Disclaimer: I only own my OCs.


Sentinel: *nervous* Something doesn't feel right about this.

Authoress: *raises eyebrow* This is my writing, of course it doesn't feel right.

Fable: *smirks* Oh, I think I will dissect you for the information.

Authoress: Um, no dissecting humans. Remember?

Sentinel: *not saying anything*

Authoress: *nervous* Right?


Chapter 10: Hidden in Plain Sight

Bumblebee's 1st P.O.V.

Slag. Ever since that confrontation yesterday Optimus and Elita hadn't let me out of another bot's sight. It was slagging annoying. Honestly, I had never been happier to have an appointment with Ratchet. He and Arcee seemed to be the only ones not against me right now.

Of course, I had a feeling that the reason I was already having another check-up was because of my training with Sentinel's team. Having Fable messing with my chassis probably made Ratchet want to make sure he wasn't messing up my chassis.

I mean, the dissections were weird to experience, but I hadn't felt any pain during those. Surprised the slag out of me too. During the first dissection session I had with Fable, I had been slagging terrified when he said that I was going to be staying awake during these. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to take watching as my limbs were taken off of my chassis. But, after the first few cuts, I realized that I wasn't feeling anything. Fable might be crazy, but he knew what he was doing.

And now Ratchet was taking extra time in examining all of the seems that I told him Fable cut into during his dissection practice that I let him do. When I had told Ratchet that it was part of the agreement I had signed, and necessary since I was training with them, he had immediately started looking at the seems. He hadn't said anything else to me since then.

"Bumblebee, how are the training sessions you have been going to with them?" Well, until now that was.

"I'm learning a bunch of stuff Ratchet." I was excited that I was able to talk to someone on my team outside of Sari about this finally. The others didn't seem interested in what I was learning, only in the supposed danger that training with Sentinel's team brought. "Fable has been working with me on moves that I can use with my frame in battle while Trecke has been teaching me to observe the field around me more during a fight. During our last training session, I was able to last ten clicks in the training ring with Fable." I shifted to my front as Ratchet motioned me to before I continued. "Pus, while they are boring as scrap, I am learning some stuff about Cybertron's history from Sentinel. Did you know that Cybertron was a central hub of trade in the universe during the golden age? Bots from all over the cosmos used to come to Cybertron to trade."

Ratchet then moved to plug in the scanner into the monitor before he spoke. "I'm glad that you are learning during this training with Sentinel's team." Once he plugged the scanner in, he turned to me and I could see that he looked worried. "Just make sure that you are being careful Bumblebee. While Sentinel and his team are helping you, Sentinel's two teammates aren't mentally stable and that could be dangerous if you do something that offends Sentinel. I've seen the loyalty that those two bots have and I know it won't be long before they come after Elita and Optimus, at the least, for the statements they have made since Team Apocalypse's arrival here."

Okay, this was weird. Why the frag was Ratchet the only bot on the team, outside of Sari that seemed to show any sort of support for this training that I was getting from Sentinel's team? "Ratchet, why aren't you acting like the others? I figured that since you didn't like Fable at all, that you would be against me getting training from them."

Ratchet moved and sat across from me on the extra med berth. "Honestly, when you told me that you signed Fable's form, I was worried that you had also asked for help training. My thoughts were near what the others are now. That was especially with Fable possibly having more access to experiment on your chassis. However, despite my wariness around the mech, he showed proper medical procedure when he escorted you back from that first training session, from what you told me. Then, to encourage you to talk to me about your problems from your boot camp and the effect they may have on you in battle showed me that Fable, despite his obvious lunacy, understands the proper medical procedure and can be trusted with your care," He then stared at me pointedly, "As long as you show respect to Sentinel."

"Yeah, I know Ratchet. Sentinel is their role model and they will defend him like no other if I insult him." I waved Ratchet's worry to the side. I knew not to go after Sentinel. Fable and Trecke would make me regret it.

To my surprise, Ratchet shook his helm. "It's not their defense that I worry about with them. I doubt that they would hesitate in literally ripping out Ultra Magnus' spark if he attacked Sentinel in any way."

I hadn't thought about their loyalty to Sentinel that deeply. But, now that Ratchet had mentioned it, I didn't doubt that they would do that. I had tried to apologize for Elita's and Optimus' behavior after the first fight we had with the Decepticons a few solars ago but both Fable and Trecke refused to take it because it wasn't my apology to give. They said that they had plans for Elita and Optimus once tensions calmed down a little. I hadn't liked the look in their optics but I also, by that point, knew better than to try and get in their way.

