[ti]Ep 2.5[/ti]Unleashed Creativity [Knock Out]

[Deleted]

Ep: 2.5 – Week: 2 – Day: 1

Location: Blackridge Hold/Medical Bay.
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Nearly two days had passed once he had made it to their temporary stronghold. A base, secretly located in an area what the locals seemed to call 'Oregon'. It functioned as their new home for the time being. And with the Nemesis down and their Leader missing, it was among the seeker to take control of the faction now, so Blackframe had heard.

For many it was still a mystery of how their rueful predicament came to be, but rumors had spread quickly as the troops talked and speculated over it. From whispers of an Autobot attack, an infiltration, up to someone of their own manipulating their system and causing the ship to crash. But whatever the case, the black and white mech had something else to worry about.

Right now, he strode along the hallway, seemingly unimpressed and more disappointed with the fact that their faction now have to rely on carved out corridors made of stone instead of proudly built metal constructions. But it was still better than the outskirt of Arizona he had found himself in a few weeks ago. Dry shrubbery and rocky terrain was so not his thing!

However, it would certainly take some time to get used to their new hiding place, and the new layout that came with it. It was small, way smaller than their previous fortress! Which was, in all honesty, to be expected as this base wasn't constructed to welcome such a large amount of Cybertronians into its halls all at once.

Though, the path he was currently taking was thankfully one of the better refurbished ones; cleaner and larger. It led straight to the medical-bay, and for once, Blackframe felt nervous.

While he wasn't in need of medical attention, as he was more than capable of applying bandages properly to his own frame, it let him pause in his steps momentarily. Most others probably would have turned and walked away by now, but he just stood there for a good amount of time, thinking.

It wasn't his usual reaction when mulling over a place that could be stuffed with injured individuals, but there was a reminder that struck him from past events; the medic could be busy, especially with all the banged-up individuals checking in for repairs. Knock Out was a hard working mech, Blackframe knew that, and sadly, he knew that he was currently their only medic, at least the only one qualified for this job. While Knock Out had Breakdown working to assist him, it still was a lot of work to accomplish nonetheless. And one only could do so much anyway!

He shook his helm quickly in order to clear his thoughts, then rose a servo, tapping it at one side of his helm to open a frequency addressed at Knock Out. He would speak carefully, trying not to startle the red mech should he be occupied with something important.

::Hey, Knock-Knock! I dun wanna interrupt somethin' importan' but do ya have a moment? I'm... on ma way to yer med-bay by the way, I... guess? Just wanting to let ya know in case yer busy or somethin'.::

Inwardly he flinched, knowing that it wasn't the best choice of words, definitely, but that wouldn't stop him from announcing his arrival anyway. After all, it was better to ask in advance and clear any uncomfortable interference's before storming the area without an appointment.

[Knock Out]

Moving from the Nemesis to this little Outpost they now called home was still something Knock Out was trying to get to grips with. The transition had been hard for a lot of them, but he realized just how spoiled he was – how spoiled they all were – with how good they'd had it.

The equipment for one. While he was thankful to have equipment here at all? It was so much older and slower than what he was used to. Whereas before he could do multiple things at once, and quickly at that? Here he found himself having to pace things out over time, and even then it was still frustratingly slow compared to what he'd been used to. He'd lost his temper at it more than once, a curled fist slammed down onto a metal bench, a few words growled in frustration at everything as if yelling would make it go faster.

But it never did.

It was a hard adjustment, but he'd learn to deal. They all would.

It was here in the Medical Bay that Knock Out found himself, staring intently at a console screen, as if silently willing it to go faster. All he'd done was input some Vehicon designations and it was acting like he'd asked it to solve the meaning of life. So. Very. Slow. After the events of last week with the loss of their ship, he was finally trying to get back into routine. Back into some normality.

“Ugh come on!” getting some sort of schedule sorted out was proving to be far more difficult than it should've been, but he'd gotten this far and wasn't about to give up. The busier he kept himself, the less he'd have to interact with Pyrotech and Starscream and their tempers, and so if that meant hiding in his Med Bay with the slowest console in the world then so be it.

He vented out a sigh, poking at the screen. Did it freeze? Yup. Froze. With a rumbled snort of unamusement he'd reach over to restart the whole thing – pressing the button just as his comm clicked to life. A tiny flicker of panic shot through him, almost like forcing the machine to restart the way he had was wrong and someone had seen and was going to yell at him for it, but- ah, no, it was just Blackframe. He recognized the voice.

