Jack was following behind Angela at a respectable distance, not quite trusting her, but not willing to be without her protection. They were walking down a wide hall, lined with pillars and stained glass windows decorating the top of the tall walls. They had to be in some kind of church, Jack thought.

He looked ahead at his "rescuer", trying to make sense of all this. Their first encounter, in which she neither gave her name nor learned Jack's, she seemed unhappy with his mere presence, enough to storm Gabriel's office and storm out a few minutes later. Now, she was taking him home? Why? Why was she freeing him from his prison? Why was she going against Gabriel and the others? Why did she even care? So many questions piled on and Jack didn't know what to think.

But he dared not ask them out loud. After days of being locked in that room, Jack was desperate to escape and get back to his family and the Autobots. He fully intended to go through with his plan and make it to Cybertron to speak to Primus himself. And it looked like Angela was his only hope. So he followed her, hoping she was true to her word.

Angela held her hand up, signalling Jack to stop. He obeyed without a word. She then pointed to the nearest pillar, telling Jack to hide. The teen quickly did as he was told and watched as Angela took hold of her massive spear in both hands. Soon, the gigantic doors at the end of the hallway burst open and seven armed and armored female guards entered the hall, forming a half circle around her.

They were clad in silver and blue armor and helmets, wielding gold, double edged spears with jagged blades at the end. They held battle stances, prepared for a fight. But from what Jack could tell, none of them appeared confident. They were afraid of Angela, he realized.

"S-Servant Angela, by order of Control, you are to stand down at once!" One guard demanded.

"Servant?" Angela questioned in resentment. "You all know who I am. I am a freelance Hunter, not a servant of this...broken machine that you call a system."

"Nonetheless...Angela, you have interfered with the affairs of Elysium. We have orders to place you under arrest. Throw down your weapons and surrender immediately."

Angel merely smiled.

"Surrender, you say. Tell me, knowing my reputation, have you ever known me to surrender?"

"Angela." Another guard began. "This doesn't have to end in violence."

"No, it doesn't. You are all servants of Heaven...and you're all just doing your jobs. But you know that you cannot stop me. Get out of my way and let me pass."

Jack could tell none of them wanted to challenge Angela. The one standing in the middle merely took a deep breath and resigned to the situation.

"Take her down. Kill her if you have to."

Angela shook her head and sighed, not really wanting to fight her fellow angels. One of them lunged forward, crying out as she did, and thrusting her spear forward at Angela. The Hunter easily parried her spear away with her own, swatting downwards, and smacked the servant aside the head with the flat of her blade. Quickly sweeping the other end behind the servant's foot, Angela tripped her and held her to the ground with her heel, putting the blade to her neck. The others moved closer and Angela turn her spear towards them. The downed guard didn't attempt to attack from her position while Angela was distracted. She knew better than that.

The six guards moved in at the same time, but Angela remained unfazed as they closed in on her. With lightning fast reflexes, quicker than even Arcee, she parried and deflected all attacks from the guards. She swung her spear and knocked the helmets of three guards, knocking them out in the process. She then brought her weapon down and pinned the spear of another guard, forcing her to drop it and draw he sword. She swiped at Angela, who caught the blade with her bare hand and pulled it away from her. Moving her hand back, Angela grabbed the guard by the back of the neck and forced her around behind Angela, where she tossed her at another guard who was attempting to strike at her back.

The pair of them were both thrown into a pillar. Angela drove the staff end of her spear into the back of the head of the guard she had thrown, incapacitating her. The guard she had been thrown into pushed her aside and went to strike at Angela again. But the Hunter had still kept the first guard pinned under her foot and released her, only to kick her with enough force to send her flying into the attacking guard, putting them both back against the pillar. The guard who was kicked was already unconscious from the blow to her body. And before the guard who had been pushed back twice could do anything, Angela spun around twice and built momentum, before smacking the guard in the face with her staff, knocking her out as well.

Angela barely reacted quick enough to parry a spear strike from one of the last two guards and managed to do the same with a second strike from a second spear. The remaining two guards both attacked Angela, but the Hunter required little effort to hold them off on her own. They stopped and stood across from each other, waiting for the other to make the next move.

Angela moved first, striking down at one guard and forcing her spear blade to the ground, then moving quickly to its wielder. She slammed the middle of her staff into the guards throat, forcing her backwards. As the other tried to attack Angela, she jumped up, still holding her staff to the guard, and somersaulted over her, garroting the guard with her weapon as she landed and crouched behind her. The other guard was forced to stand down, not wanting to harm her sister, while the guard being choked dropped her weapon.

Jack, from behind the pillar, saw Angela smirking. She lifted her spear, relieving the guard's neck, only to kick behind her without having to turn, sending the poor guard into another pillar. She then turned to face her remaining obstacle. The last guard was visibly frightened, knowing that she couldn't beat Angela. But she held her ground, keeping her spear up and ready.

"This is your last chance, Sister." Angela said.

The nervous guard drew shaky breath, but did not respond otherwise.

"Very well." Angela followed.

The famed Hunter quickly threw her spear, which went inches past the guards head, and into the pillar behind her with force to penetrate halfway. The moved left the guard in shock and Angela drew her sword as she charged at her. The guard held up her spear the block the blade, but Angela slash down at its center and cut the weapon in two.

The guard was too dumb founded to react to anything and Angela just kept going. She moved quickly and drove her sword right into the guard's chest play, but just enough to penetrate through the armor, but not enough to harm the angel wearing it. Swiping her sword to the side, Angela pulled off the guard's breastplate, exposing her unarmored chest. The guard went to moved but stop as Angela's blade went over her heart. She looked into Angela's eyes with pure fear, who held her hand behind her sword handle, threatening to drive it into her heart. But Angela had no desire to kill another Angel. Moving closer, she smashed her open palm into the guard's face, breaking her nose and knocking her out, but leaving her alive. The guard fell over, unconscious, and Angela sheathed her sword and pulled her spear from the pillar.

Jack was barely able to follow Angela's attack and was too awestruck to notice when she came to where he was hiding.

"Boy." She called as she stood before him.

Jack stood straight, but just as before, felt like an ant beneath the shadow of a titan. He once thought only Optimus could make him feel like this small.

"I've cleared the path for us. We need to move."

She turned to lead the way.

"Pick your jaw up off the ground and let's go." She ordered.

Jack obeyed and said nothing, following close behind the beautiful, but scary warrior. He carefully stepped over the downed guards and the pair walked over to the large double doors. When they stepped through them, two things put Jack in a state of disbelief. A massive, almost futuristic, silver palace stood a good distance from them, connected only by a single, but spacious, walkway. The surrounding area was obscured by clouds and rays of light that went down below, indicating that were high up in the air. But above them, Jack saw the universe overhead, closer than he had ever seen it.

Also catching his attention were the army of female guards that surrounded the structure they had just come from, focused squarely on them. There had to be fifty or more of them, all floating or riding airborne vehicles. Most of them looked like the guards Angela had just defeated, only more armored and carrying different weapons like axes and swords, as well as spears. Some held rifles that looked even more advanced than Cybertronian tech. Some of them bore flaming heads like Ghost Rider, though Jack could see more of a mask or helmet in the flames instead of a skull. A few of them were riding vehicles that looked like the unholy combination of a steed, a wasp, and a hover-cycle straight out of some anime. Some of the fiery guards rode what Jack could only describe as silver and gold, robotic Haunters with long arms.

"Drop your weapon, Angela, and surrender at once!" One guard who stood out from the rest ordered.

Jack looked to Angela, wondering what she was going to do next. But when he looked at her face, he saw that she was once again smiling. Angela twirled her spear around and took her battle stance.

"Don't move, boy." She said. "This won't take long."

Gabrielle sat at her desk, annoyed and unnerved by the news she had just receive. She actually did it. Gabrielle didn't think she would, but Angela actually went and acted directly against her orders and by extension, Elysium. Even for her, this was unforgivable. This was it, Angela had turned traitor.

"So it's come to this, Angela." She said to herself. "You've really done it, this time. You can't be forgiven after this."

A shame too, because despite all her faults, Angela was a remarkable hunter. She was the best Gabrielle had ever seen, even better than herself in her prime. But Jackson Darby was worth more than the entire army of Hellspawn Hunters or the Redeemers. By attempting to get him out of Elysium, Angela had crossed the line. No amount of outstanding service was going to undo that...or save her.

