[Rachel POV]

I feel my arms forced into locks and my legs are secured to whatever table I have been laid down on. I wasn't an idiot, and unfortunately I woke up from the noise of the ground bridge.

The Decepticon ground bridge.

I knew the moment I saw his single red optic boring into my eyes that Optimus had lost. I just prayed to Primus that he was still alive. Part of me knew he was, but he was seriously injured.

A small smirk plays on my lips.

Well.... We'll have matching scars after this, I'm sure...

No replies echo in my mind, and I sigh. The other two were still unconscious, shifting in pain from the amount of energy we had used up to escape the cage. I shudder at the thought of us still trapped in there, roasting in the armor that was supposed to be protecting us. I could still feel my singed skin brushing against the inside of the cybertronian metal around me. However, I was numb, and nothing really hurt.

Until I finally decided to open my eyes.

The light stings and I blink a few times just to focus on my surroundings. Purple floods my vision and I growl as I gaze around. Shockwave had his back to me, and I try not to look at the table he was working on. I could only imagine what he was getting out. I move my eyes around some more, realizing that I was in the medical bay, and not some torture room.

Odd.

I knew they had torture rooms on the warship, but they put me here? Something wasn't adding up, but I didn't have time to think on it as the one and only Lord Buckethead decided to walk in through the door on my left. I meet his gaze, and he gives a malicious smirk, revealing his sharp teeth. I growl, glaring at him. "Such.... vitality. Tell me, Shockwave. What did you gather from your.... trip earlier today?" Megatron stops as Shockwave turns to face him.

"It would seem that the human's power comes directly from exposure to energon. The cage was able to detect its flow from her heart towards her hands to expel electricity to cancel out the charge it was giving her." His cyclops gaze falls on me, and he continues. "However, as we know energon to be harmful to humans, I did another scan and it showed something quite... interesting."

He takes his gaze off of me as he walks over towards a large screen and types a few things. I turn my head and find myself staring at yet another x-ray of myself. My spark shown weakly, but it's pulse was steady. I take a deep breath and try to calm myself more. I knew this would happen sooner or later...

I had just really hoped for later.

Megatron joins his chief scientist, and his optics widen. "She holds a spark in her chest?" Shockwave makes no movement, but he quickly replies. "Indeed, Lord Megatron. Not only that, but it seems that the Predacons we sent here vorns ago made it here, but did not survive." He raises a digit up to point directly at my spine, where even I could see the tendrils snaking down it, and it takes all my willpower to keep me from gasping.

It was starting to go down my legs.

Not only that, but it was definitely spreading across my back, causing me the immense back pain I was always getting. I close my eyes and relax my head again. I had to get out of here, but my wounds were not fully healed yet, and the suit was fried. It was only a glorified shield as of now. I was out of energon...

And out of options.

I hear heavy pedsteps, and my eyes crack open again to see Megatron gazing at me. "Who, doctor, could have done something like this?" Shockwave suddenly appears on my left side, gazing at me as well. "There has been chatter about a human alliance designated M.E.C.H. It would seem they have knowledge of our existence and wish to harness it for themselves." I glare at them and growl. I could feel Broadwing waking up, and his instincts were flooding my own.

This only makes Buckethead's smirk widen. "Quite impressive... for humans." His eyes seem to trace around me as something clicks in his mind. "Can you tell if the spark is.... of cybertronian origin?" Shockwave's gaze turns towards his leader. "You wish to know what deceased Cybertronian is currently residing in her chest?"

"Affirmative, Shockwave. If of Decepticon origin, we may need to show M.E.C.H. who they are dealing with. If Autobot... Maybe the 'human aspect' may prove useful in our retrieval of Sentinel." Shockwave gives a single nod. "I will see what I can uncover."

With that, Megatron leaves the room, and I'm left behind with the mad sophisticated scientist. I growl as he gazes over me, begging the other two in my mind to wake soon. Said scientist turns back to his table and types a few things on to his monitor. By skimming my gaze over it, I see that he is summoning someone to help him...

With my procedure.

