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Standing over a valley and looking down at the forest below, Starscream lets the silence float around him as his optics sweep across the scene. In this uninhabited patch of land far away from any pesky interference, only the Earth’s paltry moon acts as his witness, waiting for his soon-to-be aerial show. Idly scanning his system’s readings, they tell him that the atmospheric conditions are just right.
It’s going to be a favourable fight.
Smirk disappearing beneath a series of transformative metal and seams, Starscream’s alt-mode envelops him as he takes to the skies. His engines rip through the peace with delight. However, through the satisfaction of flight, Starscream reminds himself to be vigilant. It’s an unspoken thing, this little rendezvous, so he can’t be certain if he’ll be accompanied tonight. If he were to hedge his bets, he’ll say there’s a slightly more-than-likely chance. It’s around that time of the quartex, after all. Even without though, a break outside of that dreadful hell-soaked ship is all fine and good. Starscream would take that without complaint.
But considering that things aboard the Nemesis have been rather testy lately…
Well, a mech can hope.
Soaring high above the trees yet still keeping below the cloudsline, Starscream takes a leisurely lap around the area. He enjoys the roar of his thrusters. Nonetheless, as the kliks tick by, Starscream’s relaxing flight turns antsy. His protocols buzz beneath the surface. With every uninterrupted moment up in the air, he feels the anticipation, the itchy trickle of impatience, slowly well up within him. It borders on frustrating, like a keg about to blow.
Slag it all with the pretence— he wants him to be here damn it!
The nerve to keep me waiting!
Starscream fumes.
But then, Starscream startles.
Something pings on his radar.
And without further warning, a distant zap sounds out from below. The resulting beam clips him in the wing. Vents quickening and lines rushing, Starscream giddily sets his gaze down towards the trees, zeroing in on where the attack came from.
He’s here.
Far beneath, partially hidden in leafy foliage and night, Starscream catches a raised blaster peeking out from the forest’s guise. A razor red visor follows behind, reflecting off the moon’s shine.
Excitement thrums in Starscream’s circuits.
And Soundwave doesn’t disappoint.
In a volley of rapid-fire shots, Soundwave doesn’t let up, aiming for Starscream true and hard. The first shot was merely a courtesy call. This was the real deal. Launching into a corkscrew then plummeting into a sharp dive, Starscream feels the shots almost graze against his metal as his wings spread wide. The pressure of air resistance snags him in a vice grip. Catching himself and taking an impossible turn, Starscream pushes his speed close to searing. A line of blaster-fire blazes in his wake. Just by a speck, the sharpshooter below misses him.
It’s not for a lack of trying. They both want the other dead.
Even so, Soundwave keeps up with him remarkably. It’s not just anyone that can down a supersonic jet. If Starscream lets up for so much as a blink, he’ll be shot out of the sky faster than a comet. On official record, what they’re doing can be considered as extra military training; done on the accord of both the Second and Third’s responsibilities to outrank the rest of the army.
In their spark of sparks though, the mutual understanding resides. This is nothing but utter stress relief.
For when else would they get to act on their true feelings without consequence if not here?
There’s no Megatron stepping in if one of them slips up now.
Unfortunately, with some annoyance, Starscream notes that some of those shots are getting dangerously close. Soundwave actually seems to have improved his accuracy since the last time they met like this. Has the tape deck been frequenting the training halls when he wasn’t looking? Tch. What a blowhard. Regardless, Starscream never has a problem with going faster. Dismissing the warning pop-ups from his gyroscope, he goes full throttle.
He’d sooner crash into a cliff than be fell by Soundwave’s servos.
Thus, the firefight drags out, a one-sided assault of bare-misses and almost-hits that Starscream can tell is slowly getting on Soundwave’s nerves. For as much as the other plays at being aloof, he hates losing just as much as he does. The next few erratic shots prove as much. Still, as delicious of a prize as Soundwave’s anger may be, Starscream is looking for something infinitely sweeter.
A stray beam nicks his stabiliser.
The next shot nearly cracks his cockpit.
It takes just a beat too long for the next attack.
