Ravage froze on the spot and then made the only thing he could think of - he ran.
The cat might have been drunk but he was not dumb. He carefully blocked the link to his creator and slowly backed out of the room. As soon as the door closed, he turned and sprinted off the spot. He didn't really care where he was running to, he just needed to put more distance between himself and the medbay. He hoped that Soundwave was too drunk to pay attention at when exactly he got disconnected - or maybe he might think he was off all this time? Hopefully so. Laserbeak was lucky she was on recon duty and didn't have to witness this.
Ravage ran. He didn't care for the last cube of high-grade undoubtedly getting spoiled by all this shaking as he galloped through the corridors. Occasional vehicons moved aside to let him pass. He had that air of urgency around him that suggested they better not obtruded his way.
His creator was the only one that mattered. He was built to protect Soundwave, to serve him. Knowing what his host went through made Ravage feel like he had failed, like he was useless. With each kick of his paws the feline tried to push this feeling away. The notion that it had probably happened long before he was sparked, or maybe this had been exactly the thing that inspired his creation in the first place, didn't help at all. If anything, it made him angrier.
Why would Soundwave hide it from him, but open before a stranger?! It hurt. Though he probably knew why he did that. Soundwave wouldn't want him to know. The telepath was highly protective of his creations. He wouldn't want to hurt them even if it meant he had to block off part of his databank and bear this weight alone.
Ravage growled. His vents kicked into overdrive, cleansing the grades off his circuits. Too nervous to enjoy the buzz now. He had to sober up and calm down before coming back there! He had to at least try to hide it from Soundwave that he witnessed his confession.
The technimal stopped at a three-way joint and made himself turn around and pace back to where his creator was waiting. As he walked back, he tried to cope.
"Hey, buddy!" - Ravage got so into his own emotions that he missed the moment when someone else joined him on a walk. The cat looked up to see an eradicon. Was it THE eradicon? There was really no telling them apart for Ravage unless he saw their energy signatures. But the encounter was untimely anyway.
"It's me, Doug" - The eradicon said in a soft voice interpreting Ravage's lack of response cat narrowed his eyes at the vehicon and growled. /You! It's all your fault!/ - the eradicon shouldn't be able to receive his frequency, but Ravage didn't care. He just needed to express himself. Oh, it would be so wonderful to scrap him right there and then! It wouldn't set things right, but it would definitely feel good. Ravage enjoyed the thought for a split click before casting it aside. He wouldn't dare to. Not after Soundwave specifically asked him not to cause trouble. A murder on board during an active military operation - was trouble by the very definition of it. No, he wouldn't dare. This didn't stopped him from wishing though.
The vehicon staggered back as if Ravage hit him "There was nothing I could do!" - he argued.
That made the technimal blink. /D011G, do you copy?/
"Yes" - came the answer.
The technimal eyed him suspiciously. /How is it you get my transmission?/
"The swap code. I adopted part of it and hid it from the doc. Didn't think it would work but.. he missed it" The vehicon seemed pleased with himself.
Ravage snatched the chance to take his mind off Soundwave for a moment. /Why would you do that?/
The eradicon seemed a little embarrassed at the question and for a click or two they just walked. "Is he alright?" - Doug finally asked.
That brought Ravage back to the starting point. /He would be far better off if he heeded my advice regarding you/
"...and called for me?"
/And scrapped you right then/
The eradicon stopped in his tracks and watched the cat's back as Ravage walked on, before rushing to catch up to him. "Look, I know I messed up.I would do anything to prevent him from getting hurt! There was just nothing I could do! Doctor Knockout demanded my explanation! I didn't mean trouble. "
/But you brought it./ - it wasn't really fair, but Ravage didn't care.
The violet shoulders slumped down. "Look, if there's anything I can.."
/Why?!/ - Ravage turned to him, interrupting his phrase, yellow optics locking onto Doug's features with such an intense stare that the eradicon took a step back. /He took you by force! He fried your nets! He reduced you to a pleasure toy! why do you care?!/
The eradicon twitched as if the words stung him, but his voice was steady when he answered "You're a custom build, you have no idea what it is to be part of mass production batch. He set me aside. Recognized me. Shared his energon with me. Chose not to scrap me even if it brought Lord Megatron's wrath upon him. He called me by my name..."
Why was everyone so messed up on this ship? Ravage failed to grasp it. Ok, his host was always kind of weird and that made sense now. Megatron... no one knew what went on in that bucket helm. Airachnid was a crazy bitch, she always had been. Knockout was grief-striken, that Ravage could understand and even relate to. But the rest of the crew? Dreadwing behaved like he had his own machine gun stuck up into his exhaust pipe, miners were scared up to the point where they were nearly glitchy, Starscream had deserted (that was something Ravage couldn't fit into his picture however he tried) and now, it seemed, eradicons were experiencing a trauma because of the fact that they were mass production. It had probably something to do with this extremely dusty scrapheap of a planet.
/You're a fool if you think that/ - he answered and added /Surely you understand that he used you/
"It is insignificant" - hearing his host's signature phrase from his victim made Ravage wonder how much of the swap Doug had salvaged. Adopted swap could explain this unexpected display of loyalty. An idea flashed through the cat's mind. He needed to think it over and right now he needed to bring that blasted energon back to the med bay.
