The teachers stood silent at the confession of Soundwave. They hadn't expect the silent 'Con to actually say that he killed Shockwave. Before anyone else could comment, Soundwave began fishing something from subspace and pulled it out.
A bent nail.
"Who knew something so innocuous could lead to my doom," Soundwave said to himself, staring at the nail for a few seconds before letting it drop to the ground, the sound resonating loudly to the room. "I believe it is now time to vote," he told the room.
"You got that right, Sounders! Would everybody pull out their electroID? I've added a new program to it." Everybody paused before reaching for their electroID. The only ones who didn't hesitate were Soundwave and Wildrider. Nightbeat turned his on and saw the new program added to it, labeled simply as 'Voting'. He turned it on to see thirty square panels, each with a name and colored picture of a teacher on them. The only odd one out was Shockwave, who had a black and white picture with a bloody, blue X on it. Nightbeat quickly looked for Soundwave and clicked on it. His picture suddenly went full-screen with a small text window asking 'yes' or 'no' if he was the culprit. Nightbeat quickly clicked yes and the text window went away to the picture of Soundwave, now exactly like Shockwave's.
Nightbeat looked up to see most of them were already done, with a few stragglers still haven't voted. They eventually got done until it was down to Beachcomber. He was still struggling with voting until he put the device down. "No way, man. I'm not voting. This is horrible," he said.
"What! You have to!" the bear threatened.
"It's not in the school rules," Beachcomber told him, crossing his arm and looking away from him.
"He has a point," Onslaught agreed, taking pity on the small blue bot. "It isn't in the school rules so you can't punish him for it."
"I thought it was," Monobear complained, looking at the rules.
"You said attendance was mandatory. You said nothing about voting being mandatory," Onslaught told him.
"Participation," Monobear read out.
"Yes, and he has already participated, therefore he isn't required to vote," Onslaught told him. The bear looked at it with a frustrated look before saying
"Fine. His vote will be disregarded this time," Monobear threaten, "but expect another rule to be coming up after the trial ends. " Beachcomber gave a sign of relief as he put his electroID up. "Now then, time to tally the votes! Did you choose correctly? Did you –"
"Oh, get it over with," Soundwave ordered. The bear looked shock before conceding.
"Fine, everybody looked at the slot machine," he told them. Everybody looked confused until they saw a slot machine on the wall.
"I don't remember that being there," Hound mentioned.
"Anyway, let's start it up!" Monobear said. The slot machine started going quickly before it landed on three pictures of Soundwave. All of sudden, a burst of confetti and coins erupted from the machine, causing some confused looks from everybody. "Congratulations! You got it right, you slaggers! Soundwave, the Ultimate Communications Expert, murdered Shockwave, the Ultimate Logician. It was a clean sweep, too. Aside from Beachcomber, everybody voted for Soundwave, including Soundwave himself."
"Was there an outcome more obvious?" Soundwave asked.
"Probably not," the bear confessed.
"Why?" Jazz asked of Soundwave. "Why did you murdered Shockwave?"
"Shouldn't that be obvious? We all got one."
"The video!"
"Exactly."
"But what was in the video?" Jazz asked.
"That I won't tell," Soundwave told him.
"Well then, good thing I will!" the bear said as he brought out a giant screen from out of nowhere. Soundwave's face quickly formed a look of apprehension before returning to a neutral look.
The video came up to show a video clip of Soundwave working on a console with Laserbeak and Buzzsaw on his shoulders. In the background, you could see Frenzy and Rumble messing with each other and Ravage laying contently on the floor. "Awwww, look at Soundwave with all of his minicons. He cares so much about them, like he would for a protoform." Suddenly, static appeared, blocking the screen before the video came back on, showing an image of Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy, and Buzzsaw laying on the floor, unmoving. "Oh no, whatever happened to them! If Soundwave wants to find out, he'll have to graduate to see them!"
The video came to an end and everybody was feeling a little sick. They had seen why Soundwave killed and it felt too private for them to intrude on. Soundwave looked unaffected by it. He just stand there, solitary.
"Now that the motive's been reveal, let's get on with the execution!" the bear shouted.
"One more request," Soundwave said as he stared at everyone.
"What, you murderer," Monokuma asked.
"Skywarp, I request that you take care of Laserbeak," Soundwave said as Laserbeak disengaged from his chest and flew around the room until it landed on Skywarp's podium. "I am sorry for framing you," Soundwave said to the prankster.
"That's okay, dude. I forgive you," Skywarp said, as he stared at the creature on his podium. It was the least he could do.
