Title:Transformers Shadow of the Day

Genre: Action/Romance, Drama/Friendship

Rating: T for language, violence, some sexual reference, and crude humor

Short Summary: The Third Chapter; With The Fallen gone, and Unicron's delayed arrival, the unity of Autobots and Decepticons work with Earth to shut down the dreaded Department for good.

-*-Chapter Ten-*-
World Domination Babble

Information was gathered and shared finally. It had taken a few days at most but the techs had finally something to share with everyone. It wasn't too hard to find all of the info and put it in a short version of what the Department was doing or what they were up to. It pretty much matched what Simmons had said what Jackson did. There was also no word from what Hollander had to say on the matter. Jazz was at the meeting only to tell everyone that the old human fool was being extremely tight lipped about the whole thing and it did have Cole and Starscream pretty fragged off with him.

But still the information that Jackson had shared with Simmons was helping a lot more than it would have with Hollander.

"So, the Department is up for world domination, eh? The whole take over the world shit?" Epps asked as he leaned back on his chair, feet propped up onto the table.

Maggie nodded as she raised her laser pointer to point out certain facts on the information that showed on Teletraan's screen. "Yep. Looks like it. They have a lot of stuff they could use to destroy the world governments. A lot of human experiments turned into mindless drones like they did with Figs and the other people they ripped up. There is even a deadline for when they plan to strike the UN, destroying the Presidents and Queens and such. It looks like we have a month to prepare for it." She stated before turning her pointer off.

"It also looks like they got a hold of some pretty powerful Cybertronian weapons. It says in the information that they recovered a few artifacts that seemed to have been shipped here many years ago." Anya spoke up as she sat next to her father and Trent. She didn't look too well and haven't since Jetfire's death and Skyfire's revival. It worried many people and bots about how she was acting.

Especially Skyfire, himself.

The enormous Autobot was currently in the large room, having to bend his head down a little from hitting the ceiling. He was watching the young Russian woman with sad optics, wishing she would give him a chance to prove that he could do the job of protecting her like his Decepticon counterpart had.

Nonetheless, she wouldn't even look at him and whenever she did, she would flinch away from his gaze.

"As if is, Aaron Jackson already told us where we can find the Director of the Department." Simmons shared his bit of news and many in the room straightened.

Frowning, Optimus looked down at the former Sector Seven agent. "Did he not give you a name?" He requested to know.

Simmons shook his head as he looked up at the Autobot Leader. He pressed a button on a small remote which switched the information on the screen to a picture of Jackson's head, where everyone could see a scar of an operation that had been done. "Unfortunately, no. He knows the name but...he swears that he went through an operation that placed a certain chip in his head. If he says the Director's name, the chip activates and his head goes boom. Then we have a really nasty mess to clean up." He explained before looking up at Wheeljack and Hook as they stepped forward.

"Agent Simmons requested us to take a look at the chip, Optimus." The Autobot inventor spoke up, his helm fins flashing nervous blue. He did not look happy with what he was about to say. "Hook and I got together with Mister Jackson and scanned the device. It is a nasty piece of work, truly. Remember the device that Starscream placed inside of Spitfire? It is similar."

Starscream perked up, his optics dark with suspicion and anger. "What? That cannot be possible. My device was a one of a kind. I only held the schematics for its construction. How can a bunch of humans have one so complex like mine?" He asked darkly.

Hook shook his head looking at the Seeker. "We don't know. From what we scanned, it is exactly like your device, only smaller and just a little more primitive. I can only guess that a certain Cybertronian could be here on Earth, who raided your information datapads before fleeing Cyberton."

Starscream growled, his optics dawning with the info. He seemed to get what Hook was pointing out. "Swindle." He growled.

Most of the humans looked curious when they saw irritated looks in almost all of their Cybertronians' optics. Even Optimus looked irritated. There was a definite connection there.

"Who is Swindle?" Reno asked puzzled by his Autobot partner's reaction.

