Walk away if you want to.
Its okay, if you need to.
Well, you can run, but you can never hide
From the shadow that's creepin' up beside you."

"Well, I'll be two steps behind you
(wherever you go)
And I'll be there to remind you
That it only takes a minute of your precious time

To turn around and I'll be two steps behind

Knock Out shuddered and shuffled a little closer to Breakdown. The warrior mech glanced over his shoulder at the medic, curiously raising an optic ridge.

"You alright babe?" He asked, turning a little more. Knock Out nodded briskly.

"J-just... got the feeling..." He shook his head. It would be fair to say he felt he was being watched to Breakdown; he'd worked so hard to rid himself of his paranoia for the medic after all. "Just a little cold, is all." He sighed. Breakdown smiled softly and turned to face him fully, opening his arms.

"C'mere then." The cherry mech practically lunged into the safe proximity of his mate, snuggling against his neck, optics darting around. "If you wanted a hug, you could've just asked."

"I know, I know..." He could still feel them; those aqua green optics staring at him, those cracked, thin lips grinning at him. He didn't know how or where, or why for that matter, but he just knew.

The door suddenly flew open to introduce the swaggering Seeker into the midst. Starscream scowled at the two cuddling 'Cons. "Keep your sentimental rubbish for inside your quarters!" He barked, red optics flaring.

"Oh, but our quarters are used for more... intimate 'rubbish', commander." Knock Out winked as Breakdown set him back on the floor. The medic had noticed that the feeling of being watched never occurred when Starscream appeared, but he hated the Seeker too much to use him as a shield at all times.

Starscream shuddered in disgust, narrowing his optics at him. "Too much information, now get back to work!" Knock Out glanced at Megatron's prone body on the medical berth. His armour was shimmering from all of Breakdown's buffing, not a dent or scratch perverted his chassis, and the comatose mech almost looked like a Morphobot with all the tubes coming out of him. Like tentacles.

Tentacles.

Starscream reeled back, looking at Breakdown for an explanation as Knock Out suddenly shrieked. The medic clasped his servos over his mouth and hunched up slightly, optics darting between his mate and commanding officer.

"What the slag is wrong with you?" Starscream yelled, swinging an arm threateningly close to Knock Out's helm.

"I'm—I'm sorry! I just..." Starscream scoffed, turning his back to them with a flick of his wings.

"I see even Grounders go insane when cooped up indoors for too long!" He huffed, marching towards the exit. "Go and get some air or something you two! I do not what my soldiers going bonkers simply because Lord Megatron had a Space Bridge go off in his face!"

For a moment, Knock Out wanted to run and hug the Seeker, but Starscream was already storming out, muttering about how perhaps Grounders were just generally insane. Breakdown turned back to the medic, golden optics becoming stern.

"Don't try and wiggle your way out of this one; what's wrong?" He grunted, placing a firm hand on the red mech's shoulder to keep him from running. Knock Out looked up into those glowing, yellow eyes and, effectively, melted. He couldn't deny Breakdown when he looked at him like that. But he honestly didn't know the answer.

"I... I'm not sure... for some reason I just thought of tentacles, and I... I..." He shook his head. Why would tentacles make him lose his cool like that? Why would anything make him lose his cool in the slightest? So many questions he couldn't answer.

"... Knock Out, baby..." Breakdown lowered himself to one knee, to be at optic level with his partner. The red mech sighed and looked down; he knew that tone. "You know you can tell me anything..."

"Well 'course I know that, hon! It's just..." He thought for a minute. "I really have no clue..." Breakdown tilted his helm, then glanced around. It was times like this Knock Out wondered what his assistant was thinking. The warrior had such dense optics; Knock Out couldn't read them. But that made him love Breakdown even more.

The blue mech then shook his head and straightened up. "Maybe Screamer's right; maybe you are just a little stir crazy," He held out a servo for the medic. "Come on; let's go for a drive." Knock Out's face lit up, placing his delicate servo into Breakdown's bulky palm.

Knock Out didn't have the same type of pride other Decepticons did; he didn't mind showing he had a soft spot for his partner. He didn't mind walking down the corridor with Breakdown, hand in hand, occasionally nuzzling his blue forearm. And Breakdown was far too love-struck to care about his image, when a pretty red medic was hanging off his side. Vehicons and Eradicons stared and whispered as the two headed for the docking station, snickering to each other, muttering things like "Go back to the Autobots" or "Sappy fags".

Long, ghost like arms and hands snapped necks and limbs and joints as these chuckles and comments went on. A slender, living shadow drifting down the corridors silently as ever, robotic corpses littering his path way.

As they prepared to leap to the tarmac bellow, Knock Out shuddered again. He twisted around, desperately searching for the optics he knew were there. "Knock Out?" He looked over at Breakdown, watching him with concern.

