Hidden Spark on Earth (TFP)

Chapter 59

The following morning, Saphira awoke to find herself on Optimus's shoulder. She hummed softly, scratching her neck as she opened her eyes. She stretched out her limbs and sat up slowly, she saw Optimus turning his head to look at her with his kind, beautiful optics. She glanced around and saw they were in the lobby. She was confused and looked at Optimus with a curious expression, not knowing why they were there.

"Morning, Saphira," Optimus hummed gently. "I apologize that you woke up here in the lobby. However, Ratchet called me for an urgent matter. I didn't want to wake you upon hearing the message." He smiled as she rubbed her eyes and he kept walking. "Apparently, something is happening with Bumblebee."

"I noticed."

The commander looked at her in surprise at her curt response. She yawned and shrugged as he studied her curiously. "You noticed something odd about Bumblebee?" She nodded. "Why did you not say anything?"

Saphira sighed deeply, blinking her eyes wearily as she waited for herself to wake up more. "I wasn't sure if anyone else had noticed. Plus...I wasn't sure if it was something that I should have been worried about or not. But...to be honest...something has changed with Bee to a point I haven't felt...safe around him."

"My scout would never hurt you," Optimus said in a reassuring tone, he was baffled she didn't feel safe around Bee.

She smiled at him sadly. "I feel bad for saying it, Optimus. I really, really do. It's just...his optics have changed. They narrow, and when they do, I felt a sinister aura from him." She shuddered a little as she thought about it. "I can't really explain it, it is just what I have notice. I don't want to say that Bee is evil, it's just...he hasn't been himself since he went into the cortical psychic patch."

Optimus listened to Saphira, slightly disturbed by what he was hearing from her. Saphira was listening to her senses, and he did not need to doubt that she felt uncomfortable. "Ratchet did find Bumblebee in the lobby, he had destroyed one of his medical equipment intentionally for no reason. He told Ratchet that he has been seeing Megatron's face. It would seem he is feeling some affects from the patch. It seems you were wise to have thought of that."

Saphira listened to him and she was curious as to why it was affecting Bee's behaviour. "That doesn't really explain his behaviour...but...at least that is a start. I guess Ratchet didn't get to check Bee's entire system for errors."

Optimus nodded, he agreed with Saphira on this as well. "You are correct about that as well. I do hope that there is a connection between his visions of Megatron and his unusual behaviour. We will discover the problem, and you will no longer feel unsafe in the base again."

Saphira hoped for that. She looked ahead as Optimus entered the med bay to see Bee on the med berth currently being checked over by Ratchet. Saphira felt worried for Bee, she didn't know what cortical psychic patches did once they were disconnected for bots after use. If this was simply an after effect, it was a very peculiar affect.

Ratchet turned to see Optimus approaching, noticing Saphira half asleep on his shoulder. "You could not have dropped her off at her room to have breakfast, Optimus?" He questioned with a curious frown.

"I did not wish to wake her from her slumber," Optimus responded with a smile before glancing at Bee. "Have been able to isolate the issue causing Bumblebee to see Megatron's face and cause him to act differently?"

"Not yet. I have to scan his psyche to see what kind of affect he is experiencing." Ratchet looked back at Bee and gestured to the medical tube. "Please make your way in there so I may do a proper scan. I have never heard of the cortical psychic patch doing this kind of affect on a bot. But...there are not many who have lived to tell the tail...so I suppose it is something that I never picked up."