REWRITTEN!

Hello All...Here is my shot at my first fanfic ever! Review to your heart's content. I hope every one likes it and I am more than open to suggestions for ideas or directions the story should take.

Ok, to get this started, I do not in any way own Transformers Animated or so on and so forth. As much as I would like to...it's just not gonna happen.

This fic is a blend of ideas from two other authors and my own. I strongly recommend Cover Me by BlackDragonQueen and all stories written by Karategal. Karategal's stories Sparkling and Youngling are the background of this story so it would help with understanding the setting and I promise the stories are good.

A heads up. It's been forever since I have seen the Transformers cartoon so most of these characters will be OoC, so bear with me, and I'm sure I might mess up on a few topics. Help on this problem will be gladly recieved.

In a nut shell, this is my version of a what if? What if Cyberton's history had taken a different turn? What if they never went off to find the Allspark and came to Earth? What if they were stuck in their universe forever at war? What if the one hope to the survival of their race rested on the youngest of them, Bumblebee?

Let me know what you think.

Bumblebee sighed when he saw Ironhide headed his way. There was no getting out of this one.

"Bumblebee!" he bellowed, his voice booming and announcing his terrifying presence to those that didn't yet realize the weapon specialist was on the firing range.

Sunstreaker looked between the two mechs for a moment before stepping up in front of Bumblebee in an attempt to shield the youngling from yet another angry lecture.

"Get out of my way Sunstreaker," Ironhide growled, trying to forcefully push past the twin.

"Not till you calm down. He doesn't need you blowing another gasket over nothing," Sunstreaker said, pushing a finger hard against Ironhide's chest. He was only doing what he thought best to protect Bumblebee from Ironhide's anger like any other mech aboard the Artemis would do, but every soldier aboard the ship knew the weapon specialist's temper was not to be taken lightly and more than a few had been subjected to his wrath and ended up in Rachet's med bay.

"Sunny, it's alright," Bumblebee said emerging from behind the Autobot attempting to help and laid a hand on the golden mech's arm giving him a obvious sign to not push it this time.

Ironhide paused at the motion as he realized Bumblebee wasn't letting anyone fight his battles yet still didn't help to suppress the black mech's anger.

"Come, with me now," Ironhide growled, grabbing Bumblebee by the back of his neck and leading him away from Sunstreaker and most likey back to their room. Along the way Bumblebee met many sympathetic looks, yet none dared get in the way of an angry Ironhide.

After vorns of begging Rachet, Bumblebee had gotten his final frame and adjustments and was ready to learn to fight. He knew that if he had been in the youth sectors it would have been countless vorns before he could ever lay optics upon a weapon but Bumblebee wasn't at a youth sector. He was on a battleship surrouned by soldiers in the middle of a never-ending war. He was a child or war and even children of war needed to fight or else what future would he have? Meanwhile, Ironhide, his overly protective guardian, did all he could to keep Bumblebee away from those that jumped at the opportunity to teach their dear youngling defense. Sunstreaker, one of the few mech that found it his job to protect Bumblebee, didn't agree with the older mech. The weapon specialist felt that his charge just needed to become accustom to being defended by others while Sunstreaker believed that even if Bumblebee were protected from all sides he should still learn how to fight. Nothing was foolproof and there might be one orn when the youngling would find himself undefended without an Autobot in reach to protect him. Still, despite the majority of the mechs aboard the ship wanting the youngling to learn Ironhide refused to listen to their reason and they had no choice but to back down when their CMO stepped up and gave him full support in sheltering Bumblebee.

"Ironhide!" Optimus yelled, changing his intended direction when he saw what was now becoming a common scene in the hallways of the battleship.

Muttering a curse, Ironhide turned to face his leader, Bumblebee forced to spin around with him locked in his guardian's grip still.

"Let the boy go," Optimus said wearily. It had been clear recently that the leader of the Autobots' patience was wearing dangerously thin when it came to his weapon specialist.

"He was out on the firing range again! I cannot have him risking his life every time I look away! Not to mention the others disregarding a direct order!" Ironhide argued, refusing to listen to the reason Optimus would soon tell him.

Wincing at the tightening grip on the back of his neck, Bumblebee watched silently as the two mechs argued back and forth. However, Optimus saw the youngling's brief grimace of pain and knew he needed to calm the enraged guardian down before Ironhide did something he would regret.

"He was training Ironhide. It's time you've come to accept that," Optimus said, hoping that this time logic would pierce the black mech's thick processor.

"He can't. He's still too young. He just barely got his new frame."

"It doesn't matter. Bumblebee has been through more than any other youngling would have normally dealt with at his age. Instead of giving him the option to be able to defend himself you would rather he come running to you whenever there is danger. What help is that to him? What if there is a Decepticon between you two?" Ironhide optics narrowed dangerously at his commander's words but the Autobot commander continued on without pause, "Don't think it hasn't crossed my processor to order a restraint against you being around Bee, but I haven't only because despite all that you've done to him, he still wants you as his guardian."

