Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Danny had been on the Nemesis for over a week at this point, and for some reason, Megatron hadn’t come kicking down Starscream’s door in order to confiscate his new pet and blast Danny to smithereens or throw him out the airlock. From what he had heard about Megatron from Starscream’s dramatic retellings, he seemed to have more of a dislike towards humans than Starscream did.

Though, to be fair, Starscream still greatly disliked humans, he was just stuck with one who was now not going to leave him alone and was starting to reluctantly enjoy his company because Danny was the only one who tolerated his monologuing. 

But so far, the only Decepticons aware of Danny’s presence on this ship were Starscream, Knockout, and Breakdown.  The two latter, having found Danny trapped inside Starscream’s crushed subspace after pulling them away from the cave Danny had phased them out of. Once a more lucid Starscream had threatened them enough about what would happen if they told Megatron, even Danny was scared for them.  

Danny didn’t know if Starscream was more worried about Danny getting killed if Megatron found out or if Starscream was worried about what Megatron would do to him if he found out that his second-in-command adopted a human pet.  Probably a mix of both.  

So far, from what Starscream had relayed to him in the last couple of months, Megatron seemed like the kind of mech to let Starscream keep Danny until he messed up and then would promptly squeeze the new pet until he exploded just to prove that he had power over Starscream. And that thought was enough of a reason for Danny to try and stay in hiding. Not that he was worried that Megatron would kill him — Danny didn’t think anyone on this ship could — but he didn’t want Starscream to get hurt in the process and Danny to be a means to achieve that hurt.

But still, Danny was confused. He could tell that Starscream was as well. The last few days, he had seen the seeker pacing incessantly around his room and talking to himself about how something seemed off. Starscream had warned Danny not to leave his room, which, naturally, Danny didn’t listen to.  But apparently, the bedrooms (berth-rooms? Personal quarters?) were the only places on the Nemesis without security cameras.

But with all of those cameras, there had to be some way that Megatron knew about him, that is, unless someone was messing with the footage.  After some light questioning of Starscream about how the security worked and who had access, he discovered that a mech by the name of Soundwave had control of everything on the ship. He was constantly watching and recording everything that happened and was the third-in-command on the Nemesis after Starscream himself. And if anything was happening to the footage Danny was in, it was ‘cause of that guy. 

Danny decided to take getting answers into his own hands. A few days later, while Starscream was out on a mission, Danny turned invisible and slipped through the door, weaving in and out through the hallways until he found a big enough door that he could safely assume was the control room. 

There, standing at the main control panel, surrounded by monitors, was a tall purple mech who looked like he was pieced together by several thin pieces of metal. Compared to the rest of these guys, even his arms seemed as thin as paper. 

The purple origami man was rapidly typing on the keys with fingers even longer than Starscream’s (which Danny didn’t even think was possible). As Danny floated closer to his side, he saw the black screen covering his faceplate, removing any expression from the table.  He remembered Screamy talking about that “faceless freak” before and how unnerving it was to be around him.  

Well, now was as good a time as ever to make an introduction.  “Hey, just the mech I wanted to talk to,”  Danny said as he turned visible and walked out of the shadows. The mech simply turned his helm towards Danny and tilted his visor to the side. Screamy was right; that was a little unnerving. He could see his reflection looking back at him in the black glass. 

And if Starscream’s EM field was hard to read, this guy’s was impossible. Danny strolled up closer to him, pretending that the staring didn’t bother him at all. “I was curious. Why didn’t you rat me out to the big M?” Danny put his hands in his pockets. “I know you saw me on the cameras in the lab. There’s no way you didn’t. And I've been in the halls many times. I was expecting to be exterminated like the 'pest' I am by now.” 

Soundwave didn’t move from his position. “Curious, -saw- -on the cameras-, didn’t- know -why-.”  The mech clipped back to him in Danny's own voice, which made his eyes widen. 

“You were curious about me, so you wanted to know more before you go tell your master?”

The mech paused as if trying to comb through Danny’s sentences for words but instead decided to lean in closer, awkwardly crouching on one knee so that Danny could see his visor more clearly as English words appeared on the screen for Danny to read like subtitles. ‘Subject gives off unstable readings, waiting for more data before proceeding…’  A scan of Danny’s body showed up on Soundwave’s faceplate.  Things like ‘below average body temperature’ and ‘Energy feedback readings’ stood out.

Danny laughed nervously. It seemed this guy was closer to finding Danny out than he would have hoped. Danny rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped back a bit. “If you find out what I am, will you tell Megatron?”

Soundwave stilled a bit too long for Danny’s liking before responding. “Negative.” The voice sounded strangely monotone and robotic compared to any other mechs he encountered. “Statement: report is required for all unauthorized guests.  Statement: you are not unauthorized.”

Danny smiled. “So because Starscream let me on, I’m allowed?”  He paused. “Also, was that your real voice?”

The mech again waited a long moment before responding.  “Both assessments: correct.”

“I didn’t think you spoke around other people?” Danny questioned. He was sure that Starscream had mentioned he never heard the mech speak, and Starscream didn’t even think he had a voice.

Soundwave straightened slightly so he wasn't crouching down so far to meet Danny in the middle. “Only when necessary.” He then started turning around to face the monitors again. Ahh, the work grind never stops. 

Danny scuffed his foot back and forth on the floor. Starscream wouldn’t be back for another hour or so, and he was bored of those data pads. Danny coughed into his hand, causing the mech to turn his helm back towards Danny again with a slight tilt. “You mind if I join you for a bit?” 

Soundwave paused in thought before he replied with a quick nod. Just as Danny was about to walk over to the terminal, a long purple tendril extended from Soundwave’s side and slowly wormed itself toward Danny. Danny stepped back a bit in surprise at first, but the tentacle gently wrapped itself around Danny’s waist, lifting him to the height of the desk and placing him down with more care than he had received at any point being on the Nemesis thus far.

Soundwave must not have been doing anything important for him to let Danny watch. Or maybe he just didn’t think Danny was able to learn Cybertronian that fast. Danny sat down on the desk with crossed legs as he glanced over the text flashing over the screen rapidly. The other monitors were showing cameras and other information they were scanning from Earth, photos, maps, and even articles of dig sites. Danny sat there, enamoured by the work.

“Request: reveal your designation.” Danny’s head snapped up and back towards Soundwave’s visor, which was solely focused on him. Danny guessed on the cameras, he was just called ‘the human’ or ‘pest’ or ‘Starscream’s pet.’ It was nice of him to ask. 

“Danny. My name is Danny.” Danny smiled brightly.

Soundwave nodded as a smiling emoticon appeared on his visor, and he turned back to his work. 

Chapter Text

Knockout sighed dramatically as he watched Starscream limp into the medbay. “Really, Starscream? I just patched you up from that cave-in a week ago! You can’t seriously need attention again.”

Starscream snarled, flashing his fangs. “I’ll have you know this is still part of that incident. You must have messed something up during your expert care, doctor.”

A new, smaller voice chimed in. “He was pacing, and his knee just gave out.” Knockout’s optics flickered down to the small human clutched in Starscream’s servo.

“Starscream, did you really have to bring your pet here? You’re introducing foreign contaminants into my lab. It was bad enough when you brought that thing with you in your subspace last time.” Knockout crossed his arms over his chest plate.

The human glared up at him, mirroring the crossed arms. “Well, I’m the one who made him come, thank you very much, and I’m not leaving until I know he’ll be fine.”

Knockout sneered. “Delightful.” He turned his back to them and pulled out some tools. “Lay on the medical berth while I take a look at it.” 

Starscream took a few pained steps forward and dropped the human haphazardly down on the counter next to Knockout's medical tools. The human stumbled forward but didn’t say anything in retaliation, and only sat down cross-legged to watch over Starscream.

Knockout didn’t waste time focusing on the human and just turned to start looking at Starscream’s knee. His optics narrowed as he examined Starscream’s knee joint. He made an exaggerated tutting noise. “Well, well. What do we have here? It looks like a bolt slipped, not to mention some stress fractures.”

Starscream huffed, his wings twitching in irritation against the medical berth he was laid on. Knockout sighed as he picked up one of his tools from the counter and turned back towards Starscream. “After this, you will need to keep pressure off your leg for two solar cycles.” 

“Good luck getting him to sit still for more than ten minutes,” The human spoke up. “I swear all he does is pace and rant about his plans.” 

Starscream tilted his helm to the side to look at the human. “I don't recall asking your opinion, fleshling.”

The human threw his hands to the side. “Hey, I’m just saying! And if you didn’t strut around like a bird on stilts all the time, maybe your knee wouldn’t have imploded.”  Starscream rolled his optics at the human’s comment.

Knockout scoffed. “How do you put up with this thing?” Even though he was secretly smirking at the comment. 

“I have a name, you know.” It didn’t occur to Knockout that he never did learn the human’s designation, but he would rather do anything else than ask the human for it. When the human noticed that Knockout wasn’t going to ask, he rolled his eyes. “Danny. My name is Danny.” The human -Danny- then gestured towards Starscream. “He’s been trying to get rid of me for months. I’m like a parasite."

Knockout transformed his servo into a buzz saw and held it close to the human. “Then allow me to try as well.” Starscream made a strange noise behind him, but the human didn’t so much as flinch at the show of aggression.

Starscream spoke up. “Stop threatening the human and do your job, Knockout.”

Knockout sighed and retracted the buzz saw with a dramatic flourish. “Fine, fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have real work to do, and your little... commentary is making this job harder, fleshy.”

Danny rolled his eyes and leaned back as Knockout bent down over Starscream and gripped tight to the joint to bend it to the right angle before pulling out one of his other tools. Out the side of his optic, he saw the human walk closer to the edge of the counter to try and get a better angle of what Knockout was working on. 

“What exactly are you doing to his knee anyway?” He tilted his helm —or, Knockout guessed, the humans called it a head— to the side.

Knockout paused, genuinely surprised at the human’s interest. His optics flickered over to Danny, and he couldn’t resist a small smirk. “Oh? Interested, are we? Well, since you’re clearly dying to know... yes, this bolt connects the joint to the lower strut. Starscream’s stress fractures have weakened the metal around it, which is why his knee gave out.”

The human squinted, trying to follow along. “So, it’s like... when a human sprains their ankle, and the ligaments around it weaken?”

Knockout shrugged, not one hundred percent sure how accurate the human’s analogy was, seeing as Knockout didn’t know scrap about human biology, as he tried to stay away from them as much as possible. “Close enough, I suppose. Except with Cybertronians, we don’t have ligaments. It’s all metal and circuitry. Right now, I’m replacing the damaged components and reinforcing them with new plating.”  He explained idly.

Danny looked intrigued, his gaze fixated on the tech in Knockout’s servo. “And the tool? It just looks like a big soldering iron.”

Knockout raised an optic ridge. “This is a plasma welder. I’m using it to seal these fractures.”

Starscream groaned from the berth, wings flicking again in annoyance. “Do you two mind? I’m the one in need of medical attention here.”

Danny grinned. “Yeah, yeah, we get it. Big, scary mech in pain. Hold your horses.” 

Knockout couldn’t help but chuckle at that before turning down again to continue his work. After working a bit longer and getting the bolt back into place, he picked up a container of sealant and placed it down on the medical berth. 

Knockout huffed, looking at the joint again, annoyed at how small the seeker’s joints were and how hard it was to get his servo under the plating. It would be much easier if Starscream weren’t such a lanky mech. Or… if Knockout’s servos were smaller... He glanced over at the human sitting down again, but this time, he had his legs dangling over the edge of the counter, swaying back and forth as he looked on. “Then again, human, if you’re so eager to learn, I might as well put you to work.” 

Danny blinked in surprise. “Wait, you want me to help?”

Knockout shrugged casually as if it were no big deal. “Why not? If you’re going to stay here and pester me, you might as well make yourself useful. Besides, Starscream’s less likely to kick you in the face if you touch the wrong circuit.”

Starscream shot them both a skeptical look before turning to face Knockout directly. “Are you seriously passing your job off to the human?”

Knockout leaned on the berth and closer to Starscream. “I mean, unless you like the feeling of my digits pressing around under your plating, then sure. The human is smaller, and it will be less uncomfortable.” That, and there was the added bonus of Knockout not having to get that stuff on his servos again. Starscream simply huffed and crossed his arms over his chest as he tilted his helm to the roof. 

The human jumped off of the counter and landed with a running start on the medical berth, stumbling forward.  He saw Starscream wince slightly at the human’s leap across the gap. Danny waltzed closer to Knockout and toward Starscream’s knee. “Okay, what do I do, Doc?” 

“Take the sealant and put it under the plating over the parts I just welded. It will keep it together and help with the nanobot healing process,” Knockout explained. The human simply nodded and reached up to the container, which was almost as tall as him, and pulled out some of the sealant in a big glob on his hands, turning back to Starscream. Starscream stayed perfectly still during the application, probably trying not to crush the human's fragile fingers in the joint. 

Danny stepped back after applying it and looked up at Knockout, who scoffed and turned his helm away. “Not bad for a squishy,” He muttered. “Maybe you’re not as useless as I thought.”

Danny smirked. “High praise, coming from you. Does this mean I’m officially going to be the new Decepticon pet lab assistant?” 

Knockout scoffed. “Please, I already have my assistant. You are just lucky he was out on a mission today. I don’t want any more of your carbon-based human filth in my lab...” He paused, glancing down at the seeker on the table and back towards the human. “Though I suppose you can work on Starscream whenever he comes in. Maybe then, you can do that scrap on your own, and I don’t have to deal with him anymore.”

Starscream sat up off the berth. “If I had my way, neither of you would be rooting around my systems. Yet here we are.” Starscream was ignored as the human addressed Knockout.

“If that will be the case, can I have some data pads on cybertronian biology, specifically seekers? I’ll try and read up before our next inevitable Starscream injury.” The human cocked a hip.

Knockout put his servo to his chin. “I’ll see what I can find. Then, maybe one day, you will actually make a useful second assistant.” The human merely chuckled.

Starscream groaned again. “Primus, spare me. If you two are done bonding, I’d like to get out of here before the next solar cycle.”

“Cool your jets, Heels, I’m coming.” The human responded, looking up at the seeker, who simply picked the human up and tried to balance on one leg.

Knockout did one last vital scan over Starscream and waved him off. “Just make sure to stay off of that leg as much as possible for the next two solar cycles.” 

Starscream muttered something in response, which didn’t quite meet Knockout’s audials, but the human shouted out a response. “I’ll try my best to keep him off it, Knockout. Thanks again!” He then waved over Starscream’s shoulder that he had climbed up onto. 

That really is one strange human.

Chapter Text

Danny was sitting on a shelf in Starscream’s room which had been repurposed over the last couple weeks to function as Danny’s personal space. It took up a small corner of the Con’s quarters and was out of the way enough that Starscream didn’t almost trip over Danny every time he paced his little circles around the room.

Danny’s eyes tracked the seeker as he went back and forth, clinking on the metal flooring with every step. Tension seemed to cling to Starscream’s frame, almost enough that Danny could sense it through his repressed EM field. His wings twitching in irritation, he muttered to himself as he reviewed reports. 

Danny sighed and pushed himself out of the old ratty beanbag he was sitting in – one of the only items to his name at this moment – and walked over to the edge of the shelf, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “You know, for someone who likes to rant about how he should be in charge, you don’t look like you’re enjoying the whole ‘second-in-command’ thing.”

Starscream paused mid-step, his optics narrowing as he glanced over at Danny. "It's none of your concern. And I have far more important things to worry about than engaging in idle chatter," He waved his servo dismissively in Danny’s direction. “Do you not have your own data pads to read over? Or better yet, a place to go, down on Earth, where you can leave me to do my job in peace?”  

Danny rolled his eyes and straightened up. "Yeah, I get it, you're the big, bad Decepticon who doesn't need a break, right?" He waved his hand dismissively. "But seriously, Screamy, you’ve been pacing like a caged tiger for hours. What’s the deal?"

Starscream bristled at first but after a moment his wings drooped, his frame tense but less defensive.

"Let’s just say… the weight of leadership can be taxing."

Danny swayed back and forth on his feet. "Right. ‘Taxing .’ You mean exhausting." He paused. "Look, how about you blow off some steam? Let’s go for a flight – it can do wonders to clear your head." That was when Danny felt most relaxed anyway. He was sure it was similar for Starscream since he knew how much the mech loved to fly, especially with how antsy and stressed he was when his wings had been crushed and he couldn’t get out of the med bay for days.

Starscream blinked, clearly surprised by the suggestion. “A flight? With you?"

Danny shrugged, grinning. "Why not? You get some air, I get some fun. Everybody wins. C’mon, when’s the last time you did something just to enjoy it?"

Starscream’s optics flitted between his datapad and then Danny and back again. After a long pause, the Seeker sighed.

“Very well, but only for a little while. Soundwave will have my helm on a platter if I don’t finish these before the next solar cycle." 

Danny laughed and pumped a fist in the air. “I've always wanted to fly in a jet.” 

Starscream picked him up and tossed him haphazardly into his subspace before heading towards the door. “Don’t think this will be a regular thing. You are lucky I need to stretch my wings often or I’ll lock up.” The voice reverberated around Danny, who just smiled to himself in response.

-

The human lounged in Starscream's cockpit, arms crossed behind his head like he was sunbathing on a beach, not soaring thousands of feet in the air. Danny looked up at the bright blue mid-day sky and the white stretches of cloud that floated by. As much as Starscream hated to admit that the human was right, he could feel the tension leaving his frame every moment they were in the sky. This was his element. 

Danny laughed to himself and Starscream redirected his attention back to him. “You know, for a Decepticon who brags about being aerodynamic, I expected the ride to be smoother.” Danny taunted.

Starscream's engines rumbled in protest as if offended by the jab. “If you're so concerned about turbulence, perhaps you'd prefer to walk next time," he responded.

Danny grinned, glancing down towards Starscream’s instruments, “You know, I thought you would be faster than this.” The human then yawned! Yawned! Starscream felt slightly foolish taking the very much obvious bait. But who was he to deny the human his true speed? 

Danny must have sensed his field shift at the rising challenge because the human smirked to himself right before Starscream dived out of the clouds. Danny jumped at the sudden drop, likely expecting Starscream to fly forward rather than down. The human’s eyes widened as he fully sat up.

Starscream smirked to himself at being able to surprise the human for one of the first times since they met. Once they were only a little ways above crashing into a mountain, Starscream changed trajectory and shot back up to the sky, spinning as he did so. He went up as high as his sensors said he could safely go without damage and dived back down before evening out. “How’s that for flying?” Starscream asked, voice full of pride.

The human laughed and smiled brightly at the excitement, “That was great!” He tapped the side of Starscream’s canopy. “How about I show you some of my own tricks?” Starscream didn’t get the chance to voice his confusion before the human suddenly flickered out of the visible spectrum and fell through his seat, out through the bottom of the cockpit. 

Starscream’s systems froze. He knew the human could phase (how else could he have gotten them out of that rubble all those weeks ago?) but he had to be a moron to just fall out into the open sky! He was going to die! Did the human want Starscream to catch him? Starscream scanned the area and was about to dive straight down when suddenly, laughter met his audials from next to him.

Danny suddenly floated up next to Starscream’s wing, fits of giggles escaping the human's mouth, completely unconcerned by the spark attack Starscream was just given thinking the human had just killed himself for no reason. How was he supposed to know the kid could fly?

“I’m okay Screamy, don’t panic.” The kid flew out in front of him and knocked on his windshield. Starscream was still moving, albeit not as fast, but Danny was able to keep up with him while flying backward. The human tilted his head to the side with a smile.

“I didn’t panic. I was simply looking for where you went.” Starscream said indignantly, he then paused. “I didn’t know you could fly.”

Danny smiled lightly. “Sorry, there are a lot of things I don’t tell a lot of people. Most people can’t do the things I do, and if they find out about it I can be in danger.” Danny sighed and flew back slightly to sit on the edge of Starscream’s wing, kicking his feet in the wind, arms supporting him as he leaned back, closing his eyes. 

The human should be flung off into the open sky being out there. And Starscream should also definitely be feeling dragged enough to throw him off course, but he didn’t feel anything. Strangely enough, he could also hear the human clearly, even with the wind. 

“What kind of danger?” Starscream found himself asking. The human didn’t seem to be afraid of anything on the Nemesis, whether that be looking into the barrel of a blaster or egging Knockout on to try and cut his head off with a buzz saw. This was the strangest human Starscream had ever come across. But what could put him in danger, Starscream needed to know. Not because he cared or anything, but because he needed to discover what was scarier to this human than the Decepticons. 

Danny laughed dryly. “You may be able to tell that I’m not very normal.” He then stood up and started walking along Starscream’s wingspan like a balance beam. Starscream bristled as the boots stepped across a spot he knew he couldn’t reach to clean if the human got dirt there. But he decided not to comment, as he was curious enough to disregard this infraction for the time being.

“Yes, very much. Your lack of self-preservation is astounding,” Starscream muttered, and he would have rolled his optics if he could. 

Danny laughed again as he held his arms out to keep balance. “Lots of humans don’t like things that aren’t normal. They want everything to be like them. And when they come across someone who isn’t... Well, it doesn’t end well.”

Starscream was puzzled. Why wouldn't the human just come out with it already? It was like he was dancing around the subject and Starscream needed to get answers. “What do you mean?”

The kid sighed and ran a hand through his white hair. “I can get hurt or experimented on, Starscream. Other humans will hunt me down for what I am. Even though I… Used to be one just like them.” Starscream could sense the kid's EM field getting more bitter and upset. “They don’t care though. They think I’m a danger to them and should be extinguished along with anyone else like me – which is why I made it my mission to help protect others like me and get them somewhere safe before they get hunted down.” 

The human walked up Starscream’s dorsal strut and laid down flat on him, the back of his head leaning on the glass of his cockpit. Starscream stayed silent for a long moment. And Danny didn’t speak up again, staring at the sky. “Why did you show me your abilities then? Back in the cave-in, and now, as far as I know, you have only ever shown them to me and no one else on the Nemesis.” Starscream questioned.

“Because I trust you, Starscream.” Danny pat his hand against the metal plating under him. Starscream’s processor stalled, and he would have dropped out of the sky if his coding hadn’t kept him in flight. In all of the Con’s life, even before the war started, he had never been told he was trustworthy. His classmates back at the academy disliked him immensely and stayed away from him, and even his trine believed him to be untruthful at times… Which he was. Back on the Nemesis, everyone treated everyone with distrust and disdain. But this human trusts him? 

“You know…” Danny started, grabbing Starscream’s attention again. “I think I can fly faster than you.” 

Starscream made an affronted noise. “ Please, I’m the lead air commander of the Decepticon army and the fastest mech you will find on the Nemesis. You wouldn’t be able to beat me.” 

Starscream felt a flicker of amusement cross Danny’s field. “Let's race then, come on! First one to cross that tree line past that river over there wins.” 

“You're on.”

Chapter Text

Danny was sitting down on the control panel, looking up at the monitors, silently enjoying Soundwave’s company again as the mech worked. It was the main, if not the only, time he could have some peace and quiet on the Decepticon warship. Still, it's not like was on the Nemesis the whole time – he still had work to do.

Danny went down to Earth often enough, checking out sightings that Tucker sent him, helping capture the ghosts and getting them somewhere safe before the hunters arrived. Soundwave had even started letting him use the groundbridge to get to and from the surface. It made getting to these things a whole lot faster than Danny having to fly across the whole country for a single ghost. 

