Your POV

"Megatron." Optimus Prime greets icily towards the owner of the blood red optics visible on the computer screen. "Make your intentions clear."

Realization hits you like a wave as does anger.

"You! You're the one responsible for my Mother's kidnapping! I demand to see her immediately!" You yell at the screen, your voice laced with hatred as you step forward slightly.

"Ah... Feisty and defiant, much like your Mother." The Decepticon leader hums, leaving you frozen to the spot in anger.

"State your intentions, Megatron." The Prime states once again, leaving no room for argument or persuasion.

"Well, it's simple of course." Megatron starts, stepping farther back from the camera to reveal a bloody, bruised and broken human form dangling unconscious from his hand. "You give me half of your current Energon supply and we will return the human."

At this, Ratchet gasps in horror. Whether at your Mother's injuries or the outrageously unfair request, you're not sure.

"Optimus, there is no way we can afford that loss of resources right now." The medic states, more to himself than the Autobot leader.

You cast your gaze towards your Guardian, begging him to say something else as you stare at the screen, utterly mortified by the state of the human in front of you.

The peeved off Medic got your point.

"What have you done to that human! It can't even fight back and yet it looks as if you've gutted the the thing! It's a miracle it's still breathing!" He snaps, his optics blazing with the same intensity that you were currently feeling throughout your body.

"Ah, it's still alive? I was not aware..." The Warlord taunts, angering you even more.

"Megatron, you son of a-" Just as you were about to finish your sentence, the Leader spoke.

"I shall agree to these terms." The Prime states, casting a glance towards both you and Ratchet who both were utterly shocked beyond comprehension. "We will meet tomorrow before sundown at these coordinates..."

Optimus' voice slowly fades away as a numbness consumes you, the same numbness from when Ratchet had delivered the news your Mother was taken.

"You can't do this!" You suddenly plead, looking the Decepticon leader with tears in your eyes. "Please..."

Megatron just laughs evilly, causing your Mother to wake slightly as a look of relief washes over her bruised and bloody face, her eyes squinting at you.

"Y-Y-Y/N? You... you're safe?" She croaks, her voice barely audible through the speakers.

"Yes Mom. I'm alive, thanks to them." You cry, feebly gesturing to both your Guardian and Optimus Prime.

"I'm glad you are safe... That's all that matters..." Your Mother stops, midsentence, coughing up blood.

At this, your Guardian speaks up once more, his voice filled with shock and anger.

"That human is dying! She's nearly dead!"

Suddenly, a new bot joins the video as the camera zooms out even further.

"The human should be fine, Doctor." The shiny, cherry red mech states matter of factly.

"Knock Out." Ratchet seethes, glaring at the Decepticon. "Humans are nowhere near similar to us! That human is dying!"

Knock Out... He's the Con's medic!

As your Guardian speaks those words, a brief look of regret falls over the opposing medic's face, so brief that it was barely noticeable, but you noticed it.

He knows my Mom is dying!

"Knock Out! My Mother, that human, is dying! What good is she to you if she's dead?" You wail once more, desperately trying to persuade the Decepticons in front of you on the screen.

"I... I... I l-love yo...u... Y/N... S...S...Stay strong when I...I'm g...gone." The human in Megatron's hand croaks while another coughing fit rocks her brittle frame.

"It's settled then. Tomorrow at dusk. Half your Energon supply for this," The Warlord stops, glancing at your Mother evilly, a glint in his eye. "Thing..."

And this that, the communication is cut.

The shock washes over you once more, followed by anger and then sadness.

Numb. You felt extremely numb. Almost Comfortably Numb.

You glance upwards, only to be met with a pair of determined, yet saddened, bright blue optics.

"What are we going to do?" You murmur, your voice fading into the oblivion which was slowly making your way across your brain, wrapping you in darkness.

****

"Y/N? Y/N? Oh thank the AllSpark you're awake. I was beginning to think your blackout would last too long," Ratchet's voice says, pulling you back into reality. "And then I'd have to call Nurse Darby, which would then put both of you in danger, not to mention everyone in Jasper and the Hospital staff and patients!"

You crack open your eyes slightly, ignoring the extremely bright light that seemed to haunt you.

Your Guardian had moved you once again, to the couch and covered you in a blanket.

"Thanks..." You whisper, your voice hoarse.

All you got in reply was a slight huff and a brief nod as the Autobot medic pulls up the coordinates for tonight's exchange.

"Why'd OP pick such an enclosed spot?" You inquire quietly as you examine the picture above the location, sitting a bit straighter to get a better look.

"Better cover in case a fight breaks out." Came the reply from Bulkhead, who had just arrived back from patrol. "Knowing the Cons, they won't give up your Mom without a fight."

