Chapter Text
Starscream recovered, and their usual routine returned—at least for a few blissful days.
Soundwave was… off that morning, for lack of a better word. He rose from recharge later than Starscream, his shoulders low and his visor just the slightest bit dimmer than usual. But before Starscream could ask, the mech was out the door.
Starscream tried to ignore it. He had work to do in his lab. So, he spent the day running a small set of filtration experiments. But as he worked on them, Soundwave wouldn't leave his mind.
The mech seemed unwell. Had he caught the virus from Starscream? If that was the case, then it was Starscream's fault. And even if it wasn't, he had cared for Starscream when he was ill. Soundwave was owed basic care.
So, Starscream left the lab slightly early, hoping to catch Soundwave on his way back to their room—and catch him he did. Soundwave, upon sighting him, peeled away from Megatron and Optimus. The latter gave him a warm goodbye, while the former glared as he realized the cause of the separation. Soundwave did not look back, and likely didn't notice.
"Soundwave!" Starscream said, leaning closer to him. "How are you?"
Soundwave stared.
"Optimal," he said.
Starscream didn't believe that at all. He glanced back down the hall. Prime had already distracted Megatron with something, and they were nearly out of sight. Good.
"Let's go back to my room," Starscream said, making sure he was quiet enough not to be overheard.
"Agreed."
The moment they crossed through the doorway, Soundwave slumped. Starscream rested a hand gently on him, and he nearly went slack. As Starscream moved to support him, the straining whirr of Soundwave's cooling fans became obvious.
"You caught the virus, didn't you?" Starscream asked.
Soundwave wouldn't look at him. Starscream rolled his optics.
"Of course you did," He muttered. "Mister 'I don't need a firewall upgrade.'"
Starscream deposited him on the berth gently. Despite the exasperation in his tone, Starscream wasn't annoyed—for once. This was his fault to some degree. He would show Soundwave the same care and consideration Soundwave had shown him.
(And if that was weak reasoning to hide his growing fondness for the mech, no one had to know. Fondness—and trust—were merely sources of pain. It was better to keep those feelings tucked away.)
Starscream pulled away. Soundwave attempted to push himself up, visor on Starscream's face.
"Stay there," Starscream said. "I'm going to get us some fuel."
When he returned, two cubes in hand, Soundwave was half-sitting. Starscream handed him the cube. He popped open his medical port, exposing the intake beneath it, and placed it inside the cube. Starscream, as a mech with a mouth, simply sipped in silence.
Then, Soundwave's hand closed around Starscream's arm.
"Soundwave?"
Soundwave's port was still open. His thumb rubbed where Starscream's would've been if it weren't covered by his arm guard.
"What do you need?" Starscream asked.
Soundwave's vocalizer popped and crackled.
Starscream sighed. "Can't talk, can you?"
Soundwave responded by running his finger over the spot again. It finally hit Starscream.
"You want a connection," Starscream said.
Soundwave dipped his helm.
"I suppose I can… allow that."
Connections—links, they were often called—were not uncommon, but they were for Starscream. Small amounts of data, such as reports and comm messages, could be sent without a direct, physical connection. Larger amounts of data—memories, entire processors—could only be transmitted through one.
They could be used intimately, but in recent times, this was rare. It was much more likely that information was picked off a dead soldier or a captive through force. Such a practice was referred to as hacking.
To do this, Starscream had to be completely confident that Soundwave held no harmful intent.
Starscream took the guard off his arm and opened his panel. In response, Soundwave released his cable and connected it to the port.
{Connection detected! Authorize?}
Starscream let down his firewalls.
◇◇◇
{Initializing…}
{Initializing…}
{Starting stream…}
Megatron was always large, and his optics always a bright, burning red. This persisted regardless of the mech viewing him. He leaned back in his chair. The room was full of energy, almost heavy with it. Starscream didn't know what to make of it, but Soundwave answered: neutral, calm.
