Author's Notes: Admittedly, this is a short fic. It's just a plot bunny I've had for a while about why Shockwave looks so much like a Vehicon. I also wondered why perfectly logical Shockwave would serve a leader as cuckoo-bananas as Megatron and still think it's a good life choice. Keep in mind that this is NOT from the same continuity as "My Spark Still Shines" because then this story would make no sense. I hope you enjoy this fic, and please review and favorite if you feel like it :)
Above The Rest
Megatron had gained quite a following over the vorns. Cybertron was starting to pay attention to his words, and the council was becoming more enraged by him. When he attempted to become a Prime, however, that was when everyone was sure he'd gone too far. Even Orion Pax was surprised by how petty Megatron was being over this debacle, but soon all of Cybertron would be horrified by what Megatron had planned next. Soon it would be war, and it was all made possible by stealing a large supply of protoforms.
These protoforms were made into mechs, and every mech looked exactly the same. Purple frames, a single visor, one arm and one gun, and a driving desire to obey Megatron's every command. The Decepticons had kidnapped the world-renowned scientist Perceptor to make the blueprints for this new army, and once it was completed their first task was to kill Perceptor! With their only witness terminated, the Vehicons were poised to take over Kaon and eventually overthrow the council.
This story, however, isn't about Megatron's quest for power. This story is about the desire of one lone Vehicon to turn that quest into a reality by any means necessary...
As the war progressed many of the Vehicons perished under blaster fire or by the blades of the Autobot forces. The Vehicons were still winning the war for their master, but it was causing a lot of casualties. Not that it mattered to most of the other Decepticons, since to them the Vehicons were nothing more than drones.
One Vehicon was starting to ponder their situation, however. It seemed such a waste of resources to simply send Vehicons en masse against Autobots. It didn't matter whether the Autobots were strong or weak, and the Vehicons were never told ahead of time what kind of foe they would be fighting. They were just expected to go out there and fight. This made casualties more likely, and it seemed a grave oversight on the part of the Vehicons' superiors.
Another problem was the chosen alt modes of the Vehicons. Some were cars, and others were lightweight jets. There was no heavy firepower. Of course Lord Megatron wouldn't want soldiers that were stronger than him, but the Insecticons were quite powerful and yet were considered useful. Of course, the Insecticons were naturally occurring; not grown in a lab like Vehicons. Because of this Vehicons were considered more expendable than Insecticons, even though the Vehicons were more intelligent.
The drone felt he could improve Lord Megatron's forces if only he were allowed to do more than run and shoot. The Vehicons existed because of a brilliant scientific mind that more or less brought them to life. It was geniuses like Perceptor and Hook that won wars; not mere brute strength. Then again, without brute force there would be no enforcement of the new order.
It almost felt like two halves of a whole now that the drone truly considered it. A brilliant mind without strength could not win a war, and a brute with no processor could not know what he was fighting for. One cannot completely function without the other. Brains and brawn had to work together. That was what the drone loved about Lord Megatron. He was a vicious warrior, but he was also a cunning mech with a plan for the future. Megatron was the most logical choice to lead Cybertron into a new era. If only there was a way for the drone to do more to help him.
As time progressed, the drone began to plan. In his spare time he would forego his training in favor of reading data pads. He studied cybernetics, medical doctrine, politics, physics, and many other subjects that only heightened his appreciation for the intellectual realm.
While the other Vehicons chatted and relaxed in their spare time, this drone made deals with other mechs for spare parts, read up on medicine and science, and kept his glossa shut. He would not have another drone blow his cover. He had the perfect plan to serve Lord Megatron in a fuller capacity, and he would not be denied his chance just because he was born a drone.
He learned about how Cybertronians were built and upgraded. There were no data pads discussing the inner workings of drones, so he would have to hope that Cybertronians worked the same way as he began to put his studies to use and upgrade himself.
At first the upgrades were barely noticeable. His gun arm got slightly bigger and he ran a large cable along his spinal strut and onto the energy storage system in his gun; using his own fuel reserves to enhance the firing power of his weapon. Then his armor got a little bulkier. It wasn't a big deal at first, but then the drone overheard other Vehicons commenting on it. He also heard one of the officers ask if he was a new model. This was not good. His upgrades were being noticed. He was stepping out of bounds. He had to make a run for it!
