Chapter Two: Freeloader

I activated my tracking beacon and commed my commanding officer on the way to the rendezvous point.

"Query: mission status?" he asked.

"I drained the ship's fuel tank most of the way myself, Commander," I answered. "The rest should have emptied by now through the hole I left."

"Freeloader: successful. New orders: report to medical bay for debriefing."

"Yes, sir."

He severed the link. The ground bridge opened up in front of me. I walked through and found myself standing on the top deck of the Nemesis. Soundwave barely nodded at me as I followed him inside. He headed toward the control center to make his report to Lord Megatron, and I made my way to the med bay.

A couple of Vehicons waved at me as I passed them. I waved back, even though I couldn't remember if they were ones I'd talked to before—not that I really cared if I had. It's not my fault they all look alike. But it's nice to acknowledge them, since they'll probably be offlined in the next lunar cycle. Our drones don't really have a chance against the Autobots, but they make good cannon fodder while the rest of us get real work done. Breakdown doesn't like it when I talk that way. He says that they've got sparks and processors of their own, and it goes against everything the Decepticons stand for to not treat them equally. I don't see many of the other officers follow his example, but Breakdown knows what he's talking about. He didn't defect from the 'Bots five vorns into the war for nothing.

The med bay doors were shut. I could hear music throbbing from inside. I knocked as loudly as I could before opening the doors myself.

It looked like Knock Out was taking a break to refuel. The red medic was sitting on the edge of a counter, sipping from a cube of energon and surveying his tray of cosmetic instruments. He glanced up from the tools and grinned at me.

"Ah, Freeloader, it's good to have you back! Breakdown," he called, turning toward the door that led to his quarters, "hurry up with that polish, would you?"

"On my way, Knock—" Breakdown froze in the doorway when he saw me standing there. "Freeloader!"

Knock Out gave an undignified shriek, just barely catching the jar of polish that was chucked his way. Breakdown was at my side in an instant and grabbing me in a headlock. I wriggled out of his grip and threw myself at his midriff, clinging to him below his jutting chestplate so I'd be harder to reach. I was smaller than him. I wasn't less than half his size, but it was enough of a difference. He grabbed one of my pedes and tried to pull me off, but I transformed out my servo blades and dug them into his armor to lock myself in place.

"Nice trick," he grunted, yanking my servos off and tossing me across the med bay. "Where'd you learn that one?"

I pushed myself back up to stand and dodged a swing of his fist. "Figured it out just now, actually."

"How… resourceful," Knock Out drawled from his seat out of our way.

"He's right," Breakdown added. "That quick thinkin' oughta give you a big advantage, 'specially against mechs who haven't fought you before."

He transformed out his hammer and slammed it into my midsection. Even though he was pulling his punches, it hurt like the Pit. I didn't let myself be pushed back. Instead, I grabbed onto his arm over the hammer and vaulted past it, crashing into his shoulder spikes with barely enough force to make him take a step back, which was still pretty good. Breakdown is strong, so it's always an accomplishment for me to do stuff like that with my little frame.

"This worked better on that Autobot," I panted, trying to extend myself far enough from his chassis to tip him over like I had done earlier. "You shoulda seen the look on his stupid face when I knocked him down. He couldn't believe it."

Breakdown transformed his hammer back to a servo, got a grip on me, and threw me to the floor, where he put a pede on my chestplate to hold me in place for a moment before letting me up and whacking my shoulder affectionately.

"Good fightin' there!" he praised me. "You held out a lot longer than the last time."

I grinned up at him. "Think so?"

"Mm, indeed." Knock Out's tone was a little sharper than usual. Well, I had interrupted his vanity session, so it was understandable. "I daresay one day the student will surpass the teacher, Breakdown."

My faceplate heated up. "I'm a long way from that, Knock Out…"

"Maybe not as long a way as you think," Breakdown commented, getting himself an energon cube from the stock. He held one out to me, but I declined.

"I've got more than enough in both tanks, thanks."

His yellow optics—well, optic—got a little brighter when he laughed aloud. He pulled me over to a berth and sat me down.

"That's right! You just finished a mission! C'mon, 'Loader, take a seat and lemme look you over."

"Shouldn't you finish helping Knock Out with his, well, finish?" I asked with a glance at our medic, not wanting him any more slagged off at me than he probably was.

Knock Out just shook his helm. His expression was resigned, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward as he spoke. "It's fine. He won't be able to focus on anything until you're taken care of, anyway."

It struck me that maybe Knock Out was as happy to see me as Breakdown was.

"So, 'Loader," Breakdown began, hooking up a scanner to my medical port, "you mentioned takin' on an Autobot. Who'd they send you after?"

I watched as the x-rays showed up on the screen. "Former Wrecker, designation Wheeljack."

"When did 'Jack get to Earth? Heard he was here for a bit before we got summoned to the Nemesis, but he was gone again before that."

"He came back a couple Earth cycles ago chasing Dreadwing. Stuck around after the stalemate. That's what Soundwave told me when he commandeered me from scouting for energon to find and ground the ship. Anyway, it took a few cycles to track him down, but I got the job done. Drained the fuel tanks. Next step's to lead a strike team right to 'im."

"What if he's got backup by then?" Knock Out asked.

Breakdown laughed. "Wreckers don't call for backup, Doc."

I finished the slogan with him. "They call for cleanup!"

We snickered together. Knock Out rolled his optics.

Breakdown disconnected the scanner. "When's Soundwave sendin' you back out? 'M thinkin' I'd like to join that strike team—for old time's sake."

I shrugged. "Few joors from now. You really want to come along?"

"'Course I do! I gotta watch your back, don't I?" He shoved me, teasing. "We just got you home again. I ain't lettin' you out of my sight."