"Why didn't you just leave it alone, Angela? Why did you do this?"

The bridge of the floating palace had become a war zone where a one woman army was doing battle with the army of Heaven. Jack was at a loss for words as he watched what happened around him. Angela was jumping around, hopping from hover cycle to hover cycle, spearing, slashing, and breaking all that came into her path. He watch as several vehicles and angels fell down the the mortal realm below, wondering if they would disintegrate into feathers on impact. Angela dominated the army, dodging blasts of gold fire from staffs and lasers, throwing some back to where it came.

"Someone take her down already!" Jack heard one officer shout.

"Flank Her!" Another followed.

Any attempt at outmaneuvering her was outmaneuvered. And whenever groups tried to rush her, she powered through them and broke their formations.

"I don't have a shot!" Jack heard.

"Take it now!"

"But the line of fire!"

"Just take the shot!"

Jack looked over to a pair of angels riding the haunter-esque air vehicles powering up a large, silver cannon. Jack's eyes widened when he realized that they were willing to kill off the group of angels surrounding Angela just get to her.

A blinding flash of light appeared and the cannon released a wave of gold energy directly at Angela and the mob she was fighting. Jack looked to her, ready to cry out for her to move out of the way. But Angela was already ahead of it all. With the spin of her spear, the warrior pushed her enemies back far enough to give her the opening to hop off her hover-cycle and out of the line of fire. Her assailants were not so lucky, as they were swallowed by the beam of fiery gold energy. Those merely touched by the wave disintegrated into nothingness as Angela descended upon the duo who had shot at her. Landing on their vehicle, she slashed the side of their cannon and quickly jumped away, landing on the bridge. Having punctured the energy cells, the cannon exploded, taking the two angels and their vehicle with them. Angela just stood on the bridge, admiring her own work. This woman was not real, Jack thought.

"Forget Angela. Get the boy!" Jack heard someone call.

When he looked at the direction the order came from, he saw three cycles come towards him from above. Jack backed into the door behind him as the closest one leaned outwards to snatch him away. But just before she could be at level with Jack, a spear impaled her from behind with enough force to take her off her cycle and into the wall above Jack. The cycle veered off under the bridge, hitting the structure below them.

The other two cyclist looked back to see a fierce Angela charging towards them with her sword drawn at inhuman speed. The turned their cycles, but only fast enough to face Angela as she jumped from one to the other, slashing them in half with her sword. The second victim was thrown from her cycle, which Angela appropriated for herself. The other cycle too fell to the Earth below.

Angela banked closer to Jack, grabbed her spear from the wall, allowing the angel it held to drop below as well, and quickly grabbed Jack onto the hover-cycle.

"Hang on tight, boy." She said.

With no reservations, the Hellspawn Hunter powered forward, riding the bridge path to the other side, heading for the opposite doors. She plowed through any angel stupid enough to try and stop her and charged through the large doors.

"Jump!" She ordered Jack.

No stranger to making a quick dismount from Arcee on the move, Jack did so without hesitation, allowing for Angela turn the cycle around and ride it backwards towards the door. She dismounted it as it came to the exit, slashing the fiery exhaust as she did, and let it ride out at top speed against the oncoming army. By the time it reached their pursuers, the cycle exploded, throwing all their followers into a frenzy, killing many and sending more down below. Angela quickly shut the doors and grabbed Jack.

"Let's move!" She ordered.

Using the confusion, they quickly put some distance between them and Elysium's forces. They vacated the hall they had entered, not noticing a stalker following a bit of a distance behind them.

Jack was dragged by Angela from corridor to hall to cathedral to corridor, looking for something of importance. Jack didn't ask questions, trusting that Angela knew where she was going, as she didn't seemed turned around or lost in anyway. He trusted that this place was just too massive to make it anywhere too quickly. He also didn't question her because...well, he valued his life too much and he was careful not to test the warrior's patience.

"We're almost there, boy."

Okay, she knew where she was going. That eased Jack's worry. They came to another cathedral like room with upper balconies overlooking the lower half. The two began walking towards the doors at the end of the area when Angela stopped suddenly and moved Jack back as she barely dodged a fiery bullet at her feet. The spark of impact was bigger than lead to metal and Angela held her spear at the direction the shot was fired.

"Come out!" She ordered.

"So it finally happened." A female voice was heard. "You've finally lost it, Angie."

Angela recognized the voice behind the pillar of the balcony. A woman with wild, white hair, tied into a ponytail stepped out. She, like Angela, wore the black paint over her eyes they were like the mask of Spawn. Her armor was horribly impractical, being more like a metal bikini than protection, as most of the armor were on her lower legs and arms. She smirked maliciously at Angela, gripping her smoking firearm, resembling some sort of advance revolver. The same as Angela, she too had a sword strapped behind her waist, a large, nasty looking scimitar like weapon. She didn't seemed to concerned with Jack, focusing solely on Angela.

"We all knew you'd go off the deep end sooner or later. But this...This is beyond expectations, Angela."

"Tiffany." Angela stated bitterly. "I should've figured you'd show your face."

"When I heard what was going on, I couldn't grab my gear fast enough. After all this time, the high and mighty Angela finally turns against Control and Elysium, is branded a traitor to the Heavens, and slapped with a kill order. And humans think God doesn't listen to prayer."

"You still have it out for me, Tiff."

"This has been a long time coming, Angie. I've lived in your shadow for a millennia too long and I'm here to stake my claim."

Angela shook her head and scoffed. Some things never change.

"Gabrielle believes she has a game changer with this boy and all you can think about is making a name for yourself by defeating me?"

"When I bring the boy back to Gabrielle with your head along with him, I will be the game changer. You've held the top spot for too long and not for a minute did you ever deserve it. Always going off on your own, ignoring protocol, disobeying the rules. People were always so impressed with your kill numbers. Those numbers were only so high because you liked to cut corners."

"I cut the red tape, Tiff." Angela replied in annoyance. "You and the others have low numbers because you wait for the go'head from control, who drag their feet through the mud. I take action and do what needs to be done when the time comes, just like what I'm doing now. Gabrielle's methods have gone too far and I will not let her..."

"Boring." Tiffany interrupted. "I don't care why you've gone off the reservation, Angie and I don't care about the terran boy either. All I know is that Gabby wants him..."

Tiffany jumped down and landed across from Angela and Jack. She drew her large, dangerous looking sword.

"And I want you."

Gabriel entered the med-bay of Elysium and saw the handiwork of Heaven's greatest Hunter. Countless officers were lying in pain, screaming from lost limbs or deep slashes and gashes. Others were too weak with blood loss to let out any cries at all, or were just in full on shock. At the other end of the room, Gabriel saw more of her officers, all of them covered in sheets.

"Shit."

Cursing was frowned upon in Elysium, or anywhere in Heaven for that matter. But what else could Gabriel say? This was near the worst case scenario for her. One of the most dangerous Hunters she knew had turned against Heaven and was now aiding the boy of Light away from their grasp. If she wasn't stopped, the two of them would make it back to Earth, where Hell's forces would be hunting him with everything they had. The Hellspawns would most certainly be dispatched to dispose of him..

That could not happen. If Hell got to the boy before they did, they would be sure to corrupt his soul as violently as they could and claim him as their own. Jackson Darby was too valuable to allow that to happen to. Gabriel left the med-bay and headed back to her office. She needed to contact the Star Hive and call in her last favor. At this rate, the only one who could stop Angela would be a Redeemer. At least, she hoped it would.

Angela dug her spear into the ground beside her and left it standing. Jack had taken cover behind one of the pillars that held the upper level up. He watched as Angela drew her straight edged sword and took her battle stance. Tiffany did the same, armed with both her sword and her pistol. She was smirking at her red-haired opponent. But Angela was not cocky or pleased. She was visibly more irritated.

"This is it for you, Angie. Tonight, the mighty falls and the throne becomes mine."

Clearly expecting Angela to retort, Tiffany was caught off guard as Angela charged forward at blinding speed and locked blades with her. She appeared shocked as Angela took a few steps forward, pushing the rival hunter back. Angela then bared her teeth and kneed Tiffany in the gut with enough power to give them some space, the space Angela used to spin around and swing at her head. Tiffany caught the move just quick enough and ducked under the blade, losing her ponytail for her troubles.

