There was something morbid about it, he was sure of that, but Knock Out loved chaos. He worked best in it, he was able to dissect the various things going on about him and focus on what needed to be done, it was what made him such a skilled Medic and he was well aware of it. It was obvious even now as his servos were buried in a Vehicon's chest, trying to pinch off the energon lines to keep the mech from bleeding to death.
There were other Decepticon's scattered about the Med Bay, most battered like the one Knock Out was working on, others were doing their best to assist Knock Out, but none could match the calm and ease with which the red Medic worked.
His optics were focused on their work, his servos moving quickly to do what needed to be done, repair the damage brought on by Airachnid and her little posse of Insecticons. The thought of the femme brought a flicker of anger from within, but Knock Out pushed it down, focusing again on the Vehicon. So focused was he that he did not hear the doors to the bay open, nor see Megatron walk in with a wounded Dreadwing in tow.
"Knock Out." The Decepticon Leader brushed his way past the other Cons in the room, going as far as to kick some out of his way.
Knock Out gave a quick glance to Megatron, enough to assess both him and the blue Seeker, before looking back to the Vehicon beneath his servos.
Megatron growled softly, shoving Dreadwing forwards. "See to our Second in Command."
"I will later, his wound is superficial, if I don't deal with this -" He gestured to the Vehicon he was working on with a slight jerk of his chin. "- he'll die."
Without warning Megatron stepped forwards, raising his arm and cracking the backside of his servo into Knock Out's face, snarling as the red mech was sent sprawling backwards and onto the floor. "Did you not hear me Knock Out? See. To. Dreadwing."
Knock Out sputtered, wiping a stray dribble of energon from his now split lip plates, as he pushed himself to his feet. "Noted Sir, I will attend to him as soon as I am finished here." He stepped back to the Vehicon, well aware of the heavy silence that had fallen over the room, no one defied Megatron.
Megatron narrowed his gaze at Knock Out, his fists clenching and unclenching. After a moment he grinned, surprising everyone by turning to leave the room without another word, the only optics not watching his retreating form belonging to Knock Out.
The Medic said nothing to break the silence, only continued his work, smiling and sighing gently as he stabilized the Vehicon. A quick glance around the room proved that everyone had gone back to their own tasks, leaving only a confused looking Dreadwing in the Medic's field of view. "Well, come over here." Knock Out gestured to an open space of floor near one of his terminals.
Dreadwing obliged silently, only watching as Knock Out set to work on the Seeker's battered wings. "That was foolish."
"You act like it's the worst thing I've done." Knock Out smirked.
Dreadwing said nothing, only rumbled softly in response.
Hours had passed and the ship had quieted, only Dreadwing, Soundwave and Megatron stood on the bridge.
"I have no place for a creature like Knock Out on my ship." Megatron's voice broke the quiet, the Gladiator's voice holding a tone of amusement. "I never thought I would see the day that he would, go soft." He glanced to Soundwave, something unspoken passing between the two as the Communications Officer turned for a terminal, issuing a series of commands to a squad of Eradicons. "See to it that he and his little pet are taken care of."
Knock Out was still in the Med Bay, cleaning and sanitizing his tools and unaware of the order that had been given floors above. The door to the Bay opened and three Eradicons stepped in, the group halting and staring at him. Knock Out glanced to them before turning his attention back to his tools. "What is it."
There was no warning as the three Decepticons lifted their weapons, not hesitating as they fired at the Medic.
Knock Out yelped out of surprise, ducking behind one of the berths with a curse and shout. "What the frag are you doing?!"
The Cons didn't reply, only continued to fire.
Dread settled in the center of Knock Out's chest. This could only mean one thing, that somehow Megatron knew, about him... about Diana, and he had had enough of it. He growled, he wasn't about to die to Megatron and his cronies, much less let Diana come to harm at their hands. He pulled his energon prod out, smirking as the weapon flickered to life in his servos. He vaulted over the berth, taking the Eradicons by surprise and knocking them to the floor, not bothering to look back as he sprinted down the hall and away from the Med Bay.
He met only one other group of Vehicons as he ran to the Bridge room, but they were equally easy to dispatch. Medicine may have been his forte, but he was damn skilled with his prod and everyone knew it. His escape was halted when the doors to the Ground Bridge opened and revealed an imposing mech at the controls. "Dreadwing."
