Sanctuary TFP/RB

Chapter 6

Jack didn't remember blacking out, but the next thing he knew, a sound from somewhere in the bunker made his eyes shoot open. Cons'!

Shooting up to a sitting position, he frantically looked around. Had they found him after all? He had to hide, then maybe he could find a way to sneak out before-

"Jack, are you still down here?" Jack flinched, then let out a long breath as the familiar cheerful voice echoed through the bunker. There were no Cons'. He was safe. Blades appeared around the corner, as cheerful as Jack had ever seen him. "Hey, Jack!"

Jack forced himself to smile back, willing his heart to slow down. His body seemed reluctant to accept that his five day long nightmare was over at last.

Blades didn't seem to notice Jack's moment of panic. "We would have been back sooner, but on the way back we had to stop another runaway lawnmower!"

Jack blinked, unsure he'd heard right. Despite his wake-up scare, his mind was partly clouded with sleepiness. "Huh?"
"Oh right, you're new to Griffin Rock." Blades said. "You wouldn't believe some of the emergencies we've had to deal with-"
Jack stared blankly as the copter bot rambled, not taking any of it in.

The other three Rescue Bots rounded the corner and stopped behind Blades, curiously watching the exchange.
Jack shot them a questioning look, but Boulder simply nodded in agreement with Blades, shuddering slightly at some memory. Heatwave lightly shook his head, as if to say, don't ask.

There was something odd about this island, he was starting to realize. And it wasn't just the Rescue Bots. His hand went to his pocket, as if to assure him that he hadn't imagined the strange device Cody had given him.

"...but you probably see a lot of crazy things, being on Optimus's team." Blades said, jerking his attention back.
Jack blinked hard and rubbed his eyes with an arm. His headache had lessened very little since he'd gone to sleep. "Oh. Yeah." He muttered.
"A lot. What time is it?"

The question went ignored. "You've gotta tell us more about it!" Blades insisted. "I'm sure you have some great stories!"
"I..." Jack cursed himself as he struggled to form a coherent response. Blades's words made him sound like a war veteran. And I'm not even a warrior!

"Do you ever get to go on missions with Optimus? Or Bumblebee?" Blades continued. "Have you seen much action?"
Jack blinked again. "Well...I did get stranded in another dimension with a Decepticon zombie once. I'd say that was pretty crazy."

It was Blades's turn to stare, taken aback. "You...whoa, that is not the answer I was expecting."
Jack shrugged, suppressing a chuckle.
"But wait!" Blades exclaimed. "You saw zombies?" He whirled around to face the other Bots. "See? That movie was right! They are real!"
Heatwave rolled his optics. "I don't think so."

"And no, it was just one." Jack said. He stood up, stretching his stiff muscles. "Starscream, that's another Decepticon, used dark energon on a-"
Jack paused, looking up at Blades's now anxious face. How much should he say?

The other three Rescue Bots had gone still. "Did you say, dark energon?" Boulder asked with wide optics. Blades glanced back at him. "What's dark energon?"

Heatwave looked away. "Pretty much exactly what it sounds like."
"Our ancient texts call it the 'antispark'." Chase added.
Blades recoiled slightly with a faint whimper. "And it's on Earth?"

"It's extremely rare." Boulder assured him. "Most have started to think there isn't any left, if it ever existed. But according to legend, it has the power to..." He trailed off, as if he didn't dare say it.