Masterless

Ravage sat, looking at the corpse of his master, contemplating what he was going to do next. He felt no sorrow over the loss, Opus had not been a kind master, Ravage was glad that he was no longer shackled to him. 

His current dilemma was not about himself but the three mini-cons still inside Opus’ chassis. Should Ravage set them free, knowing that due to their modifications they would not last more than a few meta-cycles without their master, or leave them and allow their sparks to slowly fade while in stasis? 

They would probably be thrown in the smelting pools with their master before then, but at least their end would be quick. 

Would they be able to find a new master, willing to take on three modified mini-cons before they starved? 

What would he want if he was in their situation?

“I would want the chance,” he answered out loud. 

Pressing the release button on Opus’ shoulder, Ravage released the mini-cons. 

The cassette triplets ejected and transformed. “What’cha need, boss,” Rumble asked, looking around. “Where are we?”

“What happened to Opus,” Frenzy asked, his optics fixed on the master. 

 Twitch knelt next to Opus and gave their master a shove. “I think he’s dead.”

“He is,” Ravage confirmed. “It was a back-alley deal gone wrong.”

“We can’t survive without him,” Rumble stated. “He made sure of that.”

“We’re as good as dead,” Twitch said mournfully. 

“What do we do now,” Frenzy asked. 

Ravage was not burdened with the same modifications as the three minis. He had stayed with Opus because it was mutually beneficial. He would have no problem surviving without him. 

The minis needed Opus to survive. They had been modified as protoforms to be dependent on larger bots. The council did nothing to stop such things from happening beyond verbally condemning it but they did not waste any resources. The victims were just mini-cons after all. 

The modifications meant that the minis could not use a berth to recharge or drink energon. They would get what they need through interfacing with their master. 

“I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose,” Ravage said as he turned to leave. There was no need for him to stick around any longer. 

“You can’t just leave us,” Rumble whimpered. “After all we’ve been through together, you’re just gonna walk away?”

“There is no way I could sustain one of you, let alone three,” Ravage stated as a matter of fact. “I set you free. Beyond that, there is nothing more I can do for you.”

“You can help us find a new master,” Frenzy argued. “If we wander around looking, we’ll burn through our reserves faster. If you help us, we can conserve our energy.”

Ravage sighed and sat down. “It’s not going to be easy finding a Communicator willing to take on the three of you.”

“That’s why we need your help,” Rumble said. 

Twitch, who had been sitting silently by their master with a deadpan look, turned his head to look at his brothers. “I hadn’t interfaced with him in cycles. He was punishing me for that slipup with Abyss.”

“Transform,” Rumble told him. “Conserve your energy. I’ll carry you.”

“Please,” Frenzy begged Ravage. “Our lives can’t end like this.”

Ravage could see the look of fear in the optics of Twitch as the mini transformed back into a cassette. As much as he hated it, he cared too much for the minis to walk away. “Very well,” he agreed, knowing that the minis’ chances of survival were low. “I will do what I can.”

……

They returned to the hovel that they called home and Rumble placed Twitch in a safe place off to the side before plopping himself on the ground to stair off at nothing. 

There was enough energon stored to sustain Ravage for a several meta cycles and he knew where the shanix was hidden. He had time enough to weigh his possibilities. 

The minis on the other hand were another problem. Their time was limited. 

Ravage left the mini cons alone for cycles as he searched for someone. His ability to slink through the shadows allowed him to observe perspective bots. 

Sadly, the ones that were decent bots did not want the taboo of having modified minis and the ones who would willingly take on the triplets were the unsavory sort that would ultimately abuse them. It was turning out to be harder than he had initially thought. 

By the time a meta cycle had passed, Ravage had started to lose hope. 

He returned to their dwelling to find Twitch had returned to bot mode. The green and grey colored bot locked optics with Ravage the moment he walked through the door. 

“Any luck?”

Ravage simply shook his head in response. 

“I’m running out of time,” Twitch shouted. 

“Finding someone willing to take the three of you on, who isn’t a criminal, is proving to be a difficult task,” Ravage stated. 

“Maybe you should lower your standards,” Frenzy argued. 

Ravage sat and looked between the three of them. “Would you rather be shackled to someone worse than Opus?”

“At least we’d be alive,” Rumble responded. 

“Have you seen what is done to mini cons like you when they’ve reached the point of desperation,” Ravage asked them, managing to keep his voice calm. “You are not the only modified minis out there who have lost their master. The majority of them end up dead, one way or another.”

“What if Opus was lying to us,” Twitch said as he unsteadily got to his feet. 

“About what,” Ravage asked, tilting his head to the side. 

“About everything,” Twitch said and turned his optics to the energon stash. “We blindly believed him.”

“I watched as he purchased the three of you,” Ravage said. “He stood there and watched as you were modified to make sure it was done. I know for a fact that you have been modified. You cannot drink energon. Transform and conserve your energy.”

