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Chapter Text

For a very, very long time Trypticon preferred deep recharge over the pain and haze of large-scale secondary and tertiary system damage and failure. His ever faithful Minicons had long since assisted in repairing his primary and core systems, so there was no risk of offlining. But they could do little else. Most of his mass was in subspace and the rest in a crater excavated by his own fall, with only the most secure fortress exposed to the denesines of the city that eventually grew up around him.

Ever resourceful, his Minicons had rearranged his internals for him, allowing the mecha to access a third of his corridors for their use, running power and energon in to fuel their needs, which he syphoned off to support his own.

Their use for him and individuals changed over time, observed in hazy moments of barely surfacing when his own core systems maintenance required it. He knew that Primus recharged and in the faint but steady thrum of their weak bond he knew his siblings still lived. Unicron was but a point, existing but his state was unknown.

That was Trypticon’s existence for millennia, aeons.

~~~

Primus awakening, then shortly after the shift that told of Lux leaving, brought Trypticon up into a higher level of consciousness than he had experienced in far too long. And through the pain, dulled to an ache he felt a potential. The potential was brought to him, chained and dazed like he himself was. But reaching out he felt a mind sharp and more compatible than even his very first Voice.

Telepaths were rare and highly valued, one with the coding of a potential… far rarer. Trypticon did not think, he reacted, reaching further to initiate the bond before even reading who this mech was.

~~~

Telepaths often had fluxes, especially when young. Shielding constantly was hard and in recharge the shields often slipped a little. Hearing a voice was nothing new, any time he spent recharging time in a non shielded location he would hear a voice, or voices… and the prison was not shielded at all. The only surprising thing was that he only heard one voice whisper to him.

Soundwave counted it a blessing since he in his current state couldn’t shield, couldn’t defend himself at all.

Trypticon knew that there was no shielding in this part of himself, anything of that sort of value had been moved, at least all that could be moved. So he protected his new Voice even as he worked to ensure a smooth execution of coding.

He whispered to the mech, Soundwave, telling him who he was. He wanted to tell everything at once, but resisted despite knowing he had very little time. Lux had left, and that could only mean one thing, he had the new Prime. Events were in motion. They would be needed soon.

Seductive? No, Soundwave shivered on the hard berth that he hadn’t left since being brought here. The voice told stories, dark, scary stories and beautiful stories of love and lives lived. Of a fair world where Warbuild and Civilians lived in balance… it seemed an odd flux to have in a prison.

Trypticon did not even have to tell his Minicons that he had found his Voice, they set to work immediately. They opened a path down to Trypticon’s core, since he was currently unable to even move that much of his own interior, they also fixed up the ‘Voice’s quarters’. And set to work on evicting the ‘guards’. All Prisoners would stay for now until they chose their allegiance.

The systems that provided fuel and energy had long since been reinforced and extra external ducting fixed up for if the flow was cut. Soon he would be cut off from outside access. He felt amusement as he sensed many tiny returning forms, Symbiotes that his Minicons had been looking after. He let his Voice know of them, seeing as he was a carrier mech.

Trypticon felt his attention being drawn to a tiny area within himself, a place the Autobots kept cages. Currently all but one was empty. It was only thanks to the expanding bond with his Voice that Trypticon could feel the faint thread to the unresponsive, but living felinoid symbiote. His Minicons and other symbiotes were already taking care of it.

Or maybe not odd, what else could he dream of while waiting on judgement from an unjust system. Soundwave keenly felt the lack of his one symbiote when the honeyed voice promised him symbiotes enough to fill all his docks. He knew of no host mech that was allowed to carry that many symbiotes… being allowed more than one was almost unheard of and most host mechs lived a life yearning to feel complete. For the telepaths among them it was even worse as the symbiotes acted as an extra defence against the constant backdrop of psychic noise.

Coping, surviving, that was all his class of mecha did now a orn. That was why he had joined the Decepticons and had agreed to stay on Cybertron to help those that had infiltrated the planet. Even so he knew very little and did not expect there to be much time used on him before he was sentenced to spark prison, or worse.

Once his entrances were secured Trypticon directed his Minicons to take both his new Voice and the symbiote to his medbay, another area that had been meticulously repaired and maintained. They had to wait until the drugs left their systems. But at least they could give them more comfort until that time.

All the while Trypticon reassured Soundwave that his captors were no longer able to reach him; reach them. All prisoners were also moved to one section so the dismantling of the prison could begin. His actual brig was in disrepair in one of the most deeply buried parts of himself.

Drugged or not Soundwave managed to curl himself around Ravage, processor flowing nauseatingly with drugs, thoughts, new knowledge and that smooth deep voice that kept murmuring.

At some point he slipped into real recharge and that was blessedly flux free for once…

With his new Voice deep in recharge and not likely to wake unless disturbed for quite a while, Trypticon sent most of his attention to his own needs.

At the prompting of his Minicons he completed the transformation in parts that had been stuck for aeons, the areas fixed and around them excavated to allow enough room. It was slow and painful, but over the next few orn, piece by piece, he pulled himself into city mode.

Chapter Text

Something beeped and chirped at him and Soundwave waved a hand out to make the device stop. The noises turned distinctly aggressive at that and he sat up to see what precisely was making it. A tiny, tiny mech stood on the medical berth, tiny hands fisted and resting on tiny, if prominent, hips. It looked up at him with big blue optics and a very annoyed expression. He stared back in amazement.

It beeped again, then made a series of clicks and binary blips. He shook his head, unable to decipher the language. It seemed to give up and instead made a very exaggerated gesture that he followed with his optics and realised that the tiny mech had been offing fuel.

“Soundwave is sorry,” he tried, “he feels… off kilter?” That was an understatement!

~That is understandable and normal for the sudden expansion and integration of coding. Though I do recommend letting Beeper see to your needs, my Voice,~ Trypticon chuckled in distracted amusement, he was still running through micro transformations, assisted by teams of Minicons when his own systems failed to move his own frame.

“Beeper?” Sounwave asked with some confusion, only to see the tiny mech beam at him. But who had spoken? He had a vague recollection of the warm voice talking to him before but… it, it wasn’t over comm. His comm was still offline from the arrest.

