A real live fic. "Veridis Quo"
So this is my first attempt at writing fic in a very long time. It started off with me dooking myself at a distinct lack of Skyfire/Soundwave (i.e. NONE). And why would there be? It makes no sense. But me and Alba like that fucking pairing. Originally it was just going to be some shameless self-indulgent ridiculousness, but I started writing and I cannot just. Make. Two characters get together for no reason. I just can't write it.
So. It's gonna be some multi-chapter epic bullshit.
So far I fail at writing shipping fic. I succeed at writing faintly disturbing torture scenes, though. Also pop-culture references. Huzzah.
Here is the first goddamn chapter. Fuck.
Crossposted to tf_rare_pairing
Title: Veridis Quo (Chapter One: "Without A God")
Rating: R, possibly higher if I have the balls. LOL robosex.
Summary: God I suck at these. Skyfire gets captured by the Decepticons. Starscream has some deep-seated butthurt and Soundwave finds out that shit sucks. Things are kind of fucked up in an unhappy way.
Characters: Skyfire/Soundwave or vice versa.
It was a bad day, in all the history of bad days, this was decidedly the worst, Skyfire thought as the muzzle of a null ray was shoved against his cheek. It was only slightly amusing that Skywarp had to stretch to do it. Humor was hardly the first thing on his mind as they lead him down the main hall of the Decepticon headquarters. They whooped and hissed as he passed. He carried his head high, despite them. Even when a wrench was flung and bounced off his armor painfully, he only winced and remained silent as he was escorted down to the brig.
"This hurts me more than it hurts you, Skyfire." Starscream shook his head as he locked the cell door, "If you hadn't betrayed me, things could be so good." His mocking tone was almost palpable.
The shuttle could only snort and turn away. Betrayed him. Right. Despite his better sense, it still struck against his conscience. If he had been there, maybe Starscream wouldn't have become a monster. The worst part was that he still saw bits and pieces of his old friend lingering there. Little habits and mannerisms. That hurt more than anything, knowing that if he hadn't gotten himself lost and frozen, he could have kept Starscream from this fate. The sneering, venomous hatred that painted his face.
"But you just had to go and help them, didn't you? You always were too soft. How can you call yourself a scientist? You're not willing to make the proper sacrifices for the more logical decision..." The Seeker was persistent. After a few cycles of receiving no response from Skyfire however, he grew frustrated. A hand slammed against the cell door, and he gave an angry yell.
"Skyfire! I demand you answer me! Skyfire!" he was like a child throwing a tantrum.
Eventually, he gave up after a good amount of cursing and seething, spat insults. His passing was marked by the clang of his thrusters on the metal floors retreating and fading.
It was only then when the shuttle allowed himself to panic and dissolve into a brief pool of self-pity. They chose this cell just for him. Starscream did, anyway. He could tell. There was no sunlight or view of the sky anywhere. No fresh air. It was at the deepest reaches of their hideout.
This was why he was a terrible warrior. He wasn't made for this, despite what the Autobots assured him of so often. He wasn't made to be shot at. He'd gone down so easily in battle. Laser-fire clipped his wing and he hadn't the sense to roll out of it. Hadn't even had the sense to crash near his comrades so he would be safe. No. He just had to crash right next to the Constructicons. The Seeker trine had wasted no time in swooping in like a flock of vast, irritating birds to subdue him. Most Autobots would have been simply shot, but Skyfire was an asset if he could be corrupted. He had access to important readings and information... or so they thought, at least. He would be interrogated, no doubt.
What they didn't know was what he didn't know.
A damn thing.
It made the whole situation that much worse.
Skyfire folded only one of his wings down, the other was warped and melted from the shot he'd taken. The paint bubbled in places. He couldn't even stand to look at it... it made him want to purge his tanks. Another reason he wasn't cut out for this. A puddle of his energon dripped slowly from the wound and glowed faintly the floor. No doubt he would be at their mercy soon enough. He would have to rest before that. He wasn't sure how well he'd hold up under torture. He simply didn't know if he had the constitution for it.
