Chapter 8 Fighting Ghosts
Disclaimer: I don't own anything etc.
Sam continued to call Mikaela but she wouldn't pick up. When he finally finished getting dressed he rushed to the waiting room where his parents were standing at the receptions desk filling out the paper work.
"Dad let me borrow your car," he said, skidding to a stop at the desk.
"Sam? What are you doing out here?" Ron asked, more surprised than anything else.
"Dad, I think Bumblebee is in trouble," Sam whispered.
"How do you know?" Ron asked equally quiet.
"I just do, look I need to find him ok? I saw Mikaela drive off earlier," Sam explained stretching out his hand to get the keys.
"No, you are not looking for more robots," Judy hissed, taking Sam off to the side a little ways.
"Mom I have to," Sam begged.
"How would you find them?" Ron asked hesitating to give his son the keys.
"I'll find Prime," Ron handed him the keys and Sam sprinted down to the parking lot.
Megatron watched annoyed as Mikaela struggled to get out of Barricade's grasp.
"You'll never get away with this," she shouted, "Sam's going to come with Prime and the rest of the autobots to stop you."
"Oh, I'm counting on it," Megatron grinned, "as soon as I have the last piece of the allspark I will be all powerful!"
"You were great," Starka's radio crackled, "I don't think anyone…could have pulled…it off…like you." Bumblebee remained silent, trying to hold on to what remained of his strength. Neither of them were sure how long they sat there but as the first glow of morning began to appear Starka began to get restless.
"Maybe I should go…for help," she said starting to stand. Bumblebee grabbed her arm.
"Someone's…coming," he said softly then after a pause added in a relieved sort of way, "Ironhide." Starka turned and saw the black truck coming towards them at high speed. He transformed half way to them and ran the rest of the way.
"What happened," he yelled skidding to a stop and just missing Bumblebee.
"Megatron…" Ironhide yanked Starka to her feet and cut her off.
"What did you do?" he shouted shaking her, "What did you do to Bumblebee?"
"He's fine…just overloaded," Starka explained pulling out of Ironhide's grasp, "We have…to find…Megatron."
"Megatron?" Prime asked confused. He and Ratchet had appeared shortly after Ironhide.
"He did…this," Starka transformed. Sam appeared behind Prime, out of breath from his run after the robots.
"Did I miss anything," he panted then caught sight of Bumblebee. "No," he said softly, "No, no, no, no." he sprinted towards the yellow robot but Starka pulled in front of him.
"Sam…I know you…think its…bad, but…the only way…to save…him is to … find Megatron," Starka said swinging her door open.
"I can't leave him," Sam shouted trying to get around her but she moved with him.
"Sam," Bumblebee coughed, "Go." The yellow robots eyes closed after these two simple words and despite his stronger instinct telling him he needed to stay with his guardian, Sam climbed into Starka's front seat.
"We can't just leave him here," Ironhide started.
"We can," Starka interrupted, "we have to…find…Megatron. I'll explain…on the way." Reluctantly Prime, Ratchet and Ironhide transformed and followed the white Camry back onto the highway.
"They're coming," Megatron grinned as he watched the radar. All four of the autobots were headed straight for them along with the last piece of the allspark.
"I don't get it," Mikaela said suddenly. She had been sitting in a roughly built cage for over an hour listening to the little robot Frenzy screeching and jumping around like a hyperactive three year old. Her fear of being with the decepticons had faded a long ago and now only left boredom and annoyance.
"What," Magatron growled. This human was turning out to be most annoying to him.
"How can you guys live without a spark?" she asked watching as Frenzy ran halfway up the wall before falling on his back.
"When Witwicky put the allspark in my chest cavity all that happened was an overload," Megatron said, "After my system had adjusted to the excess power I came out of my sleep and was more powerful than ever."
"So…you're like a mini allspark then?" Mikaela asked. Megatron scowled at her. Apparently he didn't appreciate being called "mini."
"No," he growled then slowly stepped towards Mikaela and her cage, "I am more powerful than the allspark, more powerful than anything ever known. I am the most powerful being in the heavens!" He raised his hands and shouted the last part. Some of Mikaela's fear had come back and she began to worry about what was going to happen to Sam when he got there to save her.
"So let me get this straight," Ironhide interrupted, "Megatron is back from the dead and has risen all the decepticons just to get this last piece of spark?"
"That's…what he…said," Starka answered. They had been driving for twenty minutes without even a shadow to lead them to Megatron or his followers yet Starka hadn't slowed down or turned a direction without purpose. Sam got the feeling that she knew exactly where the decepticons were.
"What does he want it for?" Prime asked.
"All I…know…is he…wants that piece," Starka replied.
"So I go in there, demand he fix Bumblebee in return for the piece?" Sam asked.
"No, that's too dangerous," Prime said.
"We free Mikaela and get the hell out of there," Ironhide said shortly.
"And let Bumblebee die?" Sam almost yelled.
"Bumblebee will die protecting you," Prime said gently, "It's what he would have wanted."
"If I'd known you were going to let him die I wouldn't have come at all," Sam grumbled.
"Sam…" Starka started.
"Why don't you just pull over and let me out," Sam said angrily, "I'm not going to help without knowing Bumblebee is ok."
"We can't let you go out on your own Sam," Prime said, "now that Megatron is back everyone could be in danger."
"I'm not gona leave Bumblebee out there to rust," Sam said angrily.
"Sam…trust me," Starka's radio said softly. Sam hesitated for a second before leaning grumpily back in the seat, resigned to go along and promising himself he'd go back to Bumblebee as soon as he could. Before long they pulled up to an oversized warehouse.