~I am Trypticon. Beeper is asking after your fuel mineral requirements.~ Trypticon could see that his name was known, but not in connection to who he was, it was not actually in connection to a being at all. This concerned him, as did any twisting of knowledge.

"T-the prison?" Soundwave was utterly confused and rather beside himself with worry. He was telepathic, but this was not someone 'thinking' at him. This… was something he did not know and Ravage…

The felinoid Symbiote was still out of it.

~They did make the open parts of myself a Prison and did give it my name, though I highly doubt they realised the truth. In this form, my designation is Urbem Defensionis. And you do need to fuel,~ Trypticon prodded, patient, though he knew Soundwave needed to fuel soon.

“Oh, Soundwave requires boron, gold and mercury in great quantities, all else can be supplied at a normal rate,” Soundwave said dazedly, trying to wrap his processors around what was being said. And how it was said…

“You gave Ravage back to Soundwave?” he half asked, half stated, stroking matte black plating with a shaking hand. Nothing made much sense.

~Ravage is yours as you are Ravage’s. In a similar way to how you are now mine and I am yours,~ Trypticon’s voice held approval both for the information Beeper was now using and the care Soundwave gave his symbiote. ~I would not take that which holds meaning to you.~

“Soundwave does not understand,” that was an understatement, he touched his forehelm and tried to sort out the memories, “Soundwave was arrested, brought to Trypticon? What is Soundwave doing in a medbay?”

In his experience those taken by the Autobots were not seen again unless they were the subject of a trial of sorts.

~I have ejected the guards and the others are contained. You are special, compatible, now my Voice. You are in my Medbay at my request. Once you have recovered further you will be led to my core. You are safe here,~ Trypticon tried to explain.

Soundwave accepted the cube from the… from Beeper? And drank it without thinking, he was too low on fuel and trace elements to worry about poisoning. Besides, why go to all this trouble only to kill him now?

“Your core? Soundwave still does not understand, how is Trypticon alive?” was he alive or was he a sort of advanced AI, was this an attempt to make him talk? It seemed entirely too elaborate to be an interrogation. Still…

~I am a Metrotitan, one of three created by the holy dyad to serve both them and their representative Triad. I personally serve the Lord High Protector. Tenebris serves the Herald of Unicron and Lux serves the Prime, chosen voice of Primus,~ Trypticon stated proudly, sharing images of his fellow Metrotitans. He was glad to see his voice accepting the fuel.

Soundwave drank, but his mind had all but blanked out while he attempted to assimilate what the being speaking to him said. It was a more factual version of the things that had been whispered into his processors over the last… he wasn’t sure how long actually, his chronometer had been disabled just as his comm had, it was online now, but he didn’t know how much time he had lost.

“What is the dyad and…” the memory came up and he baulked at it, the idea of Unicron and Primus being real was hard for him to grasp.

~Yes, they are all of our creators. But they and all of us are in danger. Events are in motion and time is short. I have felt Lux leave, that means he has the new Prime,~ Trypticon responded to the thoughts, messy as they were.

“Why have they left us all to suffer?” The lash out was helpless and full of aimless anger, confusion and the hurt of a mech that had struggled to survive since the start. Someone who had struggled against a world that didn’t want him and his abilities and a reality of self that brought suffering each orn.

~Not by choice,~ Trypticon sighed deeply.

~It starts before the beginning of this universe with Primacron…~ it took quite some time but Trypticon explained the full story, knowing full well that the Prime would be told before returning and as such unwilling to leave his Voice out of the loop.

Soundwave felt even more dazed, if less confused, after. Comprehending the life of a being as old as Trypticon was nearly impossible. There were many who might call the Metrotitan a God in his own right, just for that age. Add to that having to comprehend a time before time and living Gods, not only Primus and Unicron, was… mind breaking.

And yet he was still there in the well appointed medbay, an empty cube on a tray table beside him and his, now awake, felinoid symbiote on his lap. He hadn’t offlined or anything more or less spectacular than that.

He was however now a key piece in a war that made the Autobot/Decepticon conflict look like a youngling game.

“W…. what is Soundwave to do now?” he asked shakily.

~We need to complete the bond, but your role is no more or less than to speak to others on my behalf. I can communicate in a fashion with my Minicons and through my screens, but I am incapable of true communication on the level we are speaking now, with any other than you, my Voice,~ Trypticon explained, attempting to be soothing, usually there were those who knew and understood to help a new Voice adjust. He mourned that it could not be so this time.

“This is… it is…” Soundwave faltered, unable to explain the knot of apprehension, joy, fear and hope. A place to belong was almost impossible to imagine, and yet that was what this was. A home irrevocably his, safety, of a sort, and a role to play in something that would change… everything.

It was no wonder it was too much to take in so fast.

~We have until Lux returns, or the battle is brought to us,~ Trypticon stated carefully, he had no wish to overwhelm his new Voice no matter how desperately he longed for the completion of that bond.

~There are others who wish to see you too.~ He opened his medbay doors to admit a small group of the most daring of the Symbiotes. His new Voice had more bonds to fulfil than simply to himself.

Chapter Text

Rumble and Frenzy were amongst the group having waited camped outside the medbay. The Metrotitan had docs of a sort. But while that took care of their most basic needs, both longed for a full connection with a host. Unlike some of the others here, they had not ever had a proper host. Being twins and mech form symbiotes it would have been nearly impossible, certainly not worth the pain getting too close to Autobots would bring. But here was an available host and with only one filled connection point.

Soundwave did not know what he had expected, but that wasn’t it. At the words he had tensed up, wondering if this was when he woke up or if all of it had been a ploy to gain information. Or… or or. He had no idea.

But these… symbiotes. He felt his spark convulse at the sight alone. A single flyer, a pair of tiny perfect mechs, four that could have been code kin to Ravage though with subtly different kibble. He’d never seen that many symbiotes in one place…

“Hey, Beeper,” Rumble grinned at the Minicon before boosting his brother up onto the medi berth next to the carrier’s. They wanted to show availability, not overwhelm the carrier.

