This was a bad idea. This was a really really bad idea. But thinking about it and agreeing that it was a bad idea wouldn't fix the problem.

Someone betrayed them. And because of that, many lives were lost.

Bumblebee stayed in the darkness of the abandoned building, silent as ever with his senses on high alert. He heard nothing in the sudden stillness of the night, but that meant nothing. The enemy was just as crafty, they had proven that much. He slowly emerged, his weapon out and ready.

"Smokescreen," he said through the private comm link. "Smokescreen?"

Nothing.

Dread filled Bumblebee's spark as he realized what his friend's sudden silence meant. But he pushed it away, determined to go on. He had too. They must complete their mission. He could see his target was in sight. A simple relic, but a relic with meaning. Stealing it would mean victory despite the sacrifices it took to get here.

He made his way forward, stopping when he gazed at the opening in front of him. The rooftop was missing, allowing the light of Cybertron's moons to shine down on the pedestal that was in the middle of the room. He would be vulnerable out in the open. And he still had to make it back to base. He listened intently, just as Prowl had taught him. Trust your instincts, never make a move when in doubt.

"I'll cover for you," a sudden voice said over the private comm link.

Bumblebee nearly leaped out of his metal armor at the sudden and unexpected voice. But he forced himself to remain still as his optics scanned the area around him. "Where are you?" he asked, recognizing the voice as Sideswipe. Though not one he would prefer to be stuck with, he was better than nothing.

"Duh, right behind you."

Bumblebee slowly turned his helm, but saw no one inside with him. "What?"

"I'm a few clicks back. I can see you, so you might want to change your position. But here's the deal. You make a break for the relic while I set up a distraction."

Bumblebee shook his helm, even though Sideswipe would not be able to see it. "That only means one of us leaves here alive," he argued.

"This is war," came the grim response. "And we fight for our fallen brothers."

Bumblebee thought of Smokescreen, and possibly Sunstreaker, and was suddenly filled with determination. "On your mark," he agreed.

"Wait for the signal."

Not a moment later, and Sideswipe emerged from cover, blasters blazing. A shout went out that shattered the silent night. Bumblebee could hear the rush of hidden femmes and mechs as they went after Sideswipe. Bumblebee took that as his cue and sprinted on ahead, moving with such speed that would have made Prowl proud of him. The relic was in sight. His servo closed around the small, round object, his optics taking in it's simplicity.

Movement to his right caught his attention, and he ducked, avoiding the blaster shot that hit the empty pedestal. He glared up at the small femme, his optics widening.

"Moonracer?" he gasped in shock. "You're the traitor?"

She shrugged. "Not much to say on that," she said simply, aiming her weapon at him.

Bumblebee didn't give her time to react as he threw the relic high up and into the air, Moonracer following its movements. But that left her distracted, allowing Bumblebee to attack. Moonracer brought up her servos in self defense, only to have her pedes kicked out from under her. The relic bounced to the ground, and Bumblebee could have sworn that the loud 'ping' was the only sound everyone heard.

Bumblebee scooped up the relic, making a run for it. Like a pack of rabid scraplets, guards rushed at him. A small part of him noted that it was by sheer luck that he had avoided Moonracer's shoots. She was after all, very talented in that department.

"I got your back!" Sideswipe shouted, popping out of nowhere. "Get back to base!"

Bumblebee was torn, but he knew the object in his servos was valuable, and they could not afford to lose it. He heard a blaster shot ring out, and he turned to see Smokescreen run by, weapons out.

"Where did you get two weapons?" Bumblebee demanded, relieved to see his friend.

He shrugged. "From the bodies." Bumblebee didn't question any further.

"Here, take the relic," he said, shoving it in Smokescreen's servos.

Smokescreen gaped. "Where are you going?"

"Sideswipe is still out there," he replied. "And Moonracer is the traitor. Besides," he gestured to his leg, which had been shot. "It'll only take one more lucky shot before I'm done for. You'll make it back to base faster without me."

Smokescreen shook his helm, his mouth twitching. "No, I will not abandon you!"

