Heatwave was in the training room the Autobots has set up for them in the new base the government gave them. He punched and punched and punched a practice dummy. Said dummy looked as if it was about to break, due to Heatwave's relentless punches and kicks. He had been going at this for hours upon hours, but his anger hadn't dissipated once.

"Heatwave", a familiar voice spoke, and Heatwave punched the training dummy one last time before whirling around to face his leader.

"What?" Heatwave snarled, glaring the red and blue mech. Said mech only retained a calm expression as he approached the much younger Autobot.

"She will return to us", Optimus murmured. "We just need to have patience."

Heatwave shook in anger and he started shouting.

"She's broken! She won't last much longer on that warship! Megatron is hurting her more and more and now she's being forced to be Soundwave's sparkmate!" Heatwave took a shaky breath. "I just wanted to protect her. Instead, she's dying because of me. Because I couldn't do anything."

Optimus rested a servo on the red mech's shoulder. "You did your best. It was her choice to go with if only to protect you."

"She thought we were all dead, Optimus. You didn't see the way she looked at me when I ran into her on the warship. She was shocked. She was hurt. Her optics didn't have the fire they once had in them. And I can't be there to help her regain that fire."

Optimus frowned softly. "Silverdust is strong, my friend. She will survive until it is time for us to retrieve her. And you and I both know there is a way you can help her."

Heatwave shook softly as he glanced a small device on his wrist before stumbling past the Prime out into the fresh air, where he transformed into a fire truck and drove away. Optimus sighed softly as he looked out to the stars.

'Be strong, Silverdust. If not for yourself, then for the mech who is hurting in your absence."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Silverdust glared defiantly at her Sire. It was only because Soundwave dragged her away that she did not speak her mind on the matter he had asked of her. Once they got back to their shared room, Soundwave took off his visor.

"Silverdust, you know you can't defy your sire!" Soundwave hisses. "If you get hurt, our mission may be in vain! You must stay alive while on the warship, or else you'll leave behind more than just an angry Megatron. You have Heatwave, and all the other Autobots that you must return to!"

Silverdust had been glaring at him before but as he spoke, the glare lessened until she was looking toward the floor. She growled softly.

"I just..." she looked back up. I can't stand my Sire. He wants me to do things I don't want to do, and it... ugh, I just want to be with Heatwave... how far have you gotten along with disabling my circlet?"

Soundwave sighed. "Not as far as I would have hoped. Laserbeak has proved helpful in that though, in that I can focus on my work so Megatron does not get suspicious, while she works on the deactivation. Ravage keeps an eye out for anything that seems out of place, like someone watching when they're not supposed to."

Silverdust smiled sadly. "I just... being cooped up is so difficult. I want to be free again. Free to make my own choices, without the wrath of my Sire on me... I miss that... I miss not knowing who my real Sire is. I wish I could still call Optimus my Sire."

Soundwave gently took her servo and squeezed it to try and comfort the white femme. "You can still call him sire. He raised you, took care of you, and now you're a beautiful femme. Megatron can't take that away. Just a few more months, Silver. That's all it's going to take."

Silverdust sighed. "Please hurry, Sound... I don't know how much longer I can take this..."

Soundwace smiled softly, before grabbing something off his desk. He held out two small devices.

"Megatron has requested our presence", Soundwave murmured. "We need to do a quick test of this device."

Silverdust nodded, and Soundwave explained where she needed to put it. Silverdust nodded, and placed it on her chest, hidden by her armor. Instantly, she could feel an influx of emotions that were not her own, and she looked up at Soundwave who smiled at her.

"We will have to hope this fools Megatron", Soundwave murmured. Silverdust felt a small flash of fear before it dissipated. This was going to take some getting used to.

"Come, Megatron waits for us", Soundwave murmured. Silverdust nodded, and Soundwave put his visor on. They quickly went to the flight deck, where Megatron waited for them.

"Shockwave has requested my presence at his lab", Megatron growled. "You two will accompany Starscream and myself."

Silverdust frowned. "Isn't his lab on the warship, Sire?"

Megatron smirked. "He has a second laboratory that is off the warship."

Silverdust's frown deepened, but she remained silent, due to Soundwave using his calm emotions to keep her calm. Megatron turned to face the open air.

