Chapter three: Wounds

Soundwave was found in the hallway, unconscious, by a patrol of Vehicons. They immediately took him to medbay of course, because he was having smoke coming out of his audios and where his optics should've been under his face screen. In fact, his face screen was half-melted, the upper part badly warped as if from an extreme heat.

In the medbay, Knockout was worried. Savage had returned 15 minutes after leaving, looking confused and slightly frightened. His hands were also blackened and his claws covered in energon blood... And he couldn't remember what he'd been doing. Knockout could almost see the aura of darkness around him, and it worried him a lot.

"Sit there, Savage, I need to scan you to see if everything's alright." he made him sit on a medberth and too out a scanner while the mech was looking at his energon covered hands like they weren't even his.

"What'd I do? I can't remember..." Savage muttered, and the only thing he could remember were flashes of purple light.

The door of the medbay was opened then before Knockout could answer him and he saw two vehicons carrying a smoking, wounded Soundwave inside the medbay. Knockout was upon him immediately, and winced seeing the warped face screen.

"Where did you found him? What happened?" He asked hurriedly, already working on removing the face screen.

"We didn,t see what happened. We found him in the hallway leading to the Command Center, and he was like that, with smoke coming from his helm and face." one of them answered, and Knockout bit his lower lip. he didn't like it one bit.

"Thank you. you can leave now."

They departed and he could finally remove the face screen with a laser scalpel cutting around the melted, scraped edges. He had to slap a hand to his mouth to stop himself from screaming in sheer horror when he uncovered the mech's faceplates.

In place of a normal faceplates - which he knew Soundwave had for having repaired it a few times - ell that he saw were two blackened, smoking holes were his optics had been, his mouth was melted shut, and half of the flesh melted away from his metal undersctructure.

Soundwave, the Decepticon's prized Communication's Officer and TIC, was now deaf, mute and blind.

Knockout looked at Savage who was now by the sink, trying to scrub off the blood from his clawed hands. Just as he removed the blood from his claws, Megatron stormed in which caused both Cons in the room to jump in fright. Megatron's optics widened in shocked horror when he saw Soundwave, especially the state of his faceplates, and he paled as the signification of such wounds downed on him.

"What happend?" He demanded.

"I don't know, my lord. The Vechicons found him." Knockout said.

Savage gripped the edges of the sink, he couldn't remember anything after leaving the medbay. All that was on his mind was a dark purple fog and flashes of purple light shrouding his latest memory files. For all he knew, he could've done this to the mech... and the thought alone made him sick.

'Did I do that to Soundwave?' He wondered fearfully.

Megatron bared his teeth in a silent growl, his left hand becoming a fist. He looked at his brother through slightly narrowed optics, and then at Soundwave's battered, badly injured form. He had lost his Communication officer, and he was adamant to find the culprit, at all costs. Soundwave was dear to him, and he was his best Officer. This could not go unpunished.

"Where was Savage when this happened?" he suddenly asked, his gaze hard on his younger brother.

Savage froze, dread filling his spark. Megatron suspected him! he could tell by the way he was looking at him optics narrowed and jaw tense.

"With me in the meybay, sir." Knockout replied, the lie coming easily enough.

'Does he suspect Savage?' The medic wondered, fear in his spark.

Megatron let out a hiss of anger, and suddenly turned around to face Soundwave's berth, and looked at the frightening mess of his faceplates. Even if he was going to be useless in this state, Megatron wasn't going to kick his TIC out. His mind was - hopefully - still intact, as well as his telepathy.

"Whoever did this to him is going to answer to me personally." he finaly said voice tense and cold as ice. "I will not some deranged mech walk through my ship maiming my men!"

Knockou gulped and glanced towards Savage. the smaller mech was pale and his tightened fists were shaking. he looked ready to either flee or faint right there. None of those options will look good in Megatron's optics. He was sure the mech was going to hunt down whoever did that until he found out.

And then he could only imagine what was going to happen... It was going to be ugly though. His attention was drawn to Soundwave, who started to twitch on the table, before starting to trash wildly when it dawned on him that none of his outer sensors were responding. no optics inputs, no audio inputs, and his vocalizer also seemed not to be working. He started to make grinding and buzzing sounds, fans kicking on as he trashed more violently.

