Though she stood no chance against Ravage's unyielding paws, Sara struggled to wriggle free and save her daughter. Her limbs thrashed, adrenaline fueling her already weakened body as she roared with maternal desperation.

"NO! MY BABY! MY BABY!" she shrieked in a voice so shrill Starscream could've been put to shame.

Her eyes fixated down river, Sara spotted Annabelle's head poke up briefly and then disappear. Never in her life had she felt so helpless. Her baby girl was going to drown and she was unable to prevent it. Suddenly, out of nowhere the deafening roar of a fighter jet engine blasted overhead accompanied by the quaking impact of a colossal weight striking the ground. Sara held her breath as one of the massive jet Decepticons strode into view snapping off some of the trees with his broad metal wings. Unlike Starscream this one had blue-tinted plating like a Blue Angel fighter jet—though his alternate form had yet to be seen.

"All right what's going on here?" his deep baritone voice, grated.

Rumble shifted his arms back, "It ain't true Thundercracker." he pointed at the river, "Humans can't swim."

"What?" the blue giant turned to where Rumble was pointing, his crimson optics focusing.

Sara was about to scream again, but much to her astonishment Thundercracker briskly marched down the river uttering something deeply in Cybertronian. In only a few long strides the big jet Con had gotten ahead of Annabelle and knelt down on the river bank, seeming to watch the life and death drama for a moment. Even from the distance, Sara could see Annabelle's head submerge once again.

She wanted to scream her plea but it only came out as a choked whisper, "Please...please save her."

Seeing the child go under again, Thundercracker reached into the river and fished Annabelle out, water cascading through his metal fingers. Sara clenched her chest with terror until she could hear the sputtering coughs of her child. She was alive...but for how much longer?

Thundercracker brought the tiny human to his eye level, deep red optics observant. The little drenched creature coughed, presumably clearing its air filters of the invasive water. Once it stopped coughing the child shivered, curling up weakly in the palm of his hand and made some pitiful high pitched sounds. The Decepticon had never seen a human so closely before, much less one so small. Part of him was disgusted by the squishy, wingless, little scrap of flesh and yet...he was oddly intrigued by it. Forgetting his petty curiosities for a moment, Thundercracker lightly closed his hand, and turned back to where Rumble and Ravage were guarding the other human.

"What's the big idea Rumble?" his voice dangerous.

The small mech flicked a hand, "I just wanted to see if it could swim."

Thundercracker brought his foot down hard, shaking the ground, "Like SLAG you were!" He held up the fist that encased Annabelle, "You almost killed this one you glitched half-chip!"

"Bah! We've got two of 'em. Who cares if one of 'em shuts down?" Rumble sneered and then pointed an accusing finger at the huge mech, "Since when do you give two bolts about fleshies?"

Thundercracker paused then growled, "Dead prisoners are worthless and besides that YOU don't have the authority to kill them you stupid midget."

"HEY! Who you callin' midget?" Rumble shouted, reforming his piston hands and charging Thundercracker's ankles.

Briefly, Sara was astonished that such a small mech would dare attack such a large opponent. Then again, Rumble definitely had a short fuse. Using his pile drivers as fists the little drone struck Thundercracker against the joint of his ankle. Surprisingly the human-sized Con's strike made Thundercracker stumble backward a couple steps.

"OW!" he roared and then growled something in Cybertronian.

Rumble charged again, but this time Thundercracker didn't let him get close. Pointing the same fist that he held Annabelle in, the huge jet Con aimed his wrist cannon down at the drone and fired a "small" blast just inches in front of him. A good sized blue fireball and chunks of burnt earth erupted, throwing Rumble back several feet into the base of a tree.

Inwardly Sara was smiling, but her concern regarding the condition of her daughter trapped in Thundercracker's massive fist made her sideline revenge taste less sweet. She ardently hoped this little skirmish hadn't made the Decepticon clench his fist too hard. Her heart skipped a beat just thinking about it. She just wanted Annabelle on the ground in her arms again.

Rumble shook his metal head, only phased by the violent hit, "Why you!"

"You want more of the same runt?" Thundercracker threatened, cannon still leveled at him, "Why don't you run along to your master before I send a Rumble-sized pile of metal shavings back to him?"

Snarling with rage, Rumble leaped to his feet and charged again in a serpentine pattern to avoid a possible shot from his opponent. But suddenly he stopped when a shrill beeping on his shoulders sounded. Soundwave was calling him back. He looked at the blinking light and then gave Thundercracker the dirtiest look his metal face could conjure. The huge Decepticon lowered his cannon and made an impossibly deep popping noise that sounded somewhat like a laugh. Rumble reformed his hands, made a rude gesture, and ran back to where they'd left Soundwave.

