Authors Notes: So this chapter ended up way longer then I intended… Oh well, I guess a lot happens so it's worth it. As always, I love hearing from everyone, so please comment, and happy reading!
Soundwave
Soundwave stumbled backwards in shock. A hand clutched the place the Autobot had struck him. The only thing faster than Arcee's sudden attack was the response of Soundwave's nearby crew. Clobber threw her massive form between Soundwave and Arcee to take any future damage. Thunderblast and the few troopers scattered around the Bridge shifted their blasters. Everyone aimed them at Arcee.
Whatever flirtatious feelings Thunderblast harbored for Arcee did not affect her intended aim. She had her buzzing blaster aimed at Arcee's Spark, her face a cold determined mask. Bumblebee and the others yanked Arcee away from Soundwave. It kept the Bridge from becoming ground zero of a rekindled Autobot and Decepticon war. It was to protect her from eager blasters and to keep her from hitting Soundwave again.
"Arcee, calm down!" Bumblebee shouted while simultaneously yanking her farther away from Thunderblast's pointblank range.
"And here I thought we would be the ones to end up breaking the treaty." Thunderblast noted. She was far from joking, which was only more disconcerting.
While assisting Bumblebee, Smokescreen said. "So, I assume this has something to do with what you wanted to tell us before?"
"Stop, please!" Rhea's panicked voice cut Soundwave deep. It also managed to at least delay the rising conflict by drawing most of the room's attention onto herself. She tried to rush forward to stand between Soundwave and Arcee. She didn't make it far before her crutches slipped out from under her and she stumbled forward. Laserbeak was closer than Soundwave was. His tentacles managed to catch her around the torso before she hit the ground.
The other adolescents scrambled to her aid as Agent Fowler went to check on her wellbeing. Raf picked up the crutches that had clattered to the floor. "You ok kiddo?" Agent Fowler asked her.
Soundwave could tell Rhea was far from ok. She was rubbing her palms, shaking her hands and head in an attempt to calm herself. It didn't appear to be working.
Jack spun around to take in the Autobots, his focus landing on Arcee. "Seriously, what gives, Arcee?"
The two-wheeler was no longer struggling to get at Soundwave. Her anger had waned to a sustained glare, but also obvious guilt for Rhea's condition. Soundwave glared back at her. His fury at the blue Autobot was not for the random assault, but rather what it had done to his small ally.
"Would you rather tell them, Soundwave, or should I?" Arcee asked, calm despite her demeanor.
Soundwave had no clue what the Autobot was talking about. He didn't care enough to find out. "Stand down." He ordered his crew so he could calm the murderous tension in the room. He then looked to the Autobots coldly. "I won't pretend to care how I have managed to offend you Autobot, on my own ship. Only because we still need each other's help, will I let this incident slide. But future unsolicited violence will not be tolerated again." He warned her. He then turned to address Rhea. Laserbeak and the other humans had started to calm her. "Are you ok?" He asked Rhea in a much softer tone of voice, reaching out a hand to her.
"Don't touch her!" Arcee snapped.
That was enough for Soundwave to turn away from Rhea to take in the smoldering two-wheeler. Going by Arcee's ferocious look alone, it was like she was ready to push through her friends to get to Rhea before he did.
"Arcee, you got to talk to us, what did you find out?" Bumblebee pleaded.
Arcee didn't address her comrade. She was locked onto Soundwave, only the two of them existing in her world. Conflicting emotions swirled in her optics. There was residual anger, protectiveness, and, did Soundwave detect betrayal? "I heard what you and Shockwave were talking about." Was all Arcee said. It was all she had to say to send the icy tendrils of fear into Soundwave's Spark. He needed to silence her, keep her from ruining everything. He found himself unable to speak.
Arcee's mouth plates twisted into a frowned. Soundwave saw more of that betrayed sadness the Autobots were so often overtaken by. "I really thought, you were going to be different then Megatron." She whispered, motioning to Rhea without breaking optic contact with him. He remained silent, and she shook her helm in disgust. "I thought you cared about her."
That prompted his voice box to thaw. "I do." He protested.
"No, you don't." Arcee snapped. "If you did, you wouldn't feel the need to change her. And not even for her own good, but for your own selfish, Decepticon self!"
"What's she talking about?" Miko demanded somewhere behind Soundwave. He assumed she addressed the comment to Jack, or anyone watching the exchange. He feared what Rhea was thinking as Arcee made these cryptic, threatening notions. All revolving around her.
"This," Soundwave began in the most careful tone he could manage. "Is not the time or place for this conversation."
Arcee's glare deepened.
"What's going on?" Rhea asked softly.
That simple question almost broke him. She asked it with fear. He didn't want her to be scared. Not of him. He could explain it to her. Assure every worry away.
But he was too late.
