Queen's notes: Whoo, I'm not dead

From the Depths

Dark

It had been a frontal assault from the Decepticons on the Ark, something unexpected and sudden, resulting in Depth Charge not in the best of moods. He was crouched down with arms on his knees, tail swaying slowly and soundlessly in the air as he watched the door for any stranglers that might have stayed behind, his drones were attached to his pectoral wings, watching the vents for him in case of Soundwave's minions.

There was a nervous shifting behind him, and the mostly silent mech glanced over his shoulder, sending a small ping to the Autobot that had almost sheltered there behind the large wings.

"I am fine," Perceptor attempted to assure, getting a snort an optic ridge arched at him, "Truly I... I... may be still nevus of combat situations." he looked away, grip shifting on his hand held pistol.

The beast-former tilted his head, rumbling in his version of a half purring sound while the blue mech stood up. Hands on his legs, behind the half knee guards there from his beast mode. The nanites keeping the cephalic fins almost sharp looking until the mech would transform into his beast or 'ship' more hover mode. This was noticed by Perceptor's wide optics, and a part of his mind wondered how it was possible this mech could move better underwater, in any mode.

Then Depth Charge was closer, reached down to grasp the shaking hand holding the pistol. If Perceptor could blush like a human he might have, reacting to the beast mode's latent predator...no, hunter quality as the large hand lifted his and pulled the pistol out of his hand. The blue and silver mech examined it, and carefully flicked something.

::Next time, keep the safety on until you're ready to shoot.:: The mech said over internal comms, the voice like he was before, deep to match his body. It was rough of someone used to having a damaged voice box, and with a slight growling undertone.

"Oh...um, I was told not to-" Perceptor started to say but cut himself off as the other mech shook his head.

::You're not used to shooting, not use to knowing when not to shoot if you were startled.:: Depth Charge handed the pistol back, grip first. He looked back to the door suddenly, likely something one of the Drones picked up and transmitted, the mech's odd talkative mode shifting to alertness.

"Decepticons?" Perceptor asked quietly, almost forgetting he held a weapon, the more civilian mech blinked as Depth Charge moved in front of him. It took a few moments before Perceptor started to relax despite himself, and once he did the Autobot lifted his head a bit more. Blue optics focusing on the back of the slightly hunched beast-former, realizing he had known this mixed feelings of protected-safe-reassurance but it had come from... "You're an empath," Perceptor realized aloud, "Like Blaster is. Or alike to him."

Maybe not as obviously strong about it at first, or just not as strong?

The waving tail paused mid-motion in the air as what was said sank in past the focus Depth Charge was using. That sense of protection pulling back before easing back as a red oval optic looked over the mech's shoulder and fin. He blinked and then shook his head, paused and then shrugged with a snort. ::No…in a way… not naturally…maybe- he did affect me…::

It was Perceptor's turn to blink, optics flickering, as the half answer echoed in his processors as well in his internal communication system. It didn't take Perceptor long to start fitting a few missing an oddly shaped, metaphorically speaking, puzzle pieces together. He was quiet though, for long enough for Depth Charge to turn his attention away, walk to the door and step to one side, curling his wing line fins in around him.

Depth Charge had many, many old scarring lines on his frame, even with how impressive his repair nanites seemed to be. It hadn't taken long for Ratchet to point out the scarring pattern mostly seemed to come from the same set of claws of another mech. Someone with five digits not four like Depth Charge's hands, or a clamp of some sort.

The red and black mech started to frown, and then blinked again, optics flashing as he watched to beast-form move to the right of the door. His tail was twitching before moving to rest just over the ground. It was a bit fascinating to realize how much Depth Charge moved normally once he did go still. Perceptor wondered if it was because of the beast mode, and then hoped he would get the chance to see the other mech transform. That would be fascinating!

The door opened.

There was a pause as Soundwave and Perceptor stared at each other, both surprised at seeing the other in the room.

Giving a squeaking like sound, the Autobot pulled the trigger on his pistol, only getting several clicking sounds as the safety was on. Soundwave rumbled a purring like sound, giving the impression of smiling as he started forward as Perceptor fumbled with the pistol, trying to sort out how to take the safety off.

A low primal growling drew Soundwave's attention just before pain blossomed in his left hip joint at the same time a heavy weight was hitting him the back. Forcing Soundwave down and then he was hitting the floor. For a moment, he caught a double image of a blue figure, one out of the corner of his optics and another from Ravage that had been following behind him. Ravage yowl rang in his audios and the symbiotic feed, as something was curling around the feline, lifting and holding tight despite the symbiote being tossed and hitting something- a wall?

"Oh my!" Perceptor was a yelping, "What are you- ah!" The Autobot was scrambling, blue optics wide as Soundwave felt his right hand and wrist, the one holding his own weapon, was grabbed as well.

