When Silence Is Loudest chapter 9

Soundwave was running.

It wasn't like he had to immediately learn how to live on the streets, Megatron soon found out.

He had fighting skills, he was cunning, and he could steal an energon cube or two away without being seen.

Doesn't mean he adjusted well.

The now teenager was always so use to having the love of his parents, and having so suddenly taken away, Soundwave was quiet and withdrawn.

There were some nights he's crawl into whatever meager shelter he could find and cry.

And for the first time, he heard how unaccepted he truly is.

Before his parents told them that most inter-caste relationships were banned, but now he was experiencing it. Now that everyone knew who his sire was. If he was made fun of before (which he was) he was absolutely scorned now.

"He has archivist in him! Bet he think he's too good for us!"

"He looks tough but he's probably really whimpy!"

"And that's why you don't mess with higher castes! You get a freak like him!"

And those were the nicer comments they would make.

Megatron was worried about him for a while. Then he realized of course Soundwave doesn't die in his teen years.

But mostly because he found Laserbeak.

The teenage version of Soundwave was going through an alleyway when he a weak buzzing in a trashcan.

He lifted the lid to find a bird-like symbiot.

She was colored this awful shade of orange and maroon red, and her wings were bent and even snapped off.

She continued to pathetically buzz and Soundwave's body sagged.

He gently grabbed her and ran.

Soundwave sneaked into a construction site.

He grabbed the nearest welder and began to carefully patch her back together.

The teenager was even able to replace some of her old and missing parts.

After he did as much as he could do he started stoking Laserbeak's 'face'.

"Stay with me?" he finally asked.

The she-symbiot buzzed.

"Thank you, Laserbeak." He said with a shaky laugh as he hugged her.

A week or so later Laserbeak was repainted to match Soundwave's colors.

It got a bit better for Soundwave after that because he wasn't completely alone.

Still, he was an outcast. But at least he wasn't completely alone.

Soon he found Ravage. The cat symbiot had a piece of metal stuck in her foot and Soundwave removed it.

It took a bit longer for the cat to trust Soundwave but she eventually did.

The colors blurred and settled again.

Soundwave was walking down the street when another mech walked up to him.

The teenager was about to move around the mech when the other threw acid on Soundwave's face. At the last moment he covered his optics.

"Now you look even more like a freak!" the other mech laughed as Soundwave screamed.

The medics in the area were apprehensive about treating the teenager. But did eventually give him the bare minimum treatment.

He's always wondered how Soundwave got those scars. Ever since he saw them the first he saw his TIC's bare face.

He never did tell him how he got them. He heavily implied that he thought his scars weren't honorable like Megatron's scars (gained through battle) and didn't like talking about them.

Just days later the teenager version of Soundwave had his facemask completed.

Several weeks later he found an injured Rumble and an ill Frenzy trying to steal an energon cube unsuccessfully.

He fixed Rumble up and by the time Frenzy was healthy again Soundwave gained their trust.

So Soundwave, Laserbeak, Ravage, Rumble, and Frenzy.

They were a good team. And they kept each other from being alone.