He doesn’t acknowledge the vehicon’s presence, but he knows who it is. He just can’t bring himself to say anything beyond
“Well done.”
Tag: typingblind
No longer seeing a threat in bringing them back to Polyplex, Steve calls out his agreement—the septet waiting for Megatron and the others to cross the distance between them before carrying on in the same direction they came from. In retrospect, not the best way to approach an enemy if they didn’t want to give away the general direction of their base. But doubling around before would have cost them time they didn’t know if they had.
By the time Megatron and his fellows are within casual speaking distance, Steve is absolutely beaming. And it’s then he notices the look of amusement on his master’s face and realizes his own face is uncovered, as are those of over half his group. Scrap. He’d let everyone get lax with the regulatory uniform. The vehicon turns his optics away sheepishly and whips around to lead to their complex. It’s not a long walk.
Only once they’re almost inside the doors of the massive, decrepit looking building does Steve think to comm ahead and put the others at ease. He onlines the device and holds it up to his mouth.
“Steve to base. We’re returning with Soundwave, Xander, and Lord Megatron. Assemble and prepare a welcoming committee.”
Yes prepare a proper welcoming committee for this momentous occasion in the next two kliks. This is going to go splendidly.
Soundwave follows the lead, though he noticed the exposed faceplates of the soldiers. He nods to a few to still noticed their commanders presence despite the turmult their Leaders return had caused.
Inspecting their surroundings, the azure Spymaster send a message to his Lord that he might call in the others since they already found what they were searching for.
Shifting his head to the nearest soldier in reach, Soundwave pinged him with a request to explain the situation in their absence.
Xander follows close behind the commander, trying to remain as inconspicuous as he could. He was here through anonymous magic, and to see to it that their Lord and the Commander reached safety.
Megatron pays no mind to their exposed faceplates for now. It had thrown him off for a moment, perhaps it would even do the same to the Autobots. …No, thinking about them still stung. Did it really affect his damaged spark that much? Damnation, this was going to be irritating.
“There are two others, still scouting the city. A super soldier and a medic. They have both been vital to my recovery; see to it that they are brought inside as well.”
Taking Soundwave’s cue, the warlord notifies Overlord of their position, summoning the pair to the soldiers’ compound and taking care to warn them of the tiny welcoming committee.
He watches the lead soldier radio the others with an auxiliary device- Steve. That designation was familiar to him…
Steve’s optics very nearly bug out of his helm, and now he’s infinitely glad that they didn’t raise arms to see their leader back. There are shocked gasps and yelps looks of disbelief all around him. Most of the mechs drop to their knees reflexively. After a moment of internal glee, Steve does so as well, dragging the the last gawker down with him.
“My Lord! Please forgive us! I knew not who I was addressing!”
Though in retrospect, he really should have guessed. But Steve had no idea how or when Lord Megatron would return. Somehow he’d imagined their leader would descend screeching from the sky in a powerful display. Not creeping up from the depths of their own underground highway, cloaked in a tattered hood. That’s what he got for having expectations of the Decepticon leader.
“What is ours is yours, Lord Megatron! We humbly welcome your return!”
The mechs to his side, picking up on the formality of the occasion, echo the second half of the greeting. All except the same gawky one from before who’s a half a nano slow on the pickup and tapers off lamely after the rest of them.
Primus almighty P#1-LL1P, Steve thinks, get with the program.
He watches as their soldiers fall to their knees, muffled sounds of disbelief emitting from their vocals. Well, he couldnt blame them. That Megatron was still alive did qualify as a miracle and Soundwave found himself staring at the walrlord in awe.
That they neither greeted him nor showed any kind of attention did startle the azure Spy, though it was irrelevant. The only event that mattered was the return of their Leader.
Shifting his helm to the side, Soundwave gave Megatron a mental ping, asking what step would be next and that it would be wiser to leave the open tunnels as soon as possible. The danger of being spotted was still high and it would be a pity if they lost the element of surprise.
Xander had intended on remaining on guard at the back, but found himself on one knee with the other vehicons. He knew he ought to have done it as soon as he’d heard the warlord’s voice the first time, but now seems like the ideal time to observe propriety.
Allowing himself just a moment to indulge in the sight of his soldier’s loyalty, he steps forward, addressing them.
