JMJ

Chapter Forty-Five

Corrosion

Turning from the grand window through which he had glanced only briefly, Bumblebee looked back at the others around him at their meeting in Capital Hall. He had found himself caught by the sight of the prison where Bulkhead's crew worked on the reconstruction of that prison wall that Skywarp had damaged. A sudden thought disturbed him, and it was not just that Skywarp had been able to sneak onto Cybertron in a state of madness. It was something not really related to the meeting at all.

"But how did he get past the defenses?" a younger Cybertronian called Treadmark wanted to know.

"Most likely with technology from the Knight," said Ultra Magnus somberly.

Bumblebee nodded in agreement. "Skywarp obviously got to it first."

"But we were still recovering from the damage that Soundwave caused and raising the hatchlings then," said Ratchet.

"We are still training in the defense teams," said Ultra Magnus. "I am training mine for the ground surveillance."

"And I am training mine for the air watchers," added Jetfire.

"But what are we going to do with Skywarp?" asked Treadmark with a raised brow.

Bumblebee turned to Ratchet.

That was ultimately why they were here.

It was a troubling event, Skywarp coming out of the blue like he had. Wheeljack had run into a Decepticon twice out in his searches for remnants of the war. Both had been cases of no-surrender as neither had even listened to Wheeljack before trying to take him offline. Both events had ended in the Decepticons' own terminations, but this was the first time a Decepticon had come to Cybertron on his own.

He had brought no one with him. Starscream had not escaped and had been removed to a new cell, but Skywarp was still in holding, in a sort of limbo. Skywarp was raving mad and it had nothing to do with the end of the war or who won it. By the sparks that flew from him, it had been obviously a medical problem rather than a psychological one.

"Ratchet has just finished his diagnosis," said Ultra Magnus.

Ratchet nodded grimly.

"Yes," he said, "after my examination, I think whatever happened to Skywarp was caused by a severe burst of magnetism, which damaged his mental processors. Asking him the details is impossible as I don't think he remembers what happened. Possibly he never knew. He's convinced he is in the midst of the War after it started going off-planet when he's thinking straight-forwardly at all and even that is flawed and mixed with other time-periods."

"Is there any chance for recovery?" asked Bumblebee hesitantly.

"No," said Ratchet simply, and he paused briefly. "Not full recovery. The only way to fix his mind would be to take out the damaged brain modules and replace them. Otherwise we'll just have to keep him here until he loses the rest of his mind. The corroded modules are in danger of corroding what's left as we speak."

"So…if we took out the brain modules, though, his brain would start over," said Treadmark, and he shrugged. "That wouldn't be so bad. I mean, then he wouldn't remember being a Decepticon, and he would be fine, wouldn't he?"

Ratchet's face darkened so that the younger one made a coughing motion and turned away sheepishly.

"That would've been my thought," admitted Bumblebee standing up for Treadmark. "I mean, from what you're suggesting, if we don't go forward with this procedure, he'll be as good as offline, if we don't. It's worth a try."

Ratchet sighed. "It may be, but it is not something to be taken lightly. If we take out all the modules and start over he will be so wiped clean that he'll practically be a hatchling again, but at this time of his life it would not be wise."

"Because we would have to tell him he was a Decepticon," said Treadmark.

"Exactly," said Ratchet with his usual atmospheric drama.

Despite himself, Bumblebee almost caught himself smiling, though grimly, but he quickly sobered himself again.

"We would have to be very careful in telling him the events of his life," Bumblebee said in understanding as he nodded to Ratchet.

Ratchet held up a finger for emphasis as he added with optics closed importantly, "For the uncertainty of how he will respond to it."

"Can't any modules be salvaged?" asked Bumblebee.

"Some," Ratchet admitted, "but not many, I don't think, especially the longer it takes to make this decision."

"I have a proposition then," said Jetfire suddenly clearing his throat authoritatively. Although he spoke with full seriousness, his atmosphere was far less mysterious than Ratchet's.

"Yes?" asked Bumblebee.

"The reason I'm here, actually," said Jetfire thoughtfully. "I believe that if we are truly going to keep with the line of thought of families and clans…" Here he let loose an emphatic clank of his staff, "and if Skywarp will become in a sense as a hatchling whether entirely blank or not—"

"Well, actually," interrupted Ratchet quietly, "he will most likely still feel the maturity of an adult and his personality; and possibly even his current way of thinking may still remain."

"Hrum!" Jetfire snorted. "What I mean!" he continued, "is that I would be willing to consider him my responsibility. I'll keep an eye on him when I can so that he has a base."

