"Soundwave you're injured, you promised me you would get checked out this time." Arcee ignored her mech's angry outburst.
Soundwave rested his helm on the wall in front of him. "Fine..."
Optimus approached the distressed violet mech. Offering a servo to help guide the young mech safely back in the base.
"Mirage sit the frag still!" Ratchet hissed as he tried to cauterize one of Mirage's wounds.
"Dude I'm fine, just singed. I'll survive, treat Soundwave!" Mirage jumped off the medical berth as Optimus led his big brother into the med bay. "Ow, ow!" Mirage winced as he stumbled into his mother.
"I am not your dude, I am your medic, you went through a nuclear explosion that's no laughing matter, I am not done with you!" Ratchet growled at the escaping youngling.
"Arcee you wanna help me with this one?" Xanthia looked over at the concerned young femme.
"Yeah of course." Arcee half heartedly replied, helping Xanthia move Mirage to the second medical berth.
"Yeah, Wave was right at the explosion I fell in afterwards due to the shockwaves." Mirage smirked at the medic.
"Ow ow stop please!" Mirage whined as the femme's laid him down on the berth.
"Prime, I hope you have an explanation for putting a new crater in the Earth. You're so lucky that explosion was in the middle of no where." Agent Fowler practically scolded the Prime.
"I do not yet have an explanation Agent, I will contact you with the report as soon as possible. The weapons are no longer in Decepticon hands." Optimus replied, sitting the upset young mech on the medical berth.
"I can see it's not in their hands, we had to cover it up as a nuclear weapon test! I look forward to your report!" Agent Fowler abruptly ended the call.
"Soundwave I need you to lay down so I can scan your frame, and do a thorough examination." Ratchet said as he helped the very sensitive young mech.
Soundwave hissed as his back slowly met the medical berth. His frame was scorched from top to bottom, he was no longer violet but a burnt black. Shaking in pain, all Soundwave could do is stare at the ceiling while the CMO scanned him.
Ratchet sympathetically smiled at the young mech while finishing his scan. He began moving Soundwave's limbs. "I'm just about finished Soundwave."
Soundwave's frame tensed up, trying his best to hold in his pained screams, as the medic checked his motor functions.
Arcee cringed as Soundwave's pained cries filled her audio receptors.
Ratchet sighed grabbing a couple infusers. "This will ease your pain." the medic said injecting Soundwave with a pain numbing agent.
"Arcee if you're comfortable, you can inject Mirage with this, to give some pain relief." Ratchet said handing the femme the infuser.
"I can do it." Arcee nodded taking the infuser.
"You're not sticking me with that!" Mirage panicked trying to back away.
"Mirage sit still, you're going to hurt yourself further." Xanthia scolded, holding her youngling down as the young femme injected him with the pain numbing agent.
"Was anyone else effected by the blast?" Ratchet asked as he ran tests on the monitors.
"No, we only got a taste of the shockwave, and a rock shower." The twins replied jokingly as usual, trying to keep the mood light.
Optimus quickly gazed at the rest of the team for their replies.
"We're fine." Both femme's replied.
"I'm cool." Jazz smiled.
"I missed the action so I am perfectly fine." Ironhide sighed.
"I'm alright old friend, please focus your medical attention on our young brothers here." Optimus replied gesturing to the badly burnt mutant brothers.
"I put Soundwave in stasis, his internal damage is great but most is already repairing itself. He's scorched to no end some parts are melted but I can repair most pieces of him." Ratchet explained turning away from his monitors. "Sunstreaker if you want to help me out, when they have less pain. You can buff and repaint Mirage and Soundwave because that won't regenerate."
"Sure thing doc bot." Sunstreaker nodded at the annoyed medic.
"They're both staying in the med bay overnight, especially Soundwave. Mirage if you're going to whine and bitch, you can bunk with a sparkling sitter because you have to be monitored." Ratchet told the scorched youngling. Quickly scanning the annoyed youngling, Ratchet sighed reading his scans. "You've got internal damage, but it's repairing a lot faster than your brother's."
"I told you I'm fine, I fell into the explosion afterwards." Mirage groaned sitting up slowly.
"Is Soundwave going to be alright Ratch?" Bumblebee asked staying next to his father, out of the busy medical bay.
"Soundwave so far will be alright. It's just a matter of monitoring him during this crucial time." Ratchet replied honestly to the young scout.
"I'm going to give an early curfew tonight, I need you all to make reports for today. Let's give our doctor some space." Optimus Prime said, beginning to herd most of the team down the hallway.
"Good night Mirage! Good night Soundwave!" The twins waved as they disappeared down the hallway.
Both Arcee and Ratchet snorted with a smile, hearing the twins bid a good night.
"They're annoying but their sparks are in the right place." Arcee chuckled, watching the Prime escort the twins to their room.
Mirage yawned trying to sit upright, fighting the pain reliever that was inducing recharge.
"Mirage please lay down and rest." Xanthia tried to coax her youngling to lay back down on the berth.
"The more you fight, the more exhausted you get youngling, listen to your mother." Ratchet retorted, starting minor cosmetic repairs to the communications chief.
Mirage groaned laying back down with the aid of his mother.
"Mirage, what happened?" Arcee asked as the Prime reentered the main room.
