Authors Notes:
Megatron kidnapped me! He has held this chapter and all other rough drafted chapters for my other fics and this one!, hostage until it reflected a better quality on his behalf. He was disgruntled with the continuity of the fool's act in not seeing through Phage's deceit and demanded I fix it. I tried to argue with him, but he would not hear me out. And then Soundwave cut in to tell me he would never withhold information from Megatron. (Me: flips imaginary table) So, I had to bend to him and rewrite the majority of the Decepticon opening scene to reflect the new direction. I refuse to admit to him that this new scene, which was suppose to be later, is the better direction. But the smug glitch knows, as if he needed to hear me say the words. To compound matters, this particular chapter took so long to get out due to length and creative issues. It was pushing 28 pages with no intent of slowing down by the time I threw my hands up. I was done editing it. So I compromised and cut the chapter roughly in half.
Now I would like to give a shout out to say thank you to Zodiac-Kueen, DarkFlame98, Whowantsout, ToriPrime, and kimmay94 for favoriting and following Resonance! Apologies if I forgot anyone!
Review Responses
Laurenthalas - Thank you for the compliment for the intensity of last chapter's underwater scene. I was trying my best on that! And lol! No, you did not imagine it, last chapter might have been a little on the shorter side! ;D
wolf girl811 - Hahah! Yeah, I feel like Megatron has very little patience when it comes to Starscream. And I am glad I can make people giggle over my banter. Mission success. Also, yeeess! TC and Shrapnel are an item. It will show more in later chapters. Shrapnel snuck into this fanfic last minute but I love how she's changing scenes in subtle ways. I was trying to hint last chapter that TC was the nice mech that was willing to listen to Shrapnel as an impromptu psychiatrist, but the other Cons, such as Skywarp, are teasing TC that it's more than that. It is, but they're trying to keep it low key. My reasoning behind their desire to keep their relationship low key has to do with the tension between the Insecticons and Decepticons, and the general racism...altism? that vehicular alt-mode based Cybertronians have towards bestial alts. So there's also that against Shrapnel. But trust me, there is so much more to Shrapnel than what everyone's seeing. She's a hell of a lot more crafty than everyone's giving her credit for and it's a little intimidating. I keep seeing her as a smoother, craftier Starscream...or a chip off of Cersei from Game of Thrones. More of that will be seen in the next few chapters.
SunnySides - I would love it if this were animated. Alas, I know no one who would do such a thing for me. I myself could draw it out in comic format when/if I get the time! Should I, I'll let everyone know! As for referencing Ready Player One for Optimus's changing cityscape, no. I have not seen that movie actually. Saw some trailers but that was it. I had no idea the city does that in that movie!
Tennoda - I always have the dumbest grin on my face reading your reviews! I would love to draw out Optimus and Phage's mindscape scenes! What has me hung up is Optimus's Cybertronian code script. O_o I feel like I would have to brush up on Cybertronian language so it wouldn't be random alphabetical letters and numbers strung together...although, to be honest, it would be best to do that for my sanity's sake. Actually, maybe that's what I should do for the cover for this story! And le gasp! Kill off Sea Spray just because he knows? That sounds like lazy story writing to me. Sea Spray may have snuck in this fanfic same as Shrapnel, but I love what I've done with the character and his future story arc too much to be so cruel.
Whowantsout - Thank you for the compliment! Trying to balance out Megatron and Starscream's relationship is rewarding and frustrating all at once. Like you said, I couldn't see him constantly crushing Starscream like in the old cartoon shows. I don't see how he would have ever made it as a long competent leader like that for five million years. And with the new backstory we have from all the different comic book story arcs, Starscream once hero worshiped Megatron, so there had to be reason for it. All in all, I am trying to make their personalities stand, while trying to keep in mind there is millions of years worth of history between them standing behind their actions. What once may have been a beneficial relationship has long long since soured, and yet Starscream is like one of Megatron's last best friends that makes points. I guess to sum up what I'm trying to say, they are rivals that push each other forward.
"Elementary, my dear Watson."
-Sherlock
MEGATRON AND SOUNDWAVE, HIGHER LEVEL
A scowl had become permanently engraved on Megatron's stern countenance whilst Soundwave and he stormed the halls.
Backup be damned, Megatron thought, provided he even needed any assistance in rousting the Autobot extraction in the next two breems. Certainly he could handle one minibot, a traitor, the sea scout annoyance and a human in a cold frame. Even buzzed as he was, dealing with the lot would have been amateur hour at the gladiatorial Pitts of Kaon.
Megatron took the next corner sharply and spied an open door to an emergency stairwell to his right. Grim determination etched deeper lines onto his features as he prepared to charge forward. Ready for the impending fight, his fusion cannon whined ominously, soft pink light emanating from the depths of the black barrel.
Every muscle cable in his frame seized up when Soundwave abruptly skidded to a halt behind him, bent double over, grabbed at his helm and screamed.
