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WHO: SG!Soundwave and Kagerou
WHERE: The medbay
WHEN A while after this.
WHAT: Soundwave drops in to say hello. Social ineptitude ensues.
WARNINGS: None as of now.

It does feel safer here, sitting in the little room he'd been placed in. He'd prefer to be somewhere he could see the sky. Or up high, out of the way, watching everything below. But if he had to be anywhere, recovering, being in the hands of a robotic engineer seemed like the best option. He didn't want to go back to the others, anyway. Not now.

So, really, all there was to do was spy on the messages appearing on the network. Or whatever it was. That, and study the hookups keeping him online. A generator. They really weren't joking when they said there wasn't any fuel to be had. So, it was this or nothing. And, honestly, it was better to dwell on this than it was to think on what had happened.

On... someone rifling through his memory. Seeing everything. Potentially taking things...

He curls up a little, without realizing it, drawing his knees to his chest and folding his wings around himself. A distraction, he decides, would be very welcome.

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He's a little startled by the sudden voice. But when who it is registers, he settles himself, actually uncurling a bit from his hunched position. Soundwave. He knows him -- he's trustworthy.

"It's fine," he answers, albeit a little stiffly. Not because he doesn't want to see the other robot. Far from it -- after all, the last time he'd heard from Soundwave, he hadn't sounded very well at all.

He just... isn't used to all this social interaction. Not yet. Robots and human beings alike keep coming out of the woodwork to speak with him, and meet him... it's jarring.

At the invitation, Soundwave swings himself inside, gently shutting the door behind him. He approaches Kagerou, not quite swooping him into a hug yet, but giving him a friendly pat on the arm.

"Glad t'see you up," he says sincerely. "Well, I'm glad t'see me up too, honestly. Sittin' around waiting for your legs to work? Real fraggin' pain."

Then, he takes a step back, giving Kagerou some breathing room, so to speak.

"You hangin' in there?"

His expression brightens, very slightly, when he sees Soundwave up and around. That's better than he sounded, the last time they talked. Much better. When his arm is patted, he... holds out a hand too, in an attempt to do the same.

"What happened to your legs?"

He never did hear what had happened. Which was worrisome, almost as much as hearing the distress call. At the question, he shrugs a little, folding his arms over his chest.

"Everything seems intact," he says. "And the engineer already saw to the damage." A nod. "It's all right."

Physically.

The return motion from Kagerou earns a pleased hum from Soundwave; he nods once. Good, good. A great step for better socialization!

"Eh, they just got damaged," Soundwave tries to wave off. "No worrying, okay?"

Kagerou should be focused on himself.

"Glad t'here. Now." Soundwave points at Kagerou's chest, as if to indicate his... soul? Heart. Something like that; Kagerou and the other Braves don't have embers, after all. "How's this doin'?"

He's trying his best. And the little hum of sound is encouraging. He's not being shoved away or told to stop. It must mean he's doing it right. But his expression sobers.

"I was worried. You didn't sound like yourself."

And given he'd spoken to Soundwave all of once before then, that said something. He looks down, blankly, when Soundwave points to his chestplate. And frowns.

"The... tiger?" But maybe he means what's underneath. "Or the circuits?"

"I'm okay now. S'all that matters."

Hopefully that's enough for Kagerou without directly... lying to him. He doesn't want to. Hates the idea, but he can't have him worrying now. Kagerou's had enough done to him, no doubt.

"Neither," Soundwave answers softly. "Your emotions, dude. Your thoughts, your heart. I'm wonderin' how that's managing right now."

He falls quiet again. Not because of something Soundwave said... he's just quiet like that. "I'm glad," he says, finally, and looks up at him. "I'm glad you're all right."

He means that. Soundwave has been good to him, more than he could have expected from a stranger -- more than he could have expected from his 'own kind', who apparently didn't trust him.

Though, when Soundwave clarifies what he means... Kagerou folds again, wings flattening, expression twisting. "I don't feel well," he admits, equally softly. "It... was scanning my data. All my memories."

His hands lift, touching the sides of his helmet.

"I have no way of knowing if it changed or took something... until I... if it changed me."

Because that's what his memory data is, isn't it? Himself. All he has of himself.

