Memories

~Telepathy~

Thoughts

Blaster stared at the mech across the street, wondering if he should talk to him. Something nudged his legs and he looked down to see Steeljaw.

"You need to talk to him." Steeljaw murmured, "If you don't, you might not ever get the chance again. Blaster stared at him before sighing.

Steeljaw was right, he needed to talk to him.

Blaster took a deep intake before crossing the street, a determined look in his optics. The mech was blue, a visor and mask covering his face. Beside him was a panther-like cassette. The cassette caught his scent and let out a warning hiss.

The mech turned to see what was bothering the cassette when he saw him. Blaster. The slagging mech was coming towards them. He signaled Ravage to follow him and he walked down the street, ignoring the glares he received from Autobots and Non-Aligned's. He walked through the streets, knowing Blaster was still following him. He suddenly turned into an alley and faced the mech. Blaster stood at the entrance, staring at him.

"So. Long time no see, Soundwave." spoke Blaster. He didn't say anything, instead entering his mind.

~Well, I was off the planet and when I came back to Earth, I was incapacitated. I didn't have time to think about fighting with you.~ Soundwave's words were whispered in Blaster's mind. Suddenly, he was shoved out, a wall surrounding Blaster's mind.

"Why are you not speaking with your voice?" Blaster asked, confused.

"Of course you don't know." A voice hissed. He looked up to see Ravage, the panther glaring at him. Blaster frowned, a little annoyed that Ravage expected him to know what happened.

"Ravage, stop acting pissy. It ain't helping anyone." Steeljaw growled as he climbed up the building, sitting next to the panther, "We were out in space and when we came to Earth, we were hiding from the humans." Ravage glared at the lion, seemingly ready to smack his paw on his helm.

~Enough Ravage. We don't want a fight.~ Soundwave said softly in their minds. Ravage growled, but then he sat down, calmly watching.

Blaster turned his attention back to the silent Decepticon, asking, "So why aren't you using your voice, Soundwave?" Instead of answering, he felt him in his mind, trying to show him something. Warily, he lowered his mental defenses, allowing Soundwave into his mind.

It was familiar, it reminded him of when Soundwave used to connect their minds, nothing being hidden. They had relied on each other, trusting each other with their deepest secrets. It had just been the two of them with their companions. They had cared about each other in ways no one else had before. But then the war came and everything changed. Now it was only one way, leaving him vulnerable. He couldn't tell what Soundwave was thinking.

But he allowed Soundwave to carefully pull away the last of his defenses and he saw it was a memory he was trying to show him.

I stood beside Megatron, holding my concussion blaster to Ultra Magnus' helm, making sure he didn't make a move. In the distance, I saw a red and blue mech heading our direction, knowing immediately it was Optimus Prime.

"Megatron." Optimus said slowly, marching up to us, "I see you haven't changed." A look appeared on Megatron's face and I watched the two of them, in case I needed to take either Autobots out.

"Put your arms down, Prime, you look like an oaf. I am impervious to whatever weapons you could possess. You are no threat to me. And Soundwave will kill Ultra Magnus if any of your Autobots attempt an ambush." Megatron snarled, "Do you see the city behind me, Prime?" The Autobot was clearly confused by what Megatron was asking.

"Of course. Is that what you're here for? To destroy it in front of me?" asked Optimus, trying to figure out what game Megatron was playing. He's an idiot.

"Don't be an idiot, Prime. You'd only attempt to stop me and I'd probably accidentally kill you. And I can't have you dead yet." Megatron dismissed, "The city. There are forty-six humans armed with weapons that can kill you almost as easily as I could. Weapons that were a part of my old body." I watched their interaction, ready to leap into action if needed, monitoring the signal that was controlling the humans.

"There are hundreds of such weapons all over this planet. You will never be able to find them all. You will never know where they are. But they are in the hands of these creatures that you are so desperate to protect. These "innocent" creatures that you are obsessed with. They will be your undoing." And he's right. These creatures constantly fight each other, they are incapable of being trusted by us.

"You know nothing of these people, Megatron." Oh he knows that they are a primitive race, Optimus and that they will lead to your downfall, "A few weapons in the hands of renegades means nothing. There is so much we can learn from this planet."

