27: Silverstar's Journey
Chapter 27 - Minus One
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers Prime or the franchise. All characters (except Riley/Silverstar) belong to Hasbro.
::Hello:: - Bumblebee Talking
"Hello" - Normal Talking
'Hello' - Thoughts
*Hello* - Cybertronian Talking
=Hello= - Over the phone or Comm
/Hello/ - Bond
—
(Reader's POV)
Ratchet had completed making a new appendage for Ultra Magnus, attaching it on the very morning.
Everyone stood by and watched to see the final result. The kids stood on the platform, feeling bad for the mech, especially Miko. Riley had her hands on the girl's shoulders for comfort.
After some time, Ratchet stopped his welder and turned to the others.
"I've done everything I can, considering the limitations of my equipment and less than ideal spare parts." He stepped aside to reveal a claw like hand, a pirate's hook if you will. It only had two finger like claws with a shorter one on the opposite side.
"It remains uncertain if Ultra Magnus' new appendage will be fit for battle. Though it should prove functional, after the requisite amount of therapy."
"That is all we can hope for, old friend." Ratchet only nodded to Optimus' statement.
Arcee looked over to Wheeljack and asked if he was doing ok.
"I'm still two-fisted." He replied certainly not happy.
"So is Magnus." She assured him back.
'I mean, only one fist...' Riley thought to herself, making a tiny snicker. But she quickly hid it with a cough and pretended she thought nothing.
Smokescreen turned to Bumblebee, coming up with something funny...to him it was, at first.
"Wait and see, the claw is going to be his signature. You know, like the way you own that voice box Ratchet slapped in your throat."
::What? You realize nobody can understand me except you guys, right?:: Bee turned around angrily, ranting a bit to himself.
Smokescreen tried to save himself, but ended up digging a bigger hole. "I mean, everyone understands you fine! Why would you even consider getting it fixed now, am I right-"
::No you are not!:: Bee interrupted before storming off.
::'Everyone understands you fine', I still like my old voice and much rather it, scrap head.:: He started ranting to himself.
"Bee, wait." Riley called out, sliding down the ladder and running after him.
Miko turned to Raf and asked what Bee has said, to which the boy translated that Bee still liked his old voice.
"Hey, look at the bright shiny side, Commander Magnus and Jackie single handedly put the kibosh on Project Predacon!" Bulkhead enthusiastically said.
"Though at least one beast that we know of remains. The one who has demonstrated the ability to transform." Optimus added.
(~With Bee and Riley~)
"Bee, come on. He didn't mean it. That was just a joke, he didn't know you were sensitive still."
Bee just kept walking angrily until he reached the back of the Hangar.
"Bumblebee...uh...you don't have a last name so this isn't effective..." Riley quickly went back to what she was going to do. "Bumblebee, if you don't talk to me, I'm going to have to attack you with sisterly love."
The scout just faced the wall, beeping occasionally in anger that couldn't be translated to anything. It was like his own personal language.
"I'll throw a wrench at you?" Riley tried, but no reaction.
"Ratchet will throw multiple wrenches at you?"
"We hand you over to the cons?"
"...I give up. Just talk to me, please?"
::About what?:: Bee turned his helm slightly but still pouting.
"There we go, he talks!" She could feel his optic roll from here. "You know Smokey didn't mean that and I'm sure you miss your voice dearly. I would offer mine but I don't think you want to sound like a girl."
::It's my original voice, my real voice, that I miss.:: He admitted.
"Well, when-"
::If:: Bee corrected.
"When Cybertron is restored, I'll personally make sure that there's a way for you to get your voice box back. I know it means a lot to ya, and missing something so important...well, I know how it feels."
He stayed quiet before letting his shoulders slouch a bit. ::This isn't something worth worrying about. There's way more important things. I'm just being a moody bot.::
"No you aren't, it's perfectly ok." Bee gave her the look and she sighed. "Ok, maybe a tiny bit. But that's it."
"Prime!" Fowler called out. Bee and Riley joined back with the rest of the team to see what the Agent needed or had to say now.
