CHAP 25

"We're never going to find him this way!" Shadowstar shouted, slamming her fist into a wall. "Walking sucks! I want to fly!"

"Hey," Warp Darkmatter, who was walking behind her, said. "We've only been searching for a hlaf hour."

She turned to glare at him. "I wouldn't be having this problem if I was by myself," she informed him, clenching her fists at her sides. "I could just fly around the city and search for that wannabee. But no!" she flung her hands into the air. "I can't do that because then I wouldn't have my so called back up with me anymore and we know how bad that would be," she added sarcastically.

"Well that's not my fault."

"It is!"The femme pointed at his face. "Why didn't you bring something with you that enabled you to fly? It would make this whole thing much easier."

"I did!" he told her, activating his jet pack and hovering in the air a few feet above her. "But how would I have known you wanted to fly around?" he inquired, cocking his head and frowning as if the whole thing was her fault. "You should have said something!"

'I just did." she reached down and grabbed up Nimrod, before activating her thrusters and rising into the air. For some reason she didn't want to lose the little insect, though she could not even begin to figure out why. "Now, if there's nothing else you want to tell me, let's get going."

"Nope." he gestured toward the sky in mock politeness. "After you."

She rolled her eyes and flew past him. "Forget the sarcasm. I'm not in the mood for it."

As they flew over the city Shadowstar scanned the air for Nos-4-a2's energy signature. The fembot knew what it was because fighting him had gotten her close enough to have it stored in her memory. But finding that certain energy signature was complicated because the planet was full of machines with similar ones that caused her to become confused.. This frustrated her because it was making things take longer than it should be. Stupid dimension with its stupid inferior robots! Why do that all have to share the same frequency?

The femme looked over at Warp who was flying beside her. "Is it always this hard to find something you want on this Primus forsaken rock?" she asked.

He shrugged as if he was used to it. "Yeah," he said carelessly. "But there's no reason to get ticked off about it. It's better to just accept it."

His lack of concern bothered her. Was he just saying that to tick her off? "But I don't want to accept it," she muttered, looking away. She looked at Nimrod in her arms. Maybe he could help. "But what about you?" she asked, grabbing him by the back of the neck and holding him up so she could look at his face. "Do you know of an easier way to find him?"

Nimrod shook his head. "Nope, sorry." he replied. 'I've never been off Planet Z until now."

"I should have known," she moaned.

"I wonder how far this tunnel goes," Mira said, resting her hand on the wall and looked up at the ceiling. They had been walking down the tunnel for about an hour by then but didn't seem to be getting anywhere. She hoped they'd find something soon. This place stank. "It just seems to go on and on."

"Who knows," Buzz said who stood be side her. When she looked at him he added.. "But no matter how far it is we will keep going until we find Nos-4-a2 and rescue Sari." he over looked at Prowl who stood a fair distance away from the space rangers. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing okay," he replied. The Autobot looked back at the space rangers. "But I still feel as if something is wrong. even though I don't think Sari's life is in danger."

'Then what is it?" the human space ranger questioned.

The black and gold robot shook his head. "I don't know yet..." he looked ahead again, scanning the tunnel for Sari's unique energy signature. "but I think.. it might be her will."

"Her will?"

He shook his head once more. "I don't know. I just feel that way." he could sense a strange tension arising from the space rangers, as if they knew exactly what he was talking about it. "Forget it," he said, quickly changing the subject. "Let's just keep going."

"Hey Buzz," Mira said, walking beside her friend. "If he's talking about her will does that mean Nos-4-a2 might have..."

"We can't assume that yet," Buzz told her, frowning as he turned his head to stare at her face. "We'll know for sure once we find them. I don't want to begin thinking that, not with Prowl the way he is right now."

"Oh.' she nodded as if she understood. "I won't mention it to him."

"I think he already knows," Buzz responded, his eyes locked on Prowl's back. "and that's why he's been testy. Just keep XR away from him. I don't want a repeat of what happened outside."

"Will do, Buzz."

Prowl meanwhile was carefully making his way down the tunnel, almost as if he was pretending the others weren't with him. He stayed quite a good distance ahead them, not because he was being inconsiderate, but because he didn't want to get into anymore fights, especially with XR and Mira. He already felt bad enough about doing it before it would be best if they didn't repeat that, even if the things he said could not be taken back or forgotten.

Plus the Autobot was worried about Sari and that real bad feeling was making that feeling evolve into urgency. He had to find her and save her before that happened. No. I can't allow it. I will find her and what happened to me will not happen to her! Never!

He looked back at the space rangers. "Can't you go any faster?" he questioned, his voice carrying a tone of impatience.

"We're moving as quickly as possible," Buzz told him.

"Yeah," XR replied. He started to wheel toward him but Mira held him back, that didn't keep him from talking though.. "Not all of us have long legs."

