I regretfully don't own any of these characters. Sad face.

Secret

Starscream wasn't really surprised that he was left behind. In the Decepticon ranks a mech was either left behind…

…or the mech was Soundwave.

Primus forbid Megatron leave his sycophantic, dull, drone-like favorite behind. Starscream had never, ever, since the first day of meeting the blue mech, liked him. Soundwave was the definition of tame. Starscream couldn't even look at the third in command without thinking hateful thoughts; especially as of late. Megatron had been paying extra attention to whatever the monotone idiot had to say.

Which, unsurprisingly, sent Starscream into a fit of rage. He was second in command! He was air commander! He fragging over-ranked that glitched up piece of obedient scrap!

Starscream studied his surroundings; the battle hadn't been that violent, considering Megatron's rage and Optimus Prime's knack for beating the tar out of Megatron with large in-animate objects. It was rather amusing this time when the Prime's weapon of choice was a tree.

Of course, any amusement was destroyed when Starscream was knocked out of the air. He didn't know what, or who, did it but he had a hunch it was either red or yellow…

So now the Decepticon second in command was sitting in the dirt, his thrusters in poor shape. He was glad his wings hadn't sustained any real damage; it was a real pain having the anything-but-sympathetic Constructicons pound out dents from the delicate metal. Of course his thrusters weren't much better. The metal there was almost as sensitive as his wings.

Either way he couldn't fly. Or, even walk for that matter.

So, Starscream did the only logical thing in his situation. He began to bitch.

"Stupid, slagging, good-for-nothing Autobots! Stupid Megatron!" He paused, making sure to put as much volume in his vocalizer as possible. "Stupid Soundwave!"

It was all his fault. Starscream didn't care if that didn't make sense; it was still Soundwave's fault. He hadn't felt this much anger for any one bot since Megatron had accidentally called him Skywarp.

Starscream huffed, pushing himself to his feet. He hissed as his damaged thrusters dug into the soggy soil. It was going to hurt like the Pit to get all of that cleaned out! After a moment of glaring at his thrusters, the jetformer decided to try to at least attempt walking.

He took a couple of steps and decided to stop. His thrusters were causing him so much pain he thought his legs were going to give out. Starscream grunted in aggravation, not liking the idea of waiting for someone to come and retrieve him. Megatron took forever sending someone, whether they had won the battle or not. Starscream didn't even know if they had won…

Well, he felt like a loser, so the rest of his faction should too. It was only fair! Starscream put up with a lot of slag! More than any one mech ought to. Between Megatron's total lack of respect to Soundwave's irritating indifference, Starscream was at his wits end. And he wasn't even taking into account all the scrap he got from his trine-mates! Skywarp was insufferable! And at times Thundercracker was as bad as Soundwave!

Starscream felt frustration and hopelessness take hold of him. He fell to his aft, not caring if it dented him anymore than he already was. What was the point? He wasn't even important enough to come back for! Even if he was fragging second in command! The ridiculousness of the whole situation was making Starscream's already throbbing processor double in thought stopping pain.

Nobody wants you.

Starscream frowned, not knowing where that had come from. A warrior such as himself shied away from such belittling comments. It wouldn't do to think that way; he was Starscream, future leader of the Decepticons, best flier in the cosmos.

…still, nobody wants you.

The seeker let his head fall in his hands, melancholy suddenly taking hold. Really, he wasn't wanted. No one came back for him, ever, unless they were told to. As pointless as feeling wanted may have seemed to the Decepticon army, Starscream couldn't help but want to feel needed, special…

During his pity party, Starscream missed the figure standing mere feet in front of him. After a few awkward moments of silence for said figure, said figure shuffled his feet to get Starscream's attention. It worked a little too well; the seeker shot up to his feet, fear guiding his movements, and fired his null-rays.

Starscream's spark was beating against its casing so hard he thought it was going to explode. How had he been so stupid as to let his guard down? No wonder Megatron never sent anyone after him.

Stop thinking like that! I got the slagger, didn't I? Starscream continued to hold up his weapons, ready to fire another shot if he had to. When the dust cleared, however, he was met with an unwanted surprise. The seeker's surprise converted into anger.

Soundwave's blank visor stared, unimpressed. Starscream growled, the sound quickly turning into a sound of pain. In his panic he had forgotten about his injured thrusters, which were now being stood on. Starscream nearly fell back to the ground but stopped himself; it wouldn't do to show that kind of weakness in front of the –besides Megatron – bane of his existence.

"Don't sneak up on me, you dolt!" Starscream lowered his arms, sending a venomous glare to the blue mech.

Soundwave didn't seem even the slightest bit offended. "Starscream: injured. Requires assistance."

Starscream growled again. "Did Megatron send you? I can see it all now! Soundwave, being the ever so loyal drone – eee!" Starscream felt his form leave the ground before he knew what was happening. After his processor caught up with everything else, he felt nothing but shock.

