Prologue

Stars filled the night with a faint glimmer; their cold, eons-old light the only luminance in an inky black Earthen sky. Thousands of pinpricks gently reflected off the illustrious red gloss coat of the Aston Martin as it cruised easily down a deserted highway. The purr of the engine remained the only sound that reverberated in the darkness. He greatly enjoyed nights such as these. The roads were wide-open with nary a soul to be seen. Speed was optional and he could go as fast or slow as he pleased. The asphalt had been newly paved and he could still feel the vestiges of warmth from this planet's sun radiating up through his tires. It felt good, amazing in fact, to open his engine up and let the 12-cylinders of his alt mode roar their horsepower to the heavens. Ah, humans. Given their organic nature, they did know how to design superb automobiles. Pitty.

Humans. The reason he was here on this nightly jaunt. Well, one human in particular.

As he crested a hill on the Interstate known as I-25, the shimmering lights of the stars blended into the brighter, more garish lights of a human city. Traffic had increased slowly as he approached the Albuquerque city limits. So as not to attract too much unnecessary attention, he slowed his speed to within "acceptable" limits. The watery orange light of the street lamps blinked by as he cruised down the interstate, scanning the city signs for his destination. Finally, his exit appeared and the Aston gently merged off of interstate and down the ramp, sliding right at the foot and merging once again into the infrequent flow of human traffic. He savored nights such as these.

Several stoplights later, he found the place he had been seeking—a dimly lit parking lot nestled between two larger buildings. Overgrown trees hugged the corners of one muted gray, concrete structure, the security cameras intermittently blocked by the scruffing of twigs and leaves against the lenses. Once again, the watery orange light of the street lamps illuminated the parking space under which he sat. The wind had picked up. Bits of paper danced on the currents and across the empty lot, twirling and flagging like dancers upon a stage with no audience. Obscured by the cityscape he could see a darker mass on the horizon, laced periodically with streaks of white electricity. A storm. Good. Under normal circumstances he detested the precipitation on this planet. The mineral content of the rainwater and the salts and motor fluids left on the human roadways always blunted his finish, but tonight—was no normal circumstances. Tonight, he would welcome the storm if only this one time.

A couple hours rolled across his chronometer. The storm clouds that had been building in the distance now obscured the entirety of the night sky. Lightning flicked across their surface with fervency. Suppressing a low growl, he was almost ready to give up on the night when a rusted and battered tow truck pulled into the lot. The tires were balding and he could see the steel threads peeking through the dry-rotted rubber as the truck pulled to his front and then backed neatly up to his bumper. Finally.

Two humans emerged from a trash-laden cabin, a McDonald's cup following the driver as he slid from the seat. The empty cup bounced twice before pitching across the lot, disappearing in the wind.

"Man! Look at this beauty!" the passenger softly exclaimed as he bent to examine the gold rims of the Aston Martin.

"Should fetch quite a pretty penny, dontcha think?" the driver replied, casting a hasty look across the parking lot before lowering the tow brackets to the asphalt. He worked quickly and efficiently, placing the brackets around the Aston's tires and pinning them in place. Cars like this were few and far between. They needed to move quickly to get this jewel off the street before its owner reported it missing. A successful jack like this…well, he could cruise easy for a few weeks before hitting the streets again.

"All right! Let's go! Let's go!" the driver said, leaping into his seat and slamming the old truck into Drive.

His passenger laughed excitedly, greed lighting his hazel eyes like a child at Christmas. "Oh, man! I can't wait to see the look on Darren's face when we bring in this beaut!"

"Let's get there first, Doug," the driver chastised. Jacking Hondas and Nissans were one thing. Car jacking an Aston without attracting attention was a bit more nerve-wracking.

The wind was howling with rage when the tired tow truck pulled into a decrepit and dilapidated warehouse next to the trainyard. Shards of broken glass littered the pavement and crunched like gravel as the tires of the vehicles transitioned from asphalt to smooth concrete within. Despite the outward appearance of the building, the interior was immaculate. Gleaming four-post lifts lined the walls, each cradling a car in various stages of disassembly. Black fabric hung in the broken window rafters to obscure the cold fluorescence of the lights that illuminated the workers in the chop shop. The tow truck rolled to a stop in the midst of the organized chaos, the large garage door slowly sliding closed behind the Aston's rear bumper. To the left, a weld torch created a dazzling cascade of orange-white sparks as it's operator quickly finished his task.

