The drive back to Evelyn's house was quiet.

It wasn't awkward silence, no, it was tense silence. Miko and Evelyn sat in the front seats next to each other without speaking a word. Neither could bring herself to make small talk. They just grasped each other's hands for comfort. Knowing that they weren't alone helped just the tiniest bit.

Smokescreen was no better. He was more vigilant than ever and tensed everytime he sees any car that looks even the tiniest bit suspicious. Smokescreen always took Jasper, Nevada for a boring peaceful place but now, it seemed like anything or anyone could be an enemy and he'd be none the wiser.

Bulkhead had offered Miko a ride home but she had surprisingly, refused. She opted to go home with her cousin, Evelyn instead. Evelyn didn't complain, no one did. Optimus knew that while it wasn't that serious of an attack, they were still in a bit of shock and needed one another for support.

Still, he wasn't taking any chances and had ordered Bulkhead and Bumblebee to keep a long enough distance away while keeping an eye on them.

Much to Optimus's own chagrin however, he couldn't follow as his alt-mode, a red and blue Peterbill, will just raise suspicion while Arcee had to go back to Jack and guard him as well. They didn't know who MECH was targeting next.

With Raf already at Evelyn's house and apparently, still is, Bumblebee would go pick him up and send him home as per usual.

"We have arrived at your destination. That'll be 10 bucks." Smokescreen joked in an attempt to lighten up the mood as he pulled over two houses away from Evelyn's house.

"You wish." Evelyn said and offered him a strained smile. She was touched that he was at least trying to lighten things up. "Bye, Smokes."

"Ciao." Miko said with a wave though with less enthusiasm than usual.

"Be careful, Eve and Miko. Stay safe." He said. But even after they got out, he slowly stayed by the walkway rather than drive to his usual hiding spot.

'I'll wait until she gets to her house first. I better stay here and stay prepared.' He thought.

"Never thought I'd end up as a target for a terrorist organization." Evelyn said as she got out. "It's like my spy novel come to life, can't say it's a good thing considering which role you and I are at the moment."

"Yeah, makes me almost miss those snobby girls back at school." Miko said. "You doing okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine. You didn't have to tag along you know. You can go home if you want." Evelyn told Miko as they walked to her house.

"Nah, it's cool. Sides' maybe it's better if we stick together." Miko said.

"If the cons are bold enough to come out in the open to attack us, what's stopping MECH from doing the same?" Evelyn asked as she bit her thumbnail nervously. "Plus, these are humans we're talking about."

"Their advantage and disadvantage. You gotta admit, compared to the cons at least they're beatable." Miko said.

"You always manage to look at the other side of the coin." Evelyn said and smiled. "Thanks, Miko. For the support and all."

"No prob, Eve. Thanks for helping me pass my Literature test." Miko joked and they shared a quick laugh.

Sadly, the moment didn't last long.

It all happened too fast.

One moment Evelyn and Miko were talking and walking towards Evelyn's house.....

The next they noticed a blurr of movement beside them. They saw a black van halt beside them and four pairs of arms came out and grabbed them. They felt a hand cover their mouth, muffling their cries for help while another hand wrapped around their wrist or waist before pulling the girls into the van. The doors slammed shut, cutting them off from the world.

Their fight or flight instincts kicked in and they were instantly kicking and screaming and swinging their fists around in desperation to get the he!l out of there.

Evelyn can't remember the last time she's kicked or screamed so much. She screamed, she cursed, she kicked her legs around wildly and even felt the sole of her boot slam against the jaw of a man and wildly punched her fists.

Beside her, Miko was doing the same thing. Miko struggled and kicked and wildly swung her fists, she even felt them slam against what felt like someone's nose much to a small sense of her satisfaction but it was crushed by the fear and determination to get out of the mess she and Evelyn were in.

"Hold still and shut up already!" one of them said.

For all their strength, MECH agents were stronger than Miko and Evelyn gave them credit for as they soon managed to pin their arms and legs before they both felt a sharp prickle on their necks.

Evelyn's and Miko's eyes widened. They wanted to scream and cry for help. They wanted to curse at those MECH bastards. They wanted to kick and punch and get out but they couldn't.

The sedation spread through their systems making their thoughts sluggish and bodies feel like they were made of lead. Evelyn opened her mouth but all that came out was a strangled gasp.

Black spots danced around their vision and they tried so hard, they fought so hard to stay awake but they couldn't fight it.

The last thing they heard before blacking out was one of the agents, the same one who sedated them, speaking into the comm.

Vaguely, Evelyn could've sworn she heard Smokescreen's voice but it seemed so far away.

That was the last thing her sluggish mind registered before she was plunged into darkness.

