Work Text:
Well this certainly wasn't the outcome he wanted. But it was the outcome he got. Much to his dismay.
Brainstorm quickly set down the compound he was testing and washed his servos. He swiftly dried them off before scrubbing his eyes with his digits, only to blink them open again with the same result.
This… wasn't good.
Raising the bottle closer to his optics (though against his better judgment) did nothing as he tried and failed to read the label. Tracing through his memory, he tried to recall the names of all the chemicals in the fluid.
Now which one would cause blindness ?
But as he searched, he couldn't help but notice just how distracted he was by his fogging vision. It was quickly taking over both his optics, creating an unsettling milky film over them, accompanied by a slight heat behind his optic recesses.
It was a stupid idea, drinking it. He knew it was toxic. But curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to know why and how it was toxic. So of course he had to drink it to find out. Obviously.
The shimmering pearlescent white acid he'd consumed had clearly had a dangerous impact on him, but he wanted to know why more than anything. This compound was relatively new to him, what better way to test the toxicity than on one's self? That way you can accurately describe all the symptoms.
But he pushed all of this aside. Right now, he was going blind and needed help. And someone to record his findings.
He commed the only other mech who'd know the answers as calmly as he could. But it was difficult, considering how much he hated asking for help.
: Hey Perce!
:... What is it now, Brainstorm?
: I just wanted to ask if you could come over and help me identify this acid.
:... You can't identify it? Can't you just read the label?
: No? That's why I'm asking you to come here?
: You could just process it as a sample too, you know.
: No, it's kind of hard to explain- Just hurry up, I don't have all day.
***
Finally, he heard a ping at his lab door. His vision was nearly entirely clouded now, and he was becoming quite distressed.
"Come in!" He shouted.
"Brainstorm, it's locked. I don't have the code," Perceptor stated. Brainstorm clapped his hand to his helm. Duh.
Two minutes of stumbling, crashing, falling, a short game of Marco Polo and a lot of confusion later, and the doors opened.
"Primus what took so-" Percy started, but his vocals cut out immediately. He must've spotted Brainstorm's blinded eyes, as he went silent, his vents stalling before kicking up abruptly.
"Pretty bad huh," Brainstorm laughed.
"... No," Percy responded, his voice unusually light. Brainstorm snorted, confused.
"Oh, okay. Yeah, now that I think about it, I guess being blind has its perks," He gave him a questioning look, a tiny laugh following.
"I'm not blind Brainstorm, I just don't understand what you mean by 'pretty bad'. Actually I'd say you look quite alright," Perceptor stated. Brainstorm raised an optic ridge.
"What are you talking about?" He asked, quickly growing impatient.
"... What are you talking about?" Percy replied.
" Primus, Percy! I'm blind!" He replied, waving his servo in front of his eyes. "How is that 'quite alright'?"
"...What do you mean?" Perceptor asked, his voice regaining its caution. There was movement in the air before him, but Brainstorm couldn't tell what it was.
"How many digits am I holding up?" Perceptor asked. Brainstorm crossed his arms with a frustrated huff.
"What's your problem ?" Brainstorm asked, properly upset now. "Whatever. I don't care. Just please read the ingredients of this solution so I can figure out how to undo it." A moment of silence passed before Perceptor reacted.
"... Are you actually blind? " He finally spoke. Brainstorm felt his faceplates heat. Great. Now he had one of the scientists he respects the opinion of the most, making fun of him. Embarrassment embedded in his throat as he tried to bite back his frustration.
"Frag, Percy, I might as well have just called Ratchet if I knew I'd be insulted for it," He snapped. "At least he can do something about it!" He reached for the wall, catching it briefly before running his digits across it until he reached the door frame.
"No, no wait. I didn't- I couldn't tell, your optics look fine from my perspective. I thought," He stopped himself. Brainstorm turned and placed a servo on his hip pointedly.
"What, you thought I could tell you were confused? From my perspective, everything is white -"
"No, I thought you meant your face," Percy said, stuttering slightly. Horrified, Brainstorm scrambled at his face plates.
"Wait, what did it do to my face!?"
"Nothing! That's what I was saying, I was saying you look fine," Perceptor replied quickly, lingering on the last word. For a second, Brainstorm was still confused, but as he felt his face more, it snapped to him. His blast mask was off.
He felt his faceplates flush, hardly capable of suppressing his embarrassment. He bit his lip in frustration before whispering out a small 'frag' in frustration.
"Okay well I'm still blind, so let's find the compound and identify it already!" He said, impatient.
