Chapter 7: Building Relationships/Familiar Faces
Jack purred from where he lay on the desk nearby his creator, tail flicking as he looked at the simbiots curled into his side. Rumble and Frenzy were hugging each other and looking as if they were about to nod off into recharge, Laserbeak roosting on Jack's helm.
Buzzsaw was still under the skilled digits of their creator, who worked endlessly and carefully in an attempt to put him back together, visor completely focused and EM field drawn in tight around his frame, though the simbiots could read the tenseness of his frame and hoped that it wasn't as bad as it seemed.
The silent mech was piecing the simbiote back together piece by little piece, the thought of all those pieces, some of which were melted and useless, was once their brother, only caused another spike of pain to pass through Jack's spark… Unable to bear it, he looked away.
Studying the wall beside him, he didn't realize that he had drifted off before a sensor-damaging squawk caused him to jump several feet in the air, surprised and immediately on guard, yellow optics falling on the flapping wings of Buzzsaw before the bird-simbiote smashed into him, sending him backwards with a yowl.
Laserbeak darted out of the way, but Frenzy and Rumble, jerked out of the defrag their systems had been going through, couldn't move out of the way fast enough, resulting in Jack crashing on top of them.
"Yeow! Rav!" Frenzy squealed, trying to squirm out from under the larger simbiote, a pained expression on his faceplates.
"Get offa us!" Rumble added his voice to the din. "I'm gonna-MPH!" He barey got another word out before Buzzsaw was latched onto his faceplates, chirring, his side of the bond thrumming with happiness.
Finally overcoming his surprise, Jack got off of his younger siblings, staring at Buzzsaw… The armour was darker than he remembered, and the optics were different coloured, a yellow and a red.
"Buzzsaw's old frame: too damaged for repairs. Soundwave: Place personality component in new one." Soundwave monotoned from beside the cybercat, who looked up at his creator and purred, tail flicking in contentment.
Jack didn't even have to say that he was glad to see his siblings again… It was clear within the bond they all shared, elation, happiness, relief, completion… All those and more swamped the sibling bond as they took in that they were all online again… Not swallowed into the dismal darkness of stasis.
"I see that you have repaired your simbiotes… I must say I'm impressed, given the damages done to their frames."
Jack looked up, just noticing that Shockwave had appeared in the room, and growled softly, lowering himself down, tense… Now that he had gotten his family returned to him, he wouldn't trust anyone but Soundwave to come near them… Not when there was so much that he could lose in a single moment of carelessly placed trust. He even noticed that Soundwave didn't seem all that pleased at the scientist's presence.
"Repairs: Difficult, not impossible." Soundwave responded as he turned his blank visor onto the one-opticed behemoth, slightly in front of his creations in a protective gesture, that none but his creations would notice.
"A logical explanation." Shockwave responded, approaching now, the heavy pedesteps sending tremors through the desk as Jack crouched lower, torn by wanting to protect his siblings and the mindset of Ravage, that claimed that Shockwave was an ally, and of little danger to them while Soundwave was present and they were in the favour of Megatron.
Shockwave stopped a little away, red optic locking onto Jack, calculating before he turned to Soundwave again. "It seems that Ravage isn't himself… Did you have to replace his personality component?" He asked in careless disinterest, though Soundwave and the simbiotes were aware that Shockwave was actually very much interested. "Negative. Ravage retains original core." He monotoned.
Noticing that Soundwave didn't seem inclined to give details, Shockwave just gave a small nod before turning away. "If you have finished your projects, Megatron wishes for you to return to the Nemesis immediately." He announced, Soundwave immediately becoming alert to the news, straightening up and then turning to the simbiots. "Rumble, Frenzy, Buzzsaw, Laserbeak: Return." He ordered, the simbiots immediately obeying.
Frenzy and Rumble transformed, connecting to Soundwave's legs to become them, Buzzsaw transforming around Soundwave's upper back and shoulders while Laserbeak reconnected herself to their creator's chassis.
Jack remained still as the visor was turned onto him. "Ravage: Follow." He ordered, turning and moving out of the room, the cybercat trotting at his side, both comforted and bothered by the closeness to the tall mech.
As they walked, Jack noticed three tiny canisters of the same yellow liquid that the bodies of the deceased simbiotes had been preserved in, on a shelf and he paused, studying it curiously.
It looked like it was three, tiny little bird simbiotes, barely formed protoform while the wings curled around the tiny frames as if to protect them. Jack could see little slits in their helms where their optics would be, and he surprised himself at thinking that they were cute… He purred softly when the one in the middle cylinder cracked open an optic to study him, little beak moving as if it was attempting to chirp.
"Protoforms." Soundwave's voice spoke softly behind him, and Jack, now in his bi-pedal mode, cocked his helm. "Why are they in there?" He asked, curiosity in his tone.
