Author's Notes: Holiday time! Though I have been busy with the season, I am happy to update! I also need to catch up with all the comments and respond… Sorry about that. But anyway, in this chapter we glimpse more oddities in the life of the mysterious Steven as he struggles to make sense of his reality continuing to turn stranger by the minute. And in our familiar bot and human duo, they give Rhea's Cyberformation another try, with promising results. Things are going great… Until they suddenly aren't.

Leave a comment, and I swear I will respond! Read and enjoy!

Date: Present Day, September 21st, 2021 Noon

Steven

Armed with more coffee to keep him going, (and his gun) he drove away from the base and into the town. The beach town was bustling. It was still warm even as they marched towards October. He ignored the halos behind every light source from a sleepless night and continued down the road until he arrived at the small neighborhood near the shore. Past the smiling sun welcome sign was the assisted living center he hadn't visited in a few weeks.

He parked the car and then had to check it twice to see if he had indeed left it in park due to his fatigue. Then he headed for the outdoor recreation center where he knew he would find who he was here to see. And like clockwork they were there, sat on the boardwalk of the park and playing chess like the old men they were.

"You're a damn cheater," griped the older man of the duo as his companion took his queen.

The other man responded with a tired look, "It's chess, Max. How would I cheat?"

They both noticed Steven approaching at the same time, and it silenced whatever argument was about to spark.

Maxwell, Steven's older commanding officer, mentor, and friend beamed at him. Or at least he gave his best attempt despite the old scars that marked up his face from a mortar shell explosion during his combat days. "Good to see you away from the paperwork… But how are you holding up?"

Steven felt the cold creep up his spine despite the warm day. Word of Rhea's disappearance had reached them too. At least that meant the police were doing their jobs.

"Things could be better," Steven admitted, trying to keep his tone even.

Max placed a callused hand on Steven's shoulder in a rough, trying to be comforting kind of way. Comfort wasn't exactly Max's strong suit, so it was on the awkward side. "She'll turn up. I just got that feeling."

"We've spread the word around here," the other man, Oliver, said with a much sharper inflection compared to his friend. "There's been no word so far, but it's only the second day. More is bound to turn up." He assured Steven with the utmost confidence.

Really it was amazing the two were friends. They were stark opposites to each other and tended to break out into the occasional fight more often than not. Oliver was well pressed in a buttoned-down shirt and ironed pants, and Max looked like he was still sporting his beat-up pajamas. Only the sides of Oliver's hair were gray, leaving a well-groomed head of reddish-brown hair on the top. It was in direct contrast to Max's appearance, who was sporting a patchy head of gun gray hair that stuck up in odd angles. Oliver had retired from the Army as a Brigadier General with the highest honors possible. Max had left the service, in a less then honorable way. It was impressive he wasn't still in prison.

But Max was still Steven's closest friend, and he had nowhere else to turn.

Steven pulled up a chair and sat before the two men, their chess game forgotten in favor of more pressing matters. He fished the note from his pocket and presented it to Max. After he unfolded it, so the older man didn't have to fumble with it. Max had bad arthritis. He accepted the letter with shaking cracked hands. Then he scanned over it a few times very close to his face because he was too stubborn to get glasses. "Why'd you write this?" he asked finally, gazing over the paper at Steven. Even Max recognized Steven's handwriting with his bad eyes. It only confirmed the impossible.

"I didn't," Steven said quickly, "I would never write something like this. Why would I? Especially with Rhea missing. But I found it under my gun safe. And my safe is a whole different problem! It locked me out. I know I didn't change that damn code, but I must have. I am the only one who is able to!" He was starting to lose it a little, going almost two days with no sleep and no answers.

Max looked back down at the letter, pursing his scarred lips, "Well it has to be you… Because only you write like a damn printer," He handed it off to his friend Oliver, who fetched his glasses from his breast pocket.

"It just appeared near your safe? And it locked you out the same night Rhea vanished?" Oliver asked, confirming all the details like the perfectionist he tended to be.

Steven nodded. It sounded crazy, but yes, it all seemed to be connected somehow. Steven was the most down to Earth, simple answer is the right one, kind of guy. He didn't believe in ghosts or aliens and wasn't even casually religious. But this was too much of a coincidence to exist in the realm of reality.

He bobbed his leg nervously as the two men continued to pour over the letter. Before he knew it, he was rambling over their investigations, "Everyone just thinks Rhea left me, and I would be inclined to believe them if there was just a shred of evidence to suggest that. But she just up and vanished! I feel like I'm losing my mind. And now this… I think what I'm going to do is get a camera for the bedroom. Then I'll see if I am sleepwalking. I've never done that before, but when else could I have written this or changed the code on the safe?"

Steven found he was rambling to himself. The two men had been quiet, but he had thought they were just letting him vent. Then he looked at them more closely, and worry started clawing at his chest. Max was staring at Oliver, who in turn was midway through scanning the letter again. But they were both frozen. Max's hands weren't even shaking as they usually did.

His head bobbed back and forth between the two, now worried this was some sort of medical episode that hit both elderly men at once. "Guys?" He gave Max's shoulder a shake to try and snap his older friend from the odd trance.

As soon as the off behavior started, it stopped. Max blinked a few too many times. He glanced around them in a curious way, as if he had just awoken from an odd dream. He found Oliver across the table, who only gave a single, affirming nod. Then they both looked back at Steven. It was enough to send a chill down Steven's spine.

Oliver leaned in towards Steven, his movement's careful and maintaining very serious eye contact, "Do you know what's going on?"

Now Steven really felt crazy. "N-no! That's why I'm here, but what the hell was that?"

