Soundwave's Vow

Prologue: A Confusing Scene

Optimus Prime stepped back and silently watched as the escape pod, holding the last Autobot besides himself, Ratchet, shoot into the stars. He had shot off all the escape pods with all the autobots in the area, successfully clearing his homeworld of his kin, sending them off to find a new life.

Sighing softly to himself, Optimus turned toward his own pod, preparing to follow his friends to their unknown destination, when a strange sound reached his ears.

Optimus Prime froze and listened. It was a wailing cry, rising in pitch before cutting off suddenly. He stayed still and silent, listening for it to happen again. There it was. A rising pitch that ended suddenly in a shriek.

Cautious, the Prime made his way toward the noise, watching carefully for any danger. As he drew closer, the sound rose again in that wail, causing his audio receptors to ring.

"What is that?" Optimus murmured under his breath, pressing his back to a large pile of rubble as he peeked his face around it. "What the..."

His optics couldn't believe the sight before him.

A large black mech, marked with purple biolights, was tearing through rubble and wreckage, cutting and scraping his fingers and arms in his frantic search.

"Soundwave." Optimus muttered, watching the Decepticon carefully. He knew that Soundwave could most likely sense him due to his telepathy skills, but his search was too desperate for him to notice the leader of his enemies.

That energon-curdling cry tore through the still air, and this time, Optimus recognized the call. It was a recording of the cry of an old, extinct creature of Cybertron, whose name escaped him in the confusion of the moment.

What are you looking for, Soundwave? Optimus thought when the sound of a jet reached his audio receptors, causing him to press more tightly against the wreckage as a familiar gray jet of Cybertronian make arrived, transforming to land directly before the Communications Officer.

"Soundwave." The deep, authoritative voice of Megatron was clearly heard by the concealed Prime. "I heard something over here. What was it?"

Soundwave seemed to return to his more familiar self, pointing toward the dead body of an Autobot. "Enemy extinguished." The emotionless, monotone voice responded.

Megatron looked down at the body, then up at Soundwave, his red optics unable to search the mech's hidden face. "Good. Now report back to the Nemesis. Immediately." He ordered.

Soundwave hesitated for a moment before turning and transforming, shooting off into the distance in that familiar silence.

Optimus waited until the ex-gladiator also left the area, then made his way over to the area Soundwave had so frantically searched.

It seems completely void of anything that would interest Soundwave. Optimus considered thoughtfully as he moved rubble aside, finding a small object underneath the wreckage. It was a small communications tool. Nothing extremely important, but valuable if you had little communications.

Optimus tossed the object away and turned to leave when a noise, similar to a tiny squeak, reached his audio receptors.

The large Autobot leader paused, turning his head to an area a few meters away from where he stood, listening. A small meow.

Optimus Prime moved over to the area, carefully shifting debris and wreckage away to reveal a tiny sparkling. Compassion immediately tugged at the Prime's heart as he bent down, eyes looking over the small child, searching for injury.

Carefully, Optimus slowly took the small child into his arms, the pitiful cries quieting gradually until they were non-existent.

The prime studied the tiny sparkling in his arms. It had dark navy, nearly black, armour; haunting white optics and golden biolights marking her body. Her hands had long digits, and her small face seemed very familiar... it looked like Offroad, a red femme that had been under his command in the Autobot capital, Iacon.

"Strange." Optimus murmured. Offroad had gone missing, and was presumed dead. Apparently not, if this child really was her sparkling.

The sparkling whimpered in his arms, and he turned his attention back to her. "Well, little one." He murmured comfortingly. "I shall bring you with me. You shall be safer and protected with my autobots, than you would being left here to die."

Optimus Prime began to make his way back to the escape pod he had reserved for his own escape from his war-ravaged homeworld.

As he walked, his processor was attempting to piece the scenario of the sparkling together. Her sire was completely unknown, but because of her small wings, there was a good chance it could've been Skyfire, who had been very close to Offroad when she was alive. Skyfire had died only two battles ago.

Reaching the escape pod, Optimus stepped inside, securing the sparkling into a small indent, checking to make sure she wouldn't be knocking loose in the shaking of the pod as it tore through space.

"You need a name, youngling." Optimus murmured, stroking her dark helm with a large finger. "You shall be called AirRush."

"Optimus!" A voice snarled from nearby, causing the prime to immediately straighten and turn.

"Megatron." He responded, his face visor snapping shut as his blades shot forth from his arms.

"What is it you have in there?" Megatron demanded, his own blade announcing it's arrival as the prime stepped out of the escape pod to face his enemy.

"That, is none of your concern." Optimus responded, swinging at the ex-gladiator, who blocked his strike skillfully.

"What is it you protect? Might it be a relic? An important artifact?" Megatron asked as their blades rang together. "It was important enough for you to stay behind, after jettisoning your comrades into the darkness of space!"

Optimus wasn't able to answer when a punch from Megatron connected with his faceplate, knocking him back against the escape pod.

Opening his cyan optics, Optimus saw Megatron begin to make his way toward the pod, no doubt to try to see what was inside. Groaning softly, the Prime shifted his position and slammed a servo onto the activation button, sending the pod shooting through Cybertron's atmosphere, heading for the depths of space.

Megatron shouted in rage and attempted to stab his opponent, who dodged out of the way at the last moment, a pede connecting with the ex-gladiator's face, knocking him down long enough for him to make his escape.

A scream of rage followed his quick retreat. "I will find it Prime! And I will use whatever it is you are trying to hide, against you!"

Optimus hurried off to find another pod, and escape his homeworld also.