~3rd person

Ratchet worked furiously to get a ground bridge to Crystal's coordinates after she said someone else's had trapped her in the cave where she had been scouting for energon. Something was blocking their ground bridge, though, he couldn't open it.

The others had rendezvoused at the main hangar as soon as they heard that Crystal was in trouble, and Optimus ordered Bumblebee and Arcee to accompany him in a rescue attempt when Ratchet could get the ground bridge open.

The strange block suddenly disappeared and Ratchet pulled the lever to the ground bridge, watching worriedly as the three appointed to collect Crystal sped through.

On the other side, a mouth to a cave was visible, and the ceiling was high enough for even Optimus to proceed. The Vehicons that, unbeknownst to them, had been left to mine suddenly opened fire. Surprised by this and in the confines of the cave, Arcee was hit and even Optimus was clipped in the chest. Nevertheless, they eradicated the few drones quickly and then swept the area for Crystal. Arcee found signs on the wall that blaster fire other than from the skirmish they'd just had had hit there. She called Optimus over and noticed when she did that there was also drying energon on the cave floor, it couldn't have come from the skirmish either.

Optimus examined the blaster marks and energon himself, looking gravely at Arcee. It was then that Bee whirred and beeped in a combination of excitement and sadness. He walked over to Optimus and Arcee, holding something out in his hand. In it was Crystal's blaster and the device that brought up her car's holoform. Optimus frowned deeply.

"The cons took her…" Bee whirred. Arcee looked around at the blaster fire and enrgon.

"Yeah, but she sure didn't go without a fight." Arcee said. Optimus looked at both of his soldiers, worry evident on his f ace.

"We will alert Ratchet we need a ground bridge, and I will inform him on what has happened. With no way to track the Decepticon warship, as that is where she was likely taken, we can only pray that she is resourceful enough to find her way back or that Ratchet can locate her." Optimus said.

~Crystal's POV

I was forced to succumb to unconsciousness when Knockout induced stasis on me, and I returned to the waking world groggily, though it seemed like I was only out for a minute or two. I tried sitting up, noting that I only had one foot cuffed to the table where I lay. My gaze was unfocused and the room spun, and I cursed Knockout silently. Either his equipment wasn't nearly as good as Ratchet's or he just didn't care about me. Probably a combination of both.

I blinked repeatedly, trying to focus my gaze, and let out a small yelp of surprise when I registered Knockout's red helm hovering over me. He smirked.

"Rise and shine!" he said, straightening and putting a hand on his hip.

"Get fragged." I snapped back. I noticed I wasn't wearing the same shirt (a purple and black striped midriff) as I was when I was kidnapped. I was somehow now clothed in a baggy white T-shirt. Frowning, I pushed myself up in a sitting position, or rather, I tried to. As soon as I tried to haul myself up, a stabbing pain flared from the base of my throat to my lower abdomen. Again, I yelped, but this time in pain.

"Scrap! What did you do to me?" I said, flopping flat on my back. Knockout smirked again.

"Exactly what I said, a full examination of your internal structure. And Megatron, I'm sure, will be pleased with the results." the cocky red mech said. I glared, subtly testing the strength of the cuff on my foot. I silently cursed when I knew I couldn't break it, and then forced myself to sit up. I winced, feeling something rip in my midsection, and Knockout noticed my expression.

"Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn't." he said, shaking a finger. "Not unless you want to permanently damage your internal systems."

I glared, then examined myself and cursed under my breath when I saw a blot of energon staining my shirt and spreading. I located the source in my upper abdomen, and also discovered that I had an autopsy style set of stitches running from both my shoulders and converging into one line in the center of my chest before they ran down my stomach. My left arm and right leg also had a few incisions in them, though the smaller wounds appeared to be cauterized.

Knockout gestured to the seeping wound on my abdomen where I'd torn my stitches.

"Would you like some help with that?" he asked. I put as much grit and darkness into my tone as I could.

"Not from you I don't. Get the hell away from me." I growled, hugging the one knee I could to my chest and resting my chin on it. Knockout shrugged and tossed his tools (or instruments of torture, depending on how they were being used) into a container with a loud clatter before he left the medical bay, leaving me alone.

Now was when I think it started to seep in that I truly was alone. The Autobots couldn't track me on the ship, I was injured, and I had no way out. I felt tears creeping up behind my eyes and fought them back, blinking hard. I thought of Ratchet, who would be freaking out beyond belief. I had really developed a fondness for the medic, and I knew he had for me as well, for some reason we just seemed to click as good friends and I couldn't help but get the feeling he might wish it was more. I suddenly remembered a song I'd heard a long time ago, and though I had no music and felt more hopeless than ever, I took a deep breath and raised my voice to sing.

Lost in the darknes

Hoping for a sign

Instead there's only silence,

Can't you hear my screams?

Never stop hoping, need to know where you are.

But one thing's for sure, you're always in my heart.

I'll find you somewhere, I'll keep on trying

Until my dying day.

I just need to know, whatever has happened

The truth will free my soul

Lost in the darkness,

Tryin to find your way home

I want to embrace you,

And never let you go…

Never stop searching, need to know where you are

But one thing's for sure, you're always in my heart.

I'll find you somewhere, I'll keep on trying

Until my dying day

I just need to know, whatever has happened

The truth will free my soul

Wherever you are, I won't stop searching-

I cut off in the middle of the verse when the door to the med bay slid open, and I tensed, expecting Knockout. I relaxed a fraction when I registered the paint job as blue and not red, though it took me a moment to remember the new mech's name.

"Breakdown?" I tested the name. The mech looked at me, and I couldn't help but notice the patch he had over one eye.

"Yeah." he answered and pulled a few tools out of a storage area. I looked over at the door again when it opened and a couple of the Vehicons I'd wounded earlier shuffled in, one of them limping heavily from a wound I'd given him in the thigh. One shot me what I thought was the equivalent of a glare before he lined up next to his comrades.

"Where's Doc Knock?" I asked. Breakdown let a hint of a grin show in his face.

"I wouldn't call him that if I were you. And Megatron requested him. Something about pounding out a dent in his foot?" Breakdown answered. I cracked up laughing, I couldn't help it, and the Vehicons all looked at me like I was insane. "What, do you know anything about that?" Breakdown asked, starting to patch up the Vehicons. I nodded, composing myself.

"Yeah, I know about that." I said, examining my hand, the one I'd punched Megatron with. Breakdown saw the split skin on my knuckles and chuckled.

"You've got some brass bearings, for a human that is." Breakdown said. I smirked. If it wasn't for the fact that he was a Decepticon, I might have let him grow on me. What I did know was that I had to get out of here, and fast.

…..

Sorry for shorter chapter and long time to update, I just hit a writer's block/ I was lazy. Please review with what you think and I will try to update my other stories. Aurrawings out! ^~^