Of all the things that could have gone wrong—what with her potentially being tortured, dismantled, studied, or slaughtered—this outcome was by far the last thing Zero had expected.

Making her into an Autobot's pet wasn't what she had anticipated NEST to do with her at all, and she was utterly shell-shocked upon hearing the broken words exit the metallic beast's damaged vocal modulator. "...Charge?" she said, hoping that she was mishearing things.

"That is correct, ma'am. Until you can give us what we want, you will be placed under the jurisdiction of my good friend Bumblebee," Lennox replied.

Zero stared down at her shackled ankles in bewilderment. She felt like a disgrace. Squinching her eyes in controlled annoyance, she then looked past the Autobots as the Lieutenant General pestilentially sashayed his way back through the open door of the expanse with an odd contraption in his hand. "This is nonsense," she finally said after a moment. "What makes you think I won't just find a way to escape once his back is turned?"

The corner of Braginsky's mouth quirked down, but nobody except for Zero saw it happen since she was the only one who had noticed his re-emergence. "You won't escape because of this," he said, full of vim and vigor.

Lennox, Epps, and the rest of the 'Bee-team swiveled around in surprise. A serpentinian smile graced Braginsky's rugged face, and before anyone could react, he gleefully smashed his thumb against the contraption's power switch. It was a remote control.

Bumblebee watched in horror as Zero made an ear-piercing, high-pitched, frenzied wail and her tired eyes rolled into the back of her head. Lennox and Epps shielded their ears in premature celerity as raging tendrils of electricity tunneled their way throughout her body like a parasitic bolt of lightning. The tempestuous current caused her spiky hair to puff out angrily with static, and although the gruesome shock happened for just a few long seconds, the damage had already been done. Before she flopped onto the hard concrete floor with a vicious thwack, she twitched uncontrollably as she coughed and foamed at the mouth. In the final moments before she blacked out, the only thing she could perceive was the torturous, white-hot pain.

Windblade covered her lower faceplates in perturbation. The brass had double-crossed her. The collar's electrical output was supposed to be painful, yes, but harmless all the same.

Lennox and Epps scurried into action by lifting Zero off the ground and steadying her on the large, sterile berth. Bumblebee nervously knelt beside her and whirred relentlessly in both fear and concern as froth poured balefully from her dry lips. Sideswipe had no words, and neither did Drift. Both sat paralyzed, still processing the gravity of the situation that had just transpired before them. Strongarm, however, was fuming. "You!" she shouted at Braginsky. "This is cruel and unusual punishment. Your actions directly violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights!"

"Wind your neck in," Braginsky ordered with a bored look on his face. "Whether any of you like it or not, that techno-organic is being held here for attempted mass murder." He then turned to Windblade and gave her a nasty glare. "And did you sincerely believe that we were just gonna give the little terrorist a light tase whenever she acted out? For a super-advanced alien lifeform, you are astoundingly callow. She's not one we're just going to let get away, especially with those lovely little enhancements of hers. Hopefully, this demonstration will prevent any future escapes from transpiring. After a couple of shocks from that dog collar, to put it simply, she'll be a tad screwed. Little miss tight lips won't have any choice but to behave."

Strongarm's optics flickered with wrath. "Are you completely out of your mind!?"

Braginsky flippantly tucked the device into his uniform pocket and left- this time, permanently. Strongarm clenched her jaw, whereas Windblade just looked disheartened and lost. Go figure the brass would've pulled something like this. She couldn't believe her stupidity in thinking that there wouldn't be a catch to the humans hearing out her thoughts. "Scrap..." she said under her breath.

Sideswipe placed a caring servo on the somber femme's shoulder, hoping to be of some comfort. Sadly for him, though, Windblade didn't bother acknowledging his efforts. Instead, she just walked away lugubriously. She had a lot to think about now.

In the background, Bumblebee, Drift, Lennox, and Epps began tending to Zero with intense vigor.

Fortunately for them, her sporadic twitching had finally ceased.


The late morning subsequently faded into the afternoon, and the afternoon subsequently faded into nightfall.

Bumblebee was wracked with a massive sense of overwrought neuroticism. He sat rigidly on the hardwood floor of his quarters, and in his arms, he carefully cradled the quiescent form of Cemetery Wind's techno-organic agent, Zero-X. Lennox and Epps had personally transported her to the human medical wing for proper assistance following her shock, and after she was thoroughly examined and evaluated, the questionable CMO—Dr. Vale—indignantly discharged her.

