Silence is Golden.
Activity
as always high for a war base, and the Decepticon command center was no exception. The only thing that was different was the
fact that there was a rather young Decepticon standing next to the communications console. Audioslave didn’t move didn’t
say a word, as he watched his father work. There were so many communications that came through the center on a minute to minute
basis he was hard pressed to keep up with the elder mech and follow what was going on. Teams of Decepticons deployed here,
single ones flying patrols there; triads scouting north, more teams mapping the lower levels, Audioslave didn’t know
where to start. He looked up at Soundwave who seemed to take it all with ease and gave the commands and assignments out with
out as much as a twitch.
In and instant all communications stopped, and Soundwave looked down at Audio expectantly.
‘Are you ready to try?’ Soundwave intoned with his telepathic link instantly opening to his son.
‘There
are too many of them, I do not know the assignments.’ He felt as if he had let his father down some how.
‘You
control them they do not control you.’ Soundwave paused for a moment to emphasized that he could make them wait
while he talked; then went back to the work at hand.
Picking up the datapad of assignments Audio read it over to help
understand how Soundwave was doing it. Before he could catch up with the place were Soundwave was at the mech had finished
the list. He looked up, and handed the pad back. ‘I have a lot to learn.’
Soundwave smiled even
though it went unseen, ‘Have you been working on the soundwaves?’ Soundwave smiled again as if he were
ask about himself.
The smaller mech looked speechless, ‘I am having trouble,’ the posture of the
little sagged, and he turned his optics down. ‘I am unable to produce anything.’
Going through the list
of things Soundwave had explained to Audio previously, he settled on one last thing. ‘Have you initiated it?’
Confusion
gripped the young sparkling, as he cocked his head to the side as if to ask how.
Near the back of the room Megatron
watched, he was interested in how Soundwave was going to teach this one seeing that he knew Rumble and Frenzy just had a natural
talent for noise. This would be one of many lessons that his officer would have to teach the young mech so he could earn his
Decepticon symbol. Mean time he had his own little one to take care of.
Lenear sat on the left arm of his command
chair she sat watching and listening, all the activity was fascinating. She silently took note to who came and went, as well
as what they looked like; she could hear the assignments being given which directly related to their altmodes She looked down
at herself, and thought about her mother, they were defiantly of a jet design but not exactly one of the many seekers that
she had seen. This made her wonder what sort of assignment she might get one day.
This drew Megatron’s attention
as Lenear looked about herself. “What is it?”
Frozen for a second Lenear slowly turned to look at her
father, she had been lost in her own little world of thought for a while. “My transformation?” she answered.
“You
are like your mother, one of the Earthen jets.” It hadn’t occurred to him she would expect to be a seeker.
“What
does it look like?”
On the console next to him Megatron tapped a little bringing up a common picture of the
Mig-28. “Your mother wanted this mode.” He said nodding.
Lenear looked it over comparing it to herself
here and there. “Color is different.”
He liked that she was observant. “Yes, you have a variation
of my color as well as hers.”
“Can I transform?”
“I can help you learn, but it would
be easier for you if she did.” Megatron touched the picture and it transformed into Prizm.
Lenear watched her
optics wide as parts moved around and adjusted into the familiar image of her mother. This time her attention was caught by
Megatron’s head making a sharp movement.
There was a loud blast that seemed to rattle everything, vibrations
were sent rumbling through the entire room, and them some. Soundwave instinctively turned his audio receptors off, Audioslave
grabbed his helm instantly before he fell back onto is aft from the pressure of the waves that now came from his chest. The
room seemed to quiver with high pitched sound causing the monitors glass to shatter, next the front view screen, then the
side windows that looked out over the city. Grabbing Lenear, Megatron held onto her to keep her from vibrating off the chair’s
arm. Soundwave leaned over and pressed the stop button on Audioslave, an eerie silence took over.
For a moment Audioslave
didn’t move, he had turned his optics off, as well as his audios, when he was sure he couldn’t feel the vibrations
he released his helm and relit his optics. He looked around and reached out with his telepathy searching for Soundwave, what
he got though was an intense fear. He instantly looked back over to where Megatron sat, he couldn’t see her for Megatron
holding her, but he had not realized that Lenear had been there before the blast. His spark sank, and he sent her reassurances,
as well as apologies, both went unanswered.