“Frenzy, and my bro Rumble,” Frenzy introduced himself amidst the other symbiotes settling themselves and their introductions. He pulled his brother up after him.

Trypticon remained silent, though he watched with curiosity.

“How? Soundwave…” had no words, he was stunned. He did remember that Trypiticon had whispered of symbiotes but he had thought it dreams. All of this could not be the truth, even if it was a truth he yearned for.

~My Minicons took it upon themselves to care for any unbonded symbiote during my long recharge. Of the three of us I have the most connections for symbiotes, though I am no true substitute for a host such as yourself,~ Trypticon explained.

Unable to hear Trypticon, Frenzy grinned and gave his own reply, “The Minicons found us and the big guy lets us stay.” To which there were verified murmurs of assent.

“But Soundwave has never heard of unbonded symbiotes loose on Cybertron, the Council and the Magnus,” even just saying it made him flinch a little, he knew that some Hosts had had symbiotes taken away. But that was a painful ordeal and it was not likely that those symbiotes had survived.

Rumble and Frenzy shared a look while one of the others replied.

“This has been our home for a long time. We roam from here, but this is our home, home for all of us.”

Trypticon supplied an image from his cameras in the area he kept all the connections for unbonded symbiotes. Most were full, and still there were more symbiotes filling the space. The symbiotes shared the connections, using them when they needed to.

Soundwave emitted a noise that was something in between terror and longing. All those symbiotes… and so few Hosts, at least to his limited knowledge. Even if they were all allowed to fill their connection points. He could only take eight himself, maybe ten, but then they couldn’t all recharge with him at the same time and he might feel weak.

“Ah… You alright there?” Frenzy asked, both of them leaning closer to look Soundwave over the best they could.

~They are waiting, yes, but they are safe. No more than eight, my voice,~ Trypticon was firm about that, his voice needed to remain well, ~we will call the host mecha to us once you are able.~

“No… yes, Soundwave is, is distressed,” Soundwave tried to focus on the symbiotes in the room with him, the two mechling like ones that kept speaking and felt that yarning empty place in him grow exponentially.

“Too many Symbiotes,” he touched his glass chest, “too few connections…”

“We know.”

“But you are just the first.”

“Generations have waited.”

“You are evidence that the wait is nearly over.”

“So gonna introduce us to your first?” Rumble grinned as the others attempted to soothe Soundwave.

“... Ravage?” Soundwave was not going to force the felidea kibbled symbiote into a meeting. The black form only slowly raised his head and the narrowness of the yellow optics told of how suspicious the mech was of their situation.

“Ravage does not speak often,” he said, hesitantly, “Ravage is Soundwave’s.”

He meant he was budded by him, alone. Like most Symbiotes were now. Since the Allspark… since everything. It was not ideal, but it was all they had.

“You're lucky,” Rumble spoke as Frenzy shivered at the implications and their own memories. They had not been budded and thus were alone in the early orn of the war. They had nearly joined the Decepticons, but without a carrier to bond with they would not have been much help. Instead, while seeking refuge from an attack they had been found by a Minicon who had taken them so much deeper into the fortress than either had, up to that point, known possible.

“First carrier mech they, and most of us, have met,'' One of the others elaborated, nodding to the twins, he like everyone knew everyone else's stories, most were despairingly similar.

“Luck is debatable,” Ravage’s voice was horse and his tone somewhat hostile, “I have Soundwave, but I am lonely all the same… I wasn’t meant to be alone.”

None of them were, and Soundwave’s spark quivered at the thought. He was supposed to have his connections full, Ravage was supposed to have siblings and adopted siblings. Budded, or joint budded, maybe even sparked by a mate. Instead he sat here, confronted with something that made him want to bare his connections and he dared not do so…

For Ravage’s sake more than his own, or his Cause.

“You don’t have to be anymore,” Frenzy pointed out, softly for his normal self. Rumble wrapped his arms around his brother, trying to suppress the shiver of a statement hitting too close to home. Even having each other was not enough.

“Despite what we all want we know it is your choice, both your choice.”

“We are all alone, even when together.”

“Soundwave cannot make a choice!” it might have sounded a bit bratty and spoiled if not for the genuine anguish in his tone. How could he choose? How could he take some and leave the majority…

Intellectually he knew that he was to find the ones that fit best with him and Ravage, but emotionally the burden of having to tell most ‘no’ was too much on top of his raw confusion. He recoiled from choosing mentally, reaching desperately for the only truly calm being there. The entity who called himself Trypticon.

Reacting to his Voice’s distress and need, though he had been observing too, Trypticon coiled his mind protectively around Soundwave’s. It was not a lot, it was not enough in the Metrotitan’s mind as this was only the foundation for their bond and not the full thing, but it was all he could do for the moment.

~You have time. More time for this than any of the other changes you must face,~ Trypicon did not apologise, despite the pain and anguish, rapid change typically brought that, he refused to apologise for something that would end with the mech in a far better place.

Time… patience, time. Soundwave knew that litany well. He was, had been?, an operative for a good bit of his existence. Undercover, undetected. Time, patience, learn all you can, pass it on, begin again.

Begin again…

“Please, Soundwave needs time, please return later,” his voice nearly broke, crackling in his version of an emotional outburst. He wanted to scream ‘go away’ but knew that wasn’t fair, to them, to himself. But he could ask them to come again later, and hope they didn’t think less of him for the request.

Despite it being expected, Rumble and Frenze were a little sad at being sent away. But just looking at what one wanted never did much to get it or for one's happiness. So they trooped out with the others. They had gotten to say hello at least.

Chapter Text

~Do you wish to see your quarters? I apologise for not being able to guide you myself as I normally would. Beeper can assist you though.~ Trypticon suggested, he realised Soundwave likely needed a space of his own and likely more recharge and his medibay could only provide one of those. Besides, his Voice’s quarters were far closer to his core than here.

“Soundwave needs clarity,” the Tapedeck lamented, and really meant that he needed to find a way to ground himself so he could think past all the needs and musts that assaulted him. His own, Ravage’s, these strangers, the… prison’s?

