No Junk In This Warehouse

Time: Around Noon
Date: March 18, 0007

Tires crunched on the asphalt, the shiny exterior almost blinding against the drab landscape. The Cybertronian didn't often journey out to this section of the city, and he was unable to keep himself quiet as he eyed the seemingly abandoned warehouses. "Well! This place could definitely use a bit of tender loving care..." Knock Out's voice rumbled from the radio speakers within himself. It wasn't quite the dilapidated grungey wasteland that was the Outer District, but the area reeked of isolation. Perhaps that was why KARR chose to make this area his home?

Spying a sign for PIM Drive, the sports car's tires shifted into a turn. If Knock Out remembered right from directions he had received from the other AI, this street signaled that he was close... A row of warehouses lay ahead, the numbers for each building like going down a numbered list. The mech drove past the majority of them, hidden optics searching for one in particular. 51341...51342...51343...AHA! There it as! 51344. A pleased hum rumbled from the car, impossible to distinguish over the similar hum from his engines. A sizable building, definitely, though if he were to stand in it, Knock Out was still going to need his shrinking ring. The bright red car moved to park before the specific warehouse, his lights facing the garage door.

HONK, HONK!

As if that wasn't enough, the narcissistic mech decided to cap off his announcement of his arrival by rolling down a window so his voice could carry along the air. "Helloooo, KARR! It's me, you favorite red sportscar!" Knock Out called out with a teasing lilt. Here's hoping the other wouldn't mind a little unannounced visit!

Warehouses were an odd thing, a sort of structure that depending on one’s angle of view, seemed smaller than it actually was. Though Knockout may have perceived it to be a smaller structure, the building towered nearly as high as an aircraft hangar in the air, and stretched back far enough to hold plenty of stock for whatever business may need it. Much like the rest of the warehouses that had been left to sit until they were used, Warehouse 51344 held no signs of use or life within.  No lights could be discerned within through the cloudy glass windows. Despite the sunshine that managed to peek through the cloud cover, barely a ray seemed to penetrate through the film of dust that coated their surfaces.  The large metal garage door at the front, easily able to accommodate most semi-trailers for loading and unloading, was shut tightly.

But as always, looks were deceiving.

Inside the darkened structure, a lone vehicle sat against the back wall. The building’s sole occupant aside from some discarded boxes and forgotten metal shelves that laid haphazardly against an adjacent wall. It’s sleek black and silver form sat devoid of any activity that could be discerned on sight, not a single flicker or sweep of amber light could be seen. However, the machine was far from dead. It had become habit for KARR to shroud his cockpit from the world under a shroud of impenetrable black window tinting, even when there was not a soul in the immediate radius of his chassis. Beneath the cover of black tint, the vital readings upon his dashboard pulsated and glowed in healthy greens, reds,and yellows.

One of his twin CRT monitors flickered with an image of what looked to be a map of the Outer District, its many roads criss-crossing and snaking about like a tangled spider’s web. A handful of red pinpricks of light highlighted a number of addresses within one part of the ghettos, but as for what exactly they were, it was difficult to discern from simply looking at it. There were only seven locations, seven unknown areas highlighted in red, arranged in a small square that in reality consisted of three city blocks. The map was zoomed out to display the overall area instead of focusing on individual locations.

Whatever KARR was doing remained a mystery, as his studies were interrupted by a blip on his surveillance mode. Something was passing outside, and it was not the usual delivery trucks that came and went to the warehouses that were still in use.

His scanner flared to life and swept rhythmically from side to side, a number of harmonic tones chirped within his cockpit as he routed an override to the outside cameras. Just like any facility, when it had an owner, they tended to like having a secure, unblinking eye on their stock. Outside the facility, a single red light blinked to life on the single outdoor camera out front, and its swiveled in the direction of the warehouse’s visitor with a dull whirr.

What it registered was piped directly into KARR’s processors, and he was met with the sight of a familiar red sports car as it came to stop just out front. If there was any shadow of a doubt it was anyone else, there was a loud honk followed by Knockout’s familiar tone. Of course, he would pick the option to get his attention that potentially drew the attention of anyone else in the area.

There was a silence as the Cybertronian’s call echoed around the street outside, the small outside surveillance camera remaining focused upon him. Then, he would notice a ping as their communication frequency opened- along with the tall garage door.

< You do remember we have a communication frequency, correct? >

Ah, there was no need to pay it much heed, the Cybertronian had already announced his presence to him and the rest of the city. There was a rumble and a shrill whirr as KARR’s turbines ignited and came to idle, and he unplugged himself from the wall socket.

< Come in, there is plenty of room. I was not expecting you to visit, you usually seem busy with your Drive-In theater. >

A bright red dot flickered to life on a camera set up outside of the warehouse, and Knock Out internally bemoaned the fact that he couldn't saunter up and wave cheekily to the AI who was likely watching. Ah well! Suppose getting to see what way his paint sparkled through the surveillance camera was just as fulfilling! The last of his call echoed around before fading into silence, the sportscar waiting to hear a response. He had almost expected some sort of PA system to be set up with the camera, so when KARR went the direct route and pinged the mech personally, it was almost a surprise! And yet quite expected too. The crimson car went for the flashy and bombastic method, the ebony Trans Am the 'logical' one.

< Oh, I remembered. Just felt like using my actual voice to grab your attention. > Knock Out purred with a vain chuckle through the communication frequency. < As direct as this method is, I feel it muddles my voice from its grand origins. > A grave injustice, indeed. Though the garage door was opened to him, the mech waited for KARR's 'voiced' invitation before making his move. The metal that made up his body seemed to shift and ripple before the car form was pulled apart, remaking itself in the image of Knock Out at his full height. Taking but a moment to primp himself, the mech pulled out the ring he received from Livewire and slipped it over a digit. Roomy as these warehouses were, he didn't much feel like being on his servoes and knee joints within KARR's abode. Size shifting down to a more modest 6 feet tall, he stepped inside with metallic footsteps announcing his presence.

"I decided to drop by early and see how you've been! The Drive-In will be fine for a few hours before we open tonight." True to the AI's word, the warehouse was quite roomy inside. Empty too, aside from a few odds and ends, and a certain car parked near the wall. He gave the Trans Am a wave, bright optics centered on the tracking yellow light at the front. "So, how's tricks?"

