Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Safe travels Boss!”

“Acknowledged. Rumble: Avoid pranks”

“Wha- why only me! Frenzy’s in on it too! At least most of the time..” the blue casseticon grumbled.

Frenzy was about to protest when Soundwave turned his back and faced the space bridge to cybertron. His cassettes were currently sending him off after they’ve been given their assigned tasks.

Soundwave sighed. Even though he’d rather send these files to his fellow third-in-command via a data transfer, unfortunately he can’t risk these files falling into Autobot hands. Even if he can put the most intricate encryption and firewall, the risk was too great for hacking. He read the cover of the datapad once more to check before stepping in.

TOP SECRET
Blueprints for [REDACTED]
Authorization Level 3 and Above Required To View Files.

Only few individuals knew of this project. Him, Lord Megatron, and Shockwave. Lord Megatron would rather destroy this file rather than let his traitorous second in command get his grabby servos on it to use it to his advantage to usurp him. Again. For the nth time.

If Soundwave’s being honest, he doesn’t really talk to the one-eyed scientist except when needed or in rare occasions that he substitutes for Lord Megatron to receive important news from home sure he respects him but only in a professional level, the mech was known for his works but he’s always been mysterious.

Home huh. Soundwave mused. It’s been awhile since he’s seen Cybertron, maybe a quick change of scenery will do him good. The war has been putting a lot of strain in his body and mind, not to mention the backstabbing and plotting of Starscream means an increase in his workload. As he gave one final look, he saw his twin cassettes go from arguing to rough housing. Ravage gave him a sad look, his eyes pleading for him to hurry up with the job and come home. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw were flying around the twins, having their own style of goodbye for their master. Rumble and Frenzy noticed the two flying cassetticons above them squawking, they immediately stopped and looked at Soundwave whose arms are crossed and his disapproval clear in their symbiotic bond.

“Uh- Don’t worry boss! We got this, besides you’ll only be quick right?” Rumble said with a nervous laugh, his servo scratching the back of his head while Frenzy snickered at him.

Soundwave nodded. Maybe putting Rumble in charge of the cassettes was a slight miscalculation on his part he thought as he faced the spacebridge again.

Too late for that. He sighed as he stepped into the portal where he was greeted by Shockwave. His one optic looking at him as Soundwave walked towards him. The whole place looked as if it was straight out of an earth horror film. Unfinished drones laid on a table in the corner of the room. Various chemicals were sitting by another table on the other side of the room and other various and odd-looking experiments were placed on a dark corner. The dim lighting did not help which made the scientist look more ominous.

“Do you have the blueprints?” he asked flatly, almost bored and as usual with their meetings, the scientist gets down to business. Although his respect for his comrade was huge, in all the 4 million years they have known each other, the communications officer can only recall the number of times they’ve had small talk. Which was three.

Why do I remember that, and why do I care? Maybe I really need a break. Soundwave thought as he wordlessly passed the datapad to him until-

Alert. Breach in Sector 1. Security protocols engaged.

“Autobots….” Shockwave uttered with a sharp intake. He made his way to the security cameras and sure enough he saw three femme autobots destroy his security drones and make their way to the elevator.

“It would be logical to retreat to earth right now Soundwave, I shall deal with them. Let’s move the exchange in another time.”

“Negative: Soundwave shall provide defensive support”

“The timing of you arriving here and them attacking..the probability of it being a coincidence is low” the gunformer told him with a hint of annoyance in his voice

“Soundwave: is aware. Shockwave: lacks firepower for defense as of the moment. If the control for Space Bridge is compromised, the disadvantage to Decepticons would be great. Assistance is how you say it..logical” Shockwave looked at how his drones were being decimated one by one and looked at the other again.

“Fair enough. If this goes wrong Megatron will have both of our heads” Shockwave replied while the drones were keeping the autobots busy. The communications officer looked him straight in the optic “Soundwave: understands.” his visor glinted and his voice full of determination as he spoke.

While the explosions and gunfire are heard throughout the building, Soundwave couldn’t help but notice something odd.
“Where are the seekers assigned to guard here” Soundwave asked. It was curious that one of the important bases of Decepticon territory was lightly guarded.

“It seems our interlopers are aware of their scheduled patrols and air surveillance. It’s why I have been building drones to make up for it. Of course not all of them are off flying” As the scientist explained he passed the list of seekers currently stationed here with their status update.

And..they’re dead.

Soundwave cursed inwardly.

Alert. Alert. Sector 4 Breached. Prepare to engage hostiles.

Only one thing to do now. Soundwave sighed, one more sector and this floor will be a shooting range. “It is not too late for my original plan, if you are worried for the Space Bridge then I shall destroy it and just build a new one somewhere.” Shockwave said in an almost defeated tone.

“Soundwave: has a plan, but it will require some energon to be spilled. But first, are you sure these are the only intruders?”

“Positive” Shockwave replied. His head tilted sideways a bit and his antennae wiggled like an inquisitive cat which he recently learned was an earth creature closely resembling Ravage. Cute. The cassetteformer thought as he mentally slapped himself. Remember this mech will not hesitate to dissect a live cybertronian..for research as he claims it.. do not be distracted. Soundwave reasoned to himself. Feeling an optic boring in his back, the cassette former looked at his companion, patiently waiting for a reply.

“Shockwave: be ready to prepare. Operation: Safeguard”

“Illogical. The chances of it working is-“

“Soundwave: knows how to compute”

What in the pit is he thinking. Shockwave thought as he stared into the communications officer’s faceplates for any sign of a more reasonable plan. “Let me clarify this. You want to hide above and spill energon to them, then shoot them and I shall act as bait.” Soundwave nodded. “When you said energon would be spilled, I must admit.. I did not see this kind of plan coming” the purple mech said in disbelief.

“Amount of resources needed are less compared for the amount of resources needed for another space bridge. Back-up: will not reach in time. Soundwave’s departure: timed before decepticons launched an attack for distraction, to prevent autobots in cybertron to call for their own back up and attack the spacebridge in earth” Soundwave inched closer to him and put his hand into his shoulder, enough to brush their EM fields, sensing worry and a hint of confusion in the other.
“Soundwave: does not know how the autobots have intercepted this meeting, but these intruders do not know one thing”

“And what is that” Shockwave asked.

“Soundwave: Superior”

Alert. Alert. Sector 5 Breached. Hostiles Approaching.

The Autobots have been accessing the doors one by one while destroying the security drones. As they prepared their trap, Shockwave got a bit quiet. Perhaps because he was focusing or perhaps because he was thinking about the warm hand in his shoulder ten minutes ago. I’ve known him for 4 million years and yet he has never engaged on any physical contact with me beyond a few polite handshakes. Odd. While the scientist ruminated and passed cubes of energon enough to make an explosive to kill three people, his fingers accidentally brushed with Soundwave’s. Surprised by the unexpected contact, Shockwave almost dropped the cube. What is happening to me. Unaware of his other reaction, Soundwave saw his antennae wiggle again.

“Why are you staring. Is there a problem.” Shockwave asked flatly but embarrassment was flickering in his field, which was a first for the both of them. “Nothing”. Visor looking away from his comrade, Soundwave focused on the door as the steps were getting louder.

“They’re here. I shall take my place…Goodluck.” As the purple scientist kicked the stepping ladder away to avoid suspicion, he commed the other one.

[This plan is equivalent to your cassettes’ pranks, I am placing my hope on your creativity.. I suppose now I know where they get their ideas in pestering Starscream and his seekers]

Underneath his mask, Soundwave smiled. He was not aware that the mech whom Starscream calls as a “Computer-On-Legs” was capable of humor. Finally, the door opened with a hiss. Chromia and two femme autobots strode inside, rifles pointing to one of their assigned target.

“Shockwave! Put your hand and gun up!” the femme autobot shouted. Shockwave complied. “Autobots, I suppose you’ll take me prisoner then?”

Approaching the kill zone without even knowing it, Chromia ordered her two comrades to put a stasis cuff on him.

Not all of them..this does not bode well. Shockwave thought as the two femme were already walking. To his surprise, Soundwave did not make a move, allowing him to be cuffed by the two autobots. Chromia’s posture relaxed and commed someone “It’s only the purple ‘Wave here, I don’t see the sneaky blue one”. The two femmes began to walk back, with Shockwave in front, Chromia took her eyes off their prisoner for a second to look at the door when suddenly a splash of energon soaked the two femme behind Shockwave.

“WHAT THE-“ the two femmes shouted and shots were fired. The explosion hit Shockwave’s backplates knocking him down along with the blue femme. With all the commotion and smoke, Chromia yelled “I knew you were up to something! Where the hell are you? You’ll both pay for that!” she grabbed Shockwave by the neck, forcing him to stand while in gunpoint. The purple mech winced. That hurt. He thought while trying to keep himself from passing out. Backing away to the door, Chromia was keeping her optics peeled for any sign of Soundwave. “Dammit.. I should’ve been more careful..and stealthy..I’m sorry you two..” she whispered to herself as she saw her fallen comrades. As the smoke finally cleared she looked around and there she saw the entrance to the spacebridge and beside it were pretty important looking controls. There’s no time! The seekers are probably going back and I cant return empty-handed. My chances of defeating these two by myself are slim, even if one of them was injured. Primus help me..there’s only one thing I can do to help my comrades back in earth.

While Chromia was busy trying to find him, Soundwave has his blaster ready. I can’t get a clear shot. He gritted his dentae in frustration, but then another idea popped in his head. The stasis cuffs. He has a clear shot but there’s another problem. Shooting that will give away my location.. As the blue spy racks his helm for a better option to avoid further damage, in a split second she saw the femme throw something from her subspace.

His body moved on its own accord, Soundwave acted immediately on instinct and shot the stasis cuffs, Shockwave took the opportunity and shoved the femme back shooting Chromia in the leg. The communications officer jumped down and aimed at Chromia’s chassis. She fell on her back with a yelp while Shockwave knelt panting, barely keeping himself awake, his energon dripping in the floor.

“Autobot: missed”

Coughing, the femme spat back “Oh did I?”

The grenade set off and blew up his only way back to earth. Soundwave’s optics went wide under his visor, he glared back at the femme, pointing his blaster.

“Heh, I know.. that was your ticket back home to your precious leader” she coughed. “Enjoy your stay here for awhile…until my other comrades come for that blueprint” with that, Chromia lost consciousness. The seekers arrived, late to the party.

“We tried to fly back as soon as we heard the alert, forgive our incompetence” one seeker told Shockwave as he helped him stand up. With the commotion over and the pain in his back becoming unbearable, the scientist stared at the broken Spacebridge. A groan escaped his vocalizer as his vision started to blurr, he saw a blue figure walking towards him. Finally, he slips into forced stasis.

“Lieutenant Soundwave! Are you alright sir?” a new seeker approached him. While the others were preparing to dispose of the autobot bodies and putting away the captured autobot at the prison, Soundwave noticed a seeker holding the mech he’s been looking for. The flier looks clearly flustered and has no idea how to handle his stoic superior passing out on him.

“Soundwave: is fine. Clean this mess up.” The seekers saluted him as they get to work. He approached the seeker holding Shockwave. “I-I think the damage was great if he passed out like this” the seeker told him stammering. “Help the others. Send a medic to Lieutenant Shockwave’s quarters” he commanded the seeker as he moved to carefully put Shockwave’s arm around his neck. The flier saluted and went to find a medic.

What a mess. I hope you’re not too pissed off at me when you wake up. Soundwave thought to himself as he stared at his fellow Third-In-Command. As he updated his databank with the map of the tower, thanks to the flier, he proceeded to make his way to the berthroom.

He opened the door and quickly laid him down sideways and applied first aid. While working on his back, Soundwave heard him wince as he applied some sanitizing spray.

“Hnn..” he whined. Soundwave sighed in an apologizing tone.

“Apologies” he said as he gave the purple mech a quick pat on his head. After trying to remove some large shrapnel on his back, Soundwave observed the unconscious mech before him. Shockwave’s lying form looked almost harmless and peaceful. He noticed his antannae wiggled a little bit and Soundwave’s visor glowed in fascination. From this angle he looked like any normal cybertronian, someone who doesn’t know him wouldn’t think this mech created weapons for mass destruction. He looked around at the berthroom and it’s suprisingly modest. A single energon distiller was placed beside a back-up communications hub. By his window, some datapads were neatly stacked and a small empty cube beside it were laid in the table. Glancing at the side of the berth, he saw a smaller table, a picture was placed atop it. He walked to the other side of the table to pick it up. It was a picture from the Old Cybertron, before war and destruction touched their planet. Upon inspection, he realized this was a picture of Crystal City. Perhaps his old life? Soundwave wondered.

A knock interrupted his musings, the door opened and the medic entered the room. While Shockwave was getting treatment, Soundwave made his way to the communications hub, it was time to contact their leader. 

Chapter Text

Shockwave woke up in a jolt. His deep recharge was cut with the sound of two mechs talking. Where am I… he thought as he looked around and noticed that he’s in his room. A blue figure by the remote communications hub was seated and currently engaged with someone. Soundwave. He realized as the purple mech groggily tried to get up. Trying to get his senses together, he noticed the fresh welds on his back.

“…are all neutralized Lord Megatron, the main communications hub: will be repaired in one earth week. Estimated repair time for the Space Bridge will be updated as soon as Lieutenant Shockwave wakes up” the third-in-command told their leader. He noticed movement behind him and he found Shockwave sitting, clearly trying to get up.

“Brief him about the meeting later.” Megatron said with a low growl, flashing his gritted dentae before ending their conversation.  Soundwave stared at the blank screen and ran a servo across his face, thinking of the slag he’s going to deal with in the next few days.

He watched the other one in silence while struggling to stand up. The cassette deployer hung his head low, it was his fault that he got those welds after all, whether it was intended or not. Even though his body and pride was hurt, Shockwave did not let it stop him from standing up. He managed to take three steps towards to his destination when a conveniently placed crack in his floor tripped him. With his quick reflexes, Soundwave caught him.

Nobody spoke. The blue mech’s servo was wrapped around the other’s waist and his other servo was placed on the back of Shockwave’s shoulder, looking like a really awkward hug, their helms almost touching, Soundwave however was not prepared for the quick outburst of emotion that he felt in the other’s EM field. Surprise, embarassment, frustration, and confusion. It went away as quickly as it appeared. Shockwave was really having a bad day.

Breaking the agonizing silence, Soundwave spoke.

“..Apologies..especially for today”

But all the communication officer got was Shockwave’s silent treatment, he didn’t really want to be in this mech’s bad side. He’s one of the few fellow decepticons he truly admired and respected because of his competence, but something caught Soundwave’s attention. It’s Shockwave’s EM field fluctuating to annoyed and then even more confusion, and lastly a hint of something akin to being flustered. He also noted the fourth antennae wiggle today, Soundwave made a mental note. It is still… adorable. He finally helped Shockwave sit on his berth, his one eye glaring at him.

“Damage report” Shockwave said monotonously.

“Main Communications Hub: Damaged. Spacebridge controls: …Heavily Damaged.” Soundwave reported as he recalled the attack. It was certainly unfortunate that even the main hub for communications was damaged from the explosion. The only thing that they can use was the back-up in Shockwave’s room to contact their leader. Upon hearing this, the scientist tried to get up again only to be stopped by Soundwave’s hand, holding down his shoulder.

“Shockwave: In no condition to do work. Suggestion: Rest”

“I am merely trying to check the actual damage so I can send Lord Megatron an estimated time for repairs” Shockwave replied avoiding the intelligence officer’s gaze, hyper-aware of the second shoulder touch today and unused with all these coddling. “That is also work” Soundwave retorted, removing his hand. The warmth of the touch evoked a tingling sensation in the purple mech’s spark. “plus..Shockwave: can barely walk” the blue mech reasoned. Before the purple mech could say anything, an energon cube was placed in front of him.

“Why are you taking care of me” Shockwave asked him, the other clearly taken aback by his directness as he observed the blue mech’s shoulder tense. Soundwave paused at this, placing the cube in the table beside the berth.

Why do I care.. He stared at Shockwave. Surely he could’ve just assigned a random seeker or a drone to attend to his fellow commanding officer’s needs, but Soundwave’s lip plates frowned at the thought. While he’s mulling over the question, Shockwave stared back at him, clearly having his own debate about the mech before him. His lone optic waiting for a response as if he’s a lab experiment. Shockwave has been mentally taking notes of the changes Soundwave has afflicted in his emotional state ever since the attack. His EM field shifting from a state of calmness to this fluctuating rainbow of emotions he thought he buried, the slight increase in temperature he felt in his hearing fins or as everybody calls it, his antennae, and the slight tingly sensation in his spark. Soundwave must’ve brought an earth disease along with his delivery.  

“If you are feeling some kind of guilt about the events today, it is illogical. We both knew the risks. There is no need for this” Shockwave added while vaguely gesturing to the mech in front of him which seemed to have snapped Soundwave out from his inner turmoil “I am capable of taking care of myself” he said before taking the drink from the table. The communications officer smiled underneath his faceplate. Soundwave came to a realization at that moment as he saw Shockwave look down at his energon cube, swirling the energon in silent contemplation. I’m doing this because.. I think I do care about him..He answered to himself. Ever since he met the mech, he’s been shrouded in mystery and it piqued his curiosity. Always by himself, even before Megatron assigned him as the lone guardian of cybertron, Soundwave cannot imagine a life of solitude. At the back of his mind he thought that perhaps Shockwave was lonely..but he does not know it himself yet. This mech whose intelligence was both a curse and a blessing, setting him apart from the others, but deep down he's just like everyone else, in need of companionship or perhaps a friend.

“Soundwave: respects Shockwave. Accepting help when needed: logical.” His EM field projected with sincerity as he replied. Shockwave looked up at him, his optic glowed bright for a second before looking down to his cube again. This was all too unfamiliar with their usual routine as colleagues and it made Shockwave uneasy. His solitary life as the guardian of cybertron granted him a stable and predictable life, a life where he felt more in control. Little did he know, his routine with Soundwave would change a whole lot more.

It has been a few days since the attack and everyone was busy doing repairs except for Shockwave. While stuck on his berth, the one-eyed scientist had began drawing plans on how to repair the spacebridge as soon as the medic cleared him.

After the incident in his berthroom, he noticed his fellow third-in-command has been acting peculiar around him over the last few days. One instance, as they were talking about the schedule for the repairs, he noticed the blue mech staring at him, specifically his antennae.

I believe he has been doing that before. I see..when I was passing the energon to him back then. Shockwave realized as he tapped his digit in his datapad, humming in contemplation. Another example was the energon cubes. Every scheduled breaks, without fail, he would always set down a cube in the table beside his berth. At first he found it a bit annoying, he can walk to an energon dispenser on his own! Shockwave just needs to ignore the excruciatingly painful injury in his back. Now, he just expected it to be there. Soundwave would tap the door to his berthroom and wordlessly set the cube beside him, the spy’s body language unreadable as he leaves the room hurriedly.

He walks away as if he just planted a bomb here Shockwave mused. Lastly, another thing he noticed were the check ups, every time the medic comes to check his backplates or administer medical grade, Soundwave would stand by his door, leaning by the frame and observing him. His thoughts were clearly distracting him as Shockwave did not notice the mech he was thinking of standing beside him. Soundwave was right on time with his energon cube again. The communication's officer stared at him then glanced at the datapad he’s holding.

“Shockwave: feeling well?” his fellow lieutenant asked. He stared at his face with his one optic, as if trying to read the other’s mind but he found no trace or clue on the other mech’s thoughts. Curious, he tried to feel Soundwave’s EM field only to find out something that made his spark clench. Worry and concern enveloped him, but it wasn’t the same as the concern Lord Megatron felt when a plan was going wrong. It felt like something else..it felt genuine.

“I-I am fine.” He stuttered, directing his attention back to his work. “My self-repair has been speeding up my recovery, I believe you don’t need to bother yourself anymore” Shockwave added as he looked over at the cube in his table, trying to avoid Soundwave’s gaze. He saw the other tense his shoulder again and felt the disappointment in his EM field before quickly pulling it to himself. Shockwave felt his chest tighten for a second. Soundwave was about to leave when Shockwave’s body moved before his brain even knew what was going on. He hurriedly tried to stand up to stop him.

“Wait, I —” he was cut off as Shockwave forgot the same conveniently placed crack in his floor, tripping him again. Soundwave swiftly turned to look, his visor glowed bright seeing Shockwave’s chestplates hitting him at full speed, toppling them over like a domino. WHEN I’M FULLY FUNCTIONAL, THAT CRACK WILL BE GONE. Shockwave thought furiously while trying to get up using his other arm, and to make matters worse, the door opened.

It seems like the medic came early to officially discharge Shockwave but said patient was on top of his fellow commander. Thus, nobody spoke. Again.

The medic tried to break the uncomfortable silence. “Lieutenant Shockwave..it appears you’re quite..occupied” their unexpected visitor uttered with a cough, while glancing at Soundwave who seems to have lost consciousness due to the impact. “I’ll take my leave then” The medic said with a nervous smile on his lip plates, saluting before briskly walking away like a sparkling who has seen a ghost.

“..oundwave, wake up. This is beginning to look ridiculous.”

As his visor began to glow, Soundwave woke with one of the most painful helmache he’s felt. His optics were still adjusting to his surroundings when he saw what’s in front of him. His breath hitched and gasped in surprise, merely inches away from his face was Shockwave. Feeling the cold floor of the room on his back and the warm chassis of his colleague on top of him, their EM fields melded with one another and frankly he’s not sure who’s feeling all these emotions between them. He unwittingly rested his hands on Shockwave’s waist which elicited a sound from the scientist who was choking back his surprise at the additional touch, his antennae jerking downward.

“What..” Soundwave groaned. Clearly still dazed, he tried to focus on the face on top of him. Looking at his single optic, the intelligence officer began to focus. It felt like staring at earth’s sunrise, warm and energizing. This is nice.… as the cassetteformer was beginning to gather his bearings he quickly became aware of their current predicament. OHH. Soundwave panicked, hastily removing his arms, which he apparently wrapped unconsciously. “Soundwave: apologizes. Shockwave: can’t get up?” he asked as he carefully adjusted the mech above him to his side, giving him room so he can move and sit. He offered his servo which Shockwave begrudgingly accepted. Both sitting on the floor in silence, EM fields drawn inwards to themselves, the two mechs looked away from each other.

This went too fast. Soundwave thought. His plan was to work up the courage to only chat with the injured mech, to keep him company and maybe be his friend. But after what happened..he’s not sure if Shockwave wants to talk to him at all and most importantly he’s not sure if what he’s feeling for him was friendship. Perhaps it’s.. He shook his head lightly at the thought, his faceplates slightly warming. It seems my head got injured.. Soundwave argued to himself. He kept telling himself that Shockwave was worthy to be his friend and only a friend, because he saw him as his equal, a loyal comrade and someone he can depend on and if he's being honest, Shockwave's new adorable side made him endearing. He tried to catch the glimpse of the mech and to his surprise he’s staring right at him. Shockwave’s eye glowed, as if he’s attempting to say something yet he couldn’t find the right words. Soundwave patiently waited for him, holding his breath.

“I wanted to say I’m grateful…and I also apologize..for giving you concussion. Now we are even.” Shockwave mumbled, his helm looking away. “You have been in forced stasis for approximately 4.5 minutes, no need to be alarmed” he added as he stood up wincing. “…I would’ve removed myself on top of you but it is hard to do so..in that position..since it would re-open the welds in my back. I apologize again.” Soundwave stared at his antennae again, thinking they’re really hypnotic in a way as Shockwave emotes through it. He offered his hand to the blue mech.

“It’s best you stand up now, I have commed the medic to officially discharge me. He is likely on his way” Shockwave explained, his chassis flaring, remembering the whole interaction while Soundwave was luckily spared from that ordeal. The mech accepted the offered hand and felt the other’s grip tighten, the doors opened a second too early.

Again.

The medic just saw the his superior officers holding servos. My word, I guess they just finished? I can’t wait to update the story to others the visitor snickered discreetly. The action did not go unnoticed to both Soundwave and Shockwave . The mech saluted and handed the official medical abstract to the scientist, therefore discharging him. Before he left, the doors were suddenly locked. The medic slowly turned around to see both of his boss staring at him menacingly. He gulped.

“T-there seems to be a problem with the door sir..” the mech uttered, pleading with his optics. No no no! They can’t do this! It’s not like it’s a secret anyway..clearly they’re both together, I mean look at them! Lieutenant Soundwave’s courting obviously paid off. He speculated while trembling in fear. Shockwave approached him, his optic glowing red in suppressed anger.

“Forgive me, I was trying out the new security feature I added” his superior officer reassured.

“Which is..?”

“Voice Activation..perhaps you should try to say the right words” Shockwave whispered into his audial as the canon on his other hand began to power up. Soundwave watched in the background, he suddenly found his face warming at the scene. Before he imagined Shockwave’s deep voice whispering in his audial, he shook his head vigorously and mentally slapped himself.

“I…will keep my mouth shut?” the poor mech mumbled while he quivered. Thankfully, the door opened and he hastily did a salute before running away. The gunformer let his left arm cool down before glancing at his companion who’s head was tilted clearly waiting for an explanation.

“The medic unfortunately walked in on us…Verbalizing it out loud still feels unreal” He said as he crossed his arms. Soundwave’s lack of response irked him a bit, Shockwave spoke again. “….walked in on us, after I accidentally tripped and knocked you out. It is not like we were actually doing something, I scared him just to tone down unnecessary rumors” He added, looking away at the masked mech, unaware of Soundwave’s hidden smile.

“Soundwave: understands. Suggestion: fix the crack on your floor” the communications officer’s visor gleamed with surprise as he heard the scientist sigh and lightly laugh.

Chapter Text

Fews days have passed after the second incident in Shockwave’s berthroom. The main communications hub’s repairs were reaching its completion thus Soundwave reported to his leader.

“At last some good news, although it’s unfortunate that the spacebridge needs two more weeks to be repaired. Is there anything Shockwave can do to speed it up?” Lord Megatron complained as he slammed his servo in frustration. The mech in question entered the room as if he was summoned. Shockwave saluted to his leader before he approached the small communications hub. The seated mech made room for the new arrival, but the seat was not suited for two. Shockwave looked at Soundwave, his servo tapping the space beside him and his EM field flickering with a bit of apology and amusement, clearly the communications officer found this situation quite funny. Megatron watched him with one brow raised as he stopped. Their leader looked at him impatiently, unaware of the recent events that happened to his two lieutenants, as Shockwave stood there awkwardly. Irritated, Megatron spoke.

“Is there a problem Shockwave?”

“Nothing my liege.” With a huff he quickly glared at Soundwave before seating, his EM field emitting annoyance with a twinge of playfulness like the cassette deployer would when his cassettes played a prank on him. Soundwave’s lips curled into a smile, their shoulders and arms now touching, the scientist updated their leader about the current status of the spacebridge.

“With our current resources I can complete the repairs within one earth week and four days but I would require some of the repair crew fixing the main communications hub” He explained as their leader pondered his decision.

“Soundwave, will you manage with fewer mechs?”

The intelligence officer nodded, Megatron looked satisfied enough. After settling that problem, the decepticon leader’s face started to look serious again.

“Good. Now that you’re both here I might as well ask. How did the autobots know about the blueprint..” The warlord’s brows suddenly knitted, his dentae gritted as he looked at both of his trusted officers.

“We three both know that the project is top secret, we are the only ones who has knowledge of it, and yet you were both ambushed…” He stated as he scrutinized both of them.

“My lord, are you suggesting one of us leaked the information to the autobots?” Shockwave asked non-chalantly. “It is highly illogical, seeing my recent injury and Lieutenant Soundwave’s unwavering loyalty to you. Perhaps they found out through other means.” He added, sometimes it baffled him how illogical his leader was sometimes. Megatron contemplates for a second before turning to Soundwave.

“Soundwave, has our prisoner talked yet?”

“Negative” the spy replied. Due to their hectic schedule, Soundwave was not able to personally interrogate the captured autobot, but their leader was not aware of this information as of the moment. Repair of the spacebridge takes priority, Soundwave ruminated. 

“Because of those damned autobots that our plans are delayed….” He curled his servo into a fist, trembling with anger. “Extract information out of her, by any means necessary”

“Yes Lord Megatron” Soundwave and Shockwave saluted. After the call ended, the communications officer and the scientist were highly aware how close they’re sitting together as they looked at each other, basking in each other’s EM fields, both were feeling a lot of emotions. But amongst the storm of confusion, both of them felt something similar to warm and peaceful which overpowered all that uncertainty ...and safe Shockwave added to his thoughts. Flustered, Shockwave lost their little silent staring contest and looked away, his antennae wiggling to cool his face.

The scientist was having difficulty categorizing his feelings for his fellow third-in-command. He can say with certainty that he’s fond of Soundwave but to what extent? Sure he found his companionship nice and pleasant these past few days. It certainly was an upgrade talking to him frequently rather than having a conversation with a clueless seeker and a lifeless drone. Their talks were stimulating, from work to different things, he was starting to think that he could get used to this. His antennae warmed at the thought which prompted another involuntary wiggle. My hearing fins must be uncontrollably emoting right now, Soundwave must be having the time of his life. Embarassing. This is not optimal.. Shockwave huffed.

While Shockwave was collecting his composure Soundwave smiled underneath his faceplates and his EM field momentarily burst with delight, clearly pleased with himself by making Shockwave’s antennae wiggle. He noticed he only did that when he’s talking to him. As Shockwave tried to stand up, the computer screen suddenly beeped.

Incoming transmission from Earth

Lord Megatron? But we had just finished our report.. Soundwave hummed in thought. Intrigued, he answered the call and his visor glowed in surprise. All of his cassettes appeared on-screen, their faces turned from excited to surprised and lastly dumbfounded.

“HEYA BOSS” Frenzy exclaimed.

“We missed youuu~! Lord Megatron allowed us talk to you since we heard the main comm hub exploded there. We got worried but our symbiotic bond totally felt ya having a good time there for some reason, what have you been doing…lately there...is that Shockwave?” Rumble asked, confusion evident in his voice. Ravage, Buzzsaw, and Laserbeak all nudge themselves closer to the screen just to see if their beloved boss was really sitting next to that weird one-eyed scientist. The said one-eyed scientist looked at the cassettes and then at Soundwave.

“Wha- what’s going on here!? And why are you sitting together so closely, argh stop pushing Ravage!” Frenzy yelled while trying to softly push the feline former.

“Yeah boss! We want answers” Rumble said, arms both petting Laserbeak and Buzzsaw in an attempt to calm them down.

Soundwave was frozen in place. Of course, my symbiotes would feel it too. While cassette deployer was clearly stuck with his thoughts, the twins proceeded to grill the mech seated next to him.

“Shockers, you mind answering?” the red one asked him, his optics squinting and his tone suggested suspicion.

“Please do not call me Shockers. We had a meeting with Lord Megatron that was all. The main communications hub will be repaired in due time. In the mean time, this is what we’ve been using.” Shockwave explained, his voice exasperated. Still not satisfied, the two continued to ask more questions.

“Yeah? Well why do you guys have to sit so close? You could’ve just brought another chair and sit slightly back”

“Why does the boss look like a statue right now, are you two hiding something?”

“Since when does the boss let someone sit beside him so closely that are not us anyway. What are you buddy-buddies now just so you’re stuck together? Man I thought boss would’ve been bored as hell with work but here he is flirting?..WAIT maybe you’re flirting with him!..noo that’s impossible, you’re literally The Computer With Legs, Starscream said it not me, anyways you havent answe-“ Rumble continuously asked. If Shockwave had a face, his mouth would’ve twitched nervously at the flirting part, instead his antennae flinched. The action went past over the twins’ attention, too engrossed with their own theories until Soundwave interrupted.

“Rumble and Frenzy: desist. Shockwave: had no time to get another chair as it would be rude to Lord Megatron. Soundwave and Shockwave: colleagues. We both respect each other. Soundwave: missed you all too.” He said the last part with a tender voice. Silenced, the cassettes ceased their talking. Atleast for a moment.

“WE MISSED YOU TOO BOSS!” the twins both cried as Laserbeak and Buzzsaw flew around squawking, Ravage pawing at the monitor. Shockwave watched the scene before him, he glanced to his left and saw Soundwave’s posture relaxed and slightly leaned on him, the blue mech’s EM field buzzing with happiness and homesickness. The scientist noted the slight warming in his antennae again. Living alone in Cybertron for a long time has made all this tenderness and warmth seem foreign to him. He looked at his single servo, realization sinking in about his own loneliness. He clenched his fist and spoke.

“I shall take my leave then, let’s talk about the transfer of personnel later Soundwave” the purple mech said before he stood up.

“Affirmative” the intelligence officer replied as he watched Shockwave walk out the door, noticing the sudden change in his companion’s mood. Looking back at the screen he also noticed the twins have been squinting at him.

“Boss tell me I’m wrong. Tell me you don’t have a crush on that lame loner guy.” Rumble said with his arms crossed. Frenzy pointed a digit at him and added “You guys only hanged out for a week and now you like him? This isn’t like you boss”

Soundwave removed his faceplates. In the presence of his beloved symbiotes he didn’t need to hide his face, he set it down and began to spoke “Cassettes: are mistaken. Shockwave: just a colleague.”

“Oh reaally then why do you feel all tingly lately and when he left you felt a little sad!” Rumble exclaimed as he pointed an accusatory digit to him. Soundwave’s lip plates twitched nervously and his shoulder tensed. He’s either lying to his beloved cassettes or to himself. Soundwave’s lips formed a thin line, both his servos were clutching his kneeplates as he looked away from the screen. The twins watched him with worried optics. Finally, he mumbled a word.

“..maybe”

The whole room has gotten quiet. The twins looked at each other with their jaws dropped. They felt his nervousness and hurriedly tried to comfort him.

“W-we were just worried about you boss, when they told us the spacebridge exploded we were upset, Ravage didn’t even drink a single drop of energon that day” Rumble recalled, his optics glanced down at Ravage who’s currently taking a nap at their pedes. Soundwave’s lip plates frowned, guilt seeping into his spark as he pictured his worried cassettes. I should’ve contacted them sooner.. He thought as he remembered the number of times he has contacted Earth.

“But then Lord Megatron told us you were fine! He also said you’d want us to focus on our work so we did. Besides your bond didn’t get cut off so we knew you’re still alive and I guess that’s enough for us. It’ll take more than a grenade for the autobots to defeat you boss!” Rumble reassured him with a smile. Soundwave smiled back, his decision to make Rumble in-charge was not an error after all. He chuckled, earning him a surprised look from his twins.

“Soundwave: is proud for all of you. Forgive me if I did not contact you immediately. A lot of repairs were needed. Shockwave: was also injured.” The communications officer explained. “Rumble: has matured. So did Frenzy. Query: any troubles at earth?” Soundwave added, wanting to change the topic and also to check up on his cassettes.

The distraction worked as the two of them were clearly eager to tell their cassette deployer all about it. “you would NOT believe the scrap we had to deal with everyday boss. Bah! Just thinking about it makes me tired already” Frenzy complained as Soundwave smiled. They talked for an hour until Soundwave raised his hand to his screen, the two cassettes followed. They all shared a silent moment, the three of them missing each other’s touch, especially Soundwave. He loved them like his own, and they have never been apart for this long, he felt miserable.

“Soundwave: has to go. Repairs: urgent. Shockwave: in need of assistance” he said in a somber tone. The twins perked up at the purple mech’s designation, grinning like a cheshire cat.

“How convenient boss, we haven’t even talked about your little crush yet” Rumble snorted, Frenzy snickered behind him. Soundwave removed his visor with a click just to let his twins see his optics roll. Unlike most decepticons, his optics were not colored red like a ruby but a brilliant gold. He quickly hid his eyes as he lightly laughed at the twins unamused reaction. Before ending the call he told the cassettes in a gentle voice

“Soundwave: will explain everything at home. Shockwave: not my “boyfriend”…as of the moment” the cassette deployer said as he did a quotation mark in the air with his digits, with that the two cassettes suddenly gasped, clearly caught off guard with the earth terminology.

“BOYFRIEND?! WHAT- BOSS WHERE DID YOU LEARN THAT?” Rumble yelled through the screen

“What do you mean as of the moment?!” Frenzy also yelled, both his hands holding his head, as if trying to prevent it from imploding.

It was Soundwave’s turn to snicker as he let his twins freak out. “Soundwave: will contact you all tommorow, same time. Please inform Lord Megatron.” He waved goodbye and cut the call. 

That should keep them occupied..then maybe they’ll worry less and be happier. Soundwave hummed while putting on his faceplate. Ravage refusing to eat troubled him. He deeply cared for his cassettes and if playing a harmless joke would distract them then he was happy to do so. It was not a joke though.. I do feel something.. With a cough, he diverted his attention away from the thought as if he was trying to expel something from his windpipe. Unknown to the cassette deployer, his twins were more worried than ever.

He remembered his twins watching those earth films on their habsuite. Whenever he has the chance to sit and spend some quality time with them, a few native words here and there would be unintentionally picked up. He smiled at the memory as he walked to the door, his mood elevated. Upon opening the door, he noticed a seeker who was about to knock. Surprised, the flier yelped and jumped back.

“Lieutenant Soundwave! I was instructed by Commander Shockwave to remind you of the personnel transfer.” He reported with a salute.

“Understood." He grabbed a datapad from his subspace and made his way to Shockwave. 

Chapter Text

Shockwave stood in front of the spacebridge console, picking up where he last left off. The seekers were all busy with their assigned tasks, the sound of metal whirred loudly as one group welded a panel back on its place. A flier went and left Shockwave’s box of tools on the floor beside the console. He ducked down and carefully removed a broken panel with a laser cutter to check the wires. Disgruntled, Shockwave scanned the mess. A cluster of burnt wires greeted him as he assessed the damage. Thankfully, some of them can be salvaged. With a sigh, Shockwave took a wire cutter in his toolbox and wasted no time to get started. Only 80% of the wires needed replacement. No problem. He told himself in a sarcastic manner.

He was nearly finished delicately removing the damaged wires, when he stood up to call a seeker for replacements. Unaware of the time, he checked his chronometer. One hour has passed, the scientist looked around the area and he noticed that the communications officer was missing. It seems the repairs were not as important for him as it is for me... The seeker arrived at his side and saluted.

“Where is Lieutenant Soundwave?” he asked in an indignant tone of voice.

“I think he’s still in your room..sir” the seeker replied as he looked away at his superior awkwardly. In any day the flier would’ve giggled inwardly at his response but it’s obvious that his commander was in a bad mood. Shockwave loomed over him in silence, the poor seeker fidgeted in his place as his superior’s single optic glowed and his EM field radiated irritation.  

The scientist eventually spoke which startled the flier.

“I see. Relay a message to him, remind him of the personnel change..and get me some replacement wires.” Shockwave ordered, he turned his back to the seeker and went back to work. The icy tone of his voice sent shivers down the flier’s spinal struts, that and his passive-aggressive toss of the wire cutter made him slightly jump. He saw the one eyed scientist missed the box, which infuriated the mech more. The flier pouted at the pitiful throw, weakly saluted and immediately took off.

Oh no he’s definitely upset. Primus I wonder what’s wrong…I’m definitely telling my trinemates later, seems the ‘Waves got a lover’s quarrel or something. He mused. The whole base (excluding the high command of course) did have that betting pool going on. Said betting pool named “Megatron’s Conjunx Candidates” definitely still have Soundwave’s name in it and one of his trinemates still refused to give up on Soundwave as the winner. After all, he’s neck-to-neck with Starscream and Optimus Prime in the leaderboard, he cackled as he made his way through the corridor.

Impatient, the unnamed seeker opened a private commlink frequency, eager to inform his trinemates.

[Guys you will not believe what just happened]

{What}

:What:

[Shockwave is mad at Soundwave..for some reason..or maybe just a little bit upset I-I don’t know..he tossed a tool today, and he never does that unless he’s pissed]

{Wooooh!! The bet is still on! Cons get ready to lose your shanix, my horse is still in the race!}

:what’s a horse:

[Nevermind that, this is obviously just a little spat, I mean remember when the medic explicitly tattled to us in the mess hall about the incident in the room? That’s something, plus the daily energon deliveries he did to his room back then?  After that they’re even doing small talks now. Come on that’s already saying something. I’m going to bet for optimus now so..]

:yeah…I mean..it really surprised us, I thought Shockwave doesn’t engage in that kind of relationship:

{I don’t really need this kind of negativity you fools, whatever I’m still betting for him! Unless we get an official confirmation, I won’t give up}

:when they confirm, you know you’ll lose your money right:

{I-I know! Just watch, this will all just be a little bit of misunderstanding, as soon as the spacebridge is up, I’ll ask Rumble and Frenzy on the next energon delivery}

[H-Hey I have to go now, see you guys later]

{Bye}

:I still don’t know what a horse is:

With that over, the seeker stopped in front of the door.

“I can’t believe this! If I lose that bet, I’ll lose half of my savings this month!” Conehead A, as Chromia inwardly assigned him, furiously scratched his helm with both of his servos while Conehead B gave him a dull look. It’s been days since her capture and the femme stared at the current guards, bemused. She was sitting squarely on the floor with her chin placed on both of her hands bound by stasis cuffs and her elbows on top of each her knees. Needless to say she hasn’t had the chance to come up with an escape plan. These nobodies have been interrogating me non-stop.. It seems I dealt some real damage if those two haven’t shown themselves here. She mulled over. Her head perked up when she heard Conehead B whispered to his trinemate

“..maybe you should change it to Starscream now..or Optimus, you might regret it in the end..” the seeker mentioned in a sluggish tone, Chromia stood up and sneakily walked near the bar.

“What do you ‘cons mean by ‘Screamer or Optimus?”

“GAH! Don’t do that! You stupid Autobot!” Conehead A yelped. Annoyed, he pointed a blaster to the prisoner. “Oh now you speak? How about you step back huh, if you do that again I’ll shoot your pedes” He added, his grip to the weapon tightened as he squinted. Chromia ignored the threat and stuck her tongue out which made the hot-headed seeker even more furious.

While Chromia laughed and the seeker continued with his barrage of curses from every known cybertronian language, his companion finally addressed her.

“You know..you better give us the information we need before they interrogate you..” he looked at her, his optics were droopy but it was filled with trepidation. This mech has seen things, most probably things his commanding officer did to autobot prisoners. Conehead A ceased his swearing and looked at his trinemate, slowly he made made his way to him and pat his shoulder. The comforting gesture silenced Chromia as she remembered rumors that circled around this particular brig. Most of her comrades don’t return and even if they did escape they were never the same, they were dazed for days as if they lost a part of their soul. Eventually when their condition improved, they refused to talk about it, clearly uncomfortable.

“I-I’m not afraid.. I’d rather offline than betray my comrades”

“Oh you will..after a couple of days the repairs will be finished..and then you’ll be next..I’m telling you this, one cybertronian to another.. You seem cool and I think we would’ve gotten along if you were a decepticon, we’re basically offering you a merciful death.”

“Frag you…you cons disgust me. How could you still serve him knowing the things he’s done?!”

Her voice thundered, the seeker looked down at her with sad optics, his hot-headed companion glanced at his brother with worried ones. Defeated, Chromia slumped back to the floor. Her optics sunken as she agonized every minute she spent in this prison.

“They’ll come for me.. My friends would save me..I know they will..” she muttered to herself, dread slowly creeping in her spark.

Chapter Text

Soundwave arrived in the command center with a datapad in his servo. His pedes took him to Shockwave’s usual spot as he had done so every day for the past week by memory. He skimmed the list for possible candidates the scientist could use. Deep in thought, he stopped in front of Shockwave and greeted him with his designation, his optics still glued to the datapad. When he was met with a lack of response he glanced at the mech in front of him to see if he was mistaken, but Shockwave was indeed right there, a schematic on his servo with his back turned to him and his EM field drawn tightly to himself.

Confused, Soundwave called his name again. Shockwave turned around and acknowledged him with an icy stare. The communications officer’s helm tilted, a feeling of uneasiness overtaking him.

Something was definitely wrong.

There were times that the mech was so absorbed in his work that he had to tap his shoulder to get his attention. Shockwave’s EM field would always briefly reach out to him with a polite apology and he would let out a small chuckle. This time was different.

“Apologies. Do you have the list?”

“Affirmative. Approval for draft: required. Query: is this sufficient?” he passed the datapad to him, the designation of the chosen seekers highlighted. As Shockwave took the datapad their digits brushed and he flinched for a bit, Soundwave saw the reaction and frowned.  

His mind flashed back to the times when they were casually talking. Guilt washed over him as he realized that the mech was uncomfortable with his touch. At first, his mind dismissed it as something trivial maybe he was just jumpy he told himself.  It wasn’t like the mech outright told the cassette deployer to remove his hand from his shoulder. Soundwave admitted the lack of physical affection from his cassettes made him twitchy, his hand constantly looked for someone to touch as if it has a mind of its own. He almost tried to pat a seeker’s helm that one time.

As he remembered those times he also noticed Shockwave’s previous attempts to hide his reaction which made Soundwave feel worse.  Some spymaster I am..his lips formed a thin line.

Shockwave read the datapad in his servo for two minutes and gave Soundwave a nod. He left without a word and walked off to a table to lay down his schematics.  The spymaster’s felt a twinge of pain in his spark. Shockwave was giving him the cold shoulder again.

Unbeknownst to the two, the seekers in the room were observing them, some were secretly booing and some were silently cheering for their superior to follow their commander to the table. Optics drawn to the scene in front of them, they multitasked as the seekers commed their own trinemates about the current situation. The whole thing looked like a human soap opera they watched in their free time..but better.

Soundwave started to walk towards Shockwave. The Team Waves, as one of the seekers called it, did a silent celebratory dance, the others clenched and raised their servos in triumph. Team MegaWave, as one of the seekers designated it, pinched the bridge of their noses as they thought of their imminent defeat. While rest watched with heightened interest, wishing they had a bowl of energon goodies beside them.

Shockwave glanced to the seekers and in a flash they returned to their work, like a parent who almost caught their sparkling red-handed doing the mischief. Oblivious of their audience, he continued to ignore Soundwave when he arrived at his side. The spy’s gaze bored into him.

“Shockwave..”

The scientist cast a look at him before he looked down. The intelligence officer caught a glimpse of his optic, its dim glow made his spark ache. Gradually, Soundwave’s hand reached for his arm as he extended his EM field, radiating concern for his companion. Shockwave’s plating felt warm in his palm, he saw him froze again.

Before Soundwave got a chance to speak, Shockwave promptly grabbed his forearm. With a sharp intake, the blue mech glanced down at his arm, startled.  He looked up at Shockwave. His one optic glowed as he glared at him, cold and calculating. Shockwave’s EM field was filled with apprehension and Soundwave stared back, it felt like receiving a sucker punch to his gut.

“What are you doing” Shockwave whispered to him in an icy tone.  Hurt, Soundwave hesitantly removed his hand from the mech’s arm and cursed to himself. I really need to work on my boundaries.

 “If you’re quite done, I suggest you return to your work. The communications hub is still unfinished. There is still the matter of the autobot’s interrogation”. Frustrated, Shockwave clenched a servo to his side. Being emotional at a time like this, just because of the mech in front him…it’s illogical and yet the thought of him leaving and returning to their old relationship felt like a stab to his spark. He had always been alone, why would he need someone now? It’s best for him to end this as soon as possible.  This thing with him, it was nice but it would never work.

Not with someone like me. I would just set myself up to unnecessary hurt. Shockwave figured.

Soundwave’s  visor dimmed, his lip plates quivered underneath his mouthplate as he stood there stunned.  This doesn’t make any sense he thought he finally made some progress. He understood the last time he was upset but this was something else. Is it because of his constant touching? Why didn’t he just say something before, the mech was usually direct with him.

Determined to get to the bottom of this, Soundwave retorted. “Shockwave: upset. Soundwave: does not know why…I thought we..” the communications officer intoned. What were they exactly? Soundwave breathed out and continued. “I thought we were friends...” He looked down at his pedes, his faceplates heating up. Friendship was the safest and most logical label he thought of that would help him in this situation, but if he’s being honest with himself, he knew friends do not make his faceplate blush and fill his spark with yearning.

Shockwave stared at the mech in front him like a deer caught in the headlights. Oh. Friends. His spark sank.

I see…all this time he was.. Disappointed, Shockwave gave off an exasperated sigh and shyly looked away.

“…you were late. You took your time with the cassettes” He mumbled away. Shockwave felt his antennae warm and wiggle. As he said it out loud he realized how petty he must have sounded to the mech, much to his chagrin. The seekers watched in the background with their mouths agape.

The Wiggle, as one of them dubbed it, was so adorable that it caught them off guard. They have heard stories from other mechs about their commander doing it but the action was so rare that some believed it to be fake…until now.

Soundwave’s mood turned from sour to amusement. What..? He’s upset..because of THAT..The blue mech snorted, which prompted a seeker to drop a welding torch with a yelp. The two lieutenants suddenly remembered they were not alone.  Shockwave swiftly turned to the poor seeker and glared. Embarrassed, Soundwave hid his faceplate with one servo. The spy commed the other to continue their talk later to which Shockwave wholeheartedly agreed, the rest of the seekers coughed and resumed their tasks with their mood turned from jovial to nervous.  Unaware of the recent events, the oblivious conehead returned with the wire replacements.

“It took me awhile to find the right ones sir, forgive my tardiness” He saluted while holding the box with his other arm. The flier side-eyed his friends and they gave him a dumb look as if they were watching a clueless sparkling. He glanced back at his superior officers who seemed too silent, both of them avoiding each other’s gaze. Shockwave swiped the box of wires and walked back to the spacebridge console, Soundwave’s visor fixated at his fellow officer before he made his way to the comm hub.  

“WHAT” the flier slammed his drink in shock.

