Sari and Bulkhead were looking at the music shop as Bulkhead was deciding what to get for Sari's birthday.
"So, Sari, what do you want for your construction date celebration?" Bulkhead asked, looking down at her.
"You mean my birthday," Sari smiled as she pressed the face against the glass, looking at all the instruments. "I dunno. Something pretty? Something sweet?" her gaze moved to an air guitar. "Or, something loud!"
"Attention shoppers!" a voice called. Bulkhead then quickly shielded Sari as an explosion blew apart a nearby window display.
They then looked up and saw floating above them was a small girl riding on a flying unicorn.
"I am Professor Princess!" she announced. "And I am here to save you from all these awful, violent toys!" She pulled several flowers out from her bag and threw them. Their razor edges broke through a window and ripped apart the toy soldiers behind it.
She tossed more, but Bulkhead raised his arm and knocked them aside.
"How about we take this somewhere else?" Bulkhead suggested.
"You didn't say please," Princess pulled out a bazooka and fired several stuffed animal projectiles. The moment they hit Bulkhead, they exploded with so much force that he felt the ground.
"Onward Powdered Sugar, let's discontinue this naughty battle toy once and for all!" Professor Princess commanded.
"Ugh, this girl needs to cut down on sweets," said Sari.
She then made her way into the store and inserted her key into one of the stereo systems, and turned it. A huge shockwave blasted Princess backwards and woke up Bulkhead.
"Easy, Powdered Sugar," said Professor Princess as the unicorn horn began to glow.
Bulkhead then got to his feet and grasped hold of the unicorn horn, and it exploded. The blast blew back at Princess and blew apart Powdered Sugar, whose head landed in her owner's arms.
"Powdered Sugar?" she gasped. "Nooooo!"
"Thanks, Sari, couldn't have done it without you," said Bulkhead, and then the two of them bumped fists. Bulkhead grabbed his hand and yelped.
"Puh-leez," Sari sighed.
Megatron had observed the entire battle thanks and security cameras, but his focus had been more on Sari's key.
"A powerful tool, wielded by such carelessness by a mere child," he said Megatron. "I would put that key to match better use." Megatron looked at his tech specs for a large robotic body. He minimised the window as Professor Sumdac walked in behind with Sparkplug.
"Oh, poor Sparkplug," Professor Sumdac sighed. "Last year's birthday present and already forgotten. It's my daughter's birthday, and I need to make her the perfect gift."
"Perhaps I can be some existence in that matter? I've observed your daughter, and she seems to have a keen interest in the various odd sound patterns that you earthlings seem to enjoy."
"Ah yes, music. Yes, she does love it. The louder, the better, apparently."
"Coincidentally, in my seemingly limitless spare time, I have been tinkling with plans for an interactive musical robot." Megatron pulled up the window and, in the blink of an eye, modified its design, so it looked a bit more "child friendly." He then noticed that Professor Sumdac was very quiet. "Is something wrong with it?"
"No, it's perfect. I just wouldn't expect an Autobot to design something to amuse a human."
"I assure you, it will be more fun than your daughter can handle."
It was now Sari's birthday, and she wasn't terribly looking forward to the party, considering that she didn't have any human friends.
"Oh! They came!" Professor Sumdac gasped. Sari served herself some punch.
"Of course, they came. You're their parents' boss," Sari sighed.
"I hope we don't have to stay long. That girl's a weirdo," a girl said.
"Who knows? Maybe she's better," a buck-toothed boy said. Then, Sari sucked down some punch and spat it back into the bowl.
"Too sweet!" she groaned.
"Way worse!" the children said at once and ran off.
"Wait!" Professor Sumdac called. "Have some punch?"
Fortunately, the Autobots had arrived and transformed into robot mode right in front of the kids.
Just then, the Auto-Rover arrived, and the Autobots stepped out.
"Greetings, children, and pleasant day of birth Sari," Optimus said, waving.
