CHAPTER 13
Bumblebee grew more anxious the longer he remained separated from his adopted father. The youngling tried to open the berth room door earlier, but it was locked, and he was still far too small to reach the unlocking mechanism.
He was hopelessly trapped.
He sent out an impatient pulse through his spark link with Optimus Prime and was relieved when he received a fuzzy, loving spark pulse in response. His daddy was on his way to collect him!
Bumblebee squealed with delight when he heard the code being entered into the panel outside the door. He bounced eagerly on his small pedes as the door finally opened to admit the towering form of the Autobot leader. Bee ran at a dizzying speed and clung to Optimus's shin plating.
"Daddy! Daddy! I missed you!"
The Prime smiled warmly at the child and chuckled as he reached down to pry Bee from his shin. The child stubbornly clung on and refused to let go so Optimus began to mercilessly tickle the little one's sensitive sides, earning shrill squeals of laughter.
"N-no! OPI! No tickle! No fair!" Bee shrieked between gasps.
The mechling lost his grip on Prime's shin, as his hands immediately attempted to fend off the rather large digits ghosting over his sides. He continued to laugh as he squirmed, cooling fans kicking on to compensate for overheated vents. At last, Optimus withdrew his large digits and brought the still giggling mechling closer to his chassis in an overdue embrace.
The little one stilled as he returned his father's embrace with a content and happy chirrup.
"What would you like to do today, Bumblebee?"
"Play Opi! Play with me!" The child gushed eagerly as he began to fidget, indicating he wanted to be released.
"If we play, you have to promise to be a good bot and take a stasis nap later, okay?"
"Okay!" The mechling readily agreed. He hated naptime but he was willing to do almost anything as long as Prime played with him!
The youngling was old enough now to understand that Optimus's job as Autobot leader kept him very busy. Bee used to seek him out when he was allowed to roam the base on his own, but eventually the child learned that it was unnecessary. No matter how busy the elder bot was…his father always made time to be with him.
Bumblebee learned a new game called 'hide-and-seek'; the child unaware that this game was in fact a part of his early defense training.
Bumblebee was disappointed when he was found. He felt better when Optimus told the youngling that everyone was found the first time, they played this game. Bee initially hid beneath the berth and then inside the small waste disposal bin under Prime's desk. It took the Autobot leader a bit longer to locate him the second time. The bright yellow mechling now had one last chance to redeem himself!
"...8…9…10! Ready or not, here I come!" Optimus playfully growled as he began searching the berth room for the small child.
Bumblebee clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his soft giggles and tried his best to remain perfectly still.
He heard the large stomping pede-falls of the Autobot leader and heard Optimus talking to himself, Bee's optics widening when his father stopped a few feet shy of his hiding place.
"Hmm…where did my sweet spark go? Where has Bumblebee gone? Hmm…I think I just might know…"
Oh no! Did Opi know where he was hiding?!
"I know you are here somewhere...Ah-ha!" Prime exclaimed as he looked beneath the berth. A disappointed groan reached the youngling's audio receptors prompting another stifled giggle. Bee felt his spark pulsating rapidly within his chest at the prospect of being potentially found.
The young child was very clever and picked a rather ingenious hiding place. He was sandwiched between the far side of the berth and the wall, hidden just out of sight. Bee figured under the berth would be one of the first places Optimus would look, having hidden there once before, so the young bot had to quickly think of an alternative hiding spot, and fast!
It was a bit uncomfortable being squeezed into such a small confining space but the mechling was determined to win this new game!
After a few more minutes Optimus finally gave up, having searched every possible spot a youngling Bumblebee's age would potentially pick. Did the youngling leave the room when he wasn't looking? Did he silently move between the places he'd already checked? With a grin Optimus admitted defeat.
"Come out Bumblebee! You win this round."
When Optimus saw the child appear from the crack between the wall and the berth he began to laugh, feeling his spark surging with pride.
"Very clever, my child! Excellent job!"
