[ti]Ep 3[/ti]Trading all tomorrows [ Closed|| Knockout ]

[Breakdown]

Timeline: Week 2 Day 5
Location: Taft Point, Yosemite National Park- California
Viewpoint

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     Breakdown had been scouting new locations each time he went out, and though he was supposed to be working for the cause, it hadn't only been energon he'd been looking for. Knock Out hadn't liked the previous spot they had been at because it was too rocky and risked his pristine finish, so the bruiser had been trying to find someplace that could give them the view he wanted without all the environmental hazards. The ideal place would have been the Nemesis, though that was no longer an option because of... obvious reasons.

     This place had been found on accident on one of his scouting trips and he had taken note of it which allowed him to find it again once he had to return to base. He'd come here a couple of times afterwards to make sure it was what he wanted, and it had proved to be about as perfect as he could come up with. The view of the horizon was cut by the mountains in the distance, dividing the sky from the ground.  gave him enough room to sit that , but he chose to stay in the trees, just staring at the horizon. It was still dark out and though Breakdown wasn't exactly the easiest to spot with his dark paint, he didn't want to take any chances. MECH was still out there, still a threat, and it made him subconsciously watch over his shoulder every time he went out.

     He'd asked Knock Out to meet him here in a simple message:

     :: I'm here. These are the coordinates. ::

     So far the medic hadn't arrived, and he almost hadn't expected that he would show. Lately he'd been so busy that they barely even saw one another. Knock Out was being run all over the place and with the sudden new arrivals he had been pulled between one direction and another to where he didn't even have the time to examine the Vehicons as routinely as they had been able to on the Nemesis. Breakdown had been doing what he could behind the scenes to make sure he didn't have to worry about the small things- such as organizing the tools and cleaning the medical bay at the end of each cycle- but even that didn't seem to elevate that much pressure.

     Breakdown shifted, having been standing in the same spot for a while now, now just waiting...

[Knock Out]

A minute turned to two, then five… then ten.

The only sign that he even planned to meet up with Breakdown had been a brief response not too long after the Frontliner had arrived.

::On my way.::

This was his first time leaving the medical bay in Flatline’s hands. While it was the middle of the night and not exactly peak hours for anything of note at Blackridge, an emergency could be called in at any time, or a straggler Vehicon could arrive from his shift at the mine needing something looked at.

He trusted Flatline, he did, but it felt so very strange indeed not to have either himself or Breakdown there to keep an eye on him. Instructions had been given to clean and sanitize, to get things ready for tomorrow. Simple enough tasks, probably borderline insulting really, but he figured Flatline would get them done without issue, freeing himself some time to work on his own projects.

He’d barely done anything with Breakdown as of late. Working tirelessly to keep up with the demand of all the new arrivals, paired with gnarly mining injuries that came as standard. The equipment at Blackridge lagged things considerably, what was once a ten minute scan had doubled, sometimes tripling if there were many underlying issues.

Yet, nothing could be done. It wasn’t like they could salvage things from the Nemesis and expect them to work. Bogged down with saltwater, what little they’d brought with them before everything submerged couldn’t keep up, and what little they’d managed to retrieve hadn’t worked at all.

To say there was a lot on Knock Out’s mind was an understatement, and even though this wasn’t one of his first choices for fun - ahh, how he missed racing - sometimes a moment to slow down and take in the sights with good company was needed.

And this was definitely one of those times.

He’d driven as close as he could to the coordinates given, shifting forms and making the rest of the way on foot. Ever wary, he kept his footfalls as light as possible as he made his way through the trees. It didn’t take him long to see the other mech, making a point of clearing his throat as he approached, as not to startle.

“Hey you. Sorry I’m late.”

He chuckled, moving to stand next to the bigger mech. 

[Breakdown]

     "Hey." Breakdown's response was short, but he did turn his attention to the cherry red mech when he stood at his side and gave him a small smile. "Nice to see you again. It's been a while, huh?"

     Between Knock Out being pulled in multiple directions to handle the new arrivals and Breakdown being sent out scouting for resources or tending to the Vehicons, they hadn't seen each much of each other- or at least not enough in which to count. Their shared quarters even only had one or the other. Their berth, at once a place where they could spend time together, which Knock Out talked ( complained, really, but Breakdown didn't mind ) about the day, was now just lonely and quiet. It was almost better to just recharge in the med bay instead so he didn't have to be by himself. Their lives were in broken shambles. Frankly, it was irritating.

