ch 14

Jazz gaped. Then he started laughing. "Prowl – Meister? Ya gotta be kiddin' meh!" He stared at Galvatron. "Ya really do got a loose screw. Prowler ain' Meister, an' if'n he is, he ain' someone worth killin'!"

Galvatron smirked. "Oh, how rich, Meister. You work for the Autobots now? Do they know who you really are?" His voice was dark and taunting. Prowl merely smirked back.

"Do you really think you can rile me up?" he asked calmly. "You were never able to shake me when I worked for you. Nothing has changed since then."

"Apparently a lot has changed." Galvatron challenged. "You've managed to hide from me for a very long time. More importantly, you took my twins from me. I might have ignored your absence, but those twins are mine."

Prowl tilted his helm to the side. "You changed them."

"I made them better."

"You hurt them." Prowl's voice darkened, his optics glowing black. "I watched them after your scientists were through. They would have died if I hadn't taken them in!" Barricade watched him intently, a silent presence in the back of Prowl's processor, lending his calm. He wasn't as attached as Prowl was. He hadn't lived through it. Prowl had.

Galvatron grinned. "How did you even find us, anyway?"

"You took my Twins, my best friend, and my mate." Prowl growled. "Did you really think I wouldn't come after you?"

If possible, Jazz's visor went even paler. He quickly pinged Barricade's comm. link. ::Is that true?:: he demanded. ::Ya an' Prowler – did ya really bond?::

::Yeah.:: Barricade admitted. ::It was an accident, though – I was trying to stabilize his spark with my spark energy. I didn't have cables though.::

::So ya jus' didn' pull back in time.::

::I couldn't.::

There was a wealth of information in those two words, but Jazz didn't push further. He'd learned what he wanted to know. ::Explains a lot, actually.:: he murmured, more to himself than to Barricade. Barricade sent the impression of a grin before he terminated the connection. Jazz could faintly hear the sounds of mechs in the basement. So Prowl had brought the Calvary. Good.

Galvatron glanced from Barricade to Prowl. "A spy and an assassin. How romantic." He drew his plasma rifle and shot Barricade in the doorwing. Barricade gasped, pulling his knees up as he instinctively tried to curl up and protect himself. Prowl cried out and dropped to his knees, trembling violently. Galvatron grinned. "You've grown weak, Meister."

Suddenly, Prowl stilled. Jazz cried out, fear lacing his voice.

He must have blinked. He had to have blinked. Nothing else could have explained how fast Prowl moved. One second Prowl was on his hands and knees, so still he might have been dead or offline. The next, the black and white was behind Galvatron, energon dagger pressed tight against his throat. The blade bit deep, but Galvatron was just quick enough. He dropped, throwing Prowl over his shoulder and across the room. He slammed into the wall next to Barricade and immediately flipped to his feet again, dagger at the ready and murder in his optics.

When Prowl spoke, his voice was dark, deadly, and it sent shivers down Barricade's spine and through Jazz's spark.

"This ends here."

/-/

Ratchet looked up at Optimus. "Sideswipe is stable." he said quietly. "I'll be able to transport him as soon as we're ready to leave."

Optimus nodded. Sunstreaker stayed beside his twin, gripping Sides' hand with everything he had. Optimus didn't even mention the odd behavior – too much was happening. There was no time to analyze actions and words. Only time to act. "I will go upstairs and see what is going on. Ironhide, wait my command to lead the others to me."

"You got it, Boss." Ironhide said, hefting his cannon.

"Can't we just let Barricade and take Jazz home?" Cliffjumper growled. "He's nothing but – "

Cliffjumper's protest never made it all the way out. Ironhide and Sunstreaker burst out in simultaneous denials while some of the rest of the crew – primarily the spybots who refused to be left behind when their boss needed help – simply glared at Cliffjumper. The minibot shrank back. Optimus merely shook his helm.

"Leaving Barricade behind is no longer an option." he said quietly.

The look Ironhide gave him was not promising. Optimus ignored him and headed up the stairs as quietly as he could. He peered around the door frame just in time to see Galvatron rip a section of Prowl's chassis armor clean off and throw it across the room.

Jazz automatically flinched back into the wall – a wound like that was easily fatal – but Barricade merely watched the fight with a small smirk of amusement on his faceplates. Galvatron glanced at Prowl, who grinned at him.

"I still remember my training."

"Still have that twig frame of yours, then." Galvatron retorted. "Just makes you easier to snap!" He lunged for Prowl again, but the tactician jumped to the left and lashed out with his dagger. It cut a neat line across Galvatron's face. The larger mech screamed in agony and anger. Prowl jumped up on his back, using the broad shoulders as leverage. Sparks flew as Prowl stabbed him repeatedly in the chassis, energon gushing down the smooth metal to pool at Galvatron's feet. The larger mech staggered, attempting to reach up to grab Prowl by the doorwings. Prowl merely flipped off of his perch and landed lightly on his feet.

"You were saying?" he asked dryly. Optimus gaped. Galvatron struggled to turn around, but instead fell to the ground, intakes heaving as his systems started to overheat. He was dying by energon deprivation. Prowl barely cast him a second glance and went to Jazz, slicing through his cuffs with ease. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Jazz laughed almost breathlessly. "'m fine, Prowler. Trust meh."

Prowl nodded and moved to Barricade. He cut him free and lifted the injured mech to his feet. /Cade - /

/I'm fine, Prowl. Honest./

Prowl pulled him into a fierce embrace. /Don't ever do that to me again!/

Barricade merely smiled and relaxed in Prowl's arms. /Love you too./

Optimus coughed lightly, commanding their attention. "We should leave." he said quietly.

Prowl nodded and guided Barricade over, holding the Decepticon's hand tightly. Jazz looked at Galvatron. "What about 'im, boss?"

Optimus considered. Prowl waved his free hand dismissively. "Leave him. His troops will come soon enough and take care of him."

Jazz made a face. "That's a terrible way ta die, Prowler."

"Oh, he won't die. His men won't allow it. He will, however, think twice about coming after what's mine again." He turned to Optimus. "Lead the way."

Optimus stared at him hard. "When we get back to the base, you are explaining this."

"All of it." Prowl agreed. "You have my word."