Team Prime, with the exception of Smokescreen and Ultra Magnus, they stayed out of the room to help keep the criminal in check. The bots were silent as the child, now adults, woke up. Jack slowly opened his eyes and stared up at the Prime who held him in his servos. He stared at the blue optics for a moment and furrowed his brow.
"Optimus Prime?" He rasped weakly as he stared at the leader. He glanced around a little at the room they were in.
"Jackson Darby... take the time you need to fully awake. You have been... through a lot." He said gently as Arcee came into the young mans view.
"Do you know how long you were in this room?" She asked, seeing the look of recognition on his face.
"Depends." He chuckled dryly and coughed. "How old am I?" He half joked and Ratchet walked over to him as he scanned the human.
"If you're attempting humor, now is not the time." The doctor grumbled at him. The young man nodded weakly and closed his eyes.
"D... does the... computer say?" He asked and looked over to him. "I was out before we left earth... and honestly don't remember much. We were meeting up with Rafael to talk about our next mission from Agent Fowler. Since we're on the secret team and all to help Ratchet and... anyway. A Cybertronian came out of nowhere as we were driving to the meeting place. We got out to greet him... since he obviously wasn't in his alternate mode... we didn't want him to cause a problem for himself." He muttered and trailed off a little. He frowned and grunted as he sat up before he became dizzy and fell back against the Primes servo.
"A... are the... others alive?" He asked and looked at them. Optimus nodded slowly as Ratchet scanned him again. The young mans readings were all dangerously low. The doctor cursed quietly and searched the room. The Prime noticed his friends frustration and looked to the tired human.
"What happened after that, Jackson?" He asked gently. He needed to keep him talking so they didn't lose him. Arcee went to help, knowing his time was nearly up.
"Hmmm?" He mumbled, having dozed off a little. "Oh... sorry Optimus..." he whispered and frowned as he realized he was sporting facial hair. He felt his own face for a moment as he thought.
"After getting out of the car and showing we meant no harm... we tried to see what insignia he had, if any... so we could approach things properly. We didn't see anything and he suddenly scanned us with something. He then said out names but we didn't respond to him. He told us to come with him quietly but we refused...." he trailed off again as he watched the other two search.
"I didn't know what to do... he was angry that we wouldn't come... and fired on one of the cars... blowing it up. We quickly got out of the way and.... I told the others to get in the car and get out of there. I had my modified gun... something Ratchet and Knockout helped us build so we could stand a chance against any cons that might show up." He clarified. "Miko went towards the car with Raf as I provided cover fire. She grabbed the gun and helped as Raf got the car started.... Optimus... that Cybertronian... didn't care about what happened to us." He said seriously and looked at him.
"We gathered that from how you were mistreated." Wheeljack growled as he watched him.
"It was part of his sick game." Arcee said as she narrowed her optics. Ratchet found a few IV lines and some other medical items. He grumbled as he worked and Arcee helped.
"Games... oh... right the arena." Jack said as he slowly remembered that place. He trailed off again as he lay there and closed his eyes.
"How did he capture you?" Optimus asked, worry making it's way into his spark as Bumblebee called his team outside.
"I forgot he could talk..." Jack said as he smiled a little and looked at the leader. "The... con? I'm not sure what he was... he fired on us and blasted the car while Raf was inside.... it... flew into the air and flipped around... rolled... as it caught fire.... landing on it's hood in the gully...." he said quietly as he remembered. "Miko went down to help him as I continued to fight. He wanted me to stop... so he tried to step on me a few times... I managed to get out of the way... until he moved too fast... I fired on him after he hit the ground by me... made me fly a little and I hit the ground... next thing I knew.... I felt pain in my leg as he crushed it under his ped..." he muttered and glanced to his leg. He stared blankly as he remembered the phantom pain. Arcee walked over and gently set a servo on his shoulder.
"Here." Ratchet said as he walked over and gave him a little box he found. A supply kit the Cybertronian had made before leaving earth, knowing they ate different.
"Someone did their research." Bulkhead growled as he glanced to Miko. She stirred as she started to wake up. Ratchet scoffed as Arcee helped the young man and they made sure he drank water.
"That's an awful lot of trouble for 'entertainment' if you ask me." The doctor growled and gave boxes to the others.
"If you could call his sick game that." Wheeljack growled as he looked at them again.
"All I know... is I was picked up by that... thing... and dropped a few times... I finally blacked out from the pain... the scars are from him... picking me up." He muttered and stopped as he saw the anger in their optics. Not towards him though.
