Author's Note: Konichiwa, bitches!! Ha ha, I just felt like saying that. I have that song stuck in my head. If you haven't already heard that song, its called Konichiwa Bitches (duh!) by Robyn. You should check it out. It's really catchy, lol. Anywho...I figured it was time for me to update this fragging thing again. I kinda hate to, though. That means we're getting closer and closer to the end. I'm really gonna miss Rev and Ironhide...they're so cute together...

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but I do like to manipulate 'em for my own enjoyment.

Ironhide POV

Ironhide had but one goal on his processor as he burst through the doors into the warm night air: To recover his femme. He knew very well the anguish of losing a sparkmate to the cruelty of the Decepticons. Having gone through the anguish once, it was not something he wished to experience ever again. Revecca's abduction had acted to reopen the old wound. Emotions flooded his system as if his bondmate's death had only happened yesterday.

He knew that no physical injury could ever begin to mimic the pain he had felt as he had held Chromia's broken, inanimate body to his chest. He recalled in vivid detail every scratch, every dent, every splattered drop of energon that had marred her beautiful form. He had been completely unprepared for the overwhelming sense of emptiness he felt when her spark, weakened by the extent of her injuries, finally extinguished. So profound was the feeling of loss that he had been certain at that instant that he, too, would cease to function. That single, tragic moment would define who he was for the rest of his life.

He tried to shake off the feeling of despair and focus on the present. He needed to find he girls. He needed to find Revecca. It actually frightened him how Revecca was so like Chromia in some ways, but completely different in others. She brought to the surface feelings he hadn't previously felt with anyone other than Chromia.

It didn't matter to him that he wasn't bonded to the human femme. He wasn't even entirely sure that such a thing was even possible between two such vastly different species. He was certainly willing to try, but he feared that Revecca wouldn't agree to such an intimate relationship even if it were possible. She had been uncomfortable, for lack of a better word, by his previous efforts.

Despite the uncertainty that laid under the surface of their relationship, it didn't take away from his conviction: Revecca belonged to him. He loved her. He would get her back. Primus help any Decepticon that got in his way. Holding on to the memory of how painful it had felt to lose Chromia, he roared off down the road as fast as his alt form would allow him to go.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jazz watched from the shadows as Ironhide nearly ripped the doors off their hinges as he exited the compound. One glance at the look of unadulterated rage on the weapons specialist's face made the smaller, silver bot infinitely happy that he wasn't a Decepticon. Before Jazz could open his mouth to call out to the mech, Ironhide had already tore off down the road leaving behind a cloud of dust in his wake. Jazz wasted absolutely no time taking off after him. Those girls were the reason his spark still burned in his chest. There was no way he was going to let Ironhide go after them alone.

Despite Jazz's smaller, sleeker, and more agile frame, it took everything he had to catch up with the weapons specialist. The bot was sure that the larger mech had to be pushing his alt form to the very limits of performance. Jazz reached out to Ironhide over the comm link. 'Ironhide...wait up...'

Ironhide was vaguely aware of the smaller, silver vehicle coming up along side of him. He was almost certain that he was about to get an audio full for disobeying a direct order not to leave from the Prime himself. 'Tell Optimus I'm sorry, but I couldn't just wait there, Jazz...'

'I know...I wanna go with ya.' Jazz finally closed the final bit of distance between them. 'I owe 'em my life, 'Hide. There ain't no way I'm gonna stand around and wait for the 'Cons to hurt one of 'em.'

Ironhide silently thanked Jazz for his help as they both continued to speed down the highway.

XXXXXXXXXX

Decepticon Staging Area

"So, what? You're just going to keep us locked in here like animals?" Mikaela stood with her fingers laced through the wire mesh of the cargo cage.

Barricade said nothing. He merely continued to lounge with his back against the bulkhead and his legs stretched out in front of him. His optics were glued to the three human femmes he had herded into the cage. He had inaccurately assumed that if he locked them up somewhere, it would be the end of it and he could go about his business until it was time to retrieve Megatron.

