Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Knock Out thought he was going to be sick. EVERYTHING LOOKED TERRIBLE!

Being one of the best cosmetic surgeons on Velocitron wasn’t all consultations and rolling in the credit chits. Like everyone else on the planet he had to prove his worth to keep his reputation and one of best and only way was to show off what he could do. After all, cosmetic surgeons on Velocitron weren’t just top notch medics and scientists, that was a give in considering the mechs who had colonized the planet all those years ago, they were designers. Trendsetters. Velocitron was a planetof excess and luxury and it’s citizens wanted new and fashionable. So every year they got it at the Grand Royal. The second most anticipated race right after election day but in all honesty the much more enjoyable event of the year. Winning meant all of Velociton’s adoration and gaze and more importantly Override’s preference. She’d pick her favorite design or designs from the winner’s collection and wear them proudly for the next year and if she won the Speedia of that year they would be granted the position of her personal surgeon. Knock Out had competed in every one since he graduated his apprenticeship and every Velocitronian president had been wearing his designs ever since. It was quite a lot to live up to.

The day before the race always stressed Knock Out passed his limits. A healthy amount of nerves was good for creativity and creation but... well every mech had their glitches and his were disgusting and unsightly. His self mutilation was only made worse by belief that all of the designs he had worked his aft off for were now suddenly and irredeemably hideous!

“WHAT AM I GOING TO DO MOONRACER I DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO START OVER FROM SCRATCH!” Even the design he had made for himself looked off. The gray blue and forest green certainly led to lovely shadows but it practically made him look skeletal! A disgusting wraith, gilded in the gold regalia of his hubris! “I can at least repaint myself, I knew I should have just gone with red again.”

“Your designs look perfect Knock Out.” Moonracer quickly left her own model and placed a comforting servo on her boss’ back. Carefully she pulled one of his servos free and grimaced at all the dents and stripped off paint before intertwining it with her own. “They always look perfect. You’re an amazing surgeon.”

“How can you honestly say that with a straight face! Look at them, look at me! What was I thinking even if I do win Override’s not going to wear any of these!”

“Knock Out they’re gorgeous. She loves all of your designs. Velocitron loves your work. Why do you do this to yourself every year?” Moonracer abandoned her comforting touches and grabbed the mechs other servo saving it from another set of dents that the surgeon would only panic about popping out. “Maybe you shouldn’t race this year, let one of your models represent you like everyone else? That way it’s not your fault if something happens. ”

“I can’t do that! I’ve raced ever since I was Cabochon’s model. It would insult everyone if I threw something out there that I wasn’t even proud enough to wear myself!”

“Then don’t put anything out there. Don’t compete. Let someone else win. You’ve never been a sore loser and you’re the only designer I know who genuinely enjoys other mechs’ work.”

“Oh, no! No, no, no! Do you know what would happen to me if I did that? Do you know what could happen to Velocitron if I did that! Th-the only mech I could give that honor to in all responsibility is you! Do you think you’re ready to take over for me?” Moonracer couldn’t look Knock Out in the optic. She was quite proud of her own skill, Knock Out was surprisingly an excellent teacher but as much as she loved learning and growing with him the idea of taking Knock Out’s place in the circuit, even for only a year or two, made her want to purge her tanks. She had only been planning to compete this year for personal reasons. “See! Look at that, can’t even look me in the optic, I could never do that to you. Not when you’re not ready.” Moonracer felt Knock Out’s field meet hers for a brief moment before he slipped his servos free and went back to futzing with one of his models. The femme honestly couldn’t understand how they could be so patient with the neurotic mech.

“You should at least take a small break!” Moonracer didn’t mean to shout but she hated seeing Knock Out this way, utterly dissatisfied and disgusted no matter how much hard work he put in every year. It just wasn’t healthy. “How about you let your poor mechs rest, maybe look my designs over for me? Or better yet how about we go to the spa! Let’s give Velocitron a sneak peek of what you’ll be wearing to get some hype! That way if they really don’t like it you have actual proof and can change a few things before tomorrow evening.”

Knock Out turned back towards her and Moonracer sighed with relief seeing that the look of craze had died ever so slightly from her boss’ optics. “Oh now Moonracer you know your designs are amazing for your level. And the fact that you have the pride and the courage to compete before you’ve even finished your apprenticeship puts you leagues above me. With a little more practice and a few more lessons in politics you’ll be ready to take my place in no time.” Knock Out shot a quick glance at the femme’s models. “But you could bevel the curve of those wheel wells just a few centimeters more and the fact that you only have two completed looks is a little insulting and while I know they’ll let it slide because you’re in training I really think you should try to put one more design together. You had so many lovely ones drawn out I simply don’t understand why you only chose these two.” Moonracer laughed under her invent. Glad to have Knock Out calm for a moment at least.

“Thank’s Knock Out but I’m fine. Rather go for quality than quantity after all. So what do you say, spa? Your poor talons look like they need it.”

“Oh well yes sure, but you can’t really call two a collection now-” Knock Out stopped himself after catching the overall look of exhaustion in his apprentice’s frame. “I suppose you’re also wearing your own new design so…spa it is.”

As expected out in the streets commotion quickly followed them, the few straggling paparazzi who lingered outside every time of the year to catch sneak peeks of models or Knock Out himself immediately rushed along as they tried to follow the pair to get whatever info or pictures they wanted. None of them could keep up though as Moonracer and Knock Out sped out of the high profile city center to the calmer lesser known streets of Delta. They stopped at a small almost grungy little store front, the well aged neon sign reading Caduceus Oasis. As the two entered into their favorite spa the workers all flocked around, oohing and ahhing them both and ushering them forward so they could lock the doors for the night. Mechs like these could only ever dream to see high fashion designs like this so they kept their high profile customers privacy like charge hawks did their nests. Only the few other mechs still being served allowed to get a once in a lifetime opportunity to share a space with one of the highest mechs in Velocitronian’s political circle. Knock Out paused between setting up their appointments to chat with some of the older mechs and femmes who called out to chat with him. It was one of the things Moonracer truly admired about the surgeon, he never took his speed and privilege for granted, and never looked down on the mechs who had long ago lost theirs or never had it at all, no matter how much face he played with the higher ups. At first she had just thought him two-faced but after being in the circuit for some time now she quickly learned that was just how one had to play the game. Moonracer made sure Knock Out didn’t go overboard with the amount of services, always feeling far too guilty when he spent so much on her, before letting herself be guided off to a private room.

As the workers came in and out with different treatments and baths she tried not to fidget as she let them work and chatted as much as she could for their sakes but eventually she just couldn’t do it anymore and lulled into groggy tranquility. Despite what Knock Out knew Moonracer had been working her aft off for her debut and the stress and long nights of it all all rushed her at once as she relaxed into the skilled professionals servos. They all understood, they had been working with Knock Out for a long time, he had been coming here for decades so they knew the stress competing put on racers and designers alike. She couldn’t help jumping up when a bright familiar red face peered in through the door though.