"I overheard Soundwave asking Shockwave to begin research into Cyberforming organic lifeforms. Namely Rhea." Arcee stated to the Autobots, and Rhea herself.
Soundwave was able to see in real time the shock form on Rhea's face at the news. Her eyes were wide as she studied him. He forced the panic from his features, or at least as much as he was able. He didn't want her thinking this was a shameful secret. The Autobot's reactions did not help his attempts.
"H-he what?!" Bumblebee stammered.
"Why?" Bulkhead demanded and was more angered then shocked. Their combined horror at the concept was obvious enough. Soundwave didn't bother turning around to gauge their reactions. He instead remained focused on Rhea. Her mouth hung a bit, but compared to the Autobots, she was handling the news far better. It may not have sunk in yet.
"Cyberform…" Miko wondered. "As in, turn her into one of you guys?"
Thunderblast looked between the parties with a prolonged intake of shock. "That's possible? That's fragging awesome!"
Soundwave's current emotional state was not ready to withstand the excited pulse Laserbeak beamed through their connection. 'Remarkable! That is an even better solution then any of our other discussions about extending her life! And Shockwave confirmed it was possible? Could she be Cyberformed into a Minicon such as myself?' He bombarded Soundwave with questions, all which Rhea was privy to due to the device in her ear.
There was to many voices yelling at him. Both in the form of demanding questions from the Autobots and in his own head from Laserbeak. The only one who had nothing to ask was Rhea herself. That was troubling.
'Rhea,' He whispered silently to her, as gently as he could. 'This was not how I wanted to tell you. Please trust in me though. I would never have forced you into undergoing such a procedure if you were anything but willing.' He promised.
"Soundwave!" Bumblebee snapped. "Is what Arcee said true?"
Soundwave released a deep vent. "It is." He confirmed.
"She's not some pet like your Second in Command seems to think all humans are!" Arcee snarled at him. "You can't treat her like Laserbeak!"
That sparked renewed anger in Soundwave, or at least enough for him to turn back to face the Autobots. "Laserbeak is not my pet. He is a Minicon Symbiote."
"And Rhea is a human!" Arcee countered. "You can't strip that away from her because it is inconvenient to you! Rhea isn't safe here on this ship. None of the humans are. Open a Space Bridge and send them all back to Earth, now!"
Soundwave advanced on Arcee. "You do not give orders to me, Autobot, especially regarding Rhea!"
"It's ok, Soundwave." Rhea's small voice extinguished his building anger. Probably at the best time too. Soundwave wasn't sure if he would have thrown a punch of his own.
He saw she was calm, no longer afraid, or at least he didn't see any fear on her face. "Us being here is distracting you guys, obviously. The last thing anyone wants is to cause more fighting. You guys need this alliance. Remember that! Anything else can be put aside until after the danger on Cybertron has passed." She finally accepted the crutches from Raf. She stood without Laserbeak and Agent Fowler's help. "We'll, talk later. I want to talk later, when there isn't about twenty people in the same room giving their own damn commentary." She said and offered him a grin. The simple gesture did assure him. At least Rhea wasn't completely horrified by the Cyberforming concept. He feared she would be, after Arcee's means of revealing it.
"I will keep you informed of our exploits here while you continue to recover on Earth." He promised before activating a Space Bridge in front of the group. Laserbeak chirped sadly when it appeared. Rhea wrapped her arms around Laserbeak in a hug, and it seemed to ease his unhappiness.
"Ratchet will be returning to Earth shortly." Bumblebee told them; his voice hollow. "He'll watch over things until we get back."
With that reassurance, Agent Fowler herded the adolescence into the portal. Rhea managed a final nervous smile towards Soundwave before she vanished. Jack was the last one through, and he pointed at Arcee and the others. "You're all a team now, guys. Remember that. Try talking before you start throwing fists." That last comment was directed to his own guardian Arcee. He followed the others into the portal before Arcee could agree or refute his statement. She only vented in the silence that followed the Space Bridge closing.
Then Soundwave found himself graced with Arcee's glare again. "So you see a flaw in Rhea's humanity enough to steal it away from her?" she demanded.
Rhea was back on Earth, but with his crew still lingering, Soundwave couldn't talk freely. "Thunderblast. You, Clobber and the others are relieved from the Bridge until I deal with the Autobots." He ordered.
Clobber wasn't the only one uncomfortable with that notion. "What if you need help?" She worried.
"I will not require assistance." Soundwave promised. He gave the Autobots a glare of his own. "Their single cheap shot will be the only one to hit me."
Thunderblast's expression pursed, but she pat Clobber on the servo to encourage her out. The troopers followed, and Soundwave was left alone with the Autobots.
"We have human allies we care about too." Bumblebee said, almost as if attempting to see Soundwave's perspective. "But we respect them as they are. I would never ask Raf to change what he is. He's fine in the body he was born with."