"You do have many already to care for," Ultra Magnus reminded him, "and despite the return of Slingshot, you remain the head elder of all the flights."

"Then again," said Bee, "Jetfire may also have some insight too about how to explain to Skywarp his life as he was a Decepticon himself."

"True," Ultra Magnus admitted, and turning again to Jetfire, he said, "as long as it doesn't take away from your other duties."

"I did not plan on devoting my entire life to him, Sir," retorted Jetfire. "Only to help when I can, and I do believe that I can."

"That sounds good, thank you, Jetfire," Bumblebee said with a smile and then to Ratchet he said, "Then you should go on with the procedure, Ratchet."

Ratchet nodded.

#

Bumblebee hoped that Cybertron would never be so overwhelming as to keep him in the capital building making decisions from there and not to allowing him to see everything first-hand. He made time most days to make rounds about Cybertron and to be a part of the living society. Even now it took a course of several days to complete seeing everything.

During a break between office-work and these ground-rounds, he looked out over the skyline in some quiet spot. He smiled thoughtfully to himself.

Sometimes, he almost could not believe that this thriving city was real— that the sounds of normal life buzzing here and whirring there were more than some dream or echo from the past. The new Cybertron, however, looked much different from the old, but after so long a time hearing only weapons of war rather than construction and happy chatter of those who had never seen the horrors of their elders instead of another scarred generation was almost something from a fantasy. He had, after all, almost been born in conflict, being of the youngest generation who remembered anything from Old Cybertron. Even the sky then had not been as full as it was now and rich in atmosphere and warmth from the sun.

With all these other unbelievable things, one would think that it would not be difficult then to believe he was leader of all this too, but he still often enough looked at his reflection on some gleaming glass or a shining piece of metal. He could only think how much he looked nothing like a leader. He had come at last to accept it, but he did not believe it. He felt himself too much still a scout.

But had Optimus felt much different?

A comfort he had was that being leader, made him feel closer to Optimus, especially when struggling, to be leader. Maybe that was why he had come to accept it. None of the problems on new Cybertron were anything compared to those problems Optimus had had to deal with as leader, of course, but Bumblebee thought he had come to better understand him that he ever had before. He could picture even now Optimus' surprise and dismay when the council wanted to make him the next Prime, and that was the cause of Bumblebee's current smile.

He could not help but wish right now that Optimus was there in-person. It was not the first time, of course. What he truly felt of himself was that that he was still in the place of a leader and not the leader in actuality. In his mind, Optimus was still leader, and he really felt he could use his advice right now…

He could not catch it before his sigh escaped. Once it let loose, Bumblebee rolled his optics and slumped forward a little as he stared down at lines of cars on winding roads raised above the ground. A glint of a flight caught his optic, and he watched it disappear into the direction of Jetfire's aerie.

"Bee?"

With a jump, Bumblebee turned to Arcee.

"I was just thinking," he told her.

"Would it be alright if I asked the president what those thoughts were?" Arcee teased.

They were the only ones there. Few people were out on this side road from Capital Hall. Its railed-in ridge overlooking the city was its highlight.

Bumblebee shrugged. "I was thinking about Optimus."

Arcee nodded solemnly in understanding, but then she said with a tease, "You're not worrying, though…"

"No, just wondering," said Bumblebee; he looked away embarrassed. "Actually, I was wondering about what he would say to do about Starscream."

"Starscream?" said Arcee in surprise. "Not Skywarp?"

When Bumblebee did not answer immediately, Arcee went on, "Nothing. Bee, there's nothing you can do about Starscream. He's chosen his path."

"I know," said Bumblebee, and again he turned to look out at the prison, "but, especially lately, I've been wondering if these years in prison have done anything to calm him down. I mean, I know at his trial he would have said anything to keep us from locking him up, but part of me wanted to give him a chance. I might have if it had not been that I didn't want to risk him stirring up trouble when we just got Cybertron settled down again, especially with the hatchlings."

"And that was the right thing to do," said Arcee. "He just would have ended up betraying you even if there was no fear of him manipulating the new generation."

"We don't even know what Skywarp's going to do when he has senses again," muttered Bumblebee in agreement.

"According to you, Ratchet seems to think being a Decepticon will still be in him even without most of his memories, and we'll have to deal with that soon. We can't deal with Starscream too. He doesn't know what he wants, but the only thing he knows is being a Decepticon."

"I'm not hoping for a miracle," said Bumblebee feeling a little irritated.

Was this how Optimus felt when he was trying to say something optimistic about their opposition and we all jumped him with accusations about giving enemies keys to the base? thought Bumblebee. Yeah, probably.