Megatron's pedes screeched across the pristine flooring as he reigned back and whipped around. The scream was abrupt and short lived, choked off by the Communications Officer as he caught himself and struggled to internalize the pain. The blue mech's body trembled violently in the throes of the unseen threat.
It was simple deduction what was afflicting the mech. Yet still, Megatron called back tentatively to the Communications Officer, raspy voice riddled with genuine concern. "Soundwave?"
Soundwave's digits strained against his helm. The whole of his frame remained tense as the shaking transitioned gradually into an occasional jerky motion.
"Frenzy-" Soundwave strained to say, his unique harmonized vocals pitching wildly, "-terminated."
"How?" Demanded Megatron curtly. His thick white optical ridges jumped up so high that they nearly disappeared under his helm. "Soundwave, how?"
Struggling through his severed bond with his cassette partner, Soundwave pried his trembling servos from his helm and tried to straighten his posture to address Megatron properly. Instead, another wrack of pain dropped Soundwave to his knees. One of his blue servo's flew out to catch himself before he kissed the floor, while the other wrapped around his midsection.
Wracked with indecision, Megatron hung back. His attention drifted to the emergency stairwell and back to Soundwave. The decision should not have been the hardest to make. Securing Phage ensured that he would learn the location of the Matrix swiftly and without delay and thus swoop the Autobots under his control with little difficulty, whereas Soundwave was dealing with a personal matter. He would survive, but...
Three long strides carried him to Soundwave's side. He knelt beside him and assisted the mech to his pedes, supporting the majority of his weight as Soundwave's limbs sporadically jerked with his phantom affliction. Quickly, Megatron guided Soundwave to the nearest wall and settled him against it. He dropped fluidly before him, one hand pressed firmly against Soundwave's shoulder strut to keep him propped up. The light of Soundwave's optics illuminated his visor only by a tight beam of light. Shakily, his hand came up and clasped Megatron's forearm in a firm grip.
"Go." Strained Soundwave's flanged vocals. "If Phage escapes-"
"If." Megatron interrupted, arresting Soundwave to silence. "I have taken the Matrix from Optimus Prime himself, Soundwave, a shameful number of times since our Reactivation. You know this." A flicker of a faint smile tugged at Megatron's mouth but never fully materialized.
A splutter of a chortle spilled pass Soundwave's vocal processor. With a dull thud, his cranium hit the wall. He joined in the rare levity Megatron had begun and offered up next, "Optimus Prime had become lax."
"No." Megatron's mouth smoothed back into its characteristic grimace. "Not lax. He had grown, dare I say, apathetic."
Rather than comment further on Megatron's atyptical musings, Soundwave tried to push him away, saying tiredly. "You need to go." Megatron's optical ridges dropped to their standard 'v' and he added quickly. "I'll be right behind you."
The Decepticon Commander's cranium canted to a slight degree, one optical ridge rising in disbelief at the bold faced lie born of false commitment. He pulled air in through his olfactory and pushed it out just as noisily.
"The Matrix will turn up eventually." The smile from before finally materialized but never reached his optics. Abruptly, Megatron gave a small flippant shrug of one shoulder strut. "I am, if anything, patient. Catch yourself, old friend." After a brief respite, he added softly, "Frenzy's termination must have been terrible."
Soundwave's cranium lulled to the side. The light behind his visor darkened to nothing before illuminating faintly. "Excruciating." He labored to vocalize. "Observation: emotional back-feed reminiscent of shock from psycho-probe."
Megatron patted his shoulder strut, crimson optics drifting back towards the emergency exit. "Take your time, Soundwave. I can handle this minor setback."
As he moved to stand, Soundwave's chassis swelled with pride. Drawing in air through his vents, Soundwave braced himself mentally to stand and follow and immediately regretted his decision. He could not rise more than an inch before his muscle cables were shocked through. He quickly concluded it would be best to ride out the phantom fire lashing his sensors before he could follow Megatron.
Cycling air heavily through his vents he glanced up towards Megatron and caught his guarded gaze that borrowed into him, searching for something, and at last finding it when Soundwave could not rise he went to pull away.
A rare strain of panic gripped Soundwave's spark and would not let go.
He looked weak before his lord and friend. How was he going to fix this? He had messed up at the bar-
A thought suddenly struck Soundwave.
His servo lashed out and caught Megatron's wrist. Urgently, he pulled him back down to his level and said swiftly. "Megatron! Something's amiss with subject Phage."
Megatron's thick optical ridges slid to join together in the midst of his forehead. "Do not keep me in suspense, Soundwave. There are Autobots I have to dispense with."
Soundwave's muscle cables jerked and twitched sporadically as he strained to elaborate. "Analysis: subject's mental patterns are off. I detected it at the Bar. I keep picking up on her altered patterns. Findings: inconclusive. Too much mental chatter between her and me. Requisition: require one-on-one session to uncover truth."
"You were acting distracted in the hall." Reflected Megatron quietly. "You kept glancing back towards the hab-suites."