"Is this it?" Ironhide asked skeptically.
"This is it," Starka confirmed. She transformed once Sam got out. The rest of the autobots followed suit.
"What are you doing?" Prime asked as Starka started towards the building.
"I helped him…get…Mikaela," Starka said quietly, "Megatron…won't attack…me."
"That's suicide," Ironhide interjected, but he didn't sound too upset about it.
"I have…to." Starka walked straight into the warehouse.
"Hey!" Starka's radio rang throughout the warehouse.
"Ah, at last," Megatron grinned, "where are the rest of those annoying autobots?"
"Why did…you attack…Bumblebee?" Starka demanded pulling up her cannon and aiming it at Megatron. Megatron laughed loudly before answering her.
"I told you there was a deadline and you still insisted on defying me," Megatron boomed.
"I was…on…my way," Starka said angrily. Megatron snorted.
"You only came when you realized he was in trouble," he said the grinned, "tell me, has the Witwicky fleshling come to save his mate?" Mikaela winced at being called Sam's mate and was about to say something when she saw him sneaking in through a window.
"Hey, rustbucket," she called. Megatron glared at her hatefully. "Why don't you tell Starka all about your big plan?"
"I have not need. The fleshling has the last piece, I can feel it and soon everyone will know why I have come," Megatron gloated.
"You know that overconfidence is always the downfall," Mikaela continued.
"Is that so?" Megatron grinned evilly, "Well then I guess we'll just have to see. Ah, Witwicky. So nice of you to join us." Megatron turned to face Sam who was halfway to Mikaela's cage.
"Sam! Don't give him the spark," Mikaela shouted.
"It's the only way," Sam called back.
"It's only going to make him more powerful," Mikaela argued. Sam watched her for a second before answering.
"I'm counting on it." With that he started towards Megatron, with the shard held out in front of him. "Come on and get it," Sam taunted. Megatron growled and then reached for the shard only for his hand to go right through it. Mikaela blinked in surprise as Megatron ran his hand through the hologram version of Sam and then screamed in outrage. Before anyone could move a white blur crashed through the wall and pushed a thick metal beam completely through Bonecrusher and his sparkles chest. For a moment Bonecrusher stared at the beam protruding from his chest and then with a dying rattle fell forward exposing the robot behind him. There, standing with her cannons charged, was Starka. Mikaela and the decepticons looked in shock between the two Starkas who both had their weapons trained on Megatron.
"Game over," Starka's voice rang throughout the building. It was her real voice, not her radio.
"You…lose," the other Starka's radio said.
"I don't think so," Megatron transformed and flew straight towards one of the Starkas who narrowly dodged him. This startled the other decepticons into action. Bonecrusher and Starscream went after the Starka that had come through the wall and Blackout and Barricade tried to help Megatron. Frenzy was jumping around crazily trying to decide which one to go after. As they fought another Starka burst through the wall and then another, and another. Altogether there were six Starka's each taking on their own decepticons who were too distracted by the clones that they didn't notice the Sam rushing to free Mikaela.
"Sam, what's going on," Mikaela shouted over the noise.
"Just trust me," he said leading her through the chaos and towards the door. Frenzy suddenly appeared in front of them and then rushed towards them. Sam and Mikaela broke apart just in time for Frenzy to go zooming between them and make a sharp u turn back. "Run!" Sam yelled. Meanwhile the Starkas were destroying the decepticons one by one. Barricade was the first to go down.
"You…survived too long…last time," one of the Starka's radios said. She moved to help the Starka fighting Bonecrusher as two others went after Devastator. Starscream and Megatron were now back-to-back trying to ward off the last two Starkas. Bonecrusher fell with a sickening thud and Devastator managed to get himself over with the last two decepticons. In her haste one of the Starkas stepped on Frenzy, crushing him into oblivion.
"Give…it up," a Starka said.
"You'll never…beat me," a second said.
"You can't defeat the allspark," Megatron roared, "no matter how many of you there are." He fired wildly at the white robots surrounding him and his last two followers. Devastator fell as his head was blown off, leaving the leader and his second in command.
"Give it up Megatron," one Starka said, but it wasn't her voice. Megatron paused as he considered the voice and then in dawned on him.
"I took care of you once and I can do it again," Megatron took careful aim and fired. The Starka narrowly missed the blast.
"Your radio," Starka called, this time it was her voice.
"Too late," Megatron growled then aimed again this time hitting the Starka with the mismatched voice directly in the chest. The white robot fell hard and all life signals failed instantly.
"You won't get away with it a second time," it was Ratchet's voice coming from another Starka. He took aim and fired, but Starscream moved just enough to catch the blast and fall screaming as his life force was drained. Before Megatron could even recharge his cannon the remaining five Starkas fired simultaneously hitting the target right on. Megatron didn't even get a chance to scream as he was hit from everyone and fell half demolished to the hard floor.
"Ok, what is going on," Mikaela asked looking between the multitude of white robots. Each of the robots began to change from the white robot form to a new form. Millions of parts slid over each other as the robots took on their true forms in front of the two humans. Prime, Ratchet, Ironhide and Bumblebee all emerged from their Starka forms. The real Starka walked over to the fallen autobot and placed her hand on its chest. The autobot began transforming under her fingers and took Jazz's form. When she moved her hand Jazz let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes.
"Good to be back again," he said attempting to sit up.
"Take it easy old friend," Ratchet said kneeling beside him, "he won't hurt you again."
Radios explained sort of, so SURPRISE!! Thanks for reviewing Tkaa, Dandyparakeet and MixChick.