Chapter 7 Without a Spark
Disclaimer: You know the drill. But a little note on this chapter: when Bumblebee and Starka are with the decepticons they are only using their radios to talk. (VERY IMPORTANT)
Megatron sat rubbing his temples as he listened to Barricade describe what had happened. So far all he was getting out of the hysterical robot was that Blackout had blacked out, no pun intended, for no apparent reason and while Barricade had gone to get help the body disappeared. Something sounded fishy and Megatron had a feeling that a particular small white robot had something to do with the disappearance. Barricade was still screeching about how much the earth had shaken when Blackout had fallen when Starscream burst in.
"Sir, we've found Starka," he said over Barricade, "she doesn't have Blackout with her and she wouldn't have had time to hide him somewhere."
"When was he taken," Megatron asked.
"About half an hour ago," Starscream answered.
"She had time," Megatron stood grinning slightly as the other decepticons coward before him. "Find Blackout and find out what went wrong. I've got to pay a little visit to a certain spy." Megatron transformed and zoomed past his comrades.
"I don't believe this," Ratchet commented as he checked Blackout's vital signs. Everything pointed to him being alive and yet his spark was extinguished. "I'll have to run some tests," he said after a while.
"How…long," Starka asked concerned. Ratchet looked up concerned that she was still using her radio to talk.
"Are your vocal…" he started.
"They're…fine," she cut him off, "how…long?"
"I don't know exactly," Ratchet said examining the chest area, "I've never dealt with this before. If I could figure out what he is being powered by…" he looked up, "this could bring life back to our planet."
"I have…less than a…week," Starka said shortly.
"Why?" Ratchet asked suspiciously.
"I…just do," Starka replied, "I…need to…find…a weakness."
"A weakness?" Ratchet asked startled, "why would you want to find a weakness?"
"Obviously the…bad guys…are gaining…old…members," Starka pointed out, "What…happens when…they bring back…their leader?" Ratchet fell silent.
"Weakness it is." He turned his back on her and started his research.
"Blackout?!" Sam almost shouted.
"That's what…she told me," Bumblebee said.
"But I thought you guys couldn't live without a spark," Mikaela said.
"We…shouldn't be able to…but…Blackout is…alive," Bumblebee explained, "That's why…Ratchet's doing…all these tests."
"And I won't get anything done if you three keep talking so loud," Ratchet called from the back room at the firehouse. Ratchet understood that Bumblebee's communicator might still have a few bugs in it but he didn't understand why the younger robot had suddenly decided to use his radio to speak again.
"So let me get this straight," Sam continued quieter this time, "Starka found Blackout passed out in the middle of no where, noticed he didn't have a spark and brought him here."
"I guess…so," Bumblebee shrugged.
"Why would she bring him here? He could destroy everything," Sam muttered.
"Maybe she just wants to figure out what's making him live," Mikaela offered, "If Ratchet can figure out how everything works maybe…"
"Maybe what?" Sam asked when she hesitated.
"Maybe he can bring Jazz back to life." The three sat in silence for a while, contemplating the idea of brining Jazz back to life. Sam and Mikaela hadn't known Jazz all that long but they had still grown attached to him. Sam saw how the other autobots mourned his death and realized how important he had been to the team.
"Do you think…that it's possible," Bumblebee whispered.
"Maybe," Mikaela said just as quietly.
"Bumblebee could you give me a hand," Ratchet called from the back. Bumblebee stood and left the two humans sitting alone.
"Do you think Blackout is the only decepticon they've managed to bring back to life," Mikaela asked already guessing the answer.
"No. I wouldn't be surprised if they already brought Megatron back to life," Sam said looking down at his shoes, "I just wish I knew who would have done it." They were silent again for a while longer. "You don't think sector 7 set this up do you?" he asked suddenly.
"Weren't they dissolved by the government?" Mikaela asked.
"Yeah but that doesn't mean they really disappeared," Sam pointed out.
"Maybe they managed to keep some part of the all-spark," she suggested, "you still have that piece Prime gave you don't you?"
"Yeah but that doesn't mean there weren't more," Sam said.
"Do you think they got a piece from somewhere?" Mikaela asked.
"I hope not," Sam said. He felt as if he were in a hospital waiting to see if someone was going to die.
