Thatās nice. He records it and not for blackmail as many see to believe he does. Starscream complimented him and he needs that more than he cares to admit, and itās a nice thing to keep in his memory core when nothing but horror lurks there.Ā
An anchor.Ā
[ Request: keep me updated on Decepticons. Expect a full report from Knock Out involving your health. ] He makes a point to put emphasis where it is. He doesnāt want to know of Megatron, perhaps a part of the bitterness that barely keeps him together.
The less he thinks of Megatron, the less likely he is to break.
[ Affirmative, but not always enough. ] He doesnāt say much more on the subject of his apology; he doesnāt know how, and a part of him wants to face her when he does finally explain. He makes a mental note.
[ Shadowzone; escape on own impossible. Rescue coming. Starscream; does not need to worry. Soundwave ā I ā will return to serve. ]Ā
Starscream notices the stress on Decepticons--how can she not?--and does put it together this time. Soundwave very much does not want to talk about Megatron.
Well, that's fine; she'd like to avoid that herself, and Soundwave likely has his own reasons. She can hardly guess at them, so she doesn't try... though a few possibilities flit through her mind--because Megatron died? because of Megatron hasn't gone for Soundwave, for the second time? how long has Soundwave potentially felt like this?--before she chases them off.
"Request granted." And something of a relief to receive; she'd been a bit concerned that he was gearing up to die, but this makes it sound as if he thinks that unlikely. "I will send you a report, if that makes you feel any better. And I'll inform you when Knock Out and the rest of the Vehicons are out of Autobot custody, as well as any further events.
"Perhaps. But we have all of us made our mistakes."
Her wings were up in remembered alarm, discussing Soundwave's imprisonment in the Shadowzone--she hadn't been, but her one run-in with that had been an unpleasant experience, and she was hunched somewhat protectively over the keys as she typed. "See that you do, Soundwave. You are a boon to the Decepticon cause, and quite frankly, the fewer we lose at this point the better." An awkward way of expressing concern, but. "I would not want to accidentally interfere with whatever rescue attempts you have planned, but if need be, I should be able to find some way to help extract you myself."
Even if that meant calling in tentative allies, even Autobot allies, from other universes, to use their ground bridges... Though that could prove dangerous, it could be no more dangerous being stuck without fuel in some other dimension slightly removed, could it? The thought was horrifying, really.
