::Chapter Twelve::

Optimus frowned as he crouched into a defensive position, his optics scanning every rock and shrub. Even though he had seen his foes earlier, they had taken to hiding, and that didn't sit well with the blue and red mech. Still observing his surroundings, Optimus barely had any time to turn around before someone tackled him from behind, forcefully pushing him down. Using his energon sword, he shielded himself from an attack, before retaliating. The 'Con snarled."Think you're better than me? We'll see about that!", he spat, nimbly backing away from the Autobot commander. Optimus growled."Barricade. You don't have to do this. Neither of us have to.", he said. The black and white mech only smiled evilly."Oh, but I do, Prime.", he replied, before he resumed a fighting stance.

With a scowl, Optimus brought out his plasma cannon, aiming it straight towards the other mech's spark. Then, he fired. Unfortunately, Barricade had anticipated the sudden move and dodged it, snarling as the shot barly grazed his side. Then he lunged towards Optimus, and began to grapple with him, before punching him squarely in the chassis. Quickly, before Optimus could defend himself, Barricade made a long gash in his armor that cut straight past the protoform and leaked energon. The Autobot leader cursed, and responded by grabbing the Decepticon's arm and twisting it until it bent at an unnatural angle. Barricade howled in pain, and backed away, before he glared at Optimus and hissed, his useless servo dangling limply. "You will pay for that, Prime! I will make sure of that!", he cursed. Optimus only frowned. Then, he narrowed his optics and tore off the Decepticon's weapon.

Barricade hissed in mere contempt, and began to retaliate, but again, Optimus stopped him, and grabbing him by his neck cables, the Autobot brought him up, then slammed him down. As the dazed black and white mech tried to get up, he felt something unnaturally sharp pierced his chest, and his optics widened in horror. Slowly, he lowered his gaze towards his chest armor, and blinked. The Autobot leader's energon sword had pierced nice and clear through the metal and wires, missing the spark and its casing by milimeters. However, pure energon gushed from the wound like a bright, colorful waterfall. Optimus quickly pulled out the sword, then sheathed it and returned it to its original place."It didn't have to end like this.", he said quietly. The Decepticon locked optics with Optimus, and he could have sworn they looked more crimson then he had ever seen them. With one last twisted smile, Barricade dimmed his optics, and offlined.

As Optimus looked at the prone figure that now laid before him, he couldn't help feel a small sense of guilt crashing down on him. So many lives lost, and all for naught. Would this war ever cease to claim more lives? With a shudder, he surveyed his surroundings, noticing a few more of his comrades fighting for their lives and protection. Some of the 'Cons were trying to play unfair, but even with that advantage, he could still tell that they were struggling to hold their own. Out of the corner of his optical vision, he saw Starscream yelling at his subordinates whilst struggling to stay airborne in his badly damaged form. Before long, most of the Decepticons had retreated, some with only scratches and dents, others with gaping wounds and tears. With a frown set on his face plates, Optimus turned to face the Decepticon second-in-command, whose optics spat fire."Consider yourselves lucky. For now, we shall retreat. But we will get revenge, Prime. And the ones closest to you shall be the first ones to taste our wrath!", he cackled, before a slightly wounded Skywarp teleported them away.

A few feet away from him, Chromia snarled."Those slaggers will not survive another encounter with us. Starscream's spark will be my and my sparkmate's personal trophy. I swear it by Primus.", she cursed. Another mech, Jazz, glared at the spot where their enemies had vanished."Those little glitches are gonna be be up for one hellavu world of hurt if they return. They musta been suicidal to come an' attack our base. But for now, I'm just glad the others are safe.", he added. At that, Optimus twitched, and he remembered."Bumblebee. Oh, Primus, I hope they're all right.", he murmered softly. Quickly, he turned to face the others, and he only gave them a look of slight apprehension, before he transformed to his alt mode and sped across the land to find the sparkling.

~TRANSFORMERS~

Ratchet placed the mechling on the somewhat flat surface, his optics dimmed in intensity as he tried to hook Bumblebee up to some fluid. Carefully, he placed a few wires over strategic places in his small form, and connected those to a moniter, trying desperately to find a way to online him. As much as he was used to dealing with Bumblebee for anything, he was getting frazzled; having to deal with the youngling with the body of a sparkling was just too much. As he hooked up some more fluids into the scoutling's body, Ratchet felt the presence of another being standing over him. Trying to keep his anger in check, he turned around."Look, I'm kind of busy, as you can see...Oh. Elita.", he grumbled.

