A groundbridge appeared next to the human military plant. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Smokescreen, Wheeljack, and Arcee rolled out and the groundbridge closed behind them. Unknown to the Autobots, Soundwave was right behind them.
"Stupid Autobots," she thought, analysing the current situation. After obtaining the vehicons location, she opened a groundbridge next to them in order for them to bring the package back to Megatron successfully.
Two of the four vehicons started to shoot back at the advancing Autobots, missing every shot.
"Slagging vehicons," she muttered in her processor, "Looks like I have to back them up, again!" she released Laserbeak into the air, caught by Optimus Prime. He transformed into his bipedal mode and flew up in the air, avoiding Laserbeak's red laser shots before he turned around and punched Laserbeak square on the nose.
"OW!" Laserbeak screamed through the symbiant bond, pain flooding over to Soundwave. She mentally growled and pursued after Optimus Prime.
"Don't worry Laser, I got your back,"
"Yep, bossbot," the vehicons entered the groundbridge, forcing Soundwave to close it off.
"It took them that long!" Soundwave groaned through the symbiant bond, "Couldn't they have ran! Would've made our life easier!"
"Agreed, bossbot," the Autobots stepped on their brakes, sending a cloud of dust in the air. Optimus Prime flew up and started shooting at Soundwave with his energon cannon. She maneuvered through the sky as best as she could but their was simply too many shots. She got hit on the side and started to fall out of the sky.
"No, bossbot!" Laserbeak screamed through the bond and willed herself to get up. She flew towards Soundwave and attached herself to her torso. Soundwave transformed into her bipedal mode just before she hit the electrical wire, sending a cloud of black dust in the air.
"Woah!" Smokescreen exclaimed. Soundwave tried to lift herself up with Laserbeak underneath her as support but the electrical shocks and the impact of the crash was too much for her as she collapsed and fell into stasis lock.
Soundwave's HUD system onlined slowly as she assessed her surroundings. She was held on a metal berth with energon cuffs.
Running scans. No major injuries. Energon: 50%. In Autobot Base. Left side repaired by unknown entity. Zero damage to wings.
Soundwave mentally groaned as she tried to lift her servos up to see how big the energon cuffs were. Too small for her servos to slip through.
"All you alright Laserbeak?" she asked through the bond the shared.
"Top conditions bossbot!" Laserbeak replied cheerfully. Soundwave narrowed her eyes.
"I know you're lying!" Laserbeak huffed.
"Fine, energon levels are at 40%, have a sustainable injury on the helm but otherwise fine," Laserbeak huffed. She has never passed through her boss. Soundwave tried weakly to wiggle around the limited space from the energon cuffs but she finally gave in as her HUD flashed in warning.
Energon Levels: 45%.
"Because we had the foresight to shield our new base our captive will be unable to transmit his coordinates to the Decepticon warship," Ratchet said smugly to everyone in the hearing distance.
"Nor will they, in turn, be able to pinpoint his location," Optimus Prime said. Soundwave mentally snorted when she heard that they called her a "he". Laserbeak laughed wildly through the bond, careful not to make any physical movements.
Guess we have all the time in the world to make Mr.
Personality tell us everything he knows," Wheeljack said, pounding his servos together.
"I'll like to see you try!" Soundwave said sarcastically through the bond.
Guess we have all the time in the world to make Mr.
Personality tell us everything he knows," Laserbeak imitated Wheeljack's gruff voice through the bond, making both bots mentally have a laughing fit. It must of been so funny because Soundwave shook a little but straightened her composure right away. Luckily, no bots noticed.
"The 'Con surveillance chief must know a lot, right?" Jack said, stating the obvious. Soundwave mentally face palmed.
"So this is the prized human that Prime chose to hold the Key to Vector Sigma!" Laserbeak said, snorting, "He's so stupid!"
"I agree with you on that one," Soundwave replied through the bond.
"But Soundwave doesn't speak, does he?" Miko asked, leaning against the yellow railings of one of the human platforms.
"Hahaha! Wait… It's been so long, I forgot what your voice sounds like," Laserbeak said sadly. Soundwave sent a mental hug over the bond.
"Once we get out of here, I'll talk, ok?" Soundwave asked, knowing the answer already. Laserbeak sent a burst of excitement over the bond.
