The Autobots left shortly after dropping that bombshell.

'we're sending you to Earth'

'Can I go to Junkion instead?' he'd asked them. 'Can you count your blessings?' Bulkhead had responded. 'I don't believe in blessings.'

Then they told him to pack his things, before taking their leave of course. They disappeared somewhere into the ship, Knockout didn't care where.

The medical bay was empty. If he took a step forward the echo would bounce around the room several times before dying in his audios. The blandness of the grey suite was beginning to get to him.

Vehicon's marched in and out around him. Worker bees rushing from task to task, carrying boxes filled to the brim with various pieces of equipment. Knockout stood in the middle of the room, shoulders squared and at the ready. The soldiers paid him no mind, passing around him swiftly, as if he were nothing but a support beam. He turned his helm slowly from right to left as he took in his surroundings. Empty. His tools were gone, the countertops barren. Even the buffer was gone, packed away in some metal box somewhere and on its way through the space bridge.

His life, everything he knew, disappearing through an open portal. Each soldier marching a small part of Knockout away and out of reach, fading off into a fog beyond waves of green.

_____________________________
_____________________________

The groundbridge was still open, several vehicon's returning back through it after the two escape pod guests were confirmed to be friendly. A thin mech paced In front of it, tall wings silhouetted against the light of the vortex like the iris of an optic.

"So, you're the 'support' from Junkion?" The silver seeker scoffed, "You don't look like much."

"I beg your pardon!" Knockout spat, bewildered.

At first, their host ignored Knockout, turning his back to the pair and strutting forward, lazily throwing his hand up above him in a motion for them to follow. Knockout looked at Breakdown, who only shrugged as if to say 'got anywhere else to go?' The two mechs followed the seeker from a short distance, Knockout stumbling subtly on an injured leg.

The sleek mech clicked his glossa, wings twitching slightly in annoyance. "Beseechment is reserved for those lacking spinal structure. A fine Decepticon would never reduce themselves to such lowly grovelling. However, if you find yourself unfit for the title, dear doctor," red optics narrowed, looking Knockout up and down in disapproval, "then by all means, beg."

The Commander had stopped to turn and face the pair once again, twirling around in the mud of the recent crash.

"Commander Starscream," Breakdown interjected, "many soldiers were rescued, we were separated from their transport when we entered a neighbouring galaxy, our pod broke off in a solar storm." Breakdown swallowed, he was rambling, "anyway, my point is me," he glanced at Knockout, "and my partner, are quite qualified." When Starscream simply turned his lip up in disinterest, Breakdown folded. "But yes, the relief mission didn't go as planned."

"Clearly." Starscream scowled "What of Slipstream? As your previously given report stated you so graciously saved her." The Seeker drawled, tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Commander Slipstream is offline." Knockout stated with a monotone inflection, as was professional. "She succumbed to her injuries shortly after our ship left the planet, what remained of it anyway."

Starscream froze for a moment, not saying anything. Breakdown took the silence as a slight against Knockout and rushed to his defence. "He's a good medic."

Starscream visibly relaxed, the earlier agitation leaving his posture and seemingly dissolving up into the air. "Tsk, Tsk, such a shame. Another 'valuable soldier' gone too soon."

Breakdown and Knockout shared a look with each other, the later raising an optical ridge at the theatrics.

"We regret to inform you of this, as we are aware that she was a member of your Quad?" Breakdown trailed off into a question at the end, confusion clearly setting in at the seekers odd response to the news of his family members unfortunate passing.

"Oh, yes," Starscream snarled, "very sad." Knockout and Breakdown shared another look with each other. The seeker regarded the two with an exaggerated eye roll, "We all grieve in different ways, is it..?"

"Breakdown." The blue mech answered.

"Yes, Breakdown," Starscream seemingly agreed, his tone suggesting that the name was up for debate, and he was agreeing on it. Breakdown shuddered, he once knew a captain who would give out new names to the soldiers he didn't like. He hoped Starscream would not be like them.

