Marine Teals
Chapter 4
The Decepticons were preparing for their next raid, as energon supplies had been consumed past the halfway mark. The next day, there'd be a strategy in the Meeting room. Almost every mech onboard the Nemesis were bragging about how they'd be kicking some Autobot booty in a few days, many glad for a chance to wreck havoc on their enemies.
Soundwave loved late night trips outside the Nemesis. It gave him a chance to relax and wind down from the ship's hectic bustle and allowed his symbiotes to play and satisfy their curiosity. They were sparked for spywork and espionage after all, which meant a lot of exploring and moving about, not staying cooped up in one place for a long time.
He was sitting on a fallen tree on the same cliff where he met Thundercracker a couple of weeks ago, by some strange coincidence. Although the dominant organics on this mudball of a planet were annoying and better off extinct, he couldn't help admire Earth's landscapes and scenery. They were so very different from Cybertron's, which were entirely composed of metal and crystals. The night sky was a vast black dotted with tiny freckles of gold, a lone glowing crescent moon punctuating the pitch darkness. Soundwave languidly stretched his body and settled back with one leg slightly drawn up, sighing in contentment.
Distantly he wondered what Thundercracker was doing at the moment.
It was strange to him that he pondered such a thing. He never cared before, so why now? Thundercracker was like the rest of the Deceptions who paid him no attention and Soundwave had been fine not paying attention to any of them. What made it different this time? Did their recent encounters change fundamental things? He picked up a pebble, letting it roll around in his palm, hearing the sound of his Cassetticons squabbling in the distance. His mind wandered back to "that" offer.
Oh whatever. No use ruining a beautiful night with useless thoughts. Might as well enjoy the tranquility. The tapedeck leaned back to watch Laserbeak and Buzzsaw circling the sky.
A familiar voice broke the silence.
"Hey."
Thundercracker.
Soundwave turned to see the seeker walking towards him. He must've landed somewhere else and trekked here, since Soundwave hadn't heard the sound of jet thrusters. Thundercracker gestured at the fallen tree. "Mind if I sit?"
Soundwave scooted to the side to save room, and the teal mech plopped down. He took acre not to make physical contact with the Seeker unless absolutely necessary, like... like "that" time. Aaaaarghhh, so embarrassing... "Scenery viewing, I take it?"
"Thundercracker, reason for not being with Command Trine members?"
Thundercracker's smile dropped. "We haven't been... getting along lately. I want to get away for a while." The Seeker's voice was strained and he seemed uncomfortable talking about it. "They are being irrational and unnecessarily demanding." Soundwave decided not to dwell further. He just nodded and returned his gaze to the Aerial Twin. "Thundercracker's objective?"
"I'm not planning anything really." Thundercracker scratched his neck. His wings trembled and spread then resumed their previous position on the seeker's back. "Just going for a cruise, then I spotted you. I figure I'd stay with you for a bit just to annoy you."
The tapedeck held in the urge to snort cynically. "Noble intentions." When Thundercracker didn't respond for nearly a minute, Soundwave glanced sideways only to find himself being gaped at.
"Whoa. Did you...?" Thundercracker blinked in shock. "Did you just make a joke?"
Soundwave just looked at him.
Thundercracker suddenly burst into laughter. A rich mirthful sound filled the air, pleasantly low and rumbling. Soundwave found that he liked it, more than he should, and that he liked seeing a happy Thundercracker. Better than a moping seeker he supposed.
"Oh mech, I don't even... Wow. Now I'm sure something is wrong. You making a joke is like the end of Cybertron." He wiped at his optics.
Soundwave's good mood dissipated and he turned away. The mech didn't have to put it like that. He couldn't help it if his sense of humor was a little different and if every mech in existence considered him dry and humorless. Thundercracker was laughing at the fact that he jested instead of the jest itself, and it stung.
"Soundwave?" Thundercracker ventured but was promptly ignored. He tried a few times and was met with silence. "Oi! At least acknowledge me speaking to you!"
No answer.
