Pairing: TFA Shockwave/Optimus Prime

Rating: Teen

Details/Themes: Stockholm Syndrome, betrayal, Decepticon!Optimus

Requested by Naho

First, there was a prisoner. Optimus had fought valiantly like a fearless lion defending his pride but his courage and determination didn't necessarily combat all Decepticons well. When Detroit fell under siege, the Autobots did everything in their power to keep the city safe. Shockwave was no such fool to not see the weak points of the human race and oh, how Optimus was manipulated easily when a human was in the grasp of a Con.

That was the simple version of how the scientist managed to snag the ex-Elite Guard mech. Such training and tactical processor space gone to waste until now. Shockwave originally had nothing to do with the Prime at all; he was only a prisoner. Megatron didn't care what happened to the Autobot so Shockwave was left to do with him as he pleased, but he found his options eventually limited. There was no use for a prisoner except as a bargaining chip.

Then a strange occurrence happened. Shockwave muttered to himself on the stupid space bridge calibrations that didn't wish to sync to his schematics and surprisingly, the Prime corrected him while casually sitting across his lab in the cell as if there was nothing the Autobot was worried about. It did raise some questions as to why Optimus of all mechs would help him considering he knew Shockwave's plans but the advice was true.

After that, Shockwave grew interested in what the mech knew. They began chatting and exchanging information which the scientist found intriguing that such a character as a Prime would even bother to learn. Well, it was acknowledged later he learned it from the large, green one called Bulkhead who was currently a prisoner of Lugnut as far as he knew.

There ended up being something about the Prime he liked, something he knew would give him advantage yet he did not want to give up the Autobot. It was something kindred almost. He allowed Optimus freedom around his lab but kept the doors password coded that even Optimus couldn't crack. It was security precaution but eventually, he disbanded it when Optimus became a rather amazing partner in space bridge ingenuity…not that he let the Prime know of course.

It may have been odd but a comforting feeling erupted in Shockwave's neural net as Optimus simply realigned a twisted tube in the Space Bridge's generator piece. He didn't know what was going on with him but when Optimus laughed kindly at his fumbling with the cables and the Prime slid a servo partially over his to fix it, he blushed madly. Optimus' mutual expression wasn't as well hidden as his emotions were…being faceless and all.

Over time, Optimus grew a lot more comfortable with him to where he was shocked when the Prime defended him against a hoard of Autobot rebel intruders prepared to bombard all his work. It was like watching a switch visibly go off, and Shockwave had no way of defining it. He wasn't sure if this was the same Optimus Prime he had heard of because the Autobot killed every single one of them without a second doubt.

Shockwave had to reason that he may have gone insane or perhaps he was just dreaming. That was the only logical explanation and yet, he felt his spark pulsing rapidly at the sight. His Optimus just went behind every moral the Autobot code entailed. HIS Optimus. There was a glimmer of darkness in the Prime's optics, something the spy didn't know what to do with but he adored it nevertheless.

The Autobot…err…former Autobot barely acknowledged the dead bodies on the floor and chuckled low and sweetly at Shockwave's star struck expression. He would've asked why the Prime did what he did, whether the word of such an incident would make him a traitor but no such words were spoken. As a blue servo cupped his clawed one, Shockwave slowly gripped it with growing enthusiasm.

This couldn't be right. This was madness, wasn't it? This wasn't logical yet it felt right and with odd obviousness, Optimus felt that way too. He could see it as plain as the Hadeen sun. Megatron would be interested to know such a devoted Autobot destroyed his only means of escape from Decepticon-controlled Cybertron. This was a revelation…and Shockwave didn't lift a digit.

After the incident, Shockwave found himself less enthralled with his research and more attentive to Optimus who gladly accepted his advances. Did he change Optimus, or did Optimus change him? He had no idea in this chaos they both entered. But as long as they had each other, the madness was actually tolerable.

AN: Am I sane? Nah, not really. I couldn't think of any dialogue that would work so I said fuck it and gave them none. Actions always speak louder than words, right?