He was wrong. Vos was nothing like Kalis and if were not for the comforting feeling of Ranthanoss at his side, he would've ran long ago. The landlord of the small house they had rented was a retired referee for the underground pit-fights and gave Ratchet a toothy grin upon seeing Ranthanoss.
For most of their first day in their little house, Russet sulked. Before leaving, Serenade had deactivated her transformation cog, so she was stuck as a Pit-Dragon until they could uncover the killers in the underground fighting ring. She snuck around the house, awkwardly eating a cube of her usual low-grade before plopping herself down in the middle of the hall. Ratchet knew without having to ask that it was her way of showing her dislike for the mission.
Truth be told, he was terrified of what would happen. He understood the fighting dynamic (mostly it was to leave the fighting to Ranthanoss and to warn him if anything happened or if he had a plan), the etiquette, and the layout of the pits, but that didn't mean that he was comfortable with waltzing into the pits and signing Ranthanoss up for a fight.
Night came quickly and nervously he gathered the things they'd need: Ranthanoss's harness, the data-pads and –cubes that contained the information on their aliases, credits for betting and registering, and an empty data-pad for notes.
Ranthanoss followed placidly enough but Ratchet didn't need to access their bond to know that he was on edge as well. He patted his friend's neck in what he hoped to be a reassuring motion and led the way out the door into the alien world of Kalis' night life.
"Hey." Ratchet turned, careful to keep Ranthanoss's lead line away from the new person, and he though it was a good move when a low growl rumbled through the air. "Are you new here?"
Ratchet gave a quick, shy smile at the silver mech behind him. "Uh, yeah."
The mech chuckled and the silver and blue turbohawk on his shoulder shifted, blinking bright optics suspiciously at them. "You can tell a bit. Need help?"
'Accept it.' Ranthanoss told him. 'You need all the help you can get,' he added wickedly.
'A friend would help, too.' Russet added.
He shifted, leaning against Ranthanoss. He didn't have to pretend to be nervous, and Ranthanoss rumbled deep in his chest to reassure him. As Beater told him, Ranthanoss would instinctively move to comfort him instead of fight off whatever made them nervous. Ratchet patted the dark armor just out of his periphery. He shifted. "If you please. I'm kinda lost."
The turbohawk gave a low chime, feathered crest singing as it twisted against the mech's arm. It shifted, claws opening and closing, but Ratchet noticed that the stranger-mech had shoulder pads and an arm guard for when his pit-beast had sharp claws that could easily tear through his armor. "My name's Silverstreak." He said cheerily, flipping a hand in greeting. "This here is Flash."
Ratchet gave a hesitant smile. Now was a time to test his alias and that of Russet's. "I'm Shadowspark." He said, playing the shy newcomer. Ranthanoss chuckled again. "This is Jumper."
'Stupid name,' Ranthanoss grumbled. Well, Ratchet supposed, careful to keep it to himself. To someone who had once been called 'Moon' and had been the top pit-fighter in his class, Jumper would be a stupid name.
Silverstreak eyed Ranthanoss thoughtfully. "Wow," he whistled. "He's young but he's certainly fit. Where'd you get him?"
He hadn't been briefed on that. Ratchet's tanks sank. 'Inherited.' Ranthanoss told him and he parroted his words, adding his own flair as Ranthanoss intended for him to do. 'Creator's sibling fought underground for a time then retired to breed. Ran out of money and creator's-sibling gave you a young pit-dragon and helped you train. Died before could escort you to pit-fighting arenas.' Ratchet forgot that Ranthanoss had no words for 'aunty' and 'uncle,' having no familial ties himself.
The mech winced in sympathy. "I'm sorry about your uncle," he said, but he whistled again. "But man, he had a good eye for pit-beasts." Ranthanoss preened beneath his words and Ratchet nudged him gently. "How old?"
'Ten stellar cycles.' Russet said. "Known us for four."
"He's ten stellar cycles, but I've known him for only four stellar cycles." He told Silverstreak. Flash shifted on his shoulders and he looked up fondly at his beast.
