V
"As I understand it, you were held captive by the Autobots for approximately three solar cycles."
Bee sat nervously in the chair across from the Councilman. Why was he so anxious? It was simple debriefing after a big mission. He should be used to this, he'd done it before with senior officers. Was it simply the fact that it was a Councilman? Did this simple fact change everything?
"Yes, sir."
"For such a young recruit, that must've been quite the experience."
"It was definitely a…unique experience, to say the least."
"Will you be able to identify any of the bots you have seen? After all, identifying known operatives will prevent spying and further terrorist activities."
"Of course."
The Councilman pulled from his desk a small tablet, handing it to Bumblebee. The screen showed various bots, some were known Autobots such as Ratchet, Knockout, Shockwave and Orion. There were several other pictures, bots he'd never seen before. He continued to scroll, seen bot after bot. He paused. Among the images were his assailants, the two Minicons and the bot. His finger hovered over the images.
"Did you find anyone you recognized?"
"Well, I…" mumbled Bee, setting the tablet on the desk. He gestured to the images of Ratchet and the others. "I mean, I did see these bots."
"What were your interactions with them?"
"I was…knocked out hard so I was partially damaged. The medics attended me."
"Would that be the cause of the shoddy repair to your faceplate?"
Bee cringed. He was aware that Knockout's cut upon his faceplate was damaging but he had completely forgotten about it until this point. With the bot had come back and done minor repairs to it, he'd yet to actually see the damage. The Councilman seemed disgusted by the sight of it, looking away with a scowl. Bee felt his grip tighten on the chair.
"That is to be expected of unlicensed bots claiming to be medics," huffed the Councilman. "I am glad you were able to come out with minimal damage at least. It's hard to find worthy recruits in these times."
Bee nodded, though the tension in his jaw remained.
"Did you see any others? Potential officers among the ranks?"
Bee opened his mouth, fully planning on explaining his conversations with Orion and yet nothing came out. Why hadn't he ratted out the three bots that had attacked him either? Why wasn't he explaining the events? Why was this so hard!?
"I thought I saw Optimus briefly."
The Councilman whipped his head around, optics focused tightly on Bee. There was an unimaginable amount of pressure on him. It felt as though he couldn't move, trapped in the gaze. It took a moment for Bee to realize what'd he had done. Optimus. Why had he said Optimus?
"Orion…I mean."
The Councilman shook his head, looking away. Bee watched him ring his hands. All Bee could think about was that he messed up. Orion and Optimus. This entire time, in his head, he'd just called him Orion. Why was it now, that he was talking aloud, he said Optimus? The Councilman remained silent, obviously deep in thought.
"I look forward to your…thorough report," the Councilman shook his head. "Megatron, please see Bumblebee out."
It was at that moment Bumblebee felt the looming presence behind him. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt, comparable only to that Orion doing their questions game. He felt the hand on his shoulder, compelling him to stand. He couldn't even look up at the bot beside him. The pressure seemed to shift around him, applying like a crushing force to his throat. He felt like he couldn't speak. By the time, he'd broken free of the spell, he was on the other side of the door.
A/N
Fun Fact!
I have "theme songs" for these books. Book 1 (Paradise) was "The World Belongs to Me" by My Darkest Days. Book 2 (Conspiracy) is "Come Undone" cover also by My Darkest Days.