No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
by SMYGO4EVA
Before he knew what was happening, Bumblebee felt himself being thrown to the wall on the other side of the room, pain coursing through him. He slid down in a heap, shaking, blinking before he saw Steeljaw tower over him. Strongarm, Sideswipe, Grimlock, and Drift must have been somewhere in the building, and Optimus and Windblade must have been elsewhere, but from this steel room, it seemed as if there was no escape, and absolutely no chance of rescue.
The Autobot gritted his denta, glaring daggers at the Decepticon, who only grinned in response.
"You just don't know when to give up, do you, Lieutenant? How like you Autobots," Steeljaw spoke, his vocal processor oozing with pride and cunning. He leaned against the wall and shook his head. "You always think you have to win at everything."
"I could say the same for you, Steeljaw," Bumblebee spat out, optics furrowed in resolve. He then jumped on his pedes, clenched his servo into a fist and swung it at Steeljaw. The wolf-con caught the Autobot's servo in his claw, and lifted him up, throwing him over and slamming him in onto the ground.
"Interesting…it seems we have more in common than you would care to admit, Lieutenant." Steeljaw then kicked the supine Autobot in the chassis, earning a grunt of pain before he kicked again.
Bumblebee struggled to get up again on his pedes, tasting Energon in his mouth, his chassis burning from the kick. "I-I am nothing like you, Steeljaw! You want to enslave Earth. I'm trying to keep it safe from Cons like you!" Rage soon surged through him; Bumblebee then jumped in his pedes again, fast enough to punch Steeljaw across his faceplates, landing one hard blow on the Decepticon's smug face.
But before he could land another blow, Steeljaw was quick enough to throw his own servo across the Autobot's faceplates, and land two blows upon him. Bumblebee fell upon the hard ground again, groaning, feeling hot Energon drip from multiple scratches on his faceplates. He tried to lift himself up again, but Steeljaw placed his pede on the Autobot's back, halting him and pinning him to the ground.
Bumblebee clenched his servos under him when Steeljaw started to chuckle, low, smooth, and rumbling. His optics looked up, and saw the Decepticon above him, his faceplates serene but his optics wild.
"You shouldn't deny it, Autobot," Steeljaw murmured, and he rested one of his claws on his leg before leaning down to Bumblebee with a predatory smile. "You and I are leaders of our own packs, both in hiding upon Earth. We both want to see great change here, all for the future of this species and our own. And…you despise me, just as much as I despise you."
Bumblebee looked away from Steeljaw, narrowing his optics. He didn't want to admit it, but the Decepticon had a point. He was dangerously close to the truth, as they were leaders of their own teams, and they did have to hide from other humans, who were unaware of their presence. And Bumblebee did hate Steeljaw, everything that he stood for. They were alike, and a cool wave had run through him.
"But you do know where we are not alike, correct?"
Bumblebee pursed his lips, and realized that his servoes were damp with perspiration; he glared at the Decepticon, whose smile disappeared as if it was a clear answer.
Then, Steeljaw seized Bumblebee by his faceplates, covering his mouth, lifting him up so that there optics would meet. Bumblebee struggled in his grip, his servoes on the Decepticon's arms, trying to pull away, but to no avail. Steeljaw held a look of quelled rage, golden optics flashing, and his denta gritted, likewise to the wolves of Earth.
"While you and your pathetic team try to save this planet, I am going to tear it apart. I will make it my own. I will make it a world for Decepticons. I will take away everything that you have ever held dear. Make no mistake, Lieutenant." His voice was quiet and low, almost growling, and his claws curled onto the Autobot's faceplates.
Then, Steeljaw released Bumblebee, tossing him aside, like he was nothing.
The Autobot rolled onto the ground, harsh and unforgiving, and landed with a thud; new surges of pain flowed through him. Before Bumblebee could get back on his pedes and say another word, Steeljaw had vanished, almost out of thin air.
Bumblebee shook in anger and then slammed his fist onto the ground. Once, twice, a few times, and then no more. He vented out a quick breath, his chassis aching and his form sore all over, but then he shook his helm and soon stood up on his weary and shaking pedes.
Bumblebee didn't want to think about it, but Steeljaw was right on the mark – they were a lot alike. As what he had once heard on Earth went, no good deed goes unpunished.