A set of schematics played, the blue light coming off the screen reflecting on his colleagues' armors. Knockout was quiet as he spoke, his tone keeping cool. He was not in the mood for any joke.
"So you got it Jazz? ' he asked, not even looking at the screen where he knew the TiC's figure was projected.
::Of course Ah did ma mechs.::  was the reply Knockout got, and the hurt in his voice made him look up until he saw a smirk on his face ::Ah know ma job.::
The cherry red medic relaxed slightly at that and nodded. He then rubbed his face.
"Though I don't know how much our project can be carried out. Smokescreen basically wants to murder me in my recharge and he was my only hope." he said. He wasn't that much optimistic anymore, if he ever was about this.
::It's that bad?:: Jazz inquired and Knockout was surprised to see his deep frown.
'They wrecked my room without even having proof." he snorted unable to keep bitterness out of his voice, ignoring how Wheeljack winced away. " The officers themselves did. So yeah, pretty bad. "
Jazz frowned deeply and grumbled.
::Bossbot fell low. I'm gonna chat with Prowler about it. He's not a fan of that type of treatment. Don't worry about that my mech. Prowl will kick some aft. ::
Knockout really didn't believe the small mech and just grumbled to himself.
" Wish I could be that optimistic, Jazz.'

When the conversation ended, Knockout turned back to his work. Only to freeze when a servo landed on his shoulder.
It was Wheeljack,  he couldn't react aggressively. He had to remember that. He had to. Even if he decided to strike.
"Look Knockout I am sorry..."
Sorry? That word shook Knockout, and he looked up, raising an optic ridge.
"Sorry? ' he echoed. He had never heard that word coming out of an Autobot, or a Decepticon for what mattered.
" Yeah, I should not have joined in the inspection, though it wasn't my decision. " the engineer continued " I've checked your work and... For what it's worth I don't think you want to betray us."
The mech then turned back to his work, and Knockout remained still for a second, not knowing what to answer. His anger wanted to yell at him that apologizing changed nothing, but he anyway didn't trust his reaction. So he just managed a small smile. But no thanks found its way out, and he turned to his work. Silence settling on the room again.

---

Prowl just didn't have time for this. He should have canceled the inspections to focus on the Knockout Issue. But there he was anyway, walking with Ultra Magnus through their last stronghold on Cybertron. He should at least achieve something in a mission that turned so risky. As they walked together down the main artery going through the once magnificent capitol, his frustration only grew though.
The buildings were rusting away under the binary star, what looked like youngling neutrals played catch, only for any noises to make them freeze and raise their faces, sharp for hunger, toward the sky. Whispers of 'was that a bomb?' or 'carrier I'm hungry" continued caressing his wings like a cyberwolf licking a prey before sinking his teeth in.

Prowl had enough. He stopped where he couldn't see anyone and turned to face his subordinate, letting his doorwings flare at his spark's content, wanting to make Ultra Magnus feel how angry he was. How disgusted, enraged, almost murderous.
"I thought the mines you had were enough to keep this city on the level of decency. ' he said coldly, stepping closer, and just keeping himself from doing something he would regret.
' It is." was the terse reply as Ultra Magnus looked at him with a cold gaze Prowl held firmly. Registering how the commander's armor was flaring in dominance, the head tactician felt his spark fill with anger, but forced himself to just keep ice in his voice.
'If you think to intimidate me with size, you are sorely mistaken, Ultra Magnus.' he said curtly 'I look at facts. This city is in horrible condition, on every level. Maintenance, security, even basic survival of its population. How can you let this go on?'
The mech remained in silence for a long moment and Prowl was struck with the distinct impression that the mech wanted to strangle him, if the spasmodic tightening of his fists said anything. He suppressed any lick of fear knowing one of those servos were strong and big enough to crush his doorwing with no effort.
'You know that strangling me makes it not less true. " he said sharply, his wings raising to the maximum height he could reach. The commander deflated slightly, still glaring at him though. Probably, he didn't want to get court martialed. Something Prowl would do with much pleasure if they didn't need him. Even what he was seeing wasn't enough, as much as he hated it. They simply didn't have mechs to spare.

" In my reports I was truthful. We have enough to keep the city on decent levels. It is your standard which is screwed, commander Prowl. ' he growled lowly " If you weren't in a four million years vacation, you would know. While you play chess with Decepticons on that mudball, here we die. For bombs, or for hunger, you choose. "