Leaning back on the small stack of crates he called a chair, he'd raise a servo to his helm to respond.

::Knock Out,:: he immediately corrected, rolling his optics. ::No, I'm not busy – trying to get some sort of normalcy back in my Medical Bay schedules here, but it's proving to be problematic like most things.:: he chuckled, shaking his helm. He didn't sound annoyed in his response, and would continue. ::Come on over, I suppose.::

Normally he would ask over the comm what the issue was, but eh if Blackframe was on his way over? It could wait until he arrived.

[Deleted]

Knock Out was fast to reply and Blackframe appreciated it.

The immediate correction of his name, however, went by unnoticed as Blackframe chose to not make a big issue out of it. But when the transmission stopped and silence fell between them, he just nodded to himself and continued his way further down the hallway, not finding it necessary to respond back. The medibay wasn't far anyway and the sooner he would get there, the better!

The corridor he was currently using hadn't changed, and of course, wouldn't for the next few moments as he followed its path. The curved out stone walls were as boring as ever to look at and the lack of their glorious architecture seemed to blend into the background by now. But nonetheless, the ones responsible for this construction surely did their best to accomplish such a job with limited resources, and that on the other hand was impressive on its own.

But even as impressive as it was, the whole thing looked rather 'odd' to him, not that he himself looked any better as the dents and dings caused during the crash still covered his whole frame; small fissures and scratches snaked along the outer plating of his armor while scuffed off paint made him look like an unfinished canvas. At least the ripped metal mesh was taken care off, self-repair having done a good job sealing minor injuries away while deeper ones were wrapped in bandages. It was simply cosmetic damage, one Blackframe could easily live with.

...

Once he finally reached his desired destination, the black and white mech quickly came to a stop and inspected the area carefully, making sure that no other individual was to be seen around before knocking against the door frame. Three times! That should absolutely do it, he hoped and leaned against it while crossing his arms in front of his chassis. Gaze slowly drifting towards the ground in the process.

Blackframe respected any medical-bay and wouldn't enter them without the doctors permission, even if he'd already announced his arrival over the comm and had been given the 'all clear'. It was, at least for him, a place to catch some rest and recover in peace, and was overall, an area that should not be violated, neither by patients, nor visitors alike.

And because of this reason, he would wait outside until requested otherwise.

[Knock Out]

The console would go black, taking a few moments to restart, before it blipped to life once more.

Hopefully that fixed things. Their situation had changed immensely since they'd moved to this base – for one, Knock Out couldn't simply leave things with Breakdown to sort out while he went for a drive. Ground Bridge usage was being monitored, if only because Soundwave was the only one capable of even opening the damn things right now. Oh, how he longed to race though, to get out of here and just drive for a little while.

Passing the time with actual work was horrible. He felt trapped, but there wasn't a lot he could do about it until an actual Bridge was built.

First world problems, huh?

Ah well, at least doing it himself meant he could set things up the way he liked. Not for a lack of trust in Breakdown but Knock Out had a certain way of doing things. Rather do it right the first time than have to redo all Breakdown's hard work and get frustrated.

He'd enter his login into the console, leaning back on the chair once more as he waited for it to load – when three knocks pulled his attention away from the screen, and he'd turn to look at the door in dismay.

Seriously?

He was all for manners, but this was the Medical Bay – anyone could come in, they didn't have to knock. Ah well, it'd give him the chance to stand up and stretch – he'd been sitting for far too long in front of this frustratingly slow console.

Pulling himself into a stand, he'd nudge the makeshift chair closer to the console before giving a gentle roll of his shoulders, making his way over to the door. This was one of few rooms here at Blackridge that had a door, and yet he knew even without looking that it was probably Blackframe on the other side.

It was. And while he could've scolded him for knocking and not getting straight to the point, he decided to behave and would manage a weak smile at the other mech.

“Ah, Blackframe. And to what do I owe the pleasure?” he stepped aside, gesturing toward the room so the other mech could make his way inside should he want to.

Which, Knock Out hoped he did – one of his biggest pet peeves was people standing around corridors chatting.

[Deleted]

The waiting paid off, thankfully!