Soundwave tried to nod fervently but it came out in a curt nod. "Confession: subject Phage slipped pass me because I was distracted by the detection of the anomaly. Observation: Her imprinted personality weave has changed drastically from when last I touched minds with her. Drastic shifts in mental patterns just—do not happen. Not without severe trauma."
"Optimus Prime is terminated."
"No." Soundwave insisted. "Her weave has not changed due to grief." The small revelation gained Megatron's full attention. The entirety of Megatron's harsh features crumpled into hard stone curiosity. "Suggestion: tampering."
Megatron's crimson optics widened at the intel and then narrowed. "Are you implying recent mnemosurgery? That's impossible. We dealt with Bombshell solar cycles ago. The only one left active who remotely understands the science is Ratchet. The Autobot would not-" Megatron cut himself off mid-sentence. His thick optical ridges shot up high on his forehead as his crimson optics glowed with fierce intensity.
"She's training under Ratchet." He breathed.
His optics doubled in size. A singular word scrapped on the way out of his vocal processor in a long, low heated hiss reminiscent of steam escaping from cracks in the earth. "Trojan."
Soundwave fell silent, a creeping sense of self concern worming through his systems as he observed the series of stunned revelations that rapidly crossed Megatron's face.
Despite the full faced battlemask, Soundwave still managed to give Megatron a silent beleaguered stare by canting his cranium to an angle and adjusting the vibrancy of his visor to a lower luminosity.
The thousand yard stare dissipated from the silver mech's crimson optics and refocused on Soundwave. Megatron breathed, "Eti hos et."
Bewildered by Megatron's personal revelation, Soundwave just kept staring.
A sudden near wild gleam stole over Megatron's stern features. His black digits dug into Soundwave's shoulder strut as he fixed the Communication Officer with an intense stare.
"At the bar," Megatron said in a rush, "She said--It is I. The femme was making no sense and I was so blinded by trying to obtain the Matrix-"
A second revelation struck the Decepticon Commander like a bomb. The radiant affects illuminated the whole of his severe features in a post nuclear glow. Both his servos came up and clasped either side of Soundwave's helm and dug in. They were so close, Megatron's sudden half wild expression was reflected in Soundwave's visor.
"She has Optimus Prime!"
Once he spoke the words aloud everything clicked together like build and play factory parts. Tearing away the sheer veil from Phage's flimsy deception dropped the ground out from under his pedes.
Self deception tried to cloud his judgement. He had terminated Optimus Prime with his bare servos. Accomplished what he had failed to do for millions of years... Except he had thought the same before, and time and again Optimus Prime had found a way to deceive him. Time and again when he thought he had broken, felled, slain, and annihilated the Prime, the infallible Autobot leader had always managed to find some sly way to escape his fate by the thinnest of cables. Now there was the android Phage...who had demanded belligerently during their discussion to be returned to the Autobots. Who had dared to lie to his face, despite her abysmal tells, to deny she had the Matrix or anything else he would want to ensure her speedy return. A poor desperate gamble on her behalf, he now realized-because she was hoarding Optimus Prime.
The revelation drove Megatron straight to the bare limits of rationale. He had never been a step ahead of Optimus Prime's own game. The train of thoughts that came screaming back to him from his brain module now was how did she have Prime. How.
He was oblivious to his own heavy breathing as he reviewed over the day's events, overturning every memory and triple examining it with prejudiced scrutiny. Alone in Soundwave's trusted company, Megatron rambled off his thoughts unedited.
"The way she was pacing in her cell-Just like Prime! The way she has been conducting herself, her laspe in speech-Just. Like. Prime!"
The ambiance of the seabase fell away under the rush of his fuel pump thundering in his inner audios.
"When she punched the wall of her cell she restrained herself, a restraint that Optimus would exhibit! When Rumble and Frenzy recounted how she dealt with Motormaster, they said she had struck him with Optimus's signature move! The knowledge she had at the bar was not from studies-it came from Prime! This whole time I thought she was trying to mimic the symptoms of phase rot but the femme is actually showing signs for a cortical psychic patch!"
During his rant, Megatron repeatedly shook Soundwave as the wild gleam in his optics quickly morphed into something bordering feral.
"Phage doesn't have the Matrix!" Megatron snarled, once again shaking Soundwave for emphasis. "The spitfire has Optimus Prime! That's what she was hiding from me!"
"I-" began Soundwave uncertainly, "...will require the subject alone to delve into her weave."
Megatron stared at him as if he was a foreign thing. Then snarled viciously, "I do not require secondary validation. Her actions speak loud enou-!"
Another revelation came up on the heels of the last and hit him hard. Skywarp had said something about the Matrix-!
"Megatron?"
