(Y/N) sat on her bed, alone and silent. She liked it but hated to admit she missed the silent presence of Soundwave. Oh, how the thought of him grated against her skull. She hated it yet could not hate him directly. She enjoyed his stoic company. It made her feel safe, at ease and as if she could finally rest without the worry of being hunted down. She had no reason to feel that way, except that for the first time in a long time someone was enjoyable to be around. 

         "Then why does it pain me to think of him?" She let out a sob, having been holding the tears from flowing.

     After C.Y.L.A.S. failed to win Megatron's favor, it had only gone downhill from there. The Star Saber was lost to Optimus Prime, and the last four Iacon locations were leaked to the Autobots after an accident regarding an Insecticon and her delicate optics being recalibrated and upgraded by Knockout. She swore it would have led to her termination, something she both wished for and feared. But it did not, even after she questioned Soundwave about the incident. 

     And then more recent events. Starscream's return had been one of the more amusing.

         "A- a human!" The mech had screeched upon seeing Soundwave with (Y/N) in his lithe servo. "Lord Megatron, isn't allowing for a human ally an Autobot tactic? I would believe it to be far below you."

         "This human was smart enough to harness energon, of which we discovered and have since then extracted every last drop she so graciously donated." Megatron frowned at his returned Second in Command. "(Y/N) has also been of great use to the Decepticon cause."

         "Yet she wears no insignia on her person?" The Seeker was doubtful of her allegiance, not only because she wore no mark to claim such allegiance, but she was a human, and they were naturally untrustworthy. To him, anyway.

         "It would not be an advantage for her to advertise it if she is to go back to the Autobots once more."

         "Back to the- the Autobots?! My lord this hardly sounds like-"

     The bumbling mech was interrupted with a shout, Megatron being more than exasperated from having to terminate one of his most loyal followers for this coward and traitor. Since then (Y/N) had proven her worth to the mech, although he held a natural hate towards her considering Megatron would ignore him for something she had to say. He did not shower her with praise but did make it apparent he favored her allegiance from Starscream's. (Y/N)'s naturally humble nature and flat, almost emotionless expressions only fueled his hate further. Starscream had always had a mild disliking toward Soundwave but having two of them was worse. They just couldn't seem to fail.

     (Y/N) wished she could sometimes. Just once, enough to earn termination and to be freed of this growing pain in her chest. It swelled when Soundwave was gone, with no explanation as to why. They held a mutual understanding of each other, though knew little of each other's pasts. They understood they were both intelligent, though the smaller of the two with certain non-Cybertronian handicaps of being human, and they were well suited to work together, it seemed. But the pain of separation far outweighed the comfortable presence of Soundwave. She hated being dependent on his presence alone, to be attached to someone who cared little for her wellbeing. She just wanted freedom again.

     Soundwave entered through a groundbridge, not daring to open the door. They were too high up for her to breathe, and it was less taxing for them to oxygenate one room rather than the whole of the war ship. He stared at her reddened eyes and trembling, fleshy lip. What she was crying for, he did not know, but the pain in his spark ceased once he stepped in the room. He wondered if she felt something similar, which may be the cause for her leaking.

     They were silent as each stared at the other. (Y/N) with a look that silently dared Soundwave to ask why she was crying, yet somehow still being emotionless, and Soundwave with a mildly annoyed expression hidden behind the black visor. 

     He was probably the one hiding it the best in their situation, if (Y/N) was crying because of the pain of separation. He did not want it just as much as she did, and hopefully, Knockout would find a solution soon. Until then, (Y/N) had at least one more use against the Autobots.

         "What is it I am needed for?" She questioned smartly, and Soundwave answered with a photo of the three Autobots pests tucked into clear containers. "Bargaining for the Omega Keys after the Autobots stole them." She observed. "They will think I have been at your mercy all these days. I suggest some sort of visible abuse."

     Soundwave guessed her drying tears would have sufficed, but she was right. Being a human within Decepticon walls, one supposedly allied with the Autobots, no less, would mean they would have done far worse than make her cry. Especially when Megatron had been gloating to them about his victory of her capture from time to time. How they could not save her. They most likely believed she was offline by now. 

     With this in mind, Soundwave extended a flexible appendage, electricity spiking at its end. He didn't need to ask for permission, or even wait for it, but he did, letting the tentacle hover in front of (Y/N) before she nodded. He used a voltage high enough to make her scream horribly, despite her attempt to keep her mouth shut, before bringing up the clear container and gently placing her smoldering body in it. She was not unconscious, but she was certainly stunned. A limb twitching every other second as her optics flickered. The smell of burning hair permeated the room, and Soundwave was glad to get out of it through a groundbridge. 

     The three children gasped when they saw (Y/N) simply laying in her container, mostly motionless, with a burned hole in her black shirt, dirt on her jeans and hair a tangled, electrified mess. The one called Miko slammed her fist against the thick glass while the youngest boy began to squeak in his attempt not to cry, and the one who once held the Matrix stared at Soundwave with a well hardened hate. 

     Knockout took up the human femme with pink coloring and rather vibrant clothing. Starscream took Jack with a wicked grin, finding pleasure in making him hit the glass as he turned the container to its side. Soundwave silently gripped Raphael and (Y/N)'s containers, the younger of the two pressing his hand on the glass toward (Y/N), who seemed to barely register who he was as her optics flickered once more. 

