Normal Decepticons

by Sidetic

Summary:

What is the measure of a 'normal' Decepticon?

The DJD come to New Vos, Starscream's planet where the Seekers have been carrying Decepticon newsparks, and find that their List is under Lord Megatron's review. The Elite Trine and Knock Out have to deal with them in the interim. Starscream, secure in his relationship with Megatron, is confident. Knock Out, having experienced the DJD's company in some of the best and worst ways, doesn't wish to be anywhere near them; especially as they want to be close to him.

Attempts at reconciliation and getting along will be made. At least, until Megatron calls.

(For the Knock Out/Breakdown shippers - please trust me :-).)

Notes:

It's been a long while since I have written anything in the Transformers fandom but I've missed it, and this little universe has been in my head since Prime and MTMTE's runs. Please heed the tags carefully with this one. Unbetaed.
Special thanks to fierceawakening and much love!
I do not own Transformers.
I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter 1: Opening Act

Chapter One – Opening Act

 

Thundercracker sighed, tapping on the console with an irritated talon as the screen flashed with a most unwelcome communications request. Schooling his features, calming his engines, and keeping his wings formally out along his shoulder line, he accepted it after the third flash of the faction insignia. Who’s afraid of the DJD? Hah! Everyone with a functioning processor. He would rather it had been Autobots, the Prime himself, than the fraggers who-

The thought cut itself off as Tarn’s face replaced the Decepticon emblem, not that there was much difference between the two. Appearance-wise, at least.

“This is the DJD.”

I would never have guessed, Skywarp’s voice snarled, sarcastic and angry, through the trinebond and Thundercracker almost laughed out loud.

From Starscream’s side, pulses of calm confidence washed over them both, cooling the venom from Skywarp threatening to infect their link with rage. Let them come.

“Acknowledged,” Thundercracker answered the DJD’s leader. “I understand that Lord Megatron has directed you here. We will drop the planetary shield to allow you to land, once we have your assurance that you will not aggress towards anyone upon New Vos.”

For a moment, there was an ominous silence, and the blue flier knew that the executioner was clenching his fists just out of sight. Then, Tarn turned his helm slightly to one side, and answered smoothly as an energon blade through a spark, “Of course.” Ever the performer, he leaned back so that his raised and open palms could be seen, as though offering peace... “We are all loyal Decepticons, after all, are we not? This is merely a social visit, nothing more.”

Thundercracker almost narrowed his optics at the tank’s choice of words, almost. Then, Starscream’s laughter echoed through their bond, and he felt the tightening knot in his back strut ease. “Please approach the indicated landing area. We will lower the shield once you are in position; Skywarp and I will come out to meet you.”

“Understood. Over and out.”

The screen went blank with no further preamble, and Thundercracker glanced over to his purple and black wingmate waiting in the doorway. “Showtime,” Skywarp grinned back without humour, stepping to one side so that he and his trinemate could leave together, wing to wing.

They walked down the halls in companionable silence, each bolstering the other through the bond and offering one another warm comfort, and out into the light of their planet’s suns; seen all the clearer for but a few minutes as the shield opened to accept the Peaceful Tyranny within. As soon as the foreboding shadow of a ship was within range, New Vos’ safeguard shot back up, pulsating with reassuring strength over Starscream’s skies.

I don’t like them, Skywarp sighed as they watched the DJD’s home touch down upon their cyberformed metal, and the landing platform lower.

No one does, Thundercracker soothed against the backdrop of their trineleader’s amusement.

As the DJD emerged, Tarn in the lead, then Kaon and Vos to his right and left respectively several paces behind him, and the titanic forms of Helex and Tesarus bringing up the rear, Thundercracker begrudgingly acknowledged that, while none of the execution squad were weak, they had still put their comparatively more vulnerable members in their centre.

In any other situation, with any other team, it might have been spark-warming.

Thundercracker stepped forward into the maelstrom of the DJD’s combined energy fields alone, Skywarp remaining where he was as rank dictated, to greet the Decepticon ‘Justice’ Division’s leader. Tarn’s burning optics scorched over his plating as though the tank could read his personnel file etched into it and found it wanting. The blue Seeker kept his wings up, one firmly between the DJD and Skywarp, and spoke evenly, “Welcome to New Vos. Commander Starscream sends his apologies, he is in a video meeting with Lord Megatron and will join us when it concludes.”

A rustle went through the DJD team, and Thundercracker could well imagine what they might be saying through internal comms.       

“Very well.”

The blue Seeker could have sworn he heard a chuckle in the tank’s voice, and Skywarp must have as well as a fresh wave of hate flowed through the trinebond. However, neither flier permitted this to show on their faceplates and kept their own fields held close like cloaks as their trineleader’s side of the link remained undampened. “Let us go inside. It is nearly time for a meal, we can all refuel together.” Thundercracker dipped his helm, then turned on his pede to return to Skywarp’s side so they could lead everyone into the communal dining area…

“Thundercracker,” Tarn hummed, and the Seeker was certain the tank would be speaking directly to his spark given the chance, “I am relieved for you that your loyalties have remained true despite the… troubles you have had.”

Sure he is, Skywarp snarked through the bond, edging a bit closer to his trinemate so their wingtips were brushing together as they moved.

“I am a Seeker,” Thundercracker responded without turning around. “My faction is emblazoned upon my wings for all to see as it has always been.”

Pet appeared, claws pattering rhythmically, from the Peaceful Tyranny to settle at Kaon’s side as the team left the surface of their landing platform and alighted on New Vos’ gleaming metal; and the blind mech drew a fond servo over the beast’s helm.

This time, Thundercracker did pause in stride and turn to face the DJD once more. “We have sparklings here, is that-“ he gestured to the sparkeater- “safe? We cannot allow any harm to come to the newsparks.”

“He is a good boy,” Kaon bristled, servo tightening on Pet’s neck protectively as his optic shutters narrowed. “He will do just as he is told.”

Skywarp continued to look at the creature suspiciously, but didn’t comment aloud as Thundercracker simply nodded and started off again. That thing so much as looks at the little ones, I’ll drop it into a sun, he muttered through the bond to waves of approval from his trinemates.

It was a far longer walk than normal, than it had any right to be, to reach the dining hall. Striding down their familiar corridors, through their home, Thundercracker and Skywarp steadfastly ignored the prodding and probing at their energies, hunting for weaknesses, for answers, from the DJD crew as best they could. Those poor mechs, Thundercracker sighed somewhat sadly through the bond, trying to vent through the heavy blanket of combined fields. The ones like us don’t deserve them. Soothing agreement met the statement, easing the pressure on the blue mech somewhat through the depth of their bond.     

Entering the communal area, Thundercracker stated they would wait for Starscream before settling down at the table, as Skywarp looked to Helex and Tesarus then warped away; he made two trips, and returned with an oversized chair for the long table each time for the pair. As he prepped a tray of energon cubes for everyone at the dispensing zone, being the lowest ranking mech present and a host besides, he kept a very close watch over Thundercracker in their bond. His blue trinemate’s rumoured Autobot-like sensibilities left Thundercracker the most vulnerable to the DJD’s brand of ‘justice’ in the absence of Starscream’s known treasons. And, after all that had happened, Skywarp did not trust them not to mean harm to both his wingmates, even with Lord Megatron’s decree. All who knew the Warlord also understood that Megatron had his favourites; mechs you brought harm to without permission at your own risk…

Starscream, of course, and Soundwave, fell into that category.

And, though it was perhaps slightly lesser known, so did the army’s Chief Medical Officer, Knock Out.

The DJD were definitely among those who should have known better.

Skywarp frowned at the pouring energon for a moment before smoothing his features once more into something more neutral. If all was to go well, they couldn’t allow themselves to be openly hostile towards Tarn and his team. They had to live up to being Decepticons in both meanings of the word; to expose deceit, and to put on a flawless performance with the aim of hiding their true intentions as well. The way Starscream did as naturally as venting.

He had to make his trineleader proud.

“So this is what Soundwave meant by New Vos,” Tesarus gazed about, visor flashing as he took in the Seeker architecture and shine.

“It is,” Thundercracker didn’t mask the pride in his voice as he followed Tesarus’ stare. “We have put a great deal of work into it. And, given the sparklings, the Autobots don’t seem to know what to do about it.”

“Hence your shield,” Kaon hummed, servo ruffling Pet’s ears.

