Meeting your ebb
Established KnockoutXBreakdown.
Tonight Breakdown Died in Transformers Prime, he was ripped apart...and this had to be said:
The words coursed through his veins as the Energon slowed its movement. His Energon ran cold with it. "Breakdown is dead." Dreadwing had told him. The words still didn't quite sound correct. They could not possibly be true, and if they were why, how, and how could he have let it happen?
"What?" Knockout's voice was barely a whisper on the cusp of a gasp.
"You heard me…Breakdown is dead." Dreadwing turned. "Off-line, and Lord Megatron felt you might wish to know." The first Lieutenant of the Decepticon lord turned and made his leave out the main passageway.
Knockout turned and placed his servos on the medical berth before him, as if to steady himself. He closed his optics and tried not to think about it, but it was at the fore of his consciousness; loss. He took in a vent of cool air as he tried to think about it.
"Sir?" ST3V3 stood just beyond the last berth. "Do you require any further assistance sir?"
"No." He waved the mech off. "Dismissed." He tried to keep his composure but even then his voice cracked as Energon began to cascade out of his optics; the coolant evaporating on the hot plates of his cheeks and jaw.
Knockout growled letting the grief take him and grabbing the closest berth; upended it, letting it land on the floor he let out a guttural yell that came from deep within him, a coursing torrent of hurt, pain, betrayal, and sorrow.
Gasping he looked at his hands and then up to ST3V3 who still stood watching him in awe. "Sir?" He asked with concern.
"I SAID DISMISSED!" Knockout grabbed a laser scalpel and tossed it toward the mech who turned skirting the toss and made his way out the side door. Knockout growled, and fumed. His spark was breaking, and it was more than one mech could bear alone. His mind went to dark places at that moment, places where revenge and hatred dwell, and the satisfied smirk was forever gone.
Turning he made for his small office he entered shutting the door. With the flip of a switch the office windows tinted to darkness. He slammed his fist into the wall and growled again. Making another momentary decision that seemed to last a deca-cycle he reached out for the wall, and pulled back a panel on the wall and grabbed two canisters. "I'll put this to use…if the other medic can be without fear…so can I…." The grief stricken sports car grabbed the Synth-en and then turned for a syringe. He tied off two Energon lines and sat back in his chair. Taking a deep vent he jammed the needle into the main line and injected a large amount of the synthetic Energon into his system.
It was all a blurr from there of bodies and fire, of Energon on his arms and legs. There was the floor, and then there was free fall, and speeding away, trees and darkness and then nothing but oblivion.
"Will he survive?" A deep resounding voice roused him from his darkness with a groan.
"I believe so." He knew the tenor of the Autobot medic. "His dose was highly concentrated, mine was not…his systems are damaged…most of his Energon and their lines will have to be replaced, it's delicate work but not beyond me." Groaning Knockout tried to sit up. "Not yet Knockout we're still trying to flush your systems." Ratchet pushed him back down.
"Where am I?" Knockout reached for his helm, Ratchet allowed it, but stayed close to monitor.
"You're at Autobot base omega one." Optimus came around to his other side. "You caused quite a stir on the Nemesis before you broke free and tried to street race in your condition."
Knockout looked up. "Breakdown…" he murmured but didn't think about who was around him.
"Is off-line yes we know…you said it many times as we tried to sedate you." Ratchet said slowly. "Calm yourself put it out of your spark and mind."
"I cannot." Knockout lay limp on the table his head pitched away and he just stared for a long time.
Ratchet nodded and touched his arm. "We need to give him some time…he's still got it in his system."
Optimus nodded. "You cannot go back to the Nemesis; I fear that Megatron would never allow it." He looked down at the Decepticon medic. "You put a large hole in his ship."
Knockout looked up. "How large?"
"Aft section …decks 10-25…that's what I gathered from witnessing it." Optimus nodded. "You will remain here."
"I am a prisoner than?" Knockout looked away voice stoic and almost sad.
Optimus considered his words. "You must remain until your Energon flush is completed….as for a prisoner, no I cannot take you prisoner. You are prisoner enough to your own grief, and I will not add to the degradation of your already fragile spark."
Turning Optimus made his way to the hallway. Ratchet didn't let him get far. "What are we going to do with him?" Ratchet asked softly.
"What we can for him." Prime put his hand on Ratchet's shoulder. "If I were destroyed how would you feel?"
"If you were destroyed our entire race would be in his condition." Ratchet nodded. "But he needs to be watched round the clock, we take shifts. This is for his safety not ours. Make sure our people know that."
"Agreed." Optimus nodded and made his way down the hallway.
Turning back inside the medic looked down at his patient and pulled up a stool beside him. "Okay Knockout….tell me." He grabbed a few tools to work on the former Decepticon's forearm. "Where did you and Breakdown meet?"
Knockout looked up. "Where else? The gladiator pits of Kaon." His optics shifted away from the open chassis work Ratchet was beginning.
