The Lights We Burn (tfp Knockout/Breakdown X mech!reader)[DISCONTINUED]

2: A Mission Incognito

"Soundwave, I'm going out for a ride." I said to the silent mech, Soundwave nodding his understanding while Starscream groveled as usual.

"And why are you going out?" Starscream asked with an arrogant expression.

"Because lately you've been giving me a processor ache the size of Primus." I snapped in reference to his recent mishap with an energon harvester.

"THAT WAS HARDLY MY FAULT!" He practically shrieked.

"If you had just returned straight to the Nemesis after retrieving it, we could have tested it on something reasonable!" I growled, grabbing the seeker by the chassis and yanking him down to my level. "I've been more than lenient with you, Starscream, and you better thank the Allspark. I tend to be more of a pacifist than my sire is."

"Was." Starscream snarled.

"His spark still beats." I growled, shoving the seeker back and glaring at him. "And until that spark stops, he will be referred to in the present tense." Starscream was quite baffled by me and said nothing as I stormed out towards the ground bridge.

I activated the bridge and shifted forms as I zipped on through, emerging in the middle of a dusty desert outside the human city of Jasper. I activated my holoform and hit the streets, keeping my optics open for anything of interest.

And of interest, I did find as I pulled up to a parking lot next to a teenage boy and a familiar blue two-wheeler.

"Nice ride." I said, both the boy and the disguised autobot stiffening.

"Oh, um, thanks. It's new." The boy lied poorly.

"It's one of those fancy imports, huh? It's kind of like mine." I said, my holoform smirking under his helmet. "They say they're 'out of this world.'" Now I was just toying with them. "Say kid, I got a question for ya."

"Um... what would that question be?" He asked nervously.

"Ever seen something weird out in the dessert? Like giant blue crystals?"

"No?" He lied unconvincingly.

"Well, if ya ever wanted to check out something like that, there's a cave full of them around 10 miles north. Found it when I was trying to find this place. Might be worth checking out."

"Well, I guess I will with my friends."

"Neat. Anyway, it was nice seeing someone with a similar motorcycle around here. Keep yourself safe, alright?"

"Y-yeah you too."

I then tore off towards the cave I had mentioned to them, kicking up plumes of dust under the setting sun.

'The Autobots will no doubt at the very least be curious.' I thought as I entered the cave and found a perfect perch to hide in. I climbed up the side and squeezed myself away, my arm ejecting a sniper rifle. 'And when they do, they won't know what hit them.'

Sure enough, 3 of the Autobots emerged from a ground bridge with weaponry drawn, the group consisting of Optimus himself, Bumblebee, and Arcee.

"This is the location that guy mentioned." Arcee said. "Although i doubt it was an actual human. But he seemed familiar."

"There are very few two-wheelers among the Decepticons." Optimus said. "We can only hope that this individual was not one."

'Yeah, right, you murderous slag.' I thought as I took aim at Optimus's shoulder. 'Now, come to me.'

The Autobots took a few steps forward and near the entrance of the cave, Optimus making the mistake of going in first. I then fired a shot that struck the Prime right on target, forcing him to stumble back with a loud grunt. I then fired at his leg and sent him down, Bumblebee and arcee wildly blasting inside the cave and missing me by mere centimeters. I then shot Arcee in the chassis and sent her flying back, Bumblebee receiving the same treatment afterward.

Now the Prime was all mine.

"Gullible as always." I said coldly as I jumped from my hiding place and ejected my blade, Optimus, and the others, forcing themselves back to a stand with significant injuries as they backed away. The Autobots backed away as I stepped into the light, their optics going wide in fear at the sight.

"Impossible." Optimus whispered.

"What's the matter, Prime?" I sneered. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Optimus, who is this guy?" Arcee asked.

"Oh my, it seems that you've kept secrets from your pathetic little friends." I said with a waggle of my digit. "Afraid to tell them of what you had done?"

"What is he talking about?" Bumblebee beeped.

"Your precious Prime is a murderer." I snarled, anger filling my tone with thick venom as I bared my razor sharp shark like denta, the only thing I really inherited from Megatron. "And murderers deserve death!"

"You are outnumbered." Optimus said. "Stand down."

"I'll stand down when each and every Autobot lays dead and rusted!" I then charged at the trio and landed a slash, instigating a battle between myself and the trio that rang loudly all around. As I fought them, I heard the chirping noise of Lazerbeak from above and a ground bridge open shortly after. Several vehicons charged out and engaged with the other two Autobots while I remained focused on Optimus.

"Listen to me!" Optimus said as our blades locked together in a spray of sparks. "You can stop this!"

"Never! Not after what you've done!" I snarled as I shoved him back and slashed again and again. "You sent those bombers to an unaligned settlement! A settlement that was meant as a shelter! AND YOU BURNED IT TO THE GROUND!" I stabbed at Optimus's tanks, drawing a puddle of energon from the wound. "That fire took innocent lives."

"It... was a mistake." Optimus grunted.

"A mistake I won't let you repeat." As I raised my arm to take out, Optimus Bumblebee tackled me to the ground, the pair of us rolling around and wrestling in a dirty and deadly brawl, kicking up clouds of dust and dirt. I bashed the side of Bumblebee's helm and managed to squirm back up just in time to get stabbed in the back by Arcee, the blade errupunting out of my tanks with a splat of energon.

"Nice try 'con." Arcee growled, ripping the blade from my back.

"Prince Y/D!" One of the vehicons cried out, he and a few others swarming around me and forcing the Autobots back. I stumbled a little and tried my best to remain conscious, but the rapid loss of energon was making it more and more difficult.

"Fall back!" Optimus ordered, a ground bridge opening and the trio fleeing the scene.

"Soundwave, prince Y/D is hurt." The vehicon reported, my legs buckling as I lost all feeling in them.

"D-dammit..." I whispered. "I... I almost had him."

"We will get you back to the med bay." The vehicon said as he and another helped me up and half carried half dragged my weakening form through a ground bridge and directly into the med bay. The last thing I saw was my sire still in stasis before darkness encompassed my vision, followed by my potentially final words.

"I'm sorry, sire. I... I guess... they were right about... me not... not being a good... warrior."