Where Loyalties Lie - Soundwave X Dreadwing

Lightning laced through the black fabric of the sky like the wobbly stitch of an inexperienced seamstress. The booming sound of thunder followed soon after, shaking the very air with its force. However, despite the fury of the elements, the scene seemed too quiet to the lone figure darting through the sky, staying just abreast of the incoming storm. The rumble of fellow seeker's engines should have accompanied him, but they were lying buried under several feet of ice, thanks to Optimus Prime. However, Dreadwing could not allow himself to be troubled by their demise. All had died honorably in battle; they deserved his respect, but not necessarily his sorrow.

Raindrops began to leak from the sky like tears from an organic's eye as the storm crept up on him. Reluctantly, he sped up, not wanting to face the disappointment of his lord, but also not wanting to get caught up in the buffeting winds of the tempest. After a few moments, he finally commed for a ground bridge back to the ship. It had already been half a cycle since he had retreated from the battle with Optimus and Starscream. He had even managed to make it to the ocean, finally free of that horrid frozen wasteland the humans called Antarctica.  Putting off returning much longer would just be asking for trouble, and he was no traitor like that other seeker Starscream. If there was punishment awaiting him, he'd face it with a stoic faceplate.

The sky in front of him suddenly blossomed into a mosaic of blue and green, painting Dreadwing in an eerie light. The seeker flew fearlessly into the heart of the ground bridge, emerging above the flightdeck of the Decepticon warship moments later. He transformed and landed forcefully, the metal surface of the ship ringing hollowly when his pede made contact. He was alone; not even a single vehicon was scuttling about on rounds or other business. Dreadwing frowned; this would most likely be the last bit of peace he had. Striding confidently, he made his way to the door, ready to face whatever awaited him… or so he thought.

He reached out a servo to open the door, only to have it slide open before he could input the security code into the keypad. The dim lights illuminated the hallway, empty and abandoned just like the flightdeck.... If no one had opened it from the other side then why.... It must be malfunctioning. He'd have to make sure that was repaired as soon as possible; it posed a considerable security risk.

He entered, frowning when the door slipped closed a millicycle after he was inside. How odd.... flicking a wing dismissively, he continued down the hallway, headed for the control room. As he turned the corner, he stopped short as he spotted someone standing only feet in front of him. Why hadn't he picked up the signal ear- Ah, that was why. There was no mistaking this mech. The Decepticon spymaster, Soundwave, was unlike anyone else Dreadwing had ever known. Now he knew why the door had opened too.... "You've been watching me," Dreadwing said.

Soundwave withdrew his cable from the ship's port, a connection that allowed him to see everything happening in the ship at all times… or open doors at will. The corner of Dreadwing's mouth dropped imperceptibly and he tried to ignore the slight increase in his sparkbeat. Sometimes he wondered if the ship was the only thing Soundwave sought to connect with… A familiar sense of longing swept through him, but he quickly crushed it. No matter his personal feelings, his duty came first. There was no time for such frivolous emotions in war. For now, he would force himself to think of the mech as nothing more than a respected comrade. A slight finger twitch was the only sign of the thoughts running through Dreadwing's processors as he stared at Soundwave.

Soundwave turned his helm to face Dreadwing. Despite Dreadwing's earlier plans to keep his emotions in check, he couldn't help feeling a flicker of concern when he saw the crack in Soundwave's screen… quickly followed by guilt. How could he allow himself to care, even remotely, for anyone so soon after the death of his sparktwin Skyquake? His only concerns should be justice for his brother, his master, and his honor. Still, he couldn't completely banish the concern from his processors. Soundwave tilted his helm minutely, playing back a scene of Dreadwing flying at the edge of the storm. Dreadwing understood the unspoken question. Why had he not returned sooner?

"You've been watching me for a while," Dreadwing corrected his last statement.

For some reason, that made him shiver with both concern and… something else. Just knowing he was paying attention was oddly fulfilling, even if deep down he knew the most likely reason was that it was the spymaster's job. Soundwave merely remained standing there, awaiting a proper answer to his question.

Dreadwing twitched a wing again uncertainly. Did he dare tell him the truth? He knew the answer to that. Despite the fact that this particular Decepticon could turn anything he said against him if he felt so inclined, Soundwave was only one of a select few he trusted implicitly. The chiefest concern for both was their loyalty to Megatron, and he knew that beyond a doubt. "Seeing the disappointment on Megatron's face will hurt almost as much as losing Skyquake again," Dreadwing admitted.

Soundwave continued to stand still, as if still expecting more of an answer. Dreadwing opened his mouth, searching for more to say in order to satisfy the spymaster… but there was nothing. He had already divulged the complete truth. He shook his helm imperceptibly to signal that was all he had to say. Soundwave's helm titled a tiny bit more, as if considering. Anxiety began to build inside Dreadwing. He may be second-in-command, but he was well aware Soundwave had the ability to destroy him.

He vented air from his intakes in relief when Soundwave nodded back, accepting his answer despite how shabby it would seem to other Decepticons. The spymaster's needle-like fingers twitched and he raised his arm slightly. Dreadwing's optics locked onto the arm, curious since Soundwave was not restless by nature. Everything he did had a meaning.... so what had that fidgeting meant? His optics brightened in surprise when Soundwave lifted the arm even more, reaching out towards him.

For a moment, Dreadwing's imagination ran wild. Would those slender fingers brush his faceplates, a small offering of comfort for the loss of his sparktwin? Would that servo come to rest directly over his fuel pump, feeling how it sped up under his touch? Or would he do something else entirely? Would he reach out and rip out his spark chamber, unsatisfied with his answer? Would he grab him by the throat and violently push him against the wall? Dreadwing's wings drooped in expectation, the practical part of his processors telling him it was most likely one of the latter actions. Perhaps he'd been too quick to think the spymaster was satisfied with his answer. Soundwave paused, the arm quickly dropping back down to his side. A wave of disappointment and relief crashed over Dreadwing at the same time.... Only a comrade, he had to remember.

Soundwave quickly 'changed the subject,' playing back a clip of Megatron's voice. "Let Dreadwing know he should come to me the moment he returns," the voice ordered. Dreadwing's tank churned when he heard the anger in Megatron's voice. The weight of failure almost felt strong enough to ground him permanently. "Of course," he said to Soundwave. With that, he bypassed the mysterious, silent mech and continued on his way to the control room to face Lord Megatron.