Sonica's brows push together over her wide eyes. Her arms are mostly folded, save the one that holds her fingertips to her lips. "I knew you were bringing back a mech, but I didn't think it would be him."
Starscream shakes his head as he stands next to her in the medical wing. "Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are."
They've stood like this for what feels like megacycles, staring at Megatron's resting body.
"It had to be the dark energon..." She thinks out loud and senses Starscream stiffen, "But...I don't see it in there."
It's tucked in a compartment on Starscream's back, she knows. She can feel the aggressiveness, waving ribbon-like fingers towards her. As they stand there, she internally fights it.
For the sake of her cover: "Did the blast turn it to dust or something?"
"Who knows?" Starscream lies, and completes it with a shrug.
She drops her arms by her side, "As I predicted, the transfusion I gave him wasn't enough. I don't know much about the other systems to begin repairs...so what now?"
"I think I'll give him a couple solar cycles, just to see if he improves. If not, it would be merciful to unplug him."
"Soundwave won't like that," her tone was sharper than she meant. She cools down, and works to block the dark energon out.
"But he knows Megatron as well as I do," he retorts without any suspicion.
"I'd suggest a vote, my Lord."
"Why?"
"To make you look good, if nothing else. If Megatron's legacy is to continue with you, the other bots should have part in it."
His mind ruminates the idea, "Actually, a vote would tell me who's loyal to whom..."
Of course.
"And maybe a party to celebrate Megatron would...?"
The smirk he wears is distracted, "We'll see. We don't want to celebrate too soon."
That comment was the definition of double-meaning.
"Fair enough,"
They stand there with only the hum of the monitors to fill the silence. It's impressive that Megatron stayed in one piece. Is he made of fused atoms?
"What do we do in the meantime, Lord Starscream?"
"The energon is first priority. We'll head to Chicago now."
After Starscream drops off the shard of dark energon, Soundwave prepares a ground bridge at coordinates just above the water. The sun is down in Chicago's time zone, so most of the ships should be in the harbor.
They walk through, step off, and sink down to the bottom. Starscream sinks faster than she does.
"Slag," she folds her arms, looking down at him as he fades into the darkness below, "Hey I'll, um, catch up with you."
His bright orbs flash before the thickness consumes them. "Hurry up, I don't have all the time in the universe."
Her frown smears to one side. Why is he coming with her? He could be on the Nemesis doing the vote...or he could be working more on the energon supply plans. Does he know what he wants to do with the deposit that they are currently after?
It's obvious that he's avoiding the issue with Megatron...and for that, she can't blame him.
After a couple cycles of sinking, his watching, waiting optics glow brightly in her sight. His glaring reminds her of pictures she's seen on the internet site the kids scrub photos from: sea monster edition.
She smiles to herself.
"You should really consider upgrading your body." His arms are folded, and his mouth makes the same hard line that his arms do.
"If there's a next time, I'll just hold on and you can bring me down." She nudges him with her elbow; grinning at her own joke.
The silence is prickly with his irritation.
"You bring me down..." She tries again.
"Are you done?"
"Yes."
He starts a trek to get closer to the city; sort of guessing in his head where the best vantage point would be for her to gather it all quickly.
She grumbles behind him and curses again, so he turns around. Sonica bounds and strides like she's on the moon.
"You've got to be joking," he groans.
"I wish I was," she frowns, as another attempt at taking a normal step sends her into a small, slow, leap. Her armor is strong enough to withstand space, but it has little density.
He storms towards her, and reaches out a hand, "You do understand what I mean by 'hurry', don't you?"
"I'm light weight, not stupid." She reaches for his hand as she comes down and they curl their fingers around one another's forearms.
He pulls her in and sets an arm over her shoulders, then they try walking side by side. Though his arm eliminates the springy strides, she simply doesn't cut through the water like he does.
Sonica wraps her arms around his chest and continues to try and make walking work, but it fails. It builds his frustration instead.
"Agh! Nevermind! Just go to work already. Let's get this over with."
She shrugs and kneels to the ground, putting her hands to the sea floor. Then, when she's found the nearest point to them, she pulls on the energon from inside the crystals. There is still quite a distance it must travel to get to her, but it's gradually making its way.
"Are you getting anything?"
She tells him the distance, and his anxiousness spurs more frustration.
"I can't wait that long. Come here."
He's already picking her up before she can obey. He takes her by the wrists and wraps them about his neck. The urgency dives him forward, and her legs flow like a flag behind them.
Sonica brings herself closer to lessen the drag. Her elbows rest on his chest, like a large bowtie, and her chin perches on his shoulder.
For a while, she listens to the silence. She would like to say something to him; something that will ease his worry. However, he may not be used to that, and it could feel strange and backfire. Right now, the quiet is best.