“Let us not remain in the open where we may be seen. Answers will come once we are in cover. At ease.” He pulls the hood back over his helm. Soundwave was right. It would not do to give away his survival to the Autobots when he has just barely been reunited with his troops.
“Lead the way.”
Steve and company slow to a hold half a klik away from their visitors and transform back to root mode. There’s some nervous muttering and talk of bearing arms in anticipation of attack, but it’s decided it would be best to put on a friendly front….
….for now.
Seven sets of optics stare down the trio in the distance, wary of attack. Clearing his vocalizer nervously, Steve steps forward to call out to them. He has to yell to make himself heard properly.
“Halt! You are trespassing on a Decepticon holding. Identify yourselves and state your business in coming here, or you will be labeled hostiles!”
Glancing at Xander briefly, Soundwave informed his Lord that they were being observed. It was obvious, judging from the many EM fields approaching them. But, that was exactly what Megatron wanted.
Finally, they were approached. It seems their soldier decided to make contact. Upon being called out, Soundwave took one step forward, letting his biolights flash in a familiar gesture. If this is Decepticon territory, then they are certainly right.
A pleasure to see their troops all well. Now, would Megatron reveal himself already, or would he wait just a little longer?
Xander recognized the voice as Steve’s, but remained silent, fearful of being shot at if he moved forward too fast to reply.
The vehicons line up in their formation, calling out with a threat. The cloaked mech laughs, a loud cackle that echos across the desolate space. They’ve learned so well.
“Trespassing on Decepticon territory… ”
Damn the risk. He reaches up and removes the hood of the cloak.
“I think you’ll find that impossible.”
Steve stares at the monitor of the security feed, not quite sure what he’s seeing. Three mechs, apparently. One huge one. Cloaked. Hooded. One unmistakable Soundwave But which one? Ours? An alternate? And… a vehicon. Which made Steve’s spark go cold. Had one of their group not gotten back in and been taken captive? If that was the case and these mechs weren’t friendly…. whoever that was could compromise them. Which is why Steve puts his team on immediate duty trying to identify the eradicon. The answer he gets back only perplexes him further.
“Not one of ours. The roll was taken and everyone checked off. No one’s gone in or out since the building was secured.”
Steve growls and checks the grainy security feed again, wishing they had a higher resolution picture to consult. The Soundwave and vehicon were probably friendlies… He just wishes he knew the identity of that third, enormous mech.
“We have to make contact,” he sighs at last. "They’re headed this way. We can assume we’ll be found at this rate.“ The three mechs were traveling their well-worn route from the mine to the complex. They’d no doubt spotted tracks. Found traces of habitation. They were given away.
"We’ll send a small group to meet them outside. Determine their allegiance. If we don’t know whether they’re friendly, we’re best not to give them entrance. At least not until we’re sure.”
After a quick confirmation from Starscream who agreed to stay and call the shots from the inside, Steve rounds up a small posse and drives out to the reception grounds.
Still walking next ot his Lord, Soundwave noticed as well that the Scraplets pattern was off. So, they werent going to attack them? Weird.
He suspected as well that it was because of the Dark Energon, but then why didnt they attack Xander?
Scanning the little creatures, Soundwave soon noticed that they were made, probably to scare off unwanted intruders. So, continue?
Apparently Megatron gave the command to move forward, which they did. As they passed, the azure Spymaster noticed the cameras but said nothing. Hopefully one of their soldiers would recognize them.
Xander, who’d been quiet this whole time, followed the pedesteps of his superiors, unsure of their location, or of anything, at this point. His sensors pinged with warnings at the sounds of Scraplets, but the command he’d been given made him ignore the noises.
He remains quiet, bringing up the rear.
Ahead was a tall tower, belonging to the former Sledgestorm Enterprises. Megatron recognized the building and the ancient company, although it was boarded up now. For some reason, it almost made him feel like laughing.
Movement catches his attention. A few cars, vehicons, driving towards them. His jagged grin widens in the shadow of his hood as the warrior stops and waits for them to come nearer.
Soundwave barely begins to twist away on instinct when he suddenly remembers that he’s supposed to be his alternate, who would find such a touch comforting. Trying to restrain the panic he feels bubbling up from within at the heavy silver hand on his shoulder, Soundwave nods and forces himself to make a purring noise before continuing after Megatron. It’s too hard for him to modify this one’s EM field to feel something he doesn’t, so he can’t give gratitude that way.
