"There comes a time when one must fight, and a time when one must stay out of the fight." - Unknown.

“That’ll take some getting used to,” Jack groaned out as he, Miko and Raf held their heads.

Pan blinked at the three curiously. She didn’t feel any different.

“Whoa,” Raf gasped, his eyes looking at the massive dishes ahead of them.

“Come on,” Pan’s phone said and they started running towards the small building where they entered via the small door and wandered down the short hallway to a dark room with a computer hidden inside of it.

Raf immediately settled down on the chair in front of the computer as Pan, Miko and Raf drifted around the room. Pan being closer to Raf than the other two, watching his progress curiously.

“Security sure is lax in this place,” Miko said after checking no one was coming down the hall.

‘I guess,’ Pan shrugged at her, a puzzled look on her face as she held up the post-it note.

“I’m in,” Raf said, before sighing, “And so are the Decepticons.”

Jack looked closer to the screen, his blue eyes narrowed in confusion as he attempted to read it, “How do you know?”

“How can you tell?” Miko asked the boy curiously.

“Schematics, with the same alien math we saw on the ship,” Raf said before he pulled out a flash drive, “This time, I can download it,” he said smugly.

Pan chuckled at the smug note in his voice as she watched his amazing work. The young boy brightening up.

Miko blinked as she attempted to read it, “It’s got to be the space bridge.”

“It is, the cons are syncing it to the dishes,” Raf nodded, “But, I can sync to them,” he added, rather smugly.

“Will they know?” Jack asked as the little hacker, who looked up at him.

“Even if they see I’m in the system, they’ll have no idea I’m in the house,” Raf shrugged to Jack as he kept typing.

“They’re locked on to Cybertron,” Raf said, and the other three in the room gave him concerned looks, “But not for long,” he finished.

“The dishes are heading back towards Cybertron,” Raf said making the other two look back at the screen, “I’ll just undo that again,” he added, a proud grin on his face as he spotted Pan’s slightly awestruck look on her face.

Pan had known that Raf was brilliant, but she didn't know he was freaking master!

“What happens when the ‘cons realised they’re being punked?” Jack asked leaning in close to Raf’s shoulder as he looked at the computer screen.

“It’s only virtual combat. You know online gaming,” Raf said casually before going back to typing. A small chuckle left Pan, causing Raf’s face to light up happily.

“Yeah, Jack. What are the ‘Cons gonna do? They're probably like a thousand miles away.” Miko said, rolling her eyes at the older boy who shot a narrowed glare at her.

“Ahh!” Miko and Jack shouted, dodging the tentacle, as Raf kept typing.

“I won’t let them lock on again,” He muttered as he typed. Jack and Miko had managed to get stuck on the tentacle and were being flung through the air when

“Raf!” Pan’s phone shouted, warning him as the tentacle hit the chair. He quickly grabbed the flash drive before the tentacle smashed the computer. Pan quickly covered him as Miko ran at it with an axe. She failed and got hit back to the wall beside Pan and Raf.

‘Really?’ Pan mentally groaned, watching as the tentacle picked up the Axe that Miko dropped.  

“You handed it an axe?” Jack almost screamed at Miko furiously.

“Not good,” Raf gulped holding onto Pan who stood protectively in front of him. They watched as the tentacle went to hit them before stopping.

The four of them looked at each other before coming a silent agreement as they chased after the tentacle.

We made it to the room where the ‘con was. He took a look at us and I heard a faint gasp then a click and a click from Miko’s phone before he transformed as flew away.

“Why is he leaving?” Miko asked.

“He cut the hard wire. The dishes are locked onto Cybertron...” Raf trailed off, pausing as he gulped, “For good.”

🛠️

:[So, how do we beat a whole planet of the undead?]: Bulkhead’s voice asked nervously through the comms.

“Optimus, I’m registering a rapidly expanding mass in their space bridge, one with a peculiar energy signature,” Ratchet reported to the Autobots up in space as Fowler got up, Pan being one.

:[Dark Energon]: Optimus said gravely, :[Ratchet, we must destroy the space bridge. There’s enough live energon coursing through it to achieve detonation, but we lack the firepower to ignite it]:

“If I knew how the space bridge was engineered, I might find a technical way of accomplishing that feat,” Ratchet said, groaning under his breath.

Raf brought out the flash drive he managed to download the space bridge data on, “Um, would schematics help?” Raf offered the flash drive to Ratchet.

