CHAP 32

Shadowstar threw Nos-4-a2 roughly into the holding cell. He landed on the floor, bumping his head against the back wall. He lay there dazed for a moment then turned his head to glare back at the femme as she pulled the cell door shut. "You're going to regret doing this to me," he growled struggling to change position so he would be more comfortable.

She smiled mockingly. "Oooh I'm so scared," she said, leaning against the bars. Her optics dimmed slightly as she watched him. "Save your breath. You're going to need it for what I've got planned for you."

He forced himself so sit up, even though his hands were still secured tightly behind his back. "If you really had any ideas you'd be doing them right now."

"How presumptive of you," she commented, unimpressed by his stating of the obvious. "I don't roll that way, silly robot. I might have some ideas right now but I also tend to make my victims suffer by forcing them to wait until I come up wth something better. That way their psych is broken even before I start." she licked her lips. "Though I don't think it would work for you anyway. It couldn't hurt to try."

His optics met hers, his face clearly expressing his displeasure at her thoughts."I don't intend to be here for that."

Shadowstar cocked her head. "No?" she opened the door and stepped inside, sitting on the cot and looking down at him, her expression never changing. "How do you intend to make that happen?" she questioned. "You going to break those hands cuffs and fly out of here? I wouldn't advice it." she looked at her talons, studying the sharp, pointed ends. "Those little dears I fastened to your delicate wrists were built to prevent robots like you and I from doing much. As you might have noticed they're far more advanced than anything you could find here."

Nos-4-a2 didn't reply but his face told her he had figured that out.

"There's a perfectly good reason for that," the fembot vampire went on. "They're not from here. They came from my own dimension where arresting Cybertronians such as myself is an Autobot's favorite past time." she reached down and grabbed the cuffs, jerking on them. He grunt uncomfortably. "You see the Autobots are a paranoid and controlling race of machines. Anyone who disagrees with their views gets arrested and thrown into the stockade and left there to rot.. or rust in this case since the entire planet population consists of robots." she jerked on the manacles again. "They used these little darlings to incapacitate those they considered trouble makers. It prevents you from putting up much of a fight when they take you away." she laughed bitterly. "Kind of like paralysis."

"Hmmm.."

"I bet you're wondering why I myself have a pair of them on me," she went on, letting him go. "It's simple actually. I was one of the robots they considered a trouble maker and threw me into the stockade to rot." Nos noticed her face tighten up as if she was reliving a past pain. "Like it was my fault I wound up the way I am. I can't help it. It's not my fault I have to feed on other machines just to survive on account of the fact that my stupid creator wasn't smart enough to put a complete spark into my protoform!"

Well this was interesting, not her whining about an incomplete spark or whatever but the other stuff. Autobots? A whole race of just machines? What he would give to be set lose in a place like that. Pity she was the one who wound up with that blessing. From what she'd just told him the fembot hadn't bothered using her little "gift" to her advantage. All she did was try to get rid of it. "What a shame."

She kicked him. "Who asked you?"

He snapped at her foot, causing her to jerk away. "Nobody has to ask me anything, wench, I just felt like saying it anyway." he smiled at her. "You. my dear, obviously don't know how to use that little blessing of your to your advantage."

"Blessing?" she spat. "What are you talking about?"

"This Cybertronian race called Autobots that are living machines," he explained. "You're an energy vampire that was created on a planet full of machines like yourself. That sounds like heaven. You should have used that it your advantage. You could have fed on them to this thing you called a spark's content but instead you chose to run away and let them throw you into a prison." he laughed.

Her face scrunched up in distaste. "If memory serves me, you didn't really do much good attempting the thing you're suggesting anyway," she pointed out.

Stating the obvious didn't faze him. "It's only a minor set back," he stated. "Something I intend to take care of."

"But you're not going to take care of it," she replied standing up, tiring of the entire conversation. She was starting to wonder why she had even told him any of this stuff to begin with. "The only thing you have to look forward to is a quick and painless death.. but that little luxury will be denied to you as well." she ran her talons across the cell's wall, creaking a loud shrieking sound. He recoiled, the high pitched noise hurting his audio units. "How sad for you."

