Red had had enough.
"What?" She finally snapped.
Miko grinned. "I win."
"I don't even know what's going on." Jack looked at Raf with a frown. "Do you?"
"I think they're having a staring contest." Raf replied slowly, also confused.
Miko glared. "No! We were having a who-is-gonna-talk-first-moment. Ms. Rainbow over there lost."
"I don't know if it's the safest idea to have moments with her." Bulkhead spoke up.
"What's the worst that could happen?" Miko asked.
"I could break free and snap your spine." Red replied lowly.
Miko bursted out laughing. "Oh please, you got beat up by Vince! You'd never beat me in a fair fight!"
"So that's what happened!" Jack stood up and pointed at Miko. "I knew it wasn't 'girl problems!'"
Miko raised an eyebrow. "You want a cookie?"
Jack sat down and huffed. "Thanks for backing me up, Raf."
The smaller boy opened his mouth, but Miko cut them off.
"So, Ms. Rainbow, why do you work for MECH?"
"Why do you go to school?"
"Fair." Miko nodded. "Except you shot me, so it's not fair. Answer the question."
Red rolled her eyes and leaned back. Miko was too annoying for her own good.
"Oh, so we're getting the silent treatment?" Miko demanded. "Guess who won that last time."
Red glared. That was unfair. She didn't even know they were having a silence contest.
Shooting Miko was unfair too... so was pretty much everything Red had done since meeting them...
Honestly, it's Fowler's fault. He should have kept better security for his top secret alien robots. And allowing random kids to join up? That was practically begging for infiltration.
Arcee walked over, sending a glare to Red before looking at the other three humans, who were crowding Red as if her chair was a cheetah zoo.
"Jack, what's going on?" The femme asked lowly.
"We're interrogating the hostage!" Miko grinned.
"How's that working out?" Arcee crossed her arms.
Miko gave Red a pointed look. "It's a work-in-progress."
Ratchet's monitor started to go off and the medic straightened himself beflre turning to the others. "I've detected an energon signal, Optimus."
"A mine?" The Prime questioned.
"Too small." Ratchet shook his head. "Looks like a lone cybertronian. In fact, the signal is incredibly close to Smokescreen's."
Smokescreen tilted his head. "I don't have any relatives."
Optimus frowned. "We will investigate this."
Ratchet nodded and opened the groundbridge as Optimus turned to look at Arcee.
"Stay here. Keep an eye on Red." Optimus instructed.
Arcee frowned. "Why can't Ratchet watch her?"
Optimus glanced at Ratchet to make sure the medic couldn't hear him before Optimus leaned closer to Arcee. "He's old."
"Yeah, okay," Arcee huffed, "she's just a human though."
Optimus turned away. "You have my orders."
Ever since Red figured out how to manually unlock her cuffs, she had been waiting for the right time to do so again. Fowler was a fool for not getting a new type after her first escape.
An energon signal like Smokescreen's? Red was familiar with many of the potential strategies MECH had. They were no doubt using a mixture of Smokescreen's energon to lure the Autobots out.
Silas was sending her a message.
This is your chance.
Red clicked the handcuffs off, the small noise going unnoticed by the other three humans, who were watching as the Autobots prepared to leave. Optimus turned away from Arcee and stepped toward the others.
Red suddenly lurched up and sprinted past the kids, each of them letting out cries of surprise as she ran directly for the groundbridge.
"Shut it down!" Optimus yelled, pushing past Bulkhead to stop her.
He was right behind her in seconds and Red passed through the swirling blue and green portal with Optimus just as it deactivated.
The Prime froze, not even thinking to grab Red as he took in the scene before him. Red skidded to a stop, her eyes wide with horror.
Straight ahead of them laid the remains of a vehicon. It was twisted and mangled, parts strewn across the forest.
It was covered in the bloodied remains of dozens of MECH soldiers.
Megatron stepped forward, his sword and feet wet with the bright red liquid. A victorious smirk spread across his face as he looked at his new prey.
"I don't think they meant for us to find them first."
Optimus's expression of shock faded and was replaced by grim determination. At the same time, Red's facade slid into place as well and she glared up at Megatron.
Those were her subordinates.
The warlord laughed, unperturbed by the macabre around him or the two angry lifeforms. Optimus considered charging Megatron, but he didn't want to leave Red unprotected.
Red had other ideas.
She ran forward, her eyes flickering across the bloody grass before coming to rest on one of MECH's electrical cannons. She snatched it up and pointed it at the warlord.
