Summary: All Nitro really wants anymore is to be free. Sure, he's not forced to fight in the gladiator pits or work in the dangerous mines. But is a life on the street, working as a scavenger and thief in return for protection really freedom?

Introduction: This was at first only going to remain only one chapter, but I've decided to continue the story.
Real Freedom is in the same universe as my other stories, starting at roughly the same time as Origin Steeldust does. Events from this story will later on tie into that storyline, but both can be read with or without the other.

Hope you enjoy :)

Chapter One - Meet Nitro


A pair of red optics watched the enforcers from the shadows. One of the officers stopped, looking towards the dark alley.

Noting his partner had paused, the second law enforcer also halted. "See something?"

The first enforcer peered carefully into the shadowy alley. "I thought I did. Must've been nothing."

"Alright. Whatever you say, mech," shrugged the second enforcer. He carried on, not waiting for his partner.

Hesitating a few astrokliks, the first enforcer scanned the surroundings once more. "I'm sure I saw something," he muttered, following his companion.

Hearing the retreating pedesteps, the mecha in the alley opened his optics. Cautiously poking the rest of his helm up from behind the large mound of debris he was hiding behind, he checked the entrance.

The enforcers had left.

Grinning, the young mechling vaulted expertly over the debris in his way and skulked to the edge of the alley. Taking one last look at the enforcers' backs, he darted out into the street and headed in the opposite direction.

Weaving in and out between the mecha heading home from their shifts at the nearby mine, the youngling ran swiftly and silently.

But the mecha's faceplates didn't escape his notice.

Each one looked tired. Some seemed ready to drop where they were.

Long hours for little or no pay took a toll on mecha. They'd go home, have barely enough energon to sustain themselves, and get as much recharge as their aching frames could let them. Then, they'd return to the mines and perhaps make it through the orn.

They'd do it over. And over. And over.

The mines were dangerous. Often there'd be accidents, leaving mecha wounded or offline.

Or so Nitro had heard. Actually, scratch that. He'd experienced it.

He was fortunate enough to have slipped through the cracks of the system and avoid being sent to the mines once he was old enough. But his creators hadn't been so lucky.

They had both offlined in mining accidents, mere jours apart, leaving Nitro to fend for himself. He'd mourned the loss of his family, still was mourning them vorns later. But he knew it was a part of life here.

The youngling had left their home as soon as he heard that his remaining creator was gone.

There was no way that he would wait around for someone to come and take him to work as a slave in place of his creators. It'd be better to live alone on the streets.

At the time of his creators' offlining, Nitro hadn't been old enough to work in the mines. Technically, and legally, he was still too young. But mecha here in Slaughter City didn't really care for laws. They'd try and get away with as much as they could.

And the enforcement? Nitro thought that was a joke.

There was no point in going to them for assistance. They'd only help you if they felt like it or if there was something in it for them.

If not, they'd look the other way. Pretend not to notice.

It made Nitro sick.

They were supposed to be the good mecha. Instead, they were almost as bad as everyone else.

Not that Nitro was a good mecha or anything either, but he had to do what he did to survive. He didn't have the freedom or luxury to choose any different.

Reaching his destination, the youngling looked around. No one noticed him. He was significantly smaller than the average youngling his age, and his dark grey and blue paint allowed him to blend in easily with the dark streets of his home city.

Made it pretty easy to get around without anyone bothering you.

Sidling up to the front door, Nitro reached behind him and started to pick the lock. He kept his frame in front of the door, facing the street. To anyone walking by, at first glance it would simply look like he was casually leaning against the building. His narrowed red optics darted around, watching everything.

Within a few kliks, he had unlocked the door. Carefully opening it enough for his slim frame to slip in, Nitro entered the store. Ducking to avoid the windows, he crept through the aisles, scanning the shelves quickly.

He had been in here before, scouting the place, so he knew where the security cameras were. That made it easier to avoid them and find what he wanted quickly.

Another advantage to being so small. You could follow behind mecha and pass for their youngling without them even noticing if you were quiet. Shopkeepers didn't tend to pay much attention to younglings unless they were causing trouble.

Finding the section he was looking for, Nitro quietly went through the items on the shelf. Examining them carefully, he selected a few things that were on his list. He subspaced them and made his way back the way he'd come.

When he was close to the front of the store, his sharp audios picked up two voices.

Nitro froze.

The enforcers had backtracked and were not very fair from the shop's door.

