I shut down the computer terminal I was working at and got up, but I wasn't fast enough to leave.
"Hey, Stutter-wave."
I turned to face Jazz.
He didn't waste time. "I want to know how ya keep evading us."
Searchlight was still in detention for another joor or so. The library was mostly empty, and the few other students in hearing distance had all decided they wanted no part in this conversation.
"You gonna tell me?"
Absolutely not.
"You're too good at it." Jazz said quietly. "You're too good at getting a teacher there quick enough to stop us. Especially since Searchlight showed up. Don't tell me it's him, cuz he's dumber than Motormaster."
I tried to go around him, but he grabbed my arm. "Where'd ya get that attitude, Stutter? Ya answer me when I've got a question." Searchlight's undermining us. We gotta put that little pile of scrap in his place. We got interrupted last time.
I wasn't sure what to do. This hadn't been a problem before. Before Searchlight had shown up I had always just rolled over and played dead. No big deal. They got to laugh at me. I got to continue flying under the radar.
Now he didn't want a laugh. He wanted answers.
"Ya think you can ignore me now that mech's taken pity on you? You're his little project now, aren't ya?" His optics searched my screen. Slag, I can't tell if he's scared or not. Creepy little glitch. He tightened his hold on my arm, enough that it hurt. "Tell me how you've been doing it."
I'd always known that if I fought back, something like this would happen.
"I wanna hear your glitchy voice, Stutter… I'll tell everyone about that little trick you pulled for your project. Pretty simple, recording yourself. Not sure why Bluefable let ya get away with it. Guess she feels sorry for you too. Pit, I even feel sorry for ya sometimes."
Did I just hear that? In my library? The archivist came around the corner.
Jazz started when he noticed her there, and dropped my arm.
"Watch your language, young mech,"
"Sorry," Jazz said. "Didn't mean ta."
"And your grammar for that matter."
Jazz looked down. Watch your fat aft.
"And get out," the archivist said. Leave Soundwave alone.
"Sure thing, femme. Come on, 'Wavey."
I hesitated.
He doesn't come, we'll just get him later. Break into his room. Maybe let that symbiot of his loose. He'd get in trouble for it if it gets out, even if he's got special permission to keep it here. He looked at me again.
"He isn't going with you," the archivist said. "Get. Out."
Jazz turned and walked away. You can't hide behind someone else forever, Stutter.
"Sorry, Soundwave," the archivist said. "Some fledglings…" That one especially, and his two friends.
"Tha-anks," I said quietly.
She nodded and went back to her office. I turned the computer console on again. I'd lost all the progress on what I'd been doing. Now I'd have to start again.
I should have left. Only ten breems later, Jazz came back into my range with Motormaster and Verdict. The other two waited just outside the library while Jazz sneaked in to make sure I was still here.
They had every intention of waiting for the library to close if they had to. I couldn't escape. I should have seen that coming. Jazz must not have had the idea until he was out of my range. Now they'd ambush me as soon as I left the library.
Oh well. I finished my homework and turned it in. Then, wishing the library had more exits, I got up
The archivist was re-shelving data pads. She smiled at me "Have a good orn, Soundwave."
I could tell her about the bullies. She'd scare them off for me.
But that would require talking. And it wouldn't stop them. They'd find me again and it would be worse. Better to just get this over with.
I walked out the doors of the library. The bullies looked up.
"Hi, Stutter," Jazz said as the three of them surrounded me. "Surprised to see us? Of course you're not."
Verdict draped an arm around my shoulders. "We need to talk, Soundwave. Come on, let's go somewhere quieter."
Hope we get to pound him to scrap, Motormaster thought.
I tried to come up with a way out of this. Jazz was determined to figure out how I'd been evading him, Verdict was looking forward to making me pay for helping Searchlight, and Motormaster just wanted to hurt someone.
We came to an empty hallway, one of their favorite places to lurk. Verdict let go of me, and Motormaster shoved me at the wall. I caught myself and turned around.
"Here's how it's going to go," Jazz said. "You're going to tell us exactly what you're doing to avoid us."
"Or you're scrap," Verdict said.
I looked down, spark pulsing irregularly.
"You've got a breem," Verdict crossed his arms. "One breem to tell us."