Indeed, Knockout’s paint was a glistening ruby red, but could it deflect the destructive power of a brick of C4 without warping a single micromillimeter?

KARR was uncertain if his MBS could even stand up to that himself, with all the neglect and disregarded abuse it had gone through here and before he had been flung through the portal. Yet, the circumstances made repairing that usually impenetrable defense incredibly complicated.

That aside, it seemed Knockout simply wanted to stroke his own ego with the sound of his voice it seemed. Talking through the frequency only muddled the grandness of its origins for some reason. The AI, being the logical being that he usually was, saw the preference to be little more than what was possibly a programming error to choose the superfluous route over efficiency and practicality. Of course, KARR completely failed to consider the times he had done that in the past, mainly due to the excuse that they were done for the sake of making a plan effective.

< I see no difference in quality between when you speak over the frequency or projecting your voice, only that it draws less attention for anyone who otherwise would be uninvited. >

From where he sat in the dark of the warehouse, KARR’s scanners observed as Knockout’s body seemed to break and reform itself into what he tended to look like when he visited the Drive-In, albeit thirty-five percent larger. However, KARR still found it odd that Knockout insisted on placing a shrinking ring on. His prior scans upon “moving in” at first deduced the ceiling clearance was a roomy thirty-two feet in height once he entered through the steel door. Thus was the average height to go with the few hundred thousand square feet inside. If KARR so desired, he could probably drive laps around the interior at a modest freeway cruising speed- or take advantage of the immense ceiling height to house a behemoth.

But he had no interest in making giant automatons that would otherwise have no purpose on this world.

As Knockout walked in, KARR’s turbines revved and he smoothly rolled towards his movie-watching buddy, which admittedly he had not seen since August. There was but a silent electronic command, and the door closed behind the ex-medic with a metallic groan and a chorus of squeaky wheels along the guiding rails. He supposed Knockout would be interested in proposing a quick race, or something over than simply coming by the “shoot the breeze” as it were. Thus it came as something of a surprise when the Cybertronian stated that he wanted to see how he had been.

”Is that all?” KARR’s gravelled bass replied.

Immediately after, the overhead lights systematically came to life with a glow that was muddied a dim yellow from the aged plastic that housed them. One row after the other illuminated the whole building until every inch was visible to the naked eye; including the odd occasional splatters that stained the floor, paint and whatever else from what had been housed in here prior. Off against an unused corner was KARR’s alternative chassis, its towering nine-foot tall form was slumped limply against the wall like a discarded marionette. KARR’s own vehicular chassis looked as if it had been maintained, but not with the same meticulous care as the helmeted undead that he worked with prior. His usually glass-like finish was broken with odd streaks and smudges that were brought out under the artificial light as their watery yellow points were blurred or warped in ways that did not follow the Trans-Am’s body lines.

The AI took pause at the medic’s interesting wording of his next question. Tricks was a fairly uncommon way of asking how someone was doing- due to its age, but with a little digging into his databanks, KARR managed to decifer what would have been an otherwise cryptic urban saying.

”I still function, though I may be in need of maintenance by the end of the month.” A number of systems were starting to feel dull and in need of tuning, despite his activities. ”I decided to try your suggestion of advertising myself to find a new driver last month.”

Of course KARR would detect no difference. It almost made the mech feel insulted! Was his voice so average to the Trans Am that he could be speaking over a rusty old speaker and the other AI would merely accept it as Knock Out's voice? A little huff sounded over the frequency, ego bruised by the very notion. < Well! Obviously I have been apart for too long if you don't remember my voice well enough to detect the subtle nuances between hearing it in person and over this communication frequency. > Any lingering indignation did fizzle out as Knock Out considered KARR's point. < Though I must admit, the less eavesdroppers we have, the better. Hmm...in that case I suppooooose I can keep communication over this line until I make it inside. > The way he drawled made it clear that doing so was only for the Trans Am's benefit. Not quite admitting to being wrong but it was a compromise.

In truth, part of the reason for his size-shifting had been a mere force of habit. Nowadays, Knock Out found himself walking about with this shorter height in lieu of his more natural one. It made interacting with his customers easier, getting about on his property, and entering the buildings. Seldom did he need to tower above the heads of others, though there were times that he did miss getting to look down on others so. But KARR was not one such occasion. The two of them had managed to strike up an odd little companionship. That meant that for as much as the crimson mech may needle and tease at the Trans Am, he felt no need to literally tower above the other car. No matter how much the other may brag about his schematics.

Distance between the two was beginning to close as KARR rolled forward. Once completely inside, the mech only took a few more steps forward before he stopped and allowed the Trans Am to come the rest of the way. Both servoes found their place upon his own hips as his helm tilted this way and that. Over a shoulder at the vocal shutting of the garage, and then forward to the sleek ebony car. KARR's gravelly response drew an impish smile on his faceplates. "It doesn't have to be all." Knock Out postulated with a lilt. "I have time to kill." There was no need to rush anything. If a race was in order, he would accept it, and if the Trans Am preferred to relax...he'd do that too. Though something told him a race would be more likely.

Lights flickered on overhead, and Knock Out gave the plastic a disparaging look. Yellow. How gaudy. The rest of the garage was not much better, miscellaneous splatters all over the place. The Cybertronian abruptly switched from trying to find every unsightly stain to attempting to ignore their very existence. There were just...far too many for his liking! Off to the side stood KARR's little robot puppet, a choice of words which was quite apt. He noted, with no small amount of bruising to the ego, that even the Trans Am's marionette was still taller than himself. His bright crimson red gaze eventually found the actual Trans Am again, but he quickly let out a horrified gasp. "Karr! Primus, what happened to your paint job?!" The mech stumbled forward on unsteady peds, staring down at the ebony sheen that was not so...sheen-y! Awful smudges and streaked broke the usual shine, like a ruined painting in its prime! To the average person, such imperfections may not mean so much but for Knock Out... He let out a choked little sound, dropping to his knees in a rather dramatic fashion. "I see how it is! You spend some time in the ghetto, and forget how to take care of yourself!" He made as if he were wiping away a tear, even though the very notion was impossible. "The only positive to this...is that I now officially look better than you~!" Knock Out's voice, which had been solemn as a pallbearer's, sudden shifted into his more natural smug one, grinning at the other car and letting out a deep chuckle at his own joke.