“Optimus, I must say the space bridge is our sole hope of ever returning to Cybertron. Are you certain its destruction is the only option?” Ratchet asked Optimus himself this time.

:[I am afraid so]: Optimus said.

“Then, by all means, let us light our darkest hour,” Ratchet said confidently.

:[Autobots, take your positions and follow Ratchet’s lead while I make my stand]: Optimus commandeered over the comms.

“Those things are getting closer. That’s bad, right?” Fowler asked the four humans. Pan taking pity on the man and giving him a silent nod.

:[Ratchet, we’re in position]: Arcee said over the coms as Raf typed on a computer, transfiguring the data from the flash drive to Ratchet’s computer.

“Arcee, pay close attention,” Ratchet started, “Follow the line from the flow regulator to the energon pump. There should be a valve,” he guided Acree.

:[I see it]: Arcee replied.

“Good. To turn all that power against itself, all you need do is reverse the current,” Ratchet said looking at the screen warily as Arcee grunted before it went silent.

:[Current reversed]: Arcee said breathlessly.

“Yes!” Fowler cheered as he jumped, fist bumping the air. “Right?” He asked when no one else was celebrating.

“I’ll ready the ground bridge,” Ratchet said moving away from the computer, “Optimus the ground bridge is ready and waiting,” he commed the Prime.

“Do you think they’re-” Raf asked trailing off.

Ratchet looked at the data on his arm, “Four life signals, one very faint,” Ratchet said grimly watching the ground bridge.

Optimus was the first to make it through.

Bulkhead was after him. Exhaustion on his faceplates.

Miko's face lit up, “Bulkhead!” she shouted as she ran down the stairs and hugged his servo.

Raf bit his lip as he watched for his yellow and black guardian. Jack’s eyes widened in shock as Bumblebee then came through with Arcee in his arms.

“We lost one this week,” Ratchet muttered, “By the Allspark, don’t let it be two,” he finished.

Pan shooting her guardian a look, to which he ignored in favor of not seeing those spark-seeing green orbs.

Jack walked up to the Arcee, who was being held by Bumblebee carefully, and placed his hand in Arcee's hand.

“Arcee,” Jack said quietly as she opened her eyes.

“Jack. Really? There are other motorcycles in the world,” Arcee teased weakly.

Jack smiled softly, “But you’re my first,” he told her. A chuckle leaving Arcee's derma.

Ratchet then turned to Optimus, “And Megatron?” he asked.

Pan glanced to the two, being the only one of the four who didn't have to greet their guardian, taking not of the seldom look on the great Prime's faceplates.

“Not even he could have survived ground zero,” Optimus answered, the slightest amounts of distress in his voice.

“Prime,” Fowler said, speaking up suddenly, making Optimus look at him. “I didn’t get to thank you ‘bots for the save. I owe you one. We all do,” Fowler said he made it the elevator and the elevator doors shut.

A thoughtful look suddenly crossed Miko’s face before she was suddenly in front of Optimus who blinked down at her, “So, is this the part where you say goodbye and tell us we need to forget we ever saw you?” she asked nervously.

Optimus looked over the humans and the rest of Team Prime.

🛠

“Without a means of leaving this world, we Autobots take strength in the bonds we have forged with our four young friends. True warriors, if not in body, then in spirit.”

Pan grinned as she sat beside Ratchet who let the smallest of fond smile grace his derma before going back to his stoic mask.

Raf grinned up to his guardian as he spoke about what he was doing on his laptop, Bumblebee happily listening and asking questions at the right time., even going on to describe his old home planet.

Jack and Miko battled each other out on the playstation that Fowler had brought them. Bulkhead cheering on Miko as Arcee shook her head at the three. A smile on her derma.

Optimus’ derma had twitched into a smile as he watched Team Prime before sneaking away again.

“My name is Optimus Prime, and I send this message. Though we did not choose to be of Earth, it would seem that we are here to stay.

If you approach this planet with hostile intent, know this.

We will defend ourselves.
We will defend Humanity,
We will defend our home.”

🛠

Pan's phone lit up in her bag.

‘Hey, Pan,’ - Logan.

Here's Chapter Eighteen, and we finally finished "Darkness Rising"!

Gods, I am so cruel for leaving you all on that cliffhanger.

Who is this mysterious "Logan"? Comment your thoughts!

Hope you enjoyed!
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