Normal Perspective:
A few weeks had passed since Optimus had been restored and Starscream had been made an official member of Team Prime. A few weeks had also passed since Bumblebee and Michael had bonded. They felt closer than they ever had before, though it was difficult for a few days afterward. While the two got used to knowing how a Spark bond worked, they had also come across something concerning.
While Michael and Bumblebee could contact each other through their bond while the Techno-Organic was in his Cybertronian form, they found that the bond seemed to be blocked out while Michael was in his human form, as if there was an invisible barrier cutting the connection off. They found it to be very inconvenient and concerning, but there was nothing that could be done about it.
But that wasn't the only problem the two faced.
For a few days after that night, the Autobots would act weirdly whenever they were around. Arcee, Starscream, and Ratchet would always smirk at them whenever they saw them, and Bulkhead and Cliffjumper would snicker to each other when the two were near them. Optimus would simply give a small smile and a nod when he saw them.
The two quickly caught on to their behavior, and their reason why.
Despite the thickness of the walls between each room, they were not soundproof, and they had been able to hear some of what had gone on in their room. Not all of it, but enough for them to put the pieces together.
Jessica was completely unaware of it all, for the human rooms were in another part of the base, away from the Autobot's berth rooms. Michael was pleased with this, for he did not want to explain to her about what had gone on in their room that night.
Despite that, however, this ended up embarrassing them once they found out, but the Autobots didn't mind, for their behavior was all in good-natured fun, and they were happy for the two mechs.
But the fun wouldn't last long.
One day, Optimus, Ratchet, and Michael were staking out a Decepticon mining site, for an ancient Autobot frequency had been detected.
This was concerning, for according to what Michael had told them, because Orion had never been taken aboard the Warship and used to decode the Iacon Database, they shouldn't have been able to get past the encryptions on the files, but it seemed that they found an alternate way around it.
Michael was especially concerned.
Because of the event change, the future should've changed along with it, but as far as he could tell, it hadn't.
He was shocked, relieved, and disappointed at this revelation.
He had slightly been hoping for the future to change to work in their favor, but also for it to stay the same, for his knowledge would become useless should the future be changed too much because of him.
Both fortunately and unfortunately for him, he needn't have worried.
While the Autobots had been concerned as to how Megatron was able to get past the decryptions on the files, they were more concerned by what was found, and were determined to keep it from Decepticon hands.
"Megatron?" Ratchet asked from behind the rocks he, Optimus, and Michael were hiding behind.
"It would seem that you have detected the ancient Autobot frequency because it was unearthed." The Prime replied.
"Well, our backup shouldn't be far behind." Ratchet said.
"Without knowing what the Decepticons have exhumed, I do not think I am willing to wait." Optimus replied, and deployed his blaster. Then he headed towards the site with Ratchet and Michael following behind him.
Down below, the Vehicons had completely unearthed the relic.
"Show me." Megatron ordered, and they pulled the pod out of the hole. "Bring it to me with utmost care."
They brought the pod over and the Warlord opened it, surprised at what he found inside, but a voice immediately called out to him.
"Megatron!" Optimus said firmly, as he, Ratchet, and Michael ran over. "I cannot allow you to pilfer Autobot relics!"
"Not only are you misinformed, Optimus, but I would strongly advise for you to lower your weapons," Megatron said, as he pulled the relic out of the pod. "unless you're in the mood for mutually assured destruction."
"Good Lord..." Michael gasped out, as his optics turned pale green. Had he been human, he would've gone pale.
"It can't be..." Ratchet said in shock.
"The Spark Extractor." Optimus stated.
"Rather unassuming," Megatron explained. "yet capable of extracting every Spark within its radius. And to think you two led me straight to it, Optimus and Michael. Or should I say... Michael's alternate memories of Orion Pax did."
The two mechs glanced at each other at this.
Michael wasn't sure, but he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his tanks of what could've happened.
"You really should have sealed off my access to your memories much sooner than you did Michael," Megatron gloated. "For you have no idea how useful your knowledge of events proved to be during our all-too-brief time together."
Michael only shuddered, not wanting to be reminded of that time, as Megatron activated his comm.
"Soundwave, send a Groundbridge."
A bridge then opened near them.
"Engage them!" Megatron ordered, and the Vehicons did so. Optimus began firing at them, while Michael and Ratchet unsheathed their blades and began taking them on.
From a high cliff, Bumblebee, in his vehicle mode, charged over the edge and down to the lower area, avoiding the blaster fire from the drones, and he soon reached to where Optimus, Michael, and Ratchet were fighting.
"Bumblebee, secure the package!" The Prime ordered.
The scout obliged, and charged for the still-open Groundbridge.
Inside it, he transformed and jumped, grabbing the Spark Extractor and pulling it from the Warlord's servo.
