Playing With Fire || TFP Knockout x Female reader

1. New beginnings

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🔥 Playing with fire 🔥
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"Breakdown! Get your aft in here and help me with this." Knockout called from the far side of the desolate medical bay. A loud crash was heard from inside one of the walk-in storage closets, followed by the jittery Breakdown running out of said facility, tripping in the process with his large pedes flailing every which way. The bigger mech headed to the front room of the medical suite now, leaving the sound of things catching on his metal fall to the floor.

"I better not hear glass shatter with the way you've chosen to run around my medbay like a imbecile." Knockout yelled, not taking his optics off of the small micro disc chip in front of him. He pulled the crystal-clear glass microscope over the chip and began attaching and plugging in small hidden wires with a tweezer.

"Holy slag Knockout, I think one of those earthy black flying things trapped itself in the storage closet! I tried getting it but it looked at me funny and then disappeared so I booked it."

"Uh huh, and what did this creature look like again?" Knockout hummed, not looking up from his work as he watched his best friend portray the common hoary bat the best he could with the little knowledge he had of said Earth animal.

"It had wings, and, and it flapped around like this." Breakdown began, moving his arms in an "up and down" motion. The best part was that he was dead serious, flapping around the medbay.

"It had teeth too, and a long snout, and I believe pointy audio receptors. I mean that's all I got to see, I didn't stick around to study this freak of nature."

"Mhm, well then I'll be on the lookout for this, er, creature thingy." Knockout said, continuing his work. "I'm almost done, this stupid stubborn wire doesn't want to listen to me..."

Breakdown moved to the side of the table where Knockout was, and looked into the giant swiveling magnifying glass, bringing it close to the identical metallic chips.

"And you're sure these things aren't going to permanently change us?" The ex- wrecker asked, studying the datapads all sprawled out on different counters and surfaces, the tablets turned to the same type of page: Holoforms.

"I'm sure Breakdown, I read the manuals until my optics bled for Primus' sake. It's only for one night, then you're free to plug it out by all means." Knockout sent his friend a smirk upon his doubt. Breakdown knew better than to insult the medic's work, as he knew Knockout better than anyone and his peeve of bots doubting his expertise. The bulky 'con shut himself up before rolling his optics. "-and that's a wrap."

Knockout pulled the microscope away from the two small discs. He handed one to his partner before he manually opening his arm panel to plug his own in, while also providing a visual for Breakdown to see how the chip is inserted.

"Now, I really hope this works right, I don't have anymore time to perfect another try." Knockout said.

"I'm trusting you here." Breakdown said, following what Knockout did and opened his arm panel, plugging the gun metal chip in. He felt the download start from within his processor soon spread to his entire circuitry unit, the nerves flowing with the foreign information.

As Knockout began to clean up his work mess, Breakdown watched dumbfounded in the background. He waited an extra minute or so before he cleared his suspicion and his vocal chamber.

"Am I missing something here? Aren't we supposed to be...human?"

"It doesn't work like that, we have to drive around and go scan one, like how we do with alt. modes and such." Knockout said as he stuffed his arms with his scientific tools, putting them back in the storage drawers and on their respectful shelves. "Nothing is ever that easy when you're a Cybertronian, Breakdown."

Breakdown held a laugh down as he nodded to no one but himself, and helped the flashy sports car clean up the unnecessary tools he pulled out along the way, noting the ridiculous array he had on the counter. Really, a mini buzzsaw for a delicate little programmable hardrive?

Nevertheless Knockout was all smiles. Finally, after some time of trying for this to all pan out to his liking the experiment pulled through, which made Breakdown crack a smile too. He knew how long Knockout wanted this, as human life always fascinated him. They walked out of the medbay, shutting the lights.

~

"Hey KO, I think I found one! He's tall and muscular like me. Do I just scan him like I'd normally do?" Breakdown asked through his comm. Currently the two Decepticons went to different parts of the world via groundbridge. In his downtime, Knockout was able to create what he called a "pocket groundbridge" which was used to transport themselves without having the Nemesis' Communicative officer fire up the bridge every time they called for one. It worked out for all parts, and three were made so far. Breakdown went to Europe, Knockout choosing to stay in the USA in the state of New York. Parked downtown and waiting for the perfect guy to pass him, the red Aston Martin had no such luck.

"Yep, point and scan. I'm having no luck here so far. All these men are too proper for me. I think I'm going to drive around a little more or something, meet me here when you're done."

"Roger that." Breakdown logged off.

Knockout shifted his gear stick and took off, still not satisfied. He drove down to Manhattan, to Central Park. There he seen many couples sitting together, some that sat alone, and dads that played with their young in the grass.

"Don't mind if I do." Knockout said to no one but himself when he saw the guy he wanted. He rolled over to the lonesome man and quickly scanned him, his new holoform appearing smack dab in his driver seat.

"Wow.." was all he said as he studied his hands and arms, and the clothes he wore. He pulled down his mirror from his sun visor and looked at his new dark eyes. That shocking red glow of a Decepticon's optic was nowhere to be seen, and to him it made him so happy, although he'd never admit it out loud. His hair was dark, shimmering with the deepest shade of auburn and neatly brushed to the side. He also had little stubble on his chin which was neatly kept. Of course with a holoform, certain traits carry over, making them unique. Knockout's door tattoos carried over, forming on his new human form's arms as well as other little things.

"Oh, this is awesome." He said to himself, getting excited. He turned his car back on, and pulled away to comm Breakdown.

"You here yet? I sent you the correct coordinates, right?"

"I'm...somewhere." Breakdown said. "It's hard to drive with servos, I've never done this before. Uh, I'm by a giant grey looking building and it has a million stories. It's next to a park, too."

"Gotcha, I'll be right there." Knockout said, ending their call. He stepped on the gas and started circling the park, seeing the building he described on the other side of the trees.

He drove up to Breakdown's car with his window down, arm hugging his door.

"Hey good looking." Knockout nodded, as Breakdown rolled his passenger side window down.

"Oh wow, Knockout you look amazing!" Breakdown said, as Knockout turned his music up a little, bobbing his head with the song like he's seen other humans do. With his street racing career, the sports car seen more of humanity than any other 'con before. He craved it. He wanted it. And now, he's got it, even if it's not "ideal."

Breakdown truly picked out the best match he could find to a human. He had fawn hair ruffled every which way, strong arms and legs, and a buffed chest to go along with it. It was scary how close he looked to his bi-pedal, only in a human outlook.

"You do too, you're even wearing the same blue."

'Yeah, and I even got a Decepticon tattoo on my chest, which is weird, I don't have one on my normal form so I don't know how that picked up."

Knockout raised his arms, gesturing for him to look. "Got my tattoos."

"Are we going to the Nemesis now?" Breakdown asked.

"Soon. Let's go get some things first."

With that, Knockout shifted his Aston Martin in gear and took off, Breakdown following once he seen his friend take off before he had time to blink.

~