Shaking his head, Ironhide stepped back while Bumblebee pulled forward and free of the weakened grip.

"Fine. He's not my responsibility any more," Ironhide said after a moment of studying his commander before walking away.

"What? No!" Bumblebee exclaimed in fear when his much loved guardian's words finally sunk in.

Optimus stood rooted to the spot for a klick or two as his processor took a moment to grasp what the mech had just said. However the crushed look on the youngling's face hurt his spark as the small mech watched his guardian abandon him.

"Come here Bumblebee," he said and frowned as it seemed Bumblebee hadn't heard him at all frozen in place still staring down the empty hallway where Ironhide had been only moments ago and still accepting Bumblebee as his charge. The black mech's words had broken something deep within the youngling as he finally turned and gave Optimus a blank, emotionless stare. Hoping Bumblebee would recover he walked over to him and began to say something until an explosion rocked the ship and threw him into the wall. Quickly scrambling up he found the yellow mech still standing but obviously free from his shock and looking around wondering what was going on until another shudder ran through the ship knocking them both to the floor this time.

"Report!" Optimus yelled into his comm while moving over to the youngling and checking to make sure he was unharmed.

"Decepticon attack at the south sector near the labs. Looks like they're going for the research again," Red Alert answered immediately.

"Alright, Bee, get to your room and stay there. I'll come get you after this is done."

With a quick nod the youngling sprinted away. He might be training but he was far from a real battle yet especially when he was built for stealth, not force like Sunstreaker or Ironhide. Rounding another corner, Bumblebee was close to his and Ironhide's room when suddenly he found himself thrown into the wall by another explosion that tore through the hallway beside him. Looking up he stiffened as his optics searched past the lingering dust and saw Starscream standing in the newly created entrance.

"My. Haven't you grown," the Decepticon chuckled once he noticed the youngling at his feet and raised his cannon slowly.

Processor screaming at him to run for cover Bumblebee instead stood slowly causing the seeker to hesitate.

"Can't say the same for you although you still look a bit more banged up Slag Head. I guess Megatron has his optics on other Cons," he taunted watching the Decepticon's expression grow heated with fury.

"Fraggin Autobot!" Starscream yelled and fired but the nimble mech had already jumped away from harm, tumbling behind the Con and jumping up, his fingers going to work quickly at the con's sensitive wiring that was hidden beneath back plates. Bumblebee found that the best thing about spending time with Rachet was that the medic had qualms about teaching Bumblebee secrets of the trade and how to knock down mechs both quickly and effectively. Also the CMO had withheld the secrets of how to deactivate a mech and instead taught him a few simple paralyzing techniques, or the youngling's favorite, the advanced advantages such as taking optics offline or messing with weapon capabilities. Little did the medic know that the innocent lessons would now be key in saving Bumblebee's life.

"Get off me!" Starscream screetched claws frantically grabbing and reaching back in a desperate attempt to rip the yellow mech off, but Bumblebee was far too small for him to reach behind the much larger frame and it was only a breem later the Con hit the ground hard and offline.

"Piece of slag," Bumblebee growled and kicked the Decepticon for good measure as he darted away and put his skills to use keeping to the shadows, staying silent, and down low as he continued on.

Only a few more hallways closer to his room, Bumblebee heard fighting and yelling to his left. Going against good logic and Optimus' order he redirected his route and quickly approached the noise to see Blur and Sunstreaker pinned down by three large Cons he was unfamiliar with. Giving himself only a moment to watch the scene he darted to Blur's side. At the moment the odds were not in their favor and there was no way he would leave them on their own.

"Bee!" Blur yelped in surprise, when a small yellow mech appeared at his side, firing off his cannon rapidly in succession at the Decepticons before dropping back down under cover, "Whatareyoudoinghere! Hide?"

"I couldn't just leave you guys on your own. Beside my room is just over there. How safe will I be when the fight reaches there?" Bumblebee argued, ignoring the question as to where his ever present guardian was.

Sunstreaker and Blur exchanged quick looks. They did understand what the youngling was saying but it didn't ease the fear both held as various and possible scenarios ran through their processors should they fail. Still, despite what could happen they both knew it would be impossible to get bumblebee to leave them and had no choice but to agree and with a determined not to eachother they continued the fight.

However, it wasn't long before the battle took a turn for the worst.

Pausing his firing to allow Blur to move up, Bumblebee noticed movement behind them. Without even giving himself a moment to think, he jumped the approaching Decepticon that had Blur's back in view. The second hidden Decepticon that the youngling had failed to noticed managed to cry out an alarm but it wasn't fast enough as the two Cybertronians collided.

