Phew! Sorry for the long wait, guys! School...ughhhh. I hate it. Gets in the way too much. But, yep, another long chapter. xD And anyone who has read my fiction titled, "You'll Be in my Spark," will recognize the name of an OC I'm introducing in this chapter! x3
Well, nothin' more. Go read!! xD And reviewwww.
Chapter Ten – The Scars on a Tender Spark
The Autobot Base
"Bumblebee?!"
Optimus' terrified optics darted from side to side, frantically searching for a particular yellow form. His intakes hissed as he darted around the desk the bot had just been seated on, shaking his head in disbelief as he saw the mechling nowhere. His optics fell on the floor, under the desk, to the walls, on the ceiling…And yet, the youngling was nowhere to be found.
Frag it, where could he have gone in less than a breem?!
His spark dropped in its chamber, dimming to the faintest glow it had ever reached. Optimus slowly leaned back to his normal, erect posture, letting his optics droop. He stared transfixingly at the floor – Defeated, horribly confused.
"Bumblebee," he murmured.
He wouldn't leave without a reason…Right? Surely something just came up.
Nothing to worry about.
The mechs of the squad blinked at him in the astroseconds of silence. Finally, someone spoke up.
"Prime, what is it?" Ratchet asked, stepping away from the group. "What's wrong?"
"Yeah, remember somethin'?" Jazz said, arching an optic ridge. "What's got ya so down all of a sudden?"
Optimus shook his head again, turning his optics to the open doorway. He frowned deeply, sighing slowly through a breath from his intakes.
Something didn't feel right in his spark. A bad feeling churned in his tanks.
"Did any of you see him leave?" he whispered.
They blinked again.
"I know I didn't see no one," Jazz commented. He looked over his shoulder to the mechs. "Wha' about you guys?"
"Nothin'," grunted Ironhide.
Optimus felt the dull beginnings of energon tears sting his optics. He began to worriedly pace the room, his flame accented arms folding across his burly chest.
"Scan each and every room of the base," he ordered, optics pinned to the ground. "I want that youngling found…And soon."
Everyone moved to their proper stations without asking any further questions to spike the commander's worry, and they worked in more astroseconds of silence. Optimus paused before a wall and slowly lifted his head to a tiny window fixed high on it. His optics drooped even more as he looked up to the orbs of the Cybertronian moons, sighing quietly to himself.
The youngling had to be in the base, but…Something told him otherwise.
Primus, he just couldn't put his processor on it.
He didn't have that usual feeling in his spark. His spark now was dropped inside him, sitting, waiting for the youngling's to be near. Bumblebee would never just leave Optimus at random…Without telling him. After sealing their father-son relationship with a simple word, with, "Daddy," would Bumblebee really just run off?
Something wasn't completing this puzzle.
He bowed his head and his optic lids fell, another exasperated sigh leaving his intakes.
"Have you scanned the base?" he asked lowly, anticipating the reply.
Silence followed. The obvious answer was too inevitable.
"Prime," Ratchet finally sighed to break the silence. "No one, but us is present in the base at this time." He shook his head. "I don't understand what could have happened to the youngling."
"Yeah, wasn't he just here?" questioned Ironhide.
Optimus didn't answer. Instead, he opened his optics. His processor was amiss with so many questions, so much confusion as to what exactly happened to the mechling. His little
Bumblebee…Frag it, the bot could be anywhere. The world was so big in his wide optics, Prime knew, and everything was so tempting to his eager little servos – To just reach out, feel, explore, and learn. To discover…
His frame sulking, Optimus slowly turned. He promised himself that this youngling would be found and if anyone chose to hurt the innocent little one, the punishments would be beyond the norm.
Extremely beyond. No punishment would be too great.
"Everyone return to your berths. There is nothing more we can do at this hour," he said with a heavy spark, refusing to look at the mech's before him.
"What about tomorrow?" grunted Ironhide. "Search 'n rescue?"
