A Mystery in Miami (Open!)

[Soundwave]

February 7th, 10:20 PM
Miami Florida (Dodge Island)

It was a beautiful, clear night. The city of Miami was unusually quiet that evening, even for a weeknight. The beautiful beaches were mostly deserted, left to the serene peace of the silent stars and the gentle rush and glide of the waves. Moonlight filtered down, turning the sands into glittering, silvery expanses, glinting off the peaceful surface of the sea.

A shadow passed under the stars.

Soundwave took note of the pastoral beauty around him in a very detached sort of way. He was aware of it, but that was his extent of interest as far as the night was concerned. This was a night for sight-seers, or for lovers. He was neither. He was a mech on a mission.

Soundwave had been dutifully monitoring Earth communications since his arrival on the planet. It was one of his primary functions, after all, and his diligence had only become more important as the threat of MECH presented itself. He was not here because of MECH, though. He was not hunting tonight; he was simply searching. There had been a series of bizarre sightings in this area as of late, starting in the Florida Keys, and then throughout the city of Miami, particularly along the coast. The aberration was the talk of crypto zoological circuits everywhere: a monstrous catlike creature, but not ordinary feline. This one was said to have glowing red eyes, and the ability to move much, much faster than any feline, great or small, should have. One sighting had even claimed that the creature was made of metal. The last known sighting had been near Bayfront Park, a small park right on the ocean.

Soundwave knew that it was a long shot, but he also knew he had no choice but to investigate. He had slipped away from the Nemesis (leaving detailed information as to where he was with a drone he knew he could trust, of course, in case of the worst; he had not, however, informed his Lord where he was heading, and nor had he asked permission) and made his way here to investigate. He had come alone. There were many possibilities waiting to present themselves tonight. Perhaps this was simply another mad Earth rumor. There was a sinister possibility that this was even a trap set to snare him, and if it was, then that meant MECH knew a lot more about him than they should. Perhaps it was some sort of strange beast.

The last possibility that he could think of was that this wayward creature was his beast. He concentrated as he flew, but he couldn’t feel Ravage’s presence anywhere nearby. This was disheartening, but that didn’t mean that it was impossible for his symbiont to be here. Sometimes the bond weakened, broke, over long periods of separation. It could be kindled back into life again.

Soundwave was making his way to Dodge Island. It was a relatively deserted area, an artificial island constructed mainly as a shipping port for human cruise vessels. It was dominated by expanses of concrete littered with storage units, as well as the occasional warehouse. It wouldn’t be terribly hard for Soundwave to move about there as he investigated. Besides, if his hopes were confirmed, and this creature that had been spotted was Ravage, his Ravage, his symbiont would know that this would be a good place to hide until he was able to contact his host.

Soundwave finally arrived, and came in for a landing on top of one of the enormous storage units stacked in the lot on the corner of Australian Way and Port Boulevard. It was late, and there seemed to be nobody about, so there was, presumably, nobody to notice the sleek predator drone shifting as it swooped down, reconfiguring itself into a svelte, long-limbed mech as it landed, carefully, skillfully, and noiselessly, on top of a storage unit.

Soundwave crouched and immediately deployed the communication foil from his back, tapping into local channels as he settled to work. He was keeping an eye about him, but it was very dark and still; the only lights were cast by the moon and the intricate glowing lines weaving their way about the mech’s slim form.

(I am leaving this currently open as to whether or not the source of these sightings is, in fact, Soundwave's long-lost symbiote; if you have a character who would set up this kind of ambush for a Cybertronian, feel free to jump in! If you have a character who might just happen to be nearby, for whatever reason, also feel free! I can be flexible with what exactly is the source of all these strange sightings. :3)

[Windsong]

((this post presumes that Soundwave's signal is masked as I guess it usually is.))

Another "supposed Cybertronian" was headed towards Dodge Island, but for different reasons. They also had no idea another mech was around. Windsong was not here to search for anything, nor was he on any kind of real mission. He was here to cure his itching boredom while simultaneously exploring new areas of his new home. He'd been here since December, and this was his first time away from Paradron.