"I'm not to sure, all was going smoothly until I reached the top of the mountain. Soundwave looked to be battling a mech that looked like the bully that was in our training camp. Megatron was interfering with the battle, so I attempted to divert his and Starscream's attention. They both flew off like cowards, and the next thing I know I am in a ball of flames." Mirage explained what he saw to the best he could.
"That must have been the strange Con that escaped the mine just before you two showed up." Xanthia thought aloud.
"He was a real strange one, I have never seen him before." Arcee mentioned looking over to her resting mech. "I guess only Soundwave has the full details."
"He should be able to answer tomorrow, maybe not the full story, but enough. Primus I'm surprised he had enough adrenaline to walk around and throw a fit when he got back into the base. I just reattached what limbs were barely hanging on, their shielding is incredibly resilient." Ratchet sighed tiredly, placing most of his tools away.
"You're working hard, how can we help you old friend?" Optimus asked noting that the medic was beginning to get tired.
"I'm fine for now Optimus. Mirage and Soundwave are both stable, their systems are repairing most of the damage. Now they just have to be monitored." Ratchet replied to the leader.
"We can monitor while you get some rest." Arcee offered the old CMO.
"Thank you for the offer, but I don't mind. I would rather be here at the ready, instead of groggy and disoriented after being woken." Ratchet gave the younger femme a logical reply.
While everyone conversed, and finally settled some retreating to their quarters to recharge. Soundwave shifted uncontrollably as he recharged, emitting small whimpers.
"Get up loser, you and your stupid sparkling brother don't belong here. You belong in a freak brig with all of Shockwav's defective projects." Makeshift scoffed as other younglings around him laughed. "Shockwave gave you that visor as a visual enhancement, yet you hide behind it, you may as well be faceless!"
Soundwave furrowed his optic ridges behind his visor, the taunting pitch black youngling with piercing yellow optics, was just asking to be beat once more. Picking himself up off the ground, only to be shoved back down by the shapeshifting youngling.
"I don't understand why Shockwave favours you. You're pathetic!" Makeshift laughed giving Soundwave a kick.
Soundwave snapped, tackling the pitch black youngling to the ground, punching him repeatedly.
Makeshift cried out trying to throw a few hits of his own at Soundwave.
Soundwave dodged the swings easily, grabbing the bully by the chest plate Soundwave slammed him into the wall hard.
Makeshift's friends tried to help him, but were taken down by Soundwave's tentacles. The violet youngling tightened his grip on the black youngling. Warping the youngling's chest armour.
"Let me go you faceless freak!" Makeshift cried out in pain as he squirmed under the violet youngling's grip.
Soundwave yelped as he was struck from behind by an Eradicon. "Break it up!"
Soundwave quickly backed away from the youngling he injured. As the Eradicon grabbed hold of him, and began to beat him as a punishment.
"Enjoy being faceless, freak!" Makeshift scoffed, slunking away quickly as an explosion went off nothing but red and black could be seen as Soundwave was engulfed by flames.
Soundwave gasped as he woke suddenly from his recharge. Sitting up too fast, he yelped as an excruciating wave of pain ripped through his frame.
"Easy, easy, take deep breaths!" Ratchet quickly rushed to the young mech's side
Soundwave continued to cry out in pain trying to do as the doctor advised.
"I'll give you a lower dosage this time, but it should ease your pain still." Ratchet told the young mech as he injected him with more pain numbing agents.
Soundwave's breaths slowed down as the pain relief began to work. Ratchet helped him lay back down on the berth.
"How are you feeling now Soundwave?" Ratchet asked running more scans on the charred violet mech.
"Okay now..." Soundwave hissed trying to hide his pain. "A lot better then earlier..."
"That's good." Ratchet smiled at the young mech.
"Mirage alright?" Soundwave asked turning his helm to see his recharging brother across from him.
"Mirage was burnt quite badly, but made off with minor injuries. But I am keeping him in here for pain management and monitoring just incase something I missed goes wrong." The CMO replied to the young mech's question.
"Mirage pulled you out of that explosion." Arcee yawned to her mech.
"I'll have to thank him..." Soundwave sighed as the pain relief settled his frame.
"You're welcome, I'm not recharging by the way." Mirage announced making his mother jump in surprise.
"Only answer if you're okay to, but what happened in that mine?" Arcee asked sitting on a crate next to her mech's bedside.
"I got attacked by Makeshift..."
"Makeshift!?" Mirage shot up in anger. "Ow, frag! How the hell is that creepy fragger still online!?" Mirage hissed through pain.
"Soundwave looked over at his angered little brother. "By the sounds of it, when the facility was attacked... Makeshift took that as his opportunity... to escape the training to become a regular Decepticon soldier..." The older brother replied breathing through a small wave of pain. "We battled for a bit, he put up a fight... in the beginning... but I quickly turned the tables. Megatron... obviously didn't appreciate that... and began firing at me. Makeshift got a good hit in, having the nuclear warhead attached to his hip, he grabbed it... And that's the last thing I remember..."
"Makeshift must have found his way to Earth." Optimus placed his servo on his chin.
"So Megatron hasn't been on his little journey yet?" Xanthia asked sitting down next to Mirage's berth.
"Or he did, and found Mskeshift." Arcee scoffed, looking over her mech's burnt dented frame.