**************************************************

For the next days to come, Smokescreen and Bulkhead would be beating themselves up over how stupid they'd been.

They should've noticed how the neighborhood was too quiet.

They should've asked someone to scout ahead.

They should've noticed the black vans and green sports cars speeding towards the girls.

They should've noticed how the windows were tinted a deep black.

They shouldn't have put their gears at brake.

They should've moved faster.

They should've been better.

They should've been stronger.

They should've been better guardians.

Should've, should've, should've the list goes on.

But it wouldn't have changed anything.

One moment their charges were walking, talking and even laughing and the next, a black van had come to a halt beside them and they were pulled into the van.

"Eve!" Smokescreen cried; all sense of stealth gone. He pushed his gauge into high gear and zoomed after the black vans.

Bumblebee beeped in alarm. Bulkhead and Bumblebee pushed pedal to the metal and zoomed off after their teammate and human allies.

Much to their surprise, the black vans and green sports cars went faster! Smokescreen gritted his dental plates as the gap between them widened.

'Oh no you don't!' he pushed his gauge higher until his hood was just a few inches away from one of the green sports cars' rear bumper. A few seconds later, his front wheels were aligned with its back wheels.

'Now!' he thought. Smokescreen's steering wheel turned sharply to the left as he accelerated and slammed his front bumper into MECH's car's rear bumper.

The PIT maneuver he once saw on MacGyver.

The rear tires of the MECH car lose traction from the hit and began to spin out of control before it flipped over the railing and tumbled in a heap.

"Smokescreen, careful! Eve or Miko could be in any one of those cars!" Bulkhead told him through the comm.

Smokescreen cursed before his optics zeroed in on the black vans. They had to be in there.

"I'll take the vans!" he said.

"Bee and I'll take care of the others. Go!" Bulkhead said.

Smokescreen didn't have to be told before he was speeding through MECH cars towards the two black vans.

"Sir! We've got a pursuer, six o'clock!" One of the agents said.

"Sir, we have been discovered and enemy is in pursuit. Permission to open fire?" he asked Silas over his comm.

"Do it." Silas said. He was in the van next to the one holding the girls. He turned around and looked at Smokescreen racing towards him. 'Let's see what this one's made of.' He thought.

"Open fire!" he ordered. "Take it down!"

"Woah!" Smokescreen said as he swerved to avoid a blast.

Then he grunted as he felt something slam into his side. He was about to slam back until another car slammed itself onto his other side, pinning him between them.

Smokescreen slammed his brakes, sending two cars speeding forward without him with a gap between them.

"You guys wanna play rough? Fine!" Smokescreen said. He pushed the gauge all the way and slammed his front into rear of one of the cars'. The impact of the blow sent the car up until it was almost tilting at a vertical angel before it crashed back down.

"If you can't shoot him, block him!" the MECH agent ordered again. Beside him, a sedated and bound Miko and Evelyn groaned slightly and stirred as the van traveled across the bumpy road before they lay there, unmoving and oblivious to the world.

Smokescreen zoomed past the two cars and found himself speeding towards two cars that were parked nose-to-nose across the street.

There wasn't enough distance or time to turn around and go around them. So Smokescreen didn't stop. If anything, he just floored it and zoomed towards the roadblocks without hesitation.

This time, his aim would be critical. He had to hit the front wheels of the blockading cars or he wouldn't be able to ram them both out of the way. The cars' front wheel arches were solid and strong which will provide him with the resistance he needed as well as the angle of force to pivot the two vehicles out of his way.

Smokescreen purposefully slowed down as he came closer, dropping into first gear then accelerated hard. He had to hit the blockade at just the right speed. Too slow and he'd get stuck; too fast and he'll just hurt himself.

He braced himself for impact as he felt his body slam against the blockade. The impact was jarring but he was still in the game.

He pushed on until he was finally through.

'Almost....almost....c'mon c'mon c'mon!' he urged himself as the gap between him and the black vans closed. He was redlining his gauge so much, he was surprised he didn't damage it yet.

"If you want something done right you have to do it yourself." Silas said as he hefted a gun up, or rather a missile launcher. "Open it up." He ordered. The driver beside pushed a button and opened up the hatch on the roof.

Silas stood up, exposing his body to the outside before cocking his missile launcher and taking aim.

"Scrap!" Smokescreen said but before he could swerve away in time, Silas pulled the trigger and sent the missile flying towards him. While his plating protected him, his tires didn't stand a chance.

His front wheels burned off, causing him to sharply turn, leaving his side exposed. And his rear wheels which were the next things to fall prey to the second missile.