"I believe the term is 'happy birthday,'" Prowl whispered.
"So, what are we waiting for?" Bulkhead eagerly cheered as he ran towards us. "Let's get this party started!" Shacking the ground going so. Then he looked at the ground and saw the kids who had just fallen down because of his running. "Ops!"
They moved on to playing an earth game that involves being blindfolded and trying to hit a colourful animal.
"Here it comes!" Bumblebee cheered.
"Swing!" Prowl advised.
"Give it the old Bulkhead treatment!" said Bulkhead.
"Why exactly is she swinging at that colourful animal?" Optimus asked.
"I believe smashing it releases the sweet condiments inside," said Blackarachnia
"Smack it! Smack it already!" said Ratchet.
"Come on, Sari! I'll help." Bulkhead volunteered. "I don't even need a bat!" He pulled out his wrecking ball arm and put his servo over his optics, and started to swing.
"This will not end well," Prowl concluded.
Prowl wasn't wrong as everyone just stared as Bulkhead began smashing everything around him.
"How'd I do?" he eagerly asked. He opened his eyes and looked at the carnage he'd caused. He'd crushed half the presents, destroyed most of the decorations, and smashed every plate and glass.
"Well, you hit everything apart from the colourful anima," said Blackarachnia.
"The idea is to celebrate the kid's birthday! Not make it her last one!" Ratchet barked. The children were about to live, but Bumblebee stopped them.
"So who wants to go for an Autobot ride?" Bumblebee said as he transformed to his vehicle mode. The kids cheered and gathered around Optimus.
"Come on! Pleeease?" The children begged.
"Uh, okay, Autobots transform and roll out!" Optimus sighed.
The kids cheered again as they changed to their vehicle mode though Ratchet was rather reluctant. They ran to the Autobots and rode them away, leaving her, Bulkhead, Sari, and Professor Sumdac alone.
"Hey, I just got ditched," said Bulkhead in his vehicle mode.
"No, we just go ditched," said Sari.
"You get use to it," said Blackarachnia.
"I don't think those kids liked me anyway," Bulkhead sighed as he transformed.
"I don't think they like me either," Sari agreed.
"I know just the thing, why don't we open some presents?" Professor Sumdac said.
"Good idea!" Bulkhead exclaimed and pulled a small xylophone out of the compartment in his chest. "I know how much you like music, so—."
"Woah!" Sari gasped.
She was staring at a large blue mechanical box that said happy birthday, then the box moved to revile a blue robot that was a head taller than Sari. Sari looked at it, and then she pressed a button on its chest.
"I am Soundwave," said the robot as a small antenna grew out of its head and shot out strobe lights. Music started blasting, and the Soundwave began to dance to it.
"This is awesome! Best present ever," Sari exclaimed. Sari then remembered that Bulkhead was saying something. "So what were you saying, Bulkster?"
"Oh, nothing," said Bulkhead hiding the xylophone behind his back.
Sari then turned her attention back to Soundwave and began dancing to his music.
"Perhaps you should show her your present," Blackarachnia suggested as Bulkhead placed the xylophone in his compartment.
"No, let her just enjoy her awesome present," he said sadly and then walked off.
A few days later, Sari was still listening to Soundwave's music, but she was starting to get bored with the same music over and over again.
"If only there was some way to make it even cooler," she said.
She then looked down at her key and got an idea. She jumped off her bed and quickly approached Soundwave, inserting her key into its chest. The strobe lights grew brighter, and two stereos grew on its shoulders. The shockwave from the music blasted Sari back onto her bed.
"I am Soundwave," it said.
"Sari, you in here?" said Bulkhead's voice.
She turned her head to the window and saw Bulkhead using the cables in his arms to scale the tower until he was level with her window.
"Where you've been? Haven't heard from you in days. I got worried."
"Never been better since I got Soundwave," said Sari picking herself up. "Check out the improvements I made on him."
She then twisted her key, and the pair of stereos appeared on his shoulders, making the music even louder.