The alarm blaring had Ratchet and me moving toward the main comms monitor. The rest of the team was there and, once Ratchet and I had come to a stop, Optimus and Elita told us that the Decepticons were detected south of the city. We all moved out to intercept them and, in a few clicks, we were facing off against the Decepticons currently here on Earth.

Optimus and Elita, of course, placed me at the back of the fight. This was getting slagging annoying. With the training that I was getting, I could be a lot more helpful near the front so I could help keep an optic on the different shifts that the Decepticons might make. But no. Optimus and Elita were keeping me 'out of harm's way'. Of course, that didn't mean that I didn't get action. After a few clicks of the fight starting, Starscream made his way through the others and he and I were fighting.

Well, that probably wasn't the right way to phrase that. It was more like Starscream was attacking and I was using everything that Sentinel's team had taught me to make sure that I was able to dodge the mech. Slag I needed more training. I could barely catch an intake.

"Slag!" I yelled out as my pede tripped on a rock and I went down...right in front of Starscream. This was it. I was so offline. Maybe the Decepticons would make this quick if I just let them offline me quickly.

However, I noticed that Starscream had seemed to stumble on something that made him fall back when I had tripped. Well, I didn't waste time and quickly got up and back into a defensive position. That was a lucky coincidence that Starscream stumbled when I did.

...Wait.

Trecke had stressed during his training with me that luck was rarely a reason that something happened. Fate had even less to do with what happened around us. The more against the odds something seemed capable of happening, then the odds said that it was deliberate. But, why would Starscream, second in command of the Decepticons, deliberately stumble when he had me for the pickings? This didn't make a single bit of sense.

Where were Sentinel and his team? They should have been here by now. This was the latest that they had ever been to a fight and there was no word from them about when they thought that they were going to be arriving. This didn't seem like Sentinel and his team at all. They usually communicated when they were on their way, with me or Sari at the least. Ever since that first fight with the Decepticons here, that was how they had operated. But, nothing so far. Something might be wrong. But, we had to get the Decepticons out of here before we could go and make sure that Team Apocalypse was alright.

But, even as I restarted my fight with Starscream, something told me that there was something wrong.

Sentinel's 1st P.O.V.

Of course, this sort of slag would happen.

We had been about to head out to see 'Stasi when energon detectors at the base had picked up a previously undetected cache of energon five miles north of the city. While the hospital was in that direction, I knew that we had to investigate the energon, and quickly. If the Decepticons picked up on the signal, then there would be a large fight over control of the energon. Even though the hospital was a mile into the city, meaning six miles from here, I didn't want the risk of something going wrong and Anastasia being placed in danger on my processor. That was especially with most of Optimus' team. Even with the work my team was doing to limit unnecessary damage, I knew that there were still damages to the city when our fights would get too close to the city limits. With the hospital only one mile inside the city limits, I wasn't going to risk it.

But, when we had arrived at the coordinates of the energon a few clicks ago, we were on guard when we found that there was no energon to be found. Now, I was receiving a notification from the base saying that the Decepticons were attacking just south of the city. We would have to put on some real speed if we were going to arrive in time to offer Team Orion any sort of assistance and help keep damages down.

"Trecke, Fable; we will return later to see what caused the signal. The Decepticons are attacking south of the city and Team Orion will need our assistance." My two teammates nodded and so I turned to transform.

"Oh, you won't be going anywhere yet." I took a step backward and brought out my lance and shield as three bots I didn't recognize stepped out from the trees.

The bot on the right looked as if he would turn into what the humans referred to as a jet ski. He was the shortest between the three of them and he was colored maroon, faded pink, and dark gold. If these three turned out to be enemies, then I would send Trecke after that one.

On the left was a mech who was dark green, faded white, and brown and looked like he would turn into a vehicle that could go on both land and water. Not a triple changer though. I could identify those pretty easily with knowing Pandimala. However, Fable would be able to handle any unique fighting styles the mech might bring along with keeping an optic on the rest of us.

So, that left the larger mech in the middle to me. He was colored mainly black with silver and bronze-colored markings. From the looks of it, he could turn into a motorized version of a carriage. Looked ridiculous on the mech but, given that we didn't know why these three neutrals were blocking our path it would be best not to say anything on that yet.

