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Post by Alexandria "Alex" Mack on May 29, 2013 16:12:02 GMT -5
Alex looked up as she heard the slight noise near the lock and saw Ravage. She recognized the mechanoid feline as one of Soundwave's symbiotes, Wavelength had showed her what they looked like as well. She thought back to remember the name. "...Ravage...?" She stood from the chair, watching the feline as they approached, glancing to the now disabled lock and then back to the feline as she tried to fully grasp what was going on here. "Are you... Are you trying to get me out of here...?" Deep down she already knew the answer. Why else would they have disabled the lock and come at a time when she was alone? Soundwave's drone... It was meant as a distraction for Knockout to get her alone long enough. It was all starting to make sense. And yet, why was Soundwave doing this? He'd never even come to see her before, he didn't even seem to have an interest in her. And why now?
She looked back to the exit from this small cell she had been kept in for years. It was unlocked, unguarded, she finally had a chance at the freedom she had yearned for for so long. A chance she may never have again. It all seemed so surreal, like a dream she had never imagined could find it's way to reality, and yet one she had hoped for every moment, a hope that had helped her hold on for so long and keep pushing from day to day. Now the chance had come and she was overwhelmed by disbelief and even perhaps a bit of fear.
She glanced over to a small, hidden compartment in the cell, a place she used to stash some of the things Wavelength and Knockout had brought her over time so she wouldn't be caught with them, then back to Ravage. "Give me just a moment..." She ran over to the compartment, slipping the handheld game system into her pocket as she did so, and opened it up, rummaging through and grabbing a few things she would not leave behind, a small stack of pictures of her and Wavelength, a few where Knockout was there too, the tazer Wavelength had gotten for her so she could practice with her abilities more, finally she grabbed a pen and opened up one of her books, tearing out a blank extra page from the back and quickly began scrawling a note on it. It wasn't addressed to anyone in particular, just in case the wrong person were to find it, but those whom it was intended for would know.
I got the opportunity to escape so I took it. Had I known before hand I would have said goodbye but... I have to go. I might not get the chance again. I will miss you so much. You have no idea how much your kindness meant to me, how much it helped me. You'll always be dear to me and I will never forget you. If I never get to see you again, just know that I am eternally grateful for everything you've done. Goodbye.
She paused for a moment and then added one last thing.
I'm sorry...
She knew Wavelength and Knockout were very different from the other Decepticons. She often found herself feeling that they never belonged there at all, and in leaving like this to return to the Autobots, to the only home she had ever known, she felt as though she was abandoning two dear friends whom she owed everything to. She felt guilty leaving them like this but, at the same time, she also knew how much they both wanted her out of there. She knew they hated all the experiments she was put through, the way the other Decepticons treated her, and that they wanted better for her. She hoped that somehow the assurance that she was free of that now would be enough. That that knowledge would comfort them and bring them some bit of happiness. That somehow it would be enough to make up for what she felt was something of a betrayal.
She rushed back to the table and carefully slipped the note under the empty plate left from her meal. She sincerely hoped it would be either Knockout or Wavelength that found that note, and that whichever found it first would share it with the other. She then looked back to Ravage, her grip tightening on the tazer. She knew it wouldn't do much good against most Decepticons normally but with any luck she might be able to amp it up a bit should things go arwy, at least enough to stun them. She nodded to the feline then. "Alright, I'm ready..."
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Ravage
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Post by Ravage on May 29, 2013 22:02:12 GMT -5
Ravage nodded once to confirm her guess as to who he was, then watched her quietly as she made her preparations to leave. Once she was ready, he nodded once again and turned his left side towards her, his tail making a motion as if to say "Come here." before lightly tapping his back once, then moving back to a more natural position behind him. A soft faint purring sound could be heard from the robotic feline, then he quietly coughed up some of those silver spheres again, which opened up and climbed up onto his back, then right before her eyes, they reformed themselves into a smooth and slightly cupped pad of sorts on his back, a makeshift saddle to be sure, since his back was certainly not a comfortable looking ride bare back. He looked at her with a slight tilt to his head and waited for her to climb on, and once she was on his back, he looked to the door and smoothly moved out, almost like he was slithering more than walking. Once out of the cage, he quickly moved to the deepest shadows and slipped out of the room and through a hidden vent large enough for them to get through. At every juncture, he paused to listen, then headed off again, sometimes taking a side branch, other times going straight ahead.
