"Strange..." Knock Out murmured to himself, his crimson optics studying the large screen before him. He turned towards the middle of the Nemesis' bridge, speaking to the Decepticon's Leader. "Lord Megatron, it appears that Breakdown's signal has, popped back online... albeit, corrupted."
Megatron frowned, barely glancing over his shoulder. "Investigate with caution, it may well be an Autobot trick."
Soundwave was examining the monitor as well and Knock Out found himself hoping the intelligence officer wouldn't pick up on the flicker of longing in his optics. "I certainly hope not, Breakdown may act the brute but he's a maestro behind a rotary buffer." He made an act of dusting his shoulder off, hoping the words and motion would deter the other Con's from sensing the rising hope he felt.
Megatron made no reply and neither did Soundwave, so with a small sigh of relief Knock Out turned and left the bridge. He picked out four Vehicons along his way, his pace quickening as they fell into pace behind him, heading for the Ground Bridge. His fingers flew over the controls, putting in the co-ordinates for Breakdown's supposed location and activating the Bridge. He quickly stepped into the Bridge, taking a second to calm himself before exiting the other side. As hopeful as he was, he truly had no idea what would be waiting for him.
It was dusk on Earth, and Knock Out had to pause to get his bearings. The co-ordinates had delivered him to what appeared to be a human military base, although the charred corpses of the humans and their vehicles told the Medic that there would be no resistance to his presence. He frowned, glancing about. The chaos of the site caused a sense of doubt to settle in his chest, in all their time together neither he nor Breakdown had done anything like this, as much as they had disliked humanity, they had never flat out slaughtered those they encountered.
There was a smouldering hole in the side of one of the military warehouses, the sound of heavy footsteps coming from the gap as the hulking form of Breakdown appeared through the smoke.
Knock Out felt a smile on his lips as he spoke. "Breakdown! Where have you..." Both his voice and smile faded as the blue mech stepped into the open, hauling some sort of metal crate with him, and turned to face Knock Out. Something was wrong, it hung in the air like a putrid fog and caused the earlier unease to return to Knock Out's chest, creeping into his frame as the other's optics focused on him. "Breakdown...? What happened to you?"
"Therein lies a tale." The blue mech spoke, his voice obviously not Breakdown's and only serving to cement the dread Knock Out felt. "Which won't be nearly as interesting to Megatron as this." He hefted the crate he had hauled out of the warehouse. "So, take me to your leader."
Knock Out could only stare at the mech. It was though his very spark had frozen, any hope for reclaiming his fallen partner ground into ash alongside the corpses littering the military base. Only when one of the Vehicon's at his flanks shifted did he pull himself back to reality, ordering the ground bridge to be re-opened to return them to the Nemesis.
They said nothing as Knock Out lead them through the ship, arriving at the bridge and walking to Megatron, still silent as the massive Decepticon leader turned to inspect the new arrival.
"Knock Out, what is this abomination? And why have you brought it here?" The Warlord growled, his amethyst gaze locked on the blue mech.
"I am Cylas." The mech bowed in reply, touching a hand to his chest as he dipped forwards. "As in Cybernetic Life Augmented by Symbiosis. I come with a proposition."
Knock Out glared, stepping forwards and pointing an accusing finger. "This is the human who dissected Breakdown!" He continued to glare, letting his right hand shift into the circular saw he favored whenever he was upset. "Please my liege, allow me to return the favor..." his voice faded, growing dark with fury.
Megatron said nothing, only glanced to Knock Out.
"I propose that you not overlook the one asset that provides Optimus Prime an advantage. At least on this world." Cylas spoke, gesturing with his left hand.
"And that would be?" Megatron asked.
"The human factor." The grin was evident in Cylas' voice.
"Look around you, Cylas..." Megatron nearly spat the human's name as he spoke. "I command an army from a might warship, what could a human possibly offer?"
"I, am no ordinary human. And this." Cylas gestured to the crate he'd brought with him. "Is no ordinary weapon."
Knock Out could only watch in silence as Cylas explained the satellite that the crate held, as well as the power it possessed, what it was capable of.
Megatron smirked as Cylas finished explaining. "A threat to anyone, anywhere, on the planet."
"With pin-point accuracy at the flick of a switch." The human said, giving a slight nod of Breakdown's head.
"And what is it that you, wish in return?" Megatron asked, fixing his ever present glower on the blue mech.
"Merely a place at the table." Cylas said, setting a hand over his chest.
Megatron was quiet, giving a slight nod to Cylas before turning to address the others on the bridge. "Leave us, now."
All the mechs turned to leave, save Knock Out and Soundwave.
Knock Out clenched his hands into fists, glancing between Megatron and Cylas. A quick glare from the Decepticon Leader was enough for Knock Out to mutter and leave, stalking out of the bridge.
He went directly to his Med-bay, pausing in the center of the room with his servo's still clenched tightly. He wasn't entirely sure what he'd expected Megatron to do, but he had been sure the Warlord would've crushed the abomination that was inhabiting his friend's body, as he found himself wishing he had done the moment he'd laid optics on him at the base. But no, the thing had brought a gift, and Megatron never turned away something that promised to help him win the war.
