Fatal

Chapter 21: Sizzle

3rd POV

         "Can we fly to that rock?" Miko asked, beginning to climb back up Soundwave's tail. The huge, metal, dragon nodded his helm, stretching his wings. Laserbeak was perched on Optimus' shoulder, resting his wings. Optimus watched as Miko, whooping with excitement, swooped up into the air on Soundwave. They flew over the vast, sandy valley. 

        Soundwave soared, gliding between huge rock, that towered over everybody. The sunset was amazing, the orange sun looked as if it were a melting sphere in the sky. The sunset was one of Optimus' favorite Earth views. 

        A shriek of glee brought Optimus out  of his calm moment. Soundwave was flying upside down, his glossa flapping wildly in the wind. One of Soundwave's tentacles were wrapped securely around Miko's waist. A faint smile appeared on Optimus' faceplates. It was nice to see Soundwave, a youngling, get along so well with another species. 

        Ratchet elbowed Bulkehead, who had begun to growl when Miko had yelled, "You're the best, 'Wave!" Optimus sighed, as he realized that there was going to be a fight between Miko sooner or later. Then, Arcee, who had been scouting the cliffs for loose rocks, saw a figure, a mech, aiming  a blaster at Soundwave, who was spinning. Arcee gasped and pointed at the Cybertronian sniper. 

        "Soundwa-!" Ratchet tried, but it was too late. A green orb flew through the air and hit Soundwave in the side, sending the dragon crashing into a cliff. As the dust rose, Optimus made out the top of the cliff collapse, falling onto where they assumed his body lay. "MIKO!" Bulkhead, June, and everybody screamed. 

        The Autobots and humans raced towards the cloud of dust. Optimus stepped on something smooth and froze, as a though came to him. "Everybody!" He shouted over the human's coughs. "Wait until it settles! We shall not risk stepping on Miko." The footfalls stopped. All they had to now, was wait.

Optimus' POV

        As the dust settled, I made out the hulking form of Soundwave, and as I took another step, I realized in horror that I was stepping all over a (thankfully still connected) wing. Aside from the wing, Soundwave was curled in a ball, his other wing wrapped tightly around his frame. 

        A strange green substance was dripping from the spikes on Soundwave's armor. It hissed and sizzled, and with a sniff, I found out that the plasma bomb that was shot was a mixture of Toxin and Energon. It was eating away at the metal scales on Soundwave. Laserbeak laid unconscious in a mount of rubble. He was alive, just in stasis lock.

        A low groan and hiss sounded from the now conscious dragon. The wings flinched and bright, vortex optics opened, scanning the area. Soundwave looked exhausted and hurt. A hit like that must have really jarred him. 

        The dragon grunted, staring at us a moment longer. His optics absorbed the weeping June, Miko, and Raf, the depressed Jack and Bulkhead, the slack-jawed Ratchet and Arcee, and the shaking Bumblebee, then, those optics wandered back to me. With a pained and strained whine, the dragon lifted his smoking and sizzling wing, unfolded his arms and legs, and pulled back a panel on the underside of his belly.

        Inside the sparkling chamber, an unconscious Miko lay inside the padded area, her chest rising and falling. Her only visible injuries were a few scratched and bruises, but other than that, she was fine.

        With a cry, June launched herself at Miko, engulfing her in a relieved, motherly hug. Bulkhead actually took a step back. His optics were wide in disbelief. "Soundwave- H-he saved her. Soundwave saved M-Miko..." He muttered, shaking his helm before a wide, sad smile spread across his faceplates. 

        I steadily made my way over to the silent dragon, Ratchet on my trail. I lay a servo on Soundwave's muzzle, whispering soothing nonsense to him. "Ratchet! We need to get him back to base!" I called to my old friend. Ratchet was studying the Toxin and Energon mix, careful not to touch it. "Optimus," He warned, urgency threaded in his call. "This stuff is eating away at his scales." 

        I nodded. "Hey, youngling?" I cooed to Soundwave. "May you please transform back to your mech state so we may carry you back to the base?" The dragon's optics wearily opened again, before they shut tight. A sign of concentration. Slowly, the scales shifted on each other, whirring filled my audio receptors. Then, in a blink of an optic, Soundwave, in his full mech form, was in front of me. 

        "Ratchet, grab his legs." I ordered, reaching down to pick the youngling up. I had almost touched him, when a green plasma bomb whizzed past my helm. Looking up, I saw several Cybertron soldiers scaling the cliffs. June screamed, gathering the children and Miko's still unmoved frame. 

Once the humans were secure in a small parting in the rocks, we all braced for a fight. Bulkhead swing his wrecking ball at a drone and knocked it sideways. One sprinted towards me, and with a start, I realized that these were not Decepticons. The were Athrosentinals. The mechs and femmes who went insane. 

I clocked one upside the helm, knocking it right off before, out of the corner of my optic, I saw three Athrosentinals binding Soundwave's limbs as he struggled. Making my way slowly to them, the Athrosentinals started to retreat. Most started to fly away, while some drove. The three Athrosentinals holding Soundwave took off in a cloud of dust. 

I ran, ignoring my sore pedes. I jumped, aiming for one of the pedes of an Athrosentinal, but missed. My rage took over and I yelled, slamming my fist into a rock. Ratchet did the same. We have just lost Soundwave, a youngling, to his Sire's army.