Megatron was careful he had not held her too tight, her small size
alone made it easy for him to be rough with her, but he was not looking to damage her. He held her to his chest, one hand
around her back, the other around her bottom, she still shook even after the sound had ceased. His optic view rose as he glared
at the small mech.
Though he didn’t move Audioslave seemed to shrink under the heavy gaze. He looked down at
the floor unsure what to do next. He felt so cold, ever since he could sense Lenear he had made it a point to stay near her,
and his assignment had been given to him by Megatron himself was to watch over her. Now she had completely shut him out there
was no response to his apologies. It made him feel as if he had failed.
The silence was broken by what could only
be called a sniffle, and then Lenear let out a loud cry. Those in the room all turned to look at the Decepticon Emperor as
he held her, turning her over in his arms and lifting her to his shoulder. She cried again, and he got up his glare never
leaving Audioslave. He carried her out of the room and in to his office, there he began to whisper to her. “I have you,
nothing can hurt you.”
The sniffle came again then a long exhale. Lenear had always had the impression that
her father was strong and power full and that reassurance he gave her in his deep raspy tones quelled the storm of fear within
her. Her head nearly buried in the crook of his arm she slowly stopped shaking and released her grip. First she looked up
to him then around the room, she rested her head on his chest as he moved her over to one arm. In only a click her optics
were off and she was into a recharge.
One flick of the wrist allowed Soundwave to put the communications console on
a type of speaker phone. He got up and began to clean the broken glass from the various piles that had collected in front
of each window or monitor. On the floor Audio still sat his gaze still on the ground before him. Soundwave watched him, thinking
about what it had taken him to master and control the waves he knew, he nearly chuckled when that first memory of himself
sitting on the floor much like Audio was doing now. He could easily feel the self disappointment from him, as well as what
seemed to be loneliness. He came over and nudged the little ‘Con with his hand. ‘You need practice.’
The
nudge made Audio look up, ‘I never meant to hurt her.’ Even the voice he used in the telepathy seemed to
waver as if on the edge of crying himself.
‘They are not easily controlled, there is even less control when
they need to be directed, and glass like this is very easily shattered. This is not.’ Soundwave touched the plastisteel
window.
In a flash Audioslave’s optics opened wide as he hopped up off the floor and ran to Megatron’s
office. He didn’t have to chime the door it opened as he neared it. He looked at the desk and the figure of Megatron
who now stared right at him. For an instant he froze, expecting Megatron to yell at him. His optics wavered between Megatron’s
gaze and the sleeping form of Lenear. “It,”
“It was an accident.” Megatron cut him off his
voice was low but still very stern. “I know.”
“Is she okay?” Audio tipped toed to see if he
could get a better view.
“She was quite frightened but she will be fine.” Megatron’s features broke
their angry demeanor as he looked at Lenear.
“All the glass, it’s all broken.” Audio feared that
Megatron hadn’t noticed the condition of Lenear’s mini cockpit. “She has glass.”
Megatron
however had a rather good view of Lenear’s front. “It is intact. My armor buffered the waves, she is unharmed.”
Audio broke optic contact with the leader thinking about that. He looked up at the still form of Lenear, then let
his telepathy creep slowly in to her processor. He waited there for a while feeling through the last bits of her emotion that
still ebbed away, finally he found her. ‘I am sorry.’
Being that it was her processor her thoughts
need not be sent through the link, just thought. ‘I wasn’t expecting it.’
‘If
I had known what was going to happen I would not have done it. The command room is wrecked, least of all didn’t I mean
to frighten you.’
‘My dad helped.’ Her internal tones seemed to brighten. ‘His armor
protected me.’
Relief at Lenear admitting that swept over him. ‘I am supposed
to help you, and protect you not harm you. I failed.’
‘If that is the weapon that you will use to help
me, and protect me then I would have to say mastering it would be good.’
‘It was an accident; I didn’t
mean to do it.’ Audioslave seemed like he couldn’t covey enough how badly he felt.
‘They
shook me up a bit, but I will have to learn to deal with that. We can practice together.’
‘You aren’t
mad at me?’
‘No, surprised yes, but not mad.’
Megatron watched Audio’s posture change
from a slouched saddened little bot to the tall standing little mech he was more accustomed to. “You need more practice.”
Megatron spoke.
Audio visibly smiled, then nodded.
‘I am going to go work on it now.’ He
told Lenear. “Yes sir.” He nodded again to Megatron then turned on his heal, with a little more spirit in his
step.
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