TFP: Gliders Chapter 1

Knockout stepped out on to the frozen landscape from the confines of the ship. He dragged his heel across the frozen ground that was dusted in a light, powdery snow; something he'd never encountered before. He turned his hull toward the lilac sky that was casting a lavender tint upon the compacted ice crystals that he was now standing on; taking in as much as his processor could handle. From the fluffy, cotton-like clouds that laced the sky to the towering pine trees that loomed in the distance.

So, this was Earth?

From the ship's lowered door ramp, Knockout's less adventurous traveling companion poked his head out timidly, "Any sign of 'em?" He inquired with his slightly raspy voice.

"No sign. Are you sure the Decepticons are on this planet, Tetro?" Knockout asked incredulously. From his point of view here in the Russian Taiga, this planet appeared to be absolutely barren. He just couldn't picture that his fellow Decepticons would take up residence here, of all places.

"Sure as pit. If I wasn't I wouldn't have wasted fuel dropping you off here." Tetro jumped onto the roof of the ship into a sitting position and stretched his legs out in front of him.

Knockout turned his attention away from an odd, fleshy creature that appeared to be covered in spikes that was lumbering up a nearby evergreen and looked into the exquisite red optics of Tetro.

"What do you mean, drop me off? Aren't you rejoining?"

"I...uh...have a few too many...er...."loose ends" with some of the 'cons." Tetro made a sad attempt at a frivolous smile.

Knockout rolled his optics. Tetro had had a history of betting, (and loosing those bets), at the gladiatorial stadium back on Cybertron before the war. Knowing his friend's weasel-like persona, Knockout guessed that most of these dues went unpaid. If it's one thing Decepticons were good at; it's holding grudges. That, and Knockout wasn't completely sure of Tetro's entire Cybertronian history, being as he was older than the young medic. So he could have more problems than just his gambling.

"But I'll be sure to drop by and visit sometime, eh?" Tetro smiled grinned as he stood up and stretched his arms skyward.

"You mean you're just going to leave me here?" Knockout had the slightest edge of panic in his voice; while he had nothing to fear from his fellow Decepticons, he hadn't a clue how big this planet was or were he could find them. Technically, he could just fly around until he caught sight of them, but he didn't even know if energon was readily available on this planet for him to refuel if he did.

"Don't worry your pretty little wings. Last I heard they were stationed on an older bruiser called the Nemesis. Makes the Skycharger here," he patted the green and black metal of his ship that mirrored his own paint job, "look like a tin can. Hold on, I'll find 'em for ya." And with a flick of this wrist, Tetro whipped out a Decepticon homing beacon from the rat pack he wore around his torso. It looked quite similar to a communicator, or an energon tracer.

"Here, just hold this up in the air and press the button on the side. They'll come to you." The emerald and ebony 'con threw the communicator down at Knockout who caught it easily in his hand. Tetro then leaped down from atop the ship and stepped toward the young medic who was examining the device. Tetro slipped an arm around the red flier's waist and pulled their helms together fondly. Tetro, also being taller, inclined his head so that his cheek rested on Knockout's head crest.

"I'm gunna miss ya kid, if you ever have any trouble, you know my ship's code." And with a quick peck on Knockout's cheek, he retracted his arms and retreated back into the comfort of the Skycharger.

The ship lifted and took off into the pastel blue of this new and strange planet's atmosphere with surprising speed, and within a few moments, it was out of sight.

Knockout sighed and looked at the beacon he now held in his hand.

"Meh...here goes nothing." Knockout shrugged, then lifted the small device into the sky, pressed the button on the side with his thumb, and waited.

Just when he thought nothing was going to happen, a beam of red light shot from the tip of the beacon's antenna, and jettisoned skyward. Knockout stood holding the beacon for approximately five minutes, having to switch arms once because he got tired of holding the thing up. But then he heard the familiar grumbling of a war ship in the distance. He continued to hold the beacon until he caught sight of the biggest ship he had ever seen descending out of the atmosphere. It flew closer before finally coming to a hovering stop above him.

