Hi guys! Sorry for another long wait. It looks like I'm going to be placed on the cutting line in my job for the season… Save me… D:

Just another filler chapter, but we finally find out what's behind Soundwave's optical visor (poor mech, I've been picking on him a little too much lately). Plus he takes the time to make a full confession to Cass and he does not take it very well. Meanwhile, Breakdown and Bob discuss everything they know about the small drone, but is their conversation entirely private?

Special shout outs too: Megatronas, Vampgirliegirl, and Cao dreams in books. Too Megatronas, sorry but you should brace yourself for a lot of cliff hangers… I like to tease my audience XD. To Vampgirliegirl, GO TEAM! Keep cheering me on. More to come regardless, but thanks for always cheering me on. To Cao, a lighting rod? Really? XD Anyway, thanks for doing a read over for me while I was having issues. Heads up though, because I decided to keep the original text the same. I came up with an idea to follow along with it… I think you're going to like it.

Remember, don't be afraid to comment and ask questions. I love t hear from my readers!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

Oh yeah! One more thing real quick. If nobody else noticed yet, I got really board one night and came up with a new story inspired by an episode of Grizzly and the Lemmings on Netflix. It is called Voodoo and despite how it makes little to no sense I'm already planning a second chapter. Let me hear from you if you want to hear more anyway.

MERCY

Chapter 27

"Caspian." Soundwave's servo clumsily reached for Cass's helm. He felt an ache in his spark when he felt a small bead of optical fluid roll off his digit. "Cease crying. Not a necessity."

"I can't… I can't help it Commander…" The young model hitched through his suppressed sobbing. "I just… I just…" His control nearly slipped away when he tried to face Soundwave once more. Immediately, he turned away and shut his optics tight. The sight before him was too painful to look at, but it was too late to un-see it. It was know burned into his memory, so even when Cass closed his optics, he could still see the horrifying image of his most treasured guardian. "Why…? Why have you never told me…?"

"Soundwave: Never confided to anyone." The third in command answered with an odd grin. "Revealing of secret: Riveting. Uplifting. Full trust: Always in Caspian."

"If you have always had faith in me why am I only seeing this now?" Cass finally collected enough courage to glance back at Soundwave's faceplate and lifted his other servo to caress the side of the tragic mech's cheek. Even touching his commander wasn't enough to make this vision real, and he still couldn't believe his optics. He couldn't believe that Soundwave, had no optics of his own. "How is this possible? I never would've guessed you were blind."

"Soundwave: Not blind." Soundwave tilted his helm and sighed as his optical ridges furled over two black voids. The edges were clearly smoothed over to make the sockets appear more rounded, but the horror of the actual damage was painfully apparent over the top of his face. A large and imposing welding scar etched across his optical sockets and ended audio to audio. It was serrated and discolored paler then the silver hue over the rest of his face.

It was very difficult for the small mech to look at, but his guardian was unable to see it. He could sense Cass's distress, however, and did his best to appease it. "Retinal connectors: Still intact. Optical visor: Built with connecting panels beneath glass. Soundwave: Still possesses sight."

"Does… Does it hurt?" The young model's EM field shivered with empathy. "You're not in any pain, are you?"

"Some." The telepath tried to be honest. "Occasional ache. Nothing serious. Caspian's presence: Major relief."

"Commander…"

"Speak no more." He had more to say. In fact, Soundwave had everything he wanted to say for the past few millennia. Slowly his glass visor slid closed over his crooked smile and with his sight back he took both his servos and wiped away all of Cass's tears. "Years ago: Soundwave. Created video. Video designated to… D-d-designated to one that was lost."

"Oh… Stay calm Commander!" The violet mech sobbed gently. His concern building stronger by the minute. "Even your telepathic messages are beginning to crackle—Oh."

"Instruction: Speak no more." Soundwave slid one of his digits over his sweet child's lip-plates. "Second instruction: Watch. Listen."

The visor sizzled with a brief dust of snowy static, before revealing an image of Soundwave. The third in Command was sitting in the far side of what appeared to be the communications bridge, but somehow it was different. It must have been a very old recording; a time before the bridge was later modified with new or replaced equipment. This meant it was made before Cass or his brothers came to the Nemesis. Probably because they were still too young to be shipped anywhere further then Shockwave's hidden labs on Cybertron. Soundwave looked exactly the same as he did now, but there was a large mesh wrap over his torso, which he did his best to cover by lacing his arms defensively over his knee-joints. His helm tilted away from the recording device and his mask was half open, exposing the sadness in his dermas. For a while he just sat there, occasionally glancing upward, then sighing heavily and looking away again. He was struggling, but through what kind of trial, Cass could only guess.