"Have you seen Starka lately?" Mikaela asked suddenly.
"No why?"
"I get the feeling she's avoiding me," Mikaela said.
"Why would she be avoiding you?" Sam asked.
"I don't know but she doesn't even sleep at my house," Mikaela said, "she takes me to school and disappears when she drops me off at home. I don't know what's going on with her."
"Maybe she's exploring," Sam suggested. Mikaela opened her mouth to say something but they were distracted by a loud noise from the back room.
"Hold him! Hold him!" came Ratchet's panic stricken voice, "Bumblebee! Watch out!" Sam and Mikaela jumped to their feet as Bumblebee came crashing through the wall. Bumblebee slid on his back a few feet before he skidded to a stop then fired his cannon through the huge hole in the wall. Within minutes Blackout, fully awake, stepped through the hole firing at Bumblebee.
"Get out of here," Ratchet yelled at the humans as he came bursting through the hole after Blackout. They didn't need to be told twice. Unfortunately Blackout spotted Mikaela before they made it outside and charged after her. Bumblebee grabbed the decepticon's leg as he ran past and the robot fell with a crash. Bumblebee rolled over and tried to pull Blackout away. Blackout had other plans however and swung wildly at the teenagers. One mad swing caught Sam in the chest and sent him flying into the wall. When Blackout was brought back to life he had become twice as strong as he had been before. Sam was thrown so hard that his body left a dent in the brick wall when he hit it.
"Sam!" Mikaela screamed. The three robots continued to fight each other while Mikaela ran to Sam who was lying unconscious where he had fallen. Within a few minutes it was all over. Ratchet had stuck some kind of robot medical instrument into Blackout's chest and instantly killed him. "Ratchet! He's not waking up," Mikaela sobbed. She was shaking Sam and screaming his name over and over again.
"Bumblebee, take him to a hospital immediately. Mikaela you will have to go with him and take Sam inside," Ratchet said calmly but there was a sense of urgency in his voice.
"What's…going on," Starka asked running into the room, "I heard a…bunch of…loud crashes and…someone screaming."
"Sam has been knocked into a brick wall at better than 30 mph," Ratchet explained as Bumblebee transformed into his Camaro.
"What happened?" she asked helping Mikaela get Sam in the car.
"Blackout woke up," Ratchet said shortly.
"I'll go…with them," Starka said transforming into her Camry. The two cars drove off as fast as they could to the hospital while Ratchet drove to the Witwicky house to tell them the news.
Ron and Judy arrived at the hospital ten minutes after Sam was admitted and ten minutes after that an outraged Megatron vainly searched for the little white Camry. He had been trying to track Blackout when all vital signs faded very fast. He wasn't sure what exactly the white car was up to but he wasn't playing games any more. Her time was up and no one could extend a deadline that Megatron set.
"Relax," Starka said quietly as Bumblebee drove back to the spot next to her in the hospital parking lot. He had been circling the parking lot every five minutes for the past hour and a half.
"It's all…my fault," he said mournfully.
"No, I shouldn't have…brought Blackout…to where they could…get hurt," Starka told him. Bumblebee pulled out again and circled once more.
"I can't stand…this," he said when he came back around to her.
"Why…don't you go…take a drive," Starka suggested, "I'll call you…if…I…find anything." After a few minutes hesitation Bumblebee agreed, switched on his headlights and drove off into the fading light.
Bumblebee was driving blindly down the highway. He was so focused on Sam that he almost rear-ended five other cars before he finally pulled off onto the shoulder. He was too shaken up to notice the police car coming up behind him or that the slogan on the side was "to punish and enslave."
Mikaela was staring out the hospital window in the waiting room. The nurses weren't telling them anything and she was getting more and more worried. Suddenly Starka's lights started flashing and her doors opened and closed.
"I think my alarm's going off," Mikaela said quickly then left Sam's parents to go to the parking lot.