The two looked at each other again, sharing a far too knowing glance between them. Max's eyes were suddenly very serious. "I think it would do you good to come out and get a drink with me. We can talk about-"

Almost instantly, Oliver's hand was on Max's shoulder, making the older man startle, "That, is probably not the best thing to do right now," he said carefully.

Max glared at the other man, pulling from his grasp with a snarl. Steven caught some unspoken argument between them. He felt helpless. "What's wrong with you two? Do you know something?"

Oliver was very calm and diplomatic as he spoke, "I believe Rhea is fine. But I am more worried about you. I suggest you go home and rest. We can investigate while you do."

Max was still glaring daggers at Oliver. He looked ready to forget his age and throttle him. "Really?" He snarled venomously, "All that damn work to get here and that's what you say?"

Oliver returned a far more discreet stare as Steven sat back, totally lost. "Sometimes plans change depending on circumstances. We now know they have changed. We need to adapt and think of a new strategy."

"This is my friend," Max growled through his teeth, "I don't intend to leave him in the dark."

Oliver nodded, his face still the more reasonable one, "And you would rather have him totally overwhelmed and then unable to do anything about it? How is that helping?"

Max swallowed hard, but he didn't have a retort. Oliver sighed when Max's focus left the boardwalk in favor of glaring at the ocean. He was unable to look at Steven. The retired Brigadier General found Steven again.

"If you know something, please tell me." Steven begged. All his previous anger was gone. Now he was just lost. He had come to Max and Oliver for some semblance of normalcy, not, whatever the hell this was. What were they talking about? Why did he feel like the whole world knew secrets only he wasn't privy too?

"I suggest this," Oliver began calmly despite Max's pouting, "Go home and get some rest. Then request time off. More answers will come in time. You just need to be ready for them when they do. Maybe keep trying to get into your safe. And this," he handed back the cursed note, folded up to conceal the threatening words, "you should keep, just in case. Trust yourself, whether you remember writing it or not. You wrote it for a reason. Listen to that reason."

Steven took it back despite not wanting it. He wished it didn't exist. He wished his oldest friend wasn't clearly keeping secrets from him. He wished he had Rhea back. "But I can't just wait around! I need to do something proactive! Rhea may need me, and I'm just here floundering!"

It happened again. Max turned back from the sea, and something had clearly changed. His anger from before was gone. He had his original air of concern with none of the urgency. Something was wrong and Steven didn't know what. "You always worry too much, Steven," Max hummed, gravelly voice even once more. "Things'll work out."

"We're here for you," Oliver insisted. The intensity in his eyes was also gone. Like a switch had flipped in them both. Like a computer was returned to factory setting, "Whenever you need someone to talk to, we're here." He added with a smile. A hollow smile compared to before.

What was going on?

Date: January 20th, 2020 Late Afternoon

Rhea

She found herself in Shockwave's lab again. But this time, she was ready. Headaches or anxiety be damned, she was going to see this through. She wanted it. Insisted upon it.

She put everything of the outside world from her mind. Strange SOS's from other dimensions, minicon factions fighting over a mystery relic, Cybertronian ships disappearing in the void. Even the famous Apex Armor that had gone missing out of the Autobot's vaults a while back had still yet to be recovered. She was able to place it all in a box for later. Right now, this was her whole focus.

Much like before, her body felt disconnected, floating through space and time. Then it became electric. And when she opened her eyes, she saw him just the same. Smiling over her, hands on her face to keep them connected. Laserbeak was oddly quiet, but she could see him, affixed to Soundwave's torso so he could contain his excitement.

"How do you feel?" Soundwave asked gently.

She tried to recall how to talk. It was easier this time. Shockwave must have finally figured out how to make the connection stick. "I feel like a thunderstorm," she whispered. Her voice sounded so strange to her. It was like hers, sort of, but it too had a current running through it. She wouldn't say tinny, but definitely charged, even when being so quiet.

She gathered her bearings. She was still laying on her back. She moved every finger, and they all responded. Once she was sure she had a decent amount of control, she reached up to touch his face. His cheek met her palm halfway. Pay dirt. She could feel his own buzzing life force under her fingers, flowing into her like a wealth of unspoken knowledge. This made it all worth it. No headache could keep her from doing this. Or keep her from him.

'May I speak now?' Laserbeak's voice in her mind was slow and very very quiet. Through his patched together self-control, he was barely containing himself.

"Quietly," Soundwave ordered.

'You look great!' Laserbeak squeaked.

She reached out her other hand and touched Laserbeak. Her fleshless, reflective fingers gently clanked on his wing. It was odd that it looked so normal, size wise. But beyond that, she felt him too. A much different energy, but still radiating Soundwave's unique aura. She couldn't quite describe it. Maybe how she felt when driving down the coast at night with all the windows down. Flitty and free flying. Very Laserbeak like.

"What you're feeling is the magnetic energy field," Soundwave stated. Had he read her mind? No. It was the Bond. He could feel her thoughts. "All Cybertronians exude an aura of bioelectric magnetic energy, which we can interpret from others. Consider it like our body language."

In hindsight, that made a lot of sense. It was how they all seemed in tune with each other, or at least, most of the time. From what she could tell, some bots tended to misinterpret or just ignore it. Starscream was the first to come to mind.

"Forget the field. I'd be freaked out if I woke up to you two," came the snickering comment from the corner of the room. Arcee. She had been there with her the whole time. Observing, but staying out of the way, as promised. She also made sure none of her opinions remained to herself. Soundwave was trying hard to ignore her. He didn't make any sort of face to let that info slip, but Rhea felt it in this, field. He was trying to maintain a levelheaded calm and keep it close between them.

