Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Soundwave groaned internally as the coding he put together, once again, crumbled in on itself.
This shouldn't be this hard. He thought to himself. He'd spawned sparkling coding before, it's how his body created his cassettes, he cursed to Primus that he couldn't just tuck the precious bit drive into his chassis and let his spark carry it to term.
He needed help, he knew he did. He also didn't want it. The last thing he wanted was Knock Out or worse, Starscream poking their grubby servos around his sparkling.
Their sparkling.
"Whatcha workin' on?" Rumbles voice filled the lab and Soundwaves processor as he entered.
Nothing, apparently. He wanted to say, but instead, Soundwave ex-vented dejectedly, "Soundwave: working on sparkling. Coding: difficult."
"Why do you even bother with that thing anymore, anyways?" Rumble sniffed, poking at the bit drive, abandoned to the side. "It's not even gonna be Cybertronian."
Soundwave shook his helm, "Sparkling: last part of Shockwave. Soundwave: wants sparkling."
Rumble groans dramatically, eyeing the small poorly built protoframe in the corner of the lab.
The door swishes open again and in walks Ravage with the rest of her siblings, Frenzy immediately tackled her twin, lazerbeak and buzzsaw cheering her on. Ratbat snickered, perching himself somewhere on the ceiling.
Ravage approached Soundwave, jumping onto the desk swiftly before making herself comfortable. "How is it progressing?" She asked curiously.
Soundwave ex-vented, toying with the bit drive between his digits, "Unsuccessful." He answered, "Shockwaves coding: flawless. Soundwave: unable to complete it without him."
Ravage hummed, engine buzzing with a soft purr.
"I know you wanted to finish the sparklings coding, but why don't you leave it at what is done now, and let the sparkling add coding itself as it grows?" She suggested.
Soundwave considered this, "Soundwave: fears for the sparklings mental growth."
"It would online as a new spark." Ravage said, "Like a human infant, instead of fully developed bots like the rest of us." She nodded her head towards the other cassettes, "But it would give it more space to grow it's own personality. Since it's not building its own like we did."
A newspark. Did Soundwave want that? Would Starscream allow it? A newspark took time and lots of work, possibly more work than Soundwave had done for Megatron back before the tankformer defected. Newsparks required attention, fuel, an education.
And with Shockwave absent, all of these duties would fall to Soundwave.
"You don't have to make it." Ravage's voice pulled him from his thoughts, "The sparkling does not need to be brought online."
Soundwave glanced back at the half built protoframe, only slightly smaller than Rumble and Frenzy, it's pearly pink and white armour surrounded by half finished blueprints.
"Soundwave: will raise sparkling from newspark." He decided, cupping the bit drive to his chassis.
-------+-------
Soundwave watched with intense focus as the new frame onlined.
The frame whirred with power as its systems were connected to the bit drive sitting in its chassis chamber, shielded by a layer of white plating, the dark screen posing as a visor flickered to life with twin lime green holograms of optics.
The newspark didn't have an intake, but Soundwave heard the exact moment its vents drew in air, then watched as its voice box finally activated, and the small thing let out an receptor shattering, static laced shriek.
Soundwave was quick to scoop up the new born sparkling in his servo, bouncing it lightly as its arms flailed and digits grasped for him, he cooed lightly, nuzzling it.
"So? Whatcha gonna call it?" Frenzy asked.
Soundwave watched his sparkling calm against his chassis before humming thoughtfully, other servo coming to trace at the horns that stretched upon the side of its helm, then the smaller horns that pointed down, framing its faceplates delicately.
"Oh, I know!" Rumble said excitedly, "Razer Tooth!"
"You dumb glitch!" Frenzy scoffed, "The thing doesn't even have teeth!"
""What about buggie?" Lazerbeak suggested, "It looks like a beetle."
"Oh oh, how about Wormbug!" Buzzsaw said excitedly.
"Eww!" The rest of the cassettes groaned, "that's disgusting!"
"What?" Buzzsaw huffed, "I like worms."
Soundwave chuckled fondly, Ravage rolled her optics, "Well? Give us a name."
The sparkling beeped, as of to agree with her.
"Moonbug-E." Soundwave says, to himself, the cassettes, or the sparkling, he doesn't know. He cradled the small wiggling newspark closer to his frame, feeling the vibration of its new protoframe against his spark chamber, "My sweet sparkling: Moonbug-E."
The cassettes huddled closer, joining in on the soft moment.
"I guess she's kinda cute." Frenzy said, derma set in an exasperated pout.
"Her?" Ratbat asked.
"Well, I certainly don't want another brother." Frenzy snickered.
Though the other mechs, aside from Ravage, who nodded in agreement; protested, Soundwave felt the adoration in their EM fields, he could already feel the spark bond between him and his cassettes widening to except the new addition to their family.

