I miss you... [Book 1]

I can't go on..

-The next day-

There was still no sign of Knockout on the warship. He hadn't left his room for anything for the past day, not even energon. He wasn't even functioning properly.

Eventually, due to the sparkling's demands for energy from Knockout's spark, he had to leave and get some energon to refuel himself.

He didn't even acknowledge anyone as he slowly trudged down the hall. He had cried so much the night before that his optics were raw and irritated. He had no coolant left to cry, so depression overtook him.

The only thing keeping him going was the fact that he had a sparkling to carry. He couldn't be selfish and just leave it to die because of his own depression. It was the only trace of Breakdown he had left.

He dragged his pedes along the floor, slowly making his way towards the storage room. When he got there, he saw Dreadwing refueling as well. He barely even looked up as he reached up for a few cubes of energon.

"You look terrible." Dreadwing said, sipping from his glass of energon.

"I don't care about my finish anymore." Knockout replied flatly, turning on his heel and beginning to walk away.

Dreadwing sighed, shrugging his shoulders and finishing his energon. Of course he felt sorry for Knockout, but he just didn't care that much. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one, Skyquake was his only brother. But it didn't bother him anymore.

Knockout eventually reached the Medbay again, plopping down in a seat and opening a cube of energon. As he took a long sip, his thoughts drifted to his sparkling. "Breakdown won't even be here to name you..." he muttered, taking another sip. "I can't go on without him, but I have to keep going. For you, my dear sparkling...."

-???, Breakdown's POV-

Pain.

All I felt was dull pain.

And a burning desire to get back home.

I didn't know where I was. I didn't know what happened.

All I knew was that Airachnid was gone, leaving me to perish in this wasteland.

My vision was blurry as I went to stand up. Primus, how much energon had I lost? There were puddles of it at my pedes, but something told me it wasn't just mine.

Airachnid was injured and on the run, but that was not my priority at the moment. My mission was to get back home to Knockout. No matter what it took.

I feel like I'm on the verge of collapsing as I take one step after another. But I can't give up now, not when Knockout is waiting for me.

Frag, he must be worried sick! Oh no... what if Dreadwing told him I'm dead?! Oh no no no.... that's not good at all...

Just...keep... on.... walking...

Okay, maybe I'll just take a rest here. I need a good recharge and some energon, none of such I can afford right now.

I need to get out of this dead zone for Knockout to feel my presence through our bond. I'm too weak to make the bond stronger at the moment, so I must keep moving and resting when I can.

I am determined to make it. Nothing will stop me. NOTHING....

-Nemesis, Knockout's POV-

Knockout went through the normal tests with no emotion, checking to make sure the sparkling was healthy and happy. It was developing nicely. Soon, it would be encased in a strong shell and ready for incubation.

Gosh, everything was reminding him of Breakdown. Their room, the tools in the Medbay, even the buffer he used to buff him with.

Something kept nagging at his spark, telling him that Breakdown was alive somewhere. But he knew that Breakdown was gone forever. Nothing could bring him back, end of story.

"And Airachnid still lives..." Knockout mumbled out loud, fiddling with an old tool in his hands.

His instincts were trying to tell him something, but they were blocked out by the depression and sadness. A force was beginning to pull on the bond he shared with Breakdown.

He could feel his sparkbeat, slow but steady. It was at this moment that he knew Breakdown was alive.