A blast tore through the upper scaffolding of an ancient building. It came down hard—just as Megatron charged through the rubble below.

“MEGATRON!” Soundwave shouted, out loud this time.

He leapt without thinking, sonic cannons disabled, armor scraping sparks as he tackled Megatron sideways, shielding him from the brunt of the fall.

They hit the ground together—hard.

Dust filled the air.

Soundwave’s arms were braced around Megatron, the warlord beneath him, optics wide with surprise.

“...You shielded me?” Megatron rasped.

Soundwave didn’t answer at first. Couldn’t. His mind was glitching, and not from the fall.

“I always do,” he said finally.

Megatron reached up—touched his arm. Not roughly. Not as a command.

Gently.

Soundwave’s core stuttered.

“You think I don’t know that?” Megatron said, low. “You think I don’t see you?”

Soundwave froze. This close, he could feel the pulse of Megatron’s core through his chest plating. His own spark raced.

“You could have ordered anyone to follow you into battle,” Soundwave said. “But you chose me. Why?”

Megatron stared up at him, optics burning.

“Because you never saw me as just a weapon,” he said. “And maybe... I don’t want to be.”

Silence.

Then Soundwave slowly stood, pulling Megatron up with him. His voice was flat, but his core trembled.

“I do not understand how to process this.”

“You’re not supposed to yet,” Megatron said, dusting debris off his armor. “But when you do... I’ll still be here.”

Soundwave didn’t reply. He couldn't.

This will be heavy on emotional tension, with an undercurrent of distrust — because Starscream’s motives are never entirely pure — but the interaction will force Soundwave to start forming his own conclusions.

Kaon’s skies were dark that cycle.

The aftermath of the battle still lingered in the streets — scorched plating, shattered optics, pools of energon drying into black. Decepticons moved like shadows through the debris, silent except for the occasional clang of metal against metal.

Soundwave stood alone in the comms tower, visor reflecting the dim glow of data screens. His systems ran diagnostics on the troops. His hands ran idle over controls he didn’t really need to adjust.

He was distracted.

Megatron’s words wouldn’t leave his processors.

You think I don’t see you? Stay long enough to find out.

The warlord’s voice still echoed in his mind, deeper than any recording, reaching a place Soundwave wasn’t sure he had the capacity to defend.

“Thinking too hard for a communications officer,” a smooth, mocking voice cut in from the shadows.

Soundwave didn’t turn immediately. “State your purpose, Starscream.”

The seeker stepped forward, smirking. His wings twitched like the tail of a smug animal. “Oh, no purpose at all. Just… curious. I couldn’t help noticing how close you’ve been keeping to our dear leader lately.”

Soundwave’s visor flared faintly. “Proximity: Tactical necessity.”

Starscream chuckled — a sharp, grating sound. “Tactical? Perhaps. But I know Megatron. He doesn’t keep anyone that close unless they’re useful.” He leaned in slightly. “Or unless he’s trying to own them.”

Soundwave’s fists tightened on the console. “Megatron values loyalty.”

“Megatron uses loyalty,” Starscream corrected. “You think you’re different, but I’ve seen it before. He’ll say what he needs to keep you exactly where he wants you.”

The words struck harder than Soundwave wanted to admit.

Starscream circled him like a predator testing for weakness. “If you believe he’s capable of love, you’re more naïve than I thought.” His tone softened slightly — still poisonous, but laced with a dangerous kind of honesty. “Megatron loves power. And if you mistake that for affection, you’ll lose more than your spark.”

Silence fell.

Starscream waited for a retort, but Soundwave simply turned away, his posture unreadable.

“Why tell me this?” he asked finally.

“Because,” Starscream said, stepping toward the door, “if Megatron is serious… it makes you dangerous. And if he’s not… it makes you pathetic. Either way, I’d like to know which it is.”

The door hissed shut behind him.

Soundwave stayed still, the hum of the consoles suddenly too loud in his audio receptors.

He replayed every word Megatron had spoken to him in the past cycle. Every glance. Every moment.

Starscream could be lying — twisting truths, planting doubts.

But what if he wasn’t?

Soundwave’s processor churned. He knew how to decode transmissions, detect falsified signals, break through encryption.

But decoding Megatron was proving harder than any code he’d ever cracked.

His visor dimmed, a flicker of conflict passing through him.

He would have to test Megatron’s words.

Not in battle. Not in the heat of loyalty.

But somewhere the warlord couldn’t hide behind the war.

And he intended to find out soon.