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Happy @sthbigbang day!

These pieces are for the fic "Get a Grip" by @onewingedsparrow you can read it in their Ao3 or in @sparrowsworkshop

My teammate is @quiet-kid-gone-rogue check it out!

This was my first year participating in the sthbigbang and im glad i did participate! It was so wonderful to work with them! Please check them out

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I had the honor of participating in this year's Sonic Big Bang, and working with the talented @hopetatic (See here) on @onewingedsparrow 's amazing fic: Get a Grip. (See it soon on: @sparrowsworkshop)

More links coming soon, but be sure to check them out!

Thank you guys, for your patience with me, it was so exciting seeing your pieces come to life!

I also want to thank the mod team of @sthbigbang for putting on the event, and organizing everything.

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"Get a Grip" (first edition) by OneWingedSparrow for the @sthbigbang event!

Main Tags: Sonic & Tails & Knuckles, Sonic & Shadow, Sonic Heroes canon compliant, POV Team Sonic, Alternating POV, Lost Jungle, Vs Team Dark, Hang Castle, Mystic Mansion, Light Angst, Bullying, Fear, Ghosts, References to Major Character Death, coughcough Post Sonic Adventure 2, Amnesiac Shadow, accompanied by illustrations! Characters: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Shadow the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat, E-123 Omega Word Count: 18k Summary:

Ever since Dr. Eggman taunted Sonic with the letter claiming he would conquer the world, Team Sonic has been running nonstop to stop him. The high-speed chase down the seaside, through the metropolis, across the pinball city, and even over the canyon was a piece of cake for the team in their relentless pursuit of Eggman—but a breakneck narrow escape from the snapping, giant crocodile in the swamp, followed by an unplanned tussle with Team Dark, drains Sonic, Tails and Knuckles more than any of them wants to admit. As night falls over the lost jungle, the brothers take a breather in some ruins. However, while they sleep, an unnatural fog settles, and they wake up facing a creepy castle full of...what might be ghosts?! There’s no way out of this mess but to trek through this mystic mansion, so Team Sonic boldly presses onward. The supernaturally spooky atmosphere will prove a testing ground for each brother’s determination to protect his family, by forcing Sonic, Tails and Knuckles to let go of their most gripping fears. Will they be able to overcome their individual struggles and work together to escape, to storm the Egg Fleet in time? Or will hanging out in this castle too long be the team’s ultimate undoing?

Read the whole thing (with the sweet illustrations!) on AO3! This was my first time participating in a Big Bang event as a writer, and I had so much fun! Sneak peek below! Thank you so much @quiet-kid-gone-rogue for your Lost Jungle artwork for Sonic, and @hopetatic for your Mystic Mansion artworks for Tails and Knuckles respectively!!! It was an honor working with you, and I hope you both know that you are amazing! Pssst, Tumblrinas, show the artists you love their work by REBLOGGING THEIR ART! :D Not reposting, that's something else. Believe me, you'll want to reblog these pieces, they're amazing!!! Reblogs of this post are also appreciated! Seriously, thank you so much for checking out this STH story of mine! It was a long time coming—longer than you'd think, and I'm so, so, so thankful I can FINALLY POST THIS NOW! Here we go! LET'S BLAST THROUGH WITH SONIC SPEED! :D ~ CHAPTER 1: WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN

“There’s that black frog again!” Tails exclaimed in alarm.

Those relentless black frogs! If the odd creatures summoned the withering rain again, where could Team Sonic run next? Below the platform over which they galloped churned an ominous, bubbling quagmire, the murky waters reeking of dank algae, decaying weeds, and drowned promises.

Sonic’s eyes darted back and forth as he speed-scanned the path before them. “They’re trying to take us down to the swamp!” he shouted, right as the platform beneath them began to quake. “Hurry!”

Tails and Knuckles scampered after him. The water began to rise rapidly as their spongy footholds sank deeper into the muck, the mushrooms crumbling into soggy pieces like cookies disintegrating in rotten, black milk.