And in this new environment, he was enjoying the sights, he liked flying any time of day and seeing new things. Windsong was easily entertained in the air, as well. Currently, he was using the few islands around the US as practice target areas for various types of approaches. Steep approaches, go-arounds, shallow approaches, all at varying air speeds.

He was making his first approach to Dodge Island. With no navigational guidance, this would be his first 'precision', off airport approach done in a while. Granted, it would be stupid for him to land here unless he had room to transfom, which he might after a couple passes if the area seemed safe to do so. But for now, he would get used to approaching such a small island that seemed to be man made.

His navigation lights active, he used his own judgement to make the approaches. This first one was a steep approach, at near stalling speeds for an advanced aircraft like the Sukhoi. Wingtip vorticies started to develop as the thick moisture visibly revealed their development as mini contrails. Closer and closer he got to the southwest side of the island. The roar of the engines could not really be muffled, so he would definitely be heard by anyone on the island, which meant he was unknowingly nearing a Decepticon presence.

[Soundwave]

Soundwave was a highly observant mech. Indeed, observing was one of the things he did best. In addition, he was actively casting out his senses. As such, he noticed Windsong long before the other drew very near, and anxiously tracked the unknown signal’s presence. He did not know who Windsong was, only that he was not a Decepticon, and he didn’t seem to be an Autobot. Was this the trap being sprung?

He turned his screen-like face towards the sky, reading flickering across the surface as he examined the stranger curiously. No, this was no human aircraft, so unless a Cybertronian had allied themselves with MECH (something he considered highly unlikely) he was dealing with one of his kind. He straightened, tucking his communications foil into his chassis once more.

He didn’t know exactly what was happening, so he decided to wait and see. After calculating the stranger’s approach vector, he repositioned himself, moving with fluid soundlessness to a position where he would not likely be spotted. He crouched, monitoring Windsong with his equipment. Though his posture did not reflect it, he was a bit annoyed. He had come here to find someone dear to him, and this unknown mech was either a distraction or an enemy.

Primus help him if he was an enemy.

[Windsong]

Windsong continued his approaches, initiating them from different directions before aborting and 'going around'. He did not catch a wiff of Soundwave's scent nor was he able to detect him with his 'special' sensors (something like sonar) until he made a third approach, this one being a a more tame, average approach. The angle of the descent was about 4 degrees, just a little less than then norm for civilian air carriers. The engines were quieter and operated with less power this time, so the noise reduction was noticeable.

The Sukhoi was minding his own business. But unfortunately, when he caught the mech's scent, he was much closer to his location at this time without realizing it. He would kick on the afterburners again after he started accelerating. Windsong practically launched himself up almost vertically in a slight arc as soon as he could muster the power. Once again, the noise increased, and it might startle Soundwave some - but then again, it was hard to startle this one.

[Soundwave]

If Soundwave was startled, he did not show it. He retained his position, watching the abrupt change in the mech’s behavior. He still did not know the identity of the mech, but he was not an obvious Decepticon. His sudden and erratic behavior indicated that he was likely aware that Soundwave was in the vicinity. Perhaps it would be prudent to show himself.

He waited until Windsong was far from the island, possibly coming back for another turn, before he moved to stand on top of the warehouse he’d been sheltering behind. The gesture was quick, fluid, so it would have seemed to Windsong that Soundwave had just appeared there. He did not move or speak, but his face-screen tracked the other mech.

He didn’t know what was going to happen next, but he did know that if he didn’t chase this mech off or convince him to leave, he might never get to the bottom of these sightings; if Ravage was here, then he certainly wouldn’t compromise himself to this foreign mech.

[Ravage]

Soundwave was correct in that thought.

On the other side of the practically man made island, the night was peaceful, and the current stand-off between the Decepticon Communications Officer and the unknown mech seemed a world away. Over here, it was just another starry night in paradise. A small human child was, for a few moments, sat on the beach, until a call from someone older caused her to stand up and skip off towards her loving creators, the three of them disappearing into the night.

The sight made the disguised metal cat jealous. For almost months now he had been ducking and weaving through the daily lives of the humans to avoid detection, almost revealing himself in a fair few situations. Already there was chatter on the human radios of a strange cat prowling within the night, its description unlike any known cat on the planet. He had avoided the optics of even the most sharp Autobots back on Cybertron, and here he was being spotted by a bunch of humans. It was embarrassing.