"We have trouble brewing. The cons staged a smash-and-grab at the Los Alamos nuclear plant late last night, and made off with 20 tons of control rods." Fowler explained.
"What are the Decepticons looking to build?" Optimus questioned to himself.
The team was left to wonder with that, coming up with realistic to crazy ideas, half jokingly and half not.
Agent Fowler had left for something, most likely to do with the government and wanting explanations.
For the first time, in a long time, Riley finally got a chance to talk with her dad. No more Project Predacon, Magnus was down for the count as of recently, no new threats besides the one coming now, and no reason to leave or do anything.
It was awkward at first, like the two had just met each other, but the conversation gained some momentum after a couple of randomly selected subjects.
Smokescreen got a chance to apologize to Bee, which he accepted. The two were laughing like buddies after.
An hour later and Fowler called up, saying the it was the Decepticons again, but in process of doing something.
"Coordinates received, Agent Fowler." Ratchet said, pulling the lever and activating the groundbridge.
"Let's roll." Ultra Magnus started approaching it but was stopped by the doc.
"Yip yip, your ability to 'roll' remains predicated upon further exploration of your manual dexterity."
Magnus looked at his prosthetic, which further proved Ratchet's point.
"I'm afraid that Ratchet's authority supersedes my own in medicals matters." Optimus informed the commander, who caved in and agreed to stay behind. Wheeljack, who was starting to warm up to the commander, didn't like the idea of Magnus being left out.
Optimus, Arcee, Wheeljack, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, and Silverstar went through and arrived in their alt modes.
They drove in a 'V' formation, going after a group of Vehicons, who were leaving the nearby plant with an item in hand.
A groundbridge had appeared for them, which they went through immediately while firing at the bots. Optimus was suspicious however, and looked up with his side view mirror. Low and behold, Soundwave was flying right above them.
Lazerbeak detached and started heading to Optimus, who quickly transformed and flew up, guiding the mini-con away.
The rest of the team kept speeding, hoping to catch the con troops but ended up failing. They skirted to a stop and watched the air battle ensue.
Optimus had turned around suddenly and punched Lazerbeak, catching them off guard and sending them to the ground.
Soundwave decided to try and retreat, so the Prime took his mini gun out and starting shooting. It was getting harder for the surveillance chief to dodge, eventually getting clipped on the underside of his alt and soaring to the ground.
On the way, he crashed into some power lines and got tangled within the wires. The electricity started flowing through him, and in time it knocked Soundwave out cold.
Optimus landed next to him as the others transformed and ran towards the scene. Lazerbeak watched from afar in the sky, eventually taking the opportunity and fleeing back to the Nemesis.
"Ratchet, reopen the groundbridge, but ensure that the humans are kept at a safe distance. For we will be returning with a Decepticon prisoner."
Silver crouched down and cautiously poked him, getting a tiny shock.
"Ow!" Instinctively, she put her digit in her intake to soothe the burn but realized she wasn't human, so she took it out and shook it around instead.
Wheeljack and Bee began to carefully unravel Soundwave from the mess, Smokescreen and Optimus being on standby incase the con tried to move or escape.
"Hey Bulk, remember when you did this?" Arcee asked, pointing at Soundwave and the wires.
"What? Oh...'Cee. Don't bring that up, the memory was-"
"-Shocking?" Silver asked, holding back a laugh back.
"Look what ya did, now she's making fun of it." Bulk pouted playfully.
Silverstar gave him a smug look. "I dare you to do it again, Arcee said you were dancing from the shock." She pointed at the still intact lines.
"I am never doing that again, and nothing will ever convince me to try."
"All done chief, we just carry him out now?" Wheeljack looked to Optimus, who nodded.
The groundbridge was already open, so taking Soundwave through would hopefully be quick.
Once they did, Jack had to hold Miko back from running towards them and seeing Sounders up close.
They put Soundwave on the only berth in the Hangar, activating restraints just as he was waking up. Of course he immediately started trying to get out but he was good as stuck.
"Because we have the foresight to shield our new base, our captive will be unable to transmit his coordinates to the Decepticon warship." Ratchet reported, making sure Soundwave heard him.