The Decepticon Commander's processor reeled as he strung out the day's memories again and turned them inside out, examining everything over with his new information. Triple examining Phage's activities and slicing down a list of possibilities until only the truth could remain. Thundercracker and Skywarp had confirmed she was radiating Matrix energy. His own sensors confirmed their findings. She had tried to say it was from being exposed to the radiation of Prime's spark extinguishing...except that he had picked up on her tell when she had lied about that at the bar too. He had thought she was lying because she had the Matrix. Except she had been unable to provide the Matrix when he threatened the lives of her cousin and the Autobots. The only conclusion remaining of what she could have come into contact with and lied about doubled back around to the matter of the radiation of Prime's spark extinguishing.
Except Phage is Ratchet's medical assistant.
Megatron was familiar with a wide array of medical procedures. He had to be informed so he could be aware to any underhanded attempts on his life. In that regard, there was a standard medical procedure to follow when attempting to stabilize a Cybertronian. Phage would have had to abide by it if she stood any chance in her task to save Prime. It was simple reasoning that since she had failed to stabilize Optimus Prime on the battlefield she would have had to move on to the fail-safe measures-spark extraction and a cortical psyche patch. Standard preventive measures to ensure the survival of the patient and prevention of data corruption, an option usually reserved for high ranking personnel.
Except it was usually done in a repair bay with proper equipment. Failing that...the android had jury-rigged herself as a carrier.
Thereby the only logical conclusion remaining was that Phage had come into contact with Matrix energy because she had Optimus Prime's spark as well. A spark that had bathed in the Matrix's light for nine million years.
Air rushed in and out of Megatron's systems as the wild gleam turned predatory. Denta flashing in a snarl, the Decepticon Commander's fierce crimson optics leapt to the emergency stairwell. With a sudden burst of frenzied energy, Megatron roughly discarded Soundwave and stormed for the quickest route that would expedite him towards the android.
Trojan. Virus. Payload. Carrier-Phage.
The meaning of Alicean Witwicky's Cybertronian name taunted him over and over again.
He was so blinded by his renewed rush to secure Phage that he nearly collided with Rumble and Shrapnel as they flew up out of the stairwell. Rumble was at the forefront carrying Frenzy's charred gunmetal gray frame in his arms bridal style and screaming more than arguing with Shrapnel as she secured the rear of their retreat.
For the second time Megatron had to quickly reign his energy back before vaulting himself over the railing and atop of the two Decepticons flying up. Teetering on super charged adrenaline, he waited on shreds of patience as first Rumble alighted on the top stairwell followed by Shrapnel who descended with the pose and grace of a Seeker. Before the two had even landed he was being bombarded by an internal matter.
"She terminated Frenzy!" Near hysteric and shrieking, Rumble jabbed his cranium in the direction of the femme. "Destroy the bug, Boss! Or let me!" Rumble's whole frame was trembling with his rage. "Or—or Soundwave! I want energon!"
Furiously shaking her cranium in the negative, Shrapnel adamantly expounded her account of events. "I have told the minicon repeatedly, I was aiming for the wretched Autobots!...Autobots!...Autobots! It is hardly my fault they leapt out of the way! Frenzy's reaction time was poor...couldn't see around the large flyer's thick frame...wide frame...large wings..."
A stress tick set off under his right optic nanoklicks before he bellowed, "Out of my way!"
Rumble gaped after him as he shoved his way pass the red minicon and the grey and purple femme. He griped the railing, ready to fling himself over and drop to the lower level he required.
"The ungrateful Insecticon murdered Frenzy!"
With frightening speed for a mech his size, Megatron whirled back around. "Just get him the meta-synth, Rumble! I have no time!"
"But-this is Frenzy we're talking about!"
"I. Will. Deal. With. This. Matter. Later." Growled Megatron through clenched denta.
"But-"
"Later!" His voice thundered in the tight space and echoed down the shaft and into the hall. "Put his frame aside and the two of you accompany me! Phage has to be secured!"
Abruptly, the sea base's speaker system began blasting the high pitched crooning of the Earth singer Stan Bush. The gathered Decepticons ceased mid action, hands flying to cover their audio receptors as they bent double over. Gradually, Megatron was the first to recover from the noise pollution and cast a dark glare in the direction of the sea base's internal speaker system embedded in the ceiling overhead.
Megatron's mouth moved, miming a singular word darkly that was lost under the unrelenting roar of 'The Touch.' Quickly, Megatron attempted to access the inter-Decepticon communication channels and found interference across all frequencies. Glaring vehemently towards the speaker system, the warlord's denta ground together in a vicious snarl.
Whirling around on the ball of his heel to face Soundwave, he tapped his cranium. In the soundless communique, meaning was understood.
Shakily, Soundwave nodded. Permission had been given. Extending his telepathic abilities outward to peer into a processor he rarely gleamed, Soundwave brushed the mere surface thoughts of his age old friend. One word was heard.
::Maestro.::
Soundwave's visor flared and dimmed before he nodded along in agreement. :What is your command, Lord Megatron?:
Megatron ground his denta together, eons old military processor firing off at rapid pace. Soundwave found the inside glance at his old friend's cerebral thinking patterns a brutal and efficient masterwork of art at play.
