First, I like to apologize for not updating this story. There's been a lot going on with my life right now. College life is taking some of my time and whatever free time I have is playing games or spending time with my cousins or my grandparents, who are visiting from their home country.
Disclaimer: I don't own transformers or Teen Titans
Chapter 9
Soundwave wasn't sure what to think as he and Cyborg were blasting at a blue-skinned wizard that constantly spewed out various inanimate objects from thin air and threw said objects at them. He even turned a dumpster into a giant rocket launcher. Soundwave read the police file on this joke of a criminal. He was called Mumbo and he apparently used magic to help him with his schemes. If he hadn't seen it for himself, he would have thought that part of his file was a joke. Now, he was willing to believe that anything went in this world. After dodging a barrage of stuffed bunnies of all things, he and Cyborg looked at each other.
"We need a plan." Said Soundwave before returning fire. "Any ideas on how to beat him?"
"Yeah." Said Cyborg before ducking to avoid a giant saw coming at his head. "We just need to get rid of Mumbo's wand. Without it he's powerless. Breaking it would also turn everything back to what it was originally."
"What about shutting him up?" Asked Soundwave as he heard Mumbo spew out some words before performing some magic. "Can that help?" Cyborg went into thought about that.
"Actually, we never attempted that." Said Cyborg sheepishly. "It could work. Probably won't stop him from using magic completely, but it should stop him from performing his more complicated tricks."
"Good enough." Said Soundwave. "Do you have anything for the task?" Seeing Cyborg nod, he continued. "I'll distract him so you can get close to him and blast him." Soundwave then swapped his neutron blaster for a sub-sonic repeater. He then counted to three with his fingers and when the final finger went down, he opened fire at Mumbo, forcing him to take cover from the barrage of hyper-sonic pellets. Seeing him pinned down, Cyborg went around in order to get behind Mumbo. He had just gone into a hiding spot when Soundwave ran out of ammo. Seeing his opponent stopped firing, Mumbo jumped out of his cover to taunt Soundwave.
"Well, that was quite rude." Said Mumbo as he drew out his wand. "Maybe you need something like this! Mumbo Jumbo!" With that, the cover Soundwave completely disappeared and Soundwave himself turned into a boom box. Mumbo then brought out a hammer from his hat and walked to Soundwave. "Say goodbye." Said Mumbo as he lifted the hammer. He was about to slam it down when Soundwave fired sound blast at him, knocking Mumbo away. He then transformed back into his original form, checking if anything was wrong. He then looked to see Mumbo glaring at him. He was about to say his magic words again when Cyborg fired some adhesive at his mouth, preventing him from saying his magic words. While Mumbo was distracted, Soundwave used his tentacles to grab Mumbo's wand. He then broke it in half, turning Mumbo into a frail old man and everything back to what it was originally. Another thing was that various jewels came out of Mumbo's sleeves. Seeing he was at his weakest point, Mumbo raised his hands in surrender. Cyborg, upon seeing this, walked over to Mumbo and began to cuff him.
"Thanks for the assist, Soundwave." Said Cyborg as he arrested Mumbo. "You're pretty good at this. What's your secret?" Soundwave just stayed silent at the question, not willing to divulge that information. Cyborg, upon seeing that, just smirked. "Alright. No biggie. Anyway, the titans are having a celebration later. You want to join?"
"I don't party." Said Soundwave, remembering all the parties he refused to attend during the civil war on Cybertron.
"Oh c'mon, Sounds." Said Cyborg. "It's good to relax every now and then. Besides, with how crime is going right now, I think we deserve to celebrate."
"You're starting to sound like Knockout." Thought Soundwave as he remembered the deception scientist, who would take any opportunity to have some fun. Though Soundwave supposed Cyborg had some merit. Crime rate, according to his calculations, went down by at least 30%. A number that deserve some reward. Heck, Barricade, a former police officer turned Decepticon, would have thrown a party for such a decrease. The police back on Cybertron were so corrupt that crime rate increased instead of decreasing. Because of that, Barricade joined the Decepticons, despite being against some of their policies. If the police weren't as corrupt as they were, Barricade would have been an Autobot. Soundwave let out a scoff of amusement at the thought of the Decepticon interrogator being an Autobot. After that thought, though, he wondered where Barricade was now. The last report he received regarding him was eons old and it only spoke of him going to unknown sector of the known galaxy. Soundwave suspected that he's most likely fighting corruption or crime at some backwater planet, as a way to relive the past. Going away from the thoughts of Barricade, Soundwave looked at Cyborg, who was looking back expectantly. Sighing to himself, he made a thumbs-up, something that he learned during his time on his own earth and this one. Seeing this, Cyborg smiled while yelling out "Boo-ya".
