Author Notes: I know I should be working on other fics, but I really got bitten with the idea and had to get it out. I seriously love Bulkhead...I love him so much. I also love Soundwave and feel rob of more of him in TFA. Since I love both, figure I would do this and combined my favourite tropes. Not sure when I will update but only plan a few chapters but not sure how many lol

Anyway, enjoy!

Oh! Also created a tumble account - naiad-dream-way - and you all can drop by and chat if you want

It was her fault.

She should have listened to Bulkhead when he told her to stop fooling around with her key on Soundwave. That maybe it wasn't such a great idea to use it all the time to solve all of her problems. It was just so easy, and it was the key that made her feel special, that the Allspark picked her to do something important. Not because of who her dad was.

The Autobots were her friends. They were the only ones since all the other kids hung around her because of who her dad was.

Maybe deep down, Sari thought the only reason they stay around her was that the AllSpark gave her the key.

And now her stupid mistake was about to destroy the whole city.
The only thing that could stop Soundwave now was the Autobots.
That was proven when Bulkhead fell into the sewers and push through the robot masses. To see the oversize green bot, Sari could feel some hope that things would be ok. There's no way that Soundwave could take down Bulkhead.

"Bulkhead!"

"Sari!? Are you ok?!" shouted Bulkhead, taking a few steps before Soundwave started to attack.

Using his array of speakers, he played a loud series of noisy music. Sari whence as it hurt her ears but seem to have a different effect on Bulkhead. The Autobot cried in pain and gripped his head. It had to be whatever Soundwave used to control all the other robots. It must hurt the Autobot somehow. But there is no way Soundwave could control Bulkhead or any of the other bots. They were alien robots! No way something her dad built would overpower them…

But she did use her key on him a lot…

Watching Bulkhead stumble and crash into the ground, Sari felt the worry start to eat again at her. No, Bulkhead couldn't let this overgrown stereo get one over him like that.

"Soundwave: Wishes not to harm another machine," explained the blue robot, stopping the music coming from his speaker.

"You got a funny way of showing it," grumbled Bulkhead, struggling to get himself back up. "Release Sari right now."

"Request: Denied."

"You're not going to deny this!"

Bulkhead charged at Soundwave, which seemed to have caught the mechanical menace off-guard. The two robots crash hard into the wet sewer, causing the whole area to shake as if hit by a large earthquake. The force was enough for both Sari and Tutor Bot flying backwards with the controlled bot to hit the wall and let go of Sari.

Sari stumbled back onto her feet and watched as Bulkhead fought off Soundwave, both trying to gain the upper hand over the other. It was a fearsome battle of the titans and something Sari would typically be all over if she weren't worried for Bulkhead.

"Bulkhead!" she cried out.

"Get out of here, Sari!" urged Bulkhead, delivering a punch to Soundwave's face. "Get the others while I take care of this Con-wannabe."

Standing there in fear, Sari didn't want to go. She wanted to help him. To do something to make up for being such a jerk to Bulkhead. He had warned her the whole time to stop with the key, then that Soundwave acted up. How did she treat him? Like he was a jerk. That he was jealous of her birthday gift, a stupid toy, she had gotten.

Now, he was risking his very life for her.

And all she could do was turn tail and run.

"I'll get Optimus and the others! Don't worry!"

She just had to hold on hope that Bulkhead could last that long or that maybe he would take out Soundwave beforehand.

Watching Sari make her escape, Bulkhead felt some of the weight lifted off of his shoulders. She was ok. She would be safe. Safer than being around as he knocked Soundwave's block off. He could let loose now. With his wrecking ball, he swung it hard at Soundwave. The former toy merely blasted it with another one of his sound blasts to set it crashing to the sewer wall.

"Inquire: Autobot should give up and join. Machines are superior to organic lifeforms," suggested Soundwave.

"Uh Nah," grunted Bulkhead, pulling hard to get his wrecking ball loose from the bricks. "Not listening to that slag you're spewing."

Not letting Bulkhead get the upper hand again, Soundwave took to blasting his music. Bulkhead cried out in pain as it felt his processor was ripping into two. It felt like someone was digging inside it and trying to scoop it out. His knees buckled, and he gripped his head with his one remaining hand.

"Soundwave: Superior."

Bulkhead struggled to look up, to see Soundwave's form standing over him. The music continued to thump along, and it was took everything the Autobot had from just collapsing offline right now. The only thing that Bulkhead could do was pray that Sari was able to find the others. That together, they would beat Soundwave down to a tape deck.

"Pointless to struggle, waste of energy and completely illogical course of action."

"N-N-No way, I ain't going to let you hurt my friends," sneered Bulkhead.

"Inquire: Didn't the human abandon you first? Toss you aside for a new toy. She also failed to listen to your warnings without any regard for your feelings."