::The Autobot Jazz is nothing more than a diversionary tactic to scatter our forces and make us thin. He is trying to make us run which ever way he pleases-the Aerialbots, now this.::
Once Soundwave oversaw that Frenzy's frame was safe as could be, he climbed uneasily to his pedes and waited patiently on Megatron's command.
::But neither can we allow any Autobot to maintain control over our network. Soundwave, I need you to confront Autobot Jazz, roust him from his position and reclaim the Cradle. More importantly, I need you to act as our impromtu comm-lines while this racket persists. Given Frenzy's termination, can you handle the task?::
Soundwave was glad for the privacy of their telepathic conversation. The last question would have been humiliating if anyone had heard. He was wounded on a level few could understand, not crippled.
There was no hesitance from Soundwave. In their brushing psyches, Megatron only Sensed a cold fury. ::Affirmative.::
::Excellent. Keep everyone informed and send every Decepticon not yet out of the Repair Bay to my location to repeal the attackers. Maestro thinks he can hack our comm-lines and systems, then he's forgotten you, old friend.:: Megatron gestured down the way. ::Go.::
Soundwave took off down the hallway at a run, expanding his telepathy to its capacity.
Megatron was already gesticulating towards the remainder of his usual entourage plus the Insecticon femme to follow his lead. :Rumble, Shrapnel, with me.:
Better to keep allies close and potential traitors even closer.
Without awaiting acknowledgment Megatron launched himself over the railing. Even if Soundwave had yet to waylay the command, the hand gestures should have been enough indication. If the two failed to understand that, than he needed better warriors.
His fall was swift and his landing was masked at the last moment as he activated his flight drive. For a priceless moment he hovered inches above the floor, touched down quietly, and proceeded to stalk his way into the as yet un-flooded hab-suite level. Every circuit of his frame reflected the cold predator that he had become.
Not far behind, his short range sensors detected Rumble and Shrapnel bringing up the rear, mimicking his every step.
When Soundwave opened his telepathic senses across the board he was bombarded with every mech's private thoughts as though he had gone from a soundproof room to a crowded busy city street with everyone talking all at once to themselves. He was drowning in the voices of a constant crowd, each one vocalizing their private disgruntles, deepest fears and personal thoughts all at once. Nobody was listening to anyone else, nobody but Soundwave. It was all for him to hear and him alone. Soundwave hated the chaos of it all. The disorder. The noise.
But his invaluable talent had served him well over the ages.
Balancing orders and questions from thirty-plus Decepticons was not an easy task. It was a rare occurrence that a situation arose that required him to operate like this. It had always been reverse, a more direct isolated controlled use of his abilities. It had always been orders from Megatron and relay them to select individual leaders of armies or captains of squadrons. Or zero in his talent on one individual to gleam their thoughts, or manipulate their processes. Soundwave had never been the leader receiving the orders and relaying them directly into the minds of the troops. He had honed his abilities for selective use. Not mass communique.
It may have sounded contradictive given his function as communications Officer, but that position did cover a wide field of areas. There was a reason he was Soundwave. Not plural. Singular.
::Decepticons: situation! Soundwave: solution.::
All at once, the cacophonous crowd fell into sweet silence. The quiet did not last long.
Ah, Pitt. Came Swindle's disgruntled thought.
What's going on? Followed Thrust's thought right on top of Swindle's. How am I picking up Soundwave's communique? All the frequencies are jammed.
Amid the rushing avalanche of thoughts, Starscream's distinct tone stood out above the others. Of course Lord Megatron would use your invaluable skills for this delicate situation.
Orders, Soundwave. Piling up right on top of the others came Onslaught, leader of the Combaticons, terse thought.
Soundwave's pedes pounded the floor, silently hating the damn blasted Autobot saboteur for forcing him into the spotlight of events, for hijacking the Cradle, and for current events in general.
::All available units converge on Megatron's position on the fifth floor, east wing, hab-suites to repeal Autobot extraction forces.::
Starscream already requested us to engage against the Aerialbots. Intoned Onslaught's rigid response.
Is anybody else hearing this or is it just me? And there again was the clueless Thrust.
Curse Thundercracker and Skywarp for not answering my call! Seethed Starscream. Now I'm stuck with the conehead rookies! If I had thought ahead, I could have ordered them to switch shifts-
He would never admit it, but Starscream's last thought gave him the notion to shift through the barrage of unique thought patterns to pick out Thundercracker and Skywarp's. The two Seekers had spoken to Megatron and he just minutes before. Jazz could have hijacked their systems from a terminal somewhere in the base, but it was more likely he had headed directly for the command hub.
A small trickle of fear began to pool in his chassis at the germination of Jazz's lethal effectiveness.
Quickly Soundwave filtered the cascade of thoughts through his mental sieve, a natural ability as basic as Ravage sniffing out unique smells. The longer he had to sort, Soundwave grew more desperate to pick up on either Seeker's unique mental patterns. Locating either Seeker was proving to be more difficult than it should have been. Soundwave began to fear the worst when he finally found Skywarp's thought patterns among the mass.