"Come. It is a short flight", Megatron growled. Silverdust winced as she recalled something that occurred within the first year of her stay.

"Sire, I have no ability to fly", Silverdust murmured. "You had my t-cog removed."

Megatron stiffened before turning to face his daughter. "You do not need to remind me, daughter. Soundwave will bridge you and himself there."

Silverdust nodded softly. "Very well, Sire."

Megatron glanced at Soundwave, who nodded once and Silverdust looked at the mech who she was pretending was her sparkmate. Soundwave opened a ground bridge, to which she walked through, Soundwave following. Silverdust noted the cave entrance before peering through the harsh winds and rain to see the warship not too far above the mountain to which she stood by.

Hearing jets above her helm, she focused her optics on two jets, one appearing to be earthlike, and the other more cybertronian-like. She knew immediately that this was Megatron and Starscream, which was proven once they transformed. Silverdust noted that Starscream was immediately nervous, and she figured it was due to the last time he was at a cave alone with Megatron. Miko had told her the story excitedly when she, Jack, Arcee and Bulkhead had returned. Silverdust's wings drooped as she remembered the three humans she had befriended before meeting the Rescue Bots. She hoped they were safe, just as she hoped the Burnses were okay. She completely forgot to ask Heatwave when she last saw him, but she prayed that they would be there to welcome her back when she returned to the Autobots.

"Another abandoned mine, master?" Starscream whimpered. Megatron merely turned and growled softly at the quavering mech.

"Come, Starscream", Megatron sneered. Starscream followed nervously, with Soundwave and Silverdust not too far behind him. After a few moments of Starscream whimpering and grovelling to Megatron, Silverdust cut in.

"Scream, he's not gonna terminate you. If he wanted you dead, you would be by now. And if you had been paying attention, you would know that this is Shockwave's offsite laboratory."

Megatron turned to smirk at his daughter. "Spot on, my princess."

Silverdust had to fight the urge to glare at her sire. She only refrained because she knew that she would be harmed if she were to retaliate now. As they continued to walk forward, Silverdust couldn't help but gape at the protoforms sitting in a yellow liquid that she assumed was more than likely cybernucleic acid- CNA, for short.

"Woah", she whispered, gently pressing her servo against one of the containers, staring in shock.

"Refrain from touching the glass", a monotone voice spoke. "I do not want to harm the specimen."

Silverdust glanced at the purple one-eyed mech, slightly upset, but removed her servo nevertheless. She continued walking with her "sparkmate", and her sire, completely ignoring the still shaking stiletto-heeled mech until they reached the one-eyed mech, who explained that the protoforms would be ready in three days. Silverdust gaped in shock.

How long had they been working on this without her knowing?

Knockout arrived shortly thereafter, but Silverdust was quickly distracted by the presence of a predacon that she had not seen for some time. Her optics lit up and she bolted to the predacon, hugging it's neck.

"Predaking!" she cried. "When did you get back?!"

The large dragon merely glanced at her before looking to the other still-forming predacons. Silverdust smiled softly as she kept one servo on her friends neck.

"There will be more like you soon, Preda'. Just you wait... they'll be here."

Silverdust heard Starscream growl and saw him whack the predacon several times across the face. She growled softly and stormed over to the skinny mech.

"Starscream! Don't hurt him!"

"Thank you, Princess, but I can take it from here", an unfamiliar voice spoke. "And if you strike me again, I will bury that rod in your spark!"

Starscream whimpered and Silverdust slowly turned to see an unfamiliar mech standing in the place of the predacon. But she would recognize those yellow optics anywhere.

"Predaking?" she whispered softly. The mech's gaze turns to her and he smiled gently at her.

"Indeed, Princess", he murmured, before looking over her helm toward Megatron.

"I did not realize the beast could transform", Starscream whimpered as he scrambled away.

"Nor did I", Megatron said. Silverdust ignored them as she watched the newly transformed predacon with awe. He walked over to one of the containers- the same on Silverdust had touched- and looked at the forming predacon inside.

"So", Predaking began speaking. "The rumors are true. I will no longer be alone."

Megatron walked over to the tall predacon, who turned to look at the mech as he spoke.

"And I see you've been keeping secrets", Silverdust's sire growled softly.

"It was not my intention to deceive you, Lord Megatron. I only recently became aware of my abilities."