"It's at 5 at the tower." Said Cyborg. "Bring some snacks if you want. The more the merrier, I say." With that Cyborg began to escort Mumbo to his car, something that Soundwave felt a bit amazed at due to the specifications of it. After he took of, Soundwave called a ground bridge and returned to the Sovereign. From there, he sat down on a chair and sighed. Ever since being stuck in this dimension, Soundwave has been getting out of his shell, speaking more, and interacting with the titans more. Often, assisting them whenever the opportunity presented itself. Robin and Raven still had some doubts about him, but they've begun to trust him enough that they gave him a titan's communicator if he ever needed them. The others trusted him more as they often tried to converse with him whenever possible or try to make jokes with him. He would have gone without all of that and sometimes he wished he was back at the Nemesis, where it was mostly quiet. But…he had to admit he'd gone quite used to Beast Boy's corny jokes, Cyborg's upbeat attitude, Starfire's naïve personality, and other things he'd never thought he would appreciate. He'd also admit that Robin's leadership skills, while still needing to improve, was something to respect. It was like someone merged Optimus's caring attitude of his soldiers with the willingness of Megatron to get things done no-matter-what into one being. Though, Robin was more in line with Optimus then Megatron because he didn't punish anyone for failures and treated the other titans as friends. Raven…she was the one that he respected the most. She didn't intrude on his personal space and respected his decision to keep most of his personal life a secret. She also treated him with respect, albeit in an hidden sort of way, and didn't try to struck up a conversation unless necessary. He also had to admit that she was alluring with how her cloak concealed her body, giving her a mysterious aura around her. He wondered if they should continue talking alone, they seem to get along quite well enough. Perhaps they could converse about recent dark poems and how good they are compared to older ones. Humming to himself, he wondered if he should bring something to the party.
Later
Titans tower
Sighing to himself, Soundwave carried the large box of snacks he bought as he made his way inside the living room where the party was. Upon entering the room, he was immediately blasted with bright lights and confetti as the titans celebrated their impact on lowering crime in Jump City. Sighing to himself in annoyance, Soundwave walked to the table before placing his contributions on the snack table. Upon seeing Soundwave brining more food, Beast Boy grinned and went to the Cybertronian.
"Great of you to come!" Said Beast Boy before looking at the box of snacks. "Can I?" After seeing Soundwave nod, Beast Boy gave a smile of thanks before digging in on the snacks. He gasped when he saw that Soundwave brought in tofu-based products for him. "Thanks man! Really appreciate it!" Said Beast Boy before digging in. Sighing to himself again, Soundwave went to the quietest part of the room so he can just look at the Titans party. What he saw both amused and annoyed him. Robin, interestingly, was acting nervously as Starfire asked him to dance with her. He eventually complied after she gave him the puppy dog eyes look. Cyborg, annoyingly, brought out board games for everyone to play, ones that were completely boring and unfun to play. Beast boy, being Beast boy, just made corny jokes while feasting on his vegan snacks. Soundwave was about to leave when a voice stopped him.
"Just leaving?" Asked Raven as she walked up to the machine.
"I don't party." Said Soundwave as he turned to her.
"Same here." Said Raven. "But at least I stay for the sake of my friends." Soundwave gave a nod of understanding as the two watched as the other titans joke off and just be teenagers. "You know, you being here means a lot."
"Hmm." Hummed Soundwave as he turned to her.
"It means you actually care for us." Said Raven. "You actually consider us allies." Soundwave had to admit, she was right. Despite what he wanted, the months fighting with the Titans had made them his allies. So much so, that he actually considered being here for them. Though he knew that would change if they knew what he did back on Cybertron. Back on his Earth. So, he decided to keep that part secret. For now, he'll just enjoy the scene before him as the titans fooled around.
"If you wish, we can go and enjoy some dark poetry and tragic stories." Proposed Soundwave as he turned to Raven, who rose an eyebrow at the proposal. She then smiled a bit before nodding her head. The two then went to some other room in the tower so they can discuss some poetry and tragic stories.
Later
"And that's why I think the third book isn't as enjoyable as the ones before and after it." Finished Soundwave as Raven nodded in understanding. They've been recently discussed a series of horror books that has been regarded as some of the best horror series in history. It was an enjoyable conversation.
"Personally, I think the conclusion was the most enjoyable part of the book." Said Raven as she smirked at Soundwave nodding his head in agreement.
"Yes, it was a very nice twist." Said Soundwave. "Though it couldn't save the book in the end for me." Raven just chuckled at the unintended pun, making him smack himself for such a pun.
"Well, this was enjoyable, Soundwave, but I think I should go." Said Raven as she got up and left. Before she did, Soundwave called out on her.
"If you like, we can go and watch the movie adaptation of the books next Sunday." Proposed Soundwave. This caused Raven to look at him in surprise and amusement.
"Are you asking me on a date?" Asked Raven with a bit of teasing in her voice.
"No. I merely think it's enjoyable to have someone around when watching a movie." Said Soundwave, causing Raven to shake her head in amusement.
"Yeah right, but yeah. I'll accept your proposal." Said Raven before leaving. Soundwave just huffed in amusement before leaving the tower as the party was likely over now. Once on the Sovereign, Soundwave wondered why he had proposed such a thing to Raven. Back in the day, he wouldn't have done such a thing. He wouldn't have asked any femme on a date. But with Raven, he'd just went in and asked her out on what's likely a date. Sighing to himself in irritation, Soundwave began a scan of his systems to see if anything was wrong with him while also preparing for a date.
