A/N: -grins- I'm so excited to be doing this! For all of you reading this, omg, THANK YOU SO MUCH. CB Thank yoooouuuuu.
Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, nor do I own Optimus Prime, Megatron, etc. They are actually mentioned, but not in the dynamics you would think. I own every other character.
Chapter One: Welcome to the Team
The cycle was barely starting. The sun was up, the two moons were gone and the Seekers were all out, doing their morning flight ceremonies. Many were still in recharge, other headed for recharge as they were timing out of their lunar-cycle shifts. Cybertron was peaceful and the orange and black mech was content, he thought with a small smile as he drank his early-cycle energon. It was a with a confusing cry of outrage that brought him to his door, watching his neighbors' home being ransacked by enforcers. He hesitated, before approaching one.
"Excuse me, sir. What's going on? What has Shade and Silver done?" The mech asked an enforcer, the one he thought was in charge.
"You are?"
"Their neighbor, JetPrime." He replied.
"Well, JetPrime, according to reports from a teacher, their sparkling hasn't been bringing in energon to school, nor has any credits to get any during lunch. We came to find out if the young one is being cared for." The older mech replied, "Name's Splitter."
"Silicon's not being cared for?" JetPrime was stunned. He had no idea.
"Well we're not sure, yet." The enforcer, Splitter, replied. Another enforcer approached.
"Sir, we've confirmed it: The sparkling is being neglected." JetPrime felt sick to his fuel tanks. He sparkling-sat that child for Primus' sake!
"JetPrime, you're listed as their sitter for the sparkling, were you aware-"
"No! Primus, I would have reported them if I had known!" JetPrime was horrified by this news. He loved the little botling. He was a dark gray, with a bright blue helm that made his dark red optics pop out. He was adorable, and JetPrime felt horrible for not knowing about how bad the little one had it.
"Sir? Sir!" JetPrime was snapped out of his small guilt-trip by Splitter. "Would you like to care for the young one until we can adopt him out?" JetPrime whined and shook his head, checking the time.
"I work 10 to 12 joor shifts a cycle. I'm late already." He realized with a heavy spark. "I can take him to work with me for this cycle, but ultimately I can't."
"It's quite alright. We can find a nice home for him. Get to work before your boss gets in a tizzy." The enforcer said.
"Can I talk to Silicon first, please?" JetPrime asked. Splitter nodded and JetPrime found Silicon sitting on the step, looking beat up and upset. His creators were already being taken to the department of neglect-corrections. The sparkling looked up at him when he approached. He knelt down. "Silicon, why didn't you tell me about this?" His voice was gentle and full of concern. The little mech hesitated.
"Didn't wanna worry you..." Silicon said, his voice small with fear. JetPrime put a servo on the younger mech's helm, shaking his own in absolute admiration and guilt.
"I should have been told. I would have helped you."
"Am I gonna stay with you JetPrime?" Silicon asked, hopeful. JetPrime's golden optics dimmed.
"I'm sorry, little one, but I can't take care of you. I'm not a fit care-taker." Silicon's shoulders slumped as he looked down at the ground.
"Oh..."
"Hey, buck up. I'll come visit as often as I can. I promise."
"Really!" The sheer joy in the now-bright optics made JetPrime's spark ache.
"Really-really-really." That seemed to cheer Silicon up immensely as an enforcer came to take the young cybertronian to an orphanage. JetPrime felt sick as he headed to work, a plan formulating in his processor to stop others from doing this.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
JetPrime watched as the black and red mech take out the gang-leader, his right temple leaking mech fluids. He had been wandering the seedy part of Lithium for about 4 joors now when he was just attacked; this mech saved him and seemed perfect for his plan. The mech's optics were covered with a yellow visor, JetPrime noticed as the mech turned to face him. JetPrime's savior approached.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"Yes. I was hoping to run into some bot like you." JetPrime replied. The mech tensed, looking furious at being sought out by, apparently, an idiot who put himself in danger. "I have a proposition for you."
"And what is it?" The mech asked.
"First, my name is JetPrime. Yours?"
"My identity is not worth you living." The mech hissed, backing away and bringing a sword up to strike the 23 vorn old down. The young adult raised his servos in defense as well as showing that he didn't mean harm to the other.
"Fair enough, just hear me out!" He pleaded. He could really use a mech like this for his plan.
"Be quick."
"I want to rescue any botlings in need of help, whether they're in neglectful, unfit homes or have been bot-napped. I need someone like you to help me. You were fast and quiet; I didn't notice you were there until that mech was on the ground! Please, I really could use your help. I need a team." His plan seemed to interest the mech as the other hesitated on killing him.
"... The Hunter." The mech told him. At JetPrime's confused look, the mech smirked. "My name, it is The Hunter." A grin split JetPrime's faceplates.
"So you're in?"
