Jasper, Jack's POV

It had been a week since Miko, Raf and I had gone on the Nemisis.

Ever since the time when I'd first seen the strange runes, I'd kept seeing them. Now I'd randomly snap into trances, and when I'd come to, I'd find the runes scribbled where ever it was convinient.

It had happend first at home. Now I refused my mom enterance to my room, other wise she'd see the runes scribbled on my walls.

The second time, I'd been in the middle of school. My history book now hid at the back of my locker, front and back covers decorated with the writing.

There had been at least four other times, but I was lucky. It was only a short pattern, not one of the long equations that had nearly consumed Bulkhead's mind.

I sighed, burrying my head in my hands. My whole body ached, but not enough to be worried about.

"Jack, are you alright?"

I lifted my head, looking at Raf and offering a weak smile.

"Yeah...Yeah, I'm fine Raf, just tired."

Arcee looked over, hearing me. She then raised a metal brow.

"You've been tired a lot lately, are you sleeping alright?" She asked, crossing her arms.

I shrugged.

"Yeah, I've been sleeping fine, 'Cee. I don't see why you guys are so concerned." I replied, looking down at my homework and writing down another answer.

Homework had been considerably easier, or at least for math. And I found I could remember everything I studied with ease. Which was a relief since I'd never had much time between school, going to base and work before.

"Wow Jack, how can you do your homework so fast? Even I need time to work out the problems!" Raf said cheerfully.

I grinned slightly as I scribled down a few more answers.

"Well, it just gets easier once you get the hand of it. These are pretty easy, so I can work them out in my head." I explained.

It wasn't a lie, I did work the problems out in my head...Just at a rather insane pace.

I wrote down the last answer, then set the pencil down and, with a sigh of relief, fell back to lean against the couch. I stretched my arms upwards, my shoulder popping audibly.

I then shut my eyes.

That was a mistake.

I barely was able to contain a gasp when visions of Cybertron flashed through my mind. The war, fire, screaming.

So much screaming! The voices, they were making my heart ache. The screams were full of agony...

I forced my eyes open, blinking away tears as I pulled one leg up and leaned forward, pressing my forehead to my knee.

"Jack?"

I tilted my head slightly, looking at Arcee. I then forced myself to smile.

"Yeah?"

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, of course. I feel just fine."

It was a lie, of course it was a lie. And I felt bad for doing it. But I refused to be a burde to the 'bots.

I gulped as a sudden wave of nausia hit me, and I stood, surprising Raf so much that he fell from his perch on the back of the couch.

"Ah, sorry Raf! Didn't mean to surprise you." I said sheepishly, peeking over the back of the couch.

"I'm okay! It's alright!"

I laughed, reaching over and pulling him back onto his feet.

"I'll be back in a sec."

With that, I quickly exited the room, heading for the human restrooms (placed there for the previous owners).

Locking myself in a stall, I leaned over the toilet and vomited.

By the time I was finished, my thorat was sore and raw, and I dry heaved for a good five minutes.

When I was finally done, I remained still, leaning over the toilet bowl and trying to catch my breath. My throat burned badly, so I stood and went over to one of the sinks, turning it on and rinsing my mouth.

I gasped, gripping the edge of the sink when the runes flashed breifly across my vision, along with images of the war on Cybertron.

I quickly shook my head, and the images dissapeared. I then reached up, pulling down the neck of my shirt slightly. The blue markings glowed dully, and a single spark of electricity jumped to my finger when it neared the marks.

I released the collar of my shirt, slowly setting my hand back down onto the sink.

With a sigh, I left the bathroom and returned to the main room of the silo. Miko was there now, playing a video game with Raf and 'Bee.

I smiled slightly as the three of them held determined expressions, and I could instantly tell that they were playing a racing game.

At least I could still be happy when I was around my friends.

Jasper, later, 3rd POV

Jack sighed as he stared at his walls, now decorated with the three same Cybertronian runes.

They were important. Someway. Somehow.

But Jack still was unsure of how or why.

He trailed a hand, first over a few ruins that had been painted on the wall, then over some that had been carved into the wall with his pocket knife from his survival kit.

Jack gasped, head tilting back as his mouth opened in a silent scream as images of Cybertron flashed through his mind.

He could feel the pain of the Cybertronians in his bones, his mind being torn by the screams of agony.

It then all stopped, so sudden that it made Jack stumble back, tripping and landing on his bed.