"You must, for the sake of all that we fought for," Bumblebee said firmly, shoving his friend forward before running back the way he had come. He didn't look back to make sure his friend was not following. Smokescreen knew what to do. Or, he should.

He charged forward, shooting at anything that moved. He didn't check to see if his shots hit their targets, he just kept shooting. At one point, everything becomes a target as your surroundings become a blur.

A sudden, loud horn rang out, causing everyone to freeze. "Attention players!" a sudden voice rang out. "Red team is the winner!"

Cheers rang out, Bumblebee's one of them. "We did it!" Sideswipe shouted. "Ha! In your face Mirage!"

"I think you cheated!" the mech shouted back.

"Oh yeah? Wanna beat?"

And the bickering continued, and Bumblebee tuned them out. "Nice job," he commented to Moonracer who strode forward.

She grinned. "Not bad yourself. Though I was dropping massive hints that I was the traitor. The only one who picked it up was Hot Rod!"

"Which was why he was taken out so suddenly," Bumblebee groaned, wanting to smack himself. "How did we miss that?"

She shrugged, her grin growing. "You're learning."

"Did you enjoy your first time playing Territory?" a sudden, familiar voice asked.

Bumblebee turned to see Arcee coming forward, the harmless guns slung over her shoulder. "Yeah," he agreed excitedly. "But it was intense, there were moments when I truly feared for my life!" He noted, that unlike him, Arcee had no blue paint from any of the paint bullets. One lucky sniper managed to hit Bumblebee in the leg. One more shot, and he would have been out of the game.

Arcee laughed. "You did good for your first time, though. Have you been practicing?"

"Prowl insists that we learn the art of stealth," he answered. "Tonight was a great opportunity for me to test out all that I've learned."

"When you gave out the rules that said 'Don't laugh,' I thought you were joking!" Smokescreen complained, coming up.

Arcee shrugged, still grinning. "You'd be surprised, laughter can be very dangerous."

"I thought I was going to bust out laughing on the whole, 'I will not leave you'!" Smokescreen continued, throwing his servos up.

Bumblebee chuckled. "I know! Were you trying to make me laugh and blow the whole mission? I bet you've been watching those drama vid's with Prowl again."

"No!" Smokescreen stuttered.

Arcee laughed. "You should have been here last time. We had Hot Rod go out, professing his love for Ark. She shot him, which gave away the relics location."

"Love can be deadly," Smokescreen nodded with a grin.

Bumblebee forced himself to think about the game they had just won, and not about the Selection. Now was not the time. He was enjoying himself, and he would not think about any arrangements or future mate's in a loveless bond.

"But it's the deadliness that makes it so alluring," Hot Rod piped up, joining in. "And a femme already shot me when I confessed my love. I think the worse is behind me."

For some reason, the image of Bumblebee's future mate shooting him was not as terrifying as one would think-No! Not thinking about it. Think about fun! Think about the game!

"What's with the rules?" he blurted out suddenly, earning him a confused look from Smokescreen.

Arcee looked up, thinking. "You mean; Don't laugh, Death shot's and you're out, Two shot's you're out. No foul play?"

"The don't laugh part," he said quickly.

She smirked. The look seemed right on her, for some reason. It added a look of alluring mystery to her, along with the twinkle in her optics that added to the secrecy that only she knew. "You'd be surprised what one can do when trying to act serious. Plus, it's more of a stupid rule than anything else. But it's there."

He nodded, his thoughts elsewhere. "Gotcha."

The walk back to the Hut was filled with laughter and some arguing over who won fairly and who cheated. Bumblebee let it all fade into background noise, content with living on the Red team's brief victory. So caught up in his musings, he missed what Arcee was saying.

"I'm sorry," he said, embarrassed. "Could you repeat that?"

Arcee huffed. "Do you spar? I noticed your fighting style in how you engaged the enemy."

"Um, a little. I mean, I know how to handle myself with a sword. But I prefer blasters."

Arcee grinned. "Think you're a good shot?"

Bumblebee found himself raising an optic ridge at the silent challenge. "I hit what I'm aiming for," he replied. He could hear Smokescreen groan.

"If you two are going to the target range, we might as well have stayed home with our guardians," the white mech mumbled,

Bumblebee frowned. "Shooting is fun."