Optimus nodded. "That is exactly what we are to do," he said, meeting everyone's optics. "We'll have to structure a team. We cannot take this mission on our own, and jeopardize the possibility of becoming overwhelmed by Decepticons."
He shifted his optics to Jazz. "You're the second in command. Devise a team, contact as many as possible before dawn."
The silver saboteur blinked, raising an optic ridge. "But, Prime…S'like, after midnight."
The commander adverted his optics with a deep frown and closed them. "This is an emergency, Jazz," he sighed. "Disturbing others is definitely not something I'm exactly worried about."
Each mech blinked at their leader. Optimus was obviously bothered to the spark about Bumblebee's sudden disappearance. It was obvious that he was holding so of the distraught feelings away. Bumblebee was like the leader's own sparkling, already, after barely a day of getting to know the little bot. Bumblebee had a tiny spark that could not be compared to any mechling in the universe. It was so young, innocent and strong, yet so scarred…
Any further damage to Bumblebee…Optimus shuddered at the thought.
Primus, the bot was too sensitive at such a tender age. And he could be anywhere…Lost outside in the dark, hurt even, or worse – In Decepticon claws.
The thoughts were absolutely wrenching.
"Work for the next few breems, Jazz. As for the rest of you, return to your berths," Optimus ordered again, listening to three of the four mechs behind him depart. He sighed and tried his best to force thoughts from his processor, but the weight in his spark refused him to do so.
"Prime, yuh' gonna be a'ight?" he heard Jazz's voice ask.
He didn't respond.
Optimus turned his optics to the window again without a word.
Primus, he thought to himself. Spare his little life…
"Bumblebee, my little…son…" He hesitated on the last word, feeling his spark flutter a bit awkwardly. "If you are in fear, little one, do not be any longer. We will come for you. You will not be harmed…" He stopped, offlined his optics as they fell shut, and then added in a breath. "Fight your fear and pain until your rescue. You have a strong spark, little one…Listen to it. Stay strong."
/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\
Decepticon Base – Unknown Location
"Youngling confiscated in his holding cell, my Lord. Shall I begin his treatment?"
A low rumble of laughter sounded, then a growl silenced it. "Not yet," spoke a cold voice. "The Energon…Was it - "
"The Energon was poisoned, yes," answered a raspy voice.
"Has the youngling awakened yet?"
"No, Lord. He should be back online within a single breem."
"Excellent…When the youngling awakes, you may begin your interrogation. If he refused to answer within Earth seconds, you know your duties."
"Yes, Megatron," two voices said in unison.
Voices, voices, voices…Each one echoed throughout the youngling's head moments after they were spoken. Wide, baby blue optics fluttered open and tried to focus themselves from their horribly blurred vision, focusing in and out, sharpening and blurring all over again. A groggy, almost sick, whirr groaned from his throat, and Bumblebee barely had the strength to sit his own little form upright. His felt a nausea churning in his fuel tanks and the worst, heaviest loneliness clutching his spark like that claw had held him. His processor struck alarms and initiated only the beginning of a terrible fear.
Where was he?
"Op-Opti-…O-Optimus…?"
His vision was still blurry. Dark colors swirled and merged together, images grew and stretched along the walls, and things spun slowly to only disarray the bot. He shivered. The atmosphere alone was eerie, cold, frightening – This was not home. This was not Optimus' quarters.
"Daddy!!"
The little voice echoed for countless Earth seconds. It remained alone.
Something washed over Bumblebee's every wire and each molecule, making him shiver with a groan. The mechling pressed his little knees against his yellow chest panel, burying his head between his legs. Energon tears immediately starting trickling from underneath his optic lids, falling quicker and quicker with each sob he choked out. The fear was like never before, clutching his tiny spark .
Primus, it was horrible. Worse than being alone after the death of his mother. After she had died right before his optics. How that image stung his processor so…And would forever.
A scar.
