Author Notes: Yeah, yeah, I know this is late. Pffft. XD
...I think I'm about to wrap this fic up. One more epilogue after this, I think, and then.. Yeah, we're good. Huh. Fastest fic I've ever wrote, too. ..I feel weird.
RESPOND TIME, YAY!
Charisma B: ..Do Transformers HAVE mood medications? XD
DreamStoryWeaver: I always imagined that if one of the twins were in true, serious danger, the other would just go batshit crazy and kick everyones' ass. There's stories about mothers lifting cars with their bare hands to save their kids and I just thought the twins would have a similar thing going with them. TWIN POWAH. :D ..And, yes, both are B-Class also. As for your suggestions.. Do these work out?
Sweetyamiyugigirl: As stated to Dream above, yes, both twins are of the same generation as Bee.
SusieSaysNo: You don't 'OMG' often, yet you did four times in that one review. I feel honored. XD And why did the song "Reunited, and it feels so good!" go off in my head when I read your review? o_o
Smurf Setsuka: I hope this pleases your inner fangirl. :D ..I can't figure out how to bring Lugnut back in this, but he's mentioned, at least? XD
---------------------------------------------
Is this home?
Is this where I should learn to be happy?
Never dreamed
That a home could be dark and cold
I was told
Every day in my childhood,
Even when we grow old:
Home will be where the heart is
Never were words so true
My heart's far, far away
Home is, too
-- 'Home', Beauty and the Beast (Broadway)
---------------------------------------------
Sentinel Prime had never been so happy in his life.
It had never occurred to the typically angry and brutish -- although he considered himself 'self-confident' -- Prime that he actually cared about people. Sentinel prided himself in making his way through the ranks all on his own; no help from anyone, no favors owed.
Yet, when he had heard that Jetfire and Jetstorm had not only been found but found alive, he had been almost giddy in relief. He couldn't even explain to himself why he rushed to the hospital the twins had been taken to just to make sure they were really there.
Jazz, at least, was visibly surprised to see him there. "S.P.?" Despite the visor, he was clearly boggling.
"Are they okay, Jazz?" Sentinel couldn't hide the worry.
"Uhm.. It.. Uh.. Yeah. As far's the docs told me. They're gonna be in here a while, but, uh, yeah." Jazz sputtered. "..You okay, S.P.?"
"I'm fine. Perfect." The typical gruff expression was forced on his faceplate lest he lose his reputation. "Just wanted to make sure the brats were still good to go. Last thing I need is to train a couple of newbies and go through all that mess again..!" He turned to walk off, making extra certain he stomped away.
The Prime didn't have to look at Jazz to know he had all out baffled the former ninja. Truth be told, he had surprised himself.
---------------------------------------------
Everything was going according to plan.
Granted, there had been a few bumps in the road and unexpected obstacles, but, for the most part, Megatron was really rather pleased with how it had all gone. After all, no plan of such magnitude could be expected to go off without a hitch; lesser plans have ended up with worse results.
It had all started when the Allspark was hidden. From the moment it was gone, the Decepticon lord had known it would be a problem; without the Allspark to bring new Decepticons to life, their numbers could and likely would dwindle very quickly. The fact that the Autobots had ended up in the same situation didn't stop him from the worry of losing the war from lack of numbers alone
No one had learned about the last generations' gift -- or curse, as some perceived -- until nearly a vorn after the Allspark's vanishing act. Initially, Megatron had laid down strict laws to protect the Decepticon children; the last thing he had wanted was for the Decepticon cause to be hurt even further by the decimation of future troops.
Still, he had done the math; if the status quo remained, the Autobots would outnumber them. Within half a millennia, the youngest generation would join the fray of battle against them; they had to overpower their enemy by any means possible, even if it meant playing such a wicked game.
The original laws were never repelled; they were simply appended. Decepticon youth would be protected at all costs and encouraged to breed as soon as they were old enough to bear healthy offspring. Too young an age and both parent and sparkling had a strong chance of death; a 'legal age' had been set in to law. That law, however, did not extend to Autobot prisoners.