"Nor will they in turn be able to pinpoint his location." Optimus added.
Wheeljack smashed his fists together threateningly. "Guess we have all the time in the world to make Mr Personality tell us everything he knows."
"The cons surveillance chief must know a lot, right?" Jack said to the other humans.
"But Soundwave doesn't speak...does he?" Miko wondered, making her interest grow. Fowler, who had returned now, was on standby to grab her.
Silver turned to around and put a servo next to her mouth. "Pretty sure I heard him talking to Lazerbeak once."
Raf shuddered a bit. "Does he even have a face?" Silver thought for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, turning back to the mech.
Optimus straightened himself out before beginning his peaceful approach of interrogation.
"Why is Megatron stealing human technology? What is he attempting to build?" Optimus asked, trying to get any answer out.
Soundwave decided to play around with the bots and started remixing Optimus' voice...with music!
"Wh-Wh-Why is Megatron t-t-technology. Wh-Wh-What is he attempting to build - to build."
(Indented parts like these, were high pitched)
"Woah, Optimus Prime, The Remix!" Miko exclaimed.
Soundwave showed a smiley face on his visor after, which made Optimus back up a bit.
The guardian trio suddenly got aggressive, Bulkhead even going as far as bringing his wrecking ball out.
"Oh yeah? Why don't I wipe that smile right off his face."
"Easy you three." Silver quickly held her arms out and got in front of them. Last thing she wanted was to see someone get beaten up.
Yeah he was Soundwave, and he did horrible things alongside Megatron, but she didn't believe in physical interrogation or hurting someone who couldn't defend themselves. No matter the bot or con.
But that's exactly what Optimus was planning to do. "Soundwave, we have treated you fairly. For the sake of the natives of this planet, tell us what Megatron is attempting to build. Before we forced to rely upon less civil methods of interrogation."
Soundwave started blasting a mixture of a low sounding horn, car alarms, and a high pitch whistle like sound going on every milisecond.
Everyone held their ears and audio receptors, wincing their eyes and optics, wishing for it to stop.
When it finally ended, Ratchet was the first to speak. "Scrap this! Soundwave is no ordinary Cybertronian, inside or out! So I would strongly suggest opening him up, so we can have a first hand look at the information recorded on his drives."
Bulkhead, Bee, and Arcee exchanged confused glances, wondering how Ratchet or anyone could achieve that.
"Ratchet, I'm sure we can get him to talk." Silver quickly stepped in.
"He isn't cooperating, it's the only option we have left." Ratchet argued.
Soundwave wasn't taking any chances however, beginning to take all the data he had stored and erasing it.
"Uh oh." Arcee noticed. Bulkhead confused it for something else. "Alright, he's downloading data."
"No, he's erasing data." Ratchet corrected.
Once he was done, his visor went totally black before showing a sound wave on it.
"Soundwave superior, Autobots inferior." Soundwave said, with his real voice, before going into shutdown stasis.
Everyone was completely wide eyed, mouthes gaped open for a good minute.
"Is he..." Bulkhead began to ask. Ratchet scanned Soundwave before denying.
"His vital signs remain functional. It seems he has simply severed all communications by crashing his own drives."
Nobody knew what to do now. Was there even a way to wake Soundwave up?
Optimus told the others to go back to whatever they were doing, as standing around wouldn't bring Soundwave back.
Fowler suddenly left base, calling in to Optimus as of why. =Prime, these recent con heists has General Bryce breathing down my neck. So I gotta get back to the barbecue today for another grilling.=
"Understood, Agent Fowler." Optimus somewhat lied. He got the gist of what he was trying to say, but never understood why Fowler had to word things in such a manner. "And rest assured, should our prisoner return online, we will resume our interrogation."
=Sounds like a plan, I'll get back to base as soon as possible.=
The call ended and everyone could only wait for something to happen. Whether that was another Decepticon heist or Soundwave doing anything.
It wasn't till the night, when the kids went home and Fowler was returning back, did something occur.
