Knockout's helm scraped against the cool steel floor of the Nemesis, spraying hot sparks in every direction.

The ride was bump, and Starscream found himself feeling queasy – partly because of the fact that he was being jostled and tossed around like a rag doll, and partly because it was dawning on him that yes, he had just crawled inside one of his own kind. For once, he was able to feel some empathy for the Decepticon medic. If he woke up suddenly and found Starscream and Eva squirming around beneath his plating…

It wouldn't be pretty. Not pretty at all.

Starscream nudged Eva with his knee, and the girl glanced up, red-rimmed eyes wide and filled with dread. She gulped, and then lifted her head to peer through the impressive gap between Knockout's chest plates and the wires beneath.

Starscream jerked one long, pale finger upwards. Eva nodded, and then began wriggling her body upward. Before she blocked Starscream's view, he got a glimpse of the two Vehicons as they walked, pulling Knockout by his feet.

Probably scratching up his paintjob. The fragger deserved it, Starscream thought with a huff. He grimaced, and then pressed his hands against Eva's backside and heaved. She stifled a squeal and slid out of sight, Starscream scrambling up behind her.

He almost froze. Almost. The spotless walls of the ship looked too….huge. Like a massive, looming cliff. The red metal beneath his bare hands was cold to the touch, and Starscream's slick shoes struggled to latch onto the smooth surface. Finally, giving a small cry – the Vehicons didn't seem to hear – he slid down and landed on his knees next to a startled Eva.

She lunged and pulled him out of the way as Knockout's arm swept past, raking against the ground. Sparks hit Starscream's cheek, and he hissed.

The Vehicon's turned a corner, leaving the two humans to their own devices. It took Starscream make sense of his bearing, for although the Nemesis wasn't new to him, he hadn't been on the ship in…

Well, in a while. He had memories, so many memories – beatings, battles, and standoffs – nothing out of the ordinary for a Decepticon, but certainly not something he liked to think about.

Eva touched his arm, the gesture warm, kind. Starscream gulped and smoothed back his dirt covered, silver hair. He felt weak in the legs, nervous, although he didn't want Eva to see it. If he was strong, she was strong, and vice versa. The exchange was wordless; Starscream didn't dare shatter the silence.

Finally, Eva said hoarsely, "Where too?"

Starscream thought for a moment, rushing towards the corner as he did so, Eva hurrying behind him. He tried to call up as many memories as he could, focusing on the layout on the ship. It would take them twice as long to get where they were going, due to their small size, and since most rooms were opened manually, reaching the lever would be impossible. They would have to wait until a mech passed by any opened the door.

It all seemed impossible, but they couldn't go back now. Off to the side was the groundbridge control room, their only way off this hellish warship. Starscream's fondest memories rested in the medical bay, where Knockout was probably being poked and prodded and questioned by Soundwave, if not Megatron.

That took out two adversaries. He and Eva were without weapons – if they somehow managed to transform Starscream back to his original form, that wouldn't matter. Outrunning Megatron would matter, and the more Starscream thought about it, the stupider it sounded.

Think ahead, Screamer, your wit is your strongest ally now…

Eva tugged on his arm and pointed down the hallway. Two Vehicon's were making their way slowly, speaking in hushed tones. Starscream gripped Eva and pressed her against the wall, flat, hearing the heavy footsteps approach.

The Vehicon's passed by and turned down another hall.

Eva breathed a sigh of relief, then, she hissed, "Come up with a plan yet?"

"Got one. Stay close."

He ducked out into the open, Eva hot on his heels, towards the nearest doom he could find – he remembered the hallway clearly, knowing that the medical bay was just around the corner – and motioned for Eva to stop. Then, he gradually peered down the passageway.

It was clear.

He and Eva made a mad dash down the hall, feet echoing throughout the vast, yet narrow chamber. On one occasion they had to slam on the brakes and press themselves against the wall, for a trio of Vehicon's stepped through the doorway to their right, crossing the hallway without looking down. Another time, Starscream feared that they had attracted the attention of the menacing Insecticon's that loved to skitter on ceiling like hideous, infectious cockroaches. Starscream had watched Eva go pale at the sight of the newest addition to the Decepticon ranks, but she'd kept her cool – as always – and had taken comfort in Starscream's warm embrace afterwards.

"This is where Megatron keeps all his important rewards," Starscream said, one hand on his hip, the other gesturing towards the massive steel door before them. They'd reached the end of the hallway, Eva turning around and around as she looked for danger. Because of that, Starscream felt as if he was just talking to air, but at least it gave him something else to think about. He continued with, "The poor fragger didn't know any better – he never imagined that I would return, so he hasn't moved them."

"And you're sure that the relic is here?" Eva hissed. She clutched Starscream's shoulder, her breath warm against his ear. "Promise me?"

Starscream gently pried her fingers loose and turned, brows creasing. He wrapped long fingers around Eva's hand and held them, squeezing to emphasis specific words. "Yes. This is what we came for, right?"

"It's what you came for. I just stuck along because…" Eva's face flushed, and she ducked her head.

