A/N So, if anyone wants to know why Jazz feels the way he does, let me know! (So I can make something up...*coughcough*)

Raw energon lapped at his faceplate, waking him mere kliks after he landed at the bottom of the shaft. Startled, he tried to sit up and abruptly sank underneath the surface. It was probably one of the most terrifying feelings he could recall, right next to Megatron. He'd never seen so much energon at once before, he'd only heard about it from people like Seaspray and Beachcomber, who claimed they'd spent eons trying to create new energon from the cesspools of the Rust Sea. It all ran through him in a meaningless flash. All he knew was that he was drowning. Then something inside of him snapped and another part of him took over, a part that acted faster than it processed, and after a desperate struggle he resurfaced sputtering and coughing as his intakes shut again automatically. He wasn't sure how he'd done it, but he went with it. He forced himself to lie flat again, letting the current drag him along as before as he tried to think about anything other than the untested currents swirling underneath him. For starters: How the slag did I wind up down here?

Oh, yeah

Way to go, you idiot.

Slag. I thought I'd gotten rid of you.

Keep dreaming. Or better yet, keep moving before Starscream finds you.

Bee almost went under again. Starscream. He wished he could even consider the possibility that the Decepticon had stayed topside, but there was no way he could take that chance.

Praying that the strange quirk in his program wouldn't fail now, Bumblebee flipped over and held his servos out towards the shore. It continued to drift lazily by and Bumblebee felt like a moron.

Well, duh. It's not going to come to you now, is it?

A guy can hope, can't he? Bee growled back, hoping this wasn't a sign that he was going fritzwired like Cyclonus.

A moment later something hard hit his servo and he held tight. After a little investigation, Bee realized it was a pole of some sort. (Probably for measuring the energon levels, he guessed, or maybe I'm not the only glitch-head to trip into this mess.) With its help he was soon at the edge of the tunnel and up onto the small ledge running alongside the river.

After a shudder and a quick diagnostic Bee stood up. To his surprise, he actually felt a little better than he had earlier that day. Had the energon bath done that? He glanced at the river for a long klik.

Nah.

OIO

Starscream watched his prey dry himself off with some amusement. True, he'd been half hoping the fool would drown himself. After all, most city bots never even see energon flows like the ones running through these pipes, let alone learn to swim in them. Oh well. That just meant Starscream could have the fun for himself.

His right leg still twinged spasmodically from time to time. He'd had to repair himself again, since the new Constructicon recruits were "too busy building" for Hook to help with repairs. I'll give him something to be busy about if he doesn't revise that personality chip soon, though. Starscream mused irritably. Pompous fool, who does he think he is? Omega Supreme?

Bee was heading his way. Starscream slid farther back into the shadows. They felt good, just right for waiting to pounce on unfortunate Autobots that were suicidal enough to hurt him and think they could get away with it…

Bee's optics opened wide, but before he could vocalize a cry the Decepticon was upon him. They struggled madly for several breems. In absolute terror, Bee made a frantic attempt to escape, shoving the other bot as hard as he could he rolled to the side, desperately clambering to his pedes. Starscream's foot knocked him clean off his stabilizers again, and Bee flew several meters before crashing into the wall on the other side of the river.

OIO

He staggered to his feet. Starscream was still there, the shadows cast across his face hiding the malicious smirk playing across his features as he stepped boldly into the river and started to wade across. Terror coursed through Bumblebee's yellow form and he glanced around. There! An opening in the wall farther down the pipe! If he could just reach it in time he might be able to…

"Why aren't you calling for help yet, Autobot?" Starscream asked. The usual screech in his voice was overlaid with the silky croon of a predator. "Because you know it won't do you any good? Or is it something more?"

He was so close now. Bumblebee was close too. He decided to take a risk and bolted. A slight hum and the shriek of laser fire and the tunnel's exit collapsed. Bee stumbled and slowed to a halt, outlined by the constant purple glow of the energon stream.

He could hear Starscream climb out of the flow behind him. The Decepticon cackled, no doubt studying the tense form of his cornered prey. "Shall we begin, then?"

OIO

The bad feeling hit Jazz like the surges. Something was very, very wrong. What could it be? Something he was missing…no, someone was missing. Someone who should be here…and it wasn't just Bumblebee. He glared as flier after flier rushed at him, trying to drag him down. Someone was missing! Who was it? Someone important…a fist cracked across his faceplate and all thoughts were once again banished as he struggled for his life.