Blackframe greeted Knock Out with a faint smile of his own once the red medic had made its way towards him. And a quick glance over the other one's chassis was made in return, yep, Knock Out was still Knock Out. The red paint clashed with the gray and gloomy rocks that coated this base and dominated over the area. But it was good to see that at least their CMO could maintain his reputation and work with what they had left.

Shiny!

“No need for fake amity. But it's noted. Though, I hope you really aren't busy right now, 'cuz I do have some... uhh, stuff 'n things to ask for. I would need to borrow a lot of stuff from you if you don't mind?”

A small pause before he would turn his attention to the red medic fully, rubbing the back of his helm in an awkward way.

“And when I say a lot of stuff, I mean a lot of stuff.”

He replied and followed Knock Out's invitation to enter the room, curious of how the medical bay would look like compared to their now submerged ship. Blackframe did not wander far and only haltered momentarily to inspect the layout with a carefully trained optic to catch even minor details. His facial expression slowly shifted downwards at the realization of how outdated the area truly was.

He could already tell that the equipment was... sparse. Older machines and consoles seemed to be their way of dealing with things now, not that he would mind as old equipment was still better than none. But he also came to realize that, maybe, Knock Out did not have the things he needed.

Turning to face Knock Out once again, he would wait until new directions were given. The last thing he wanted was to assume something was a-okay, when it may be not. The other was far more experienced with this room and therefor had the knowledge as of where they could talk in private.

[Knock Out]

The glance over his chassis was not lost on Knock Out, and he'd stand up just a little straighter as if silently taking in the attention. He knew he was a sight for sore optics – especially here amongst the doom and gloom of this new base, and he couldn't fault Blackframe for giving him a second look!

Although that attitude quickly changed at what the other mech had to say, and his shoulders would slump some almost in disbelief.

“Oh please, there's nothing fake about me.” he smirked, shaking his head with a small 'tsk'. That's about as far as his amusement would go, however, and he'd stare deadpan at the request that followed.

“Stuff 'n things? If you're one of those annoying mechs who are addicted to Primus only knows what, you need more tact in asking for it on the sly rather than just 'Stuff 'n things'. Just who do you take me for?” he droned, unimpressed.

“As you can see from the state of my Medical Bay, I barely have enough supplies to keep everyone afloat as is without that – ah, maybe I am getting ahead of myself, and being too quick to judge.” he'd jumped to conclusions, he realized. Didn't want Blackframe to get the wrong idea, now!

A quiet hum of thought, he'd nudge the door shut behind Blackframe once he'd made his way into the room.

“I need you to be less vague. One can only do so much with stuff and things – that could mean anything. I like to consider myself good, but please – I'm not a mind reader.”

He made his way back over to the console he'd been working on prior to Blackframe's arrival. The screen was now black, indicating it'd frozen again – and he'd smack the side of it with a curled fist. So much for working and talking at the same time, and he'd swivel back to face Blackframe, arms folded across his chassis.

“Let's try again, shall we? What did you need?”

[Deleted]

The moment Knock Out began to speak was the moment Blackframe wished he could vanish into thin air. The words were everything but pleasant and he could already feel the annoyance within Knock Out's tone. That was not good!

Sure, their CMO was one of the few Decepticons who were more... bearable to talk to, at least in contrast to other individuals, but if the accusations and the rambling attitude was anything to go by, however, he was seemingly judging the situation before a real explanation could be given. It left a bitter taste behind, especially as Blackframe already felt betrayed and hurt.

“So, now I'm not only a tantrum shrieking sword wielding psychopath, but a drug addict too? How lovely.”

He said merely to himself, keeping his voice low and muted as he did not want to drag attention to it. Though, it did grant him the knowledge that Knock Out had indeed, access to such substances and was seemingly willed to hand it to those who asked for it in a more... polite way.

But when Knock Out turned and moved over to one of the terminals, Blackframe kept his optics locked firmly onto the red medic, listening to him talk. The slap to the console on the other hand led him quickly to raise an optical ridge, yet it only took him seconds to realize the connection between the action and the words Knock Out had said over the comm-line not all too long ago.

Interesting! He thought and offered an understanding nod in return.

With this newfound information, a whole new opportunity presented itself in front of the black and white mech, an opportunity that just waited to be exploited. And exploit he would.