Megatron laughed, "HA HA! Prime! You really are so predictable. I've missed you. The only thing you to learn here, Prime, is how you have brought ruin to yourself, and your Autobots." Optimus will never learn.

"Is this how it always has to be, Megatron? We meet, you make empty pronouncements and threats, then we start punching each other? Has our situation still not evolved beyond this?"

"Oh, absolutely I have, Prime. Like I said, I'm not here to kill you." Optimus frowns, trying to figure what he was going to say. I watch him closely for his reaction, knowing it will be personal for the Prime, "I've dumped your Autobots, wounded and incapacitated, inside that city. Fifteen minutes ago." Optimus went rigid with shock, his optics widening with horror. "Of course, if you're so committed to "learning" from these humans, I'm sure you'll sit back and attend to this lesson. Or you can send your soldiers in on a rescue mission and make war on them." The Prime's E.M field was boiling with fear, shock, and horror. He wanted to save them from what the humans could do to them, but it would mean potentially putting the humans in danger.

"Of course, if you attack non-military personnel in their own cities… You will never be welcome here." Optimus then got over his shock and called his "ally".

"Spike, Campolongo, you need to in there and find them." Optimus spoke worriedly.

"Good. Send your pets off to tame their wild brothers." Megatron taunted. Behind them in the distance, Prowl sent the two humans and Jazz to go into the city.

"You're right, Megatron. I won't pretend that I trust every human. But I trust Spike." Oh, how wrong that will turn out for you.

"I can feel their pulses quickening now. Their vile, damp hands tightening around the handles… Your men won't make it. It will be so satisfying seeing you done in by these creatures you've tried so hard to protect." Megatron chuckled, a hint of insanity heard in it.

"Of course. You wouldn't leave this kind of sabotage up to chance. You're in communication with these weapons, I have no doubt you're using them to confuse their owners and spread your malevolence." Optimus cried, holding his ion blaster up, pointing it forwards.

"Oh, don't embarrass yourself, Prime. You think you can somehow distract me by firing on me? You can't possibly harm me." mocked Megatron. I was confused, wondering how Optimus thought he was going to win this.

"I know." Optimus simply says.

And he fires it at me.

I had no time to dodge, the blast hitting me instantly. It tore my head to shreds, ripping pieces off. It was excruciating, all I could feel was PAIN, PAIN, PAIN, MAKE IT STOP.

I felt someone picked me, snarling threats towards the Prime.

Suddenly, I sank into the abyss.

I woke up to see a yellow optic staring down at me, the optic cold and emotionless. I shot upwards, trying to grasp what was going on. I saw the mech was Shockwave.

The blasted mech.

I opened my mouth to snarl at him, but nothing came out. I froze, servo flying to my throat. I tried to speak again, but nothing would come out.

What happened to me?!

Shockwave, the slagging mech, immediately knew what I was trying to ask.

"You were wounded severely, Soundwave. You barely survived. Unfortunately, I was unable to repair you vocalizer."

My voice is gone?

The memory was slowly pulled away, and Blaster returned to reality. He stared at Soundwave, unable to believe it.

"You can't talk?" He asked softly, looking his rival straight in his optics. Soundwave turned away, and despite his visor and mask, Blaster could tell he was upset, could tell he was BURNING with anger.

~Yes. Your precious leader did this to me~ Blaster flinched, so tempted to look away, to walk away. But he couldn't. Because deep down, even after all the things Soundwave has done, he still wants to be there. Still wants to there in his life.

"I'm sorry Prime did this to you, Soundwave." Blaster whispered, "Please, if there is anything I can do, tell me." Soundwave looked at him confused, then hesitantly, he grabbed Blaster's servo, holding it like a lifeline.

~I guess I just want you to be here. In this moment.~ Blaster squeezed the servo gently, trying to offer some comfort. ~Just stay with me for this moment.~ Blaster gave him a small smile.

"Alright."

The two mechs laid on their backs, looking up at the stars outside the city. Beside them, were their feline companions, curled into their respective host's side. Quietly, Blaster and Soundwave recalled some memories from before the war, before everything went wrong.

~Remember when Ratbat stormed into my apartment and was so surprised to see you, Steeljaw, and Ramhorn there?~ Soundwave asked softly looking up at the stars above him before looking at the scarlet and yellow mech laying beside him. Blaster laughed.

