The Last Youngling

:Flashbacks:
:Normal:

The Last Youngling

By Steph

"You have no idea where you come from?" The question came out of nowhere, the pair were caught in a  relative calm silence,  underneath the lone oak tree where they always sat, to watch the sun go down. Bumblebee immediately stiffened at the random question, of all things, he had not expected Sam to ask that. Only the mech's doorwings shuddered in the low breeze. Sam noticed the yellow mech's posture, frowning he looked up from his place on the mech's lap.

"Bee?" he questioned softly. He gently gazed up at his guardian with bright brown eyes, full of wonder and innocence, little did Sam know just how much his question had affected the yellow mech beside him. Bumblebee visibly sighed, his bright blue optics turned to gaze out over the horizon where the sun was now beginning to set, painting it's golden colours across the grass.

"No." Bumblebee rumbled softly, "I remember very little of my past, Sam." After a few quiet moments, Bumblebee did not resume speaking.  Sam frowned at the mech's tone taking the short quipped answer as his queue to not push the matter further, the teen leaned back against the sun warmed yellow metal once more in silence, not wanting to further upset his alien protector.

Bumblebee sighed, stealing a glance as his charge who had now drifted into a light doze, the yellow mech lifted a hand to cover Sam, warming the yellow alloy against his charge's body. Bumblebee smiled slightly as Sam moved closer to the warmed metal, muttering in his sleep. Bumblebee blinked before returning his attention back to the setting sun. Bumblebee never knew where he come from, only that he was the lone survivor of one of the biggest mass slaughters Cybertron had ever seen.  The last youngling to be born of the Allspark…

Smoke and gunfire filled the purple burned skies, sparkling cries echoed over the battlefield seething a singes of pain to all those who heard it. The youngling centre, the very birth place of Cybertron's next generation now lay  in ruins. The first of Megatron's targets.

"Leave no survivors." Those were the orders given, destroy everything  nothing  is to be untouched, leave no survivors, show no mercy and so, like a wave of the plague, the decepticon forces overrun the nurseries killing every sparkling and mech in sight.

The  youngling centres were the first to be hit by the decepticon forces, nothing was left standing, bodies of innocent life's now lost littered the ground, empty shells of metal like corpses waiting to be buried were the most common feature. Never again would those bright blue optics flash to life, a whole generation, gone…  

Next it was sparkling nurseries, the youngest of the Cybertroians, even they were not safe from Megatron's wrath, instead of making it quick and easy, many of the decepticon's took a disgusting delight in torturing their victims. Tearing off perhaps a leg or arm at a time whilst making the sparkling's creators watch helplessly, many of them begged….

"Please, no, she's just a baby!" A bright pink femmin struggled  in vein against her capture watching in horror as her one lone sparkling cried in agony within the decepticon's grasp. Crimson red optics bored into her own blue ones. The decepticon's hulking body moved closer…

"You want her back?" An evil glint flashed in the dabs of red light, grabbing the small sparkling's head, the black decepticon held up the tiny metal form, Arcee's spark pulsed wildly within it's chest plating at her baby, the small forms blue optics filled with fear.

"Yes! Please, I'll do anything, just don't hurt her." Arcee's voice rose higher in pitch, the decepticon smiled evilly and began to apply pressure, the small sparkling cried helplessly as her small metal head
began to crack under the tightening grip.

"No! Starlight!" Arcee spark thundered wildly, feeling the life of her sparkling disappear through the bond. dying, burning, fading. An evil laughter filled the air as Starlight's small body was tossed aside, it landed with a thud at Arcee's side. The black decepticon's face came mere inches away from Arcee's

"May that serve a warning to you, defy Lord Megatron's rule and suffer the consequences." The decepticon paused and looked at Starlight's small metal form that was now cradled against Arcee's dented chest. "Such a shame, she was such a pretty little thing."

Arcee glanced  and watched as the decepticon turned and walked away, leaving Arcee alone. The pink femmin pulled Starlight's form closer, in a shaky voice.

"I swear to you Starlight, I will avenge you, rest now my love, may the matrix watch over you." Arcee rocked the small metal form gently, humming her lullaby through her circuits as she had so many times before just one last time…

………………………………......................................................................................................



"Ratchet!" A deep voice shouted over the gun fire, "Look for any survivors, We'll hold them off!"  Ratchet nodded and reloaded, firing upon an oncoming decepticon.

"Loud and clear Optimus."  Ratchet turned, his optics widened, how could they…

"Optimus! They're heading for the nurseries, if we don't move now, they'll be nothing left!"

Optimus looked over his shoulder, looming flying figures were ascending on the last stronghold, the sparkling nurseries, all of a sudden a wave of pain wracked Optimus's circuits. Turning he came face to face with…

"Starscream…"

Starscream smiled, his wing tips swaying side to side in an arrogant swagger,

"Optimus, your just in time." The huge seeker signalled the others behind him Optimus's optics flickered, he was severely out numbered but there was lives at stake, narrowing his optics Optimus immediately he fired up his cannon.

