Chapter 2: A Prisoner

Soundwave awoke slowly to Lazerbeak's insistent pinging, trying to awaken his creator from her unconscious state.

Onlining slowly, Soundwave found herself restrained on a berth that was tilted slightly. She attempted to sit up, but found that she couldn't, so she lay still as her HUD processed the damage to her body. The damage was mostly in her core and side, where IronHide had smashed his hammer into her side.

Laying her helm back down, Soundwave knew they were watching... monitoring her, so she turned her helm and looked at the wall she knew they were watching her from behind.

Soundwave stared towards it through her visor, although a corner of her processor was worried about something else... Not for her, but something within her.

Autobot POV
"What do you make of him?" Optimus Prime asked, turning to his second, Jazz, and weapon's specialist, IronHide.

Jazz was inently studying the Decepticon Communications Officer. "He seems a lil strunge." He answered, looking up at his leader. "A lil off."

A loud grunt came from IronHide. "Seems the same to me." He responded coldly, arms crossed as he looked in at the restrained Decepticon. "Just another con that needs a good beating."

Looking at IronHide, Optimus shook his helm. "We cannot do that. It would contradict what we stand for." He answered, putting a calming servo on the black mech's shoulder.

"You know that sometimes, we have to sacrifice what we believe in." IronHide answered. "If you do not feel comfortable with it, I can do it." He added calmly, looking up at the Prime.

"Hide's right, Prime." Jazz said from beside him. "We've got ourselves tha chance o' a lifetime." He said, looking in at the Communications Officer, who looked towards them. "We'll go easa at first." He added.

"Yeah. We can't just let this opportunity pass through our servos!" IronHide told him, looking in at Soundwave. "The punk looks so cocky, my fists are just itching."

Optimus sighed as he looked down at them. "If you promise me that it won't go over the top, I will allow it." He answered, feeling guilty for passing the order.

Jazz nodded and saluted once. "Yessir!" He said with a wide smile, looking at IronHide.

The Prime looked between them. "I will sit in on it." He added, curious to see what they might be able to dig out of the emotionless con.

The two mechs nodded in response. "Should start now." Jazz said softly. "We'll bring in Prowler ta." He added, sending IronHide to get him.

Soundwave lay silently, staring at the somewhat normal wall, but after a quick scan, was revealed to be anything but... Yes. They were watching from there.

Laying patiently, Soundwave waited. She knew they would question her at some point.

As if on que to her thoughts, the door opened, letting in IronHide, Jazz and Prowl, who all moved over to her.

"Should we do it here?" IronHide asked them.

"I wouldna chance movin' him." Jazz answered, Prowl nodding. "Moving of a maximum security prisoner is very difficult and should be planned in advance." He told them.

Soundwave looked between the three mechs silently, mentally preparing herself what she knew was coming.

"How long do we have?" IronHide asked, flexing his digits slightly.

"An hour. After that, Ratchet's coming to check on his wounds." Prowl answered, doorwing's twitching as he moved over to Soundwave, connecting wiring to her body. "This will tell us if he's lying." He said, stepping back and listening as technicians in another room commed him that it was working and correctly connected.

Soundwave watched them in seeming disinterest, Lazerbeak sending nervous pinging to her, but she silenced him through the bond.

"We'd like some codes, Soundwave." Prowl told her calmly, faceplate cool and calm.

Looking around, Soundwave decided that Prowl was most likely going to be the one to ask the questions, IronHide would be the abuser, and Jazz would weave from one to the other. She looked back at Prowl, not responding with movement or words.

Prowl sighed as he looked at her. "You know that if you do not answer, we will be forced to take more drastic and uncomfortable methods?" He asked.

Again, Soundwave did nothing, just staring at him through her visor, which remained as a blank screen.

Sighing slightly, Prowl shook his helm. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." He said slowly, but before he could say another word, IronHide stepped forward, clenching his fist tightly as he looked at the silent Decepticon. "Answer or I'll make you." He ordered gruffly.

Soundwave looked at him, body relaxed and calm when really, on the inside, her spark was fluttering.

"I warned you." IronHide growled, drawing back and punching her hard across the helm.

Warnings flashed over the visor as Soundwave muted her external speakers, allowing her to cry out within the helmet while to others that were standing around heard nothing.

"Tough one, huh?" IronHide lifted his arm again, but Jazz grabbed it. "Lets jus' start with one, Hide." He said calmly.

Soundwave slowly turned to helm to look at them again, the blow still making her slightly dizzy.

Prowl shook his helm slightly and looked at her again. "We've intercepted from messages between the Decepticon parties." He said, crossing his arms as he looked at her. "We'd appreciate it if you would decode them for us... The sooner we finish this, the sooner you can be moved to a more comfortable place."

"Frag... you." Soundwave answered through recordings.

IronHide growled and punched her again, Lazerbeak giving a sharp chirp in response, trying to unlatch from her chassis, but she didn't let him.

Three pairs of optics fell to the simbiote, and Soundwave stared at them, cold fear beginning to fill her. 'No, no! Anything but that!' She thought in terror.

"Get the simbiote." Prowl ordered them and IronHide stepped forward, grabbing the wings as he tried to pull him off.

Soundwave was glad she had muted her external speakers while she cried out and pleaded with them to stop. She felt tears in her optics as she looked at them.

IronHide grunted as he was finally able to rip the small, bird-like simbiote loose of her chassis, pinning it as he kept it from getting loose.

Lazerbeak squawked and tried to flap his wings.

"Bring him into the other room." Prowl ordered him. Separating the simbiote from the creator would maybe help loosen up Soundwave... The silent Decepticon would most likely worry about Lazerbeak and maybe do anything to retrieve him.

Soundwave watched helplessly as she watched them take Lazerbeak away from her. She cut off their bond, blocking him out for now... She didn't want him hurt, but worse things would happen if they ended up betraying the Decepticons.