"I-I…" The past version of slim mech stammered as he tried desperately to find the courage to speak. Finally, he sighed heavily again and faced the camera one more time. "I feel silly doing this… Like I'm talking to a ghost. But… But it has been a year now and…" Another pause. A moment of sparkbreak as Soundwave grazed his thin digits over the medical mesh wrap lining his torso. "And… I still feel you. Though I know you are gone… I know because you are no longer a part of me, but… But somehow I can still feel your spark beating as though you have taken your first breath and never stopped. I just want to believe for one moment… Just one brief moment that you are still out there. That you are alive and strong. Even if it means a will never see your face… Hear your vocals or touch your face… I want to believe that you in some way know, where ever you are… I love you. I love you so much."

"I… Don't understand…" Cass whispered. "Who are talking about? What does this have to do with me—?"

"Please: Continue observation." Soundwave tilted his frame back slightly so that Cass's fear filled optics could clearly see the screen. "Clarity: Soon revealed."

"There is so much I wanted to tell you. I was going to tell you everything about your creation, and how your conception was the start of tragedy, but you were born into love." The footage continued, raising more questions then answers for the worried young model, but he stayed silent for his Commander's benefit. "But you were taken away from me. You were taken away because I was not strong enough to protect you, and keep you safe from this dark void we call the universe. In my optics, there was once beauty despite the hatred that followed us everywhere we turned. When I found out I was carrying, you became proof of that."

Cass quietly gasped. He only recently discovered what conception was a month ago, but he was a clever mech. It finally made sense, and he understood who Soundwave was addressing in the film. What didn't add up was why his Commander was showing it to him. If this clip was meant to be shown to, who Cass suspected, was Soundwave's unborn… Why was it being shown to him? And why now? He knew now that if he wished to know, he would have to finish the film.

"I don't have a lot of time explain everything in full detail now. I have returned to the Nemesis after you left my world, so I will be telling you my story… Our story… In pieces. Each clip will be categorized by topic and filled away for only my optics and audios.

"You were laid to rest on Cybertron, so it will be sometime before I can bring the story of my short time with you. I know it's silly to think that you will ever see these clips. I have never been the most spiritual of mechs, but I think speaking to you in this way will somehow help bring me closure. So if you have any questions… Then at least you will have answers. If you can have anything from this world I want it to be from me, so you know that love exists. It is the only thing I truly believe in that science and logic cannot fully explain, and it is the most difficult power to obtain… But can be lost so easily."

The image of Soundwave paused again, but this time his body language indicated someone off camera was speaking to him. Cass watched in astonishment. He didn't know what to say or do… He froze and he fought with the tightening feeling in his tanks. But he waited regardless, and finished the film. For all that Soundwave has done for him for the hundreds of years they've know each other, it was the least he could do.

"I must end this clip now, but I will leave with one detail. Your name. I never found a designation for you if it turned out you were born a mech. None that I could find or think of seemed to really fit, and for some reason I had the idea that you would be a feme… I never asked Shockwave if you were or not. Again, I don't know why, but I still remember what your name would be."

The past telepath stared directly into the camera, and seemed to peer through the framed image as if he was speaking directly to Cass from so far away in the past. The more he watched the clip, the more it seemed this video was made for him entirely, but the young model was still holding on to what little disbelief he had left. It all dissolved when the image of Soundwave finally revealed the name he mentioned, and it sent a shiver down Cass's spinal struts.

"Mercy… I would have named you after the one thing I never had in my function, but would have spent the rest of it providing for you. I would have called you Mercy."

Cass stared at Soundwave's now blank visor in shock. He could no longer feel any sensation in his faceplate, and the young model became lost in cloud of confusing angst. He wanted to cry. Not like how he was crying now, but he wanted to bawl. He wanted to sob hysterically, he wanted to scream, and kick in frustration; virtually do anything to show how this information truly affected him. But all he did was sit there with his optics so wide they almost seemed painful. It was almost an instant snap to reality when Soundwave opened a small compartment over his chassis. After the initial click, the telepath pulled out a small data-drive. One that was meant to be used in a data-pad, and he placed it in Cass's open servo.

"More information here." Soundwave was still smiling as he closed his youngling's digits around the drive. "Story: Meant for one that was lost… Meant for one that has been found."

There was still nothing. Cass eventually closed his wide optics and even winced from the sting of keeping them open for so long, but he stayed in place. What was he to do? He understood what his Commander was trying to say but it still didn't make sense. Cass was a drone. An artificially sparked Cybertronian, not a spark born. Why was Soundwave speaking to him like he was…?