“Well, okay, if you insist.”

He started, preparing himself for the grand explanation while keeping his field tucked close to himself.

“I am currently preparing myself for a R.K.D mission, and due to its utmost importance I require assistance in form of items. The first and most valuable would be a container, small enough to clip to my back and allow me to perform admirable in combat, yet large enough to store a good amount of items within. Vacuum sealed and durable, long-lasting if you so wish.”

“The second item would be a functional medical kit, in case of an emergency or incalculable events. Energon rations, enough to sustain me for two or three earthen days, at least. Plus, as you already suspected, drugs, but more in the form of painkillers and numbing agents, not the one's you had in mind.”

He hoped it wasn't already too much to ask for, but would continue nonetheless.

“I also require someone with a skilled servo. Someone with the creativity to restore damaged artwork to its former glory. I already experienced your amazing craftsmanship and came to the conclusion that you would be the best choice in performing such a task. But don't worry, you don't have to accompany me for this... as your lab, here, would do just fine.”

Looping his arms behind his back while he said this, Blackframe straightened up, trying to appear authorized enough to demand such things. He did not know if he would even get the medic's support, at all, but as them being Decepticons and all that, a reward would certainly be required in return.

“And, of course, your service will be gracefully rewarded and the items restored once I return. But to prove my gratitude in advance... I saw you struggle with your current equipment. May I offer my assistance and knowledge regarding the topic?”

[Knock Out]

“Tantrum shrieking sword-wielding psychopath?” He blinked as he repeated it back, amusement in his tone. “Not sure who's been calling you that, but.. I'll keep it in mind.” he flashed Blackframe a wink, trying to put some humor back into the situation before it soured even more. Even though the other mech's voice was quiet, his words had been heard due to the quiet and stillness of the Medical Bay.

“As for the last part, aaah – you have my apologies. You wouldn't be the first to ask me for such things, and you probably won't be the last. I did not mean to offend.”

He really didn't. The last thing he wanted to do was make enemies – but wow, if he had a Shanix for every fumbling idiot who'd umm'd and ahh'd their way into trying to acquire less-than-legal things, well he wouldn't be working in this Medical Bay that's for sure.

Not that Blackframe was an idiot!

He relaxed his posture some as the other mech began talking and explaining just what it was that was needed, arms dropping to his sides. The first thing that was said made his helm tilt some, almost in confusion. R.K.D mission? The heck was that? The container should be no issue, he was fairly certain in one of the boxes of stuff he had yet to mostly unpack there were containers that'd fit Blackframe's needs.

Everything else that was requested was pretty standard and he'd nod as he listened – sometimes when troops left the base for a few days they took a supply kit, and so that'd be no issue to sort out. The numbing agent and painkiller request made him quirk a brow, but he was sure there was good reason for him asking.

The third part though?

Damaged artwork?

Now he was even more confused. Was this guy planning on robbing a human art gallery or something? Sure, Blackridge could use some brightening up, but...

“First of all you need to get me up to speed – what, exactly is an R.K.D mission?” there were a few acronyms that came to mind, but the mention of restoring damaged artwork completely threw him off – and curiosity had gotten the better of him so he just had to ask.

“The things you asked for should be no issue. I can put together a medical kit for you with the items you requested, however the container... aah-”

He moved across the room then to a stack of boxes that seemed to be in various stages of unpacking. Some of these things seemed like they belonged in Shockwave's lab more than the Medical Bay, but the benefit of this was that there were a lot of strange containers in various shapes and sizes, most of them appeared to be vacuum sealed so Primus only knows didn't get out... The Vehicons had lumped everything into boxes in a rush and just dumped them wherever, and Knock Out didn't have the time – nor patience, it seemed – to sort through them in full.

“You will have to look through here to find something that suits your needs there, you know better than I do what would allow you to move with ease for whatever it is you're doing. If you don't find anything you like, we can look elsewhere, perhaps.”

He gave a quiet hum of thought, glancing to the frozen console screen and gave a brief shake of his helm as Blackframe's offer finally sank in.

“I appreciate the offer, but I can make do – thank you. The thing is temperamental at best, I just need to be patient with it.” he chuckled. “I may call on a favor in future, though.”

Nothing was given for free, after all.

“So tell me, damaged artwork, mm? That's... odd. Tell me more about what you have in mind there?”

