Chapter 4 Burned

The next day as Ultra Magnus thought he would Shockwave came to Starscream and asked him to spy on the Autobots. And as planned Starscream accepted. That night he came to Ultra Magnus to report what he'd learned.

"He's making an army of predacons." Starscream explained. "He plans to have them attack Cybertron."

"How far is he from having his army complete?" Asked Ultra Magnus.

"Still a long way from being done." Said Starscream. "We have plenty of time to stop him."

"Good job solider." Ultra Magnus told him. "Try to run as much interference as you can to stall Shockwave from finishing his predacons." "And let us know if you learn anything else."

"I'll do everything I can." Starscream said before flying off to meet Shockwave who was expecting him and they knew he'd get suspicious if the seeker was late.

Meanwhile the Autobots had come up with another plan to get more information about Shockwave's end game. Because they knew there had to be more to his plan then that. This was Shockwave after all.

Bulkhead and Wheeljack drove near Iacon where they knew Ratbat would be and started having a conversation.

"I have good news I was talking to Red Alert the other day and he said Knock Out is going to make a full recovery." Said Wheeljack. "He should regain consciousness sometime tomorrow and be able to tell us what he found out to make them try to offline him in the first place."

"Shhh" "Not so loud we're faking his death remember." Bulkhead told his friend. "Who ever did that to him might try again if they know he's in the old ruins of Voss unguarded and still in recovery."

"Yeah he'd be really easy to kill right now." Wheeljack said loud enough for Ratbat to hear. Before he and Bulkhead drove off.

"I should have known Ransack and Crumblezone couldn't finish the simple job of offlining one very annoying red sports car." thought Ratbat. "If I want something done right I'll have to do it myself." Then Ratbat flew off to Voss to finish off the red medic knowing Shockwave wouldn't be happy that he failed to kill Knock Out from the get go.

It was still night when Ratbat arrived in Voss and found the building the Autobots had been hiding Knock Out in.

He flew in through a window and changed from his bat mode to his Cybertronian one and walked over to the berth he knew Knock Out was in even though it was so dark he could hardly see.

"Sorry it has to end like this Doctor you fought hard to stay online but you know to much so I have to send you to the Allspark but at lest now you'll be with that partner of your's." Hissed Ratbat as he opened Knock Out's spark chamber planning to rip out his spark. "What was his name again Breakdown?" But Ratbat noticed something was off there was no spark to rip out.

"Yes that was his name and not that I'm not looking forward to seeing him again one day but my time isn't up yet I still have a lot of work to do helping my family here on Cybertron." Said a fully healed and as good as new Knock Out who had turned on the light to reveal Ratbat was standing over a body they'd borrowed from Cybertron's morge.

Ratbat started to turn and flee out the window only to find it blocked by Rocketgale. And he was now surrounded by all of the Autobots.

"This was a trap wasn't it." Ratbat said in dismay.

"You catch on quick." Quipped Rocketgale.

"Now were going to take you to a holding cell on the remains of the Decepticon war ship."Ultra Magnus explained. "Where We'll question you about what you and Shockwave are up to." "And I'd advise you to corporate you two are never hurting any member of this family again." Then Bulkhead and Wheeljack started to lead Ratbat to his cell.

"Oh before you go one last thing." Said Knock Out who walked over to Ratbat and punched him so hard across the helm it knocked him out cold. "That was for what those two lug nuts you had try to kill me did to my finish."

"Don't mess with Knock Out's paint." Bulkhead said as he and Wheeljack carried the now unconscious prisoner to his cell.

"Good to have you back Knock Out." Arcee told the red medic.

"Good to be back." Knock Out replied.

Meanwhile Starscream was meeting with Shockwave who was showing him the predacons he was making to attack Cybertron when he suddenly got a call on his com-link. When Shockwave answered Starscream was hoping to overhear and get more information for the Autobots. But what happened next was completely unexpected.

"Yes understood." Said Shockwave. "Thank you and yes you can join my team." Then Shockwave turned off his com-link and without warning shot Starscream in the wing with his arm cannon.

"What was that for?" Asked Starscream both shocked and in pain.

"Your spying for the Autobots." Shockwave explained. "I just got a call informing me of your treachery." "And what they said was logical."

"Why would I ever join the Autobots?" Starscream asked him trying to sound innocent.

"I learned in the war that to believe anything you say would be illogical." Said Shockwave.

Starscream knew there was no use trying to talk his way out of this one. So he decided to do something drastic and try to escape and slow down Shockwave's plan as much as he could. Starscream fired his missiles at the predacon tanks destroying them and sending glass and liquid everywhere.

But then before he could flee Shockwave zapped him from behind and the seeker fell to the ground and blacked out.

Starscream woke up strapped to a table. And as soon as he came to himself started struggling against his restraints. But it was no good he was strapped down tight. And his wing where he'd been shot hurt like crazy.

"You set me back quite a bit when you destroyed those predacons." Shockwave told him. "But I can get information about the Autobots from you."

"Think again." Growled Starscream. "I'm not telling you anything."

"But you forget Starscream I tortured many Cybertronians during the war." Said Shockwave. "To think you can hold out would be illogical."

"Do your worsted." Hissed Starscream.

"Are you familiar with the Endoscopic Claw?" Asked Shockwave.

Starscream's optics widened in fear. the Endoscopic Claw was one of the worsted torture devices in Cybertron's history. It was a double sided lance like weapon that could be used to torture a bot in many different ways and was most commonly jammed into the victim's mouth.

Starscream was now trying his best to keep his mouth closed to keep Shockwave from using the dreaded device on him.

But Shockwave stabbed it into Starscream's injured wing instead making the seeker cry in pain. And then Shockwave forced it into Starscream's mouth and the screams carried though Shockwave's lab.

"Please stop." Starscream managed to get out.

"Are you ready to tell me what the Autobots are up to?" Asked Shockwave.

"Never." Moaned Starscream who now had energon coming from his mouth.

"Very well." Said Shockwave who jammed the Claw back in his mouth as Starscream continued to wail.

"Resisting is illogical." Shockwave told the seeker. "This doesn't have to continue tell me everything you know about the Autobots and I'll turn off your pain receptors and fix you and this can be over." Shockwave then removed the Claw from Starscream's mouth to give him a chance to reply.

"No." Groaned Starscream before passing out from the pain.

"Ransack, Crumblezone put him in a cell I'll try again when he wakes up with another method. Then Ransack and Crumblezone got the unconscious seeker off the lad table and slammed him into the floor of the cell before closing it. And then they left Shockwave's lab and the cell where Starscream continued to lay unmoving.

To Be Continued.

"Well that all for this chapter." "Wow I can be evil with these cliffhangers." "Poor Starscream." "But at least Knock Out is OK." "I'll try to have the next chapter soon."