The reason this fic is getting an M-rating is because it will talk about dark topics (Not as dark as my fic Two Worlds One Spark... I hope) there will be abuse of many kinds, depression, torture, and various other things. The first few chapters won't have much if any at all, but I promise I will make a warning at the beginning of each chapter that does contain a topic that may need a warning. Inspired by Detroit: Become Human (DBH)
Primes (In order of receiving Matrix) :
Prima
Primon
Onyx
Vector
Megatronus
Solus
Alchemist
Amalgamous
Quintus
Micronus
Nexus
Sentinel
Alpha
Time Units (Found on Tf wiki):
Astro-second: .498 seconds
Breem: 8.3 minutes
Cycle: 1.25 hours
Deca-cycle: ~3 weeks
Groon: ~1 hour
Klik: 1.2 minutes
Meta-cycle: 13 months
Orbital cycle: ~1 month
Solar cycle/lunar cycle: 1 day/1 night
Stellar cycle:~7.5 months
Deci-vorn: 8.3 years
Vorn: 83 years
Currency:
1 credit: ~60.25 shanix
1 cred card: 400 credits
Ch. 8
Meister sung the last note magnificently which was rewarded by a wave of applause. He looked at his audience with a smile before bowing and walked off stage. The AI joined Alchemist's side with a smile on his lips. "Do you think they will donate for the orphanage?"
"After your performance, I have little doubt that they won't resist donating. How are you feeling my friend? You've been awfully busy with Wicker; I've missed spending time with you." Alchemist drank his high grade mixture, his sixth glass of high grade which meant that Meister was going to have to care for him during his aftermath. They were at a charity party to renovate the orphanage; all donations were going to the orphans. And the best part was that there were so many younglings around that he could bring Star and Saber without anyone knowing. They were playing in the field with the other younglings that were brought here with their creators or the orphanage. He saw them playing like normal younglings, which caused his chest to warm.
"Alchemist sir, you should really calm down with the energon. I don't want to deep clean the shuttle." Turbolight was on guard duty tonight, which meant that if Meister excused himself then it wouldn't be any problem. "Oh 'fore I forget, Megatronus and Solus were looking for you Meister."
"Oh, did they say why?" Meister took the glass away from his code holder, helping him find his seat. He wasn't going to lie and say he didn't worry for Alchemist's health with all of the high grade he was consuming, but the Prime always said he was okay. The guard shrugged and the AI checked the overcharged Cybertronian one more time before going to see what the Primes wanted of him. He bowed his helm in greeting, "you wished to see me?"
The two Primes both looked at each other with a bit of concern in their optics. Megatronus was the one to speak for them, "we have a job for you dr- Meister." The Polyhexian knew what he was going to say had it not been for the femme elbowing the mech. "You see, we have gotten word that one of the lords has been dealing in some illegal activities. Some of them being substances and avoiding taxes. We need you to find out which one it is and bring them to the Council for questioning."
"What city are they from?" The droid asked the councilors.
"Praxus. His name is Vanguard, we don't want him killed understand. Just bring him to us for questioning." Solus reminded Meister.
The AI nodded with a smile, "I'll see to it that it gets done. Want me to bring him early tomorrow?"
Megatronus nodded and Solus shook her helm. The mech looked at his friend with a frown, "Solus the faster we get this problem dealt with the faster we can focus on more important things."
"If we move too fast then it'll draw attention. We should get as much information on why Vanguard is doing this and then we can retrieve him." Solus gave her opinion with her arms folded in front of her.
While the AI was watching the two bicker he felt two servos grabbing his digits. ::Meister we want to go home, we're tired.:: He heard Star's voice through the short wave comlinks.
::And we're thirsty.:: Saber whined.
The older AI assumed they were using Star's invisibility mod since neither of the Primes were reacting to them standing behind him. Meister looked at the Primes with a smile, "I will get what information I can and report my findings. I need to fuel and see that Alch is taken home before he crashes."