“Ah! Breakdown I didn’t think you’d still be working!” Moonracer hopped up off her table and gave the bulky blue mech a tight hug. Breakdown chuckled and was careful not to mar the femme’s detailed paint as he hugged her back.

“Ah well, this job doesn’t pay as well as construction so, yeah. Gotta pay the rent.” Breakdown wished he had picked his words better as he caught the racer’s guilty frown.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t even think about that. Would you like your pay in advance?” Breakdown was quick to wave her off with a laugh.

“Nah, nah. Don’t worry about that. I don’t mind working the hours here, this is easy work comparatively. What else would I be doin’ ya know? ‘Sides it’s only one more day before I can go back so don’t worry. Hop back on the table and I’ll get to work.” Less guilt ridden Moonracer bounced on the wheels on her peds.

“Ok! But….ummm...did you happen-” Breakdown suppressed another laugh as he cut the femme off.

“Just get comfortable and I’ll go get ‘em. He’s sleeping under one of the heat lamps.” Breakdown left and Moonracer re-situated herself on the massage table, a smile back on her face and a sway in her peds. When Breakdown returned he plopped down a fairly large shimmering silver beast onto a side table where Moonracer could reach. As it settled it thrashed a bit flaring it’s holographic scales and plates and baring it’s fangs lazily as it let out a deep bellowing hiss. Breakdown flicked it gently on the snout as he turned the small desk lamp on for the beast. “Be nice Snappy it’s your favorite friend.” Moonracer tried to hide how giddy she was as the other mech poured a small pile of treats into her cupped servos. “I don’t gotta warn ya’ you know how he gets when I move him from his lamp.”

“No worries BD.” Moonrace instantly placed a treat into the volt snapper’s mouth and watched in joy as it, to its namesake, snapped it’s long maw shut and swallowed the morsel. Appeased by the femmes offering Snappy snapped his jaw a few more times for good measure then shifted again under the lamp, letting his feather shaped metal frills and thick sturdy plates slowly decompress back down to normal and relaxed.

Breakdown made small talk as he started Moonracer’s massage. “So how are you an’ your boss doing? You got all your other things ready for the big night tomorrow?” Moonracer sighed heavily and buried her face in the plush of the table. “So...not good I reckon?”

“No~ I’m fine for the most part. I’m..proud of my designs and Knock Out’s…….finished for the most part. It’s just his usual paranoia getting to him and I’m honestly starting to get…..nervous about tomorrow now too.” Moonracer turned her head to the side and deposited two more treats into Snappy’s mouth.

“Starting to regret your choice...you don’t gotta lie. What you managed to get was a honor so no one could blame ya’ for lookin’ out for yerself’.”

Moonracer lifted herself up on her arms as she arched against Breakdown’s strong kneading servo’s. “It’s not regret. I want to do this it’s…..guilt. This is Knock Out’s nine hundredth Grand Royal. Nine hundredth Breakdown! And that’s only counting the ones he raced competing for his own designs! That’s fifty-four hundred designs he’s made and I’m his fourth apprentice. None of his others could beat him and I don’t even want to. Knock Out’s mentor, Cabochon, he only served the circuit for six hundred and his mentor Gild, she only served for three hundred! Do you want to know what happened to Cabochon the night after Knock Out beat him and took his place?”

“What happened?”

“HE DIED!” Breakdown stopped his pounding as he stared the girl down.

“You’re funning me Moony.”

“No! Seriously! It was on the news and everything! He congratulated Knock Out, wrote him into his will and then disappeared from Delta never to be heard from again!”

“Oh well that’s just... disappeared. Maybe he went on vacation? Velocitron is supposed to be actually pretty nice when you know how to travel it. Supposedly it’s got like this hospitable underground with a few different biomes or whatever. Like a tiny world inside a world. The mech who I bought Snappy from said that’s where he got him and like I know he was probably just a swindler but I still got the lil’ guy for a real nice price so I like to I believe it’s true. Makes for a lot better story anyway if you ask me.”

It was Moonracers turn to laugh.“ Well as nice as that sounds Breakdown what sane mech goes out of the city to go on vacation? We have bridges for that!”

Breakdown conceded, nodding in agreement.“Alright so that’s a bit weird but it was only him right? I’m sure all the others did just fine after they retired.”

“If you consider moving to Viduus and taking a few millennia long nap in cryostasis fine then yes they’re all doing very well.

“How many Millennia?”

“Some of the past designers have been there for thousands. Knock Out is already getting crazier by the year! He can’t keep doing this and he’s too afraid to quit! I don’t know why? There are plenty of great surgeons out there, there should be like...a limit or something!”

“Well...next year you could always hire that- that Ransack as a model to race. That ain’t against the rules for the Grand Royal is it? He’d beat your boss.”

“It isn't but Breakdown what if he didn’t? Knock Out’s never raced in the Speedia. The most important thing he raced was a Benefit 500 for aerial rights a few centuries back and he won that! If he somehow beat Ransack even at something as harmless as the Grand Royal, he’d have a target so big on his back he’d never be able to drive the streets alone again! Plus he’d hate me. He hates Ransack and I would never live down pulling a dirty trick like that, even for his own good.”

“Was he really the bot who did that? That sure was nice of him. I know a few aerials who that meant a lot to.” Moonracer rolled over onto her back when Breakdown motioned to her, letting her tires hang off the edges of the sturdy table. She twisted her neck as well as she could and prodded around for the pile of treats, skillfully tossing a few to the waiting volt snapper.

“It was the first Benefit I ever went to as an actual activist instead of some young dumb spectator. Not that all the spectators are dumb or anything I know-”

“Relax Moony you’re not insulting anyone here but yourself.” Moonracer sighed as she pet Snappy’s long snout.

“It was just so weird to see him there. It was the first time I’ve ever seen any surgeon race before let alone Override’s personal surgeon. Everyone was flabbergasted and no one was sure if it was legal since he’s technically part of the circuit but… Override gave the ok so they had to. That was such a huge thing. I knew about a dozen aerials in my group who didn’t even know someone was racing for them. When he won they cried. It was one of the biggest changes Velocitron’s seen in eons and it’s what made me try to get this apprenticeship. Now I feel terrible for stealing it from all those other mechs who really wanted it, for just trying to get close to him to to manipulate him into using his influence. It wasn’t right.

“It’s not the worst thing, he seems like a pretty strong mech to me if he’s been dealing with nine hundred years of political lunacy.”