"Well, Flash reminds me that we must get you signed up or all the good arenas will be taken," he said apologetically. "Let's go, shall we?"
Ranthanoss relaxed palpably when he was settled in his caged half of the arena. Ratchet could feel his ease as he paced along the charged bars as well as his eagerness to charge at his relatively young opponent in the other end of the arena.
'Will you be all right?' Ratchet asked worriedly and if he could have, Ranthanoss would've grinned.
'We'll be perfectly fine, Ratchet.' He assured his Controller. He rumbled, pleased to be able to call Ratchet their Controller. Slicer would never be their Controller ever again. It would be Ratchet or no one. He rumbled again, baring his sharp, needle-fine fangs. 'We know what we're doing.'
The bell blared and both beasts shook their head at the piercing sound. But the bars disappeared and they leapt forward. 'Trust us, Ratchet. Let us loose. We know what we're doing.'
They could feel his worry echoing through their mind-bond. It was holding them back. Ranthanoss swung his head hard, twisting his neck just so to graze the beast's shoulder with a nose-spine. It yelped and spun away as he turned to keep it in his sight.
He took a deep breath and roared, startling the other Pit-Dragon into flinching. In a moment he charged, jaws wide open. The beast's neck was caught in the heavy jaws and it was swung around, shaken back and forth ferociously.
The Controller-femme of the 'Dragon slapped the surrender button on her side and the white light flashed into the pit. As Ranthanoss had been trained to do, he threw his wounded opponent toward the opposite end of the arena with a savage roar. Oh yes, it felt good to be back, but the low-level fights had him chafing at the harness. It was almost too easy. Just to be difficult, he snapped at the medics coming to help the fallen 'Dragon and stalked around the arena.
He calmed very slowly beneath Ratchet's hands but obeyed readily enough, still prancing around even as he was led out of the arena. Silverstreak found them later in the stables where the pit-beasts were prepared or cooled down. As ever, Flash rode on his shoulder, surveying the world with his sharp optics. "I underestimated you, my friend." Silverstreak said, surveying Ranthanoss from the other end of the stall where Ratchet had put his 'pit-beast.' "You and your beast. You may be new to the arenas, but your beast there isn't." he said, nodding at Ranthanoss appreciatively.
'Great, Ranthanoss, you blew our cover.' Ratchet hissed as the Pit-Dragon tossed his head.
'Relax, Ratchet.' Russet murmured. 'We know exactly what we're doing.'
'You fought like that on purpose?' he fumed.
'Of course,' Ranthanoss purred.
Silverstreak was peering at Ranthanoss. "Ask him who his last Controller was." he said. "He looks familiar."
Ratchet hesitated, but Ranthanoss answered before he thought to ask. 'Slicer. His name was Slicer.'
"He says that his last Controller was called Slicer." The medic murmured. "His old name wasn't Jumper, though, that much I know." He trailed off at the surprised look in Silverstreak's optics.
Silverstreak put Flash on a perch nearby and the turbohawk shifted, crest shifting. He whistled again. "Man, that beast's a legend in the pits." He whispered. "Lost only once and that was to a mech named Bladeflash and his beast called Starlight. Every other match this old guy got a kill or surrender."
Ratchet glanced at Ranthanoss who was calmer now, nose held high in the air as if reaching for the scents just beyond his nose. "Jumper?"
His friend shook his head in amusement. "Never thought I'd meet a legend like him. They called him Moon, Primus only knew why." Flash gave a low cry, flaring his wings and shifting. Silverstreak stroked his partner's back reassuringly. "I can see why he was so eager to go fight. It was probably a while since he's fought."
'Darn right,' Russet said, sounding pleased.
'Hush.' Ratchet snapped, but they could tell that he wasn't particularly angry.
Anything they were about to say was interrupted as Ranthanoss roared. He lunged toward the back gate, weight causing the metal to creak. "Jumper, stop!" Ratchet yelled, trying to figure out what set him off. A Pit-Dragon snarled from the walkway on the other side, barely held back by its Controller. Without thinking, Ratchet leapt into the stall as Flash shrieked and Silverstreak cried out. 'Ranthanoss, stop it!'