Dreadwing turned, not leaving the console, but making eye contact with the Medic.
Knock Out frowned, tightening his grip on his prod. He knew he was good, but Dreadwing was a powerful Seeker and second in command for a reason. "Well, now what."
The Seeker glanced back to the console, fingers moving over the controls and activating the bridge.
Knock Out looked from the portal to Dreadwing, frowning again. "Is this a trick?"
"No." Dreadwing finally spoke. "I do not condone Megatron's reasons for ordering your demise, to have found a mate in this war, despite the species difference." He paused, a frown that seemed to be a mix of disgust and amusement appearing on his face. "It is a rare thing. I know how it feels to lose someone you're bonded with, and I do not wish it upon anyone else."
"So you're letting me go?"
Dreadwing nodded once. "I cannot guarantee I will be able to spare you a second time."
Knock Out hesitated, considering the Seeker's words before nodding and stepping into the bridge. "Thank you."
Diana didn't hear Knock Out arrive, for the little mechanic had her headphones in and was singing along with one of her favorite songs, but the Mech had no time to appreciate the frightened squeal she made when he tapped her on the shoulder.
"We need to go."
She blinked at him, pulling the buds from her ears. "What? Why?"
"To put it simply, the Decepticons know about me and you, and, they are far from pleased." He stood up, rubbing at his head. "If they know about you, they know where you live, we need to go somewhere safe."
Diana nodded, confusion still flickering about in her eyes. "O-okay, just let me get a few things packed." She dropped the tool she had been holding, sprinting up into her loft and wriggling out of her coveralls.
Knock Out paced as she packed, watching as she threw a menagerie of clothing, toiletries and personal items into a worn out backpack. She finally grabbed her wallet and phone, descending the stairs and skidding to a halt at his pedes, slinging the pack over her shoulder.
"Good to go." The words had barely left her lips when an explosion rocked the garage. "What the hell was that!?" She whirled about.
"They're here!" Knock Out snarled, snatching Diana in his servo and transforming about her, tearing from the shop and peeling out onto the highway.
Diana looked behind them, a soft sound of despair leaving her as her shop, her home, was engulfed in fire.
"I'm sorry." Knock Out said quietly.
"Just drive." She turned back to the dashboard, closing her eyes and nodding. "Don't let those fuckers catch us."
Knock Out obliged immediately, driving as fast as he could, tires screeching whenever he took a turn too fast.
Diana found herself being bounced around the passenger seat, as her stunned mind hadn't chided her to buckle up upon being flung inside the Aston Martin. Instead of reaching for it now she was on her knees, facing backwards in the seat with her hands on the headrest, eyes locked on the lights that followed them both by air and highway. "Knocks, this is bad."
"I know." His voice was short, attention focused on avoiding the hail of fire the Cons were assaulting him with.
"Like, really bad Knocks!"
"I know!" He growled in frustration, an Eradicon appearing in front of him, forcing him off the pavement and into the woods that the winding road had led them into.
Diana screamed when an explosion rocked them both, sending Knock Out skidding across the soil.
"We can't outrun them." Knock Out said, his voice low, laced with dread.
"So, what do we do? I can hold my own in a bar fight but this -" She cursed at another hail of fire. "This is out of my league."
"Get out." He came to a halt, tires sending up a shower of dirt as he abruptly stopped.
"What?" She blinked at the dashboard. "You can't possibly fight them by you-"
"Diana get out!" The Medic roared, opening his passenger door and all but shoving her from himself as he transformed, his energon prod already active and in his servos. "Hide. Now."
The mechanic gave a quick nod, darting into the woods, her form vanishing into the shadows of the night.
Knock Out growled as the Decepticons who had been pursuing he and Diana came to a halt, the two Eradicons and three Vehicons surrounding him. "I've probably fixed all of you, and this is how I'm repaid?" He bared his denta at them. "I hope you all rot in the pit."
Diana hadn't gone far, as she would never abandon him, but she had hidden as he asked and was now watching from the treeline. She glanced upwards as the sound of engines announced the arrival of two more Cybertronians and her face matched Knock Out's when Megatron and Dreadwing slammed to the ground in front of Knock Out, fury.
"You're late to the party." Knock Out cooed, the rage not leaving his faceplates.
Megatron scoffed once. "You disrespect me and dishonor yourself by associating with that disgusting fleshling, did you really think I didn't know? That I wouldn't care?"