“He is! Which is why-” Moonracer curled her servos as she reached out in frustration. “Is it mean to wish he just wasn’t so loyal to Override...or scared of her? He’s already proved he could do so much more for Velocitron but he’s just happy being a surgeon!”

“Forcing a mech outta their comfort zone never got no mech anywhere but trouble.”

“I know Breakdown…I just- Velocitron never changes…. not really and I’m tired of seeing my own life and his go around the same old track again and again.“

“Things’ll work out in time Moony. Change is just one of those things that can’t be rushed or it turns ugly….we of all things in the universe know that.”

Chapter Text

Refreshed from the spa Moonracer and Knock Out drove home and went straight to recharge. A few hours before the race the two woke, fueled up and did last minute touch up and changes. Knock Out ended up changing his color scheme to something a bit more pastel and changed out all his gold for a much more complementary copper and it looked just as lovely as it had before. With no more time to waste the two set off for the race, this time the hounding paparazzi much more persistent. Right outside the track they could no longer ignore the press, so together they stood for a few pictures and questions and then Moonracer slipped away with her models, leaving Knock Out alone for his more arduous interrogation.

With pre-race interviews and pictures done Knock Out entered into the track stadium. More camera’s flashed in his face as he made his way to the floor. Already the noise of the millions of mechs in the seats above drowned out anything any other mech tried to ask of him. Knock Out liked it that way, once he was done talking, he was done after all. At the center of the track He set up his models, a few of the other surgeons who were lucky enough to catch him even rushing over to pay him compliments and wish him luck. Even two of his old apprentices had dared to show their faces again. Knock Out looked their works over and paid them whatever compliments he could. They didn’t have to be his taste to be better frames, although he knew Override wouldn’t be that fond of any of them. With another few words to another few dozen camera crews Knock Out headed off to his starting point.

There the other models looked him over and either sneered or whistled. “Honestly Knock Out where does all that guff you pin on go when you transform?”

Knock Out smiled at the model behind him. A cycle named D-Rail. He’d been in the game for some time and had almost beaten Knock Out on his more off races. “Just inside. It doesn’t weigh me down as much as it looks like it would.”

“It’s not fair you get to look so look so pretty when all these other small town chumps are just trying their best to beat you. Next year I want to be your model.”

“ I thought you liked the races.”

“Oh I do I figured if I beat you next year you’ll pick me to gain your title back.”

“I hate to break it to you but if I lose this race I don’t think I’ll be competing for quite a few bends. I much rather just race for fun while I train a few other up and comers. You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone~.”

D-Rail looked disgusted by the news. “Knock Out! You sound like a hasbeen! Don’t tell me you’ve already hit your peak!?

“I’ve- I’ve certainly hit something.” Knock Out rubbed at his face as another one of the racers sauntered over from their position.

“Are you two talking about the cripple some sap dared to roll out. I can’t believe they’re actually blowing their slot for some social justice slag. How did they even get him through?”

D-Rail glared at the other model. “We actually weren’t so you’re really lucky I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“He’s all the way across the track. Some of the other surgeons saw him and have already gone to the judges. Apparently there’s nothing they can do. Like, letting the aerials compete using reps was one thing, it’s not their fault they’re the minority here, at least they’re fast, but that thing isn’t going to even make it out of the starting gate. Just look at them! I managed to get a pic.” Knock Out tried not to look over at whatever poor sap the two were exaggerating about but he just couldn’t help himself and he couldn’t even believe what he was looking at, already in their alt at the start of the race- it was practically a box with wheels! No matter how pretty the design was it was a joke. A thick sturdy, ruggedly handsome joke. They had actually gone out of their way to find the best looking cripple they could find. Probably some well worked construction bot from Ananka. Honestly the sight would have made him laugh if the poor surgeon wasting their shot wasn’t so talented. The construction was lovely and as sleek as one could make a mech of that frame. Knock Out was quite fond of the beveled corners. He wished he had caught a sight of the model in his root mode. They probably looked equally as nice. “It’s not even just him, whoever did this built like their whole collection around them, it’s just pathetic. Right?” D-Rail nodded in agreement and both models turned to get Knock Out’s opinion.

He quickly dropped down into his alt instead. “Who cares. It’s not like he’s competition. Let the deadweight have something nice for once, keeps them content. It’s not exactly like they get much. This is a business strategy not a power play and it’s a smart one if you ask me. You honestly don’t think mechs with those frames who have the money won’t go and get themselves something nice? It’s not as if they have anything else to spend their credits on.

“I guess when you put it like that~”

“It’s still insulting. If he get’s in my way once I’m bumping him right into a wall.”

“Good luck in denting your entire back end then. I can’t wait to see it.” Knock Out ignored the others till the call came, up high in the stadium Override called down from her box and gave her speech. Knock Out barely registered her, only managing a polite flash of his headlights when she addressed him, she always said the same things anyway. He readied his engines as he felt the metal beneath him shift. What had once been a vast nothing of a track suddenly became alive as it morphed into a land of its own. The track seemed to expand as it evolved, gaining hills and narrow valleys and solvent flooded rivers. Peaking with craggy cliffsides and treacherously high rock walls. To everyone else it was a show but to Knock Out it was routine.

There was always a one minute assessment period before the start. As far as he could see there was nothing he hadn’t tackled before but that could change the further along he got. After more than a millenia on the racetrack nothing surprised him anymore. The droning buzz of the starting countdown rang out and slowly each number ticked by, so calm, so evenly paced, ten, nine, eight, how many more years was he going to do this? Seven, six, five, he should have been in Viduus by now or shot dead in a grave. Four, three, two, when had this stopped being fun, when had he started having to get himself to believe that this was the best thing he could ever get. The other cybertronians were probably still out fighting an endless civil war and here he was living the high life. One.

Knock Out let his engine roar as he took off through the straight away. He could already feel D-Rail at his back and while the other veteran wouldn’t do anything nasty in the first few laps, at least to him, Knock Out simply didn’t like having him that close. Wasn’t much he could do about it though. Not now at least.

He was three laps in and almost half a lap ahead when he first spotted the big blue box all alone on the long clear stretch of track. Knock Out could only guess what lap he was on but the speedster couldn’t stop himself from slowing down and practically idling behind as he watched the bulky jeep crawl across the track. This close Knock Out could see all the fine details of the blessedly stupid surgeon’s beautiful work. He wanted to touch, wanted to run his talons all over that chassis and find all the perfectly hidden seams. More than anything Knock Out wanted to see what the big boy was hiding behind those doors of his. He couldn’t help but pull up next to them to greet them. “Heavy duty you’d be faster running at your speed. What in the world do you think you’re doing here?” The thick cutie’s horn blew the moment he noticed Knock Out beside him. Adorable.

“I- uhh- I- Y-y-you can just do that? Change back to root whenever you want? I thought this was a race?” Was he stuttering too? Knock Out just couldn’t take this.