"I appreciate that." And he truly does. Kagerou seems like he has a good heart in him. Soundwave's looking forward to helping him out more in the future.

The physical reaction from Kagerou makes his ember stir in concern, his visor dimming. Prism went into his mind, of course; Kagerou does not have the natural resistance that someone like Soundwave would. He doesn't have that protection.

Lightly, his hands settle onto Kagerou's shoulders.

"You can't be changed as a person," Soundwave assures softly. "You're still you, Kagerou. But if yer scared that something is missing... I can check for you. If you want."

He... smiles a little. It's faint, a bare flicker, but it's there for a moment, all the same. He still has no real idea of how to deal with others, but hearing that makes him feel better about what he's done so far. Like there's hope.

His first inclination is to pull away from the hands on his shoulders. Because they're wrong -- they're not the hands they should be, that he's used to. But, no. He knows who this is. It's Soundwave, and it's safe. He shakes his head.

"I can," he says, and his hands slowly lower. "If it, if anything, takes my memories... it takes me." His expression is stricken. "They're how I know... how I know I'm alive at all."

At the offer though, some of his panic seems to ease. "You can do that?"

"Memories help identify us, but at the core? We stay the same," Soundwave assures gently. "But it's okay. Seems like you got some important stuff in that noggin of yours."

At the question, Soundwave pauses, then nods. "I can take a look an' if there's any damage, I can see about repairing it. But only if you trust me completely, Kagerou. I ain't dippin' into somebody's mind without their permission."

He isn't completely confident he can fix it, but he can slagging try.

He shakes his head again. No, that's not true. Not when you can be overwritten. Not when... But how does he even begin to explain? Shadowmaru only understood, because it was Shadowmaru. Because they were each others' other half. Soundwave -- as good as he is, as kind as he is -- isn't the same. "They are the most important thing I have," he says, finally. "Nothing else is as important to me."

An admission he hasn't made to anyone else here. Except for one -- who he almost regrets admitting it to. It hadn't changed anything, anyway.

"I need to know," he says, slowly, quietly. "I need to know if... if I'm missing anything."

Even the smallest moment. He can't bear to lose one single second. He looks at Soundwave, then, fearful, desperate. And nods, tacit permission, but permission all the same. "Just... please tell me it's still there. All of it."

"Right. I get you."

The hands on Kagerou's shoulders draw away but only because Soundwave is holding his arms open. Remember that time he hugged you? Yeah, now it's more like an offer right now.

"C'mere for a bit. I'll make it as brief as I can, but I'll do what I can for ya, Kagerou."

He sort of looks at Soundwave a little strangely. It takes him a moment or two to realize what's going on, what exactly is being offered. But he nods, slowly, before rising with equal slowness, and stepping nearer to him. What else does he do? His hands hover, awkwardly, and settle just for that. Hovering.

"All right."

He has to look up to address Soundwave -- something that he's becoming bizarrely used to. His voice stays soft. "Thank you."

When Kagerou comes close enough, it's all right. Soundwave does the rest. He takes the smaller mech into his arms, not too tight so he feels confined, but just to give him an embrace as warmly as he can provide.

"No need t'thank me. We're friends, right? Now then... I'm gonna work my way into your mind. You just relax for me."

It's not often he'll do this, but in this case, he thinks, it's for good reason.

So, as gently as he can, he boosts his own signal, reaching out to begin to scan and reach into Kagerou's mind.

He blinks, but doesn't pull back. It's sort of nice, to be honest, being near someone again. He didn't realize how much he'd really missed it until... His hands stop hovering then, lightly resting on Soundwave's plating.

"Right." He nods. "You're... We're friends."

Relax. He's supposed to relax. Right. He lets air cycle through his systems, tries to focus on the feeling of being all right. Being away from the world and around someone trusted. Having a friend.

Very calming things, those.

He's... not sure what it's supposed to feel like. Or what's supposed to be happening. So he just tries to focus on being calm.

When Kagerou seems calm enough, a gentle push is given from Soundwave's mind. His contact is like a small electrical spark, harmless but tickling as he reaches in, extending his signal to begin scanning Kagerou's mind.

Behind it is a strange hum, almost musical, a consistent rhythm meant to be calming as he starts to read into the memories of Kagerou.