The rose-colored femme stared at the sparkling, whose body still laid somewhat motionless, and sighed guiltily."I should have known better than to make them run for it. This is all my fault, Ratchet. If I had only attacked Starscream first instead of hesitating, we wouldn't be in this predicament. I accept full responsibility.", she murmured. Ratchet shook his head."Elita, don't blame yourself. It was that pit-spawned Seeker's fault he attacked. You were just caught in the wrong place.", he insisted. Elita shook her head sadly."That's not the only thing that bothers me. I think that Starscream and possibly Megatron knew about Bumblebee's predicament, and that that was the reason they attacked in the first place.", she replied, a bit of anger laced within her voice.

The CMO's optics widened, and he cursed."Slaggit. If that's so, then it makes sense as to why they would attack. By Primus, Elita, I hope you are wrong this time. If Megatron knows about Bumblebee...I'd rather not think about it. The results would be disastrous.", he growled. The femme nodded, then returned her gaze to Bumblebee. Feeling her maternal protocols kicking in, she reached out and gripped the youngling's hand while stroking his helm. Ratchet only looked on with concern, then sighed. He wasn't going to get any work done on Bumblebee with Elita around He might as well let the femme watch over him. He didn't need her to tell him, but Ratchet knew that seeing Bumblebee like this clawed at the femme's spark, battle-hardened or no. Even though she and Optimus had tried for millenia to have a little sparkling, they could not, much to Elita's dismay. But eventually, they realized it was for the better. Neither of them didn't want to raise on of their own in such a bloody, chaotic place like a war-torn, crumbling Cybertron.

Now, seeing the femme leaning over the youngling with a look on her face made Ratchet realize why more than ever they should not have sparklings yet. The possibility of losing such a precious gift was enough to drive anyone mad, even those were not related to the younglings. And right now, that was not what any of them needed at all. A sudden comm broke through the medic's thoughts, and winced before he recieved it, hoping to chew out anyone who had dared disturbed him.

Ratchet:: What do you want? If its the twins, I'm going to tell you, no more paint jobs. The budget won't allow it. So Sunny, if you got a scratch, then to pit with said 'injury'.::

Optimus:: Ratchet, It's me. I wanted to know if you have happen to seen Bumblebee, by any chance. I can't find him.::

Ratchet::Prime, you fret too much. And yeah, I've got the youngling. He arrived on an nearly empty tank, and after I gave him something he passed out. Now I'm trying to keep tabs on him. Or at least I was, until you called.::

Optimus:: What? Is he alright? And Sam? What happened to him?::

Ratchet:: Yes, the youngling's stabilized. Elita's watching him for me right now, so don't worry. And the boy's fine. He's being examined by a human doctor, along with a few others. And what happened out there? You sound like a bunch of 'Cons ran over you.::

Optimus:: Not quite, friend. We were able to hold them off, and Starscream had no choice but to retreat. That mech knows no boundaries.::

Ratchet:: Bah! Don't tell me about that poor excuse of a mech. I think he was not wanted by his parental units. And I wouldn't blame them. In any case, I'm going to check you up. Just get your aft over here.::

Optimus:: Alright. Until all are one. Optimus Prime out.::

As soon as Ratchet cut off the communication, he felt another being from behind me. Swiftly, he turned around and gasped when he saw it was Wheeljack, whose frame was marred with dents and scratches." 'Jack! Where in pit have you been?", he asked angrily. The civilian scientist grimaced." Far the past few hours or so, I've been fending off a somewhat confusing Seeker by the name Thundercracker, and I've had to destroy a few Deceptidrones in the process. So as soon as I could, I came over here, hoping that the younglings were alright and safe.", he said. Ratchet snorted."Hmph. 'Bee's out like a light, I'm afraid. But he'll online again. And Samuel suffered a bit of dehydration. But other than that, they're fine.", he replied dryly. Wheeljack winced again."Primus...Looks likes you've got quite a bit of work to do, Ratch.", he quipped. The CMO only rolled his optics, before muttering to himself,"You don't say...Why must this happen to me?".

Well, I've got another chappy down. Kudos to those who keep reviewing! I am really grateful for all the feedback you give me. Because of all of you, I am encouraged to write more. Keep it up! And sorry to everyone who expected a great chapter; I just couldn't figure out a way to make it feel light-hearted, so it got all depressing and all. But thank Primus that's over! Well, I can't say what the next chapter's gonna consist of, but I can assure you, it won't be as sad as this one.(I hope..._) Anyways, thanks and remember, you know what to do! The review button is down there-vvvvv

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-TSP ^w^