“It’s the Grand Royal, you need to change back to get over some of these obstacles. Have you even seen an obstacle yet?” His question was met with the sound of transformation and to his surprise what came out of the compact box was twice as beautiful as he could have imagined.
A lanes wide chest that tapered down to a thick boxy waist, anchored to thighs so sturdy they could lift Velocitron itself. A perfect ancient relic of their old world and PRIMUS BE Knock Out wished he was a tomb raider!

“I passed through a valley and had to ford a river. That was exciting. Took forever though and I think the other guys cheated. They all went up the sides of the walls.”

Knock Out transformed in kind and fell in pace just behind the taller brute. He could feel the smile on his face as he forced back his laughter. “I wish I had been there to see that. There’s nothing quite like watching an all terrain at work.” Knock Out could watch the blue brute's aft work all night.

Breakdown’s processor stalled, he had never expected to get this much attention and certainly not from Moonracer’s boss! How was he supposed to talk to these professionals? He needed to be polite he could guess that, flattery maybe? He quickly gave Knock Out a look of teasing doubt. “I don’t think you’ve ever seen an all terrain at work. You look like you were forged here. What six hundred- seven hundred years ago?”

This time Knock Out couldn’t hold back his laugh. “Honestly you flatter me, no~ I’m older than I look. I remember the war before Navitas left…..only ten thousand years old and I worked for the Cons. I’m glad I got out of that one fast enough.

Breakdown nodded and sighed. That was certainly a surprise, he knew Knock Out wasn’t a first generation native but the Cons? That for sure hadn’t come up in any interviews. Nothing like that ever came up in interviews. “Bot’s weren’t that much better. We liked to believe we were but... everyone was just angry, how change happened one way or another didn’t really matter all that much. I think the fact that this colony exists at all is proof of that. I just feel lucky knowing I got away from it all you know. If you’ve been here all this time though, why’d you only get into the circuit a millennia or so ago?”

Knock Out felt himself getting closer and closer to the other mech till they were running side by side. “ Oh you fibber! That’s perfectly fine I adore flattery. How’d a mech like you know that?”

“You- yer famous. How could I forget seeing that face. They did an interview on you a few orns after you officially got your job.” Did this mech really forget that his face was splashed across holo-screens everywhere?

“Oh~” Knock Out tried to fight off the blush that rose to his face. Plenty of other mechs knew about his history with the circuit. Like the cute blue box had said, he was famous...so why was he feeling so giddy all of a sudden. “Well~..I watched this place grow from the ground up….I had to grow from the ground up. Thanks to my old function I got shuffled around quite a bit. I used to do much more…..spiritual work. A whole lot less fun than this though. You can imagine with all these vain new builds talking about age is like giving them tox-en and asking them to stab you in the spark.”

“You ain’t that old. Override’s got at least an eon or two on ya.”

Knock Out smiled at the other attempt at flattery but was unsure if it actually was flattery or if the other mech actually didn’t know the femme had been born on Velocitron. “Sure~ but there are so few of us left who remember... so I may as well be as old as our elders. Do you even know how many mechs from the original crew are left?”

“Not a clue….I know we lost almost half the first deca-cycle we landed here....maybe fifty thousand.”

“Two hundred forty-three. That’s including those still in stasis in Viduus.”

“You gotta be kidding me! I know plenty of mechs from Navitas in Ananka.”

“Yes well, then that puts into perspective whose left. Live fast, die young as they say.”

“I’ve never heard that in my life. Primus the capitol is weird.” Breakdown could feel his spark pounding in his chest. He really hoped that it wasn’t his engine overheating. In the distance he spotted a drone drifting lower to get a look at the race. “Hey look a camera, they usually only follow the lead racers or the action….are you in the lead already?!”

Knock Out’s face turned a pale pink in his embarrassment. He had drifted so far off course he hadn’t even been thinking! Now he could hear the encroaching roar of his competition at his back again. Forgetting his manners he quickly dropped down into his alt and sped off.

Breakdown transformed back too, just in time as the rest of the racers all sped past him in a mob, nearly pushing him off the track. As he watched them go he sighed...what had he been thinking getting into this? Sure Moonracer was nice and sure he liked his new frame, but he was going to be Delta’s laughing stock for eons to come and he couldn’t even think about what the mechs back in Ananka would say. He should have never agreed to this. Never left construction for just a young pretty faced upstart who thought showing off a lug like him would somehow change the opinions of the social elite.

As he passed through the straight away the road shifted again around him, large metal trees burst from both sides blocking out all light as parts of the track fell away in irregular pits. As his wheels hit the oddly colored metal they suddenly sunk into the track, trapping his front wheels. Oh, this really wasn’t worth his time now! As he struggled to free himself though he could see through the vines and leaves of the strange brush around him up into the stadium and as luck would have him he could see Moonracer and her little band of activist among a few other mechs. Heavy duty frames all with signs and banners with his name on them, cheering their guts out. Damn that femme.

The next time Knock Out ran into the the bulky racer he was stalled at the base of a rock climb, only one tier up on the still growing artificial mountain, holding onto a copper ore jut out the best he could to keep himself from slipping off and losing his meager progress. Knock Out sped up and transformed at the least second, leaping over the jeeps head and landing safely on a stable platform. He dropped down onto his knees and firmly rammed one of his spiked knee guards into the metal to anchor himself as he leaned over. “You’re supposed to jump you know.”

Breakdown looked up at him as if he had been sent down from Primus. “When in the Pit did you get here? How’d you get up there without me noticin’ ya’?”

“I jumped. You can jump can’t you? It’s like kicking the ground but you go up instead.”

“That ain’t very nice you know. How do you think I got up this far?”

“I’m sorry. Would you like a servo up. I noticed whoever designed your frame gave you grounding spikes on your peds. Quite useful for the construction field and the only thing that’s going to help you up this.”

“Oh slag I forgot about those, thanks. A-are you sure you can support my weight?”

“I carried tank builds through fields of laserfire I think I can help you up a fake mountain.” The other mechs sloppy smile nearly imploded Knock Out’s spark.
Breakdown engaged his cleats and grabbed for Knock Out’s outstretched servos. They felt so small and thin in his own but despite dragging the lightweight forward a little bit Breakdown was soon on the same stable platform. Just as he took a moment to vent and cool his engines he felt a sharp ped against his back, leaving a long painful scratch as they launched off of him. “AY!” Breakdown turned to swipe at them, hopefully catching them in the middle and knocking them back down flat of their aft for good measure but they were too quick.