"Oh, I see that our brother is getting too into the partying mood. Alright don't let us keep you then." Solus teased the absent mech.
Meister turned and felt the invisible servos gently wrap around thighs. He went over to Alchemist and put a servo on the mech's back. "Alch, we should take you home. Light, do you think you can do that? Solus Prime and Megatronus has asked for my help in an assignment."
"An assignment? No, no, no, noooo. Meister we have another test to do. We were going to test out to see if you could use a… a… Prime weapon." Alchemist was hiccupping and tried to stand up on his own, but his arm gave out before he even had a chance to stand. "Okay, maybe I should get some recharge. Meister, you are a great friend. I will find out what Gearshaft did to your people, and he will answer for his crimes."
Meister only managed to get a single glyph out before the Prime suddenly stood and pulled him into a crushing hug. The droid chuckled uncomfortably but he returned the hug. "You are a great friend to Alchemist Prime. Now may I please be sat down before you crush this frame?"
"Oh right!" The Prime sat him down and brushed him off before grabbing his flask that was off the table. "I will see you in the mid-cycle."
The droid canted his helm with a smile, "good lunar cycle friend."
The three droids went outside, as far as they could away from the party before Star and Saber became visible again. Meister covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing. "Primus, you two must have had fun playing with the other younglings. Were they nice to you both?"
"Mhm! The orphans were really nice to us. Can we go over and play again when you're busy?" Saber asked while Meister shifted into a Predacon. They climbed onto his back and held onto whatever they could as he took off into the air.
"Yeah, how come they were nice than the younglings we went to school with?" Star asked as they flew towards Helix.
The faux-Predacon looked over his shoulder briefly before looking back ahead. "I will have to think about it. The orphanage is near the Prime towers. And when you don't have any creators or family besides those you can relate to, you have little room for prejudices on those you are different from. There are younglings in Helix you can play with, but-"
"But that means telling your boss about us?" Star finished for him. Meister stopped flying and just hovered in the sky, startled by the youngling's response. "I saw the note on the table and read it. I'm sorry Meister."
The Predacon shook his helm, "no it's okay. I shouldn't have left it out. I don't want you a part of this. You're both still younglings and you can't be installed with weapons like I can. Wicker was the one who helped me find you, so he already knows about you both."
"Can we meet him?" Saber asked with a smile.
"Perhaps." He returned to fly before shifting into a Seeker and slowly landed on the roof of their home. The younglings held onto his neck as he shifted one more time. They went inside the front door before the land lord stopped Meister.
"Quickshadow, a mech dropped this off for you. Said it was important." He sat a small box on the counter and pushed it through gap under the window. "And you both look like you were playing outside for a while. Look like genuine Polyhexian creations."
Meister had noticed that in Helix there wasn't much judgment on the fact that Star and Saber were AI. He could only assume it was because the Dead End was full of empties and this was the city of mischief and the crooked. Star grabbed the package since his caretaker's arms were full. "Really? Even though we don't have horns?"
"Kiddo when you live in this city, it don't matter what you look like. If you feel the soul of the music, the true spark of Cybertron, then you will always find home in Helix." The landlord said, getting a smile from both of the younglings.
Saber yawned and snuggled closer to his caretaker, silently letting him know he was tired. Meister thanked the mech and went up to their apartment. He got their fuel and cleaned them up before laying them down on the berth. They all cuddle close to each other with their servos on their chests. Meister wasn't in the least bit ready to settle down, but for the two AI that were afraid their old caretaker would get ahold of them then he wasn't about to leave.
Meister onlined to the sound of a window opening. He sat up and looked to see that Saber sand Star were still deep in recharge. Carefully he shifted into his Cyberwolf form and stealthily walked out to the living room with a deep growl. His growling caught the attention of the mech that was planting a datapad down. The droid saw the mask covering his face and the red chevron on the mech's arm before relaxing. "How did Wicker find me?"
