Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Epilogue: What Happens Now?

"So what now?" Optimus asked as he watched Bumblebee go through a filing cabinet.

"Now, I give you these," Bumblebee handed Optimus a datapad with his picture on it then passed out similar ones to the others.

"So what exactly do we do?" Ratchet grunted.

Bumblebee shrugged.

"Why don't we read the datapads?" Bulkhead suggested.

"I don't think we have time," Prowl said, noticing how Bumblebee kept glancing at the chronometer on his desk. "Why don't we wait and read these after we leave Cybertron?"

"Sounds like a great idea!" Bumblebee said cheerfully. "There's a ship waiting at an abandoned dock not too far from here."

"So where do we go now?" Optimus asked.

Bumblebee sighed and looked straight at the Autobots. For a moment he just looked at them, allowing them to see just how old and tired he looked. "I don't know," he said at last. "I just don't know. Why don't you just take the ship and go explore? Who knows, maybe you'll discover that Earth really exists," he snorted.

"And what about you?" Bulkhead asked worriedly, the concern for the bot he thought had been his best friend unable to go away, despite his new-found knowledge that their friendship wasn't real.

"I'm not sure," Bumblebee admitted. "But Starscream wants to rebuild the Decepticon Empire. Not an army," he assured them, "but just another community. I might help him and the clones rebuild Kaon or I might just go exploring. I haven't really decided yet."

Optimus nodded. "Well, good luck on whatever you decide."

Bumblebee smiled. "Thanks and you too. Now you need to get going," his voice turned businesslike once more. "Preferably in the next fifteen minutes," he added.

"What exactly are you going to do?" Prowl asked suspiciously.

Bumblebee didn't reply but smirked, his eyes lighting up with mischief causing the others to feel slightly sad to know that they would never again see that smile. "Nothing," he said. "Nothing at all."

"Sure," Ratchet said sarcastically. "And I'm Megatron."

"Be careful about saying that," Bumblebee warned. "Someone might actually take you seriously." The smile he gave took away any seriousness there might have been, replacing it with some last minute mirth.

"I guess we need to go now," Optimus didn't move.

"Yeah definitely time to go," Bumblebee smiled at them once more. "Just so you guys know, it wasn't all pretend for me."

"Sorry to interrupt," Jazz stuck his cranial unit in the doorway. "But if you bots want to make it out of here then you might want to hurry up and go," he warned.

"We're going," Bumblebee said. "Go, now!"

"We're going," Optimus sighed.

Ten minutes later the four Autobots found themselves standing on a hill, watching as the Research Facility blew up. "Well," Prowl said at last. "I suppose that underneath all of that deceptiveness Bumblebee really was a decent bot after all."

"Do you think he made it out?" Bulkhead wanted to know.

"I don't know," Optimus said.

"But more than likely he did and is probably terrorizing the Decepticons," Ratchet grumbled. "And they all deserve it."

One Year Later

"I'm picking up another solar system," Prowl announced.

"How many planets?" Optimus asked.

"Nine," Bulkhead replied. "All but one are uninhabited."

The Autobots exchanged glances then Ratchet shook his head. "No way," he said. "No way."

"I am Isaac Sumdac and welcome to Earth," the odd little scientist said, the white streak in his hair standing out against the stark blackness of the rest of it.

"And I'm his daughter Sari," the little girl said.

The Autobots smiled at the humans feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. As he stood there Optimus felt a strange sense of belonging as if they had finally come home. Yet, he couldn't help but think of a certain yellow and black minibot and praying that he too had found a home as well.

A/N: Well, ladies and gentlemen, this story is now completed. Yes, I understand that it is not as well written as some of my others but it is currently 1:19 am, I'm exhausted and I'm fixing to leave on an eight hour car trip shortly and I was trying to get it done before we leave. I would like to thank those of you who are my loyal readers and who have stayed with me even though my recent works have been suffering. I promise that I will do my absolute best to make it up to me. If you have any criticisms or praise please be kind enough to review and tell me. Thank you once again. Sincerely, Gage39