"Wha-atever yo-o-ou do gets re-ecorde-ed," My stutter betrayed how nervous I was as I pointed at the security monitor in the wall.
Verdict hesitated.
"If it comes down to it, Verdict," Jazz said, "I can get rid of that. I do it often enough."
Verdict shrugged.
"And that don't surprise ya," Jazz said to me. "Does it? That I can hack the monitors."
I held still. I didn't want to give anything away. I just wanted this to be over with as soon as possible.
"Not going to cooperate, huh?" Verdict said. "Seems just a couple of decaorns ago, we were good friends."
Right. Good friends. Something like that.
"You want to be my enemy? You really want to be my enemy?" You'll regret this. That new little idiot, Searchlight, is going to regret it even more when we finally catch him.
"No-o-o," I said. If Searchlight had succeeded in convincing me to stand up to them, they'd go after him again. The best thing would be to come up with some sort of lie.
"Good," Verdict slammed his fist into my midsection. I saw it coming but let it happen. I doubled over, leaning against the wall. "Breem's up. Going to talk?"
I slowly straightened. "I-I-I ca-an… ha-a-ack the mo-o-onitors too-oo."
Jazz tilted his helm to the side. Really? Huh… well… nah, that's not enough. "Unless ya've got them ta transmit directly to your datapad or something, Ya still couldn't be predicting us so well. That ain't good enough. How are you avoiding us?"
I could try to pass it off as luck. But they probably wouldn't believe it. I crossed my arms. "Yo-o-ou're sort of pre-e-e… pre-edi-ictable."
Verdict glared. "Excuse me?"
I looked down, surprised at myself. Maybe Searchlight's stupidity was rubbing off on me.
But Verdict just leaned closer to me. "Ok. I'm going to say I believe you for now." We still need to get Searchlight, though.
"I'm not so sure…" Jazz said.
"Doesn't matter," Verdict continued. "I want you to do something, Soundwave. In order to get back into my good graces. After that, we can be friends again."
I already knew what he was going to ask.
"That glitch, Searchlight trusts you. I want you to bring him here for us. This off-cycle, after lights out. Can you do that for me?"
I'd spent the last few decaorns making sure they didn't catch Searchlight alone. They thought I was going to turn around and waste all that effort?
"I need an answer."
"He-e doesn't tru-u-ust me that much."
"Lying," Jazz said.
Verdict grabbed me by the shoulders and slammed me back into the wall. "Don't lie to me!"
"No," I said.
"Excuse me?"
"I wo-o-on't do it."
Oh really? Verdict let go and backed up a step. "Ok. I guess we can't be friends after all." He smiled. "Then I guess we're just going to have to be enemies." He'd better agree to help me. If he begs for mercy, I'll let him go.
He gave me half a breem to reconsider.
I didn't say anything.
"Fine then. Motor, you can toss him around a little."
"Yes!" Motormaster grinned. I didn't try to get out of the way as he threw me to the ground and kicked me against the wall. The other two watched—Verdict waiting for me to snap and agree to do what he'd asked, and Jazz still wondering how I'd managed to avoid them for so long, still not satisfied with my answer.
"…Soundwave…"
My systems were booting up slowly.
Soundwave, Soundwave, wake up!
Ravage. I onlined my screen. Ravage's faceplate was almost touching it.
I jumped, startled. Then I moaned and tried to sit up before remembering that my hands were tied behind me. I was curled up on the floor of a closet. Searchlight and Ratchet were out in the hall.
When Verdict had gotten bored with me, he'd called Motormaster off and they'd tied me up and left me here. I hadn't been able to get out, and no one had come anywhere near, so I'd known shouting for help wouldn't work. Eventually, I'd just decided to take a nap.
Searchlight tried to come in, intending to untie me and help me up, but Ravage turned around and hissed at him, afraid to let anyone near me.
"I-It's ok," I said. "Ravage…"
Ravage growled, and glared at Searchlight. He was beyond listening.
"Soundwave?" Searchlight said. "You all right?"
I nodded. "I-I'm ok." Sort of. Mostly.
Nobody get near him! You let this happen. I'm going to tear those bullies to little shards!