"That's possible but Makeshift is no army." Mirage hissed in pain as he turned onto his side. "He's a coward, he's about as useful as Starscream, you know they think they can take you down with taunting. The only thing going for Makeshift is the fact he can shapeshift from certain downloads only, so he still sucks."
"Spoken like a true youngling..." Soundwave sighed staring at the ceiling.
"What?" Mirage snorted raising an optic ridge at his brother.
"Although what you said is true. Cowards... can be the most dangerous bots, they don't think, they take risks without any consideration... Hence why we're both in the med bay licking our wounds..." Soundwave tiredly replied attempting to hide the pain in his tone.
"That's agreeable." Mirage nodded in agreement with his brother's words.
"Why don't you both get some recharge?" Arcee said lightly placing her gentle servo on her wounded mech's slender one.
"Trust me whatever Ratchet is injecting into us will make us recharge soon enough." Mirage groaned, rolling back onto his back.
"You're so stubborn." Xanthia chuckled rubbing her youngling's helm.
Soundwave felt the gentle servo, slowly closing his servo on the femme's. He slowly turned his helm to face his beautiful partner. "I'm tired... but you're so pretty... how can I possibly recharge in your presence..." the burnt mech winced as he clasped his other servo on top of the servo that held his other one.
"You're half alive, and yet you can still be a so sweet." Arcee rolled her optics playfully, staring at her reflection in the mech's visor.
"Ugh... gross, can you not make me feel sick?" Mirage complained hiding his face in his servos.
"You'll understand one day youngling." Optimus chuckled at his youngling.
"No thanks, I'm perfectly happy being solo. I don't need someone to hold me, and call me sweetie." Mirage scoffed, causing everyone in the med bay to laugh.
"Ow! Don't make me laugh brat!" Soundwave chuckled trying to ignore his pain.
"Well laughter is the best medicine, just don't tell the twins that." Ratchet retorted looking over Soundwave's vitals. "Your internals have been healing well, you'll be sensitive to pain and sore for quite some time. But you'll be able to cruise around the base in a few hours."
"Cruise around the base?" Soundwave questioned the medic's review.
"Yes the base, you're confined to the base until you're fully functional without any pain." Ratchet replied glaring at the young mech.
"Ha!" Mirage laughed at his big brother.
"Same goes for you kid, but I suspect you'll be fine in an hour or so." Ratchet sighed rolling his optics. "Sunstreaker was also nice enough to offer both of you a new paint job."
"New paint job?" Mirage raised an optic ridge at the CMO.
"Unless you like looking like you just entered Earth's atmosphere?" The CMO held a mirror up to the youngling.
"Holy scrap, yeah okay..." Mirage cringed at his own reflection.
"I'm going to start my reports, you have everything covered old friend?" Optimus sighed tiredly to the old medic.
"Yes Optimus, don't forget to get some rest yourself." The old CMO replied to the exhausted Prime.
"I will surely try Ratchet." Optimus smiled at both brothers before retreating down the hallway.
A few hours of silence went by, both mutant brothers were recharging. Ratchet continued to monitor both brothers recovery, while also keeping an optic on the base monitors for Decepticon activity.
Arcee continued to hold her mech's servo while she recharged with her back rested against the wall.
Soundwave woke up feeling incredibly weak, shifting very slowly he fought the pain as he sat himself upright. Sliding his stabilizer servos over the side of the medical berth, he winced in pain as he slowly slid onto his peds.
"Soundwave, what are you doing?" Arcee tiredly opened her optics feeling her servo get tugged.
"I don't know, I just don't want to recharge..." Soundwave sighed stumbling backwards, wincing as he unintentionally sat back down on the berth.
"You can go watch a holo vid, if you're trying to occupy your mind." Ratchet suggested, giving the young mech another dose of pain numbing agent.
"Hmm..." The violet mech tilted his helm, uninterested in the holo videos.
"Well walking around the base, and watching holo vids are going to be your only option untill you're fully recovered." The grumpy old medic scoffed, scanning the burnt mech's frame.
Soundwave chuckled with a sigh. "So your bridge works."
"Yes, I wasn't thrilled to be using it without a test run first. But in an emergency situation your options are limited." Ratchet smiled agreeing to change the subject.
"I'm really thankful you made it. I definitely understand why we can't always rely on me for a bridge." Soundwave exhaled looking over at the cobalt blue femme that drifted back into recharge.
"Mhmm..." the CMO sighed looking back and forth between his scanner and the young mech. "Soundwave I know you are having a lot of severe continuous pain in your helm. I need you to remove your visor so I can help you." Ratchet watched as the young mech's sparkbeat sped up, and his frame tensed.
"Trust me it's not worth it..." Soundwave sadly replied, turning his helm away.
"I can remove what's left that is irritating your visor, and what's causing you pain in your helm." The old medic calmly spoke to the young mech. Ratchet was careful not to upset the burnt mech, knowing it was a very sensitive and degrading experience for the young soul.
Soundwave took a deep breath, dematerializing his visor to reveal his exposed circuitry, with what very little was left of his melted faceplate.
Ratchet did not cringe or dare change his neutral expression. Surgically removing the melted faceplate the was embedded into the sensitive circuitry. After all pieces of the faceplate was removed, the CMO began repairing the fried wires and motherboards.
After what felt like hours Ratchet finally finished pulling out shrapnel, and the repairs on the young mech. "Alright all done Soundwave."