The Decepticon ranks had been encouraged to find the B-Class Autobots and neutrals -- the 'B' had intended to indicate a secondary class, but many had taken it to mean 'breeder' -- and create offspring. Even sparklings that were only half Decepticon could be trained to be great warriors. The top scientists had even created guidelines on how often to interface and the best time to do so in order to create the healthiest and strongest children; surprisingly, many followed the guidelines with an almost religious fervor.
Even those that had found Decepticon femmes to mutually bond with had followed the guidelines; Lugnut, unquestionably the most loyal of loyalists, had wound up with three sparklings in twice as many stellar cycles before he and his consort had been separated due the situation on Earth.
The dreadful fiasco in question had delayed his plans and, for a time, Megatron had feared his forces would be too focused on searching for their warlord to recall the original goal. Stellar cycles of being little more than a skull with a spark allowed him to think and watch the little organic-ridden planet he had been trapped on. When the small band of maintenance Autobots had emerged, sheer boredom had him spying upon them for hours on end.
Perhaps it was all for the best; from the start, he had noticed the three younger Autobots. The former ninja, the bulky green one and the small yellow one. Any or all of the three could be of that generation; in some cases, astroseconds separated those that were from those that weren't.
Megatron had woken from recharge one morning to overhear a particularly interesting conversation; he hadn't heard the start of it or what spurred such a topic, but it ended up being the answer to all of his musings.
"They're Decepticons..!" The green one he would later learn was named Bulkhead had whispered with some fear. "You know what they say they do to prisoners, right?"
"There is nothing to worry about." The ninja had sighed and rubbed his faceplate. "The fact that there are Decepticons here doesn't mean any of us are in any danger. Besides which, I seriously doubt any of us are that young."
"Would it matter to those creeps even if we weren't?" Bulkhead whimpered, tapping his servos together nervously. "I mean, I was sparked only a couple of months before it happened.."
"Bulkhead, calm down. I understand your worry, but none of us have that problem." The ninja had turned to look at the small yellow one. "Isn't that right, Bumblebee?"
The yellow one shifted in place. He then rubbed the back of his head and glanced to the floor. "..Yeah, about that.."
That was the moment Megatron decided to capture the yellow one as soon as he was able. The small Autobot was actually larger and likely older than the five he had attempted to copulate with back on the Nemesis; all five had offlined in the attempt, but if the one here could survive it..
Well, if worse came to worse, he would simply dump the corpse by that warehouse the Autobots claimed as a base. The humans had an odd phrase for such a situation; no skin off of his back.
Once he did possess a body, the Decepticon lord had waited. He did not want the Autobots to get suspicious or overly worried; if they were tipped off about just how much he knew about their own and what he intended, they would likely protect the youngest. A couple of months came and went before he made his move and calmly strode in to that wretched warehouse in the dead of night.
The yellow one had been recharging on a couch, television still on with a device humans called a 'video game'. The Autobot had actually woken up for a moment and stared right at him; panic lit his frame but had never had the chance to scream or call for help. At least, not with the syringe jammed in to a vital fluid line in his neck that knocked him back in to recharge. Then, Megatron had simply picked him up and walked out with him.
It had taken longer than expected to return to the hidden base on the other side of the world; a curious weather phenomenon known as a 'blizzard' had stalled the craft. Primus himself must have been smiling down at him for the yellow Autobot to stay unconscious as long as he had; he didn't wake from recharge until he was well restrained inside the hidden base in question.
After that first failed bonding attempt, Megatron had known the Autobot was perfect. The others had all wailed and wept before their spark extinguished themselves; this one had not only put up a fight, but had won that first round. Not only would he serve the desired purpose; the sparklings might even have that same stubborn spirit.
The Autobots' rescue had been another delay; oh, Megatron knew his property wouldn't be able to flee for long. The bounty had been placed up as nothing more than a message to the yellow one; there was no where to run. It also had the wonderful effect of having his entire forces eagerly hunting the child and the blue mech Shockwave had claimed.