"Ravage, we have to help him," Searchlight said. "Let me… ow!" He tried to come closer to the closet and Ravage lashed out and clawed his arm. I felt it sting. I tried to get to my knees again.
"Don't," Searchlight said, one hand pressed to his scratched armor. "Just hold still." We need to get a teacher or something.
No. "I-I-I'm re-eally fi-i-ine," I said.
He isn't, Ratchet thought. That stupid symbiot. We're trying to help him… I guess he's just scared…
Ratchet stepped forward slowly. Ravage crouched and hissed at him.
"Ratchet, don't," Searchlight said.
"We just want to help." Ratchet was doing a very good job of swallowing his fear. "You're the one stopping us from helping him. I'm going to go past you and untie him, ok?"
"No!" Ravage said.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Ratchet snapped. "What do you think I'm going to do? I'm fragging smaller than you are."
"Ravage," I said.
He deflated a little and Ratchet slipped past him into the closet. I felt his relief as his fingers nimbly undid the knots. Ravage flicked his tail nervously, then hissed at Searchlight again when he tried to come closer.
Hands free, I pushed myself to a sitting position. Damage warnings flashed across my processor. Nothing that wouldn't heal on its own, though… well I had a few dents that would probably need to be repaired.
"Ra-avage," I said again. "Stop. I-I'm fine."
Ravage turned around and brushed Ratchet out of the way to rub his head against my chassis. Really? Are you really all right? You weren't online…
I was tired of telling them that I was fine, but I rubbed the plating behind Ravage's audios. "I-I-I was just re-echarging."
Ratchet left the closet and Ravage finally moved out of the way and let Searchlight reach in and help me to my pedes.
"What happened?"
I didn't feel like the effort to explain it would be worth it. I just shook my helm.
Was it the bullies? Searchlight wondered.
Who else?
Soundwave, was it the bullies?
I realized he was actually asking the question and expecting an answer. I nodded, then almost stumbled over Ravage, who was standing as close to me as possible, brushing up against my legs.
Really. I was all right.
Searchlight shook his helm. "I'm sorry." They're going to pay for this. "You sure you're ok?" We should take you to Ochre.
I nodded.
"He needs to go see the nurse," Ratchet said.
I shook my helm. I didn't think Ravage would be willing to let me leave him in my room and I didn't think it would be a good idea to bring him with us to Ochre's office. He didn't know her, and generally didn't trust other mecha anyway. He did know Searchlight, and he'd freaked out and attacked him.
"Soundwave, don't try to tell me you're not hurt, we can see you are."
I pointed to Ravage. "He-e needs to-o-o calm do-own first."
Searchlight looked at the symbiot. Yeah, I don't want to know what he'd do to any medic that tried to work on Soundwave right now… let's go to your room instead, 'Wave. "Ok," he said.
We walked to my room. It was late, almost lights-out, and they'd get in trouble if they weren't in their room by then. Searchlight didn't even think about that. Ratchet did, but decided to come with us anyway.
We got there just as the warning bell sounded through the school, letting us know we had ten breems before curfew.
"Y-you two-o-o should go."
Ratchet shook his helm.
Not happening, Searchlight thought. We're going to take you to Ochre as soon as Ravage calms down.
"I-I-I'm fine."
I want to let Ochre decide that.
I sighed, and didn't protest again.
What is going on? Ratchet thought, looking at Searchlight, then me. It's like they're talking to each other through a comm. link or something, but they can't have those installed yet, can they? You get those installed when you get your adult frame.
I sat down on the ground and took Ravage in my arms. He was calmer now, but still a little jumpy. I had only seen him this worried about me once or twice before. His survival and protective protocols were still very much engaged.
"So..." Ratchet said.
"You can go back to the room if you like. So you don't get in trouble if we get caught wandering the hallways," Searchlight said.
It was a little annoying, but oddly comforting at the same time that they cared so much.
It really wasn't too bad. Verdict got bored very quickly if you didn't try to fight back at all. Stiffness from being tied up in the closet and some decent-sized dents were the extent of my damage. It hurt, but it was nothing to the way I felt after taking a test.
Ravage had calmed down now.
"Ra-a-avage?"
He looked up at me.
"I need to go-o-o."
"No," Ravage said. "I'm coming with you."
I shook my helm. He had to stay here.