“But, what if it’s all a lie?” Twitch bellowed as he ran towards the energon, “I’m so hungry.” Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed a container and downed a few large gulps. 

The blue green liquid dribbled from his lips as he placed the container down. Rumble and Frenzy watched their brother intently, waiting to see what would happen. 

“You should not have done that,” Ravage said as he looked away. He had seen what happened to modified minis who drank energon. It wasn’t something he wished to see again but there was nothing he could do to stop it. 

“See? I feel fine,” Twitch said. “I was right. Opus was lyin….” His words choked off as the energon started to clog his systems. Ravage didn’t need to look up to know what was happening.  

“Twitch,” Rumble called out as he and Frenzy ran to their brother. 

They cried out in pain as Twitch’s spark was strangled. The link between multiples was strong and the death of a sibling could be felt deep in the spark. It was a pain Ravage knew all too well. He hoped that the other two were strong enough to survive. 

The pop and sizzle of circuits overheating and energon bursting from veins could be heard over their cries. 

This sort of death was never quick. When it finally quieted, Ravage looked up to see Rumble and Frenzy hunched over Twitch’s lifeless body. 

For a moment, Ravage thought he had lost all three of them but then Rumble moved. Relieved, Ravage stood and made his way over to the two survivors. 

“The two of you should rest,” he said. 

“What’s the point,” Frenzy asked, his optics remaining fixed on his brother. “Like you said, minis like us end up dead one way or another. You should have left us to die with Opus. At least we wouldn’t have to suffer.”

“Don’t give up,” Ravage pleaded. “There are medics who are working to help your kind. They research the bodies of minis. I’ll take Twitch’s body to them.”

Rumble scoffed. “They’ll probably just melt him down for scrap.”

“They’re trying to help,” Ravage argued. 

“No one cares about our kind,” Frenzy snapped. 

“I care,” Ravage shot back. “If I didn’t I would have left you to die. Now go rest and conserve your energy. This isn’t over yet.”

The two minis relented and silently moved to the other side of the room. Ravage waited for them to get settled before walking over to get Twitch settled on his back. With the weight of despair pressing down on him, Ravage carried Twitch away. 

….

There were sensors at the clinic that alerted the medics inside whenever someone approached. The door opened as Ravage walked up. 

First Aid stood in the doorway looking out. Ravage let out a soft growl to draw the medic’s optics down. For a moment, First Aid showed fear but then his gaze shifted to Twitch. “Injured?”

“Dead,” Ravage corrected. “He is modified and in an act of desperation, drank energon.”

“Was he a friend,” the medic asked, reaching down to collect Twitch. As he stood, he called out over his shoulder, “Ratchet, we have a modified mini.” 

“You could say that,” Ravage replied, mournfully.

Ratchet appeared in the doorway and began to look Twitch over. “How did he die?”

“Energon consumption,” First Aid replied. 

“Poor thing. Not a good way to go. The only good thing is, when they die like this, it provides more information than when they die of starvation.” Ratchet turned his attention to Ravage. “I assume you brought him here so I can study him. There is no way I can save him.”

Ravage nodded. “Yes. But, I was also wondering if you could help his brothers. Seeing as you are in the frame of mind to help their kind, would you be willing to take on two modified minis? They are cassettes and are capable of storing large amounts of data. They could be useful to you.”

“No,” Ratchet answered, shaking his head. “If I had modified minis…, even if it were to help them…, the stigma is just too great. There are already those who look down on me for my research.”

“I understand,” Ravage said, hanging his head in defeat. “I just fear that their time is short.”

Ratchet sighed. “I wish there was more I could do for your friends. But, if I lose what business I have left then I would have no way to help any of them. I’m sorry.”

As Ravage turned to leave, two mechs ran up. One of them was carrying a protoform that looked to be newly hatched. “Doctor, I think there is something wrong with our sparkling.”

Ratchet quickly turned his attention to First Aid. “Put the mini in my lab while I tend to the hatchling.” 

Curiosity getting the better of him, Ravage slinked off to the shadows and listened. 

“Look at his chest,” the one holding the protoform exclaimed, holding it out for Ratchet to see. “There’s a hole.”

“It’ll be fine,” Ratchet reassured him. “It’s a communicator. It’s natural for them to develop a cavity in their chest.”

“Don’t communicators have little beast bots the moment they reach full maturity,” the other mech asked in disgust. “They don’t even need a partner to do it, they just have them on their own.”

Ratchet nodded. “It is part of their coding, yes.”

“It’s still a protoform,” the first mech argued. “It’s coding can be modified. Right? It doesn’t have to be that way.”