Bumblebee lifted his head from his legs, listening to his own intake valves work shakily as his optics searched around. He was completely alone in a dark, dreary cell, only faint floodlights at the bases of the walls providing an eerie, dim light. The cell was fixed behind bars, pure metal that no youngling could ever get through. The silence itself was the Pit, screaming in Bumblebee's audios until it was deafening
This could be the beginning of absolute Hell. Only one question repeated itself through the youngling's mind. Had Optimus noticed his disappearance yet – And could they rescue him in time.
He could only pray.
xXxThud, thud, thud, thud.xXx
Bumblebee jumped when footsteps reverberated in the ground and rattled him. Instinctively, he scurried in a dark corner. Whimpers built up in his throat with each massive step, growing louder and louder until he couldn't help it anymore. Bumblebee screamed in despair with terrified blue optics, returning to his huddled position with his head between his thighs. All he could hear were his own sobs, his intakes working furiously, the frightened thrums of his tiny spark, and the footsteps that boomed in his audios. Primus, he hoped for a miracle then and there.
"H-Help me…" he murmured. "D-Daddy…'Fire…"
His spark fluttered awkwardly in his chest and caused his optics to open. He looked down at in innocently, shivering in his cries, then sat his tiny yellow palm over his heart, shutting his optics again.
Sparkfire, Sparkfire, Sparkfire…If no other Autobot could be with him, Bumblebee wanted his brother at his side. That's what a mechling needed, reassurance, love…aid. He couldn't do this alone. Not when the stakes were this high – His life, on the line.
The flutters continued barely, but they were there. Bumblebee, despite the situation, smiled in the shadows, clawing at his spark chamber slowly.
He knew his brother was with him.
And he would forever, just as he had told him.
"You know I'll never leave you, Bee. I'm your brother, and brothers are forever, you know."
Bumblebee lifted his head as the footsteps stopped and a massive silhouette appeared. Those scarlet orbs glowered madly, piercing him, refusing his optics to even shift in another direction. He gulped and clutched his spark.
"…Don't worry. Whenever you need me to stand with you, just talk and listen to this little heart, you got that?
Bumblebee shivered as the cell bars parted apart and a rumbling laughter echoed in his audios. He huddled deeper in the corner with a frightened whirr, never letting go his spark that beat frantically. He shut his optics in his fear, returning his head to his legs.
He hoped and hoped…But his fear was too great.
Fear, that's all he felt now. The flutters were there, but the reassuring spark of his brother wasn't. If only he were next to his brother, listening to his spark hum and his voice sing. He wanted to go back to that and he tried to force his processor to replay it, but frag it, it was no use.
He could only replay those few words, over and over. It was his only reassurance.
"…Need me to stand with you…"
But, what were these flutters in his spark…They didn't feel like his brothers.
Who could it be?
"Prepare for your inevitable fate, youngling," growled the form, ending his moment of thought. Another figure behind it appeared out of the shadows, scarlet optics grinning. The form remained still.
"There's no one here to save you…"
"I'll never leave you, Bee. I'm your brother, and brothers are forever…"
Bumblebee clutched his spark tighter, feeling a claw slowly wrap around his body. Laughter rumbled lowly as he was raised. Primus, he could only anticipate, and pray for his life…Pray that his little spark would be spared.
"…Listen to this little heart."
He dared and looked up, meeting the harsh optics of the Decepticon that held him. The shadows were too heavy for him to see the form, but the glimpse of the monster's hideous smirk. A grin full of complete hate, cold anger, and pure wickedness. It shot cold chills through his wires to his very spark.
"…'Fire," the youngling breathed in his shivers.
This was it. This was reality.
He anticipated every bit of the pain. The horror of it all and the presence of these unknown flutters were his only comfort. The other blue heart beside his.
He said again, "'Fire…," as the tip of a claw rose to his spark chamber, peeking in through open space to cut the wires. "…M-Mmm…H-Help me."
