"You insolent fool!," Megatron's howl of pain, coupled with the resounding clang as he toppled over and hit the floor could perhaps be heard in the corridor outside, but Soundwave turned a blind eye to that possibility. Instead, he just snarled at his squirming, convulsing bond mate as he rolled around on the floor. "You idiot! How could you be so arrogant, so impulsive, so... so...!," Words began to fail him as his anger rose, his grip on their bond and the psychic claws he held Megatron's mind within tightening with each passing second. "Do you know what you've done? You've set us back! You stupid mutt, how dare you go against my wishes!," The tyrant screamed louder, arching upwards from the floor and clutching his helm, twisting this way and that. Soundwave stomped around and crouched beside his helm, scowling down at the larger mech with such mirth.

Megatron cracked one optic open, coolant tears building up in the corner, staring up at his lover pleadingly.

With a sound of disgust, Soundwave got to his pedes and all of a sudden released his hold upon Megatron. The gladiator moaned in relief, slumping back onto the floor and panting wheezily. Soundwave marched passed him, until he reached the stretch of glass at the back of their chamber. The sunset cast a soft, golden glow into the dark room, very much unfitting for the current situation. Soundwave glowered out of the window, watching the yellow orb slowly descending behind Jasper mountains and cliff peaks, as if trying to escape his cold stare. Megatron's spontaneous decision to blow a hole through Dreadwing's spark chamber cut away at least a decacycle of his plans. Such a waste! Still, the gladiator wasn't the only one to blame. Soundwave couldn't bring himself to blame Knock Out, either; the cherry medic had panicked, and run to his leader when things began heating up. Megatron had been posed with the task of choosing between Starscream and Dreadwing, to decide who should walk away from this encounter. Megatron had been prompted to think!

Only Soundwave knew that was a stupid idea.

His lover didn't use what little brains he had to think; he was a warrior, he used his instincts! Just as he had that day in the gladiatorial pits, when he chose not to use the pleasure drone known as Starscream when he was thrown to him. Megatron was a brute, and stupid brute. He liked pretty things; he treated them delicately, nicely, and tried to please them. Starscream and Soundwave were pretty, that's why Megatron refused to hurt them before the war began. He only hurt Starscream when Soundwave told him to, like a good dog.

But Dreadwing wasn't pretty. Handsome, oh yes, the Drake Seeker was extremely handsome, to the point of Soundwave even, ever so slightly wanting to...-! He'd been handsome. Not delicate like himself and Starscream; Megatron would have no compunctions in destroying the good-looking Dreadwing. No matter how obvious it was to everyone else how infatuated the blue Drake had been with the gladiator, the fact was Megatron was too stupid to notice. Too enamoured with his bond mate to care, were he to do so.

But those respectful bows, the way he looked at Soundwave. He was his friend, perhaps the only friend he had on the Nemesis. Knock Out was scared, even jealous of his master's bonded. They weren't friends, and any affection Soundwave held for the medic was purely condescending if not silent. But Dreadwing... he was kind, loyal and generous. Through the façade, of everyone believing Megatron was the one pulling the strings and that Soundwave was just his devoted subject, Dreadwing was nice to Soundwave.

He greeted him every morning and asked how he was, whether anything interesting was happening, and he seemed genuinely interested in Soundwave as an individual. Occasionally, he wondered if the Drake knew the truth. Given the right clues, Dreadwing was certainly smart enough to deduce what was really going on in the Decepticon ranks.

It didn't matter now, though, did it?

Because Megatron had killed him. He chose the pretty, delicate, fair little whore simpering in the corner of the med-bay over the strong, powerful, beautiful warrior who devoted his spark to him.

Soundwave lifted his servos to his face, rubbing his sleek optics and trying to bare the weight of his mate's stupidity. He hadn't even cared that Dreadwing had stolen the Forge of Solus Prime; he'd forgiven him before it even came to public light. Because for everything Starscream put him through, he deserved some leniency.

A pitiful whimper trickled to his audials, and Megatron crawled on all fours to Soundwave, pressing his face into the side of his knee and nuzzling affectionately.

"I am sorry...!," He mewled, peering up at his bonded, who still held his unmasked face in his palms. "Forgive me, beloved! I did not mean to cause you any inconvenience...!," He pawed at Soundwave's pedes, snuggling against his leg in a desperate search for pardon and love.

Slowly, the Queen lowered his hands from his face, staring out at the dark landscape, the sun finally fleeing to the other side of the globe. Stars began winking through the glass, and Soundwave hated them for sharing the name of the Seeker he so sorely despised. But he reached down, not looking away from the view, and bitterly petted the Dark Emperor behind his audial, making Megatron purr. "It's alright, darling," He replied darkly. "But I want you to do something for me...!," The Decepticon leader's helm snapped up, eager to make right and please his master. "I want you to distance yourself from Starscream... if he tries to gain your favour, ignore him. If he offers you his opinion, belittle him. If he compliments you, accept it... but do not thank him. Do not even acknowledge that he was kind to you," Soundwave hissed, finger tips digging into the back of Megatron's helm, suddenly making him squeal and whine, attempting to wriggle away. "Do you understand, lover?"

"Yes!," Megatron wailed. "Yes, I understand! I won't get close to him, I swear!," His bonded held his grip for a moment longer, then released him and walked towards the berth. The tyrant sighed in relief, rubbing the tender area and sniffling softly to the darkened floor of the room.

"Megatron."

He looked up, then gaped, optics widening at the wonderful sight of Soundwave laying himself out and open on the stretch of the large bunk, beckoning him with one long digit.

"Come here and love me."

Of course, his mutt obeyed. Crawling onto the berth and ravaging every inch of his Queen; licking, biting and stroking. Soundwave lay still, in no need of returning the attention or able to – Megatron was far too energetic to keep up with – just closing his eyes and letting himself be whisked away by the ecstasy, whispering to his puppet little things like, "Good boy" and "Not so rough, love", keeping the Gladiator under his thumb with his unseen puppeteer strings. His optics remained closed, so not to see the wild dog pinning him to the berth, but instead imagining a refined jungle cat, lovingly holding him in his time of need until...!

"Oh, Dreadwing!"

Hail to the princess, baby!