Jasper, 3rd POV

"Night Arcee, see you in the morning." Jack said as he switched the garage light off.

"Yeah, 'night." Arcee said in reply before the door shut behind the teen.

Jack sighed, leaning his back against the door, his head turned downward and eyes closed. After a moment he moved, going up the stairs and to his room. He shut the door behind himself, locking it, then went and closed the shades over his window.

He crossed into the bathroom that was deemed his (it was connected to his room after all). He then pulled his shirt off, turning to look in the mirror.

He felt his heart jump, it had spread.

Light, faintly glowing, blue colored markings that formed twisting runes ran along the length of his collar bone. It was begining to spread down the center of his chest, and starting to travel from the top of his shoulders, down his arms.

Jack knew it was wrong, to lie, and say nothing happend when he'd gone to Cybertron. But he decided it wasn't as important as stopping Megatron and the other 'cons, so he'd reassured everyone he was fine, and had gotten away without a single scan run over him (which in itself was a miracle).

But now he was begining to worry, lately the markings had been spreading, slowly but surely, and his strength and speed were increased significantly (as well as his inability to keep a hold on his temper). Now and then, he'd swear he saw his eyes glowing when he looked into the mirror.

"I...I can't tell them. It's..It's nothing, probably a little side effect, it'll go away." Jack whispered to himself for reassurance as he grabbed his shirt and tugged it back on.

"There are things way more important."

Next Day, Jack's POV

I stared at the white board as the teacher wrote on it, she was talking to us as she did.

"This is your homework for the weekend. Now, it is extremely complicated, but we've gone over everything you need to use to solve it this week, so you should be able to figure it out."

She stepped away from the board, and my mind suddenly set to work. I nearly had a heart attack as the problem made sense, it seemed so simple...

And I had the answer.

"So if you have trouble with it, just come speak with me at the end of class on Monday and-"

I tried to cover my mouth with a hand, but the answer left my lips before I could stop it.

"-190.2234."

The whole room went silent, and the teacher looked at me with shock.

"Could...*Ahem* Could you...please repeat that, Mr. Darby...?" I gulped.

"-190.2234, that...that's the answer." I said, thanking the lord that Miko and Raf were in different classes then me.

The teacher flipped through a text book, eyes scrolling down a page before looking back up.

"...That is correct." The teacher said, blinking at me while everyone else turned to gape at me.

I sank down farther in my seat, feeling irratated with the attention I was being given.

The bell rang and I was the first out the door. I went into the restroom, and locked myself in one of the stalls. I then removed my shirt, checking the markings. Panic twisted in my stomach.

They were begining to spread to almost my elbows, and going over my abdominin. The markings were growing even faster then that morning!

I closed my eyes as I struggled to calm myself down, breathing deeply. I then pulled my shirt back on and quickly left the restroom, heading to my locker. When I got there, I grimaced. Vince just had to have the locker that was three lockers down from mine. And he had his cronies with him.

I quietly went and opened my locker, hoping I would just be left alone.

But luck decided to hate me, and I heard Vince snicker as he came over.

3rd POV

A fist slammed into the locker next to Jack's, but the raven haired teen didn't even flinch, and simply continued to put his text books into his locker.

"Darby, never knew you were a math nerd." Vince said, laughing along with his goons.

Jack simply ignored him, adjusting his bag as he shoved a few books into his locker.

"Hey! I'm talking to ya here, Darby!" Jack glanced at Vince, but continued to be silent.

Vince growled in anger, pulling his fist back, he punched at Jack.

What happend next surprised everyone in the hall.

Jack spun around, and caught Vince's fist, just inches from his face.

Jack gripped Vince's fist tightly, feeling unnatural anger engulf him. He used the fist in his hand as leverage to turn Vince so that the red headed teen was against the lockers.

"If you dare ever try to hurt me or my friends. I swear you will regret it. Understand?" Jack said, venom dripping from his voice. His grip tightend more around the fist in his hand when the other teen didn't answer, and Vince made a muffled sound of pain.

"I said, Understand?"

Vince quickly nodded, and Jack released his hand, pushing Vince back into his cronies.