Knock Out shrugged, a grin flickering over his features. "Eh."
The Decepticon Leader glared, gesturing as if bored. "Kill him."
Diana's hand came to her mouth when the five Decepticon's advanced on Knock Out. She wanted to run forwards, to help him somehow as he snarled and held his ground, his prod working quickly to defend himself, but found her feet frozen and body unable to move. Only when a blade from one of the Eradicon's connected and cut into Knock Out's shoulder did she find some semblance of mind, scrambling for her phone and hastily dialing a number she'd never imagined she'd dial.
Knock Out was screaming out of rage and agony, putting down one Con after another until the five foot soldiers were nothing but heaps, left to drown in their own energon. He panted, chest heaving as his body tried to stabilize itself, he himself taking mental note of each wound the wretches had inflicted. It was mostly his left shoulder, the dependant arm going limp at his side when the wires and cabling to the limb had been severed, but several other points of his body were also registering damage. He cursed softly, twisting to face Megatron and Dreadwing, the former regarding him with an amused look.
"Now now, why can't you just be a good mech and die." Megatron sighed, a cruel grin on his lip plates as he flexed his arm, a blade forming from his forearm to aim at Knock Out.
Knock Out could only lift his right arm to try to block the Gladiator as he advanced on him, the larger Mech's free hand going straight for Knock Out's throat. The Medic managed to bring a leg up, kicking out hard against Megatron's chest, forcing him back and breaking his hold, enough so the red mech could swing a well aimed punch into Megatron's face.
The Leader staggered back, touching a servo to his faceplates. "I'd forgotten you were the one who knew how to fight up close and personal." He laughed before advancing on the Medic again. "Good." He charged forwards, ducking the hit Knock Out tried to place and coming up with his own fist ready, pummeling it into Knock Out's midsection. The Medic choked loudly as the air was knocked out of him, the azure of Energon flying from his lips and onto Megatron.
Knock Out blinked, trying to banish the black that was dancing before his optics from the punch, Diana's voice did the trick, the Mech watching with horror on his faceplates as the woman appeared at the edge of the hastily designated battle field.
"Get your fucking hands off of him!" Her hands were balled into fists, her blue gaze locked on Megatron.
Dreadwing blinked at her arrival, having been watching the two Mechs fight in silence.
"Diana, don't." Knock Out ground out, trying to free himself of the servo Megatron had rewrapped about his throat.
"I said let him go!" She shouted, advancing towards them.
Megatron only grinned. "Trying to save your mate? Such care, it's precious, perhaps you'll enjoy this then." He glanced back to Knock Out, taking his bladed arm and shoving it forwards, his violet optics glittering with glee as he drove the blade into Knock Out's chest.
Diana screamed, throwing herself into a run as the blade protruded through Knock Out's backside, a shower of energon staining the ground behind him.
Megatron laughed, releasing his hold on the Medic, letting him fall to his backside with a strangled cry of pain. "Don't fret, I'll happily send you along with-" He was cut off by an impact to his chest, the blast sending him flying backwards. "Prime!"
Diana didn't bother to look at the arrived Autobots, her eyes locked on Knock Out's prone form and the expanding puddle of blue he was lying in. She was vaguely aware of the two Leaders exchanging words, Megatron's shout of fury and the sound of battle anew. She ignored it all, skidding to a halt and dropping to a knee beside Knock Out's head. "Knocks!"
The red Mech glanced to her, but didn't speak.
She took a breath, looking down to his battered body. "What do I do?"
He groaned, trying to speak, but only energon appeared at his lip plates.
Diana shook her head, pressing a hand to his cheek as she stood upright. "It'll be okay Knocks." She swiftly climbed atop him, choking back the cry that rose in her throat at the sight of the gaping wound in his chest.
Energon was oozing from the wound, the veins that carried his lifeblood severed. Diana bit her lip. "Stop the bleeding." Her mind hummed, instinct taking over as she dropped to her knees, leaning forwards to plunge her little hands into his chest, fumbling for the veins that would drip him dry of his life.
Knock Out croaked beneath her, no doubt her hands were causing him more pain.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She said, repeating the words like a mantra as she found one energon line, pinching it shut and inhaling sharply when she realized she had nothing to tie the line off with. She kept hold of the vein with one hand, reaching behind her head with her other hand to all but rip the elastic from her braided hair, reaching back down to tie it about the leaking line.