"What?!" Megatron yelled in anger, and unsheathed his blade.
In response, Bumblebee transformed, the Spark Extractor now in his cab, and drove off before turning around, driving right between the Warlord's legs, and charging back the other way, with the silver mech chasing him.
Bumblebee charged out of the bridge, turning in the air like a stunt driver and driving off as he reached the ground.
Megatron also charged out as the bridge closed behind him, only to find the Autobots gone and the remains of the Vehicons littering the area, and growled in anger.
Back at the base, Bumblebee was bragging about his triumph and vehicular acrobatics to the others, using Raf's toy car to recreate the stunts he pulled.
Starscream wasn't impressed by the stunts, knowing that far more could be achieved in the skies, but he kept his intake shut, knowing that if he said anything, Michael would no doubt rebuke him, and he did not want to get into a fight with the grayish green mech, so he instead went to his room, rolling his optics.
To him, wings were far better than wheels.
"Car-lover..." He muttered darkly.
"Loop-D-Loop, huh?" Arcee asked the scout, as he gave the toy car back to his charge.
"You were amazing." Cliffjumper praised.
"You have some brass bearings, Bumblebee!" Bulkhead said
"What you did was incredible, 'Bee." Michael praised.
"/And incredibly sexy./" Michael said through their bond, which made the scout blush.
On the other side of the room, Optimus and Ratchet were scanning the Spark Extractor for the source of the frequency it gave off.
"Optimus." Ratchet said, as the two looked at the monitor, which had a blue version of the relic on it. Zooming in, they found a blinking Autobot symbol. "Here. The source of the ancient frequency we detected."
"An Iacon homing beacon." Optimus realized.
"What's an Autobot locator doing on that?" Arcee asked as she and the others approached, knowing the Spark Extractor wasn't a relic made by their faction.
"The Class-A Decepticon weapons confiscated during the war were sealed within the vaults below Iacon." Optimus explained.
"Where you once worked as an archivist." Bulkhead put in.
"Iacon was both a cultural center and a stronghold." Optimus said. "Which Megatron raided when Autobot troops were at their nadir. It stands to reason that in anticipation of Iacon being overrun by enemy forces, these weapons were jettisoned off-world to keep them far from Decepticon reach."
"Clearly, the beacon was added as a safety measure should the weapons be found by the undesired party." Ratchet added.
"Well, thanks to our hotshot stunt driver, this one's going in our vault." Bulkhead chuckled, as he put a servo on the scout's back-struts.
"Do you think this is the only intel Michael's alternate memories of you supplied to Megatron?" Arcee asked, concerned.
The two mech's faceplates fell to looks of guilt and worry, and glanced at each other. While it hadn't been either of their faults, they couldn't help but feel responsible for what happened.
"Arcee, you are right to ask." Optimus replied solemnly as he looked back at the femme. "And we are afraid we... do not know..."
"He said he looked through my memories when he was inside my head, but I didn't know how far he actually went into looking at them... I should've closed off his access to my memories much earlier... if only I had known this was going to happen..." Michael said guiltily.
"Michael," Ratchet began. "You didn't know he was going to look through your memories, and there was no way you could've stopped him before he could. None of us knew that this was going to happen, not even you. And Optimus, Megatron clearly took advantage of your amnesia in the alternate events, but for all we know, this Spark Extractor is the extent of it. Have either of you stopped to consider that he might have suggested otherwise merely to plague your thoughts?"
Optimus and Michael glanced at each other again.
They hadn't, but even so, the thought of the situation still bothered them, but they were able to push it to the back of their minds.
Michael then walked over to the Spark Extractor and carefully picked it up. He assimilated it, and then he headed for his room to rest.
He shuddered at the weapon's destructive ability, and wasn't going to use the real thing, or his assimilated version of it, in battle, but he felt that, with a few modifications, it would play a key role in his revival plan.
Meanwhile, on the Nemesis, Megatron was raging at the loss of the Spark Extractor.
"The Spark Extractor was in my grasp!" He yelled as slammed a console with a fist. "I should've removed more than that scout's voicebox when I had the chance!"
Soundwave, who was in the room, approached, and two more sets of coordinates appeared on his visor.
"Indeed Soundwave." The Warlord said, his rage now gone as he approached the silent mech. "We possess two more sets of coordinates, which Michael's alternate memories of Orion decrypted before departing our ranks. Let us see what other long-lost treasures we might be... reunited with."
Later that evening, Bulkhead, Michael, and Bumblebee were out investigating a signal. Michael was doing as he was supposed to, but his thoughts of what Megatron had found in his memories came back, distracting him, and making him forget about the event that took place here.
Meanwhile, Bumblebee was driving along the empty roads when he picked up the signal.