"Sorry... let's go." They gripped each others' hands again, but as Knock Out prepared to jump, Breakdown swept him off his pedes and jumped himself. They landed with a loud thud! Knock Out just sighed softly, smiling and stroking the Stunticon's visage. Contrary to popular belief; Breakdown could be very romantic when he wanted to be. Or when he wanted Knock Out to relax a bit.

They transformed and sped down the high way together, racing and ignoring enraged humans honking at them. But through the thrill and laughter and synthetic adrenaline, Knock Out still felt those optics. He knew their colour; he'd seen them through the window one night. He'd screamed and clung to a startled awake Breakdown like there was no tomorrow! But despite his partner's efforts, the owner of those insane, staring optics couldn't be found.

Rings of jade green light piercing the air at him. Dark, light, dark, light rings up until the center, where sharp pupils simply stared at him. It was those pupils that scared him the most. Because despite the fact he couldn't see any other features except the optics, Knock Out just knew his stalker was smiling at him.

Of course, he'd had stalkers before. Ex-boyfriends, wannabe girlfriends, jealous bots and all that like had followed him around the streets of Cybertron. But they never frightened him, because he could always tell where they were. But his current stalker, the one with green eyes, was never anywhere to be seen, but was always present. He didn't know the optics, he didn't know the colour. And by Primus he didn't want to know the smile, or how on Cybertron a living being could giggle the way the bots had when Breakdown went back to sleep that night.

They'd transformed, just sitting in a canyon and watching the clouds. That was one of the good things about this planet; it had pretty, white clouds. Knock Out mildly missed the wings he'd had on Cybertron, but then remembered why he gave them up every time Breakdown smiled at him.

Decepticons weren't familiar with the word "romance", but even Megatron referred to their relationship as such.

"See that one there?" Breakdown pointed upwards. "That one looks like the Citadel in Iacon!"

"Really?" Knock Out strained to see where his mate was pointing. "I never got to see the slagging thing." He shook his head. They lay in the shade of the canyon; Breakdown on his back in the sand and grit, while Knock Out lay on top of him, rolling over every so often. Breakdown didn't mind getting dirty in the slightest, if it meant Knock Out was happy.

"Shame, it was real pretty." Breakdown grinned. "Especially at night, with all the lights on! Dead End and I used to just sit up and stare at it!" He paused a moment. "Until Motormaster barged in and yelled at us to go to sleep." Knock Out, who was lying so they were face to face, buried his visage in his red forearms and giggled. His legs bent at the knees, ankles crossing, as he just enjoyed this moment. Breakdown let his engine purr, stroking Knock Out's back.

Yes, this was better. His lovely little mate was much more relaxed.

"So, what do you see?" Knock Out rolled onto his back and stared hard at the sky. The clouds floated passed, but looked like nothing more than the energon stains on the training room floor. With disappointment, he opened his mouth say nothing. But the words stuck in his throat. "Knock Out?"

"Soundwave." Breakdown blinked. "I see Soundwave." Breakdown's head wiggled around, trying to see any clouds that looked remotely like the spy bot.

"Don't see it babe." He grunted. The warrior gently clutched his mate's hand, bringing it to his mouth and kissing it.

Breakdown hadn't seen him? Well, things were starting to make sense to him now. He didn't recognise the optics, because he'd never seen behind the owner's mask. He didn't know the giggle, because his stalker never spoke. He never saw his "shadow", because he was a master in stealth and spying.

How typical it was, after all he'd learned from Sunstreaker; watch out for the quiet ones.

~.X.~

Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy! For the briefest of moments, just the tiniest second, Knock Out had caught a glimpse of him. Soundwave growled to himself, drumming his spidery fingers across the desk. The medic was known for intelligence as well as beauty; surely he'd figure it out. All this time and work, gone to waste, simply because Breakdown told Knock Out to look at the clouds at precisely the wrong moment.

Soundwave wasn't like his darling little Laserbeak; he couldn't simply float in the air. He had to soar and glide or he'd fall flat on the ground. He'd been searching for a spot near to his pretty, cherry red medic and his assistant; far enough away so they wouldn't hear his transformation, but close enough to get back to them on foot, when Knock Out had rolled over to look at the clouds.

Scrap. A long, forked tongue slid over Soundwave's upper lip. He knew Knock Out would go to Starscream about the matter, and then the slag would really hit the fan. The Seeker was fully aware of Soundwave's... mental states. He was actually the reason Soundwave hadn't been kicked out of the Decepticons and sent back to the asylum he came from. Starscream was almost as much of a master at blackmail as Soundwave was, almost.