"Where is it?" Perceptor asked.
"On my work bench, it's white and shimmery and whatever you do, don't drink it," Brainstorm stated. Perceptor tensed.
"...You drank it? " Perceptor asked, but nonetheless, his steps followed him across the room and back.
He was quietly reading the label under his breath until a specific word caught his interest.
"You drank meta-toluic acid!?" Percy shouted.
"I wanted to know what made it so toxic," Brainstorm shrugged. Quickly, Perceptor set down the acid on a nearby shelf, and suddenly Brainstorm felt warm servos on either side of his helm.
"Stay still," Perceptor ordered before the jet could resist. Instead, he held his vent, trying to ignore how hot his faceplates were getting or how nervous he was.
There was a small click sound before a blurry brightness caught the bottom edge of his view.
"I'm going to shine a light in your optics. It might hurt," He said.
"Hurt? Like what?" He laughed. "Is it gonna melt my optics? Or- PRIMUS!" He gasped in pain, slamming his optics shut on reflex as the light blinded him further. Sharp pain erupted behind his optics as he felt a burst of fluid build up behind them.
"My apologies," Perceptor said, quickly shutting the light source off, still holding his helm firmly but gently in his servos. "This is… not good."
"Not good?" Brainstorm blinked, optical fluid running down his cheeks. "I can think of a few things that aren't good. I think this counts as bad, Perce," Brainstorm laughed, but was still recoiling from the pain.
"We need to see Ratchet," Perceptor said. Suddenly, his servos left Brainstorm's face, one catching itself on his own servo instead. Quickly, Perceptor tugged him along as they began to exit the lab, Brainstorm stumbling after him.
"No, wait! I called you over to tell me how to fix it ," Brainstorm said, trying to slow Perceptor down. But it clearly didn't work, as Percy pulled him along with ease. "I don't want to see Ratchet, he won't bother to explain!"
"What, did you think I'd stand there and discuss in depth all the minute details of your rapidly declining vision, rather than getting you help?" Percy replied, reaching an arm around his waist to guide him, pulling his other arm over his shoulders. Brainstorm tried to ignore how warm his frame had become at that.
"W-well no, but-" He stammered, unable to think straight, what with his vision reduced to a blurry white film and Perceptor's servos carefully guiding him. His hold on him was surprisingly light and warm; less like the clutch of a cold, calculated sniper and more like the soft embrace of a distant friend. It nearly made Brainstorm trip several times over his own winglets, his helm light and fuzzy. He tried to chalk it up as the effects of the acid he'd consumed, though he was sure Perceptor knew it wasn't.
"I won't be blind forever , will I?" Brainstorm choked out, his panic rising with the heat in his frame.
"I suppose it depends, how long has it been since you drank it?" Perceptor asked.
"About 8 minutes," Brainstorm said, nervously. A small hitch in Perceptor's venting was followed by silence, making Brainstorm even more anxious.
"Perceptor," He said, anxiety tainting his voice.
"Well, it's not… it's not impossible to… I assume there's… a chance… ," Percy stopped again.
"Perceptor!" Brainstorm said, unable to smother the fear in his expression.
"I suppose the answer would be yes, but assuming the damage is minimal to your optic nerves and connective wires, they'd be easily replaced," Perceptor said.
"Replaced!?" Brainstorm whimpered. Great. Now he'd really done it. He was just like Icarus, but instead of wings of wax, he had real wings. And instead of his wings falling apart, he just looked straight at the sun and went blind. For forever, apparently.
How would he do his job? How would he finish his time machine? How would he make a gun that shoots other guns? It all felt entirely overwhelming.
"Try to relax, Brainstorm. I'm sure Ratchet will find better solutions, he'll know how to fix this," Perceptor said, his voice light and careful as he stroked Brainstorm's servo with his thumb comfortingly. They turned a corner, the unexpected shift causing him to stumble a bit.
Brainstorm steadied his vents, trying to calm himself. It helped more than he expected to have Percy there. His field was tinged with some sort of panic, or perhaps grief. But the rest he radiated was warm and soothing, comforting in a way he hadn't expected from Percy.
The walk to the medbay was much longer than he remembered, but eventually they reached it, the double doors sliding open as they arrived.
Brainstorm took mental note to never try this again.
Perceptor gently guided him in, his warm servo on his waist, the other still tracing Brainstorm's servo patiently. An annoyingly familiar heat crawled across his frame as he recalled this feeling. He vented, exasperated.
Quickly, he revised his mental note.
Attempt something less permanently damaging next time. Still call Perceptor.