Shards (Transformers Prime, Shattered Glass)

Chapter 6

Soundwave hovered outside the medical bay, listening both to the faint sobs of the tiny human inside and to conversation between Megatron and Silas.

"I told him what happened, to his family and his father," the man sounded exhausted and Soundwave could see the defeat in the tilt of his shoulders, even as he looked up to meet Megatrons' gaze "But I haven't explained where he is... Megatron, I-I need..." he paused and swallowed with difficulty, then started over, Megatron waiting patiently.

"There's nowhere safe for that poor kid. Nowhere on this entire continent. I know this is unbelievably forward for me to ask-"

"You want me to keep the child here."

Silas nodded weakly.

"We have nothing for a human. No food, water, or a place to keep him. This ship is far too large for him to move around freely."

Silas nodded again "I know that. But the kid's got no chance otherwise. Could you at least let him stay until he's healed? Until he can see again?"

Soundwave paused. The poor thing couldn't see?

"Alright Silas. We'll keep him here, at the very least until his eyes are healed."

"Thank you," the man swallowed, then glanced over his shoulder "I should explain to him about...y'know, the alien thing."

Megatronus nodded and held his hand out, Silas stepped into it and they disappeared.

"Soundwave why aren't you lying down? I told you to power down for at least a couple of hours."

Soundwave startled and turned to find Knockout standing behind him, one hand on his hip, one holding a bundle of charred fabric.

"Are those the human's clothes?" Soundwave asked, brushing aside Knockout's question.

"Yes, but they were too damaged by the fire to be of any use. Silas procured more suitable ones, so I'm disposing of these."

"He doesn't want them?"

"They're hardly more than ash, Soundwave, I doubt he'll have any use for them."

"Right, um, is it normal for human clothing to twitch like that?"

Knockout looked down at his palm and a look of disgust touched his face as he realized Soundwave was right; the clothes were twitching.

"No, that is not normal," with the tip of his finger, he carefully sifted through the bundle until he seperated out what looked like it had been a bag of some sort.

With the confidence of the surgeon that he was, Knockout pulled apart the fibres, allowing an absolutly minute THING to come free without damaging it.

"It's a Minicon!" Soundwave nearly shouted as the tiny creature staggered in circles in Knockout's hand, shouting in a high-pitched nagging voice "You need to take that back to him right now!"

"It is not, humans don't have Minicons Soundwave."

"This one does and you have to take it back right now."

"No, Soundwave-"

"What's going on? What are you fighting about?" A voice rumbled questioningly and they turned in unison towards the orange 'con who'd just walked up.

"Breakdown, how nice of you to join us, FINALLY."

Breakdown shrugged, unbothered by his friend's barbed words "I got stuck."

"I KNOW you got stuck," Knockout shook his head "I've told you not to close that bay door, I've told you a thousand times."

"Breakdown, do humans have Minicons?" Soundwave had no patience for the friendly jibes.

"Uh, no, no they don't."

"Hmph, I told you."

"They do have pets though."

"Is this a pet?" Soundwave gestured at Knockout's hand and the doctor turned to give his friend a better look.

"Um, yeah, it's a dig- no a dog."

"So we should give it back?"

"Yeah, probably."

Knockout rolled his eyes slightly, but he stepped back into the medbay.

Neither Silas nor Megatronus was anywhere to be seen and the tiny human was quiet, curled up in a little ball.

"Is it dead?" Soundwave asked in a rasping whisper.

"No, it's just asleep," Knockout answered quietly as he extended his hand and tilted it, causing the dog to slide out of his hand and onto the table.

It sniffed at the boy in apparent concern then whined and curled up against his back.

"It won't attack him, right?"

"Does it look like it's going to attack him?" Breakdown laughed at his friend's paranoia.

"I don't know. But that thing couldn't survive the slightest trauma so if anything happens-"

Breakdown held up his hands and started to apologize, but he was cut short by a beep from the nearest consol.

"Yes Megatron?" Knockout asked, activating the comm link.

"Knockout? Would you and Breakdown please to report to the Groundbridge room. I want you to...well do what you can."

"Yes sir."

"Oh, and is Soundwave there?"

"I'm here."

"Great. Go to the bridge and take the navigational controls. This weather front isn't going away and the Vehicons could use some help."

Soundwave paused as Knockout and Breakdown began to leave "Wait, is it a good idea to leave him all alone?"

Knockout glanced from the human to the door "I... I don't think he's going to go anywhere. I'll come check on him soon."

Soundwave hesitated still, watching the other two leave.

He sighed and murmured something quietly to Laserbeak. She unhooked from his chest and landed on the table next to the boy with a quiet twitter.

Now at least if he woke up, he wouldn't be alone.

---

"What worries me is: what where the Autobots doing out there?" Starscream asked as he paced back and forth across the bridge, half watching as Soudwave and the three Vehicons grappled withe navigation system, half waiting for Megatron to give him an anwser.

"Tracking our movements perhaps? Or maybe they where already out there."

"Both possibilites unnerving, one if they were following us it means they've gotten better at pinpointing our Groundbridges or two they're looking for something and that's never good."

"Option three: Starscream's being paranoid again," Soundwave suggested.

"He has a point," Megatron rebuffed the communications officer "On both accounts. But what could they possibly be looking for? We've scanned that quadrant at least twice."

"Maybe we should scan it again," Starscream suggested, arms folded.

"Wouldn't hurt," Megatron agreed, turning to give the order.

"Soundwave-where'd he go?"

The Vehicons shrugged helplessly and each pointed in a different direction