Given the nature of her injuries, Bumblebee had protested against this course of action, but the surrounding medical staff had insisted that it wouldn't have been a necessary precaution to keep her overnight. The shock did trigger a painful response from her nociceptors, but once the current passed through her feet and into the floor, she only had slight burns lined around her neck. According to Vale, her anatomical fortitude was well above that of an average person, so with just a little ointment and a slap on the wrist, she was let go without a single concern.

Zero had been unconscious ever since the assault had occurred, which was beginning to make Bumblebee worry. He wrestled back and forth with himself, contemplating as to whether or not he should take his new charge back to the treatment center, but couldn't settle upon a substantial verdict.

Bumblebee looked to the miniature femme in his embrace and felt a merciless surge of guilt race through his spark. It was he who had taken her in, and he couldn't help but resent himself for doing so. After all, had he not grabbed her that day and transported her with him through the ground bridge, she wouldn't be hurt right now.

Of course, he knew that it wasn't truly his fault for what had happened—it was Braginsky's. Had he not grabbed Zero that day, she very well might have seriously hurt or killed someone. But even though he hadn't necessarily been the one to pull the proverbial trigger, he couldn't help but feel wholly responsible for what had gone wrong. It was his first day with his new responsibility, and he had allowed her to come to harm. When he'd watched her fall to the floor, he experienced a feeling he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

Bumblebee felt like a failure, just like he had been when Sam Witwicky was murdered. Useless and incompetent—only good for scouting and reconnaissance, but never good when it really mattered.

Moving Zero's feathery figure in his arms, he carefully sat up and made his way over to his berth. Lying down delicately, he held her close to his spark chamber, and rue permeated the entirety of his being.


Another hour passed as Zero continued to breathe subdued breaths into the cool metal of Bumblebee's chest.

It was two o'clock the morning, and all was silent throughout the base. Soldiers and other military personnel had gone to sleep, and the Autobots had retreated to their quarters for recharge.

As Bumblebee finished rubbing soothing circles into the small of Zero's back, she quietly woke up and opened her eyes. Her entire upper-torso rung with soreness and she felt a terrible line around her neck sting as her new neckpiece angrily rubbed against it. Not moving an inch, she snapped her eyes back shut, pretending as though she was still asleep when she realized that her Autobot keeper held her in his grasp.

Without any warning whatsoever, Bumblebee started playing a soft melody from his retro-fitted radio transceiver. The sound graced Zero's naked ears and immediately imbued her with an inkling of frosty, soul-stirring sadness, causing her to feel strangely melancholic as she laid noiselessly on his urbane, debonair chest-plating.

She listened on in complacent silence, and as she did so, she caught the sound of something pulsating beneath her. There was a toilsome yet silken hum on the other side of the metal barrier, and it took her a jiffy to accurately identify just what it was. That's right; these beings harness their life force within their chest cavities, she thought, remembering one of the classes she had been required to take on Cybertronians.

But then, Zero was hit with a sensation that nearly made her gasp out loud. Bumblebee had absentmindedly started rubbing her back again. At first, her instincts told her to swat at the servo making contact with her flesh, but for reasons she couldn't quite place, she continued to remain completely still. The gentle touch of his massive digits was nothing like she had ever felt before. Instead of feeling thuggish and discourteous, it was deliberately careful and kind. She exhaled softly, confused and unsure as to what she was supposed to do. None of her instructors had taught her what to do in case she was presented with such a bizarre situation. And without any ideas coming to mind, she knew that she was completely on her own.

With each passing rub, fresh goosebumps graced Zero's skin, and pleasant chills traveled down her spine. The instrumental sounds and the whimsical vocals continued to flow throughout the air harmoniously, but once the song ended, she felt the need to announce her wakefulness. As heavenly and peculiar as the alien's touch may have been, a knot grew in her stomach when it dawned on her that she was voluntarily allowing the action to continue forth. Bumblebee, her robot kidnapper, was a threat. How dare he make physical contact with her, especially after his superiors had administered that wretched shock to her systems?

Bumblebee released a startled whirr when Zero suddenly rocketed upwards into a sitting position.

After rubbing her eyes groggily with both of her hands, she looked up to see him staring down at her excitedly, his brilliant lazuline optics cascading a dazzling hue throughout the dark space around them. "You're awake!" he cheered in the voice of a child. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? How many fingers am I holding up?"