It was their designated downtime. The conehead who returned late from his little trip to the supply room caught up with his seeker friends about the whole situation a few hours ago. The communications hub will be fixed in two days thus Soundwave was lenient with the mechs working under him, letting them take frequent breaks. The whole mess hall was bustling with seekers left and right, some were chatting up like them and others were arm wrestling for some reason, perhaps rough housing was a favourite decepticon past time.

“I’m not kidding! Soundwave DID snort, the kind of snort Rumble does whenever Skywarp does something stupid” A femme seeker exclaimed, she took a sip of her energon as the conehead stared at her like she was crazy “We could’ve had the show running longer if SOMEBODY didn’t drop their welding torch!” She added as she side-eyed the flier beside her.

“I-It’s not like we could’ve seen that coming!” the seeker retorted with a huff. The conehead’s trinemates arrived in their table shortly. Conehead A was stretching his arms while Conehead B greeted Conehead C. They all sat in the table eager to rest their pedes.

“We just heard what happened, I –“

“I heard someone specifically hear Soundwave say Shockwave is just a friend! This is absolutely the best news, I told you fools that I bet on the right horse!” Conehead A smirked as he cut off his brother. Conehead C flicked a digit to his lively brother’s helm

 “Dumbaft! You don’t know that!” He sputtered and drank his energon with vigor. “It will probably even be a really really long time before Lord Megatron decides on a mate, besides this is just a little quarrel.” He wiped his mouth and wagged a digit to his comrades. “I bet before Soundwave leaves Cybertron they’re going be sparkbond-“

“You shut your mouth before I stick a pede on your tailpipe!” Conehead A interrupted once more, which started a “Fight! Fight!” chant in the table, Conehead C obliged and tackled his brother while Conehead B drank his energon in peace.

The communications hub hummed into life as Soundwave closed a panel shut. He stood up to see his handiwork, arms crossed in contemplation. His work was almost completed he just needed to adjust the settings to their correct modes. Most of the grunt work was also done so only a few seekers assigned to the spacebridge remained for repairs, the technical part will be up to him. As he started typing the codes for the program, Shockwave arrived in the command center with his usual tools. Soundwave caught a glimpse of the mech and saw him duck down to continue his work. Their little misunderstanding yesterday seemed to still have an effect since Shockwave finished his work early and went straight to his berthroom with his commlink offline, clearly avoiding him. They haven’t continued their talk and it bothered him.

[Shockwave.]

No response. The communications officer tried again.

[Shockwave. Respond..please]

A few moments later and his HUD pinged.

[What]

[Are you upset again, you’re acting strange. I’m not even late today.]

Shockwave read the message, unamused. His fellow third-in-command was either joking around or completely serious with that response, but he couldn’t distinguish it. Yesterday’s occurrence still muddled his with his brain. Exhaustion from work couldn’t even put him to sleep because of a certain mech’s words.

Friend.. Shockwave repeated it like a mantra. He doesn’t even know why he’s feeling this way. Shouldn’t he be happy that his fellow lieutenant deemed him worthy to be his friend? Someone like Soundwave who’s competent, loyal, intelligent, and frankly pleasing to his optic saw him as a mech whom he can trust. Then why does he feel the disappointment? He remembered those slight touches he thought were flirtations as it sent tingling sensations to his spark, realizing they were apparently friendly .

Flirtations? The one-eyed scientist scoffed. I’m not some sparkstrucked mech who’s infatuated. Yes, friendship is acceptable. This is just the stress. It’s logical. The purple mech reasoned as he recalled those moments. Ashamed of yesterday’s outburst, Shockwave replied.

[I apologize..You’re right. I was irrational and I have been acting strange, mostly because of you.]

Soundwave stopped typing. He turned around to see him looking back with a strange look in his face. Shockwave’s optic blinked as if he was trying to say something but he couldn’t, it didn’t help that his antennae refused to give any indication of what the scientist was feeling right now. Soundwave wanted to read the other’s mind badly but he couldn’t do that to him. Shockwave turned to face the spacebridge console again, reluctant to resume his work. Soundwave followed suit, his mind wandered to Shockwave as he tried to focus on the task on hand.

One by one the seekers bid their goodbyes and took their breaks leaving their superior officers alone. Shockwave checked his chronometer. It was almost time for a rest. He glanced at Soundwave and saw him rub a servo on the back of his neck. Shockwave drew a sharp intake. For an unexplained reason, a rush of confidence filled him. 

Suddenly encouraged, the scientist approached the communications officer; his loud steps catching Soundwave’s attention. The spy turned his helm to see Shockwave walk towards him with determination. Surprised, the blue mech stood up, his visor glowing bright.  The scientist stopped in front him, EM field projecting with certainty. With a deep breath, Shockwave spoke.

“…I don’t have many friends. When you first laid your hand on me it caught me off guard. The last time someone touched me without my permission they ended up laying on my research slab, cold and unmoving.” Soundwave shifted awkwardly as Shockwave casually told him he killed some mech for that.

“I suppose years of solitude had rendered my senses incapable of distinguishing a simple touch to be cordial.”  The scientist scratched the side of his helm sheepishly with a digit. Soundwave patiently waited for him to finish his thought “I had to do some thinking and I analysed our previous interactions lately…you were right. You’re assumption is logical thus I officially acknowledge this mutually beneficial relationship of ours as friendship…” Slowly, he placed his hand to Soundwave’s shoulder.

“Would you like to drink some engex with me..friend.” Shockwave’s spark pounded in his chest, as he waited for the other’s response.

Soundwave gawked at him. His stomach flipped and his spark hammered making his audials ring. For the first time, Shockwave intentionally touched him. He almost grabbed Shockwave’s waist to hug him but a thought crossed to his mind.

Friend..? It was his turn to be disappointed now as he realized that the mech in front of him will probably see their relationship as platonic and nothing more. Soundwave settled his servos on his side, his shoulder rigid. Concerned, Shockwave tilted his helm and intentionally wagged his antennae. The sudden shift of Soundwave’s EM field worried the scientist. The trick worked; the communications officer visor gleamed with his EMF sending reassurance.

“Apologies. Soundwave: would love to join you.” Shockwave’s EM field enveloped him with relief. Soundwave smiled underneath his mask. The blue mech felt absurd for being disappointed. Friendship...not a bad thing. He told himself as he let his EM field respond warmly. They left the room together, walking side by side.

The beeping of the security pad by the door did not help in distracting Soundwave. Both of them were outside Shockwave’s habsuite. The spy leaned on the opposite wall, the dim lighting illuminating the empty corridor. His companion seemed unaware of his turmoil as Shockwave gestured with his one servo to the intelligence officer, urging him to go inside first.

Flustered, Soundwave slowly walked in hyperaware of the situation. When the mech invited him to drink, he did not anticipate the berthroom of all places. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, his arms crossed to himself. Bemused, Shockwave did not understand why his fellow lieutenant was acting strangely. Soundwave has been in his room numerous times; his current reaction was illogical.

“Feel free to sit anywhere, except the berth…you’re quite filthy” The teasing earned a scoff from the blue mech. Annoyed, Soundwave forgot his situation, relaxing his tense posture.

“Shockwave: also filthy”

“I am aware.” The scientist made his way to a small cabinet beside the energon dispenser. He took out an empty cube and offered it to Soundwave. The intelligence officer graciously accepted it, he peeked over Shockwave’s shoulder and saw him took out an old bottle of high grade. He passed the bottle to Soundwave. The spy noticed the label on the engex bottle; it’s dated back nine million years ago. This was unopened from the Golden Age… Soundwave suddenly remembered the mysterious portrait beside Shockwave’s berth. He’s becoming more interesting by the day.

“I’m going to head to the washracks first, you may open it if you wish. I will be out shortly” Shockwave headed to a door. Soundwave heard the faucet turn on. The sound of water hitting the floor reminded him of rainfall and his thoughts wandered to the cassettes, wondering what they’re doing right now on earth.

They must be feeling my nervous anticipation right now..

Soundwave shook his helm aggressively. We are drinking as friends..nothing more. The communications officer sat by the remote communications hub and let out a sigh. Tired, Soundwave placed the bottle and glass on the flat surface of the comm hub. He leaned on the backrest of the chair with his arms crossed and his neck craned backward. He turned his attention to the bathroom door, staring at the steam seeping out of the small space below the door. For a moment, his mind began to picture the mech from the other room. He imagined Shockwave’s form drenched. Droplets of water streaming down his neck cables then his chest, his servo rubbing circles on his stomach, moving down to the panel covering the—

Soundwave fell of the chair, his cooling fans whirring and his HUD pinging him about interface protocols. A muffled voice came from the washracks.

“Soundwave, are you alright??”

“F-Fine!!” He immediately turned off his cooling fans and dismissed the alert from his HUD. Soundwave’s face was beet red, in a swift motion he removed his mouthplate to exhale.

I need to cool myself down..He picked himself up from the floor and grabbed the bottle. Gruffly, he popped it open and poured himself a drink. He downed the engex like it was medicine, hoping the high grade would calm his nerves.  Shockwave exited the washracks, huge clouds of steam flowing out to the berthroom. The purple mech promptly closed the door.

“I heard a loud thud, are you hurt?”

“Soundwave: fell from the chair. Soundwave: alright” he blurted out. His other servo firmly held the cube like a crutch. Shockwave’s audials flicked upward in a pleasant surprise. The communications officer’s elusive face was exposed..at least half of it. Shockwave took in the sight of the mech’s face.

..He’s quite handsome, and apparently expressive. Soundwave was blushing mad, his lips did a small pout, avoiding the scientist’s penetrating gaze. Shockwave hummed in observation.

“You’re also free to use the washracks…..are you sure you’re alright?” Worried, the scientist strode to Soundwave. “Your face is flushing. Are you sick?” Shockwave raised his servo to Soundwave’s forehead, checking his friend’s temperature.

Quickly, Soundwave pulled his EM field close to himself and sucked his breath. He bit his lower lip in nervousness as he felt Shockwave’s chest against him. It reminded him of their little misadventure on this very same room, except now he was conscious. The heat radiating from the scientist’s frame plus his soft breathing only made matters worse as his HUD pinged again.

“Your temperature increased above the optimal range by 5% and counting Soundwave. You must take a cold shower now and rest. It’s only logical”

“Offer: appreciated, but I’m quite alright” Dissatisfied, Shockwave made a tsk sound only to be greeted by Soundwave’s soft smile. Suddenly, the scientist realized how close they’re standing together. Both stayed silent for a minute, their EM fields slowly melding together. A special kind of feeling enveloped them both. Shockwave couldn't quite put the way he was feeling into words but he felt like he was melting at this sensation.

“Shockwave..” Soundwave's voice went an octave lower as he whispered his designation with such tenderness which automatically made Shockwave’s audials warm in response. The commnication's officer saw the adorable wiggle, and lightly chuckled. Carefully, he clasped the unmoving servo in his forehead to his, lowering it down. Shockwave’s breath hitched, he let him hold his hand as he waited for him to speak.  Up close, he can actually catch a glimpse of Soundwave’s hidden optics.

The cassette deployer reluctantly released Shockwave’s hand, his digits lingered before fully removing themselves. The one-eyed mech silently missed the touch. This confounds me. Is this still included in the parameters of friendship.. he coughed as he took a step back, his spark beating loudly in his chest.

“Will you please take a bath, standing around here is illogical.”

“You’re illogical”

“What” Annoyed, Shockwave crossed his arms glaring at Soundwave, who was grinning at him.

“Soundwave: just kidding” they both went silent for a moment until the cassette deployer mumbled.

“Query: why did you not inform me before that you were uncomfortable with my touch?” Shockwave saw his lips form a small frown. He suddenly felt his chest tighten. He let his arms down and mumbled.

“I do not know what you’re talking about”

“Shockwave: bad at lying. Shockwave: also admitted to me a few hours ago you were not used to someone touching you without your permission”

The scientist remembered his declaration of friendship vividly of course. With a sigh he looked down at his pedes and finally confessed.

“I do not know myself..if it was someone else I would have slapped their hand away for even having the audacity..” Soundwave giggled at that, Shockwave noticed the mech apparently poured himself another cube. He let out a groan.

“Soundwave do not make me drag you to the washracks” he yanked the drink away from his comrade and walked past him to put away the cube. Soundwave did not appreciate his engex being taken away, in a swift motion he grabbed Shockwave’s shoulder, turned him around and grabbed his waist.

“You shouldn’t let yourself be inebriated, it might exacerbate you condi—“

Soundwave must be insane, that or Shockwave must be too late in preventing his friend to be drunk. He only had two cubes this is ridiculous. He returned his attention to Soundwave currently trapping him in his arms. His breath smelled with high grade. Soundwave hiccupped and leaned his forehead into Shockwave’s with a thunk. The one-eyed scientist’s audials slowly went back like a tamed bunny.

Maybe offering high grade was bad idea. He took a mental note on Soundwave’s low tolerance.

“Soundwave: glad that he’s an exception….I get to avoid your creepy science table..heehee” The communications officer slurred.  Shockwave tried to squirm away but Soundwave whined, his hug tightening.

The purple mech let out a hrrkk! sound, Soundwave suddenly felt guilty as he saw Shockwave’s discomfort. He loosened his grip, giving Shockwave some room to breathe but his body would not let go.

“Soundwave: apologizes…I miss my cassettes..always gave me a hug..tell me Shockwave, am I still sick?” He purred as he buried his face into Shockwave’s neck. The scientist shuddered as he felt Soundwave’s warm breath.  They stayed like that for five minutes. Soundwave held him like his life depended on it while Shockwave’s mind flashed back, snapping at him because he was late. He felt guilty, Soundwave must have had a hard time missing his cassettes; being used to someone giving him this kind of affection and it being taken away in a flash obviously had effect on his fellow lieutenant.

Slowly, he raised both his arms and awkwardly patted his back with his gun. He can feel the other’s spark beating against his own. It was as if he was lulling him into slumber. A few moments later he whispered to him.

“Soundwave..let me go. I have to clean up the spilled energon”

“…”

Eventually the mech released his hold but something was odd. Shockwave dropped the glass when Soundwave sagged into him, snoring. Did he seriously fall asleep here in my arms..while standing??

The scientist groaned in disbelief. He slipped an arm over his neck and carried him to the berth. Thankfully it was a short walk. Shockwave told himself as he settled him down and proceeded to fetch a washcloth. He picked up the shards of his broken cube and wiped the stains on the floor. After that, he then headed to the washracks to pick up a new washcloth for Soundwave. He walked back beside the berth and knelt beside him.

“I’m just going to wipe you down..this behaviour is unacceptable Soundwave.” He complained as he stared wiping his arms.

“Hnnh..”  the cassette deployer responded, then went back to sleep again. I did not predict this outcome for tonight. Incredulous, Shockwave stared at him. Truthfully speaking, he expected that they would only have to talk about…things. This friendship thing is complicated. He thought as continued scrubbing Soundwave, from the glass of his chest up to his abdomen. He realized he actually didn’t know what they were going to talk about anyway.

When he finished the upper area, he glanced down at his pelvic area and blushed. ….no. He skipped and went to wipe the blue mech’s knees until he reached down to his pedes. With a grunt, he stood up and walked back to the washracks to wring the cloth then went ahead and grabbed a new cloth to wipe the mech’s face. When he returned, Shockwave saw Soundwave lying on his side. His back facing away from what little empty space left behind.

I suppose I should sort out where I’m going to recharge later. He grumbled, remembering his one-mech sized bed.

He stood in front him, gazing at him as softly as his one optic can manage. His antennae tilted back. He knelt down to look at Soundwave’s face more closely. 

The communications officer’s soft breaths, the small wheezing noises as he breathed out, the smell of high grade wafting to his olfactory sensors, the scientist took it all in. Slowly, he caressed his face with his one hand. It felt warm and smooth under his palm. Seeing someone like Soundwave, who was as stoic as him, let his guard down around him was still unbelievable. Coolant suddenly formed around his optic, for the first time his spark sang with genuine happiness. He has someone in his life now.

what… Startled, he jerked his hand away and fell on his aft. He felt the water from his optic and looked down at his hand, agitated . I must be losing my mind. What is wrong with me. Perturbed, he quickly wiped his face. Shockwave’s breathing became erratic, gripping the gun from his other arm.

I’m..what am I doing. He glanced back at the mech on his berth. These recent intimate interactions he had with Soundwave had awaken something within him. After a long time he spent secluded in his own little world, Shockwave’s forgotten emotions were making their way back. He tried to slow down his breathing, gradually easing his grip. Their relationship took an unexpected turn, from being mere co-workers to actual friends who care about each other’s well-being but was he really that lonely that the thought of Soundwave brought him to tears?

His optic noticed the old portrait beside the berth.  He stood up and grabbed the engex bottle. He sat at the foot of the berth, nostalgia already chipping away the walls he had built around himself. His mind wandered to his old life as he drank, reminiscing.

Chapter Text

Thumping of pedes, the quiet chattering by the hallway, and the pristine walls of the surroundings snapped Shockwave from his daze. Flasks of chemicals were placed neatly in the table in front of him. Other various equipment could be seen in the room, sitting there waiting to be used. He noticed something weighing on his right hand. He was holding a metallic thong in his servo. The scenery looked like he was doing some kind of experiment. A datapad was sitting beside some test tubes with various colors. He placed down the thong from his servo to grab and read it.

The Molecular Perspective of Energon

Authored by: Shockwave

 He dropped the datapad on the floor. He knew exactly where he was.

For reasons beyond him, he’s currently standing in his old lab, back in Crystal City. The door suddenly opened. A bot he could not recognize entered the room. He could discern the worried tone in his vocalizer when he spoke but it was odd. He could see his body but not his face, he tried to concentrate but a blinding light obscured his face. It was as if his brain refused to reveal the mech before him.

“You alright?” he heard him say. The words that came out from this mech was distorted, it felt like he was in a bubble. Shockwave felt a hand on his shoulder; a twinge of pain stabbed his spark.

“I told you, you shouldn’t overwork yourself” the mysterious mech jested. “you know, once you complete that study you can unlock the secrets of our race..maybe even Cybertron and Primus themself!” he exclaimed. Shockwave gawked at the mysterious mech before him. His mind was already racing with so many questions.

“Hello? Anybody there? Don’t just stare at me, that’s a little unsettling” Shockwave heard him as the mech picked up the dropped datapad.

“Shockwave?”

With a gasp, the scientist woke up. He quickly looked around him. The dimly lit room, the stack of datapads next to him, and the not-so-beautiful view of their planet from his window reassured Shockwave’s logic circuits.

A dream. How curious..

It has been so long since he had one. Shockwave did not even consider the fact that he was still capable of producing dreams but that would’ve been illogical. After all he was still a cybertronian, regardless of his repressed emotions or lack thereof according to Starsceam. As the dream gradually fades he turned his attention to Soundwave’s sleeping form. It seems his fellow third-in-command hogged the berth to himself, slumbering away peacefully like he was in the comfort of his own home.  Shockwave rubbed a servo through his face.

It seems I have fallen asleep while going-over some of my other side projects..

He checked his chronometer. It’s only a few more hours before the day can begin and Shockwave does not feel rested at all. The dream was so bizarre that it bothered him but he was also curious about this mech. He tried to recall the person only to fail. Only a few designations came to his mind that could’ve made an appearance to him in that particular scenario. Shockwave suddenly remembered the touch in his shoulder. Realization dawning on him, one mech suddenly came to his mind.

No..why would I remember him now..After what he did.

He gripped the table with such cold anger that it formed a dent. Shockwave stood up and went for the energon dispenser. He noticed the half-full engex bottle beside it. With a sigh, he put the bottle away and grabbed an empty cube. He drank regular grade energon and leaned on the wall opposite to the berth. Shockwave exhaled, attempting to calm himself down. He focused his attention to Soundwave instead, sleeping peacefully.

First I unconsciously secreted liquid (although the amount may be little) around my optics and now it seems I’m starting to dream again..

If he had known that establishing some form of kinship with Soundwave would carry a side effect, Shockwave would’ve hesitated.

He took another sip and wondered what would have happened if Soundwave successfully went on his way that day. As he finished his drink and walked back to his table he remembered the lightness he felt whenever the mech offered his companionship. The tingly sensations in his spark and the genuine happiness that came with it.. with that a single reply to his question burned in his mind.

Even if I could turn back the time…I would not mind letting things unfold as they did.

“Alpha Trion I’m worried..Chromia hasn’t checked in for quite some time..I fear that Shockwave captured her..o-or worse..”  said a femme autobot behind a series of monitors, her voice dripping with anxiety.

The old mech stood up from his seat, and spoke “I understand you’re worried Greenlight, but staging a rescue mission right now would be dangerous.” Alpha Trion made his way to the monitors. The remaining Autobots in Cybertron were not as many as it used to be. Their numbers have been dwindling and this hideout has been keeping Shockwave into reducing them to their extinction under Megatron’s orders. But the sage had not lost hope; he knew that one day Optimus Prime and his Autobots would return here and restore peace. He looked up and saw Chromia’s vitals.

Still alive..

Guilty, Alpha Trion’s brows knit; his face sullen and full of despair. He should’ve stopped the blue femme when she rushed to the mad scientist’s lair. Bringing only two autobots with her practically made it into a suicide mission. Memory fresh in his databanks, he recalled the anonymous call they received.

The mysterious mech suddenly flashed in their monitors, his voice and face masked with static concealing his whereabouts in the background.  Alpha Trion did note the mech’s wings. It was a seeker.

“Autobots..Listen well and listen good, this is an opportunity you must not let go…approximately ten cycles from now Megatron’s most trusted officer will deliver something of importance to that one-eyed bastard..” the venom in his voice almost gave the old scribe a clue to his identity, but he can’t draw any conclusions for now.

 “Who are you?! How did you get past our firewall! ”

“Well obviously you idiots need to work on your security more, plus I wouldn’t have gone with the trouble of hiding my identity if I wanted you fools to know who I am”

“Why you little -”

Alpha Trion interrupted Chromia’s little outburst. Doubtful, the bearded mech inquired more.

“Tell me..what’s so special about this thing that you’re willing to go into great lengths into betraying your leader..”

Their cryptic informant wings flared up in surprise, caught off guard with Alpha Trion’s question. He quickly gained composure and fired back a reply which made the scribe’s optics grow wide.

“What if I told you it has something to do with Vector Sigma..Surely you wouldn’t dismiss this so easily old man” his snicker echoed in the room, which annoyed Chromia more.

Alpha Trion crossed his arms and sighed. He still regretted the decision to agree with Chromia’s risky plan to infiltrate Shockwave’s base. All of them knew once the scientist got a hold of Vector Sigma, it would put their comrades into a huge disadvantage. That’s why it didn’t surprise him that a brave warrior such as her volunteered to confirm this intel, but at what cost.

Greenlight stared at him in disbelief. She clenched her dentae in frustration, coolant forming in her optics. The green femme abruptly stood up and left the room in search of a friend.

We can’t abandon her!

Desperate, she commed one of her closest friend, hoping she would help. Alpha Trion only looked at Greenlight with pity.

The green femme arrived at her friend’s habsuite. Huffing, Greenlight stood in front of the door and quickly inputted the password. When she entered the room, her spark was filled with relief. A teal-colored femme stood in the middle of the room, she was staring at Greenlight with a curious look on her face.

“Moonracer! I’m so glad you agreed to meet in such a short notice..”  she quickly closed the door behind her and sat down on the nearest chair. Moonracer knelt next to her and put a servo in her shoulder. Her face was stricken with worry for her friend.

“What’s wrong, you sounded serious when you commed me..I was worried.. Also why are you so out of breath”

“I ran here..anyway that’s not important, all you need to know is I’m going to rescue Chromia..I want you to help me.”

“What- that’s crazy Greenlight..what if we end up in the same situation with her..plus there’s rumors lately that Soundwave’s still here in Cybertron.”

Moonracer’s face contorted from worried to incredulous. She removed her hand from Greenlight’s shoulder and stood up. She saw the green mech’s face staring back at her with intensity.

She was serious.

“I-If you won’t help me Moonracer, I’ll just rescue Chromia all by myself”

“Wait! Ugh…”

Moonracer chased her friend. She promptly grabbed her hand which earned a glare from Greenlight.

“Look..I can’t believe I’m being the rational one here, you’re supposed to be the level-headed out of the three of us Green..Do you even have a plan?”

“Of course I have a plan!”

Moonracer released her grip to the femme’s hand. She firmly looked at Greenlight and sighed. She does care for Chromia, but right now if Moonracer refused to cooperate with her friend she might lose both of them.

“..Alright fine I’ll help, it’s not like I can stop you anyways” Grateful, Greenlight tackled the teal femme into a hug. Moonracer yelped and happily reciprocated the hug.

The beeping sound of his chronometer roused Soundwave from his deep sleep.  He mentally dismissed the alarm in his HUD and stretched on the berth like a cat. He rolled over and sat on the berth, still unaware of his surroundings.

With a click, his red visor slid back. Soundwave groggily rubbed his optics and looked around the room. The familiar energon dispenser and the old picture beside the berth felt like a sucker punch to his face.

He spent the night in Shockwave’s berthroom…after getting drunk on high grade. 

Oh Primus.

Soundwave was fully awake now, embarrassment washed over him like a waterfall. He glanced down at his arms, body and legs. He noticed he’s actually slightly cleaner for some reason. He covered his face with both of his servos. Not only he felt wonderfully refreshed, but he also felt extremely guilty wondering where his friend slept. The berth cannot fit two mechs after all, unless…   

Soundwave held his helm together like he was afraid it would split into two. His mind flashed back to what he did last night. Soundwave felt energon rise to his face; he looked like a tomato.  

He still remembered the heat of the other’s frame as they held each other with his face burrowed on Shockwave’s neck like it was nothing. Nervously, he checked his HUD if his interface protocols activated last night. Thankfully it did not but what really made his spark throb was the fact that he felt Shockwave hug him back last night. He fondly recalled the purple mech’s awkward patting…and his energon cube breaking.

The communications officer groaned. Now he felt bad passing out like that, maybe he should’ve taken it easy with the high grade. This was why he rarely drank engex and yet he doesn’t want to deny Shockwave’s effort for their relationship.

The blue mech sighed. It wasn’t that kind of relationship. Soundwave reminded himself as he stood up. Slowly, he looked around the room only to find his friend missing. He checked his chronometer. There was still an hour before work. The communications officer thought that perhaps he left early, Soundwave was actually grateful to avoid the awkwardness for now.

He walked to the table and saw some datapads strewn about. Maybe Shockwave didn’t sleep at all. He frowned at that thought. Soundwave headed towards the washracks, he might as well take a shower. Technically Shockwave did give him permission last night. There’s still more work to do and he can’t afford to mull over his little misstep now.

Chapter Text

Shockwave groggily went on his day. The lack of recharge was taking a toll in his mood and concentration. It’s not like this was the first time he’s ever pulled an all-nighter, the situation was delicate since he has more responsibilities now unlike before where he was happily poring over his work without the constant pressure of his beloved leader. Thankfully the main communications hub was finished yesterday and the spacebridge repair was also in its final stages. The scientist learned a lot from his last encounter with those pesky autobots. Even though there were only a few of them left they remain to be a thorn in his side and that wouldn’t do.

Additional security features were added. Intricately placed traps were included not just for the bridge but also for the comm hub. All they need now was to interrogate their prisoner and dispose of her as soon as possible. Such a waste, she would've been a great test subject, in fact he should thank her for bringing him and Soundwave together like this he thought. 

Shockwave awkwardly coughed.  He didn’t know if his fellow third-in-command was doing alright, after all he was black out drunk last night.

Even though he only had two drinks.. He thought with slight amusement.

Speaking from experience, hang-over was an unpleasant side effect he had to deal with even if he has high tolerance for drinking. It was why he only brought out one bottle in the first place..Maybe he should synthesize a drug for him in his spare time Shockwave mused. 

At last, Soundwave had made his appearance. He was walking towards him but he looked more stiff than usual. A few seekers saluted to him and the cassette deployer nodded to them. They didn’t seem to notice his discomfort. When Soundwave arrived in front of him, his EMF was pulled tightly to himself. Shockwave spoke to greet him.

“Are you quite alright? If you’re in any pain I understand, perhaps you should take some medical grade energon and res—“

“Soundwave: Functional and ready for work…Hang-over was not an issue..”

“..I see”

The two officers stared at each other, both unsure on how to proceed next. Shockwave seemed to wait for some kind of cue from him. That must have been the longest minute in Soundwave’s life. Unbelievable, the scientist was actually worried about him even though he pretty much ruined their first night out as friends.

Should I just pretend like it was nothing..or should I blurt out my apology now..

Soundwave’s internal conflict was brought into a halt when he heard the other spoke.

“I should return to my work..I have already reported to Lord Megatron about our latest progress. There is still the matter of the prisoner.. I suggest you interrogate her first. Your abilities will surely yield a higher success rate compared to my methods.”

Shockwave faced the spacebridge controls and began adding the final calibrations. His posture did nothing to reveal his mood; it was impressive how he was hiding his exhaustion. An ordinary mech wouldn’t have noticed the little anxious taps and he does here and there. Of course his EM field seemed stable and calm too.

The blue mech sighed, it seems the one-eyed scientist was either too recharge-deprived to care or he genuinely did not mind what happened last night. A gentle tap on the shoulder made the purple mech to turn and look. As he glanced down, Shockwave’s spark felt those tingly sensations again.

An energon cube, which looked new, was gradually extended to him. The scientist slowly returned his gaze to Soundwave who was shyly averting his gaze. 

“Soundwave: remembers…thank you. Allow me to return the favor next time.”

Carefully, Shockwave accepted his gift. Their fingers brushed but this time he didn’t flinch or try to hide his flinching. The interaction was so normal that the lack of reaction would've gone unnoticed if Soundwave wasn't paying attention. He felt his own spark warm at the fact that Shockwave was now completely comfortable with his touch.

The spy’s anxiety faded. His EMF buzzed with happiness and a twinge of embarrassment. Soundwave extended this feeling to him. With that he quickly left and headed to the prison hold, his face slowly turning pink underneath his faceplates.

Stunned, Shockwave stood there motionless. He held the cube near his spark and tilted his head. The sudden change in his companion’s behaviour baffled the mech. Oddly enough, he felt less tired. Shockwave stashed the energon cube in his subspace and continued with his work, his antennae lightly wiggling for a second.

The two commanding officers were once again oblivious to their surroundings. Either that or at this point they refused to give a damn about the rumors spreading about them like wildfire. The seekers present in the room watched the whole scene unfold before them, their optics unblinking and their mouths agape. One by one the fliers tapped the side of their helm to activate their comm links, eager to update the others about the development.

“You know when you said you had a plan…”

“What? This is a plan.”

Moonracer and Greenlight were sneaking around the perimeter of the decepticon base for quite a while now. They noticed the increased number of seekers patrolling the area. It seemed like Shockwave heightened the security around here. Both were arguing over the strategy, the teal femme wanted to back out but the green femme still refused to give up.

“It’s easy you just have to distract those guards while I plant the dampeners on that wall there.”

“Yeah I mean I don’t mind being bait for you but how are you so sure that your plan will work..N-Not that I doubt you! But I just need more insurance..”

Moonracer did her best to show off her best puppy-eyed optics to the green femme. Greenlight sighed in defeat, she handed the device to her. It was circular in shape; it looked tiny and inconspicuous enough that it fitted the palm of her servo. Greenlight knew that as reckless as her friend was, Moonracer was probably being cautious right now for her sake in the first place. At least that was what she assumed.

“If our observations are correct, Shockwave still largely relies on his technology to defend this place. If we take out his defensive systems we might have a chance of rescuing Chromia”

Moonracer stared at her with an unreadable expression. Her optics crinkled in a mixed look of pity and agony. Maybe the femme’s emphasis to the word “might” added to the teal femme’s already demoralized spirit. With a crest fallen look on her face, Greenlight bowed her head and continued.

“I-I know this plan isn’t fool-proof, I can’t even guarantee that we’ll get away from here alive..But I just can’t leave her alone in this place..Primus, she’s probably waiting for a miracle.. I just want to let her know we didn’t abandon her.”

Coolant was starting to form around her optics. Moonracer bit her lip plates; she can’t bear to see her so desperate like this. She handed the device back to her partner. Quietly, she leaned close and wrapped her arms around Greenlight in a comforting embrace.

“We don’t even know the layout of Shockwave’s fortress..Soundwave is probably there, we only have 5 dampeners at best and the place is swarming with guards..m-maybe this was a mistake and I’m just asking you to throw your life away. I’m so sorry..”

The teal femme rubbed soothing circles on Greenlight’s back as she cried, venting out her pent-up frustrations at the futility of their situation. It was tough for her, they both knew she wasn’t a fighter deep down in her core but she still gathered enough courage to actually come here.  

A fire lit up Moonracer’s spark as she slowly withdrew her arms and smiled at Greenlight. She drew in a sharp breath and exhaled.

“And yet your cry-baby aft is still here..you’re right..Chromia needs us, plus we’re already here. If we go down, we might as well take down that one-eyed glitch with us”

Sniffling away her worries, Greenlight smiled back.

“…thank you Moony”

She tackled her into a quick hug which earned a yelp from the teal femme.

“Alright here’s the detailed version of the plan..”

“Wha—Primus dammit..you should’ve started with that!”

The walk to the prison hold was fairly quiet Soundwave noted. After all there were few seekers in this particular hallway which honestly just screamed “security failure”. For a mech whose whole personality centered on “being logical” this was honestly quite amusing.

Mental note..remind Shockwave to add guards here...

As the spy continued his calm walk, the atmosphere drew his mind to their prisoner. If he recalled, their assailant was talking to someone before he dropped the energon bomb on her two comrades. He knitted his brows in contemplation. There’s the possibility of a certain seeker leaking those blueprints to the Autobots but the question was how..and why.

Soundwave turned around the corner, his optics noticed a dimly lit room nearby the prison cells. He stopped by its wide window and peered inside.

Of course..the reason he doesn’t put guards here...

It was Shockwave’s other laboratory.

It’s not like he wasn’t aware of mech’s infamous reputation. His contributions to the cause have been beneficial and yet he couldn’t stop the chilling sensation that was creeping in his spinal struts. Seeing the holovids and reports were nothing compared to the exposure to the actual process, granted that nothing was actually happening right at this moment, but it didn’t stop Soundwave’s imagination.

His servos weren’t exactly clean either. Soundwave exhaled as he remembered the things he had done for the cause that was not as honorable as he’d like it to be. It’s only fitting for someone like him, after all his skills were for espionage.

Soundwave took one last look at the room. He noted a dubious looking cord by the energon-stained table. Apart from that it seemed like the other equipment were spotless. Perhaps that apparatus connected to the cord was Shockwave’s latest personal project.  

The spy finally arrived at the cell, the two guards saluted to him. Chromia was sitting by the wall opposite to the electrified bars, her back leaning and her head hung down. She spared one look at her captor and scoffed.

“What? It’s only you, I thought the other ‘Wave would’ve showed up—”

“Silence Autobot!” The red seeker guarding the cell interrupted her while his other brother just sighed in embarrassment. Soundwave raised a hand, quieting the whole room.

“Soundwave: will give you one last chance. Tell us who leaked about the blueprint or you will regret it.”

“I’d rather not.”

The deafening silence left the two coneheads looking at each other. While Chromia was having her little stare down with Soundwave, a thought suddenly popped in her mind.

He doesn’t know who betrayed them? Hmm. Interesting.

She took this chance to provoke the other in hopes that maybe he’ll open the cell. Unbeknownst to those two fliers, she managed to break free from her cuffs a while ago, but she was biding her time..waiting for the right moment to make a run for it.

“Well well well! The Infamous All-Knowing Third-in-Command of the Decepticons have no idea who their little mole is huh? Too bad! I’ll guess I will just die with this information, after all those dumbafts have been interrogating me and they haven’t got anything ha!”

Chromia snickered, if their idea of torture was non-stop interrogation maybe those rumors about Shockwave was false and that airhead flier was just bluffing. Soundwave looked at his side, the two coneheads suddenly tensed. It was as if the atmosphere of their superior changed from calm to something sinister. He turned his attention on the loud red seeker and spoke.

“Avion: will restrain the prisoner”

Soundwave walked over to the quiet black flier and whispered.

“Blackburn: will be on stand-by..in case of trouble.”

They were a bit surprised. The two coneheads couldn’t believe that their commanding officer actually knew their designations. This little gesture prompted a proud salute from them.

“Understood!” They said in unison.

Before Avion opened the gate, Soundwave sent a comm to them.

[Listen, I will be vulnerable once I start the process, It is important that the prisoner stays here. Do not let anyone in or out unless it is of utmost importance..or if Lieutenant Shockwave asked you two.]

[O-of course sir!]

[Yes sir.]

Chromia gulped. She observed the three cons before her, it seemed like they were about to start something terrible. She also noticed something odd about Soundwave. His calm and collected demeanor did not change one bit yet the menacing aura coming off him just piled on the uneasiness she was feeling.

She braced herself and kneeled on her one knee. The cassette deployer already noticed her foolish plan and to break the little bit of hope she had, Soundwave suddenly pulled a spare stasis cuff from his subspace.

Scrap he knew..Ugh I’m not going to go down without a fight!

“Hraaaaah!!”

The blue femme yelled as she lunged forward, but sadly her attempt was immediately stopped by Avion’s electric spear. Chromia shrieked in pain as she stumbled backward. The sudden surge of energy fried her circuits but the worst was yet to come. Soundwave grabbed her wrists and removed the broken stasis cuffs replacing it with a sturdier one.

“Escape: Futile, Operation: Extraction.”

Chromia groaned, as she started to lose consciousness, her thoughts drifted to her friends back in their hideout.

I’m sorry everyone…

Shockwave was finishing up with the Spacebridge’s delicate programming in quiet contemplation. While typing away, his mind wandered to Soundwave.

I wonder what he’d think about the improvements I did with this program.. I should ask about his input later.

His digits momentarily paused, it was curious how much he has changed in a span of few weeks. In the past he wouldn’t even bother asking for someone's opinion unless necessary..now he found himself thinking what Soundwave would say on a mundane matter such as this.

A bittersweet feeling came over him as he recalled the report he had to give their leader while his friend was not present.

“That is good news Shockwave. As for Soundwave, he must return here after the interrogation at once! I appreciate his cassettes’ effort but the quality of the intel we get is not as good as before therefore affecting our strategies. Upon his return, you will work on the contents of the blueprint..and at last..we can all return home and crush the Autobots for good!”

Megatron cackled, the purple mech stared at his leader with an inquisitive optic. Megatron raised his optic bridge at him. Years of working together had helped the Decepticon leader in deciphering the scientist’s complex expressions or atleast he thought so..Sure feeling his EMF field in person and observing his movements help in some situations but he can never know for certain what he’s feeling. As long as he delivers with his performance it doesn’t really matter, the warlord thought.

“Is there a problem Shockwave?”

“..Will all of you really return here once I build it?”

“Of course, do you doubt me?”

“No my Lord..”

“Good..Good…Megatron out.”

“WAIT!”

Megatron’s optics widened in shock, never in the million years they’ve known each other did Shockwave sound like this..

"My my! I’ve never heard you speak to me like that..well let’s hear it.”

“I can complete the project in six earth months…but..with your permission, Soundwave and I can complete it in three”

“You mean Lieutenant Soundwave and you? I didn’t know you were so casual with him.”

Shockwave stayed silent for a second before speaking again. Megatron crossed his arms with a strange expression on his face.

“F-forgive my insolence Lord Megatron…what do you think?”

“It’s nothing Shockwave, in fact it would do well for both of you to get closer..”

“W-WHAT”

Megatron raised his optic ridge again in confusion. Did he truly recover from that blast?

“While I appreciate you showing this…new side of yourself Shockwave, if I hear you raise your voice against me again I shall remind you who I am..”

“I have nothing but respect for you my Lord..it’s just that—“

“Your request has been denied..not because you raised your voice BUT because..well I really need Soundwave here. You’re competent enough on your own there. I don't mind waiting for 6 months.”

What happened next caught the warlord off-guard, he doesn’t know if his optics played a trick on him but he noticed Shockwave’s antennae going down a little then return into their straight unmoving form in a blink. It was surprisingly adorable?

“I have faith in you..after all you’re my top engineer and scientist. Do not rush this project.”

“Understood Lord Megatron. Shockwave out.”

An alert from the security system suddenly snapped Shockwave awake from replaying that awkward report in his head. A commlink appeared in his HUD from a seeker stationed on Sector 3. He answered while he quickly made his way to the surveillance room. Fortunately, it was near where he was working.

[Trouble sir! Two Autobots are currently making their way up, one of them has some kind of tech..the security systems are not working at all!]

[Hm. Understood. Stand your ground while I investigate, it could be a hacking or our visitors must be using some kind of dampening technology. I shall reactivate security in a minute]

Disgruntled, Shockwave couldn’t believe two Autobots were slipping past numerous seekers; These seekers who were supposed to be seasoned fighters were getting outsmarted by a few Autobots. He observed the intruders in the surveillance cams, it seemed like there were really only two of them. The scientist recognized the green one..

“Interesting..She has grown so much that she can neutralize my tech. I will have to stop you here unfortunately.”

Shockwave began modifying his security systems. After preparing, he tried to contact Soundwave but his commlink was off. Worried, he then tried to contact the two seekers on guard in the prison cell.

[Where is Lieutenant Soundwave?]

[He’s uhm..currently interrogating the prisoner for information sir.]

Of course, Shockwave remembered Soundwave’s ability required his utmost concentration. No matter, this time he wasn’t exactly alone and unprepared. He didn’t think it would be so soon for an ambush to happen again though. His HUD pinged with a follow-up commlink from the flier.

[Should I let Lieutenant Soundwave know sir?]

[Negative. I shall handle this.]

With that, he left a message for his friend and ordered all seekers to proceed to the highest sector. If going up was their goal, he shall grant their final wish.

Chapter Text

Megatron scratched the back of his helm in confusion. Shockwave’s last transmission was puzzling indeed. It’s also strange that he was reporting to him in the first place instead of Soundwave.

I wonder what’s been going on there..

It’s no secret that the warlord and the cassette deployer have known each other the longest. Some even speculated that the two were actually bonded but if Megatron was being honest, the only bond they have was their lasting friendship to each other. Soundwave has been with him through thick and thin. From the start of their movement up until now, the spy’s loyalty has never waned.

The ex-gladiator did wish his friend found himself a conjunx though. Or atleast experience the feeling of falling in love with someone, sure he would always say that his Lord and cassettes were enough but Megatron wanted someone to take care of him the way a friend can’t. Although his experience with love was bittersweet because of a certain archivist at the end of the day he could say he didn’t regret it.

“Lord Megatron?? Helloooo?”

“GYAH! What?!”

Startled, Megatron looked down only to find two of Soundwave’s cassettes, Rumble and Frenzy. They were staring at him like he was crazy. The Decepticon leader huffed and crossed his arms in annoyance.

“You looked like you were spacing out! Did you skip breakfast again?”

“For the last time Frenzy, the concept of breakfast only exists for these useless fleshbags”

“But we kind of like it! Erm..Is everything okay back home?”

Megatron sighed, those two have been coming here ever since Soundwave was stuck on Cybertron. He supposed he could never fully understand their agony over missing their deployer. He was basically like a carrier to them, but he knew that all of them missed Soundwave dearly.

“He’s fine as far as I know..It was actually Shockwave who contacted me this morning, but the space bridge is finally operational, as soon as Soundwave finishes interrogating the Autobot prisoner he’ll come back here immediately”

The grey mech’s expression went soft after seeing the cassettes’ reaction. The joy in their EM Field was too contagious that he can’t help but smile along with them. Their short celebration was cut short when Rumble suddenly paused in his jumping.

“Wait hold on…Shockwave?? Wha- where’s the boss?” Rumble’s face contorted into worry.

“Well..Shockwave told me he was preoccupied with important matters, not that it bothers me, they were almost finished with their work there anyway so he must be busy.”

The twins shared a knowing look with each other. Curious, the warlord demanded to know what’s going on.

“What is it..”

“What’s what Lord Megatron?”

Rumble innocently replied like he was a clueless sparkling. Frenzy did his best to look less guilty as possible but their leader was not having it.

“Don’t make me ask Soundwave, what are you two hiding?”

The Decepticon leader loomed over Rumble and Frenzy. Eek!, the two cassettes whimpered.

Megatron felt bad. Curse his intimidating and large body! Although his form would send a thousand mechs cowering before him, he would never hurt someone precious to him unless of course they betray him.

“I didn’t mean to scare you two, I’m also worried about him..”

The grey mech exhaled, he looked at the two with apologetic optics. Seeing their leader’s sincerity convinced Rumble and Frenzy. The two nodded to each other as if they’ve reached into agreement.  Megatron raised his optic ridge at this.

“Okay but don’t be surprised…We think Soundwave likes ‘ole One Eye..”

Rumble whispered as if he was saying some conspiracy while Frenzy fidgeted beside his brother.

“What do you mean like..”

“Like you know…in a sparkmate kind of way..”

Frenzy cringed as he uttered the word sparkmate; his servos flailing around. The red cassetticon felt like verbalizing it would manifest snakes in their base. The situation was still unreal to both these twins but what they didn’t expect was the reaction the warlord was going to have. Megatron stared at the two, his optics unmoving and his posture rigid. At first, Rumble and Frenzy thought he was just processing this information but after a while..

“Oh Primus…Rumble I think we broke Lord Megatron..”

Shocked, Megatron’s brain seemed to have stopped for a minute. This worried the cassettes as their leader eerily looked like a statue right now, arms crossed and his optics fixed on nothing. The two began to whisper to each other.

 “Oh scrap look at his optics! It’s all white!!”

Inside Megatron’s brain module, a hundred thoughts were running around. Too many questions and answers were being generated at full speed. What did they mean Soundwave likes Shockwave? Why Shockwave of all people? 

Not that I’m against it..it’s just unexpected. Is that why Shockwave was acting weird when he called? Now that I think about it, Soundwave was being elusive everytime I asked how’s been doing there whenever he finished with his report. I thought he was busy but apparently he was busy with something else…or someone else.

While their leader’s brain was overheating, the two freaked out. For once, the trouble was not their fault.

“AhHH! He’s still not moving!! We poked his face and everything”

“Should we call Hook?”

“WHAT, NO! Then he’ll ask why and we have to tell that again, and it will spread to the whole base like a disease. Primus imagine the mayhem.”

“Yeah it’s only fun when the mayhem is about others…”

Rumble and Frenzy wracked their brains for a solution. Pacing around in circles clearly did nothing to help, eventually the twins gave up.

“Okay okay, let’s just chill and wait for Lord Megatron to come back on his own. Maybe it’s because he’s so old that his brain is lagging hehe!”

The twins proceeded to laugh and put some ice on the warlord’s helm. They took some pictures before settling on a corner to play some videogames.

Moonracer and Greenlight finally made it past the third sector of the decepticon base, of course not without some wounds and scratches.

“Primus it’s a miracle we made it this far, but it’s weird..this floor has no guards at all..”

Moonracer exvented as she began to patch up her own wound, good thing her self-repair can take care of it for now. Greenlight sighed in exhaustion, it was unusual that they suddenly disappeared..

“The security systems might still be working. I’ll put my dampeners just in case, could you cover for me?”

“Of course!”

The two sneaked to the nearest wall, it’s lucky that Greenlight’s tech has a wide range but it doesn’t cover the whole floor at all plus they only have one left; it did help them to get past some seekers since it seemed like they were counting on Shockwave’s security systems to help them thus catching them off guard.          

“Okay all done..wow no one’s really showing up..”

“I got a bad feeling about this Greenlight, this is obviously a trap”

“I agree but the prison hold is above on the highest sector”

Greenlight raised the stolen data packet with the base’s schematics. Primus must be giving them some kind of sign, because there’s only one floor left which meant that Chromia’s currently imprisoned somewhere in that area and they only have one dampener left.

“Moony if you want to back out now I understand…”

“Pssh- and miss the chance to see Shockwave’s face blow up? No way”

Moonracer smiled at her warmly, although both of them knew what’s waiting for them Greenlight can’t thank her friend enough for doing this with her. With a sigh she stood up and raised her blaster forward.

“Alright, let’s roll out”

“You’ve been waiting for an opportunity to say that huh!”

“Might as well channel our inner Optimus Prime, this may be our last mission anyway..”

“It won’t. We’ll make it out of here Greenlight, I swear to you”

The two ran to the next entrance brimming with hope and determination. While Moonracer was busy reloading her blaster while running Greenlight noticed the security cam following their movements. It’s just as they suspected, her old teacher was definitely waiting on them. The green femme clenched her fists, grabbed her gun and aimed at the camera. Amazed, Moonracer glanced at her partner. The accuracy of her aim from their distance was definitely impressive.

Static filling the screen, Shockwave stood menacingly in front of the monitor. Now that he knew the type of tech she’s using, the odds of her escaping with her friends just became extremely low. He was not going to take chances with that possibility. The seekers outside were busy preparing for their targets. Almost twenty seekers were on guard, aiming their rifles at the entrance while some of them were defending the hallway towards the prison guard, forming a blockade of some sort. 

If his deductions were correct, the two Autobots were most likely attempting to rescue their friend. Either that or they really came for the blueprints. He couldn’t blame them, if he got a hold on Vector Sigma, the possibilities would be endless.

A short amount of time has passed and there were no signs of the two intruders. Bothered, Shockwave suspected that the two were attempting to find an alternative route inside this room which was useless. It was designed to only have a single entrance and exit only. Unless…

Quickly, he looked up to the ceiling, glaring at the vents. Of course, there was enough room for a bot to move around there especially those two. He checked the map of the fourth sector, there was a single vent that they could access from there through the prison hold.

Of all the idiotic things I have overlooked…

Shockwave immediately contacted the seekers by the hallway entrance to intercept before they reached Soundwave. As he walked out, his EMF was oozing with annoyance that could be felt by the entire room. A seeker warily asked his commanding officer.

“Is something wrong sir..?”

“I need five of you to report to me now. We’re going to corner them. It’s highly possible that they’re accessing the vents to go past the command deck and through the prison hold.”