Several mechs and femmes growled at the very name. But it was Barricade who huffed his vents. "A smuggler, a terrible criminal even amongst the Decepticons. A mech you can't trust no matter what. He was a gambler and a thief who had stolen from even his fellow Decepticons. He worked the black market pretty well. His merchandise were worth it but he is exactly what his name means. He would even sell a stupid rusted bolt for high credits." He stated with a growl.

Starscream nodded looking dark tempered. "He was also the one Decepticon that even worked with a few Autobots for high credits. He would sell information and weapons to Autobots and then do the same for Decepticons. He was a back stabbing mech, worse than me when Megatron was alive. He also liked to touch things that didn't belong to him and then sell them to others." He remarked darkly.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he stole your schematics and came to Earth to sell them to the Department." Ratchet remarked from where he stood, where no one realized he had even came in.

Heads turned around to look at him in surprise but Optimus nodded a greeting to him. "Ratchet, how fares your new patient? I suppose Soundwave went back to your medbay to check on her. That is why he isn't here for the Commanding staff meeting." He stated, glancing around.

Ratchet shook his head, looking somewhat irritated. "No, Optimus, he is still there. He hasn't left the waiting room once since he brought in Max Tanner." He said dryly and everyone looked surprised.

"What do ya mean he is still there? He hasn't left for anything?" Jazz asked in surprise.

Again, Ratchet shook his head huffing and folding his arms in his irritation. "No, he hasn't. Not to recharge or refuel. He refused to leave, even when I threatened to force him out. He is sure stubborn, I will grant you that." He growled.

The Commanding Decepticons snickered, knowingly. They knew fairly well what the CMO meant. Soundwave was one who didn't give up. At all.

"That's Soundwave for you." Barricade said shaking his helm before he looked seriously at the Autobot medic. "How is Max?"

Heaving a huge vent, Ratchet looked away for a moment. "She is stable now. Nik and I have flushed out the drugs from her system. She is currently still in recharge. I would have thought she would have awakened by now but..." he sighed, shaking his head, optics dropped. "She hasn't. There was too many sedatives in her body. She is in a deep sleep as we speak, something that I can't even wake her up from." He nodded when everyone, mostly humans breathed sharply. "I know. I know. She is keeping herself from waking up. It isn't anything to worry about just yet. Her body is just so abused from drug use because of what those...sadist Department Scientists did to her!" He growled out viciously. "Her body is just healing itself in its own way. However, I am keeping a close optic on her brain waves and they are highly active. My readouts state that she is suffering from nightmares but...she is in the process of coming out of her deep sleep. I would think we have at least another day before she finally wakes up."

"Well, that's good. Right?" Epps asked looking up at the Autobot CMO.

Ratchet's optics darkened and he looked away. "Yes, I suppose." He said in a far away tone.

No one liked the sound of that one. The Autobots who knew Ratchet well knew something was bothering him. There was something wrong.

Optimus sighed and reached over to place his hand on his old friend's shoulder plate. "Ratchet, what did you discover?" He asked wearily.

Ratchet merely glanced at him before sighing and looking directly at Barricade, who stiffened. It was a look that didn't foretell anything good. "I have not told Soundwave yet. I am unsure how he will take it. So I am going to tell you and ask you what you think I should do on the matter, Barricade." He stated cautiously.

Barricade's optics narrowed. "What?" He drawled out almost as if accusing Ratchet of something.

Offlining his optics briefly, Ratchet vented softly before looking seriously at Barricade again. "Doctor Aaron Jackson lied to Soundwave." He held up a hand when every one of the Decepticons stiffened and began to growl at that. "Someone did harm Max Tanner. And I am guessing it happened some time after she was taken into the Department Facility. Her vocal cords were subjected to some kind of bacterial virus that attacks her larynx or they were highly abused from either screaming too loud and too long or someone tried to strangle her. But I am guessing once she wakes up, she will have a Vocal Cord Paresis case."

Many who looked alarmed at what he was saying, frowned at the choice of medical words he was sprouting out. Not many had heard those words before.

"What does that mean...?" Will Lennox was asking.