He didn't mind that his space would have to be used in restoring whatever it was Blackframe was possibly going to bring back, it'd give him something to do – and he was always up for doing things that allowed him to unleash some of his creativity, because by Primus did he miss it!

[Deleted]

The thought of simply leaving the medical bay was more than a tempting idea at this point of time. It was, at least to him, the equivalent of vanishing, just a little more less dramatic than disappearing into black smoke like a magician. He was no wizard. And there was no need in attracting even more attention to the whole situation than necessary. Plus, the sooner they could get to work the better.

And thankfully, Knock Out had been quick with realizing it too it seemed.

As the other began to speak and sort through all the requests that had been made, Blackframe listened, yet remained silent until Knock Out had sorted through his train of thoughts in full. He did not want to interrupt or disturb the medic in any way, but he kept an observing optic on the other, watching carefully as he moved over to a pile of... stuff and things then.

The offer to search through the boxes himself was more than welcome and Blackframe wasted no time in doing so, moving over to where the red mech was currently standing. He offered a faint smile in return while trying to keep his 'poker-face' steady. Which was rather difficult due to the uneasiness he felt.

But with a short clearing of his throat, he turned his attention back to Knock Out, trying to answer his question as best as his words would allow.

“Well, it's just a fancy term. Nothing official, just... something mech's like me used to say to sum up squad meetings. Before the war, that is. It translates into Retrieve, Kill, Destroy, the most common order someone could get when tasked to an objective, that's all.”

He explained as he began to focus on the pile in front of him. The black and white mech took his time and his gaze wandered slowly yet curiously over the various shapes and objects stored within the boxes. Though, it didn't took him long to find something of interest. It wasn't big, nor small, but a cylindrical shaped container, mid size was definitely something he was looking for.

Of course it was rather boring and standard in design, but as long as it had a lid and was able to withstand some damage, it would do its job just fine.

“And yes, it's an absolutely awful name.”

He added in a sorrowful tone before his servo reached out to grab the object within the crates, lifting and inspecting it. Then he tried to squint his optics some as if that would allow him to see more clearly while his own thoughts jumped already two steps ahead.

However, after the words had found their place within his processor, the officer lifted his helm and just stared back at the cherry red mech for a moment, rather surprised to find his offer being rejected so quick. But on the other hand, not really...

Though, if he didn't want or needed the help, well, Blackframe wouldn't argue about it as he had gotten what he wanted; Knock Out's cooperation. And this was far more valuable than anything else, but yet again, Knock out was an intelligent individual and getting his attention in full would certainly be difficult later on.

“Well, your loss, not mine. And don't worry, you'll see it when I have it. Though, when I said 'artwork' I didn't mean pretty pictures.”

It was better to clarify this as quickly as possible as the other seemingly had gotten the wrong kind of idea there, at least if any of his wording was anything to go by, that is. Blackframe just hoped he hadn't crushed Knock Out's expectations just now, but he found it necessary to clarify the meaning of his statement.

“I'm going back to the Nemesis, and will recover what you guys wouldn't even think of saving. The most valuable of items and the might of the whole Deception- well, okay, scratch that part. But you'll get the idea there, so say, how much of the Nemesis had been already salvaged? What's the status?”

[Knock Out]

“Retrieve, Kill, Destroy?” his brow furrowed. “Mm. I assumed as much.”

Not that it helped explain what mission Blackframe was going on, but at least they were on the same page with what the abbreviation was, at least.

Knock Out wasn't privy to a lot of missions being sent out by Starscream or Pyrotech – he only found out about the majority of them after the fact, when Vehicons came crawling back to him with missing limbs, or even worse – dragged back by others to be recycled for parts.

He'd watch quietly as Blackframe began rummaging through the boxes. He knew at some point he'd have to track Shockwave down to ask what items in there belonged to him – if any of them did at all – but for now they weren't in the way, and he didn't feel like going to the effort of sorting them out, so in the boxes they would stay for now.

“My loss?” he chuckled, waving a hand almost dismissively “The equipment here is nothing like what we were used to on the Nemesis – even if you did take a look I am sure it'd be on the fritz again within hours. I'll make do, I'm starting to learn its ways.” he smirked at that, a smirk that faded as the last thing that Blackframe said finally seemed to sink in.