"Wait, aren't we going to return to the Nemesis?" Laserbeak asked, confused.
"No Laserbeak," Soundwave said, sighing, "I'm tired of being a servant to Megatron, I'm tired of being a Decepticon, I'm tired of this whole war!"
"Me too," Laserbeak said sadly, memories of warfare ran through her processor, "Let's go somewhere no one can find use, bossbot!" Soundwave send a wave of love over the bond.
"I'm not sure he even has a face," Raf said spookily. Laserbeak's anger washed through the bond.
"You slagging piece of flesh…" she started but a wave of calmness overflowed Laserbeak's anger.
"Not now," Soundwave said sternly. Laserbeak sighed.
"Why is Megatron stealing human technology? What is he attempting to build?" Optimus Prime asked, his face not far away from Soundwave's visor.
"Watch this," Soundwave analysed Optimus Prime's speech and broke it up.
"Why is Megatron st stealing human technology? What is he att attempting to build?" came the reply from Soundwave. Laserbeak laughed hysterically from the other end of the bond. Soundwave joined in the laughing rapanged.
"Whoa, Optimus Prime: The remix," Miko said in a dramatic voice. She flashed a smiley face on her visor screen, her fram visibly shaking from the mental laughter and she and her symbiant shared. Everybot stared in surprised at Soundwave.
"Oh, yeah? Why don't I wipe that smile right off his face," Bulkhead said, transformed one of his servos into a spherical basher.
"I'll like to see you try!" Soundwave retorted mentally, making Laserbeak laugh along, mentally.
"Soundwave, we have treated you fairly," Optimus Prime said, his patience wearing thin, "For the sake of the natives of this planet, tell us what Megatron is attempting to build, before we are forced to rely upon less civil methods of interrogation," Soundwave let out, well, soundwaves and made everyone in the perimeter cover their ears or audios, stepping away from her.
"Go bossbot!" Laserbeak mentally cheered, "That's why you're called Soundwave in the first place!" Soundwave smirked in reply.
"Scrap this! Soundwave is no ordinary Cybertronian, inside or out, so I would strongly suggest opening him up so we can have a first-hand look at the information recorded on his drives!" Ratchet said exasperatedly. Laserbeak was now boiling in anger.
"HOW DARE…"
"Laserbeak, watch your emotions," Soundwave said sternly, "Now is not the time to let loose," Laserbeak half grunted in reply.
"Uh-oh," Arcee said.
"All right, he's downloading data!" Bulkhead said, outraged.
"No," Ratchet said fearfully, "Soundwave is erasing data!"
"Soundwave superior," Soundwave smirked widely under her visor as she distorted her own voice, "Autobots inferior," she let her screen go blank and let her helm fall back on the berth.
"Is he?" Bulkhead let the question fall.
"His vital signs remain functional," Ratchet said gravely, "It seems he has simply severed all communications, by crashing his own drives!"
"That's what you believe," Soundwave snorted mentally, making her smirk even wider under the cover of her visor. Laserbeak sent a mental high five.
"Prime!" Agent Fowler's voice rang from Optimus Prime's comm link, "These recent 'Con heists have General Bryce breathing down my neck! So I gotta get back to the barbecue today for another grilling,"
"Understood, Agent Fowler," Optimus Prime replied stoically, "And rest assured, should our prisoner return online, we will resume our interrogation,"
"Sounds like a plan!" Agent Fowler said, contented with Prime's report, "I'll get back to base as soon as possible," Wheeljack shifted from one pede to another, an idea sparked in his processor.
"Why don't we see what's under that visor?" Wheeljack proclaimed out loud. Soundwave mentally cringed as her worst nightmare was coming to reality.
"By that you mean?" Arcee asked, letting the question go unfinished.
"See," Wheeljack started to explain excitedly, "Soundwave always has his visor on so he must be hiding something, so why not take it off? You know, so we can talk to him face to face, optic to optic! Why, we could finally make a dent in the Con's ego!" Wheeljack burst in excitement. "Let's see if the Con really has a face,"
"Uh oh," Laserbeak said warningly, "This is not good, not good at all!"
"Laserbeak, do not engage," Soundwave said, trying to be brave as scenarios of the outcome ran through her processor, "Maybe the Autobots might let that idea slip,"
"Great idea Jackie!" Bulkhead slapped Wheeljack's back harshly. Everybot nodded their agreement and looked at Prime. He walked over to the presumingly offline Soundwave.