"They must have followed me!" thought Nitro, crawling under a large piece of equipment. "How did they find me again?"

He quieted his venting and forced himself to listen to what they were saying. "Maybe it's just a coincidence."

"Why are we following a mechling again? This one can't be more than ten or eleven vorns judging by his size," one enforcer aske grumpily. "We've got better things to do then sparklingsit."

The second mech scoffed. "Right, cause making bets on gladiators is a better thing to do with your time. Someone reported a youngling pickpocketed him, he wants his stuff back. Said he'd pay to get it. This youngling we've been trying to follow matches the description."

Nitro sucked in a vent. "I knew I should've been more careful. I could've picked a better time, when I was sure that mech wasn't looking."

The grey and blue hadn't realized the mech had actually seen him well enough before he'd run away to give a description.

"Scrap. Now what?" Nitro peered out from his hiding place. "I can't let them catch me."

"Okay, so we have a wannabe thief. What's he gonna do with some rich mech's belongings? Sell them?" the first enforcer complained. "We'll just check all the nearby places that buy that kind of thing and tell them we need it back. Why waste time on some youngling that likely doesn't even have the scrap anymore?"

"Cause the mech will pay a big reward to the enforcer who gets it back," snapped the other enforcer. "And you know what little thieves become? Big thieves. Who like to steal bigger things than pocket watches and credit pouches. Cause we need another one of those around here."

"Alright. Alright. I get it. We've lost the little sneak again, now what?"

"We keep an optic out for him. He's got to be around here somewhere."

"Closer than you think." Nitro wriggled out from under the equipment and headed towards the back of the store. His escape route had been blocked, so he'd just have to find a new one.

Luckily for him, this building had a back door that had an easy lock to hack.

Staying out of sight of the camera, Nitro moved until he was underneath it. Once he'd switched the direction it was pointing, he got to work on the lock.

As soon as it was unlocked, the grey and blue mechling wrenched the door open and bolted.

He had to get away. Far away.

It was time to disappear.

Nitro checked over his shoulder. No one was following.

"Good." He smirked as he ran. "Pretty pathetic a thirteen-vorn-old can outsmart a couple enforcers that easy."


After traveling over into the next sector, Nitro wandered into the yard of an abandoned warehouse.

As he walked through the gate, a large, brawny mech stepped out from behind the gatehouse. "Halt."

Nitro immediately did as he was told. "It's just me, Roadrage. Nitro," he said quickly, glancing apprehensively at the red and black mech.

"Oh," grunted Roadrage. "You can go ahead then."

With a quick nod, the thin youngling resumed his quick pace. He didn't notice the shadowy figure that dropped silently from the top of the gatehouse to join Roadrage.

"Razordrift," the red and black stated, jumping at the sudden appearance.

"Greetings, Roadrage," spoke the dark coloured mech lowly. "Nitro had returned unharmed I presume?"

"From what I seen," grumbled Roadrage, miffed at being spooked.

The other mech nodded. "Good, you were watching." He eyed the youngling who was now just entering the building. "He's becoming quite skilled isn't he? I could barely hear him coming."

Roadrage simply grunted his reply. Internally the big mech couldn't care less about the youngling or who was impressed by him.

"I think I will choose him as my apprentice," mused the ebony mech. "He has a natural talent as our leader predicted."

Roadrage didn't care. He just wondered when his unwanted company would leave.

Then, Razordrift did leave, without another word or glance.

Roadrage went back to his post, keeping an optic on the tall, wiry mech as he entered the warehouse by the same entrance that Nitro had.

There was something about that mech that Roadrage didn't like. And not just his usual dislike of mecha. This mech just seemed- Untrustworthy.

Which was saying something for where they lived.


"Nitro! Good to have you back mechling."

"Hi, Gadget," Nitro replied, nodding his greeting to the maroon and gold coloured mech. He strode over to the work table in the middle of the lab.

Gadget watched as the youngling pulled several objects from his subspace pockets.

"Are these what you need, Gadget?" Nitro asked, looking up at the short mech.

The inventor adjusted the optic lenses perched on his faceplate and picked up the first metal part. He muttered to himself as he proceeded to examine each one carefully.

The dark grey and navy youngling stood still, watching the mech from across the table.

Putting down the last piece, Gadget straightened and smiled widely. "Nitro, you've done it again! These are exactly what I need. They're in perfect condition too! You must have sorted through a bunch to get parts this good."

