Shockwave's been missing for decacycles, without a word of warning and none of the other Senators are breathing a word about his absence. Some pretended he never existed, some dodged the question as best they could with a look of unadulterated terror and others still told you not to worry your helm about him with sick smiles.

His absence can be felt in your spark, a hole that keeps growing with every day that passes.

Mechs don't just go missing like that, especially high ranking ones, especially in such an uncertain time regarding Cybertron's future. He can't have been murdered, you're sure of it, and he'd never just up and disappear like this.

The only motive someone might have for wanting him gone is the fact that he's a Decepticon sympathiser, but The Senate can't be going this far, can they? Shockwave is scattered, overly emotional, acts on his whims far too much, and is too empathetic for his good, but he's a good mech and doesn't deserve whatever this is.

Everything feels so much more empty and stagnant with Shockwave around to shake up the monotony, and you find yourself wandering Iacon aimlessly, unsure if you're trying to clear your helm or looking for him.

The place you've been avoiding though—the field of imported organic flowers he made all the way on the outskirts of the city—seems to call you today. Your frame moves by itself, as if in a haze until you see a familiar frame standing in the distance, with the same green, white and blue colour scheme you last saw on him. The first thought you have is that it must be torturous for him to stick with the same paintjob for longer than a cycle.

Your processor screams at you to move, and you do, but you freeze when Shockwave turns around to face you, leaking coolant from his electric blue optics with the saddest smile you've ever seen.

"I'm out of time," he says softly, holding out his servo. "They're after me, and I... I can't bear to leave." Shockwave sounds the most serious you've ever seen him. "I was hoping you'd show up here," he makes a little grabby motion with his extended servo, a little hint of the mech you know shining through.

"I've missed you so much, you have no idea," he pulls you towards him when you finally take his servo, trying to cover up the trembling in his digits. "Aren't you happy to see me? You have that look on your face, the same one you have whenever I do something stupid and impulsive."

Of course you're happy to see him, but what in the name of Primus does he mean?

"Ah, right. That," he chuckles humourlessly. "Please, I don't... I don't want to get you in trouble too. I want you to remember this night as something happy. Please don't make me tell you. I want you to make your own decisions regarding this entire debacle."

Shockwave's servos come up to cup your faceplate and he can't stop the shakes that rack his entire frame this time. "One last time, just one last time," his vocaliser glitches just slightly as he rests his forehelm on yours. "Just this one last time, kiss me underneath the stars."