He had the awful feeling that clarity and grounding wouldn’t come until he caved to at least one of those needs.

~You already know what will give you that,~ Trypticon replied, but not unkindly. After a moment he shared his own current state. He was still in pain, and while he was fully in city mode, there were still many micro transformations that needed completion. He could not move his interior past small movements in certain places. But all those physical frustrations were nothing compared to knowing that Lux had had to go on his journey without him, with no guardian. Knowing Tenebris was out there and nothing would keep him from meeting up with Lux eased it a little bit, but that also added its own pain. He missed Tenebris as much as he missed Lux.

“Then… not any rooms,” Soundwave offlined his optics and vented, posture collapsing a bit. He could not rest like this, and he knew he couldn’t walk out. He might have been able to before he was shown all the symbiotes but… he doubted it. Either way he wanted it done, one less need to press in on him, perhaps that would give room for him to be able to focus on making sensible choices.

Trypticon considered, before summoning a half dozen minicons, though small Trypticon knew the team would easily be able to assist Soundwave to his core.

~If that is what you need, then come to me,~ Trypticon called, opening a hidden door that led to his core.

Soundwave needed something, and this seemed the action to take that would cause the least issues later. Cynical or not, he wasn’t leaving and this would happen sooner or later anyway. Becoming ‘Voice’ to the prison was inevitable, and doing so now would at least prevent him from scooping up nine random symbiotes to bond with.

An unwise action that might well saddle them all with an untenable situation of not being able to stand each other. Given that he didn’t know when other Hosts might join him here… it could be a long time in a Pit of his own making.

He rose unsteadily to follow the tiny mechs, Ravage following along with a low uncertain hiss.

Trypticon tried to be as soothing as he could. As compatible as this Voice was, the Metrotitan was aware that he was deeply hurt. He did his best to encourage but not push. Though he could not hide his own need at this point.

He had no sense of direction or of if they moved up or down. The corridors were smooth and sometimes he felt that they tilted but things were obviously wrong. Discoloured patches, more of the tiny mechs working on things behind panels. It was oddly comforting, as it was this most of his living conditions had offered. Only of course the workers had been of a more normal size and there had been things above him other than the ceiling.

Suddenly his guides stopped and he looked at the blank wall before him with some confusion, a confusion that only deepened when the wall irised open to a small chamber.

“...” he made a soft noise, the tone carrying a tang of fear of the room that looked a bit like a bare cell.

~All is well. I am simply damaged enough that I can not override my spark protection protocols. I can allow you in but this is the first of the locked stages, the next will open once the door behind is closed. There are three in total, normally all one room, my sparks antichamber,~ Trypticon explained, gently urging his Voice forward.

It took a moment, and Ravage pressed wordlessly against his leg, before Soundwave started forward. There was no way back, but that didn’t mean the appearance of a bare cell didn’t terrify him, even with the reassurance. His spark shuddered when the wall irised close behind him, and for a moment panic threatened to take over… and then the opposite wall irised open and he could see a way out.

It was slow progress and Trypticon regretted that he had to be under such protocols for his joining with this Voice. The mech was so hurt. He did his best to keep the time between one door closing and the next opening as small as possible while giving Soundwave information on the components and connections exposed in each section.

Soundwave nearly clung to the voice in his processor, everything fraying at the edges while his fear rose to choke him. Even the fact that Ravage was with him didn’t help. It was the enclosed spaces, the irrational fear that he might at any moment wake in his little cold cell, alone, unable to feel his symbiote and robbed of all hope.

It might be irrational, but it seemed more real than what was actually happening. And that made it doubly terrifying.

Trypticon reached out with his spark as soon as Soundwave was close enough. There was no stopping now. His Voice needed to know, needed to feel him, needed to have no doubts.

~Welcome,~ The word was both transmitted through fields and the coding bond, his spark chamber opening as soon as the last door was closed and locked.

He didn’t think he could have dreamt up what hid behind the last door rising open before him. A shining spark bigger than any mech he had ever met, the surface of it as alive as the surface of a sun, fields visible as they reached out to him. Some might have feared it, he did not, he could not… he could feel the being it was, hear his voice in his processor and Soundwave reached out even as he took the last few steps to bring him inside the chamber itself.

Tendrils reached out as soon as they could, but other than that Trypticon remained patient, gently coaxing, but otherwise leaving it to his Voice to take the next step. The Voice always had the final choice in the bond, though realistically Trypticon knew that neither of them had a choice anymore at this point.

It was not a choice, though it might have been. And certainly would have been under different circumstances. Soundwave was assured of the last, even as his chest plates unlocked, his dock opening last to reveal his own spark, a tiny speck of light compared to that of the Metrotitan.

Trypticon reached out with the full confidence of one who has done the action before. He knew how to bond and not hurt his new Voice. He even knew how to be careful of his Voice’s preexisting connection.

It was a little like being seized in a grip by huge gentle hands. Hands that prodded and explored but never hurt, never crossed any boundaries he was uncomfortable with. And then it seemed like the hands found what they were looking for and the touch turned… intimate. Not sexual, but deep, profound and before he could feel fear of what was offered he fell into a landscape of memories.

The sheer age of the Metrotitan was impossible to comprehend, it had seen stars born and die, it had lived close to the sparks of Gods. Mecha had walked its halls that no one remembered, and with them had walked allies of Cybertron, some huge, some small. Beings of flesh and beings of light and energy. It had met other Gods too, Gods of flesh and light, The Heart, The Star Dragon, The Shadow Coil… the Thirteen.

Soundwave understood very little and yet so much, learned more than he had in a lifetime and felt his universe get torn apart and put back together the right way. Understanding what he was, what his Symbiote was, their true function, and their true freedom.

Trypticon was grieved that this Voice, Soundwave and his singular symbiote had only known pain and hurt, that they had never truly known their own purpose. But then in a way the Carrier mech were to the crews the Metrotitans carried as the Minicons were to the Metrotitans themselves. With their long absence such a disconnect was expected if saddening.