But she doesn't have to talk to help. Suddenly remembering the sports show the kids had watched, she tries kicking her legs. It works.
"What are you doing?"
"Helping,"
"I know, but how?"
She tells him about the swimming sport she saw on TV.
He makes a face, and though she doesn't see it, she senses it in the way his chin bumps her arm when he balks, "You watch human television?"
"Getting to know the planet better, is the intention. It's not my fault they put a bunch of scrap in with the helpful stuff. Did you know, parrots are considered the smartest animal?"
"Sonica, I really could care less."
"Right, I guess you're more interested in dusting Humans with stasis drugs."
A short pause follows while he shakes his head once, "It's on my list."
"There's a list now?" She smiles, "I'm curious."
"I retract that statement. Let it go."
"No, no, I want to know. Here, I'll guess, and you tell me if I have it right." She ignores his grumble, "Is one of those... drag dead weight through water?"
Just enough light from her optics, allows her to see the profile of his smile, "I'm already doing that. It doesn't count."
"Blast, I'll try another one...hmm..." She perks up, "Peek under Soundwave's visor?"
He pauses his walk to be sure he delivers his appalled expression correctly. "Your mind finds the strangest things to contemplate."
"It's called 'creativity'."
"Not to be confused with 'insanity', of course."
"I resemble that remark."
Teeth show for that smile. He comes to a stop, turning his head slightly to see her from his peripheral, "I think we're here. Are we?"
Her optics change shades of blue as she scans the distance ahead, "Yes, here will be better."
"Thank Primus."
She lets go and lands on the sand. A little cloud forms around her feet. "You and your way of twisting things...you suck like a black hole."
He ignores her banter, and patiently waits as she kneels again and puts her hands to the ground. Only five cycles later, she announces she's receiving the energon.
"Good," he seems to finally relax.
Sonica sees it now; he was stressing about Megatron waking and finding a portion of their supply missing because of a party. He would've been beaten for that.
She couldn't be there when the Autobots invaded the Nemesis after Agent Fowler's kidnapping, but she was there when Megatron backhanded him hard enough to skip him across the floor.
Thankfully, Starscream has a knack for backup plans. His best ones come at the last nanoklik.
"I have another question, Sonica."
"Yes?"
"All the energon you absorb, where does it go?"
Gold energon is the true answer. It stores all kinds of energy in any form. Several standard units of energon can be stored in a small quantity the size of a flask. Very helpful.
"Well, I was built by Primus and the Thirteen. I'm sure if there was someone still around who can comprehend my model, they could say for sure. But, as far as I know, I'm magic."
He analyzes the information and accepts it, "Do you feel the weight at all?"
"A little," She nods, then eyes him, "Why? Are you hoping I'll be able to walk myself back?"
"That would be nice."
"Was it that bad?" She teases.
Starscream crosses his arms again and doesn't answer. "How much longer do you need?"
The tension... "It's hard to say...with the ground and the water...I'm trying to keep it all clean, so I don't require a deep, deep detailing later." This is a little more information than he needs but she can't stop, "I can get a good fraction of the amount in a megacycle, but if you don't want me down here for five solar cycles, we'll have to do this in shifts."
"We can clean the energon when we run it through the processor. Can you just suck it all up quickly and get a detailing later?"
"I'm trying to avoid damage to my internal systems. The water and sand will affect them and that'll slow me down further."
His arms swing out and plant his hands on his hips.
She pulls on the energon a little harder, "Want to ask me another question? I'm a great multi-tasker."
His pause seems to be a little reluctant. It takes a while before he gives in.
"Did you like being a doll?"
"It was okay. Singing and dancing was fun when Sentinel would let me."
"Do you think about him sometimes?"
"Who?"
He starts to repeat himself until he sees that was her answer. Her smile is contagious and he thinks of something else.
"How was living with him?"
"Gross." She shares a washed sly look, "Do you want details?"
"No."
That was a fast answer. A giggle rolls from her gut.
"Dolls did static for paying customers, right?" He sees her nod and continues, "Do you hate using it?"
"Now that it's no longer the job, no. There were some rare highlights during that time, though. I like seeing people happy." She looks up at him, "Is that so odd?"
He lowers to one knee without breaking eye contact. His voice is soft, "No."
Sonica, without blinking, picks up her hands, "I'm full for now."
Starscream's optic lights fall to her hands. She flexes her fingers and waves them a little to get the sand out of her joints.
"Will it work in water?" He hesitates.
"Only one way to know,"
He nods and looks over her hands, tracing them with his own. She takes one to his face, planting her palm over his cheek and the corner of his mouth. He waits for the sensation. When it pleasantly scampers just below his surface, he leans into the contact. His eyes close and his shoulders fall from where they were pinned up with anticipation.
She moves her other hand to the side of his neck. He presses her hand there and his wings lay down his back.