"I am not inconvenienced by Rhea's humanity, as you accuse me of being." Soundwave informed the group sharply.
"Then why change her?" Arcee demanded.
"Because you are correct in one regard. I am selfish." Soundwave snapped back. It actually gave the Autobots pause. Despite the pain it caused him, Soundwave continued with the thought. "I am not strong enough to lose her. What will you all do when those humans you care for go off to their own All Spark, and you can never follow?"
Silence answered him, and Soundwave took that as confirmation of victory. Bulkhead's expression had turned from anger to sorrow almost at once. Arcee was trying her best to hide any sign of grief. Bumblebee only looked at Soundwave, unsure how to answer. The Autobots were not fools. They knew this simple fact about their humans just as Soundwave knew it about Rhea. But their solution to the problem appeared to simply not think about it. Push it from their processor until the inevitable moment snuck up to stab them in the Spark. Maybe that was the selfless thing to do. Enjoy the limited time with their human wards they had been given. Then shoulder the grief for the rest of time once they were gone. But Soundwave couldn't carry that burden. He had lost to damn much in his life to lose anyone else close to him.
"This topic regarding Rhea is unrelated to our mission on Cybertron. We can revisit it if we must, once Arachnid and the New Council is dealt with. This is my final word on the matter." he said, and then left after his crew. He left them alone on the Bridge. This could allow the Autobots time to contemplate the bitter truth about their human friends they had been avoiding.
Location: Earth, Nevada military base
Rhea
The portal spiraled into nothing behind them. They had arrived back in the Autobot base on Earth. In the silence that blanketed their group, Rhea limped her way over to the catwalk stairs and sat on the first rung. She found herself reaching for the com device on her ear. She had just left the Renegade, and she already wanted to check on Soundwave. He was probably still talking to the Autobots, about her. She dropped her hand into her lap. She would give him until the next morning. If he was still silent, she would have to take the initiative and call him.
Massive footsteps hurried from the adjacent hall. The flashy red medic Knockout rushed into the room. "How are things back on Cybertron? Where you able to…" he soon realized the only ones to come through the recent Spacebridge had been a bunch of humans. His shoulders slumped. "No Bots? Scrap…" he sculked back down the hall, defeat radiating off his flashy frame.
Miko called after him. "They're still working on making Cybertron safe Doc Knock! The Bots haven't forgotten about ya!"
After Knockout was gone, Agent Fowler cleared his throat. Rhea's head snapped up from her musing to look at him. The government agent looked uncomfortable, or at least she thought he did. She was getting better at reading facial expressions. She was surrounded by all these people to practice on after all. "Hey, um, how are you holding up, Kiddo?" Fowler asked.
"I actually have no idea." Rhea answered honestly.
Agent Fowler nodded, then took a seat on the same step, a comfortable few feet away from her. "That seems like a reasonable way to feel. I want to reiterate to you that the Bots have everything under control. They'll sort everything-"
"You're going to do it, right?" Miko interrupted. By the looks of it, if she waited any longer to speak, she would have exploded. Soundwave wants you to become a Cybertronian! Dude, you could become the freaking QUEEN of the Decepticons! You have to do it!"
Jack elbowed Miko hard in the ribs. "None of that is our business! She and Soundwave can talk through all that, without your input, Miko!"
Miko rubbed at her midsection, a smile finding its way back onto her face. "I wonder where I can sign up to become a Bot? I need to figure out how to get Bulkhead on board!"
"Could there actually be a 'Queen' of the Decepticons?" Raf asked no one in particular. Much like Rhea, his thoughts seemed to have wandered from the topic a bit. When he noticed everyone staring at him, he clarified. "I mean, it seems to be more of a dictator ship then a monarchy. Plus, if there was a Queen, there would have to be a King, right? And then that would be a whole new set of rules, if we are going by human monarchy standards. Marriage and stuff like that."
Miko rose an eyebrow at the comment. Then she grinned. "Come on, are we going to ignore the way old Sounders looks at our girl here?"
Thankfully, the Space Bridge burst open at that moment. It yanked everyone's focus off of Rhea, who was worried the temperature of her face was about to cook her brain.
Ratchet came through. Rhea may struggle to read humans and bots alike, but it was plain to see Ratchet was exhausted. He stumbled to the control panel with a simple head nod aimed their direction. He deactivated the Bridge from his side, and then pressed a finger to the side of his head. "Ratchet to Ultra Magnus. I have made it back to Earth and will resume my post. When the com chatter silenced, Ratchet slumped against the console with a hollow vent.
"Is it that bad?" Jack ventured.
"Indeed." Ratchet grumbled. "I thought the stream of wounded would never end. Who knows how many we lost. We were so short staffed… Knockout and other reformed Decepticon Doctors couldn't help, for obvious reasons. I don't know if this is all Decimus's doing and the other Council Members are complacent. But things will only get worse if things remain in their servos." He almost growled that last comment.
