Bumblebee could hear voices nearby, but wasn't able to make out what they were saying.

His optics fluttered back online, slowly taking in his new surroundings. Instead of cave stones and strange laboratory equipment, there were only plain metal walls. He quickly realized he was dangling from the ceiling when he tried to move. His legs swung through the empty space below him, only a foot or two above the floor.

"It seems our guest has finally come to his senses." Megatron's gravelly voice came from his right, but he couldn't see him.

"Megatron. I should've known you were behind this." Bumblebee buzzed bitterly, trying to keep his fear at bay. "What do you want?"

"I'm afraid it isn't as simple as that." Megatron replied. His heavy steps echoed through the room as he approached from behind. "Having you be the one to discover Shockwave's hidden laboratory was not part of my scheme, but it can certainly be adjusted. Such is the beauty of a flexible plan."

Bumblebee flinched prematurely, his spark nearly leaping into his throat. He swore he felt Megatron's claws on his shoulder, yet his sensors registered nothing.

Megatron let a smooth chuckle escape as he stepped around Bumblebee, allowing the scout to see his every move. "You were alone when Shockwave caught you trespassing. Why is that? Autobots often travel in groups or pairs for safety, do they not?"

Bumblebee studied the warlord's articulate backstrut, as that was all he could really see in the dim lighting. Part of him didn't want to answer, knowing Megatron would only turn it into some sort of blame game. He knew he shouldn't have gone in there alone.

That mistake landed him here, after all.

Megatron slowly turned, raising an optic ridge as he glanced over his shoulder. He found Bumblebee's silence intriguing.

"For someone who used to talk so much..." The warlord suddenly lurched forward, his arm extending to seize Bumblebee by the throat. He then curled his digits inward to apply pressure on the scout's neckcables. "...you've become rather quiet."

Bumblebee's spark felt like it would punch straight through his chest. He knew this feeling all too well—except last time, Megatron hadn't been so gentle.

He could still feel the fear, pain, and shock he had felt the moment his voice-box was crushed. He wanted to run. He wanted to curl up in a corner and never have to look Megatron in the eye again. But he couldn't. And as he dangled from the ceiling with Megatron's servo curled around his throat, he relived every second of what happened at Tyger Pax.

Seeing that he had successfully made his point, Megatron released Bumblebee and took a step back. His expression became neutral, though his optics betrayed just how much he was enjoying this.

"Now then, I have business to attend to. In the meantime, try not to move much. Those cuffs tend to tighten on their own." He chuckled darkly before leaving the room, the door sliding shut behind him.

•
•
•

"What do you mean you lost his signal?" Arcee snarled.

Ratchet furiously typed away, his digits flying across the keyboard. "I don't know! I could hear him loud and clear, then there was just static. And when I checked for his signal, it dropped offline!" He huffed. He knew Arcee was just as worried as he was, if not more.

Arcee pursed her dermas and turned away, a scowl overtaking her expression. "I knew I should've gone with him. I can't believe we let him go alone..." She muttered under her breath.

Optimus watched her pace with a worried gaze. "Bumblebee is a capable warrior. He was well aware of the risks that faced him if he went alone."

He tried not to show too much worry, but even he felt guilty about letting Bumblebee go alone. It was him who gave Bee the go-ahead. Bumblebee knew when to call for backup, but was it already too late by the time he realized he needed it?

"He still shouldn't have gone alone!" Arcee retorted, shooting Optimus a sharp glare. "Bad things happen when bots go alone. I think we all know that."

She was right. The Autobots had lost too many that way. In a way, it opened their eyes to the painful realities of war. From that point on, they always sent patrols in groups or pairs. Even that didn't make much of a difference.

But here? Here, it made all the difference because they didn't have an entire army. It was just them; the five Autobots left to stand between Megatron and Earth. They couldn't lose someone else.

Not after Cliffjumper.

Optimus decided it would be best to leave her alone for now. He turned to Ratchet and sighed softly as he looked at the screen.

Ratchet paused for a moment when Optimus stepped up beside him. He slowly lowered his servos and glanced over at the Prime. "We'll find him, Optimus."

Optimus shifted his gaze to Ratchet, forcing a bit of a smile to reassure him.

Would they find Bumblebee?

It seemed impossible. With only a last known location, they didn't have much to work with. If they entered the unknown lab, who knows what consequences it could have?