"Raf's family! They were attacked!"
Everyone looked at each other, and Raf looked up at his guardian in fear, tears forming in his eyes.
Optimus walked up to Miko and Bulkhead, "Are you two certain that Raf's home was attacked?"
Bulkhead transformed into his bipedal mode, and spoke in a somber tone, "Affirmative sir. There's... There's nothing left..." He looked down at the floor unable to look at Raf
Optimus looked at Bumblebee, nodding at him to take Raf away. Bee, understanding the message, quickly and gently picked up and carried away the now sobbing Raf away from the scene.
Prime looked at the now panicking medic, "Ratchet, contact Agent Fowler. I want confirmation on this."
He took a few seconds to recover from his daze before going to contact Fowler.
Meanwhile, Prime looked back at Bulkhead, who was holding the crying Miko attempting to comfort her, "Bulkhead, are you certain that this act was performed by decepticons?"
A look of pure anger was given, "Absolutely. It doesn't seem like pure coincidence that his family was attacked after he was. This was all planned out by those monsters!"
A call was coming in on the computer from Fowler after several minutes. Everyone in the room already expecting what he was going to say.
He showed on the screen in his car, distressed, "Uhhhhh..," It seemed like he had no clue what to say, "Raf isn't in the room is he?" Prime shook his head.
"Good," he sighed, placing two fingers on the bridge of his nose, ''I woudln't want him to see this." He flipped the camera, showing the unrecognizable remains of Raf's home, along with several body bags lined up on the street, "The police seem to think this was caused by a furnace explosion but... I think we all know what and who is responsible for this."
Optimus, Ratchet and Bulkhead all gave a rageful growl at the scene, silently swearing to themselves to make the monsters behind this attack would suffer for what they've done.
"Shit, that poor kid..." Fowler spoke up again, "Already recovering from an attack himself, and now this?!"
Optimus sent a silent comm to Bumblebee telling him of the whole situation, and Bee had to restrain himself from going berserk in front of the child.
Had he been able to cry, Bee would have been doing that as he looked down at the small boy with tears in his eyes who looked frightened for his family. He ran a finger down his back in order to help calm him.
"Do not tell him of this yet, Bumblebee. It is best to wait until he is around us all. For now, if he asks, tell him that you don't know."
Bumblebee growled silently as to not frighten the child, and his optics turned a dark shade of red, 'I-I... I'm going to kill them!"
"Calm down. We will teach the decepticons a lesson later, for now, stay close to Rafael. He is going to need you."
Bee looked down at the child in his hands, he had fallen asleep, probably for the best, "I am never going to leave him ever again."
That got Bumblebee thinking, "Wait, Optimus, where is Raf going to stay now? He doesn't have a family anymore," Bumblebee looked won in grief.
Optimus looked in thought, before replying, "I am not certain yet, old friend. For now, stay close to him. It is going to be a hard night for him." Bee looks down at the sleeping form in his hands, his optics dimming slightly in sadness.
He opened his spark chamber, showing the bright glowing light of his life, and placed the child gently inside of it before closing it again. Placing his hand over it to add extra protection.
His optics dimmed, deciding that he wanted to join his child in the world of dreams, with his hand over his spark chamber to ensure no one takes Raf away from him.
It was only thirty minutes later before Bumblebee awoke. Wanting to go see what was being done of the situation, he carefully grabbed Raf out of his spark chamber and placed him on his large berth, before exiting out to the mainroom.
He entered the mainroom seeing the other autobots going through all the pictures of the destroyed home, trying to figure out which one of the decepticons did it, so they can bring him to justice.
Bumblebee cringed at the sight of the body bags lined up on the road, causing Optimus to place a hand on his shoulder, "I know, Bumblebee. It is not a pretty sight."
''Why'd this have to happen to him...", he whispered, "It would have been terrible had it happened to anyone else, but still. Why did it have to be my best friend? First he was struck by dark energon, and now he doesn't have a family anymore!"
"I was planning on calling you here regarding this earlier, Bumblebee," Optimus paused, and Bumblebee looked at him, "As of now and most likely permanently, you will be his guardian."
The scout looked confused, "But I already am his guardian?"
Optimus shook his head, "That's not what I meant," Optimus said sternly, "Arrangements are being made for you to be assigned as Rafaels legal guardian."
"You mean..."
"Yes," Optimus finished for him, "You will be his creator."
Bee's optics brightened in happiness, before dimming in question, "Are you sure he shouldn't stay with other humans?"
Optimus nodded, "You and Raf share a bond that I have never seen before in any species. There is no question that you are the best option."
Bumblebee immediately hugged Optimus, with the latter returning it, "I'm sure that a what humans call, "Shopping Spree", will be in order, but for now, we need to focus on perpetrating the decepticon behind this, and of course, informing Rafael on the situation." Bumblebee and Optimus separated from the hug.
They looked up at the picture of the body bags, Bee's eyes once again turning red in rage.
Quiet sobs could be heard from behind them. Immediately turning around, seeing Rafael with tears falling from his eyes, looking up at the picture, Bee's eyes went blue and dimmed
He turned around and ran as fast as his little injured legs would take him away from the main room.
"No, Raf! Wait!", Bee sprinted after him.
Optimus put his head slightly down in sadness, seeing his scout run after the small boy, "I'm sorry, Rafael."
Several minutes later, Bee came back out to the main room, having not been able to find Raf.
"Perhaps it is best he has a little bit to himself. We will all go looking for him later, but for now, leave him be."
Bee growled, punching a wall in rage, causing the surface to crack, before sitting down, putting his hands over his helm.
'I'll make who ever did this suffer for what they did. I will see to it they go through as much pain as Raf went through.'
An hour later, Bee found himself looking for Raf along with the other, he was by himself searching through what seemed like the endless hallways of the base, "Raf, please come out! I'm so sorry!"
He heard sobs coming from the opposite side of the hallway, and his doorwings drooped, "Oh, Raf..."
The sobs quietened when he got closer, Raf having felt the earthquakes from Bee'a footsteps, and if course his shouting for him.
Bee found the source of the cries, coming from a tiny air vent that only Raf could fit into.
Carefully bending down in front of it, he called out to him, "Raf?"
The sobs increased in volume at the sound of his voice.
Bee didn't think he could feel any more guilty than he did then, "Sweetling, I'm so sorry...Please, come out.'' He put his hand out towards him.
Raf looked at Bumblebee before crawling out of the vent and sobbing into his warm metal hands.
Bee immediately wrapped his hands around him, bringing him to his chest plate, comforting noises coming out of his intake in an attempt to calm him down.
"Raf... Shhhh... I'm here. I'm so sorry. I'll make sure you're never alone again." He whispered.
It took nearly twenty minutes of holding him to his chest and shushing him before he calmed down, "I... s-sorry, Bee."
The mech stroked a finger through his brown hair, "You have nothing to apologize for, Raf. You didn't do anything wrong."
Raf looked down in guilt, "I shouldn't have run off like that, I bet you were all worried sick."
Bee shook his head, "We all understand. You needed some time alone."
"It's just...", Raf struggled to put words together, "I was... am scared. W-what am I gonna do? I don't have a family anymore," tears still streamed down his cheeks.
Bumblebee stood up, "Let's go out to the main room. We all want to talk to you."
He opened his comms, "Everyone meet in the main room. I found him."
Smokescreen was the first to speak, "Is he alright?"
"He's doing better. But I don't think he's gonna want to be left alone for a while.
"Good," Bulkhead jumped in, "Because we wouldn't let him be left alone."