Tiffany stepped off to the side to get out of blade range and began firing her Heavenly revolver. Angela turned to her and deflected the blast with her blade with ease. Tiffany gaped at her for a second, and continued firing. Angela charged at her, deflecting each shot with as much ease as before. She closed the gap and brought her sword down, which Tiffany was barely able to block with her own blade and wasn't able to stay on her feet, falling to one knee.

Angela's physical superiority was clear to both Hunters as well as their onlooker and close combat was not the best method of combating the veteran Hunter. But Tiffany still had her gun and she aimed it from her hip to get a clean shot to Angela's gut. But the Hunter saw the cheap shot coming and quickly pulled back, swiftly kicking Tiffany in her exposed chest. The force of the kick was enough to throw her back to the wall and crack the stone behind her.

The wind was knocked out of Tiffany, but she managed to regain herself quickly enough, just narrowly moving out of the way of Angela's downward slash, delivered as she roared for the kill. The blade cut deep into the stone and clanged against the ground.

Tiffany quickly turned tail to get some distanced from her opponent, spotting Jack by the pillar. The Hunter smiled, seeing opportunity. But Angela saw her intention and didn't allow it to even occur. With lightning fast speed and fluid agility, she leaped to the wall beside Tiffany and kicked off again, landing right in front of her. Tiffany came to a halt and put her blade up just quick enough to block Angela's swiped at her. But the force of it caused her to stumble backwards.

Angela went in and continued to slash at Tiffany, who managed to protect herself, but was constantly stumbling back from blocking Angela's sword. With the wall coming up behind her, Tiffany went of the offensive, moving forward and taking her own swipes at her hated rival. But Angela effortlessly swayed, swerve, and otherwise evaded all of her attacks without the slightest hint of concern. She didn't even need to raise her own sword to parry. It was painfully clear to Jack that Angela was in a league of her own while Tiffany was terribly out of hers.

As Angela dodged another futile swipe at her, she noticed the pillar to coming up her side and veered off in its direction to dodge once more. Not mindful of her surroundings, Tiffany's blade struck the pillar instead of taking Angela's head off, giving Angela her opening. She grabbed Tiffany by the neck and yanked her away, throwing back to the other side of the room and opposite of Jack's side. She hit a pillar a good few feet off the ground and landed on her back. As she tried to stand up, Angela used the moment to look back at Jack and saw that he was alright. She allowed a small, but visible smile, which he hoped meant she didn't dislike him too much.

The smile disappeared and she quickly turned back to Tiffany, who was now aggravated and ready with her sword. By this point, she had lost her gun.

"Tiffany." Angela calmly called.

"What?" Tiffany aggressively replied.

"Tell me, what's your Hellspawn kill count?"

Tiffany clearly resented the question and sneered in response.

"It's well in the mid-hundreds."

Angela looked deadpan, but shook her head in disbelief. Tiffany knew she wouldn't buy it.

"102."

"A millennia of service and all you have to show for it are a mere 102 killed Hellspawns and you thought you would topple me and my 899 kills?"

"Go to Hell, Angela!"

"I have gone to Hell and I fought my way back out, collecting scores of the Spawn's heads as I did. I've worked over a millennia for the level of skill I possess that makes me such an effective Hunter. Tell me, Tiff, how often do you train during your down time? How many demons do you slay to keep your skills sharp? How much have you studied to learn the ways of all Hell's minions and every Hellspawn they send to Earth, the methods of war of that time, and the skill of their human selves before they died?"

Tiffany didn't respond, but Angela's words were clearly getting to her.

"You chase the prestige of being a Hunter, but not the thrill of the Hunt or the importance of our mission. You could never hope to be among the Elite Hunters such as myself. And you will never, not in a hundred millennia, beat me."

Tiffany angrily swiped the tip of her blade against the ground in front of her and released an pissed off growl.

"I'm going to cut down the pedestal you sit on and watch you plummet to the ground!"

Tiffany released her primal battle cry as she charged at Angela with her sword ready. Angela merely threw her sword at Tiffany, barely missing her head by inches. But in that second, she moved too quick for either angel or mortal to follow behind Tiffany, catching the sword by the handle and swiping her blade at Tiffany's legs, slicing both her Achilles tendons.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Tiffany cried out as she fell to her knees.

Nearly falling forward, Tiffany held herself up with her sword. But Angela moved around her, kicking the blade from her hands, causing her to fall on all fours. Tiffany was gasping from the pain of her injuries. She defiantly refused to lift her head to look at at Angela, who was literally looking down on her at that moment. Tiffany absolutely couldn't stomach the look of disgust Angela was giving to her.

Angela raised her blade and was ready to take Tiffany's head when...

"Stop!"

Angela looked behind her to see Jack standing beside the pillar, the look of horror on his face. Angela had already killed plenty of other angels up to this point, but this was too much for him.

"Stop? Why?"

"Because...Because you already beat her."

"Yes and now I'm going to kill her so she can't cause us anymore trouble."

"Bu-You cut her tendons. She not going anywhere."

"She stood in my way and has had it out for me since the day I met her."

"Okay, then settle that beef later. But right now, let's just get out of here."

Angela lowered her blade, but not because she was convinced of anything.

"Boy, is what humans call 'sexism' disguised as chivalry?"

"What?"

"Is watching Tiffany, a trained Hunter and warrior like myself, be killed so difficult for you because she's a beautiful woman?"

"N-no...No, she's dangerous and wanted to kill you."

"So then this is just the infamously pointless human sentiment? Or is it misplaced mercy? Or is this just you being stupidly naive?"

"This is me...not wanting to see someone who can't fight back be killed."

"Why?...This woman is hardly defenseless."

"But she's not even putting up a fight anymore...You've won, Angela. She's can't get in our way now. Let's just go."

The truth was, Jack didn't enjoy people dying period. But watching someone die without being able to fight back, no matter who they were, that was something her never wanted to be party to. When Airachnid was burned alive by the Redeemer back at base, when Chapel was losing his mind in the alleys, when Amos was being tortured and almost killed by Chapel...When Jack had found Megatron trapped beneath the rumble of that cave and had him at his mercy. All moments where they were helpless...and Jack didn't want to see them meet their end that way. That's just something he wasn't about. Just like...

"You really are a Prime, aren't you?"

Jack looked up in surprise at Angela, who's expression had softened. The Hunter closed her eyes and relented.

"To Hell with it." She said just before she kicked Tiffany's chin and put her lights out. "Let's move, Boy-Prime."

Angela sheathed her weapons, grabbed her lance, and headed for the door. Jack took a moment to follow behind her, being careful not to get too close to Tiffany. As he followed her, he thought about what she had just said of him about being a Prime. Gabriel had told him that he was more than just an honorary Prime. But after learning her true intentions, he came to believe that it was just empty flattery, meant to sway him to her side. But Angela had just said the same thing. So, was she telling the truth? Was Jack really a recognized human Prime?

The pair moved the the silver palace without trouble, until they found a room full of monitors. There were billions of them, each focusing on an individual human. It took Jack a moment to realize what this room was.

"This is it, huh?"

Angela stopped and looked at Jack, who was staring in awe at the monitors that went all the way up to the high ceiling.

"This is how you watch the people of Earth." Jack stated, as if he knew it was the answer.

"Hardly." Angela replied.

Jack turned to face Angela in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

Angela was now facing the monitors.

"This room is how we seek the forces of Hell at work among you mortals. Another group of angels watches over your people. We use this room to find Hell's minions on Earth before they do something that changes the world forever."

Jack was now focused on Angela, who was panning her eyes across the monitors.

"It's how we search for Hellspawns...or the brothers."

"Brothers?" Jack asked, almost afraid to know who they were.

"The Phlebiac Brothers."

The name made Jack uneasy.

"Five true denizens of Hell." She continued, still focused on the monitors. "All of which serve directly under Malebolgia."

Jack gulped down his uneasiness.

"They sound like bad news." He said.

Angela stopped on one monitor, which displayed one individual inflicting terrible pain on another in the midst of a chaotic riot.

"As natives of Hell, these demons are much stronger than the Hellspawns. They act only on their masters orders. Some of them serve in the underworld. Others carry out his will in your realm, taking the forms of humans to sew chaos and destruction."

Jack walked over to Angela to see what she was watching. A bald headed individual with tattoos depicting various messages of hate and bigotry was viciously beating on another person, who appeared the same as him for the most part, for reasons not known to either Jack or Angela.

"In the name of their master, they kill the innocent and guilty alike, spreading hatred and violence among mortals, and doing whatever they can to corrupt as many souls as possible for Malebolgia to reap upon their deaths."