     Soundwave wondered if he had miscalculated the voltage.

         "One human, for each Omega Key." Megatron grinned as the trio stepped behind him, and the Autobots gaped at the monster. "If you fail to comply, they will be exposed to Cybertron's harsh, toxic atmosphere."

     (Y/N) tilted her head up tiredly, painfully, and looked to the Autobots. The children were far better off than she was, to them anyway, and it broke their sparks to see her in such a tortured state. She locked optics with Optimus Prime, seeing his widen in astonishment, and maybe hope that she could live through this and whatever horror the Decepticons put her through. He hoped for a small smile to say she was okay, and a strong woman who could handle even the fight against Unicron, but (Y/N) only closed her eyes and rested her head against the metal base of her container. 

         As if she had been beaten and had no more to give. 

     Soundwave watched as Optimus and (Y/N) had their distant interaction, enjoying the Prime's turn of expression from astonishment to pure anger at what the Decepticons had supposedly done to the woman in his clutches. He gave the other to Megatron to hand over, as he was not so willing to let go of (Y/N) just yet. 

     Bulkhead came for Miko, giving Knockout his key. Arcee came for Jack and made her exchange and Bumblebee took Raphael, who had begun to quiver beneath the intense gaze of the Decepticon leader. Smokescreen held the last key, but Optimus took it from him, intent to bring back their adored (Y/N). Soundwave waited until the Prime was in front of him, grip tightening on the handle of (Y/N)'s container before he took the Omega Key and Optimus took the woman. 

     Soundwave felt the pain in his spark again, though it was more tolerable with her in his sight, at least. He saw (Y/N) heave another, silent sob, and he knew for a fact their separation was why she was leaking so heavily in his private quarters. 

     The keys were inserted into the Omega Lock, and Soundwave watched in awe as the possibility of a new Cybertron was brought to reality. He opened a spacebridge above, wondering what (Y/N) was thinking as Megatron gloated about her home planet being cyberformed into what their leader jokingly dubbed New Kaon. Was she scared, mad or as she usually was: passive? Did she care as she watched the powerful beam shoot into the sky with one specific target? Was she excited like he was, to see the possibility of his home being restored, and to go back to its shining streets? She sees Cybertron's lifeless husk, but would she see it aglow with precious life again?

     The moment of wonder was squelched as the war cry of Optimus Prime and the sound of the Star Saber being imbedded into the Omega Lock grated against their audio. Megatron attacked the Prime with enraged force, while the others held tightly to their charges but still aided in his attack. The Autobot leader was forced back by Megatron, and he called for a space bridge, allowing the others to retreat first before they were captured once again.

     Soundwave counted them. Five Autobots, but only three humans. 

     His helm swiveled quickly to where the fourth lay, panic rising in his spark as he saw the motionless body and the hole in the thick glass that had cracked from blaster fire, forgotten because of the Prime's haste and the rookie's inexperience. His lithe digits caressed the container before escaping the harsh atmosphere through the spacebridge, rather abruptly as he passed Megatron, who stared in interest at his retreating form. 

     The purple mech placed her gently in his room, scanning her form after gently raising her from the container and on to her bed. She was barely alive. His spark ached immensely, annoyingly, at the thought of her death. He displayed himself on the berth before activating his human form, Laserbeak detaching as well. Even he was concerned, hovering over the two humans and pacing in the air. 

         :How can the Autobots be so careless? They treasured her!:

     Soundwave didn't make his opinion known as he pressed against the woman's chest harshly, repeatedly, in an attempt to force her lungs into working order again. He could feel her heart weakening its beat and the dormancy of his own chest as she refused to breathe. She needed to expel the toxic air trapped in her lungs, but the only other way he could think would help was far from likely to work.

         :But it might. Soundwave, please, try. If it does not work than she will die, and we both will have peace! But if it does than at least she will live and remain here with us. I don't know why the latter is preferred but-:

     Soundwave raised a hand for Laserbeak to silence his panicked speech in their master and servant bond. He watched (Y/N)'s life drain away for a time before taking a deep, forced breath, and letting the bandana fizzle away from his deathly pale mouth and nose. He closed her nasal cavity before pressing his false, fleshy lips to hers and attempting to force new air into her lungs to possibly expel the toxic air of Cybertron. He repeated the action again until Soundwave swore, he could feel his nonexistent lungs ache. 

     And finally, she coughed, and her heart rate began to rise from its near-death state.

     Both Cybertronians felt relief wash over them, and Soundwave lifted the girl into his arms. He did not understand why he felt he needed to hold her but feeling her breathing against him calmed the mech further. He could feel the life cipher back into her lungs.

         :Master,: Laserbeak began, :it may be wise to bring her to Knockout.:

     Nodding, Soundwave placed her back on the metal surface of his shelf before disappearing and picking her back up. He cradled her with his whole arm rather than only his servo, keeping her close to his spark.

     The odds were against her. She shouldn't be able to live through this after who knows how much toxic air, or lack of, she had inhaled. But if she did, Soundwave didn't know what he'd do. Why did he want for this tolerable nuisance to live so badly?

     If only the answer was as easy to come by as the question.