Shockwave arrives on the Nemesis after months of work on Cybertron, carrying a small stasis pod. The moment he steps onto the bridge, the entire crew freezes. Starscream: “Shockwave… what is that?” Shockwave, completely deadpan: “A successful experiment.” The pod opens. Revealing a sparkling. Every Seeker in the vicinity immediately melts. Thundercracker: “He’s so small.” Skywarp: “Can we keep him?” Starscream: “ABSOLUTELY NOT—” Soundwave appears behind Shockwave without a sound. He sees the sparkling and his visor brightens by 12%. Laserbeak chirps excitedly and circles the sparkling. Shockwave: “Your contribution to Cipher’s creation proved essential. Logic dictates you should participate in its development.” Soundwave nods once, but his field betrays him — warm, relieved, thrumming with affection. He pretends he didn’t miss his sparkling during the Cybertron months, but everyone can feel the lie. Starscream whispers to Knockout: “He’s vibrating. He’s actually vibrating.”