Unbreakable Bonds

"With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are
dead and some are living
In my life I've
loved them all
But of all these
friends and lovers
There is no one compares with
you"—"In My Life"-The Beatles

Disclaimer: The Transformers and Lyrics belong to their respective owners. Neither of which is me.

A/N: Knock Out's recollections/flashbacks are in italics

The Crimson ex Deception sat back on his berth. The day was over and It had been exhausting. He decided to attempt to view things differently. Attempt was the main word here. He made no promises to himself or anyone else. He was sure the Autobots had their doubts. Pit, so did he. His spark pounded against his chest plates. Change wouldn't happen in a megacycle. Far too much of who he was consisted of decepticon. He would not deny that. He focused on the positives of it instead. He learned control of passions. His emotions didn't plague him, they drove him. He wasn't expected to wear them on his shoulder plates. On the contrary, he was expected to and would continue to 'suck them up'

Such a philosophy guided him most of his life. His role models were decepticons. Megatron, well he knew how he felt about that. His creators? He could barely remember what they looked like. So he would never know what kind of role models they would have been, if he had been given the chance to actually know them.

You didn't open up to Decepticons. They would use it against you the first chance they got. Knock Out saw a few do it and used it himself. You didn't survive long in the con ranks with a soft spark either. Compassion was weakness. Even as a medic he did only what was necessary. Strength and intelligence won out every time. He did that and liked it like that. Well, he thought, there was one exception to that. The one mech that haunted his thoughts constantly. The one that drove him to continue to believe in the cause until it ended this morning before his optics. The one he found himself thinking about in Koan, The one 'war causality' that would haunt him the rest of his existence, the one mech he missed and would trade his finish for the chance to see again. Breakdown!

Knock Out cleared his vents with a sound that was not unlike a human sigh. He thought about the first time he saw that big blue former wrecker in Koan.

"Hey pretty mech" came a bellowing voice that he scarcely heard over the shouts in the rings and the noise of the city. "Hey you, you're a medic aren't you?" came the voice again. This time Knock Out had not doubt who the green wrecker was addressing. "I, we, need you over here"

Knock out looked around and walked over to where he was standing. "Fighting in the rings again are you?" Knock Out said in an almost condescending way. He couldn't imagine voluntarily going in there. Most did not but some did. They wanted to prove themselves. Knock Out wasn't sure to whom they want to do so. Most were criminals that some how managed to escape the Smelting pool.

"Absolutely not! At least not lately. Haven't you heard? Megatronus has been fighting, and winning contest after contest lately. Bots do get injured in more honest ways, doc. Working. Never mind how. He is our strongest. Can you make the repairs or not?"

"Of course. It looks far worse than it actually is. It is fortunate your armor is so thick. Designation is Knock Out by the way." He pulled the rest of the blue mechs chest plate off, sealed the cut energon veins, and prepared to weld the circuits.

"Break down" he answered

"This may sting" The wrecker just grunted. Knockout welded the damaged chest plate back together and reattached it. He pulled out a buffer.

"Wait, put that away. I am not a fembot. I don't mind a few scars"

"No one said you were. As a medic with a specific interest in body work, I care about my how my patients look. If you look shoddy what would that say about moi?"

"Fine, pretty mech. Just that one. What would bots say about a shiny wrecker?" Breakdown laughed. "Thanks"

Knock out transformed and was about to leave when he heard something behind him. Not one of those he thought. He hated insecticons. He transformed and pulled out his energon probe. Before the creature got any closer a hammer came in and the creatures was in pieces.

"One save deserves another, Doc! You may want your buffer though."

"Thanks, Breakdown." He left not thinking he would encounter the blue wrecker again but hoping he was wrong. There was something about him that Knock Out couldn't quite put has talon on. He certainly wasn't expecting to see him as as soon as he did, and certainly not the way that he did.

There was no way Knock Out could recharge now. He didn't have time before now to really think through everything. Pit, he didn't even have time to grieve before now. He brought up another file.

Knock Out didn't see Breakdown again until after the war started on Cybertron. Knock Out had yet to officially pick a side. He didn't consider himself neutral though. Neutrals were cowards to afraid of losing to fight to win. Knock Out was no coward. Oh, He didn't want to fight but not because he was afraid of joining the Allspark. He had become even more concerned with his work and his image. He needed to survive and the best way to do that was to rent his services out to anyone who needed it and was willing to pay. He stayed in the triage units and made minor repairs on Autobot and Decepticon alike and both tried constantly to recruit him. Then he saw him again. Breakdown was brought into the field clinic just behind Decepticon lines.

"Code Red coming in Knock Out" a soldier called. "Wrecker, hurt bad. Autobot wreckers! Hurry."

"Wrecker?" Knock Out asked noticing who it was "Break down?"

"Doc? Knock out?" Breakdown tried to ask the shiny enegon and coolant seeming to pour from his back.

"Quiet. Don't try to speak" Put him here. Initiate stasis" Knock Out cleared away an operating berth as quickly as he possibly could. "Primus, I hope this isn't as bad as it appears." But he was doubtful. The wounds were dangerously close to his spark chamber. He had seen it on both sides. These warriors were in it to win. Kill or be killed. Breakdown would not offline on his watch. This would not go down like it normally did. Parts were always needed but Primus not his! He would not become a donor today. He scanned him. "I need energon now! Someone help me hold him on his side if there is coolant in his spark chamber it will extinguish his spark."