The drone escaped in the night and left for the Sea of Rust. No one suspected anything. The drones were programmed to serve Megatron. There was no reason for one to leave. Normally this drone wouldn't leave either, but for long term success he had to take a short term risk. It was no longer prudent to stay where he was.
Once he found himself alone in the Sea of Rust, the drone began to use what parts he had left to upgrade himself in earnest. He added more armor to his chest in front of his spark chamber. He enhanced his visor into a functioning optic for dealing with microscopic experiments and samples. He scanned a more heavily armored vehicle, a tank, so that he would be better protected in battle. He also continued to study.
Soon the drone realized that he was very slow moving. He could no longer run, and frankly even his driving wasn't all that fast at top speed. It was a necessary sacrifice. He had to be better shielded to survive. He could not have both speed and shielding. It was only logical to choose shielding since speed can fail if one loses their balance. With shielding, tripping on a rock wouldn't diminish its effectiveness.
It had been almost a stellar year, but the drone was ready to return to Lord Megatron. He was intelligent enough to devise new weapons and tools for his master, and he was strong enough to defend himself against the Autobots by himself. He was finally upgraded to be what he had always wanted to be; a Cybertronian.
"Hm, there is still something missing," The drone said to himself as he stood amid the swirling rust particles, "Ah yes, a backstory. I need a designation and a backstory."
He thought about these things as he began to walk. He had to start walking now because it would take him days to get to Kaon. Normally it would only take a few hours, but the drone was very slow due to his aforementioned excessive armor.
As he approached the border between the Sea of Rust and Nuon he felt the ground shake! There was no cover, but it didn't seem necessary. He was so balanced that he didn't even fall! Still, he could hear his audials ringing and it sent a shockwave through his struts.
"Hm...Shockwave…" The drone tried the designation out see how it fit, "My presence will send a Shockwave through the system of the chain of command. It is a fitting name. I am no longer a mere Vehicon, but I am not supposed to be a member of Lord Megatron's inner circle. I am a shockwave. I am Shockwave. Yes, a most logical name indeed."
Shockwave nodded to himself, satisfied with the name, and continued his slow and arduous journey to Kaon.
"Is this some sort of joke?" Starscream, standing to Megatron's right, scoffed at the new arrival, "What are you even supposed to be? You don't even have a face!"
"My face was removed by the council for speaking against their policies on the working poor," Shockwave lied, "I was once a powerful mech in my home territory, but my ideas were considered too radical by the council. I am sure you can understand why I believe the Decepticons are a far more logical choice to rule than the outmoded Autobot council."
"Indeed," Megatron said thoughtfully as he stroked his chin.
Shockwave normally did not withhold information from superiors, let alone lie to them, but it was necessary to get back into the Decepticon ranks without drawing suspicion to himself. He only wished he could fully read what they were thinking about him. Being a drone, his emotional range was very limited. He knew he was incomplete compared to the other Decepticons in the room, but he also knew his intellect could serve Lord Megatron just as well as his weapons. He just needed a chance.
"So you wish to join the Decepticons because you believe we're...logical?" Megatron asked for clarification; still suspicious of the new mech, "And how do we know you are not an Autobot spy?"
"You don't," Shockwave replied impassively, "At least, not yet. I do believe, however, that my latest project will aid you not only in your conquest of Cybertron, but also in your ability to trust me."
"Really?" Starscream scoffed derisively, "And exactly what kind of project is that?"
"It is the second generation of Vehicon," Shockwave replied without missing a beat, "The design is sleeker, the response time is quicker, and the simple silver color scheme will camouflage them better in battle. I call them: Eradicons."
Shockwave then handed Megatron the picture of his new design. Megatron liked that they carried more firepower. Starscream liked that they kind of looked like him. They both were pleased with the idea, and told Shockwave he would be given resources to work on the project. They also told him he would have no access to any sensitive information until further notice. That was fine with Shockwave. He didn't care about that. He was doing what he set out to do: making sure the most logical choice for ruler took control of Cybertron.