There was something amiss with the patterns. Skywarp's was uncharacteristically cold and distant and, above else, distorted as thought patterns normally became when a mech was on the verge recharge. As Soundwave Reached with his telepathy to touch on Skywarp's brain module, everything became horribly clear.
Shrieking of metal rendered the hallways as Soundwave pulled up short, stopped dead in his tracks by the long, low mental wails of Skywarp's thoughts. The painted hues were desperate and bordering on panic with the trim edged in hate. The underlying data to the patterns told him everything he needed. Skywarp was damaged. The Seeker's self diagnose was critical. The purple Seeker's thoughts were disjointed, broken words—beginning one thing and tapering off as his brain module struggled to remain online for fear that falling into the darkness that stalked his weakening thoughts would never release him.
Soundwave knew Skywarp's fear was not misplaced.
It was not the first time Soundwave had Touched on a brain module as it spluttered along, struggling for life even as it flatlined. He had just endured Frenzy's termination, and was now Touching on another comrade that he was not even symbioted with. Skywarp, the pain in the aft pretty-faced mech that kept everyone on their pedes with his pranks. Skywarp, whose boundless humor could get the worse of them to crack a grin and lift their spirits when everything else was down. Skywarp the loyalist. Skywarp, youngest of the old generation of Decepticons.
Pitts if he was going to allow Skywarp to slip away.
Soundwave drew his sonic blaster from subspace and resumed running, straining his muscle cables to carry him to the Cradle as quickly as possible. He strained to disperse orders from Megatron to the Decepticons, relay replies back to the correct individuals, all while trying to focus on Skywarp's spluttering thoughts and prop up the Seeker's resolve to live.
His attention to detail began to slip as Soundwave levied more focus than he could spare onto the Seeker, desperate to loan him the mental will needed to hang on a little longer.
It was only once he was nearing the Cradle that Soundwave realized he should have scanned for Jazz's mental patterns. He gave brief consideration to tap the Autobot's thought patterns to discern his plans, and quickly decided against. The briefest slip in attention over Skywarp's fading patterns could be the last for the Seeker. At the cost of preemptive knowledge against Jazz, Soundwave chose to maintain diligence over the ailing Skywarp.
Nearly upon the Cradle, Soundwave checked his speed and depressed the release button on his shoulder strut and unleashed his remaining cassettes: Ravage, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw.
No sooner had Laserbeak and Buzzsaw been unleashed, transforming mid-eject and taking flight, than they cawed their displeasure at the noise pollution overhead. Their caws went unheard, lost in the racket. Annoyed, the two Cybertronian avians circled over Soundwave's cranium. Meanwhile, Ravage had no sooner gained his sleek panther alt than he began hissing and pawing at his audio receptors.
In curt agitated motions, Soundwave gestured towards his cassettes to follow him into the Cradle. He made sure they had view of his sonic blaster gun to get the point across that danger was ahead. Operating as one, they stalked forward, silent and lethal.
As the doors to the Cradle drew open, Soundwave rushed forward, sonic blaster at the ready. Ravage surged ahead on his left and Laserbeak and Buzzsaw swooped in overhead. Soundwave moved in, scanned around the command center and lowered his gun as Ravage skirted to a halt ahead, panther head swinging side to side to account for his surroundings. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw diverted in mirror arcs and circled the high vaulted room.
The command center was devoid of any Autobot. The only trail Jazz had left behind of his presence was Thundercracker and Skywarp on the floor, tire marks burnt into the polished floor, the stench of burnt rubber, spilt energon, and electrical burn in his wake. Following the tire trail, Soundwave's attention swung to the left where he caught the tail end of the entry doors closing. The vibrancy of his visor dimmed to reflect his glare behind the glass.
::Should we follow him?:: Purposed Ravage as he drew low to the ground, body tensing to break into a run, claws flexing and drawing thin marks on the flooring.
::No. Protect the Cradle. Guard my back as I fix the damage he's wrought.::
With little further ado, Soundwave subspaced his sonic blaster and threw himself in the direction of the fallen Skywarp and Thundercracker. Utilizing his telepathic gift, he jerked Thundercracker out of his stupor with a telepathic kick. The large blue Seeker came online with a jolt, optics flaring and then flinching. His derma moved to mouth where but even Thundercracker's deep resonating vocals were drowned under the audio-wrecking volume that Jazz's soundtrack was playing at.
The disoriented Seeker's servos flew up to cover his audios, leaving Soundwave privy to the string of curses and discontent spewing through Thundercracker's brain module.
Of all the Pitt spawned foolish pranks—I've a pounding processor ache and Skywarp goes and does this!