     "Sorry for calling you out here. Just thought you could use a break from everything. Did you actually tell Flatline you were heading out or did you just sneak out?"

     The likelyhood of there not being some notice that he was leaving the base was low, but he didn't put it past the fancy red sports car to pull something like that in spite of the circumstances. Breakdown knew Knock Out didn't like leaving Flatline in charge of the medical ward, but he had been working tirelessly for a while now and he knew his partner needed the break. Easing the tension on one's processor was never a bad idea, even if he figured Knock Out would have rather been out racing. Perhaps after this little impromptu outing he would offer to spin the tires on the asphalt if time permitted. 

     Which meant, before Starscream noticed they were missing and their comm links were filled with the shrilling protests from their 'Lord'. 

     While he would have normally told him to go for a drive while he watched things ( as was the usual on the Nemesis ), the fact of the matter was that Blackridge was a completely different environment. Breakdown had gotten himself into very odd situations there. Not to mention he couldn't count how many times he'd been lost in the hallways just wandering around looking for something familiar so he could find his way back. Breakdown wasn't really good for anything right now, except for excavation purposes. 

     The blue mech's smile dropped and he looked once more to the horizon. He was glad that Knock Out had managed to come so they could watch the sunrise together for the first time in what felt like ages- he'd given him enough time at least. There was so much uncertainty now that it only added to his discomfort with all that was going on, both in his processor and his spark. All the things he wanted to talk to Knock Out about were just... 

He didn't know. Sure, his partner was the only one he'd ever had as a constant in his life, but he knew where the medic stood in everything. Questioning him, his ideals, his... place... in all of this, was bound to cause trouble. As curious as he was, it just wasn't worth it. He didn't want Knock Out, of all mechs, to think he was betraying him in any way. 

[Knock Out]

“Oh please, Breakdown, I saw you earlier today!”

He chuckled, shaking his helm as he looked out to the horizon.

“I do know what you mean, though.” his voice a little quieter as he vented out a gentle sigh.

It’d been far too long since they’d gotten to spend any quality time together. The last time had been when they’d still had the Nemesis, and even then it hadn’t been entirely planned. Of course, while Breakdown did assist in the Medical Bay and they saw each other on a near-daily basis, it was a strictly professional environment, even in the moments of downtime - as rare as those were. Outings like this? Non-existent.

“Ah, don’t apologize.” glancing up at Breakdown, he would offer the other mech a smile. “Primus knows I needed it- and if anyone can convince me of that, it’s you. As for Flatline, this may surprise you, but I actually told him.” he laughed, tsking and shaking his helm. “Funny how that worked out, huh. From practically sworn enemies to- I suppose we could be considered friends.”

If this were a few months earlier, he would’ve sashayed out with little regard for the black and red mech’s opinion on the matter. While the other mech had responded with some mild sass, it’d been friendly enough.

Part of him did worry about leaving Flatline alone, but there wasn’t much to be done about it - it wasn’t like he could drag him along, nor would he want to if the option was even there.

Shifting his weight just slightly, he tried to relax his frame. To not worry about Blackridge, the masses of paperwork and everything that had to be done in the day to come. Trying to focus on the moment, he would look to the horizon.

“How did you even find this spot, anyway?”

[Breakdown]

      The fact that Knock Out had allowed for Flatline to take over the medical bay without supervision from either himself or Breakdown was telling. He was finally warming up to others, growing as a mech in ways that Breakdown had long since hoped for. Perhaps being thrown into this new arrangement had been for the best, even if it had seemed like the worse thing possible. Breakdown took longer to adapt to the change and there were still things that irritated him ( such as getting lost in the halls ), but if it turned out to be a better situation for Knock Out, that was all that really mattered to him. As long as he was thriving. There was a genuine small smile given in return of the statement.

     "I told you that you two could work out your differences if you just put your prides aside and worked on it. Good job. I'm proud of you."

     It was at the move of his left pede that his frame reminded him that he'd been standing for quite some time and it was wanting to move in some way so he then eased himself down to finally sit. Once he was settled down and comfortable he realized just how long it'd been that he'd been standing still and was mildly surprised his joints hadn't started to rust in place. Especially considering he'd dried in place from the rain storm he had driven through earlier.

     "Actually, I found it on accident while looking for some extra resources we could use back at base. If I remember right a demanding little red mech was requesting a door and just wouldn't settle until he had one. I brought something back that could be made into one and it seemed to calm him down enough to not use the lack of privacy as an excuse to stay in the medical bay all the time."

