Dispenser was ready for another fun-filled day aboard the Nemesis. When he was first brought aboard the warship a year and a half ago, he was understandably scared, but now he just loved the place to bits. Not only did he have access to far more advanced equipment to elevate his experiments to new heights, but there were others like him. Sure some Decepticons would shoot you as soon as they would look at you, like that edgy Fallen guy who hangs out in the creepy wire tube room, but others were actually really nice about it. His favorite people on the ship had to be Slipstream, Knockout, and Breakdown. Slipstream, because she was the one who found him, and because she brings him radioactive ore to work with. Knockout, because of his patients in teaching him how to use the cybertronian equipment and for not hitting him when he makes mistakes like the other Decepticons do. And he just loved Breakdown because he is really nice about getting things off of high shelves he can't reach, and for teaching him about Cybertron. He always loved hearing the history of his people's homeworld, from the ancient days of the Primes to the golden age that ended because of Atoubot treason. He learned early on to hate the Autobots. They destroyed the All-Spark to save the Earth. Dooming their race to extinction for the sake of some monkies, that was why the synthetic Energon project was such an important one. Dispenser made his way from his quarters to the lab, finding that his coworkers were already hard at work.
"Ah, so you finally grace us with your presence. What took you so long?" Knock out said in his usual annoyed tone, the striking red and slender con worked at his usual station as he grumbled.
"Leave him alone Knockout, you know he's got little legs." Said the much larger and more imposing Breakdown, his yellow eyes setting him even more apart from his counterpart as he moved the heavy equipment.
"Sorry guys, I had to move a newborn off of the floor."
"Ya, we do seem to have an overabundance of ankle-biters, better to deal with annoying brats, than recycling still-born, right?" Dispenser nodded in agreement as he moved to his workstation. He took a particular amount of pride in the fact that his formula was the basis for the lifesaving concoction fed to the hatchlings, keeping infant mortality rats near non-existence aboard ship. Just then, Slipstream came walking in with what looked like a double shipment of ore.
"Hey, Slippy! Need help carrying that?" Knockout jested as he took half of her load in one hand.
"First off, call me Slippy again, and I will take out one of your eyes. Second, this is going to be last you losers are going to be seeing me for a little bit." Dispenser then turned to look at Slipstream; the shock was clear on his face.
"Oh, finally got that reassignment you've always wanted. What changed?" Knockout asked, he was always a gossip, and he craved any new information.
"They found Megatron and the shard, me and the Constructacons are being tasked with missions to bring our true master back to us." Everyone in the lab stopped what they were doing to stare at Slipstream, wide-eyed and confused as hell.
"But... I thought you guys said Megatron was scrapped at the battle that I was born in... How can he be brought back?"
"I just said we also found a shard of the All-Spark. I thought that was pretty straightforward."
"Who's, that is to say, is going to perform the operation?" Knockout asked, clearly wanting to hear that it would be by his hands their leader would know life again.
"Scalpel, who else? He is the head medical officer. Welp, I'll let you nerds get back to your work. Make sure you have something suitable for a Lord to drink by the time we get back." Slipstream then turned and walked out of the room. Knockout was clearly frustrated, as he usually is when Scalpel was mentioned in any capacity.
"I can't believe that tiny scrap flake is getting picked for this over me! I am a far superior surgeon than that Microcon ever could b-"
"Hey." Breakdown said as he tapped his partner on the shoulder, nodding in the direction of the little green Minicon slumping at his work station.
"And what do you have to be sad about Dispenser? I'm the one who could be going places if that speck of rust was deactivated!"
"I'm just going to miss Slipstream. Sure we did not get off on the right foot, and she does threaten to murder me on occasion. But I don't have many friends, and I don't want to loos the ones I do have."
"And who else is on that list, if I'm not being too bold?"
"Well, Breakdown and you." Knockout was stunned for a few moments, before bursting out into hysterical laughter.
"FRIENDS! Breakdown I get; he's everyone's friend! But me, Why am I your friend?"
"Well... You've never threatened to kill me... Your more patient with me than even Breakdown is... And you've never beaten me even once... Around here, that is pretty friendly behavior, right?" Knockout was silent again, clearly thinking it over in his head before just scoffing and getting back to work.
"Hey, look here! Slippy brought use extra of that one ore you think has some promise. Didn't one of you nerds think this stuff could raise the edibility of your brew above thirty percent?"
"Thank's Breakdown. You can set that canister over here." The Minicon said in a dreary tone. Despite Breakdown's efforts to cheer him up, he was going to be sad for a while.
...
In a matter of mear weeks, Dispenser's entire world had changed for the worst. Megatron not only shut down the synthetic Energon project, but also exposed their existence to humanity as a whole. Everything Dispenser knew about the war, and admitted he knew very little, the only advantage they had was stealth, and their Lord had blown their cover in a temper tantrum. From what he could gather before he was shoved into a troop launcher and flung at the Earth at speeds he was not comfortable moving at, there was a device on the planet that would devour the local sun and convert it into Energon. And just like with the All-Spark, the Autobots were going to try and blow it up, dooming their own people for someone else's planet. They soon landed in Egypt, and already there were enemy troops on the ground.