He narrowly dodged a long tail-blade as Ranthanoss's tail lashed. He lunged for the harness and hauled on it. It didn't surprise him that the Pit-Dragon could easily lift him and swing him around, but it was a shocker as Ranthanoss reared in surprise. Carefully he settled back on all fours, setting Ratchet down very gently. He panted, breaths whistling through the rows of menacingly sharp teeth, or was he just hissing?
But now Ranthanoss's attention was focused on Ratchet and his mind was a seething mass of wish for a fight. He calmed slowly and to encourage him, Ratchet stroked the soft metal beneath the Pit-Dragon's eye.
"Well I'll be skewered, roasted in a pit of slag and served to the Bandit," Silverstreak drawled, Flash once more on his shoulder. Ratchet looked up at his friend. "I've seen that bastard skewer others alive for getting between him and a fight but he calmed down so quickly!"
Ratchet ducked his head and stroked Ranthanoss's side. "Well, we've reached an understanding, him and I." he said shyly.
"Come. Let's see if this brute wants to try a higher-level fight."
Ratchet looked at Ranthanoss. He had no injuries, and the other fight hadn't fazed him a bit. More so he was peering at Ratchet as if to say 'well, hurry up and agree!' "Well…all right."
He felt as if he condemned his spark to the pits.
It was early morning by the time Ratchet and Ranthanoss wandered to their small house. The latter was, for the most part, uninjured and in high spirits, giving low, pleased rumbles every once in a while. Ratchet was dead-tired. Ranthanoss had chuckled as he shuffled off to the sole recharge berth in the house, settling on the inner wall of the room himself. Ratchet glanced at him tiredly as he climbed wearily onto the flat surface where he could rest.
"Wake me if we have a visitor or ten cycles after daybreak." He mumbled to his friend. The last thing he heard was the affectionate rumble from his pit-beast. He was so tired…
When Ratchet woke, it was to Russet's fearsome head in his face. With a yelp he swung his arm without thinking, hitting her hard in her right optic, cracking the bright, golden glass. She yelped and jerked backwards, shaking her head and snarling in pain. 'Silverstreak.' She snapped. 'In kitchen.'
Like a cloth falling over her she disappeared as Ratchet fully woke from his recharge cycle. He swore violently as he stumbled to his feet. "Russ?" no answer. He swore again and stumbled out into the kitchen, almost running into Silverstreak who, as Russet had said, was waiting patiently in the kitchen.
"Morning." He greeted cheerfully.
Ratchet grunted. "Have you seen…?"
Silverstreak nodded. "He stomped by a little while ago." He waved a hand. "He'll be fine. I just wanted to know, since you're new to Kalis, if you wanted to take a look around. I know some pretty cool sights."
'Go, Ratchet.' Ranthanoss rumbled from some other part of the house. 'It is important for you to know about Kalis and any information you can glean from Silverstreak will be helpful.'
And so, reluctantly, Ratchet left them behind (after Russet grumbled and snarled at him to leave with Silverstreak) in favor of going sightseeing with Silverstreak. "These recent attacks are giving us decent pit-fighters bad names." He muttered as they walked through the streets. The morning traffic of Kalis filled the streets and they wove through pedestrians, transport vehicles, and the odd stall of goods here and there. He motioned discreetly. "You don't have to be very bright to notice that everyone's afraid, not to mention there's undercover Enforcers everywhere."
Ratchet looked around. Fearful optics flashed from face to face and though he didn't know much about Kalis, he figured that the street was unusually empty. People stood like statues on the corners, near stalls and transports, against a wall. Mechs and femmes who stood too rigid, to stiff to be there casually. "Do you know who does it?" Ratchet asked in a low voice.
Silverstreak gave him a sharp glance. "If I did, wouldn't I have told you?"
"I don't see why you would." He muttered to himself. Silverstreak heard him anyway but ignored it.
