Hey, everyone! This story hasn't been stolen. You may know me as Queen of the Beasts here. I just decided to move this story onto this account because of some personal decisions that I can't explain right now. One of them I can say for now is that I wanted to reboot this and start from scratch. (And like I said when I started to write this baby down, this story was inspired by TheSealer's Transformers: TechnoEarth.) You'll see what I was inspired by once he gets that story back up.

Now, let's get on with the show, shall we?

Chapter One

An inhuman scream had broken through the base. Arcee was the first one to jump off of her berth and run out of her quarters to the command center. She approached the human area as a familiar teen shot up, mouth gaped open and eyes bloodshot and wide. He was gasping for air, panting, trying to keep his heartbeat steady. Arcee gently ran a digit up his spine, the boy tensing and turning to her.

"Jack, are you okay?"

Jack sniffled and wiped his nose with his sleeve. "I—no." He pulled his legs up to his chest, shivering and trembling from the nightmare he had experienced.

Arcee deepened the rubbing, letting him know that everything was okay. "It's alright. Everything's okay."

"Except for mom," he growled.

Arcee was about to ask what he meant before it hit her like a sack of rocks.

His mother had died last week at Airachnid's hands.

A heavy weight seemed to fall onto her shoulders, making her knees feel weak, and her mind tried hard not to bring up the incident. Maybe that was what he was dreaming about. Some part of her felt guilty for what happened, but part of her told her that she didn't know this would happen, that it wasn't entirely her fault.

Yet it felt like it was.

"But…thanks anyways." Jack peeked at her. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"It's okay," she told him. "We do this all the time when we're angry or upset."

"No, it's not." Jack shook his head. "I never should have snapped like that. It wasn't fair. I just need time to take it all in. It hurts, though, that I lost her the same way…" He stopped as more tears started to build up. He furiously started to wipe them away.

"Whatever did happen to him? Your dad, I mean?"

Jack squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to not cry. The memories of his father came rushing back to him like a tsunami. His became sore and itchy. It always happened whenever he refused to cry.

"He…he passed away," Jack answered. He looked around the room, as if checking to make sure no one else was there listening into their conversation. He shifted so he was facing her. "Um, he was on a business trip somewhere in Washington. They didn't know what happened to him, he just collapsed and died in the hospital." More tears dripped out of his eyes, but now he didn't even bother to wipe them away.

"Jack, I'm so sorry," Arcee said.

"It's okay," Jack whispered. "It took us weeks to recover from his death and to move on."

"But now that June is not around…" Arcee didn't know how to finish her sentence. Then she perked up. "But if it makes it any better, we were thinking of getting custody of you."

Jack gaped up at her. "A-are you guys serious? You're going to look out for me until I'm at age?"

"Yeah, but it's supposed to be a surprise, so don't let the others know that I told you this."

Jack had no idea what to think of it. The Autobots were going to get custody of him, and that could mean that he didn't have to go live with some relative that lived so far away. "I don't know what to say."

"It's alright. Listen, Bulkhead and I are going to scout an energon mine tomorrow in the Sabine forest. How would you and Miko like to tag along?"

Jack smiled. "I could use a moment to get into the outdoors more."

"That's my Jack." She patted his head. "Now, get some rest. We're going to have a long day tomorrow."

Jack's grin grew more before he settled down back on the couch, pulling blanket over him.

"Sweet dreams, Jack."

"We're supposed to be at a rock concert!" Miko whined. "But all I see is rock!"

"Relax, Miko," Jack said, waving a hand. "The show doesn't start for two hours."

The Asian girl's features darkened as she turned to him. "Do you know how long I've waited to see Slash Monkey?" she grounded out.

"Uh…" Jack started.

"Forever!" Miko shrieked, cutting him off. "And it's their only U.S. date."

Jack grinned. "That's a shock," he supplied. "I mean, who doesn't love obscured Bulgarian shriek music?"

"Shut up," Miko growled as Bulkhead and Arcee walked out of the cave.