Sonic’s feet squelched deeper into the mud with every step. A nasty feeling, cold and clammy. The sooner they were out of this yucky, mucky swamp, the better!

However, that might have been easier said than done. Sonic kept his sights on the terrain ahead, only to see that no more mushroom stepping stones remained. Team Sonic was running out of road. Which meant…time to trailblaze a new path.

That’s when Sonic noticed the vines dangling over the water. Rows of them, even, like living monkey bars haphazardly and teasingly arranged over the swamp.

No way outta here but forward!

“We’re gonna swing!” Sonic yelled over his shoulder. “Grab onto me when I jump, and hold on tight!”

“Okay!” said Tails.

“All right!” said Knuckles.

Sonic dragged his heels a bit, allowing his teammates time to catch up. Once they were beside him on either side, he jumped. With the practiced acrobatics of a crew that had been together for ages, his partners leapt in sequence. Sonic grabbed onto the vines. Tails grabbed onto Sonic’s legs. Knuckles grabbed onto Tails’s legs. Thereby linked, they swung, and flew.

Sonic let the momentum fling them through the air. Then he latched onto the next vine. Then he waited till the arc had reached its zenith, before releasing and launching.

What goes up must come down!

Sonic launched and landed and launched and landed, and his team followed his lead, clinging onto Sonic as he clung to the vines.

Each vine was somewhat slimy, having absorbed the humidity from the marshy area. Moreover, he could feel the structural integrity of the vines withering with every millisecond he hung on. Though the rain had stopped, the black frogs’ influence clearly reached farther than he could see.

At least they were moving! There were plenty of vines ahead. Swinging would have been a walk in the park, were it not for the ominous grumbling noise that suddenly warbled across the swamp.

“Tell me that was your stomach, Knux?” Sonic shouted over the water.

“Hey, I said the fruit made me hungry, but I’m not that hungry!” Knuckles shot back up at him.

“I think something’s coming from behind us!” Tails called from below.

At that moment, there was a giant SPLASH at their flank, showering them with water.

Sonic’s heart slammed against his chest.

Oh snap. Oh snap. Oh dang. Shoot!

That splash was tremendous. Way too powerful to be a mere mushroom collapsing.

That noise was monstrous. Way too loud to be from one of the frogs.

That grumbling sound…that wasn’t grumbling at all. It was a roar!

... TO BE CONTINUED! THANK YOU FOR READING! CATCH THE REST ON AO3!

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Beautiful Mystery in the brain; wholly, you see, are you two to blame (I can point at exactly two people for making me insane about them again—you know who you are) MERRY HUBERT'S BIRTHDAY TO THE MAYBE THREE OTHER HULETH FANS STILL ON THIS SITE, ENJOY THIS MESSY SKETCH OF THEM POST-CANON

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Sometimes I can't help feeling lonely I can't help feeling lonely Even though I know I'm right here next to you.... OneWingedSparrow Presents: A Different Kind of AMV, an Accompanied Moodboard Visualizer, for the story you've been wondering about since this art was posted. Will you have more questions after this video? Undoubtedly! ;) For now, I'll point you to this, which will direct you to "To Bee a Leader," the first half of a two-fic story. None of the footage is mine; it is all royalty-free content, used with permission by the photographers, courtesy of Pixabay. Dedicated to my ’Bee, and someone else equally fun and awesome.

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@linktober 2024 Day 1: Mirror! Do You See My Vision?

This month is heckling & hectic so we're going low pressure sketches this year. I haven't drawn (satisfactory) art in a long while so this was actually very freeing! Gotta love seeing my two favorite Links come to life on the page.