"I doubt it."

The femme said nothing for a moment. She kept on running her hand across the wall. Finally she stopped and looked back at him. Nos-4-a2 was smiling that strange smile again. Something about it bothered her a lot. What was he planning? She was tempted to find out and she clenched her hands into fists resisting the urge to tear at his chest plate with her claws.

It was very tempting....

But she did not do it. Instead she turned away and stepped out of the cell, leaving the other vampire robot to himself.

"Oh but I have plenty of time," he said quietly, once again looking toward the ceiling. He smiled. "For you see, I still have my cards in play."

"The star hopper is below the hanger," XR explained as he and Prowl made their way toward the lower levels of Star Command. "But it's still only a prototype which means it might not be in perfect working order. It was only used once."

The Autobot looked down at him. "Once?" he inquired.

"Yeah, awhile ago when a certain evil emperor decided to broadcast his evil mind all over the galaxy."

"Huh?"

"Never mind," Xr said, waving him off. He shouldn't have mentioned that since Prowl hadn't even been in the same dimension when the incident happened. "That's a story for another day."

"I see."

Prowl optics fell onto an object below them. "Is that it?" he asked, pointing.

XR followed his faze until it fell on the little two person ship two floors down. "Yeah that's it."

'Then let's get moving," Prowl said, eager to leave. He jumping over the railing and landed easily on the floor.

XR stared down at him awed. "Whoa! and that was over twenty feet and you didn't get get a scratch!" He activated his jet pack and also jumped over the railing, landing easily beside him.

The two robots headed toward the ship. When the reached it XR touched the side and the door opened. Both machines stepped inside as one and the door closed behind the with a soft hiss.

Once inside Prowl stood still for a moment, his optics studying the small interior. "Fascinating."

"Eh it's not that impressive," XR said moving over to the pilot and co-pilot seats. "So are you driving or am I?"

"It doesn't matter," the cyber ninja replied, taking a chair and sitting down in it. "Just as long as we get to Planet Z and save Sari."

"Okay then.." XR said, sounding like a kid in a candy store. "I'm driving." he climbed into the other chair and cracked his knuckles. "Let's get this show on the road." he pressed buttons and the engines fired up. "All righty then. Hold onto your helmet, ninja boy. We're going up!"

"Why didn't you keep your word?"

Shadowstar stopped in mid-stride and turned around. Nimrod stood a short distance down the hall, looking up at her with a hurt expression on his smooth green face. "What do you mean?" she asked him. The femme had no idea what he was talking about.

"You said you'd get me out of here," the Grub replied, folding his little arms. "But you didn't. You brought me back."

Oh, that again. Why did he have to keep holding it to her anyway? "This isn't the time," she told him. "Can't we discuss this later?"

Nimrod wasn't about to be blown off so easily. "No." he ran around her until he stood in her way, barring her progress. "You promised to get me out of here and it didn't happen."

She sighed and rolled her optics. "Look, I really can't discuss this right now," she said.

"Yes, you can," he insisted stubbornly. "At the moment you're not doing anything to either Nos-4-a2, or Zurg, or anyone else. You have free time. Now please..."

Shadowstar sighed. She realized that if she did not address this issue now he would just keep on badgering her about it. "Okay," she said, walking over to him and picking him up. "What is this? What exactly do you want from me?"

"I want you to keep your promise."

"Why are you holding this to me?" she demanded, her voice rising with irritation. "You should have figured out by now that I was just using you. I just wanted you to help me get out of this Pit forsaken place. I never interned to keep my word."

Somehow her confession didn't seem to faze him. He looked like he'd been expecting it. "I am holding it to you because if you really meant that you never would have asked for me to come with you or given me a name." then he thought for a moment and asked. "Why did you bring me with you anyway?"

She sighed. "I honestly don't know anymore," she headed down the hall, feeling a little conflicted. "I had selfish reasons, I guess. I didn't want to be in that ship with the blue skinned flesh bag by myself. I kind of figured if I was alone he wouldn't let up on me."

"He did seem to be hitting on you."