The offender must have seen him because they called down from above. “Get off the track deadweight!" Pressed close against him in the shallow alcove Knock Out felt the model's engine growl and rumble in annoyance. Knock Out had to keep his servos balled up at his sides to stop himself from touching. Part of him wanting to offer the underdog a comforting touch or ten but most of him just wanted to fondle. He knew better though, the model wasn’t his and no matter how exquisite the design it was rude to fondle another designer's work.

“Honestly these pompous slaggers. There’s a whole dang mountain and they gotta act like I’m in there way.”

“Sounded like D-Rail. He’s trained his whole life to be a model. Having you here is a bit of an insult to him and probably others. Besides the Grand Royal is a no hold bars race. We try to keep it as clean as we can because we’re models but it’s gotten pretty dirty in the past. The whole point is Override is supposed to pick one of these designs. If it can’t hold up to this sort of treatment it certainly won’t last in the Speedia. I can get him back for you if you like.”

“Isn’t he your competition? Don’t tell me I’m keeping ya from first place!” Knock Out chuckled softly and gave other model's chest an obvious pat. He would have gone for the shoulder to be more congenial but he couldn’t exactly reach.

“He can have the lead. I’ll just take it back. I haven’t played with him like this since oh…...? Yes now I remember! I was debuting Turnstop. She was so promising but she just couldn’t get metallurgy down. All of her cores were just too dense. You know, I wish this could be a team event sometimes because if I could put all of my apprentices together I know they could create a new design that could beat me no matter what model they used it on!”

“Doc this is real nice of ya but I don’t feel right about holdin’ ya back. Like you said these mechs trained long and hard for this, you really should give them the best fight you can.”

“Oh~” Knock Out looked so dejected suddenly. Remorseful and guilty as he fingered and twirled the silks and tassels on his frame; looking like a scolded new build. “I suppose you’re right. Let’s get you over the mountain and say our goodbyes.” True to his word as they reached the top of the mountain Knock Out turned to Breakdown and waved. “It’s a whole lot easier going down.” With that goodbye he kicked off the edge and cleared the hurdle in only a few seconds, tucking into a roll before transforming and racing off into the next leg of the track.

Somewhere along a long stretch Breakdown felt his engine start to give out. Moonracer had warned him about watching his pride and trying to keep up with the other racers but he hadn’t exactly listened. He couldn’t when he knew there were other mechs like him watching him. Even if most of them thought he was nothing more than an idgit there was some mech out there who couldn’t believe what they were seeing right about now, a mech like them racing against all the professionals. Luckily he wasn’t sitting alone for long. He expected it to be some official medbot, ready to scold him and take him off back to the underground but the servos were too familiar.

“Honestly someone should have come and picked you up by now.” Breakdown felt Knock Out sit beside him and he couldn’t stop himself from leaning against the other mech a bit.

“You’re telling me! How do you do this every year.” Knock Out didn’t seem to mind the new weight, too busy fiddling around in his arm compartments. “How haven’t you won yet, I’m ready to go to a nice cool bar for a large drink.”

“It’s a marathon not a drag race heavy duty. Here take this.” Breakdown looked at the small cube of energon and deep blue capsule the doctor placed in his servos. Taking pills from professionals wasn’t exactly the smartest move. “It’ll cool you down I promise.” That’s all he needed to hear as he bit into the cube and popped the pill. Instantly his frame was awashed in an amazing chill. A blissful shiver ran down his backstrut, causing all his plates to rattle and come undone. He quickly shook it away and settled them with a long moan.

“Augh~ thanks Doc. I thought I was doing good to be honest! I thought I was close to the halfway. Don’t you guys take a pitstop to refuel halfway?”

“Big guy you missed that chance six laps ago. No one knew where you were and they couldn’t exactly shrink the track to get to you when it’s only supposed to last a few klicks.”

“Ah slag! Shoulda' known.”

“I picked up some extra cubes for you though. Cleared it with the medbots and everything.” Knock Out handed over about five of six much bigger cubes of fuel. Real good fuel too, not the weird high efficiency stuff Moony gave him at the start that his frame and spark weren’t used to. The gesture embarrassed him a bit. Moony had said the Doc was nice but this was practically coddling!

“This right here- I know this is cheating. How did they okay you to do this? How do they know you wouldn’t just drink this!” Breakdown knew it was perhaps the dumbest thing he could have asked, as if a high performance racer would even dare gunk his engine with such low-grade fuel but his processor was being clouded by his pride at the moment. Luckily Knock Out was polite enough to give him a real answer.

“They monitor our fuel levels, even if I managed to drink it off camera they’d notice the huge spike. I’ve never even risked drinking the 5 ounces they let us take our pills with. So I also have clout and respect on my side.” As Breakdown refueled he slowly felt the doctor’s weight fall onto his frame as the two relaxed against each other.

“What did I tell you about playing games with the other racers? Go and win this so I can go home!”

“Are you really tired of my bothering you? I’m- I’m actually a bit tired. All this starting and stopping isn’t exactly good for my engine either.”

“That’s what you get for playing games!” Despite his scolding tone Breakdown moved his arm back so Knock Out could lean more against him. He really hoped the cameras weren’t on them now….he didn’t know what the Doc was doing being this nice to a mech of his status but he was smart enough to know it was gonna make waves.

“I can’t help it, I like games. Besides, the only one I’m really playing is with you. In fact I think I’m being quite fair to my other racers. I’m already a full lap ahead thanks to a lucky set of obstacles, a good chunk of the lead racers managed to get stuck in a bottlenecked flexibility trap. It shouldn’t be any detriment to their designs that one model goofed up and got his pretty shoulders stuck. If I’m being rude though please by all means tell me so.”

“Nah...it’s an honor after all. Forgive me if I don’t make small talk though.”

“Oh I understand but….if I could ask one question? Besides crashing Grand Royals, what did you do for fun? Is there something that led to you wanting to do this? Underground heavyweight races perhaps? I’ve seen a few drag races but nothing like this. They’re...quite fun but there’s not nearly enough…...pulling and…...lifting.”

“Yeah. There’s really not. I wish there were some better underground strength contests. I did wrestle a giga razorback at my local bar once though. That was fun and I got almost two hundred credits for it!”

Breakdown swore he saw stars in the doctor’s optics when he looked down him. “What’s that?”

“A razorback?! They’re these big old hulking beasts, almost taller than me and at least twice as long as my alt. The one we found- it got into Ananka’s cooling systems a while back and we didn’t have the spark to just toss it out so the barkeep who had been on the crew who pulled it out took ‘em home and then it became the bar’s mascot! She’s still a feisty bute’ so she likes to tussle every year around mating season. Keeps her spirits up, living in a pretty tight, cold city like Ananka. That’s pretty much it except drinkin’ and the races. I have a tech friend who managed to get some outside frequencies so we watch some strange alien drama thing together sometimes too. It’s nice enough.”