Chapter Text

"SOUNDWAVE! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"
Soundwave ex-vented heavily as the shrill voice pierced his audial receptors.
Starscream scoffed, "Your little brat is at it again! My entire stock of wax has green dye in it!"
In his grap, Moonbug-E was held by the scruff of her neck struts and dangling like a soggy organic cat as she, despite not having derma, pouted.
"Dada." Moonbug-E stated, young voice monotone even if Soundwave could clearly pick up on her pleading whining.
Starscream huffed, "It even uses human terms. How disgusting."
Beneath his visor, Soundwave rolled his optics, "Moonbug-E: raised on earth. Use of earth terminology: only natural."
"Daddy." The sparkling, now the size of his fore arm, repeated. Sadly, Soundwave had failed to program her communication systems while completing her base coding, so she was unable to use tones when speaking, not that it stopped her creator from being able to understand her.
Soundwave took the sparkling in his arms, spark swelling at the affectionate chirp she emitted, "Starscream: is being dramatic."
"Am not!" The seeker grouched, though he didn't leave, watching the sparkling with conflicted optics. Moonbug-E stared back, and beeped, pointing a tiny digit at him, "Designation+self."
"Yes, yes. You." Starscream rolled his optics, "I am observing you."
She giggled, it was creepy, considering the lack of levitation in her voice, but Starscream smirked, "Yes well, perhaps you will be a great deception one day."
"Moonbug-E: not a decepticon." Soundwave informed the former second in command, "Soundwave: hopes Moonbug-E can be selfish, not get involved in the war."
Starscream shrugged, "As long as she isn't trying to kill us, I don't give slag."
With that, Soundwave was left alone with his daughter.
"Query: Designation+ role: Commander= friend." Moonbug-E asked.
With slight hesitation, Soundwave nods, "Starscream: fond of you. Moonbug-E: should not take advantage of that."
"Query: Designation+ role: doctor= friend." She asked again.
Soundwave smiled fondly, "Affirmative. Knock Out: also your friend."
-------+-------
Knock Out stared at the lab door worriedly for what had to be the 8th time that cycle. Moonbug-E sat in his lap clinging to his chassis, EM field flaring with fear, anxiety, worry. The doctor pet her helm soothingly to calm both her and himself.
Starscream and Soundwave had gone on patrol, only Soundwave and three of the six cassettes came back.
"Query: location+ role*8: family." The small frame that clung to his asked in a small voice, even without tones, he could here the fear and confusion.
Knock Out had always been a bit creeped out by Moonbug-E, the way she spoke and her lack of tone coordination. But he had always loved sparklings, had wanted one back before the war, even, and he'd always seen Moonbug-E as family, despite having only known her for the four short years she'd excited.
"Your daddy is a little sad right now, Buggie." He answered, "He needs some space."
"Query: designation+ role: sibling (plural). Designation+ role: commander/friend." She asked again. Because of course she noticed the absence of some of her siblings.
"Starscream and your brothers are... In a far away place, sweetie." Knock Out lied, "You... Might not see them again."
Moonbug-E's engine whirred, it sounded almost like a whimper.
-----+-----
"Daddy."
Soundwave gasped at the quiet voice, snapping his visor in place before snapping his head up to look towards the door.
The space itself was dark, the only light the faint glow of Soundwaves orange optics, and now, with the bright green of his youngest daughters bio lights.
The sparkling, the size of a grown mechs stabilizer, skidded to his side, wrapping her arms as much as she could around his shaking frame.
He held her back, curling around her protectively.
He wouldn't let anything happen to her, or his remaining cassettes. The next time he saw those humans, he wouldn't be merciful as to let them live to tell the tale of how they brutally took his cassettes away from him.
With Starscream no longer with them, they'd have less leverage over their surroundings.
If the humans found them so close to their base, they would have to leave. It was only a matter of time before they were found.
Maybe they could find where the stunticons had regrouped. Or the rest of the seekers. They needed to go somewhere, somewhere safe.
He was so tired.

Chapter Text

Soundwave makes a show of rolling his shoulders, legs spread on a grounding stance as he faced his ex leader and his current situationship. Megatron regarded him carefully, both servos held up in submission, "Please, old friend." He started.
Soundwave's optics narrowed, the deep red hue flickering with barely contained frustration. The audacity of Megatron to invoke their past camaraderie, even in this tense moment, felt like a betrayal.
"Friend?" Soundwave's voice was low and gravelly, resonating with the weight of years filled with conflict and loyalty now turned to ash. "After everything you've done. How dare you think is still friends."
Megatron stepped forward, his servos lowering slightly, Soundwave took a step back in alarm. "I did what I thought was necessary for our survival. The universe has changed, Soundwave. We must adapt or risk extinction."
Soundwave's frame tensed as he processed Megatron's words. Adaptation. Survival. How dare he.
"Your survival comes at a price," he hissed, his tone icy. "You seek to manipulate those who once stood by your side."
Megatron's expression softened, a flicker of genuine remorse crossing his features. "I never wished to hurt you. I am offering you a chance to be part of a new order, one where we can finally end the cycle of war."
Soundwave's processors whirred, calculating the possibilities, "You should have thought of that before you let your friends kill my cassettes."
Megatron barely had time to look surprised before Soundwave lunged at him.
------+-----
Frenzy glanced out into the woods, where Optimus and Megatron were loading an unconscious Soundwave into a G.H.O.S.T van, then back at Laserbeak.
You can join your carrier, or you can make your own choices, and end this war.
Megatron's words hung heavily between them, but Frenzy already knew what she was going to do.
Ravage watched her siblings, and turned back to the forest.
"Ravage?" Frenzy called, EM field laced with shock and anxiety, "What are you doing?"
Ravage didn't speak, but she stopped, and looked back at her. Her answer apparent.
"We don't have to follow him anymore," Frenzy said, "We can leave."
Ravage turned around, seemingly ignoring Frenzy's plea to stay, and disappeared into the thicket of trees.
"Frenzy, we have to go get Buggie." Laserbeak whispered with uncharacteristic earnest.
Frenzy bit her derma, this day really couldn't get any worse.
The warehouse they'd called their own for the last 3 years, was dark, unusually quite. The two cassettes entered quietly, before the lights flashed on.
"Designation: Frenzy; Designation: Laserbeak."
[Frenzy , Laserbeak.]
Came the monotone voice of their younger sibling, she studied them, "Query: location+ dad."
[Where's dad?]
Frenzy and Laserbeak exchanged uncertain glances. "Heya, Bug-a-boo." Laserbeak spoke, "So, we have some bad news..."
Frenzy and Laserbeak relayed the battle between them and the two ex leaders, Optimus Prime and Megatron, the arrival of the autobot scout Bumblebee, how Soundwave showed up to save them, and their decision to leave.
Moonbug-E blinked as she looked between her siblings with all the grace of a shocked parrot, "Query: Display of expression: shock::"
[What!?]
her voice box glitched out after a couple of seconds, "Designation+ role: sibling (plural)+ action: exit situation."
[You left him!?]
Frenzy felt her optics ridge twitch, "Can't you update your own coding? I can't listen to you like this?"
"Statement: action: priority+ expression: arrogance."
[We have to go get him back!]
"No!" Frenzy exclaimed, she ex-vented, rubbing at the ridge between her optics, she could feel the stress getting to her, "Moonbug-E, we're free to go. We don't need to keep hiding. We can just... Be free. Laserbeak, tell her!"
Laserbeak laughed nervously at the rage filled flare of the younglings EM field, "Soundwave would want that for us, yeah? No more war, no more hiding. You'd like that right? You're too young to be hiding all the time, yeah?"
Moonbug-E stomped her pede, EM field spiking angrily, "No!" Screamed the voice of Frenzy, a recording of not even 3 kliks ago, "we have-- to-- free-- Soundwave." Came the string of recordings.
It was new, she'd never used recordings. And the fact that she chose now to use this ability to communicate more clearly pissed Frenzy off.
"What the frag!" Frenzy growled, "I just gave up our entire way of life for us, and you're playing this game with me!?"
"Frenzy..."
"No!" Frenzy waves off Laserbeaks worried calls, stomping towards the bigger youngling. She felt her frame heating up, all the pent up emotions boiled over in thick hurtful bursts. So much death happened because of the war, first Shockwave, then Rumble Buzzsaw and Ratbat, Starscream, and now Soundwave was gone, too. So much loss, so much fear that their next hiding spot would be found. And Moonbug-E, only 8 earth years old, needing so much attention and protection. Frenzy was tired, tired of the war, tired of hiding. She just wanted to be free, she wanted something for herself for once.
Is that too much to ask?!
"I've given up everything for you!" The cassette jabs a digit at her sister, "I'm doing this for you! Soundwave would have never done this for you!"
"Dad-- did everything for-- us!" Moonbug-E retorted, standing her ground.
"The only thing he did for us, was drag us into a war!" Frenzy screamed, intake burning as her voice box buzzed with the volume, "You didn't have to spend half your life strapped to a fragging martyr, ordering you to your death, for a tyrant!"
"You didn't have to live with the knowledge that your step-sire was a apathetic psychopath who just up and died anyway!"
"You didn't have to watch your caretaker create a useless piece of scrap just to cope with the loss of his conjunx, only for that piece of scrap to be a malfunctioning glitch who can't even form a proper sentence!"
"You didn't have to watch your brothers die! And push your grief down because your caretaker thought there was someone more important!"
Moonbug-E stood there stunned, green optics wide with a swirl of emotions. Her EM field was pulled tightly against her.
Frenzy panted heavily, coolant leaking from her optics in pooling waterfalls, she turned on her heels and bolted out of the warehouse.
Laserbeak broke out of his stunned silence, calling after her, "Frenzy!" He turned to his other sister, "She didn't mean any of that. I'll go get her, and we'll talk this through."
-----+-----
When the irritating fog cleared from Frenzy's processor, she found herself outside, surrounded by trees and boulders.
Laserbeak was there, resting on her helm, and low purr emitting from his engine.
"Laserbeak..." She murmured, voice rough, intake dry and vents soar.
"Hey," Laserbeak greeted, "Welcome back."
"What happened?" Frenzy scanned her surroundings, "Why are we outside?"
The cyberbird cringed, well, as much as he could, anyway, "You may want to refresh your memory profiles before heading back."
"Why? What happened?" She asked again.
The flyer shifted uncomfortably, "So... You may or may not have kinda, run your mouth. A little. At--and you were really upset."
Frenzys brow plating furroas she accessed her memory files. She groaned, "No, no! Why did I say that! Soundwaves a great caretaker. Frag!"
She kept watching.
"No! No I didn't mean it! Slag!" She cried urgently, "I need to get back, now!"
"Then what are we waiting for!"
The abandoned warehouse was dark, unusually cold and quite. Frenzy and Laserbeak shared a worried glance.
The halls and rooms were empty, save for the remains of a few of Moonbug-E's sparkling toys.
"Fuck."

