#cyberkitten

Teal did not, as far as Knock Out could tell, expect him to do any work.  But because Knock Out was bored by inactivity, he sometimes looked around for little projects to do anyway.  Canisters of unsorted nuts and bolts were a constant in any med bay, it seemed.  Knock Out wondered where they came from.  Was there a mech on every ship whose idea of a joke was to dump a bunch of varying screws and such into a container and shake them up?  He started sorting them, secretly hoping Teal would show up.

The work was mindless, but oddly satisfying.  His claws picked and sorted without conscious effort as his thoughts drifted.  At least when the kitten wasn't trying to interfere.  It kept scrambling up his leg to get to the table and the tantalizing, shiny "toys" there.  Knock Out paused a moment to gaze at the playful little creature, currently sitting on his knee.  Its red eyes were at eye level with the table and its little ears flattened back comically as it eyed its prey--a large threaded bolt.  All at once its paw shot out to slap at the bolt--but in the process the kitten lost its balance.  Tiny little claws drew tiny little scratches into Knock Out's leg as the kitten slid off, landing on the floor with a little clang.

Knock Out tsked, first checking the kitten for damage, then his leg.  Oh well, they were shallow scratches, he could buff them out.  Smokey could buff them out, he corrected himself.  The Autobot was getting quite good with the rotary buffer, thanks to the aftermaths of their "science experiments" . . . Knock Out leaned over his work to hide a smile.  Yes, there were benefits to being on Teal's ship, no doubt about it.

IT’S A MOUNTAIN LION! D: But a glowy one. All red and with shi…ny… Okay, it’s a giant metal cat, and the tail is swishing in a threatening manner.

Nope, no broom would safe her from that. It took her a while to figure that the thing was a cybertronian cat. What was doing one in front of her door? she had no idea.