And Starscream, counting down the shots, knows that Soundwave is running out. A blaster’s charge can only last so long. He’s spacing them out to make them count. Alas, before the true fun can begin, the next phase of their arrangement comes into play. The blaster-fire ceases. Only the sound of Starscream’s flight occupies the night sky now.
It’s the waiting game again.
Even more waiting.
Soundwave is now in hiding.
With the cassette player failing to match him in terms of speed, he’s now falling back to his true nature. Cheapshots and sneak attacks from hidden corners in the dark. Despite Soundwave disappearing from his radar, there’s no way that Starscream isn’t somehow being watched. That creep has optics everywhere. His every move is being caught. Admittedly though, a small part of him bathes in the sensation, the almost tangible weight of his attention. Let him stare. Those precision sharp optics don’t bother him; not if it means he’ll get a chance to gouge them out later when—!
A strategically aimed shot pierces through his right thruster, the price of indulging in fantasies when the fight has yet to be won. Jolts of pain spiking up his sensornet, Starscream lets out a growl of his engines. He sees that slagger pop up on his radar from where that shot got fired. Swivelling to face in that direction, he primes his weapons array.
He allowed Soundwave to have his fun.
It’s his turn now.
In cathartic fury, Starscream fires. Nothing is spared from his wrath. The forest ignites. Everything burns. There’s nothing left standing in his path. Swooping low to hunt that infuriating spymaster down, Starscream thinks, with a touch of mania, that there won’t be anywhere left for him to hide if Starscream simply razes it all to the ground.
Now this, this is his favourite part.
Gunning down Soundwave for sport. It never gets old.
“Come on out, tape deck!” Starscream cackles, continuing to fire as he pleases, shaking the very earth with each shot. “It’s not fun for the both of us if you avoid me!” Another shot, another explosion, more trees tremble as Starscream gets closer.
“You’re on a timer! You can’t hide forever!”
At the continued silence though, irritation leaks into his tone. Starscream groans.
Ugh.
“You never make it easy for me, do you?”
Only the forest lies before him, unanswering. He shouts.
“Cheat! Sneak! Coward!”
The wind carries away his voice. Fading, diminishing, till he’s left with nothing. No response. No Soundwave to throttle. All alone now, with no receptacle for his anger.
Starscream hovers.
…typical.
Against his better senses, a part of him wonders if he’s been left out to dry. But that can’t be it, for he knows both of them still aren’t satisfied. Thus, Starscream touches down, transforming into root-mode. He can’t afford to keep burning fuel if Soundwave insists on staying concealed. Holding back a wince, he silences the damage alerts from his right thruster. Suck it up. He absolutely refuses to limp. He sets out to inspect the carnage he so joyously wrecked.
Branches snap under his pede as he listens.
It’s quiet.
Deceptively so.
His sensors strain to operate at max capacity.
For someone that has an immobile alt-mode, Starscream has learnt to not underestimate his speed. His stealth need not be mentioned. He could be anywhere. Stepping around carefully, Starscream keeps his arms up, null-rays pointed and ready. Between the trees, he’s faced with an abyss. Everything is deathly still. However, out of the creeping darkness, something makes itself known. Down along the small of his back, a prickly feeling drags. His ailerons stand on end.
Starscream whirls around and shoots.
Waiting right there for him, Soundwave dodges. Starscream barely avoids the strike aiming for his optics. Quick of vents, he tries to shoot once more but Soundwave knows his blind spots. He presses in close to stay out of the line of fire. Face to face with one he truly despises, Starscream spits on that eerie visor.
Soundwave’s headbutt causes him to see stars.
And from there on out, it’s a downright brawl. There’s no need for grace anymore. With blind lunges and primal punches, they descend into mutually gratifying violence. Helm against helm. Blow against blow. With his speed just slightly edging out, Starscream’s fist lands contact first. With all his spark, he hopes it hurts like slag. Before he can go in for more though, a resulting fist flies for his face. His helm whips in place. Such is the equivalent exchange of being each other’s punching bag.
Starscream uses it for all its worth.