The words of that poor protoform’s creators reminded Ravage of the prejudices against communicators and their beast like cassettes. It was no wonder that communicators were becoming scarce. They had probably been modified as protoforms and the two sparks that they would have created, never getting the chance to survive. Sparks like him. 

Ravage could feel his anger rise. How could someone not love what they had created unconditionally? 

“I do not modify protoforms,” Ratchet stated. “Not unless they are ill. It’s unethical. There is nothing wrong with your hatchling. I can assure you that it is perfectly healthy.”

“Thank you,” the first mech said a little tartly as he cradled the protoform closer. 

As the pair turned to walk away, Ratchet shook his head. “Pity,” he mumbled before heading back into his clinic.

Ravage followed the pair, keeping to the shadows so not to be seen. As they walked the two bots discussed their options, wondering if they could find someone to modify their protoform in time. 

The more he listened to them, the more his anger built. How could they be to cruel? It made what he planned to do so much easier. It was a good thing that Opus had equipped Ravage to fight. 

As soon as they were they were alone, Ravage struck. He went for the one without the protoform first. Going for his neck, his fangs tore into vital cords and relays as his claws dug at his chest tearing through circuits. 

With the first one dispatched, Ravage turned his attention to the one with the protoform. Careful not to hurt the young Cybertronian, Ravage bit and clawed at its creator. Ravage snatched the protoform out of the mech’s arms as he fell. 

It was all over in a matter of nanokliks and Ravage was back in the shadows before anyone else showed up. 

His two victims lay in a pull of spilt energon as their sparks fluttered and died. 

With the protoform safely in his mouth, Ravage stuck to the shadows as he headed home.

…… 

“Is that a protoform in your mouth,” Frenzy asked in disbelief, pointing at Ravage as he walked through the door. “What, in Primus’ name, are you doing with a protoform?”

Lying down, Ravage placed the protoform on his front legs and looked up at Frenzy. “It’s a communicator, like Opus.”

“How’s a protoform communicator supposed to help us,” Rumble asked, looking down at it. “Where’d you get it?”

“Best we not get into that,” Ravage answered. “In a few meta cycles it will be fully matured. Raise it to care about you and it will make sure you survive. At least, that’s what I hope.”

Rumble crossed his arms over his chest. “Do me and Frenzy have enough reserves in us to last that long?”

“It will be close,” Ravage said, unsure if they had enough time. Their brother’s death was draining, cutting what little time they had shorter. He needed a short term solution for their long term problem. “We’ll have to wait until it creates its two cassettes before it will be able to interface with the two of you. That is the sign that it’s reached its full maturity.”

“Why not wait until it’s big enough,” Frenzy asked. “Why make us wait?”

“If you don’t wait you run the risk of harming the sparks it will create,” Ravage answered. “I know you are worried about your own wellbeing but I will not damage the lives of innocents. Saving you was only one reason for taking it. I also did it to save the two lives it will create.”

“Why do you assume it will have two,” Frenzy asked. 

“All communicators have two once they reach maturity,” Ravage stated. 

Confused, Rumble said, “Opus only had one.”

“Opus had two,” Ravage corrected. “My brother died. It is part of the reason he had you modified to be cassettes. He needed the storage space for his information gathering.”

“Oh,” Frenzy replied quietly. “Sorry. I didn’t know. Do you know what we would have been if he hadn’t had us modified?”

“No,” Ravage answered. “When he purchased you, he didn’t care to ask. All he cared about was that you were minis, and modified to be cassettes and completely dependent on him.”

“For his own pleasure,” Frenzy mumbled, placing a hand over his torso panel.

“I don’t know how to raise a protoform,” Rumble said. “I can barely take care of myself. How do they recharge?”

“I’ll handle most of it,” Ravage said, looking down at the protoform. It chirped up at him and reached for his snout. How could anyone even consider cutting in to one so perfect already? “In time, he will take care of us.

“For now, will need your help. Until it can walk on its own, I will need one of you to carry it. I don’t want to have to carry it around in my mouth. If one of you would pick him up and take it back to Opus’ berth. I will instruct you on how to modify it so the protoform can recharge.”

“Alright,” Rumble said, reaching down to collect the protoform. “Let’s raise this little guy to be our new master.”

….

They had made a harness that strapped the sparkling to Ravage’s back. They had no choice but to take it with them, they couldn’t leave it alone. To keep it from fussing, Ravage walked in front of Rumble and Frenzy so it could see them as they traveled through the seedy underside of the city. 

“Remember, follow my lead and don’t say anything,” Ravage said, glancing over his shoulder. “I know you are eager to have your revenge but business first.”

They were heading to see Cutter, the aptly named medic who was in the market of modifications. He was the one who had modified Rumble, Frenzy, and Twitch. He was also the one who had equipped Ravage with weapons. 

If they were going to survive, Ravage had decided that Rumble and Frenzy needed to be weaponized. They had the shanix for it, they just needed to convince Cutter to do it without having Opus there with them. 

