Chapter Text
If anyone had bothered to chart the mental health of the Decepticon base, the graph would have looked like a mess of jagged spikes and dips. Those could be linked to battle fatigue, grief, anger, fear and all of those colliding and overlapping in ways that no algorithm could smooth out. Except Soundwave did.
Not in number, not in reports of something you could put on a graph and call data. He tracked it the way musicians tracked rhythm. He felt it. just pure instinct and listening closely enough that the smallest discordant note stood out.
He heard it in the pitch of engine hums when mechs transformed. In the delay between a question and its answer. In the way static lingered a fraction too long on shared channels before someone spoke.
Right now, the base was tired. Soundwave could hear it in the way footsteps dragged just a fraction longer down the corridors. Just the way laughter came quickly but faded just as fast. Victory three cycles ago had been costly and the emotional hangover lingered like static after a bad transmission.
A lot of Decepticons had to get repaired. The Medbay still carried the faint, metallic scent of overworked welders and burned circuitry. Even the lights in the main hallways seemed dimmer, though that was just his projection.
So Soundwave adjusted the beat.
‘’Alright, my glorious war surfers.’’ His voice rolled smoothly through the base wide channel, warm and bright with an upbeat tone. ‘’Status check! Drink some energon, stretch those servo’s and remember; you’re still standing, which means you’re doing awesome!’’
A few groans answered him along with a couple of laughs. And there was one enthusiastic cheer from Frenzy that echoed too loudly.
Someone muttered. ‘’Primus save us’’, but they were smiling when they said it. Another actually stretched. A few soldier re-routed their course towards the energon dispensers.
Soundwave smiled. He stood in the main room, new armour plating catching the light as mechs passed by. The earth material gleamed differently than Cybertronian alloys. It was less angular and more organic in its curving’s. It fit him well. He liked how it felt.
‘’It looks good on you.’’ Starscream said, circling Soundwave like a critic inspecting a sculpture. ‘’I’m glad my designs worked out.’’
Soundwave glanced down at himself, then back up. ‘’Aww thank you. I’ve got to admit. I pull it off. Very heroic protector of the little guys vibes.’’
Starscream smiled. ‘’Yeah, along with your new altmode, you should fit right in on earth.’’
Soundwave posed. ‘’Thank you thank you. I’ll rock polka dots if it would make the humans feel safer.’’
Starscream paused, then clicked his tongue. ‘’You are impossible.’’
‘’Just for you.’’ Soundwave replied smoothly.
From across the concourse, Frenzy and Rumble were already contemplating their next move. Soundwave caught their eye and lifted his servos to make a little finger gun gesture. They straightened up immediately. ‘’You two have a mission coming up?’’ Soundwave asked, to which they nodded. ‘’Well good luck! Safe some of that chaos for us too.’’
‘’Yes!’’ Frenzy pumped a fist.
Rumble nodded along. ‘’We’re going to rock them boss.’’
‘’I know you will.’’ Soundwave said warmly. ‘’Just remember to stick with each other and in formation. You hit them harder together.’’ They beamed like he’d personally knighted them.
Just like that, their nervous anticipation smoothed into a more focused excitement. Soundwave filed that away too.
A presence loomed behind Soundwave. It always felt like heavy, familiar and carrying a weigh that had nothing to do with armour mass. Megatron stood silently, optics dimmer than usual.
Soundwave didn’t turn right away. He didn’t call unnecessary attention to it. He simply shifted his stance, angling himself so Megatron was included in the flow of conversation without being put on the spot.
‘’Boss.’’ Soundwave said eventually, softer now in the private channel between them. ‘’You’re looking a little stormy today.’’
Megatron exhaled slowly. ‘’Losses weigh heavily today.’’
‘’They do.’’ Soundwave agreed. Megatron didn’t want platitudes or forced optimism from him. ‘’Doesn’t mean you’re weak for feeling it.’’
Megatron optics flicked toward him. ‘’I don’t know how you’re doing it.’’
Soundwave chuckled quietly. Megatron had always been impressed by his endless optimistic and hopeful outlook. ‘’I just do. Gotta look forward.’’ Soundwave didn’t say for you. Megatron didn’t need to know that.
Megatron straightened slightly. ‘’You presence really lifts up the ranks you know. They always feel more relaxed when you’re here.’’
‘’Happy to ride that wave.’’ Soundwave said easily. ‘’You don’t gotta shoulder it solo. That’s bad for the joints.’’
Megatron huffed what might almost have been amusement. The tension in his posture eased. Megatron nodded once, having been successfully reassured.
