#if you want a full explanation of my headcanon of the stunticon team and breakdown's relationship to them
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Samsara (3/?)
Heyo, time for chapter 3, aka a little bit more insight into how I had to fill in the gaps in Breakdownâs backstory and the Stunticons in general, lmao.
Thanks again yâall for reading this wild ride and I hope you enjoy! And for folks who may not watch RID15, the race mentioned in this chapter is from the episode Disordered Personalities. You donât really need to know much beyond the stunticons joined it hoping to cement their title as Rulers of the Road (because theyâre literally written dumb enough as to believe winning a race would do that) and the Autobots went to stop them from destroying the other racers. So they lost and itâs implied that Motormaster pulled a Megatron and physically punished them for it.
Title: Samsara
Series: RID15 and TFP (and some tidbits grabbed from Aligned wiki pages)
Ship(s): Wildbreak/Knockout, Breakdown/Knockout
Tags/warnings: Reincarnation AU, hurt/comfort, verbal/physical abuse (though the worst of the physical abuse is barely described or off screen), past character death, age difference (but still consenting adult alien robots), a lot of filling in worldbuilding gaps and making shit up, and a lot of Wildbreak being a sweet boy who just needs some love and affection.
Fic Summary:
From the day he was forged, Wildbreak had felt like there was something missing; some motivation or drive or desire that had been left behind in the Allspark.
Something he should know but didnât.
|Chapter 1|Chapter 2|Chapter 3|
âAbout time you woke up.â
Bumblebeeâs frame jolted online as he sat up, staring wide-opticked up at where Knockout was leaned against a shelf of scrap metal and watching him.
âKnockout?! Whatâre you--?â
âI have a favor to ask,â Knockout stated.
âAnd it couldnât wait?â Bumblebee grumbled as he moved to stand. He was going to have to have a talk with his team about warning him when they had company.
Knockout gave him an unimpressed look.
âYou want help with your Stunticon problem, donât you?â
Bumblebeeâs arms stilled where he had stretched them over his helm, blinking at Knockout. âYou decided to join the team after all?â
âOf course not. I told you, Iâm not much of a team player these days when I can help it,â Knockout replied.
âThenâŚ?â
âIâve been spending some time with one of them.â
âYouâwait, youâve been doing what?!â Panicked, Bumblebee continued, âYouâre not gonna join them, are you?â
With a snort, Knockout shook his head. âAs much as I donât want you ordering me around, the idea of Motormaster trying it is even worse. Heâs a brute and a moron who only knows how to motivate with his fists. Itâs no coincidence he had to remake his team by snatching up a bunch of new forged.â
That was all news to Bumblebee. He didnât know about any Motormaster, let alone-- âHow new?â
âPost-war.â
Bumblebee winced.
But before he could comment, Knockout pushed off his perch and stalked towards him. âAnd thatâs why, when I finally convince this kid to leave the Stunticons, youâre going to pardon him and accept him into the Autobot fold without any problems.â
Bumblebee sighed as he braced his servos on his hips.
âTheyâre criminals, Knockout. I canât just waive that.â
âYou did for that dinobot,â Knockout argued. He was nearly chest-to-chest with Bumblebee now, unwilling to give an inch.
âGrimlock is a special case. He proved himself to be trustworthy.â
âNo. Grimlock is special because you like him.â
âHeâs a good mech--â
ââAnd so is Wildbreak.â
With a huff, Bumblebee stepped back and paced away, and of course he heard Knockoutâs pedesteps following behind. âKnockout--â
âYou want to put an end to the Stunticons, donât you?â
That brought Bumblebee up short. He stopped and looked over his shoulder, and Knockout lips barely curled enough to be called a smirk, but it was there. âIf you really want to ruin their plans, I canât think of a better way than getting one of them to defect and thus depriving them of two combiner forms.â
âTwo? Can he combine with one of the other ones too?â
The smirk grew.
âI canât believe the Autobots are still so behind when it comes to understanding combiners,â Knockout said, strolling closer, looking every part like the Con he once was. âYou donât honestly think that if your lot could fuse together by sheer accident that a team led by Motormaster, a mech who has been combining for millennia, would be limited to just combining in pairs, do you?â Genuine fear started to spark in Bumblebeeâs processor as realization of what Knockout was suggesting settled.
