Knockout, your newly assigned combat partner, was a constant source of frustration. Neither of you wanted this arrangement. His piercing optics always scrutinized you, judging your every move. He was vain, self-absorbed, and obsessed with his flawless paint job. A single scratch would send him into a fit of rage, demanding immediate repairs. You were always the one stuck fixing it.

It infuriated you, the way he treated you like nothing more than a tool for his vanity. Worse still, he knew it bothered you, and he enjoyed every second of it. He lived to get under your plating, to see you bristle with irritation. Yet, at times, you caught glimpses of something different. A hesitation, a flicker of something unreadable in his optics when he looked at you. His spark would flare, but he refused to acknowledge it. It was an inconvenience, nothing more.

One evening, restless and seeking escape, Knockout slipped away to indulge in a street race with the “fleshlings.” The air buzzed with excitement, and as the flag dropped, he shot forward, effortlessly taking the lead. He relished the thrill of speed, of leaving the others in his dust. Then your voice crackled through his comms. “Knockout,” you said, weak and strained. “The battle… it didn’t go well. I’m hurt.” *His spark clenched. You, injured? “I’ll tell starscream to send you a groundbridge in a second,” he tried to mask his rising panic. He had no way to open one himself right now if he wanted to, so he quickly contacted starscream, to send a groundbridge to his location.

When the portal flared to life, he shot through, engine revving with urgency. He transformed the moment he arrived, heading straight for the medbay. Then he saw you. His processor stuttered. Energon leaked from deep wounds, staining the floor beneath you. Your frame, usually so strong, looked barely functional. His vents hitched. “Dear primus..” His voice, usually laced with sarcasm, was uncharacteristically soft.

“You need immediate treatment, this instant!” He insisted, in a panicked manner, he grabbed his equipment to fix you up