The routine on the Decepticon base was going on as usual. Everything was peaceful with the cons' lives after their leader decided to lay low until the next relic location was decoded. In other words, there would be no fights until Soundwave found a new relic's location. Most of the crew didn't want to risk their lives by fighting head-on with the Autobots, so they all hoped that the spy master would take a break. However, they all knew that the words "Soundwave" and "resting" didn't go together.

But all of the Decepticon officers had to check their health once a week, which resulted in Soundwave ending up in the medbay for a health check, involuntarily.

"Come on, Soundwave," Knockout said as he grabbed his tools and started polishing the dark blue tinted mech. "It's not that bad to come see a doctor once in a while."

Soundwave simply sat still on the patient bed and responded, "Soundwave: Already scanned. Result: Healthy."

The red medic rolled his eyes in frustration. "That's not an excuse to avoid getting your armor and systems checked. And who doesn't want a little extra polishing for free?"

Soundwave didn't respond to Knockout's teasing and instead gave him a silent glare, though it was ineffective as Knockout couldn't see through Soundwave's visor.

While polishing his patient's frame, The red medic, Knockout, was clearly intrigued by the presence of Laserbeak perched on Soundwave's chassis. He had many questions, one of which was about the Decepticon bird's survival. "I have a question for you, Soundwave, about some medical terms," Knockout began. He tapped his finger on the spot where Laserbeak was resting. "How is it possible that Laserbeak is still online?"

Soundwave, who remained still on the patient's bed, remained silent. Knockout sighed in frustration.

"How did she come back to life Soundwave?" Knockout pressed further, a hint of disbelief and skepticle in his voice. "I know what I saw, Soundwave. The pieces of her body were scattered and there was no sign of life. Yet, here she is, in one piece and functioning as if nothing ever happened."

Soundwave remained silent, but his silence spoke volumes. The blue mech's enigmatic nature made it difficult for anyone to decipher his true thoughts and motives, but Knockout could sense that there was something more to this.

"Laserbeak: Soundwave's problem" the emotionless voice spoke again. "Knockout: An outsider."

"I may be an outsider, but I am a medic and I have seen many things in my years of service," Knockout retorted. "When I say someone is dead, they are dead. You may have fixed her body, but her spark is gone. You can't bring someone back from being off-lined, Soundwave."

Soundwave's visor displayed coded messages as he processed the information. After a moment of silence, he turned his head to the medic. "Laserbeak: Survived, but not with the same spark."

"What do you mean?" Knockout's face showed his confusion.

"Laserbeak's spark: Replaced with someone else's, and as a result, their gender has changed. Laserbeak: Cybertronian mech." Soundwave responded in a monotone voice.

The medic was shocked. The room seemed to freeze, with even the sounds of the environment dying down. "Are you telling me that you replaced Laserbeak's spark with another's?...A mech spark? "

"Affirmative," Soundwave confirmed.

"You can't just replace her like that!" The red medic's outburst echoed through the medbay as he rages at Soundwave. He was so focused on making the other mech understand, that he didn't even notice the fallen polisher on the ground. He was relentless in his pursuit of making Soundwave realize that he couldn't bring Laserbeak back to life by replacing her spark with someone else's. "It's not bringing her back. He's a completely different person now. For Primus sake, she's already gone, Soundwave! You need to accept that she's gone!" he screamed, desperately trying to get his message across.

However, his words hit Soundwave like a ton of bricks, leaving a deep wound in his spark. This wound, unbeknownst to both of them, created an opportunity for Raf.

Rafael had been eagerly waiting for this opportunity. He seized the moment when Soundwave's guard was down, using the small opening in the Decepticon's spark to push his mind into Soundwave's system. In an instant, Rafael was inside, surrounded by raw data that made up Soundwave's experiences and personality. He was determined to find information about his immobilization code or possibly find a way to control Soundwave himself. He couldn't wait to see the expression on the Decepticon's visor when the tables were turned. However, he realized that he would have to familiarize himself with the code before he could put his plan into action.

Then the pain hit him.