"Dis place is under his protection. Jumpstart commed us tah tell us dat a random mech with moving platin' moved in with two youngling droids. He's under instructions tah report any strange things. Wicker has a job for ya." The mech tossed the datapad as the droid returned to his frame. Meister picked it up and examined it silently.
"He can't be serious, he wants me to steal from the Council? And how does he expect me to steal a guarded artifact like the Shield of Megatronus? He keeps it with him at all times." Meister didn't like this in the slightest. "The Council trusts me to help protect their secrets."
The soldier shrugged before going to the window, "not my problem. Ya got a problem with it, then take it tah Wicker."
Meister was pulled out of his thoughts by a tiny servo tugging his digit. "Meister, you're not going to take from Papa Alchemist are you?"
"No, no I won't do that. I can't do that to him." Meister knelt down and put Saber's servo on his chest. "I'm telling the truth."
Saber dropped his servo after looking at his guardian's memories, "Papa Alchemist is lucky to have you as a friend. Are you going to go to work now?"
"Yeah, I have to take care of the noble that the Council want me to bring to them. And then tell Alchemist about Wicker. Stay safe while I'm gone, okay?" Meister hugged Saber before he was greeted by a still onlining Star who just flopped onto his arm. "Star, make sure you both get fueled and don't answer the door for anyone."
"Okay Meister." Star nuzzled the Polyhexian before they were left alone in the apartment.
Finding the mech the Council wanted was super easy, especially when Meister was able to trick the mech into thinking that the Council was going to improve his status. When Vanguard was standing in the middle of the room, the doors closed behind them and Meister stood beside Alchemist with a smile on his face. He leaned next to his receptor and started whispering which triggered the noble. "Woah, hey what is that thing saying? I thought my status was improving?"
"Oh really?" Prima looked at the silver droid that was still whispering to his code holder. He looked back down at the panicked looking mech, "well I imagine you know the real reason for you being brought here? We will allow you the chance to explain yourself after we have listed your crimes. Tax evasion as well bot trading and substance trading. How do you plead Noble Vanguard?"
The mech didn't get a chance to speak before Alchemist piped in. "I would like to add an additional charge. Murder. My assistant discovered Noble Vanguard cleaning his servos and a bladed weapon of energon as well as chopped limps on the table behind him. He reported the findings to the proper authorities on their way here."
The Council looked at the AI quietly before he gave his input, "the remains matched the description of a mech that had been reported missing for a stellar cycle. My visors have recorded the whole thing from the moment I stepped up to his door."
"That is completely false! I would never do such a thing!" The noble mech shouted and pointed at Meister with a growl. "When did the Council start trusting Polyhexians to ever speak the truth?"
Everyone looked at Prima and Primon for their thoughts. They leaned in close to each other with their words inaudible to the rest of the room. After a klik both of old matrix bearers nodded and looked at Vanguard but it was Prima that rose to his peds. "Until the alleged evidence can be confirmed by the enforcers, we will only focus on the crimes we know are real." Meister gawked and went to speak up until Alchemist quietly put his servo on his friend's arm. "We have all of the documents that shows you have been avoiding your taxes as well as evidence that puts you at the scene of the trading rings that have or are currently being torn down."
"The credits are mine! They shouldn't have to go to the poor!" Vanguard stomped his ped with an arm pointing in a general direction behind him. "If they want to be able to get their own energon, then they need to get jobs like the rest of us!"
Solus rose to her peds and nodded with a slender servo pushing her tendrils off her shoulder. "That is all of the confession the Council needed to hear. From this moment on you will no longer retain your noble status, your possessions will be turned over to the treasury to pay back for the amount you have failed to pay, and you will spend a vorn in prison."
