Finally got around to writing another chapter! I hope you guys like it.

Jack hissed in pain when Knockout brought the welder down onto his forearm, mending a large scrape. Funny how Arcee and Bulkhead had always brushed off the welder Ratchet had often used on them without so much as flinching at heat while the not so gentle medic tended to their wounds. He winced again, jerking his arm away from Knockout, glaring darkly at the medic.

"Don't be such a sparkling." Knockout teased him, taking advantage of Skyquakes battered state to taunt him. "This is all part of the normal procedure. You do want to be back on your feet as soon as possible right?" Knockout took the silence and narrowing of optics as a yes. "Then I suggest you quit your griping and let me get done with it."

Gritting his teeth, Jack placed his limb back where Knockout could reach, withholding a grunt of pain as the torch was brought back onto his metal skin. If his friends could handle this, then so could he! Arcee would be so disappointed in him if he couldn't even hold up to this small bit of pain- he had handled worse right? Airachnid, Insecticons, Vehicons...this was as easy as breathing compared to them, even though he no longer needed to.

"Took quite a beating didn't you?" Knockout asked as he cleaned off dirt that embedded into the scratches on his chest. "I take it everything went well?"

"Well enough." Jack grunted in reply, wishing this was done and over already so that he could get away from this narcissist 'con. "Are you done yet?" He asked irritably as Knockout began to overlook already welded up wounds as his perfectionist side surfaced, feeling along for bumps he may have missed or a scratch he hadn't filled in.

"Not even close." Was the cheeky replied while Jack was feeling a headache building up in his processor now. Couldn't he just rest? Dreadwing was handling the report to Megatron while he was tended to, and afterwards he could go lie in his berth and sleep for awhile. But that seemed unlikely, considering how much 'care' Knockout was currently giving to him, and Megatron would more than likely want to speak with him once he was able to stand on his own feet without energon pooling at them.

As it turned out however, Megatron wasn't going to wait even that long, as he heard the whoosh of the door opening up. He tiredly opened his optics to see that Megatron had stopped in front of him and Knockout. Jack felt his spark thrumming in his chest, warming the metal there as he stared at Megatron. Feeling incredibly vulnerable in his still injured and slanted position, he tried to force himself up. It proved to be a useless effort, barely having the strength to push his chest off the table.

"Remain as you are Skyquake." Megatron ordered, to which Jack had no choice to oblige, given how weak he felt right now. "Dreadwing has informed me of your success in eliminating Airachnid."

"It was a joint effort, Master." He replied, taking note of the begrudging respect that layered itself into Megatrons voice as he spoke. "I would have failed if not for Dreadwing."

"Dreadwing has informed me otherwise." Megatron said, hands folding behind his back.

"What has he told you?" Jack asked, more than a little suspicious, biting back the venomous words he wanted to spit Megatrons way. Had Dreadwing downplayed his part, or exaggerated his own part? He didn't care for the second possibility- he had no desire to be Megatrons second in command.

"Apparently, if it were not for your strategy and cunning, Airachnid would have escaped, and at least one of you would be dead." He said, staring straight into Jacks optics. "And from the looks of your wounds, I assume she almost succeed."

"She did not go down without a fight, I can assure you." Jack said, face becoming grim as Knockout began work on the most sensitive part of his body- the wings, all while trying to speak as Skyquake would, thankful that he had Dreadwing to pull from. Personally he couldn't understand how Dreadwing could stand placing the word 'Master' at the end of every sentence when speaking to Megatron. More so since he was expected to do the same.

"Of which I have no doubt." Megatron hummed, observing the thousands of years old warrior below him. True, Skyquake was a formidable warrior, just as Dreadwing was, but of the two, Skyquake was the more hot headed of the two. That he came up with such a strategy...it rubbed his plates the wrong way. Of course, Dreadwing could be lying in order to showcase his brother, but that was unlike him. "And as I recall, I promised a reward upon her death."

"You are too kind Master." Jack said politely, inwardly thinking there was no way in hell he was ever going to accept that offer, but bit on his glossa before he accidentally let that slip. "But I must decline. Dreadwing is the one who deserves to be your second in command. Not me."

