All in all, things were looking up.

At first, Bumblebee had been highly skeptical of the sudden transfer. He knew there'd been more behind the order than Iacon needing more trained scouts, but he wasn't going to complain. Kalis had been a personal hellhole. Between the jeering and neglect, Iacon's stressful atmosphere was a welcome change of pace.

Now, he thrived. He knew Jazz was keeping an optic on him, but he didn't mind. Jazz was a friend, had his back in ways he could only imagine. Once in Special Ops, always in Special Ops. Still, it was nice knowing he had a friend at least professionally. He was trusted here, that's all he ever wanted.

The bounce was back in his step as he half-jogged alongside Cliffjumper, smile wide and doorwings held high. Though Cliff was a higher rank, he seemed to humor Bumblebee's curious advances and in no time at all, they had a steady friendship. Or at least, they were friendly. Bumblebee wasn't going to count his blessings just yet. This was a fantastic step in the right direction, no need to jinx it.

"So Bee, you off this cycle?" Cliff asked, swaggering a bit as he walked. With a smirk, he winked as Arcee and Tailgate passed by. Arcee rolled her optics, making a shooing motion with her servo. Tailgate gave a thumbs-up. Beyond Bumblebee's line of vision, he heard a very loud, whiny protest from Tailgate.

"I, uh, yeah. Yeah, off for the next two." That was an improvement, he only stammered once. That was better than the five he'd been at before. Baby steps. Cliffjumper, patient as ever with him, smiled and playfully nudged his hydraulic.

"C'mon kid, relax. I was just gonna invite ya for some drinks." Cliff nudged the younger mech again. "Y'know, high grade. I know you're old enough, despite what Prowl may think."

Bumblebee made a very concerted effort to relax his frame, willing his backstrut to let up just a little. "I-I'm not sure if that's the best idea. I mean, me going out. With other bots. No, no, that came out wrong. I'd love to, but there's training I should catch up on, like sparring and interrogation simulations- "

A hydraulic found its way around his shoulders and he tensed for just a moment. A look passed over Cliffjumper's face, quickly replaced with a smile. "Mech, you got yourself all worked up over nothing. You need to relax. 'Raj and Ironhide would love to see you as, well, you. Not Bumblebee the Scout, but just Bumblebee. If you could get out of your quarters for a few joors, we'd love to get to know him."

He wanted to say yes. By the Primes, with his entire spark, he wanted this. The smile had already worked its way across his faceplates, the acceptance right on his vocal processors. Yes, he would love to. He'd love to hang out and laugh and talk and—

"Friends don't kill friends. We have more honor than you ever will. Nobody speak to him, nobody acknowledge him. He's already shown us that the only thing he's good for is his job."

Immediately, Bumblebee tensed again, sliding out from underneath Cliffjumper's hydraulic. "Thanks so much for the invite, Cliff, but I'm gonna have to pass. The transfer and everything…I-I'm not up to code here, you know? Should get on that. Still getting my bearings and I think it would be best if I did it alone."

"You've been here for- " Too late, Bumblebee was halfway down the hall. Slipped away. Again.

"It means a lot, I'm serious!" the scout shouted once more before jogging off.

Cliffjumper sighed, running a servo across his helm. "Mech, when are you gonna learn to let bots in?" Of course, the mech in question didn't hear him.

Bumblebee turned quickly, hiding his faceplate. Avoiding the others should be easier than this. He'd gone at least a month without being socially acknowledged, why was turning down an invitation making his spark constrict?

In-venting deeply, he gathered his thoughts and shoved them away. Do your job, do as your told, and keep your helm down. That's all he had to do to make life bearable and prevent further emotional torment than had already been dealt. Easy.

With a new, false spring in his step, he made his way towards the shooting range. Truth be told, he was up to code. Any additional training was to kill time and tire him enough to recharge.

Just as he was entering his credentials for the range, a private text comm. entered his HUD. For a moment, he suspected it was a fancy, formal invitation Cliffjumper whipped up, but once he noticed it was from a much higher-ranking officer, all emotional comprehension flew out the window.

Private Communication: TIC Jazz

Confirm Y/N

Enter Credentials

:: Autobot Scout Z-B7 of Iacon Alpha Squad, previously Kaon Delta Sqaud ::

Credentials…Accepted

Begin Message

:: Report to briefing room 984, we have a mission if you're interested. Knowing you, you'll most likely be interested. I need the best of the best and that's you. See you in a few. ::

Message Deleted. No Prior History Found.

He didn't mind that his cycles of downtime were being devoted to a briefing. At least now he didn't have to debate which sections of the base to sequester himself off to. And hey, a mission was good news. Maybe this would show the Kalis bots what he was really made of.