Chapter Text

The hologram flickered as pictures came and went, Optimus' brows were drawn together, blurry image's showing nothing but the sharp silhouette of the unidentified bot.
The only information they had on this bot was that they stole things, electronics, crystals, chemicals, their form sleek, smaller than an average cybertronian but not as small as a minicon, they bore a pair of horns, and their bio lights were green.
"This is the 4th report this week." He stated with an irritated sigh, "Are you certain you cannot identify the fugitive?"
"Why do we always assume it's one of mine? Could it not be one of your autobots?" Came Megatron's gruff reply, "It could be another terran, for all we know."
Optimus rolled his optics, "It isn't an autobot, I would know. And their frame is clearly larger than a Terrans."
The former warlord hummed thoughtfully, studying the pictures closely, "Hm, yes. Clearly."
"Take this seriously, please." The prime chided, "Ever since Starscream escaped, nothing has been peaceful around here."
Megatron hummed I'm acknowledgment, before straightening himself from his bent over position from leaning closer to the hologram, "Send Bumblebee to investigate." He said, "If he reports any real suspicious activity, then we will intervene."
"Bumblebee is busy with the terrans." Optimus reminded him.
"Then he can bring them."
Optimus raised a brow ridge, "Are you glitching? They aren't ready to be out in the field, the younger three are barely a year old."
"Oh, please." Megatron chortled, "Your scout was the same age when you sent out on missions."
The prime sputtered, "He was not!"
Bumblebee, who was very much still in the room, cleared his throat awkwardly, "I could go on my own. Arcee or Wheeljack can watch the terrans." He suggested, "It's just a scouting mission, right?"
Optimus nodded slowly, "I don't know, Bumblebee. This individual could pose a threat, I fear the consequences of underestimating the."
"I could accompany him," Megatron offered, "If you're so worried."
Bumblebee set his derma into a subtle pout, eyeing Optimus, "I can handle a lone bot, I don't need backup." He'd been a scout under Optimus for as long as he could remember, just because he's been hiding for 15 years doesn't mean he's suddenly helpless.
Optimus nodded in acknowledgment, "I understand." He said, "Though I still think it best to take backup."
The yellow scout suppressed the urge to roll his optics, but knew better then to protest.
-----+-----
Music blared loudly over the whistle of rushing wind, Moonbug-E tapped her pede to the drum, hips swaying and helm bobbing as her optics scanned the data pad in her servo.
*Don't wanna live as an untold story*
*Rather go out in a blaze of glory*
"Moonbug-E, there you are." Came the voice of her companion.
Moonbug-E ignored him, digits flying across the screen with rapture, her optics locked onto a chain of data.
Found it.
"Do you know how dangerous it is up here? You could get caught!"
A port on her wrist plate opened as a data cable slithered out and plugged into the data pad, her optics disappeared from her visor as data chains were showed being downloaded across the dark screen. When she was done, she turned to her companion.
"Starscream." She said slowly, "desist."
Starscream huffed, landing next to her, "You even sound just like him."
Moonbug-E stared at him for a few seconds, optics wide and calculating. Starscream ex-vented, dropping a servo on the young bots shoulder, "He'd be proud of you, kid."
*Wanna live better days*
*Never look back and say*
*It could've been me*
*It could've been me*
If Moonbug-E had derma, she'd smirk, instead she nodded, "Understood."
She grabbed a woren satchel filled with tools and slung it over her shoulders a d across her chassis, "Location required. Operation: retrieve dad."
*Wanna taste love and pain*
*Wanna feel pride and shame*
*Don't wanna waste my time*
*Don't wanna waste one more night*
She dropped herself off the roof, plummeting towards the busy road, eery monotone laughter ringing through the air.
Starscream gasped and dove after her, spinning elegantly as he came shoulder to shoulder with the free falling bot, "Are you crazy!"
"A certain amount!"
*Don't wanna look back and say*
*It could've been me*
*It could've been me*
----+----
The wind howled around him as Starscream dove through the air, his sleek frame cutting through the rushing currents like a blade. Below him, Moonbug-E plummeted toward the ground with no apparent concern for the laws of physics—or for her own safety.