"Fleshy lover!" the mini Con shouted over his shoulder.

"Don't let the compartment door hit you on the way in runt!" Thundercracker retorted.

Once Rumble had left, Thundercracker unfurled his fingers from around Annabelle. The little girl hadn't seen the brief scuffle but she'd certainly felt it through the Decepticon's metal. She shook against the early morning chill when Thundercracker opened his hand; his metal was surprisingly warm. Her eyes chanced to glance upward and she squeaked with fright, immediately hiding her face upon seeing the large, red optics glaring at her.

Sara slowly got to her feet, heart fluttering like it was threatening to stop. The big Decepticon was staring at Annabelle very intently.

What was he going to do to her?

Then, making a short snort of disgust, Thundercracker tipped his hand, caught Annabelle between two fingers as she fell off, and brusquely deposited her at her mother's feet. Almost before she touched the ground, Sara scooped up her soaked child and held her tightly.

She stroked her wet hair, "Oh, Annie. Are you all right?"

"Cold, Mommy." Annabelle whimpered.

Squeezing her even more, Sara cried, her hot tears mixing with the river water on Annabelle's cheek. But then, Ravage hissed none-too-gently pushing the pair with his paw. The woman stumbled but managed to carry Annabelle back to where they'd slept. Thundercracker followed until they encountered Soundwave again.

The impassive mech merely seemed to glance at them until Thundercracker grumbled, "Keep control of your little parasites Soundwave. That idiot Rumble almost cost us a prisoner."

"Mind your own business, Thundercracker." he replied. "Ravage, return."

Complying, the panther mech bounded toward his master, transformed in midair, and gracefully clicked into Soundwave's chest compartment.

Soundwave seemed to stare hard at Thundercracker, "Your guard shift began two thousand Astro-seconds ago, Thundercracker."

The big jet Con expelled some flame from his back thrusters but said sarcastically, "Yeah, yeah. Send me the reprimand forms when you get the chance."

"As you wish," Soundwave hummed suddenly leaning his head toward the jet.

Without warning the most horrendous ear-splitting vibration shook the air. Sara and Annabelle fell to the ground screaming, trying to cover their ears, even though Thundercracker was the intended target. The big blue Con roared with pain, clenching at his head as his very circuitry bore the brunt of the vibration. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the thunderous noise ceased. Brief as it was the attack was effective. Thundercracker was leaning against several trees, his frame still ringing from the sound assault. Annabelle threw up and Sara had to force herself not to though her senses were spinning. Now the woman truly understood how Soundwave got his name.

"Reprimand complete. Resume your duties." Soundwave's harmonic voice stated as he walked away.

Thundercracker stood up snarling with a deadly flash in his optics. Cringing, Sara slowly moved back, knowing retaliation was rearing its gruesome head and she didn't want to be anywhere near two giant, brawling Decepticons. Turning his body around, the Seeker shifted his jet thrusters around his torso until they were pointing at Soundwave's back like twin guns. Sara unassumingly moved away from both of the mech's, taking Annabelle with her. Thundercracker was too dead-set on Soundwave to notice.

"Hey, Soundwave," his deep voice lowering even more, "Reprimand THIS!"

Just as the communications officer turned, Thundercracker revealed how he earned his name. In an instant the air temperature spiked around his body, heat produced by his thrusters. Suddenly the afterburners flashed and a huge sonic boom rocked the forest, striking Soundwave and throwing him on his back. Sara gasped. The sound was like a bomb going off. She knew jets could produce the sound-breaking phenomenon but she wasn't sure how Thundercracker had made one without even moving. In any case, it proved Soundwave wasn't the only one who could wield sound as a weapon.

Without a word, Soundwave stood up and slowly lifted his arms, exposing what looked like large amplifiers. His head tipped downward in an aggressive way. A mild vibration began until a purple explosion rained down from above and tore up the earth between them.

"ENOUGH!" Starscream's shriek made Soundwave drop his arms. The F-22 jet transformed and the Decepticon leader landed eyes wild, "WHAT is all this nonsense? You're supposed to guard my prisoners!"

Thundercracker grumbled, seeming more annoyed with Starscream's presence than respectful. "Then you'd better talk to Rumble about trying to off-line one of your prisoners."

The brownish colored Decepticon turned to Soundwave his voice oddly calm but hiding the menace, "I will need to 'speak' with your drone at a later time, Soundwave."

He nodded, visor glinting.

"Soundwave, I need you to tap into Ironhide's communication line again, but make sure you block any other Autobots from hearing it." Starscream ordered.

Straightening his body erect, Soundwave's visor flickered with light as he began his hacking.

Starscream was watching the communications officer and without turning said, "Thundercracker, bring me my prisoners."