"I just think that if I don't at least make his imprisonment a little better for him, he'll lose his mind," said Bumblebee. "There's more than one way for brain modules to corrode."

Arcee tried to look understanding, but she could not hide the hint of skepticism.

Bumblebee ignored it. As he turned gently back to the scene before him he added, "I feel that I have a little responsibility towards him. Somehow I think, now that everything's under control for the most part, that Optimus would think so too. His imprisonment doesn't have to be worse than death."

Arcee's understanding turned genuine now. Her optics softened as she considered what Bumblebee was saying.

"I see what you mean," she said crossing her arms, but she looked at Bumblebee with a wince. "As long as making him more comfortable doesn't allow him to escape easier."

Bumblebee nodded. "Even if he does, there's no place for him to go. Skywarp's already proven that right in front of him. He can't be so deluded that he doesn't see it."

He paused and winced himself.

"Well," he shrugged. "Maybe he can. He is Starscream, after all."

#

The door opened in the impassive way of automatic doors, revealing nothing of the manner of entrance of the one coming through it as a manual door would have.

Starscream jumped and spun around not sure what to expect. It was not the slot for his energon. It was not even time for that. But he was quite more surprised than he thought possible to see that the president of Cybertron stood in the light of the doorway.

It angered him, regardless, that he could not withhold a gasp. Immediately as it passed his oral vent, he stepped back a pace and cringed suspiciously.

"Bumblebee!?" he demanded.

He recovered himself a little, seeing that his senses were not deceiving him.

"To what do I owe the honor?" he demanded with dry reserve. After a pause, his tone grew darker still as he thought of the only possible connection of this unexpected visit. "I know nothing about Skywarp or his condition."

"You're wellbeing," said Bumblebee.

Starscream's optics widened. He could no longer control his hopes. In spite of himself he fell at Bumblebee's feet.

"You've come to give me a chance for freedom!" He threw his hands up above him in delight. "Oh, I never dared hope that this day would come! You have no idea how happy I am to hear—"

But just as he was about to reach for Bumblebee a shield force-field of sorts blocked his way, and although a laser and certainly a missile could have penetrated it (thus why it had not often been used in the War), Starscream's pawing hands could not.

"What?" Starscream demanded.

They did not trust him!

Well, naturally they did not.

Starscream recoiled and pouted; though he knew it was likely not Bumblebee's decision to use this tool. His followers wanted to protect their leader. He knew that had to be it. Bumblebee's face seemed to confirm it.

"I'm sorry, Starscream," said Bumblebee calmly. "I'm not here to release you from prison."

Starscream turned away and crossed his arms staunchly. "Then why bother coming?"

"I came to discuss easing your sentence by possibly giving you something to do and someplace better to be… a place with a window or a screen to the outside." Bumblebee paused, searching Starscream carefully before he added, "Possibly, if you want it and you don't abuse it, you might have company now again."

There was not much to look at in the cell. Bumblebee grimaced a little himself thinking of being in here for eternity. He had not forgotten what sort of murderer and a backstabber Starscream was, though. As Starscream slowly turned around at the sound of the automatic door closing at Bumblebee's command to a guard to do so, Starscream noted his tenseness and perhaps regret of coming even with his shield to protect him.

"But no chance for freedom," said Starscream after a short pause.

"Well, if you want me to go," said Bumblebee turning around with a shrug. "It's for your benefit, not mine, that I came."

"You can open the door again," said Bumblebee with communications.

"Already?" asked the voice on the other end.

"Wait!" Starscream found himself shouting.

Even though he knew there was some reverse psychology in what Bumblebee was doing, he knew also that Bumblebee would not stop leaving, if Starscream did not tell him to.

"Wait a minute," said Bumblebee then as he returned to Starscream.

Starscream hesitated.

"I…" again he paused, twiddling his fingers and hunching over awkwardly before he asked with grave suspicion, "Why would you be willing to visit with me? Some sort of charity? Or is there more to it than that?"

"Like what?"

Starscream opened his oral vent. Nothing came out but a funny little sound. Then Starscream flustered and growled. He stomped his foot.

"Well, you know!" he growled. "To find out—! Because you want to—agh! You need me to tell yeh—ih—Well, because…!" His optics shifted queerly; he let loose a dark frown and he straightened his posture importantly. "Humph, so it's charity, is it?"

Again Bumblebee pressed with his shrug, "For your wellbeing."

"Taking after Optimus, I see," Starscream remarked.

There was another short pause. He returned to a rather hunched state, arms thrown around his back. Then he waved his hand aside in a sort of patronizing manner. Adorned in an expression as though about to yawn, he turned idly away in the most theatrical manner.

He muttered with drama to match, "Well, if you insist."