You eye Miko's Guardian warily, realizing that he likely was telling the truth.

"I... I never even considered that..." You sigh, defeated as you slump back into the couch, checking your phone for the time and date.

6:45 AM, Wednesday.

Like time and date even mean anything anymore!

"We'll get her back, Y/N. We've dealt with Megatron and his band of bucket heads more times than I can keep count!" The Wrecker declares in an attempt to assure you.

"Thanks, Bulk." You whisper, your gaze set on nothing in particular as the negative thoughts invade you once more.

My Mother is going to die at the hands of a monster...

My Mother is going to die and there'll be no one left for me in Jasper...

Suddenly, another, more alarming thought crosses your head space.

What if one of the Autobots die? They'll blame it on me... And who knows what will happen then...

You shake your head in a futile attempt to clear the whirlwind of thoughts forming inside your head, tearing your gaze from the wall in front of you to stare at the computer screens your Guardian was currently occupied with.

Ratchet wouldn't leave me? Right... But what if-

The sound of metal crushing metal breaks you out of your thoughts as you instantly turn to look for the source of the sound.

"Bulkhead, I needed that!" Ratchet snaps, glaring at the mech who was gingerly setting the now broken item back from where it had been tripped over.

You bite back a sudden laugh, as the angry medic turns his glare to you.

"What's so funny?" He demands as you begin to shake with contained laughter.

"It's just!" You start, your laughter no longer being held in. "You use that phrase a lot. It's almost like your catch phrase!"

At this, your Guardian just rolls his optics before turning once more to the green hued screens in front of him.

You glance around the old missile silo, looking for anything to do to pass the time and avoid the dark thoughts from creeping in.

"There's nothing to do!" You whine under your breath as you flick the tv on and pop in a movie, not really having much intention to actually watch it.

As the sounds of the movie play, accompanied by the other various sounds within the Autobot base, you fall into an uneasy slumber, your thoughts continuing to haunt you, even in your sleep.

Someone is going to die... And it's all because of me...

****
A slight nudge to your still sore left shoulder jolts you awake.

You sit up immediately, eyes scanning every nook and cranny of the area.

"Easy there, Bee!" Arcee exclaims as Raf's Guardian lets out a series of startled beeps and whirs. "You just scared her, that's all."

You sigh, running the palms of your hands down your face in an attempt to find some sort of energy.

Speaking of energy...

"What are you guys going to do with barely any Energon left?" You question aloud at the five aliens standing before you as you hop off the couch and lean casually on the railing.

"We will double our search efforts." Optimus states plainly, as if there was no other choice.

"Or..." Ratchet, who had been silent, begins."I attempt to continue solidifying the formula for Synthetic Energon..."

"You mean like, artificial Energon? Sorta like we have artificial flavors?" You muse aloud, trying to figure out how something as important could be made Synthetically.

"Precisely." Comes the reply as the rest of the just stares at the Medic with half amused, half concerned gazes.

"Ratch, I don't think that's a great idea." Bulkhead states. "You know? After what happened last time?"

"I for one agree with Bulk! The last thing we need is for you throwing insults around again!" An angry Arcee snarls at your Guardian who looks towards Optimus for an answer.

"It is too risky my friend. We cannot afford to have you making rash decisions that will likely directly endanger your life." The Prime concludes, not leaving any room for argument.

"It would also do no good to Y/N! If yo go running off after Megatron again and he snuffs your Spark, imagine how she'd feel! Not to mention we wouldn't have a Medic! We'd be sunk!" Jack's Guardian growls once more.

"Wait a second! Ratch, you faced Megatron alone?" You question, bewildered and shocked.

"Yes. I did. While under the influence of the Synth-En, I, in my extremely energized state, decided to rush after Megatron himself." Ratchet explains loudly, obviously wanting to drop the topic. "But it's fine. I'll just widen my scans for deposits."

"Can I help?" You ask quietly from where you're standing, wanting to get your mind off of the dark thoughts that continue to worm their way into your head, but not wanting to be a bother. "I have nothing to do."

Your Guardian turns to you, his gaze stern.

"You finished all your schoolwork?"

"Yep." You reply, popping the 'p' sound.

"Ratchet." The voice of the Autobot leader calls, causing both Autobot and human to turn and face the source of the voice.

"We're going to to the deposit Optimus confirmed yesterday. We need a bridge." A still fuming Arcee interjects while she stalks over to the Groundbridge controls, awaiting the coordinates.

Without a word, your Guardian quickly turns back to the computer screens and inputs a set of coordinates.