He was wrong. The femme he had recognized from the parts warehouse where they had gotten the equipment to repair Megatron was apparently skilled in the art of escape. It wasn't five minutes after he had left them alone that he had come back to retrieve something and had found them wandering the passageway looking for the exit. Apparently, the femme had used some sort of apparatus that had been holding her hair in place to pick the lock on the cage. So now, much to his dismay, he was stuck here guarding them.

Maggie got up from where she crouched next to Revecca and walked over to where Mikaela stood. "I need to pee."

Barricade leveled his gaze on the woman. "I gave you ample opportunity to empty your waste tanks earlier. You declined."

Maggie put her hands on her hips. "Yeah, that was ten minutes ago. I didn't need to go then. I need to go now."

Barricade snorted. "I am not here to cater to your needs."

"Actually," Revecca spoke up from where she kneeled. "The big, ugly jet guy said you are. And if I'm not mistaken, he is the boss. Is he not?"

The Decepticon growled at the femme. "Starscream may be in charge for now, fleshling. Rest assured that his time as leader grows short..." Barricade was distracted from saying more as his attention was drawn to Maggie. "Human...what are you doing?"

Maggie was working on unhooking her belt. Once the buckle was undone, she unbuttoned her pants and pulled down the zipper. She paused as she gripped the waist of her pants, prepared to pull them down. "I told you. I have to pee. If you aren't going to let me go. I'm gonna do it here."

Barricade recoiled in disgust. "FRENZY!"

XXXXXXXXXX

The hyperactive hacker jumped slightly as he heard his name being bellowed from the space below. He tucked the new laptop Soundwave had brought back for him under his arm and moved to look down the ladder. "B-b-barricade?"

"Get down here!"

Frenzy cackled as he scurried down the ladder. Barricade's voice was laced with irritation. It was obvious the chore of taking care of the three organics was wearing on his partner's neural relays. Frenzy had only briefly gotten a glimpse of them when Barricade had quickly ushered them across the deck of the ship to the rear cargo hold. All he knew was that they were femmes. Three of them to be exact. The hacker sincerely felt for his partner. He understood how difficult a cybertronian femme could be on occasion. He couldn't imagine dealing with a human one under these circumstances, let alone three. Frenzy hit the deck below with a clatter. "Whatcha need 'C-c-cade?"

Barricade looked to his partner with something akin to relief in his optics. "Take that one to empty its waste tank." Barricade pointed at Maggie, who glared back at the mech.

Frenzy nodded. "S-s-sure, 'Cade." Frenzy turned to the caged females and stopped as his optics locked on Maggie. His grip on his laptop loosened and it fell to the floor, forgotten. A high pitched whine emanated from somewhere inside of him as he pointed at her. "Y-y-you!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Autobot Headquarters

Bumblebee practically flew into the common room. "Sir! I've intercepted a incoming transmission from the Decepticons!"

Optimus rose from his seat immediately and approached the yellow bot. "Do we have a lock on where it is originating from?"

Bumblebee shook his head sadly. "No, I can't get a fix on it. Too much interference."

"Patch it through." Optimus returned to his seat in front of the monitor as Bee brought the transmission up on the screen.

"Greetings, Prime." Starscream's sneering face filled the screen. "It pleases me to see that my colleagues left you unscathed."

Prime's hands tightened on the armrests of his chair. "What do you want Starscream?"

"Getting right down to business, I see." Starscream laughed. "I'm sure that you've noticed by now that we helped ourselves to some souvenirs. Barricade is enjoying their company as we speak."

"You have the Allspark shard. You don't need the humans. Let them go."

"Ah, that is where you are wrong, Prime." Starscream's left optic twitched. "I need the humans to ensure your cooperation in my newest endeavor." The Air Commander paused for a moment. "You and your Autobots are going to help me retrieve Megatron's remains."