     Breakdown smirked as he stared at the other mech to wait and see what his reaction would be to the playful jab.

[Knock Out]

If someone had told Knock Out a few months ago that he’d not only be working alongside Flatline, but was on good terms to the point they probably could be considered friends? He would’ve laughed in their face and called them ridiculous.

Then again, Breakdown had said that - a few times. That they could get along if they both put in some effort. To which Knock Out had laughed at him - and called him ridiculous.

That’s why the genuine smile was met with one in turn, and he’d scoff quietly at being called out.

“Yes, well, you did always know best. Who knew it’d take losing the Nemesis and him having his arms ripped off to kindle a friendship.”

He chuckled.

“And after what he did to my face, too!”

That was something he’d probably never get over, even if the wound had long-since healed to the point it looked like it’d never happened at all. Still, though, it was nice to bring up with Flatline in moments when he needed a quiet little guilt-trip.

He wouldn’t sit down when Breakdown did, content to stand for the time being - gaze still outward. It wasn’t often he got to see views like this, a mix of not having the time to do so and the fact that when he did? He wasn’t looking for sight seeing spots like this.

He did appreciate it from time to time, though.

Another quiet scoff escaped him at Breakdown’s words, and he’d shift his weight some, easing from pede to pede as he cleared his throat.

“I seem to recall a demanding little red mech never thanking a certain big blue lug for what he did, either. Then again in his defense, he was awfully flustered and stressed out.”

A momentary pause, he’d hum - placing a servo onto Breakdown’s shoulder. Something he could actually do now the other mech had sat down.

“Thank you. I know I wasn’t the easiest to deal with when we first arrived at Blackridge Hold.”

He probably still wasn’t, at times, but he’d been making the best of the situation they’d all been put into.

[Breakdown]

     "It's not as if you were any more or less difficult to deal with when we first arrived than you are when you get your paint chipped. Don't need to thank me for more or less letting you rant and rave when needed and only pretending to pay attention."

     Breakdown grinned at Knock Out after he'd said that. He never shut himself off from hearing what needed to be said and it wasn't always just in case he was hit with a 'are you listening?' or 'repeat what I just said'. Mostly it was because he cared. If his partner needed to get something off his processor to get it out in the open so he could forget about it to be able to move on to different things or get his opinion on a matter, then that's what Breakdown was there for. The big blue mech had always been much more of a listener than a talker, especially when it came to the cherry red racer.

     "If I managed to not just leave you out in the field somewhere and claim you were sadly lost in a lose-lose ambush situation, I doubt you could have said anything at Blackridge that would have bothered me." He reached up to gently rest his three bulky digits overtop of Knock Out's delicate talons. "If a door would have solved all of your problems I would have stolen every door I could find and brought them to you. You know all you have to do is ask."

     Breakdown looked out past the mountaintops at the dark sky that was filled with small scattered stars. There were few places where he could see them like this, having almost given up hope that there would have been a view like the one he got on the Nemesis. Yet here they were, able to see them clearly without a cloud in the sky or reflective fake lighting from the fleshling's made structures. 

     "I don't always know best, but I can never lie to you. So just take it as my honest words when I say that even though I know where the marks on your face were, I can't even tell they were there to begin with. You're just as beautiful as the first day I laid my optics on you. Much easier to deal with also."

[Knock Out]

“Aaah so the truth finally comes out!” he laughed.

Breakdown had definitely perfected the art of looking like he was paying attention. While Knock Out didn’t doubt that the majority of the time he was actually listening, there were probably a few times when he’d zoned out some. Not that he could blame the big blue lug, when the CMO started ranting about something in particular? He could ramble for hours if the topic had offended him enough.

It was just good to get it out, sometimes, and Breakdown was so very good at listening. Occasionally he’d offer advice or an opinion, but for the most part he was just there to listen - and Knock Out appreciated it. From the smallest, petty topics to things that were far more serious, he knew that Breakdown would lend an audial for as long as it took for him to get it out his system.

“Oh I’m sure you were tempted more than once to do that, I haven’t forgotten what an annoying little glitch I was back then.” a gentle smile crossed his features as Breakdown placed his servo atop his own, and he’d chuckle. “Aah a door, the solution to everything. You did well finding one, especially considering the chaos.”

At least that chaos had probably made things a little easier, and Knock Out certainly had the rank for his rather privileged request, and as far as he knew? Breakdown hadn’t run into any trouble for retrieving said door.

