A/N: Recognize it? Not mine.

Chess play

Bumblebee was furious. No, that would be an understatement; he was downright enraged! He fumed and stalked through the warehouse, making his way to his berth. He had abruptly left the Autobots' makeshift command center after hearing the new orders from one Optimus Prime. The orders were simple and insulting towards his person: the yellow 'bot was to be left out of the upcoming battle and stay behind with Ratchet and Sari. That meant that only Prowl, Bulkhead and Prime were active in the conflict with a rogue Starscream.

"Who does Prime think he is?!…Fine, he's a Prime, whatever! That does NOT give him right to take me out of a fight I can most certainly help out!" he ranted as he pressed the code to enter the playroom.

Not surprisingly, Sari was there, lounging and watching TV. Ratchet was probably in the command center with the rest of those…those traitors! She turned and faced her angry friend, "Still mad, huh?"

"Slag yeah! I mean how could he do that? I'm as useful as the ninja-bot and Bulky!" 'Bee cursed, startling the humanoid girl quite a bit. He quickly apologized and sat down besides her.

"Well, that's a stupid question," Ratchet said as he entered the room, looking for the energon dispenser, "then again, it IS Bumblebee we're talking about…" he trailed in mock realization.

"Don't start, you grumpy scrapper," the younger mech growled, earning a mere shrug from the offender.

"Fine, be that way. I was only answering your question, as obvious as it was."

"Out with it! I'm in no mood for games!" 'Bee snapped.

The ambulance grinned a little and replied nonchalantly, "Too bad, I am."

"Alright, what do you want to play? Some archaic game that I've never even heard of, or mind games to trick me into embarrassing myself?" 'Bee grumbled.

"Chess. Mind games with you are a bore," the old 'bot answered, "Blitzwing's an entirely different story."

"True that," Sari quipped as Ratchet prepared the table and game board, "Can I watch?"

"Sure thing," the red and white mech said softly, "but I must warn you, it's gonna be a short game," he added with a chuckle as the little girl got comfortable on his lap.

"Just start the game!" the yellow 'bot said exasperated, "I'm white."

"Always impetuous, hmm? Fine, I'm black. Now then, to answer your question, let's say that you're Megatron," Ratchet started.

"Why am I Megatron!"

"Because you wanted to play first, unless you want to change sides and join the Autobot cause. In that case, I'll be ol' Megs," he answered, changing the board's sides and causing Sari to giggle.

"Suits you just fine," 'Bee muttered.

Ratchet ignored him and continued. "Now listen. For all intended purposes, I'm Megatron and you're Optimus," he began, moving a Pawn two spaces as his starting play, "and this will simulate how battles play out."

"Pssh, real battles don't play out so easily!" Bumblebee scoffed, playing a pawn himself, blocking Ratchet's pawn.

"Just stick to the rules of the game and think like Prime," the SIC sighed as he played a Knight piece.

'Ok, if I were Prime, then I'd play it safe with putting the strong first…' 'Bee thought, moving the Queen and capturing the pawn. Ratchet played only another pawn, hoping that 'Bee would take the bait.

And he did, capturing the Knight. "Ha! Checkmate!"

Ratchet grinned, moving the Bishop and capturing the piece, "No, just check. The game goes on."

'Slag, that was sucked…stick to the defense!' 'Bee thought stubbornly.

Slowly, the game picked up pace as the two slowly ate away their forces. Ratchet moved cautiously, baiting and capturing more and more pieces as Bumblebee 'countered' his every move. It came to a point where there was only few pieces left on the board.

"Old man, you're toast!" 'Bee exclaimed as he ate one of Ratchet's bishop. "That was for the dead Queen!"

"Hmm, typical Optimus. 'An anthem for the queenliest dead that ever died so young / a dirge for her the Doubly Dead in that she died so young'," Ratchet stated as he moved a piece and ate his bishop.

"What are you babbling about?"

"It's called American literature, try it some time…oh, look at that, Checkmate," he announced, showing that the King was trapped between the last remaining white pieces' attack lines.

"How—When—Buh??" he stammered in disbelief at his defeat.

"You played Optimus too well," Ratchet answered. Noticing the confusion on both 'Bee and Sari's faces, he sighed and proceeded to explain.

"See, when you played, you went offense first and relied on the strongest card in the suit to take you through the game. When you lost it, you predictably switched to defense instead of applying pressure and it let me read through your strategy like a book.

"Megatron, on the other hand, behaves like a shark, nibbles and teases before he attacks…and when he does, he plays it smart, slowly chipping away the front while making Prime believe that he is winning. Once he's got him in that state of mind, he charges in for his King, disregarding whatever or whoever it may cost him as long as it gets the job done…Something Optimus will never think of applying himself."

"Huh?"

"Prime would never sacrifice his precious King and would rather surrender," he added, while gently pushing the black King down, "than see him dead."

"But what about the rest of them?" Sari asked, pointing at the defeated pieces.

"Again, since 'Bee played Prime to the letter, dear Sari, he had no control of what happened to them after Megatron's plan was set in motion. Prime, as good a leader as he wants to be, has a lot to learn to counter the Decepticon leader's skills if he wants his 'kingdom' to live."

"Ok…how does this game answer my first question?" Bumblebee asked, still a bit confused.

Ratchet sighed and rolled his optics in frustration. He picked up the fallen King and gave it to the young 'bot. "The game is to protect the King at all costs, regardless of who of us dies along the way…" he whispered into Bumblebee's audios before taking Sari out for a ride.

He looked at the piece intensely and thought for a moment before it all fit in and inwardly smiled.