As I sent these assignments to the others, Trecke spoke up in answer to the bot. "And who are you and why do you wish to stop us?" I could see that both he and Fable were tensed.

The three neutrals in front of us looked at each other before they shrugged. Then, the carriage one, the one who spoke first, spoke now. "Well, offline bots tell no tales, so I guess we can humor your dying wish." My chassis tensed even more now that I knew that they were going to attack us. However, it would be foolish to attack before the mech in front of us told us what he was willing to.

"Please," Trecke edged the mech on slightly.

The mech glanced between the three of us before he smirked. "Team Apocalypse. Quite a dark name for a team of Autobots. In more sophisticated circles you are all also known as the rogue ones. Closer to my team than to any Autobot team. It almost makes me regret taking this mission. However, the credits we are going to get from taking you out will make that regret go away. I am Eclipse, this is Howler," He pointed to the jet ski when he said that before pointing to the other mech, "And this is Delirium. Remember our designations for the few clicks you have before you offline."

These three were bounty hunters and they were here to offline us.

That was the last thought I was able to processes before the three mechs in front of us launched at us. A snarl escaped my vocals as I clashed with the one called Eclipse. "You will never offline us," I growled at the mech as we were in a deadlock.

Eclipse smirked at that. "You aren't the first one to tell my team that, and you will not be the last either."

Fable's 1st P.O.V.

I felt uneasy as I clashed with the mech called Delirium. Each strike I made, the mech seemed almost ready to block. Not quite as well as the others were doing against my teammates I noticed, but still. For a mech who had never fought me before, Delirium was keeping up with my attacks better than most were able. I knew I wasn't an easy bot to read on the battlefield, or in life in general, but this mech was making me push myself to stay online.

As I took a small break to check up on my precious leader and Trecke, I realized that they were being matched move for move, like they were studied before this fight. Of course, they were bounty hunters. It was a part of their job to be prepared for the enemies they were going to face. However, this seemed even better prepared than most would be. I was only a medic and an outcasted one at that. I didn't have the information that Trecke had. However, I had a feeling that there was something more behind who had hired these three than I was realizing.

"Come now medic, I thought you were the vicious one of your team? I see more fight coming out of that big-chinned idiot fighting,"

Boom!

"You shouldn't have done that," I growled at the mech I just punched square in his jaw plate. How dare he insult my leader! I had been holding back, hoping to capture the mech in front of us online to torture slowly for more information before offlining him for daring to attack us. Attack the only mech I ever valued as a leader, who I would ever value as a leader.

"Aw, did I hit a sore spot?" Delirium continued to taunt me, not realizing the mistake he had made.

Now, I was going to bathe my servos in his energon as he offlined in front of me. "Let's play!" I snarled before I launched at the mech, digits digging into sensitive cables. "I'll tear you apart as painfully and slowly as I can." I dug my digits into his side, drawing energon as I did so before I had to jump back to avoid a swipe from the mech.

To my surprise, the mech started to chuckle as he recovered. "There it is. I was hoping to see the insanity that seems to run in your family. I've heard of the terrors that both your cousin and your older brother have accomplished. I must say I am surprised that you have failed to live up to their reputation. From reports I have read about encounters with them, none have seen a gaze as energon-lusting as the one you are sending me right now." He then smirked. "Sends shivers of joy through my circuits just looking at it."

"The last pleasure you have before you enter the Well." I snarled before launching at the mech in a new assault. This mech had information about me. Information that should have been buried. Would make my offlining of him that much sweeter.

The two of us continued to clash for a few clicks before the mech fell back slightly. Seeing as my leader and Trecke had accomplished the same with their targets, I moved back toward them.

"I've heard of them." Trecke immediately spoke. "It took me a few clicks to remember where I heard of Eclipse's designation. He's the leader of a galactic group of assassins called Ebony Void. For him to be involved, there must be a fortune of credits involved."

"Anything else we need to know?" My leader asked as the three in front of us gathered together.

Trecke gave one nod. "They never go into a group attack with only three bots. They either take solo missions or there are more than three of them. It is in their code. One bot doesn't have to worry about betrayal, and with more than three betrayals against one is less likely. Betrayals during a mission result in the offenders being tried and, if found guilty, executed with prejudice."

