CHAPTER 9

Perceptor wanted to get a good look at the bite marks on Jazz's neck. He stepped into the repair bay and walked over to the examining table where the porsche lay. Ratchet had left the room for a moment. Perceptor put his hands on the examining table and leaned his face downward. Ratchet stepped back inside just then and saw the microscope leaning over Jazz. "Is there something you want?" he asked him.

The scientist looked up. "Not really," he replied. "I was just taking a look at the marks on Jazz's neck."

"The bite marks aren't very important. They don't bother me so much," Ratchet told him. "and there seems to be no other damage to his system."

"Really?" Perceptor asked.

Ratchet nodded. "It's almost like she didn't bother damaging him further," he replied. He walked over to the table and waved his hand over Jazz's body. "The second she sunk her teeth into him she got the result she wanted, but-" he stopped.

"But what?"

"Even that amount of damaged could be fixed," he explained. "I ran a scan over him. Nothing inside is damaged either."

"Then he should be back online then," Perceptor concluded. He looked down at Jazz. "But why isn't he?"

"I don't know," the medic replied. "That's what's bothering me. Jazz's body is fine and I recharged him to get the energy she'd drained from him back into his body. He just won't come back online. It's almost like he's dead."

"Is he dead?"

"No. His spark is still functioning. Nothing is wrong with it. I can't figure it out."

Perceptor looked Jazz over again. He's not damaged and he's recharged. He should be back online now... I wonder... Could Optimus be right?

"Mind if I examine him further?" Perceptor asked.

Ratchet shrugged. "Go ahead," he said. "I don't know what you intend to find but give it a try." he turned away and stepped out of the room. "Just don't mess with his programing." he added over his shoulder.


"Tell me more about her," Megatron said after a few moments. "Is there anything else about her I should know. Is she loyal for one?"

"That I'm not sure of," Shockwave replied.

"Why not?"

"Shadowstar has always been unpredictable," he explained. "She's loyal to me, that's all I can tell you but I'm not sure if she'll be loyal to you. She might try something."

Megatron wasn't sure he liked that answer. He had enough back stabbers already. He didn't need another one. "Like what?"

Shockwave shook his head. "I don't know," he replied. "I haven't seen or heard from her in over four million years. You said she was offline when you found her and had to revive her by putting her mind back into the body, right?"

"Yes," Megatron confirmed. He set down the energon cube he'd been carrying and folded his arms. He waited for Shockwave to continue. He had a feeling the Cybertron guardian was about to say something important.

"That sort of thing has happened before," Shockwave said. "I don't know if she does that on purpose or not but it had happened before." he shrugged. "I think it might be her faulty programming that causes it but, yes, it has happened more than once."

"Are you saying she was faking?"

"No she wasn't faking," he replied. "it's real but I would advice you to be careful about it if you plan on letting her stay with you. That sort of thing just might have allowed her to hack into your computers."

"Hm... Anything else?"

"No. That's about it." he turned away from his superior and leaned down to pick up another energon cube. "Let's go."

"Wait." Megatorn put his hand on the other Decepticon's arm to stop him. Shockwave looked at Megatron. "You told me she could hack into Autobot computers."

"Yes."

"What about Telletran 1?"
"If it's an Autobot computer it's most likely. Why?"

Megatron smirked. "I think I have a job for her."


Shadowstar was finished with her research on the Matrix. She'd learned about all she'd ever find out using the computer and quickly shut it down, erasing every search she'd made. Only a skilled computer hacker would be able to trace her searches. But that won't happen, she told herself, stepping out of the control room. Nobody should be able to find out. Not until I'm finished with it. Until then... she smiled, showing off her fangs. Until then I'll act like I'm not even working on anything. That should be easy. But Megatron isn't stupid. I could see that right away. I'll have to be very careful..

She found a room that looked like it hadn't been used awhile and stepped inside. A computer on the far wall stood offline and dusty. She turned to it and raised a hand to wipe it clean. She slid the disk into the reader and closed the door so not to be bothered. She had work to do and didn't want curious optics spying on her while she worked.


"Thundercracker, can I talk to you?," Skywarp said as he helped his best friend store some energon cubes away. "I have a problem."

The blue and black seeker didn't stop working but gave his friend a curious look. This was new. Usually Thundercracker was the one with the problem or Starscream. Skywarp never seemed to be bothered by anything. Something must really be wrong if the purple and black Seeker had a problem. "What is it?" he asked.

