Archive of Our Own

Soundwave stood in the throne room, facing his leader, who had summoned him with what Soundwave had assumed would be a new mission.

That assumption had been utterly incorrect.

“Soundwave: does not understand?”

The warlord sighed, as though this conversation was gravely inconvenient.

“I said, take the rest of the day off, Soundwave. Please do not make me repeat myself again,” he said, dragging a servo down his face.

Instead of lingering to contemplate what could possibly be going on in his leader’s mind, Soundwave decided it was best to listen. Megatron did not like to be questioned, even by him.

“As you wish, my lord.”

Megatron nodded in dismissal, and Soundwave turned to leave the throne room.

He had nearly reached the door when Megatron spoke again.

“Enjoy your day, Soundwave.”

Soundwave turned and nodded once more before continuing.

The request seemed abrupt, but one thing Soundwave knew about his leader was that he did nothing without reason. From what he could sense in Megatron’s field, there was only a bit of thinly veiled concern, but nothing that contradicted his words.

What exactly had Soundwave done to warrant this?

He did not think he had been off his game lately.

He walked toward his habsuite while going over his performance from the last few months. He could always search the mech’s mind for his motivations, but something stopped him. The thought of disappointing Megatron was not a pleasant one. He did not want to confirm if any of his speculations held true.

He reached the door to his habsuite and lightly thudded his helm against it before pressing his thumb to the keypad. The doors slid open, permitting entrance.

He dismissed his worries. If his performance had been lacking, Megatron would have said so. Plus, it wasn’t as though he actually planned to take the day off anyway. He doubted Megatron truly expected him to either.

He would humor his leader by staying in his hab, but he fully intended to sit behind the surveillance terminal he had installed and watch the cameras until he either offlined from boredom or the Autobots came along and gave them a reason to get off their afts.

He could also use the time to catch up on some much-needed recharge. It was not as though he needed to be consciously online to monitor the cameras.

He was not particularly tired, though.

He sat down at the terminal and slumped into the chair, staring blankly at the screen instead of turning it on.

He hadn’t had a true break since arriving on Earth. It had been raids, fights with the Autobots, more raids, and then more fights with the Autobots ever since they’d awakened from stasis. And lately, perhaps he had been pushing himself harder than usual. The last two raids had failed, and though it had not been solely his fault, Soundwave had spent countless nights making sure the next one went according to plan.

He sure wasn’t planning on taking any breaks, but maybe he should take advantage of this.

He just had no idea what he could even do to occupy himself

Suddenly feeling somewhat pitiful, he searched his memory for activities he had once used to pass the time before arriving on Earth.

When things slowed down, he would usually spend time with the cassettes. That wasn’t an option now, though, as they were out on a mission of their own.

He had at one point used his outlier for entertainment. Using his outlier in his early days was extremely stressful, but he always found it fascinating hearing the many casual comments and thoughts mechs didn’t say out loud.

Listening to the thoughts and emotions of those aboard the Nemesis was not something he wanted to do right now, especially not when mechs were hungry and irritable.

He slumped further at the thought.

Aside from that, it just wasn’t something he did anymore. Experience had taught him that some thoughts were best kept private.

It had been a sufficient cure to boredom, though.

He propped an arm on the chair, resting his helm against his fist.

Boredom was his primary issue now, but soon, without distraction, ignoring the constant barrage of thoughts and emotions aboard the Nemesis would become impossible. 

He couldn’t truly turn his outlier off. He could only focus on muting or isolating specific lines of thought, which was extremely tedious. He had obviously been living with his outlier long enough to know how to control it, but it was always easier when he had something, or someone, to focus on. And he had neither at the moment.

He needed to find a distraction.

He sighed, tilting his head back and letting his optics cycle off.