Spitting out a glob of energon, he doesn’t waste a beat. Starscream hits, and hits, and hits; letting out every bottled-up resentment since the last time they indulged. Megatron refusing to listen? Soundwave gets another kick. Trinemates being incompetent? Soundwave’s twisted arm creaks.
And Soundwave, the Chief Communications Officer, thwarting his latest plan yet again?
Well.
He’s right here right now, and Starscream decides that suffices.
Starscream’s next kick shatters Cybertronian glass.
Raining down around them, the shards sparkle. A pained vocoded gasp wheezes out from behind that mask.
“Starscream—! :breaking the agreement.” Soundwave growls, the red of his visor blaring furious as Starscream drinks it all in.
“And you broke it first when you refused to come out.” He smirks, entirely unapologetic. “You signed up for a harsher session.” Taking a glance down, Starscream idly traces the jagged edges of Soundwave’s broken compartment case. “If you can’t take the heat… you can always opt out now. Surely you remember the words?”
Looking back up, Starscream can’t help but goad. “Say it with me now tape deck. All…hail…Star—!”
Starscream doesn’t get to finish. His voice is squeezed into a sharp gasp. In a move that he should’ve seen coming, Soundwave funneled all his power into one concentrated uppercut, aiming for the apex of his cockpit where the glass stretched the thinnest.
Cue the sound of crunching glass.
That petty fragging glitch.
Excruciating pain seizing his circuits, Starscream barges through the breach alerts and uses his thrusters to push himself away. A cracked Soundwave-sized hole now stands, glaring against the orange surface. Optics wide and protocols ready for murder, Starscream charges with renewed vengeance.
Soundwave’s inner components make for an excellent target.
Alas, catching his strike with a defensive block, Soundwave just manages to halt his attack by a wire’s breadth. His claws just barely graze the delicate innards of his intended mark. Using Starscream’s momentum in the air, Soundwave doesn’t let go either. With a heave and a twist, he turns to fling the jet around. The tree snaps and crashes as Starscream’s frame slams it to the ground. Looking up, his vision is blocked from all sides by dense leaves and branches.
He needs to get out of there or else.
Hastily, Starscream fires his thrusters. Not a nano-klik later does Soundwave emerge, lunging to tackle his form to keep him from taking off. Kicking and cursing, Starscream wobbles as he struggles to take lift, hampered by the extra cargo that threatens to down him once more.
“Let go of me you fool! Both of us will crash!” Starscream thrashes, transformation seams jammed by Soundwave’s clinging frame.
“Mutual destruction: the point of this meeting.” Soundwave grapples harder, a servo daring to yank down a wing as his shoulder cannon charges. “Aerial advantage: not an option. Starscream’s defeat: imminent.”
At that, he sees red.
This is just playing dirty.
“Reminder: option to surrender. Always available. Starscream: just have to say the words.”
But if Soundwave wants to play it this way...
Let it be known that one should never underestimate just how low Starscream can go.
Buckling to the pressure, Starscream gives up on a clean launch. Instead, he chooses to veer wildly off course. He rams into the first tree, then the second, then the third, unstopping. All the while, he makes sure Soundwave takes the brutal brunt for them both. By now, the other has caught on, struggling to let go. But this time, it’s Starscream’s vice grip that keeps them close. There’s no hopping off this ride now. Soundwave missed his chance.
Let’s see which of the two of them can handle a bumpy flight.
Hence scratches and dents Starscream withstands, all worth it to see Soundwave battered and gashed. However, pushing past Starscream’s reckless piloting, Soundwave gathers enough focus to fire his shoulder cannon. The blast knocks straight into his jaw, sending them both into a dizzying fall.
In the spiral, Starscream’s grip slips. Soundwave escapes his hold with a kick. Now plummeting, recalibration slips away as the jet panics in a blur of wind.
If he transforms fast enough— maybe—!
The earth rockets up to put an end to that thought.
.
.
.
[SYSTEMS: 00000REBOOTING]
[SYSTEM STARTUP — 20%]
Groaning at the swimming sea of lights, a jet stirs as fragmented data rouses in his mind.
[DAMAGE DETECTED: —ENGAGE DIAGNOSTICS 005.55%]
[0032 MINOR ALERTS DETECTED.]