Soundwave reached down and grabbed ahold of Bulkhead's head. His processor thumbed along with the music. The pain was there, but slowly, he felt himself becoming a tad more numb to it. He sneered at the robot's masked face with nothing but pure hate while concerning at the back of his aching processor for why the others hadn't come yet.

"Fellow Autobots are similar with their interaction. You follow their wills, their needs, and they do not regard any of your own. You wish to learn and get mocked for it, belittled for your mistakes."

Memories started to come up from the back of his mind. All the times from when someone said how clumsy he was, how Bulkhead seem to break everything he touched, every little mistake he made back on Cybertron and here on Earth. That only thing he was good for was for breaking things.

"Solution: Disregard Autobots."

"Sh-Shut up," said Bulkhead. He tried to get away, break free and get back up. Nothing work as his body felt too heavy, how the music played was softer, and he felt himself wanting to drift off to recharge. No, had to stay online, had to get away.

"Talents wasted. Autobots have no clue of talents and true strength," continued Soundwave, holding Bulkhead's head tight. He made sure that the Autobot couldn't turn his head away from him. That the only thing Bulkhead could focus on was him and him alone. "Only logical option is to join with me."

"You're crazy."

"No, the only solution. You're more than your frame, so much more," said Soundwave. "I require support, an ally in the name of the revolution. Together we can change everything."

"N-N-No," Bulkhead weakly protested. He felt so tired, tired of all of this. The others were sure taking their time. Maybe they finally decided they were done with him? They got Sari back, the key. They didn't need to worry about him anymore. Why was he always the last one they thought about? Why did they treat him like some joke?

Why did the music sound so nice?

"I'm a better ally than the other Autobots. Respect your opinion, your ideas. I know what you hungry for, dreams of being a builder of bridges across space. Join me, and we can deliver this together. I will never betray you."

Bulkhead couldn't even mouth a protest. How could he when Soundwave was right. All he wanted to do was build space bridges. To be a part of a repair crew might not have been glamorous, but he could do what he loved. Work on the tech and fiddle around with the bridges. No one understood it, his dreams. Just cause his plans for his future weren't big didn't make them any less important.

Soundwave's music was so gentle. It made him relax. All worries and concerns flew out the window.

He never could find his place. Not back at the farms, boot camp and even part of the repair crew and here on Earth. He never could fit in anywhere. Everyone always assumed he was stupid. They just talked over him like he didn't get it. Bulkhead got it but didn't say anything cause he didn't want to make waves. He kept his head down and let it happen.

The music…it felt so good…

Maybe…maybe he needed to go somewhere where he could be-

"Bulkhead!"

It didn't take long for Sari to find Bumblebee. Once she saw him, the two of them drove back down the sewer to get back to Bulkhead as fast as the minibot could go. Both filled with worry and concern over their large friend. Who knew what Soundwave could do? He had control over all the robots in the city. Bulkhead could be outnumbered and overpowered!

But all their fears were for nothing.

Right, where Sari had left, the two robots duelling stood Bulkhead. He was drawing in his wreaking ball while being surrounded by hundreds of small domestic robots. Soundwave must have used them to build himself that new body he had been using. Now there was no sign of the former music toy around.

Sari jumped right out of Bumblebee to let him transform before the two of them ran towards Bulkhead, shouting his name.

"Huh? Oh hey guys," said Bulkhead, waving his hand at them before being tackled by the two. The two held tight to their giant friend, both filled with happiness and relief that he was ok.

"That worried about me?" laughed Bulkhead.

"Yes! It was crazy up there," said Bumblebee. "All the robots in the city were attacking is. You wouldn't believe what was inside one of those Trash Bots. I didn't know how you were going to take down Soundwave by yourself."

"Sorry," said Bulkhead, looking a tad embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his head. "But it looks like everything is back to normal now, right?"
"Yeah, how did you do it, Bulkhead?" asked Sari.

"Just gave him the good ole one-two," said Bulkhead, punching the air. "He wasn't that strong with all these smaller robots as armours…but not sure where his actual body is."

"I wouldn't worry about it," laugh Bee. "You must have smashed his pieces until Soundwave had left nothing of him."

"Yeah…Sorry for destroying your toy, Sari."

"It's ok, Bulky," said Sari, patting the big bot's leg. "I rather have you as a friend than some stupid toy any day."

To see Bulkhead smile down at her made her feel that everything was going to be ok. She would need to make it up to Bulkhead once they got themselves out of this stinky sewer.

"Let's get out of here. Boss Bot got to be worried about us by now," said Bumblebee. The two bots transformed, and Sari got back inside Bee before they were all zipped out of the area. All three of them were feeling that they did a good job here.

But only two of them failed to notice the figure moving behind them.

Or for the faint sound of synth music echoing off the sewer's walls.