Bumblebee released his pent-up giggles, removing his servo from his mouth. Optimus picked Bee up and gave the child an embrace and then began to toss him up into the air, large hands easily catching his small body. Bee began to shriek with laughter as he briefly defied gravity.
Optimus decided then and there that the youngling's laughter was the most beautiful, and precious, sound in the universe. Soon the Prime found himself laughing with the child. Bee's laugh was contagious.
They were interrupted by the door chime.
Bumblebee groaned with a small pout as Prime set him on the berth before answering the door. Jazz stood with a report in his hand and grinned at the kid when his optics caught sight of him.
" Wassup Bee! How you doin' kid?" the smooth talking mech questioned while Optimus read over his datapad.
"Me and daddy played a hiding game! I won!" Bumblebee chirped excitedly.
"No kiddin." Jazz looked to Prime with mild surprise. How did the kid win a game of hide-and-go-seek against his commander's sharp pair of optics? Did Optimus let the kid win?
As if sensing his unspoken questions, Optimus responded with pride in his baritone voice.
"He sure did. I searched high and low. He outsmarted me," the Autobot leader admitted with the ghost of a smile tugging at his faceplates.
"How?" Jazz questioned truly perplexed.
"Close your eyes Jazz and count to ten." Optimus commanded with a smirk.
Jazz did as ordered and began to count. When he finished counting and opened his optics, the small yellow mechling had completely disappeared. Just as Optimus had done before him, he searched the room high and low but couldn't find the youngling. Jazz would have felt embarrassed if not for the fact that the little guy had already fooled Optimus himself, once already.
"I give up!" Jazz finally shouted. He returned to stand by his original place by the door. The mech had to do a double take when he saw the kid sneakily emerge from his hiding place between the wall and recharge berth. The smooth talking mech was for the first time in his life struck speechless and could only stare at a giggling Bumblebee.
He turned his optics on the face of his smiling commander and took his datapad back now that Optimus was finished reading over his report.
"Well, I'll be…" Jazz muttered to himself, "Good job kid!" Jazz finally found his voice. He winked at Bee and exchanged farewells with the pair before returning to his duties.
Optimus watched his lieutenant disappear around a corner further down the hall and then turned his full attention on the mechling.
"Bumblebee…" Optimus suddenly grew very serious, his smiling face turning grim.
"Yes?" The child titled his helm in question.
Optimus sat down on the berth, placing Bee on his knee. He spoke slowly once he had the Cybertronian child's full attention.
"I believe you are ready to begin your training. What are your thoughts on the matter?"
"Training for what?" Bee questioned innocently.
"Defense training with Prowl and myself. We will teach you how to evade a Decepticon should one come looking for you…" Prime responded gravely. While it was true Bumblebee was still a child, he recently reached the youngling milestone where he was now old enough to scan an alternate mode and learn how to transform as their kind often did.
"Oh. Okay!" Bee chirped in agreement.
Optimus placed the young mechling down on his own two feet and then gestured for the Cybertronian child to follow him.
"Come, we must visit Ratchet."
Bee skipped up to where Optimus was holding out his hand and grabbed it, his small servo fitting perfectly in Optimus's palm. It made Bumblebee feel…little…in comparison. His spark felt disappointment, but Optimus sensed his feelings through their spark link.
"It's alright Bumblebee. You will grow to be a formidable warrior, like your father before you."
"Like you?" Bee questioned hopefully.
Optimus smiled almost sadly as he looked down to meet the gaze of his young ward.
"Like me, in some ways. Bumblebee…your real father, was a brave mech. Never forget him. Always remember, you carry his strength within you." Optimus placed a hand over the mechling's chest plating, just above his spark.
Both father and son came to a standstill just outside Ratchet's medical bay. Optimus crouched down on one knee to be more at optic level with the child.
"Aren't you, my daddy?"
"Do you remember your parents from long ago?" Optimus counter-questioned, feeling within his spark that it was important the youngling remember his true origins.
"I see them in my dreams sometimes…" the child slowly admitted. "...but my mama always looks scary…" Bee visibly shuddered. "My daddy…I…it's hard to remember him."