It didn't take long for the large cat to get to the outside vent. Once there he flattened his 'ears' and hunkered down, watching through the slits to see when his next move would be. It had gotten dark now, granting the feline perfect cover. Once he knew no one was near the vent, he quietly nosed it open on one side and slipped out, using his tail to gently close it again before moving along the deepest shadows, wrapping them around himself and his human rider like a cloak that concealed them from the prying optics of any who might look their way. It was as if he could sense when they looked in his direction because he would freeze until they looked away, then quickly move on again. Once they had gotten off the base without incident, he let out a very feline snort and shook his head slightly before charging off into the darkness, his back gently rolling with each stride beneath Alex, granting a relatively smooth ride for her with a kind of undulating rocking motion, something any novice rider could easily move with and stay in place on his back.
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Post by Alexandria "Alex" Mack on May 30, 2013 10:51:06 GMT -5
Alex was tense through the entire escape, trying to be as silent as possible and even holding her breath each time that Ravage stopped. Once Ravage broke into a run, she relaxed a bit, knowing they were clear. She felt the movements he made, adjusting her weight to move with them. She looked back, watching the base shrink into the distance. It still seemed unbelievable to her, as though she were expecting to wake up back in that cell at any moment. And yet, it all felt so undeniably real. She turned forward again, taking in a deep breath. The fresh air… It felt so good… She had forgotten what it was like after so long. She closed her eyes, feeling the wind whip through her hair as the fact that she was actually outside began to sink in, and tears began to streak down her face. Tears of relief, of joy, of guilt, of worry, of every emotion she knew, all superseded by the fact that she was free now. Her legs tightened around Ravage to keep her stable as she spread her arms out, a broad smile stretching across her lips as she felt the sensations over her whole body, and she let out a cheer of victory, shouting it to the open space. The nightmare was over now.
But then a realization hit her, she had no idea what came next. She had always planned to return to the Autobot base if she ever escaped. Even if she didn’t know the way she would keep searching until she found it, it was the only home she had ever had, where else did she have to go? But she wasn’t the one controlling where she went now, that was Ravage. Or was Ravage following Soundwave’s instructions? It was impossible to tell. But either way she had no idea what was planned for her now. For a moment she was worried. What if she was just headed for something much worse? She quickly shook the thought from her mind. Wavelength had told her about how Soundwave really was, not the monster from the rumors that passed around between the Decepticons. She trusted Soundwave, because Wavelength trusted him. Wavelength… She wondered if he’d returned to the base yet, if he’d found the note she left. Even though it was all she could do she felt like that note was not enough. If only she’d had the chance to properly say goodbye to Wavelength and Knockout, or possibly even been able to do something for them before leaving.
She let out a sigh, looking down at Ravage. ”I don’t suppose you’re about to tell me where we’re going, huh?” she asked, having a good idea of what the answer would be. She knew Ravage didn’t really speak to anyone aside from Soundwave, so for now it appeared to be a waiting game until they reached wherever it was they were headed.
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Ravage
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Post by Ravage on May 30, 2013 11:05:43 GMT -5
As Ravage ran, he contacted Soundwave, letting him know the mission was a success and receiving the coordinates of where to go next. When Alex spoke, he tilted his head and cocked one of his ears back to listen. "Rurrrourrrerrawrrrurrr..." he answered, not really expecting her to understand, but felt that he should at least acknowledge what she asked. Still, he ran on, and once he was certain they were far enough away, his entire form seemed to shimmer and Alex found herself riding a huge solid black cat the size of a large tiger with thick fur instead of a metal feline. His fur was silky yet very soft under her hands, and the holoform projection felt like real flesh instead of hard metal. Certainly a more pleasant ride to be sure.
((Cybercat Translation: "Rurrrourrrerrawrrrurrr..." = "To find my Master..."))