By the way he disregarded the vehicon's who lined the sides of the freshly carved ravine as he turned and passed them, he doubted that the seeker was the type to even bother with nicknames.

The vehicon's quickly fell into formation behind the trio as they passed, forming a parade of sorts behind them. The groundbridge that they had used to arrive several minutes before was still agape, a waste of energon if Knockout had ever seen it.

"So," Knockout started as the three stepped into the groundbridge, "are we going to meet Lord Megatron?" he questioned. He found his optics focusing on the walls of the groundbridge, watching each streak of purple and green that formed the vortex around them with focused disinterest.

Starscream didn't answer, simply stepping out of the groundbridge and continuing down the hallway. The walls and floor shared the same colour, as if moulded from the same cast. Greyish purple metal that seemingly stretched on forever. He moved quickly, back arched rigidly with the purpose of someone who had someplace important to be. Which was odd, because he was rarely wanted anywhere.

Knockout stumbled after him, lazy footing chasing after the heeled clicks of urgency. "Commander Starscream?"

It was only when Starscream turned around did Knockout realise the cause of his hastened and stiff posture. His faceplates were a deep blue, contorted in unrestrained fury. The sudden tonal shift threw Knockout off balance, who gulped in surprise.

"You would do well to know your place, doctor." The Decepticon seeker spat. "Lord Megatron abandoned us two years ago," Starscream snarled through gritted denta, "I am in charge."

_____________________________
_____________________________

Knockout blinked, he was alone.

The vehicon's were gone, the medbay was empty.

That happened rather quickly, or had it just felt that way? He was still in the same spot, staring at a now bare tool rack. The Autobots must have wanted to give him space, they also could have just not cared when he finally took it upon himself to make his way down to the space bridge. It's not like they had to worry about leaving it open, not with a fresh energon line running directly up from the core.

Knockout flexed his fingers, absentmindedly drumming them against his thigh.

He might as well make his way down to the bridge now. He had time to stop by his berth room before he left but he didn't really see the point. It's not like he had many personal items.

When would he be returning to Cybertron anyway? It was possible his rehabilitation was an exile in fancy clothing, that he would never be coming back. He hadn't considered the possibility.

What a cruel joke, to dangle the planet he fought to save before him only to ban him from its soil. The closest thing to his home he had, enjoyed through a keyhole.

He found himself sorrowed by his wandering thoughts. Sure, Cybertron was no Velocitron, but it was close.

SLAM!

Knockout jumped in surprise, legs kicking out wildly before landing on the ground. Slowly, he turned his helm towards the source of the noise, the previously adjacent door now slammed shut.

And a dishevelled seeker with his fist on the controls.

Knockout closed his agape jaw with a fair amount of force, denta clicking together harshly. "Starscream?" he gasped, "what...what are you doing here?"

The silver seeker was barely standing, right arm stretched up in an awkward position against the door to keep himself upright. Although, 'upright' would be a rather loose term to use, what with his buckling knees and hunched back.

Starscream opened his mouth slightly as if to respond before wincing in pain. A large gash ran from the corner of his mouth to his right optic. Blue energon poured out from his helms crest in a steady stream between where the forehead met the faceplates. Although Knockout couldn't see beyond the crease of the helm, he could guess that the head trauma was severe. Perhaps his skull was split open beneath the smooth metal casing.

His chassis curled upwards, the armour and protoform peeling away to reveal the fragile sight of internal wirings and what appeared to be the edge of his spark chamber. Starscream's entire frame was discoloured, as if burnt, not to mention the foul scent of charred metal which wafted over him.

Didn't he used to have two sets of wings?

Knockout moved wordlessly, swallowing his shock and helping the half dead seeker to a medical berth. "What in the pits happened to you?" He asked as he turned and threw open a drawer.

"Explosion," Starscream coughed, "those foul," he grabbed what remained of his abdomen harshly, "beasts!"

Knockout barley registered what Starscream said, grabbing a cabinet door and flinging it to the side. His sparkbeat sped up, thundering louder in his chassis with each drawer and cabinet that he threw open.