The bond itself was deep, but highly focused for its purpose, very much unlike the mate bond Trypticon hoped to share with both Lux and Tenebris once it was possible. The Voice bond was for knowledge mainly, communication, a way to connect with his mortal master of the Triad where such a bond directly with the mech would be detrimental.

Soundwave knew he had lost joor when he was released, but he felt he could have stayed connected like that for the rest of his function and not have mourned it. But he also now knew he had a reason to be alive, a purpose.

It was more of a difference than he could articulate.

"How do we start?"

~Do you wish to rest? Otherwise Beeper will guide you to my command centre. It is a mess but fully secured and safe.~ Trypticon knew he would enjoy becoming functional again. He was also pleased that his Voice knew communications equipment.

“No,” Soundwave was not even aware that his speech glitch had been cleared up, the notice of that so low on a long list of cleared issues that he didn’t even bother to consciously take it in. He had been in such a bad state coding wise… but he suspected most Hosts would be. He couldn’t be tardy, he wasn’t healed but he was on the path, there were plenty out there who would need Trypticon, just as he had.

“Please call Beeper, I wish to work,” Ravage’s warm form pressed against his leg, the felinoid symbiote vibrating with a purr that was in no way subtle.

~He will be waiting outside the locked chambers. Fuel will be brought for the both of you,~ Trypticon agreed, though he knew his Voice would need to recharge and defrag soon and that Ravage would be needing the connection too. But to work was a need too for this Voice, an ethic that Trypticon approved of.

It was a relief that Trypticon did not insist on rest just yet. Soundwave had too much to think over for recharge to come easy. Once out of the inner chamber he knelt to let Ravage dock with him. His Symbiote needed it as badly as he did, but neither of them were yet willing to do it where all and sundry could watch. The forced separation had only worsened trust issues every Host grew up with on Cybertron.

But now he knew a time would come where there was no shame in being a Host and no one would deny any of them to fill their docking points.

To get there meant work! And he was not waiting to start it anymore…

Chapter Text

Trypticon gave his voice a few orn to settle, he was making impressive work on the communications hub, quickly learning how to work with the Minicons to trace issues through his walls and find sensors and equipment.

But it was about time to introduce him to the interested Symbiotes again, this time a group solely of flyers wishing to assist when work moved to higher locations.

Buzzsaw had helped preen his sibling, Lazerbeak, for this meeting. They wished to look good, not desperate for the connection. They both wished to see if they could work with Soundwave.

It had taken the better part of two orn to get to grips with all that had been shown to him and all the coding issues that had been corrected. He was awed that a merge could have that effect, though Trypticon assured him that had only been possible because of the nature of their special type of bond. That and the fact that his coding was already in flux thanks to the awakening of his Voice coding.

Soundwave found that reassuring, though he was not bothered that the, his, Metrotitan had been able to help him. Ironically it was his speech glitch being gone that had caused the greatest consternation in him when he finally realised it was corrected. Luckily though there was little time to dwell on such feelings, what with the massive amount of work required to heal Trypticon. It might have been daunting if he’d actually had time to sit back and consider it, but with eager Minicons, lurking Symbiotes and the direct connection to the Metrotitan, things just didn’t seem so impossible

‘Soundwave,’ he looked up at Ravage’s telepathic address, it had the mental flavour of a mild warning.

Lazerbeak flew in ahead of Buzzsaw and beside another, a fourth flying beside his brother into the command centre where the Host mech had set himself up. Other than recharge he was here working.

He chirped a greeting to Ravage as they passed.

“Greetings, we are here to assist you this orn,” Lazerbeak greeted Soundwave as they landed on a console near the working mech. It had been agreed that only one talk at a time unless spoken to.

“Welcome,” Soundwave inclined his helm, trying to seem calm. The hostless symbiotes still had a massive effect on him, good and bad both. He was determined though that he would choose right, for all their sakes in the time to come.

“Beeper and Rivet direct the Minicon teams,” he gestured to the two Minicons who, like him, were hardwire connected to the main communication console in the huge hub. Currently it was the only fully functional console too, the others in various stages of repair, and a few completely taken apart for spare parts and to see what parts could be manufactured in the Metrotitan’s own workshop rooms. In time it would probably be all of them, but for now it was limited to what the Minicons could operate of equipment and what worked.

“I believe they need help getting unnecessary material off the outer walls as well as getting equipment up there?” he questioned the two tiny mechs.

Beeper made an affirmative noise and waved the fliers over to him. They knew the other reason the symbiotes were there but Soundwave needed a delicate touch when it came to them.

“We will be glad to help,” Lazerbeak replied, meaning he was the last to converge around the two Minicons for directions.

It was distinctly uncomfortable whenever the symbiotes flittered into the Hub. Ravage did not warn him again, but he didn’t need to. Something about the Minicons made them naturally shielded against his telepathy, they could connect with him if they needed to, or he needed it, but in general he was ‘safe’ from them.

Not so with the symbiotes. They were bright points that moved in and out of his processors, he didn’t try to read them and only got understandable thoughts and images when they were close by, but he felt them. He never had, outside in the ‘noisy’ world of Cybertron, there the brightness of them had been drowned in the sea of floodlights that were the active processors of every mech near him.

He hunched his shoulders a little and worked on.

A few orn later Ratbat winged his way to the command centre. He was the only dark cycle flyer currently amongst the Symbiotes, though that was not strange as his type were very rare to begin with.

He chirped a greeting, but otherwise waited to be acknowledged, hanging off the top edge of a currently offline screen.

Soundwave was slow to react, Ravage was docked and he hadn’t expected company for a few joor after Beeper and Rivet left a few breem ago.

“Yes?” he asked cautiously, peering at the symbiote. He could not readily recognize its configuration.

“Greetings host Soundwave. I am Ratbat. I wish to offer my services. I can work in the dark zones to restore power and light,” Ratbat spoke respectfully, halfway unfurling his wings to allow the curious inspection.

“Oh,” Soundwave continued to be surprised that Minicons, and symbiote, came to him with questions and offers. It was a part of being the Voice that he needed to get used to, at least until Trypticon found his Master. Whomever that might be.