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I fell down a hole that leads to my soul and I don't seem to know where I am...SHUT DOWN MY MIND MACHINE! After three days...it's finally finished! 🖤 After beating Book III of Fire Emblem Heroes, I was so, so, so pumped. I had to make this AMV and show off the character arc of Líf and Alphonse especially because WOW Nintendo you really made such cinematic storyboarding for those two. This video will have spoilers for the cutscenes, so keep that in mind. If you have a favorite clip in this AMV, I'd love to hear why! Reblog with the timestamp and I'll scream about it with you :D

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You did amazing! <3

Oh yes, this reminds me! If something catches your eye in the above art, keep an eye out for it in the fic! The writer imagined many details in the storyworld, which I then incorporated into the drawing. We had a fun time :D

I've Been Driving All Afternoon.... Arcee and Bumblebee have a long and perilous road ahead of them...will they be able to make it back to base? @onewingedsparrow here! I'm so excited to finally share my piece for the @tf-bigbang this year! This was my first time participating in a bang event and it was a blast and a half. I tried out some new techniques and stretched my artistic limits for two of my favorite characters, and I'm so happy with how this turned out. It was an honor to be paired with the fantastic writer @thinkingheron , who wrote an action-packed, suspenseful and humorous story for my Cee Bee Siblings art! You can take a peek at a preview of their fic right here on Tumblr, and read the full story on AO3. Please do. It's delightful. If you like TFP Ratchet, you will enjoy this too.

Reblogs are lovely! But kindly do not repost my art. Don't make me hunt you down. Thank you.

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I've Been Driving All Afternoon.... Arcee and Bumblebee have a long and perilous road ahead of them...will they be able to make it back to base? @onewingedsparrow here! I'm so excited to finally share my piece for the @tf-bigbang this year! This was my first time participating in a bang event and it was a blast and a half. I tried out some new techniques and stretched my artistic limits for two of my favorite characters, and I'm so happy with how this turned out. It was an honor to be paired with the fantastic writer @thinkingheron , who wrote an action-packed, suspenseful and humorous story for my Cee Bee Siblings art! You can take a peek at a preview of their fic right here on Tumblr, and read the full story on AO3. Please do. It's delightful. If you like TFP Ratchet, you will enjoy this too.

Reblogs are lovely! But kindly do not repost my art. Don't make me hunt you down. Thank you.

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もう少しだけ　(Just a Little Bit Longer) by OneWingedSparrow

Main Tags: Death Note (anime / manga), During Canon, L vs Light Yagami, G / K rating Summary: A drabble about insomnia, the yet unproved Kira case, and L. Read on AO3 Reblogs are appreciated! ~ Just a little bit longer.  Dry eyes traveled the white desert of the computer screen, where cursor flickered urgently to make up for the lack of motion in L's eyelids. I will put an end to this everlasting back and forth, Yagami-kun. Front teeth brushed dry knuckles as pointer finger wandered over equally dry lips. As long as it may take me, this case will be closed. There's information that can be trusted. Clock numerals shifted in screen corner, languorous hour submitting to lethargic heir, the surreptitious handoff not unnoticed under untired, unblinking eyes. Just a little bit longer. Kira.

~

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"Attached" by OneWingedSparrow

Main Tags: Spy x Family, Loidyor, Forger Family Fluff, Loid & Yor & Anya, Denial of Feelings, Tooth-Rotting Fluff

Summary: Loid has no intention of developing feelings. Yor has no intention of cultivating feelings. Anya knows her adoptive parents have both already failed their impossible missions. Set shortly after the beginning of the series (anime or manga), shortly after they've set up the family ruse. Read on AO3 Reblogs are appreciated!

~

Don't get attached, Loid told himself. You know that's a bad idea. Twilight is a part of neither the darkness nor the light. It is meant to drift the in-between—alone. Don't grow attached, Yor warned herself. No one wants to hold the prickly hand of a Thorn Princess. Even the sweetest rose will dry crisp and drop its petals. So too, this sweetness won't last forever.