"Yes," she glared at nothing, her mind's eye conjuring up an image of Warp Darkmatter's smirking face. "But then again, I can take care of myself." she shook her head. "I think I did honestly want to help you get away but then..." she paused. "Then I was so caught up in capturing that wannabe I forgot all about it. But.." she looked down at him. "You could have gotten away. You had plenty of chances to escape and start a new life."

"I could have but I was too afraid."

She threw back her head and laughed. "I should have figured that," the cackled. "You Grubs don't seem like the bravest beings in this crazy universe, no offense intended," she added. "I guess I can't blame you for being that way, seeing who your employer is."

She reached the door to Zurg's throne room and set the Grub down. "You know I am not one to keep my promises, especially to disgusting insects such as yourself but," her face softened for a moment. "This time I will. You remind me too much of myself in some areas. I don't want your torment to continue. Once this whole thing is over I'l get you out of here." she rested her hand on the door. "I promise."

XR set the ship in hyper mode and took off out of the space station so fast he sent Prowl flying out of his chair. The cyber ninja slammed into the back wall and stayed plastured there until the robot ranger slowed down to a more conservative speed. He then slid off the wall and onto the floor.

"Sorry about that," XR said, looking back at him. "I should have warned you about that."

Prowl moaned and slowly got up off the floor. "You didn't have to do that," he complained, his head in his hand as he walked back toward the seat. "It wasn't really necessary."

"Well I figured the quicker we got out of Star Command the more time it would take for them to realize we're gone." XR smiled slightly, his hands grasping the control stick like a teenager in his first car. "I'm sure you don't want them to know. If and when they find out about this Pop's not going to be too happy about it." he frowned, the full meaning of his words sinking in. "You wouldn't be the only person who would be in trouble either."

The Autobot looked at him. "You didn't have to come, you know," he pointed out.

"Oh but I did," XR said, looking over at him. He pointed into Prowl's face. "I came along not just to keep you from getting lost but to make sure you don't do anything stupid. Much as I want Nos-4-a2 to get his just deserts I don't think doing what you have in mind is wise."

"What do you know about what I have in mind?" the cyber ninja asked, looking out the windshield.

"More than you think," he replied. "You have this look about you, this tenseness. The others didn't notice it but I did. You want revenge."

"No," Prowl said, refusing to look at him. "Not anymore."

"Huh?"

"I was doing some thinking before Sari got out and did what she did," he explained, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on them. "I realized my actions were not helping the situation. I was only making it worse for everyone. So I made a vow to myself; I would not kill Nos-4-a2 when I found him. I would not resort to the actions of a Decepticon to make him regret what he did to her." his optics dimmed. "If I did I would be just as bad as he is. I'm not going to let that happen. I haven't been acting like myself lately. I don't want that to progress."

"So going off on your own is how you really act?"

"Of course," Prowl responded, not sounding ashamed. "You already know that."

'So you're just going there to save Sari and nothing else?" XR pressed, unable to believe that Prowl was doing this just for one simple reason. "You're not even going to even take a little revenge?"

"That is not my intent," the Autobot stated. "It never should have been. I want Sari normal. The way she is now..." he let the matter drop. "It's not important. I shouldn't even be telling you any of this."

"Hey, I'll listen to you if you need to vent," XR replied. "I might not agree with everything you say or understand it but I'll listen."

But Prowl didn't want to talk about it. "Forget it," the black and gold robot said, waving it off. "I don't feel like talking about it anyway."

"Fine," XR turned his full attention back to his driving but could help muttering. "Craters, this guy sure is hard to get to open up. Would it really hurt him to..?."

There was a silence. Both robots sat, lost in their own thoughts. eventually Prowl spoke again, his words strung in the form of a question. "By the way; How exactly did Buzz and the others break Nos-4-a2's control on you?"

"Ah, Shadowstar, how is the prisoner?" Evil Emperor Zurg implored, walking over to the fembot as she entered the throne room. "I take he's comfortable."

"About as much as he can be," she said, shortly. She folded her arms and smirked. "Not that it will last for very long."

"No, of course not," he agreed, smiling and touching his finger tips together. "So what exactly do you have planned for him?"