His tires which were already burning and scratching from his speeding were burned to tatters by the missile, the impact from said missile sending him flying. Smokescreen cried out in shock and pain as he tumbled through the air and his world spun. The sides of his alt-mode painfully crashed against the gravel road before he transformed and rolled over three more times before finally coming to a halt.

He groaned and shook his helm to try to subdue the pounding in it before he looked up and saw the vans going off-road.

"You're...not...getting away!" he exclaimed before pushing himself up and running after them. He could feel his tires were scrap so his alt-mode would be useless to him now.

"Kid, wait up!" Bulkhead called as him and Bumblebee finished off the last of the MECH cars before they sped after Smokescreen.

Smokescreen ran through the pine trees as fast as his pedes could carry him. He ignored the prickly leaves brushing against him and ran after his best friend.

Then he heard something piercing the silent air and jumped back just in time to dodge an energy beam which buried itself in the ground and sent a wave of electricity.

He looked up to see three helicopters whirring in the air.

He jumped and rolled sideways to avoid more blasts but the pine trees offered him little to no cover.

Smokescreen transformed his servos into blasters and fired back at them. One of his shots connected and caused one of the helicopters to crash but another rose to take its place.

Bumblebee and Bulkhead came up beside him and opened fire on the MECH agents as well.

"How many of these slaggers are there?!" Smokescreen asked as he fired back and tried to ignore the shot that hit him in the shoulder. Already, he could feel his right servo beginning to ache.

:They're just trying to stall while they take Miko and Eve away.: Bumblebee beeped/said as he tried to shoot the helicopters that would not stay still damn it!

The black vans that had sped ahead of them now stopped at a clearing. Silas and the remaining agents stepped out. Evelyn and Miko were carried over the shoulders of two agents. Their heads lolled limply and their hair draped over like a curtain.

"Gotta say sir, these two are fighters." One of the agents told Silas through his aching jaw where Evelyn's foot had connected.

"Admirable." Silas said as he calmly and confidently stood there while a helicopter landed, the blades of the helicopter sending powerful gusts of wind around the clearing scattering leaves.

The agents loaded Miko and Evelyn onto the helicopter. Silas sat in the co-pilot seat and without even needing to be told, the pilot flicked some switches and pulled the cyclic and the helicopter took off.

"We have attained the targets. All units, retreat." Silas said.

Smokescreen paused as he saw the helicopters turn and fly away then it struck him. They were retreating because they've succeeded.

"No." He whispered. "No no no no no!" he said as he ran as fast as he could. "Let her go you bastards!" he yelled as he fired away but the helicopters were too fast. "Eve!" he called as though that would bring her back.

He watched as the helicopters flew further and further away until they seemed to fade away into the evening sky.

'With Eve....' he realized with horror.

He failed her.

She was gone.

He failed her.

He wasn't strong enough.

He didn't protect her.

He failed her.

He failed her.

He failed her.

Smokescreen clenched his servo so tight, he was worried her might damage his right servo again but he couldn't care less as a wave of anger, disappointment, guilt and shame washed over him.

Evelyn, his charge, his best friend, the girl who he'd sacrifice his spark for in a heartbeat was gone. He'd failed her. He'd fail both her and Miko.

Tears gathered at the corner of his optics and his entire body trembled in anger and shame.

"No...." he heard Bulkhead breathed out beside him as he realized they were too late.

"Primus damn it all!" Smokescreen yelled and punched a pine tree so hard it was sent flying. "Damn it damn it!" he yelled as he punched the ground before he just knelt there with his helm down and tears streaming down his faceplate.

He just gritted his dental plates so hard he tasted energon but he couldn't care less as tears of shame dripped down his faceplate onto the ground.

He failed to protect her.

He was her guardian.

He failed to protect Evelyn.

She was now in the hands of MECH who plan on doing who knows what to her and Miko.

He failed to protect Evelyn.

He failed.

He failed.

He failed.

He FaILed HeR........

Smokescreen was barely aware of Bumblebee and Bulkhead who were beside him trying to console him. 

He just raised his helm up and released a strangled cry of grief and failure tear out of his throat that shook the birds in the woods and his Autobot allies.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey readers! FP here with another chapter. 

MECH has made their move! What will happen to the girls? What does Airachnid want with them? Where does it all fit in? Will the Autobots save them in time?

Stay tune to find out.

PS readers, I need your help. Who do you think should become a guardian with a human charge?

A. Ratchet

or

B. Wheeljack

Click on the link below and let me know your answer in the comment section of said link.

https://www.wattpad.com/727956883-let%27s-roll-out-mate-chapter-24-1st-relic-hunt-hide/page/8

That's all I have to say. FP over and out. Peace!