The driver and his passenger exited the tow truck, grins splitting each of their faces as the welder stood up and then lifted his helmet from his face.

"Boss! Check it out!" Doug exclaimed, no longer able to contain his excitement.

"Nicely done, Jack. I assume you were extra-discreet with this one?" the boss Darren, asked, raising a speculative blonde eyebrow.

"Absolutely, Darren. Not a fucking soul to be seen. It was like Lady Luck just dropped her into our laps," Jack replied, walking over and giving the red fender a pat.

Darren's slight smile suddenly soured. "Jack! Uber-nice European cars don't just fall outta the sky! She could be a plant!"

"I swear, Darren! No cops were around! Doug gave her a good once-over while I was hooking up," Jack exclaimed, back pedaling as Darren confronted him.

"Yeah! I did! Man! Ain't been a copper yet that could plant a bug I couldn't find," Doug exclaimed, sliding around the Aston's rear quarter panel to come to his partner's aide. "I swear Darren! No bugs! She's clean! She's clean!"

Darren glared down at the two younger accomplices, a sharp retort on his lips when suddenly the red sports car lurched in the tow brackets.

"OH, ENOUGH OF THIS ALL READY!" A thunderous voice boomed across the floor of the warehouse. The lift boom on the tow truck snapped like a pretzel as the Aston Martin that once sat peaceably behind the truck, folded out then in, rising up behind the three petrified humans to become a huge, menacing metallic shadow.

"What the fuc-!" Doug heard Darren exclaimed before turning around to see the mass of red metal behind him.

"Seriously! 'She?' 'She!?' Must you vermin always refer to your automobiles in the feminine? Do I look like a femme to you now!?" the giant roared, casting its arms open in mock disbelief. Its eyes? For that is what Doug could only equate them to, blazed like a fiery furnace as they quickly surveyed the interior of the warehouse before resting on the three of them. Not a single person breathed as the metal monster's question hung in the open air. Incredulity, shock, and fear petrified every single member of Darren Glascow's chop shop.

Knock Out smirked as nary a soul dared to breathe. He surveyed the scene casually, not in the least perplexed that the humans were beholding his true form. After all, Darren Glascow ran a tight ship. Cell phones were not permitted in the shop. Besides, security cameras were nothing a little electromagnetic pulse couldn't handle.

"Darren Glascow." Knock Out rumbled lowly, kneeling down to be slightly more at eye level with the human.

The chop shop owner remained frozen. He slowly pulled his tongue across his lips as his mind raced to comprehend what was before him. His eyes were wide with fright and also…. recognition. No, he had never seen this monstrosity before in his life, but he had seen one very similar—several months ago. It was a life he tried to desperately bury and apparently had failed.

The smirk on the metal face widened just a fraction. "It is Darren Glascow, isn't it? I would hate to be crashing the wrong chop shop party if it weren't. But then again, how many Darren Glascows could there be…. that run a chop shop?" Knock Out purred smoothly, admiring the florescent flash of the light against his steel-sharpened digits. The flaming red optics rested once again on the human named Darren.

Darren licked his lips again and this time, was able to stutter a few words. "Yo…You…You….You…. you're one of them!? For…for…Christ's sake! I'm no longer a part of that!" His eyes frantically searched the metal face for any trace of understanding. None was forthcoming.

Knock Out chuckled, the sound loud and reverberating in the confines of the warehouse. "Oh, but you are. After all, you were well and prepared to chop me."

"I -I-I-didn't know you was one of them!"

"Well, now you know," the Decepticon stated. His optics then glowed like hellfire flames. Suddenly, his arm transformed to become a gleaming saw blade. The teeth were meticulously polished to such an extent that Darren could see his reflection in each and every tooth. "What's that phrase you humans like to say? Oh! Yes. Paypack's a b—" The sound of the saw whirring to life filled the warehouse.

Human screams were lost to the raging thunderstorm that enveloped the city. The lights in the building flickered then died, the contour of the building lost in the sheets of rain that pummeled the structure. Several minutes passed after the last gurgled scream was lost to the wind. The garage door squealed in protest as it was lifted in place without any power. Knock Out emerged into the squall and transformed back into his vehicle mode. White smoke streamed from his tires as he peeled away from the warehouse. The pelting rain plinked off his paint in large fat droplets, mixing with the blood that splattered his door panels. Rivulets of red water sluiced down his frame to eventually become clear once again as he raced across the pavement.

Yes. Just this once he didn't mind the rain.