"This is not something you can refuse." Megatron stated bluntly, a glint to his optics. "However, as it took the combined effort of you and Dreadwing, I am willing to compromise. You will both be my second in command."

Jack gave him an incredulous, startled look.

"How is that supposed to work? Wouldn't the others become confused from taking orders from two separate commanders, equal in rank?"

"I am confident that neither of you would go against the other, considering how close you are." Megatron answered, waving his hand off to the side dismissively. "I expect great things from the two of you. Don't disappoint me." Megatron said before turning around and leaving the medbay, leaving Jack alone once against with Knockout and his new thoughts. He sighed heavily, feeling a new weight bearing down on him, wishing that Megatron would have given the title of second in command solely to Dreadwing- he was much better at this than he was.

"You don't look too happy about your promotion." Knockout put in, raising a sleek brow at Skyquake.

"Didn't know it was that obvious." He growled, closing his eyes, causing Knockout to chuckle at his discomfort.

"What's not to be happy about? You get to command the Vehicons, issue orders during missions, determine the mission directive...of course if you fail Megatron's likely to take your head off."

"Thank you so much for reminding me." Jack snapped, ripping out the cord attached to his chest, ignoring how Knockout was yelling at him about how he wasn't fully recuperated yet and making a beeline for the door with a slight limp to his gate. Knockout grabbed hold of his arm to stop him. "Let go of me." He said angrily, ripping the limb from his grasp.

"You need to lie back down on the berth before you-" He said, but jumped back when Skyquake began to wobble, optics rolling into his head before falling onto to the floor. "Before you fall...scrap..." He groaned, placing a hand on his hip. "Where's Breakdown when you need him?"

~Later~

Dreadwing was tending to his new duties as one of Megatrons new SIC, when he heard a strange commotion outside the room he was currently in. Someone was talking, a voice that was quite familiar to him in fact. Frowning, he dropped the datapad he was examining on the table, and went to look outside. Dreadwing scowled when he found nothing out of the ordinary- had he simply imagined it? His brow creasing into a slight scowl and unable to find anything out of the ordinary, he went back inside the room to continue his work.

Outside, a figure slumped in relief, hiding around the corner of at the end of the hall as the blue mech disappeared behind the door, wings trembling for a brief moment as his head turned from right to left repeatedly to ensure that no one had noticed him before peeking back out, stepping lightly on his feet. That was too close...

Starscream exhaled heavily, a habit he picked up from his time on this miserable planet, continuing his trek through the Nemesis. Despite knowing the Nemesis like the back of his hand, there had been more than a few nasty surprises, such as the return of Dreadwing, likely to seek revenge for his beloved twin, tipping the scales into Megatrons favor even further. Not to mention the occasional Vehicon, whom he was forced to kill due to them not falling for his ruse. Ah well...as long as he got what they came for, nothing else mattered. Starscream relished at the thought of crushing Megatrons spark in his hands, once and for all as he backed slowly-

"Ah!" Came two simultaneous yelps, Starscream jumping away and readying his rockets to find not a Decepticon, as he had expected, but an Autobot. Both had their blasters pointed at the others face, both of which fell when realization dawned on them, transforming back into hands.

"Starscream?" Bulkhead said, confused when he saw the traitor. The seeker sighed dramatically, gesturing with his hands as he spoke to Bulkhead contemptuously.

"Why is it that every time I return to my old stomping grounds, I find an Autobot roaming the halls?" He asked irritably.

"'Screamer, you've gotta help me off this boat. Where's the exit?" He asked, but Starscream merely stood straight, rolling his optics.

"Sorry, too busy." Stepping back a moment as Starscreams words, before scowling and rounding back on the seeker.

"Look, when you needed help-"

"As I recall, we bargained, so unless you have something of value to offer me-"

Heavy footsteps echoed in the hall, terror filling Starscreams spark as he feared that he had been found by Megatron already. He couldn't take out the warlord by himself! Where were the others? Why hadn't they brought a means of communication with them?!

"Bulkhead?" He heard a voice that was most definitely not Megatron say, and turned to meet with an impossible sight that had him reeling.