In the end, the Autobot he had designated Goldbug -- a little golden trophy, an insect he could trap and squash if he so chose -- had been recaptured. He had been almost giddy with dark glee; for some time, he had worried that his first born would be sparked in Autobot territory.
Yet, now here the little insect was; there had been nowhere to run and no where to hide.
Goldbug was his and his alone.
---------------------------------------------
The brig has been left to itself for quite a few hours. No Decepticon entered the cell blocks since a small number of their prisoners had been placed in the largest cage in the back. Perhaps their captors intended to leave them to their terrors and imaginations for a time; a shapeless torture and dark cloud shifted over them all as a result.
However, the long hours left to themselves gave the prisoners the time to talk and get to know each other. Doomed sparks let themselves speak of the past -- tales of victorious adventure, family and friends throughout the universe, lessons they had learned -- and rarely delved in to truly dark topics. This was likely their last chance at even temporary joy and they did not want to waste it.
Even Bumblebee fell in to the strange calm; it was as if the motley crew of captured Autobots were trying to have at least someone else know that they had existed, even if those they spoke to were just as doomed.
Bumblebee was deep in to a humorous story involving strange small organic children and a holiday involving eggs and small furry creatures called 'bunnies' when an unnatural sound rent the air. It was merely a soft set of beeps, but it was enough to silence and still every single mech and femme there.
Someone was punching in the code to open the main brig door. A quick check with his internal chronometer told Bumblebee how long they had been talking and, more importantly, what time it was.
"Oh slag, oh slag, oh slag..!" The orange and blue mech who everyone simply knew wouldn't survive for very long curled up against a taller, just as nervous cellmate.
"I don't think they're here for any of you." Bumblebee frowned deeply, shuttering his optics. He stood slowly, looking to the door at the end of the long corridor. "Wish we could've met in a better way. I don't think we'll ever see each other again."
A femme he had learned was called Fragment stared at the yellow mech in mild confusion. "How do you..?"
The door slid open; Megatron himself strode in with a stoic expression, flanked by two underlings Bumblebee didn't recognize. Despite intentions otherwise, the yellow Autobot found himself trembling slightly.
It was just like before; the Decepticon lord always came at exactly the same time.
Megatron did not smile. He simply looked down at the yellow mech with cold crimson optics. "Welcome home, Goldbug."
Fists clenched at his side as fury spiked; Bumblebee glared at the large gray mech. "That's not my name, and this isn't my home."
The Decepticon lord did not respond. Instead, he glanced to one of the other Decepticons. The underling in question shut down the energy bars around the cell and strode in, grinning wickedly with a collar and chain in hand.
Bumblebee hissed at the sight of the dreadfully familiar collar but did not resist; he had the feeling that if he did, the other prisoners would be hurt. It wasn't as if there was anywhere he could run to even if he did. Instead, he flexed and clenched his fists, shaking in a mix of fury and fear.
The collar was fastened shut with a soft mechanical whirr; the snake chain leash was set in one large gray servo. The Decepticon lord turned to walk away, tugging on the chain; Bumblebee had very little choice but to follow, sparing one final glance to the prisoners left behind.
The Autobots held in the other cells -- the walking offline, destined for nothing more than torture, interrogation and death -- looked through the bars of their own prisons in absolute silence. They all knew who the small yellow mech was, why he was there and where he was going; the expressions varied slightly, but a constant theme reverberated in the form of sympathy.
Bumblebee decided that the universe must have truly warped for the dead to pity the living.
Megatron led the recaptured Autobot out of the brig and down several halls. Despite that numerous Decepticons saw him and looked upon him, none dared make a sound beyond a few spare snickers; a dead silence was all that greeted the furiously terrified mech along the short journey.
Eventually, a large door at the very end of a long hallway came about. The Decepticon lord tapped in a few quick keys in to a console before the door slid open; Bumblebee was pulled inside what could only be Megatron's private chambers.