Optimus softly smiled as he gently wiped the unshed energon coolant from Bee's optical sensors with a thumb.
"His name was Thunderbolt. He fought bravely against Megatron and the Decepticons. He protected you from them…just like I promise to do now," Optimus showed Bee a holo-projection of his real father, an old picture from the Iacon archives. He held Bumblebee close as the child began to sob. He whispered soothing words, even telling the mechling the story of how he met Thunderbolt, and the promise his father made Optimus make, to watch over little Bee as if he were his very own.
"That's why I'm your daddy now, little one. Your father wanted you to be safe."
Bumblebee snuffled Optimus's chest and clung to him. He didn't mind the fact that Optimus was holding him like a sparkling. It comforted him.
Ratchet gave the child a routine check-up, even examining the little one's spark, to ensure he was developing as he should. After the CMO gave them the all-clear, the medic gave Bee an energon treat and watched the adorable yellow plated youngling devour it with a happy hum. Ratchet returned to his work, namely organizing his med-bay, giving Bee a soft smile as the door hissed softly shut behind them.
The duo walked together further down the hall, all the way back to their shared berth room, as the Prime regaled the youngling with incredible stories…stories of courage and of honor. Bumblebee was enraptured, hanging on to Optimus's every word with wide optics. Before long, the youngling was tucked into Optimus's berth, the sound of his adopted father's voice lulling him into a peaceful recharge. The child fell further into the realm of dreams. Dreams where Bee was an Autobot warrior like Thunderbolt, serving under the command of Optimus…courageous, noble, and self-less.
A hero and a warrior for Primus…like his fathers before him.
–Many steller cycles later…–
Starscream left the medical bay feeling like a new mech. It took a while for him to regain full range of motion in his wings and longer still to heal from the worst of the damage Megatron had inflicted upon him. The medic revealed that his brothers were informed of the damage he had sustained courtesy of the Decepticon leader.
Maybe now his brothers would finally see the truth.
Megatron was a monster!
Plain and simple.
He found them in the training room, sparring with each other like nothing serious had happened–like Starscream's near-death experience never occurred. They even turned to greet him with smiles plastered on their faceplates…
As soon as his red optics landed on Skywarp and Thundercracker, something within him snapped. Something unexplainable overcame the young mech…and for the first time in his life, he lost all control as he released a pent-up shriek of rage.
Starscream, uncaring, nor thinking of the consequences, pounced on his nearest brother…Skywarp. He snarled angrily when his youngest trine member used his warping ability to escape his grasp. Snarling, his vision blurred, as he screamed at Thundercracker next, throwing blind punches as he howled in fury.
"YOU BETRAYED ME! Damn you both to the pit!"
Starscream couldn't recall the next couple of minutes, if his life depended on it.
All he knew was that he was still landing kicks and punches upon his brethren as strong, thick arms wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides. When he finally regained awareness of himself, he stopped struggling, optics widening in shock when he saw the sorry state his brothers were in.
He felt his legs go weak and would have collapsed if not for the strong arms keeping him upright. Thundercracker was lying in a small pool of his own energon, groaning in pain…slash marks from claws marring his chassis, multiple dents covering his extremities.
Where in the frag, had those come from?!
Starscream glanced down at his servos in stunned horror, to see that his once normal looking digits, now sported wickedly sharp claws. His mind felt almost numb as he took in his sharply angled armor…a transformation he had not been expecting.
Skywarp was dented all over the place and had a rivulet of energon leaking from his lip components, his vents sounding labored. Both brothers stared back at him with disbelief, and FEAR.
It took a minute longer for Starscream to finally find his voice.
"I-I…I d-didn't mean too…I-I…I was just…so-so..."
"Go on," a soft, yet dangerously dark voice, growled into his left audio, small ex-vents of heated air slapping against Starscream's helm.
It was then that the young mech realized it was Lord Megatron himself, who was holding him back from his now injured siblings.
The young mech began to sob, still shaking with anger.
