CHAPTER 5

Spike and Carly returned to the Autobot base a few hours after Jazz left with his search party. The couple had gone off to the city with Bumblebee and Blaster and didn't know a thing about the events with the attack on the Decepticons, Jazz's rescue mission, or the body that had been found in the old base. Of course, even if they had known, they wouldn't have been able to think of anything helpful. They knew nothing about robots corpses or how to put them back online, though Carly was a good mechanic and was taking the course in collage.

Carly was the first to notice something was up. "Where's Jazz?" she asked, turning her head and looking around the base. Jazz was usually in the control room either doing something on the console or listening to music, Jazz liked earth music. Of course Jazz liked a lot of cool things. He wasn't stuffy like some of the Autobots. His absence would always be noticed quickly.

Optimus Prime didn't feel that the smaller Autobot's mission was something to be kept secret so he said. "Jazz, Seaspray, and Powerglide went to the Decepticon base to check on something," he answered, looking down at the two humans.

Bumbleebee shifted into robot mode and gave Prime a curious look. "What is it?" he asked, meeting the taller robots optics. "What could be so important that he want to the Decepticon base?"

Prime explained.

Starscream's optics were in working order once more. Without even saying thank you he pushed Thundercracker away from him and stalked out of the room he shared with the other Seekers, grumbling to himself. It was one thing to lose ones vision because of carelessness but it was another thing to be laughed at about it. If there was one thing he hated most it was being laughed at.

"You'll regret that," he grumbled to himself, stomping down the hall, ignoring everything around him. Because of the mood he was in at the moment he didn't even notice the black and red female Seeker walking toward him. Of course she didn't seem to notice him either, being immersed in her own thoughts.

Walking into her was the only thing that made him realize she was even there. His red, white, and blue body smacked into her red and black one and the two fell to the floor, tangled together. Starscream let out a startled noise and tried to free his arm from the un-intended magnet lock with the other. The female Decepticon grunted and tried to free her leg out from under Starscream's. The random passerby, who hadn't seen what had happened, might have gotten the wrong idea from the position they were in.

"GET OFF OF ME!" she screamed, trying to hoist his legs off her body.

"GET OUT FROM UNDER ME!" he shouted back, pushing himself up then realizing her one leg was locked between his.

With much pulling and yanking the two freed themselves from each other. As they got to their feet, rubbing their limbs Shadowstar felt totally embarressed and violated. She lifted her head and glared at the dark face of Starscream who glared back. Instant dislike entered their programing. Starscream recognized her as the female he'd found in the ruined building. His dislike of her grew stronger. So she's online now is she... the slut.

"What did you do that for?" she demanded, angrily.

"Huh? Do what for?" he demanded just as angrily. He pointed a blue finger at her. "You walked into me!"

"That was an accident," she snapped. "You've got some nerve doing such a thing like that!"

"Doing what?" he shot back. "It wasn't like I knew you were coming toward me. I think you walked into me on purpose!"

"Why would I want to do such a thing?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. She eyed him with disgust then pointed a black metal finger at his face. "You look like the type who would be anybody's bitch."

"EXCUSE ME!?" he exploded, stepping toward her in anger. "Who are you calling a bitch, female!? You and your slutty design!"

"It's not as if I had any say in what I would look like," she retorted, putting her face close to his. "I came online with this body!" she reached up a dark hand and poked his right wing. "Besides, aside from the fact that I was made female, we have the same body structure!"

He snorted with contempt. "Don't flatter yourself," he growled.

"I wasn't," she growled back.

"Are you saying my structure is flawed?" he demanded.

"What do you think?"

"My structure is perfect!"

"My aren't we vain?!"

"Get a room!" a razzing voice called out.

The two seekers looked toward the voice.

The little microbot Rumble was standing a short distance away, smirking at them. When he noticed them staring he said. "Don't mind me please continue."

"Get out of here, Rumble!" Starscream shouted, making a move toward the smaller robot. "Don't you have something better to do than harrass me?!"

"I wasn't harassing you," the smaller robot said, glancing at the female. "Soundwae told me that the female was online now and I wanted to see her." he looked back at Starscream. "Couldn't you have waited to flirt with her until after I got to her first?"