Anya heard both their lies as she began to doze off against Loid's shoulder. Luckily for Anya's (for now) pretend parents, she was too tired from running around the park that day to put any further plans into action. More luckily for her, however, her previous plan had not been foiled. Upon cracking open one drowsy eyelid to sneak a peek over Loid's other shoulder, Anya saw that Loid was still holding firmly onto Yor's hand—a state they had kept since Anya rigorously suggested the strategy earlier, supposedly to keep the Forgers together in the festival's milling crowds. Now, Anya snickered to herself, though she masked the noise as a snore. Papa's a softie, she mused with glee. And Mama's mission's a fail. Exciting. She snuggled closer to Loid, hiding a smile in his coat. As long as I'm here—Anya yawned—I'll make sure you don't go. ~

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Because of You - TFP Soundwave AMV

Every now and then, I make AMV's! Here's one I made at the end of January. Might as well share it here, yeah? ;) Oh, it contains spoilers for TFP all the way through S3, just so you know. Had to get all those epic Soundwave scenes!

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Bookends

~ From the first page unto the last, Yes, I will stand by you, steadfast. The weight you hold up lessens true When my will grants new strength to you. Between us, countless, profound words Fill pressing space with praise unheard. Folded, covered, and bound with care, There never was a greater pair Than you and I, and me and you, To bear the burdens made for two. You still stand by me, yes, steadfast, From the first page unto the last. ~

"Bookends" poem by OneWingedSparrow Screenshots from Darkness Rising Part 1 / Predacons Rising Read on AO3

~

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go to settings > to the right, under "Blogs," pick the blog you want to change the settings of > scroll down to visibility settings > turn on "Prevent third-party sharing for [blog url]" > do this for each individual blog you have

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Whatever happens, I'll never forget you ~ I am so pumped for "Car Trouble" by Owl City!!! You would not believe your eyes ! :D Hearing his lovely preview gave me so many ideas—I already know that that song is gonna fit Prime in Disguise Bumblebee so well. Can't wait till it releases on March 1st! 🎉 In the meantime, I went and revisited the original demo, "Floppy Fish." I've always loved it, but listening to it now, after "Car Trouble," made me instantly think the demo would make a perfect Cee Bee Siblings song. <3 I had to make this as fast as I could, so I put metal to the pedal. ✨ Enjoy my TFP Arcee & Bumblebee AMV! (Contains spoilers all through the end of Transformers: Prime...and beyond.)

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"Alighting the Darkness" by OneWingedSparrow for @dubiiousfood

This is my Loftwing Letter for @dubiiousfood, for the event hosted by @zelinkcommunity ! I hope you like this TP Zelink fluff! <3 Main Tags: Twilight Princess, Post-Canon, Married Zelink, Fluff without Plot Summary: Following the events of the Twilight, Zelda comes to realize how Link places light wherever she needs it. Read on AO3 Reblogs are appreciated! ~ The populace of Hyrule could perhaps say that they knew a “time before Twilight, and the two times thereafter.” Though most Hyruleans had been unknowingly turned to spirits during the curse over the kingdom, and, were therefore oblivious to the atrocities committed by the Usurper King Zant, they were nevertheless aware enough that, in the past, there had first been a time of grim foreboding; then, a time of great fear; and at last, a grand time where the great fear was graciously extinguished.

Queen Zelda, however, dwelt upon a different timeline. The time before Twilight, and the two times thereafter, mattered not nearly so much as these:

The time before Link, and all time thereafter.

~

She saw her Hero first in his accursed form of a blue-eyed beast; and, even in the darkness cast over the castle, everything about the wolf before her seemed to gleam. The iron shackle clinging to his leg, the grinning fangs escorting his growl, even the artful patterns streaking his dark fur with a lighter shade. A snarling predator stalking into her chamber should not have been a source of encouragement, but Zelda could sense the spirit within the flesh, and her weary eyes smiled faintly under her hood as she watched him stride towards her.

You are the light, she told him within her mind, as she removed her hood and his growling instantly ceased. The foretold, sacred light Hyrule desperately needs.

She beheld in him the Hero chosen by the gods. She foresaw in him the Hero destined to bring Hyrule back into the light, as a careful goatherd would direct his flock out of the storm and safely into shelter. In spite of her gifted Wisdom, however, she did not perceive in him the Hero chosen to guideherback into light as well. Such an epiphany revealed itself only during their future marriage.