Then, Megatron rose from his place and spoke. Starscream remembered the plan—yet another failure on top of a recent string of them. And, sure enough, the energy in one part of the room changed. Across from Soundwave sat Starscream, who slammed a hand on the table and stood up.
"Lord Megatron!"
The energy surrounding Starscream was buzzing, almost electric. Irritation, exasperation.
Megatron's energy changed from neutral to a sharp sting, nearly causing Soundwave to flinch. Still, Megatron stood with relative neutrality. Had Starscream not felt the energy as Soundwave did, he wouldn't have noticed a difference at all.
"This plan makes no sense! Why send so many mecha when our spies are perfectly capable on their own?"
Starscream was right. The extra mecha would increase the risk of discovery drastically. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw could work just fine by themselves, and Ravage could go where they couldn't.
The idea of the cassettes being discovered—captured—made his spark go cold.
The conversation escalated. Starscream gestured more dramatically, his wings twitching. His energy grew frantic, buzzing harder. Megatron's fists clenched as his energy grew even sharper, cutting into Soundwave's spark.
The room erupted into chaos as Starscream launched himself at Megatron, who flung him away with ease. The Seeker flew across the table, and Soundwave fell backward as he attempted to dodge.
Megatron stared down at Starscream. Soundwave stepped back. This was the end of it. Starscream's subordination had been punished. The room echoed as Megatron stepped forward.
Soundwave pressed himself into the wall, spark pounding and plating tight. Starscream and Megatron's energies clashed, frantic buzzing grating against a sharp blade. Starscream struggled against Megatron, who lifted him effortlessly by the neck with a single hand.
For a moment, it was Soundwave there instead. He had spoken—out of turn—to voice his concerns. The hand's grip tightened, crushing him.
When Megatron threw him again, it was Ravage that was then crushed beneath his pedes. As he was lifted once more, it was Rumble, then Frenzy. As a pede pushed him to the floor, it was Buzzsaw and Laserbeak.
The sharp energy of Megatron was merciless, cutting straight through Soundwave and his spark. He yearned to escape, but there was nowhere to go. If he moved, it would draw attention. So, he watched, silent.
Eventually, it was Starscream on the floor again. Megatron stomped out of the room. The rest of command slowly followed. Soundwave stopped before the doorway and looked back.
Starscream was still on the floor, crumpled and twisted.
Soundwave's plating itched. Was it wrong to leave him there? He had earned his fate, hadn't he? He was insubordinate.
But Soundwave had agreed. If he had voiced his thoughts, would he be in the same position?
No, because he would never put himself there.
Soundwave turned away.
◇◇◇
{Loading stream…}
Soundwave thought little of Starscream when they first met. He had been the communications officer for quite a while, and spent much of his time outside of that maintaining records. With few others aiding him, he was the one to process Starscream's information.
A Seeker—one of many. Starscream was not a completely unusual name, though was definitely self-chosen, especially based on the lack of prior information. A no-history mech was not uncommon in the Decepticon faction—many mecha wanted to start the revolution on a clean slate, or had to keep themselves hidden. His age gave Soundwave pause, but only because it was so close to his.
Then, one day, Megatron entered the room, his energy warm and inviting. Soundwave disconnected from the console, prepared to greet him, then paused. A second energy inhabited the room, an anxious buzz that contrasted with Megatron's warmth. Soundwave swiveled, his visor meeting a bright pair of optics.
The mech stared back at him, wings fanned out. The buzzing energy intensified as the mech's nerves grew, his wings flicking. Soundwave reached out with his own energy, attempting to soothe the buzz to give himself some peace, but the mech didn't respond to it.
"Query: Why?"
Megatron smiled, placing a hand on the mech's shoulder. The mech flinched, energy flaring as he gritted his dentae. Then, he stood straight, wings fanned out again, and the energy fell back to the barely contained buzzing from before.
"This is Starscream," Megatron said. "Knowing how efficient you are, you've already processed his records. He'll be joining you."