Panic starts to fill me. Soon the doors open to reveal an all too familiar red painted mech. His red optics fall on me and a devilish smirk plays on his lips. "I didn't know if the rumors were true or not, Shockwave, but my, my! You certainly have caught something of great value to the bots, haven't you?" He walks towards me while saying all if this and leans close to me. I would normally spit in his face, but I still felt drained. He raises a digit and rubs my cheek slightly before yanking up quickly and leaving a large gash. I hiss, but say nothing more.

He inspects his digit until Shockwave's servo clasps his shoulder. "It would seem that our guest holds a spark of cybertronian origin. We must figure out if it is of Autobot or Decepticon origin."

Another smirk plays on Knockouts face. "By cutting her open, hm?" Shockwave gives Knockout the slightest of nods.

"Affirmative."

"Seems a bit excessive...." Knockout says, gazing over me before rubbing his digits together. He stares at the energon on them then straightens and turns to the lead scientist. "You don't think the pain will overload her sensors?" The red mech asks, and I try to keep my breathing even. The two were slowly being tuned out as sheer terror begins to course through me. They were going to gut me, cut me open like a pig. I feel my body tremble as I gaze around, searching for an escape. I could barely move, but I had to move. To escape.

Or die.

Pain floods my arm and I hiss as a needle slowly exits my skin. My gaze flips over to glare at the culprit. Knockout raises his servos and steps back. "I'm just giving you a little something to take away the pain." He lowers his arms with another infamous smirk. "We don't want you flat lining in the middle of the operation..."

As he turns away, the one eyed mech steps forward, a scalpel in hand. I struggle madly against the restrains, eyes wide. Knockout quickly removes my armor from my body, and thank Primus I wear clothing underneath it. Granted, the fabric was burned in some areas and blood was soaking into the one blue shirt. I feel the other two stir within me, but they don't wake yet. "Let us see what the humans have managed to accomplish."

Suddenly, I feel my spark spike, and another servo launches over to stop Shockwave just as the tip of the knife presses into my skin. "I don't think that will be necessary anymore, doctor." Shockwave's single optic turns toward Knockout, who releases the scientist's hand before gesturing to the screen he was looking at.

"It seems that not only does she hold his spark, but this Autobot is residing in her mind... Along with another presence." I follow his outstretched arm just as Shockwave waltzes over towards the screen. A soundwave had popped up over my spark once more, and it moves just as Jazz finally speaks. 

'Dang it, kid. You alright?'

I curse mentally, and I feel Jazz look at me, confused, until he finally notices what's going on around our shared body. Knockout's face contorts in confusion, but Shockwave's helm actually tips up a bit, as if in surprise. "It would seem this spark previously belonged to the first lieutenant of the Autobots, designation Jazz." The scientist turns back towards me, and I feel a chill slither down my spine. "Megatron will be pleased."

I growl at him, awakening Broadwing and causing another soundwave to appear on screen. He feels me tell him not to speak, but Knockout notices the other wave anyways. "Oh, lookie here! It looks like identity number three has awoken." Shockwave walks over towards me, eyeing me carefully as Knockout begins typing a few things. Broadwing glares at the mech, and lets off a soft growl. 

"And it would seem that your hypothesis was, indeed, correct, Shockwave." The red mech turns, his normal smirk on his face as he now flips the scalpel around in his digits. "It is a Predacon, originating from the bone specimens implanted in her spine."

"Then it would seem our new objective is to determine the cause of these... tendrills, and rule out the possibility of their...." His optic falls on my face, and I shoot him a glare, daring him to continue.

"Removal."

Okay, maybe I shouldn't have dared him.

I feel my sparkrate quicken, and even Jazz takes a deep breath. 'Kid, don't worry. Everything will be fine, lil' lady.' 

"That, Jazz, is where you are wrong."

Shockwave's monotone voice rings in my ears as I struggle against the restraints. The purple mech reaches down and flips a switch, causing the table I was now laying on to flip me over somehow. My face, now staring straight down at the floor, was thankfully exposed so I could continue to breathe, but my sparkrate would not lower. 'Jazz.... They're going to kill me... us! We have to think of something, anything!'

As silence hits me, I feel the fear sink in as pain from my back returns. I groan, and hear Knockout huff. "It seems the pain reliever has worn off. However.... This shouldn't kill her now...." My blood runs cold, colder than the Arctic during winter. He didn't really just say that, did he? I struggle again, barely moving, but I don't want this.