"Are you crazy!" Starscream yelled over the roar of the wind, his optics burning with a mixture of frustration and disbelief. For all his years of scheming and surviving, nothing could have prepared him for the sheer chaos that was Soundwave’s spawn.

"A certain amount!" Moonbug-E replied, her voice eerily monotone as her laughter—if it could even be called that—echoed in his audials.

Starscream snarled in exasperation, his wings adjusting expertly to match her freefall. He reached out with a servo, trying to grab her, but she twisted effortlessly out of his reach, her green bio-lights flickering with defiance. She had no wings, no thrusters, and yet she maneuvered through the air with a confidence that bordered on arrogance. He hated that it reminded him of someone. Himself.
Utterly disgusting.
---+---
Starscream finally caught up to her just as they neared the ground, transforming mid-air and landing in a crouch with a grace that only he could pull off. Moonbug-E landed moments later, swinging herself from a flag pole then a tree, her small frame hit the pavement with a dull thud. She straightened immediately, her optics glowing faintly as she scanned their surroundings.

"Do you have a death wish?" Starscream hissed, his wings twitching in irritation as he loomed over her.

Moonbug-E didn’t answer immediately, instead reaching into her satchel and pulling out a data pad. Her optics flickered as lines of code scrolled rapidly across the screen. "Let's go." she said simply, her voice devoid of any emotion.

Starscream ex-vented sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You’re going to get yourself terminated before you even get close to him," he snapped. "Do you have any idea what you’re up against? The humans, the Autobots… Megatron, for Primus’ sake! You think they’ll just let you stroll in and take Soundwave back?"

Moonbug-E tilted her helm up at him, her expression—or lack thereof—unchanging. "Dad: priority. Obstacles: irrelevant."

Starscream groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Of course. You’re just as stubborn as he was. No, worse. At least Soundwave knew when to retreat. You, on the other hand, seem intent on getting yourself scrapped!"
----+----
Moonbug-E was standing over a small security line, data cables plugged in and overriding protocols.
Starscream paced a few steps away, his optics darting toward the horizon. The city lights glimmered faintly in the distance, a stark reminder of how far they were from the safety of the shadows. He should have left her the moment he found her, 2 years ago. He had no loyalty to Soundwave, not anymore. Not after everything that had happened.

But then he glanced back at her.

Moonbug-E stood there, clutching the data pad like it was her lifeline, her frame small but unyielding. Her bio-lights pulsed rhythmically, the green glow cutting through the darkness. She didn’t look at him, instead focusing intently on her next move, as if she didn’t need his help. As if she could do this alone.

Primus, she even stands like him.

Starscream growled under his breath, his wings flaring slightly. "You know, you’re lucky I haven’t just left you to your own devices," he muttered, though his tone lacked its usual venom. "Do you even know what you’re doing?"

"Affirmative," Moonbug-E replied curtly, not looking up from her data pad.

"Is that so?" Starscream sneered, his optics narrowing. "And what happens when you run into Optimus? Or Megatron? You think they’ll just let you walk away?"

Moonbug-E paused for a moment, finally lifting her gaze to meet his. "We won't," she said simply.

Starscream stared at her, his wings twitching uncontrollably. "You’re insufferable," he muttered. "You know that, right?"

----+----
Despite his irritation, Starscream couldn’t help but feel a flicker of… something. It wasn’t admiration, not exactly. But there was a certain respect for her determination, her refusal to back down even after all these years, even after her siblings left. She reminded him of himself in his younger days—defiant, daring, ready to challenge anyone who stood in his way.

But there was something else, too. Something different. Moonbug-E wasn’t driven by ambition or greed or a lust for power. She wasn’t trying to prove herself. She was doing this for Soundwave, for her family. It was a kind of loyalty Starscream had never understood, not really. And yet, here he was, following her into, from what he could only assume was, certain doom.

"Fine," he said finally, his voice softer than before. "If you’re so determined to get yourself killed, I suppose I have no choice but to make sure you don’t."

Moonbug-E blinked up at him, her green optics glowing faintly. "Assistance: accepted," she said, her tone as monotone as ever.

Starscream rolled his optics, but a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You’re lucky I’m feeling generous," he muttered. "Now, hurry up before someone spots us."
*Never look back and say*
*It could've been me*