Not as if it mattered. He didn't have any information to give...
The Autobots didn't trust him enough.
He'd be in for the long run. No sense in stressing himself thinking about the what-ifs. They would probably torture him until he went offline.
Reluctantly, he shut down his systems for a patchy, restless recharge.
Death, despite all his logic, was a bleak concept for an atheist.
-=-=-
"SOUNDWAVE: WORKS ALONE."
"I don't care." Starscream snarled, shoving himself into the communications officer's personal space.
"REQUEST: DENIED." Soundwave monotoned as he placed his tools into their proper places for transport.
"He's mine! I want to be there!" The Air Commander screeched into Soundwave's audio receptor. Primus, he was neigh intolerable.
The blue mech was about to simply walk away, but Megatron intervined.
"Humor him, Soundwave."
Soundwave could have just twitched in annoyance.
"AS YOU COMMAND." He simply responded, quelling his irritation. If it was an order from Megatron, he'd have to deal with it.
Starscream looked pleased with himself and followed Soundwave down to the brig.
"Gets him out of my wires for the time being..." Megatron uttered as they left the bridge.
-=-=-
He'd known from the beginning that Starscream would simply get in the way of his work, and here he was, perfectly right. The Seeker wasn't asking any of the right questions, and he was simply abusing the prisoner out of malice and his own hurt feelings.
"Move, traitor!" The Seeker twisted Skyfire's injured wing and the shuttle cried out, stumbling and twisting in some attempt to alleviate the way Starscream was wrenching the damaged metal.
"STARSCREAM. RECOMMENDATION: CONTAIN YOURSELF UNTIL WE GET TO THE INTERROGATIONS ROOM." Soundwave droned, his annoyance barely audible in his tone. Starscream snarled, but stopped berating the prisoner long enough for them to lead him into the proper quarters and restrain him.
Soundwave took the time to lay out his tools carefully, picking up a pair of bolt-cutters and examining them. He had to build up a proper amount of anxiety in Skyfire. Torture was as much fear and intimidation as it was actually harming someone. He'd create a good mood and then proceed from there.
Starscream was, of course, mucking things up. Rambling on, shooting his mouth off at Skyfire.
Skyfire himself was less concerned about Starscream at this moment and trying to see around him to peer at what Soundwave was doing. The intimidation was doing wonders for him in that respect. Glimpses of pliers and prods were enough to set his own imagination spinning wildly. He was only distracted when the Seeker decided to slap his wounded wing, making him yelp.
The communications officer just sighed inwardly, stepping over and placing a hand on Starscream's shoulder, guiding him to step back. Out of the way. The Air Commander grumbled, looking disgusted, but obeyed nonetheless.
Skyfire shot him a desperate look. He was already missing the petty abuse as Soundwave stepped closer, taking the shuttle's chin in one hand. Starscream saw it, the pleading expression.
Help me. It begged.
Save me. Starscream could read him still.
He simply smiled at his former friend and gave an apathetic shrug leaving him for now, at the mercy of his torturer.
Soundwave was dutiful. He phrased his questions plainly, and gave Skyfire time to answer.
"ORDER: DIVULGE ANY RELEVANT INTEL TO: REACTOR PLANS."
Honestly, this had been the first thing Skyfire had heard of any reactor. He was left so woefully out of the loop, his perplexed, fearful expression was answer enough. Soundwave calmly selected a long metal pole with two prongs on the end. A cord at the other end was plugged into the wall, and electricity sparked to life between the prongs. Without hesitation the prongs were stabbed neatly into the open wound on his wing. Electricity arching out from the burned metal. Skyfire had no reservations about screaming. He thrashed desperately against his restraints. When it stopped, he turned to look at Starscream, the blackened hole in his wing still smoking from the abuse.
The Seeker just stood, smirking.
You deserve this.
"QUERY: REPEATED. TELL ME."