"Bee said you talked to the Council." Raf said. "Did they not listen?"
"Prowl did." Ratchet offered with a shrug. "But they outvoted him every chance they got. I couldn't tell who was getting more irritated, me or poor Prowl… Sorry, Prowl is an old friend of Optimus's. He's the only member on that Council that has any sense." He went on to explain when he saw the blank looks from the children.
Hurried heavy footsteps came down the hall again. Knockout returned, and this time he smiled. "Thank Primus, someone I can talk to!"
"You could talk to us." Miko reminded him. "Just saying, dude, you are kinda choosy when it comes to friends."
Knockout ignored her and instead hurried over to Ratchet. "Any updates on Cybertron? Has Soundwave terminated Arachnid yet? Can I start packing to go home any time soon?"
"No to all three." Ratchet snapped. Rhea watched him pinch the bridge between his eyes where a nose would be if he were human. The line of questioning from Knockout was commonplace. "Progress is slow. Plus there was some sort of disagreement between our team and Soundwave. Bumblebee just reported it. Though he didn't feel inclined to share any further details. I'm sure that isn't helping to speed things along."
Knockout let out a childish groan. "It's bad enough I'm confined to this military base! If I can't go home, at least let me wonder to get my mind off my possible permanent exile from Cybertron."
Ratchet snorted a sarcastic laugh. "Absolutely not! Not after I caught you sneaking out last time to go street racing. You can park your skid plates in this base until further notice!"
"Gah, you sound like Starscream!" Knockout huffed before walking off to pout.
Miko considered his dark mood, then jumped over Agent Fowler and Rhea to climb the stairs up the catwalk. Rhea turned around to see the teen girl fish in her pocket for her phone and flip it open. "Hey, Doc Knock." She said somewhat quietly. Rhea heard it and was willing to bet everyone else did too. But Ratchet looked far too tired to care about whatever shenanigans she was up to.
Knockout rolled his red eyes and turned only halfway to look at Miko. She pressed a few buttons on her phone, then held it up for him. Grudgingly, he walked over and got close to examine the small picture. His sour mood brightened. "Pictures of you in the last race, right after you blew past that souped up mustang and crossed the finish." She explained.
"Damn I look good… Where did you get these?" Knockout wondered.
"I took them." Miko said, then grinned when he gave her a confused look. "You think you're the only one to sneak out? But here, check this out. Other people took these." She flipped through her phone and showed him. "All the underground racing chats can't shut up about you. The mysterious Aston Martin... Everyone wants to know: Who are they? They never stick around after the races to reveal who they are and claim the money pot if there is one. They call ya the Red Shadow. Of course there are about a thousand fan pictures of what people think you may look like behind those tinted windows. The depictions are a tad human, but you can forgive that assumption."
Knockout was unable to hide his satisfaction at the flattery. "Because they have good taste."
"And since you haven't been on the track for a while," Miko shot Ratchet's back a glance. "People assume you're working up to something big. Just saying, if you ever want to get out and, "stretch" I can cover for ya."
Knockout gave her a suspicious look, leaning closer in an attempt to be more discreet. "And what would you gain from this little arrangement?"
"Not a thing. We rebels have to stick together." She said with a wink and flashed him a rock sign with her hand.
Agent Fowler sighed next to Rhea. "Girl can't help but pick out the rejects of every race."
"But she's our friend." Jack pointed out. "So, what does that make us then?"
Once back in her hospital room, Rhea collapsed. She had no idea how to feel, so instead she threw herself into her work. She opened her laptop to check the progress Wedge and the others had made on the base off the North Carolina coast. Wedge was meticulous with recording his work. She was rewarded with a very detailed progress report because of this. Wedge had also left her a message.
It read:
"Things are going great! Well…they are despite my friend Hotshot coming from Maine to 'help' the other day. He sat on a control panel and sent the base into lockdown. Then my other friend Whirl got stuck upside-down in the vents because of it. But that kind of catastrophe happens daily for my group up north, so I fixed everything no trouble. When you get back, I wanted to show you all the progress, but of course no rush. I also wanted to ask how my old teacher Rivet was holding up? He always had a problem with rusty pistons and never bothered to get it treated. When I saw him, he still looked a bit stiff… My new teachers have a great remedy for that. I'm sure he would throw it in their faceplates if they offered. I was actually hoping you could get Soundwave to maybe order him to get it fixed?