Back on Cybertron, he had people within his circle who didn’t mind him using his outlier on them. The cassettes had always been there to lend their thoughts to him, as they still did to this day. Megatron had been one of those mechs, his thoughts loud and powerful, guiding Soundwave whenever his mind began to drift. Megatron had said Soundwave could traverse his mind as he pleased, for there was nothing to hide, not from his “advisor and most loyal soldier.” And yet… Soundwave found himself doing so less and less these days.

He’d had jazz back then as well. The saboteur had been a distraction in every sense: his extensive off-world knowledge, his love and talent for music, and the constant motion of his thoughts, always racing a hundred miles a minute. Soundwave had found it… enjoyable. He had liked working with him, liked being able to see a mind as cunning and intelligent as his own. Though now, standing on opposite sides of the war, the memories of his old companion felt a little painful to recall.

Not wanting to spend any more time thinking about his now enemy, Soundwave continued his pondering. 

After a moment, another name surfaced. 

Shockwave.

He let his optics cycle back open, though he continued staring at the ceiling, slowly drumming his fingers against the chair’s armrests.

He certainly had not forgotten the mech, but it had been a while since he crossed his mind.

That thought made him feel a bit uneasy.

As much as he wanted to examine that feeling further, he knew he should not be spending his time dwelling on others in this way, as if these mechs were not still in his life.

Even if he found himself questioning Megatron’s methods more often, the warlord had not abandoned him; he was still here. The cassettes were spending more time away from him as they grew comfortable with independent missions, but they were still here.

Jazz… jazz was still around.

And Shockwave… was also still around.

If one would count being on a different planet as “around.”

He was alive, that’s what mattered. 

He sat and stared at the ceiling for a few more moments before finally sitting up and turning on the terminal.

As much as he tried to focus, his mind kept drifting back, lingering on the mech who had not occupied his thoughts in ages.

The Decepticons on Earth had been able to make contact with the scientist sometime after their arrival, not very stable contact, but contact nonetheless.

He flicked through screens absentmindedly, stopping when an idea occurred to him.

The day they’d made contact with Shockwave, the strongest emotion he’d felt had been relief. Things had gone according to plan. Shockwave stayed behind to monitor Cybertron. The mission continued.

He never really took time to think about the mechs’ absence beyond how many of his duties Hook and the other constructicons would be able to take over. There had been way too much demanding their attention way too soon. New, unfamiliar terrain; concerns about fuel; the Autobots; the humans. 

Right now, all he has is time to think.

And he was thinking of doing something a bit impulsive.

The last time they’d spoken had been… far too long ago. He didn’t think anything had gone wrong. Shockwave was extraordinarily capable. Despite this, he couldn’t stop himself from wondering what Shockwave was up to while he was here on Earth, with nothing but his own thoughts to occupy himself.

He looked at the blank monitor, white light illuminating his faceplate.

This system was mostly used for surveillance, but it had other capabilities.

Anything that could be done on the Nemesis main communication hub could be done here. 

He pulled up the comm frequency they had used the last time they contacted Shockwave. watching as the numbers blinked back at him.

Suddenly, he felt self-conscious.

It wasn’t as though he needed an excuse. In addition to being the third in command, he was in charge of any and all communications.

Contacting a subordinate required no justification.

So why did he feel like he would be wasting the other mech’s time?

He stared up at the screen for a few seconds more before he pressed call.

He knew that if he sat here going over reasons or justifications, the day would end and the moment would truly be gone; overthinking was a waste of time.

However, as he sat and listened to the dial tone, he did just that.

For other reasons.

Because, as apprehensive as he was feeling, if Shockwave did not pick up at all, there was a whole new reason to start stressing.

Spark spinning a little faster in his chest at the thought, he almost jumped when the screen fizzed and the call connected.

The first thing he noticed was how clear the feed was compared to their last call. This one had clearly been taken from whatever space Shockwave was currently using as a laboratory. Long tables stretched across the room, crowded with beakers, data pads, and what looked like containment pods filled with liquid.

Before he could take in anything else, the mech himself stepped into view.