~

Rebuilding the castle was a lengthy endeavor. While the structure was not demolished entirely, the brutal clash between Midna’s Fused Shadows and the demon beast Ganon left several stones unthroned. While the construction crews travailed the necessary renovations, the queen and her fiancé spent much time outdoors, in the quiet courtyards where pink and yellow flowers still dared to bloom, ever defiant towards the evil that once shadowed them.

Verily, Zelda might have found superior productivity in her study, where her paperwork was not at risk of being spied on by scouting ants or swept away by the teasing breeze. Even so, she chose to eschew her old habits. Her productivity might have lessened outdoors, but her motivation only increased. After all, how could she not be delighted by the golden-bodied beetles Link presented to her with a flourish, or the merry tunes he played for her on whistlegrass when no one else remained in earshot?

In the courtyard, with his subordinates standing vigil, Link never needed to be on constant guard, to uphold his duty as her appointed protector first and foremost. When they would travel Hyrule, of course, checking in on each province, he shouldered his responsibility with grave focus, standing tall as both the Hero of Twilight and the Captain of the Hylian Knights. But here, under the oak trees and the dappled sunlight, where the windchimes laughed and the stepstones wandered—here, as the beetles spread their wings and buzzed away from his open palms, and the blithe melody of the grass summoned a hawk to cheer a chorus—here, with her, he could be simply Link, grinning and teasing to make her smile even while she worked. It felt quite like a forgotten childhood come back to greet them, Zelda thought, or perhaps a bright tomorrow welcoming them anew.

~

A castle is a fortress first, a sanctuary second, and a home last of all. The larger a window, the more accessible an invader’s point of entry. Thus, many long corridors were illuminated only by braziers, their warmth spaced apart by the ghostly fingers of drafts ever haunting the stone walls. Over her lifetime, Zelda’s eyes grew accustomed to the enclosed dim; Link, however, had a newcomer’s keen eye for all improvements that could be made.

“It’s dark in here,” he said once of their bedchamber, as he scrutinized the curtains and ran his hand over the thick, embroidered fabric. “Does the brown color please you?” “It keeps out the sun,” Zelda replied, but her words suddenly sounded strange. She wrinkled her brow, and, stepping next to Link, reached out, tugging the two curtains away from each other. The day was overcast, but a grayish glow whispered into the room, gracing their boots with a shy, soft brightness.

She glanced at her husband. “How do you feel about ivory?”

~

From that moment onward, Link’s transformations of Zelda’s once dark world became all the more apparent. For the first time, she noticed the multiplication of candles around their dining table—most of them scented cheerfully with pumpkin, transported all the way from Beth’s Sundry. She counted the vases of bright-colored flowers strategically positioned around the Great Hall, like devoted soldiers standing at attention, and knew only one person who would trek so far into the forest to collect such particular, elusive species.

Her favorite of his transformations, however, was when Link commissioned the court artists to paint not a portrait of himself, as most royals would, but rather, a mural of the pastures of Ordona. The grass in the painting practically dripped with morning dew, and the circular horns of the goats glittered like fairy wings; a brilliant dawn broke through the dark woods beyond the flock, and spilling sunshine over the tranquil field.

That vision alone would have rendered the painting wonderful; but Link’s directions went further, and the artists happily delivered.

In the foreground stood a figure, facing the dawning sun—black cloak slipping from her shoulders, while the wind swept through her hair.

“Do you like it?” Link whispered in her ear, the day his surprise was revealed.

Only one thing would I change, she thought at first. Where are you in this lovely story?

Yet, when she turned towards him to ask, fierce, bright blue eyes caught hers, and she saw for a moment in him the wolf who once brought Courage to her gloom.

Enlightened, Zelda smiled.

“Of course,” she said, and cupped his face in her hands, to lose herself in his gaze just as the woman in the painting lost herself in the powerful sun.

You are the light...my light...as always.

~

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"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. ~