Chapter 9

Bumblebee sat up on the berth, staring up into space. He didn't know how long he'd been doing it for but he didn't think he was going to stop anytime soon. How could he have been so stupid as to believe everything was going to go back to normal? He was different now, weird, more breakable and most of all useless. He couldn't walk, he couldn't fight, he couldn't race. What was he supposed to do? Sit here and rust? He shock his head, that was no good. But the determination in his spark was gone, leaving nothing. He briefly registered Ratchet coming into the med bay. He looked at him but Bumblebee didn't drop his gaze to meet the medics. What was the point? He knew what he would see there, nothing but disapproval. He didn't want to see that. He heard the medic growl and walk out again, his footsteps echoing down the hall. Bumblebee sighed and shut off his optics, trying to think about something else.

"Well well," came a deep voice from somewhere to the left of him, "I didn't expect it to be you I'd find." Bumblebee's optics snapped open in shock. No way, he thought, there is no way he could be here. He turned his head in horror and looked up at the blood red optics before him. Those optics belonged to none other than Starscream.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Bumblebee asked in shock, retreating as far as he could from the decepticon, "How did you get in here?"

"The window of course," he answered, "How else?" Bumblebee activated his stingers, he knew he'd stand no chance against a butterfly in the state he was in, let alone a decepticon, but he wouldn't lie down and let Starscream do what he wanted.

"Well then you can leave the same way you came," he growled pointing his stingers at him, but the seeker merely chuckled.

"Now, there's no need to be so aggressive," he said with an evil smile, "I've only come to chat."

"Oh yeah," he said sarcastically, "Then offline me after we've had a nice little conversation. Think again decepticreep."

"I wouldn't say such things," Starscream tutted, "It's hardly nice to insult your own kind now is it"

"I'm no decepticon!" Bee snapped, his spark stung. There was no way Starscream could know how much that hurt him. A memory flashed before his eyes, the only one he had of his parents, his creators. A pair of blue optics, clearly Autobot, then a chilling pair of red, Decepticon. Did that make him half decepticon? He'd never told anyone about that memory, clearly telling anyone that wanted to know he had no memory of his parents. Optimus had been a good career to him, but there was no way anyone was going to find out about that.

"Aww is that a touchy subject for you?" Starscream chuckled, "Poor little bot. It must be hard being an Autobot with all that decepticon anger inside of you. But then again my tracer only picked up a weak signal from you." His optics narrowed thoughtfully, "Meaning you must be only half decepticon."

"Get out," he growled, "And leave me alone." Where was Ratchet? Where was anyone?

"And why should I?" Starscream said simply, "Who's going to make me, you? I doubt it." Growling, he fired up his stingers and shot at Starscream, but the blast was so weak he doubted it even tickled the bigger bot.

"Like I said," he said with a smirk, "Besides have to make a decision. You see half bot; I could kill you, that would make me look stronger than Megatron, to finish what he failed to do. But then I could let you live. Half bots where known in the day to be savages, you'd been interesting to see grow up. You see my problem?" Bumblebee didn't take his optics off him. If he made any move towards him he would fight with all he had. What's the point? A miserable voice came from within his head, wouldn't it be easier to let him offline you and end it now? No! he thought angrily, shoving the voice to the back of his mind, I won't give up to him.

"Try offlining me," he snapped, "And I'll show you how well I can fight." Starscream looked at him, his head tilted as though he was pondering something, his eyes as feral as a big cat, waiting to pounce on a juicy piece of prey. Suddenly an evil smile found its way to his faceplate.

"I know," he said silkily, "I know what I'll do. I'll let you live. You have fire within you; I want to see how the Autobot's cope with this. With the rage inside that will one day break through. Now I need to go, but not without leaving a present." And before he could react Starscream darted behind him and dug his claw like servos into his badly injured back, and brought them painfully down, like a cat scratching a tree. Bee let out a scream of pure agony as he did so, he'd never felt anything so painful.

"See you later comrade," Starscream said before leaping up onto the window, "But I think I'll let your friends see me before I leave."

"You fragger!" Bee hissed through his denta trying to contain another howl of agony, but it didn't last long. He let out another louder scream as static ran up and down his back, as black dots started to cloud his vision.

The scream sent shivers down Prowl's spine. There was another louder scream and that snapped them both out of shock.

"Bumblebee!" Prowl cried and he ran to the med bay, Ratchet as his heels. He shoved the med bay door open and he saw Bumblebee arching off he berth, keening in absolute agony, and at the window, watching with an evil smile was Starscream. Prowl growled in fury and leapt at Starscream. Starscream's smile widened and he pushed Prowl away with ease, causing him to land painfully on his aft.

"Nice to see you finally showed up autoscum," he grinned, "Well, I hate to leave what seems like a great party but I've got to split." With that he disappeared through the window and into the distance in jet mode. I'll kill him, Prowl thought enraged, I'll rip him apart for hurting Bee. Bee! He spun around in horror. Bumblebee was writhing in agony on the berth Ratchet desperately trying to help him.

"It'll be Okay Bumblebee," Ratchet said soothingly, only his optics betraying his stress and horror, "I'll make it stop hurting."

"Rat…Ratc…Ratchet," Bumblebee cried, "I can't…I can't…feel..." and suddenly, he stopped writhing all together and collapsed with a sigh onto the berth before he could finish. Instantly, Ratchet started to check his systems, making sure he was Okay. He sighed.

"No major damage," Ratchet said, clearly relieved, "He's just in stasis. Come here Prowl, I need your help." Prowl walked over slowly, his systems still in shock. "Can you hold him up, I need to get to work fixing the new damage to his back." Prowl nodded and sat on the berth, holding him up so Ratchet could work. Unable to control himself, he laid his head on the top of Bumblebee's helm and sobbed uncontrollably into it as Ratchet worked. After a while Ratchet drew back.

"Okay Prowl, you can put him down now," he sighed and Prowl did what he was told, laying him gently on the berth, "I'm glad the others were out, I don't know if I could have coped with a cramped med bay." Prowl nodded blankly.

"Will he be Okay?" Prowl asked.

"I think so," he said, "Just in a lot of pain, that fragger didn't do any damage to anything vital. I think he just wanted to cause him pain." Ratchet growled savagely, "If I ever see him again, I'll make sure he feels pain. I'll get that fragger." Prowl nodded, with more emotion this time. Starscream would not be allowed to get away with this. "But what worries me is what he said. If he's lost feeling in the other leg…" Ratchet's voice trailed away sadly. Prowl flinched.

"Ratchet, can I…" Prowl began but Ratchet cut over him.

"Yes you can stay," he answered, "I need you to. Something might go wrong in the night, and need some bot there to watch him."

"Thanks Ratchet," he said gratefully, knowing Ratchet could have had any bot, including Blurr, to watch Bumblebee, but he'd let him stay, especially after the damage he'd caused before.

"I need to recharge," Ratchet said with a yawn, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night Ratchet," Prowl said looking back at Bee as he left. He laid down next to Bumblebee and gently wrapped his arms around him, holding him close, as though he was afraid he'd disappear.

"Sleep well my precious Bumblebee," he whispered in Bumblebee's audios, smiling when he unconsciously nuzzled into his chassis. Letting the darkness overwhelm him, he feel into a comfortable recharge.