Soundwave couldn’t quite place the feeling that settled in his chest at the sight.

“Soundwave,” the mech spoke, tilting his helm slightly. “It has been a while. I was not expecting a call from you. 

Instead of responding immediately, he took a second to examine the mech’s appearance. The same deep purple plating. The same bright yellow optic. The same calm, unreadable blank stare. He looked well, a positive indicator. The fuel situation on Cybertron was likely stable, at least for now.

Soundwave nodded finally, acknowledging the mech’s comment.

“What is it you wish to discuss?” Asked Shockwave after a beat.

He’d almost forgotten how straight to the point the mech could be.

“Soundwave: Curious… about the current state of Cybertron.”

Soundwave watched as one of the mechs’ pauldrons twitched, blank expression unchanging.

“I am scheduled to provide updates every solar cycle,” Shockwave said. “Is there a reason you are contacting me earlier?”

…Ah.

During their initial reestablished contact, he and the rest of High Command agreed to reach out for updates every solar cycle, approximately once every 1.5 Earth years. That was, unless something came up or Shockwave reached out himself. Of course, an early call would cause concern.

Already imagining the mech hanging up on him for taking too long to speak, he rushed to find something to say.

“Soundwave… conducting early report.”

A pause followed.

Shockwave’s gaze seemed to sharpen,  or perhaps flatten further? Soundwave could not determine which.

“Understood,” Shockwave replied at last. “Currently, there is no change in the planet’s lack of energy; however, I was able to locate a few untapped energon reservoirs-”

Soundwave deflated slightly in relief, nodding along to show he was listening.

As the mech spoke, he found himself thinking not only of how embarrassing that was, but also of how much he wanted to brush against Shockwave’s mind again, the way he used to.

Soundwave knew his limits, yet he found himself wondering if his outlier could work in this moment. He’d certainly never tried before, but he really wanted to right now. Shockwave was way out of his range, but maybe he concentrated hard enough-

“Soundwave?”

He refocused, realizing he had been squinting in concentration.

“Apologies,” he said, cringing internally, “please repeat.”

Shockwave regarded him silently again before continuing.

“Elita-One and her forces are present on Cybertron. I had assumed they had not survived the last battle, or had somehow made it to Earth after the other autobots.”

Soundwave paused.

That was definitely not good news.

His first instinct was to begin planning how to deal with them, but what could Soundwave do for him from down here? He’d have to speak to Megatron about this.

“Shockwave: has plans?”

“Of course,” he responded confidently. 

He began to go on about what exactly he planned to do, and Soundwave listened as he slipped back into his own thoughts again.

His slipups were not surprising to him. Shockwave had always been a mech he respected, one he held a small, unusual amount of interest in. He didn’t know what it was, but there was always something about the other mech that made Soundwave have to think harder than he usually did about his words or actions. Also, the two of them had ever been really close. At least not in the usual sense…

In the beginning, back when he and Megatron were still recruiting, he had read Shockwave’s mind just like he did with all the others. He needed to know their true motivations and whether they could be trusted. Shockwave’s pledge for loyalty had been genuine, but in his mind, Soundwave had found that a lot of his motivation centered around funding for his numerous projects. This had concerned Soundwave, but Megatron insisted they needed someone with his expertise. Soundwave had simply resolved to keep an optic on him. 

He remembered afterwards how the mech had approached him, declaring that he could feel Soundwave “prodding at his mind,” and asked him if he was feeling what he thought he was. Unsure how to respond, Soundwave’s first instinct had been to ignore the inquiry entirely. Drawing attention to his outlier rarely ended well. Yet… he hadn’t.

Just like now, he had not known how to respond, or rather, he hadn’t known what response Shockwave was looking for.

Why he cared so much, he did not know.

“Intent: not malicious,” he had replied.

Shockwave had only stared, his expression not revealing whether he believed him.

