Author's Note: Hello, my little chickadees! I'm finally back with a brand spankin' new chappie for you guys! Took me long enough, huh? Ha, ha! Anyways, I'm gonna try to move this story along a little quicker. I am gonna try to have it wrapped up neatly in about the next ten chapters or so...hopefully sooner depending on how much typing I feel like doing at any given time. I don't want this to be one of those stories that drag on and on forever, know what I mean? I already have the ending planned out so...prepare yourselves!! It'll be here before you know it! But for now, let us just enjoy the next installment. See ya at the bottom!

Disclaimer: VQ owns many things, but sadly, Transformers isn't one of them.

Enroute to Decepticon Staging Area

"Where the bloody hell are you taking us?" Maggie pounded on the back of Barricade's driver seat with clenched fists. She was quickly becoming frustrated by the lack of communication on the part of their captors. "Hey, I asked you a question!" The computer analyst gave an infuriated cry as she rammed her small fist into the back of the seat once again.

Rumble peered back over the seat from where he sat on the passenger side. "Shut up and sit still, fleshbag."

Revecca frowned at the condescending tone in which the 'Con had addressed Maggie. Smirking, Rev pulled her knees up to her chest and kicked out with both feet at the back of the passenger seat causing the small Decepticon to lurch forward into the dash. "You shut up, asshole..."

Rumble let out a growl of anger and lunged over the back of the seat toward the woman intent on doing her bodily harm. "You will pay for that, human!"

"Hey!" Mikaela, sensing the scene was about to get very ugly very fast, quickly leaned in between the two intent on stopping any altercation that would most likely result in Revecca being hurt. "Let's just calm down, alright? I'm sure Barricade wouldn't appreciate you two brawling in here and messing up his interior. Right?"

"Rumble, leave the humans be..." Barricade grumbled, silently relieved that his leather seats had been saved from being shredded.

Rumble began to whine. "But...she started it!"

"Turn around and be quiet!" The scolding tone of Barricade's voice told the smaller 'Con that it was best to do as he was told. Reluctantly, Rumble complied. Barricade sighed. Why couldn't Starscream have let him bring Frenzy along instead? "Harming them would be counterproductive to our mission."

Rumble nodded even as he threw a vicious look over his shoulder at the offending femme before turning to stare out of Barricade's windshield. "Right..."

Revecca merely glared back at the bot with a sadistic gleam in her eye. A chuckle escaped from her throat catching the attention of her two female companions and the robot in front of her.

Rumble cast a discreet glance back toward the woman. "What's so amusing, meatsack?"

Rev's smirk blossomed into a full blown evil grin. The three girls had accidentally stumbled upon the most obnoxious way to torment their kidnappers. They had surmised that if they had to be miserable, why not spread it around? She cleared her throat. "Alright, ladies...once more from the top..."

Rumble slammed his hands over his audios. "NO, NO, NO!! Stupid, annoying organics!"

Barricade groaned as if in pain. "For the love of Primus...please, not this again..."

"NINETY-NINE BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL! NINETY-NINE BOTTLES OF BEEEER!! TAKE ONE DOWN AND PASS IT AROUND..."

The cacophonus wailing coming from the backseat was almost enough to make Barricade stop and dump out the trio and say to Pit with the Air Commander's plan. The Mustang hissed as his audio receptors were assaulted. "I will get you for this Starscream..."

XXXXXXXXXX

Autobot Headquarters

The Decepticon onslaught was over almost as quickly as it started leaving the medbay in shambles. Everything had happened so fast that the occupants of the room had barely had enough time to register what was actually transpiring. As the smoke slowly cleared, Autobots and humans alike carefully came out from where they had taken cover during the attack.

Optimus was the first to speak as his optics carefully inspected the humans for damages as they emerged. "Is everyone alright?"

Captain Lennox nodded as he looked himself over. "Yeah, I think so."

"Sam?" Bumblebee scanned his charge.

The boy looked up at his guardian. "I'm good, Bee. Thanks for letting me use you as a shield."

"What the fuck, man?!"

Ratchet kneeled down and peered under the bench where where the voice had come from.