Soundwave wasted no time materializing his visor, allowing it to reform once more as a substitute for his face. "Thank you sir."
"You're very welcome." Ratchet nodded with a smile, washing his servos before going back to the monitors. "Try getting some more rest."
"Fine..." the young mech groaned laying down on the berth.
Mirage watched the whole procedure the medic preformed on his older brother. Both femme's were in a deep recharge missing the whole scene. Mirage quickly closed his optics before his big brother could notice he was awake, surprisingly falling back into recharge.
Morning came fast, Mirage opened his optics feeling an intruding presence. "Scrap!" He jolted backwards on the berth, putting some distance between him and the staring yellow scout. "Bee, what the hell?!" the spy growled sitting upright.
"Ratchet told me check your status. Good morning." Bumblebee replied trying not to laugh as he handed his brother some energon.
Mirage rolled his optics taking the energon. "Thanks..."
"Good news, you're free to go." Ratchet announced to the youngling, as he began scans on Soundwave.
"Really?" Mirage asked in surprise, as Optimus approached the med bay.
"Yes, you're cleared. I repaired what pieces of you were melted and warped while you were recharging. You may have some minor pain, but overall you should be good." The CMO explained.
"Thanks Ratch." Mirage thanked the old mech, quickly hopping of the berth. Looking around he noticed his mother was missing. "Where's Xanthia?"
"Mirage I am happy you are in good health, your Mother is on patrol with Jazz this morning." Optimus greeted answering his now eldest son's question.
"Oh, alright then." Mirage shrugged in reply as his father approached him. "Is there an assignment I need to do?"
"Yes youngling there is." The Prime nodded, while watching Ratchet work. "I need you to fill out your report for last night's mission. Since you know Soundwave's part as well, I need you to fill out his as well." Optimus told his burnt youngling what he needed to do.
Mirage drooped his door wings in disappointment replying with a sigh. "Yes sir..." the youngling defeatedly trudged towards his room to do what the Prime asked.
Soundwave hissed in pain as Ratchet gently raised and lowered his limbs.
"Don't tense up Soundwave, you're making it harder on yourself." Arcee tried to coax her mech to relax while the doctor worked.
"I'm just checking your range of motion. You will benefit from physical therapy to keep your motor functions in check." Ratchet explained as he moved down to Soundwave's stabilizer servo.
The burnt mech jolted in pain as the medic gently moved his leg up and down. "Of course... sir!" Soundwave yelped as pain shot up his leg.
"Arcee keep him limber, Soundwave small walks around the base will help you get fit. You don't want any of your limbs to atrophied." The CMO sighed finishing his tests. "Just don't over do it, or you'll injure yourself further, making your recovery longer."
"Understood, thank you sir." The young mech thanked his doctor.
"Don't worry Ratchet, I'll make sure he's looked after." Arcee smiled, putting herself under her mech's arm, helping Soundwave off the medical berth.
Soundwave took a moment to stabilize himself, finding his peds.
"Ready?" Arcee asked looking up at her mech's visor.
"I think I got this..." Soundwave tried moving away from the helping femme.
"Sure." Arcee smiled taking a couple steps in front of her mech. Spinning herself around to face the slender mech.
Soundwave hesitated for a moment, taking a couple unsteady baby steps towards the cobalt blue femme. After the few unsteady steps, his processor attempted to wake up his motor skills.
Arcee tilted her helm with a warm smile, as her mech stopped in front of her. "Well look at you. Where would you like to go?"
"The top of the base?" Soundwave replied wishing he could return a smile to his partner.
"Okay we can do that." Arcee nodded, walking towards the hallway. Stopping next to the couch where the twins sat watching a holo vid.
Taking a deep breath, Soundwave strode forward, every sore step he took draining energy from him. He was exhausted by time he reached the couch, flopping his arms over the back of the couch for stabilization.
Ratchet narrowed his optics curiously as he watched Soundwave struggle to walk. He knew the mutant young mech should have had good motor functions by now. Not thinking to much about it, the medic figured it was due to being extremely tender a sore.
"Hey, how about we just relax on the couch? We can try to get outside later." Arcee slipped herself under one of her mech's arms once again.
"Plenty of room, plus we can always kick Sunny off if there isn't." Sideswipe said gesturing to the vacant part of the couch.
"Shut it Sides, before I push you off the couch!" Sunstreaker growled at his twin brother.
Soundwave lifted his helm staring over at the hallway. With an exhausted sigh he agreed to sit on the couch instead. "Fine..."
"Hey Wave, whenever you're ready I can help you get rid of that crispy look, and restore your paint job." Sunstreaker said as Arcee helped the burnt mech sit on the couch.
"Thank you Sunstreaker. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, so whenever works for you." Soundwave replied to the golden twin.
"Alright, well may as well get it over and done with." Sunstreaker shrugged hopping off the couch heading down the hallway to grab his equipment.
"Isn't it going to be a little difficult with Wavers sitting on the couch?" Sideswipe retorted as his brother lay out all his detailing equipment.
"I can stand if needed." Soundwave said before Sunstreaker could reply.
"I might need you to stand for like a second. But I should be fine with you just sitting still on the couch." Sunstreaker replied grabbing his buffer. "I got to get rid of this burnt grime first though, so this may take while." The golden mech shrugged as he began his work.
