Frequencies of The Heart (Soundwave x Reader)

Resonance of Fractures

Days blurred together as you tried to navigate this new existence. Your resentment still clung to you like a second skin, despite Soundwave's patient efforts to help you adjust. You hadn't spoken much since that last outburst, both of you seemingly caught in the same loop of unspoken tension. And while the rift between you wasn't yet an unbridgeable chasm, it was growing wider with each passing day.

The others aboard the Nemesis treated you differently now, too. They weren't sure what to make of your transformation—from a human to one of them. Some, like Starscream, still eyed you with suspicion, while others simply gave you space, unwilling or unable to comprehend the changes you'd undergone. But none of it mattered, not really. Because all that you could focus on was how wrong this all felt.

Soundwave, as always, stayed close. You could feel his presence wherever you went—an unshakable shadow that followed your every movement. He never pushed, never demanded more than you were willing to give. But the distance between you, that silent rift, was growing. It was unspoken, yet palpable, stretching taut and fragile between you.

Today, though, there was an unsettling quiet across the ship. Everyone seemed tense. You could feel the hum of energy crackling through the Nemesis, a buzz of apprehension that had the entire crew on edge.

Something was coming.

You wandered through the ship aimlessly, not sure where you were going but needing to escape the tight, claustrophobic sensation that had been following you since your transformation. The metal corridors echoed with each step, your new form producing sounds that felt foreign, hollow. Every movement reminded you of the body that wasn't yours.

But just as you turned the corner of one of the quieter hallways, the ship shuddered violently.

The sudden lurch nearly threw you off your feet, your new instincts barely catching up in time to stabilize your stance. Lights flickered, and a loud, ominous klaxon blared throughout the ship. The Nemesis had been hit.

Your optics widened as the ship rocked again, harder this time. Explosions rattled through the hull, sending shockwaves through the corridors. It was under attack.

"Autobots?" you whispered to yourself, your mind racing. Of course it would be them. They'd been tracking the Nemesis for weeks, closing in on the Decepticon forces. It was inevitable, but now that it was happening, the fear in your spark was real.

Instinct took over, and you moved through the corridors toward the nearest command station. Decepticons were rushing past, shouting commands, but none of them spared you a glance. You were still an outsider in their eyes, despite your new form.

As you turned another corner, you felt that familiar presence, an energy you had become attuned to without even realizing it—Soundwave. He appeared from the shadows, his figure cutting through the chaos with an eerie calm.

"Anon," he said, his tone unreadable through the distortion of his voice.

"We're under attack," you said, unnecessarily stating the obvious as another tremor rippled through the ship. "Where should we go?"

"Bridge: unsafe," Soundwave replied, gesturing for you to follow him. His movements were deliberate, even in the chaos. "Escape pods: secondary hangar."

Your optics flickered with uncertainty, but you followed without question. This was familiar, at least—Soundwave leading you through the chaos. You could trust him to keep you safe, couldn't you?

The explosions were growing louder, closer, as the two of you made your way through the ship. It wasn't until the hull gave a particularly violent lurch that the real panic set in. The floor beneath you shifted, sending you tumbling forward with a startled yelp. Instinct kicked in, and for the first time since your transformation, your new body responded without hesitation, using the enhanced reflexes and strength to right yourself before you hit the ground.

You barely had time to process the moment when another explosion shook the corridor, sending debris crashing down just in front of you. The force of it knocked you backward, slamming you into the wall hard enough to leave you momentarily stunned.

"Anon!" Soundwave's voice was there instantly, his figure looming over you as the chaos continued to unfold around you. His large servos gently pulled you to your feet, steadying you as the ship groaned under the stress of the attack.

"Are you hurt?" His voice was strained, and for the first time in a long time, you heard genuine concern beneath his usual monotone.

"I'm fine," you replied shakily, though your systems were buzzing in disarray from the impact. You tried to shake it off, focusing on the need to keep moving. You weren't in danger yet, not as long as Soundwave was by your side.

But something shifted in the air, a subtle tension that you couldn't quite place. The moment stretched, the chaos around you seeming to fade for just a heartbeat. Soundwave's visor flickered, and you could feel his attention fixed solely on you. For all the resentment and frustration that had been building between you, there was still that undeniable pull, that unspoken bond that neither of you could fully explain.

It was in this moment of stillness that you realized something important. Despite everything that had happened, despite the anger you felt toward him for making the choice to save you without your consent—you still needed him. And that need scared you more than anything else.

But before you could say anything, before you could address the growing tension between you, the ship lurched again with a violent impact. This time, the force of it sent the entire corridor collapsing around you. Metal screeched, beams groaned, and everything went dark.

When you came to, everything was still.

You blinked, trying to make sense of your surroundings, your optics adjusting to the dim light. The air was thick with dust and smoke, and the acrid smell of burning metal filled your sensors. The corridor had completely collapsed, trapping you underneath a pile of debris. Your new Cybertronian form had taken the brunt of the impact, but you could feel the strain on your systems, the warning pings of damage flickering in your HUD.

Panic surged through you as you tried to move, but the debris pinning you down was too heavy. You struggled, your servos shaking with the effort, but it was no use.

"Soundwave?" you called out, your voice barely audible over the distant sounds of battle.

Silence.

Your spark raced as you tried again, louder this time. "Soundwave!"

Still nothing. The weight of the debris was pressing down on you, both physically and mentally, suffocating you with the realization that you were alone.

You hadn't been ready for this. For the war. For the reality of what it meant to be Cybertronian. All the resentment, all the anger you'd felt toward Soundwave for saving you—it paled in comparison to the sheer terror of being trapped, vulnerable, and alone in the middle of a warzone.

Then, through the haze of dust and darkness, you heard it—the faint sound of footsteps. Heavy, deliberate, and growing closer.

Your optics flickered with hope as a familiar figure emerged from the shadows, his form outlined against the destruction around you.

"Soundwave..." you whispered, your voice trembling with relief.

He moved with purpose, clearing the debris with a precision and care that only he could manage. Within moments, you were freed, and he was there, helping you to your feet once again.

But something had shifted in the way you looked at him. The fear of the moment still gripped you, and the resentment you'd felt had cracked, revealing something deeper—something more primal.

You needed him.