“Hm, well, I find it fascinating,” the scientist had said. “Is there a reason I am aware of it? Is that intentional? Is it based on range? Electromagnetic proximity?”

Soundwave had not known the answer to any of those questions. Being suddenly struck with the revelation that his outlier could be “felt” and the growing intensity of the mech’s lone optic, he had struggled with getting out a response.

“Soundwave: unsure.”

He remembered Shockwave’s pauldrons had twitched thoughtfully.

“Hm. Outliers remain underresearched, particularly those involving neural interfacing. Data is scarce. Direct observation would be… beneficial. It is only logical that you continue to use my mind for research; feel free to do so.”

And with that, he had nodded and walked away.

As unsettling as that first interaction had been, Soundwave had accepted the offer. 

From Shockwave’s mind, he learned the limits of his own. His outlier was indeed restricted by range; it was easier to hear Shockwave’s thoughts depending on his location.  He learned that it was, in fact, the touching of E.M. fields that allowed anyone to “feel” his outlier. He still didn’t completely understand that, but he had learned quickly to start pulling his field in.

He also learned that the thoughts of some were relatively louder than those of others, independent of proximity and the meshing of E.M. fields. Mechs like Megatron and Starscream had thoughts that were harder to ignore and easier to zero out. In contrast, he had to concentrate a bit more to find and focus on Shockwaves. They were not quiet by any means, but a bit subdued, easily getting drowned out by others.

He had also, on a different note, found that Shockwave’s mind was quite calming. It was quite odd to find a mind he was comfortable with constantly visiting as much as the cassettes. 

Eventually, Soundwave found himself reaching for that presence whenever he found himself unoccupied. Despite this, the number of physical interactions they had did not grow. Shockwave remained buried in his lab, and Soundwave remained occupied with keeping the Decepticons afloat.

He never thought much about it before, but now he found that fact kind of upsetting.

He did not know how to talk to the other.

That had to explain the way he was feeling now.

“Soundwave.”

His helm snapped up at the sound of his name.

“Is everything alright?”

Not trusting his voice, Soundwave simply nodded.

Shockwave stared at him again, longer this time, in the way he always did when he was assessing something. 

Before he could think of something to say to prove he was fine, Shockwave spoke again.

“Hmm. Well, perhaps you could tell me about things on Earth,” Shockwave said. “I must say I find the planet intriguing.”

Soundwave took a moment to compose himself before speaking.

He could talk about Earth; that was easy.

Stopping for a moment to think, he decided to start with what was easiest to talk about.

“Current source of energon sufficient. Deposits located on Earth.”

“Energon on Earth?” Shockwave’s optic brightened slightly, the first real spark of emotion in his voice.

“Affirmative.”

Shockwave leaned forward a fraction.

“Energon safe for consumption?”

Soundwave nodded.

“Affirmative. Hook determined energon safe. filtration required.”

“Fascinating,” he paused, “how is he performing in my absence?”

“Hook: managing.”

As someone who constantly managed multiple responsibilities, he held a quiet respect for the medic. Hook and the other Constructicons were engineers first; Hook himself specialized in medicine, yet he now functioned as medic, lead engineer, and acting scientist in Shockwave’s absence. Even with his gestalt, it was a considerable burden. He was, in fact, managing as best he could.

Though he had not intended it as humor, Shockwave clearly found something amusing, letting out a short huff that could only be interpreted as a laugh.

Soundwave stilled, momentarily caught off guard.

Had he ever heard Shockwave laugh before?

Not wanting to linger on just how he felt about the sound, he moved on.

“Earth’s organisms: vast. Levels of sentience: vary. The Autobots have begun close interaction with those designated ‘humans.’”

“Humans?” he said, tilting his head

Soundwave nodded.

“Organic lifeforms, Flesh creatures.” 

Shockwave scoffed softly, leaning back again. “Of course, the Autobots would collaborate with lesser organic beings. In what capacity do they assist?”