His gaze would drift upward, looking at the stars above. He wasn’t really one for Earth’s natural beauty, even on the Nemesis he rarely ventured up top to stargaze or to look at the view that came with being up so high, but there was something oddly nice about sharing this moment with Breakdown.

As the other mech spoke, he’d shift his attention to him briefly, to show he was listening, before looking up once more, smiling.

“Well, you can’t lie to me because you’re a terrible liar.” he chuckled “Then again after so long together, I suppose I have picked up on a few things. As for the marks on my face…” he paused, reaching up with his free servo to gingerly touch at his faceplate. “Thank you, Breakdown.”

His voice was a little quieter. Normally he relished in any sort of attention, lapping up compliments and enjoying his time in the spotlight, but with Breakdown it was different - his words more genuine, more meaningful to the point he always found himself a little flustered.

“Easier to deal with?” he scoffed, tsking quietly. “Well, okay, I’ll give you that one. Only slightly, though, and I have you to thank for that!”

[Breakdown]

     "Scrap! I opened my big mouth. Now you know my darkest secret." 

     He watched Knock Out as he touched his faceplate, reading into the way he stood and listened to how he lowered his voice. No matter how long they'd been together the other mech always seemed to get like this when Breakdown gave him a compliment or made a sentimental statement. It was cute to see this bashful side of him when he was usually so loud and proud with everyone else.

     "I never need to lie to you, just as you never need to lie to me." He'd caught Knock Out fibbing a time or two, much to his disappointment. Not that they were anything major but Breakdown still didn't like that he ever felt the need to not give him an honest answer no matter how minor the white lie was. "You should never forget that. I'd never be angry at you... no matter how snarky you were."

     He returned to watching him and subconsciously rubbed the servo that was on his shoulder with his much larger thumb digit. Even though his processor may have not been sharp, it was more than aware enough to be delicate since it wouldn't take much to accidently break one of those dainty little talons. No matter how many times all the cylinders didn't fire off quite that quickly, he was always aware.

     Breakdown never let his attention slip from Knock Out, mostly because he never found the need to. From the pettiest thing that had just gotten under his plating to a much more major issue that he had to get off his chest before it boiled over, Breakdown was there to catch every word- even the ones that he may have not fully understood. No matter what the cherry red mech was ranting and raving about he still found every word to have some meaning behind it. At times there were so many emotions that sometimes it was overwhelming with how freely they just spilled over and flowed from the mech without fear of retaliation or disregard for what he was saying- and still Breakdown would listen, watch, and wait.

     Listening to the lack of filter he had to his words. Watching how dramatically Knock Out reflected his words in his body language... and servos ( because wow, did he know how to YELL with those ). Waiting for him to wear himself out or feel better- whichever came first.

     All those times, Breakdown was there.

     What if he wasn't though? What if he left? What would happen to Knock Out if he were left behind? There had already been one too close call where he could have been taken from him when neither of them really expected it. Thankfully he'd only lost and optic and returned home.

     He fell silent as he lost himself to his thoughts. 

[Knock Out]

“Well, as far as deepest darkest secrets go, it’s fairly tame - and a useful skill to have!”

While he himself had (mostly) perfected the art of only partly paying attention when someone was rambling away, he did have moments where he slipped up and got called out. As awful as it was to think about, Breakdown had the advantage of being seen as nothing more than a lowly soldier, meaning it was probably somewhat expected of him to not fully pay attention because… well, most weren’t known for their smarts.

A nervous chuckle was the only reply to Breakdown’s words about lying. Admittedly, he’d told more than just a couple of white lies during their time together. Ever since the other mech had busted him racing that one time, he’d been far more careful about his ‘excursions’ whenever he actually found the time to do them, anyway - which was unfortunately a rarity these days.

“I know.”

He smiled, words quiet, finding himself leaning some into the touch of the other mech. Normally he would’ve fussed, pulled away at anyone getting too close and jabbed them with his Energon prod and followed up with more than a few seething words - but not with Breakdown. For as big and as clumsy as he could be at times, he was so mindful and gentle - even without realizing it, at times.

Even though he was hopeless at showing it the majority of the time, he did so very much appreciate the other mech, and he hoped that Breakdown knew this. They had been through so much together - both here on Earth, Cybertron, and places in between - which was why he couldn’t imagine another at his side.