"<:Bulkhead, Michael, I got something.:>" The scout said into the comm.
"Yeah, I just picked up the same signal." Bulkhead said through the comm. "Could be another homing beacon. Let's rendezvous at the coordinates."
"Got it, Bulk." Michael said from his end of the comm.
Bumblebee then drove on for a few more minutes before arriving at the coordinates.
He transformed and looked around before hearing a strange beeping noise. Looking over, he saw a device sitting on a rock. He ran over to it, and inspected it. But before he could do anything else, the sound of something charging up caught his attention, but before he could move, a large shock of electricity hit him, knocking him to the ground and putting him in stasis lock.
Elsewhere, Michael was heading for the coordinates when he felt a large pain in his body originating from his Spark chamber, causing him to yell out and brake to a sudden stop.
"Michael? Michael, what's wrong?!" Bulkhead asked through the comm., which the two had kept open.
"B-Bumblebee...." The Techno-Organic gasped out as the pain subsided, but a new feeling took its place as the memories of what happened here came back to him.
Fear.
"We need to find him! NOW!" He yelled into the comm.
Without any care for speed limits, the young mech took off down the road.
Back at the site, Silas and a few other men approached the unconscious mech.
"Silas, two others are headed towards our position." A soldier said. "Estimated arrival: 2 minutes for one, and 3 minutes for the other."
"Work briskly." Silas ordered.
A soldier handed another a tool, then he approached the scout and set to work.
As Silas watched the operation, a jet flew arrived at the site and transformed, landing on the cliff above the scene.
It was Michael's Shattered Glass self.
His grayish red paint nearly blended in with the rocks around him, but overall, stuck out from them.
He walked over to the edge and looked down.
"It would appear that the signal was a trap." He said to himself. "Better Bumblebee than me." He added with a dark smirk.
He then looked over at the man without a mask, using his optics to zoom in on him, and his optics widened.
Even with the scar and lack of hair, his face was instantly recognizable to the Techno-Organic, despite only ever seeing him through the TV, and meeting him once in person.
Then he remembered where he had seen Fowler from, and smirked darkly again.
In his original world, the two had been swapped around.
Down below, the man was still working, as Silas was keeping a lookout.
Through his bicolours, he could see two cars approaching.
"The backup is ahead of schedule." He said.
"As luck would have it," The soldier remarked, as he removed a small internal part from the scout. "So am I."
"Move out." Silas ordered, headed for their chopper.
Michael watched, smirked, and left.
Bumblebee then woke up from stasis-lock, and watched as the chopper left.
Then he looked over as the sound of motors filled the air.
Bulkhead and Michael transformed and ran over to him.
"Bumblee! Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Michael cried, close to tears.
"Bee!" Bulkhead said urgently. "Who did this?! 'Cons?!"
"<:I... I don't know...:>" The scout replied.
"One way to find out." Bulkhead replied. "Come on!" The Wrecker then ran off, transforming as he did. Michael helped Bumblebee up, and the two ran after him.
Bumblebee tried to transform, but found that he couldn't, and stopped running, with Michael stopping alongside him, giving him a sorrowful look.
Bumblebee tried two more times, but his parts only shifted before shifting back.
The scout looked over at his sparkmate with a concerned, almost fearful, look in his optics, which made Michael's Spark break at the sight, then looked ahead at Bulkhead.
The Wrecker noticed the two weren't following him, and stopped, then he reversed, turned, and transformed, walking up to the two mechs.
"We rollin' or not?!" The Wrecker asked in anger.
"<:I... I can't transform....:>" The scout beeped fearfully.
"What do you mean you can't?" Bulkhead asked.
Bumblebee didn't reply, and only looked at the Wrecker in concern.
Something was wrong.
-----
At the base, Ratchet was scanning Bumblebee, who had explained what had happened when he found the source of the signal, as the rest of the team stood around him, waiting for Ratchet's diagnosis.
Michael was pacing back and forth nearby, fuming in anger and wallowing in self-guilt.
His right optic pale green, his left one blazing red.
He knew what was wrong, but he wanted an expert's diagnosis.
"You can fix 'Bee, can't you?" Raf asked.
"Bumblebee was hit pretty hard." Ratchet replied, as he went to scan him again. "The stun blast may have fried his T-Cog."
"Is that like a T-Bone?" Miko asked.
"Not exactly." Arcee replied. "It's the organ that allows us to scan vehicles and transform."
Ratchet's scanner then beeped as it picked up something.
"By the AllSpark..." The CMO gasped in shock. "Bumblebee's T-Cog isn't damaged.... it's missing."
Everyone gasped in shock at this, and silence fell over the room, which was then broken by a loud smashing sound.
"GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!"
Everyone looked over at Michael, whose optics were now both blazing red. His fist was on a console, which was now glitched out.