A look of disbelief came over the fliers. Of course none of them could fit through the vents even if they fold their wings, but a mech designed for stealth with less kibble can. Shockwave took this into account long ago that’s why the sensors were only placed on the vents outside just in case, but if their interloper goes through the vent from the inside well…

The scientist took something from his subspace and handed each five of them some sort of bomb and protective masks. It was different from all the weapons they’ve encountered and it oddly looked like a flash grenade.

“This bomb has suffocating properties. I synthesized this from the cosmic rust sample from Lord Megatron. I will tell you where and when to throw them. If successful, they will fall back in this room and we will not take prisoners this time. Is this understood?”

The seekers saluted with an alarmed look on their faces, Shockwave gave the coordinates via comm and the five were on their way. He then turned to the other seekers and started handing out gas masks. They quickly returned to their stations, bracing for any sort of attacks. Their superior officer seemed antsy to the point that he’s willing to kill “potential experimental subjects” as he would’ve said on any day.

Blackburn stood by the door of the cell, warily observing Soundwave’s current “interrogation” when he received a comm from Commander Shockwave. Worried, the conehead tried to contact his brother but it seems his private commlink was off.

It looks like something’s going on outside….

“Hrnng…” Their prisoner groaned. Avion was still holding Chromia down. Her resistance to Soundwave’s mind-reading was astounding that even her physical body was still kicking, it’s no wonder the tapedeck’s was gripping her helm intensely.

“Psst…Avion..I think something’s wrong…Concorde is not answering my comms..also Shockwave commed me..”

“What?! What did he say??”

“He was looking for him..It sounded urgent..”

Both of them glanced at Soundwave who was currently breathing erratically, sure his mind-reading powers were convenient, but it doesn’t come without its drawbacks and restrictions. The person must be willing in the first place for him to avoid its unpleasant side-effects. If not, both of them will have a really painful headache, literally and figuratively. It was why Soundwave honed his espionage and hacking skills, he would rather use his powers as a last resort.

“Is he alright, he looks like he’s having a tough time there..”

“Yeah B, it’s my first time seeing his interrogation in person too..Primus how long is this going to take?”

A few minutes have passed, a number of their comrades flooded the hallway. Some of them went into position like they were expecting an attack. A femme approached Blackburn and briefed him on the current situation.

“Morane…what’s up”

“Blackburn don’t just say what’s up like a dumbaft, we’re going to help you guard Lieutenant Soundwave, two Autobots are currently on their way here”

“GGGRKKK-!”

All the seekers swiftly turned to look at the source of the sound. Soundwave was definitely having a hard time extracting info from their prisoner as he groaned. He heaved and glanced at his back, his visor flashed for moment before turning his attention to Chromia once again. This turned their uneasy atmosphere into something more intense.

“…yeah that’s been happening for a bit..anyways how did they get past security?”

“They have some kind of tech..that’s not important right now, is there some kind of entrance here besides this hallway?”

Blackburn looked around the area for any possible entrances. Their prison hold wasn’t that big so it will be tough to get in here without clearance. He craned his neck and saw an old vent in the middle of the ceiling.

“Morane how big are these Autobots..”

Unaware of the commotion happening outside, Soundwave was busy infiltrating Chromia’s mind. While it may look like he’s only holding her helm, in reality his mind was doing all the work to scour files from the femme’s databanks that could be useful. His thumbs were covering his target’s optics while four of his digits were wrapped on the helm of the person thus allowing him to activate his ability. It was an absolute pain in the aft but only because the subject was resisting him. On a good day, he would only need to be in close proximity and hold the person’s head with one servo but Chromia’s mental fortitude was commendable indeed. It was as if they were trained to resist this specific kind of hacking, a suggestion from Blaster no doubt. After all, they were the only ones with the same ability so it’s only logical to develop countermeasures for select individuals.

It was a mystery why Chromia out of all the Autobots left in Cybertron has this countermeasure against him, Soundwave thought. This only made him want to break through the femme’s firewall and find out. He almost found the memory file for the date of the attack…and there it was!

/Memory File No. 32720; Date of Origin: 2.1 Deca-cycles-48192 Vorn /

/C:User\Chromia\>SFC/SCANFILE/

/Beginning scan. ET: 120.48 astroseconds/

No problem..

/Unauthorized User detected\temp>shutdown/i

I guess ONE problem..

Soundwave thought this would be finally over but Chromia’s last attempt to forcibly shut down her brain module and put herself into statis lock was not good indeed. He still needed to see that file or else he would be forcibly evicted from her brain. In a desperate attempt to keep Chromia’s brain module functioning, Soundwave tried to override the command but it was harder than it looks. Her systems were already removing his hold one by one which prompted him to momentarily reawaken.

He glanced to his side and saw additional seekers. Did something happen while he was away? Soundwave had no time to worry about this additional problem his plate was full as of the moment. Before he returned to his work, his HUD alerted him. It was a comm from Shockwave an hour ago; he left two messages for some reason. Curious, He viewed the messages.

[Where are you? We are under attack.]

Now that explained the additional seekers sent here, perhaps their intruders found a way to get past the security. Soundwave smiled behind his mask, remembering his previous observation about the lack of guards in this prison hold in the first place. It would’ve been a funnier inside joke for him and Shockwave to share if his life wasn’t in danger. The cassette deployer noticed the second message. His joking smile faded and his spark skipped a beat.

[Stay safe.]

I guess he’s worried..

Soundwave lightly chuckled at the thought. Somehow those two words were enough for him to fill his spark with happiness. It was ironic that someone as impassive as Shockwave was making him feel these emotions. But if he learned anything these past few weeks, the one-eyed scientist wasn’t as numb as they all think.

Once this is over, we’re definitely going to have a do-over of our small get together very soon. Soundwave thought as he turned his attention back to his mission, more determined than ever.

Avion must be hearing things with his audio receptors. Did he really just hear a faint chuckle from his superior? At this kind of situation? Before he made an unsolicited comment, he noticed his brother looking at the ceiling. The red seeker followed suit and noticed the old vent.

This building was really poorly planned.

“Greenlight this is actually a clever idea, but why didn’t we just crawl in the hollow space in the ceiling instead?”

“Because, oof- Because! Shockwave is definitely waiting on the last floor with a bunch of soldiers and Primus knows what..he’ll definitely hear movements if we go there.”

Greenlight explained in a quiet tone as she and Moonracer hurriedly crawled inside the vents. It was spacious enough for them to crawl but cramped enough for the green femme to bump her head to her friend’s aft in a hilarious kind of way. The increased temperature and pressure of moving as quietly as possible did not help to alleviate the situation so the teal femme held back making a joke about her friend clumsily crashing her face on her behind.

“Moony we have to hurry, Prof- I mean Shockwave will definitely be on to us, if we’re lucky we can reach the prison hold before they realize where we are”

“Yeah Green, it’s a good thing the designer of this building is an idiot, is this why some of our comrades escaped this hellhole?”

Greenlight was about to let out a nervous laugh when her face met Moonracer’s behind yet again. The sudden stop irked her but her friend only looked back at her with a serious face and a digit in her lip plates. Footsteps were closing in on their location. Gulp.

Primus help us..

“They can’t be that far, according to Commander Shockwave’s calculations they should be around here..”

“Should we throw one now, Concorde?”

“Yeah..they should back away to that direction.”

A blue conehead seeker was speaking directly below the two hiding Autobots, Moonracer noted. She also saw that there were only five of them finding them. Odd, given that there’s only two of them it would still be hard to look with only five soldiers. The teal femme noticed that all of them were wearing some kind of protective masks. An alarming thought dawned on her, she quickly commed Greenlight about the situation.

[There are five of them below us. They also have some kind of mask..I think they’re going to smoke us out Green]

[Scrap, knowing him he’ll probably just make us fall asleep to experiment on us, but we still can’t let Shockwave get us..what do we do..]

Moonracer cursed to herself. Time was not on their side and either way there’s only one solution for their dilemma, one of them has to lure the others to let one cross safely and she certainly won’t let Greenlight take the fall.

[I have a plan but you won’t like it. On my signal, crawl as far as you can]

[Moony don’t do this!]

[Don’t worry. I’m not going to offline so easily]

The teal femme gave one last look to her friend. There were a lot of things she wanted to say to Greenlight but unfortunately they have to part ways for now. She smiled and spoke in a soft tone.

“Don’t cry Green..Give my regards to Chromia okay?”

Before the seekers made their move, Moonracer threw a smoke grenade below her unsuspecting enemies before jumping down. Greenlight wanted to scream but she couldn’t. Helpless, all she could’ve done was watch her friend.

“GO NOW!”

She hesitantly left, coolant from her optics continued to fall as the sound of laser fire and commotion were fading away in the distance. The despair she felt seemed to weigh her down but she can’t let Moonracer’s sacrifice be in vain so with all her might, she dragged her body through the vents as fast as she can.

“Ugh! Get her!! Comm the others, tell Commander Shockwave the plan failed. Throw the bombs at the vents now!”

Scrap! Greenlight!

Moonracer quickly shot Concorde’s servo and the bomb went off before he threw it at the vents. The other four seekers hastily threw their bombs in a last attempt to get the green Autobot but too bad they were facing one of Cybertron’s sharpshooters. One by one the teal femme shot the bombs mid-air but Moonracer failed to take into account something.

Slowly, the smoke dissipated and the synthesized form of the cosmic rust was filling the hallway, reaching her. She could feel her windpipe constrict and her vision blur.  The other seekers’ masks seemed to work just fine as they carefully approached the Moonracer, stasis cuffs in one servo and a blaster gun on the other.

I guess this is the part where I run and hope for the best..goodluck Greenlight..

Gasping, Moonracer lamely tried to shoot her opponents as she staggered her way back to the main entrance of the floor. Concorde evaded the shots and quickly caught up to her. He shot her leg and slammed into her, the sound of Moonracer’s plating creaked under his weight as he immediately put the stasis cuffs on. With a grunt, the blue conehead grabbed the teal femme and threw her over his shoulder. Upon losing consciousness, Moonracer’s last thought about her friends’ safety.

“I thought we’re not taking any prisoners C?”

“Yeah..but Shockwave wanted to back them into the command center in first place right? Let’s just bring her there. We’re already in trouble for letting the other one get away”

Concorde and the other seekers headed back to the main room with their tow, clearly nervous for the reaction their superior officer was going to have.

Greenlight wiped her tears as she crawled her way through. Thankfully the seekers seemed to have lost her location but she has one problem left, the probability of her being ambushed at the end of this narrow tunnel was very high. Fortunately, she has one trick left up her sleeve, her last dampener.

It was easy enough to modify it to work as a stunner for Cybertronians but she wasn’t sure how many enemies it can cover. Greenlight saw a faint light in the distance. It seems she was near her destination. Discreetly, she crawled as slow as she can to avoid any noise. Luckily, the seekers in that room were chattering by themselves. She reached the vent grates safely without anyone noticing her.

One..two..five…ten..twenty seekers?! Plus that guy holding down Chromia…and Soundwave himself.

Greenlight almost gasped, the rumors were true..he really was here in Cybertron. Primus, this situation was stickier than a spilled energon left on a floor. The green femme considered her choices, which was only one. Throw the dampener at those seekers and kick off a surprise attack at Soundwave and that conehead.

Primus I wish Moony was here…

She lightly slapped herself. She can’t always rely on her friends to carry her shortcomings! It was now or never. Greenlight kicked the grate open, surprising Avion. As she fell down, she shot his optics and grabbed his spear. The femme threw the dampener with such precision and speed that Morane didn’t realize what was happening until the painful sting of the stunner hit them, sending them into stasis lock.

Soundwave, who just came through from an intense mind-reading session, was caught off guard. Everything was happening so fast. Why was everyone in such an uproar? Who’s attacking?

Still dizzy, the spy groaned as he gripped his helm, barely keeping himself awake. The pain was so unbearable that he might pass out any minute now. He didn’t even notice Avion writhing in pain on the floor beside him.

I need to take..my emergency medi-

The spy turned in his heel, blocking the blow behind him. Years of combat training from his past as a gladiator and his sharp instinct has helped Soundwave’s body to anticipate attacks like this. Greenlight almost faltered, his visor flared wildly.

She was fast but not fast enough to directly hit Soundwave with the spear. The green femme could feel the gap in their combat abilities when her hands shook with intensity and if looks could kill she would’ve been dead at this spot. It was a good thing that Soundwave seemed disoriented, Greenlight thought.  

The Decepticon TIC blocked the weapon with his bare servos but it was just bad luck that it happened to be Avion’s electric spear. Greenlight frantically searched for the button and electrocuted Soundwave. The spy lost consciousness right away and plopped on the floor beside the red conehead, who was still screaming in pain.

OH FRAG I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT WORKED.

Greenlight exhaled. The exhilaration she felt from the battle was slowly going away. She needed to get Chromia, rescue Moonracer, and get out of this place. No biggie, she just took down twenty one Decepticons plus Soundwave all by herself.

He was handicapped, but to be fair they outnumber me.

The femme reasoned to herself. She turned her attention to Chromia, who seemed to be knocked out. Greenlight hurriedly walked over to her, she grabbed her friend by the shoulder plates and shook as hard as she can.

“Chromia! Wake up!!” She hissed. But no reaction came from her friend.

Desperate, the green femme resorted to slapping. Still no effect. She was losing hope, how was she going to carry Chromia out of here safely? Greenlight kneeled and sobbed in front of her. Avion was grumbling near them, telling the femme to shut her whining.

“Primus just shoot me dead already! I can’t stand this.”

“You shut up con!”

Greenlight hit the red seeker in helm, quieting him down. Suddenly, the loud seeker gave the femme two ideas. Ideas that were crazy enough it might just work. She quickly stood up and grabbed the electric spear.

She might not be as good as Ratchet but she was good with tech also she did have some basic background about Cybertronian anatomy. Greenlight frantically took apart the spear and modified its strength. The scientist in her sprung out and made some additional changes here and there. She hurriedly put the weapon back together and prayed.

“Here goes nothing..”

Yes, she did electrocute her friend. Surprisingly, it worked!

Chromia gasped awake as if she woke up from a terrible nightmare. Greenlight dropped the spear and tackled her friend in a tight hug. Still fuddled, the blue femme just made an oof sound and observed her surroundings.

“I can’t believe it worked!” Greenlight exclaimed, coolant was beginning to form around her optics.

Chromia squinted, still dizzy from the encounter but she did recognize that voice from anywhere. Relief came over her and happiness. Eventually she began to sob tears of joy too.

They came for me..

”Greenlight…w-why would you come..it’s so dangerous..y-you would’ve gotten yourself killed!”

“I know!”

They both held each other in comfort as they cried. Every risk her and Moonracer took seemed worth it but alas their reunion was short-lived. Chromia almost choked in surprise at the sudden shot, she quickly shoved Greenlight aside. Chromia’s chest took a direct hit.

“Ugh!”

“CHROMIA!” Greenlight swiftly turned her helm at the source of fire. “You!”

Shockwave was glaring at them.  The smoke coming from the barrel of his gun and the looming anger from his EMF filled the room with dread.  The scientist stared at Soundwave’s collapsed form; true enough he felt his chest tighten and his spark hurt at the sight.

Why is it hurting this much, I am not the one who’s injured..

Shockwave agonized. His helm was foggy with unbridled negative emotions and his spark was aching. He felt sick. But all Shockwave knew was he was going to kill the Autobots responsible for this.

Chapter Text

Minutes after Moonracer’s capture…

“Why is her frame not greying out.”

“W-we thought you wanted to offline her yourself sir..”

The five seekers squirmed in front of their commanding officer, Shockwave was undoubtedly in a bad mood and it looked like it was about to be worse. This was a rare sight indeed, the Decepticon TIC have never been this angry for quite some time. The last time he was genuinely furious, Starscream had intervened with one of his important projects, but they wish it could’ve been the case.

Shockwave was glaring at them like they were useless pieces of scrap. Their incompetence truly astounded the scientist that it all made sense how the few remaining Autobots in Cybertron survived. It was indeed logical.

“Elaborate.”

The five seekers yelped nervously, Concorde took one for the team and spoke.

“Well..you said you wanted to corner them back to this room..so..”

It was a shame that Shockwave doesn’t have the facial features to express his disappointment. What part of “We’re not going to take prisoners” did they not understand? Nevertheless the femme was already here, might as well be done with it. The mad scientist pointed and charged his gun arm at Moonracer, her helm lolled downward, still unconscious.   

Do I have to do everything by myself around here..

He has to hurry to the prison cell Shockwave thought. Soundwave might be in a greater danger than he thought after seeing the performance of these seekers. They really were overdue for enhancements and training.

It’s almost funny that he’s worried. If they didn’t intimately know each other he would have trusted Lieutenant Soundwave’s competence, but now he just wants to make sure he was okay.  Shockwave was about to shoot Moonracer when an urgent comm appeared in his HUD. It was from a seeker stationed at the prison cell.

[Commander Shockwave, all seekers are down. Lieutenant Soundwave is also out of commission, requesting..for..reinforcements..]

Soundwave…!

The seekers noticed the change of aura coming off of their commanding officer. The whirring sound of his gun arm immediately faded, the Decepticon TIC faced his subordinates and spoke in an icy tone.

“All of you, with me now. Bring this femme along. These Autobots will all die by my hand today.”

The seekers saluted and followed their superior officer towards the prison cell, Moonracer still in their tow and unconscious.

Present..

Shockwave firmly believed that unnecessary loss of life was illogical. This might be justified four million years ago when the Decepticon movement was started by a humble gladiator who fought for the injustices of their society. Killing those elites from Iacon city released the oppressive hold they have on the people, but of course nobody could have foreseen that their civil war would last this long. He was beginning to forget why he joined Megatron in the first place. He was saying something…it was about chasing something greater than all of them?

That was probably it; after all he has been dedicating his life in pursuit of knowledge for as long as he remembered. Maybe he believed Megatron was going to be the catalyst that would help their species to evolve. It was logical.

But time has passed on for so long, all their people were scattered among the stars, and here he was stuck on a dying planet. It felt like they were all in a never-ending limbo. How did it come to this?

Shockwave realized he was tired of the war after all. He was tired and angry…yes he was seething with hate right now because…

“Avion! Blackburn!”

Suddenly, Shockwave snapped out of it, his senses returned and he was once again aware of the situation and his surroundings. It was as if he just emerged from a bottomless pool.  Dazed from the shock of seeing Soundwave and a person from his past, he checked his chronometer and it looks like he was only having his mini-existential crisis for a couple of seconds.

I can’t believe I got distracted at a time like this. Illogical.

Shockwave glanced at the blue seeker holding the prisoner. Concorde yelled his brother’s designations but no answer came from them. Shockwave turned his helm to his old student once again, thinking that perhaps she doesn’t remember him. Greenlight was looking at the mad scientist with an unreadable expression on her faceplates. Almost like she was disappointed and sad, but mostly she’s also fuming with hatred.

It was time for Greenlight’s crazy second idea. Thankfully, Chromia’s spark seemed intact, she only lost consciousness from the shot, but the chassis of her chestplates were almost destroyed. Wasting no time, the green femme rolled towards Soundwave, pointing a gun at his back. Shockwave and the other seekers immediately aimed their guns at the femme.

“D-Don’t you dare shoot now Professor!”

Everyone in the room except for Shockwave and Greenlight flinched in surprise.

Professor?!

The seekers lowered their guns in surpise, confusion written all over their faces. Shockwave’s past weren’t exactly clear to anyone. There were a number of rumors circling around him but nobody really knows which one was true. Records of his old life were destroyed along with Crystal City. Some said he was already a mad and cruel scientist who secretly experimented on other people, others said he lost his personality component because of the Autobots thus resulted in him being a cold-sparked scientist. To everyone’s shock, nobody saw him being a teacher. 

“….or what? You’ll shoot him? I believe that would be against Autobot code, Greenlight.” Shockwave replied in a monotone.

“Don’t test me..”

Greenlight’s gun whirred to life. The seekers behind Shockwave looked alarmed, their guns quickly pointed to the femme once more, but the Decepticon TIC’s posture and face revealed nothing. The tense atmosphere filled the silence in the room. Everyone was frozen in place. Shockwave’s EMF was pulled tightly to himself, gun-arm still primed and ready. 

“Crystal City was destroyed long ago, why do you still address me in such manner?”

“..because you were a good teacher Shockwave..everyone thought so until…”

Greenlight’s somber and disappointed tone ringed throughout the room. Squeezing her optics shut for a moment, she then gripped her gun tightly and glared at Shockwave. The desperate look in her optics was obvious enough. Greenlight didn’t want to use a hostage, but she needed to safely get out of this place with her friends. It wasn’t honourable but if she and her friends would offline, she might as well take Soundwave with her.

“Until I joined the Decepticons? I didn’t know a former student of mine would’ve regarded someone like me on such a high note.” Shockwave followed with a monotone voice.

“And I didn’t know one of Crystal City’s lead researchers on Biomechanical Engineering would remember someone like me.” Greenlight replied.

It was Shockwave’s turn to flinch, he hated to admit it but this femme was right. After all she was one of his best students. Still, the past was the past and they will be dead soon anyway, he thought.

“Talking about the past would not help your situation Greenlight. You might as well know this since all of you will die today, but yes..i remember you because you were remarkable. But unfortunately this also makes you dangerous…it’s a shame, you would’ve been a great addition to the Decepticon empire”

Shockwave said in an icy tone. She may have taken Soundwave hostage but she’s still a soft-sparked Autobot. Or so he thought.

Calling his student’s bluff, the scientist signaled the seekers to storm the cell and they reluctantly followed. Remembering the past few weeks, they really thought their commander wouldn’t let Soundwave die, but it seemed like the time they spent together were nothing to him.

“Don’t come! I’m going to shoot him! Primus I swear!”

Scrap!

The seekers slowly walked to the cell, blasters pointed at Greenlight and Chromia. Panicked, Greenlight pulled the trigger and shot Soundwave.

They were still playing their video games when Megatron snapped awake, the idea of Shockwave and Soundwave being sparkmates was finally processed in his brain module. The cassettes immediately apologized (although they didn’t really mean it) for putting a bag of ice over their leader’s helm. Megatron immediately forgave them and allowed them a couple more minutes of playtime, despite the fact that he was actually out cold for an hour or two.

Good thing Soundwave’s coming back today.. The Decepticon leader thought.

Unaware of their creator’s situation, Rumble and Frenzy suddenly felt a sharp pain in their spark. Megatron who was fully awake and recovered noticed the sudden change in the twins’ mood.

“What’s wrong?”

“The boss…I think he’s in trouble.” Rumble groaned as he rubbed soothing circles to his brother’s back.

“Rumble this is bad..usually when he’s hurt he’d always reassures us, but he’s not responding to me!”

The terror in Frenzy’s voice scared Rumble because he’s right, the last time this occurred their creator barely made it back from a dangerous mission but they were with him when that happened. This time it was different, this time..he’s with someone they don’t trust.

The red cassetticon was about to protest when another surge of pain punctured their spark. Alarmed, Megatron quickly fled to their side and held the two of them in his massive arms. Seeing them in pain worried the Decepticon leader. He carefully put down the two cassettes beside the terminal of the comm hub and attempted to make contact with Shockwave. Something definitely happened back home and Primus be damned if he won’t get to the bottom of this.

Ugh…what’s going on...

Chromia groaned. A shot from a blaster and the loud scream she heard had awoken her. Slowly, she adjusted her optics to the surroundings, squinting for any clue about what’s going on. The blue femme definitely heard someone but the loud booming voice wasn’t from her friend. 

“NO!”

Shockwave yelled, a pool of energon was beginning from Soundwave’s torso. Startled at his old teacher’s reaction, Greenlight was looking at him wide-eyed, as if she doesn’t recognize the person in front of her. The cold and sparkless monster everyone seemed to think he had become had somehow disappeared. Shockwave was looking at her desperately with his single optic and his one hand reaching out, pleading.

Every seeker stopped in their tracks. One of the seekers about to storm in was looking at Shockwave with a surprised look in his face. He turned his attention back to Soundwave only to find a hole in his shoulder plates. It seems like Greenlight had missed on purpose.

“Urgh-!”

Hearing Soundwave’s reaction to the pain, Shockwave lowered his servo and sighed in relief. But the shot did not fully wake the tapedeck. The one-eyed mech glared at Greenlight, who looked like she’d seen a ghost.

“We want to get out of here alive! I don’t care about the blueprints, I want my friends back!”

Greenlight blurted out. Shockwave raised his servo, signalling his soldiers to fall back. Chromia on the other hand had fully regained consciousness. She quickly went to the green femme’s side, observing everyone around them with wary optics. The blue femme noticed Soundwave’s unmoving form, which was currently under her friend’s knee.

“Chromia!...It’s good you’re awake but I need you to restrain Soundwave”

“Okay but you know I’m still in my stasis cuffs right? I need to—“

The green femme immediately shot the cuffs and pointed her gun back to Soundwave in a sparkbeat. Chromia gawked at how much her friend had changed in a short period of time. While the two of the Autobots were getting reunited once again, Shockwave was busy wracking his helm for any possible solution that would eliminate them and get Soundwave back without inflicting anymore damage.

Only one came to him that would ensure his friend’s safety but after all those threats he did, it irritated him that he would have to retract all those. In spite of that, he came to the conclusion that Soundwave was far more important than his pride. It was logical.

Now that with both of them standing with their hostage held up by Chromia, Greenlight began with the negotiations. Shockwave clenched his fist and lowered his gun. The seekers followed suit. Seeing the energon profusely drip from Soundwave’s shoulder had wrought Shockwave’s spark with an unexplained numbing pain but his HUD was not pinging with any sort of alerts for damage. No this pain felt deep..Maybe he also needed to have a look at his own health, the scientist thought.

“Is the cuffs necessary Greenlight..your hostage is already unconscious..”

“You really care about him..” His old student replied while Shockwave just stood in his pedes quietly, neither denying or agreeing.

The expression on Greenlight’s face irked Chromia. She looked at her friend like she was crazy.

How could she feel bad for that monster when they were almost killed?

The blue femme stayed quiet and focused on keeping the spy’s body upright, it was beyond her how Greenlight had kept her cool and left one of the Decepticon High Command officer alive.

“The other one I came here with, Moonracer, where is she?”

Shockwave glanced at Concorde who was carrying the teal femme on his shoulder the whole time. Nervously, the flier promptly walked to the side of his superior officer. Up close, the conehead felt the purple mech’s icy aura. The frustration must be getting on his nerves, this day was supposed to go smoothly but now everything was a mess. Shocked, Chromia whispered to her friend.

“What?? Moonracer’s here too? You two….”

Even though she was glad that her friends came for her, the blue femme cannot bear the thought that they’re hurt because of her impulsiveness. She gave an apologetic look to Greenlight which earned her a forgiving smile. Chromia gazed at Moonracer who seems to be still knocked out cold. Not good.

“Hey! Moonracer! Come on this is no time to be sleeping, I got shot in the chest but you’re taking a nap?”

“It must be the cosmic rust, but I assure you she is alive..for now”

Horror struck to the femmes’ faces, Chromia gritted her dentae in anger while Greenlight’s soft expression changed back to being furious once more.  Optic ridges met with such indignation, the green femme supposed it was too good to be true.

Her former teacher might have been aloof back then but he wasn’t needlessly cruel, or would he weaponize his discoveries. Greenlight thought she caught a glimpse of his old self but maybe some things can never be the same.

Scrap, if he somehow synthesized cosmic rust we really don’t have time to be messing around!

“Give her back! Or I’m going to shoot his brain module...”

The green femme spat back at the mad scientist. Shockwave felt his plating go cold at the threat. He can’t believe a bunch of Autobots was ordering him around like this. Never mind that, he can’t believe this day was getting worse. Nothing was going his way. The one-eyed mech was glaring daggers to the two, if his optic could release a laser they probably would’ve been filled with holes already. In fact, Shockwave took a mental note to install this later, if it was possible.  

Reluctantly, he raised his servo without breaking eye contact, signalling Concorde to carry the prisoner. Of course the other seekers were alert for any sudden moves. Greenlight handed her gun to Chromia to put Moonracer’s arm over her shoulder while the blue femme harshly bumped the barrel of the blaster to Soundwave’s helm, purposely irritating Shockwave.

The conehead quickly backed off and returned with his comrades, his optics were fixed on his brothers’ bodies. While Shockwave was quietly seething, Greenlight tried to wake her friend up but her effort was to no avail. She gazed back at her former teacher.  

Since the minute she saw his old professor with her own optics, it was still unbelievable how much he had changed. Sure his outside appearance stayed the same, save for the gun that replaced his other arm but she’s still in disbelief that he had stooped so low to experiment on his fellow Cybertronians. The green femme had heard of the rumors but now she understood what happened with her comrades who escaped this place.

She remembered how he’d always be engrossed with his own studies to the point that he would be late for his classes. Or that one time her classmates tried to prank him with an extremely adhesive chemical on his seat, but he turned it into one of his most amusing lessons instead of punishing his students. He may be impassive but he would never hurt someone...in the past at least.    

Greenlight reminisced sadly. Not to mention the fact that out of all the members of the Decepticon High Command, he’s the least one that made sense. Mustering enough courage, the green femme spoke out of curiosity.

 “It’s probably unlikely we’ll meet again but I have to know…why did you join the Decepticons in the first place..i thought you’d be neutral but here you are, third-in-command of that warmonger’s army..”

“Why do you bother yourself with needless questions...”

“Is it because…no one believed you back then? I know it wasn’t you who did it, it was Jhi—”

“Stop. Don’t even try to finish that thought.”

Fuming, Shockwave swiftly raised his gun once again. Clearly the femme pushed all of his buttons today, which was a feat not even Starscream can achieve and boy he did try. Although it was tolerable to comply with all their demands, bringing up his past was too much for him. Surprised at the outburst, Chromia immediately intervened.

“What do you think you’re doing? You want your sweetspark’s face to blow up?”

Everyone, this time even Shockwave and Greenlight, stared at Chromia. The green femme gawked at her friend like she had lost all her sanity while Shockwave looked even more furious, which was impressive to convey with a single optic. It glinted with such intensity the blue femme thought it would explode. Dumbfounded, the seekers could only watch nervously as these Autobots continuously disrespect their commanding officer. Chromia flashed her dentae, smirking with a satisfied look in her face.  This time it was Greenlight’s turn to diffuse the situation.

“Chromia you’re crazy! What if he loses it and starts shooting?!” She hissed.

“What? No way, if he wanted to we would’ve been dead already, plus I heard those two idiots on the floor gossip all the time..So I guess I’m onto something huh”

Chuckling, the blue femme glanced at Avion and Blackburn who were thankfully not awake. Concorde only trembled in fear; he could already imagine the punishment his idiots would get. To everyone’s surprise, Shockwave lowered his gun once more.

“You’re being too nonchalant or have you forgotten about your comrade? I could stand here all cycle and we could all watch her offline before us.”

The awkward mood from earlier disappeared as soon as Shockwave spoke, but Chromia didn’t relent. Greenlight gave her friend a worried look, hoping the blue femme had a logical argument up her sleeve that would get them out of this situation. To Chromia’s knowledge, Moonracer’s life isn’t the only one in danger. 

“You’re right, but Greenlight and I can also stand here and let Soundwave bleed to his death. I wonder which one of us will move first?”

Too much time has already passed and Soundwave would be in greater danger if he’s not treated. Shockwave hated every second of it.

“Fine. Don’t expect me to give you an antidote, I didn’t make one.”

The scientist ordered all his seekers to make a path for the three of them. Chromia and Greenlight looked at each other, surprise and disbelief obvious in their faces. They hurriedly left the cell with Soundwave, leaving no room for any seekers to try any sudden moves. Shockwave followed suit, he commed all seekers to withhold any attempts of rescue while briskly walking behind them. Greenlight was glancing at her back as she carried Moonracer while Chromia was dragging Soundwave, walking backwards.

“Primus I can’t believe this is working...Anyways, I need to tell you something just in case…”

“Chromia…”

“Soundwave didn’t just hack my brain for information about that day, he also got a hold of confidential info…our current hideout is already compromised Green...We can’t give up Soundwave or everyone will be in trouble...” Chromia whispered.

Greenlight’s lip plates quivered, that was bad. Somehow it’s even worse that they’re going to kill someone who’s already bleeding to death, but their comrades comes first. She nodded to her friend with determination.

Shockwave observed her old student as he followed behind them, a reasonable distance was between them but he could still see their faces. It appeared as if they were talking about something. A foreboding feeling came over him. He saw Greenlight nod and glanced at him. Their optics met but something about her eyes was peculiar. If he wasn’t wrong she almost felt sorry? Illogical.

Unless..

He glanced at Soundwave, who was practically being yanked by that Autobot. It was only speculation but it seems like he was successful with his data extraction, which could only mean one thing. Worried, he immediately commed a sniper to be on stand-by outside the base.

Finally, they reached the lowest sector of the base. The three Autobots walked out of the entrance of the base with Soundwave still as their shield. They demanded everyone except for Shockwave to stay inside. Suspiciously compliant, Shockwave nodded in agreement and kept walking in silent. Chromia gave him a doubtful look and whispered something to Moonracer.

“I think he’s planning something”

“Yeah no scrap, look at him, that’s his thinking face..”

Greenlight observed his old teacher for any change in his movements but he was still following them, optic solely focused on their hostage. Eventually, they all came to a halt. They were all reasonably far away from the base. The barren landscape had put the two Autobots at ease somehow.

“Molecular Engineering...” Shockwave muttered. The two femmes gave her a confused look.

“W-What?” Greenlight stammered.

“You mentioned earlier in the cell…I’m also one of the lead reseachers in that field, I worked with Perceptor you know.”

Shockwave’s tone was unreadable to the two, why was he bringing that up all of a sudden? At first they thought he was either joking or was genuinely offended they forgot about one of his many achievements. Chromia raised her optic ridge at Shockwave while Greenlight frowned in contemplation.

He’s not the type to joke around...Unless he was stalling for time!

The shot came so fast that Chromia only registered it when her servo felt a sharp pain. She instantly let go of Soundwave and clutched her hand in pain. Startled, Greenlight swiftly glanced at Chromia as she writhed in pain. Shockwave took the chance while the two were distracted. His student, clever as she is, could not predict the rashness her old teacher would do. Shockwave was running at them in full speed, Greenlight noticed him and grabbed a smoke grenade from Moonracer’s subspace.  The one-eyed mech saw this and shot her hand. For once, his aim did not fail him.

“Argh!”

The green femme dropped the bomb and it fell. Still, the grenade did its job and concealed them. With a tsk Shockwave started randomly shooting in the smoke, just above the ground. Now that he knew Soundwave was not being used as a shield, he can confidently let loose and start wreaking havoc to the two.

“Chromia we have to go! He’s already closing in on us”

“But Soundwave…We need to kill him now!”

The sound of the laser fire coming from Shockwave’s gun arm was dangerously close. Chromia crouched down with Greenlight as she looked for her gun only to find it missing. She clenched her dentae in frustration, but the exhaustion from their escape and her wounds were beginning to take a toll on her. It was better if they escape now and worry later than the Decepticons launching an ambush on their hideout because they died here, Chromia considered. Disgruntled, she faced her friend and exhaled.

“Okay let’s get out of here.”

Straining, she put Moonracer’s other arm over her neck and both started to run. The smoke was slowly disappearing and Shockwave noticed the Autobots were attempting to escape, leaving Soundwave on the ground. He called the seekers to immediately pursue and eliminate them. The gunformer ceased his shooting and ran to Soundwave’s side.

Shockwave sat next to him and carefully turned him over, holding his head. He felt his spark sunk at the sight. Up close, the scientist noticed the scorch marks stemming from his servos up to his arms. It seemed as though he suffered from a huge amount of energy surge that his circuits couldn’t take it, Shockwave thought. Not only that but he’s losing energon fast, he needed to get him to the med bay.

Gingerly, he placed his arm around Soundwave’s back and his gun-arm at the bend of his knees. The blue mech’s helm limped at Shockwave’s shoulder. Energon was dripping on the ground as he kept him close to his body. With a grunt, he pulled himself up and began to hurriedly walk back; the Decepticon TIC commed the seekers inside.  

[Prepare the med-bay this instant.]

[Sir, there’s an incoming transmission from Lord Megatron. Should I answer?]

[Affirmative.  Tell Lord Megatron I shall report to him myself later. Keep me updated.]

[Understood]

As Shockwave carried him on his arms, his spark pounded against his chest. Soundwave was beginning to feel cold against his plating. He gripped and pulled him closer, fearing he would slip away from his grasp. The one-eyed mech leaned down towards him, their faces inches apart. A gentle and shaky voice came out from him as he whispered.  

“Don’t leave me just yet…”

Chapter Text

The trip back felt like a blur, Shockwave noted. The previous medic who treated his back greeted him by the entrance of the base; he looked like a wreck himself. After all, he’s been treating other injured seekers non-stop after the Autobots left. The medic quickly saluted as Shockwave carefully laid down Soundwave on the stretcher. He quickly assessed the blue mech and ordered his assistant to push the patient towards the emergency room.

“Report”

“As of now, 80% of our fighting force had recovered. Fortunately, we didn’t suffer any major losses today.”

“Good. You are dismissed.” The medic saluted once more before turning in his heel.

“..Wait.”

He was about to leave when Shockwave called his attention. The Decepticon TIC paused for a second. He looked him straight in the optic and spoke in a calm but desperate tone, as if he was hesitating to beg in the first place.  

“Please save him...”

“Of course sir...If I may be so bold as to speak freely, you could use some rest too. I shall inform you if he needs to be transferred to Hook.”

Shockwave nodded and let the doctor leave and do his work. As he looked around, a number of seekers were sitting around and groaning in pain, fresh welds were evident on their chassis. With that, he sighed and made his way to the communications hub to talk to Megatron himself.

“Where have you been Shockwave…and where’s Soundwave?”

“He’s currently in the med bay sir…his condition is quite critical.”

Megatron slammed his servo on the terminal, glaring at him. The one-eyed mech kept quiet as he recalled the humiliation of defeat from the Autobots a few hours ago. Not only his loss, but the fact that someone he cares about was badly injured in the process affected him.

“And what of the Autobots responsible for this?”

Hesitant, Shockwave told that his seekers were in pursuit. This seemed to add to the Decepticon leader’s ire, making it look like his lieutenant let them escape. The one-eyed mech just stared his leader who was pinching the bridge of his nose in disappointment.

“Prepare the Space Bridge later this evening, you shall tell me everything in detail of what happened in person. I will need to prepare some things, Starscream might feel optimistic. Keep me updated about his recovery.” Megatron growled.

“Understood my liege.”

Shockwave raised his servo to salute but before Megatron ended the transmission, something caught his eye. He noticed his lieutenant’s single hand trembling. Optic ridge raised, the Decepticon leader crossed his arms and spoke.

“Your servo...what’s wrong with it.”

Bewildered, Shockwave lowered his servo to look. He quickly dropped his hand and averted his gaze, gripping his gun-arm to stop it from shaking.  This action left the warlord wondering. He had never acted this way even when things turned for the worst in the past. In fact, he would just stare at Megatron and immediately provide contingency plans, as if he saw it coming. But this time, he was just keeping quiet like a child who was being scolded by his carrier. It was…unusual, Megatron hummed.

“You must be tired...get a quick rest before you receive me later...Primus you look like a mess too.”

“…”

The grey mech eyed the energon stains on Shockwave’s chassis. He recalled the report of the seeker about him carrying Soundwave all the way to the base by himself. At first, the Decepticon leader was mad at his steward’s incompetence, but after seeing him vulnerable like this...it felt uncomfortable.  

Knowing that they are sparkmates perhaps Shockwave is hurting too. Megatron frowned in thought.

Shockwave exhaled and glanced back at his leader with a blank look on his face. Try as he might to regain his composure, the Decepticon leader had seen through his façade, the scientist was clearly as stressed as him about the situation.  He was about to cut the transmission only to be interrupted again by something. Shockwave had raised his single servo to the side of his helm. It seems he has news about Soundwave.

“Lord Megatron, Soundwave’s condition is now stable.”

The two mechs both sighed in relief at the same time.

Thankfully, no seekers were present in the command center to see that amazing phenomenon. They were too busy recovering from their injuries after all. Embarrassed, Megatron pursed his lips while Shockwave coughed awkwardly.

“Your medic must be good…”

“Yes, we are lucky enough he is capable...”

“……”

“…...”

Seconds of silence stretched into a minute, Megatron scratched his helm. The buttons in front of him suddenly looked more interesting while Shockwave just stared at him quietly. To the Decepticon leader’s surprise, he heard his subordinate speak first.

“With your permission, I wish to visit Lieutenant Soundwave in the med bay right now my Lord”

Megatron smiled at him. Looking at his single optic, he saw that the purple mech was genuinely concerned for his closest friend. The grey mech was glad someone other than him was finally looking after Soundwave. For so long he was searching for the perfect person for his best friend but who would’ve known the one who would show up was the person he least expected.

Bothered, Shockwave’s antennae drooped slightly at his leader. Seeing Megatron smiling like this deeply unnerved him, especially when it was one of his unreadable smiles. Usually he would only smile when he’s fighting with the Prime or when something goes according to plan. He would grin like a feral turbo fox that was about to eat its food.

In this case, the ex-gladiator was not flashing his dentae at him like he was his prey, his lips were pursed and his optics looked soft. Perhaps this smile was genuine? But why would he smile at him in this situation, especially when Soundwave was injured because of his incompetence.

“Lord Megatron?”

“What? Oh right yes, you can go…”

Shockwave’s audials perked up and Megatron almost lost his damn mind at the action, he was caught off guard by mech’s adorable reaction. The grey mech’s faceplates lightly blushed while Shockwave just tilted his head in confusion. He brushed it off thinking that maybe the planet’s temperature was higher that day.

Shockwave saluted to his leader. He made his way to the med bay, walking faster than usual.

Being inside the Nemesis for so long has made Starscream flightier than usual. He couldn’t help it, back in Cybertron he and his seekers would always soar through the skies of Vos, admiring its magnificent view. It was in their nature to fly as it was for humans to walk. It didn’t make things better that they were all stuck in this mudball of a planet for a few years now and he and his trinemates could only leave for missions. But said missions were as scarce as energon lately.

Just our luck, we really had to crash underwater...

Starscream thought, pinching the bridge of his nose as he walked towards the communications hub in search of Megatron. His loud pedesteps ringed throughout the hallway, stomping them in annoyance.

The seeker recalled the events in the past few weeks. The spacebridge in Cybertron blowed up, Soundwave being trapped there and Shockwave got injured. 

Shockwave…

The Decepticon SIC snickered to himself. It was worth it in the end, leaking that info to the enemies accomplished his goal one way or another, Starscream thought. At first he only did it to mess with him, he was getting on his nerves about those damn blueprints; his own proposals were getting pushed aside! It wasn’t enough that Shockwave was disrespecting him when even though he outranks him but those three don’t even trust him enough to be given access to the project.

Why make me second-in-command in the first place if they would just exclude me anyway?!

Irritated, Starscream gritted his dentae. Still, it’s unfortunate that even he couldn’t break through Soundwave’s encryption when he stole a copy. He was confident the Autobots in Cybertron wouldn’t be capable enough to do crack it. All he heard from those cassette brats was that Vector Sigma will be involved with the plan. True enough when he mentioned that, those fools took his bait and attacked the one-eyed scientist.

What the fuck is in that blueprints…The Decepticon SIC mulled.

It must be so important that Lord Megatron decreased their routine attacks on power plants just to wait for Soundwave. Or maybe those little gremlins of that loyal idiot were too incompetent to fill his position, he thought.   

Speaking of Megatron, the Decepticon leader was about to leave when he noticed Starscream come in. The gunformer glared at the seeker, almost like it was his default reaction every time they meet. With a huff, Starscream spoke in a non-chalant manner, arms crossed as he leaned on the door frame.

“Oh great leader, were you just talking to Soundwave? Is he on his way back now?”

“No Starscream. In fact, he was actually injured. His return will be delayed until further notice.”

“WHAT?! Are we gonna be stuck here again for a week? My trinemates and I need to go outside or we’ll go crazy!” the red seeker yelled.

“Well this wouldn’t have happened in the first place if the information about the meeting was not leaked in the first place!”

Megatron’s booming voice seemed to wake the cassettes who were taking a nap by the communications hub. Starscream noticed the twins and raised his optic ridge at them. He turned his attention back to his leader once more.

“Are you insinuating something huh??” Insulted, the seeker replied with a hiss. He angrily dropped his arms and clenched his fists in annoyance. The sharp fangs he flashed didn’t faze the warlord for one bit.

“Your track record isn’t exactly clean Starscream, of course this treachery could only come from you!”

Megatron approached the seeker, his EMF radiating suppressed hostility towards the flier. The grey mech loomed over Starscream making his wings fold in fear. The warlord pointed an accusatory digit at him and whispered.

“If I find out you are involved with this mess the consequences of your actions will be excruciatingly painful”  

Starscream looked up at him optic to optic, his body may be a little bit afraid but he won’t back down. Besides, he was careful about it. Not even Soundwave would get any evidence that would incriminate him. They both grimaced at one another in silence.

With a tsk, the flier walked past him and went to the two cassettes. Curious, Megatron watched him as the seeker examined the two in silence. The twins just warily looked up at him, aware that his mind was already plotting something. Starscream faced the grey mech and spoke.

“Now it makes sense these two are here… so you were talking with Shockwave.”

“Yes, I’m going home to pay them a visit. You’re in charge.”

Rumble, Frenzy, and of course Starscream’s faces lit up. The twins ran to Megatron excitedly, but their lord wore an apologetic look in his face. Their joyful reactions quickly died down, disappointed that they already knew what their beloved leader was going to say.  

“Lord Megatron please, we have to see him!” Frenzy cried. 

As much as it pained Megatron, he needed to assess the severity of their creator’s situation. And he can’t leave Starscream unsupervised with Thundercracker and Skywarp. Even if they were loyal to him, those two would put their sacred trine bond first before his orders.

“I’m sorry but this is an emergency situation. Later this evening, I shall give you news about Soundwave’s health.”

“But-“

“Rumble this is an order...” Megatron spoke with a deep voice, telling the two that it was their last warning.

The cassettes may have a special place in his spark but it doesn’t change the fact that they should still obey him. Rumble and Frenzy nodded to Megatron with a sad look in their faces while Starscream rested his chin on his thumb with his fist closed, humming in thought.

He’s not letting those brats join him...what is he planning...

Megatron sighed, he didn’t want to reveal too much information with his traitorous second-in-command here but he doesn’t want to worry Rumble and Frenzy more.

“His condition is stable for now, but I need you two here for a special mission. I’ll brief you two about it later.” The Decepticon leader told them. The two seemed satisfied with this and saluted before leaving the room. Starscream finally spoke.

“So I guess he’s not in the verge of death. Anyways, why leave those two here?”

“Why to keep you company here of course.” Megatron replied coolly.

Are you fucking kidding me?! Starscream cussed to himself.

The Decepticon SIC seethed in silence, glaring daggers at Megatron who was grinning at him. These petty interactions they’ve been doing to each other for the past four million years may be annoying but it has its moments. The Decepticon leader turned on his heel and walked away.

“Meeting room in 10 minutes, don’t be late.”

This was unacceptable. Starscream thought as he opened his commlink, contacting his trinemates.

“You two, I need you here. Skywarp, I know you and TC are hanging out right now so better teleport your afts right now!”

Beep

Beep

Beep

Gasp. Soundwave woke up. He tried to move, but his whole body felt heavy, it was as if Ravage was sitting on top of him. Only it wasn’t the feline former who was sleeping on top of him. Straining, He craned his helm to see.

It was Shockwave.

Ah…this must be one of those weird dreams…

The tapedeck dropped his helm and closed his optics once more, relishing the hyper-realistic sensations from this dream. The heat coming off from the one-eyed mech, the rising and falling of his chest as he gently breathed, even the sound of the vital sign monitor beside him felt real.

Too real.

No…he wouldn’t.

Nervously, Soundwave slowly opened his eyes. He guessed that maybe if he touched him with his own servos he would know that he was hallucinating, but to his surprise he couldn’t move his arms. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t feel his arms at all. Thankfully he could still move his helm and feel his legs.

He glanced down at his chest. It was definitely his fellow lieutenant, the cold, ruthless, and logical engineer-scientist of the Decepticons, Shockwave.

Soundwave just stared in awe. He was sleeping peacefully with his helm sideways atop on the glass casing of his chest compartment, his servo curled up to himself like a sparkling. The purple mech looked so comfortable that it was like he was doing this with him for a long time not just this evening.

Oddly enough, this felt familiar to him. It reminded him of those slow and quiet days where he could finally get some peace and quiet. Ravage would sleep on top of him and he wouldn’t move just to avoid waking him.

I was supposed to go home today…I bet they’re worried.

Soundwave sighed and immediately tugged at their symbiotic bond, reassuring all of them that he’s okay. He tried to once again raise his head in an attempt to look for his arms. One of them was resting beside him while the other was comfortably wrapped around Shockwave’s shoulder. Both of his legs were buried under one of the scientist’s leg. The whole scene looked so intimate and unreal that Soundwave can’t believe he’s awake. Blushing, the cassette deployer tried to wriggle his legs free which earned a soft hum from the sleeping mech.

The movement stirred Shockwave awake. Slowly, he opened his optic and raised his helm to look.  Soundwave was staring at him, his visor glowing bright. The purple mech felt his spark drop at his stomach.

Panicked, the blue mech’s body went rigid. At this moment, he really wished this was just a dream. What was he even supposed to say in this situation?

“You’re very heavy…” No…maybe “Soundwave: thought you were not the cuddly type” Not that either…Oh, how about “Soundwave: not a berth” Noo…Maybe I should’ve planned first before moving.

