TRAPPED IN THE SPOTLIGHT
--Cybertron, after the war--
"No, no, no." Bumblebee dug frantically through the crate which contained his personal belonging, tossing several items this way and that. "Where the frag is it?"
He eventually dug out the very last thing in the box -- a broken model of some ship he'd forgotten about -- and carelessly threw it over his shoulder, kicking the crate at the wall in frustration.
"Slag it! How could I be so fraggin' stupid?!"
As he sat dejectedly on his recharge slab, a blue-helmeted head poked out from the open door of his room, surveying the mess he had made before looking at him. "Is everything all right?" Arcee asked.
Bumblebee sighed. "Fine. Everything's fine."
"Oh. So making a huge mess while yelling loudly is just something you do in your spare time?" the blue femme asked, stepping fully into the doorway with a hand on her hip.
Bumblebee glared at her before sighing again, looking away. "I... left something behind on Earth."
"Left what behind?"
The yellow Autobot shook his head, standing up. "It's nothing. Nothing important."
Arcee stepped into the room and walked up to Bumblebee, placing a hand on his shoulder. As he looked up at her confused, she smiled slightly. "It's your toy, isn't it? Your Bombast Major doll."
Bumblebee's optics flickered in embarrassment. "You... you know about that...?"
"I saw you drop it from your box when we were boarding Metroplex. I picked it up and put it with my--"
"Wait, you have it?" Bumblebee grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her vigorously. "Where is it?! Is it still in good condition? It's not broken, is it? You handled it with care, right? You didn't thow it away, did you?"
"I haven't touched it since we left Earth," Arcee said irritably, pushing the smaller bot off of her. "It should be fine. Let me go get it."
Bumblebee followed Arcee to her quarters, watching her skeptically while a dozen scenarios played through his head: a battered Bombast Major on a dark shelf; pieces of his toy strewn across the room; the hand of Bombast Major poking out from a smelting pool, giving one last thumbs-up....
They finally reached Arcee's room and Bumblebee immediately started searching, looking underneath the recharge slab and behind the computer station. Arcee rolled her optics as she pulled out a crate from her storage closet.
"I haven't even unpacked it yet," she said as she opened the crate's lid. "Just give me a minute."
As she tarted searching through the box, taking out each item one at a time, Bumblebee skidded up next to her, watching her intently. Mercifully, he did not say a single word... that is, until a particular item caught his optic, and he picked it up before Arcee could.
"Hey, hands off!" Arcee snapped, trying to grab it back.
Keeping it out of her reach, Bumblebee said, "This is Forever Glass, isn't it? Ironfist told me you could only find it on Moldavite VI."
"I got it from some dealer in Praxus. Now give it back!" Arcee tried again to take the item, but Bumblebee held her at bay.
"Hang on, there's an image reflected in it." He narrowed his optics as he studied the permanent reflection. In it, he could see two female bots, both in pink armor, standing together with arms around each other, beaming brightly.
"Who are these two? The one on the right kinda looks like Elita-One... are these your sisters?"
Arcee finally snatched the glass from Bumblebee and put it aside, glaring at him. "Mind your own business, will you?"
"Sorry," Bumblebee murmured. "It's just... you never really talk much about your family. I don't think you even said a word to Elita when she and her crew arrived on Earth."
"She was too busy reconnecting with Optimus," Arcee muttered, returning to her search.
"Still, did you at least try to talk to her? I mean, she is your sister--"
Arcee turned back to him, an irritated look on her face. "Am I missing something here? I thought we were here to find your stupid doll, not put me in the spotlight."
Bumblebee backed away, holding his hands up. "Okay, okay! Sorry! Sheesh... ask a simple question...."
Satisfied with this response, Arcee resumed her search. However, her mind was no longer focused on the matter at hand, but rather on things she had thought been buried in the past....
--Cybertron, before the war--
"...One hundred fifty... two hundred... two hundred fifty...."
Elita-Seven watched as the multi-armed mech counted the credits on his desk, his green optics growing wider the higher he counted.
"...Four hundred... four hundred fifty... five hundred thousand Shanix! My word! That's more than I make in a week!" Scooping up the credits and putting them away, Limelight grinned at Elita, showing well-polished dental plates. "I was right in hiring you. You sell alt modes like engex. Tell me, what's your secret?"
She shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "I can't say, sir. Must be some sort of untold talent."
