He never thought things would end up this way.

Not even in his wildest dreams.

Rafael, or now known as Laserbeak, still yearned for his human life and body back. He still desired to escape from this hellish existence and leave all the painful memories behind. He still hoped to reunite with his friends and family. He wanted to be a normal kid with a normal life and a few unique friends.

But it was impossible...at the moment.

The former human realized that he couldn't abandon the decision he had made. He couldn't pretend that everything would go back to normal after all of this. He couldn't shirk his responsibilities and live with the guilt weighing on his mind.

Most importantly, he couldn't leave Soundwave behind.

Their bond and connection had grown stronger after the events of the previous day. It felt like two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together and had been glued permanently. Rafael filled the void in Soundwave's life and in return, Soundwave filled the void in Rafael's mind and helped ease his guilt. They both needed each other to maintain their sanity and prevent the eventual breakdown of both their minds.

It was a strange feeling, to be sure. But Raf, or rather Laserbeak, had come to terms with it. He felt a sense of pride in his decision, even though it was not what he would have chosen for himself. It was the only way, after all.

What surprised him the most was how quickly he had adapted to his new role. Yesterday, he had cried like a never-ending river in his mind, but today he was happily humming a song while riding on Soundwave's chassis as they made their way to the command center. It was a strange and surreal experience, but Laserbeak was beginning to embrace it.

Laserbeak: what is the purpose of the communication? Soundwave asked through their bond.

Laserbeak ceased humming his song. Oh, this? It's called music. It can get a little boring being stuck on your chest and not doing anything.

Soundwave continued walking and tilted his head. What is the designation of music?

Wait, you don't know about music? Rafael let out a chuckle, filling their connection with laughter. Oh, I apologize. He paused when he noticed Soundwave's annoyance. It's kind of funny, considering your name.

Laserbeak continued. It's a way for humans to express their emotions. It can be sad, happy, angry, and many others. People use it to entertain themselves, or to tell a story. It's just a way to bring some joy and light into their lives.

Intriguing Soundwave pondered the idea. Human: Reason for not communicate through normal means?

The former human smiled through their bond. Because human speech can't always fully express their emotions. They use instruments like drums, guitar, bass, piano and others to help express their feelings. It helps the listener feel like they're not alone in the world. Raf paused, not sure that his words alone would sufficed. Why don't you try listening to some music yourself? You can access human internet connections, so why don't you download some and give it a listen?

Soundwave had come to a halt in his walking and stood still for a minute. Laserbeak could sense that the mech had followed his advice and was now downloading a musical file. When Soundwave resumed his walking, the symbiote could hear a song playing through their mind.

The song was about loss and despair, about losing someone you love. It was heartbreaking and far too sad for them given the recent events. Laserbeak feared that the song might trigger Soundwave's descent into despair. He quickly entered Soundwave's mindscape and was met with an astonishing sight.

Soundwave's presence was overflowing with streams of data, a clear indication that the music was having a profound impact on him.

If he didn't know that this was in Soundwave's spark, the former human would have think that it is an actual tears….wait I think it is really tears! Laserbeak's presence watched in awe at what he had seen. Then the song stopped.

Soundwave's conciousness had noticed him.

Laserbeak's presence was filled with fear as he anticipated Soundwave's reaction. However, to his surprise, he was not met with anger or frustration, but rather a gentle push back into his physical form.

The emotionless visor gazed directly at Laserbeak. Laserbeak: No need to worry. The song: was not unpleasant. In fact, it was calming...brought some relief to Soundwave's pain.

It took a moment for the bird mini-con to fully understand what Soundwave was saying. After a beat, he finally spoke up. So you liked it?

Soundwave's response was simple. Soundwave: No objections.

Laserbeak let out a sigh of relief. I was worried for a minute there. I thought you were going into depression, he admitted. You see, I'm connected to your spark and if you feel pain, I feel it too. I don't want to experience that kind of pain again.

Soundwave's tone was filled with concern. Laserbeak: Worried for Soundwave?

Yes, I was Rafael answered. Then the bird realized his mistake that he just admit to something embarrassing. I...didn't want us to experience any more pain. The music, even though it's soothing, it's still a reminder of the sad memories.

Laserbeak felt a hint of suspicion from Soundwave through their link, but the supposedly emotionless mech didn't pursue the subject. The former human was grateful for that.

Throughout the day, Soundwave continued with his routine, decoding encoded data. Laserbeak was once again in awe of the mech's god-like decoding skills and couldn't resist getting involved himself. Despite knowing that the decoded data would ultimately benefit the Decepticons, he found himself fully lending a hand to Soundwave in decoding the Iacon database. Their combined efforts resulted in a 70% increase in the decoding speed, leaving only a bit of the code left to be decoded until the next relic's location would be revealed.

As Laserbeak returned to his own mind, he felt a sense of shame wash over him. What have I done? I just helped the enemy gain an advantage and they will use it to harm my friends.

Laserbeak: did a fantastic job. Soundwave's words were simple, yet filled with genuine praise. Laserbeak's skills were extremely helpful and improving the decoding process beyond Soundwave's normal output threshold. Impressive

Laserbeak felt a wave of happiness wash over him. For the first time, he felt proud of his abilities and what he had accomplished. The earlier feelings of guilt and unease disappeared, replaced by a sense of satisfaction. He couldn't help but ask, Did...I really do good?

Soundwave's response was confident and affirmative. Correct, Laserbeak's contributions were invaluable and greatly appreciated. The pride in Soundwave's voice was palpable, further solidifying the pride that Laserbeak felt in himself.

Laserbeak was still in a state of confusion. He was torn between feeling guilty for betraying his friends and feeling proud of his contributions to Soundwave. The conflicting emotions left him feeling unsure of what to say or feel.