::Correction.:: Interceded Soundwave as he turned his attentions to Skywarp. ::Skywarp innocent. Autobot Jazz guilty.::
Gingerly feeling out the sizable dent on the back of his helm, Thundercracker glared up at Soundwave. ::Did you say Jazz? How the Pitt did he make it all the way here without us picking up on his energy signature?::
At last, Thundercracker's attention dropped from the Communications Officer to observe what he was doing and finally registered that Skywarp was leaking out not more than an arm's reach away. Shock and fear played out on equal parts of Thundercracker's face as he dragged himself forward to lean over Skywarp as Soundwave inspected him over. He grimaced over the damage, a crunched helm and a hole blasted clean through Skywarp's midsection. He had his fist shoved in the hole in an attempt to staunch the leaking.
::Will he make it?::
Soundwave Sensed the genuine worry that painted the thought.
Thundercracker's shock gave out to disbelief as Skywarp stirred under Soundwave's questing digits. The purple Seeker's derma parted in what could have only been a groan lost under the noise pollution, before his optical lids cracked open to permit a thin sliver of weak red light. His grey derma twitched and fluttered in an attempt at movement, but whatever the message was lost.
Soundwave found and triggered the release of one of Skywarp's subspace pockets. Tumbling into Soundwave's waiting palm was a long smooth grey cylinder with the top popped off. If Soundwave was displeased by the empty contents, his full face mask did not betray his frustration. Instead, he swiveled on his heels to address the gaping Thundercracker.
::Do you have a canister left?::
Thundercracker's attention shot up to the blue Communications' Officer. ::Some.:: Thundercracker admitted. ::Not enough for that kind of damage.::
Soundwave thrust his hand open palmed towards Thundercracker, digits curling once in a 'give me' gesture. Without hesitation, Thundercrakcer scrambled to produce an identical canister from his subspace pocket and handed it off. Deftly, Soundwave twisted the top off and poured the remaining contents on the open back damage. A thick mercurial substance flowed out from the canister. The substance pooled across Skywarp's damage, expanded, and dissolved into his infrastructure. As it dissipated both mechs waited anxiously, Thundercracker with blatant awe, as Skywarp's self repair nanites reconstructed the damage at an accelerated pace. Miniature, fragile skeletal structures rushed to build itself up, at the first of no real significance, shape or design, but as more and more appeared, built, and stretched, it soon became clear that his internals were replicating the damaged or outright destroyed pieces. Soon, the back plating was closing over.
::That never gets boring.:: Gushed Thunderckracker's relieved thoughts.
But only minor relief flooded Skywarp's visage.
Quickly, Soundwave gathered Skywarp in his arms and stood. Thundecracker rose with him, towering over the mech at full height, and took his trine brother as he was traded off.
::Thundercracker: will get him to the repair bay for full repairs.::
Thundercracker did not argue. Igniting his thrusters, he flew out of the Cradle and maneuvered with utmost skill through the wide open halls to reach the repair bay quick as he could.
Alone except for his cassettes, Soundwave turned and launched himself at the controls, determined to wrest control back of their internal systems from Jazz's virus. It escaped his divided attention to alert Starscream of Megatron to the veternan Seekers situation.
FLOODING HALL, LOWER HABITATION SUITES
Phage pried at the multi-colored mess of wires that had her leg caught. Even if—when, Phage quickly corrected the thought—when Sea Spray moved the pillar, she had to still deal with the wires.
I have to get out! Phage tried not to think it but did anyway, the words and the animalistic drive swelling up in her, burning in her chassis and making a brand in her mindseye. Then quickly corrected, We have to escape!
She had to escape the Gordian Knot.
Her digits stalled, optics flaring in the moment of serendipity.
Gordian Knot!
Her cranium snapped around, optics swiveling. Optimus's consciousness stirred within her brain module, questioning her revelation and the minimal underlying data that had mentioned something of a time from Earth's antiquity.
::Gordian Knot?::
Where is-Ha! Ahahahahah!
Hardly the first time he had heard it, Optimus's avatar still flinched in the mindscape, optics enlarging at Phage's avatar at her enthusiastic laughter as it filled the mindscape and echoed in the undersea caverns.
She found what she was looking for behind her. Forgotten in the chaotic rush of events, Phage seized the length of pipe she had snapped off on the way down to the flooded level. A quick inspection of the broken ends revealed that one end had torn off jagged and sharp. An impromptu spear.
The serendipitous moment just kept on rolling. Euphoria bloomed in her chassis like the vibrant glow of a spark. At last, Optimus understood what had set her off.
::I see. Gordian Knot. An intricate problem solved via a straight forward solution.::
::Thank you Alexander the Great, you alcoholic bastard!:: Crooned Phage.
In the mindscape, Optimus Prime's avatar discretely turned aside to compose himself.
Immediately, Phage set at the task of severing the wires trapping her leg. One wire, two, a third... Salt water burst on her glossa as she nicked her digit, loosing precious air as it burst from her mouth. Lifeblood flowed from the wound, iridescent and glowing against the salt water. A bright light before mixing and fading into the dark waters all around. Along the seams of her digit, a faint green glow flashed through and faded as the wound sealed.