Limelight leaned across the desk, resting his chin on a hand as he studied her. "Hmm... you do have something of a... curvaceous appearance. Tell me, are you from Caminus? I know we've been getting some Camien immigrants over the past few centuries."
"No, sir. I come from a small town called Venix. Most bots constructed there are given a slender, sometimes curvy appearance. It's always been our style."
"Ah yes, Venix. Been there once myself. I have a friend from Venix who fancies himself an alt mode enthusiast." Limelight snorted derisively. "He won't make it anywhere in the world."
The mech then moved across the room, his spindly body moving with overly pronounced grace and style. From a shelf he picked up a datapad, into which he punched a few keys.
"You on the other hand...." He looked at Elita-Seven, smiling brightly. "I'm planning a fashion tour that'll take us from Triax all the way to Carpessa... and I'm only taking my best models with me. What do you say?"
Elita blinked, taken aback by the offer. "Me? You want me?"
"You are one of my best, Elita -- and believe me, I've had quite the number of models under my hire." He extended one of his four hands to her. "Well? What do you say?"
She stared at the proffered hand for a moment before finally shaking it. "Count me in."
--Five months later--
She could not believe this was happening. She would not.
She kept her eyes on the floor, listening to the incessant chatter around her.
"...violation of Code AR-C103-55--"
"I know that already, Twelve-of-Twelve. I still have to wait for Prime's orders."
"Your obsession over semantics is unnecessary. We are wasting our time by stalling their punishment."
"These bots did nothing wrong. All they did was walk down a walkway and show off their chassis."
"They were advocating the act of changing alt modes; again, a violation of Code AR--"
She did not hear the rest of the conversation. She saw a pair of feet appear before her and looked up to see a magenta-colored femme. She instantly looked away ashamedly.
"Sister... I'm sorry."
"Save it," Elita-Two said harshly. "If you get let off for this, don't bother coming back home. There is no way the others are letting you back in."
"Sister--"
"No. Not 'sister'. Not anymore. Not ever again."
With that, the femme turned on her heel and left to join the other police bots in containing the rest of Limelight's models and workers. She could see Limelight himself trying to resist arrest.
Elita-Two's departure begot the arrival of another mech, the officer who had been arguing with the Functionist Castigator. He looked down at her as he held out a datapad.
"Name?" he asked.
She hesitated to answer. Giving him the name she had always gone by would only cause more problems, especially if her sister was working for him and had just effectively disowned her. But then, she couldn't give him no name at all.
Her mind raced. What was that code she had violated? AR-C something?
"Arcee," she finally said. "Arcee of... of Actox."
The officer eyed her for a moment, leading her to fear that he had somehow seen through her deception. He then moved his gaze to his datapad and pressed in a few commands.
"Arcee of Actox, you are relieved of all charges by order of Sentinel Prime."
She looked up at him in surprise. "Really?"
"However, you are to turn yourself in to your local Relinquishment Clinic and transfer your spark into a more basic body-type. In your case, I would suggest you change to a motorcycle."
"Is that... allowable?"
"Under sub-clause C of Code AR-104-A11, yes," he replied, throwing a sidelong glance at the Functionist. "Turns out I do know my rules very well."
As he removed the stasis cuffs from her hands, the officer put a hand on Arcee's shoulder and looked her straight in the optic. "Do you still have a home to go to, once you're free?"
She starred at him blankly. "Why are you asking? Why do you care?"
The officer spared a glance at Elita-Two before saying in a low whisper, "I know who you are. I've heard your sisters talk about you."
"You... you... what?" Arcee stammered, trying to form a coherent response.
"You're pretty much the only one from House Elita to not join the Security Force. If you're looking for a job or a place to live even... we're always looking out for new recruits."
Arcee considered his offer. At this point, she knew there was no going back. Her dreams had been quenched. Her family had rejected her. Now she was about to lose her own body in exchange for a simpler one.
She knew she had no choice. It was either this or the Dead End.
"All right," she said. "I'm up for the job."
The officer smiled. "Glad to hear it. Just stop by the base in Iacon. Tell them Prowl sent you."
Elita-Two's departure begot the arrival of another mech, the officer who had been arguing with the Functionist Castigator. He looked down at her as he held out a datapad.
"Name?" he asked.