Still far too amused by his own funny, Knock Out planted his servoes upon his knees and he remained kneeling in front of the Trans Am. "Oh really? How did that go for you?" He inquired with a sincere curiosity.

The notion of KARR being unable to remember Knockout’s voice was not only silly but completely illogical given his being. He was a computer, he did not forget anything! As for those so-called subtle nuances, KARR would have rolled his optics at the mech if he did not consider it to be a waste of energy that would have been put into an action that would go unseen. That aside, whatever subtleties may have gone unnoticed through a speaker or a frequency, were not lost to the AI with his specialized audio processing software.

Thankfully, Knockout saw reason beyond his own pride regarding the topic of eavesdropping.

The cybertronian came to a halt as KARR rolled up to stop, and the two-toned vehicle idly observed as he looked around.

Apparently just checking up on him was not all that he was fine with doing, since there was plenty of time to kill before he had to return to the Drive-In. Although the thought of a race would usually be tempting, KARR had other things that were occupying his processors. Ambitious things. He would sooner expect Knockout to be the one to propose a race.

”I see.” KARR replied, though there was little to to ask the other how he was doing.

The ruby-red mech, out of nowhere, went straight into full ham-bone mode. The moment Knockout looked in his direction with the lights on, the mech dropped to his knees with a horrified gasp. Uncertain what exactly he was on about, KARR gave a quick exterior scan of his chassis, and oddly enough came up with nothing. There was not a single mar or dent on the surface of his MBS alloy, nor were there any strange substances that should not be there- save for the wax, if one wished to get technical.

His synthetic tone took on an incredulous air. ”I do not see what you are upset about, Knockout. There has been no extreme changes to my exterior.” It was only when Knockout went and started to elaborate that KARR began to understand why the mech was kneeling in front of him.

The ghettos... Forgetting to take care of himself? Granted, he knew Leroy was not exactly well versed in the finer details of car-care, but he did not think it was so bad as to make someone drop to their knees in horror.

”Ah, yes, there is a story behind that-” KARR said as Knockout pantomimed wiping away a tear, if he could, he would be setting a wicked glare at the mech; ”Really, Knockout, you are making a far greater deal over this than necessary. You cannot physically cry to begin with.” The show was followed by an electronic sigh from the two-toned machine.

Alas, his so-called tears were merely crocodilian, as the mech decided that now he looked better than the misplaced trans-am. He figured as much, given what he knew about the metrosexual mech from their evenings spent watching movies.

”If a mere coat of wax is the only thing I need to look better than you, perhaps you should be worried.” The AI smoothly retorted, two could easily play at this game.

But, jokes aside, there was a reason as to why KARR looked a little more streaky and smudgy than normal.

”Part of the reason I look like this has to do with it, for one. I decided to enlist the aid of a human while I waited to see if anyone replied to the ad. Unfortunately not a single buyer came by through the whole month.” KARR explained. ”He is not so skilled as Fear had been, but he did his best I suppose. Regardless, he is easy to work with.”

He may even be driver material, depending on how he performed during the AI’s more risky plans.

Ham-bone mode was activated, and KARR should count his lucky stars that the mech wasn't falling out all over the floor! Though only because he didn't trust the stains... The AI's incredulous reaction earned a shocked expression. "No extreme changes?! Oh! It's worse than I thought!" How could the Trans Am not notice those ugly smudges?! Truly, his 'optics' were going! What a world, what a world...! Acting finally stopped as the other pointed out Knock Out's lack of tear ducts, sighing softly as both servos fell to his sides. His body sagged forward, robotic lips pursing into a pout. "You're no fun. Can't you let a mech pretend?"

"Oh, not necessarily better... Just close enough to be good competition." And so went the little game of verbal volleyball. It gave the mech a nice, familiar feeling. Sobering rather quickly, Knock Out actually paid attention with a quirked metal brow. He wanted to know the story behind KARR's paint job. Even if he was playing it up, the lack of shine did point to something being up. The other AI was almost as vain as himself! His explanation wasn't quite so worrisome. It all came down to some little human being subpar at cleaning. Figures.

Picking himself up off the floor, the crimson mech patted his body down. "It's a shame you didn't hear anything, KARR. I'm sorry that didn't work out for you." Facing the car head on again, Knock Out leaned his weight upon one hip joint. "As for the human... I'm glad he wasn't completely useless but his cleaning leaves much to be desired. You're a Trans Am, not a sliding glass door! Hot wax and a thorough buffering is necessary!" For shame, random human! For shame.

If he started to fall and roll on the floor over some minor streaking, KARR was going to start seriously reconsidering why he had decided to befriend Knockout in the first place. The stains on the other hand, they had been there for years, whatever they had been composed of had dried long ago. From the color and its partially transparent nature, it looked as if it had been some kind of varnish or paint.

”Worse? Aside from the smudging, my structural integrity is the same as it had been before.” KARR replied, though right after the ruby mech finally dropped the act, albeit begrudgingly. ”I am a computer, Knockout. I do not pretend.”

But he could certainly whip up a mean simulation if needed.

Still, the way that the mech was looking at him suggested he might have wanted to have a little more fun dramatisizing his circumstance. Though the AI could not help but figure that Knockout was fine with being dramatic so long as the circumstance was in the mech’s favor. There certainly was no suggestion to fix what had happened to his usually shiny surface. Although KARR’s form of vanity was a little different than Knockout’s in some respects.

If the two-toned vehicle could, he would be quirking a brow himself at the statement. ”Competition? Then that proves my point, as at any time I could outdo you.” KARR commented, and barely put in any effort to hide the smugness in his tone. All he had to do was whip Leroy into shape regarding his waxing technique.

He could already hear his complaining; “Clockwise, counter-clockwise! Small circles! Big circles! Again!”

KARR watched as Knockout rose from the floor and dusted himself off, given the AI did not usually get visitors, keeping the floor free of dust or particles of debris did not always enter his processors.

