Dark Tides Saga

Chapter 9

Darkness

Darkness.

Everything was darkness.

Am I dead?

She could hear her gears whirling, which was both a good sign and bad. Good because she still functioned, bad because her gears weren't supposed to sound like that.

Everlasting darkness.

Where was she?

Why couldn't she see anything?

Detect anything?

Twilight began to panic, a weak, electronic whimper escaping her mechanical lips.

"Be ...calm... Twilight..." Soundwave's monotone had never been such a wonderful sound as it was at that moment.

"S....Soundie...?!" the femme suddenly felt large fingers enclose around her bicep. She started, but quickly relaxed as she figured it was her azure companion who had grabbed her. Afterwards, she could feel the ground sliding slowly beneath her, as if she was being pulled. Twilight reached forward to feel the smooth, metal surface of Soundwave's side. Finally, the always-composed robot finally released his hold. She drew close to his side, finding comfort in his presence in this cold, mysterious place. "W...where are we?"

"Unknown," He answered. The drone of his voice suddenly held a very faint emotional tinge. "Where is Ravage?"

Twilight paused momentarily, trying to remember. "He...I released him and he snuck into the shadows. The Autobots did not see him, as far as I'm aware."

A soft sigh of relief escaped the normally stoic android. The femme shivered, laying her head on Soundwave's shoulder and hugging across his chest...and was startled to feel her hand go -into- his chest cavity. Hearing a quick hiss of pain, Twilight quickly drew her hand back as she realized, to her horror, that her companion's chest had been blown wide open.

Her memory returned to her like a slap in the face.

"S-Soundwave! You're-"

"Do not angst," he responded. It was then she noticed just how weak he sounded, along with it the realization of where they were.

"We're...we're in an Autobot base, aren't we?" Twilight whimpered. Silence was her answer, but it served as confirmation. "We're...going to die here, aren't we...?"

"Do not jump to conclusions," the azure robot answered monotonously.

"How c-can you be s-so calm?!" she stammered, panic threatening to take over once again.

"No better alternative," Soundwave answered.

"But we could die here! W-we have to do something! We have to get out of here!" Twilight cried, raising her head up, which was all she really had the strength to do.

"Impossible," he answered. "We lack required energy."

"Then what do we do?!" Twilight cried.

"Nothing can be done now. Best course of action - wait," Soundwave replied calmly. A soft sob emitted from the silver scientist. "...Twilight?"

The femme covered her face in her hands, not with the intent to hide tears (as Cybertronians were incapable of producing them), but with the purpose of stifling the sounds.

"Oh... H-how did this happen?! I don't want to die, Soundwave! And I know you don't either! Oh, Primus..." Twilight cried.

"Twilight..." It was all he could say.

With a whimper the femme lowered her head back down onto his shoulder and rested her forearm on his chest, careful not to touch the hole that had been blown open. She shivered uncontrollably. "What...are they going to do to us...?"

Twilight's perception circuits felt a gentle touch on her back.

"Do not worry. You will not be harmed. I...guarantee."

It was an empty promise. It was impossible for Soundwave to guarantee such a thing. But Twilight chose to believe it, because at that moment it was all she had to cling to.

----

They took all of the scientists.

Megatron stood amongst the wreckage of his former city, his persimmon eyes resting on the building that he failed to protect.

The warlord clenched his hands into fists with a feral growl. He so despised failure. Not even a single scientist managed to escape, at least as far as he could tell. Primus knows which one of the many Autobot bases they were taken to-

A small growl shocked the Decepticon leader from his thoughts. Megatron turned in the direction of the sound, canon ready incase it was an attacker. Instead, through the shadows cast throughout the room, his persimmon eyes finally picked up a small, slender onyx robot. The creature padded soundlessly out into the light, an android he immediately recognized - Ravage.

----

"W...where ...are we...?" To Twilight's immeasurable relief, another voice suddenly cut through the air. The femme immediately recognized it.

"Bombshell?!" Although it was an immense comfort to hear his voice, it was also offset by apprehension. While she and Soundwave were no longer alone, in her exhaustion her thoughts wandered to dangerous territory. Were they all destined to die in this dark, dark place?

"Twilight...? Damn..." The voice groaned as if he was in the process of pushing himself up to a sitting or standing position. "Looks like... we've gotten ourselves in quite a mess."

"Bombshell...are you ok?" The femme asked worriedly.