Arcee's commentary aside, Rhea was beyond fascinated with it. It was what she had felt the first time, but she hadn't been in this body long enough to really experience it. Her electrical aura was fluid and could move. She could control it. So, she pushed it outward. Sort of imagining it like her personal space bubble given a massive upgrade.

The invisible bubble enveloped Soundwave and Laserbeak. It didn't have to travel far, because his own little personal space bubble was already very close to her, waiting for her to reach out to meet his. It was like she was hugging them with her feelings. It was a dumb way to picture what was happening, but that thought seemed to amuse Soundwave, so it was worth it. She tried to match human words to the feelings she could interpret radiating off them. Safety, excitement, affection, worry, comfort, warmth, protective. Were these all of Soundwave's thoughts or was there a mix of Laserbeak in there too? She wondered if she could send all that back with her own field.

"You can," He assured her.

"You're good at reading feelings," She complimented, amazed by his ability to answer her silent questions.

She was graced with a wry smile, "Spending a good portion of my life maintaining multiple minicons, I must be."

Riding on his encouragement, she pushed her reach further. She still felt Soundwave and Laserbeak in her main focus, but in the far corners of her range, she felt something else. Something much less welcoming. Analytical. Cold. Evaluating. Observing. She tilted her head towards the source, expecting to find a very computer savvy reptile. Shockwave stood where the reptilian should have, busy typing away on his monitor. His 'field' unlike Soundwave's, did not reach out to hug hers back. She retreated in the other direction, sort of hoping Shockwave hadn't noticed.

In the other corner, she felt the exact opposite from Soundwave, Laserbeak, and Shockwave. Careful. Irritated. Anxious. Just the smallest hint of curiosity. Maybe save for the last one, that was all pretty clear on Arcee's facial expressions anyway. She had remained just out of focus but maintained a very vigilant watch. But when Reha had touched her space, she visibly jumped. Oops. Was this like, not an ok thing to do? She retreated away.

"Some are more abrasive than others," Soundwave explained. Despite his reassurance, Rhea felt mortified. She hated random people touching her, and here she was mind molesting everyone in the room the moment she was no longer human. That was one way to make a first impression.

"Sorry," Arcee said quickly. Interestingly, she looked embarrassed too. "I keep close to myself. It's not you. You're… Doing a good job." Wow, Arcee was praising the project she hated? Rhea really must have been doing impressively. Or she was radiating the worst types of insecurities on the Cybertronian emotion frequency, and it was pitiable enough for even Arcee to lie to make her feel better.

"Can I sit up?" that question was aimed at both Soundwave and the architect of this project a few steps away.

Soundwave looked to Shockwave for an answer. The one opticed scientist nodded. "Do not disturb the hard connections," he ordered.

Rhea looked down. No clothes. That would need some getting used to. Then again, she didn't really have anything to cover any longer. She was tangled from head to toe, (helm to heel strut, she didn't have toes anymore) in wires and other pipes all snaking away into the darkness of the laboratory.

Soundwave shifted, and those electric hands of his gripped her gently around the upper back. She pulled at her own core, and she lifted with his help. She remained upright, actually seated at his chest level. Soundwave was still tall, but no longer preposterously so. She didn't feel bigger herself. But Laserbeak seemed so small now. He was no longer the size of a teenage elephant compared to her. He was more like a winged corgi.

She felt the caress of more of those Soundwave vibes. He was proud of her. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she felt like if she were human, she would be blushing from the silent praise. Instead of blushing, she felt like her head was swimming in warm water. She was sure she was now disoriented. But he remained smiling at her, even in spite of her embarrassment.

Clinging onto him in kind, she could feel something else in her chest. At first, she wondered how she still had a heartbeat. But it wasn't like a thumping heart. More like the rhythm of the ocean. Swelling in and out. Pulsing warmth. Her Spark, made from a fragment of Soundwave's own. More hypothetical warm water washed over her as she looked at him, her lover, finally the same relative size as herself. She pulled her little electric feeling bubble against herself because she worried about what she would convey to the room.

For the first time, Soundwave appeared confused. She had hoped he hadn't noticed. But between the Cybertronian energy field and the Bond advertising her inner secrets, she was doomed.

'What was that flux?' Laserbeak demanded in amazement. Because of course he would notice as well.

"I'm actually unsure," Soundwave admitted, "I don't understand the thought pattern either."

"Then it's a human feeling," Arcee piped up, a little bit smugly in fact. "You won't get it. None of us would."

Rhea hadn't even really known what she had been thinking, other than Soundwave in general. And holding onto him, and how handsome she still thought he was… Oh. It was lust. That's why he didn't get it. As Laserbeak had explained countless times, Cybertronians just didn't have anything like it. She was less embarrassed, and more fascinated she still felt desire of that kind in this body. But it definitely was different. As a human, her body would flush, especially in more intimate areas, and she would fantasize about things she wouldn't even consider sharing out loud. Now, she sort of just felt warmer around her chest, and wanted to draw closer to Soundwave and envelop herself in his aura.

In kind, Soundwave tried pulling his field away, so she didn't feel it. But much as it had disclosed her inner feelings a moment ago, the Bond betrayed him now. She could almost taste his thoughts of his own inadequacy. She held onto him tighter, as if trying to squeeze out those thoughts. "It's just stupid human stuff. That's all," She promised. Her head was spinning suddenly, and she felt horrible for making him feel bad.

"Are you ok? Should we stop?" he asked.

She could see past Soundwave. Arcee was already standing up, ready to jump in even if she had to fight every Decepticon in the room to do so.

"No. I'm fine," She insisted to everyone. She just had to close her eyes and refocus. She would get through this.

"I would highly encourage the testing to continue," Shockwave intoned just as quickly, "My instruments need as much feedback as we can harvest from this test to build upon the next attempt after the connection severs."

