Chapter Text
It’s awfully boring in G.H.O.S.T’s prison. A hallway of mostly empty cells awaiting decepticons to fill them. The current occupants are far from the cream of the crop of the former decepticon army. Soundwave can’t believe how many of the Decepticons were incompetent enough to actually get captured. Being in this prison is already getting under Soundwave’s plating, which makes him wonder how Starscream has been faring. He’s unsure how long Starscream has been festering and rotting in these barren cells but he’s certain Starscream has gotten more unhinged with time.
“So, Soundwave, how are you finding prison life?” Starscream asks through the translucent barrier dividing them.
Soundwave doesn’t humour him, opting to blankly stare at him.
“Personally, it’s not too bad. Sure, they feed us scraps of energon but it’s fun to see the humans squirm when we get too close to the barrier.”
Starscream enjoys the sound of his own voice, even more so because of his imprisonment. Soundwave is forced to listen to Starscream’s gravelly tone drone on and on about how drab his imprisonment has been until he faintly hears Megatron’s yelling outside of the prison.
That piques Soundwave’s interest.
Starscream finally shuts up, allowing Soundwave to try his best to hear the conversation outside. Soundwave watches the door in silent rage. Most mechs are well aware of the pure unbridled rage boiling inside him wherever Megatron’s involved.
The door of the prison opens, staying open as the G.H.O.S.T agents bring in their daily energon on a large cart. Soundwave barely gets a glimpse of Megatron as he’s surrounded by Optimus Prime and Elita-1, and he’s close to clawing out of his cell just to throw himself at them. (The G.H.O.S.T agents hastily skip his cell.)
All Soundwave can do is watch Megatron soften as their conversation goes on, Megatron accepting affection from Elita-1 and Optimus. He’s already gearing up to use his electromagnetic pulse to disrupt the barrier when he spots Optimus pulling in Megatron for a kiss with Elita joining in afterwards. The prison door closes before anything else occurs.
“Truly repulsive, isn’t it? Believe me, I’ve seen worse from them. Years upon years of seeing that stupid, traitorous grey block being showered with romantic affection by those two. Baffles me how they’re sooo… into him.” Starscream looks over to Soundwave who seems to be venting in anger. “Of course, you’d know what that’s like, wouldn’t you, Soundwave?”
Starscream is intentionally trying to anger him. Soundwave concludes that old habits die hard. He did not miss this habit at all.
Starscream seems to perk up with a mischievous glint in his optics. “Say, Soundwave. I do have to wonder if Megatron would feel the same way if you were happily cavorting around with another mech?”
Soundwave slowly turns to look at Starscream, who now has a shit-eating grin on his face.
“How about you and I pretend to date to piss off Megatron?”
…
“Have you gone insane while rotting away here?” It appears Starscream was more unhinged than he thought. Soundwave starts to rethink following Starscream’s plan.
“I see you haven’t grown a sense of humour since the last time I saw you. It’s a joke, or is laughter just not in your coding?”
“Ha. Ha. Ha.” The idea is ludicrous to Soundwave; someone who has never considered Starscream for anything – let alone as a romantic prospect – suddenly wooed by Starscream’s (lack of) charm and (lack of) wit was an unfathomable concept. The only thing humorous about it was its absurdity.
Starscream quietly snickers, finding Soundwave’s attempt at laughter pitiful. “However, I can’t imagine Megatron would be pleased to see his former beloved paramour in the arms of his least favourite Decepticon. Wouldn’t you say so, Soundwave?”
Megatron does hate Starscream. Unfortunately, Starscream has a point.
Luckily for Soundwave, he doesn’t have to admit it to Starscream’s smug face as the barriers of the cells fall and the Decepticons finally make their escape.