~Knocked-Out~

Steve

A soft groan filled the room. Weapons were drawn, precautions were ready. Starscream's optics slowly came back on, and he groaned again, lifting his arm to rub his helm, only for it not to budge.  Starscream jerked his head over to see it strapped by an energon restraint to the berth he was currently laying on, the same for his other servo. He looked around, trying to remember where he was. He was in a large room, with a dim light overhead. Laying down in the center of the room was...what the scrap!!

"My wing!" Starscreem whimpered.

The limited light source left the corners dark, but he could just barely make out a figure standing in the doorway.

"So...the seeker awakens." Starscream recognized the voice immediately.

"Where am I?" He demanded. "What happened to my precious wing!"

"Chillax Screamer, you're in the medical bay. Now shut up, it's my turn to do the talking."

Knockout stepped into the light, his face turned lightly down into a faint scowl.

"What are you doing here?" He growled, and Starscream whimpered.

"I...I don't even know where here is!"

"Do I look like an idiot to you? You know very well where you are, and you might want to show some more appreciation. After all, we did save your spark."

"The autobot base." Starscream gasped. "Oh, thank Primus!"

"Pht, you almost act as if you're grateful."

"I am! This was my final destination in the first place!"

"Yeah, so you could blow it up and kill us all."

"No, no, you misunderstand! I wish to speak with Prime."

"I doubt he'll want to speak with you."

"Do not assume so, Knockout." A voice echoed from behind him, and Knockout whirled to see the tiny Prime standing at the doorway, with Ratchet behind him.

"Uh, Optimus, sir! You do understand that it is a risk for him to see you in this vulnerable state." Ratchet protested, glaring at the seeker, who was trying his best to look over Knockout's shoulder.

"I sense change in Starscweam. I do not believe he means us harm."

"Starscweam?" The seeker muttered, utterly confused as to why he could not see the prime, nor who the childish voice was coming from. Suddenly, Knockout moved from his position, and the overhead light grew brighter, filling the room up, causing the seeker to squint and squeal at the sudden change.

"Starscweam." Starscream jerked his head over in the direction the voice had come from. There, in the center, he spotted Optimus.

"Optimus?" He asked in shock, not even realizing he used the Prime's name without any hatred. "What am I doing here?"

"We spotted you falling, and saved you."

"Well, then...thank...you." He muttered.

"Now may I ask why you were plummeting?"

"Megatron shot me in the wing." He growled.

"Why would Megatron do such a thing?"

"He found out I planned on joining you."

~~~

In all the years of fighting, lose and gain, being blown up, shot at, even hit at, the Nemesis never seemed so tense, until now. All the troops snuck around cautiously, with fear in their sparks. Soundwave refused to leave his research room, and Shockwave had left to one of his off-site labs. The furious screams and the crashing of objects filled every room, and everyone did their best to avoid their storming master; those so unlucky enough to run into him met a fate that included their heads being ripped off.

Now Darkshade, who had the unfortunate luck of being in recharge the whole time, had no idea of her master's rampage, and was utterly confused as to why the halls were so empty when they should be swarming with troops. Having woken up from recharge to find the room empty, she limped down the hall, grasping her injured shoulder, which the bandages held from leaking energon. She heard the ped steps of the warlord approaching, and thought them to be heavier and angrier sounding than usual, but thought nothing of it. As she whirled the corner, she accidentally slammed into the chest of the warlord. She whimpered in pain, but immediately stepped back, finally noticing Megatron's scrunched up expression.

"Lord Megatron! I apologiz..Arg!" She cried out as Megatron grasped her by the shoulder and sent her flying aside into the wall. She collapsed, watched as the warlord stormed away, and cried at the pain in her shoulder, it was almost as bad as it had felt the day she was shot. She didn't even try to get up, she knew she wouldn't be able to, and that it would only cause her more pain.

"Please, someone, help me." She whimpered silently. She stayed crying there for an unknown while, until she heard soft ped steps approaching, unlike the angry ones Megatron gave out. A trooper whirled the corner, and froze at the sight of the crippled femme. She closed her stinging optics, expecting the trooper to pass on. But then, she felt a soft tap on her on the helm, and she looked up, at a long spindly servo. She looked up at the trooper who held the servo out, and, smiling, took it, and accepted his help in standing up, grateful.  Once she was finally steady on her peds, she turned to the trooper, who was attempting to sneak off.

"Hey, you!" The trooper froze, then turned around slowly, shaking in fear. "No need to fear me, what is your designation."

"S...steve." His metallic voice echoed.

"Well then, Steve, thank you."

"Pl...please don't tell Lord Megatron." He whimpered.

"Why do you not want Megatron to know of your kind deed."

"He would rip my head off!"

"Surly, he wouldn't rip your head off for helping me up."

"He did it to Peter."

Darkshade was silent for a moment, shocked at what the trooper had said. She had no idea who Peter was, but if this trooper was so shaken up by it, it couldn't've been good.

"Fine then, I will keep this between us." Steve nodded, then turned around and scurried down the hallway. Darkshade shook her head, laughed half-heartily, then continued limping down the hallway, wincing at the pain each step brought.