The pain was so intense that it felt like a physical force, battering against his mind. Before he could scream in agony, Raf realized that it wasn't his pain he was feeling. It was Soundwave's. The bond that Soundwave had broken with him had already caused Raf immense pain, but this was something else entirely. The level of suffering was so intense that it felt like a window into the innermost depths of madness. Raf couldn't imagine what kind of experiences could cause such an overwhelming amount of pain. Even as a machine, he would have gone mad after just a few seconds of exposure to these torments.

Despite his fear, Raf was curious. He followed the source of the pain, compelled by an instinct he couldn't explain. He was led through a maze of raw data, a digital representation of Soundwave's experiences and personality.

Raf followed the trail of pain until he finally reached its source.

There...in front of him...was the consciousness of Soundwave.

It was a chaotic mess of twisted emotions, broken memories, and shattered dreams. It was the source of all the pain and the reason why Soundwave was unable to heal himself. Raf felt his own heart break as he watched the mind struggle and thrash in agony. He had never seen such a raw and unbridled display of emotion before, not even in the humans he had lived among.

Rafael was filled with a mixture of awe and sadness as he stared at the tiny light that represented Soundwave's consciousness. He was amazed by the resilience of the light, shining bright despite the suffocating darkness that surrounded it. But at the same time, he could see the fear in the light, and the pain that seemed to seep in as the light's brightness diminished rapidly. Despite all the harm that Soundwave had inflicted upon him, Rafael felt a strange urge to help the struggling mind in front of him. He couldn't just stand by and watch as the light faded away into oblivion.

Raf was taken aback as the darkness transformed into a more threatening form, conjuring images of Laserbeak's death, explosions, and loss. The light, which once shimmered with hope, was now dull and gray, losing its brightness at an alarming rate. Despite his hatred for Soundwave, the former captive felt a twinge of sympathy for the mind in front of him. He knew he had to focus on his own life and those who were waiting for him to return.

But then, he felt the same familiar feeling of warmth, safety...family.

It's the same feeling as when...

Raf instinctively dove into the tumultuous sea of blackness, driven by the urge to save the flickering light that he had discovered. Despite the intense pain that the darkness directed towards him, he refused to be discouraged. Normally, the agony would have made him writhe in pain and plead for mercy, but something peculiar happened - the darkness appeared to dissipate when it attempted to penetrate his mind. Undeterred, Raf continued to delve deeper and deeper, until the previously bright light was finally within reach. Without a moment's hesitation, he reached out with his mind and made contact with the light, determined to save it.

As soon as he made contact, Raf felt a strange sensation wash over him. It was as though the presence he had encountered was missing something, and that he was the missing piece. Without hesitation, he let the presence pull him in, filling the void that had been present. The feeling of peace, comfort, and safety filled his mind, just as he remembered it from their bond. He couldn't explain it, but he knew that the presence was feeling the same way.

Rafael suddenly found himself awash in a brightness so intense that it could have blinded even the sun.

When his vision cleared, he realized that he was back in the same position as before - still trapped within Laserbeak's body.

He was once again confined to the same chassis...immobilized and imprisoned...

"Soundwave?" Knockout's voice was filled with concern. "Are you feeling alright? You were unresponsive for a moment there."

Soundwave slowly stood up from the bed, taking in his surroundings as if he was seeing them for the first time. He then locked eyes with Raf, both of them simply staring at each other for what felt like an eternity, trying to determine if the events that just transpired were real or just a dream.

"Soundwave! Are you even listening to me?" Knockout's voice was becoming more and more frustrated. "I'm trying to communicate with you and you're not paying attention. I'll have to report this to Megatron if you don't start responding."

Soundwave finally snapped out of his trance and focused on the concerned medic in front of him.

Soundwave merely nodded and offered a one word reply, "Fine." He quickly left the medical bay without elaborating on what had happened, leaving Knockout to wonder if he had truly missed something important.

The walk to Soundwave's quarters was quiet, both outside and within their minds. Rafael felt like he was in an awkward situation, one that he didn't quite know how to handle.

When they arrived in the quarters, he braced himself for any possible punishment, but it never came. The room was filled with an oppressive silence, leaving Raf with nothing to do but wait for Soundwave to break the ice.

