I do not own Transformers.
A few days after the time storm, the Maximals were settling in the volcano, and were trying to bring several systems online, but they had problems. "Slag" said Rhinox as the computer screens went fuzzy. "How soon before we're operational?" asked Optimus. "With nothing to work with but salvaged parts?" asked Rhinox as he looked at his leader "I'm making no promises." "Rhinox" said Optimal Optimus "We have to hold the line as long as we can. But if the Maximal elders don't send a rescue ship soon, we may have to change our strategy."
Rhinox tried to punch in a few more commands, but only sparks flew. "If the Maximal elders were going to send a ship, it would have been here by now. You know that" said Rhinox as he got up and walked to Optimus. "I'm not sure what I know anymore, old friend. None of us are quite who we were when we began this war. And neither is our universe" said Optimus. Rhinox then looked at Optimus and said "I'm going to ask Ravage if Soundwave is back online. As much as I have lost his trust in learning that he was a Decepticon, we'll still need his help if we're going to be operational."
Ravage was on the side of the mountain, repairing Soundwave's armor when Rhinox approached him. "Is he back online?" asked Rhinox. Ravage looked at Rhinox and shook his head. "Soundwave here has sustained massive damage. He needs professional help if he is to get back online, or…" Ravage fell silent, before he began speaking again "This Soundwave is far beyond any Cybertronian design that I have ever seen. This one makes my Soundwave look like obsolete technology. His spark is still online, but that's the only good news that I can give. I'm not sure if he will ever emerge from stasis lock." Rhinox looked at the spacecraft and said "I've heard that your Soundwave was ruthless, but this one seemed kind of distant, yet friendly. Still, none of us trusted him when we first saw him, and most of us still don't" before he turned and headed back for the base. Ravage watched him leave, then turned back to Soundwave and said "I still don't care if you're not my Soundwave; I still respect you just the same."
Over a week has passed since the conversation with Rhinox, and there wasn't much progress in Soundwave's recovery. Ravage managed to patch up his body armor, but his internal structure and most of the circuitry was very different than from what the cassetticon was used to. "Yo, pussycat!" called out Rattrap as he approached Ravage. "What is it, mouse toy?" asked Ravage without looking up from Soundwave. "Is mountainback doing any better?" replied Rattrap. Ravage turned and looked at Rattrap and said "About the only thing that has changed with him is that his power levels are only slightly rising, but he is still in stasis. At his rate, he'll be at full power in about two meta-cycles." "By that time, the Beast Wars would be over. Is there anything else that can wake him up faster!" said Rattrap. "Lots of energon but with Earth's levels, I don't think that there is even enough to wake him up, much less get him fully recovered" said Ravage.
As the two argued, Soundwave's armor continued to absorb solar energy. His internal systems read "Power levels at minimum for onlining. Online starts in five…four…three…two…one…" A low rumbling came from Soundwave as some of his systems came online. The low rumbling caught both Rattrap and Ravage's attention, as Soundwave said weakly "Oooooh…my aching processor…what happened?" "Megatron knows that the Ark is here, and he's been coming every day to try to destroy the Autobots. That's what happened" said Rattrap. Great, the first think that I hear is Rattrap's whining. What a great way to online thought Soundwave sarcastically. "We need you to help hook up Teletraan-1 to our Maximal computers so we can help keep the Preds out of the base. Can you do that?" said Rattrap. "Answer: I need to see both systems first before I can even uplink the both of them" said Soundwave before he extended several of his tentacles, and then began dragging himself towards the entrance of the cave. "Hey mountainback! Wouldn't it be a lot easier for you to fly to the base?" said Rattrap. "Answer: My energy levels are too depleted to even attempt flight, much less complex self-repairs" said Soundwave as he continued to drag himself across the earth.
"There, almost…Done!" said Soundwave after he hooked up Teletraan-1 to the Maximal's computers, generating a protective force-field at the doors guarding the cave. The whole process took two weeks for Soundwave to finish, but he managed to link both computer systems to work in sync. "Took you long enough" said Rattrap. A tentacle turned and looked at Rattrap and narrowed its camera optic. "You do realize that both of these computer systems are hard to link up" replied Soundwave. "Why, I outta…" said Rattrap before the doors opened, and Optimal Optimus flew in with Silverbolt and two sapiens. "Aww, what is this? A Daycare center? What are these humans doing here?" asked Rattrap. "These are some humans that were attacked by this creature" said Optimus as he held up a cyborg raptor. Its dead body hung from Optimus' fingertips. "What the Pit is that?" asked Soundwave. "I don't know, but we need Rattrap and Rhinox to run some scans on it" said Optimus as he walked further into the base.