Smokescreen rolled his optics. "Whatever. I'm going to do some actual fun." And with that, he strolled off towards the Hut.

"Just what is this supposed to accomplish?" Chromia asked, folding her arms. Her stance was not quite challenging, but it was firm.

Optimus sighed, silently glaring at the blue femme who just shrugged. "I mean," she continued. "What if Bumblebee meets a different Decepticon, and falls in love with her instead? Wouldn't that mess everything up? Was Starscream not aware of that?"

"Starscream's intentions are not entirely clear, as of yet," Optimus replied. "But Bumblebee is already aware of the risks. He is a smart mech, and I do not think we have to worry about him developing feelings for the wrong femme."

Chromia frowned, worry in her optics. "But Optimus, while he might know that, the spark does many strange things."

"I am aware of that," Optimus said. "And we will keep an eye on him. But this is also a perfect opportunity for him to develop possible ties with the Decepticons. This was not set up in the hopes that Bumblebee would meet his mate by chance. Even I hold no such hopes. But he can develop other lasting relationships with the Selected Decepticons."

Chromia's optics narrowed. "So this is nothing more than a political opportunity?"

This is what the relationship between him and Chromia had come to. They both cared for each other, that had never changed. But Bumblebee always came first, and Chromia fought for him and for his rights. Even after years of arguing, she still resented the arrangement between the Autobots and Decepticons. But she understood that peace was important. And over time, she forgave Optimus, and for that, he was grateful. He valued the friendship they had, and there were times when he wondered if it had ever been lost in the first place. But that did not mean she still had her moments, like right now.

"No," he said. "This is more than an opportunity. The Autobots and Decepticons will come to an end. And we need to make that quite clear to Cybertron. We cannot rebuild our home with two warring factions."

Her frown deepened. "Isn't there a better way for Bumblebee to get to know the Decepticon Heir without...knowing who she is?"

Optimus also frowned. "That would be impossible."

"What about those datapads you and Megatron put together a while ago?" she asked suddenly. "It seemed to have worked. Bumblebee was so excited."

The datapad project had been a way for the two Heirs to communicate by sending messages to each other. For a short time, it seemed to work. But they had to put a stop to the messages as it became too dangerous. Someone had come to close to hacking into the messages, and Megatron had decided that it would be best for them to stop before anything else happened. And Optimus had reluctantly agreed, and that had been the last of the messages.

He would have said so to Chromia, except Jazz decided to pop in at that moment.

"How is he?" Optimus asked, looking at Jazz expectantly.

Jzz beamed. "Kid's doing great! I'll say he's having the time of his life! If Prowl had been there, he would have been beaming with pride over Smokes and Bees skills."

Optimus raised an optic ridge. "Oh?"

"Yeah! See, there's this game the younglings play. Called Territory. Anyway, you have two teams trying to steal the other teams relic. Each bot get's a gun loaded with paint. Two shots or a death shot, and you're outta the game. But there's always one traitor on the two teams, and ya gotta watch out and make sure you don't get stabbed in the back." Jazz's smile widened. "I'm telling you, Bee and Smokescreen were acting like pros." He paused. "Except for being melodramatic at some points. But it was great!" He looked at Optimus. "I can keep an eye on him a couple more nights if you'd like. But I think he's fine."

Optimus nodded. "Wait a few days, and then we will see."

Jazz shrugged. "That's cool. I need to scope out the place anyways, just to be sure." He sighed. "Makes me want to be a kid again."

Chromia hummed. "And I'm sure you participated in a few of those games yourself, huh?" she teased.

Jazz scowled. "I gotta keep my aim sharp."

"And how does racing keep one's aim sharp?" she asked, raising an optic ridge.

"Keeps me fit so I don't lose my flow," he defended.

"Uh huh. I'll be sure to tell Prowl and Ironhide that you're worried about losing flow," she said with a mischievous smirk. "I bet they'll love hearing this."

Jazz sputtered. "It's not exactly illegal to go hang out at a hangout!"

"But what would Prowl think about the bets you've placed? And with his own account?" Chromia said with a devilish smirk. "Granted, he gets all the credits that comes in, so you weren't stealing from him. But I wonder just what he'd have to say to that."

