Ch. 95

There was so much Starscream wanted to ask. So much he wanted to reveal. But when the seeker sat up in his berth after having awoken and saw Soundwave across from him, all questions and baffling revelations ceased. That had been days ago.

Starscream had hardly left the blue mech's side, watching his small chest plate rise and fall with soft intakes and his spark monitor beep properly. The few times he did leave was to retrieve Ratchet or Knockout in the hopes that a small twitch or deeper intake was a sign of Soundwave waking up. So far, it wasn't.

A small sound roused Starscream's attention away from the resting mech for only a moment and he grumbled a greeting, "Doctor."

Ratchet hummed lightly in return, "Starscream," he looked over the many monitors and attachments Soundwave had gently, "Still no change. He may stay this way a while longer. He did suffer heavy blows and damages."

"I know that," the seeker snarled weakly, "I had to tackle Megatron off."

The doctor paused in his attentions and sighed softly, "You're right. I'm sorry."

Starscream shook his helm, "Don't apologize."

"If you don't mind me asking..."

"No, go ahead."

Ratchet crossed his arms lightly, "Why have you parked yourself here in front of him? Do you feel it's your duty to see him first?"

The silver mech groaned quietly and grumbled, "No... I feel as though I need to check his mindset after everything he's been through... The way Megatron is now, I highly doubt he's going to pacify... I messed up."

The doctor smirked, "Like you've been doing since you began this little escapade?"

Starscream frowned at Ratchet and the older mech backed off submissively, detaching a couple energon feeds so he could refresh them.

"Look," the medic said firmly, not in a harsh tone, but in confidence, "whatever was supposed to happen won't now, and I've grown to accept that. I'm upset with you, but we can't change these events now. Soundwave will see that too. You think that he's going to wake up and know what you know. That Megatron has... gone beyond even his own boundaries."

The seeker nodded simply and Ratchet continued, "So, after everything he has witnessed, that he's been a part of, how could you think that Soundwave would even consider going back to help the mech that nearly crushed him to death?"

Starscream shrugged weakly, "Soundwave's devotion to Megatron is unsurpassed. He's done things for that maniac that no other bot has been capable of. Even with what I've changed and what I know... I doubt his loyalties have evolved. He left the Decepticons to aid the Autobot faction in lieu of a future Megatron being pacified. He wanted to stand alongside his leader, no matter what outcome they were met with... I destroyed that saving Optimus..."

"May I ask how saving me has given Megatron an ill fated future?"

Starscream flinched as he looked up, the Prime smiling gently as he came in from the hall way, "I did not think saving me would cause such a thing."

The seeker grumbled, looking away, and rested his arms on the medberth next to Soundwave, "It's... complicated."

"More that you altered," Ratchet sighed.

Starscream glared, "Yes, I did. And need I remind you that I wanted to talk to you about this."

The doctor scoffed, "Well you should have said so in the first place!"

"And you would have believed me?"

Ratchet frowned, "... No."

"Exactly," Starscream rested his helm on his arms, "Look, what was supposed to happen was Optimus was supposed to lose his memories of being Optimus Prime after having put Unicron back into stasis. Dark energon still works then. A long time after that, Megatron... he, well... let's just say his outlook changes a great deal after some major damage to his chassis. And Unicron awakes just enough to possess him, overtake his frame and free will. This new combining form of both Megatron and Unicron tries to destroy Cybertron and during his enslavement, Megatron realizes how ruling through tyranny wouldn't be right. He doesn't have that now. He doesn't have the larger figure putting him under their thumb. So he's become largely... unstable."

Optimus shuttered his optics softly in thought, listening as Ratchet expelled a held intake, "We go back home...? To Cybertron...?"

Starscream smiled gently, "Yes. It may be dead now, but we'll get it back on track."

The doctor leaned in close, his optics wide, "How?"

Starscream smirked, "I thought you didn't want to know the future."

When he received a glare, the seeker chuckled, "Don't worry, give it a couple weeks, I'll explain once we have Soundwave back..."

Ratchet only sighed as he leaned back and grumbled, fiddling with a few more tubes and buttons before stomping off. Starscream was happy to have a little more peace to himself and Soundwave's unconscious form but when Optimus came to stand beside him, he felt a nervousness crawl into the pit of his form.

"May I wait with the pair of you for a moment?"

The seeker held his wings firm to keep them from twitching and nodded, "I'm not going to send you away."

The Prime only stood, staring down at Soundwave, "I am sorry that Soundwave's condition distresses you."

Starscream shrugged, "He has always been a patient and calculating mech. Knowing him, he's probably staying in recharge as a long, thought-out plan that will allow him to heal more efficiently..."

Optimus nodded, "It is still a difficult thing to witness. If you need to talk-"

"No," the silver mech said quickly, "I don't. Not yet. Let me address him after he wakes..." he sighed, "then I'll take the time to address the rest of you."

The Prime nodded again quietly and stared along with the seeker, the pair watching in a gentle silence as a single rogue 'beep' emanated from the spark monitor and Soundwave's visor blinked to life.