Soundwave had picked him up. Warm hands pressed into the back of his legs and – surprisingly gently – on his back. Starscream felt his faceplates heat despite himself and snarled. "What are you doing?"

Soundwave held Starscream closer to his body when the seeker began to struggle, his grip tightening. However tight it became, though, the hand behind Starscream's back never caused any discomfort to his wings. But the squawking second in command was too busy being pissed to notice this. Soundwave didn't even look down at Starscream as he began lifting off the ground.

"Suggestion: stop struggling. It will make this easier."

"Make what easier? You are not carrying me back to base!"

Whatever Starscream shrieked at Soundwave, it had no effect. The boom-box completely ignored the mech in his arms, but kept his hold on him firm. Starscream eventually gave up after fifteen minutes of nothing from Soundwave.

Megatron was going to pay for this; having his favorite come to get him! Oh, the humiliation! Starscream was never going to hear the end of it from his idiot trine-mates…

He glared up at Soundwave's visor, hoping the glitch could feel his anger like a slap in his ugly face. Soundwave gave no indication of feeling anything – as usual – and continued to fly toward the base.

Starscream, with his dread at an all-time high, tensed upon seeing the base's entrance emerge from the choppy waves. It wasn't enough to be left behind, but to be rescued by Megatron's lap dog! It was all too much! Starscream also had to endure the Constructicon's so-called medical expertise. It would have been funny if it were any other mech.

Like Soundwave, Starscream thought bitterly as he glared at the mech for the hundredth time.

Upon entering the base, Starscream hadn't changed his expression. He was going to glare at any fragger he saw! No one would dare laugh at –

"Inquiry," Soundwave started, his monotone voice causing Starscream to jump, and then bristle. The stoic mech hesitated when Starscream turned his gaze back to him.

"What?" Starscream snapped, his optics never leaving that ugly visor.

"No, suggestion: I repair your thrusters."

Starscream felt his processor stop. Why in the Pit would he let Soundwave work on him? He hated the fragger – no, despised him! He knew that! He could read minds! Starscream snorted, the sound loud in the surprisingly empty corridor. Wait, why was it so empty?

"Soundwave," Starscream started as he looked around the barren room. "Where is everyone?"

"Energon raid, successful. Celebration, in progress." Soundwave hadn't put the injured seeker down and had begun walking down the empty corridor. Starscream fidgeted nervously; what was Soundwave getting at? He was too much of drone to be the conniving type. Of course, he was a Decepticon; third in command no less.

The sound of voices reached their audials and Starscream did his best not to roll his optics; the fools were getting over-energized. He himself had never partaken in his leaders idiotic celebrations. What was the point? It not only wasted valuable energon, but it also made the most respectable mech – not that Megatron fit into that category – into a complete fool.

"I'm guessing the Costructicons are in there too," Starscream sighed. He rubbed his optics tiredly, not really liking the idea of Soundwave touching such a delicate part of his body. However, he couldn't fix his thrusters himself, and he really didn't feel like waiting till the next day to get them repaired.

"Soundwave's ability to repair thrusters: adequate."

Starscream rubbed his optics harder. He had almost forgotten that Soundwave was a telepath. It was un-nerving, to say the least. The seeker allowed his hands to fall to give the third in command an exhausted glare. Starscream couldn't believe what he was about to say.

"I swear, if you try anything funny – "

The blue mech tilted his head ever so slightly. "Nothing funny."

Starscream felt his optics widen. What was that? Soundwave had sounded different – not much, but enough to be noticeable. After a few awkward moments of silence, from the both of them, Soundwave finally began to walk.

Luckily it didn't take long to reach the med-bay, and Starscream practically jumped on the first berth he saw. He decided to look over the damage now that he was in a –relatively – safe place. Soundwave's presence never made Starscream comfortable. The seeker hissed as he poked and prodded at his thrusters; the worst of the damage was a few cracks running up the heel. What made it worse was the dirt packed into said cracks. Stasrceam pressed into his thruster, attempting to remove some of the dirt when his hand was suddenly grabbed.

Starscream looked up, anger building. "I wouldn't make it a habit of grabbing me."

Soundwave gently pushed Starscream's hand to his side and held up a small, pointed tool. His demeanor was slow and patient. He sat on the side of the berth, urging Starscream to scoot over. The red seeker sighed but obliged.

"Fingers, may cause more damage. Tool, won't." Soundwave grabbed one of Starscream's thrusters, his grasp beyond gentle. Starscream didn't know whether to be pleased or shocked. Many mechs, especially in the Decepticon army, didn't give a slag about a seeker's sensitive plating. Especially his.

Soundwave pressed the tool to Starscream's foot, pausing to look up. Stasrceam rolled his optics, not liking the hesitation. Might as well get it over with. "You can begin. I'm not going to kick you or anything."