The Autobot ignored him. "At this rate we won't get there in time."

"In time for what?" Booster asked, though he already knew the answer. He just wanted Prowl to say it. "What's wrong?"

"In time to keep her from-" he stopped himself and looked away. "Never mind. Lets' just keep moving."

Nos-4-a2 flew through the tunnels like he was fleeing from the Devil himself. He didn't know why he was suddenly terrified but he chose not to question it even as his mind tried to rationalize things. That was next to impossible with half his processor off in Candy Land. He couldn't think straight. He couldn't fly straight either. That buzz was making his flight pattern erratic.

It was your imagination! the voice of logic was screaming. That thing wasn't there. It's just a hallucination like the dancing robot parts. You're tripping out on that girl's energy, that's all. You took too much and now you're paying for it!

Maybe the voice was right but he didn't want to chance it. He looked over his shoulder but saw nothing. Maybe it really was his imagination after all, brought on by in-taking too much tasty energy. He didn't want to chance it. What if it is-

He should have been watching where he was going. He hit a wall and bounced off of it, landing with a splash, on his bottom on the wet floor of the tunnel. He sat there for a moment, trying to recover, the walls around him looked strange, as if they too were alive.

You're seeing things. They can't be moving. It's just the energy high.

That didn't keep him from giggling about it. "Dancing walls. Heheheheeheee.."

Then his rational mind took hold again. "No, stop that!" He slapped himself a few times and the walls stopped moving. That was better but now he realized he'd fallen into stagnant water with things floating in it. "Ew!"

Disgusted at himself he reactivated his wings and lifted off the floor until he was clear of the water. Then he grabbed his cape and wrung it out... until he spotted the thing again. It was further down the tunnel watching him with vengeful red eyes. That thing was following him!

"Stay away from me!" he yelled at it before spinning around and fleeing once more.

"Hold it!" Prowl exclaimed, stopping in mid stride. XR who was behind him walked right into the robot's back and fell back onto his bum. "Will you stop doing that!" he shouted.

Prowl didn't reply. He was too busy listening to a sound only he seemed to be hearing. His head was turn to the side slightly, as if doing so would help him hear better.

Something was up. "Prowl, what is it?" Buzz asked, coming up behind him.

"I heard something," the Autobot replied, looking to his right. The sound seemed to be coming down that tunnel. "It came from over there," he said, pointing.

"Then we'd better investigate," Buzz said, already moving. "Let's move, rangers."

The group took off down the tunnel, their feet splashing in the shallow water. They hadn't gone far when Prowl and Team Lightyear spotted the source. Further down the hall, flying like he was blind, was Nos-4-a2 the energy vampire. He hadn't seen them yet because he was looking over his shoulder but when he did he stopped in mid-flight and looked at them in shock. "No!" he shouted, putting up his hand and backing away slightly. "You can't exthist! You're not real!"

"Huh?"

"Thtay back!" he shouted, putting up both hands as if to shoot them. "Back or I'll shoot you with my lather beams!"

Mira noticed Nos-4-a2 seemed to be slurring his words. She looked at Buzz. "Does he sound strange to you?" she asked.

Lightyear nodded.

"Where's Sari!" Booster shouted, stomping toward the forward.

"Get away you stupud spit racer!" the energy vampire slurred, backing away from him. "You're not going to take me alive!" Just then his wings and anti-gravity hardware failed. He fell to the floor with a thump. "Craters, not again." he said in a whiny voice that didn't fit him.

Prowl and the space rangers were coming toward him. "Get away from me!" he yelled at them, still attempting to back away though without legs all he could do was flounder around like a fish out of water. "You don't exist! You're in my head!"

Prowl stood over him, his expression changing dangerously. "If I don't exist," he said."'Then this shouldn't hurt." He swung at the energy vampire, his fist crashing into Nos' face. The energy vampire roared in pain as he rocketed across the room and crashed into the wall, head first.

The vampire grunted and fell limply to the floor. The Autobot started walking toward him again, his face darkened with dealy intent, but Buzz grabbed his arms, holding him back. "Whoa, Prowl!" he shouted. "Let's not lose our cool!"

"Let go of me, Lightyear!" the cyber ninja shouted, struggling. "He knows where Sari is and I'm going to amek him tell me."

'Not like this you aren't," Mira put in, moving to assit Buzz in restraining the robot. "Calm down. We'll make him tell us. You don't have to beat him up!"

Buzz looked at Booster. "Mind doing the honors?"

Booster was more than ready. "Sure thing Buzz." He headed toward Nos-4-a2, reaching out and grabbing the vampire by the back of the neck onc e he was close enough to grab. He lifted the vampire off the floor. "Where is Sari?" he yelled, waving a fist in front of Nos-4-a2's face. "Don't make me use this!"