But Danny, at this point, still spent the majority of his time on the Nemesis. Sure, some may think he was crazy for that, but being up here was so entertaining! And he got to hang out with all of his new kinda maybe friends. He glanced up, looking at the bot as he silently worked at the control panel. Soundwave was his friend that's for sure, as the only mech who doesn’t complain about his presence. Danny smiled. 

Soundwave was looking over some older scouting footage from something flying and weaving in between trees. Danny raised an eyebrow – that didn’t look like it was footage from a plane, it was too small and maneuverable for that. “What is that footage from?” Danny pointed up to the monitor. Soundwave glanced down at him before looking back towards the footage.

“Data and recording acquired by Laserbeak.” The Con responded.

Danny tilted his head; he didn’t remember a ‘Laserbeak’ being mentioned before. “Who’s Laserbeak?” He asked. The Con stepped away from the console and Danny was confused for a moment until the bot rolled his shoulders back and a large part of his chest detached. With practiced ease, the detached metal folded and transformed into a large, pointy, purple bird that, like its master, resembled a very threatening piece of origami. 

“Woah!” Danny leaned forward, grinning at the comparatively small bot who was now regarding him with equal curiosity. “So that little guy has been on your chest this whole time?” Laserbeak hovered up and then sat on Soundwave’s shoulder panel. “Is that your pet bird, or...?” Danny tilted his head, and it seemed as though Laserbeak mimicked Danny's action. Danny could see his two little mandibles twitching as he stared. 

Slowly, Danny became aware that he could sense the mini-con’s EM field just as he might any larger bot. While it might be more controlled compared to the other Decepticons, Danny could immediately pick up on Laserbeak’s emotions: curiosity, caution, and a protective instinct toward Soundwave.

Laserbeak made some clicking sounds and jumped off of Soundwave to do a small lap around him and come closer to Danny, curiosity bleeding to the forefront of his field. He made little clicking noises and Danny smiled. “He’s cute.” He glanced up to Soundwave, who had his visor tracking the mini-con. 

“Affirmative,” Soundwave answered.

Danny reached out a hand, trying his best to expel calm and reassuring emotions. 

Laserbeak must have sensed Danny’s sincerity and calmness through his EM field and lowered his guard. Laserbeak’s wings fluttered and he floated around Danny, back and forth, running a scan over him and landing on the console next to him. 

Danny again held out his hand and after a moment, Laserbeak fluttered closer with a little hop, allowing the human’s hand to gently pet his head. He had no idea if petting something was normal for these guys, but Laserbeak’s field seemed to bloom with contentedness and appreciation so he must have done something right. 

Danny could definitely feel the strong connection between Laserbeak and Soundwave, a deep feeling of protectiveness and care coming from both fields towards each other. “ You two are really close, huh? It’s like you can tell what the other’s thinking just by being around each other.”

“Affirmative.” Soundwave leaned forward and mimicked the petting gesture that Danny had just done which made Laserbeak so happy. 

Danny smiled and sat down again in front of Laserbeak the bird-Con hopped forward and tried to nudge under Danny’s arm, as if trying to fit in his lap. The con had no possible way of fitting as he was still bigger than Danny. Instead, he just almost pushed Danny over. Danny laughed and held out his hand again to pat Laserbeak’s wing.

Soundwave nodded his helm and turned back to his work. “Attention to Laserbeak – Appreciated.”

“Any time. I think me and this little guy are going to be good friends.”

Chapter Text

Danny had found himself ambling around the halls of the Nemesis, yet again faced with absolutely nothing to do. The deep hum of the ship resounded around him. He eventually walked past the medbay, and glancing up at the large door, he suddenly remembered Knockout mentioning that Breakdown was in there, having been put strictly on bed rest after a fight with the Autobots left him injured.

Danny smiled to himself and walked up to the door. Instantly, it opened for him after reading his biosignature.  Thank you Soundwave. The hum of the medbay was distinctly different than the ship’s thrum in the halls. Danny shivered as he stepped inside, the doors closing with a quiet hiss behind him.

He looked up, eyes immediately landing on the large blue Decepticon laying on a medical berth in the corner of the room, his shoulder plate cracked and his arm propped awkwardly at his side with some sort of metal sling that had been welded to him. Knockout had done his best to fix the injuries – Danny knew Knockout would do nothing less for his partner, but Danny also knew that the healing would take time. For now, Breakdown was immobilized and clearly not happy about it.

Danny hesitated to step closer, looking over Breakdown’s stiff form. The quiet confidence that the big mech normally had in his field was replaced with bitterness and failure. Danny bit his lip, then walked closer, his soft footsteps quiet enough that Breakdown hadn’t noticed him yet.

“Hey,” Danny spoke up, trying to grab the mech’s attention. “You look like you've had better days.” He chuckled, hoping the joke would help ease the tension.

With a start, Breakdown’s yellow optics flickered online and snapped to Danny, who was standing on the ground not too far from him; they seemed to glow a dimmer yellow than normal. After realizing it was Danny who was talking to him his plating visibly relaxed.  “You could say that,” he grumbled, though it lacked the usual strength behind it. “What do you want, human?”  Breakdown sat up fully, now sitting on the edge of the medical berth.

“Just checking on you. Figured you could use some company.” Danny tossed his hand to the side.

Breakdown grunted, shifting slightly on the berth. The movement made him wince. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Good thing I’m not here to babysit,” Danny replied easily. “I’m just here to bug you.”

Breakdown let out a small, huffing chuckle despite himself. “That right?”

Danny smiled and walked over next to one of Breakdown’s pedes, holding his arms up in the universal help me up motion. Breakdown sighed and reached down for Danny to step onto his open servo, grunting in pain as he sat himself back up and placed Danny on the berth next to him.

“Yup.” Danny leaned back on his hands, swinging his legs back and forth as they hung off the edge of the berth. “ So, Knockout left you hanging, huh?”

“He’s busy. I’ll live.” Breakdown sighed, silence eventually settling between them. Eventually, the big mech sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly.

“... I hate this,” Breakdown muttered. “Being stuck here. Useless.”

Danny glanced at him, sensing the frustration in his field. “You’re not useless.”

“I can’t fight. I can’t move. I’m just... waiting.” Breakdown’s optics flickered again, narrowing.

Danny spoke up, “ You know, I get it. Being strong... feeling like you have to protect everyone... it’s a lot of pressure.”

Breakdown didn’t respond right away, his optics focused on the wall ahead of him. Finally, he muttered, “I’m the one who protects Knockout. Always have. But when I’m like this...” He gestured to his injured body, “...I can’t do slag.”

“That’s not true,” Danny added, meeting Breakdown’s optics. “You’re not nothing just because you’re hurt. You’re still you. And you’re still strong. You just... need a little time to heal.”

“If I can’t break things or protect Knockout, I’m not good for anything. That’s all I have going for me, kid.”  Breakdown sighed.

Danny frowned at that and crossed his arms. “You’re more than that. Knockout knows it. I know it.” He paused, then added, “Strength isn’t just about smashing things. It’s about knowing when to let others help you, and to know when you need to take a break too.”

Breakdown turned to look at Danny as he raised an optic ridge. “And what would a kid like you know about that?”

Danny smiled, but it was tinged with a hint of sadness. “More than you’d think. I’ve spent so much time trying to protect everyone around me... sometimes I forget I’m allowed to lean on people too.”

Breakdown huffed again, but there was less resistance in it now. Silence stretched on for another long time and Danny waited.  “I’ve never been good at sitting still.”

Danny smiled. “No kidding. But you’ve got to, or else Knockout’s going to blow a fuse.”

“Primus, I know.” Breakdown chuckled, and for a moment, the tension in his field eased. Then his tone shifted, more serious again. “You don’t have to stay, you know. I can handle this on my own.”

Danny shrugged. “Maybe. But I want to stay. Besides, we don’t get to hang out much unless we end up being working in the medbay together with Knockout and Starscream.” He paused, then added with a small smirk, “And I’ve seen the way Knockout fusses over you. Figured you might need someone around who doesn’t try to worry over you every five minutes.”

Breakdown let out a real laugh this time, deep and booming despite his injury. “Yeah, he’s a lot sometimes. But he means well.” He said with a smile.

Danny grinned. “I know. You guys are good together.”

Breakdown’s optic softened, and he gave a small nod. “Yeah. We are.”

Danny pushed himself to his feet and stretched his arms above his head. “Look – how about, when you’re feeling up to it and Knockout’s not too busy, we go to one of those drive-in theatres he likes, just to hang out.”

Breakdown smiled down at Danny and tilted his head to the side. “Sure, kid.”

Danny laughed and looked down at the ground below him. “And don’t worry. You’ll be back up and kicking aft in no time,” he said as he hopped down from the berth, using a bit of his flight to prevent breaking his legs. Breakdown raised a servo like he was about to try and catch Danny, but when he noticed Danny was fine he laid it back down next to him.  Danny smiled at the mech’s care. “But for now, just rest, alright?”

Breakdown gave a half-hearted shrug. “Yeah. Fine.”

Danny walked over to the other side of the medbay and grabbed one of the datapads left there, he picked it up and walked back over to Breakdown, the mech's optics following him the whole way.  Danny sat cross-legged on the floor and started reading through. Working in comfortable silence as Breakdown rested his injuries. After a moment more Danny spoke up, tilting his head upward to look at the mech towering above him on the berth. “You know, Breakdown?”

The big mech raised his optic ridge, waiting.

“You’re not helpless. You’re still the toughest mech I know.”

Breakdown’s expression softened and he gave a small nod, appreciation in his gaze. “Thanks, kid.”

Chapter Text

Danny had spent weeks preparing, poring over Soundwave's old files and historical records from Cybertron before the war. Danny would slip into Soundwave's storage rooms whenever the communications officer wasn't around, sifting through his archives. There were hours of audio recordings from the city of Vos, where the Seekers originated, documenting their unique language filled with high tones and clicks. 

He’d listened over and over, repeating the phrases to himself, experimenting with the cadence and pitch, trying to match the nuances of the language. The first few times he’d spoken aloud in the empty storage room, it had sounded all wrong.  It was quite different from the language spoken by the other Cybertronians on the ship. And even more different from the guttural horrifying sounds of echoing Goulish. But Danny was nothing if not persistent. It had taken countless tries, stumbling over words, getting the clicking sounds just right, and learning how to make his voice resonate higher in his head for how high-pitched the notes made it.

While most of the language had been lost over the years Danny was able to uncover some recordings of snippets of casual conversations, war cries, and even poetry. Even though some of them were corrupted, Danny had listened to everyone, picking up vocabulary and phrases, trying to get a feel for how the language changed with tone and context.

Danny wanted to surprise Starscream. To show him that someone cared enough to learn his language. And he was so excited to reveal all of the hard work he put into this. He just hoped the Seeker appreciated it. 

Danny sat in his little designated area of Starscream’s room, waiting for the right moment, bubbling with excitement and barely holding himself together.

Starscream sat at his massive desk, his back turned to Danny, muttering under his breath as he sorted through datapads. His wings twitched with agitation as his, long, talon-like fingers drummed against the desk in a rapid, repetitive motion.

Danny stood up and moved closer to the edge of the shelf. With a determined smile. Swaying from foot to foot. < You’re always so stressed lately,> Danny said, in flawless Vosian.

Starscream’s frame went ridged, his optics widening in disbelief. He turned his helm, gaze snapping to the small human across the room from him who had the biggest grin plastered on his face.

“What did you just say?”  Starscream asked in disbelief.

Danny grinned wider, knowing that he had just thrown the seeker off completely. He crossed his arms and repeated himself, this time with more emphasis. < I said, you’re always so stressed lately. You should really take a break.> The clicking and high-pitched tone of the language was impossible to miss.

Starscream stared at him, completely silent for a few moments. His optics flickered and his wings twitched again, though now, Danny noticed, it wasn’t from irritation, but confusion. < You… You speak Vosian?> His words came out more cautious now, less demanding, and more genuine bafflement.

< Yep! > Danny nodded enthusiastically. < I’ve been practicing. Soundwave had some recordings I managed to weasel out of him, and, well… > He shrugged nonchalantly, smiling at the Seeker's baffled expression. < I thought it’d be cool to talk to you in your own language. >

Starscream stood from his desk and walked over to the small, overjoyed human, still processing what he was hearing. Vosian wasn’t just a language. It was something deeply personal, something he hadn’t had a full conversation in since the war began. His wings fluttered as he struggled to find the right words.

Starscream looked conflicted and confused as to why Danny would have put all this effort in. < Why? > He finally asked.

Danny softened, understanding the question went beyond just language. < Because it’s a part of who you are. And I figured… it might be nice to have someone else who gets it. Who can speak to you in a way no one else here can. > 

When Danny first died, he would accidentally slip into Goulish all the time. Jazz had spent months learning it, trying to get it perfect so that whenever Danny ended up getting too emotional and switching to the language she could understand.  She may not have been able to speak it because she didn’t have the same type of vocal cords that a ghost has, but her being able to understand him, knowing that he had someone so willing to put in the effort to understand him… That was what was so meaningful, and he wanted to be that for Starscream.

Starscream blinked, and Danny could feel appreciation and joy spring up in the seeker’s field as much as he tried to stomp it down. < Well, I must say, your pronunciation is… decent. > He looked Danny over, clearly impressed despite himself. < But it could still use some work. >

Danny just grinned wider, seeing through the glass facade. < Well, how about you teach me then. >

Starscream huffed but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. For a brief moment, the atmosphere shifted. He hadn’t realized how much he missed hearing his own language, or how much it would mean to have someone else care enough to learn it. Even if it was this strange, reckless human.

< Perhaps… you’re not completely insufferable after all, > Starscream muttered, his wings settling into a more relaxed position.

Danny laughed, leaning back. < I’ll take that as a compliment. >

The rest of the evening, Starscream abandoned his datapads and left his work for future Starscream to deal with, as he sat down with the human across from him to properly educate him on the pronunciation of certain words and the correct lilt ascribed to each one. Danny sat and listened carefully before continuing. Eventually, Danny ended up passing out on Starscream’s desk, leaning up against the con’s arm. And the Con decided not to move the small delicate human – Primus knows that the human never slept enough.

Chapter Text

Danny darted down the long, metallic hallway of the Nemesis, his sneakers barely touching the ground as the sound of angry, stomping steps echoed quickly from behind. 

"Get back here, you pest!" Knockout’s voice called out from behind him, filled with fury.

Danny glanced over his shoulder, laughing to himself as the fuming Knockout pursued him. Knockout had been boasting about himself again, and how much more sophisticated Cybertronains were than Organics. After one too many snide comments, Danny decided to throw one of the tools on the desk he was sitting on at the Con… And maybe he had thrown it with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Aw, come on, Knockout, it’s just a scratch!" Danny called back, smirking to himself as he turned a sharp corner. He could have easily just turned invisible or even just phased out through the floor, but where was the fun in that?

Just ahead, Breakdown was walking down the hallway, looking over a data pad and muttering to himself.  His optics shot up when he heard the commotion as Danny grinned and zipped by him. "Hi, Breakdown! Bye, Breakdown!"  Danny waved as he ran.

Breakdown blinked as Danny sped past, followed moments later by a livid Knockout. The red mech skidded to a halt in front of Breakdown, who raised an optic ridge at him. 

 "Why didn’t you grab him?!" Knockout threw his servo in the general direction where Danny took off.

Breakdown shrugged and tilted his helm to the side. "Why are you trying to kill Danny?" He asked.

Knockout lifted up one of the doors that were attached to his forearms, showing off a fancy new mark that trailed across it. "He scratched my paint!"

Breakdown sighed exasperatedly. "Right. That’s a perfectly good reason to chase a human down. Knockout, I can buff it out when I’m done this.”  He raised his datapad, which was small in his large servo. “There’s no need to kill him."

Knockout shot him a glare. "You’ll never understand the importance of keeping a finish pristine." He took off running again, shouting after Danny. "You’re going to pay for that, Scratch magnet!"

Danny, now several corridors away, zigzagged down another hall, laughing between breaths. He recognized the control center and ran in without a second thought.  The door opened for him instantly. Soundwave had programmed in his biosignature to open the doors for him when he walked up to them because he couldn’t reach the door panels with his tiny human limbs. Speaking of Soundwave – he spotted a familiar tall, thin figure standing at the control panel. 

Danny skidded to a stop, nearly crashing into him. "Hey, Soundwave!”  The mech turned his helm towards the human.  “Uh…Where’s Starscream?"

Soundwave, without saying a word, pointed a long, silent digit down the next hallway.

"Thanks!" Danny flashed a grin and bolted, but not before waving behind him to the mech.

Not a second later, Knockout stormed in, vents running overtime. "Where did he go?"  He demanded, leaning up against the doorframe for a moment's rest.

Soundwave’s visor remained blank, and he went back to his console as if nothing had happened.

Knockout growled, throwing his servos up in defeat. "Ugh, why is everyone so unhelpful today?!"

Meanwhile, Danny rounded the corner and nearly crashed into Starscream, the mech was distracted with a data pad and stepped back when Danny tripped in front of him. Danny righted himself dusting himself off and without missing a beat, he grinned up at the Seeker.

"Hey Screamy, how about a flight?"

Starscream narrowed his optics suspiciously, opening his intake to protest, when he suddenly noticed Knockout barreling toward them, pure irritation on his face.

Starscream let out an exasperated groan dragging his servo down his faceplate. "What have you done this time?"

"No time to explain!" Danny said quickly, hopping in place as Knockout drew closer.

Starscream sighed dramatically but grabbed Danny in one smooth motion, transforming mid-action and launching into the air, soaring through the hallways of the Nemesis. Knockout skidded to a halt just as they flew out of reach for the mech.

"I am going to get him one of these days," Knockout muttered, stomping away. Once he turned the corner he ran into Breakdown again and, without a second thought, he grabbed the larger mech by the transformation seam under his neck into his chest plates and pulled him along behind him. Breakdown made a sound of surprise but decided just to follow his partner anyway.

Soundwave closed out the security camera he had opened on the monitor that he was using to watch the whole ordeal and continued his work.  A very light hint of amusement reflected in his EM field.

Chapter Text

Danny knew he should have been more careful… He had gotten so good at managing to avoid Megatron that he had become careless when it came to watching out for other mechs, which is what led him to the situation he was in now. Knockout had sent him to retrieve some tech from one of the old storage rooms and he found himself standing in front of three mid-conversation Vehicons.

The moment they noticed the door shift, their visors all snapped toward Danny, and for a beat, no one moved. Danny chuckled awkwardly and tried to step back out. “My bad; I didn’t know it was occupied.” 

Then, one of the Vehicons –the one in the middle– snapped out of his stupor, transforming his servo into an energon blaster with a sharp, mechanical whine of energy, and aiming directly at Danny. The others followed suit, their servos transforming in unison. 

“Unauthorized visitors are not permitted. Don’t move, intruder.” The Con in the middle commanded.

Danny raised his hands slowly. Great. He wasn’t supposed to run into these guys. Of course, they would report back to Megatron, probably show him their visor footage, and Danny would have to up his hiding tenfold — maybe even leave the ship altogether. 

But maybe… he could talk with them. One of them stepped closer to Danny, reaching out to try and grab him. As he stepped, Danny noticed a slight limp. Danny quickly switched languages, closing his eyes as he leaned back away from the taloned servo. "I’m not here to cause trouble." He called out in Cybertronian.

The Vehicon reaching for him froze mid-action, and the other two behind him lowered their blasters slightly in shock. Confusion emanated through their EM fields. “What...?” The one furthest in the back muttered in Cybertronian, his visor brightening with a tilt of his helm.

The Vehicons exchanged glances, clearly very confused as to how: 1) a human got on the ship, 2) how the human spoke Cybertronian, and 3), why the human wasn’t scared of them. As Danny’s gaze swept over them, he noticed a large crack across one of their visors and a deep scorch mark across another’s shoulder plate. His eyes again settled on the one closest to him, with the limp.

Danny frowned, lowering his hands. "You're injured." Danny stepped another step closer to the Con directly in front of him who, to his surprise, shifted back away from Danny. The movement only served to make the injured knee groan under the pressure, causing the Drone’s EM field to flicker with pain. "Let me take a look."

All of them, too confused to shoot Danny or capture him, just stared. Eventually, the one with the damaged visor shifted uncomfortably. “You’re human… How would you fix that?”

Danny smirked slightly. "I’m full of surprises."

The Vehicons’ EM fields were now buzzing with uncertainty, more than likely never having encountered a random human on the ship before, maybe never even met one before (Danny didn’t know). The one directly in front of Danny, with the damaged knee joint, took another step back, unsure what to make of the human who had so casually walked into their midst.

The third con —shoulder guy— seemed the most hesitant and put off out of the three of them, keeping his blaster held strong. “You shouldn’t be on the Nemesis. We should take you to Lord Megatron.” The con switched back to English. The visor guy looked back at his —friend? Coworker?— and took his attention away from Danny.

Danny shrugged nonchalantly, the corner of his mouth quirking up in amusement. "I don’t think there’s a need for that," he replied, switching back to English as well. "I just want to help. Besides," he added with a glance at the first Vehicon's leg, "You’re not in any shape to catch me anyway."

"There are three of us and one of you, human. We are more than capable of capturing you." Shoulder guy said, an edge of annoyance in his voice.

“Yet you haven’t. So where’s the harm in letting me try and fix it.” Danny moved forward slowly, until he was directly in front of the first Vehicon’s knee, carefully inspecting the area where the metal was twisted and cracked, likely from a hard fall in battle. "This looks pretty painful," Danny muttered thoughtfully, running his fingers over the dented plating.

The Vehicon flinched but didn’t pull away. “You shouldn’t—"

“Relax,” Danny cut him off, smiling up at him. “I’ve been in the medbay plenty of times. I’ve helped Knockout fix worse. You’ll be back on your pedes in no time.” 

The other two Vehicons behind him watched, utterly perplexed. Their servos were still transformed into weapons, but they weren’t aimed at him anymore. Cracked visor tilted his helm. “Why aren’t you afraid of us? Any other humans we have come across have run away screaming. You show no fear at our weapons.”

Danny's smirk widened as he urged the Vehicon in front of him to sit down with hand motions and a gentle push, and the Con obliged, sitting up with his back against one of the larger crates. “Trust me, I’ve seen scarier things than a few giant robots with blasters.” 

Danny looked over the injury. Some of the metal had been bent in the wrong direction, pushing it into the knee joint rather than encasing it, which made a very awkward bend that would only get worse with time. Danny knew he could just fix it with his powers in a moment, easily bending the metal back into place without needing a welder. Speaking of welders. “Why haven’t you guys gone to the medbay? Surely Knockout could fix these quickly.” 

Kneejoint’s shoulders sagged. And then Danny sensed a change of bitterness bleeding into Shoulder-Con’s EM field, and the other two looked over at him before he spoke up. “These are minor injuries. Our repair nanites will help to heal us over time. Lord Megatron does not wish to waste medical resources on Drones unless we are in critical condition.”

The other two looked back to Danny with a nod, affirming what their friend said. Danny threw his hands to the side in outrage. “That's not fair! So you guys just have to live in agony because you’re not actively dying?”

The Cons seemed shocked that Danny cared. Kneejoint tilted his helm inquisitively at the human’s reaction. “It's how it works; we can’t waste unnecessary resources. In addition, there are hundreds of Vehicons. If everyone went to the medbay with every minor injury from an Autobot attack then the medbay would be flooded non-stop.”