"By all appearances the mine's been stripped," Arcee said.

"But I'm getting a signal!" Bulkhead protested. "It's faint, but it's definitely energon."

"Whoa!" Miko breathed, looking back at her companion in excitement.

"Doesn't make sense," Arcee muttered. "This operation's been abandoned four maybe five years? And Decepticons never leave energon behind."

Miko jumped off the rock and ran into the cave.

"Uh, guys?" Jack asked.

The two Autobots looked down at him. Jack pointed to the cave. There was no trying to stop Miko. He'd just gotten used to it.

"Cool!" Miko yelled, running farther into the cave.

"She went in," Arcee sighed. "Unbelievable."

"Really?" Jack asked as he jumped down from the rocks. "Have you…met her?"

Bulkhead groaned and went after the girl. "Miko, get back here!"

"It would be kind of interesting to see the inside," Jack hinted. "You know if it were…"

"Safe?" Arcee said. "A stripped mine is structurally unstable, Jack."

"Pwease?" Jack begged, giving her his best puppy pout.

"Just…don't do anything stupid," she finally said.

Jack smiled and pumped his fist as he followed Arcee in.

"This place is awesome," Jack breathed as he looked up at the glittering pillars of stone.

"Careful," Arcee scolded. "This is like a landmine. One false move and you'd have limbs flying everywhere."

"Since when do caves become landmines?" Jack smirked.

"You would be surprised what a Decepticon can make possible," Arcee said. She stopped suddenly when she heard her audio link crack with life.

"Arcee," Bulkhead's voice came from the other end. "Found something."

Arcee froze, holding a servo up to her receptor.

"Bulkhead? Bulkhead, do you read? Scrap," she cursed. "The mineral composition down here is causing too much interference."

"Hey, I hear voices," Jack said. "Maybe it's Bulkhead and Miko." The only way they would find out was the follow the voices. And that was what they did.

"You have ceased to be of use to me, Starscream," a gravelly voice growled. "So you shall simply cease to be!"

The duo froze as they came to the entrance. Jack peered inside and saw Megatron pointing his blaster at Starscream's helm.

"He's going to kill him!" Jack whispered in horror.

Megatron looked up at the group, a moment of silence passed. Then he began shooting at them. Arcee dove forwards, knocking Jack out of the way.

"Stay down!" she yelled.

Megatron shot at the pillar they were hiding behind mercilessly.

The shots ceased for a moment.

"STARSCREAM!" Megatron roared, "You dare abandon me?"

A blast shook the cavern. Arcee shot at the warlord. He turned around, trying to shoot at her again. But Arcee kept at him forcing his blasts to angle upwards and into the unstable ceiling.

Suddenly, the cavern began to rumble, shaking violently. Arcee stumbled, looking back at Jack, who was trying to get to safety. One of the spires cracked off from the ceiling, burying Megatron beneath it. Cracks began to form in the ground, and they snaked towards Arcee.

"Scrap!" Arcee hissed as she backed up. Before she could do anything, the ground beneath her gave in.

Jack didn't have the time to respond as the Earth swallowed him up.

Jack awoke, blearily blinking his eyes. He couldn't move. He was stuck. Jack started panicking, struggling to free himself. The rocks shattered and the boy was free.

"Arcee?" he called out. "Bulkhead? Miko?"

Nothing but echoes came back, mocking him.

Jack coughed and grunted as he pushed off some of the rocks that had fallen on top of him and stood in the dark cavern. He looked over himself and found that he was absolutely fine. There wasn't a single bruise or scratch on him. Convincing himself that he just gotten lucky, Jack looked around him, in hopes that Arcee would be nearby.

"Arcee! ARCEE! Oh, scrap," he muttered as he moved to look for her. He continued to call out for Arcee and the others as he climbed over the rocks for what felt like an hour before he lucked out. Jack smiled as he spotted a drill-like machine that was obviously of Cybertronian origin. "Well, that could come in handy."