This wasn't a solo mission.

Despite what it felt like, Bumblebee's fuel pump did indeed stay within the confines of his frame instead of jumping so high that it went through the ceiling. It was a small relief, no need to embarrass himself in front of four bots that barely knew him.

At the head of the table sat Datum, helm held high like the respected scout he was. Bumblebee had lost track of the number of reports that had Datum's signature attached, but he was nothing short of a legend to any and all Autobot scouts. Though his frame appeared far more suited to that of a frontliner, he excelled in data collecting, long-distance leadership, and observation. All things needed in a good, trusted scout.

Acceleron sat to his right, another top scout. Specialties included speed and well-encrypted messages. She was more inclined for couriering – as was Bumblebee at the time of his training – but couriers soon evolved into scouts. They'd been paired for sparring a handful of times and each time, she'd handed him his aft on a silver platter. She was kind, though, and was one of the best scout trainers in the facility.

Scattershot took the seat to Datum's left. A hard mech to read, a great scout for scenarios with a high risk of capture, he could be considered one of the Autobot coding legends. Bumblebee knew a handful of scouting firewalls had been tested by this mech and the amount of respect he held for Scattershot was immense. After all, anyone would hold a once captured scout in high regard.

At the end of the table was Bumper. He was happy-go-lucky, everybody's friend, and better than Bumblebee could ever hope to be. A jack-of-all-trades in the scouting circuit, there wasn't a thing Bumper couldn't do. Though he didn't specialize in any one area, his eclectic nature made him perfect for rounding out any strike force.

So if Jazz already put together a team of all-star scouts, what the hell was Bumblebee doing here?

"Bumblebee!" Bumper waved happily. "Primus, I'm so happy I'm not the youngest one here anymore! This team is gonna be awesome, I know it."

Acceleron huffed, rolling her optics as she smirked. "Gotta say, I was skeptical when Jazz said he was replacing Hound, but Kalis's golden boy will do just fine." Cocking her helm towards Bumblebee, who still stood awkwardly in front of the door, she nodded towards an empty chair. "C'mon now, take a seat. We don't bite…much. I can't vouch for Scattershot."

Scattershot gave a very proud, very toothy grin.

Bumblebee looked just as lost as he felt. Stiffly, he sat down in the offered seat, muttered a quick thank you, and kept his helm down. Despite his position, he could see Scattershot raise an optic ridge and Acceleron shrug in response. Datum didn't pay him much mind, but there was a presence to his right…

"You ok?"

Bee looked up, only to find Bumper inches away from his faceplate. He yelped, nearly falling backwards in his chair, only saved by Acceleron's reflexes. Bumper's servos flew to his intake in shock.

"Easy, Bumper," Acceleron chastised. "Don't give the poor mech a spark attack." The youngling in question pouted and Bumblebee swore he could see a hint of pity in his equal's optics. But it was gone, replaced with an apologetic smile and a helpful servo.

"Sorry for startling you. You just looked so tense," Bumper rambled, fully pulling Bumblebee to his pedes. "After all, we're going to be a team and I want you to feel comfortable around us. I get it, seriously. What they did…it wasn't right."

"Bumper." Datum warned, voice stern. The mark of a leader. If he wanted it, Bee figured he could find his way into Optimus Prime's inner circle. Within moments of entering the room, he already had Bee's respect.

"It's fine," Bumblebee finally managed to sputter. "Thank you, but it's fine. I'm over it." Plastering on a smile, he slipped into the seat beside Acceleron. "So, does anyone know what the mission is?"

"I'm glad you asked!" A familiar voice, followed by a familiar mech, entered the room. At the front of the table stood Jazz, visor up and datapads in hand. "How's it going, bots? Scattershot, how was the last mission?"

"Boring, thank Primus." Scattershot huffed, sliding over a memory stick. "But I'll take boring over Soundwave. Here's the list of coordinates you wanted."

"Nice!" Slipping the information into a subspace pocket, Jazz began sliding the datapads towards their assigned bots. "Acceleron, how're the recruits doing?"

"Wish we had more scouts, most are suited for frontliners or will very quickly climb the ranks to warriors." She looked disappointed. Scouts had short shelf lives. Bee figured it was a miracle they even got so many experienced ones in the same room.

"Figured as much, but we'll take all the help we can get." Jazz turned to Bumper. "And how 'bout you?"

"Still learning the layout of base, but everyone here's very nice! Feels like Tagan Heights, you know?" Bumper shot a smile towards Bumblebee. He wasn't quite sure how to respond, so he didn't. The datapad made for a wonderful new distraction.

