Being Human (Transformers Prime)

Chapter Two | Act of Courage

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear."

~Ambrose Redmoon

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The three kids laid dejectedly on the berths that were ten times too big for them, the energon cuffs humming in the silence. Miko and Rafael had several drying tear streaks on their faces, Jack trying hard to keep it together. It was hard, given that Arcee had been- is -his best friend and partner, and he didn't know how badly she had been injured.

It had been a trap since square one. The scanners had picked up energon after a recent earthquake in California, near the San Andreas Fault, so the Autobots had thought nothing of it when they Groundbridged out to take a look. Earth was constantly shifting and moving, so occasionally energon deposits would show up after an earth-altering event such as an earthquake. Of course, Miko had snuck along and the boys had followed. Once there, Arcee had been charged with watching the kids as they came upon a giant energon deposit underground. They thought that the mine was new, when in reality the Decepticons had already found and cleared most of the place. What was left was just enough to set the trap.

Starscream had baited them first, appearing before them and begging to be freed from Megatron. When the Autobots refused and Optimus prepared to shoot him Vehicons jumped out of their hiding places and began attacking. Arcee had backed the kids into a corner and stood over them as protection, holding her ground against the drones. That's when Knock Out came, distracting her but in the end getting beat pretty badly by the femme. Only then did Megatron lose his patience and arrived, flinging the two-wheeler to the side like a piece of paper and grabbing all three kids in one swipe, transforming and flying out of the mine while Starscream detonated the next phase of their plan, both he and Knock Out escaping with the energon explosion right on their tailpipes.

How close Arcee was to the explosion, Jack didn't know. All he had heard was the muffled blast and Megatron laughing at the Autobot's misfortune.

And now, he, Miko, and Rafael were stuck on the Decepticon warship, at the mercy of its owners. Knock Out had stopped taunting them a while back and instead had busied himself at the computer, his digits making soft tapping sounds as he worked.

The door swooshed open to reveal a one-eyed, purple Decepticon with one good arm and a canon strapped to the other, the powercord swaying from side to side as the giant slowly strides through the door. His one eye focused on the children, monotonous male voice making Jack's spine tingle with fear.

"These are the humans, I presume?"

Knock Out let out a vent. "Of course. Do you know of any other humans aboard this ship? It's not like we have our own pets running around here."

"I was asking a logical question." Shockwave replied, ignoring the medic's sarcasm and moved his helm slightly so he could focus his gaze on Miko, who promptly stuck her tongue out at him. He didn't seem fazed by that either, his attention going to Rafael next. The smallest of three, the child shook the hardest and showed more prominent signs of distress.

"Am I done here?" Knock Out asks with annoyance in his voice. "Or do you need me to play gopher and fetch you something?"

Shockwave didn't answer him for a time, taking his gaze off of the humans and tapping something into the computers, looking at something before turning back to Knock Out.

"Are these files updated?"

"As updated as they can be." Knock Out looked smug. "I made sure to note every detail I could on them. If you need more information I'm sure Soundwave would be more than happy to hack into their government's database for you."