"MICHAEL!" Ratchet shouted. "I-"
The Techno-Organic whipped around to face the medic, a look of fury on his faceplate, and the CMO immediately shut his intake, remembering when he was punched in the faceplate by him before.
Optimus walked over and put a servo on the Techno-Organic's shoulder-plate, giving him a somber look.
He could see how guilty the Techno-Organic felt inside.
Michael looked at him, and his optics went pale green as his faceplate fell to a look of sorrow.
"But... the Decepticons transform too." Jack pointed out. "Why would they need that?"
"Megatron may be known to raise zombies, but he's no ghoul." Ratchet replied.
'Well that fact will change later.' Michael thought, thinking ahead to a certain event.
"But if Megatron wasn't behind this... then who was?" Raf asked, worried.
"Oh... I know exactly who did this..." Michael hissed in anger, as his optics went red again.
Bulkhead and Arcee immediately knew who he was talking about, and their anger grew.
"The ones who cannibalised Breakdown." Bulkhead said.
"And tried to gut me." Arcee added.
"MECH." Ratchet deduced in anger. "And it would appear that their knowledge of Cybertronian biotech has grown more sophisticated."
"But why would they want Bumblebee's part?" Raf asked.
"<:I don't care why they want it!:>" Bumblebee beeped in frustration as he got up. "<:I need it! It's mine, and mine only! Come on, let's go look for it!:>"
He was about to leave when Optimus stopped him.
"Bumblebee, please, you are not... presently equipped to handle this." The Prime said calmly.
"<:Optimus, you don't understand.:>" The scout replied. "<:You don't know what it's like to lose a part of yourself.:>"
"You are mistaken, my friend." Optimus replied. "I do know what it's like to lose a vital part of oneself. And, as a result, I know the value of putting your faith in the strength of those around you. We vow to do everything in our power to make you whole again."
"And if not, Ratchet or Michael can just make you a new... cog-thing, right?" Miko said.
Michael gave a harsh glare, as this remark made him feel even more guilty.
He wanted to scream at her, but he remembered the last time he did that, and knew it wouldn't help.
He could make Cybertronian parts, but only external parts, such as body parts, provided he had the right schematics to work with. He couldn't make internal ones, for any he did make were only replicas that did nothing, as Ratchet had diagnosed when the two were seeing just how far his materialization ability could go in terms of mechanical crafting when Michael first came across his ability months ago.
"<:I- Ooooohhhhh my Primus....!:>" Bumblebee exclaimed, leaning back and sitting on the berth, upset at how stupid her question was.
"Are you kidding me?" Cliffjumper asked in disbelief.
"How ignorant are you?!" Starscream snapped, and stormed off to his room.
As much as he sympathized with the scout's loss, he was secretly pleased with this, as it meant he wouldn't have to listen to his boasting for a while.
"What'd I say?" Miko asked, not seeing how her question was bad.
"Miko, a T-Cog is bio-mechanism, not a scrapyard find." Ratchet said in annoyance. "If it were that easy, don't you think I would've replaced Bumblebee's voicebox by now?!"
"<:I can't speak, I can't transform, I'm useless...:>" The scout beeped sadly.
"You're not useless, 'Bee!" Raf argued.
"<:Yes... I am....:>"
"Bumblebee, listen to me." Michael said, as walked over and knelt down in front of the scout, making him look at him, his optics returning to normal. "You are definitely not useless. Ever since I arrived here, you all have taken me and accepted me as one of your own, even though I was just a normal human who had nowhere else to go at the time. But now, I've got a great family, and an amazing boyfriend that I wouldn't trade for anything. Like I told you before, I didn't fall for you because of your voice, nor did I fall for you because of your wheels. I fell for you because you're an amazing mech. I've had many bright sparks in my life since I came here, and you, 'Bee, are the brightest spark out of all of them."
Despite his loss, Bumblebee couldn't help but smile at how sweet his sparkmate was to him, and hugged him tightly, as the others smiled around them.
"Alright, alright, I say none of us transform until Bumblebee gets his cog back." Bulkhead said, thinking that it wasn't fair for them to use an ability he lost.
"Your Spark's in the right place, Bulkhead." Arcee said. "But I don't think now is the time to be limiting ourselves."
"Not with Megatron potentially seeking other doomsday devices." Optimus added. "And I fear, not while MECH uses Bumblebee's T-Cog for their own sinister purpose."
Michael thought for a moment, then he smiled.
He knew exactly how to make Bumblebee feel better.
"Come on, 'Bee." He said. "There's something I'd like to show you."
He then got up, taking the scout's servo in his and pulling him to the Command Center. He then walked over to the Groundbridge and scrolled through the login history. Selecting the coordinates to the clearing, he activated the bridge, and walked through with Bumblebee in tow.
