Restricted Love

Dangerous Decisions

"A groundbridge was opened somewhere near this location."

Arcee looked at Wheeljack with a frown accentuating her faceplates, the femme's helm tilting ever so slightly as she followed after the white, green and red wrecker in search of an explanation for his theory. "Ratchet didn't say that. He said-"

"That there was an energy surge. A surge of an exact power? Groundbridge." Half-turning to look over his shoulder to give his companion a little smile, "impressed?"

"Hardly." Arcee responded with a soft snort as she carefully placed her pedes in the snowy mountainside, testing for stability before risking her full weight. "Alright then, why would someone open a groundbridge out here? Ratchet read no autobot or decepticon activity, so how do you explain that?" The two-wheeler questioned, Wheeljack snorting.

Silence fell for a few moments as the larger mech seemingly thought of his response. "Perhaps they intended to use it, but then opted out at the last second." Wheeljack decided, Arcee rolling her optics. "That's a little hard to believe. Even if they have more than enough energon, Megatron wouldn't waste it like that."

Wheeljack looked over his shoulder again, though this time he didn't stop. "Maybe it wasn't ol' bucket head that used it." He retaliated, the smaller autobot not responding this time.

Travelling up the mountainside, Arcee almost missed the dark shape -half covered in snow from the night winds- nearby. Glancing at her temporary partner, the slim autobot transformed one servo into a blaster, the other directing the scanner at the dark heap.

A faint signal showed up, blinking so quietly the autobots could barely hear it, but it was Decepticon.

"Think it's a trick?" Arcee questioned softly, Wheeljack shrugging as he wandered closer. "Only one way to find out-" the larger autobot slid in the snow, landing hard on his side with a grunt, the overpowering scent of energon reaching them now as Arcee rushed over to ensure he hadn't been attacked.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just slipped. I'll be good in a klik."

"Wheeljack?"

"What?" Wheeljack asked, turning towards Arcee now, still brushing snow from his shoulders. The wrecker tensed up when he noticed how wary the femme had become, immediately on high alert.

"It's Soundwave."

"And you just found him lying in the snow?"

"Yessir." Wheeljack responded, giving a shrug. "Maybe ol' bucket head got tired of his favourite toy." He added, ignoring the disapproving look he received from Ultra Magnus.

Optimus Prime's gaze was directed at the tall form laid out over the medbay berth, Ratchet hovering nearby as he set up monitors and grabbed different tools in an attempt to save Soundwave's life. Something none of them had ever dreamed of doing. What bothered him -and most likely every other autobot- was why Soundwave was so badly damaged. Was it Megatron? A mutiny? Or were there new autobots they didn't know about?

"Whatever happened, you've done the right thing in bringing Soundwave here. Until he comes online, we will not know what happened to him." The red and blue prime finally announced, turning aside to leave the medbay, that being everyone else's que to leave Ratchet to his work.

The medic was never one to mess with when a patient's life -regardless of what sigil they wore- was in the balance.

"He's stable for now, but I'm not sure it will last."

Optimus Prime was silent as he stood nearby the medical berth Soundwave lay on, Ratchet still working on some minor repairs. It was sickening, seeing such a powerful enemy laid out helpless and weak beneath the fingers of an enemy medic. He wasn't sure if that feeling came from the matrix, or from whatever part of Orion Pax still remained.