While Soundwave’s thoughts were racing with regret, Shockwave’s antennae instantly heat up in embarrassment. It was all coming back to him now…

He finally reached the med bay. The medic was waiting for him by the entrance, ready to escort him to his friend’s room. While briskly walking, the doctor was looking at him quizzically, noticing the energon stains in his chassis. Upon arriving at the room, Shockwave drew in a sharp breath at the sight.

Soundwave was lying eerily still on the recharge slab. His mask was thankfully still attached. A number of monitors were hooked to the medical port on his torso, a vital monitor and a medical dispensing unit was beside the berth. He walked to his side, his single optic glued to his arms.

“We were able to patch up his wound and perform an energon transfusion with no trouble at all, thankfully you brought him at the right time or it would’ve been too late…”the medic told him.

“But there is one problem…” He spoke carefully, Shockwave turned to face him.

“His arms will be paralyzed, am I correct?”

“As expected of you sir, but his body is quite resilient, this condition will not be permanent.” The doctor reassured.

“I see…”

“Yes…His self-repair will work on it for a couple of cycles…I estimate after three cycles he’ll be able to move them. I advise that Lieutenant Soundwave should avoid strenuous activities, and plenty of rest is recommended…oh and he should be waking up in a couple of hours.”

The medic explained before saluting and quietly leaving. Slowly, Shockwave reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. The exhaustion both from the attack and his lack of recharge was finally catching up to him. He grabbed a seat and pulled it next to the berth, but an idea struck his mind.

He must have lost his mind or his logic circuits must have burned out from being too tired, either way he still went with it. His HUD was begging him to rest too and sleeping on a chair was not “resting” so Shockwave told himself it was a perfectly reasonable idea.

“…Yes…this is logical, I’m just going to recharge for a short amount of time before he wakes up…I also want to monitor his condition”

Before anything else, he locked the doors to the room, giving only the medic and Lord Megatron access to it. He cautiously climbed on the berth, thinking of the best position to avoid hurting Soundwave. It was a good thing that the berth was a bit spacious for two people. The scientist carefully raised the spy’s arm and placed it on his shoulder. He curled up on Soundwave’s side, not putting any of his weight on him. But he had no choice but to place his one leg over his friend’s other leg.

“…I’m too tired…It will be just one earth hour…”

Feeling the warmth of Soundwave next to him slowly lulled him to sleep. As he drifted into recharge, his spark felt at ease and his brain totally forgot to set an alarm to wake him up.

After having the most bizarre flashback in his life, Shockwave quickly checked his chronometer. His antennae drooped in horror.

He slept for four hours.

Wordlessly, he shifted his weight away from Soundwave’s chest, trying to get up. The one-eyed mech held his body up with his one servo while his one knee was placed between the spy’s legs. Thinking about their position was too much for the scientist, making him avoid eye contact with his friend. Soundwave was still staring at him, observing the aggressive wiggling of his friend’s antennae, which was new and worrying.

Still cute, but I wish I knew how you ended up on top of me…  The cassette deployer mused.

They both knew no words would help them in this situation. Their EMFs was enough to tell each other how awkward this is. But life was funny that way, before Shockwave removed himself from the berth, the door suddenly slid open. Both of their helms snapped at their visitor, it was none other than Megatron himself.

The Decepticon leader’s face went through a rollercoaster of emotions in one second. From of his classic scowl added with a bonus increase of fury towards Shockwave, to his jaw-dropping to the floor, stunned at the scene before him, and then to a bashful little boy who just caught his parents doing something naughty.

Shockwave was frozen in place while Soundwave felt his soul leave his body. Their great leader just saw his two of his top officers fooling around, in the med bay of all places, while one of them was injured.

“L-Lord Megatron?!” the scientist stuttered.

Megatron didn’t answer though. Instead, he slowly closed the door, face red from embarrassment. Shockwave internally screamed for the first time in his life.

He jumped from the bed and walked so fast he made it to the door with only a few strides. The scientist opened the door only to reveal a couple of seekers gathered outside, talking with Lord Megatron. Everyone suddenly stopped and stared at Shockwave who seemed to be agitated. Megatron on the other hand just coughed and pretended to read the datapad he was holding.

This CANNOT be happening to me…Shockwave thought as he quickly pulled his EMF to himself, breathed out and calmly spoke in a manner that hid his panic.

“Apologies my liege, will you please come inside…I’d like to explain myself.”

The Decepticon leader gave him a thoughtful look, contemplating whether his brain would rather deal with this now than later. To be fair, he’d be distracted more with his work if he let it stew longer. Megatron nodded and dismissed the seekers who were beginning to whisper to each other. Shockwave let his leader go inside first as he locked the door behind him.

Those familiar heavy pedesteps made Soundwave turn to his old friend. Megatron was approaching him with an apprehensive look in his face as he remembered the events a while ago. The grey mech’s EMF reached out to him, letting him know how uncomfortable he is, the blue mech however just chuckled in response. The soft laughter caught Shockwave’s attention, making him tilt his head in question at Soundwave. He made his way to the side of the berth, gesturing at his leader to seat by the chair. Megatron gratefully accepted and sighed.

“Look I’m happy for both of you but could you please keep those activities in your berthroom. I know it may look secluded but this is a public place for Primus sake” the Decepticon leader grumbled as he blushed, looking at his friend. Soundwave and Shockwave looked at each other and then to Megatron.

“No we’re not…”

“Shockwave and Soundwave: only friends.”

Megatron looked at the two of them, his optic ridges met in confusion. He looked at Soundwave, asking for an explanation which earned him a shrug, he then turned his attention to Shockwave.

“What do you mean friends, so that was just a casual thing you were doing?”

Both of his lieutenants cried out in utter mortification. Shockwave immediately piped in, desperate to clear up the growing awkward situation to the two of them.

“If I’m being honest to both of you, I was just trying to get some sleep…”

“With Soundwave?”

“N-No, I mean yes, to monitor his condition”

“Sure…”

“Forgive me my lord, I thought it was logical at the time...”

And just like that, a single conclusion had been drawn from Megatron’s brain. To confirm his suspicion, he glanced at his friend only to find him staring at Shockwave, faceplates heating up. Soundwave’s mask may hide it but the ex-gladiator had known his friend for a long time to notice the subtle hints he’s showing, like the light pinking in the top of said mask.

Oh Primus help me, I cannot deal with two love-struck idiots right now.

“I assure you I have no ill will against Lieutenant Soundwave, I was just-“ Shockwave sputtered nervously. Megatron waved a servo, cutting him off.

“Stop. Stop, I get it…could you give me and Soundwave a private moment. I’d like to catch up with him.”

“As you command, I shall prepare my report of our recent activities my lord.” Shockwave saluted and hurriedly left the room.

When the two of them were finally alone, the Decepticon leader crossed his arms and gave Soundwave a bemused look. The tapedeck just tilted his head as if he was as clueless as an innocent child, which earned him a dramatic eye-roll from the grey mech.

“What in the pit was that? I thought when the cassettes told me about you and Shockwave…”

“Cassettes: told you what??”

“They told me you were interested in him romantically! I was so shocked at first. He didn’t seem like someone who would share his life with anyone you know?” Megatron mused. Soundwave sighed, wishing he could move his arms right now to remove his mask. “And I thought you two were already involved because…” the grey mech drawled, giving him a knowing look.

Primus, even Orion and I weren’t that adventurous… Megatron thought as his brain reminded him again about that erogenous scene earlier.

“Soundwave: had no idea that would happen…I’m surprised…and delighted” the cassette deployer focused his gaze on the ceiling above, recalling that moment longingly. Megatron just groaned in exasperation. The grey mech did not really need to know about his friend’s possible tastes in interfacing right now.  

“I talked with the medic. Your arms will be paralyzed for three cycles due to your injuries. Where do you want to stay and recover, here or back on earth?”

Startled, Soundwave turned his head to look at him. Megatron’s face was stern yet his optics was sad. The spy’s visor dimmed with disappointment. It seemed like a simple question, but knowing his friend, it felt like a subtle inquiry on what should he do next.

If he returned to Earth now, he wouldn’t be able to go back to Cybertron for a long time. He and Shockwave wouldn’t be seeing each other or worse, they would probably go back to the way they were before. His recovery would be faster with the cassettes but a part of him would always feel empty.

And it wouldn’t matter if he stayed anyway since he’ll be leaving after he recovered, Soundwave realized. Megatron patiently waited for him to answer. The spy just stared at him with a dazed look on his face.

After remembering the past few weeks with the scientist, it was a no-brainer for Soundwave. Few moments of silence has passed. He forced himself to get up and faced the gunformer, visor shining full.

I guess I have to disappoint my cassettes again…

“Soundwave: will stay.”

The Decepticon leader grinned at him and cackled. Soundwave’s EMF bursted with surprise and a questioning vibe at his friend’s reaction.

He’s got it bad. Megatron thought.

He then stood up, put his servos on his hip and sighed. Soundwave followed him with his optics in silent, trying to discern what the grey mech was thinking.

“Better make those three cycles count Soundwave. I’ll take my leave now, you need anything?”

“High grade: acceptable as of the moment”

Megatron let out a hearty laugh, servo holding his chest like his spark would leap out from its chamber, optics half-squinted. He didn’t even know if the blue mech was joking but it was too funny for him. Remembering his friend being drunk was one of his favourite memories.

“Okay, I’ll contact Shockwave...”

“NO, WAIT-“

“…to get on with the report….what?” The Decepticon leader looked at him quizzically, surprised at the sudden outburst. He really didn’t think that the grey mech would take that offer seriously right? Of course, the gunformer did not know about the last time Soundwave drank engex, and that it involved his fellow TIC.

Megatron’s optic ridge raised in curiosity, an eerie feeling of déjà vu came to him while Soundwave looked at his pedes, failing to come up with an excuse.

“Soundwave: was mistaken about something. Carry on Lord Megatron”

“We are going to have a long talk when you go home my friend”

Anxiously, Shockwave waited by the command center of the base. A quick trip to the washracks before putting together a quick report really helped to get his self together.

That nap also contributed.

He mentally slapped himself at the thought. Although that was one of the best recharge he ever had, it did cost him Megatron’s respect in some way. Shockwave remembered how nice it felt though. He did not expect that the mere act of just resting with someone would have a positive effect in his psyche, let alone how energized he was feeling right now. It almost urged him to study this but he couldn’t for two obvious reasons. Firstly, the psychology of cybertronian mind was not his specialty and Soundwave…

The scientist’s antennae were warming again, the memory of his brazenness sending jitters in his spark. He did not know how he’s going to face Soundwave again. It didn’t help that his explanation was too foolish, making him look like he really just wanted to sleep next to him. Maybe if the thought came from one of his cassettes it would’ve been logical, but it was too insane to come from someone like him.

Shockwave’s inner turmoil became worse, antennae wiggling uncontrollably and his single servo gripping the datapad tightly. He wanted to bash it across his head in an attempt to get his thoughts in order. For the first time in his life, he was at a loss.

Why did I do it in the first place?

He agonized as he began to genuinely examine his life, his achievements, the connections he had made with others, and what it meant to him. When he realized he was tired of the war, he still meant it until now. With the recent events unfolding, this self-reflection of his was a long time coming, but why was this happening now he asked himself. Shockwave was so sure of himself before…

Yes, everything really changed when Soundwave arrived and stayed here. That was the root of all this restlessness...  

He began to pace around the room, a bunch of seekers passing by were staring at their superior officer with a worried look on their faces. Silently, Shockwave was spiralling. Being unable to talk about one’s feelings was frustrating indeed, but the one-eyed mech thought such non-sense were illogical.    

My feelings for him…feelings…what do I actually think about him.

As the Decepticon TIC walked around in small circles, Megatron had entered inside and noticed him. Worried, the grey mech slowly approached him and tapped his shoulder.

“Shockwave, what are you doing?”

The scientist snapped his helm and gazed at Megatron’s face. He quickly saluted and spoke in a soft tone.

“My Liege…”

“Well I have news, Soundwave wishes to recover here”

“Really?”

“But of course he still has to come back after three cycles”

“Of course...” Shockwave said with a dejected tone. Megatron could easily tell his lieutenant’s feelings now as he began to emote through his antennae, which just drooped just now before instantly returning to its original position. The Decepticon leader was still not use to this cute side of the scientist but he thought this change in his personality was a good sign. Repressing all those pent-up emotions must have been hard.

The two began with their work, walking as they talked about the recent happenings in their base. Megatron told Shockwave about the Autobots who escaped the pursuing seekers, to his disdain. The Decepticon leader then gave a few orders and suggestions in order to improve the security. After a few hours, they finally finished, returning to the entrance of the space bridge. Megatron stared at him, lipplates formed into a thin line. He looked oddly calm, as if he wanted to say something but chose not to.

“Lord Megatron…permission to ask you something non-mission related?”

Surprised, The Decepticon leader raised both of his optic ridges at the question, curious as to what Shockwave of all people would ask him that was not related to work. He nodded and crossed his arms, leaning with interest.

“I figured your history as a poet would help me solve a personal problem of mine…you see I’m having quite some trouble lately, and I figured it was not medical-related, I—“ the scientist rambled on.

“Get to the point” Megatron cut him off. He had some idea on what the mech would ask. The grey mech almost chuckled, but it was pleasant to know that his logical brain found him as someone qualified to ask about love.

“I…I don’t know. This is absurd. Forgive me my lord…”

“No no no, you’ve already have my attention. Come on Shockwave, I know you out of all people don’t typically back-out like this.”

The comment slightly hurt the scientist’s pride. Megatron was right. This was just another enigma he needed to solve and he’d be damned if he let his own emotions to continue to wreak havoc in his processor.

“Well I have never felt this way about anyone…not even to an old friend of mine. My spark would always feel tingly around him and my chest tightens in pain whenever I think about him in harm’s way. I deeply enjoy his company to the point that I don’t feel tired when I’m with him, in fact I even feel more reinvigorated…it’s illogical.” Shockwave mumbled. The grey mech grinned in response.

“What do you think it is?” Megatron asked. Shockwave’s digit tapped the datapad in thought.

“…thinking about it gave me a helmache, it’s why I have come for your advice my lord.”

“You know what I think? I think you’re in—“

As Shockwave began to hand the copy of report to his leader, their conversation was cut short when he heard someone making a racket, catching both his and Megatron’s attention.

Soundwave was heading towards them. Behind him was the medic, busy fussing over his patient who clearly should not be walking around, he was trying to stop the stubborn mech but his patient continued to ignore him. Slowly, the tapedeck made his way to the two gunformer who patiently waited for him. Soundwave stood beside Shockwave and faced Megatron. His doctor nervously saluted beside him, face worried at the punishment he’ll be facing.

“F-Forgive me Lord Megatron, I tried to stop him but he insisted…” the medic stammered.

“It’s alright, he’s always like this. You’re dismissed.” Megatron sighed, remembering the days back in the arena with Soundwave. He had always been stubborn.

The Decepticon leader faced Soundwave and gave him a disappointed look but the spy responded with a playful aura through his EMF. Shockwave observed the two of them with interest.

“Soundwave, you didn’t have to see me off you fool”

“Soundwave: will miss you too. Tell the cassettes I’m sorry” the blue mech replied. Megatron scoffed, smiling at his friend. Finally, he grabbed the datapad that Shockwave was handing to him earlier. Before he went into the portal, he fondly took in the sight of his two lieutenants standing next to each other. They did look quite the pair.

“Let’s continue our private conversation after you finish with the project, Shockwave” Megatron made a cackling noise as he walked inside the spacebridge. Soundwave glanced at his side to see Shockwave sheepishly scratching the edge of his helm, antennae wiggling.

“Inquiry: Shockwave talked with Lord Megatron? About what?”

Flustered, Shockwave flinched at the question and averted Soundwave’s gaze which only made the spy even more curious.

“It wasn’t anything important.”

The whirring sound of the spacebridge faded, the two of them stood beside each other in silent for a moment, both unsure on what to do next…well it was Shockwave who was unsure, Soundwave knew what he wanted but the tapedeck was gathering enough courage to do it.

“I—“

“So—“

Startled, the two snapped their helms at each other, staring in disbelief. Soundwave lightly chuckled at the situation, it felt childish. They were both adults who have responsibilities, but they can’t manage to start a simple conversation.

“Shockwave: speak first.”

“I wanted to apologize to you properly…what I did was boorish, I will not be making any attempt for any more excuses.” The scientist spoke as he looked him directly in his visor, then at his wound.

“…and I did want to spend more time with you. After all, you almost died.” He added while shyly looking away.

 Soundwave felt his spark pound in its chamber with glee. He badly wanted to pull him into a tight hug, telling him it was okay, that he didn’t mind. The spy settled with his EMF, reaching out to Shockwave with reassurance.

“Apology: accepted. Next time let’s fall asleep together.” the cassette deployer joked making the one-eyed mech even more flustered.  

Meanwhile, Avion was sneaking around, crying inside. He didn’t mean to intrude, the seeker just happened to be passing by. Seeing the two of them together at that moment, he knew he’d lose his shanix soon if those two keep up being sweet. He immediately contacted his brothers and asked them to change his bets before news of his two superior officers officially dating had spread.  

Chapter Text

Megatron stepped out of the spacebridge with a fond smile in his face. But the happiness he felt faded at the sight that greeted him. Rumble and Frenzy were eagerly waiting on the other side of the portal wearing a worried look on their faces. The change in expression was enough for the cassettes, telling them that Megatron had brought them bad news.

Distraught, the two looked at Megatron with disappointment as he relayed them Soundwave’s wishes. The Decepticon leader scratched the back of his helm awkwardly, unsure on how to console the cassettes.

“I can’t believe the boss chose that guy over us!” Rumble wailed.

“He almost died, how could he do this?? He should know how worried we are! He doesn’t care about us anymore…” Frenzy sniffled as he tried to hide his tears. The grey mech could only sigh in guilt; he did share the blame for this. After all he was subtly encouraging his friend to stay in Cybertron and confess his feelings.

“You know that’s not true. Soundwave cherishes all of you more than his life, it’s just that…” Megatron trailed off, scratching the side of his face with a digit. How could he assure them that nothing will happen to him? It wasn’t like he’s going to be gone for a long time, just three days!  Then again anything could happen, and maybe leaving one of his most important officers, who’s injured, in a recently attacked base was stupid or as Shockwave would call it, illogical.

The Decepticon leader pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, thinking that maybe it wasn’t the best decision and once again he let his emotions get the best of him. The blue cassetticon stared at the gunformer, waiting for an explanation until something struck him.

“…You didn’t stop him. Why?” Rumble asked desperately. Megatron winced at the question, but it was no time to coddle them, at the end of the day they’re still fighting in a war. It could be tomorrow or sometime in the future, but what’s certain was that their lives were always going to be in danger. They all knew that when they joined his cause.

“Because I made a call Rumble, and I still stand with his will. Soundwave needs this.” Megatron answered with a firm voice. Anything could happen at this point in their lives, and if his friend saw a chance for love, how could he hold his decision against him.

Rumble was about to retaliate but his twin put a placating servo in his shoulder, shaking his helm. The red cassetticon faced their leader and spoke.

“It feels like you already approve of Shockwave sir, but you have to understand that we still don’t fully trust him…Primus, we barely know the guy.”

“I know…”

“But we trust the boss…we’ll just talk to him later.” Frenzy said with a dejected tone which made Megatron feel worse. The red cassetticon took his brother by the hand and left the room leaving the grey mech alone.

On their way to their habsuite, Rumble continued to rant to his brother about the situation while Frenzy just listened. The two didn’t seem to care about the curious glances from the others as the blue cassetticon continued to talk loudly, flailing his servos in exaggeration.

“I still can’t believe this!! Of all the mechs in this universe why him. He just gives me the creeps!” Rumble complained. “If I had anything to say about it, I’d want Lord Megatron to be his conjunx, but nooo he had to choose t-that, discounted version of our Lord!” He added. Frenzy cannot help but snort at the comment.

Boss I hope you’re not hypnotized by that creep or something…  Frenzy thought as he opened the door to their room.

As the two entered the room, they heard the familiar chirps of their fellow cassettes. Ravage was lying in the middle of Soundwave’s berth while Buzzsaw and Laserbeak were perched at the side of the berth, munching on mini energon cubes. It seems like the three of them had just returned from their recon.

The feline former raised his head at the twins to greet them. Rumble gave him scratches at the back of his ear in an attempt to relieve some stress, Frenzy however, quickly headed to the energon dispenser eager to eat his worries away. Ravage stretched and jumped down from the berth. He walked towards the door then glanced at Rumble.

To someone, it might only look like the black cassetticon was just staring at him, but their symbiotic bond was special indeed, allowing them to talk to each other without the need for words. The blue cassetticon just vented in apology at Ravage.

“Later bud, let’s just chill for now…after Frenzy stuffs his face with food let’s head to the comm center or room, whatever” Rumble said wearily as he plopped down in the berth with an arm over his optics. Ravage’s ears drooped down and decided to sit by Frenzy. The red cassetticon logged on to their personal terminal, checking on the infamous betting pool for their beloved leader. His brother’s comment a while ago reminded him of their own bets, and yes they did bet on Soundwave. Thankfully, until now the cassette deployer hasn’t caught wind about this betting pool…at least as far as they knew.

“Ah scrap, there’s barely anyone left who bet on the boss, I guess it’s just screamer and the prime huh”

“Oh yeahh…change it to Starscream or Optimus I don’t really care now….Actually just put our money on the prime…seems more plausible.”

“Really? Okay” Frenzy replied with a muffled voice, mouth full of rust sticks. Rumble craned his neck to look at his brother, who spared him a glance and threw him some of the snack. Telepathy has its perks but it also comes with some disadvantage. Like how they could feel each other’s anxiety about their talk later with Soundwave.

“For real…I wonder what he saw in him…Remember when he first joined the ‘Cons? Boss told us to do some background check since Lord Megatron personally invited him in our ranks.” Rumble pondered as he chewed.

Usually the two of them would be enough to do some background checks but the trail they followed stopped at Crystal City thus resulted to them involving Soundwave. The spymaster tried to salvage much but nothing particularly stood out from the data he collected. It didn’t help that the mech was as social as a turbofox in hibernation, preventing them to probe the lonesome scientist furthermore. Shockwave definitely left a worrisome first impression to the spy but he trusted his leader’s decision in the end and just kept an optic on the mech.

“Yeah, I mean we all knew he was a nerd…but he was a mysterious nerd! Almost all the data about him was destroyed so we mostly had to rely on some rumors plus everyone who knew him is either an Autobot or dead. Soundwave wasn’t happy about it.” Frenzy replied back, leaning back in his chair in contemplation.

“There was one guy who knew him that’s not an Autobot, I think his designation was…hmmm…” the red cassetticon added, trying to recall the name of Shockwave’s mysterious acquaintance.

“Yeah yeah! We read it in Soundwave’s report, but he’s gone AWOL now so we can’t really interrogate the slagger.”

As the two ate in silence, deep in thought, Rumble and Frenzy knew that over the time the scientist continued to prove his competence. It was no surprise that he was quickly promoted thus earning Soundwave’s respect. 

“Bah- all this thinking is making my brain hurt! I mean look at us, we’ve been responsible for a couple of weeks now, I miss pranking” Rumble snapped, flailing around the berth in frustration. His brother nodded in agreement and spoke.

“Yeah, let’s just dump our frustrations now, come on” The red cassetticon stood up and pulled his brother. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw squawked and flew around the room while Ravage got up and leapt to the door. Antsy, the cassettes then headed off to the communications terminal, ready to get some answers.

Thundercracker and Skywarp looked at each other, hesitation obvious in their faces. The two fliers were currently on their way to the spacebridge, looking around anxiously. The blue seeker stopped by the entrance of the room, catching the other’s attention.

“I don’t know if we should do this… if Lord Megatron catches us, we’ll definitely get some horrible aft-whooping, especially at a time like this.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this but for once I agree with Starscream.” Skywarp muttered, almost embarrassed.  “Besides, you’re on good terms with Soundwave. We can pull this off don’t worry about it.”

 Minutes before the meeting….

“Look Starscream, we’re not your little errand boys. Would it kill you to address your trinemates nicely?” Thundercracker grumbled with his arms crossed. Skywarp had teleported them to the communications hub per Starscream’s request after Megatron and the cassettes left. With a servo on his hip, Starscream just rolled his optics dramatically at the complaint while the purple flier scoffed at him.

“GeE SkYwArP tHaNkS fOr CoMiNg QuIcKlY, feh! What’s got you so upset now Screamy”

Peeved, the trine leader considered to flick Skywarp’s forehelm for that nickname but opted to cross his arms instead, looking down at his pedes in silent. 

“Look…I need your help…” Starscream mumbled so quietly that it was almost inaudible which annoyed Skywarp more. Curious, Thundercracker leaned in making the red seeker’s wings droop in apprehension.

“What??” he whispered to him, optics squinting.

“I SAID…I need your help! There, are you happy you fucking assholes!”

“Geez! No need to get so upset…by the way nice usage of human curse words.” the blue flier chuckled while their purple trinemate didn’t hold back his boisterous laughter.

Starscream being shy after acting so cocky was so unlike him, unless... Skywarp suddenly paused, this may be one of those rare moments where the red seeker really needed help and it slightly worried him.

“So…what’s up?”

“I need you two to convince Soundwave to remove the encryption of this blueprint.”

“What if he says no?” the purple flier cautiously asked as he took the blueprint to get a closer look. 

“Then extract the info, by all means necessary…”

Alarmed, Thundercracker and Skywarp both looked at Starscream. The purple flier’s wings fluttered nervously. His blue trinemate piped in the conversation, attempting to de-escalate whatever stupid thing the red seeker was planning.

“Wait wait wait, you do know Megatron will kill us all if he finds out about this right??”

“Well his precious little spy had it coming! They don’t even respect me enough to share that information with me, it seems like violence is the only thing that oaf understands,” Starscream ranted “Besides, I can’t do it myself.  The cassette brats will be monitoring my every move. You two can overpower him, especially since he’s injured.”

“I thought you liked Soundwave! Or at least tolerated him” Thundercracker replied, the shrill in his voice was almost comedic but Skywarp couldn’t laugh at the situation right now. Starscream was asking them to kill one of Megatron’s most valuable officers and trusted friend but Skywarp understood where he was coming from. It was a tad disrespectful, after all Starscream represented all the seekers in the Decepticon ranks and treating him like some kind of outsider hurt his pride too whether he’d admit it or not.

Thundercracker’s persuasion seems to have drilled some sense to the red seeker. He recalled the times the silent third-in-command was nice to him. Those moments where he actually listened to his suggestions and supported him struck a chord in Starscream.

But too bad he cares about Megatron more than the Decepticon cause.

He clenched his fist in anger, remembering the times their leader still shut him down while Soundwave watched in silence.

And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to ask his brothers to kill him.

“Okay fine I guess don’t snuff out his spark…”

Skywarp and Thundercracker sighed in relief. With that the three of them were in agreement. Although they wouldn’t have done this behind Megatron’s back in the first place if Starscream didn’t plan to usurp their leader like it was his hobby.

“Wait! What about Shockwave?” the purple flier exclaimed, suddenly remembering the lone guardian of Cybertron.

“What, you don’t think you can handle one hermit who’s barely on the frontlines hm?” Starscream said in a snarky tone. The elite trine leader really knew what buttons to push, the little provocation worked immediately for Skywarp, who was growling at him, while Thundercracker just sighed and accepted it wearily.

“You two should leave after Megatron returns so I could cover for you guys,” the trine leader explained “I doubt those two will be stalking me as much after he comes back.” Starscream scoffed, crossing his arms in annoyance.

Present…

“Oh! Skywarp and Thundercracker, what brings you here? We weren’t informed about a scheduled spacebridge transport sir.”

A low-ranking goon asked in a surprised tone as he saluted to the two. It was peculiar that members of the elite trine suddenly came in without an announcement. Thundercracker cursed inwardly while Skywarp scratched the back of his helm, mind racing with excuses to say.

The blue seeker was about to speak when the soldier suddenly raised his servo to the side of his helm urgently. He nodded and looked at the two of them with a knowing optic. 

“Apologies sir, I just got an urgent update from Air Commander Starscream, I’ll take care of the transport now.” Hurriedly, he activated the spacebridge, sending an alert to the headquarters in Cybertron.

The two seekers just shrugged and walk towards the portal.

Soundwave sighed, mood as gloomy as the scenery before him. The tapedeck was standing in Shockwave’s room, staring by the window with a forlorn expression under his mask. Things were starting to go back to the way they used to be around here, the damages the base had suffered were almost fixed and yet his spark feels heavy.

Feeling the turmoil in their bond, his thoughts wandered to his cassettes. He understood the selfishness of his decision. In fact, he would have also felt this way if their places were switched, but he doesn’t feel any regret.

Because I didn’t choose him over all of you…

Soundwave kept repeating through their bond. True enough, they responded with a semblance of forced understanding, but it was still muddled with confusion and hurt. Why are you so eager, couldn’t this wait? What if something happens? We miss you… They told him.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention. Turning his helm slightly, he saw that Shockwave had entered the room, a datapad in his hand. The one-eyed mech tilted his helm curiously.

“Why are you standing there, make yourself comfortable.”

Soundwave exhaled yet again, ignoring the mech. He let his EMF do the talking as he continued to stare outside. Shockwave seemed to notice the change in his mood. The two of them remained silent for a moment, the purple mech sat by the side of the bed, debating whether to probe more about the cassette deployer’s problem or just wait for him to talk.

A while ago he was being playful when we were talking by the spacebridge, now he suddenly looks miserable…

The scientist thought as he idly rubbed the corner of the datapad anxiously. The blue mech glanced at him, noticing the little twitches in his antennae. Soundwave chuckled to himself, still in disbelief on how adorable those hearing fins were. He decided to sit beside him and lean on his shoulder, making the other jolt.

“Soundwave-!” he exclaimed, looking at the other in surprise.

“Shockwave: does not need to worry about me. Query: why did you invite me here?”

Shockwave coughed awkwardly, momentarily forgetting the tapedeck’s fondness of physical affirmation. Slowly, he relaxed to the touch, staring at the small gap in their kneeplates as he explained the adjustments he did with the spacebridge and the communications hub.

 “…I made some arrangements so you would not have any problems while you’re healing your arms. The comm hub here in my room is also voice activated,” the scientist told him while showing him the details in his datapad “you can try it now if you want.” he added.

Soundwave hummed in thought, impressed at how fast the mech did the changes, even the door to both of their habsuites were voice activated. Shockwave was relieved, noticing the positive change in his mood. Still curious, Shockwave couldn’t help himself and finally asked.

“Is there something bothering you a while ago?” the purple mech mumbled.

“The cassettes want me to go home…”

Confused, Shockwave’s antennae drooped down in thought, mind already full of questions.

They didn’t approve of it? Then why did he choose to recover here in the first place? Did Lord Megatron order him to? No that’s impossible, he’s been insistent on him coming back to earth.

 Setting aside his own emotions, he thought it was rather illogical for Soundwave to stay here since he’ll eventually leave, and wouldn’t it be optimal for him to heal in the company of his cassettes? Unless…

“Why didn’t you?”

Shockwave asked in a quiet voice. Slowly, He turned his helm slightly to him. His spark was beating loudly against its chamber, hopeful.

Hopeful for what? That he stayed here because of me? The scientist thought, the yearning in his spark growing.

Body as still as a rock, Soundwave felt all the energon in his body rush to his face. The cassette deployer did not exactly think this through. In fact, he couldn’t believe he forgot about Shockwave’s ever so logical mind, of course he would ask why he chose to stay here.

But wouldn’t this be the perfect time to confess?  A part of him thought.

Both of their EM fields melded with each other, Shockwave felt the sudden change in the other’s field which made him even more curious while Soundwave became even more flustered from the mech’s excitement.

Soundwave raised his helm, their faces were once again inches apart, but this time it felt different. There was no ridiculousness that helped them close the gap between each other. No one tripped or was unconscious. It was just another intimate moment between the two of them. Shockwave was looking at him with such intensity that he felt like he would melt. In fact, if it weren’t for his paralyzed arms he would’ve removed his mask and…

Focus! The tapedeck mentally slapped his self. Of course the mech wouldn’t appreciate a surprise kiss!

“Soundwave: stayed here because…” he whispered.

Because I have feelings for you.

Struggling, the tapedeck drew his breath. Shockwave was still patiently waiting. The scientist set the datapad down beside him and faced Soundwave fully.

“Because…I…owe you a favor!” the spy blurted out.

Bewildered, Shockwave tilted his head in confusion. Soundwave nervously chuckled, disappointed with himself. He retreated for a bit, letting out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding.

“Soundwave: got drunk, slept on your berth, and ruined our time together,” the TIC explained, remembering that embarrassing night. “Proposition: redo that night…without the high grade and destruction.”

“But your cassettes—”

Cutting him off, the tapedeck leaned close to him and whispered. “I owe you a favor…not just for that night but for everything. The short amount of time we spent together was important to me,” he told him as he edged closer, feeling the heavy breathing coming from Shockwave. “I might not be able to come back to you for a long time…I don’t want to waste this opportunity, I love my cassettes and they also love me.”

And I love you.

Soundwave smiled behind his mask and spoke in a playful tone “Besides, you told me you wanted to spend more time with me remember?”

It was Shockwave’s turn to get flustered as he recalled his honest confession to the mech. His antennae immediately wiggled, expelling the heat that climbed to his face. The scientist was about to say something when his HUD alerted him about an unscheduled spacebridge activation. Shockwave could not, in good faith, ignore that alert.

“L-let’s continue this conversation later Soundwave, there’s an important matter I must attend to.” Shockwave stammered as he stood up. “I am happy that our time together was precious to you,” he turned his back to him and added “If I’m being honest, I wish you would extend your stay here with me.”

With that he left the room in a hurry, both of them a blushing mess. Soundwave wished he could remove his mask this instant. The heat in his face was making him dizzy. Instead, he opted to dip his whole head in water to cool off.

Standing up, a beeping sound from the remote comm hub caught his attention. The TIC approached the monitor to see. It was a transmission coming from earth. Soundwave answered the call and was pleasantly surprised to see who contacted him. The cassettes were eagerly huddled together, optics shining with anticipation.

“BOSS!!” Frenzy yelled excitedly.

“What the-! Your arms!!” Rumble also yelled but with worry.

Suddenly, his bliss turned to unease. Soundwave knew he had a lot of explaining to do. This was going to be a long night.

“The Decepticons have been quiet lately don’t you think?”

“Well…as quiet as they can be, Jazz. They’re still stirring up trouble here and there.”

Aboard the Ark, Optimus Prime and the Autobot High Command were currently having an emergency meeting.  Seated on his both sides were joint second-in-command Jazz and Prowl, currently discussing the lack of activity from the other side. Ironhide and Wheeljack were seated next to the Jazz while Ratchet was about to sit next to the Prowl, just in time for the meeting. Optimus hummed in thought, wondering what Megatron has been up to.

“I agree with Jazz, don’t ya think it’s been like what, a month? since we’ve seen ‘em seriously attack us,” Ironhide pointed out “I bet there’s in-fighting again, courtesy of Starscream.”

Others on the table nodded in agreement, but Optimus remained silent, thinking that something was amiss. Prowl, pragmatic as ever, proposed to launch an attack while their enemies were at their weakest. 

“This is an opportunity for us to deal some serious damage,” Prowl stood up as he handed out datapads “and even if they’re expecting us, I already prepared some contingencies for that.” The military stragetist sat down once more and pressed a button on the table. Suddenly, a holographic projection of the Nemesis appeared before them.

“Oh scrap, is that—“

“Yep! I’ll accept your applauses now thank you.” Jazz said, cutting off Wheeljack. He leaned back on his chair and put both of his servos behind his head, a cheeky grin plastered in his face. Prowl rolled his optics in amusement and smiled at the mech. Jazz noticed this and winked at him. The rest of them shared a knowing look, almost annoyed that they had to see the two flirt at an important meeting.

“Yes, thanks to Jazz and the Spec Ops team’s effort we now know where the Nemesis is located. We’ve also received word from Alpha Trion,” The SIC paused and looked at Optimus “apparently Soundwave was in Cybertron for quite some time.”

Surprised, everyone’s optics darted from the hologram to Prowl. They all knew that Megatron’s most loyal subordinate would never willingly leave his side.

Prowl crossed his arms and continued. “There’s also a possibility that he’s still there. Chromia and her team had an incursion attempt at the Decepticon HQ in Cybertron. She said that Soundwave was badly injured and could still be there, recovering.”

“Why was he there in the first place?” the Autobot leader asked. His second-in-command paused for a second and clasped his servos. Everyone noticed the change in his aura as his face turned serious…well twice as serious as his usually stoic face.

“It’s why I requested for this emergency meeting. He was delivering an important package for Shockwave. They said it was some kind of blueprint…and it has something to do with Vector Sigma.”

A clamour arose from the table, shocked and horrified at the new information. Worried, Optimus clenched his fist, scenario after scenario running through his brain, horrified at what Megatron would do with Vector Sigma and knowing him, he knew it wouldn’t be for anything good.

“Why are we only hearing about this now?” Ironhide asked in an aggressive tone. Jazz immediately replied in an attempt to calm everyone down.

“We only heard about this tonight because they only just confirmed that it really exists. Moonracer told Blaster that they received a mysterious transmission a couple of weeks ago, leaking them that info” He raised a digit and continued “thus the incursion that Chromia and her team went to, you can read the whole report there on the datapad. There’s some interesting stuff they reported there about Shockwave too.” the spec ops leader explained. Intrigued, Wheeljack raised an optic ridge at that.  

While everyone else was asking more details about the new intel, Ratchet was staring at Optimus, who was sitting eerily still. Worried, the doctor looked at his friend. He could feel the pained look in his optics. Knowing him he knew deep down he still had a flicker of hope to make peace with the Decepticons, that and he still cared about Megatron. As time passed, that hope seems to dwindle and yet Optimus still couldn’t bring himself to finish off the Decepticon leader every time the opportunity presented itself.

Primus, you may be wise leader but your taste in mechs is still terrible.

With a sigh, the CMO spoke up, joining in on the conversation. “So, what’s the plan now?” Everyone looked at Ratchet and then at Optimus, who was sitting quietly amidst the whole discussion. The whole table slowly faded into silence, waiting for their leader to notice them staring at him.

“Is he having his scheduled meeting with the other Primes right now?” Wheeljack loudly whispered to Ratchet across the table, a single digit pointing to his chest plates. The medic wanted to slap the scientist’s shoulder so bad but just settled with an annoyed look in his face. Thankfully, Ironhide was there to do it for Ratchet. It was as if he read the CMO’s thoughts. After waiting for another minute, everyone awkwardly looked at one another then decided to hand Prowl the task of snapping Optimus out of his own mind. The SIC sighed and gently called the prime.

“Optimus?”

“What? Oh yes, carry on with your report Prowl. I’d like to hear your plan.” The two SIC looked at each other with worry, but they couldn’t blame their leader, after all this could be an important turning point for the war. Their military strategist coughed awkwardly, doorwings fluttering for a bit.

“Yes, as I was saying, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us. We’re lucky if Starscream really is doing a coup again while Soundwave is injured.”

“You must be forgetting something Prowl, yer holo just showed us their base is in the bottom of the ocean.” Ironhide pointed out “I don’t want to get my nuts ‘n bolts rusty! And so does our troops”

“And that’s where Perceptor and I will come!” Wheeljack piped in, humming in excitement at the new assignment. 

Imagine the explosives and gear I’m going to make... the scientist happily daydreamed.

“Then it’s settled. Optimus?” The Autobot leader nodded at his SIC. He stood up, facing all of them. They looked up to him in anticipation for his signature inspirational speech. Optimus unclenched his fist and exhaled. The Autobot leader couldn’t believe that he can actually see an end to this long war, perhaps this time Megatron would finally give up and agree to the peace talks.

But knowing the stubbornness of his old lover he couldn’t help but frown under his mask, thinking that Megatron would rather die than surrender. Optimus’ hopeful mood suddenly turned bitter. In the end he couldn’t bear the thought of him dying by his hands. In a fucked up way, he almost wished that Starscream was successful in his assassination attempt, just so he wouldn’t have to do it himself.

He felt his spark ache at the thought.  

“Autobots…in three cycles we’ll end this war once and for all. Till all are one.”

“I expected that to be longer.”

“Wheeljack!” Ratchet yelled as he threw a wrench at the scientist.

Chapter Text

Awed, Thundercracker whistled as he looked around. They did hear that the base was recently attacked but the damages were almost inconspicuous. Skywarp followed suit, observing his surroundings. Only two seekers were around in the command centre, currently looking at them, confusion obvious in their faces. Still, they recognized their superiors and as seeker tradition, it’s only appropriate to properly greet the members of the elite trine.

“Thundercracker and Skywarp, it’s an honor to have you two here” the seeker and his companion saluted, placing a servo on their chest, wings drooping down in respect and their helms slightly bowed.

“Where’s Lieutenant Soundwave” The blue seeker asked.  A subtle tap from his brother caught his attention, Shockwave was walking towards them. The four fliers saluted to the TIC, the scientist waved a servo. Shockwave dismissed the two unnamed seekers back to their post leaving only the three of them standing.

“Thundercracker and Skywarp, what an unexpected visit, to whom do I owe this pleasure?”

The purple flier squinted at the mech, suspicious at the weirdly polite greeting. They weren’t expecting this kind of welcome but it seemed like he’s in a good mood?

Good. It should be easier to deal with him. He thought as he puffed his chest, wings flaring up. Skywarp grinned at the one-eyed mech. Thundercracker glanced at his brother then back at Shockwave. Instead of welcoming this opportunity, the blue flier was cautious and slightly curious at this weirdly positive side of the mech. He was never really close with the scientist but everyone knew Shockwave wasn’t one for pleasantries.  

“We’re actually here for Soundwave. We’d like to speak to him.”

The scientist stared at them, humming in thought. Thundercracker and Skywarp squirmed at his gaze. They knew that if he asked why, Shockwave’s pleasant mood might change sooner than expected but they were shocked to see him reach for the side of his helm, sending a commlink. After a few moments, he dropped his servo and spoke.

“As you two know, he’s currently injured. I did left a message for him, but seeing that the remote commhub is activated there’s a high possibility that he’s currently engaged in an important call. It might take a few hours.” Shockwave told them as he noted the notification in his HUD. Thundercracker sighed in disappointment while Skywarp clicked his dentae in annoyance.  

 “If you’re not busy, would you two be able to help with the seekers’ training?”

The two of them blinked at him, dumbfounded. Thundercracker and Skywarp looked at each other. They didn’t even need words to convey their surprise at this new side of Shockwave. Before, the mech would’ve surely interrogated them or would just brush them aside, treating them like one of his drones. Now, he’s uncharacteristically being nice?

The two nodded slowly in unison which earned a slight wiggle from Shockwave’s antennae. Needless to say, Thundercracker and Skywarp’s optics almost fell out from their sockets.

“Excellent. I will send you a commlink later to inform you two of the location,” Shockwave spoke in a monotone as he grabbed a datapad from his subspace, unaware of the jaws which were currently dropped “you can roam around for a bit. I shall arrange the schedule for the training.” The scientist left, Thundercracker and Skywarp’s  pedes were planted in their spot, speechless.

“So in summary, you’re fragging stuck there on your own will…to woo Shockwave?”

“Rumble: language, Profanity: not appreciated.”

While Soundwave was glad to see his cassettes, his boys can be a quite…honest. Too honest for their own good that it got them into trouble. Telling them how he recently fell in love with someone he’s been working with for millions of years was definitely an experience, especially when he kept getting funny looks from the twins.

The tapedeck did not appreciate Frenzy’s optic ridge rising in judgement as he told him how they spent their first evening as friends drinking high grade. Or when Rumble’s nose slightly scrunched as he told him that Shockwave got a bit upset when he was late because they were talking that day.

Of course Soundwave omitted some details to the twins, he couldn’t exactly tell them those times where they ended up on compromising positions, hilarious as it was.

He couldn’t casually drop to them that “There’s a high chance the whole base thinks we’re sleeping together because they keep seeing us on together in intimate situations, oh we also accidentally cuddled after my near death experience”.

Nonetheless, all those little moments ended with him fully admitting to Rumble and Frenzy’s suspicions and more importantly, to himself.

“Oh Primus I can’t believe this, when you told us you weren’t “boyfriends” YET, I was hoping you were joking” Frenzy groaned, both servos covering his face.

“I was.”

More exasperated groaning erupted at the other side of the call, clearly not buying it. Soundwave lightly chuckled at the reaction. Honestly speaking, that was a confusing time for both Shockwave and him. A small smile formed underneath his mask as he fondly remembered the gradual changes to their relationship, from mere acquaintances to actual friends.

And maybe to something more. Soundwave thought, hopeful.

“While all of these seem romantic boss, we still don’t really trust him. Sure he may be all sweet and cute to you but what about us?” Rumble said. Worried, the cassette deployer actually paused at this. His smile slowly disappeared as he realized that perhaps he’s getting ahead of himself. The blue cassetticon could feel the change in Soundwave’s aura.

“I-it’s not that we’re not happy you’re finally going out there,” Rumble stammered “it’s just that…I thought we’re a package deal. I hope he knows that too…if he loves you.” The cassetticon mumbled with a frown.

Slowly, Soundwave raised his left servo with a wince and touched the screen. The cassettes gasped, surprised but happy that the tapedeck can finally move one of his arms. Although painful, Soundwave did not let it stop him from comforting his cassettes.

“Soundwave and cassettes: Inseparable. Don’t worry.” he said as he carefully put his hand down, arms still sore from the damage.

“Boss…” Rumble and Frenzy said, teary eyed. The cassette deployer would rather die than abandon his cassettes, even if Shockwave did return his affections.

After that heartfelt moment, Soundwave changed the topic  to lighten the mood. The twins talked about Megatron’s reaction about his feelings for the scientist, making Soundwave laugh.

The TIC checked the chronometer in his HUD, it was getting late. It seems they’ve been talking for a few hours. Finally, he said his goodbyes to his cassettes.

“Soundwave: misses all of you. Take care of yourselves.”

“You’re the one with fragged up arms! You take care of yourself” Rumble replied with a snort.

“What did I tell you about swearing Rumble. That’s it, Frenzy’s now in charge. Operation: Disciplinary Action”

“What the fuc-”

“Hahaha!” Frenzy cackled, cutting off his brother. While the two of them were giving each other the stink eye, Soundwave sighed and focused his attention on his other cassettes. He reached out to them with the bond, letting them know that he’ll be home soon.

Laserbeak and Buzzsaw cawed excitedly, wings flapping. Ravage rubbed his head on the screen, purring. His optics looked sad but he understood the situation. Rumble and Frenzy ended the call with a wave.

The cassette deployer sat in silence for a moment. He raised his helm and stared at the ceiling breathing out.

I already miss them…

Soundwave was zoned-out for a moment, until a blinking light in his HUD caught his attention. Shockwave had left him a message. Instantly, he opened the message.  

[Soundwave, Thundercracker and Skywarp are here to see you. Don’t worry I’ll be returning there after you finish your call.]

The spy tilted his head at that. It seems the security programs he made were installed in every tech in this whole place, even in this room. True enough, after a few minutes of waiting, Shockwave was there with an energon cube on his hand. Suddenly, he remembered how low his energon levels were.

“It seems you missed your cassettes so much that you forgot to refuel.”

“Affirmative. Shockwave: waiting for me to finish my call?” the tapedeck teased.

“Of course.”

 The spy sat awkwardly, his face flushing from Shockwave’s nonchalant reply. The scientist set the cube down by the table beside the bed. Soundwave cleared his intake, eager to talk about something else to calm himself.

“Thundercracker and Skywarp are here? Purpose of visit?”

“I…forgot to ask. Apologies.” Shockwave sheepishly scratched the side of his helm. He sat by the berth and tapped the empty space beside him which earned a questioning tilt of helm from Soundwave.

“Refuelling takes priority for now. Sit here so I can help you remove your mask.”

This seemed to hit some nerve to his fellow TIC. Sure the blue mech appreciated him bringing him some energon out of care, but he was not some kind of sparkling who needs to be fed. Why just a few minutes ago he moved his left arm! Although it was painful that he barely did it by sheer force of will. With a scoff, the spy stood up and spoke.   

“Energon: appreciated, but I can refuel on my own.”

“Don’t be stubborn. You’re the one who told me that asking for help is logical.”

Shockwave has underestimated the mech’s pride.  Just to show he was capable of taking care of himself, Soundwave forced to raise his arm toward his face. As the tips of his digits reached the plating of the mask, he hissed in pain, dropping his servo. The scientist quickly stood up and walked towards him.

 “Soundwave-! Why are you being like this, it’s illogical.” Shockwave said, worry in his voice evident.

He watched him gently take his hand and carefully examine it. Shockwave’s antennae drooped down for a bit then flicked back to its upright place. The scientist faced the spy, looking for some kind of reaction from the mech. He didn’t understand why he refused his help, it wasn’t different from that time he was injured so why be stubborn about this?

Realizing how close they were, and also the fact that he’s been holding his hand longer than he intended to, Shockwave felt his face heat up with embarrassment. He tried to retract his hand but to his surprise he felt Soundwave squeeze his hand, locking them in place.

“Soundwave: apologizes. I’m not used to relying on others…except for Megatron I suppose.”

“I feel the same way…but we have each other now right?”

The spy felt his spark jump at that question. He knew Shockwave’s words could be taken one way or another, but it didn’t stop him to hope that perhaps there’s a chance.

Soundwave nodded lightly at him. Shockwave sighed in content, happy that he got through him.

Still holding hands, the blue mech walked towards the berth as he gently tugged him. They both sat quietly, Shockwave was busy expelling the heat from his face with his antennae while Soundwave gradually released his hold.

Slowly, the scientist reached for his face. He caressed his cheek, feeling the clasps hidden below the spy’s jaw. With a click, the scientist pulled, removing the mask.

Shockwave could see the small pout from Soundwave’s lips. The mech was trying so hard to look unaffected but his face was betraying him. The one-eyed mech noted the light pinking across his faceplates but refused to make a comment, he was solely focused on putting some energon to the tapedeck first.