=I'm on my way to the base, but I just got word. The cons busted into the Solaris particle collider project in the South Pole.=
Optimus turned to the others, who had gathered around to hear the message.
"Autobots-" Optimus never finished as the Commander moved his servo, better this time around.
He now had better control over his replacement servo, even demonstrating it, but Ratchet still stopped him from going out.
"Doc, the Commander's ready." Wheeljack intervened.
Ratchet looked at the two before allowing it wearily. He pretty much gave up with the two. He went over to the bridge controls and entered the coordinates.
"Bulkhead, Silverstar, Smokescreen, remain here with Ratchet to guard our prisoner. Everyone else, transform and roll out!"
The group left in a matter of moments, leaving the four bots behind. Bulk, Smokey, and Silver turned to Soundwave who still rested peacefully on the berth restrained.
"Can we throw a tarp over him? He's creeping me out." Bulkhead shivered.
"I don't think we have a big enough tarp." Silver whispered, which made Bulk get weirded out a bit more.
Smokescreen started playing around. "It's like he's watching, no matter where you go."
"Would you three stop focusing on what Soundwave can or cannot see, and help me figure out what he did not tell. Like why Megatron would be interested in something believed to generate enough power to create a black hole."
"Black holes? So Megatron's looking to swallow up the known universe?" Smokescreen asked.
"And everything in it?" Bulkhead added to the question.
Silverstar looked confusingly at the others. "Why would he do that?"
As they were questioning it, Fowler came in and went inside his office.
Ratchet quickly dismissed their ideas. "No no, he would merely want to harness the power of something capable of swallowing worlds. In order to...create one...oh my..." Ratchet figured it out suddenly and rushed to the monitors to contact Optimus.
"What? Are you guys on the same train he is?"
Both Bulkhead and Smokescreen shook their helms.
"Optimus, I know this seems hardly the time but it may aid you in your task."
=Go ahead.=
"I believe that Megatron may be attempting to rebuild the Omega Lock. Do we let him?"
=No, for you know as well as I, that Megatron will use a reconstructed lock to Cyberform both Cybertron and Earth. And that is one abuse of power that we cannot allow.=
Ratchet, not wanting that answer exactly, sighed in disappointment. "Understood."
The other three noticed and tried comforting him.
"It may not be the Forge or the Omega Lock, but we're gonna find a way to get our planet repaired." Smokescreen told him determined.
"We promise, so turn that frown upside down old man!" Silver took her digits and tried moving Ratchet's mouth up, to which he swatted her away chuckling.
"See? Much better."
Fowler came out of his office, making the bots turn their helms for a second at the noise. Just as they did, Lazerbeak crashed through one of the windows to the Hangar doors.
"Oh no." Ratchet said before the mini-com opened fire on them.
They all ducked out of way, giving the con a chance to shoot the restraints off Soundwave.
Smokescreen got up off the ground and shot at Lazerbeak, taking off a part of their wing but not immobilizing it. They bashed into Smokey before flying around to distract the bots.
The ones who had blasters shot at them, now missing every shot until Lazerbeak was reunited with Soundwave. The surveillance chief woke up and saw the new task assigned, delivered by the mini-con.
Bulkhead equipped his wrecking ball and swung down, only for Soundwave's tentacles to push him away and down, sending volts of electricity into him. The same was done with Smokescreen.
Silverstar quickly got her blade out and slashed the one on Bulkhead, cutting the tentacle off completely. But it was too late, as Bulk was down.
Smokescreen was as well, freeing up the other one. Silver managed to dodge it coming at her until it swung with full force, knocking her into the wall. She continued shooting at Soundwave, who just hit Fowler aside like nothing. He was attempting to surprise attack with an extinguisher.
Soundwave got the upper hand in the end, taking Silverstar out the same way he did with the previous mechs.
He approached Ratchet, raising his remaining tentacle menacingly before taking the medic out. Collecting his cut off limb and the doc, he requested a groundbridge and left the scene.
He repeated his message from earlier, which he had recorded.
"Soundwave Superior, Autobot's Inferior."
—
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