“Soundwave unsurre”

He kept general surveillance on the Autobot-human alliances, but Megatron had dismissed them as strategically insignificant. As a result, Soundwave’s data remained limited.

“What of the planet’s other organisms?” asked Shockwave. Quickly moving on.

His thoughts immediately drifted to his favorite Earth creature, but he dismissed it just as quickly. Shockwave would likely deem such a preference illogical. Still… he had not reacted in such a way yet.

“Soundwave: favors elephants,” he said coolly.

Shockwave’s optic narrowed slightly.

“Elephants? What do these creatures do?”

Well, they didn’t really do anything… Soundwave just found the creatures interesting. 

“They are… large. Highly intelligent. Social.”

Shockwave simply nodded.

“Maybe they can be used in the same capacity as the humans,” he said, tilting his head.

Soundwave doubted that.

Before he could continue, Shockwave spoke again.

“How is the atmosphere? Does it consist of any corrosive agents? I understand it is habitable, but… your plating appears dull.”

Soundwave paused, fighting the urge to look down at himself.

Did it?

He had never been one to fuss over his appearance, but he would not be surprised if Shockwave’s words rang true.

Residing in a ship surrounded by water and moisture did nothing good for mechanical beings.

“Decepticon living arrangements: not optimal.”

Shockwave’s expression flattened again, both pauldrons shifting back.

“I am unfamiliar with your exact circumstances,” he said, already thinking aloud, “but I could draft a base design if you provide available materials. A more suitable environment should improve maintenance efficiency–”

Soundwave listened as Shockwave continued, but his thoughts wandered.

It almost sounded as though the mech was… concerned. About his condition?

The thought was almost amusing. If anyone needed worrying, it wasn’t Soundwave.

Soundwave was here, surrounded by his fellow deceptions, while Shockwave remained alone on Cybertron.

It had to be lonely up there.

Perhaps… he would appreciate Earth. Soundwave found himself wanting to show it to him, to observe his reactions, to hear his thoughts in real time.

Why hadn’t he tried to speak with the other more when he had the chance?

“-With my current project, it would not take long,” Shockwave finished.

Deciding not to push that last thought away as he did with the rest, he refocused on the conversation.

“Current project?”

“Yes. I am working on something significant.” He gestured as he spoke. “A bridge.”

Soundwave listened, intrigue growing.

“A device that would allow travel between two fixed points using coordinates.” Said, Shockwave gesturing with his hands.

“Of course, I would need to speak with Hook. Two source points would be required,” Shockwave continued. “If successful, travel between Cybertron and Earth will become possible.”

Soundwave was struck silent by the news that the mech had just dropped so casually.

Not only would that give them access to Cybertron again, but–

“I would also be able to come to Earth. I am very interested in seeing a planet capable of supporting Cybertronian life,” Shockwave added.

Soundwave didn’t even try to stop the thoughts this time. The idea of seeing Shockwave again excited him. He wanted so badly to speak with him properly, like they never had before.

He wanted to touch his mind again, see if it was the same, see if it gave him the same feeling it had before.

And knowing Shockwave, it would not take him long to bring this idea to fruition.

Shockwave was intelligent.

He would see Earth. They would see each other again. Soundwave was sure of it.

“Shockwave… incredible,” he said, not bothering to hide his sincerity.

Shockwave stilled, optic brightening faintly.

“Well… yes. I will present the concept at the next stellar cycle meeting. Development has only recently begun.”

“Soundwave: looking forward to next update.” he could feel the corners of his visor crinkle.

At this, Shockwave paused and looked off to the side, his posture shifting slightly.

“Your enthusiasm… is appreciated. The bridge will be finished.”

Shockwave faced the camera once again, pauldrons lying flat.

“Unfortunately, though, I must get back to my work.”

Oh…

Well, he hadn’t expected them to stay on the call forever. 

“Soundwave.”

