Transformers Prime
Eternal Flame
Chapter 10
Autobot Base, Outside Jasper, Nevada, Earth
*FLAMEBURST*
It has been a few days since the plague, and everything was back to normal- well almost everything. I had grown a little bit, coming up to just above carrier's knee and my tail had grown longer as well.
Bumblebee...he had been acting rather weird. I couldn't explain it at all. His facial features would seem to grow hard- very un-bumblebee like. I didn't ask about it though, I wouldn't know how to even bring it up. So, for now, I pretend that I didn't notice.
Now, I was leaning against the wall, watching as Bee and Bulkhead pay "cybertronian basketball", as Miko liked to call it. Bulkhead had just scored and had threw the "ball" to Bee, who caught it and went around the bigger mech. He slowed to a stop and seemed to freeze.
"Bumblebee, quick hogging the ball." Bulkhead stated as he walked toward the yellow mech. Bee, in return, turned and hurled the ball at Bulkhead who quickly ducked, and the ball slammed into the wall.
"Bee, hoops over there." Bulkhead pointed after Miko blew her whistle.
-Sorry Bulkhead. - Bumblebee buzzed. -Won't happen again. -
"Bee, you okay?" asked Raf.
-I'm fine Raf. Three out of five? -
"Yeah, three out of five."
The next morning, I was stretching in the main room when Bumblebee walked in the room. I paid him no mind until a crunching sound met my ears.
"Bumblebee! I needed that!" Carrier shouted and I turned towards the two.
-Oh, sorry Ratch. -
"What has gotten into you?"
-I... I'm seeing Megatron's face in my head-
"You're seeing Megatron's face?" Carrier questioned before he called Optimus and put Bumblebee into stasis and waited for Optimus to get here. Optimus walked into the room few minutes later with Raf in his hand. Once Raf, Optimus set him down and the human ran over to his guardian. After them was Arcee, Jack, Bulkhead and Miko.
"Bumblebee is complaining of intermittent visions- waking nightmares if you will."
"But you said Bee was fine when you checked him over." Stated Raf.
"Physically, but the experience he endured seems to have a temporary effect on his pchychy. This induced power down should force Bumblebee's mind to rest and recover."
"Prime." a voice came from the monitor after it pinged. We walked over and saw Fowler's face popped up. "You spot any Decepticons wearing hula skirts lately?"
"No Special Agent Fowler, why?" Optimus' voice held slight confusion.
"Cause, I was hoping you had lead on the cons that busted into the Kauai Naval Observatory. Place looked like it was hit by an army of wrecking balls."
"Why would cons break into an observatory?" questioned Arcee.
"Does the Heuck Nigoghossian ring any bells?"
"The space telescope." Raf supplied.
"As of last night missing it's primary lense."
"It's difficult to guess Starscream's intent without knowing where the lense has been taken." stated Optimus.
"Good thing the lense has a tracking device."
A map appeared on the screen, showing the location.
"The arctic? Great." Arcee stated sarcastically. "Another chance to freeze our sparkplugs off."
I walked over to Bumblebee and sat down, watching as he recharges. There's not much I can do other than this since I know carrier won't let me go back to that cold continent.
I heard small footsteps walk up and sat down beside me. I glanced down and saw that it was Raf, so I curled my tail around him just enough to show some comfort but not too close because of my flame. I could hear the activation and deactivation of the bridge and knew that the mission had started.
After a few hours of silence me shifting to lay down and the boy leaning against my side, Raf started to talk to Bumblebee and I, telling us about racing games and how he blow past the finish line and such when carrier walked over.
"Rafael, I'm afraid Bumblebee can't hear you when he's in power down mode. It's getting late, why don't I bridge you home to your family."
"Because I told Bee I'd stay." Raf stated. "He's family, too."
"Don't be ridiculous. You're not even the same species."
"That's being related, it's not the same thing. I'll show you." Raf dug into his pocket and took out his phone and showering carrier what I could guess was his family. "This is my family."
Carrier walked closer to peer at the small screen before letting out a mumble of "Mhm, yes, very nice."
"Very large. Sometimes, I can shout, and no one hears me." Raf stated. I heard carrier mumble again, making me roll my eyes.
"But Bumblebee always listens, and I can understand him. I'm not sure why, but I do." Raf then looked at me and smiled before snuggling into my side. "Flameburst is my family too, I understand her, no matter if she's silent or talking."
I stared down at the human, not noticing carrier's face changed into another expression. After a few moments, Raf got on his laptop and began typing away at something. What, I didn't know.
"Rafael, Flameburst," carrier called to us. "I'm going to the supply vault to see if I can find parts to repair this. You know what that means."