"That's what you get for betraying your own family!" Starscream growled dangerously low as he flooded his sparkbonds with his trine, sharing his unbridled fury, rage, and hurt with them. The pure, raw emotion coming from Starscream, made the two wounded mechs laying pathetically on the floor, cringe away from him. Neither dared to breathe a word, both bowing their heads in shame.
A dark, rumbling chuckle tickled Starscream's left audio receptor, making the winged mech shudder as his anger slowly abated.
"We are all family now…" Megatron growled softly as he released Starscream from his forced embrace. "Starscream, welcome to our Decepticon fold," the Decepticon leader purred with satisfied glee.
Starscream wasn't sure how he felt now that he sensed his two brother's genuine FEAR of him. They were frightened of him and even though Starscream knew he shouldn't relish it…he couldn't help but feel elated by the raw power he had felt coursing through his veins moments before. He didn't bother to correct Megatron. After what he had just done…
Starscream realized there was no going back.
The life he had before, was now gone.
Despite the fact Thundercracker was the eldest sibling, Starscream couldn't help but feel superior to his older brother. He drank in their fear…it gave him strength. Out of the three of them, he was the only one who didn't commit a devastating betrayal. This would surely teach them…and if they ever needed a reminder, or another lesson, he was all too willing to refresh their memory.
Starscream backed away from his brothers and distanced himself from Megatron, his emotions transforming into a solid numbness. He could barely register what he was doing as he finally bowed one knee before his Lord and master. His lip components moved, pledging loyalty and allegiance to the psychopathic tyrant, though he heard nothing–Not the sound of his own voice, nor his brothers' weak apologies–not even the praises gushing from Megatron's own lips, after he gave his new leader, a detailed report concerning what Prime revealed about a femme named Brightflame.
For the first time in his lifetime…Starscream felt dead inside…
"Bumblebee! Pay attention!" Prowl scolded the mechling with a scowl.
"Sorry Prowl. I can't focus. I keep thinking about Optimus. When is he coming back?"
"I don't know, youngling. Now please, answer the question!"
Bumblebee froze and gave his instructor a guilty smile.
"Uhh…what was the question?"
Prowl muttered something unintelligible beneath his breath and brought a hand to his forehead. The child noticed that many of his elders did that when they were exasperated with him. Either that or they all suffered from a serious processor ache. The serious mech frowned at the child and pointed to a specific area on a holo-map.
"You are almost out of fuel, and you are forced to hide or flee. Which action do you choose?"
Bumblebee thought about it for a moment, small feet kicking casually back and forth as he considered his answer.
"Umm…I hide."
"You have either the option to hide miles below ground or within a small cave a few klicks away to the northeast…both will consume a grave portion of your remaining fuel…what do you do when—"
The sound of Prowl's voice vanished as Bee got lost in his own thoughts. Optimus had been gone for quite some time. Last he heard, he'd gone to battle and a small part of him feared for his father's safety. The child knew it was probably foolish since Prime was a very capable warrior…but he couldn't deny his feelings.
He couldn't help but worry.
He jumped and squeaked out a startled apology when Prowl flipped the lights on. Prowl looked…LIVID.
"How are you to learn anything if you don't pay attention?!" His instructor growled in exasperation.
Bumblebee shrank away and tapped his index fingers together nervously, innocently.
"Umm…I can't? I'm sorry! I can't concentrate! I promise I will do better next time…" the child leaped up from his seat as he sensed the return of his father. He heard the clamoring of soldiers, some limping, others marching as they returned to Autobot headquarters deep within Iacon. It was a place the Decepticons had never breached. Not once. It was the safest place on the planet where Optimus could hope to hide the child, now that Megatron most likely knew the truth about Bumblebee's true parentage.
Prowl excused his charge with a roll of his optics, glare softening as the mechling ran out to greet a battle-weary Optimus Prime.
"Father! I'm so glad you're back!" Bumblebee gushed as he ran to Optimus's leg, hugging him. He'd grown a bit since the Prime had last seen him and he smiled softly at the child.
