TFP – Shattered Glass

"Arcee!" Bulkhead yelled as the blue femme raced over to them. She was running for her life, and her optics widened when she saw them.

"Get back inside!" She shouted, gesturing wildly. "Get back!"

What? Why? Bumblebee beeped. Just then the reason why appeared over the hill. Arcee tripped from a cannon shot and rolled to the feet of the mechs. Bumblebee immediately knelt down to help her up, an arm around her waist and a hand grasping her arm. Only when she was standing did he look up. What he saw made him freeze, unconsciously tightening his grip around Arcee.

"Looks like the traitorous clone found some friends." A purple and black Bumblebee with red eyes sneered. His cannons – much more impressive than Bumblebee's own – were out and ready. Behind him were equally-dark-colored versions of Cliffjumper and Blur.

"A Wrecker?" Dark Cliffjumper scoffed. "Seriously?"

"How's this sound? Fifty points per traitorous clone?" Dark Blur suggested. Dark Bumblebee laughed.

"You're on. Loser cleans up the mess." He challenged. At that, all three of them alt-formed and raced down the hill.

"Is that…?" Bulkhead was as speechless and motionless as Bumblebee. Arcee had no such handicaps. She turned around and pushed at her comrades, trying to force them through the portal.

"Go!" She screamed. This time they listened, trying to run backwards through the shimmering blue-and-green light. Unfortunately, that was when Optimus Prime decided to make a dual appearance. One of him came from inside the portal, colliding with his three soldiers who were trying to escape and knocking all but Bulkhead back on their skid plates. The other appeared from behind them all.

"Autobots, halt!" Dark Optimus shouted. The portal fizzled shut behind Optimus and the other Autobots from Earth turned slowly to face the monster on the hill behind them.

"Check it out, boss-bot," Dark Bumblebee laughed. "Clones." Dark Optimus nodded.

"Well, well, well. It looks like our little femme wasn't alone." He said. "Take them alive – it's more fun to hear them scream." The Earth-based bots tensed, awaiting the attack from their Dark comrades. Instead, a volley of fire from all sides threw them to the ground, stunned. Bumblebee's optics on-lined to see his Dark self behind the barrel of a cannon.

"Get up." Dark Bumblebee commanded. Bumblebee got up slowly, seeing his friends around him being forced to their feet. Dark Bumblebee fastened stasis cuffs on his other self's wrists and turned him roughly around. Optimus looked on as his young scout was prodded roughly toward his dark self who was waiting on the hill, followed by Arcee and Bulkhead being led by familiar faces that had been darkened by whatever horror had shaped this parallel universe.

"Optimus Prime." It was eerie for Optimus to hear his own voice in that dark, twisted tone. He looked fearlessly into his Dark self's optics. His Dark self smiled. "If you're anything like me, you'll be the most fun to break."

"Should we take them to Iacon, sir?" Dark Blur asked. "We could lock them up in the dungeons or set up the torture room right away or just take them all to the slag pit or,"

"Blur, if you don't stop talking I will take out your voice box most painfully." Dark Optimus threatened. Dark Blur shut up quickly, gripping Arcee's arm tighter in response. He smiled. "The Bulkhead clone goes to the torture room along with my clone. The Bumblebee and Arcee clones go straight to the slag pit." He said.

"No!" Optimus struggled against his captors as Dark Bumblebee and Dark Blur lead his two smaller, younger soldiers away. They dug in their heels and tried to wrench themselves away. "Please, let them go. I'll do whatever you want." Optimus didn't like begging, but he would stoop to whatever level he could to save his friends. Dark Optimus held up a hand and his two soldiers stopped suddenly.

"On second thought – take them all to the slag pit. I want to see just how weak my clone is."

"No!" Optimus struggled, but was forced to watch Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead taken away. Bulkhead struggled at first, but caught on when neither of the smaller bots resisted. Optimus felt his spark breaking as he realized they were trying to be strong for him, to ease his pain. He bowed his helm and struggled to stay strong for them in return.

…

The slag pit turned out to be nothing more than a circular length of floor surrounding a large caldron of fire. A long plank extended to the center of the caldron, just above the flames. The flames danced and snapped, sparking and casting shadows along the walls and bots in the room where Optimus Prime was chained to the wall. He was forced to watch as each of his three comrades were brought out to be beaten before his eyes.

When Bulkhead was shoved to his knees beside Arcee and Bumblebee, Dark Optimus laughed, walking over to Optimus. Optimus shot a deadly glare into his own optics. Never more had he wished so much that looks could kill. But he knew in his spark that even if he could kill himself, his loyal Dark Autobots would finish the job he had started. Optimus' own Autobots were too exhausted to stand, every move causing pain to shoot through them. Bumblebee leaned over despite the pain and touched Arcee's helm gently with his own.

We're going to be okay, He lied transparently. Nevertheless, Arcee was grateful for the lie. She leaned into him.

"Yeah, we will." She whispered back. "Very soon."

"I see how much it hurts you when we hurt them." Dark Optimus observed. "Why don't we see how much it hurts when one of them is extinguished?" His Autobots cheered, a sound so sickeningly familiar it made Optimus want to scream himself. Dark Optimus turned around, facing the Earth-based Autobots. "Who will be the first to die?" He asked. "Will it be the femme?" He reached out to stroke Arcee's face. She jerked away, leaning closer to Bumblebee.

No! Bumblebee beeped angrily. Leave her alone! Dark Optimus studied him thoughtfully.

"Are you volunteering to die in her place?" He asked.

"Bumblebee, don't," Arcee warned. "Please, don't." Bumblebee stayed quiet. Dark Optimus pulled Arcee to her feet.

"I guess it's you then." He sighed with transparent regret.

No! Bumblebee exclaimed louder, struggling to his feet. He looked up at Dark Optimus with defiance shining bright in his young optics. I will go first.

"No!" Arcee screamed. "Bumblebee, don't you glitch-head!" But she was already being forced to her knees, held there by Dark Bumblebee. Bulkhead was also trying to rise to the aid of his friend.

"Let him go! He's just a kid!" He shouted. It took three Dark Autobots to hold him in place.

"Bumblebee!" Optimus shouted as Dark Optimus shoved him onto the plank. Bumblebee looked back once, then slowly walked to the edge of the plank before turning again to face them.

"Bumblebee, I'm sorry. This is all my fault." Arcee choked.

Don't be silly. Bumblebee scoffed. We didn't have to follow you here, but we did.

"Traitor and pretender of the Autobot cause, how do you plead?" Dark Optimus' voice echoed off the walls.

Bumblebee stayed silent, staring beyond the malicious leader to the face he knew so well. Optimus' optics were full of pain – he was mourning his scout already. That made Bumblebee happy in an odd way. He knew his friends would miss him, and that was all that mattered really. He hoped they made one of their crazy escapes and got back to Earth. He hoped they ended the war and lived happily ever after like in Raf's human stories. He hoped Raf wouldn't be too sad. But of everything he wished for, Bumblebee couldn't seem to wish away one thing he had done that had led to this. He didn't regret anything, because everything had led to finding real friends and a real family.

"Well if you're not going to defend yourself, the jury pronounces you guilty!" Dark Optimus cackled.

Arcee wished the gun had come up in slow motion, like on one of the human movies. She wished it took forever to load, and then fired slowly. She wished the multi-barreled cannon's blasts had progressed slower than snails along the plank towards Bumblebee's chest so she could see him alive just a little longer. But that didn't happen. Dark Optimus' cannon came up, he fired, and Bumblebee only had time to lock optics with her for the last time before the shots struck him in the chest and pushed him off the edge. There was no fear in his optics as he plunged into the fire.