“How you gonna explain the protoform,” Frenzy asked, holding out his hand so it could grab his finger with its newly formed hands. The sparkling chirped in delight as it studied Frenzy’s finger. 

“I’ve come up with a convincing enough story,” Ravage said. “All you have to worry about is keeping to the plan. I just hope word of Opus’ death hasn’t spread. We’re here.”

They came upon a building that was tucked between a bar that served the dregs of the worst kind of energon and a pleasure house filled with modified minis. It was not a place for respectable bots. 

There also was a place in the area, just a few buildings down, that sold made to order Seekers. So, of course there were a few senators lurking about but no respectable bots. 

The modifications done to a Seeker were different than the ones that were done to a mini. A Seeker needed to be able to drink energon, it wasn’t possible for one bot to sustain an equally large Seeker on their own and no one wanted to share them. 

Cutter’s office was not as high tech as Ratchet’s. Rumble had to knock on the door and they waited on the stoop for a few moments before Cutter opened it. 

He looked down at the three of them. “What do you want?” His optics drifted to the protoform. “Did you bring me something to modify?”

“Opus asked me to bring them,” Ravage said, indicating Rumble and Frenzy. “He wants them weaponized. I have the shanix.”

There was a suspicious gleam in Cutter’s optics. “Where’s Opus? Why didn’t he bring them to me? And, where’s the third one?”

“They’re working,” Ravage answered. “Opus will bring the other one by later once they’re done.”

“Vary well,” Cutter said, turning to head back inside. “I have a few things that will fit them. Come in.” He continued to glare suspiciously down at Ravage. “Where did you get the sparkling?”

“Opus decided that he wanted a partner,” Ravage answered. “He took this one from its creators to train it while it develops.”

“Shanix first,” Cutter demanded, stopping in the reception area. 

Ravage nodded towards Rumble who stepped forward and offered a case to Cutter. The medic opened it to make sure he was adequately paid. Satisfied he closed the case and turned to Rumble and Frenzy. “Into the work room.”

They followed him back, leaving Ravage alone.

While Cutter worked, Ravage wandered through the rest of the clinic. There were several pods in stasis and they would be kept that way until Cutter could find buyers for them. He got them from the pleasure house next door. 

The poor minis were destined to either be modified to work in the pleasure house like their carriers or bought for personal use like the triplets had. Ravage loathed the fact that Opus got mixed up with the likes of Cutter. 

Cries of pain could be heard coming from the work room, causing Ravage to cringe. Cutter was not gentle with his patients. Ravage remembered what he had to go through when Opus decided to have him weaponized. 

After a few cycles, Cutter emerged from the work room. “I’m done. I also repaired some of the damage to their circuits. Tell Opus to treat them a little better. If he fries them beyond repair, they won’t be as much fun.”

“What did you do to them,” Ravage asked. 

“I equipped the blue one with piledrivers,” Cutter answered. “He was originally meant to be a miner so he’s sturdy enough to handle them. I gave the red one a sonic scream. It will disrupt electrical flows and incapacitate his victims. Tell Opus to make sure he isn’t standing in front of him when he uses it.”

“Out of curiosity, can the modifications you did to them as protoforms be reversed,” Ravage casually asked. 

“No,” Cutter said flatly. “It’s irreversible.”

“That fact makes what’s going to happen next so much easier,” Ravage said before lunging. He moved with speed and accuracy, ripping into the vital relays in the back of the neck, paralyzing Cutter. “We’re not through with you yet.”

“What are you doing,” Cutter demanded weakly after falling to the floor. 

“Ending you,” Rumble answered as he came out of the work room with Frenzy.

“I am well connected,” Cutter said. 

“You’re about to be disconnected,” Frenzy replied with a grin.

“Get the information from him,” Ravage said to Frenzy before turning to Rumble. “Download all you can hold from his computers.”

“On it,” Rumble said, transforming to load himself into the computer while Frenzy used the spikes in his fingers to take the information directly from Cutter’s mind. It was what Opus had them modified to do and they were efficient at it.

Since there was no way to guess how much there would be, Ravage had made sure that they had erased all other information from their storage space to make room for the information they were about to obtain. 

“When you’re done, you and Rumble should interface with him to recharge yourselves,” Ravage said. “Just make sure you disconnect before you drain him fully.”

Frenzy’s grin widened. 

…….

“Why do we gotta do this,” Rumble complained. 

“Because you’re the ones with the data,” Ravage replied. “Besides, Ratchet won’t buy any story I tell him about the sparkling. I need to stay hidden. Just give him the information and leave. There is nothing else to do.”

Rumble and Frenzy had managed to download all of Cutter’s information and they were in route to Ratchet’s clinic to give it to him. Ravage hoped that the information would help Ratchet along in his research. Maybe if he knew the modification process, he would be able to figure out how to counter it. 

