Shattered Team (Rewritten)

Chapter 38: Dead Signal

Predaking and Smokescreen get back and Megatron saw the position "Are you riding him like that one boy in that cartoon? What's the name?" "How to train you dragon?" Smoke confirms. Megatron nods "Yes. The ol Viking and his fright fury-" "Night fury." Smokescreen corrects. Megatron scoffs "Look, I know... I'm still getting use to it." He helps his boy off his dragon and continues to hold him in his arm. "Did you have fun with the predacon?" He asks. Smoke nods "You bet!" Predaking hands the bone to his leader and purrs, pushing his head against Smokescreen. Megatron caught on to what he was saying "He says you're a big help."

Smokescreen laughs "Thanks Predaking." The dragon bot chirps questionably and then points to Smokescreen saying "No YOU. Thank YOU." Megatron shakes his helm, happy for the 2 being close already "Well you both performed well. This will be a splendid contribution to the spawning of your predacon brethren." Megatron lets smoke hold the eye so he can pet the beast's snout.

Knockout walks over to them and says "Lord Megatron, we've discovered another one of shockwave's predacon energy signatures. Weak, but steady." Megatron nods and turns to him "Excellent. Knockout, Do not return empty handed." The mech replies "Mwah? Don't know the meaning of the word." Screamer comes up and complains "Isn't empty handed 2 words?" The bickering starts up. Knockout mocks "You would know, or did your missing armor turn up!?" Starscream growls "Why you wheel-bound!" Smokescreen breaks them up "Starscream!! Watch it!! You have wheels, too." The seeker growls "I do not!!" Smoke goes on "I'm no aviation know it all but I'm pretty sure they're in your systems and in your landing gear." Starscream looks down at his body and then groans.

Megatron speaks up "Starscream, you have failed me enough for one day. Assume the task of monitoring for predacon energy signatures, at once!!" Screamer bows "Yes.... My liege." KO calls to him after the winged mech hits his shoulder "I'm sure you'll find the gig as invigorating as I did, Screamer." The 2 mechs walk off into the Nemesis's hallways. Megatron states "Shockwave has initiated the cloning process with the specimens gathered thus far. The predacon currently among us would be but the first of a new wave of beast machine super soldiers."

They talk for a bit and before Knockout leaves, Smokescreen exclaims "Wait wait wait!!! Megs, can I go with him!!??" Megatron thinks it over. He looks to Knockout. The medic states "He'll be okay with me if you're choose to send him. I can watch this ol guy! I've had similar times with Breakdown, and it's been awhile since I had a partner." Megatron sets the rookie down and states "He is not allowed to get up close with an autobot.... If they try to help or even go near him, you are to do your best and keep them away." Knockout listens to each word carefully "Will do, Lord Megatron! Now let's get that predacon bone, Smokes." The racer cheers. "WHOO!! I can't believe I get to go with you!!—- oh hey.... Um.... I'm sorry for getting you stuck in that wall. You're okay now, right?" Knockout shrugs it off "Oh please. That's in the past. I hardly remember it happening if I'm honest." They laugh it off and then speed to Soundwave to get a bridge down to earth.

Once they were near the museum, Knockout stops him and says "We're gonna need a code name for you." Smokescreen asks "Why?" The sports car states "the humans are here. I'm gonna call you S.S. Alright? Just until we're in the clear." The racing vehicle agrees and the red car tells him the plan "I'm gonna snatch those 2 up. You stay back here until I give the clear. I'll blare my horn twice." Knockout then speeds out to the 2, his brights on full. "I have a bone to pick with both of you." He smartly remarks. He then ejects his guns that were set to stun..... June tried to run but it had no effect and they both got caught. "Kick back relax and enjoy the scenery." He then closes his trunk and honks twice. The 2 then leave the area immediatly.

On the road, Knockout calls Megatron for pickup "Knocks and Smoke to Lord Megatron, we have secured one vintage predacon talon, plus 2 of the autobots pets for you to employ as hostages, lab experiments, well anyway you seem fit. So go on big M, tell me you love me more than Starscream." Smokescreen laughs "Knocks, what is with you?" Knockout snickers but then realizes he wasn't getting through "My liege? Hello? Too familiar?"

At the autobot base, Jack was waiting for his mom and Fowler to return "It's really taking them awhile...." Rafael who was sitting on the couch asks "Arcee and Wheeljack?" The teenager corrects "My mom and agent Fowler. Oh, maybe they stopped for dinner." The kid asks again "isn't that what grownups do when their dating?" Jack belts out "It's what grownups do when their hungry!" He then got a call "Mom?" He asks. Nope, it was Miko "Think again, Jack rabbit. And I hope you're not still thirsty... because I'm bringing back something way cooler than sodas." Jack stops "I can't talk Miko, I-I have to leave this line free."

The girl stops him "Wait!! Don't hang up! Did Wheeljack show? I think Bulkhead's really worried about him." The boy states "W-wheeljack is fine, he's on a mission with Arcee." The girl exclaims "Wheeljack's riding with a new partner already!? That's cold..." Darby counters "What!? No! It's just... one mission. They're not partners." Miko smartly remarks, ignoring Jack's comment "I wondered how long it would take our 2 line wolves to hook up." Jack takes his phone away from his head, not believing what he heard. Miko then goes again "Oh, hey, Jack! Guess who we saw today!!??" The boy groans "Who? Starscream?" The girl states "Yes.... But we saw someone else. Maybe we were seeing things but Smokescreen came down and said hello!" Jack teared up. He couldn't believe her "M-Miko... don't joke about him." The rockstar girl goes on "He didn't really say anything but we could have sworn we saw him!!" Jack sighs "There's no way.... Prime said he was dead..." Miko jumps "Exactly!!! Maybe it was his ghost! Anyways, I'll let you go now. Bye!!" She hangs up and Jack was left confused, but inside he was hoping that they saw him in physical form.

Back with Knockout and Smokescreen, they were both trying to call, however it wasn't working. The humans start arguing in Knockout's trunk and he speaks up "Hello? How long have you 2 been dating? Because you bicker like an old married couple." June and Fowler snap "WHAT!!??" "We're not dating." The medic goes on "frankly, I find it repulsive. The whole idea of you 2 fleshies.... Interfacing..." he shudders. Smokescreen revs his engine "Didn't seem to have a problem when Megatron asked you about it." Knockout corrects "That's because you had a dream about it and he told me!! By the way, what were you 2 doing that one night? All I could hear was you whimpering and crying Megatron's name when I walked past his office." Smokescreen blushes in alt "O-oh... nothing! Can we talk about this later?" KO replies "Agreed..." he tries to com into the ship again but it once again didn't work. Knockout then yells "Alright, is anyone up there receiving me!!??" He asks Smokes to try. The ex-bot tries but even that didn't work "Dead line..." the sports car groans "I wonder what happened.... It not like them to do this kind of thing...."