Nos lifted his head and glared at the alien. "You will never find her! " he slurred. "I won't tell you! The girl is my dinner! You can't have her!" he pointed a shaking finger at him. "So why don't you and your brothers go back to your little space shift?"

"Huh? Brothers?" Booster looked around himself. "I don't have any brothers!"

"Yes, you do," Nos replied. His expression changed from serious to comical. He started giggling. "Heheehhe dancing brothers."

The red alien looked at the others. The rookie looked confused. "He's not making any sense."

"Let me," XR said, wheeling froward until he got right into the vampires face. "Remember me, Nos?"

Nos-4-a2 stared at him for a moment then a weird smile crossed his face. "Hello, Little One," he said gleefully. 'Have you come here to feed me with some lovely energy? Well you're a bit late. Heheehehe." he playfully poked the robot's helmet. "Googly eyes. HAHAHAHAAAAA!"

XR shoved his hand away. "Cut that out!"

"Cut what out?" he asked. "The flowers growing out of your head? Ugh keep them away! I hate veggies!"

XR looked at Booster then at Buzz. "I think he's got a screw loose."

"That's not it."

They looked over at Prowl who had calmed down by then and was studying the energy vampire carefully. His expression was troubled. Something about the energy vampire's behavior didn't feel right. What has he been feeding on?

"What do you mean?" Booster asked.

The Autobot looked at Buzz and Mira who were holding him back. "Mind letting me go?" he asked. "I won't lose it this time."

The space rangers, seeing he was being honest, release their hold. Once he was free, Prowl walked over to Nos-4-a2 and studied his face, his hand resting on his chin, thoughtfully. Finally he said. "He's drunk."

The space rangers stared at him as if he'd suddenly grown an extra head. "Drunk?" they said in one voice.

He nodded.

"How can a robot get drunk?" Mira questioned, unable to comprehend what he was saying.

"Trust me, they can," the cyber ninja responded. "I would know since it's happened to me." he studied Nos face again, that bad feeling growing worse. "On Cybertron us transformers drink energon as a sourse of energy and there are different types of grade. High, low and medium. High is the most sought after because it energizes quickly but it can be dangerous if too much is taken. It makes robots act and speak like humans when they have had too much alcohol. This includes strange behavior , slurred speech, and of course the hangover the day after." he pointed at Nos' face. "This is how he is acting, but how in the Matrix did he get his hands on high grade energon?"

Nos-4-a2 was laughing again. It sounded close to hysterical this time. The space ranger stared at him again, unsure what to say about such uncharacteristic behavior. "So what should we do with him then?" Buzz asked. "Because I don't think we're going to get anything out of him in this state."

Prowl frowned, his optics locked at Nos-4-a2's drunken features. He knew from experience drunk robots has loose tongues but he got the feeling it would be the opposite with the energy vampire. He was tripped out but he still seemed to have some presence of mind. "Maybe, maybe not."

"What do you mean?"

But before he could answer Nos seemed to suddenly regain control of his senses. "Lightyear!" he yelled raising his hand and shooting a bolt of plasma energy at him.

The blast took the space ranger in the chest, knocking him off his feet. "Buzz!" Booster shouted, his grip on Nos loosening enough for the robot to break free which is exactly what he did.

He roared and shoved at the alien, knocking him over. He then punched grabbed XR and threw him across the room before turning to Prowl and punching him in the face. Even though he was drunk the blow still held a lot of force, Enough to crack Prowl's optics visor and send it flying off the robot's face.

Mira tried to shoot at him with her arm laser but missed. he roared at her then activated his wings and took off back down the tunnel.

"After him!" Buzz shouted as Mira and XR ran to. "We have to follow him!"

Prowl also didn't want the vampire to get away but he couldn't do anything yet. He had to find his visor. he felt around in the water for it until his hand touched the delicate glass. He picked it up and put it back on his face. he then turned to the others. "Let's move. He'll take us to Sari," Prowl said before transforming into vehicle mode and giving chase.

Shadowstar was starting to lose hope. The fembot and the others had been searching for what seemed like hours with no luck at all. She was beginning to think that the other energy vampire had left the planet. He'd better not! I don't want to search this entire puit forsaken dimension just for a stupid vampire wannabe! Does he think I-

Shadowstar paused in mid flight, almost causing Warp Darkmatter to fly into her.

"Hey!" he shouted, hovering behind her. "At least tell me when you're going to do that."

The femme ignored him. She looked around herself, her expression one of deep concentration. Had she really picked it up this time? Was it going to be the right one? No! This was it!

When he realized what she was doing the blue skinned alien asked. "What is it?"

She turned back to him and smiled that sadistic smile. "I think I found him," she said.

