Author's Notes: I must repeat the same apology as last time. I AM SORRY! DX

I never expected to get so side tracked with job stuff and real life. I had major periods of no motivation for stories, until recently. But you all reminded me. I had some lovely comments and messages of people wanting to know "will it continue?", and I always said yes. I do not abandon anything, the worst that happens is it is waylaid.

So the last couple days, I re-read all 28 chapters and checked it against the facts in this chapter I had mostly written and was happy. Back in the mind and mood hopefully to force out the rest!

Also, to correct what I said last time: This is not the last chapter. There is at least one more coming, if not 2. I will see how that works out ;)

Enjoy!


Chapter 29 - Cure Sometimes, Comfort Always.

When Predaking entered the medical bay, he paused for a moment upon seeing Darksteel sat waiting on a berth. What caught his attention was the cables Shockwave and Skylynx were attaching all over the ursagryph.

Ratchet re-caught the dragon king's attention with a small "ahem", gesturing him towards where to place Knock Out.

"Darksteel has volunteered to trial the cyber-matter to test it's effects on predacons" the medic stated, quickly explaining the details before sighing lowly. "We're depending on the results, as we just don't know how it will take to Knock Out's changes".

Predaking frowned slightly, a little angry about their decision to experiment on Darksteel, but after seeing the youngest predacon being supported by Smokescreen, he felt a pang of recognition in his spark. They were doing it to help Darksteel recover, not necessarily to test the formula for the red mech.

"Are you prepared?" Shockwave asked the blue ursagryph seriously, to which the predacon nodded nervously.

"It should work almost instantly, so don't worry yourself" Ratchet cut back in.

After placing Knock Out gently down on the berth, Predaking hesitantly moved over to his youngest subject. "Darksteel, know that I am proud of you for your bravery" he rumbled, blazing yellow optics locking on the ursagryph's almost amber ones.

Darksteel smiled nervously, glancing between all the mechs around him. Shockwave and Skylynx continued to prep the equipment, while Smokescreen, Ratchet, and Predaking supported his still growing nerves.

"Just do it" he quickly told the purple scientist in his brief moment of confidence.

Smokescreen's servo squeezed his lightly right before they all watched tentatively as the cyber-matter was injected into his main energon line.

A few moments of tense silence occurred before Darksteel let out a surprised shriek, his wings clattering suddenly as a strange feeling overcame them. He fell back onto the berth, but soon whined in pain and quickly flipped over, becoming tanged in wires, his wings spreading more as he felt a weird burning ebbing through them.

Servos quickly moved the wires, but he had long offlined his optics due to the pain.

Smokescreen inspected the damaged wing with a small gasp, spotting a small patch that appeared to be glowing, working it's way up through the strut. He was so tempted to trace it with his digit, but the pain he could see written across Darksteel's faceplates told him it must hurt like pit.

Their servos were still intertwined, Darksteel's talons desperately trying to seek out comfort from Smokescreen's, gripping desperately at the blunt digits with more pressure than normal.

The monitors began to bleep all of a sudden, catching the purple scientist's attention, as well as Ratchet's.

Oddly, they seemed more surprised than shocked or scared. Predaking huffed slightly to himself, seeming to sense the answer and not seeming pleased in the slightest.

It was a few awkward moments before Smokescreen broke the silence. "So what is it?"

"It's working as expected" Shockwave simply answered, still sounding uninterested.

"Isn't that good?"

It was Predaking who answered, in a slightly irritated voice. "The cure is changing him by ridding him of his venom"

Even though he didn't fully understand, Smokescreen didn't push for more explanations. His attention was still fully trained on the predacon writhing in apparent pain. He wanted to know how much longer it would take, but before he could ask, Darksteel let out a small sigh and stilled.

The predacon's wings relaxed and the glow seemed to have vanished.

"Darksteel?" he asked quietly, the talons in his grasp flexing slightly in response.

With a small groan, the ursagryph slowly pulled himself up. "I feel weird" he moaned, as the scientist and the medic began to remove the monitor wires. Their servos created tickling sensations over his now sensitive form, making him mewl in surprise, which caused his wings to twitch dramatically.

"Well I can see you're better" Smokescreen smiled brightly, making Darksteel more flustered.

Scanning the ursagryph, Ratchet frowned slightly. "I think we are as ready as we are ever going to be to try this out on Knock Out"

"So you're just going to inject him, and he gets better…right?" Smokescreen asked naively.

Sighing in aggravation, Ratchet moved past Shockwave, who picked up the conversation. "We plan to not only inject him to rid him of his newly venomous state, but also to bathe him in cyber-matter, similar to what occurred with Bumblebee, as we have theorised that may aid in reversing the cosmetic alterations to his frame"

Predaking growled slightly, and slunk back over to his mate, still unhappy. He did not like that they were just going to blindly try and cure him, but if it meant he could have his mate back in mind as well as in true body, he would grudgingly allow them to attempt this action.

Darksteel stood a little hesitantly, and flexed his wings once more, a small smile gracing his features before he turned and hugged Smokescreen.

The predacon king watched from a distance, soon glancing back down at his red mech, hoping that he would be okay.

"Predaking?" Skylynx asked quietly.

Grunting in response, the king looked upon one of the only others of his kind expectantly.

"Are you ready to move him to the tube?"

"Tube?" the large black predacon growled, anger seeping into his spark. "Like that of what we were created in?"