Soundwave was pleased with the question, since it simbolized that his eldest creation was more comfortable around him, as well as curious about the Cybertronian way of life. "Protoforms: being grown." He responded, crouching down and looking at the one that was still watching them curiously, a smile tugging at the hidden lips.
"Oh…" Jack responded, looking in at the little bird simbiote, then back up at Soundwave. "Can we take them?" He asked hopefully.
Hiding his surprise at the suddenness of the question, Soundwave tilted his helm as he looked down at his first creation. "Question: Why?" He asked slowly.
Uncomfortable now, Jack looked up at his creator, unsure if he had done the wrong thing in asking to keep the premature protoforms. "W-Well… I just don't want them to stay here is all." He answered in a near mumble, staring down at his pedes as he waited for a response, expecting a reprimand or an explanation as to why he couldn't bring them with them back to the Nemesis… He was completely taken off guard by Soundwave's response. "Soundwave: Will bring them."
Soundwave reached out and took the canisters, one by one, and subspacing them carefully before looking down at Ravage. "Ravage: Return." He ordered calmly.
Jack smiled, surprised at the gesture of happiness, before he transformed and fitted himself onto Soundwave's back, relaxing slightly against the frame of the mech that had created him and brought him into the universe, inwardly purring as Soundwave opened a space bridge that would transfer them back to the Nemesis.
Jack was comfortable being a part of Soundwave by now, and he wasn't as frightened of the larger mech at all, which somewhat unsettled him if he dwelled on it too long.
Reaching the Nemesis, Jack disengaged from Soundwave again, following along behind his creator, wondering what it was that Megatron seemed to be so in need of Soundwave's presence, but he didn't question the orders… Questioning was dangerous, especially if he wanted to escape from the Decepticons to get back to the Autobots and his other friends… Ignoring the pang of pain at the thought of being separated from Soundwave and his siblings.
The sound of a door hissing open distracted Jack from his thoughts as he looked up, confusion filling him at the sound of shouting and cursing reaching his rounded audios, frowning as he looked up at Soundwave, then into the throne room.
"You slagged up aft! I swear to Primus that I'll-"
Jack froze… He recognized the voice, the anger and frustration… The orange and white frame… It was Ratchet.
Megatron looked up at the sound of pedesteps, a cruel smile gracing his lip plating as he noticed his trusted officer. "Ah, Soundwave." He stated in a dark tone, optics moving down to Jack, the cruel smirk widening at the sight of the small simbiote.
"Megatron: Requested Soundwave's presence?" Soundwave asked carefully as he approached, Jack reluctantly following, looking around the room and noticing that Arcee was also present, something that sent a jab of pain to his rapidly beating spark. He looked away, torn emotions flowing through him too quickly to get a grasp on them.
Ravage was insisting that this was a victory, hatred and triumph rising up at the sight of the orange and white medic, the mech that had been his downfall on the battlefield so long ago… But Jack felt relief, fear and shame… Relief at seeing an Autobot, one of his friends, fear at the thought that Ratchet would be ended by Megatron's servos, and shame at the thought of the elder mech seeing him as… as…. A decepticon.
Cerulean blue optics widened when the medic's gaze was turned onto the simbiote, but Jack couldn't meet his gaze, staring down at his pedes, and, therefore, not alert enough to notice Megatron approaching him.
Crying out in surprise when a servo closed over the back of his neck and he was jerked off his pedes, Jack vented desperately, kicking and attempting to call for Soundwave's aid in the bond he shared with his creator. He could sense the fear and concern of his siblings that were no doubt feeling his fear and desperation as he dangled in Megatron's grasp, and he attempted to mute the emotions.
"I daresay that it is time to prove your loyalty to our cause, Ravage." Megatron's rough voice hissed into Jack's rounded audios which flicked back in fear, yellow optics wide as he was dropped in front of Ratchet, the simbiote crumpling in a hunkering, shivering heap.
Soundwave shifted where he stood, feeling protectiveness rise up in him at the treatment that his simbiote was receiving from his lord, but he knew that he couldn't do anything about it… At least not at the moment, and he could only hope that Ravage obeyed and did whatever Megatron ordered of him.
"Jack?" Arcee's voice reached the simbiote's audios, but Jack refused to acknowledge her as he struggled up onto all fours, shaking with fear.
Megatron smirked, able to not only see and sense the fear rolling off of Ravage in waves, but taste it. He crouched next to the shivering mech and grasped the back of his helm, jerking Jack's helm up and forcing him to look up at Ratchet, to meet the Autobot's gaze as he leaned in close.
Trembling, Jack felt horror race through his spark and seize up his frame as the warlord leaned in close and whispered two words that sent a chill down his backstrut...
"Kill him."