"The pits are a hard place, but most of the fighters have some semblance of honor." He added, shaking his head. "It's always Thunderscythe and her gang that cause all the trouble."
"Thunderscythe?" Ratchet asked, repeating the unfamiliar name slowly.
His friend nodded, pulling him out of the way of a transport vehicle. "She's bad news. Almost as bad as those Dragon Twins a few stellar cycles back." Ratchet suppressed a shiver. "Her gang's pretty big but underground we call her the Bandit." He said softly. "She has spies everywhere and doesn't trust anyone but her bodyguards and their beasts."
"Why?" Ratchet asked quietly.
"Why doesn't she trust people, or why is she causing so much trouble?"
The medic shrugged. "Either. Both."
Silverstreak pulled him into a bar nearby and together they sat in a corner. After ordering a cube of high-grade each they settled down to talk. "Well it started with Keel Haul and the Dragon Twins. You know about them?" Ratchet nodded jerkily. "Okay. So after Keel Haul and the Twins were arrested, people suddenly started getting arrested. Rumor had it that the Twins were giving the Iacon Enforcers information that led to capture after capture. Drug traders, weapons dealers, illegal gambling bosses, slave drivers, all of them were captured. The only thing that didn't get tapped was the underground pits. No one knew why, but Thunderscythe decided to start there." He shifted, taking a gulp of his high-grade. "I heard rumor that her creator had gotten arrested in those busts, but no one knows why she started that infernal gang of hers, but they've been around since just after the arrests began to die down."
"Giving the newcomer a history lesson?" a tall, shapely femme ambled over, twisting delicately to sit in the chair beside them.
The silver mech gave a chuckle. "Ah, Bandit, what a pleasure it is to see you."
The tiny femme (who Ratchet thought looked a lot like Encore but pale green and white instead of tan and gold) gave a musical laugh. "You wish." She teased. Her green optics turned to Ratchet. "My name's Bandit. Not to be confused with the Bandit."
"Ratchet." He nodded politely. "Uh..."
"He's new to Kalis." Silverstreak said companionably though with a strange emphasis on the first syllable of the city's name.
Bandit peered at him. "I see. Now why were you talking about Bandit?" Her optics were narrowed by the time Silverstreak finished explaining. "Don't go sticking your helms up the crotches of Pit-Dragons." She told them. Judging by the way Silverstreak made a face at that, it was something that Bandit had told him often. "Specially one as nock-helmed as Bandit." The last was said in a very low whisper as if she were afraid that even the shadows would leap up and consume them.
Ratchet shivered.
Silverstreak rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever old lady."
"I'm not old, you stupid little youngling." Bandit snapped back, but a smile curved her lips into a soft slope.
The mech flapped a hand at her and continued as if she had never interrupted. "Where was I? Oh yeah, the arrests. Using money she earned while betting underground, she had gotten enough money to pay the bail of certain people: a brewer, a weapons dealer, one from each illegal 'profession.'"
"See," Bandit told him. "She wanted to be a pit boss, just like Keel Haul was. So she gathered everyone she'd need, bought a few bodyguards, and started out in an old warehouse at the edge of town, just beside Keel Haul's house – what is now the museum."
"Didn't anybody catch her?" Ratchet found himself asking.
Both shook their heads. "By the time people realized what she was up to, she had built up enough of an empire to threaten them and their families. If any word got out about her, then she'd start the killing."
Bandit shook her head, stealing a gulp of Silverstreak's high-grade. "Only way to catch this particular turbo-rat is with a creature of the shadows with enough strength to take out her dratted beasts and bodyguards and enough smarts to avoid being killed. Since there's yet to be such a creature, I'd say it's nigh impossible."
"Why not a squad of soldiers, or a bunch of pit-fighters?" Ratchet asked.
They were already shaking their heads. They paid the tab and walked back out, Bandit deciding to accompany them. "Only Enforcers can make arrests and the Kalis Enforcers were among the first of them hit with threats to their families." Bandit explained. "As far as we know, the Iacon Enforcers (they're the only ones that can make arrests outside of their city, did ya know?) don't have a clue about Bandit."