Danny bit his lip. “That… really sucks for you guys.” He crossed his arms. “Well, luckily, you have me! I know quite a few things now after watching Knockout work! So if you guys ever need any small repairs, you have me. You can tell your friends, too.” Danny smiled up at them.

Cracked visor seemed to be in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

Danny nodded, “Definitely.” He then decided that maybe he should use his powers after all. Maybe just a little bit. It's not like he was hiding them too much anyway. Starscream already knew. Soundwave probably knew. And Knockout and Breakdown likely thought he was invincible at this point. But these guys needed him. It's not like he could use Knockout’s Cybertronian-sized tools. 

Danny looked up at Kneejoint. “Hold still.” He told him. Then he reached his hands into the joint, causing the Con to almost jerk back, but he fought himself, staying completely still. Danny pulled some ecto energy into his hands and pulled at the piece of metal that had been jabbing underneath his knee plate, gently forming it back into place. 

The Vehicons must have noticed the green glow coming from his hands because confused EM fields filled the room. “How are you doing that?” The Con he was working on asked.

Danny just chuckled, focusing on forming the last bit of the joint into place. “Like I said, I’m full of surprises.” He stood up, patting the now-stabilized knee with a satisfied smile. “You should be able to walk on that now. Just don’t put too much pressure on it until it’s fully repaired by your nanites.”

Visor-Con walked over, transforming his blaster back into a servo, and helped lift his friend, hooking an arm under his shoulder blades to help support him. Kneejoint tentatively shifted his weight on his pedes. He took a cautious step, and though there was still a limp, it wasn’t nearly as pronounced. “I don’t understand,” he muttered, tilting his helm in Danny’s direction inquisitively. "Why are you helping us?"

Danny just shrugged again, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "Why not? You’re hurt. I can help. Easy choice." 

Danny nodded, looking up to the Con’s friend who was supporting him. “That visor of yours could use some work too. Let me take a look.” The Vehicon instinctively stepped back, just staring at Danny as he stood in front of him, barely coming up to the Con’s knee. Danny and the Con waited, staring at each other for a good long moment before Danny sighed. “I can’t take a look at it when it's all the way up there.” Danny made grabby hands towards the Con towering over him.

The Con seemed to snap out of his stupor as he hesitantly reached down, letting Danny climb onto his servo. Danny was raised to the mech’s helm and he grabbed onto it with both hands, examining the cracked surface. His fingers brushed lightly over the damage. Danny pulled some ecto energy into his fingers again but paused when the Vehicon froze, unsure whether to back away or let Danny continue. His EM field was buzzing with confusion and unease with that strange light so close to his optics.

“Steve, you’re seriously just going to let the human touch your visor?” Shoulder-Vehicon asked incredulously, though even he sounded more baffled than angry.

Danny chuckled — he hadn’t expected the name Steve for one of Megatron’s murder drones. “You guys act like I’m doing brain surgery here. It’s just a crack.” There wasn’t too much Danny could do about a crack compared to the work he did on the knee joint, but he could still help the nanite process along and seal the crack before any excess moisture could get in. 

He focused his energy on slightly melting the glass, or whatever material these guys’ visors were made out of, and sealing it with a slightly raised edge. He leaned back, hands on either side of the Con’s helm, admiring his handiwork. "There, all set. At least for now. I’ll have to come and take a look at it in a couple days."

The Vehicon –Steve– stared at Danny, utterly bewildered. 

Danny then jumped off the con’s servo and landed on one of the crates to get closer to the last Vehicon, the one with the damaged shoulder. They all jolted at the height from which Danny jumped, but when they concluded Danny was fine, they eased up. 

Danny started trying to inspect the injury but the Con turned away, crossing his servos over his chest, one of them still transformed into a blaster. Danny threw his hands to the side. “Oh, come on, man, you saw I just helped your friends.” 

“I’m fine. I don’t need a human to help patch me up. I’ll get over it. You guys are all ridiculous.” The con turned his helm away like a stubborn child. 

Danny sighed and put his hands into his pockets. “Okay, man. You don’t have to take my help, but I’m still offering it. Maybe I could help with the pain. At least that's better than dealing with it for however many days or weeks until it's healed.” 

Kneejoint perked up, stepping closer. “Come on C-27, the kid’s actually pretty good.” He then shifted his weight on and off the joint again for emphasis. Danny inwardly thought about how the vehicons could go from names like Steve to C-27, but who was he to judge?

C-27 looked like he was about to argue when Steve stepped in. “C, you know Roddie’s right. You’ve been complaining about that blaster shot on your plating for days.” Steve gestured towards C-27’s shoulder. Danny filed the name Roddie away so he would stop calling him Kneejoint. 

Danny waved his ‘magic fingers’ for emphasis when the Con looked down at him. The Con gave a dramatic sigh before turning to his friends. “We should be turning him in to Megatron, not using him to fix up our dings.” 

Roddie spoke up by putting a servo in the air. “He said he works with Knockout, so he must be allowed on the ship.”

“He could be lying.” C-27 spat back.

Danny leaned back on his feet. “Would it help if I said I am Starscream’s pet human?” Danny asked. All three visors snapped to him.

“Commander Starscream… Got a pet human?” C-27 asked incredulously.

Danny laughed. “You say that like it’s more surprising than Knockout allowing me to work with him in the medbay?” The Con seemed to pause in thought. Danny sighed. “Okay, C-27, how about you just let me look at it? This one time. If you don’t like it then you can blast me or something, I don’t know.” The Con looked hesitant.

Roddie stepped forward and scooped Danny up off the crate, holding him up to his friend. “Come on. Look at him. He wouldn’t be able to hurt us if he tried.” Danny laughed about how wrong that was, but either way, whatever helped helped. “And if commander Starscream brought him on board, he must be useful.” 

Danny smiled. “I am adorable.”

The Con seemed to have rolled his optics under his visor. “Fine.” Danny felt Roddie’s EM field flicker in delight before he held Danny up closer to C-27’s injury. He unclasped his servo and allowed Danny to stand upright, and C-27 pulled his arms away from his chassis, finally transforming his blaster back into a servo, and placing them on his hips. 

Danny leaned forward, studying the blaster wound. The crater was about the size of Danny’s head, a deep, jagged pit punched into the dark metal. He could see the faint glint of energon beneath the surface, where circuitry had been torn apart, though it looked like the wound had already started to heal—just slowly. Painfully. 

"Looks like it's mending on its own a bit," Danny muttered, placing both palms against the cool metal. C-27 tensed at the contact, his frame tightening, but he didn’t pull away.

Knockout would have welded some additional plating to the frame, but Danny didn’t have the extra plating or the welder. Danny took a deep breath and phased his hands into the plating. The metal groaned under his hands as he began to carefully pull the dent back into place, slowly smoothing out the damaged area. 

Danny also pulled a bit of his cold ability into what he was doing, helping to numb some of the pain receptors in C-27’s shoulder. Danny stepped back. “There, that should help for now. It will at least make it less painful and faster to heal.” Roddie pulled Danny towards himself as he looked up at his friend.

C-27 rolled his shoulder, looking between it and Danny, contemplating. “It… Hurts less now.”

Danny smiled brightly. “See? Told you.” Roddie gently placed Danny back down on the crate he picked him up from, and finally, Danny remembered that he was supposed to be grabbing a tool for Knockout and had completely gotten sidetracked. 

Danny spotted it pretty quickly and it looked exactly how Knockout described it. Danny ran over and picked it up, large in his human-sized arms. “As much as I would love to stay and chat with you guys more, Knockout needs this, and I should bring it to him before he starts to rust.”

Danny started to head towards the same way he came in before turning back to the three vehicons. “Oh yeah… Uh, if you don’t mind. Could we maybe keep my existence out of Megatron’s knowledge? We don’t think he will take too kindly to a human on the ship.”

C-27 tilted his helm. “So Lord Megatron doesn’t know you’re here?” 

Danny chuckled awkwardly and swayed from foot to foot. “Not technically. But everyone else is already in on it. And what he doesn’t know won't hurt him, right?” They all stayed silent for a second. “If he found out he would probably drop me out of the airlock.”

“So Lord Megatron will kill you if he finds you?” Steve asked. “Are you not Starscream’s pet?”

Danny shrugged. “You think that will stop him?”

The Cons seemed to contemplate before Steve and Roddie nodded to Danny. They all then looked up towards C-27, who paused for a bit longer. He then shifted uncomfortably under the stares. “Alright, fine. Whatever, kid. Your secret’s safe with us.” The Vehicon waved him off. 

Danny smiled brightly. “Thanks, guys!” He then started skipping out of the room, calling out behind him, “If you need me, just call.” Suddenly, their HUDs all pinged with Danny’s contact information as the human turned the corner and left.

The three Vehicons stared after him in stunned silence. None of them had the faintest shred of a clue what to make of the human who had just walked in, patched them up, and left without a hint of fear.

Chapter Text

Danny found himself sitting in one of the energon mines surrounded by hard-working vehicons. As they worked, the whirling sounds of drills and pede-steps echoed around the large cave. Danny watched as they continued to place large blue crystals into crates and carts that they would bring back to the Nemesis to turn into liquid energon for their fuel. 

Danny found the process of mining their food interesting and asked a couple of Vehicons if he could tag along, to which they agreed. It gave him more time to hang out with his new friends, and he could also keep an eye on them in case any of them got hurt on the job. At this point, most of the Vehicon drones would rather ask him for a check-up rather than go up to Knockout and waste the doctor’s time and precious resources.  Danny didn't mind being dubbed the official Vehicon medic on duty, it was fun!

Danny watched from a large piece of equipment he was sitting on idly swinging his legs. One of the Vehicons sliced fully through one of the larger crystals using a laser, and two more came up beside him, lifting either end of the large crystal to put it in a cart. Danny smiled as they helped each other.

Suddenly Danny’s ears perked up, there was shouting and the sound of energon blasts down one of the tunnels. Danny’s eyes widened and he shot to his feet. A bigger explosion sounded, and the whole cave shook. The ground beneath them lurched, sending a few Vehicons stumbling before the entire place began collapsing. Danny’s eyes widened as huge rocks began to fall from the ceiling.

Steve was closest to Danny and he reached out a servo to snatch Danny up and pull him into cover. Danny glanced over at C-27 who was bracing himself just across the cave from them with a servo to his audial. "Cave unstable requesting immediate groundbridge!" He shouted.

The sound of the groundbridge powering on filled the room and the purple and black bots scrambled toward the portal. Most of them made it through in time, only a few left when suddenly a large bolder crashed in front of the portal, causing them to stumble back. Steve held a servo over Danny’s head to shield him from any additional debris. More rocks fell around them. 

After a few more moments of chaos, everything started to settle. Danny looked around, his night vision doing wonders for him. He glanced up to see Steve’s visor staring down at him. “Thanks.” Danny dusted himself off before scrambling out of the Con’s servos. He then began to search throughout the small cave they were trapped in, checking on the other Vehicons for injuries. Luckily no one seemed injured, which was a relief. 

He noticed one of the other vehicons — F-368 if he remembered his designation correctly — beginning to help pull any other trapped Cons out from the rubble. Danny smiled at him and turned his attention back towards searching for any possible escape routes. But unfortunately, it looked like they were thoroughly trapped down there. 

At least all Soundwave needed was to get a new reading on their coordinates again and he could send another groundbrige. Danny nodded to himself as he leaned up against a rock, waiting patiently. Suddenly, he felt a shiver down his spine. His head snapped up as he felt the faint, frantic thrum of an EM field. Someone was scared, and more importantly, someone was hurt. Danny’s eyes quickly glanced around the cramped cave, immediately noting that it wasn’t coming from any of the Cons around him.

Someone else was trapped — and they were in trouble.

"Stay here," Danny muttered to the two Vehicons closest to him, grimacing as they looked back at him with tilted helms. Right, trapped in a cave means nothing to you? But the Cons didn’t comment, just going back to sitting patiently, waiting for more orders. Danny made his way toward a wall. This wall was solid, but he could for sure feel the field of panic and distress emanating from the other side. Danny phased through easily, his body slipping through the rock, and pressed on until he emerged on the other side.

Danny froze at the sight in front of him. A yellow mech, similar in frame to Knockout, was half-buried under a pile of rocks. His leg and arm were pinned beneath a mass of debris, energon leaking from the crushed limbs. The mech made a sound of pain, and his EM field radiated panic and fear that was much easier to feel when he was on this side of the wall. 

-

Bumblebee’s optics flickered back online, blurry at first before snapping into focus. His processor spun as he tried to remember what had happened for him to be hurting this much. The cave — he’d been in the mine when it collapsed. He remembered the Autobots moving in to seize the energon supply hidden there, and then one of the drones fired a bad shot, hitting one of the energon veins, they were just lucky it didn’t blow the whole mine. But the mine was unstable after months of stripping it of energon, and before anyone could react, the cavern had collapsed around him.

Now, Bumblebee was alone, lying trapped in a small, dark pocket big enough to take only a few steps if he could get up. Dust and rubble clogged his vents as they cycled through the air.

He tried to pull himself up, but the sharp pain and the sound of metal against the rock made him wince. His right arm was crushed beneath heavy boulders, and his right leg was in the same condition. Dents marred his chassis, some of them deep enough to be leaking energon. His spark sank when he saw the steadily growing pool of energon forming beneath him, initially lighting up the rocks around him with its fluorescent color before fading out the further it made it from his frame.

Bumblebee’s field whirled in panic. He couldn’t detect the others. His comms were jammed, probably from the thick rock surrounding him. This also means it is likely also blocking his life signal from reaching them. He had no way of knowing if the Autobots were coming for him — and if they did, would they arrive before he lost too much energon?

A sharp, panicked beep slipped from his vocalizer as he tried to yank his arm free, desperate to move, desperate to do something to save himself. If he could just free his arm, maybe he could patch up his leg and hold out a little longer.

But as he tugged, more rocks shifted, and the unbearable screech of metal echoed through the cave. More debris tumbled down from the pile his arm was supporting, scraping and crushing his limbs further. His vents kicked up, trying to expel the dust clogging them, but it only stirred the particles around him, making it harder to see. He needed to make noise, to signal for help. But… if he made too much noise, the Decepticons would hear it too. This was still their mine, after all.

Then again, if the Decepticons found him, at least they’d need him alive for questioning. That would buy him time to come up with a plan. He tugged at his arm again, but the rocks shifted in the wrong direction, threatening to crush him more.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

Bumblebee froze at the sound of an unfamiliar voice echoing off the cave walls. He snapped his battle mask closed, optics darting around. A Decepticon? No … His gaze flicked downward, and his optics widened.

A human boy with white hair was standing a few feet away, staring up at him with concerned glowing green eyes. “You’ll just crush yourself more.” The boy continued.

Bumblebee's processor scrambled to make sense of the situation. Why was there a human down here? His spark surged with shock, the emotion leaking into his EM field. Is he trapped too? How long has he been down here? Bumblebee’s urgency doubled. It wasn’t just his life on the line anymore. If they didn’t get out of there soon, the human would run out of oxygen. He removed his battle mask again to seem less threatening.

He pulled again at the rubble, desperate to free himself before the human suffocated.  “Stop!” The human yelled throwing up his arms as dust and debris scattered. “You’re going to bring the whole cave down on you! Sit still—you’re losing a lot of energon!” Bumblebee hesitated, fans sputtering as they tried to reset. He was losing too much energon too quickly, it was getting harder to think. 

: That doesn’t matter! You need to get out of here – there is barely any oxygen and you will run out quickly, : Bumblebee spoke in a series of beeps and whirrs. He then stopped staring at the human. Right, humans can’t understand him. The only human he had ever met to understand his Cybertronain binary on the first meeting was Raf. 

The human ran closer to him and to Bee's utter surprise and shock, the human responded to him in Cybertronian binary. Which shouldn’t be possible with human vocal cords. : I’ll be okay without oxygen, don’t worry. You’re the one who’s bleeding out. :

Bumblebee’s field flickered in disbelief. : ...You understand me? : His processor stalled, and he wondered if he had hit his helm on one of the rocks. Maybe this was just a hallucination before a full system shutdown.

The human nodded. : Yes, I do. I’m good with languages. It also helps that this one seems like an extension of Cybertronian, which I already know. :

: How... how do you know Cybertronian? : Bumblebee asked, still in disbelief.

The human waved him off as if it were nothing. : Long story. This isn’t the time for that. I need to patch some of these lines before you lose any more energon. : He looked up at Bumblebee. : Do you have anyone else coming for you? :

A wave of pain rippled through Bumblebee’s frame as he groaned. : They’ll be looking for me, but I don’t know how far away they are. :

The human nodded, a brief frown creasing his brow as he surveyed the damage. He knelt next to Bumblebee’s crushed arm, his feet in the puddle of energon that was slowly spreading across the cave floor. After a moment’s hesitation, he pulled out a phone from his pocket. Bumblebee watched, squinting at the screen.

The human pressed a contact labeled "Paint Job" and muttered under his breath, “Come on, come on, pick up, you self-absorbed pile of bolts,” he muttered to himself in English, urgency filling his voice. After a few tense, silent moments, he glanced down at the phone and narrowed his eyes. “Scrap. You never pick up when I need you to.” He hissed.

Bumblebee tilted his helm. : There’s no cell service down here. My comms aren’t even working, : he beeped, his tone slightly apologetic.

With a frustrated sigh, the human stuffed his phone back in his pocket. : Should’ve guessed. That’s okay. I can figure this out with or without that cherry-red asshole. : Bumblebee didn’t quite understand what that meant, but he decided to let it slide.

He watched as the human moved quickly, removing a few large, non-load-bearing rocks from Bumblebee’s arm and setting them aside as if they were nothing, using strength that the human shouldn’t possess.

As the rocks shifted away, a piece of Bumblebee’s plating, no longer held down by the weight, clattered to the ground. Both the human and Bumblebee winced at the sound, but at least now, the human had better access to the injury.

“Okay, I can work with this,” the boy said to himself. “I’ve seen worse.” He leaned over Bumblebee’s damaged limb, his fingers glowing with a faint green light. He moved some of the wires and tubing aside carefully, his brow furrowed in concentration. : I’m going to cut off some of these lines so they don’t keep leaking energon. It should keep you stable until your friends come. : He said, looking up at Bee.

Bumblebee nodded, too exhausted and pained to question further. His processor was spinning, still trying to make sense of this boy, this human, who could understand him, knew Cybertronian, and had the strength to move rocks that should have crushed a normal human. Not to mention the glowing fingers.

The human reached into Bumblebee’s arm, and with a focused expression, he began soldering the broken energon lines shut with nothing but his fingers. The hissing sound of melting metal and the faint sizzle of energon emanated around the cave.

Bumblebee was left watching in stunned silence, a strange sense of familiarity creeping through his processor. There was something about this human that made Bee feel like he knew him somehow. But he couldn’t place it. He would’ve remembered meeting a human with snow-white hair and glowing green fingers… wouldn’t he?

The boy's worked like he had done this before. : How do you know how to do this? : Bumblebee finally asked, his voice a weak series of beeps as he tried to distract himself from the pain.

: I told you—long story, : the boy replied, not taking his eyes off Bumblebee’s arm. :But let’s just say if I had a nickel for every time I had to help a crushed Cybertronian in a cave, I would have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. : The human laughed to himself. 

The human continued working and Bee didn’t have the concentration to start up another conversation. : Alright, arm’s done. Now, onto the leg, : The kid muttered, more to himself than Bumblebee. Bee groaned as the human switched positions, his optics flickering in and out. The damage was taking its toll, and the energon loss was starting to hit him hard.

: Stay with me, kid, : The human said firmly, his voice cutting through Bumblebee’s haze. Bee fought back the retort that he was hundreds of years older than this human, but opted not to say anything. The human’s fingers lit up again as he carefully sealed more leaking energon lines. The process went much quicker this time, as the injury was less severe than his arm.

Bee didn’t notice that he was nodding off again until the human spoke up. : Hey, you’re gonna be okay, but you have to stay awake, : There was urgency in his voice as he moved toward the Autobot’s chassis. Had the human already finished with the leg? Did he just not notice? Bumblebee’s optics dimmed further.

: I… I’m trying, : Bumblebee beeped weakly. His processor was sluggish, and his vision blurred. The human started to work diligently on Bumblebee’s chest. Bee was too tired to try and catalog what he was doing, and he was fading again when the human's voice snapped through. 

: You're stable now, : he eventually said, his tone softer, reassuring. : Just hang in there a little longer. Your friends should be close. : Bee wanted to ask how he knew but after a second of listening, he could hear the distant clatter of rocks being moved echoing through the rubble. Bumblebee’s optics brightened just a little at the noise.

Bumblebee's optics tried to look up at the human, who was now becoming more of a disembodied shape. : T-Thank you… : He beeped softly.

: Don’t mention it. : His eyes looked at the wall where all of the sounds were coming from. : But it’s probably better if I’m not here when they arrive. Less questions that way. : He stood up, stretching his limbs above his head. : I’m gonna go back and check on the others. See you next time. :  

Bumblebee blinked, trying to process what he meant, but before he could ask, more rocks tumbled down from the opposite wall, and the cave was suddenly flooded with light from two sets of headlights.

Arcee and Ratchet rushed into the cave, their optics locking onto Bumblebee’s damaged frame immediately. “Bee!” Arcee shouted, rushing toward him as Ratchet trailed behind, already scanning him over with his medical tools.

“What happened here?” Ratchet demanded as he knelt next to Bumblebee, quickly inspecting the crushed arm and the patched wounds.

Bumblebee groaned weakly, his optics dimming again as he tried to respond. : A… human helped me… :

Ratchet paused, glancing up in confusion. “A human?” His optics scanned the area, searching for any sign of life. Arcee joined in, her blasters still drawn as she surveyed the cave. “Where?”

Bumblebee, struggling to stay conscious, glanced toward where the white-haired human had been standing moments ago. His optics flickered weakly. The boy was gone, the cave empty aside from the fallen rubble.

:I… he was just here… : Bumblebee beeped quietly, his voice fading as exhaustion finally took over.

Ratchet frowned, his EM field buzzing with skepticism as he continued his work on Bumblebee. “We didn’t detect any human life signals on the way in. You must be more injured than I thought.”

But Arcee’s optics narrowed as she scanned the area again. “If there was a human here, they couldn’t have escaped any other way than the way we came in. Are you sure one was here?”

Ratchet’s raised an optic ridge looking at some of the patched injuries. “We can question him later. Right now, he needs proper medical attention. Let’s get him out of here.”

Chapter Text

Laserbeak watched from his perch as the meeting between his master, Starscream and Knockout took place below him. Most mechs didn’t notice the bird-like mini-con when he was this high up, and Laserbeak preferred it that way. He could survey the entire room and gather data to share with Soundwave during later briefings.

The three were arguing about some new rules Soundwave was putting in place regarding their frequent disappearances from the Nemesis. Laserbeak sent a wave of amusement through his bond with Soundwave when Knockout gave an exaggerated, pained response, and Starscream waved his servo around in outrage.

Suddenly, Laserbeak noticed a movement out of the corner of his optic. He shifted his helm to spot the human — at least, that was what the others claimed he was. Soundwave wasn’t so sure and shared those thoughts with his mini-con. Either way, Laserbeak was uncertain how the human could have slipped past his guard; surely, he would have noticed an organic entering the bridge — or anyone, for that matter. His optics narrowed as they tracked the newcomer.

