Darkest Days:

Chapter 1: Cybonic Infection

Sequel to Darkest Hour and Meeting your Ebb:

Established:

Optimus Prime X Knockout

Wheeljack X Ratchet

Preceptor X Moonracer

The hacking vents caused Optimus to online slowly. Shifting up in his berth he put an arm around his consort and shook him gently. "Knockout." He uttered softly. "Please wake up." He pulled the medic over onto his back to try to rouse him.

The young mech's ruby red optics lit and he coughed some more into his coiled up fingers. "Primus." He groaned and continued to hack.

Optimus could hear the wheeze in his vents and was immediately concerned. Turning to his side of the berth he pressed a button on his console. "Ratchet to My quarters please."

Ratchet always worked the overnight shift. "What's wrong Prime?"

"I think you need to come see Knockout …his manifold… he's having trouble with his vents." He explained and then turned back to look at his berth-mate.

"I'm on my way." Ratchet cut the commline.

"I'm fine." Knockout insisted as he sat up and began to cough more. The fit racked his body with shakes.

Optimus rolled to his side of the bed standing and moving around to kneel before the medic. "You're not fine." He muttered and reached up touching the medic's lips. Pulling his hands down he showed the energon on his fingertips to Knockout.

Knockout touched his lip and nodded. "Perhaps there may be something wrong." He uttered as the main door hissed open. Ratchet entered and flashed a flashlight into Knokout's optics.

"When did this start?" Ratchet frowned.

"He's been coughing the last hour. I finally just …had to rouse him." Optimus sat next to Knockout on the berth and watched at Ratchet began his scans. Knockout turned slightly and hacked terribly. Ratchet sat back to allow him to get the coughing out.

Ratchet nodded. "I want you to come to medical." He said softly. "I need to check a few things."

Optimus watched as Knockout stood and walked along side Ratchet. "You too Prime." Ratchet said softly. "You're coming too."

Optimus stood and walked to Knockout's other side. He could feel the worry in the other mech. The prime's fingers reached down and he twined them with Knockout's who looked up at him and frowned. "I'll be fine." He coughed again covering his mouth with his free hand and looking at the Energon coating it. "Slag." He murmured.

"Come on…" Ratchet said putting a hand on Knockout's back to direct him to the door to make them go across the hall. "Lets get you hooked up to a scanner."

Once in the Medical bay Knockout had been asked to sit up on a berth and did so without must protest. Optimus stood behind him as Ratchet preformed a few scans.

Knockout didn't move until Ratchet put a clear slide in front of him. "The energon." He stated.

Knockout after coughing touched his lips and smeared the gel across the slide. Ratchet, with a nod, sealed the slide and smiled turning around.

"Do you have a theory as to what could be wrong Ratchet?" Optimus asked concerned.

"His manifold is hemorrhaging from the looks of these read outs." He frowned.

Coughing Knockout sat up. "Hemorrhaging?" He blinked and looked back at Optimus. "My gaskets and seals?"

"All look nominal." Ratchet said softly.

"Than how the slag am I hemorrhaging?"

Optimus looked at Knockout confused. "Energon is pooling in my manifold…hard to vent. No wonder…" He blinked.

Ratchet frowned. "Primus." He shook his helm. "You've both bonded."

Optimus nodded. "Yes…we did."

"Optimus you suffered cybonic plague." He murmured. "You were cured but you still carry the underlying code, even though now you carry an immunity."

"He's passed it in recessive code with our bond?" Knockout looked at Optimus who was just as stunned. Knockout's vocals were strained. "You have the cure yes?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure this code is….well you need a good defrag and an oil bath." He sighed. "I'll administer the cure but I am unsure if it will do any good." He motioned to the screen and Knockout continued to cough but watched. "It's plague alright, but this is very different." Ratchet sighed. "It's changed some how."

"What can I do?" Optimus asked softly.

"I need a scan of your code, if this passed to him through you, and was …recoded in the transfer I'm going to need to study your code in the hope to understand what's happened."

Knockout coughed roughly and his vents along his struts wheezed. "Lay back." Optimus said to Knockout.

Knockout held a hand up. "No I need to stay upright, the energon will pool less if I do." He looked at Ratchet. "Have a manifold fluid pump?" He asked.

"No, but I have something rudimentary that will work." Ratchet moved to his supply cabinet and pulled out a large barrel and a hose. "Good old fashioned tools."

"A siphon?" Knockout groaned. "Like he's stealing my fuel."

Ratchet smirked. "Well I am." He came forward. "Optimus help lay him back." Optimus sprung into action. "left or right fuel tank?" Ratchet questioned.

