A/N: Wow, over 300 reviews!? You guys are AWESOME! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! You guys are the best!

...

CHAPTER 40
Near The Breaking Point

Trevor woke up without his left leg, his eyes lowering to find his prosthetic leg had been removed. Trevor groaned, and tried his best to sit up and look around the area of the Rocky Mountains that they were on. It was very easily hidden from the looks of it, he was in a cage, that was immediately obvious by the fact that he was staring out of bars. He guessed that they had snatched it from the Decepticon base and used it to keep him nice and locked up. He crawled towards the cage door, but soon thought through his situation. His left leg was gone, and what's more, he was dizzy, dizzy and tired, like he wanted to take a long nap.

Footsteps quickly grabbed his attention as Barricade made his way towards him. "Don't struggle too much, we've got a good combination of drugs in you," Barricade noted as Trevor fought to keep his eyes open. "I figure one shot of our concoction every twelve hours should keep you asleep through most of this. Given there are human settlements in the Rocky's we can't risk you crying for help, now can we?"

"What about torturing me?" Trevor snorted. "You already wimp out of that?"

Barricade sneered a bit, looking at Trevor slowly. "My change of plans, remember? You were supposed to be in Africa right now, when we couldn't be found easily," He explained with a dark chuckle, seating himself beside the cage. "This makes it more fun anyway, you're so weak due to the drug that you're barely aware of everything," He explained. "It's wearing off now, so you'll be more aware, but it makes animals like you perfectly docile. Enough so that even if I didn't have the inhibitor inside that bond of yours wouldn't mean slag."

"Brain damage," Trevor murmured.

"We're an advanced race," Barricade sneered. "You think I'm stupid enough to envoke their wrath like that? No, it keeps your brain quite in-tact, the way it should be," He shrugged his shoulders. "At least until you've served your purpose. At which point you're about as useful to me as your human technology," He explained, a gleam in his red optics. "I plan to enjoy picking at your brain and finding out more about how it works then."

Trevor shook his head, Barricade seemed to have gone beyond losing his mind now. He was doing that, and at the same time, he was also being sadistic, enjoying watching him suffer. He liked watching him fighting to keep his eyes open, and too weak and tired to even send his family how he was feeling. The good thing was that he could still feel them though, with a strong emphasis on the love that Bumblebee was sending his way. A constant reminder that despite the odds, they were coming for him. Or at the very least, they were doing anything and everything he could to find where they had taken him. But above all else, it reminded him that his dad loved him more than anything, and would do whatever it took to get him back.

He was starting to get out of the haze slowly too, and return the love, however weak the return might be. "It amazes me how much you fight," Barricade noted, looking him over. "Even knowing that I will be injecting it back into you. You seem to just keep pushing," Trevor tried to balance his knees. "Haven't you figured out it's no use fighting anymore? The only way this would go bad is if Starscream were to contact Sunspot and tell him the truth. But I told the dolt that all communications with Starscream were going to be severed on his orders." He grinned slyly. "Seekers like Starscream and Sunspot are not too bright."

Trevor shook his head, Barricade was awfully cocky. A fault which made him wonder if the seeker he was talking about, the one that took him at Diego Garcia, he guessed, noticed anything off. "You're insane," Trevor finally spoke harshly. "You can't backstab your own kind and expect this to work out for you," Barricade snarled. "And you keep forgetting. My dad is Bumblebee, and my grandfather is Optimus Prime," He leaned forward into the bars. "They're going to find you, and make you scream the way you made me back there." He then added. "And if you think I'm not going to give you trouble, you're an idiot. They call people like me fighters," He added. "I dealt with an abusive father until I was five, and lived. I went through the battle of Mission City, and survived. I've lost my parents, and gotten through that..."

"Your point?" Barricade snapped.

"Pretty soon, you're just going to be another event on that list," Trevor pointed at him with a glare. "Another screwed up thing that I dealt with in my life, and lived through. Because no one as cocky, and insane as you is going to get what they want," Barricade seemed to get even angrier at that. "Don't give me that, we both know I hit the nail on the head."

Barricade violently kicked his cage, knocking it over, and Trevor onto his back. It was clear that Barricade did not like the fact that despite how afraid he was, Trevor was not letting himself give into the fear. He was a prisoner with fight to him, and that was the end of the story. "You were amusing for a time," Barricade stated as he carefully prepared a tiny syringe. "But yet again, I am tired of listening to your lip," Trevor tried to crawl, but quickly found himself stopped by a large finger, and felt a small prick in the back of his neck. "You feel that? Your systems shutting down, your muscles weakening," He then added with a harsh whisper. "Remember that every time you go under my drug," Trevor knew what he meant as his body did start to slowly numb, and his eyes grow heavy. "It's another twelve hours I can do whatever I want to you without a fight."

The world was becoming a haze to Trevor as Barricade's disturbing assessment was placed in his head. A terrifying thought that followed him as his eyes closed, and he was once again forced into sleep.

