Energon, Coolant…and Lubricant
Chapter 1: At First Sight: Breakdown's POV
"Mechs stop showing off", the large blue and orange wrecker called to his team mate. "Your recklessness is going to get us off lined before we even get a real shot at the Autobots." Breakdown could feel the anger rise up in him at the way his teammates were handling the whole situation. Sure it could have gone better but they were alive to get revenge and end the war before it got started. That was what he told himself a vorn ago and yet it continued. "Let the anger drive you" Motormaster reminded the rather young team. He just hoped it wouldn't drive them to stupidly turning on each other. Traitors were already showing up in the Decepticon ranks.
Wildrider was throwing boulders around with little care and racing between them. "This was not what comes to mind when I hear the phrase wreckers call for clean up. We aren't supposed to be cleaning up rocks from the battle ground."
"Focus Mechs, our job is to clear this out and set up cover for ambush. I want it done quickly. Intel reports are that they are on the move" The bellowing voice of their leader rang out.
"Sooner than we think," Deadend reported, "they are coming already. ETA eleven breems and we seem to be out numbered." He added "Even though we already have Tarn and reinforcements should be here.
"Clearly they are not so let's be ready to see to it that they need clean up. We don't need the backup. Autobot energon will cover this ground today!"
Construction of the barricade and preparation for the wreckers moved quickly after that.
The "ambush' was a disappointment to the Decepticon wrecker crew as the Autobot army that intel reported was coming was a handful of new Autobots escorting neutrals to what they thought would be a safe place. They made sure the Autobots joined the Allspark along with a few of the neutrals who refused to join the Decepticons. Breakdown escorted the new recruits to training.
He was returning from the uneventful and boring task when he picked up Autobot signals closing in on their makeshift camp. He commed Motormaster.
"Yes, Breakdown we are more than aware of them" he could hear blaster fire getting closer. "We are already engaging them and there are far more this time, get your aft back here and stay alert. Motormaster out"
He pulled off the main road into alley ways to cover and follow an old short cut he knew about as a sparkling. There was cover in the old condemned and abandoned buildings. He was sure he could stay undercover and take out a few along the way. He was almost back to base when an Autobot noticed him hiding. A wrecker he guessed from what he could see.
"I know you're in there Decepticreep and it is just you. No one shields that well. Come on out and fight me servo to servo. That is if ya aint cyber chicken.
'Who does the young both think he is?' Breakdown thought to himself. "Hardly little Autobot punk. What makes you think you are ready for war? Go back home to your carrier!" Breakdown answered transforming.
It wasn't what Breakdown was expecting. The small yellow bot was as fast as he was arrogant and flipped behind him as Breakdown transformed.
"Yep I knew ya were back there. You are big but you are slow. In more ways than one." He taunted.
Breakdown turned back and grabbed at the bot. Breakdown missed but threw off the bots aim as he was firing and instead of hitting him he struck the rafter of the building above him. It fell and hit him in the shoulder cutting the armor and several wires below it as he jumped one clipped his hip inflicting the same damage. "Scrap!" he swore taking pot shots at the Autobot who had transformed and raced off behind the building.
"I'm still here. He taunted. Come catch me if you can!" He drove off in a streak of yellow.
Breakdown attempted to transform and follow the brat but debris from the building was stuck in the joints. He was able to pull the one out of his arm but the one in his side was wedged in tight. It hurt more than he would care to admit. He was almost clear of the now collapsing building when a large piece of roofing fell hitting him square in the chest plates.
He commed base and informed them of the situation. He would be slower coming back. He no longer heard sounds of battle at base and it was confirmed they had won without and without Decepticon causalities. Well without all but one stupid injury, his. "Scrap him to the Pit" Breakdown swore again as threw the shard off him with his good arm. He walked back to base through the shadows after he determined there were no others. Transforming would be difficult at best. He knew they had no medic currently serving with them so it would be a long few days until his systems could repair this. He doubted it would heal correctly without intervention. He made it back to base about two breems later. A small stream of energon running behind him.
"Mech, what happened to you?"
"Stupid Autobot shot a building down on me. I am alright but my back kinda stings.
Breakdown wasn't about to let anyone know just how much it 'stung'
"Let me see" He reached up to pull at the shard in his chest plate. It moved some but brought with it a gush of energon. "Mech, I hate to break the news but that doesn't look good. We need to find a medic, sooner rather than later."
"Yeah, I am not ok with joining the Allspark because a building attacked without getting revenge on that bright yellow punk.
"Can you transform? Rolling back to headquarters would be far easier than walking.
"No can do. Even without the chassis issue a few wires in my hip were clipped in the first of the falling debris. I can make it" He winced at the thought of transforming but he was sure no one noticed.
They walked slowly only getting about a kilometer and a half away before a they noticed a shinny bot working on his finish.
"Hey pretty mech!" Motormaster bellowed.
The red mech turned slowly and looked at him as if he disturbed him from the most important thing in the universe.
"Pretty mech, aren't you a medic. I, we need you over here. Now!"
"Ah" he said as he approached. "Fighting in the rings again, were you?" the medic asked in a condescending tone.
"Absolutely not! At least not lately. Where have you been there has been only one dominate fighter. Smart bots don't do it anymore. Besides there hasn't been time sense the war began. Bots get hurt in more honest ways you know. Anything from the skirmishes or working if you must know. " He wasn't going to admit this was a battle wound. "Can you make the repairs or not?"
"Of course! It looks far worse than it is. It is fortunate your amour is so think or it would be just as bad as it looks, worse even. Designation is Knockout by the way. This may sting. I don't have any pain killers with me, so you may want to disable your pain receptors."
"Breakdown, and there is no need" he grunted as the doctor pulled away part of his chest plates and yanked out the sliver quickly sauntering off the energon line.
"That is done. Anything else bothering you? You didn't seem to be in much of a hurry considering you walked over here." Knockout scanned his hip. "You took a sliver to the hip too did you not?" Breakdown grunted the affirmative. "You clipped a nerve in the process. It will heal but you'll be stiff transforming for a while." He fused the nerve to allow it to heal more quickly. "You're almost ready" Knockout closed the armor surrounding the wounds and pulled out his buffer.
"You can put that away. I am no femmebot, and I certainly don't mind a few scars."
"No one said you were. I do, however, specialize in body work. How would it look if anyone saw my patients looking so beat up?"
"Fine, pretty mech, but just that one. What would mechs say about a shiny wrecker?" Breakdown joked relief immediately washing through his circuits. "Thanks" he whispered to the doctor.
"You can make it up to me." Knockout laughed as he turned to go.
"Sure thing doc!" Breakdown answered. "You might want to keep that buffer handy with the war escalating. You may get hurt." Breakdown was unsure how he knew but he had no doubt that would not be the last time he saw that stubbornly arrogant doctor, and he was perfectly okay with it.
A/N: KO and BD are my favorite con "couple" I was disappointed that Breakdown was killed off and the show never explored Breakdown and Knockout's relationship. Sure the focus was on the good guys and the Cons weren't supposed to have or at least show feelings they left it. Here is my take. Odd chapters will be Breakdowns take and even ones will be Knockouts. I took the names and some of the quirks from the G1 combiner but that is all. The first two chapters tie in to my story "Unbreakable Bonds"