"I don't know anything!" Skyfire shook his head, already preparing himself for what would inevitably happen next. Of course, he was right. The prongs once again buried themselves into his vulnerable wing. He squealed, vocalizer crackling and popping with the effort. It was repeated four more times with the same results. It was maddening, the smell of burning metal and the bright hot searing of the electric prod. It's soft hum when it was extracted before another round.
"Starscream-" Skyfire cycled air, head bobbing to one side, his vision swam, "Help me..." He was beginning to become delirious from the pain. Processes shutting down, warnings flashing over his HUD.
"Help you? Help you?! HAHAHAHA! Help you! What a crock! After what you did to me?! Dismissed! Publicly humiliated! Why, it's more than I can bear!" The Seeker cried, leaning over his prisoner with a defiant, insane grin.
"QUER-" Soundwave was abruptly interrupted when Starscream shoved into him, yanking the prod from his hands and stabbing it violently into Skyfire's wing. The electricity popped and sparked and one of the prongs broke off in the wound. The shuttle thrashed violently, his high keening wail could be heard one floor up.
It's only then that the impact of a fist sent Starscream reeling away, holding his dented faceplate. Soundwave quickly working to dislodge the prod from their prisoner. The Seeker standing, seething, his pride hurt more than anything.
Once the tool was successfully removed, the communications officer turned to regard Starscream.
"STARSCREAM: EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED. SUGGESTION: FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO."
The Air Commander hissed, slamming a fist into the wall. Soundwave would pay for that- right in front of Skyfire, too. Right in his moment of vengeance. Reluctantly, he retreated.
The shuttle continued to cycle air, head flopping to one side and then the other. His vision was blurring. He shortly passed out and went into recharge from the pain.
Soundwave let out an annoyed, musical garble.
So much for making any progress.
-=-=-
He woke to buzzing. Multicolored shapes moving around. Weight on his chassis.
Skyfire's vision cleared, and much to his dismay, he discovered he was still strapped down. However he was in a new location. A much more brightly-lit locale.
A face peered at him- some small mech was sitting on his cockpit.
"Hey boss! He's awake!" Rumble's voice was unmistakable as his unwanted passenger moved to call to someone just outside of his peripheral vision.
When Soundwave came into vis view, he was suddenly awake an struggling again. He was going to be tortured until he died, no doubt.
"REQUEST: CALM YOURSELF. SOUNDWAVE: PERFORMING OTHER FUNCTIONS: SURVEILLANCE."
It didn't really comfort Skyfire all that much. Rumble laughed and hopped off his chassis, climbing up Soundwave's arm and sitting on his shoulders.
"Where am I...?" The shuttle finally managed.
"We like to call it The Pit." Rumble answered cheerfully, "Those chains are thick, no chance of escape! And don't even think about tryin' t'call for help. Only the Constructicons hang out here!"
The Autobot turned to look to his right. His wing had been patched over crudely with scrap metal.
"So I'm here until I die?"
"Until we kill you, yeah." Rumble responded casually.
"Then why bother repairing me if you're just going to..."
"VERIFICATION: WE LIKE TO HAVE OUR PRISONERS HEALTHY BEFORE WE PERFORM THE REAL INTERROGATION." Soundwave cut in with his monotone again.
What?
"That doesn't make s-" Skyfire was interrupted when something small and metal bounced off his glass canopy. He squinted- it was a small metal spike. He only recognized it after a cycle of staring. It was the tip of the prong that had broken off in his wing.
"SKYFIRE: IMPRESSIVE. MOST PRISONERS: PASS OUT AFTER ONLY TWO CYCLES."
The shuttle could only manage a bleak look of befuddlement as Soundwave opened his tray and Rumble transformed to fit neatly inside.
"I told you I don't know anything." The scientist finally sighed, squinting against the bright lights.
"WE WILL SEE. HOOK: GAVE YOU A PATCH JOB. YOU WILL BE RETURNED TO YOUR CELL SHORTLY." Soundwave explained bluntly before turning and leaving.
Skyfire was left to await being unchained and escorted back to his cell.
Great. So they were going to fix him up just so they could tear him down again. They were all fragging insane. The image of Starscream's malicious grin still echoed in his thoughts. Fueled by his betrayal. The fact that he could even bring himself to do that was...