"That will do." Knockout smirked happily. He jumped nimbly on to a nearby rock, launched off as hard as he could and transformed into his Cybertronian jet mode. It felt wonderful  to transform again, he had been cooped up so long on Tetro's ship that he was beginning to forget what it felt like to be in alt mode. He did a few barrel rolls and pitched himself a few times, taking time to admire himself in the reflective, black windows of the Nemesis.

When he finally found the opening to the ship, he flew in and transformed back, landing lightly on his feet. He looked around and noticed that a familiar seeker was strutting toward him, flanked by two drones.

"Ah...Knockout. I almost didn't believe it when we first picked up your signal." Starscream. Knockout knew that voice anywhere.

The silver air commander stood in front of Knockout, hands folded behind his back and legs slightly spread as the ship's bay doors rattled closed. Knockout could feel the ship start to move again, quickly gaining altitude.

"...but here you are..." Starscream's voice was like some kind of weird growl and hiss that was blended together, and it sent shivers through Knockout's frame. He had been stuck inside the Skycharger for years, only interfacing a few times with Tetro  when the need became unbearable. Starscream wasn't bad to look at; in fact he was fraggin' gorgeous. But where there's a Starscream, there's a Megatron that needs to be side-stepped.

"Here to serve, Starscream," Knockout gave a flourish and winked at the seeker. Starscream looked taken aback but gave a sideways smile, nonetheless.

"You may call me Lord Starscream."

Knockout's optics widened, could it be?

"I know what you are thinking, and no, Megatron still lives. However, he has gone off on one of his..."quests." I honestly don't know where his is...nor do I care." Starscream lifted his hand to his face and examined his pristine claws. Although Knockout noticed that the angle of his optic ridges suggested that he wasn't being completely truthful.

"And he left you in command." It wasn't a question.

"Indeed. I am quite pleased that you have decided to join us, Knockout. We are in dire need of a medic. You just might be the answer to my prayers..." Knockout had a feeling that Starscream wasn't hoping for just a medic. He smirked in response.

"But for now, I am sure that you are weary from your long journey. He," he motioned to the eradicon standing passively on his left side "will show you to your new quarters."

And with that, Starscream turned on his fantastic heels and stalked away into the bowels of the ship, the second eradicon trailing him loyally.

"If you'd follow me sir, I'd gladly show you to your quarters." The first eradicon said politely and began to walk down the hall.

It wasn't that far of a walk to the medical bay, and then it wasn't far at all until the eradicon stopped at a door. Starscream must have purposefully stationed Knockout near the medical center of the ship.

"Here you are sir."

"Thanks...uh," Knockout looked expectantly at the eradicon's face, but got no response.

"Do you have a name?"

"Oh! Oh well...my code is W111-W111...but all the other drones call me Will." the eradicon seemed slightly embarrassed, like it was a pet name that a mate gave him.

"Alright, thank you, Will." Knockout walked toward the door and it whizzed open and then shut again when he was inside.

The spacious room was a welcome change to the little hovel he was used to inhabiting on the Skycharger. There was a standard berth, two chairs, a desk, a computer set-up, a door that led off to his shower and a large window with something like a telescope attached to it.

Knockout walked over to the window and peeked out curiously. They were too far up for him to see anything of the planet. He gave the telescope a sideways glimpse before angling it at the window. There was a wheel on the side of the base that zoomed in closer the more it was rotated. He kept zooming in and in until a busy street came into view. And so did the Earth vehicles. Knockout found them charming and very interesting to watch. With some difficulty he peeled his optic away from the telescope and crossed the room to the computer bay where he decided to do some research on Earth vehicles. He discovered that these vehicles were called "automobiles" and that they were used strictly for ground use. After a few hours of research he quickly decided that "sports cars" were his favorite. A model called the Aliante150, which was Italian for Glider150 in particular.

After a little more research Knockout felt his gears start to tighten, and his bases begin to throb. He tapped the screen with his finger, shutting off the monitor and limped toward his berth, running his hands down his face in the universal sign of exhaustion and collapsed into sweet, blissful recharge.