"So you've known Megatron since then too I would suspect?" Ratchet lifted a panel and blinked. "This fuel line is ridiculous looking."
"Better absorption." Knockout replied. "I get greater bursts of speed with the wider lines... No I didn't meet Megatron there." He looked away. "I was a repair nurse in the pits." He shook his head. "I followed around the medic and worked on repairs with him." He smiled. "Sometimes the gladiators would ….put advances to me; I'm small, and not very strong."
Ratchet let out a little concerned sound as he worked, still listening to the bruised mech speak. "And so one day, this gladiator called Flywheel made a move at me." He shook his head. "Grabbed me and tried to spark me on the floor in front of the other gladiators, who seemed inclined to watch."
Ratchet paused looking at him. "Barbaric." Knockout met his optics and nodded.
"Breakdown came out of nowhere…that hammer….I don't remember much else but waking up far away from there with him."
"So Breakdown was a gladiator?" Ratchet asked setting one tool down and grabbing another. The contact made knockout hiss.
"No…no…a guard." He grit his dentals hard and tried to will away the pain of the repair. "took me to his quarters and allowed me to stay there."
"The castes didn't come looking for you? Sorry this will hurt." Ratchet pinched off a few wires.
"No…They did…OW!" He winced and pulled away slightly. "They did, it's just that they never found me, and when the war broke out we went to the cons…medic s were highly sought after, and with my concern being Breakdown….I went to them and offered them my services if he could stay with me."
Ratchet folded the panel shut. "And they agreed?" He grabbed a few rags to wipe off his hands and the side of Knockout's torso.
"They needed the medics." He grit out as he clutched his side. "How bad is the damage?"
"Extensive…" Ratchet sighed and reached over turning one of the monitors to Knockout. "I don't think I have to explain this…"
"No." Knockout touched the screen a few times for more detailed read outs. "I shorted out my cog."
"And a few dozen other necessary systems..." Ratchet nodded. "I should have the wiring finished in a few days." He said softly. "Just rest." Ratchet pat his shoulder as he stood.
Knockout gave a weak nod. "Is there anyway…" His voice got quiet and he trailed off.
"Yes?" Ratchet turned back to him. "What is it?"
"Could I sit up possibly, and is there a television?" Knockout sighed.
"Of course…" He nodded and moved to adjust the medical berth so the sports car could be seated upright. He grabbed a small data pad and pointed to a far screen. "Television…"
Knockout nodded and flipped it on directing it to channel 164, the NASCAR channel. Ratchet shook his head and merely went back to his work.
Days passed and Knockout didn't move from his seated position in the medical area of the silo. He watched Television, but the normally vain Decepticon, normally verbose Decepticon was quiet. He sat watching an old race from the 80s when a figure took a seat beside him. "You've watched this race several times." Optimus said softly. "The same race."
"Gets better every time…" he murmured.
"How are you feeling?" Optimus asked softly leaning back in the chair beside the berth. The question seemed like it was the right one though the look on the red mechs face made Optimus question that. It could be surmised that he'd been asked it numerous times, and countless times already today.
"I am not sure…." Knockout said slowly. "Ratchet has repaired most of the physical damage." He looked at Prime who didn't answer and sighed. "I will …be fine." He spoke quietly.
"I would like to speak to you about your options." Knockout pressed a button on the data-pad and turned off the television giving Optimus a nod to continue. "We can integrate you into our Autobots, or …you may live amongst us unaffiliated."
"No chance you'd just let me go right?" He laughed then with a sigh he shook his head. "…Of course not."
"Not with Megatron and Arachnid loose out there." Optimus shook his head. "Your life would be in peril."
Knockout nodded. "Then I will go will full integration, I was never one to do things half way….on one condition heir commandant…" Optimus Prime raised a brow, but waited. "My color is Toreador Red; I'd have some extra vats shipped in if I were you." He smiled weakly and nodded.
"Agreed….the Decepticon badges will need to be removed." Optimus said reaching out to touch the offending purple marks.
"Of course. Though I will keep my sigil on my steering wheel as it was a gift from Breakdown, and not a reflection of affiliation." Knockout said quietly his voice strained somewhat. "What will my function be?"
"Here at the base you will work under Ratchet's supervision, however as you do have combat training there will be times when you assist in the field directly."
Knockout nodded as his voice quieted. "Will I be remanded to a cell once I am able to stand?"
"No, you will be given your own quarters." Optimus spoke quietly. "Will this be sufficient for you?"
Knockout lay back and nodded and became quiet. "Yes Optimus Prime."
Opitmus nodded. "If there is anything you need let me know." Optimus stood and made his way toward the door.
"Optimus, you've seen the core of Cybertron?" Optimus stopped and turned and looked back. "What was it like?"
"Sick." Optimus replied. "Very very sick." He shook his head and turned down the corridor.
When Optimus was gone Knockout lay back. He placed a hand over his spark chamber and nodded. "I know the feeling…"
Fin