Taylor

My eyes opened slowly, but my body woke slower. I sighed as I felt a small throb in my head and leg, but the wound on my lower stomach wasn't bothering me anymore. I sat up, rubbing my eyes tiredly, and took in my surroundings. I was laid out across the couch, my crutches leaning by my heels. I moaned sleepily as I turned my head, finding that it was hard to see everyone from the human area. None of the kids were here; I wondered if they were off with their guardians, since I didn't see any of them either. Indeed, it was only Optimus and Ratchet today, as far as I could see. The Autobot leader was at my guardian's side, discussing something that, by the tone of his voice, sounded very serious. Then again, his tone normally sounded that way. Yawning, I stretched the best I could without hurting myself, and found the headache leaving me. Ending the yawn through my nose, I swung my legs over the couch and took the crutches carelessly, the clatter catching the attention of the two conversing Autobots.

Optimus was the first to speak up, the corners of his derma flittering up ever so slightly. "Taylor. Did you sleep well enough?" he asked.

I nodded as I stood with my crutches. "Yeah, thanks. Feels good."

"Ep ep ep!" Ratchet scolded as I made my way towards them. "You really ought to stay resting."

I shrugged my shoulders, indicating I was fine. "It's fine, Ratchet. I don't feel anything right now. The stitches come off tomorrow and the cast next week."

Nevertheless, my guardian merely scoffed with another roll of his optics and hurried over to where I was hobbling. "You may use your leg when the cast is off. Until then, you were instructed to remain still most of the time to allow it to heal." He stopped and knelt over to where I had frozen, watching him with a silly smirk.

"Okay, okay," I sighed, raising my hands in surrender. "But it looks like you've trapped me in this spot," I joked with a tiny giggle.

He sighed, exasperated, and lowered his servo for me to step on. Beaming brightly, I used to my crutches to go forward only a couple steps before I left them on the floor and hobbled on one foot into his palm. He let me rest gently and comfortably before he lifted me up. He held me at his chest chassis, like he had done ever since I had gotten my injury, but I didn't want to stay there this time. We were supposed to be getting closer after all that had happened. I tapped his digits as he began to walk back, and he paused to glance down at me again.

"Can I sit up there?" I asked politely after an embarrassed pause. I did my best to keep my face straight as he thought it over. Finally, he seemed to give and raised his servo, allowing me to slip into my spot next to his shoulder pad. I grinned happily and got comfortable.

"So what were you two talking about earlier?" I asked, peeking over to the screen, but it was still out of sight. "Wondering where Wheeljack went?" I teased my guardian.

"After his reckless antics, I could care less where that Wrecker is," he groaned. 

I had only met the bot once, while the others had met him a long time ago, before I had arrived. Apparently, he and Bulk were best friends, which meant he and Miko got along well, too. From his behavior, I could tell he was a explode things first, ask questions later kind of guy. Something that did not fit very well with Optimus' kind of order and Ratchet's OCD. He had seemed nice enough, but offering to take me on a joyride after he had nearly blown up Bulkhead, himself and Optimus along the way, didn't seem like such a great idea. That, and once Ratchet got word of it, he blew up at the white mech just before he left. Which Wheeljack had only laughed at before he went to go "explore". All in all, he and Wheeljack didn't get along very well!

"A few different things we have observed, Taylor," Optimus told me as Ratchet stopped next to him at the console. The Prime was still looking at the screen, tapping away at something and pulling up a picture of a mech I hardly recognized. "For one thing, Knockout's assistant Breakdown has been off the radar for some time. We have not seen or heard from him in the past week."

I did recognize the name, and my mouth formed a small 'oh'. "Is that the one that was checking on the GroundBridge controls that one time?" I asked, pointing backwards to reference to the past.

My guardian's helm nodded from beside me. "That is correct."

"So, who's Knockout?" I asked quizzically. "I hardly get out of base much, and I haven't had as much contact with the Decepticons as the other kids have."