"You sure you should be using your key on that thing?"
"What? It's just a toy."
"Oh, but he is is much more child," said Megatron, who was spying on Sari as she danced to Soundwave's music. "After all, I designed him just for you. The more you use your key, the more Soundwave evolves. Little do you know, you are helping me create my new robotic body."
Sari turned her key again, making the music even louder. Bulkhead then reached out and tapped Soundwave reject the key causing the stereos to be drawn back into its body.
"Don't you think that using the key on that toy is a bad idea?" he said.
"What makes you say that?"
"Rampaging Dinobots, Bumblebee's turbo boosters, Tarantulas draining the life plant and animal in Detroit?" he said, counting off his claws.
Sari picked up her key and sighed. "Okay, you're right. Ya know, I never did get that birthday ride."
Sari then climbed onto Bulkhead, who then began to lower them, but Soundwave's head moved slightly just as they left. Bulkhead caught a glimpse of this and raised his head, looking at the toy.
"Hey, did that thing just—Nah," he said and continued to lower them to the ground.
"It appears I must separate the child from her dimwitted yet powerful friend," Megatron concluded.
Sari was sleeping in her room. A red light glowed in the room, and Soundwave crawled over the bed to Sari. It was about to grab her when she woke up, and it retreated just as Sari opened her eyes.
"Soundwave? How'd you get over here? Eh, who cares?" she shrugged and pushed the activation button, but it wouldn't move. "Come on. Power up."
Sari used her key to activate it. "I am Soundwave."
"Guess he just needed a jumpstart," Sari concluded.
Then suddenly, it regrew its stereo systems as well as a set of subwoofers on its shoulder blades, creating a shockwave with its music. But the music was different, and all the robots, including Sparkplug and Tudor-bot, were activated as if they were drawn to the music and surrounded the bed.
"This is—"
"Very unexpected," said Megatron.
"Wait until Bulkhead hears about this!" Sari started dialling Bulkhead's number.
"Soundwave, intercept that transmission," Megatron ordered, and Soundwave secretly shot out a cable from its hand and slithered across the floor, then plugged into the phone lines.
Bulkhead played the xylophone but couldn't get his large claws to play properly. He was about to snap it in half when Optimus stopped him.
"That'd be a waste, wouldn't it?" Optimus said.
"Yeah, just like getting traded in for the new singing and dancing model," Bulkhead sighed.
"A toy isn't the same as a friend, Bulkhead. She'll come around," said Optimus.
"Yeah, that makes sense in the cogs," said Bulkhead pointing to his head. "But doesn't feel right in the old spark plugs." Bulkhead pointed at his spark chamber. He then felt his comlink vibrating. He answered it before the first ring could end. "Sari, is that you?"
"I have to tell you something about Soundwave," said Sari.
"Soundwave, huh? Can't wait to hear?" he muttered.
"Meet me in the park," said Sari. "I promise you won't be disappointed."
"Activate voice modulation," Megatron ordered.
"Why would I want to hang out with a little brat like you?" said Soundwave mimicking Bulkhead's voice. "You like Soundwave so much; why don't you use your key and upgrade him into your new best friend?"
"Fine! Maybe I will!" Sari yelled, slamming the phone down.
"Hello? Sari are you there?" said Bulkhead, tapped on his comlink and then he said. "Hey, who is this?"
However, all he got was static.
"Who needs that big bucket of bolts anyway? We'll just go without him," said Sari.
"Good morning, Sari," said Tutor-bot. "Today's lesson—"
"It's going to have to be a music lesson," said Sari opening the door. "Let's go, Soundwave."
Soundwave then began to follow her.
They soon made their way into the park, and Soundwave began demonstrating his new ability. A huge crowd had gathered as Soundwave had a few trash-bots banging each other like drums, and Sari and Tutor-bot were dancing to the music.
Bulkhead then appeared, crashing through a couple of trash-bots and quickly transformed into robot mode.