He doesn't want to peak in too deeply, but... he has to, in order to make sure nothing has been rearranged. So he looks, searches for any marks left behind Prism. He should be able to recognize it.

Sorry, I'll try to not be invasive, he assures as best as he can, his words emitting lightly into Kagerou's processor.

It's... different.

There's no other way to describe it. Where the other scan had dug around, dug in... this one wasn't. The only way to describe it would be the difference between someone browsing a bookshelf -- one person running their fingers over the spines, reading titles and moving on, while the other ripped the books off, flipped through, and shoved them back in any old order. It was a surprise, yes, but nowhere near as terrifying.

He does jump, a bit, at the words. No, he wasn't expecting that, and isn't entirely sure of how to respond. If he even can respond.

But even if Soundwave isn't digging, these are Kegarou's memories. They are the most important thing in his entire existence -- they are his entire existence. They are bright, they are vibrant, and they are loud. All-consuming images and feelings of that place, of training and testing. Of existing and living for one other person.

Of a simple smile. Dark plating. Words in the dark.

-- the only evidence that I had ever lived. If I lose my memories of you I lose my identity --

Even without digging, without peering in deeply, those moments all but scream. The most important things.

And, thankfully, aside from the sense they've been rifled through, they are intact, down to the last lonely moment spent here in this alien world, afraid to so much as contact his 'own kind'.

The strength in the memories are impressive. The emotions linked with the thoughts are warming to his ember and he can't help but smile under his mask despite himself. He does wish he didn't have to look at them, but he's glad to know he's not been wrong about Kagerou.

Lightly, he releases him. Like a slow trickle of a stream, he leaves; not too abrupt, as he exits and retreats completely back into his own processor.

"Good news, dude." Another brief hug. "You're all you. I saw some footprints, but only showin' he looked. Nothing was moved or deleted. You're as whole as when you first got here."

He wobbles a bit, surprised when it's all over so quickly and painlessly. Fortunately, Soundwave seems very fond of this hugging thing, and it's more than enough to steady him. He cycles air, his head resting for a moment against the taller 'bot's chest.

He can't even begin to describe how much of a relief that is.

"Whole," he repeats, a little numbly. "It's all right then."

Air cycles, and he straightens up, enough to look up at Soundwave directly. "Thank you."

A light pat goes to Kagerou's shoulder and the taller mech nods once in regards to his friend. "Wasn't even a thing," Soundwave assures. "I'm glad I could help, dude."

On a physical level now, Soundwave lets go of him. "One last thing I wanna check with you. I wanna see if Prism did something else. It ain't so much a scan as me ... listening real close to your internals. You okay with me checking on that, too? Not a medical scan, it's, um. Me increasing my auditory input, so I can listen real close."

Prism implant a tracking chip onto his own ember casing. Soundwave is hoping nothing like that happened to Kagerou, but it's why he's going to check for that familiar signal.

He steps back, then, to sit on the edge of where he was originally curled. It feels safer, like that. "It was more than a thing," he says, quietly. He grips the edge of the table. Thing.

At the description, he tilts his head. "The medic... I thought he looked when he found me." Then again, there hadn't really been anything obviously wrong with him physically. Just strained joints and the appallingly low fuel levels. Maybe there hadn't been a need to look closely.

He draws his arms around himself, unconsciously.

"All right."

"Helpin' my friends isn't a tough thing for me," Soundwave clarifies instead. "That's what I meant."

There's a faint shrug. "Ratchet? Yeah, I don't doubt he checked. But I just wanna be sure."

A pause now, while Soundwave increases the auditory input as promised. Increasing the sensitivity of his sound, but blocking the electrical signals from Kagerou's processor so he doesn't get mixed up or read anything he shouldn't.

No. He's just checking to make sure Prism did not put a chip into his friend as well.

"All right."

He stays curled. Apprehensive. What's he going to do if there is something? There aren't any engineers familiar with his frame here. What does he do? He hadn't even considered this was a possibility.

Staying calm this time, is understandably more difficult.

And, this time, there are less than favorable results. Soundwave, it seems, isn't the only one who found himself with a new addition. Though, Soundwave's probably doesn't have the added feature of Kagerou's -- even if said addition is probably not "visible" right now.

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