(A/N: Hey, just a warning, there may be a Major *Canon* Death. Rated T for language, abuse, hint at rape and violence.)

Chapter 1:

Breakdown hadn't even been four hours old when it all began... His carrier died giving birth to him. His sire died a couple vorns afterwards. It had been a time of darkness when he had onlined for the first time. Cybertron had been running low on Energon, and whatever remained was kept for those with the money to buy it.

He had been born into the lower class, to the level where he was a slave with freedom. Those of the higher caste could do whatever they wanted to him and his family and not face any kind of reprimand.

Now, four-year old Breakdown was sitting in the staircase, crying softly as he listened to his sister face abuse for him.

"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, Barricade." Breakdown heard Lightstar saying. "He's just a sparkling, and he was hungry."

"You're little brat still stole." Barricade, the law enforcer, responded harshly.

Breakdown rubbed his little servos across his optics as he listened. He was afraid of Barricade, who had pursued him for stealing Energon. Barricade was big... Bigger than his sire had been.

Lightstar's soft sigh caused him to perk up again attentively. "You got it back. Why can't you just leave us alone?" She demanded.

Breakdown flinched and coolant leaked into his optics again when he heard Barricade strike his sister. "Shut up, slut!"

Silence fell and he heard Lightstar murmuring something, followed by Barricade answering slightly louder, but not loud enough for him to hear.

"Fine. I'll let him go then." He heard Barricade finally say. "But you better be around when I get back tonight."

Breakdown sat up a little when Barricade came into sight, heading for the door. The large officer stopped, looking up at him with a smirk. "See ya kid." He said as he disappeared out the door, leaving the small home in silence again.

Now that the other mech was gone, Breakdown began to sob aloud. Lightstar appeared. "Oh, Breakdown." She murmured, coming to sit beside him, pulling him into her lap as she hugged him.

The small, blue mechling melted into his sister's arms, sobbing as she pulled him into her lap, rocking slowly as she hummed a tune.

"I-I'm sorry, L-Lightstar." Breakdown hiccuped, rubbing a small servo over his eyes. "I-I was-"

Lightstar cut him off by placing a long, slender digit to his mouth. "Hush." She responded kindly. "I know why you did it, and I don't blame you." She answered, squeezing him in a hug.

Breakdown looked up at her. "W-Will Barricade c-come back?" He asked, fear evident in his large, yellow optics.

Nodding silently, Lightstar put on a small smile. "Barricade will come back later tonight." She answered softly. "But not to take you."

Unsure of this new piece of information, the little mech looked up at his sister. "You offered him something." He said slowly. He may be young, but he was born in a time and class where you had to mature quickly, or offline.

A sad smile on her faceplate, Lightstar nodded again. "I did."

Breakdown looked up at her curiously. "What did you offer him?" He asked.

Lightstar let out a small, half-hearted laugh. "You'll know when you're older." She responded.

Frowning, Breakdown crossed his arms. "Why can't you tell me now?" He asked. "I'm a big mech!"

Laughing again, this time for real, Lightstar shook her helm at him. "Not yet you aren't." She answered, lifting him up as she stood. "You're still a little mechling, but one day, you will be very big... Like sire." She said.

Breakdown thought about that thought. "Do I look like sire?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, very much like him." Lightstar answered.

"And you look like carrier?" Breakdown asked. He already knew the answers, he just liked listening to them again and again.

Lightstar smiled down at him. "Of course. You know that." She answered with a teasing smile.

Breakdown giggled. "Yeah, but I like hearing you tell me again." He responded with a wide grin, forgetting about the ordeal only a few moments before.

Smiling at her little brother, Lightstar noticed that he had forgotten, which was what she had been aiming for. "Now, if you want to grow big like sire, then you have to recharge, don't you?" She asked, entering the small room that belonged to her brother.

Immediately, Breakdown's smile vanished. "But I don't like recharging!" He whined at her.

Lightstar laughed at his tone. "Maybe you don't, but if you want to be big, you have to." She answered, sitting down on the edge of his berth.

Breakdown's faceplate was thoughtful as he considered this before looking up at his sibling. "Can I not recharge and just stay small?" He asked.

Laughing softly as she held him, Lightstar shook her helm. "No, you cannot." She answered, placing a kiss to his forehead. "Besides, when your older and bigger, you'll thank me for making you recharge.

Venting loudly, Breakdown let her lie him down on the berth. "No I won't." He answered, pouting.