Jazz sputtered. "You wouldn't dare!" But Chromia wasn't listening as she strode out the door. Jazz spun to look at Optimus, optics wide. "Stop her Prime!"

But Optimus frowned. "You used Prowl's accounts?" And with that, Jazz was running after Chromia. Optimus sighed, rubbing his helm. Well, that at least explained the sudden new paint job that Prowl came in with. Though he was curious as to who else's account Jazz had gotten into.

"So what's the point of having a traitor in the game?" Bumblebee asked as Arcee took another shot at the target, hitting it dead center. The outside was cool and clear with the wide field around them. The Hut was not far, as they could still hear the noise. It was peaceful outside, save for the occasional shooting.

She lowered her weapon. "The traitor can take out as many players as they want, but they cannot steal the relic. But capturing a traitor is an advantage to the other team, as you get extra points. So if, lets say, Red Team captured a traitor, but no one had managed to capture the relic when the time has run out, Red Team than stands a good chance at winning."

Bumblebee nodded. "Gotcha. And the no laughing rule?"

She shot him a look. "You're still stuck on that?"

"Who isn't!"

She chuckled, turning her attention back to the target. Bumblebee had to admit, she was a good shot. He had already taken his turn, and was know content to just sit and watch. It was easy to talk with Arcee, despite having just met her. Not that he had ever had any difficulty talking to Cybertronians. Quite the opposite, in fact. But Arcee made him feel comfortable. She was...interesting.

Three quick shots rang out with swift accuracy. Bumblebee whistled. "Nice shot." He smirked. "Though your last one missed the center."

She huffed. "The dust was in my optics."

He narrowed his optics. "What dust?"

She kicked her pede. "That dust."

"Oh! Are we shooting?" a sudden voice exclaimed.

Bumblebee beamed, turning to see Moonracer coming forward. "Hey Moony. Just finishing up. Care to show us how it's done?"

The green femme grinned. "Don't mind if I do." She looked at Arcee, smiling brightly. "Arcee, right? I'm Moonracer."

Arcee inclined her helm politely. "Pleasure to meet you, Moonracer." She frowned, optics twinkling with interest. "You shoot?"

Moonracer shrugged as she scanned the weapons on the rack. "I dabble."

Bumblebee rolled his optics. "Quit being so modest. You're an excellent shot."

Moonracer hummed. "I suppose so."

Bumblebee turned to Arcee. "Just watch," he mouthed.

Moonracer finally made her pick, choosing a sniper rifle. She strode toward a different target, setting up her weapon with quick and practiced ease. Than, she narrowed her optics, before taking four, rapid shots that shattered the silent night.

After a moment, Arcee got up to check the target. "Whoa!" her startled shout exclaimed, causing Bumblebee to chuckle. Arcee came back, her optics wide. "You dabble?" she demanded. "No, no, no. That is talent. You didn't even miss one! And all four shots were front and center!"

Moonracer grinned. "Not bad yourself," she said, nodding to Arcee's target. "It almost becomes memory to me, like the weapon feels right in my servos." She glared at Bumblebee. "Though I can't believe I missed you in the game! I came back here to prove to myself that I've still got it."

"You lost them," a sudden voice said beside Bumblebee. He turned to see a familiar Cybertronian stride toward him, wearing a grin. Bumblebee smiled. "I figured as much," he said to Powerglide.

"You're part of the Selection?" he heard Moonracer ask. And just like that, the subject Bumblebee had been trying to avoid came back in full swing. He resisted the groan that was building up, letting out a sigh instead.

"Yeah," Arcee said. "And I assume you are as well?"

Moonracer nodded as she adjusted her sniper rifle. "Tonight might be the last one we get of peace and quiet for a while. Everyone's going to be watching us like scraplets." She sighed. "I'm treasuring it while I can."

Bumblebee hadn't thought of that. But now that he did, he should have probably asked Optimus what he should be expecting with their Decepticon visitors. Was there a certain way he was supposed to act? Were there places he had to be or events he had to attend? He doubted it, as Optimus would have told way before their guests had arrived. But everything was usually done at the last minute, to avoid propaganda and the threat of any terrorist attack.

