As expected, his return to Iacon became something of an event. Even before his political expulsion, Bumblebee was always uncomfortable with how many citizens knew of him. Though his audials were turned down, Scout programming picked up on the muffled whispers around him. Before his logging habit kicked in, Metalhawk steered him into the main hall.
“I’ll admit Bumblebee, your request shocked me,” the Council member began, leading Bumblebee down far too familiar corridors. “But it was not unwelcome. I, and the other Council members, appreciate your change of spark.”
Finally, they arrived at the private office. Only once the door was locked behind them did Bumblebee speak.
“I’m not doing this for you or the Council. This is about Cybertron’s survival and aiding the reconstruction efforts. I’ve been across the planet to areas we haven’t even touched yet. Cybertron may be alive again, but the energon veins are still recovering and hard to come by.”
“So you have a solution?”
That made Metalhawk pause. His optics narrowed and Bumblebee met his gaze. “Enlighten me.”
“I need a promise and to have it in writing before I leave this room.”
“I cannot guarantee anything, but you need to name your price first. What are your demands?”
“Surrender all blackmail material against me from the drugging incident or destroy it in front of me.”
Though Metalhawk had been one of the few to protest against the event, that didn’t mean he was willing to lose leverage on a public figure. Most of the damage to Bumblebee’s reputation had been done from the collective few breems of clips that had gone public, but news carried fast and it was quickly becoming a scandal that few cared about or remembered. In the interest of the Council, they needed the other ace up their sleeve: the footage of the spark merge.
Bumblebee knew that and that even now, many bots would view that merge as a perversion. You don’t merge with bots you don’t know or trust. The social repercussions would destroy any and all credibility he had left. He needed it gone.
“And what are you willing to share in exchange?”
“The complete Cybermatter formula.”
This was it, the gamble. No matter how many times Bumblebee ran the scenario through his processor, he couldn’t guarantee a win.
“That’s impossible. We’ve gleaned what we can from the Nemesis’s systems and in all those files, none contained the Cybermatter formula. Even as a trained scout, you couldn’t have found or deciphered the information, let alone know what to look for.”
Ouch. Ok. So they still didn’t understand his role in the war. Helpful.
“Work would be involved fully deciphering and synthesizing it, but I’m not lying. I have the answers and I’m willing to share them if you delete or surrender the footage.”
Dangle the carrot, Bumblebee. Make him want it.
“This is not my decision alone to make. I will have to discuss any actions with the rest of the Council—“
“Then do it. But I’m walking in a joor and I won’t be offering again.”
“You more than anyone know decisions take longer than that.”
“And I know you can hustle when you need to, especially given how fast information travels. What if I went to the datanets with this? I’ve miraculously uncovered a solution to our energon and power shortage, but the Council wouldn’t even hear me out because of things that happened over a year ago. I’ve been building myself back up too. I found more bots displaced by the war in eight months than your services have since reconstruction began. Citizens will listen to me and if I have to play every card in my arsenal to make this work, then I will. I’m offering you the easy way, the one that makes both of us look good.”
Metalhawk was the right choice, more level-headed than most and highly analytical. And even after everything, Bumblebee knew he cared about their planet. But he also cared about the Council’s approval within their society. They needed elected officials to work, they needed to ease tension and recover.
They needed as little bad press as possible.
“One joor, I will make the argument. We will need proof of the information existing before any formal agreements can be made.”
“Once you supply a written contract outlining my request, I’ll give you the information. Every Council member will sign it in front of me and as they do, I’ll supply my documentation and proof.”
“...Very well. Come, we have little time to lose.”