Soundwave visibly jumped as the golden mech began buffing his frame.
"You alright?" Arcee asked placing a servo on her mech's leg.
"Am I hurting you?" Sunstreaker asked pulling his buffing tool off the younger mech.
"No, I'm fine it just startled me I suppose." Soundwave quickly replied, allowing the golden twin to continue his work.
"So how long are you on lock down?" Sideswipe asked Soundwave, changing the subject.
"Hmm hopefully not long, but this isn't the first time this has happened. The first time, the recovery took months, but it was mainly because I was put back in triage at the end of my recovery..." Soundwave replied, remembering the deadly beating the warlord gave him.
"Maybe you should stay away from nuclear weapons from now on." Sideswipe joked with a chuckle.
"I am certainly going to try." Soundwave snorted with a laugh.
"Funny stuff Sides." Arcee rolled her optics at the silver mech.
Sunstreaker put his buffing tool away, grabbing his paints and airbrush. "Alright this is instant drying paint, so you don't have to stay frozen or worry about messing the paint up."
Soundwave nodded at the golden twin in acknowledgment, staring at the holo vid that was playing. "What the hell are you watching?"
"I don't know, some sort of human programming about flying creatures." Sideswipe shrugged, looking for the remote.
"They look like birds to me?" Arcee quirked an optic ridge at the screen.
"Ugh, trust me you do not want to fly into one of those. Unless you want to be cleaning feathers out of your frame for a week." Soundwave scoffed, watching the colourful little creatures fly around.
"We don't fly, but they certainly like to fly in front of you at the last minute every time you try to pass them on the road." Sunstreaker groaned as he painted the slender mech. "Could you stand up for just a sec?" Sunstreaker asked looking at Arcee to help the younger mech.
"Sure." Soundwave replied slowly getting up with the aid of his femme.
Sunstreaker made quick work on the young mech's back, not wanting to torture the sore slender mech. "Alright that's good."
Arcee slowly sat her mech back down on the couch, after the golden mech finished painting.
After what felt like hours Sunstreaker finally finished detailing the now slumbering violet mech. "All done."
"Soundwave?" Arcee called gently nudging her mech's arm.
"What?" Soundwave shook his helm awake, looking down at his newly painted frame. "Wow, thank you Sunstreaker, you did an amazing job."
"No problem, now I just have to wrestle your brother." Sunstreaker scoffed packing away his detailing kit.
"That shouldn't be too much of an issue, I highly doubt Mirage likes looking like a blown up muffler." Arcee retorted to the golden twin.
"Hilarious..." Mirage sighed stopping next to the couch, glaring at the femme.
"I'm sorry Mirage I couldn't think of a better example." Arcee tried to hide her chuckles, as Soundwave began to stand up.
"How are you feeling?" Mirage asked his wobbly brother, ignoring the femme.
"Sore, exhausted, but alive. And now I'm stylin, as Jazz would probably say." Soundwave replied as Arcee jumped up to steady him.
"You're adopting Jazz's lingo now?" Mirage snickered following his brother as Arcee helped the violet mech walk back to the med bay.
"I thought I'd Jazz it up a bit." Soundwave retorted as Arcee sat him on the medical berth.
"Oh the puns, you look great though Soundwave!" Jazz laughed as he entered the med bay with Xanthia.
"Glad to see you moving around." Xanthia commented on her eldest son.
"Haven't gotten very far." Soundwave sighed as Ratchet began scanning him.
"Small steps Soundwave, if you rush your recovery you won't heal properly. Remember you didn't get hit in the head with a rock, you were in a nuclear explosion, you're lucky to not be a melted puddle of metal." Ratchet scoffed injecting the young mech with energon, and pain management.
"Trust me we don't need to be reminded." Mirage scoffed folding his arms.
"Why didn't you let Sunstreaker paint you?" Ratchet looked over his shoulder at the moody youngling.
"I was busy. Optimus I got the reports done." Mirage replied, handing his father two data pads.
"Thank you Mirage, Agent Fowler will hopefully be a little happier with these." Optimus sighed taking the data pads.
"I should do one, I'm feeling alright enough." Soundwave thought aloud as Ratchet reviewed his scans.
"Already did one for you. Sorry to steal your joy, I know how you love doing reports." The red youngling announced sarcastically to his brother.
"Geez, how ever will I cope. But thank you Mirage." Soundwave returned sarcasm back to his little brother.
"Soundwave you don't have to stay in the med bay tonight." Ratchet told the young mech as he read the scan results.
"That's great, can I leave the base yet?" Soundwave knew the answer to his question but figured he'd ask.
"Did you make it past the couch?" The CMO retorted, raising an optic ridge.
"No."
"That's your answer." The doctor shook his helm, turning back to his work.
"Can I do anything to help then?" The violet mech asked, making the medic groan.
"Don't worry about aiding us, we only wish for you to make a full recovery young mech." Optimus replied carefully placing a caring servo on the violet mech's shoulder.
Soundwave exhaled deeply, staring up at the red and blue mech. "Of course Optimus."
"Hey crispy how about you get your tailpipe over here so I can fix that paint job of yours." Sunstreaker shouted across the room at the youngling assassin.
Mirage leaned to the side to see past the Prime's frame. "Crispy?" He repeated rasing an optic ridge at the twin.
