Chapter 9
Hello everyone! I have another chapter for you! :D A little less time in between chapters this time, eh?
Disclaimer: The usual I don't own Transformers, just this story and my gang of oc's.
Hope you enjoy!
Steeldust trudged towards home after walking to Bluestreak's house from the park. The smile he had forced all orn was now gone.
He still didn't know what to think.
His brother was alive.
"Then, why is our bond gone?" Steeldust wondered, pausing at an intersection. He stood on the sidewalk, watching numbly as mecha drove by. His doorwings drooped almost as low as they could go.
Thunder rolled in the near distance. Dark clouds approached, accompanying the low rumble.
"Maybe it wasn't actually Blurr. Maybe that mechling just looks like him."
But no. There were too many other coincidences. Blurr was about seven vorns older than him. That would make him fifteen vorns if he was still online.
The age that you could join the junior races.
Steeldust had also noted that the blue mechling on screen had moved and acted the way that his brother did.
Not to mention the announcer had said his name.
There was no way it wasn't him.
"Hey. Youngling."
Steeldust was suddenly jarred from his thoughts. He jumped, then looked up at the large, red mech who was waiting beside him to cross the street.
"You alright, youngin'?" the security guard asked, concern evident on his faceplate. "Are you waitin' for someone?"
Recognizing that the mech meant him no harm, Steeldust relaxed, his raised shoulder plates and doorwings going back to their normal positions. "No, sir. I'm fine. Just waiting to cross the street."
The mech rose an optic ridge and frowned. "Ya've been waiting for a while then. Ya were standing here when I showed up. Just after the light turned again." He tilted his helm, studying the youngling. "Are ya lost?"
Steeldust shook his helm. "No, just thinking I guess."
"Well, ya better think fast and get home. There's a storm coming."
Steeldust nodded. "Yes, sir."
The lights at the crossing turned. The security guard glanced down at the small youngling one more time. "Light says we can go. See ya, youngin'."
With that, he strode off across the street.
Steeldust sighed and followed slowly. His helm hung as he went back to his thoughts.
When he was nearly across, someone honked their horn at him. He skittered quickly the rest of the way, just as the mecha began to move again. They were in a hurry to get to shelter before the rain came.
Glancing back at the traffic, the young speedster resumed his trek home.
Before he got there, however, the storm caught up to him.
Droplets of acid rain began to fall upon the city. Mecha scurried into their houses or into shops to avoid the stinging liquid. Others merely ducked into doorways, hoping the rain wouldn't last.
Steeldust dodged the first few drops. But then the rain started to fall harder.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" he hissed, covering his helm with his servos as he ran. Optics darting around, he spied an empty doorway.
Zipping into it, he shook the acid rain off his frame as best he could. It still stung though. Especially on his doorwings.
"I should've hurried home," Steeldust thought, examining his servos and hands carefully. "Now Jazz will wonder where I am."
Sitting down, he huddled in the corner, watching the rain fall. Thunder boomed again, a lot louder this time. Steeldust jumped, quietly whimpering at the noise. He brought his pedes close to his frame, wrapping his servos tightly around them.
For over a breem he sat like that, hoping the rain would stop soon. He wanted to go home and crawl under his berth.
"What an awful orn."
Prowl was distracted by a comm request. Seeing it was Jazz, the enforcer accepted it.
"Hello, Jazz."
"Hey, Prowl," the investigator said, tone worried. "Have ya seen Steeldust?"
Prowl frowned. "No, I have not, Jazz. What is going on?"
"Well, Steeldust went off earlier this orn ta go ta da park with his friends. He's not back yet," replied Jazz.
"Do you think they're still at the park?"
"No. They would have headed home a long time ago. Bluestreak's caretakers like him home long before dark."
"Perhaps they went there?"
"Ah checked already. Steeldust supposedly headed home. Ah wondered if he stopped at yer place ta avoid da storm."
"He didn't as far as I know," Prowl said, getting up from his chair. He walked swiftly to the front door. Opening it, he scanned the surrounding area carefully.
There was no sign of the navy and black youngling.
"He is not here, Jazz. I will join you in searching as soon as the rain stops."
"Thanks, Prowl. Da youngling probably found some shelter ta wait out da storm," Jazz replied. He paused then continued, tone a bit more chipper. "Steel'll be okay. He's smart."
"You are correct, Jazz. I am sure he's fine."
"Talk ta ya in a bit."
Prowl closed his comm. He stood in the doorway, resting a hand on the doorframe. Scanning the street again, he watched the pouring rain.
There was very little doubt in his mind that Steeldust had found shelter from the downpour. He was clever and would be fine on his own until the storm cleared.
Drumming his fingers on the doorframe, the black and white opened his comm again.
"Hello?" came the cheery reply.
"Hello, Silver," Prowl said. "I have a favour to ask of you."
"Of course, Prowl," replied the femme. "What is it?"
Prowl frowned as the wind picked up, blowing the rain towards him. He closed the door and went back to his living room. "I apologize, but I unfortunately cannot make it this offcycle. Can we plan to have dinner another time? Something has come up."
"That's alright, Prowl. Is something wrong?" Silver asked, picking up the worried tone in his voice.