"Stike close to me, little buddy!"
"Right behind you, Breakdown!" Dispenser was getting flashbacks to his berth, death, and chaos all around him but kept focused. He even managed to get a few kills in with his new synthetic Energon rounds as he and Breakdown advanced, Knockout was no slouch either. He executed humans with the same skill and precision he had as a doctor with his pistol hand. But then, in the chaos of battle, they were separated from the rest of the army and pinned down by tank fire.
"WELL, SCRAP! This is going to do hell to my paint job!"
"If this is it, I just want you to know it's been a pleasure!" Breakdown said as he fired his plaster at one of the tanks.
"I, have an idea... But you're going to have to trust me!" Dispenser said as he looked up at Breakdown, who nodded in response. Dispenser then transformed, attaching to Breakdown's arm, forming a massive two-handed cannon.
"By the All-Spark, Dis! Where the hell did you pull this form from!?"
I scanned one of the shipboard cannons on the Nemesis, now let's blast some apes!"
"I'll give you two some covering fire!" Knockout said before doing just that. Dispenser felt very odd being a gun, both powerless leaving his fate literally in Breakdown's hands, while at the same time extremely powerful as enough energy to destroy the enemy tanks in one shot. Both weapon and wielder basked in the destruction with pride, a pride that was short-lived. A blast of some sort fired at Devastator, destroying him instantly.
"We need to get back to the others." Breakdown heeded his comrade's advice and marched out, still using Dispenser in his gun mode. The battle, unfortunately, took a turn for the worst. The Autobot leader killed the Fallen, and the retreat was sounded soon after.
"So guy's... How are we getting back to the Nemesis?" There was an awkward silence over the entire group, ended only by the arrival of Slipstream.
"Ok, guys, hand over the runt, then get to the evac point."
"Ya... Give us a minute Slippy."
"We don't have time for-"
"I SAIDE GIVE US A MINUTE!" Breakdown yelled at Slipstream before turning to Dispenser, letting him turn back into bot mode before talking to him.
"Look here, little buddy. Me and Knockout are gonna have to stay on planet. We're a little too heavy for Slippy to carry out of here."
"What? No! You guys have to come back! With the harvester no longer an option, they are going to need us to start pumping out synthetic Energon like never before!"
"Well... Look's like that's going to be your responsibility for now. We're all counting on you, little guy." Breakdown then nodded to Slipstream. She then transformed and hooked Dispenser. He transformed reflexively, attaching to her underside as a mounted turret. As they flew away, a despair like no other began to fill the little Decepticon. He didn't know how long it would be before he saw his friends again, or if he ever would see them again. That was the true horror of it.
...
"A disgrace! All of you a disgrace!" The mighty Megatron yelled at anyone who was in earshot, but mainly at Starscream.
"My Lord Megatron, we simply didn't have the forces necessary to-" The cowering flyer was cut off by a fist to his face. The rest of the army that could return to the Nemesis simply watched and winced at the brutality of their master. Dispenser himself was cowering the most, hoping beyond hope that attention would not move his direction.
"We outnumbered the Autobots three to one! Do not dare try to suggest that our loss, and inevitable extinction, is due to anything but your own incompetence!" Their Lord continued to scream as he beat his lieutenant, filling Dispenser with rage as much as terror. For it was Megatron that insisted that they expose themselves to humanity. It would have been much harder for the Autobots to rally human support if they still insisted on lying to their people about them. Megatron was shifting blame for his own stupidity onto Starscream, which lost him all of Dispenser's respect.
"N-No, master! We still have the means to survive! The synthetic Energon! We still have the specialist with us!" Dispenser almost fainted when the glowing red eyes of Megatron locked with all four of his. He then shivered as the towering form of his master then came to loom over him. Everyone around him moved out of range in case this got messy, which Dispenser was sure it would.
"So, little one, are you confident in your ability to sustain our forces adequately?"
"I... Um... If given equipment and staffing... Yes..."
"And the ones who supervised you before my resurrection, were they able to get back here as well?"
"N-No, my Lord... PLEASE DON'T HIT ME!" Dispenser cowered in fear before the mighty Megatron, who thankfully only sneered at him in disgust.
"No matter, a majority of our forces are still planetside. They will lead manufacturing on Earth, and you will oversee all manufacturing efforts here. Congratulations on the promotion, brewmaster Dispenser! Aside from my command staff, you will have uncontested authority on board the Nemesis. Now get to work! Corrordenat with Soundwave and Starscream on getting what you need to keep us from starving to death." Megatron then turned and stomped off, kicking a hatchling out of the way as he did so. Dispenser then rushed over to check on the little guy. He was hurt but not dying. After picking up the infant, he turned around and saw everyone looking at him, some in shock, others in hateful disgust. His new command would not be as uncontested as Megatron had decreed, it seemed.