Soundwave let drop his plasma rifle after the second time his hand was slammed into the ground, warbling in pain as claws pulled out of his hip to shove his free arm up behind his back, then his other. Ravage was screeching from what position he was in, being smacked against the floor again roughly.

"Must it be so violent- what are you doing?" Perceptor demanded from ahead and to one side of Soundwave as he felt the stasis cuffs attached to his left forearm, and then his right was pulled back and bound as well.

"Surrender!" Soundwave said at the same time the craws dug into his hip joint again, finishing breaking it as Ravage was smacked against the wall and then ground twice more before the symbiote's feed shut down as the feline mecha was knocked into stasis lock.

"He's down-"

::He'll stay down.:: The mech holding Soundwave commed, not the strange encrypted line that had attracted his attention, but meant to be heard. The blue mech gripped the dropped weapon, claws still extended on the four digit hand, before Depth Charge stood up, planting one foot on the Decepticon's back, using the grasping tows to help keep a grip on sound wave. ::These mechs would do worse to you Autobots, Perceptor. Even if he gets out of the cuffs, he's less likely to chase you or run off. Stay back behind me. And get a box for this drone.::

Soundwave tilted his head, watching without moving as the heavy weight shifted on his back, he could just see the transfer of Ravage. His symbiote dangling limp from a cord like device… To be dropped into a too small container that was locked and bound again with a tape to keep the feline inside.

The Decepticon sound master watched as the box was placed on a far table, and despite himself pulsed a thankful wave to Perceptor. Making the Autobot glance back, and the dark colored mech tried to pulse another emotion, trying to encourage empathy, for Ravaged in the small space and himself being hurt. Maybe he could...

There was a grunt and the mech above pushed harder down with his foot, the grasping claws digging a bit in warning before something... blocked Soundwave. His empathic abilities were buffered and then stopped, like hitting the solid wall of Megatron's armor.

::Stop. That.:: the beast former growled aloud as Depth Charge moved to get a good grip and lift Soundwave up, before ruby ovals stared into crimson cut, glaring. ::Try it again. Just try and control someone else, to manipulate his emotions again. I'll show you something I learned. I know empaths can't live without feeling others. And you're not as strong as X. I can block you from even your symbionts.::

The buffer pressed back against Soundwave, making him jerk in the new mech's hold despite the stasis cuffs, it was a involuntary motion from the sudden shock as the buffering sensation pressed in. Fuzzing his other sense to white-noise where, for a horrifying moment he couldn't read those around him, not Ravage or his others, not the Autobot or this mech-

"Soundwave surrenders!" Soundwave almost yelled, and then gave the equivalent of gasp as the other mech pulled back from his senses.

Depth Charge grunted, narrowing his optics and waiting to see of the Decepticon would try anything again after the empathic powers floundered for purchase, partly on him as the one closest. The beast-former kept his shields over mind and spark strong though, not pushing back or away. It helped Soundwave, but Depth Charge wouldn't let it show he hoped that he would not have to do that again. This was not X, this was not someone wanting to use his powers to feed a deprived craving.

::Be good.:: Depth Charge sent through the 'public' communication line.

"Acknowledged." Soundwave said promptly, watching the beast-former shift his hold on the Decepticon's kibble before starting to drag him. It was rough handling considering Soundwave was taller if standing, it sent flairs of pain through the mech's left hip and leg. Yet as he was placed, not dropped, face down again Soundwave as able to take note that there was no malicious intent behind the treatment. He was simply dragged out of the way, not by the arms that would further tare and stress his shoulder joints, and laid down so the now back hip joint wouldn't be further damaged.

Soundwave was just able to turn his head before the stasis cuffs froze his body again, watching this new mech move back to where he must have been by the door. The red optics tracking the whip like motion of the tail, of the strange build... "You are a beast former."

The blue and silver mech grunted once, those red optics on the now closed door, attention mostly turned outside again.

"Yes he is." Perceptor said quietly, unsure how to interact with the Decepticon. Deciding on staying a little closer to Depth Charge, not minding when the tail nudged his leg before swaying away to keep track of him.

Soundwave was not about to push his luck, so stayed quiet and took mental notes. Watching this new mech and trying to sort out what he transformed into, but could not. He was too streamlined to be a Dinobot or one of those new Predacons, or Insecticon for that matter. The soundmaster did spot the symbiotes on the heavy wing like extensions, and then after that became aware of some data stream, encrypted in a way he had never seen before. It was a constant data stream like Soundwave normally had with his own symbiotes. Soundwave soon also realized this mech couldn't speak aloud, the sounds that did come were rasping or soft growls.

When the Attack ended, the Decepticon hearing the signal to retreat, but unable to answer to alert Megatron he was captured, he didn't resist as Depth Charge walked back over to start pulling him to the brigs in the Ark. The Autobot had taken Ravage along, still in the box. At least Soundwave was not too worried, knowing he would be valuable enough to both sides to be traded for something at least.

But...who was this new mech?