“That does sound nice.” Knock Out found his spark getting dimer as the excitement and the nervous anticipation of the day quickly fled him as he relaxed. His frame suddenly heavy and sore from the orns or overuse,insomnia and nerves. “Heavy duty?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m going to take a quick power down to shock my systems. If it takes me more than three laps make sure to wake me up okay?”

Knock Out’s request was met with a amused chuckle and a already quite distant, “Sure.”

Chapter Text

The medic found himself drifting back to reality as an icy breeze flew over him. There must have been racers on the straight away if they were giving cooling support. As he slowly onlined though something was...strange. As he stretched his back and peds his frame slid and swayed as if he was on his magnetized berth at home. He could also feel the wind more noticeably now as it push against him as if he was already moving “Please don’t squirm like that Doc this is already unsafe as it is!”

“What?” Knock Out jolted fully online and immediately started to slip off whatever he was on. He quickly clawed for whatever he could and received a short cut off shout for his quick reflexes.

“OW! Watch the claws Doc, I’m driving so fast one slip up’s gonna send us both flying!”

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!” He was on the hood of another racer. HE WAS ON THE HOOD OF ANOTHER RACER AND THEY WERE ON THE TRACK. “I told you to wake me up!”

“I tried Doc but you were out! Everyone kept passing us and I lost track so I even tried feeding one the energy pills Moony gave me but it didn’t work then everything started changing again and some shady mech just told me to pick you up and start driving if I ever wanted to make it home to Ananka again so I drove and now were here. Doc this isn’t legal is it? There doing something illegal so you don’t screw yourself aren’t they?”

“I-I DON’T KNOW! I’m the only racer so stupid and overworked to fall asleep on the Primus forsaken track!” Knock Out didn’t know what to do. He was stunned stupid as the wind whipped at his frame. All he knew was Override wouldn’t have stepped in if he hadn’t really slipped up and that the poor model he was riding on top of couldn’t keep up this speed for long. Checking his internals he looked at the small map and counter and assessed the damage. He had fallen behind twenty laps. So not terrible….certainly not good, no model in their damn life had come back from twenty laps and won but…..not terrible. “Oh-kay this has been real fun but- I gotta go.”

Breakdown felt Knock Out roll off his hood and in a flash the other mech had transformed and was out of his sights. Finally letting off his gas pedal and slowing to a well deserved stop he transformed as well, crawling off to the sidelines again as he flopped down to take a nice long vent.

As Knock Out rounded the corner he was met with what could only be described an agility course. Considering they had combined twenty or so laps of agility obstacles together it wasn’t that bad but it was a hell to wake up to. By the time he managed to get to the straight away his frame was scratched, dented, and dirty beyond the Pit. His spark already throbbing in his chest from the strain Knock Out dropped into his alt and gunned it. As the flat even metal zipped by with no end in sight he let his processor wander.

What had he been thinking? He should have never stopped to play with the bulky bot. Never wore himself out for a few fleeting moments of fun. This was his job, this was his legacy, a commitment to the circuit and Override he made all those years ago when he beat Cabochon’s pretty new face those centuries ago. What would they say about him if he lost? When he lost. He was going to lose. He could just play it off as burnout. Accept the stigma of a bright creative flame snuffed before it’s time. He wasn’t ready to go to Viduus. He wasn’t ready to go be frozen away till some new mold took Override's crown and sought him out. If they sought him out. No new ruler of Velocitron had ever gone to the creative backlog of Velocitron that was Viduus. Perhaps with enough charm he could go to Ananke with the beautiful brute of a model. He could live a quiet, dark life being the only “beautiful” thing the city had seen ever since it’s creation. He could work part time at some bar or at some clinic ogling, commiserating, or coddling other well toned working mechs when his beautiful Anankeian model was away on construction jobs. And when he wasn’t, when he came home to their small cozy apartment they could sit and just be, they could go to bars and he could watch him fight giant beasts, or the big blue brute could slam him up against a wall and nail him all night long. They could even do that at the bar! The other heavy duty patrons could throw credit chits at him and call him dirty names! Even the beast could watch! They could even frag on the beast he didn’t care!

Knock Out’s fantasy was immediately ruined by his front end smacking into another racer. The other model transformed with a short flare and turned to confront him but stopped when they saw who they were dealing with. Knock Out quickly swerved around them and continued on with nothing but a rushed apology. It had taken a pace that made his engine sore and a sex deprived fantasy but he had finally caught up to the other racers. He was in last place but he had caught up. As the relief that he could finally shift into a lower less taking gear overwhelmed him, so did the primal fear that he could still possibly lose. Especially now that they were practically at the end of the Grand Royal and he had just pulled off a stunt that had literally never happened in the Grand Royal's long history! There was no way he could play this off as burnout, there was no way he could play his actions off as a stupid joke gone wrong! That wasn’t his style, that wasn’t the mech he had built himself up to be! He had to win now or Override was going to murder him.

Using the next laps to pull close, the worst thing Knock Out was battling was his fatigue. Most of the other racers seemed to be so shocked that he had made it back to the running that they stalled and the other who he blew by started whispering. One single very dangerous word. Rigged. He couldn’t blame them, he didn’t know how he had managed to catch up either. It had been nothing but a warm blur, a stupid sexy Anankeian filled blur. So he wasn’t surprised that on the final lap just before the straight away he felt D-Rail’s ped connect to his face before he got the chance to drop back down after the obstacle. As he rolled off the track the smaller racer was on him in a second, fists already denting in whatever they could. He hadn’t even been in the lead, maybe in third or fourth place, but the veteran model knew better and he threw his chance at victory to get in his punches.

“YOU’RE A PORT LICKING SLAGGER K.O. YOU KNOW THAT!”

“I KNOW BUT HOW IS THIS GOING TO HELP THAT?” Knock Out managed to push the other model off but as a mech who lived for taking down his competition D-Rail didn’t exactly give up easily. Getting lost in his rage and pride and overall nihilistic apathy. Knock Out gave the mech the fight he wanted. Not even the drone of the finish line call stopping his servo as it dented in the motorcycle’s beautiful chest plate. What did it matter, he was going to die tonight might as well go out swinging.

The two veteran models were eventually carted off the court by the sturdiest security mechs Delta could call home to which honestly just added insult to injury knowing they weren’t even the best heavy duty frames on the track. The crowning ceremony was a mess. The poor model who won and surgeon they represented were too shocked and confused to say much of anything. The surgeon D-Rail had been representing was down right pissed. It hadn’t exactly been a deserved win...not really. Anyone with optics who had been to a Grand Royal in the past decade knew D-Rail and Knock Out’s reputations. If it hadn’t been for the scrappy model taking out his rage at the last second he or Knock Out would have won.

