Mixed-Up 2: Alternate Reality
Chapter 1: How Long Were We Gone?
It was dark; it was always dark these days. Bumblebee ran a servo lightly over the rough bark of a tree, enjoying the feeling. While he didn't get the same pleasure out of it that…that others did he could understand their fascination better. He smiled softly and patted the tree before moving on. He walked down the street, being careful to avoid the potholes and cracks in the pavement. He had learned the hard way that twisted knee joints hurt like slag. Suddenly he stopped and listened. He could hear voices coming from in front of him; very familiar voices at that. He broke into a run, his pedes making no sounds as they hit the ground.
Despite the fact that he was somewhat used to the dizzying sensation Optimus still groaned when the portal spat him out. He remained lying face down on the ground for several minutes, waiting for the world to stop spinning. Once it did he sat up slowly and looked around. As far as he could tell they were in the same place that they had been when the portal appeared. They were directly in front of the woods as they had just been about to turn around and head back to the base. Things looked…different but that was to be expected. The grass beneath their pedes was brown instead of its normal green color. The trees were all either dead or dying; a few leaves still clung to the branches as if trying to hold onto the last semblance of life. No wind stirred the tops of trees; no flowers brightened the dead grass. It was as if the entire world had died.
"I wonder how long we were gone this time," Prowl commented, the sound of his voice breaking the silence.
"I don't think I wanna know," Bulkhead glanced around uneasily, his blue optics darting back and forth as though he expected the trees to come to life and attack them.
Silence fell over the little group again as they just kept looking around. Optimus was just about to suggest that they go and see if there was anyone around when a voice demanded, "What are you doing here?"
The Autobots turned and saw Bumblebee standing there, stingers at the ready. He was now completely black with yellow stripes where his black ones had previously been. Scars liberally decorated his frame including a particularly viscous one that had taken out his right optics. His left optic was completely dark and hanging out, fiving the minibot a menacing look.
"Bumblebee!" Bulkhead said happily and began walking towards his friend only to stop when he found himself at the business end of a sword. Sentinel Prime's sword to be exact Optimus realized with a start.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Bumblebee demanded again.
"It's us, Bumblebee," Optimus said gently and took a step forward. "It's me, Optimus, and Prowl and Ratchet and Bulkhead."
Bumblebee scowled at them, anger and hatred written all over his faceplate but he reluctantly walked over to Bulkhead and said, "Lower your head." Obediently the big green mech did as he had been ordered and lowered his head to Bumblebee's level. The minibot raised a black servo and touched Bulkhead's faceplate. As he touched the gray jaw guard disbelief appeared on his faceplate and eagerly began to run his digits over the familiar pattern of Bulkhead's faceplate. "Bulkhead?" he whispered. "It's really you," he said dazedly after returning his servo to his side.
"Of course we're real," Ratchet grumbled. "Didn't think we'd just up and leave ya, didja ya?"
Instantly the smile that had begun to form on the minibot's faceplate disappeared and he said, rather stiffly, "As a matter of fact I did; you bots were gone for a little over ten thousand years. I just assumed that you weren't planning on ever coming back."
"We were sucked into another portal," Optimus explained.
Bumblebee wasn't listening, however, his head was cocked to one side and he help up a digit, signaling for them to be quiet. "We need to go," he said a few seconds later. "That means now," he snapped when they didn't move.
The Autobots exchanged glances then, very reluctantly, Optimus nodded and said, "We're coming."
"Hurry up," was all that Bumblebee said before turning and walking back the way he had come.
Optimus shrugged and followed the minibot, figuring that it was probably safer to stick with him. Probably anyway. Despite the fact that the black-and-yellow bot was, more than likely, blind he could still navigate the remains of Motor City far better than when he had been able to see. His pedes unerringly found their way along the sidewalk.
As they walked, or in Bumblebee's case limped, Optimus looked around and took notes of all the changes that had occurred during their absence. Most of the buildings had been destroyed, leaving behind only a burned-out shell; only a few remained standing, missing boards and windows leaving gaping holes. Trees that had once lined the streets now lay on the ground, splintered while only one or two continued their vigil. Cars lay in twisted, unrecognizable heaps making the Autobots shudder as they passed them. So far they had seen neither humans nor animals anywhere. Optimus wondered what had happened to them but he had his suspicions.
"Where are we going?" Prowl asked.
"Somewhere else," Bumblebee said shortly as he came to a stop, signaling for the others to stop as well.
"Why do we keep stopping?" Ratchet grumbled.
"Because we don't want the Decepticons to catch us," Bumblebee replied.
Decepticons. Optimus took note of the word and came to the logical conclusion that things weren't the same as they had been last time. For one thing Bumblebee hadn't been blind and he had most certainly not been pure black with yellow stripes. They had both had their faction symbols covered up but that was where the resemblance ended. The other Bumblebee had been, without a shadow of a doubt, crazy. This Bumblebee, however, while they hadn't really had a chance to get to know him, seemed cold, harsh. He hadn't expected them to come back, had told them that straight off. Something was very, very wrong and Optimus was determined to find out what.
Behind him Bumblebee could hear the Autobots whispering to each other. Due to his supersensitive hearing he could tell that they were discussing him and what they thought had happened to him. Because it sounded so much like them he tried to ignore the voice in his processor that said it wasn't really them. Of course it was them; who else could it be? Now all he had to do was get them to trust him which shouldn't be too hard, so he could take them to the cave then he could do what he had been planning to do for the past ten thousand years. It wouldn't be long before he got his revenge on them for leaving him behind all those years ago.
A/N: 5 reviews please.
A/N/N: Take note of this- Bumblebee DID NOT hear Optimus say that they had been sucked into another portal as he was listening for the Decepticons. This will be an important factor in a later chapter so pay close attention.