He refocused on the screen.

Shockwave’s expression seemed softer.

“I have ensured this line is secure. The connection remains stable on your end, yes?”

Soundwave nodded.

A pause stretched between them.

“If… you become ‘curious’ again,” Shockwave said knowingly, “you may call. I will answer.”

There was another pause.

“Soundwave: will do so. Yes.”

Shockwave nods, pauldrons standing straight up again.

“Until next time, Soundwave.”

“Until next time, Shockwave.”

Soundwave watched the screen fizzle out and go black.

The first thing he noticed was how quiet the room seemed, how it seemed quieter than before. He could hear the inner workings of the Nemesis, distant creaks, the low hum of machinery.

The second thing he noticed was how close he had been leaning toward the screen.

He stared at the blank monitor a moment longer before leaning back in the chair, letting his helm rest against the back as he looked up at the ceiling. 

Soundwave was… unsure of how he felt.

Though ending the call left him with a twinge of disappointment, he was glad he had called at all despite his earlier hesitation. He’d found a good distraction after all. He was also fairly confused by the feeling it had left him with.

One thing, however, was clear: every line of thought seemed to circle back to the same conclusion.

He wanted to speak with Shockwave again.

He doesn’t think he’d ever thought about Shockwave this much before. Doesn’t think he’s ever thought of anyone this much before, at least not in this manner.

If Soundwave had tried to speak with him more back on Cybertron, would they have been closer?

Would Shockwave have welcomed it?

He remembered how Shockwave would always ask about anything new he’d learned about his outlier whenever they saw each other. Soundwave had always answered, though reluctantly. Even though he never sensed any malicious intent, he remained wary of the mech’s interest. It had always felt as though Shockwave was gathering information for some reason Soundwave couldn’t identify.

Could they have grown closer if Soundwave stopped for a second to think that maybe the mech didn’t have some ulterior motive Soundwave couldn’t find in his mind?

It sure seemed like he at least didn’t hate talking to Soundwave just now.

And he didn’t know what Shockwave meant by “if you get curious again,” didn’t know if Shockwave knew that Soundwave being “curious” was just a flimsy excuse.

But he did know that he’d said he’d pick up if Soundwave did call. 

Did that mean Shockwave wanted him to call? 

He didn’t want to take that and run with it, but he couldn’t help the giddy feeling that began to flutter in his chest.

Because all evidence suggested Shockwave actually wanted to talk to him.

He could probably make time to call again tomorrow, then he’d know for sure.

…No. Tomorrow might be too soon.

What excuse would he even use? He couldn’t ask about the bridge again so quickly.

Did he even need an excuse?

The sound of the door sliding open snapped him from the thought.

He turned in his chair to see Ravage enter with the twins following behind her.

“Hey, boss!” Frenzy called.

“Have you been in here all day? How lame,” Rumble added.

“Yeah, Megatron said you’d have off, you know, mechs usually find something to do on off days,” said Frenzy.

Ravage simply jumped up onto the berth, getting comfortable.

Soundwave quickly checked his internal clock, noting that the day was nearly over. 

“Soundwave: is doing something,” he said matter-of-factly

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Rumble said, flopping dramatically onto the berth.

He was gonna turn back around when he noticed Ravage staring at him.

He paused to stare back, waiting to see if she was gonna say anything.

“You didn’t notice us coming?” She asked.

Soundwave paused again.

He would usually know they were close because the volume and sharpness of their thoughts increased. He didn’t know how Ravage was able to tell that he was a bit caught off guard, but he couldn’t help being a bit proud of her ability despite being caught.

Obviously, he was a bit distracted by other things, so he had not heard them coming.

Instead of just saying so, he suddenly felt like he had something to hide, so instead of answering, he turned back toward the terminal, only to realize Shockwave’s comm frequency was still displayed on the screen.

“Whoa, who ya calling boss?” said Rumble.

He could still feel Ravage watching him.