This room was even larger than the one on Earth; one entire wall was a window that peered in to the glittering stars of space. Shelves of datapads -- novels, literature, textbooks, who knew what else -- lay against the wall by a very expensive looking berth. Rather comfortable looking seats and even a couch littered the floor along the way and, for reasons Bumblebee didn't even try to fathom, what looked like an in-floor jacuzzi was in the center of it all.
The snake chain was disconnected from the collar. Bumblebee blinked in surprise, having expected to be chained by the berth. It was an almost mocking freedom to still be with the collar but not the chain.
"You will not be tethered for the duration of your carrying stage." Megatron spoke calmly, not reacting to the returned growl and deep glare. "You will be allowed to walk around my chambers until the sparkling is born and you will not share my berth until thirty solar cycles after that event. However.." The Decepticon's stoic face shifted in to a dangerous frown. "If you dare to damage any of my property, including yourself, I will not hesitate to punish you whether you carry or not. Is that understood?"
Bumblebee said nothing; he simply glared.
"Good. If you attempt to leave this room, the collar will knock you in to stasis. Do not attempt to escape." Without another word, Megatron turned and left; the door slid shut behind him.
Only when the large gray mech was gone did Bumblebee allow himself to breathe; he took in a deep intake to try and settle the deep fear forming in his core. He had thought being a prisoner on Earth was bad enough; he had never even heard of an Autobot escaping the Decepticon flagship in one piece.
The collar was given an experimental tug; unsurprisingly, the pull did nothing. With a deep, shuddering sigh, Bumblebee walked towards the window. He could actually see the brightly shining star that was Cybertron fading in the distance.
He had been so close; safety had been in reach and had been missed by so very little.
Bumblebee rested his forehead against the tempered glass and offlined his optics; the small Autobot stayed that way for several minutes, absorbed deeply in to self pity and fear.
After some time, a familiar fluttering brushed against his processor. Without much of a thought, Bumblebee answered it.
"Hey, Prowl."
"Bumblebee!" Prowl's terror was nearly tangible. "Sari just called us..!"
Oh. "Is Sari all right?"
"Sari's fine, everyone else is all right as far as she told us, but she said you.. The Decepticons.."
Bumblebee onlined his optics again and stared at his reflection in the glass; the collar stuck out like a bruised servo. "Yup. I'm on the Nemesis, Prowl. I'm pretty much slagged."
"Primus..!" Prowl sounded ready to swear; the thought of oh-so-serious, cyberninja Prowl letting out a swear almost made him smile. "Bumblebee, we won't leave you there..!"
"I know you won't, ninja-bot. I don't think anyone on Cybertron is going to help, though." A determined expression crossed his face. "I'm going to keep giving these fraggers the Pit, here. I'm going to try getting out on my own, but I need you to tell the others not to risk their lives for me."
"What?" Prowl sounded completely surprised. "Bumblebee..?"
"The last thing I want is for all of you to offline when I'm pretty much fragged as it is." Bumblebee took in a deep intake. "..Can you keep doing this crazy processor-over-matter telepathy thing for me, though? I think I'm going to go insane otherwise."
A soft brush went over his processor; the closest thing to a comforting hug Prowl could send. "Of course. I'll contact you every solar cycle if I can."
Bumblebee allowed himself a small smile at that; at least he'll have one remaining link to his old life. "Thanks, ninja-bot." The smile slowly faded. "..I guess the good guys don't always win, huh?"
---------------------------------------------
Just in case
I should stay here forever
Held in this empty space
Oh, but that won't be easy;
I know the reason why
My heart's far, far away
Home's a lie
Is this home?
Am I here for a day or forever?
Shut away
From the world until who knows when
Oh, but then
As my life has been altered once,
It can change again
Build higher walls around me
Change every lock and key
Nothing lasts, nothing holds
All of me
My heart's far, far away
Home and free
-- 'Home', Beauty and the Beast (Broadway)