"Steeldust is missing. I volunteered to help Jazz find him as soon as the storm passes."
"Oh no! You mean he's stuck outside somewhere?"
"We believe that may be the case, Silver."
"Well, I will join you two in searching for him," the teacher said firmly. "And don't you dare try and persuade me otherwise."
"Silver, I cannot ask that of you. Especially after cancelling-" Prowl protested.
Silver scoffed. "You didn't ask, I told you I'm coming." She paused, and Prowl could tell she was grinning. "Besides, the more of us searching, the sooner we'll find the rascal. And then we can still go on our date."
Prowl thought about it for a klik. "I suppose that is logical," he said hesitantly.
"Exactly," Silver said smugly. Then, her tone became serious again. "Where are you two going to look first?"
"Likely the routes that Steeldust would take from Bluestreak's home. Jazz called his caretakers and it seems that was his last known location."
"Alright. I'll make my way from here then."
"Very well then. Thank you, Silver. You didn't have to accompany us," said Prowl.
The purple and silver femme laughed lightly. "If you're going, then I might as well too. I'm not going to just sit here while Steeldust is lost somewhere. After all," she added playfully, "I now have nothing to do this offcycle."
Prowl chuckled lowly. "Alright, if you insist. I will see you later."
"Bye, Prowl."
Jazz paced across the room, hands behind his back and doorwings twitching. Every so often, he'd glare out the window at the acid rain that was still falling.
"Hurry up an' stop rainin' a'ready," he grumbled. "The poor youngling is probably scared out o' his wits."
Even after a vorn and a half, Steeldust still hated some loud noises. Mecha yelling and thunder were a problem for the youngling and sometimes sent him into hiding.
But there wasn't really a way Jazz could just go and get him. It was pouring outside. Even if he found Steeldust around the corner, they'd both be in pretty bad shape by the time they got back.
The investigator sighed. Steeldust would have to stick it out a bit longer.
Hopefully not much longer.
Finally, the thunder grew quieter as the storm moved on, taking the deadly rain with it. Steeldust remained where he was, still frozen with fright and cold.
Gradually, he relaxed as there was now nothing to fuel his fear. But as the fear diminished, Steeldust remembered what had made him get caught in the storm in the first place.
"Blurr isn't offline. My brother is still here."
As Steeldust sat, watching the empty streets come slowly back to life, he tried again to figure it out.
It just didn't make sense to him and made his processor hurt.
Mecha passed by the doorway he hid in. Many didn't see him, his dark coloured paint blending in with the shadows. A few did, but they hardly spared him a glance.
It was almost dark now. The street lamps turned on and many of the store owners were now closing their shops for the offcycle.
Steeldust sat in his dark corner, not noticing anything around him.
A little while later, the youngling heard his name being called. He looked up and saw a familiar visored figure.
Jazz was walking down the opposite side of the street, looking about him. Every so often, he'd lift his hand to his mouth and call for his young charge.
"Steeldust!"
The navy and black numbly got to his pedes. He was stiff and cold from being there so long and he still felt on edge. Slowly, he emerged onto the sidewalk.
Jazz turned and immediately saw him. "Steel!"
The investigator wasted no time in crossing the street. He ran to the shivering youngling and scooped him up. "Steeldust! Are ya okay? Where have ya been? We were worried bout ya!"
"Jazz," whimpered Steeldust, burying his faceplate into the mech's chest. "I got caught in the storm and had to hide. I was scared."
"It's okay now. Ah've got ya," Jazz said, patting the youngling's back. "Yer alright now."
Steeldust clung to Jazz. "I wanna go home."
"That's where we're goin'." Jazz was already walking back the way he'd came. He commed Prowl as he walked.
"Hey, Prowl. Ah found him."
"Good. Is he alright?" Prowl asked, relieved that the lost youngling was safe.
"He's a little scared and he got some rain on him, but it doesn't look bad. Ah'm takin' him home," Jazz replied.
"Poor youngling," Silver's voice came through Prowl's side of the comm. "Thank goodness you found him, Jazz."
Jazz couldn't help but smirk. He wasn't really surprised that Silver had come to help search. He also wasn't surprised that Prowl and Silver were searching together.
"Make sure Steeldust gets the acid off as quick as possible, Jazz," said Prowl sternly.
"Don't worry, Prowler, Ah will. Thanks, fo' yer help you two, now go have fun," Jazz said with a grin.
He could almost hear his best friend rolling his optics.
"Good offcycle, Jazz."
Jazz closed his comm and glanced down to check on Steeldust. "How's yer servos and doorwings dere, Steel?"
"They sting a little," Steeldust sniffed. He paused for a klik, then spoke again hesitantly. "Jazz?"
"Yeah, Steel?"
"Blurr's online."
"What do ya mean?" asked the surprised black and white. "How'd he find out?"
"We saw him on the racing channel."
"Are ya sure?" the investigator looked up at the sky. This was not how he had wanted Steeldust to find that out.
"I'm sure," mumbled the youngling.
"Scrap."
Thanks for reading!
Note: I may soon start posting another story that will tie into this story at certain parts. It will be sort of like a collection of bits and pieces that happen elsewhere, during, inbetween, or just stuff I wanted to add but forgot to. So if you're interested, keep an eye out for that. :)