Well, it was hard to think about. He'd liked to have said it hurt more than the prong, but he'd be completely wrong.
So. It's gonna be some multi-chapter epic bullshit.
So far I fail at writing shipping fic. I succeed at writing faintly disturbing torture scenes, though. Also pop-culture references. Huzzah.
Here is the first goddamn chapter. Fuck.
Crossposted to tf_rare_pairing
Title: Veridis Quo (Chapter One: "Without A God")
Rating: R, possibly higher if I have the balls. LOL robosex.
Summary: God I suck at these. Skyfire gets captured by the Decepticons. Starscream has some deep-seated butthurt and Soundwave finds out that shit sucks. Things are kind of fucked up in an unhappy way.
Characters: Skyfire/Soundwave or vice versa.
It was a bad day, in all the history of bad days, this was decidedly the worst, Skyfire thought as the muzzle of a null ray was shoved against his cheek. It was only slightly amusing that Skywarp had to stretch to do it. Humor was hardly the first thing on his mind as they lead him down the main hall of the Decepticon headquarters. They whooped and hissed as he passed. He carried his head high, despite them. Even when a wrench was flung and bounced off his armor painfully, he only winced and remained silent as he was escorted down to the brig.
"This hurts me more than it hurts you, Skyfire." Starscream shook his head as he locked the cell door, "If you hadn't betrayed me, things could be so good." His mocking tone was almost palpable.
The shuttle could only snort and turn away. Betrayed him. Right. Despite his better sense, it still struck against his conscience. If he had been there, maybe Starscream wouldn't have become a monster. The worst part was that he still saw bits and pieces of his old friend lingering there. Little habits and mannerisms. That hurt more than anything, knowing that if he hadn't gotten himself lost and frozen, he could have kept Starscream from this fate. The sneering, venomous hatred that painted his face.
"But you just had to go and help them, didn't you? You always were too soft. How can you call yourself a scientist? You're not willing to make the proper sacrifices for the more logical decision..." The Seeker was persistent. After a few cycles of receiving no response from Skyfire however, he grew frustrated. A hand slammed against the cell door, and he gave an angry yell.
"Skyfire! I demand you answer me! Skyfire!" he was like a child throwing a tantrum.
Eventually, he gave up after a good amount of cursing and seething, spat insults. His passing was marked by the clang of his thrusters on the metal floors retreating and fading.
It was only then when the shuttle allowed himself to panic and dissolve into a brief pool of self-pity. They chose this cell just for him. Starscream did, anyway. He could tell. There was no sunlight or view of the sky anywhere. No fresh air. It was at the deepest reaches of their hideout.
This was why he was a terrible warrior. He wasn't made for this, despite what the Autobots assured him of so often. He wasn't made to be shot at. He'd gone down so easily in battle. Laser-fire clipped his wing and he hadn't the sense to roll out of it. Hadn't even had the sense to crash near his comrades so he would be safe. No. He just had to crash right next to the Constructicons. The Seeker trine had wasted no time in swooping in like a flock of vast, irritating birds to subdue him. Most Autobots would have been simply shot, but Skyfire was an asset if he could be corrupted. He had access to important readings and information... or so they thought, at least. He would be interrogated, no doubt.
What they didn't know was what he didn't know.
A damn thing.
It made the whole situation that much worse.
Skyfire folded only one of his wings down, the other was warped and melted from the shot he'd taken. The paint bubbled in places. He couldn't even stand to look at it... it made him want to purge his tanks. Another reason he wasn't cut out for this. A puddle of his energon dripped slowly from the wound and glowed faintly the floor. No doubt he would be at their mercy soon enough. He would have to rest before that. He wasn't sure how well he'd hold up under torture. He simply didn't know if he had the constitution for it.
Not as if it mattered. He didn't have any information to give...
The Autobots didn't trust him enough.
He'd be in for the long run. No sense in stressing himself thinking about the what-ifs. They would probably torture him until he went offline.
