Knockout and Thunderhowl reached Knockout's old lab without fuss. Fortunately, anyone they encountered, albeit briefly, was too preoccupied with going fast or showing-off to bother them.
"Alright, this is just going to be a quickie," Knockout whispered as he transformed. "We..."
"Go in, get out, and attempt to avoid any sort of distraction," Thunderhowl interrupted, transforming behind the red mech. "You've been saying that on repeat for the entire drive."
"I have? Sorry. That must have been annoying to listen to."
"You have no idea."
Thunderhowl's tone made Knockout nervous, or rather, it just added on to his already huge pile of built-up anxiety. While a part of him was happy to be back home, another part was full of nothing. If anyone could call depression nothing.
"Is there a reason why we're not going in?" Thunderhowl hissed.
"It's just… it's nothing," Knockout whispered. Not turning around to look his comrade in the optics, the red mech entered the building.
Knockout could tell things changed for the better. It looked bigger, as if the building had recently been expanded. The metal was sparkling clean. Desks, benches, and tons of new-age technology were all over the place.
"Wow, the old place looks brand new," Knockout said.
"A little flashy, isn't it?" Thunderhowl muttered. "Oh, wait, I forgot who I was talking to."
Knockout made a face, then walked over to the front desk.
"Can I help you?" The receptionist asked.
"I hope so," Knockout answered, his anxiety completely erased by his self-confidence and social skills. "My name's Knockout, and I used to be a medic here."
The mech stopped typing and raised his gaze to look at Knockout. He was quiet for a few minutes.
"Why are you here?" The receptionist hissed. "This better not have something to do with that Allspark forsaken Autobot/Decepticon feud. We already have enough trouble with gangs constantly fighting each other as is."
"By the Primes, no!" Knockout half-lied. "I just want to grab a few things I left behind."
The receptionist stared at him, then shifted his attention to Thunderhowl.
"Oh, yeah. This is my friend, Thunderhowl. He's just here to offer his assistance if it turns out I left behind more stuff than I thought."
silence
The receptionist reached under his desk and unplugged a couple of what looked like mini data pads before handing them to Knockout and Thunderhowl.
"Reactivated medic and medical assistant passes. Both have a built-in map and tracking system, for safety and security purposes. This will allow you access to where you need to go, depending on where your old office is or was located."
"Thank you," Knockout said. "I promise, we won't be long."
"Be sure to bring those back before you leave!" The receptionist added as the two visiting mechs wandered off. Knockout waved his servo at him.