"Laserbeak, why did you help Soundwave?" Soundwave began with a question.

Rafael was unsure how to answer. He knew he had felt compelled to help Soundwave, but couldn't explain why. "I don't know. I just did it. Every time I try not to help you, I fail...It seems like every attempt I make, ends in failure."

Soundwave didn't respond with laughter, as Rafael expected. Instead, he asked another question, "Laserbeak: Reason for entered Soundwave's spark?"

At this point, Raf didn't care about the consequences of telling the truth. He had the chance to be free and he let it slip away, he felt like a failure. "It seemed like the best idea at the time...I was searching for an escape, a way to take over your body. I thought I could get my body back and go home."

Soundwave showed no emotion in response to Raf's answer. In fact, it seemed like he had already expected this. The mech raised his hand in front of Raf's point of view. The former human closed his eyes, preparing for the pain. Instead, he felt himself being lifted up.

Soundwave had detached him from the chassis!

Rafael was in disbelief as he finally gained the ability to move his own body. His eyes widened as he realized the significance of this moment. He tentatively tried moving his wings and was pleasantly surprised to see them respond. He then tested his claws, feeling the sharpness of Soundwave's metallic plates as he flexed them. Finally, he tried moving his head, and his gaze met with Soundwave's visor.

"Soundwave: gave permission," Soundwave said as he lifted Rafael to eye level. "Laserbeak: how do you feel?"

Rafael was surprised at the way he was now comfortable with being called Laserbeak. However, the guilt of his actions returned to him, as he remembered being part of the plan that led to Laserbeak's downfall. He was the one who caused Soundwave so much pain.

"I'm...fine," he said, even though he was detached from his chassis. The connection between their bond was still strong. "I have a question," he continued.

"Laserbeak is allowed to question," Soundwave replied.

"I know that you saved me from losing myself that day," Raf remembered the day he met the mysterious presence. "I just want to know why. I am responsible for what happened to Laserbeak. Why would you help the person who caused you so much pain?"

Soundwave's voice echoed through the room, the tone of it indicating a deep emotion within. "Soundwave didn't just want Laserbeak back…Soundwave needed Laserbeak back. The feeling of incompleteness and pain was…overwhelming. Soundwave: filled the void by capturing the cause of Laserbeak's disappearance. But…, Soundwave never intended to cause more pain. Reasoning: it was necessary for the cause to understand and feel a fraction of the pain the cause had inflicted. However, Soundwave never expected the cause's mind to fracture, and…Soundwave didn't want to lose Laserbeak again…That's why Soundwave helped the cause. Through this, Soundwave felt complete once more."

Rafael couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the Mech's words. So he was just a replacement, he thought to himself.

"Correct and wrong," Soundwave responded, his voice firm but gentle.

What?

"Soundwave believes in redemption. Soundwave believes that through admitting and correcting their mistakes, a being can become complete again. Soundwave saw that Rafael was incomplete due to Rafael's actions, and he himself was incomplete due to the loss of Laserbeak. By helping Rafael, both, Soundwave and the cause could fill the void in each other and become complete again. This is why Soundwave believes in redemption." Soundwave explained through his emotionless voice.

Rafael looked confused. "I don't understand," he said through their bond. It sounded like Soundwave was trying to help both of them.

"That is correct," Soundwave confirmed Rafael's words.

"It's…hard to believe."

"Laserbeak: Reason for helping Soundwave?" the mech repeated the question he first asked the former human.

Raf struggled to put his feelings into words. "I think...it's because I would feel terrible for letting you die. I couldn't bear to live with all that guilt weighing down on me."

"Through redemption only, will living things be completed," the mech repeated his previous statement.

"I think I understand it now," Raf said, still unsure if all of Soundwave's words were true. However, he felt a strong connection to the mech, one that made him trust the Decepticon. He changed his form, attaching himself back to Soundwave's chassis, using the motion data in his body. "So...what's next?"

Soundwave walked to his berth and rested. "Soundwave and Laserbeak will continue to assist until the redemption is complete," the mech answered.

Raf...no, Laserbeak, nodded in agreement. "Yes, creator," he said in his mind.