Without responding, Soundwave quickly switched the display over to surveillance cameras.

“Hey, don’t ignore me!”

“Yeah, don’t ignore him!”

“I recognize that number”, Ravage thought intentionally loud.

Soundwave stilled himself

He had never spoken to them about Shockwave, or about the nature of their interactions. 

Ravage, however, was observant. She had made comments before, suggestions that they had “something going on.”

Soundwave always refuted her claims because they didn’t have anything “going on.” he truly had no idea what that even meant, but he knew she would take this as some sort of confirmation.

Not wanting to deal with what he would eventually have to, he sought to change the conversation.

“Where are Laserbeak and Buzzsaw?” Soundwave asked smoothly.

The twins’ attention shifted instantly.

“Those two geeks are hanging out with the Seekers again,” Frenzy said.

He was still unsure whether that should concern him, so he decided not to dwell on it.

“How was the mission?” 

He listened to rumble and Frenzy go on about their days while he watched the cameras.

“So how’s Shockwave doing?” asked Ravage suddenly.

Soundwave tilted his helm back toward the ceiling, cycling his optics off for a moment.

Both twins gasped.

“Wait! One eye?”

“Whoa, that’s who you were talking to?!”

Before Soundwave decided how, or if, he intended to answer, an alert flashed across the camera feed.

He looked back down at the cameras tiredly.

Autobots.

“Aw, come on!” Rumble groaned. Coming up beside him to get a better look.

Soundwave pinched the bridge of his nose, already sending alerts to Megatron and Starscream as he stood.

Well, Soundwave had predicted this. At least he’d gotten to do something productive.

As they moved toward the throne room, Ravage spoke again.

“So… what did you two talk about?”

“Oh yeah,” the twins echoed immediately.

Soundwave sighed internally. Of course, they weren’t going to let it go.

They were only acting like this because he told them everything. Keeping it to himself was only making things seem more suspicious. 

“Shockwave: told Soundwave about Cybertron.” “Soundwave: told Shockwave about Earth,” he said simply.

“Yeah, and what about Cybertron!?” said Rumble as he ran to walk in front of him.

“Did you tell him about the humans!?” said Frenzy, doing the same.

Ravage walked alongside him silently, presumably keeping her questions to herself for now.

“Cybertron’s condition: still not optimal,” he said with a pinch of sadness. He obviously missed his home.

“Soundwave: told Shockwave about humans,” he paused, “and the elephants.” He added.

Frenzy laughed, “You should totally send him pictures, boss.”

“Yeah, those guys are so funny to look at, Shockwaves into weird slag like that,” added Rumble.

Instead of commenting on the insult against what he thought were one of Earth’s most magnificent creatures, he paused.

Would Shockwave want pictures? He surely hadn’t asked for any. Maybe he was waiting for Soundwave to offer. Could he even transmit images to that distance?

“Did he have any good news at all?” Ravage asked flatly, pulling him from his thoughts.

Soundwaves’ thoughts immediately went to the bridge. He wasn’t sure if he should say anything yet, but he really couldn’t push down the giddy feeling that overcame him. He really wanted to tell someone, to brag about Shockwave’s intelligence on his behalf. It was definitely classified info, though, so he’d keep it to just the cassettes for now.

“Yes,” he answered, nodding. “Good news: Shockwave will be able to see elephants himself soon.”

The twins gasped, and Ravage even looked surprised.

“Does that mean–” she said, not finishing her sentence.”

At that point, they had made it to the throne room. Before walking inside, Soundwave looked at the cassettes.

He had not yet decided when he would call again or if, for that matter.

But the thought of doing so sent that same unfamiliar feeling through his chest once more.

Shockwave wouldn’t mind if he brought company, right?

“Maybe: cassettes can ask him themselves?” he said, feeling his visor crinkle at the edges.

And with that, he walked into the throne room ready to deal with whatever mess the Autobots had come up with.