Chapter 9

Cavalry

Starscream and Shockwave walked by Stripes' cell, when there was an unexpected, loud bang. Then another, and another.

Starscream marched over to the cell, opening the slot. "What in Primus' name are you doing in there?!"

"I'M THIRSTY!" Stripes hollered back, clearly moody, hitting the door. "AND I'M SICK AND TIRED OF WAVING AT THAT STUPID CAMERA, SENSOR, OR WHATEVER THE DAMN THING IS! DON'T YOU GUYS KEEP YOUR PRISONERS NOURISHED?! I WANT SOMETHING TO DRINK!"

"Alright, I get it!" Starscream snapped. "Calm down, don't blow a circuit! What do you want?"

"Got any Diesel?" Stripes asked with a smirk.

Starscream felt his fuel pump turn over at the thought, a sour look on his face. "No I don't, you beast! That's disgusting!"

"Then get me some energon, top-grade! And refined!" Stripes snapped. "...And make sure it's filtered! I don't want any of your poisonous Decepticon chemicals in my fuel lines!"

"Don't worry your shiny little cranial unit." Starscream said with a sneer. "All of our Energon has been harvested and refined with polaric ionization. No chemicals needed." Starscream walked off in a huff to go get the energon, muttering something about attitudes of a sparkling in a bot's body.

Stripes then started to prepare himself for his strike against whoever opened the door next. Megatron would learn his lesson. After all, it's not wise to anger a street racer.

# # # # #

Meanwhile, Mia was in the refueling area of the ship with the others, getting their energon rations. Mia sat alone at one of table-like structures with her can, feeling down.

"So, I guess this would be considered the Mess Hall. At least on a human ship, anyway." Cross said as he got a can of energon as he sat down across from Mia. He then saw Razor come back, taking a long drink as he walked, his robotic head thrown back in a dramatic fashion as he gulped it down.

"Heh. Guzzler…" Cross muttered.

Razor lowered the can, taking a breath through his intakes.

"Ahh… Only way I'm ever going to chug this stuff down without lookin' at it." Razor said.

"What's wrong? Let me guess: It's the color." Cross taunted.

"Hey, you try downing what-could-possibly-be-radioactive space juice! I'd like to see you try drinkin' it, copper!"

Cross looked Razor straight in the optics, a cocky grin on his faceplates. He picked up his can of energon, and took an agonizingly slow sip without taking his look off of Razor. "Tastes fine, if you savor it."

Razor looked sickened, and not just in attitude. A nearby Decepticon recruit was walking by and noticed Razor's sickened look.

"What's with you?" The Decepticon asked. "You look like you are going to purge..."

"I'M FINE!" Razor snapped, turning his brazened attention to the poor recruit. "Nowbeat it!" Cross just laughed as the poor recruit ran off.

"Classic!" Cross said. "Classic Razor!"

"Shut up." Razor growled, and sat down next to Mia. "So what's up with you?" He asked Mia. "Don't tell me you are still sulking over wonderboy..."

"Go away." Mia said flatly.

Cross looked at Mia, and immediately scooted away, giving Razor a look that he recognized. They both gave Mia some space.

# # # # #

Shockwave monitored Stripes' vitals at his terminal near the cells. Everything was normal, for now.

Then, the console went off the charts. Stripes' spark pulse went off the charts, his oil and energon pressure going through the roof! No 'bot could withstand this kind of stress!

"Alert! Alert! I need a mechanical team here!" Shockwave alerted the Crew.

Then, just as quickly as they had spiked, Stripes' vitals flat lined.

Shockwave ran up to the cell door, and slammed his fist on the control pad, opening the door. It flew open in a snap. Shockwave ran in.

Stripes was nowhere inside the dark cell! All that was there was the vital recorder they attached to his chassis! He looked around. Nothing.

Unfortunately, he didn't bother to look up, as Stripes dropped from the ceiling, clubbing Shockwave on the head with a metal bar, knocking him out.

"Now, let's smash up the help, and get out of here. That'll definitely re-align my chi." Stripes said, running out of the cell.