Vanguard gawked in anger before grabbing at his chest and dropped to the ground. He started shaking as growls came from him. Onyx leaned forward but no one was going to move from their spot. Turbolight moved from his spot near the door to see what was going on. Meister saw energon dripping from the downed mech's mouth and he went to stop the mech, but Vanguard tackled Turbolight to the ground with a loud shriek. His mouth was splitting open, showing off hundreds of sharp denta lining his mouth. The Council all shouted and backed away while the creature tore open the scream mech's chest open. Meister jumped over the table and tackled Vanguard away from the limp frame.
The droid knew he reacted too late by the tank churning crunching sound of a spark being eaten. He shifted with a loud growl before a fight broke out between the spark eater and the droid. Alchemist and the other Primes all stood slowly as they watched Meister grip the neck of the screaming creature. Meister shook his helm vigorously until the body went fly across one side of the room and the helm went the opposite direction. The droid's code holder spoke calmly as the cyber wolf went over to Turbolight's gray frame. "Meister? Meister, are you okay?"
The cyber wolf whined when his snout touched the cold metal. He shifted back and struggled to stand as he pressed his servo firmly against a part of his framed under his arm. "I-I tried to save him. He ate his spark."
"You risked yourself for us?" Megatronus sat his shield down on the part of the table in front of him. "Why?"
The AI took a staggered step forward as he spit out the acidic tasting energon of the spark eater. "Because you're my friends."
A clean up crew was called in while Alchemist stayed with Meister while one of the others had the unfortune duty of contacting Turbolight's family. A medic had been commed to patch Meister up. "Meister, what you did was brave, but you could have gotten yourself killed."
"Ha, these things have no concept of self-preservation or morality." The medic scoffed while he cauterized the fuel lines. "I don't even understand why Gearshaft even bothered making these things, I repair actual bots not these drones."
Meister looked up at Alchemist with a frown. The Prime put a servo on his back and spoke to the medic with a firm tone. "Medic, have you worked or been around a droid? Asked them for their thoughts?"
The medic stopped his repairs with an uncertain expression on his face. "No? They never say anything except to answer questions. It's not like they have ideas of their own. That's why they're called AI."
"Perhaps we do not speak our minds because we are afraid of what our code holders would do to us if they found out?" Meister looked at the medic with his helm tilting to the side. "If you did not try to scan for a spark, if you saw me would you think I was a droid or another Cybertronian?"
The medic licked his lips and welded the gashes on the silver mech's side. "Well I repaired what I could, no major fluid loss, all your droid needs is to let… its repair system to finish the repairs. If there is no one else that needs fixed, I need to head back to the hospital." He packed his toolkit and quickly retreated out of the room. Meister frowned as he carefully rose to his peds. The droid lifted his arm and touched near the fresh welding job.
Alchemist knelt down and looked at the three short claw marks. "I'm sorry my friend. We had no idea that Vanguard was a spark eater."
"You don't need to be sorry Alch. You're my friend, I protect those I care about." Meister looked up with a smile. He looked at the spot that was stained from Turbolight's energon. The Polyhexian felt sadness and guilt for not being able to save the mech. "I'm sorry Turbolight."
Meister returned to the apartment with a heavy feeling in his being. A smile briefly came to his face when he saw the younglings jump up from the living room floor and run to greet him. He winced slightly when they tackled him to the floor, "we thought something happened to you! You didn't come home from work yesterday."
Saber held onto the Polyhexian tightly and he felt tiny drops hitting his shoulders. Meister pulled away to see both of them were crying and shaking with fear, "I'm sorry both of you. I should have come back. I promise to never leave you again. I will always return to you both."
"Is this what the Cybertronians feel when they love someone?" Star wiped his optics with a smile on his lips. He snuggled back into the silver frame, "because if it is then it feels good."
"It does feel good."
Let me know what your thoughts are. If you'd like more let me know down in the comments :) In case you all were wondering, Star and Saber were named after the canon character Starsaber. Their new frame color and style are similar to what his TF: Victory colors are. I will be doing a bit of a time skip the next chapter
