#tfe stevie

[sturthepotofmadness]

Rumble & Eject (Shattered EarthSpark AU)

Original post here. Variation/part of "Decoy" and happens around the same time. I still need to write everything between the original post and this one, but this idea wormed in first so it's being written first. Long post ahead.

Megatron heard Optimus release a strained growl when his sensors finally realigned themselves with his normal settings. His blue optics immediately spotted the fleeing orange humanoid shaped cassette-bot and the green bird cassette-bot, the forest quickly hiding their advance.

"Where is Steeljaw and Eject?" Megatron asked, looking towards Optimus as the former Autobot looked towards the forest, then somewhere behind Megatron, before finally looking at him.

"Frag if I know," Optimus answered. "Best guess is that they fled at the start of that attack."

Megatron's optics narrowed, then said, "We cannot allow Soundwave to know what happened here."

"You've said it yourself before: No one can hide anything from Soundwave," Optimus deadpanned. The purple and black bot looked behind Megatron again. "And why are you here, Dr Meridian and... whatever your name is?"

Megatron turned around, quickly seeing Atlas Meridian and Stevie Lister come out from some of the nearby bushes. "How long were you there?" Megatron asked.

"We just got here," Stevie countered. His skin was on the darker side, eyes and hair were the same deep brown near-black color, and hair somewhat messy and kept under a pale lavender helmet. He also wore a jacket with an odd pattern on it, switching between white, charcoal grey, and the same lavender as on the helmet. His pants were also charcoal grey and white, though his right hand was gone, replaced with a mechanical variation. Whether that went beyond his hand or not, he couldn't tell due to the jacket.

"All we heard was not telling Soundwave," Atlas continued.

Megatron vented, looking away briefly as Optimus said, "Well, if you want to get on Soundwave's good side, as like all you brats like to do, feel free to tell him."

"Optimus, no," Megatron snapped, his helm snapping to look at Optimus. The white and blue bot rattled as the purple and black mech snorted.

Atlas sighed, shaking his head slightly as Stevie asked, "Why shouldn't Soundwave be told, though?"

Megatron froze as Optimus stated, "Short version, Frenzy." With that, he former Autobot turned and walked back towards the base, saying, "If you need me, I'll be seeking out Twitch."

"She's currently at the flight deck with Tarantulas," Atlas informed. Optimus made a noise in reply before fully walking away.

The moment Optimus was gone, Stevie asked, "Who's Frenzy?"

"That... is not my place to say," Megatron answered before he transformed. He flew back towards the base, not noticing the looks he got from the two humans.

-(...)-

"Who's Frenzy?"

Soundwave blinked at the sudden question, then looked towards where the voice came from. Thrash was there, with Stevie perched on his shoulder. Thrash's alt mode was a motorcycle, whose colors came in as a near black and red, with some bits of slate, and his optics settled on a golden color.

Soundwave quickly realized that the question came from Stevie, if his staring and Thrash's still shy demeaner was any indication.

"Frenzy: cassette perished in the war," Soundwave stated.

"Cassette?" Thrash quietly said, confusion clear in his voice.

Soundwave tilted his helm slightly, allowing his bright red and deep blue plating reflect what light there was in the room. "Query: How did Stevie find out about Frenzy?"

"Optimus mention 'em when I asked why you shouldn't know about whatever they were talking about," Stevie answered.

A darkness stabbed his spark as he was reminded of his last remaining cassette. Like how he didn't learn into later that Rumble...

He shook his helm and requested, "Stevie: overheard?"

"No," Stevie replied, "I only heard the tail end about not telling you."

His visor darkened a bit, then said, "Soundwave: thanks Stevie." Soundwave stalked off, ignoring how Thrash decided to look at him during the process before he left.

-(...)-

"Hello, Soundwave," Optimus blandly stated, causing Megatron's attention to snap towards where Optimus's voice was directed to. The bright blue visor of Soundwave looked at Optimus, then glanced over to Megatron.

"Query: What do you wish me to not know?" Soundwave asked. Optimus glanced over, but didn't say a word.

"Pardon?" Megatron questioned.

"Stevie: Relayed you two wanted to hide something," Soundwave continued. "Hide: from Soundwave."