OIO

Beneath the surface, Bumblebee was fighting to breathe. Starscream laughed as he let the bot resurface again, a full three breems after forcing him under. He was instantly shoved against the wall with enough force to crack his exoskeleton. His groan was accompanied by a weak splutter. Starscream lifted the bot's chin with one finger. "You know, you really are pathetic, even if you are stubborn."

The hand against his chest was beginning to make a dent. His repair systems were beginning to offline, too low on fuel to keep repairing him. Starscream flung him to the ground again, his shoulders just over the edge. The energon twisted beneath him as it sped by, taunting him. Starscream put a hand on his back.

"Why don't you just scream, Autobot? That's all I really want right now. Just beg for mercy and I'll let you live."

Yeah right.

Bee felt coolant well in his optics. He wanted to. That traitorous, frightened part of him that wanted so desperately to live battered at him. But even if he did want to, he just couldn't do what Starscream had asked.

Star growled. "Oh well. It's your funeral." He grabbed Bumblebee by the back, ready to thrust him under the surface again for Primus knew how long this time. A tiny squeak escaped his vocalizer.

Starscream seemed to freeze in place. Then he suddenly yanked the poor bot upright and turned him to face him. Bee watched mutely as Star's optics flickered back and forth between Bee's vocalizer and his damaged voicebox. Realization flooded his optics. "So that's why you haven't called…"

A tiny smirk grew quickly into raucous laughter. "They sent you out here without a voice? Are the Autobots truly that stupid? It's a miracle they have thrived for so long…" His optics focused on Bee and his smirk returned, somehow more menacing than ever. "Or are you the stupid one?"

Bee slammed into the wall again. Warning lights flashed at the edges of his optics. Diagnostics said he was about to offline.

"They don't even know you're here…do they, Autobot?"

Bee's optics shuttered. He couldn't bear to see the glow that had entered his captor's eyes. Things were about to get a whole lot worse.

OIO

The fliers finally left, with roughly a quarter of the energon the Autobots had gathered. Most of the rest was scattered or had exploded spectacularly during the fight. Reinforcements in the form of Wheeljack, Brawn, Blurr, Ratchet, and Optimus Prime himself had arrived just in time.

Jazz helped Wheeljack load Prowl into Ratchet's trunk and remained standing long after the medic had driven onto the ship. The battle fog was clearing from his optics, and the odd nagging feeling had returned.

Nearby, Kup let out a low whistle. "Looks like them Seekers really laid it on ya."

"YeahyouguysareluckyweshowedupBecauseifwehadn'tshownupyou'dallbeslaggednowandthenwe'dhaveto…"

Ironhide waved a tired hand at Blurr. "Please shut up until my processor stops achin' like the Pits."

Brawn patted his friend on the shoulder joint with a grin and looked at Mirage. "Still, I guess we're pretty lucky. No fatalities and a few cubes to drag home. Starscream must have been in bad form today!"

Mirage frowned and shifted uncomfortably. "Actually…Starscream wasn't even here this time."

"Yes he was." Jazz said suddenly as everything snapped into place. "He was here at the very beginning. He's the one who shot Prowl." He blinked. "I saw him up there, right by where…" Where Bumblebee was hiding last.

He spun around, yanking his comlink online, and began shouting frantically. He knew he sounded hysterical, but he didn't care. "Bumblebee! Come in!" I shoulda told the others… "COME IN, BUMBLEBEE!" Starscream hates Bumblebee. "Please, come in! Bumblebee!!!"

OIO

Bumblebee could hear Jazz's voice in his head, echoing over the comlink. He didn't know how Jazz knew, but it didn't matter. He couldn't respond. He wished he could. He wished he could call them…beg them to make the nightmare stop. Starscream's chuckle broke through his thoughts as the Decepticon continued to rant, mocking him, torturing him even more.

Something strange happened to Bumblebee then. Jealousy hit him. He was actually jealous of Starscream. Jealous about one simple fact: he could talk. Bumblebee couldn't.

Jazz's voice seemed to break up slightly, as though he were giving up. Maybe he'd realized how pointless it was. His comlink was useless unless a bot spoke into it.

Unless a bot spoke into it…I can't talk…Starscream can

It was his last chance, the final gambit for his life. He took it.

His comlink flickered to life.