The worst however was the shriek of anguish and pain that filled every mech's processor in the room, silent yet deafening since it was directly in their heads.

Unicron smirked as he listened to Soundwave's angish, it was music to his ears. Tormenting poor, unsuspecting mechs had always been his reason for living, for existing, and to see his torture having so much effects, was always like bliss.

'Let that be a warning, Soundwave. Next time, it will be your spark...' He warned.

Soundwave froze pure terror gripping his spark, he had never come across something is so evil before. And it's actually terrified him to the core. he felt helpless like a newborn sparkling, like he had never felt before even when he had been a puppet to his corrupt Autobots masters, before the war. His senses were his greatest assets. His way of living, the basis of his work and his career. Without them.. he was efficiently rendered useless. His mental shrieks abated into whimpers and sobs as he laid limp on the berth, destroyed faceplates managing to show his inner anguish to the medic over him. Knockout quickly gave him a pain killer to make him more comfortable. Within seconds he calmed down, although he was still shaking.

"I'll do what I can to restore him, my lord." Knockout promised. Though he wasn't so sure it was even possible. After all, Unicron wouldn't have done this if it wasn't going to be permanent. But the Pit if he wasn't going to try!

"Good," Megatron said then snapped at his brother. "Savage, I'd like to speak to you... alone."

Savage looked at his brother with terrified optics, and followed him to the back of the medic, where Megatron closed the door to the office and sealed them alone. he turned to face hisbrother, his expression stern and hard to read. His optics were gleaming bright red though, and he said

"Savage... I know that you are somehow involved in what happened to Soundwave. I just want to know... what's happening to you? Since you returned, you're not the same mech."

Savage looked like he could cry right now. he took a shaky intake, and opened his mouth, only to keen softly. He was pale and looked very tired. Like he was a thousand vorns older then he actually was. He looked spark-deep worn. That worried Megatron more then what he said next.

"Its... I can't tell you. I wish I could but /he/ is going to hurt you too if I say a word. So please... don't ask questions if you don't want lies. Its better if you don't know..." Savage lips trembled and he turned away from his brother, feeling more shamed and soiled than ever.

Savage heard a dark chuckle and his head, and felt claws on his hips and playing with his panel then, invisible but very solid sliding over his plating. 'Remember that you are mine, and that if you betray my presence, your brother dear will be the one to suffer.'

megatron saw him tense and thought it was because of his words, so he stepped closer and put his hands on his brother's shoulders. Only to have him jerk away violently, like he was burned by fire. Megatron looked stricken by this, never his little brother had looked so terrified of him... No no /of/ him, but /for/ him.

"Savage... talk to me! I'm your brother!"

"I can't!" Savage actually shouted.

Megatron was even more disturbed by this, never had his brother actually shouted at him. Sure he had heard his battle cry on the battle field and of course during their gladiator days in the pits of Kaon he heard his brother's cries of victory and battle often enough. But this... Was by far different, Savage had actually shouted at him.

"Savage," He voice was gentle...ish. "Do you the pact we made? That no matter what, I will always be there to protect you."

Savage remembered that day like it was yesterday. He and Megatron had made a vow that no matter what happened in the war, they would do anything within their power to protect the other. To seal said vow, they had cut their palms; his right, Megatron's left then clasped their hands together. Soundwave, of course had been their witness. Savage looked down at his right hand where scar was still there, faint but still there, like he was seeing it for the first time, reminder of a time where he and his brother were closer... As he ran a clawed finger down the faded line, he heard Unicron's voice within his mind again.

'How disgustingly sweet. But that vow means nothing compared to the pact you made with me. To come when I call, to take what I will of you without resistance. Like the good pet that you are.' His master reminded him.

"I know, I remember." He said to both of them.

"Then don't close me up, Savage! Does this meant nothing anymore to you?" Megatron retorted, taking his hand and lacing their claws together, pressing the scars like they had that day, so long ago. "You're straying away from me, I can feel it. It... saddens me, Savage."

he sighed and bowed his head, optics dimming slightly. His brother's spark had never felt so far from his own, so faint and distant. he was really pulling away, and Megatron could do nothing to stop it. "You remember when our creators died? The promise I made to them and to you?"

