The commlink crackled with a rogue Decepticon signal. Optimus and Megatron followed it down a lonely stretch of road just outside the city. Dust clung to the air from passing trucks, their headlights cutting brief, sharp beams into the dusk. And then — Soundwave stood there, unmoving in the middle of the road. His visor glowed like a blade of ice in the dark.

“Soundwave,” Optimus said carefully, taking a step forward.

But Soundwave’s gaze locked only on Megatron. His stance was rigid, heavy with rage. When he spoke, his voice distorted through his modulator, cutting through the hum of nearby engines:

“Traitor.”

The word struck heavier than any weapon. Megatron froze, shoulders tense, meeting the weight of his former wife’s fury as the silence stretched between them, fragile and dangerous.