Soundwave sighed, and then looked at the two kids. The female was poking at some of the more luminous lights on Soundwave, while the boy was swinging from one of his tentacles. He chuckled and then said to the two of them "You two remind me of my own sparklings."
Later, while Soundwave was basking outside to absorb more solar energy, he saw the two humans, Cheetor, Blackarachnia, Dinobot, and Tigatron leave the base. "Query: Going on a family picnic?" Soundwave sarcastically asked. "No, tentacle belly, we're leading the humans back home" said Blackarachnia. "What I wouldn't do to not go on this trip" snarled Dinobot as he walked with the group. Soundwave gave himself an internal smirk, and then resumed sunbathing. His energy levels were rising due to the clear skies on that particular day.
He was enjoying the solar energy for the next several hours, when Optimus and Silverbolt flew out. "Soundwave, I need you to help Rhinox, Airazor, and Rattrap check the base's defenses" said Optimal Optimus. "Of course" said Soundwave as he began dragging himself inside the cave. Outside, the Predacons were waiting for just the right moment to attack the base.
"Query: How are the base's defenses?" asked Soundwave. "Pretty good, thanks to Teletraan-1" said Rhinox. "Yeah, but we do have to up our guard, since Ravage has been trying to offline Optimus Prime a few times, but…" said Rattrap before they heard a scream, and saw Ravage fly across the cave and hit a wall "Teletraan-1 does provide us a little entertainment with the Decepticon." "I'll talk with him" said Soundwave as he extended a tentacle to Ravage.
Ravage was plastered against the wall, when the tentacle looked at him and said "Query: Ravage, why are you trying to offline the Autobots?" Ravage moaned, shook his head, then said "It's because both I and the other Decepticons lost the Great War. I was just trying to even out the odds in our favor." "Ravage, we'll talk more about this in private. I want to have a word with you…alone" said Soundwave before they all felt a blast rock the cave. "Looks like the Predacons are back" said Rhinox.
He ran up to a console, and punched in a few commands, saying "Auto guns, online." Soundwave turned a tentacle to watch Rhinox crouch behind a boulder, then turned the tentacle back to Ravage and said "We're needed to guard the base." He then recoiled the tentacles, and dragged himself into a better position to attack. "Looks like we're gonna get to do a little bit slaggin' after all" chucked Rattrap. A few blasts came from Megatron's plasma gun, and Rhinox said "Looks like that we don't have a choice." Rhinox, Rattrap, Airazor, Soundwave, and Ravage then began blasting away at the Predacons (well, Soundwave was actually chucking stones at the Predacons; showering them with a rockslide.)
"We're gonna need the big guy here" said Rattrap before he began doing a comm link to Optimal Optimus. "Rattrap to Optimus, I'd hate to interrupt your picnic, but we've got big Pred problems" said Rattrap as he ran from his position with Rhinox and Ravage, and hid behind some storage crates. Soundwave, on the other hand, was moving his tentacles as much as he could, loosening as many stones from the ceiling as he could. "Just hang on, Rattrap" said Optimus through the link "You, Rhinox, Airazor, and Soundwave are our last hope." "That, I didn't want to hear" said Soundwave as a tentacle lowered and looked at Rattrap. "Defend the…defend the…" said Optimus before he sang "There he is, my little guyyyyy, there he is, my little guyyyyy, isn't he cute?" "That's not what I wanted to hear" said Rattrap. Soundwave's tentacle widened its optic as much as it could, then he said "What the frag was that all about?" "I have no idea, but it sounds like they're having as much trouble as we are" said Rattrap.
A loud blast caught their attention, and they all looked up as Rattrap said "Uh-oh." Airazor and Rhinox then resumed their positions blasting at the oncoming Predacons, but Megatron and Scorponok blasted them back. "Oh boy" said Rattrap. They heard Megatron snarl, then he said "Inferno, Rampage, Scorponok, prepare to take hostages. The Ark is ours…Aaaahhaaa!" Just then, a flying transmetal manta ray flew in, and transformed. He then began blasting away at the Predacons, and Soundwave asked "Query: Just who the Pit is that guy?" "That's Depth Charge. He's got a grudge against Rampage" said Rattrap before he, Rhinox, Airazor, and Ravage began blasting away at the other Predacons. "Predacons, retreat!" exclaimed Megatron before he and the others flew and drove away. Depth Charge then turned around and said "Big Preds are my specialty." Ok, that guy is cool thought Soundwave. "Not too shabby" said Rhinox. "Eh, still smells like fish" said Rattrap as Depth Charge glared at the rodent.
Author's note: For those of you wondering, Soundwave's dark energy and dark matter powers do take a toll on his body, hence the long recharges. By the way, I think that Depth Charge is awesome!