Oh, so not 'artwork'? Well that was a shame, he was looking forward to doing something fun and creative for once.

His expression remained flat as Blackframe went on to further explain what was going on. Going back to the Nemesis? Was he mad? Was this some solo mission or had Starscream begun sending people back there to gather more things? He assumed they'd already gotten everything of value or use but.. he didn't know for sure. Realistically there was probably a lot left down there, although why anyone would willingly go back there – especially on their own – was something he couldn't quite work out. He never would, not while it was flooded and dangerous!

“What ah- what things are you going to be looking for down there? I hope you aren't planning to go alone, at least take a Vehicon with you,” that was more of a suggestion than an order, but he hoped Blackframe would take note “At least that way you will have someone with you, yes?”

A hum of thought at the question, and he'd gently shrug.

“Status? Not sure, personally. I assume by now the majority has flooded completely. Not impossible to navigate, just... a pain, I'd imagine. As for things already salvaged, hard to tell. Some Medical Equipment has been retrieved, although due to being waterlogged it's not fully functioning yet. I assume important things from Shockwave's lab have been rescued also, but other than that..?” he trailed off, frowning.

“I am sure some of the Supply Rooms are still full of things, then again given the impact of the crash itself and the fact it's been underwater all this time? Who even knows if things are still in one piece down there.”

His optics narrowed into a squint, peering at Blackframe curiously.

“I have to ask- why are you going back down there? Just what do you hope to bring back?”

[Deleted]

Blackframe rolled his optics at Knock Out's statement about the equipment, but when he continued to delve into the state of the Nemesis at hand? He quickly locked his attention fully onto the medic's words, taking in everything that was said.

While he knew that their beloved warship was currently resting at the bottom of the ocean, he simply did not fear its surrounding. He had been through worse and a bit of water did not scare him. Though, the state of the ship itself was something totally different. The fact that it lay upside-down was already a huge problem if someone considered that... well, everything that was originally mounted on the floor, would now hang at the 'ceiling'.

A thoughtful hum left his vocoder as he went over various tactics of approach, before he began to realize what else Knock Out had said.

The suggestion to take someone with him wasn't lost to the officer, but the mentioning of the purple drones caused his face to distort into an awful grimace then, staring blankly into the distance as the corners of his mouth pulled down a bit. It somehow felt as if he'd been slapped in the face with a rotten fish.

Blackframe didn't quite well liked the Vehicons, for various reasons in fact. He found them rather boring as they tend to have no real personalities aside from their identification numbers and a few quirks he assumed were errors or glitches within their programming. They were too clumsy and overall too dumb, and he wouldn't waste time by trying to tell them apart. It was just not worth the effort.

But as much as he despised them, he had to agree that they were useful at times, especially when it came down to simple grunt work and cleaning duties. Sometimes they did even a better job in cleaning the ship than the vacuum-sweepers he'd found in one of the storage rooms. But anything else? Meh.

“Well, erm, no! I can do without them, really. They don't have the processor power to even comprehend the complexity of my plan. I'm digging for the ships data-base itself, if you know what I mean. I can't stand the fact that all of our efforts and work is still logged within the Nemesis system and nobody even cares. All it would take is an Autobot rummaging around down there and take it before we do.”

A short pause before his optics shifted down to look at the container, rotating and inspecting it again.

“They always tend to operate in a certain pattern and like to stick to their formalities, and I doubt that this has changed when I left. So yeah, I want to be the first down there...”

Looking up to meet Knock Out's gaze once again, he fiercely stared at the red mech for a long second before continuing. This time with a far more threatening tone.

“... and I will kill everyone who gets in my way, Bot, or Con, doesn't matter. My mission takes priority and I always accomplish my mission. Soo~”

His arm extended, holding the cylindrical object within Knock Out's reach just so the cherry red mech could grab it without a problem if he so wanted. It lay loosely in his servo, digits faintly curled around it in order to prevent it from falling out of his grasp.

“You think you could fine-tune this a bit? Give it an extra clipping mechanism, a new paint job and a protective coating? You know, make it more water proof and all that. I don't want to risk anything.”

He let a wide and creepy grin paint his faceplate then, hoping that Knock Out wouldn't back out of it now.