Zero didn't say anything; rather, she let her mouth hang slightly open, as she was lost for words. He had shot so many questions at her so quickly that she didn't know which one to respond to first.

Bumblebee didn't take Zero's silence well at all. Braginsky's collar had zapped her right in the throat, and in a split second of panic, he began to worry that the shock may have fried her voicebox. "No! Not your voice!" he cried out. "You can't be like me!"

His yelp of concern broke Zero from her quiet trance and prompted her to shake her head back and forth. "No, Autobot. I am functional," she said. "So, please...calm yourself." She wasn't sure why she added that last part, but given his erratic behavior, she felt it was necessary.

Bumblebee visibly relaxed at the sound of Zero's mellifluous voice and let out a staticky exhale. For a moment there, he had thought for sure that she had been impaired somehow. But after she answered his query, a strained silence fell between the two. It wasn't necessarily awkward, but it wasn't pleasant either.

Zero began to steady her position on his chest. She stood up still and pragmatically, and he just peered at her as she gave him a dead, yet inquisitive stare that lied somewhere within the spectrum of incertitude and utter fascination. "Just what was it that you were doing just a minute prior?" she eventually asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"Why was I wrapped in your arms? My back—you were...petting me?"

Bumblebee glanced away as Zero bore her gaze into his own. Man, this girl has a seriously massive staring problem, he thought.

"I am not your pet, Autobot," she said. "I am nobody's responsibility other than my own. If you know what is good for yourself, then you will release me from your custody at once."

Bumblebee frowned. "Since when did anyone say that you were (static) my pet?"

"You did before I was electrocuted to oblivion by that motherland troglodyte."

"The Lieutenant," Bumblebee sneered, startling the woman on his chest, causing her legs to buckle from the sudden vibrations that quivered down his body.

Bumblebee realized his mistake and said, "S-Sorry. I just can't believe (static) he did that to you."

An assuming look crossed Zero's face. "I find that unlikely," she replied. "You cannot trick me, other-worlder."

"I'm not trying to. I swear upon (static) my spark."

"And why should that mean anything to me? You are just as capable of deceit as any other sentient lifeform on this planet."

Bumblebee raised his doorwings defensively. "No, you're wrong. You're my (static) charge now. I can't allow (static) you to get hurt."

Upon hearing those words, Zero scowled as if she'd been insulted. "I already told you, I am not your pet!" she vociferated.

Bumblebee let out a timid wince.

Zero just squeezed her fists into balls and simmered with ire. This wasn't the first time she had experienced anger, not by a long shot. Anger and dissatisfaction were emotions that she was well acquainted with, but never before had she allowed herself to get carried away with them. To be a prisoner was one thing, but to be hounded over and talked down to by her enemy was something else entirely. It was abhorrent. No self-respecting Cemetery Wind operative would've allowed this, and yet she had.

It was shameful.

Shame was another feeling she understood quite well. Out of all the few things she felt, shame must have been the worst emotion of them all. She continued to squeeze her fists, which caused her knuckles to go white with stress. It had been far too long since she had gone missing. What did the Director think of her? No doubt the others had taken her place by now.

She was a failure.

Bumblebee could tell that Zero was in the midst of falling into mental disarray. As he stared at her silently, he could see all sorts of emotions—emotions that he hadn't thought she was capable of feeling before. The detox must have her all out of whack, he figured semi-optimistically. He knew she must have been going through a lot of pain. He could always hear her shuffling and whimpering from the inside of her cell, likely wishing for relief. Seeing her in such a state made him feel profoundly sad, and before he knew it, he had begun caressing her back once again.

Like before, Zero didn't request that he halt his unorthodox actions. She couldn't. Soothing tingles traveled down her organic arms and metallic legs as his fingers nuzzled her body with the softness of velvet. She knew that she could stop him. She knew that she would've under normal circumstances, but his sweet-temperedness was throwing her for a loop. She ultimately chalked her inability to respond correctly as a side-effect from the chemical imbalance that plagued her brain. Saying nothing, she lied back down and rolled over so that he couldn't see her face.

Normalcy will return to me in due time, she thought as weariness crept up on her like a lion would a gazelle. Once Jett finds me, this will have all been nothing but a dream...


The pair stayed like that for a long time.