Knock Out snarled, taking hold of one of the trays that held a menagerie of tools and throwing it across the room with an angry shout. The more he thought on it the more it repulsed him, the idea of some human masquerading around in Breakdown's body, as though it were little more than an article of clothing. He turned to one of the berth's in the bay, leaning forwards to brace his hands on it, resisting the urge to go to Diana. He sighed deeply, the mere thought of her calming him. He would bide his time, he would wait.
A ping in his internal comm systems startled him as he had drifted off into his thoughts for some time, the fact that it was from Megatron piqued his interest. It was a simple message, the words holding a promise that Knock Out would get his wish: Damocles will fail. Prepare your bay.
His fingers twitched as he turned on his heel, taking his favored energon prod from it's resting place in the Med-bay and moving for the Bridge, snarling at two Vehicon's to follow. He couldn't help the feeling that swelled within him, excitement... he would finally be able to avenge his ally, his friend, his brother.
He slowed as he approached the Bridge doors, watching them slide open with in silence. Cylas was standing with his back to the doors, facing Megatron.
"Cylas, you have earned your place at the table." The Warlord began, only Soundwave able to detect the hint of mocking in his Leader's voice.
"Lord Megatron, I am honored." Cylas replied, a smile forming on his stolen lips.
Megatron snarled, interrupting anything else the human may have wanted to say. "Knock Out's dissection table."
Cylas recoiled, whipping about to look to the doorway where Knock Out stood, energon prod resting on the floor as he leaned against it.
"Breakdown would be tickled." The Medic purred, stepping in closer.
Cylas whirled to face the Decepticon Leader again. "No, Lord Megatron! Why?!"
"Because Damocles was the best you had to offer, and it is no more." Megatron took a few steps closer, his head tilted to the side, a look of dark amusement on his face. "The human factor did indeed tip the scales..." He halted his advance, glancing to Soundwave who was standing at his side, silent as always. "... in favor of my enemies."
Cylas inhaled sharply as an image of the three human children who assisted the Autobot's appeared on Soundwave's visor. He had only a second to study the picture before a shock racked his mechanical body, sending him to the floor in a fit of spasms.
Knock Out smirked as the man fell, adjusting his grip on his energon prod, satisfied with the way it had brought down the abomination residing within Breakdown.
Megatron walked over to the downed human, hovering over him as he spoke. "He will be a fascinating case for study." Soundwave stepped next to Megatron, watching quietly as Knock Out too stepped in front of Cylas.
The Medic smiled, kneeling over Cylas and tapping a finger against the newly replaced optic. "I will leave no fibre or fibre optic unexamined." He rose only when the two Vehicon's he had brought with him began to haul the blue mech out of the Bridge and into the hallway.
"No, no! Megatron! I'm here to serve you!" The human cried, writhing weakly in the grip of the Vehicon's as they tugged him towards Knock Out's Med-bay.
Knock Out shook his head, following in silence. He spoke only when they arrived in his Med-bay, his voice quick and curt. "Tie him to the berth, and ensure he cannot escape. If he does, you shall take his place beneath my blades."
The Vehicon's nodded, a mild look of panic on their features as the strapped the still wailing Cylas to the berth Knock Out had indicated. They quickly double checked their work before departing the bay, not daring to look back as Knock Out bent to collect the tools he'd sent to the floor earlier in the night.
Cylas pulled against the restraints. "Let me go! You don't need to do this, I can tell you -"
"Oh for the love of Primus will you shut the fuck up." Knock Out growled, rising and hurling one of his wrenches at Cylas, a small sense of satisfaction flickering inside him as the tool left a dent in the blue mech's chest. He walked to the berth side, leaning low over Cylas' face and hissing. "I want you to understand something, you have taken my friend from me not once, but twice. And I intend to make you suffer enough for both he and I."
"But I didn't kill him, we found him and-" He was interrupted again as Knock Out hit him upside the head, hard enough that the human grunted in pain.
"You disgrace him, his very body, by donning it and parading about in it." Knock Out snarled, taking hold of the mechs face and turning it to face him. "I know you think we are machines, we cannot feel as you humans do, but I, am going to prove you wrong." He jerked his hand away, moving to the nearest console and typing in a few commands, an image appearing on the screen, a scan of the monstrosity lying in the berth.
"I can make it worth your while to spare me." Cylas spoke, unable to hide the tremble in his normally flat voice as Knock Out plucked a device from one of the medical trays.
"No, you cannot." Knock Out said, reaching beneath Cylas' neck and disabling the functions of the mechanical body he possessed, rendering him immobile. He smirked as a panic appeared in the man's stolen optics, Cylas realizing he would be unable to move.
"Please..."
Knock Out ignored him, bringing the plasma blade he held down in one swift motion, severing Cylas' right arm at the elbow and pulling it away from his body.
Cylas screamed in agony, optics widening as he watched Knock Out toss the arm aside.