"The same goes for all of you too." Jack added, nodding to the other teens, who nodded vigerously.

Jack nodded curtly in farewell before leaving.

Autobot Base, Jack's POV

On the whole way to base, I'd kept wondering if what was happening to me was a gift or a curse, and I'd finally decided, as Arcee and I pulled into base, it was a little bit of both.

I got off Arcee, removing my helmet as she changed back from her alt mode.

I sat the helmet on one of the human sized tables placed for Miko, Raf and my own comfort. I then went to sit on the couch on the cement deck.

"Hey Jack." Raf greeted, offering a smile as he paused the video game he and Miko were playing.

"Hey." I replied, forcing a grin for him. Both he and Miko returned to their game, and I looked around base over the back of the couch.

Optimus, Ratchet and Arcee were talking quietly while looking at the monitor. Bulk and 'Bee were watching Raf and Miko play their game, now and then Bulk would put in his two cents in their conversation.

A flash of heat flooded my senses, along with white hot pain. Barely able to hold in a gasp of pain, I lay my head on the couch's back and closed my eyes tightly.

"Hey Jack, you okay?"

My eyes shot open and I looked up at Miko who was watching me curiously.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? You look like you just saw a ghost and-"

The heat I felt suddenly flared out.

"I said I'm FINE!" I snapped. Everyone looked at me with surprise, and I felt guilt twist in the pit of my stomach as all the anger, heat and pain left my body.

"Sorry Miko, I...I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just been a rough day."

Miko smiled slightly.

"S'okay Jack, I know ya didn't mean to, your way too nice anyway." She teased, and I grinned.

"I'm not sure if I should be insuted or flattered."

"Eh, a little bit of both." She replied with a shrug before turning back to the video game.

I gave a short laugh before looking around again. Arcee was looking at me with slight concern, but I gave her a reassuring smile. She returned it before turning to face Optimus and Ratchet again.

The Darby House, Later, 3rd POV

Jack groaned, his back arching off the bed as a spliting pain seared through him.

It had been happening more often since he'd first come back from Cybertron. He'd be engulfed in waves of white hot pain, and would have to lock himself in his room and wait it out.

He made sure that any sound he made was quiet, not wanting to alert Arcee or his mother to what was happening.

As the last strike of pain dissapeared, Jack slowly swung his legs off the bed, standing and going into his bathroom. He removed his shirt to check on the markings.

He stared at his reflection with sadness and fear.

The markings ever so faintly glowed. They'd gone to cover the sides of his elbows, not entirely going around his arm, and they'd dominated most of his abdominin now.

He lightly traced his fingers along the markings, watching as small sparks of electricity jumped between his chest and his finger tips.

It was getting worse, Jack knew it. His body was begining to regect food, he'd just an hour before emptied the contents of his stomach. And now the electricity, when he'd run his fingers along the markings.

Jack felt suddenly weak, and gripped the edge of the counter top, leaning most of his weight on it as he looked down, eyes wide with panic.

'I should tell everyone else, they'll help me! Tell me what's going on...'

Jack shook his head, clearing those thoughts out of his mind.

'No, this is MY problem, not theirs. I can deal with this...just breathe, Jack, just breathe. I won't be any more of a burden than I already am!'

Jack slowly looked back up, softly gasping when he momentarily saw glowing, optic like eyes that belonged to his reflection, before they flashed back to normal.

Jack's legs gave out on him, and he collapsed onto his knees, still gripping the edge of the counter. His eyes burned with hot tears, but Jack closed his eyes, not allowing them to fall.

His body trembled as another wave of heat passed through him, he felt like his blood was on fire. Anger boiled through his veins, uncontrolible rage.

But then it stopped suddenly, and Jack pulled himself back up to his feet slowly.

The marks had grown! The heat, that was what it was! The markings now fully engulfed his elbows, and traced along the contours of his abbs.

Jack clutched at his hair as panic made him nearly gag.

He pulled his shirt back on, then went back into his room. He curled up under the warm covers of his bed, half awake he reminded himself that he had to go into work and tell them he quit. Jack knew he couldn't work when there was the possiblility that pain would suddenly hit him.

He'd never liked his job anyway.