"I-I always knew-knew…" The third in command slid back the bottom half of his mask again, and Cass didn't try to stop him from speaking. Even when his vocal hissed almost violently with static. "I-I-I knew… You w-w-were out there… I knew y-y-you were sti-ll alive…" He took the smaller mech's closed servo and held it against his chest. "I could… Al-always feel it… In my sp-spa-ark ch-chamber… I love y-you… My sparkling…"

That was the push Cass's processor needed to fall into a complete shutdown. He only took one deep gasp, but had enough clarity to realize he was losing consciousness again and manipulated his frame to fall backwards onto his own berth. Instinctively, Soundwave followed the young model as he fell. Now standing, the telepath helped guide Cass back onto the berth, using his data feelers to support the violet mech's helm and waist. The third in command was still weak in his leg struts, so he needed to be quick with tucking him back into a comfortable position.

When Cass's leg struts were finally resting alone the length of the medical bed, Soundwave slumped back down into his own. Because their berth were still so close together, he was able to hold onto Cass's servo. He too was on the verge of passing out, he was still so tired. But for the most part, he was very much relieved. He finally told Cass he was his. His sparkling, and now that he was back in the slim blue mech's arms he was never going to let him go again. Even if it meant going against Megatron's wishes.

The maintenance area was small and neglected, but it was just the right setting for Breakdown to have a seemingly private conversation with Bob. Little did both Con's know they were both being watched through a wireless camera and monitor. It was one of the many rooms Antaeus had previously set up his own private surveillance in, and he was worried he would be too late to gather any information. His handheld was damaged when he dropped it in the storage space, so he needed to run back to his dorm to observe the private chat. Fortunately for him, the flier made it back in time hear the general start of the topic. The tall Eradicon needed to adjust his equipment quickly so he could see and hear everything clearly.

But before he settled into a comfortable sleuthing mode, he needed to clean off the random drops of cycled energon that sprinkled over his gear. He was certain there was a small trail outside his door, but he would take care of that when he was satisfied with the information he managed to collect. So far he was not disappointed, and was given a rather decent start as he observed Breakdown quirking his optics.

"So you're telling me that not only is Cass the only remaining Mid-digit Vehicon on the ship, but he is actually not a drone at all?" Breakdown was leaning on a dust covered create of materials trying to understand what he heard fully. The Eradicon in front of him shook his helm waved his servos in an exaggerating over correction.

"No, no… Nothing like that Officer." The flier sighed, thinking of how to be clearer with his explanation. The answer to whatever question, Antaeus did not know, but that didn't stop him from taking notes on his data pad. "Cass is just special. It is very hard to describe, because it is pretty much something that only a drone could fully understand. Our EM fields don't emit the same wave length as Sparkborn mechs such as yourself. It is a very small difference that unless you were created in this world by hand, you would never fully be able to comprehend. But Cass seems to have a unique signature. No body knows how to fully explain it, but when he enters a room he emits the signal of a drone, and… Something else. We don't know what it is, but it's not a troop signal."

"I never heard of anything like this." Breakdown shifted in his place. "I have never felt a difference in anyone's EM field aside from the differences between grounder and flier. How long has this been going on?"

"I can't really give you an exact time this all started, but I know I have been able to sense this ever since my creation. We all have."

"You little scrap…" Antaeus growled at the holo-screen. How dare such an underling in the drone class talk so openly about their internal functions. "You and I will need to have a discussion when this is all over."

"Okay, let's white line why Cass just feels different to you and the other troops for now." The higher Officer sighed, still not really getting what Bob was trying to describe. "I need to know whatever history your aware of. Things like when Cass first came to the ship, why everyone feels so protective of him, how is he so smart but still ignorant?"

"Ignorant?" Bob tilted his helm. "What do you mean by that?"

"When I met the young model, he didn't have any education in Cybertronian reproduction." Breakdown waved his servo at his side. He wasn't trying to say anything offensive about the small Vehicon, but he thought it was also best not to avoid the truth. "He has to be, at most, 4,500 years old, and not one of you drones bothered to give him 'The Talk'?"

"It was the request of his brother's sir." The flier crossed his arms defensively. It wasn't entirely his fault Cass knew nothing of interface. True, he could've had this discussion with him millions of times, but it was considered a sin in the drone's inner culture to go against the wishes of the fallen. "Before the last group of Mid-digit Vehicons died out, they relinquished his care onto us. It is very difficult to explain, because this was brought to our attention out of nowhere. We haven't even seen Cass around the ship until his bother's introduced us."

"Mm…" Antaeus mulled this over in his CPU. "Why have I never been introduced to this Cass?" The answer might be presented to him a little later, but in the mean time he was rather entranced by the way Bob's body language shifted. He uncrossed his arms, but tucked one of his servo's under his chin. He rocked slightly on his heals as he reminisce through his memories.

"I remember the day Kayson introduced the young mech to me and my group. The moment he entered the room, he lifted all of sparks. He was shy and polite, and just so vulnerable to the world around him. He emanated such an innocent ambiance I swear I could see him glowing. Like a small light emanating through our dark existence in this universe."