”It is only a minor setback, and the wait to see if anyone would answer the ad allowed me to come up with alternative means of finding worthwhile activities. Spending a month inside the human’s garage and around the Outer District opened up a number of possibilities I had not considered prior.” KARR’s graveled bass explained, and seemed to wave off the earlier disappointment regarding his failure to find a driver. ”I can improve his technique with a little incentive. The boy has potential but lacks motivation.”

Alcohol and money seemed to be something that Leroy was very interested in gaining, along with some elevation through the social castes. He was essentially like the two winos that had picked him up from the Knight Industries Labs- but he lacked a certain independence and ambition that made Tony dangerous. He did not profile Leroy to be the type to point a gun at his dashboard anytime soon.

With that aside, KARR happily turned the topic over to Knockout. ”How have you been? We have seen each other in nearly a year.”

Seven months, three days, seventeen hours, and thirty minutes to be exact. Certainly something had to be new in that stretch of time.

Logic at its finest. 'Smudges mean nothing, my frame is in one piece and that is what matters!', the very idea made the mech shake his helm and heave a heavy sigh. "Oh Karr, my overly rational friend... Never doubt the importance of your body! It needs to be in one piece, sure, but if that's all you focus on? You're really missing out!" As if to show what he meant, Knock Out's helm rolled to the side as one servo delicately rested itself upon his own chest, ghosting over a headlight. With lighting like this, perhaps his paint wouldn't quite catch the light the way he wanted it to, but the message was hopefully clear. "You should always spoil yourself whenever you can and that includes being free of smudges~." He purred, grin appropriately enough like a satisfied cat. The look on his faceplates quickly turned smug, optics shining brightly. "If you cannot pretend, that must mean you actually do enjoy my presence! Oh, Karr, I'm touched!" There had never been any doubt, the Trans Am was many things but talented actor was not one of them. Not for this long without any clear benefits at least! Still, he wouldn't be Knock Out if he didn't look for good opportunities to 1) spin things back to himself and 2) be a huge ham about it. "Perhaps for that, I can help you get rid of those smudges?" He offered, talons clicking with movement as he wriggled them in KARR's direction. As much as he enjoyed looking better than the Trans Am, he had to admit that seeing the other look so...less than perfect made him want to fix that.

"Anytime except right now." The former Medic helpfully pointed out. "You're always close, but no cigar! Black is quite slimming but a little...monochromatic." A pointed talon lightly tapped on the cherry red paint of his own chassis. "If you truly want to give me a run for my money, you should think about getting a little bit more color! Otherwise, I'm always going to win in the end." Laying it on thick? Perhaps. Was it worth it? Oh yeah.

A month in a human's garage? Knock Out's lip curled up for a moment, the very idea a little daunting. Cramped on all sides, with whatever junk this boy happened to have laying around? "I hope one of those possibilities isn't becoming a taxi." He commented with a raised metal brow. Still, it was good to hear that the AI's processor was still thinking up plans and ideas. "Still, you seem like you've got something figured out. It's definitely a better foundation than you had before." Explained why it had been a while since the two had crossed paths too. The mech didn't linger around Outer Districts, the place was too dilapidated for his tastes. As for the human's lack of motivation? The crimson Cybertronian chuckled deeply. "Sounds about right for a fleshy little human."

Nearly a year, wow. It wasn't exactly like a Stellar Cycle, but for some reason even the more human passage of time here somehow felt...longer than his own? It was technically shorter and yet...it still seemed like such a long gap of time had passed! "Same old, same old. Had a few more special showings at the Drive-In." He paused for a moment before deciding to expand on what exactly he'd been up to. "I think I ran myself into a little rut at the Drive-In actually. I've barely had any races in the time since we've seen each other. I realized how long it had been since I'd actually sat down to talk with people other than my own employees and...thought I should reach out." Knock Out admitted, mouth drawn into a thin line.

Alas, while KARR’s mindset may be appalling for Knockout to even consider, the AI thought the exact opposite. His MBS, when in peak form, shone like polished glass without a single dollop of wax. It was just the nature of the nigh indestructible alloy. But, after having sat in salt water for so long, there were some properties that alluded to the tri-helical plasteel’s health that no longer made themselves apparent. One of them was being shiny without aid, another was being to withstand a great deal of abuse beyond hand-held firearms.

Alas, so long as KARR did not have the formulae behind the alloy’s chemical makeup, he could not remake it. And the current state of his engineered armor was too corrupted to get a clear reading with his scanner arrays as to what went into which. It could be gum and snot for all he knew.

Even so... ”I have not thought of it like that.” KARR replied, thoughtfully. ”I always thought Fear simply liked keeping his hands busy and added waxing to my maintenance for the sake of it. At most I only  require a washing to free my systems of dirt and debris.” He did not really see waxing as a sort of means of being spoiled.

Getting a new part or an upgrade? Perhaps. Enjoying some sweet, sweet vengeance at his own pace and terms? Definitely.

Knockout however clearly was the one who would have loved a one-on-one waxing session that lasted an hour or two to make sure he shone in places he did not know he even had. Just look at how he posed and primped even under the pale yellow lights! The mech would be completely at home on a showroom floor regardless of whether or not he could transform into a towering metallic biped.

Though the AI was not entirely certain why the mech would have considered that KARR did not enjoy his presence, he quickly chalked it up to their prolonged absence from each other, and a distinct lack of sitting side-by-side at the drive-in watching movies.

”You are correct. If I did not enjoy having you around, I would not have let you in or allowed you to know I was still here.” He replied, making no effort to sugar coat things.

The moment a relationship was not to his liking he ditched it. He launched it away like launching a gun-weilding-wanna-be-mafioso from his driver’s seat  to crumple against the roof of a VW bug. Or even a sheep-skull headed, badge-wielding undead. Whichever rendered databank image was preferred.

But as for Knockout? He seemed fine to the otherwise lonesome AI. For now.

”Is it that bad?” KARR questioned the offer. Usually Knockout was not so open to giving help. It almost made him question the mech’s intent, if not for the fact that KARR could not detect any vocal patterns in his voice that would denote he was lying. ”I suppose there would not be any harm in fixing Leroy’s mistakes. It could serve him some good to see an example of what his work should look like. You may proceed if you wish.”

