Transformers Prime *The Decepticon Femme* Optimus Love Story

Ch. 39 Shatterpoint

NightWave POV

I lost track of time in this forsaken place. Hours, maybe days, melted together into an endless blur of silence and cold. My optics would flicker online occasionally, only to greet the same four metal walls and the ever-present hum of isolation. And the stillness became a second prison layered over the physical one, choking and unrelenting.

But then, a sound. Faint at first, the echo of footsteps reverberated down the corridor, sharp and precise. My spark clenched. I sat up, stiff and aching, just as the door hissed open. Standing there was none other than Soundwave.

Tall. Silent. Unnerving. His visor glowed an eerie, impassive blue, washing the room in a pale luminescence. He didn't move or speak. He didn't need to. In fact, the weight of his presence alone made the air feel colder and heavier. I pushed myself upright with a slow, deliberate effort, ignoring the pain radiating through my limbs.

In his hand, a restraint cuff. Of course. My optics narrowed.

": Are you taking me somewhere?:" I asked. My voice cracked from disuse, rough but steady, laced with a defiance I refused to let die.

He gave a small nod, stepping forward with that signature fluidity, calculated and in control. I watched his movements carefully, searching for any hint of hesitation or conflict. But there was none. Only duty.

I tensed. My fists clenched instinctively as that rebellious spark in me stirred. But I knew better. I was worn down, half-broken, and chained. He could dismantle me in a sparkbeat if he chose.

Reluctantly, I extended my wrists and watched the cuffs click shut with a familiar finality. Cold. Unforgiving. Soundwave attached a short tether, linking us. His grip on it was firm, detached but resolute. A leash, a message, and a warning all in one.

": Nice touch, Soundwave, really making a statement, huh?:" I muttered, sarcasm my only shield. His head tilted slightly, unreadable behind that blank visor, as if filing the comment away. No retort. No movement. Just quiet judgment.

He tugged the tether and I followed, the pain in my body a dull throb compared to the storm brewing inside me. Soon, the Nemesis corridors stretched ahead. dark, cold, and echoing. Its walls whispered secrets, regrets, and blood-soaked orders. We passed Vehicons, silent sentinels that didn't spare me a glance. I looked up at Soundwave.

": Is this really your choice, Soundwave? After everything... after what we were?:" I asked. No response. But there, a hesitation. Small. A fraction of a second. A moment's pause in his otherwise perfect rhythm. It stabbed deeper than any blade. But then, gone. Buried. Erased.

We stopped before a massive door, scarred and battle-worn. I didn't need a sign to know where I was. Megatron's throne room. Soundwave keyed in the sequence and the door hissed open. He unhooked the tether and gestured wordlessly.

": Back to playing the loyal enforcer, huh?:" I threw a glare his way. Another pause. Another flicker. But no reply. He nudged me forward. I stepped inside, and the door sealed behind me with a metallic thud that sounded far too final.

Inside, the air was heavy. Electric. I could feel the judgment already waiting. And there he was. Starscream. He stood tall, arms crossed, wings twitching smugly. His red optics lit up at the sight of me, his lips curling into that sadistic grin I knew too well.

"Surprised?" He sneered. I said nothing, though rage surged inside me like wildfire. And the scars on my wing burned, a phantom pain as fresh as the day he'd ripped through my plating and left me to bleed. He noticed.

"Still wearing that limp from our last encounter? I do hope it's healed enough for your next round of punishment," He muttered. I growled.

": I see that you are still compensating for your lack of skill by picking on the restrained,:" I said. He bristled.