The onyx haired teen groaned, covering his face with his hands. The visions were definately the worst part, and to think that the 'bots, his family, had seen, experienced, all of it.

Jack slowly sat up, staring down at his hands that rested in his lap with eyes that were burden with sadness.

A sudden knock at the door brough his attention up.

"Yeah?"

"Jack...Are you alright?"

The raven teen sighed.

"Yeah. Everything is fine, mom. I think I'm going to turn in for the night though."

"Alright, goodnight."

Jack sighed as he removed his fingerless gloves and moved over to his dresser.

"'Night." He replied shortly.

The sound of his mother's footsteps faded away, and Jack grabbed a pair of sweat pants from the dresser, going into his bathroom.

Removing his shirt, he looked in the mirror, inspecting the dimly glowing markings.

He carefully traced a finger along one of the markings that went from his shoulder to his abdominin. Blue sparks of electricity jumped between his finger tips and chest, but he couldn't feel anything besides a slight tingling sensation.

Shuddering, Jack quickly pulled on a pair of sweat pants before going and climbing into his bed.

He curled up under the soft, warm sheets, eyes slipping shut.

He was tired. He'd worry about these things.

Later.

Next day

Jack yawned as he trudged down the sidewalk. Thank lord it was the weekend, a whole day to himself was a rare treat. There was no need for him to be in base, nor at work. Just time to be himself.

He turned into the park, going over to the swings and sitting down on one.

Jack flinched slightly when the runes flashed across his vision for a moment, but they dissapeared just as quickly. Jack shook his head. Today was his day to relax, and it was perfect, since the park was empty-

"Aw, does widdle Dawby havin' fun on da swings?"

The raven male nearly groaned, so much for the park being empty. The one day he got to relax and he just had to run into Vince and his goons.

Jack looked over at the redhead with a frown.

"Just leave me alone, Vince."

"Not a chance, Darby. Besides, you ruined my rep at school, I ruin your face."

Jack made a small sound of surprise when he was pulled off of the swing by his collar.

Not good.

"Look, I didn't mean to ruin your rep. But it's not my fault that you started it." Jack replied, forcing himself to remain calm.

"Yeah? Well too bad!"

The redhead's fist colided with Jack's cheek, throwing the ebony haired male back.

As Vince's goons joined in on the beating, Jack forced himself to keep calm. He had no idea what would happen if he got angry. Last time he'd nearly hurt someone, his anger was dangerous.

He couldn't do anything to stop the bullies.

The onyx haired teen simply closed his eyes and waited for the barage of fists and feet to stop.

After ten minutes, they backed off. They walked away, laughing and joking about how weak Jack was.

But that was far from the truth, though Jack wouldn't admit it.

After the other teen's left, Jack slowly pushed himself up, spitting out a bit of blood mixxed with saliva, wiping the his mouth on the back of his hand before slowly standing.

He crumpled slightly in pain as multipul cracks and pops resounded. It felt as though his insides were spinning and his bones rearranging. But it stopped almost as quickly as it had begun.

Jack slowly straitend, startled when he felt almost no pain, only some small cricks in his neck.

He remembered hearing the 'bots speak about self-repair systems, was that what this could be?

Jack quickly looked around for any reflective surface, running over to look at his reflection in an empty store window.

The only evidence that he'd been thuroghly beaten was a rather large bruise on his cheek and the remaining dry blood from a cut that Jack had known was above his eye a moment earlier.

"...God, what the hell is happening to me?"

"Jack?"

The raven male jumped, scared slightly when Arcee's voice came from behind him, and he turned to stare at her with wide eyes.

She was using her holoform, the projection's head turned towards him.

"Primus! Jack, what happend? You're covered in blood!"

Jack gulped slightly.

"Just had a run-in with Vince, no need to worry."

"That little...Get on, I'm taking you to Ratchet so he can make sure-"

"NO!"

Jack's mouth shut immediately. Had he just snapped at Arcee? His partner was silent for a moment, taken aback. She then regained her composure.

"What do you mean 'no'? Jack, you're covered in slagging blood!"

Jack licked his lips nervously as he looked away.

"Look, I'm perfectly fine. Do I look like I'm in pain to you? Scrap, do you think I'd lie to you?"

A moment, then,

"Promise?"

Jack blinked in surprise.

"What?"

"Promise you arne't lying to me?"

Jack felt his insides twist.

"Yeah...I promise."