Ratchet sighed, shifting his footing from one ped to the other. "It means when she wakes up, she either will be unable to talk very well or she won't talk at all. Her larynx is permanently or temporarily paralyzed. I won't know for sure until she wakes up and I can get her talking just to be sure. One thing we can be sure about is her singing days, as you have told us about, Barricade, are over. She will more than likely unable to sing ever again." He remarked.

Barricade looked quite horrified and so did Prowl, for that matter. They could not believe this. To hear this was happening to Max. "Oh...poor Max." The Decepticon vented out very softly.

"Soundwave will need to know, Ratchet." Prowl said, his vocoder very grave. "He is going to need to know so he can be the one to explain to her what has happened to her."

Ratchet slowly nodded as he looked at Barricade and then to Starscream, who was looking away, gravely. "I will tell him, but I am still unsure how to go about it. I think it will be best if you two be there when I have to explain it to him." He stated.

"You don't need to do that."

Heads jerked around to see who had just spoken and everyone stiffened to see Ravage sitting in the door way, his head bowed and his single optic dimmed.

"Ravage? How long have...?" Starscream started.

Ravage looked away, his pointed audios flat against his helm. "Soundwave sent me to stand in for him for the meeting. He wanted me to sit here and transmit the entire meeting back to him. He is listening in as we speak." He spoke gravely. "He also apologizes but he just wanted to be near the medbay for when Max wakes up. Everyone did." He said quietly before his optic shuttered off and he dropped his helm closer to the ground. "So there is a good chance Max will never be able to talk again?"

Ratchet sighed as he lowered his own head close to his chest but he gave it a careful bob. "That is what it looks like. I am very sorry. But there won't be a way to know until she awakens. And that won't be for another day at least." He stated.

Slowly, Ravage nodded, his head dipping lower. "I see." He paused before venting deeply and lifting his head, flinching as if he was struck out at. "Soundwave is really not happy. He warns that no Department people go near him for a while. That really includes Jackson and his pitiful humans. He won't be held accountable for what happens to them if they so much as talk to him. Or the rest of us for that matter." He growled before standing up and turning to slink away.

"Damn. You, guys, do love her, don't ya?" Epps whistled before grimacing when Ravage growled and stopped. "Sorry. I know you probably don't..."

"No." Ravage interrupted him as he looked over his shoulder at the dark skinned human. "You nailed it. We do love her. Soundwave won't admit it but he does too. In truth, she understood his reasoning for being quiet with only looking at him. Problem is, he won't say anything because he just doesn't want her to get hurt. That is why he tried leaving her behind. Because he didn't want her to be used against him. He admits it is the biggest mistake he ever made but...I will not regret what happens to the Department after what they did. He is going to make them rue the day they were even created when he finds this Director. No one hurts who he cares about and gets away with it. Which explains why he nearly destroyed all of those humans back in New Mexico with his sonic blaster. If he hadn't realized it would do him no good with you, lot, he would have made those Department guys' heads explode and wouldn't have cared either way." He growled before slinking out of the room.

There was a long unsettling pause before Jazz hummed curiously. "Yeah...speaking of which. Where did Sounders get a weapon like that. Judging by Prowler's report, it sounds like a really powerful weapon. Did he build it himself?" He asked.

Starscream and Barricade shared a glance before shaking their heads. "We are not entirely sure about his sonic blaster. He is brilliant when developing weapons but...his blaster he has, I believe I heard Swindle whined about how Soundwave took it away from him some time after Iacon fell. Said he went through the rubble and stole a bunch of stuff from the Iacon Database Records and even from the Iacon Relic Vaults." The Seeker remarked.

Optimus' optics flashed and he looked at Starscream in surprise. Something had clicked in his processor and he was sure it was very important. It was making the cogs and wheels turning and he was sure it was something he would need to look into. "The Vaults? How would he have gotten into...?" He cut off as it clicked and everyone was staring at him in surprise and wonder. "Alpha Trion...he is going need to see Soundwave's sonic blaster. If I am right...and I hope I am not, his powerful weapon is something that he shouldn't have." He remarked now turning slightly as if to leave.