"Go to our quarters, Bumblebee. I have a surprise for you…"
The youngling squealed with glee and all but sprinted back to their shared quarters, forgetting all about his lesson with a stern Autobot tactician. This was his favorite time whenever Optimus returned from a mission. His dad usually brought back a souvenir or a rare treat along with new and riveting stories. Optimus was sure to leave out the troubling, morbid details about war when in the midst of his storytelling. He wanted Bumblebee to be sheltered from the horrors of their planet's war until he came of age.
The yellow youngling sat on his own small berth across from Optimus's and got lost in his own thoughts again while the elder mech stepped into the shower racks next door. Bee couldn't help but wonder if he was going to be capable of passing Prowl's next training exercise. He failed the last one epically because he hadn't paid attention to his elder's explicit instructions. It was an embarrassing reminder that he needed to take his lessons seriously. Optimus even scolded him for daydreaming rather than learning. The child couldn't help it!
He scanned an alternate form a few breems ago. He had yet to learn to transform. Prowl TRIED teaching him…key word TRIED. The yellow mechling secretly wanted Optimus to be his instructor for such a milestone and he wanted more than anything for his father to witness that accomplishment when the time came.
Bumblebee watched many of his elders transform into vehicle mode and then back again to their root mode. It looked easy enough…
His internal musings abruptly ended when a squeaky-clean Optimus Prime entered their berth room. Bumblebee rushed over and eagerly settled himself on Optimus's lap, eager to see what surprise his father had for him.
He began as he customarily did, asking Bumblebee if he'd been a good bot while he'd been absent. The child felt mild annoyance…a little eager to get to the big reveal. He gave his father short, clipped answers. Mainly 'yes's' or 'no's'.
At last, the Prime removed a small package from subspace and handed it to the Cybertronian child.
"I found this buried in the rubble of your old district…"
Bumblebee eagerly removed the wrapping and gasped with awed wonder when he saw a cracked yet still fully functioning holo-picture of his spark-parents Thunderbolt and Brightflame. The two were embracing with loving smiles on their faces. Bee hugged the projector tightly against his chest and turned tearful optics up on Optimus.
"Thank you."
Optimus began to tell him stories of how his Autobots defeated the evil Decepticons and sent Megatron running in shamed defeat. Bumblebee never thought to question why the Autobots always seemed to win in these stories…
Unbeknownst to the mechling…the Autobots just suffered a rough defeat. Optimus lost nearly half of his troops in their latest campaign. The Decepticons were one step closer to launching a direct assault on Iacon.
Bumblebee felt his spark swell with pride as Optimus recounted the valor in which the Autobots fought for freedom…and how they always stood up for what was right. After story time, the youngling slid down off of Optimus's knee and bounced on his pedes in excitement.
"Father! I scanned an alternate mode! Will you teach me?" the child nearly begged.
"Alright, but only if you promise to listen to Prowl during your next lesson."
"I promise!" Bumblebee grinned.
"Alright, transforming is difficult at first but once you shift, it becomes second nature. Close your optics Bumblebee…"
The child did as he was instructed.
"Now…picture yourself changing into your alternate mode."
Bumblebee tried really hard to envision his small body folding in on itself but became frustrated when nothing happened.
"What the frag?!"
"Bumblebee! Language…" Prime scolded with a stern expression that brooked no argument.
The child shrank down sheepishly and gave his dad a guilty smile.
"Sorry."
"Concentrate!"
"Yes, father."
"Feel the protocols initiating within your processor…allow those protocols to briefly take control."
Bumblebee panicked when he felt his body start shifting and screamed, naturally fighting against the transformation protocol. It initially felt so WEIRD…. alien even! His optics snapped open, and he huffed in annoyance.
"I can't do it!"
"Yes, you can. Try again," Prime coached patiently.
Bumblebee couldn't understand why…but for some reason he felt afraid.
"It feels strange…" the child admitted with a whine, after a moment of silence.
"New changes can be scary but they are temporary. Now Bumblebee…transform!"