Soundwave tilted his head. Megatron's energy was still warm, so there was no malice at play. He was quite happy at the moment.
"Query: Is Soundwave not sufficient?"
Megatron laughed, his energy growing even warmer. Joyful, fond.
"You're sufficient, Soundwave," Megatron said. "You always will be. But we can't run a revolution alone. Starscream is going to take over records for the air force after you train him."
"Perhaps more than records," Starscream said quietly.
Megatron smiled at him, and there it was again—fondness, joy. "Perhaps, but not today."
◇◇◇
{Loading stream…}
Soundwave was working at the console. Though his systems sent alert after alert begging him to refuel and recharge, he dismissed each of them. He would not be replaced, nor outcompeted. If Starscream was going to maintain records, he would have to ensure there was as little for the Seeker to do as possible.
[Recharge.]
A comm from Ravage. Moments later, the cybercat slipped through a gap in the ceiling, landing on top of the console.
"No," Soundwave said.
Ravage smacked him gently with a paw.
"No," Soundwave said again.
Ravage smacked him again. He went back to his work, determined to ignore the cybercat. The lack of recharge made him sluggish the next day, but it was worth the praise he received.
◇◇◇
{Loading stream…}
Starscream had just been promoted to second in command. Soundwave didn't care about the title, but he did care about the warmth—fondness, joy—Megatron had as he proclaimed it. Starscream's ever-buzzing energy had calmed for once, but now it was even worse than before. Every time Soundwave entered a meeting, Starscream's crackling anxiety, fear greeted him.
Soundwave approached Megatron as the other mech leaned back in his throne. He looked up, optics meeting Soundwave's visor. His energy had a faint bite to it—confusion, interest.
"What is it, Soundwave?" He asked.
"Megatron—is absolutely certain in choosing Starscream?"
Megatron leaned toward him, the edge of his energy growing sharper, threatening to swallow Soundwave. "He is a talented mech. I'm confident that he can handle the position."
Soundwave… wasn't so certain. If he could, why did he radiate so much anxiety since taking the position?
"You should be proud, Soundwave," Megatron said. Despite the words, his energy grew painfully suffocating—threat, irritation. "You trained him, after all."
"I did."
◇◇◇
{Loading stream…}
The first time Starscream protested, Megatron's energy was warm with only a slight edge—surprise, amusement.
But over time, something changed. The edge grew sharper. The warmth intensified until it burned. Irritation, anger.
Soundwave had resolved never to be the target of such a thing. Yet, fate loved its irony. The start of another battle, and Soundwave found himself directing his cassettes from behind the console. He could fight by himself, but was rarely sent out.
Rumble and Frenzy were already in the fray, fighting with glee. They had always enjoyed battling just a little too much. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw flew over the fight as Ravage slinked through it. All three had the same objective.
Frenzy dodged an attack. Rumble was at his side, immediately meeting the attacker with a swift blow. Laserbeak did a flip, and was chirped at by Buzzsaw—a reminder that this wasn't a leisure flight. After narrowly leaping past a grappling set of mecha, Ravage muffled a quiet mrrow of triumph.
[Did you see that?] Ravage sent. [They didn't even notice me!]
[Affirmative,] Soundwave replied.
They were close to the goal—a newly made human weapon that Shockwave could use for parts. Ravage leaped through another set of grappling mecha, completely unnoticed. Rumble got clipped by an enemy's rays, but Frenzy was there to defend.
Buzzsaw and Laserbeak—
An alarmed squawk came over the comm.
[Laserbeak, Buzzsaw—report!]
Silence. Soundwave couldn't find them in the monitor.
[Ravage—report! Laserbeak, Buzzsaw—location?]
Ravage ran for cover, then looked up at the sky.
[Can't see them!]
Soundwave's spark jumped in its casing. Not good. He searched the monitors again, still coming up empty.
[Rumble, Frenzy—]
[We don't see them either, bossbot!]
Soundwave slammed a hand against the console. They were alright—they had to be. But platitudes did not quell the nervous hum of his spark.
