Disclaimer: Not mine.
Warnings: cassettes galore!
A/N: continuation of sorts of Termination. I still have no idea where this came from. Tell me what you think.
Purpose
"You should know better than to go to them. Since when are they even qualified for something like that?"
"I did not go to them. Entered stasis lock during meeting."
The white quadruped mech sighed exasperated, "Don't get me started on that, boss. Do you have any idea how dangerous forcing a termination is?"
"Glit: wasting time worrying. I am fully functional and operating at optimum capacity," Soundwave replied in his normal monotone.
"And that's why you're still on light duty, right? Can I, at least, go back to check on you or is Lord Megatron's banishment still in place?" Glit asked, right ear twitching in a show of anxiety.
"Banishment in place indefinitely. Lord Megatron will not forget that you fixed that Autobot commander soon," the blue mech said, a reproachful tone slightly marring the usual monotone.
The white cat-like mech would've rolled his eyes, but he settled for dismissing Soundwave's tone. He knew he was lucky to be alive and moving. His stunt had almost cost him his forelegs and only the pleading of his Decepticon patients had changed his leader's mind. But he couldn't remain unpunished and Lord Megatron banished him from Earth.
That didn't mean he had to like it. Specially when his creator's life had been in danger.
"Then you come here, boss. I really need to check on you. Primus only knows how your spark has been reacting to it."
"Request: denied. Soundwave: needed on Earth. Decepticons preparing for attack soon."
The medic growled both frustrated and unsatisfied with his creator's answer. He knew it was better to let it go for now and continue later, but he hated feeling as if he was giving up. Unfortunately he was too far away to take matters in his own paws.
"Anything else you wish to say, Glit?" Soundwave asked and Glit realized he used up his allotted time for personal transmissions until the next meta-cycle.
"Howlback contacted me a while ago. She said Garboil was being considered to join the Cobalt Sentries. I guess she'd be the one to go pick up the runt if he gets chosen," Glit hurried to say before Soundwave cut the transmission.
If there was one thing Ravage would never forgive him, it would be not being prepared to deal with their charming sister.
"Information: appreciated. Cutting off transmission until next meta-cycle," Soundwave didn't wait for his creation's farewell. He had other things to do before his shift began and he already gave him three nano-seconds extra.
Soundwave walked silently back to his quarters. The cassettes were still recharging and Soundwave couldn't help but relish the feeling of not having a sparkling inside him. He knew that as soon as the Constructicons gave the all clear, the critters would be back inside him at all times. The dull ache on his spark chamber reminded him that it would be a while until that happened. His spark was simply too strained at the moment and Hook would not stop hounding him until it was back to normal parameters.
He quickly located the two bat-like sparklings and picked them up without bothering to get them online. Knowing he had less than a breem before they noticed something was off, he strode to his personal wash rack (perhaps the only perk that came with being an officer and Lord Megatron's interface partner).
Twin shrieks of anger drove the rest of the cassettes online and ready to attack. A calming telepathic caress telling them his creator had just decided to clean one of them without the chosen victim knowing it… again…
Though they couldn't blame him. If there was one thing they all hated, it was bathing. Except Enemy, but they were almost sure their brother only claimed to like baths just to contradict them all. Half a groon later, two angry bat-like sparklings flew out of the wash rack. Soundwave followed after them a few kliks later.
"Overkill. Slugfest. Bath scheduled for next solar cycle," the blue mech warned the tyrannosaur and stegosaur sparklings, before addressing all the cassettes, "Frenzy. Rumble. Monitor duty. Buzzsaw. Monitor Autobot Activity. Ratbat: Energon stores low. Locate energy source near base. Keep low profile. Laserbeak: throne room. Lord Megatron wants your presence. Wingthing: remain with me. Remaining cassettes: guard energon. Quantity of rations decreasing until further notice. Robbery: expected."
Soundwave didn't wait for them to move, knowing he had raised them to follow his and Lord Megatron's instructions without hesitation. He didn't even acknowledge the moment the bat-like cassette perched on his shoulder. He had one more thing to do before his shift began.
"Message to Stormsurge from Earth base."
"This is Stormsurge. Send Message."
"Requesting information of Garboil's Cobalt Sentry recommendation."
"Who requests it?"
"Lord Megatron through Communications Officer Soundwave."
"WILCO that. Garboil was recommended by Cobalt Sentry agents Howlback and Shortround. List of achievements and skills satisfactory for admittance."
"Probability of admittance?"
"Above ninety eight percent. His age might be a problem and there are some candidates that are still being checked. We'll know for sure by next deca-cycle. Will that be a problem?"
"Negative. New information crucial for next deca-cycle's rotation."
"Always glad to have pleased our lord."
"Ending transmission"
Soundwave resisted both the urge to tell Lord Megatron right away and the urge to coddle his creation. The Cobalt Sentry position was better suited for the bird-like sparkling than his current position as spy and warrior on Earth. He would have to make sure no one came between his sparkling and the promotion. If he could get the percentage of probability even higher, he would be one happy mech. That way he could stop worrying about Garboil's lackluster performance during battle scenarios.
He knew most mechs were wondering why he chose termination when he already had so many sparklings. What they didn't realize was that each sparkling had a place in the Decepticon Army. Each cassette was a valuable soldier with the achievements to prove their value.
Soundwave had, mostly single-handedly, raised the Decepticon's special operations team. Seventeen sparklings, each raised for spying. But while some of them, like Ravage, Buzzsaw and Wingthing, specialized as spies, Soundwave carefully maneuvered his creations into branching out to other specialties. Under his watchful visor warriors like Rumble, Frenzy, Enemy, Overkill and Slugfest were created; interrogators like Laserbeak and Beastbox… Translators, fuel auditors, undercover agents playing the amnesia and reformed card, the only Decepticon doctor, an enforcer and assassin… and, when Garboil is promoted, Soundwave would make sure the sparkling used his potential for control of information.
Each and every cassette had been carried and trained by him.
Even the Decepticon sleeper agent Flip Sides was his. He had patiently buried her personality under an Autobot persona and placed the timer mechanism within her that would, in time, return her to his side. He had personally left her for the Autobots to find. And he kept careful tabs on her to see that her cover isn't blown before the time was right.
Every cassette had a purpose and function. Every cassette had been carried when there was, at least, energon to spare. Those were the reasons his cassettes were still alive. Neither he, nor Lord Megatron could afford anything else. The ache on his spark chamber reminded him that not every sparkling had been that lucky.
With an annoyed sigh, Soundwave began his cycle-long shift of monitoring the airwaves. Pausing only for a klik to comm the only sparkling he forgot would not do what he ordered. Simply because he always did the opposite of what was asked of him.
//Enemy: do not bother Starscream.//
The Seeker's screech of outrage made Soundwave smile behind his facemask. On his shoulder Wingthing let out an amused chuckle. Soundwave could hear Laserbeak's and Lord Megatron's laughter coming from the throne room.
Every cassette had a purpose. He would make sure of that.
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