How To Catch A Bumblebee

Prologue

A/N: This story has taken the reins and set off at the speed of a Fast and Furious car race, and I'm just along for the ride. I know that some of the Transformers terms to do with time are probably incorrect, and please feel free to point out any mistakes I made. I hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: Everything belongs to Hasbro, not me. I only own the plot.

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Megatron was NOT having a good day.

First those pesky Autobots decided it would be a good idea to attack a Decepticon outpost on the outskirts of Kaon. The very same outpost that Megatron happened to be visiting. While the shock on their faceplates as Megatron stepped onto the battlefield was gratifying, it was still very irritating to waste his precious time killing mere scouts and low-ranking warriors. Despite what the Autobots seemed to think, Megatron did not, in fact, enjoy spilling precious Cybertronian blood without a good cause. 

Then Shockwave had alerted him that the "Project" had a setback. Again. It wouldn't be finished for another few deca-cycles. That certainly did not improve his mood.

So when he was presented with a screeching yellow sparkling, he was understandably annoyed. The sparkling was found in the arms of a dead neutral bot who was caught in the crossfire, and the thing was screaming his vocal processor out. Megatron couldn't care less about where they found the brat. This endless noise wasn't helping his massive processor-ache. But as much as he would like to, he wasn't so much of a monster as to kill a helpless sparkling. So he just told Starscream the first thing that came to mind. 

"Give it to Shockwave." Megatron said, gritting his teeth. "Maybe he will have some use for it. Now, get it out of my sight!"

"Yes, Lord Megatron." Starscream said, bowing his head in fear. He scampered off to do the warlord's bidding, and that was the last Megatron saw of the little brat for a long time.

Oh, how he would regret not killing the little thing there and then.

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Starscream flew through the air as fast as his wings would carry him. The tiny sparkling would not. Stop. Crying. He couldn't hear himself think!

"Don't you have an off switch?! Be quiet!" Starscream tried to tell the screeching thing. The brat just screamed louder, and Starscream resigned himself to flying faster. Why in the pit did Shockwave's laboratory have to be so slagging far away?

When Starscream landed, the tiny thing seemed to have worn itself out. It was now just sitting quietly, desperately trying to keep itself awake. Its baby blue optics would close for a moment, and then snap open again, only to repeat the process all over again in a few micro-seconds.

But as soon as Starscream transformed, the thing was screeching again. Starscream winced and sprinted inside as fast as his legs could carry him, pushing past the guards, who just let him go through. They learned not to question the Second in Command and his antics a long time ago.

"Shockwave!" Starscream yelled as he skidded to a halt in the middle of the main laboratory. The sparkling kept on screaming, and then began hitting Starscream's servos with all of its might. Not that it was very much, but it was the thought that counted.

"What is it Starscream?" Shockwave asked, as if he could not see the screeching and thrashing yellow brat in Starscream's servos. 

Starscream shoved the sparkling at Shockwave, who grabbed it on reflex, and then the SIC immediately backed away. Shockwave regarded the tiny bot with mild interest, and looked back up at Starscream.

"What is this?" Shockwave asked. "Its screaming is not... logical."

Starscream kept backing away and explained as fast as he could.

"It's a sparkling that we found on a battlefield and Megatron said to give it to you to experiment on or whatever you do in your creepy lab all day and it doesn't shut up. Ever. Have fun! Or.... whatever it is you do." Starscream blurted, before turning and running back down the hallway.

Shockwave watched him go, and then looked back down at the tired sparkling, who had worn himself out in the few micro-cycles he had been in Shockwave's servos. Shockwave looked from the sparkling to a nearby computer, which was filled with plans and blueprints for Project: Predacon. He then looked at the giant tanks behind him, filled with a strange yellow liquid and a predacon embryo. 

"Hmm..." Shockwave hummed, and got to work.