Love the reviews but I am trying not to give too much away when I respond back to my readers. Thank you so much. This is different from my series and I still haven't smoothed out all the edges of the story yet. Please if you are new, leave a review. I love to read them and it gives me more ideas as well as tells me what I need to expand on. Enjoy!
Soundwave automatically woke from recharge yet something felt different, warm, connected. It took all of .95th of a second to remember the bond that had taken from the night before and Soundwave clicked on his optics, bright and expectant, to look at the femme curled up against him. She must have gotten cold in the night, the Nemeses tended to stay dark and cold, for she had snuggled in tight against his chest, her helm resting over his spark.
Soundwave reached internally out to the femme and felt her presence slumbering peacefully which surprised the quiet mech for he had thought the forced bond would trigger night terrors. He had seen it before with prisoners that were forced either by bond or slave coding but deep in her coding she may have already accepted her position which would make his position as dominant partner easier.
Either way Soundwave was pleased with his choice. He was tired of all the death, on both sides, because at spark all they were was killing their fellow brothers-in-arms.
His chronometer beeped again telling him it was time to get energized and fuel because all too soon he would be covering his duties on the command deck of the ship. He nudged Arcee gently, mindful of her tender protoform and that his claws could easily slice through it if too harsh.
"Is it already time for patrol, Bulk?" She asked sleepily and Soundwave wondered what the massive wrecker meant to her. He hadn't felt any connection to any of the Autobots residing at her base, though he now knew their base location through her memories. He would deal with that later and not let her know just what she had given him from the bond last night.
"Arcee, time to get up, refuel." He stated softly and Arcee squeaked as she jumped back realizing how close she was to her new mate.
"I'm sorry. I did not realize." Soundwave wasn't sure what she meant or what realization she had come to but he gently stood her up so that he could get up. He walked them both to the wash racks however, Arcee started to struggle which only frustrated him.
"I am not washing with you. Can I have some privacy?" She yelled at him but Soundwave held fast as he forced her to walk in front of him. He held her against him as he turned and adjusted the shower for them both and then made her step first with him following behind into the shower rack.
"Knockout did not clean you last night. Need for cleanliness important so not to get an infection." He intoned and Arcee finally quit fighting him about it.
"Can I wash myself or will you stop me from that?" She huffed and Soundwave smiled softly at her, surprise at his tender display evident on her face plates.
"We will wash each other; learn the contours of our bodies." He said and Arcee rolled her optics in annoyance.
"In other words I get to wash but not myself." She gritted out. "Can a girl just get used to a bond first, or is everything going to be by your will?" She stared up at him with her hands on her hips and again Soundwave smiled at her feistiness. He leaned in as he caught her by the waist so that she couldn't get away and whispered softly into her audial causing her to shiver.
"I will only push so far." Her arms came up to grip his and he moved his lip plates to just below to kiss her on the side of her neck before moving back to give her space. He quickly pushed the knob for the solvent and the shower changed from a rinse to a bubbly, fragrant lather that both quickly used and then rinsed off. The final application had a heated wax that Soundwave thoroughly enjoyed and to his surprise so did Arcee which made their ritual of cleaning each other come to a close too soon in his opinion.
Soundwave turned off the shower and switched the controls to heated air that quickly dried the dampness from their forms. He wanted to make sure that Arcee was completely dry since she had no armor for protection. He then walked her out, noticing her shiver as he took a robe to wrap around her, and walked her to the door. He placed his arm around her waist in a show of protectiveness, and proceeded to open the door.
It did not astonish him that Starscream was already there waiting for him. The suddenness of seeing Arcee with him did look amusing as it flitted across Starscream's face plates.
"You're taking her out!?" He exclaimed.
"Well good morning to you too." Arcee snarled back and the silent communications officer chuckled quietly to himself. Arcee looked at him suddenly before Soundwave remembered that he had not closed his side of the bond from her.
"She is a menace and a threat!" Starscream exclaimed breaking the moment between the wary lovers and Soundwave decided to put an end to his verbal bashing. Arcee stepped in just before he spoke though.
"I find that highly amusing since I have been stripped of all my weapons and armor, but then you have always been a coward so quick to run off. I am surprised that Megatron wanted you back." Her sarcasm was quite amusing but Soundwave needed to end this before Starscream decided to strike before thinking.
"Enough!" Soundwave said suddenly making both femme and commander jump in reaction. "Arcee come; refuel now." He nudged her to walk with him as his grip tightened on her waist.
"See you later Screamer." She snarled softly.
"Commander to you, my dear." He snarled back. Starscream walked off in the opposite direction before Arcee could have another go at his ego and Soundwave walked her toward the officer's rec room.
