Rumble's best day
(OOC: Continuation of this thread )
G1 Rumble
Rumble had been fully determined to be reasonable and professional, to prepare for Soundwave's arrival and then go back to his duties as the WTP's security chief like a sensible cassette.
But how could he, when he was about to be reunited with Soundwave after far too long?
( Happy cassette is happy )
G1 Rumble
Rumble had been fully determined to be reasonable and professional, to prepare for Soundwave's arrival and then go back to his duties as the WTP's security chief like a sensible cassette.
But how could he, when he was about to be reunited with Soundwave after far too long?
( Happy cassette is happy )
It took all his self-control to remain on his chair when he caught his first glance of blue metal, when all he wanted was to run at Soundwave and cling to him like a sappy Autobot. As all of Soundwave's frame came into view, however, it took no more self-control, for shock kept Rumble frozen in place.
His optics systematically took in all the damage Soundwave had taken, both the older and newer one. Protective rage surged through his circuits. No one got away with hurting Soundwave! Rumble was barely aware of the foreign emotions mingling with his own, his fury drowned out everything else.
He was just about to hop off his chair and fly into a temper tantrum of epic proportions - preferably ending with slagging everyone who had dared to put so much as a scratch on Soundwave's frame, when Soundwave's voice cut right through his fury.
"Energon!" Rumble yelped.
He hopped off the chair then, but to rush to the neatly stacked cubes. He grabbed one and only then hurried to Soundwave, coming to a stop right in front of him. He raised the cube, offering it to him with a wavering smile. "Boss? What happened to you?"
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PHYSICAL CONDITION WITHIN OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS.
Soundwave shuddered slightly as the energon coursed through his lines. He had been more severely deprived than he had thought. He almost felt dizzy from the sudden influx of energy. His optics brightened behind his visor briefly before he began to relax just slightly.
He finished the cube and looked down at Rumble, his battle mask still lowered, allowing his tape to see his face. Raising his visor he looked Rumble in the optics and allowed himself to show just a little emotion. He smiled down at his cassette.
After a few moments the visor lowered and his battle mask slipped back up into position. One cube was not enough, but he knew to take it slow. His systems needed time to handle the sudden influx of energon.
ORDER: REPORT
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"Report! I can do that!" he replied with an eager gleam to his visor, though it quickly dimmed again with uncertainty. While he still had hope Soundwave was still in the Nexus, merely on a secret mission for Megatron, he had written meticulous reports so he would be prepared when Soundwave returned. When he lost hope, he had become sloppy; the task was just too painful, such a constant reminder that Soundwave wasn't here to receive his reports and he didn't know if he would ever see him again.
"I'll send you the files. There are a lot of files! It'll take you a while to work through them. I wrote my reports neatly, too, just like you like them!" Alright, so he might have gone off on some tangents about squishies needing to be squished and stupid Nexus and Cyclonus being a very ugly shade of purple, but these are important informations, too!
Rumble tips his weight forward and backwards on his pedes. "The highlights are, Megatron's gone! And so is Screamer! Cyclonus switched sides, to another universe's Megatron." Proudly, he says, "I stayed loyal, of course! I figured you would want me to be loyal, even when so many of our mechs deserted our Megatron for the other one! Now..." He trails off. "I'm not sure... I don't know if the other Megatron is still here. I reckon Cyclonus' in charge now." A snicker. "He acts like it anyway, but he always does that!"
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His spark surged for a moment when he realized Megatron was gone. He had always known, somewhere inside, the moment Megatron was gone. He just did not want to face it. Soundwave frowned behind his battle mask. He was not thrilled with the idea of following some other Megatron.
Logic dictated that the strongest Mech should lead. He just did no know who that was. Without realizing it he had begun to slouch as his mind went over things, his posture taking on a look of defeat.
If there was no Megatron...what was his purpose
Soundwave straightened himself up suddenly, his large hand clenching in a tight fist. Waves of power flowed off of him. He was not weak. If Megatron was truly gone, then the Decepticons of his world were no more. That meant he could be whatever he chose.
Soundwave tilted his head down and looked at Rumble.
I TAKE ORDERS FROM NO WEAKLINGS
His voice was not as monotone as usual, he wanted his intentions clear. He would not try to usurp any set leadership, but he would not follow the command of any that were weak or beneath him. If he had no one to follow then he would just have to lead.
SOUNDWAVE SUPERIOR
He would lead his team, or what was left of it. If other Mechs chose to listen to him he did not care. He was not going to be softened by this place.
COMMAND: RUMBLE REPORTS TO SOUNDWAVE. RUMBLE OBEYS ONLY SOUNDWAVE.
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He met Soundwave's optics firmly, steadily, with determination shining brightly in his gaze.
"Understood, boss!" he said with great relish. "I will obey only you!" Oh, this was truly the best day ever, Rumble decided. How long had he yearned for the moment when he would finally be under Soundwave's command again?
Rumble took another step closer so that his pedes touched right against Soundwave's. He reached up to grasp the fingers of Soundwave's right hand. "You can count on me!"
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He had missed this. Physical contact was not something he got frequently, and most the time it was only his cassettes, but he still missed it sometime.
AFFIRMATIVE
Soundwave nodded down at Rumble. He knew that when his smart mouthed little cassette put his mind to it, that he could achieve things that were difficult for even full sized Mechs to accomplish.