Starscream smiled sheepishly. "I know," he whispered, and then gingerly guided Eva away.

Voices sounded from within the room, and both humans erupted into action. Starscream stumbled and knelt in a small nook between the door and the wall, a space copied and plastered opposite of him, an ideal place for Eva to hide. The girl was already there, bathed in the shadows.

Starscream raised a finger and pressed it against his lips. By this point, his organic spark – no, his heart – was pounding to the point that he feared it would rip in his chest and split free from its mooring.

Eva nodded in acknowledgement, crouching, waiting.

At that moment, the doors slid open, the sound familiar.

Soundwave's foot was suddenly in front of Starscream, blocking his view of Eva.

Starscream was sure that he forgot how to breathe, if only for a second.

The towering mech didn't seem bothered. Didn't see anything disturbed or out of place. No tentacles sprang forth and strangled Starscream and Eva, no avenging foot stomped down and crushed them to paste. Soundwave just stood there, unmoving like an ominous, dark statue, visor blank.

Don't move. Starscream mouthed the words to Eva, who had shifted up just a bit to peer over the curve of Soundwave's foot. Her hair fell across her face, and she was poised in a half standing, half squatted that, if held for a long time, would surely begin to cramp.

Soundwave moved. Stepped forward, and then began his usual slow walk through the ship, turning a corner. As soon as he disappeared, Starscream jerked his finger forward.

He and Eva dove into the room before the door had a chance to seal shut, missing the gap by a fraction of a second.

They were in.

In!

Starscream exhaled the breath he'd been holding, slapping his hands against his knees and bending over, sucking in the stale air. When he rose, Eva's arms were around him, her lips touching his briefly. When she pulled away, some color had returned to her face. Her hands, however, were still shaking slightly.

"Nice move, slick," she breathed. "I about crapped my pants, you know that?"

"Not me," Starscream said, grinning toothily.

"Then you've got bowels of steel, bro," Eva clapped him on the shoulder, and then began surveying the brightly lit room. Massive, Cybertronian sized equipment was littered around the room, from pliers to data pads to syringes; in the center, on a rectangular table, lay the relic, draped on a white sheet as if it were royalty.

This one, unlike its twin, was a rusty purple instead of red. It was significantly thin in the middle, like a double-bladed spear. It was it. It was definitely the one in the picture, there, with shocking clarity.

"How do we work it?" Eva whispered. "Come on, pull up some info. You're a smart man."

"Mech," Starscream corrected with a grumble. "Soon to be mech."

He strolled forward, Eva lagging behind and watching the door with a wary eye. Starscream stopped at the leg of the table, touching the stainless metal, the material cool to the touch. Then, he glanced back at Eva with heavy lids and drawled, "It's your time to shine, Miss Bishop. Any ideas on how we're getting up there?"

Eva was there before he could blink, rapping her knuckles against the table leg. Her lips twisted into a grimace and she said, "I can climb poles – don't ask me how – and, judging from the size of that relic, I could probably push it off the table."

"And attract unwanted attention?" Starscream exclaimed shrilly. He caught himself, and then lowered his voice, the words jumbled and rushed. "No. No. I won't allow it. Worse, you'd hurt yourself – I thought that you had a fear of heights?"

Eva looked stumped. She crossed her arms, feet fidgety like a young sparkling. She pouted, and muttered, "I looked down."

"Yes, you did."

"Fine," she threw up her arms. "Be my guest, Tarzan. But let me tell you – your balls are going to be sore in the morning."

Starscream peered upwards, at the underside of the table, and then rolled his eyes. "Give me a lift," he muttered. Eva ducked down, cupping her hands, grunting when Starscream slowly stepped into them.

She boosted him up with effort. Starscream wrapped his arms and legs around the stainless steel, and began to climb, wiggling his way up inches every second.

He didn't dare look down. He wasn't afraid of heights like Eva – obviously – but in this body, he knew that a mistake could be fatal. Eva wouldn't have the strength to catch him if he fell. He'd be reduced to a bloody pancake against the ground, and Eva?

Well, by the time he hit the floor, Megatron or Soundwave of someone would be on her. His screaming would send everyone running, for sure.

"You're almost there," Eva's voice seemed dim, tiny. It was then Starscream's head hit something hard – the underside of the table – and he had to hold with one hand and cling with the other. Then, muscles screaming, sweat pouring down his face, he pulled himself up onto the table.

There it was. The relic.

His freedom. All laid out before him.

"Jackpot?" Eva called. When Starscream peered over the edge, she was staring up at him, lips pulled into a line as she waited for a response. Starscream gave her a thumbs up, diving back into his work without another word.

Change of plans. Ditch the "push-and-roll" idea. He was going to transform himself back, right here and now. Do it, grab Eva, and sneak back out of here. He knew the hallways of the Nemesis, had every nook and cranny and secret passageway and room and escape route memorized. Many of the other Decepticon's did not.

Ah, the perks of being Megatron's former second.

So Starscream ducked down, said a quick prayer in Cybertronian, and then got to work.