Disclaimer: Wish I'd owned them, but I don't. I gain nothing from this.

Warning: do I have to keep writing this? Slash (sort of)

Questions

"uhm . . . Boss?"

Soundwave stopped cleaning his blaster to look at Rumble. The Cassetticon looked nervous. A sure sign that Soundwave would not like what he was going to be told. He didn't reply, but he didn't go back to cleaning his weapon. The action didn't go unnoticed and Rumble spoke again.

"Boss, can I ask ya something?"

This time he received a small nod. Rumble's nervousness lifted a little.

"Why do ya leave the base without one of us with ya?"

Soundwave regarded the small Con in front of him. This wasn't the first time one of his Cassetticons had appeared with concerns about his sporadic disappearances. He never really answered them, opting for ignoring their queries rather than actually lie to them. If there was anything the transformers as a whole didn't question it was Soundwave's affection for his creations and their loyalty to each other. He had never lied to them and they never lied to him. They were connected. They would know when one lied to the other. They knew when he lied to the others. So instead of answering, Soundwave opted for withholding the information and returned to cleaning his blaster.

This wasn't what Rumble was waiting for and he clearly showed it. – "C'mon boss! Ya said I could ask ya!"

"Never said I would answer." – Replied the bigger robot. Rumble gaped at him, and then narrowed his optics.

"That's not fair! Here we are, worried that ya might get killed and ya don't care!"

"We?" – Soundwave stopped cleaning his weapon for the second time and Rumble didn't wasted his boss' interest.

"Yes! We! As in your Cassetttes!." – Yelled the little Con.

"Worry: not necessary." – Soundwave replied as he went back to his task.

"Boss?"

A pause in his cleaning. – "Yes, Rumble?"

"Don'tcha trust us?

"Cassetticons: loyal."

"Then why do ya keep things from us?"

"Knowledge: dangerous."

"Why? Is not as if we're gonna tell."

"Knowledge: dangerous." – Repeated Soundwave, as if to emphasize his point.

"Why dangerous? It's not as if you're having secret meetings with the Autobots, boss."

Soundwave stopped working for a second. Rumble, who had been made by Soundwave and had known how to read his creator's moods since he first went online, noticed his action and he stared at his creator in disbelief. – "Ya are?"

Soundwave looked at his creation silently. The Cassetticons were the only ones that could read his actions clearly and his carelessness had told Rumble all he needed to know. If he were to tell Rumble that he was wrong, they both will know he lied. In fact, all of his creations will know he lied. Unfortunately for Soundwave, it was either lie or confess.

"I did not meet with the Autobots."

"Then ya met with one, boss. Is that some sort of secret plan from Megatron?"

"Negative. Do not inform Lord Megatron of my activities, Rumble." – Soundwave said, his melodic voice making the little robot shiver in fear. He was used to the monotone of his creator and didn't like it when he showed his emotions. Bad things happened when he did, or so he'd heard from Ravage.

"So it is true then? You're meeting with Autodolts.?"

"No lies for Cassetticons."

"I know, boss, and don'tcha worry 'bout it. Megatron won't know a thing from us, boss."

"Good."

A couple of minutes passed in silence. Just when Soundwave's concentration was focusing completely on finishing with his blaster, Rumble spoke again.

"So, who's the lucky Bot, boss?"