"I wasn't flirting with her!" Starscream shouted, stomping toward the smaller robot. "Who would want to flirt with that piece of junk?!"

"Well thanks a lot," she said bad temperedly. She folded her arms. "I wouldn't want you flirting with me anyway. You're nothing but a selfish whiny bitch."

"SHUT UP!" he shouted at her, shooting her a venomous look over his shoulder.

She smirked. "Make me," she retorted.

Starscream turned on her and took a step toward her. He looked like he was going to take her up on it. Before he could do so she pulled out a gun and aimed it at his head. "I wouldn't try it if I was you," she said.

Starscream growled at her and clenched his teeth. Stupid female!

For a moment neither moved. Then Starscream loosened up and turned from her. "You're not even worth it," he said, his back to her. He waved her off with the back of his hand. "I wouldn't want to waste my ammo on you."

"I beg your pardon!" she said, offended.

Starscream ignored her and continued down the hall, muttering about "stupid females" under his breath.

"Don't pay any attention to him," Rumble said, making the female look down at him. "Starscream is a moron. He talks out his thrusters most of the time."

"I can see that," she said, glaring at the Seeker's back as he disappeared around a corner. "I hope the rest of his kind aren't like that."

"Nah," Rumble said, walking up to her. "Starscream's one in a million, thank the Matrix."

"Yeah," she agreed. "Because more than one of him would knock the whole solar system out of proportion."

Rumble laughed.

Megatron contacted Shockwave about the information Shadowstar had given him. He wasn't exactly sure if that information was still valid or not because it was over four million years old. Shockwave was slightly surprised to find out about this. He thought that his creation had been destroyed a long time ago since she had never reported back to him.

"So you found Shadowstar," Shockwave said in that almost emotionless voice of his. "I didn't even know she was still around. I thought when you were asking about her before that you were just curious about what I built."

"Now why would I want to do that?" Megatron asked, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. "I would like to know something else, though. She told me about something you two found after the rest of the Decepticons and I left Cybertron. What is it?"

"What did she tell you?" the one eyed robot wanted to know.

"She said something about a power source you found, but that was all," the Decepticon leader explained. "How come you never told me about it?"

"Oh that power source," Shockwave said, rememberance crossing his mind. "Well I never got enough time to tell you about it. With the way things have been going lately it slipped my mind." the scientist leaned toward the screen. "If you have free time why don't you come back and I'll show you where it is."

For the moment Megatorn didn't have anything to do. Recently the Decepticons and the Autobots had had a lull in their fighting and it was getting a bit boring. This new discovery would give him something to do for awhile, unless the Autobots found out about it."All right," he said. "I'll be up as soon as I can."

"I'll see you soon then," Shockwave said then added. "and Megatron."

'Yes?"

"Should I be expecting Shadowstar back?"

Megatron thought for a moment before replying. "No. I think I'll use her for awhile."

"All right then."

The screen went blank.

"All right," Jazz said, suddenly, starling Powerglide and Seaspray who had been starting to doze off. He had a plan. "Here's what we'll do; We'll sneak up to the base as quietly as we can and, when we find an area we can cut into without causing an alarm by filling the base with water, we'll sneak inside and find that body."

Powerglide frowned. He wasn't sure he liked that plan but for the moment couldn't think of anything better. Either way, he was about to comment when the voice of Optimus Prime cut him off. "Jazz, come in Jazz. Can you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Prime," Jazz said, speaking into his comlink. "What is is? Did something happen?"

"No," Optimus replied. "But Spike and Carly suggested I get in contact with you to see how well you're doing."

"Well we haven't gotten inside yet," Jazz said, looking over at the base. "We should be going inside soon."

"Okay," Prime said. "Just be careful."

"We will," Jazz promised.

When the connection was cut Jazz looked at the other two Autobots. They were ready. "Okay, men, let's boogie on in," he said.

Powerglide smirked. "And away we go." he said before the three cautiously made their way to the base.