[Laserbeak, Buzzsaw—report!]
Still silence.
[Ravage—new objective: find Laserbeak, Buzzsaw.]
[On it!]
Ravage dove and ducked through the battle. Soundwave forced himself to keep track of the rest of it, despite his processor's preoccupation. They were doing well overall. But as moments passed by without a check-in from Ravage—who had also disappeared from the monitor—the tide of the fight turned.
Rumble was shot in the leg, severely limiting his mobility. Frenzy was able to defend him, but not for long. Other mecha were in similar states.
Starscream was the one to call the retreat.
Soundwave felt the return more than anything else—the tingling, sour energy of many injured and dismayed mecha was impossible to escape. It was made significantly worse by the rapidly approaching field of searing energy that sliced through it all. But a much closer source drew Soundwave's attention.
A quiet mrroo accompanied a dull, sad aura as Ravage slipped into the room. A flash of gold froze Soundwave's spark.
"Query—"
[Laserbeak is alive.]
The rest went unsaid. Soundwave knelt and offered his hands. Gently, Ravage laid the golden remains in his palms. A tiny, lightless yellow optic stared up at him, separated from its body. Buzzsaw's wings, always a brilliant gold and red, were in pieces.
[This was all I could find,] Ravage sent.
Soundwave couldn't speak. His hands trembled as his spark cleaved in two. Never again would Buzzsaw dock in his chest. Never again would Buzzsaw chide Laserbeak for doing tricks.
"Soundwave."
So overtaken by grief, he hadn't picked up on the energy. It surrounded him, stabbing from all directions. Red optics stared from the doorway.
"Your cassettes didn't retrieve the weapon!" Megatron said.
Soundwave offered Megatron Buzzsaw's helm. Megatron stared down at it with a scowl.
"What is this?"
Soundwave's vocalizer started with a pop of static. "Buzzsaw."
Megatron's frown grew deeper—the energy, sharper. Not concern, not even pity. Irritation.
"Where is the other spybird?" Megatron asked.
[Medbay,] Ravage sent.
Megatron hummed. The energy grew sharper, and somehow even more all-encompassing. His gaze turned to Ravage.
"And this prevented you from retrieving the weapon how?"
Before Soundwave could speak, Ravage glanced at him.
[When I didn't see Laserbeak and Buzzsaw, I wanted to make sure they were alright,] Ravage sent. [After I found them, the retreat was called.]
That made it sound like it was Ravage's fault! Soundwave prepared himself to speak, not wanting any harm to befall the cassette—
"The retreat," Megatron said. His brow furrowed, lips drawn into a sneer as the energy in the room burned. Hatred, rage. "One that I didn't authorize."
"Starscream—authorized," Soundwave said. "Ravage—following orders."
He couldn't let Ravage take the fall for his mistake. Megatron had to know Ravage wasn't in the wrong.
"Of course. I'll need to have a word with Starscream about that," Megatron said, turning toward the door. "We can't have our soldiers confused on the battlefield."
Soundwave couldn't bring himself to vocalize his usual affirmative, but the silence was unnoticed. Megatron left, taking the burning energy with him. Soundwave knew what Megatron was going to do.
He felt nothing about it.
When Megatron questioned his drop in efficiency, he felt nothing about it. When Laserbeak chirped at him from a berth on the medbay, he felt nothing about it. As Laserbeak stayed docked in his chest after being discharged, tucked close to his spark, he felt nothing about it.
A large hand closed around a thin neck. A shrill voice shouted, questioning orders. Blue optics shined from across the room, just a small turn of the helm away from meeting his visor.
Soundwave did nothing. Soundwave felt nothing.
Better Starscream than him.
◇◇◇
{Loading stream…}
"Megatron—"
His quarters were empty. Soundwave hadn't seen him in the command center, nor in any of the meeting rooms. Where was he? Soundwave released Laserbeak.
"Laserbeak—find Megatron."
