Ravage's Return

Epilogue

(A/N: Thank you all for continuing to read this story until the very end. :) Love you all so very much! I'm hoping to continue and complete all of my other stories, but I'm not sure yet... Until then, please enjoy this final excerpt of !)

Honestly, Jack and Ravage had both inwardly agreed how much they hated having to monitor Rumble and Frenzy, specifically when they couldn't complain to Soundwave and have their creator handle it.

The twins had the hardest time integrating with the autobots while Soundwave remained unresponsive for several megacycles, as Rumble only wanted to destroy things and Frenzy was defiant and seemingly passionate about causing issues for everyone.

Jack knew his siblings only felt pent-up, especially since they weren't allowed to leave Autobot headquarters until Optimus was certain they were out of immediate danger.

Laserbeak and the other aerials went mostly unseen, roosting and caring for the new cyberbirds. Ratchet had a hell of a time with them, the mischievous Ratbat occasionally collecting a group of his flight-capable siblings in order to fly off with some of the medic's tools.

Out of all of them, Rumble was most often found by Soundwave's side, sometimes even recharging atop his creator with tear-stained cheekplating. It was times like those that Jack was grateful for Optimus. The Prime always seemed to know what to say to convince the youngling to return to his own berth, or exactly how to comfort Rumble when he ended up breaking down. Frenzy was tougher in the sense that he refused to show any sort of emotion like that around others, but Jack knew his younger brother was frightened... Mostly because he himself was.

Jack feared for Soundwave. Feared that his creator wasn't ever going to wake up, and it had the simbiot pacing the halls or staring off into space until Arcee snapped him out of it.

Megatron kept making demands and threats, but Jack had little to fear of the warlord. They were a family unit, and nothing could tear them apart. Not even the warlord himself.

It was nearly an entire vorn before Arcee came for Jack, the simbiot quietly observing Rumble and Frenzy as the two argued over some datapad. He'd learned that it was best to let them fight it out themselves, then pick up the pieces afterwards.

"Jack?"

Hearing Arcee's voice, Jack turned his helm to look at her questioningly, the obnoxious argument in the background easily ignored as the blue autobot spared only a glance to the twins before looking back at her partner with a smile. "Soundwave's online."

It only took those two words for Rumble and Frenzy to forget their argument and dash from the room despite Arcee's calls for them to wake.

Jack got off the berth, but his frame felt heavy, his pedes as if they were made of ununtrium.

"Are you alright, Jack?" Arcee asked softly when she noticed the shorter mech's expression, a look of concern gracing her pretty faceplates as she stood before him.

Venting slowly, Jack gave a little shake of his helm. "Is... Is he... Alright? He'll be ok now?" He questioned in a soft whisper, almost not daring to meet the blue gaze levelled on him, afraid that he would be told Soundwave was dying... Possibly permanently disabled from the fall until they were able to procure the materials to rebuild him.

Impossible, without Cybertron, or the machinery to do so.

"He's fine, Jack... He's talking and moving a little, but you know Ratchet," a small smile graced Arcee's lips, "he won't let Soundwave up until he's satisfied."

Smiling faintly, Jack moved to follow Arcee out of the berthroom, spark pulsating nervously as they made their ways through the familiar halls, the sounds of voices reaching the pair well before they entered "the Hatchet's Domain" as Frenzy and Rumble called it.

Jack stopped just as he breached the medbay doors, yellow optics immediately focusing on Soundwave, the lithe mech still laid out on the same berth he'd been for the entire time he'd been under, movements weak but he was still moving.

Rumble and Frenzy were already on top of Soundwave, the first of which was crying as he clung to his creator's armor plating, Frenzy looking close to it. Laserbeak, Ratbat and the others were there as well.

The ex-decepticon was propped up in a half-sitting position, and his helm turned towards his eldest creation, digits twitching as he attempted to motion for Jack to come closer.

Nervously shuffling up to Soundwave's berth, Jack stared at the cracked mask covering his creator's faceplates, venting carefully. "You'll be ok?" He questioned softly, voice cracking partway through his sentence, Soundwave's helm tilting slightly.

No one else was present besides Ratchet and Arcee, Optimus no doubt on his way, but Jack had never felt so self-conscious. Not even with Sierra or Vince around.

"Soundwave, alright."

The voice sounded so different, the damage to systems not vital enough for immediate repairs causing Soundwave's voice to sound less robotic and more like a normal voice. A true voice.

Jack shook as he tried to hold back his own emotions, biting his lower lip as he tried to stare through the darkened glass, to find his creator's gaze and meet it. "Promise me...?" He whispered.

Silence fell over the medbay for several moments, broken only by Frenzy's sniffles and Rumble's occasional hiccup, but then Soundwave reached up towards his mask, digits carefully locating hidden seams before there was a soft hiss of air and the mask came loose.

Yellow optics met yellow.

"Soundwave, promises."