I...I don't know what to say. Laserbeak stammered.

Thank you, Soundwave replied.

Thank you? Laserbeak was taken aback. Did Soundwave simply want him to say thank you for his contributions?

No, Soundwave appreciates what you have done. Soundwave corrected, his emotionless voice conveying his gratitude through their bond.

Laserbeak couldn't believe it. The side of him that felt proud and happy was suddenly overtaken by a feeling of warmth and contentment. He wasn't sure why Soundwave's words had such a profound effect on him, but he couldn't deny the fondness he felt for the mech growing stronger by the minute. Perhaps it was due to their stronger bond, or maybe it was simply because he was happy to have made a contribution to the Decepticon cause.

You're…welcome... he whispered, the words sounding like a question even to himself.

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his head, and he looked up to see Soundwave's hand. The mech was petting him on the head! Laserbeak couldn't believe it. He had never felt so valued and appreciated in his life. The feeling of warmth and contentment grew within him, and he knew that he would always be grateful for this moment with Soundwave.

He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment as he pushed his head further into Soundwave's chassis. Despite his attempts to cover up his actions, the Decepticon noticed. Laserbeak, what is wrong? The visor was trained on him, and he couldn't escape the attention.

N-nothing! he stammered, trying to come up with a convincing lie. I just…I was afraid I would fall. But his voice was shaking, betraying the truth behind his words. He couldn't bring himself to admit the real reason why he had tried to reach for Soundwave's hand. The thought of being vulnerable and exposed in front of the cold and calculated Soundwave was too much to bear. Instead, he chose to hide behind the lie and the embarrassment that came with it. But deep down, he knew that Soundwave could see right through him, and he couldn't help but feel a little ashamed for not being able to control his emotions better.

Soundwave didn't press the matter any further. He knew when to respect Laserbeak's boundary.

After the uncomfortable exchange, the pair made their way back to their quarter. Upon arrival, Soundwave detached Laserbeak from his chassis. The small mech stretched his wings, reveling in his newfound freedom. Flying had always been a dream of his since he was a human, watching birds soar outside his window. The wind caught his wings and lifted him up, causing him to feel weightless. It was like his dream had come true, even if it was only flying around Soundwave's head.

Laserbeak was over the moon. He couldn't believe he was finally flying! It had always been his dream since he was human, and now as a Transformer, that dream had become a reality. He was so lost in his own world until Soundwave called out to him.

Laserbeak: System checking schedule. Come here.

Laserbeak flew down and used his claw to cling to Soundwave's right arm. The dark blue mech lowered him down onto the workbench, and Soundwave let out his tentacle feeler, its head changing into an injector before latching onto the hole on Laserbeak's neck.

Running scan schedule… Soundwave informed him.

Laserbeak's vision was filled with data running across his sight. Although he only understood a portion of it, he could tell it had something to do with his health. When the scan was complete, Laserbeak could feel the cool liquid flowing into his system. He was familiar with this process. It was part of the maintenance routine that Soundwave did for him every day. He closed his eyes and let the visor check his system. He could feel the soft hum of the machine checking his systems and fixing any problems that may arise.

Scan complete. The injector changed back into a tentacle feeler and pulled back from his neck.

Laserbeak's wings are a little stiff. Flying exercise will be more needed in the future said Soundwave as he applied the oil to Laserbeak's wings. The cool liquid flowed into the joints, making the symbiote feel rejuvenated. Soundwave also applied some oil to his body and claws. The symbiote was lifted up to Soundwave's eyes for a closer inspection, and then he retrieved a brush from under the workbench. Soundwave used the brush to clean up any spilled oil on Laserbeak's body. The symbiote felt like he was being given a massage and cooed out by instinct. Soundwave noticed this and continued to brush the symbiote's body, even after it had been cleaned. A relaxing song played in the background, found by Soundwave through their connection. Both Soundwave and Laserbeak hummed happily along to the music. If anyone were to come into Soundwave's quarters, they would find him spending time with his symbiote like any other normal day.

Laserbeak thought to himself, Maybe I would like to be like this for a while... and continued humming along with his creator.

Racing was an event that showcased a wide variety of cars - each with its own unique charm. Some were designed for speed, some for elegance, some for strength, and some for their sleek, slippery exterior.

Yet, among all the cars present, there was only one that had not come for the race. It was a yellow sports car, parked to the side of the race track for the past three days. Bumblebee was waiting for his target to appear and had not moved an inch from his spot during that time. His engine hummed softly, as he kept a watchful eye on the surroundings.

He could no longer rely on his teammates to search for Raf. They were too slow and too careful, and Raf would be dead before they found him. He needed to act alone. This way, he could move faster and make decisions faster. He could trust his instincts, which told him that the Decepticons were responsible. He wanted to rush in and tear their base apart, but he wasn't stupid. He would be dead within seconds if he attacked their base alone. Even if he tried to convince his friends to believe him, he knew that his voice would be a small factor and that it would take too long for them to form a plan. He didn't need a plan. He just had to act fast, think fast, and trust his instincts. Raf didn't have time for anything else.

Primus, he could already be dead.

But Bumblebee couldn't allow that thought to disturb his mind. He didn't know what had exactly happened to Raf, but the absence of a corpse was proof enough that he was still alive. As long as there was hope, Bumblebee would not stop until he could rescue his friend. The only thing that kept him waiting was not knowing the location of the Decepticon base. He had been stationary for three long days, awaiting information to come to him.

Then, he spotted a car in the race line.

It was a very familiar red and white car.

Bumblebee smirked to himself, a plan forming in his mind.

The only thing left to do was to wait until the race was over.

Three days he had been waiting. A little more time, one or two hours, couldn't hurt, right?