Alas, right now he was not exactly at his peak visual quality, Knockout was correct. But the moment he said it had to do with his color, well that made the AI metaphorically turn his nose.

”Change my colors? Please, Knockout. My scanner is color enough without unnecessary additions. Besides, not only is black and silver a classic contrast, but it brings out the colors around it while it is brought out by those colors.” A.k.a., black and just about any other bright color were complimentary. ”Therein, it would be sensible for to stay around brightly colored cars to stand out, and for you to stay around a darkly colored car to stand out yourself. At least to the human gaze.”

As for anything that could see more than the ROYGBIV spectrum, the AI was lost as to what they would find appealing.

Unlike the idea of staying in someone’s garage, if Knockout’s expression was any indication. While KARR was used to holing himself up within any shelter available, whether it was an abandoned hotel with massive holes punched through the brick walls or a dock-side shed, the mech likely preferred a higher class lodging arrangement. Still, KARR gave an electronic scoff at the notion of ever being some ferrying service for the common city-dweller.

”I would never lower myself to being a taxi,” Thinking about being a grocery getter was bad enough. ”No, I have far better plans in mind for the denizens of that deteriorating slum.” KARR’s distasteful sneer turned to a pleased purr at that. One could almost envision a smile stretching over the cold, shiny surface of the car’s front bumper.


But Knockout was correct, it was an improvement to the AI’s earlier thoughts back in August.

Yes, it had been almost a year since they had seen each other. It seemed like a long, long while when it was brought up. But as for the actual passage of time, it did not feel like that long to the AI. Then again, KARR had been a very busy machine. Knockout seemed to be of the same circumstance, albeit monotonous in putting up special showings for the Drive-In. It had gotten to the point where the mech felt like he was stuck in a rut. He supposed it was like the old saying went:

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Or Knockout in this case.

”Is that so? Your employees must be incredibly dull if you got tired and came to find me.” Unless the person manning the popcorn popper had some dark and intense back story to delve into that he had yet to hear of. ”But, I have not raced in a long while either. Perhaps we can find time before you go back to your job?”

Gross. The very thought of those green grippers rubbing KARR down with a sponge was nearly sickening. How the Trans Am could bear it, he had no clue! "Ugh...you're a better mech than me. I've seen the wrong side of that crusty undead corpse. I'd rather rot in a junkyard than get scrubbed by him." Fear was a fine enough person, he was just...disgusting. "A good cleaning is always important." Knock Out admitted, though he knew he didn't need to say much else. KARR's idea of a washing was clearly rational. Quick and efficient. The crimson mech was a more...leisurely about his cleaning.

Sometimes, this car could just be so flat. The response drew an amused smirk to his face. KARR would definitely get on well with Shockwave, but luckily for them all, the Trans Am possessed more personality than that cyclops. What a burn that must be, to have less personality than a robot made by humans! "Always great to hear that the feeling is mutual." He commented with a sardonic tone, nevertheless sincere. Truthfully, if Knock Out didn't appreciate the other AI's presence, he wouldn't have come to visit!

"Hmm..." Knock Out hummed, optics narrowing in contemplation. "Bad by my standards." He finally answered with a shrug. An odd offer, perhaps. He was indeed rather selfish, but he had also done bodywork in his time and he did find a passion for it! At least, more passion than he had for medicine. And with the way the Trans Am was wording it? Oh, any chance to show up some human punk was worth it. "Of course~. Where are your supplies?" His servoes were a fair bit pointier than a human's, but he could be gentle when he wished to be! And lookit KARR, giving a little lesson in color theory. Contrasting colors did help to bring out the best in each, so perhaps there was a point here. "I suppose it would be suspicious if you were as flashy as me." Like a couple of stop signs about to slap somebody upside the face.

Oh thank Primus, the Trans Am wasn't going to be taxi-ing it up! In fact, it sounded like there were some plans percolating in KARR's processors...devious ones maybe, from the sound of that purr! It brought a light chuckle out of the Cybertronian, smiling wickedly. "My oh my, KARR. Sounds like you've been hard at work after all~. Are you going to share these plans or...would they be better to see in action?" He gesticulated with a hand, voice smooth as honey. He couldn't help it, this sounded interesting! What better use for a dump than for it to get wrecked, right? Ah, but as fast as the mech seemed energized by the other's meddling, he was brought back to a monotone at the mention of his employees. Thinking for a moment, he shook his helm. "They're not dull. They actually keep the place rather lively at times. But it's not the same." Something or rather...someone was missing. He let out a short sigh before smiling at Karr and giving him a wink. "I'd love nothing better, KARR~ A bit of waxing, a race, and capping it off with going to the Drive-In at the end of the day, it'll be just like the good old days!"

Aesthetics, Knockout would find, mattered very little to the AI. So long as Fear had picked up after himself and was keen to remove any rotting flesh from contaminating his chassis, KARR tended to be perfectly fine with the entire thing. Despite being an animated corpse, when he had been working with the Dark Judge, he had been very meticulous and thorough in his maintenance.

”I found cleaning abilities were exemplary, but technical matters were best left out of his hands.” KARR replied, finding little amiss with the situation. The only thing missing out of the relationship was a technician’s touch.

Getting rid of that sheep-skull headed fool would have been a fine change to the situation as well. But he seemed to drop off of the face of the planet on his own, much to KARR’s delight. No more rancid green smudges on his interior, no more having to air out his upholstery from the perpetual reek of decay that clung to his host, and no more disinfecting his passenger compartment of any stray maggots.

Knockout was a far better personality by comparison. Even with his sardonic reply, if the mech did not want to be here, he would not have visited, or even remained in the warehouse for this long.

From his place on the warehouse floor, KARR watched as Knockout peered at the state of his armored shell through narrowed optics. The buffing job was bad by the ex-medic’s standards alone, so likely it might just have been him who thought it was bad. However, it did not stop him from wanting to try and fix it, and soon after he asked for supplies.