Starscream was beginning to ramble to himself "of course I slayed those wretched creatures, serves them right. Disgusting animals."

"How did you not set off any alarms?" Knockout questioned in an attempt to keep Starscream talking. Fortunately it was never a difficult task with the likes of the Decepticon Commander.

"Blasted Autobots never thought to remove me from the Nemesis' proximity system, fools!" Starscream laughed, "I walked right in."

Knockout ignored the seeker, slamming an empty cabinet shut as his anxiety mounted, professional demeanour slipping away. "It's all gone!" he yelled, running to the other side of the bay and tearing empty storage racks out from the walls.

"What do you mean it's, it's gone?" Starscream spat, only now registering the barren walls. His chest began to rise in fear as he understood his situation. He was in a medical bay with no medical supplies. His previous confident demeanour wilted away, personality flipping on a dime as wrath filled his expression.

"The Autobots-"

"The Autobots?" The seeker seethed, "what of the Autobots, traitor?" He drew in a long vent, the air forcing its way through his damaged throat like a box of nails through a blender. "I should have known," he coughed, "I should have known that you wouldn't help me!" Starscream was panicking now, each new word building into a louder shout.

Knockout whirled around, forcing Starscream back down onto the berth after he attempted to rise. When the seeker only continued to fight to get up he pressed down firmly on his chassis with his fist to keep him in place. If he continued to thrash around like this he would be offline in minutes.

"And where exactly do you think you're going? Take one step out there and they'll shoot you. You're lucky enough that no one saw you sneak in here." Knockout spoke quickly, leaning forward over his face with hopes of getting through the seekers thick skull. "I can't help you yet, stay still."

"I knew you wouldn't be of any use! Do you even know how to function properly?" Starscream grabbed onto Knockout's wrist with his one functional servo, digging his talons sharply into the red metal. "I knew you were useless when you first arrived on that loathsome planet, you and that pathetic excuse for a soldier you called a partner!"

The world froze.

"What did you just say?"

Ruby optics narrowed, staring sharply into cold mirrors of vermilion.

Starscream's optics widened ever so slightly before crinkling down in shrewdness. He let out a sharp, vile laugh. "Don't tell me you're still caught up over that science experiment! Mechs would get heartsick over the loss of an organic parasite wrapped in an unprepossessing corpse before they'd ever miss the likes of Breakdown."

Knockout's vision constricted, a fire burning up into his throat.

He drew in a long vent, the air feeling stale and dry as it grated against his denta.

'As long as we're together?'

His muscles tightened, every fibre in his body screaming forward. His servo pushed down under his weight, the metal beneath it cracking.

'CMO Knockout,' Dreadwing began. 'Yes?' Knockout had asked when the commander made no move to continue.

Knockout didn't take the time to understand it, but Starscream looked scared, as if he was seeing something that he was not.

Starscream cried out, optics widening in panic as his chest plate split apart. "No," his voice wavered, "I beg of you!"

It didn't matter what Starscream was saying, no one could hear him, least of all the one before him.

'I have been entrusted to express my deep regret that your partner, Breakdown, was killed in action in unfriendly territory on this date.'

The red in Starscream's optics was joined by something new, bright blue energon vessels worming their way from the edges of the cornea and into the iris. Sapphire cobwebs contrasting spheres of scarlet. Cracks splintering like glass.

It doesn't trouble you to see what remains of your former partner endure your scientific endeavours? Starscream had asked.

Silas once had Breakdown pinned to his lab table. Revenge is sweet, is it not? It felt good, to make that disgusting vermin suffer for what it had done.

How many more of their kind had the man turned into science experiments in his quest to evade death?

Breakdowns death, Knockout could live with. It was not an unfamiliar concept in war. Both him and Breakdown had prepared for the event of the others passing.

