Soundwave was running towards his room, shutting the door behind him.

"Carrier, what's wrong?" Frenzy asked, alarmed.

"/I'm fine./" Soundwave spoke.

He wasn't. He was not fine at ALL.

***
"Why were you staring at me?" Shockwave asked.

Soundwave remained quiet when Shockwave asked him that question. He thought he was staring at him. Was he not?

Soundwave quietly spoke. "/Forgive me. I didn't mean to be rude-/"

"And then again, I was staring first..." Shockwave spoke.

"I have a thing for staring at things.... that I like..."

Soundwave froze. He felt his back against the wall as Shockwave loomed over him. He wasn't serious right? He wouldn't be interested in a mech. He probably meant something else. Soundwave tried to quell the feeling he felt when Shockwave started stroking his cheek with his clawed digit. Soundwave could feel his legs growing weak as he felt his digit gracefully outline his helmet.

"I must admit.... you are adorable." Shockwave whispered.

Soundwave held his breath as Shockwave lifted his claw away from him.

"《aren't you needed somewhere...?》" Illusion finally spoke.

Soundwave and Shockwave look towards her, who seem to have already changed into her normal gown. Shockwave stepped away from Soundwave as he started walking past Illusion.

"I do hope we meet again, my dear..." Shockwave said as he left the room.

Soundwave let out his breath, feeling his face overheating. Illusion places her servo on Soundwave's back, seeming worried.

"《Are you okay?》" She asks.

"/I'm fine, princess.../" Soundwave spoke.

Illusion's gaze seemed to darken a bit.

"《I'd be careful around him if I were you...》" She said before she had to leave.

Soundwave quickly made sure that she was gone as she turned down the hall. As soon as she was out of view, he quickly ran to his room.

"/This can't be happening!/" He thought.

***

Soundwave was out on night shift at the watch out tower. Probably punishment, or it was his turn. He's betting on the firat option. He had to leave his minicons back in his room, ordering the twins to not make any noise and to stay put until he came back. He didn't want to get into trouble with any of the other knights and have his secret exposed. He noticed a dark figure moving around the training area. Soundwave had to brighten his visor to see better. It was his mentor. What are they doing in the middle of the night?

"/Weird.../" Soundwave whispered.

He watched as they grabbed a couple of metal swords and quickly entered inside the hall, leading to the princess' quarters. Soundwave got worried and hurried down quickly. He quietly caught up with his mentor, seeing them enter the princess' room. Fear immediately swept through his frame as he bolted torwards her room.

"/Princess! Are you-/" Soundwave quickly froze as he saw what was happening.

His mentor...

WAS THE PRINCESS!?

Illusion was holding her helmet, remaining frozen as Soundwave stared at her behind his helm.

"/you're- you're the captain of OUR ENTIRE ARMY!?/" Soundwave yelled.

Illusion quickly pulled him into her room, covering where his intake would be.

"《Shut. Up. You fool. I can't have you exposing me now!》" She hissed as she closed the door quickly.

"/It's that- it's that I thought I wouldn't meet someone who's also have a secret as well-/" Soundwave quickly covered his mouth.

"《Secret? You have a secret?》" Illusion asks.

"/shit!/" Soundwave internally cussed to himself.

"/Forget you heard that!/" Soundwave yelled.

Illusion glared at him, her servos on her hips.

"《Spill. Since you know my secret, let me know yours.》" She demanded.

Soundwave sighed in defeat. Whether his mentor was the princess or not, she was still his superior.

"/Fine... just don't get weirded out.../" He said as he started taking his chest armor off.

He placed the chest armor at the nearest table, revealing his chest that was still covered in bandages.

"《O- oh.》" Illusion whispered, surprised.

Soundwave blushed in embarrassment as he grabbed his armor and placed it back.

"《Huh? It not everyday you see a carrier join the army.》" She joked.

Soundwave glared at her as he was placing his chest armor properly.

"/I had no other choice, okay? My so called mate left me and-/" Illusion raised her servo, signaling him to stop.

"《I'll help you.》" She said.

Soundwave blinked behind his visor. Did he- did he hear that, right? Was she- offering to help him? Illusion was measuring Soundwave's chest armor as he stared at her, skeptical.

"《Hmmm... I'll probably use the metal I gathered to probably expand your chest armor so you won't have to wear bandages around your chest every day. A waste of resources if you ask me...》" Illusion spoke as she wrote on her book.

Soundwave watches her continue making notes and begins to get nervous.

"/Question: Why are you helping me?/" Soundwave asked.

Illusion looked up from her notes, seeming to think of her response.

"《If I'll be honest.... I need a successor.》" She bluntly spoke.

....

"/Huh?/" Soundwave said.

Illusion rubbed her face as she closed her book.

"《Let me rephrase it. I need someone to lead the army after I'm 'supposedly' gone.》" She made the finger movement.

Soundwave tilted his head, confused but also curious.

"/What exactly do you mean?/" He said.

Illusion groaned as she pulled up an invitation.

"《My brother is trying to marry off to some neighboring kingdom and since I can't be captain and princess at the same time, I need someone to take my place once I leave with my so called beloved
》" She made a grossed out face when she said beloved.

Soundwave let out a static snort.

"/Heh. But why me?/" He asks.

Illusion walked over to him, placing another data pad in his hands.

"《I think you're capable of being a leader, Soundwave. Since we first met, I knew you were different. You care for others since you made a risky sacrifice to help give your minicons a better future. That's something that happens every century. I think you'll make a great captain-》" She smiled at him.

Soundwave looked down at the data pad, reading that it was an invitation.

"《If you accept my proposal...》"