Chapter 5.
The next day everyone went out to look for any clues to what the Decepticons from the Leviathan were up too.
Knock Out was feeling much better and was now back to acting like himself again. The first thing he did after being let off bed rest was fix his paint job.
The only things he had managed to learn was that the crew of the Leviathan were planning to go after the counsel and attack Iacon but he didn't know when or how they were planning to do it.
He felt bad for not having been able to get more information before being captured. But the rest of the team were just glad he was ok. And told him he did good.
Starscream had also made a full recovery. And was now trying to help the team as much as he could to make up for his past.
The two of them were currently walking through the streets of Iacon. Just catching up and talking about old times.
When suddenly they saw a bot laying face down in the alley Knock Out went over to see if he could help being a medic.
But when he turned the bot over they both gasped.
"It's Pharma." Said Starscream. "Is he?"
"Dead." Knock Out answered before the seeker finished the question. "Looks like he was cut open."
They looked and some of his parts were scattered around the alley including his wings and servos. And he was in a pool of his own energon and his optics were dark but open and his mouth was in the shape of a scream creating a look of horror on his faceplates. While his body had turned gunmetal gray.
"What happened here?" Asked Starscream.
"I don't know but it looks like he was tortured to death his body's been totaled and from the look on his faceplates he was probably conscious and begging for his life the whole time." Knock Out explained giving a little shutter.
"Who did this?" Starscream wondered out loud.
"I don't know but they butchered him." Knock Out told the seeker. "Pharma was a monster but not even he deserved this."
"No one deserved this." Starscream agreed. Then the two of them went back to base and reported what they'd found.
Later everyone was back at base talking about their next move. When they heard a crash and rushed to the medbay where Ratchet and Knock Out were both on the floor and shots were being fired through the windows.
Starscream got his missiles ready and Arcee and Bumblebee both had their blasters out. But none of them could get a visual on the shooter.
Meanwhile Optimus went to help Ratchet and Knock Out and saw spilled energon on the floor and saw that it was coming from Ratchet who had been shot in the shoulder.
Knock Out got to work patching it as soon as he saw the injury. While the other continued to look out the window while avoiding more shots.
Then they saw the shooter a black bot with red highlights. Arcee and Bumblebee ran outside and started to engage him.
"Wait don't touch him that's Drive-By!" Starscream yelled to warn them. "His body is dripping with an oil afflicted by Cosmic Rust he's some how immune but if you touch him you'll be infected with it!"
Just then Drive-By ran forward to grab Bumblebee who was closest wanting to infect him with Cosmic Rust but Starscream ran over and shoved him away from the yellow scout turned warrior.
Then Arcee managed to shoot Drive-By in the spark chamber killing him instantly. But then both Arcee and Bumblebee were horror stricken to see that Starscream had been infected with Cosmic Rust from when he shoved Drive-By away from Bumblebee.
And it was already started to eat away at the seeker's sevro working it's way up his digits. If this kept up he'd dissolve into nothing.
"Don't touch me!" He cried not wanting anyone else to get infected with it. Starscream knew he was going to die and didn't want to take anyone else with him.
He was about to run off to contain the Cosmic Rust to keep it from spreading knowing if someone touch his infected limb it would be enough to give it to them. And he didn't want to endanger the others.
But before the seeker could make a move Knock Out who had just finished treating Ratchet's injury rushed out having seen what was going on from the window.
And used his saw to cut off Starscream's servo just above the infected area. And the infected limb hit the ground and the Cosmic Rust continued to eat away at it till it had completely vanished.
"Looks like I'm gonna have to replace that servo again." Knock Out said looking at Starscream then a smile crossed his faceplates. "But it's a small price in exchange for your spark."
"Thanks Knock Out you just saved my life." Starscream told his friend.
"Your welcome just think of it as me paying you back for saving me from Pharma and there's no way I'm letting my friend dissolve into nothing." Knock Out replied. "And I'm starting to think that's one very unlucky servo."
"Wait that was the same servo I lost before?" Starscream asked.
"Yes when you tried to revive Skyquake during the war." Said Knock Out chuckling at the memory.
"It's been a long time. I'll take that upgrade this time if the offer's still on the table." Starscream told him.
"Awesome I'll get right on it." Knock Out said as they went to the medbay to replace Starscream's servo.
The others were glad that Starscream and Ratchet were both going to be fine. And they called a containment unit to dispose of Drive-By's body that was still infected with Cosmic Rust and couldn't be handled by any of them.
After Knock Out replaced Starscream's servo and also giving him a null ray. The two former cons told the rest of the team that Drive-By had been part of the Leviathan crew who had also been an assassin during the war.
"I know that shot that hit Ratchet was meant for me and would have hit my spark if not for him tossing himself over me and pushing me to the floor." Knock Out explained. "And thanks for the save back there Ratchet."
"I just saw him out the window right before he fired the shot and did what I would for anyone." Ratchet told him. "But your welcome."
"I think Drive-By was sent here to kill me as revenge for infiltrating the Leviathan or to just wipe us all out." Knock Out said to them.
"And this means they know the location of our base." Bumblebee cut in. "So what do we do?"
"They probably got it from me." Knock Out said hanging his helm. "I think when I was captured they might have used a cornicle psychic patch on me while Pharma was keeping me drugged and I didn't remember it."
"It's not your fault Knock Out they held you proisnor and almost killed you given everything you went through we're just glad to have you here alive and well." Bumblebee told him.
"We'll just move to a different base." Said Arcee.
"We will find a way to stop them." Optimus told the others. "But for now we must find another base of operations."
Optimus was proud of how far both Starscream and Knock Out had come since the war.
They had both been their enemies in the past but they were now proving to be great allies. And had become part of their team that was more like a family.
And both former Decepticons had proven they'd changed for the better and were willing to lay down their lives for their friends.
Then they all got ready for their new mission to look for a new base and figure out how to stop the Leviathan crew.
To Be Continued.
I'll try to update this story again soon.