They were also able to buy some extra time for the pair. They had drained Cutter of his energy, gorging themselves to the point of energon overload giddiness. It was a fitting end for the butcher. 

“Don’t forget to tell Ratchet about the pods,” Ravage reminded them as they neared the clinic. He wasn’t sure if their minds had fully recovered yet. “He’ll be able to find them homes.”

“Don’t worry,” Frenzy said. “We know what we’re supposed to do.”

Ravage moved off to wait it the shadows while Rumble and Frenzy walked up to the clinic. The door opened as they approached to reveal Ratchet. “Can I help you?” Recognition flashed in his optics as he looked down at them. “Your brother was brought to me the other day. I told your friend, there is nothing I can do for you.”

“Yeah.” Frenzy nodded. “We know. We’re actually here to help you.”

“We got some information for you,” Rumble added. “It’s what we were made to do. So, we figured we’d help your research along. Are your computers compatible with our kind?”

“They are,” Ratchet answered. 

“Good,” Frenzy said. “That’ll make this easier. Mind if we come in?”

Ratchet stepped to the side to allow them inside and Ravage could only wait in the dark until they returned. 

The protoform on his back buzzed its displeasure. It needed stimulation and staring up at a dark wall was not something that would keep it entertained. 

If it started making too much noise, it could draw unwanted attention. So, Ravage started to sway and bounce in the hope that it would calm the sparkling. He felt like a fool, but it was working, for now.

Ravage froze when he heard a loud crash coming from the clinic. Soon after, Rumble and Frenzy came running out the door, followed by Ratchet. 

“Time to go,” Frenzy exclaimed.

Without waiting for them, Ravage turned to run at full speed away from the clinic. There would be time to ask questions later, as long as they weren’t caught. 

He didn’t stop until he reached their home, ducking around back to enter just in case his pursuers were close enough to see him. Was Rumble and Frenzy smart enough to do the same? 

The pair came crashing through the back, flopping to the ground in a fit of laughter as soon as they were safely inside. 

“What happened,” Ravage demanded, chest heaving as his systems struggled to draw in enough air to cool his overworked systems. 

“Frenzy’s an idiot,” Rumble said, kicking at his brother. “The doc said something about wanting to question Cutter and then this lug head said, ‘That would be kinda hard since Rumble bashed his head in with his piledriver’.”

“The look on the medic’s face was great though,” Frenzy laughed. “I don’t know what surprised him more, the fact that you have a weapon or that you used it to kill Cutter. Once the shock wore off, he tried to detain us until the authorities could arrive.”

“We got out of there as fast as we could,” Rumble added. “I’d never seen anyone so mad.” 

“Were you able to at least give him all the information,” Ravage asked, a little irritated in how jovial the two were acting. They were still drunk on energon. 

“Yeah,” Rumble reassured him with a dismissive wave of his hand. “He has it all.”

“Good,” Ravage said. “I’d hate for all of that to be a waste of time.”

“Now what,” Frenzy asked. 

“Now,” Ravage replied. “We focus on caring for this guy until it reaches full maturity and hope that he cares enough for you two to do what’s necessary to keep you alive.”

Rumble sat and thought for a moment before getting up to take the protoform from its harness. “I’ll take care of the little guy for a while.”

“I’ll help,” Frenzy offered, following after his brother. 

……

The protoform was developing well and its final form was taking shape. It was taking on a masculine form with a visor and faceplate, and when it spoke his voice was harmonious. About halfway through the process it developed the skill to manipulate and potentially weaponize sound. Ravage decided to call him, Soundwave. 

The scariest part of his development during his final few decacycles. He looked up from his studies and said, “Someone with dark thoughts is coming.”

“What,” Rumble asked as he got up to look out the window. As soon as he looked out, he ducked down and, pressing his back against the wall, began to panic. “Caterwaul and his crony are coming! How did he know that?”

“That’s not important,” Ravage pointed out and then turned to Soundwave. “Hide. Whatever reason Caterwaul is here, it cannot be good.”

It was only a matter of time before word of Opus’ death got out. Caterwaul was a former associate of his. They weren’t friends but they had a mutual understanding. He wasn’t visiting to give his condolences. 

He was large demolition bot and used a shrill howling to incapacitate or confuse his victims. His buddy was a bot named Boomer, a jet who used a sonic boom that was able to level buildings. But, it was when they were quiet, they should be most feared. 

Soundwave barely had time to hide under the berth before Caterwaul broke open the door. He was surprised to see Ravage and the two cassettes. “I thought you would be dead by now.”

Ravage replied, “What do you want?”

Caterwaul smiled. “Opus owed me. I’m here to collect.”

“We’re barely getting by as it is,” Ravage argued. “There’s nothing here.”