He climbed up onto the control panel and stared at it for a second before he read the controls and turned on the machine. He smiled in victory as it started to hum, but his triumph faded as he realized he'd just read Cybertronian writing. I just got lucky… again… Yeah right, stop trying to kid yourself Darby.

Jack shook his head and turned his attention to the matter at hand. He had to find the others before Megatron or Starscream did. He pushed the lever forward and looked over the drill.

"Roll out."

A moment later the drill hit a barrier of rock. There seemed to be something underneath there. A few seconds later, a clean clear hole defaced the barrier. Jack smiled as he pulled the drill back and to the side, eager to see his friends. When the dust settled, the smile melted off his face. Because, the face Jack saw in the rocks was none other than Megatron's.

"I suppose helping those less fortunate would be completely out of the question?" he asked the boy.

Jack's blue eyes glinted uncertainly as he backed up slowly.

"If that is the case," he continued, "you might as well use your drill to finish me. I guarantee that you will never have a better opportunity than right now."

Jack looked appalled at the idea of killing him though there was a hesitance in rejecting the idea completely.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Think of the glory, seize the day. Optimus would." Megatron said and he slowly moved his free hand.

"No he wouldn't, not like this," Jack said and Megatron felt his triumph slip away. As he watched the child move to the control panel and start to drive away, he thought about the different ways he could use this boy to his advantage.

"I will be sure to share the details of our little conversation with Optimus, the day I rip out his spark!" He shouted after the disappearing human. He looked at the hole that human had made and with his free hand, began to tear away at the walls.

Jack had left Megatron behind him not even half an hour ago and yet his mind only seemed to be stuck on what the Decepticon had said. Should he of just finished him off, right then and there? He didn't think he could have, even if he wanted to. If it had been Airachnid in there instead of Megatron …

A loud boom rattled the drill, jolting him out of his thoughts. Jack stopped it for a moment and looked around.

"That's it, Autobot!" an almost high pitched voice screeched. "I will…"

"You'll what?" a deeper voice snapped. "You'll make me bring down the ceiling on top of all of us?!"

"That sounds like Bulkhead," Jack said aloud as he started the drill again.

"Run, Miko!" Bulkhead yelled.

"Yes," Starscream purred. "Run Miko, I'd love to see you try. Really I would."

Jack growled, ramming the drill's point into the wall. "That's it!"

Miko was like a sister to him. Annoying at times, yes. But she was his little sister. The drill bit into the chamber behind the wall, catching Starscream in the side. Jack stopped the drill and looked at Bulkhead.

"Jack!" the green mech grunted. "Get Miko out of here! NOW!"

Jack hopped down and held out his hand to Miko. "Come on, come on!"

Miko looked painfully at her guardian and then back to Phyla.

"Run Miko!" Bulkhead shouted as the ceiling began to cave again.

Miko reached up for Jack's hand and he pulled her up, seeing tears in her amber eyes.

"We can't leave Bulkhead!" Miko wailed.

"I'm sorry," Jack whispered as he backed the drill out. "I wish there was something I could do."

Jack drove through another wall. Miko had climbed up next to him, unusually silent.

"Arcee will save him, won't she?" Miko finally asked.

"You guys and I just need to find a way out of here before Megatron digs himself free," Jack said.

"Megatron's down here too?" Miko panicked.

As the drill moved forward the silhouette of a Cybertronian stood in their path and in the darkness, Jack couldn't tell who it was. As the being moved closer, he felt his chest flutter as he recognized who it was.

"Arcee!" he shouted.

"I'm glad you three are alive," Arcee said. "Where's Bulkhead?"

"Starscream has him trapped in the next cavern," Jack explained.

"You can save him, right?" Miko begged in desperation.

"Or die trying," Arcee promised, heading to the cavern they just left. "You two wait here," she ordered.

"No problem," Jack sighed.

She gave a wave and disappeared to go help Bulkhead. Jack looked over at Miko and the two shared a relieved smile. They were going to be okay.

Prima did not want to admit it, but he was proud of the boy for not having to use the opportunity to slay the Decepticon warlord.