“They are Decepticon sparklings now, but they will be Decepticon soldiers once they grow,” the blue mech nodded. “Every now and then the Autobots arrive in our airspace, or close by, but they rarely do anything.”

“Their Prime intervenes if they start getting too antsy,” Skywarp added, laying one tray on the table, and coming back for another.

“Or he did,” Thundercracker shrugged with a sigh through his vents, “until recently.”

“It’ll be all right, TC,” Skywarp smiled over his shoulder as the second tray’s cubes clinked together in his hold.

Not if the Prime comes back when they are here. We could end up stuck with them for longer than we have to be. Thundercracker watched his wingmate lay out the cubes over places at the table, more than there were mechs present (he wondered if the DJD noticed, and if they did, what they thought). “Yes, I’m sure it will,” he nodded to the black and purple Seeker.

“Star will handle it,” Skywarp asserted, wings flicking up briefly.

A smile pulled at Thundercracker’s lip components, “You’re right, of course.”

A pulse of smug satisfaction, and not a little affection, came from Starscream’s side of the bond.

Kaon reached out a servo to squeeze Tarn’s arm, stroking it lightly before withdrawing.

“Ah yes,” Tarn tapped the blind mech’s shoulder. “We came this way tracking a signal or two…”

Subtle as blaster fire to the faceplates, Skywarp muttered, glad he was facing away from the DJD so he could roll his optics freely and enjoy Starscream’s cackling laughter through the link.

“One of those would have been mine,” Black Shadow strode across the room from a side entrance. “But, as I am sure Soundwave informed you, I am no longer on your List.”

“We have been told that you are on probation,” Tarn narrowed fiery optics as the rest of his team levelled predatory gazes at the phase-sixer, powerful fields briefly meeting with mutual disdain. “But it actually was not you in particular we were interested in.”

“Oh, come now, Commander,” a silky voice called over from Black Shadow’s doorway, “surely it wasn’t little, old me you were worried about?”

“Knock Out!” Kaon beamed, stepping forward as his energy field expanded out towards the sports car, reaching across the room for the medic as he clapped his servos together. “You’re all right!”

The medic blinked slowly, the electric chair sounded… relieved? And were Tesarus and Helex actually, genuinely, smiling at him? Looking to Skywarp, Thundercracker and Black Shadow, the three fliers beckoning him in with their optics, Knock Out pushed himself onwards with a discreet in-vent. He had been so proud of himself when he had spoken initially without his voice shaking, and now he wasn’t certain his courage would hold out.

“The doctor’s in the house,” Black Shadow grinned, wing twitching at the medic in a silent gesture of encouragement.

Something like his old smirk crossed his lips, red plating gleaming under the gentle lighting as he gave an exaggerated bow, using the moment to properly collect himself. He would have to thank the phase-sixer later, again. “Of course I am,” he answered both Kaon and Black Shadow. “Why… wouldn’t I be?” he added almost hesitantly, only for the blind mech’s audios and keeping his own energies withdrawn from the DJD as a whole.   

Skywarp subspaced the trays and met Knock Out so that they could rejoin the group together, a servo running over a crimson shoulder how it would a wing had the medic had a Seeker’s appendage.

“You look…” Tesarus trailed off, servo going awkwardly over his massive shoulder to rub his back armour; and Knock Out thought that Helex, Vos and Kaon were also shuffling a little. Tarn was inscrutable as always… He had thought, once, he had a read on the singer, on the whole quintet, but now…

Primus, was this how Breakdown felt? The glitch his partner had suffered, that itchy feeling of being stared at as though one’s plating was going to crawl right off, was normally kept well in servo, but it had acted up from time to time. Knock Out grimaced to himself, best not to think of Breakdown now or he’d be the one having a break down.

“He looks gorgeous,” Skywarp wing-bumped Knock Out lightly, “for a grounder.”

“Charming,” Knock Out cycled his optics, but his sarcasm held no bite and his swat at the Seeker’s wing was obviously intended to miss. 

Thundercracker and Skywarp looked to the main door at the head of the room seconds before it slid open with a light swoosh, presenting their trine-leader in all his glory to the dining hall and all those present. Standing tall, reds, blues and whites were polished to a sheen to rival the CMO’s at his best. “He is a Decepticon officer,” Starscream crossed his arms over his chassis, helm tilted slightly. “He looks exactly how he should… except he really should have wings.”

“Mein Kommandant,” Knock Out groaned, rubbing his faceplates with a servo, though a smile played on his lip components, and he dipped his helm to the SIC in respect.

Starscream chuckled, then went abruptly serious. “Apologies for my late arrival,” he gestured with his servos, opening them palms upwards, “my meeting with Lord Megatron ran long. I’m here now, so let’s all refuel, shall we?” 

Chapter 2: Tranquil Fury

Summary:

Starscream reprimands the DJD.

Notes:

Please heed the tags carefully with this fic. Unbetaed.
Special thanks to fierceawakening and much love!
I do not own Transformers.
I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter Two – Tranquil Fury

 

::Fashionably late, Starscream?:: Knock Out commed internally to the Seeker, a grin threading its way through his words as they all each took their places at the table.

The SIC smirked discreetly at him, denta sharp and shining. ::You of all mechs know the importance of making an entrance.::

Starscream sat at the head of the table with Thundercracker and Skywarp to his right and left sides respectfully. Knock Out settled beside Skywarp at the black and purple Seeker’s insistence, and Black Shadow took a seat beside Thundercracker. They watched as the DJD then sorted things out among themselves, Starscream sending the equivalent of an optic roll through his trinebond and scoffing through the comm to Knock Out that Tarn chose to sit at the opposite end of the table. Kaon settled at his right, and Vos at his left. Tesarus and Helex moved their chairs so that they could sit at the table, the former next to Kaon, and the latter next to Vos.

::This is cosy,:: Skywarp commed his trinemates and Knock Out, wanting to let the medic in on things so foregoing the private bond he shared with Starscream and Thundercracker for now.

::It’s awkward as Pit,:: Knock Out sighed, reaching out to hold his energon cube and lightly swirling it, gazing at the liquid as it twisted in the cube.

Skywarp reached out to run his talons over the racer’s door wing, lightly pressing silent messages into the metal of comfort and camaraderie. Almost brotherhood.

Knock Out leaned towards Skywarp, a contented hue warming his optics while he finally lifted his cube to take an easy mouthful, which flashed away in a flare of anxious curiosity as Starscream’s voice spoke up to address the team opposite them.

“Lord Megatron ordered me to inform you that the List as a whole is momentarily suspended,” he raised his cube to Tarn, “pending review of each and every designation upon it. With the losses sustained on each side, executions for minor-“ ::or imaginary,:: he added privately for the benefit of his trinemates and Knock Out- “infractions are only going to impede us. The sparklings here will not be ready for battle for some time to come. We need everyone that feasibly can return to return. Which is one of the primary reasons you are here, and not yet at New Kaon with our Lord. Your work is being reviewed by him and Soundwave as we sit here now.”

Knock Out could feel the heavy optic of the DJD upon Starscream without looking at them, and he continued to stare into his fuel as though it held the secret to all the universe’s unanswered questions.

“‘Minor infractions’?” Tarn’s hold tightened on his cube, outrage staining his voice.

“Off the top of my processor,” Starscream hummed, a neutral smile on his faceplates that did much to conceal his enjoyment, “Blip, for example. He worships sparkeaters or some such nonsense. If we executed every mech that called out to Unicron or Primus or whatever else during the war, we wouldn’t have an army left. He has already been pardoned, as have a few others, and no doubt more will be.”

Knock Out rejected a private comm request from Kaon, not wanting to talk to the blind mech just then, or ever again ideally, not that the universe was so kind… The electric chair’s frown could be felt against his plating.

In failing to get an answer from the medic, Kaon resorted to voicing his thoughts out loud while hoping that Tarn’s fury would not then be aimed at him. “You are saying,” he held to Pet’s helm for support, “that Lord Megatron no longer trusts our judgement.”

“He never should have had to,” Starscream countered, steel in his tone, “Lord Megatron is judge and jury, you were meant to be the executioners, nothing more. You were meant to handle mechs such as him,” he gestured to Black Shadow, “before he and Megatron made peace, mechs the average fighter could not hope to take on, not every slagging soldier with an imperfect record. We are Decepticons, after all. All of us will live up to our faction name from time to time. It is Megatron who decides where the line is, not any of you nor any of us. To say you have overstepped is a colossal understatement. Our Lord is most displeased.”