Soundwave knew everything about Starscream and Starscream knew everything about Soundwave. It was just that simple; and Megatron knew nothing. He didn't know Soundwave's personal history on Cybertron. He didn't know the true identity of the mech that had distressed the Olympic racing sisters Firestar and Moonracer. Nor did he know just why Shockwave had been so eager to stay away from the Nemesis is Soundwave was to be stationed there.

But Starscream knew.

Soundwave shook his head, jade optics flicking over the walls of his quarters. What colour were they again? He couldn't remember, nor could he see them beneath the lining of red filled photos. He rubbed his chin; how could this be remedied without getting snapped in half by Breakdown? Soundwave was smarter than the warrior, but despite the fact he wasn't as weak as most would believe, the Stunticon was redoubtably stronger.

"But he's mine." He whispered. His fingers dug into the metal of his desk.

"No one should have him but me."

"What does he see in that muscle bound moron?"

"He's not even attractive!"

He squealed to himself, scratching at the surface until his hand slipped right through the desk and dangled above his lap through the hole. Soundwave stared at it with a puzzled expression. Were there glitch mice on the ship again?

~.X.~

"I'm sorry... Soundwave is what?" Starscream stared at the shivering little medic. Knock Out wrapped his arms around himself, pleading at the Seeker with those exotic optics.

"He's stalking me!" He hissed. "I know it sounds far fetched, but-!" Starscream silenced him.

"Not as far fetched as you might think, I assure you my dear." The silver harlot growled to himself, glaring down the hall towards Soundwave's quarters. "I shall see to this issue myself, don't you worry Knock Out." Starscream almost shrieked as the medic pushed forward, gripping him around the waist.

"Thank you! Oh Primus, I am forever in your debt!" Knock Out sighed in relief nuzzling Starscream's chest plates affectionately. Starscream felt his cheek plates heat up, then glanced around to check no one was watching. He cleared his throat, reminding Knock Out where they were.

"You can show me your gratitude later, but for now, go and seek your comfort with Breakdown or something!" Truly, he thought, he was far more generous than Megatron ever would have been. If Knock Out had gone to their "master", the tyrant would've simply shouted at him to grow a pair and bare it like a 'Con. But Starscream was much more understanding, more compassionate, even. And he wouldn't stand for anyone making his future Second in Command feel like he was unsafe.

Knock Out did as he was told and scurried off to find Breakdown, leaving Starscream with that hallway to the stalker's domain. He frowned deeply, then began walking.

Perhaps the clicking of his heels gave him away, or perhaps the telepath could just sense his raging mind approaching; either way, Starscream didn't even have to knock for the door to slide open slightly, revealing half of the face Soundwave hid behind his mask.

"Hello Starscream." The creeper greeted in that sickening, clicking, statical voice. It was horrible sound; a sound few had ever heard. "Can I help you with something?"

"We need to talk." He growled. Soundwave's ever blank expression didn't falter, though he tilted his head inquisitively.

"About what?" He asked quietly. He voice was always soft, but had that disturbing edge to it. An edge no one, even Starscream, could stand. His expression always so clearly crazed, but in a calm way. That's what made him terrifying.

"You know very well what about!" When Soundwave didn't react, Starscream continued. "About you and your obsession with Knock Out, you creepy little stalker!" The Seeker snapped. "Let me in right this instant!" But Soundwave stood firm.

"I don't think you would like to come in. My room is very small, and Seekers don't like small spaces," Soundwave slithered out into the corridor with Starscream. "So we'll talk out here."

"Whatever!" The Seeker barked. "I don't care if you go back to simply fucking around with Autobots and their psyches. I don't care if you twist Optimus Prime's mind around to the point of insanity. I don't care what you do, just leave Knock Out alone!" He bellowed.

Soundwave tilted his head further, to a position Starscream couldn't possibly believe was comfortable. But then again, this was Soundwave. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you worrying so much?" Starscream gulped and took a step back.

"Don't you dare Soundwave!"

"Don't I dare what?"

"Don't use that voice with me; any of your other voices! Just yours!" He snapped. Soundwave suddenly straightened up and looked serious. "Insufferable loon!" Starscream growled. "And I won't tell you again; leave Knock Out alone, or it's back to the mad house with you!" Soundwave suddenly hissed, snake like glossa shivering between pointed, jagged teeth.

"You won't do that. I'm too valuable."

"You're expendable!"

"Can't make me leave. Can't make me stop."

"Oh yes I can! I'll call in Shockwave if I have to!"

"Shockwave doesn't like you."

"He likes you even less, now do as you're told!" Silence.

Soundwave's expression went back to crazed indifference, then slunk backwards into his room again. Starscream exhaled deeply and raggedly. It was true Shockwave couldn't stand him, but the Seeker took comfort in the fact they both despised Soundwave and his insane personas even more.