Chapter Summary: Bumblebee's third mission for MECH, and Megatron has good timing.

When Bumblebee emerged from his catatonic state he became aware of the warning light flashing to the side of his optics.

Energon levels reaching depletion!

Advise refuel immediately!

Systems overheating: recharge required.

He could not recharge unless Silas let him and he could not refuel under the same condition. Soon his systems would force stasis lock in order to preserve his life, this nightmare would soon be over. Even stasis lock would only work for so long, he would have about a few months before his spark would not have enough energy to keep him alive.

"Transform into vehicle mode and head to the elevator," Silas' voice ordered in his audio and Bumblebee's frame groaned with effort as he transformed. He was not sure which mode he would rather be in when stasis lock was enforced, both of them had been abused by Silas but the 'bot was sure that he hated his alt mode the most.

Once topside he was again loaded in the trailer and driven away. Bumblebee sagged on his wheels, his mind was his last line of defense against Silas and he could not allow the human nor his Cybertronian accomplice to get to him as he had almost allowed then to last night. Numbing himself to keep whatever flimsy control he could over his emotions seemed his only option now. He had killed many humans yesterday, he could still feel their blood coating his gears, what would killing a few more mean?

Bumblebee shook his head angrily. What kind of soldier was he? He had not lasted a day under Silas's verbal manipulation, his mind was already going down the avenue the human wanted him to go. Was he going insane? Had he lost his grip on sanity fighting a battle he had no hope of winning?

"Drive south until I tell you to stop Stingray," ordered Silas and Bumblebee's engine started and he was off.

When Bumblebee was finally ordered to stop he could not believe his sensors. Silas had him facing an airport where he could see a jet plane landing and another prepping to leave. Civilians! Yesterday had been soldiers, men who had had some idea at least that going to work meant the possibility of not coming home, but these were people on their way to see family or returning home from a business trip, or going on a vacation. Men, women and children.

Bumblebee had not thought it possible for Silas to drag him any lower but he had been wrong. Once again he was underestimated the human and it had cost him to not be prepared for what was to happen. Who was he kidding? There was no way to prepare for the massacre of non-combatants.

"Stingray, at full speed you will run through the fence, transform and throw that truck at the nearest jet. Move now." Bumblebee gunned his engine and left a trail of smoke behind him as he charged through the fence, scratching his body some more. Like watching a movie, Bumblebee saw his hand grab the truck and throw it into the plane that was about to take off.

The vehicle hit a turbine and the jet exploded on the runway. Charging his blasters, Bumblebee fired on the other jets and hanger bays as per Silas' orders. The airport's ground crews screamed around him as they tried to run away but a few blasts in their direction ceased all moving.

"Aim at the airport's terminal with both blasters." Bumblebee could see the people through the window, some frozen in fear and others fleeing for their lives. The idiots who whipped out their cell phones or cameras to film what was happening outside, not knowing that where they stood was next.

Bumblebee brought his arms up and primed his blasters. Silas ordered him to step forward, so that the humans inside would know that death was approaching, but two steps forward Bumblebee stumbled. His blasters powered down with a low hum.

"What is going on? Stingray! Fire at the building now!"

Bumblebee's frame tried to obey but his blasters would not charge.

Energon depleted: refuel immediately!

The warning flashed at the bottom of his optics and Bumblebee smiled inside. It was almost over; the nightmare was almost over. Just a few more minutes and the energon that had been rerouted from powering his blasters to give his form mobility would be gone as well.

"Run at the building and smash it down!" Silas screamed in his audios and Bumblebee's systems whirled as he prepared to obey. "Wait, what is that? Stingray turn around!"

Bumblebee turned around and saw a green swirl of light closing. A ground bridge had been opened to this area, and the aircraft hurtling toward him quickly identified who had been deposited. Bumblebee was completely stunned and welcomed the impact with open arms.

Megatron transformed and grabbed Bumblebee, smashing him hard into the ground. "Fight back!" echoed in his audios and Bumblebee changed his blasters into his servos, curling them to punch at the Decepticon leader. Though he was driven by Silas' command, Bumblebee's movements were sluggish as his form was running on energon fumes now.

The Decepticon easily grabbed Bumblebee's hands in one servo and used his peds to pin down the scout's legs. "Stingray! Do not cease moving! Fight him off!" But Silas's orders were useless as Megatron reached behind Bumblebee's head, a finger sliding beneath the neck joints to hit the manual stasis-lock button.

Megatron stood up and glanced briefly at the humans he had saved. Most of them had fled; only the building's security personnel and a few I-wouldn't-know-danger-if-it-hit-me types had remained to watch the robot fight. They were staring at him with a mixture of awe and fear upon their faces and he snorted before turning away from them.

He scanned the small form at his feet and, upon finding that there were recording and audio devices on the smaller mech, he grinned maliciously. "Wherever you are, human, I will find you and make you pay for daring to touch one of my people." Then he destroyed the devices in the scout's audios as well as the one on the helm before hoisting the younger Cybertronian's inert form over a shoulder. Looking at the burning planes and destroyed hangers, Megatron sighed before turning back to the humans.

"The Decepticons were not responsible for this devastation." He was not sure why he said it, it certainly was not out of love for the little fleshling creatures. Moving away from them, Megatron activated his comm, "Soundwave, activate the ground bridge. Tell Dreadwing to prepare to move the Nemesis away, and make sure Knockout has the medbay ready to receive wounded."

Current faction voting stats:

Decepticons: 6

Autobots: 3