Breakdown cradled the little Seeker on his left arm, letting the Fledgling snooze while he hummed a Seeker folk song. Knock Out liked those kinds of things; he liked being told stories, despite his age. Thirteen vorns and still liked fairy tales! Breakdown smiled slightly.

The camp they'd set up was empty aside from them; the Stunticons had scattered earlier in the day, Motormaster telling him to stay and do his job. Knock Out hadn't been happy, wanting to go flying and explore. He'd never been outside of Shu until Breakdown came along; he liked Vos, but wanted to go further. He wanted to see the whole of Cybertron!

"I'll show you everything you want, kid," Breakdown had told him. "Cybertron might not last much longer, though."

The blue Stunticon tilted his helm, looking up at the stars. He wondered to himself; how long would he be able to take care of Knock Out? The little Seeker was excitable, always running off and getting into trouble, which he then had to pull him out of. One day, he might fail his mission and his charge. One day, he might not get there in time.

A star shot across the sky. Breakdown watched it go, then closed his optic shutters and made a wish. "When I die; let me die protecting him."

"Protecting who?" He looked down, sleepy optics looking back up. Knock Out rested his helm on his guardian's forearm, twittering tiredly.

"Did I wake you up?"

"You moved a bit quickly," The red Draka shrugged. He then wriggled around, burying his face into the side of Breakdown's chassis comfortably.

"Sorry, didn't mean it," He liked Knock Out. The little fledgling had become something of a little brother to him; a very bossy, conceited and sarky little brother, but he loved him just the same. Knock Out did indeed go ahead and teach him Seeker song, which he was picking up rather slowly. A few folk songs, greetings, traditional Seeker blessings, and that was about it. The child nuzzled into him, tweeting happily.

"I love you!" He whistled in Seeker. Breakdown smiled, returning the phrase. Knock Out then looked up at him with a sleepy smile. "Sing me a story!"

The Stunticon groaned. Singing was more Dead End or Drag Strip's thing, but Knock Out liked his voice better. It was as if simply singing lured the child into a feeling of absolute security; Breakdown would never let him get hurt. "My throat hurts."

"Pleeeease!" The red Fledgling pouted, pawing at his arm. Breakdown sighed in defeat, then took a moment to clear his processor.

"Once, a long time ago,
Lived a bird, the fatal bird,
Chromaggia." It was an old Seeker folk song; it had no moral, just a hidden meaning. It was one of his charge's favourites, so he'd gone out of his way to learn it off by spark. It made Knock Out ever so happy.

"She flew towards an archer's,
Arrow off the Islands of St. Paul.
For years, she had run,
from the arrow believing that it was,
chasing her."

"Chromaggia, Chromaggia," Knock Out hummed as Breakdown rocked him back and forth, shuttering his optics softly.

"They asked, "why not continue to out fly the danger?"

They could not see that,
the arrow was tied to her wing.

She flew to untie it,

and free them both." He drew the child against his chassis, stroking his wings in a loving gesture. "'By dragging the arrow,
Others are wounded by my carelessness,

my carelessness!'
Down! Towards the devil's mouth!

His arrow, my eyes-"

"Chromaggia!"

Sitting with his servos folded between his thighs, staring sullenly at his knees as the Autobots glowered at him. The two wheeler and the Prime sat across the surface from him, the Wrecker and the Bug standing by the doorway. The doctor was no where to be seen, nor were the humans, thankfully.

"What were you just whistling?" The femme asked sharply, suspiciously. Knock Out looked up, giving her a smug grin.

"Just an old lullaby," He replied, shrugging. "I assumed you were trying to put me to sleep."

She slammed her servo on the table, raising her arm and fist, ready to wallop him across the cheek. But Optimus settled her with a gentle touch on her shoulder, and she sat back down. The Prime looked back down at Knock Out, who'd gone back to staring into his lap.

"Knock Out, this tedious stubbornness will not get you anywhere," He declared flatly, making red on black optics flick up to meet his cosmic blues. "You do not stand for anything Megatron does, so tell me; what do you have to gain by standing at his side?"

"What do you think?" The red mech remarked, looking incredulous. "Stay with him, I won't die."

"We would give you a chance, no matter your past actions," His soldiers looked taken aback, gawking at the serious tone of the Prime. Knock Out just laughed at him.

"Oh, you think I mean I'd die of starvation? Lack of basic facilities?" He chuckled. The medic's tone and expression became dark. "No, I mean I will die because he will hunt me down."

"I am well aware of what you meant," Silence passed in the room, the Autobots still staring at their leader like he'd gone made. Eventually, Optimus sighed, placing his servo on the surface. "Knock Out, I am sorry about Breakdown,"

"Of course you are; you're an Autobot," He hung his head again. "You're always sorry."

"I know how much he meant to you," Knock Out gave a bitter smile, shaking his helm.

"No you don't, you couldn't possibly understand," He then nudged his helm in the Wrecker's direction. "He probably has a better idea than you."

"I know what it's like to lose a loved one,"

"But you have more than just one," Knock Out looked up at him, the two wheeler's hard expression faltering, seeing the Decepticon next to tears. "Unlike me."

"What about your family?" He laughed again, a single drop of coolant falling from his optic that he quickly rubbed away with the ball of his servo. He then gestured to his wheels.

