CHAPTER 27 - POV Jack

Knockout smiled, but it was obvious he was on edge. "Yes? What did you want to talk to me about?"

Jack looked back at Rylee. He had never seen her so serious. Most of the time she was smiling, brushing off inconveniences and looking at everything in a positive light. But something was different now. It was as if she'd been plunged into darkness, and it lingered with her.

"Tell me, Knockout," she looked up in a stern yet worried manner. "Why did you join the Autobots?"

"That's… that's easy!" Knockout laughed nervously. "I wanted to do the right thing. Obviously."

"Really?" she said simply, and a long silence followed. Knockout fidgeted.

"Yes. Why?"

"I don't know. It just doesn't seem to add up with things you've said earlier." She frowned at him, and Knockout couldn't meet her eyes for a moment.

"Rylee? Uh… what's up?" Jack finally stepped forward, looking at her with concern.

"Knockout?" Rylee said, and Knockout finally looked back at her.

"Yes?"

"Tell me about the war."

Knockout looked paralyzed for a moment. "Now? I… well, I really -"

"We all know Knockout's not going to say anything," Jack said. "If you want to know about the war that badly, I'll-"

"No," Rylee cut off. "I need to hear Knockout say it." She looked up at him, and Knockout was still frozen. He now had a haunted expression.
"Rylee…" he trailed off, face aghast. "Where have you been?"

"It doesn't really matter, does it?" Rylee clenched her fists, but kept a straight face. "What matters now - more than anything - is telling me about the war ."

"I mean, I really don't know…" Knockout trailed off, looking away. "Our second to last championship race is tomorrow. Shouldn't we focus on that?"

" No , Knockout," Rylee said pointedly. "We need to focus on the war . Maybe even get to your involvement ."

"I - I don't know. I don't think that's a good idea," Knockout looked like he was melting under her gaze.

"So that's it?"

"What?"

"That's your final answer - No? You won't tell me about the war?"

Knockout hesitated, like he was fighting with some inner part of himself. He finally looked down, defeated. "I can't."

Rylee stared at him for a few more seconds, and he refused to look up. Everyone in the hangar remained silent. Her expression slightly softened to a more sorrowful one, but she kept her resolve.

"Okay," Rylee said, picking up her bags and stuffing her items into them. "If that's your answer, I have to go."

Knockout looked up with pure alarm in his optics, and the kids gasped as well.

"Leave? Why? But we're…" Knockout seemed to be looking for the right words. "The championship is soon!"

"I know it's soon," Rylee wouldn't look at him as she stuffed her sleeping bag into her pack. "You'll have to do it without me."

"What?" Knockout cried out. "You really can't - all right, what if I told you later ? Maybe like... after the race?"

"That would be good," Rylee met his eyes. "Except there is no later, is there? You never plan on telling me. Why? What are you so afraid of?" Knockout stood there silently, a look of conflicted sorrow on his face. But he said nothing. "Right." She looked away, stuffing her last items in her bag. "You see, I already know about the war. As you've guessed, that's what I've learned about last night. And let me be honest -" she looked up at him, her expression a mixture of fear and remorse. "It was horrifying . It was. Everything that's been done. Especially against my kind. And I know for a fact you've killed hundreds." Knockout looked away, ashamed. His optics were glued to the floor, and only a shadow of his face remained. "But -" she continued, Knockout still not meeting her eyes. "It wasn't all you, of course. Megatron's mostly to blame. I mean, he started it all, didn't he? You were just a follower. A deluded, misguided one, but a follower nonetheless. When it comes down to it, I can be angry, but I definitely can't place the blame of the whole war on you." She then looked down. "But here's the thing: if you had told me yourself, I would've been completely fine with it all. I'd be horrified, sure, but I'd accept that the past is the past, and help you in your reach for redemption." Rylee turned towards the exit, her face now obscured in shadows as well. "But the thing is, you didn't. You didn't tell me. And you never planned on telling me. I had to learn from some - some - some government intervention team ! You were prepared to let me keep believing a lie. Don't you think I deserve to know if my racing partner has a habit of genocide ?" Knockout lowered his head more. His face wasn't visible, but his body language conveyed that he was absolutely miserable. But he said nothing.

Rylee looked back at him for a few moments, and was only met with silence. She then started walking towards the exit. "I don't want to leave you, Knockout, but you're giving me no choice here. I want to trust you. But I can't." She opened the hangar door and stopped, hand gripping the frame. And she stood still for a few moments. "I know how dangerous you can be. And I'm fine with that. I am! But the threat of danger coupled with only deceit and untruths?" She finally looked back. Her eyes were heavy with unspilled tears and her lip was trembling. "It's too much Knockout. I'm sorry. It's too much for me."

Knockout still didn't respond. He was almost completely turned away now - he didn't dare look back. Rylee bit her lip and turned again towards the exit.

"Goodbye, Knockout." Rylee tried to keep it together, but her trembling voice caught in her throat. "I've realized - I think I now understand why you were called a 'Decepticon' ." With that final statement she left, shutting the hangar door behind her.