"How poetic." It wasn't his intention to be sarcastic, but it appeared Breakdown accidently came off that way. Bob crossed his arms again and shied away on his side. This was difficult for the Eradicon, and his superior officer took notice of it in a setting of guilt. This was perhaps the first time, aside from Cass, Breakdown had felt such empathy for a lower ranked mech. The look of such culpability was obvious to the flier that was watching them from afar. This reaction was definitely going to be useful in the future, so Antaeus was sure to make a note of it.

"I'm sorry." The blue mech continued. "I meant no offense… Can we circle back a minute? About why Cass's brothers requested you not discuss procreation to him."

"I can't say for sure." The smaller mech answered quietly. "It was nearly an automatic reaction to agree to his guardianship. Everyone in our group took to him as if he was originally a part of our sect, and ever since then we all watched out for him. Our main goal was to do our best to keep him out of Lord Megatron's sight… We failed him so terribly."

"I think that may have been your problem to begin with." Breakdown shrugged, not caring at this time if the drone felt offended or not. "He maybe small, but he is not a sparkling in any means. He is an adult mech, and should've been educated as one. Perhaps if he knew about interfacing and the consequences that could follow it, he would wiser to being cautious like everyone else."

"Educated or not, there was a very high chance Caspian could've been victimized regardless!" Bob didn't care that he was raising his voice to his higher up after what was said. He couldn't hold back his anger from such an ignorant comment, and he let Breakdown know of his arrogance. "You make it sound like a drone has a choice in the matter, but the truth is we don't! No one has the right to say no to a spark born! Much less Megatron! How would you…! How would you be able to fully understand?!"

The Eradicon shook furiously as he did his best to suppress the urge to sob, and was completely taken off guard when Breakdown placed both his servos on each side of his shoulders. At first, Bob thought he had angered the giant mech and about to be disciplined. Upon instinct he went limp as a sign of his resignation to rebel, but the only thing the giant mech did was gently squeeze his arms in a comforting manner. The drone wasn't expecting that at all.

"It's okay…" The higher officer soothed. "Stay calm… Again, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to pick a fight." He huffed at his own stupidity. Breakdown was aware that he should've known better, but he still opened his big oral cavity. He gave Bob a few minutes to cycle his intakes before he pushed for any more questions. "Did Cass's brothers ever mention anything special about his anatomy, or his creation specifically at all?"

"N-no sir…" Bob hitched on his breath. "When the last of his brothers were deactivated in battle, some of us became curious, and tried to accesses any of his public service files… They were all blacked out."

"All of them?"

"Yes sir."

"Well that answers my last question." Breakdown stood up right and scratched the back of his helm. "What a cluster-frag…"

"Officer Breakdown?" The drone tempted fate with his curiosity. The higher officer did say he would exchange information, but he was still a higher rank then him, and Breakdown could change his mind and not answer any of his own questions. "Why do you need to know all of this? Is there a problem with Caspian's health? Is he in any trouble?"

"Oh boy…" Let it not be said that at least Breakdown was not a mech of his word (or at least he tried to be), but like Bob he was having a hard time indulging his knowledge. "Before I tell you, can you promise me to absolute secrecy, and I don't mean just a simple 'I promise'. I mean an honest to Primus vow. You can not utter this information to a single Spark. Do you understand?"

"I…" Bob jittered from such an announcement, but if it was for Cass's safety, the flier was not going to debate such a request. He raised his servo flat aligned with his helm then cleared his intake so he could speak confidently. "I swear, anything revealed to me in confidence at this moment will not be shared with any others under any circumstances."

"Very good." The higher officer glanced around the room until his optics, to Antaeus's horror, aligned with his monitor. "Have a seat first."

"Oh… No, no, no, no!" The Eradicon watched helplessly as his smaller counterpart was guided to the create he had hidden his surveillance equipment. Soon, Bob's aft was lowering itself onto the holo-screen. Antaeus briefly thought, not a bad view, before the screen went black and his audio equipment become muffled. "Damn it!"

The General Officer couldn't risk being traced if on the off chance Bob noticed he sat on his camera. Quickly he cut the feed and ran over to his private computer. He deleted all wireless connections, and moved any and all files that were recorded in that room. As an extra precaution he even set up a few firewalls in the server he used to produce his feed. If he wasn't still in the middle of investigating, he would've disconnected everything and cleared out his entire work shop. But his curiosity was really getting the best of him, and he knew exactly where to go to get the information he missed.

"Bob, huh?" He smirked while his digits slowed over his keyboard. "I don't know if I ever had the pleasure of introducing myself… Well… There is a first time for everything."

-END-