"I know, mech. Transferring is always hard, but Iacon'll grow on you." Oh, now Jazz was looking at him. Normally, Bee would be elated. Jazz was easy to get along with, dependable, and someone Bumblebee looked up to. "How're you adjusting, Bee?"

All optics were on him. He fidgeted uncomfortably, offering a shy wave towards the spymaster. "Fine, thanks." Oh Primus, just end this already…

Thankfully, Jazz's specialty was reading bots. In a flash, he was next to Datum and attention was diverted. "So, what do you think of your team?"

"I couldn't ask for better scouts," Datum responded proudly. "Everyone has fantastic records and are adept problem solvers on and off the field. I'm sure we'll become a cohesive team in no time at all."

"That's good to hear, because time is something we don't have." And just like that, it was back to business. Each scout activated their datapads, skimming and memorizing the information as quickly as possible. Jazz gave them a klik before he began the briefing. "The Decepticons are planning something big. Intel reports whispers of a new vessel. While we grounded most warships in the early days of the war, Decepticons may be constructing one. Additional analysis reports a possible space bridge, range unknown. Either way, we believe they're going to leave the system, possibly in search of more energon deposits off-world."

Bumblebee's optics caught sight of the stolen coding and focused on that. Hacking was quickly becoming one of his better skills. Soundwave's signature crawled over the numbers, but Bee couldn't quite decipher the purpose. He'd work on it later, in the off cycles where recharge didn't come.

"What do you want us to do?" Scattershot asked, sliding the datapad back. "Activity is everywhere and Kaon is a death sentence." Jazz nodded, snapping the item in half without giving it a second glance. He always was one for dramatics, Bee noted.

"Take it one step at a time. You're all scheduled for team training sessions. You need to be able to communicate with each other and more importantly, you need trust." Jazz's optics turned to Bee. It was quick, no one else noticed, but that flash of panic still stung Bee's spark. "Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." They chorused, each sliding the datapads down the table. Smirking, Jazz collected them.

"I know you're gonna be great," he said. "Dismissed."

Scattershot and Bumper practically bolted for the door, muttering something about a game record and sparring. Acceleron rolled her optics, the third to leave and clearly taking her time. As she left, a servo lingered on Bee's pauldron. "Relax, Bumblebee. You can trust us."

He watched her leave, counting the kliks until she'd make it down either end of the hall. Then, he could leave undetected. Soon enough, it was time to leave. As soon as he passed through the threshold, his audials caught something.

"—don't have to accept. There are others capable enough." Jazz, whispering. Hiding something. Spymaster.

"I know what you're implying and we both know you would raise far too much suspicion." Datum. Tactical. Calm. Resigned. "I assure you, I am prepared for this mission…anything for the betterment and continued existence of our race. This is beyond the team, beyond Autobots and Decepticons. I understand the risks and accept them."

A sigh. He shouldn't be listening to this. "Here. Keep your chronometer synced at all times. It's not happening yet, but again, we don't know how much time we have."

There was the scrape of a chair and Bumbebee bolted. He shouldn't have heard that, but the entire conversation sent a terrible chill through his protoform. What could they have possibly been referring to?

"Bumblebee." The scout in question jumped to attention, servo shooting up in a stiff salute. Yes, there was a good reason to show instant respect to Datum.

"Yes, sir?" He hesitantly met the other mech's optics. "Is there something I can do for you, sir?"

"At ease, Bee. I may be your team leader, but on the field, we all act as the same rank. I want it the same here. Relax, youngling." Bee suppressed a flinch as Datum rested a servo on his shoulder. This was a normal thing bots did, something reassuring…but it could be restraining and social cues always trapped him as he was led down hallway after hallway, met with jeering faces with no escape—

"Apologies, sir." Slowly, his servo drifted back down to his side. "I'm…I'm trying."

"That's all I ask." Datum sighed, giving the scout's pauldron a gentle squeeze before letting go. "You are a talented scout and a resilient soldier. You have more than earned your place here and I hope we can help you see that. We begin in eight joors. If there is anything you want to talk about, anything at all, my frequency's open."

Bumblebee watched his newly appointed leader walk away, simply standing shell shocked in the hallway. Just like Jazz, he thought. Open, welcoming, always wanting to help and fix and befriend even if the job wouldn't allow for it.

A good mech, so unlike himself.

Someday, maybe he could learn to be like that. But for now, there were social interactions he had to prepare for and simulations to run. Dread weighed down his spark. Maybe the transfer wasn't such a good idea.

A/N: ...It's been a while. Sorry. X3 Next chapter will be up sooner!