"I am grateful for that," Ratchet added with a vent, crossing his arms.

The Prime turned his helm to me. "Just as Ratchet is our medic, Knockout is the Decepticon's doctor. Albeit he has a better taste for dismemberment than a real medic's job."

The Autobot medic scoffed and rolled his optics in annoyance. "He also appears to enjoy being very flashy."

I shuddered; so far, this guy didn't sound very nice. "So what else are you looking at?" I said with a nervous laugh, trying to change the subject.

The two bots looked at each other for a moment, then at the screen again. I raised an eyebrow in confusion as they avoided eye/optic contact with me. Had I done something? Maybe that hadn't been the right question to ask...

"We are trying to locate MECH's whereabouts," Optimus said after a long pause. "Their activity has been on the rise recently."

"And after they stole Bumblebee's T-Cog, we can't take any risks with them," the medic added, his gaze narrowing on the information pulled up on the screen.

This time I froze at the mention of the organization, and I knew why they suddenly hadn't wanted to tell me. The name of those monsters made me freeze and tense, and my heart would start beating a lot quicker. Those men still scared the living daylights out of me, and everyday there was a little voice in the back of my head that said they would capture me again. My head turned away, my gaze locked on my hands. I felt their apologetic looks and tried to smile.

"Yet another reason you're kept at base," Ratchet said, trying to console me. "MECH can't harm you while you're under the radar."

I knew he was trying to make me feel better, and in all honesty, it did a little bit. Although I had been his charge for some time now, he was still figuring out human emotions, and could sometimes be bad with words. The fact that he was making an effort, though, was enough to make me force a small chuckle. With a shaky breath, I turned my head and looked into Ratchet's concerned bright blue optics. I forced a small smile and patted the metal below my hand.

"That's a smart idea," I told them, trying my best to sound fine. "You're right, we can't risk anything with them."

My guardian blinked at me, examining my facial expression, before raising his servo with a sigh and patting my head. "There is no need for you to worry about them, Taylor. I promise, I won't let them take you again."

I closed my eyes, smiling as I snuggled under his servo like a puppy. "Thanks, Ratchet. That means a lot to me."

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General

"I thought you were finished with me after you stole my precious means of flight," the seeker growled angrily, leaning down and curling his thin claws. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't exterminate you, right here and now."

The MECH leader stared into the mech's blood red optics with his own cool, calculated gaze. He did not fear this Decepticon, and had no reason to at the moment. He knew how this creature worked now, and how quickly he would bargain for his own selfish desires."

"Because if you can retrieve something for us, I might return that precious 'means of flight'," he told him, his arms behind his back. Somehow, even though he was looking up at the Cybertronian, he held an air of authority over him.

Starscream gulped, taking a small step back and lowering his servo. "You already knew the existence of Energon and its use when I offered it to you. You only needed me to help you locate it. What could I possibly give you now?" he challenged.

"We want a spark," Silas said coldly, making the mech flinch. "A Cybertronian spark."

Starscream thought it over, raising himself to his full height. Finally, he nodded with an exasperated sigh. "Alright, human. I could easily bring you a Vehicon, alive and kicking. But what in the name of the Allspark would you need that for?"

For once, the calm and evil leader smiled chillingly, sending shudders down the seeker's backstrut. "For another experiment that we need you to retrieve for us."

"That's not fair!" Starscream wailed in protest. "You told me I only had to retrieve one thing!"

Silas cocked an eyebrow, clearly unamused. "Your T-Cog is on the line; I wouldn't find it wise to question my orders at this time."

Starscream groaned, deflating in defeat. "As you wish, human. But my T-Cog had better be in tip-top condition when I return with your precious items!"

The MECH leader smirked once more. "That depends on your performance," he sneered.

Finally. She will be perfect.

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Hello, everyone! Look at that, another update! This series really gets my blood flowing!

I really need to update my other stories, though. Like Return. Ugh.

OH, well.

*waves*