Ratchet held the small device that had caused Arcee so much pain within his servos. He could only imagine how it had been implanted, and the scars on her chest plates were only a hideous clue; and the fact removing it had been such hard and delicate work. He sighed as he looked over to her, motionless on the med berth. But alive. His spark had almost ceased itself when she had fallen limp in his arms, but thankfully that had not been her spark extinguishing, but her exhaustion taking over the moment her frame was free of pain, as the signal to the device was blocked of by the anti-detection shields around the Autobot base.
Then the team had returned; with Soundwave. Ratchet now looked over to the med berth beside Arcee; The mech she fallen in love with.
Primus, please let him survive. He prayed silently. Arcee would recover without any problems, but Soundwave...well, he done all he could, but he remained sceptical.
"Are you troubled, old friend?"
Ratchet turned unsurprised to him, before placing the small device down.
"I... I am not confident Soundwave will survive."
" You have done all you can do, And I know not of a better medic." Optimus replied, trying to strengthen his friend's resolve. Ratchet shook his head.
" No. I am powerless. I owe Arcee...and I can not even be certain I can keep the one she loves alive. The one who killed Megatron...." He looked back over to Soundwave, then to Arcee. Every time she found a partner, she lost them. Jack was an exception, but not cybertronian, their own kind. He remembered how she had reacted after Cliffjumper, and earlier, Tailgate. If Soundwave was to leave her, after everything...
"If Soundwave's spark gives out, it will not be only him who we'll lose."
The darkness that came was a comfort to the pain, but something was missing. He was free. From Megatron, from life itself...and yet he was alone. In this strange world, He was a stranger... almost like he wasn't meant to be here...
There was nothing in the darkness, but it did not in still fear. He could feel himself just floating in vast expanse of emptiness, lighter than a feather. Nothing. Looking in all directions, nothing. But there were voices, whispers, so faint that he couldn't discern their words. Soundwave suddenly turned around, sensing a presence behind him. A brilliant light suddenly illuminated the darkness, turning it into a pure white that was as welcoming as the darkness had been....and from that light, came two cybertronian mechs, one he recognised, the other, he didn't.
"Soundwave, it's been a while."
" You...are Cliffjumper.." Soundwave said. " But I do not know you." He gestured to the other mech standing, or rather floating, beside him.
" Name's Tailgate, 'con." The over one answered, but he sounded a little less cocky than Cliffjumper.
"I'm am no longer a decepticon." Soundwave declared. The two mechs exchanged glances, before looking back to Soundwave.
" Tell us something we don't know." Cliffjumper mused. " You know, I never believed in a million years, a 'Con would be the one to kill Megatron. It was always going to be Prime. And here you are."
"Where is here?" Soundwave questioned.
" Somewhere between the living, and the all-spark." Tailgate answered.
" Then...I am dead..." Soundwave thought, as he remembered transpired events. " Arcee..."
" You know, I also never would have imagined you would make her fall for you. I mean, I had a hard time trying just to get her to accept me as a partner, and then, all of a sudden, you appear and she can't live without you." Cliffjumper mused.