The silence that followed was not an awkward one - Breakdown wasn’t exactly much of a talker at the best of times, and Knock Out knew and understood that he was probably taking in the moment, enjoying the view. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel there was more to it - and so would cut through the quiet with a gentle hum of thought.

“You’re awfully quiet, what’s on your mind, mm?”

[Breakdown]

     Ah, that chuckle from Knock Out told so much. Breakdown already knew his knack for telling his little white lies about where he was going and what he was doing and he wasn't such a fool to not know what the medic was doing when he hadn't been reporting in to the medical bay. He'd been found out once- Breakdown'd had his suspicions- and afterwards just assumed the little drag races were exactly what he found to do in his free time. Not that the bruiser really minded it. He knew there was no way he could compete with the speeds those little muscle and sports cars reached so challenging Knock Out himself would be foolish on his part and boring to the other mech, so he was more than happy to stay behind and watch over things while his partner entertained his itch to show off.

     Just as long as he didn't run into trouble, that is.

     He was a little caught off guard by the question posed by the red sportster and blinked once to bring himself out of his daze to look at him quizzically. He registered what he been asked and thought of a response as quick as his processor could act.

     "Just taking in how quiet it is." Breakdown wouldn't lie to him. "Base has been so loud lately with all the newcomers and the Vehicles checking out the new sites we pinpointed for resources that my processor just needs some time to not think of anything for a while." There had been so many Vehicons exhausting themselves to the point of malfunctioning that he had been worried they'd lose some of them to complete offlines so he'd been taking on a lot of the heavier lifting. Not only was it his thing, but it took a lot of the tasks off them. It also kept Breakdown busy since Knock Out was off doing his own strenuous tasks more now than ever. 

     "Figured you'd like it, too."

     Breakdown leaned back some and patted his lap so Knock Out could sit down. He may have been able to get him out here in nature, but that didn't mean he would be so willing to dirty up that pretty paint job of his. No point being out here if one wasn't sitting comfortably, either.

     "Here. Sit. Get comfortable."

[Knock Out]

Knock Out didn’t mind that Breakdown knew the truth about his little excursions. They had become far rarer than when they had the Nemesis, if only because it was a little more tricky in leaving Blackridge Hold. Not only because Soundwave seemed to be lurking more than ever, but the cherry-red mech and his assistants were kept busy in the Medical Bay.

The price of progress, he supposed. They certainly weren’t wanting for Energon what with the efforts seemingly going into their mines, and the expansion of the base itself was always welcome. They had their own room now, complete with a door - and while it would never be as nice as their quarters back on the Nemesis, it would suffice.

Even though he was kept busy, at least he wasn’t a Vehicon. Those guys worked tirelessly, and in a way he felt a little sorry for them. But, hey! Rather them than him.

Glancing down to Breakdown as he replied, he could only chuckle. The other mech was such a sap sometimes, though he couldn't blame him for wanting some quiet. The Nemesis was vast, yet eerie silent at times. Blackridge Hold had certainly grown, yet there was still a feeling of claustrophobia - you couldn’t walk far at all without running into someone, or overhearing a conversation. It was something he’d grown used to, but he did appreciate these moments of downtime.

“Mm, the quiet is nice.” a muttered admittance. Even though he wasn’t particularly fond of this planet, he was thankful there were many places they could escape to for a change of scenery.

“It has been busy around the base lately, hm. If you need a change of pace, I’m sure Flatline and I can handle the Medical Bay for a while if you wanted to help with overseeing a mine or something. Primus knows they need competent people doing that.” he didn’t want Breakdown to feel like he had to do that, but he at least had the luxury of assisting in other places that weren’t the Medical Bay.

His voice was quiet as he spoke, turning his attention back to the horizon, only to glance back at the offer to sit. Smiling, he chuckled again.

“Ah, you know me well.” there was no way he would sit on the ground, even if the risk to his finish was minimal and any dirt could easily be brushed away.

Sidestepping, he would gently ease into a sit onto Breakdown’s lap, shifting some to get comfortable as he carefully leaned back against the other mech.

“That’s better.” a gentle ex-vent of a sigh leaving him before he spoke once more. “So, how long do you think we can safely stay out here before Flatline considers us dead and assumes control of the Medical Bay?” he chuckled.

[Breakdown]

     "Of course I do. We've been working together long enough that you'd think I'd pick up on
at least one or two of your dislikes by now."