They all stood in silence for a few moments, disbelieving of the event that just transpired before them. Jack frowned, lost in thought - all of them were. I should've told her. We should've told her a long time ago. But no… that wouldn't work. It had to be him. It always did. And while she's completely in the right by leaving… everything we've worked towards is now going to fall right through our fingers because Knockout wouldn't tell the truth?

Jack's thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice, repeating words silently but hysterically. Knockout was on the floor, leaning against the wall, head in his hands. His words were meant for none but himself, which he quietly repeated with a sense of horror.

"Oh god. What have I done. What have I done. What have I done."

Jack frowned at Knockout, stepped heavily towards him. "Really?"

Knockout looked up quickly, broken from his trance. "What?"

Jack scowled. "I can't tell if you're pretending to feel guilty, or if you're just horrified you blew your last chance at racing big-time. It was your conscious decision to not tell her. This is what you get from it. Why hide it from her? Why ? She'd find out eventually. Did you really not care at all about her? Did you just want to bring her suffering?"

"I wanted the opposite!" Knockout yelled finally, stomping his foot. Jack stepped back cautiously, the shockwaves almost throwing him off balance. "You wanted to tell her the truth. And all I wanted was for her to not hate me. I didn't want to lose her. So I couldn't tell her. No matter how hard I tried."
"Yeah," Jack's face scrunched up. "You didn't want her to hate you just so you could use her for racing. Find someone naive and innocent enough to be accomplice to someone with so much blood on their hands. Someone who didn't ask questions. Well, you used all her kindness up. I'm sorry, but you can't manipulate -"

"Stop! Stop!" Knockout cried, burying his face in his hands again. "I didn't - I didn't mean to. You're wrong. This isn't about racing anymore. None of it is."

Jack fell silent. Miko and Raf stood on the sidelines, watching but not intervening, and Smokescreen looked on with a wince on his face. He looked back at Knockout, frozen in his moment of anguish. And his face softened.

"You actually care about her, don't you?"

Knockout painedly looked up at him. He looked lost, like he no longer had an objective in this world. He said nothing; but his eyes said it all - Yes .

Jack looked away. "If you really care, you'd tell her the truth. No matter how hard it hurts."

"I know. I realize that now," Knockout said finally, his head hung low. "But it's too late."

Jack walked back up to him. "It's never too late. Knockout, she was waiting for you to say something. She wanted to stay. I could see it in her eyes. But you gave her no choice when you refused to say anything ." Jack walked up to him, softly placing a hand on his foot. "Go find her. And tell her the truth. That's all she wants, Knockout. The truth . And from you ."

Knockout looked up at him. "What are you saying? She's already left . I don't know where she is. There's nothing more for me to do."

"Actually, there's a high probability she's heading towards the airport right now," Raf stepped forward, adjusting his glasses. "It's the fastest way back home, and there's only one in close proximity to us. And there are only a few main roads that lead there - you can't go wrong whichever one you take, because either way you'll meet her there ."

Knockout looked at Raf for a few moments, as if assessing the possibility, but the longer he sat there the less confidence he had.

"Hey! KO!" Miko finally ran over, knocking on Knockout's arm. "Stop moping and go find her! You're running out of time!"

"But…" Knockout trailed off. "I don't think she wants to see -"

"Shut up," Miko cut him off, and Knockout frowned at her. "She does. You and her both know that, so stop being a dumbo and hurry up out of here!"

"And what if I don't go?" Knockout replied scornfully.

"Then not only will you lose the race , but you'll lose her . For a very stupid reason." She then kicked him, and Knockout over-exaggeratedly gasped. "Now go!"

"Careful, this paint job is precious!" Knockout grumbled at her, swiping at where she kicked him. He then slowly started to stand up. "And god, you're so annoying."

"It's my superpower," Miko smiled. "Now seriously, go !"

Knockout shambled towards the exit and pulled open the hangar door, but then stopped. He stood there for a moment, looking off into the distance - the same way Rylee had. The sky was gray, a light rain had just begun. Knockout looked back at them.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Knockout said faintly. "You say she doesn't really hate me. But what if… what if I go there, and she really does?" He gripped the door. "I don't think I'd be able to take it. I'd rather have just stayed here."

"But if she doesn't hate you?" Jack said softly, the wind-whipped rain chilling him. "Not going… you'd just be letting her go. At this point, you have nothing more to lose."

Knockout looked down for a long moment. The rain lapped his feet, and an ominous wind whistled throughout the hangar. He finally looked back at them all, a new spark in his eyes. And he smiled. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright." He looked back off into the distance again, silently adding " It has to be. Or I don't know what I'd do ." He then ran forward, diving and transforming into a car. He sped off, breaking through the gate and tearing off down the road - soon the only thing left was the wake of his exhaust.

"He never even asked me where the airport is…" Raf said lowly. "He's also… definitely breaking the speed limit. Are we sure this is a good idea?"

"A good idea?" he looked down at him. "When has any of this been a good idea?" Jack laughed. He then nodded. "As for this… let's hope it's a good idea. It seems like a good idea." He looked off in the distance, and could see the faint trace of Knockout racing through the hills. "But really, how could we know what consequences it'll bring?"

Author's Note

Hey everyone, thanks for reading! Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon. We're reaching the end chapters now! And while there's at least 10 chapters left, they're all long and a bit harder to write, but hopefully I'll have them out quickly!