A Mute Friendship

Procedure...Under Way

Tegan was nervous and slightly afraid as he lay on his back on what Soundwave had referred to as a berth. He turned his head to look at the tall Decepticon who had switched back to his human form in order to do the surgery.

Trembling slightly, Tegan clenched his cold fingers together as he watched Soundwave, who was standing before several consoles, some that flashed little lights and numbers.

Tegan knew that Soundwave was looking at his heart rate, blood pressure and other important things before starting the procedure.

The humanized Decepticon glanced over at him every once in a while, putting on a reassuring smile.

Finally, Soundwave moved over next to Tegan, taking his left arm and gently sliding a fourth needle in, taping over it. Almost done. You will be entering recharge shortly. Soundwave signed.

Tegan stared up at him fearfully. I'm scared. He responded.

Soundwave nodded slowly. If you want to stop, we may. I do not want you to do something that you do not wish to do.

Tegan shook his head in determination. I have to try. I'll regret it if I don't. He answered, staring up at the darkened sunglasses of the Decepticon who slowly nodded, turning to take up a syringe. You will be asleep for the whole thing. I will give you another painkiller after you wake up... OK?

Swallowing nervously, Tegan nodded, shutting his eyes as he felt the prick of the needle, forcing himself to relax as he lost consciousness.

Soundwave stared down at the young boy, feeling nervous himself. There had been almost an 80% success rate for himself when he had innovated his disabilities. Orion only had an 57% chance of it being a success.

Lazerbeak had landed atop one of the consoles. 'You love him.' She stated through their bond.

Looking up at her as he moved over to the consoles to check the vitals of the techno-organic, Soundwave nodded. 'I don't want him hurt. He suffers just as I did.' He responded.

The bird squawked aloud noisily before clicking at him. 'That's what attracted you to him... his imperfections?'

The tall Decepticon nodded as he picked up on of his tools. 'I only want to help him.' He responded softly as he stepped up next to Orion, gently prodding at the boy's side where he had found one of the sections of wiring.

Lazerbeak landed on his shoulder. 'And you are.'

Soundwave paused, waiting for the movement the bird's landing caused to stop before carefully cutting a clean cut down the side of the boy. 'He may not survive... Or he could end up severely crippled.' He answered, inserting a needle into the wiring as he examined the area.

'He wanted this. You gave him the choice and told him the consequences that may come of it.' Lazerbeak crooned softly.

Shaking his head slowly, Soundwave paused in what he was doing, looking at her. 'He wants to be different... He's so hopeful. I must make this work.' He answered in determination.

Nuzzling his cheek with her feathered head, Lazerbeak chirped softly. 'And you will.' She responded, flying from his shoulder to the berth near Tegan's head, hopping around him.

Soundwave looked at her for several moments. 'We should make him a simbiote.' He said teasingly.

Lazerbeak huffed. 'You could try... make it a gift.' She responded, surprising Soundwave, who looked up. The bird bobbed her head at him as if she was nodding. 'Every Cybertronian telepath is entitled to a simbiote.'

Thinking over the statement as he worked, Soundwave nodded, slowly making other cuts over the areas of wiring, inserting needles that connected to small bags of Energon.

'What're you connecting him to Energon for?' Lazerbeak asked, slightly concerned.

Soundwave looked at her. 'He will lose much of his natural fluids in the procedure. I will refuel his protoform with Energon when I am finished.' He responded, getting another tool and moving to Tegan's eyes.

The emotionless Decepticon stared down at the sleeping boy's face. The eyes would be difficult. In order to have Orion see clearly, he had to scrape off the human eye tissue covering his optics without damaging the optics.

Lazerbeak noticed his hesitation and crooned encouragingly at him, nuzzling the boy's cheek. 'He knows he will not be the same. Give him his sight, Soundwave. It's what he wants.' She said.

Soundwave looked at her sadly. 'What if it's not? What if it's only what I want?' He asked, the bird shaking her head and cooing, flapping her wings once. 'If you looked into his spark... his processor as you did before, you would see that it's what he wants. More than anything.' She responded.

The Decepticon TIC shook his head slowly, second guessing. He knew it was too late to turn back now, and he couldn't disappoint Orion. He had carefully explained the whole procedure to the boy before sedating him.

Orion knew that depending on which Cybertronian faction his father came from, those traits would strengthen within him. If his father was an Autobot, he would have stronger morals such as honour, honesty, integrity and love. But if his father had been a Decepticon, his traits of aggression, coldness, suspicion and anger would become several times stronger.

The Communications Officer was saddened. He didn't want a pure, young boy becoming what he saw in the other Decepticons. He really hoped, regardless of his own feelings and beliefs, that the boy's sire had been an Autobot, for Orion's sake.

Sighing, Soundwave knew he had to move quickly now. He had everything ready. Even something of an alt-mode for the youth, set aside and ready for insertions, grafting and transfusions.

Soundwave began to move just as he had planned, getting a tool that would hold Orion's eyes open as he worked on them, praying that the human couldn't feel what he was doing, and that it caused no pain.

The human's eyes were purple, a neutral colour that could go either to the Autobot blue, or Decepticon red, a thought that didn't comfort Soundwave at all as he worked, carefully and gently working the human eye tissue from the optics.

Lazerbeak stuck her head in now, looking at the first optic he uncovered. 'There's no colour.' She said, looking up at him.

Soundwave nodded. 'He's like a sparkling. His optic colour will not be revealed until he onlines them for the first time.' He responded as he began to carefully work on the second.

The Decepticon stared at the optics for several moments after he finished uncovering them, carefully looking for any tissue that he might've missed. Not seeing anything, he continued to scan the unconscious youth for other Cybertronian signs.

Placing an ear to Orion's chest, Soundwave carefully listened to the sound of a half-spark beating. It was still strong.

Nodding and muttering under his breath, Soundwave looked over at the pieces that would become Orion's "alt-mode". This was the part he dreaded and feared most... Even more than when he would have to work on the spark and transfuse Orion with Energon.

Lazerbeak chirped sharply, causing him to look at her. 'Calm down. You can do it. You've studied this for so long.' She soothed him through their bond.

Soundwave stared at his simbiote. 'What if he can't use it? Then he'll just have Cybertronian metals grafted to his bones and body.' He responded bitterly.

'He is part Cybertronian, Soundwave. You've gone over this. He has a processor, which means he can give his body commands to transform. His spark, even if half, can withstand the pressure of using it the first time.' Lazerbeak responded, cocking her head.

The con took off the sunglasses he wore, setting them on the table beside Orion before staring down at the boy he had grown fond of. His eyes flickered up to Lazerbeak's. 'It could destroy him.'

Lazerbeak stared back at him with the large eyes of an earth bird. 'Yes. Yes it can.'