"Don't worry," Searchlight said. "We won't let anything happen to him."
Ravage almost argued, but then deflated. "Ok," he mumbled.
"I'll be ba-ack soo-oon."
He leaped up onto the desk and stared at me as I stood up. I'm scared. I don't want you to go again.
He'd be fine. I'd be back soon.
We left and started down the hallway. The school usually seemed pretty empty at this time of the orb, but I could hear students in their rooms as we went past them, until we left the student wing.
So, Searchlight thought, Soundwave, what are we going to do next about Verdict and his friends? We've got to do something about them.
No we didn't—I shook my helm. It would be better for everyone if we didn't do anything. They'd ruled the school for the past three terms. They wouldn't step down without a fight, and we could not win that fight.
You can tell when they're anywhere close by, right?
I nodded.
See, there, they're doing it again, Ratchet thought.
Can you… hey, you know how they have those things to tell them if the teachers are nearby? Could you make some that told us if they were nearby?
I looked up and hesitated a moment. Probably not. I didn't have the materials I would need for that. I shrugged.
"Ok," Ratchet said, feeling angry and left out. "What are you two doing?"
"What?" Searchlight said.
"What are you doing? You've got this concentrated look on your face and you…" he glared at me. "keep… nodding and things."
I hadn't really had conversations with anyone where they were just thinking—except for Crescent, but she didn't like talking to me at all. I hadn't thought it through well enough. We'd have to be more careful.
"It's… nothing. What are you talking about, Ratchet?"
That was the wrong thing for Searchlight to say.
"Fine! Don't tell me. I'm going to the room so I don't get in trouble. You two have fun keeping secrets." He turned and walked the other way, down the halls that would get him back to his room. I listened as he got closer to the edge of my range and his quick anger faded to a more typical anxiety. He was afraid of the dark.
"That probably wasn't good," Searchlight said. I'll have to deal with the fallout from that when I get back to the room.
"Ma-aybe…"
"Maybe It'd be better if I talked out loud," Searchlight said.
I nodded.
Still it's amazing you can read minds.
I shrugged.
But yeah. I can see how it might not be a good idea to talk like this all the time. Are we going to tell Ratchet? About the mind reading?
I had to think about that for a few breems. I wasn't sure I trusted Ratchet not to tell anyone else. And he would certainly freak out.
I wanted to trust him, though.
I won't tell him if Soundwave tells me not to, but it'll make being roommates with him pretty hard… oops. You can hear me.
"Yo-ou can tell hi-i-im."
"Don't let what I just thought influence…"
"I-If you think we-e can tru-ust him, the-en tell him."
"Ok," Searchlight said. Leaving the decision to me, huh?
You're welcome.
We got to Ochre's office. She was in the room behind it—she lived at the school in case there was some emergency in the off-cycle.
We requested entry at the door and waited. She got up from her desk, and walked through her office to let us in.
Searchlight and… Soundwave, oh my, what happened to him? "What happened to you?" she asked.
I shrugged.
"Tripped and fell down the stairs," Searchlight said.
"He did or you did?"
"He did. I'm fine."
"I can see that. You didn't have that big dent on your faceplate last time I repaired you, though." How did he get that? What more can this fledgling possibly get up to…gah, he looks so innocent he has to be up to something. "Ok, well, thank you for bringing Soundwave here. You'd better hurry back to your room. Lights out is in a few breems."
Searchlight didn't want to leave, but Ochre seemed to expect him to, so he started for the door.
What happened to his arm? "Hang on," Ochre said. "Come back here, Searchlight."
What? Ok. Searchlight turned around. Ochre walked over to him and grabbed his arm, turning it a little so she could look at the scratches. "What is this?"
"Oh," Searchlight tried to pull his arm away. "That's just…"
"Nope," Ochre said. "Do not say a word. This looks like claws…" Something large. He's lucky these didn't go deep. Whatever it was it wasn't trying very hard to kill him. "You aren't keeping some sort of feral thing in your room or something."
"Um, no." Soundwave, what do I say? I nodded. He could tell her it had been Ravage. Otherwise they'd look into it.
"Soundwave has a symbiot…" Searchlight said. "You know… he's got special permission to have it so it's allowed. When he, uh, fell down the stairs it freaked out and wouldn't let us go near him. I think it just scratched me because it was scared."