"If reinforcements were sent from the Army, then she'd run. Same with squads of Enforcers. If they were from Iacon she'd find out, and if they were from Kalis, she'd begin to kill innocent bystanders." Silverstreak added. "If it would be anyone, it would have to be a small group, and I highly doubt that even a high-rank pit-fighter would be a match for Bandit and one of her beasts!"
"Not even you?" Bandit teased, judging the silver mech as they dodged a transport.
"Flash and I are the best in our group." Silverstreak said haughtily. "We could take them on, whatever good it would do."
Something was nagging at the back of Ratchet's cortex. Bandit's words from earlier echoed in his mind. Only way to catch this particular turbo-rat is with a creature of the shadows…
He had a brief glimpse of Russet and Gold in his processor. They knew Kalis better than anyone, having lived in the darkness there for a while. They knew the darkness well.
…with enough strength to take out her dratted beasts and bodyguards… he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his tanks. …and enough smarts to avoid being killed.
He stopped suddenly, thankfully not in the middle of a road but rather at the corner of a building. No undercover officer stood there and he was allowed to think for a moment. Their conversation replayed in his head.
Only Enforcers can make arrests…
…the Iacon Enforcers (they're the only ones that can make arrests outside of their city, ya know?)…
Iacon Enforcers who knew the Kalis shadows, who had the strength and the thinking capacity to, as Bandit had said, nab that particular turbo-rat…
He swayed. Russet and Gold. They were raised in Kalis, are Iacon Enforcers, and are more than capable of taking down another pit boss. It wasn't the murderer they were after: it was the gang. The murder was a cover-up. They had known about Thunderscythe for a while; he had heard them murmuring to each other at the museum and when they thought he couldn't hear them. Bandit and thunder-something were the most commonly used words. Saying that they were going undercover to get the murderer ensured that Bandit wouldn't escape.
'Russet!' he snapped over their bond, anger emanating off of him: passerby veered around him as Bandit and Silverstreak fought the tide to get back to him.
There was no response from his friend, but Silverstreak grabbed his arm and dragged him sharply over. "Speak of the Bandit and she comes with claws," Bandit whispered, voice surprisingly level.
"Call your beast," Silverstreak told him. "And keep moving. Tell him to meet us at the outskirts of town if he's not following us already: Bandit and her claws won't attack us until we're alone, and I'd like to be sure that no one gets injured."
"How very honorable of you," Bandit drawled, green optics grave.
Silverstreak smirked. "I try." He said. "Flash says they're still a ways behind us, but they're within view. No, don't turn around." He said sharply in a hissed whisper. "Just keep walking."
"But Jumper's at home," he protested. "He can't open the doors, either."
They looked at him sharply but said nothing. "No pit-beast ever leaves their Controller." Bandit told him softly. "It's against their nature. My Bladeskipper is trailing us through the alleys, and his Flash is overhead. No, don't look up!"
"We can take them," Silverstreak said confidently. "It's only Bandit, a guard, and their beasts."
Bandit slapped his chest with the back of her hand and the mech winced. "Make light of trouble when it comes to Bandit and you'll find yourself slagged in a gutter afore you can switch your optics." Bandit seemed to have no accent but Ratchet wasn't sure if her neutral Iacon accent was a ruse or if she was imitating the accent of those around her or where she grew up.
"But still," Silverstreak protested. "It's two pit-beasts and two Controllers to three of us."
"Jumper's not answering." Ratchet told them. "He's ignoring me, I think."
The two traded glances as the crowd began to thin. "That's not good." Bandit said. "We can't do anything now at any rate. Crowd's thinning. They'll cut us off soon."
Ratchet gulped. What did he get himself into? More than anything he wished that Russet was there. A soothing thought brushed his mind. 'Be calm, Ratchet.'
Ranthanoss was wound tightly like a serpent about to strike. 'We will be there soon.'
'Hurry.' He replied though even the voice of his thoughts was shaky. Another soothing thought was sent his way.