"So, there are probably more of them waiting for the right moment to strike. Perfect." The words practically came out of my vocals with a purr before I launched back at Delirium. While it wasn't much, I at least now had some information to use against the mech.

The two of us then continued to trade blows. As I pushed him, I tried to make him talk. Give me something. I tore into his chassis with my digits, though the mech seemed to have an impressive armor thickness. I didn't have nearly enough of his energon on my servos. However, I had accomplished tearing off three of his ten digits. Two on the right and one on the left. I would tear him apart slowly.

"Perfect," Delirium seemed to purr as he tried to block me. "First, I will take you out, and then I will find a client to give me clearance to take out your cousin and brother. I wonder, will they give me the same amount of fight that you are?"

A snarl escaped my vocals before my awareness left me. I let the first insult against my family slide, so I could get information. Now, it was personal. "You won't leave here to get that chance. I'll have you torn to pieces by the time this sun sets below the horizon." I lost myself as I launched at the mech. There was nothing around me, only the image of this mech in pieces. His energon was streaming down my servos and arms...but it wasn't enough. All of the times I had held back my urges here on Earth, to make sure that my leader was not burdened with them; they were finally being released.

Pain flooded in my side as I felt something large impact my side. Frag! I had allowed this bounty hunter to use my energon-lust against me. I flinched as my chassis slammed into the ground. I was disoriented. In the distance, I thought I heard Trecke yell my designation in a worried tone. Strange, I thought I would offline before I heard that.

Oh, wait...I was about to be offlined.

I could see the blaster being pointed at my helm, charging its fatal blast. I wanted to avoid it. I didn't want to leave my leader, my precious leader, with so much I could still do for him. I owed him my life. He took me in when no bot else would give me a chance. I would dissect all of the enemies that came before him. They were to suffer. So short a time with my leader and I was completely his. Not romantically, that was impossible...I knew what my future was supposed to be there. Well, what it was supposed to,

My optics widened in surprise as a blaster shot suddenly impacted the blaster above me. A few nano's later, a light green and light pink figure could be seen jump-kicking into Delirium, causing the mech to retreat. Finally, my vision restored enough to see a femme that I did not know standing above me. A femme who may be slightly taller than the bug and whose green optics were looking down at me with worry. Who was she to be so worried about,

"Are you alright?" My optics widened as the words left the femme's mouth. I didn't want to believe it and yet, my audios weren't lying to me. I knew that voice!

There was only one way I could respond. "Lizzie!?"

Pastel's 1st P.O.V.

I flinched as the mech that I had just saved said my soliform's designation in surprise. I knew I should have told them. Told them who and what I was from the start. But, my old distrust of anything Autobot had lingered. Despite getting to know these bots in their soliforms, and becoming friends with them, I had been scared. "My designation in this form is Pastel," I told Fable as I helped him to his pedes. The other two members of his team came over and, from how they were acting here, I had a feeling I knew who was who. The mech I had just saved was Raum. The brutal way he was attacking the mech in front of him.

"Li...Pastel. I think we need a brief explanation," The teal mech who I was sure was Micha asked as he and the mech I was sure was Michael joined us. The three bots who had been attacking them seemed to be regrouping.

So, I started my brief explanation. "My designation is Pastel and I have been on this planet for hundreds of stellars. I used to be an Autobot scout, living on Cybertron for stellars. However, I spoke up against corruption in the governing system on Cybertron and many bots in high places didn't appreciate that. They ended up arresting me on a bogus charge and gave me an ultimatum. Either I could leave Cybertron forever, or I would be arrested and would spend my entire existence in either the stockades or Trypticon Prison. So, I left Cybertron."

"And went rogue?" The bot that was Michael's true form asked me.

I nodded. "That's right Michael. I fled to make sure I could still speak out. However, my ship went off course and I ended up crashing here on Earth. I've made my place here, but I want to show Cybertron's elite that they cannot silence me any longer. Meeting you all, I was nervous about what sort of Autobots you all were. I was so glad to find you are ones that I can respect more than any bot I have ever found." I then looked between the three of them. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you." I then held my helm in shame. I should have told them a week ago. I had decided to trust them at that point.

When the three of them passed a look between themselves, I feared the worst. I knew that, given the regrouping bounty hunters on the other side of the clearing, they would make their decision about me quickly. I hoped they would allow me to stay close to them. I would do anything for them now, and I wanted a chance to show that.