Glenn Whitman crawled out from underneath the workbench and looked up at the medic. "Seriously, man. What the fuck?" He straightened and dusted himself off.

Ratchet eyed the human. "I take it you are undamaged?"

Glen nodded. "Yeah..." He looked around. "Uh...where are the girls?"

Ironhide's head whipped around at the question and he immediately stood from where he had been examining a hole that a plasma round had punched in the wall behind him. The mech nearly tore the medbay doors the rest of the way off the hinges as he stormed out into the hallway. "REVECCA?!" He turned in the direction they were last seen heading. His spark clenched painfully in his chest as silence greeted his audios. Anger prickled through his circuitry as he ventured further out into the cooridor. "MIKAELA?! MAGGIE?!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Where do you think you're going?" Ratchet seized Jazz by the arm.

The silver mech watched as Ironhide headed out the door and down the hallway before looking up at the medic. "To help 'im look."

Ratchet shook his head. "You're not going anywhere until I say you're fit..."

Jazz looked at the medical officer incrediously. "I'm fine, Doc. I'm operatin' at 95 percent. The Decepticons might've..."

"No." Ratchet glared down at the smaller mech as if daring him to go against his authority. "You will go to your quarters and stay there until I release you for duty. I still need to complete my scans. I want to make sure you're fully functional before..."

Jazz shook his head. "Ratchet! We ain't got time for..."

"Jazz, do as he says." Optimus' voice reverberated through the room cutting off the mech's protest.

"Optimus..."

"No, Jazz." Optimus' tone was firm. "Ratchet's orders supercede even my own in matters such as those involving the health of the crew. You know this. We just got you back. I'll not have you run out and get yourself deactivated...again. Do as he says. That's an order."

Jazz sighed. "Yes, sir..." The silver mech looked defeated as he nodded and headed toward the medbay doors. Instead of heading toward his quarters as ordered, however, he headed in the opposite direction toward the exit. Once outside, he carefully shifted into his alt form to wait.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ratchet had instructed Bumblebee to escort their human companions out of the room due to safety concerns and was busy surveying the damage to the medbay when his optics swept over the workbench to what was, or rather, wasn't there. "The shard!"

Optimus swiveled around at the exclamation to see his CMO digging through the mess around the bench. "Ratchet?"

The medic looked up with wide optics. "The shard is gone...it-it was right here..." Ratchet stood and spun around slowly, his optics scanning the floor around him in the hopes that the shard may have just fell to the ground amid the chaos. "It's not here..."

The reality of the situation dawned on the Autobot Commander. "This whole thing was a diversion..." Optimus ran a hand down his face plate. "They obviously weren't trying to offline any of us. They had the opportunity, but didn't take it. The shard must have been their priority. They need the shard..."

"To ressurrect Megatron..." Ratchet finished the sentence for his Commander. "That still doesn't explain why they left us untouched."

Optimus seemed to ponder the situation. "This is most unusual...The Decepticon's are not known for showing restraint. They must be planning something..."

The medbay doors, which had been hanging by a single hinge, finally clattered to the ground as Ironhide burst back inside. "They're gone." The mech's chest heaved with barely contained rage. "All three of 'em. The Deceptiscum took them..."

XXXXXXXXXX

Decepticon Staging Area

Barricade pulled smoothly to a stop and threw his doors open. "Get out..."

"Thank Primus..." Rumble quickly exited the vehicle relieved to be able to put some distance between himself and the organics.

"TWELVE BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL! TWELVE BOTTLES OF BEEEER!! TAKE ONE DOWN AND PASS IT AROUND..."

Barricade growled. "I SAID GET OUT!!"

At the angry sound of Barricade's voice, the three women stopped their singing and climbed out of the police cruiser. They were surprised to find themselves at some kind of ship yard. The three huddled together as Barricade shifted into robot form.

Maggie glared up at the Decepticon. "What are we doing here?"

Barricade ignored the question, instead pointing behind them at a ship that was docked at one of the piers. "Let's go. Move it."

Rumble chuckled as one of his arms transformed into a gatling gun. He nudged the female that had tormented him the entire trip with the end of it. "You heard 'Cade. Get to marching, squishy."