“I don’t think you’re telling the truth,” Boomer said, looking around. “We know Opus had a stash somewhere. Where is it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ravage lied. 

“Then stand aside and let us look for it,” Caterwaul growled. 

“This is our home,” Frenzy yelled, moving to block their path. “You can’t just barge in here and start taking things.”

“You’re just a beast bot and two modified minis,” Boomer said with a laugh and pushed Frenzy aside. “You have no rights. It’s only a matter of time before someone comes in and lays claim to all of this, including you. That is if anyone would even want Opus’ overly used toys.”

“They might have valuable information on them,” Caterwaul considered out loud. “Opus was an expert at gathering secrets.”

“We erased everything,” Rumble said. 

“That only shows how big of fools you are,” Caterwaul spat out. “Without information to bargain with, you are no longer useful.” Reaching down he picked up Rumble, holding him by the midsection. “Give me a good reason not to kill you.”

Ruble shrugged. “I can’t.” Then he transformed his arms into piledrivers and drove them into Caterwaul’s head. 

Caterwaul fell to the floor in a heap, dropping Rumble who managed to land on his feet. Boomer rushed over to Caterwaul. “NO!” He mumbled the word over and over as he dropped to his knees and opened Caterwaul’s chest to reveal his spark.

“You could’a killed our sparkling,” Boomer roared, getting to his feet and glaring down at them.

“He shouldn’t’ve picked a fight if he’s carrying,” Rumble argued, backing up while Ravage slinked back behind the minis. “He was gonna kill me. I was just defending myself.”

“And, you broke into our home,” Frenzy said in his brother’s defense. 

“Now, I’m gonna break you,” Boomer roared. “You’re worthless little nothings that no one will miss. We should’a killed you when we killed Opus.”

“You killed Opus?” Ravage hissed. “Why? You were partners.”

“He went snooping where he shouldn’t and blackmailed the wrong people,” Boomer replied. “One of the bots he was blackmailing hired us to take care of him.”

“You heap of scrap!” Frenzy let out his sonic scream while Rumble hammered the ground with his piledrivers. The pair had adapted to their new weapons quickly and managed to focus their attacks on Boomer. 

Disoriented and unstable, Boomer fell to the ground. Boomer struggled to regain control. “Since when’ve you been able to fight?” he mumbled. 

“Since our last visit to Cutter,” Ravage answered. 

Boomer looked up at Ravage with a look of disbelief and fear. “You did that? He was drained of his energon.”

“We did. You killed our source for energy,” Frenzy stated. “We were running low.”

“That was decacycles ago,” Rumble added, “and we’re running low again.”

“Don’t drain me,” Boomer whimpered, struggling to get away but still unable to stand. “Please. We’re just trying to survive.”

“Stop hurting them,” Soundwave pleaded as he ran into the room. 

“I told you to stay hidden,” Ravage snapped. 
 
“I could hear their pain,” Soundwave cried. “I had to stop it.”

“They had intended to hurt us,” Ravage stated. “They are not good. You said you were able to sense that before they even reached the door. If we let them go now, they will only come back to hurt us later.”

Soundwave looked at Boomer. “You’re right. When I look past the fear, I can see a desire to hurt you.”

“Then it’s settled,” Ravage said. “We kill them.”

Soundwave shifted his gaze to Ravage. “Okay. But, make it quick. Pain is loud.”

……

Soundwave was doubled over in pain, kneeling on the floor. He had reached full maturity and was delivering his two cassettes. 

It had been a difficult task, collecting all the minerals Soundwave needed to nourish the pods as they developed but Ravage and the two minis managed. The task had cost Rumble and Frenzy, draining most of their energy. Now they were both running on reserves. 

Soundwave cried out as the first pod dropped from his port. Ravage carefully picked it up in his jaws and carried it over to the incubator. With the pod secure, he returned to Soundwave’s side. 

“It’s almost over,” he reassured Soundwave. “The second pod should be dropping down at any moment and then you will be able to rest.”

Soundwave turned his head to look at Ravage. “What about Rumbel and Frenzy?”

“What about them,” Ravage asked in return. 

“You have never lied to me,” Soundwave stated, “but you do not always tell me the truth. I know they need me but I do not fully understand why. It is why you stole me, is it not?”

“It was one of several reasons,” Ravage admitted, not surprised that Soundwave knew. “We had lost our master and were in need of a new one.”

“And my creators,” Soundwave asked, turning his gaze of the ground as he continued to bear down. 

“They wanted to hurt you and make sure that the two lives you have created never existed,” Ravage said. “I took you, not only to save Rumble and Frenzy but to save their lives as well.”

“What would they have done to me,” Soundwave wanted to know.

Soundwave had a tendency to ask a lot of questions. He had several when they were dealing with Caterwaul’s sparkling. 