Kissing his helm again, Lightstar smiled at him. "Yes, you will." She answered in a teasing tone, carressing his helm gently and soothingly. "Look, I'll even stay until you fall into recharge, OK?"

Breakdown vented. "Fine." He answered, snuggling down. "Can you tell me about sire? And carrier?" He asked.

Lightstar allowed a small smile to dance across her lips. "Yes, I can tell you that." She responded, continuing to carress his small helm. "Carrier was like me. She was slimmer and prettier than I am myself..."

She smiled at her little brother's interruption. "No! You're the prettiest femme!" She looked down at him. "Thank you." She said before continuing.

Breakdown was silent again, listening to her speak.

"Sire was big and strong, just like you'll be some day." Lightstar looked down at him. "Carrier was a slave for a rich family, serving them and sometimes occompanying them out to see the gladiators fighting in the pits or Kaon."

Again, that small little voice interrupted. "And that's where she met sire!"

Lightstar grinned at him. "Why do you want me to tell you when you already know the story?" She asked playfully, making him groan. "'Cause I forget stuff Star!" Breakdown answered. "And cause you tell it better!"

Shaking her helm at him, Lightstar smiled. "Yes, that's where carrier met sire. Now, Sire wasn't a gladiator. He was a mech that cleaned up around the pits and prepared stuff for each game... But he was braver than any gladiator there."

Breakdown looked up, wide optics as he got into the story. "Like Megatronous?" He asked excitedly, thinking of the legendary gladiator that still fought a few minutes away.

Lightstar grinned at him. "Maybe." She answered before continuing. "One day, the family that carrier served decided to sell her to the pits as a pleasure bot."

The femme fell silent, surprised that Breakdown didn't interrupt, continuing slowly. "But sire was furious. He protected carrier from the gladiators, placing himself between her and the bigger mechs." She smiled at her little brother. "He fought them so viciously, that they didn't want to come near him."

A small laugh came from Breakdown. "Did sire really fight them all?" He asked excitedly as his sister nodded. "He did."

Silence fell for a few moments as Lightstar picked up where she had left off. "But then many mechs attacked sire, all at once, trying to get to carrier." She smiled softly at Breakdown's wide optics. "But then, just as they were about to kill him, they stopped."

Breakdown looked up at her. "Why did they not kill sire?" He asked, knowing the answer, but wanting to hear here repeat it. It was one of the parts he loved most about hearing of his creators.

Lightstar smiled, waiting for several moments before continuing. "Because Megatronous came." She responded, covering her mouth to keep from laughing at her little brother's expression of awe.

"And tell what Megatronous said, Star!" Breakdown pleaded.

"I don't know, Breaky." Lightstar teased. "Maybe you should recharge." She said, moving to stand, Breakdown grabbing her servo and tugging at her. "No! No, Star! Please tell it!"

Putting on a thoughtful expression, Lightstar finally sat back down. "Alright, as long as you promise to stay in your room and recharge after." She answered, earning a vigorous nod at her.

Thinking of where she had left her poor brother, Lightstar continued. "Megatronous attacked the mechs that were trying to kill sire, and spoke to them in a big, deep voice. He said: 'If any of you lay a filthy servo on this mech or femme, I will behead him personally'."

Breakdown mouthed what she was saying, having heard the story so often that he knew exactly what was going to be said. He grinned. "Now tell what happened!"

"Well, sire was getting up and he saw a mech trying to sneak up behind Megatronous." Lightstar said, lowering her voice to add tension to it. "Sire was wounded, but he still grabbed a hold of the spear he had, and-"

The little blue mech was on his pedes in his berth, to excited to stay still. "Sire used the spear to gut the evil mech!" He shouted, little servos high in the air.

Lightstar shook her helm at him with a smile. "Yes, sire did." She answered, laying him back down. "And then, sire and Megatronous became friends." She smiled.

Silence stretched for several moments before Breakdown broke it. "Do you think Megatronous remembers sire?" He asked curiously.

Frowning, Lightstar looked down at him. "I don't know." She responded, her voice taking on a teasing tone. "Why don't you ask him one day?" She asked when the front door slammed open.

Breakdown jumped at the sound. "Who's that?" He asked, looking up at her.

Lighstar stood, faceplate sober and grim, mouth in a straight line as she looked down at him, forcing a smile. "That's one of my... friends." She answered, giving him a quick kiss and moving over to the door, glancing back at him. "Remember that you promised to stay in your berth." She reminded him.

Laying back down and listening to the murmur of voices, Breakdown thought about the story of sire and Megatronous. Maybe, one day, he would be able to ask the gladiator about it...