A/N: This is a short chapter, and has been named the finale of the entire fiction. Who knows? I could throw in another chapter some other time in the future. But, otherwise, this is the final chapter of A Fighting Heart. I know. Some of you might be a little disappointed. Please, don't be. I'm so happy this fiction was given so much praise and applause, so much I never expected to receive on this little idea of mine. I thank all of you, and especially Karategal for all of her prior edits to my chapters and all of her amazing advice. Thank you so much!

Enjoy the end, folks.

Chapter Seventeen: Trick of Deception

The blaring cry of a distress signal shook Optimus from a deep cycle of recharge. He didn't hesitate to lift himself to his normal stature, despite the sense of fatigue that had enveloped him. The mech moved to the portal with weariness in his stride, the familiar blue-hue returning to his flickering optics. From down the corridor, the sound of Autobots hurrying from their quarters to where the alarm reached him. Where were they hurrying to? The Medbay.

Optimus only did so much as to quirk an optic ridge and narrow his gaze. What could be the reason for this unexpected distress call? Surely, something was wrong, that was no duh. But, what? At this hour?

Had something gone terribly wrong?

Walking towards the alarm's direction, he could only ponder negatively…

Bumblebee – Had something happened to him? What if Ratchet's dire attempts were not enough to suffice the hungers of Bumblebee's tender spark? Or was it Mirage? Was he failing? And Jaryn…The energy transfer, was it futile?

Question after question. Worry after worry. They only brought doubt and heartache.

… Anything could be wrong.

A servo at his side curled to a loose fist. As terrible as it was to admit, if anyone was fading, he hoped it was anyone, but his precious bot. The image of Bumblebee returned to his processor, and he saw the mechling uttering the three words, "I love you," before smiling at him with his baby blue optics. He heard a giggle, a tiny whirr…Felt a kiss.

"Bumblebee…"

His spark twisted with a greater sense of dread as he approached the portal of the Medbay. It was already ajar from prior enterers. He passed the threshold with a quiet sigh of hope, perhaps in a silent prayer, as he moved gently through the crowd of Autobot soldiers. Ratchet stood before everyone. Taken by the regretful glint in his droopy gaze, bad news were only inevitable. Optimus cleared his vocalizer for no reason, truly.

"Ratchet," he spoke, heeding to the gentle tone of his voice. "The distress call…"

The Medibot dropped his optics to the flooring.

"…Bumblebee and Jaryn…"

Silence.

A gentle servo lay on the Medic's shoulder panel, and at the tender gesture, Ratchet glanced up to the warm optics of his Commander. He pushed out a small sigh. "…They're gone. They've disappeared."

The hand slipped from his alloy.

"….Gone?" murmured Optimus in an echo.

"Gone?" yet another echo. "But, how? I thought they were in here with you, Ratch'."

Ratchet splayed a hand over his foreplate, lowering his optic lids for a moment of contemplation. He shook his head. "When I stepped out of the Medbay…That's when something happened. I returned…and no one was here…" He paused and suddenly lifted his optics to the group of Autobots, locking his gaze with Mirage. "…No one… but Mirage."

All optics shifted. Mirage lifted himself upright in his berth. Perplexities played in his round gaze, and with a small shake of his head, he onlined his vocalizer to clarify. "I was in recharge. I didn't see anything."

Ratchet sighed. "…No witnesses. I blame myself. I shouldn't have left those two alone." He paused. "Anything could have happened to them…"

"Now, Ratch'," spoke Ironhide. "How were you supposed to know that something like this could happen?"

"Ironhide's right. The blame cannot be placed on you, nor anyone else." Despite the distress harvested within him, Optimus betrayed the feeling with an expression of determination. He faced his band of Autobots. "Perhaps Bumblebee healed, and in the moment, Jaryn could have left the base for time alone. In any case, we'll run a scan of the grounds. If no trace of them is found in the megacycle or so, we'll search for Jaryn...and Bumblebee."

"...Again."

The Decepticon Base

"So… I see you kept to your word after all."

In the time of a short moment, plates of yellow armoring sunk beneath replacing alloy panels, each of them colored white and black, clicking and chirring in their mechanical shifting. Thick digits became angular, sharper at the tips, cold and claw-like. A set of blue-hued optics shifted to a scarlet shade in a simple flicker or two. A compartment fit for a laser rifle jutted gently at his back panels. The plasma arm and shoulder cannons were unchanged. They whirred.

"…Jaryn." Starscream gave a lopsided smile. "I knew you wouldn't dupe me, double agent." Gaze narrowing, the Decepticon turned his optics over the fragile being clutched in Jaryn's servos, the precious Autobot that quaked into his Creator's chassis. Starscream lowered a cold digit against the mechling's foreplate, and with a small noise of fright escaping him, Bumblebee drew deep into Jaryn's form. The double agent acted, clutching his Creation so abruptly. The little one cried a sound of pain.

"What about Megatron?" Jaryn questioned Starscream. "Any updates on his status?"

At the sound of the name, a glint of contempt passed the jetformer's optics. His arms came against his chestplate.

His apathetic response, "No. Nothing."

Innocence mixed with perplexities on Bumblebee's infantile complexion, and he locked a rounded gaze on the image of the Decepticon, then to this mech – his father. The clutch Jaryn had around him was neither tender nor taut, but somewhere in the middle. Still, the hold was unlike any prior. His servos had the cold touch of a Decepticon's, and his digits – his claws – prodded into Bee's fragile frame.

He couldn't accept this mech as his Creator.

He couldn't, but he had no other choice but to do so.

Tears welling at his optic ducts, Bumblebee gave a mournful whirr. "…D-Dada…"

Jaryn looked to him. There was no warm, amorous glow in his scarlet optics, or a hint of a smile on his lips. Bumblebee only saw a Decepticon, a monster that had possessed his father from the inside and out.

Jaryn's true form.

Jaryn was the mech that bonded with Lexine. He had been the mech to fight his own faction, the Decepticon clones, during that tragic assault on his family unit. He was the mech that had kept an optic out for Bumblebee, his Creation, for one sole purpose in mind: to one day regain supervision of him for yet another time.

"You've regained custody of your little bot again," Starscream spoke. "…And with me…The new leader of the Decepticons." He laughed. "We will reign. Bumblebee will be the first addition to our new army."

Jaryn smiled. "And if the Autobots attempt to pursue us?"

"We'll fool them…or obliterate them. Whichever." He grinned.

This entire nightmare had been nothing but a scheme.

Nothing… but a trick of deception.

The End. For now.

I hope you all enjoyed the read. Again, thank you all so very much.

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