Chapter Text
Soundwave opened his eyes, a bright light shined right at him. He struggled to keep his eyes open and wanted to cover his face with his arm but struggled to do so. Just then he begun hearing noises
”He’s waking up.”
”Really?”
”Soundwave, are you okay?”
The last one was the first one he recognized. It was Ironhide who said the last thing
”Urgh, where am I?” Soundwave tried to get up but Ratchet put his hand on his chest
”Easy there. You lost a lot of Energon.” Ratchet pointed out “You’ve been in Stasis for a few days and quite frankly from time to time I wasn’t even sure whether you’re gonna make it.”
”He also gave you a new arm” Chromia added
Just then Soundwave noticed his new arm. It was not too different from his old one, except that it was red rather than blue
”How does it feel?”
”Like my old. It kinda looks like it could be from Bla-“ Soundwave stopped himself and dwelled on his thoughts
“Yeah, besides his arm there wasn’t much else we could salvage from him that day.”
”I’m sorry.”
”It’s fine.”
”Where is Shadow Striker?”
”What do you mean, she’s right- Hey, where is she? She was just here when you woke up.”
“That’s strange, she’s been here all day and all night watched out for you. Why did she leave now?”
”I have to see her!” Soundwave declared as he got up
”Are you crazy? In your condition?”
”Yes, in my condition!”
Soundwave walked past Ratchet and out of the door and quickly ran into Prowl
”Prowl, have you seen Shadow?”
”She’s in your room. Your shared room.”
Soundwave walked past him, stopping a couple dozen meters later to say “Thanks.” And walked to his room and knocked on the door
”Shadow? Are you in there?”
”Yes. How are you?” She sounded extremely sad
”I’m fine, thanks to Ratchet. Can you let me in.”
”I- I don’t want you to see me. Not like this.”
”If you are speaking of your new body parts I’ve already seen them, when you beat me up” Soundwave chuckled at the last part “And I want you to know that-“
”If you’re gonna say how you’re not able to see a difference because you only see my inner beauty or some scrap like that, save it.”
“Sigh Yes, I can see the change and yes it’s not for the better but it is true in the sense that I don’t love you for your body but for who you are and no body could change th-“
”Fine, I let you in, just stop trying to be romantic.”
Shadow Striker opened the door and Soundwave practically fell on her, hugging her
”Alright, big guy” Shadow tapped Soundwave on the back after which he let go “How’s the new arm?”
”Barely notice a difference but what about you?”
”What about me? What about me!? Just look at me!”
”Shadow, I already said, I don’t care how-“
”My problem isn’t how I look!” Shadow exploded and started crying “I was Frankensteined with parts that belong to who knows against my will and every time I look at myself I get reminded of it and when I close my eyes I can only see Shockwave operating on me. He didn’t even give me the curtesy of putting me in stasis first. And then, and then I got mind controlled and had to watch as I nearly killed you and you still ask how I feel?”
Soundwave hugged his partner a second time, this time more gently and rested his forehead on hers ”Shadow I’m so so sorry. This is all my fault, I shouldn’t have let you go through this.”
”I should have just followed you to the Autobots. The moment I came back I was greeted by Megatron and the Decepticons. Turns out Laserbeak listened in on us. How stupid of me, of course they are gonna listen up on me.”
”No, this isn’t your fault! Had I not deserted, had I not meet you there, non of this would have happened. And I promise I’ll make it up for you. I will never abandon you again, I will always be there for you.”
”Can you stay with me for some time then.”
”Of course. Anything.”
The two laid down on their bed with Soundwave almost engulfing his partner. Shadow Striker vented some more to her partner before eventually falling asleep once it started to get late.
Then Soundwave quietly and gently got out of bed without waking her up and sneaked out of the Base
”What do you think, you’re doing?” Shadow Striker interrogated him from behind
”Shadow, please go back to sleep.”
”No! You tell me right now, what you are doing?”
”I wanted to-“
”Yes? You wanted to?”
”Urgh, I wanted to kill Shockwave for what he did to you. I thought maybe knowing he’s dead, could give you closure.”