A full moon lit up the somewhat cloudy sky, as a green and white glow lit up the darkness of the night even more on the ground below.
Michael and Bumblebee walked out of the Groundbridge, feeling to cool night air around them, as the bridge closed behind them.
"<:What did you want to show me, Mike?:>"
Michael grinned, and transformed into his jet mode.
The scout only looked down at him, confused.
"Climb on."
The scout's optics widened in surprise.
"<:Are you... sure?:>" He warbled, concerned. "<:Won't I be too heavy for you?:>"
"Trust me, I lifted up Optimus before by myself." The young mech replied. "You aren't as heavy as he is, no offense to him though."
Bumblebee hesitated, remembering his last experience in the sky with Skyquake.
"Don't worry, 'Bee." Michael said, knowing what he was thinking. "I'll protect you. Nothing bad will happen this time. I promise."
Reluctantly, the scout climbed onto Michael's jet mode, and the two took off into the night sky easily.
Michael activated his signal cloaker, and extended its radius to cloak his boyfriend's signal as well.
At first, Bumblebee was slightly worried that he would fall off, but he soon began to enjoy himself, for this was something he had never experienced before, and he was soon warbling and whirring in delight, which made Michael beam, even though the scout couldn't see it.
He even pulled a few flying stunts, making the scout laugh.
Soon, they arrived back at the clearing, the two mechs beaming. Bumblebee got off of Michael's jet mode, and the Techno-Organic transformed.
Bumblebee retracted his mask and kissed Michael on his cheek.
"<:Thank you, Mike.:>"
"You're very welcome, 'Bee."
Deploying his mask, Bumblebee called for a bridge, and the two mechs returned home.
Meanwhile, in a warehouse surrounded by a forest of trees, Silas and his men were working on a prototype version of what would become their own Transformer.
Using a crane-like claw, they placed the stolen T-Cog into the prototype, and installed it.
"Commence Beta Test." Silas ordered.
One of the men pressed a few buttons on the console, and the prototype began to flex its servo into a fist before relaxing it and doing again.
Then, its systems started up.
"Installation complete." The man said. "Commencing scan."
Two blue beams shot out from its optics as it proceeded to scan the chopper in front of it before receding as schematics appeared on the console.
"Scan successful." The man said. "Commencing transformation."
The bot then tried to transform, but all it did was make a constant clicking noise, much to Silas's annoyance.
The man tried to make it work, but only ended up making its systems shut down.
A laugh echoed through the warehouse, and Silas looked over at the entrance to see a familiar, yet unfamiliar bot looking in.
Michael's counterpart.
"So, it would seem that you are what is known as MECH." He said as he entered the building, and looked down at the person he recognized. "And you must be Silas, or should I say, Colonel Leland Bishop."
Silas scowled at this, and the men pointed their guns at the Techno-Organic, for he wasn't supposed to be there.
"You seem to know a lot about Cybertronians, don't you?" Michael asked with a smirk.
"Enough to know where the soft spots are, Michael."
"So it would seem that you know of me, or at least, you know of my counterpart." Michael said with a frown.
"Counterpart?" Silas asked.
"Explanations can come later." Michael said. "For now, I am sure you are wondering why I am here."
"Why are you here?" Silas asked.
"I wish to propose an alliance, for we both have much more in common than you might think." Michael smirked. "And I don't just mean our battle scars."
Silas raised an eyebrow, for he couldn't see any scars on the mech's faceplate.
The Techno-Organic could tell what he was thinking, and shifted to his human form, shocking the men, except for Silas, whose face didn't change, as if he was expecting it, for he remembered witnessing the other Michael shift forms back during their organization's partnership with Airachnid, and had become intrigued by such an anomaly.
The men then pointed their guns at the figure taking Michael's place.
In place of the medium-sized red mech stood a muscular teenager who looked nearly identical to Michael's original self, but there were differences.
Like his original self, he was lean and had a muscular build. Also like his other self, he too had brownish black hair and had his bangs dyed. But unlike his original self, his bangs were dyed a deep purple instead of red.
He also had the same eye colors as his Cybertronain form did, but their colors were less pronounced.
The most glaring difference between the two, however, was a scar that ran on a diagonal line across his left cheek. It wasn't as big or as prominent as Silas's, but it was still noticeable if one were to look closely enough.
"What could I possibly gain from such an arrangement?" Silas asked, unfazed by the teen in front of him.
"Insider knowledge."
Silas stared at the teen, considering it. If he was who he said he was, and if he was to provide an explanation of his origins, then this partnership would work better than the previous one, for the boy didn't seem like the type to double-cross people.
He held up his hand, and his men stood down, lowering their weapons.