They were halfway there. /If you really want to help Soundwave, meet me at the transporter docks in seven orns. And by the Allspark! HOLD YOUR GLOSSA!/
With that, Ravage sprinted off the spot - he had to catch on the time.
If Soundwave noticed his long absence, he didn't comment on it. The third cube was consumed in confused silence. Ravage had no idea what they talked about while he was out and preferred to never learn it. His host seemed somewhat catatonic - or maybe just too drunk. Knockout seemed in need of a power down. Ravage sipped his share of dark blue high-grade. He did his best to appear relaxed and wished he didn't have to pretend it.
/Boss, do you think it's time to leave the doctor be? He doesn't look suicidal anymore/
There was a noticeable delay before Soundwave answered a little too randomly /Laserbeak is returning/
/So?/ - When Ravage received no answer to that, his tail hit the floor with irritation. He hated it when Soundwave ignored his queries.
The slider door opened and the drone flew in. /So... I will need her navigation aid to get to my berth/
Wow. Wasn't really ignoring him, it seemed. Laserbeak attached herself to Soundwave and he rose to his peds, swinging a wing aside to keep his balance.
Knockout rose too.
"Well... every party needs to end sometime" - he proclaimed, noticeably relieved now that Soundwave seemed to be leaving. The spy nodded, pinged Ravage to follow him and went for the door. He stumbled upon some medical tools still lying scattered around, but caught himself before he would lose the balance completely.
"Soundwave..." The navy mech turned with some effort. "Thank you" - Knockout said with nothing like his usual cocky demeanor.
Soundwave nodded drowsily and went out. Luckily, they didn't bump into any officers on the way to their chamber.
When Soundwave onlined, Ravage had already been gone to his watch duty at the mines. The TIC still had a couple of orns till his own shift, so he set to cleansing his circuits off the remnants of high-grade and looked through his own logs to fill in the gaps the high-grade haze left in his memory.
He quickly synchronized all the chips, controls and other state of the art peripheral components he had. A nice rinse down with a cleaner - provided Ravage left him any - and he would be as good as new.
/Was it worth it?/ - Laserbeak asked mildly watching him re-calibrate.
/Depends on the criteria of worthiness/ - Soundwave responded, stepping into the wash rack.
/Was it fun?/
/Last cycle hadn't been about fun. It was about reaching out to the community and providing consolation to the comrade in need./
/That much fun, then?/
/Anything to report on the recon?/ - Soundwave switched the topic, and Laserbeak had to follow.
/Nothing unusual. Humans. Autobot base' location is yet to be uncovered./
Soundwave stopped his movements mid-air, as something in Laserbeak's words triggered his memory. The thought was slipping, but he found have none of it from his own logs. Carefully scanning his logs he quickly found a match. For a click or two Soundwave couldn't believe his own memory. Did he really impart that information?!
Measures needed to be taken immediately. /Stay here./ - he told his cassette, knowing that she could not disobey a direct command.
Knockout was tidying up when Soundwave reached the med bay. Hangover or not, tools needed to be picked up from the floor and put to their usual places. The door opened and Soundwave walked in, but the doctor barely looked up from rearranging tools on the table.
"Looking for a cure?" - he asked in a way of a greeting.
When no answer came in any form, he looked up. The door behind Soundwave closed and the emergency lock activated. Soundwave looked up. Knockout involuntarily followed the direction of his gaze right in time to see the surveillance cameras switch off and retract into the ceiling, undoubtedly following chief surveillance officer's command. Soundwave took a few steps to the doctor.
"..What is going on?" - the bright red mech asked, stepping back.
/Soundwave: needs to erase some of your data. Resistance: undesirable. Cooperation would minimize the possible damage./
Knockout continued retreating until he put the med table between them "What a nonsence! I won't let you anywhere near my databanks!"
/Soundwave: doesn't require permission. Disclosed information : classified. Terminating information leak: top priority/
The two mechs tried to outposition each other - Soundwave closing in and Knockout evading him and putting obstacle after obstacle in the spy's way. Locked in a room, there was no way he could evade Soundwave for a long time. But maybe he could talk reason into him...
"A leak? I'm not a leak! Whatever it is you're talking about, I can give you my word..."
/Knockout: impulsive, unstable, ambitions, opportunist. Not to be trusted sensitive data/
"What data? I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Soundwave stopped on his way around the table and Knockout stopped on the opposite side of it too. The spy seemed hesitant.
/You do not remember?/ - he finally asked.
"...remember what? We got high, and after everything is kinda hazy..." Now that Knockout thought about it, he remembered being confused and embarrassed. Must be because of whatever secret Soundwave shared with him. Knockout felt excitement. Juicy info it must have been if the TIC was so worked up about it! It must be somewhere among the scrambled bits of his fresh logs. He'd have to sort it out later. Taking his silence for confusion, Soundwave relaxed noticeably, and so did the medic. A feeler that hit him in the chest was unexpected.
/Sorry. Can't risk it/ - and Soundwave shocked him offline.
When Knockout onlined, he was alone in medbay. His tools were scattered again, and a CPP cable lay beside him. That was weird. He clearly remembered putting it away. Last thing he remembered was Soundwave coming in and locking the door.
Panic shot through him and he hastily checked his port covers. They appeared to be untouched and the internal check reported that seals were in place. Whatever Soundwave had wanted, it wasn't interfacing.
"Yeah... this isn't creepy at all"