It was fortunate for the sparkling that Opus was dubious enough to deal in stolen sparklings. They were able to remove the sparkling and transfer it to a containment sphere before snuffing out Caterwaul’s spark. 

The sparkling was in stasis, waiting to be incubated. While Ravage was unwilling to kill it, he wasn’t above selling it. They did what they needed to survive. 

“You don’t need to worry about any of this right now,” Ravage said. “You need to focus on delivering that second pod. After that’s done you will need to rest and recharge, then we will discuss Rumble and Frenzy’s needs.”

The second pod fell to the ground and as Ravage picked it up, Soundwave collapsed to the floor. “I do not want to be your master.”

Devastated, Ravage placed the pod next to the first and then made his way back over to Soundwave. “It is your decision. We cannot force you to stay.”

“I want us to be equals,” Soundwave said. 

Feeling an overwhelming sense of relief mixed with sadness, Ravage pressed his forehead against Soundwave’s helm. “This world is going to destroy your kind spark.”

…..

“They are smaller than I expected them to be,” Soundwave said as he looked at his pods for the first time.

“The pods for cassettes and minis tend to be smaller than those for larger mechs,” Ravage stated. 

Soundwave looked at Ravage. “They felt much larger.”

Ravage chuckled. “I suppose they would.”

“If pods for sparklings tend to be larger,” Soundwave said, “then I do not wish to carry. These were painful enough.”

“Fair enough,” Ravage replied. “There is no law saying that you have to create sparklings.”

Soundwave looked across the room to where Rumble and Frenzy were resting in cassette mode. They were near the end of their energy reserves and were doing all that they could not to exert themselves. 

“I can sense that they are fading.”

“They need to be recharged,” Ravage said. “Are you ready and willing to do it?”

“Yes,” Soundwave answered, without hesitation. 

“Grab some energon,” Ravage said as he got to his feet and started to make his way over to the minis. “You’re going to need it.”

Soundwave collected a couple of bottles of energon and joined Ravage. Setting the energon aside, Soundwave sat down and picked up Rumble. “Do you have the energy to transform?”

“Yeah,” Rumble said as he transformed. He lay heavily in Soundwave’s lap, his chest compartment already open, revealing his spark chamber and the ports used for interfacing. 

“You have to open the panel covering your spark chamber to connect to Rumble,” Ravage explained. “You need to make sure you make the right connections or one of you will feel pain. In a normal interface, energon is exchanged but you don’t want to take from Rumble, only give, or it defeats the purpose.”

Ravage guided Soundwave through the process, indicating where the connections should be made. As soon as Soundwave made the final connection, he tensed and his optics flared. 

“Is there pain,” Ravage asked. 

“No,” Soundwave gasped. “It feels…. It’s hard to explain…, but it’s intense and… intimate.”

“I know,” Ravage soothed. 

Rumble moaned, bringing his hand up to grip Soundwave’s arm as his head rolled back. It appeared that the connection was a pleasurable one for him as well. 

“Not too long,” Ravage warned. “You still need to recharge Frenzy and you don’t want to drain yourself in the process.”

“I understand.” With a shaky hand, Soundwave severed their connection. 

Rumble’s optics were bright as he struggled to draw in enough air to cool off. “I know this is gonna sound strange but, that felt different than any other time I’ve been recharged.”

It took him some effort but Rumble got to his feet and moved aside so Soundwave could retrieve Frenzy. The process was repeated, only this time, Soundwave hesitated a moment to brace himself before making the final connection. 

He held Frenzy throughout the process almost as if he were enduring it. 

“Are you sure it doesn’t hurt,” Ravage asked, concerned that Soundwave was allowing himself pain to fuel them. 

“There is no pain,” Soundwave insisted. 

“Frenzy’s had enough for now,” Ravage said, not fully convinced. “Disconnect, drink your energon, and recover your strength.”

Soundwave looked off in the distance with his hand over his chest while he drank his energon. “This is the only way they can be recharged,” he asked after a few moments of silence. 

“It is,” Ravage answered. “They cannot use a berth or consume energon.”

“Why,” Soundwave asked. 

“Opus had them modified so that they would be dependent on him,” Ravage explained. “It was a matter of control and dominance for him. He didn’t care if the connection hurt them or not as long as he received pleasure from it. They were his possessions, nothing more.” 

Soundwave shook his head. “Opus must have had a dark spark to do such a thing.”

Ravage nodded his head. “He did. But, that is no longer important. Now that you truly know what it takes, are you willing to do it?”

“I will not abandon them,” Soundwave stated. He took another drink of energon as he thought. “I will, however punish those who perform the modifications any who derive pleasure from those who have been modified.”

….

Soundwave kept his word and started by hunting down the doctors who performed unnecessary modifications on protoforms. Rumble and Frenzy downloaded all the data they could from Soundwave’s victims. Any protoforms or pods found in the clinics would be left on Ratchet’s doorstep. 