The mission briefing went smoothly. Starscream delivered intel with good detail, Shockwave had the analysis of it and Soundwave filled in the gaps with clarifying routes, boosting confidence and smoothing tensions when arguments threatened to spark.
When it ended, some tended to stay. They lingered. That was another thing Soundwave noticed. People drifted toward him after briefings and tough situations for reassurance. Especially when something when wrong. Buzzsaw hovered nearby, wings flapping unevenly. Soundwave caught the discordant frequency instantly.
‘’Hey.’’ Soundwave said, leaning closer. ‘’What is rattling your speakers Buzz?’’
Buzzsaw hesitated. ‘’I…in my last attack. I misjudged an approach angle and nearly got my wings clipped.’’
Soundwave nodded, listening to the full story. ‘’But you didn’t. You adapted to the new situation.’’
‘’I shouldn’t need to.’’ Buzzsaw muttered.
‘’Dude.’’ Soundwave said gently. ‘’War is a remix of violence. You learn, you adjust and then fly smarter next run. That’s how life goes.’’
Buzzsaw lighted up. ‘’You really think so?’’
‘’I don’t blow static just for myself.’’
Buzzsaw let out a low sound of relief. ‘’Thanks Soundwave.’’
As Buzzsaw moved off, Frenzy walked over. ‘’Soundwave! Did you see when-‘’
‘’I did, little man.’’ Soundwave laughed. ‘’Ten out of ten.’’
Rumble chimed in, eyes bright. ‘’Yeah, we’re ready. Totally ready.’’
‘’I know.’’ Soundwave said, resting a hand briefly on each of their shoulder. ‘’Just remember, you don’t have to prove anything. You are already good enough.’’
They froze. Then Frenzy grinned. ‘’You always say that.’’
‘’Because it is always true.’’
They ran off, their energy focused on something new. Soundwave turned and nearly collided with Ravage. Ravage stood close with optics bright, attentive and a little bit demanding. Soundwave smiled down at her. He knew what she wanted.
Soundwave reached out without thinking, fingers brushing the top of Ravage’s head. It was an absent gesture that grounded both of them when they talked about everything and nothing.
The hanger was a mess. Crates needed moving, weapons needed recalibration and someone had misrouted the energon again. Soundwave took one look and rolled his metaphorical sleeves up. The Constructicons would be in charge of the hanger this week. And it looked like they needed all the help they could get.
‘’Alright.’’ He called. ‘’Let’s get this shop organized.’’
He helped lift crates. He rerouted power lines while chatting casual conversation. He listened to Long Haul complain about the battle they had and to Scrapper vent about the close call he had while realigning the energon.
‘’Soundwave, you don’t have to-‘’ Scrapper started.
‘’It’s cool.’’ Soundwave said easily. ‘’I’ve got this. You deserve some rest with all the hard work you’ve done today.’’
He hoisted another crate, which was heavier than it looked. It put a subtle strain along his newly reinforced shoulder plates. He made a mental note about it. His frame must still be adjusting.
By the time everything was sorted, his internal clock warned him it was already late. Nothing he couldn’t handle.
Starscream found him later leaning against a console, adjusting comm frequencies. ‘’You’re still working?’’ He asked.
Soundwave glanced up. ‘’Yeah, I guess man.’’
Starscream folded his arms. ‘’You should go to sleep.’’
Soundwave waved him off. ‘’Nah, I’m not that tired yet. Can I help you with something?’’
Starscream studied him for a long moment, optics lingering on the new armour plating. He stepper closer, tapping lightly against one of the plate segments near Soundwave’s upper arm. ‘’You really like the new design?’’
‘’Yeah.’’ Soundwave said sincerely. ‘’It feels right. Like a special earth upgrade.’’
‘’As long as you like it.’’ Starscream smiled. ‘’I didn’t need anything. Just making my last rounds before going to berth. I better hear you going to sleep soon.’’
Soundwave gave him a mock salute. ‘’Sir yes sir.’’
Later that cycle, Soundwave finally returned to his quarters. He powered down nonessential systems, but left his comms half-open, more out of habit than necessity. He needed to be reachable. Someone might need him.
He replayed the day in his head. It was a tough battle, but after it they had laughed, relaxed and recovered. The base’s noise softened as recharge began to take him. Soundwave smiled faintly.
He loved listening to the steady rhythm of the base. As long as he could keep everyone else standing and going, everything would be fine. They would shuffle one more inch to victory. He would make sure everyone would still hope.
Because what was a war without it?