JMJ

Epilogue

Generations

"I'm a doctor," Knock Out had reminded everyone, "I can handle the whole procedure."

Ratchet had been there to help with those hatchlings that were given to Smokescreen, but Knock Out had insisted on being able to take care of his hatchlings all on his own— well, aside from a little baby-sitting in between.

Hardly had Knock Out finished with Silverstreak's check up when the next in line was ready to hatch, but Knock Out was ready for it.

He was about to send Silverstreak to the nursery so that Knock Out could go back, but Silverstreak said, "Can't I go with you?"

Knock Out raised a brow and paused thoughtfully. A playful shrug released.

"Alright."

Silverstreak watched in quiet fascination as Knock Out fairly repeated with his brother Swift Shimmer what had happened when Silverstreak had hatched. Swift Shimmer was a little wilder than Silverstreak and did not want to go for his check up so that Knock Out had to scoop him up and make him go. He also had little problem with the nursery and all three made it there just in time to be told that the next hatchling was ready.

Silverstreak still insisted upon following Knock Out when Knock Out had to leave again. The next in line was Blue Streak, and he was somewhere in between Swift Shimmer and Silverstreak in wandering; though he asked far more questions than the other two combined. After the check up this time, Knock Out got to relax for a few minutes before another hatched and simply chill with his "sons".

He did not mind the questions nearly as much as he thought he would.

"How long before we get to go outside?" asked Blue Streak after looking eagerly out the window.

Silverstreak watched Knock Out's posture and tried to imitate it.

"After two weeks, most likely," remarked Knock Out mildly under half-closed lids, and he glanced mildly at Silverstreak.

"Is that when we get to choose vehicle-modes?" asked Blue Streak.

"Oh, I can't wait!" said Silverstreak.

Knock Out beamed, "That'll probably be my favorite part of this. Maybe we'll even be able to get you Earth vehicle modes."

"Can you move your wheels up at the top?" asked Blue Streak.

"Naturally," Knock Out said and turned them easily on their axels.

How impressed the little ones were made him laugh.

"What's Earth?" Blue Streak then asked.

Just as he was about to answer, something small and metal and scrambling landed on his back suddenly. For the smallest millisecond Knock Out feared scraplets, but the little "ouff!" gave the culprit away.

Knock Out made a face of alarm and tried to look behind him.

"Swift Shimmer…" he warned. "What are you doing?"

What made it most annoying was that he could not reach him on his back. That's what he got for having such large shoulder caps! At last the hatchling scrambled to the top of Knock Out's shoulders where he nestled at his neck to try to get a good look at his bare wheels.

"What's he doing?" Blue Streak demanded Silverstreak.

Silverstreak only shrugged.

Knock Out plucked Swift Shimmer from his collar and set him on the floor.

"Don't do that again," he said sternly. "You're going to scratch something."

Swift Shimmer nodded with wide optics.

Satisfied, Knock Out smiled again and turned the wheels for them. All three were doubly impressed and doubly eager to get wheels of their own.

It was shortly after that that Knock Out had to leave again. Silverstreak insisted upon going with him as usual while the other two stayed with one of Arcee's matured hatchlings good at keeping freshly hatched hatchlings from getting into mischief while he was gone.

Over the next few days, Silverstreak never once missed coming with Knock Out though others came with on and off. Sideswipe especially liked riding along on his foot for the first day of his hatching before he got too big; though a few younger ones then learned to copy him. As long as they stayed on his feet and did not try to climb higher Knock Out allowed it.

Admittedly, he did not mind. They could not do much damage down there when first hatched and they did not hinder his walking.

One time when Silverstreak was by himself with Knock Out he had to ask with some annoyance, "How many is there going to be, Knock Out?"

"You have to share me with your siblings, now," said Knock Out with some humor. "There aren't many of us adults left, you know. There are less than ten of us and all the new generation both hatched and unhatched will amount to nearly one thousand in all."

"Wow," Silverstreak said quite impressed. "But why are there so few adults?"

"Well, I'm sure I told you some of it," said Knock Out.

"The War," said Silverstreak a tad quietly.

It was one subject that most hatchlings treated as something deep solemnity; though they did not quite understand it. The hatchlings that had seen the fight outside the nursery window had already gotten their wheels and left, but for those who had not yet, they told the newer ones all about it so that it made the past more real for them. They also told about what little they knew of the fight with Soundwave when he had attacked the hatchery. It became a favorite pastime to tell the story and play it out among Knock Out's little crew, and it made Knock Out laugh.

"Yes, the War," remarked Knock Out at the present, "so it'll be a while before everything evens out."

#

"Chase," Knock Out named him when he first opened his optics.