So, this wouldn't last? That was fine. She would just need to make this work for as long as possible. Whatever kept her holding onto Soundwave. Her being able to actually hug both arms around his body was amazing.

He must have sensed her sudden burst of confidence, because oh so careful of the many wires she was attached to, he helped her stand from the lab table. Laserbeak left Soundwave's body and fluttered around them, and she leaned very heavy into his now unoccupied chest for support. He led her, step by step, away from the table. She felt weak, but the feeling was fading with each inch she conquered. She could feel Laserbeak's barely contained excitement.

"So, do you know when the connection will break, or will your subpar skill just surprise us?" Arcee asked Shockwave from her spot after sitting back down. It was a harsh dig, but it was lighthearted. The normal Autobot and Decepticon banter she was used to. Shockwave didn't even dignify it with a retort. Rhea was glad the air was clearer, because the previous tension had been killing her.

Rhea concentrated on walking forward while Soundwave only held her hands to guide her. She switched between looking at her odd feet then back to his encouraging face. This was actually going great. Arcee's jabs at Shockwave's smarts aside, this must have been the real deal. Her mind was going a mile a minute. Did they just now have to pick a date to make the change permanent? When should that be? She should eat more chicken and waffles in the meantime. She definitely needed to go to the State Fair at least one more time before changing permanently. That would be a hard activity to indulge in while fifteen feet tall.

"The consciousness link is stable for the moment. I need to conduct other pressing tests to assure proper synchronicity," Shockwave informed them all, stepping all over her and Soundwave's moment. Oh well. They would have plenty of eternity to walk slowly in a circle.

Soundwave led her back to the table as it lowered for them to more easily sit on. He sat first, and gently took her onto his lap. It was a whole new kind of closeness she never thought she could have with him. Nothing she could have while human.

She caught the slight twitch of his mouth plates, indicating a repressed frown. Had he heard that thought too? Odd it would make him upset… She thought them being close in this form would make him happy. She must be misreading it.

Shockwave came back into frame before she could ask. Then he was close and she could feel his odd, cold energy field again as he unhooked a few wires from her body. She found herself unconsciously pulling her energy bubble close to herself and away from Shockwave until it was basically flat against her. Much like Arcee did. Now she didn't blame her for the habit.

One of the larger pipes he removed left her feeling dizzy. What had that one been doing this whole time, and should she ask for it back? She decided to just suffer it as Shockwave performed rather simple doctor like tests. She followed one of his sharp fingers with just her eyes. He typed something, he moved her limbs around. Told her to press against his own hand as hard as she could. Back to his notes. This was simple enough. "Now attempt an internal shift of your centralized framework," he ordered.

Rhea staired at him, now feeling remarkably stupid, "Um, a what, and that's a thing I can do?"

"I will do it manually later," Shockwave said, skipping right over her confusion. "I have drained twenty percent of the subjects Energon reserves to assure she can consume it without the assistance of an infusion."

That's right, Energon. The thing they all drank, or ate, or, she never really thought much about it despite how important it was to their race. How losing almost all of it nearly killed Soundwave when she first found him injured in the desert. How it was toxic to her fleshier self, but in this form, she needed it. Was the pipe Shockwave disconnected from her the Energon IV drip and was losing it what made her dizzy? Was hunger what she was feeling?

Shockwave left during her inner contemplation, then returned with a small vessel of the blue glowing liquid. She must have been hesitating too long, because Soundwave took it for her and held it. As a human, Energon smelled like a metallic diesel. She had gotten used to the smell over the years, but it wasn't exactly pleasant. Now, it kind of smelled like, she really didn't know how to describe it. She also wondered how she could smell the odd substance without a nose between her eyes.

But she accepted the vile from Soundwave regardless. Never mind the smell, what would it taste like? Would it taste like anything? Could she even taste? She didn't imagine she could. They didn't eat. She didn't see Shockwave add any salt or Cajun seasoning to this batch. Did she drink it like water? She needed to stop thinking about this and just do it.

She lifted it to her sort of lips. Nope. It was not at all like water despite its viscus appearance. More like she was pouring liquid mercury into her mouth. A fatal activity for a human, but this was actually… Was pleasant the word she was looking for? As for taste, it wasn't flavor she was experiencing. Much like many Cybertronian things, it was a sensation. Like mild electricity in her mouth. She also didn't swallow it. The substance just sort of flowed down into her, like pulled in by her body by some unseen need. Only then could she 'taste' it. A warm, radiating pulse of energy that made the dizziness fade. She hadn't been ready for it at all. She wanted more.

Shockwave was back to his notes after examining the readings her small action created on his screen. Laserbeak flew off for a moment and returned with another cube of Energon. He must have felt her want.

"This is so crazy," She said between 'sips.' It was really all she could articulate. She was also laughing suddenly. Maybe she was overwhelmed. But she didn't want to stop. This was going so well. A strange sound came from deep in her, and it made her pause. Well, what was that? She realized with mild amusement it was sort of like a hiccupping version of their 'venting'. She decided it was her brain finding a way to snort while she laughed, much like she did as a human. It made her laugh again, and this time, Soundwave smiled along with her.

'I really want to show her!' Laserbeak insisted to Soundwave, feeding off their collective good mood.

She looked between them, still giggling like a little girl. "Show me what? You all know I don't like surprises."

Soundwave shook his head to reassure her. "Not a surprise… I requested your chassis be equipped with a Minicon docking port."

She blinked at him. The motion made her eyes do something strange that sort of zoomed into his face like the shutter on a camera. "Laserbeak will be able to connect to me too?" When he nodded, she was suddenly buzzing with excitement like Laserbeak was. "Yes! Let me try!" She looked down at her chest, trying to find the little ports Laserbeak could hook into, like the ones Soundwave had. She felt his hand brush her back, and her head was swimming in bath water again.