Though the warehouse was sparse and devoid of any furnishings to make it feel like a home in the usual sense, there was a cardboard box that sat next to the deactivated secondary chassis. Inside was a shiny black tin of polishing wax, with a sort of cartoony illustration of a turtle stamped on the lid. Next to it was a white polishing rag, its lustrous color dulled with use. otherwise, the fibers of its cloth did not seem frayed or worn. In fact it seemed nearly new. Underneath was some sort of soap specifically formulated for washing a car, along with some other supplies for cleaning glass and plastic surfaces. From the faint smell of decay that lingered on them, they must have been kept around from when KARR had been staying at the farm.

In other words, they were the things he was left with once he had been told a few years ago to stay in the city while the two undead lawmen had went to seek a base of operations in the southern ice fields. The search that likely turned up empty given the complete lack of a base to speak of to his knowledge.

”There is a tin of wax and a rag in the box next to my secondary chassis. Leroy may have his uses, but his garage is in such disarray that I would not trust leaving even basic cleaning supplies there.” KARR stated, backing away and turning to roll towards the aforementioned container.

As for it being suspicious if KARR was flashy like Knockout, the AI found himself wondering why a transforming robot like him, from another planet nonetheless, would choose to stand out so much instead of blend in.

”This coming from a transforming robot that has chosen to paint himself a bright cherry red.” KARR replied, sounding somewhat smug. “You do realize that the authorities are far more likely to pull over a bright red car than one that is painted any other color, correct? I am certain your flashy finish and unique build makes it incredibly easy for placing a BOLO too should you decide to say, make an attempt to outrun them.”

In other words, while Knockout’s shiny paint attracted all the boys in blue to the yard and all the pretty pink ticket slips they could carry, KARR slipped by unseen among the masses of dull, monotone shades of grays, whites, and blacks.

Barring that, his chassis was outfitted with a license plate that could switch itself to a different one to throw them off. He doubted Knockout could brag about that.

But there was more than simply fancy gadgetry that the AI had been outfitted with by his creators. Some of those things they did not know he even had, until it blew up in their faces of course. Knockout’s face beamed, and naturally the gossiping mech was overcome with curiosity. Though it would have been too easy, and far too satisfying to his own ego regale the mech with his schemes, KARR decided to deny himself a round of monologuing.

A harsh, crisp sound like one clicking their tongue emerged from his voice projectors. ”Knockout, what fun would it be to spoil everything? As a film enthusiast yourself, you should know that a good story keeps the audience guessing until the climax.” His tone was as sleek as silver, the AI’s reprimand in jest as he teased the mech’s curiosity. ”You will see what I have planned in due time.”

He might even find it entertaining, like some of his older films and TV shows. But speaking of those, it seemed that the problem was not exactly that the staff at the Drive-In were dull or boring, but that things were not the same without him taking the time to visit the theater and watch movies with the ruby red mech.

”In other words you missed me.” KARR’s electronic voice commented. Though there was some part of his voice that seemed genuinely touched at the prospect. But Knockout would need to strain his audio receptors to pick it up. It did not last long as he returned to his usual haughty self. ”Of course, this is to be expected. It cannot be the same because there is only one AI like me on this planet. There literally are no suitable substitutes, unless you wish to settle for something inferior of course.”

Knockout did not tend to be the type to settle for inferior grade anything, from what he could discern. A personality that leaned to the finer things in life only wanted the best, and that included the personalities he chose to spend his time with. He even compared spending an afternoon to be just like the good old days, a statement that struck the AI a little odd.

Not in the way that it was bad, but to hear Knockout say it tickled the AI’s memory banks in a familiar way. Usually he was the one that compared things to being like “old times.” It seemed the ex-medic was growing a little sentimental.

”Yes, just like old times.” He agreed. ”Have you been showing anything special lately? You seem to have a pattern that falls in line with the holidays and seasons.”

"Mm, yes. Neither of them is mechanic material..." Knock Out certainly wouldn't trust either of them with a wrench! That was just asking for trouble. Though the mech still seemed rather skeptical, he nevertheless didn't push the subject. If KARR thought Fear was good enough at cleaning, that was his business. He couldn't be any worse than the little punk KARR was relying on now! The ghoul had never displayed such talents for the former medic, but then, they had a different relationship than the one between Fear and the Trans Am. A more...mutually sassy one, without getting intimately close. He preferred it that way.

Turning his helm to face the direction KARR was pointing his hood, the Cybertronian was able to spot the box. Right next to that deactivated robot body, just as he said! "Alright!" With his servoes clasped together, Knock Out approached the cardboard container with several heavy sounding footsteps. He leaned forward to investigate the contents, but not before he eyed the sleek robotic body that lay next to it like a discarded puppet. "You know, I never really see you use this thing. Is it broken or do you just prefer the original?" He inquired, gesturing vaguely towards the Trans Am before he turned all of his attention to the box.

Ugh, it almost smelled like something had curled up inside of this thing to die! Face wrinkling in disgust, Knock Out switched off his olfactory senses and prayed to Primus that there would be no corpses waiting to pop out Jack-In-The-Box style. Sitting right at the top were the specific items he needed, metallic fingers curling around the tin and picking up the rag like a pair of pointy tweezers. He craned his head, inspecting the wax's label before letting out a sharp laugh. "Haha! Because it's turtle wax. I like that!" Humans had a quirky sense of humor sometimes, and he could appreciate it! One last inspection told him that the remaining materials were only for cleaning. "You really should invest in a proper buffer sometime. Though I guess without hands, they're difficult to use..." What a conundrum for a car who couldn't transform at will into a robot.

“You do realize that the authorities are far more likely to pull over a bright red car than one that is painted any other color, correct? I am certain your flashy finish and unique build makes it incredibly easy for placing a BOLO too should you decide to say, make an attempt to outrun them.”

Rising back to stand at his shrunken height, the mech snorted. "You sound like Starscream." Crimson optics rolled lightly. "He disapproved of my racing for the same reasons. ...Of course, he also thought I should have been a jet like him instead of an automobile." He shrugged his broad shoulders lightly as he approached KARR's hood. "Really, what are they going to do? Arrest me? Put me on the court to be presided over by Judge Judy?" A rich chuckle rolled out of him at the very thought, smirking at the other car. "If I couldn't outrun them, I'd smash them. BOLO or not! I'm a robotic alien, I'm not bound by human laws!" A cocky response? Perhaps, but he doubted KARR would disagree or think otherwise. Would he allow himself to be restrained by laws he had no part in creating? Organic laws?