Soundwave stared for a moment longer, as if not believing Starscream's words. Before anything else could be said about it though, Starscream felt the small tool press into his thruster. He gasped, trying not to push Soundwave's hand away. He knew it was going to hurt, but not that much! He settled on grabbing the edges of the berth and threw his head back.

The blue mech continued working, and Starscream felt a pang of anger. Soundwave was probably enjoying the fact that he was inflicting pain on him! Everyone else did, and even though Soundwave was beyond unreadable Starscream could see the fragger getting off on his pain. It didn't help that he was Megatron's pet…

"Stop," Starscream gasped out. Soundwave's instantly removed the tool, lifting his head to level his stare with the seeker's. Starscream panted for a while, resisting the urge to touch his thruster. He would have been ashamed at how weak he seemed if the pain hadn't of been so bad. Starscream gave himself a few more moments to calm down before nodding, urging Soundwave to continue.

But Soundwave didn't move. He continued to stare at Starscream, unmoving. The seeker growled, the sound more feral than intended. "Go on! I can't remain in this unrepaired state."

"Suggestion: different tool."

Starscream fell back against the berth, exasperated. "Sure! Whatever!" What difference would it make for a switch in tools? Whatever Soundwave used wasn't going to make digging the dirt from his cracked thrusters any less painful.

Soundwave stood and walked out of the room, leaving Starscream twitching on the table. After a few minutes the seeker gave into the urge to try and rub away the pain in his thrusters. His touch didn't really help, but when he pretended it did it got better. Sort of.

"Slagging Autobots," he mumbled. If they hadn't of knocked him out of the sky he wouldn't be sitting the med-bay with Soundwave and the perpetual awkward silence that followed him. Did Megatron have that problem? Surely not. It was just that every time – outside of battle – the second and third in command were together they never really talked. Usually Starscream would just throw insults at Soundwave and the blue mech would ignore him.

This time was…different, though. Starscream wasn't sure if it was Soundwave or himself, but something had changed.

The sound of the med-bay door opening stopped Starscream's thoughts. He looked up to see Soundwave with a hose.

A hose? The red seeker frowned, making his confusion known; not that it mattered. Soundwave was a telepath after all. But, being Starscream, Starscream made his confusion visible.

"What are you planning on doing with that?" Soundwave began hooking the hose up to something in the wall. Starscream waited for a response, but after a minute of being ignored he tried again. "Answer me! What is the hose for?"

Soundwave started for the bed, hose still in hand. "Water: washes dirt away."

Starscream hoped he didn't look as stupid as he felt. Why hadn't he thought of that? "Oh."

The cassette-player sat back on the berth and reached for one of Starscream's thrusters. The jet allowed him to grab his foot and prop it up on his thigh. Soundwave flicked a switch on the hose and water began trickling out of it. At first Starscream flinched – the water was freezing! Then, slowly, as the dirt began to turn to mud and remove itself from his cracked thruster, Starscream relaxed.

Soundwave finished with that leg and reached for the other. Before Starscream knew it he was clean. Or, his feet were. The rest of his body would be cleaned later. By himself, in a shower.

With no Soundwave.

Soundwave stood and Starscream smirked at the mud covering his thighs. He knew he should be grateful to the glitch, but the hate he had built up over the years was nearly hard-wired into his systems. Soundwave had always been the favorite. In reality he was a suck-up, a pathetic drone.

So the air commander sat back and watched Soundwave prepare to work on his injured thrusters. It was nice, for once, to have someone actually treat him like something. Of course, what else could be expected from someone as obedient as Soundwave?

Soundwave stopped what he was doing, and Starscream had realized his mistake too late –

Telepath. He had "heard" all of that!

"Correction: I came of my own will, not Megatron's."

Starscream huffed. "What are you talking – oh." The seeker gave Soundwave a skeptical look. "What are you after?"

Hesitation radiated from Soundwave and Starscream felt a nervousness begin to rise. What if the mech was going to get rid of him right there? Starscream frowned, realizing how stupid that would be on Soundwave's part…

Starscream contemplated attempting to stand when Soundwave caught his optics with a look. That red visor held a good amount of uncertainty in it, and Starscream's previous anxiety disappeared, replaced with genuine surprise. Since when did Soundwave show anything close to emotion? And since when could Starscream tell?

Soundwave continued to stare, not saying anything and the seeker began to grow irritated. What kind of game was this oaf playing?

Pain filled his circuits and Starscream actually yelled out. Through his aggravation he hadn't noticed Soundwave had broken optic contact and had begun working on his thrusters. Starscream cursed, his hate for the blue mech returning full force.

Soundwave, relieved, silently continued working on the raging seeker's thrusters.

That was far too close a call for his liking…

:))