For now, nothing else exists. This is for him. All else is put on hold to make room for himself, and this change of touch. It's soft, warm, and stimulating. Just this once, it's just for him.
Sonica smiles, though she doesn't feel the static herself, and brushes her free fingertips in short lines under his eye and at the nape of his neck. Seeing him happy, in the moment, and feeling loved for once, is enough for her. From the way he soaks in it, he's long overdue.
She flies above the Earth's mountains. The trees stand like majestic spears below. Many unique and different sounds breathe into the air: chirps, shrieks, and roars. A waterfall rushes like white-noise and sprays the wind with a moist chill.
Suddenly, she's above the ocean, a seamless blue, stretching on into the distance and fading into the horizon. The light gleams off it, brighter and more spontaneous than a control board.
This new home- it's variety and unbridled life- is beautiful.
"I know it is..."
Sonica looks around. That voice was Doradus the First.
"Did you know, we've been here before?"
She tenses as she searches the darkness behind her, "No, actually. Are you just sharing this now for some reason?"
Doradus materializes from the black, but only half of her body shows. They stand still across the distance of the dream, like reflections.
"It was different back then. I believe it was still armor and meteor sediment when I was last here."
Sonica's expression scrunches, "I have a lot of questions, suddenly."
Doradus tilts her head back slightly, to glare down her face plate at Sonica with her white-ringed optics. "Patience, Sly One. You'll learn soon enough. Greed will lead you there."
"There? There, where?"
Doradus disappears, "Until we meet again, Sly One."
She clenches her hands into fists, "Oh come on! Tell me what it is!"
Silence.
"Doradus! Quit playing games with me. I mean it." Sonica hammers her fists forwards, about to yell again, but a loud bang against her back wakes her from recharging.
She picks her hands up from the table, frowning at them for waking her. Hopefully, she didn't dent the surface.
Rubbing her face, she sits up, and a click from the intercom speaker by her door makes her jump.
"Rest well?" Starscream's tone grins evilly.
Soundwave must've alerted him that she was up.
"As well as anyone would, when they're being monitored," She groans at how heavy she feels.
After their little moment in the water, Sonica and Starscream made a long and awkward walk back to the return coordinates. It's been a few earth days since then, and Starscream has been busy, for the most part. He'll still accompany her on the little excursions; only to wait the whole while until she finishes. The extra ten cycles are for him.
The filling and emptying, then filling, static, and emptying, and filling, and emptying...then filling and emptying, are taking a toll on her energy.
"Let's get this errand done, Sonica. Report to the bridge."
"Right," a manual release of air escapes, and takes just a hint of the stress from her.
She's not appreciated here, but she got her emotional fill during her report to the Autobots...despite the report being, Megatron returned in one, unconscious piece. They were disappointed, but grateful to know, and that will fuel her until she talks with them again.
Starscream stays on the ship this time, so she gets all the space and quiet to think about her dream, and calculate the energon she gives the Decepticons versus the Autobots. Her mind flip-flops, and fatigue makes her feel mentally scattered.
Each time she fills, she stores a few shavings off the top to a different area with gold energon. Later, she'll be able to put it into a wooden box, and send it off.
Organic life masks gold energon signatures surprisingly well.
Ratchet will be excited; he turns into a new sparkling when he plays with his helpful energon. He doesn't seem to mind figuring out how to cause it to gather and release energy. She would tell him if she could put it in accurate terms for him.
And what could Doradus be up to? "Greed will lead" her there?
Where did she put the wooden box? Since she know her exact coordinates under the waves, she should leave it here for the Autobots.
For now, she's done filling up. Thankfully, there isn't much left under the city; maybe six more refills.
She puts a finger to her com-link connected to the Nemesis; this is probably her fifteenth time saying the same thing... She decides to change it up. "Frisbees are done."
The ground bridge worker responds, "What are frisbees?"
"Nevermind," she waves, and privately enjoys her own joke, "I mean I'm full."
The worker proceeds without another word, and she enters the Nemesis.
Immediately, she senses an excitement aboard, and Starscream's voice carries down the hallway.
"The vote has concluded," His growling transmits over the communications, "I have a competent medic and scientist in mind to assist our Master's recovery. I'll get on it right away, and we'll wait. You are all dismissed back to your posts."
She enters the bridge just as the crowd begins to shuffle out. When the mass thins, she approaches Starscream. "Was I going to vote?"
"Ultimately, it didn't matter," he keeps his back to her, "The difference between the two options was steep."
The disappointment is clear in his aloof behavior.
She shrugs, "Well, for what it's worth, I'd rather a sane leader than...not."
His fingers curl and relax before he changes the subject, "Have you unloaded the new deposit?"
"On my way; just detoured a little because of the current events." She makes finger guns with a wink, then twirls to the direction she's supposed to be headed.
"Thank you...Sonica."