"Get some rest Jack... we'll get you guys home soon." Arcee said and looked at him. He nodded slowly and drank more water as he stared blankly.
"Oh... good... you guys found us." Miko said as she stretched and yawned. She opened her eyes but the one with the scar was blind. This made Wheeljacks Energon boil with rage.
"Miko... kid what happened?" Bulkhead asked as he gently nudged her with a digit.
"Just a battle scar Bulk." She said and smiled a little to reassure him. She looked to Jack and her smile faded. "Did... Jack tell you?" She asked quietly.
"He told us what he could remember..." Arcee said and looked over to her. "He battled the monster that attacked you kids." She glared darkly.
"Ya.... he did what he could and got some good hits in that thing." She smiled a little as she looked to her friend. "I went after the car after it went down the gully. It was upside down and poor Raf didn't get his seatbelt on in time." She whispered quietly. "The windows were all smashed out and he was cut up pretty badly... his arm was pinned under some of the smashed and twisted metal... I had to get him out.... I couldn't move the car on my own...." she whispered quietly and looked at them with tears in her eyes as she remembered.
~
"Raf! Raf wake up!" Miko cried as she tugged on the car to desperately try and move it. She looked back up the hill where she heard Jack cry out in agony. Her eyes widened and she forced herself to crawl into the mangled car. She grunted and covered her face briefly as twisted metal cut her face.
"Scrap." She cursed quietly as blood blinded her. She hadn't seen it and cut herself as she turned her head. The car threatened to blow up and she shook Rafael awake. "Raf come on! I need you to move!" She cried.
"Miko?" He rasped weakly and glanced around a little. "I... can't... move... everything hurts..." he rasped.
"I know... I know... but we have to get out of here. That thing will be on top of us in a few minutes." She said and looked around before trying to pull him out. He screamed in agony as he was moved.
"Miko stop!" He cried and looked at her as he panted quietly. "You'll have... you'll have to run for it..." he whispered.
"And leave you to die?! Jack is dead for all I know! I'm not losing you too." She growled and got out before looking around. His arm was broken and mangled, and the only thing keeping him in the car. She hesitated as she found her machete. "Raf... please forgive me." She said and raised it high above her head as the con came into view. Rafael looked away as he squeezed his eyes shut.
~
"I... I had to... I didn't know what else to do..." she whispered quietly and looked at them with tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry..." she whispered. "Once... I... did it... he blacked out... I wrapped his wound and got him out of harm's way... the car blew up on the con... and I made my way through the woods... but he caught up to us... he took us and... we were on his ship...." she whispered quietly and looked at them. "Agent Fowler put all of us through some medical school so we could take care of each other... it paid off... but..." she looked down and fell silent as her tears kept coming.
"Y... you had to chop of Jack's leg..." Ratchet whispered quietly in realization. She nodded quickly and buried her face as she sobbed into her hands. "By the All Spark..." he gasped in surprise.
"I had to... the injury would have killed him... I did what I could to help them but... it wasn't enough." She sobbed. Ratchet glanced to Bumblebee, he knew how she felt.
"You... did... a good job..." Rafael whispered and glanced over to her. "You had to do what... was needed to... save us." The young man whispered and smiled a little.
"Rafs right. We'd both be dead if you didn't do what you had to." Jack said as he smiled proudly. She looked at them and wiped her tears away as she smiled a little.
"You're both suck-ups." She said but they knew she appreciated it. The bots watched them and kept silent for a moment.
"Alright, someone needs to shove a grenade down that mechs neck cables." Wheeljack growled and went towards the door. No one stopped him this time as he waited to be let out.
"I'm guessing he just worked on capturing the rest later. I've gathered that the children have been here for a month." Ratchet said as he typed, setting up a field so the wrecker could leave. Also not bothering to stop him.
"That no good-"
"Arcee language." Ratchet snapped without looking at her. He stopped and sighed shakily as the children quietly ate food and drank water. He looked at them until they all glanced towards him. "I swear... by Primus we're going to make this right." He said seriously. "I'm going to do what I can to help all of you." He promised. They stared at him and nodded slowly. Rafael stared blankly and looked up at Bumblebee as he lay there.
"Bee... I can't feel my legs..." he whispered quietly and the bot blinked in surprise as tears filled his optics.
"Raf..." he rasped in distress and held him carefully and close. The others heard, but didn't say anything. Optimus just stared blankly as he thought about what this mech had done to the children.
He would pay dearly.