âAll of them?â
âMenasor was never as successful a combiner as Devastator, no doubt because Motormaster was never as good a leader as Scrapper, but you still wouldnât want to meet him on a battlefield,â Knockout continued, examining his claws lazily, as if he wasnât discussing the former armyâs deadliest soldiers and weapons. âMotormaster has only had this team for a little over a decade, so I canât imagine theyâre as good as his previous teams, but thatâs more than enough time for them to learn to form Menasor and control him. Certainly enough time to cause your team some serious problems.â
Bumblebeeâs engine growled in his chest as he snapped, âWhy the frag didnât you tell me any of that before?!â
Knockout shrugged, looking victorious already. âYou didnât ask.â
âI asked for your help!â
âNo. You ordered for it,â Knockout replied snidely. âIf you wanted my advice, as one mech to another, you could have asked for it. Instead you got prissy because I didnât want to play house with you and your little band of misfits.â
Bumblebeeâs engine sputtered with indignation and some guilt.
âFine,â Bumblebee finally agreed, unable to completely rid his voice of irritation. âIâll figure something out if Wildbreak leaves the Stunticons.â
âThank you.â It was more a declaration of victory than gratitude.
âNow uh, you have anything else you could tell me about the Stunticons?â
âUnfortunately, Iâve revealed all my cards,â Knockout admitted with a shrug, not sounding the least bit sorry. âBut Iâll let you know if I learn anything juicy.â
With that, Knockout was gone again with barely a wave for the handful of team members even online this time of morning.
It wasnât until later when Bumblebee had Fixit pull up any information he could find on Motormaster and Menasor, criminal or historical, that he finally got the answer to why Knockout had gotten himself so invested. For all that Bumblebee had known Knockout after the war, he had always looked to stay distanced from others, charming but not caring to get involved past pleasantries, never staying in one place for long. But this sparkling of a criminal had caught his full attention in ways no other mech had for over a decade.
The research also explained the almost personal distaste he had for Motormaster and the Stunticons as a team.
There was list of former Stunticon members from early in the war, before even Bumblebee had been forged, and standing out like a glaring neon sign was the name Breakdown.
âDo you believe in reincarnation?â
Dragstrip stared at him before asking, âWhat?â
âYou know, like, where a spark that joins the Allspark comes back out to be forged again--â
âI know what it is. What Iâm trying to figure out is why youâre even asking such a pointless question,â Dragstrip mocked. However, he still handed Wildbreak a cube of energon before sitting down to drink his own.
âI dunno. Just been thinking about it.â Because admitting that he was being plagued by thoughts of a mech he shouldnât know would make Wildbreak sound insane. He wasnât completely sure that he wasnât. âLike, would he be the same, or would he be a different mech the second time around? Would he remember anything?â
Dragstrip stared at him out the corner of his optic as he took a long drink.
âWhenâd you decide to become some sorta religious type?â
Wildbreak just shrugged, muttering, âDoesnât matter,â and busied himself with his drink.
âThis âbout your spark thing? You think itâs âcause youâre a reincarnation or something?â
âYeah. But that sounds pretty glitched, donât it?â
âEh, who knows how all that Allspark business works,â Dragstrip said with a lazy wave of his servo. âMaybe you are, maybe you arenât. Would it make a difference to ya if you were?â
Knockoutâs sad smile as he said Breakdownâs name flashed unbidden in Wildbreakâs processor.
âDepends on who I was.â
Dragstrip hummed noncommittally before finishing off his cube with a satisfied ex-vent.
âAh well, no way of figuring that out anyway, so donât worry that tiny little processor of yours over it, buddy olâ pal,â Dragstrip said as he pushed up to his feet and chucked the cube carelessly. âWe got more important stuff to focus on today. We got a big race to win for the Boss!â
âA race?â Wildbreak asked.
âYeah! With that title, weâll really be the rulers of the roads!â
Wildbreakâs sparkpulse barely quickened at all at the idea, but he forced a grin onto his face and followed after Dragstrip.
The third time they talked, it was over commlinks. It had only been the one day â Wildbreak hadn't even had a chance to recharge yet beyond the couple hours that morning â but already he missed Knockout something fierce.
::Tomorrow?::
::Yeah,:: Wildbreak said, aware of how hopeful his tone was. ::Iâd like to see ya.::
::Unfortunately I'm leaving town tonight. I shouldn't be gone more than a day or two though.::
Wildbreak's spark sank.
::Oh. Ok. Well uh, let me know when you get back then?::
There was a pause, and Wildbreak worried that he had sounded too needy, that Knockout wouldnât be interested anymore because he was so patheticâ
::You could come with if you wanted.::
Wildbreak's spark was caught between joy and the reality that was his frame. Losing the race had made Motormaster mad and he had taken it out on them all, leaving them battered and just this side of broken. Wildbreak's lines had only just finished closing up, so he wasn't leaking energon anymore, but it would take a couple hours at least to work out the dents. Even then though, Wildbreak knew he needed a long, deep recharge to let his frame heal enough that his injuries wouldnât be obvious.
