" So, Tell me. What's the plan?"

Soundwave looked away from her gaze as he pondered the question. Behind his visor, his optics searched for an answer that guaranteed his and Arcee's safety...and he found none. Only probabilities that either massively outweighed their favour or risky chances that threatened to destroy them with one wrong move. Arcee sighed as she looked down once more, knowing as well as Soundwave did the futility barring them from escape. Soundwave looked down to her down cast optics, and lifted her face gently upwards.

" We need to catch Megatron of guard, so I can destroy that device, and he will never cause you pain again.."

" Or you." Arcee added, as she looked to the scar gracing his armour. " And then we run."

"Then we run."Soundwave nodded, knowing if they played it right, they would be able to fight without problem, and get to the ground bridge.

"It won't be that easy. Megatron will be expecting us to make a move. That scrap pile probably listening to us as we speak." Arcee noted.

" I f I know Megatron, he won't be. He rather crush our plan than prevent it. Which is why we will have to move quickly, and strike fast."

" And here's the time where bee's alt mode would come in handy." she said, with a light sarcasm.

Soundwave noted the slight sad edge in her voice.

" We will do it. Trust me."

Megatron cringed at the sickening romance; it was unfitting of any decepticon to have such an equal partnership. But, that aside, he laughed at their pathetic plan. The video and audio filled the command room, of which only Megatron and Knockout were present.

" So, Soundwave believes he knows me....fool...like he could ever catch me of guard..."

" Well?" Knockout asked expectantly. Megatron spared him a tired look. "Are you not going to punish them for even considering escaping-"

" Your processors never cease to amaze me in their stupidity, Knockout. And, as Soundwave words' you no doubt surely heard, I would rather crush their plan than prevent it...."

Knockout looked on grimly.

" But what he is forgetting, is I'll destroy more than there plans..." Megatron grinned. Knockout smiled as he sought to redeem himself with his next words.

" Their hope, Lord Megatron?"

The great leader nodded.

" Only then will they be our prisoners for the rest of there miserable lives."

Arcee looked up as she opened her optics. Her servos reached out for Soundwave's own servos...but only found empty space. She sat up, looking eagerly around the room, but she was alone. Great. The one thing you need after all of this is isolation. She sighed.

Soundwave was gone; when their time had ended, she was not quite sure, but he had been silent enough not to wake her...what's worse...waking to no-one, or waking only to watch him leave...She thought. Despite not knowing how long they had with each other, exhaustion had overcome them rapidly, until recharge summoned them both. She ended up falling into recharge in his arms, feeling a sense of security she had not felt in long time. A part her wished they hadn't fallen into recharge, that they could have talked more...just like how she would drawn into Cliffjumper's' long and extended conversations...then again, he was a conversationalist. Soundwave was....more reserved, but his words spoke louder than anything she could have heard. Precise and perfect. Either way, they had covered crucial grounds within there earlier conversation, which inspired some sense of hope in them both. Arcee wondered whether Megatron had been listening, or even watching. She trusted Soundwave's judgement, but she felt the entire time that they were being watched....a feeling that still lingered even now.

Arcee quickly became increasingly aware of how alone she really was. Her thoughts drifted to her team mates and Jack, and she prayed once more to primus to keep them safe. But it only furthered the feeling of isolation. Pull yourself together 'Cee...you've be on your own before. Her thought processors traced back to before she had met Cliffjumper, and just after the death of Tailgate. After being rescued, she struck out on her own. But that had, in all truth, been a cold and isolated existence. Only her partners, Cliffjumper, Jack, and now Soundwave seemed to keep her from falling back into oblivion.

Well, I'm not going back there again.

She stood up, stretching her aching gears. She looked around, fully examining the room for what is was. A slightly more fancy prison cell. Megatron sure knows how to treat his guests. Arcee noted, as she approached the door. She rested a servo on it, knowing on the other side were surely Vehicon guards...and freedom, and Soundwave. She felt a small twinge of pain in her chest, and she looked up angrily, but she saw no camera, nothing to suggest she was being watched. She turned back only the feel a stronger burst of pain.

"Fine." She muttered darkly as she returned to sit on the berth. All she could do, was wait.

Once again, Soundwave typed the same old commands and algorithms into the system. He had't stopped. His orders were to decode a large section of the Iacon database; an unfairly large amount, given the time he was allotted to work on it. Nonetheless, he worked in the dim room, lit largely by the monitor screens. at this rate, I will not finish....but if I don't, will Megatron hurt her again? He stopped momentarily, forcing the vision and sound of her screams out of his processors. No. I will give him no reason to harm her...He set about continuing his work, all the time, at the back of his mind, the fear that any failure or slip up could result in torture for Arcee.

But they had their plan- And they weren't going to wait for a lull, nor would they pretend to comply. There best bet was spontaneity, and a lot of luck, providing Primus wished them well.

It was all finished- at least, the second part of the assigned work. That in itself, had taken several days, with little progress being made. The Autobots' Iacon database seemed so much more heavily encrypted in places than others. Soundwave stole a moment to himself, easing his tired processors. His frame slumped momentarily, and behind his visor he closed his optics. A momentary bliss graced him, until he snapped his optics open again.