Chapter Text

Hashtag chased Starscream through the tunnel and into the open, the moon was high, but her hopes to bring Starscream to their side was higher.
He wasn't flying away, which was a good sign Hashtag noticed, there was still a chance.
The seeker skidded to a harsh stop when a large mech separated himself from the shows the trees provided.
Starscream gasped, "Megatron."
The ex warlord sized him, "Starscream,"
The seeker swallowed a mouth full of oral lubricant, he was cornered, Megatron stopped him from surging forward and Hashtag blocked him from falling back the way he came. He couldn't leave yet, Moonbug-E was still MIA. He couldn't leave her.
"What are you planning, Starscream?" Megatron's voice rumbled like the roll of thunder.
"There is no plan," Starscream spat heinously, "Only survival."
Behind him, Hashtag watched with careful optics, unaware of the other movements in the shadows.
Starscream tuned out most of Megatron's speech of honor and faith, he didn't need to be redeemed, he didn't want to see the error in his ways, he didn't want to forgive Megatron.
He had other things to worry about.
---+---
Soundwave brooded. That's all he could do, all he's been able to do for 8 years. So he brooded.
Ravage rested in his lap, the cage was spacious enough, more room so Starscream had escaped 2 years ago. Surrounding him were his fellow decepticons, betrayed and deceived by their leader, Megatron. Trapped here to live out a life of imprisonment, and die at the hands of the fleshlings.
The security alarms blared, stirring his fellow inmates. G.H.O.S.T agents rushed through the halls, yelling and barking orders, Ravage growled lowly at the disturbance.
The prison halls were left empty, save for its many inmates, who hollered and shouted, demanding to know what was going on. Soundwave sighed, the noise a burden on his audials.
It took a while for it to quiet down again, his fellow decepticons returning to their boredom. He could read their minds, the dread and hopelessness eating at them.
Then there was a soft clatter.
Soft hurried footsteps pitter-pattered in a hurry down the hall.
There were gasps from the inmates, curiosity and surprise flooding his processor in time with theirs. Soundwave stood, furrowing his brow ridges under his visor.
The footsteps, too heavy to belong to a human or mini con, too light to be any other known cybertronian, tread closer.
Ravage perked, ear flickering, then he felt it, a tug in his spark, and a questioning brush of an EM field.
Soundwave stood jerked to attention, pressing himself closer to the energon shield that prisoned him, his EM field flared dominantly, commanding attention, the other inmates groaned and whined under the sudden pressure.
The pedesteps paused, then picked up speed, dashing towards Soundwaves cell.
----+---
The bot pressed herself against the transparent energon shield, as close as she could, Soundwave did the same, kneeling to be optic level with her.
"Dad." She breathed longingly.
"Moonbug-E." He answered with, he studied her with a soft gaze, "You have grown."
Ravage's engine rumbled softly, "What are you doing here, Bug-E? Where are the others?"
Moonbug-E watched her silently, then turned away to dig in her bag, and pulled out a data pad, "---prepare for departure." Came a recording of a flight announcement.
Soundwave blinked in surprise, but didn't comment as he watched his daughter deploy a servo full of data cables from her wrist ports and plug them into the cells lock, then the data pad.
The other inmates seemed to realize what was happening, calling out to her, bribing and begging to be set free.
Moonbug-Es visor flickered to life with strings of data chains, at the corner of her visor human glyphs flickered.
10%
40%
50%
The inmates' yelling grew louder, Soundwave could make out pleas and cheers alike.
80%
Knock Out's voice, alert, yelled in warning.
96%
"BUG, RUN!"
A flash of yellow slammed into Moonbug-E, tearing her away from the lock, data cables retracting in surprise. Soundwave let out a worried shout, rage flaring as his gaze landed on his daughters attacker.
---+---
Moonbug-E grunted as she tumbled across the floor, she twisted, pulling herself to a stop.
She sized the new comer, the bot was a bright yellow, it was a miracle she didn't see him coming in the first place.
The youngling widened her stance, making herself appear dangerous, "s-se-ste-Step aside." She growled.
"Sorry, I'm afraid I can't do that."
Moonbug-E scanned her data base for information on this bot, short, young, and yellow. The autobot scout, Bumblebee.
"Get out-- of my way." She repeated through a string of recordings.
The tension in the air was palpable as Moonbug-E squared faced Bumblebee, her small frame vibrating with barely contained energy. Her optics pulsed erratically as if syncing with the growing intensity of the moment.
Bumblebee tilted his helm slightly, his optics softening at the sight of the young bot before him. “You aren't a 'con,” he realized, his tone gentle but firm. “You aren't an autobot either. What are you?”
Moonbug-E’s visor flickered, her frame trembling, not with fear, but with frustration. Her EM field spiked sharply, brushing against Bumblebee’s own in a challenge. “That-- is none of-- your-- business!” Each word was clipped, mechanical, strung together from her recordings. Her voice carried no emotion, but the determination behind it was undeniable.
Bumblebee ex-vented deeply, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Ok, kid, look. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way.”
The young bot took a step forward, lowering her stance as her claws extended. “I'll take-- my chances.” Her monotone voice was punctuated by the sound of her servos switching into short blades, and a sharp robotic cable sprung from her spinel plates to jab at him.
“Whoa!” Bumblebee raised his servos defensively, “Okay!” he balls his fists, "Hard way it is, then."
Moonbug-E lunged, her small frame moving with lightning speed. Bumblebee barely had time to react, twisting to the side as her claws swiped dangerously close to his plating. He yelped, backpedaling to avoid another swing.
"Stand down.” Moonbug-E’s voice came again, this time stitched together from Bumblebee’s own words. The eerie mimicry sent a shiver through the scout’s frame.
“Sorry, kid—can’t do that!” Bumblebee countered, transforming his right servo into a small blaster. He fired a warning shot, deliberately aiming at the floor just in front of her. The plasma scorched the ground, Moonbug-E didn’t flinch. She darted forward again, using her smaller size to her advantage as she ducked under his arm and swiped at his midsection.
Bumblebee hissed as her claws scraped across his plating, leaving shallow scratches. “Alright, you asked for it!” he muttered, transforming his other servo into a shield and using it to block her next swipe.
----+----
More voices were heard as G.H.O.S.T began to return to their posts, no doubt hearing the commotion.
Behind the energon shield, Soundwave’s EM field surged with worry. His servo pressed hard against the barrier, his voice booming across the room. “Enough! Moonbug-E, retreat!”
The youngling froze mid-perry, her optics flickering as she processed her father’s command. She twisted her helm back toward him, her voice trembling with static. “But I'm-- so close!”
“Mission: preserve survival. Yours, paramount,” Soundwave countered, his voice unyielding yet tinged with concern. “Prioritize: safety.”
Bumblebee seized the moment of hesitation, stepping between Moonbug-E and the lock.
Moonbug-E’s frame trembled, her claws retracting as she processed the conflicting directives. Her visor dimmed for a moment before she slowly straightened. “Acknowledged,” she said, her tone flat but reluctant.
Bumblebee relaxed slightly, lowering his blaster. “Good call. Now--"
Before he could finish, Moonbug-E’s visor blazed back to life, and she dashed toward the wall. With a burst of agility, she scaled the side, using cracks and protrusions to propel herself upward. Bumblebee cursed, racing after her as she disappeared into the shadows of the upper levels.
---+---
Moonbug-E weaved through the upper vents of the prison, her small frame allowing her to slip through tight spaces with Bumblebee hot on her trail. Her processor raced as she calculated her next move, her bio-lights dimming to avoid detection.
Behind her, Bumblebee’s voice echoed faintly. “Kid, Stop! You’re only making this harder for both of us!”
She ignored him, focusing instead on her objective. Her claws flexed as frustration bubbled within her, but she pushed it aside.
"I don't want to hurt you! I just want to talk!"
Finally, she emerged into the night air, the cool breeze washing over her frame.
She caught the silhouette of Starscream and two other bots in the distance. She glaced back, Bumblebee was coming up behind her. She jumped, ignoring the surprised yelp that escaped her pursuers voice box.
She landed with a loud thump, dashing over to the trio. The largest of the three gasped as she advanced, causing Starscream to turn.
The rev of an engine came from behind, close, too close. Moonbug-Es EM field spiked in a fit of panic.
---+---
Hashtag gasped as the larger bot body slammed into her, she heard Bumblebee shout.
"Moonbug-E!" Starscream grabbed the spy frames arm and pulled them close to him, away from Hashtag and Bumblebee.
"What--" Megatron appeared stunned.
"Autobot scum!!" They hissed, their voice a replica of Starscreams.
The seeker didn't seem to mind though, as he lifted the bot under his arm and darted pass the stunned ex warlord, heading towards the cliff side.
Hashtag watched worriedly as Megatron pursued him, barely grabbing the seeker's write before he flew off.
"Starscream, come with us. We can find you somewhere safe." He pleaded.
Starscream hesitated a moment, the bot under his arm, Moonbug-E, froze, optics wide, she stared at the seeker.
"Nowhere is safe around you."
The seeker flew off, leaving Megatron behind, and Hashtag with Bumblebee.
"So..." Bumblebee finally spoke after some minutes of agonizing silence, "I think we found our mystery bot." He looked down at Hashtag, "And you have some explaining to do. You better hope your mom doesn't ground you."
---+---
Soundwave stood silently as the commotion died down, his frame tense with suppressed emotion. Ravage nuzzled against his leg, a low, comforting rumble emanating from the feline bot. Soundwave reached down, running a servo through Ravage's sleek frame.
"She's... Grown." Knock Out, a few cells down, mused, "All grown up."
"She's a child." Soundwave managed after a moment.
Knock out was quiet, and no one filled the silence between them.
"What Moonbug-E did: was dangerous." Soundwave finally said, "She could have been captured or worse."
"Hm," Knock Out hummed, "Almost reminds me of someone."
"Shockwave: would have taught her to be more careful."
"Oh please." Knock Out snorted, "Shockwave would have come running to you day one. Moonbug-E is strong, she can handle herself."
"Moonbug-E: is... Perfect." Soundwave said, "Soundwave: proud. Shockwave: would have been proud, also."

