CHAPTER 11

Sari stared up Prime in disbelief. Why was he suddenly demanding the key from her? "You want my key?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes," he nodded in confirmation. "We need your key."

She held it close to herself and asked. "What for?"

Bumblebee stepped in to explain. "Because the Decepticons are going to kill Prowl if we don't give it to them," he said.

Sari's mouth fell open. So that's what had happened to Prowl. "Prowl?" Since when did the Decepticon's get their hands on Prowl?

Optimus nodded once more. "Yes," he said. "It's just as Bumblebee said. If we don't give them your key Prowl will die."

"You can't be serious!" she exclaimed, not believing what she was hearing. "You actually believed them!?"

"Decepticons don't lie about things like that," Optimus told her, kneeling down so he was at eye level with her. "If they say they're going to kill someone they will."

She still wasn't about to hand it over. "Can you think of another way?"

"I tried," he told her. "But there is no other way to do this." he put out his hand. "After we get Prowl back I promise I'll do everything I can to get it back for you."

She thought about that a moment. "No."

-----------

"Let me guess, they got away?"

Lockdown refused to look at Megatron's face. Not just because he couldn't stand to look at it but also because his head hurt like crazy and it was resting on the control panel. "Yeah, they got away," he admitted.

Megatron did not sound happy as he said. "You disappoint me, bounty hunter. It seems like every time I hire you to do something for me you can never get it done right."

"Don't blame me," he said defensively, lifting his head to glare at the Decepticon. "You should have-"

"I cannot be blamed for your lack of success," Megatron cut him off. "You know as well as I do how Starscream is."

"It wasn't Starscream that caused the problem," he informed him. "It was the female."

"Yes, Blackarachnia can be just as sneaky as he is," Megatron admitted nodding sagely. "That is probably why they are even together."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"I have a mind to fire you," the Decepticon informed him. "Seeing how you can't get the job done."

Lockdown was offended. "I got the job done," he told him. "It's not my fault they got away."

"Then whose is it?" Megatron wanted to know. "The Autobots? I doubt they are even aware that those two are here yet."

At that moment Lockdown should have mentioned that Prowl knew and was also after them but he didn't. That bit of information would not help him, it would only make things worse. "They might not know now but they will," he told him.

"And that is why we must capture them before they do," the Decepticon leader replied. "I'm willing to give you one more chance to get the job done right but if you don't succeed I will be forced to step in and deal with them myself."

"I understand," the bounty hunter said, clenching a fist. "I won't fail again."

"Good," Megatron said seemingly satisfied with that answer. "Because if you do they won't be the only ones I dismantle."

Lockdown understood what he meant but it didn't worry him that much. "Don't worry, that won't happen."

--------------

"So why did that Autobot act all defensive toward you?" he asked, bringing up a former topic.

She looked at him sharply. "None of your business!" she snapped, not wanting to talk about it.

"My aren't we getting defensive," he said, grinning. He was enjoying getting under her skin. It was amusing beyond words. "Could he be an old boyfriend of yours?"

"No!" she retorted. "I don't know him. I already told you, he probably had me confused with somebody else."

"I doubt that."

"I don't care."

"Then why are you getting so defensive?"

"I'm not!"

"Could have fooled me." he folded his arms and looked away from her, turning his attention to the view of the city. It looked nice from up here..

She was just seconds away from choking him. "Shut up!" she ordered. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

He looked back at her with a lazy expression. "You sure?"

She was temped to hit him but held herself back. The last thing she needed was to have a repeat of their other fights, even though Starscream had the bad habit of getting under her skin. She wasn't going to play his game anymore. She ignored the question.

He noticed. He sighed and kicked Prowl again. "Can you at least tell me one thing?"

She gave him a guarded look. "Maybe," she said. "It depends on what you want to ask."

"Do you know him?" he asked again.

"I told you I didn't," she answered.

He gave her a look that said he didn't believe her. "I honestly don't believe that," he said. "Because he acted like he knew you. He had the same look on his face that he had when you got me out of that ship." he clenched a fist and asked sharply. "If he does not know you, why does he look at you that way?"

Blackarachnia was taken aback by the tone in his voice. It sounded different than before. He was sincerely angry about it. As if he actually cared. Why? Is he jealous? she wondered. Could he really be jealous? No. That's impossible. He doesn't even like me. There's no way that he's jealous.

Or could there?

--------------

"Blitzwing," Megatron said, after he'd finished his conversation with Lockdown and turned off the console. "I want you and Lugnut to follow the bounty hunter and keep an eye on him."