Bumblebee didn't know what had happened but he was suddenly flying through the air. He transformed while he was still in mid air and crash-landed in a building about 50 feet from the highway. No one was hurt but there was plenty of screaming and running around from the humans that were inside. Before he could get up Barricade was on top of him. Bumblebee threw him off and then dove straight at him. The two crashed to the ground and rolled for a while before Bumblebee was once again air born. This time, instead of landing on the ground he was thrown against anther decepticon. Bonecrusher lifted him up and threw him into the middle of the street. The first few cars slammed on their breaks causing several accidents. Bumblebee got to his feet only to be punched backwards by Starscream who had joined the other two. Bumblebee went all the way through four buildings before he came to a stop. He fired his guns at the three decepticons as they ran towards him. He managed to blast Bonecrusher away but the other two got to him before he could do anything else. Starscream hoisted him to his feet.
"Not so tough without your buddies are you?" he spat in Bumblebee's face.
"At least…I don't need…two others…to take down…my enemies," Bumblebee shot back. None of them notice that he had used his radio to communicate this. Outraged, Starscream hurled him across the small town. Bumblebee groaned as he got up. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. As he had struggled to regain his footing the decepticons had surrounded him. Devastator had joined them a few minutes ago and the four of them circled around Bumblebee.
"Who's gona save the little bee now," Bonecrusher growled.
"You don't have a little girl in a tow truck any more," Devastator chuckled.
"Or that useless hunk of junk friend Ironhide," Barricade added.
"We're gona take you apart bolt by bolt," Starscream spat, "Not even Ratchet will be able to put the parts back together."
"In time, in time." Bumblebee felt pure terror at hearing Megatron's voice again. Starscream and Barricade parted to let the powerful decepticon in. "Now you die," Megatron said. His left hand turned into a steel blade, which he drove through Bumblebee's midsection.
Starka didn't wait for Mikaela to come to her. She drove right up to the curb and swung her door open.
"I lost all…contact with…Bumblebee," the radio said nearly catching Mikaela in the door as she quickly shut it again. Mikaela slid over to the drivers seat.
"Can you still track him?" Mikaela asked.
"Barely…but I think…I can get…us to him," Starka said through the radio as she sped off.
Sam opened his eyes and was immediately smothered by his mother as she leapt off the folding chair next to his bed.
"We thought we were going to lose you," she sobbed.
"Mom, I can't breathe," he choked out. She released him slightly but didn't let him go.
"It's those horrible robots," she cried.
"Let him breathe," his dad said gently pulling her away, "How are you feeling pal?"
"Oh just great," Sam said sarcastically.
"You really scared us," Ron continued.
"We thought you were…" Judy couldn't finish.
"Mom, I'm fine," Sam soothed, "just a bump ok?" His mom hugged him again but lighter this time.
"The doctor's suspect you were in a car accident," Ron said after a while, "Maybe going really fast down the highway?"
"No more like…" Sam paused as a nurse entered the room.
"Excuse me but he needs to rest," the short cheery-looking nurse said. Sam's parents nodded then giving their son one last hug before exiting the room leaving Sam alone with a holographic nurse.
Bumblebee fell with a sickening thud when Megatron pulled his blade out.
"It won't be long now," he said to the decepticons. The others nodded in silent agreement too afraid that they might share the autobot's fate if they asked what wouldn't be long.
"So…when do we get to take him apart?" Devastator asked cautiously.
"In time my faithful friend, in time," Megatron answered looking down at the robot at his feet, "for now you'll just have to settle on watching him suffer." The decepticons shared a look of confusion. Bumblebee only had seconds to live. How long could he possibly suffer? Megatron bent down and grabbed Bumblebee's neck lifting him so they were eye level. Bumblebee was fighting desperately to stay alive but his eyes were already extremely dull and most of his parts had shut down. "Your human will see what the spark can really do," Megatron said with an evil grin. Blue, gold and red sparks began emitting out of Megatron's fingers. Bumblebee was instantly filled with the pain of being overcharged and sounds of pain emitted from him. The decepticons watched with pleasure as Bumblebee's screeches of pain echoed around the town. Devastator and Bonecrusher each knew what the yellow robot was going through since they had been rejuvenated in much the same way and took even more pleasure in it. "The human race will pay for what they tried to do to me," Megatron roared over Bumblebee, "No one can stop me! Not even Prime!"
"Your friend won't be so lucky if you don't hand over the spark shard," the nurse said tonelessly from the door. Sam stared at her.