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Post by Alexandria "Alex" Mack on May 30, 2013 11:30:41 GMT -5
Alex couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at the response from Ravage. She hadn’t actually expected a response at all, but it seemed the feline was a lot friendlier than he initially looked. ”Right, guess I need to learn how to speak ‘Ravage’ first, huh?” she joked. She watched as his form shifted to a much more seemingly organic feline, gently feeling the fur between her fingers. It was so soft, and pleasant to touch. She’d seen plenty of pictures of large cats in books, and read many descriptions, and wondered if this was what they really felt like. She knew how realistic the holoforms were, but she’d only ever interacted with ones that mimicked humans. Suddenly she realized something that made her laugh a bit. This all seemed so much like something straight out of a fantasy book. A young girl making her escape on a large feline, riding it across the land to parts unknown to see what adventure awaited her. All she was missing was a long flowing dress and maybe a sword. Imagining it in her head caused a small fit of laughter. Once she had calmed the laughter she reached forward, scratching behind one of Ravage’s ears in a display of gratitude. ”Well, whatever comes next, thanks…”
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Ravage
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Post by Ravage on May 30, 2013 14:51:26 GMT -5
Ravage let out a soft rumbling sound from deep in his chest, one that seemed like a purr of some sort but much deeper in tone. He nodded in response to her comment and continued on, though he slowed a bit when she started scratching behind his ear, turning his head towards her hand. Soundwave often did that and it felt good to him, but he never had a human show such affection towards him and he decided he rather liked it. When she offered her thanks, he rumbled softly and nodded. "Rrrurrawrrrurrr..." he answered. If one payed close attention to his growls and rumblings, one could almost hear actual words in there, almost.
((Cybercat Translation: "Rrrurrawrrrurrr..." = "You're welcome..."))
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Post by Alexandria "Alex" Mack on May 30, 2013 17:38:39 GMT -5
She smiled at the response he gave, it was obvious to her that they were legitimate responses, and based on the intonation and structure of that last one and the context... "That was 'You're welcome,' right?" She reached forward with her other hand to scratch behind his other ear for a bit then shifted her hands to rub at his cheeks playfully before shifting her right hand again to rub under his chin. She'd never had experience with this sort of thing before, she was basing her interactions on what she had read in books where people interacted with animals, the common things they seemed to enjoy. She figured it would be similar at the least with Ravage. "With any luck I might become fluent..." she chuckled.
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Ravage
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Post by Ravage on May 30, 2013 18:12:33 GMT -5
An odd sort of rhythmic sound that seemed somewhere between a purr and a growl that could only be interpreted as a feline chuckle rolled forth from the large black cat, and he nodded to confirm that she had interpreted his vocalizations correctly. As she began scratching around behind both his ears, he slowed and ended up stopping in mid stride as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back so she could reach more, a deep rumbling purr that vibrated his entire chassis beneath her could be not only heard, but felt, as his whiskers angled nearly straight forward in an expression of pure pleasure, his front paws flexing and kneading the ground in front of him. Oh it felt so good! This human certainly seemed to know right where to scratch, an uncanny trait for one who had never met one of his kind before. "Rrrrreeewrrrrooouuurrrrr..." he purred deeply following her comment about becoming fluent in interpreting his manner of 'speaking'. He wasn't sure if a human could do that, but thus far things were certainly looking promising. At this point they were fairly near to where he had been told to go, so he didn't worry too much about moving much farther than where they were now.
((Cybercat Translation: "Rrrrreeewrrrrooouuurrrrr..." = "Feels good..."))
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Post by Alexandria "Alex" Mack on May 31, 2013 17:53:35 GMT -5
Alex laughed a bit at his reaction. While she couldn't interpret exactly what he had said that time she caught the sense of pleasure in the tone. "Guess I'm doing it right..." She couldn't help but wonder why they had stopped. Perhaps they had reached where they were going, though there wasn't really much around at all, or maybe Ravage need to rest a bit, it was impossible to tell, really, but she guessed she would be finding out soon enough. She shifted a bit, leaning forward until she was laying along Ravage's back, feeling the vibrations from his purring through her whole body and closing her eyes as she nuzzled the side of her face against the soft fur of his holoform. She let out a sigh, one of relief more than anything though there was a hint of nervousness there too, as she moved her arms, trying to rub at his chest and belly as best as she could reach.