When they arrived Knockout and Shockwave were already in the room drinking their morning ration but they instantly perked up at Arcee's appearance. She stepped back against Soundwave instinctively seeking his protection and Soundwave quietly led her in and to a table in the corner that allowed them to see the whole room without too much interference. Soundwave sat Arcee in a chair and then walked to the energon dispenser but before he could get back. Knockout had gotten up and walked over to Arcee.
"Sleep well?" He asked as he sat too close, in Soundwave's opinion, to his mate and Soundwave quickly finished pouring their cubes so he could get back.
"As well as expected since I had a hack for a doctor." Arcee replied instantly to his query and Soundwave had to smile. She was an Autobot but she had a sharp tongue. She would do well here once she was settled and Soundwave had laid the foundation for some of his threats against any who might try to harm her.
Soundwave walked back with the cubes in his hands but instead of taking a seat he stared down the prissy doctor until Knockout became too uncomfortable and decided to leave. Soundwave set the cubes on the table and then pulled Arcee up in his arms.
"What?" She asked startled as her optics grew wide when she realized that Soundwave had taken her seat and then set her in his lap. "No! You are not doing this to me." She snarled suddenly which only made the other two occupants of the room laugh at her predicament. She then turned pleading optics to her mate. "Soundwave, please give me some dignity." She said softly trying to appeal to him.
"You belong to me." Soundwave informed her. "My mate. Others will try to test that." It was all he needed to say as Arcee realized with embarrassment that this was Soundwave's idea of letting any mech know that she was not to be touched in any way or form.
"It still is not right. I have feelings." She muttered almost to herself but Soundwave caught the bitter words.
"When others can be trusted I will relent. Until then you have to conform to my wishes." He said softly within their new bond so no one could over hear. Arcee looked up sadly.
"Is this my life now? Is this how it will be?" She asked back softly, mourning through their bond. Soundwave didn't reply. His look was enough. He set her down in his lap and turned the cubes toward them looking out to Shockwave and Knockout before leaning back into the darkness of the corner with Arcee to retract back his mask and sip his morning energon. Arcee watched him not trusting herself to look at the other two officers. "Well at least I don't have to contend with looking at Arachnia!"
Soundwave made a choking noise causing the others to look at him oddly but quickly reigned himself in.
"I don't see why we can't just alternate patrols. They have one less Autobot…." Was heard and Arcee looked up to see Starscream and Megatron stroll into the rec room.
"Starscream, you have your orders. If you attempt to alter them in any way I will intervene." Megatron said loudly and everyone except Soundwave flinched at the bark in his tone. Arcee turned back, now curious about her new mate, and observed his lack of emotion. Last night she had glimpsed emotion from him when the bond solidified but it still amazed her that he could remain so calm. What was once suspected by Autobot intelligence had been confirmed last night. Arcee detected a keen, sharp intelligence and for once she was glad that she was not on the receiving end of it. Soundwave was formidable as an enemy but what he was now plotting was bordering on anything that either faction could even fathom.
It was a shame that he was in the wrong faction.
Starscream sulked over to sit with Knockout and Shockwave and soon all three scientists were in a debate with Starscream and Knockout siding against Shockwave and his "logical" reasoning. Both knew it was hopeless to argue with Shockwave but Starscream loved to try and rile up the stoic tank mech.
"Soundwave, it is good to see that you have your pet out and about so soon." Megatron commented as he chose to sit with the communications officer.
"Well, let's see, I have no outer protection against my delicate protoform, I have a splitting helm ache from the quack that you choose to call a doctor, and ahh….!"
Not appropriate discussion for Lord Megatron!" Soundwave interrupted her after sending a strong CPU pulse that felt like a metal beam was whacking her in the helm.
"Now, now Soundwave. She is new to our ways. I did ask about her well-being and she is only answering me." The tone was mocking, cold as if he was evaluating how far Soundwave's progress with her was. Soundwave inclined his helm in apology but still sent another warning to Arcee to hold her tongue through their bond.
"I am fine, thank you," Was her final answer though once again she was gritting her dentals to keep from telling her new "master" off.
Soundwave beamed in approval and Arcee though she was going to purge just from his praise. She shifted in his arms to turn away from the tyrant that was watching her closely.
"You have done well Soundwave. Now we only have two relics to decode left from the Iacon database and I am positive that your performance will be of the highest quality. Starscream and Knockout recovered the relic from last night, though they had some trouble from that nuisance scout of Prime's but Knockout took care of that." Seeing Arcee plates scrunch with worry as she turned back and looked at Megatron as he smiled at her. "Don't worry my dear; he did not deactivate him, though most displeasing, but I assure you he will not be on patrol for a while." Arcee turned back and laid her helm on Soundwave's shoulder. At least her new mate would protect her even if that was still not assuring in the face of his master.