Out of the corner of his optic, Megatron noticed Twitch, Thrash, Stevie, and Atlas by the entrance, staring at Soundwave.

"I told you he would find out," Optimus commented in his usual bored tone. Megatron glared towards Optimus, but the former Autobot was already back to going through reports.

"Megatron: tell?" Soundwave requested.

Megatron was quiet for a moment, then sighed and said, "Yesterday at about noon, myself and Optimus encountered Steeljaw, Sundor, Eject, and Rumble."

He could immediately tell Soundwave's emotions took a dive through his field. Carefully, Soundwave asked, "Rumble: harmed?"

"He hurt us more than we hurt him, if that's what you mean." Optimus replied.

"Optimus," Megatron hissed.

"No," Soundwave interrupted. "Eject: looks like Frenzy?"

Optimus didn't answer, leaving Megatron to do so. Megatron looked towards the ground and answered, "He... looks less like her compared to during the war."

Soundwave was quiet, then asked, "Rumble: still thinks Eject is Frenzy?"

"It... still appears so, yes," Megatron hesitantly replied. Soundwave's field seemingly got darker and the red and blue mech let out static.

"Does Rumble still blame me?" Soundwave quietly asked, breaking his habit.

Megatron went silent for a good few moments. Once those moments passed, he answered, "From what I can tell... he still does."

-(<^>)-

He trembled as it kept replying in his helm. He knew Miscom didn't mean it, but it broke his spark nonetheless. His spark... and his cassette's sparks.

"Why didn't you tell her!"

A crying scream broke him out of his thoughts, looking towards the yellow frame of Rumble, but his mind only said that his cassette lost his beloved twin sister.

Rumble hiccupped and twitched and rattled, continuing, "Y-You could've said tha- that Eject had the same color, b-but you didn't and sh-she's dead! I can't feel her, why c-c-couldn't you save her?" Even with the visor covering his optics, tears streamed down Rumble's face. Much more softly, but in a much more broken voice, Rumble asked, "Why didn't you save her?"

"Rumble-" Laserbeak attempt.

"NO!" Rumble cried, quickly turning and running out of the room, his hiccups echoing across the room and hall.

Laserbeak pressed herself against Soundwave's leg. He absentmindedly placed his servo on her helm as Ravage buried his helm in Soundwave's side and Buzzsaw simply lowered xyr helm.

-(...)-

Soundwave lowered his helm. He was quiet, then he stated, "At least one of my beloved cassettes is still alive."

"Is he, though?" Optimus suddenly stated. "I mean, Rumble is Blaster's cassette now and despite Blaster being captured, he technically hasn't switched sides again, has he?"

"Optimus," Megatron warned as Soundwave tensed.

"Am I wrong?" Optimus shrugged, finally turning to face them. "Sure, the war's over, and we have no scraping idea what happened to Cybertron, but there's still Autobots who haven't yet or never will surrender. Knowing Blaster and his cassettes? I doubt they ever will change, especially with how unstable Blaster's code is and how it affec-"

He didn't get to finish as Soundwave suddenly bolted over and punched Optimus in the faceplate. The former Autobot didn't move as Soundwave turned around and stormed out of the room. He didn't even seem to notice Twitch, Atlas, Thrash, and Stevie, who moved out of the way as the communication specialist left the room. Megatron just stared, optics wide, staying where he stood.

Moments passed after Soundwave left before Megatron said, "Optimus, why?"

"I'm not wrong and you can't tell me that. RAPTR can confirm it for you, if you want," Optimus deadpanned, lifting up his helm and turning back to his work station.

Atlas finally made himself, Stevie, and the Terrans known, clearing his throat to get their attention. "Should we... assume not to approach Soundwave for a while?"

"Yes," Megatron sighed. "You'll have to forgive him. A... sensitive topic came up."

Twitch's optics narrowed at them as Atlas nodded and moved to shoo away the Terrans and Stevie. The group left, though Twitch stared at Megatron for a few more moments before following them.

"Watch Waspinator be the last one to find out," Optimus stated.

"Don't doubt xem. Sure, xe doesn't like GHOST or RAPTR, but xe watches over Stevie and Thrash well enough," Megatron replied.

Optimus rolled his optics. "Sure, keep telling yourself that and believe GHOST can hold Jazz for long. You'll believe me in time."