"I'll never leave you, Bee…"
/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\
Meanwhile at the Autobot Base – Optimus' Quarters
"Optimus…?"
"Yes, little one."
"Can I call you, 'Daddy?'"
Why did that seem like a memory? Well, it was one, but, the words…They seemed like the kind you would think about over and over, but know in the back of your mind that you would never hear them again.
And that feeling, could it be the near reality? It was absolutely spark wrenching.
Optimus shut his optics as he lay on his berth, the constant nags buzzing in his processor keeping his recharge systems offline, his normal internal ones working in near overdrive.
Bumblebee was fine, he had to be.
Where could he have gone in such a small time frame…
No – He checked his internal chronometer – It had been a couple Earth hours. The mechling was so curious, frag it. Anything could have happened to him.
xXxKnock, knock, knockxXx
Optimus slowly sat himself upright as his optics onlined and shifted to the door of his quarters. Without speaking a word, the door automatically slid aside with a hiss as it gave away, temporary fog covering the forms at the threshold. In unison, they stepped forward, and Optimus immediately noticed the silver saboteur. He started to nod at Jazz, then froze, optics widening as he suddenly recognized the other at his side.
"Dear Primus," he said.
He scrambled off the berth, moving closer to them. "Elita…" he breathed. The candy colored femme fell gently into his secure arms, melting into his embrace immediately like they used to. Her head instinctively took its old position against his spark chamber, feeling as his fingers didn't hesitate the slightest to brush over and across her faceplate, dancing along her frame.
"Optimus," she responded quietly.
Slowly, her blue optics lifted to him, watching as his perfect metal lips curved into the handsomest smile she had ever seen him give her. Elita let him draw her upward as she fingered over his cheekplates, feeling as the facets of it shifted with his widening grin. He kissed against her foreplate and held there, letting every memory of their togetherness flow back to his processor. He took his time as he pulled away, listening to her purr quietly in affection. Her fingers slid to the base of his neck, subconsciously stroking around.
"Jazz contacted me, Prime," she said softly, smiling faintly. "I've received the news about your misfortune." Her smile was gone as she nudged her head against his chestplate. "That poor little youngling…"
Optimus nodded slowly, feeling those feelings of horrible sorrow and even regret drop his spark again. He shuddered slightly as the emotions and closed his optics for a few astroseconds, sighing softly.
"Yes…His disappearance," he whispered, opening his optics to the femme's. "It's quite disarraying. I don't understand how I could have adverted my processor…" He sighed again and shook his head. "…From something so precious."
"Don' worry 'bout it, Prime," Jazz said smoothly, casually stepping forward. "We'll find 'im. Ain't no way no 'Con's gettin' a hold of our lil' Bee." He stepped at Elita's side. "S'why I contacted her 'n more for one kick-aft team."
Elita giggled softly, smiling wider slowly. "I'm aiding you on your mission, honey," she cooed lovingly. "You knew I wouldn't let you go without me."
Optimus' kissed her foreplate again. "Of course you wouldn't, love," he whispered by her receptor in his extremely mellow, rich voice. "My thanks for your help…"
"You don't have to thank me, Optimus," she giggled. Something about her optics changed, perhaps their color. They warmed to a richer blue and upturned slightly at their corners, her perfect mouth curving to a smile. Optimus felt her temperature spike as her spark beat only a little quicker against his. She grinned. "That little mechling…He could be our little
one."
Optimus' optics widened.
Our little one…
Primus, why hadn't the thought occurred to him? The mechling had already dubbed him as his father, and if he were given a mother…The sight of that was beautiful. Perhaps the little
bot's spark would heal from its scars finally, and his optics would be opened to a world of love and tender care. No more fear, no more war-driven chaos…
Beautiful.
Our little one…Their son, their little mechling…
Bumblebee… he thought, subconsciously tucking her head against his neck by lifting his hand to ease it against him.
"Our little mech," he breathed to his sparkmate. "Elita, that's…that's wonderful."