"Jumper's coming." He said, sounding relieved. They turned and continued to walk down the alley. He trusted Bandit and Silverstreak to lead him the right way. They turned the corner and froze, finding a massive Pit-Dragon waiting for them.
Russet, for all she grew since her time with Keel Haul, was still shorter than he was at the shoulder: her spikes, when fully extended, just barely passed the level of his optics. This new Pit-Dragon, however, was much larger, his shoulder spikes level with Ratchet's optics. Even with out the extra blade-spikes along its tail it was a deadly beast.
And he was sure that no matter how strong Bandit's Bladeskipper was or how fast Silverstreak's Flash was, they didn't stand a chance against this beast. Another beast appeared beside it and they all took a step back. This creature they had no name for, but it was as dangerous as the Pit-Dragon, for at its shoulder it was level with Ratchet's chest. It was covered with wire-fine fur like a cyberwolf but it had a feline appearance. Heavy armor lined its spine and its tail was split in two with a barbed scythe blade at both ends. Paw gauntlets lengthened and supported the already-massive claws, and from its chest two sickle-like arms extended. Its fangs were like small daggers, and even if it was just this beast they had to fight it would be difficult.
"Yer've been a' snoopin' a bit too much," a voice told them and they whirled around to find a massive mech and a battle-scarred femme. It was the femme that spoke, her words twisted and ugly like poison in the fuel lines. "Tryin' te' bring honor te yeer names?" she spat and Ratchet found himself hating her as much as he feared her. "Vell it vorn't vorrk." She sneered, revealing a few gaps in her dental plates. "Especially since yee'll bee dead afore ye can' beg ferr iit."
"Starting the party before us, Thunderscythe?" Ratchet brightened instantly at the familiar voice. Flux Core and Forge had appeared behind the pit-boss and her guard, both appearing to be as comfortable as if they owned the place despite the very visible signs that they were dressed in heavier armor than usual. "Such a shame a whore like you has no semblance of manners…"
Thunderscythe gave a shriek of indignation. "Vee'll see!" she shrieked. "Aaraya! Yaaya! Kill the spies."
Bladeskipper leapt over a fence and at the feline-thing (Ratchet assumed it was Bladeskipper, for Bandit was very intent on that fight) while Flash dove from the sky, clawing at the optics of the massive Pit-Dragon.
'Tell them to move. We're coming.'
Ratchet obeyed, telling his friends to call off their beasts. Surprised, they obeyed and a split second later two massive forms dropped from the sky. He had never been happier to see the twins and nearly cried with relief.
'Be strong and brave.' Ranthanoss told him gently even as Russet roared, shaking the feline-blade creature which she had gripped in her powerful jaws. She twisted her neck and the cat-thing was hit against the wall continuously until it hung limp in her jaws. It was dropped and she leapt at the Pit-Dragon which her sister was dancing around.
An image flashed across his mind and grabbing Bandit and Silverstreak, drew them toward the door. 'I'm so going to kill you later.'
'Love you too, Ratch.' Was the distracted reply as Ratchet slammed the door shut. 'Find the other Iacon Enforcers and stay with them. Thunderscythe will have mercenaries and guards all around looking for you.'
'All right,' he said, trying to sound strong as Ranthanoss said.
An amused thought followed and the flow of 'talk' ceased. "We have to get going. Russ says there's mercenaries and guards everywhere looking for us." He dragged them into a narrow hallway. Silent motions to their beasts kept the cyberwolf and turbohawk quiet though their optics shone suspiciously in the darkness.
"What was that behind there?" Bandit hissed, Bladeskipper's hackles rising silently. The 'wolf said nothing and made no sound.
He didn't know what to say. Was he still technically undercover? "Iacon Enforcers are arresting Thunderscythe." He said instead.
The two were quiet behind him and they paused as sound echoed through a shut door at the end of the dark hallway. "Bladeskipper says that there's a lot of people on the other side." Bandit said quietly, motioning to the door. "She doesn't know if they're out to kill us or out to arrest us, though."
Ratchet bit his lip. "We'll have to chance it."