“I can contact Beeper for you, he will know who works in those areas.”

“No one does,” Ratbat shook his helm, he had investigated himself before coming here. He knew they were not exactly high priority areas, mostly quarters. But with the current configuration getting power restored would allow quicker and easier movement.

“It is mostly quarters, but there are quite a few paths that would save much time for being lit again,” Ratbat explained.

“Uh, well… I suppose that would be fine?” Soundwave was certain it would be fine, he wasn’t certain about giving allowance or about… well.

“It is kind of you to offer, every effort helps,” that he could feel through his bond with the Metrotitan. Every repair helped, so Ratbat’s offer was very appreciated.

~Very much appreciated. His primary sensors? Are they just echolocation or does he have heightened electro sense too? If it is the latter he would be very useful for tracing my wiring,~ Trypticon shared what he knew was typical for Ratbat’s frame type, mostly a highly sensitive and specialised sensor suite.

Trypticon pulled up schematics of the areas being discussed to keep the Symbiote occupied while he spoke with his Voice.

Ratbat plugged into the console to view the offered information, rather than moving to view it visually.

“Ah… what are your primary sensors,” Soundwave asked awkwardly, surprised at the information that the symbiote might not have vision as his primary sense. Not at least the type of vision that was most common among Cybertronians.

“For navigation, a form of sonar known as echolocation, with vibrational sensors as secondary coupled with electro sense. Vision is tertiary, mainly for communication and when knowing what colour something is, is important,” Ratbat explained easily, stating it as facts. “Consequently I prefer quiet areas as my hearing is very sensitive and I can’t dial it back when flying.”

“Oh… ah, Trypticon wishes to know if you would be willing to help the Minicons trace his wiring. Some of it has been rerouted into the surrounding grids and needs to be disconnected again,” Soundwave hesitated again, feeling the urge to reach out and touch the symbiote. He felt… young? Since their fields were barely brushing he couldn’t tell a lot and he did not try and read the other. There was no reason to invade. But…

His fingers twitched with the need. The strange symbiote was so compelling and strange and curious and…

Ratbat gave a pleased chirip, “Gladly. Are there any sections that are urgent to work on?”

He noticed the twitchyness of the host, the turmoil in his fields. But as usual said nothing of what he could sense that others could not, at least not so easily. He did hold his fields out and steady, welcoming, though.

That sound, it hit right home. It sounded so much like the sound Ravage had made when he unfurled for the first time. Symbiotes were not sparklings in the conventional sense, but they were nevertheless still the Creations of a Host.

Soundwave reached out, field and physical, that yawning hole inside him aching to be filled. Aching to sooth, to connect…

Ratbat chiriped again, and reached back, welcoming. This was not what he had been aiming for or trying to provoke, but he was not going to reject what he desperately wanted too. It was not like he had been avoiding provoking connection either.

Gathering the tiny form to his chest Soundwave was well beyond rational thought. Within him Ravage stirred, but there was no rejection from his symbiote when his chest opened to offer a connection point to the night flying symbiote.

A fully open one, connectors sparking with a very special type of charge.

Ratbat did not even consider the idea of rejecting. It was too much what he also wanted. Chirring, he folded himself down as he slipped inside, corresponding connectors already exposed. Energy and relief, both his and not.

Soundwave sat down then and there, venting harshly, the noise almost choppy as his systems tried to cope with his emotional reaction. The semi merge itself was easy, meant to be and therefore not especially taxing for either host or symbiote. But so many things were tied up in the action, the fact alone that he was breaking a law that had been drilled into him…

That was exhausting.

Trypticon crooned to his Voice soothingly, ~That was a law that was never meant to be. Tip Ped is on his way to cover the shift. You will be given the time you need for this.~

It was calming, but it did not change his emotional reactions, or negated the cost of the upheaval. Soundwave was greatly thankful for the time the Metrotitan so easily gave him, time that allowed him to struggle with all the emotions and fear.

And doubly thankful for the presence of that ancient mind who without a shadow of a doubt knew what things were supposed to be like!

Trypticon kept his mental presence close, offering support, but otherwise remained quiet, this was Soundwave’s struggle, one he had to figure out on his own. All he could give was time and support.

Ratbat settled in more fully, relaxing into recharge, offering his own presence as support.

While the younger symbiote fell into recharge, Ravage woke up, and he was thrilled in a way that completely blindsided Soundwave. He had expected some resentment, and got doting instead? A sensation of sibling protectiveness and just…

::but what if you don’t like him?::

Tip Ped beeped a greeting as he arrived moving over to a console on the other side of the centre to set up for the remainder of the shift.

::I like him,:: Ravage said it easily, no doubt whatsoever to find in him, ::but more importantly you can now begin to look for more siblings for us. And do it in a less desperate manner. I am sure Ratbat knows a lot of the others, ask him to share.::

Soundwave nodded to the Minicon and drifted dazedly towards his living quarters. The easy acceptance was another blow to his barely recovered world view, even if he had been very aware of Ravage’s longing along with his own.

Trypticon made sure Soundwave made it back to his quarters without trouble, at least as much as he was able. It was frustrating to be so stuck. But that was slowly being worked on. He was now able to freely move several sections around his core and he was mostly comfortably settled in city mode, all entrances sealed.

Chapter Text

Ravage led the way to what was the Metrotitan’s medical bay once more. The felinoid radiated slinky satisfaction and warm joy, as well as pride and protectiveness. Soundwave was by now more bemused than astonished, and considerably more in control of his feelings. Ratbat was securely docked and happy to stay there.

Inside his mind a third presence showed feelings much the same as Ravage but more like a Creator might, the feelings mellower and somehow aged. Trypticon was pleased too.

Glit was waiting for them, having received Ratbat’s message. He looked through his tools and checked his inbuilt ones while he waited. Honestly he was surprised that Ratbat was the first to bond with the host, but pleased. That symbiote needed stability far more than he let on. He himself was curious but had no direct expectations for this meeting, other than it being a medical exam.

The white felinoid chuffed a greeting to the black one, Ravage, before turning his attention to Soundwave as they entered.