"I'm afraid we have no other choices, Soundwave," Optimus Prime reached out for Soundwave's visor. Soundwave instinctively popped her visor back online and leaned away from Prime's servos.
"The Cons scared!" Miko said, punching the air. Wheeljack snickered evilly. Everybot gathered around Soundwave as Optimus Prime reached in.
"Sorry bossbot but I'm going to defy your orders!" Laserbeak said, preparing to transform.
"No!" Soundwave yelled mentally, "Wait until we are sure that they will take my visor off," Soundwave sent a mental glare through the bond. Laserbeak grunted in submission as she waited to pounce. Prime's digits felt around the visor for a clasp as Soundwave began to struggle. Energon tears threatened to fall out of her optics.
"That's it," Laserbeak transformered and kicked Prime's servos away but it was too late, the visor was already off. It flew in the air for a short distance, skidding as it made contact. Soundwave shut her optics tight as she felt Laserbeak stand, shielding her from the Autobots.
"Don't touch bossbot!" Laserbeak growled as she got in a defensive stance. She was currently in her bipedal mode the resembles to a human bird. Her optics were different colors as the green and blue clashed together in each optic, creating a tie dyed look.
"Y-you can talk?" Smokescreen asked, bewildered.
"Of course I can you stupid Autoscum!" Laserbeak growled and flashed her claws out, "I'm not just a dumb robot that boss bot created!" Laserbeak leaned her head behind her back to look at Soundwave. Her optics were still shut tight. "We'll get you out of her boss bot!"
"What is the Con's secret?!" Ratchet demands, inching forward a tiny bit.
"You will not address boss bot that way!" Laserbeak said tactfully, careful not to reveal Soundwave's real gender.
"Laserbeak, stand down," Soundwave said through the bond.
"No boss-
"I said stand down!" Laserbeak grunted out loud, glaring at the Autobots before relaxing her stance.
"May I ask why Soundwave wears a visor?" Optimus Prime asked Laserbeak, approaching her carefully. Laserbeak glared at him.
"Boss bot will never tell you," she said warningly, glancing at the visor on the ground. Smokescreen noticed the glance and made a dash for a visor, grabbing it off the floor and held it tightly.
"Don't even think about it," Smokescreen warned. Soundwave let a few energon tears slip from her tightly shut optics. Laserbeak felt her emotion from the bond and growled loudly.
"Don't cry boss, don't want the Bots to see!" Soundwave stopped herself.
"Step aside,"
"But-
"Step aside!" Soundwave said sternly, "I'm your commanding officer and I order you to step aside," Laserbeak growled and glared at the Autobots before stepping aside. The Autobots leaned in to look at Soundwave's delicate face. Her face met the edges of her helmet, smooth and shiny. She had a small mouth that was just right, not too big or too small. Her optics were shut tight but she let it loosen and her optics fluttered.
The light was too much for her as she spent a long time behind a visor, in darkness. She adjusted her vision and forced herself to lift her helm and look at the Autobots.
Everyone gasped when they saw her optics. They were a tie dye of red, blue, a green, each color clashing and fading into each other. Each optic had a different pattern of the tie dye. She blinked several times to adjust her vision, took a look at the Autobots and laid her head back down.
"That can't be…" Bumblebee chirped, trailing off.
"Soundwave's a femme!?" Wheeljack said, confirming everyone's fear and observations. Laserbeak growled at the broadcasted fact.
"You call yourselves Autobots?" she said distastefully, "and you chained a femme, invade her personal privacy and threaten to use 'less civil methods of interrogation!?"
"Laserbeak," Soundwave said warningly through the bond.
"You better give bossbot her visor back or else," Laserbeak threatened.
"You are in no condition to threaten as your 'bossbot' is confined by us," Ultra Magnus stepped forward and looked at Laserbeak warningly and she glared at him. Ratchet ran several scans over Soundwave.
"How could I have missed that!" Ratchet said when his scans confirmed that she was a femme, "All this time…"
"So Soundwave is a girl?" Jack asked, surprised as well.
"Yes, Jack," Optimus confirmed looking at Soundwave's defeated form, "Soundwave is a girl,"
