I couldn't get used to the idea of my Bee having a voice again, so this popped up. Please don't hate me.

I own nothing.

He didn't remember exactly how he got to be strapped to a berth. All he could recall was searching through what seemed like the billionth pile of scrap metal for a functioning machine component, and then he was here.

He struggled against the hard-light bonds that fastened his wrists and ankles to the slab of metal he was laying on. "Well, this is inconvenient." He almost chuckled to himself.

"Ah, good. You're awake." The bot's pistons and hinges locked as he tensed. The voice that snaked out of the darkness was painfully familiar. Agonizingly familiar.

Out from the shadows emerged a lithe, slim figure. He had maybe 4 feet of height on the bot and red detailing decorated his frame. His red eyes burned with malicious glee at the sight of his prisoner at his mercy.

The bot's facial plates twisted into a sneer. "Hey, Screamer."

"So nice of you to join me today, Bumblebee," Starscream's voice oozed like molasses, overly sweet and sugary. The mocking tones covered the Decepticon's true feelings for Bumblebee (which were everlasting hatred and disgust).

"You treat all your houseguests this nicely?" The black-and-yellow bot laughed.

"Only if they're considerably useful." Starscream leaned forward, almost touching Bumblebee's face. He turned his head away, appalled at being so close to the former second-in-command to his mortal enemy. "Enough small talk, Autobot. Where is the Nemesis located?"

"It's a ship. It moves." Bumblebee smirked, throwing the Con's own words back in his face.

A deadly sharp talon was thrust under his chin before he could blink. "Don't test me, Autobot." The Seeker's voice was low, dangerous, and deadly. The voice of a bot who hungered for a kill.

Bumblebee jerked his face away. "Not telling," he said in a purposely childish tone. He then shut his mask over his mouth, indicating that he wouldn't speak anymore.

Starscream drew back, expression merging from fury to contemplation. Both bots were silent for a time.

"You," started the Seeker, "killed Megatron. Perhaps because he ripped out your voice synthesizer." He strode over to what looked like a control panel and fingered a lever, almost playfully. "I SHOULD kill you in return." He pulled the lever and Bumblebee felt his systems start to offline. Starscream smiled an almost pitying smile. "But I feel as though an example must be made of you. A sign that Decepticons still function."

The last thing Bumblebee saw before his optics blinked offline was his enemy unsheathing his razor sharp talons.

"Say 'goodbye', Bumblebee."

The scout woke in a pile of scrap. Ow. He rubbed his helm with one servo, then bolted upright, rapidly checking all vital systems.

He let out a vent. Nothing serious. He was just low on Energon. The worst Starscream probably did was siphon his tanks.

Fraggin' glitch. Bumblebee grumbled under his metaphorical breath. It wasn't as if he'd die of Energon loss. Why had Starscream released him again?

He opened a comm. Link. /Bumblebee to base, requesting pickup at my coordinates./

Bulkhead answered. /Bee? Why are you beeping again?/

Cold fear seized Bumblebee and his servos flew to his throat. Torn, ragged metal.

Starscream, continuing his master's work, had torn out his voice box.

End