***

Knockout awoke to a harsh pounding on his door. He groaned and flipped over on his side. He couldn't have been in recharge for more than a couple hours, was he really needed already? He hoped that by not responding whoever was doing the pounding would give up and go away. It didn't work.

The pounding continued persistently, Knockout growled into the surface of his berth, hauled himself up reluctantly and stomped across the floor. He tapped the censor that opened the door.

"What?!"  He hissed through gritted dental plates. He looked up into the amber optics of a huge dark blue flier he had never seen before. Knockout noticed that his wings were much shorter than his own, and concluded that he was designed to be a war jet that was to be equipped with artillery, while Knockout's jet mode was smaller, faster, and solely designed to get the medic from Point A to Point B.

He wasn't bad-looking, Knockout aslo noticed.

"What's your problem? Starscream wants you in the control room." The blue mech sounded irritated,  Knockout just glowered up into his fiery yellow optics, still angry that he had been denied recharge.

"Now." The blue 'con growled as he leaned closer to Knockout's face, inwardly hoping that the smaller mech would be intimidated. But when Knockout merely narrowed his optics and glared right back into the blue mech's face, the larger flier turned his back, his own face seeming to have heated up, and started to walk back down the hall.

"Fragger." Knockout grumbled under his breath as he followed the hulking mech down the corridors at a safe distance. He didn't know why, but he was unreasonably mad at the larger flier. He knew it wasn't his fault that he was in such a foul temper, but he needed someone to blame.

After a painstakingly long and rather awkward walk, Knockout and the other mech entered the control room where Starscream was waiting. Knockout noticed a particular black and purple Decepticon tapping away on the advanced computer equipment at the front of the room that he recognized as Soundwave. He also noticed that he hadn't changed a bit since his Cybertronian days, with the exception of the shape of his arms.

"Breakdown, good, I see that you've finally fetched our new medic. Knockout, this is Breakdown. He is your new partner."

Uh, what?

"Partner? What do I need a partner for?" Knockout was sincerely puzzled.

Breakdown snorted and folded his arms.

"It is my opinion that you two can benefit from each other. You see, Breakdown arrived her just a week before you, so he is also a newcomer to the Nemesis. He will be your assistant in the medical bay, and you will be his assistant for energon scouting."

Knockout looked Breakdown up and down out of the corner of his optic as discreetly as he could. Him? A medical assistant? How could a warrior-class wrecker like this lug ever fit into medical work? Knockout sighed inwardly. He would have to make it work.

"I can do energon scouting just fine by myself!" Breakdown interjected, he seemed offended that Starscream would even suggest that he needed assistance.

"Breakdown, energon scouting is one thing on Cybertron, it is something completely different on Earth. You would be a fool to go out there alone. There are Autobots everywhere you go, You need back-up.

"But what about the dron-"

"Intelligent and capable backup." Starscream quieted any more debate from the two with a scalding glare.

"So...Autobots are here too, huh?" Knockout grimaced. Nothing like the prospect of Autobots to make a bad mood worse.

"Yes. And they seem to have made allies with the dominate species of this planet, humans. That's another thing. You are not to reveal yourself to humans at all costs. I get a processor ache just thinking about the problems it would cause."

"But-"

"You two will do as you are told and you will do it efficiently. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sure."

"Eh."

"Now that that's settled, I picked up the faintest of energon trails earlier this morning, so I need you two to pinpoint it's exact location. But, before we get to that," Starscream turned and nodded at Soundwave, who pulled up the blueprints to several earth jets on to the huge monitors that encircled the room.

"Vehicle modes."

Knockout fidgeted, Breakdown appeared to do the same.

"What NOW?" Starscream asked impatiently.

"Well...I was sort of hoping that I could pick a...uh..."

"Ground-based vehicle." Knockout finished Breakdown's thought. Breakdown looked at Knockout as if noticing him for the first time.

Starscream raised an optic ridge, surveying both of the fliers that stood in front of him. "Both of you?"

"It would appear that we have more in common that I first realized." Knockout smiled at Breakdown, who looked away quickly.

"While that wouldn't be my first choice-or any choice for that matter-I will honor your decisions."