"Hey it's better then what Arcee called you." Sunstreaker shrugged, causing Arcee and Soundwave to laugh. "Now get over here before I paint you neon pink and yellow."
"Argh..." Mirage groaned following the golden twin down the hallway.
Optimus stared at the young mech, he could feel deep down behind the jokes, and joyful banter, Soundwave wasn't his typical self.
"Is something wrong Optimus?" Arcee called snapping the leader out of his thoughts.
"Sorry I had something on my mind." Optimus sighed leaving the main room.
"Hi dad, what's wrong?" Bumblebee asked as he passed his father in the hallway.
"Hello little one, nothing bad youngling. How was training?" Optimus greeted his youngest son.
"It went good, Ironhide said I have really improved." Bumblebee happily told his father of his training progress.
"Excellent Bumblebee, why don't you ask the twins if you can join them on patrol?" The Prime praised his young scout.
"Okay!" Bumblebee nodded quickly making his way to the main room.
Optimus smiled, continuing on towards the lift.
"Hi Soundwave, you feeling better?" Bumblebee asked as he passed by the slowly limping violet mech.
"Hello Bee, yes I am doing a little better. You going on patrol?" Soundwave replied, grabbing onto the wall for support.
"Yeah I'm going to ask the twins if I can go with them." Bumblebee said with a look of concern, as the bioluminescent mech caught himself on the wall. "Do you want help?"
"I'm alright Bee, thank you. You might want to catch the twins before they leave though." Soundwave thanked the youngling scout for his kind offer.
Bumblebee didn't seem convinced that Soundwave was okay. Giving the injured mech a concerned gaze.
Arcee sighed from where she stood in the main room. No longer being able to watch her partner struggle, she made her way over to the youngling and violet mech. "I got it Bee, go on patrol." Arcee reassured the youngling, helping her mech off the wall.
Bumblebee nodded, quickly running after the twin brothers.
"Where's your destination? Mister I dont need help." Arcee sarcastically asked as she helped Soundwave walk down the hallway.
"Same as last time." Soundwave exhaled tiredly.
"Okay." Arcee nodded in understanding.
Optimus turned around hearing the activated lift behind him. Seeing the young couple making their way towards him.
Halfway to the Prime Soundwave's stabilizer servos gave out. "Scrap!" Arcee swore trying her best to hold her mech upright as he collapsed.
"Let me go Arcee!" Soundwave cried out slipping his arm off the femme's support, releasing his hold so he did not drag the femme to the ground.
"Soundwave!" Arcee gasped as her mech fell to the ground.
Optimus rushed over to the couple. "Are you both alright?"
"I'm fine, it's him I'm worried about." Arcee growled gesturing to the young mech on the ground.
"I'm just taking a break..." Soundwave sighed rolling onto his back.
"You're over doing it. Ratchet wouldn't have been thrilled to see you collapse like that." Arcee shook her helm at her stubborn mech.
"I walked twice today..." Soundwave scoffed at the now moody femme.
"What's going on with you Soundwave? You've been off since we came back from that mission." Arcee questioned trying to hold back her anger.
"Nothing's going on." The violet mech replied casually, staring up at the sky.
Both the femme and the Prime exchanged concerned gazes. "You seem defeated young mech." Optimus said, as he picked the violet mech up off the ground.
"No, I'm actually very grateful." Soundwave hissed in pain as he was sat on a large bolder. "I'm getting incredible medical care and assistance from everyone, I am recovering quickly thanks to it."
"We appreciate your gratitude Soundwave, we all care deeply about you." Optimus said as Arcee raised an optic ridge.
"That's really sweet Soundwave, you've been quite sweet since you were put into recovery. What are you covering up?" Arcee was not buying her mech's cover up story. "Because you sure as hell weren't happy when we got back to the base." The cobalt blue femme scoffed glaring at the violet mech.
"I was full of adrenaline and anger... And I apologize for yelling like that." Soundwave apologized to the femme's irritation.
"Soundwave we've heard your apologies. You went through a traumatic event. You are bound to come back with anger, and frustration. We don't take offence to it, we just want to help understand you." Arcee told the young mech as Optimus gazed at Soundwave with wondering optics.
"I guess I do feel defeated, I feel bad... I am disappointed that something someone worked so hard for was just wasted away..."
Arcee sighed with a warm smile. "Soundwave what you're feeling is sadness." Placing a servo on her mech's. "Wait... what was wasted away?" the femme furrowed her optic ridges in confusion.
Soundwave hung his helm low, turning his helm away from the two bots trying to comfort him.
Optimus's optics were sad, but he quickly realized why the young mech was so upset, why he was hiding his face from them.
"Oh Soundwave... I'm sorry, I didn't realize." Arcee seemed to clue in to what the Prime had solved. Placing a comforting servo on the violet mech's back.
"Ratchet barely knew me, and yet he worked his aft off to restore what had been lost most of my life." Soundwave replied turning his helm, fixing his gaze on the ground. "I threw it all away because I didn't try to neutralize my target."
"Soundwave the Decepticons are mad, even if it wasn't your nemesis, they would've set the bomb off regardless." The femme explained trying to make the mech feel better.