"Primus." Jack whispered to himself.

"When they discover a human who excels at violence and murder, they study him, watch him closely, to see if he is worth of their master's attention."

"To become a Hellspawn." Jack finished.

Angela nodded her head.

"Exactly...If he is worthy to being cursed with the mask and cloak, the brothers will lay out a path for the human and push him deeper into his own darkness, manipulating his actions, increasing his sins, and ensuring his damnation for when his time comes. Then he is sent to Hell where he will be given the choice: An eternity of endless torment or..."

Jack knew that this is what happened to Al Simmons. How else could someone go from being a decorated hero to soldier damned to Hell? Though he still had no idea who Al Simmons really was or what he did that got him sent to Hell, he wondered if his actions were really his own or the manipulations of Malebolgia and these brothers Angela spoke of. Could something like that happen to Arcee? Would she have crossed the line in her hatred of Airachnid and end up the same as Spawn if she hadn't met Jack? And what about Airachnid? Was she always such a sadist or did a darker, more powerful force push her down that path of cruelty and ruthlessness? Could she have been saved like Arcee was? The Redeemer claimed that's what Jack did and that he made Airachnid feel something before she was killed again. If the Hellspawns were led astray by the forces of Hell, was there more to Jack's theory that they could be saved? Could this light the angels all saw in him be what could lead them out of the darkness?

"We need to go." Jack said in realization.

Angela, while in agreement, was surprised to hear Jack make the suggestion. Humans tended to be easily distracted by the discovery of new things, especially beyond their understanding. But the way Jack had just talked, it seemed like something had suddenly become urgent to him. Angela led Jack out of the monitor room and into another hallway. Jack had decided that he needed to go back, find Primus, and figure out what this Light in him was. If there a chance that he could save Al Simmons, he was fragging going to try.

They came to another room, one that was mostly empty, but for one set of controls near the center of the room and a lowered floor lined with steps in the exact center. Jack wasn't sure what to make of this room, but whatever that large space was in the middle of it, the controls that stood beside it was most certainly meant to activate whatever was supposed to be there.

"This is the fire bridge, Jackson." Angela said. "This is how I'm sending you home."

Jack glanced at Angela and looked back at the gate.

"This is how that thing took me away. This was where that pillar of fire he came from."

"Yes, Jack. It's how the Redeemers choose to make an entrance. There are other ways to go to and from Earth, but for Redeemers and mortals like yourself, this is the only way."

This was it, Jack was going back home. Back to his mother, to Arcee, to Optimus. Angela went to controls to adjust the coordinates and set them to Jackson's hometown. She didn't know where he lived, exactly, but his town was small enough for him to find his way. But she noticed that the coordinates were already sent and recognized the location.

"They're not leaving anything to chance, are they?" She asked herself.

"What happens when I go back?" Jack asked.

Angela stopped what she was doing and turned to Jack.

"Are they gonna come after me again?"

Angela didn't have the answer Jack was hoping for.

"I'm afraid so, Jackson."

Jack looked down, knowing his life was never going to know peace.

"I will do everything I can to keep them at bay, to sabotage their efforts to find you. Those monitors aren't meant to locate specific mortals, even if they knew where you live. It will be a while before they can hope to track you down."

"How long?" Jack asked.

"Depending on the damage I can do...two days."

That wasn't a lot of time...Maybe not enough for Jack pull of his plan.

"And then what?"

"I don't know, Jackson. But I'll figure something out."

Angela turned back to the controls, trying to calculate the coordinates to Jack's home.

"Why are you helping me, Angela?"

Angela stopped again and turned back to Jackson.

"Why go against Heaven like this?"

It wasn't an unfair question and Jackson didn't know anything about Angela or how she had come to view how things were done in Heaven. She wanted to give him an answer, if not a detailed one since this was hardly the time or place. But before she could give even a simple one, the entrance doors flew open and the room was filled with the light of a gold flame.

Both Angela and Jack turned to the one who interrupted them and were shocked to see a Redeemer at the entrance, wielding a fiery blade from his arm as the previous one did. Jack was frightened at the sight of it, but was hoping that Angela was more than capable of defeating it. But the Hunter didn't seem as confident as before.

"You!" It yelled as it pointed its blade to Angela. "You Have Committed Treason Against God And Heaven. You Have Committed Murder Against Your Fellow Sister-Hunters And Have Stolen A Valuable Weapon Against The Forces of Hell!"

"You can beat him, right?" Jack asked Angela.

"How Do You Plea, Hunter?!"

"I was trained to Hunt the Hellspawn." Angela answered as she grabbed her Dimensional Lance. "This being is a Anti-Spawn and a warrior of Heaven."

"What does that mean?" Jack asked.

"It means, I stand at about 50-50."

With that, Angela hit the console, conjuring the pillar of fire that had swallowed Jack up in Jasper. She turned to him and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.

"Hear me well, boy. Stay Away From The Hellspawn...Or else, I cannot protect you."

The Hellspawn? Why was Angela warning Jack about him? Did she know what he was planning?

"Now, Go!" She yelled.

And with that, she shoved Jackson back and caused him to fall into the pillar of Heaven Fire, sending him back to Earth. He disappeared into the flames, which extinguished shortly after. Drawing her sword with her free hand, Angela ran it through the controls, putting the bridge to Earth out of commission for the time being. The Redeemer did nothing, waiting for Angela to strike first.

"For the crime of turning against Gabrielle and this broken system...that has long forgotten what separates us from Malebolgia and Hell." Angela said.

Angela took her Lance in both hands and readied her stance for the Redeemer.

"I Plead Guilty."

When the blinding, fiery light faded, Jack found himself in shadows. He looked to see the night sky, or what little he could in the city.

"The city."

He wasn't back home, back in Jasper. He wasn't at his house or the Autobot base. He was in a big city somewhere, in another country for all he knew. He took a look at his surroundings and saw that he was in an alleyway, a particularly filthy alleyway, one that seemed darker than it should've been...and he could smell blood.

"No." He whispered in horrific realization.

He was back in the alleys, Spawn's alleys. Why, in the All-Spark would Angela send him back there, of all places? He looked down the dark pathway that led deeper into the Hellspawn's domain. The darkness at the end was a void that consumed all light that fell into the alley of death. Jack could almost feel it pulling him in, wanting to swallow him up and drag him down into the pits of hell, where the devil was waiting for him. All the memories of this hellhole flooded the mind of Jackson Darby, the traumatic experience of being dragged around with Cyan by Billy Kincaid's rope, the sinister voice that wanted Spawn to kill the child murderer that Jack still didn't know where it came from, Jess Chapel gunning down innocent vagrants and torturing Amos...Spawn breaking Chapel's mind and robbing him of his sanity.

"No." Jack uttered as his breathing was elevating.

His legs moved on their own. It was only after her had bolted out of the alleys that he realized what he was doing...but he didn't stop. He needed to get the hell out of those alleys, as far away from them as he could. He'd take chances on the worst streets of Rat City, in the roughest, most drug infested projects, even in an abandoned building where the fiends and addicts did their thing. He'd rather be in Megatron's warship than back there. And so, he ran, never looking or caring where he was running to...or who was is front of him.

Jack collided with someone or something much taller than him and fell back on the ground.

"Watch it, punk!"

Jack looked up and saw what looked like another vagrant, bearded and heavily clothed like Cogliostro. But he didn't look nearly as wise or sagely. In fact, he looked drugged out of his mind.

"What's your problem, kid?!"

Jack got up quickly, not wanting to escalate.

"I'm sorry, I don't want any trouble."

"Trouble?!" The man suddenly shouted.

Out of nowhere, the man pulled out a dirty carving knife meant for wood, holding it in a threatening.

"What trouble?! Who are you?!"

"What?" Jack asked nervously.

"What are you looking at?! Stop looking at me!"

"I'm...I'm not looking at you."

"Liar!" The man shouted.

He swiped the knife at Jack, but didn't hit anything because he was so intoxicated.

"Don't put things in my head! I don't know you!"

The man was clearly insane.

"Sir, I have no idea what your on about. I'm just lost."

"No Ones Lost! There's No Such Thing! How do know where we are?! How do you know everything?!"

The man looked like he was about to gut Jack with his dirty knife when...

"Back off, Fitz." A harsh voice shouted.

Jack looked over the insane person in front of him and saw a heavyset man with black hair, wearing a long, leather coat at the passenger side of am unmarked cruiser.

