A Sparkling Secret

Chapter 12

Third Person POV

Only the soft sound of pedes filled the hallways. Arcee and Smokescreen quickly ran towards the lab when gunshots filled the room. A Vehicon squadron had found them. Arcee launched herself at the nearest one while Smokescreen took out the others with his blasters. The last of the Vehicons fell with Arcee's blade in his spark.

"Someone's heard us by now. We need to move quickly." Arcee ordered.

The two Autobots made their way through the off-lined frames and into the lab. Screens filled three of the four walls with the other one covered in an assortment of tools. A berth laid in the middle of the room, unoccupied but the Energon stains were fresh. Smokescreen went past the berth and to the main computer.

"It won't be on this computer," he started, "but this will give us an idea of where it is."

Smokescreen fiddled with the screen while Arcee wandered around the lab. She found herself at the berth. Several needles lay on a stand next to the berth, all three were empty. Her optics were drawn towards the scuffs. Faint streaks of yellow paint were evident. 

"He was here." she whispered.

"I found it!" Smokescreen exclaimed, pulling a datafile out of one of the smaller screen. "Let's get out of here."

Optimus' POV 

After several wrong turns, I had found the path to the cells. I ran through the halls. Halls and doors passed by my optics in a flash but none where the one I was looking for. Finally, the prisoner brig came into sight. My pace slowed as I peered into every cell I saw. None of them contained any sign of life. I stopped. There was the soft sound of metal scrapping the ground. I creeped over to a cell and saw a bot in there. He was staring out the window, if you could even call it that, in the cell. His yellow paint stood out in the murkiness of the brig. 

"Bumblebee?" I spoke softly.

He turned at the sound, though he seemed confused at the designation. His optics stared at me, unmoving, hard, fearful. 

"Do you know who I am?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

He didn't say anything but shook his helm softly. His optics still hadn't left mine. I approached the cell and he stepped back, positioning himself defensively. 

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help you." I kept my voice soft, hoping it would calm him down. I stepped closer to the bars and placed my servo on the control pad. Bumblebee remained where he was. He was like a cocked blaster, ready to be set off in a moment's notice. Slowly, I put the combination in for the door. Hiss. The door opened. I walked into the cell, slowly as not to startle the bot. He was already jumpy and I didn't need to frighten him more. His optics had never left mine and now I could have an undistorted view of him. He looked about fifteen vorns old. His paint was scratched but he seemed unharmed. Except for the stitches running down his neck. 

"Bumblebee, please, I am not here to hurt you. I am here to help you but you have to trust me." I pleaded. I couldn't stand to see my youngling like this. "You know who I am and you know that I would never harm you. Trust me little one." 

He continued to stare at me. "I, I'm sorry. I don't know who you are."

I stepped closer to him. He didn't flinch but he didn't relax either. "Please Bumblebee, you know me. I know that you haven't forgotten everything. It's me, Optimus."

"Optimus?"

I nodded my helm. Perhaps, he was remembering. I stood in front of the young bot and crouched down so my optics were level with his. My servo was on his shoulder, soft, but firm to keep him from running. His optics softened and his shoulders dropped. Almost timidly, I reached  out through our spark bond. Nothing. He only continued to stare.

"Isn't this a sweet sight." A voice said.

My servos flew off him and I spun around. The bars in front of me had shut and in the corridor stood Megatron. 

"The Autobot leader and his dear little sparkling." He sneered.

"Megatron," I seethed "release is now or"

"Or what?" He cut me off. "What are you going to do Optimus. Fight me? Because that worked so well for you and your precious Elita." Megatron smirked as I was at a loss for words. "Your only hope is me now Optimus. If you want to leave with your spark still beating, I will let you. Your scout, now your scout is another story. He doesn't remember what is going on anyways, it would be merciful to leave him. You would not want him to suffer at the servos of the Autobots, much less his own sire." 

If looks could kill, Megatron would have died a thousand deaths. I burned with anger. The wisdom of the Primes tried to console me but even the hold of the matrix could not calm me. My servo transformed, my guns aimed through the bars and at the warlord. Both fired and he stumbled back. 

"Fine," he growled, "neither of you will leave with your spark." He raised his cannon but I was quicker. I fired till my guns overheated. I stared at the gladiator, his chassis covered in burn marks. "You will regret not taking me up on my offer, Prime."

Now, I was at his mercy. Swords would be of no help and my guns were down. Bumblebee was in no condition to fight either. Just as Megatron raised his cannon, he stumbled again. 

"You don't get to offline him that easily." Smokescreen said, aiming at Megatron. The warlord advanced on the rookie. I was unable to see Arcee in the fray till the cell doors slid open. The warrior stood next to the control panel. By now, Vehicons had begun to fill the room. Smokescreen was surround by cons. 

"Arcee, get Bumblebee!" I ordered, as I went to assist Smokescreen. 

"Not so fast femme." Starscream seethed. His missile was pointed at Bumblebee's helm. The seeker's arm tightened around Bumblebee as the young bot tried to fight his hold. 

Megatron fired at my chassis. I narrowly dodged and then returned fire. More and more vehicons started to fill the room. Everything was happening so quickly. I didn't fully realize what was happening until I heard a sickening crash. I stole a glance behind me, Bumblebee had been thrown against a wall and several boxes had fallen on his frame. Megatron took that opportunity to hit me in the chassis. I stumbled into the wall. Smokescreen fired at Megatron while I regained my posture. 

~Ratchet, - I yelled through the comm, ~ we need a ground bridge now. ~

I was closest to Bumblebee; I went over and shoved the boxes off him while I dealt with the surrounding Vehicons. He had a large dent on his helm, a small trickle of Energon was visible. Carefully I picked him up. A ground bridge opened not to far away from my position. 

"Arcee, Smokescreen, get to the bridge!" I shouted over the chaos of the fight. 

The two bots made it through just as Megatron began to charge towards me. I ran towards the bridge, now was no time to fight him. All three of us had made it in the bridge safely. We had made it out by pure luck.