"Although I do not understand Megatron's agenda of chaos. I do believe that what happened, was a deliberate attack on you. Megatron knew this had happened to you once, and maimed you badly. Megatron enjoys recreating nightmares, this may just be one of many attacks at you." Optimus Prime spoke truthfully to his nephew.
"I understand..." The bioluminescent mech sadly sighed.
"Now that he's put a permanent dent in Soundwave's ego. I'm sure that Decepticon tyrant is more then happy to go on his little space adventure." Arcee scoffed shaking her helm in anger.
"I agree with you Arcee." Optimus exhaled deeply, turning his helm towards the sunset.
"Thank you for talking to us Soundwave, I know it's a difficult transition for you." Arcee smiled, giving her mech a small peck on the visor. "We better get you back inside before your doctor has a conniption fit."
"Wait!" Soundwave panicked as Optimus pulled him to his peds.
"What's the matter young one?" Optimus asked, holding the violet mech steady in front of him.
"My mother."
"What about Xanthia?" Arcee raised an optic ridge in confusion.
"She doesn't know." Soundwave replied clearly still panicking.
"None of us knew, but they'll all understand." The femme shrugged wondering why the young mech was freaked.
"I mean she's never known, not even about the first time it happened. She always bugs me if I forget my visors on." The young mech shook his helm.
"Well, we can tell Mirage or Ratch to give her a heads up if that makes you feel better?" Arcee suggested to her partner.
"Yes please..." Soundwave nodded thankfully.
Optimus nodded, calling the medic. "Ratchet, can you please explain Soundwave's maiming to his mother. He's not exactly comfortable explaining it at the moment." The Prime gave a smile and a nod to his nephew. "Thank you old friend." Optimus ended the call, before helping the young mech walk to the lift. "He's explaining it to her, and the rest of the team so no one bothers you."
"Thank you Optimus." The bioluminescent mech exhaled tiredly as his legs kept giving out with each step.
Optimus gave a sympathetic sigh, placing his servos under each of Soundwave's arms. Holding the young mech's full body weight in his servos as Soundwave continued to attempt to walk.
"Ha Prime walker." Sunstreaker joked as Optimus continued to aid the younger mech down the hallway. "Looking good Wave." The annoying golden complimented giving Soundwave a thumbs up.
"Trust me don't coddle him, or treat him any different, it'll just make him feel worse then he already does." Mirage warned his shocked mother, as Soundwave, Optimus, and Arcee entered the main room.
"I see you've over done it today, hmmm?" Ratchet quirked an optic ridge at the faceless mech that was walking like a sparkling with aid of the Prime.
"I won't argue that." Soundwave gave a small laugh as he was sat down on the medical berth.
"Remember you prolong your recovery time if you over stimulate." The old medic waved a digit at the violet mech. "I'm glad you're trying to get exercise, but you need rest as well. If you're not going to listen to me I'm going to keep you in the med bay."
"No I'll listen." Soundwave shook his helm.
"I'll make sure he does." Arcee smirked at the faceless mech.
"Hey little red, you're red again." Soundwave commented changing the subject.
"Yeah Sunny did a good job, I guess he's useful for something after all." Mirage joked making Ratchet and Optimus shake their helms.
"We can say the same about you sparkling." Sunstreaker retorted as he entered the base with his twin and Bumblebee.
"Do I look like a sparkling?" Mirage furrowed his optic ridges at the golden twin.
"Honestly... you're the only one that's been a sparkling lately." Sunstreaker teased as Bumblebee chuckled behind him.
"What are you giggling about you're closer to being a sparkling then I am!" Mirage hissed at the yellow scout.
"I'm only four cycles behind you." Bumblebee argued back at his youngling brother.
"Here I'll end the argument, we have three sparklings on our team." Sideswipe stepped in between his twin and the younglings, waving his arms.
Soundwave and Arcee both couldn't help but snicker at the arguing bots.
"Three?!" Both Mirage and Bumblebee shot the silver mech a puzzled look.
"Yeah, Bee, Mirage, and Soundwave." Sideswipe listed off making both younglings smirk at the violet mech.
"Wait, why me?!" Soundwave cocked his helm as his femme burst out into laughter.
"You're still practically a youngling!" Sideswipe replied with a laugh.
"And what does that make you guys? I'm only six cycles younger then you." Soundwave retorted as Arcee continued to chuckle.
"It makes us twenty four. And it makes Arcee a cradle robber." Sunstreaker snorted causing Arcee's laughter to halt.
"What's a cradle robber?" Both Mirage and Bumblebee asked curiously.
"Hey why don't we go to the training room and shoot some targets." Jazz quickly wrapped his arms around each youngling, leading them out of the main room.
Arcee facepalmed with a groan. "Six years is not six decades, he's Eighteen cycles, I'm twenty four cycles. Is that really a big difference? What, are you two just jealous because Soundwave's more mature than the two of you and Jazz combined?" Arcee ranted furiously at the twins, causing Soundwave to start laughing at her.
Arcee groaned glaring at the three laughing mechs. "What the hell is so funny?"
"Just how easily you can get set off. And now Soundwave has fuel if you ever bug him about his age." Sunstreaker smirked at the annoyed femme.
"You guys are idiots..." the cobalt blue femme gumbled while rolling her optics.
"Ow... okay, okay... it was funny though." Soundwave giggled, wincing as a shot of pain rushed through his frame.