She smiles as she keeps walking, "Thank you too."
Sonica had gone back down and up again to unload the second fill of the earth day. Her tired body says she did far more than what she visually measures under Chicago; it still looks like she has six more deposits to go. How?
She straightens, and feels some flexing that's not supposed to happen inside her gut. Denial makes her question it; maybe she's always been like that and she's just noticing because she's tired.
It doesn't happen again, and she's almost disappointed. There goes her legit reason for taking another break. Nonetheless, it may not be a bad idea to tell Starscream about it. Maybe she can slow down without him complaining.
Ugh, but why does she do this?
Right. Unity.
The idea is to be well-liked and make fast friendships that will trust her enough to accept peace. She can't imagine asking them to be Autobots; they could feel betrayed by that. But, if she's a good enough example to follow, they don't need a name, but a belief. Surely, Optimus would concur.
Doing everything Starscream asks of her, however, though not aligned with her alternate motive, is where she must start.
A motion to her left makes her jump, and Soundwave steps out from behind one of the machines.
"Primus, Eyes, say something before you sneak up on me."
His screen shows the records he's copied of the amounts she's put into the ship. The new addition blinks at the bottom; the same number is logged there as the others.
It's been difficult, but she's made the quantity exact on purpose. For one, it makes limits that the Decepticons can't take advantage of. Two, she needs that exactness so she knows what extra to set aside for the Autobots. Could she fill up more? Definitely. Is she going to? No.
"Is there a problem?"
The page shrinks and slides aside, another taking its place and zooming in. It's an ancient record of the legend of Doradus. He blinks and enlarges the word "endless".
She sets her hands on her hips, "Yes, 'endless', not 'bottomless'."
He moves the word aside, scrolls, and blinks and enlarges the word "bottomless".
Her expression deadpans, "If my information was completely accurate, I wouldn't be referred as a 'legend'; it would be called a record."
Soundwave brings up the measurements of the energon below Chicago, and the recorded remainders after each of her withdraws. The withdraw numbers don't match what she puts in. He brings up the previous words again, and scrutinizes her.
Slag, he's good.
"Yes, I know," She snickers shyly and fiddles with the tendrils behind her head, "May I tell you a secret, Soundwave?"
His screen returns to black, save the flat line sliding across; he's recording her.
Sonica shifts her weight to one leg, "After the binge party we had, I worried a little bit. I'm building an extra stash."
The line wiggles with the inflections of her voice.
"I don't want Starscream knowing. That will ensure he keeps the outside supply in check. We can use it for emergencies or whatever. I don't want to go through all the work I'm doing now a second or third time. It's exhausting."
She almost forgets to add, "It's all right here," she gestures at her midriff, "in my...not infinite...magic void here."
The line goes away, and he processes this. Finally, he nods, turns, and leaves.
"Thank you for asking instead of assuming, Soundwave." She smiles to herself, but lets it look like she's truly thankful.
He doesn't respond, but keeps walking until he's out of sight.
For most spies, they'd say that kind of situation was a close one. But for Sonica, who's not only been lying to many for generations through past sisters, this scenario was a classic one. She's seen enough, and been through enough, to predict common outcomes.
She knows that one day, they'll notice how dark energon affects her. Preparations for that are already locked in, ready to fire. She also knows that one day, they'll think: there's red energon and dark energon...could there be more? Sonica has heard that observation many times from the shared memories, and she knows how to handle that too.
A good liar knows when to keep denying the truth and when to own it. A good scout know this, and when to own the lie in the name of safety. A master of espionage knows these two things, in addition to how to pull all the right strings to erase themselves from suspicion, with multiple fallback procedures that interlope with each other.
If these fallback preparations are done correctly, the enemy can dig and dig, but it all looks like truth in a world of dishonesty. It's a difficult web to make, and Sonica is fairly good at it. Of all her predecessors, she's mastered this art. This is why Doradus has knighted her as the Sly One, and the name fits like custom armor.
"I think I need a break, Lord Starscream."
He slouches with an inaudible grumble.
She bumps a fist on her thigh quietly. "I could try to do one more, but I'm pushing my luck."
"How long of a break do you need? We also need to finish this operation."
"A couple megacycles, maybe?" She shrugs, "I'll see how I feel after that."
"Get your vitals checked while you're at it. Our new medic has arrived."
"Alrighty-mighty mech."
He shakes his head, "Use the proper acknowledgements, Sonica."
"I thought I did?" She teases, as she walks backwards. "Unless you're not... you know what? I'll stop there..."
For that, he turns to give her a look.
"Sorry. Bye."
That was close; why would she think "mech" was the part he corrected?
Sonica starts to snicker to herself, but it quickly drops. Actually, he wouldn't make a bad femme. Her expression scrunches, and she ruminates deeper. It would be weird though... But he can dance, she knows that.
