Chapter 10: The Rookies

"Seaspray! How've you been?!" Bumblebee exclaimed, running up and hugging the hovercraft.

"Bee?! No way, they didn't tell me you were assigned here!" Seaspray replied excitedly. "How much action do you get up here?"

"None!" Bumblebee replied. "I'm in training." His smile faded a little.

"Oh it's all good, I am too. I haven't actually run a mission yet." Seaspray said, patting him on the shoulder. "So we're in the same boat."

"Did he just say...he hasn't run a mission yet?" Optimus asked Prowl.

Prowl sighed.

"Ultra Magnus did warn me that he's not exactly...active."

Optimus covered his face with his hand and let out a long, frustrated vent.

"Prowl, you do understand that this mission has long lasting ramifications..."

"I do." Prowl replied. "I'm going with my gut. I think he's our best shot. And you're going to disagree with me, but I think Bumblebee is too."

Optimus looked up at him quickly.

"No."

"Optimus..."

"No." Optimus repeated firmly. "He's not on active duty either, beyond long range scouting, he is not ready for this."

Prowl walked into a side hallway so as to be out of the view of the other mechs.

"Optimus, I get that you like him, I get that he's young..."

"He's little more than a child. And as Ironhide has plainly stated, he is not yet ready." Optimus interrupted. "This is not about my personal feelings for him, he is not up to a mission of this nature."

Prowl looked back out at Bumblebee as he introduced Seaspray to Ironhide.

"Optimus. We all want Bumblebee to succeed. We all see his potential. But he's not going to learn how to be a soldier in this hangar. Or in a training room. He has to go out there and be tested. Just as we all were."

"He's right." A voice said, from the back of the hallway.

Mirage decloaked next to them.

"Forgive me for eavesdropping. I was hanging out in this hallway, trying to..." he trailed off. "Trying to disappear. Prowl is right, Optimus. Bumblebee is ready for duty. He needs a push, and this is that push."

Optimus turned to Mirage, frowning.

"Why would you wish to disappear?" He asked.

Mirage sighed, leaning against the hallway with one arm.

"It's been tough since I lost...it doesn't matter. Everybody loses somebody. It doesn't excuse anything. And I truly want to apologize for stowing away on our last mission, Prime, that was uncharacteristic of me and I am so sorry. I will accept any punishment you wish to impose..."

"I'm putting you in command of a very important mission." Optimus interrupted.

Mirage's optics widened.

"That...wasn't what I expected. But okay. I accept."

"You're going to be flowing through an energon River into the veins of a buried Titan." Prowl stated as bluntly as he could. "You have to get inside, and kill it before Megatron wakes it up."

Mirage stared blankly back at him.

"Okay."

"You're taking a small stealth team with you." Optimus continued. "We haven't yet decided on who exactly, but..."

"Jazz." Mirage stated, optics shifting from Prowl to Optimus. "I'll need Jazz. Bumblebee as you said will come. He's a good scout, I'll need him."

"You'll have Seaspray, our transfer from Tetrahex. He's an aquatic specialist, he'll help get you in."

Mirage nodded. "All I need now is someone who's familiar with this...Titan's anatomy." He concluded. "Someone who can give me an idea of what I'm going to be dealing with."

Optimus and Prowl exchanged a look.

"I think we both know who that is." Prowl muttered.

"I'll tell him." Optimus replied, turning and walking out of the hallway. "He'll be less irritable if he hears it from me."

"You want me to go inside WHAT?!" Ratchet exclaimed, a surgical scalpel in his hand, his expression aghast.

"Inside the Titan. More specifically, it's veins." Optimus replied. "You know anatomy better than anyone here. We need to neutralize it's spark."

Ratchet slammed the scalpel down on the table and began pacing the room.

"Optimus...I haven't been in combat in some time."

"A year." Optimus replied. "Ratchet, understand that I would not ask this of you if I didn't need you for this. All of Cybertron is at risk. This mission cannot fail."

"And what if it does, Optimus?" Ratchet asked. "What if this thing wakes up, what if we don't kill it in time?"

Optimus sighed, and looked down at a medical display.

"If What Metroplex has told me is correct...it will be an apocalypse level event. Trypticon will attempt to raze Cybertron. We cannot let that happen."

Ratchet tried to get a hold of himself, shaking his hands feverishly.

"Okay." He said after a few deep vents. "Okay. Yeah. I'll do it. Won't be anyone to fix up if we fail. So why not?"

Optimus put a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, old friend. You will succeed. I promise you."

Ratchet nodded, looking out the window, at the afternoon sun.

"Is your matrix telling you that?"

Optimus felt an answer come to mind right away. But he didn't say it.

Instead, he lied.

"Yes." He said firmly. "It is."

"Starscream!" Megatron called, climbing up the ridge, to where his seeker commander stood. "Any sign of autobot activity?"

"Of course not." Starscream replied. "You see the defenses we have set up. They know not to come here." He sneered.

"You sound awfully confident." Megatron replied. "Optimus Prime is no fool. It is only a matter of time until he figures out what we're doing here. They'll come."

"You always did think too much of that wretch." Starscream muttered.

Megatron turned and glared at the mech.

"Did I?"

"Always." Starscream replied in a nasty tone. "You used to go on about how you would make a decepticon out of him, about how he would be your first officer. Quite a decepticon he turned out to be."

"It was wishful thinking." Megatron replied. "I've been cursed with incompetent officers of late." He snarled, optics boring into Starscream's.

Starscream gritted his teeth and let out a squeal of frustration.

"The day will come when you show me the respect I deserve. The respect I've earned!"

"Oh?" Megatron asked. He leaned forward, getting into Starscream's face. "You haven't earned anything in your entire life. Least of all respect. You think I've forgotten your attempted insurrection against me? I have a long memory Starscream. For you, respect must be taken. Because I guarantee it will not be earned."

Starscream stared back in rage filled frustration at the mech.

But he did nothing. Said nothing. He merely sagged his shoulders.

"Now...seeker commander...keep your optics on the horizon. And notify me if you see vehicles, or a...flying space dragon...approaching from any direction."

Starscream glared at him as he walked away.

"As you command, lord Megatron."