"Of course. You have a noble cause. Now, where's the team?"
"... You're looking at him." The Hunter gave JetPrime a look that was either amused, ticked off or a mixture of both. The orange and black mech laughed nervously as they headed out of the seedy part of town. He was sure it was going to be a long... whatever, until he and The Hunter found two others to join their team.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
JetPrime frowned as The Hunter glared at him. They had been in this stare/glare "contest" for about five kliks now. He knew that his companion just wanted to be difficult, so he had resorted to the method of "stare until he gives in" silent argument. So far, he was safely assuming he was on the losing side of this disagreement, but he knew he was right on this one. Sure, the others had laughed when they had approached them, but JetPrime was sure of this mech. He just was.
"Ugh, alright fine!" The Hunter snapped, "But if he turns out to be a fail like the others, I pick the next one!" JetPrime grinned as he turned and approached the silver, blue and purple mech. He had a face-plate and visor on, so JetPrime wasn't sure of his expression, but his body language told JetPrime that the mech was wary of him.
"Hello! My name's JetPrime."
"... BoomBox Da Orian..." The mech gave his name with hesitance.
"Hm, long name." JetPrime blinked, "Were you named after Orphelius Prime? I heard rumours of his name having used to been Orian." The taller mech nodded.
"Yes."
"Well, BoomBox Da Orian, my companion, The Hunter, and I are a team of rescue mechs and we're currently looking for two others to-"
"What kind of rescue?" BoomBox Da Orian instantly perked up at this bit of information. JetPrime beamed in pride.
"We rescue botlings. Well, not yet anyways." JetPrime chuckled.
"I'm from a family-unit of communications specialists and a telepath. I can help." BoomBox Da Orian chuckled.
"Perfect! We need one of those."
"We also need a place to live." The Hunter grumbled from his side. JetPrime and BoomBox Da Orian jumped.
"Primus, you're a quiet one!" The new member gasped. The Hunter smirked, but remained quiet. JetPrime groaned and gave the other a look.
"Don't stroke his ego."
"Hey!"
"Oh... He's one of... He's like Sentinel Prime... Ouch, didn't know before you recruited him, did'cha?"
"I am nothing like that controlling son of a glitch!" The Hunter snarled.
"He's really not." JetPrime chuckled, "He just has a small ego when his stealth is commented on."
"Ah, well, then, nice to meet you JetPrime, Hunter."
"The Hunter." The mech snapped. JetPrime just shrugged, telling the third mech to just go with it and satisfy whatever part of his being that needed the ego-stroke.
"Right, sorry, The Hunter. But you guys can just call me BBDO." The silver-based mech chuckled.
"Alrighty, BBDO, welcome to the team!" JetPrime grinned. BBDO grinned back at him.
'Finally... Someone decided to join us.' JetPrime thought as they headed from the city of Kaon to Cybertron City.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
JetPrime groaned as BBDO and The Hunter kept arguing over something The Hunter thought about JetPrime. Sometimes, JetPrime realized, it really wasn't all that great to have a telepath on the team. At times, like yesterday, things were great to have BBDO on board. He caught a thief on their bumpers before they even started actually stalking them to pilfer their items. The Hunter even took care of him, getting the mech to go straight to the enforcer station.
"It was none of your business BBDO!"
"I can't help that I can't turn my telepathy off! You shouldn't think slag like that about him! He's our commander!"
"He's a slaggin' air-helm!"
"He is not!"
"Slag! That's slag BBDO and you know it! He's got no head quarters lined up for us, we've got no fourth member, we haven't seen a med- yes we need to see one, don't give me that look! You've got a dent in your shoulder from walking into that lamp-post!"
"ENOUGH!" JetPrime finally shouted, effectively quieting the two quarreling mechs. He turned to them, ticked off. "Look, I don't give two slags about what you two think about me, but for the love of Primus, don't fight! You two sound like an old merged couple!"
"Gross!"
"Sick, Jet'! That's just sick!" The two continued to complain to him and give him reasons why they would never end up together. JetPrime preferred them to complain rather than arguing. He paused, stopping in the road. Both mechs behind him bumped into him. The Hunter muttered obscenities.
"Shhh! Hear that?" JetPrime asked. The other two frowned, straining their audios to listen. They heard it. There was the sound of metal crushing, optics shattering and wires snapping. "This way, let's go!" The youngest mech headed towards the sound.
"Hey! We need to stick together JetPrime!" BBDO shouted, running after him. The Hunter cussed.
"I'm with idiots!" He snarled to himself, running after the younger two mechs. "HEY! WE NEED A PLAN YOU MORONS!"