"I want all of you to make sure he treats him nicely," Soundwave ordered. Everyone gave a nod of approval. "Nightbeat."
"Yes."
"You were almost completely accurate with your assessment. Just one thing, I didn't know Shockwave had the acid from the security cameras."
"What, than how did-"
"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss that," Soundwave said. "For their sake."
"Who-" but Soundwave cut him off again.
"And for the rest of you, just one more thing. The videos that we all saw? They are all real," he told them simply.
With that, a chorus of questions was all asked at the same time, wondering if he was speaking the truth.
"Very well, I believe it's time for me to go. Hopefully, the rest of you can live through this and kill this vermin," Soundwave said.
"Well, since you're done, we can finally get to the first execution!" the bear said as he twisted behind him to bring out a gavel. Suddenly, a small podium came out of the floor with a big, red button at the top of it. Monobear brought his arm up and brought the gavel down on the button with a loud bang.
GAME OVER
Soundwave has been found guilty
Commencing execution
Soundwave stood stock still as the judgment had been given. He seemed to have accepted his fate with an eerie calm. The others were staring, waiting to see what happens.
Without warning, two chain came out of wall and latched on to his right wrist and right ankle and pulled hard. Soundwave didn't have much time to react as he was quickly pulled to the wall, impacting hard.
Soundwave stayed in mid-air, hanging from the chains. Soundwave wondered what the point of the chains was when he heard the distinct sound of a portal opening.
THE PROBLEM WITH PORTALS
Soundwave quickly flicked his gaze over to the forming portal right above the debate circle. Most of the onlookers were wondering what was going on as more chains came from the portal and wrapped themselves around Soundwave's left wrist and ankle and started pulling him towards it.
The chains from the wall didn't try to pull as Soundwave dragged towards the portal. Right before he reached the portal, the chains from the wall started pulling again, bringing Soundwave to a halt right before the portal.
The chains proceeded to play a game of tug-of-war with each other, with the chains from the portal slowly winning as Soundwave was dragged closer and closer to the ominous green light. Slowly he began entering the portal.
Everyone watched as Soundwave was gradually entering the portal. He was a quarter a way there; then he was a halfway there.
And then the portal closed.
One half of Soundwave was on the other side of the portal.
The other side was with the onlookers as the body started pouring energon on them as the chains pulled the body backed to the wall, landing with a hard crunch!
With that, the right side of Soundwave hanged limply from the wall.
The reaction was immediate as everyone digested the brutal display that they saw. The immediate reaction was screaming, none louder than…
"My finish!" Knock Out yelled out in anguish, as he was positively drenched in Soundwave's energon.
"Is that all you have to complain about?" Ratchet asked the vain medic, equally covered in Soundwave's energon.
"Look at me!" Knock Out complained, looking positively blue."Are we done with the trial?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah," Monobear replied.
"Then I'm getting out of here," Knock Out said, running to the elevator.
"Dudes, what the hell was that?" Beachcomber asked, keeping his optics away from the body of Soundwave, his body still dripping with energon.
"That was an execution, silly!" Monobear replied. "Thanks for speaking, by the way. The annoying sound of you voice reminded me of the new rule that I needed to put in. Expect it before night ends," Monobear told him.
"We should… head back to our rooms," Onslaught told everybody, his disgust for what he saw barely held back.
"Why? That was awesome!" Wildrider shouted as he turned to the bear. "You have one set up for me?" he asked.
"Of course, silly. I have one for everyone in case they commit a murder and get caught. What kind of bear would I be if I didn't?" the bear asked. "A bad one, that's what!"
"Wildrider, get help," Dead End told him as he walked to the elevator, wanting to rinse off the energon off him.
"So, that's it? We just head back to our room and pretend like nothing ever happened?" Bumblebee asked the room.
"It would appear so," Chromedome said. "Come on Rewind," he ordered, lightly shaking his shoulder. Rewind shook himself out of the dazed of seeing Soundwave die and went to the elevator, Chromedome in tow. Bumblebee stared at the two before following along.
Slowly, everyone drifted out of the room and into the elevator, leaving only three people left: Nightbeat, Skywarp, and Laserbeak. Nightbeat was watching Skywarp comfort the grieving Laserbeak.
"Hey, it's alright. He's in a better place now," Skywarp said, trying to comfort him. The minicon gave little beeping noises to Skywarp in reply. "Yes, I'm sure. Don't even say that."
"Do you need help?" Nightbeat asked.
"Uh, oh, nah, I'm fine. Hey, thanks for proving me innocent today," Skywarp told him as he continue petting Laserbeak.