The human, or "Danny," he had claimed his designation was, stood watching the debate with a smile, clear amusement reflecting in his EM field. Knockout continuously tried to rebut Soundwave's points, claiming that racing helped him relax and made his servos steadier for surgery. Starscream agreed with a similar sentiment for his flying.

In response, Soundwave simply pulled up a graph of all their recorded but unauthorized absences from the Nemesis, displaying the incidents’ frequency. Laserbeak remembered Soundwave mentioning that Starscream was less of a problem, as he could fly to where he wanted to go, but Knockout often used excessive energon to power the groundbridge for joyrides.

Laserbeak continued idly scanning, reading their EM fields, mannerisms, and reactions, gauging whether he would need to intervene on his master’s behalf. Not that Soundwave needed assistance.

Then the human made a snarky comment toward Knockout — something Laserbeak couldn’t quite pick up. Knockout's field flared with anger in an instant as he spun to face the human, transforming his servo into a buzzsaw. He snarled a threat before holding it underneath Danny’s chin, almost pressing against the delicate human vessels required to fuel their processor to keep them alive. It was an immediate threat. If the human’s head was severed, he certainly would not survive the ordeal. 

Laserbeak’s programming seemed to kick in on instinct. One moment, he was observing from his perch; the next, he was dive-bombing Knockout, knocking the mech off balance.

Knockout yelled in outrage, retaliating by swinging his buzzsaw at Laserbeak, who easily dodged the clumsy attack and swooped toward the human. He extended two tendrils (designed for data upload and tasks requiring finer control) and Laserbeak wrapped them securely around Danny’s torso and shoulders, lifting him up and carrying him safely back to his perch.

Danny made a startled sound and looked up at Laserbeak in confusion, trying to reassure the mini-con that he was fine and that this sort of thing happened all the time. But Laserbeak wasn’t having any of it. His plating puffed up, and his wings flared. He wasn’t putting the defenseless human down until the danger of Knockout’s aggravated state had passed.

Humans were small, vulnerable, and easily squashed. It was a miracle that the species had survived this long. Danny had unwisely provoked a fight he could never hope to win. The Cybertronians in the room outclassed him a thousandfold — even Laserbeak could kill him with a drop from this height. As that thought crossed his processor, he tightened his grip to ensure no such accident would occur.

Danny’s behaviour seemed to convey a severe lack of judgment, possibly even a damaged processor. Laserbeak would request that Soundwave inspect him once the danger is cleared. Soundwave had already turned his visor up to face them, as had everyone else in the room. Laserbeak unconsciously pulled Danny closer to his frame, protectiveness radiating through his EM field.

Starscream said something in outrage about leaving the human with Laserbeak, while Knockout muttered something along the lines of, “Let the fragging bird do what it wants.” Laserbeak bristled, his optics zeroing in on Knockout’s buzzsaw. Sensing Laserbeak’s scrutiny, Knockout transformed the weapon back into his servo. “There, you happy?” he huffed.

With the weapon gone, Laserbeak’s plating relaxed, though he still held Danny tightly. In response, Danny chuckled. How could the human find nearly being decapitated humorous?

“Laserbeak,” Danny began, stroking one of the tendrils wrapped around him. Laserbeak snapped his optics to him. “I’m okay, see? I was just annoying Knockout. I do that all the time.”

Laserbeak was not amused.

Soundwave tilted his helm at the mini-con, sending a silent ping to Laserbeak’s system: //Laserbeak: Return.// Laserbeak denied the request, removing it from his HUD and sending back a pulse of protective energy through the bond, optics focused on the current danger in the room.

After a moment’s consideration, Soundwave powered down the monitor, turning back towards Starscream and Knockout before pointing at the door — a very obvious meeting adjourned .

Knockout left without complaint and a flick of his wrist, though Starscream looked ready to argue. But at Soundwave’s pointed stare, he reluctantly stalked out of the room. Once the doors slid shut, Soundwave’s visor tilted back up to Laserbeak and his charge, this time, he spoke aloud. “Danger: passed. Laserbeak: Return.”

Laserbeak gave Danny a final, tight squeeze before he descended, gently depositing the fragile human into Soundwave’s servos for his master to inspect. Laserbeak sent a ping to Soundwave requesting that the human be examined for possible processor damage.

Soundwave’s visor was fixed on Danny, running a diagnostic scan, and sent a ping back that he didn't find anything out of the ordinary for Danny's vitals. Soundwave then turned his helm back towards the human to address him. “Request: Avoid aggravating Knockout in a volatile state. Threat level: considerable.”

Danny chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ve got it under control.”

Laserbeak fluttered close to him, trying his best to give a chastizing chattering from his vocalizer that he hoped would help the human seek sense. Danny simply turned around to pat Laserbeak’s helm affectionately. “Thanks for looking out for me, Laserbeak.” His field flickered with appreciation. 

-

After careful consideration, Laserbeak had definitively concluded that Danny had a complete lack of self-preservation and it was up to him to keep the human safe.

It always seemed that the human was getting himself into problems he couldn't possibly hope to get out of. In all of Laserbeak’s research and reconnaissance regarding the human race, he had concluded that the aliens may be easily breakable, but at least they had the common sense to not try and get themselves offlined every chance they got. 

This human must have been the complete opposite of his species. 

This realization was why Laserbeak currently found himself diving off the side of the Nemesis to catch Danny, who had stumbled straight off the edge of the ship. It was common knowledge that humans couldn’t fly, yet here he was, tumbling through open air as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Laserbeak’s field buzzed with alarm as he scanned Danny’s vitals, but somehow, the human’s heart rate remained steady — disturbingly calm, considering the predicament. Processor damage indeed.

When Danny noticed Laserbeak diving after him, he even had the nerve to smile up at the mini-con. Laserbeak squawked in exasperation, extending his tendrils as he swooped beneath the human, wrapping them carefully around Danny’s torso and limbs. He slowed their descent gradually, knowing he had to be gentle to avoid the organic's limbs detaching or sustaining an injury humans referred to as ‘whiplash.’

Laserbeak brought the human back up onto the ship, safely depositing him in the middle of the landing bay at the furthest point from any edge he could find himself falling off of. Laserbeak’s vents cycled heavily as he began running scans for injuries. The human seemed to have normal vitals for himself and showed no signs of distress or trauma. (At least from what Laserbeak's low-level scanners could find.)

Danny chuckled as he dusted himself off. “Don’t worry Laserbeak, I’m fine. Thanks for catching me,” he said with a laugh, completely unbothered. The mini-con huffed and puffed up his plating, finding it hard to believe the human could find any humour in his near-fatal fall. Perhaps he was more broken than he’d initially realized. He ran another set of scans to be sure.

But there was still reconnaissance to do, so with one last glance at the human, Laserbeak took to the skies, sweeping the Nemesis’ airspace to resume his patrol. He didn’t get far, however, before his sensors alerted him to movement. Danny was wandering near the edge of the landing pad again . 

Without hesitation, Laserbeak swooped down, catching the human before he could get within ten feet of the drop, carrying him back to the center of the platform and placing him firmly back on his feet.

Danny huffed in protest, but Laserbeak ignored it, flying off to resume his patrol, though he now kept a much closer optic on the human below. He wasn’t about to be caught off guard again.

Sure enough, Danny inched back toward the edge the moment Laserbeak turned away. Laserbeak swooped in before he’d taken more than a few steps, scooping him up once again and depositing him in the same spot. Danny sighed. “Really?” 

Laserbeak chirped in acknowledgment.

Danny paused, then inched forward again, testing Laserbeak’s reaction. Laserbeak immediately flew in front of him, nudging him back to the center of the platform, his EM field pulsing with irritation. The human only laughed and tried again, but each attempt was met with the same outcome. Laserbeak’s plating flared in frustration as he continued to intercept each approach.

Finally, Danny seemed to lose patience, deciding to make a full dash for the edge. Laserbeak lunched out his tendrils, grabbing the human and lifting him off the ground, keeping him suspended so he couldn’t try another attempt.

Danny sighed, resigned. “Alright, I get it. You win.”

Laserbeak decided that it was too dangerous for the humans to have any access to the outside.  He turned around taking the human with him and used his codes to open the bay doors, running a scan over the Nemesis to locate one of Danny’s caretakers. Starscream, the human’s primary caretaker, was currently indisposed, so Laserbeak opted for Soundwave, who was in the ship's control room.

Laserbeak swooped through the corridors and located the room quite easily. Soundwave turned to look at Laserbeak as he flew in with the struggling human in his grasp. With a soft huff of exasperation, Laserbeak unceremoniously deposited Danny onto Soundwave’s desk.

Soundwave looked between Danny and then back to Laserbeak a question mark appearing on his visor. Danny smiled up at him. “I think I’ve been grounded.” 

Laserbeak chirped in affirmation before he turned with a final flutter of his wings and headed back outside to continue his reconnaissance.

[ANIMATIC]  

Here is the animation I made for this scene! Please check it out and leave a like and comment! (I will also link it at the end of the fic if you don’t want to pause your reading) 

-

Laserbeak sat on his usual perch above the Nemesis control room, waiting for his master to return when his sensors detected a shift, and he spotted Danny walking in. Laserbeak's optics brightened as he focused on the human, running a quick scan as he always did. But this time, he noticed something unusual — the vitals weren’t right.

Danny spotted him immediately upon entering, waving up at the mini-con, smiling without a hint of worry. “Hey, Laserbeak. Is Soundwave nearby?”

Laserbeak ignored the question, launching from his perch and swooping down towards the human. He stopped, hovering just in front of him, getting close enough to do a more invasive scan. Danny instinctively took a step back, raising his organic limbs in a show of surrender. “Laserbeak?” Danny’s tone was confused.

The mini-con chirped, his scanners working over Danny’s frame from head to toe. As he reached Danny’s torso, his sensors caught something: an anomaly. A viscous substance was leaking from a wound on the human’s side under his shirt. Laserbeak squawked in alarm, extending a tendril to lift the fabric. Beneath the shirt, he found bandages hastily wrapped around the area, and under that was a deep, raw injury that had been quickly and clumsily stitched back together with thread.

Laserbeak’s EM field flared in shock and concern. Danny was hurt, losing blood. He knew humans required their blood just as mechs needed energon, and without armor or plating, their bodies were easily compromised. The realization sent another spike of alarm through Laserbeak, and he leaned in to inspect the wound more closely.

Danny placed a servo on the mini-con’s frame, gently trying to push him back. “Laserbeak, I’m fine. See?” He said, gesturing at the rough patch job. “I already dealt with it.”

But Laserbeak let out a low, displeased huff. The injury was still leaking, and for a wound of this severity, the human should be experiencing more pain — or at least expressing it. Ignoring Danny’s reassurances, Laserbeak extended a tendril and lightly touched the injury.

Danny winced, pulling back with a soft hiss.

Laserbeak retracted immediately, his field radiating an apology. So, the human was in pain. He was simply hiding it, trying to wave it off to keep Laserbeak from worrying. But Laserbeak was undeterred. He wrapped a tendril loosely around Danny’s arm to prevent him from walking off while he considered what to do.

Laserbeak could bring Danny to Knockout, but he dismissed it immediately: Knockout rarely had the human’s best interests in mind and would likely not even know where to start when it came to an injury on an organic. Danny tugged at the tendril, impatience pulling at the edge of his field, but Laserbeak held tighter, determined to keep him in place.

This was beyond Laserbeak’s scope to address alone. Danny needed a more thorough examination. Quickly, he sent a sharp, urgent ping to Soundwave, requesting his master’s immediate return.

Moments later Soundwave glided into the control room, his visor flickering and field emanating concern through their bond from the frantic ping. Laserbeak dragged Danny closer to Soundwave, urgently pinging him requests to look over the injured human. 

Danny rubbed the back of his neck, field drifting towards embarrassment under the scrutiny. “It’s fine, really,” he began. “I patched myself up. No need to worry.”

Soundwave ignored the dismissal, scanning Danny’s injuries himself. His field displayed a brief pulse of concern before he reached down, scooped the human up in his servos and brought him closer to his visor.

“Assessment: insufficient treatment,” Soundwave’s said. “Injuries: pose threat to Danny’s health.” His field became a little lighter as he sensed Laserbeak’s worry. “Suggestion: Seek additional treatment.”

Danny’s field flared in — fear? --- but he tried to smother it down and waved dismissively. “I’m not going to a hospital,” he explained. “It’s not that bad. I’ll heal up soon, I promise. Really, I don’t need any more attention, this happens all the time.”

Soundwave tilted his helm, silently observing Danny for a moment. After a beat, he addressed the human again. “Solution: remain under observation.”

Danny’s shoulders slumped, but he nodded, reluctantly agreeing to stay under their watch for the next hour or so. Laserbeak, satisfied with this outcome, chirped softly and nestled at Danny’s side, his tendrils close by in case the human tried any more evasive moves.

As Danny settled in, Laserbeak’s optics flickered with a quiet intensity. He would stay right here, keeping vigilant, and make sure this reckless human didn’t suffer further damage on his watch.

-

Laserbeak had been acting strange lately, constantly hovering around Danny and scanning him for injuries every chance he got. Danny found it strangely endearing, even though most of the times Laserbeak had “saved” Danny, he had been perfectly fine. But from Laserbeak's perspective, Danny guessed that he was technically putting himself in mortal peril all the time. 

Laserbeak and Soundwave both seemed to have taken it upon themselves to always make sure Danny was in peak health. Even for just a little scrape, or if he was a little dizzy, he would be put on veritable bed rest until the two cons deemed him fit to leave their sight. He couldn't even sit up without one of them moving him to sit back down, and the worry and concern from Laserbeak’s field always guilted Danny into staying.

But right now, Danny grinned as the wind rushed past him, sitting comfortably on Laserbeak’s back as they glided through the sky, one of the con’s tendrils wrapped around his waist like a seatbelt. Laserbeak was doing reconnaissance around a small mining town (Danny didn’t think those existed anymore) but Danny asked to tag along. Soundwave deemed the mission safe enough for his two mini-cons to go, as long as they stuck together. 

Danny loved flying with the Cons, whether it was Starscream, Laserbeak, or Soundwave. The last one happened the least often with the amount of work Soundwave was swamped with. But Here, with Laserbeak, he could relax. The silent mech always scanning and observing everything around them.

“Man, you really get a good view up here,” Danny said, patting Laserbeak’s side as they flew. 

Laserbeak didn’t respond, not that Danny expected him to. The mechanical bird was focused, always alert, and that was something Danny could appreciate. He stretched his arms, taking in the view of the vast sky stretching out around them.

Then something shifted.

Danny felt it — an odd jolt in the air, like static electricity crackling around them. He frowned and looked around. “Uh… did you feel that?”

Before he could figure it out, Laserbeak jerked violently beneath him, his wings stiffening as if hit by an invisible force. Laserbeak screeched, his systems suddenly going haywire.

“What the—?!” Danny’s eyes widened. 

Suddenly they were dropping out of the sky, Laserbeak’s flight systems failing as they spiralled downward. Danny’s stomach lurched as they plummeted, the ground coming up fast to meet them.

Laserbeak was struggling, and Danny had no idea what happened. Was this an Autobot attack? He had never met one of them before but he knew they were the Cons’ mortal enemies. Maybe an EMP or some other Cybertronian weapon to scramble systems he hadn't heard about? 

The ground got closer faster. Danny desperately gripped Laserbeak’s wings and tried to slow their descent, hands grasping tightly to the metal of his wings. Danny was staring at Laserbeak, trying to figure out what was wrong, trying to make sure the mini-con wasn’t in pain. 

Danny was so focused on slowing their descent and checking the Con’s systems that he didn’t notice the large abandoned warehouse/barn they were hurtling towards. By the time Danny looked up it was too late to use his intangiblility. They crashed through the roof (luckily with a much-slowed fall) and landed on a pile of old, rusted tools and parts.

Danny had been thrown off of Laserbeak and landed a few feet away. He slowly sat up, his eyes adjusting and ears ringing. When he finally blinked his vision back into focus, he saw Laserbeak lying in a heap. The mech’s systems were clearly down — he wasn’t moving, and the glow of his optics had dimmed

“Laserbeak!” Danny scrambled to his feet, rushing over to him. “Hey, you okay? What happened?” He put a hand on the Con’s wing.

Laserbeak twitched, trying to lift his helm to look around, but his lights flickered and he collapsed again. Danny swore under his breath. Maybe he could try and reboot his systems? 

He glanced over and saw how one of the Con’s wings was crumpled and he had a few dents across his frame where they had hit the wheelhouse and then the ground. If only Danny had been more attentive, this wouldn't have happened. This may be out of his league. Laserbeak needed Soundwave, or Knockout, someone who knew how to deal with Cybertronian tech.

Laserbeak’s optics flickered weakly as he tried to scan Danny, his chirp sounding almost pained. “I know, buddy,” Danny sighed. “I’ll get you fixed up, we just got to hope that whoever shot you down didn’t see where we landed.” He sat down next to the mini-con and stroked a hand on his back between his wings.

He pulled out his phone quickly and opened up his contact for Soundwave, sending immediate pings and requests for pick up, along with their coordinates. Danny knew it wouldn’t be long before the Decepticon third in command would come for his mini-con and his sort of adopted human (that is, if he ever got the rights from Starscream).

“Help will be here soon, don’t worry,” Danny reassured in a quiet tone to Laserbeak. Suddenly, he heard something outside the abandoned building they were bunkered up in. He tensed and strained his ears to listen. Laserbeak must have sensed it too because his field flickered in fear. Voices . 

“Where’d it go? I know I saw it fall over here!” One voice said, sounding closer.

“You sure that wasn’t just a bird or somethin’?” Another asked.

“No way. Whatever it was, it was huge! And we nailed it with that zapper!”

Danny froze. Teenagers. It was just a bunch of teenagers. Of course, it was. A bunch of kids who had made some sort of EMP weapon for a school project or just for fun and decided to start shooting things out of the sky. Danny glanced down at the cowering mini-con next to him as they got closer and closer. Laserbeak couldn’t even move a winglet with what they did to him. 

So it was up to Danny to protect him this time. He was due a turn anyway. If they found Laserbeak, there was no telling what they’d do, especially if they realized he wasn’t just some wild animal.

Danny stood up, looking around for anything he could use to hide Laserbeak. There was an old tarp draped over some machinery. That would work. Danny pulled it off with a flick of his wrists and then draped it over the Decepticon surveillance drone, tucking the corners under his wings. 

Laserbeak’s field flickered with confusion and Danny stepped back to see how covered the Con was. Danny could see the tip of one of his wings and his flickering optics reflecting a little bit of light from underneath the tarp. It would work as long as they didn’t look too hard. “I’m keeping you out of sight. Just stay quiet and I’ll buy us time till Soundwave arrives.

“I think it’s in here.” 

Danny crossed his arms, standing as much as he could in front of Laserbeak, trying to keep him from view. The kids shoved their way in, even though the door had been clearly barricaded, the wood splintering easily as one of them shoved it hard with their shoulder. 

The kids were laughing as they strode in, not noticing Danny at first. One of them had a crowbar in his fist and another a bat. There was a third who was holding some strange sort of mangled tech that looked like it had been pierced together from bits of a junkyard (looked like something his parents would make in the early days.)

“You guys lost?” Danny asked, his tone ice-cold. The three teens’ eyes all snapped to him, all going stiff for a moment. 

One of the teenagers, the leader apparently, smirked. “We’re lookin’ for the thing we shot down. Saw it fall right around here. Big metal bird or whatever.” He slurred, waving his hand to the side. Danny added likely intoxicated to the mental list.

Danny’s eyes narrowed. “There’s nothing here. So how about you turn around and leave.”

The leader scoffed, stepping closer. “You gonna make us?”

Danny clenched his fists. The last thing he needed was to get into a fight, but he wasn’t about to let them get anywhere near Laserbeak. “Yes, I am, kid. Now get out of here if you know what's good for you.”

There was a beat of silence before one of the teens made the mistake of grabbing Danny’s arm, trying to shove him out of the way.

In a flash, Danny twisted, phasing just enough to throw the kid off balance and send him tumbling into the dirt. His crowbar clattered to the ground next to him. The others hesitated, clearly unsure whether to keep pushing or not.

“Last warning,” Danny said, his voice dropping low. “Leave. Now.”

The group looked at each other before the leader of the group stepped closer again, brandishing his bat. Danny smirked at the weapon and when the kid swung it Danny grabbed it, easily wrenching it from his grip. The kid stumbled forward and made an angry noise, turning back around to try and punch Danny in the face, who easily dodged, causing the kid to trip over his friend who was still trying to get up. They both ended up in a heap. 

Danny held up the bat for them to see and then snapped it in half, throwing both pieces to the ground next to them. “Like I said, time to leave.” Danny glanced over at the kid holding the EMP-type thing. “And leave that here.” The kid dropped it and started running for the door, leaving his two friends. Danny winced as the piece of tech broke into many places as it landed. 

The other two kids glanced up at Danny and back towards their friend who just left and scrambled to their feet, leaving their weapons as they booked it towards the door. “That guy’s crazy,” one of the kids called out. 

Danny sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Damn kids.” He turned back to Laserbeak and gently lifted the tarp off of his head so that Danny could see him. Danny then patted his side reassuringly. “They’re gone,” he said softly. “You’re safe now. Just hang on, okay?”

Laserbeak’s optics dimmed, his wings twitching slightly. Danny stayed by his side, keeping watch over the warehouse entrance, not planning on moving until help arrived.

A few long minutes passed before Danny finally heard the sound of a familiar engine rumbling in the distance. He smiled faintly as he heard the sound of the colossal mech landing harshly in the forest and the heavy steps of him getting closer to their location.

Danny looked up to see Soundwave poke his helm in the opening the teens made when they bashed open the door. Danny laughed lightly at the thought of the tall mech crouching down that far to see them. His visor flickered as he scanned the scene.

“Hey, Soundwave,” Danny called tiredly. “Took you long enough.”

Soundwave said nothing, his silent presence enough to reassure Danny as he finally relaxed. The backup was here. Laserbeak was going to be alright.

And for once, Danny had been the one to protect him.

Chapter Text

Danny stumbled through the halls of the Nemesis, his vision swimming as he clutched his side. He was safe here at least. His body screamed in pain. The fight with the soul eater had been bad enough, but there were hunters close behind who turned their guns on Danny as soon as they saw him. He'd managed to escape them, barely. 

Now, though, it was catching up with him. Ectoplasm, oozed from the wounds, staining his tattered shirt already covered in burn marks and claw slashes. He pressed his hand against one of the largest wounds, a blast one of the hunters managed to land on his stomach, right on TOP of a huge scratch mark the soul eater gave Danny with her talons moments prior.

Everything was getting blurry. He just needed to get to Starscream’s room so he could patch himself up ASAP.

He rounded a corner, his breath coming out in ragged gasps, when his legs finally gave out. He collapsed against a wall, sliding down it as his vision darkened. He could just rest here, right? Just for a moment? 

He was vaguely aware of footsteps —large ones— coming toward him. He tried his best to look up, his eyes landing on two familiar figures: Starscream and Knockout. They both froze, staring at him, wide-opticed.

“What in the Pit happened?” Starscream’s voice cut through the haze.

“ Hey… Screamy,” Danny chuckled wryly before coughing ectoplasm into his fist, head falling back again with a thump against the Nemesis’ wall.