"Slag... I'm sorry for making fun of you, OK? Who would've thought you are this touchy, jeez..." Thundercracker grumbled in annoyance. "What the Pit are you doing here anyways?"
"... Relaxing. Cassetticons, need break and recreation time."
"Huh. You're like their creator, in a sense. You know, taking care of them, keeping them out of trouble, taking them out to play... Wait, are you? What's the bond between you and the midgets like? Do you... spark bond?" Thundercracker raised a placating servo when Soundwave gave him a questioning look. He had a hunch that the teal Seeker could partially read his mood (only a small part, though, since his visor and facemask removed most clues). "Just curious. Haven't seen a lot of carrier models so what I know is mostly rumours. I think the only ones I've seen are you and that irritating red Autobot in the Communication department. Blaster, was it?"
Thundercracker was an outsider to carrier culture, therefore it was understandable that he had some misconceptions. "Negative. Symbiont-carrier bond differs from spark bond and creator-sparkling bond. Emotional sharing similar to spark bond but no physical afflictions. Meaning, death of one will affect others mentally, not physically. Pain is felt by all however." Ravage pinged him inquiringly about Thundercracker's presence, and if it bothered him. He replied with a negative. "Symbionts, not sparked by carrier, but acquired through mutual trust and affection."
"... Then the two midgets, the kitty and the two birdies are... recruited by you? Is that a similar word?"
Soundwave scrunched his faceplate at the inappropriate terms used to refer to his symbionts. Not that Thundercracker could see it. "Negative. Symbionts, scouted by carrier, who expresses the wish to form bond. If symbionts agree, they spend time together. If mutual trust and affection are present, bond is formed."
"I think I get some part of it." Thundercracker leaned back and closed one optic, keeping the other on Soundwave. "How did..." He could never finish his question as Rumble and Frenzy chose that very moment to throw themselves onto the Seeker's frame, Rumble clinging to his neck and Frenzy latching onto a leg.
"Get away from Boss!" They yelled in unison. Soundwave froze on the spot, not knowing what to do as Thundercracker struggled to get the two hellions off him.
He saw Ravage slank into view and questioned him with a slightly irritated voice. 'Ravage.'
'Apologies, Master. They refused to listen.'
Soundwave turned back to find the three had resorted to a wrestling match in the dirt. Which wasn't really a match, mostly Rumble trying to strangle Thundercracker with his tiny arms, Frenzy biting his captured leg and the unfortunate victim thrashing on the ground. Thundercracker looked extremely pissed, though, so Soundwave planted both servos on his hips and said in a no - nonsense tone.
"Rumble. Frenzy." To reinforce his message, he sent a burst of anger as a warning through their shared bond. "Desist."
The twins blinked up at him, then slowly and reluctantly peeled themselves away from Thundercracker. Thundercracker pushed himself into an upright position, rubbing his neck and massaging his bitten leg. He growled at Rumble and Frenzy, and the two bared their dentas back.
Savages.
"Cassetticons, return to Nemesis."
Rumble and Frenzy immediately broke out in loud protests.
"But Boss! You can't seriously expect us to walk back, can you? Laserbeak and Buzzsaw can fly, Ravage can sprint, we'd have to go on pede! It'll take forever!"
"Orders given."
"But..." They whined in unison, sending a wave of guilt and apology to him. Which was probably fake. He was sure they weren't the least bit sorry for what they had done.
"Actions, hostile and unacceptable. Discipline needed."
"Just kick them in the nuts if you ask me." The Seeker huffed.
Soundwave raised a hand to silence the mech before fixing the twin with a pointed glare. Seeing that no amount of acting could change his mind, they deflated.
"Fine fine, we're going."
"But we're still watching you. We'll be watching closely." Frenzy emphasized by pointing two digits at his own optics then jabbing them at Thundercracker's direction.
The tapedeck shooed them off. The Cassetticons hadn't disappeared from his vision when he heard Frenzy asking Buzzsaw for a lift. He turned back to Thundercracker and offered a servo. The mech didn't take it though, instead draped his torso across the fallen tree, face facing the sky.