"Leave the kid alone." He said.

"Fuck off, pig. Leave me alone!" The man shouted.

With that, the man made a break for it, running passed Jack and down the street, in the direction that he was just running from.

"Goddammit!" The heavy man shouted as he went after the crazy person.

"Don't move, kid!" He shouted to Jack as he passed him.

Jack watched him futilely chase the crazy man down the street, then turned back to the car to see another man standing at the driver's side of the cruiser. He shut the door and approached Jack.

"Are you alright, young man?" The softer spoken man asked.

"Yes." Jack meekly answered.

This one was older than the heavier man from earlier, blonde and balding, his remaining hair bushier and fading into gray. He wore glasses and had a thick, but neatly trim mustache that stopped at the edges of his mouth. By now, Jack figured out that these two men were either cops or detectives.

"What are you doing here this time of night?"

"I..."

Jack didn't know what to say. How could he even begin to explain how he ended up back in Rat City?

"This neighborhood isn't safe...Least of all, for a tourist like you."

"What makes you think I'm a tourist?" Jack asked in a slightly offended tone.

"I'm sorry to say, but you have 'out of towner' written all over you and you're clearly lost."

Jack hated to admit that this man wasn't wrong. He'd lost his city boy status years ago. The older cop tilted his head and observed Jack.

"Have we met before?" He asked.

Jack looked at him and suddenly, he felt he had seen him before as well.

"What's your name, young man?" The older man asked.

"Jackson...Darby."

"Jackson Darb..."

The old cop came to a realization just as his heavy partner returned, terribly out of breath.

"How the hell 'pant-pant' How the hell does a junky like Fitz run faster than Usain Bolt?"

The heavy cop caught his breath and turned his attention to Jack.

"Hey, kid 'pant-pant' What the hell are you doin' in this neighborhood, anyway?"

He walked over to Jackson, still a bit out of breath.

"Don't you know what happens to kids who get lost in Rat City?"

The other officer stepped up behind Jack.

"Sir, this young man is Jackson Darby."

The heavy cop had to take a moment to recollect the name, but just as the same realization dawned him, Jack came to a realization of his own as he remembered just who these two were.

"Little Jack?" The cop asked. "Holy shit."

Detective Sam Burke and Detective Twitch Williams, the two that were tasked with finding and bringing home Jack and Cyan after they had been kidnapped, the two nice cops who did everything they could make sure they were alright after there whole ordeal, who kept his touch with Jack's parents until they all left New York and moved to Jasper.

Sam walked up to Jack and firmly grabbed his shoulder, unintentionally most likely, and observed him from top to bottom.

"You ain't so little no more, are you? Let me have a look at you."

He was clearly happy to see Jack, which made this whole night much better.

"Check it out, Twitch. Jack here is his own bean stalk."

"Very funny, Sir." Twist stoically replied.

"You look good, Jackie-boy. Glad to see you're doing well."

"Thank you, Detective Burke."

"Please, kiddo, just call me Sam, okay."

"I still prefer he call me detective." Twitch replied.

"You hungry, kid?"

Most of the places were closed this time of night. Jack could see from the back seat of the cruiser that it was 11:40. Still within the late day, but later than he usually remained awake. Sam was inside a coffee shop in the neighborhood that also served doughnuts. Jack had a feeling that the detective was a frequent customer of the place.

It was only now that Jack remembered that he still had his phone. He pulled it from his pocket and to his relief, he had service. In Heaven, or Elysium or whatever, he had no service at all. But if he could figure out a way to be by himself, he could call Ratchet and ask for a bridge...and his mother to let her know he was okay.

Sam returned with a brown paper bag and a large box that Jack knew was filled with doughnuts. Sam handed the bag to Jack.

"I got you a bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel and a white doughnut with chocolate sprinkles."

"Uh, thank you, det...I mean, Sam."

"Don't worry about it, Beanstalk."

"And I see you've got two dozen for yourself, Sir."

"Half that. You know I'm on a diet."

The three headed off into the city as Jack tried to figure out his next move.

"So, what're doin' back in Rat City, kiddo?" Sam asked as he stuffed his face with his first doughnut. "Didn't you and your folks move out to California or somethin'?

"Nevada, actually, and I'm here on vacation...visiting my...grandmother."

"Is that so?" Twitch asked. "And she lives here in Rat City?"

Jack thought quickly and came up with an idea.

"No, she actually lives in...Yonkers. But I got on the wrong bus and ended up in the city."

"Typical tourist mistake." Sam commented.

"I see." Twitch added. "Why didn't you call for a cab or one of those...Ubers, I think they're called?"

"Didn't have any cash on me."

"Who comes to New York with no cash?" Sam asked.

"I was about to call her but, my phone's service just went out and I was kinda stranded for a while."

Twitch looked over to Sam.

"Metro-North still runs this time of night, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, MTA runs 'till four in the morning."

"How about this, Jackson?" Twitch asked. "We'll take you to the MTA station on 125th Street and get you a ticket straight to Yonkers and get you to your grandmother's. Does that sound alright to you?"

"Yeah." Jack said. "That sounds great."

"Perfect." Twitch said. "I'll even leave you some change, so you can call her. You do know how to use a payphone, don't you?"

Slightly patronizing, but well meaning.

"Yes, Sir."

"Alright then."

They headed to their new destination as the two detectives continued to make conversation with Jack.

"So, how are your folks doin', Jack? How's your Mom?"

Jack figured Sam would ask about his mother first, remembering the way he was checking her out after it was all said and done.

"She's alright...Works a lot, way more than she should.

"That's good. And your old man?"

Even now, that was still a difficult topic for Jack.

"My father's...not really in the picture anymore."

"Why's that?"

"He...bailed."

"Jeez." Sam said sympathetically.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Jackson." Twitch chimed in. "That must've been difficult for you, given what your were already going through at the time."

"Well, we get along fine without him. I help Mom out with the bills and...We have friends who really come through for us all the time."

Jack began to smile, knowing he'd be seeing them all very soon. He began to realize just how much he had missed them.

"They must be very good friends." Twitch said. "That's the first I've seen you smile today."

"Yeah...They are. They're family."

"Well, it's good to have strong support system, Jackson. Family is everything, after all."

"He would know." Sam added. "Having 30 kids and what-not."

"Four, Sir. I have four children."

Jack listened to the duo banter back and forth as they headed for the Metro North station, getting a kick out of how much they got along with one another. It made him think of his partner and how much he wished he could do more with her in the field instead of just offering emotional support. It also reminded him of how much he missed her as well.

They eventually came to the station, which for the most part, was empty.

"Here we are, Jackson."

The three got out and Detective Burke went to purchase a ticket for Jack while Twitch escorted Jack to the appropriate platform.

"This train should is only a few stops from Yonkers, so pay attention to the loudspeaker."

He then handed Jack some quarters for the payphone. Detective Burke arrived and handed Jack his ticket.

"I'm afraid me and Detective Burke must take our leave, Jackson." Twitch said.

"We'd keep you company and make sure you made your train, but we gotta get back to the precinct. We're still on duty. You gonna be okay by yourself?"

Jack smiled a little, happy that these two were so worried about him. Cops in New York weren't particularly friendly from he remembered, especially in a city like Rat City.

"I can manage. Thanks for everything, Sirs."

"Remember, Jackson, pay close attention for your stop." Twitch said.

Jack nodded.

"Well, I suppose that's it then." Twitch continued. "It was nice seeing you again."

"You as well, Sir."

"Take care, kid. Stay outta trouble, okay?" Sam followed.

"I will, Sam."

They smiled and headed back to their vehicle.

"Later, Beanstalk." Sam shouted as he left.

Jack waited for them to be out of sight and once the coast was clear, he headed straight for the nearest restroom. Luckily, it was empty. Even more lucky, his phone still had service in there.

"Thank you, Ratchet." He said to himself.

Quickly, he dialed his mother's number. She was more than likely at the base, but that wasn't why he called her. He knew she needed to know that he was okay. As he saw the screen showing his call going out, he took note of the date at the top of his screen.

"What?" He asked.

A day had passed since he was taken from Omega One, just one day. How was that possible? He was locked in that room for almost a week. How could only one day have gone by while he was in Heaven? Unless...in that realm...or in that room...time was distorted.

"H-hello?" He heard his mother's worried and hesitant voice on the other end.