Revecca narrowed her eyes and looked down at the robot as she and the other two females began slowly trekking in the direction of the ship. "I really don't like you..."

XXXXXXXXXX

The three women were escorted down into the ship's cargo hold. The enormous space was set up to look like some kind of science lab. Crates of parts and equipment lined one bulkhead. In the center of the space, a large slab was set up. The slab was easily big enough to accomodate the body of one of the giant robots. It was eerily reminiscent of Frankenstein's laboratory.

"Well, well...looks like you got away without the youngling kicking your aft this time...I never did understand why Megatron thought so highly of you. Of course, not only is Megatron an incompetent leader but a terrible judge of character..."

Barricade clenched his fists as he turned toward the voice. "That would certainly explain why he assigned you second in command..."

Starscream's mouth plates twitched at the insult. The Seeker's optics roamed down to where the three femme's stood. An evil grin pulled at his mouth. "Femmes...most excellent. There is no question now that the Autobots will cooperate." The jet kneeled down to get a closer look at them. His optics grazed over Maggie and Mikaela before coming to rest on Revecca. "I am somewhat familiar with the other two. Who are you?"

Rev crossed her arms over her chest and looked up into red optics, ignoring Mikaela's tugging on her sleeve to behave. "Who are you?"

The jet smirked as he stood back up, puffing out his chest. "I am Starscream, Leader of the Decepticons."

Revecca tilted her head, unimpressed. "Wow...I bet your parents are really proud. I bet chicks really dig the title, too, huh?" She looked Starscream up and down. "It looks like its about the only thing you have going for ya."

Barricade couldn't contain his snort of amusement at the blatant disrespect. "I find it amazing that even a pitiful human female can see how pathetic you are."

Starscream barely suppressed his urge to smash the femme as he turned to the Mustang. He grinned maliciously. "Since you all seem to be on such good terms, Barricade...I am holding you personally responsible for them." Starscream delighted in the look of disgust that crossed the scout's features. "I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time attending to their needs." After casting one last glance at the trio of females, the Air Commander turned on his heel and left the hold, a giggling Rumble scampering along behind him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Autobot Headquarters

Ironhide was barely paying attention to the discussion going on around him. He was becoming impatient. While he respected the need to formulate a plan, every second they stood here strategizing was another second the Decepticons could be harming their hostages. He knew from first hand experience that the Decepticons weren't above killing femmes if it would get them what they wanted. The extermination of the femmes on Cybertron was testament to that.

The weapons specialist spun the barrel of his cannon angrily. "What the frag are we waitin' for? We're wastin' time..."

Optimus eyed his friend. "I understand your sense of urgency, Ironhide, but we can't just rush out onto the battlefield without knowing what we're going up against. We don't know what the Decepticons are planning."

"We don't even know where they took the girls..." Ratchet rubbed his optics wearily.

Ironhide pressed on his chest where his aching spark lay. "I can find 'em..."

"We need more information..."

"No." Ironhide cut off his Commander. "I refuse to sit by and allow this to happen again. I WILL find them." The mech turned and determinedly strode out of the room ignoring Optimus' orders for him to stay put. He would not allow history to repeat itself. He would find Revecca.

"Ironhide, wait!" Bumblebee had jumped to his feet and made to follow the older mech.

Optimus hung his head and sighed. "Let him go, Bumblebee."

Ratchet continued to stare at the empty doorway Ironhide had left through. "I almost pity the Decepticons..."

End of Chapter 20

First thing's first, I have some people to thank for contributing to the mayhem in this chapter...

A special thanks to Shaymayca1 who thought it might be fun to torture the 'Con's with less than stellar singing ability, lol. Obviously, Barricade and Rumble don't appreciate a good rendition of "99 Bottles of Beer." Ha, ha.

Thank you Soaringphoenix86, who always manages to weave some plot threads in her reviews. I'm sure Frenzy will be having a wonderful time with Maggie in the very near future, lol.

Poor 'Cons. In the words of the Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, it appears that the Decepticons have "awakened a sleeping giant." Enraged Ironhide equals very bad things for the Decepticons, I'm sure. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed. I'm off to work on an update for another story...See ya soon!