But that wasn't why he was jealous. He was jealous of the girl. She had her creator, or creators in this case, and right now he didn't. Soundwave was possibly states away with the other Decepticons in the Nemesis, and no one had come looking for him. His Fatherly figure might have searched, but it would take the mech a while to find his three lost symbionts in this Country, and it would take them longer to find Soundwave.

Or perhaps it wouldn't. For him, anyway. There were two signals on the other side of the island - he'd masked his own to avoid any passing Autobots - and whilst one was unrecognizable to his sensors, the other was very familiar. Soundwave! Soundwave had found him! He let out a little mrrow of excitement as he darted from his cover, the night still disguising him so perhaps any passing humans would only see his piercing yellow optics.

Then they'd probably run away in fear.

[Windsong]

When the wind carried Soundwave's scent over towards Windsong's nose as he was just about to abort another approach from the current approach path, he randomly descended a few more feet and transformed with a loud thunk near some of the large crates and a small supply shack well opposite from where Soundwave was located currently. He hadn't sensed Ravage nearby yet, but probably would in minutes to them getting closer to each other, whenever that was.

He sniffed the air, walking around a bit, hands on his hips. The 45 foot tall white and gray camouflage mech stood out like a sore thumb in the darkness, his bright optics bright as headlights. Windsong would inquire no harm to the Decepticon, though he couldn't tell yet if they were an enemy with his signal masked. He stayed quiet, looking around casually.

[Soundwave]

Soundwave was a sharp contrast to the enormous, pale Seeker. He was much, much smaller, and his own frame was dominated by dark hues interspersed with glowing, glyph-like purple lines. That was probably the first thing that Windsong would see--the glowing lines shifting in the dark as Soundwave carefully hopped down from where he’d been standing, landing on the concrete with considerably less noise.

Under normal circumstances, Soundwave would not have challenged Windsong directly. He still wasn’t sure exactly hat was going on, and only knew that there was a slim possibility that he might be reunited with one of his lost symbionts here. There was also the possibility that he was walking into a trap.

He didn’t know what to think, and that was a very unusual state of mind for Soundwave.

He positioned himself squarely in front of Windsong. He kept his distance, but there was a hint of aggression in the normally-elegant lines of the Cybertronian’s lanky form. As usual, he said nothing. He merely stared, waiting for Windsong to make the first move.

[Windsong]

Windsong stared blankly at Soundwave. He too didn't know what to think of what he saw. Was he a Decepticon? He'd heard that name muttered on Paradron before, but it was usually just a bunch of background rumors - nothing to fret over. The race on Paradron was a much more peaceful one in contrast to those on Cybertron, though they were all essentially the same. "~...Um. Designation please?~" he asked awkwardly in Cybertronian even though it wasn't his native language. His stance shifted a little out of tension. He wasn't interested in a fight. Windsong was innocently more curious than anything else. Windsong didn't think forthright that it might be hard to get answers out of Soundwave. Almost all of his kind were capable of normal speech.

[Ravage]

Ravage quickened his pace at hearing the Cybertronian query from the other mech. If he could reach his Father in time, he would be able to support him if a battle followed, and that would help him to feel better about his current situation. Being seen by humans had severely dented his pride, and he was determined to fix that, especially if it involved offlining some Autobots. Whether this was actually an Autobot, though, remained to be seen, but it was still a potential threat to his Father in his processor.

He quickly sent a ping to Soundwave through their bond so that he didn't surprise the mech, before he leaped up to climb onto the dark mech's back, his entire frame shifting to make up the armor of Soundwave's back, his tail curling to form against the Decepticon's left leg, joyfully reactivating the bond between the mech and his symbiont that had been dormant for so long. He also detected Lazerbeak on Soundwave's chest, which made him doubly happy.

[Soundwave]

It took every ounce of willpower left in Soundwave not to move when he felt that ping strike against his processor. Ravage. Ravage. He wanted nothing more than to turn to his symbiont, to welcome his long-lost Ravage home, but he couldn’t take his eyes off this strange mech, not for an instant. The armored plates that formed his exoskeleton relaxed slightly, which was not usually a response seen in a mech about to fight, but he was preparing himself to receive his symbiont back.

