A Meeting of Many (and Orion has it bad for Megatronous).
[Rewritten 8/NOV/2024]
"Orion, this is Soundwave," Megatronous introduced with a wave of his servo.
To Soundwave's surprise, Orion Pax perked up with a warm smile. "It's lovely to meet you! I've heard plenty about you, the mech that rose the Pit ranks in record time! I've wanted to meet you for a long time!"
Megatronous tilted his helm, optics squinting in his amusement. Expectedly, Orion also knew her as a mech. Soundwave nodded in greeting and wanting to play along with his perception, used splices of audio she had collected.
"Hello~lovely to meet you~Orion Pax," she used Orion and Megatronous's voices.
Orion beamed, a grin splitting across his face. "Could I ask some questions later, once the rally's over?"
Soundwave, unable to help the flustered feeling at his admiration, nodded. "If that's~what you~wish~ Soundwave~have no problem with that."
Megatronous chuckled, he knew her well to realise she was playing into the mech role everyone believed her to be. She was having fun! Could you blame her?
Soundwave listened as Megatronous passionately spoke to the gathered masses. Femmes and mechs alike. Long fledged and newly fledged. Bots from all sorts of walks of life within Kaon were here. The turnout far more than Soundwave had originally calculated. It was…amazing to put it lightly.
Reasonably, she knew Megatronous had been making waves. It was no secret about the state of Cybertron. But it had always been spoken about in hushed tones.
Iacon's enforcement would have long put an end to something like this. Kaon had little in the way of enforcers; even then, they never bothered with the shadier crimes. Murder could be easily gotten away with here. The Pit is just a single but large example, it was a dubiously legal type of murder. Laws were lax here.
If enough people in Kaon protested, if they got enough attention, then the Council could not deny them a meeting. But they were a long way from that still.
Wandering around the outside of the crowd, Soundwave spotted some familiar faces from the Pit. Twins, Sunsteaker and Sideswipe. They were watching Megatronous.
She approached and Sideswipe beamed. "Soundwave!"
Waving a servo, Soundwave greeted them. "Hello~Sideswipe~Sunstreaker~how are you both doing?"
"As well as we can," Sunstreaker grunted, pushing off the pillar he was leant against. "Megatronous sure is vehement about change."
"Megatronous~wants what is~best for~Kaon's~people," Soundwave's smile was hidden. "Wants~people to~acknowledge how~this way~of life~isn't sustainable. Cybertron is~only~getting worse."
"You can say that again," Sideswipe agreed.
They watched as the crowd cheered as Megatronous' speech came to an end.
"Can't help but wonder just how this'll turn out," Sunstreaker vented. "This isn't the first attempt at change."
That was true but Soundwave knows Megatronous has what it takes.
The rally had long since ended, and the few stragglers were finally heading off as Orion Pax approached Soundwave with his curious questions. By the time they were coming to a close, there were only five other bots remaining.
"My condolence for how you got involved," Orion Pax had visibly dimmed when Soundwave explained why 'he' had gotten wound up with the Pits. There was no point in lying so she had just told the truth—a trio of gladiators thought they could force themselves onto her or something along those lines, and Soundwave took them down for it.
Soundwave shrugged. "Happened a long time ago~cannot change what has happened~have made friends~doing this~and have had fun~so not everything is~negative."
Orion Pax smiled. "I'm glad you found companionship. Megatronous said you became good friends."
Soundwave nodded. "Megatronous~has a~good~sense~of humour. Knows the trouble of~living in Kaon~and~sympathetic to those less fortunate. Soundwave~admires~those traits."
She did. Seeing him so passionate about the state of their world was enough to encourage Soundwave to stand behind him as best she could in her current position. There was no denying she had to be careful about how she was involved. She worked at the High Pavilion after all. She would be identified immediately. But her anonymity helped her. She was a technician; she had unparalleled knowledge of computers and systems. There was little she could not do if she put her processor to it.
"Yeah," Orion's smile shifted into something…softer? Soundwave wasn't quite sure as to what. "He's great, isn't he?"
~Think he likes Megatronous?~ Lazerbeak quipped.
Oh.Oh. She hadn't thought about that. Maybe?
Hesitantly, Soundwave reached out, skimming those top thoughts harmlessly. The only reason she doesn't fluster is because of her peak control over her expression. Holy frag, Orion had it hard.
~Told you~ Lazerbeak smugly chimed.
~Oh hush~ Soundwave rebuked. ~Did you think I would pick up on something like that naturally? Me?~
~…Point taken~