(A/N: Hope you all enjoy.)
It was so strange... Jack felt that he was embracing the feeling of being a part of his creator... As Ravage, he made up Soundwave's back armour, and once connected, Soundwave had transformed and left the warship behind in the rain.
Each interlinked nook and connection that he shared with Soundwave felt so... Normal. So perfect, real. Feeling the wind washing over him felt like a long forgotten memory as he enjoyed the short flight before Soundwave located the space bridge and activated it, the mech and his two simbiotes vanishing into the swirl of light.
Jack was honestly surprised that Soundwave had brought him along, since he had been the main reason of Soundwave's helm aches as of late, and had mostly been confined to the berthroom of his creator.
Coming out the other side of the spacebridge, Jack tried to brace against the shock that passed through him... Another memory purge hit him before he could try and shut down Ravage's memories that were intertwined with his own.
-Memory-
Ravage sat beside his creator, tail flicking as his yellow optics looked over the city that had been obliterated by Starscream's Armada, under Megatron's orders.
Towers that had met the sky were now crumbled and toppled like toys. Frames littered the streets of mech, femme and sparklings as Ravage stepped over them, remaining faithfully by his master's side as they made their way to where Megatron and several of the other officers stood conversing about their next move.
Ravage felt only controlled calm as he looked over the massacre and destruction, having become used to the fact that this was a part of war. This is what came for fighting for a cause. That this was normal-
Jack jerked out of the memory just as Soundwave landed before a massive building that leaned to one side.
Normal... Ravage had seen the memory as normal where Jack could only feel horror... He... He himself had contributed in the killings of Cybertronians! Of mechs, femmes and... SPARKLINGS!
Laserbeak must've sensed his unease and conflicting feelings, since Jack felt a pulse in the bond he shared with both creator and sibling. A pulse that passed feelings of comfort-safety-understanding.
Jack, despite himself, felt a warmth pass through him... He had to admit that regardless of his current feelings for Soundwave, he felt that the little cyberbird was growing on him... He found that he cared greatly for Laserbeak.
Just as you had for the others. His mind spoke out of turn and Jack immediately felt unsettled again, pulling back into himself and attempting to ignore Laserbeaks feelings of hurt as she let him go.
"Ravage: Follow." Soundwave's voice drew Jack out a little as he was released from his place armouring the tall mech's backstrut and transformed in mid air, landing on his pedes almost gracefully... Well, besides a little stumble.
The simbiote could almost feel the amusement Soundwave was holding back from the bond, and quietly followed the much bigger mech into the depths of the half-destroyed building, their pedesteps echoing in long-empty halls.
Jack hesitated before following Soundwave through the halls that weaved through the building, unsure of what they were doing, and whether or not the Autobots were looking for him. Was he worth the search to them? Were they worried about him? How was Arcee taking it? He felt a pang of sadness at the thought of Arcee thinking that she had lost her third partner to the Decepticons... He wasn't sure that she would be able to survive something like that again.
Venting softly, the simbiote nearly bumped into Soundwave, having not realized that his creator had stopped moving.
Looking around, Jack felt a strange sense of awe as he looked around at the machinery, contraptions and half-finished projects scattered throughout a large room. Several vehicons were milling around, but didn't cast Soundwave and his simbiote a second glance.
"Soundwave. Your visit is sooner than anticipated." A cold, emotionless voice broke Jack out of his reverie and he peered around Soundwave to look up at the large form of Shockwave, the purple mech's bulk filling most of his view.
"Soundwave has come for his simbiotes. Ravage, restored to Soundwave." Soundwave responded through a series of recordings as he stood before the behemoth.
Shockwave's single optic turned to look down at Jack, who stood beside and slightly behind Soundwave, yellow optics returning the bigger mech's gaze.
Shockwave looked over the small mech, in his bi-pedal mode, before giving a small nod. "I would be interested to know how you returned him to full health. His damaging to frame and circuits had made it nearly illogical to attempt repairs." The scientist responded before turning and leading the way, weaving around his different projects and opening another door.
This room was considerably cooler to Jack, and he instinctively drew the plating of his armour in closer so that he could keep himself warmer, optics scanning the dimly lit room before falling upon three small cylinders, filled with the familiar yellow liquid that Ravage's lifeless frame had been preserved in until Jack was returned to it.
"The simbiotes have been preserved as you had wished. Though I believe it to be illogical." Shockwave stated as he watched Soundwave step up to look into the cylinders silently. "I have done the basic repairs, and welded Frenzy's helm back to his frame, though I believe that it will be nearly impossible to reactivate them."
Soundwave turned his unseen gaze onto Shockwave, and Jack looked from one to the other, feeling a flicker of hope that they would be able to reactivate his... siblings. The thoughts had come unbidden, but Jack didn't push them away, instead welcoming them... He had never met Frenzy, Rumble or Buzzsaw, but had had memory purges about them, and he wished to meet them.
Frenzy and Rumble sort of reminded him about Miko, wish caused a small smile to touch his metallic lip plates. "S-Soundwave?" He spoke up, the gaze of both of the Decepticons onto him, which made him slightly uncomfortable. "Will you be able to... Fix them?" He asked, the hope tinting his voice.
