Untouchable

Chapter 7

Raindrowner raised her knife to kill them.

Smokescreen froze. There was nothing he could do now. He shut his optics, and flinched, and waited for the impact of her blade to slice him in half. Waited for the hurt, the pain, then the nothingness of death. He waited for his last moments in life to end.

He waited to die.

Only it never came.

Knockout grabbed Smokescreen tightly. Smokescreen flinched, opened his optics and peeked to see Raindrowner's blade in him, only to realize that he wasn't hurt. Smokescreen looked at Knockout's servo, to find the Phase Shifter on him. Smokescreen let out his breath, relieved.

Raindrowner screamed again. It was becoming more annoying than scary at this point, kinda like Starscream.

"Run, run, run idiot!", yelled Knockout, who transformed and sped away from the scene. Smokescreen did the same. Knockout showed him to the stairs that led to outside, and they quickly ran away.

They had escaped from Raindrowner.

"She'll be back", Smokescreen told Knockout, "I just know it. Only this time, they'll be the ones running away".

Knockout didn't respond to the comment. Instead, he asked, "You okay?".

"Yeah I'm fine", Smokescreen replied back. Or lied back, to be more accurate. Smokescreen felt anything but okay at the moment. He was worried about what Darkrun and Raindrowner had planned for the future. And what they would risk to earn it. Also, although the wound on his neck was small, it still stung and hurt.

They arrived back at Knockout's place. Knockout slipped inside, leaving the door open. Smokescreen guessed he had permission to go in to.

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Inside, Knockout checked Smokescreen over to make sure he was actually okay. He didn't really trust the bot enough not to lie.

"What did the cons exactly wan-"

Smokescreen interrupted him and explained everything and how they weren't exactly "cons". Knockout listened intently, nodding along the way.

"So what's the plan?" Knockout asked.

"I-I don't know".

"Well I guess first we need to find out what they want", Knockout said, thinking intently. This situation, he realized was pretty serious.

"We already know that. Power", Smokescreen said, frustrated.

"Well yeah, but I meant specifically. Like what exactly they'll do to get that power. That's what they want, but there are steps to that. It's the steps we need to know. We know where they lead to, but we don't where they are. In order to have a plan, we need to figure out their's".

"I don't know. Everything, all of sudden, it's just too much. Why can't we just get the High Council or whatever to figure this out? Heck, get our allies", Smokescreen said, shutting his bright blue optics that seemed to dull with pain.

"We both know we can't trust the damm council to do scrap. Now if you want to get Bumblebee and such, you do it. They won't believe me. Oh and here's your Phase Shifter"

Knockout felt frustrated with Smokescreen, who just, didn't seem to care. But then again, why should he? Why should he?

Because I don't want to lose anyone again.

But who did he have? He looked over at Smokescreen. Certainly not him. But then again, earlier, when Breakdown was alive, he never thought he had him. He never considered him as a friend, just a partner. Never thought he would have missed him as he did now.

Until he wasn't there anymore.

Knockout would never, never, make the same mistake again. Never, he vowed silently.

_____________________

Smokescreen tried to think of something. Anything. A reason, to try. To be him again, eager to help. To feel something.

He couldn't.

He felt sorry for Knockout. He was trying too hard, while Smokescreen was trying to little to figure this out. Smokescreen waited for a reckless idea to come to his head, as usual, that worked with skill and luck.

None came.

Smokescreen tried to think like the enemy. What would be the smartest thing be to do? Now that there is a possibility of me exposing them? Suddenly an idea came over him.

"Well in order for them to take over, they would first have to take over Decepticons and Autobots. They can't just force them to not be on a side. They'll have to do this separately and must have more power than we think already. So they'll have bots that are on the sides undercover. With that, they could slowly take over Autobots and Decepticons. Then when they're in complete power, people will have no choice, but to listen."

Knockout raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You know, for an idiot, you're pretty smart. That's actually just, great".

Smokescreen blushed, feeling embarrassed. "Thanks".

Knockout nodded, thinking. "That means we can't trust anyone, no matter which side, assuming you're theory is correct. If they have power, then they could order them to do things and to fight against each other in different steps, only to find out that they were just fulfilling one plan."

"So we can't tell anyone?", Smokescreen asked.

"Depends."

"On what?"

"Who it is."

"How do I know I can trust you?", Smokescreen asked, regretting the words as soon as they left him. Oh no. He didn't mean to say it like it had to do with Knockout being an ex-con. He just randomly meant it.

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So now it was officially confirmed. Everyone hated and didn't trust him. Knockout felt a pang of hurt, stinging him with sadness.

I just saved his spark and he still doesn't trust me.

Then again how could he? Knockout remembered all these things he'd done in his previous life. Who he was. The lives he'd cost. He never would have thought he would regret them as much as he did now.

Never considered them wrong until he stopped.

I'm not the bot I was. But was he? Under his new Autobot symbol who was he exactly? Did the past define you more or the present? Under the cherry red paint, was he good or bad?

Knockout looked at Smokescreen to the optics, carefully choosing his words.

"Fine you don't trust me. No one does. But after I just saved your life, I thought you would- you would," Knockout paused searching for the right word.

"I didn't mean it like-" Smokescreen began, only to be cut off by Knockout.

"Don't even try, I know what you think, you're just the same as all the others!" Knockout said.

"Why are you always like that!" Smokescreen exploded back.

"Like what? Now it's about me?"

"Like trying to make the world against you! I didn't mean it like that, I don't hold anything against you, it's not that hard to accept! Like you have it that hard! Well, Knockout, I know this might be such a shocker, but not everything is about you!"

"Well Smokescreen-", Knockout began.

"I'm sorry" Smokescreen whispered softly. His voice was quiet, yet it said the most and was the only thing they head in the entire argument.

Knockout didn't say anything. Neither of them did, and they sat in silence, no words spoken. Not that they were needed. Sometimes silence said more than words. This was one of the times.