“Are you just going to stare at me all night?” Soundwave joked awkwardly. Flustered, Shockwave awkwardly coughed and turned around to reach for the energon cube.  He gently placed the cube on the spy’s lipplates.

As Soundwave steadily drank his energon, Shockwave stared at him, dazed. He watched his throat cable throb at every gulp, unaware of the growing heat that was pooling in his gut. His body however, knew exactly what he’s feeling. A single alert from his HUD sent the scientist into panic.

His interface protocols were trying to activate.

His breath hitched. Really?? This was what would do it for him? Shockwave told himself in disbelief. He immediately shut it down and manually delayed his cooling fans from activating.

“Hrmmph!”

The choking sound from Soundwave didn’t help. He hurriedly set aside the cube on the table. The blue mech coughed, energon dripping from his lips.

“Scrap!” the one-eyed meched cursed sharply “Perhaps I should bring a straw next time…” Shockwave mumbled half-heartedly in an attempt to distract his self.

“This is the first time I’ve heard you cuss.” Soundwave coughed as he nodded in agreement, the spy smirked in amusement at the mech, pleasantly surprised at that outburst. Shockwave noticed the energon dripping in his chin. Without hesitation, he raised his servo and wiped it clean with his thumb.

Before Soundwave’s brain had the time to react, his mouth moved quickly on its own, licking Shockwave’s thumb.

Shockwave froze at this. The sensation of Soundwave’s glossa on his finger prompted his cooling fans to whirr loudly, making the tapedeck’s face bloom red. He could see the mech’s lips part in surprise. It was as if his brain finally caught up and realized what he did.

The spy mustered all his courage and peeked at the mech’s face for any sign of reaction. Shockwave was sitting eerily still, thumb still hovering near his face.

Meanwhile, in Shockwave’s brain, the scientist was busy trying to find the logic behind Soundwave’s action…and his own frame’s reaction to that as well. Well he had seen some holovids, this situation would either get ridiculous or sexual in nature.

What would he even do if it turns out his companion was in the mood for the latter? He was painfully aware of the rumors, but he didn’t see this coming, not in a million cycles. Sure Soundwave was…playful in some occasions, but those jokes weren’t serious right? It’s why they were called jokes. And the tapedeck made it clear last time that their relationship was platonic in nature. They were friends.

But if he was being honest, this would be an interesting raw data to add to his memory files. Interfacing was certainly an engaging topic for him. Shockwave thought that understanding how to give pleasure was equally important as how to inflict pain. This would definitely benefit his future studies.

Yes, that is the sole reason, nothing else. This is for educational purposes ONLY. Shockwave assured his self.

Now he wished that he had watched more of those informative holovids to increase his database and cross-reference those to this scenario.

There’s only one logical thing to do now.

“Shockwave?”

“….”

Soundwave was getting worried now. He would’ve preferred the aggressive antennae wiggling but it seems the one-eyed mech short-circuited. Now he felt worried and guilty. The tapedeck wanted to slap himself so bad, why did he have to do that? Even in his standard, that was weird.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Soundwave’s head. Since he couldn’t move much, he could bump his helm to his head to get his attention. It wasn’t the brightest of ideas, but Soundwave can’t stand this tension anymore. As he slowly inched closer, Shockwave abruptly put his thumb over the mech’s lips, making him stop in his tracks.

“D-do you want to lick the rest of it…”

“Wha…?” Soundwave said in a muffled voice, confused.

Did I hear him right? Did he really ask me that??  

“I need to determine the next scenario, please decide.”

Shockwave averted his gaze, cooling fans whirring which made the situation more awkward and bewildering for Soundwave. What did he think was going to happen next? The spy thought to himself. It was an honest mistake in his part but he didn’t anticipate Shockwave would respond like this. If anything he was expecting a light smack to his face and say “illogical” in that monotone voice but not this. Unless…

Oh.

Oh.

The lack of response seemed to frustrate the scientist. A simple “no” would’ve been fine, better yet some kind of reaction would be enough for him, but this silence was stretched long enough. Shockwave retracted his servo and stood up, clearly embarrassed.

What was I thinking…This is illogical. 

“…forget it. That was idiotic and embarrassing. Sorry. Excuse me for a moment.”

Shockwave made a beeline for the washracks, eager to wash his hand and perhaps purge his memory of this event. Gripping the faucet, he began to let the water do its job. Still not satisfied, he filled the sink and proceeded to dunk his whole head in the water. He couldn’t believe that this became one of the most humiliating moments in his life.

While Shockwave was busy, Soundwave was internally screaming. What do I do what do I do what do I do. The thought kept repeating in his brain module.

A part of him was telling him to follow the mech and save the situation. After all this was an unusual but rare opportunity! This was the perfect chance to confess. Plus he couldn’t really lie to himself, he did wonder what the scientist would look like, debauched and wanting under him.

Soundwave shook his head aggressively, trying his best to stop the mental images.

Another part of him was not ready for their relationship to go to that stage just yet. Call him old-fashioned but he wanted that moment to be special. And yes, even if he was aware of the rumors, Soundwave would like that to stay as rumors…for now.

With a sigh, he stood up and followed the mech to the washracks.

During Soundwave’s call...

“Alright listen up! I know the Autobots kicked your aft awhile back,”

“Mind you a FEW Autobots”

“Okay Skywarp, they get it. But! We won’t let that happen again!”

Inside the traning room, Thundercracker and Skywarp were standing in front of a few seekers. Among them were Avion, who was beaming excitedly at the elite trine seekers. Blackburn and Concorde was standing a few inches away from their brother, pretending they don’t know him.  

“YEAH! We’ll get ‘em next time!”

“That’s right!” Thundercracker shouted back “You! You’re going to be the first volunteer, I love your energy”

“WOOOh!”

“Primus, what’s gotten into him…”Blackburn whispered to Concorde “I know he loves the elite trine (to the point that it’s super weird) but is the yelling really necessary?”

The blue conehead chuckled and replied “Well you can’t blame him. He’s totally focusing his energy to this and not on the bets.”

Concorde remembered the moment his brother desperately asked him to change his bets. He tried to do it as quickly as possible but unfortunately the photo spreading around the base was faster than him. The mysterious mech, who may or may not be Swindle, handling the betting pool had closed the chance to change bets. Now his rowdy brother lost half of his savings

Said photo that was circulating in the base, that may or may not have been provided by the medic, was a picture of their superior officers cuddling on the medical berth. Of course, Soundwave was in no condition to remove those tapes, seeing the state of his arms.

It didn’t help that they made the bet Double-or-Nothing, only this time the bets were final, no changes were allowed. Avion gladly put the rest of his savings, telling them he’ll get it back.  

The red conehead hurriedly walked to Thundercracker’s side for a sparring demo while Skywarp was watching with a bored look in his face. The purple flier scanned the crowd, spotting two seekers talking amongst themselves. In an instant, he teleported next to Blackburn and Concorde, earning a surprised yelp from the two.

 “What are you two talking about?”

“EEP!”

“N-Nothing sir!”

Skywarp crossed his arms and scoffed, “Oh so I’m a liar then?” he leaned in closer to Concorde and hissed “I know what I saw. Come on now, spit it out.” With a gulp, the blue conehead glanced at his brother, optics asking for help. Blackburn shrugged and gave an apologetic smile.

The other seekers around them were looking at them awkwardly, afraid to get involved with the mess in front of them. Noticing the commotion, TC called his brother’s attention. Avion looked at the direction and saw his brothers.

“Skywarp what in the pit? Come back here, geez”

“Tch, I’ll come back here later, you better have a great excuse when I get back”

Concorde exhaled in relief. That certainly put him in the spot, to the point that his mind went blank. He couldn’t think of a single lie!

But good thing Thundercracker interrupted, it would be bad if news of the betting pool reached Starscream, the conehead thought. Before Skywarp teleported back to his spot, he heard some whispering behind him.

“..Well what they were talking about?”

“…Maybe it’s about the bet?”

The purple flier’s helm swiftly turned, like an owl who found its prey. The two coneheads froze, their faces told Skywarp enough. Dentae flashing, he spoke.

“What bet?”

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Training grounds, Few hours before Skywarp’s unexpected visit…

“What bet?”

“Uhh…”

Skywarp approached the two seekers, grinning like a Cheshire cat. The panicked look in their faces only fueled the purple flier, eager to get to the bottom of whatever was going on around in this base. 

The two coneheads were looking at each other, unsure of what to do. Either they pretend that they were not whispering and face Skywarp’s wrath or tell him what they were talking about and face High Command’s wrath. Both choices would just put them through the wringer anyway. It seems they would just have to pick the quickest and least painful route. 

“Well? And don’t even think about lying…”

With a gulp, one of the seekers glanced at their companion, surrender obvious in their optics. Horror-struck, the femme beside them silently begged her friend to stop their mouth from opening. 

“Erm…It’s about High Command sir.”

“Hawker!” the femme whispered in a harsh tone, slapping her friend’s forearm. 

“Morane no, if we lied today, we might not make it to the next cycle!” they whispered back. 

The purple seeker raised a single eye-ridge, his playful attitude slowly dissipating. Worried, Thundercracker’s eye ridges knitted as he picked up the change in his brother’s mood. He exchanged looks with Avion who was also looking at him anxiously. The blue flier raised his servo to the side of his helm and sent his brother a private comm.

[Hey, everything okay?]

Overcome by his growing curiosity and (he would never admit it) his protectiveness towards Starscream, Skywarp ignored the comm and continued to prod the two for answers. 

“High Command!?” His yell reached every corner in the room.

“EEP!!” the seeker held onto the femme beside them.

Thundercracker immediately flew to his brother’s side to diffuse the situation. The seekers around the three were warily looking at the scene like bystanders watching a fire burn a house. 

“Skywarp! Tell me what’s going on right now or Primus forbid I’ll report something different to Starscream.”

A clamor arose from the crowd. Everyone was alarmed. Thundercracker heard a few of them begging desperately for some reason, which only made the situation more confusing for him. However, the frightened cries around Skywarp just fanned the flames of his anger. 

“These little glitches were making bets involving Starscream!…well it’s the whole High Command, but whatever!”  

“What?! About what?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out…” Glaring, Skywarp leaned forward and grabbed Hawker’s shoulder tightly. The grey seeker stood still like a prey waiting to be eaten. Thundercracker crossed his arms and sighed, he knew how passionate his brother can be when it comes to family.

“Just…calm down for a klik there, we can’t make trouble here,” he put a calming servo on his brother’s arm “you know why we’re here right?” he added.

Annoyed, the purple flier looked at his brother for a moment. With a grunt, he shoved the seeker. 

“Tell me about the bet and you two will be spared...depending on the answer.” He growled.

Hawker could feel the repressed anger dripping off from that threat. Frankly, they should be shaking like a leaf right now but for some reason they couldn’t help but think. 

Up close...Skywarp’s kinda hot.

Those sharp dentae, the fire in his optics,  his strong, rough servos that felt hot against his plating and his intense aura...It sent chills down Hawker's spinal struts but instead of scaring them somehow it did the opposite.

The seeker immediately slapped their own face, startling Skywarp.

Hawker no! He just threatened to offline you! Don’t even entertain the idea. AAAAA!!! The grey seeker internally screamed.

“I-It’s not what you think sir! We’re not betting on something that would put the High Command in danger.”

“Please. You all remember the last time there was a wide scale bet amongst the Decepticons right?” 

Thundercracker and the others hummed in agreement. Said old bet almost destroyed half of their base which roused Megatron's ire. Ever since then betting was forbidden no matter how "harmless" it may seem.

“You idiots were betting who’s the strongest combiner!”

“But didn’t you also join that betting?” Thundercracker asked innocently, “We all know Devastator was going to win anyway.” He added with a lighthearted laugh.

“Ha! No way, Bruticus was tougher…Wait a minute! Shut up TC, I’m trying to make a point here!” 

Exhaling, Skywarp pinched the bridge of his nose and added. “The point is! If you don’t stop now, we’ll tell High Command. It’s for the best.” 

“But sir it’s true! This time, no violence will be involved” Morane piped in, helping her friend out. Thundercracker tilted his helm at that. Skywarp blinked at two of them, dumbfounded. 

“Oh really? Well what are you guys betting exactly” TC asked. He noticed the seekers gripping their helms in fear and others shaking their heads vigorously. Some of them were even biting the tips of their digits, Thundercracker was almost afraid to hear the answer, mainly because he knew they would get involved in the consequences of this mess whether he liked it or not. Morane and Hawker looked at each other and nodded.

“We’re betting who will be Lord Megatron’s conjunx!”

Concorde and every seeker in the room went silent. Thundercracker blinked, dumbfounded while Skywarp’s mouth was agape, its one side twitching. 

“W-What?!!” Thundercracker and Skywarp exclaimed.

To avoid raising too much suspicion, Thundercracker instructed everyone else to continue training while the two unlucky seekers explained everything that has happened. After a few hours of forced confession, the two elite trine members vented in disbelief. Hawker fiddled with their digits while Morane yawned, tired from all that talking. She moved on faster than the grey seeker expected. 

“I can’t believe Starscream’s tied to Optimus! That’s just fuckin’ bullshit”

“Woah there, you’re resorting to Earth swearing huh. Well I can't believe it wasn't Soundwave at all , I mean if Lord Megatron would've chosen someone I thought it ought to be Soundwave." 

"WELL NO CYBERTRONIAN CUSS WORD CAN SHOW THE AMOUNT OF-"

“Um, can we go now?” Morane interrupted. Skywarp’s optic twitched, his face looked like it was about to explode. The mech wanted to strangle the femme for having the audacity to look bored, but the gentle tap of Thundercracker’s digit held him back. 

“You can join the others and catch up,” TC answered “Don’t forget to tell that Avion fellow to distribute the data packet that I gave and incorporate those into training for the others that are not here.”

“We’re on it!” Morane and Hawker saluted. They were about to join their friends but Skywarp suddenly held a servo up, stopping both of them.

“Hold on. You,” he pointed at the grey seeker “stay for a moment I got something to say.”

Morane saw the light blush on Hawker’s cheeks which disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Now, she was no expert on her friend’s type but she might have a nagging suspicion as of the moment. With a grin, she lightly pushed Hawker, making the poor seeker stumble in front of their superior officers. 

“Eugh!” 

“Uh-oh someone’s in trouble, bye Hawker! Hehe.”

“Morane! You little-”

The femme flew away before her friend could do anything about it. With a gulp, the grey flier locked eyes with Skywarp. They immediately stood up straight, and saluted.

“Sorry you had to see that….um sir.”

“Tch...Primus, TC will these aftholes be able to handle themselves?” the purple flier said to his trinemate, arms crossed disapprovingly. 

“Aww, don’t be so mean,” he put his one servo on his hip and raised a digit at his brother “I actually see potential in them!” he added, wings perking up. 

“Whatever. You...what’s your designation again?”

“Hawker sir”

“Okay!” Thundercracker clapped, “Hawker you mentioned Lieutenant Shockwave and Soundwave’s relationship started around when Soundwave got stuck here, which by the way is very funny and romantic. Ha! Imagine two of the most stoic high ranking officers of the Decepticon army doing lovey-dovey things. It's too bizarre! Plus I didn’t expect either of them to be interested in being romantically involved with anyone, Soundwave maybe but-”

“TC focus.”

“Right right sorry, okay first off we’ll need the copy of that picture you told us about” the blue flier gave off a dangerous smile which sent chills down Hawker’s spinal struts.  

I got a bad feeling about this…  

“Second,” the purple flier interjected “we’ll need you to keep this between us, of course all of our afts are in the line here so I already expect all of you to keep your mouths shut.” Skywarp threatened as TC raised a digit to his lipplates, winking. 

“Not just that picture,” Thundercracker leaned down at them “I reckon some of you were collecting some interesting snapshots of those two, we’ll take that too.”

“Uhh...as you wish sir” 

While Hawker was quietly downloading data to a separate data packet they noticed Thundercracker and Skywarp mumbling to each other. The looks in their optics were so serious that it made the poor conehead more jittery than usual. The grey flier’s gaze fell to Skywarp. 

Hawker didn’t notice that the download had finished nor did he notice that their optics were still stuck to the purple flier’s face, mesmerized. 

This doesn't make any sense...He may be attractive but...he's dangerous.

Skywarp noticed the optics boring on him and tilted his helm which made the grey seeker’s spark jump. 

Flustered, they avoided the other’s gaze in haste and looked down at their forearm. Hawker could hear Skywarp’s approaching pedesteps but pretended to be occupied.

“Hey. I know you already saw me.”

“Um,” the grey flier saluted and handed the data “It just finished sir.”

Skywarp took the data packets. As their digits accidentally brushed, the purple flier felt a jolt in his spark. He hurriedly retracted his servo, hyper-aware of the lingering touch in his digit. 

It has been too long since he had a tender interaction from someone that’s not his trinemate. Couple of million years long if he remembered correctly, most likely from before the war. 

Something in his chest stirred. For a moment, perhaps he understood how quickly their two Third-in-Command Officers fell for each other. Plus the grey seeker wasn't too bad looking, Skywarp tried to perish that thought.

The touch didn’t help Hawker’s crumbling resolve either. It took all their effort just to prevent their face from heating like molten metal, but the more the seeker resisted to think about the mech in front of them the more their brain did the opposite. 

A cough snapped the two of them from their daze, Skywarp saw Thundercracker beside him, beaming.

“Sorry to interrupt your little staring contest here, but we need to go.”

“T-Thundercracker you-!” Skywarp stammered, faceplates heating in embarrassment 

The blue flier laughed out loud, he looked at the grey conehead and winked. Hawker stood in that spot, dumbstruck. Thundercracker grabbed his brother’s arm and proceeded to drag him, eager to finish his mission, but Skywarp teleported out of his grasp. 

“What the- Come on Skywarp!”

The purple seeker teleported in-front of Hawker, closer than he initially intended. Startled, the grey flier almost fell on his back but Skywarp took their hand, his quick reflexes prevented them from falling.

“Sorry about that...and earlier too. I didn’t mean to shove you so hard.” 

“....Um” Hawker glanced down at their servos, still held by their superior officer. Flustered, Skywarp reluctantly removed his hand and coughed awkwardly as he averted his gaze. Thundercracker was watching the whole scene with such glee that his wings were beginning to flutter. 

“Tsk, A-Anyway, you need to get your act together!” He looked Hawker in the optics. “You’re acting like those feeble Autobots. Remember you’re a seeker, you should not let others look down on you. Stand proud.” 

Quickly, Skywarp teleported to the exit and yelled.

“Come on TC, get your slow-aft over here and let’s go.”

As Thundercracker and Skywarp left, Hawker looked down at their servo and smiled.

Present… 

Shockwave was at a loss on how to proceed. A million things were already running on his mind and now this? 

He glanced back at his companion. Soundwave's red visors were already hiding his optics. The communication's officer was looking at him silently. The blue mech stepped out of the tub and spoke.

"...Assistance required. My mask..." 

"Right. Let's get dried immediately then. In the meantime I shall send them a comm to stop their incessant knocking."

"Affirmative."

While the two of them were frantically getting their scrap together, Thundercracker and Skywarp silently talked amongst themselves, reviewing their plan. They could hear hurried footsteps inside which made the purple flier give his brother a knowing look. It seems the intel they’ve gathered from the others were accurate.

“I wonder what they were doing in there~” Skywarp asked in a sing-song voice.

“Skywarp stop, we need our game faces on” Thundercracker replied while his brother stifled a laugh.

“Okay here’s what we’re going to do, I’m going to be the good cop and you’re the bad cop.”

“I knoooow, we’ve been over this for the thousandth time,” the purple flier complained “and if they won’t cooperate we’ll just make Soundwave taste his own medicine” Skywarp smirked as he hid the data packet full of pictures in his subspace.

I hope it doesn’t come to that, I really don’t want to get into Soundwave’s bad side.

Thundercracker thought to himself with a sigh. But if he was being honest, he’s thankful that they stumbled upon that information. Resorting to fighting someone injured was unappealing to the flier. Not only was it dishonorable for a warrior like him but he also respected Soundwave. 

He respected him so much that he developed some feelings for him, but of course...he got rejected.

Because apparently his type is a loner nerd who takes apart people for his own amusement.

Thundercracker sighed. It was all in the past he told himself, in the end he was just thankful that things were not awkward between them.

Finally, the doors opened. Shockwave stood before them, scowling. Well at least that’s what the blue flier thought, after all it was hard to tell with the gunformer’s single optic. The menacing aura around him told Thundercracker that their conversation would quickly go south.

I got a bad feeling about this...  

The seeker noticed Soundwave standing behind the scientist, emanating the same annoyance in his field. Shockwave stood aside and gestured for them to come in. As the doors closed, the purple flier immediately spoke.

“We’ve already overstayed our welcome so I’m just gonna cut to the chase. We want you to give Starscream access to those blueprints.”

“Skywarp! I told you I’ll do the talking first you dumbaft!”

“Look at them! No sweet talk is going to lighten the mood when we’ve obviously interrupted their fr—” Skywarp doubled-over in pain as Thundercracker elbowed his rib while awkwardly smiling. 

“My stupid brother is right,” the blue flier looked at Soundwave apologetically “we’re here under Starscream’s orders.”  

Face turning serious, he added. “...and because we think so too. He shouldn’t have to ask this from you.” 

“Negative. Starscream: aware of his past actions.”

“Listen to reason Soundwave,” Thundercracker stepped towards him, his voice pleading. “Starscream is second-in-command, this is disrespectful not just to him but to all of us seekers! He has a right to those plans.” 

“Sure that bastard’s ambitious…” Skywarp groaned “But he genuinely wants to end this war too as much as everybody else…” he added, gripping his brother’s shoulder to stand up. 

“This request is illogical. If he didn’t betray Lord Megatron so often then we would have treated him like a proper commander.” Shockwave interjected. 

“Stay out of this you walking computer...” Skywarp snarled. “I told you TC, they won’t do it.” 

“Soundwave...please.” Thundercracker tried to move closer to him, hand reaching out to his shoulder but Shockwave blocked TC, protectively hovering between him and Soundwave. 

Surprised, the blue seeker stared at the chassis in front of him. Did the infamous, apathetic, and ruthless scientist of the Decepticon empire just defend someone? It's almost like there was a different mech standing before him, Thundercracker thought. 

Instead of cowering in front of his superior officer he met his eye and smirked. The old Shockwave wouldn’t have moved from his spot, but here he was caring for someone that’s not an experiment.

“I have suspected this might happen. Starscream is still the second-in-command but it would be best for the Decepticon cause if he’s not involved in this project. Tell him we will reveal the plan to him in due time. Leave.”

“...I see, so this is how it’s going to be. Skywarp, show them.” 

Skywarp took out the data packet and tossed it to Shockwave. Looking at Thundercracker’s sneering face, the scientist knew he wasn’t going to like the contents of that data packet. Shockwave stepped aside and inserted it on his forearm. 

His plating went cold. The purple mech couldn’t believe his optic, no, he couldn’t believe that he underestimated the nosy medic’s idiocy. It wasn’t their picture together in the medbay that shocked him the most, it was their other pictures. 

The two of them talking in a secluded corner, sitting closer than necessary. Them walking shoulder to shoulder, the subtle lingering touches they shared, and even just standing together, these were all the small intimate moments he treasured. He knew there's bound to be rumors after that first incident with the medic...he knew that some of their subordinates thought they were close but for these strangers to defile those memories and treat it like it was some form of entertainment...it infuriated him.

“We have copies by the way. Of course everyone’s favorite was the medbay one.”

Shockwave swiftly grabbed Thundercracker’s neck, lifting him. Skywarp was about to retaliate but Soundwave raised his voice, stopping all of them in their tracks.

“DESIST. ALL OF YOU.”

Startled, Shockwave glanced back at Soundwave. This was the first time he had heard the mech yell. Skywarp took this chance and teleported beside the scientist, kicking him. Thundercracker dropped down on all fours, coughing. 

“TC! Are you okay?” Skywarp knelt beside his brother.

“Ugh...and here I thought we would have to initiate the fighting…I’m fine…” the flier said as he rubbed his hurting neck cables.

Thundercracker saw Shockwave groaning in pain on the floor and of course Soundwave was kneeling beside him. The communication’s officer then stood up and approached them, his EMF filling the whole room. The feeling was so strong that the seekers felt heavy. 

Soundwave was furious.

So his ability can amplify his EM field too. Thundercracker thought.

“Blackmail: unexpected...especially from you Thundercracker.” He looked down on them, visor flaring. “What are you two going to do? Tell Megatron? He already knows.”

Surprise was written all over their faces, they knew their leader would be the first one to know but that's just too early! Unless...of course, his last visit. 

But the one who was surprised the most was Shockwave. His body went rigid, optic fixed on Soundwave’s back. 

Knows? Knows what...?

He couldn’t move. He wanted to get up, he wanted to run. Today was too much for Shockwave to process. All these emotions were overwhelming that he almost longed for those days where he didn’t have to deal with these things. He wanted to be alone again.

For some reason, his mind wandered to his old friend. The memories he thought he had buried were flooding his sensors once more. 

The delight of finding a kindred soul that shared his passion, the joy he felt when he told him he was his friend, and the hurt of that mech’s betrayal, it was drowning him. 

Not again...not again...not again… Shockwave repeated to himself, his breathing becoming erratic. 

Soundwave glanced back at him. He could feel Shockwave’s confusion from where he stood, but something was off. He was feeling... hurt?

Shockwave?

Worried, his pede took a step towards him, but he stopped himself. He knew he needed to settle this matter with the seekers first. Reluctantly, he turned his attention to Thundercracker once again and stepped on his back.

“Ugh!”

“Hey!” Skywarp yelled. Quick to act, he lunged at him but Soundwave evaded him. Pissed, Skywarp teleported behind the spy’s back to grab him but the mech anticipated this and kicked the seeker hard on the rib where his brother elbowed him. Skywarp slammed at the wall, passing out. 

“Skywarp!”

“Stay down. Soundwave: can take both of you with my servos tied behind my back.”

“Don’t underestimate me!” Thundercracker suddenly pushed himself up with all his might. He quickly threw a punch, but Soundwave was quick on his pedes, dodging all the attacks left and right. He knew the flier wouldn’t use his ability unless he wanted to destroy half of this room. 

“Thundercracker: being irrational right now. You’re the most reasonable out of the three of you. You should know how foolish this request is.”

“Shut up! Don’t tell me what’s rational or irrational when you could’ve gone back to Earth with Lord Megatron!”

Soundwave flinched at that. Thundercracker took this chance and punched the spymaster on his faceplates, denting it. 

“Instead, you stayed here! Avoiding your responsibilities!” 

Another punch landed on the blue mech’s face.

“For what? For him ? Don’t make me laugh…” Thundercracker scoffed. Soundwave gritted his dentae. He evaded the last punch and swiftly gave the mech a roundhouse kick. The flier barely registered the counter-attack but he managed to dodge it. 

“Don’t make this personal...And here I thought you’re already over me.”

“SHUT UP!”

Thundercracker rushed at him. Soundwave finally saw an opening. The ex-gladiator kicked him hard in the chest but the seeker managed to block the blow. Fortunately for Soundwave, Thundercracker lost his footing. He went low and did a sweep kick, making the flier lose his balance. Soundwave dropped one final kick on Thundercracker’s helm, sending him into stasis. 

“The thing with blackmail Thundercracker,” he panted “you should make sure it would work on your target first…” Soundwave exhaled and added. “This is why...Soundwave: superior.”

The tapedeck sat down, exhausted from the fight. It has been awhile since he tried fighting without his fists, of course he only stood a chance because he caught them both off-guard. It was a dirty fight but the important thing was that he won. Another one of the lessons the gladiatorial pits taught him...doesn’t matter how you do it, as long as you win. 

“Soundwave…” 

Hearing the familiar whirr of Shockwave’s gun, Soundwave swiftly turned his helm only to be met with its barrel. 

“Now that we’re alone again, let’s finish our talk.” 

Starscream paced around the Nemesis, clearly restless and agitated. The clacking of his pedes on the metal floor reverberated on the walls of the hallway. It's been too long since his brothers have contacted him and if he was being honest, this plan was as desperate as his previous attempts to dethrone Megatron. 

Speaking of the harbinger of Unicron himself, Megatron was walking towards his direction, clearly unaware of his presence as he was busy reading a datapad. Starscream debated on walking towards the other direction but he missed his chance when their optics met. The irritated look on Megatron’s face prompted the seeker to make a face as well, but only for a moment. 

“Starscream.”

“Lord Megatron.” he said with a salute and the most neutral face he could manage, before contorting it into a cunning smile. The warlord raised an eyeridge at him, his mind already attempting to figure out his SIC’s latest schemes. 

Or perhaps that’s just his face and he’s just giving me a smile...No, impossible. Better be safe than sorry.

"What are you doing here loitering around in these halls? Are you finished with your tasks? You're supposed to be in recon with your trine."

"Of course my Lord we just finished it."

No we haven't!! They were supposed to be back by now!! Starscream well... screamed to himself.

"...Good." Megatron squinted at Starscream, gripping the datapad in his hand.

He's uncharacteristically polite. He is definitely lying!! The grey mech thought. 

"Well, I'll be on my way then o' glorious leader" the flier gave a salute then hurriedly walked to the direction Megatron came from.

"Wait"

Starscream almost flinched. Almost . He stopped and faced the mech, arms crossed in annoyance as he stood there impatiently.

"You didn't answer me earlier, what were you doing here anyway?"

Scrap. Primus what is taking those idiots so long!

Of course Megatron was going to be suspicious. After all, he was lurking around an area where he’s not supposed to be. But he couldn't afford to get his brothers in trouble right now. Smooth as his finish, Starscream replied nonchalantly. Good thing coming up with excellent excuses was one of his special talents.

"Believe it or not Lord Megatron, some of us have hobbies."

"And…?"

"Do I have to tell you!?"

"What? Too embarrassing?" The Decepticon leader chuckled. Stupid as this interaction as it was, Megatron couldn't help himself. After all those assassination attempts, provoking Starscream was one of the small joys in his life right now. Call him petty but his air commander deserved this. 

The warlord subspaced the datapad he’s holding and approached the seeker. Megatron stopped in-front of him, crossed his arms, and leaned down close enough so he could whisper. 

“Look, I know in my gut (and past experiences) that you’re definitely up to something. Since I am feeling generous today, if you come clean right now I might go easy on your punishment” 

Starscream glared at him, the warlord was truly in a good mood right now seeing that the wrinkles in his face were less today. The red seeker raised an optic ridge at this, intrigued by the sudden change in his leader. 

“Well if you’re so sure my Liege, you could always just replace me. Oh wait! You can’t.” the flier snickered. Both of them knew the influence Starscream held above the seekers. 

Just like that, the wrinkles that the seeker thought were gone came back to Megatron’s face. He always knew how to push his buttons. Still, it still didn’t answer the question in his mind. Why was he in a good mood? 

“Just a harmless jest my Lord. The downfall of the Autobot regime remains to be the main goal of our people. The seekers believe that this dream will become a reality under your command. Until then, I am at your disposal.” 

Megatron stared at him, unimpressed by his flattery and the fakest smile he had seen so far from Starscream. The SIC took advantage of the silence and finally asked him.

“Lord Megatron why are you feeling generous today?”

“It is none of your business.” 

“I should hope not! But if this affects the cause... Tsk . It would be a shame if the troops found out it was because of your lack of foresight. If it lifted your spirits so much, surely it would be harmless to know why?” 

“Do not push your luck Starscream…” 

Are you kidding me, every information will be lethal in your grimy little servos...Lethal to me! 

The warlord wanted to yell at him. But Megatron held himself back, he knew the other was trying to provoke him as well. 

“As you wish.” Starscream replied with a slight nod of his helm. Megatron walked past him, intentionally bumping into his shoulder to alleviate some of his irritation. Before he left the flier’s earshot distance, he heard the seeker say something, making him stop in his tracks. 

“You know I’m just as useful as those two, which is why I’m still standing to this day, despite our little misunderstandings . I surely hope no personal feelings were getting in the way in some of your decision making my Lord.”

Megatron glanced at him, wishing he could wipe off that grin in his face, but he has more important matters to attend to.

“Hmph.” The warlord then went on his way, his mind deep in thought. 

Satisfied, Starscream sighed in relief as he successfully bought enough time for his brothers. The seeker knew that Thundercracker and Skywarp would be the furthest thing Megatron would worry about at this moment. 

After a short walk, he finally reached his quarters. He was about to walk inside his habsuite when a shot of pain struck his spark. Starscream stopped, leaning on to the wall for support as he placed a servo above his chest plating.

No fuckin way…

The seeker immediately headed to the communications hub, worry creeping in his spark for his siblings. 

Alarmed, Soundwave immediately stood up and faced Shockwave.

"Query: what are you doing?” 

"That's right... what am I doing… You...everything changed when you stayed, and now I—!" 

Frustrated, Shockwave clutched his chest. He didn't understand why but it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Soundwave could feel the turmoil in the other mech's field. 

“Shockwave: stressed. Recommendation: sit down and breathe."

He tried to calmly approach him but the mech charged his gun, Shockwave was acting like a cornered animal.

"Stop! Don't move...You need to tell me...What do you mean Lord Megatron already knows? Did he order you to get close to me? Did you know that there will be an ambush that day? Why did you ask me about love of all things? W-What do you want from me…" 

He flinched. The sound of Shockwave's voice cracking felt horrible to the tape deck. He couldn't understand how he jumped into these illogical conclusions in the first place.

"Shockwave: Misunderstood. Soundwave: not ordered to spy on you. Just please sit down and breathe properly...You need to calm down." 

"No!" He slammed his pede in anger. "What I need is answers ."

The communication's officer stared at him, reaching out with his field filled with concern, but he was rejected. The scientist had shut him out, EMF drawn tightly to himself. His lone optic was shining, almost like he's in the verge of tears. 

"It makes perfect sense…After all, Lord Megatron has ridiculous trust issues. It's only logical to keep someone like me in check, especially when we're so close to winning this war…"

It seems you're the one with the trust issues here… the spymaster wanted to retort but what the scientist said only deepened his worry. 

Suddenly, it clicked to him. The hurt he felt from him...It was a hurt that came from a betrayal.

It was the only explanation, he thought. Soundwave knew next to nothing from Shockwave's past. Beside his inventions and achievements, he never really uncovered the connections he had to the people around him back in Crystal City. Adding the fact that the other prominent scientists he worked with were all Autobots now, it was plausible. 

Was that why he always chose to be alone? The spymaster's spark broke at that thought, to think that someone would hurt the mech to this extent. 

But...despite all of that, you still took a chance on me...and let me into your life? 

Soundwave’s lipplates formed a thin line beneath his mask. Right now, he didn't care about getting shot. He wanted to hold him and let him know that he was loved. 

"Shockwave..."

As much as it hurt him, the tapedeck suddenly grabbed the one-eyed mech's gun-arm and aimed it directly at his spark-chamber. 

"...I don't know what happened to you." He said as he gripped the barrel of the gun. "The Shockwave I know maintains composure no matter how grave the situation is but…" he paused and sucked a breath, the pain in his arm was becoming unbearable. 

"You're hurt. Deeply. I must have said something that reminded you of a painful memory. If shooting me will alleviate some of that pain, my spark is yours to take."

Shockwave stood there bewildered. If anything this stunt only made him feel worse. Deep down, he knew that he could never hurt Soundwave. 

"Don't be ridiculous! I did not ask you to offer your spark, I wanted answers."

"Clarification: this is my answer. You asked me what I wanted from you. I want you to be happy, whether on your own or with me."

Gun-arm shaking, Shockwave stared at him. He couldn’t imagine what kind of face he was making beneath his mask, but somehow his voice sounded apologetic. 

Apologies apologies apologies...Why do we always end up apologizing to each other. The scientist thought, melancholy taking over his spark.  

Enduring the pain on his arm was proving to be a difficult task. Not only did he fight off two elite fighters on his own, but he was also running low on energon. Soundwave was reaching his limit. 

Slowly, he lowered the weapon in front of him. He lifted his other servo and gently cupped the side of the mech's helm. Shockwave’s optic dimmed, his head unknowingly leaning into the touch.

Without hesitation, Soundwave then pulled him into a hug. The whirring sound of the gun faded as Shockwave buried his face on the crook of Soundwave's neck. The spy could see the scientist's antennae drooping and his breathing was finally slowing down. He felt an arm slowly wrap itself around him. Soundwave smiled softly under his mask. They quietly held each other until Shockwave finally spoke, remembering the other’s current state.

"Soundwave, your arms..."

"...”

The scientist felt the other go limp. Soundwave’s arms fell to his side as he was slowly drifting out of consciousness. Distraught, Shockwave carefully dragged the tapedeck to his berth. He kept on calling his designation but the mech was too exhausted to respond. Checking his vitals, Shockwave sighed in relief. It seemed like his life wasn’t in danger. The fight must have taken a toll on him, plus he didn’t rest properly and he barely fueled. 

All the strength left of the spymaster was solely focused on trying to keep himself awake but Shockwave doesn't know that. Seeing the dim visor, the scientist thought the spy was out-cold. As the purple mech called for the medic, he sat beside him. Looking away in shame, his optic focused its attention on the door, reflecting on his recent actions.

“Why would you do that...”  he mumbled to himself and to Soundwave.

Silence. He was once again alone with his thoughts, but this time it was filled with nothing but the memories he had with the spy. It was all still confusing for him. Even Soundwave’s  supposed answer did nothing to clarify it. 

“You said you want me to be happy, but you want to throw away your life so easily...over some... tantrum I had . I don’t understand.”

That wasn’t a tantrum… Soundwave wanted to say to him. His HUD was alerting him, stasis lock it said. With all his might, he overrode the command, he wanted to hear what he had to say. 

Shockwave glanced at him. Seeing the steady rise and fall of his chest almost looked like he was sleeping peacefully in his room again.

“I wonder what you told Lord Megatron about us...I don’t even know if our 'friendship' was real at this point Soundwave, regardless if he ordered you or not...But there’s one thing I’m certain right now.”

Warning: Forced Stasis lock in 3 kliks. 

Override… 

“Despite everything...”

2...

“...It is an undeniable fact…. 

1...

....that I have fallen in love with you.”

Forced Stasis: Initiated.

As the spymaster’s surroundings began to dim, the last thing his optics saw was Shockwave’s sitting form, antennae drooped. Soundwave felt sadness from the scientist’s EM field as a single servo caressed his face. With the little strength he had left, he mumbled.

“So did I…”

Shockwave’s single optic widened. Time seemed to have stopped for him. Pit, everything felt like it stopped for the scientist. His breath, his spark, his whole body...He was frozen. 

The medic arrived, supplies in hand. He cautiously knocked at the door but no one was answering. After a few more attempts, he raised his voice to let his superior know that he will come in. 

“Sir, I’m going to use the override protoc-”

The door opened, Shockwave’s massive chassis startled the medic. 

“Oh-! Apologies Commander Shockwave. Where are my patients?”

Shockwave wordlessly stepped aside to let the medic in. After giving them proper first-aid treatment, the medic commed his assistants to help him move them. Sighing in relief, the medic reported the three mech’s status to his commanding officer. 

“Thankfully these are just minor injuries, but Lieutenant Soundwave should really take it easy if he wants to recover quickly sir.”

“And subordinates should respect their superiors' privacy if he wants to live with both of his servos intact.”

The medic gulped. Judging by the tone of Shockwave’s voice, he knew that his commanding officers had discovered the picture. The medic quickly dropped to his knees and begged for mercy.

Shockwave vented, tired of all the ruckus in this base.

“Stand up. Be thankful that you are competent enough that your punishment will not involve me removing your hands.” As the medic nervously stood up Shockwave continued. “We will discuss disciplinary actions later. For now I have new orders for you.”

“Of course sir, what is it?”

“Discreetly move these three back to Earth after giving them proper treatment, sedate them if you have to. Take whoever you need but if you fail I will definitely take your hands.”

While the medic felt more afraid he couldn’t help but ask (because he really was a nosy bastard that loves drama).

“Erm...All of them sir?” the medic asked as he glanced back to the spymaster currently lying in the berth. 

“Is there a problem?”

“No sir…”

The medic’s assistants finally arrived. As they hauled Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Soundwave out of the room, the medic saluted and gave a knowing nod to the scientist. 

It was quiet again. Sighing, Shockwave plopped to his berth with his arm over his helm. Soundwave’s words kept repeating in his head. 

He sucked in a breath. Shockwave placed his servo above his chest, feeling the loud beating of his spark against its chamber. He was happy but he was also sad. He wanted to run and stop them but he also didn’t want to see him. He was feeling a lot of things and it frightened him. 

They could never work, he thought.

He could be lying for all he knew, he thought.

Would he really?

Shockwave groaned. He knew he wouldn’t, but his point still stood. They could never work. 

After a few minutes of rest, he stood up and walked towards the remote communications terminal. There were several messages left for him. But something was off, the two messages were transmitted officially, of course with special restrictions so as to avoid their subordinates to open the actual messages. However, the third one was only sent into this particular terminal. It was as if it was only meant for him to read. 

The first two were from Megatron...and Starscream. 

That’s logical.

The last one was encrypted with no sender information. Curious, Shockwave decrypted it in minutes and opened the message. 

“Sender: [Redacted]

If you’re reading this it means you’re still as sharp as ever. I hope you’re not getting rusty there old friend.”

Shockwave stared at the message. Hand curling into a fist, he glared at the screen.

Of course he would have to come back and show himself, but why did it have to be now?

The scientist vented. He knew there were more pressing matters at hand. Shockwave opened Starscream’s and then Megatron’s message. 

“Sender: Starscream

I know something happened to Thundercracker and Skywarp. Return them here alive or else...Contact me after you read this.”

“Sender: Megatron

I know you and Soundwave suggested to let Starscream in on the plan after its halfway completion, which as you know, I originally opposed to. But I am beginning to see things in both of your perspectives. Contact me as soon as you read this.”

Groaning with frustration, he ran a servo across his face...or his eye to be specific. They could have avoided all of this unnecessary trouble if those two just stopped being irrational. In fact, they would’ve finished this war eons ago if those two actually worked together. 

“I cannot believe you deal with these two every cycle Soundwave, it must be—” he glanced back at the berth. Right. He sent him away. 

Venting, he raised his servo and sent a comm as he walked out of his room.

“Schedule me a meeting with Lord Megatron and Starscream for the next cycle.”

Sitting on a mysterious ship was a lone mech holding a datapad. Setting the datapad down, he hummed to himself as he pressed the buttons on his ship. The datapad showed a picture of Crystal City. In front of the entrance stood two mechs, one of them had his arm draped around the other’s shoulder who clearly looked like Shockwave.

“Plotting course for Cybertron.” the ship’s computer spoke.

“Excellent. Did the message get through?” he picked up the datapad again and looked at the picture with his lipplates curved into a sly smile. 

“Yes captain.”

The mech huffed. He roughly threw the datapad at his side, this time a different picture was shown. 

“I told you not to call me captain, I’m the only one aboard this ship.” The mysterious mech looked down at the dropped pad on the floor. It was an image of Soundwave. 

“Yes...Jhiaxus.”

Chapter Text

Soundwave slowly opened his optics. The white ceiling and the familiar sound of the beeping machines around him gave him an inkling on where he was. He turned his helm to see Thundercracker and Skywarp, both of them still unconscious. Hook was attending to the blue flier when the constructicon noticed the spymaster stir.

The doctor turned around only to see his patient try to sit up. Hook immediately went to Soundwave's medical berth, surprised that he's already awake.

"Woah woah woah, stay down you still have one cycle left of recovery" Hook placed a placating servo over the mech's shoulder. 

Still woozy from all the medication, Soundwave rubbed his aching helm. A lot of questions were running on his mind. He gave Hook a dazed look, squinting under his visor as he tried to remember everything. From the talk he had with his cassettes, then the fight with the elite trine,  

and Shockwave…

"Query: what are you doing here Hook…" he asked groggily.

"What do you mean what am I doing here, I work here Soundwave." 

"Negative. I meant what are you doing here in Cybertron?"

"Cybertron? I guess you're still dizzy, I told you to lay down dammit. You three were transferred here early this morning. And I mean early like woke-me-up-from-my-recharge early." Hook grumbled.

Soundwave froze. He was back on Earth? If he has one more cycle left for recovery, then he knew he wasn't supposed to be back here until tomorrow. He stared at his servos. The pain wasn't as excruciating as before now that he was well rested and fueled but he's certainly not in tip-top shape. 

While the TIC was gathering his bearings, a commotion was heard just outside the door. The doctor snapped his helm, stomping his way through the medbay to see what the fuss was about. 

"CAN'T YOU IDIOTS READ THE SIGN, IT SAYS "KEEP QUIET" NOW IF YOU—"

Upon opening the door, Megatron's huge frame stood before him. Behind him were Rumble and Frenzy, arguing as usual about Primus-knows-what. Hook could feel all the energon in his face drain as the Decepticon leader eyed him down like he was an insect. 

"L-Lord Megatron! Forgive me, I didn't mean to shout so loud. Please don't shoot me in the face!" he cried. 

The grey mech vented in disbelief. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he quickly dismissed the doctor and made his way towards Soundwave. The twins ran ahead of the grey mech, eager to give the tape deck a hug. 

"BOSS!" Rumble and Frenzy practically tackled him as if they were separated for a millennia. 

" Oof. Soundwave: missed you all…"

"I told you I wasn't crazy Rumble! I did feel he was here!" 

" Tch . I mean the boss would've called us so you can't blame me for being skeptical." 

The two argued while being held by Soundwave. Megatron stood by his berthside in silence, giving his friend a questioning look. 

Soundwave was looking down at his twins but his mind was elsewhere. The bickering noise of the cassettes felt distant to him, almost like he was trapped in his own bubble. Right now, all he could think about was the last moment he saw before passing out. 

"Despite everything, it is an undeniable fact that I have fallen in love with you…"

Shockwave's confession echoed through his mind. He was happy to see his cassettes yes, but right now all he wanted to do was to get back on Cybertron. 

The twins could feel Soundwave's grip at them tighten. Rumble and Frenzy shared a look.

"Boss...is something wrong?" Rumble pulled out of his hug. The minicon looked at him with so much worry that he couldn't help but feel guilty. 

He knew how much they missed him and yet his spark couldn't help but be selfish. There must have been a logical explanation as to why he sent him back here. There has to be. 

"Soundwave: Alright. I'm sorry I worried you all." The cassette deployer patted the top of his twins' helms, giving them a reassuring rub. However, the two were not convinced. They could definitely feel the turmoil in his field. Both silently agreed to leave it for now. 

A sudden cough at his side caught their attention. Megatron was giving him a disapproving look, arms crossed like a father who caught his child lying. 

Soundwave clenched his jaw as he avoided his friend's scrutinizing gaze. The growing desperation in his spark was becoming unbearable and he wasn't really in the mood to get an earful from Megatron right now.

"Erm...Boss we'd better get back to our posts, we sort of...ditched it just to prove a point." Frenzy said with a sheepish smile as Rumble scratched his nose awkwardly, picking up the obvious tension between the two. 

"Affirmative. Tell the others as well." 

"Of course Boss!" 

The two minicons saluted and excused themselves. As the door closed with a click, the Decepticon leader vented. It was as if he was holding his breath for a long time. 

"Shockwave has called for an urgent meeting this morning. I thought I'd tell you myself." 

"Topic?" Soundwave mumbled, his optics still glued to the floor.

"The thing that started it all." 

"Blueprints: finalized a long time ago. Was there a problem?" 

Megatron sighed in disbelief before he uttered his next words. 

"Oh they were fine, Shockwave has started building it." Megatron rubbed the temples of his helm dramatically "It was Starscream. Shockwave has agreed to give him full access to it." he added. 

What.

Soundwave snapped his helm towards him in shock. Megatron almost chuckled at his friend's reaction. He sure wished he could laugh at their situation right now but no. 

"Adding to that, he has agreed to let him help as well. Given his minor background in sciences, Shockwave thought it was " logical" " Megatron said, putting quotation marks in the air as he quoted the scientist.

The spymaster couldn't believe this. In a span of one morning, the plan that they have painstakingly prepared, a plan that could potentially win them this war, was easily changed like he was replacing oil in his joints. 

"Megatron: agreed to all of this?" Soundwave asked in an incredulous tone, one servo covering his face. 

"Of course not!" he replied in a slightly  offended voice "I told them I would need your opinion first…They almost had me with their words Soundwave, I'm not gonna lie." Megatron added, his face contorting into embarrassment as he remembered that meeting. 

The warlord looked around him, Thundercracker and Skywarp were still sleeping like a rock and Hook was quietly updating patient files. The medbay was hardly an ideal place to discuss important matters but he knew that the constructicon would know to keep that mouth shut. 

Still, it was better to be careful. Megatron made a mental note to threaten Hook into silence later. 

The grey mech grabbed a seat and moved closer to him. Nervous, Soundwave slowly dropped the servo from his face and instinctively moved his helm away. The slight squint in Megatron's optics and the small pout on his lips could only mean one thing. This conversation would be very uncomfortable.  

"Look...I don't know what you did to him but last time I talked to Shockwave he even requested for you to extend your stay to help with the weapon." 

Megatron pointed an accusatory finger to Soundwave's chest. The blue mech bowed his helm as he stayed quiet, lips formed into a thin line under his mask.

"I know those idiots attempted to get information out of you, and of course understandably, they failed (because it's you) what I don't understand is why are you here. " 

Soundwave stared at his servos, as clueless and confused as his friend. 

"I knew something was up the moment he willingly let Starscream get involved. The fact that he didn't even bring you up alarmed me." 

A brief moment of silence. Megatron debated on whether to continue talking. Seeing the sorry state of his friend, he drew in a sharp breath and added. 

"You know, he may not show it but Shockwave had always respected your opinion even before your…" Megatron trailed off and gestured with his two index digits, combining them "...trysts." 