"Should I still open the door, sir?" asked the guard outside.

"That's alright, Goldshield, I'll let you know."

"Sure thing, Mr. President."

Starscream sighed. "Since, none of our discussions are to be about letting me go free, what did you have in mind for my new accommodations? Or my 'work', as you put it."

"I'm not sure about what sort of job we could have you do yet, but I've already asked and a larger and airier cell could be made just as secure as this one if given the time, and we really have all the time in the world now," said Bumblebee.

"True," muttered Starscream. "I suppose the hatchlings are all grown and situated, and everything is going well on Cybertron." He smiled. "Are you sure it wasn't boredom that brought you here, Mr. President?"

"I'm pretty sure," said Bumblebee. "There's still plenty to do. There's still plenty of Cybertron to rebuild, and interactions between here and Earth haven't stopped. We're getting very close to making contact with the Dinobot planet. The younger generation still has much to learn, and we're always on the lookout for survivors of the War."

"Have you found any more?" asked Starscream. "Besides, Skywarp, of course. By the way, what happened to Skywarp? That was about nine days ago now."

Bumblebee paused.

"What?" sniffed Starscream, "am I restricted from knowing about him?"

"He's not doing well," said Bumblebee. "Ratchet's informed us that he has a magnetic corrosion in his brain modules."

"Poor Skywarp," Starscream said though there was not an ounce of pity in his voice. "He always was a fine flier and Seeker. Cybertron won't be the same without him, I'm sure."

Bumblebee rolled his optics, "Well, you don't have to be like that about it. I thought he was your friend— your relation."

"He's no friend of mine," Starscream assured him tersely. "He abandoned me twice, you know. Not to mention his disrespect every chance he got against me during our pitiful attempt at regrouping under Galvatron this last time. You have no idea what it's like to be scorned by your very fellow models."

There was quite a number of comebacks that went through Bumblebee's mind as anyone who knew Starscream could imagine themselves. Starscream himself knew this, and watched Bumblebee's optics as these responses were all denied. Bumblebee said nothing in response in the end, and Starscream was not sure whether he should feel grateful or resentful. It was more his way to feel resentful.

Just like the self-righteous Autobot he is, thought Starscream, and again he sighed miserably.

"Look, maybe this is good for now," said Bumblebee after a longer pause than any of the previous pauses. "But you will get your new cell, and we'll try to think of something for you to do—"

"You mean that won't make me a danger in some way?" sneered Starscream.

Bumblebee could not hide his disgust, but he remained very civil as he said, "I'll return another day, if you want me to, but if you'd rather be alone, Starscream, that's up to you."

For the last time, Starscream crossed his arms and glowered after Bumblebee as he turned around, but just as Bumblebee was about to contact Goldshield, Starscream felt a sudden panic again. He did not want to be alone, true, but it was more than that. He felt that something had not been settled that should be, and that would drive him crazy if he let Bumblebee go without trying.

"Wait."

Bumblebee turned once more. "Yes?"

"Uh…" Starscream hesitated.

He had been about to beg for Bumblebee to tell him if there was anything he might do to be released, but he changed his mind. He was so at odds with himself and it pained him until he could not think anymore.

Even before this visit, his cycling between himself, Optimus, and Megatron continued, and more and more he had felt himself feeling strongly inclined towards Optimus' view and not Megatron's. As for himself in the matter, that was different, but Megatron was losing out. Only Optimus' ways seemed to offer peace. Even when Optimus had been miserable, even in the darkest hours of the War, even when Starscream was laughing, Starscream knew that Optimus had always been more at peace that he was, because Optimus had been doing what was right…

—Or was it that Starscream simply wanted comfort now, and that was why Starscream was siding with him?

"Oh!" Starscream moaned.

Bumblebee was trying hard to be patient, but the shifting of his weight was felt by Starscream even without having to look at him.

When he could think of nothing else to say of a more profound or even spiteful nature, Starscream murmured at last with optics to the floor, "Thank you for coming. You have no idea what it's like to be all alone in here…"

Bumblebee nodded, and with a candid shrug, he simply said, "You're welcome."

With that Bumblebee took his leave, and Starscream was alone again in the dark with promises that he only half-believed. In some ways he did not want to believe them. Bumblebee's charity annoyed him, or at least, it should have annoyed him. Somehow he did not feel as annoyed as he expected to feel. In a childish sort of way it irked him that it was not Optimus who had come to him. Bumblebee was really only a young scout—younger than Starscream.

"You'll get nothing better now," he muttered to himself. "You said so yourself."

He had said himself that it had been Galvatron's final mistake and the pride that had finally made him fall.