"Wise choice." Michael said with a smirk, and shifted back to his Cybertronian form. "Now, a T-Cog is not technology, but biology, and isn't able to be fueled by any normal fuel source like coal, water, or oil. It can only be powered by the substance known as Energon."
He then pulled out an Energon cube that he had saved for emergency purposes, and showed it to the man, who looked at it with interest.
"Go on." Silas said, looking back to the Techno-Organic.
"Energon is the fuel, ammunition, and lifeblood of all Cybertronians, as well as one of the fuel sources of Techno-Organics, which is what beings like me are known as." Michael explained, as he walked towards the prototype ahead of him." You'll need it if you are to successfully create your own Transformer, and I currently lack the means of locating it, for most of the mines are taken over by the Decepticons, and I was only able to snag a few crystals which I in turn processed into its usable form. Once I provide you with the particulars of its chemical make-up, we can utilize your resources, as well as any tools or machinery I can create with my materialization ability, to devise a means of detecting new deposits for our own use."
He then opened the cube, dipped a digit into it, and placed it into the prototype bot's "Spark chamber", which glowed and released a hiss of blue steam.
"If the supply meets MECH's rather significant demand." Silas remarked.
"Are you intending to build an army?" Michael asked. "Because if you are, then believe me, Earth's deposits, while not as large as that of Cybertron's, should be plentiful enough, if the Autobots and Decepticons don't take them over or blow them up."
Silas didn't reply to this.
"I'm no stranger to ambition, for I have a few scores to settle."
Silas wasn't sure if he could actually be trusted, but if his knowledge would benefit their project, then he might as well go along with it.
For now.
Later at the base, Bumblebee was quickly becoming restless and was running out of things to keep him busy.
Optimus, Bulkhead, and Cliffjumper had gone out on patrol, keeping an optic out for any signs of MECH as they did so, Arcee went out with Jack and Vince, and Starscream went for a flight, which he was allowed to do for the same reason they went out for drives.
Michael and Ratchet stayed at the base with Raf, Miko, and Jessica, who were playing a video game.
The Techno-Organic had tried all sorts of ideas to keep his boyfriend busy, but nothing seemed to quell his restlessness.
He wasn't mad, however.
All he wanted was for his scout to be happy again.
"<:Have the others found anything regarding MECH yet?:>" Bumblebee asked as he walked up to Ratchet.
"Optimus, Bulkhead, and Cliffjumper haven't reported in yet." Ratchet replied, trying to stay focused.
"<:Can you let me know as soon as they-:>"
"Bumblebee!" Ratchet interrupted. "I will let you know the moment I hear something."
But Bumblebee didn't let up, and the medic soon lost patience.
"Oh for Primus sake!" He groaned in annoyance. "Will someone keep him occupied so I can get some work done?!"
"Hey 'Bee, how about a video game?" Raf suggested, deciding to take a shot at distracting him.
"<:Okay...:>" The scout replied, and walked over to the human area.
He then went behind the couch and watched the three kids play their game, which, unfortunately, was the racing game they usually played.
"<:Really, guys?:>" He asked.
"Ooooohhhh.... Bad call." Miko muttered.
"Sorry." Raf apologized.
"Hey, no big deal! That game's lame." Miko said, and threw her controller, then grabbed the TV Remote. "Why don't we watch some TV?"
"Yeah, there's plenty to watch on TV." Jessica added. "I mean, what are the chances of-"
She never finished as an advertisement appeared on the screen, showing off a car, which just so happened to be the very same class as Bumblebee's vehicle mode, the Urbana 500. The only difference was that this one was wearing a very metallic silver livery instead of the young scout's signature yellow one.
"The new Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world, it will transform it."
The three teens and one bot only stared at the screen in complete disbelief.
"<:Are you kiiiiidding me?!:>"
"Why did the TV have to say those exact words?" Jessica asked, now starting to hate this.
"Taking the "Auto" out of an Autobot is so not a good thing." Miko said.
Michael, who was in the room, watched the scene with concern. He used to find the scene amusing, but with all the changes in his life, and with his relationship with the scout, he didn't find it funny anymore.
"'Bee, come on. You're just as amazing without wheels." Raf said reassuringly. "I mean, speed isn't everything."
Bumblebee smiled from behind his mask, as he knew Raf was right.
Just then, Jack, Vince, and Arcee came back.
Despite not wanting to at first, Vince had decided to ride with Jack and Arcee instead of in his own car for a change.
As they came in, Arcee did a spinning stunt, kicking up dust as she did, making her back tire lift up into the air slightly before falling back to the ground.
Jack and Vince then pulled off their helmets.
"Personal best, Arcee." Jack said happily. "You hit 1/20 easy!"
The three froze as they looked at Bumblebee, whose optics had narrowed in anger and jealousy.
He then headed for the exit, but Ratchet stopped him.
"Bumblebee, where do you think you're going?" He asked.