Knock Out pulled off what was left of his back armor. His chest and Spark chamber took damage. He pulled out the vacuum and cleared the area of coolant and quickly sealed the severed lines. "it's safe to put him on his chest. Where is that energon?" Knock out got desperate and began to open one of his own lines. Just enough until more gets here. He thought.

Knock Out seemed to constantly be sealing off severed lines, and Breakdown continued to bleed out. "Where is all this coming from?" Another quick scan revealed a small knick in his main energon line behind his spark chamber, and the flicker of his spark seemed to weaken while racing. "Primus no!" Knock Out with his servos deep in Break down's chassis was about to despair "NO you brute. You won't go like this. You have my energon. Come on already! You push my limits. I'm going to push yours. I need that energon.

"Transfuse him" Knock out ordered as he carefully sealed off the bleeder. "You are one lucky fragger" He told them as he went back triage and then to the wash racks.

When Breakdown came around Knockout was standing over him with his arms crossed and optics piercing into his. Breakdown saw him and immediately looked away. "That near spark attack was just what I needed yesterday. Thank you so much big fragging glitch! Don't ever do that again"

"I thought all you did was body work?" Breakdown whispered. "impressive I guess I owe you one, again. "

Knock Out cycled his vents. "You're welcome. What exactly happened. The Autobots have that kind of strength?" I didn't realize…" He stopped there. He wasn't about to tell breakdown that he had been working for both sides.

"Yeah their wreckers are formidable. They have no air soldiers to speak of. Their numbers are few and falling daily. We may just win this war sooner rather than later. "Cursed Autobots won't do it again. He thought.

That was the day Knock Out officially joined the Decepticons although he was still far from becoming Megatron's personal physician. He and Breakdown started the partnership of I'll fix your back you buff mine.

It was the first but it wouldn't be the last time Knock Out was elbow deep inside Breakdown saving his life. Primus he wished he could have been there when the humans got to him, when that dreadful femme Arachnid took him out. Knock Out shook his helm. Ultimately he failed his best friend.

"What is the matter with you Knock Out? I have never seen you so…restless. Worried about something? Or rather someone?" Starscream asked when he noticed Knock out headed toward the bridge.

" No. If we located the energon there is no doubt the Autobotrs have too. I was checking to see if Breakdown reported back. These missions go so much more quickly when we go together. My speed you know. We'd have them and be leaving had you allowed me to go too Herr Kommandant. I haven't heard from him personally so…"

"You are worried. Why? Don't you think he could fight off a few Autobots? Surely he could better not having to worry about protecting you too, you know."

He hated it but logically Starsream was right. But why did it feel so wrong? Why hadn't Breakdown answered his comm link?

He contacted Soundwave. That was one mech who knew everything. He informed Knock Out that the last communications from the mine there were humans and autobots present.

"Doctor, I am going down. I will return shortly. And before you ask. No you cant come with me. I want you to think about where your loyalties lie when I return you may want to get the med bay ready."

His spark froze what have the bots done to him this time? He thought. He busied himself trying not to think the worst.

Breakdown walked into the med bay. Knock out was extremely glad of that. "Are you ok? What in the name of Primus did they do to you?

"I am fine. My pain receptors are off. The humans…they…M.E.C.H…"

He collapsed back on the berth. Knock Out vented deeply as he looked at his best friend. Humans, he thought, Knock Out watched Earth's science fiction and horror shows. He knew exactly what happened. Earth's Governments and Alien races. They couldn't leave them in one piece. Though he liked the concepts in the movies the fact they dared lay a grubby greasy hand on his friend pissed him off.

He worked carefully and in silence until Breakdown insisted he wanted to feel something and all but ordered Knock Out to turn his pain receptors back on.

"Are you sure? Some of this is delicate circuirity."

"Yes, feeling pain again is better than being numb."

He would give his partner that much dignity. "Ok. Try not to squirm." Knock Out knew he wouldn't. Breakdown didn't even flinch despite the pain Knock Out knew he must be experiencing. Most mechs would be screaming and with anyone else Knock Out would be enjoying it. However, this time it was all he could do to not say anything. He wanted to apologize but knew Breakdown would never hear it. That too was for weaklings.

"I bet, Breakdown, that we could succeed where they failed. Into how many pieces do you think we can dissect a human?" Knockout asked with a hint of amusement.

"Knowing you hundreds! Is that a bet or a promise?"

"Both" Knock out answered.

Knock Out got up and paced. That still bothered him. Sure there was some satisfaction in taking out CYLAS but despite what he told Starscream that day It did bother him seeing that human parasite in his mate's body. He should have actually dissected him. Had he known what was coming and that Shockwave would take his experiments he would have. I am truly sorry Breakdown. He thought.

Then there was the day he didn't come back. He didn't even want to relive that one. Arachnid and that seeker. They came back. They came with his energon on them, but no body. They let the humans take it. What a disgrace. Knock out felt his spark surge. He went outside and noticed the sun set casting a sparkle over the planet. "Thank you Breakdown!" Thank you for everything. Until all are one" He went in to recharge.