”Then I want to see the exact moment his spark, if he even has one, turns off.”
”Shadow, I really don’t think you should-“
”What you think I’m not capable for this? That I’m a damsel in distress or something? I beat your tailpipe if you recall, I’m stronger than you. I’m going and that’s final”
”Ok fine. But you’re not stronger. You just won because I didn’t fight back.”
”Sounds like loser talk to me.”
Eventually the two reached the Decepticon base and stand before its entrance
“Are we gonna use the vents like last time?” Shadow asked
”No, I stole Mirage’s cloaking device. We can blend in as them, although I admittedly didn’t plan for two of us.”
”Hm, I have an idea.” Shadow jumped on his shoulders
”What are you doing?”
”Turn us into Lugnut.”
”Why Lug- Oh, of course.”
Soundwave activated the device and the two piggy back riding Autobots became one large Decepticon Bomber and got into the base. On their way to Shockwave’s lab they eventually encountered other Decepticons but those mistook them for Lugnut, especially since Soundwave was able to perfectly mimic his voice. Eventually they reached their destination and got into the lab, where Shockwave was waiting, holding a notepad
”I knew you two would come eventually.” He put the notepad down
”Two? I’m alone Shockwave.”
”Uh huh and why can I read 2 Energy signatures emitting from you, non belonging to you?”
Soundwave turned off the device and Shadow jumped from his shoulders
”Can’t believe you returned to my laboratory. Are you this eager to get new body parts?”
Shadow Strikers stern look turned to one of shock and fear and she took a step back
”What’s the matter? Bad memories?”
”Leave her!”
”Make me.”
Soundwave leaped forward to Shockwave only to phase through him.
”What?”
”How often are you gonna fall for my holograms?”
“Show yourself?”
“Soundwave, behind you!”
But before she even finished her sentence Shockwave emerged out of a Shadow and blasted Soundwave in the back.
”Stay down! Now to you.”
Shockwave walked closer and closer to Shadow Striker. As he did she walked backwards and pulled out her blaster
”Stay back or I’ll-“
”Shoot me?” Soundwave tried to attack Shockwave from behind. Shockwave turned his sight from her and tackled and threw Soundwave away “You could have done already but you’re too weak to do it.”
Shockwave closed the distance and pushed her blaster down
”Although nothing a little surgery won’t fix.”
Shockwave tried to grab her only for his hand to phase through. The cloaking device turned off, revealing, that the blaster was attached to a desk
”What!?”
”Behind you!”
Shockwave turned around, just having enough time to witness Shadow Striker leaping at him. Shockwave fell to his back and Shadow Striker stayed on top of him. She then begun punching him in the eye
”I- won’t- let- you- get- away- with this! Ahhhhh!” Each word was cut off by another punch before Shadow just started punching without stop until Soundwave grabbed her by the Shoulder, stopping her
”It’s over.”
Just then did she process what she turned Shockwave into, as practically nothing of his head nor his eye remained. Remnants were scattered all over the place and an Energon puddle begun to amass
”Not even Shockwave can come back from that.”
”Probably.” Shadow Striker ripped out his Spark “But just to make sure.”
”Are you gonna keep it or what?”
”Of course. It would look nice in our room. How’s your back by the way.”
”Could be better. But we should probably leave before anyone checks in.”
”Agreed.”
The two jumped into the vents and mere moments later, Decepticons under Megatron amassed in the lab. The two were able to hear Megatron’s distinctive scream, as they crawled out. Once out, they returned to the Ark
When they arrived, it was still dark and everyone else was sleeping and they sneaked back into their room
”There. That’s where his spark would look good.” Shadow Striker put it on top of a desk
”You weren’t kidding, were you?”
”Of course I wasn’t.”
”Feeling better.”
”A little bit.”
”Good. Good.”
”Hey, when’s our match?”
”Let’s wait until I get my back fixed.”
”I thought you said you were okay.”
”I was maybe lying a bit. I let Ratchet take a look at it tomorrow. For now I need some sleep.”
”yawns Yeah, me too.”
Without any further deliberation the two went to bed and quickly fell asleep