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
The small silver mech hid behind the corner, blue optics bright with fear. He was shivering as it rained. His body was shivering from the pain of the acid melting his armor and slipping between cracks in it. The roof over him had been torn and broken when the strange, cruel mech barged into his home. He heard his care-taker being murdered. He was terrified; the only mech to truly care for him was being murdered and he couldn't help. He took a deep intake of air and ran from around the bend, going to take the old mech on. He paused, seeing three mechs come running onto the scene. A black and orange mech with gold optics, a silver, blue and purple mechs with a visor and facemask and a black and red mech with a visor. His optics brightened in shock as the black and orange mech tackled the mech hurting his care-taker.
"Hey! Run!" The second mech ordered him, "JetPrime, he's going to shoot the botling!" That snapped him out of it and he ran to his care-taker, optics starting to leak as he tried in vain to repair the older mech.
"T-Telethon... P-please, st-stay with me!" His vocalizer quivered and hiccuped. The green and yellow mech looked up at him and smiled gently, his blue optics dim.
"You've lost a patient before, botling."
"But-!"
"I ca-" Telethon's vocalizer hiccuped. "-n't stay, QuickSilver... It's my time... to go." The botling, QuickSilver, let out a sob.
"I love you care-giver..." He whimpered. Telethon smiled at him and offlined his optics.
"I love you too, botling."
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
JetPrime knew many things. How to fight, was not one of those things. He realized his fighting was completely useless when BBDO told him about the botling; the exact time when the mech tossed the young adult threw him at the wall. His vision started showing warning errors, telling him that his systems were about to shut down. He groaned as he fell offline.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
JetPrime onlined to BBDO and The Hunter hovering over him. Both were damaged beyond their ability for repairs. He sat up, groaning and shaking his helm in an attempt to remember what happened.
"The slagger threw you at the wall." The Hunter grunted. JetPrime frowned and moved to stand.
"Don't stand." A small voice said quietly. The three looked over to the botling. The sight made JetPrime feel sick, they had saved the botling, but at the cost of his creator. "I... I can repair you... My name is QuickSilver."
"The youngest medic in history?" BBDO asked, amazed.
"Yes." The botling nodded.
"How old are you?" The Hunter asked, hissing when BBDO put a servo on his shoulder to gently move him aside, no doubt to look at QuickSilver better.
"I'm sixteen. I turn seventeen soon." QuickSilver said, "Who are you? How did you know to come save me?"
"I am JetPrime. This is The Hunter and that is BoomBox Da Orian." JetPrime introduced them to the botling.
"Call me BBDO, please." BBDO chuckled.
"We heard your creator being attacked." The Hunter answered the second question.
"He's not my creator." QuickSilver said quietly. "He's my care-giver. I left my creators when I was younger. Telethon took me in and helped me become a medic."
"Ah..." QuickSilver looked up at them.
"So-can-I-give-you-those-repairs-now?" He asked. The three mechs jumped, startled at the fast speech. BBDO leaned towards the other two.
"What'd he say?" He whispered.
"... I have no idea." JetPrime whispered back.
"Sure, you can repair us." The Hunter grunted. The young medic approached JetPrime at BBDO and The Hunter's prodding. JetPrime suddenly got an idea.
"Hey, QuickSilver, we're a team that rescues botlings who are being neglected and abused and such. We have been looking for a fourth member and since we don't have a medic, how would you like to join us?" He offered. QuickSilver seemed hesitant and glanced at his care-giver's deactivated frame.
"We can give him a proper disposal." BBDO said gently, "We'll make it one he would be proud of." It was BBDO's words that got the young mech to nod.
"I'll-join." JetPrime smiled as QuickSilver finished his repairs and moved to The Hunter.
"He's in the Matrix, kid. He's at peace and is one with Cybetron." The older mech informed him a bit harshly. Although he wore a visor and facemask, JetPrime was sure BBDO was glaring at their weapons specialist.
"So... What-do-you-all-do? What-are-your-ranks?" QuickSilver asked.
"Eh, I guess if we had to label ourselves as ranks, The Hunter would be my second in command of this team." JetPrime chuckled.
"I'm the weapons specialist." The Hunter added.
"I'm the communications specialist." BBDO nodded as QuickSilver moved to him. "You work fast kiddo."
"It's-a-sparked-defect."
"A sparked-? Kid, your speed and talent is amazing!" BBDO gawked.
"BBDO is right, no way in Pit could that be a defect. It's a gift." JetPrime said, "A Primus-given gift."
"Telethon-said-the-same-thing." QuickSilver said, optics dimming. JetPrime smiled and put a hand on the child's shoulder.
"Telethon sounded like a smart mech. I wish we could have gotten here in time to save him. But we saved you; I'm sure that is helping him rest peacefully in the Matrix." QuickSilver smiled weakly and thanked him, helm ducked in embarrassment as he finished repairing BBDO. JetPrime suddenly knew that they would go far in this business and would become close, would become friends. They were already family. He grinned at the botling. "Welcome to the team, QuickSilver."
To Be Continued...