Normally, after one of Motormasterâs beatings, Wildbreak would curl up and spend a couple days healing until someone finally dragged him out.
But now, Wildbreak wanted desperately to be up and running as soon as he could.
::I really wish I could, but I canât do nothing tonight.::
::You canât honestly tell me that little race was enough to tire you out,:: Knockout teased. Heat bloomed in Wildbreakâs frame with embarrassment.
::You saw that, huh?::
::No need to be embarrassed. Weâve all had Autobots ruin a race or two,:: Knockout said easily.
::Yeah? Tell me about yours?::
::Iâm sure you can wait a couple days.::
Wildbreak curled up tighter, arms around his knees and back against a boulder, staring out across the terrain as the sun dipped closer to the horizon.
::Wildbreak?::
::Could you tell me about it now? IâI just really wanna hear you talk. If that isnât weird. Thatâs weird, isnât it?::
There was a moment of silence before Knockout asked, utterly serious, ::Is something wrong?::
::Iâm fine,:: Wildbreak answered automatically.
::Thatâs a lie if ever Iâve heard one.:: And now Knockout sounded concerned.
::Uh, then, Iâll be fine, so itâs ok.::
::Wildbreak.::
Wildbreak squirmed, imaging the look that Knockout would give him.
::Motormaster got mad about the race and, well, you know.::
There was a tired ex-vent that carried across the line before Knockout replied knowingly, ::I do.:: The thought that Knockout had ever been punished when he was a Decepticon hadnât ever crossed Wildbreakâs processor, but it was there now and it sparked something furious in his lines. He didnât have time to do anything with that outrage though before Knockout said, ::I can wait until tomorrow morning if you still want to come with me. It wonât be fun, exactly, but I wouldnât mind the company.::
Wildbreak blinked as he realized what Knockout was offering.
For the first time that day, a genuine grin split Wildbreakâs face.
::Yeah, that would be great! Whereâre we going?::
::To visit my old friend.::
âEy, Wildbreak!â Dragstrip called, and Wildbreak went stiff as a board as his partner continued, âGet over here!â
Wildbreak could also see the sudden fear in Dragstripâs optics when Motormasterâs engine hummed loud enough to carry as their boss stepped closer to Wildbreak, making himself visible to the other mech.
âOh, uh, sorry boss, didnât see you there. Iâll come back later--â
âWeâre almost done here,â Motormaster interrupted, deep rumbling voice sounding oddly pleased and all the more terrifying for it. It was rare that a smile on his face meant anything good. âWildbreak was just telling me his ideas for the next couple days.â
A sinking feeling gripped Wildbreak as Dragstrip stared in confusion.
âIdeas?â
Wildbreak broke their optic contact and stared at the ground as Motormaster continued, âYes. Heâs going to drive out further than weâve gone before, expanding our territory and proving who those roads belong to now.â His large servo landed on Wildbreakâs shoulder in what should have been a show of pride and affection, but Motormasterâs optics were trained on Dragstrip, mocking him. âIf even Wildbreak can show some initiative for once to make up for his failure, then I donât see whatâs keeping the rest of you from doing the same.â
Nothing could have pulled Wildbreakâs stare from the ground, spark pounding because he knew the hateful look that Dragstrip must have been wearing, that all the Stunticons soon would. He had seen it time and again when Motormaster turned them against each other to motivate through spite. But Wildbreak had never been the cause of that; had never been used to shame the other Stunticons.
Wildbreak had never shown initiative before and his teammates were going to hate him for it.
But he did his best to focus on the fact that as soon as this was done, Wildbreak could grab some cubes of energon and escape into Knockoutâs company for a while. It would be worth it.
Even knowing the vaguely macabre purpose of the roadtrip, there was nothing that could have kept Wildbreakâs excitement from bubbling over. He got to use his Earth alt-mode and spend hours upon hours driving with Knockout, listening to more of his stories and talking about Earth and Cybertron and politics with him. Knockout was far more knowledgeable about it all, but he wasnât unkind about it, which in Wildbreakâs opinion was exceedingly kind. He would simply explain what Wildbreak didnât understand and they would continue with their conversation.
And, despite his designation as an Autobot, Knockout was frank about the war and the aftermath and where the Autobots were succeeding and where they were failing. The more Wildbreak got to know him, the better he understood why Knockout left the Decepticons after spending millennia with them.
Wildbreak wasnât sure it could really be considered a betrayal when Knockout hadnât been particularly loyal to start with.
Knockout was a mech who looked out for himself first and foremost. For all his dramatics and charm, he was pragmatic, and Wildbreak might have thought him ultimately detached and cold if he wasnât so drawn to him.
Not the mention the fact that Knockout had also looked out for at least one other mech.
