Yet another adopted LJ Bunny Farm bunny. This one belongs toouterelf : Springer, when younger, was a rebellious hot streak. Untamed, and wild, he refused to believe others could be helpful out of the goodness of their sparks until the One Fateful Day.

Been sitting on this for a good 8 months, but finally got around to stop poking it and just post it.

Although i selected Optimus Prime as a character tag, its actually Orion Pax... he's not Prime yet.

Joor: 1 hour

Orn: 1 day

Deca-cycle: 3 weeks

Orbital-cycle: about 1 month

As many things he did of late, it was a good idea at the time. Not so much now that he was running for his life!

The idea was to sneak in, steal a few energon cubes and sneak back out unnoticed. Simple right? The fact he had to try and show up his friends, who had called him a complete glitch CPU'd moron to his face for even thinking about the idea let alone trying to convince them to go with him, just made him more determined to show them up. If it all worked out none of them would need to scrounge for energon for at least a full orbital-cycle. But of course it didn't exactly go that way.

First mistake: breaking into a large energon storage facility that was heavily guarded.

Second mistake: breaking into said storage facility in the middle of the day cycle, due to desperation, youthful impatience and the burning need to prove everyone wrong.

Third and final mistake: Forgetting to scout out said facility in advance thus not knowing about the highly sensitive laser trip alarms invisible to the average optic.

Now he found himself running empty handed, tired and his tanks painfully reminding him how empty they were with 3 large guard bots ready to beat his helm in if they caught him. He'd already managed to get away from the first guard who grabbed him by pulling some very under handed moves, but he seriously doubted it would work a second time.

Using his much smaller, lighter frame to full advantage he sprinted as fast as he could across the last few feet of open space before hitting the beginnings of the lower building district.

A laser shot scorched his leg just as he winged it around a sharp corner. He couldn't beat back the shriek of pain that escaped his vocals as he stumbled, landing face first on the hard ground.

He lay on his stomach a moment stunned from the impact, his leg and now his jaw throbbing painfully. He only got a few seconds to pull himself together before he heard the angry yells of the guards dangerously close. Gathering his wits and forcing himself back to his feet he limped as fast as he could weaving deeper and deeper through the alley ways into the darker lower levels of the city.

He didn't stop until he could no longer hear the guards, finally giving in to his fatigue and pain.

Slumping against the nearest wall he slid down until he was sitting curled up, vents panting hard to cool his over stressed systems, quietly cursing under his breath.

If those stupid losers I called friends had bothered to help we could have easily made off with a few cubes, at least! Enough to last us a deca-cycle or more if we rationed but noooo, they had to be whiney little sparklings. Some friends they were, just proved they aren't worth my time… no one's worth my time…. Ha I don't need them… stupid glitches... I can do just fine, no better without them! They'll see…

With that last thought his vision bled black as he slipped into an exhausted recharge.

Finishing up for the night at his second job, Orion Pax stood wiping off the last of the silly glittery metal flakes the femme's liked to decorating him with. They insisted it added a little bit of 'exotic flair' to his performance and helped the bad lighting to reflect better of the planes of his frame.

The stuff always left him with irritated and itchy joints until he got home for a decent shower. He personally found it all rather over the top as well, but he never could never say no. Seeing the normally rather hard edged, much older femme's optics light up with glee at such a simple thing as dressing him up for his performance and getting to fuss over him was something he wasn't about to begrudge them.

Collecting his small earnings and giving his goodnights to the other dancers and the bouncers he slipped quietly out the back entrance fully intending head home, relieve Ariel of sparkling sitting duty and get in as much recharge as he could managed before his shift at the docks started.

He'd barely gone a few paces before he nearly trips over something in the narrow alley way. Stumbling to regain his near lost balance Orion quickly turned to survey the normally empty area.

Resetting his optics a few times his focus quickly zeroed in on the form of small youngling loosely curled up and slumped over against the rough wall. How strange. What's one so young doing alone out here? Moving a little closer he could just pick out the various dents and scraps littering the younglings frame as well as a fresh laser burn marring one leg.

Being the deeply compassionate mech he was, he couldn't help but crouch down close to the youngling to better see him. Carefully reaching out Orion gently shook the small mech's shoulder.

"Hey, come on now young one. You can't recharge out here it's not safe. Come one now, wake up." For his effort all he received was a barely audible groan.

"Hey, come on young one. Wake up." He called louder in growing concern. The youngling flopped around as he was given a stiff shake, his head lolling back and forth before he sluggishly lifted it.

Optics flickering, lighting a dull blue, the youngling regarded Orion with an unfocused gaze. Groaning the youngling grumbled something about being left alone, that he didn't have anything. The youngling's optics flickered a few more times before dimming back out, his head rolling forward and body going lax.

Sighing Orion sat back on his heels analyzing the youngling much more closely. From what he could see the little mech was in a terrible state, plating dented, scrapped and layered with so much filthy it was difficult to see the original green and yellow tones. He could guess just from his response he must be terribly low on energon. He's seen many living homeless despite this being the so call 'golden age' of Cybertron, but he had never seen one this young alone on the streets.

A run away maybe… no he looks like he's been without care a long time…he must be homeless. Dear Primus how can one this young be homeless even in these times! Gingerly reaching out he softly ran a blue hand over the dirty green helm.

Orion himself had to run two jobs just to make ends meet and provide for his little family, but he was happy with his lot in life. He was fully aware things weren't quiet as prosperous as they used to be, but still there were youngling care facilities all over the major cities. All setup to care for sparklings up to young adults of creators who couldn't look after their young for various reasons.

Looking over the loosely curled frame, his spark clenched painfully within its chamber. He really couldn't support another as well as himself and his sparkling in his current situation despite running two jobs, but he'd be damned to the pit to see one so young deactivate out here alone from starvation.

"Alright young one, you're coming home with me." Sliding strong arms around the tiny mech's shoulders and under his knees Orion easily hefted the youngling up off the ground.

Another incoherent spill of non-sense fell from lax lips as the youngling instinctively shifts to press closer to the warmth of the others chassis. Smiling softly Orion quickly set off for his small apartment mind already a buzz making plans and arrangements for his new guest.

TBC