Nitro grinned, revealing sharp, pointed denta. "I had to check a couple places this offcycle. That one there was a hard find," he said, pointing at one of the pieces of metal. "It was from a junkyard. I had to take some stuff apart to get to it."

"Well, good searching," said Gadget happily. "I should be able to get the generator working. And maybe even finish at least one other project." He scooped up the assortment of metal pieces and moved over to a different work table that sat by the back wall. Setting them down, he turned back to Nitro. "Thanks, mechling. Any trouble this time?"

Nitro's face turned down in frown. "Somehow, two enforcers managed to follow me around a bit, but I lost them in the next sector."

"Hmm, that's not good," muttered Gadget. He quickly strode around the table to stand in front of Nitro.

Looking the youngling over carefully, the inventor commanded, "Lift your servos for me, please."

Nitro did as he was told, watching Gadget examine the joints in his shoulder armour.

"I don't see any trackers. Can I give you a quick scan to be sure?" Gadget asked when he was finished.

"Sure," Nitro shrugged.

A beam of light passed over him as the inventor used his scanning device. Nitro fidgeted. It sort of tickled.

Gadget switched the device off and returned the tool to it's place. "Hmm, I can't find anything. They must have just been able to follow you without a tracker. You'll have to be more careful, Nitro. An enforcer catching you wouldn't be good."

Nitro looked down at his pedes. "I know," he whispered.

A hand was laid on his shoulderplate, making him look up. Gadget's kind faceplate gazed down at him.

"Ah, mechling. I didn't mean to scold you. I just don't want to see you hurt anymore is all."

"I know, Gadget," Nitro replied, giving his friend a weak smile.

"Well, come on then, I'll show you what I've been working on while you have your energon."

Gadget marched quickly over to the workbench against the left wall, beckoning for Nitro to follow.

The youngling hurried after him, curiosity raised. The inventor was always working on something fascinating.

At least in Nitro's opinion.

He hopped up on the table, picking up the small cube of energon that had been prepared for him. He sipped some of it, relishing in the warmness as it went down.

Gadget, even in his busyness, never forgot that his young friend liked his energon warm after returning from scavenging. Nitro still hadn't figured out how the inventor knew when he was coming so he could have it ready.

"Right. So, Nitro. See this part that you brought here?" Gadget began, holding up the piece of metal to show the youngling.

"Uh huh," Nitro nodded eagerly. "Is that the one that goes here?"

Gadget glanced at where he was pointing and grinned broadly. "Yes! Exactly! And that will turn this piece, which makes that one- "

The inventor paused, looking towards the doorway. Nitro followed his gaze. Another mech, this one tall and very broad, stood with a dark frown on his faceplate.

"Oh, greetings, Torque," Gadget said cheerfully. "Was there something you needed?"

"The boss wants to talk to the youngling," the tan and grey mech grumbled. "Sent me to tell you that he's waiting in the old head office."

"Oh. Well, then," said Gadget, trying to hide his disappointment. "You better run along, Nitro. I'll just have to show you this later."

Nitro bit back a protest. He didn't want to go see their leader. He'd much rather stay and watch Gadget work on his inventions.

Not that he really had a choice.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Nitro drained the rest of his energon and slid off the worktable. "See you later, Gadget," he said dismally, trudging towards Torque.

"Yes, Nitro. Come back whenever you're free," Gadget called after him.

"Free. Right," Nitro thought.

Torque stomped back down the hall from where he'd come, Nitro followed silently behind.

Apparently, he was lagging too far behind.

"Come on, pipsqueak. Let's go," the big mech growled, checking over his shoulder to see that Nitro listened.

Nitro hustled faster, his shorter pedes working hard to keep up with Torque's long strides.

The youngling frowned, glaring with narrowed optics at the tall mech's backplates. "He's walking faster on purpose. Giant miserable grouch."

Too soon for Nitro's liking, they arrived at the warehouse's head office. Torque knocked on the door and quietly waited.

"Enter," came the deep voiced reply.

Nitro couldn't help but shiver slightly. He really didn't like the boss.

Torque pressed the button for the door to slide open and shoved Nitro none too gently inwards. He closed the door behind the youngling and walked away, his loud pedesteps fading quickly.

Nitro nervously stood where he'd been pushed. Near the back of the medium-sized office, a tall, well-built mech sat in the shadows behind the desk. Even with Nitro's superb night vision, only the mech's silhouette and optics were visible.