He felt Ravage’s weight between his shoulders, and the plates of his back shifted and whirred as they locked his symbiont into place. Instantly uplink cables joined their systems, synchronized the beat of their sparks, and pure joy resonated in lingering notes over the bond. Outwardly, Soundwave was still, silent, staring at Windsong. Inwardly, he was practically singing his happiness with every particle of his being. Two of his symbionts, two missing parts of him, were back again. Laserbeak welcomed Ravage through the bond, as silently, but just as joyfully, as her host.

They had all lost so much over the eons. Of course, Soundwave, like many Decepticons, hadn’t had much to begin with, but he had had his symbionts. They had mostly been taken away from him, but one wayward spark had finally found its way home.

He sent a burst of warm affection and gratitude through the link. He would need to run a full diagnostic on Ravage when they returned home. Making sure that his symbiont was cared for was his top priority.

Or, well… second-to-top priority. Now he focused on Windsong, a mech he knew nothing about. He had never seen this fellow before. He wondered if he should retreat, and see to it that Ravage was tended to right away, but the uplink from symbiont to host should already be replenishing some of Ravage’s energy levels, and he would receive a ping from his onboard diagnostic software if there were any problems that needed immediate addressing.

He supposed, now that he had done his duty to his spark, he could do his duty to his Lord. He saw no reason to lie. Revealing his identity would undoubtedly invoke some kind of reaction from this strange fellow. Observing that reaction would no doubt provide information about this fellow, whether he realized it or not.

“Soundwave,” he replied. His true voice, which was rarely used, was hypnotic and resonant, a merging of electronic tones that wove together in seamless harmony. It was as if a chorus of mechs were speaking at once.

[Windsong]

Windsong thought Soundwave had a very mysterious yet beautiful voice. It almost made him jealous. "I'm Windsong. Sorry to interrupt whatever you were doing here." he twiddled his thumbs. "Uh, need any assistance?" he asked, feeling incredibly awkward like he had just walked into a room with a human female changing in it. Soundwave didn't look too friendly (even considering his beautiful yet eerie voice), but who could say what he was really like? Perhaps he did need some help.

Windsong wasn't too well educated on the nature of typical Decepticons, but he figured if this was a Decepticon judging by the colors and markings, that he would try to keep it cool with this one.

[Ravage]

Ravage returned the burst of affection to both his father and his sibling. It had been far too long. There was also a sense of apology for not finding him sooner, and there was a tiny sense of disappointment in himself. He had been seen; something that should be impossible. Worse, he had been seen numerous times by pathetic fleshy creatures. It was embarrassing and horrible and he hated it.

The next emotion that came was question. Who was this mech that they were facing? Who was he aligned with? Did it require his disengagement to send him packing? He was always ready to fight for his father, no matter what enemy they were facing. He simply needed the order, and he would do it.

[Soundwave]

Soundwave stared at Windsong for a few long, silent moments. He didn’t immediately answer the question from either Windsong or Ravage, because he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do yet. This mech didn’t seem hostile, but he was not a Decepticon, that much was obvious. Ravage was soon to arrive, and could provide a valuable surprise strike on the mech while Soundwave kept him distracted. Dragging a neutral back to Lord Megatron for questioning was sure to be useful. It was a perspective that they had not been able to gain yet, and it might yield valuable information.

But Ravage was likely weak from his long period of separation, and definitely needed refueling and a check-up. There was no way of getting through any potential battle without probably damage to his symbiont, and Soundwave was not about to lose him before he had even had a chance to welcome him back. He sent a ping to Ravage first of all. Ravage: Approach but do not engage. He sent through their link.

To Windsong, he simply shook his head slowly, remaining stock-still and waiting on his symbiont. He remained otherwise eerily silent.

[Windsong]

"Nice kitty?" Windsong spoke with curiosity still in his tone, but a bit more hesitant now as he kneeled down to get a better look at the symbiote. He hadn't seen one this small back on Paradron (sp?) before, at least from what he could remember -so Ravage was holding his attention now as well. He was not too familar with the Decepticons, but he would learn quick if he hung around Earth long enough.

((sorry this is so short, but...yeah...))