Helex and Tesarus, despite being the largest and most physically intimidating of the DJD, seemed to wilt in their chairs. Their gazes went to one another, Starscream, Knock Out, Tarn, then back to each other once more. Vos had lowered his helm as Starscream spoke, getting closer and closer to his energon cube as though he wished he could curl up inside it, or at least hide his masked face within it. Tarn and Kaon both looked to Starscream as though their processors were glitching, the very idea of Megatron being angry with them and that it was Starscream of all mechs playing the role of messenger sending excruciating stabs of shame through their sparks.

When a few moments passed without a word, Starscream sipped his cube and went on, “Our Lord has also made it crystal-clear he wishes to clamp down on any remaining infighting in the Decepticon ranks. We have been making great strides of recent and he wants to see that continue, not come undone. Which brings us to another reason that you are here. Now, I am certain that you do not wish to be in my company, socially in any case.” The Seeker chuckled, “Fret not, you can say that or worse-“ he laid a splayed servo over his chassis- “you won’t break my spark, I assure you. And I am confident in saying there is not a mech in this room, even on this planet, that really wants to be in yours. However, at least until the List review is finished, that is exactly what we are all to do. We are to refuel together, talk together, and otherwise play well together. We are to make nice before you are summoned to New Kaon. Lord Megatron wants an in-depth report from me about each of you prior to you attending him.”

“Each of us,” Kaon vented to himself, empty sockets falling morosely to the metal table. Megatron had forgiven the opposite side of the table, but he had not extended the same mercy to the DJD yet.

“More is expected from us than you.” Tarn leaned back in his chair, gesturing acceptance with a servo. “Fine, we will not disappoint Lord Megatron twice over.”

“Oh, Tarn,” Starscream shook his helm, “don’t make promises you might not be able to keep. Word of advice, that always makes it worse in the end. I do admire your resolve, though.”

“You’ve written us off already,” Helex’s optics snapped back up to the SIC. “That’s not fair.”

“No,” Starscream’s smile remained unfazed as Knock Out stifled a sudden, rueful laugh against his energon cube. “But I did not want you to think this task was going to be an easy one. After all, I am fragging furious with you myself.” The Seeker’s expression did not change, and his tone did not raise; the only sign of his anger being a slight lift of his wings. “Fantasizing about killing me? Sparklings’ play, go chat with half the army and you’ll be in fine company. But, do you think I don’t know your intentions towards Thundercracker? My trinemate. You threatened him on landing here.”

“Thundercracker has never been on the List,” Tarn leaned forward to assert. “We would not lay a digit upon him as long as that continues to be the case.”

“Ahh, like you would never lay a digit upon Knock Out?” Starscream raised a spark-ending talon. “He is not just Lord Megatron’s, he is mine. Black Shadow had to rescue him, on the brink of deactivation-“

“’Deactivation’?” Tesarus mouthed, visor flashing questioningly at the medic who still wouldn’t look at him…

“-from you and bring him home to us. You swore to Lord Megatron that you would protect and look after him. That is the main reason the List is being reviewed; you assaulted the army’s Chief Medical Officer with intent when he has saved Megatron’s, Soundwave’s, Shockwave’s, and my own spark on countless occasions.”

“An act of treason, some might say,” Black Shadow interjected, hiding a smirk unconvincingly into his fuel.

“Which is precisely our Master’s concern,” Starscream finished, sharp optics on the DJD and taking no small amount of pleasure in watching them reel.  

“Knock Out,” Kaon looked to the medic, optic shutters thrown back in his helm. “It wasn’t like that, you know it wasn’t… Don’t you?”

The medic had been looking at Starscream, wonder and a kind of happy surprise in his optics, but the blind mech’s words reached him and he immediately sank back against his chair, shrinking into it in a vain attempt to vanish from everyone’s view.

“Knock Out?” Tarn’s sweet voice chimed in with only a little edge to it. “We spoke and you understood, didn’t you?”

Tesarus then Helex repeated his name, and even Vos made a stilted attempt at it in Neocybex, but Knock Out barely heard it; he was swiftly finding himself somewhere else in his processor entirely…

Lord Megatron would never permit this! He-he wouldn’t! …No… no…

“No… no… I didn’t- I don’t know that,” Knock Out’s strained voice forced out, painfully aware of the amount and severity of the gazes upon him, and glad of Skywarp’s sudden grounding servo on his leg.

“And nor does Soundwave,” Starscream added pointedly. Standing, the Air Commander crossed the floor to Knock Out’s side, turning the cherry mech, chair and all, to face him. He lightly ran servos over shoulders and doorwings, crooning to the smaller mech in Seeker cant. Thundercracker also got up from his seat to hold to the medic as Skywarp was, taking the sports car’s other leg. Knock Out gradually relaxed beneath the attention of the three, managing a shaky smile and unwinding from the knot he had made of himself in his chair.

“Helex,” Black Shadow regarded the DJD coldly, “you all just worked together to overwhelm him, five versus one. Isn’t that the thing that is truly ‘unfair’ here?”

The smelter stared at Knock Out, mouth slightly open, remembering how the medic had become with them towards the end… He couldn’t refute Black Shadow’s point, and didn’t waste energy trying. How could they have fragged up so badly with their little speedster? Well… plainly not ‘theirs’ anymore, if he had ever been. Even though he wanted to clear things up with Knock Out, as he knew the others, even Tarn, did too. Especially in light of what they had found on ship after the CMO had gone missing…       

“Apologies,” Knock Out straightened up in his chair, “that was… most unbecoming.” He froze as Starscream brushed a featherlight kiss to his lip components, doorwings fluttering up. ::If I didn’t know any better, Commander Starscream, I would say you like it when I’m vulnerable,:: he commed privately to the SIC, optics cycling with a cloudy playfulness. The CMO’s bid to shake the rust off.

Starscream just shrugged his wings at him with a smirk before returning to his seat, Thundercracker following a step or two behind.

“In any case,” the SIC continued brusquely, “while we must chit-chat between ourselves, all of you-” he gestured a servo to the DJD- “will have limited access to New Vos. We have active carriers and hatchlings here, and they are not to be caused any distress. I’ll have a map of areas that you can access, and such, sent to you all.”

“Are you implying that we would bring harm to Decepticon carriers?” Tarn’s optics narrowed at the Seeker, offended irritation flaring once more in his field.

“No, I am stating that the sight of any of you would be enough to seriously upset the mechs and femmes living here,” Starscream sighed through his vents and rubbed his faceplate as though he was already exhausted by this whole situation; shooting a look at Knock Out which silently asked how the red mech had put up with the execution squad as long as he had... “As, one could argue, is the point of you isn’t it?” His digits moved in front of him in a creeping motion, as though he was playing a piano moving away from him over the table. “To cause unease and distress, and… all of that.” His talons flared out then returned back in towards his frame. “As I said, no one here likes this situation, it just-“

“Does not matter because it’s what Lord Megatron wants,” Kaon finished, digits running together above his energon cube.

“Exactly,” Starscream nodded. “So, we might as well all make the best of it, hmm?”

The DJD, out of sync with one another, also each eventually inclined their helms in acknowledgement, though the looks they passed among themselves indicated their processors might be going in other directions...

“On a lighter note,” Knock Out jumped in before anyone else could resume the discussion for now, leaning forward across the table to gaze at Starscream, “have you and Lord Megatron decided on your wing design yet?”

“Nearly,” the SIC smiled a rare, true smile, “we are just ironing out a few more details about the whole idea.”

“I’ll be on hand when you’re ready,” Knock Out rubbed his servos together.

“Should I be concerned that you are so eager to put sharp or hot implements to my sensors?” Starscream chuckled, leaning back in mock horror as a servo went to his chassis.

“Moi?” Knock Out mirrored the Seeker, optics going wide and bright with faux innocence. Then, he hummed thoughtfully, helm tilting from one side to the other, and smirked. “Lord Megatron would rescue you from me if needed, I’m sure,” he teased.

“Hah! He’d join in the fun,” the Seeker rolled his optics.

“Well, that I know you wouldn’t mind,” Knock Out almost purred.