Chapter Text

The intense sensation that came with onlining after 20 or so vorns was one he did not find pleasurable.
He stumbled out of the stasis pod, systems rebooting sluggishly, lights flickered and alarms blared. What happened...?
Digging his way out of the seemingly abandoned headquarters proved no challenge, Shockwave immerged from the stone confined space with ease, paying little attention to his surroundings as he flipped through his systems updates.
There was a new program running, one he hadn't seen before.
Click. Click.
An odd sensation, he poked at it, and it spiked in alarm. He prodded again, and hesitantly, it poked back.
"Illogical." Shockwave concluded. There was another program what was supposed to be running, but it wasn't.
His bond with Soundwave. Where was it?
What did he miss?
Shockwave prodded at the bond, nothing, but the other program, the new one, flared with curiosity. It poked back, alive, and still young.
A spark bond. The scientist realized, his intended had branched a spark bond.
Before he could dig deeper, a looming presence made itself known.
"Shockwave?" Shockwave froze at the familiar voice, shifting defensively he spun around, coming faceplate to faceplate with Megatron.
His old leader looked different, and he was accompanied by a smaller, red and orange bot.
"You." Shockwave hissed, ignoring the smaller one, and drew his cannon on the silver mech, "Traitor."
----+----
Starscream shouldn't have been worried, there was nothing to worry about. The abandoned oil factory they'd taken refuge in proved a worthy hideout, for now. And he'd run into his trinemates, Skywarp and Thundercracker.
Then there was Moonbug-E.
The mini drone had kept to herself since the incident, and Starscream know that she still went out to collect seemingly useless trinkets. He'd found hoards of her stolen gems stashed around the building. He didn't want to know what she was doing with them.
"Hey, Screamer?"
Starscream ex-vented, "Yes, Skywarp?"
The black and purple seeker wrung her digits sheepishly as she spoke, "Are you gonna talk to your sparkling about the, uh, the thing?"
Starscream stared, "What thing?"
"An alt mode." Skywarp elaborated, "So we can move faster? We'll be too slow if we keep having to carry her."
"One:" the trine leader grit through clenched denta, "she is not my sparkling. Two: if she hasn't chosen an alt mode by now, she probably never will. I don't even know if it's in her programing!"
"She creeps me out!" Skywarp pouted, "She's creepy and she stares. Her paint job makes her look like a corpse!"
Starscream scoffed, swatting a servo to wave her off, "She does not look like a corpse. She's a decent amount of colors."
He turned away from her before she could continue complaining.
"She'll be a liability, Screamer." Skywarp said, uncharacteristically serious, "And when the time comes, I won't deal with that."
Starscream know that meant Thundercracker wouldn't either.
"Starscream!" A voice, a recording of Megatron calling out to him, came from the other side of the room, near a window, where he turned to see Moonbug-E sitting at, "Something just happened." She said with a recording of some human podcast or something.
Starscream waved a servo at Skywarp, dismissing her. "What's wrong?"
"Something is wrong--- sick in the head!" She communed back, "Strange--- need a check up, doc!"
"You need to stop watching those human holofilms." Starscream mused, crouching down and examined Moonbug-Es helm armour. There were no physical dents or cuts, maybe it was DIY Sparkling (tm) puberty?
"Do you need another upgrade? Is it a growth spurt?"
Moonbug-E shook her helm, "A whole new~--- Po-po-po-poker~"
She also needed to stop listening all that music.
"Well I can't help you." Starscream tsked, "Soundwave ban me from poking around your bit drive."
Moonbug-E bristled, "SOUNDWAVE." she played his voice back at him at a higher volume, "Daddy!" She screeched.
Starscream winced. The bitlets family has been a sore topic since he found her two vorns ago. Now even more so after the failed retrieval mission.
----+----
Moonbug-E watched Skywarp with a harsh glare. Not that anyone could tell it was a glare, but it's the thought that counts.
How dare she try to turn Starscream against her. She wasn't a liability, she knows how to survive, she was doing just fine on her own for 6 years before Starscream was back in her life, and certainly before Skywarp was even a bot to her.
Whatever. Moonbug-E scoffed to herself, it's not like she needed them, anyway. She didn't need Frenzy, she didn't need anyone.
An old sadness threatened to drown her, Frenzy, her sister, she was angry, and hurt, but she missed her and she missed Laserbeak. Maybe she was a liability then, and that's why they didn't want her, but she'd learned! She'd adapted! She wouldn't be a liability again.
Shifting, Moonbug-E turned on her internal radio, a series of clapping and electric guitar beat at her audial receptors.
*Don't do love*
*Don't do friends*
*I'm only after success*
She works on the data pad, the only important one. The one with the information she needs, the one with the key to rescue Soundwave.
*I just wanna change*
*I just wanna change*
*I just wanna change*
*I know exactly who I am and who I wanna be*
*I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine*
More coding, more blueprints, more security, more more MORE. She needs to be MORE.
*I wanna live*
*I wanna die*
*I'm gonna fail*
*I'm gonna die*
She spits static in frustration as she hits another firewall, chucking the data pad across the room. Moonbug-E curls in on herself, stupid humans, stupid autobots, stupid stupid stupid!
She vents raggedly, cooling fans clicking on, the whirr calming her down some.
*Oh*
*Oh no*
*Oh no*
*Oh no, oh*
----+----
"That was scary." Twitch whispered as she and her siblings watched G.H.O.S.T agents take the decepticon scientist away.
Thrash nodded, "what was his deal anyway?"
Hashtag, in the back, shook her head, "Dunno, but something about that guy felt... Familiar."
Nightshade shook their helm, "That doesn't make sense. We've never met him."
Hashtag agreed, she'd never met Shockwave before today, and yet it felt like she had. At least, it felt like she'd met a part of him.
She didn't share that information with the others.
"I heard Shockwave was a great scientist." Nightshade said, their optics wide with wonder, "I wonder what the difference is between science on Earth and science on Cybertron."
Hashtag tuned out the rest of her siblings' conversation, thoughts wandering... Wandering.
---+---
Starscream was panicking.
"How could she have just disappeared!" He stressed, "She's just a new spark!"
Thundercracker put a servo over Starscreams shoulder armour, "We'll find her, she's eye catching, I'm sure a sweep over the area will point us to her."
"Cuz she's painted like a corpse?" Skywarp offered.
They ignored her for their own sanity, Starscream shook, "Soundwave's going to kill me!"
"Soundwave isn't here." Thundercracker rolled his optics.
"Then when I die Shockwave will kill me."
"Shockwave perished during--- oh."
The seekers bickered as they transformed and took to the sky, unaware of the spydrone scouting around the area, catching their movements, and following them.