"What do you mean?" Keller asked now stiffening. He wasn't liking this one bit.

"It could be the Resonance Blaster and it could be something that belonged to one of the Primes of Old." Optimus said as he dipped his head down with determination. "I am going to make sure with Alpha Trion. He is going to want to check it to see if it truly did belong to none other than Megatronus Prime, who you will all remember being The Fallen." And he slipped out of the room to find his old mentor.

Everyone stared after him in surprise but it was the Cybertronians that seemed ventless at the mere thought of Soundwave possessing an ancient weapon like that.

"Okay, what?" Reno asked frowning flabbergasted. "Weapons of the Primes of Old? What the hell are those? Some kind of super Cybertronian weapons?"

Starscream frowned but nodded as he stared after Optimus' retreating form. "Yes, in a way. No one knows if they truly exist. They were legends, things that no one believed to be true, just like Unicron and Primus. It was said in the ancient times that the first Primes of Old had certain artifacts that were used to defend Cybertron and even all life. They were ancient relics of some sort, some used for defense and some for offensive. It's said that they were taken away to be locked up after the Great Wars were over. They were mostly only used for that particular war." He explained.

The humans frowned at the very sound of the Great wars. They weren't entirely sure if they heard about that one. They had heard many stories about the Cybertronians. But they didn't think that was one thing they said about.

"Great Wars? The war between Autobots and Decepticons?" Will asked, frowning as he shifted from one foot to the other.

Starscream shook his head with a vent and dark red optics shifting away from all. "No. The Great Wars happened many vorns before the war between Autobots and Decepticons happened. The exact details are unknown to a lot of us but I believe Alpha Trion knows more about it since its rumored that he fought in that war. It's said that the Great Wars began right after Cybertron had been created and the Cybertronian life was starting. A race of alien beings attacked our world, looking for life to enslave." He and all of the others missed Keller and Simmons shooting each other a look of surprise and dawning. Everyone was just too engulfed in the story that Starscream was telling. "No one talks about them any more, not wanting to remember what they had done to Cybertron. But it was the Primes of Old that stood up against them and destroyed them with their ancient weapons, all forged by one of the Primes. The Maker Prime, Solace Prime. That Prime was who created all of the weapons and even was said to have designed most of the Cybertronian weaponry that we all use now. There's not a whole lot that I can even say about the Primes of Old, however. Only the Prime could explain about them. I've only heard rumors." He said shrugging his wings.

With the words roaming within everyone's minds, making them all think about what was just said, it was Hook who stiffened and tilted his head to the side as if listening to a transmission. His actions didn't go un-noticed by all and everyone looked at him questionably. He ignored them for a moment, listening to what was said to him before nodding. He turned his burning red optics over to Keller and Will. "That was Ratchet. He said that Max Tanner is waking up sooner than he realized she would have. He is requesting for you to go to the medbay, Secretary Keller. Max will probably want some fellow humans to explain to her what is going on and where she is at. Just to be sure that she is safe from the Department." He stated in an almost dead tone.

Keller nodded firmly as he shared a glance with Will, who moved to join him when Jazz offered his hands to them to carry them. They figured that was best. "Barricade, will you go retrieve your human charge and Greg Butte? I think it best if they were there to keep Miss Tanner calm. She will be more than likely very stressed about what has happened to her. A familiar face or two might be just what she needs to keep herself in check." He stated as he stepped up onto Jazz's hand.

Barricade nodded as he began moving. He wanted to hurry and do what he was told. He knew fairly well that Kris and Greg would want to see their friend from Las Vegas. The sooner, the better for Max's sake.

It was the nightmare that caused her to awaken.

Dreams of darkness in a cell and then being dragged out into a lab of hell to be poked and prodded by so many needles and being forced to take things she never wanted to take again. It was the nightmares of being strapped down, screaming and crying for the one person she was terrified that she would never see again. She hated all of this. She wanted nothing more than to just curl up and die to think that she would never get to see that face again. She was terrified that she would be forced to stay in a dark cell and play as someone's twisted science experiment for the rest of her life.