"It's here. Let me show you," He said.

They had basically checked out, Shockwave's analytical buzzkill of a mood tuned out in favor of their little bonding huddle. Soundwave stood up, taking her with him. He turned her to face him, and suddenly, she was nervous. What if she messed this up? Did she have to do something? Would it feel strange? Stranger than she already felt?

"I promise it won't hurt," Soundwave assured her, holding her firmly by the shoulders. The distinct clicking of a transformation, and then she was sort of gasping but not on air. In an instant, she felt Laserbeak's field basically join into hers. Her balance went off, but Soundwave was holding her steady. She had expected something more invasive, but it wasn't. She had no idea how to describe this. Maybe a backpack that radiated personality?

She turned her head, trying to see Laserbeak attached to her. She really couldn't get a good enough look. Soundwave led her away from the table once again, and it was impossible for him to hide his own emotion. He was just as excited, barely keeping it behind his mask of professionalism.

She was walking on her own, only holding his hands as he led her to a floor length monitor that clicked on to reflect her like a mirror. She found herself just staring at the strange Cybertronian girl standing in front of Soundwave. Those yellow optics were almost comically wide with shock. She moved her bronze arms, just to make sure the reflection did the same.

After seeing this body in a sleep like state for so long, it was crazy seeing herself in it. Awake and full of life. The plates of her face matching her awed expression in a remarkably human way. She even touched her face to make sure it was her. Her brain was clearly struggling with it. Her pointed digits found the little protruding metal line running down from her bronze crown, sort of giving the illusion of a nose. The back of her head, or helm, was sectioned with black and bronze rows that ran from the top down to her lower neck. It kind of looked like corn rows, but that was certainly not what it was, she was positive. She still liked how it looked. She always liked wearing her hair like that, but never had the patience for it.

But the most fascinating thing she focused on was the gray blue wings on her back. Without her intervention, they gave a merry little flap. She reached back to touch Laserbeak, though found she didn't need to. They were connected to each other. She felt his happiness very clearly.

"I can feel you too, Laserbeak," she managed to whimper, amazed, and suddenly very overwhelmed.

Her body was making an odd echoing sound now, her vision turning her reflection blurry. "It's alright," Soundwave cooed, cradling her from behind. She held onto him in kind, wishing he would hold her tighter. He did after hearing her silent want.

If she were human, she would be crying. That's what was going on. She wasn't sad. She was flooded. The input was too much. "Turn down your audio feedback and the intensity of your optic input. That should help," He suggested with a gentle whisper and a tighter hug.

She could do that? None of her bio feedback therapy had prepared her for this kind of sensory overload. But she trusted him. She just didn't know how…

"Laserbeak, help her," Soundwave ordered.

'Gladly, may I?' he inquired. She didn't have to nod through her venting sobs for him to understand she was saying yes. She felt a tendril within her mind originating from the connection in her back. With his mental guidance, her focus found some point behind her optics. Willing it was enough apparently because the room suddenly became very dim. The colors dulled to a more human standard. She quickly followed Laserbeak's guidance to the sides of her head away from her optics. The world fell quiet. Shockwave's many instruments thrummed only a distant hum. Well, this was worlds better than her noise canceling headphones at home.

In the now quiet and dim room, and in Soundwave's embrace, she came back to herself. She heard Arcee saying something snide to Shockwave, but it was so quiet it was as if they were a room over. Rhea knew she would be abusing this feature of her new body shamelessly.

'It will help when we are providing a tour through the Kaon Capital!' Laserbeak said cheerfully, 'Where shall we take her first, Master? I suggest Kolkular fortress! It is always refreshing to stroll down memory lane and experience the sights through new optics.'

That's right, there was a whole planet she could walk around without having to worry about her lungs exploding. It would be odd being outside. For ten years, whenever she was on Cybertron, she was confined to Soundwave's apartment or a container with air being carried around by Soundwave.

"I'll go anywhere you want to," Rhea said, getting her voice back under control. She leaned gently into them both. "As long as you don't ditch me in a crowd, on a different planet and in a new body. Because if you do, you'll find me in the road curled up in a ball getting stepped over."

She felt Arcee's field. That's what alerted Rhea she had approached them. Right, her hearing was turned down… She went back into herself and edged her inner volume back up a few notches to hear what Arcee was saying to her.

"You think you're ready to start exploring?" She asked, carefully.

Rhea nodded, and she was excited all over again. Arcee's brow rose. Maybe in surprise, or amusement. "You're really brave. I'm impressed. First official day as a Cybertronian and you're ready to take on Kaon." Her gaze snaked over to Soundwave, "Remind me, how many human cities did you tour on your first few days on Earth? Wait, scratch that, how many have you explored in the past ten years? Really absorbed the local culture?"

Laserbeak scoffed at that in Soundwave's following silence, 'We could hardly tour a human city in our current forms, silly Autobot. But that won't even be relevant soon. Cybertronian culture will become our collective focal point!'

Rhea felt Soundwave's happy vibe sort of dissolve. Had it been Arcee's comment that soured his mood, or Laserbeak's? Maybe both. She could assure him. It was no big deal, really.

That's what she wanted to say out loud, or through the Bond or field. But a wave of sudden disorientation struck her like a wrecking ball. She had fallen against Soundwave, and he caught her, but she couldn't really feel her odd body or his touch anymore. She only knew what happened because she saw it all in the reflection of the monitor. But now the room was going even darker, and she wasn't the one doing that.

'Master, something is wrong. I cannot feel her anymore, she is fading,' Laserbeak panicked.

