Out of My Shadows [Transformers Prime]

Running to Nowhere

Bumblebee ran as hard as he could, not knowing where he was going.
He just knew that he had to get away.
He could still hear the teen's laughter from when he'd been shoved off the roof, echoing in his ears as he ran. The darkness was rapidly growing thicker as he turned down cramped alleyways and past reeking scrapyards filled with junk, until he could almost feel it closing around him.
Out of breath and exhausted, he finally came to a stop at the back of a dead end alley, sitting upon a heap of scrap metal, his knees pulled up to his chest and his face buried in his hands as he cried.

Knockout wasn't quite sure, but he thought he heard what sounded faintly like crying, from a nearby alleyway. As he drove past, his headlights revealed for a moment a small figure at the very back. Curious, he transformed into his protoform and made his way over to the weeping stranger.
As he grew closer, he thought he recognized them.
"Wasp?" He asked tentatively. "Is that you back there?"
"Who's Wasp?" The youngling hicouped in response, looking up at Knockout and revealing his bright blue eyes. Knockout blinked as he realized this was actually Bumblebee, the little sparkling he'd dumped off to the Autobots so many cycles ago. But what was he doing here? The Autobots couldn't possibly have rejected him, that was a Decepticon thing...
"Wait a second, you're Bumblebee, aren't you?"
"...yeah? How do you know that?"
"Never mind that for now, Bee. But what are you doing way out here? Shouldn't you be back with the Autobots where I left you," Knockout asked.
"You left me?" Bumblebee frowned, looking up at him, confused.
'He doesn't know about that,' Knockout realized. 'Interesting...'
Bumblebee looked up at him, tears glistening in his optics. "Can you help me get home?" He asked, a touch of desperation in his voice. Knockout frowned, not sure what to tell him. The answer should have been simple; no, he was a Decepticon, and Bee was an Autobot, so he really shouldn't help, shouldn't even be taking to him. But he felt like that would be too mean, even for a Decepticon, to do to a little youngling that he could help. A small voice in the back of his head told him it was a bad idea, but he decided to ignore it, just this one time.
"I can," he sighed, transforming and opening the door for him. "Watch the finish," he added as Bee came over.
"Thanks," Bee said as he climbed in carefully.
"But only this once. If I catch you stuck out here again, you're gonna be in some deep scrap."
"Okay, I promise I'll be more careful next time," Bumblebee said quietly, just glad he was helping him at all.

A few minutes later the Autobot base finally came into view. Knockout stopped about a hundred feet away, idling in the shadows, and let Bumblebee out.
"This is as far as I go, but you can make it from here."
"Thanks, um~" Bumblebee trailed off as he realized he didn't even know his name.
"Knockout," Knockout told him, slightly hesitant.
"Thanks, Knockout."
"Just don't come back asking for any other favors, you hear? Cuz if anything you owe me one, but just keep your distance, alright?"
"Alright," Bumblebee nodded. "I'll be sure not to bother you again."
Knockout didn't say anything more as he turned around and drove away. Once he was gone, Bumblebee turned and ran back to the safety of the base.