“Hmm.” The pull at Starscream’s lip components suggested he agreed. “I certainly wouldn’t mind you joining in with us from time to time. And neither would he.”

“I did enjoy both your company when I-“

“Came home,” Starscream interrupted, just to see the pleased, if a little uncertain, flash across the medic’s faceplates.

“…Yes,” the speedster agreed quietly. “When, umm,” he drew a digit over his lower lip component then over his chassis, “when Lord Megatron does… that thing, in particular. It’s like…”

“Flying through the clouds,” Starscream stared up at the ceiling.

“Hurtling down the highway,” Knock Out looked to the table’s metal surface as though he could see the open road stretching out in front of him.

“And falling.”

“And losing control.”

“And hitting the ground.”

“And crashing.”

“All at once,” they both sighed out together, dreamy looks settling into their faceplates. The pair locked optics, then stood hurriedly from their chairs, sending them screeching back, and rushed together from the room.      

“And, with that,” Thundercracker stood to tuck the chairs in and sweep up the abandoned cubes, “I believe we are dismissed.”

Notes:

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it :-).

Chapter 3: Behind the Scenes

Summary:

The DJD talk while Knock Out and Starscream have fun with Megatron.

Notes:

Please heed the tags carefully with this fic. Unbetaed.
Special thanks to fierceawakening and much love!
I do not own Transformers.
I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter Three – Behind the Scenes

 

What the frag was that? Tesarus thought, watching Black Shadow disperse his empty cube and leave, and the Seekers approach them together.

“As you might have guessed, when Starscream said he would make sure you knew which areas were off-limits, refuelling times and such, he meant that I would.” Fond exasperation filled Thundercracker’s voice as he took five datapads from out of his subspace and laid them on the table in front of the DJD. “This should make things clearer. When we meet for meals, we always wait for Starscream. Meetings and things run long, and Knock Out thought it was rude to leave him to refuel alone when he had been working.” Normally, of course, that would have been for the medic and the Elite Trine (Black Shadow didn’t always join them), but now that rule would extend to include the DJD as well…

“And for Knock Out, too. The medbay here is a busy one; if he gets caught up, we don’t leave him out,” Skywarp added.

“There’s a temporary building marked out on there for you all to stay in. It will save you going back and forth to your ship,” Thundercracker tapped a talon on one of the pads.

“I think it’s safe to say that Starscream and Knock Out will be MIA for a while,” Skywarp grinned mischievously, “but they should be back later this evening for the next meal.”

“They’ll contact us if not,” Thundercracker agreed. “Now…” the blue flier trailed off, looking at each DJD member in turn. “If there isn’t anything else for the moment, Skywarp and I should be getting back to work.”

The DJD looked to their leader who waved a servo at the fliers, wanting them to leave so he could be with his team alone.

“They’re going to regret not finishing their energon,” Skywarp wing-bumped Thundercracker’s shoulder, and gestured with his helm to Starscream and Knock Out’s seats as they crossed the room to a side door…

“I’m sure Lord-“ The door slid shut on the pair, a green icon beside it flashing to red, cutting off the blue Seeker’s response.

Helex, Tesarus and Vos immediately turned their collective gaze to Kaon, knowing he’d feel it regardless of being unable to see it, silently urging him to say something to quell the fire burning through Tarn’s field and scorching their plating. It was difficult enough keeping their own energies in check without shielding themselves from that into the bargain…

Steeling himself, a servo tightening on the back of Pet’s neck, the electric mech turned empty sockets on his leader. “Tarn… should we go to the quarters we’ve been given?” Perhaps getting the tank moving, and somewhere that at least had an illusion of privacy, would be a good start. After all, if the singer started mulling things over too much where he sat now, he might withdraw from them either from sorrow or rage at their current predicament. And they really needed him if they had any hope in getting things back to normal...

“I didn’t think he understood,” Tesarus spoke out, bravely, when Tarn didn’t answer beyond an expulsion through his vents at first. “I said that at the time.”

“Thank you, Tesarus,” the singer grumbled lowly, but did not disagree, and pulled himself heavily to his pedes while nodding to Kaon. “Let’s go.”

The polished corridors were noticeably empty as they made their way through them together; datapads, bar Tarn’s which the tank used as a guide for them, in their subspaces. “You wouldn’t know this planet teems with life signs,” Helex crossed his arms over his smelter, optics staring about them.

“They’re avoiding us,” Tesarus mumbled, own gaze swiftly finding the floor when Tarn glanced back at him.

“They think we meant to deactivate Knock Out,” Kaon frowned, ruffling his sparkeater’s ears to comfort the increasingly unsettled beast, knowing it was feeding off the DJD’s unease. “Lord Megatron thinks that of us.”

“Starscream,” Tarn bit out the designation, “spoke of Soundwave. There is more to this than we know.”

Vos tapped sharp digits on the back of a servo, hissing agitatedly.

“Knock Out… believes it as well,” Kaon vented, grimace deepening. “He wouldn’t answer my comm request, and his field avoided mine.”

“He would barely look at us,” Helex agreed, internals bubbling. “And Starscream-“

Tarn held up a digit pointedly, cutting the larger mech off. “Not now.”

Going through a pair of double doors, the DJD found their building sitting in what once might have been a courtyard for the socialisation of Seekers. It stood before them, a windowless and unwelcoming cube, drab greys in comparison to the polished silvers surrounding it, in the centre of the area.

“You ever get the impression that you’re unwanted?” Helex remarked dryly, looking the building up and down.

“I get the impression we have been planned for,” Kaon muttered. “Tarn’s right, things are being orchestrated behind the scenes we don’t understand yet.”

Vos’ vocaliser buzzed in discomfort and Tarn patted the smaller mech’s helm to comfort him.

The dull structure’s entrance slowly slid open for them as they approached, and snapped closed after they had passed the threshold. Inner lights flickered on a set at a time going down the corridor, revealing labels in Neocybex affixed to the wall accompanying each closed door; a room for each of them, a washracks, a meeting area…

And little else.

Tarn immediately led the way to the meeting room and the others followed as they knew would be expected of them. As they were admitted, the first thing to strike each of them in their turn was just how sparse it was. Five chairs of varied sizes, a bare table that came up to about Tesarus’ knee, and something akin to an oversized dog bed lined with faux fur for Pet. Pulling their, by default, assigned seats closer to the table, they sat down heavily together. For a few moments, there were only the sounds of the overhead lights buzzing and their offbeat venting. Pet curled up in the comfiest part of the room, and lowered his helm to rest on his paws, optic lids half-closing as though the sparkeater was going to drift into recharge in spite of everything…

“What… what just happened in there?” Tesarus asked hesitantly.

“How does it work if we all get Listed?” Helex prodded Kaon with his energy field so the blind mech knew the question was directed at him.

“That isn’t something to joke about,” the electric mech scolded, leaning back in his chair as his Tesla coils gave an unsettled crackle.

“Who said I was joking?” Helex gestured pointedly at Pet with servo and field. “It’s a possibility, in the circumstances. For a lot of other mechs, it would already be done, no question about it.”

“We did not attempt to destroy Knock Out,” Kaon countered. “If that had been our intent, he wouldn’t be here now.”

“Yeah… but does he see it that way?” Tesarus tapped a servo on his knee plating awkwardly. “Does Lord Megatron see it that way? And what about the ones getting let off…?”

“We can only wait to be summoned to discuss the updated version of the List,” Tarn finally entered the discussion after gazing darkly at the far wall as his teammates spoke. “However, with our medic, there has merely been a… misunderstanding. One we can and must resolve the moment we have the opportunity in order to allay the worst of Lord Megatron’s concerns.”

“Starscream won’t act on our behalf,” Helex rested his helm against his servo, digit pressed to the side of his optic, as Vos nodded in agreement. “And, would Knock Out let us anywhere near him to talk?”

“Not only talk to us, but believe us?” Kaon added with a concerned frown.

“They are subject to the order to interact with us as much as we are to mingle with them,” Tarn hummed, sending a warm pulse through the blind mech’s spark. “We will have our chance to get closer to him.”

“…Starscream kissed him,” the grinder muttered, watching his leader’s fist clench in the corner of his vision.

“The way they spoke of Lord Megatron, and the manner they left…” Helex grimaced, his smelting unit giving a revolted gurgle.