"Back off Starscream, you want to get to those sparklings, you'll have to go through me first."

Starscream's red optics glinted , with a small nod of his head, the row of decepticon's powered up their weapons. Cannons, whirred to life, glowing bright hot orange .

"With pleasure Prime." Gunfire filled the air, each bullet hit it's mark, whit hot seething pain raged angrily over Optimus's body as each metal object pinged across his armour plating, his optics spluttered on and off sporadically, before finally, they went blank. Optimus's huge metal form suddenly fell to the ground as his whole world went black…

Starscream paced over to where Optimus now lay in the dust, he landed an almighty kick a top the leader's head.

"Pathetic Autobot, Decepticons, to the nursery, leave nothing left standing!"

………………………………......................................................................................................

Piles of smoke pillared upwards towards the sky, a wake of devastation now lay scattered across the landscape. Strings of numbers and letters appeared  as two black halves parted in the darkness.

Consciousness.

Blue optics flared to life as more programming warmed itself up, Cybertroian characters assembled and faltered.

Pain

"Optimus?"

Optimus's body jerked to life, quickly he sat up. Devastation, nothing was left, just the remains of all those who had fallen. Optimus's optics went wide as the horror of what had come to pass dawned upon him.

"Ratchet." Optimus's voice broke off in a wave of static. "The attacks? Are there any survivors?" Ratchet's metal frame shook, slowly the medic shook his head.

"None, We have all searched the wreckage.  They are all dead, Optimus, every single youngling, and sparkling, murdered"

Optimus went silent for a moment, rage and anger burning hotter in his spark chamber.

Megatron. That slagging thane. Attacking the innocent, Sparklings amongst the cybertroian race were treasured and to purposely hurt one, meant death.

"Megatron will pay for his crimes."

A loud crying sound interrupted quickly the sombre atmosphere, both mech's jumped at the loud noise, scanners immediately activated, singling out the source of the commotion. Ratchet optics spotted a small form caught under a pile of wreckage.

The medic cautiously walked over to where the loud wailing was coming from, sweeping aside the debri bright blue optics met his own. From a distance away Optimus's shocked voice filled the air

"By the name of Primus… is that a sparkling?"  

Ratchet carefully held out both of his metal palms and scooped up the distressed metal form. Bright yellow armour filled the sparklings body along with two bright burning optics, clicking fearfully the small sparkling flinched feeling himself being lifted up.

"Shhh, easy there, little one, your safe now." Ratchet rumbled quietly, a deep humming began to echo out of the medics chest in an effort to sooth the worried whirrings of the small yellow sparkling. The small sparkling clicked contently, snuggling closer to the medics chest, Ratchet gently paced over to where Optimus now stood.

Optimus gazed down at the small form now recharging in Ratchet's arms, "The lone survivor, Rumbled Optimus. A thought filled the blue mech's head, turning towards Ratchet.  "What of his creators?"

Ratchet looked down at the small yellow form and sighed, "Missing, it is quite plausible to assume they are ether offline or have fled thinking their sparkling is gone."

Optimus's optics dimmed, he was all alone. An idea suddenly filled Optimus's processor. Maybe something could be done.

"Then we shall raise him."

Ratchet looked up wide eyed at his commander and smiled. One glimmer of hope still remained after all seemed lost.

"He shall need a designation." Ratchet rumbled thoughtfully, gazing down at the sleeping sparkling, he was so small…

"Indeed he shall, I propose Bumblebee." Ratchet cocked his head to one side in confusion, not a cybertroian designation…

"Bumblebee sir?" Ratchet questioned softly

Optimus nodded his head, "It seems to suit him."

Glancing up and down the sparkling's small form thoughtfully, Ratchet nodded his metal head, indeed it did.

"I think your right, Bumblebee… He shall make a fine autobot one day."

Optimus reached out both his metal palms towards Ratchet, the medic carefully settled Bumblebee upon the leader's hands, mimicking Ratchet, Optimus carefully tucked Bumblebee against his metal chest, his optics widened as Bumblebee's bright blue optics slowly opened, meeting the leader's gaze.

"Bumblebee." Optimus rumbled softly. "Welcome to the family."

Bumblebee blinked heavily, snapping himself out of his self induced trance, the sun had finished setting, the glowing golden colours now giving away to the darkness of the night. The yellow mech gazed softly down at his charge, Sam was still sleeping, the young teen suddenly moved slightly, once more snuggling up to his guardian's chest before going silent was more. Bumblebee mentally smiled towards Sam as a feeling of love and affection overwhelmed him. His spark pulsed happily at the sight of Sam, safe and happy. Bumblebee stroked one finger down the side of Sam's back echoing the words that Optimus had repeated to him all those years ago.

"Welcome to the family Sam"

Fini