Knock Out couldn’t give even half a glitchrat’s aft about it all. He just wanted to go back to sleep ,with the big blue heavy duty preferably, but at this point he wasn’t picky. He had only just gotten a chance to sink into a plush medical berth for a second as the circuit medics looked him over for any nicked fuel lines or spark dampeners in his system, anything that could give them cause to call for a rematch, before he was being carted off again to a cold empty room, a “this is where it all ends” type of room. At this point he wasn’t even going to be given the luxury of Viduus. The hard light cuffs sealed that deal.

Override entered and glared down at the surgeon curled up, recharging on the floor. “Wake up Knock Out!” Knock Out rolled over onto his knees and looked up at the femme. “How could you do this to me? I thought you believed in me, I thought of all the mechs in the circuit behind my back, of all of them I could trust you. HOW MUCH DID HE PAY YOU!”

“He didn’t pay me anything Override please, it was a mistake-” Knock Out felt a ped come in contact with his face for second time that night only this time the blow knocked him back a few feet.

“LIAR! I KNOW YOU KNOCK OUT. YOU’VE BEEN HERE FOR ME SINCE THE BEGINNING AND YOU’VE NEVER TAKEN YOUR PRIDE THIS FAR! HOW MUCH DID HE PAY YOU?” Despite another kick to his chest plate her voice softened just a touch but quickly spiked to an even worse rage. “Was it that model? Could you not even keep YOUR OWN DEPRAVITY AT BAY FOR A SINGLE RACE! Or was it some act, something for the public to see so they wouldn’t be devastated and wholly disgusted when they saw a circuit mech running around like a wide eyed sparking after some cripple!? DID YOU DO THIS SO THE PUBLIC WOULD THINK IT WAS CUTE WHEN YOU RAN AROUND WITH YOUR NEW WHORE! WELL IF IT WAS I HOPE YOU HAD A FEW HAPPY MOMENTS ‘CAUSE I’LL BE PUTTING HIM DOWN TOO AND I’LL BURY YOU IN THE SAME SHALLOW GRAVE!”

Knock Out groaned as he sat back up, wiping away the thin line of energon from his lips. “Oh now you’re just being a brat. And a rude little one too. I don’t criticize the mechs you chose to run off with madam president not even when you came crying to me after you caught a nasty-” Knock Out should have known better than to shoot off at the mouth. Override was usually such a nice femme but she had a nasty temper. He spit out the bit of cracked denta that had come loose and shook his head to clear his vision. "Again, rude. I thought I instilled some manners in you.”

“I’LL INSTILL MY PED IN YOUR PORT IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME-” The door to their room was suddenly slammed open as Moonracer ran in, took one look at Knock Out, then threw herself at Override’s peds. “How in the Pit did you get in here?! What did you do to my guards?!

Moonracer had to vent a moment to calm her spark. “Y- your guards....they suck! Mm-my friends kicked their afts to the fucking curb! Say hi boys.” Override turned to look at the door where Breakdown and two other of Moonracer's heavy duty models were still standing, each gently holding one of Override’s knocked out guards. They waved politely.

“Hello ma’am.”

“YOU!” Override instantly recognized Breakdown but despite the new information her rage didn’t dampen.

“Yeah that’s right! Breakdown was my model. Cause I thought it would be nice to give something to the other mechs in our society! Knock Out had no part of this he didn’t even know Breakdown before today! You can’t blame him for this mess!”

“I SURE AS THE PIT CAN! Honey you can parade around as many cripples as you want, that’s your right, but that doesn’t change what your mentor did! He knows better! He’s known better for nine hundred years! THROWING THIS RACE WITH HIS POSITION IS AN ACT OF TREASON AND HE EVEN HAD THE GALL TO FLAUNT IT IN MY FACE! ” Override tried to lunge forward over Moonracer but she roughly shoved her back.

“TREASON? Are you nuts!? He’s a surgeon! This is just a fashion show!”

“NOT WHEN YOU WORK FOR ME! What do you think happens to my chances in the next Speedia if I’m forced to wear some defective frame!? Ransack has been on my aft for a decade now and if we so much as tie I’ll have to share power with him! DO YOU WANT THAT? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THIS PLANET?! SAY BUH-BYE TO YOUR PRECIOUS CRIPPLES BECAUSE HE’D HAVE THEM ALL THROWN OFF TO THE SUN! RUINING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, DECIMATING THE MEAGER ARMY WE HAVE LEFT, AND OH SO MUCH MORE! You don’t know a damn thing girl and that makes Knock Out’s dissent with me even more obvious.”

Moonracer wasn’t deterred despite her shock. “WELL THAT’S YOUR FAULT! IF YOUR WINNING RELIES SOLELY ON WHAT HE MAKES FOR YOU HE SHOULD JUST RACE HIMSELF THEN AND PUT BOTH YOU AND RANSACK TO SHAME! IF MOST OF YOUR SPEED COMES FROM HIM THEN WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT YOU AS OUR LEADER?!”

“Moony darling please don’t” Knock Out’s concerns were barely heard over the sound of Override slamming Moonracer into the wall. The smaller femme grabbed at the servo around her throat and tried tearing it away but Override was too strong.

“Don’t you think for a SECOND that I doubt my own speed and ability to hold my place but in my years I’ve learned I can not doubt the speed of my rivals and if my frame is the only thing that will keep me ahead how can you think that having my personal surgeon refuse me his best, THE BEST, that all of Velocitron could provide, leaving if for another, my rival, RANSACK, TO TAKE is not an act against me?”

Moonracer was speechless, not so much by Override's argument, that she had no problem agreeing with but simply by the sudden realization of the stupidity of their entire government. Luckily Knock Out saved her.

“Override darling…...I simply haven’t told you this because I like the popularity, I like my status, I quite love my job but...I need a break. What I don’t like is the reality of taking that break. I don’t want to go to Viduus. I don’t want to be treated like a government secret that gets frozen away to protect the next champion. Why do you think Cabochon risked leaving, you didn’t see me throw a hissy fit about the missed pomp and circumstance of my winning. I understood what I was getting into, what he was running away from! Don’t get me wrong, I was prepared for my end, I was prepared to accept you killing me and burying me in a shallow grave but Moonracer has a point. I deserve more respect from you. This profession deserves a more respectful end then to be sealed away and treated as… historical art pieces! More importantly than that though the mechs of this city deserve more respect, I was just thinking of myself. I would die and you would have still won but there is a slim chance that you could have lost. You can’t lose. I would never let you lose. I would never work for Ransack, never let him win! If I truly thought you couldn’t beat him with your new frame I would race in the Speedia. I would probably die...but I would do it. I would never even serve him as a citizen or as a surgeon but if I did that it would mean refusing all of Delta.” A slow realization fell over Knock Out. “Although I suppose now I can. I can admit that this collection was a failure despite the public’s opinion and simply not sell. Refuse commissions and take a short year vacation and come back next race…. or perhaps after the next couple of races. Before I go I can train whoever won, they’re more than allowed to fix their own designs after all. Moonracer here won’t mind.”