She nodded, nuzzling her cheekplate slowly against his spark chamber. "Only for the best mech in the universe," she whispered, optics gleaming. "I love you, Prime."
Optimus couldn't help, but kiss her again, grinning the entire way through. "I love you, too," he murmured in reply. "More than your processor will ever comprehend."
Jazz grinned sheepishly. "Now, ain't that lovely."
Elita shot a look of mock anger, her mouth fixed in playful smirk. Optimusgrinned and moved his hand up and down his femme's side, tickling his fingers along it lightly. Her receptor fell over his spark and she kept her optics fixed on the silver saboteur.
"Ohh, mute it, Jazz," she growled in a smile. "I'm serious…" She looked up to her mech. "We could raise him, couldn't we?" She grinned slowly. "Wouldn't that be beautiful, honey?" Her fingers slid across his spark chamber, then retraced their route, back and forth, back and forth. "You would make one amazing father…"
Optimus grinned, creating a low purr in his throat as his optics stared lovingly into hers. "You would be an amazing femmebot to our little one," he cooed, his mouth only a mere inch from hers. Elita anticipated a kiss, and leaned for it, but stopped when his metal lips dropped into a frown and his optics turned away. "But, first," he sighed. "The youngling must be found."
The femme nodded quickly, her own faceplate taking on a more serious appearance. Elita turned to look at the silver mech behind them, meeting his dark pair of optics.
"Who else did you contact?" she asked, turning to face him, but remaining in Optimus' strong arms, his wonderfully secure embrace around her candy colored frame.
Jazz shifted to a side whilst crossing his arms casually. "I contacted Mirage," he told them. "He's got that ability we need, y'know. Invisibility – We'll need that if the younglin's in the custody of the 'Cons."
Optimus nodded slowly. "Excellent choice," he complimented.
"Who else?" Elita questioned, beckoning eagerly to know the next Autobot.
"Prowl, he's a tactition, logical, y'know…And his battle computer'll come in handy m'sure."
"Right, in case we're in dire need of a new tactic or strategy," Optimus added. "We won't be entirely prone if we do become cut off by the enemy lines."
"And Prowl can figure a way out," Elita said softly.
"'Xactly," Jazz sighed. "So far, s'all I've contacted."
Optimus thought for a moment. The rescue team was strong – Ironhide, Jazz, Ratchet, himself, Elita One, Mirage, Jazz…He nodded slowly to himself, then met the dark optics of his second in command.
"Try and contact Arcee," he told him. "We need her logic, her talented aim. And Chromia, she's a tough femme warrior. We'll need her aggression." He smiled slightly.
Elita giggled. "Chromia and Ironhide," she grinned. "The ultimate aggressive couple."
Jazz laughed. "Got tha' right," he smiled.
Optimus chuckled, then nodded. "Well, thank you, Jazz," he said in a growing smile. "How grateful I am to have such a trustworthy second in command."
The saboteur grinned sheepishly. "Ya bluffin' me, Prime," he laughed.
The commander grinned in return. "We'll rendezvous with the squad after dawn," he told them both. "Until then Jazz, return to your quarters." His optics upturned. "Thank you for your work."
Jazz shrugged as he began to depart, turning. "Hey, s'what I do, Boss," he smiled.
Elita giggled. "Goodnight, Jazz."
"'Night," the silver mech said as he threw a wave, then stepped from the room, turning down the hall towards his.
The couple was now alone for the first time in what seemed like vorns.
Elita looked up into her mech's optics, grinning from receptor to receptor as they lovingly stared deeply into hers, gleaming in a brilliant blue in the shadows. Without a word, he pulled her against him and down until he lay on the berth. She giggled and climbed on top of the mighty transformer that was her sparkmate, her mech, her commander. She felt his spark beating – Thrumming warmly and happily underneath her own.