"Right side lower panel." Knockout coughed worse now that he was on his back.

Ratchet nodded. "Roll him on his right side while I get the siphon working." He said, "We'll draw out all the fluid we can." He frowned. "How are your tanks?"

"Eighty percent." Knockout murmured.

"That's about right." Ratchet sighed. "where's the energon coming from?" he shook his helm and turned to his computer. "Optimus get that pump attached to his manifold and begin to pump out the fluid.

Optimus pet down the coughing medic's helm and frowned. "Of course Ratchet." He said softly and reached down grabbing up the siphon. "I do not intend to harm you."

"It's okay." Knockout wheezed and coughed again.

"You'll be staying in medical under quarantine….and so will I." He frowned. "Optimus holds an immunity so he can come and go with proper precautions, but Knockout you and I are stuck here."

Dread filled Knockout's processor as Optimus hooked up the Siphon but put a caressing hand on his back. "I'm sorry." Optimus said slowly and opened a seal on Knockout's manifold.

Optimus frowned at how corroded the cover cap was and set it aside for Ratchet to inspect. He sighed and rubbed his fingers along the outer edge of the manifold and he lowered the hose into the organ. He pushed it down as Knockout choked out another wheezing cough. He frowned and shook his helm. "I'm so sorry."

Knockout rolled his hand to tell Optimus to keep going. Optimus felt the hose lower and suddenly he met something that felt like thick burnt oil and stopped.

He grabbed gasket ring and slid it down over the hose to seal the area around the hose as it went into the manifold and then attached the hose to the siphon's pump. "Make sure it pumps slowly Optimus that energon is very thick." Ratchet reminded him."

Optimus gave a curt nod. "I understand." He shook his helm and activated the pump. Knockout bristled as it began to slowly suck the putrid energon out of the small mech's manifold.

"Primus." Knockout wheezed.

Optimus touched his bonded's helm. "Please do not talk." He stated. "Your manifold is significantly compromised."

Ratchet nodded slowly. "Optimus is right." He frowned. "I'm going to sedate you Knockout." He said calmly. "Until I can get through all this data."

Knockout nodded and sent a strong pulse of fear and love through the bond. "I'm not leaving." Optimus assured. "I'm right here." He touched the alabaster face plate of the coupe; just as Ratchet passed a stasis code to Knockout's body from the command console, through the scanner attachments that were linked to his body.

Optimus flooded their bond with love and confidence, as Knockout succumbed to the medical programming. "Will he be alright?"

"I believe so I just need to make certain of a few things Optimus." Ratchet muttered. "I didn't think the cybonic plague would pass this way."

"Is this the plague?" Optimus asked.

"No, it's composition, though similar it's not the same." Ratchet moved to his computer, while Optimus rounded the berth to follow. "It's more like a cybonic infection." He shook his helm. "I am going to see if Wheeljack will look over these files, but we're all to remain here."

"We have new arrivals making landfall in almost a day." Optimus reminded the Orange and white. "I will need to be there."

"I'm sorry you'll just have to send Arcee and Bumblebee, because we're not going anywhere." Ratchet said. "While I have you here…I'm putting you to work." Ratchet smiled. "We're going to keep him sedated, but can you compile the data for me?"

Optimus looked at Knockout and nodded. "He'd call me librarian right about now." Optimus muttered and moved to the computer. His digits dances lazily across the control panel; falling into old routines as he complied the data as Ratchet had requested.

Ratchet stepped aside to analyze the energon on the slide through a scanning microscope. "Oh you like it." He murmured one optic sealed the other glancing into the slide.

"I do." Optimus had to chuckle at that. "Primus he gets to me." Optimus frowned but kept moving the readouts around.

"Of course he does." Ratchet said softly. "You bonded to him." He stated. "Your systems are synced up." He shook his helm. "Some mechs can't handle a bond, but you and Knockout are doing surprisingly well from what I've seen. You should make a communication to Arcee and Bumblebee to inform them that they will have to meet the arriving vessel." Ratchet looked up. "As I said before-"

"Yes, we'll be here a while." Optimus turned his optics on Knockout sadly and watched as the darkened navy energon substance was pumped from his manifold.

Arcee smiled and looked up into the trees waiting. Her hand crested over her optics to shield the sun from her vision.

Bumblebee whistled and touched her, and as she turned she saw the vessel coming down to earth. "Small ship." She said as Bumblebee nodded in agreement.

The ship, the Axelon set down, it was just as big as arachnid's ship had been, and looked to be the same class of vessel to Arcee.

Bumblebee approached with Arcee just behind as the landing platform fell and a mech, who held to the top of the bulkhead peered out. Seeing Autobot logos present on those on the ground he smiled. "I would have thought I would see Prime."