“Enough,” Tarn cut the line of conversation dead at the root with a slash of his servo, even though the ripple of disgust from the others’ energy fields was echoed just as plainly in his own. That did not bear thinking of, especially with everything else they would now have to contend with. Even if, he acknowledged only to himself, it was an issue they would certainly have to confront at some point. “We will take part in the evening refuelling and, discreetly, feel things out with our medic.” He leaned forward, servos coming together in front of his facemask. “We will strategize together how best to proceed from there.”      

Kaon vented softly, energy buzzing through his lines like scraplets gnawing at them. “I am… uncertain he is ours any longer, Sir.”

“Perhaps not right now, but he can be again,” Tarn soothed. “He will be again. After all, we are not known for failure, are we?” 

The blind mech managed a small smile, dipping his helm in acknowledgement to his leader. No, no we are not…

“He lied to us,” Helex vented lowly, wiping the budding grin off his teammate’s faceplates.

“He was scared,” Tesarus rested his helm on his fist. “Probably was just telling us what he thought we wanted to hear.”

“He might have even believed it at the time,” Kaon’s sightless gaze stared thoughtfully at the wall. “Convinced himself of it, but then…”

“He was exposed to some unsavoury influences,” Tarn hummed, digits rapping on the arm of his chair, “and began to doubt us. We can talk him round to our way of thinking again, don’t fret.”

I think he’s doubted us for a while, Tesarus mused but didn’t say aloud, not wanting to poke the singer’s temper any further than it already had been. His waldos opened and closed as though in a small spasm, as though remembering restraining struggling, cherry armour…

Knock Out’s surprised huff of a laugh into his energon at the table replayed in Tesarus’ processor and he looked away to hide a frown. The medic believed he had been mistreated, and Starscream (even Lord Megatron and Soundwave too?) agreed.

This might not be as easy as his leader thought.

***

Knock Out’s cooling fans roared as he writhed between denta and talon, trapped between Megatron and Starscream and impaled by them both. The Warlord’s spike claimed his valve while the Seeker sank into his aft port. Gasping and pleading, clever medic’s servos pawed at Megatron’s chassis in a vain attempt for relief. Metal slammed into metal with an impassioned violence, energon was spilt and lapped up greedily, and paint was smeared between them all (Knock Out knew far better than to bring this up even had he the wherewithal in the moment to acknowledge it). It was wonderful! He was on the precipice of another overload…

And then everything stopped. Cold.

Knock Out’s optics fluttered as he gazed questioningly up at Megatron, crying out as he was pulled backwards to be seated fully on Starscream’s arousal, lightly restrained by the arms in the flier’s lap. A firm rap upon his chassis told him exactly what the Warlord wanted, and he exposed his spark with a whimpering moan, throwing his helm back against the Seeker’s armour.       

A servo, large and calloused, made its way into the speedster’s frame and grasped his quivering spark. Holding as still as he could, glad of Starscream’s grip tightening to help him, Knock Out panted through the waves of sensation tearing through his frame. Just like crashing…

“Please!” he half-sobbed as sharp claws teased the edges of his life energy, pedes curling tightly against the berth.

“Patience,” Megatron chided, hips pressing forward once more so that they were flush with Knock Out’s, or as close as their frames would allow at least, just to hear the medic’s frustrated cry die into a moan. Flexing his servo within Knock Out’s spark chamber, feeling the speedster’s valve ripple tightly along his spike in answer, the Warlord chuckled lowly and leaned in to nip at the CMO’s jaw. Relishing the new drops of energon he drew, and the feeling of Knock Out trembling under him, he pressed the pad of a digit against the medic’s spark, engines purring as the smaller mech’s stalled. “Knock Out.”

The medic only whimpered in response, straining not to arch forward onto Megatron’s servo.

“Knock Out,” Megatron repeated more sternly.

The touch of warning in the Warlord’s tone filtered through the medic’s foggy processor and red optics cycled into blurred focus. “…My Liege…?” he managed breathily, the words further obscured by a build-up of static in his vocaliser, but those familiar enough with the speedster would know his intent.

Megatron’s grip briefly tightened around Knock Out’s soul, not quite crushing but they both knew how easily that could change… “This is mine! Do not forget again.”

Knock Out nodded sharply, frame shaking and glistening with heat and strain. He hadn’t denied the Decepticon Lord on purpose! His servo had been forced! Not that he objected to Megatron’s brand of reclaiming, not at all. He just didn’t feel it fair to lay the blame at his pedes… Still, arguing his case in his current position was inadvisable at best. “Y-yours, Master.” More Starscream’s choice of honorific than his, but it both the circumstances and the medic was certain it would get things moving again.

Immediately, he was proven correct as Megatron released his spark, and hauled him forward, resuming their former rhythm with greater ferocity. Starscream, not to be outdone, matched Megatron’s exuberance, claws tightening their hold viciously on Knock Out’s arms. Pleading went unheeded for a time, as Knock Out knew it would, Decepticon politics and all that… But that didn’t mean he stopped trying! Begging, cajoling, shameless whimpering… Megatron and Starscream were sure to indulge him sooner or later. He just had to play his part.

Finally, finally, Megatron hissed the words in his audio he wanted to hear. A granting of permission. Overloading hard, everything going white, he collapsed between them, held up only by the servos of the other Decepticons. Blanketed by two possessive fields, Knock Out was distantly aware of being laid on Megatron’s berth, his spark chamber being manually closed, and his berthmates turning their attentions on one another…

The next thing the CMO was truly conscious of was Starscream’s weight laying over him in an almost protective fashion, and then he must have drifted into a deeper recharge as time slipped away from him for a while.

When he and Starscream onlined, Megatron was gone, and the next refuelling meet up was rapidly bearing down on them. The Seeker stood and, rather than make the most logical choice in Knock Out’s opinion and head towards an area where he might preen himself, Starscream seemed to be moving towards the exit.

Towards the bridge? Surely slagging not?           

“Starscream, we cannot go meet the others looking like this!” Knock Out protested, looking longingly from his clearly well-interfaced frame to Megatron’s private washracks.

“Oh, can’t we?” the Seeker grinned predatorily, wing twitching in barely contained mischief as he came back to the side of the berth. “I think we can. In fact,” he put a servo firmly on the racer’s shoulder, “I am certain we must.”

Notes:

Thank you for reading - I hope you enjoyed it!

Chapter 4: Minor Disagreement

Summary:

A minor confrontation at dinner.

Notes:

It's been a long while since I have written anything in the Transformers fandom but I've missed it, and this little universe has been in my head since Prime and MTMTE's runs. Please heed the tags carefully with this one. Unbetaed.
Special thanks to fierceawakening and much love!
I do not own Transformers.
I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter Four – Minor Disagreement

 

Starscream sat, one leg slung carelessly over an armrest, at his place at the table; smeared paintjob streaked with cherry and silver, as well as every claiming mark across his frame, on open display. Grinning lazily at Knock Out, who lounged back in his own chair away from the table so the speedster could stretch out, the Seeker enjoyed the quiet for the little time the pair would have it.

“This is a terrible idea,” the medic sighed, servos clasped on his belly and one ankle resting over the other.

“Yet, you’re smiling,” Starscream immediately pointed out, helm rolling to lay on his shoulder.

“I would not do this for anyone else but you, I hope you know,” the CMO cycled his optics; aware that Starscream and Megatron’s shades also covered his own ruined paint, that his own armour was also dented and scratched, though he was indeed content.

Don’t you dare presume that you can speak on behalf of Lord Megatron!

Oh, he’d dare. They could just watch him.

Granted, it might have been the cube of high grade he’d shared with Starscream before they had strolled down to the hall together, but the sports car was quite at ease.

Skywarp and Thundercracker were the next pair to enter from a side door. Thundercracker barely broke stride at the sight which greeted him, but the purple flier vanished with a vop scarcely a few steps into the room.

“Well, at least he excused himself rather than coming out with something crude,” the medic half-smirked, shaking his helm.

He was answered with a cackle from the SIC and a soft sigh from Thundercracker as the blue mech joined them at the table, to the right of Starscream once more.

Knock Out had laid out the energon cubes on their arrival, less one as Black Shadow was meeting with Soundwave and would not be returning to refuel on this occasion. There were going to be fireworks, the medic knew, when the rest turned up. Strangely, though, perhaps because of Starscream’s influence, he found himself not caring overly much about it.

