Shards (Transformers Prime, Shattered Glass)

Chapter 7

Soundwave had been paying attention to Megatrons' and Starscream's conversation right up until the point he felt a tug from Laserbeak.

They'd pretty much cleared the weather front and the Vehicons seemed to have things under control, so Soundwave slipped away.

He felt another tug, a bit more urgent this time, and quickened his pace.

---

Laserbeak watched in concern as the human sat up and yawned. He didn't stand, but the tiny thing...the dog, bounced up to its feet and started shouting again.

"Carmine?" the human rasped quietly, reaching out until he caught ahold of its wiry fur and pulled it to his chest "Of course," his voice cracked "You were in my backpack girl."

He whimpered and Laserbeak thought he might be crying, but couldn't tell because of the bandage swathed over his damaged eyes.

She sent out a silent call to Soundwave, letting know him that the human had woken up. Or at least she thought she'd been silent.

The little human went still, but his head turned towards her.

"Hello? I...Is someone there?"

Carmine whined and tried to wriggle out of his arms, but he kept ahold of her.

"Hello?"

"Hello," Laserbeak replied quietly "I'm here."

"Who are you?" the boy's voice dropped to a whisper "Are you one of the aliens?"

She chuckled a little bit "Yes. I am. I'm called Laserbeak."

"I'm Rafael," he sniffled, then held the dog up "This is Carmine."

She smiled, though even if he had been able to see, he probably couldn't have been able to tell.

"She's very small."

"Yeah, she's a terrier, they're small," he stood up, shifting the dog so that he held her in the crook of one arm, the other hand reached out towards Laserbeak "Where are you?"

"I'm right next to you," she purred "but you should sit back down, you might fall."

On shaky legs, Rafael sat back down and let Carmine go, but she curled up in his lap.

"Are you going to stay with me, Laserbeak?"

"For now Rafael."

He started stroking the dog's fur, then curled over her, crying quietly.

She was a little bit startled, but reminded herself that his entire life had literally just gone up in smoke. She wished she was capable of comforting him.

She pulled at Soundwave again.

She could feel him nearing, when suddenly the Ally shuddered beneath her.

"What was that?" Rafael whispered.

"I don't know... Stay there," She unfolded her wings and zoomed over to the consul, reaching out her feelers and connecting with it.

"Wait. Please don't leave!"

"I'm not far," she soothed as she accessed the security feeds "And I'll be right back, I promise."

She scanned through the frames and a flicker from the side of the screen signified that Soundwave was doing the same.

She tried to dig back through a few minutes and went back further than she intended, to the minute when Starscream bridged back from the Artic.

She was about to speed forwards again when she noted a silver and purple blur on the edges of the Groundbridge.

Laserbeak didn't have a large spark, but she could feel it go cold and contract inside of her. She sped through the feeds, tracking the movements of the blur.

"Soundwave!"

"I see him. Try to find his current location."

She sped through the different angles and locations, finding nothing, she came to the corridor next to the Groundbridge and hesitated, for a fraction of a second her overactive anxious mind mistaking Breakdown and Knockout for what she was looking for. Then she looked behind them.

"Hey, Break, I left my Energon prod back at the Groundbridge, would you mind-" Knockout paused midsentence as he realized Breakdown wasn't behind him "Breakdown?"

His comm crackled but no words came through.

"Hello? Is someone trying to talk to me?"

There was another splutter of white noise, but no answer.

Uneasily he hurried back the way he'd came, turning the corner in time to catch a glimpse of movement, but he didn't pursue it. Breakdown laying limp on the ground was far more concerning.

"Intruder..." Soundwave's voice crackled over Knockout's comm as the doctor knelt next to his friends "Knockout...confirm status."

"I'm fine. Breakdown's injured. I think the intruder's close."

"Pursue the intruder!" Megatron barked over the comms "Do not let him get to the Groundbridge!"

Knockout hesitated for a fraction of a second, not wanting to leave Breakdown. But his friend was already beginning to wake up and there was an undeniable sense of urgency in Megatrons' order.

He stood and sprinted down the corridor and he ran full tilt into the silver Autobot at the Groundbridge controls.

Smokescreen shouted in surprise as Knockout tackled him to the ground, sending a memory card clattering to the ground.

"Cheater!" Knockout shouted in frustration as Smokescreen activated the phase shifter on his arm and slipped away from the doctor like a ghost.

"You can only cheat if the game has rules," Smokescreen dove for the memory card and dodged back to the controls.

"Spare me the flamboyant one-liners," Knockout snapped, turning one of his hands to a buzz saw and whipping it towards Smokescreen's face.

Even though it phased through him, Smokescreen still closed his eyes and leaned backwards, giving Knockout a chance to yank the memory card from his hand.

"You... give that back!"

"Not on your spark, Autobot," Knockout ducked backwards, avoiding several blasts from Smokescreen's servo-turned-gun.

"No, not mine, but maybe yours," Smokescreen clawed for the key, ignoring all of Knockout's attempt to saw his face off.

His fingers wrapped around it, but he had to phase back in order to yank it out of Knockout's fingers.

He smashed his fist into the doctor's face, stunning him. Knockout collapsed against the wall, his grip going loose.

Smokescreen laughed and darted towards the Groundbridge, key in hand. He entered the coordinates and cast a sneer towards the incapacitated medic.

The Groundbridge came to life and he began to turn towards it,and immeadiatly Breakdown's hammer made contact with the center of his helm.

As Smokescreen sank down unconscious to the ground, the orange 'con relieved him of the memory card.

"Knockout are you alright?"

Knockout groaned and staggered up to his feet, aided by Breakdown. He touched his face, feeling the long scratch Smokescreen had left.

"I'm fine, I'm fine- he's getting away!"

On hands and knees Smokescreen pulled himself through the bridge and disappeared with a white flash.

"Where is he?" Starscream asked as he transformed and landed next to them.

"Got away," Breakdown held up the memory card "but we got this from him."

"What is it?"