Jack brought the phone to his ear, at a loss for words. It had felt like forever since he last heard her voice.

"Jack...is that you?"

"Mom?" He asked breathlessly.

He heard his mother's breath hitch and he could tell she was about to cry.

"Jack...Jack, it is you...Wha-...Are you okay?"

It was little over a week. But with the fear of never getting home, the weight of all that he had learned from Gabrielle, knowing that Heaven wasn't done with him, hearing his mother's voice made Jack tear up in an instant.

"I'm okay, Mom." He said, trying to control his voice. "I'm alright."

"Thank Goodness." She choked out. "Jack, I...I thought..."

The other end was silent for a moment, most likely June collecting herself.

"Where are you, Jack? Tell us where you are so we can bring you home."

"I'm in a restroom at Metro-North in Harlem."

"Okay...Just hang on, Sweetie. Ratchet's locking onto your location."

Within moments, the familiar green vortex came to life by where Jack was standing. He had never been happier to see it.

"I'm coming through, Mom."

"Hurry, Jack...Come home."

"I love you."

"I love you more."

Jack hung up and stepped through the bridge. Before he could even take a moment to recognize the base, he was practically tackled by his mother, who embraced him tighter than he had ever held him. She was very strong when she was scared.

"Mom." Jack said as he felt her shaking.

"Jack...I..."

She was crying now and Jack wasn't hiding his tears either. He held her back, calming her down and helping her to stop shaking.

"It's okay...I'm home."

"My Jack...I was so scared."

"So was I, Mom. I thought I'd never see you again."

June took several deep breaths, never letting her son go. She held onto him, resting her head on his shoulder, beginning to cry less. Jack looked up and he saw his two human friends, each as happy to see him as June. They too wanted to embrace Jack, but they felt that June needed it the most, so they let her have her moment. Still, they smiled, happy for their friend to be home.

Then he looked up and saw his Autobot family, Optimus, Ratchet, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, and of course, his partner, Arcee. They all smiled, relieved that he had returned unharmed. Optimus' expression was more than Jack had ever seen from the Prime, even when he had returned his memories. Ratchet was also happy, but distant and from Jack could see, ashamed. He probably felt guilty for allowing Jack to return to Rat City in the first place. Arcee looked down at Jack with affection he never knew she was capable of, even when she held him just before everything went to hell. But like Ratchet, there was a sign of shame and regret. There were a lot of questions Jack wanted to ask her, things she had kept from him, regarding this whole thing. And there were also the things he had learned about himself.

He reluctantly push his mother away, which he could tell was too soon for her. But she affectionately touched his face, acting as if he had really been away as long as he had felt in Heaven. Jack touched her hand, but he pulled it away and walked over to the steps. Though, he held her hand, leading her with him. The two sat side by side as Jack looked at the ground, preparing to drop the mother of all bombs on the whole team.

Everyone gathered around him. June knew something was wrong as her son held her hand tightly.

"Jackson?" She called to him.

"Jackson." Optimus addressed. "We are all very happy to have you back with us, once again."

Optimus' voice brought comfort to Jackson, but only very little.

"And I am glad to see that you have returned unharmed...However, these past twenty-four hours have raised many questions and...brought us few, but troubling, answers."

Jack raised his head, wondering what Optimus meant by that.

"I know that what happened is affecting you more than anyone else and I understand if you would like nothing more than to return home and rest. But we must know, Jackson, where you were taken, who was it that took you, and for what purpose. We need to know so that...we can protect you."

Jack closed his eyes, knowing how hard the truth would be to accept.

"You can't protect me." He said solemnly.

"Yes, we can."

Jack looked up and saw Arcee approaching.

"We failed before, but that won't happen again."

Arcee knelt in front of Jack and placed her servo on his shoulder.

"I let you down, Partner, and I'm sorry. But I won't let them take you again. Whatever they want with you, they can't have you. I'll keep you safe from them."

She believed every word she said and Jack wanted to believe in her just the same. But Gabrielle had taken that faith away from him.

"I know you'll try, Arcee, but you can't. No one can."

"Jack." June said.

"You guys." Jack's voice was beginning to quiver. "I'm in way over my head here."

Now, Jackson was beginning to shake.

Miko and Rafael approached him, wondering what he was talking about.

"This thing is...way bigger than you realize...And I was gone for a lot longer than you think."

"Dude." Miko began. "You've only been gone for a day."

"No...They had me for over a week. Time...time moved faster there."

Miko and Rafael looked at one another

"Faster where?" Rafael asked.

Jack didn't want to say it, knowing they wouldn't believe him. He fixed his mouth to speak, but couldn't get the words out.

"Heaven?"

Jack looked up in shock at his partner, who didn't look disbelieving at all.

"Is that where you were?"

How did she know that? How much did she really know? Jack nodded his head, which earned looks of shock from everyone except Arcee, Optimus, and Ratchet. Did they know too?"

"Jackson."

Jack looked up at Optimus, who looked down with a powerful, yet comforting gaze.

"Start from the beginning and tell us what happened."

Gabrielle entered the room. It was all white, windowless, seemingly an endless void. But at the far wall that was impossible to see, she spotted the prisoner, bound in a straight jacket that was glowing with golden runes. She walked up to the prisoner, seeing her beaten and weak. She knelt down and gently lifted her face by her chin.

Angela looked up at Gabrielle with a face full of cuts and bruises. Her battle with the Redeemer was brutal and she had just barely managed to defeat the Anti-Spawn. She had become far too weak to defend against the forces of Elysium that swarmed her shortly after and subdued her. But while her body was beaten and weak, her gaze was as strong and threatening as ever. But Gabrielle didn't show any fear, only pity, as she thumbed away a patch of dried blood from her lip.

"Angie...What were you thinking?" She asked sympathetically.

Angela took a moment to speak, her strength barely enough to do even that.

"I was thinking...How lost you've all become."

Gabrielle shook her head, still looking sad.

"Us, lost? Come on, Angela. Look at yourself."

Gabrielle then pulled out a handkerchief and tried her best clean Angela's cuts.

"Look at all the trouble you've caused, the mess you've gotten yourself into. Do you not realize the shit you're in, now?...I told you to leave the boy alone."

"Which is what you should've done, Gabrielle."

Angela pulled her face away.

"You should've just let the boy be. Let him live his mortal life, grow old, and die. You could've propositioned him then, draft him into this war, and used his light to your benefit."

"By then, the light could've been lost."

"If it was as great as you made it out to be, he would've been able to keep it until the end of his days...Instead, you took a child from his home and tried to force him into our war with Hell."

"We didn't have a choice, Angela. We are losing this war. Even with all the sinners we've allowed into Heaven, Hell still has the greater numbers. We needed the boy."

Angela knew that Gabrielle wasn't wrong about Hell winning. But she still couldn't accept that it had come to this.

"We stopped protecting the humans centuries ago." Angela said. "And now...we're forcing them to fight for us. How long before...before we begin to deceive them, before we start erasing their minds and turning them into our Spawns? How long before Heaven becomes just Hell in the sky?"

Gabrielle pulled away, not expecting to be pierced by such a question, but not willing to change her stance on the whole thing either.

"You'll be given a fair trial, Angela."

Angela scoffed.

"You'll be allowed to plead your case. Callindra will be your lawyer and Katherine will speak in your defense. You're going to need it."

Angela took solace in knowing that her mentor still supported her. Maybe Heaven wasn't a lost cause after all.

"I wish I could say that your achievements in the past will have a positive impact on the final verdict, Angie, but...You've killed a lot of your own sisters...and Jackson was far too valuable to be sent away so recklessly."

"It was the right thing to do, Gabby."

"I know you believe that...In spite of everything...I do pray for you. I pray they have mercy on you"

Gabrielle stood up and went to leave.

"When am I do in court?"

"For the moment, your case isn't a priority. Locating Jackson Darby is our primary concern."

Angela looked up at Gabrielle's back.

"You wrecked our monitors and made it difficult to find him. But we'll get them up and running again. Your sisters are heading to Earth now. They'll search for him in his home town. He will be brought back to us...Then, I will see you in court."

Gabrielle walked all the way to the door.

"I truly wished you had just listened to me, Angela."

And with that, the door closed and Angela was left in the white void of the room.

Over the last few, exhausting minutes, Jack explained everything that happened in the week he was held prisoner, all he had come to learn about Heaven, himself, and this light within him. He told his mother, his friends, and the Autobots all about Angela, Gabrielle, and what he came to realize about them and the Hellspawn. By the time he was finished, he was drained. Just going over all again in words took its emotional toll on Jack as it did while he was going through it.