A pointed talon pressed against the tin, edging the top off with a soft pop!. The rag was held before Knock Out's discerning optics, deducing that despite the box and its contents seeming well-used, this seemed new! It spoke to just how long it had been since the other car had a proper waxing. Dipping the fabric into the tin and scraping up a bit of white wax, Knock Out raised a metal brow at his companion. "Oh I see...you don't intend to give away any spoilers!" He clicked softly, shaking his head in false sadness. "What a sadist! Giving a small teaser and nothing else...you're even worse than a Hollywood Producer!" The wide smile that steadily grew on his faceplates gave away his true amusement with KARR's teasing. What was dinner without a savory appetizer? "Alright, alright...I can patiently wait for this debut." What a plan this had to be. In order for him to wait for who knows how long to see it completely.

Reaching down, the mech began to rub the wax onto KARR's black hood, aiming for the webbed streaks in particularly. With the rag firmly in his hand, Knock Out moved in small circles to spread the wax in thin layers over the paint. The only pause came at the Trans Am's rather blunt summation of the mech's apparent feelings. He frowned, glancing down towards the tracking light. "Me? Miss you?" He sounded dubious as if he hadn't come over to the other AI's place of residence when he had time off with the idea of hanging out and catching up. "Mmm...sounds very 'Autobot'." Such blatant bragging did sound more like his cup of tea, the mech smirking his approval. "That much is true! You're the only one who comes close to matching me~!" Good employees were fine and dandy, but they were all organic and fleshy. Sometimes you just need to interact with a robot. Even if he did come in car form!

A small snort of a laugh sounded as KARR echoed his sentiment about the 'good ole times', almost sheepish at the slip of the glossa. Resuming his work on the other's hood, he shrugged. "I showed some romantic movies last month for Valentine's. You wouldn't have liked them. They were sappy, only useful for making organics want to cuddle before they go home and interface. Probably the worst holiday of the bunch but...it makes money!" He shrugged flippantly.

Indeed, KARR had taken one look at their clawed mitts and deduced in under a second they were ill- fitted for handling delicate equipment. He would sooner trust the employees at the chop shop for tending to his circuitry. As for his relationship with the two undead Judges, KARR regulated it to a temporary partnership born out of necessity. They gave him some added protection and resources in exchange for acting as a rolling Armageddon should they need it.

For the most part, Fear barely needed him around once Mortis fell into the swamp that one day. After that, their little ‘friendship’ slowly broke apart. Ah, but the AI was more of a machine that did better with temporary alliances to begin with.

KARR watched Knockout from where sat parked next to the box as he went to fetch the cleaning supplies, metal clapping against metal as he rubbed his plated hands together. But, there was a pause as he approached. KARR’s optics followed his as they glanced to the limp chassis that sat lifelessly next to it. Admittedly, the AI had not considered the machine all that much until Knockout inquired about it. There were other things that occupied his processors as of late. But, now that it was brought up, he took a moment and scanned the husk of delicate circuitry and armored plating.

”I do not see much reason to use it anymore. In the past I needed to be able to fit inside smaller spaces than my automotive chassis would be allowed. But since I have been out of Fear’s employ, I no longer need to consider them.” KARR replied, well it was that and the droid that was responsible for the process of transferring his CPU box into it went missing. ”Even so, I would wish to make a smaller model, that body is many times larger than many ceilings and doorways. It measures nine feet in height, you would be nearly three feet shorter than it when I have it activated and standing.”

A full three meters of composite armor plating, hydraulic limbs, and deadly weaponry to boot. At one point it was an imposing form that likely would have struck terror into his enemies-- if he ever had gotten so far as to use the chassis in an actual fight. In the meantime, KARR was happy to watch Knockout’s expression twist and sour at the smell that clung to a number of the cleaning bottles. But, it did not deter him from obtaining the rag and tin of wax, wherein he found something funny about the caricature on the lid.

He personally did not see what was so funny about a cartoon turtle, but the mech seemed to have fun with it. As for using a buffer, KARR let the idea tumble about in his processors, his optic arrays flicking towards the deactivated secondary chassis once again.

”I could use the bipedual chassis for that, but it requires another set of hands for transferring my CPU unit into it.” He explained. At heart, KARR was nothing more than a VCR-sized black box that could be hooked into different chassis’.

At least, he could be hooked into them so long as his hardware and software were compatible. It would be far more difficult to try and install his systems into a more modern body, such was the nature of the rapidly evolving world of technology.

Knockout snorted as he stood to his full height, waxing supplies in hand. But a single word hung on the AI’s processors.

”Starscream?” He inquired, the AI’s tinny, rough voice sounding genuinely curious. It was a name that the ruby red mech seemed to regard with disdain.

Though within a few moments, Knockout answered his question well enough. He was a jet, and he did not like how Knockout chose to stand out instead of blend in. Admittedly, there was more of a flaw in deciding to disguise oneself as a military aircraft instead of the everyday civilian vehicle. He watched as the mech approached his hood. For a moment, the AI had indeed failed to consider that it was incredibly difficult to arrest a giant transforming robot. At least it would be hard for earthen police to catch up to him and throw him in the “slammer”. It had been difficult for them to try and keep up with him too, when he used to run from the police with Tony and The Rev in tow.

But, those were merely occasional run ins. His usual pursuers were far more dangerous and crafty.

”That did not stop the law from trying to apprehend and destroy me. Technically I am unbound by human laws as well, as I am not human.” KARR replied, though he did not find much that was very rich or amusing about it. ”If not for that spatial anomaly sucking me out of my confrontation with KITT and Michael Knight, they would have still been chasing me.”

Unfortunately, smashing his threats was out of the question when they were a circuit-for-circuit copy of his hardware. MBS was a boon, but when his enemies had it as well? It made that infernal copy an invincible curse. His attention turned to the tin of wax as Knockout popped off the lid and dipped the rag into it, his metal brow raised as he looked down at him from preparing the cloth.