Knockout stepped forward, optics quickly scanning over the ' human ' crumpled on the floor. “What... happened to him?”

Danny tried to speak, tried to explain, but the words wouldn’t come out. He felt himself slipping as his form flickered. with his energy drained he didn't fight the transformation that flowed over him as he turned into his human form, the green ectoplasm fading into red blood. Then everything went black.

-

Starscream moved faster than Knockout had ever seen him. “Get to the medical bay!” He ordered, reaching down and scooping Danny up gently — something Knockout wouldn’t have ever expected from the air commander.

Knockout’s optics widened at the sight of the red substance spilling over Starscream’s servos. “Wait, is that… blood?” His tone held a mix of horror and fascination.

Starscream shot him a glare. “Of course it’s blood! He’s a human, Knockout. What did you think, that they leak energon?”

“It was green a second ago! Who knows what to think?” Knockout snapped back, motioning to the bleeding human in Starscream’s servos. “I’m not a doctor for organics. He is far too fragile for me to perform surgery!” They were now running down the hallway and Knockout placed his servo against the panel to open the door to the medbay as Starscream cradled his precious pet in his servos.

Starscream placed Danny on the medical berth as gently as he could; the human looked far too small to be lying on that thing. “if you're as good a doctor as you claim, try .” The seeker hissed.

Knockout shot him a glare. “I know you care about your pet human, Starscream, but this is absurd! There’s no way I can work on him! His anatomy is all… wrong. There are no micro-tools small enough for me to even attempt this. I can’t just weld his flesh back together with new plating like I do with us! Organics are different!” He waved his servos around wildly as he explained

Starscream’s servos clenched and unclenched, looking like he was about to scratch Knockout’s face off. “Then what do you suggest we do?”

Knockout exhaled sharply, rubbing a servo down his faceplate in exasperation. He began rifling through his medical equipment, though he knew none of it would work. “I don’t know! I can run scans and get some readings, but without a human doctor… I can’t do anything.”

Starscream gritted his dentae as he looked down at Danny’s small, fragile form, bleeding out on the medical berth. Knockout’s scans showed the boy’s vitals were dropping fast.

“Keep him stable,” Starscream ordered, already spinning on his heel and heading for the door. Knockout glanced up from the equipment, surprised by the commander's sudden change.

“You're leaving!? Where are you going?” Knockout called after him. But the Con was already out the door. Knockout cursed and then turned back to the human.

What was he supposed to do now?

-

Starscream launched off the ship as fast as his thrusters could take him and set course to the small human town in the middle of the desert that was only a few klicks from the Nemesis’ current location. Knockout was right. And Danny was going to die soon if Starscream didn’t do anything. If Danny needed a human doctor, that's what Starscream would get. Not that he really cared about the human. But he was beginning to be useful and entertaining to have around, it would be beneficial to keep him around as long as possible... or at least that was what Starscream was telling himself.

He scanned over the town and spotted a large building that had a red plus symbol on the outside and the words “Jasper General Hospital” in large lettering spelled out across the side. If he was going to find what he needed, it would be there.

He circled the building once or twice before he spotted a human female with dark hair who was wearing a white lab coat and holding some sort of medical bag. Starscream didn’t have time to wait, and the human looked medically knowledgeable enough. He flew down and transformed mid-air, landing on the pavement in front of her, standing between her and the vehicle she was supposedly going to. Large cracks spread under his pedes from where he landed. 

She stumbled back, eyes wide, staring up at Starscream in shock. Normally Starscream would have relished in the expression of fear he could put into these little squishies, but now he had a job to do. He leaned down to grab her and she stumbled back. She screamed and dropped her bag, the initial shock wearing off enough to give her the ability to try and run. 

But she was not fast enough to avoid Starscream’s grasp. He lifted the human up to his optic height, and the higher off the ground she was lifted the more she gripped onto the servo holding her, the greater sense of self-preservation all humans supposedly had. Except for his human, apparently. 

“Are you a doctor?” Starscream asked the human. The female gaped, with her intake -mouth?- opening and closing over and over again, struggling to find the words. Starscream didn’t have time for that. He shook the human (somewhat gently). “Well, I don’t have all day.” He snapped.

The human looked like she was going to be sick, face pale as she stared up at Starscream. But finally answered him. “I’m a nurse.” 

“And you can heal human injuries?” 

“ Yes… ” 

Starscream nodded. “Good.” He then reached down and grabbed the bag she had dropped which would hopefully have the supplies she needed, and if the human couldn't do it, he could give the supplies to Knockout to attempt to use. He then tossed her into the air and transformed around her until she was sitting in his cockpit and he sent the seatbelt around her, strapping her in tight. She let out yet another scream of fear, gripping the seat hard. 

“Touch any of my instruments, human, and you're getting ejected.” He snapped before taking off back towards the Nemesis as fast as he could go without the human inside his cockpit passing out from the force. She was no good to him unconscious. 

-

June clung hard to the seat she was now strapped to. She had just been kidnapped by a Decepticon. Again ! She had no idea who it was or why. Last time it was that awful Arachnid trying to get at her son Jack and his Autobot guardian Arcee, using her as bait, and now, she had no idea! She wasn’t used to this stuff! She only just found out about the Autobots recently and they had been the only ones she ever interacted with. 

Now this . She thought about grabbing the joystick in front of her or banging on the glass and kicking, but the last thing the alien told her was that he would eject her if she tried anything, which would undoubtedly kill her. So instead she tried yelling. “Let me go!” 

“No.” was the short response. She tried to raise one of her arms but it felt like it was being glued to the chair with the force of the speed the jet was going. 

June was shaking. She didn’t want to be mixed up in this stuff, she didn’t want her son to be mixed up in this stuff, and now she was being captured by a tall scary-looking Decepticon who didn’t seem to care about her wellbeing and was planning to do god knows what with her. 

“What do you want with me!?” She tried, her voice cracking. 

The Jet made a sharp turn and if he wasn’t going fast enough that her head was pressed back into the seat, she probably would have banged it against the glass of the cockpit. “You’ll soon find out,” his voice resonated around her. She felt unnerved by the statement but knew she didn’t have much of a choice. That was when she noticed a huge flying spaceship that was covered front to back in spikes. 

And the jet was heading straight for it. That must be the Decepticon warship she had heard the Autobots talk about, the one that they can’t track down no matter how hard they try. Which means… if she is taken there, they can’t get her back.

She started to struggle against the seatbelts but they only tightened in response. “Stop squirming,” the Con demanded, sounding only mildly disgusted with her. 

He pulled into the landing dock of the ship and slowed to a stop. He then transformed again, only this time instead of being in his hand like she had expected, she was shrouded in complete darkness. Her heart stopped for a second, having no idea what happened. 

“Don’t make a sound and don’t touch anything,” came a voice that reverberated around her. She then felt the Con start to walk and she was jostled around. She gasped as she realized that she was inside of him. While he was a robot. She didn’t even think that was possible. 

She felt the Con moving swiftly, almost with urgency as he trekked more turns than she could keep track of. The clinking of his feet hitting the ground over and over rang in her ears.

Suddenly, she was blinded by new light and the same sharp gray hand was wrapped around her again. She was being pulled out of the jet-now-mech’s chest and held tightly as if he was worried about her trying to run away—like she ever could get off this ship if she did. There, on the other side of the room, was a red mech who looked a similar height and build to Bumblebee. 

The red guy was frantically going through and sorting equipment. Up on the screen above him were human anatomy photos, and articles about blood loss, cauterization, and burns. She had a terrifying moment of fear looking at the equipment and then the large mechs around her. Were they planning to use her as an experiment to find out how humans worked? Cut her up and use her organs? She started shaking again. She knew the Decepticons were evil, but she didn’t think they were kidnapping and experimenting on humans. Not until now, anyway.

The jet man above her spoke up, grabbing the attention of the red bot. “Knockout, any progress?” 

The red Con didn’t look up from his work. “After some research, I managed to use a plasma welder to help cauterize some of the major wounds to stop any excess bleeding, but-” He clenched his fists and threw a piece of tech at the wall, cracking it into pieces. “Nothing will work!” June flinched as the pieces scattered across the room.

The con then turned around to continue ranting before his red and black eyes snapped down to her. He quickly glanced up at the Con holding her and back to her again. “Starscream, what is that ?” He asked incredulously, pointing a sharp finger in her direction. June felt the need to shrink back.

The now-dubbed Starscream growled in annoyance. “You told me to get a human doctor, so now I have one!” He held June out for Knockout to inspect, and she tensed up immediately, gripping tighter at Starscream’s long fingers.

“I didn’t think you would actually go get one!” He snapped loudly, throwing his arm out to the side.

Starscream held an un-impressed expression and simply held her out and dropped her in front of Knockout, causing him to pull his hand up and catch her at the last second, Knockout used two hands to hold her, one underneath and the other just over her, trapping her like a cage. “Well now we have her, so go fix him,” Starscream responded.

She looked down at the new hand she was now clinging to and saw that there was blood on it. Human blood. Knockout didn’t look down at her, only staring at Starscream. “We don’t even know if she knows how to deal with your human’s injuries. And if Megatron sees this...” The Con cut off.

“I’m aware.” Starscream snapped.

Knockout grumbled something indistinguishable and then carried June towards a huge robot medical table, not unlike the one in the Autobot base that Ratchet used, and set her down on it. It took her a second to notice the human lying in a pool of blood on the table in front of her. She gasped, eyes wide, and stood silent for a second in shock. Why did the Decepticons have a bleeding human? And why did they want her help? What is going on?

“Well? Can you fix him, human?” The red guy asked. “Or are you unqualified ?” 

She kneeled down next to the kid. He couldn’t be much older than Jack. He was coated in blood. “I- I can try.” She looked up to the red mech. “But I need my-” She was stopped when the taller gray one stepped forward and reached into his chest again, procuring her medical bag. Mercifully, she had just restocked it and was putting it back in her car for emergencies if anything happened at the base with the kids. 

The gray bot leaned in close to her. “Fix him. Your insignificant life depends on it.” He then backed off and started pacing around the room, leaving her and Knockout to stand over the human boy on the operating table. This was going to be a long night.

-

Danny slowly blinked his eyes open, the bright lights of the medbay making him squint. His whole body ached, every muscle screaming in protest when he attempted to move. With a groan, he tried to sit himself up. “Feels like I’ve been run over by a freight train…” He muttered.

Knockout, who had been monitoring the readouts of his condition, immediately noticed the movement. “He’s awake,” Knockout announced to the room, moving toward the berth.

Danny turned his head slightly to see the red medic approach. “Knockout…” Danny began, his voice hoarse, “I thought you would never touch a ‘skinbag’ with a stick? Yet here you are… patching one up.” A smirk tugged at his lips despite the pain.

Knockout huffed, crossing his arms as he gave Danny an exaggerated roll of his optics. “Believe me, this is not by choice. Starscream can be very persuasive when he wants to be.” He reached for one of his instruments, scanning over Danny more closely. Though Danny could feel relief in the medic’s field. Danny glanced up to the monitors, articles open about human biology and blood loss all over the screens.

Danny laughed despite the pain, “is that Wikipedia?” His eyes flicked over. “And Quora !?” How in the world did Knockout even keep him alive? Danny glanced down at some of his wounds. He could see stitches even. He knew Knockout’s servos were steady, but that steady? Where did he even get the equipment?!

Danny’s train of thought was stopped as Starscream quickly walked over to him, looming over him and inspecting his injuries with sharp optics. The seeker seemed unusually tense.  Which made sense. Any injuries Danny had in the past he hid from the Con, even then they were minor, nothing like this. Danny... almost died. He honestly wondered what was going through the Con's processor right then.

He smiled at the Con's worry, but the smile turned into a grimace of pain. "I'm still kicking, It takes a lot more than that to keep me down, don't worry."

Before he could say more, movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. A human woman with black hair and a white lab coat rushed over. She carried a medical bag with a look of concern on her face, her eyes wide as she glanced between Knockout, Starscream, and Danny.

Danny tensed. Immediately, a jolt of fear shot through him, his EM field betraying his feelings before he could stop it. He flinched slightly and scrambled to his feet when she reached out to examine him.

Starscream stared at Danny for a moment and narrowed his optics. “You are… afraid of the human?” He sounded utterly baffled at the statement. Obviously, with Danny being so uncaring when it came to the Decepticons, Starscream didn’t think a human would pose much of a threat.

Danny shook his head quickly, waving off the idea with a shaky laugh. “No, no… it’s not that,” he said, but his voice wavered. He avoided looking at June directly, focusing instead on Starscream. “I’m just… not the biggest fan of doctors or scientists.” He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, feeling her studying his wounds from a few short steps away. “You remember what I told you before, right?” he added, glancing meaningfully up at Starscream.

Starscream’s optics flickered with recognition. Back when they were flying Danny had mentioned how humans hurt what they don’t understand and how he could be experimented on if he was found by the wrong people. Starscream straightened, his wings standing up straight as his optics slid toward June.

“Very well,” Starscream said coldly, his servo transforming with a series of sharp clicks into an energon blaster. “We will remove the human, then. To prevent any future dangers.”

The woman’s eyes widened in shock as the weapon leveled at her, and she instinctively took a step back, fear flashing across her face.

“Whoa, whoa, absolutely not what I meant, Starscream!” Danny cried, immediately throwing himself between Starscream and June, despite the pain in his body. His arms outstretched protectively, standing in the line of fire, his eyes were wide with urgency. “We’re not killing anyone!”

Starscream lowered his blaster slightly, but his optics were still narrowed. “But you said—”

“I said I didn’t trust human doctors or scientists,” Danny continued, still breathing heavily. “But that doesn’t mean we go around shooting people!” Starscream sighed dramatically and lowered his blaster. “Where did you even get a doctor anyway!? Why did you get one?” Danny asked, still standing in between the woman and the trigger-happy Con.

Starscream’s wing twitched in agitation. “Your injuries were too severe for Knockout to fix so I found a human to help expedite the process and save your already short life.” He explained.

“So you kidnapped someone!?” Danny gestured widely to the doctor –possibly nurse– behind him. “You can’t just do that!”

“Would you rather I let you die?” Starscream snapped.

Danny was about ready to shout back something along the lines of. ‘Sure, if it meant someone wasn’t put in danger’ but held himself back. Honestly, he wasn’t even one hundred percent sure about what he would have wanted Starscream to do. Or what else the Con could have done in this situation. 

Danny huffed and turned his back to Starscream, addressing the woman, still visibly shaken. “Sorry about— everything. I had no idea they would do something like this.” He held his hands out placatingly. 

She glanced over at Danny, concern mixing with confusion. “Did… did they do this to you?” She asked tentatively, her voice barely a whisper trying not to alert the Cons as she gestured toward his injuries.

Danny snorted, even though it hurt to laugh. “No, they didn’t. I just got into a really bad fight with someone a lot uglier than these guys.” He glanced up at Starscream. “Though they’ve certainly tried in the past.”

Starscream huffed, now transforming his blaster back into a servo and crossing his arms. “Hardly. If I had truly intended to end your miserable existence, you wouldn’t be here to complain about it.” But there was no real venom behind his words.

The woman, still likely unsure of what exactly was going on, seemed to relax a little, though her hands trembled as she looked back at Danny’s wounds. “Well… whoever did this, you’re lucky to be alive.” She glanced warily at the two towering Decepticons. “But you need medical attention, real medical attention. You can’t stay like this.”

Danny flinched, before looking up and giving her a tired smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it. Believe it or not, I’ve been through worse.” Danny’s smile faltered slightly, she looked like she was about to protest but he stopped her. “I’ll be fine,” he repeated quietly. “I’ll get you home safely, I promise.” He turned to Starscream, giving him a pointed look. “Right, Screamer?”

Starscream’s wings twitched at the nickname, and he sighed dramatically. “Fine, I will return you to the location I found you, human,” he said with a slight sneer.

She blinked up at him in disbelief, glancing between Danny and Starscream repeatedly. “You’re really… just going to take me back?”

Danny nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. “Yep. I’m so sorry about all of this. There is really no more I can do to make it better.” He paused. “I would say don’t tell anyone about this, but I think we both know no one would believe you.” The woman had a tight expression on her face at that last bit.

Danny held his hand out for her to shake. “But really. thank you so much, I appreciate it…” She accepted the handshake with a dazed look.

Starscream scowled, tapping his finger against his arm. “Alright. I don’t have all day.” Starscream extended his servo toward the woman, who very very hesitantly let the con grab her.

Danny waved as she was lifted into the air, probably having one of the strangest nightmares of a lifetime. “Fly safe, you two. Starscream, be back before dinner.” He waved his finger at the Con who merely groaned in exasperation. “I would totally go, but I’m about to pass out and I promised Soundwave I would hang out with him and Laserbeak today.” The woman gave a confused expression before she was placed into Starscream’s subspace. 

Danny promptly laid back down on the medical berth and tilted his head to the roof. He was in so much pain.

Chapter Text

Danny’s been put on bedrest, and he was not happy about it. He couldn’t believe it. And surprisingly, it was Knockout who had been the one to try to ensure Danny took care of himself.

“According to this information,” Knockout gestured to the screen behind him that displayed diagrams of human biology and notes that he had accumulated over the last day, “and what the human medic insisted," He rolled his optics. "Humans need rest to heal properly after sustaining significant injuries such as yours. Without it, they risk worsening their condition. So, until you’re healed, you’ll need to remain under constant Decepticon surveillance.”

Danny stared, slack-jawed, perched on the edge of the medical berth. Starscream stood on the other side of the medbay with his arms crossed as he listened. “You can’t be serious. I don’t need to be babysat! I’m fine! This sort of thing happens all the time,” Danny argued.

“The human medic was very clear that rest is essential. Well, when she was not scared out of her mind anyway,” Knockout replied, optics narrowing with a touch of exasperation. “And as the Decepticons’ chief physician."

"Only physician," Starscream muttered.

Knockout continued, ignoring the commander. "It’s my job to ensure the health of those on the ship.”. Danny would have appreciated the care that Knockout seemed to be showing him if it weren't for the fact that Danny. Didn’t. Need. Babysitting!

Danny scoffed, throwing his hands up in disbelief. “Since when do you listen to humans? I know my limits—it’s not that bad.” He paused, frustration filling his field. “And I’m not a Decepticon. You can’t just order me around.”

Starscream’s optics flickered as he stepped forward, his tone sharp but with an undertone Danny could almost mistake for concern. “If your health is at risk, you will listen to Knockout.”

Danny glared over his shoulder, eyes narrowing at Starscream. “You never follow orders when you’re on bedrest. You can’t make me stay here,” he snapped.

Knockout rolled his optics dramatically. “Yes, we can. Until your injuries heal, you are to—” He glanced at the notes on his monitor. Danny didn’t know if they were from the internet or from what the human nurse explained to the mech while Danny was unconscious. “—reduce strenuous activities such as stretching, running, walking, and maintain as much rest as possible. You’re to also remain in calm, non-stressful situations.”

“Right, because living on a Decepticon warship in the middle of a war is so stress-free.” Danny couldn’t help but laugh, though the motion made him wince as pain flared across his torso. He clutched his side, and Knockout raised an optic ridge while Starscream looked Danny up and down, wings flicking with concern. 

Knockout let out an exaggerated sigh. “Doctor’s orders. Starscream, take him,” he said, waving a servo dismissively behind him. “I need to clean up my lab after the organic mess you left behind.” Knockout shuddered. 

Danny opened his mouth to protest, but Starscream scooped him up with both servos before he could get a word out. The Seeker moved carefully, making sure he didn't move Danny too quickly and accidentally strain his injuries.

Danny sighed as Starscream carried him out of the medbay. He was now stuck with a crew of twenty-something-foot-tall, metal, battle-hardened babysitters who wouldn’t even let him walk on his own. It was going to be a long week.

-

Danny was already bored, and it had only been two hours. Usually, he would be perfectly fine sitting around in Starscream’s quarters while the Con went over datapads, but the fact that he had to stay there because the Cons said so made him want to explore more than ever.

Danny waited another few painstaking minutes, glancing around at his personal shelf. More and more personal items seemed to be added each month. Sometimes, he would find extra things placed in with his belongings that he hadn’t had before — things he was sure Starscream must have picked up on his little missions. He’d noticed that Starscream was a hoarder, but the Seeker kept everything meticulously organized and enjoyed collecting little gifts or souvenirs. Danny was confident that if he ever asked Starscream where the items came from, the Con would either ignore him or deny everything. The thought made Danny smile to himself.

But he was still bored. And salty about being put on bedrest. He was sitting on the old beanbag, already having tossed one of the miniature datapads haphazardly to the floor. Soundwave had a few extras in storage, and Danny had no idea why the Cons had miniature datapads, but he wasn’t complaining. He rolled his head back and stared at the ceiling.

He needed to stretch his legs. He glanced up to ensure Starscream was still hard at work—and he was. Danny stood up slowly, taking care not to tear his stitches, and walked to the edge. His steps were silent as he kept his eyes on Starscream and jumped off the shelf, floating safely to the ground.

Once on the ground, Danny headed for the door. He felt the pull at his stitches with every step, making him wince, but freedom was worth the pain. He only had about twenty more steps to go until—

Suddenly, Starscream’s large, heeled pede slammed down in front of him. Danny stumbled back and looked up, meeting Starscream’s scowl. Danny returned the expression, crossing his arms. “I was just stretching my legs,” he tried.

Starscream stooped down and snatched Danny up without a second thought. “I believe 'stretching' and 'walking' were both on Knockout’s ‘not for the human’ list,” the Con said briskly, striding back to his desk. Instead of placing Danny back on his shelf, Starscream set him next to the datapads on the desk and sat down to continue his work.

Danny frowned. “Right, and now I have nowhere comfortable to rest,” he muttered, crossing his arms.

Starscream barely looked up. “You should have thought of that before trying to escape,” he said, swiping on his datapad. Danny rolled his eyes and sat down on the cold, hard desk.

He noticed Starscream glancing at him a few times, each look more annoyed than the last. Danny wasn’t even doing anything! Abruptly, the Seeker stood up and walked to the other side of the room, where Danny’s shelf was.

Danny stood up to see better and walked to the edge of the desk. Starscream turned on his heel and brought back Danny’s beanbag, blanket, and one of the datapads.

Starscream glanced down at Danny near the edge and used his servo to push him back to the middle of the desk, likely assuming Danny was trying to escape again. The Con promptly dropped the items next to Danny and sat down to resume his work.

Danny bundled the items together to create a comfortable sitting spot and smiled up at the Con, who kept periodically glancing over as if to make sure Danny was still there. “Thanks,” Danny said.

Starscream ignored him, but Danny could see his wings twitch in acknowledgment.

-

It was the next day, and it was time for another escape attempt. Danny was sitting on the counter with Breakdown and Knockout in the room. He had been told to “stay put,” but there was no way he was going to listen. His wounds had healed more, and the pain was bearable. He was perfectly fine to start walking around now.

He glanced up as Breakdown and Knockout were thoroughly distracted by each other — Knockout fussing over a new ding or scratch in his paint and Breakdown trying to calm him down and help buff it out — an exhausting experience, from the looks of it.

Even though it was entertaining to watch the two scramble like that, Danny had some escaping to do, and this distraction was perfect. He quickly jumped off the counter, landed softly on the ground, and headed for the door. Instead of almost getting stepped on this time, he made it, and the door opened easily for him.