Last thing, and this is REALLY off topic. Also, I was told not to say anything because it could be considered 'offensive' to you. But to be honest I still don't get how, so imma just ask it. Sorry in advanced if I am breaking some human taboo. You humans tend to travel in packs you call 'family' and I noticed you don't have a family. So, I took the liberty as your new friend to find one for you! No need to thank me. There's a great human family who works close to the Rescue Academy, it's actually my friend, Cody Burn's family. They live all over the world, but they always Bridge back home to hang out with each other and our teachers. If things don't work out for you in Nevada, you can always join the Burns family. Just a thought.
Anyway, see you at the base whenever you get back! Wedge over and out."
"Rhea?"
She glanced up from her laptop to see a scrub clad woman in the doorway. She was a nurse, but not one of the ones employed to take care of Rhea. This was Jack's mother, June Darby. She became a regular in Rhea's life very quickly. The woman also didn't flinch when she walked into the room with the Bots, so she was in loop. Rhea actually found that fact charming about her. Her son had weaved her into the secret alien club he spent so much time apart of. It reminded Rhea a lot of her own parents. Her real ones. If they had been alive, they would have been a part of the alien robot club with her too.
"Yeah, I'm going to rest soon." Rhea promised. She assumed June was coming to remind her to not stay up all night before she went home with Jack. It was sort of their routine. Though that talk was usually saved for after June came in and checked all Rhea's casts to make sure the nurses had done a good job. Again. Charming.
"Actually," June began. She was hesitant. Rhea was alert at once. Their simple routine was derailing, like so many other certainties that day. Rhea wasn't sure if she could take any more surprises. "The doctors here say as long as you remain under medical advisement, you can be discharged. I'm a nurse, so I volunteered. Of course, you are welcome to stay here until your housing situation is settled. But, you can stay with me and Jack if you want to."
It was the second invitation to join a new family Rhea had received that day.
"Would you, want me there?" Rhea wondered. "I've been told I'm hard to live with."
June looked surprised. She soon covered the expression with a grin. "You can't be any harder to live with then my own seventeen-year-old. Of course, you are welcome to stay with us as long as you want."
With Junes help Rhea collected her few things and followed her out of the military hospital. A generic four door car awaited them. June opened the passenger seat for Rhea and helped her in, putting her crutches in the trunk of the car.
Jack stopped alongside them, seated on his own black painted motorcycle. He waved before peeling out. "Drive safe!" June called after him. She got in and followed her son's dust trail out of the gated military base and into the night that surrounded the quiet desert road.
June's car radio filled any awkward tension that may be lingering. Rhea was too distracted to listen to music. She was trying to keep her hands off the communication device on her ear. Soundwave still hadn't called. Lord she hoped he and the Autobots hadn't killed each other somewhere past the Milky Way. She wanted to call, check if things were ok. She refrained, and that didn't help her building frustration. It made her rub her palms together until they burned. She was sure Soundwave was giving her time to process everything. He may be worried what she would say in response to his plans for her. Now she was equally worried she would say something to upset him.
"So, I hear online school is going well." June said, bright and talkative. The tone shift made Rhea feel like she had switched into the wrong gear in her brain. She had to take a moment to recover. She glanced at June from the corner of her vision, and saw she wore an innocent smile. Seemingly no ulterior motives behind her kindness. She wasn't a bad person. In fact, Rhea deemed her to be a good person. She seldom met those people, unless they were Bots, or the kind old man Darrel who helped her when she was still on the run.
"Yeah, it's fine." Rhea said simply, scratching at the fabric of her pants. In fact, the schooling Jack's mom was referring to was so simple Rhea had thought it was a joke. Fowler had realized her education while in California was grossly neglected. He set her up with an online teacher and a stack of books while she recovered in the hospital. "So you can start to catch up in high school." He had explained.
Needing something to do while she was still bed bound, she had taken him up on the opportunity. Why not? Rhea had assumed the work in the books and what the teacher sent via email was a few weeks' work, so she blew through it. She was curious where her academic skills were too. Then the amazed teacher explained the work was a year long syllabus. She had already finished it all with near perfect scores, excepting the art history class. She was still trying to get through that book.
Short answer, school was going great.
"Have any plans for College? I know Jack is putting it off." June added with a chuckle.
"I haven't thought of it either…" Rhea explained. She was thinking of Soundwave again, and his offer for her to become like him. Could college compare to something like that? Rhea shook her hands as the stress built, and she had to sit on them to make it stop. The involuntary movement was rattling her bones and making her still recovering body throb. Her ticks in general were getting worse. The stressful situation she found herself in didn't help.
"I don't want to impose anything." June began with a careful, but professional tone of voice. "But have you ever been to therapy for that, or any kind of biofeedback?"
"I don't like meds." Rhea said curtly.
"After the list of drugs you were on, I don't blame you." June wrinkled her nose, though remained locked on the dark road, hands always at ten and two. "I saw the cocktail of drugs they had you on, no wonder nothing was working. They had you on anti-psychotics and conflicting drug classes, stimulants fighting suppressants. If I were you, I would have run around screaming. But I actually wasn't talking about just medication. You could go to a good doctor who cares about you. Maybe get on the right kind of medication that was carefully selected. Or you could have a therapist to talk to. It could give you a little peace of mind."
