Optimus Prime's unusual Charge

The Awakening of Steelwing

And as for Knockout, his obsession with unlocking Zucky's secrets would only intensify, driving him deeper into the darkness of his ambition.

Back at the Decepticon base, Knockout finally felt he was on the verge of a breakthrough. He had isolated a sequence in Zucky's biological data that seemed to be the key to her ground bridging ability. His optics widened as he realized the implications.

The decepticon medic entered the sequence picked up on the field a moment ago into the program of the arm mounted device and prepared it for another round of testing.

"This is it," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "This is the answer." Eagerly he mounted the device to his arm. "It's now or never, Knockout."

He vented nervously as he anticipated what was going to transpire when he activates the device. The number of things can go wrong were numerous: Mass displacement trauma, twisted limbs, Metal burn, etc. Even though these were only know to happen if you were going to bridge into a moving space going at high speeds, what Knockout was going to attempt could be easily as dangerous, or worse. This has never been done before, after all. To his knowledge, at least.

He vented one last time. Just as Breakdown was entering the lab, he saw what the medic was about to attempt. "Knockout, No!" Too late, Knockout pressed the button and disappeared in a flash, leaving a burning smell behind.

Breakdown stared in shock at the spot where Knockout had just been, the acrid scent of burning metal lingering in the air. He rushed to the console, hoping to find some clue as to where his colleague had gone.

Meanwhile, Knockout felt a violent wrenching sensation as the device activated. For a split second, he was caught in a maelstrom of energy, his form distorting and twisting painfully. Then, just as suddenly, he was spat out onto solid ground.

He stumbled, his systems reeling from the abrupt transition. When he managed to steady himself, he looked around and realized he was no longer in the lab. The landscape around him was unfamiliar-a vast, rocky desert under a dark, stormy sky.

"Where... am I?" he muttered, scanning his surroundings. The device on his arm was sparking, its circuits overloaded from the strain. He attempted to activate it again, but it fizzled out, leaving him stranded.

As he assessed his situation, he heard the ominous rumble of engines approaching. He turned to see a convoy of vehicons cresting a nearby hill-Decepticon soldiers. Relief washed over him. At least he wasn't completely alone in this desolate place.

The convoy halted, and the lead vehicle transformed into a Vehicon with a menacing glare. "Knockout," the Decepticon growled. "What are you doing out here?"

Knockout straightened, trying to maintain his composure. "Testing a new device. It appears to have malfunctioned."

The Decepticon nodded curtly. "Come on. We'll discuss this further once we're back."

As they traveled back to base, Knockout's mind raced. The device had worked, albeit imperfectly. He had managed to ground bridge without the traditional setup, proving his theory. Now, he just needed to refine the technology and ensure it was stable.

When they arrived at the Decepticon base, Knockout immediately headed to his lab, eager to start analyzing the data from his journey. But before he could get far, Megatron's voice echoed through the corridors.

"Knockout, report to me at once."

Knockout stiffened. There was no avoiding this confrontation. He made his way to the command center, where Megatron awaited, his imposing figure casting a long shadow.

"Lord Megatron," Knockout began, "I was testing a new method of ground bridging. The device is still in its experimental phase, but it shows promise."

Megatron's eyes narrowed. "You risked your life on an untested device without informing anyone?"