One is Company, Two is a Shadow ++Soundwave x Reader++

10

         "Lord Megatron, with all due respect, I cannot adjust the optics to use her natural electricity to power them! That will fry her human processor and I would rather not have to clean up that mess."

     Soundwave found no respect within any of that short monologue, but Knockout was right. The newly manufactured optics would require too much power to properly function. With no safe power alternative, (Y/N) was rather useless knowing the Autobots would definitely not have their base as dark as the Nemesis. The light within the main control room, the very head of the Nemesis, was even too bright for her lenses during the lighter hours of Earth. Soundwave touched at his bond with Laserbeak, who informed the human was still recharging within the suspended cage, covered in a blanket and surrounded by her small assortment of items from her previous dwelling. The Nemesis was not too much warmer than before, but Megatron didn't like the idea of catering to a human too much, so it stayed relatively cold in the war ship.

         "Then why not create an alternative power source?" Megatron once again, seemed to have saved his patience. He was smart enough to know that the dealings with this human would cause more strife than he wanted, though his tone was definitely irritated. "Experiment, Knockout, that was the very title of this endeavor. If the human dies, it dies."

     Knockout merely mumbled a 'yes, my liege', before stalking off back to his labs. He didn't really care if she died or not. She was creepy, sure, and frankly rather dangerous with her words, held back or said out loud, but (Y/N) was admittedly amusing. While she showed no immediate emotion, she had made him, and Breakdown laugh at least once. The brute had even admitted to thinking the human femme would be more inviting with proper optics and would like to see her blink (more or less out of being uncomfortable with her constant staring but (Y/N) took it as a compliment anyway). 

     Knockout had spoken with his assistant, sharing ideas, though Breakdown was a little less learned in medical procedures and more in cosmetics. His best friend and helper had wished this new addition was Cybertronian, so it was easier to fix her sight and not as troublesome to make new optics (also so that he liked her a bit more, considering his run-in with M.E.C.H., but his bias was dulled after she made Knockout laugh). 

     The medic then halted, thinking a moment before grinning devilishly and racing down the halls to his lab. Having to slide to a stop, he entered the well-used lab, quickly finding the optic blueprints from the computer and pulling the small tray and makeshift table he had been working on. Transforming, the mech appeared in his smaller form and started to completely unravel the optics he had so pain staking worked on and complained about, a smirk plainly seen on his faceplate.

         "This is going to be good."

/.\

         "Well, that's just grand!" Knockout roared after another failure. He was beginning to rethink his plan.

         "Knockout, you've been at this all night," Breakdown grumbled, bumping into the medical table, again. Exhaustion brought disorientation in his one working optic, and it frustrated him. 

         "Because if I don't get this done tonight it's either my hide or (Y/N)'s. Not that I'd care too much about her, she's only been around for a measly Earth week, but she's not half bad at digging out debris from the smaller crevices of our patients, and you agree." It was hard to take the mech seriously when he was no bigger than a human, albeit an unnaturally tall one, but Breakdown still had to snicker. "What?"

         "Yet you could do that yourself now?"

     The red mech realized he was still in his puny holographic form, but he was still working on the optics, so he decided not to deactivate it.

         "It's only temporary, you know that!"

It didn't stop the mech from snickering any less, so Knockout just started to ignore him and work on his failing idea once more. Both unaware they were being watched by the infamous Soundwave and his current companion, (Y/N), who stood at the edge of the Cybertronian keyboard.

         "Your medic, Knockout, has intelligent ideas." She praised the mech's work, resulting in the usual silence that was Soundwave's answer. "I'm afraid this one may result in my demise, however. It was enjoyable to be under so many of your shadows. I'm sure the energon will be put to good use."

     Soundwave guessed this was her 'farewell', in a sense. He knew she wasn't completely emotionless, at least, he deducted such from her mannerisms. Within the week she was on board the Nemesis she had memory purges, or nightmares. Discomfort was a common feeling, usually with her lenses as she would often stretch the skin around them, or itch at them. She was also mildly self-conscious of them, as she would try to hide them either by looking down or away if they were directly mentioned or poked fun of. These actions were discreetly disguised as nods or as if her attention was pulled elsewhere, but Soundwave could tell the difference if she acknowledged the comment or question about her false eyes. If she had truly become interested in something else, she wouldn't say anything about the previous topic, as if she had forgotten it.

         -/Tell Knockout to halt his current project. There are other matters I must discuss with him/- 

     Soundwave played the recording, earning a rather uncharacteristic swivel of (Y/N)'s head after a few seconds, resulting in her parka hood to fall. She had reacted after her usual pause, but the turn was quick, as she had realized what this meant. Soon enough the message was sent to Knockout, said sports car grumbling some choice curses at his project and taking the escape quite gladly. At this point the mech clearly believed the presence of Megatron was better than his current frustrations. 

     It took a moment for the human to make any claim that she was happy or disappointed that death apparently wouldn't come any sooner. She simply stood there, staring at the empty room that once held Knockout and Breakdown (both having left). Unknowing of the staring Soundwave, who was quite perplexed by her actions, or lack of. 

         What was going on inside that small, grey matter filled helm of hers?

     Was she angry? Perhaps relieved or confused. Why simply stare at the monitor where she would understand nothing that flashed by aside from the occasional picture or camera view? Silently scanning the human, Soundwave determined she was not ill, but his scans were incomplete due to not having been properly calibrated for an organic being, yet. He had not made it a priority since Knockout had been tasked with her wellbeing. 

         "I'm sure having a moment or two away from this project will bring him a new perspective," was her sober answer, before falling to her knees in pain, body beginning to shake.