June held Jackson's hand tightly, which he too clutched as if he'd be taken if he let go. She saw how much he was shaking, which did well hide her own trembling from him. Miko and Rafael were silent, which was saying something in Miko's case. The Autobots were the same, especially Arcee, Ratchet, and Optimus. Even with all they had come to learn from Cogliostro, what Jack had told them was almost too much for them. This was infinitely bigger than the war with the Decepticons.

"Jack?" June called softly.

Jack took a deep breath, but he didn't lift his gaze from the ground. Everyone was worried about him, for many reason.

"Hey, Partner...Look at me."

Jack looked up and Arcee could see how tired he had become. It was all starting to get to him and she could see that he was afraid.

"It's over, now. You're safe." She said.

But both she and Jack knew that wasn't true.

"Sure...For now. But Angela said I've got two days, max, before they get the monitors up and running...And that's if they don't just come back here and snatch me away again."

"Over my cold frame, Jack." Arcee proclaimed.

Jack looked back at her, unable to put faith in her words.

"If they return to Earth, we'll be there to stop them. They'll have to go through us to get to you."

Words of no comfort to Jack...Only fear.

"Arcee...They'll kill you. These Angels...They Hunt Hellspawn. And you said during Airachnid's attack that Spawn had killed her before."

Arcee looked away, knowing Jack was going to want to know the story behind that.

"If a Hellspawn can take one of you down...You don't stand a chance against Gabrielle's Hunters."

And that simple fact hung over their heads like a cloud of darkness because it had dawned on all them that...the Autobots couldn't protect their humans.

"The week they had me...I was only able to come up with one idea." Jack said.

"And what idea is that, Jackson?" Ratchet asked.

Jack exhaled heavily, hoping and praying his idea would put an end to all this.

"Optimus?"

Optimus moved forward.

"Yes, Jackson?"

Jack looked at Optimus, who might've been his last hope.

"Do you still have my space suit...from when I went to Cybertron?"

Optimus became confused, as did everyone else.

"What are you planning, Jack?" Arcee asked.

"This whole thing happened because of this light in me...But Gabrielle said that part of it comes from the fact that Optimus named me an honorary Prime."

Optimus closed his optics and looked away. It was as he feared when the Redeemer spoke before taking Jackson away. He dared not look at June, afraid to see her to look back at him with betrayal once again.

"According to her...Your word is as good as Primus'."

With that, Optimus looked back to Jackson with shock. The others did the same, especially the Autobots.

"What are you saying, Jackson?" Optimus asked.

"I'm saying that by naming me honorary...You might've made me the first Human Prime ever."

The words caused Optimus' mouth to go agape and for him to take a step back. Arcee stood there, just as bewildered. June didn't quite understand what this all meant, but going by the 'Bots expressions, this was huge.

"Whoa." Miko said. "So, Jack is like Optimus?"

Ratchet fixed his mouth the dispute the claim, but he could not form the words. His entire concept of reality had been challenged multiple times already and he wasn't sure of what was possible anymore. Optimus, however, had a clearer understanding.

"It would seem that way, Miko." He said.

"Jack Darby Prime." She proclaimed in amazement.

"Okay?" Arcee managed to say when she regained her senses. "You could be an honest to Primus Prime. How does that help the situation?"

"I believe..."

Everyone turned to Optimus.

"That as a Human Prime, Jackson would like to speak to Primus himself...Is that correct?"

Jackson nodded his head. Ratchet looked to Optimus.

"Is that even possible?"

"I do not know, old friend...Especially after the fall of Cybertron. Primus may be unable to communicate with anyone...even a Prime like Jackson or myself."

Jack felt a little warmth in his heart that Optimus would refer to him as a Prime so quickly, showing how much he believed in him.

"I have to try, Optimus." Jack said. "If anyone could get Gabrielle and her Angels to back off...It's Primus."

He looked to Optimus with eyes that pleaded for his help.

"Very well." Optimus said, giving Jack a slice of hope. "You and I will travel to Cybertron together and I, myself, will escort you to the Well of the All-Spark."

Jackson stood up and looked up to Optimus with an honest smile, the first one since he had bridged back. Arcee stepped forward, standing beside Optimus.

"I'm going with you."

Optimus looked to Arcee.

"Prime or not, I'm still Jack's partner. That means, I'm still his guardian."

Arcee looked back to Jack and smiled, which was returned. Now, he felt a real sense of hope, hope that he could come out of this, at least, for a little while. June came behind Jack and gently put her hand in his shoulder. She was scared. But despite everything that had happened under the Autobot's noses, so to speak, she still trusted them. She still had faith in them.

"You're grandmother always called you her little angel. Who knew how right she was?" June said.

Jack took her hand and held it tightly, but he was no longer shaking.

"There's just one problem."

Everyone turned to Ratchet.

"How, exactly, do the two of you plan on getting Jack to Cybertron? If you recall, the only functional space bridge on this planet is under the control of the Decepticons, of which we were only able to hold for a short period of time while Arcee and Jack went to Vector Sigma."

Once again, a heavy dilemma was held over their heads.

"Surely, you don't think they would allow us to gain access to their equipment a second time."

Optimus looked to Jackson, seeing doubt appear on his face once more.

"Ms. Darby." Optimus called.

June looked up to Optimus, who knelt down as not to force her to look too high up.

"May I ask a favor of you?"

"Of course."

"The forces of Heaven know of this place. If they decide to search for Jackson without their means of surveillance, it stand to reason that Omega One will be the first location they will look for him. As such, it would be best for you and Jackson to stay in your home for the time being. I would advise, for both your safety, that neither leave your home for work or school."

June could only agree with Optimus, willing to do anything to keep her son away from the people who took him.

"If that's what you think is best."

"I would also ask that you allow Miko and Rafael to stay with you, for my own piece of mind."

June looked to the two aforementioned children, one of whom was already jumping with excitement.

"Suh-weet! Sleepover at Jack's house!" She proclaimed, triumphantly.

"I guess I could call my Mom and ask her if it's okay." Raf stated.

Optimus smiled in relief, knowing the humans were in one place and away from the Autobot base. He then turned to his crew.

"Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead."

The three gave Optimus his attention.

"You three will guard the Darby home together. In the event of another attack, you are not to engage the forces of Heaven. Your goal is to get the humans as far away as possible."

"Watch Jack's house. Got it." Bulkhead said.

Bumblebees said something in his usual manner, which seemed like agreement.

"Understood, Sir." Arcee followed.

"In the meantime."

Optimus spoke as he walked passed Ratchet and over to the console.

"Me and Ratchet will figure out a means to travel to Cyberteron safely so that Jack may speak with Primus. Until you hear from us, It would be best that you remain together and out of the open."

As uncomfortable as it might be for the next day or so, the humans all agreed and followed Optimus' plans.

"All right, then. For now, it would be best for you to head to Ms. Darby's home. At this moment, Omega One is not safe."

"You heard Optimus." Arcee said. "Let's get everyone out of here."

Miko cheered enthusiastically as Bulkhead transformed and allowed her to step in. Rafael began calling his mother, thinking of ways to convince her to let him stay at a friend's house on a school night. Bumblebee opened the door on his passenger side. Arcee handed Jack and June their helmets as she took her alt form and allowed them to take their seats. As Jack tightened his helmet, he looked over to Optimus, who was discussing something with Ratchet.

"Optimus?"

Optimus walked over to Jackson.

"What is it, my young friend?"

Jack believed in the Prime's plan, all except for one thing.

"Listen...If the angels attack the base while we're away..."

Whatever Jack wanted to say was weighing heavy on his mind, Optimus realized.

"You and Ratchet have to run. Don't fight them...just run away."

"I will run, Jack. I will run as fast as I can to your home. And then, I will do everything in my power to keep you away from them...even at the cost of my own Spark."

The thought of it made Jack want to cry.

"I don't want that, Optimus."

"And I do not want them to take you away again."

The Prime lowered his helm.

"When you were taken before...I, too, feared never seeing you again."

When Optimus looked at Jackson, Jack saw that fear.

"I wish to never feel such fear again. You are...important to me, Jackson."

Jackson didn't know what to say. He'd never heard such a thing from anyone except his mother and Arcee. Even his father never made such claims. Another set of eyes watch them above, listening closely to the two.