Even when the doors opened, and the DJD’s disgust washed over him like a wave, the medic barely reacted, simply turning his helm to acknowledge that yes, he did know they were there… Their energy fields announced their presence loud and clear even without the revolted ticking over of Tarn’s engine.

“I’m afraid this is what happens,” Knock Out drawled, feeling the daggers being stared into Starscream, and himself, through the back of his chair, “when one tries to tell Starscream ‘no’.”

“I don’t take orders well, it’s a character flaw,” Starscream gave an exaggerated shrug, servos raised, and talons stretched out; a slag-eating grin written across his faceplates from audio to audio.

“Hah!” the CMO scoffed, matching Starscream’s expression for the benefit of the Seekers alone.

Pet, having caught scent of spilled energon, broke out from the line the Justice Division struck, bounding towards the table with excited huffs through his vents.

“Thundercracker, don’t!” Knock Out shot to his pedes to stand between a suddenly charging blaster and the galloping sparkeater, trying not to wince as his leg internals protested the sharp movement, and held up a servo to signal for the blue Seeker to stand down. “It’s all right. He’s only playing…”

Pet skidded to a stop at Knock Out’s pedes, panting up at him with tail high and wagging, and the medic crouched to rub a servo over a softened helm. “I’ve missed you, too,” the medic chuckled as the beast licked over his chassis and faceplates. “Now, listen, the sparklings here might be bite size, but they are not snacks for you, ok?” He shook a digit at Pet who barked and pressed a large, shaggy face into the speedster’s plating to nuzzle in. Continuing to laugh softly, Knock Out took a treat out of subspace and offered it to the sparkeater to lap up. “Good mech,” he praised, “such a good mech you are! We’re good friends aren’t we, hmm?”

Thundercracker lowered his weapon and returned to his seat, but his distrust of the DJD’s creature remained clear in his optics.

Starscream reached out to soothingly stroke an azure wing, own narrowed orbs on the sparkeater, but said nothing for now, resting his helm on his free servo as he observed matters play out.

Kaon stepped forward and crouched down, careful to leave some distance, as well as his pet, between Knock Out and himself. “We left him with you when we were off ship. To protect you, keep you company.”

The medic’s servos flinched away from the sparkeater as though his digits had been dipped in Helex’s smelter. “Go back to Kaon now,” he vented to the beast after a moment, “you’ll be happier with your team.” Standing, he turned and slid back into his chair.

Pet’s helm tilted and his tail lowered, but he obediently returned to the blind mech, pressing into Kaon’s leg for comfort and huffing quietly when an electric servo found his neck.

For his part, the electric chair also seemed to slump, returning to Tarn’s side with an air of dejection.

“Given Skywarp’s wilful… stepping out,” Starscream cut in, wanting the issue dropped if only for Thundercracker’s comfort, “we will refuel now and get on with things. He’ll rejoin us if and when he’s ready to do so.”

Knock Out ignored the private comm pings from Tesarus and Kaon, keeping his side blocked, while the DJD took their seats. His weight in his chair shifted towards the SIC as he sipped at his own energon, paying close attention to his internal chronometer for when he could feasibly excuse himself...     

“Knock Out,” Tarn’s voice cut through the air in borderline reprimand, dashing the medic’s hope of being able to finish out the meal without further interaction with the torturer quintet. “I believe our order from Lord Megatron was to ‘make nice’, was it not?”

“I do not have to accept private communications, Commander,” the CMO countered as neutrally as he could, shaking his helm.

“Fine,” Tesarus spoke up, leaning forward and putting a massive servo on the table, “then I’ll ask you outright. What was meant when it was said you were near deactivation? You never said… You seemed all right.” He knew he risked one of Tarn’s ‘black marks’ by being so direct, but when had that stopped him before?

“I was not ‘all right’.” Knock Out, too, moved in, a flicker of... something in his optics as his gaze finally turned to the grinder. “And why would I have said anything to any of you?” Did they think him so foolish? That he would advertise further weakness to them when he was already horrifically vulnerable? Energon was already in the water, he didn’t need to pour in more…

They had already had more than enough fun at his expense.

“We would have helped you,” Kaon pointed out defensively, Tesla coils giving an offended crackle.

“Helped me?” the CMO scoffed, pain strangling itself in his throat. “Helped me? Yes, I’m sure you would have done, Kaon. Helped me right onto the scrapheap.”

“Knock Out,” Tarn’s ability lashed over his spark, just for a moment and not half as sharply as it could have done…

The medic stood, downing his cube in two quick gulps, and looked to Starscream. “Excuse me, Mein Kommandant. I’m done for this evening.” At the Seeker’s waved servo, Knock Out dipped his helm to both fliers in a silent good night, then walked out without a backward glance.

“Nicely done,” Starscream praised, bored and sarcastic, after the door had shut behind the speedster, raising his cube sardonically at the DJD.

“He was disrespectful towards Kaon,” Tarn’s lip components curled under his mask.

The Seeker shrugged his shoulders and one of his wings. “And he outranks the five of you.”

“He what?” Helex stared at Starscream, feeling his teammates bristle beside him.

Starscream exchanged a knowing glance with Thundercracker, optics deep and devious as a renewed grin grew across his faceplates. “Did I forget to mention that? Oh dear, it must have slipped my processor…”

“We didn’t know,” Kaon shook his helm. Hadn’t… hadn’t Knock Out called Tarn ‘Commander’?

“Hmm, and… when has that ever been a defence with you?” Starscream’s helm rolled onto his shoulder.

“That… isn’t the same thing…” The words sounded unconvincing even to the electric chair’s own audios, and he had wilted somewhat even before the last one had left his mouth.

“Oh, it very much is,” Starscream shook his helm and stood slowly, finishing his cube with a flourish. “Now, I think my frame has been soiled for quite long enough. Good night cycle, all.” He made to leave the table, but paused when Thundercracker didn’t follow, turning to gaze intently at his trinemate… If you think I’m leaving you alone with them, you are sorely mistaken, he chided through the bond.

Star… let me, please? The blue Seeker laid a servo over his chassis in formal submission.

For a few moments, the two fliers simply looked at one another, having a silent conversation with their optics...

Then, Starscream gave a barely perceptible nod. If anything happens, anything at all, you call for Skywarp immediately.

Thundercracker dipped his helm back. Yes, Sir.   

The SIC turned once more to leave, rolling his shoulders and stretching out his wings, as he headed for the door… I want you to know that I am contemplating taking a shock stick to your wings for this idiocy.

Yes, trineleader, as you say, Thundercracker returned with exaggerated formality.

Fool, Starscream scolded fondly, and then his side of the bond went quiet; still open and available, but backing off somewhat.

The blue Seeker hid a smile into the rim of his energon cube, taking a sip of it, then turned to face the DJD alone with a carefully neutral expression. Well aware of the dim view the group held of him, and that he had just openly threatened Kaon’s companion, he raised his wings in a self-protective gesture. Even if it would do nothing to aid him, it still made him feel a bit better. “Do correct me if I’m wrong, but I am assuming from the way you look at him that you all want to reconcile with Knock Out. If so… you can’t push him like that, you know? He’ll just recoil from you.” Personally, the flier doubted that the DJD making up with Knock Out was possible, but stranger things had happened during the war.

Who knows? The execution squad might surprise him…

Skywarp’s laughter echoing through their trinebond announced what the youngest thought of that idea.

“Until we arrived here, we were unaware there was anything to ‘reconcile’.” Tarn leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chassis.

“Aside from, perhaps, Black Shadow’s stealing of him from us,” Kaon added in a disgruntled mutter, empty gaze off to one side as Tarn’s burning optics flicked towards him.

Thundercracker exvented, disbelief writing its way across his faceplates. “You’re saying you didn’t know the state Knock Out was in?”

“Of course we did!” Helex snapped, servo tightening on his energon cube. “We just thought he… understood our intention. He told us that he did…”

Tesarus looked into his own fuel, remembering a trip he had taken to the medbay shortly before the CMO had gone missing from the Peaceful Tyranny. Had Knock Out spoken much beyond, yes, no and Sir? The grinder didn’t think he had. In contrast to how flamboyant and chatty the medic had relaxed into being with them in the past, it had stood out even then as… incorrect.

They should have pursued all of it more with their little racer, not just left him in his ‘domain’ of the medbay for orns on end...