As soon as the Medic had turned back around, the femme had already pulled the lever and the rest of Team Prime was gone, leaving the Base wrapped in an almost eerie silence.

"What's her issue?" You muse aloud, hopping onto your Guardian's shoulder while he slowly turns back towards the task at hand.

"Arcee has every reason to be acting the way she is, especially after what I said last time..." Ratchet replies softly. "Last time I tested Synth-En, I said a lot of things I probably shouldn't have said, especially about Cliffjumper, her partner whom she was quite close with. The Decepticons offlined him awhile back, before Optimus brought in the first three children."

Offlined?

"By offlined, you mean killed right? Eliminated? Dead? Gone?" You ask, seeking clarification at the unknown term.

No answer is given, only silence, accompanied by the continuous tapping of the Medic's research.

You sigh tiredly, allowing your eyes to grow heavy once more as you sit stilly, enjoying the somewhat soothing sounds the silence brought alone with it.

****
"It's time to head out." A faint feminine voice whispers, pulling you from your light slumber that you had somehow managed to fall into yet again.

Cracking open your eyes, you're met with a pair of kind looking optics, casting you a sympathetic glance.

"Already?" You yawn as you sit up slowly from where you were previously laying, back on the couch.

"Big ugly wants us to meet a bit earlier than we planned." Bulkhead clarifies for you, smashing his fists together for emphasis. "We'll get her back, Y/N. I know we will."

You smile weakly, the numbness beginning to creep into your body again.

"Autobots." Optimus Prime begins, standing at the entrance to the Groundbridge. "Our task is to receive Y/N's Mother, alive. We will not engage the enemy by no means necessary unless the situation calls upon us to do so."

The Prime turns to both you and Ratchet who were watching the team from afar.

"You both will be coming with us. Ratchet, bring your medical kit."

Your heart leaps.

You weren't expecting this to happen. You weren't ready to face the evil that had so cruelly abducted your Mother and vanished.

What if... What if everything goes wrong?

"Optimus I-" You begin, your voice faint and dull. "I don't think I can tag along..."

At this, your Guardian turns to you, a determined glint in his eye, accompanied by something you couldn't quite put your finger on.

"You will be fine, Y/N." The Medic reassures with a slight nod. "I, we've, got your back."

This time, you smile, a real smile, as you meet your Guardian's gaze.

"I know you do."

"Autobots! Roll out!" The Leader commands while pulling the Groundbridge lever and transforming.

The rest of Team Prime follows suit, transforming into their vehicle modes and following after Optimus through the swirling vortex of green and blue.

"Let's do this." You confirm, steeling yourself physically and mentally, for the unknown that lies ahead.

****
The drive through the Groundbridge always managed to take your breath away, literally and figuratively.

The idea that there was a way to travel anywhere in the universe with a flick of a lever, absolutely mind boggling.

On the other hand, traveling and arriving at the destination almost instantaneously had its toll. The unfortunate side effect of feeling quite sick to your stomach.

"You'll get used to it." Your Guardian had said the first time you had used the Groundbridge, and yet, apparently, your body still wasn't used to instant travel yet.

However, as the Ambulance you're currently sitting in comes to an abrupt halt behind the rest of the Autobots, you can't help but ignore the sensation of sickness in your stomach as you scan your surroundings.

You were surrounded by walls of rock and sand on either side, with large boulders littering the ground before you. It appeared to be some sort of canyon.

You let your gaze fall warily on the rest of the vehicle modes of Team Prime.

1, 2, Ratch is 3...

"Where's Arcee and Bee?" You shriek, only be shushed by the Medic's voice.

"They're backup. In case things go wrong, right?" You whisper, taking the obvious hint as not to be so loud.

"Of course. You really believe that Optimus would walk into this willingly?" Ratchet mutters in disbelief.

As silence falls in the vehicle once more, three figures emerge from the other end of the canyon, the swirling sand making it difficult to determine exact shapes.

Upon seeing this, Bulkhead and Optimus transform while the door beside you swings open.

You step out of the vehicle without a word, not trusting your voice to say all that much anyway.

The Ambulance in front of you begins to transform into the all too familiar Medic who quickly scoops you up.

"Hey! Put me down!" You squeak, surprised at the very sudden move.

"Just be quiet all ready!" Your Guardian huffs, gently setting you down behind a fairly large boulder away from the possible fighting.

Kneeling on one knee, the Autobot medic's gaze holds yours sternly, both sharing similar emotions.

"Ratchet, what if-"

"No if's." He states defensively. "We will get your Mother back. Now, I need you to do yourself a favor and stay here until I come and get you after this is all done and over with. Got it?"