"Unfortunately his bonded is in quarantine, with our chief medical officer." Arcee said. "Prime wouldn't leave them." She nodded. "But he wishes to talk to you once you arrive."

"Very well." The red mech stepped out. "My name is Preceptor." He smirked. "You may call me Percy."

"I'm Arcee and this is Bumblebee." She shook his hand and he moved to shake Bumblebee's as well.

"He doesn't say much." Percy smirked.

"Broken Vocoder will do that." Arcee shrugged. "Moonracer said your complement was three?"

Percy turned. "Moon!" He smiled up. "Come on." He reached up to the ship.

Arcee watched as the orange femme immerged, she was barely an adult. Percy age was much more apparent, as she moved to him. Her frame was small and lithe and she smiled brightly. "Kickback!" She turned her helm.

Blue optics popped on in the darkness of the ships interior. "Come on Kick." Percy smiled. "Come when your Creator calls." He said calmly.

"Y-yes sire." The small voice from within said as he came out. The young little two-wheeler was red and black. He shied out to the larger mech and Preceptor lifted him up in his arms.

"Your creation?" Arcee asked of Preceptor.

"Yes ours;" He smiled reaching back for Moonracer's hand. "When the war separated me from Ultra Magnus' team I saved her." He looked down at Moonracer. "She was too young at the time but as she came of age….I grew to love her." He smiled.

"We bonded soon after I came of age, and I was sparked with Kickback not long after." She stated softly.

Bumblebee was near Percy and making wiggling fingers at the child. Bumblebee whistled.

"I know right?" Arcee smiled. "The species that inhabit this planet…we have become friends with a few …he's as big as the humans who frequent our base. He'll have someone to play with."

"That's wonderful…it's only just been the three of us for so long." Moonracer said softly.

Kickback reached for Bumblebee and touched his face. "Kickback." Percy warned.

Bumblebee shook it off and held out his hands. Percy gently set the little bike into Bee's waiting arms and the little one smiled. "I like yellow!" He giggled and pulled at bee's small antenna on his helm.

"Come we need to get you back to base, get you scanned to some local vehicles, and then get you to Prime." Arcee couldn't help her smile at viewing the small family. "Please seal and cloak your ship, and we'll head to base."

"How many of you are there?" Moonracer asked.

"Eight. Optimus, Ratchet, Bulkhead, Smokescreen, Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Knockout and myself."

The femme blanked slightly looking up at Percy. "I will prep the ship." He smiled. "One moment while I get it sealed. Is there Decepticon activity on this world?"

"Oh yes." Arcee had to frown at that. "And Megatron is here."

Moonracer shook her helm. "Primus above." She murmured. "Will we never be free of him?"

"Not any time soon I fear." Arcee looked up as Preceptor exited the ship and allowed the hatch to seal. The ship cloaked and was suddenly nowhere to be seen. "We ready?"

Moonracer took Kickback in her arms and nodded. "We are." She said and reached back for Preceptor who took her hand.

Arcee lifted a hand to her helm. "Bulkhead it's Arcee we could use that ground bridge right about now."

"Affirmative coming your way." Came the response as the green portal opened before them.

Two days passed as everyone got settled in. The ford fusion stood opposite the glass in the lab. "I'm not sure Ratchet these readings are ….well they point to cybonic plague."

"Yes Preceptor but there are things about it that are off." Ratchet said over the intercom.

"Have you stopped the buildup in his manifold?"

"We've stabilized him." Ratchet said pointing back to Optimus who sat behind the vanquish rubbing his back strut. "They are freshly bonded…I can't keep them from touching one another." Ratchet rolled his optics.

Percy nodded. "The Prime and a former Decepticon?" He smiled. "Seems almost destiny if you think about it."

Ratchet turned eyeing the couple quietly. "Yes Percy it kid of does."

Preceptor nodded. "I'll do some calculations and look over the code discrepancies from when Optimus had plague and what Knockout's code looks like."

"Hows that lovely femme of yours?" Ratchet said working at his table on the other side of the glass.

"Moonracer?" He smiled as he said her name. "She's beautiful. Happy to be in a real berth for the first time in a long time." He nodded. "Kickback fell into recharge last night before we did."

"It's nice to see a youngling." Ratchet said softly. "It's refreshing." His voice cracked. Percy looked up concerned. "I lost my first." He stated. "Her spark reintegrated to mine." He explained.

"I'm sorry Ratchet." Percy put a hand to the glass.

"Thank you my friend." Ratchet repeated the gesture before they lowered their hands and began to work. "It's good to see you again."