Optimus leaned up and softly latched his lips with hers, loving each and every second of the passion that flowed in their kiss. Elita felt a low growl rumble in the mech's chest and she purred in reply, angling her head to get deeper in their kiss. Optimus' optics flickered slightly as his systems revved quietly and he leaned up, moving his head in as the femme kissed deeper, then softer, deeper and softer in her purrs.
It felt amazing.
Elita finally pulled away in a soft sigh, meeting the dazzling blue optics of her mech. Optimus' perfect lips curved into a smile and he kissed her a final time on the noseplate. She giggled at him as his quiet laughter shook under her.
He purred. "You set my circuits on fire, Elita."
The way his voice cooed was incredibly sensual, sliding into her audios and melting her spark at the very core. She giggled and snuggled into him.
"As do you, Optimus Prime," she purred lowly. As her optics shut, she began to recharge. "Goodnight, baby."
"Goodnight, love," he whispered back, kissing the top her helm slowly.
The simple feeling of the femme resting on top of him was amazing in itself. And those words…They kept repeating themselves over and over in his processor.
Our little one…
Bumblebee had to be found. A dull pain shook his spark and he sighed quietly, closing his optics as he swayed Elita One to and fro against him. She hummed softly in her light recharge.
Optimus offlined his optics before shutting them. Those feelings came back to his spark – Regret, the sorrow… Frowning, he tried to clear his processor, but the emotions were too heavy. The possibilities that had to be considered were too many and the images…Horrifying.
He shuddered slightly. Slag, he needed a miracle. If the youngling was hurt, the chances of his survival were slim. The bot, so precious and young…For sure he didn't know how to properly defend himself. Heck, his armoring was fitted with no sort of any weapon. Bumblebee needed that security only mechs and femmes could give him.
Optimus opened his optics, but kept them offline.
He could only wonder what was happening to his Bumblebee.
/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\
Decepticon Base – Unknown Location
"Talk!"
Barricade tossed Bumblebee carelessly aside, watching with heated red optics as the youngling tossed and turned, then collided into a cell wall. Growling lowly in his chest, he took massive steps forward. His large shadow grew on the mechling, only causing terror-filled whimpers and sobs to begin their eruption in Bumblebee's throat. The tiny mech huddled up in absolute fear, shaking uncontrollably.
Barricade only snarled. "I say to you again," he rumbled in authority. "You will answer when you are ordered to!"
At his fierce language, Bumblebee instantly chirped out a cry of despair, refusing to meet optics with the beast that loomed before him.
The Decepticon lowered itself to a height that more suited the youngling's, optics glowering intensely at the tiny thing. A growl made Bumblebee lift his tear-glazed optics, his entire frame sulking and shivering as he cowered. Barricade took nor felt any sympathy in his cold spark, only disgust and fury.
"Again, I ask you," he said, his deep voice echoing in Bumblebee's little audios. "Tell me where your creators are, or I shall not hesitate to harm you."
Barricade knew damn well what had happened to Bumblebee's creators. Hell, he had killed one of them himself, and as for the mech, he was surely dead.
But, like any Decepticon, he wanted to see Bumblebee squirm.
He wanted the youngling in absolute misery.
Involuntarily, a shuddering cry skipped from Bumblebee's voice modulators and he couldn't bring himself to answer. No matter how hard he thought or how hard he forced his voice to come out, it wouldn't. He didn't speak in his fit of absolute terror.
"TALK!!"
"Wh-Why did y-you take me a-away?" his little voice finally stuttered, tear filled optics drooping. "Wh-What did I-I d-do wrong?"
Barricade frowned deeply, growling loudly. "Answer my question, youngling!" His claw lashed back, then swung forward against the mechling, sending Bumblebee tumbling a few feet away into a corner. Pain shot up his back, snaking its way alongside his sensitive wiring. His optics fluttered weakly and he dully noticed Barricade returning over him.
The Decepticon scout slowly wrapped his claw around the limp, bot body, bringing it up to his scarlet optics with a look of absolute disgust on his faceplate.