Skywarp was allowed out of his room. Megatron decided to let the little incident with Shadowstar slide because no serious damage had been done. Thundercracker had gone off to do something by then and Starscream was also elsewhere. The black and purple jet wasn't feeling up to hanging out with anyone else but it was better than doing nothing. He just had to find someone to hang out with for awhile. He walked down the hall, letting his thoughts center around his boredom.

Not too far ahead he noticed Rumble talking with someone. He looked at the person for a moment. It looked like a black and red Seeker robot with a slightly different structure than his own. He had never seen this person before...

The other robot heard him coming and looked toward him. When he saw its face he stopped and stared, open mouthed. He did know this robot! It was the female he'd accidently activated. She smiled at him. His mind seemed to shut down for a moment. He didn't know how to react.

Rumble, wondering who she was staring at, looked toward him too. The smaller robot spotted the gaping seeker. "Hery, Skywarp!" he called out. "if we wanted a statue of you we'd have one made."

"Huh? What?" Skywarp said, snapping out of it. He looked back at the Decepticon femme. "Uh... hello."

"Hello," she said back, smiling. "I'm Shadowstar. What's your name?"

"Sky-Skywarp," he said, nervously. He couldn't get the image of her being a vampire out of his head.

She frowned and cocked her head at him, putting her hand on her hip. "Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"No," he said quickly. "I'm fine."

She didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said, taking a step back.

She let her hand drop from her hip and walked over to him. "Are you sure?" she asked again. "Because it doesn't seem like you are."

He laughed nervously. "Don't worry about me," he said.

She stopped and gave him a once over. He was designed exactly like Starscream but wasn't acting a bit like the arrogent sexist. He seemed nervous. Is it me? Do I make him nervous? "Hey," she said, laughing slightly, trying to loosen him up. "You don't have to be nervous around me. I won't bite."

Skywarp stuttered at that response and took another step back, tripping over his own feet and crashing to the floor. Rumble cracked up. Shadowstar was instantly standing above Skywarp. She leaning down and giving him a concerned look. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, looking up at her. "I'm fine. I just fell over and-"

She giggled. "Here let me help you up," she put out her hand.

He took it without thinking and she pulled him to his feet. Once he was standing again he stared at the female. She was slightly shorted than him so he had to look down. She looked up at him and smiled. "Th-Th-Th- Thank you" he stammered.

She started to say something but Megatron's voice cut her off. "There you are," he said.

The two Seekers and Rumble looked over at the Decepticon leader. he was standing a few feet away with his hands on his hips, giving the two jets a disapproving look. It was clear he didn't like what he was seeing. "Megatron," they said at once.

Megatron gave Skywarp a look then turned his attention on Shadowstar. "I need you to do something for me," he said.

She turned her full attention on him. "Yes?" she said.

"I'm sending Soundwave out to do something for me," he said. "I need you to go with him."

"Yes, Megatron," she said.

"Also," Megatron said. "I'm letting you all know that I will be away for awhile so I need you all to not do anything stupid while I'm gone." he looked right at Skywarp when he said this.

"Don't worry, Megatron," Skywarp said not meeting his superior's optics. "I won't do anything. I promise."

"You had better not," Megatron said. "and be sure to let Starscream know that I won't tolerate anymore failures from him."

"Yes sir."

Megatron walked away. Shadowstar and Skywarp looked at each other. "Well," the femme said, smiling slightly. "Orders are orders. We'd better get to work."

Skywarp gave her a nervous smile in return.

"By the way," she said before she walked off to find Soundwave. "What did Megatron mean by don't do anything stupid?'

"Well," Skywarp said slowly. "He meant me."

"You?" She cocked her head and eyed him curiously. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged it off. "It's not important."

She had a feeling it was but let it drop. There was no need to dwell on it. She walked off, smiling slightly. Well at least not all the jets are rude... but I wonder what Megatron meant by that? Skywarp doesn't seem like the type of person to do something stupid... I guess it depends on how long you know someone..

A/N

Actually I think this chapter came out better than the last one. As for who I'll pair her up with... the summary says Skywarp but I think I'll keep you guessing for awhile. I'm sorry if they weren't in character..

Also I wouldn't mind at least two reviews. I hope you don't mind. Please?