Cybertronian Guardians
Shockwave-Elita friendly comfort, G1 (no one's AU)
~~0~~
Rain on Cybertron is acid rain. Although Cybertronians are immune to many things, this natural event burns the armor. Unlike human clothing, armor has sensitivity to it even if the 'kibble-armor' can be removed. So right now Elita is desperately seeking shelter from the downpour. Her armor-skin is aching so badly she is willing to risk the Commander in charge of this Tower. Locked up in one of his holding cells is be better than staying out in this storm that shows no signs of ending. It also can't be any worse than the pain rending her spark in half.
She bangs her fist on the panel the drones use for entry. Even a wrong code entered will get the ranking Commander's attention.
~0~
In the control room, Shockwave is jolted out of his haze by the warning alarm. First he looks at the chronometer and sees it has been almost a full solar cycle since Soundwave's encrypted and distorted message came through leaving him in his quandary-haze. To be effected so badly by one message seems to bother him more than an Autobot trying to hack into his Tower.
He reaches over and actives the visual feed. "Commander Elita-1?" he says to himself.
With his scientific optic, he can see the acid rain has caused her to seek out shelter here of all places. The Decepticon Officer lets her pound on the panel a few moments more as he considers Soundwave's message once again.
It's when Elita's pounding fist begins to weaken and she just slumps against the door in defeat that he makes his move. Commander Elita would never give up so easily unless something else is going on. She hasn't even pulled out her pistol, just harmlessly banging on the key pad.
She means no harm. Soundwave's message must be true. Shockwave rises from his seat and makes his way to the main blast doors.
~0~
Elita slumps against the door figuring that Shockwave is either sleeping or just doesn't want to bother with her. Her worst fear though, is that he has left Cybertron. In spite of all the trouble he has giving the Femme Division, he has fought off other alien cultures who have tried to plunder what is left of Cybertron's ruins.
The femme is quite surprised when the door she is leaning against begins moving to the side. She jolts upright, but still doesn't pull her weapon.
Shockwave motions her to enter and points to an open door just to the right of the main entry, "Wash racks, hurry. You will find a neutralizing solvent in there."
"T-thank you…. Sh-Shockwave." Elita is not sure why her voice is shaking, but follows his order.
Elita dashes into the wash rack and turns it on. Quickly as she can, she gets the neutralizing solvent scrubbed onto her armor. It stops the increasing pain, but the tenderness and soreness from a braised and abused sensors will last for a few days.
This pain all over her body though is nothing compared to the internal pain she is feeling. Literally half of her spark has died and she doesn't know why. Well she knows it means her sparkmate is dead, but she doesn't know how, why, or anything else. This is torture enough for her, yet then she has to face the fact the one she loved for so long (but who has been on a mission far away from her for what feels like longer) is never coming back. Never will she hear his voice again even over a long distance message. Never will she feel the comfort of his arms.
He's gone and she didn't even get to say good-bye.
Elita slumps to the floor of the shower and curls into a ball letting her tears fall.
~0~
Shockwave waited a respectful amount of time for her to wash. When the time went over that, he began to get concerned. Even his light knock on the door didn't produce a response from her and he carefully opens the door saying her name softly.
What he sees made his spark sink. The proud and strong Commander of the Femme Division curled into a protective ball. He may not see or hear her crying, but he knows she is.
"Elita?"
His voice is the softest she has ever heard, still she knows she is on his turf. "Do with me what you will, Commander Shockwave," she resigns to her fate.
He takes two steps forward and removes the towel from the rack. "I think we should talk, don't you?" He drapes it over her shoulders then steps back.
His chivalry is the final sign for Elita to trust him - well for the moment at least. She looks up to him and uses the edge of the towel to wipe her face down. "Alright."
His antenna perk up and his optic even seems to brighten a little. "Come out and make a right when you are ready." He waits for her to give a tiny nod, then he exits the room closing the door on the way.
For the first time in over a two solar cycles, she can feel her spark lifting just a little. And why? Because she made a stoic Cybertronian's spirit lift by just joining him to talk when she didn't feel like talking to her own friends. She didn't want them to worry for her and she didn't want to bring worry to them. Too bad she probably did make them worry when she shut off her com-line and went for a drive getting herself stuck in this storm so far from regular shelter.
