Chapter Text
Curiosity is the lust of the mind ~Thomas Hobbes
***
When they reached Shockwave’s lab, Soundwave was unceremoniously dumped on the first flat surface, which turned out to be an old-fashioned operating table. He did not protest the rough treatment, nor did he struggle when his legs were hoisted up until he laid flat on his back. His only reaction was to tilt his head slightly and regard the lab’s owner with steady interest.
The massive purple mech leaned over him, unmoving and seemingly deep in thought. Then, after a few kliks, he straightened and typed a few commands into a console that was hidden from Soundwave’s view. A screen over their heads sprung to life, enveloping them in an ominous red glow.
Soundwave never took his optics off Shockwave, but he noticed that only a small part of the spacious room was illuminated by dim lights, while the bigger part of the facility remained shrouded in darkness. It was difficult to say whether this was due to their dwindling energy resources or just a precaution to prevent him from spying on Shockwave's research.
If so, it was a needless gesture, Soundwave thought with something akin to amusement, but one fitting Shockwave. He need not have worried. For once Soundwave was not interested in what was hidden on the other medical berths in the half-shadows. Under other circumstances he would have been tempted to take a look, but today he had other concerns. In his current state it did not seem a prudent course of action to aggravate the scientist.
However, the thought of being here in Shockwave’s private lab was undeniably thrilling; Soundwave couldn't help being intrigued. This was one of the few places on Cybertron where he was virtually blind, where he had no means of surveillance. He had always desired to uncover the secrets of these rooms, but Shockwave was as secretive as he was crafty. A worthy Decepticon, but one that was best watched from afar.
As if to mock his thoughts, Shockwave’s optic came closer still, until the wide set of his shoulders almost blocked out the light of the LED screens above. The purple mech looked as if he had all the time in the universe, as if everything else had suddenly stopped mattering. It put Soundwave ill at ease, to be under the intense scrutiny of that gaze, but his relaxed posture revealed nothing of his thoughts.
Now and then, Shockwave pressed a few keys on the control panel and took a few readings. Neither of them talked, because both of them preferred it that way, but also because their momentary truce felt somehow too fragile for words.
Soundwave knew that Shockwave was not only searching for damaged circuitry and wiring, he probably did a thorough check for hidden weapons and monitoring devices as well. He would hardly make the mistake of underestimating his “patient”. They knew each other well enough to be cautious.
They both belonged to the selected group of Lord Megatron’s first followers. Early on during the war, they had had their differences, back when Megatron was still Megatronus and the Decepticon cause was in its infancy. They had recognized each other’s potential, each other’s dangerousness, and managed to largely avoid each other after that.
Until now.
Now Soundwave found himself at the mercy of the one mech whose actions he had never been able to predict with certainty, whose true motives he had never been able to figure out. He did not like it one bit, but he had no choice in the matter.
On their slow walk down here, Soundwave had carefully calculated the odds and he had come to the conclusion that it was necessary to brush their past difficulties aside for now and allow himself to be repaired by Shockwave. He had to get back to where he was needed, to the battle and to Lord Megatron.
Explosions could still be heard far off in the distance, but Shockwave did not give any signs of having heard. He seemed deep in concentration. Several times, he rounded the table with heavy, reverberating steps to take up one of the tools arranged neatly on a nearby tray.
Judging by the data flickering over the screens, Shockwave had collected an extensive knowledge of Soundwave's rare frame type over the vorns. That in itself was little surprising, but the sheer amount of data the scientist possessed was astonishing. It was far more than Soundwave had been able to find out about the other mech’s heavily customized frame.
Soundwave was careful to keep his EM field tightly coiled around himself and his body language neutral. His long arms rested flat against the surface of the table. Only his visor moved, following Shockwave’s every movement.
Even the most battle-hardened Decepticons would have been more than just a little uncomfortable by now. They would be worn down by the tension and the uncertainty, just as Shockwave probably intended. But Shockwave should know better than to play this game with him.
Soundwave just watched and waited, patient as always, even with an alarming number of emergency warnings clogging his HUD. The energon loss was beginning to effect him more and more every second, but still he remained perfectly calm.
“Fascinating.”
Shockwave‘s voice almost startled Soundwave after the prolonged silence. It was a pleasant sound, deep and very controlled. There was little emotion in his manner of speech, but Soundwave’s finely tuned senses could feel the mech’s EM field shifting, opening up with a surge of uncontrolled anticipation, almost hunger.