'All is well,' Soundwave's voice answered in kind, 'Shockwave did say the connection would fade. It appears we will just have to postpone the tour for next time."

She caught Soundwave's assuring smile in the mirror, and she managed a nod before losing total control over her body. She was hanging, lifted from the ground and into his arms. She couldn't feel Laserbeak at all now. She was disappointed, but like he said, it was no big deal. They would pick this up later. Maybe even in an hour when Shockwave fixed whatever went wrong.

The lights went out, 'I think this went really well,' she hummed to herself, ready to wake up in the pod with a headache.

The headache was the least of her worries.

Soundwave

As gently as he could, Soundwave laid Rhea's Cybertronian chassis back onto Shockwave's lab table. With a disappointed vent, Laserbeak disengaged from the avatar's backplates and hovered as Soundwave set her down the rest of the way. He allowed himself a moment of indulgence to observe the now vacant optics. Rhea usually took a moment to rouse from the pod. He didn't want to rush her and bring back her headaches.

It truly was a work of art. Of course, the chassis was perfect. Shockwave had created it and Rhea and himself had designed it. But when empty, he had a hard time seeing it as the one it was meant to house. While Rhea's mind occupied it however, he had never seen a more beautiful Cybertronian.

'One step closer, Master,' Laserbeak hummed happily while reconnecting to Soundwave, 'Next time, I insist we encourage her to choose an alt mode. I am impatient for her to learn how to fly alongside us.'

Soundwave internally grinned, 'Perhaps that should be scheduled for the test where Shockwave can maintain Rhea's mind chassis connection. It would be a good deal of effort wasted if she lost the link while in the air.'

'We'd catch the chassis before it crashed,' Laserbeak assured him.

The light sparked commentary was well earned. Though it had ended prematurely, this had been a good test. Laserbeak was correct. They were very close.

The abrasive mental grinding of the Autobot's field brushed into his own and he glanced up. Arcee was now observing the chassis on the lab table across them. "She has way more tolerance than I would in this situation," she said out of nowhere and without being asked for her opinion. A very Autobot activity they indulged in.

"Are you referring to the Cyberformation process as a whole?" Soundwave asked coldly. Without Rhea being awake yet to distract him, his patience for the two-wheeler was already thin.

Arcee gave him a glance, "No. I mean her waking up in two different bodies and having to see your ugly mug each time. She's got the endurance to withstand anything after that."

The insulting of his physical appearance aside, Soundwave was pleasantly surprised by the Autobot's lack of hostility. So, they were back to casual joking? He supposed he was relieved. The tension between their parties was putting unnecessary stress onto Rhea and Laserbeak.

"Rhea has a resounding amount of tolerance for taxing endeavors. Myself included," He agreed. Arcee looked like she would maybe even let herself laugh.

Alarms blared and the budding casualties withered.

Soundwave spun around the moment he realized where the warning alarms were crying out from. It was the connections to Rhea's pod.

He was knelt beside the construction within moments.

"What's going on?" Arcee demanded of anyone willing to answer her. Soundwave couldn't, he was too busy getting the pod to cycle and open.

"The subject's vitals are crashing," Shockwave informed them all flatly as he read over his arm readings. "The consciousness transfer went through. I assume this situation derived from prolonged separation. I will adjust the duration for the next test."

Soundwave hadn't absorbed any of that explanation. He was too busy flinging open the pod's lid to get a visual on Rhea's condition. Would her pain level be worse or last longer now? Perhaps they conducted this test too soon after the first?

Once he saw her, none of his original worries had even come close to the true horror of their reality.

Rhea wasn't awake to complain about a headache. Her small body was wracked with violent tremors that bashed her limps into the sides of the pod and ripped away wires from her skin. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused and some sort of frothy white substance was forming from her mouth.

Soundwave was frozen. What should he do? How could he fix this? Laserbeak's wordless panic stacked on top of his own. His judgment clouded. Mind racing.

Arcee was shoving next to him and shouting in his audios, "Earth, hospital, NOW!"

The harsh order was exactly what he needed to refocus. He opened a remote portal at their back as he gently scooped Rhea's convulsing body from the pod. Arcee was shouting into her commlink at one of her teammates on Earth, demanding they meet them on the other side to help.

"What have I not accounted for in this equation?" Shockwave muttered to himself somewhere behind them. He was far away too, unconcerned with anything but his notes. "The endurance of the test subject, perhaps?"

Soundwave didn't stay long enough to glean more. With Rhea's twitching body cradled to his torso he rushed through the open Spacebridge with Arcee right alongside him.

It was the second time he had to hand Rhea over to human medical professionals. The first time was over an Earth decade ago. It was just as painful now as it had been then. If not more so. He was more responsible for this hospitalization.

He stood, feeling powerless (he was) as the swarm of humans ushered Rhea away into the hospital.

The Autobots behind him were talking. Asking Arcee what happened since Soundwave didn't respond when they asked him first. He was now frozen. Focused on the doors of the military hospital where he saw her vanish behind. When those doors opened again, only a single human walked through, and it wasn't Rhea.

"Is she alive?" Arcee demanded.

The nameless human doctor addressed her, "She's experiencing a cardiac episode from stress cardiomyopathy. Her heart is weakened due to an undetermined shock in her system. We have a team working on her. We'll keep you posted."

Her heart. The utterly important human muscle that sustained Rhea's life. And something he did had tampered with that fragile system. He tuned his audios as high as they could go and ignored the painful feedback it caused. He heard the whirring systems of his and the Autobot's behind him. The sound of the military vehicle engines roaring, and each rock kicked up under their tires rattled him. But more importantly, he heard the even pounding of the human hearts around him. He shifted his focus inside the hospital. He zeroed in on the one he was listening for. Rhea's heart. It should have been soft and soothing. Like it was when she slept in his quarters, and he listened to it to ease his mind. That once beautiful rhythm was now erratic and weak. It was struggling to move as doctors assaulted it with hard pounding and electric shocks to force it to not give up beating.

