Chapter 1

OverRev was on patrol, something he liked, because it was an excuse to drive around. Being one of the most versatile terrain wise. He was speeding from the dessert towards a long main road, when he spotted a familiarbeautiful red grand touring coupe speeding down the road.

“Well, well… what is he up to?” OverRev wondered as he pulled on to the road, switched to rear wheel drive and lowered, with a cloud of soot as he sped away.

As he made his pursuit, he noticed something strange about his driving, it was like there was no soul in it, not his usual pride. Knockout certainly didn’t see him in approach, or it wouldn’t have been that easy to get close, even if he isn’t really slower, and might even be faster.

OverRev blew his dual tone horns. “Hello, hello, is this business or pleasure?”

No answer. He blew his horn again.

“Gah! What are you doing here‽” Knockout swerved a little.

OverRev chuckled. “Trying to see if this is business or pleasure.”

“It’d be a pleasure if you’d mind your own business,” he retorted and accelerated.

OverRev pulled with him. They both went around another car.

“wha… you’re still here? Go guzzle some gas.”

“We know I’m not as slow as I look, crimson cutie, and you can bet your sweet quarter panel on it.”

“How about I bet yours?”

“That was a lame comeback, usually your wits faster than your top speed. What’s really on—”

Knockout slowed enough to clip and PIT his rear quarter. OverRev crossed in front of him, and held enough steering correction, he drifted off the road. He engaged all wheel drive, fishtailed slightly with a downshift to continue pursuit, his front wheels pulled him straight.

“Nice trick, but you probably ruined that immaculate paint of yours.”

Knockout growled. “I don’t care!”

OverRev bounded along and over the sand and dirt.

“What’s the problem, Knockout?”

“My only problem is you! Now leave me be!”

“Knockout. Somethings bothering you, this isn’t like you at all. It’s Breakdown, isn’t it?”

“My assistant‽ Of course not.”

“Mm-hmm. Be honest.”

“I’m a Decepticon… I don’t care about anybody.”

“You do care about driving, and right now, you’re not doing it with your usual finesse. Like you’re on cruise control. It is about Breakdown… I don’t need a scan tool to see your driving ain’t a mechanical issue, it’s a spark issue.”

“Even if it was Breakdown, why would I talk to you about it?”

“How about we call a temporary truce?”

Knockout said nothing, he simply pulled away. OverRev pulled back on to the road and followed. The road curved as it entered the mountain. Knockout took the sweeping turn well, but he saw OverRev not too far behind and tried to go faster. Too fast for the next turn and drifted through it, while his pursuer hit the apex. He just wanted to get away and drive his feelings away. Their engines, and his tires echoed.

“Never known you to drift! Didn’t you always say that was barbaric‽”

Knockout couldn’t get him off, he power slid through the last turn, the road opened up and ran high near a large river. Knockout pulled into a rest area sideways and transformed. OverRev followed.

“This is your last warning,” he threatened and pulled out his cut saw and a drill.

“You’re not being serious.”

“Try me!”

“You’d have pulled out your blasters if you were, and we both know you have them, and we both know you can’t beat me. Truce?”

“You think you know me?”

“I know you don’t like to fight, and it’s not just because of your vain ego, princess.”

Knockout retracted his weapons.

“I’m sorry about Breakdown. Honestly we all are.”

“Don’t lie to me!”

“Okay.” He held up his hands. “Maybe not Arcee. But what Silas did… the man is worse than Megatron.”

“Why would you care? We’re enemies.”

“Autobot… Decepticon… those are factions. We’re still all children of the All Spark. Much like Optimus; I don’t hate you, just what you stand for. I don’t want to see any Cybertronian experience a senseless and mutilated death. I don’t even know why you came here, or even joined that tyrant… he’s become the very thing he originally fought against, side by side with Optimus. And he doesn’t care, does he? None of your team do.”

“It’s no big deal. Life goes on, one less Decepticon to fight, right?”

“We tried to save him. Life does go on. Despite being surrounded by your team, life’s a bit more lonelier, huh?”

“You expect me to cry‽ Over that… that… fool‽ Please! You must have a cracked block.” He said with a glare.

“No. But there’s nothing wrong with mourning the bot who made you care about somebody other than yourself.”

Knockout paced around.

“I’m here to talk to, I’ll listen… I care that the big lugs gone. It’s not fair.”

“It’s not fair! We’ve been together for cycles… cycles! Some humans come along with our stolen biology, and… and—he didn’t even get an honorable death, I don’t think he even went down fighting.”

“I remember when I lost Sunstreaker… and when I thought it was safe; Burnout. It hurts.”

Knockout recognized both names. He knew who he and she was.

“It’s not weak to mourn, it’s not wrong. We’re just going to lose more bots, and there aren’t that many left. Just because you’re a Decepticon, doesn’t mean you can’t care. Dreadwing certainly cared about what happened to Skyquake.”

“They were twin spark.”

“Did it not feel like that with Breakdown?”

Knockout looked at him with a pained look in his face.

“We don’t have to be enemies. Don’t be like Optimus and try to forget. The big guy ain’t been the same since Elita One was taken off line.”

“What are you saying,” he asked curiously.

“I’m saying don’t be like Optimus. Grieve… move on—which is not the same as getting over it. My spark goes out to you.”

“And that’s all you’re saying?”

OverRev looked away. “Yeah, that’s it.”

Knockout looked at the bulky car that could go toe to toe with Breakdown, he watched him even take on Soundwave to an outside influenced draw.

“Get it together you idiot, he just lost the guy,” OverRev thought to himself.

“You’re right. I need to take time to myself.”

OverRev looked at him.

“In a healthy way. Losing somebody like that… can really mess you up.”

“I wouldn’t call my workplace a healthy one.Breakdown and I… we worked well together. He was a great assistant—not just that, he was much more. Not much was spoken between us, but we knew.”

OverRev nodded.

“We had reputations to uphold. There’s no room for weakness over here, even those times alone, it was hard to break from it. War does… things.”

“War also brings people together.”

“The things unsaid. If I had a chance, one last chance to tell him—he knew, but still,” he said with a wavered voice. “If I could’ve at least said goodbye.”

“Say it now.”

“There’s no point in it now.”

“If you really did, and he really mattered… if you’re as tough as you think you are, and it was never said. I loved Sunstreaker, that sleek speed machine… and Burnout; that was a rough start, but we found something more important than winning the war. She was rough and tough, she was hardheaded, would take on Breakdown and Bulkhead. We found a reason to win. I loved her too.”

Knockout walked to the edge and stared down at the river, up to the sky.

“Breakdown. If I had been there… I’d have had a reason to fire a blaster again. I’d have killed them all. I… I miss you… I lo-loved.” He coughed. “I still… love you, Breakdown, until my spark fizzles.”

OverRev walked up and the slightly taller, seemingly too built to squeeze into a car altmode bot, placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Goodbye… Breakdown.”

“Goodbye, Breakdown,” OverRev said a little lower.

Knockout looked at him. “Does it get better?”

He shook his head. “It gets easier.”

“OverRev… thanks. I needed this.”

He nodded. “There’s more important things, than winning the war. You’re good, at least for the moment.”

“Yeah.” His eyes flicked around.

“I’ll leave you to it. If you need to talk…”

“Just call a temporary truce… got it.”

OverRev took a step back and transformed. “It doesn’t need to be temporary, ya know? See ya on the open road, princess.”

He looked at him closely as he started to drive away.