Bumblebee thanked Primus for the hand to hand combat Sunstreaker had been teaching him since before he had even gotten his latest frame as now he could finally put it to use and defend himself. Still, no amount of training was enough to really help out his small frame against such bulk. He could try and use speed against the Decepticon but even that would only last so long. Instead, the Decepticon sneak solved the youngling's dilemma for him as a razor sharp blade slipped out his arm. Bumblebee stepped back with a curse but his frame responded with the same, his own dualing blade sliding forth. Only a brief moment of hesitation could be noted between them before they crash together again, hacking, slashing, thrusting for vital areas that would bring even season harden mechs down. The only trick was that it required an actual hit to be of any effect. Bumblebee managed a few small scrapes to his opponent, but had not been able to succeed in drawing any amount of energon from the Decepticon instead giving the opposing mech the opportunity to sever a secondary line in his blade free arm. Energon leaking down Bumblebee's side, the youngling pressed the injured arm tightly to his frame and reassessed the situation, wondering how to proceed in his condition. While it wasn't his sparing arm, the waves of pain he was unaccustom to was hindering his ability to concentrate and he knew he was in trouble. Behind him his two friends still fought now having to fend off four Decepticons while trying to watch his battle from the corner of their optics.

Breaking off his continuous fire at the four mechs infront of him, Sunstreaker quickly whirled around and placed a well-aimmed shot at the second Decepticon sneak that was still behind them before turning his full attention back upon those in front of them. As Blur and the golden mech continued on with renewed determination to narrow the Decepticons' numbers, they failed to notice that Sunstreaker's shot wasn't as well-placed as he believe and was slowly getting back up. The Decepticon smirked, not believing his luck as he looked at the two Bots' backs then over at the smaller mech fighting his partner. With a chuckle, the Con headed over to his partner's aid and towards the undefened backside of Bumblebee his cannon silently melding into his arm as a blade slipped out to replace the weapon.

Bumblebee gasped and looked down, optics wide in disbelief as they rested upon the long, energon drenched blade protruding out his front. Even his opponent was caught off guard but quickly took the event for granted and swiped out to finish the annoying youngling once and for all. To the surprise of the impailed mech an unknown strength rose up from deep within as it shoved the pain back and sharpened his senses. Blocking the finishing blow he knocked the blade back and with a quick stab went straight through the Con's chest instantly extinguished the delicate spark within. The next klick he jerked forward as the mech behind him wrench the blade free of Bumblebee's back and decided it was time to finish this youngling once and for all but even he couldn't match the newfound fury and suddenly found himself on a fast-track route to the matrix as he laid on the ground, hands groping at his neck desperately to keep the lifefueling energon from draining out. With not even a pause of hesitation, Bumblebee transformed his arm back into his cannon and spun around on the balls of his feet aiming with impossible precision and with a single shot dropped the last remaining Decepticon in the hall. The two older mechs still crouched behind their shields in shock until turning slowly and looking for the source of the shot and nearly fell over when they saw only the youngling standing with two deactivated mechs at his feet.

But quickly they shook off the surprise and finally saw the condition Bumblebee was in.

"Bee!" Blur yelled as he took in the energon-drenched mech and gaping wound in the youngling's side. With the amount of energon leaking out and coating the small mech, it was a sure guess of the other two to believe the attack had probably severed Bumblebee's energon reserves. It was a grave wound for even the toughest of mechs and the two Autobots knew it. They shared a troubled look.

His cannon still raised, Bumblebee still seemed battle ready but slowly he finally blinked his optics and swayed, confusion spreading across his face. Looking down at himself in shock he toppled and nearly fell but Sunstreaker rushed up and caught him before he could hit the ground.

"Bee, oh Primus. He needs Rachet immediately. Get him on the comm," Sunstreaker told Blur, lifting the small bot in his arms easily.

"Rachet. I/have/a/Bot/in/urgent/need/of/care. Critical/condition," Blur called to Ratchet quickly almost running his words to fast together it had a hum to it.

"I can't. I'm with Optimus, we're pinned down. The other medics are scattered around, try finding one of them," Rachet responded, sounding frustrated.

"He/needs/help/now,Rachet! Can't/you/meet/us/in/the/middle? ."

"Primus!" Rachet cursed, "What is wrong? Who is it?"

"Bumblebee. He's got severe injuries. It looks like his energon reserves have been severed and one of his primary lines is cut as well. He's lost too much energon already," Sunstreaker answered instead, surprisingly cutting off the speedster before he could reply.

"Get to my med bay immediately. We'll try and get out soon. Just keep him conscious."

Blur clicked his comm off and they darted down the hallway headed straight toward Rachet's med bay. Yet, with only a few turns and hallways to go they skidded to a halt when they saw a Decepticon waiting in the middle of the hallway.

Megatron.

Reviews are much appricated.