"It is very good to see you too." Percy smiled.

Behind Ratchet Knockout groaned as Optimus rubbed against his tires. "Easy Knockout." Optimus frowned. "I know you're sore."

Knockout coughed again, and it wasn't stopping. He leaned back into Optimus and groaned. "I wish I was sparked…that'd be better than this."

Optimus smiled and rubbed his hand across the vanquish's sore neck joint. "You're not." He smiled. "We checked."

"I know you did." Knockout turned his helm back to view his bonded. "You worry too much." Knockout leaned away coughing up some energon and spitting into a bucket. "PRIMUS." He growled.

"Getting angry will not make this pass sooner." Optimus said calmly.

"I should slag you." Knockout threatened darkly but Optimus didn't feel anything in it. He pressed his Love against the Aston Martin Vanquish, and the sports car reciprocated to the Peterbuilt. Optimus, assured by the press of emotions just continued to try to keep the coupe comfortable. "Thank you." Knockout finally murmured.

"You're welcome." Optimus nodded and placed a kiss on his dark neck. "Lean back against me, try to recharge." Optimus murmured sitting back on the berth against the wall letting the coupe lay back against him between his legs.

Prime rumbled softly and continued to roll soft circles around the medic's shoulder joints. "Going to tell me a story too?" Knockout jabbed.

"I could." He smiled. "I could tell you something you'd never believe."

"Try me." Knockout murmured optics shut as another wave of hacking coughs hit him.

"I use to think I would bond to Megatron." He smirked. "But that was long before the war started. When he was merely a political figure head."

Knockout leaned up and glared at him. "Are you slagging blind?"

"No it's truth you can feel that much." Optimus touched his face drawing the mech forward kissing his helm. Knockout's anger seemed to subside with the kiss.

"I know but you're no flyer you wouldn't have stood a chance." Knockout said and repositioned laying back. Optimus slid his arms down around the mech's neck and held him tightly to his torso. "Love you." Knockout muttered before coughing again. Optimus knew his frustration was with this cybonic infection, and not him.

"And I you." Optimus leaned forward placing a chaste kiss against the head fin. He was still concerned looking down into the bucket beside the berth where the energon was being pumped out of his bonded's manifold. The energon was not clear it was cloudy; the thick and tacky substance continued to ooze into the bucket from the siphon, and it worried Optimus desperately.

Ratchet and Optimus' code were cleared and they were allowed to leave medical; the 48-hour quarantine had been lifted. Moonracer, Optimus and Arcee listened as Preceptor and Ratchet explained. "It's more like an infection honestly." Percy said. "We're going to reinstall his manifold seals, and then see if that helps, they are under a lot of stress with his coughing. As a result of all this his manifold is taking a lot of stress at these key connection points that merge with the rest of his system." Percy's hand covered a few parts of an image, highlighting their problem points.

"As is his esophageal cable." Ratchet pointed to a diagram. "That thick energon is eating at his tube, and it's making it harder for the energon to go to his fuel tanks." Ratchet sighed.

"Is that from the coughing?" Arcee asked.

"Yes…he's expelling the energon out his ventilation duct and it's seeping back down his intake tube into his tanks." Ratchet frowned. "It's not getting any better but we're hoping that by draining the manifold and replacing the seals that possibly it will help him."

"What about the code." Optimus stated. "What can we do about it?"

"Well like I told you before this is not terminal that's why I'm loath to call it the plague." Percy explained. "I feel that this code will run it's course and become a redundancy." He smiled. "but it will also make him immune to cybonic plague in the future." He said. "We just have to make Knockout comfortable for now."

"That poor dear." Moonracer said calmly.

"Poor dear?" Arcee blinked. "You don't know our Doc Knock." She laughed slightly as Prime smiled.

"How is your little one?" Optimus asked of Moonracer to break the conversation. "I have yet to lay optics on him."

"He's adjusting." Moonracer smiled. "He's just not use to all the mechs around." She said softly. "He does get along with your scout."

"Bumblebee isn't much older than you are Moonracer." Percy reminded her.

"Do not speak to me as though you are my Sire Perce." She stepped up to him putting her hands against his torso. "You're my consort."

"I apologize for my tone." He said and leaned down pulling her helm to himself and kissed her orange helm.

Knockout groaned and rolled over opening his optics and coughed. Optimus turned moving the short distance to his berth to him and helped him sit up. "Easy." He said. "I know how it aches."

Knockout could only groan and lean against the larger mech. "I hate you."

Optimus only smiled as he knew the threat was empty and the coupe was filled with love. "Rest." Optimus voice was low and he stroked knockout's helm softly.

To be continued