She huffs and finishes drying off before stepping out to where Shockwave instructed.
Out of the corner of his optic, Shockwave sees motion. As soon as he sees it is pink, he rises to his pedes and welcomes her to his cushioned bench seat. There is a small table before it with two mugs of Energon. Not just any old Energon though, but steaming hot with aluminum froth and copper sprinkles on top.
Elita smiles up at him, "You shouldn't have."
He chuckles lightly and whips the blanket off the back of the seat. As she sits, he drapes it around her shoulders and brings a corner up over her horns. She's about to protest when the aches begin to fade away.
"Ohhhhohhh. Oh this feels soooo good." She pulls is more snuggly around her, and Shockwave hands her a cube-mug before he resumes his seat beside her.
"I'm glad it works. It's something I have been experimenting with. A healing drape. I was thinking for pyro-gel burns, but acid rain is a type of burn, too. I hoped it might help you." He takes a sip from his own mug.
Elita takes a sip of her own and then looks up to the Guardian. A giggle slips out of her and his antenna tweak in opposite directions. "Something amuses you?"
With the corner of the blanket, she leans towards his face. "I'm sorry Shockwave, but you look just too silly with that foam mustache."
His cheeks flare warm as she dabs it away. Then he looks at her and chuckles lightly. "Hypocrite."
The Guardian dabs her own mustache away with another piece of the blanket.
With that little moment breaking the tension, they settle back to watch the rain pour down the specially treated glass windows and drink their Energon.
Finally he brings up the reason he let her into his fortress. "Soundwave sent me a message. It was distorted and encrypted so I'm not one hundred percent what I recieved. He said Starscream jettisoned Thundercracker and Skywarp after they died. He threw Megatron too, but it was unclear as to his condition. I didn't not understand what he said about the Prime."
Elita looks up to him. She has to see his expression when she tells him. "If my spark is telling me the truth, my mate is dead."
Shockwave swallows hard and sets his mug down. Tenderly he takes her hand between both of his. This was no commander informing him that her superior officer is no longer in command, this is a regular femme who is now a widow.
"I'm sorry," he tells her softly.
Elita puts her hand on top of his. "I know that Megatron has been your friend for a very long time and he put all his trust in you to guard Cybertron for him. I'm sorry, too."
Shockwave appreciates her compassion as well. "I don't want Starscream in charge."
"Neither do I." She gives him a sad smile, "Did we just agree on something?"
He chuckles warmly again. "I believe so." Then he leans in, "Guess we are both Cybertronian deep down inside?"
She giggles and nods.
For some reason, she feels so relaxed and even exhausted. It's too hard to stifle her yawn. "Excuse me."
Shockwave props his pedes up onto the table and then with an arm around her shoulder leans her down to rest her head in his lap. "Do your femmes know where you are?"
"I didn't want to worry them," she yawns again and closes her optics.
"So getting trapped in a rain storm and landing on my doorstep isn't going to worry them?" He cants his head to look down at her.
A tear slips down her cheek. "Probably not as much if they saw I was hurting so much because my mate and their Prime is dead and I have no idea the fate of their own mates nor the energy to console or lead them."
Shockwave sighs heavily giving a soft rub between her horns and one to his forehelm. "Alright. I'll send them a message, you just lay here and rest."
There's no answer from his lap, so he looks down to see she is sound asleep. With him now stuck on the seat, he has one of his drones assist him with sending a message to the femmes. To prove his trust, he shows them footage of her banging on his front door and him directing her straight to the wash racks. The rain is still pouring down outside, so he knows they will not risk a rescue. Even they know that one of his cells is safer than the natural elements at this time.
What does surprise him is the response he receives. "Thank you. Have you heard from Earth recently?"
Shockwave kindly replies. "When the storm breaks, please join up with Elita here. We need to talk. Starscream is on his way… as leader." The expletive Moonracer closes the conversation with leaves him choking while stifling a large chuckle so he doesn't awaken Elita.
The Guardian of Cybertron knows that the tides of the war have changed and new alliances will help him defeat the new foe. All to protect their home.