Rhea only shrugged.
June hesitated, though added, "Not all doctors are bad people…And not all people are bad. I'm sorry I have to say that to you. It isn't fair. The adult community really let you down. At least let this adult tell you how sorry I am for all you had to go through. And I can promise you have people who care about you, and who are in your corner."
"I know all people aren't bad." Rhea finally conceded. "And thanks."
The car slowed as they arrived in a small neighborhood. June pulled into a driveway that already had a car parked there which Rhea recognized. It was Agent Fowler's car. She wondered if something had happened.
June helped her out of the car and into the open garage that housed Jack's parked motorcycle. Up close, she noticed there were blue and pink flames that adorned it. She wondered if this was in honor of Arcee. The small house was charming, much like it's matriarch. Jack sat at the kitchen table, scowling at the calculus book Rhea had read in an afternoon. Rhea deduced Agent Fowler wasn't at the Darby house for business. He hummed at the stove, cooking something that smelled like chili. When Rhea settled at the kitchen table, June walked up to Fowler, helping him finish dinner with a smile.
Rhea tapped Jack's book once to get his attention. She motioned with her thumb at the two adults who swapped spices and flirts. Her raised brow asked the silent question, 'Is this a common thing?'
In answer, Jack rolled his eyes, and gave her a nod. To distract from the awkward talk between adults, Rhea scooted her chair next to Jack so she could help him with his math homework.
At dinner, everyone actually talked to each other. That was a very strange concept for Rhea indeed. In the Karens house, her two foster parents would eat in front of the tv while Rhea ate upstairs in her room. If Jim and Justine remembered to feed her that night.
After dinner, Rhea headed for the guest room June had shown her when they first arrived. On her way, she spotted June and Fowler curled up on the couch watching a movie. She felt a melancholy smile form on her lips as she limped to the guest room. If she didn't choose to change her species, this wouldn't be a bad family to be apart of. According to Wedge's report, a similar human family awaited her up in Maine. She had a lot of options to choose from.
She sat on the bed. She noted the feeling of sleeping in a bed designated as 'hers' was still strange. Despite her casts, she crossed her legs the best she could and opened her laptop. When she was feeling down, she liked to hack into California's CPS investigation branch. This was to check to see how her foster parent's case was going. The investigators started talking to the Karens's neighbors. Apparently, everyone who lived near them assumed Rhea was the hired help. She didn't blame them since they only saw her outside the house when doing manual labor or fixing the car. The Karens's doctor friend had also thrown them under the bus. They insisted Jim and Justine falsified information presented to him about Rhea's condition. The doctor was in trouble, but not as much as Jim and Justine were. Short answer, the investigation was going great for everyone but her ex foster parents. No matter how many times Rhea read over the documents it was still funny to her.
'Rhea? Are you receiving me?' Laserbeak asked in her ear.
Rhea jolted up and slammed her laptop shut. "Yeah, I hear you fine. How did everything go… with the fight?"
'Master Soundwave put the Autobots in their place.' Laserbeak assured her. 'I assume we have returned to some semblance of normalcy. Despite the Autobot's overreaction.'
Despite her racing heart, Rhea cocked a grin. "They worry, don't be too hard on them. How is Soundwave… is he ok?" She asked, worried by his silence.
"Master Soundwave is fine. He is currently in power down.' Laserbeak said to ease her concern. 'It was actually my only opportunity to speak with you. He has not taken the initiative to reopen our previous dialogue. I did not get to express my excitement over your transformation into a Cybertronian before you left the ship. I wanted to discuss possible forms that may suit you. I recommend a frame capable of flight, as it has served me and Master Soundwave quite well. But that is just my opinion.'
Laserbeak sure didn't waste time.
"Thanks for the info. To be honest, I haven't gotten a chance to think it over, since things have been a bit chaotic."
'That is acceptable. The Autobots did put a damper on the event… Though I am more annoyed with my Master. He should have included us both in the discussion with Shockwave. I admit he may have been attempting to make the reveal… what's the word…" Laserbeak fell silent for many beats before he continued. "Spontaneous? Affectionately surprising? He is laughably bad at both qualities, so I shutter to think how he intended to tell us. Perhaps the Autobot's assault was the better scenario.'
Rhea tried not to laugh out loud. Poor Soundwave. But this was a moment of opportunity she may not get again. No matter how embarrassing, she pressed on. "Laserbeak, I have a question about Cybertronian customs."
'I am happy to assist!' He assured her.
She took a deep breath. "Do you have, Marriage, or dating on Cybertron?" There. It was out and she couldn't take it back, no matter how much she now wished she could.