     Breakdown shifted after Knock Out sat so they two of them could be comfortable, not that the bruiser would ever say he wasn't as long as the cherry red mech was. He sat still until he was certain the smaller mech was happy with his placement before he leaned forward just enough to put his chin on the top of the other's helm. Not with enough force to risk a chip or a scratch in the bright red paint. He just wanted to be as close to him as possible, while not blocking he view for either of them.

     "I thought you and Flatline were getting along now? Unless a quick write off is his usual way of showing how much he cares. At least we both know he'd start by rearranging all of the tools and situating the room to best suit him. That's simple enough for me to fix, so I'm not worried. I think if he didn't assume you died the moment you stepped through the bridge, we're good for a while. Flatline does tend to think you're a bit more dramatic than you really are." He snorted. Knock Out could be over the top but it wasn't as though it really bothered him. Most of the time he just let him do whatever he needed to to get it out of his system.

     "The Vehicons handle themselves pretty well in the mines. If everyone would just let them do their job and stop micromanaging they'd probably get a lot more done." Breakdown always defended the Vehicons in his own way, but he was only super verbal about it with Knock Out. There was no ranking between then when they weren't in the company of others, so they could just freely speak their minds without having to worry about over stepping.

     "It's good to stay busy. Helps to pass the time and at least it's stuff I'm used to doing. Remember when I had to monitor the lab while you went out racing? Learned most of the basics then so I could keep it going while you were gone. I mean... I could be stuck doing paperwork all day. Or... being Shockwave's lab rat. I'm sure I'd rather be offlined."

[Knock Out]

“Only one or two? Clearly I need to be more vocal about my grievances.”

He chuckled. Breakdown did well to put up with him - when something irritated the cherry-red mech, he made it a point of making it well known, and it was usually Breakdown who had to stand and listen to him gripe. He did appreciate the other mech’s patience, even if at times it may not be apparent.

As the other mech settled his chin atop his helm, Knock Out vented out another gentle sigh - not one of annoyance, more contentment - and found himself settling back further. This was nice, though these moments were far rarer than he’d of liked.

“Ah, we may get along but he’s chomping at the bit for my rank. Then again, that is the Decepticon way, I suppose. Still though, who would’ve thought that we’d ever get to this point given our history.”

The other mech wanting his title didn’t worry him - he would absolutely do the same if Flatline or anyone else was the CMO instead of him. Though in all honesty the rank didn’t exactly mean much these days. Still, though, it was nice to have.

One servo would move to rest carefully against Breakdown’s leg, his index digit idly - and carefully - scraping away some dried mud.

“A lot less accidents too, I’m sure. If they were just left to it. Though, there have been far fewer injuries than when we first relocated to Blackridge.”

The Vehicons were where most of Knock Out’s time went - mostly routine checkups, though there was the occasional mining-related injury. These had become far less severe as time went on, and due to the line of work were probably inevitable. He knew Breakdown had a soft spot for the drones, and had found himself treating them with far more care than he used to.

“I do remember. If it weren’t for you I would’ve been in a lot of trouble.” he chuckled, “Though it did keep you from being sent out on the majority of patrols, so I’ll take it.”

After Breakdown had been taken by MECH? Knock Out had become more overprotective of the other mech. If his racing meant the big blue lug was safely back in the Medical Bay out of harm’s way? He was all for it, even if the irony was lost on him in a way.

[Breakdown]

There were times- more now than ever- that Breakdown thought the 'Decepticon Way' had become a little lost in what it had initially stood for. He'd been allowed a different perspective before joining into the faction, and since his rescue by Bulkhead and his meeting with Bee he'd been given even more food for thought. His internal conflicts were on the rise, and it didn't have anything to do with his preexisting issues.

He wasn't sure when he should bring it up with Knock Out. Sure, he'd dabbled in throwing out subtle hints here and there about it, but he hadn't come right out and said it. He knew that Knock Out wouldn't ridicule him for what he said, but there were other mitigating factors that could make other problems for them both.

Like eavesdroppers. There was no telling who may report back just to get in the good graces of their second rank 'Fearless Leader' by weeding out protentional rats. No way would he even be given a chance to plead his case either, and he didn't want Knock Out to get involved in any defense of him.

It was just an awkward situation to be in, and, for the time being, he had to deal with it himself.

"I'm happy whenever there's less work on your shoulders- ya don't stress out as much. At least if Flatline agrees to help out more that means more time for you to get out and go exploring. There's a lot of really neat things on this planet that we don't have on Cybertron."