Luckily, the hiss of the door hydraulics was quiet enough not to alert the two mechs. Danny made it down two hallways before a large tentacle wrapped around his torso and lifted him into the air. Danny let out a surprised yelp as he looked around to see who or what had grabbed him, only to meet Soundwave’s visor.

“Oh, hey,” Danny laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “What are you doing out here, Soundwave? I thought you’d be in the control room.”

Soundwave tilted his helm, and the security footage of the medbay flickered onto his screen, showing Danny’s escape. Danny sighed and slumped. Soundwave raised both servos, placed Danny into them, and retracted his tentacle.

Danny sat down in the servos with his legs to the side. Soundwave spoke up. “Statement: Danny is injured. Statement: Knockout has placed Danny on bedrest until further notice. Observation: Danny is not abiding by the rules.” If Danny could see the Con’s optics, he was sure he’d be getting a disapproving glare.

“I’m fine!” Danny threw his hands up in exasperation. “Really, you guys are worrying over nothing.”

“Incorrect.” Danny stared up at the Con. “Soundwave and Decepticons: concerned for your wellbeing. Danny: almost died without intervention.” Danny felt a pang of guilt. He really had almost died. The Cons were just trying to help, in their own way.

Danny sighed. “Fine. I’ll rest,” he relented. Soundwave flashed a smiley emoticon on his visor and started walking back toward the control room. Danny looked up at him, confused. “Am I not going back to the medbay?”

Soundwave glanced down. “Negative. Breakdown and Knockout: proved insufficient at guarding you. Soundwave and Laserbeak: Superior.”

Danny laughed and leaned back in Soundwave’s servos.

-

Needless to say, the next time Danny was put under Knockout and Breakdown’s care, he found himself placed in a large glass observation tank to minimize any escape risks. It was something that would easily contain an average human—not Danny, of course, But Knockout didn't know that. And at least it was comfortable. 

Knockout had looked so proud of himself when he set Danny in there, too. If Danny hadn’t been so tired, he would have tried to escape the moment the Con turned around, just to prove a point. But for now, he leaned back on the blankets that had been placed inside the tank with him. This wasn’t so bad.

-

Danny managed to escape from Knockout two more times, and now Soundwave had transferred Danny’s care to some of the Vehicons whenever Soundwave and Starscream weren’t available to watch him. Danny didn’t mind; he loved the Vehicons. 

Danny glanced up at Roddie, who had him clutched in his servos as he and C-27 patrolled the ship’s hallways. C-27 was always a stickler for the rules, while Roddie tended to be a troublemaker. The two were often put on shifts together to make sure that they kept each other balanced. Or, at least, so C-27 could keep Roddie in line.

Roddie was always excited to see Danny, jumping at every opportunity to pick up the "human" and ask him questions. C-27 always seemed snippety around Danny and would tell Roddie off for harassing him. C-27 cared about Danny and Roddie in his own way; he didn't want either of them hurt, but he masked this behind his professionalism and strict rule-following. 

As they walked, Danny shifted in Roddie’s hold a little too quickly, sending a sharp pain shooting through his side. He hissed and grabbed at the injury reflexively. Both Vehicons stopped immediately, alarm sparking in their fields.

“Are you okay?” Roddie’s tone, usually light and playful, was now serious and tinged with worry. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, no, I’m fine. Just moved too quickly,” Danny waved them off.

C-27 levelled his visor at Danny. “If you are experiencing any excess pain, we are instructed to take you to Knockout for an examination,” the Con informed him.

Danny sighed. “Really, guys, I’m fine, see?” Danny smiled brightly and stood up on Roddie’s servos, who promptly used his other servo to cup around him to make sure he didn’t fall. He was met with more flat looks and concerned fields. “Okay, if it happens again, you can take me to the medbay, okay?”

The two Cons glanced at each other and decided that was a good enough compromise. “Fine.” C-27 reluctantly agreed.

“But if you feel any more pain… just tell us, okay?” Roddie said. 

Danny smiled up at them. “Promise.”

They continued their patrol, light commentary passing between them—mainly between Danny and Roddie—as C-27 tried to remain professional. But Danny could tell he enjoyed the conversation, not to mention the company.

-

Needless to say, after all of that, Danny never ended up being able to escape. Now, his injuries were finally healed enough to be taken off bed rest, no longer a need for constant supervision. He was still told to keep an eye on his injuries, but he was free to do what he wanted. But now that Danny had the choice, he still wanted to hang with the Cons all day anyway.

Chapter Text

The Autobot base was nothing but quiet on days like this. And by days like this, it means. Days where all the Autobots and kids were under the same roof -Mountain?- Jack and Miko sat on the Autobot base’s only couch, elbowing each other, trying to distract one another from winning the game they were currency playing on the TV.

Bumblebee and Raf watched the game over the teen's shoulders with interest, Bulkhead and Arcee were having a conversation in the back, and Ratchet stood working on a few of his tools, threatening anyone who would try and distract him with a thrown wrench. Optimus stayed a safe enough distance away as he started up a conversation with his old friend.

Miko let out a whoop as her character got the upper hand, and Jack groaned.

"Come on, Miko! That was pure luck," he said, mashing buttons in an attempt to recover before slumping down in defeat on the couch. 

Miko smirked. "Luck? Or skill , Darby?" She stood from the couch to do a victory dance.

Before Jack could retort, the door to the base slid open. Agent Fowler, this was normal. The agent would come storming in, about to yell about something or other and get mad at Optimus. Everyone was tired of it. Jack glanced up anyway to see what was going to happen when he froze. Agent Fowler was supporting a person, not just any person—Jack's mom!

“MOM!” Jack shouted, dropping the controller and rushing to her side. “What happened? Are you okay?” He put his hands on her shoulders trying to get a closer look at her.

June offered a weak smile and held out one hand in a slow-down motion toward her son. “I’m fine, honey,” she said softly, leaning into Fowler for support.

“She was kidnapped by Cons,” Fowler answered for her.

“What?!” Jack's eyes widened, and he looked back and forth between his mom and Fowler in horror. The Autobots quickly gathered around. Bumblebee beeped with concern, placing Raf on the catwalk while Ratchet immediately began scanning June.

Fowler led her to the couch and sat her down before grabbing a blanket to place around her shoulders. “We had some strange reports from the hospital, and when we went to investigate, we discovered June in the lot. She was pretty shaken up.” He explained. 

“How did you get away?” Raf asked, his voice small.

“They… they let me go,” June said in disbelief.

Everyone in the room stared at her, eyes wide in shock. “That’s entirely unlike the Decepticons,” Ratchet said, looking back at the scan he took of June's vitals, seeming happy with them before closing it. “They wouldn’t just release you without a reason. Why would they risk exposure to take you in the first place?”

“What did they want with you?” Arcee asked, her tone sharp. “They don’t know your connection to us, do they? Because if they do, that puts you—and the kids—in even more danger.”

June shook her head. “No, it wasn’t that. They didn’t take me because of my connection to the Autobots. At least… I don’t think so. They didn't even know who I was.”

“Then what did they want?” Jack asked, sitting down next to her on the couch and putting a supportive hand on her knee.

“They wanted me for my medical expertise,” June explained. “At least, that’s what the jet… uh, Starscream said.”

“Wait.” Miko held her hands up. “Starscream kidnapped you because you’re a nurse ? What would that ugly gray stiletto-heeled Con want with a nurse?”

June looked at her hands and then back up at the others, taking a steading breath. It's been a long day for her. “He wanted me to patch up someone who was very injured.”

“Who?” Optimus asked, his deep voice resonating through the room.

June hesitated, her face pale as she glanced at Jack. “It was… a boy. A human boy, about Jack’s age”

“WHAT?!” the Autobots chorused, their disbelief echoing through the base.

“There is a human in Decepticon possession?” Optimus’s voice was heavy with concern.

June nodded. “He looked like he’d been through a lot. He was unconscious when I got there, but when he woke up, he didn’t seem… surprised. It was like he knew them.” Her voice cracked slightly, and she pressed a hand to her face. “Oh god. He reminded me of Jack. I can’t imagine Jack in the hands of the Decepticons.”

Jack’s stomach twisted, his mind racing. “Mom…” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Hey, what if it's the kid that Jack ran into at the race with Bumblebee?” Miko suggested, voice seeming too chipper for the situation.

Raf tilted his head and readjusted his glasses. “But wasn’t that six months ago?” 

Arcee crossed her arms. “I put him somewhere safe after the race. Knockout never left my sight until he escaped. There’s no way they could’ve gotten him again.”

Fowler frowned, rubbing his chin. “I tried looking into it after your report. We couldn’t find a trace of the kid after that incident. No cameras, no witnesses. It’s like he was a ghost.”

“You think they kidnapped him again because he knew too much?” Arcee suggested. “Tracked him down again?"

“It’s a possibility,” Optimus said gravely. “If this human is being held by the Decepticons, it is cause for concern. We must determine his connection to them and ensure his safety.”

June started to speak again but hesitated when she looked over at the kids. Their eyes settled on Jack for a long moment before turning away. “I… I need to speak with Ratchet and Optimus in private… Fowler too.”

“Oh, come on! How come we don’t get in on the hot goss.” Miko cried out.

“It's not ‘Hot Goss’ Miko, this is serious!” Jack snapped, standing up from the couch. “My mom was kidnapped by Decepticons! This isn’t just another one of your fun adventures.” He threw his hand to the side in outrage. 

Optimus tilted his head to the side in judgment. “Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee. Please accompany the human children elsewhere while we discuss this.”

Miko crossed her arms in a pout. “So unfair!” 

Bulkhead sighed and used his hand to usher the teens out of the room. “Come on, Miko.”

Jack gave one last worried glance back to his mom before leaving with Arcee. He wanted to stay more than anything, make sure she was okay. But something must have happened that she really doesn’t want him to hear.

-

Optimus tilted his head toward June, patiently nodding. “What is it that you wish to speak with us about?”

June looked away, her expression troubled. “The kid’s injuries… Do you think the Decepticons might have caused them, or someone else? I don’t know…If it was the Decepticons, could this end up happening to the kids? I don't want them being in danger like this.” She put her head in her hands, taking a steadying breath. Agent Fowler placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Optimus hummed thoughtfully. “It is a possibility, though an unlikely one.”

“So, is a human getting medical attention on a Decepticon warship,” Ratchet countered. "Perhaps the human has intelligence or knowledge the Decepticons require him to stay alive for.” He placed a servo on his chin.

“That could be,” Fowler agreed. “We’ve seen a few Cons work with humans to get what they want in the past. Like Airachnid and M.E.C.H.” June shivered at the name. 

Optimus nodded, his tone thoughtful. “Perhaps the origin of the injuries could shed some light on the situation.” He turned to June.

June pressed a hand to her temple as she tried to think. “There were deep scratches across his side. I wasn’t allowed to remove any clothing to fully assess the injuries. I wasn’t allowed to. I only saw what was exposed. The medic—or whatever Knockout is—wouldn’t let me.”

“Scratches?” Ratchet prompted, optics narrowing.

June nodded. “And burns. Bad ones — they were the worst of it, I think, and what worries me most. I… haven’t seen anything like this before.” She looked up at Optimus, hesitance and fear plain in her eyes. “The burns had seared into his abdomen, semi-cauterizing the flesh on the sides of the injuries. The closest I could tell, they came from some sort of laser. 

The only thing that I could see doing something like this are the blasters that you and the Decepticons use. They did seem incredibly unprepared for this, too. There was blood everywhere. The two Decepticons in the room had their hands covered in it, as well as the table he was on… I don’t know how the kid survived that long before I got there.”

The Autobots waited patiently for her to continue.

“Knockout had tried to do some research before I arrived,” she explained. “He was looking up things online—human anatomy, medical procedures. At first, I thought they were going to experiment on me. But no, Knockout had tried using a welder to stop the bleeding. Some… attempt to cauterize the wounds.”

Agent Fowler grimaced. “A welder?”

June nodded. “It worked—at least until I got there. But it made the injuries worse in some areas. Still, it was clear they were trying to keep him alive.”

Ratchet tilted his head, surprise evident in his tone. “Knockout? Trying to save a human’s life with medical care? Never thought I’d see the day.”

June gave a weak smile. “Even though they were short-tempered and upset, Knockout listened to what I said and even wrote down notes. And Starscream—he was pacing the entire time. He wouldn’t leave the room.”

Fowler crossed his arms. “If Starscream was there, then this kid is definitely important. The second-in-command wouldn’t show up for just anyone.”

“Indeed,” Optimus agreed.

Fowler placed his hands on his hips. “Sounds like those blaster wounds are pretty damning evidence that the Cons are our culprits.”

“It is not out of character for the Decepticons to lash out with violence, even toward those they are allied with,” Optimus said gravely. “Even if they later regret the action.”

June bit her lip. “The kid said they didn’t hurt him. I asked. I needed to be sure, and he said it wasn’t them… Do you think he could be lying?”

“Why would a kid lie to protect the Cons?” Fowler asked, his expression skeptical.

“I don’t know,” June admitted. “But he didn’t trust me either.” 

Ratchet scoffed. “You’re telling me that while trapped on a Decepticon warship, the only other human around, he didn’t trust you?”

June nodded. “He flinched when he saw me.” She glanced at the children to ensure they weren’t listening before continuing. “Then, Starscream tried to kill me in response.”

The Autobots stiffened, worry flickering across Optimus’s usually calm field.

June raised her hands quickly. “The kid stopped him. He told Starscream to take me back. And Starscream listened. I wanted the kid to come with me so he could be safe, but he wouldn’t. He promised I’d be okay, though.” She looked up at Optimus, her eyes pleading. “I just want that kid out of there. If the Cons did that to him… we have to make sure he’s all right.”

Optimus nodded, his voice steady. “We will do everything in our power to retrieve him. But we have not been able to locate the Nemesis for months now.”

Ratchet stepped forward. “Was there anything you saw on the Nemesis that might help us track it? Anything at all?”

June shook her head. “No. I was trapped in Starscream’s chest compartment the whole time. I didn’t see anything except the medbay.”

Optimus nodded to her. “You’ve been through enough, June. Take a moment to rest. We will handle this from here.”

-

Agent Fowler helped carry June away, and Optimus turned to his long-time friend and medic. “This situation is deeply troubling,” Optimus rumbled.

Ratchet folded his arms, a frown pulling at his features. “A human in Decepticon possession—injured, yet receiving medical care? It defies all logic.”

Optimus tilted his helm. “The Decepticons have never prioritized human life before. Starscream’s involvement only deepens the mystery. If the child’s injuries resulted from internal Decepticon conflict, Starscream would have little reason to keep him alive, let alone seek medical attention for him.”

Ratchet paced, his servos clenching briefly before releasing. “Unless it was Starscream himself that injured him, and he was attempting to rectify the mistake before he got in trouble. Fear of punishment from Megatron? The child must be valuable to them in some way—information, perhaps, or leverage. Whatever it is, it must be significant.”

Optimus’s optics narrowed in thought. “That is a possibility. But in the instance that the Decepticons were not responsible for the injuries, the question remains: who was?”

Ratchet exhaled, a sharp hiss escaping his vents. “Whoever it was didn’t hold back. Blaster burns, deep lacerations. From the sounds of it, it’s a miracle the kid survived long enough for June to step in. And yet…” His frown deepened. “The boy claimed the Decepticons didn’t hurt him but flinched when June approached. For him to react that way to a human, of all things… It suggests something deeper we’re not seeing yet.”

Optimus straightened. “Whatever the circumstances, we cannot leave a child in Decepticon custody. His safety—and the potential implications of his presence aboard the Nemesis—demand our attention.”

Ratchet nodded grimly. “Agreed. But without any way to locate the Nemesis...”

“We will find it,” Optimus said firmly. “Whatever it takes.”

Chapter Text

Danny was kneeling on one of the countertops about fifteen feet above the ground, wiping it down with a cloth and a bottle of solvent. He didn’t usually clean up the medbay, but he really just wanted something to keep himself busy while Knockout was reorganizing his tools again! 

Knockout let out an exasperated sigh, looking over at the time displayed on the monitor again. "Where is he?" He muttered, more to himself than Danny. He set down a wrench-looking tool on one of the shelves and glanced over at the human on the counter. "Breakdown should've been back by now. It's not typical of him to keep me waiting." His pede tapped on the floor.

Danny scrubbed at a stubborn stain on the counter that he likely didn’t want to know the origin of. "Maybe he's taking the scenic route?” He suggested. 

Knockout let out a huff, crossing his arms. "Possibly.” Danny could sense tension pooling in the medic’s EM field. Knockout rarely showed concern openly, but it was easy enough to see if you paid attention. And Danny was good at paying attention.

Just as Danny was about to make another sarcastic comment to try and distract Knockout some more, the doors to the medbay hissed open, and the atmosphere instantly shifted. Heavy footsteps clanged against the floor as two Vehicons rushed in, dragging Breakdown’s limp frame between them.

Danny dropped the cloth immediately, his eyes widening at the blue mech’s battered body. Parts of his armour were removed entirely, his chest plate was sawed apart, and his right optic was completely missing from the socket, causing energon to flow down across his faceplate. Danny’s core lurched; the sight was horrific. 

“Breakdown!” Knockout’s voice broke through the stunned silence, sharp and filled with alarm. He practically shoved the Vehicons out of the way, who barely managed to get Breakdown onto the medical table before stepping back. Knockout didn’t even acknowledge them, his optics glued to the mangled mess of his partner’s frame. He started frantically trying to scan Breakdown with his internal medical systems.

“—What happened ?” Knockout demanded with a mix of panic and fury as he glanced up at the Vehicons. “Who did this to him?!”

The Vehicons exchanged uncomfortable looks but remained silent, not offering any explanation. They seemed reluctant, or maybe afraid, to speak. Without a word, they turned and left the room quickly, the door sliding shut behind them, leaving Knockout, Danny, and the severely injured Breakdown alone.

“Ugh! Useless pieces of scrap,” Knockout spat, but his focus immediately returned to Breakdown. His hands moved frantically over his partner’s form, trying to assess the damage. “Oh, Primus.”

Danny stepped closer, his eyes glued to Breakdown, as he asked, "What do you need me to do?"

Knockout didn’t even hesitate. “Get the energon transfusion equipment, now!” Knockout was already pulling pieces of equipment off of shelves and throwing them onto his workstation.

Danny rushed to the nearby storage cabinet, grabbing the necessary equipment with practiced ease. In the months he’d spent in the medbay, he had done this dozens of times before... But this... this was Breakdown—Knockout’s partner. Danny shivered as he felt the barely suppressed panic radiating off the medic as he tried to work.

As Danny set up the transfusion, Knockout’s servos moved across Breakdown’s brutally torn chest plates, his optics scanning the damage in detail. There were jagged edges where the metal had been sawed open, energon leaking from the exposed internals. Organs and mechanisms damaged or missing .

Knockout met Breakdown’s only functioning optic, which flickered. “How did this happen?” He demanded, his voice laced with disbelief and anger. "What in the Pit could’ve done this?" Danny got the feeling he would have gestured angrily if he currently wasn't servo-deep in Breakdown's chassis.

Breakdown groaned before tilting his helm to the side. Danny sensed a flicker of — shame ?— in his field. “An organization of humans… M.E.C.H ..." 

Knockout froze, the word “humans” hanging in the air like a death sentence. His optics flared with rage as he processed the information. “Humans? Humans did this to you?!” His voice rose sharply, anger blaring in his field. “HOW!? — I’ll tear them apart. I’ll—”

Danny quickly stepped in. “Knockout, focus. We need to get him stable first. We can worry about revenge later .”

Knockout blinked, field stabilizing as he looked down at Breakdown again. He nodded sharply, though the fury in his optics hadn’t lessened. “You’re right. Stabilize him first.” Danny stayed by Knockout’s side, ready to assist with whatever he needed, his own field flickering with concern. 

–

Knockout’s servos didn’t tremble as he scanned over Breakdown’s battered form. He was a medic, and he was too good for that. But it was a close thing. He was scanning again and again, trying to figure out where to start. His processor was racing, screaming at him to work faster. The panic fueling his circuits, he tried to push it aside, trying to fall into the familiar rhythm of medical procedure as if it was any regular mech on the table. 

He looked down at Breakdown’s face, his partner’s optic dim but focused, though something was off. Breakdown’s face wasn’t grimacing in pain like he should be in this situation. Knockout frowned.

“Breakdown,” Knockout asked, voice tight with concern, “are… are you in pain?”

Breakdown’s gaze shifted slightly, trying to look down at his injuries but couldn’t see past his chest plate. “No, they…" He paused. "They shut off my pain receptors.”

Knockout’s spark clenched at the words. The thought of Breakdown being carved open while completely aware but unable to feel what was happening…

“Thank the Ancients for that,” Danny chimed in, his field displaying a mixture of relief and horror. “Getting ripped apart without the painkillers is way worse.”

Knockout let out a heavy sigh, forcing himself to focus. “I agree. The pain would’ve been unbearable.” His hands moved more methodically now. "Once I finish the surgery, I'll fix your pain receptors." He promised.

He scanned Breakdown’s optic socket to assess the damage. The energon flow needed to be stopped immediately. Knockout grabbed the soldering tool Danny had retrieved for him and got to work, sealing off the damaged conduits with precision. 

It didn’t take long to stop the leaking energon, but when Knockout stepped back to inspect his work, his spark sank. He wouldn’t be able to repair Breakdown’s optic. He doubted he would even be able to find a replacement optic on this pit-forsaken ship if he tried, not that it would even connect with the damage so severe. 

Knockout placed a temporary patch over the optic socket to protect it, running his servo smoothly over it as he pulled away. The crushing feeling of failure seeped down to his struts. “I can’t fix your optic.” Knockout’s voice was low, almost bitter.  

He tried to stamp down the frustration building in his field, feeling like he was failing Breakdown in the worst way possible. His spark twisted painfully. He should be able to fix this. He should be able to do more. Breakdown was always there to protect him, and Knockout could always fix him. Now, what was Knockout good for?

Breakdown’s one remaining optic dimmed in understanding of his partner’s silent distress. He raised a servo to place it on Knockout’s own. “It's okay. I would look cool with an eyepatch anyway.” He tried to joke, but Knockout knew he didn’t truly mean it. Knockout pulled his servo away; he couldn’t linger on self-blame for long. There was still so much more to do.

Knockout shifted his focus to Breakdown’s chest. The torn plates were jagged and uneven — a gruesome sight. It looked like they were savagely sawed open without a hint of care or precision. With a sharp intake of air, Knockout ran a handheld scanner over the exposed internals, dreading what he might find.

Most of Breakdown’s vital components were still intact, luckily. And they hadn’t touched his spark chamber; thank the Allspark for that.

Breakdown’s voice cut through the quiet whirring of the scanner. “I… escaped before they could do more.”

Knockout paused, narrowing his optics slightly as he detected a strange note in Breakdown’s tone, something withheld. But now wasn’t the time to press him for answers. “That’s good,” Knockout said, more to himself than to Breakdown. “We’re lucky it wasn’t worse. Primus knows what they were planning.”

He reached for another tool designed to weld thick armour plating back together and began the painstaking process of sealing Breakdown’s torso. His movements were precise. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t doing enough.

What kind of medic was he if he couldn’t even repair the damage caused by a bunch of fleshbags ?