...

"Bullslag!" Jazz slammed a fist onto the wall. "If Starscream ain't got a clue where shorty is, who does?"

That was the question that racked the entirety of the Autobots, and they could guess the Decepticons as well. The who was easy to answer: Baricade had clearly done something to him if Starscream wasn't lying. He'd somehow learned their plans, panicked, and made a desperate run for it. But to where? Where would he take Trevor? And frankly, how did he even manage to learn about what must have been his idea going sour in the first place. Now, they simply stood in the main hangar discussing it. "Barricade," Elita snarled. "There's no other explanation. He took advantage of the fact that, let's face it, the fact that Starscream is a dunce," She added. "And now, he's got him off who knows where until he makes his move."

Bumblebee tried to block out the conversation, thinking quietly. He'd stopped brooding after realizing how little that did to help, yet he still felt a pang of guilt. He could barely even feel Trevor anymore, and not because he was dead, but because he was hardly awake. No doubt that was Barricade's work, he wanted him to begin to panic more again. "All I know is that we know what he wants now," Bumblebee finally spoke. "This was never about the endgame of getting Optimus. He wants me, period. And maybe it's time I gave him what he wants."

No one seemed happy with that idea, perhaps even less happy than when Optimus proposed his exchange. Ironhide, who had barely said anything after what had happened, shook his head and snarled. "We are not letting them take anyone else," He stated firmly. "I'm already scared as pit for what's happening to Trevor as is," He bristled a bit. "I will not see my nephew hand himself over to that insane son of a glitch's desires."

"He has my son," Bumblebee patted his chest. "I'd rather go there and die for him than do nothing at all."

Optimus put a hand on his shoulder, and Bumblebee sighed, knowing he was about to be overruled again. But at this point, he wanted to do it, he wanted this to be over, and he wanted Trevor out of it. "We need to finish this quickly anyway. You have that goodwill mission in London just before Christmas," Bumblebee turned as Galloway entered the room with a sneer. "If you all haven't finished working this out-."

"Ye kidding, goodwill mission's off until after this is all handled," Ironhide snapped. "And no one invited ye to this-."

Optimus held out a hand, calming his friend with a look on his face. "What Ironhide means to say is I have canceled the trip. We have rescheduled it for after this is over," He explained. "My grandcreation is far more important than any political mission. This is a matter of my men, and my family. Either one would come first," He then added. "A fact I'd hope even you would understand."

Galloway looked as though he wanted to argue, but the look that Ironhide gave him told him to shut up. He grunted, and fixed his tie a little. "I'm going to be honest, we're spending too much time and resources on this," Galloway finally found the courage to speak. "I understand that Trevor Prime is your grandson, Prime. But it's been almost two days and we haven't found anything," He explained, making Optimus frown. "We don't even know that he's alive. What happens if we do get to him and he's dead-?"

That one caused anger to rise in Bumblebee like no one present had seen in him before. Ironhide and Ratchet were quick to grab his arms, yanking him back before he could lunge further. "That's my son you're talking about Galloway," Bumblebee snapped. "And I do not need to hear your fragging theories about whether he's alive or dead right now! Because I know in my spark he is ALIVE," He then added, pointing directly at him. "And if you've got a problem with us going after him, I can tell you something I've wanted to since I've met you," He then began. "You can take your clipboard, your stuck-up attitude, and your prejudices and shove them where the sun don't-."

"Bumblebee!" Optimus warned him. "Son-."

"No, don't give me that! I don't need to hear that he may be offline," Bumblebee snapped. "I've gone through that scenario in my head enough that I'm trying so hard not to lose my slag about it! And then someone like YOU comes back around and think it's okay," He yanked as Ironhide attempted to pull him back. "You want to know why you don't have kids or a wife Galloway? It's because I don't think any deity would be that cruel to children as to give them a fragger for a father like you. And frankly I'd hate to meet the femme desperate enough to-."

"Bumblebee, that is enough," Optimus shouted, making everyone but Galloway, who just stood very quietly staring up at Bumblebee. "Your processor is not working right, and no one blames you for that," He began quietly. "But you need not take this out on-."

"He's trying to tell me he's probably dead, Prime," Bumblebee shrieked. "Do you know how scared I am that he's right? How," Optimus pulled him into a hug as the mech tried his best to calm himself. "I just... I can't do this, I need to be alone, I don't need comfort. And I don't need this afthole!" He pushed Optimus away carefully, one hand pointed at Galloway. "Call me when he's not in the picture."

Ironhide and Ratchet were both yanked away as Bumblebee made his way through the Autobots. For the first time, there was no quip that came out of Galloway, only dumbfounded uncertainty. "You mean this wasn't a stunt to win over the government?" Galloway finally spoke. "Your Autobot actually... Cares about the kid?"

