Silenced

10 | Hollow

"..You may disregard my previous question. It seems as though the procedure was a success, as you are indeed online." Shockwave shifted to face a console and typed quickly a slur of cybertronian symbols into its system. After about a klik or so though, Shockwave stiffened and turned back, noticing he'd left Soundwave in the dark without any sort of explanation to his situation.

"Ahem. Soundwave. You were crtitically injured, and I tended to your recovery. I believe as time continues you will quickly be brought up to speed. Now, I must ask a few simple questions before I may discharge you from this place." Shockwave elucidated bluntly. Soundwave paused for a moment before nodding.

"Have you ever defected from the Decepticon cause?"

Soundwave looked at Shockwave completely appalled by the question.

"Nod yes or no, Soundwave."

Shockwave repeated in a menacing timbre. Soundwave quickly shook his helm with confused optics. Shockwave stood silently in a short daze before slowly sliding his gaze down and typing something into his data pad, then moving on to the next inquiry.

"Did Megatron save you from the Autobots when they did...this, to you?" Shockwave glanced to Soundwave's charred cables. Soundwave grit down on his denta, but tipped a small nod. The Decepticon scientist went quiet.

When Shockwave had used the cortic psychic patch and the psycube, he could not fully erase or create integral persons or events, only manipulate them. However, Shockwave had a feeling that Megatron would still be pleased. He sighed internally to himself as he moved his helm and looked down to the floor, the glowing purple and black banded cable of the psychic patch no where to be found.

For some reason, he couldn't stop this strange sensation of something nagging at his helm. It almost felt like...guilt. But, that was impossible. Shockwave dismissed it and went back to his questioning.

"Do you remember Megatron's start of the Decepticon revolution?"

Soundwave nodded.

"Then, do you remember our fr--time together before the war? In the Pits of Kaon?" Shockwave listed off, relatively inattentive, but was caught off guard when Soundwave hesitated to answer. Shockwave stepped closer, no way to discern the type of expression he was currently wearing.

"If you cannot recall that, do you at least know if you were ever a gladiator?"

Soundwave paused again, still somewhat confused by the unorthodox questions, but eventually shook his helm slowly in response. Shockwave gripped the data pad in his servo a little tighter.

"I see." He said under his breath.

"That is all I needed." Shockwave raised his gaze without a trace of emotion. "You will soon be released from here, but for now I would advise you to stay on the berth. I need to exit the room for a moment - I will only be gone briefly." Shockwave added the last part in warning as Soundwave started to sit up from the horizontal berth, no energon cuffs to be seen. Soundwave nodded complacently. Shockwave stared him down with his singular optic in suspicion for a bit, but eventually vented and tried to make his leave quick.

Once Shockwave made his way around the exit, his optic dimmed and he shook his helm, holding a servo to his cables mutely. That non-existent feeling of guilt was coming back again. He sighed, leaning back against the wall. Shockwave had to do something to feed this absurd 'feeling' before it consumed him.

Eventually, Shockwave regained his composure, and trekked back into the temporarily lab-turned-medical-bay, not surprised in the least when he turned the corner to see his patient disobeying his direct orders by being up and about.