"Nothing wrong with a few cycle difference. I knew quite a few sparkmates with a small age difference." Xanthia smiled at her son and the young femme.
"We know, the twins just like to grind gears." Arcee sighed watching her mech try and hide his pain.
"I can give you something for the pain if you'd like?" Ratchet mentioned to the young mech, grabbing the infuser.
"No thanks, is there any work I can do instead?" Soundwave asked making the twins roll their optics.
"How in the bloody hell is that related to getting some pain relief?" Ironhide retorted looking over from the monitors by the ground bridge.
"Typical Soundwave." The twins shook their helms as they made their way to the couch.
"Occupies my mind." Soundwave shrugged making Ratchet smile.
"Sure, you can monitor for Decepticon activity." Ratchet said placing the infuser back down.
"Okay sure." Soundwave nodded eagerly, pulling up proximity scanners and satellite images on his visor.
"Don't let the pain catch you Soundwave, I am here to help." Ratchet warned the working young mech.
"There's no recent Decepticon activity, the only images I can find are from yesterday's raid." Soundwave replied before turning his helm towards the medic. "Sorry Ratchet, I wasn't ignoring you. I will seek help if needed."
"I'm sure." Ratchet sighed shaking his helm.
"Anything else I can do?"
"No Soundwave, why don't you take a stasis nap." The medic suggested with a groan.
"Soundwave?" Mirage called suddenly appearing in front of his brother.
"Primus, Mirage!" Soundwave gasped visibly jumping at his suddenly appearing brother.
"Well I was expecting you to punch me, but I'll take the shocked reaction." Mirage grinned at his older brother.
"What do you want Mirage?" Sighing the violet mech stood up only to be pushed back onto the medical berth.
"Ow, why?" Soundwave hissed in pain, glaring at the cobalt blue femme.
"Rest for a while, you've done enough." Arcee folded her arms.
Soundwave was about argue with the femme, but took a moment to think. "I thought you said my internal functions were practically repaired? Why am I struggling to physically function?" The violet mech turned his helm towards the busy CMO.
Ratchet cocked him helm in deep thought. "I... you're right. I am going to run a few tests on you and get to the bottom of this before it escalates." the ancient medic thought aloud, as he laid the violet mech down on the berth, almost stepping on Mirage in the process.
"I'm not invisible!" Mirage growled leaping out of the medic's way.
"Well not at the moment." Arcee snorted at the red youngling.
Mirage shot a pointed glare at the femme sarcastically laughing. "Ha... ha... ha..."
"Mirage why don't we go on patrol?" Xanthia suggested to her annoyed youngling.
"Uuuh... no..." Mirage replied to his mother's surprise. "It's nothing against you... I just am not entertaining on patrol, ask anyone."
"I don't mind." Xanthia shrugged heading towards the base exit.
Mirage looked back and forth between his brother and mother. The youngling groaned throwing his helm back in annoyance, reluctantly following his mother out of the base.
"No, please!" Soundwave cried as the old medic tried sticking electrodes on him.
"Soundwave stop squirming, it's not going to hurt you." Ratchet said as he tried to attatch electrodes to Soundwave's frame.
"Wouldn't it be easier if you put him in stasis?" Arcee asked watching the medic struggle.
"Waiting for it to kick in!" Ratchet hissed finally placing the last electrodes on the violet mech's helm. "Primus you're worse than a sparkling." the CMO sighed hitting a button on the monitors nearby, as Soundwave fell into stasis.
"Sounds like you're torturing the kid, Primus Ratch." Ironhide scoffed leaving main set of monitors.
"Hide I'm running important tests, make yourself useful and do as Optimus said before this chaos." Ratchet growled in annoyance as he focused on the monitors.
"What's that?" Ironhide raised optic ridge.
"Go find energon!" Ratchet shouted making the weapon specialist jump.
"Take your twin idiots with you." Arcee scoffed gesturing to the identical mech's on the couch.
"We just got back from patrol!" Sunstreaker whined throwing his helm back.
"Come on you lazy bastards, get your afts moving!" Ironhide shouted herding his adopted sons out of the base.
while reading the monitors Ratchet's facial expression changed from annoyed to worried.
"What is it old friend?" Optimus asked seeing the concern grow on his friends face.
"Something is going on with Soundwave's neuro cluster." Ratchet replied continue to examine the readings.
"Like what?" Arcee asked, concern growing in her spark chamber.
"I'm not sure, it didn't show up on my earlier exams. It's just showing an irregularity, but that's pretty typical for Soundwave and Mirage. But I don't know whether it's new, or just the regular." Ratchet explained to the Prime and femme. "Curse Shockwave and his alien engineering. Everything about these brothers is complex, and beyond my medical knowledge. I would study them more often, if I could get them in my med bay without them being practically offline." The old medic sighed grabbing some sort of odd scope.
"So what's the next step Ratchet?" Optimus asked as Jazz entered the main room.
"I'm going to preform a scoping of Soundwave's processor. If I can find what's causing him these neurological issues before it escalates, I'll be surprised. But mostly I will hopefully be able to cure him." Ratchet replied making a small incision in the young mech's helm.
"Bee's in bed Optimus. Is everything alright?" Jazz asked as he approached the med bay.
"Thank you Jazz. It is unknown at this moment, but we hope there's no issues." Optimus replied to the concerned grey mech.