"Yes sir," the triple changer said. Then ventured to ask. "Vy?"

"If he cannot capture the traitors I want you to do it," he told him. "I will not tolerate anymore failors."

Blitzwing nodded. He'd been waiting for permission to go after them. Before when he had Megatron had ordered him back and then given him a lecture about disobeying orders. He'd promised to wait for permission next time. "Zey vill not get away again," he promised."

"Good," Megatron said, satisfied. "Now go."

--------------------

"It's time," Starscream said. Two hours had passed. Most of it had been spent in a nervous silence with neither Decepticon speaking to the other. It had made the seeker nervous because he didn't know what she was thinking. Ever since he'd asked her why Sentinel had looked at her the way he had she'd gone silent, refusing to speak to him further.

Now she looked at him and, instead of speaking, just nodded. This wasn't helping. He asked another question, just to get a response. "Aren't you happy?" he asked her. "You'll soon be able to become normal and then you won't have to put up with me anymore. I can take the key and get rid of Megatron and you can pretend you never had to associate with me.." even as he said such things it didn't make him feel any better and he could see it didn't make her feel better either. It seemed to make her feel worse.

What is this? Why do I feel like I'm lying to her? Why does a part of me not want her to leave? This is stupid. I don't care about her.

"Are you ready to go or not?" he demanded, trying to get back in character. He reached down and grabbed Prowl's arm, lifting him off the roof. "Because once I make this trade we'll be parting ways. If you intend on waiting for me to come back for you it won't happen."

She sighed and headed toward him. When this was over she'd have one less thing to worry about. She just hoped Sentinel wasn't still around. If he was he could ruin everything. The last thing she needed was for Starscream to find out she was once an Autobot. Even Optimus never mentioned this in front of the Decepticons. But the other Prime had a big mouth. He might just say the wrong thing.

He'd better not.

When she was standing beside him the jet put his arm around her waist and activated his thrusters. Soon they were airborne once more, heading back to the Autobot's base. "Let's hope things go our way this time."

-------------

Time was running out and Sari had not agreed to give them the key. The last thing Optimus wanted to do was force her to give it to them. If she didn't want them to have they weren't going to get it. If he forced her to give it to them she would never trust them again. But what could he do? He knew what would happen to Prowl if he didn't give them the key and so did she. So why was she refusing to help them save his life? Why? It didn't make any sense.

"Sari-" he began.

"No," she cut him off stubbornly. "I said no."

He shook his head and turned away from her. "I never thought you could be so selfish," he said, before walking away.

Sari watched him go then looked down at her key. She thought about what he'd said. If they didn't give the Decepticons her key Prowl would die. But she couldn't just give them the key. The AllSpark had entrusted it to her. Wouldn't giving them the key be irresponsible? Or would keeping it? If keeping it caused the death of a Cybertronian, was she being irresponsible? Could she just let them kill him then use the key to revive him later?

It happened once but that didn't mean it would happen again. They couldn't take that chance. It might not work.

She took it off her neck and gave it a good look. What should I do? Should I give it to them? She tossed the thought around in her mind, getting off the sofa and pacing. Whatever she did it would be one of the hardest decisions she ever made. I'd better make the right one. She closed her eyes and thought about it again. After a few more minutes she opened them, having decided what she would do.

She turned around and chased after Optimus. "Optimus!"

-----------------

"Are you ever going to talk to me again or not?" Starscream asked once they were in the air. Blackarachnia looked at him but didn't reply. It made him angry. Why was she suddenly being so quiet? Why wasn't she saying anything? If this was going to be how it was going to be even after they got the key then he would just dump her somewhere. Her silence was more irritating then when she spoke. Say something, slag it!

"Not if you're going to keep on acting like a jerk," she finally said.

"What? I'm not acting like a jerk!"

"Liar," she said. "you have always been a jerk. A selfish, self centered jerk! You were a jerk from the moment I met you!"

"Oh yeah?" he asked, angrily. "Well how would you like it if this jerk decided to drop you right here? I'm not sure your organic half would be happy if it fell from this height." he grinned mockingly. "I bet it would go squash."

That did it. "WHY YOU!" she screamed, grasping his neck in her hands. "Don't even think about it!"

Starscream almost dropped Prowl when she started choking him because he had to grab her hands to loosen them. "Ah! Stop it!" he yelled, forcing her hands from his neck.