"Be safe, Optimus...Please." Jack said.

"We will figure this out, my young friend. You have my word, from one Prime to another."

That made Jack's heart jump, the thought of being recognized by Optimus. He wiped away a tear and pulled back on Arcee's handle. As she pulled off with him and June, Jack turned his back to see Optimus before going through the tunnel, praying it wouldn't be the last they'd see each other.

Optimus watched as his chosen Prime disappeared with the mother he buried strong feelings for. Ratchet walked up beside him, deciding they needed to get started.

"So, what's the plan, Optimus?"

Optimus focused his gaze, still on the tunnel his team had gone through.

"First and foremost, you are to contact Wheeljack and have him return to base immediately."

"Contact Wheeljack, got it."

Optimus then walked passed Ratchet and over to the stair case that led to the human area.

"Then what?" Ratchet asked.

Optimus turned to Smokescreen, who had been waiting patiently, wondering why he wasn't sent off with the rest of the team.

"I will bridge myself deep into the Arctic...Into sub-zero temperatures.

"Wha-...What on Earth for, Optimus?" Ratchet asked.

"I will send out a distress beacon, claiming to be unable to contact base and dangerously close to stasis lock."

Ratchet was looking at Optimus like he was insane.

"But...Soundwave will surely pick up your signal...and then he'll..."

"He will pass the information on to Megatron, who will surely arrive to destroy me himself. He would not pass up such an opportunity."

"Okay?" Ratchet question. "How does that get you and Jack to Cybertron?"

"Smokescreen." Optimus addressed.

Smokescreen stood straight.

"Sir."

"You and Wheeljack will accompany me into the Arctic. But you will both remain hidden until Megatron arrives."

Now, Smokescreen was wondering what Optimus was thinking.

"Sir?"

"When he does, the two of you will sneak passed him through his ground bridge and into the Nemesis. And then...you must find the Forge of Solus."

Both Smokescreen and Ratchet pulled back, Optimus' plan suddenly making sense.

"The Forge of Solus?" Smokescreen asked. "You mean, they've had it this whole time?"

"I see." Ratchet stated. "You intend to use the Forge to create a space-bridge."

"Indeed, I do, old friend."

"Well...That is a solid plan...If you were to send Arcee or Bumblebee to carry it out."

Optimus knew Ratchet wouldn't agree with the plan, or rather, his choice of those to carry it out. Smokescreen seemed to resent the implications.

"What's that suppose to mean, Doc?" Smokescreen asked.

"It means that you're about as stealthy as, well...a rookie with a gaudy blue and silver paint job and the number 88 on his doors. And Wheeljack, well, he's not only a Wrecker, but he's also a Wrecker who like to blow stuff up. Stealth is neither of your strong suits. We should have Arcee and Bumblebee for this type of mission."

"I agree that Arcee and Bumblebee are better suited for a stealth mission such as this." Optimus began. "But calling them in would leave less protection for the children and June. They must stay with the humans while we focus on retrieving the Forge."

"But, Optimus." Ratchet began. "Even if we were to call Arcee or Bumblebee in, you would still have to face Megatron alone in the Arctic. His armor is much heavier than yours and you'd be much more vulnerable to the harsh environment. And that's assuming he comes to you alone. What if he brings Dreadwing or Soundwave to assist him?"

"It is not ideal, Ratchet. But we, unfortunately, do not have the luxury of time on our side."

"There has to be another way."

"There is."

The three mechs looked up and saw a shadowy figure descend from the darkness of the upper railings. When it fell upon the Autobot emblem on the floor, the darkness seemed to follow it.

Since Arcee went to ask for his help a day ago, Spawn had been staying with the Autobots, waiting for Jackson's return. When he did, Spawn hid himself for Jack's safety. Now that he was gone, there was no reason to keep hiding.

Spawn stood up, seemingly rising from the shadow of his own cloak. Even beneath the light of the base, he remained obscured by darkness, only his cloak and eyes visible. Neither Smokescreen nor Ratchet felt comfortable around him, both very much intimidated by his presence. But while Optimus knew how dangerous Spawn really was, he also knew that he had no ill intentions towards anyone at the base, especially Jackson.

"Call your Autobot ally, take him and the rookie with you into the cold Arctic. Call this Megatron and set your trap."

His voice was low and cold, as dangerous sounding as Arcee made him out to be.

"I will go through his ground bridge and find this Forge of yours, whatever the hell that is. When I do, I'll call for you to open a portal. Give me a way out and I'll bring you this Forge."

Smokescreen and Ratchet didn't know what to think, to even wonder if what Spawn was suggesting was possible.

"Spawn." Optimus said. "You understand the dangers of going into enemy territory."

"Listen to me, Prime, and listen good." Spawn said suddenly. "Before I was Hellspawn, I was a soldier. And when I worked for the CIA Black-Ops, I was the best. They used to call me the black Houdini. I always completed my mission and almost never let myself be seen. And this was before the mask and cloak."

He wasn't boasting all. Spawn was simply stating facts. Wynn, Terry, Chapel, even the President had all told All Simmons that he was the best they'd ever seen.

"I've already killed one of your kind with ease. Killing a few dozen more is nothing to me."

How casually he said that unsettled Optimus. It was very hard to imagine this being wishing to protect Jack. Spawn looked him dead in his optics, narrowing his green, glowing eyes.

"I'll find the Forge and bring it back here...And I'll tear the head off of any Deception that's stupid enough to get in my way."

7:8:8:2

Okay...Something happened a few months ago. I got fired. I finally got fed up with how my job upped the ante with the workload ("the company grows, so do we" they said), yet went back on their word to give us a 20 cent raise which was promised over a year ago (after refurbishing the break room and purchasing two new forklifts), and constantly under staffing us (hiring temps instead of careers to cut down on overtime), and I went off. I aired out my grievances in an admittedly unprofessional manner, but I was at my wits end. My supervisors didn't take kindly to that, so I got axed. Left without a source of income and forced to live on whatever I had nested away, I had to cut expenses. That included cable and internet. Unfortunately, I have not been writing during my time away. With this unemployment cloud hanging over my head, scrambling to find another job (in the State of Florida, no less), and getting to a point where I was about to move back in with my parents or my sister, my creative juices were not a-flowin'. So, three (three?) months go by and I'm nowhere to be found. I'm sorry, but I was stressed out to the point of anxiety attacks. Even when I tried to write, I just couldn't focus on anything other than worrying how much money I had left in the bak. I don't like leaving you guys in the cut like this, but this time, I had to walk away to get my self back in a stable position.

I got another job last month, decently paying. Still no internet, but I was able to upload this at my sister's place. I'm getting to a place where I can breath easy for a while. But I am really sorry that I had to back away like this. Unfortunately, nothing is less secure than employment and I really hope I don't have to go through this again for a very long time. But I managed to get this story done during my off time from work, which has been very therapeutic after enduring some troubling times. So, here is The Sad Man.

I'll keep it brief. I didn't put as much action in the story as I wanted, but the main focus of this chapter was getting Jack back home. We met another Spawn Hunter during the escape, Tiffany. I know she's a lot less dangerous than she was in the comics and what you saw here won't be her definitive character. Expect a deeper look into her and Angela's rivalry in the future.

If you're confused about terms like Elysium and Control, that's basically the Angel's base of operations. From the comics, it was like a satellite/colony in space/Heaven. So, Angela managed to get Jack home, but got caught in the process. I don't know if I'll go into the actual trial, but we will see more of her in the future.

Sam and Twitch make an appearance this chapter. (Anyone curious to see Jeremy Renner as Twitch?) The two old detectives have a soft spot Jack, it seems. They too will have a bigger role to play in all this.

The important thing is, Jack made it home and he's got a plan. I originally wanted Optimus to take Jack to Cybertron by himself, but I can't think of a good reason for Arcee to not go with them, being Jack's partner and all. Of course, Jack is feeling the weight of everything he's learned while he was away. The question is, what happens when he speaks to Primus?

Of course, or main guy was present the whole time and now, he's in on the plan to get the Forge of Solus back from Megatron. The Decepticons have no idea what's comin' their way.

So, that's Chapter 7. I know a lot of you have been waiting for the next chapters of Old Nightmare and ASOG and I thank you for your patience. I'm back in writing mode and in an overall better place. So, aside from not having a means to upload on hand, I can get back to these stories a little more faithfully. Thank you all and I'll be around.