“The point still remains,” Thundercracker dismissed as calmly as he was able, “regardless of your impression of things, that approaching Knock Out how you just did is not going to work.”

“Why would you care?” Kaon turned his void stare on the blue Seeker, intent despite his lacking Cybertronian eyes.

Thundercracker shrugged, slowly easing himself to a stand and dispersing his empty cube. “I don’t really…” Not for your benefit anyway. “See you all in the morning.” Turning on his pede, he headed out to find Skywarp, wanting to grab his trinemate for recharge…

That was quite enough nonsense for one orn.

Notes:

Thank you for reading - I hope you enjoyed it!

Chapter 5: Fun and Games

Summary:

All harmless Decepticon games, really.

Notes:

It's been a long while since I have written anything in the Transformers fandom but I've missed it, and this little universe has been in my head since Prime and MTMTE's runs. Please heed the tags carefully with this one. Unbetaed.
Special thanks to fierceawakening and much love!
I do not own Transformers.
I slipped in a small The Big Bang Theory reference.
I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter Five – Fun and Games

 

Knock Out paced around his quarters, a phantom itch wriggling through his spark like a tiny scraplet that he had tried and failed to rub away in his washracks under the stream of the cleanser at full pelt. How dare he? How dare he do that to me again? Anger, discomfort, and not a little fear gnawed at him, dangled recharge tauntingly out of his grasp. He had just been getting into something of a sensible rest routine once more, medbay emergencies notwithstanding, and now it had been snatched from him again. Tarn always had to use that damn Voice of his. Before, it hadn’t mattered, had been delightful, but now…

Now, things were different.

The speedster came to a halt, shoulders slumping and a servo going wearily to his faceplates. He was not so naïve to not see that he was playing Starscream’s game, and had been since the Seeker had inserted himself into matters, but… it was better than being a sacrificial pawn of the DJD. And the SIC had been… better than he had been on Earth. Even Skywarp and Thundercracker thought so. The DJD, however, had only ever gotten progressively worse where the medic was concerned, the echoes of it running claws down his circuitry.

The more space he had, had from the Division, and the more he had thought about it all without them venting down his neck cables, the more he had put together and the deeper the wounds had gouged. And they had thought to just waltz back in as if he would see them as his saviours? If that was what they had been aiming for, they would have been far too late had Black Shadow’s intent been ill. Fading-to-grey cherry scrap would have littered some distant moon long before their arrival to New Vos.   

The great, methodical Decepticon Justice Division.

Methodical and so fragging slow as, no doubt, any List victim could attest from the depths of the Well... or the Pit.

His audio twitched as his main door slid open with a light swoosh. There were very few mechs who could just let themselves in to his personal quarters. Starscream, for one, and…

Black Shadow’s pedesteps echoed through his rooms, the larger mech coming to stand beside the medic as a protective shadow.

…the phase-sixer for another.

The flier laid a servo lightly on Knock Out’s shoulder, a reassuring grin on his faceplates lighting the dimness the medic had retreated into. A helm gestured to the berth, and the CMO nodded readily enough. Black Shadow wrapped his strong frame around him in a tight cocoon, and Knock Out’s vents came that little bit easier.

And recharge soon followed.

***

The next morning cycle, as everyone gathered around the communal room table, Black Shadow took his seat beside Thundercracker and was careful to hold Knock Out’s attention as they made animated conversation about the sights they had seen on the way to the phase-sixer’s audience with the Warlord. Nebulas with the illusion of Seeker wings, planets boasting all the colours of a rainbow and more, beautiful star clouds that spanned over seemingly countless light-years… It was pleasing to see the smaller mech in good spirits, especially after the way the flier had found him. And simply delicious to see the DJD silently seethe and squirm at the same sight.

Black Shadow did not want to see all the work and progress made with the racer undone. He found himself… rather liking the medic, enjoying his company in ways he didn’t think he would; enough that the DJD’s treatment of Knock Out increasingly ground his gears to consider. Besides, even the most robust Decepticons knew it paid in dividends to keep their faction’s doctors sweet…

In any case, only a fool would strive to make outright enemies of them.

Speaking of which…

“Knock Out,” an almost sinister smile crossed the phase-sixer’s lip components, “I’ve heard a very interesting rumour about our faction’s medics. Perhaps you would satisfy my curiosity?”

The CMO’s optics sparked keenly as he took a sip from his energon cube. “Well… I can hardly say ‘no’ to you, now can I?” he conceded amiably enough, gesturing for Black Shadow to go on.

“Some mechs think that our medics have a kind of…” He pretended to search his processor for an apt word, looking forward to the inevitable bristling from a certain group of mechs. “A kind of list of mechs that have slagged you all off enough that none of you will treat them. Is it real or just an old proto-hatcher’s tale?”      

Knock Out licked over his lip components, letting the silence drag on longer than truly necessary, then he chuckled. “Oh, of course it’s not real. That would be a terrible,” an icicle of a smile, sharp and cold, flashed across his faceplates, “terrible thing.”

“It would, indeed,” Tarn agreed with grave solemnity, energy field dropping over all present as a heavy, blanketing weight.

::Mood killer,:: Skywarp privately grumble-commed those on his side of the table as each of them worked to push off the smothering influence suddenly atop them, interrupting their trinebond chatter as well as out loud conversation.  

Starscream was prevented from giving voice to the stinging reprimand building in his vocaliser for the singer by the door to the side of him, behind Thundercracker, sliding open to reveal a mech with his faceplates buried in a large datapad.

A mech who bore an obvious Autobot brand on his chassis.

If he felt the gazes of a roomful of Decepticons land on him, he gave no sign as he crossed the room to the energon dispenser without looking up from his work, murmuring calculations and formulas to himself. Still without looking up, he poured himself some fuel with one servo. Perhaps he would have finished getting himself a drink and left remaining unaware of his audience were it not for…

“Percy!” Skywarp waved to get the scientist’s attention. “Come and sit with us!”

Perceptor gave a start, clear blue optics fluttering as he seemed to come back to himself and turned towards the Seeker’s voice. “Ah… um…” he glanced around the assembled mechs, several sets of crimson orbs staring into his very spark, a mechadeer in headlights. He shifted his weight from pede to pede, clearly unsure what to do, how to hold himself, with the DJD and Black Shadow eyeing him as though he was already just a smear of energon at their pedes.

Vop!

Skywarp appeared next to the Autobot who instinctively took a step back from him, trying to regain some personal space. The purple Seeker laid a hand on the microscope’s shoulder, and they vanished together with a bang of displaced air; only to reappear behind an unused seat beside Black Shadow…

“Every time you do that, I think we’re going to reappear hundreds of feet in the air with you intending to drop me,” Perceptor vented, holding his datapad protectively to his chassis.

“Hehe, yeah!” Skywarp chuckled, returning to his own chair with one final vop, wings still quivering in amusement.

With another sigh, the Autobot accepted defeat and slid into the spot beside the phase-sixer, energon cube coming to a reluctant rest on the communal table.     

“I wouldn’t worry too much about him,” Knock Out spoke behind his servo in a mock attempt to keep Skywarp from hearing him, ignoring the pouting look the flier gave him. “He’s only teasing you.” Then, curling his long digits under his chin, the medic turned to look at the Decepticon SIC.  “As, I’m assuming, was our good commander by not warning you about our guests. Would that be right, Starscream?”

The Air Commander shrugged his wings and raised his servo in a ‘maybe’ gesture, though the half-smirk on faceplates gave him away well enough.

“Just some harmless Decepticon sport,” Knock Out nodded to the Autobot across the table, raising his cube to him, “you’ll get used to it, don’t fret.”

“I… don’t know about that,” Perceptor rubbed his thumb against the side of his cube. It didn’t feel like mere fun and games to him, more thinly veiled threat…

And he hadn’t defected. Not yet, at any rate. He was... still trying to work things out.

“You’ll be enjoying yourself before you know it, I guarantee it,” the CMO promised with a light grin, laying a servo over his spark. Short of causing true bodily harm, it was all mostly in play where their faction was concerned.       

Decepticons befriended each other by putting each other in danger and then not following through, it was how they were.

Primus knew the amount of times Skywarp had ‘pranked’ him with a grab and drop, only to catch him long before he would have crashed to the ground howling with laughter all the while…

“Though Knock Out may be right about the likes of Skywarp,” Starscream drew the medic and microscope’s attention to him, gaze intent on the Autobot at his table, “Lord Megatron is a very different matter. His patience is not infinite, you know. You will have to make your choice sooner rather than later.”

