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“Knock Out?”
“Hm?”
“Can I ask you something?”
There was a pause where the road hummed between them, tires whispering over asphalt. Knock Out didn’t answer immediately, letting the silence stretch just enough to be irritating.
“You already are,” he finally said. “But do go on. I’m simply riveted.”
Breakdown snorted, engine pitch dipping as he eased into the next stretch of road. “Do you ever think Megatron’s a little too hard on Starscream?”
Knock Out actually laughed, a sharp, incredulous sound that crackled over the comm. “Oh, that’s what this is about? I was expecting a question of taste. Or polish. Or perhaps my opinion on your continued refusal to align your panels properly.”
“I’m serious.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that for a second,” Knock Out replied, amusement still riding his tone. “I’m just trying to determine whether you’re malfunctioning.”
Breakdown grumbled but kept pace, matching Knock Out’s speed as the road bent. “I mean it. Think about it.”
“I would really rather not,” Knock Out said. “Thinking about Starscream is rarely rewarding.”
“No, listen,” Breakdown insisted. “Megatron punishes him every time he tries something. And yeah, okay, Starscream’s annoying. And yeah, he stabs people in the back. But—”
“But?” Knock Out prompted, his tone dripping with mock patience.
“But overthrowing the guy in charge is kind of the whole basis of the Decepticons,” Breakdown said. “Or something close to it.”
Knock Out went quiet again. The road straightened, dark and long, stretching out ahead of them. “You’re going to have to elaborate,” he said at last, carefully. “Preferably before I assume you’ve suffered a head injury.”
Breakdown exhaled through his vents. “Megatron took over by force. So did the ones before him. That’s how it works. Power changes hands when someone stronger decides they should be on top.”
“An oversimplification,” Knock Out said.
“Still true,” Breakdown countered. “Starscream’s just… doing what Decepticons do.”
Knock Out slowed slightly, letting Breakdown pull ahead before accelerating again to draw even. “Starscream isn’t ‘doing what Decepticons do,’ dear,” he said. “He’s flailing.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Oh, it’s entirely fair. He flails with enthusiasm.”
Breakdown’s engine rumbled, annoyed. “He believes in the cause.”
Knock Out almost missed the next turn. He corrected smoothly, but there was a sharp edge when he spoke. “Excuse me?”
“Starscream believes in the Decepticon cause,” Breakdown repeated. “Peace through tyranny. Order through strength. If you believe that, why wouldn’t you want to be the one in charge?”
“That is the most generous interpretation of Starscream I have ever heard,” Knock Out said slowly. “I’m honestly impressed.”
Breakdown pressed on, undeterred. “I’m not saying he’d be good at it. I’m saying it makes sense. He wants power because power’s the point.”
“The point,” Knock Out echoed, incredulous. “Breakdown, the point is Megatron.”
“That’s what Megatron says.”
“And he happens to be correct,” Knock Out snapped, then sighed. “Oh, this is exhausting already.”
They drove in silence for a few moments, engines syncing unconsciously. The road curved, and both vehicles leaned into it without slowing, the movement practiced and familiar.
“I just think it’s weird,” Breakdown said eventually. “Megatron acts like Starscream’s committing some unforgivable crime. But if anyone else tried the same thing and actually succeeded, Megatron would probably respect it.”
Knock Out made a thoughtful noise. “Assuming he survived, yes.”
“Exactly. So why beat Starscream half to death every time?”
“Because,” Knock Out said, “Starscream is incompetent.”
“That’s not the point.”
“That is absolutely the point.”
Breakdown accelerated slightly, frustration bleeding into his engine note. “You’re missing what I’m saying.”
“Oh no,” Knock Out replied. “I hear you perfectly. I’m simply choosing not to agree.”
Breakdown huffed. “Starscream’s loyal to the idea. Maybe not to Megatron specifically, but—”
“That’s called ambition,” Knock Out cut in. “Uncontrolled, poorly executed ambition.”
They crested a small rise in the road, city lights briefly visible far off before the road dipped again. Knock Out slowed, signaling, and pulled onto the shoulder. Breakdown followed, idling beside him.
“You really think Megatron’s right to keep punishing him like that?” Breakdown asked, quieter now.
Knock Out didn’t answer right away. His engine ticked softly as he idled. “Megatron punishes Starscream because Starscream challenges him without the means to win,” he said finally. “That isn’t ideology. That’s nuisance.”
Breakdown considered that. “Still. If Decepticons are all about strength, shouldn’t Starscream at least get points for trying?”
Knock Out laughed again, softer this time. “Oh, he gets points. Just not the kind he wants.”
They sat there for a moment, roadside silent except for the distant wind. Then Knock Out pulled back onto the road, not waiting. Breakdown fell in behind him.
“You think about this a lot?” Knock Out asked casually.
“Sometimes,” Breakdown admitted. “It just doesn’t sit right with me.”
Knock Out glanced back, optics narrowing. “Why do you care?”
Breakdown hesitated. “I don’t know. Guess I just don’t like seeing him get wrecked all the time.”
“That’s adorable,” Knock Out said dryly. “Misguided, but adorable.”
“He’s still a Decepticon.”
“So are we,” Knock Out replied. “And yet I don’t spend my time worrying about whether Megatron’s disciplinary methods are philosophically consistent.”
Breakdown grumbled. “You don’t worry about much.”
“Incorrect. I worry about many things,” Knock Out said. “Paint integrity. Alignment. The general incompetence of those around me. Starscream does not rank.”
They sped up, the road opening into a long, uninterrupted stretch. Their engines settled into a steady rhythm.
“I think you overthink things,” Knock Out continued. “You shouldn’t waste your processor cycles on Starscream.”
“Why not?”
“Because Starscream doesn’t even use his own that much,” Knock Out replied smoothly. “And frankly, it shows.”
Breakdown let out a reluctant chuckle. “Yeah. Maybe.”
They drove on, side by side, the conversation fading as the road stretched endlessly ahead.