A lump builds in your throat as you answer shakily, "Got it."

"Good." Ratchet confirms, quickly making his way back towards his teammates, leaving you completely alone.

Entirely alone.

You never had known the true feeling of loneliness until this very moment.

It was scary.

"Ah! Optimus Prime! I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon, but I guess that's what happens when we're constantly stealing your pets." The voice of the Decepticon warlord sneers as you poke your head out from behind the rock, watching the scene unfold in front of you.

There were three mechs. The middle one being Megatron, the far right one being Knock Out and the left one? You couldn't be so sure. He certainly looked to be sly, sleek and quite frankly, annoying.

"Where's Y/N's Mother?" Bulkhead demands, taking a step towards the three Decepticons menacingly.

"Right here of course." Knock Out replies smoothly, revealing a glass container being held in the palm of his hand, a small human form visible through the glass.

"Mom!" You whisper-yell, your eyes widening in shock as your hand flies to your mouth, realizing that you could've just blown your cover.

Sinking back behind the boulder once more, sitting on the hardened sand beneath you, adrenaline begins to kick in, causing your breath to become un-even and your thoughts to whirl.

This is not going to go well. At all.
****
A silence settles in the gully of the canyon, both Autobots and Decepticons staring each other down, waiting to see who would make the first move.

"Hand over the human, Megatron." Optimus Prime states, glaring at the Deception Warlord. "Only then, will we hand over our Energon.

"I think not. Energon first, then the human." Megatron snarls, taking a step towards the three Autobots.

"Tick, Tock." The Con's Medic chides, glancing at the figure in his palm.

"Don't even think about it." Bulkhead growls, his hand transforming to reveal some sort of weapon.

You watch in utter horror as your Allies begin to hand over the precious resource.

Bee and Arcee should've intervened by now!

Almost as if on cue, both bots fly out from behind their cover, guns ablaze, as they rush the three Decepticons who wore faces of mild surprise.

Time seems to slow as a heavy dust begins to rise, caused by the sudden uproar.

All you can hear is the sound of weapons firing, metal hitting metal.

It was deafening.

In a vain attempt to block out the noise, you crouch lower, your hands over your ears.

Make it stop! Just stop already!

"Enough of this!" The voice of the Warlord booms above the clamor, causing everyone to stop dead in their tracks.

You remove your hands from your ears and stand upon shaky legs, peeking out over your hiding spot carefully.

Arcee had the sleek looking Con pinned to the ground, one of her guns ready and aimed at his head. Bulkhead and Bumblebee were flanked behind Optimus, who was staring at his enemy, somewhat shocked.

Ratchet and Knock Out... They were nowhere in sight.

Alarm blazes through you.

"If both Medics from either side are fighting somewhere else... with my Mom..." You muse aloud as a new voice joins Megatron's, breaking the tense silence that had settled, just like the dust.

"I believe you're missing someone." Knock Out states, kicking the unconscious form of your Guardian towards the Autobots.

"No!" You scream silently, tears beginning to well in your eyes as you move towards the aliens, your brain not registering the threat.

Not both Mom and Ratchet!

"Optimus! Always one to try and pull off desperate little stunts at the last minute!" Megatron declares, turning to face the femme who still had her weapon trained on the Deception below her.

"L-L-Lord Megatron!" The sleek looking mech cries in terror, earning a blow to the head from Arcee.

"You're scrap, Starscream." You hear her hiss lowly as you stop behind a smaller boulder closer to your Allies.

"Arcee. Let him free." The Autobot leader commands, not removing his glare from the Warlord in front of him.

"But Optimus!"

At this, Bumblebee erupts in a series of urgent beeps and whirs, meaning nothing to you, but something to Arcee.

"Fine." She huffs, hauling the mech to his feet and pushing him back towards his leader, only to fire a single shot, hitting him square in the leg.

Instantly, the one now known to you as Starscream falls, before hastily scrambling back to his feet.

"Lucky shot..." He snarls through a pained voice.

You shift your attention towards where your Guardian still lay, unconscious, in the sand.

"Ratchet! Ratch!" You hiss loudly from behind your hiding spot in an attempt to wake the Medic.

He stirs slightly, looking for the source of your voice.

Finally, his gaze rests on your small form with alarmed optics.

You wave back halfheartedly, as he turns to asses the rest of the Team's situation.

And from what you could make out, Team Prime's situation wasn't looking too good. For them, and for your Mother.

"Just hand the human over!" Arcee yells, outraged. "We kept up our half of the bargain, so keep yours!"

"They're called Decepticons for a good reason." Miko's Guardian snarls in response.