Nexus Prime and the rest of his brethren nearly were surprised, yet proud of the boy for his decision. They had all been watching Optimus for as long as they could remember, but lately they had been focused on the boy from the small pool they had in their possession. It had been sad, though, that his mother had died days ago. The poor woman was fair and just. How could she have died so soon?

"I have seen the images of his sire," a voice said. "He does look like him."

They looked up to find a brilliant white mech emerge from thin air.

"Prima," Vector Prime returned the greeting. "Good to see you."

The first Prime smiled and came closer. "What is his name?"

"Jackson," Nexus answered. "That is his name."

Prima smiled as he watched the three odd beings gather with the Autobots. "I suppose you have requested me here because of what happened at Kaon."

"You've heard too, huh?" Amalgamous said.

Prima gave him a suspicious look. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

Alchemist Prime commanded the pool to disappear before closing they turned to him and then said, "This is between us only. Do not tell anyone else. A message was given to me from a neutral. Thank the stars above no one else has gotten it or war would have started across the galaxy. The message was graphic and disgusting to read. I only suspect that the mad titan himself was behind it."

"Alchemist, you cannot possibly mean..." Onyx left that question hanging in the air. "Brethren, we cannot just stand by."

"No, we can't," Vector agreed. "But we must hang on to this for a little while longer. Which is why we must confront the boy for this matter."

There was a brief moment of silence. One could hear a cricket chirp.

"I suppose that means we'll just have to improvise from there," Micronus finally said.

"There is no way I want him or any of the others to attract attention from anyone or anything until we get everything situated. This is larger than what we have ever imagined. However, if I'm correct and if we can just find what we can to testify anything against him, we can send this to the inferno and back," Prima said.

At that moment, the doors banged open and darkness invaded upon the speakers. The crew shielded their faces as Prima's light brightened, combating the darkness. The darkness solidified to form a tall, shaded figure with glowing red optics. Micronus yelped and ducked behind Onyx.

"What are you doing here?" Vector asked calmly.

"You," the shrouded figure growled. "You are interfering with my plans."

Alchemist's optics darkened.

"Your so called plans, Liege Maximo," said Nexus, "are set to destroy an entire race of sentient beings."

"That are no better than we are," Liege Maximo smirked.

"Nevertheless, we will defend them," Prima answered.

"You will fight, brethren," Liege Maximo growled. "And you will lose. Humanity is meant to be ruled, and I shall do just that!"

And just like that, the enemy was gone.

"Wait," Micronus started. "I have an idea."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense, lad," Alchemist spoke. "Let us hear it."

"The prophecy of the dark one, it is nearing us," Micronus said. "Optimus is the only Prime living today in reality, and he would use the Matrix to foil the prophecy."

"What are you getting at?" Vector asked.

There was a moment of silence before they pieced it together, then came the protests.

"You are suggesting that if he chooses the boy to carry the key that we should confront him and do it just like that?" Onyx growled in disapproval.

"Are you mad, brother?" Alchemist agreed.

"That's crazy!" Amalgamous shouted.

"Silence!" When it was settled, Prima turned to Micronus. "Are you wishing that we will create the first human Prime out of the boy?"

"If it is what it takes," Micronus nodded.

"Very well then," Prima sighed, shocking his fellow brothers. "We shall have to test him first to see if he has what it takes to be a Prime first. Nexus will do just that."

"Me?" Nexus' optics flickered in surprise.

"You are the only one that can help carry out these tests on the boy," Prima nodded. "They should not be hard for you to do, will it?"

Nexus shook his head. "N-no brother. They shouldn't."

Vector Prime closed an optic. This was going to be an encounter that he wasn't looking forward to.

Onyx walked away, stopping when he was next to Prima. "I hope you know what you are doing, brother."

Prima kept his composure stoic, but he was a bit worried.

"Brother?"

"I am more concerned about what future wait on Earth if Optimus does not succeed into defeating Unicron," Prima owned up.