ORDER: REPORT
Soundwave extended a data transfer cable from his wrist. He did not plug into Rumble directly, he waited to make sure his cassette was ready. Soundwave was aware that hardline connections with him could be abrasive and painful, but if there were really that many reports, this would be the fastest way.
Often he was retrieving information from unwilling Mechs, so usually he did not bother to gain permission, however he would not harm Rumble, not even by order of Megatron himself.
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He braced his systems for the connection and put the files into a neat data package, then Rumble grasped the cable and plugged it in himself in a decisive movement.
His visor offlined for a moment as his systems adjusted to Soundwave's presence. It had been far too long. He shifted slightly in discomfort. A hardline connection with Soundwave had never been the most pleasant experience, but after the separation Rumble felt the discomfort all the more keenly. He scowled, hating that something he had longed for so long was now being ruined. Frustrated, he hurriedly began to transmit the reports.
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Taking pity on his cassette and feeling the stress over their bond he removed the harsh background static from the line. The connection went from being disorienting and uncomfortable to hovering around the line of being very pleasurable.
Soundwave sent a curious ping to Rumble, checking his cassettes status. He would not do this for anyone else, but right now he needed Rumble happy. A happy Rumble was a loyal Rumble.
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The ping returned the smile to his face and he looked up to meet Soundwave's visor. "I'm fine, boss," he said quietly as he grasped Soundwave's fingers again.
Smile turning into a mischievous grin, he pinged back through the hardline connection, just taking delight in communicating with Soundwave again.
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OBSERVATION: STATEMENT REPETITIVE.
Soundwave knew his cassette well enough to know that Rumble always said he was “fine” even if he was not. This time however, the statement was true.
Once the data transfer was complete Soundwave slowly and gently disconnected his hardline connection to Rumble, the cable stowing neatly back in his wrist. For a few moments he was slightly disoriented at the sudden emptiness in his systems.
REPORTS WILL BE REVIEWD LATER.
INQUIREY: LOCATION FOR RECHARGE?
Soundwave did not want to head all the way back out to the cave he found unless necessary. He really needed to work on having something built for his team but that would have to come later.
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He wasn't alone anymore, he reminded himself firmly. Don't be a wussy Autobutt.
With Soundwave's question, the pang of regret was forgotten, instantly replaced by awkwardness. Rumble grinned, his very best 'innocent little cassette' grin which appeared on his lip plates when he was caught red-handed. He laughed nervously.
"Well..." he drawled. "I'm staying at the Cabin, but I don't think you would like to go there." He shifted his weight from one pede to the other. "There are kinda... uh...", he rubbed the back of his helmet with his left hand, "there are kinda Autobots there..." His visor brightened with urgency. "I just needed a place to stay and Bumblebee offered and I told him it's just temporary while I was waiting for you and I won't go back if you don't want me to!"
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STATEMENT: AUTOBOT ASSOCIATIONS UNACCEPTABLE.
ORDER: CEASE TRAITOROUS ACTIVITIES.
Soundwave continued to stare down at his cassette, he wondered if he was being harsh. With no Megatron, maybe he could learn something from all of this. Plus he did need somewhere to recharge.
ALTERNATIVE LOCATION REQUIRED.
Soundwave knelt down to bring himself face to face with his cassette.
INQUIRY: LEVEL OF BETRAYAL UNKNOWN. FURTHER EXPLANATION REQUIRED.
Soundwave did not want to think that his cassette had betrayed him. It would not sit well with him. He was a very large and very powerful Mech and that power was barely being contained at this point. He was not one to lose his temper, but he was fully capable of feeling angry.
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Traitorous activities.
Never would he have thought such a term would ever be used by Soundwave to describe him! Never! Oh, how he hated the Nexus and what it had turned him into!
When Soundwave knelt down in front of him, he only raised his head to meet his visor for a moment, then he quickly lowered his gaze again. He didn't want to see Soundwave looking angry or disappointed. He couldn't bear it.
"I was just so lonely!" he blurted out in a desperate, yet whiny voice. The unfairness of the entire situation was just as crushing as the shame. "I know I did wrong! I always knew I was doing wrong," he added quietly, shamefully. "But you were gone and Ravage and spiky Ravage and white Ravage were gone and the teammate substitutes were gone or not working!" He had no idea if Soundwave would be able to make sense of his babble, but it seemed unimportant while the need to just explain and defend himself was so overwhelming. "I was all alone and I spent so long sleeping in a booth at Haven or whatever abandoned building I could find and then Slipstream let me sleep here but it was so lonely, all alone in an empty room! I just wanted to be somewhere with plenty of mechs and with noise so I could pretend the others aren't gone!"
In retrospect, it seemed utterly foolish and reckless to choose to stay with Autobots. He could have found a way to stay at the Decepticon Medbay without joining Cyclonus and his fake Megatron or at least later asked to stay with the Combaticons at their Megatron's former fortress. He should at least have tried. He knew Soundwave wouldn't approve. But... maybe he had wanted him not to approve. Maybe he had wanted to rebel in what little ways he could, to punish Soundwave for supposedly abandoning him.
Either way, there was simply no excuse.
"I'm sorry," he sighed, defeated.
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