Laserbeak pondered for a moment. 'I am afraid I am not familiar with either term. Some things do not translate well from your language to ours or vise versa. Can you elaborate on the meaning?'
"Sure. It's like a courtship process, most of the time romantic?" She tried, unsure if the concept of romance was even a thing in their culture.
Another pause from Laserbeak. 'Oh, you mean the Conjunx Ritus? Yes, we have that. Though the ritual is rather rare amongst most of the population. It was also considered vulgar to talk openly about before the great war. Of course, the old ways are flawed, so it is no longer taboo. This is the same old ways that deemed me unworthy to look at high caste bots in the optics when addressing them. But getting back on topic, this would fit into your 'romantic' and 'courtship' categories.'
Rhea was actually surprised. So, they did have something similar. She was almost certain the answer would have not been 'no' but 'hell no.' "Interesting." Was all she could manage. She was sure Laserbeak could see her body's clear signs of embarrassment.
'Why do you ask? Has someone on Earth shown interest in you?' Laserbeak demanded with the same protectiveness one might find in an angry father with a shotgun.
She laughed at the mental image she had given herself. "No. Nothing like that."
'Very well…' Laserbeak said, unconvinced. 'But do let me know if it becomes the case. It is ironic you bring up the Conjunx Ritus, because Master Soundwave has harbored intimate feelings for you in recent cycles. If someone else were to show similar interest, I would have to terminate them to save my Master the trouble of doing it himself. Is everything alright on your side? Your pulse rate has risen at an alarming rate.'
Rhea found herself retreating into her hands. "Nope, I'm good." She moaned. So then she wasn't crazy, and Miko was more observant then she led on. She wondered if Laserbeak knew what he had unwittingly unveiled. Or it wasn't a big deal in their culture. Her hands shook so hard she was starting to consider taking June up on the whole therapist thing.
There was a scratch of static, and then silence. "Laserbeak?" she asked, worried all over again.
'No.' Soundwave's voice came through instead. She tried to keep her pulse in relative check. 'I am sorry. I forbid Laserbeak from doing this very thing. He is in trouble.'
"It's fine." She promised. "Laserbeak wasn't trying to bother, it came from a place of caring."
'But it has put more stress on you.' Soundwave pointed out. 'Your pulse rate and body temperature are rising.' He added. She feared he would notice. He was silent a moment more. 'Unless it is my presence that has troubled you.'
"Absolutely not." She insisted, too quick to sound inconspicuous. "And I'm not mad at you. I've got a lot on my mind. I don't know when I'll have an answer, about, you know… But I am thinking about it."
'Take as long as you need.' He assured her gently. 'And do not allow Laserbeak to strongarm you into any decisions.' Another pause, longer this time. 'Sleep well.' He said. She wondered if he had intended to say more.
"Same to you." She whispered before their connection cut off. She laid face down and exhaled into her pillow. With so much uncertainty in her future, there was at least one thing she knew for a fact. She would not be sleeping 'well' that night.
Rhea pivoted in her rolling chair, waiting for the calibration to complete. As she waited, she watched a school of fish swim by the large window overlooking the console. She spent almost every moment of free time at the North Carolina base Wedge and the other refugees had constructed. It was therapeutic and distracting, both things she decided she needed.
It was a Saturday, so Raf and Miko were there too. Raf liked to help, and Miko liked to run through the massive structure made from pieces of shipping containers and scavenged Cybertronian vessels. Jack was still in Nevada with Ratchet to lend a hand. In reality, he was there to keep Ratchet and Knockout from fighting.
Ratchet hadn't been able to get a response from Ultra Magnus or Prowl that whole week. He even contacted Bumblebee and the others, who could not get through to Cybertron from their end either. Then there was more bad news. Some mysterious interference was keeping anyone from Space Bridging onto or off Earth. Ratchet and Knockout were spending all their time trying to discover the reason. It was troubling to say the least.
"Hey nerds." Miko greeted Raf, Rhea and Wedge as she sauntered into the control room. "Jetfire and the others are back with more of your geek junk to add onto the base." She reported.
Rhea only nodded, still focused on her work. She had already noted Jetfire on radar a while back. Thanks to her frequency shield, all the refugee's life signals were hidden, unless seen from the confines of their base.
Jetfire and the others had been a massive help, and even risked venturing to assist Ratchet often. This was something many of the other refugees were weary to do. There was a direct Spacebridge linked to the New Council controlled Cybertron in the Nevada base where Ratchet resided after all.
Soundwave had sent Jetfire and his other seeker team members to Earth when they had nothing else to contribute while on the Renegade. Apparently, they went without a fuss. Bumblebee and the others were still on the Decepticon ship to keep an eye on things. Rhea was sure Soundwave assumed this was the main reason Jetfire had wanted to stick around. His arrival to Earth had been well timed. They arrived just before the Spacebridge problem started.