Jazz stood to his feet, glaring over at Galloway. "Gee, it took really pissing Bee off for ye to figure that out?" Jazz questioned, his visor flashing a bit. "We all care about what happens ta shorty, so if ye want to not get shot next time he sees ya," He leaned in. "Ah'd get on the phone with mah superiors and tell 'em we are NOT handling any more diplomacy until we know he's OK."

"I'm really looking to take my anger out on something too," Elita commented rather harshly. "So if Bee wasn't enough to convince you, I can show you what an angry Cybertronian femme looks like," She added.

Galloway looked as though for once, even he was torn. He removed his glasses from his eyes, and rubbed the temples of his forehead. The man didn't care about how the Autobots felt normally, but as a human being he probably would be like this too. It almost made him sick to think they shared that in common, but regardless, they did. "You're going to have a lot of explaining to do when this is all over," Galloway told them flatly. "But I suppose, for the sake of saving my face, I'll let this one slide."

"Good," Ironhide grunted. "Now get out of our sight."

Galloway did exactly as he was told that time, causing most of the Autobots to relax. Ironhide crossed his arms with a huff, a look in his optics as he stared over at Optimus. "What is the plan though, Prime?" He questioned. "I've known you since we were sparklings, and I know you have one cooking up in that processor of yours," He then added. "So spill."

Optimus was silent, staring over at Ratchet quietly. "Trevor's watch," Ratchet stared up. "You designed it to not give off a signature in case of capture, am I right?" Ratchet nodded his head. "The signal of the communications part of it is surely blocked from his end, rendering communication useless," He then added. "But if we were to try and get his signal to come through to the base, would that be possible?"

Ratchet nodded his head vigorously. "It should, yes. I'd have to hack into the signal to turn on the function that allows radio waves to bounce off here," Ratchet noted. "But if I could get it open for even a short amount of time, I could easily track the signal," He then added. "So long as Trevor himself still has it on him, or one of the Decepticons have taken, but not destroyed it."

Jazz took a step forward, raising his hand quickly. "Ah'll help. As a saboteur this slag is par for da course," Jazz explained, nodding to Optimus. "Ah'll do whatever ah can to get that signal through."

"Very well," Optimus began. "The rest of us will begin to formulate a plan of rescue," He then added. "We likely do not have much time to stop whatever Barricade has planned," He explained. "So we must work fast, and diligently. Let us begin.

No one argued about getting to work quickly that day.

...

Bumblebee knew he had lost every ounce of patience he had had back there. And what's more, he knew that he was a little harsh on Galloway himself. But the truth was, he was scared beyond being scared now. What was Barricade doing to Trevor? Did he have him within an inch of death and was just waiting for him to arrive to finish him? Was he planning to make Bumblebee wait months, or even years before seeing him again? His spark twisted and turned silently, all these terrible thoughts surrounding him.

That's when his com beeped, to an unknown signal. It didn't take rocket science for Bumblebee to answer, his optics narrowing angrily. "Barricade, I want to make one thing perfectly clear," Bumblebee began darkly. "If so much as one strand of hair is out of place on Trevor's head... There won't be enough pieces of you left to salvage."

"Ohhhhh, someone's angry," Barricade snorted on the other end, some minor background noise behind him. "Don't worry, other than a few burns and bruises... Well, the brat's been barely conscious through this little ordeal," He sneered, a fact which made Bumblebee's doorwings twitch with anger. "Do I even need to make my demands, Bumblebee? You know what I want, you alone. Not your sire, not your carrier, not your uncle," He snapped. "I want you here, and armed for the last battle of your pathetic life-cycle. When you inevitably lose, your pit spawn will be free."

Bumblebee frowned, staring out the door to his berthroom where he now stood. "How do I know you'll keep up your end of the bargain?" He questioned coldly. "I want one other Autobot with me, he won't come to the meet up point. But when I come to you, one of the lackies I know you have with you has to BRING Trevor to him, with confirmation of his status. If you can't promise me that, then you can go frag yourself."

There was dead silence on the other end of the comm. "That... Is something I must discuss with my "lackies" as you so put them," Barricade sneered. "I think we can both agree you've waited this long, you can wait a little longer," He added. "In twenty-four hours, I will comm you with my decision. Don't even think of calling, or tracking me. The second I think you have you'll receive your precious pet's head in a box." He then added. "Do you understand me?"

"I understand..." Bumblebee hissed.

"Good, we'll be in touch."

And then he was gone, leaving Bumblebee's fists clenched. At least he could be sure Trevor was alive now, it had been faint, but he'd heard his snoring in the background. He was alive, and they still stood a chance at getting him back, even if it was at the cost of his own life. He questioned whether or not to tell Optimus, and run the risk of something going wrong. And yet, the rational side of him knew the answer: Optimus would know what to do, and perhaps had his own plan as well.

Inside, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He had to stay calm, and collected, for Trevor's sake, and for his own. Because if he was going to pull off any kind of plan, that same rational side knew he was going to need every ounce of intelligence and strength he had.