"Thundercracker's previous query?"
"... Forget about it. I was being nosy."
They watched the night sky in comfortable silence after that. Thundercracker hummed something under his breath and Soundwave had to turn his audios up to full capacity to catch what it was. It was a simple but smooth melody, and quite catchy too. He internally mapped the scores for the melody for future reference.
"Do I really have to attend that strategy meeting tomorrow? They're insanely boring. It's not like I do something useful there. Mostly giving Starscream moral support or fooling around." Thundercracker brushed off some dirt that had gotten on his chassis in the brawl.
"Attendance of Seeker Command Trine, compulsory."
"Frag."
"Strategy meeting, too much to handle?" Soundwave teased. Thundercracker glowered.
"You wish."
Soundwave dutifully handed Megatron the datapad containing the information of the location of the Decepticons' next raid. Starscream was standing to his right, stylus in hand, giving the warlord a brief overview of their destination.
"... The oil refinery is located in a barren area, surrounded by high mountains and various deep creeks and valleys. It's quite a rough region, rocky and liable to cave-ins. We'll have to be extra careful here, and maybe we could use this area's geography to our own advantage." Starscream flicked the stylus across the screen, which was currently projecting a picture of the oil refinery plant that he had taken on his scout.
"The battle plans, Starscream. I do not want to hear insignificant little details unless they affect the outcome of the raid." Megatron leaned back in his chair, tapping the edge of the datapad. He turned to Soundwave and the tapedeck could see the tri-colored seeker visibly bristled at having his attention stolen. "Soundwave, get me some energon."
"As you wish, Lord Megatron, although it would be in your - the Decepticons' - best interest to pay attention to such insignificant details."
He made a beeline for the energon dispenser at the corner. He kept only half an audio on Starscream's plans, knowing that Megatron would soon force the seeker to make changes. After all, what mattered to him was the final scheme, not the squabble, so he turned to observe the mechs in the room instead. Most of the mechs were doing their best to keep up with the discussion, occasionally answering Megatron if addressed without looking too bored. Thundercracker wasn't even trying. His optics were half-lid, his mouth was slightly open, he nodded off every now and then and a snore could be heard during those times. It was unacceptably sloppy for a Decepticon to behave like that in a meeting. At least he had the decency to sleep in an upright position, but still.
So he got the energon and, on his way back, jabbed at Thundercracker's left side with supernatural speed.
The effect was instantaneous. Thundercracker bolted upright out of his seat, looking around with a bewildered expression just in time to see the cassette master walking away. All mechs in the room broke out in hysterical laughter, even Soundwave grinned under his mask. He set the minicube down in front of Megatron, who was looking at the teal seeker pointedly.
"Pray tell, what do you think you're doing?"
Thundercracker fumbled for an explanation, faceplate red from embarrassment. "My Lord, I -"
"Sit down and stop making a fool of yourself, you're wasting my time." Megatron growled. Thundercracker swallowed and did just that, throwing a hateful glare at Soundwave who simply stared back impassively. The laughter died down immediately.
The meeting continued on, and Soundwave's mind started to wander.
"... So that is the plan." Starscream said proudly.
"Soundwave, calculate the chance of success."
He took a moment to run all possible scenarios through his processor. "68%, my Lord."
"Not good enough. At least 75%. Starscream, adjust it. Put all Seekers on the front line. Double the defence here. Place the triplechangers there."
"You realise that if we were to do it your way, oh Wise and Glorious Leader, we'd have to execute the plan with extreme speed. We can't afford to drag things out, which would be impossible given the incompetence of the crew." Starscream's voice was dripping with sarcasm. Megatron was obviously suppressing the urge to smack his Second in Command upside the helm.
"Then I suggest you try your best to manage your troops." Megatron's voice had a sharp edge to it and all mechs in the room swallowed at the subtle threat. He snapped his digits at Soundwave to refill his cube, then returned to arguing with Starscream over the raid details.