"Then get any thoughts of dropping me out of your head!"

"If you don't let go of my neck we're both going to drop!" he shot back, already off balance. "Now let go!"

When his body titled sharply, she realized what he was saying wasn't a lie and let his neck go. When she did that he let her go. "STARSCREAM!" she yelled falling toward the city below.

---------------------

"Are you sure you're not going to change your mind about this?" Optimus asked after Sari had handed him her key.

"I'm sure," she answered, determindly. "I gave it a lot of thought and realized I really was being selfish. The Allspark gave me that key for a reason, but I'm not sure what it is. I know the key can save transformers and, if it means giving it up to save Prowl, I guess it's doing it's job."

He smiled at her. "I'm sure it is," he agreed. "and don't worry. We'll get it back for you."

She smiled back. "You'd better."

He straightened up and started out of the building. "They should be here soon. I'd better head outside otherwise Sentinel might do something he'll regret."

She nodded. Sari knew how Sentinel acted and didn't like him in the least. He had a big mouth too.

--------------

The ground was coming up quickly as Blackarachnia continued to fall. She was angry with herself for listening to Starscream. He'd intended to drop her from the start, she'd just been too stupid to realize that. Why that no good slag sucking-

Her thoughts were cut off when her body jerked to a stop and she felt herself ascending. She lifted her head and stared up in surprise at Starscream who had a firm grasp on her arm. He saved me?!

"Are you going to stop being such a pain now?" he asked, glaring down at her. He hoped she'd give him the right answer because though half of him wanted her to go splat the other half didn't want to lose her, not yet anyway. "Or do you want me to make sure you don't ever do that again?"

She said nothing. Any gratefulness she's felt toward him for not letting her fall melted to anger when she realized what he was doing. But she knew she couldn't get her revenge while they were flying. She would have to wait until they were on solid ground and after they got that key. She couldn't chance missing her chance to become fully mechanical again by doing anything to him too soon. For now she'd let him think he had won. She spoke in a timid voice. "I'm sorry."

He seemed satisfied with that and continued on course, but kept her dangling from his grip, a constant reminder that all he needed to do was let her arm go if she tried anything.

-----------------

Lockdown couldn't start searching until his head had cleared. Because he had so many trophies he came across a part that once belonged to another medic and used it to remove the cyber venom. While he worked on his own repairs he went over what had happened and got angrier each time he repeated the incident with Blackarachnia. How could I have been so stupid? I should have known better than to trust a spider. But then again... he laughed at the thought. She was right.

When he was finished he did a search of his base but did not find the other bot he'd brought with him. Prowl wasn't there either. So he either escaped on his own or...

Or he'd had a run in with the Decepticons and they'd done something with him. I wonder what that could be.. He had an idea but he couldn't be sure if he was right or not. I'm pretty sure I am though.

-----------------

"We're here."

Blackarachnia chanced a look down. She saw they were hovering over the warehouse the Autobots were staying in. "Good," she said. I just hope Sentinel isn't here. He'll ruin everything.

Starscream descended, his attention focused on the ground below. He saw more than just Optimus standing outside. He frowned, not liking what this could mean. They had better not be thinking of trying anything. he noticed the blue Autobot from before was still hanging around. I wonder why he's still here. he glanced at Blackarachnia who seemed to have all her attention focused on him as well. I wonder what she knows about him anyway?

For some reason that jealous feeling once again came over him. He angrily discarded it, wondering why he was feeling jealous anyway.

She's growing on you, that's why.

She is not.

Oh really?

Really.

Suuuuure.

-------------------

Sentinel, who had hung around the Autobot's base for the past two hours was the first to see the pair descending. Good they're back. Maybe now I'll be able to talk to her.

He started to run toward the spot where the two would land but Optimus grabbed his arm and held him back. "Don't do anything stupid," he cautioned him.

Sentinel was offended. "I'm not," he shot back.

"No?" Optimus said, giving him a look. "It sure looked like you were about to."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Sentinel shot back. He wrenched his arm free. "Now let go of me before I report you for insubordination."

Optimus shook his head and let him go. He would never change. "Just watch what you say," he cautioned.

Sentinel waved him off. "Yeah yeah, I know."

Somehow I doubt that.

A/N

I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. :( and I don't really like the updates on the site. I think it's causing problems in the reviews section. Either that or this is turning really crappy. It's one or the other. I don't think I'll be updating this one for awhile after I upload this chapter. That month long break killed my entire plotline. :(

I totally suck.