She hesitated to answer. Giving him the name she had always gone by would only cause more problems, especially if her sister was working for him and had just effectively disowned her. But then, she couldn't give him no name at all.
Her mind raced. What was that code she had violated? AR-C something?
"Arcee," she finally said. "Arcee of... of Actox."
The officer eyed her for a moment, leading her to fear that he had somehow seen through her deception. He then moved his gaze to his datapad and pressed in a few commands.
"Arcee of Actox, you are relieved of all charges by order of Sentinel Prime."
She looked up at him in surprise. "Really?"
"However, you are to turn yourself in to your local Relinquishment Clinic and transfer your spark into a more basic body-type. In your case, I would suggest you change to a motorcycle."
"Is that... allowable?"
"Under sub-clause C of Code AR-104-A11, yes," he replied, throwing a sidelong glance at the Functionist. "Turns out I do know my rules very well."
As he removed the stasis cuffs from her hands, the officer put a hand on Arcee's shoulder and looked her straight in the optic. "Do you still have a home to go to, once you're free?"
She starred at him blankly. "Why are you asking? Why do you care?"
The officer spared a glance at Elita-Two before saying in a low whisper, "I know who you are. I've heard your sisters talk about you."
"You... you... what?" Arcee stammered, trying to form a coherent response.
"You're pretty much the only one from House Elita to not join the Security Force. If you're looking for a job or a place to live even... we're always looking out for new recruits."
Arcee considered his offer. At this point, she knew there was no going back. Her dreams had been quenched. Her family had rejected her. Now she was about to lose her own body in exchange for a simpler one.
She knew she had no choice. It was either this or the Dead End.
"All right," she said. "I'm up for the job."
The officer smiled. "Glad to hear it. Just stop by the base in Iacon. Tell them Prowl sent you."
--Present--
"Hey, you found it!"
Arcee shook her head as she snapped out of her reverie, realizing that she was holding Bumblebee's toy in her hand, about to set it aside.
"Oh. Er...." She handed it to him. "There you go, then."
"Thanks!" Bumblebee eagerly took the doll from her, looking at it with childish awe. "This always brings me back, you know. I downloaded every episode of his show to my processor and put them on constant replay throughout the day. He was my biggest inspiration in becoming an Autobot."
Arcee smirked as she got to her feet. "You do know his actor joined the Decepticons, right?"
Bumblebee's expression become one of disbelief. "WHAT?!"
"Yeah. He was one of Megatron's top spies. Optimus captured him on Kaiba-5. I thought you knew that."
"Wait, you mean Overload? Overload played Bombast Major?" Bumblebee slapped a servo over his forehead. "Oh my god. I always wondered why they looked so similar." He then looked up at her
expectantly. "Hey, you joined same time I did. What inspired you to become an Autobot?"
Arcee hesitated to answer. To do so would be giving Bumblebee an insight into an aspect of life she did not care to have him know of just yet. As her mind raced for an answer, a white and black figure suddenly appeared outside the doorway.
"Arcee," Prowl said. "Do you have a minute?"
Grateful for the interruption, she turned to face him. "Yes. What do you need?"
"Elita-One wants to meet with you at Maccadam's. She says the two of you are long overdue for a time to catch up. Do you want me to tell her you'll be there?"
Arcee said nothing at first, taken aback by his words. After all these years, she never once thought any of her sisters ever wanted to speak with her again. Then again, Elita-One, being the eldest, had always been the wisest among them and perhaps this offer was genuine.
Nodding firmly, she said, "Yes. Tell her I'll be there."
Even though she never was for me, she left unsaid.
Arcee hesitated to answer. To do so would be giving Bumblebee an insight into an aspect of life she did not care to have him know of just yet. As her mind raced for an answer, a white and black figure suddenly appeared outside the doorway.
"Arcee," Prowl said. "Do you have a minute?"
Grateful for the interruption, she turned to face him. "Yes. What do you need?"
"Elita-One wants to meet with you at Maccadam's. She says the two of you are long overdue for a time to catch up. Do you want me to tell her you'll be there?"
Arcee said nothing at first, taken aback by his words. After all these years, she never once thought any of her sisters ever wanted to speak with her again. Then again, Elita-One, being the eldest, had always been the wisest among them and perhaps this offer was genuine.
Nodding firmly, she said, "Yes. Tell her I'll be there."
Even though she never was for me, she left unsaid.
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