I'm not part of your machine... | Transformers Prime | Soundwave Centric

8 - It's Not a Game, Maybe That's News

"Officer Soundwave!" The silver bot that mimicked a friend of theirs from so, so long ago grew angrier... Their apprehension only infuriated the bot who looked to be itching for a Starscream to throw around.

This wasn't right-- This wasn't his friend from so, so long ago... They wanted-- needed to run, or fight, or-

Megatron snatched the upper parts of their servo, painfully half-crushing the parts there. "Somebot go get Knockout! Now!" The tyrant demanded at the forming crowd of bots. Bots panicked at the address, half scrabbling to actually follow the order and the other half trying desperately to get out of the blast radius of Lord Megatron.

There buzzing feeling at the touch... their sensors felt like they were fried. Their voice box working faster than their filter fizzled to life in panic, "...Megatron: desist. Soundwave: requests release..!" They were barely audible. But visibly distressed at the interaction that felt like an interrogation.

Megatron raised an optic ridge. Challenging them it seemed, to shatter the vow, throw it on the ground, and shoot at it.

Their servos felt weak like they were just a sparkling desperately trying to learn how to move their body. Though that didn't rule over their body, they shoved Megatron off with surprising strength, the silver tyrant almost falling on a few other bots. Megatron took a few steps back from the push, surprised at the retaliation. 

They continued using their voice box, the initial alarm now rooted deep in their spark. "Suggestion: Megatron does not touch Soundwave." Although the static ruled over their vocalizer they spoke confidently, much louder than before. Unfortanly though, their voice still quivered and wavered at Megatron's deep-cutting glare. 

Bots could be heard whispering amongst themselves around the two, some gasped, and some egged the two on.

Megatron looked at Soundwave with his sharp glare, "The assignment, Communications Officer Soundwave?" He asked with a harshness previously unknown to Soundwave.

"Assignment: Status: Unfinished! Reason: Insufficient time!" Their volume grew, their distress bleeding into their unused voice box. This wasn't right. This shouldn't be happening. This happened to Starscream, not him! Starscream was supposed to be the treacherous one, the one at the brunt of Megatron's anger. They should've stayed quiet.

Megatron lunged and reached to seize their servos again, nearly succeeding. Not a noise escaped them as they fell with a clang on the ground to avoid the touch. However, it was a futile attempt as the tyrant clutched their helm with the newfound advantage. 

They stayed there, bracing for the worst. Megatron prepared to swing, almost like Soundwave was Starscream. Maybe Megatron even saw them as Starscream as he prepared his hit... They were ready for the hit. The few minutes seemed like hours, landing a hit near their chest-- or somewhere--everywhere? They weren't sure anymore. They made no sound. Enemy torture was better than this. 

Knockout then seized the room, yelling at bots to "get the frag out of here", and catching  Megatron's fist before he could strike the much more delicate bot in front of him anymore. The medic handed a very pissed-off Megatron to an unseen and unheard Shockwave. 

Soundwave breathed heavily, fans cycling as fast as they could. He almost passed out right then and there. Whether from their own fear or their bleeding, they didn't know. Knockout kneeled before them, not saying a word- his worried expression was enough.

The red car carefully patched Soundwave the best he could there. Once done, He let the other bot pull away and move farther away from him. 

Soundwave turned away from the medic. Though still asking, "Query: May Soundwave leave?"

Knockout's faceplate grew concerned at their voice. He had never heard them speak using it before, it was odd to the bot, "Soundwave. I need to bring you to the medbay. Even if it's just to properly fix you up. You may not be bleeding anymore, but this is..." He gestured to the crumpled and crushed parts of his thin body, "It's... not normal for you. All of this." He sighed looking away at the doorway, hovering and listening Starscream peering in.

The Second in Command looked nervous at the sight he was looking at... Almost as if he was suddenly hit with a slap to the face about something. Starscream jumped at something down the hall and disappeared the other way.

"Soundwave: aware. Soundwave: insists." They look back at the medic, wanting nothing more than the safety of their hab suit as soon as possible. They needed to make sure Laserbeak was okay. 

Knockout looks back at Soundwave, "Look I can't force you to come to medbay unless you're actively dying..." He sighed at the beaten bot sitting almost pitifully on the ground, "Just-- As long as you come later. No excuses." The red medic stands. "You are allowed to leave, Soundwave. Be careful."

Soundwave nodded slowly rising from the ground and heading off. He did his best to ignore the slight limp he was walking with or how his frame screamed at him to get it fixed. He needed quiet, he needed dark, and he needed to know Laserbeak was safe in their habsuite. And none of those were anywhere else on this ship.

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They lay on the ground, Laserbeak resting atop them. Their injured body refused to move even if they wanted it too.  Laserbeak rested, though worried about her creator and she wanted to get Knockout for them. But she stayed there with them. 

Shoudwave sighed, frustrated and upset processor wandering... When had their leader become so demanding? When did the others start calling him "Lord"? When did he get the right to hurt them? When had he started that with Starscream? It wasn't always like this- he was sure of it! They had been friends once, Megatron wouldn't have hurt them then... so why now? Was the purple energon causing this, or was it just enabling the leader? When had things changed?

They didn't know. That was terrifying. Not knowing... Who thought the esteemed and feared Decepticon spy Soundwave would not know something? And be scared of not knowing it! It was almost funny... 

They broke their vow-- that was probably why Megatron reacted like that. They did the unforgivable-- But they were scared before that before Megatron even entered the room. Why were they scared of him? Was it because of the way he treats Starscream--the drones--the Vehicons--their creations?  No... it couldn't be. Sure they've never liked nor supported the way Megatron dealt with Starscream-- or any unruly Decetipcon for that matter-- but that's just their creator programming speaking, right? 

They rested their servos on top of Laserbeak to ground themselves. What in the name of the All Spark were they supposed to do now? Were they safe? Where could they go with Laserbeak? Did the Autobots ever have to worry about Optimus? 

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Soundwave had been desperately trying to avoid Knockout... and really every other bot that would dare to say anything about their condition to them-- other than Laserbeak of course. Megatron-- had attacked them... Their friend, one of their oldest friends had hurt them, and thus successfully scared the absolute frag out of them. And they didn't know how to dissect the feelings that came with that fear... Would Megatron do it again? Would he deny it even happened? They didn't know...

And so, they ended up out in the middle of the Nevada desert with only Laserbeak guiding their lightly limping form. She suggested they go out, to calm their nerves a bit and to think! Laserbeak squawked and messaged them as the two wandered, talking to them about the things she enjoyed. They didn't mind her excitement, even welcoming it, it helped them calm themselves a bit.

Although, while she talked, Soundwave still thought. Thought about Megatron-- Megatronous, the cause of the Decepticons, where they went wrong, and the like. 

They didn't notice the red and blue truck tailed by the pink and blue motorcycle in the distance.

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