Ghosted (Soundwave x Reader)

2

"He wrote the report?"

"It's vague."

"Of course it is." Knockout pulled up Soundwave's report of his previous mission and was severely disappointed. There were a few images tacked on at the bottom of the file, but most were blurry and hard to identify.

"This is odd," the doctor murmured as he repeatedly scrolled up and down the two paragraphs of the report. "Soundwave is highly proficient and this is all he scraped together?"

"Well, it contains a little more than a picture of a cyberwolf," Breakdown supplied. "Says at the bottom that he was attacked by an actual Autobot."

Knockout sighed and went back to the top to read the report all the way through. It was hardly better than simply getting blanked by Soundwave, stating that after Laserbeak was taken down by the cyberwolf, he was ambushed upon happening on the wolf and it's would-be meal. He couldn't record anything and barely managed to get a Ground Bridge open to return to the Nemesis.

"Complete scrap," Knockout said, dismissing the report without even trying to identify the pictures. "I know Soundwave can do better than that, and I know Starscream knows it too. If Soundwave doesn't get his act together, we may as well surrender to the Autobots! It's time to do some investigation. Where was the site of the ambush?"

"Near the border of the state of Maine, in one of the forests. He was supposedly tracking a stray signal."

"Just Soundwave's type of territory." Knockout hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin. "This doesn't make sense." He turned to Breakdown. "Take the report to Starscream. I'm going to do some poking around."

"Soundwave isn't gonna like that."

"Well, I doubt he'll like spending a few hours learning his place, will he? Let's find out the truth and get to the bottom of this, shall we?"

Breakdown shrugged at that response and turned to leave the room, his pedesteps fading a minute later.

~

Soundwave flew over a plain located somewhere towards the center of the state labeled Vermont, scanners searching for any stray signals. It was unfortunate that Laserbeak was still currently out of commission; having the drone in play had proved to be rather useful.

"Soundwave? Why are you not at your post?" Starscream's voice came through the comms. He didn't sound exactly angry, though he sounded rather suspicious.

"Stray."

"Signal?"

"Stray."

"Soundwave, you would do well to answer me, and answer me honestly." Silence over the line. "Soundwave!"

"Signal."

"Very good. Now, return to the ship. I'm sure Breakdown can cover that. We have more...pressing things to discuss." The communications officer slowed his flight slightly, casting one last long distance scan before locking onto the Nemesis' coordinates and Bridging himself back.

Upon entering the main bridge, he was confronted with a smug Knockout and a currently neutral Starscream. Soundwave looked between the two, then up at the main screen. His report. Of course.

"'Ambushed. Visibility was less than twenty five percent. Laserbeak was put out of commission almost instantly. A struggle ensued. No details were captured before a retreat was entirely necessary.'" The standing leader of the Decepticons did not sound impressed. "Is that really all you could come up with?"

"It was...an ambush. There was no...visibility."

"A likely story, if only it wasn't coming from someone as efficient as you," Knockout said, one digit tapping against the keyboard. "We've seen your work, Soundwave, we've seen you in action; we know that, even in a situation, an ambush, if you will, like this, you even manage to snap a picture that can later be enhanced." The doctor scrolled down to the bottom of the report and pointed at the images, which consisted mostly of black nothingness with a few flashes of blue lasers. "So?"

Soundwave stared at the image. He could decipher it. At the top left corner, she was perched on a rock, both blasters pointed at him. Her face, however, was not visible, even to him.

However, due to the clear overlook of this detail, he decided not to point it out to them.

"I did...what I could. Why...are you still...looking into this?"

"Because it is highly unlikely that this ambush was any different than others you have encountered in the past," Starscream said dismissively. He narrowed his optics at the communications officer. "The question really is: what aren't you telling me, Soundwave? Are you ashamed? Humiliated? There must be a sound reason, I assume."

Soundwave stared at Starscream, contemplating his response. Then he stepped over to the monitor, dismissed his report and pulled up a search on known cyberwolves. He then turned to the standing leader expectantly.

With a noncommittal grunt, Starscream scrolled through the results before Knockout intervened and pointed at a certain file.

"That's him," the doctor said. "Mini-Con, the right color - even if it was dark." He clicked into the file, a rather clear picture of the cyberwolf popping up. Soundwave took a step back as Starscream came to stand in front, tilting his helm.

"Theoretical partner to the Ghost of Cybertron?" the seeker sneered. "The Ghost of Cybertron is a myth. You really expect me to believe that after centuries of inactivity, after no confirmed activity, that you were attacked by a mere legend and her pet?"

"I wouldn't be so hasty," Knockout advised. "The only reason we think she's a myth is because no one's ever encountered her and lived. You know the one mission, back during the worst of the war back on Cybertron, when eleven chief Decepticon officers left and never returned? My team found all of them dead, not even close to the Autobot border."

"So? Autobots were known to sneak past our lines quite frequently. I highly doubt that one femme could take out an entire squadron of chief Decepticons."

"Well, she wasn't exactly known for playing the role of teammate. She supposedly spent most of her time behind Decepticon lines, killing, wreaking havoc, the works." Knockout exited the Mini-Con's file and pulled up another search for the Ghost of Cybertron. Upon finding her file, he entered it and found the fuzzy images of her. Starscream lifted an optic ridge doubtfully.

"I thought you said no one saw her and lived," he said.

"I did. This was harvested as a last effort to try and catch her from a dying soldier. He didn't live to see the next morning." The standing leader looked up at the file, reading through the information before turning to look at Soundwave.

"If it was the Ghost of Cybertron, perhaps that's a good reason for why he couldn't do a better job," the doctor suggested. "Maybe Soundwave has finally met his match."

Starscream let out a disbelieving snort. "I won't believe it until I see it," he said. "Soundwave, you're dismissed. Knockout, you too. Both of you, remain at your posts. You," he nodded at the communications officer, "don't leave the ship unless you're told otherwise by me or someone authorized." He then brushed past the slender bot and left the bridge, muttering to himself.

Knockout looked at Soundwave, who had his helm angled towards the screen. "If it was her, why didn't you just say so?" the cherry mech asked, starting for the door. He received no response. "Fine. Suit yourself." 

And then Soundwave was alone once again.