[Knock Out]

The grimace in response to his suggestion about taking a Vehicon along made Knock Out quirk a brow. While the Vehicons were not particularly liked, they did have their uses… Knock Out himself had certainly warmed up to a few, if only because Breakdown didn’t instantly dismiss them.

“They are lacking in processor power, yes - but I meant… more like you should take one as backup, given we are unaware as to the current state of the Nemesis. Going down there alone, well,” he flippantly waved a servo at that “Probably not the smartest of ideas. What if you got trapped, or crushed beneath something? Having a Vehicon buddy along would save you a lot of potential hassle.”

A pause.

“The database? Mm - have you checked in with Soundwave about such things? Maybe he could go with you instead, given that seems to be his area of expertise…”

Knowing Soundwave, he probably already had the contents of the Nemesis’ files and data, but he couldn’t know for certain.

The comment about killing everyone who got in the way regardless of faction made Knock Out falter some, turning his attention to the other mech and eyeing him up and down.

“Uh- No, no you won’t, Mr. Tough Guy. With the current Truce in play, if there does happen to be an Autobot down there, well, I assume Lord Starscream would want to know what they’re doing down there to begin with. As for shooting a Decepticon - are you out of your processor?!”

The distaste was written all over Knock Out’s faceplate as the cylindrical casing was held out. There was a moment of hesitation, before he took the object from Blackframe, listening to the requests with a bob of his helm.

“Certainly. Although I have to ask- this mission of yours. Have you actually ran it by anyone?”

He got a weird feeling about this guy and this ‘mission’ of his. Part of him wondered if he’d even been authorized to do such a task, or if he was simply trying to be a hero. The grin unnerved him, and he’d avert his gaze, peering down at the cylindrical object while he thought over how to go about fixing it up as requested.

[Deleted]

As Knock Out took the object from him, Blackframe stared blankly at the other one's faceplate, mouth hanging open in utter confusion. His processor tried to catch up, working through the questions and information that had been presented, but struggled with the task to form a coherent sentence.

While he had paid attention of what had been said, it took him a moment to mull over it completely.

The first thing that straddled his mind was the mentioning of Soundwave. Granted, Blackframe knew well of the spymasters capabilities and that he'd probably obtained most of the ship's data-base already, but the name itself reminded him of their first encounter, which hadn't been pleasant at all!

The thought of having Soundwave at his side while roaming the ship was certainly something that could be compared to a horrific nightmare. One, he would rather like to avoid. The Communication officer had proven his point and physically demonstrated his intentions, had cut this thin thread of trust Blackframe had held onto. Now, this trust was gone and he would rather take Knock Out by word and get a Vehicon buddy instead. It certainly would be easier that way anyway.

But the second and overall most confusing part was that Knock Out seemed to be so out of his comfort zone when he'd addressed the termination of their own faction members. It made him wonder if the medic had ever seen a battlefield up close. After all, it wouldn't take a scientist to know that war was brutal and that more than often individuals began to tear their own team members apart, were it by accident or purpose.

Blackframe for his part, had experienced a lot of those situations already and even participated in it as well. It was a necessary evil to maintain a well functional crew. For him, terminating someone who seemed to be a liability for the rest of their team was just a standard procedure! A quick stab in someone's joint, or a sharp blade cutting through someone's throat, the pleading and begging voices that filled the air were always music to his audials... and so was Knock Out's next question.

“Eh? Yes! No! I mean... what?”

Startled and confused, he began to find himself grounded into reality once more and started to realize that the red medic had moved on.

“Erm, no- Soundwave can suck my tailpipe big time, I'd rather take one of those trash compactors with me than him.”

He sneered, hoping that would get the point across.

“And no, I haven't talked to anyone about this just yet! Except, well, you of course. I don't want to disturb anyone without having the needed supplies at my disposal first, you know, to proof its success and to maintain control over the situation.”

Shifting his weight some, he watched the red medic intently. Squinting his optics.

“And for your information, my processor works fine, mind you, would ya? But just to clarify something, I killed Cybertronians even before the war, legally if I may add. It was my profession, so terminating one of our own is like you performing a surgery. I'm doing my job, the only difference is that, well, my patients die during the process.”

He snickered in excitement, hoping it would clarify the situation.

“So? You think you can handle that?”

Pointing with a digit towards the container in Knock Out's servo, the black and white mech cocked a brow, trying to remind the red medic of their priorities.