Nemesis

The Bridge

Megatron looked out at the stars on the view screen as they passed by. Then, Soundwave ran up to Megatron. He played back footage of Stripes escaping from his cell from the security feed.

Megatron got up from the captain's chair. "Get a security team down there! Keep him detained. I'm afraid I have to handle this personally..."

Soundwave bowed, and input some commands on a nearby terminal alerting security.

# # # # #

Stripes knocked out a few more guards, taking their weapons. He ran for the aft of the ship, plowing and shooting his way through the crew that were in his way. One thought kept him going: Cybertron! They had to still be at Cybertron!

He ran into a fighter bay. Grabbing a bunch of plasma containers, he threw them at the door to the bay, and fired a blast from one of his guns that he liberated from the crew, then ran behind a pillar to avoid being blown out from decompression.

The plasma containers exploded, blasting open the bay door, tools and crates flying this way and that as they bay depressurized. Stripes covered his optics to shield them from the blast's light. He looked out the bay door as the light faded.

Cybertron wasn't there! They were moving through space, but Cybertron wasn't there!

"Oh, no!" Stripes panicked. "No, no, no, no, no… There's got to be another way out…"

"Why do you still resist, Stripes?" An all-too-familiar voice asked. Stripes slowly turned around.

Megatron was looming over him!
Stripes jumped and rolled away from Megatron, distancing himself from the Decepticon.

"I'll never give in! And I'll never forgive you for turning me into this!" Stripes snapped, raising one of his stolen blasters. "You've turned me into a freak! You took everything from me!"

"I gave you back everything, Stripes!" Megatron snapped. "You were never human. Calm down, and let me explain..."

"NO!" Stripes yelled, firing multiple shot at Megatron, despite them having little effect. "I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Stripes didn't see Cross until it was too late. Cross shot a blast at Stripes' weapons from his arm cannon, knocking the blasters out of Stripes' hands.

"Would you calm down?" Cross demanded, coming out of the shadows with Razor behind him.

Stripes was stunned. "You converted more?"

"He converted all of us." Another familiar voice said.

And out from behind Megatron, walked Mia.

"No… No, you're with them?!" Stripes exclaimed.

"Carlos, listen to me!" Mia snapped. But Stripes was now crushed. He looked out through the blown open door. Into space, into the open void.

"No, Look at me! CARLOS, LOOK AT ME!" Mia pleaded.

Stripes did not turn away from the void. He then did the unthinkable.

He ran for the open door, and jumped. Out into space, out into the empty void.

To him, there was no other way…

# # # # #

Stripes looked around as he flew through space, away from the Nemesis. There was no other way to get away from his enemy. He would rather die, starving for energon out here, than submit to Megatron.

It was then that he passed by several other ships, flying past him at High speed. They had the Autobot insignia on their hulls!

"No, wait! WAIT! GUYS, I'M HERE!" He yelled.

They didn't turn back, proceeding to attack the Nemesis. Figures, Stripes thought. They probably didn't even read me on their sensors.

His body spun around, and he saw he was heading for a small planet. It looked similar to earth, thought he continents were all wrong. Stripes then saw the planet grow larger, and larger in his field of view! He realized he was caught in it's gravity well!

Stripes closed his optics, tucking his knees into his chest as he rolled up into a ball, readying himself for impact…

# # # # # #

Bumblebee piloted the Salvation with the Jackhammer and several smaller ships close behind, starting to open fire on the Nemesis. Strangely enough, after the first few volleys the Autobot ships received a cease-fire request.

"Something is not right." Bumblebee muttered. "Cease Fire! Arcee, let's open up communications. Maybe Megatron has an explanation for what's going on here."

Arcee did as she was told. Megatron appeared on the viewscreen.

"Megatron, you have a lot to explain of yourself for kidnapping a human, let alone turning him into one of us..."

"I know that, scout, but we don't have a lot of time! If we don't find that single individual soon, then all is lost!"
Bumblebee eyed Megatron suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

Megatron sighed. "He is the Son of Primus, and I have proof!"