The TIC snorted at that, rolling his optics beneath his visors. The grey mech gave him a goofy smile, proud to have at least cheered him up for a bit. 

"It was why I had full confidence in your joint missions before. The results do speak for themselves. Except for this one mission I suppose. All you had to do was deliver something and come back." Megatron chuckled fondly at the memory. 

Soundwave was about to speak when the door suddenly opened. 

"Lord Megatron! I was looking for you– Oh great , he's awake now." 

Starscream was strutting as he entered. He casted a quick subtle look at his trinemates, hiding his concern in front of Soundwave and Megatron. He stopped by the foot of the TIC's berth, one hand casually placed on his hip as he eyed the tapedeck in annoyance. 

"You should be in Cybertron, awaiting my verdict." Megatron grumbled as he leaned back in his chair.

"Well you were taking too long my Lord, so I said to Shockwave that I'll just get Soundwave's approval by myself ."

Starscream stared down at the intelligence officer. Soundwave stood up from his spot and walked towards the seeker, reflecting the same annoyed feeling in his EM Field. After all the trouble he had caused him, he had the audacity to be arrogant and irritated? The tapedeck gritted his dentae, clenching his servos.

The blue mech stopped in front of him, mere inches from the red flier's face as he spoke. 

"Denied." 

Not backing down from their silent staredown, Starscream raised his chin in indignation while Soundwave's visor was flaring. 

"Starscream: out of line. First you send those two to blackmail and attack me–"

"Blackmail? They have dirt on you?"

"Second, I am 89% sure you were the cause of the ambush that day." 

"Don't be so dramatic—" 

Starscream couldn't finish his sentence. Soundwave tackled him onto the floor so fast he yelped like a cybercat who fell from a ledge. Hook immediately went to try and stop his patient while Megatron groaned in exasperation. 

The Decepticon leader stood and walked up to them. His heavy pedestepes alone were enough to calm both mechs down. Megatron knelt down and roughly pulled Starscream up with one servo. 

Soundwave raised an eyeridge at that.

Starscream slapped Megatron's hand as soon as he stood up, glaring at him. The Decepticon leader just huffed, crossing his arms as he turned to the doctor who was busy fussing over Soundwave.

"Well?"

"The damages were superficial, but I advise Lieutenant Soundwave to avoid getting into fights." Hook gave his patient an exasperated sigh. "And for the love of Primus, just please stay in your berth." 

Soundwave walked past the doctor and sat on his berth. Starscream's persistence was boundless indeed. He followed and sat on the edge of Skywarp's berth. Face to face with the TIC. He tried to convince him once more, this time with less snark.

"I don't understand why you won't cave in. Those two already told me that I'd be in on it eventually anyway," Starscream cocked his helm to his side. "Wouldn't it be more efficient and logical for me to contribute now?" 

Soundwave stared at the flier, incredulous. The seeker was giving him one of his signature toothy grins which only made him more distrustful of this sudden agreement. He was about to speak when the three of them heard a small whimper behind Starscream.

"Hnnnn…Pipe down Screamy..mmtryin to sleep 'ere..." 

Skywarp rose from his slumber, rubbing his optics while yawning. Megatron raised an optic ridge at the purple flier while Starscream slapped his trinemate's face, promptly waking him up. 

"Wha– WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR! YOU FRAGGIN PIECE OF– Lord Megatron?!" 

The purple seeker fell from his berth as graceful as a mech who just woke up from his recharge. Starscream rolled his optics while Soundwave shook his helm disappointedly. Megatron vented, tired of all these shenanigans. 

"At ease Skywarp. Better rest up now because you and your trine will receive punishment later ." 

Skywarp's wings twitched nervously. He stood up immediately, saluting. Face stoic as much as possible, the purple flier stood so straight that Starscream almost wanted to laugh, but he couldn't for obvious reasons. 

"With all due respect my lord, we were just following Starscream's orders." 

"HEY!" Starscream yelled with a scowl.

"W-we were initially reluctant, but Thundercracker and I have no regrets. We'll accept any punishment." 

Skywarp turned to Starscream with a smile. The red seeker blinked at him, surprise obviously written in his faceplates.

"Speak for yourself, I have a few regrets." 

Thundercracker stood up from his berth, saluting to his leader. He walked towards his trinemates, standing beside the berthside Starscream was sitting on. 

"But he's right, we will accept any punishment my Lord. It wasn't right for us to threaten Soundwave but we did what we had to do." The blue flier added, placing a comforting servo on Starscream's shoulder.

Megatron growled.   

" How dare you three defy me . I'm disappointed in you most, Thundercracker." 

He began to approach him, the hostility from his EMF was overwhelming, making Skywarp silently whimper, wings folding behind while Thundercracker braced himself. Starscream suddenly stood up, ready to defend his brothers when Soundwave swiftly stopped Megatron in his tracks, inserting himself between the two. 

"Megatron: needs to calm himself. Situation: Assessed. Operation: Defusion." 

"Get out of my way Soundwave, I need to teach these three a very important lesson. " he said in a low voice, his red optics glaring.

The tension between the two put the entire room in a suffocating silence. Behind the spymaster, Thundercracker couldn't help but feel guilty. The irony in Soundwave defending him and his brothers after mocking the mech had made the tight feeling in his chest worse. 

"We are getting off-topic. I will need some time to think about this, my Lord. Suggestion: hold another meeting later today." Soundwave reasoned.

With a snarl, Megatron turned his back from all of them. 

"Fine. Since we're all just ignoring the chain of command here, why don't you just do whatever the frag you want. Send me the time for the meeting, I have other things to attend to anyway." 

The Decepticon leader grumbled as he left the room. Soundwave sighed, baffled at his friend's childish response. But then again, the way he's been dealing with his own problems weren't exactly better. 

"Aww I think he's upset because he hasn't punched me once this cycle." 

Starscream snickered to himself. Soundwave snapped his helm at the seeker. The irritation he felt was bubbling up once more, but Thundercracker's calming touch at his shoulder cannon kept it at bay. Skywarp gave his crimson trinemate a smack at the back of his helm. 

"Starscream you better shut the frag up before Soundwave welds your mouth into silence!" Skywarp scolded.

"Why you…" The red flier glared at him. 

"Guys we need to focus. Somehow we completed our mission Starcsream. What now?" Thundercracker interrupted. A few moments of silence, the two fliers were bickering again. With a sigh, he looked at Soundwave. Leaning next to his audial, he whispered amidst the noise. 

"...Thank you for earlier...I owe you one." 

Frankly, Soundwave still felt hurt by what they did to him. But looking back, if it wasn't for these three, he wouldn't have known Shockwave. 

He wouldn't have known that the scientist liked to drink or that he enjoyed reading by a window or that his favorite topic of study was Cybertronian biology or that his audials did an adorable emote when he's flustered. Most importantly, he wouldn't have known that he was capable of loving someone again.

And he wouldn't have known that Shockwave would love him back.

Soundwave slightly turned his helm and whispered back. 

"You're welcome." 

The intelligence officer suddenly grabbed Starscream who was somehow trapped in Skywarp's headlock. Thundercracker watched as the spymaster sat his trinemate down while he grabbed his helm. 

"Query: what did you and Shockwave talk about? Tell me in every detail or I will extract this information by force " 

"Ugh! How dare you threaten me!" Starscream yelped. "Okay first of all, I can't believe I'm saying this, but Megatron was right. We're alllll just ignoring the chain of command here huh" He added with a scoff. "Second, fine I will tell you. But you have to tell me what happened back in Cybertron because Shockwave won't tell me. I tried to question the other seekers there but the one-eyed bastard won't leave my side." 

Starscream complained nonchalantly as if he was in a position to demand from the telepath. Soundwave glanced back to the seeker's trinemates to see if they would stop him. Unsurprisingly, dismay and a slight frustration was written in their faceplates. The spy was about to prod into the flier's brain when he began to scream. 

"Okay okay okay! Alright fine! Just take your grubby servos away Soundwave." 

Annoyed, Starscream rubbed his temple as he glared at his trinemates. TC and Skywarp could see in his optics that the seeker would pester them about what happened later after he's done. With a huff, Starscream began his story. 

"Ugh. You could've asked him yourself later in the meeting, why bother torturing me…" the seeker grumbled. "Anyways here's what happened…" 

After Soundwave, Thundercracker, and Skywarp's transfer to Earth…

"I have called this emergency meeting to tell you two something of utmost importance." 

Shockwave spoke behind the screen, cold and calculating. Still sleepy from the sudden interruption of his recharge Megatron sat quietly, while Starscream was glaring daggers at the one-eyed scientist. 

"First off, Thundercracker and Skywarp are back on Earth now. Still functional, rest assured." 

The mention of the two woke the warlord up, mood already shifting from bad to worse. While Starscream did feel more at ease, a nervous gulp escaped from vocalizers. He knew that the scientist had intentionally let Megatron hear this to tattle on him. It's only a matter of time before the mech next to him would punish him not only for this but also for the ambush that day. 

"Second. Lord Megatron, I think it's high time to let Air Commander Starscream in on our big plan." 

"What." 

"WHAT." 

Megatron slapped a servo on the table as he stood up. 

“I must be hearing things Shockwave, could you repeat that.” The decepticon leader said, every word laced with threat. Starscream only raised an eyeridge at the scientist, trying his best to determine the other’s motives. Shockwave only sat still, calm as the air around him. Or so the two thought. Of course Megatron and Starscream could not feel the exhaustion in his field.

“I am trying to solve the root cause of this problem.” The one-eyed mech fixed his gaze on Megatron. “Clearly Starscream will not stop until he gets what he wants, Lord Megatron. And it has not escaped my attention that for some reason you are unable to offline our treacherous second in command, in spite of the mounting evidence.”  

Megatron’s optics narrowed at the accusation. 

“Bitch I’m right here.” Starscream interjected. 

“The only logical solution here that would satisfy you two would be to give him access now. I’m afraid the disadvantages would outweigh the benefits if we wait for the device’s half completion. He could come up with more destructive ways to get access to it.” 

“Again...I’m right here Shockwave.” Starscream grumbled. While he appreciated this sudden change of spark, the seeker couldn’t help but be suspicious of this opportunity. After all if it’s too good to be true, it probably was. Nevertheless, an opportunity was an opportunity. Beggars can’t be choosers. 

Starscream let out a dark chuckle. “Well well well, for once your logical mind and mine aligns Shockwave. I think this is a great idea!” 

“Of course you would think that…” Megatron growled. 

“You know what’s a greater idea? What if I helped you build it?” With a smile, the flier rested his helm lazily in his servo. The grey mech looked at him then at the scientist, disbelief obvious in his face. Megatron could see that Shockwave was seriously contemplating Starscream’s suggestion. 

“Yes...that would be logical,” the purple mech hummed in agreement “Very well, come here to Cybertron then. I will reveal to you what the weapon is.” 

A loud slam caught their attention. Disbelief turned to fury, Megatron’s face could not get more angrier. Shockwave actually flinched, finally showing some form of emotion this morning. Starscream however, just put out one of his most innocent smiles towards his beloved leader. 

“Shockwave…" the warlord snarled. "I left you in-charge of Cybertron TEMPORARILY...don’t forget who makes the final decisions here. You two must be forgetting something,” Megatron glared at the one-eyed mech. “Where is Soundwave? He should be a part of this meeting.” 

The scientist went quiet. Shockwave grabbed his gun arm, looking away as he responded. 

“...He is back on Earth, my liege. Forgive me for not informing you.”

To Starscream’s surprise, he saw Megatron’s face soften. If his optics were not lying to him, the mech almost looked worried. The silence between them was cut short. The decepticon leader then gave his orders. 

“Fine. You two shall be on stand-by there in Cybertron. Maybe my helmaches would lessen with you on a different planet.” Megatron said to the seeker, he then faced the scientist “You will not give him access to it unless I’ve confirmed Soundwave’s arrival here and of course...If he agrees with your decision then Starscream has my permission to get a copy of the blueprints. Decrypted."

“Am I at least allowed to know what it is?” Starscream asked with a groan.

The decepticon leader turned his attention to his second-in-command once more. His looming figure made the flier take a step back as he approached him. Megatron stopped in front of him, thinking.

“It depends on your behavior today. I have not forgotten your little backstabbing which almost killed the very mech who vouched for you. I’m still thinking of the perfect punishment for that. Meeting dismissed.”

With that, Megatron left the room while Shockwave cut the transmission immediately. Starscream stood in that room, seething. 

Present…

Soundwave sat across the flier, speechless. Starscream stretched his wings with a yawn. He looked at the TIC then at his trinemates. Somehow all of them were sharing the worried look Megatron had in that moment. Although the intelligence officer was wearing a mask, his slumped back and the grip on his knees were obvious tells of his worry. 

“So have you made your decision or do I have to drag Shockwave here? Because I’m not going to let you dig around my brain module, that was the whole story I swear to Primus.”

“No need to drag me Starscream. But I won’t be here for long.”

Soundwave swiftly turned his helm to the doors. Shockwave was standing there, stoic as ever. Everyone in the room except for Starscream felt awkward. Of course, the red flier noticed the weird atmosphere which only made him more curious about what happened to those two. 

This was perhaps the most eventful thing that happened to Hook’s medbay. It was just one twist after another. With a cough, he went on to approach Soundwave, breaking the uncomfortable silence. He handed him a datapad, it was a temporary discharge form. 

“Since you’re recovering faster than I expected, (seeing that you’re capable of fighting just a while ago) you can roam the base with a chaperone, but you need to come back later this evening. I need to do some final check-ups and the paint job for your arms.” 

“Chaperone? You just said I was capable.”

“Just so you wouldn’t get into unnecessary fights again…”

“...Understood. Who will accompany me?” 

Everyone in the room looked around at each other, optics eventually falling to Shockwave. One by one, excuses were pouring out of their mouths as they hastily tried to leave the medbay. 

"Well I can't accompany you Soundwave, you know how it goes with these idiots. One klik it's all quiet, next thing I know I have five injured cons on my medbay for some dumb reason." Hook explained with a smile on his face. 

The intelligence officer sheepishly scratched the side of faceplate, he was officially part of those idiots now. 

"Uhhhh I-I just remembered that we have some other business to attend to. Recon and junk, come on you two." Thundercracker gave him a reassuring smile, dragging Starscream and Skywarp with him.

"Wha- Hey you don't need to pull so hard, I'm coming! Jeez." the purple flier complained.

"I demand to know what the frag is going on in here!!" 

While Starscream was screeching on his way out, Shockwave locked gazes with Soundwave. It did not even matter to him that just hours ago those three seekers attempted to assault and extort information from him. Coincidentally, Soundwave felt the same. 

The medbay was quiet once more, leaving the three of them there. Hook was trying to mind his own business while the two were staring at each other. 

Finally, Soundwave walked towards him. With every step he took, the spy tried to think of what to say. He stopped in front of him, holding out the datapad Hook gave him. 

"It seems you're the most logical option left." 

Primus that was awful. Soundwave thought.

"I'm the only option left." 

Embarrassed, Soundwave groaned internally as he looked down on the floor. The communication's officer felt something peculiar in Shockwave's field. It's almost...melancholic. It wasn't enough that he sent him here so suddenly but the thought that his mere presence would sadden the mech was painful as it was confusing. 

Dropping his servo to his side, Soundwave turned around, defeated. As he walked towards Hook, he felt the other grab his wrist. The blue mech turned his helm to him, but Shockwave couldn't speak. Instead he tightened his grip, not so much that it would hurt the other but enough to let him know that he wanted to stay with him. 

Slowly, his hand slid over to Soundwave's as he took the datapad from him. After signing and leaving it to the doctor, Shockwave finally spoke.

"...Can we talk? Outside perhaps?" the scientist asked him, painfully aware of the raised eye ridge in Hook's face. 

Soundwave couldn't even begin with him. Did he want to talk? Of course he wanted to talk! How could he think of giving Starscream access to the weapon?! How could he send him back so suddenly!

How could he push him away knowing what they meant to each other.

Without a word, Soundwave walked outside of the medbay. Shockwave followed suit, definitely feeling the frustration from the other's field. Hook finally let out a breath that he was apparently holding the entire time.

While quietly taking a stroll at one of the secluded hallways of their earth base, the two were alone once more. The spy looked at the other beside him. Shockwave's audial kept drooping down then rising slowly, then dropping again. It was as if he was deep in thought. 

Soundwave couldn't understand what the scientist wanted. Did he want to see him or not? As much he cared about the mech, these irrational actions were making things confusing, especially coming from someone like Shockwave. Grinding the dentae under his mask, he stopped walking.

Shockwave halted too, only a few steps ahead of the mech. He looked back at Soundwave with a questioning tilt. 

"Don't give me that face." 

"I don't have a face Soundwave." 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Soundwave vented. He has had enough. The blue mech walked up to him and grabbed his shoulder with both of his servos. 

" Why " 

Shockwave's audials perked up in surprise at the outburst. He was expecting him to ask but not like this. Soundwave was looking at him, visor flaring and servos gripping desperately, which only made his chest tighten more. 

"I'm sorry…"

The blue mech wanted to ask him so much, but his spark settled with one question.

"Will you truly be happy with this?" 

A pause that seemed like forever, Shockwave answered him with a quiet voice.

"Is it not enough that you know what I feel about you..."

The spy could feel the other's sadness and as well as...apprehension? 

"What are you afraid of Shockwave?" He whispered back to him as he gradually pressed himself closer to him. The one-eyed mech averted his gaze. 

"You will leave me eventually. Why not do it now. At least this time it's on my own terms." 

Soundwave was about to retort when Shockwave spoke once more, caressing the spymaster's face with his only servo. 

"You know that I had few to none mechs I could truly call a friend. I had one but…" he faltered, remembering the betrayal. "It doesn't matter now. I have learned to be alone and I have forgotten it when I met you, truly met you that fateful day. It may have only been for a short time but for that I'm grateful." 

"You didn't answer my question..." Soundwave spoke quietly as he held the hand on his faceplate in place, tears were threatening to build up. It wasn't him that made Shockwave sad, but it was the thought of him being hurt all over again that scared him. 

Shockwave let him go, distancing himself with his servo curled into a fist at his side as he looked away. It was better to end it this way, he thought. Like an experiment that was bound to fail, it was better to avoid wasting more time and resources. 

"Soundwave, don't make this harder than it has to be." The crack in his voice was too much. The tapedeck  raised his servo, turning Shockwave's helm ever so gently to face him. 

"I won't leave you when I know you'll be miserable! You can't keep shutting others off Shockwave, this is no way to live!" 

Shockwave pulled away, optic flaring as he spoke. 

"And look what it brought me! I let one mech get too close and now he's stolen my research and ruined my reputation forever! A-and those so called paragons of justice, those Autobots , did not believe one word from my side." 

The scientist was heaving his chest, gasping for air that he did not need. Soundwave closed their distance once more, rubbing soothing circles on the side of Shockwave's helm, feeling the edges of its side then eventually stopping below his lone optic. 

"Shockwave..." 

The spy removed his mask, storing it in his subspace. Soundwave slowly leaned, his face inches away below Shockwave's optic. The scientist could feel the spy's hot breath against him, making the sensors in his face go haywire. The spy was looking at him so earnestly that it almost made him take back everything and tell him…

I want to be with you..but,

"...you need to forget about me."

Soundwave's optics widened. Shockwave pulled his EM field as he turned his back to him. The blue mech suddenly felt the prickling coldness of the surroundings from his plating down to his spark. It was as if the scientist turned off his emotions completely. It felt like talking to a machine. 

"It would be detrimental to the cause for us to be...involved. Recent evidence suggests so Lieutenant Soundwave. Now shall we discuss the matter concerning Starscream." 

Shockwave started to walk, expecting the other to move as well, but Soundwave stood in place, refusing to accept this pitiful excuse of a rejection. 

"No." 

"Excuse me?"

Soundwave followed him, EMF filled with something akin to disappointment, anger, frustration...and hurt. The atmosphere around them began to feel heavy. The communication's officer grabbed Shockwave's wrist harshly, making him turn around. 

"Shockwave: Illogical."

Shockwave tried to pry his wrist free but now that Soundwave was close to full recovery, he was reminded of how dangerous the mech can be when angry. His presence alone was overwhelming enough that it made him respect and adore him more. 

"I'm being illogical??" 

Hiding the fact that he's intimidated, it was the scientist's turn to lean close to him. Soundwave glared back, his servo still has an iron grip on the purple mech's wrist.

"Right before the stasis lock...You heard me, correct?" 

With a resigned single nod, Shockwave focused his optic on something else...anything else other than Soundwave's intense gaze and the pain ebbing from his creaking wrist. 

"And I clearly heard you...we both know...and yet…"

The tapedeck glanced down. Seeing dent forming on the scientist's plating was enough to snap him out of it. Shame and embarrassment washed over him. He immediately let go of his wrist, devastated at his own actions. 

Shockwave shook his hand in an attempt to soothe it. Seeing him suppress a hiss from the pain made the guilt in Soundwave's spark worse. He tried to reach out and comfort the mech but Shockwave instinctively flinched. 

Soundwave felt awful. 

The scientist saw the expression on the spy's face. It seemed like Soundwave forgot about the mask that he had tucked away and was not aware of the face he was making. Shockwave sighed and let the mech hold him.

"It doesn't really hurt that much."

"Reminder: Shockwave is and always will be a bad liar." 

Shockwave scoffed at the reply. Averting his one optic, the tapedeck held his servo, gently rubbing the pain away as he added.

"It's not enough."

"What is?"

"To know that you love me…" 

Shockwave's vocalizer choked at that as his antennae wiggled. Trying to maintain his composure was obviously a challenge. His spark was beginning to beat loudly again. He was clearly avoiding saying that word and yet Soundwave seems to have no problem with dropping it so casually. 

The silence was like a needed reprieve for the spymaster. After a minute, he finally let go of Shockwave and spoke. 

"I will attempt to forget about you...if you answer my question earlier."

He was looking at him with that intense optics once more, this time it wasn't behind those red visor of his anymore. 

Shockwave vented, looking at his companion's handiwork as he replied. 

"Why are you so invested in my happiness, you should focus on yours' and the cassettes' more." 

"Soundwave: loves Shockwave. That is why." 

Another antennae wiggle, the spymaster felt more at ease, reminding him of their time together back on cybertron. The scientist saw the fond smile on his lips which made him more flustered. 

The communication's officer closed the gap between them once more, hoping that he wouldn't pull away again. Gradually raising his two servos to Shockwave's helm, he whispered.

"Soundwave: will not make promises he cannot keep. I may hurt you in the future, but I would never betray you. That is part of life Shockwave. No one is perfect, not even you. Now tell me what will make you happy." 

If it's him...maybe it would be worth it , Shockwave thought. 

"Right now, you." He answered.

Shockwave closed the gap between their helms. He sent a small electric spark on the spy's lips, giving him his own version of a kiss. Surprised, Soundwave smiled and kissed him back. Taking his hand, the intelligence officer placed a gentle kiss on Shockwave's dented wrist as a wordless apology. He then began to work his way to his neck cables as he lightly pushed him on the wall, humming in pleasure. Soundwave lazily let his servos roam on the scientist's hip plate, massaging those seams. While the purple mech enjoyed being peppered with kisses, right now they were in the middle of a hallway. Although this route was rarely taken, anyone can still walk in on them and he did not want a repeat of the medbay incident. 

"Soundwave...Hnn...w-wait." 

The blue mech paused, giving Shockwave a worried look. The scientist was quick to reassure him through his EM Field. 

"Maybe not here…" he said, audials wiggling in a bashful way. Soundwave chuckled in response. He nodded and gave Shockwave one last tender kiss below his optic, promising for more. Visor hiding his optics once more, the tapedeck took out his mask from his subspace and wore it. His servo found his' and he eagerly tugged him towards the nearest empty habsuite. 

Chapter Text

Using his override code, Soundwave unlocked the door, inviting the other inside. 

Shockwave scanned the whole room. He tilted his helm, giving Soundwave an inquisitive look while the tape deck locked the door behind them. 

"Privacy: granted. Request: Kiss Shockwave again?" 

Amused, Shockwave gently laughed. 

"Granted." 

It took three strides for the tape deck for him to reach the mech. Soundwave threw his mask aside, quickly giving him a peck to his audials. A subtle jerk and a stifled giggle, the blue mech was pleasantly surprised to discover that Shockwave's hearing fins were ticklish. With a sly smile, he dragged his glossa along his audial, making the purple mech shudder. Soundwave licked the other side, eager to get the same reaction once more. He then continued where he left off, nibbling his way to Shockwave's neck cables. 

While the spy was taking his sweet time, mapping his partner's frame, taking in every deep breath and every sound he made, the scientist was gently pulling him towards the berth. 

The spy paused for a klik, gazing down to admire him. It was funny, if someone told him four million years ago that this would happen, he never would have believed them. 

"Soundwave?" 

Snapping out from his daze, he leaned down and gave him a chaste kiss at the side of his helm. The blue mech enveloped him with adoration through his EM field, practically smothering him as he whispered. 

"You're beautiful."

Surprised, Shockwave made an inquisitive noise at that. It was one thing for Soundwave to compliment his intelligence and competence, but for him to appreciate his appearance was as baffling as the situation they were in right now. The cassette deployer noticed the bewilderment from the scientist and peppered him with more affection, reassuring him that he did find him alluring, body and brain. Shockwave couldn't even begin to describe the intensity of the emotions he was feeling. It was almost intoxicating in a way that high-grade has never done before for him. He pulled the blue mech down to give him a kiss as well. 

The tingly sensation from Shockwave's electric kiss was enough to make his spark skip. Although the one-eyed mech didn't have much of a face, it amazed him how he carried himself with such dignity and confidence. As if lacking a mouth would even stop him to think of a way to reciprocate something like a kiss. In a way, it felt...special, a privilege to be able to receive this one-of-a-kind gesture. 

Soundwave then started to make his way down, placing a soft kiss on the glass of Shockwave's chestplate, then his stomach. He could already feel the plating under his servos heat up, cooling fans whirring in anticipation which prompted his' as well. The spy parted the scientist's legs followed by a slow tender kiss to the thigh making the latter's breath hitch. Soundwave licked the seams in the mech's interface panel, making the scientist shiver, back arching from the sensation. Just like that, Shockwave's panel opened with a snick .

A soft moan escaped from the scientist as Soundwave thumbed the outer node of Shockwave's leaking valve. The spy crawled back on top of him, retracting his red visor to look his partner in the eye with his own optics as he slowly inserted a digit in. Seeing Shockwave unravel before him was a sight to behold. Underneath the cold and cruel exterior the Decepticons knew, what Soundwave only saw was the mech he had met back in their little room in Cybertron. The Shockwave that always had the capacity to care and love. 

Shockwave swore his optic must've fizzled out when he only saw static. He couldn't believe the noise that came out from his vocalizers when Soundwave started going in. Vents hissing, he wrapped an arm around the blue mech's neck, holding on for dear life while Soundwave took pleasure in just seeing him cry his name out, lone optic shining as he moaned with pure ecstasy. Every whine was like music to his ears as he started to thrust.

"Soundwave….haa…" 

The spy’s helm met with the scientist’s with a soft clink. Unbeknownst to Shockwave, Soundwave was unconsciously tapping on his memory banks through his ability, lulling him to lower its defenses to gain access to it. 

For every thrust, Shockwave’s memories began to flow into him like a strong electric current. With a gasp, Soundwave desperately tried to find the scientist’s servo, tracing his shoulder and finally grabbing it from his own neck. Servos intertwined, Shockwave was lost in the sensation while Soundwave watched his lover’s memories.

As Shockwave finally came, he noticed something dripping onto his face. When his sensors finally adjusted, he was surprised to see Soundwave’s golden optics to be crying.

Chapter Text

Alpha Trion paced around their new secret hideout as he held a mysterious key on his servo. The old sage stared down at it, feeling the sharp edges, contemplating on what could be the wisest thing to do in their current situation. It was fortunate enough that Chromia, Greenlight, and Moonracer came back at all. The warning they provided was more than enough, giving them time to  prepare an emergency evacuation. 

Speaking of Greenlight, the green femme walked inside the control room, a worried look plastered on her face. 

"You called for me?" 

"Yes...I read your report about your encounter with Shockwave...How are you?" 

Greenlight bowed her helm, worried look becoming forlorn as she remembered how her friend almost died. Or perhaps how depressing for the person she once admired and respected to change, becoming the worst version of himself.  

"It's all fine now. We escaped those seekers, I synthesized an antidote from Shockwave's cosmic rust which thankfully worked, and I doubt Soundwave's intel about our old base would do the decepticons any good." 

Alpha Trion walked over to her and gave a comforting pat on her helm. Surprised, Greenlight blinked at him, clueless as to why the old bot was being uncharacteristically affectionate. 

"I am glad that we have someone capable, strong, and smart like you. I'm sure it must have been hard." 

A sudden fear struck Greenlight. Somehow, it felt like he was preparing to say goodbye. Alpha Trion was as mysterious as Vector Sigma's inner workings. For him to be acting like this was indeed troubling not just for the whole faction but also for them here in Cybertron. 

Alpha Trion was not just the wise old bot that Prime would ask for advice, or the caretaker of Vector Sigma. In some ways, he was like a sire to her. 

"Everything happens for a reason, Greenlight. Perhaps it was why you three survived and came back with your sanity intact. I feel it is your fate to be the next one to safeguard this." 

The bearded bot held out his servo, urging the young scientist to take the key. Greenlight's optics widened, shaking her helm and taking a few steps back.

"No no no! Alpha Trion what the pit!? Out of all the three of us, why me?? You can't do this!" 

Alpha Trion gave her a warm smile, optics crinkling in amusement. He turned his back to her, folding his servos behind him and spoke. 

"I fear that one way or another, Shockwave will find Vector Sigma. I cannot let it fall into Decepticon servos...or anyone's servos for that matter." 

"But that's impossible, the only ones who know the location of Vector Sigma are you and Optimus." Greenlight replied in a matter of factly kind of tone. 

"That's not entirely true, young one."

Greenlight's optics widened in shock. Alpha Trion faced her once more and nodded in agreement as if he was reading her mind. 

"Yes...There is one other way to determine the location of Vector Sigma. It was made possible because of your teacher's teacher. A bot who goes by the designation Jhiaxus." 

Four million years ago, before the war…

Inside the pristine walls of Crystal City, more specifically in one of its more private offices, stood one bot. In front of him were a group of administrators, now long dead after the war. The room was quiet except for the two voices, debating back and forth, neither aware of the future events that would unfold in their precious academy. Standing proud, the bot clutched the datapad with his amber servos, irritation quickly building up under his plating. 

"Cybertronians have always been known as a species that evolves. Long ago we did not even have the ability to change modes, now there are those who even possess multiple alt-modes. Even some individuals have started to develop special abilities . It is why I think that studying what makes "us" will be beneficial not just for our era but for the future generations!" 

"I understand your... passion for this topic, Jhiaxus, but we have more pressing concerns than cybertronian genetics. Currently we’re facing an energon crisis never seen before, I'm afraid the funding you're requesting will be put on hold until further notice. Why don’t you focus your energy on the present matter at hand? Then we’ll talk."

“I understand that, but I do not ask much. Primus, it’s not like I’m asking you to empty the university’s wallet! It will barely make a dent, just a fraction! Half! No-! Even if a fourth of my initial budget request, just please ...my apprentice and I are close to a breakthrough-”

“Enough!”

A loud slam of a hand on the table put a stop on Jhiaxus’ begging. He looked at them with such anger and disappointment that almost all of them averted their optics, except for the Dean. With a sigh, she stood up and looked him optic to optic. 

“You and Shockwave have been an important part of this place...Not just as members of this faculty but also as one of our prominent scientists, and I understand you’re frustrated but this is no time to pursue personal projects. It is our moral obligation to prevent our species’ impending doom. I’m sorry.”

The group stood up, leaving him in the room to stew on his another failed attempt to persuade them on his project. Gritting his dentae, Jhiaxus threw his datapad on the floor before leaving the room, hearing it fizzle out as it died.  

~

“How did the negotiations go master?”

Shockwave inquired, not bothering to look up from his current experiment as Jhiaxus stomped his pedes inside their laboratory. The amber scientist gave him an unamused look even though he knew that his student would not even see it. Instead he opted for sarcasm.

“Oh it went great Shockwave! Thanks for fraggin asking!” 

The apprentice finally looked up to his mentor, tilting his helm, confused as to why he was the target of his master’s ire. Jhiaxus went around the laboratory, nagging and nitpicking on every little thing he saw. The older scientist furiously pointed at the unwashed flasks on their sink until he begrudgingly washed them himself. Shockwave just stared at him, optic blinking as he let him air out his concerns and anger. 

Eventually Jhiaxus settled on sitting on one of the stools, rubbing a servo across his face. Shockwave put the test tube that he was holding down on its rack and approached him. 

“I’m sorry for snapping at you my friend, it’s just that these people do not understand…” Jhiaxus gave his student an apologetic squeeze on his shoulder. Standing up, he gazed out into the window and continued “I know Cybertron will eventually run out of resources. It is inevitable, unless we study the source and unlock its secrets.” 

‘You mean energon itself?”

“Yes and no. Or there’s the other option and we migrate to another planet rich with energon.”

Shockwave hummed in excitement at that, making Jhiaxus groan in annoyance. The amber scientist walked towards the experiment the one-eyed scientist was conducting. He took the datapad on the table and scanned its contents. Following him, the younger scientist took it upon himself to update his master as Jhiaxus nodded in agreement on some parts but something was off in his latest experiments. He noticed that his student was deviating from their original goal. In fact, it looked like his apprentice was conducting another experiment unrelated to the current project they were working on.

“Shockwave explain to me why this part here” he scrolled back and pointed “looked like you were venturing into cloning.” 

“Not just any type of cloning, I have a hypothesis that we can somehow synthesize energon out of materials that are foreign to this planet using some of the processes in cloning. I already have a working title for this, the molecular-”

“Yes yes I’ve seen it. Brilliant if I do say so myself. It does compliment our original project, however!”

Shockwave’s antennae drooped down a bit, peeved at being cut off mid sentence but Jhiaxus gave him an apologetic smile, and gave his student a light pat on his shoulder. 

“I need your hundred percent focus on this!” He tapped the other datapad set aside on the table. It was the study that they would eventually present to the board of directors of the university and perhaps the high council in Iacon. Shockwave vented and sat down, he took his study from his master with a bit of possessiveness and replied. 

“I don’t see why I can’t work on two projects at once. I’m quite capable.They are both equally important to me, master. Do not worry.” 

Leaning his helm on his servo, Shockwave continued to question his teacher. 

“You taught me to look at the big picture, and I don’t understand...your solution for the current energon crisis is to complete the cybertronian genome? It’s illogical. My study is clearly more relevant and efficient.”

The young scientist did not expect for his master’s sour mood to turn for the worse. Jhiaxus’ EMF was so heavy that it felt borderline hostile. His face was making an expression which was new to Shockwave and he can’t help but feel that somehow he has crossed an unseen line. The master noticed his student’s unease and quickly pulled his EM field to his own. 

“Clearly you still do not see the big picture...the ultimate solution to this problem my little student,” He replied in a low voice, almost threatening. “It lies within ourselves, not just energon no...but with our sparks! Specifically the CNA that Vector Sigma writes for us.”

Jhiaxus told him, his servo pounding on his chassis with animation. Shockwave’s antennae flicked in surprise, raising his helm that was resting from his servo. He gave his master a serious look and spoke in a quiet voice. 

“Master...you do not mean that...Do you intend to rewrite CNA itself?”

Jhiaxus let out a howling laugh, grabbing his student’s helm with both his servos, engine revving in excitement as he rambled on the true nature of his plan like a madman. 

“YES, as expected of my best student! We won’t just end hunger itself. We’ll eliminate diseases... weaknesses... anything we don’t want. It will be our next big step.” 

Startled, the young scientist fell down from his stool as he broke away from his teacher. Jhiaxus’ laughter died down, reflecting the same worried look from his student. The pause between the two of them were only a couple of kliks but it felt too long for the purple scientist. Eventually, Shockwave swallowed the non-existent lump in his throat cables and spoke. 

“Do you think that perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves master...Perceptor once told me that just because we can it doesn’t mean we should.”

A look of disbelief was written in Jhiaxus' face, that one Shockwave was sure of. The older scientist then chuckled darkly, much to his apprentice’s displeasure. He’s spent enough time with his master that he could tell when his laughs were genuine or not. 

“What are you talking about? I told you, you shouldn’t associate yourself too much with those spineless cowards, they don’t have what it takes to do the impossible.” Jhiaxus scoffed. “They will only hold you back my friend...You don’t need them.” Slowly, he walked in front of him, kneeled down, and whispered. “They’re not your friends. Remember? I was the only one who truly accepted you...”

Despite his sensors telling him of the warmth from his master’s breath, Shockwave could only feel the chilling sensation coming from his master’s words. His intense gaze was enough to remind him of his place and where he came from. 

“I-I understand...I’m sorry for questioning you master.” Shockwave bowed his head in shame, antennae drooping down. Of course, how could he forget? It was because of him that he was able to be a scientist in the first place. Even when no one believed him to be capable, even if their whole society told him he was meant to be nothing more than a drone, Jhiaxus was the only one who truly saw him. 

“You can call me a “friend” too, you know that right?” his master told him with a toothy grin. Looking up, Shockwave saw his teacher’s optics. He doesn’t understand but they felt...different. Noticing the extended servo he was offering, the young scientist hesitated for a moment before taking it. Jhiaxus then pulled him up, helping him stand up. 

“Of course.” Shockwave replied with a neutral tone. 

It was perhaps the first time in his life that Shockwave saw his master in that manner. If he was being honest, it did unnerve him, but he was in no position to judge him. After all, they weren’t so different from each other. He knew what it was like to be treated like some kind of oddity. 

Checking his chronometer, the one-eyed mech internally cursed himself. Hurriedly, he started grabbing things, quickly scribbling labels for his test tubes and storing them away. The young scientist then told his mentor that he needed to get into his class as he was almost late. Just like that, his master...his friend was back to his old, cheerful self. It was as if the mad scientist a while ago was a mere figment of his imagination. 

"Well well well, would you look at that. The student has become the teacher!" Jhiaxus exclaimed. Shockwave felt his spark lighten at that, proud of himself. Long ago he never really saw him as an educator. It was a pure chance that he had to step in for his master to teach his other students. The academy saw his potential and now here he was, shaping the minds of Cybertron's most brilliant minds. 

A slight wiggle of his antennae and a light chuckle came from his vocalizers. Giving him one last look, Shockwave nodded a silent goodbye and closed the door. 

~

A few solar cycles had passed. It was nearing the deadline for their presentation for the board and the high council who, to their surprise, also took an interest in their study. How or when they heard about their project was unknown to Shockwave, not that he cared. Mysteriously, after his master's outburst on the privacy of their laboratory, they have been making major strides in their project. Data that would’ve taken months to get were easily provided by his master by mere weeks and for that reason the dean finally approved of their funding which sped things up more, giving Shockwave more free time to work on his own study. 

The young scientist didn't complain, in fact it did not bother him for one bit. However, something changed in his teacher. It didn't escape his attention that he was barely in their laboratory to work the experiments together. Even if he would show up, Jhiaxus would only ask him to conduct a certain experiment just to prove a hypothesis he came up with on his own. It used to be the two of them who would brainstorm ideas and figure out a problem in their study but now it felt like his teacher was doing everything on his own and he was his personal errand boy, doing the tedious parts of their little project. Shockwave was embarrassed to admit it but he did miss his mentor. No. He missed his friend.

Perhaps it's just the pressure... He told himself.

Speaking of the mech himself, Jhiaxus walked inside. Instead of the usual cheery greetings he would receive, lately his teacher would only look at him with those tired optics, say a few words and get straight to the point. 

Before Jhiaxus left to attend to his "private matter" as his teacher would call it often, Shockwave gathered his courage and called on his master.

"Mast–...Jhiaxus." 

Hearing his designation from his student took the older scientist by surprise. It was a rare occasion for his apprentice to address him with his name. Turning around, he raised an eye ridge, waiting for him to speak.

Shockwave's audials drooped down and up in contemplation, unsure of what to say. It wasn't often that he would find himself in a situation where he had to comfort someone, especially a friend. 

"...Are you well?" He asked in a quiet voice, a digit scratching on the side of his helm as he avoided his optic. 

Wide-eyed, Jhiaxus let out a laugh. Shockwave's audials heated up in embarrassment as it shot up.

"Yes, I'm quite well. Just do your job and soon we can finally show the whole world the fruits of our labor."

His apprentice gave a sigh of relief, thankful that his master wasn't actually going insane and it was just stress. Jhiaxus was about to leave when he noticed something on his student's table.

"By the way...how's your dissertation coming along?"

Shockwave tilted his head, pleased that his teacher was curious about his own work despite everything on his plate right now. 

"I am making steady progress. I will have to get some permission from the dean to get test samples somewhere off-world that's not cybertronian," Venting in annoyance, he leaned on the wall as he continued to complain. "Which means I will have to ask a lot of people for more permission. I would be lucky to get this approved and get some samples at all, or extremely lucky to be the one using the spacebridge to handpick them myself."  

Humming and nodding along, Jhiaxus gave him a smile. It was one of those smiles that Shockwave never really figured out from his mentor. He didn't know if it was sad because his optics were unreadable but it did evoke a certain feeling from him. 

To his surprise, Jhiaxus walked up to him and gave a pat to his helm. 

There it was again, that feeling. It was an unknown, an anomaly in his spark until his master spoke. 

"I'm proud of you Shockwave." 

With that his master, no...his friend left.

In a strange way, especially in that moment, he finally knew what the word sire meant to him. 

~

"Wow he's late again, how is he not fired?"

"When you're smart enough the Crystal City's head honchos will never let you go because of tardiness that's for sure." 

"Oh!! He's coming! Places everyone!" 

Scrambling on their pedes, the young bots hurriedly went back to their seats before their one-eyed professor saw them goofing around. 

Clueless, Shockwave was yet again walking into a trap his students had set up for him. At first he was unsuccessful in fending them off, starting off his classes with sticky energon on his face or an itchy backplate. 

One prank that almost made him quit was the feral turbo fox that they had somehow caught and trained to bite his pedes, preventing him from coming inside the classroom at all. 

But as the time went on, and the pettiness he didn't know that was inside of him grew, his students got a taste of their own medicine. Eventually this occasional "prank wars", as they have called it, was turning into a tradition and an educational experience for them thanks to his efforts. 

It was illogical, he thought. He should've left this job as soon as that one bucket of precious energon was spilled on his helm on his first cycle of teaching, but seeing the potential in those younglings stirred something in his spark. Perhaps he was feeling nostalgic, remembering how his mentor had found him and now, here he was, hoping to find his own apprentice. 

Finally reaching the door, Shockwave has started his routine precautions. The little rascals have become smarter, he thought. He took out a small scanner he made and checked the door. 

So far so good.

He entered the classroom. All of them were wearing their innocent faces on, except for that one kid near the window who was stifling her giggles. 

They all stood up and said their greetings and he greeted them back. He stood for a klik, scanning the table then the whole classroom, optic squinting in suspicion. 

Shockwave put his scanner down and took a datapad out from his subspace.

"Well...I for one am surprised. Since you're all well-behaved today I am going to move your exams for a few cycles. Perhaps four cycles from now? Now let's start. Today's topic will be ab–"

The one-eyed scientist was cut off by an unexpected pain on his servo as he was about to write on the board. It wasn't harmful but enough to make it numb. More importantly, it was also enough to disrupt classes.

Of course. 

Turning around, the scientist saw the kid on the back laughing which prompted the others as well. 

It seems that he didn't check the whole room. His students noticed and took advantage of this, setting up electric conductors across the board, hiding it beneath for subtlety. Shockwave vented, impressed and annoyed at the same time. There were only a handful of his students that were clever enough for this kind of stunt and he has a nagging suspicion on who's the prime suspect. 

She may be clever but she couldn't hide her expressions well for the life of her. 

"Electrocution. Good thing you set up the voltage correctly or you will be staring at my overcharged corpse. It will be amusing to watch you from the afterlife, wondering how well you'll hide my body." 

"You believe in the afterlife professor?" One student curiously asked, to which Shockwave immediately replied with a shake of his head, leaving the poor kid confused. 

"Of course we set it properly! We're not idiots!" the student quickly covered her mouth with her servo, immediately regretting her brag. With that Shockwave scoffed, deactivating the electric board by unplugging the poorly hidden and hastily made source.  

"Thanks to Greenlight, everyone's exams will be moved tomorrow. Now, the topic for today will be about energy. Pay close attention because all of it will be included tomorrow."

A series of groans and whining were heard across the room, and if Shockwave could smile, he would be grinning in amusement. Instead he settled in radiating a satisfied aura to his students. 

"No complaining. Your prank will be a perfect example for the lesson today." 

~

A quick ping to everyone’s HUD and the students immediately stood up to gather their belongings, eager to leave Shockwave’s class. Some took it upon themselves to start chatting as if the teacher wasn’t there anymore. One by one all of them dashed through the door as the purple scientist began reminding them of their due homework for the next seven cycles. It was illogical, he thought. It wasn’t as if those assignments would disappear if they escaped the classroom fast enough to avoid hearing about it. 

As he was about to leave, his audials overheard his students talking about something just outside the door. Normally, he would ignore them as it usually just ended up being gossip about someone doing something he doesn’t give a damn about, but this time it was different. They were talking in hushed voices, unaware of his presence. One of them sounded afraid? Almost paranoid if he was right. 

“...Yeah I’ve heard the latest victims were from Crystal City this time...why would someone do this?” 

“I know...what kind of sick fragger goes around stealing people’s sparks? ”

“A sparkeater?” one student chimed in jokingly.

“Greenlight, stop messing around! This is actually pretty scary stuff you know. Also sparkeaters aren’t real!”

The sudden whoosh of the door opening spooked the three students, making them jump. One of them squealed, earning a judging look from the two. 

Shockwave looked at them and tilted his helm in curiosity, intrigued at the topic. All of them were staring at each other awkwardly. The growing uncomfortable silence was too much for Greenlight, making her blurt out about the conversation. 

“Professor there’s been a series of murders lately, it started out from the outskirts of the city but the recent ones were kinda close here, so Mesothulas was freaking out.” 

“I-wha-! How dare you, I was not!”

“You totally were~” 

Before the two of them started getting into a physical fight, the one-eyed scientist interrupted them. Surprised by this news, Shockwave urged the young femme to continue. Usually, he couldn’t be bothered to care about something irrelevant to his life. His work would always be his priority and nothing else, but the nature of this topic has piqued his interest. Someone was gathering sparks? For what purpose, he wondered.

“When did this start?”

“I actually don’t remember the exact date. Oh! Hold on, let me check the first news report about it.” 

While Greenlight was busy searching the grid, a sinking feeling was beginning to sweep over him. 

“Ah. There it is. It was just two weeks ago.” 

~

Alone in the lab, Shockwave was sitting down, a digit tapping on the table, mind deep in thought about his earlier conversation with his students. Thinking back, he never really asked how his master obtained all that data so quickly. It was naive of him to think that Jhiaxus would be so... resourceful , to the point that he would be able to do the impossible. There were only two possibilities. One, he was getting outside help, which he initially thought; the second one which was…

No...He is not capable of murder.

The mech in question finally came in. If he looked worrisome the last time they met, the state of his frame now was much worse. Paints were beginning to chip off from his chassis, his optics went from tired to sunken and his posture was slump, it looked like he hadn't recharged for a deca-cycle.

“Master. Were you just coming back from wherever you were, taking care of that “private matter?”” Shockwave asked, his tone suspicious. 

Jhiaxus nodded in silence and proceeded to head to his own work table, turning his back to him. The young scientist balled his servo into a fist and stood up. As he was about to approach him, Shockwave noticed something on his master’s foot. 

Dried energon.

Or not. It could be anything.

Venting in, the one-eyed scientist asked him another question.

“Master...How did you obtain all this data in a short period of time? You must have friends in high places.”

EMF pulled into himself, the amber scientist glanced at his student for a second then turned his attention to his work once more as he answered him nonchalantly. 

“Yes indeed.”

Shockwave paced behind him, optic fixated on his master’s back. 

“Have you heard about the recent murder cases?” he asked in a neutral tone. As neutral as his voice can be at that time. Jhiaxus stopped writing and glared at Shockwave.

“If you have time to chat Shockwave why don’t you use it for something more productive. You know our deadline is near and yet you’re dilly dallying behind me like some kind of child.”

“Do I take that as a yes?” he replied in a quiet voice.

The older scientist finally turned around to face his student. Shockwave’s vents stalled. His spark was pounding against its chamber and his plating went cold. He was...afraid? It was illogical. There was nothing to be afraid of. Why would he be afraid?

“Is there something on your mind my dear apprentice?”

They stared at each other, his master’s optics were looking at him coldly if he were to describe it accurately. It was what it felt like.

“...I am just worried for our safety.” He lied. “The recent victim was close to our area.” Shockwave added, hand rubbing against the plating of his other arm. 

The corners of Jhiaxus’ lip curved slightly, optics tinged with amusement. 

“I see. Don’t worry, I won’t let some maniac take your spark. Crystal City may be a place full of non-combatants but the security isn’t lax.”

“I didn’t tell you their sparks were missing.” Shockwave replied in a quieter tone. 

His whole body went rigid, it was as if he was preparing for something awful that might happen. Jhiaxus’s expression went dark for a moment. The smile that the young scientist thought he saw was now evidently gone. Shockwave felt a brief wave of malevolence from his master’s EM field which was quickly hidden. Jhiaxus turned his back once more, finishing what he was writing on his datapad.

“No you didn’t. But the news report did.” 

Shockwave’s optic flickered.

This is ridiculous, what am I doing...interrogating my master. He thought. 