"Oh, and more importantly." Miko snickered as she sat in one of the human sized chairs and put her feet up on a console. "Wedge's friend Whirl was collecting shells on the ocean floor, and she brought one on board that still had a crab in it. This thing was smaller than one of her fingers, and she was terrified. It then proceeded to chase her and Medix through like three rooms while Hoist tried to talk the crab out of attacking them Funniest thing I've seen in a while."
"They're a servo full." Wedge agreed, though he was too busy securing a final wall panel in place to look up. "We've been on Earth for a while, but things still surprise us I guess."
"In fairness to you bots," Rhea began. "Us humans live here full time and stuff surprises us all the time."
"I bet a bunch of the refugees will end up staying." Raf commented. He typed a few more lines of code into his laptop before uploading it into their base's server. "A lot of them are interested in Earth. I guess many Bots on Cybertron didn't know humans were intelligent like them."
"I can confirm that." Wedge volunteered with a smirk. "I used to be one of those Bots. There have been a good deal of close calls with refugees almost blowing their cover in front of humans. I guess it's confusing. Some humans are in on the secret but others aren't? I was confused too when I first got here."
"Poor Agent Fowler." Raf said.
Rhea nodded knowingly. Agent Fowler had to run interference on each one of those 'close calls' Wedge mentioned.
"It wouldn't be a problem if we outed the secret." Miko pointed out.
"Soundwave thinks the secret is stupid too." Rhea added and tried to ignore how her heart skipped a beat when saying his name.
"Rules are rules." Wedge said with a shrug.
"A Con I know says those are meant to be broken." Miko retorted.
"Hey guys," Raf stood with his laptop in hand. "I'm getting a message from base. The interference is getting bad. They want us back, just in case it goes down completely and we get stranded here."
"Can't be stranded in my own home State." Rhea said. Regardless, she stood from her chair and stretched. She was able to get around with only one crutch now, so the motion wasn't a chore. "But better not make a fuss. Ratchet is angry enough these days. Can you finish up by yourself Wedge?"
"With Jetfire, we'll be done in no time. Head on out before they send a search party." Wedge said with a thumbs up.
A distant crash from down a hall made Wedge groan. He put down his tools and stood. "I'll finish up, right after I figure out what Hotshot just broke."
"How do you know it was Hotshot?" Miko asked, suppressing her laughter.
"Because it always is!" Wedge called over his shoulder from the door. Another crash made him start sprinting towards the source. "Guys, if you don't stop messing with my work, I'll get our professors to come and drag you back to the Academy!" A short silence passed before Wedge could be heard shouting, "Really? All this over a crab!?"
The Ground Bridge opened, and Rhea limped through after the others. They arrived in the middle of a fight between Ratchet and Knockout. "It has to be the power conduits. You Autobots and the scrap you build your tech from." Knockout grumbled.
"It certainly is not!" Ratchet countered. "This is purposeful interference surrounding Earth! It happened to our Space Bridge once already. This is the same interference that kept us from stopping the Decepticon execution! The New Council doesn't want us interfering in something on Cybertron. I'm sure they think the rest of Team Prime are here on Earth and are trying to keep them away!"
"You're a paranoid old Bot, aren't you?" Knockout said with a shrug, wandering away from the Space Bridge.
"Paranoid for good reason! It's not like we had you and your Con friends chasing us down for the past few million years!"
Miko's scoff made Ratchet shift his focus from Knockout's back to her. "Well joke's on the new Council. Bulkhead and the others will come blazing out of the sky in a Decepticon ship when the time is right!"
Rhea sat down on the couch in the 'human corner' and sent a message back to the North Carolina base. She told them to stay hidden in the base until the problem resolved, just in case. Almost as soon as she sent the message Jetfire responded. He informed her he was ready if they required back up. With Soundwave and the others so far away, it was good to know.
Ratchet's Console pinged.
"Speak of the Destroyer." Knockout snickered. "It fixed itself. Guess you were only paranoid."
Ratchet grumbled bitterly while he answered the beacon. "Finally. It's a Bridge request from Ultra Magnus. It took them long enough."
He opened the Space Bridge and took a few steps back to allow the massive Autobot Commander through.
A Bot walked through the swirling portal, and Ratchet's confusion was palpable. Rhea understood why. She didn't recognize this Bot at all. They certainly weren't the Autobot Commander Ultra Magnus, or anyone else she knew. All she recognized was the Autobot emblem. And the more specialized symbol Smokescreen also wore that signified an Elite Guard.
"Who are you? Is something wrong with Ultra Magnus?" Ratchet demanded.
Without a word, the Elite Guard shifted his left arm into a blaster and shot Ratchet in the chest.