"Is there anything else we can do for her?" Arcee's voice asked, painfully loud until he cut the sensitivity of his audios back down. He couldn't listen to Rhea's struggling heart any longer.

"No. You got her here. We'll do the rest." The doctor left them to return inside. Soundwave just continued watching those doors.

"Did you know?" Arcee was asking. He didn't turn to see if it was him she was talking to or one of her teammates. His brain couldn't fully understand what she was demanding until she continued, "Soundwave! Did you hear me? You told us it was safe! Did you know this was a possibility?"

If only there was a simple answer to that question. Indeed, he had stretched the truth to pacify the Autobots. Who knows how long ago, when they were demanding details of the Cyberformation procedure to assure it would not interfere with the strict parameters of the treaty, he had presented a strong argument for why it would be fine. He had communicated it, and not Shockwave, because the scientist couldn't soften words or rephrase unfortunate data. But that wasn't because Soundwave thought it was this dangerous. He never would have authorized Rhea going into that pod if he knew. It was only because the Autobots would only tolerate a 0 percent risk rate. Soundwave knew that was an impossible standard, and they never would have been able to start. He knew Shockwave's success rate, and the low statistical risk for any complications was mathematically insignificant, until now.

He could have waited longer. Collected more data. But Shockwave was confident… And Rhea mentioned in passing one of the fibers of hair she had in her collection of thick black curls had lost its pigment and turned gray. A symptom of human aging showing up early. He panicked.

"There, was always a risk," Soundwave finally admitted to Arcee, focus still locked onto those hospital doors as guilt ate away at his Spark.

This was his fault. Rhea was dying because of him. He should have listened to her. She had laughed off her changing hair. She insisted it was just a sign of stress. The Concurrence was giving her trouble. Fowler was always a bother. Thunderblast was constantly making drama on Earth. But Laserbeak was equally as panicked in his audios. The minicon, unlike Soundwave, was physically incapable of keeping his thoughts inside and had made a very compelling case of his own at the time.

She was dying, there was no other explanation. They hadn't even started applying their Cyberformation theory yet. Recall the cardiograph readings I took when she was sleeping, Master? It was troubling. She did not present with those symptoms when we first met her. They would lose her before the testing even started.

He couldn't lose her. He couldn't even risk it.

Stumbling down memory lane, Laserbeak's own guilt was palpable, stacking onto his own. It threatened to crush them both. No, this was all him. He was firm in that assurance because it was true. Soundwave was the first link in this chain. He was the final say. If she died, it was and would forever be his fault.

"Ok," Arcee's cold voice broke through his walls of malaise, "Then with that settled-"

Soundwave was snatched backwards by the servo. It snapped him out of his trance to say the least. Sharp digits scratched along his armor before his attacker was dragged away from him. Turning to see Bumblebee and Bulkhead physically yanking Arcee away as she continued to try and swing at him.

"Arcee! No! You can't punch one of the Lords of the Decepticons! Treaty, remember?" Bumblebee snapped and snatched at one of her fists as she flailed.

She appeared not to care. Those glaring optics were locked onto him with the apparent intention to rip him apart, treaty or not.

He didn't fight back or retreat. He only watched numbly as Arcee's team calmed her down enough for her not to launch for him again. He almost wished she would. He felt like he deserved it.

"Leave!" She snapped at him.

His peds didn't uproot from his place. But he was confused. She couldn't expect him to abandon Rhea. Not that his presence did much for her. But-

"Being angry, won't help right now," Bumblebee said to her. Always coming to Soundwave's defense, for some unfounded reason.

Arcee whirled around on him, "You mentioned the treaty first! He just admitted he broke it! He knowingly hurt a human! He lied to us! If he stays, and word gets back to Magnus, it risks everything! Soundwave, fragging LEAVE!"

He didn't have the energy to argue that point, especially since it was technically true. His actions had hurt a human, which was a major component of the Autobot's side of the treaty. The human in question, just so happened to be the most important one.

Arcee was trusted enough for her teammates to release her. Though they eyed her wearily as she marched back towards Soundwave, insisting she wouldn't touch him. "Rhea's bag," She demanded with a hiss.

Without a word of protest, he retrieved Rhea's bag from his subspace. If he were in a better mind set, he would have questioned her motives for wanting it.

Arcee snatched it from his grasp. With careful digits digging in the bag's little pockets, she found Rhea's translator. He didn't stop her when she subspaced the items and his only means of maintaining contact with Rhea. "If she dies, treaty be damned, I'm killing you," She warned him.

"That is fair," Soundwave agreed, feeling hollow as Arcee marched away.

He was told to leave Earth, but treaty or not, he had no intention to. Then he was told to at least remove himself from the Autobot base. Only Bumblebee's reassurance that they would keep him updated on Reha's condition made him comply with that order. He sat just outside the fence of the shared military and Cybertronian space. Sand from the desert clogged his joints. He ignored it. He watched the sun set and paint the sky with conflicting colors of purple and yellow. Then dark sky and stars took the sun's place until the light returned to usher in the following morning.

He spent the whole night waiting in the dark. He couldn't even maintain vigilance over her pulse. That was a luxury he usually took for granted while she wore the translator in her ear. But even if Arcee hadn't taken it, (and more than likely destroyed it) Rhea didn't wear it for the Cyberformation anyway.

A comm came through, just as promised.