“Greetings, I am Medic Glit.”

“Greetings, medic,” Soundwave had known there were medically inclined symbiotes, but the few he had met had had mech formats. He did not judge though, simply walked to where the felinoid indicated he wanted him and settled down.

“Ratbat has not left the dock since we…” he faltered, not sure how to say what had happened since he couldn’t strictly recall many details.

“That is normal, as I understand it you both have rather upset coding, and that can take its time to settle,” Glit nodded in sympathetic understanding.

“Now is there anything else I need to know before starting? And who would like to go first?” They would all get a full check over but for that to even be possible they had to be set at ease first.

“I do not believe so, but if you will start with Ravage?” the felinoid, his felinoid, gave him a put upon look though he easily jumped onto a medical berth.

“Of course,” Glit nodded and with an easy practised leap followed Ravage up onto the medical berth. He made sure to keep on the side away from Soundwave during the physical examination, as much as possible.

“Other than some nutrient deprivation you are in good physical health, and proper fuel is already showing signs of helping there. Your coding though… Hmm, If Soundwave has been unable to keep up with the extent of alterations required, I would suggest linking up with Trypticon. It can just be a medical link, he will be able to set this to rights. Either a few short sessions, or a long one,” Glit announced, speaking directly to Ravage, his findings.

“Better it be done fast,” Ravage rumbled uncomfortably, though he was curious about the medically inclined symbiote. It was the medbay that made him edgy, they had rarely meant a good thing to any Host and Soundwave was no different there. Ravage preferred his time in one be spent docked.

“Where?”

“You should be able to do so from here,” Soundwave spoke up, a small frown hidden by his mask, as he looked around the medbay, “this place was made to treat everyone, and… uh, apparently the Voice sometimes needs such a connection while being treated?”

If he understood it right, these tidbits of knowledge seemed to float out of his changed coding at times and he was not sure if it was an absent minded gift from Trypticon or an actual part of his coding.

“Yes, if you would be more comfortable we can move to the private room where the connection point is?” Glit indicated a door leading off from the main medical bay. He would be fully capable of working on both Ratbat and Soundwave there. So their comfort was the main priority.

“Thank you,” Soundwave said even as Ravage jumped off the table and hurried towards the room, “it is very kind of you.”

Of course he suspected that privacy issues might be a trait of the felinoid frame, he had never met one who wanted to be on display. He followed after his symbiote, hand unconsciously on his dock again.

Glit ensured that he had with him all he needed before following. He got Ravage connected and settled before turning to Soundwave.

“Who will be next?” Glit asked, only the tip of his tail flicking as he waited for the answer.

“I… Ratbat is not ready to leave,” And Soundwave was not ready to let him go either. It was debatable if either of them would be ready once there was nothing else to look at for the symbiote medic.

“That is quite alright, I do have his baselines. So what do you wish to start with?” Glit was not happy as such, but he understood and Trypticon was monitoring them as best as he could in his own current state.

“All of it? I… I feel better but,” Soundwave couldn’t articulate what having a new symbiote was doing to him. A world of good certainly, but he also feared, oh yes. Knowing he was safe was not the same as not feeling all the terror of hard learning crashing back down on him.

“Hmm, physical first then, once Ravage is done I believe you should recharge here with the hard link and a medical scan running, if you are agreeable?” Glit offered, perhaps next orn Ratbat would feel like coming out for a little.

“I would find that acceptable,” Soundwave nodded, slowly settling on the surface of the medical berth.

“Recharge would be good…”

It was. It was better after recharge. It was less of a mess in his processor at least, some of his coding settled, some of his need assuage. He still didn’t much want to let Ratbat out, but there were scans that needed doing, a medical checklist to get through. A symbiote bonding could go wrong, it rarely did, but it could happen.

Coaxing the little symbiote out took some time though, showing that the bond was still frail. They both felt it was frail at least.

Glit was quick yet gentle as he gave Ratbat a look over, he was adored by most here and he wished them luck in this pairing.

“The bond appears to be stable, it is likely anxiety that is causing the symptoms. My recommendation is staying close until you all settle,” Glit stated as he finished up with Ratbat. He was doing his best to contain his own longing, they all wanted, however he knew that did not mean rushing in blindly was a good idea.

Ratbat chirped, crawling the short distance over the medberth to scale Soundwave until he could lie flat over his dock. Soundwave raised a hand to cup the back of the small symbiote, feeling a bit conflicted again. He wanted him to dock again, but at the same time he knew that not doing so would be better, as long as the night flyer stayed with him, preferably on him.

“Am I cleared to work?” He was aware that he had lost a few orn to this, and while the Metrotitan didn’t seem upset with him, he was a little bit. The Minicons, the symbiotes… the prisoners even, they were all in need of his help.

“You feel more at ease when you have a defined task?” Glit half asked, he already knew that carrier mech were by nature task orientated. They floundered when they had nothing to do.

“I feel better when I work,” Soundwave looked at Glit, cautious with his field and his tone both. He still wanted, it was still like he was filled with a gaping maw, “What I do is needed, I need it too. I cannot be idle.”

Glit nodded, not at all surprised, “Yes you are cleared. I would also make a recommendation, each orn go for a walk and help Ratbat map out Trypticon’s wiring, just small sections at a time. It will give you both exercise while doing something much needed.”

“Thank you, that will help us both,” Soundwave was reasonably sure of that at least, though the lump on his dock lid didn’t seem inclined to comment. He didn’t care if Ratbat wanted to talk or not, not right now.

“I will be in the command centre for now,” he said and stood, looking to Ravage and hesitating for a second, “you will be with Ravage?”

“Of course. There is always much for me to do here in the Medbay. I will be here when he wakes,” Glit felt touched at the trust the question indicated, it was a large step towards healing, and one he would do his best to ensure remained only positive.

“Thank you,” even with that reassurance it took him a moment to leave, a moment where he gently stroked the tips of his fingers over Ravage’s smooth plating. He did leave though, and it felt good to be able to trust that Ravage would be there when he came back, or would join him… to not doubt, nor fear.