Nodding with a small nervous smile, Skylynx gestured to the back of the lab. "It's the best way".

With a long sigh, Predaking moved over to Knock Out. "Just give me a moment" he spoke lowly, warningly.

Recognising the threat, Skylynx went back to Ratchet, leaving the king with his mate.

"Knock Out, I do hope this is the end of it" he grumbled lowly, stroking the alabaster faceplates lovingly. "If they treat you as a beast, then can't cure you…I'll…" he growled for a moment, before carefully picking up the limp red mech. "I can't watch this continue" he simply added, a hint of guilt lacing his tone.

Looking at the slightly calm faceplates, Predaking vented before lifting his red mech and kissing him. No reaction was to be had or expected, but he tried to rid himself of the negative emotions still surging his spark. The anger…the doubt.

"It's all my fault" he finally whispered, nuzzling at the white face plates as gently as he could.

Each time he thought about his mate, it caused the burning tears to try to escape his optics. So instead, he growled and headed to where Skylynx had told him.

As he approached the back section of the lab and saw the tube, he had to reign in his anger. Subconsciously, he hugged the red mech closer, his glare hard as he found the scientists approach him.

The purple scientist was the first to speak. "If you place Knock Out inside, we shall begin"

Reluctantly, he did so, slowly backing off as he closely watched Ratchet move forward with an injection.

The older medic carefully found Knock Out's main energon line, and slowly injected the cyber-matter into his system. Quickly backing off, the pod was closed and rapidly began to fill with more cyber-matter.

Predaking watched as long as he could, until the brightly glowing substance completely covered his mate and obscured his view of his form. He vaguely spotted the silhouette of the red mech curling up into a ball in the tube, making him growl.

The pose brought back painful memories to the king. All those premature clones that Megatron murdered had been curled up in Shockwave's old lab, seemingly safely. Predaking didn't even want to think about the comparison…he had to believe in the scientists efforts to cure Knock Out.

He didn't know how long he stared at the bright liquid, nor of how long it should actually take to cure the smaller red mech, but all he did know was he would not relent.


A weird warmth surrounded him, but that didn't seem that bad.

It not only made his plating warm, but seemed to spread throughout his entire being. His processor was still waylaying any information, but he became increasingly aware of the feeling of weightlessness.

Red optics flickering online, all he could make out was bright liquid surrounding him.

Was he offline?

The light almost had the appearance of the well of allsparks, but something in his own spark told him this wasn't the end.

Perhaps it was the lack of familiar faces…or complete lack of faces in general. The bright liquid was all there was.

This place was weird. It seemed to only radiate a gentle slowness.

He could vaguely sense others nearby, but that didn't really change much. He was still trying to think of where he was.

Was it but a dream? An intricate vision his processor was producing to try and calm him?

A sudden warmth in his side made him uncurl slightly, glancing down groggily at the site of the scratch from Predaking. The memory still almost terrified him, but his optics widened in wonder.

The scratch was being fixed…leaving.

Quickly, he felt at where the spikes had been, looking as best he could at where the horrifying ridges and alterations to his chest plates had formed, only to find them gone. Tears formed, slowly leaking out and becoming one with the liquid around him as joy spread through him, only one idea coming to mind.

He had to get out of this…wherever he was.

Raising his servos, he pounded forward, connecting with glass almost instantly. After a few more tries, he once more looked around.

This wasn't working. His force was being nulled by the thick substance he was surrounded by.

Gritting his denta, he had to suppress his continued elation at the lack of fangs. After a small contemplation on how much longer he could keep his vents shut, he felt something.

The bond he shared with Predaking was active.

Hugging himself, he smiled warmly as fond memories spread throughout him. Predaking seemed to reciprocate his feelings, as made evident by the looming shadow closing in on the edge of the chamber.

He may not be able to see or hear him, but Knock Out could feel his sparkmate.

He could almost see the piercing fiery optics through the liquid prison, and he wanted to smile as he observed the shadowy figure attack the barrier for him.

The whole area around him lightly shuddered with each pound, but suddenly, the glass gave way. He was freed from the endless floating.

Tumbling out with the quickly draining liquid, he found himself caught by the big strong arms he had come to love.

Red optics gazing up at the fiery yellow ones looking back, he stated quietly, tiredly a small "Hello".

Predaking observed him, almost as if it was the first time he'd seen him all over again. He'd almost forgot how truly appealing his red mech was before…before well, everything. He'd always loved the looks of his red mech, but to be so…factory new looking, it was very enticing.

Vents stuttering slightly as they cleared what was left of the cyber-matter, Knock Out merely stared back, uncertain as to what to say.

Each moment only drilled in the fact everything was gone.

Every cooling ventilation he took didn't involve any scents, as they once had. His processor wasn't a jumbled mess of contradictions, he was merely honed in on the moment.

He felt whole…he felt normal.

They'd been given another chance.

He'd been cured.

But some issues remained.

Trust. It was still a bit strained, though he was too elated to be bothered by that right now. He wanted to trust Predaking, after all, his mate had always only wanted to protect him, and had never stopped loving him even in the grim reality they both were forced to face.

The biggest question left his mouth at that moment, one which was on both of their processors.

"So what now?"


More Notes: To repeat, not the full end. To be continued! I would never leave a story this haphazardly "finished". Hope you've enjoyed this, and major thanks to all of you! Well over 36,000 views, 124 favs and 147 reviews for 28 chapters? WHOA! I never thought ANY story of mine would get this far.