Savage nodded, unable to say anything, his throat clenched and dry. he pulled away from his brother, wrapping his arms around himself, cleansing fluid gathering in his optics. He wanted to cry... It hurts to push his brother away and shut him off. He was shaking a little, and said, almost too low to hear. "Yes... I remember well..."

Unicron's voice was laughing darkly in his head, and he was playing with his pet with invisible hands while he was trying not to break in front of his brother. 'Such sappy emotional display sickens me. I give you 5 klicks to wrap this up and return to your room. if you don't, well... I'll have to get inventive.'

Savage shuddered and clenched his dental plates, optics streaming tears down his cheeks, and his turned around swiftly to face his brother, optics bright and looking like they were tinted with purple. "I know, ok? I know that you promised our creator to always take care of me and almost raised me single handedly! I know that! but for now I just CAN'T talk to you! I CAN'T open up! its personal, so please, leave it be!"

and with it, sobbing, he ran off the room, the medbay itself without a glance to Knokut or Sondwave, and ran down the hallways barely seeing where he was going.

He felt like he had betrayed everything dear to him and Megatron would never forgive him. Maybe he should exile himself before more damage was done...

As he ran back to his quarters, Savage suddenly started getting flashes of what he did to Soundwave. The SIC never stood a chance against him not while Unicron was within him. He threw open the open the door to his quarters, closed it back quickly, and locked it. He expected to see master appear in front of him like before but he didn't.

He closed his optics to concentrate on his Masters presents but he found that he was distracted by something. Whatever it was it was, it apparently required his full attention and for now, Savage was alone in his own head. But this could change any given moment... he had to act very quick.

'Maybe if I can recall the events that hospitalized Soundwave... But how long would that take?' He wondered.

He closed his optics again and quickly recalled the attack. The SIC had put up a fight but it hadn't been enough... He struggled, there had been a fight, but... Wait did Soundwave try to probe his mind? He had. He had held off Unicron long enough to probe his mind! Soundwave knew what he had done and why, maybe he would be able to tell Megatron without Unicron finding out!

But he had to be quick, he didn't know how much time he had. He knew that Soundwave could still hear his thoughts, he would have to speak to him telepathically.

He took a deep breath before calling out to Sondwave.

In the medbay, laying in his berth, Soundwave was barely conscious, heavily drugged to numb the pain in his processor, his audios, optic sockets and mouthplates hunting like the Pit. He had stopped trashing and wailing, but he was feeling cold and terrified. he was efficiently cut from the outside, and if not for his natural gift of telepathy, he would be effectively trapped inside his own processor.

he recalled some of the attack. Savage had came to him, acting strange and optics purple instead of red. He attacked and he touched his mind while defending himself, feeling... something completely different than any mind he ever brushed against. Something so evil and old it was overwhelming. And oddly familiar too...

The last thing he caught before he lost consciousness was a faceplates, dark, leering, evil to the core. Unicron. He recognized the dark God. it was Unicron that had possessed Savage, and attacked him. In his haze of pain and anguish, he recalled the leering, satisfied faceplates when he shrieked in agony as his optics were burnt to cinder and his mouth sealed shut, his audios blown to bits...

he almost jumped when he heard the call in his head. 'Savage...' he answered.

'Listen carefully, Soundwave, I don't have much time. I first want to apologize for what happened to you, Unicron doesn't want anyone to know that he's here.' Savage said.

'I understand, Savage. Speak quickly, what is it that you want?' The telepath asked, his mental voice sounding a little strained. Even there, his pain was quite obvious.

'It's only a matter of time before Unicron calls me to his side. When that happens, tell Megatron everything that you saw and acquired from your mind probe. He'll know what to do next.' Savage replied, tune hurried and worried. If he was there physically, Soundwave was sure he would've looked around fearfully.

'I... Will do that.' Soundwave said, voice groggy.

'Thank you, Soundwave.' Savage replied, tune almost a whisper, laced with relief.

'Be careful, Savage. He's dangerous.' The telepath warned.

'I wil, don't worry about me.' He then closed off his mind it to the telepath.

-TBC-