Arcee felt her spark pulse with worry and fear over her friend, Bee, but she knew that if he was alive then Prime and Ratchet would care for him. Soundwave lifted her cube while turning her face plates with his other hand. "Refuel Arcee," he said as he gently lifted the cube to her lips and slowly poured it down her intake. She sputtered a moment but Soundwave pulsed a feeling of insistence and she slowly began to drink the energon he was offering her. She could feel Megatron's slimy cold gaze on her as she drank the offered nourishment and heat suffused her body in embarrassment.
"Soundwave," she heard Megatron say with much thoughtfulness and curiosity in his tone, "You have such a delicate touch for one who is most loyal and lethal with a weapon." Soundwave silently continued feeding his mate until he was satisfied that she had taken in enough of her ration of fuel before placing the cube down, turning to his master, and quietly stating:
"Cherishing one's mate is taking care of one's self."
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Soundwave heard the door to the command center open and listen to the familiar steps of his master.
"Soundwave, how are we doing on the decoding?" Megatron asked but Soundwave smirked behind his mask. He could pick up on his master's curiosity about the femme. It would be the next thing he would ask about since it was the real reason he came to see the silent mech.
Soundwave gave him his usual monotone answer since he did have progress to report on. Soon they would have another relic and his master mood was improving with each relic retrieved.
"Good, I will have Starscream and Shockwave ready for deployment." Megatron walked closer and stood next to his third in command a moment watching him. Soundwave, never allowing emotion to show, continued his work waiting for his master real question. He worked for several minutes while Megatron just observed him. When Soundwave completed the code for the next to the last Iacon relic he turned expectantly to wait for Megatron.
"Thank you Soundwave, I will give this to Shockwave." He started to turn and then stopped. "Will she ever accept you, Soundwave?" He asked suddenly.
"She will in time. Cybertronian history has revealed that most bonds were not out of love but for convenience. The council used bonds to strengthen political influence and create mechs of power and great intelligence. Our race is diminished greatly due to war and not many mechs are left. She has no choice but to accept me since the bond took.
"Already? You initiated the bond this soon?" Megatron asked interrupting Soundwave intrigued by his revelation.
"Yes and our sparks did connect and bond." Soundwave answered.
"So, you know where the Autobot base is and you were going to tell me…?" Megatron suddenly stated, his brow plate rising somewhat in annoyance that Soundwave had not informed him of this.
"Yes, but relics more important. Information would be in your hands today." Soundwave surmised and Megatron relaxed. Soundwave had never held vital information and Megatron realized that this was Soundwave's logic in cataloguing what was most important first. The relics and keys were more important and soon with the location of the Autobot base they would end the war by eliminating their enemies.
Megatron looked back at one of his most loyal officers. Soundwave had chosen not enslave the Autobot femme. Any other decepticon would have taken her, enslaved her, and broken her to the point of leaving nothing but a shell of her former personality. If this could work on the femme then what else could be done to tame their enemies.
Soundwave picked up on his master's sudden thought and decided to act on it.
"Query: History shows primes as being fertile even without the Allspark. There are ancient recordings of primes sparking creations." Soundwave stated softly.
Megatron pondered his third in command's words before speaking what was on his CPU. "Prime is a mech. How can the Matrix of Leadership alter his frame to carry?"
"Prime will carry spark only. Protoform can be built for spark." Soundwave answered simply. If Prime could be salvaged and not have to be destroyed then Megatron could use him to end the war by bonding with him. It would solidify Megatron's position as the ultimate ruler, and Prime would have his dream of "till all are one" fulfilled.
"Prime will never agree to this. He will never bend to my will." Megatron said matter of fact and turned away.
"Prime has to have limited options." Soundwave countered.
"You mean place him in a situation that he has no choice, but the choice he has to choose has to be his decision." Megatron said softly as he went over options in his CPU. "He would have to know that his team is in danger and his only choice to help them would be to accept my ultimatum." Megatron rubbed the plate of his chin in thought. "Shockwave is working on a pulsar cannon. It is in the testing stage." Megatron mused almost to himself.
"Query: can we capture Prime's team forcing Prime to negotiate?" Soundwave looked expectantly at his master waiting for Megatron to respond to his query.
"We can but not with Starscream. He would want to know too much. Let's get the relics and keys and if we can take any of Prime's team along the way then better for us." Megatron turned and headed for the door. "Oh and Soundwave, I want any history files on primes and bonding. I don't want to take a chance on Prime out witting me."