"My mech, that was priceless!" snickered Blaster. "He just stared at us like he thought we weren't real before walking out the room! Then he refused to look at us for the rest of the stellar cycle."

~And you had only been over helping me go over the codes I needed for the assignment. Not to mention you were trying to get me to watch a holovid you somehow got ahold of.~ Soundwave mused.

"To be fair, we were covered in blankets and on the couch."

~Touche.~

"He probably suspected we were doing something else."

~Stop!~

"It's probably true though!"

"I swear to Primus, you two stop talking about whatever the slag Ratbat thought you two were doing. I'm tired. I want to sleep, DAMMIT!" Ravage snarled. Both the mechs looked at the panther apologetically and Soundwave rubbed the top of Ravage's helm gently.

~I'm sorry we disturbed you, Ravage.~

"We'll stop arguing so loudly, 'Rav."

The two Decepticons stared at him with surprise, disbelief in their fields. Even Steeljaw was surprised.

"What?" Blaster asked confused by his companions disbelief.

"Nothing, it's just." Ravage hesitated, "You called me 'Rav. You haven't done that since we joined the Decepticons."

Blaster froze.

"Oh." he said simply, realizing he was right. "Well, I guess you guys never really left my processor. Deep down, you were still the mechs I could rely on."

Ravage nodded, accepting his answer before entering recharge.

Soundwave was staring intensely at the mech, studying him. Blaster sighed, knowing what he wanted to ask.

"Fire away, Soundwave." Blaster answered.

~Do you really still see us as family? Do you really see us as friends?~ Soundwave asked softly. Blaster let out a small laugh.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do." he admitted softly. Soundwave pushed himself off the floor, looking down on Blaster.

~Why?~ Came the question.

Blaster looked the mech straight in his optics, lifting a servo, placing it on the side of his mask.

"I don't know." the mech responded, "I guess even after everything, I couldn't bring myself to hate you, couldn't bring myself to forget who you WERE. I just couldn't. I couldn't let go of the memories of the good times." Blaster paused, "I couldn't forget what we once had. I guess, deep down, I hoped we could be what we were before." Soundwave blinked, then behind his mask, he smiled.

Soundwave sent the commands and his mask and visor slid back. Blaster stared at the mech, awe in his crystal blue optics. He felt Blaster's thumb stroke his cheek and he softly shuttered his warm amber optics closed, cheek pressing into his servo.

~I think we can try~ he answered softly. Soundwave gently pressed his forehelm against Blaster's, opening his optics to look him in his. Pulling away, he curled into his side, resting his helm on Blaster. He felt the mech wrap his arms around him before placing a soft kiss on his helm.

"You know, Rodimus is gathering a crew to look for the Knights of Cybertron." Blaster said, stroking the small of his back. Soundwave nodded, having watched the rallying call. A serious look appeared in his optics, "We would be leaving the planet and the signal wouldn't affect you." He immediately knew what he proposing.

Join the crew so the I/D chip wouldn't work because he would be to far away.

Soundwave really wanted to, but he knew.

~I can't.~ Soundwave answered, a hint of sadness in his voice, ~I need to make sure the Decepticons don't do anything that could cost us our place here.~

I need to make sure Ratbat doesn't do anything that could get us killed.

Blaster sighed, resting his chin on his helm, "Okay, I guess we ca-" A finger was placed on his mouth, preventing him from finishing his sentence.

~No, I think you should join Rodimus' crew. There might be others out there that you will come across.~ Blaster looked hesitant, but Soundwave spoke again, ~You might be able to find some Autobots, Decepticons, or Neutrals. They might be in need of assistance.~

Blaster slowly nodded, seeing the logic in it, "Okay, I guess you're right. Besides, I might be able to find Eject." Soundwave smiled, remembering the little mech. He was tough as a turbo-fox on the hunt, refusing to take scrap from anyone.

~If you do go, stay safe or I'll personally hunt you down.~ Soundwave teasingly threatened, nuzzling Blaster.

Blaster smiled, "Okay! I won't get myself killed!" He gently kissed Soundwave before pulling away. Smiling, the mechs cuddled, bringing their respective cassettes close to them, finally entering recharge. Above them, the stars shone warmly.

Notes: Soundwave and Blaster talk after the war