Reluctantly, he shut down his systems for a patchy, restless recharge.
Death, despite all his logic, was a bleak concept for an atheist.
-=-=-
"SOUNDWAVE: WORKS ALONE."
"I don't care." Starscream snarled, shoving himself into the communications officer's personal space.
"REQUEST: DENIED." Soundwave monotoned as he placed his tools into their proper places for transport.
"He's mine! I want to be there!" The Air Commander screeched into Soundwave's audio receptor. Primus, he was neigh intolerable.
The blue mech was about to simply walk away, but Megatron intervined.
"Humor him, Soundwave."
Soundwave could have just twitched in annoyance.
"AS YOU COMMAND." He simply responded, quelling his irritation. If it was an order from Megatron, he'd have to deal with it.
Starscream looked pleased with himself and followed Soundwave down to the brig.
"Gets him out of my wires for the time being..." Megatron uttered as they left the bridge.
-=-=-
He'd known from the beginning that Starscream would simply get in the way of his work, and here he was, perfectly right. The Seeker wasn't asking any of the right questions, and he was simply abusing the prisoner out of malice and his own hurt feelings.
"Move, traitor!" The Seeker twisted Skyfire's injured wing and the shuttle cried out, stumbling and twisting in some attempt to alleviate the way Starscream was wrenching the damaged metal.
"STARSCREAM. RECOMMENDATION: CONTAIN YOURSELF UNTIL WE GET TO THE INTERROGATIONS ROOM." Soundwave droned, his annoyance barely audible in his tone. Starscream snarled, but stopped berating the prisoner long enough for them to lead him into the proper quarters and restrain him.
Soundwave took the time to lay out his tools carefully, picking up a pair of bolt-cutters and examining them. He had to build up a proper amount of anxiety in Skyfire. Torture was as much fear and intimidation as it was actually harming someone. He'd create a good mood and then proceed from there.
Starscream was, of course, mucking things up. Rambling on, shooting his mouth off at Skyfire.
Skyfire himself was less concerned about Starscream at this moment and trying to see around him to peer at what Soundwave was doing. The intimidation was doing wonders for him in that respect. Glimpses of pliers and prods were enough to set his own imagination spinning wildly. He was only distracted when the Seeker decided to slap his wounded wing, making him yelp.
The communications officer just sighed inwardly, stepping over and placing a hand on Starscream's shoulder, guiding him to step back. Out of the way. The Air Commander grumbled, looking disgusted, but obeyed nonetheless.
Skyfire shot him a desperate look. He was already missing the petty abuse as Soundwave stepped closer, taking the shuttle's chin in one hand. Starscream saw it, the pleading expression.
Help me. It begged.
Save me. Starscream could read him still.
He simply smiled at his former friend and gave an apathetic shrug leaving him for now, at the mercy of his torturer.
Soundwave was dutiful. He phrased his questions plainly, and gave Skyfire time to answer.
"ORDER: DIVULGE ANY RELEVANT INTEL TO: REACTOR PLANS."
Honestly, this had been the first thing Skyfire had heard of any reactor. He was left so woefully out of the loop, his perplexed, fearful expression was answer enough. Soundwave calmly selected a long metal pole with two prongs on the end. A cord at the other end was plugged into the wall, and electricity sparked to life between the prongs. Without hesitation the prongs were stabbed neatly into the open wound on his wing. Electricity arching out from the burned metal. Skyfire had no reservations about screaming. He thrashed desperately against his restraints. When it stopped, he turned to look at Starscream, the blackened hole in his wing still smoking from the abuse.
The Seeker just stood, smirking.
You deserve this.
"QUERY: REPEATED. TELL ME."
"I don't know anything!" Skyfire shook his head, already preparing himself for what would inevitably happen next. Of course, he was right. The prongs once again buried themselves into his vulnerable wing. He squealed, vocalizer crackling and popping with the effort. It was repeated four more times with the same results. It was maddening, the smell of burning metal and the bright hot searing of the electric prod. It's soft hum when it was extracted before another round.