Chapter Text

The private examination room was not overly large by mecha standards. That being said the berth could still be expanded out to fit a shuttle class mech and still have room for equipment and medics to work around them. This meant that Glit had ample room to bring several projects into the room to work on while Ravage recharged.

Ravage was uncharacteristically slow to online. It had been vorn since he remembered being safe enough to allow himself something as lazy and sloppy as that.

Glit took notice of the signs of Ravage waking, but continued on with his current project, he had no wish to crowd the other symbiote. He did however start a light purring and a slow friendly swish of his tail.

Chuffing softly Ravage slowly online his optics to view the room before moving. The medic felidea was working, but clearly aware of him or he wouldn’t just have started purring… there was no urgency anywhere, not even in his bond to his host. That was odd too, he could not remember a single joor where they hadn’t needed each other with desperation souring the need.

Nice, but different. Hesitantly he purred back at the other.

Glit gave a chuff of greeting, continuing right on with his purring. Using his tail he formed a question, asking if Ravage needed anything.

Considering the question Ravage flopped onto his side and took stock. Did he need anything? Was he… hot? Did he need coolant or was he hungry? Without the urgency and desperation that had been his, their, normal he found it hard to read his own needs.

Rolling up onto his stomach plating he made a low rumbling noise, audio shells flattening a little. He didn’t know the answer.

Glit responded to the uncertainty with a gentle reassuring crooning, tail giving a single sharp flick to dispel worry or concern. It was actually not surprising that Ravage did not know how he felt or what he needed right now, he had seen the other’s coding and knew how disorientating it was to have major coding work done.

Ravage returned to purring, though he stayed upright, tucking his paws under himself and wrapping his tail around his body. Just watching the other felidea and enjoying being, being? Not alone? Yes, not alone and understood like only another felidea could. None of them were meant to be alone, not in their host, not out in society. It was supposed to be that he could go out and visit others when he wanted to, without leaving Soundwave alone or making him worry unduly.

Glit was content to let things remain like this, Ravage could seek Soundwave out or ask his location at any point, he was free to leave, but equally he was free to stay and Glit found he rather enjoyed having the quiet company as he worked. His fields, purring and body language all speaking of his contentment with the moment.

There was something he needed, Ravage realised slowly, and this was it. Someone close that could offer this. He was happy with Ratbat, but he was not another felidea. He would be happy with pretty much anything or anyone Soundwave chose, but he wanted this!

He wanted Glit? He liked him, and the other felidea was skilled, a boon to the bond in all ways.

Finally Glit put down the part he was working on and lept nimbly to another workspace, here he drew a few cubes from the dispensers, subspaced them and lept over to the medical berth Ravage was still settled on. He pulled out a cube each of coolant and energon pushing them towards Ravage before going back to his projects and pulling out the other two for himself.

The cubes were special ones that lowered the edge as the fluid levels inside dropped, making it easy for most symbiotes to use, far easier than regular cubes.

Ravage considered the cubes for a bit before he finally drank, but once he started he couldn’t stop. He was famished, truly hungry, but a healthy form of hungry. If there was such a thing, he felt that he could fuel without risking a purge. Before he knew it he was gently kneading the surface of the medical berth with his claws.

Glit carefully watched Ravage as he fueled, gauging if he would need more or not, but if Ravage was like him then a full cube of that size would be just about enough to top him off fully. His tail returned to its lazy slow back and forth motion as he drank from his coolant cube first. It was amazing to him that Ravage was fueling at all. He was amazed enough that it took him a while to notice the other actions.
…That he had not expected at all and he worried if Ravage really was as content as he seemed or if he might be heading towards an emotional crash at some point soon.

Noticing the attention Glit was suddenly paying him had Ravage lifting his helm, tilting it slightly in inquiry. He only belatedly realised he’d been kneading the berth and looked down to see if he had roughened up the surface, though he couldn’t imagine he had. The quick look confirmed that nothing was done and he looked back at Glit helm tilted a little more.

Keeping his helm lowered, though he moved a bit from his cube Glit gave a chirr and chuff, punctuated by a tail flick to indicated that it was a question, he was asking if Ravage was happy, though with the limitations of this from of communication it referred to a great many measures of happiness.

Flickering his audio shells Ravage tilted his helm the other way and gave a thoughtful chirr back. Happy? No, contented yes and seeing, for the first time in his life, a brighter future. He was perhaps a bit overwhelmed. Mostly though it was his decision to ask Soundwave to bond Glit that had him in a good mood. It would surprise his Host he thought, for him to ask for another felidea. Soundwave still felt annoyingly guilty over Ratbat, despite Ravage’s reassurances.

“I’m fine,” he finally allowed, vocals crackling a little.

Glit considered for a moment then slowly nodded, yes he did believe that, and more than simply believing that Ravage believed it himself.

Settling into a half flop Glit gave a pleased rumble, finally allowing himself out of medical mindset, despite a patient of his still being present.

Better, Ravage thought to himself and slowly finished his fuel. Then he hopped down and slowly moved closer to Glit. Not directly of course, he had to look over equipment on the way and also one didn’t just walk up to another without an invitation.

Glit watched Ravage with half slitted optics, switching from coolant to energon and storing the remaining coolant away again. He left his posture open, though he did not give a direct invitation, wanting to see how much Ravage dared. The worst he would do would be giving the other a thorough grooming.

Once Glit was done with his energon Ravage sauntered closer, tail flicking in polite question. He’d be okay with sitting a little ways away, but if the other wanted…

Deciding that he had made Ravage work hard enough Glit got up with a soft churr and carefully approached, lowering his helm a little he passed by close enough to almost touch, except for his tail which brushed along Ravage’s plating in his wake. Circling back around he flopped onto his side, giving an invitation to join him.

Huffing a soft silent vent of relief Ravage followed along to flop back to back with the other. This was good, Glit liked him too, so all that was missing was to make sure that Glit and Soundwave liked each other. Though Ravage was pretty sure that was not a problem!

Glit purred contentedly, letting himself settle into a light doze, though with an audio pricked towards the slightly ajar door, in case anyone came into the medbay needing him.