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...Yeah.

[He knows that Barricade would understand.

There's a slow nod from Soundwave.]

Heh, righteous... Thanks. I... I don't know, I couldn't-- couldn't think to ask anyone else. Don't think I would, even if I was clear-headed.

[He twitches a small smile at that. It's barely there, though. He hadn't thought he'd see a friend in a worse state than he'd been in a few months ago.

And he has to start a new injury log for someone he'd hoped he would never have to.]

Probably the nicest thing I've heard in a few months. Think I oughta be flattered.
... Swear I'm not gonna let you down, Soundwave.

I... I'll have better compliments later...

I know. You'll do what y'can, 'Cade. I trust you.

Don't worry about it.

... And there's not a finer compliment than that, for me, darlin'.

[It's always a little startling to hear, of course.]

[All this talking is very nice, but it didn't go to the distress signal to listen to talking. It has transport distress to solve for the Decepticons!

The creature rumbles, a few small tentacles wriggling into the cockpit and just flopping down on both Barricade and Soundwave's heads. It needs to connect. It has a question.]

Ack-- N-no, don't do that!

[He's already had enough with something trying to hack into his processor or prying him open with tentacles. Soundwave's first reaction is to try to struggle away.]

[Barricade visibly blanches, more at the cables than Soundwave's reaction, but reaches for one of the cables that dropped onto his friend.]

I've got it, it's okay.

[He turns his arm over and splays his plating before guiding the cable he'd grabbed into one of the ports there. He also retracts his back plating slightly to give the other tentacles access to the lines of ports along his spinal strut. Barricade doesn't enjoy this - at all - but he'll take care of this himself.]

Talk to me, Driller. I can relay any questions you have to him if need be.

[It doesn't understand what the problem is, why the both of them seem to have a problem with its cables. Its body making a whining sound, stopping once Barricade allows it to connect. It still doesn't understand why that took so long to do.

Once connected it rumbles, prodding Barricade with its first question.
Why no limbs?]

[All of the mechs that have gotten into his head lately - used him and the information in his processor - with cables... and the awful crawling sensation that comes with it... have put Barricade off of the appendages for a long while.

But he's willing to endure it this time.

It's a good question, at least, but one he won't verbally answer. He doesn't so much transmit back at pressing what he knows forward into the connection.

Someone ripped them off of him. That's why I need help to get him somewhere and get him fixed.]

[Ripped them off? The Driller hisses, the sound rumbling through it. It knows what that is like, it's never liked it, the Decepticon must not have either. Another cable creeps out, flopping down on Soundwave's head again. Not to connect, no not this time, but to gently pet his head. There there, it will kill the mean Autobots for you. Because it was most certainly Autobots.

Exact location, it sends to Barricade. It's going to break right into the room they need to be in.]

[Whoop, tentacle. Barricade flicks his gaze to Soundwave, raising one hand; easy there.]

The Driller... it doesn't like what happened t'you. It's sorry. I'm sure it wants to to make the one that did it pay.

[Translated mostly-accurately, he's sure. And with that done, he sends the exact location of the medbay in Solus Prime's temple to the Driller. He's sure that Ratchet won't like this... or Solus for that matter... But the less hauling he does the better.]

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