Apparently Soundwave had underestimated a Seeker's ability to hold a grudge because as he passed by Thundercracker's position to deliver the newly retrieved energon, he felt a servo pinch his aft. Hard.
Soundwave gave a yelp that was too feminine for his liking.
The entire room stared at the blue tapedeck then exploded in maniacal laughter. They even imitated the sound he made, albeit in a more audio-grating, high-pitched voice. Face burning with shame, Soundwave plunked the minicube down and sat down quickly while trying to retain as much composure as possible. Thundercracker was sniggering wickedly. If he could glare laser beams, the idiot's helm would have fallen off by now.
The Warlord was eyeing him with a weird look.
"What in Unicron's name is wrong with you lot today?"
"Lord Megatron - "
"I don't want to know." Megatron said matter-of-factly. "Do not go insane on me, Soundwave. I've got enough crazy seekers to deal with."
All Seekers in the room gave an indignant retort. "Lord Megatron, what does that have to do with us?!"
"Silence!" They shut up immediately. "Proceed, Starscream."
For the rest of the meeting, Soundwave pinned the teal seeker with a searing glare and the damned mech just stared back in a haughty you-asked-for-it manner.
No way in the Pit was Soundwave helping Thundercracker again.
Soundwave dove behind a giant boulder. The ground beneath him was shaking, threatening to crumble at any moment. Starscream had told them how fragile the earth was in this area. It can hold up against humans but not the weight of a few dozen fully-grown Cybertronians.
An explosion at close proximity rattled his extremely sensitive audios, throwing him off balance, and sending Soundwave crashing into a nearby rock formation. He quickly scrambled to his pedes and plastered his frame again the rocks. He aimed his blaster at Brawl and successfully took him down with a single shot.
The raid had proceeded as planned, the Autobots had shown up as planned, they had fought as expected. What Soundwave hadn't expected was Skywarp dropping a missile near him. He had brushed it of as a accident but after the third time, he started to suspect a sabotage. It was possible Skywarp was holding a grudge against him, about what he hadn't the slightest clue. However, a grudge that led to Soundwave fighting Autobots and running away from explosions at the same time had to be a deep, hateful one.
A purple blur zipped through the air, and the marine cassette master made a dive just before another missile was deployed a few hundred metres from his position. Debris and stones rained down in a cloud or sand and dust. Soundwave hissed when the rocks hit him and moved his arms to shield his helm and visor. At this rate he was going to get killed before the raid even ended. A buzz on his commlink announced that the Decepticons had gathered a sufficient amount of energon. Through the cloud of dust, Soundwave squinted to see Skywarp land on top of a dirt mound. Thank Primus he was out of missiles.
He peeked out to survey the surrounding and froze when a screaming Rumble threw himself at the purple Seeker.
'Rumble, desist!' He frantically pinged. Rumble was going to be hurt!
'He's deliberately throwing explosives at you!' Rumble was fuming with rage as he went for Skywarp's optics. The tapedeck watched in horror as Skywarp struggled to get a grip on Rumble then flung the tiny mech full-strength into a rock wall. Pain bloomed from Rumble's side of the bond.
Soundwave saw red.
Before he could control himself, his carrier protocol kicked in: he locked onto Skywarp and pulled the trigger without a second thought. Skywarp came down with a scream. Distantly Soundwave registered the Autobots gaping at him and desperately tried to calm his raging protocols.
Suddenly an energy bolt hit him and a searing pain shot through his entire frame. The tapedeck gave a pained cry, feeling the ground underneath him crumbling. Thundercracker chose that very moment to charge into him with a furious battle cry.
The last thing he could remember before he fell into stasis was a crushing weight on him, the earth sinking, falling deep down, then pitch black.
I'm horrible at writing cliffhangers.
I like a slowly developing relationship, not love at first sight, so expect a very long fic. Guess it's a good thing for some of you cuz, you know, more to read? XD
Thanks to all those who faved, followed and reviewed. I really appreciate it.
Bye bye bye!