As the sun started to sink low in the sky, Knockout mentioned Breakdown again. Maybe it was because they were growing ever closer to their destination, or maybe, as Wildbreak hoped, Knockout simply felt more comfortable opening up to him.
Knockout talked about how they had met.
Breakdown had been recovering from an upgrade which had left him larger and stronger, a little loopy as his processor was slowly booting up and accepting the changed frame. When Knockout had walked in as his assigned medic and introduced himself, saying âIâm Knockout,â Breakdown had given him a dopey smile and replied, âYeah you are.â
It had been far from the first time that Knockout had heard the line, but there was an awe to it that had made Knockout laugh. It had been a good decade since he had last had a genuine laugh.
Knockout talked about how Breakdown would come back time and again, his frame broken and bleeding, but always so honest when he asked how Knockout had been. Once, his entire arm had been crushed into a mangle of twisted metal, limp and immobile and no doubt severely painful, and Breakdown had asked Knockout if he was getting enough recharge. âYour optics just seem dimmer than usual,â Knockout recounted Breakdown saying, not bothering with a funny voice or imitation like the other Cons in his stories received. There had been nothing but affection in Knockoutâs tone.
Knockout talked about being reassigned to work in the field. How he had insisted he would need an assistant that could double as a bodyguard. And when he had managed to convince them, he demanded it be Breakdown.
Knockout talked about their resulting partnership.
For a brief moment, as Knockout was halfway through some exciting story about an adventure they had had on a planet Wildbreak had never even heard of, he wondered if he should be jealous.
But he wasnât.
Not completely.
Wildbreak wasnât jealous of the relationship that Breakdown had gotten to have with Knockout. It was sweet, and it warmed Wildbreakâs spark in a way that made his processor whirr with confusion, because it was that familiarity again, recognizing what he couldnât possibly recognize. If anything, it just made Wildbreak feel as if he was truly going mad. Was he really a reincarnation of some big bruiser of a Decepticon soldier, or was he just so desperate for Knockoutâs affection that he was fooling himself with wild ideas that those feelings and stories could somehow be about him?
The sun set and Knockout said they had a couple more hours before they would arrive.
And Wildbreak thought to himself that if he was jealous of anything, it was that he wanted to be rescued by Knockout too.
âAny updates, Fixit?â
âA couple, sir,â the minibot replied as he continued to tap away, bringing up a screen for Bumblebee. âIâve managed to get all the information on Motormaster thatâs on record. Itâs like Knockout said â he led the Stunticon combiner team during the war, but rarely to any great success compared to the more infamous Constructicon team. It seems to be due to a lack of proper leadership kills â spills â skills!â
Bumblebee scanned the profile as he prompted, âHow so?â
âWell, while it isnât ever spelled out so obviously, the simple fact is that the Stunticon team had a shockingly high turnover rate. Some were deaths of course, but others seemed to find ways to quit the team, which is unprecedented in other Decepticon teams of the time.â
Near the end of the profile was a list of Stunticon members, and indeed there were more than a dozen names, many with (DECEASED) or (TRANSFERRED) by them.
It still seemed like some weird twist of fate to see Breakdownâs name among them.
âThe Stunticon team was apprehended at the end of the war, but Motormaster managed to escape and has been on the run since, so Knockout is correct that the team he has now has likely only worked together since then.â
âWell, thatâs good to know, at least,â Bumblebee said as he crossed his arms. Heâd have to go through the whole profile a couple times to see if there was anything else helpful to be found there. âAnd did you find anything out about Breakdown?â
Fixit gave him the same bemused look he had when Bumblebee had first asked him, clearly not sure why he was interested in a former member. But still, his digits tapped away, but only to zoom in on where Breakdown was listed on Motormasterâs profile.
âUnfortunately sir, there isnât much to be found. While he is listed in the Decepticon registry, heâs labeled as deceased, so like most Decepticons who died in the war, there hasnât been any effort put into searching the former armyâs archives for his files to transfer to the Autobot systems. The only information I have is whatâs listed here.â
Which wasnât much. Just a designation, a frame type (small four-wheeler, which had to be a mistake considering what Bumblebee remembered of the big brute), and (TRANSFERRED).
Still, it was a confirmation of Knockoutâs connection to the Stunticons, as tenuous and outdated as it was.
âDonât worry about it, Fixit. I was just curious. Tell me more about Motormaster.â
#fanfiction#i know the way i described the stunticon team is v different from how combiner teams are usually described#aka it's not really a gestalt in any way shape or form#but combining in rid15 is weird??#if you want a full explanation of my headcanon of the stunticon team and breakdown's relationship to them#and how i came to that headcanon conclusion#feel free to hit me up haha
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