She did not answer right away. The black and red fembot crossed the room until she reached the wall where Zurg kept his arsenal. She picked up one gun after another, running her slim but sharp talons over each one as if they were made of glass. "Nothing too drastic," she replied, her optics never leaving his red eyes. "Just some things I've learned over the eons." she lifted one of the guns to the light, studying the design as if it was the most interesting thing in the universe. "But don't worry about it, my dear evil emperor, it won't be some weak and girly little thing." her talons gripped the gun brutally and the frame began to clench, screaming in protest. "I don't do that kind of thing." The power cells in the gun popped as her grip tightened.

"Oh well I never thought you would," he commented.

She smiled at him. It was not friendly or warm. "I'm glad." she tossed the gun to the alien and he caught it easily. "I wouldn't want that." she walked past him, her optics resting on his throne and the large tank of distilled evil behind it.

Zurg looked down at the broken gun in his hands. She totally crushed it. "Well you have nothing to worry about," he said, turning away. He threw the gun to the side and pointed into the air. "I have plenty of faith in your capabilities."

She looked back at him and smiled. "Good." then she activated the thrusters in her feet and lifted off the floor, landing near his throne and running her hand over it. "Interesting."

The very sight of her looking at his throne the way she was caused a sick feeling to form in Zurg's chest. Surely she wasn't thinking what he thought she was thinking. "Excuse me," he said. She looked down at him, frowning. "I would be a lot happier if you did not touch my throne. I just had it washed, you know." he added before she asked him why.

She smiled a smile that made him nervous. "Oh, I know." then she moved away, jumping down to the floor. "I was just admiring it, nothing more."

"Well I didn't think you were doing anything else." he stated. "Because if you were.." ....if you were I would have taken you out right here and right now. much as he might have seemed like that during their first encounter, he wasn't a push over.

"I get it." she said in a flat voice, her optics flickering with annoyance. She walked over to him and patted his shoulder reassuringly as she walked by. "You have nothing to worry about from me, Zurgy. I don't want your power or your money.. or whatever else you have" her optics fell on two hornets guarding the door and she smiled. "All I want is lunch."

"Lunch?" he asked, confused.

She walked over to the hornets. "Oh yes," she replied. "You know what us vampires eat." she ran her finger seductively over the hornet's triangular face. "This one would do nicely."

"Oh that!" he exclaimed, turning back to her. Now he understood what she meant. The femme needed to feed. "Well then, by all means feed to your hearts content. I wouldn't want you torturing little Nossy on an empty stomach."

"No,' she said grabbing the yellow bot and biting into it's neck. "You wouldn't."

XR looked at Prowl, confused. "Where did that come from all of a sudden?"

"Well it's obvious something caused you to snap out of Nos-4-a2s mind control," Prowl replied, looking over at the smaller robot. "I mean you said before you were the one who powered him down the first time and if you were still being controlled by him, that never would have happened. So how did you free yourself? What made you go back to normal?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Because," the Autobot replied. "I might be able use the information to bring Sari back. To make her break his control and return to normal."

"Oh I see." XR turned away. Now he understood. "Well what helped me was.. the form Commander Nebula filled out to have me built."

'The form?"

XR smiled. "I like to call it my birth certificate," he reached into his chest drawer and pulled out the form, showing it to the black and gold cyber ninja. "See, it has Pops signature on it and everything."

Prowl took the offered document and held it before his face, studying Commander Nebula's loopy signature. "I see." he said. "Hmm..."

The robot space ranger instantly figured out what Prowl was planning. "You're going to try using the same tactic to save Sari, aren't you?" he asked.

"It couldn't hurt," the cyber ninja admitted, handing the document back to XR.

He put it away. "Do you have anything that would do the trick?" the space ranger robot questioned him. "While the idea does seem good, it won't exactly work if you don't have anything that will bring her to her senses, you know."

"I know," Prowl said, placing his hand on a hollow part of his chest plate. "If I did not have anything, I would not have even asked."

XR eyed him curiously. "Not to sound nosy or anything but what do have exactly?"

Prowl's hand ran absently over the hollow spot. "Nothing too important," he said evasively. "Just something that once belonged to her...."