Even with the strange murderous aura he felt from him, Shockwave could not bring it to himself to fully accuse his master. Perhaps it was because he was in denial, or perhaps it was the illogical attachment he felt for him, either way the young apprentice trusted his master with all his spark. Despite how every circuit in his being was telling him that there was something more sinister behind their project. Shockwave looked down at his pedes then vented. He walked back to his table in quiet shame. They both worked for a joor in silence until Shockwave heard a creak. His master stood up and handed him the datapad that he was writing on. It was his latest instruction. 

“This will be the last test, your results should match with mine if I am correct. If not well I guess I’m going to have to gather more data. Also, I’m afraid I can’t stay for small talk Shockwave.”

“Because of your private matter.”

“No it’s because I look like scrap right now. I need to recharge.” 

“Oh. Understood.” 

With that, Jhiaxus left his student alone in the lab. Shockwave immediately started on his task, eager to finish early and continue his own project. 

Although Iacon was Crystal City’s neighboring metropolis, Shockwave had never explored the place. Besides a few trips he had made with his master into the Iaconian Academy of Science and Technology he never really bothered to look around. Iacon was indeed beautiful, but of course it wouldn’t compare to the unique structures in his home city. Even if curiosity was in his nature, the scientist felt like he wouldn’t miss much. Sight-seeing wasn’t really in his list of hobbies. 

Entering the High Council Tower, Shockwave and Jhiaxus glanced at each other. He knew how important this was to his master, that’s why when he looked at him with those proud optics he couldn’t help but give him an approving nod. It was one of those moments where he really wished he could have expressed his happiness for his friend with a smile but both of them didn’t need words. They understood how they felt and right now they were beaming with excitement. 

After walking through a long hall, they saw the largest door at its end. Shockwave opened it and an impressive sight greeted his optic. The inside was massive and the whole chamber was cleverly shaped like a spark. The one-eyed scientist could see the board of administrators from Crystal City sitting in the viewing balconies. Beside them were a group of individuals that Shockwave wasn’t familiar with. They seem to be having a serious discussion about something. Across the door they came from was a different looking set of podiums, thirteen to be exact. In the middle of it was a slightly elevated stage, Jhiaxus headed towards it as Shockwave followed, unintentionally overhearing some of the conversation those bots were having..

“...Yes, the situation in Kaon is becoming bothersome, not to mention that their lead perpetrator-”

“Megatronus.”

“Do not even mention his name, Alpha Trion!” one of them said angrily in a hushed voice. 

The sound of their pedesteps caught their attention, everyone seemed to compose themselves and the bots that Shockwave saw beside the administrators stood up and walked towards their own respective podiums. Among the thirteen important looking bots, one of them seemed to have company, specifically the old looking one with the cape. 

The young bot had striking blue optics, but he looked older compared to his students. Maybe Shockwave was only a few solar cycles older than him. The young bot’s optics locked with his single golden one, eye ridges raised inquisitively as he held the datapad just above his lip plates. Judging by the build of his frame and his meekly demeanor, Shockwave guessed that he must be some kind of data clerk. 

A special kind of data clerk to attend this meeting. The purple scientist thought. 

“Friends, colleagues, and of course to the High Council, thank you for allowing us this opportunity to present to you our hard work on this wonderful cycle.” Jhiaxus spoke with such grace that it was almost ridiculous but those bots with their noses up high did not seem to mind, Shockwave figured. 

“What if I told you that we have figured out the secrets of our very race? What if I told you that we have unlocked the mysteries of the very thing that makes us special, that sets us apart from machines” He gestured to his chest plates, optics intensely focused on the jade-colored councilor in the middle. 

“That’s right...solar cycles of painstaking research had finally led to this moment. Through the spark that powers us, we have discovered a way to manipulate our very CNA!”

Shockwave heard the surprised gasps and murmurs of the audience, prompting him to press on the holographic projector. The hologram showed the data of their study, graphs and charts of the experiments they had conducted over the past cycles, of course summarized and simplified for presentation purposes. 

“Diseases will be a thing of the past! Even better, this would further help the current energon crisis.” 

“How so.” One councilor spoke. 

“We could eradicate the need for energon, if we tried hard enough.” His master spoke in a low and yet excited voice. “Imagine the possibilities! Increased strength,  any qualities you wish you could have! Anything is possible.” Jhiaxus added. 

“All we need is him…” The amber scientist pointed at the old looking bot. Everyone’s optics were in the far corner, making the young bot beside the old councilor hide anxiously. 

“Our Chief Archivist? What does Alpha Trion have that you require?”

“I think I might have an idea, Councilor Halogen.” Alpha Trion stood. Speaking in a firm voice, he continued “You want to know the location of Vector Sigma and use it, am I correct?” 

Pleased, Jhiaxus grinned at him. Shockwave couldn’t explain it but a chill ran on his spinal struts. 

“Yes, I am asking out of respect. A secret cannot stay hidden forever, I would find its location one way or another. In fact, I might already know how but the method would be unpleasant. ”

“Blasphemy! You dare threaten-”

“How dare you even insinuate that-!”

A chorus of shock and anger was heard across the balconies. Everyone was appalled at the words that came out of Jhiaxus' glossa, especially the thirteen councilors. The young scientist was looking at his master with his optic wide. The news was just as much a surprise to them as it was to Shockwave. His master certainly didn’t tell him this tidbit of information before their presentation. 

“Everyone please calm yourselves. This... peon could not possibly know its location. And even if he does, only the Prime and Alpha Trion can access it.” Councilor Halogen stood up and glared at the administrators at the viewing balconies.

“I cannot believe you people talked me into letting this madman disrespect us like this. We expected a renowned intellectual to aid us at our current problems but instead we hear the ramblings of a maniac who doesn’t know what’s good for him. Just like that barbarian Megatronus!”

Everyone in the chamber went quiet, it didn’t escape Shockwave’s attention at how the young data clerk glared at the councilor upon hearing the remark about this “Megatronus”. Curious. 

Jhiaxus was about to speak again when the door behind them suddenly opened, cutting him off. Shockwave swiftly turned around only to see the Iaconian Police barge in. They were quick on their pedes, stasis cuffs already on sight as they made their way towards him and his master. 

“What is the meaning of this?!” Councilor Halogen shouted. 

“These two are dangerous, Councilor. We have strong evidence that links them from the recent spark disappearances.” 

The councilors stood there, aghast, as the officers quickly surrounded the two of them. Shockwave was looking at them and his master frantically, unsure of what to do while Jhiaxus was looking at Halogen with such hate that it made the councilor squirm in his podium. 

“Jhiaxus of Terasus Minor and Shockwave of Crystal City we are placing you two under arrest on account of murder.”

“Master-!” Shockwave struggled from his cuffs as the officer tackled him down the floor. Everything was happening so fast. In the corner of his optic, he could see the young data clerk look at him with worry. Illogical. 

“Get off me!” Jhiaxus strained. 

As the two of them were being dragged away, Shockwave turned his helm at his master, staring in utter disbelief and horror.

“T-there must be some kind of mistake...”

“It speaks!” Shockwave’s hearing fins slightly twitched as he overheard one of the councilors exclaim at him. It has been a while since he’d heard those kinds of comments. Now he remembered why he never bothered to wander around Iacon, some fools still doubted his sentience and intellect. 

~

The trip to Iacon’s police headquarters wasn’t as unpleasant as he thought it was going to be. Of course there was the issue of him being involved in his master’s “private matters''. Jhiaxus hasn’t spoken a word to him the whole way, optics fixated on the flooring, deep in thought. The young scientist opted for silence, hoping that the law enforcement would clear this misunderstanding. 

Hoping that he was wrong about his suspicions. 

When they finally arrived, the two of them were immediately separated. While he was being dragged around unceremoniously into a cell, Jhiaxus was brought into a different room. After what must be the most agonizing joors in his life, he saw his master walking out free of his stasis cuffs. The amber scientist glanced at him with a blank look on his face. A flicker of hope shone on his optic when he saw Jhiaxus head towards him. Shockwave approached the laser bars close enough just to see him.  

“I’m afraid there’s no getting out of this one my dear apprentice. What you have done was... unspeakable. Those poor innocent bots that you’ve murdered, and for what? For the shallow pursuit of knowledge? Is it not enough that I have recognized your talents.You were just a drone to them but you...when I found you I treated you like my own kin! ” 

The one-eyed scientist couldn't believe what he was hearing right now. Taking a step closer, Shockwave resisted the urge to grab Jhiaxus with both of his servos.

“Wh-What? Master what are you talking about! I’m innocent!” 

Shockwave cannot determine the look his master has on his face right now. He was about to speak once more when Jhiaxus held his helm softly with his servo, caressing it tenderly as he continued.

“I understand...The need for approval you constantly crave must be wearing you down. But you shouldn’t have done it this way Shockwave...Not this way. Goodbye.”

His optics were blank as he spoke with that sweet voice. It was as if he was throwing away something he didn’t need anymore. 

Speechless, Shockwave watched as his master, no, his supposed friend, left him. The mech he thought the world of, someone he considered like a sire and the only mech who mattered to him most, had abandoned him. 

And just like that, something inside of him broke.  

He spent the last three cycles in that cell sitting on a corner, refusing to move or refuel. Everything that he and Jhiaxus had felt like one big deception. In the end he treated him like nothing, just like what everyone did. The scientist hadn’t heard from the university at all nor from his students. Not that it bothered him anymore. Nothing really mattered right now for him, and it wouldn’t make a difference if someone like him would deactivate in a cell alone. After all he was just a drone that was fortunate enough to feel real for a short moment. 

A loud commotion from outside startled him. Officers were running right and left. Some of them were taking out some heavy artillery. It seemed like something serious was going on outside. Shockwave remained in his spot, unbothered. 

Telling them he was innocent over and over didn’t matter when they found the missing spark casings in their laboratory, specifically hidden on the flooring beneath his work station. Conveniently, his master offered to close up the lab the day before their presentation which he gladly accepted.

Shockwave was about to enter stasis lock when he overheard something that would’ve worried him but he was too exhausted and hungry to care. 

“We’ve been breached! Frag it! Let’s leave this place. The Decepticons can have this one! Evacuate the civilians first!” 

Moments before he lost consciousness, he heard his cell door open. Two mechs walked inside. One of them was awfully familiar, especially those blue optics. His companion looked comically large beside him. It was a bit amusing if he wasn’t so busy trying to be dead. 

~

“Orion are you sure this is the mech you saw that day? If he was so smart, why did he almost starve himself to deactivation?”

“Megatronus please, he was clearly upset.”

“Upset? I was upset about the state of our society but I didn’t try to kill myself.” 

The loud voices woke the one-eyed scientist. Their heated debate was interrupted when the data clerk heard a groan. The blue eyed mech glanced down and checked on the scientist. Shockwave’s optic onlined only to see the two mechs that were standing in his cell. At least that’s what he assumed. 

"Oh Primus, we didn't mean to wake you. You were with Jhiaxus that day were you not? I am Orion and this is my friend Megatronus." 

"Friend? Really my love?" 

“Well I didn’t want to seem biased.”

The comically large mech, who was apparently Megatronus, scoffed at his...friend? Lover? Shockwave could not care. Sitting up so soon was a mistake as he held his aching helm with his servo. The sudden influx of energon on his systems must have thrown him off his equilibrium. 

Orion sat beside him to try and comfort him. As he was about to put a servo on Shockwave’s shoulder the one-eyed mech instantly grabbed the mech’s arm, gripping it with such intensity that the young archivist winced in pain.

Alarmed, Megatronus quickly drew his blade and pointed it at his arm, threatening to slice it off. Shockwave looked at the gladiator indifferently before letting go. The data clerk rubbed his arm while the grey mech knelt beside Orion, checking the injury before standing up once more to grab Shockwave by his neck cables, holding the scientist up in the air. 

“Fine. You want to die that badly, I’ll give you your wish.” the gladiator hissed at him.

“Megatronus stop! I’m fine!”

“Oh I know you’re fine, I just can’t let what he did to you pass. After saving him, this is the thanks we get? Forget this, we’re not recruiting him.”

“I...did not ask to be...saved.” Shockwave strained. He could feel his vocalizers were being crushed. He would’ve been fine if he lost his other arm a while ago but hanging in the air while his servos were struggling to free him was humiliating. 

After a few kliks, Megatronus let out a low growl and dropped him to the ground. Keeping the last of his dignity intact, Shockwave rubbed his neck cables only for a moment before speaking once more. 

“Where am I?”

“You’re in Kaon.” Orion told him “Well, the Pits more specifically….Okay you’re actually below the Pits” the data clerk chuckled nervously. Shockwave only gave him a blank look before heading towards the exit. 

“Wait, where are you going?” he asked in a confused voice as he tried to follow the scientist. Shockwave stopped in his tracks making Orion bump into him awkwardly. Turning around, the scientist loomed over him while the young archivist squirmed under his gaze. He stared at those hopeful blue optics before replying in a monotone voice.

“It is none of your business.”

Shockwave made his way into the only exit point he could see. Orion sighed while Megatronus nonchalantly spoke as he shined his blade.

"Goodluck finding the exit."

He could feel optics on him as he wandered aimlessly like a fool. At first he scoffed at the gladiator inwardly. He could take care of himself! He didn't always have to rely on his master for everything...Alright, maybe most things.

The mere thought of his master still stinged his spark. Shockwave tried to bury the hurt with every step he took. Eventually his pedes took him to a dark alley, which was unbelievable because the whole place itself already looked dreary and sketchy. It was a miracle that someone like Orion managed to survive and be with someone like Megatronus. 

Retracing his steps back, Shockwave tried to come back to where he came from when he accidentally bumped into some random gladiator. The mech didn't take it kindly when the scientist continued to walk, not even acknowledging the fact that he had collectively pissed off the mechs in the vicinity who saw. 

"Hey you! Don't you have something to say to my friend here." The other mech spoke beside the random gladiator. Shockwave continued his little stroll. It was as if the scientist didn't hear him.

Annoyed, one of the gladiators walked in front of him, blocking his path. He was holding what appears to be a hammer. The one-eyed mech stopped. Looking around, it seems like he was already surrounded. 

"Where are you off to? You're in such a hurry that you didn't even apologize to my friend here." One of them said in a threatening voice. 

The purple scientist would not admit it out loud but he was disappointed in himself. Was this really going to be his end? Not dying of old age with great accomplishments under his name but in a dirty underground pithole, beaten by a group of thugs?

His infallible stoicism only seemed to make the group of gladiators angrier, which prompted a kick on his stomach. Shockwave doubled over in pain, groaning on the floor. One of them managed to land a hit on his helm before someone interrupted them.

"Desist." 

Just like that, the group hurriedly dispersed. Shockwave

could hear the annoyed clicks of their dentae as they scrambled. Glancing to his side, he could see a blue servo that was being offered to him. Ignoring him and the pain, Shockwave stood up as if nothing happened, EM field pulled into himself. 

"Exit: Northeast of the building, by the stairs." 

He stared at the mech for a moment. Nothing was particularly standing out aside from the peculiar way he spoke. He wore a visor and a mask over his face which made it harder for the scientist to determine his motives for assisting him. Was it perhaps pity? It doesn't matter because all he wanted to do was get out of this place.

As Shockwave began to walk towards the correct direction, he noticed that the peculiar mech was walking a few steps behind him. At first he assumed he was going the same way, but it became apparent that he was indeed following him. 

Suddenly stopping, Shockwave turned around only to see the mech standing a few inches from him. The mysterious mech took a few steps back. They stared at each other in silence before Shockwave spoke. 

"Where are you going?" 

"Instructions from Megatronus: Escort Shockwave to the exit safely. As per Orion's request." 

Ignoring him once more, the scientist continued to walk towards the exit. Eventually the two of them reached the stairway that would lead above the arena. Shockwave glanced at the blue mech who suddenly disappeared behind him. Turning around, the mysterious bot was now in front of him, arms crossed and visor flaring. Shockwave stumbled back a bit. It was impressive and terrifying how he managed to move that fast, he thought.

"Confidentiality: Required. Location of this base must remain a secret." he said in a threatening voice. 

I see. Now it makes more sense that he has accompanied me here all the way.

"Granted. You will not see me again anyway. Your leader has lost interest in recruiting me." 

Shockwave walked past him and began to ascend. However, the blue mech spoke once more, making him stop. 

"Orion: Still interested. Result: Megatronus will still recruit you."

Turning his helm slightly, Shockwave glanced at him at the corner of his optic. He could feel the annoyance the mysterious mech was intentionally radiating in his direction. How unusual for this Orion, Shockwave thought. Everyone seemed to be against the idea of him joining their group except for the little data clerk. 

The scientist replied for the last time before leaving.

"Illogical." 

~

Leaving the arena was easier compared to the maze he came from. While making his way into the crystal city, he needed to blend in to get past the security. Of course now that he was considered a criminal and a disgrace to his home city this would prove to be difficult. 

He didn't even know what he would do once he got inside. Would he still plead innocence? Would his colleagues and students even believe him? It was plain as the day that all of them had abandoned him. 

Shockwave balled his servos into a fist. He then settled on taking his research. The scientist decided that he would at least finish it even if it's the last thing he would do on this planet. 

Then an idea struck him. Planet. He could leave! He could forget everything and perhaps start somewhere new, off planet. With a new goal in mind the young scientist made his way out of the city limits of Kaon. After successfully evading law enforcement, he eventually reached Crystal City. Shockwave sneaked back inside, thankfully there were fewer bots inside the university because of the tensions with uprising and the recent reveal of his alleged murder. The students must have been sent home to safety, but it was odd that no police were patrolling here.

Shockwave finally reached his lab. It didn't surprise him that the police had taken everything as evidence. However, they forgot to account that he and his master always hid copies. The purple scientist tapped on the wall behind his table where a  secret panel revealed itself. After putting the password, the panel beeped and the hidden closet slid open. 

Anger struck him as the closet opened only for it to be empty. Solar cycles of data were all gone, stolen, or worse, his master might have destroyed it. 

Frustrated, Shockwave sat down and slammed his servo on the table. He just wanted to go back on that cell corner again and deactivate for the rest of this forsaken planet's lifetime.

A sudden explosion outside the building caught his attention. Looking out the window, he could see several mechs pouring inside the university, all of them wearing the Decepticon insignia. Some of them were putting flags over the walls while the others were running inside. 

Just Perfect. He thought in a sarcastic tone.  

Shockwave decided that it was time for him to go, but where? Deep down he still wanted that fresh start alone. He decided to head for the nearest spacebridge station. As he began to run through the hallways, something caught his eye. It was the Records Room.

Looking inside, he noticed it was empty. In fact he was beginning to think that the whole university was empty. Did they anticipate the attack coming here? He asked himself. Shockwave went inside and sifted through the data banks. As he read through his own files, he found out that the university did not actually put most of his accomplishments on the record. Most of it was under Jhiaxus' name or both of their names but the articles he had published on his own were barely there. 

It was illogical. Were they expecting everyone to pretend he wasn't real? In the end it did not matter. Initially, he came here to delete most of his and his old master's traces but he was glad that he wouldn't have to do much work. 

Shockwave had removed every trace he ever had in this place, at least he thought he did before a certain spy in the near future extracts some information about his works. 

Reaching the back exit was easy but opening the door outside where thousands of Decepticons were raiding the place would be the difficult part. 

My paint job is already purple, perhaps I can blend in. 

Shockwave told himself as he casually opened the door and walked as fast as possible in the opposite direction. He was only a few more steps towards his freedom when a familiar blue mech was in the way, guarding his exit. Either his hearing must have been really good or he must have some special ability to hear his thoughts because the mech started to look towards his direction. In fact, his mere presence was overwhelming in an unnatural way. He felt the mysterious mech's EM field all the way where he was hiding. 

He's one of those gifted individuals.

The mech was some sort of empath and telepath hybrid. He was a fascinating subject Shockwave thought. Nevertheless, one mech would not be enough to stop him from getting out of here. Then again there must have been a reason why those gladiators that were beating him ran away just from hearing his voice. 

There is only one logical option left.

Shockwave approached him straight ahead. Curious, the mech tilted his helm a bit. He waited for the scientist to stop in front of him. They were once again having their little staring contest. Shockwave pulled his EM field to himself. 

"Reunion: sooner than I thought. Query: what were you doing in there." 

"Taking care of unfinished business." 

Speaking of unfinished businesses, the scientist knew where to stop next before the spacebridge. When it seemed to him that the blue mech would not stop him, Shockwave walked past him. He needed to make his way towards the police headquarters where he was held. Removing his record there should be the last thing on his list. Unless he had a way to erase every memory of him from everyone he ever met then that should be enough. 

It seemed that he was wrong about the cryptic mech letting him go. Shockwave stopped when he heard the whirring of a gun behind his backplates. 

"Shockwave's presence: Requested. Refusal: not an option." 

"Tell Megatronus that I am done being used by others to gain whatever meaningless ends they want. Goodbye...whoever you are." 

The warning shot near his pede did not faze Shockwave. The scientist figured that if this Megatronus was willing to let one of his strongest minions escort him unharmed back to the surface then it was only logical that he was tasked to bring him back underground again unharmed. 

However, Shockwave did not anticipate for the mech to shoot his neck with a sedative.The scientist fell on his knees then dropped like a turbofox shot down in its side. He glared at the mech kneeling beside him. Before losing his consciousness against his will, he heard him say something. 

"Designation: Soundwave." 

~

"Did you really have to shoot him? How many times must we traumatize the poor mecha."

"Well he got the job done, he's here unharmed my love, that's what you wanted right?" 

Shockwave was once again woken up by Megatronus and Orion's bickering except this time he was seeing three people standing around him. Sitting up slowly, he groggily looked around the room. It appeared to be a different location than the first one.

"Look at him. He's still loopy from that sedative, I mean he took the hit from his neck, that would've been pretty potent."

"Affirmative." He heard the blue mech, who was apparently named Soundwave, say in a pleased voice.

Since it was clear that he wasn't going anywhere any time soon he figured that gathering information about his two-time captors wouldn't hurt. Turning his attention to Orion he spoke in a slurred voice.

"What're you doing here...You're with the Chief Archivist...Stop looking at me with those big annoying optics." 

Before Orion could reply, he then glanced at Megatronus and asked him a different question.

"Why are you being illogical?...I am no Decepticon..." the scientist then glared at Soundwave. “And you…” If looks could kill, the cassette deployer would be full of holes at that moment. 

Shockwave fell on his back  before he could finish his thought and passed out.

Megatronus let out a laugh while Orion just sighed. Soundwave glared back at Shockwave's sleeping form in annoyance.

"Reconnaissance: Completed. Shockwave: Unacceptable as a Decepticon. Thoughts?" 

"Well someone has a little crush." The gladiator teased which earned a disappointed look from both the spy and the archivist. Megatronus sighed and gave a sympathetic look at his friend.

"Look, he has potential. I remember when the Decepticon movement was just starting. He reminds me of our humble beginnings, Soundwave.” 

Megatronus began to pace around Shockwave and continued. “This mech was just waking up. Shockwave has lived his whole life in a vacuum and now...Well now, he’s realizing that no matter how hard he’ll work this world will not treat him as their equal. We cannot let someone, a brilliant scientist like this, fall back in their hands again." 

Megatronus then leaned over Shockwave and continued "I have decided. He will join us." The Decepticon leader glanced at Orion, pleased to see the delighted expression on his face.  However, Megatron failed to notice the dismayed shaking of Soundwave's helm. 

"Based on what Orion has told me about that cycle, I know just what to say to him to get him to join our cause."  

Soundwave stood by the exit and listened to his leader and the archivist celebrate. While the two of them were beginning to look busy the spy took it as a signal to quietly leave. 

~

Shockwave woke up peacefully. This time there was no bickering to disturb him. In fact, there was no one with him at all. Sitting up, he began to observe his surroundings. It seemed like they took him to some sort of private quarters. The room was quite small, just enough for two people. He knew they weren’t underground, seeing that there’s a window in his room albeit it was small. A small energon cube and a datapad was at his bedside. Ignoring the cube, Shockwave turned on the datapad and read the message. 

“Come and talk when you are ready. -Megatronus” 

Attached to that short message was a private commlink. He hesitated for a moment, thinking of the most logical step he could take next. Shockwave knew that these people would not stop until he joined them. It doesn’t make any sense! They didn’t want him! No one did!

So Why? 

The datapad creaked under the force of his grip, threatening to dent the once smooth surface. Before it could crack however, the datapad swung back about to be thrown, but it just clattered down the floor as the grip loosened ever so slightly, its holder slumping down in the berth with a choked sob, both hands covering his face. 

He stayed like that for a couple of kliks before venting. In the end, Shockwave saved the commlink and went back to sleep. 

A gentle knock woke Shockwave up from his dreamless sleep. Adjusting his optics, he groggily walked towards the door to open it. Orion’s wide and worried optics greeted Shockwave’s cold one. The scientist remained silent, clearly disinterested in interacting with any living Cybertronian right now. The young data clerk didn’t seem to mind and greeted him with a cheery smile.

It made Shockwave recoil in disgust, which was new to him. 

“Hey...I just wanted to check in on you. You have been holed up in here for deca-cycles and I was worried you weren’t fuelli-”

“Get out.” 

“But-”

“You appall me.”

The scientist closed the door on his face. While he was trying to get back on his berth, the gentle knock became a loud continuous banging. Irritated, Shockwave briskly walked back to the door to tell him off once and for all.

Orion’s optics were flaring with anger now. Shockwave knew it was illogical to be enjoying the sight but he did not know why, perhaps it was because he reminded him of his mast- Jhiaxus or was it because he saw his old idealistic self? He buried that thought. 

He kept on burying useless, illogical emotions until there was only his purpose, which he has yet to find because this damned data clerk kept on disturbing him. 

“ I appall you?!”

Shockwave sighed as Orion went on a tirade about “refusing to give up” and “fighting for the freedom of all cybertronians is a just cause" or how “this is an important turning point in our history”. He listened to him blabber until the data clerk noticed that he was looking at something else. Orion turned his helm only to see Megatronus standing behind him, looking at him fondly.  The gladiator approached them as he spoke. 

"That's how he stole my spark by the way, so I'm just going to grab him real quick." 

With a huff, Megatronus swiftly lifted Orion onto his shoulders. The blue mech yelped and gave the gladiator a slap on the back which earned him a laugh. Orion vented in annoyance and continued to talk while Megatronus noticed the untouched energon cube and the datapad that had fallen on the floor. He then glanced back at Shockwave. His scrutinizing gaze felt like it was boring holes in his chassis, but he was not about to back down, instead he spoke. 

"Megatronus. I will contact you soon. Thank you for the hospitality. Excuse me." 

He then gently closed the door. Sighing in defeat, he picked up the datapad. Shockwave glanced down at his berthside table, finally noticing the congealing energon cube. It has been so long since it had been touched that it became a sticky solid mass. Edible? Yes, but will mostly take time to be consumed because he doesn't have the dentae and glossa to consume bulky solids. 

Shockwave sat down on his berth, mashing the energon on the cube with his digits, deep in thought. The fact that Megatronus was willing to talk to him meant that Orion had somehow convinced him into recruiting him. The scientist remembered what Soundwave had told him that cycle on that staircase. 

He was right.

Gulping down that cube was difficult, but the new energon in his system had helped clear his mind. Jhiaxus had once taught him that one should not be emotional while making important decisions. One of the other important lessons he had learned from his old master. 

He had occasionally thought about it while moping around in this room. “What if things had happened differently? What if Jhiaxus didn’t have to resort to killing? What if it was Megatronus who had found him first back then?”

It was no use. Nothing would have changed the present now, unless he can somehow go back in time. The only truth that mattered right now was that emotional attachments would only bring him nothing but misery. 

Shockwave activated his commlink and sent a message to Megatronus with a newfound resolve. 

~

“What do you think of this place so far?”

“Tarn is...adequate. It is a decent base for Decepticon operations. I am impressed by how you’ve come so far as a leader, you have managed to gain control of one of Cybertron’s largest cities.”

Megatronus was walking alongside Shockwave as they talked. The scientist was surprised they brought him all the way from Crystal City. He was practically dragged on the other side of the planet. The Decepticon leader huffed, chest puffing out proudly. They stopped at a large overlooking balcony, Shockwave and Megatronus took in the view. 

“Are you not curious why I’m suddenly interested in talking to you now?”

“It is only logical to assume that you’re finally seeing my worth. I am not here to be impressed by one of your or Orion’s long speeches. What do you require of me?”

The gladiator was looking at him with those scrutinizing optics once more. Was he disappointed? Surprised? Shockwave could not tell. He would rather not, for now he had decided, after leaving that room, that the only master he would serve from now on would be his own interests. 

“You are somehow different after deca-cycles of rest Shockwave. Very well, let’s get down to business then.” 

Megatronus had led him to some sort of laboratory, or at least that’s what he assumed. It was embarrassingly under equipped. The room itself was half of the space he had in the university, and everything inside was either broken or on the verge of breaking. Hearing some shuffling noises on the shadows, Shockwave’s optic followed the movement only to be greeted by a four-legged beastformer. Its charcoal-black paint job made it look like the shadows itself came to life and its optics were red as a ruby. 

“Ravage: Return.”

Shockwave almost jumped when Soundwave suddenly appeared behind them. Almost. He looked back at the cassette deployer and saw his chest compartment open to let his minion come back. 

Fascinating .  

Megatronus didn’t seem to mind the silent mech’s surprising appearance. In fact, the Decepticon leader was more awed at his reaction or the lack thereof. He raised an eyeridge at Shockwave and spoke.

“Amazing, most people would’ve been startled at Soundwave’s silent comings and goings. I remember Orion’s first reaction. Hilarious.”

Ignoring Shockwave, the blue mech handed out some datapads to Megatronus, bowed and left without saying another word. The Decepticon leader hid those datapads inside his subspace and continued their tour on what the scientist had assumed would be his next workplace. 

“I know what it looks like. The Decepticon movement did not exactly start with engineers and doctors on our side. This is where you’ll come in Shockwave.”

They stepped inside, Megatronus closing the doors behind them while Shockwave walked around as he inspected the inside with his single optic. The grey mech walked towards one of the stools and dusted it off before seating. 

"Your  assumption is correct, but indulge this humble poet's speech for a moment. I don't want to force you to join the Decepticons-"

"My neck begs to disagree." Shockwave interrupted.

"Regardless", Megatronus continued despite how annoyed he was that the purple mech had the audacity to speak over him. "I want you to see for yourself how far we'll come as Cybertronians. Even if you refuse my offer we would just find someone else. The Autobots have always held us back with their outdated and repressive caste system. We will change this wretched society."

"And after that?" Shockwave asked.

"After that you are free to do whatever it is you intended to do.” Megatronus stood up and walked towards Shockwave. The dim lighting inside the laboratory seemed to accentuate his features. Up close, the scientist could see the scars that covered his chassis. Sure they were faded but they’re still there. As the gladiator stood inches from him, Shockwave did not even care if this was some sort of intimidation attempt. He was more curious on how he would react next to his reply.

“This deal is illogical, the risk outweighs the benefits. The promise of a change for our society would not matter to me if I’m not in Cybertron anyway. Thank you for the offer but I refuse.” 

Shockwave did not anticipate Megatronus to smirk at him. It was as if he was expecting this reply from him. They stared at each other, waiting for someone to break the silence. The gladiator’s piercing gaze was enough to freeze a mech, like a predator preparing to pounce on a prey. Perhaps it was one of his secrets into rising as the strongest gladiator in the pits of Kaon. Unsatisfied, Shockwave turned around and walked towards the door. As he was about to open it he heard Megatronus speak once more.

“There’s only two types of people I know Shockwave, those who run from their problems like a coward and those who face them head on, nipping it at its bud before it’s too late." 

The scientist paused, glancing ever so slightly at the mech behind him. 

"I was hoping you were the latter but as I predicted…" Megatronus scoffed. 

Interest piqued once more, Shockwave finally faced him again and waited for his inevitable speech to continue. 

“Do you really think our problems here will not reach you? Do you even know what’s happening outside for the past cycles? You are already a wanted man Shockwave. Getting off this planet will be next to impossible." 

"You underestimate my resourcefulness. It may be cowardly for you but to me it does not matter. I would rather be offline somewhere of my choosing than die in this war." He replied. Megatronus was quick with his retort. The gladiator closed their distance once more as he spoke nonchalantly.

"Impressive resourcefulness. The minute your master had abandoned you, you were basically acting like a lost sparkling. Starving yourself in a cell, acting recklessly and getting yourself beat up in a place full of seasoned fighters.”

Shockwave flinched at that. He instinctively took a step back but the sole of his pede only met the closed door. The scientist knew he wasn’t really cornered, that he could open the door behind him at any moment and yet he felt trapped inside with him. It was strange, the EMF that Megatronus was emitting wasn’t threatening or anything of the sort. He was genuinely passionate about his goals and that intensity ebbed from his aura. 

It was suffocating yet also hypnotic. 

“You are lost. Save yourself from this needless self-searching, your true place is with the Decepticons, Shockwave.”

The gladiator towered over him. Shockwave stared at his optics, desperately thinking of a witty retort but he was right. He was lost. 

“...I need to find my purpose.” Shockwave replied in a quiet voice as he looked down in shame.

“And you will,” Megatronus added. “Join me and with my help you will gain the power to pursue it.”

Shockwave’s lone optic widened as he saw the servo being extended to him. Frankly, it only brought up horrible memories but he buried it all down. This deal was illogical. The whole Decepticon movement hinged on one mech and he knew it. If Megatronus failed he would also follow suit. Not only would he be branded as a criminal but also a rebel. 

But with my help…

Yes. That was right. Deep down he knew there was a reason he was still listening to him after all this time. Megatronus has the potential to change their world. In a way, both of them have defied the odds. Perhaps he was right. It was mad. Shockwave came to him to formally reject his offer but he was genuinely considering joining him. 

The scientist slowly clasped the Decepticon leader’s servo in agreement. Megatronus sealed their deal with a firm grip. Shockwave didn’t look up to see his reaction but basing on the gladiator’s sigh of relief he would guess that this outcome was satisfactory.  

“Excellent. Welcome to the Decepticons, Shockwave.” 

Chapter Text

It’s been stellar-cycles since his last private recruitment from the Decepticon leader himself. Although Shockwave was personally invited by none other than Megatronus himself, the members of his faction weren’t really thrilled by his presence, considering the fact that his reputation wasn’t as pleasant as “revolutionary fighting for the injustices of their society” and more something along the lines of “a mad scientist who collected sparks for his experiments”. Nevertheless, the scientist himself couldn’t bring himself to care that much. Shockwave has accepted his current situation and made it his personal mission to make the best of it. 

As a gift for Megatronus' persistence, Shockwave thought it would be befitting for a gladiator to have an impressive weapon, but alas the scientist was stumped. He was fairly new to weapons engineering and if he was being honest he has no idea what a perfect weapon should be, especially for someone as amazing in combat as Megatronus. The scientist decided to leave his lab for the first time in deca-cycles and take a short walk. 

It was strange, his pedes always seemed to absentmindedly carry him towards the exit of the arena every time he decided to go out. Even though he was curious about his surroundings, albeit mostly for security purposes since he was in an unfamiliar place, he would still find himself by the exit. Once Shockwave realized what was going on, he would stare down at his feet for a few kliks and walk back to his lab.

Illogical.

Unbeknownst to the scientist, someone has been keeping a watchful optic at his peculiar routine for a few cycles now. The spy continued to follow him until Shockwave reached the door to his lab. Soundwave’s eyeridges rose in surprise when he heard the scientist speak.

“How long have you been following me?”

The spy stepped out of the shadows and replied. “Long enough. Query: how did you know?”

Shockwave faced the blue mech, cocked his head to the side and answered in his most monotone voice.

“It wasn’t that hard to install security sensors here. This place really needs more improvement, you can’t guard it all by yourself.” 

Irritated, Soundwave stepped closer, visor flaring. Interesting enough, the empath couldn’t feel much from the mech in front of him. The purple mech wasn’t pulling his EMF to himself per se, but if he were to describe Shockwave’s EM field that time, it just felt...cold. Mechanical if he was being more accurate. The kind of feeling one would get from watching a group of workers absorbed in their repetitive work to the point where the surroundings become blurred. 

How unpleasant.  

Soundwave thought as he glared at him. It was clear to Shockwave from the start that this mech, who was apparently Megatronus’s most trusted ally, despised him. He could understand his apprehension and distrust to an extent but it was beginning to be a nuisance. 

“Decepticon insignia: missing. Shockwave: hiding and lurking. Conclusion: betrayal might be imminent.”

“You are being illogical.”

The spy was about to retort when he noticed the scientist take out something in his subspace. Soundwave quickly took out his blaster and pointed it to the other’s helm. Startled, Shockwave almost dropped what he was holding. 

“Slowly.” the blue mech spoke in a commanding voice. The scientist quietly complied, revealing it to be the missing insignia. The badge glinted in his digits, it was clear that it was newly made.  

The gun pointed at Shockwave’s helm was retracted but Soundwave’s scrutinizing gaze remained on him. 

“If it would make you feel less distrusting of me, you can put the insignia on my shoulder plates yourself.”

The hostility emanating from Soundwave's field lessened. The spy then turned his back to the scientist and replied.

"Assessment of Shockwave: Recalculated. I expect the insignia to be on your shoulder within this cycle." 

With that, Shockwave was once again left to his own devices, still unsure of what to give to his leader. 

~

Orion made his way to Kaon, determination written on his face plates. It has not gone unnoticed that Megatronus' recent movements against the senate have been too aggressive to his liking. Once he knew that his beloved was staying in Kaon he immediately went to confront him. 

"Ah, Orion. What a pleasant surprise my love. You should've commed me that you were coming." 

Megatronus greeted him at the entrance as if nothing was wrong. Even though Orion made sure to let his beloved be aware of his unease, it unnerved him that the gladiator didn’t even acknowledge this in his EM field. The data clerk approached him, glancing at the curious optics watching them. Orion couldn’t help but notice the increasing number of unfamiliar faces that were joining the Decepticons. Back then, when he first joined this movement, a ceremony would be held for the new members. It was always a special occasion that Megatronus himself presided and all would be present to welcome them. Now, it felt different…it felt wrong. Seeing the leery looks he got from these strangers didn’t lessen the horrible feeling in his chest. 

It was peculiar that his partner was waiting for him here. It was as if he knew he was going to come to him the moment he heard about the recent bombing in Six Lasers no less which involved civilian casualties. 

"May I speak with you… in private."

The two of them took a walk inside the arena. Orion looked at the mech beside him…except he noticed that Megatronus was already walking past him towards his private quarters. It was a bit rude. Sure he was the Decepticon leader, but to be treated like an underling following his master didn’t sit right with Orion. Perhaps he was overthinking it, but it did hurt. 

The data archivist decided to keep quiet the whole way, gathering his thoughts on how best to confront Megatronus. After all, deep down he knew that his lover was still within reach of reason. Surely there must have been a just reason for blowing up an amusement park right? 

Finally, the two of them were alone in the gladiator’s berthroom. Megatronus didn’t even speak. Once the doors were locked he closed the space between him and his little data clerk, pinning him in the nearest wall and kissing him right away. Surprised, Orion yelped at the sudden action. Pulling away for a moment, the archivist tried to speak but Megatronus’ mouth was already back on his, determined to keep him quiet. The grey mech began to slide a leg between Orion’s own, making him moan but he underestimated his partner’s will. Orion shoved Megatronus, a look of confusion and hurt obviously written in the data clerk’s face. 

Megatronus’ chest couldn’t help but ache at the sight. Of course he knew Orion’s purpose of visit.

“I know what you’re doing. Seduction won’t work and you know it.” Orion rubbed a digit on his sore lipplates which made Megatronus lick his own. He couldn’t help it, Orion’s angry face with his lips looking like that had awakened something in him and it couldn’t have come at a better timing. Now both of them are frustrated for different reasons. 

Megatronus let out gruff noise, looking away at Orion as he crossed his arms. The archivist couldn’t help but sigh and close the distance between them once more as he gave him a hug. Orion pecked him on his cheek and whispered.

“I need you to tell me that you weren’t involved in that incident…” 

The Decepticon leader looked at him in those shining blue optics, debating whether he would lie or confess. But who was he joking, he could never lie to him, try as hard as he might. That explosion was supposed to be a statement. Clearly the High Council did not take the revolution seriously enough so he needed to take action. With every klik that passed, more of their comrades died of energon starvation and he wasn’t going to wait around until half of their planet dies. 

“There were unintended results…”

“People have died Megatronus!” 

Orion pulled away from him, servos balled into a fist. He wasn’t sure which was worse, that he was admitting or denying it. Either way, it pained him. Orion couldn’t believe that Megatronus would resort to violence in the end. Of course, he should’ve seen it coming. Megatronus has been adamant on changing Cybertron through force. 

“What’s done is done. Do I regret it? No. If it will even get the slightest attention my people need I would do it again. Unless they start taking the necessary action I will never stop.” Megatronus towered over him, pointing a finger as he continued “We are the symptom of the disease that’s taking over this damned society, and you don’t have the right to judge how we survive when you’ve lived your whole life not worrying about whether you’ll even have a tomorrow to look forward to!” 

The data archivist flinched at his partner’s accusatory tone. He was right. Of course he was right. It was the reason he’s standing with him in the first place.

Looking down, Orion spoke in a shaky voice, optics beginning to fill with coolant “But not like this…” He raised his head high, meeting that fiery gaze with his own. “You’re right but it shouldn’t be this way! I just can’t turn a blind eye to those mechs who lost their lives Megatronus.” 

The Decepticon leader let out a growl, righteous anger beginning to bubble up from his chest. Megatronus was about to retaliate when Orion cut him off, the words from the archivist surprised him as he said the following. 

“I secured an audience with the High Council two cycles ago…I was going to tell you right away, but when I heard about what happened with Six Lasers I…I don’t know if telling you was the right decision.” Orion looked away and squeezed his optics shut, afraid to see the reaction on his dearest's face. 

Megatronus couldn’t begin to describe the feeling of betrayal he was experiencing right now. He grabbed him by the arm and spoke.

“How- Why?!… Orion, you knew how important this was to me!” the gladiator shook his arm, begging him to look back. Coolant began to flow from the archivist’s optics as he began to explain between sobs. 

“It wasn’t just that place Megatronus, the Decepticons were beginning to act differently, they’ve become more violent and I-.”  He placed a gentle servo on the gladiator’s forearm and continued. “I begged Alpha Trion to help. It wasn’t easy. I know what you’re thinking…Why only now.” The grip on his arm began to loosen as he explained further “It was your recent actions, and I finally told Alpha Trion the true nature of our relationship…sort of. It was precisely why.”

Megatronus’ faceplate was swirling with mixed emotions. Confusion, anger that’s fading by the klik, and sheepishness, which surprised Orion more as he took note of the slight blush in the gladiator’s face.

“You told Alpha Trion we’re lovers!? That’s so unnecessary-” He told him with a hitch in his voice. He knew how much Orion looked up to that old bag of rust. He was basically raised by that mech.

“Well I didn’t tell him that! I just…well I told him we were very close and that I have been coming here. All this time he just thought we were talking through the Grid.”

The tilt on Megatronus’ helm was adorable, Orion thought. It was almost bizarre, they were just arguing a few breems ago, now they’re having a casual conversation about their relationship. It caught him off-guard how much Megatronus cared about Alpha Trion knowing about them. He wondered why.

He also wondered, why now …It wasn’t just recently that he had tried to convince Alpha Trion to grant Megatronus an audience with the High Council. Ever since his spark has been shaken to the core by his speeches, he knew that his movement needed to be properly heard. But the moment he confessed that he’s involved, the sparkle in the old sage’s optics awakened. It was like he had been waiting for this moment. 

It was Orion’s turn to grab Megatronus by his arm then. Speaking in a serious and firm voice, the archivist looked the gladiator in the eye and told him.

“Megatronus, you need to promise me to stop the attacks before the meeting with the High Council. Promise me.”

“And when is this fateful meeting going to be held?” 

“A deca-cycle from now. Just ten cycles, that’s all I’m asking. It’s going to be held at the Hall of Records.”

Megatronus raised an eyeridge at that. Orion, quickly witted as ever, answered his unspoken question. “It was requested by Alpha Trion himself. He was insistent on it for some reason.” 

“Very well…I promise.” 

~

It was already past the normal recharge cycle of an average cybertronian, but Shockwave was still toiling away at his current projects. Besides the long list of things he must do, Megatronus' weapon has to be completed soon. Word of his meeting with the High Council has spread all over the base like wildfire and it would do his leader well if he was well-equipped in case things started to turn for worse. 

Venting, the scientist took a quick break. Shockwave stood up and rolled his shoulders. Hearing the satisfying creaks of his plates was enough to remind him of the old days in Crystal City. Times where he was so engrossed in his work that he would often forget to move for long periods of time. Of course with those memories, pain would also come side to side, as he recalled the betrayal from his master. The mech closed his optic for a moment and suppressed the feeling as much as he could. He couldn't afford to waste time on unnecessary emotions, he thought to himself.

Shockwave scanned his current laboratory. As he took in all of its surroundings he realized that he's still doing the exact same thing back then. So much has happened and yet he's still doing what he does best. He caught a reflection of himself in one of the glassware. The scientist stared at the freshly welded insignia on his shoulder and remembered the conversation he had with the distrustful spy.

Shockwave was a mech who barely considered anyone's opinion on anything but if he was going to complete Megatronus' weapon soon then there's no better candidate to ask than his most trusted subordinate. It was only logical.

Feeling that his options were limited, Shockwave decided to go out and look for Soundwave. The only problem was that the mech has proven himself quite difficult to find when he doesn't want to be found. It was impressive and annoying that the spy can appear to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. 

Contacting him privately was not an option since the blue mech didn't give him his comm frequency. Apparently if he wanted to contact him he could just ask Megatronus, and since Megatronus was currently occupied by other important matters, Shockwave was left to do the unpleasant alternative, asking mechs around like a lost little sparkling. 

While Shockwave wasn't interested in interacting with anyone in this place, He mentally and physically prepared himself for any confrontation. As he went around the base, it surprised him that these people were now treating him with respect. Begrudging at most, but it still caught him off-guard when a random gladiator saluted him. Was he promoted to some kind of position without his knowledge? 

Exhausted from all of the walking, Shockwave decided to sit down in one of the arenas and watch some of the fighters train from the audience area. While the scientist was lost in thought, he didn't notice a blue figure quietly sit down next to him. 

"Query: Chief Engineer was looking for me?"  

The scientist snapped from his musings and looked beside him. Soundwave was looking straight ahead, observing the training. Everyone else was so focused on their sparring that the two were practically blurred in the background.

Soundwave finally faced him and continued.

"Purpose?" 

Shockwave took a moment to glance at the gladiators before replying. While he did want to ask for his personal frequency so he wouldn't go around asking for him like a fool again, the scientist thought it would be best to get straight to the point first. After all, he was on a tight schedule and he couldn't imagine himself to be relying on Soundwave for the foreseeable future. If anything, the spy would be the one who would need him more. 

"I am currently working on a personal project. One that is specifically designed for Megatronus and I…" 

The scientist curled his servos into a fist before continuing, an ugly feeling forming in his chest.

"...I deem your possible input to be logical." 

Shockwave couldn't read the emotions behind the mask and he couldn't care less right now so he waited patiently until the spy would reply. Just as quickly that unpleasant feeling appeared, the scientist shunned it immediately. It shouldn't affect his pride, in fact he should be above such petty emotions and yet there it was. Perhaps it would take some time getting used to…Ignoring his own emotions was no easy feat.

Soundwave let out a thoughtful hum before speaking.

"Objective?" 

The scientist tilted his helm at the side, confused and mainly annoyed at the question. 

"Clarify." Shockwave replied in a monotone. What answer does Soundwave expect? That he was doing it to gain favor from Megatronus? Maybe this was a waste of time, he thought.

"Shockwave's personal project for Megatronus: purpose? Is it a weapon? Is it a new formula for energon? Is it some kind of experimental enhancing procedure? Details are needed." 

Ah. Of course. 

Cautious as always, Soundwave was intensely looking at the scientist, now with both his arms crossed. Although both of them knew that this little intimidating tactic would not scare Shockwave, the purple mech was willing to divulge the details of his weapon nonetheless.

"Yes, it is a weapon. I have noticed Megatronus' excellent close combat skills however I never saw him shoot anything with a blaster. Therefore I'm thinking of making him a long-ranged type of weapon, to make up for this exploitable weakness." 

Shockwave was rambling for a bit about his recent prototypes while Soundwave listened intently. After discussing his designs, he noticed the way the blue mech was sitting. It was almost like he was relaxed in his presence. Illogical. Surely it was some kind of tactic. 

"Designs: decent. Query: have you asked Megatronus' for his preference?" 

Taken aback, Shockwave went still for a moment. He never really thought to ask the mech since he was confident that whatever he would pitch to him would be excellent. Of course that was before he thought that this task would be easy. Looking down at his datapad, Shockwave contemplated for a moment before answering. 

"Perhaps that was the reason why I came to you first. Since you know him best it would be logical to ask you instead of Megatronus in order to avoid biases in design. You would know what he would need most." 

Soundwave looked at him with a newfound respect. The communications officer didn't expect the scientist to put this much thought for something that wouldn't even benefit him directly. Shockwave was odd, but perhaps he judged him too harshly. He may be Decepticon material after all. 

"Explanation: acceptable." He sighed. Standing up, Soundwave gestured the other to follow him down from the audience bleachers to the arena itself. Feeling the slight unease on Shockwave's field, Soundwave reassured him.

"Shockwave: not going to get beaten up. However, a demonstration is needed." 

The blue mech looked around the gladiators that were fighting, scanning for a specific mech. Finally he pointed at one of them and called their attention.

The gladiator approached them with a dumbfounded look in his face. He saluted them, back straight as a pole. His face was covered in dents and grime yet the seriousness in his expression was enough to make a mech quiver in their pedes. Soundwave gave an approving nod and faced Shockwave.

The spy pointed to the mech and spoke. "Megatronus almost has the same build as this one. Commencing, Operation: Deduction." 

