Chapter Three: For Curiosity's Sake

He was falling.

Someone screamed his name as a red blur came into his line of vision. He couldn't make sense of anything, he was dropping so fast.

Something sharp grazed his head, immense pain coming over him. He felt warm energon flowing down his face, mere moments before crashing into the ground. Agony consumed his being as he lay, unable to move his broken body. The sound of metal footsteps reached his audio receptors.

Then he knew no more.

Frostbite screamed as he woke, drawing Knockouts attention immediately as he rushed over to the lithe 'bot. He was trembling slightly from the nightmare he had. Then he realized that it was from when he had fallen. He had been so terrified and clung to the larger 'con, burying his face in Knockouts abdomen.

"Frostbite what's wrong?!" Asked a worried Knockout. He rubbed his slim back, trying to calm the distressed mech as he waited for an answer.

"I-I was falling…!" Sobbed Frostbite. It dawned on the 'con that he had had a nightmare.

He gripped his chin and made Frostbite look upwards to him. "It was just a bad dream. You're not in danger anymore. I repaired your body to perfection." Knockout had a soft smile caressing his lips.

Frostbite looked at his arms and saw that it was true. There wasn't a single scratch on his pretty frame. Frostbite grinned in relief when he felt no pain, except for a slight prick in his head. He backed away from Knockout to take a look at the rest of his body. When his optics passed over the shoulder he found a strange symbol. It looked like a sharply pointed face.

He lightly placed fingers on the symbol. He wondered what it was. Perhaps Knockout would tell him?

Knockout was aware of question now burning in the young mech. He had removed the Autobot logo and replaced it with the Deceptions'. It was a safety measure really, considering how many times Autobots had broken inside. They were to be shot on sight.

He answered before Frostbite had a chance to ask, tapping it slightly, "It shows your affiliation, who's side your on. Decepticon or Autobot. Obviously you're a Decepticon." Frostbites mouth open in a small 'o'. He thought he knew what 'Autobots' and 'Decepticons' but wasn't really sure.

Breakdown decided to make an entrance at that moment, moving closer to the two. Frostbite had jumped when the door open, moving to hide behind Knockout. He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding when he realized who it was. Knockout laughed with mirth.

"Now now, don't be hiding from Breakdown. You'll hurt his feelings. He did help with your repairs after all." Said Knockout, looking under his arm to see the shy youngling. Moving behind him, Knockout nudged him forwards, close to Breakdown, much to his displeasure. He smirked at the half-hearted glare Frostbite gave him.

Breakdown pulled the little one in a one armed hug, biting back a laugh at the startled look on his sweetspark's face. Frostbite pulled away with a jerk, surprise lighting his orange face. He had once again hid himself behind Knockout, arms laying on the mech's back. How odd that he would seek comfort and protection from him.

'I wonder what all that was about?' Thought Breakdown.

Knockout turned around to look at Frostbite, just as confused as Breakdown. The youngling just pressed himself into Knockout and hesitantly reached out a hand to rub his back. Clicks and whirls of contentment came from the little mech. Knockout brow rose.

"What's wrong Frostbite? You can't possibly be afraid of Breakdown. He would never hurt you. You even saved his life before, when a cave began collapsing."

Frostbite peaked out from Knockout, a shy look in his optics.

"I…I'm sorry. I still don't remember." His head moved down in shame.

"It's alright Darlin'. It don't hurt my feelin's." Breakdown ran a finger down Frostbites face, lifting it up. This time he did not recoil.

"It'll be alright Frostbite. Even if you never regain your memories Breakdown and I will always be here."

Knockout silently sent a prayer to Primus that he wouldn't recall his former life. If he didn't remember, then he would never leave Knockout. At least that was what he was hoping.

"Yeah. I guess that's true." He flashed the 'con a bright smile.

Knockout, to his regret, then received a com from Megatron to check the energon supply.

"We have to go check something. Don't leave the room and stay out of trouble." Frostbite nodded. Knockout waved his hand for Breakdown to follow him, the door shutting with a hiss.

xXx

"Have you found anything leading to Jacks disappearance?" Asked Optimus.

"We searched the area of the last coordinates. He wasn't there." Said Arcee, not meeting his optics. Optimus sighed. "But at the bottom of a cliff I found drops of dried energon. Do you…do you think it could be his?" She was so worried for her former human charge. She should never have let Jack out of her sight!

"It is a possibility, but we must not give up hope Arcee. He will be found." He said, trying to keep hope alive in the worried femme. "Ratchet will keep an optic on Jacks life signals."

Arcee nodded, knowing there was nothing else she could do.

xXx

Frostbite had been waiting in the medical room for what seemed to be forever. He couldn't take it anymore. He was so bored! He wished Knockout had left something for him to do.

So that was how he ended up lost, leaving despite the 'cons orders. He thought he'd just do some exploring before returning. He realized too late that he had no idea how to get back. All the halls and doors looked exactly alike, so back tracking his steps wasn't going to work. Knockout was going to kill him! So he just kept walking, hoping to run into Knockout, despite how angry he would be.

Thundering slow footsteps and a deep, menacing voice sounded through the hall, barking out orders, and asking a 'Soundwave' what the progress on the relic's was. Whoever it was didn't sound very friendly and was familiar to the amnesic teen 'bot. He ran through the nearest door, not wanting to face the obviously very large Decepticon, if those footsteps were anything to go by.

Frostbite didn't move until they had passed the room he entered and the voices faded away.

xXx

Knockout was thinking about his little mech the entire time he was doing this tedious job. Really couldn't Lord Megatron have gotten one of the drones to take inventory? He was a medic, not a storage keeper! But he knew better to incur the Decepticon Leader's wrath. Once Breakdown had checked off the last cube of energon they returned back to where he left Frostbite.

His reaction when Frostbite wasn't there almost caused him to offline as it lurched, pulsing violently in fear. Breakdown looked ready to tear the room apart looking for him.

"Where is he?!" Roared Breakdown

"How should I know!" He replied in equal volume.

"Well don't just stand there! Find him!" Said Breakdown as he frantically searched the room, damaging his equipment in the process.

"Breakdown, I doubt he's here anymore, search the hall's and rooms he might have gone to! We have to find him before anyone else does!" Knockout said, leaving to do just that.

There was no telling what Megatron would do to his charge if he got his servos on him.