"What are you talking about," he asked slowly. He was immediately aware that the spark was in the pocket of his jeans, which were no longer on him.
"Your friend won't be so lucky if you don't hand over the spark shard," the nurse repeated. Sam slowly got out of the bed and stepped to the nurse who didn't react to his getting up at all. Slowly he extended his hand towards her arm and then through it. He waved his hand through the electronic image and it disappeared. Sam quickly rushed to the chair beside his bed where his clothes were neatly folded. He quickly began pulling them on. Bumblebee could take him to whomever Megatron was holding hostage and then kick some robot ass while he was at it. Sam happened to glance out the window quickly scanning the parking lot but the yellow Camaro was nowhere in sight. The next thing he saw was Mikaela and Starka shooting out of the parking lot.
"Wait!" Sam yelled, knowing he couldn't be heard. He quickly finished getting dressed then picked up his cell phone and dialed Mikaela's number.
They had barely left the parking lot when Mikaela's phone started ringing. At the moment Mikaela felt that Bumblebee was more important than who ever was calling and didn't answer it. Starka was speeding down the road barely avoiding the cars around her.
"How far is he," Mikaela asked. She was gripping the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles were turning white.
"About ten minutes," Starka answered. A holographic navigation map appeared next to the steering wheel. Mikaela watched, her heart racing, as they approached a slowly pulsing red dot.
"I'll drive you watch," Starka told her. Mikaela nodded her eyes never leaving the screen.
"Stop!" she said suddenly as their own red dot moved right past the stationary one. Starka screeched to a halt on the shoulder and just barely managed to avoid getting hit.
"What's wrong," Starka asked scanning the area for any signs of Bumblebee.
"We passed him," Mikaela said turning in her seat, "They must have dragged him off the road."
"Prime…is going to kill…me for…this, but it…has to be…done," Starka said bitterly then swung open her door to let Mikaela out before transforming into a robot. She gently picked up the human with one of her giant hands. Cars screeched to a halt and the sound of metal on metal followed Starka as she stepped over the rail and into the town below. Several people were screaming at the sight of a white robot coming towards them but neither Mikaela nor Starka paid any attention, they were too focused on the yellowish lump on the ground in the distance. Mikaela's phone went off again and this time she looked to see who it was.
"Sam?" How are you feeling?" she asked answering the phone.
"Fine, look you've got to come back and get me," he sounded urgent, "I think someone's going to hurt Bumblebee."
"We see him," Mikaela said, "It doesn't look good." Mikaela watched as Bumblebee came into sight, as they got closer. He looked terrible. The only things that separated him from a pile of useless junk were his faintly glowing eyes. Starka ran the last few feet and knelt down beside him.
"Bumblebee," she said softly. Starka was still speaking through her radio, which made Mikaela look up at her curiously. The white robot gently set Mikaela on the ground and ran her hand over Bumblebee's chest to test the spark power.
"Sam I've got to go," Mikaela said, "I'll call you when we find out anything." She hung up.
"Trap…" Bumblebee's radio crackled. Starka didn't have time to turn around before Barricade and Devastator grabbed her arms from behind and hoisted her to her feet.
"I tried to be patient with you," Megatron said stepping out of the shadows in front of her, "but you took my hospitality for granted."
"Can you fix…him," she asked, much to Mikaela's horror.
"No wonder you kept running off," Mikaela said softly, "You were doing stuff for him."
"It's…not like that," Starka answered not taking her eyes off Bumblebee.
"You betrayed him," Mikaela continued, "You sold him out and you expect me to believe you're not in line with him?"
"You brought the girl then?" Megatron asked unnecessarily considering Mikaela was standing right in front of him. Barricade let go of Starka and picked up Mikaela who fought desperately to escape his grasp.
"You may still be useful yet," Megatron said thoughtfully and signaled for the other decepticons to follow him into the night leaving Starka alone with the failing Bumblebee.
Ok so this chapter was a lot longer but it was good right? Review please! Thanks to Dandyparakeet and Tkaa for their reviews and all who put my story on alert and favorite lists. Oh and keep in mind, in case you didn't see it at the top: throughout the entire scene with the decepticons Bumblebee and Starka are only talking through their radios. This is very important later!