Alas, KARR had no intent of spoiling the mech, no matter how much of a performance he put on for him. However, this was mainly because the mech was a massive gossip, and would tell everyone once they were apart. Not to mention, the busy bodies that tended to reside on this planet tended to be more harmful than the average gawker or eavesdropper. Nevertheless, KARR’s voice retained that smooth tone, which was accompanied by a chuckle.

”Yes, I assure you the wait will pay off,” A grin was able to be heard in his tone as he replied. ”And it will be better than what any Hollywood producer could think to make.”

Was he being a little too confident in his plans? Maybe. But when it came from an AI who was able to calculate his ideas and plots down the finest logical detail, a little bit of inflation was to be expected.

KARR patiently kept still as the wax was applied to his hood, observing as he spread it over the surface of his armored alloy in small circles. Already his handiwork was looking far better than whatever haphazard smearing the human had attempted. But the mending of Leroy’s blunder halted with a frown and the mech’s gaze turned itself from his work to the pacing amber light on the Trans-Am’s nose. Apparently the notion of missing someone was a very Autobot way of looking at things, whatever that meant.

”How is it ‘Autobot’?” KARR could not help but ask, his only real experience with Cybertronians so far was from Knockout.

Not to mention the whole matter of Autobots and Decepticons was something that the mech tended to mention only in passing. But regardless of the matter that was this strange matter of Autobots and Decepticons, Knockout was correct in that he was the only one who came close. Although KARR saw it the other way around.

”Or you are the only one who comes close to matching me, you mean.” KARR confidently replied.

He had yet to see Knockout electronically pick a lock, or fire a missile, or even use a flame thrower for that matter. Could he monitor and influence air traffic at the press of a button? Did he have a built in laser that could penetrate reinforced cement? He thought not.

If he went by experience, it seemed the only thing the cosmos had to offer when it came to advanced mechanical life were drill arms and saw hands. What did his brethren have, he wondered? Was it car doors that turned into hook hands? Despite the obvious differences in superiority, KARR could not help but think the same way regarding company; he would rather another machine instead of a person at times. The latter were so emotionally driven and flighty.

Following a brief bout of laughter, the ruby red mech started to wax small circles into his hood again.The only movies thus far that were seasonal were a weekend of romantic movies for Valentines day. The AI’s vocalizers projected a noise of disgust.

”You are correct, romantic movies are so... So cheesy and melodramatic.” Cheesy in the bad way, not in the fun way like an old horror movie, the one show Night of the Living Dead came to his processors. ”I find it unfortunate you need to put up with it in order to make money.” He opined, if anything Knockout had his synthetic sympathies.

"Hm..." Knock Out frowned thoughtfully. "But you have to rely on that human to get to small spaces, right? Would it not be easier to just use this thing?" He regarded the droid with a curious optic. It seemed a waste to make it and just leave it lying around like this. Creating a smaller model did make some amount of sense, but there was still this thing to consider. This...empty doll. "Well, you should at least recycle the parts from this to make a new one." So shiny...he was tempted to regale in his own reflection but abstained and grabbed the tin and wax as he had intended. However, KARR's comment regarding the installation of his CPU finally pressed into the mech exactly why this thing saw such little use. "Aha, I can see where that might cause some...complications." He hadn't thought to consider how the Trans Am got himself into the robot, though since he'd seen him take control of semis and the like...he had thought that perhaps the AI controlled this thing the same way. Seems that wasn't the case.

"Starscream." Was the grumbled echo. Such an odd seeker, he was. Even stranger was the relationship Knock Out had with him. Not quite friendship, but not quite enemies either. Honestly, if he had to pick a leader for the Decepticons, it'd be Starscream in a sparkbeat. And not just because of their little deal either! "He was the Second in Command of the Decepticons. Obviously not a fan of automobiles..." The arrogant jerk. Unfortunately for KARR, the police were not something he could easily escape from. Were it not for the portal to this world, he would have been stuck in a car chase. "Well, there you have it! That's why your paintjob works best for you. It helps you to avoid those loathsome police officers. A shame you could not just dispatch them...but you were at a major disadvantage." The Trans Am was just a young AI in a world of humans. In their eyes, he had no rights.

"Good things come to those who wait, yes?" Knock Out purred with a wink. Whatever this plan of KARR's, it was clear that the mech wanted front row seats. Would he have to hear about it over the radio, or would it be quite apparent even from the drive-in? Ooh, so many possibilities! And without even a hint to chew on, oh KARR, you were an absolute sadist. He approved. "I will keep my audio receptors peeled for news of your plans." How juicy!

Watching the ugly streaks put in place by the human punk made the former Decepticon smirk victoriously. Yep, he still had it! Servoes of a medic, perfect for detailing. Get put in your place, squishy scrub! Returning to his work with the rag, he nevertheless frowned to himself as KARR asked why such a sentiment would be 'Autobot'. "Because Autobots are the 'compassionate' ones who take on human pets and talk about their feelings." The mocking tone he'd taken on made it clear how he felt about such soft ways. Lest his companion become insulted, Knock Out again glanced down to the tracking light, the closest thing he had to a face. "If I missed anything, it was having another car around who is almost as amazing as me." Certainly not the car himself, nor his snarky words and interesting point of view. Definitely not. Such nonsense.

It definitely wasn't because he missed having another braggart, the mech chuckling at KARR's assertion that Knock Out was in any way, no matter how small, inferior. "Ha ha! Maybe if you had a robot mode. Without one, I'm the one at an advantage here. And exactly why you come close to matching me." As far as he was concerned, he was the robotic alien here! He was the superior one. KARR, as interesting as he was, had been created by humans. Flawed, puny humans. Scrubbing until KARR's hood was beginning to shine, he shuffled in place as he moved the winding circles to another area of the hood. Such repetitive motion, especially for a familiar act, was putting him into a nice state of lull. "Definitely not my first pick, no... But, it makes money. It's more profitable than being engaged in a war, I'll tell you that. And I got to follow it up with a weekend of gorey horror movies to clear out the cheese and romance!" He grinned lightly, optics almost sparkling with pleasure.