"I guess as good as I would be in this situation..." Bombshell's voice murmured. "Kickback seems alright, considering that he's knocked out and everything...Shrapnel?!"

"What?!" Twilight cried, alarmed at the worried tone in her friend's voice.

"Oh...he looks bad," He said mournfully.

"I...I-I can't see.." Twilight tried to push herself up, but felt Soundwave gently but firmly pull her back down.

"Save strength," Soundwave ordered, hugging her tightly with one arm.

"Ohh, Shrapnel...can you hear me, pal?" Bombshell's voice sounded somber.

"C-Can you see?!" the femme cried, now beginning to wonder if the room was dark, or if she was indeed blind.

"Affirmative. Do not angst-" The azure scientist hastily added as Twilight began to squirm nervously. "Lack of energy forced visual system shut down. It is temporary."

"How's Shrapnel...? Soundwave? H-How is he...I can't see..." the femme stammered.

"Cannot be determined," was his response.

A sudden, electronic groan emitted from the darkness. "B-b-b-Bomb-Bombshell-shell?"

"Shrapnel!" Bombshell's voice sounded happy, although the fact that Shrapnel was alive did little to increase any of their chances of survival. At least, in a very small sense, they achieved one victory.

Twilight lifted her head weakly. "Is ...he alright?"

"Not really...but he's alive and that's all that counts," His tone was soft.

"Bombshell.... How are we...going to get out of here...?" the femme asked.

There was a long pause. "I don't know, Twilight... Haven't figured that one out yet."

"What're they going to do...?" She whispered, growing increasingly tired. It was becoming gradually difficult to talk, or think coherently.

"Conserve energy, Twilight," Soundwave droned. "Shutdown is suggested."

"I'm scared..." the femme murmured, laying her head back down limply on her companion's shoulder. "I don't...know what's going to happen..."

"Do not panic," He stated. "Nothing will happen to you."

Her sightless optics darkened. "You...promise..?"

There was a long pause. "...Affirmative. Promise."

----

So the Autobots managed to storm the Decepticon base and capture those scientists, after all.

The neutral Cybertronians - Soundwave and Twilight - the ones who caused his ruin - were amongst those captured.

He now had a large portion of the Autobot's weaker soldiers in his ranks, and even one Decepticon. The war having absorbed both of their hierarchy's attention, they paid little heed to the workings of their lower ranked soldiers.

Excellent.

His plan was going along perfectly.

The pearl femme slowly woke up to find herself once again staring into darkness. Only this time, she couldn't feel Soundwave beside her. She reached forward blindly, her hand only touching emptiness. Was she even in the same room?!

"S-Soundie?!" she whimpered. "B-Bombshell?! Kickback!?! Shrapnel?!!!"

The only answer she got was silence. She still felt so very tired, as if it took all of her waning strength simply to keep her most important systems functioning.

"Soundwave?!" the femme cried. "Soundwave!!"

Where was he?

What if he was dead?!

...What if she was dead?!

"Be still!" a foreign voice snapped. She shivered at the sound.

"Wh-who's there?!" the femme cried.

"That's none of your concern!" The tone was harsh, unfamiliar. She felt a wire connect to her back and she squirmed nervously.

"What are you d-doing?!"

"No more questions!" he snarled. Suddenly, she felt dizzy. Her head lowered back down and her hand limply dropped down to the cold surface she laid on.

----

Flying through the air, Megatron, Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker and the Constructicons headed towards Bekton, the Autobot base that housed most of their scientists and secret projects. It was a heavily guarded terrain, and the group took great heeds to keep from being spotted.

In the Decepticon leader's arms was Soundwave's creation, Ravage.

"Are you sure they're here?" Megatron whispered.

The creature nodded. He didn't know about the other scientists, but knew for a fact that his creator was there. In his very short life, one of the only things he had learned so far was that he shared a special bond with his 'father'. Ravage discovered it the very first time he was placed into Soundwave's chest compartment. Even out of the compartment, he could faintly feel his parent's pulse in his own mind. It assured him that the azure robot was still alive. It also gave him a 'sixth sense' as to the constant knowledge of Soundwave's location.

The warlord landed on the ground several miles from the base and placed the little robot on the ground. He connected a very small camera to Ravage's head. "Alright then, this is your very first assignment. I want you to sneak inside and locate the scientists. I want to make sure that they're there and alive before I mount any kind of attack. The Decepticons can't afford to be careless and waste unnecessary energy...but we also can't afford to allow the Autobots to keep those scientists prisoner. Primus knows what they plan to do with them. Can you handle this, Ravage? If you save the scientists, in turn you will save Soundwave, as he will be amongst them."