The blue jet Con grimaced, seeming pained to obey his treacherous wingman. He slowly turned to the humans...but they were gone. Baffled, his red optics darted over the ground, trying to locate the tiny prisoners.

"Um..."

"What's the malfunction?" Starscream barked turning to face him. His optics widened with rage when he didn't see his prisoners, "WHERE ARE THEY?"

Thundercracker shook his head, "They were right here an Astro-second ago."

The infuriated leader leaped onto Thundercracker, shoving his back into the rock face, and grasping his claws around Thundercracker's neck, threatened to crush his vocalizer.

"HOW COULD YOU LET THEM ESCAPE?" Starscream shouted optics blazing with insanity.

Thundercracker grasped Starscream's forearm to try and break his grip but the enraged leader pointedly poked the tips of his claws into this vocal processor's metal casing. He growled and lowered his arms grudgingly.

"They...they couldn't have gone far Starscream. Ravage could..." he hissed.

Starscream's screechy voice was raspy with fury, "NO, you ingrate. YOU will find them or I'll have you melted down for spare parts!"

"Yes...sir." Thundercracker choked, careful not to provoke Starscream with his claws so close to piercing his vocalizer.

Starscream shoved his subordinate away, "And don't you DARE return without them! I will NOT tolerate failure!"

Giving his leader one last glare, Thundercracker stormed off into the trees searching for the escaped humans.

...

Sara wasn't sure how smart it was to try and escape but she also wasn't sure how much longer she and Annabelle would survive amongst such dangerous captors if they didn't escape. The situation was perfect with both Decepticons too focused on fighting one another to even pay them any mind. Yet, with Annabelle's added weight in her arms and very little energy left to burn in her body, Sara wasn't sure how much farther she would get before the Decepticons realized they were gone. She didn't have a plan but she hoped with a lot of luck they would be able to hide and somehow find a way to contact the Autobots or at least another human being.

Then, she heard the trees snapping off and crashing harshly to the ground some distance behind them. The impact tremors of massive footsteps made the dirt beneath Sara's feet shiver. The Decepticons were coming for them. Eyes darting madly for some sort of hiding place, Sara began to feel her panic rise again. She frantically ran from tree to tree, hoping for some kind of hollow or upraised root system to hide under but none presented itself as the booming footsteps drew closer. Sara growled her own frustration and ran on. The ground shook even harder.

All at once, Sara spotted a fissure in the side of the mountain rock. Hopeful, she ran to it. But when she got there, she realized the opening was much too small for her to fit in...but not Annabelle. Hurriedly, she put down her wet daughter, gripping her shoulders firmly.

"Annie. Listen to Mommy." she pointed to the fissure, "You hide in that hole right there and don't come out no matter what. Do you understand?"

Slowly she nodded as Sara pushed her into the small space. The girl's moist eyes blinked back at her mother's face.

She reached to her, "Mommy, hide."

"Stay there baby. Stay hidden." Sara commanded suddenly running out of sight.

"MOMMY!" Annabelle screamed.

Though her daughter's plea for her to stay wrenched her heart, Sara ran in the opposite direction. Those Decepticons weren't going to get both of them if she could help it! Sara leaped over some rocks and ran as fast as she possibly could when she heard the trees falling behind her.

Then she heard Thundercracker's deep voice booming through the trees, "Come back here you little pipsqueaks!"

Suddenly, Sara stumbled in her tracks when she heard a jet roar overhead. Panic seized her and without really thinking she scrambled under the prickly branches of a wide pine tree. The branches covered the entire tree all the way to the ground and the green strong scented needles were so thick she hoped it would hide her until the Decepticons moved farther away. Then she would go back for Annabelle and somehow they would make their way back to civilization.

She huddled close to the trunk and nestled into a fork near its base, holding perfectly still. Ever alert, she stared upward through the thick pine needles just as a dark colored jet cruised past. But, much to Sara's astonishment the jet seemed to flicker and then disappeared into nothingness. The woman blinked.

Was it so fast it just looked like it disappeared?

All at once, the impact of a heavy body landing on the ground shook the entire tree. There, not more than 100 yards away stood a dark colored jet Decepticon that was neither Thundercracker nor Starscream.

How...how did it get there? I didn't even hear it!

That's when Sara saw Thundercracker forcefully shove a tree down as came into view.

"Skywarp? What the slag are you doing here?" Thundercracker demanded, "Aren't you supposed to be the lookout?"

Shrugging casually the darker jet called Skywarp replied in a mechanical tenor voice, "Eh, I got bored keeping watch on that stupid mountain and heard all the commotion down here. You get into it with Soundwave?"

Thundercracker growled, "Yeah, that arrogant, drone infested, monotonic junk heap."