"<:For a walk.:>" The scout replied in anger.
"You can't just go for a walk!" Ratchet snapped. "We are robots in disguise! Leaving the base in this form could put you at risk of being seen, and of us being discovered!" He then grabbed the scout by the shoulder-plate and turned him away from the exit. "You just have to remain in the silo until-"
"<:UNTIL I GET FIXED!:>" The scout snapped in anger, yanking himself out of the medic's grasp. "<:YOU'VE SAID IT A MILLION TIMES, BUT YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO FIX ME UNLESS YOU CAN FIND SOME KIND OF SOLUTION! I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING TO DO IN HERE! I FEEL LIKE A PRISONER, AND YET I HAVE TO REMAIN IN HERE UNTIL YOU FIX ME, NOW DON'T I?!:>"
The medic didn't get the chance to reply, for the scout headed off for his room, fuming in anger.
"...Yes, Bumblebee." Ratchet said mournfully. "Until I can fix you..."
He and Michael then looked at each other, sharing a knowing look.
They both knew that it wasn't going to be easy to find a solution.
Michael then followed his partner to their room. They both entered and sat on their berth.
Michael then pulled the scout in close, sharing his warmth in an attempt to soothe him.
They then laid down, cuddling, but the scout was still seething.
"'Bee, listen." Michael began. "I know what it's like to lose something. Optimus was right, when we lose a part of ourselves, or something close to us, we have to put our faith in the strength of those around us. When I lost my family five years ago, I didn't have anyone to turn to or share my problems with. I had to shoulder it all on my own. But now, I have all of you. I know this is hard, but we'll pull through it. We always do."
Bumblebee looked at Michael, whose optics had gone pale green, for he could feel his scout's pain through their bond. His anger faded, and his expression turned to one of sadness.
"<:I'm sorry, Mike.:>"
"No, please don't apologize." Michael said. "This isn't your fault. Besides, you still got me, and I don't get taken away so easily. I proved that already." He added, slightly smirking.
Michael pulled the scout in closer, and he understood by retracting his mask. Michael then leaned in and kissed him on his dermas. He then pulled away, and the scout couldn't keep himself from smiling.
Michael seemed to always make him feel better.
"<:I love you, Mike.:>"
"I love you too, 'Bee." Michael replied, smiling back, as his optics returned to normal. "How about I take you out on a morning flight tomorrow at the clearing?"
"<:Sounds like a date, then:>" Bumblebee warbled with a grin, and Michael chuckled.
Bumblebee then fell into recharge, while Michael stayed awake, thinking.
He wanted so much to make his scout happy again, but even with his different abilities, there was only so much he could do.
"I'm sorry, 'Bee." He muttered sadly to himself. "I wish I could do more for you..."
He then fell into recharge himself.
The next afternoon, Ratchet was preparing to pick up Raf, as the others were busy, and Bulkhead was assigned to watch over Bumblebee.
As he was about to head out, Michael, in his human form, walked up to him.
"Hey. Where are you going?" He asked.
"I'm about to go pick up Rafael." The CMO replied.
"May I come with?" Michael asked.
Ratchet looked at him, surprised.
"You don't want to stay with Bumblebee?" He asked.
"No, he just wants to be alone for now." Michael replied. "Besides, he's not the only one who needs someone right now."
Ratchet understood what he meant, and transformed, opening his driver-side door. Michael climbed in, and the two headed out.
The two were silent on the drive there.
"Wanna ride with the siren on?" Ratchet asked.
He could see that Michael was feeling down, and wanted to cheer him up.
"No thanks." Michael replied, and looked out the window, watching the scenery go by.
Soon, they reached the school, and Ratchet used his sirens to get Raf's attention, grabbing everyone else's attention as well. Michael didn't have to worry about being seen, for Ratchet's windows were tinted on one side.
Vince, who was standing near Raf talking to a girl, could only smirk as the boy ran over and climbed into the medic, knowing that it wasn't a real ambulance.
"In you go." Ratchet said as he got in.
"Thanks for the lift home friend of Jack's Mom, who's a nurse a-at the hospital." Raf said, trying to think of an excuse for a lone ambulance's sudden appearance at the school.
Michael couldn't keep himself from chuckling at Raf's bad attempt to sound convincing.
"Michael?" Raf asked, confused. "Why are you here?"
"I thought I'd take a ride." He replied. "Plus, I thought you'd like some additional company."
Raf smiled slightly, and the three headed back.
"Where are the others?" Ratchet asked.
"Jack's at work, Miko's in detention... again, Jessica's staying for an extra hour to work on schoolwork, and Vince is hanging out with his friends later." Raf replied. "I was expecting Bulkhead or Cliffjumper."
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but Cliffjumper is out on patrol, and Bulkhead is on watch duty."