Optimus tensed. "What makes you think we would agree to help you?"

Starscream smirked. "Because I know you too well, Prime. You've become so attached to these pathetic organic creatures that you would rather participate in the resurrection of your greatest nemesis than allow harm to befall one...or in this case, three. Simply stated, you will assist us or your femmes will be sent back to you a piece at a time...just like in the good old days." An evil smile pulled at the Seeker's mouth plates. "Think about it, Prime. I'll be in touch." The console went dark as the transmission ended.

Ratchet's voice filled the silence. "What are we going to do Optimus? We can't let them bring Megatron back..."

"We can't let them harm the humans, either. Let us hope that Ironhide is able to locate them. In the mean time, we'll wait to see what Starscream wants from us. We'll stall as long as we can to buy Ironhide time to search." Optimus sighed. "Bumblebee?"

"Yes, Sir?" The yellow mech stood.

Optimus rubbed a hand across his battle mask. "Try to reach Ironhide on comm. Let him know what is going on. The second he locates the humans, I want to know about it."

XXXXXXXXXX

Cargo Hold

"St-t-tupid fleshling! T-t-type faster!"

"Shut up you freaky little...thing!" Maggie swatted at the small 'Con looking over her shoulder. She sat hunched over the laptop Frenzy was forcing her to reprogram to his specifications. Being somewhat claustrophobic, Maggie decided that anything was better than being locked in that cage, even if it meant having to fend off the spastic, little robot.

Barricade watched in amusement as the woman elbowed the hacker in the chest, sending him skidding back from her. The Mustang had readily delegated his smaller partner the responsibility of watching the woman. Frenzy had happily accepted the task, delighted to have a new plaything.

"AHEM!"

Barricade swiveled his head to look in the direction of the noise to find Revecca pressed up against the mesh of the cargo cage. He groaned. "What do you want now?"

"We're hungry." Rev motioned to herself and Mikaela.

"Get off me!" Maggie kicked one of Frenzy's legs out from under him and he fell to the floor with a crash. She looked back toward the two other girls. "Me, too. I'm starving."

Barricade shook his head. Humans, he decided, had to be the most needy organic species he had ever come across. If they weren't constantly emptying their waste tanks, they were in need of fuel or complaining about the environmental temperature. He wondered, not for the first time, what the Autobots found so endearing about them. They were so...high maintenance.

He supposed if one tried hard to overlook their many, many faults, they were tolerable enough to be around. Not that he was planning on running out and adopting the first stray human he came across, but the femmes weren't as terrible to look after as he had imagined. Despite how annoying they were, he had to admit, they made better company than most of the Decepticons currently on the premises. The Mustang sighed. "What kind of fuel do you..."

"BARRICADE!" The grating voice of the Air Commander screeched through the intercom system.

The scout rose from his seat and slammed his hand down on the intercom angrily. "What?"

Starscream snorted. "If you and your little femme friends are done playing house, bring them up top for a little demonstration. I want to give Prime a little extra...encouragement to ensure he understands just how serious the situation is."

End of Chapter 21

Dun, dun, dun! I hope you guys enjoyed that. I wonder what kind of demonstration Starscream has in mind? Nothing good for the ladies, I tell you. Stay tuned for a very angry Ironhide in the next chapter...and perhaps a little remorseful Barricade.

I was actually gonna add another scene to this chapter but it was getting a little long for my tastes. Oh well, it'll keep for next time...

I also just want to point out that the first couple lines in the 'cargo hold' section where Frenzy is speaking to Maggie were actually sort of lifted from a review left by Soaringpheonix86. I might have changed it up a bit, but the lines were just too cute not to include in the story. Thanks!

Anyways, like I said, it won't be long now until the end. I'm really open to any ideas anyone might have as to what might happen when Ironhide shows up to save the day(IF he gets there in time). I do have a scenario sort of in mind, but I was just curious as to what ideas you guys might have. See ya soon! Happy reading!