Silverdust walked over to him, and she finally understand how Arcee must feel towards Optimus. Predaking had to be twice Silverdust's height. She stared up at him in awe, barely paying attention to anything he said as she stared up at him. She could feel slight jealousy coming through the fake bond she had with Soundwave and gently looked over to him. He stood off to the side, standing as if he were emotionless, though Silverdust knew better. She sighed softly and walked over to him, gently intertwining their digits.

She quietly spoke into their private com-link. "You know there's only one Cybertronian for me, Sounds. I was just shocked at how... different he is in bot form instead of predacon form."

Soundwave chuckles through the com-link. "I know, Silverdust. But your sire would get suspicious if he saw you staring at the predacon with such awe without a single reaction to me."

Silverdust rolled her optics but kept their digits intertwined to put on a show for her sire and for anyone who may be watching them. She turned back to look at the predacon who was looking at her with a familiar look in his optics. She knew that feeling all too well. It was a feeling of hurt and betrayal.

"Well, I think someone else had... feelings for me... possibly..." Silverdust murmured. Soundwave chuckled softly as he looked toward the Predacon, who was now glaring daggers into Soundwave.

"Perhaps we should let him in on our plan?" he asked.

Silverdust frowned softly. "No, he's loyal to Megatron first, and Shockwave second. There's no way he'd help me."

Silverdust didn't have to see Soundwave's face to know he was smirking. "We shall see about that.  Once he is done speaking to Megatron, he will have to come speak with me about a few details that I will need to put in the computer."

Silverdust rolled her optics before turning to look at her Sire, who was smirking. "Perhaps we should leave the sparkmates to themselves. They seem to be having an interesting conversation over their bond."

Silverdust glared at her sire. "Must you bring that up again, sire? Yes, Soundwave and I are bonded. But that should have been a private matter and not a public spectacle like you made it!"

Megatron growled and stomped towards the white and gold femme. He raised a servo to slap her, but was stopped by a large servo catching his wrist. Silverdust was shocked to see that Predaking had stopped him.

"Strike this femme, and you will find yourself without a predacon", Predaking hissed. Silverdust's optics widened as Megatron whipped around and glared at the predacon.

"Stop me again, and you will find yourself without a spark!"

Predaking didn't back down, and Silverdust knew that if she didn't get involved, this would end badly. She didn't want Predaking to die, and she sighed softly, stepping in between the two.

"Predaking, stand down", she murmured softly. "It is alright. Perhaps it is best we return to the ship so we can discuss this in a more... civilized place."

Megatron scoffed but turned to Soundwave, who opened a ground bridge for everyone to go through. Silverdust hesitated in following, but did so anyway. However, she did not join the entourage following Megatron and Predaking as they spoke. Instead, she turned and went to her quarters, so she could be alone for a little bit. Of course, she let Soundwave know before leaving, so if her Sire asked, Soundwave could verify her absence.

As soon as she closed the door to her quarters, she leaned against the wall. She sighed softly.

'I hate acting like this... I hate acting like I'm some femme who only lives to serve her Sire. I want... I just want to be back with Heatwave...'

A knock sounds at the door, and Silverdust sighed softly. She opened the door to see a mech she hadn't seen in a while. His orange pinprick optics standing out against his dark red and black frame. Silverdust huffed, annoyed to see yet another one of her admirers.

"How may I help you, Wavesmasher?" she asked politely, though it was obvious that she did not want to see him.

Wavesmasher smirked, an amused look on a his face. "What? No welcome back? You know you missed me."

Silverdust rolled her optics. "You've been gone for three days, Wave, I've survived longer."

Wavesmasher laughed, reminding Silverdust of Heatwave. Her gaze drops to the floor, and she slumps slightly. Wavesmasher stopped laughing and immediately lifts her chin up.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked soflty. Silverdust looked into his optics and she saw an emotion in them that she had only ever seen in Heatwave's optics. She pulled away from Wavesmasher, and went to close the door, but the dark red and black mech stopped her.

"May I speak with you privately?" he asked. Silverdust's optics flashed as she looked at him.

"No", she said coldly and closed the door in his face. She slid to the floor and shook her helm.

'Soon, my love...' she whispered. 'Soon, I'll be back in your arms.'