Laserbeak cawed an affirmative and flew off. Soundwave walked down the halls, sensitivity on his audials dialed high, searching for any sign of his leader.
Then, Laserbeak sent him an audio clip. He played it to himself, volume low to ensure no mecha nearby could hear. Megatron's voice.
[Laserbeak—location.]
Laserbeak sent him a set of coordinates—the communications room. What could Megatron possibly be doing there without him? He had never been in there without Soundwave to run the call. Soundwave made his way over, motioning Laserbeak to dock when he arrived at the doorway.
"I've grown tired of this war."
Megatron.
"Resources on both sides are growing scarce. We've destroyed our planet. But we can fix all of that."
"What does that mean, Megatron?"
Optimus Prime.
"It's time for rebirth. If you allow me an equal seat at the table, I'll disband the Decepticons."
Disband the Decepticons? Soundwave shook his helm. He couldn't just do that! What had they been fighting for this whole time if it could be thrown away on a whim?
Though his sensors still picked up on the conversation, his processor didn't parse it. After everything they had sacrificed, Megatron was bending the knee? No, that wasn't it.
He had sacrificed them for a single seat at the table of whatever was to rise from the war. He knew they were running out of energeon—that the medics scraped together supplies from whatever they could—that they were stuck stealing and plundering to supply the science department—
Had he ever cared, or was the cause just a means to an end? Did he truly want equality, or just power?
Only two demands were made—allow Megatron to rule in the new government, and pardon the Decepticons. What did pardons mean when mecha like Soundwave and his cassettes were considered devices? When he'd been thrown onto the streets for his enjoyment of music, viewed as nothing but a defective surveillance drone?
Ravage and Laserbeak were viewed as little more than mechanimals—extensions of Soundwave at worst, pets at best. Rumble and Frenzy, with their ability to verbally speak, were still looked down upon, but not to the same degree. It was then that the realization struck him.
'Where is the other spybird?'
Megatron had viewed them the same.
Soundwave turned away, preparing a wide-reaching message. The doors slid open.
"Soundwave," Megatron said.
Soundwave glared at him. Megatron frowned, his energy growing sharp.
"You heard me."
It wasn't a question.
Soundwave moved to flee, but a hand seized his arm, pulling him backward. The metal of Megatron's cannon pressed against his face.
"You will not send that message."
◇◇◇
{Connection terminated.}
{Closing stream…}
☆☆☆
The room faded back into focus. Soundwave's plug disconnected and slid back into his panel, shutting with a quiet click. So did Starscream's. Starscream grabbed his arm guard from the side table and put it back on.
"Sorry."
The word was quiet and laced with static, but unmistakably Soundwave's voice.
"Sorry what?" Starscream asked. "It's hardly your fault that Megatron was… Megatron."
"Never stopped him. Never… cared."
What?
Starscream chuckled, nervousness making his spark hum. "When did anyone? You weren't special."
"Should have stopped him."
Starscream scoffed. "Should have this, should have that. What you should do is go into recharge while I comm a medic to set up an appointment for you."
Soundwave's visor dimmed and his body went slack, finally giving in to the virus. Starscream gently arranged him into a more comfortable position.
[Soundwave needs an appointment,] Starscream sent to Knock Out. [Also, tell Ratchet he was right.]
The horrid, buzzing energy had crept up on him. He hadn't noticed it, but now that there was nothing to distract him, it was unbearable. Anger replaced numbness for a moment.
How dare Soundwave presume he was so important? How dare he not help at all? If it was so wrong, so terrible, then why hadn't anyone stepped up?
Starscream grit his dentae, fingers twitching, as he paced the room.
Soundwave would have done nothing. He did do nothing. It didn't matter. Either way, nothing would have changed. But why did this realization come now, so long after it all occurred? Where was this support when it was truly needed?
Starscream hissed to himself. Why was he so worked up over the confessions of a sick mech? What was done, was done. There was no changing the past.
Soundwave was here now, and so was he.