"Such a pathetic excuse for a mechling," he muttered deeply. "How you will ever be an Autobot soldier…I find that hard to accept as true fact."
The tip of a claw thumbed over Bumblebee's cheekplates roughly, causing the temporarily disarrayed youngling to jerk online. The Decepticon's red optics were only inches away from his, staring deeply, piercing his tiny soul.
"This is your last warning," he growled. "Answer the question this instant, or prepare to perish, youngling!"
The harsh interrogation sent Bumblebee in an even greater fit of terror. Energon tears poured from his optics – He couldn't simply just answer such a question. Decepticons were sparkless, unpitying…They would never understand how much the death of creators weighted on a spark, especially the little one's of younglings.
"TALK!"
"Th-They're gone!!" Bumblebee screamed in agonizing sorrow and fear, burying his faceplate in his little palms. "Y-You killed them! The b-bad people k-killed them! My m-mom -" He stopped suddenly. He couldn't go on. The pain was too great.
Barricade smirked slowly. "Your mother," he chuckled deeply. "She was such an easy femme to destroy." His voice snarled the last word, optics gleaming. "I offlined her in a breem's time, youngling. How weak she was…"
Bumblebee's optics rounded and drooped slowly. Utter horror covered his faceplate within astroseconds and he chin began to tremble. His audios had to be malfunctioning. They had to be.
"I offlined her in a breem's time, youngling."
"N-No," Bumblebee breathed, tears blurring his vision. "N-No, y-you…you didn't…"
"How weak she was…"
"You d-didn't!!"
"Indeed I did kill her," Barricade snarled, his voice modulators crackling slightly in joy of the pleasant recollection. "Her energon was on my claws, youngling. The very one I hold you in at this moment."
Bumblebee shuddered suddenly and shrieked.
He was in the claw of his mother's murderer. Inches away from the optics that had pierced her very lifesource before her own was extinguished.
Before she uttered her final words…
"Bumblebee…" she had breathed, her voice barely there. "…L-Love you."
Bumblebee suddenly felt defeated. Barricade tossed Bumblebee to the ground again, making the mechling roughly hit the wall. Pain shot up his side and he slowly looked up at the Decepticon. His audios picked up the sharp shing as Barricade unleashed his spikes, elongating his arms with a menacing chuckle. From behind the Decepticon, several more pairs of optics gleamed from the shadows, staring down directly at Bumblebee. As Barricade closer, a low rumble of laughter grew stronger, only making Bumblebee cry out in fear.
"N-No!!" he cried, squirming into a corner. "D-Don't hurt me!"
Barricade's spike lowered down to the youngling's neck, grazing the sensitive wires slowly as they teased and threatened to cut into them. Bumblebee's optics shut as tears continued to pour from them – Unstopping. Each of Barricade's footsteps, every Decepticon that joined in with the laughter at his pain, every astrosecond that went by…The Pit was his reality.
He clutched his chestplate in pain, shivering in the dark.
The horror of it all did nothing…
They only added to the scars that wounded his little blue spark.
/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\
The Autobot Base
"Optimus! Optimus! Sir!"
The Autobot commander jerked awake with his sparkmate sitting upright on top of him, his blue optics wide and attentive. He looked around frantically before focusing them on a form rushing into the room – A mech. The Autobot was armored in white and black armor with optics as deep of a green as they ever could be. His optics were wide, terrified as they stared in the commander's, his chestplate rising and falling whilst his intakes worked hard inside him. Elita shifted off of her mech as Optimus started to stand.
He set a massive, gentle hand against the young mech. The commander furrowed his brow and easily patted the mech's back.
"Soldier, what is your designation?"
The young mech took in a large intake of breath, lifting his green optics to the towering commander. He was a foot or so over half of Optimus' side, and still had much of his youth left in his optics and on his faceplate.
"Wh-What?"
"Your name, solider."
"Z-Zaidian," he told softly. "S-Sir, I was assigned patrol a-and…S-Sir, I saw them."