Raf didn't reply, and looked down sadly.
"Wanna ride with the siren on?" He asked, attempting to cheer him up.
"No thank you." The young boy replied, and silence fell over the three.
At the base, a signal was picked up, and Bulkhead and Bumblebee were looking at the monitor, hoping that it was a sign of MECH.
"<:Is it another relic?!:>" The scout asked.
"This could be it." Bulkhead replied. "I'll alert the others."
"<:We can handle this on our own.:>"
"I know you and I can handle it, 'Bee, but there no reason to..." He stopped, and sighed. "What are you trying to prove?"
"<:I want to prove to the others that I'm not a liability. That I'm just as amazing without my wheels, just as Michael and Raf said!:>"
Bulkhead could only sigh.
Meanwhile, Ratchet, Raf, and Michael were driving back to the base in silence.
Then, Raf spoke up.
"Ratchet, what happened to Bumblebee's voicebox?"
"It was severely damaged in battle." Ratchet answered.
"How?" Raf asked.
"How do you think? Tragically, of course." The medic replied. "It happened at Tyger Pax. Our brave scout was captured by Megatron's forces and interrogated, but he refused to provide intel, and paid a grave price for his courage. Bumblebee was left for scrap, but Autobot troops found and evacuated him to a triage facility, where a field medic managed to stablize his condition."
"So... we owe Bumblebee's life to that field medic." Raf said.
"That's... one way of looking at it, I suppose." The medic replied. "Though the medic... could've done better..."
Raf looked away mournfully, and silence fell between the three again for a while, until Michael spoke up.
"Ratchet, I know you were the one that saved him, and you shouldn't feel guilty for not being able to fix Bumblebee's voicebox. The important thing is that he's still with us today, and Raf and I should be grateful to you for that. We all should. So... thank you, Ratchet, for saving his life."
Ratchet didn't reply, but he could feel a weight be lifted from his cab roof.
Althought Raf and Michael couldn't see it, Ratchet gave a small smile.
-----
In a forest, a Groundbridge opened up, and Bulkhead jumped out of it with a scanner.
"Clear." He said, and Bumblebee jumped out as well, as the bridge closed behind them. "Still don't know how you talked me into this. You're worse than Miko."
"<:Oh come on! I just want to prove that I'm useful!:>"
"Yeah yeah yeah, I know." Bulkhead replied.
"<:I don't need my wheels for this. Just my reflexes like always.:>"
"Not every mission ends in a highspeed pursuit," Bulkhead replied. "But without your-"
"<:I don't need my wheels. End of story.:>" He said in annoyance.
"Fine, I'll drop it." Bulkhead said in annoyance. "But if Optimus or Michael find out, this was not my idea."
"<:Oh please, how are they gonna know?:>" He asked dismissively, waving a servo.
Bulkhead said nothing. Instead, he shook his helm and turned the scanner on.
"Signal's coming from over there." He said, as the scanner began to beep faster and faster. "And it's coming our way! Fast!"
Out of the cave came Knockout in his vehicle mode, who sped past them.
"Catch me if you can!" He taunted.
"I'll get him!" Bulkhead said, but then Breakdown charged out, deploying his hammer. "Okay, you get him!" Bulkhead replied, and deployed his mace as the scout gave chase.
Despite his lack of wheels, Bumblebee did well in keeping up with Knockout.
"Sporting of you." The medic said, noticing his lack of transforming.
Bumblebee then stopped, and tried to deploy his blasters, but he couldn't.
"<:Oh for Primus sake!:>"
"You're not gonna try and shoot out my tires?" Knockout asked, who then braked to a halt. "Bumblebee, where's your famous horse-power, huh? Show me some speed!"
This only fueled the scout's anger.
Enraged, he charged forward and tried to grab him, but the cherry red mech took off before he could. Seeing an old truck near him, he grabbed it and used it to improvise, taking off down the road after the 'Con.
"What is with the rent-a-car?" Knockout laughed.
Unfortunately, the truck was very old and worn out, and couldn't take the weight of the heavy mech on it.
It's rear axel began to give out before finally doing so, and a wheel flew off.
"I'd stick around and do some donuts around you," Knockout taunted. "But I have a delivery to make."
He then sped around a curve leaving the scout behind.
Bumblebee, unable to stop, hit the guardrail, and he and the truck flew over the edge....
And into the valley below...
~~~
A/N: Operation: Bumblebee: Part 1 is now finished. Not much to say, but I thought it would be interesting for Michael's counterpart to take Starscream's original role here.
Next Chapter: The Autobots try to find a solution to Bumblebee's problem, but things go wrong when anothe relic is unearthed. Meanwhile, Michael and MECH continue their alliance in working on Project Chimera, but it doesn't go as well as they'd hoped.