Chapter 6 Questions and Answers

Disclaimer: I own nothing so on and so forth.

The first week passed in a blur. The only thing that eased Starka's mind was sitting next to Bumblebee in the school parking lot while the humans were inside. They were able to talk quietly to each other and catch up while no one was out there. Once school was over they either went to Sam or Mikaela's house for a while before one of the humans had to go home for dinner. When Friday arrived however the plans changed a little. Sam had planned dinner and a movie for Mikaela and they only needed one car. This gave Starka the opportunity to seek out the decepticon and try out her new plan. She went back to where they had originally met but the place was deserted. She transformed into her robot form to stretch her legs a little as she double-checked for any signs of life.

"Do you have the girl?" Starka immediately switched to defense mode with her guns fully charged and ready to go as she spun around to face the robot behind her. She was shocked to see Blackout standing there. From what Bumblebee had told her Blackout had been destroyed in the battle but here he was standing before her. The decepticons had somehow figured out how to bring him back to life. She wondered if they had been able to do the same to Megatron.

"There's a problem," she said backing up slightly.

"What kind of problem," Blackout said stepping towards her aggressively.

"She's smart for a human," she said, "she suspects I'm up to something."

"Then bring her now," Blackout said angrily, "Just because you have a deadline doesn't mean you have to bring her in on the last day."

"This is something you would have no idea about but it actually takes brains to perform a kidnapping," Stark said matching his tone.

"Don't insult my officer," the second voice was behind her. It was the first voice that she had heard the other night. This was the decepticon that was calling all the shots. She turned so that she had one gun pointed at Blackout and the other pointed at the shadow decepticon. When she turned to see the latter however she was so shocked that she didn't notice the third decepticon sneaking up behind her. Megatron stood there grinning horribly.

"M-m-megatron," she stuttered.

"Surprised?" he asked. Starka felt a turbo cannon press against her back.

"Disarm," said the third voice. Starka lowered her weapons but was in no way going to

disarm completely.

"We need the girl," Megatron said stepping dangerously close to her, "If you're telling me you are incapable of completing this task I will pull the spark from your chest right now."

"I can do it," Stark said heatedly, "I just might need a little more time."

"More time to think of a way out of it," Megatron growled, "No. You have exactly one week to bring me the girl. If you fail I will make sure you watch each and every one of those pathetic autobots as they die at my hand. I'll save the best for last and make him suffer just for you." His smile was so horrible that it sent a shiver down Starka's back. She had no doubt that if Megatron could be brought back from the dead then he could easily defeat the autobots. Before she could respond she felt her communicator vibrate indicating someone was trying to contact her.

"Answer it," Blackout hissed. She glared at him before obliging.

"Where are you?" it was Bumblebee.

"I'm just driving around," Starka lied. The decepticons remained silent.

"I can't pick you up on my tracker," Bumblebee said sounding concerned.

"Don't worry I'll be back soon," Starka said then cut the transmission. "Why can't they detect you," she asked Megatron.

"You can't detect what doesn't have a spark," he replied shortly then pulled open his chest plate to reveal where his spark was supposed to be.

"How can you…" she didn't get a chance to finish.

"Goodnight soldier," Megatron said closing his chest plate and dismissing her.

When Monday rolled around Starka still hadn't told Bumblebee where she had gone and everything that he had told her was still eating away at her. In the school parking lot Bumblebee could sense that she was distracted and worried but he couldn't get her to tell him why.

"Bumblebee, could you take Mikaela home today," she asked suddenly.

"I guess so but where are you going?" he asked more concerned than ever.

"I need to find Ratchet," she said, "I have an important question to ask him." Without giving farther information she pulled out of the space and drove off leaving Bumblebee stunned and hurt.

"Sam," Mikaela nudged him during math.

"What?" he whispered. Mikaela pointed out the window. Starka was pulling out of her parking space.

"What do you think she's doing?" Mikaela asked as the car drove off.

"I don't know. Maybe Bumblebee knows."

Starka searched the abandoned firehouse for the medical autobot and found him trying to reconstruct some of his old equipment with used human electronics.

"Ratchet I have an important mission for you," Starka said transforming into her robot self.

"What kind of mission," Ratchet said not even bothering to stop what he was doing.

"I need you to find out how one of us can survive without a spark," she said. The medic stopped what he was doing.

"We can't live without a spark," he still didn't turn around.

"What if I said I'd seen someone who had," she asked. This time he turned to look at her.

"It's not possible," he repeated.

"Look I want to know if there is anyway at all that it is possible," Starka pleaded, "I know you can make it happen. I know it's possible I just need you to tell me how."

"Where exactly to you want me to find a test subject?" Ratchet asked sounding angry,

"Do you want me to rip out one of our comrades sparks and run tests on them? No. I won't do it."

"What about Jazz? His spark is already extinguished," Starka said, "You could run the tests on him and…"

"No," Ratchet cut her off, "I will not use my fallen friend as a lab rat. That would be disgraceful and Prime would have me sent to the scrap yard for even thinking about it."

"He'll understand if I tell him why," Starka argued.

"Why then? Why do you want to do this?"

"I'll discuss this with Prime." She said shortly then transformed back into a car to search form Prime.

"Absolutely not. Nothing in the heavens or on earth will convince me to use one of my old comrades as a testing device," Prime said angrily.

"You're not listening to me," Starka said, "I want him to come back to life. Don't you?"

"Of course I do but what if he comes back in pain or is disabled? I can't take that risk," Prime answered.

"So that's how you treat your friends then," Starka said angrily.

"What are you talking about?" Prime demanded.

"You may have the opportunity to put life back into Jazz and you're not doing it," she said, "I would give him the option." She started to walk away.

"It's not possible," Prime said quietly.

"It might be," she said, her back still to him.

"Why are you convinced this can be done?" Prime asked.

"I've seen certain decepticons that are supposed to be dead," she told him.

"You're still in contact with them," Prime said shaking his head, "after all the trouble you caused us by associating with them you are still in contact."

"I'm doing my job," Starka argued, "The job you assigned me to."

"Who do you think you saw?" Prime asked wearily.

"I know I saw Blackout and I believe Bonecrusher was behind me," she said turning around.

"Those two were thrown into the ocean where their bodies were crushed," Prime said.

"So I've heard," Starka said bitterly, "Look I know what I saw ok? Just trust me. If Ratchet can find a way to bring Jazz back to life wouldn't you want that?"

"Starka…" Prime sighed.

"Wouldn't you want us to do the same thing for you?" Prime watched his little sister through pained eyes. Whatever she had seen obviously couldn't be the real decepticons but maybe…just maybe if they were could they bring back their friend?

"I can't believe I'm granting this," he said putting a hand over his face, "Tell Ratchet…I don't know what to tell him. He won't understand. I don't understand." Prime was quiet for a while. "You wouldn't be able to…"

"Done," Starka drove off before he could say any more.

I thought about leaving Megatron out until later but oh well. Review, Review, Review! Many, many thanks to the reviewers Dandyparakeet and Tkaa.