Ravage's Return

Rescue

(A/N: Well it didn't come out when I said it would. I apologize, but school is just heavy for me. Love you all! Enjoy this chapter! There will be a short epilogue afterwards, but that's it. :) )

Jack squirmed as he tried his best to get out from under Soundwave, the TIC's heavier weight bearing down on the simbiot, effectively pinning him against the ground. Unconscious as he was, Soundwave couldn't do anything to help Jack get out from under him, nor could he comfort his creation.

Desperation was overwhelming Jack as he fought the tears from continuously streaming down his face. "Soundwave? Soundwave!"

The cold Himalayan winds chilled Jack to the core of his frame, Soundwave protecting him from the most brutal winds, but none of that mattered to the distressed mech. Not when he was unable to help his creator.

Then he heard it.

Freezing, Jack listened again, golden optics wide as he waited, trying to hear above the howling wind. It came again, the soft sound of voices from somewhere upwind. Craning his helm, Jack blinked as he tried to pick up on them. Was it decepticons? Humans? Either could prove disastrous.

Another gust of wind brought the voices to him again, and Jack was able to recognize them.

Arcee.

/Why do we have to be out here again?/

Arcee vented softly, turning to give Bumblebee an annoyed look. "How many times did Ratchet already tell you that?" The two-wheeler questioned. "Ratchet picked up Jack's signal around here. We need to find him and try and bring him back to base."

/What if he's gone now? What if Soundwave is with him?/ Bumblebee bleeped questioningly, his older companion rolling his optics as she made her way down a steep, snowy incline. "He's here. Soundwave sends them out scouting, remember? Jack is most likely by himself."

The two travelled in silence, Bumblebee moving more slower than Arcee, the smaller autobot nimble and lighter, allowing her to move over the constantly shifting snow at a faster pace.

It wasn't long before the camero broke the silence again. /Arcee?/

Stopping in a crouch, servo up to shield her optics as she looked over the snow, Arcee intentionally didn't look in the other's direction. "What, Bee?"

/Jack isn't alone.../

Jerking around, Arcee fixed the larger autobot with a grim look. "Where is he?" She quesitoned, moving up alongside the black and yellow mech whom was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking downwards.

Arcee froze when she saw the large, dark shape farther down, crumpled in the snow, half covered by the white particles with the blowing winds.

Jack's faint cries reached her now.

"What is that?" Arcee demanded, though she didn't even wait for a response, the blue femme hopping down onto a ledge below, trying to climb down as quickly as she could without losing her grip and falling. Bumblebee followed closely behind her, a symphony of beeps and blips showing how worried he was for Jack.

Jack's voice got louder the closer they got, and Arcee finally jumped down the rest of the way, landing hard in the snow as she looked up, energon running cold when she realized what the dark shape had been... Soundwave.

Pinned beneath Soundwave, Jack could see very little of the snowy world around him, the mech trying to shield his faceplates whenever the winds grew strong enough to blow snow into his faceplates.

The wait was agonizing, Jack's calls for aid being ripped away the moment they left his lips, the winds howling woefully as if they wanted to conceal him and prevent help from locating him and Soundwave. So when Arcee called back, Jack felt a flicker of relief.

"Arcee!"

Jack heard the crunch of snow underfoot as someone approached from behind, the simbiot trying to turn his helm to see, but Soundwave's larger frame obscurred his view.

"Jack! Jack what happened?!" Arcee cried as she came into sight around Soundwave's still form, her blue optics taking in the way the Decepticon TIC lay, twisted to lie half on his side, arms wrapped tightly around Jack, the snow beneath the two blue with energon.

"Megatron found out Soundwave was going to join the Autobots!" Jack rushed to explain as Bumblebee also appeared, the two larger autobots pushing Soundwave onto his side so Jack could wriggle out from underneath him. "I don't know how! We were careful!"

The tears started streaming as Jack half crawled over to Soundwave, trying to shake him awake, whimpering softly. "You have to save him! Please Arcee! He was going to be an autobot!" Jack pleaded desperately, turning his bright yellow optics up onto the femme to try and portray his helplessness and need.

"Jack... We can't just bring him in, he-"

Jack shook his helm violently, fear flickering through him. "Please, Arcee! He can't do anything! He's injured!" The black-colored mech begged, pulling Soundwave's helm into his lap as if trying to soothe the unconscious mech. "He was going to become an autobot..."

Over the simbiote's helm, Arcee and Bumblebee exchanged glances to one another, the yellow and black scout looking at her with an easily readable expression. He thought it would be best to bring Soundwave.

Crossing her arms over her chassis, Arcee motioned to Bumblebee. "Comm the base. Tell Ratchet to get ready for Soundwave, and ask for Bulkhead to come and help us carry him." She finally ordered, though she still wasn't sure about it being a good idea. How could she tell Jack that Soundwave could possibly be using him?

It was hard to believe a decepticon like Soundwave would give up everything, even if it was for his simbiote...

A colorful vortex came to life directly behind them, Bulkhead approaching at a quick -but clumsy- gait, the wrecker staring in surprise. "Soundwave? We're going to bring Soundwave into the base?" The green mech questioned, looking at the other two in disbelief as Jack stared up at them hopefully.

Arcee nodded. "Soundwave wishes to defect. Get him to Ratchet before he can bleed out." The two-wheeler ordered, Bulkhead giving her a last long look before moving over to scoop the unconscious mech into his arms, lumbering back through the groundbridge just as quickly as he'd come.

/Are you alright, Jack?/ Bumblebee beeped softly, the simbiote looking up at him with a stricken look before nodding. "Y-yeah... He's gonna be ok, right?"

Stepping up, Arcee gave a nod. "Don't worry, Jack. Ratchet's dealt with everything you can think of. Soundwave will be fine." She responded, her voice a lot more confident than she really felt about the situation.

Nodding, Jack got up to his pedes, shaking a little. "I missed you." He said in a shaky tone, wrapping his arms around the two-wheeler as he gave another hiccuping sob.

"We've missed you too, Jack."