Chapter Text

Moonbug-E ran. She ran and ran until she felt her vents were going to splinter.
She shouldn't be running, she should have stayed to help, she should have done something, anything but run.
Run little bug, run.
No agents followed her, but no bots followed, either. Starscream wasn't following.
She'd killed him. She'd killed them all. Just like before. Nothing changed, nothing changed.
Run, little bug, run.
Run away like always. Run from your problems. Run from your family.
Shadows clawed and groped at her, dark suffocation closing in, she pushed back, sending distressed pulses through severed bonds. There was nowhere to go, no one to turn to. She was all alone.
Again.
And it was all her fault.
Again.
Vent, she needed air.
The mini bot tumbled, vocalizer spitting a static laced monotone yelp as she tripped.
She rolled through the greenery, her uncoordinated flailing doing nothing but denting her plating more.
She was alone.
"Ow!" Moonbug-E collided into something, and it made a pained yelp.
The impact stopped her spiraling, physically and mentally, Moonbug-E tore herself from the tangle of limbs, backing away, venting harshly.
The victim of Moonbug-Es spiral was slim, their optics almost a green that matched her own.
She combed her base drive for information on the shorter bot, nothing came up.
"Who are you?" The bot recovered.
Moonbug-E studied the small bird resembling bot, and played their voice back at them, "Who are you?"
The bot blinked, large optics cycling with wonder and curiosity, "My name is Nightshade." They said, "I use they/them pronouns." They added not long after.
"Moonbug-E." Moonbug-E responded, the recording an old one, the first time she heard her name, the full sentence being "Moonbug-E. My sweet sparkling: Moonbug-E.".
Then, politely, she added, "She-- they."
Nightshade smiled, their smile was sweet, "Do you need help, Moonbug-E? You look pretty banged up."
Moonbug-E stared, half expecting to be ambushed by surrounding G.H.O.S.T agents, but she was not. So slowly, she nodded.
---+---
Moonbug-E sat silently, fleshling and bots buzzed lively around her, asking her questions, asking each other questions. She didn't answer.
The two smaller fleshlings were staring, she didn't provide the satisfaction of acknowledging them.
"Wait, I've met you!" The small purple one, Hashtag, Moonbug-Es processor provided absently, "I remember you from the Starscream thing at G.H.O.S.T! You were with him, where is he?"
Moonbug-E looked away guiltily, "G.H.O.S.T--- ~never took us alive~"
Hashtag gasped, servos shooting up to cover her intake, "No..." Hashtag leaned closer, her optics wide with concern, "You didn’t kill anyone, did you? You didn’t hurt Starscream or the others?"
Moonbug-E shook her helm jerkily, visor flickering, her thoughts racing.
What if she did? What if she was the reason?
The yellow one, Bumblebee, Moonbug-E remembered, knelt down in front of her, bright blue optics soft with something Moonbug-E remembered from a long time ago, "Moonbug-E, right?"
Moonbug-E’s visor flickered faintly as she processed the situation. Bumblebee’s presence loomed large in her optics, his soft tone and calm demeanor disarming her slightly. But her processor was still a tangled mess of guilt, fear, and static. She didn’t respond immediately.
“Moonbug-E?” Bumblebee repeated, his voice even gentler this time. “You’re safe here. No one’s going to hurt you.”
Safe? The word felt foreign to her. No one was ever truly safe, were they? Not Soundwave. Not Frenzy. Not Starscream. Not her. She stared at Bumblebee, her visor dim. Slowly, her vocalizer sputtered out a response, stringing together recordings in a patchwork of sound. “Define--- safe.”
Bumblebee tilted his helm slightly, a small, sad smile tugging at his derma. “Safe means you don’t have to run anymore. It means no one is chasing you. It means you can rest.”
Moonbug-E twitched slightly at the word, her frame involuntarily locking up. Rest. She’d heard that word, always in the context of loss. Rest in peace. Rest in stasis. Rest forever. She didn’t want to rest. She couldn’t. Not until she fixed everything.
“Negative. Can't afford to--- stop now!” The words came out disjointed, a mix of her own voice and older recordings, "Can't--- rest now, baby."
---+---
Soundwave watched with a slow dawning horror as Starscream was put in his neighboring cell.
The agents chatted amongst themselves, and even if they didn't, Soundwave could hear their thoughts... Someone in that fight hadn't made it.
Another decepticon.
"Starscream."
The seeker turned to him, optics wide with surprise, "Soundwave."
The two stared at each other until the guards left them.
"I was with Moonbug-E."
Soundwave felt his optics widen behind his visor.
"She'd run out again, my trine had gone looking for her when we were attacked by these blasted fleshlings." Starscream continued, "Thundercracker was shot down, Skywarp retreated. I told Bug-E to run, she's out there."
Soundwave nodded slowly, Ravage sent a pulse of comfort through their shared bond.
"Screamer, is that you?" Came a sultry voice.
Knock Out. The red mech, a couple cells down, pressed his frame up against the energon shield holding him, "Why, how long has it been? 2 vorns?"
Starscream rolled his optics.
"Say, did you know our precious niece came to visit the other cycle?"
"You mean a decacycle ago? Yes, I am aware."
"Starscream: was there?" Soundwave asked.
The seeker ex-vented, "she was very insistent that I was there."
"Moonbug-E: not alone." He relieved, he'd been worried.
Starscream shifted, "Well... She was alone when I found her."
"Frenzy and Laserbeak?"
"She didn't want to look for them. I fear they either perished, or they'd abandoned each other."
---+---
"So... This sister of yours," the white and blue armoured stunticon started, "She's been missing for what, 10 vorns?"
"Eight." Frenzy corrected.
The stunticon, Breakdown, hummed, "I dunno, dudes. I didn't even know you had another sister."
"It's... Complicated." Laserbeak explained, "Can you help us or not?"
Breakdown ex-vented, "Look, guys. I'm still trying to find Knock Out, and it's been vorns. What makes you think I can find this... Moon Beetle?"
"Moonbug-E." Frenzy corrected.
" Yeah, that." He waved her off, "Soundwave never told us about having another cassette, and if he doesn't want us to find her, no one's gonna find her."
Frenzy grit her denta. It's been too long, she's waited too long. What if this was their only chance?
Laserbeak squawked, "What should we do?"
"Bumblebee told me G.H.O. S.T is planning something big. My advice? Give up trying to find her and hide."