The gaze from behind the visor seemed to be gentle and understanding as Soundwave turned away from him without responding, Jack looking down at his pedes, unsure of what to do and if he had been wrong to ask when he suddenly felt a pulse of understanding-love-determination from Soundwave's side of the bond, making him relax.... Soundwave would try, and he had never known Soundwave to fail... Or really Shockwave for that matter. They always were able to finish projects, and do the impossible, although their projects tended to be destroyed.
Jack looked up again and realized that Shockwave had vanished, back to wherever he would be working now, and Soundwave was pulling the small, limp frame of Rumble out of the cylinder, laying it down on a worktable, Laserbeak sitting next to the lifeless frame of her sibling, letting out small, sad chirps.
Transforming, Jack hopped up onto the worktable and moved over beside Soundwave, looking up at him with yellow optics before lying down, helm in his paws as he stared sadly at Rumble's form... A form that used to cause mischief and helmaches for both Ravage and Soundwave, but was also such a brave, fierce little warrior.
*Memory Purge*
Ravage lay on Soundwave's berth, tail flicking as he watched Rumble and Frenzy fooling around again... Which usually resulted in one or the other getting hurt, if not both, huffing in annoyance. HE was trying to rest, but these two were making that extremely difficult. It was even difficult to understand what the slag they were even FIGHTING about.
Huffing, Ravage shut his optics in an attempt to ignore the annoyance that was common place when it came to the younger two simbiotes.
"I looked back when we were runnin' and you were crying like a newly forged sparkling!" Rumble shouted at his blue twin, who only took the accusation as a further offence. "Shut up! I was scared!"
Ravage growled softly to try and shut the two up, but there was no stopping them now. "Yeah, well I was scared and you didn't see me crying!" Rumble responded, crossing his arms and glaring and his brother, who sputtered. "Y-Yeah? Well I'm ABOUT to see you cry cause I'm gonna flag the metal off your frame!" He responded.
"Ooooh tough guy huh? Why don't you come and try it you dumbaft!"
Becoming increasingly frustrated, Ravage lifted his helm from between his paws, yellow optics locking onto the two who had become a blue and red ball of metal, fists and pedes kicking and punching as they attempted to score hits on each other until the door opened and Soundwave appeared. "Frenzy, Rumble, cease actions." Their creator ordered, the two untangling themselves from each other. "It was Rumble boss bot!" Frenzy cried, pointing, while Rumble shouted the opposite.
Soundwave ignored the two and walked passed them, heading for his worktable. "Frenzy, Rumble, report to Shockwave for more work." He ordered, simultaneous "awwws" filling the room as the two stalked off.
-Skip-
"Hey Rav?"
Ravage looked over at Rumble and Frenzy, the two peering over the edge of the berth, looking a little nervous. "We're really sorry 'bout arguing when you were tryin' to, you know." Frenzy stated, looking like he was really sorry, Rumble nodding along.
Eyeing the two in suspicion, Ravage grunted. "Forgiven." He responded firmly, laying his helm back down.
"Soooo... You aren't mad at us anymore?" Rumble asked hopefully, the cybercat huffing again. "No." He responded.
"Good! So, uh, we kinda... Broke... Um... You know."
Ravage's helm shot up from between his paws as he looked over at the two, immediately suspicious as well as concerned for his own welfare. "You broke WHAT?" He demanded in a firm tone.
"Well, uh... Hehe." Frenzy looked sheepish. "You know that thing that you was keeping around? We kinda broke it and... Shockwave can't fix it." Rumble finished the explanation, Ravage's lips pulling back into a growl as he pounced at the two, who ran screaming from the room, an angry cybercat following in their wake.
-Memory Purge End-
Jack opened his optics again, lifting his helm from his paws when he heard the excited chirps and squawks of Laserbeak, looking around for the source of her excitement before a small, weak voice reached his rounded audios. "Hey... Rav..."
Feeling his spark jump within his chassis, Jack stood up, looking down at Rumble, the little simbiote's visor dimly lit and a small smile touching his lips.
The emotions that filled Jack were both his own, merged with those of Ravage. Excitement, shock, hope, happiness and love...
Transforming, Jack jumped onto the little mech, hugging him tightly to himself as he felt relief pour through his frame, Laserbeak crashing into the two, nearly shrieking with excitement, while Soundwave sat back watching them, the happiness hidden from his exterior, while the bond thrummed with happiness and relief at the resurrection of Rumble.
"Hey boss bot." Rumble's voice came again, slightly stronger as he looked up at Soundwave with a wide smile.
Soundwave's smile was evident even from behind the mask as the little red mech jumped up into his arms, holding onto him tightly as he suddenly began to sob, the creator of the simbiotes holding him close in an attempt to soothe him.
As Jack watched, he was shocked to see a tremor pass through Soundwave's frame, followed by a few, sharp intakes of air... Soundwave was crying. Something that Jack never believed the visored mech was capable of... There seemed to be so much more to Soundwave than he had first expected, or that the Autobots had been aware of...
Regardless, Jack found that he wanted to know more about Soundwave...
Even if it meant remaining his simbiote... Forever.
(A/N: Ravage's alt-mode (bot) is that of the beast wars Ravage, as requested by Boggie, the person that requested me to write this story. :) Love you guys. Thanks so much for everything! )