"I'm attracted to some thing I'm afraid of," he replied flat out.

"What?" that made no sense.

Skywarp looked at him and said it again. "I think I'm attracted to something I'm afraid of."

"What do you mean by that?"

Skywarp looked like he didn't want to explain himself. He looked away from his friend and picked up another energon cube. I can't tell him. He would ask what I meant and then I'll have to explain to him that she's a vampire. What if he laughs at me? He shook his head. Why should that matter? He's laughed at me before. he looked up at Thundercracker. The blue and black seeker was still staring at him. "What do you mean by you're attracted to something you're afraid of?" he asked again.

Skywarp knew then that Thundercracker wasn't going to let him drop the subject so easily. I should have known.

"It's about the femme," he said after a minute.

"What about the femme?" Thundercracker asked storing another cube and leaning down to pick up another.

"Well- I-" he paused. Thundercracker stopped working and looked at him. Another silence.Just tell him.

"I like her."

His friend smiled. "You likeher?" he asked. "You like all femmes."

"No, not like this," he said, shaking his head. "I-"

"Oh," his friend nodded in understanding. "I see."

"But I'm also afraid of her."

The blue and black seeker make a curious face. "You're afraid of her?" he said. "Why are you afraid of her? What could you possibly be afraid of? That she'll dump you? That she won't return your feelings?"

"No," the black and purple jet said, shaking his head. "It's not like that it's-"

Just then Rumble poked his head into the room. "Megatron's returned," he said. "and you should see the energon he brought back! He sent me to find you and tell you to get your butts to the control room right now."

The two looked at each other then got moving. Skywarp was grateful for the interruption. Now he wouldn't have to tell Thundercracker that Shadowstar was a vampire... at least for a little while longer.


Perceptor transformed into his microscope form and tried to get a closer look at the marks on Jazz's neck. He wasn't sure what he should be looking for but, maybe if he found something, he'd be able to figure out why Jazz hadn't come back online. He didn't believe in the least that the female Decepticon was really a vampire and was going to use whatever he found to prove it. So far nothing was turning up that he could use. It all seemed to point in the other direction.

She couldn't have been a vampire, he told himself, trying to zoom in closer. Vampires only exist in folk tales. They're not real. It must be something else. It was has be something else.

But what else could it be?

He went back into standard mode and leaned against the examining table, folding his arms and thinking hard. Maybe it has something to do with her programing? he thought. Something might have happened to her when she was being brought online. he glanced back at Jazz. But what could cause her to do something like this?

Perceptor paced for a moment, thinking. All logical explainations were alluding him. "The only way to find out the answer is to examine the source," he said out loud. "But that is impossible. I can't examine the source because she is a Decepticon and I won't be able to get close to her without her shooting." he stopped pacing and thought about it. "This is more complicated than I thought."

He stepped out opf the room. Maybe he could ask Wheeljack about it. The other Autobot was also a scientist, though he seemed a bit crazy at times. He might be able to come up with something...


Shadowstar stared at the blue prints of the Matrix she'd created from the actual image. She wasn't exactly sure it had looked that way before it had been built so most of it was guesses. She did not want to get the structure wrong. If she did, the Matrix copy would probably fall apart. This might be harder than I thought, she thought, still staring at the blue print. But I am determind to make one. It's only fair to our side.

She looked down at the parts lying on the table, waiting for her to assemble them. It seemed like she had everything there and ready but something didn't feel right. "I'm missing something," she said out loud, turning from the screen and picking up one of the parts. "Blue prints will only get me so far. I've never been good at reading them anyway. I do better at having an actual reference." she set the part down and started pacing. "The answer is simple. I need the actual Matrix." she stopped and put a hand on her face. "But how am I going to get it? It's inside Optimus Prime. I can't just walk up to him and take it. There's no way I can sneak into their base without being noticed..." a thought came to her. She remembered the Autobot she'd sunk her fangs into. It was a possibility. She'd never tried it before. "It just might work."

She turned her back to the table and shut down the power on the computer. The blue print of the Matrix vanished into blankness. She wouldn't need it, if what she was about to attempt actually worked.

A/N

I HATE writer's block! I just can't seem to get any momentume. I really need to finish one of the fics I'm working on, otherwise I can't start any new ones and I have a few ideas floating in my head. All well I'll try my best. Sorry about this. Don't hate me.