Destinies (Transformers Prime)

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::No... I would never hurt you...:: The scout shook his helm as tears fell down his faceplate. ::I would never hurt you Ratchet...:: he beeped quietly and looked around.

"Bumblebee... you have to remember this is a different time line." Knockout said gently. He didn't know why he cared or bothered to help him feel better. Ratchet looked at him and frowned more.

"What?" He asked and the con sighed forcefully.

"Does this Bumblebee look anything like the one you know?" He said seriously. The bot looked at the scout and stared at him blankly for a while.

"Come to think of it... no..." he admitted. "He isn't yellow and your optics are all wrong. It's possible you disguised yourself." He said seriously. Bumblebee shook his helm and knelt by the medic so he would be less afraid of him.

::But I didn't. This. Is. Who I am.:: he beeped quietly as he put a servo on his own chest chassis. Ratchet hesitated then looked at the con.

"Your optics are wrong too.... not to mention you're smaller.... who are you two?" He asked. The scout opened his chest chassis and carefully pulled out the relic.

::We're from a different time line.... we... unintentionally changed the past and created this place.:: he chirped. Ratchet stared at the two then narrowed his optics as he understood.

"You idiots." He growled and smacked them both upside the helm with his good servo. "You never mess with time." He grumbled.

"Ya... we know that now." Knockout muttered as he rubbed his helm. Bumblebee smiled a little, just glad the medic believed him.

"All the relics were destroyed during the war... except for the forge... That's the only reason I believe you." He said seriously. "That and you look different, your voice is all wrong too." He muttered. They were silent as Knockout continued to work on the medic for a few minutes.

::Ratchet... what happened here?:: Bumblebee chirped quietly and looked at him again. He was afraid of the answer but wanted to know. Ratchet stared at him for a while then looked at Knockout before he sighed shakily.

"I don't know when exactly it all started... but Elita found a sparkling in a destroyed part of the planet... she brought him home and raised him with Optimus. He became the splitting image of the Prime." He said as he smiled a little. "He was you..." he whispered as he looked at the con. Knockout paused and stared back at him then at Bumblebee.

"As time passed, Elita found another sparkling who Ironhide brought for her to look after. The two sparklings became brothers... and they both became so much like Optimus. You were the second one." Ratchet muttered and glanced at Bumblebee. The scout didn't say anything as he listened and looked at the con. Could they really be brothers?

"The war continued to rage on and Megatron was becoming relentless. Bumblebee was captured and tortured by him... lost his voice." He trailed off and the scout hung his helm. He couldn't believe that had still happened here.

"That's when things turned for the worst." The doctor said sadly and the two mechs looked at him with confusion. "I did everything I could to repair your voice... but obviously it wasn't good enough..." he rasped and looked away. Bumblebee wanted to hug him but felt it wouldn't be welcomed.

"You became angry when Optimus managed to save Knockout from capture. Your anger grew and Optimus tried to help you understand. But you stormed out and went after the Decepticons with a small army. You wanted those who did you wrong to pay..." he trailed off and looked at the floor for a moment. "You... went too far... after you ambushed the cons... then slaughtered them... none survived and you ended Megatron with your own servos. Word got to Optimus and he was angry that his friend wasn't given a chance, angry that you... murdered so many without any mercy. When you met with him he lectured you... but in a loving way... he didn't want to see his sparkling travel down that path... though what happened next... startled everyone." He rasped and looked at the scout. Bumblebee was afraid to hear anything else and Knockout just stared blankly at the Autobot medic.

"You... murdered Optimus..." Ratchet said quietly as tears filled his optics. "You told him you were sorry... and he forgave you... he hugged you to prove he still loved you... and you killed him." He choked as tears fell down his faceplate. "Blasted a hole right through him..." he rasped as he remembered the look on his friends faceplate. The screams from Elita,  Knockout, himself and everyone in the room.

"He hadn't... even fully passed... when you tried to take the matrix... Knockout stopped you and many others chased after... with his dying breath... Optimus gave the matrix to Knockout." He said and looked at the con. The room fell silent and they stared at each other. Bumblebee felt bad about what he did and said earlier to the con. He felt bad about what he did here in this reality.

"Bumblebee became a warlord and forced many to follow him as the new rise of Decepticons formed. All who opposed died a gruesome death... a few band of us managed to survive... I was... punished for... my failure in... repairing your voice... captured... and... tortured... until I could fix it... but... I couldn't..." he rasped and hung his helm. Knockout hesitantly gripped the doctors shoulder as he watched him. Bumblebee kept his helm down as tears fell faster. He was a horrible Cybertronian.

"You saved me..." Ratchet whispered as he looked at the con. "But repairing me.... was a different task on its own..." he rasped as he shakily looked at his servo that was damaged. The con didn't say anything and carefully took it as he worked on the digits.

"We took everyone who was still alive and fled here. Tried to build a new home... we were at peace for a time." He said as he smiled a little. Bumblebee looked at him hopefully and smiled a little as well. He felt hopeful that they had come here and met the children.

"So... why is it... dead here?" Knockout asked as he looked at him again. Ratchet looked at the floor again and sighed forcefully.

"The team is out looking for survivors... a great battle took place here on earth." He explained.

::What do you mean by that?:: Bumblebee beeped hesitantly. Ratchet was about to answer when they heard someone driving up the tunnel. Several someone's.

They looked to the entrance and saw the team of Autobots. They were more worn and scarred from what they remembered. They took one look at Bumblebee and aimed their cannons at him.

"We've been invaded!" Breakdown shouted and Bumblebee put his servos up defensively. The scout looked at each of them and didn't recognize some. He whirled frantically and Knockout wasn't sure if he should help him or not.

"How did the warlord get in here?!" Bulkhead yelled angrily as he stepped closer. Bumblebee stood as he continued to chirp and beep.

"It's not him." Someone said and they fell silent. The team moved aside as a tall mech walked towards them. He had a blank expression and was worn like the others. He had the similar air Optimus held and similar attitude.

"This isn't the warlord. He doesn't make those sounds." He said and glanced at Ratchet. The medic nodded slowly to indicate he was alright. The tall mechs expression softened and he looked at the newcomers.

"My name is Knockmus Prime. Leader of the Autobots." He said seriously as he stared at them.

"What... in the pits?" Knockout muttered as he stood and stared at his taller counterpart.