OIO

Jazz could hear the emotion choking his words. Images of his little buddy flashed rapidly through his head. He couldn't be dead. But there was no way Starscream would let him come back alive, either…and without a voice to guide him to Bee's position, they might never even find the body …

Stop that! He practically screamed at himself. That sorta talk isn't gonna help him either. There has to be a way! If Bee's al…Bee will find a way if there is one…He'll find a way!

"Bumblebee…" His vocalizer cracked and coolant welled in his eyes. He felt the others' stares. The ground shook softly as Optimus took a step towards him.

"Jazz, what is going on?"

The smaller bot turned, slowly. Complete and total helplessness overwhelming his circuitry. He felt himself going limp, shaking like a tin can. "Bumblebee…" He whispered. "Why did he come….why…Please come in, Bee…Starscream…Please Bee…?" The comlink hung loosely at his side, static buzzing through it.

Optimus's optics widened as he realized what had happened. He wheeled to the others. "Fan out! Search every inch of the surrounding area! Kup, start loading the energon, we'll take it home as soon as possible. Blurr, you stick with Jazz in case he…"

He stopped mid-sentence. Everyone turned to stare at Jazz, who looked blankly at his communicator. Then it flickered again. A familiar voice started to leak over the connection. It wasn't Bee's.

"…for a while I thought Megatron…finished you…frustrating…wanted to destroy…myself…surprised I was…you delivered yourself into…claws…stupid…"

"Starscream?" Optimus glanced at Jazz, who just kept staring dumbly at the comlink on his wrist as if it were an alien life form.

"Slagging brilliant…" Kup murmured. Everyone wheeled towards him. "He can't speak himself, so he's letting that braggart Starscream tell everyone exactly where he is without having to say a word."

"He's alive, then." Jazz breathed.

Optimus nodded, grim as ever. "For now. Lock onto that signal, Blurr. Jazz, join him at the point. We need to hurry if we want to reach Bumblebee in time."

OIO

Primus, make it stop…

OIO

He was fading. Starscream was finally getting bored. It would end soon now. The ploy hadn't worked. They weren't coming.

OIO

"Prime! I'm losing the signal!" Jazz cried out.

"Keep going! We're close now!" Optimus ordered, His processor spun. Just hold on, Bumblebee. We'll be there soon.

OIO

Never give up

Who'd said that? Was it Optimus?

Never surrender…

No…an oath he'd made. A long time ago…

If he was going out, he was going out like an Autobot, fighting to the end.

OIO

"I've got it again!" Jazz shouted. "Just a little further now…"

If it was possible to stumble in vehicle mode, Jazz did it. His voice was hollow when he spoke again. "It's gone. It just cut off."

Blurr shook. "What'sthatsuppose'tamean?"

Optimus said nothing. He just floored it and sped past them both.

OIO

Starscream had been thoroughly enjoying himself. He'd only dreamed of an opportunity like this, a victim alone with no one coming to save them, all the time in the world. It had been perfect, and while the tiny squeals Bee's vocalizer managed to produce were not true screams, they were still satisfying in a way that fed his hunger for revenge in an almost substantial fashion.

Without warning, the faint sound of rushing engines filtered into his audio receptors. How?!

Then he saw the comlink. The activation light was glowing brightly. Starscream realized what had happened in an astro-klik. Bumblebee flinched as Star's fury flooded his face. "Bad move, Autobot. Brilliant, but stupid."

His fist cracked across the Autobot's head and Bee crumpled to the ground, offline and near deactivation. Starscream glared at him, ready to blast the little glitch to the Pits. Instead he turned and transformed, zipping off down the maze of tunnels with remarkable ease for a flier underground.

This isn't over, Autobot. You'd better pray I don't catch you alone ever again.

A/N: You might not believe it, but I actually LOVE Starscream. Unfortunately, when I started this story Bumblebee was my favorite (I'd only watched the big movie), so Starscream has to stay the bad guy. [For now, anyway…]

No, I am not going to explain what exactly happened to Bee after things got "a whole lot worse"…at least not for a while…unless you really want me to…

Also, that little quirk about Starscream being fine with flying underground? Yeah, that's related to another story I'm writing about him. My only hint: Starscream wasn't always a flier.

A/N That little tidbit near the beginning was Bumblebee learning how to swim. It made sense that most Cybertronians don't learn how to swim, since the majority of liquids on their planet are raw forms of energon. I'm not sure if I'll explain the "backup" program that saved him, so for now I'll blame it on Bee's seemingly bottomless well of good luck! (He'll need every drop of it in the next few chapters!)

One last note: Yes, I AM evil and without shame. Mwahaha…