Once the three of them nodded, I felt my intakes stall as Michael's true form spoke. "I am Sentinel Prime, known to you as Michael Lincoln. This is Trecke," He motioned to the teal mech next to him. "Known to you as Micha." He then motioned to the mech I had just saved, "And this is Fable, known to you as Raum." So, I had been right about who they were. Awesome! "Pastel," I paid attention as Sentinel, who I just registered held rank, spoke to me. "I wish to know if you would join my team as my scout?"

My optics widened at his request. I never expected him to invite me to his team. While I knew Autobots allowed neutrals, which was what I technically was, to be allowed onto teams, I was surprised that Sentinel had asked me. Even though he had known my soliform for a good while, he was only meeting my true form now. To ask me to be on his team, given everything I knew about him, was a surprise.

However, I knew how I wanted to answer. "Yes...I would be honored...I won't let you down."

"Pastel," Trecke started as the three mechs seemed to be looking over their injuries. None of us were letting them out of our sights, but this time to talk was precious and we needed to abuse it how we could. "Not that Fable doesn't appreciate you saving his worthless aft," Fable smirked at Trecke at that. That must be something I was going to have to get used to, "Why were you out here?"

His question caused a jolt of pain to enter my spark. I usually came out here when I was upset by something. And last night, something had happened that had caused me to feel so much pain and sadness, I needed to come out here in my true form to release it before I told the three mechs, in their soliforms, what happened. "This morning...I got a call from Dr. Ginsberg this morning. It was about 'Stasi." When Rhett Ginsberg's name had popped up on my caller ID, I knew something had been wrong. He normally didn't go into the hospital until late afternoon, unless he got a call.

"Pastel, what about Anastasia?" Sentinel pressed me. Out of the corner of my optic, I could see the bounty hunters had added another bot to their group and they were moving toward us.

"The hospital had called him last night to come in. She… 'Stasi… she's dead."


Sentinel: *shocked* You...you...

Fable: *growls* I will make sure you suffer for this Authoress!

Trecke: *Snarls* How dare she offline my love, my dear Anastasia!

Authoress: *hiding in a dark corner* I am so going to die.


AN: And here is the next exciting chapter! So many things happening and so much drama! So, I better start at the beginning. Bumblebee is surprised that Ratchet is the one that is supporting him in this training out of everybot who might at the base, and then they are sent to fight the Decepticons. Bumblebee, with his new training, notices that Starscream, at least, seems to be holding back in the fight. I wonder why? Of course, he is also worried about the fact that Team Apocalypse has not arrived yet.

Of course, then we go to Sentinel and learn that they were hunting down an energon signal before the notification that the Decepticons were attacking reached him. However, they are stopped by three neutrals...who have been hired to take out his team! Sentinel will not stand for that, obviously, and so a fight between the bots begins.

Then we move to Fable's point of view and slag gets real! I threw in some snippets that will be important later on, and I hope you caught them. This mech Delirium seems to have a lot of information on dear Fable, the newest member of Sentinel's team. I wonder what his brother and cousin have done to make them so infamous, and for them to have supposedly been removed from Fable's records? Of course, the mech eggs our dear Fable on so much that he loses concentration long enough for Delirium to take him by surprise and he almost offlines. But then who comes to his rescue...but Lizzie!

Okay, how many of you are mad that I changed the bot who has Lizzie as a soliform? I thought it would be fun. Anyways, you all get to meet the newest femme to my OC ranks called Pastel! She is a scout who speaks her processor about what she thinks may be going wrong, which caused her to be ostracized from Cybertron and removed from the Autobots. However, to her surprise, that didn't stop Sentinel from offering her a place on his team! Now Pastel makes up the newest member of Team Apocalypse as the information gathering scout!

And the information she brings. Just as the bounty hunters are gathering together, with another one to boot, she reveals why she was out there in the first place. Anastasia Elpis is dead! Plot twist! I guess you will all have to stick around for next time to find out how this battle for Team Apocalypse's survival ends!

Speaking about the next chapter, here are the tentative names of the next chapters!

Chapter 11: Laying Demons to Rest

Chapter 12: Brief Respite and Reconnection

Chapter 13:...(find out next time!)

And that is all for now! Please leave a review, or just say hi as a review! I really do appreciate it and reviews on stories put them in order for updating! With my job, I have to squeeze in time to type when I can so review motivation is key! Well, until next time, TTYL! *hiding from the wrath of Team Apocalypse*