Chapter Three: Frustration

Bumblebee tried to go about his day as usual, but he found that without a voice, it was hard to go about everyday life. At first, he decided to play a video game. Sure, he thought, I can do that. But the yellow Autobot soon realized that when he didn't have a voice to cheer himself on or gloat to those in the room, he couldn't quite get into it as much as he could before. Yes, he was still playing the game with all his skill, but it just wasn't the same. Especially when he couldn't let the others know that he had finally completed Halo on Legendary.

What a bummer, he thought to himself as he slumped down in the couch. He limply held the controller as he watched the credits roll by. What can I do now? He thought. If Sari hadn't gone home, I could've played Slayer with her. But then again, how could I have asked her?

Not seeing any point to just sitting around, watching the title animation repeating itself, he decided to go see what the others were doing. He jumped up and went first to where Bulkhead usually did his painting. Yes, he was there, working on another…interesting looking painting.

Bumblebee came to a stop beside his giant friend, and looked up at the huge canvas, splattered in purple and green. The purple was in some sort of shape over a green background, but Bumblebee couldn't make it out. He turned his head on its side to try to look at it at another angle, but that didn't help. Giving up, he started to ask Bulkhead what he was painting.

Right, can't talk. So, instead, he tapped Bulkhead on the arm, trying to get his attention.

"Hmm?" Bulkhead grunted distractedly and then looked down at him. "Yeah, Bee. What's up?"

Bumblebee pointed to the painting.

"Yeah, it's actually turned out better than I thought it would." Bulkhead said as he dipped his paintbrush in another can of paint, this time blue, and slapped it down on the canvas over the green.

Turned out better? Bumblebee took a double take at the painting again. How bad were you expecting it to be before? Again, Bumblebee tapped Bulkhead and pointed at the picture again, hoping he'd answer this time.

"What?" asked Bulkhead, seemingly clueless. Bumblebee pointed at the painting again, this time over and over, hoping Bulkhead would catch on to what he meant.

"Oh!" Bulkhead said, the meaning finally clicking in his head. He looked back at his artwork, and then back to his little friend, a little skeptically. "You mean you can't tell what it is?"

Bumblebee shook his head no.

"It's a bird flying in the sky over a city!" Bulkhead explained, waving his arms.

Again, Bumblebee stared at the painting, now with the knowledge of what it was, and tried to find the resemblance. Bird? Looks more like scrambled eggs to me. If he could have talked, he would have told Bulkhead so. He looked back at his friend, and noticed a large smile on his face. Bumblebee raised an optic ridge.

"You know, if you could talk right now, I can only imagine what you'd be saying. You probably would make fun of it, or say it doesn't look like what it is."

Yup.

"But, not to be mean or anything, but I'm kinda glad you can't tell me that." Bulkhead's smile grew bigger.

What? Bumblebee scowled at his friend, but Bulkhead didn't look down.

"I said I didn't want to be mean, Bumblebee." said Bulkhead. "It's just nice not to hear your criticism."

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bumblebee mouthed the words, as he stood there with his hands on his hips.

He turned to stalk out of the room, but as he was leaving, Optimus passed him, heading for the exit. Seeing an opportunity to relieve his boredom, Bumblebee chased after him, and skid to a stop in front of the boss bot, nearly causing Optimus to trip over him. He pointed to himself, and then out the exit door.

Unlike Bulkhead, Optimus got what the pointing meant immediately. He frowned and shook his head.

"I'm going on patrol, Bumblebee, and I'm afraid you can't come." Bumblebee's shoulders drooped and he looked up at Optimus with a 'why not' look on his face.

"If we got in trouble, like a Decepticon attack," Optimus explained, as he stepped around the shorter bot, "you wouldn't be able to alert me, or if you got in trouble you couldn't let me know." He stopped in the doorway and looked back. "So until you're repaired, you can't go on patrols, nor can you leave the base."

But…what? You can't do that! Bumblebee's jaw dropped, and he spread his arms out wide, trying to relay his feelings.

"I know being cooped up is going to be hard for you, but you're going to have to. It's for your safety after all." Optimus Prime then turned around and stepped out of the building, transforming as soon as he had. So, he left Bumblebee there, his shoulders slumped over and his face downcast, looking at the floor.

"He's right, y'know?" Bulkhead called from behind him, still painting the 'bird' on the canvas. "It'll be too dangerous for you out there. It wouldn't even be safe for us with you. What if you notice something, and we don't? How would you warn us?"