"Don't touch anything." recited Raf before going back to his laptop and carrier leaving the room.
"Wait til you see this laptop I'm saving up for, Bee." Raf stated, clearly missing the whirring coming from Bee. He caught a hiss though and looked up. "Bee?"
Bumblebee walked up to the bridge controls and activated it before walking through. That's when carrier walked up behind Raf and I, who was standing at the bridge entrance.
"What did you do?" he questioned us.
"Nothing!" Raf answered. "Bumblebee just got up and-"
"He was in power down! Where does he think he's off to?" carrier walked over to the bridge controls and looked at them. "These are the coordinates for the sight of the previous battle with Megatron's undead."
"Maybe we should call Optimus."
"Optimus is busy preventing the polar icecap from melting. We need to handle this on our own." He activated the bridge once more and walked the the entrance of it until he saw our scout. "Bumblebee? What have you been doing?"
Carrier reached down and grabbed Bee's forearm before carrier saw what was in Bumblebee's hand. "Dark energon?"
Bumblebee punched carrier, making him go flying back.
"Bee, what are you doing?!" Raf gaped at carrier before looking at the approaching mech. He scooped Raf up with a hand and put him down on a vent. "Bumblebee, I know you're in there! You gotta fight whatever that's making you do this!"
My body tensed as Bumblebee made his way towards me before stopping and nudging me roughly out of his way. He put in a different set of coordinates and walked through the ground bridge and it deactivated behind him.
"Ratchet, Flameburst, are you okay?" asked Raf worriedly once he heard carrier groaning.
"Yeah." I answered
"I'm fine." carrier reassured the boy before making his way towards him. "More importantly is Bumblebee. I fear the time spent in Megatron's mindscape is causing him to think like a Decepticon.
"Bee's not a con!" Raf denied.
"Agreed." carrier lifted his hand for Raf to jump onto before turning and walking towards the controls. "But we need to find out exactly what Bumblebee intends to do with that shard. The only one who knew of the dark engeron...was Megatron."
"Bumblebee has Megatron's memories?"
"Worse. Megatron is occupying Bumblebee's mind."
"What?!" both Raf and I shouted at once.
"How could I be such a fool!" carrier put Raf down on the platform. "The patch acted as a two-way conduit. When Bumblebee returned to his own mind, Megatron followed, and now Bumblebee- Megatron, has bridged to nearly the same coordinates Optimus used."
"Stay here." Carrier ordered as he activated the bridge and turned towards it.
"No. Bumblebee needs me!" Raf stated. Carrier's posture slumped before turning back to Raf.
"Of course, he does." He walked over and picked up Raf, putting the human on his shoulder before looking down at me. "You can come too, Flameburst."
I nodded and followed carrier through the bridge, and we walked into one of the halls of the warship. We ran before stopping to another hall that was littered with drones.
"Did Bumblebee do this?" asked Raf.
"I fear Megatron's mind is dominant and clearly he came here for one purpose, to use the dark energon to resurrect his own body."
"No, Bumblebee won't let him. He didn't let Megatron hurt me back at the base- or Flameburst."
"I hope you're right." Carrier set Raf down and walked into the lab with me following. He stopped at the door frame for a second before running it.
"Rachet, don't hurt Bumblebee!" Raf pleaded.
"That's not Bumblebee!" carrier replied before started to try and land a hit on Bumble- Megatron. But Megatron dodged the hits and punched carrier, making him go flying into a wall. Megatron was about to turn back to his body when and slammed into his back, making him go stumbling.
I tried again but he swung around and hit me with his forearm, making me go flying and slammed against the opposite wall from carrier. I landed on my front with a groan. I was dazed for a few moments before getting my bearings. I shook my head and looked- only to see the shard molding into the hole in Megatron's chest. I quickly got to my feet and went to carrier, Raf and a now back Bumblebee just as Megatron slowly got up from the medical berth.
"Decepticons, your rightful lord and master has return!" Exclaimed Megatron. He started to walk past us before stopping and looking down at Bumblebee. "Finish these pests. I have my own extermination to perform."
Megatron left, leaving the drones to take aim and fire at us. Carrier grabbed Raf and we were off. Looking to escape this ship. We managed to get off and made our way to the others just as the ship flew off.
"Ratchet, we need a bridge." requested Optimus.
"You are not the only ones." carrier stated as we came into their view.
We bridged back to base and carrier made sure to give Bumblebee a thorough scan.
"Everything's back to normal." carrier stated in relief. Bumblebee and Raf began talking and I walked away from the group as my horn started to ache again. Looks like it will finally split soon. I'm just glad it happened after all of this.