Elita One lifted herself to her feet, stepping at her mech's side. "Them? What're you talkin' about?"
Zaidian looked to the femme. "Y-Yes, two Decepticons…a-and…" He stopped, dropping his optics to the floor. A deep breath huffed softly from his intakes. "One of them…Th-They were holding someone…Sir."
Optimus' optics slitted slightly. "Holding someone…?"
Elita blinked nervously. "Who…Who was it, Zaidian?"
Sorrow already hung in the air.
The young mech shuddered and shut his optics, before opening his mouth to tell them, "…A youngling," he said, opening his optics to them. "Y-Yellow…Blue optics, an Autobot insignia on his foreplate…They're taking him to their base."
That description…
Optimus shuddered. "No…" he breathed in absolute horror. "Bumblebee…"
"I'm sorry, Sir," Zaidian whispered. "I-I couldn't stop them…"
You are so far away, but I'm so close to you.
Your hands cover your eyes, but mine reach to hold you.
Precious one, you know how much I love you.
That is why you know how much I miss you…
The poor bot…Choked in fear.
He could only shudder at the images that entered his processor.
Optimus lowered his optics and their lids, feeling his spark practically die as it dropped inside its holding chamber. His worst fear – The precious youngling in the claws of a Decepticon. He knew more than well that the merciless sparks of the Decepticons would take no sympathy if Bumblebee was tormented. He knew they would laugh at his pain, his misery…Torture him until his interrogation was completed.
The commander curled his hands into fists, sighing deeply.
"Thank you, Zaidian," he said softly. "That will be all."
Zaidian hesitated. His mouth opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself, turning on his heels before he departed from the commander's quarters. Elita looked to her saddened mech, slowly moving in front of him and moving her arms around his waist. Optimus' optics were glazed as he looked up to a window, seeming to not even notice his sparkmate. Regardless, his arms subconsciously moved themselves around her waist line, drawing her against his strong frame.
The femme's droopy optics blinked, her fingers stroking his faceplate. "Honey, it's late in the night," she whispered. "Come on…Recharge, baby. We'll find the youngling after dawn, Prime, don't you worry." She laid her receptor over his thrumming spark. "The little bot's got a strong spark, I've heard. You need not to worry, dear."
Optimus sat his chin on top of her candy colored helm and swayed back and forth, though never adverting his optics from that single window. He would kill to hear Bumblebee's voice again, just one more time…That tiny voice that whispered "I love you," the little faceplate that held those wide, brilliantly blue optics, and the bot that held one of the strongest sparks Optimus had ever seen a youngling behold.
You are scared of the light which can break all your fear.
I'm here right here, my beloved.
I remember when you used to serenade me with our song.
It's been so long…
Too long…
"I admit, I did miss you too little youngling. A breem alone without your bright little character is utter agony to me."
Bumblebee had smiled. "I can't last half of one without you…"
Primus, that little voice…How he wanted to hold Bumblebee so. He wanted to hold him against his shoulder and kiss his little yellow helm, then whisper into his tiny audios, listening to every purr and twitter that hopped from his modulators.
Why did it have to be this way?
"Optimus…" Elita whispered again. "C'mon." Her hand took his, and he turned toward the berth. She took her usual position in his arms, letting him slide onto the metal, then lie down. Her receptor sat against his spark chamber, her fingers dancing along his side. Yes, the feelings were sensational and the moment was right, but it wasn't perfect.
No. Nothing would be right until Bumblebee was back against his chestplate, cradled in his arms. Until that very moment, when Bumblebee's spark beat against his own, the picture would not be perfect.
I will never forget how you always smiled when you knew I was near.
But know, I'm still here.
I'm right here…
Listen to your spark, Bumblebee. Follow it.
"Little one," Optimus whispered, offlining his optics. "…Hold on."
Help was on the way.
Thanks to Airstriker for her wonderful help on which Autobots to choose for the rescue! Thanks so much, you rock:3