"Bee? You in there?" Moonracer asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He grinned, hoping to appear casual. "Never left," he said.

Moonracer raised an optic ridge while glancing at Arcee. "And he calls me 'Moony.' Well, I'll be seeing you guys around." She looked back at Arcee with a grin. "I hope to catch up with you some other time."

Arcee nodded as she placed her weapon back on the rack. "I look forward to it."

Moonracer beamed, looking back up at Powerglide. "Shall we?" she asked, offering her arm.

He bowed. "It would be my pleasure," he said with a grin.

Bumblebee watched the two go, his helm tilted. He knew Moonracer and Powerglide were friendly, and it had never bothered her what others might think about her friendships. Sometimes he wondered if he could have that sort of freedom. Not that it would matter. No one payed much attention to Bumblebee now, as he was just a member of the Selection. But when the announcements were made and he bonded with the Decepticon Heir, then everyone would be watching him. His past actions would be brought up, that much he knew. Moonracer was right, he should cherish moments like this.

"Might as well go inside," Arcee said, walking forward after she had checked and put her rifle back.

Bumblebee nodded. "Yeah."

She looked at him, tilting her helm. "You alright?"

"I'm overwhelmed," he found himself saying before he could stop himself. Primus, why did he do that? He didn't even know this femme well enough, so why did he just blurt this out? "Tonight was fun," he said quickly. "I never played Territory before."

"It's a common game back in Kaon," Arcee said simply. "I get to practice a lot with my instructors. They can be brutal, and some of them are perfectionists and I used to curse them for putting me through such misery. But it all payed off in the end."

He chuckled for a reason unknown to him. "I never understood why Ironhide put me through such training," he commented. For self-defense, he could understand. But some of the techniques he was taught were a bit extreme, as he had come to realize over the years.

Arcee frowned. "The weapons specialist?" she asked.

Bumblebee nodded. "Yeah."

"Prime's weapons specialist personally trained you?"

Bumblebee's steps faltered, and he fought to school his features so as not to show panic. "Yes, he did." Scrap. But no big deal, right? Ironhide trained many Cybertronians before. Just because Bumblebee was personally trained by him should not mean anything to Arcee at all. After all, it wasn't like Optimus Prime himself had chosen Ironhide to train Bumblebee because he was anyone special. At least, he hoped that's what Arcee would think.

Scrap.

But Arcee just nodded. "That's very interesting. His technique is very unique in some ways." But Bumblebee could read the look on her face. It was a look he had seen Elita and Chromia give their mates when they knew the mechs were hiding something. It was also a hidden warning that they would find out what was going on. But, Arcee was no Elita and Chromia. So maybe…

Maybe he was reading too much into it, he thought. Maybe he was too wound up and nervous. Primus! He really needed to get out more if the stress of life was getting to him this much.

"The scraplet project, how is that one going?" he asked suddenly. It was then he made a mental note to work on acting subtle.

Arcee groaned. "No, we are not talking about that. I gathered what I could and have everything ready. But I despise not being prepared, and I cannot help but feel like I am missing something."

Bumblebee shrugged. "It was just a dare. They could have had you doing something much worse."

She nodded. "I suppose so. Though, a project on the predacons would have been interesting."

Bumblebee blinked. "Really? Why?"

"I have seen some of the Decepticon scientists working on predacon bones," she explained. "And I grew up learning about them, so I find it rather fascinating. Though, not much is known about the predacons."

"Well, they're not going to dare you to do something easy," Bumblebee commented.

"True," she replied. "It can never be easy, can it?"

Bumblebee thought about the work his guardians did, and how stressed and worn out they were. He thought about the many stories he heard of the battles they fought, and what they had accomplished. No, it was never easy. But the end was worth it. It had to be. "No, I suppose not," he said.

Author's Note: So, quick question. Who is Moonracer actually shipped with? I am unsure who she, in canon, get's together with. Does she wind up with Powerglide, or Mirage? And the same goes for Smokescreen; who does he wind up with? Your replies would be very helpful, and I would appreciate it.