The two mecha were silent for several kliks. Nitro grew more and more uncomfortable.

It wasn't the darkness that bothered him. He didn't mind the dark, it helped him hide from those that would hurt him or take him to the mines that had offlined his creators.

What bothered Nitro, was the only thing that he could see clearly in the room.

The bright red, piercing optics.

Nitro had always been afraid of those optics. He knew it was nonsense, but it felt like they could see right into his spark. That they could see his thoughts. That their owner could somehow see everything that made Nitro himself, even down to the parts the youngling hid or wished to forget.

Additionally, Nitro was afraid of the hate that dwelt in those hard optics.

His boss hated everyone. It didn't matter what class or caste you were from. Or where you were from. He hated you.

Nitro wondered if the mech even liked himself.

"So," the seated mech finally said, breaking the silence.

The youngling jumped almost nearly a third of his own height in surprise, holding back an undignified squeak.

The mech chuckled darkly. "Jumpy are we this offcycle, Nitro? I assume you had a good run?"

"Yes, Sir," Nitro answered quietly.

"Good," the mech rumbled. "Razordrift tells me he wishes to take you on as his apprentice. He has observed you and thinks you're the one he wants to train."

Nitro furrowed his optic ridges. Razordrift was an extremely skilled fighter. Why would he want to train a skinny orphaned youngling?

"He claims that when you returned earlier, he barely could hear you coming," the shadowy mech continued. "If that is true, your stealth alone has greatly increased since you joined us several jours ago. Razordrift was impressed."

The confused youngling said nothing. He had already been trained basic fighting by Razordrift and a few other mecha. "What would being his apprentice mean?" he wondered in his helm, not daring to ask aloud.

"As you know, it is very hard to impress Razordrift. And I can't disappoint my best minion. So, do you accept his offer to fully train you?"

The unspoken deal here was the same as always. Do what I say, you get protection and energon.

Knowing he didn't really have a say in the matter, Nitro nodded. "I'd be honoured, Sir."

"Splendid," his boss said, sounding like he didn't actually care.

Nitro knew he didn't.

"I'll let him know. You can go back to- Whatever it was you were doing," the mech said carelessly.

Dipping his helm politely, Nitro backed away to the door. Pressing the button, he slipped out as soon as he could, rapidly closing the small opening behind him.

Running at full-speed, the grey and blue youngling flew down the halls. He didn't have a specific direction, he just wanted to get away from the scary mech that sat in the head office.

Nitro ended up on the warehouse's roof. He sat against one of the crumbling smokestack to calm his rapid venting.

He stared up at the dark sky. There were no stars. Not that that was a surprise. Nitro had seldom seen stars above Slaughter City in his short lifetime.

There was too much smoke. Too much darkness for the light to get through.

"Similar to down here," Nitro thought bitterly.

He sighed. Training with Razordrift would mean he'd be better able to fend for himself, which was good. Especially if he planned on leaving some orn.

It also meant that once he was trained well enough, that he would be expected to do at least some of the things that Razordrift did.

Nitro wasn't sure that he was willing to participate in the gladiator pits. He didn't want to offline mecha.

Maybe he should work on his hacking skills. If he was useful enough that way, then maybe they wouldn't put him in the pits.

The youngling frowned. As good as he was at fending for himself and living on the streets, he still could get into trouble. If he got caught, he'd be put to work as a slave in the mines or the gladiator pits for sure.

Right now, he needed the protection that he had here. And he would get his altmode upgrade soon. If he left before that, then he would have to find a medic that was willing to do it for almost no credits.

Not to mention energon was harder to get if you lived on the streets. Nitro knew that from experience.

He'd have to stay here. At least for now.

"At least until Razordrift has trained me and I get my altmode. When I can fully take care of myself, then I'll leave," Nitro thought. "I'll miss Gadget, and he'll miss me. But I think he'd understand. He might even leave too."

Gadget was probably wondering where he was.

Nitro got to his pedes, stretches his long limbs as he did. Gazing up at the sky once more, he turned and went back inside.

One orn, he'd get out of here. But for now, he'd do as he was told and stick as close as he could to Gadget.

One orn, he'd leave Slaughter City. Then, he'd be free.


Author's Note:
1. I don't own Transformers. Nitro, Gadget, Torque, Roadrage, Razordrift, and their boss are my oc's.
2. I know there is a canon character named Nitro. This one is different. :P

Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think? :)