‘The gods have no bearing over us.’
If that were true, Unicron would not have them both in his grip.
But of course, he does not voice that.
Had he heard such a thought, apart from being suspicious, Megatron would have reminded his spy that he had fought Unicron’s control twice now, and was more than prepared to fight for Soundwave as well. As things are, he is deaf to the impostor’s internal musings. But even with his reassurance, his mate’s EM field remained tight and erratic, so very nervous. The gladiator was ill-adept at comfort, but he resolved to try again once the soldiers had been found.
There, at a junction- tracks, cutting through the rust and grime. Fresh. With a glance back to the path their blind companion has left, it’s confirmed that they match. Vehicons.
The message hadn’t been fake. His soldiers had survived, escaped. Questions race through his mind as he picks up the pace: How many are there? How did they manage this? Was the ship still in Autobot hands? Who orchestrated this? Was there some sort of interim leader amongst them? …Would they even be willing to relinquish control to him upon his return? Soon one trail turns into many, tire tracks joining them, but Megatron stops, charging his cannon.
*tink tink tink tink*
“…Scraplets.”
Going Home
Arriving with the Phase Sixer, Soundwave pinged his Lord to announce his presence. Observing the Vehicon and the medic, he walked over to Megatrons side, inspecting the disguise.
It was necessary, or else they would be spotted too quickly.
Receiving the commands, the azure Spy nodded in reply.
No altmodes, no drawing attention. Understood.
The Spacebridge opened, and Soundwave could not hide that he was tense, anxious about their mission. But eager to cease what was theirs and restore his masters glory.
Watching Megatron vanish in the vortex, he glanced back at the others before following the gladiator home.
Inconspicuous? That was a word never used to to describe the Phase-Sixer. Overlord frowned, sub-spacing his weapon to at least try and appear less threatening..
Yeah, this wasn’t working out.
He would just have to tread carefully, or as carefully as a mech of his size can manage. The bridge opened in a swirl of green hue— Overlord took a few steps forward, stopping to meet the gaze of the Slender mech before him. Overlord merely watched as the other passed through the vortex without a word.. Or a thought.
Without another moment to spare, he followed suit.
Xander followed the sound of two sets of familiar pedefalls, the two sets he didn’t know not far from him. His audios crackled with the energy swirling around them in the vortex, but through it, he never lost track of his companions.
The soldier moved forward with the rest, as he always had.
The rush of energy that the vortex created when it opened signaled their movement, and Pharma had to cycle in deeply for a moment before following after the others. He was a medic, that was true, but after being in his position on Delphi long enough, it seemed like a relief to have the thought of being near the front lines. Yet when he stepped through on the other side, feet hitting the all too familiar metal, he couldn’t help but pause. Memories jumped through his processor of times long past, and he had to calm himself as his optics swept over the landscape.
They were home.
Unaware that their party had changed slightly since arriving, Megatron guides them through dilapidated alleyways, keeping to the shadows of the ruined structures. Polyhex is a large area, with a surprising number of buildings in-tact enough to hide friend and foe.
Megatron gives the order that Pharma and Overlord should search the East while Soundwave protects he takes the rest of them to search for signs that the Underground has been used recently. If his soldiers were smart, this is what they would be doing.
Going Home
Over months now they had been silent, hidden from sight and contact. His Lords wounds recovered, only his constitution wasnt at full function yet but he was assured that Megatron would regain it soon.
Quietly the azure Targetmaster approached the gladiator, recognizing that the other was in deep thought. He could almost see the memories himself, the anger and frustration over their loss. He considers sending Megatron a supporing pulse, but then decides it might be better to leave the warlord to himself.
Patiently, Soundwave waited until he was addressed. Nodding in acknowledgement, he turns around to heed his masters command.
«…As you wish…»
Entering the Phase Sixers shuttle, he pinged Overlord that it finally was time to ready the bridge. Though he would not say it openly, the slender Con was thankful for his partners support. With Overlords assistance, they would drive off those wretched Autobots with ease.
Now then.
Let them reclaim what was rightfully theirs.