“I am… well aware of the position I am in,” Perceptor held up his arm, revealing a crudely attached device buried in his metal. Dried mechblood was still visible caked around it. The odd state of between he was in couldn’t continue indefinitely, he knew that. “I-“

“Who is responsible for that mess?” Knock Out’s voice, all good humour swept away by indignant fury, cut across the microscope’s.

Perceptor’s processor stalled at the sudden shift in mood, and he stared at the irate CMO with mouth slightly agape. Was Knock Out angry… on his behalf?

Surely not. They were enemies after all…

Yet, here the cherry mech came, striding around the table, behind the Seekers and Black Shadow – “No wonder Autobots think Decepticons are nothing but brutes… Who the Pit signed off on that? I’ll retrain them myself…” – to come to a stop beside Perceptor’s chair between him and the DJD, shielding him somewhat from their murderous gazes. He held out a servo insistently, “Give me your arm!”

Not seeing a choice in the matter, Perceptor proffered his arm as bid, blinking in some bewilderment between Starscream and Knock Out.

“Why didn’t you tell Shockwave how poorly this has been done?” Knock Out asked sternly, reminding Perceptor eerily of times he had gone to his own faction’s medbay after putting off check-ups for too long and had to bear his own CMO’s wrath for the foolishness of it.

“I don’t like to complain about minor discomforts and,“ the scientist felt it even more relevant to point out, “I am a prisoner here.” Or, at least, he was meant to be.

“Oh puh-lease,” Knock Out shook his helm, examining the damage a half-cocked Vehicon had no doubt caused. “Two members of High Command like you, you’re more of a guest here yourself. Short of going out of your way to get on our liege’s bad side, you’re fine for the klik.” If he noticed Starscream’s pointed stare at him, he apparently paid it no processor, and set to work removing the embedded device from the microscope’s exposed protoform; waving off Perceptor’s protests about the trouble he’d be in for it before they could really start. “Medic’s override. Relax.”

A short time later, the device was held delicately between two of Knock Out’s claws, the medic examining it with disapproval. The tracker element of it made sense, an Autobot could hardly be allowed to roam the halls with total freedom, but… “A transformation suppressor? Really? Your alt  form is a microscope for Primus’ sake. You need to change forms for your work surely?”

“Shockwave has to allow it each time,” Perceptor, still somewhat stunned, explained softly.

“How ridiculously inefficient,” Knock Out grumbled, throwing a sideways glare at the device on the table. “A tracker alone would provide sufficient security, surely.”   

“You can’t be suggesting he should be able to transform at will! He’s an Autobot!”

Knock Out felt Tarn’s gaze burning across his back plating and, though the singer’s ability was not in evidence, he still felt his spark clench at the obvious displeasure in the tank’s tone. Finding his voice once more, glad of a pulse of reassurance washed across him by Black Shadow’s energy field, he retorted over his shoulder, “He is also a well-known pacifist with a grand kill count of zero. I am far more likely to come to harm at your servos than his. ” He looked to Starscream in appeal, “Come now Commander, what is he going to do? Stare us to death?”

The Seeker snorted, spark warmed by the amusement of both his trinemates in their link, and waved a disinterested servo in permission.

With a satisfied pulse of his energy field, the doctor set to work temporarily sealing up the Autobot’s arm, just a quick patch job for now. Once done, he took a step back and gestured for Perceptor to stand. “Test your transformation sequence. I want to make sure it works as it should.”

Hesitantly, optics darting about the mechs in the room, the microscope pulled himself to his pedes and put a few steps between himself and anything he could bump into. He transformed then, relieved and a little surprised by how smooth and painless it was after the aching tingling the suppressor had continually sent through his energon lines, could not help himself from doing it again. Finally, standing in bipedal mode, he blinked curiously at the Decepticon CMO.

“Better?” Knock Out quirked an optic-ridge.

“Much,” the Autobot nodded, a grateful smile lighting his faceplates, “thank you.”

There were a few moments of silence, then… “Did I say only two members of High Command like you?” Knock Out clapped his servos together brightly, pleasure pulsing through his energy field. “My mistake, I meant three.” Crimson orbs turned to Starscream, “Let’s keep him!”

“That’s up to him,” the Seeker’s gaze, despite his smile, was cold in its scrutiny of the microscope.

As an uncomfortable Perceptor’s internals twisted and writhed, Knock Out took the opportunity to slice through the device on the table with his buzzsaw with a vicious satisfaction. It had been a while since he had broken anything…

And then his arm wouldn’t change back despite his willing of it.

Contentment dying in a flare of irritation, the medic growled and shook his arm forcefully until his servo returned, glaring at it as though he would smelt it down if he could.

“Do we need to borrow Ratchet from the Prime?” Starscream released Perceptor from the hold his optics had on him, attention moving to the CMO. “Skywarp could snatch him for us easily.”

“Appreciated,” a warm smile returned to Knock Out’s lip components as he inclined his helm to the flier, “but don’t worry, Mein Commandant, I’ll fix it myself.”

“The offer is on the table should you change your processor,” Starscream asserted, nodding to the medic before crossing his arms over his chassis and leaning back in his chair. Then, as if the exchange had never happened, the Seeker turned his helm back to Perceptor, and raised a questioning, challenging, optic-ridge at the scientist. “Now then, what did you have to say?”

“I-” Any response Perceptor might have made, perhaps about not wanting to betray Optimus or the mech he had fallen in love with and things not being as simple as just choosing between them, was lost as a servo landed lightly on his upper arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Put your talons away, Starscream, you’re scaring the poor mech,” Knock Out patted at the air with his free servo in a calming manner. “You’ll give him a spark attack and I’d prefer not to have that sort of thing in my medbay.” Letting go of Perceptor, the medic’s optic-ridges furrowed as a rain of paint flakes fluttered to the ground between them. He rubbed his digits together in an effort to clean off those which had stuck to him rather than fallen, but that proved futile, so he ended up dusting off his servos in disgust. “That’s it! You’re coming in for a full check-up, right now, no arguments. You cannot be walking around New Vos like this! I’ll comm Shockwave that you’ll be late back.” Palm coming to rest firmly in the small of Perceptor’s back, Knock Out urged the flustered Autobot from the room, sweeping the device parts into subspace in stride.

A klik later, they were gone.

“That mech is in an unenviable position,” Black Shadow commented soon after the door lock had blinked to a solid red.

He, and the DJD, all jolted in surprise in their own ways when Starscream started chuckling in open and uncontained amusement.

It’s like he’s got his best friend back, Skywarp purred over the trinebond for Thundercracker alone. Out loud, leaning in over the top of the table, he grinned, “A cube of high grade says that Percy will be wearing a Decepticon brand within two mega-cycles.”

They are fond of each other, Thundercracker answered privately with a happy pulse over the bond. It was nice for Starscream to have someone to ‘play with’, so to speak. “It wouldn’t surprise me,” he nodded to Skywarp.

“Nor should it,” Starscream continued to laugh, shaking his helm and taking his energon from the table.

::He let Knock Out act like that deliberately,:: Kaon commed the others in his squad, part question, part statement.

::Apparently so,:: Tarn hummed, displeasure pulsing in his energies.

Seeing the DJD’s disapproving bemusement in the stiff way they were holding themselves, Starscream’s own glee increased twofold. “Talking Autobots around to our way of thinking is rather Knock Out’s forte, and now he has Perceptor to himself with seeds of camaraderie already planted. Despite your interference, he played his role perfectly.” And, Starscream had no doubt, the medic would continue to do so at least until the microscope had defected; perhaps even after that if Knock Out’s professing to liking Perceptor was genuine.

“I still think it was foolish to give an enemy freedom of transformation,” the singer grimaced. “I do not regret saying so.”

“Who said that was what I was referring to?” Starscream immediately countered, tilting his helm slightly. If they couldn’t put it together, he wasn’t going to spell it out for them. He had enough sparklings to care for as it was… Standing, stretching out his arms and wings, the Seeker turned with a wave of his servo and strode out. He had work to be getting on with.

And, of course, Megatron was expecting him.

Notes:

Thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed it :-)

Notes:

Thank you for reading - I hope you enjoyed it!