The information that they obtained was used to track down other doctors and their clients. Soundwave showed them no mercy. 

In time he caught the attention of Megatron, a former mine worker turned revolutionary. Soundwave was drawn in by Megatron’s speeches on equality for all. The young idealist wanted to help and his attentions were turned to the council, who kept Seekers as personal servants. 

A war soon followed when Megatron tried to seize power and Soundwave stayed ever loyal to him. 

The war raged for millions of years. In that time, Ravage’s vocal processors had been damaged. But, he didn’t need the ability to speak to be able to communicate with Soundwave. 

One day, Soundwave received a message from the Autobot doctor, Ratchet. He had requested a meeting in the middle of one of Earth’s deserts. Curious as to why the doctor would risk his life to meet with him, Soundwave agreed to the meeting. 

Ravage sat by Soundwave as they waited for the doctor to arrive. They didn’t have to wait long before Jetfire landed and Ratchet stepped out, followed by Wheeljack. 

Wheeljack stayed back by Jetfire while Ratchet approached Soundwave. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”

Soundwave waited in silence for Ratchet to complete his short walk. When he was close enough, Ratchet handed Soundwave a data pad. “I wanted to give you this.”

“What is it,” Soundwave asked as he began to read over the data. 

“It’s schematics for a berth, specifically calibrated to charge modified minis,” Ratchet answered. “Rumble and Frenzy no longer have to depend on you to survive.”

Soundwave looked at Ratchet. “If this is a trick and it harms them….”

“The few Autobots who had been modified have been using it for several cycles now with no ill effect,” Ratchet insisted, holding up his hands. “You have my word as a doctor that this will not harm them, as long as you build it to the exact specifications. Don’t let whoever builds it make any adjustments or I cannot guarantee what will happen.”

“Why do you give this to me if not to hurt them,” Soundwave asked, looking back down at the data pad. “We are your enemy.”

“I am a doctor and I know Rumble and Frenzy need it,” Ratchet answered as a matter of fact. “I do not care whose side they are on. Besides, their brother’s body and the information they had gathered, proved to be an invaluable asset in my research. So, I owe them. Sadly, the war limited the amount of time I had available to complete it. Wheeljack and I perfected it only a few mega cycles ago.”

“Thank you,” Soundwave said. “I cannot express what this means.” He looked off to the side as if deep in thought but Ravage knew that he was communicating with the cassettes. After a few moments, he addressed Ratchet again. “But, they would like to try.”

Rumble and Frenzy ejected and stood in front of Ratchet. 

“Is this really happening,” Rumble asked. “Can that thing charge us?”

Ratchet nodded. “I might not be able to undo the modification, but I can give you this. I don’t think that it can ever be undone. Like with the Seekers, it’s imbedded in your coding and, if you were to ever have sparklings of your own, the trait would be passed to them. However, you now have a way to fuel yourselves without needing to be dependent on anyone else.”

“I ain’t good with words,” Rumble said. “I just wanted to say thank you myself.”

“Yeah. I’d hug you if I was the hugging type,” Frenzy said, his voice breaking with emotion. “You have no idea what this means for us.”

“I ask that you share it with any other modified minis in the Decepticons,” Ratchet requested. 

“Of course,” Soundwave promised. “If that is all, we will leave.”

“I do have one more question,” Ratchet said, “for Ravage.”

“He can no longer speak,” Soundwave stated. 

“I’ll stick to yes or no questions,” Ratchet replied before turning his attention to Ravage. “The day you brought me Twitch there was a couple with a communicator protoform. Is Soundwave that protoform?”

“I am,” Soundwave answered. 

“Did you have to kill them,” Ratchet asked Ravage and then looked up at Soundwave. “Did you know that he killed your creators?”

“Yes. They wanted to modify me,” Soundwave stated. “If they had succeeded, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw would not exist. They were no better than Rumble and Frenzy’s former master. I harbor no ill will towards Ravage for the decision he had made.”

“I would have preferred to educate them,” Ratchet said.

“No one was willing to listen back then,” Soundwave said. “Force was necessary.”

“It’s regrettable,” Ratchet said. “We fought the same fight but in different ways.”

“I succeeded,” Soundwave said.

“You went too far,” Ratchet argued. “Megatron took things too far. Now we are fighting a war with no end in sight.”

“But, at least, no other protoforms will be modified to serve someone else,” Soundwave said as he turned to leave. “Once again, I thank you for what you have given us. I will consider sparing you, if we ever meet on the battle field.”

“I guess I can’t expect anything more than that,” Ratchet replied. 

Soundwave took to the air with his cassettes following behind him while Ratchet continued to watch them for a moment longer before turning to head back toward Jetfire. 

END