"Mmm, energon." Knock Out said quietly, inspecting the azure liquid that poured from the tattered limb. He sighed, taking a few clamps and pinching off the energon lines, ensuring Cylas wouldn't bleed out before he was done with him. "I suppose it's obvious, but I was expecting blood."
Cylas didn't reply, only kept Breakdown's denta gritted together to suppress the moans of pain that rose in his throat.
Knock Out took a moment to study Cylas. He couldn't help the disgust that rose from in the pit of his chassis. The humans had repaired Breakdown's body as best they could, the mech's frame welded back together in such a crude fashion that Knock Out had to resist the urge to clean it up, return his friend's body to it's former state. A new wave of fury hit him as he realized that no matter what he did to this body, Breakdown would still be gone. He glared, stepping forwards and easily finding the areas that would allow the mech's chest to pop open. The Medic blinked as he opened Breakdown's chest, an equally surprised Cylas looking up at him through his own, human, eyes.
"What are you going to do..." Cylas asked. His voice still had a tremble to it, but the man seemed to have steeled himself some what.
"What does it matter." Knock Out said, scowling at the thing that occupied Breakdown's chest like some sort of diseased growth, nothing but flesh where the Con's spark had been. He raised one hand, touching a finger to Cylas' chest and pressing, earning a howl of pain from the man as a trickle of blood appeared where Knock Out's finger broke the skin.
"Stop!"
Knock Out pulled his hand back, glaring at Cylas. "How disgustingly fragile." He took a step back, Diana's voice echoing from somewhere in his memories. "Probably because we're not giant ass robots." He frowned, an odd pang of guilt building in his chest. What would Diana think if she were there, if she were to see him... torturing... Cylas.
Cylas frowned as Knock Out tossed the blade aside. "What, giving up?"
"It seems I have developed a bit of a conscious." Knock Out growled, turning back to Cylas. "You're lucky."
Cylas grinned, the man having gained the sense that Knock Out was going to spare him, let him go. "Well, I'll certainly make it up to you."
Knock Out smirked, hovering over Breakdown's chest. "Oh that won't be happening, I've only decided to spare you the agony of being alive while I dissect you dear Cylas."
Cylas' smirk fell, his eyes going wide. "What, no!"
Knock Out said nothing, taking one of his scalpels and swiftly driving it into Cylas' chest, quickly ending his existence. He watched as the human twitched once before falling still. "And to work the good doctor goes..."
Diana felt her heart catch in her throat when Knock Out arrived that night. He was in his regular form, walking towards her shop with his head hanging. But what had sparked the horror in her was that he was covered in the blue she'd come to recognize as energon. "Knock Out!"
He lifted his head at her voice, watching as she ran towards him.
"What happened? Are you alright?" She skidded to a halt at his feet, her hands immediately skimming over what she could reach of him. "Why are you covered in energon?!"
Knock Out knelt, staying quiet.
"Knocks, talk to me." She splayed her hands over his faceplate, trying to clear his face of some of the splattered energon.
"Do you remember me telling you about MECH, and Cylas?"
His voice was so low that Diana barely heard him. "Yes."
"And Breakdown, how they tortured him, and how Airachnid killed him?"
Diana nodded. "Yes."
"He came back today, but... it wasn't him. Cylas was, inside him, wearing his body." He couldn't help it as his body tensed with anger.
"Inside..." Diana spoke softly, keeping her now dirtied hands on him.
"I killed him."
Diana blinked, looking up to see he had his gaze on her, waiting for her to judge him.
"I dissected him..." Knock Out said, his voice growing quiet again as he stood, turning away from Diana.
She stood frozen, unsure of what to say.
He flexed his hands into fists, unable to look to her again, afraid of how she would be looking at him. "If you, if you are..." he shook his head, not knowing what to say.
"Did you bury Breakdown?"
Her question caused him to blink out or surprise, turning to look at her.
She had her hands clutched at her chest. "I'm not sure if you have funerals like we do, a ceremony to honor departed friends?"
Knock Out blinked, still stunned at her questions. "I placed him in a stasis pod for now."
Diana nodded, stepping close to him and gesturing for him to kneel.
He obliged, dropping to his knees and offering her his hands so he could lift her to his face.
"I'll admit, I'm a little, shocked to hear this but..." She glanced to his hands, sighing and trying to wipe some of the energon from his servo's with the sleeve of her coveralls. "... I don't blame you, nor shall I judge you." She smiled, touching a kiss to a clean patch on his cheek.
Knock Out relaxed, his shoulders sagging. "I, thank you, Diana." He offlined his optics, relishing the calm that came with having her near him.
She smiled, leaning forwards to embrace his faceplate, giving the best hug she could manage given their size differences. "It's okay you big twit, I promise, I still love you."
Blargh, sorry for the long wait, I've been on vacation with my husband so! I only now had the time to haul my laptop out of my suitcase so, I thought I'd write the dissection table bit. (I'm afraid I'm rather tired so, it may not be the best... I'll review it tomorrow x3 )