Mixed-Up

Chapter 8: Battle Preparations

"No doubt the Autobots will be here shortly," Bumblebee said as he led the way to Optimus's old private quarters. "When they get here we will need to be ready because I don't believe that we will be shown any mercy this time."

"Vhen vere ve ever shown mercy?"

Bumblebee sighed and said, "What I meant, Blitzwing, was that we're not going to get arrested but off-lined."

"Vhy didn't you say so?" the triple-changer complained.

Bumblebee groaned and opened the door. Inside the room were weapons, extra frame parts, paint, and a whole lot of junk in a jumbled heap, taking up one corner of the room. "Well," Bumblebee said. "I know it isn't a lot but it should be enough to give us a very small advantage."

"I suppose any advantage is better than none," Optimus sighed, wondering just how they were going to beat an army composed entirely of Elite Guard members with four, technically six, Decepticons, a Bumblebee who hallucinated on a regular basis, a big mech that tripped over his own pedes, a ninja bot, a crusty old medic, an Elite school dropout. They were so doomed.

Barricade sat on the recharge berth in his private quarters, ignoring the sounds of his fellow soldiers as they prepared for battle. In his processor he was mentally picturing the look on Starscream's faceplate when his clones had been off-lined. Moments like that were what Barricade lived for, what gave him the incentive to go on day after day. That was what Barricade's sole purpose in life was; to cause others unimaginable pain and grief. A wicked smile crossed his faceplate as he imagined what it would be like to finally finish that last clone off once and for all.

Skywarp eyed his Creator nervously, paying the other bots in the room no mind as he focused on the mostly purple flier across the room going through a pile of weapons. Contrary to popular belief he hadn't just inherited his Creator's cowardice but a little bit of his brilliance as well. Oh he had received nowhere near the amount that Slipstream had but he did know enough to be worried. If this really was going to be the final showdown between Bumblebee and Sentinel Magnus then it was also going to be the showdown between his Creator and Barricade. He didn't also have to be a genius in order to figure out that only one of them was going to walk, or, in Starscream's case, fly away. He hoped and prayed that both he and his Creator would at least limp away from this fight still on-line but this bad feeling in the bottom of his tanks that had steadily been growing all day simply wouldn't let up. Rather, it was actually growing worse.

"What's all this for?" Optimus asked, indicating the pile of junk he, Prowl, Ratchet, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Black Arachnia were standing in.

"You're ticket home," Bumblebee replied mysteriously.

"Beg pardon?" Prowl raised an optic ridge as he stood perfectly still, not wanting any of the dirt and energon-crusted metal to touch his pristine gold-and-black armor.

"Well," Bumblebee's voice became slightly muffled as he bent down and began looking for something amidst the pile of junk. "Black Arachnia and I figured out a way to open the portal. Theoretically it should send you back in time twelve million years."

"You mean to tell me that that pile of junk right there," Ratchet pointed to the floor, "is gonna send us back in time?"

Bumblebee thought for a minute then nodded, saying, "Theoretically."

"How…do I really want to know?" Optimus asked.

"No," Black Arachnia informed him.

"Thought not," Optimus sighed.

"So do we go back to the day we disappeared?" Bulkhead asked.

Bumblebee shook his head then began to explain, "However long you've been here is how long you've been gone in the past. So you've been missing for a day or two now, possibly two. I can't let you stay here too much longer or else…" his voice trailed off.

"Why not?" Optimus wanted to know. "What'll happen?"

"Nothing that I'm willing to discuss," Bumblebee said shortly. "Now help us put this together."

With that the six bots began putting the…whatever it was together.

Sentinel Magnus was staring out of his window again. Well, technically, it wasn't really his window but his temporary office until his real office, and two floors below it, had been sufficiently repaired so he didn't have to worry about falling through the floor. His office, however, was not his main concern at the moment. He wasn't even worrying about the Neutrals; instead he was thinking about his old friend, Optimus Prime. There had once been a time when he, Optimus, and Elita One had been the best of friends. They had done almost everything together until that day…the day that Elita One died and Black Arachnia had been created. After that everything had changed and then they had run into Black Arachnia. Optimus refused to kill her, convinced that they could find a cure for her but Sentinel disagreed. As far as he was concerned Elita One had been off-lined ago and that nothing of her remained in the Decepticon femme known as Black Arachnia. In fact, Sentinel thought that the only way Elita One could ever be free was if Black Arachnia was completely destroyed.

All thoughts in his processor came to a halt as a sudden white-hot blazing pain shot through his cranial unit, bringing him to his knee-joints. When the pain had passed he rose to his pedes, all thoughts of Elita One and Black Arachnia forgotten as thoughts of bitterness, hatred, and revenge took precedence. An evil smirk crossed his faceplate and he said, "Ready or not, Bumblebee, here I come!"

Bumblebee was scared but not for himself. As he paced back and forth in his private quarters, he couldn't help but wonder: was he doing the right thing? Was sending Optimus and the others back through the portal really the best thing for everyone? Or was he sending them back because he didn't want to be alone? Because he didn't want to survive another twelve million years without his friends? Did he even care how many innocent lives they could save by doing this? Was it really worth risking everything they had worked for?

He walked over to the recharge berth and bent down, servos eagerly reaching for the innocent looking metal box sitting on the floor. He picked it up and sat down on the berth. After blowing the dust off of it he carefully opened it, his touch even more gentle as he spread the contents on the berth. A couple of datapads, miniature paintings from Bulkhead and his two most prized possessions. One was a holopic with him sitting on Bulkhead's shoulder strut, identical grins on their faceplates. The other was also a holopic but had all five of them, uneasy glances being directed at each other as it had been taken not too long after the initial two weeks of knowing each other.

Looking at the two holopics Bumblebee asked himself if it was still worth taking the risk. The answer was, without a shadow of a doubt, a resounding yes. With that thought in processor Bumblebee placed the items back in the box which he returned to its original resting place then walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

A/N: 5 reviews.

A/N/N: If anyone is wondering why Bumblebee said they couldn't stay any longer than here is your explanation: after they disappeared Bumblebee went to the Decepticons to ask if they had his friends. In exchange for finding out whether or not they were there he made a deal with Lugnut (the same deal he made in chapter 7 of 'Different Beginnings').