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Post by Soundwave on May 31, 2013 19:38:25 GMT -5
Soundwave had of course been keeping close track of his precious Cybercat symbiote and his mission, thus he was waiting quietly, hidden at the coordinates he had assigned for the rendezvous once Ravage had safely retrieved Alex. He noted with curiosity that Ravage had actually stopped a little short, so he set out to intercept. What he found amused him greatly - Ravage with his holoform shell active, laying on the ground with Alex perched on his side scritching and petting him while the Cybercat was purring loudly, his forepaws pumping in ecstasy. He let out an electronic chuckle and walked up to the pair, glad that both were safe. He knew his son would be relieved Alex was no longer captive of the Decepticons. He knelt down and offered his hand to the Techno Organic to climb up while his other hand gave Ravage a light scritch along his jowls.
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Ravage
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Post by Ravage on May 31, 2013 20:17:22 GMT -5
Ravage rumbled a greeting to his Master as Soundwave approached, nuzzling his hand affectionately when he petted him. He then carefully got up once Alex had gotten up off him and gave her a light nuzzle before deactivating his holoform and jumping up into his Master's arms before transforming himself into a sphere so Soundwave could set him in a specialized compartment.
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Post by Alexandria "Alex" Mack on Jun 1, 2013 13:47:05 GMT -5
Alex laughed a bit, finding Ravage's reactions adorable. They were the types of reactions one expected more of a housecat that such a large feline. Then again, in comparison to most Cybertronians, Ravage wasn't really that large. She heard a mech approaching and stopped, turning to see who it was and finding that it was Soundwave, not the drone, but his true form. She stood up, turning to face him in a bit of shock and awe. She wasn't scared at all, she just hadn't quite expected to meet him like this. Given the circumstances the thought had crossed her mind but she was still trying to fully grasp the circumstances to begin with. Not to mention there was a certain level of intimidation. She knew the rumors that got passed around between Decepticons, and she knew the truth from Wavelength, but between both one fact remained consistent, Soundwave was a very powerful mech. She looked back to Ravage as he nuzzled her a bit, scratching him back a bit before he dropped the holoform and returned to his master. The gesture seemed to be not only one of affection, but of reassurance as well. She turned back to Soundwave, looking at the hand he had extended to her, and after a moment's hesitation she climbed into it, looking up at the communications officer, the one Wavelength called 'Dad.' Her mind flooded with questions, so many it was hard to keep them all straight, so quicly there was no way to ask them all. "Soundwave... What's going on? Why did you get me out of there? Why now?" She paused for a moment and then added "Why are you suddenly interested in me?"
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Post by Soundwave on Jun 1, 2013 15:55:26 GMT -5
Once she was in his hand, Soundwave stood, bringing her close to his chest. "Wavelength." came the one word answer to her question in his deeply modulated voice, and with that, he opened an empty compartment in his chest, holding her up towards it so she could climb inside.
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Post by Alexandria "Alex" Mack on Jun 1, 2013 17:50:12 GMT -5
Her eyes widened a bit at the response he gave. "Wavelength...?" Both she and Knockout had noticed Wavelength had been gone unusually long. It had concerned her quite a bit, but now the worry was really starting to set in. "Is he okay? Nothing... Nothing happened to him, did it?" she asked shakily as she climbed into the compartment, part of her fearing the worst. If this was the result of some sort of final wish then she would have rather stayed locked up. Her freedom was not worth Wavelength's life.
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Post by Soundwave on Jun 1, 2013 19:43:26 GMT -5
Soundwave regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, noting her concern for his adoptive son. "Wavelength safe." he assured her, then closed the compartment around her to protect her, transformed, and took to the air, heading north-east towards Washington DC. He knew his son was there and he also knew Alex' home and family were there. Now that she was free, it was time for her to return to her family and time for him to retrieve his son.
Back at the Decepticon base, the repairs were nearing completion as the Cyber Drone remained motionless under Knockout's attentive hand.
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