Nos-4-a2 burst into his lair a short time later. He was feeling panicky which wasn't normal for him, but how could he be calm when his enemies were right behind him?!. He tried to force himself to calm down but his buzz wouldn't let him. It was making him edgy and he couldn't stop himself from darting around the lair or from babbling to himself.

They found me, he thought, looking back toward the entrance as if expecting to see them in the tunnel behind him. They're going to either kill me or put me back in that dreadful prison. He clenched his fists, becoming angry which made his flight pattern even more erratic. Well I won't allow it! Not this time!

But what could he do to prevent it? In the state he was in now he could barely fly straight. He would have to find other means to deal with them. His optics fell onto Sari's limp form, lying on the floor. He smiled. Lovely.

Warp Darkmatter stared at the fembot for a moment, allowing the information she'd just given him to sink into his brain. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I can feel him," she replied, staying completely still. After a moment, the femme pointed downward at an angle. "He's hiding in there."

Warp lowered his head until his eyes fell on the specific location. A large sewer pipe. "In there?" he asked, pointing.

She nodded. "Exactly."

Then she dived toward it, forcing him to follow her or be left behind. Once they were on the ground beside the pipe Shadowstar walked over and looked into the tunnel. "Yes," she confirmed, studying the interior. "It's coming from in here."

"You have got to be kidding me!"

She turned back to him, frowning. "Something wrong?" she asked.

He made a face as if going in there wasn't on his top ten list of things he wanted to do.. ever. "Are you sure he'd hiding in there?" he asked, his mind flashing back to the last time he'd gone into a sewer. That had been with lightyear when the two were forced to team up to escape crazy alien scientists. He didn't want to go through that again. "You sure he's not like, you know, hiding in one of these buildings?" he gestured at the hotels on both sides of them.

"Yes," she confirmed, nodding his head. "What? Don't you want to go in there?" his expression gave her the answer. "Hmm you afraid to mess up that pretty face of yours, your highness?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Well then fine I'll go in alone." she looked at Nimrod whom she'd set down when she landed. "Unless you want to come with me?"

He seemed to have reservations as well. "Uh.."

She frowned in annoyance. "Fine then," she said. "I'll go in myself." she turned around and made as if to climb into the pipe. "You men are all the same. You act all macho but deep down you're a bunch of cowards."

Darkmatter didn't like being called a coward. "Wait," Warp said, making her stop. She looked back at him. "You can't go in there alone. Remember our deal?"

So now he remembered. "So what are you going to do then?" she demanded impatiently. "I'm not going to stay out here because you don't want to get dirty."

"You're not going in alone," he repeated, walking over to her. "I'm coming with." he reached down and grabbed up Nimrod. "and you're coming too."

Nimrod wasn't happy. "But but-" he stammered.

"No buts!" he cut him off. "You're coming with whether you like it or not!"

The femme seemed satisfied with that. "Just don't get in my way."

"Are you sure he went this way?" Buzz asked Prowl as the group moved quickly down the tunnel.

"I'm sure of it," he replied, nodding his head. The Autobot had gone back into standard mode after he'd wiped out in vehicle mode. He'd almost killed XR when that happen so he thought it was wise to stay in the form he was comfortable with. Plus he didn't want to kill anybody. "Unless there's another tunnel we can't see I'm one hundred percent sure."

"Okay but what if-" Buzz stopped in mid-sentense. He looked ahead. "What's that?" he asked, pointing.

Prowl looked where he'd indicated. further up the tunnel stood a figure. Right away he recognized who it was. "That's Sari!" he exclaimed, increasing his pace. "She must have gotten away from him after all."

"Then let's get her out of here," XR said.

They had nearly reached her when the Autobot sensed something was wrong. "Stop!" he yelled, putting out his arms which most of them crashed into.

"Will you cut that out already?!" XR shouted, getting tired running into the Autobot all the time.

"I'm sorry." he said a little absently.

Mira noticed Prowl seemed upset. "What's wrong?" she asked, rubbing her head as she got up.

Prowl's optics were focused on Sari as he replied "Something isn't right about this." He suddenly felt as if acid was running through his system. He'd felt that way before and it could only mean one thing, though he wished he was wrong. "I think.. I think she's." He stepped toward her. "Sari?"

Upon hearing his voice the techno organic girl turned around to face them. She opened her eyes which instantly confirmed the cyber ninja's fears. They were no longer ice blue, but a blood red color. He took a step back in horror. "No..," he gasped. "S..Sari?"

When she saw him she smiled, but not the smile he was used to. It was a wicked smile that made her features look horrible. The Autobot backed off slightly, unable to believe what he was seeing even as he said. "He's taken control of her!"

The moment those words escaped his lips Sari activated the blades in her arms and with a horrible, ear piercing scream she attacked.