Override’s demeanor softened but she was still obviously upset. “But that still means I lose you! You’re not just some high end surgeon Knock Out, you’re part of the circuit! A huge part of my circuit! You did everything I couldn’t trust other mechs to do and you were always there to set me back on course! Even if I win the next race if I lose Velocitron what does it matter? You can’t take a break! That’s not how it works!

Moonracer, still struggling in the leader’s grip, was two klicks from tearing Override's intake out. She couldn’t believe how selfish all of these circuit mechs were! Knock Out just responded with a defeated sigh. “Can we talk about this in private Override….I-I’d like to take a short drive.”

A smile quickly returned to Override’s face, knowing she had won yet again. She dropped Moonracer and went to help Knock Out up and out of his cuffs. “Of course Doctor. Let’s head back to the central skybox and clean you up.” As the two left Moonracer jumped to her peds but Knock Out waved her down. He could do this on his own.

Later at Caduceus Oasis. A distressed and on edge Moonracer was sitting vigorously petting an appeased Snappy as Breakdown massaged her back. It had been groons and Knock Out still hadn’t showed up. Exhausted or not he would have the decency to talk to her and he knew where to go to find her ...which meant he had to still be with Override. HE WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE WITH OVERRIDE BECAUSE THAT NUTJOB THEY CALLED THEIR LEADER- Her thoughts were shattered by the faint tinkling of the door bell.

Still dirty and beat up despite Override’s promise, Knock Out sauntered in, sporting a bit of a limp but a smile as always. The mechs in the store all gasped and worried as they quickly shuffled to greet him, he just as quickly waved them off for the moment when he saw Moonracer running to greet him. Breakdown running after her to make sure his poor pet wasn’t crushed in the happy reunion.

“Oh PRIMUS you’re okay! She didn’t throw you out to the sun!”

“No~ I’m alright...well.... alright as I can be. I’m still a disgusting mess. Not to mention D-Rail kicked me so hard in the middle that I don’t think I’ll be transforming for a while. I hope you don’t mind walking home.”

“Oh Knock Out I’m sorry! This is all my fault. I should have been able to guess how crazy things were in the circuit with how rigorously the application to your apprenticeship was and what you taught me. I just..... didn’t know-”

“Ah-up-up. Not another word.” Knock Out quieted the girl before she could finish, knowing that bashful smirk and blush when he saw it. “That doesn’t need to be addressed. What does however is…..my resignation. I may have lost the race but my fans, Diminia’s and herself are already demanding a rematch. D-Rail caused quite an uproar as he usually does. Poor Astrape, the femme that won, she’s perfectly fine with it but...I’ll be letting her and Diminia duke it out.”

“But you love your job!”

“I do but I love creating for the citizens of Velocitron more and I can’t do that comfortably without some…changes. Looks like you’ll be getting your wish Moony. I’ll be issuing a formal statement that my reason for being so flippant during the Royal was due to my desire to race in the Speedia to garner myself a much more...influential place in the circuit.”

“BUT THAT DOESN’T SOLVE ANYTHING! It just puts more pressure on you! You need a break!”

“I know darling. I said the Speedia not this year’s Speedia. That responsibility goes to you my dear. I’ll have to give a crash course and play consultant to either Astrape or Diminia and I’ll have to give you a very accelerated course on politics but after that I get to go wherever I please to train for my own turn at the race...that is as long as you place. Which will all my spark I think you can do if of course you’re willing. I could ask one of my past apprentices to take my place but you are the one I could trust the most to keep Override on the right track.”

Moonracer could barely even comprehend what Knock Out was asking of her. “Me? Race the Speedia?”

“I understand if you don’t want to. I know it’s quite a lot to ask of you but-”

“I’ll do it! Knock Out this is amazing! THE ACTUAL SPEEDIA! Now that’s an honor!” Moonracer couldn’t help but tighten her hold on Knock Out in her excitement.

“Yes well, I’m glad you’re excited but you do realize you’ll be racing for an advisory position...a very important position. If you win...you need to be careful. As much as you disagree with Override or even support another politician... until they win by right you must always be loyal to her, you must change her opinions not go after another mech’s. You are her circuit until your not no matter how you feel.”

“I understand Knock Out and I’m sorry for how I acted, what I asked of you when I didn’t even know what you were dealing with.”

“Oh don’t even worry I understand. I respected you tenacity and open mind, I really did.”

“Uh- not to break up this important hug but Moony you still got Snappy.” Moony looked over at a rather distraught looking Breakdown and quickly jumped back from Knock Out.

“OH PRIMUS.” Looking down at the beast they were purring happily, having quite enjoyed the warmth. “He’s fine! He’s fine. Here Breakdown I’m sorry.”

Breakdown laughed as he sighed, taking his pet back. “It’s alright, Snappy’s a sturdy pet. I just get nervous since he ain't full grown yet.” When he looked up from checking over his pet he caught Knock Out’s optics on him. “G-glad you’re doing okay Doc…..those last couple of laps really hit ya though. You... urr...planning on staying a while? I give a pretty good massage and buff.”

Knock Out tore his gaze away and tried to focus on anything else in the room. “I...hmm...might. I thought you said you were from Ananka? How long have you worked here?”

“Not long. Just picked up this job last month for something to do and to pay off the rent. I had to get an apartment here while Moony worked on me.”

“Ah. How long do you plan on staying?” Knock Out tried to make it sound like small talk but while it didn’t raise any of Breakdown’s flags the speedster was still thoroughly embarrassed by how thirsty he sounded.

“Just till my lease is up but...I could be persuaded to stay. I...kind of like this job and I can find some construction work if I really need to.” Breakdown felt Moonracer grab for one of his shoulders.

“Primus Breakdown you need to say! I won’t live through the Speedia without you here! I’ll make sure everything's paid for I promise!” Breakdown chuckled again as he shoo’d off her melodrama.

“You just want me here for Snappy! I know you.”

“He’s my stress management animal, how can you blame me? Look at this cute face!” Moonracer plucked the creature from Breakdown’s arm again and leaped away back to her cushy spa chair and heat lamp.

“Well I hope Delta treats you well enough but for me...I think a bath is in order before anything. But I’ll be looking forward to seeing you again shortly.” As if on cue one of the other attendants jumped to their peds to get to work. Breakdown just managed to get in a few words before the other attendants shuffled the model off.

“Thanks Doc, I’ll be waiting.” He actually wouldn’t he’d be working on Moonracer but...his spark sure would be.