How To Catch A Bumblebee

Chapter Eight

A/N: I moved Bumblebee's nightmare to this chapter, because it flows a bit better. This could get very angsty, so get out your tissues, everyone. Arcee might be OOC, but it's necessary, so... sorry? This chapter is really, really long to make up for my lack of updates. Sorry, guys. Life has been pretty hectic. Also, this is the second to last chapter before the Autobots (and Decepticons) land on Earth! Yay!

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Screams.

Every bot that had ever fallen to his servo flashing before his optics, their cries ringing in his audios.

Lightspark being dragged away from him, and he couldn't do anything to help her. He cried out, servo reaching for her, before his surroundings morphed.

Ratchet, Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead, Cliffjumper, Jazz, Tailgate, and other faceless bots were lying on a gloomy battlefield, all heavily injured and bleeding. Their optics were going offline, sparks fading out of existence.

'Why didn't you save us?' they cried, mouths moving even after the rest of them was cold and still. 'Why did you betray us?' Bumblebee wanted to apologize, wanted to help them, save them; but he couldn't, he was trapped, he couldn't break free, why wasn't he strong enough to break free, why, why-?

The scene morphed again, and Shockwave appeared in front of him, his single red optic staring straight into Bumblebee's spark.

'You are weak.' he said, kicking Bumblebee in the torso. Shockwave kept on hitting him until Bumblebee was fully doubled over in pain, vents gasping for air.

When he straightened up, he was a youngling again, strapped to a table in a bright white room. Shockwave and his assistants were cutting him, taking samples from his frame, injecting needles into him, making him complete impossible tasks and writing down the results. He wasn't an experiment, he wasn't just a letter and some numbers, he had feelings and thoughts and why couldn't they see that?

He turned his tear stained faceplate toward Shockwave, vision blurred by lubricant.

'Please...' he begged. 'Please, I'll be good, I'll follow orders, I'll do anything, just don't hurt me anymore!'

Shockwave continued staring at him, before walking closer and wrapping a servo around the youngling's upper arm joint. He hauled Bumblebee off of the table, snapping the restraints and dragging him down a long white hallway. Ignoring Bumblebee's cries and pleas, the scientist threw open a heavy door and tossed the young bot inside. He hit the back wall of a cold, empty room and fell to the ground. Bumblebee lay there for a moment, stunned, before pushing himself to his feet and running toward the quickly closing door.

'No-!' he cried, and hit the heavy door just as it slid shut with a resonating click, encasing him in darkness. He was completely and utterly alone.

'No...' he repeated, quieter now, sliding down the cold metal. He buried his helm in his servos and cried, his entire frame shaking. He didn't know how long he sat there, crying his spark out, wishing he was better, faster, stronger, so that Shockwave wouldn't have to hurt him anymore. 

"I don't want to hurt anymore." 

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Bumblebee woke up from the nightmare with a silent gasp, his frame trembling with fear and adrenaline. Lubricant welled up in his optics as he vented shakily, trying in vain to calm his racing spark down.

It had been four cycles since he had told Ratchet everything, and he had been having this same nightmare for the past two cycles. His nights of peaceful recharge didn't last long.