Authors Notes:
Hello from ForgottenAlias! Transformers Prime is one of my true loves, and I am excited to see where this story goes. I will also take this moment to say that this story ignores the events of Prime's sequel, Robot's in Disguise… as I do not have time to write around that dumpster fire of a sequel. I am just going to close my eyes and pretend Robot's in Disguise never happened and I invite you all to do the same. Anyway, this story takes place very soon after the events of Predacons Rising. I do love to hear from everyone, so please comment, and of course enjoy!
The dark pressure of Earth's deep ocean was all encompassing, threatening to crush Soundwave from every angle. His senses overwhelmed, his access to his scanners gone. He ignored his weakness, forced it away with the cruel reality before him. Megatron's Sparkless body was there, motionless on the ocean floor, yet out his reach.
A gaping wound grinned across Megatron's chest. A hole now lived where his Spark should have been.
Soundwave willed his master to rise. He wished to give up his own Spark if it meant bringing his master back. Megatron survived worse than this in the Pits of Kaon. He could come back from anything. Soundwave was ready to wait. He wouldn't leave his master, not until his own Spark extinguished.
The water bubbled and the deep violet glow cut through the darkness. Megatron's husk stirred.
Location: Earth. Shadow Zone
Soundwave
Soundwave came back online when Laserbeak's single was in range. He was forced to go into voluntary power downs often to preserve Energon. The strategy would only work to prolong his life for so long.
He stood, taking in Earth's dreary landscape. He was still stuck between dimensions, what the organic juveniles who imprisoned him here had called the "Shadow Zone." It was a separate Flux Space that made influencing the physical plane almost impossible. That was at least what Soundwave had deduced during his time trapped inside of it.
The moment Soundwave was trapped in the Flux Space, he had lost his connection to the Nemesis, and with that his ability to communicate with the Decepticons. No one could see him, or even touch him. He was a specter, rendered powerless for the first time in his many Ano-cycles… He could only watch as Megatron was speared through by the Autobot Scout…
Laserbeak's chirp brought Soundwave's gaze skyward.
There was no useful reason to linger on the recent past. Soundwave noted himself doing so more often as his imprisonment stretched on. 'Remain on task.' It would be key to survival.
Laserbeak was able to preserve Energon more efficiently while in flight. Because of this, Soundwave sent the deployer mini con out to locate possible weak points in the Flux Space. They had been working towards this goal for many human months with little luck. All he needed was to find a way of transmitting his location and predicament.
After endless solar cycles broadcasting his location in hopes of being rescued, he had caught a blip.
This location on Earth, the rocks and plateaus that surrounded him had been the transmission's general position. The blip of a signal had appeared one human month back. Despite putting forth every effort to trace the blip, he had yet to discover the source. He was lacking the scanners, technology, and advantage of the Nemesis, after all.
He had investigated every inch of inhospitable land where he had detected the signal. There was no sign of Cybertronian technology. Save for a single human dwelling a few klicks from his current location, there was no life of any kind. Though he couldn't find it, something around the barren area was trying to lock onto his location. He could only assume it was Decepticon.
Laserbeak latched into his torso, reconnecting into his mainframe. Everything Laserbeak had gleaned on his scouting mission downloaded into Soundwave's processor. The news was bleak. Laserbeak hadn't found anything that could contribute to the radio blip they had followed.
Soundwave saw Laserbeak's Energon levels were low. Through their connection, he shared his own meager supply with the Mini Con. While in the Flux Space, he couldn't touch any Energon he had located, let alone process it into a usable form. Now, he didn't have enough Energon to transform or fly. They were running out of time.
He needed a new strategy. Soundwave needed to find a way out of the Flux Space so he could find Lord Megatron.
When the Yellow Autobot Bumblebee extinguished Megatron's Spark, his master fell from the Nemesis and down to Earth. Still unsure of his own predicament, locked in a different dimension, Soundwave followed him. He located Megatron's body at the bottom of the sea. Soundwave couldn't help, unable to touch Megatron's husk. Unsure what to do, Soundwave had stayed there with his Master. After everything they had been through… everything Megatron had fought to achieve. He was gone, and with him, the Decepticon cause. The war was over, but Soundwave couldn't accept it.
Then, the glow of Dark Energon ripped at Megatron's husk. With violent thrashes and a guttural scream, Megatron revived. Soundwave was still unseen, and Megatron launched into space at impossible speeds, his destination Cybertron, no doubt. Soundwave had no way of catching up, and therefore was stuck on Earth. He had to admit there was a possibility he may never see the glorious day Megatron reclaimed Cybertron.
The visor in front of his optics came to life.
A distorted life signal demanded his attention. Soundwave startled out of his musing and followed the Cybertronian signal with renewed vigor. It was the first time he picked up any life signals in the same dimension as himself. Though the signal was corrupted, the event was promising. If the Bot he was tracking was Decepticon, they could regroup and increase their collective odds of escaping from Flux Space. If it was Autobot, he would have to resort to harvesting their Energon to buy himself and Laserbeak more time.
The ground shook with familiar heavy footsteps of a fellow Cybertronian. Soundwave came around the final rockface to see who shared in his perplexing dilemma, friend, or foe.
He stopped his advance when he had a visual, and saw they were neither.
A twisted metal body lumbered through a human trash heap. The creature's only arm groped at the piles of human discard. Its digits fell through, as was normal in Flux Space.
Soundwave knew this beast. The former Decepticon Skyquake.
He recognized the purple sludge that dripped from Skyquake's husk. Dark Energon had revived him, that was clear. But how had the mindless corpse gotten into Flux Space with him?
Soundwave didn't have time to ponder the query. Skyquake stopped his useless attempts to grab at the trash. He turned, his jaw hung open and leaked Dark Energon into the dirt. Soundwave had spent the past several human months completely unseen. It was strange to have anything, alive or otherwise, behold him in any way.
But the gaze Skyquake's reanimated corpse gave Soundwave was hungry. Primal. A guttural snarl reverberated through Skyquake's twisted remains. The beast's focus was locked. He rushed at Soundwave with murderous intent.