Silverstreak stared hard at him. "Wandering around with creatures like this – they're obviously pit-beasts! – can get us arrested. If they know we're pit-fighters, we'll be arrested. If they're not Enforcers and are mercenaries, we'll be killed. Is that how you want to go?"
He hesitated. "Let me go through first." Without waiting for a reply, he slid the door open a crack and poked his head through. A large number of the mechs were unfamiliar, but they all wore the uniforms of Iacon Enforcers. With a sigh of relief he walked through the open door, throwing it wide open.
The mechs and occasional gnarly femme startled but settled when Ironhide waded through the crowd. "Ratchet!"
"Ironhide," he breathed. "Primus am I glad to see you. Russ, Gold, Flux, and Forge are in the alleyway just behind that hall." He said, jerking his head to doorway. "Russ said to watch out 'cause there's assassins out to get us."
Ironhide frowned. "Us?" he echoed and Ratchet winced slightly.
"Yeah, me and my allies." He said, stressing the last word.
The red mech's brow ridge rose. "All right, Ah'm a' listenin'."
Ratchet motioned to the door. "It's all right." He promised.
Silverstreak, cocky, arrogant bugger that he was came out first, Flash resting on his fist. Flash himself stared balefully at the Enforcers as Bladeskipper emerged slowly, followed like a shadow by Bandit. "Okay, Ratch, y' better 'xplain yerself." Ironhide rumbled, crossing his arms.
An Enforcer nearby brought his energy cuffs out and Bladeskipper snarled at him. The tension and fear caused Ratchet to snap angrily at them. "Try to arrest them and I'll have Russet tear your spark through your mouth." He snarled.
There was a low sound and it took the three a moment to realize that it was Ironhide laughing. "All right, yer idjits. Back t' guard duty. We've got orders t' let these go free."
There was a low growl and suddenly Russet was there in all her bleeding, snarling glory. Everyone backed off quickly after that. "Russ," he whispered, throwing his arms around her neck. Then he pulled back and hit her sharply. She bared her fangs in what he recognized as a Pit-Dragon smile. "I'm going to frakking kill you." He snapped. "Going after a pit boss?"
Russet gave a dry laugh as she transformed. "I had no choice, Ratch. Now be a dear and explain to your friends what happened while I make sure we got everyone." With a nod she walked out, fluid-streaked body disappearing through the hordes of mechs and femmes in the room.
-
Silverstreak and Bandit bid him farewell, watching in amusement as he stepped into the Enforcer transport. "Flash says that I should give this to you," he said awkwardly, giving the red and white medic a large flat box.
Russet grinned from her spot on his other side. She nodded to Flash who raised his crest in greeting. "Thanks," Ratchet said shyly, taking the box.
Bandit laughed, Bladeskipper as ever at her side. The cyberwolf panted happily next to her Controller, apparently at ease. "Take care o' yerself, ye imbecile." She said good-naturedly, handing the medic a small box. "For the gift Flare n' Silverstreak gave you."
Ratchet smiled and thanked the spunky femme. He had known them for only a few days (and in Bandit and Bladeskipper's case, less than a day) and he already felt the stirrings of a good friendship growing. Even if they were on opposite sides of the law.
"We gotta go: the transports are firing up." Russet murmured.
"You guys come back sometime. I wanna see if Silverstreak's full of hot air when he thinks Flash can take Russet." Bandit snickered. The mech huffed but the familiar flash of indignation flared across his friend's optics.
"Will do, Bandit." He stepped onto the transport and sat down. Russet followed, finding a seat across from him as the doors closed. They waved until they couldn't see each other anymore and the transport had trundled down the streets. He turned to Russet. "That was all well and good and certainly a great experience, but let's never do it again."
Russet, Gold, Flux Core, Forge, Replay (who had acted as Communications Officer for the bust), Ironhide, and the three medics who came along laughed warmly along with him.
Silverstreak and Flash were characters submitted by Spiritprime. :3
Bandit, Bandit, Bladeskipper, Russet, Gold, Flux Core, Forge, and Replay are mine....