Chase looked just a little sleepy still as he sat and looked up at his "father".

Some of the others had done the same for a moment or two so at first Knock Out was not much concerned.

"Do I get to chase?" Chase asked happily; though his smile suddenly fell as he tried to climb up onto his feet.

He fell over looking wearier. As he tried to get up again, he began to pant as though from heat and pain.

"Chase?" asked Knock Out and lifted him up.

He looked simply awful yet he lifted his head bravely and said, "I can try to stand, I can try."

"No," said Knock Out calmly; though inside he felt extremely frustrated. The hatchling had been just fine inside of his energon sack.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Silverstreak.

Knock Out did not answer but breezed past him.

His guess was that somehow Chase's body was not utilizing the energon properly without being submerged in it. Very quickly Chase looked weaker and weaker in Knock Out's hands as he scanned him and saw that though his guess was correct, he would have to fix him immediately or risk Chase's death on the spot.

"I'll fix you," said Knock Out firmly.

Chase nodded.

His bravery was what struck him most. He did not complain or moan like he knew some of the other hatchlings would have. He was sure he would have been pretty upset had this happened to him as a hatchling, but Knock Out did not think long about it. He did not have time. It was not a difficult fix, but it would be time-consuming.

He put him into stasis and went quickly to open him up. Silverstreak watched with concerned interest.

At least I have the slender hands for this sort of this, otherwise I might've gotten Silverstreak more involved than he would have liked, thought Knock Out.

Silverstreak stayed the entire time, watching and waiting, but his entire confidence in Knock Out was obvious.

Then it was time to wake him.

Chase awoke and smiled alertly as he took his energon the way a Cybertronian is meant to. Knock Out sighed with relief, but the whole procedure suddenly had made Knock Out quite behind with his other hatchlings.

Very quickly he became so overwhelmed that at last he nearly collapsed in front of Ratchet and moaned, "Ratchet! I need help!"

"Then why didn't you ask for it earlier?" Ratchet demanded.

#

"I didn't know that optics could change color," said Silverstreak one day; he was over halfway grown to his full height by then.

Knock Out glanced mildly at Silverstreak. He had not been aware that he had been standing there until that moment, and as he looked down at those wide optics, he smiled and said, "Where'd you hear about that?"

"I didn't," said Silverstreak with a shake of his head. "It's just you're optics are a strange color now, almost purple in a way. They were sort of reddish when I first saw you when I first hatched."

Knock Out raised a brow. "Really? Only reddish when you first saw me?"

Silverstreak nodded.

Smiling broader and looking out ahead of him briefly, Knock Out rubbed his chin.

"That's very interesting," he muttered musing.

"Does everyone's optics change color?" asked Silverstreak then.

"They can," said Knock Out, attention back on Silverstreak. "If you're angry enough and stressed enough… and hate enough. It apparently takes a long time to cool down too once you're not angry anymore."

"But Racer got angry and nothing happened to his optics!" Sideswipe announced suddenly bouncing over. He was still much smaller than Silverstreak.

"Not as angry as you!" shot Racer who had been playing with another hatchling before he overheard this.

"Ah, ah, no fighting," said Knock Out. "You know I hate that. It has to be was more intense than that. Decepticon hatred."

Everyone nearby looked interested now hearing the word, "Decepticon." They hurried over to hear more.

"Do all Decepticons have red optics?" asked Blue Streak curiously.

"Mmm, most. It's not an exact science."

"Even the one that's locked up in the prison?"

Knock Out made a funny sort of expression that confused the hatchlings. He knew it did, though he could not see the expression himself. He felt at first amused every time they mentioned Starscream. Somehow he could not help it, and yet…

"Yes," said Knock Out simply.

"But you're not a Decepticon," said Silverstreak frowning.

"Well," said Knock Out with a more candid shrug than before as he briefly closed his optics. "Actually, I was."

Everyone gasped.

When Knock Out opened his optics again he almost felt uncomfortable to see all the wide blank optics surrounding him in horror. Some had even backed away.

"What?" Knock Out demanded a little childishly himself now. "I'm not anymore. Jetfire used to be one too."

"No, you're not!" said Racer.

"I was," said Knock Out. "Emphasis on 'was', Racer. It's alright, really."

"What happened?" asked Glistening, the only girl in his group.

"Well, it's kind of a long story," said Knock Out. "I might not be able to finish it before I have to get another sibling."

"Oh, please!" said Glistening.

Some of the others agreed.

Do I spoil them? he thought quite pleased. Maybe.

He rolled his optics, which would soon be energon blue just as everyone else's, and he consented pleasantly, "Alright."