Title: Verumi (2.9/4)
Verse: AU/G1
Rating: PG13
Characters: Prowl, Shockwave
Warnings: Implied torture.
Summary: Jazz had always felt that Prowl was a little...different then the rest of them.
Notes: GUESS WHO FINALLY FINISHED THIS ∠( ᐛ 」∠)_
New bits will be put up as soon as editing is done.
Previous chapters on LJ/DW:
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 2.5 Slightly edited version up on AO3 Prowl feels nothing.
It’s the only thing keeping him sane. If he dares to reactivate his tactile receptors, his higher-level processes, anything that isn’t vital for core-processor function, he knows that something inside of him will break. No medic would be able to fix him then.
“Such a curious automaton you are,” Prowl hears Shockwave muse to himself. The bulky scientist paces the length of the slab Prowl is clamped to before he drifts back over to his tray of tools. They gleam under the bright florescent lights as Shockwave turns them over, one by one. There is no hurry in his hand.
“Those foot soldiers had no idea what a scientific marvel you are.” Shockwave’s voice rises in volume and aggravation drips from every syllable as he says, “To think they tried to deactivate you, and then in their foolish joviality they allowed you to escape!“ He shakes his head in incredulity, but when he continues his voice is once again its usual smooth cadence. “Ah well. At least they made for better test subjects than subordinates.”
Shockwave picks up a scalpel and carefully examines it. Prowl finds that he can’t look away from the harsh light glinting along its edge.
“You have no spark, and yet you have sentience,” Shockwave says and places the scalpel back to move on to the next tool. Over and over the tools turn in his hand as he thinks aloud. “No base personality component, and yet you have a shadow of a persona. A fascinating occurrence, one I’ve never seen before. One I‘d like to emulate myself. Sparks are such flighty, unreliable things.”
Prowl watches Shockwave as the scientist plays with his instruments.
“Rooting through your programming has brought no insights. Then again, you have done an admirable job in stonewalling me at every process interconnect. Since you have no spark and rely on a generator to remain online, spark probing will get me nowhere closer to my answer. I wonder, does the answer lie in the physical circuits themselves? Do you know, Prowl?”
Prowl remains silent.
Shockwave isn’t phased at his subject’s muteness. He continues on. “You couldn’t know. How could a physically altered databoard cause spontaneous sentience, after all? It doesn’t seem logical and yet I can’t deny your existence.”
The soft scrape of metal on metal doesn’t draw Prowl’s attention away from Shockwave’s mockery of a face. Shockwave examines the cruel tool in his hand before he turns back to his subject. “I was hoping to avoid doing anything too invasive; you’re one of a kind, after all. But it appears as if I am left with no choice. Pity.
“Hold still. This shouldn’t take long.”