Chapter Text

Shockwave could see, he could feel, and he was moving.
But that wasn't HIM.
He didn't want to be in some organic infested cornfield chasing down insufferable sparklings. He didn't care for it, all he wanted was to go to his conjunx.
The bond was blocked on Soundwaves side, but Shockwave could still feel the thrum of life, like the energon that ran through his cables.
The sparklings, Thrash and Twitch, and the others Shockwave couldn't care to recall, fled in a panic, winding through the cornfield with as much speed they could muster.
Shockwave snarled, not at the sparklings, not because they'd decided to fight back. He snarled at himself, at the feeling of not being able to vent without choking on nothing.
The small red one, Twitch, he recalled, has done something, hit him, kicked him, something. He didn't care, because whatever it was, it worked.
When he finally, finally felt himself pull free from the spiderweb of control, his processor crashed, and he was offline.
Twitch yelped as she and her siblings fell through the ground bridge, bringing the unconscious deception scientist with them.
Jawbreaker whined as he rolled over, and their parents, Dorothy and Alex rushed out of the house at the commotion.
---+---
When Shockwave's optic connected to his processor again, he was greeted with the sight of a graying sky.
He turned his helm as the sound of shuffling. Someones venting hitched, and his optic came to focus on a swarm of sparklings.
The smallest gasped, "He's awake!"
Shockwave wanted to argue that he, in fact, does not 'wake', and that the correct terminology would be 'online'. But he stopped himself.
Green optics stared at him.
He stared back.
"Designation: Shockwave." Came the monotone voice, "State your status."
The scientist rebooted his optic, the light shuttering, he studied her frame.
She was tall, reaching his hip, probably, the peal white, blue stripe and pink accents painting her frame dirty and damaged, but it was undeniably the palette he and his conjunx had chosen. Her crest, crowned with horns, visor an obvious resemblance of Soundwave.
Shockwave waved his servo at the young bot, "I am fine," he said as he stood.
"Shockwave!" An unfamiliar voice screeched, Shockwave jumped slightly as he started at his companion. "Don't move!--- Doctor's orders!" Came a string of different voices. How fascinating. "I--- got some questions fer ya'."
Shockwave bowed slightly, "Very well," he said, "Ask your questions."

Chapter Text

The fight ended the way fog clogged one's lungs, sluggishly. Megatron vented carefully, watching as his former high command gathered themselves.

Starscream was the first to recover, checking in with his comrades over his coms, Soundwave stood beside him, looking half annoyed despite the lack of visual facial features.

Megatron approached them.
"Soundwave,"

Soundwave stiffened, staring at him through his visor with a watchful gaze. Starscream had frozen as well, tracking his movement with his optics.

Not too far away, another mech hissed at him, "What do you want?" His former physician spoke.
Megatron held both his servos out, "I'm not going to hurt you."
"You damn well aren't!" Sneered a cassette, Frenzy, who stood beside Breakdown.

The former warlord ignored her in favor of keeping his ex third in commands attention, "You don't have to trust me, but there is someone you deserve to see."

----+----

Moonbug-E stalled her vets at the sound of a nearing aircraft. The familiar rumble of that engine, and the soothing purr of those thrusters. She shot to her pede.

She heard more. More engines, aircrafts and automobiles and she froze, listening again. Those weren't the Terrans or Bumblebee.

She carefully made her way out of the barn, staying hidden in the shadows, out of shooting range if it were a trap.

Soundwave lands gracefully, Breakdown, carrying Frenzy and Laserbeak, pulling up behind him. The house seemed empty, and the only movement he spotted was the organic creatures lounging on the field. Soundwave was half aware of Starscream landing on the roof of the barn, and Knock Out coming to stand behind him.
He reached out with his EM field, hoping to find---

"Daddy!" A familiar voice screeched before a at her and her a small weight slammed into his stabilizer.
Moonbug-E wrapped her arms around her creator tightly, pressing her faceplates into his thigh harshly.

Soundwave gasped, barely keeping himself from stumbling back, before finally wrapping his arms around his sparkling.

"Soundwave."
Behind his visor Soundwaves optics widened at the familiar voice, his helm shot up where we was knelt on the ground by his daughter, sight tunneling and locking in on the mech he thought he'd never see again.

"Shockwave."
Moonbug-E looked between Soundwave and her long lost sire, curiosity blooming in her EM field, she watched as Shockwave approached them.
"Soundwave," Shockwave repeated, standing close now, towering over his conjunx, "it has been so long."
"Soundwave: missed you." The telepath whispered, a servo lifting to touch, but stopped just shy of Shockwaves armoured chassis.
Shockwave took his servo with his own, and pressed it firmly against his armour, against his spark, then went to cup Soundwaves covered faceplates, "I am here, my love."

Soundwaves venting stuttered, visor brightening, "Shockwave: presumed dead. Soundwave: should have looked for you." He brought his servo over top Shockwaves on his cheek and nuzzled into the touch.

"Illogical." Shockwave protested, "Besides, Moonbug-E has informed me of your latest predicament."
"Shockwave: has met our sparkling?"
Shockwave nodded, "She is... Remarkable." He said, a strange emotion bubbling in his spark, he glanced at the Minibot still clinging to Soundwaves stabilizer, then back to Soundwave, "Time has seemed to move without me, I fear you have grown accustomed to life without me."

Soundwave tightened his grip on Shockwave's servo, "Never."