Sunday
"I hate you all." Said Soundwave as he and the Titans prepared for the movie to start. Raven, likewise, nodded her head in agreement as she donned an annoyed face as Beast boy rubbed his head sheepishly. Apparently, Beast boy heard the movie part of their conversation and told everyone about it. After some teasing and mocked kissing noises, Raven had enough and invited everyone to watch the movie. Having nothing to do, they all joined in.
"Yeah, sorry about ruining your date, Sounds." Said Beast Boy as he looked apologetic at both Raven and Soundwave.
"It wasn't a date." Said both Soundwave and Raven at the same time, causing the two to look at each other before looking at the screen as the movie started. The Titans and Cybertronian then prepared themselves for some horror as well as ignoring the stares they got from other movie watchers as the resident crime-fighters were there watching a movie with them.
Meanwhile
Slade hummed to himself as he watched his drones work on getting the monstrous machine back to life. Well figuratively. Recent scans have shown that it's still alive, but in a form of stasis lock and that it can only be restored through reenergizing the machine. Attempts to do so, proved futile as the machine rejected any form of fuel he can provide to it. Cupping his chin in thought, Slade theorized that this machine can only take a certain type of energy, one that is out of his reach. After ordering a drone to dig into the machine in order to find what fuel it, Slade went back to his current plan. One that would make Robin his apprentice. Using a fake chronoton denotator, he planned to separate Robin from his team in order to infect them with nanomachines that will kill them with a push of a button. With such a threat in hand and the fact that Robin was too attached to his team, he'll force him to become his apprentice. However, there's the added variable of Soundwave. To his minor displeasure, the machine-like entity had become partners with the Titans, helping them fight crime. His plan would likely not even work with him around, so he needed to take him out of the equation. He would hire Lockdown, but he'd preferred to rely things on he could control, like Cinderblock. And this monster, provided he could get to work, could also be something he can control. He was so in though on what to do when a drone came up to him and informed him that they've managed to get a sample of the energy used to power the machine. Curious, he walked down to the machine, grabbed the sample the drones managed to acquire and then scanned the substance. With some surprise, he discerned that the substance isn't from Earth, but rather from an alien planet. But that wasn't what surprised him, what surprised him was that it was a match with Soundwave's blood, a substance that he managed to acquire for research purposes after his fight with Lockdown. Based on that, and the fact that the two seemed familiar to each other, made Slade conclude that they're all the same species. With this information, Slade went this his personal communicator and contacted Lockdown, who was surprised to see Slade again.
"Need something?" Asked Lockdown as he attached a hand to his right arm socket.
"Yes. Information to be precise." Said Slade, causing Lockdown to raise an eyebrow.
"I ain't no information broker, Slade." Said Lockdown. "Whatever you want, you pay double my normal fee."
"That's alright." Said Slade. "Do you know anything about Soundwave and what powers him?" Seeing Lockdown stare at him, he continued. "And do you have the substance that powers him? After all, you're the same species, correct?" Lockdown just stayed silent, contemplating on what to do, before speaking.
"Why do you ask?" Asked Lockdown.
"Now, now, mister Lockdown. It's bad for business for me to divulge my plans to you. All I ask is do you know the substance that Soundwave is powered with and do you have it?" Lockdown just scoffed before indulging Slade.
"Yeah, I do. Why should I care that you want that stuff?" Asked Lockdown.
"Because I can offer you five times your normal payment in exchange for some of that substance you and Soundwave use to power yourselves. Is that fair?" Asked Slade.
"You're just going to send more of your bots against me, if I refuse." Said Lockdown, almost seeing a smug look behind Slade's mask. "Whatever, I'll give you about three shipping containers of the stuff, but that's it. Whatever you want, you're on your own."
"That's fair. The payment will be at wherever you decide the drop location is." Said Slade. Lockdown just scoffed before cutting off the transmission. He then looked at the numerous equipment and weapons he acquired since coming here. Some were a hybrid of Cybertronian tech and this world's tech, curtsy of him. Since coming here, Lockdown did the only thing that he was good at. Bounty hunting. He did odd jobs here and there until he received enough notoriety that big corporations were asking him for his services. Of course, he also had to hid himself in order to avoid detection from the Justice League. Something that's getting increasingly difficult as they're starting to pick up his trail. Helping to take down a local hero group, one that has the former partner of Batman, would most certainly not help in staying hidden. Still, he made a deal with Slade some time ago and it's bad for business to back out of a contract. With luck, perhaps no one will suspect he was involved. Then again, he could always just frag Soundwave and no one will know about how Slade got a supply of Energon. Based on interactions with him during the Great war, Soundwave wouldn't give needless information to anyone and only gave information on a need-to-know basis. So, it's likely he didn't tell the titans about himself too much. Sighing to himself, Lockdown just ordered two drone to prepare Slade's package of Energon while hoping that this won't bite him in the aft later.
I'll try and get the next chapter as soon as possible.