Prowl wanted to be even more angry at those words, Primus knew it, but he couldn't help but notice how there was true pain in his subordinate's voice. His irrational fury was starting to subside as his battle computer covered it all with the cold calmness of numbers.
" We are not on vacation, Ultra Magnus. We are getting the resources we need before the Decepticons do, as they are so much they could turn the tide." he said quietly, trying to be gentle. But the frown did not ease from his subordinate's faceplate.
"tell me, Prowl. Use that huge calculator of yours. How much time you would have needed to just take the energy sources we needed and leave? You outnumber the Decepticons there and instead of using that to overwhelm them and take everything, you play this back and forth game just to protect allies we don't need and we owe nothing to. " the mech ranted, and though Prowl instinctively twitched his doorwings in distaste at these strategies, his logical side surprised him with strong agreement. Ultra Magnus was, as much as he hated it, being logical.
" We have morals, Ultra Magnus. What would then distinguish us from Decepticons? " he warned, trying to use the last point he had to defend himself, his actions. Shutting up that little voice in the back of his mind that reminded him, those were Optimus' choices. Not his. His choices would differ, but he was not in command. Not now, not ever.
" If we continue this way the only thing that will distinguish us from them is that they are alive, and we are dead! Some are already on the way" was the response, followed by a nod of a blue helm toward the direction they came from 'Come on, tell me Prowl. I  know you did that calculation. What are our odds to win the war if we don't change strategy? "
Prowl couldn't help his wings from sagging. He knew that number. He woke up with that desperate desire to increase it, and fell into recharge in despair after watching it at best remain the same, at worst drop. He had insisted to go check on Cybertron himself to find a way to turn the tide. He found nothing to work on big enough.
'12%." he said quietly. It had been 18% before the news of Knockout's probable betrayal. Not that it changed anything.
Prowl was shaken but held Ultra Magnus' gaze firmly, not wanting to show weakness or despair.
" You came here to search the error to fix. I am not. We don't like each other, but I do my best like you do. A few broken buildings in a war zone won't cost us the war. Neither will a couple of youngling dying, as much as it pains me to say so. You wasted your time and mine. Your problem is not being able to stand up to the sheer idealism of our beloved leader. Go be the military leader Optimus never was. "
The absolute truth of those words hurt Prowl physically, like a blow to his doorwings. And he didn't expect Ultra Magnus to be so blunt about his own brother. But he didn't call out his disrespect, just nodding wordlessly, before leaving to go back to the base. He had nothing to say to Magnus and he had things to do.
While walking silently, he turned on his voice recorder. Making sure to save, deep inside his memory core, where his oaths were preserved, a copy of those small voices.

"Ya wanna leave already? ' Jazz asked while lazily, very lazily laying on Prowl's guest chair. The ticking of the mech's claws on the desk already made the tactician's plating crawl." what did ya see in Iacon to make ya wanna turn tailpipes and flee?"
The tactician just frowned and shook his helm.
"It's what I didn't see." he muttered tiredly "I didn't see anything to fix. Or at least anything that would actually change the big picture. We got our resources. We can go back."
Jazz tilted his helm at him, and his curiosity basically radiated off him, like he had turned on a neon sign for Prowl to see. But he refused to elaborate further.
'That will be fun ta tell tha boss, all this mess for nothin'."
That quip wasn't even worth the time to find an answer to.
He just turned to his data pad, and started composing his communication. 

---

Silverbolt sat on the small part of the ship that emerged from the volcano, letting his wings bathe in the continuous wind.  He stared at the valley ahead, where his brothers were tussling like sparklings, instead of training. His servos clenched around the hard metal, and he felt an odd satisfaction when it started bending. It was surely a more productive thing than trying to make those idiots listen to him.
"Hey bro! Sulking? '
That voice made him turn, and he frowned at the amused grin on Air Raid's face.
' I am not sulking. I am just asking myself what I did wrong to be sparked with brothers who don't ever take anything seriously." he grumbled, crossing his arms.
" You are sulking. Got it.' Air Raid continued like he wasn't listening. "come on, let's go fly together. You need to relax'
Silverbolt frowned.
" You don't understand the situation we are in, right? That we are walking on thin ice? " he growled, the getting up." we are going to get kicked out, one day or the other, because you just don't want to learn to behave like normal mechs! '
He had not expected Air Raid's grin to fall so quickly from his face.
"Like soldiers.' he said softly 'not like normal mechs. There's a big difference, you know. We were created to be walking weapons.'
Silverbolt's anger couldn't remain. It vanished, evaporated, and he felt just empty.
" We were created though. " he said quietly "at least that, we owe them. We owe them life. "
He might not like the life he had in this moment, but better than not existing, right?
"Life." Air Raid snorted "if that's life, I preferred remaining a lifeless husk."
Silverbolt just watched him transform, unable to find a reply before the mech took off.
He couldn't keep back a frown as he laid on the metal completely, watching the impossibly blue sky above him. Before reaching to touch one of the badges branded on his wings. Then rubbing the lines that expressed his rank.
When Ratchet had branded his wings he had felt a motion of pride, like a wave of warmth filling his spark.

He felt nothing now.

Author's note.
Okay I am sorry. This chapter is so late. So so late. But I am actually happy with it, which was very difficult for me to obtain. Tell me what you think of it!