Knock Out twitched, his optics fluttering beneath heavy lids.
"Don't you close your eyes, if you fucking die on me I swear to God I'll kick your ass from here to China!" She reached in further, finding the opposite end of the major line. One hand flew to her foot, tearing the shoe lace from her work boot so she would have another item to help stem the bleeding. She was still digging in his chest up to her elbows when a voice from above her commanded her to move. The stunned woman was plucked from the red mech's torso when she didn't comply fast enough, the new mech dropping her to the ground and moving to hover over Knock Out.
"Optimus, we need to get Knock Out out of here, now!" The white and orange mech who had moved Diana shouted, looking up as he addressed his leader.
"Acknowledged Ratchet, Bulkhead, bridge us back!" The Prime's deep voice sounded from somewhere nearby.
The next few moments seemed to pass in slow motion, Diana watching as a white and blue mech appeared to help Ratchet haul Knock Out up and through a ground bridge portal that had flickered into existence nearby. A glance to her left showed Optimus Prime and Bumblebee retreating from their deadly dances with Megatron and Dreadwing. She could only blink when a blue form grabbed her, lifting her from the ground and running through the ground bridge with Diana in her servos, only when the light of the bridge faded and silence reigned did she find her voice. "T-thank you Arcee." She looked up to the femme who still held her.
"Don't mention it." The blue femme gave a small smile despite the situation, her optics only resting on Diana for a few seconds before lifting to watch Ratchet and the white and blue mech drape Knock Out onto a nearby berth.
"Knocks!" Diana scrambled from Arcee's grasp, running across the cement floor towards the berth, boots leaving a trail of blue footprints in her wake. She hauled herself up onto a ledge near the berth, unaware that three sets of human eyes were watching her. "Can you save him?" She kept her gaze on Knock Out and his darkened optics.
Ratchet shook his head, unspeaking as his servos flew about, working on Knock Out.
The blue and white mech who had helped to carry Knock Out looked to Diana. "Hey, give the Doc some room."
She glared up at him, eyes saying everything her voice didn't before looking back to Knock Out.
"Smokescreen, Diana is Knock Out's mate." Optimus spoke, stepping forwards from the semi-circle he and the other Autobots had formed about them. "Her concern is to be expected."
Smokescreen sighed, rolling his optics and moving away from the berth to stand next to Bumblebee. "Right, human mate, loves the Decepticon we just whisked into our base, remind me again why we're helping him?"
"I do love him." Diana hissed. "And you can show some god damned respect, look at him!" She flung a hand towards the red mech, tears rising in her eyes.
Smokescreen went silent, stunned at the little woman's fury.
"I didn't believe it when Bulk told us, you really love a Decepticon?" The accented voice of a young woman piped up, the owner one of the three young humans perched above in a lounge area, watching from behind a railing.
Diana blinked at the three humans, opening her mouth to reply but instead Ratchet spoke.
"All of you, out!" He cast a quick glare over his shoulder. "Optimus, I need your servos here."
That was that, the three children trotted down a metal staircase, following the Autobots as they filtered out of the area. Only Optimus and Bumblebee stayed, Bumblebee walking over to Diana and offering a palm for her to climb into.
Diana shook her head. "I'm not leaving him."
"Yes you are." Ratchet said, not looking up from his work. "You are covered in energon, it's toxic to humans, get cleaned up."
She shook her head gently. "It doesn't bother me." The blonde looked down at herself, a little surprised to see that most of her body was now stained a bright blue.
Ratchet was momentarily surprised by her claim, as were Optimus and Bumblebee, but the Medic recovered quickly. "I've got it from here." Ratchet glanced to her. "Go."
Despite never having met the Autobot Medic, there was a commanding tone to his voice that she dare not defy and Diana found herself in Bumblebee's servo, the yellow mech heading down the hall that the other Autobots and the humans had walked down moments before.
Diana looked up to Bumblebee. "Do you think, he'll live?"
Bumblebee halted, gazing down at her with heavy optics, giving a long and low beep.
"He better, or I'll never forgive him."
BLARGH! Took long enough huh? I was so stuck on how to open this chapter, I'd had the latter half in my mind since I conceived this story but meh! (Also, being super sick and busy IRL doesn't help! _ ) So, I'm so very sorry for the wait, I hope it's alright... I'm still not quite happy with it but I wanted to get it out!