"It the least I can do," Nightbeat replied.
Laserbeak gave angry beeps at him.
"Hey, watch your mouth!" Skywarp chastised.
Angry beeps.
"Yes, I know, but if he didn't, than we would all be dead. It was either him or us and their was nothing we could to prevent it," Skywrp told him.
Laaserbeak gave sad beeps as it it huddled close to himself, lonely without it's orginal owner.
"Hey, you know what I think would cheer you up?" Skywarp asked.
Inquisitive beeps.
"You being the Ultimate Pet!" Skywarp cheered. Laserbeak looked at him blankly. "Is that okay?" he asked.
Laserbeak stood still for a moment before giving a single beep.
"Excellent! Welcome to the group!"
Laserbeak
Ultimate Pet
Formally the pet of Soundwave, the oddly shaped minicon is one of the smallest in the Decepticon Army but follows all of its orders to the letter with ruthless efficiency. It is also pretty cute when it wants to be.
"Are you both happy?" Nightbeat asked.
"Yep!"
"Alright, let's get out of here," Nightbeat said as he headed to the elevator.
"Don't have to tell us twice," Skywarp replied as Laserbeak connected to his chest and they both walked out of there and to the elevator. Blurr started the elevator, closing the door and leading them back to the first floor.
And Soundwave's carcass laid hanging on the wall.
Nightbeat stepped out of his room, having washed Soundwave's energon off of his body. It was nearing eleven as he walked through the halls, planning on heading to the lunchroom to snag a cube of energon before recharging the night. He reached the staircase when he heard a ruckus upstairs.
"Hound has something to show us." Blurr.
"What?" Ratchet.
"It's has something to do with those videos and Earth."
"What do you mean?"
"Come find out for yourself."
Intrigue, Nightbeat follow the two up the stairs as they enter the A/v room where the three previously mentioned, as well as Perceptor, the Combaticons, Beachcomber, Nautilator, Rewind, Chromedome, and Bludgeon. They were all about to watch something on the big screen.
"What's going on?" Nightbeat asked.
"Nightbeat, sit down and watch and your questions will be answered," Hound said as he started the video. Nightbeat quickly took a seat and watched what came up on the screen.
The video started and they were greeted with five square videos of things going on at Earth. They were labeled New York, Paris, Giza, Tokyo, and random, beautiful plain. "Aw, look at these wonderful visas on Earth," Monobear said, and they all had to agreed that the places looked god enough. All of the them had plenty of people in them, a family taking children to looked at the Statue of Liberty, a small crowd gazing at the top of the Eiffel tower, tourist looking at the Great Sphinx in Egypt, a busy commune of people going on with life in Tokyo, and lovers taking pictures on the plain, looking like a wonderful summer. Suddenly, static took up all the screens and the videos started again, but each one looked drastically different.
The monuments in the first three videos were all defile, instead showing Monobear on the faces of the Sphinx and the Statue of Liberty, and the head of Monobear taking of the top of the Eiffel Tower. The surroundings of the three were bathe in flame, leaving little unblemished. Tokyo was burning to the ground, rioters in Monobear masks destroying everything around them. The random, beautiful plain was a desolate wasteland, everything charred to a hellish black. "Oh no, what happen to Earth! If Hounds wants to find out, he need to graduate," Monokuma said, as the screen fades to black.
The impact of the footage hit Nightbeat hard as he recalled what Soundwave told him earlier.
"And for the rest of you, just one more thing. The videos that we all saw? They are all real."
But, if what he said was true, than what Primus's name happened to Earth.
"What… was that?" Beachcomber asked.
"That… was real?" Rewind asked.
"Yes," Hound said. "Wherever's happening here, it's happening on a much larger scale on Earth," Hound told them.
"But, how's that possible?" Blast Off.
"I don't know. There is just one thing that bothers me," Hound told them. "I was on earth two weeks ago."
"But it's impossible for something like this to affect the Earth in that amount of time," Ratchet said.
"I know, but Soundwave said it was true and considering he was heading to the gallows, I see no reason for him to lie."
"We have to find more information about this," Onslaught said. "We need to search the areas thoroughly tomorrow morning for any new information about this."
"That sounds reasonable," Nightbeat agreed.
"Good. I said we adjourned for the night," he told them. Everyone agreed with his suggestion, what they saw on the footage disturbing them greatly. Nightbeat was the first out and headed quickly to his room, energon no longer on his mind. He opened his room and took laid on his recharge slab and went to sleep, with one thought on his mind.
What was going on at Earth?
Chapter 1: Welcoming Party for Despair (END)
Teachers Alive: 28