As they stepped through the bridge Vortex, Megatron leading the way, all heads were turned to them. Megatron was accustomed to this constant attention, but it made Soundwave feel more vulnerable than his injury.

He limped in behind his superior, clutching the clawed wound at his side. It looked nasty and was also seeping energon, but it should have looked worse. Megatron's victory over him had to be apparent. No one had to know that he managed to offline their warlord in a fight. Appearances had to be maintained, reputations - supported. That was why Soundwave ordered Ravage not to hasten the healing process beyond the point of stabilizing the wound.

Ignoring the glances, Megatron contacted the med bay and sent Soundwave off to get fixed. TIC bridged there, not wanting to waste time on walking and leave energon traces all along the ship's corridors.

Of all the optics that watched him leave (Megatron lost interest in him as soon as they stepped through the bridge Vortex) only one pair widened in sympathy at his state.

Eradicon DOUG who stood watch at the bridge doors this shift watched his torturer pay energon price for mistreating him and accept it with the same stoic silence he usually showed. DOUG suppressed a shiver. Soundwave could scrap him and no one would be the wiser. Instead, the Surveillance Chief sent him to the medic (probably to get him fixed more than to complete the prior task). He had called him by his given name. He had shared his energon with him as an equal. Not to mention the 'facing itself that was both the most horryfying and most amazing experience D011G had had so far.

Eradicons were all similar, but Soundwave had set him aside, made him special. DOUG wished there was something he could say or do to avert Lord Megatron's wrath from the spy, but the truth was no one had asked him a single question.

Meanwhile at the med bay Breakdown helped Soundwave up the table and, before Knockout approached them, pinned the spy's chest to the table and hissed "You so much as look at him funny, I will beat you so hard, he'd have to wield you back together, creep"

Normally Soundwave would deal with this insubordination the hard way, but he wasn't feeling that well. Besides, his status was yet to be confirmed. Still, he couldn't let it slip entirely

/Soundwave to Breakdown: the good doctor - not my type. You, on the other wing.../

Breakdown recoiled from him as if he was plagued. Static analog of Soundwave's laughter filled the air.

"Enough of this folly" - Knockout said, scanning his vitals. He unclasped Soundwave's hand from his side and took a closer look at the four big puncture wounds that were unmistakably made by sharp talons of someone with rather big hands: "Care to share what happened?"

/Negative/

Knockout shrugged and set to patch the delicate tubes and cabling. As the doctor worked, Soundwave busied himself with yet more probability calculations. Everything remained vague.

A wave of panic reached him through the emergency link with Laserbeak, as the drone intercepted some 'con's transmissions speculating about his alleged duel with Megatron. Soundwave reached out to calm her down. He was fine. In fact, physical condition aside, he felt more at ease than ever since their last loss.

"Much good has your standing up to your deeds brought you" - Knockout commented under breath "Our Lordship doesn't go easy on his lieutenants' mistakes. I would suppose watching Starscream get beaten up all the time should have teached you something"

Soundwave didn't know how to respond to that. Perhaps Knockout's words had been rhetorical - the good doctor was known for a habit to talk while he worked. However it were the only sympathetic words he heard in a long time from anyone other than Megatron teling him he did a good job. Soundwave's fingers touched Knockout's forehand and he commed, ignoring Breakdown's warning growl

/Soundwave to Knockout. Your concern: appreciated/

Time had passed and things returned back to normal. Well, as much as they could. Soundwave continued his devoted service. Airachnid continued to annoy him endlessly. He knew she had once tried to bring up the subject of his misbehavior before Megatron, but the warlord had said that "'Con justice was done" and that had been it.

It still pained Soundwave that they were seeing each other occasionally. He learned to deal with it and kept an eye out on Airachnid on his master's behalf.

Turns out, it was a right thing to do. The treacherous bitch tried to abandon Megatron against his strict orders to wait! Not even Starscream allowed himself such an open treason!

Soundwave had hard time staying his blows this time. Treason or no treason, she was not his to scrap. He dispatched Laserbeak, trusting his Cassette's modest firepower more than he had his own self-control.

The spiderbot fell to his feet and he pushed her head down with his foot. "I.. yield"

Soundwave immediately lost interest in her. Someone else would take her to prison for Megatron to sentence. Or not. It was insignificant. What mattered was finding Megatron.

He was hardly aware of the freaked out silence that followed his seemingly effortless victory. "Watch out for the quiete ones" - Knockout told his partner.

It was not before Orion/Optimus had left Nemesis that Soundwave reported on Airachnid. Megatron had been too busy justifying his reluctance to kill his old friend before then. And Soundwave was too busy monitoring the autobot and masking 'con data for him.

Soundwave backed up his report with visual and audio record of spiderbot's treason - he would hate it if Megatron had any doubts in his words. Laserbeak added her report too. If Megatron had found it excessive he hadn't shown it. Neither did he show any other reaction.

Off duty for the first time in eight vorns, Soundwave craved recharge and was too worn down to think it over. The ordeal with Unicron and then Orion has taken a toll on all officers, most of all on Megatron himself. On the bright side the previous commotion seemed to be forgotten now.

Soundwave let his symbionts detach before getting comfortable in the berth. He earned some quiet solo time. Ravage waited till both his host and Laserbeak went offline and then sneaked out.

Eight vorns confinement in his creator's chassis made him crave for action.

Eradicons, whose memory banks were limited, have probably erased whatever info they had about him, so now there had been noticeable confusion as the technimal walked the corridors. When they stared at him too intently, Ravage bared his fangs. He didn't have to growl his way through them though as no one tried to stop him.

The feline found one ship console located low enough for him to use it and logged in using Soundwave's codes. It took him several clicks to find an energy signature he was looking for. All the way through the ship and to the lower deck.

He turned around the corner and nearly bumped into one mech he didn't expect to meet.

"So" - Megatron said, looking the feline over, - "The rumors _are_ true and you really _are_ with us again"

Ravage bowed his head, then moved forward to rub his head and neck against the warlord's knee in the feline greeting gesture. Megatron reached down to pet the cat. Out of all Soundwave's cassettes the warlord liked this one most. He valued Laserbeak for her invaluable recon abilities, but the surveillance drone was just too impersonal to actually like. Unlike the kitten.

Ravage moved under his palm, enjoying Megatron's EM field invasion into his own. Being Soundwave's oldest symbiont, Ravage couldn't stay unaffected by his host's ultimate longing for the gladiator. Not to the point of obsessing over him, but to the point where merging fields with him became enjoyable.

Following his instinct of mischief, Ravage carefully opened his link to Soundwave's hybernating mind, transmitting him the full feed. He purred, encouraging Megatron to pet him some more.

He figured, after suffering this long, his creator deserved at least one good dream.