[Knock Out]

“He can what?” Knock Out blinked, double checking that he’d heard the other mech correctly. Either this guy was stupid, or they were thinking of a different Soundwave.

“You know he’s probably listening in right now, mm?” he’d raise one servo to vaguely gesture around the small medical bay. “Don’t have the luxury of quite as much privacy since the loss of the Nemesis. The walls had eyes there, don’t get me wrong, but here? Even more so.”

He would move as he talked, wanting to make the adjustments and modifications needed to the cylinder so Blackframe could… do whatever the heck it was he was going to be doing. Knock Out got a weird vibe from the other mech, and the sooner he was out of here the better.

“As for the Vehicons…” he droned, not stooping so low as to call them trash compactors, “I do recommend you take one with you, if only to watch your back. The Nemesis is in a sorry state, going down there alone would be suicide - and I doubt Lord Starscream would send a rescue party if you were foolish not to heed even the most basic of suggestions.”

Honestly, if it were up to him? He wouldn’t send a rescue party for anyone who chose to go back down there. Absolute fools the lot of them - then again he did always prefer to be on dry, safer ground.

Setting the cylinder down, he began rummaging through various boxes until he found a clipping mechanism that would probably suffice. He wasn’t sure what kind of protective coating it would need, probably something waterproof. He’d have to check what paints and other liquids survived the impact of the crash, and if they were even deemed important enough to salvage.

“Well I suggest once you’re done here, you talk to Starscream about your plans. Or at the very least, Pyrotech. He built this place and so I’m fairly certain outranks most on that alone - maybe he can get a bridge onto the Nemesis for you in exchange for you bringing back needed supplies. Just an idea.”

Then again, Blackframe seemed to have his own agenda so… maybe even suggesting to bring back things to help would fall on deaf ears.

The mention of killing Cybertronian’s made Knock Out stop in his work, glancing up and across to the other mech, optics narrowing.

“There’s a stark difference between being contracted to kill someone legally and outright murdering someone just because they happened to get in your way! I should report you for even threatening to kill one of our own!”

It didn’t bode well with him how easily Blackframe had tossed that into the conversation. This ‘mission’ of his wasn’t a priority, or it would’ve been handed down by Starscream himself.

With a disgruntled snort, he turned his attention back down to fixing up the cylinder so it was up to Blackframe’s standard. It didn’t take him long to attach the clip and make it secure, and he then began looking through boxes for some sort of sealant to make sure it was watertight.

[Deleted]

It was more than apparent that Knock Out was not pleased to hear what Blackframe had said. The officer could pick up on it in the way the medic was talking and phrasing his sentences. Careful, mindful of not dropping any 'insults' into their conversation. It was as if the other tried to retain his composure. Whatever good it would do him...

Silence hang between them for a moment and the all too playful atmosphere faded quickly as time went on. But Blackframe remained silent, again, listening, thinking of a respond to defuse the topic some, but couldn't come up with anything to better the situation.

This was really going downhill fast...

“Whatever... I told you I'll talk to someone once I have what I need.”

Murmured words, gritted out lowly into the air.

Of course he knew how important it was to have back-up, he knew how disrespectful the designations were he'd thrown at the Vehicons, but he couldn't find himself to like them. No matter what he would tell himself, they still represented a broken system he so despised, hated so much.

But what he hated even more at the moment, was Knock Out's accusing, his all too quick judgment to label him guilty. Of what? He had no idea. Voicing his opinion? Telling the truth? It was beyond him to understand this, yet it was an unpleasant feeling being called out like that.

“Well! Then report away, I don't care. But before you do, think about that time whenever you've been threatened, think about that time when Megatron hurt you, humiliated you, threatened you... crushed your wheel as if he had the right to do so. Did you report that too?”

He literally snapped as angry words began to fill the room. While he did not yell, he still notched up on volume some, trying to counter attack and defend himself.

“I just wanted to... wanted... never mind. Let's just start over shall we? Is there anything I could help you with, doctor?”

Frustration began to settle in, but it wasn't worth arguing over stuff that had no weight, and so Blackframe gave in -for now- and watched as Knock Out moved over to continue his work. Field pulled in and expression flat and neutral. He slowly moved up to the red mech then, yet would stop a short distance away to allow some privacy. His servos were folded behind his back, posture alert and upright as if awaiting a command.