Shockwave repeated the motion of his servo, prodding a nerve cluster with the tapered tool he had been using. “Did you not feel that?”
Soundwave shook his head; no, there had been nothing. He did not resist when Shockwave pushed his legs apart and started inspecting them more thoroughly with his servo, his touch clinical and devoid of any gentleness. As if he were unused to test subjects whose discomfort actually mattered to him.
Stoically, Soundwave kept his silence and never so much as flinched, even when the careless examination caused sharp stabs of pain to flash through his damaged neural net. The curiosity emanating from Shockwave still flooded his senses. It was rather distracting, to have such interest directed at himself.
“Your pain receptors have suffered minor damage.”
Shockwave’s analysis was accurate, of course. Soundwave had noticed the damaged wires himself. In fact, all sensory feedback from his lower body was heavily impaired, up to the point that he had trouble moving his legs at all. He had not even been able to walk down here unaided. Shockwave had basically carried him the last few meters.
“I require access to your medical port.”
The memory of Shockwave’s strong arm around his waist came unbidden to Soundwave and the question went almost unregistered. When Shockwave prodded the hidden medical port at his right hip, he had to fight the urge to lash out in defense. The scientist’s action spoke of a familiarity with his frame that should have worried him more, but it was getting increasingly difficult to concentrate.
The continued energon loss was starting to make his vision swim. At least Soundwave hoped it was the energon loss. For a moment he was no longer sure if he had calculated the risks of placing himself at Shockwave’s mercy properly. Had he made a dangerous miscalculation?
“Your continued mistrust is most insulting, Soundwave.”
The impassive red gaze turned to his facial screen and a moment of understanding seemed to pass between them. Shockwave was right, his behavior was illogical. They both knew that Soundwave had sent an encrypted message to Megatron immediately upon arriving and had informed him of his whereabouts.
Yes, entrusting his repairs to Shockwave was the logical thing to do. Because, unlike most of the other high ranking Decepticons, Shockwave could always be relied upon to follow the path of reason. That was what had made Soundwave come here in the first place. Logic dictated that Shockwave would not miss this chance to get on Megatron’s good side, that he would not forego such an opportunity to impress their Lord, just in order to satisfy his private curiosity.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Soundwave retracted the cover of his medical interface hub. Shockwave seemed very pleased about it, downright excited – as far as words like these could ever be used to describe him. Starscream, who always liked to claim that Shockwave had no emotions, would have been surprised by the intensity of his fluctuating energy field.
“I suspect you want to remain online for the duration of your repairs?” Shockwave continued almost conversationally.
It was not really a question; they both knew the answer before it was asked. Soundwave might have decided to trust the other Decepticon with his repairs, but that didn’t mean he trusted Shockwave enough to let him work on his unconscious frame. Soundwave could deal with the pain. The prospect troubled him far less than being so utterly vulnerable. Besides, staying conscious was the only way to ensure Shockwave would not attempt to hack him.
Suddenly and without warning, a data cable was connected to Soundwave’s medical access port. The connection sparked slightly, before the charge evened out. The sudden penetration of his systems felt both invasive and jarringly intimate to Soundwave, and he shifted his hips in reflex.
“I suggest you lie still,” Shockwave droned. “The required procedure is extremely delicate. Unexpected movement has a high probability of resulting in permanent damage.”
His optic swiveled towards the medical berth’s built-in restraints and Soundwave thought he detected a hint of giddy excitement in the mech’s field. Who would have thought. Soundwave’s only answer was to lie back fully against the cold surface in a wordless gesture of submission, resting his head against the table.
He tried to rein in the last traces of his lingering uneasiness. But despite of all his reasoning, he could not help feeling a twinge of apprehension as Shockwave finally set to work on his legs. With some of his most sensitive cables and delicate components exposed, Soundwave knew that Shockwave could do a lot of damage in mere seconds if he so wished.
There were rumors among the Decepticons, one more ghastly than the last, of what Shockwave did with the test subjects on his operating tables when he got carried away by his fascination. Soundwave had heard them all. Listening to the gossip of his fellow Decepticons was part of his job.
Granted, most of the more outlandish stories were probably false, but the thought of what Shockwave could do to him...
A slight tremor ran through his slender frame as a cold servo touched his thigh.