"Return the human." Ratchet demands from behind the rest of the Team, standing once more. "She's done nothing to you."

Megatron just smiles wickedly, gesturing to the cherry red Medic for the glass container.

"No, no, no, no!" You hiss lowly, your darkest nightmares slowly becoming a reality.

Knock Out passes the container carefully to the Warlord, regret and remorse briefly settling on his face before vanishing as quickly as it came when the container is snatched from his hands.

"Careful!" He exclaims urgently, before quickly stepping back after a glare from Megatron silences his concerns.

"Silence!" He booms, plucking your Mother's bloody form from the container by the collar of her jacket.

The Decepticon Medic slowly turns away slightly, unnoticed by Megatron who was staring down the Autobot leader with sinister satisfaction evident on his face.

You watch with horror, your breathing shaky, your knees threatening to buckle at any moment.

"For that stunt you pulled earlier, unfortunately, you leave me now choice but to do this..." The Warlord declares, raising his gun towards the limp human dangling from his hand.

"No!" You shriek, bolting out from your hiding spot, rushing towards the evil monster who was about to blast your Mother into a million pieces, only to be stopped by a large hand that gently picks you up off the ground. 

"I cannot allow the loss of a human life, Megatron!" Optimus Prime declares, preparing to lunge at his enemy in front of him. 

Meanwhile, you glare up towards the concerned optics of your Guardian. 

"Ratchet! Let me go! My Mom is going to die!" You scream, thrashing about. 

"There's no sense to losing both of you!" The Medic retorts, regret evident in his voice as you continue to wail and thrash about. 

"What are you going to do? Time is running out for this pitiful thing..." Megatron's voice sneers, angering you further. 

"Just let her go!" Bulkhead snarls, as Bumblebee comes alongside the Wrecker, ready to attack. 

Suddenly, the limp figure in the Warlord's hand comes to life, coughing and spluttering as she struggles to breathe properly. 

Upon hearing this, you glare up at Ratchet once more, who gently sets you to the ground. 

This time, however, you heed the Medic's advice and don't bolt towards the Decepticon, though every muscle in your body was screaming at you to do so. 

"Mom!" You shriek, staying rooted to the spot. 

Your Mother raises her head slightly, her tired and bloodshot eyes resting upon your dusty looking form. 

"Y/N..." She sighs tiredly. "Know this, I never stopped loving you, even though you got me into this mess in the first place." 

You smile sadly, realization slowly sinking in at the scenario as the tears begin to fall. 

"I... I love you too, Mom! I'm sorry!" You sob, the tears streaming steadily down your sandy face. "I'm so sorry!" 

"I am happy you have found what seems to be a new beginning. All that matters is that you're safe." Your Mother says with a shaky sigh. 

Her gaze shifts to the Autobot whom you're standing beside, his optics blazing in a futile fury. 

"Autobots... You truly are the polar opposite of these Decepticons... Thank you for protecting Y/N... It means the world to me... All I can say is, thank you." Your Mother's brittle form thanks, the occasional cough, accompanied by blood, rocking the female's frame.

Time seems to slow as your Mother's lips stop moving and a look of peacefulness settles over her face as your Autobot allies charge the Warlord. 

A single shot echos throughout the canyon, followed by a grief-stricken wail that seemed to ring off the canyon's walls louder than the shot. 

The cloud of dust appears once more as you cough madly through your tears, disoriented and exhausted. 

"Autobots! Retreat!" A faint commanding voice orders over the clamor that had erupted again, your head not registering the sounds around you. 

The sound of shifting gears.

The rumble of engines. 

Then, silence. 

As you sit in the Ambulance, watching the large figure of the Warlord emerge from the dust, smiling wickedly, you can't help but curl up into a ball and let the sound of silence lull you to sleep. 

My Mother is dead... Gone... And yet we had every chance to get her out of there alive, but we didn't...

My Mother is dead... And it's all my fault...

!A/N!

As previously stated in a message on my message board, 

I want to apologize if this chapter seems a wee bit all over the place! Life sorta threw a few bricks at me this past weekend so I've been working through that, and I believe that things are all 100% now.
I also want to say this: As you might have noticed, I really struggle with keeping a continuous character, as I tend to write how I'm feeling in the moment, but I'm also working on that! 

Anywho! Be sure to vote, comment your thoughts or future ideas, and be sure to share if you're enjoying this story! 

Thanks ya'll! 

Also! My Spotify playlist for this book is now public! Be sure to check it out! (The link is on my message board!)

Link: https://open.spotify.com/user/all_things_aviation/playlist/4OBGEFbuEnVIjezgB8D5DX?si=1Dpfz5_QQf-ic730C0jAag