Danny hovered nearby, retrieving tools when Knockout asked for them, but mostly staying out of the way. The welding process continued. Knockout couldn’t help but notice how quiet Breakdown had become. Typically, even when injured, his partner would have made some kind of sarcastic remark, maybe even complained about the pain if his receptors had been online. But now, Breakdown was... distant. Withdrawn.

Bit by bit, he welded the torn chest plates back into place, sealing the gaps and restoring some semblance of structure to Breakdown’s torso. It wasn’t perfect—it wasn’t even close to the level of care Knockout wanted to provide—but it would hold until he could do something more permanent.

Knockout stepped back. His servos ached, and his processor was exhausted, but Breakdown was stable.

Knockout’s gaze lingered on Breakdown’s damaged optic, the temporary patch over it serving as a constant reminder of his own limitations. He should’ve been able to do more... he should have been there.

Knockout let out a sigh, glancing over at Danny. “Thank you... for helping.”

Danny gave a slight nod. “Anytime.” He paused, looking at Breakdown’s still form. “He’ll pull through. You did good, Knockout.”

Knockout’s optics flickered, unsure if he believed that. But for now, he’d take the reassurance.

–

The medbay felt too quiet for Breakdown’s liking. A day had passed since Knockout had managed to patch him up, but the silence now only amplified his unease. Knockout was checking on Breakdown’s readings constantly, barely muttering a word before wandering off to organize something just to avoid hovering over him.

Breakdown watched his partner dart back and forth across the room, feeling both grateful and exasperated. He knew Knockout was trying to distract himself, but it didn’t do much to ease the tension in his field.

The sound of the medbay doors sliding open pulled him from his thoughts. Danny strolled in, which was a regular occurrence, but Breakdown couldn’t help but notice the way his field reflected worry that his expression didn’t show. The human’s gaze lifted to meet Breakdown’s optic, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“This sight seems familiar,” Danny said, trying to joke with a half-hearted smile.

Breakdown let out a long, tired sigh, recalling the last time they had found themselves in the medbay together. It hadn’t been so long ago, after a fight with the Autobots. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Danny wandered closer, his gaze flicking over to Knockout, who was still trying to keep himself busy organizing. “So, are your pain and sensory receptors back online?” Danny asked.

Breakdown tried to chuckle. “Yeah... they’re back online. I feel like slag, though.” He groaned as he tried to move. "It'll feel better soon."

Knockout, who had been sorting the same medical supplies for the third time, turned to them with a sharp huff. “Not soon enough,” he muttered under his breath. His servos clenched around a tool he was holding, his frustration up in his field and filling the room. He glanced down at Danny, his optics narrowing slightly. “You should leave. I don’t think Breakdown wants to see a human right now.”

Breakdown stepped in quickly, “No... it’s fine. Danny can stay.” The kid was fine, and it wasn’t his fault that others of his kind tried to hurt him.

Knockout gave him a look, but he didn’t argue further. Instead, he went back to organizing, though the tension in his frame was impossible to ignore.

Danny sighed and sat on the ground next to Breakdown, crossing his legs. He sighed deeply and looked up to Breakdown with a wry smile. “I get it. Humans... yeah, they suck sometimes. A lot of the time, actually.” His voice was steady, but his field wavered in bitterness and pain. “Especially the scientists.” Danny shifted anxiously before sighing again. “You know, I was experimented on too.”

Both Knockout and Breakdown’s optics snapped to him, the silence in the room palpable as they stared at the human, processing what he had just said.

Danny laughed, trying to wave off the tension, but the sound was hollow. “Yeah, it sucks. It was... painful. Terrifying, really. Being cut open and having your organs removed, not being treated like you're a real person... I get it, Breakdown. I really do.”

The room fell silent again, both mechs stunned by Danny’s words. Danny, however, tried to brush it off with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He glanced at Breakdown, his tone becoming lighter, almost teasing. “But hey, at least now we can be vivisection buddies, right?”

Breakdown blinked. The idea of Danny enduring the kind of torment M.E.C.H had put him through. It shook Breakdown, but then again, it was true that they now had something in common.

Knockout, however, was less composed. His optics were wide, his field buzzing with disbelief. “ You were WHAT?”

Danny shrugged, trying to downplay the severity of it. “It was a long time ago. Not something I like to dwell on, but... I know what it’s like.” His eyes flicked between the two mechs, his expression softening. “I get why it’s hard to trust humans after something like that.”

Breakdown’s gaze softened as well, his field brushing gently against Danny’s in a silent acknowledgment. The human was tougher than he’d ever given him credit for.

Chapter Text

A comment from the last chapter inspired me to make a little crack meme animatic. You can watch it here! I'll also post it at the end of this chapter. (lol, yes, it is a bit jarring compared to the chapter content, but it can be a pallet cleanser XD)

Danny shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked down the halls of the Nemesis on the way to the medbay. It's been a couple of days since the event with Breakdown and M.E.C.H., and Danny had taken every available opportunity to visit the blue Con — that is, at least, when Knockout hadn’t decided to put a ban on visitors and put his husband in power down to get more rest and heal. 

The door to the med bay slid open easily for him. He stopped in the entryway and glanced around the room. On the medical table, Breakdown was deep in recharge. Danny looked up at the readings on the monitor to make sure he was stable before glancing around the rest of the room. Knockout wasn’t here.

“Knockout?” He whisper yelled, not wanting to wake Breakdown, but there was no response.

Danny frowned. It wasn’t like Knockout to leave Breakdown unattended, not with how he’d been acting since the injury. He had been constantly checking readings, tweaking equipment, doing anything he could to keep his processor busy. 

Danny tapped his foot on the ground as he was thinking. Breakdown was asleep, so Danny couldn’t really hang out with him anyway. And right now, Danny was more concerned as to where Knockout could be and what was so much more important than Breakdown. He sighed deeply before turning on his heel out the door. Time to find himself a Decepticon Medic.

-

It didn’t take too much searching to locate the red sports car. Danny found him in a research hub-type room with a small desk and large monitor just a few doors down from the Med Bay. It seemed the Con still wanted to be close to Breakdown after all. 

Knockout, hunched over one of the terminals, had his optics fixed on the screen, completely engrossed in whatever he was doing. 

Danny stepped forward, curious about what had captured the medic’s attention. “What are you doing?”

Knockout’s servos twitched, but he didn’t jump. “Must you always sneak up on me like that?” He muttered, his tone sharp. His optics flickered briefly down to Danny before he returned his gaze to the screen.

Danny tilted his head, stepping beside Knockout to get a better look at what was on the terminal. “What’s this?” 

Knockout sighed heavily, leaning back slightly as his field pulsed with a mix of frustration and something… darker. “I’ve been working on tracking down the human scientists responsible for Breakdown’s condition.” His voice was laced with bitterness, and he gestured toward the screen. “I think I’ve found something—a warehouse they may be hiding in.” He gestured vaguely towards the screen.

Danny crossed his arms, not liking where this was going one bit. Knockout wanted revenge, and he was going to get himself hurt in the process. “And what, you’re just going to go down there? Alone?”

Knockout’s optics narrowed. “Of course I’m going down there,” he growled, his EM field flared with pure hatred. “They took him apart. They nearly killed him. I won’t rest until they’re nothing but scrap.”

Danny’s field mimicked the sentiment. But he needed to keep a level head here. Someone had to. “Knockout, you’re going to get yourself killed. If they can take down Breakdown, they can take you down, too.”

Knockout’s engine growled in irritation. “I’m not Breakdown. I’m faster, smaller, more precise. I know how to fight them now. They ambushed Breakdown when he was hurt. If they had fought him head-on, they would have lost. I won’t make the same mistakes.” He glared at Danny as if he was the source of his problems. “And I’m not staying here while those humans walk away unpunished.”

Danny let out a long sigh, shaking his head. “Alright, then.” Danny stretched his arms over his head. “I guess I’m going with you.”

Knockout blinked, his optics flickering with confusion. “What? No. You’re not. You’ll get yourself killed down there, human.”

Danny shrugged, his voice calm but firm. “If you’re going, I’m going. I’m not going to let you get yourself torn apart. Besides, what good are you to Breakdown if you end up dissected in some lab, too?”

Knockout scoffed, his tone bitter. “And what makes you think you’d be any help? You’re fragile.”

Danny sighed. “If I’m there, I can make sure you don’t get yourself killed. Plus,” he added, “I’d hate to be the one to tell Breakdown that his husband died trying to defend his honour.” He looked up at the medic with a raised eyebrow. 

Knockout said nothing, just glared, but Danny could sense the conflict in him. “And maybe,” Danny continued, “I want to get some payback too.”

Knockout’s optics softened slightly. “You’re either very brave or very foolish.”

Danny grinned, “Probably both.”

–

Danny and Knockout stepped through the groundbridge, the swirling green portal spitting them out at the edge of a dense forest. The trees surrounded them, casting shadows as the sun began to set, leaving the air cool and damp. Ahead, just visible through the tree line, was a massive, gray structure that looked to be some kind of old military base. Obviously, the place they were looking for. 

Knockout took a step forward, his bright red frame standing out against the greenery. His optics narrowed as he surveyed the scene. Danny could feel the aggression flowing off of him in waves. Danny bit his lip and looked up at the buzzsaw-happy Con.

"Alright," Danny said, clasping his hands together. "We need to do this with minimum casualties."

Knockout scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest plates. "Minimum casualties? What was the point of coming here then, if not to destroy them?" He asked incredulously, his voice filled with venom. “I'm not just going to not hurt them because you care about their lives. Not after what they did,”

Danny sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He had expected this reaction. “Look, as much as I’d love to see them all gone, I need you to trust me. If we kill a bunch of them, it’ll only make things worse.”

“How, exactly?” Knockout snapped, his frustration growing.

“These organizations, ones like M.E.C.H,” Danny gestured vaguely towards the warehouse. “They get their funding and support by showing their benefactors that there’s a ‘threat’ they need to handle. You kill their soldiers, and they’ll have all the proof they need to go to their backers, show the damage, and say, ‘Look, this is why we need more weapons, more experiments, more funding.’ I’ve dealt with groups like this before—"

Danny sighed before continuing. “I’ve learned that the more attention you give them, the more justification they have for their horrible work. We need to  take them out without creating a mess that makes them look like the victims.”

Knockout’s engine rumbled angrily. “So what? We just let them get away with torturing Breakdown?” His field buzzed with indignation.

“No, not exactly,” Danny replied. “What we do instead is this.” He held up a USB stick for the mech to see. ”We upload a virus into their systems. One my friend and I designed years back. It'll destroy everything they’ve got on Breakdown, wipe all their data, and crash their networks. It’ll also let us track their other bases so we can go after them again if we need to. That way, we dismantle them from the inside out.”

 "And here I thought I could at least enjoy dismembering a few of them," Knockout grumbled.

Danny ‘hmmed’ thoughtfully before smiling slightly. “Dismemberment’s still on the table, but they have to survive it.”

Knockout let out a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a groan. “You're impossible.”

Danny grinned. "Just practical." He paused before giving Knockout a serious look. “I’ll be the distraction, take out a few guards quietly, and get us into the building. You stay here, and once I signal you, you come in, make a second distraction, and I’ll handle the tech.”

Knockout grumbled but didn’t argue. He could tell Danny had thought this through. And, as much as he hated to admit it, there was logic in what the human was saying. “Fine,” Knockout relented, his tone dripping with reluctance. “But if you die down there, I won’t feel bad.”

Danny chuckled. “Sure, sure.” He placed a Fenton earpiece into his ear and connected it to the direct comline through his phone to Knockout’s comm. Luckily, after some modifications, he made the large, clunky, bright green thing much more discreet than his parent's design.

Then Danny transformed into his human form in a flash of bright light. Knockout had seen it before, back when they’d gone racing together. The transformation still intrigued the medic, but now wasn’t the time for curiosity.

“Alright,” Danny said, taking a deep breath. “I’ll make sure to be quick. You just make sure you’re ready to do your part when I need you.”

Knockout nodded, but his focus was already on the warehouse. His optics tracked the human guards, watching their movements and patterns. His field buzzed with tension and hatred. He wanted nothing more than to charge in and start tearing things apart, but he waited, trusting—for now—that Danny's plan would work.

–

Danny slipped through the shadows, careful to keep out of sight as he navigated the perimeter of the base. His heartbeat thrummed in his ears, but his movements were swift and deliberate. Just ahead, another guard stood by himself, seemingly focused on a comm unit. 

Danny crept closer, his feet barely making a sound on the gravel, and phased his hand through the back of the guard's head. His fingers tingled as he used a trick he didn’t often employ—sending a light electric pulse through the guard’s neural system. The man crumpled to the ground, unconscious but unharmed. Danny stepped over the limp body and continued forward, repeating the action with every other guard he came across.

Once he had knocked out the patrolling guards, he didn’t have much time left before someone would notice. He approached the rear entrance to the warehouse. The door was locked, but that didn’t do much against a half-ghost like himself. He phased his hand into the keypad, the lock mechanism sparking momentarily before the door swung open with an eerie creak.

Danny stepped inside, immediately noticing the clipboard on a nearby desk. He snatched it up, tucking it under his arm, and walked in with casual confidence, as if he belonged there. The interior of the warehouse buzzed with activity: techs working on various machines, computers beeping, and soldiers moving crates of equipment. Danny rounded a corner, his breath catching when he spotted a man standing tall at the centre of the room, overseeing the operation.

White hair, no mask, smug expression. He didn’t need an introduction. Breakdown spoke enough about the pain caused by this human for Danny to know immediately.

Silas.

The sight of him made Danny’s skin crawl. He clenched his jaw, biting back the snarl that threatened to escape. Danny's mind flashed back to others like Silas—men who thought they could do whatever they wanted to people with no repercussions. The room quieted as several operatives spotted him. Simultaneously, multiple guns raised, with clicks of the safety being turned off, barrels trained on his chest. Danny raised his hands in mock surrender, his voice smooth and nonchalant.

"Hey, hey, guys! What's the problem? I’m just here about the new weapons shipment.” The guards seemed slightly confused. 

“We aren’t expecting a shipment.” One of them called out. 

“I’m with Fenton Tech. We were looking for a new business opportunity, so I was told to come in here and bring you some of the newer models. Don’t shoot me. I’m just the delivery boy.” Danny shrugged. The clipboard is still in his raised hand.

Some lowered their guns slightly, confusion replacing hostility for just a moment. Silas, though, was not so easily swayed. He stepped forward, his icy gaze locking onto Danny. Danny felt the urge to glare back with all the hatred he was feeling. But he knew he couldn't. 

“Fenton Tech?” Silas asked, his voice sharp. “As in the ghost-hunting equipment?”  

Danny froze for half a second but quickly recovered, forcing a cocky grin onto his face. “The one and only. Our gear doesn’t just work on ghosts—it works on robots, too. Figured an organization like yours would be interested. We’ve got a pretty solid track record with the Guys in White if you need references.”

Silas stepped closer, each step deliberate and predatory. Danny fought to keep the false confidence in his stance as Silas moved into his personal space, close enough that Danny could feel the man’s breath. Silas’s smirk was razor-sharp.

"Is that so?" Silas murmured, his tone dripping with skepticism.

Danny tilted his head, trying to keep it light. “Yeah. I mean, hey, it’d be a shame not to use our equipment for something a little more… exciting, right?”

For a tense moment, Danny thought Silas might actually buy it. Then, with a dismissive wave of his hand, Silas turned to his men. “Get him out of here.”

The undertone was clear: kill him.

Danny’s muscles tensed as one of the guards moved in to grab him. Without missing a beat, he twisted, snatching the gun from the man's holster. In the same fluid motion, he phased through the guard’s grip, and fired a shot into the man's knee. The soldier crumpled with a shout, and Danny was already moving, firing two more shots into the legs of the guards nearest him.

The room exploded into chaos. Silas dove behind a wall, pulling out his own gun while the other operatives scrambled, shouting commands as they trained their weapons on Danny. Bullets whizzed past, and Danny ducked behind a large piece of machinery, using it as cover.

“Alright,” Danny muttered into the comm, dodging another hail of bullets. “Officially distracted. You’re up, Paint Job. Come in swinging.”

It didn’t take long before the Decepticon barreled through the main hangar door, sending it flying off its hinges before the agents even registered his presence.

“Doctor in the house,” Knockout quipped, his voice dripping with amusement as he surveyed the chaos. 

Danny groaned, facepalming as he ducked to avoid another spray of bullets. “Really?” He hissed into the Com.

Still, Knockout was the perfect distraction. Now, in full panic, the operatives shifted their focus to the towering mech, firing uselessly at him with regular bullets. They bounced off Knockout’s armour, only leaving a few minor scratches. Danny winced, knowing full well Knockout would complain about that later.

With the agents thoroughly distracted, Danny took his chance. He sprinted toward a nearby computer terminal, weaving between the chaos. He jammed the USB stick into the port and started typing rapidly, the virus already loading into M.E.C.H.'s systems. But before he could finish, searing pain shot through his hand.

A knife had pinned his hand to the keyboard.

Danny hissed in pain, looking up to see Silas standing above him, a smirk on his face.

“I’m not stupid, kid,” Silas said, voice low and dangerous. “I know a distraction when I see one.”

Danny chuckled, though it came out more like a growl. “And here I thought…”

“Save it,” Silas interrupted, stepping closer, his presence menacing. “I’m going to enjoy this. First, we’ll dismantle your little friend over there, piece by piece. You’ll get a front-row seat. Then, once we’re done with him, you’ll be next.”

Danny’s eyes narrowed, core seething in anger, not for himself, but at the thought of them hurting Knockout. "You scientists are all the same. Evil freaks. Torturing innocent people just because you can." His voice dripped with disgust. “You’d kill a newborn if it gave you scientific readings.”

Before Silas could respond, Danny spat in his face, his disgust clear. Silas wiped it off, a dark chuckle escaping his lips. But before he could say anything more, Danny phased his hand through the knife, ignoring the pain as he grabbed the blade by the handle, pulling it out of the terminal.

In an instant, Danny lunged at Silas, tackling him to the ground. He pinned the man beneath him, with the knife at his neck. “You’re going to pay for what you did to Breakdown,” Danny snarled, his voice low and dangerous.

Silas, ever the psychopath, smirked, his voice calm despite the situation. “It was fun, you know. Experimenting on him. Seeing how far I could push…”

Danny’s eyes blazed with green energy, his fury rising. The urge to lash out was overwhelming; he had told Knockout no killing, and now he was getting close to breaking his own rule. Silas focused on Danny’s face. More specifically, Danny's eyes. 

"You're a little scientific marvel yourself, aren't you, kid?" The man chuckled. “I would love to find out what makes you tick.” Danny narrowed his eyes, trying to ignore the comment. But then – his gaze shifted to Silas’s right eye. 

“You know what they say, Silas…” Danny’s voice was almost calm, cold, as he tilted his head slightly. “An eye for an eye, right?”

Silas’s eyes widened, realization dawning just a moment too late. Panic flashed across his face as Danny’s hand phased into his skull. There was no hesitation. With a swift motion, Danny pulled out Silas’s right eye—the same eye that had been taken from Breakdown.

Silas yelled in pain. His hands flew up to desperately clutch at his now-empty socket, slick with his own blood.

Danny stood, looming over him. “If you ever hurt someone I care about again,” Danny growled, voice cracking with energy. “I’ll come back, and next time, I’ll drag you to hell myself. Am I clear?”

He turned away, leaving Silas on the floor, Danny’s bleeding hand still gripping the knife. He had more work to do.

Danny sprinted back to the panel, checking the status of the virus—it was done. The screens flickered, and data was rapidly disappearing from M.E.C.H.’s systems, just as planned. Danny yanked the USB out and slipped it into his pocket. The mission was a success.

But as he turned around, his gaze landed on Knockout, and Danny’s stomach churned. Knockout’s servos were smeared with an unsettling amount of blood, more than Danny had expected. He grimaced, his eyes shifting down to his own hands, stained a gory red from both the stab wound and where he’d torn Silas’s eye out. 

I guess that's what you should expect when you bring a Decepticon to a human fight.

Danny stepped over several unconscious—or at least he hoped they were unconscious— M.E.C.H. agents scattered across the floor, most of them sporting burn injuries from Knockout’s electric prod.

“Knockout!” he called up to the towering medic, standing amidst the carnage, his optics still gleaming with a dangerous energy.

Knockout's optics snapped to Danny. He looked almost ready to attack him, but quickly pulled back when he recognized him. As their eyes met, the whirring of Knockout’s buzzsaw slowed to a stop.

“We’re all good,” Danny said, motioning for him to stop. “Let’s get out of here.”

Knockout hesitated, his optics scanning the room as if debating whether or not to finish off the remaining agents. But after a beat, he nodded begrudgingly. Without a word, he scooped Danny up, carrying him across the room with ease. Danny noticed the way Knockout stepped over the bodies without a second thought.

When they made it outside of the warehouse through the giant hole Knockout had burst through, the Decepticon quickly transformed, and Danny was dropped into the passenger’s seat as Knockout’s engine roared to life. Tires screeched, and they took off down the road.

Knockout remained silent for the drive, and Danny stared at the blood staining his hands. He clenched them into fists, not sure what to feel—satisfaction, guilt, or something else entirely.

-

Knockout and Danny sped through the groundbridge, screeching to a stop inside the Nemesis. Danny stepped out of the vehicle and onto the purple flooring. Knockout transformed back into his root mode, and his optics quickly zeroed in on Danny’s injuries. His hand was still bleeding from where Silas had stabbed it.

“You’ve been shot,” Knockout stated as he gently scooped Danny up to inspect him closer.

Danny winced, looking down at his shoulder and saw a bullet hole through his shirt that he hadn’t noticed before. “Huh. Guess I didn’t feel that one.”

Knockout’s grip tightened as they made their way to the medbay. Danny tried to ignore the fact that he was currently sitting in blood-stained servos. The doors to the medbay slid open, and Breakdown stirred from his recharge, sitting up on the medical berth. His lone optic flickered groggily as he took in the sight of Danny and Knockout, both bloodied and battered.

“What in the Pit happened?” Breakdown asked, his voice thick with confusion and concern.

“We went to visit the people who did that to you,” Danny said, offering a wry smile. “Nice company.”

Knockout smirked, his tone dark as he added, “Their screams were delicious.”

Danny grimaced, but Breakdown’s reaction was immediate. His optic widened in alarm, and he looked between Knockout and Danny, worry written across his face. “You could’ve been hurt!” he snapped at Knockout.

Knockout, at the very least, had the nerve to look chastised. “It was fine… It was worth it.” He said. Knockout placed Danny down on a nearby bench, turning his attention to the human’s wounds. His servo hovered over the injuries for a moment before he sighed and went to one of his shelves. He pulled out a medical kit—the same one left behind after Starscream had brought a human nurse onboard—and handed it to Danny.

“Since you always insist on doing these things yourself,” Knockout muttered, passing the kit to Danny.

Danny nodded, taking the kit without hesitation. “Thanks.” He set to work, patching up his hand and shoulder.

Once he finished wrapping the bandages around his hand, Danny turned to Breakdown with a grin. “Oh, right. Got a gift for you.”

Breakdown tilted his helm, confused, as Danny pulled something from his pocket. He held it up, and Knockout’s optics narrowed when he saw it.

“From Silas,” Danny said. “He sends his love.”

Breakdown stared at the dismembered eye in stunned silence for a moment, then let out a huff of surprised laughter. “Well, ain’t that somethin’. Didn’t expect a souvenir.” Despite the grimness of the situation, there was a flicker of approval in his expression.