::Careful.:: Came the gentle reprimand from Optimus.
Phage gnashed her denta in self berate. ::How have I missed that all this time? God, I am so oblivious.::
Another wire snapped under their renewed fevered sawing motions.
::Not oblivious.:: Interjected Optimus's lumberous engexed thought-sends. ::Just...distracted. Often with other matters.::
::That really doesn't make it better.::
The column shifted under Sea Spray's relentless efforts, shifting and lifting an inch and then three—half a foot. Suddenly, his leg kicked out against her, urging her to move. It was a strange scramble she made to free her leg while still desperately cutting away at the wiring that had wrapped in a confusing mess under and around the column, and though Phage managed to drag herself out from under the column, the wiring kept her from outright escaping.
A slow burning pain settled in her air intakes. Her central processor started the long shrill scream that she needed air soon to keep her turbocharged spark chamber cool. She tried to fight back against brute animalistic drives that wanted her to panic. She tried to reason against it that she had more oxygen than that until darkness and static snow began threatening at the corners of her vision.
Abandoning her task at hand, Phage grabbed at Sea Spray's leg, pulled at the prominent edges, banged and tugged. Desperate to get him to understand her situation, screaming at the mech in her head: Help us!
The moment Phage began to panic, Optimus seized the reigns of control. He sharply twisted away from Sea Spray and took up the pipe spear. In a number of quick decisive powerful strokes the wires fell rapidly away until the smooth teal shade of her leg was all that was left.
::Done!:: Phage's voice sang eagerly across the mindscape. Her avatar bounded next to him and began vibrating with restless energy. ::Donedonedonedonedone!::
A dull groan echoed through the freezing waters as Sea Spray dropped the pillar. The next few seconds were a blur as he scrambled to gather her up and take off for the floor above.
Tempered amusement glittered in Prime's optics. His servo settled over her helm, forcing her to keep still. ::We are not out of danger yet.::
She shot him an askance glance. ::Are you crazy?! Why would you jinx us-::
A low thunderous whoosh hit the water and sank as something heavy splashed down behind her. Phage started badly, jerking around in Sea Spray's grasp. Wild desperate thoughts of the two time-sharing consciousnesses colluded that it was Rumble. Before the bubbles had even cleared, black hands were reaching for her through the salt water.
Their psyches reeled, screaming klaxon alarms blaring in her brain module from both parties. ::Megatron!::
There was a burst of blue light, and then Sea Spray had his blaster in hand. Adrenaline bursting through her systems, Phage and Prime jointly struck out with the other end of the makeshift spear. She heard it collide and scrap off the target. An angry shout, diluted underwater, came back at her.
The bubbles cleared and a blue visor became evident through the gloom. The black servos were attached to white arms, attached to...
::Jazz! Phage, it's only Jazz! Not Megatron!::
Her sheepish grin met Jazz's unamused frown. He knocked aside her impromptu spear with the back of his servo while Sea Spray subspaced his blaster. In wordless attunement, Jazz and Sea Spray's servos plunged through the water for her and seized a forearm apiece. Kicking off together, they yanked her up and forward.
For all the freezing Pacific around, the heat build-up in her spark chamber from the binary sparks was searing. A fading part of her thoughts fretted that it would melt her spark chamber from the inside out soon enough without proper air flow.
Thought processes became a terse, cumbersome thing, petering off and on again as it pleased. Darkness flirted from the corners of her vision until all at once, it rushed to plunge both Prime and Phage into its absolute embrace. With their combined willpower, they tried to reign back against loosing consciousness, her hands reaffirming her hold on Jazz and Sea Spray in a death grip.
::Don't breathe. Don't... breathe...::
::Nearly there!:: Optimus pressured. ::We-Phage?!::
The dark cyclone tunneling her vision collapsed at its end, consuming the light far overhead. A distant part of themselves felt her grip go limp. There was only a vague registering sensation of Jazz and Sea Spray's hold tightening on her upper arms. Optimus's strong will weathered the rising tide and beat back the darkness. Only to realize the distinct absence of everything that was Phage.
Ancient ingrained instincts had Optimus's avatar whirling around to account for Phage's position and assist if need be, even when he himself wasn't sure how he was suppose to help in such a situation. She had just been beside him. When he turned, their sparks thudded painfully in their chassis. Phage's avatar's optics had rolled up into her cranium. Her knees bucked, stumbling backwards further into her hemisphere. One pede hit the oily waters as the tide surged forward, silent as the vacuum of space. In a split nanoklik, the wrongness of the quiet of the undersea struck him hard and he spared a fleeting thought to wonder why he had never thought of that before. The moment solidified into action as Phage's pede came down and rather than manifest on her fiery aurora bridge, her pede splashed into the shallows. Followed by the other. On the third back step, Phage collapsed backwards.
::Phage!:: Roaring her name, Optimus surged forward before her body hit the waters. Before he could reach her, Phage's avatar hit the undersea and sank into its opaque depths.