and there, but the female had hidden the Predacon bone, and now he had to go searching for it!

Not to mention two Autobots, the two-wheeler and a Wrecker, was on his tailpipe! Knock Out wasn't one to fight, and he was even more reluctant to do so with the merciless femme Arcee. She had no respect for his finish!

"Knock Out to base, requesting back-up immediately! Sometime today would be nice!!"

June thrashed against the seat belt, trying to get it unfastened. She had heard what Knock Out had tried to tell Megatron. They could be used as more experiments, something she was sure the warlord would have sick delight in doing. However, the woman was not about to play victim so easily.

"Knock Out! Have you secured the specimen?" Megatron finally managed to radio back, sounding very displeased.

"I have it in my sights, Lord Megatron." Knock Out replied, adjusting his rearview mirror to get a better look at Wheeljack and Arcee. "As well as two Autobots riding my rear."

"Understood. Reinforcements will be arriving soon." The warlord cut the cooling, and Knock Out let out a vent of relief. Finally!

A Groundbridge opened only mere seconds later, four Inseticons flying forward and immediately attacking the Autobots. Knock Out sped up a little faster, intent on getting the bone, when another Groundbridge opened up in front of him.

"What the- wait!" Knock Out braked, but not before a pede came out and stomped on his hood, effectively stopping the Decepticon in his tracks, and denting his armor.

"Let my mother and Agent Fowler go." Jack seethed, stepping out of the Groundbridge completely and settling his entire weight on the grunting medic. "And I'll consider letting you get the Predacon bone."

Arcee transformed back into her bipedal mode, skidding to a stop as she realized what was going on. "Jack."

Knock Out watched as the train continued chugging away, knowing he had to make a decision, fast. "Fine, fine!" He opened his doors and unfastened the seat belts, June and Agent Fowler darting out.

Jack looked at his mother, giving her a warm smile that she returned, showing that she was safe, and for the most part unharmed.

"Ah!" Jack cried out as a blast hit him from behind, sending him flying forward.

"Jack!" June cried out in horror, a cloud of dust separating her from Agent Fowler as Knock Out sped away, Arcee running toward her partner, whose back was smoking from the direct hit it had taken. June too began running to her boy, her efforts stopped by a warm, metal hand that closed around her waist and brought her high up into the air.

"Well, well. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Ms. Darby." Megatron sneered, sharp dents even more intimidating up close. June squirmed in his hand, which was much sharper and not nearly as delicate as Knock Out's had been.

Arcee changed her servos into guns, the Insecticons backed down the moment their master stepped through the portal. "Let her go, Megatron!"

June struggled some more, hitting one of his digits. "I can't say the feeling's mutual, Megatron." She snapped, his large servo rendering her legs immobile as his whole hand encompased the entire bottom half of her body.

Jack struggled to get back up, ignoring Arcee's commands to stay down and standing to his full height, dwarfing his partner for once. His blue optics blazed when he saw that Megatron possessed his mother, servos curling into fists.

"Leave my mother alone." He growled.

Megatron simply chuckled darkly. "Or what? The moment you try and attack me I can have her completely pulverized. Or, we could play a fun game and see if you can catch her in time." Megatron dangled the woman by her waist, the human going pale as she scrabbled to find purchase on his smooth, sharp digits. "What do you say, Jackson?"

"Stop!" Came the collective yellings of the present Autobots and Agent Fowler.

Jack vented angrily as Megatron chuckled, returning June to his own servo. It amazed Arcee how he didn't immediately squish her, he clearly had immense control over his own strength.

"What do you want?" The former human finally asked slowly, knowing it was the question Megatron wanted to hear.

"My request is simple. Return my experiments, and I will give you June Darby." Megatron extended his servo slightly, to give them a better view of the nurse. "If you don't . . . I may just take her for myself."

"Over my rusted body." Arcee snarled, her guns pointed at Megatron.

Wheeljack transformed behind her, clearly tired but not ready to give up the fight.

Megatron grinned. "Ah, so the Wrecker lives. You're a rather difficult character to get rid of."

Wheeljack cracked his muscle cables. "I've had lots of practice. Now, give up the human, so things don't get messy."

"Only if Jack, Miko, and Rafael are returned to me." Megatron demanded. "If not, then Ms. Darby is mine."

Jack, despite his large body, felt helpless. He wanted to save his mother, who looked so small and so scared in the hand of Megatron, but he could hand Miko and Rafael over in exchange.

Arcee lowered her weapons. "Let us make a call back to base."

"I'll give you five minutes." Megatron stroked the back of June's head with his pointer digit, causing the woman to shudder and make Jack even angrier. When he saw that it worked, he gave the boy a grin that showed off his sharp denta. "When time's up, I expect a decision to be reached. If not, well, then I'll just assume that this woman is mine, and take my leave of this place."

>>•<<

Scene: Megatron takes June Darby hostage, and demands the three kids in return.