It wasn't normally a great idea to send in a newly constructed robot into a crowded enemy base, but Ravage was small and designed specifically for stealth. That, along with the fact that the creature looked as if he'd be able to locate his creator and the others more swiftly and accurately than most, was what made him most suitable for the job.

Ravage nodded, growling softly. Megatron secured the camera. Then the little creature turned and darted toward the base...

-----

With a soft groan, Twilight's systems reactivated. The blinding lights were an immense relief to one who had up until that moment seen nothing but darkness. She felt more invigorated at that moment than she had throughout the past week - as if her energy had been mostly restored. She glanced around to find herself in a laboratory and that was laying on a table. There were other tables alongside her, but they were empty. She was also alone.

The femme tried to get up, and it was then she realized that she was strapped down. Immediately she began to panic. Where was she? Why was she here?! Where were the others?!! After struggling a bit and getting nowhere, she forced herself to calm down.

What would Soundwave do in this situation?

Twilight examined the links that tied her down, finding one that was loose. Glancing around carefully, she wiggled her wrist until she managed to pull it out of the cuff. She then tugged at the band around her other wrist, while wiggling the captured appendage, until finally it, too was free. After that was accomplished, releasing her legs was much easier. Once she was completely free of the bonds, she swung her legs over the table and dropped down.

Pressing her back against the wall by the door, Twilight carefully peered out and down the hallway. She wasn't sure where she was, as far as she knew she and the others could have been rescued. It would have explained the sudden and unexplainable restoration of her vitality. But, then why would her rescuers have her tied down? Seeing no one in the hallway, she moved out of her hiding place and ran. The femme didn't intend to feel safe until she knew exactly where she was. Although it wasn't a good idea to run blindly down the hall, a growing panic was clouding her judgment. If she could just get out of here. If she could just find out where she was without putting herself or anyone else in danger. If only...

...if only she could find the others.

...if only she could find Soundwave.

Rounding the corner, her internal logic had just enough time to tell her that she should have stopped and looked first before she collided with something much larger and heavier than she was. With an 'umph!' the femme fell backwards onto the cold, hard floor and looked up fearfully at her attacker to find...

"Soundie!" Twilight cried, relief thickening her voice. He was standing above her unaided and repaired.

They must have been rescued! Everything was going to be ok!

Although the very edges of her thoughts drifted back to the question as to why she had been strapped down, they were ignored. The femme scrambled onto her feet and threw her arms around his waist in a hug.

"Soundwave...I'm so happy to see you!"

There was no response. He neither returned the gesture nor answered vocally.

Although the azure robot was by nature quiet and unaffectionate, at that moment there was something very, very off about him. An internal alarm went off in Twilight's mind. She slowly pulled back and gazed upon him. "Soundwave...?"

He looked down at her with a frightening air of detachment. He was always known for being aloof...but not like this. Never like this. Underneath Soundwave's generally cold exterior held a fiery passion for everything he did. It wasn't always visible, but it was always there. Always.

But looking up into his golden eyes, she saw nothing.

Golden eyes...

The pearl android's inner mechanics sped up in fear.

"The 'Bots are brainwashing neutrals"

She took a step back.

"These neutrals had never expressed any previous desire to join the Autobots..."

Her emerald optics widened in horror.

"They all came from destroyed colonies...general attitude and behavior changed dramatically."

Soundwave stepped forward, regarding the girl as if she was no more familiar to him than a stranger.

"Their optics turned gold..."

"Primus..."

----

Author's Notes: This chapter seemed to vivid in my mind until it was actually time to write it. _ Nevertheless, I think the ending result was pretty on target. Sorry this took so long (two months, I believe. Ouch.) I hope that the next one won't, but with college and all I can't make any guarantees. Nonetheless, I will one day finish this fic. I never intend to let it sit idle forever. Hmm, for some reason, although I add spaces between scene breaks (sometimes 2 or even 3 lines of space), they don't show up on ff.net. So I've added little --- between the breaks to replace them. Does anyone know why the spaces never show up, even when I add like 4 lines of space? I know it can be confusing without the spaces. Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter and that it made up for all the time you spent waiting for it. XD