Max Tanner found herself waking up with a start after seeing those horrible coming at her with small blades and an oxygen mask, the very last thing she had ever seen before she fell into darkness. She woke with a choking gasp and tears spilling down her cheeks, only to be blinded by hazy light and someone quickly touching her shoulders.

A squeak was all that left her mouth as she tried to scream and writhe away from those clutching hands. She threw herself back away from the person who had grabbed her only to land directly right into someone else's arms. She tried to scream but it only came out as a squeaky noise as if someone was squeezing a pathetic rubber ducky and abusing its squeaker. She thrashed as the arms tightened around her to keep her from thrashing any more.

"Max Tanner! It's all right! Calm down! You are safe!" someone unfamiliar shouted from somewhere behind her.

It did not ease her whatsoever.

Max could only thrash harder and tried to kick at the blurry form she could see in front of her while trying to break out of her captor's arms. She found herself weakening quickly, however. She gasped and panted as she continued trying to fight to break from the man's arms, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to scream and curse at him to let her go. She just wanted out...what...?

It was at that moment she heard music playing, cutting off all shouts within the room. It was the sound of a music box playing. Something so familiar and it made Max suddenly halt to listen to it. She knew that song from somewhere. It was something she had heard back in Las Vegas. It was so...soothing to her. Due to the fact that it had been one person, one mech who had played it for her when she had begged him to show her some of his musical talent.

It was Bach's Lullaby, a music box version that Soundwave had...

Her eyes widening, Max whipped her head around when she found that the man behind her was gently running fingers through her hair while the song kept playing over and over again, trying to calm and soothe her nerves. She found herself staring into dark eyes with a deep red glow and she could only gape at him in surprise.

Soundwave's familiar human form was what was holding her, keeping her from thrashing around like she just had been doing.

"So...Sou...ndwa...ve..." Max tried to say, but it came out very weak and choked as she stared up at him in surprise.

Soundwave's human eyes looked right into herself before softening as he slowly nodded. He kept his arms wrapped around her, keeping her from moving again. It was more to his own reasons to keeping a hold of her than her own, though. He was just glad that she was even awake, but had hoped that she wouldn't have woken up like she had. It couldn't be blamed though.

It had been Ratchet who gave Soundwave a quick warning that Max was waking up and quite violently when he watched her brain waves spike up like they had. The Autobot CMO had shouted his warning to the large silent Communications Officer and SIC of the Decepticons, whom had taken the chance to quickly transform into his Mobile Command vehicle form and activated his holoform so he could hurry over and help Nik and Ratchet calm Max down before she could hurt herself.

Seeing her writhing around on the medical bed like that had put a terrible ache within his spark, however. He didn't like to see that twisted look of fear on Max's face and swore he would do all he could to soothe her fears as best as he could. And when she tried screaming, it hurt his spark even more to hear that it was choking squeak that had come from her vocal cords. It told him that Ratchet's theory might have been right. Max's vocal cords were pretty damaged from the abuse that been done on them. She could barely even scream out in her time of fear.

However, now that Max was calming down and looking up in Soundwave's human eyes with such shock and surprise, yet relief, he relaxed his grip.

But she sure didn't.

The moment she realized that it really was him, she threw her arms around his chest and buried her face into his shoulder, silent sobs escaping her. She was trembling from the fear and relief she was feeling. She even tightened her arms as if Soundwave was trying to pull away and she didn't want him to. It was like she was terrified that if she let him go, he would vanish on her.

Soundwave was not going to let her go, though. He kept his arms wrapped around her, one hand carefully running through her short blonde and pink hair while the other rubbed soothing circles on her back. "I'm here, Max. Do not fear. I am never letting you go again." He whispered to her softly while Ratchet and Nik looked on with concerned looks as the terrified human femme trembled in the Decepticon's holoform's arms. They would have to wait a little bit for her to calm down before they could try and check her over for any injuries she might have done while writhing and screaming like she had just been doing.