#mor elike one person but eh...

[mossoftoday]

It's a matter of seconds before last mecha is under his control. Shockwave sets his plain in motion is the same timeframe.

All lights blink a sickening neon green on the control panel, confirming his takeover as he directs the mecha. The second wave is fighting the mechanical aliens, 986 against the first one that landed on Earth, for example, the emotional aspect of that fight should at least prove itself a good distraction to them for a while.

It almost makes him laugh how they thought they were being subtle, which is illogical, because he hasn't laughed since Orion was torn from him.

The third wave is standing guard ready to attack if any other mechanisms of it's kind come out of hiding. The one that's pretending to be a mecha for 1061 included.

The fourth is the heaviest hitters the company has on their roster, all in the proces of being deployed on the shores of the continent he is on, ready to face any monsters that come out of the waters. He's not letting any surprises stop him.

...

Swindle, completely not surprising, tries backing out of the deal. But then again that's why the first wave of mechs he took control of were waiting just out of his sensing range.

No matter how he struggled, Swindle won't be able to escape the Mecha Contamination Chamber the controlled mechs are dragging him into. He knows, he remembers, he tried one upon a time.

They put him there, AWAY from HIM, only to tell him later there is nothing they could have done!? They kept him away for HOURS, for nothing! He could have helped! He could have! They were the best at syncing up! They got the highest scores! They were connected! They were-

Shockwave... wasn't the same after that. Even he could recognise that. Depressed, mourning, delusional said on his report from Ren.

He would describe it more as... Logical action of unfeeling. The emotions slowed down his research for a cure, so he simply pretended they didn't exist, and it worked. He continued on researching even as time went on and others hope dwindled, even after the company upgraded to solo-driving mecha, even after Ratchet left-leaving him a letter telling him to go to physiotherapy, even as the mechanical aliens came to Earth, claiming peace.

It's all didn't matter, it wasn't important- untill it was. The Matrix. The cure. And suddenly all the emotions slammed into him harder then any mech he designed could, harder then the hurricanes and the monsters. As hard as the first time Orion smiled at him. And suddenly, just like that, there was hope. Something born out of years of desert.

...

Lights all over the room flicker, the metal skeleton of the building cracking and bending in the walls, earth rumbling, the medical stretcher Orion laid upon blown away, some of the green lights on the control panel flicker red and then green untill settling on red. No matter.

Only adding to the light show and chaos that the head control room of the abandoned base, Their base, became.

The lights bulbs and glass alike are shattered around the room mixing with the collapsed walls. The electricity grid for the base and the next two towns over is broken, the door to the hangar on the left blown open, a mech familiar from before rests there-but It Doesn't Matter, because Orion rouses. In his new mechanical body, that looks nothing like Their mecha that lies a room over- but it Doesn't Matter because Orion is up and looking in his direction and -

Nothing.

There is Nothing.

Nothing. No recognition, no sparkle of his eye like when he was still human turning to look up at him from his table or brightening of his optics the way he's seen the black and white mechanical alien direct at 1061. No unfunny joke about one remaining eye. No hi, no hello, no confusion as to how he's waking up here after being in the cockpit of their mech last. No cheeky voice coming out comfort him after another round of experiments gone wrong, or lamp in the library after sneaking in late at night.

And Nothing is what Shockwave feels as he disengages the machine. As he walks to stand closer to this thing- Orion on the catwalk. As he takes off his yellow tech-glasses... Nothing is what he finds after looking, searching, for what he lost... Inside... this thing. Shockwave doesn't feel Orion.

This thing is not what he wanted, this thing is not what he lost.

Shockwave, again and again feels nothing.

A Shockwave ficlet inspired by @keferon and their mecha AU; if not familiar with it I suggest checking it out first, it's so good! and this probably won't make much sense otherwise:

__________________

Soon, Shockwave can feel it. He can feel it better then anything he has ever felt before. Better then the electricity that coursed through his mind again and again, better then the pain of seeing Orion's limp body on the medic stretcher again and again.

Because they needed the technology, the monsters are coming in waves and they need a way to fight back! Grit your teeth and push trough it solder!

He didn't feel like a solder because he wasn't a solder, neither of them were.

Because there is nothing they could do anymore, I'm sorry, really. Oh by the way, we'll need you to talk to the new recruits! You know, show them the ropes, continue on the legacy!

Shockwave felt as though his hart was ripped out of his chest like he couldn't breathe- they wanted him to pass along the legacy? What legacy!? The pain and the scars left on his body? On his face? The Now Shockwave looks Nothing like the person He loved. Just a husk. Shockwave looks at their photos of Before, he sees Orion and another, someone who is the Old him, someone who doesn't show up on the mirrors, now, no matter how hard he looks.

He can't even remence the cheekiness of his smile or the warmth of his voice. Just the agonising scream that echoed in his mech over the comm frequency in the last moment. Oh what cruelty, to deny them even that last goodbye.

But no matter, for now.

Soon, Shockwave can feel it, by the pain erupting from his chest at the Illogical fear of this failing, of not calculating this over enough times, of never seeing Orion again.

All illogical.

Soon, he will hear him again as he laughs, see him again as he stand before his fuzzy vision, and all will be well.

All will be well.

Shockwave doesn't care how, he wants him back. NOW. Shaking from the cumulation of Illogical, illogical fear, excitement and, for the first time in years, hope, Shockwave presses a button. Let the harvest begin.