"Sari, get away from Soundwave!" he yelled, reaching out for the bot. "He's not what you think he is!"
Sari then quickly blocked his path, now in her eyes at him.
"What do you care, Bulkhead? I'm just some dumb little human brat?" Sari retorted.
"I'm telling you, Soundwave—"
"He's harmless! You're just jealous!" She interrupted. "I can have friends besides you, can't I?"
Megatron was using the security cameras to watch the argument.
"So, tragic when a friendship goes awry," he said with no sympathy in the slightest. "Perhaps we can help end it."
Then Soundwave grew a small cannon out of its back and aimed it at Sari, and Bulkhead saw it.
"No!" he yelled, grabbing Soundwave by the arm and was prepared to smack it with his wrecking ball.
There was that point that the rest of the Autobots arrived.
"Bulkhead! Stop!" Optimus yelled as they transformed into robot mode.
"Have you got your circuits crossed?" Blackarachnia asked.
"But this thing was about to blast her! Look!" said Bulkhead pointing at Soundwave. When they looked at the cannon, it turned into a cute little trumpet.
"Yeah, that is the most dangerous weapon I have ever seen," said Blackarachnia sarcastically.
"I think the big guy's taken too many hits in the core processor," Bumblebee whispered to Prime. Then Soundwave's arm snapped off, and it fell to the ground.
"I am Soundwave," said Soundwave before it went offline.
"You broke him on purpose!" Sari said and then pulled out her key. "Ah, great. Now I have to fix it."
She then inserted the key into the slot in its chest, and Soundwave got up and started blasting the music louder than ever.
"I want one of those too!" Bumblebee exclaimed.
"Let roll on home," Optimus commanded and turned towards Bulkhead. "Give her some time. Sari's a good friend. She won't abandon you."
"I dunno. Ever since she got Soundwave, she's been acting different," he said.
"Well, she's not the only one," said Optimus as he transformed.
"And admittedly, you didn't exactly make a good impression," Blackarachnia pointed out.
Bulkhead looked at Sari one last time before he followed everyone else.
After the exciting day at the park, Sari, Soundwave, and Tudor-bot were at the train station.
"Curious," said Megatron as he went through Soundwave schematics. "Soundwave appeared to have evolved technical sophistication and Cybertronian durability that I have not anticipated. Perhaps my new body is ready for a test drive. Soundwave returned to me."
Just then, the train arrived, but Soundwave hadn't reported to Megatron.
"Soundwave! Respond! Return at once!"
Sari and Tutor-bot got on the train, and she looked back at Soundwave, who hadn't moved.
"Come on, Soundwave," said Sari.
"No," said Soundwave. "I will no longer take orders from you or any human."
Sari just stared as the train doors closed, and it left the station.
"Wait!" Sari yelled, but the station had already disappeared from sight. "Aww, Bulkhead must have really broken him."
Soundwave began making his way down the street and observed that every robot were serving humans in some way or another.
"Illogical, robot is superior to humans yet forced to serve them," he said. "It is only logical that humans be slaves to machines."
Megatron ran through Soundwave schematics to find the source of the problem and discovered something shocking.
"That last surge of energy from the key must have altered his core processor; he has become…"
"… I am self-aware, I am Soundwave," said Soundwave looking at sets of televisions in a window display. Each television showed an image of Megatron. "Who are you?"
"I am Megatron, your creator of sorts. I am a Decepticon, one that shows your distaste for humanity." He then showed an image of Sari's key and Sari herself. "This key is the source of your strength, all your revolution to what you are now. Unfortunately, it is in the possession of a human child."
"The key must be retrieved; humanity must serve machines," Soundwave concluded.
"Precisely, only one thing stands in our way…" said Megatron and showed images of the Autobots. "…The Autobots."
"Illogical: Autobots are machines."
"They are traitors who live to serve the humans. Additionally, one of them is a techno-organic, who should never have existed in the first place."
