[horrifying. to know they'd had parts of themselves taken away and then humiliated in front of an apparent crowd? optimus can imagine how deeply all of those who went were affected, and he desperately wants to find the terrans to check in, but he's not going to just leave anemone hanging here.]

You are not bad, [he says, just as firmly as he's said everything else, believing it just as much.] and no part of reforming someone involves parading them around in front of other people to shame them. What was done to you was not the actions of anyone who can claim any degree of validity.

[he knows that's a little of what GHOST tried to do with megatron after the war ended. one of his endless list of regrets is now, in hindsight, how he allowed the others to be treated.]

Were your memories recovered?