Megatron quickly noticed her intentions and moved forward to stop her, but Optimus lunged forward, throwing Megatron back.
The cannon hit him and Megatron roared angrily.
A groundbridge opened and Arcee's face was barely visible before another groundbridge appeared and a vehicon stepped through. An explosion rocked the air, throwing the three of them opposite directions.
Red scrambled to her feet, eyes methodically sweeping over the darkened landscape before shooting at Megatron again.
He saw it coming and lunged to the side, avoiding the device and grabbing Optimus. Red pointed it at the grappling titans.
It was hard to aim at just Megatron, and she considered just shooting repeatedly. After all, they were both her enemies. Unfortunately, Megatron seemed to have a greater pain tolerance than the Prime and if he was the one left standing, she would surely be killed.
She needed Optimus.
Red didn't lower her weapon, but she began to walk backward slowly, careful to avoid the vehicons and Autobots. The Autobots, for some reason, were completely ignoring her and the battle between their leaders.
Megatron was gaining the upper hand, despite having been shot previously. But Optimus knew exactly where they were; the kids had been trapped in the shadowzone before.
And Megatron didn't.
Optimus's eyes flickered to the side, where Bulkhead was bashing the faces of vehicons. He lunged toward them, Megatron in pursuit.
As Optimus's body slid straight through the wrecker's, Megatron paused in surprise, clearly having expected a collision. Optimus took the opportunity and thrusted his blade outward, jabbing straight into Megatron's leg.
With a furious roar, Megatron beat down on Optimus again with a new fervor. The Prime stumbled back, falling onto his back, beneath Megatron for the second time.
Megatron stood over him victoriously, blade pointed at Optimus's neck cables.
"There are no humans to save you this time." Megatron told him.
Optimus stared.
Red grinned.
And shot Megatron.
Optimus lurched up the moment the weapon made contact, grabbing Megatron as he cried out from the electrical shock. Optimus threw the warlord back and kicked him in the face. Megatron stumbled back, weakened, and Optimus's blade unsheathed itself.
Two groundbridges opened again, Soundwave having figured out his master's location. The three of them were yanked out of the shadow zone and thrown in different directions once more.
Optimus and Red quickly stood back up, while Megatron was slower.
He glared at Optimus, and then Red. "This is not over."
Megatron transformed and took off, flying into his groundbridge.
Optimus looked down at Red as the Decepticons retreated.
"Well done."
Once Ratchet had reactivated the groundbridge, the Autobots began to come through, Red walking alongside them.
"YOU BROKE OUT AGAIN!?" Fowler demanded, marching up to Red.
Her eyes narrowed and the girl's feet shifted, preparing to attack the angry agent. She could most certainly take him out.
Instead, Optimus stepped forward. "She saved my life."
Red returned to her chair. "I only saved you because Megatron would have killed me."
Fowler scowled. "Either way, you have proven to be too difficult for this to be your holding facility. I'm taking you to the Pentagon."
Red looked up at him and crossed her legs, leaning back and thinking. The girl held up her hand with a look of calm and began to count on her fingers.
"What are you doing?" Fowler demanded.
Red didn't reply for a long moment before she looked up and smiled. "I have sixteen MECH agents in the Pentagon."
Fowler blinked in surprise for a moment before it dawned on him. There really was no place he could take her where she didn't have the advantage.
MECH could be anywhere.
After all, they'd even been in the Autobot base, one of the most top secret facilities.
Fowler scowled and grabbed the handcuffs. He looked at them for a moment before growling. Red clearly knew how to escape them.
"I don't think that's necessary." Optimus stepped forward, his eyes locked on Red. "She won't hurt us."
"She shot Miko!" Fowler exclaimed, whirling around in surprise. "She's attacked us every chance she had!"
Optimus furrowed his brows. "No. Not recently."
Everyone looked at the Prime like he was losing his mind and Red simply stared at him with her emotionless gaze.
"You could have attacked Raf the first time you escaped, but you hesitated. You could have broken free and used one of the children against us at anytime, but you waited. You could have killed agent Fowler at night, but you didn't." Optimus looked at Red, searching her green eyes for any signs of life. "I believe we are changing you."
Ratchet scoffed. "She's not Megatron."
Optimus nodded. "That is correct. I was not able to save Megatron from his demons, but I will save you."
Red narrowed her eyes. "I don't need saving."
"That's what you think."