Bumblebee remained in a vertical position on his berth while Zero rested soundly on his chest-plates, warmly snug under his left servo. He knew this would take a lot of getting used to, both for himself and her. She had clearly been sheltered and indoctrinated from a young age, and he was well aware that just being kind to her wouldn't make her turn over a new leaf. "Actions speak louder than words," he mumbled softly. He knew that she had a lot of things to work through, both internally and externally. She was still being treated for her addictions, and she was now being scanned and studied by NEST officials on a weekly basis.

Five rolled around, then six, then twelve. It was Sunday, and for once, Bumblebee had the day off. He'd been granted this treat by Lennox since he would have to aid in accommodating Zero to the NEST base. She would be moving into his room, but even though that was the case, she was still very much under arrest. Although her new status as his charge and a test subject meant that she was going to be given more leverage and freedom, it wasn't going to be by very much. Whenever he was off-duty, he was to watch her like a hawk. She had already established that she was a rather capable escape artist; therefore, she was to be kept far, far away from any vital areas on the base. Whenever he was gone or preoccupied with a mission of greater relevance, she was to be restrained and locked in his room until he returned.

Bumblebee's large blue optics flickered online as he awoke from recharge. Sitting up hazily, he rubbed his helm and shuttered his air vents loosely. He tilted his head downwards, and when he saw that Zero was gone, his Energon turned to ice. "Oh, god no!" he yelped in fear. Jumping up from his berth, he frantically began searching every nook and cranny in his room for any signs of the girl. "It's my second day on the job, and this happens! What would (static) Optimus (static) think of me!?"

"What would your morally questionable leader think of you?" a dull voice replied.

Bumblebee halted in his tracks. Zero observed him curiously. He was crouched awkwardly on his knees, and in his servos, he sloppily held a gargantuan pile of super-hero comic books and edgy alternative band posters, looking very ruffled and disoriented.

"Where were you!?" he asked her.

"In the restroom. I was taking a shower."

"...A shower?"

"A shower."

"Here? In this room?"

"Yes. Right over there," Zero affirmed. She pointed behind her, directing Bumblebee's attention towards a door that was slightly hidden around a bend.

"Oh."

Bumblebee had forgotten that his quarters used to belong to humans. Because he never had any use for the restroom, he had wiped its existence from his memory banks. Mentally slapping himself for jumping to conclusions, he visibly relaxed and trudged over to the dripping techno-organic. A fluffy black towel rested comfortably around her shoulders, and tiny droplets of clean bathwater dropped onto her citrus prison uniform dolefully. Her bothered expression from several hours prior was long gone, and she had since replaced it with her standard phlegmatic countenance.

Zero stood stoically and impassively, not moving an inch. "Autobot..." she said in a warning tone as Bumblebee offered his servo to her.

"I think it would (static) be best if we got you (static) some breakfast."

Zero fidgeted at the sight of his servo. She was sick of being held by giant robots. "I'll walk."

Bumblebee raised his antennas at her statement. After this morning's debacle, there was no way he was going to risk her escaping his sight. Not a chance. "It will be safer if you ride with me. There are other (static) Autobots around."

"Ridiculous."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"You annoy me to a horrendous degree, Autobot."

"Geez. At least you're honest."

Zero tried not to thresh as she took a seat in Bumblebee's outstretched palm. Because he was one of the smaller mechs around and stood at an unimpressive fourteen feet in height, his hand wrapped around her petite body rather intimately. Giving him an uncomfortable fidget, she forced herself to stare ahead as they left his room and passed by leagues of hungry soldiers who were making off towards the dining hall. As always, several of the men stared at her with intrigue. She felt a fiery warmth grace her cheeks, and she placed a hand over her face to hide it.

Of course, this motion didn't go unnoticed by Bumblebee, who couldn't help but chuckle in amusement. "Aw, she's embarrassed," he said, though it was more to himself than her.

"Excuse me?" Zero challenged as she spun around to face him.

"Your face. People do that when they're"

"Silence. It is just that I am not used to being gawked at," she said, much to her own chagrin.

"It's fine if you're shy. They won't bother you."

"You're wrong. I care not for the frugal thoughts of NEST soldiers or alien invaders. I refuse to continue this."

"Okay, okay. I'll stop."

Bumblebee continued towards the dining hall, and once he got there, he noticed that Zero had shrunk in his palm. She was embarrassed, but not for the reasons he had in mind.

She didn't want to be seen being held by her enemy keeper. To her, it was as though he was displaying her like a victory trophy.