Primus, it felt awful to say that to Arcee. He was lying to her, his partner, his friend...

But he didn't want to be a burden. This was his problem to deal with, not Arcee's, or the 'bots, not anyone else!

There were things that were much more important.

"Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be at base."

The holoform shrugged.

"I was on my way there now. Ratchet's making some modifications to the groundbridge so I have to drive today...You sure you don't want to come?"

Jack gave a half-hearted smile.

"Yeah...yeah I'm sure."

Arcee hesitated a moment.

"I'll see you later then."

Jack nodded.

"Yeah, see you later, Arcee. Stay safe."

"Always am."

Even though he couldn't see it, Jack could hear the smile in her voice.

It made everything that much harder

Later, 3rd POV

Jack took a deep breath, laying on his belly on his bed, setting down a notebook in front of him.

"Alright, let's see here..." He muttered to himself, picking up a pencil and writing for a few minutes. He then looked over it.

It was a list of everything he'd been experiencing so far.

'Side Effects:

Markings that give off minimal electric charge

Visions of Cybertron

Visions of runes

Super strength

Super speed

Higher intelect

Shorter temper

Urges to have energon'

Jack paused at that one. It was admittedly embarrassing, the day he'd found out this one. Arcee was having a cube of energon and he could smell the blue liquid, it made his mouth water.

Jack continued looking over the list.

'Self-repair (system?)

Heat flashes

Pain'.

Jack sighed. That was all of the side effects, so far at least.

The raven teen jumped slightly in surprise when he phone began to play the song 'Sun Goes Down' by David Jordan, his ringtone.

Jack sat up with a grunt, reaching over and flipping the phone open.

"Hello?"

"Jack? It's Arcee."

"What's up?"

"You need to come to base. We're opening up a 'bridge in your backyard in five. Get you mom too."

Jack's brow furrowed.

"Why? Arcee, what's going on?"

There was a sigh from the other line.

"There's a Cybertronian signal near your house. We can't tell if it's an Autobot or a 'con, so to be safe, Optimus wants you and your mom here."

A signal?

"Alright, I'll get mom. Just send the 'bridge now." Jack finally replied, swinging his feet off the bed and pulling on his shoes.

"See you in a bit."

Jack gave a sound of recognition before shuting the phone with a click.

After wrestling his shoes on, Jack shoved the notebook on his bed under his pillow and went to grab a shirt.

Jack nearly screamed when a small bolt of blue electricity sprung from his fingertips and hit the desk, leaving a singe mark and blue static floating before it dissapeared.

Oh great, a new side effect to add to the notebook.

Though it would have to be later, Jack reminded himself as he grabbed a shirt and tugged it on, grabbing his newest addition to his ensamble. Pulling on the fingerless gloves, he made sure they hid the markings. He didn't bother to change his pants, they were the jeans he'd been wearing earlier after all, he'd only discarded his shirt but been to tired to opt for pj pants.

Stumbling out of his room (making sure he closed the door behind himself, just in case), Jack went down the hall and into his mother's room. He gently began to shake his mom's arm.

"Mom...Mom, c'mon, get up."

"J...Jack? What's wrong? It's 11:30."

Jack gave an apollogetic grimace ad he moved, allowing his mother room to stand.

"I know, I'm sorry. But Arcee called. There's a Cybertronian signal near here, and they don't know if it's a 'bot or a 'con. They want us to come into base. Hurry and get changed, they're sending a groundbridge for us."

June nodded, suddenly wide awake as she went over to her dresser.

"I'll be waiting in the backyard." Jack said, going out into the hall again and down the stairs.

Once he made it outside, he sat on the back porch, looking down at his hands.

Checking to make sure he was still alone, he lifted a hand and concentraited. He remembered how it had felt minutes ago when he first did it. He'd felt a rush, then suddenly cold as though he were doused in water, then the electricity had discharged.

Then it came again.

The rush, the coldness, then the relief as the blue eletricity flowed from his fingertips to hit the ground, leaving a scorch mark.

"Well, at least there's one thing I can control..." Jack murmured as he turned to look at the back door.

A moment later, his mother stepped out, dressed casually. Instead of her usual scrubs, she wore a light purple T-shirt and black sweat pants.

At the exact same moment, a groundbridge opened.

"You ready to go?" Jack asked, standing. June nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah, lets see if this'll take long to clear up."

Jack grinned before heading into the 'bridge, his mother following closely.