/She's alive guys. Doctor's say she'll stay that way,/ Bumblebee said.

He was relieved, of course, but the weight trying to snuff his Spark returned very soon after receiving the good news. Why hadn't he considered this scenario? He was so focused on maintaining Rhea's life alongside him, he hadn't foreseen a catastrophe of this magnitude. He should have.

He didn't blame Shockwave. The scientist was just doing as ordered. Transfer a human consciousness into a Cybertronian body. If that just wasn't possible without killing the human, then Shockwave would go through as many humans as he needed to see the project completed. It was his cold nature. The only one he blamed was himself. He needed to reconsider everything.

Then Laserbeak voiced their shared burden, 'I do not want this process to hurt her, Master. But, what will we do when her human life expires?'

"I do not know," He admitted.

Laserbeak whimpered but had nothing else to say. He didn't either. He failed to keep Rhea safe, and now he was failing as a Symbiote host by not assuring Laserbeak.

Shouting from the Autobot hanger. Arcee. That wasn't surprising. He was surprised she hadn't taken the opportunity to kick him while he spent the better part of the day, night and following morning seated with his back against the fence.

But the Autobot wasn't yelling at him for once. It was one of her teammates who was her anger's latest victim. The hanger door slid open then shut again, providing a buffer from Arcee's wrath. The Autobot stepped up over the fence and sat down to join him. Bumblebee.

"Hi," Bumblebee greeted with an awkward smile. Soundwave only nodded. Bumblebee vented deep, "The Autobot representatives finally agreed on how to deal with the prion problem. We ended up going with the first compromise Starscream proposed. I know our groups try and sidestep each other when it comes to relic collection, but I have to say it's going well this time. Especially considering how powerful this relic is."

Soundwave didn't respond. He didn't divert his focus from the desert either.

"You got my comm right? About Rhea?" Bumblebee asked, "She should wake up soon. Jack's mom is on the case now, so she's as good as healed."

"I was informed," Soundwave acknowledged.

Bumblebee pursed his lip plates. Could he finally be running out of things to talk about? A shocking turn of events for the chatty Autobot. Soundwave also couldn't decide if he appreciated what Bumblebee was trying to do. He didn't deserve to be cheered up.

Bumblebee started to snicker, "that was Arcee yelling at me a while ago, by the way."

"Why?" Soundwave finally asked.

Bumblebee shrugged, "It was because I told her she wasn't giving Rhea enough credit," That was what it took to get Soundwave to finally look at Bumblebee directly, "You aren't forcing Rhea. She's doing it because she wants to. Should you have lied? Well, no. Does it complicate the scrap out of this mess? Absolutely. But I get the impression you didn't think this was a possibility."

Soundwave had a feeling this explanation had an ulterior motive. Why was the Autobot so keen on trying to sway his misery? He spoke the truth. He never forced Rhea into agreeing to the transformation, but at this point did that even matter? He had promised Rhea a Cybertronian life span, and it was falling through the cracks at her expense. Rhea was one of the most intelligent beings he had ever known, but he was still eons older. He had considered his position being unfair but clearly not enough thought had gone into that. He should have calculated all these scenarios before he proposed the idea to her.

He wanted to ask Bumblebee what he would do when Raphael died. Had any of the Autobots given the end of their human partner's life any thought? Or more so than when this first came up years ago? He didn't ask.

Instead, he just watched his general Thunderblast in the desert with her partner and her dog. She had stuck around probably for Soundwave's sake. Then the Autobot Wheeljack drove up to pester them. Words were exchanged and Thunderblast and Wheeljack started firing at each other with low energy non-lethal blaster fire. Thunderblasts dog charged after Wheeljack, snapping and snarling at him and totally ignoring the massive size disparity. Wheeljack retreated while laughing.

With a vent of defeat Bumblebee stood back up, "I'll leave you alone. Last I'll say is, we are going to have a final get together to discuss the Prion plan. I don't know if you heard, you've had your comm off. But in case you haven't, some off world Autobots are coming in from a request from Magnus. He's also going to propose a meeting between factions. No worries, it's not because of… What happened here. It's all about the missing ships in the outer rings. I know our meetings don't tend to ever go well, but hey, we have to start somewhere. From what they say, some colonies and trade routes are getting out of hand. And of course, the Apex Armor is still missing. One of our weapon's specialists, Ironhide, heard about it and is less then pleased… One more thing to deal with. And of course, there's more word about this mysterious Decepticon called Destructor. I imagine from the descriptions he's quite a character." His rant finally ended. He must have gotten the message Soundwave wasn't going to contribute. He stood, and Soundwave felt the hesitation in his aura. He was considering saying more. He may even be weighing the pros and cons of patting Soundwave's shoulder in a reassuring gesture. He did neither, finally heading back into the base. Soundwave was too numb to be relieved.

There was more commotion in the desert. The red silhouette of Knockout came into focus, interrupting his general and Wheeljack's sparring match. Other cars were trailing them, but these didn't transform. Instead, the humans in them waved as Miko stepped out of Knockout so he could transform. The racing group sped off. Observing this, Soundwave admitted Arcee had been right. Even the good doctor Knockout was more entrenched in human culture than he was.

Why had he never bothered to learn about Rhea's culture? He had been ignorant. He thought he knew enough, observing from afar and not delving in what he considered Rhea's business. Laserbeak had assured it didn't matter much, and until now he had agreed. She was going to be Cybertronian. He didn't need to learn more about everyday human life.

Well, now she may not become one of them. The more he considered this most recent event, he didn't want her too. But if so, now what? He couldn't just go back to being ignorant. He would learn. He would learn how to make Rhea happy as a human. He would find some way to give her what she needed even if he didn't understand it.