"Starscream-" Skyfire cycled air, head bobbing to one side, his vision swam, "Help me..." He was beginning to become delirious from the pain. Processes shutting down, warnings flashing over his HUD.
"Help you? Help you?! HAHAHAHA! Help you! What a crock! After what you did to me?! Dismissed! Publicly humiliated! Why, it's more than I can bear!" The Seeker cried, leaning over his prisoner with a defiant, insane grin.
"QUER-" Soundwave was abruptly interrupted when Starscream shoved into him, yanking the prod from his hands and stabbing it violently into Skyfire's wing. The electricity popped and sparked and one of the prongs broke off in the wound. The shuttle thrashed violently, his high keening wail could be heard one floor up.
It's only then that the impact of a fist sent Starscream reeling away, holding his dented faceplate. Soundwave quickly working to dislodge the prod from their prisoner. The Seeker standing, seething, his pride hurt more than anything.
Once the tool was successfully removed, the communications officer turned to regard Starscream.
"STARSCREAM: EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED. SUGGESTION: FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO."
The Air Commander hissed, slamming a fist into the wall. Soundwave would pay for that- right in front of Skyfire, too. Right in his moment of vengeance. Reluctantly, he retreated.
The shuttle continued to cycle air, head flopping to one side and then the other. His vision was blurring. He shortly passed out and went into recharge from the pain.
Soundwave let out an annoyed, musical garble.
So much for making any progress.
-=-=-
He woke to buzzing. Multicolored shapes moving around. Weight on his chassis.
Skyfire's vision cleared, and much to his dismay, he discovered he was still strapped down. However he was in a new location. A much more brightly-lit locale.
A face peered at him- some small mech was sitting on his cockpit.
"Hey boss! He's awake!" Rumble's voice was unmistakable as his unwanted passenger moved to call to someone just outside of his peripheral vision.
When Soundwave came into vis view, he was suddenly awake an struggling again. He was going to be tortured until he died, no doubt.
"REQUEST: CALM YOURSELF. SOUNDWAVE: PERFORMING OTHER FUNCTIONS: SURVEILLANCE."
It didn't really comfort Skyfire all that much. Rumble laughed and hopped off his chassis, climbing up Soundwave's arm and sitting on his shoulders.
"Where am I...?" The shuttle finally managed.
"We like to call it The Pit." Rumble answered cheerfully, "Those chains are thick, no chance of escape! And don't even think about tryin' t'call for help. Only the Constructicons hang out here!"
The Autobot turned to look to his right. His wing had been patched over crudely with scrap metal.
"So I'm here until I die?"
"Until we kill you, yeah." Rumble responded casually.
"Then why bother repairing me if you're just going to..."
"VERIFICATION: WE LIKE TO HAVE OUR PRISONERS HEALTHY BEFORE WE PERFORM THE REAL INTERROGATION." Soundwave cut in with his monotone again.
What?
"That doesn't make s-" Skyfire was interrupted when something small and metal bounced off his glass canopy. He squinted- it was a small metal spike. He only recognized it after a cycle of staring. It was the tip of the prong that had broken off in his wing.
"SKYFIRE: IMPRESSIVE. MOST PRISONERS: PASS OUT AFTER ONLY TWO CYCLES."
The shuttle could only manage a bleak look of befuddlement as Soundwave opened his tray and Rumble transformed to fit neatly inside.
"I told you I don't know anything." The scientist finally sighed, squinting against the bright lights.
"WE WILL SEE. HOOK: GAVE YOU A PATCH JOB. YOU WILL BE RETURNED TO YOUR CELL SHORTLY." Soundwave explained bluntly before turning and leaving.
Skyfire was left to await being unchained and escorted back to his cell.
Great. So they were going to fix him up just so they could tear him down again. They were all fragging insane. The image of Starscream's malicious grin still echoed in his thoughts. Fueled by his betrayal. The fact that he could even bring himself to do that was...
Well, it was hard to think about. He'd liked to have said it hurt more than the prong, but he'd be completely wrong.