Knockout glanced between the two of them, his EM field still humming with the adrenaline from their mission. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t think Silas will be bothering us again anytime soon,” he said, a wicked gleam in his optic.

Danny leaned back, finally letting the exhaustion seep into his body. “Good. He deserved a lot worse for what he did to you.” He glanced at Breakdown, his expression softening. “I just thought… you should have something of his. To know we didn’t let him get away with it.”

Breakdown’s optics met Danny’s, a mixture of gratitude and something deeper crossing his face. “Thanks, kid. I appreciate it.”

Chapter Text

Danny found himself once again hanging out in the medbay. After a lot of convincing, Knockout had begrudgingly allowed the human to commandeer a small corner of the lab for himself. Danny used it to work on his tech and small experiments he liked to do to pass the time. Danny hummed to himself before quickly glancing over at the Decepticon medic, who was running one of his own experiments on a large table on the far side of the room. Danny didn’t see what it was, but he was too preoccupied with making sure his current work didn’t blow up in his face to go and check.

Danny focused back on his work, sticking his tongue out the corner of his mouth as he lifted a human-sized beaker that the Cons had somehow acquired for him—he wasn’t sure he wanted to know where from—that had been filled with energon. Carefully, he poured one drop into a larger beaker of ectoplasm. Ectoplasm that he had provided from himself, of course. 

Danny tilted his head as the concoction hissed for a moment before the ectoplasm seemed to absorb the energon, charging it in some way. The ectoplasm started to glow brighter, and Danny could feel its power amplify slightly. He tilted the beaker under the light. “Interesting,” he hummed to himself.

On the other side of the room, Knockout glanced up from his own work, curiosity finally winning over. “What are you doing?”

Danny glanced up with a smirk. "I thought you didn’t care about my 'boring organic experiments.'"

Knockout crossed his arms over his chest with a scoff. “I just want to know what you are doing with that energon I graciously supplied to you."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Graciously supplied? You guys have an entire hangar full of the stuff."

Knockout was about to retort when a ping echoed throughout the room. They both glanced up at the monitor to see a message on the screen from Soundwave: 'Megatron: Approaching.'

Knockout’s optics widened. "Scrap," he muttered, his gaze darting between the human and the door.

Danny didn’t have time to prepare himself before Knockout snatched him up in one servo and turned to open the door of a cramped storage compartment filled with medical tools. 

Danny pulled back, incredulous. “I’m not a wrench you can shove into a toolbox!”

Knockout gestured toward the door. "Well, unless you want Megatron to crush you beneath his pede, I suggest you pretend to be one. The Nemesis has a strict no-pets-allowed policy!" 

Before Danny could argue further, Knockout shoved him into the compartment and slammed the door shut. Danny’s muffled protests were cut off, leaving him crammed inside with barely enough room to move. He sighed, crossing his arms and leaning back before suddenly remembering that he was half-ghost. Tuning to his invisibility and intangibility, he poked his head through the door to watch the scene unfold.

Knockout turned back around to face the door, his optics darting to Danny’s experiments still laid out on the counter. He grabbed a cloth and hastily tossed it over the setup, barely concealing the beakers and glowing ectoplasm before the medbay doors slid open with a hiss.

Megatron strode in, his bright optics cold and calculating, sweeping the room. Danny felt a shiver run down his spine. Knockout stiffened immediately, his usual confidence replaced with a strained smile. 

“Ah, Lord Megatron!” Knockout greeted, his voice a touch too high. “What brings you to the medbay today? Not another injury with the Autobots, I hope?"

Megatron stepped closer. “I was informed that repairs on several warriors have been delayed,” he said, his tone sharp. “What excuse do you have this time, Knockout?” He sounded almost bored. Danny felt slightly uneasy.

Danny hadn’t had the chance to be around Megatron often. The Cons constantly tried to keep him as far away from the warlord as possible for fear of what he might do.

Knockout’s smile faltered, and he scrambled for a response. “Delays? Oh, no delays, my lord. Simply… prioritizing! Yes, prioritizing critical systems over minor repairs. We need our strongest soldiers at optimal condition, after all.” 

Megatron’s optics narrowed, his gaze piercing. “You seem… tense, Knockout. Is there something you’re hiding?”

Knockout forced out a laugh, his plating visibly tightening. “Me? Hiding something? Perish the thought, My Lord. I’m merely… under pressure, as always. This medbay doesn’t run itself, you know.”

Danny shifted slightly, accidentally knocking against a metal tray. He cursed under his breath, glancing back up at the two of them. Megatron’s head snapped toward the noise, his optics narrowing. Danny’s eyes widened as he felt Megatron staring right at him. He pulled back slightly. The warlord took a step in the direction of the noise.

Knockout’s optics widened as Megatron got closer to Danny’s hiding place. He surged forward, putting himself between Megatron and the storage compartment. “Ah, that? Just some unstable tools rattling around. I’ve been meaning to fix that. Medbay maintenance is so unpredictable, wouldn’t you agree?”

Megatron paused, his optics boring into Knockout. The medic held his ground. Suddenly, Megatron looked off to the side, and Danny surmised he was listening to or reading a comm message. Finally, with a low growl, Megatron stepped back. 

“Unpredictable, indeed,” he said coldly. “I would expect nothing less from you, Knockout.” He started turning toward the exit. "Unfortunately, I have some matters to attend to elsewhere. We will have to finish this conversation at a later date."

Megatron left the medbay with heavy footfalls, and finally, the doors slid shut behind him, leaving the medbay in tense silence.

Knockout slumped against the storage unit, relief flooding his field as he let down his mental shields. He then spun around and slammed open the compartment, catching Danny as he tumbled out.

“That was close,” Danny said, brushing himself off.

Knockout glared at him. “Too close. Next time, try not to knock over half the medbay while you’re hiding.”

Danny smirked. "Aww, it’s like you care."

Knockout scoffed and turned away, his optics flicking over the human one more before heading back to his work.

-

Danny perched on Steve’s shoulder as the Vehcion mined at a vein of energon with a handheld drill. Sitting on Vehicon’s shoulders while they worked was now a common place you could find Danny. It was more fun than reading datapads in Starscream’s room anyway. Danny swayed a bit with Steve’s movements but didn’t fall once. The con was careful not to move too quickly, which was thoughtful.

Suddenly, Danny’s attention was drawn to F-368, one of the other Vehicons Danny didn't know too well. He knelt beside a large, hulking energon drill. One of the panels opened as the mech tinkered with the machine, muttering to himself as he worked. Danny’s curiosity flared. He hopped off Steve’s shoulder with practiced ease, landing on the rocky ground with a light thud. Steve glanced down at Danny to check if he was okay before Danny waved him off.

“What’s wrong with the drill?” Danny asked, appearing next to F-368. 

F-368 startled, visor tilting towards the tiny human next to him. After realizing who it was, he turned back to his work. “It’s… just a calibration issue,” he explained.

Danny got closer and put his hands against the drill's frame, trying to get a closer look at the mechanisms. “Huh, I can work on you guys all day, but this is still a loss to me. Can you show me how it works?”

F-368 hesitated, looking the human up and down again as if considering it is a good idea. A sigh echoed through his vocalizer as he started explaining. “The torque alignment in the additional rotator is off. I’m resetting the—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a mechanical sliding noise echoed from across the mine. The elevator platform was descending. “Scrap,” muttered one of the Vehicons, who immediately straightened up to look busy.

Roddie glanced around the mine frantically to try to spot Danny. He quickly saw Danny with F-368 and sent a com message: //F-368, hide the human.//

F-368 didn’t need to be told twice. He reached down next to him and snatched Danny up, standing at attention while pulling the human behind his back out of sight. 

“Human,” F-368 hissed, his voice low. “Stay still.” 

The elevator platform ground to a halt, and heavy footfalls echoed through the mine. Megatron entered the chamber, his massive frame looming over everyone.

Every Vehicon in the mine stood at attention, their movements stiff with fear. Even the ever-talkative Steve clamped his mouth shut.

F-368’s plating tightened as Megatron’s piercing optics swept over the mine. Danny, still hidden behind the Vehicon’s frame. He peeked out just enough to catch a glimpse of the towering warlord, and he immediately regretted it.

Megatron stalked forward, his gaze passing over the workers like a predator scanning for weakness. When his optics fell on F-368, the Vehicon tensed further, his servos twitching slightly, making Danny grip his fingers harder for support.

Megatron stopped.

His gaze bore into F-368, catching the slight stiffness in his frame and the way his shoulders seemed to hunch ever so slightly.

“Is there a problem, drone?” Megatron’s voice was low and dangerous.

F-368’s spark nearly seized. “N-No, Lord Megatron,” he stammered. “Just—focusing on recalibrating the drill, my lord. The—uh—output has been… inconsistent.”

Danny could feel the bot trembling slightly. He pressed himself tighter against F-368’s back, hoping to give him comfort in some way.

Megatron’s optics narrowed. He stepped closer, his massive frame looming over the smaller Con. Danny noticed how all optics were on them now. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Roddie shift on his pedes and send a worried glance to his partner C-27.

The silence stretched, suffocating.

Finally, with a low growl, Megatron stepped back. “See that the issue is resolved. I expect no further delays.”

“Yes, Lord Megatron,” F-368 said quickly, his voice strained.

Megatron looked over a few more things in the mine before returning to the elevator. As soon as the sound of the elevator faded, the entire mine seemed to release a collective sigh of relief. F-368 slumped forward, his servos shaking slightly.

Danny jumped out of his servo and onto the drill again, looking over the equipment. “So… you were saying something about rotator alignment?” 

F-368 stared at him incredulously for a long moment before sighing and continuing his explanation. Danny noticed that his servos still shook slightly. He frowned at this, but let himself get absorbed in learning about the new equipment.

-

The flight back to the Nemesis was peaceful—something Starscream rarely experiences these days. The human had been in his Cockpit throughout the journey and had made some not-unwelcome company. Starscream was finally starting to enjoy the human's idle chatter—not that he would ever admit that out loud. 

The large outer doors opened and he landed in the Nemesis’ landing bay. Starscream transformed with his usual grace, stretching his wings after the journey. The movement was smooth, and Danny ended up in his servo.

Starscream glanced at the human in his palm and let out an amused hum; a rare sense of calm settled over him. “Another dull mission complete.” He rolled his optics.

“Yeah, well, let's submit these locations to Soundwave before he gets annoyed.” Danny smiled.

“I guess we should,” Starscream smirked but froze at the sound of heavy pede steps.

Megatron.

Danny must have heard it too because he muttered to himself with a sigh, “Great. This guy again.”

Starscream’s optics widened, and panic coursed through him. “Quiet!” He hissed.

Without another word, Starscream’s chest plate transformed open, and with a quick motion, he shoved the human into his subspace compartment. Danny let out a surprised yelp as he was unceremoniously tossed inside.

Just as Starscream snapped his chest plate shut, the doors across the bay slid open. Megatron’s looming figure entered the room. Starscream hiked his wings up on his back as a show of false confidence.

“Starscream,” Megatron said, his voice a low rumble. “Where were you today?”

Starscream forced his expression to neutral, though tension buzzed through every joint in his frame. “Ah, Lord Megatron. I was simply scouting potential energon deposits as per… Soundwave’s request.”

Megatron’s optics narrowed. He circled Starscream slowly. “And yet, you return after such a long time. Were you preoccupied with something?”

Starscream’s wings twitched. He maybe took a bit longer of a route than he should have. But that shouldn’t matter. “I was merely taking more detailed scans. I intended to report them for further analysis—”

“ Excuses, ” Megatron growled, cutting him off and stepping forward with a clenched servo.

Starscream stiffened. His plating felt too tight, and his processor was spinning with anxiety. What if Megatron tried to beat him right here, in the landing bay?

…With the fragile human in his subspace. 

Starscream's spark suddenly stalled. The seeker would survive anything Megatron threw at him. But would the human? 

Though Danny could phase through things, Starscream has seen it in the past. He just hoped that the organic would be smart enough to get away rather than try to defend Starscream. That would be the worst outcome. 

The human couldn’t possibly do anything to defend him, and anything Megatron would do to the Human or him after the fact would be horrific—worse than any punishment that Starscream would have endured. Maybe if Starscream could convince the human to leave, Starscream could distract Megatron.

Starscream paused, surprising himself with the fact that he had been considering the health of the human. What was getting into him?

All those thoughts, though, he could unpack at a later time when he was not standing in front of an easily triggered aggressive warlord. 

Starscream held his servos at his sides, keeping his tone even though his spark pulsed erratically. “I assure you, Lord Megatron, the information I gathered will prove valuable.”

Megatron leaned closer, his optics narrowing. “It had better be, Starscream. Do not disappoint me again. Or there will be consequences”

With that, the warlord turned and exited the landing bay, his footsteps reverberating through the chamber.

Starscream didn’t move until the doors slid shut behind Megatron. Nothing happened? That was... strange. Beyond unusual. He vented hard before, processor spinning. He was suddenly snapped out of it when he heard the metal clang of knocking against his chest plate. He quickly opened up his chest plate again.

Danny tumbled out into his waiting servo, rubbing his head. “Geez, a little warning next time, huh?”

Starscream ignored the human’s quip and brought him closer, his optics scanning Danny with uncharacteristic care. “Are you injured?”

Danny blinked, startled by the question. “Uh, no? I’m fine. A little rattled, but nothing major.”

Starscream sighed, his frame relaxing slightly as he inspected Danny one last time before setting him on his shoulder. “Good.”

The human tilted his head, frowning. “You okay? You seem… off.”

Starscream’s wings flicked, and he averted his optics. “You’re imagining things,” he said curtly. “Now, let’s get you out of here before something else happens.”

Danny didn’t push further, but his frown deepened as Starscream strode out of the bay.

Chapter Text

Danny sat cross-legged on Jazz’s small dorm bed, watching with a small smile as his older sister turned on the kettle and pulled out two china cups from her cupboard. Danny absently glanced around, looking over how neat and well-kept her dorm was. She was always organizing, always making sure everything was perfect. Danny remembered how much of a hell it was for her to live with their parents, leaving weapons, tools, and even just puddles of ectoplasm lying about the house. Her bedroom was her only safe space, and Danny was pretty sure it was the only clean room in that old house/lab/deathtrap of theirs.

The faint scent of peppermint tea filled the air as he watched Jazz fill the two cups with boiling water. She added some honey, tapped the spoon on the edge of the cup and placed it into the sink, turning back around to Danny with a smile on her face, a cup in each hand. Despite the peaceful setting, Danny couldn’t shake the anxiety that twisted in his gut.

Danny hadn’t been by in months, he hadn’t contacted her in just under that… and now he owes her an explanation.

"So," Jazz finally sat down on her desk chair, spinning around to face him and passing him his cup of tea. "How have you been doing? I was worried. I haven’t heard from you in a while." Her voice was gentle but filled with concern.

Danny sighed, glancing up at her. "I'm fine, Jazz. Really."

Jazz narrowed her eyes, clearly unconvinced. "Fine, huh? You were basically homeless the last time I saw you. Where have you been staying?"

He shifted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. How was he supposed to explain this without sending his overprotective sister into a full-blown panic? "Uh, well… about that. Promise me you won’t freak out?"

Jazz raised an eyebrow. "Danny, you know that’s not really helping me not freak out."

"I’m serious," Danny pressed. "Just… hear me out before you start yelling, okay?"

Jazz leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Fine, I promise. What’s going on?"

Danny took a deep breath. "Okay. So… I’ve been staying with some, uh, aliens." He gave a light smile at the end.

Jazz blinked at him, stunned for a moment. Then she stared at her brother, waiting to see if he would start laughing. He didn’t. " Aliens? You're staying with aliens? "she asked incredulously.

Danny held up his hands in surrender, one still holding the mug. "Look, look. I know it sounds insane, but we’ve seen weirder things than that, right? And they're not the, you know, invade-the-world type… Well, not exactly. I mean, they did try and kill me at first, but they're actually kinda nice once you get to know them."

Jazz’s mouth opened and closed, trying to find the words. "You… what?"

"They're called Decepticons— or, well, technically, their species is called Cybertronian, but they’re basically giant thirty-foot tall robots." Danny continued, trying to keep his tone casual. “They're a little murderous, and most think humans are the scum of the earth, but they’ve also kinda… started caring about me?"

Jazz blinked, clearly struggling to wrap her head around everything. “So…you’re living with a bunch of alien robots that want to kill you?"

“In a giant spaceship, yes,” Danny said. Jazz stared at him, looking dumbfounded. Danny gave her a sheepish smile and wrung his hands together. "I mean, they're not so different once you get past the whole ‘giant alien robot’ thing.” He waved his hand to the side. “They have personalities, and grudges, and, well, issues… a lot of issues. You would honestly love trying to psychoanalyze them, Jazz."

Jazz started rubbing her temples. "I don’t even know how to respond to that."

Danny leaned forward, his expression earnest. "Jazz, I’m fine. I promise. I can handle it. I know how to protect myself." He glanced up at her expression. She seemed more concerned than he originally thought she would. "I’m sorry, Jazz, I didn’t mean to worry you. But now they’re… my responsibility, in a way. I’m finally getting them to grow their limited views on humans, and I've managed to prevent at least…” He looked to the side, counting on his fingers. “— Twenty? Twenty unnecessary deaths since I moved in, so I count that as a win!"

Jazz’s expression shifted to confusion at something Danny said. He was about to ask her what was wrong before she spoke up. “They think you’re human?”

Danny laughed and rubbed the back of his neck again. “Ah, right. I don’t think they know ghosts exist. They just think I'm a really strange human with no self-preservation skills. I mean, why burst that bubble for them.” Danny shrugged with a laugh.

Jazz gave an awkward chuckle in response before tilting her head to the side. “How, uh… do they possibly think you’re human? You have white hair, you glow, there’s the fangs, and then the whole pointed ears thing. Have you just been around them in your human form?”

Danny shrugged. “Most of the time in my ghost form, actually. But if we come down to earth, I switch to human so I don’t show up on any government radars”

“They don’t find that you can switch forms strange either?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.

Danny laughed. “I mean, technically, they transform into, like— cars and jets, so… Hair colour isn’t that different.” Danny shrugged again, hands still wrapped around his mug, which he hadn’t even sipped from yet. “I think I’m the first “Human” they’ve ever been around. It's honestly really funny seeing how they have no idea how to act around me.”

Jazz laughed again and then let out a long breath, eyes fixed on Danny with a thoughtful look. "You know… if you somehow ignore the whole alien thing, the way you talk about them kind of reminds me of how you talk about the ghosts. All tough and stabby, but secretly, deep, deep down, they care."

Danny smiled brightly, throwing his hands up in excitement. "Yeah, that's exactly it! They put on this scary, ‘I'm going to destroy you’ front, but really, if you dig a little deeper, they’re really great. I mean, take Skulker. He says that he wants my pelt as a trophy, but he helped me take down some of those labs a while back, and he sometimes even gives me self-defence tips mid-fight to make me stronger. Even if he claims it's to make me more of a challenge to hunt. I don’t think he even wants to skin me anymore."

Jazz raised an eyebrow. "And these… Decepticons?"

"Same thing. They’re always posturing and threatening at first, but once they see that I’m not going anywhere and I can stand up to them, it’s different. Like… I actually like being around them. It’s weird, I know. But they’ve kind of become like this chaotic family that I never knew I wanted."

Jazz leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand. "So what are they like? I mean, besides being war machines that want to kill people?"

Danny smiled, his eyes brightening. "Well, Starscream is… complicated. He's got this huge ego and is always trying to one-up Megatron, their leader, but when you catch him off-guard, he's actually kind of thoughtful and gives me gifts and stuff.”

“—Knockout? He’s vain, like really vain, but also kind of funny. He’s all about his appearance, but he secretly loves to explain things to people, even if it is more like he’s trying to prove he’s better than you. But I help him out with his work all the time. And I go with him down to earth to help him join street races.”

“ —And Soundwave. He doesn't talk much; as far as I know, I’m the only person he really talks to besides his mini-con Laserbeak, who’s like his bird son. But he is honestly really sweet and is always looking out for me, and I sometimes just get to hang out in the control room while he works. Breakdown is fun to talk to, and he likes to bring me on missions when Knockout can’t come —He and Knockout are partners, by the way—."

Jazz smiled and finally took a sip of her tea. "You’re right. They do sound fun to psychoanalyze."

Danny grinned. "Oh, they are. They’re like ghosts in that way, too. They’re also in a war, so they have a lot of traumatic experiences. Plus, they’re so old. I mean, these guys have been around for thousands of years, maybe even millions," he continued, gushing over his new friends.

He paused as if something clicked in his mind. "Actually, I’m pretty sure they can live forever if they don’t get themselves killed. They have a spark in their chest, which is basically a ghost core, so if their body gets too damaged, as long as their spark is okay and has energon, sometimes they can change frames. Though I don’t know if they keep their memories. I’ll have to ask.” He put a finger on his chin.

Jazz’s expression shifted. She hesitated before speaking again. "Danny… do you think that’s why you’re so drawn to them?”

Danny raised an eyebrow at her change in tone. “What do you mean?”

“ Maybe… maybe it’s not just because they’re like ghosts." She paused, watching his reaction. "What if it’s because they can live that long? That if you’re friends with people who live for thousands or millions of years… you might not be alone after… after we’re gone."

Danny’s blood froze, his smile fading. "Jazz…" he started, his voice unsteady. "I’m not—I'm not thinking about that. I don’t… who knows if I’m even immortal or not, right? I can still die. I’ve done it before—three times!" He held out three fingers and laughed tightly. "I’m aging, right?’ He gestured to his currently not fourteen-year-old self. “So that means I’ll die when you guys do… right?" His voice cracked at the end.

Jazz looked up at him with sombre eyes, and he felt his core sink. "Clockwork said that one day you would become his apprentice. That you’d help him…"

Danny looked away and threw a hand to the side, his voice rising. "That’s just what he says! He’s like that, Jazz. Always talking about time and the future like he knows everything. That doesn’t mean I’m gonna live forever!" It couldn’t…

"Danny," Jazz said softly, standing up and moving over to the bed, her cup placed down on the desk. She pulled his out of his hands as well, hands that were now shaking slightly. This was supposed to just be a nice catch-up with his sister. Not this. "I understand. You don’t want to lose us. But one day, when you’re older, you might become fully ghost." She paused, reaching out to gently touch his arm. "But… I’m glad you’re finally finding friends who can be there for you. Be there for you longer than I ever can. To protect you."

Danny pulled his hands away from her, standing abruptly. His breathing was shallow, and the room felt too small. He stepped back. "No. Jazz, that’s not… I don’t want them because of that! I—" His throat tightened, and he couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought.

Jazz stood. "Danny, it’s okay. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I just think… maybe, deep down, you’re trying to make sure you won’t be alone. Even when we’re gone."

Danny’s fists clenched. The idea of losing Jazz, of losing Sam, Tucker… it felt unbearable. He shook his head, refusing to accept it. "I don’t want to think about that," he muttered, his voice strained.

Jazz’s face softened even more, and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. "I know. But things change. And when they do, I want you to have people who can be there for you. People who understand you. Even if we can’t be. I’m glad you met these guys, Danny; I truly am."

Danny stood still in her arms, his body trembling. The thought of outliving everyone he cared about haunted him more than anything ever could. He squeezed his eyes shut and hugged Jazz back.