Bumblebee, feeling all the more dejected, shuffled off into the monitor room, and sat down in front of it, but didn't turn it on.

This is going to be the longest, hardest, boringest month ever!

Bumblebee hadn't remembered falling asleep, but he found himself waking up from recharge, still sprawled over the couch.

I took a nap? I don't take naps! That's what old, lazy bots do! Bumblebee jumped up immediately, ashamed of himself, and determined to stay wide-awake.

Now, I just need to think of something to do before that happens again. He tapped his chin as he looked around for something to catch his interest, and that what when he noticed a noise. A long, drawn out humming noise.

Oh, Prowl's meditating somewhere nearby. Bumblebee reasoned. Well, his annoying humming isn't going to get to me! He bent down at the foot of the TV, where he kept all his video games, and started rummaging through them, trying to pick a good one to play. After narrowing it down to the game he hadn't played in a while, he put the disc into the system and plopped down on the concrete couch with his controller.

As the opening menu came up, and images of zombies flashed by, Bumblebee noticed that the humming was still going on. So, since Prowl was still at it, Bumblebee turned up the volume on the TV and then pressed play. He didn't play for very long and had only killed a hundred or so zombies, but the humming was still there, faint and hardly detectable, but that's just what made it more annoying.

That's it! Bee paused the game and tossed the control aside. I'm gonna make that crazy cyber-ninja shut up!

He jumped up and marched to Prowl's quarters. Not bothering to knock, he barged right in and found Prowl with his back turned to the door, sitting on a mat in the middle of the room, deep in meditation. Now that he was here, though, he wasn't quite sure what he was going to do. He couldn't yell at him, order him to stop, so he had to think of something. But thinking of motions to use to get the other bot to understand he wanted him to stop the humming was hard, if not impossible. Still, he had to try something if he was going to get any peace, so he just decided to roll with it. He came up and tapped Prowl on his shoulder.

Of course the ninja-bot didn't even move, and more to Bumblebee's annoyance, didn't stop the annoying, monotonous humming.

Come on! This time, Bumblebee shook Prowl's shoulder, clapped his hands near the side of his face, anything to get his attention.

Nothing. Except now that Bumblebee looked at him, he thought he saw a faint smile on Prowl's face.

You are so enjoying this, aren't you, o mystical ninja-bot? OK, no more Mr. Nice Guy! Bumblebee stomped out of the room, a mischievous grin forming as he thought of the perfect revenge.

Prowl didn't once stop humming, but he did look over his shoulder as the younger bot stormed out of the room. Prowl shrugged, not getting why Bumblebee seemed to give up so easily, but went back to meditating.

But Bumblebee wasn't defeated. He knew one thing that would stop the ninja's meditating, and get his revenge all at once. As he crept back into Prowl's room, he did his best to remain silent and stealthy. When he stopped directly behind Prowl, he raised his hands over his head, and grinned evilly at the thought of what he was about to do. Just as he began to swing, however, he heard someone shout.

"Bumblebee! Stop!" It was Optimus, returned from patrol. Bumblebee turned his head to see Prime standing in the doorway, and then guiltily up to the metal rod held above his head. Oh, I'm so slagged.

Prowl had stopped meditating once he heard Optimus shout, and he turned around to see what was going on. When he saw the metal rod above his head, he realized his close call. He stood up as Optimus stepped into the room and snatched the bat from Bumblebee's servos.

"Bumblebee! What in the universe do you think you're doing?" he demanded to know.

The yellow bot just crossed his arms and looked away from the two bot staring at him.

"You were actually going to hit me with that?" Prowl asked, pointing to the metal bat, now in Optimus' hand.

Bumblebee glanced at Prowl, nodded his head once, and then turned away again.

"I don't get it. Why?" Optimus asked, turning between Bumblebee and Prowl, hoping he'd get an answer. Of course, he didn't expect one from Bumblebee, but he couldn't think of anything Prowl could have done to get Bumblebee so mad.

"I think I may have pushed him a little too far." Prowl confessed. Optimus stared at him, completely astonished that the usually calm ninja-bot would pick a fight.

I didn't know if I was going to get this posted today, but yay! I found time! I hope you all enjoy this recent addition to the story. Bumblebee is so fun to write about, I'll tell you. :)

Clicky the review button if you like. Actually, do more than just click it, post a review too! Tell me if you liked it or if I need some improvement somewhere. Or if you have situation you would like to see Bumblebee get into, private messege me!