"S-skyquake?!" Starscream shrieked, jumping straight up, words stammering as his body shook. "Y-you're dead!"

"Funny.." Skyquake said, optics burning with an intense anger as he swung his large gun-sword diagonally at Starscream. "So are you."

Starscreams optics went wide as the blade cut him from shoulder to torso, a chunk of his wing falling down onto the floor when energon bled profusely from the wound. Reaching up with a shaking hand, Starscream could only stare in terror as he fell backwards, body split in half. A moment later, the red glow in his optics faded, leaving nothing but dark, soulless pits. Bulkhead, shocked, stepped back from his former ally and friend, unable to tear his gaze from the deceased mech laying at his feet, his upper half having skidded uncomfortably close to Bulkheads feet.

"That should help everyone rest a little easier from now on." Jack stated, withdrawing the sword as though he hadn't just killed a mech in cold blood. His optics moved from Starscream, then to Bulkhead, a brow raised. "How did you get onto the ship Bulkhead?"

"I fell and ended up on an energon transport for the Nemesis-" He started, then shook his head, waving both hands out in front of him. "Why am I telling you? You're a traitor!"

"Bulkhead, shut up!" He hissed angrily in a hushed tone, reaching forward and slamming his hand around Bulkheads mouth. "Do you want to give away your location to everyone on the ship?!"

Bulkhead, not having taken kindly to Skyquakes reaction, slapped the hand from his face with a fist to his forearm, breaking the grip. The green mech glared at him heatedly.

"Look, it's not my fault that you joined up with the 'cons Jack-"

"Do not call me that here." Jack warned dangerously, in no mood for Bulkhead dimwitted demeanor. "Soundwave hears everything. If they even suspect that I'm not who they think I am, they'll kill me, and all of this will have been for nothing." Bulkhead eyed him suspiciously.

"What're you talking about?"

"I can't talk long, Bulkhead. Dreadwing will be wanting to know why I've taken so long to respond to his com and he will have checked the medbay by now. He's probably looking for me, and you need to get out of here. And I don't know a way other than by flight or a groundbridge, both of which are a no go." He said quietly. "Soundwave controls the groundbridge, and I obviously can't fly you out of here, so you're on your own in that regard. But I'll try to keep them off your trail, got it?"

Bulkhead could only stare dumbly at the human turned mech, his mind whirring loudly as he processed the information. Jack hadn't betrayed them after all?

"You need to go. Now." Jack said, hearing footsteps coming their way. "And...tell Arcee I'm sorry, okay? She won't get to have her revenge after all."

"What do you-"

"Go!"

Bulkhead didn't need to be told a third time, and ran in the opposite direction of the noise before disappearing down into another hallway, leaving Jack alone once again on this miserable ship. He desperately wished that he could go with Bulkhead, but knew that he couldn't. He had things he needed to here.

"Brother!" He heard Dreadwing shout out as he rounded the corner, looking over his shoulder to see his blue twin running to catch up with him. "Why did you leave the medbay-" He started, only to trail off at seeing the sight of the two halves of Starscream laying on the floor in a pool of energon. "You...?"

"I heard noise outside the medbay and went to investigate." He replied coolly. "I found Starscream sneaking around the ship and decided the best course of action was to terminate him." He glanced at the Vehicons that were accompanying the co-second in command. "You two, clean this up. Now!"

"Yes sir!" The responded immediately, grabbing the two halves of Starscream and towing them off elsewhere.

"It may not have been wise to have killed him so hastily brother." Dreadwing reprimanded. "Lord Megatron had wanted him questioned for possible information leaks to the Autobots."

"If I were not here Starscream would still be wandering this ship with no one to stop him. Is that really a risk that Megatron would want to take?"

"That is not for us to decide. When Megatron finds out-" Alarms started to blare, jolting the two out of their argument as a voice stated that multiple intruders had made their way into the ship. "More intruders?!" Dreadwing exclaimed as he grabbed the sword from his back. "Skyquake, go defend Lord Megatron while I-"

But Skyquake was already gone by the time Dreadwing turned around.