"You lose?" the darker jet smirked.

"NO. But I would've kicked his aft clear back to Cybertron if that geek Starscream hadn't interfered."

Skywarp made a hissing snicker in his vocalizer, "So what are you doing? Blowing off steam?"

The big blue Seeker wiggled his fingers at his side and looked away, seeming embarrassed, if that was possible for a Decepticon, "I...kinda let the prisoners out of my sight."

"You LOST the prisoners?" Skywarp laughed corrosively. "I'll bet Screamer blew a thruster line!"

Thundercracker growled, clearly not amused by his wingman's laughter.

After calming his mirth for Thudercracker's misfortune, Skywarp tapped his wingtip against his comrade's, "Don't fritz your cast-iron manifold. I'll help find the fleshies."

"You can barely find your wings with both hands." Thundercracker snorted.

Skywarp raised a spiked brow plate, "Oh, really?"

Without so much as a glance the dark colored Decepticon lifted his arm cannon and blew the tree Sara was sitting in clear in half! The woman bit her lip, willing herself not to scream as most of her hiding spot fell over with a mighty crash, woodchips and needles falling in her hair like snow.

How had he known she was there? Had he seen her while he was flying overhead?

Sara didn't pause to wonder as Skywarp marched straight toward her tree with a purpose. The woman untangled her legs from the tree branches and made a break for it. Skywarp's head jerked with attention when he saw her fleeing into the woods again, but he made no move to pursue. Breathing in short frightened gasps Sara ran as fast as her legs would carry her, but shockingly she didn't hear any giant footsteps following her. She looked back, just be certain.

Suddenly, a funny noise vibrated the air and before she could stop she slammed head-long into Skywarp's foot, falling on her back before him.

He stared down at her bewildered prone form with a wicked smirk, "It's called teleportation fleshy." With little effort he grasped her in a large fist and waved her triumphantly to Thundercracker, "WHO can't find their own wings?"

Thundercracker rolled his impressive shoulders, "I saw her there. I was just waiting for you to see her and actually DO something for a change."

"Yeah, right." Skywarp hissed in an amused way, tossing Sara from hand to hand like a ball.

Sara winced, her stomach lurching from the unnatural abuse of her body.

"Stop that Warp!" Thundercracker held up a protesting hand, "If you break her I'm going to be in deeper slag than I am now!"

Skywarp stopped tossing the woman and grasped her around the midsection, "Spoiled sport. But...then again, these things are pathetically weak." He brought Sara closer to his face, his voice condescending, "How has your puny species lived this long, huh, fleshy?"

The woman didn't bother to fight the mech's unbreakable grip; she didn't have the energy anymore. Her light eyes narrowed at his, giving him an angered look.

Skywarp laughed, "HA! I think I made it mad."

"Hey wait, there's supposed to be two of them." Thundercrackertook a step toward Sara clutched in Skywarp's hand anddemanded, "Where's the little one?"

When Sara refused to answer the dark jet Con tightened his grip making her wince with pain, "Yeah, where's the little one fleshy?"

Sara shook her head. Venom dripped in her voice, "Never."

Thundercracker expelled air from his vents and turned away, "Fine. I'll just find her myself. You couldn't have hid her far."

His optics flashed a brighter red as he activated his infrared scanners. He made a thorough sweep of the forested area but nothing turned up that looked like a human child. Vision switching over, Thundercracker activated his infrared scanners coupled with a matter-penetrating scope. He slowly turned his head again. This time the matter-penetrating scope and infrared scanners picked up a small heat signature hidden in the side of the mountain.

Thundercracker smirked with a pleased rumble, "There she is."

For a moment, Sara thought he might be bluffing to get her to reveal Annabelle's hiding spot, but when he stalked toward the rock face her breath hitched in her chest. He knew. But how?

Thundercracker knelt down and examined the fissure. His fingers were too big to fit in the crevice to catch her. Holding up his hand he shifted the panels of his fingers and extended his battle claws which had much smaller barbs.

"NO! Don't you hurt her you monster!" Sara screamed with rage.

The blue Seeker growled over his wing, "Shut up, fleshy. If I wanted to hurt her I would've let her drown in the river."

Carefully, he fit his claw-tips into the crevice and with a mighty pull he broke the rock away revealing Annabelle. She was covering her head with her arms and had her knees drawn into her chest. Thundercracker retracted his claws and delicately plucked up the child.

Skywarp shook his head disappointedly when Thundercracker faced him, "You always did had a fully functional mercy circuit for pets."

Succinctly, Thundercracker snatched Sara from Skywarp's hand and grated, "Blow it out your thrusters Warp."

Then, with a female in each hand he marched back to where he'd left Starscream and Soundwave.