The hiss of the doors alerted him to another's presence- this time, it was not Megatron. Two Vehicons stood, there blasters aimed at him.

" You are to follow us." The one on the left said imperially, gesturing him to walk. Soundwave looked tiredly back to the monitor and pressed a key, and the screen became filled with the shining logo of the Decepticons. A feeling deep in his spark told him he was going to see Arcee. As they walked through the halls, his processors recalled the way he remembered of leaving Arcee last time. They were heading along that same route. He felt a sense of rejuvenation, as they approach the door.

Arcee looked up as it opened. It was as though something unusual had happened, as though the door should have always remained shut. Yet she couldn't hide her smile as he embraced her.

" Took your time." She whispered, her sarcasm still undefeated.

Arcee kept her frame rigid, unable to relax as Knockout, again too uncomfortably close, replaced her insignia with that of the Decepticon's. It took a lot of her strength to resist the will to fight back. Soundwave stood beside the berth, as she laid on her side. She tightly held his servo. It was the first time they had been together in human standards, almost a week, since they had spoken last.

For Arcee, she had had no contact with any one, and energon rations were severely tightened. Any time she attempted to get close to the door, the same pain would return; a warning. It seemed Megatron wanted to firmly embed a sense of isolation within her, a sense she couldn't leave. And in all honesty she couldn't hide it. When Soundwave had appeared that morning, it had been a welcomed relief, like the sun breaking through the clouds of a storm. But even he had noticed how, despite all her strength, it was taking its toll. Even he himself, on the same rations as she was, hadn't been fairing well, having to work longer to satisfy the work load that was constantly renewed. Now Arcee kept her gaze down, as the dark clouds of the storm remained.

Soundwave understood in principle, it was a simple thing, and couldn't change what she believed. Yet he saw how much it pained her. Soundwave turned his gaze to Knockout. As much as he was concentrating, he could tell he was enjoying this too much. Way to much. As Knockout finished the details, he stood back to admire his work. Small Decepticon insignia's now graced the femmes' wings.

" Welcome to the wining team." He smiled. Arcee stood barely acknowledging the words, unbeknownst to her, were same as he had spoken before to Optimus. Soundwave gently placed his servo around her shoulders in comfort, looking sadly upon her as stayed downcast. Knockout rolled his optics.

" Aww, come on, surely its nice to court one on the same team?" He said with arrogance. Both Arcee and Soundwave shot him a look, and he turned away sheepishly.

" Oh, I forgot. You switched sides." He said, as he left the room.

" One of these days.." Arcee gritted as she watched him leave.

" He's not worth it. But if he ever dares touch you, it certainly will be."Soundwave sent, the message full of steel. Arcee lent into him.

"I can take care of myself, you know."

"Regardless."Soundwave added as he rested his helm on top of hers. The small moment of peace was destroyed as Megatron entered their world once more. They both pulled away, only their servos remaining together.

Megatron looked them both over- Soundwave with his scar, and Arcee's chest plates still bearing the scratches of his own fingers ( he had purposefully told Knockout to leave them- to serve as a reminder). His gaze then darted to Arcee's wings, where the decepticon symbol was placed.

" I see Knockout still has an eye for detail." He commented. Arcee optics narrowed slightly. He chuckled lightly.

" It is becoming of you, Arcee." Again, the same expectant look graced his faceplates. Soundwave felt her squeeze his hand a little as she spoke.

"..Thank you, Lord Megatron."

He grinned, as Arcee avoided optic-contact. His thoughts then turned to the days activities.

" Since I'm sure your already tired of being on the Nemesis, I am assigning you to scout for energon with Knockout."

Arcee looked up, surprised, and annoyed. Knockout was the last mech she wanted to end up spending time with. Now, she felt Soundwave squeezed her hand lightly. He didn't like the idea at all.

" And you, Soundwave, have work waiting to return to, and I have a few things that we need to discuss." Megatron spoke, as he began to walk out of the room. Soundwave knew that was his cue to follow, but Arcee didn't let go. As they walked through to the main room of the med bay, Knockout stood chastising one the Vehicons.

"Honestly, you are a good for nothing piece-"

" Knockout, you are to go on an energon scouting mission with Arcee." He spoke, ignoring Vehicon altogether. Knockout looked to him, with surprised optics, and then to Arcee. She was clearly not happy with the leader's words. Knockout quickly regained his stature.

" Of course, my liege." He answered with a sly smile, bowing. Megatron nodded and continued to walk out. Soundwave turned to Arcee, and gently placed his helm against hers. It was the closest he could come to giving her a kiss.

"If he touches you..."

" He will be scrap." Arcee said with a confident menace. Soundwave nodded and then let go, and followed Megatron out. Arcee sighed. She felt uncertainty fall upon her, as to when she would get to see him again.

Knockout sent the impudent Vehicon on his way, and turned to look at her. Her optics were downcast, and her frame slightly slumped.

" Do not cry, my dear femme, we are going to have a wonderful trip outside the Nemesis-"

" Call me that again, and you will regret it." Arcee snapped at him, cutting his theatrics short. "We better get going." She said sourly as straightened her pose and walked out of the med bay. Knockout look on after her, frustrated. The femme was as impudent as the Vehicon. We'll sort that out. Knockout thought, as he followed her, picking up an energon scanner.