"Oh," Ochre said. Ok… still not sure I buy this. How big is this symbiot? This is like… like some sort of full-sized wolf or something.
"It's not leaking energon or anything," Searchlight said.
I should probably clean it out at least. Who knows what could have been on those claws. Well... the scratch really isn't bad. "Ok, keep an optic on it, though, and come back if you notice any rust or discoloration, all right?"
Searchlight nodded.
"You can go."
"Got it," Searchlight said. "See you next orn, Soundwave." He left.
Ochre watched him go, thoughtful. Then her attention was on me again. "Come sit down." It's almost light's out. Couldn't they do their tripping down stairs earlier in the orn? She gestured to one of the two berths in the office.
"So," she said. "Did you really trip down a flight of stairs?" Never pegged him as the clumsy type.
I shrugged.
He's always so quiet. "Let's see." She scanned me and was a little surprised by the extent of the damage. "Must have been a long flight of stairs."
I was glad I didn't have facial expressions to give me away.
"Can you hold still while I pop out a few of these worse dents?"
I nodded.
"All right." She pulled out a magnetic tool and started working on a dent in my shoulder, gently coaxing it out. It stung, but I held still.
"So," Ochre said. "While you're here, I want to hear you talk a little." Let's see how that stutter's coming along.
"Ok," I said. "Wha-a-at do you want me-e to-o-o talk about?" I tried to sound cheerful, but I hated listening to her analyze it in her processor.
37.5% of words mispronounced, 55.6% too many syllables, counting hiccups. More data necessary. "Why don't you tell me the story of how you ended up falling down a set of stairs."
I hesitatd.
Yeah, they were lying. "Or you could just tell me what really happened."
That was no good either.
"I need you to talk, Soundwave." She popped out another dent, and I winced. "Sorry. Why don't you tell me about your symbiot?"
Ok. That was a little better. "He-e… Hi-is name i-i-is Ravage. He's a la-arge cat. I've had hi-i-im since… we-ell si-ince I was a-a spa-a-arkling."
That brings this conversation to 46% of words mispronounced and 54.5% too many syllables. If data continues to be around these percentages, I can conclude that there's been a worsening of the condition. Of course, it's hard to tell. He seems to stutter more when he's nervous…
It really didn't help that she was keeping track. I kept talking for a little while, until I was certain she had enough data she wouldn't ask me to keep going. She'd finished fixing me by then, and was trying to decide if she should tell me she thought my stutter was getting worse or not. She was pretty sure it was only psychological, brought on by the trauma of what had happened to my creators and I when I was just a sparkling.
Of course, I couldn't really remember it that well. I knew what had happened, though. And I was pretty sure the stutter didn't have anything to do with that. The stutter came with my abilities. There was something wrong with my processor.
"Thank you for talking," Ochre said. I can tell he doesn't like it. "Keep working on that stutter." I wish I could tell him how to improve it, but I don't know. It's got everyone I've talked to stumped as well. He needs a really good psychiatrist. You'd think that caretaker of his has enough money to get him one. "You can go now. I'll comm. the hall monitors and let them know you've got my permission to be out of your room."
"Thanks," I said.
She smiled. "It's what I'm paid for. Watch out for staircases."
I left her office and went back to my room, leaving her feeling a little worried for me. Was it my imagination, or had she seemed nicer than last time I'd been there? Maybe she was just in a good mood, or maybe I was paying attention more to what it felt like when someone actually cared.
No. Ravage had always cared about me. But I'd thought he was a unique exception, and in any case I took care of him so of course he cared about me.
He was in my room, waiting anxiously for me when I opened the door.
"I-I told you I-I-I'm fine," I said to him.
"I know. I was worried anyway." He relaxed.
If I could have smiled, I would have. "Thanks," I said, and put a hand on the top of his helm.
"I'm sorry I scratched Searchlight."
I was sure he'd forgive. "Y-you sould sa-a-ay that to hi-im."
"I know," Ravage said.
"You didn't hu-urt him ve-ery ba-adly-y."
Ravage nodded. But I did attack him. I shouldn't have done that… and you're tired, aren't you? Your stutter's worse.
I had noticed that.
