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

4: Monster Made Of Memories

"Starscream, what's the status on our cloaking?" I asked the seeker.

"It's still down, Prince Y/D." Starscream said hesitantly before turning to a set of vehicons. "Why has the electromagnetic shielding not been repaired?!"

"The crews are working as quickly
as they can com-" The vehicon was cut off by Starscream preparing to strike him, but I grabbed Starscream's wrist and glared at the seeker. Starscream huffed at me and yanked his arm out of my grip.

"We need to repair that as quickly as possible." I said. "No doubt the Autobots would pick up our trail if they found the right frequency. Double the efforts if you can and put everyone on high alert in case the Autobots are foolish enough to try and attack."

"Yes, prince Y/D." The vehicon said with a polite bow. Once they had left, I turned to Starscream and crossed my arms.

"Starscream, would you care to explain why you thought it was necessary to try and strike a vehicon simply giving a report?" I scolded.

"Because they are incompetent! Force is the only way to get them to work harder!" He screeched.

"There is a human saying that I suggest you take to spark." I said with narrowing optics. "You can attract more flies with a bit of honey instead of vinegar."

"Sounds like a soft mentality to me." Starscream grumbled.

"It is a simple fact. Fear can only control for so long before the populous has had enough. If you want loyalty, you have to play nice."

"Bah, no wonder the DJD kicked you out." That comment struck a nerve, and I glared at him with an anger akin to my sire's.

"I wasn't 'kicked out'." I said coldly. "My sire thought it would be best for me to learn under his guidance rather than by myself."

"And yet you still barely know what you are doing."

"That may be true to a degree," I said, surprising Starscream significantly. "But I am learning. But I expect you to respect the crew the same way you'd respect a high-ranking officer. Am I clear?"

"Yes... prince Y/D."

"Good." I then strode out of the control bridge as Knockout entered.

"What was that about?" Knockout asked as I disappeared from their view.

"That arrogant two-wheeler thinks he can sweet talk me into submission." Starscream growled. "Absolutly ridiculous! The Decepticons deserve a strong, alert leader, not some weak little thing like Y/D. And once Megatron is out of the picture, I will make sure Y/D follows suite."

-with Y/D-

"Hey carrier." I said to the sky above, my legs crossing as I sat near the edge of the flight deck. "Sire is still in stasis and... and I'm scared that he will never wake back up. I... I don't want to lose him, but... Knockout and Breakdown both said that it may be inevitable." I then hugged myself as I took in a shaky vent, tears pooling on my optics that dripped to the planet below. "I'm trying to stay strong like sire, but kind like you carrier. It... it's becoming harder and harder to achieve. I just... I wish I knew what I was doing."

I took a long pause in the silence of the flight deck, my mind racing with self-doubt and anxieties. I then heard pedesteps approach behind me, my helm turning to see Soundwave standing not far from where I was seated.

"Hey, Soundwave." I said quietly, the silent mech joining me with a '?' On his visor. "I'm just overthinking again and... and I'm really worried about sire. Knockout said his brain activity is still going, but... but that doesn't mean he will awaken."

"Soundwave, prince Y/D, can you two come to the med bay? We need to discuss the current state of Megatron." Starscream called over the comlinks. The pair of us stood and made our way back inside and towards the med bay where Knockout and Starscream were patiently waiting.

"Knockout, if you would be so kind as to provide your expert medical opinion to Soundwave and Prince Y/D... for the historical record." Starscream said.

"Simply put," Knockout said. "unaided, Megatron could remain in this deathless slumber forever."

"Even with a mnemosurgical data transfer?" I asked nervously.

"None of us know how to perform mnemosurgery in a safe manner." Knockout said. "And the risk of a mind wipe from improper disconnection is far too great."

"Your sire would not have wanted
to be seen this way," Starscream said in a faux tone of sympathy, something I saw right through. "To stand idly by while he remains captive in his own body. It's not just."

Soundwave then pointed to Megatron's neural activity on the monitor, silently arguing about it.

"Brain-wave activity." Knockout said. "Not evidence of consciousness, but merely of an endless dream from which Megatron
may never wake."

"But that would mean his core consciousness is still functioning!" I argued with increasing anxiety and grief in my voice. "W-we can pull him awake."

"Prince Y/D, we must face reality." Starscream said. "Megatron is lost to us. The only honorable option would be to show him mercy. A simple throw of the switch. Quick, painless, compassionate." I looked over to Soundwave, then back at Megatron, the emotions thst had been building up inside, clawing their way out of me.

"If... if you plan on pulling the plug." I said as I struggled to remain stable. "I... I can't be here when it happens. I can't watch another creator die when I could have saved them. I... Soundwave, you have the final say." I quickly turned and left the medical bay, my servo covering my intake as my emotions began to spill. I ran off to my quarters and closed the door tightly shut, the dam that had been holding back my tears bursting.

I fell to my knees and hugged myself as I let out my grief, everything crashing down around me as I cried. I kept on crying and crying alone in my quarters, the quiet wails of grief the only sound.

A sound that attracted a certain ex Wrecker.

"Prince Y/D?" Breakdown asked as he knocked on my door. "Are you alright?" When he heard nothing but silence, he opened my door and saw my broken state, a look of empathy on his face as he went to my side.

I flung my arms around the strong bots neck and buried my face into his chassis as I continued to cry. I don't know what possessed me to do so, but it was what I needed. Breakdown pulled me into a tight hug and allowed me to cry and cry until I was completely drained. At this point, Knockout had entered and saw that I had cried myself into recharge.

"What happened?" Knockout asked in a hushed voice.

"Poor kid cried himself into recharge." Breakdown whispered as he looked down at my comfortably recharging form. "I don't have the spark to move him."

"He seems... peaceful." Knockout said as he joined Breakdown on the floor. "Kind of adorable, really."

"Shh! Don't let him catch you saying that."