"See these?" He asked, Optimus nodding slowly. He chuckled sourly, letting his helm sag. "These babies drove them away. Breakdown made me love automobiles, and that was a mistake."

The Autobots glanced around at each other, expressions changing at a private conversation on their comms, and Knock Out left them to it, going back to wallowing in self-pity. Maybe if he hadn't scanned that car, Starscream would've welcomed him with open arms, rather than biting comments. He missed the warmth his creator used to give, and he missed Thundercracker as well. Even if he did see Knock Out's new alt mode, the blue Seeker would've still been happy to see him. Skywarp would've been happy too, maybe even been interested in finding out more about automobiles. No, the goofy loon would probably have just babied him until he scream with frustration. The way they wouldn't let him even leave Shu until Breakdown came along infuriated him! Even with Skyquake and Dreadwing's protection, Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp wouldn't let him fly any farther than the crystal gardens.

That's why he loved Breakdown so much; his guardian let him fly as far and as high as he liked, so long as he was always within sight.

"Knock Out," he looked up. It was the Wrecker addressing him, not the Prime. The Stunticons and the Wreckers had done co-op missions several times before the war, and in the beginning of it. He remembered how Breakdown and Bulkhead used to get along rather well, how they used to smile at each other and bump fists.

He remembered when Breakdown introduced him to the green mech, how Bulkhead had greeted him with a silly voice to make him smile involuntarily, and given him energon treats after Breakdown said he'd had enough. Bulkhead was just generally good with kids, it seemed, but Knock Out wondered if he even thought of him as a child anymore. After all, he couldn't be much older than the two wheeler.

"You gave up your wings for Breakdown, didn't you?" He said more than asked. Knock Out smiled weakly, nodding once.

"Made it easier for him to keep up with me," The Wrecker chuckled a little.

"You always were a hyperactive lil' tyke!" It surprised him, and apparently his comrades too. They looked at him like he'd just sprouted a second head, as he just smirked at the ex-Seeker in front of him. "You were worse than Wildrider!" He continued. Knock Out squeaked in offence, servo going to his chest.

"Worse than Wildrider? You hurt me Burky," Oh, the memory of that nickname. It had been an attempt at saying "Bulky", while his mouth with full of energon goodies. It came out strangely, as he tried to keep the sweets from falling passed his lips. Bulkhead, Breakdown and Drag Strip had laughed, and he'd kept calling him Burky after that, simply for their amusement.

"Sorry munchkin," he shook his helm. For a moment, he and the Prime had a private conversation that apparently excluded the bug and two wheeler, from the way the two glanced at each other. Then, Bulkhead gave a sigh and scooted Arcee from her seat, sitting beside Optimus and looking over at Knock Out.

Oh. Prime wanted someone who knew him rather well to be involved.

"Look, what if... what if I protected you in Breakdown's place?" He asked eventually. "I wouldn't let Megatron harm you; you'd be perfectly safe."

"Are you willing to become a Decepticon? Because I'm not willing to become a do-good Autobot. And besides, what about the flesh bag you're always trailing after?" He folded his arms primly over his chest, raising an optic ridge. Bulkhead frowned at the derogative reference to his Miko, then looked over at Optimus.

"Then..." He looked at the Prime too. "What if I was to protect you instead?" Optimus offered, leaning on his elbows as he folded his hands together. "I have no human charge to watch over, and I am battling Megatron for the most part as it is," He pointed out.

"Did you not hear me? I am not Autobot material! I hate humans, I hate Earth, and I couldn't care less about 'innocent lives'." He snorted, looking away.

"But you care about your own life," His vocaliser glitched slightly. "Which is in constant danger so long as you are under Megatron's rule." He stared at him, then at the Autobots.

They didn't know.

They had no clue about Megatron's mental condition, didn't know that he was a basically mindless brute! They didn't know who was really pulling the strings. But then, the Prime still had a point; his life was in constant danger, so long as he was a Decepticon. Soundwave was beginning to get tired of him; without Breakdown's strength at his finger tips, which he controlled as well as the "queen" controlled the "king", Knock Out was nothing more than an inefficient scientist, and a mediocre medic. Yes he patched up Megatron, and Starscream, and Breakdown, and even queen Soundwave himself, but it was well known that he was far from the best, getting by just barely on his knowledge of Grounders. Starscream was no problem, of course; not only was he repairing one of his own species, but one of his creators too. Repairing Breakdown was more of a challenge, his optic being a good example of that.

He still regretted not being able to fix it.

"If you wish to live, Knock Out," Optimus continued, standing up and carefully offering his servo. "You are welcome to join us, and I will protect you as Breakdown once did."

He felt like a child again. Helpless and weak; that was why he needed Breakdown. Because his creators knew he couldn't look after himself in a war. They'd wanted someone to take care of him, someone who understood what it was like being the youngest of their kind, someone who was strong enough, physically and mentally, to put up with defending a spoilt brat like himself. But above all, they wanted someone who could be Knock Out's friend; a Decepticon that felt compassion.

He was lucky Soundwave found Breakdown.

As he sat there, he tried to imagine Breakdown cradling him on his arm again, as he always used to. He so wanted to hear him sing again, to hear his rough attempts at talking to him in Seeker. But that wasn't going to happen. With a shaky sigh, he looked back up at Prime, who watched him with sympathetic, understanding optics.

"I... accept."