The ship was silent, only the soft hum of the Phase-Sixer’s frame could be heard as he carefully inspected his artillery for the upcoming reclamation. Just in case…
Overlord was never really one to prepare for battle, but the thought of protecting another caused the Tyrant to deviate from his usual routine. Rather than simply jump head-first into battle, with little to no preparation, Overlord took the time to recheck his systems; making sure all weaponry was fully functional and working at maximum capacity.
A small ‘ping’ snapped Overlord’s attention to the doorway. There stood Soundwave, the very mech Overlord wished to protect. With a simple nod of acknowledgement, he picked up his rifle.
The thought of a possible battle once again awakened Overlord’s thirst for destruction and slaughter. His optics glowed with an intense ferocity, lips stretching across his face in a sickening smile. The Phase-Sixer approached the slender mech, bowing his frame in acknowledgement to Soundwave’s command.
“As you wish.”
Xander had been staying close to the heavy pedefalls of his leader, unsure of this whole thing. He was currently seated against the wall, checking his blaster. It was functional, but he hadn’t used it since his accident.
He wouldn’t be much use in the event of a firefight; in fact, he’d be more of a hindrance than a help, but in the event of close-quarters combat, he might still have some usefulness. He ran his untransformed hand over his blaster, then transformed it back to his normal arm.
He was as ready as he ever would be.
The tenseness through the past few months had been thick, almost enough to cut it with with one of the scalpels or the chainsaws that were close to becoming synonymous with his name. The polishing rag rubbed across the signature saws, and he let his optics flicker upwards as he saw the string of mechs begin to pass by the doors. Here he was again, a medic off to fight a war that he had no place in… And yet he had to act, had to keep moving with the team that he knew was right.
Waiting for the others, Megatron dons a cloak of mesh. As if his size weren’t noticeable enough, his frame was incredibly distinctive, and could be identified from afar. The cloak would hopefully mask his shape long enough for him to get into cover.
The blind soldier beside him is examining his firearm. Something about this strikes the warlord, and he winds up staring in fascination. If anything, he should be relying on them to return him to the others; it was the least they could do after his sight had been lost fighting for their cause. And yet, despite everything… he was still determined to defend his leader.
Why? He very nearly asks the vehicon, but Soundwave has returned with the rest, pulling Megatron from his ruminating.
“Do not engage vehicle mode unless absolutely necessary. This large group of us may already draw attention. Further risk is ill-advised.” He nods to his companion and the swirling vortex opens before them. With a calming ventilation, Megatron steps through.
Going Home
Megatron stared out the vast expanse of Delphi through a small window, imagining instead that it was Cybertron. The last time he had stood on the surface of his world, he had watched Optimus steel his resolve as he sacrificed the revival of his own planet for the sake of another race. His optics shut against the sudden pain the memory inflicts. Calm down. Don’t think about him.
Cybertron… its loss had affected even him, though it did not seem so. But he did not despair in it’s destruction as much as those around him. With the Omega Lock, the dead planet represented nothing but potential: a chance to rebuild, to try again. And now his ship, that potential, was in the hands of the enemy. They would no doubt take credit but the truth would remain that no matter who would have triumphed that day, Cybertron would have been revived. And it was by his design.
The Autobots had no doubt already restored the planet, but his troops may have escaped. He didn’t let himself hope that this wasn’t a lie, or a trap. The way his luck had been going, it was almost assured that disappointment awaited him, but he had to know. On the off chance that his soldiers were indeed waiting for him, they had been left in uncertainty long enough. When he opened his optics again, the bright blue lights were reflected back to him. He picks up a bit of synthetic cloth at his side.
“Soundwave. Ready the space bridge. Polyhex awaits.”
*And now the sparkling has returned to full size. Hm.* You are Xander, correct?
The sound of his thought-to-be-deceased leader’s voice startles him. Xander jumps, letting out a rather undignified squeak.
“… L-L-Lord M-Megatron…?”
“C-Cybertron, sir? Wh-Where exactly… are we…?”
“A small outpost on the surface of Delphi. It does however possess a space bridge, which, tonight, we will use to return.”
Outpost… outpost! Iago!
“… I… I…”
“Is something the matter?” After effects of the magic perhaps?
Megatron's back up 