Everything happened so fast. Soundwave kicked high, aiming at the poor mecha's faceplates. But seeing as that gladiator was fresh from training, his instincts quickly took over and blocked the incoming attack; however it knocked him far enough for Soundwave to point a blaster at him, albeit it was a training gun, not fatal but enough to cause some discomfort. The gladiator dodged the blast within an inch of his life. Even though he knew deep down that he wasn't in any real danger, he needed to impress Megatronus through Soundwave. 

The gladiator didn't have any gun on him so he opted to lunge at his attacker and close their distance as much as possible for him to counter-attack, but Soundwave knew this. Aiming perfectly between the gladiator's optics, Soundwave shot him.

"Ow…" the gladiator fell on his face with a groan. 

Soundwave looked at Shockwave expectantly, like a teacher who was ready to answer any of his student's questions, which the scientist has a lot of. 

"Interesting demonstration. Wouldn't it be more convenient to tell it to me directly?"

"Shockwave: would not understand. You're not a warrior. Experience: best teacher."

Shockwave scoffed at him. As he circled at the fallen gladiator, who was trying to maintain what's left of his dignity, he began to assess the fight as a scientist. Churning out ideas one by one, he took out a datapad and noted some of the mech's features that highly resembled Megatronus. One that particularly stood out for him was the arm.

The scientist looked back at Soundwave then at the mech, who was now sitting on the ground with a curious look on his face, then back at Soundwave again. He then began to walk towards the spy. 

Eyeridge raised, Soundwave stood still, curious at what the scientist would do next. Shockwave stopped beside him and spoke briefly in his monotone voice. 

"This has been informative." With that he continued to walk past him and back to his lab. 

"You're welcome." Soundwave left as well, beginning to walk in another direction with an annoyed sigh. He supposed that was as close as he could get to a "thank you" from Shockwave. The poor gladiator was left sitting on the dirt while his previous sparring partner was watching the whole scene from the bleachers, mouth full of rust sticks. 

~

"Is he still holed up in his cave?"

"Affirmative"

Megatronus pinched the bridge of his nose with a groan. It has been eight cycles since Soundwave's little demonstration and no one has seen the purple scientist come out from his lab. Although some have speculated that he was already a rusting corpse in there, one of the fighters curiously took a peek inside but the windows were all tightly shut. The door was also locked and can only be opened by Megatronus or the medic. 

The only reason that they thought he was alive was because of the occasional welding noises and explosions. 

"What project is he working on that he must spend all his attention on?!" Megatronus bellowed, "Granted that he has improved the technology and security here, Shockwave must know that we are on the verge of making history here!" he added in a furious voice. 

He looked to Soundwave for an answer, because of course nothing goes on within the Decepticons without him knowing. Soundwave answered promptly.

"A weapon. For you." 

The anger on his face dissipated immediately upon hearing this. He was aware in their agreement that Shockwave would be contributing his intelligence into fortifying their ranks. Be it weapons or security, he must prepare the soldiers enough to level the playing field in case a fight against the Senate would break out. Of course it didn't ease Orion's mind, he could tell that he was regretting introducing Shockwave to him. Not only the recent influx of weapons instigated violence on the streets, it became serious enough that the Senate was beginning to look at the Decepticons as a legitimate threat. 

"A gift for me? How thoughtful of him." He said, the curiosity in his voice obvious. Megatronus began to ask some questions about it. Soundwave, unfortunately, did not have many answers since the cryptic scientist hasn’t updated anyone on the weapon he was working on. Sure, he showed him those drafts but there’s no telling what he would make. If he was being honest, his curiosity was piqued as well. 

While the two of them were discussing plans for the upcoming meeting with the High Council, another explosion was heard in the lab's direction. Seeing the reaction of the foot soldier guarding the door of their war room, Soundwave assumed that this explosion was out of the ordinary. It shook the walls for a bit so needless to say it was a bit concerning. The spy immediately commed for the medic to check if the mad scientist was still alive. 

After a few kliks, Soundwave received an update on Shockwave's well-being. Needless to say the sudden flare in the blue mech's field slightly worried the Decepticon leader. 

"He's not dead is he?" Megatronus asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Shockwave: functioning…However," Soundwave sighed before he continued. "He has lost an arm."

The reaction on Megatronus' face was unique if Soundwave were to describe it. Worry with a hint of annoyance and beneath all that the empath could feel his suppressed excitement for this weapon. 

"As long as his brain module's intact…" Megatronus said in a nonchalant voice. 

Pedes heading towards the door, the warlord waved goodbye at his subordinate "Soundwave as always I'm leaving you in charge. I have business in Vos. Try to keep our little scientist alive would you?" 

"Affirmative." 

~ 

The moment Shockwave woke up, painful sensations assaulted his left side. Slowly, the scientist took in his surroundings. The familiar beeps and the smell of the disinfectants wafting through his olfactory sensors just confirmed his location. Shockwave ran a self-diagnostic scan on himself. What his HUD showed him felt like a punch in his gut. A good chunk of his arm was definitely lost during the explosion. Multiple damages in his upper left extremities and of course he lost a lot of energon hence the drip that was currently attached to him now.

Carefully, the scientist tried to sit up on his own but the medic noticed him stir.  Thus resulting in one of the most annoying headaches of his lifetime. 

"hey HEY HEY. You just exploded your own freakin arm and you're already down to do more damage to yourself?! Go lie back down!" The grumpy medic yelled. If he was meant to recover then why did he need to increase the volume of his voice? Illogical. Shockwave did not have the energy to argue so he opted to follow his doctor. 

"I mean seriously, what the hell's wrong with Megatronus hiring this crazy guy…" the medic grumbled as he continued to arrange his tools. The mech either did not realize that Shockwave could hear the mumbling or he did not care. 

"Primus you should've seen your lab, you were practically bathing on your own energo–" 

The doctor's ramblings suddenly stopped, clearly an important transmission was coming through. The medic looked at Shockwave with a raised eyeridge. He then proceeded to walk towards his medical berth with an unimpressed look on his faceplates. 

"Check your HUD."

Shockwave did as he was told only to find two commlink frequencies. Before he could ask, the doctor already beat him to it.

"The other one's mine. You know, in case you do something like this again. And the other one is Soundwave's. You know, so he can prevent you from doing something like this again" The mech scratched the back of his helm as he added. "I don't know why you're not already included in High Command's commlink frequency, you're our Chief Engineer. You basically have as many responsibilities around here as me. Well not as much as Soundwave's but you get it."

"Your designation." Shockwave asked flatly, clearly uninterested in his doctor's musings. 

"What about my designation?"

"What is it?" the scientist asked in his most monotonous voice. It was as if he was asking what flavor of energon was being served this cycle. The medic however, clearly took offense to this. 

" You little– I SAVED YOUR SORRY AFT TWICE! AND YOU NEVER BOTHERED TO LEARN MY NAME!"

"Well I am going to learn it right now. This outburst is illogical." The purple mech said in a matter-of-factly manner that pissed the medic more. 

" ARRRGH!"  The medic just balled his green servos into a fist in frustration. "I need to remove myself in this room before I strangle you! My designation is Hook you inconsiderate aft!" 

With that Shockwave was left alone in the medbay, updating his HUD in peace. While going through his schedule he noticed a ping from Soundwave's frequencies. He opened the message.

[Estimated time for arm repairs?] 

The scientist paused for a couple of kliks before pinging a message back.

[ Five cycles.]  It dawned on him that he may not be able to install the weapon he made for Megatronus himself. Even if he synthesized a chemical agent to speed up his self-repair (which was unlikely) he would still need to find a suitable replacement for his arm. The fated meeting would be held in three cycles. As much as he began to resent asking for assistance he needed, no– he wanted to give Megatronus that weapon before the meeting. 

Shockwave threw what's left of his pride and dignity and commed Soundwave. 

[ You must secure the weapon in my lab and have Hook install it to Megatronus as soon as possible when you have the chance.] 

Soundwave was currently on a recon mission in Iacon. As he read through the scientist's message he couldn't help but stop on his tracks for a klik and smile a little. Megatronus' hold on Shockwave was clear as day and the scientist's loyalty could not be questioned any further. Despite his injuries, he prioritized Megatronus and that struck a chord with him.  Although Shockwave's a mystery himself, he would not worry about him being a traitor to the cause. 

[Affirmative.] He replied. Little did Shockwave know that Soundwave was already ahead of him. The moment the explosion was heard Ravage and the twin cassettes already took care of things and punished those unwitting fools who tried to steal it. 

~

The meeting in the Hall of Records was finally happening. Tomorrow, the history of Cybertron would forever change and Orion couldn’t recharge at all so he instead decided to catch up on some archiving work. The halls were quiet save for a few other archivists who were doing some late night filing. The data clerk couldn’t shake this awful feeling in his chest that something dreadful would happen tomorrow. Looking for reassurances, Orion tried to reach out to Megatronus through their bond only to find a steady hum. That only meant two things, he was either fast asleep or deep in thought. Usually Megatronus’ spark would be this steady when he’s writing. Orion tried to reach him again. No response. 

Sleeping it is then.

A bit disappointed, Orion couldn’t help but feel envy at his conjunx ease right now but happy for him nevertheless. Little did he know that Megatronus was currently unconscious as he was going into Hook’s surgery table. The cannon that Shockwave made was truly magnificent and clever . The madman actually did it, he made a weapon that was capable of hiding in his arm, more importantly it would be able to hide itself in scanners. The only problem was the delicacy of the procedure. Hook would need to alter the Decepticon leader’s altmode a bit since the weapon would be integrated into his system. The whole operation took until morning. After taking quite some time, Megatronus was testing out his newly installed arm cannon, flexing his arm and the transformation seam in it to calculate the time for his draw.

“Well? How are you feeling my Lord?”

“Good enough to remember why I recruited you in the first place Hook. Your performance outweighs your big mouth. Well done.”

“Uhm…Thank you?” Hook replied in an uneasy tone. Megatronus hid the cannon again. With a grin, he placed a reassuring servo on the medic and spoke once more. 

“I jest. Now where’s our little engineer, I must commend him at once before I depart.”

Hook grabbed a datapad containing all the blueprints, notes, and a report of the procedure he had done and gave it to Megatronus before he told him Shockwave’s location.

“He insisted on recovering at his lab, apparently he feels more secure there than his habsuite.” 

Shockwave was already up and about when Megatronus found him. The scientist was currently drawing up plans to renovate his laboratory space. When he noticed the door open, the purple mech turned his helm around for a moment and nodded in acknowledgement before turning back into work. 

“Well I would say you’re as diligent as Soundwave but you might find that offensive seeing that he left you a terrible first impression.”

“I take it the weapon is working as intended?” Ignoring what he said, Shockwave put his datapad down and bowed in respect. Megatronus made himself comfortable and sat down to the nearest chair, granted it was the only seat available. “I must confess, I find it quite fulfilling that the mess of a mech we had found back then, one that was drowning in despair, was nowhere to be found in my sight right now. Excellent work Shockwave.” 

The scientist felt something bloom in his spark. Perhaps it was pride? But he couldn’t help but remember the familiar feeling of acknowledgement he got. The feeling quickly faded as he graciously accepted the compliment. Well, as graciously as he can these cycles. 

“Thank you.” He said in a monotone voice. “Credit where credit is due, Soundwave did have some contribution to your weapon.” The purple scientist had told his leader. Megatronus made an inquisitive noise at that. He could sense no malice in his voice, in fact he couldn’t sense anything from Shockwave these days. 

“Don’t push yourself too much, and have Hook replace your arm as soon as possible.” Megatronus said as he waved goodbye, his back turned against him.

Seeing the cannon in Megatronus’ arm has given him an idea. Cybertron was changing, that was an inevitable fact and right now he needed not only a means to create things. Shockwave ran his servo absentmindedly at his left shoulder, brain already churning with weapon designs for his new arm. 

~

Megatronus and Orion walked inside the Hall of Records, sparks burning with anticipation. It was going to be a private meeting, but seeing the clamor of bots outside the building Orion couldn't put his mind at ease. 

"I'm glad you were able to recharge peacefully last night my love" 

Megatronus gently squeezed his servo in an attempt to calm his lover. Orion squeezed back, clueless about his conjunx little upgrade. Hall of Records rarely had outside visitors, apart from the current Prime or any member of the High Council who would sometimes consult with the Head Archivist for some important documents, no one would really bother to use this chamber. They did keep it with the intention of converting it into another data storage but Alpha Trion insisted on keeping it as it is. 

They finally reached the main doors for the chamber. The two of them stopped and looked at each other, optics filled with hope for their future. Orion was etching this memory in his brain module and so was Megatronus. 

"Any last words?"

"Primus Megatronus, what am I dying here?" Orion chuckled as he gave him a peck on his servo. The grey mech smiled and laughed a little. 

"You know what I mean…I love you Orion."

"I love you too" 

The two of them shared a brief chaste kiss before entering the chamber.

Orion could see the members of the High Council all seated at side in a separate podium. Some of his colleagues are seated on a small separate section where they can record everything that would transpire here. The audience was certainly selected. A few prominent figures in high society were there, even the prince of Vos Starscream came here to watch. Of course, the security they put up was insane, given the importance of the individuals in this very room, all weapons would have to be surrendered. 

The two of them reached the center, in front of them were three elevated podiums. One for the highest member of the council, one for Alpha Trion and one for none other than the Prime himself. Megatronus did not expect for Sentinel Prime to show himself before him, if he made his presence known here then he must be really getting close to his goal. 

"Welcome, Orion Pax of Iacon and to the one they address as Megatronus of Kaon. An interesting designation to assign oneself, given its tragic history." 

Sentinel exclaimed, eyes dispassionate as he met Megatronus' scrutinizing gaze. The Decepticon leader kept his silence, but the apprehension on his field was evident as Orion looked at him with worried optics. 

"Let's not waste any more time for theatrics shall we? You are granted a rare opportunity no mech of your status could've ever received in their lifetime." Councilor Halogen spoke in a tone that really irked the grey mech. 

“This was a long time coming, I’m here because of the failures of people like you. You may have avoided this problem for a long time now by turning a blind optic on us but no more.” Megatronus began to pace around, facing everyone as he continued. “We were once proud explorers, building civilizations outside of Cybertron and yet what has become of us?” 

The grey mech gestured around him, reiterating his point. Councilor Halogen piped in, interrupting his speech. “And what do you suppose a mere laborer like you could suggest? More violent destruction hmm?” Orion glared at him. The data clerk was about to protest but Megatronus retorted back. 

“Why if it wasn’t for those I wouldn’t have acquired all of your attention.” Megatronus scoffed before he added. “Before I was rudely interrupted, it seems I would have to cut my speech short and get to the point. Clearly my followers have more attention span than you, Councilor.”

Councilor Halogen stood up in response, dentae gritting and both servo clenched. A few snickers were heard from the audience which irritated the High Council even more. 

“You DARE DISRESPECT-” 

“Enough.” 

One word from the Prime put the whole room into a standstill. Sentinel Prime held a servo towards the councilor without breaking eye contact with Megatronus. Optics narrowing, the Prime stood up for a moment and spoke. 

“State your purpose. The current Energon crisis, the decline in our population, the increasing criminal activity in the streets and other more problems. I don’t want to add you to my list.”

“Is that so?” Megatronus chuckled in disbelief “Are you so out of touch with reality that you still fail to see the big picture here?” 

Sentinel Prime took offense to that and jumped down to confront him. Thud. Orion was taken aback by the prime’s presence. He was almost as big and imposing as Megatronus, but they both carry themselves differently. Sentinel carried himself elegantly, much like royalty interacting with commoners. Untouchable. 

He pointed an accusatory finger at Megatronus’ chestplates and replied. “ I will not be lectured by a brute!”  Glancing at Orion, the Prime looked at him with disappointment. “Are you satisfied now? I thought you would be the perfect successor to Alpha Trion and now you’ve reduced yourself to this. Do you not see how he’s been manipulating you? All of this is just one big ploy for a power grab! ”

Now it was Megatronus’ turn to be angry. The gladiator forced the prime to look at him, grabbing his shoulder plates aggressively. Quick to act, all the security mechs pointed their blasters to the Decepticon leader. 

“I’m very honored that you even took your time to look at me optic-to-optic. It must have put a strain on your neck cables from looking down on me on your towering podium.” The grip on Sentinel Prime’s shoulder loosened. Megatronus continued with a low growl on his voice. “But let’s not make this personal, you want to know why I’m here? I’ll tell you.” 

“Sir please get back on your podium” One of the security politely asked the Prime. Sentinel glared at the gladiator, waiting for him to speak once more. 

“I want to destroy the caste system.” 

The reaction that came next was unexpected. Megatronus’ optic widened in utter disbelief as the Prime cackled like a madman. His laughter enveloped the whole chamber, while everyone looked at him. Gone was the elegance he exuded moments before, Orion was now staring in horror at the mech like he was insane. Alpha Trion’s faceplates were unreadable while Councilor Halogen was nervously smiling at the scene. Everyone had been quiet, all looking at each other with unease. 

“I haven’t heard anything that funny since…well…since forever!” The Prime wiped some coolant on his optic and went back to his podium. At that moment, Megatronus came to one conclusion. They would never take him seriously. To them, he would always be nothing more than a nuisance to get rid of, a criminal at best. He knew what he needed to do next. The Decepticon leader took one last look at Orion before he revealed the cannon at his arm and shot Sentinel Prime directly on his spark. 

Everything happened so fast. The agents that Starscream planted inside took it as a cue and started shooting every security mech and High Council member. Panic immediately took over the place, stray blaster shots were hitting some but nothing fatal. The prince of Vos himself participated in the gun fight and started shooting. The exits were already sealed courtesy of Soundwave. Unbeknownst to the audience, they were not the real target in this little coup d'etat, the real target was the bauble inside the prime’s chest. Megatronus started to walk towards Sentinel’s dying frame only to be stopped by Orion. 

“NO! No No No!” Orion cried out, arms wide. Seeing the coolant that was flowing down from his blue optics hurt, but both of them knew that the archivist would not be able to stop him. Still, Orion stood his ground. 

“Why?! WHY?! WHY!!” All his anger, disappointment, and sadness ran so deep that Megatronus felt it in their bond. The gladiator looked at him, holding back any coolant that threatened to release in his optics. 

“Step aside Orion.” 

As he expected, the mech would not move.

“There was no other way.” He told him in a quiet voice.

Orion gritted his dentae at that, glaring at Megatronus. He still couldn’t believe this was happening. How could he betray his trust like this? Was he becoming blind of their true goal? Orion couldn’t even begin to form any coherent thought right now. All he knew at this moment was that he must stop Megatronus at all costs. 

“This isn’t the right way…And if I have to stop you myself to make you see, I will.” The archivist took a fighting stance which made the gladiator laugh. Megatronus ran a servo across his face, tired optics looking at Orion with incredulity. As much as he hated doing it the grey mech swiftly lunged at him, striking his stomach with his knee. Orion doubled over in pain. Just before Megatronus was going to hit the back of Orion’s head to make him lose consciousness, a blaster shot nicked him in the shoulder. With a grunt, Megatonus shot back, instantly killing the mech. When he looked back Orion was gone and currently limping towards Sentinel Prime. He must have an idea on what Megatronus was going to do next seeing that he was trying with all his might to reach the prime before him. 

“What are you doing Orion? We were supposed to be doing this together, trampling this archaic empire and rule side by side. Why defy me!”

The archivist ignored him as he desperately hurried towards the dying Prime. As he reached the back of the podium, Councilor Halogen was already dead while his friend Ratchet, who somehow avoided all blaster fire, had made his way here. Relieved, the medic hugged his friend quickly and went back to tending Alpha Trion’s wounds. Sentinel Prime was on his last moments as he beckoned Orion to come closer. 

“Orion Pax, you must not let that…that lunatic get a hold of the Matrix…It is…I never…Even I never bonded with it. You must safeguard it until you find its next successor…” Sentinel Prime trailed off as his spark finally gave up. His last moments confused the archivist. What did he mean “never bonded with it?”. Orion noticed something glowing inside the prime’s chest. At his side, Alpha Trion was watching with anticipation as his apprentice carefully reached for the Matrix. 

“Give it to me, Orion.”

Orion’s whole body was frozen with fear. The blue mech gathered all of his courage and slowly turned around. He couldn’t even recognize the mech before him right now. Megatronus wasn’t even paying attention to him, or how he probably dented his armor with that kick earlier. Those optics were only focused on the Matrix of Leadership and nothing else. 

“Why would you even need this? Do you think the people of Cybertron would accept you with open arms, Megatronus?” 

Megatronus could see it now. Sooner or later his beloved would be a thorn on his side. A weakness that would be exploited by his enemies. No. He paused at that thought. Enemies? As far as he’s concerned, all his enemies should be currently dying right now. Maybe it was his emotions blinding him right now but the only reason he could think of was he couldn’t accept that after everything they’ve been through, Orion would be betraying him. The archivist would even go far to the point that he would be fighting him. 

The gladiator noticed the old scribe and infamous medic friend Orion was telling him about. An honorable mech who was treating those in the lower caste in secret but he could feel how much the medic detested him at this moment. Oddly enough Alpha Trion was looking at him with those scrutinizing optics. It was as if his life wasn’t in danger but he was just a mere observer in these events. 

“And what do you propose we do Orion? Wait for vorns until they change their minds? Don’t be naive.” 

Without wasting any more time, Megatronus tried to grab the Matrix from Orion. Of course the other resisted as much as he could. The data clerk could feel that Megatronus was getting irritated which only prompted him to provoke the other. 

“Are you going to hurt me again? Well I’m not afraid."

Funny how some things work out, Orion finally saw an opening. He noticed Megatronus’ footing was off. For a moment he dropped the Matrix and quickly grabbed his arm to tackle him. The gladiator groaned, frankly he was a little embarrassed and proud of that move since he taught it to his beloved himself, he just didn’t imagine that Orion would use it on him. Instincts kicking in, he quickly got up and decked him, effectively pinning the data clerk on the ground. Orion screamed in pain, Megatronus winced at the cracking sound it made. Alarmed, Ratchet scrambled to his feet and yelled as he ran towards Megatronus. He blocked his fist with his one hand while pinning Orion with his other. Megatronus pushed Ratchet back and activated his cannon. Orion’s optics widened in horror, as he heard its whirring.

“NO! Please!”

The gladiator paused for a klik and looked down. Somehow, while covered in dents and grime, Orion’s optic did not look in despair. In fact it looked ablaze. Beneath all those fear and anger he could see that he was still hoping. Hoping that deep down Megatronus would stop and listen to him. He knew the potential Orion had. When he thought that he would be a thorn in his side, he did not foresee the possible future that perhaps he would be his enemy.

Orion sighed with relief only for a moment when he saw Megatronus put down his weapon and for it to be pointed towards him. He could not even describe the emotions he was feeling right now. Was he really going to die here at the hands of the man he loves? 

“Last chance. You will cease this nonsense and pledge your allegiance to me Orion Pax.” 

The archivist couldn't believe the words that were coming out of the gladiator right now. All of their efforts were for naught, all because of the one decision that Megatronus made. Squirm as he might, his body was effectively pinned down. Gripping at the mech's forearms, Orion closed his optics and vented. 

These might be my last words. My last chance to get through to him. 

"As long as there's a light in my spark, and energon flowing on this veins, I will not give up on you. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, but the means will never justify its end. Do not be the very thing we're trying to defeat Megatronus.” 

"I beg to differ. Goodbye, Orion Pax." 

A single shot. A sharp, paralyzing pain in his chest. Megatronus dropped to his knees as he saw the light in Orion's optics go out. He cradled his greying form as he wailed. Megatronus' frame shook with anger and despair, everything in the background blurred as he wracked his brain for answers. Did he make the right choice? Was the sacrifice really worth it? 

The Matrix of Leadership shook beside him. A bright light suddenly emerged from its center, distracting everyone from the fight. Alpha Trion carefully stood up and spoke under his breath. 

"At last. The prophecy will be fulfilled." 

Orion's greying arm slowly raised, almost as if it was waiting for something to be placed on its palm. The Matrix floated towards him. Everyone, even Megatronus watched in awe as it landed on Orion's palm. Suddenly, an intense light engulfed the whole room. Cybertronians outside the Hall of Records watched as the whole room lit up. 

When Megatronus opened his optics, it took him a couple of kliks to register what was happening in front of him. As his optics adjusted, he saw Orion standing, back faced against him. He noticed the familiar transformation seams in the blue mech's chest close up. Not only that but Orion looked different. Did he just become…bigger? Megatronus gawked at the sight of him as Orion turned around to face him. It wasn't just his build that was changed, but his face was now covered with a mask not unlike Soundwave's. The recognition in those hopeful optics was the only thing that snapped him from his senses. This mech was Orion, there was no mistaking it. 

"Orion…how?" 

The blue mech placed a hand atop his chest plates. He drew back his mask and faced Megatronus. The Decepticon leader couldn't discern the look he was giving him. He thought he would see anger but instead he only saw the face of a calm mech. 

"Orion Pax…That's not my designation. Not anymore." 

The mask slid back with a snick covering half of his face plates. The mech took a look at himself and his surroundings. 

"My name is Optimus Prime." 

The prime glanced at his former mentor with a knowing look. Alpha Trion only gave him an apologetic smile. Orion Pax and all of the previous primes' memories were currently residing within him. Optimus looked at the gladiator, a forlorn feeling blooming in his chest. 

"I see now what I must do." Optimus' battle protocols activated. His right arm transformed into a blaster as he pointed it at the Decepticon leader. "I still have to stop you, Megatronus." 

The reaction that Optimus got was no less than disturbing. Megatronus was laughing, the same maniacal laughter he did before he hurt Orion Pax. Then his laughter turned into a scream. He was gripping his helm with such intensity that Optimus couldn't help but feel uneasy. Seeing him breakdown like this made his chest tighten. Despite how the Matrix had changed him, underneath all the primal knowledge he had acquired, he was still the simple data clerk from Iacon. 

This cannot be happening! Why why why?!

Megatronus thought to himself. Primus must be doing this to spite him. If someone told him that the only mech he had ever loved, the only person he trusted so much that he willingly opened his spark to, would turn out to be his greatest enemy he would've simply laughed. 

"You're right…You're not him, not anymore. You're just another obstacle that I need to get rid off,  Optimus Prime. " Megatronus spat his name with such venom and hate that Optimus winced at that.

Everything happened so fast. Megatronus suddenly attacked him, each punch more poweful than last. Of course now that Orion became Optimus, he effectively repelled and countered him. The battle between them was so destructive that everyone else stopped as they watched the two of them fight. A blast from Megatronus' canon striked across the ceiling. 

Most of the Decepticons retreated, since their side objective of killing the High Council members was basically done. All that's left were civillians. 

[Status?] 

Worried, Soundwave tried to contact his friend. That cannon blast startled him and he couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. He was currently stationed outside of the Hall of Records with their best fighters. The Decepticons have started their attack on multiple cities, and he was here to stop any law enforcement that would try to interrupt their plan. He tried to ping Megatronus' commlink three more times before he resorted into contacting Starscream himself. 

[Yeah, he's currently occupied right now. I suggest you get in here and retrieve him or things will get uglier. As for me and my fliers, we're out.]

Soundwave let out an irritated sigh. 

[Starscream's Objective?] 

[Don't worry, all the council members are dead. All that's left are some losers and the old man. The main target however became a bit more…complicated] 

The cassette deployer replied in affirmation. As much as he hated to admit it there was no use for them to waste their time and energy here. Now was the perfect chance to take the main cities while every police was clamoring to get inside the Hall. 

[Heading inside. Next strategy meeting will be held in Tarn. Be advised.] 

Somehow, he knew that he needed to see for himself what Starscream was talking about. A terrible feeling was forming in the pit of his stomach as he made his way inside past the flying seekers. Starscream saw him running and transformed into his root mode to greet him. 

"Soundwave! How nice of you to join the party. He's curently locked in battle. Goodluck." the red seeker snickered as he flew off, jet engines roaring. 

The sight that greeted Soundwave was something he wasn't prepared for. Just from the entrance he could feel that Megatronus was seething with hatred. He saw a bot that closely resembled Orion Pax. Except this mech was built like a warrior and not some nerd. 

"Megatronus!" Soundwave yelled but was still ignored. It was like they were on their own little world. Narrowing his optics, he could see that they were arguing about something. He tried to get closer, evading stray blaster shots from the two. A graze to his helm and frame here and there and eventually he reached them close enough to notice two bots hiding in the corner. A medic and the Chief Archivist. He ducked and tumbled towards the two, in hopes that they could help him understand the situation. 

Seeing the Decepticon insignia on Soundwave's chest, Ratchet saw a conveniently placed blaster nearby and picked it up. The spy saw him and immediately slapped the gun away from his servo before the medic even had the chance to point it at him. 

"Desist. Soundwave: not going to hurt you." 

"Shut up Decepticon!" Ratchet spat back. However, Alpha Trion just placed a placating hand on the medic's shoulder and spoke in a gentle manner.

"Now now, let's hear him out Ratchet. I believe this young man has the same goal as ours…at the moment."

"Affirmative. Query: who is that?" 

Alpha Trion glanced at Optimus briefly and returned his gaze to Soundwave. The smile he showed was definitely sad, something he would see on a mech who was suffering on the inside. 

"I think you know who. And I think it's fate that someone like you is here to help me stop this needless destruction right now." 

"You know me?" Alarmed, Soundwave glared at the old man. No way in Pit does this rusting bolt of a mech could possibly recognize him. He was always careful whenever he visited Iacon for espionage purposes. In fact, this was the only moment they interacted. 

"Forgive me but I cannot tell you how I know." He chuckled. Soundwave did not find it funny. Instead, he used the said aforementioned abilities and overwhelmed the mech with his EMF. Strangely, Alpha Trion only winced for a bit while Ratchet was on all fours, distressed. 

"What the– urgh!" Ratchet groaned, he couldn't move. Every metal in his body felt extremely heavy. Alpha Trion raised his servos to show defeat, but Soundwave directed all his energy on the mysterious Scribe now. The chief archivist was now feeling the effects in his body. Even if deca-vorns of experience had made his mind and spark resilient from any kind of psychic attack, Soundwave's will was firm and absolute. 

"Stop! I'll tell you how if you help us but we need to stop them first. They're not supposed to kill each other, we need to correct this or else both of them will offline." 

Alpha Trion groaned in pain as he tried to stand up. Quick to react, Ratchet supported him as best as he can while Soundwave only stared at Megatronus' opponent. 

"This does not make any sense. My new collegue would call this illogical. Query: How did Orion get upgraded?"

"The Matrix of Leadership is a complex artifact young one, it will do whatever it takes to better fulfill its role, even a total reformation of its holder's frame." 

Ratchet made a noise that Soundwave could only describe as disbelief. 

"You mean to tell me that's not Orion anymore?! Alpha Trion what have you done…" the medic exclaimed. Soundwave vented, looked back at the two and then the whole chamber. He noticed that there were only a few cybertronians left in the room; most of them were there against their will, either unable to escape the firefight or too terrified to move. 

"Operation: Pacification."

After Ratchet told him everything that has happened, Soundwave hurriedly devised his plan. Since both of them were clearly some kind of monsters in their own league (although he had beaten Megatronus once ) the Prime was an unknown variable thus the two Autobots would handle him. Soundwave would use his power to suppress Megatronus only since he cannot know for certain if his abilities would work on the Prime. Of course this was not the first time he had tried to use this empathic abilities on his friend. On the first day of their fight, thankfully not a fight to the death, he instantly tried to use it to him and yet Megatronus had overpowered his will.

Somehow, he knew this would happen. Not Orion transforming into this powerful warrior, but the fact that they both had a different idea on how to change Cybertron was something that Soundwave predicted would put a tear in their relationship.

He signalled to the two of them that he was in position. Megatronus doesnt seem to be aware of his surroundings, his sole focus on the Prime only. Soundwave hid behind a rubble and waited for the perfect opportunity to touch the back of Megatronus' helm. The closer he was to the target the more effective his abilities would work. 

Finally, the Prime had managed to push his opponent back to Soundwave's location. The spy jumped out and firmly gripped Megatronus' helm with both of his servos.

Startled, Optimus almost landed a hit on Megatronus' vulnerable form but a yell from his friend was enough to snap him from his stupor. The Prime's fist was so close on Megatronus' face that a simple push would connect it. Optimus vented, letting out a breath that he hadn't noticed he was holding. 

"Sound…wave?" Megatronus dropped down to his knees, he desperately tried to pry the servos gripping on his head but exhaustion was catching up to his frame. Optimus averted his gaze, unable to see him in this state. Instead he looked at Ratchet, who was currently running towards him. Alpha Trion was trailing behind, surveying the damage done on the surroundings. 

Megatronus finally lost his consciousness. Soundwave caught him right before he fell. He swiftly took his arm and wrapped it around his shoulder to carry him out. Before retreating, Soundwave glared at the three of them, especially at Optimus. The Prime had the audacity to look apologetic, the spy mused. He then turned his attention on the old man. 

"Well? How did you know about my abilities?" 

"I think you have more pressing matters at hand, no?" The innocently placed smiled in Alpha Trion's face annoyed Soundwave so much he wanted to pull that long beard. He enveloped the general vicinity with his murderous intent. Optimus Prime took a step between them and his former mentor. The prime's optics trailed down to Megatronus. 

"Tell him–"

"You've told him enough Optimus Prime ." Soundwave snapped, cutting him off. He adjusted his grip and carried his friend towards the exit, not sparing a glance at them. He sent out a commlink for the rest of the High Command to be ready for their return. As they reached the doors to the entrance, he noticed Megatronus stir. Outside these walls, he could hear cybertronians chanting his name. Soundwave heard it as well. 

Megatronus removed himself from Soundwave and groaned. His whole body was sore from that fight. He hadn't fought like that in a while. In fact, he didn't expect to fight this much on this very cycle. To be fair, a lot of things happened that he didn't expect. 

"Soundwave: Apologizes." 

Megatronus gave his friend a sheepish smile and clasped his shoulder reassuringly, giving it a little shake as he spoke. 

"No I…I'm sorry I worried you. I just, I can't–" Megatronus' current expression was something that Soundwave never wanted to see. Coolant was forming on his friend's optics, he couldn't even find the right words to say at this moment but Soundwave understood. 

"Let's talk later." He clasped the servo on his shoulder, gently squeezing it. Soundwave turned his gaze on the voices outside. It was peculiar, the voices chanting his friend's name was odd. He doesn't know if it's because of the chaos outside but everyone was chanting the same mantra.

"All Hail Megatron!" the Decepticons outside cried repeatedly. 

Megatronus retracted his servo from Soundwave's. He faced the door and smiled, the distant look on his optics worried him.

"Megatron…rolls off the glossa easier." the Decepticon leader said under his breath. Soundwave kneeled in front of him and spoke. 

"All Hail Megatron."

~ 

As Shockwave made his way to their supposed war room, his thoughts wander to the designs for his arm. Also the fact that he was invited in this meeting in the first place even though he's a non-combatant personnel. The scientist thought his only role in the Decepticon army was to be a weapons engineer at best, or their resident scientist at least. It did not escape him that more and more work was coming his way, not that it bothered him. It was nothing he couldn't handle. 

Datapad on his singular hand, Shockwave entered the room. Everyone else was present except for Soundwave and Megatron. Based on the report the cassette deployer had sent, it seems unexpected things had put some setbacks in their plans. Shockwave must admit that Orion's absence was something he wouldn't mind but he was, in some capacity, grateful to him since he was the one who gave him another chance at life. 

According to the list of personnel he got, the cons that were present at this meeting was Hook, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Starscream, Soundwave, and of course Lord Megatron himself. The seekers were sitting next to each other but none of them particularly greeted or acknowledged him. Thundercracker was busy reading something while Skywarp was busy bothering Thundercracker. Starscream raised an eyeridge at him for a moment before busying himself to tinker with his null ray gun. Hook just nodded in his direction and gestured for him to sit down next to him. 

"Even if I told you that you should still be resting, I feel like you wouldn't follow me anyways" Hook sighed, leaning his chin on his servo. 

"A logical assumption." Shockwave replied as he sat down next to him. A couple of breems later Megatron entered the room, followed by Soundwave. Everyone stood up from their seats to salute their glorious leader. Shockwave noticed the same tired look from Jhiaxus in Megatron. No. Tired wasn't accurate. In fact, he looked miserable? The scientist's interest in his leader quickly dissipated as his optic met with Soundwave's. He nodded slightly in Shockwave's direction, much like how Hook had greeted him. 

"I'm glad all of you could make it here, despite some inconveniences." Megatron said as his optic trailed down to Shockwave's missing arm. The scientist paid no mind to it and just waited for him to continue. "First order of business, I am officially assigning everyone in this room their role in this upcoming war." 

Megatron gestured for all of them to sit down. Soundwave took the only available seat next to Shockwave. While sitting down, the two of them shared another eye contact only this time the cassette deployer felt… awkward . He decided to nod again. Shockwave nodded in response as well, not really aware of the other's unease.

"The Autobots have gained another Prime. The false Primes have all come and go but Optimus Prime is different, but that doesn't mean that our goal would change. No, we need to show them that our faction would be united now more than ever. I don't care even if he’s Prima’s Incarnate himself, the Prime still represents the old regime, a regime that we must topple over."

Megatron stood straight, servos behind his back as he continued. 

"As of this moment, Starscream will be my second-in-command. You will all formally address him as Air Commander Starscream, is that understood?" 

"Yes, Lord Megatron." Everyone responded simultaneously. Starscream dramatically bowed in front of everyone. Shockwave could feel the same level of distrust he received emanating from the silent mech next to him. Soundwave's visors were fixated on the SIC as he clenched a single servo underneath the table. 

"Shockwave and Soundwave will be my Third in command. You will all address them formally as Lieutenant." 

It was Shockwave's turn to feel awkward. He supposed it made sense now why he was invited to this meeting. It seemed to him that this was news to his fellow Lieutenant as well. The two of them shared their third awkward eye contact for this cycle. Soundwave was first to break away when he heard Starscream's snide comment.

"Oh wow, you two get to share. How cute." The three seekers snickered at the two of them. Soundwave wasn't shy to let them know of his opinion. The spy wished that he could shoot Starscream's irritating mouth. He turned his helm to Megatron, expecting an explanation later. 

Megatron just pinched the bridge of his nose and verbally reprimanded the seeker. "Commander Starscream, the reason that you're currently in that position was only because of your reputation in Vos. Treat your fellow officers with respect." 

The red flier scoffed at the remark but chose to say nothing. The Decepticon leader continued. "You two will obviously work under him" Megatron pointed at Thundercracker and Skywarp "and Hook will now work directly under Shockwave." 

After finalizing their rosters and ranks on their secure database. Megatron proceeded to discuss his plans for the future. Shockwave listened. Despite his indifference to the actual war itself, he wanted to do his job properly. So like a good little soldier he accepted every reasonable request Megatron asked of him. When the meeting ended, everyone else left the room except for him and his fellow Lieutenant. Shockwave was just finishing up with his notes while Soundwave intentionally stayed.

A servo was extended in front of the scientist. Shockwave looked up at Soundwave's expressionless face. He cocked his helm at the side, clearly confused at this action. 

"If I am not mistaken, you are either offering your servo for a handshake or you're just showing it to me for no reason. Illogical."

"Recommendation: Accept Soundwave's official peace offering. It hasn't gone unnoticed that you have also taken half of my workload." 

Shockwave set the datapad down on the table. Slowly, he clasped his servo with his into a firm handshake and let it go immediately, hyper-aware of their first pleasant contact. 

"Thank you." Soundwave said in his most neutral voice as he left the room first. Shockwave stood still for a moment as he slowly re-evaluated his every opinion on Soundwave. 

~

The civil war that started on that fateful day lasted for deca-vorns. Shockwave almost lost count of the cycles that they had been battling Autobots. Almost. It had become apparent to the scientist that this war would last for a longer period of time than he had anticipated, and yet he had found himself still within the highest ranks of the Decepticons.

"Shockwave, report." 

Lord Megatron has entered the hangar the scientist was currently working in. Of course his ever loyal little soldier was trailing behind him. Soundwave was busy reading a datapad when he stepped inside, only sparing a respectful glance at the scientist. Shockwave saluted with his one good hand to his leader, his cannon arm resting on its side. Megatron squinted at Shockwave's current project, The Nemesis. 

"My liege, the ship will be completed in seven cycles. The main hull was finished yesterday but I'm still working on its engines, of course I would need to install weapons as well. There is the matter of energon as well…" 

Gone was the mech that Shockwave saw at his first meeting as the TIC of the Decepticons. The Megatron before him was different. Not physically, but he noticed how easily he got angry these past few vorns. This anger became worse when word got out that the Autobots were planning to escape the planet. 

"Relay all the materials you will need to Soundwave. The Ark will be leaving soon. Work faster."  Megatron slammed his pedes as he left. Soundwave handed him the latest intelligence from the enemy. The mech was right, since he was pretty much going against the most brilliant scientific minds in Cybertron, the Ark would be leaving in three cycles. 

"New orders from Lord Megatron: Soundwave will assist Shockwave." 

~

The scientist didn't like to admit it but his fellow lieutenant was an excellent assistant. In fact, he was so good at following his orders that he can see why Megatron kept Soundwave on his side for so long as he did. Shockwave also learned about Soundwave's programming skills which advanced their timetable immensely. The two of them worked in perfect comfortable silence. While Shockwave was working on the turrets outside, Soundwave was inside, doing adjustments on the Nemesis' AI. 

Shockwave noticed his HUD ping. It was a commlink from Soundwave. 

[Request for downtime?] 

The scientist was puzzled at this. They have been working for two cycles together and whenever Soundwave needed to rest he would just inform him. Shockwave paused for a klik to reply, but Soundwave beat him to it. 

[Clarification: Shockwave needs downtime. You have been working non-stop with little to no breaks.] 

His confusion turned into amusement. After all that he has done for this war effort, it was illogical that Soundwave was underestimating him now. Clearly, he knew his own limitations and his fellow lieutenant did not. 

[The Nemesis will be flight worthy in one more cycle, enough for us to catch up to the Ark. I will not rest now.] 

Shockwave continued his work, awaiting the other to reply. After a couple of breems, when it became clear to him that Soundwave has nothing more to say he sent a commlink to Megatron to report their progress. Another ping in his HUD, his leader replied immediately but the message irked him. 

[This is a direct order Shockwave, get down from there and rest. I will not have Hook take care of you again. We are low on medics right now. Do not be stubborn.] 

The scientist looked around and sure enough Megatron was grumbling to himself. As soon as their gazes met, Shockwave assured him that he would go down immediately. The Decepticon leader proceeded to exit the hangar, not bothering to wait for his TIC. When the scientist finally exited the Nemesis, Soundwave was already sitting by a workbench next to an energon dispenser. The cassette deployer was tinkering on something when he noticed Shockwave's passive-aggressive stomping.

Shockwave was about to speak when he heard something transform on the table. Two identical minicons were standing on the workbench.

"Phew! thanks for the little maintenance Boss, that was bothering me a little." Frenzy said in a cheery voice.

"Uh oh, creep incoming." Rumble snorted. The cassetticons jumped down from the table as they laughed. "See ya Boss!" They raced each other towards the exit with so much energy that Shockwave felt tired just from watching them. 

Soundwave finally faced his fellow officer, legs crossed and his back sitting in a relaxing manner. Shockwave still cannot determine what Soundwave thought of him. There were times that he was giving him the respect he deserved and then there were times that he was treating him like some kind of idiot. Despite all that, he must admit that Soundwave has earned his respect. 

He thought about the conversation he had with Hook as he received both of their comms. Was this what he meant by that? Was he about to cause another bodily harm towards himself? Shockwave has decided to ignore the mech before him and head straight for the energon dispenser. When he got his energon cube he sat on the only available space next to Soundwave. Both of them were quiet, clearly blue mech was waiting for something because he was casually staring at his face. 

Shockwave decided to break their silence and confront him. 

"What are you looking at?" he said in a monotone voice. Soundwave kept his silence, not bothering to avert his gaze or move at all. Ignoring him again, the scientist raised his cube near his face to drink. The cassette deployer slowly leaned forward, visor brightening in excitement. Surprised, Shockwave put his servo to a sudden stop.

This bastard…

"You are curious how I take my energon. I will show you if you tell me how you know so much about advanced programming. Did you use your special abilities?"

Soundwave made a tsk sound and straightened up, putting some distance between them.  Visor dimming, he quietly spoke. 

"Soundwave: A good spy. And a good spy never reveals their secrets." 

Shockwave stood up and replied. "Then you will never know this one particular secret Lieutenant Soundwave." The scientist walked towards the exit, all the irritation he felt towards him was strangely gone. Try as he might, his habsuite was Soundwave-proof and both of them knew this. Knowing his reputation and role in Megatron's army, Soundwave wouldn't dare to use his abilities on him as well since it wouldn't be as beneficial as he thinks.

As the door closed with a hiss, Soundwave's gaze lingered. He stood up as well, a grin hidden behind his mask as he told himself.

"Someday." 

~ 

The time for departure was almost near. Megatron was currently in the battlefield, one last attempt to stop Optimus Prime from leaving Cybertron. He was about to board the Nemesis when he noticed an urgent comms from Starscream. It seemed that Optimus was already aboard the Ark and the Autobots currently engaging Megatron were a distraction. The Decepticon leader was on his way back from battle. 

When Megatron reached the hangar, he could see half of their best fighting forces were currently boarding the ship. Starscream, Shockwave, and Soundwave were all waiting for him. The Decepticon leader took in the sight of the Nemesis. A magnificent creation born from the mind of a mad man. Truly an imposing vehicle fit for him. 

He couldn't afford someone like Shockwave to get needlessly shot in battle. No, he had to stay and take care of things Megatron thought. The look on Shockwave's face as he told him to stay behind was understandable. 

Shockwave's singular optic blazed in anger for a brief moment. Megatron knew the mech had been dying to leave the planet even before he joined the Decepticons. This was as close as he could get to see Shockwave show some form of emotion again he thought.

"I will be appointing you as the Guardian of Cybertron Shockwave, eliminating the rest of the Autobot pests."

"...Yes, Lord Megatron."

"You will rebuild. I will not be returning to a wasteland. We will contact you as soon as we are done with the mission." 

Megatron was last to board the ship. Soundwave was looking at Shockwave's bowing form. He couldn't help but notice how his single fist clenched and trembled but other than that the one-eyed mech was eerily still. 

Shockwave was alone again. 

Present…

Soundwave buried his face in Shockwave's neck to hide. His other arm was currently locked in an embrace, gently caressing the scientist's helm while his other servo was entertwined with his, clinging to it like his life depended on it. Soundwave could feel the worry in his beloved's EM field so he let out a hot breath to try and calm himself down. Shockwave's worry began to dissapate and instead turn into poorly hidden arousal. 

"Soundwave…" the purple mech moaned. 

The scientist mind was churning with questions but more importantly why was Soundwave crying? Did he do something wrong? But it was beginning to be a challenge for him to focus since Soundwave's spike was still inside him and it doesn't help that he's breathing in his neck right now. Shockwave opted to move his cannon arm instead to pat the spy's back as comforting as he could. 

Soundwave must've realized what was happening. As much as he wanted to interface again they both knew that they had more pressing matters to attend to. He raised his helm and finally faced the mech under him. Shockwave was looking at him with such endearment that he felt his spark burst. The scientist was purposely trying to wiggle his antennae to cheer him up which elicited a smile from the spy's face. Even if he wanted to hold his hand more, he removed himself on top of him and closed his panel. Soundwave laid down next to his cannon arm and sighed. Shockwave placed a gentle servo on his faceplate and gave him a questioning tilt. The worry from earlier was back again so he reassured him immediately. 

"Soundwave: functional and okay. It's just…" the blue mech looked away. Once he admitted that he now knew about some of his guarded secrets, Shockwave might change his mind about him. He wasn't intentionally trying to pry into his mind but Soundwave thought it was peculiar that his abilities activated even if he wasn't holding Shockwave's helm with both of his servos; that was the conditions for his telepathy to activate. Unless…

"I need to confess something to you." he gently removed the hand on his face. Shockwave was hurt from that but chose to say nothing and waited for him to speak once more. 

"Soundwave's abilities: upgraded…I'm not sure how but when our helms met, I saw…everything."

The scientist's singular optic brightened in fascination, then dimmed in horror. Shockwave sat up immediately and moved away. Shame covered his whole frame as he curled in on himself. How could he have not foreseen this possibility? As much as he wanted to run some tests on Soundwave right now he was currently busy feeling betrayed.  He knew it was illogical to feel this way because he could see the sincerity in Soundwave's optics but it hurt so much that he didn't know how else to react. 

"I'm sorry! This was unintended, I never meant to find out this way." Soundwave said as he tried to reach him. The desperation on the spy's voice only made the pain in his spark worse.  Shockwave's own words before he kissed him replayed in his mind. 

If it's him maybe it would be worth it.

He supposed this was the price he must pay for loving Soundwave.

Shockwave's frame trembled when Soundwave held him. Despite that confession, he still couldn't hate him. The scientist slowly melted in his embrace, leaning his helm on Soundwave's shoulder as he quietly sobbed.  

When he calmed down, Shockwave broke away from him, optic refusing to meet Soundwave's eyes. 

"I don't want pity from you Soundwave." The purple mech mumbled. The cassette deployer gently turned his helm and replied.

"I'm not pitying you…Soundwave: overwhelmed with emotions. You have been through a lot and seeing those memories affected me deeply. I love you Shockwave."

The spy gave his scientist a gentle kiss on the top of his helm and wiped some of the coolant in his optic. He held his servo once more and gently squeezed it. 

"For what it's worth, Soundwave: will never leave you."

Shockwave's antennae wiggled in embarrassment, clearly still unused from all these affection. His fellow TIC decided to lighten the mood by joking.

"I know how you drink your energon now." the blue mech winked at him. Shockwave gave him a playful smack at his helm using his cannon arm which unfortunately left a small dent in Soundwave's forehead.