Blinking blearily as diagnostic pop-ups fill his HUD, Starscream seizes up as something coldly dawns on him.
[0007 MAJOR ALERTS DETECTED.]
[SENSORY INPUT: 00000070% SYSTEMS ACTIVATED]
As the clarity of consciousness sharpens his awareness, Starscream picks up on the fact that something is looming over him, silent and scheming. Once the fuzz mostly clears out of his optics, Starscream realises that the lights flickering before him is the glow of Soundwave’s visor, splintered and sputtering with jagged cracks running down in lines.
“You look like slag.” Starscream rasps.
That earns him a long-suffering sigh. A pede then promptly comes up to stomp on his fuselage hard. It grinds down to dig into the broken pieces of his cockpit, sending agonising stabs of pain that has Starscream clenching denta.
“Starscream: surrender.”
With trembling effort, Starscream raises an arm for his null-ray to shoot. The blast connects to the distant trees behind as Soundwave kicks it to the side. Soon, digits wrap around the base of his neck as his frame is hauled up into a half-sit. That shoulder cannon is aimed directly at his face to make sure he obediently stays.
“Starscream: surrender.”
Looking bitterly at the mech above him, Starscream calculates his chances. By now, Soundwave’s mask had retracted, a clear sign of overheating. Glancing down, his frame isn’t in any state better. Various panels have warped and dented to reveal sparking inner wires underneath. If he were to just lift his servo, reach in and yank at anything that pulls, he can put that tape deck in for an excruciating world of pain.
He can turn the tables if he…
Starscream’s servo twitches. He eyes the goal. However, before he can get anywhere, the grip around his neck tightens into a crushing squeeze. A violent hiss pours out behind that cracked screen. Recognising the pulse among his thoughts for what it is, Starscream feels his vitriol shoot up tenfold.
Damn. That. Outlier.
Starscream thinks.
His mind spews a litany of death threats with the most violence he can muster.
In response though, Soundwave doesn’t even flinch. Instead, he merely tilts his helm, waiting for something else.
Under that gaze, Starscream seethes.
Fine. Fine! You win. Happy?!
Still, Soundwave doesn’t let up. A stretched moment passes. With Starscream not saying anything else, Soundwave’s derma parts.
“Say the words. Out loud.”
Starscream’s glare turns scorching. He feels his throat cables creak. As the other presses his pede even further to aggravate his injury, it’s a matter of which he would give in to first.
Pain or pride.
Starscream stubbornly clings to the latter.
And yet, from all the times he’s been in this position, Starscream knows what’s the wiser choice. Inevitably, eventually, and despite his best efforts, the surrendering phrase is pushed through word by word.
“…sss…sound—wave…superior—!”
…
Just like that, Soundwave‘s hold releases. Starscream cranes back to drop to the forest floor. In a ragged heap, he watches as a smirk slowly curls on that stoic face. A click then proceeds to sound out between them.
“…sss…sound—wave…superior—!”
Starscream’s own scratchy voice echoes from that tape compartment, proof of his defeat along with many previous tapes such as this. With perverse delight, that recording is looped a few more times before Starscream rises to the bait and snaps.
“Alright! Alright! Soundwave superior! Blast that until your audials bleed, just get out of my face already!”
At his outburst, Soundwave has the gall to chuckle. It sticks with the damage on Starscream’s plating. Giving one last slag-eating grin, his mask slips back closed as he stalks off into the dark. The temptation to shoot him in the back of the helm rises strong and fast…but at the expense of future sessions…Starscream refrains.
Barely, just barely.
Starscream punches the ground in frustration.
And thus, with Starscream laying there, the forest falls quiet again. He takes stock of his diagnostics scan. Major cuts, twisted connectors and still, one major hole in his cockpit; all the result of Soundwave, ever composed, venting out his own frustrations tonight.
Starscream sighs, more disappointed than annoyed.
The itch to pummel the Third still buzzes, alive.
Regardless, Starscream supposes he did blow off some steam in the fight.
With thoughts on when’s the next rendezvous, Starscream thinks he’ll just have to get him back next time.