I don't want to die. 

I feel Broadwing slowly move closer to my mind, not melding, but resting, as if trying to comfort me. 'My lady, we cannot meld, nor switch for..... reasons. I am sorry.....' I feel my breathing become erratic, but I try to calm myself, despite the tears flowing from my face. I already knew we couldn't due to our lack of energon remaining in my systems, but it didn't hurt to hope that I would have enough left....

"Let us begin."

No sooner does he finish, I feel the blade pressed against my back, just to the left of my spine. Pain flares through my body, and I release a blood curdling scream. He rakes it down, and I can't feel anything but the burning pain on my back. Broadwing flattens his 'ear-fins', but doesn't move, attempting to comfort me. Jazz looks away, angered and hopeless. 

I feel the blade lift from my back, and for a moment I prayed it was over. That prayer was shattered as the pain returns on the right side, and I scream. That's all I did.

Scream.

Once he finishes that side, I gasp for air, tears flowing down my face and them splashing onto the ground below. My body shakes, and I feel Jazz wrap his arms around me. I shudder, and shake, pain completely taking over the rest of my senses. I can feel my blood and energon flowing from me, and the scientists are speaking, but I can't hear a thing. My mind was empty of anything other than pain, fear, hate....

And a single, stupid idea that just might work. I close my eyes and take in a shuddering deep breath. When I open them again, I am in my mindscape, and Broadwing is tense, as if someone was poking at him. It would make sense as I could feel them trying to pry something from my ribs. I had to get the plan in motion before the pain takes me out of here again. 

'Jazz!'

'Lil' lady?!'

His face is shocked, but I quickly hush him. 

'Act normal, and don't speak. I have an id-'

I feel something get broken, and I scream. The agony tears me from the mindscape painfully and thrusts me back into the horrid reality. My eyes widen as I finally focus on what they are saying. "Fascinating. Although you just removed that rib, the tendrils are already making her a new one. Very intriguing doctor." Knockout's voice was filled with awe, and I hold my breath. This pain was worse, as if they had just forced me onto a wooden spike and lit it on fire. I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't move. Every shudder, every shake, I could feel them moving. At first, it was painful, but slowly the pain began to ebb, and I took that opportunity to dive in once more.

'Jazz! Broadwing.... nnnggghh...' I gasp for air, leaning heavily against the wall of my mind. 'Guys! Listen-'

'My lady! What are they doing? I can feel it... forming!'

'They took out her rib!'

'Shut up! I don't have much ti-AGH!' I slide down the wall and fall onto my hands and knees. I could feel them beginning to mess with the tendrils that had once covered the rib they removed. Broadwing releases an ear shattering and audio receptor piercing shriek of pain, causing the scientist to instinctively cover their ears. 

'Broadwing!'

'Jazz listen to me!'

The silver mech turns to me, gazing at me through his visor.

'Stop your spark!'

'WHAT?!'

Broadwing tries to speak, but he gasps in pain as they continue to pry, possibly having turned their audio receptors off. I hold my chest in pain, and take a deep breath. 

'If you stop your spark long enough to make them think we flatlined, they may give us energon, and that will be our escape!'

'Lil' lady.... That could.... Frag it, hold on you two!'

Suddenly, a new pain fills me. My chest fills with coldness, my body slowly grows numb. I feel my eyes flutter, and my ears pick up the faintest movement of frantic mechs. Something pokes my arm, but I can't feel anything anymore. My eyes begin to shut, and....

Energy rushes through me. 

I feel the energon flow through my veins, filling me with renewed strength. Jazz gasps for air and stumbles as his spark starts again. His servos clutch his chest, and Broadwing's face scrunches in pain. 'My lady... something... is wrong....' He doesn't say more, and before I could question him, I understand. The pain from our back returns, but it's different. I feel like something is there, needing to be released, but I couldn't release it yet. I needed more energon....

My eyes suddenly come to life, shining a bright orange.

'More.... Energon.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gotta stop there for now. Or else this will be another 4k word chapter. Next chapter is going under revising. I had one idea, but now two more joined the party and demand to be used instead. I'm trying to figure out how to combine them, and give you guys the best story.

Also sorry for the hiatus. College and work got busy.... R.I.P. Many apologizes readers! Hope you enjoy!

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