"Screened" by OneWingedSparrow
Main Tags: TFP, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, During Canon, Major Character Death (referenced), Megatron & Soundwave
Summary: A tribute to Frank Welker for providing the iconic voices of Megatron and Soundwave—among many other characters across animation—over the years. Told from the perspectives of both TFP Megatron and TFP Soundwave, during and after the events of the episode "Crossfire."
Part of the "Peace Through Tyranny Zine" hosted by @allsparkzines ! Please check out everyone's artwork and stories! They're amazing!
Read on AO3; paired artwork here
Reblogs are appreciated!
~
The bridge of the Nemesis revved with unchecked tension, like a jet engine that grumbled and screamed and refused to leave the ground despite the time for liftoff.
“The reason for our inability to locate Breakdown’s signal is all too clear...but how is it that you were unable to recover his remains?” Lord Megatron snapped.
Dreadwing avoided his gaze, fixating his attention on the floor instead.
An incoming message set the computer trilling with urgent beeps. Soundwave turned to open the notification.
“What is it?” Lord Megatron barked, just as the call connected.
A saccharine voice sent a teasing greeting echoing around the room. “Heard from Breakdown lately?”
Laserbeak twitched against Soundwave’s spark chamber. Silently, Soundwave looked to his lord.
“Trace the communication,” Megatron snarled. With practiced grace, Soundwave’s fingers flew over the keys. The onscreen cursor ricocheted around a virtual globe as frequencies were examined and swiftly eliminated, one after another.
“Megatron, truly,” Airachnid said through the speakers, as merrily as if she offered advice to an old friend, “you sent simple henchmen to terminate a high-ranking officer. I thought you reserved that honor for yourself.”
Soundwave’s fingers hovered in place.
Megatron stomped towards the dashboard, words aflame with vitriol. “Is that a challenge?”
“An invitation,” Airachnid corrected, mildly. “And, since Soundwave is, no doubt, tracing this signal, you know where to find me.”
Right then, the monitor flashed with the coordinates.
Megatron stared at the screen. Soundwave watched a thousand emotions smolder in his optics before he spoke with an air of finality.
“I’ll be back.”
“Allow me to accompany you,” Dreadwing proposed.
“You already had your chance,” Megatron snapped. He stormed from the bridge.
Dreadwing hung his head, thoroughly chastised. Soundwave almost pitied the failure.
~
Cracks of lightning split the sky around Megatron as he flew—verily, the fury inside him come to life. As he glided into the cavern where Airachnid surely lurked, Megatron growled to himself. If you desire proper execution of a task, by the Antispark, you need do it yourself!
“I place too much faith in those who follow me,” he muttered. “The war has despoiled my troops of competence. I imagined my expectations lowered enough, and yet…!”
The mouth of the cave swallowed him. Megatron vanished into darkness.
~
Soundwave knew Lord Megatron was a fierce combatant, fully capable of handling his own.
However, he also knew Airachnid.
Airachnid was not your typical opponent. Even among Decepticons, she was diabolically cunning, darkly creative, and downright ruthless. Moreover, as an uncommon eight-legger, she wielded a fighting style that sharply disadvantaged Megatron’s. Whereas Megatron exuded might and force, Airachnid thrived in speed and guile. She was a trickster, an ambusher, and above all, a predator.
If Airachnid had the gall to consume Breakdown’s husk, Soundwave did not doubt her readiness to dismantle his lord as well. Airachnid was surely weaving trickery between her needling fingers, a net with which to snag Megatron in his anger. No matter his proven battle prowess, Lord Megatron would not be returning unscathed.
Against his spark, Laserbeak hummed in agreement.
Soundwave commanded the computer to sleep and drifted from his post.
~
When the Insecticon tackled him, Megatron had been thrown backwards.
Airachnid’s secret champion had slammed his neck at an awkward angle, setting it aching. Now, the Insecticon whinnied inches away from his face, mandibles waggling. Breathing heavily, Megatron seized all his strength, and thrust the creature far enough away to fire his fusion cannon.
Before he could shoot again, a web blast from Airachnid’s perch rendered his cannon useless. Utilizing the diversion, the Insecticon transformed into beetle mode, zipped forward, and tossed him into the air. A stab near the spark chamber left Megatron gasping. He hit the ground, showered by his own energon.
Instinct ignited as pain kicked in, accompanied by sheer adrenaline. When the Insecticon charged for another blow, Megatron timed its attack, and smacked the beast away with one fell swoop of his arm.
Airachnid hissed in displeasure. He cast a smirk towards her distant platform.
“You and your beast would do well to remember,” Megatron yelled, “I honed my skills in the Pits of Kaon!”
Furious as he was at Airachnid’s scheme, part of him thrilled in the unexpected matchup. Many of his memories of the Pits had been blocked out; but there was still much that he recalled.
~
Rather than stride the halls, Soundwave opened a ground bridge and teleported himself directly into his private quarters, while Laserbeak sequestered himself in the rafters outside to alert him to approaching vehicons.
Soundwave’s tentacles easily found the package, stacked in the corner among dozens of decoys. To the unsuspecting optic, the package appeared to be an ordinary Energon Cube. Courtesy of his visor, however, Soundwave could clearly identify the invisible symbols stamped all over the container, backlit by the artificial glow. A simple deception, engineered by Shockwave, meant for his sight alone.
He tapped the symbols in their proper order, unlocking the seal. The item inside snapped neatly into Laserbeak’s rest. The Minicon would fit right over it; no one would notice the extra mass on his frame.
At that moment, Laserbeak trilled on a frequency only Soundwave could hear. He tilted his head at the news.
So the failure does have some brass in his bearings.
~
“Rescue” was not a word Megatron regarded fondly; but, he decided he could live with an assisted tactical retreat.
“You disobeyed my orders in following me here,” Megatron growled.
He waited just long enough for worry to overtake Dreadwing; then, Megatron transformed his tone, almost sounding…jovial.
“You will make a fine first lieutenant,” he said through a wide, concealed grin.
~
Lord Megatron returned limping.
The average Decepticon would never have detected this; yet, Soundwave had spent enough time with him to identify when something was off. A miniscule change in his gait was all the proof Soundwave needed.
Megatron straightened his back as a group of Eradicons passed by, saluting him. As soon as they left, he grumbled and pulled a strand of web from his fusion cannon.
Knock Out welcomed Lord Megatron into the med bay. A few wayward drops of energon trailed behind him, at Soundwave’s feet.
A single tentacle unfurled, claws sweeping over the floor to wipe the energon away—out of sight.
At Knock Out’s beckoning, Lord Megatron sank onto the examination berth. Soundwave noticed how his knees quavered under him, but chose not to say anything.
~
Knock Out’s examination was prompt, as Megatron demanded. No Decepticon should ever know all his wounds or weaknesses...even his medic.
Once Knock Out was dismissed, Megatron narrowed his optics at Soundwave. “Did you send Dreadwing after me?”
“It was his own stupid idea!” Knock Out’s voice protested from Soundwave’s speakers. A favorite recording, from yet another occasion of Starscream’s troublemaking.
Megatron laughed, hoarsely. “So there is hope for Decepticon competency, yet.”
Yes, Soundwave thought, at last we have found someone faithful to your cause.
Towards his lord, he nodded, signaling Laserbeak to deploy.
Into Megatron’s open palm, a tentacle placed the item that Soundwave had guarded since their time in the Pits.
His lord’s knee brace.
~
34 notes
·
View notes