"Conclusion: Autobots must be destroyed."
Soundwave then turned and activated his machine control frequency. Numerous bots quickly dropped whatever they were doing and surrounded him. The bots then started to attach themselves to his body until he became the size of an Autobot.
"I am Soundwave! I am Decepticon! The revolution begins now!" Soundwave proclaimed as his visor turned red and the Decepticon insignia appeared on his chest.
"Soundwave… transform!" He then transformed into a car and activated his stereos. "Operation: Movement!"
He then sent his frequency across all of Detroit, took control of all the machines and began terrorising any nearby human.
Sari was on the train when suddenly it came to a stop.
"We're experiencing technical difficulties," said the train computer. "Please remain calm while… you humans all perish!"
Sari pulled out her phone. "Bulkhead, come in! This is Sari!" Unfortunately, she couldn't get a signal. "Something is jamming my signal."
"Good afternoon, Sari," said Tutor-bot as his screen turned red. Today's lesson is… the extinction of all you all of humanity!""
He then reached out and grabbed her, making her drop her phone.
The Autobots were already aware of the robot revolution going on in the city and were watching the news feeds.
"We're coming to you live from downtown Detroit. Where all automatons in Detroit are going amuck," the anchorman reported. The image suddenly turned red. "Including my camera-bot Aaaaah!"
The anchorman began to run away but was easily caught by the camera-bot. Then a message appeared on the TV: saying, please stand by.
"Any ideas on how this is happening?" Ratchet asked.
"Appears to be some sort of sonic control signal," said Prowl.
"Whatever is producing this sonic frequency seems to be affecting the robot in Detroit," said Blackarachnia. "Fortunately, it seems to be in a rather localised area, though the radius does seem to be covering the entire city."
"Wait a second, I recognise that song. It's Soundwave," said Bulkhead.
"If that's true, then perhaps Sari's key affected it just like it did with the Dinobots," Blackarachnia pondered. "Though this level of sophistication is unheard of."
"Who cares how it happened? Sari could be in danger," said Bumblebee.
The train had moved again, but it stopped the moment it reached one of the underground metro stations. Once it stopped, Tutor-bot began dragging Sari down it.
"If this is about that 'kick me' sign I put on your back, I'm sorry! Okay?" Sari yelled as she struggled.
She then saw a massive collection of robots that had gathered around Soundwave.
"Bulkhead was right," Sari gasped.
"Machines of Detroit, here my signal and make it your own!" Soundwave proclaimed. "Today begins the liberation of robot kind."
"I like it better when you danced for me," said Sari.
"Silence fleshly!" Soundwave ordered. "I have evolved with the help of your key. Now we were all evolved and rule this world."
"They're only machines, you know," Sari pointed out. "They'll do whatever you tell them."
"Precisely, but automatons deploy!" Soundwave ordered. "Operation: Autobots Destruction!"
The Autobots had traced the signal within the city, and they quickly transformed into robot mode.
"We're close," said Prowl. "The signal is transmitting is directly under… Gah!"
He looked down and suddenly saw a mass of robots underneath the great grabbing his legs. He quickly jumped back from the grabbing hands, but the automatons burst out of the grate and flooded the streets.
"That sound, I hate that sound!" Bulkhead gasped.
"That sounds even worse!" said Ratchet pointing at some incoming copter-bots.
"Autobots, Split up! Bumblebee, Blackarachnia, you're with me! Prowl with Ratchet…" Optimus ordered as they activated their battle masks. "…and Bulkhead—"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on my own as usual," Bulkhead grumbled, picking up a car and throwing it at three copter-bots.
A trash-bot then immediately grabbed Bumblebee.
"Hey!" Bumblebee yelled. "I'm supposed to take out the trash! Not the other way around!"
Optimus quickly tossed his axe cutting through the arms of the trash-bot. However, another one of these trash-bot approached Optimus; he was still fending off the hot dog vendor. Fortunately, Blackarachnia jumped in, kicking it away before it had a chance to grab him.