Bee closed his optics and began to run the transformation protocol within his processor again, only this time, no matter how freaky or weird or unnatural it felt…he allowed his body to shift in on itself.
He heard as well as felt his body parts shifting, folding, moving, as gears and pistons whirred loudly…making a very distinct transformation sound. His arms, legs, and head disappeared…Bumblebee focused on Optimus's voice which helped to keep the primal fear at bay. His first instinct was to return immediately to bot mode since his root mode was all he was used to at this point. He was terrified.
"Feel the steady rhythm of your spark pulse…ignore the fear…transforming is a way of life! A second form is necessary for survival. Now, sit still in your alternate form…reach out with your senses."
"Holy Primus! I CAN'T SEE!" The youngling thought he heard himself shriek yet he was certain his lip components weren't moving.
"Stretch out with your feelings…tell your body what you want it to do."
Bumblebee thought he opened his optical sensors, but he now saw through the lenses of his alternate form, which was radically different yet similar to his ordinary vision.
"Woah…this is weird. Okay g-great…" Bumblebee hastily spoke, wanting more than anything to be standing back on his own pedes. He nearly begged Optimus to allow him to transform back. Bee saw through his binary vision, the leader of the Autobots transform into his alternate form too, so smoothly and seamlessly, like it really was second nature.
"Let's roll out!" Prime issued the rally cry the child had only heard a handful of times.
He watched Optimus now in vehicle mode, roll past him and towards the door. The youngling tried making his body move like it was walking but nothing happened. Now feeling frustrated he spoke.
"How? I can't move!"
"The answers are there within your processor, child. Movement is now more linear and less free-range. Feel yourself rolling forward…" the wise sage instructed patiently.
Bumblebee laughed with glee when he succeeded in rolling forwards a few feet.
"Okay great. I'm done." Bumblebee attempted to transform back into root mode but something within his processor prevented it.
"Now that you have transformed for the very first time, you must drive to cement the transformation protocol within your processing matrix."
Bumblebee growled indignantly and felt like a sparkling, all over again, as he struggled to get the hang of turning. He was a moon buggy type vehicle, and it was sooooooo freaking weird feeling himself moving around on wheels instead of on his own two feet. He felt his inner core begin to melt from embarrassment as he crashed into a wall.
How did Optimus make it look so easy?!
Over the next few million astro seconds, the youngling began to feel less alien and more at ease as he got the hang of his newfound mobility. He rolled behind Optimus and gently bumped into the Prime's bumper, and both heard and felt his father laugh.
"Let's go, little one. Show me what you've got!" The Autobot leader challenged as the duo raced down the hallway together. Thankfully, it began to feel natural just like Optimus promised and after a few loops around the base, Bumblebee felt his transformation protocols FINALLY unlock within his processor.
He didn't wait for Optimus's go ahead and immediately transformed back into bot mode shouting out his relief as he did so.
"OH, THANK PRIMUS!" the youngling shrieked as he checked himself over, making sure he was really back to normal.
Optimus transformed too and Bumblebee couldn't help but laugh along as he heard the Prime's rolling timbre rise and fall in chortles of unrestrained laughter.
"It wasn't that bad, was it youngling? Transforming is always…different…the very first time. It comes easier with age."
Bee nodded his head and slumped down on his recharge berth, suddenly feeling drained, like he'd used a good portion of his energy. Yet his internal systems relayed that he was still at normal energon levels. Before he could voice his concern, Optimus walked over and tucked him in like he usually did.
"Rest, now, my sweet spark. It's been a big day for you."
Bumblebee felt his optics close and within moments, he was fast in recharge.
(TO BE CONTINUED!)
Author's Note: I made this chapter longer, I hope you enjoyed it, please review! :D
Oh, and by the way, the bit about being sandwiched between the bed and the wall really happened when I was a kid. XD I made my dad think I wasn't home but at school. It was a really awkward position, but it worked! Lol He wanted me to go to school even though I was sick, and mom said I could stay home…so…