But the resurrection? The disgrace to Breakdowns legacy, the only image that Knockout could see when he closed his optics. A freak of nature, a parasite. He would do anything to go back in time to that moment, to when Silas was strapped to that berth. Oh, the ways that he could amuse himself, the horrors that lived in the deepest, darkest parts of Knockouts spark. It hadn't been long enough, there was still more that he was itching to do. The ways that he could kill that abomination, the missed opportunities ate him up. He would shred the spark of the worm that learned how to resurrect the body and take it for itself.

How did Silas know how?

Bright blue began to seep from the edges of Starscream's optics.

Energon was not an obvious fuel source to humans, their technology only reading it as yet another useless rock formation. The liquidising process was impossible for them to figure out, and the notion to use it as a fuel source? Knockout refused to give the humans the credit.

Someone had told them about energon, someone had given them the key.

Starscream shifted in discomfort on the metal slab of the berth. He tried to push himself up yet again, but collapsed under the weight of his own injuries.

Someone.

Someone who returned to the Nemesis with M.E.C.H insider knowledge and a missing T-cog.

'As long as we're together.'

Knockout screamed, his fist transforming into his saw on instinct and roaring to life.

The fist holding Starscream.

The metal tore too easily, shredding like paper underneath him. Warm energon sprayed out like a fountain, showering Knockouts red paint in streaks of blue.

It was Silas, the energon that pumped through his veins was green. Why did it spill blue?

Knockout froze, taking several agonisingly long seconds to recognize what he had done. Every muscle in his frame statue still minus the saw blade that roared to life. Panic rose like a high tide. It rushed over the medic and lit his nerves on fire. 'this isn't happening, this isn't happening.'

For a moment, it was silent.

Then Starscream began to wail, death howls rattling Knockout to his core.

The saw screamed with equal desperation, shrill mechanical screeching harshly piercing Knockouts audios. The noise was beginning to split his helm open.

Knockout attempted to tear his arm out, but the saw was jammed. He tried and failed to transform and fold the tool away, but it wouldn't budge against the unyielding assortment of bone structure and metal tissue. He fought against the rolling saw with everything he had, each cut of the blade vibrating up and into his arm. It twisted on unrelentlessly, no care for the vital components in its wake.

Knockout threw himself back with all of his strength, the action sending Starscream folding down in on himself and on to the ground. The doctor's arm flew free and he slammed against the back wall, saw at long last disappearing in favour of his servo. The sudden quiet in the room was almost louder than the screams from moments prior.

Knockout's body shook. Energon coated his metal completely, two red optics peeking out through a frame of blue. He rubbed at his face in a frantic attempt to wipe it off, it was only then that he realised he was crying.

He couldn't tear his optics away from what lay before him. The body lay in a crumpled heap, empty faceplate staring up at the ceiling. Somehow, the energon kept spilling. Knockout didn't know where it continued to pour from, the pool beneath the former Decepticon commander continuing to stretch outwards until it reached Knockout's peds.

Starscream's spark chamber was completely shredded, a cavern of mangled metal shards and fading blue biomechanics.

The doors to the medical bay flew open and footsteps raced towards him. Knockout didn't dare look at their source.

"By the Allspark!" One voice screamed.

The Autobots flooded into the medical bay like flies on a carcass. They were asking him what happened, he continued to stare forward.

Knockout's servos shook vigorously just out of focus Infront of the carnage before him.

Someone was shaking his shoulders.

A femme, blue. Knockout knew her, Arcee.

"Were you attacked?"

"...what?" Knockout all but whispered.

"Did Starscream attack you?"

Knockout's frame convulsed. 'No,' he wanted to scream, 'he came to me begging for help, and I killed him!'

But he was nodding. Why was he nodding?

"Must've pounced on him when Knockout wouldn't help him," a voice said, they were laughing, for some reason. "wouldn't expect Starscream to go out like that!"

Their voices faded away, Starscream's frame continued to stare up at the ceiling.

'Yes,' Knockout thought to himself.

'Starscream attacked me, I would never harm a patient, but I was left with no choice'

'I had to defend myself.'

He squeezed his optics shut.

'I'm a good medic.'