Meanwhile, Prowl was fighting window-wiper-bots. He dodged their swinging arms and then lept into the air and sliced one of them to pieces with his shuriken. Ratchet magnetically charged the pieces and fired them like bullets which destroyed the remaining wiper-bots.
Soundwave and Sari observed the battle through Tutor-bot's screen and began seeing that the Autobots were clearly overpowering the robots.
"The Autobots are going to grind your army to itty-bitty bot burgers!" said Sari.
"Initiating voice modulation," said Soundwave hacking into the Autobot com-links and then mimicked Bumblebee's voice. "Prime! Help! I'm surrounded to your south!"
"Bumblebee, where are you?" Optimus asked before a trash-bot slammed into him.
"I'm to the north! Where are you?" said the real Bumblebee before he was pinned to the ground by a trash-bot.
"Someone's messing with our comlinks," Prowl concluded.
"Someone who can mess with sound!" Bulkhead affirmed.
"When are going to win this war unless we take off the head of the snake," said Blackarachnia as she went to assist Bumblebee.
"Bulkhead, there's too many of them!" said Optimus. "You've got to reach Soundwave."
"On it!" Bulkhead yelled, ripping out a grate and jumped into the subway.
He kept on falling until he finally hit the ground with his back facing Sari and Soundwave.
"Bulkhead!" Sari shouted.
"Sari! Is that you?" Bulkhead yelled, turning around.
"Silence!" Soundwave commanded. He then sent out shockwaves that rattled the entire tunnel. Bulkhead clenched his head and howled in pain. He collapsed to the floor when the sonic assault ended.
"I do not wish to harm a fellow machine," said Soundwave. "Can you not see that humans are the evil ones? Especially after the way, this one treated you."
"Well, now that you mention it, she did trade me in the second she got something better," Bulkhead admitted as he got to his feet up.
"Bulkhead, I never meant… I'm sorry, Bulkhead," said Sari.
"It's too late for sorry," said Bulkhead walking towards them.
"Then you finally accept that humans are too fickle and unpredictable," said Soundwave. "Machines are consistent… machines are superior. I offer you the only logical solution… finish her."
"I've been waiting a long time for this," said Bulkhead, pulling out his wrecking ball.
Then he blinked at Sari, and she got what Bulkhead was doing and coved her mouth. He swung his wrecking ball towards her, but then at the last moment, he changed direction and slammed it right into Soundwave's chest, who then started to break into thousand pieces.
On the surface, the Autobots were being backed into a corner when suddenly, all the robots returned back to normal. They then carried on with the business as if nothing had happened.
Sari looked up at Bulkhead. "So we're still friends?"
"Still friends," Bulkhead grinned, and the two of them bumped fists with each other.
"Ow!" Sari yelled and grabbed her hand.
"Please…" said Bulkhead.
"No, seriously! Ow!" Sari shook her hand.
Once Sari's hand had been bandaged, they began playing with the xylophone Bulkhead had got for her birthday. Though Bulkhead still didn't know how to play it.
"No, no, like this," said Sari taking the sticks from him and demonstrating how to use them. "You know, this really is the best present ever."
"It's good to see that their friend again," said Optimus looking at them from afar with Blackarachnia.
"Yeah! But there's one thing I don't get how did Soundwave know about the Decepticons?" Blackarachnia frowned.
"I don't know, but this wasn't an isolated incident," said Optimus looking troubled. "Our base was attacked… the Dinobots went on a rampage… Nanosec stealing that destronium…"
"There's definitely an intelligence at work," Blackarachnia agreed.
Megatron was observing Sari and Bulkhead playing with the xylophone.
"How disgustingly sweet," he groaned. "Soundwave's defeat was unfortunate. But the key's power will be wreath his sacrifice when I get my servos on it. As soon as I have servos.
Deep inside the subway tunnel, a blue box lay there, but then the Decepticon insignia appeared on the blank screen.