Well... its's been a minute hasn't it?

More like over a year since the last chapter was posted... oof...

Anyways, thanks to anyone who is still waiting and hasn't given up on me ever posting more to this story! And welcome to anyone who is new! Some good news, as I've said on tumblr, the rest of it is written so, fingers crossed, I should be able to get out the next few chapters much quicker.

Hope you enjoy!


Chapter Eight - Mecha For Hire

Finally, the group reached the border between the Badlands and Polyhex.

Thundercloud called for everyone to stop and make camp yet again. After doing this, he wandered away from the group, lifting his hand to the side of his helm.

"Yes, Thundercloud. What is it?" answered the mech on the other end of the comm swiftly.

"I have six mecha with me at the edge of Polyhex's territory," Thundercloud rumbled in reply. "We'll be at your designated coordinates by next early orn."

"Very good. I will meet you there to give my opinion."

With that, the comm was ended.

Thundercloud turned back towards the mecha he'd collected, noting immediately that more than one set of optics were watching him.

"What?" he growled, stepping closer to the group.

"When are we meeting this new boss of ours?" Crusher asked darkly, getting to his pedes and taking several steps to meet the triplechanger. "I'm getting tired of traveling with the rest of your rabble."

"Hey!" Taser protested loudly from nearby.

Dagger merely glared at her before sighing and walking away before she yelled in his audios again.

Thundercloud leaned over Crusher. "You'll meet him when we get there. Perhaps if you'd driven faster, we would be closer."

"You still would have called for us to stop," interrupted Roadrage.

Thundercloud whirled towards the burly red and black. "And why is that?"

Roadrage glanced up at the sky, then back at the angry triplechanger. "It's still light out now, if we'd reached this point earlier, I believe you would have stopped us anyways. For some reason, you're waiting until early next orn or late this offcycle to enter Polyhex."

Turning away, Roadrage then walked away to sit on a nearby boulder, assuming the first watch. Ransack meanwhile, had moved closer to the other two adults.

Thundercloud growled under his breath and stalked in the opposite direction.

"Nitro!" he yelled. "Go scout the surrounding area!"

Wordlessly, the two-wheeler stood from his crouched position and gave a short nod. Jumping forward, he transformed and was soon just a small speck in their vision.

"Sheesh, he's quick," Crusher muttered to Ransack who nodded in reply.

"There's not much to him," Dagger added, glancing up at the two miners standing nearby. "He's got that ta his advantage in terms of speed."

Taser walked over to join them, lifting a hand to shield her optics as she searched the horizon. "Ah still think we could take him in a race."

"Maybe." Dagger shrugged. "Probably not though."

"It'd be close at least."

"Probably."

Ransack chuckled. "He'd smoke Crusher and I. And Thundercloud. Probably Roadrage too."

"Ah, shut up, Ransack," Crusher grumbled. "Who even cares if the two-wheeler is faster? He's gotta have some sort of advantage over mecha otherwise he'd be dead by now. Give 'im speed for all I care."

The whole while that the four were discussing Nitro's speed, Roadrage was listening.

Listening with a slight smirk on his faceplate as he faced the opposite direction.

"You idiots have no idea what that youngling is capable of," he thought with a low, dark chuckle.

He hoped he was there when the rabble found out.

It hadn't failed to catch his notice that everyone in the group, Thundercloud included, underestimated Nitro.

To varying degrees, but Roadrage could tell by their words and attitudes about him.

Even Dagger and Taser, whom he and Nitro had managed to get the drop on twice.

Roadrage didn't like mecha, but he did enjoy a good show. And he was certain that at some point, the little two-wheeler that had followed him all the way from Slaughter City would gain some jaw dropping expressions.

Or jaw breaking. Time would tell.


"Everyone up," came the loud command.

Thundercloud was met with a collection of grumbling as the mecha who'd been recharging were awoken and began doing as he said.

"What are we doing?" Crusher demanded with a growl as he stretched his servos above his helm.

"Leaving," Thundercloud grunted.

Roadrage stood from his seat on the boulder he'd been keeping watch from.

"You waited for the cover of darkness. For what?" he asked gruffly.

"The city's close enough to the border on this side," remarked Thundercloud, noting he had the attention of the whole group as he spoke. "We're a large enough group that mecha will ask questions."

He paused, glancing around at the optics that surrounded him.

"And some of us are suspicious looking enough for some mecha to call enforcement."

"Pah! Enforcers," spat Crusher menacingly. "Don't need them poking around."

"I'm assuming Polyhexian enforcers are different from Kaonian or Slaughter City's ones," Roadrage remarked flatly. "They actually might do their job and give us trouble."

"Which is exactly why we waited," said Thundercloud. He took several steps towards the rest as he continued. "Our designated meeting place is to the northwest of here, several sectors within the city itself.

Ransack finally got to his pedes, sensing they were closer to leaving. "Why is that? Why is it worth the trouble to get there?"

"Because," the triplechanger replied. "That sector and the coordinates are to be our territory and new home."

"What does this Iaconian Towers want us all the way down here in the middle o' Polyhex city for?" Dagger inquired quietly. "I've heard some o' the others talkin'. I think ya owe us an explanation. A real one, no more vague answers."

The seventeen-vorn-old's red optics flicked momentarily towards Roadrage and Nitro before he continued.

"It's the least ya can do since ya already dragged us halfway 'cross the planet."

Thundercloud's optics narrowed and his frown grew deeper, the light from the two moons illuminating his tall, hulking frame and casting dark shadows upon parts of his faceplate. Making him look even more grim than he was already.

"Swindle wants space between us and him to further lessen any connections mecha might make," the triplechanger grumbled. "Your home city-state, youngling, is already filled with criminals. Especially, the region we'll be in. We'll fit right in.

"And there's plenty of places to steal weaponry and other items from. And council owned factories to sabotage."

Nitro exchanged a glance with Roadrage. Very similar things to what they used to do for Savage.

Not listed things they had also done for him, were assassinations and meddling with council and high castes' affairs to varying degrees.

Whether that was an improvement to their existence or beneficial in regards to their future escape plans or not, would remain to be seen.

Or whether those things were also included but Thundercloud had merely failed to mention.

With a stoic expression and a sinking spark, Nitro transformed and fell into the convoy that then crossed the border.

Further feeling that he was making a huge mistake.

But again, asking himself what other option was there?


After driving through a few sectors and sneaking through others, the gang reached the one which would become their home.

Coming to a halt and transforming, Thundercloud glanced around as the convoy behind him did the same.

"Is this it?" Crusher asked indignantly, glaring up at the bigger mech once he'd surveyed their surroundings. "What abandoned place is this?"

"Your home," grumbled Thundercloud, walking away without a glance.

"This is just a bunch o' abandoned warehouses," noted Taser, scrunching up her faceplate. "What're we livin' here for?"

"Because no one else wants to," the triplechanger replied over his shoulder.

Slowly, the three other mechs and the three younglings followed.

"I suspect that no one will come looking for us here either," Ransack muttered to the femmeling, leaning down as they walked. "No one looking means a better hiding place."

Taser nodded, understanding lighting her optics.

Nitro had been listening, but was paying more attention to the buildings around him.

Nothing stirred in any of the windows, either the dust covered or the broken ones. The area was silent except for what noise the seven mecha were making and the sound of the wind whistling between the higher buildings.

Most of the buildings were once warehouses. The rest would have been either tall office or apartment skyrises.

The building that Thundercloud seemed to be leading them to, was one of the first kind.

It was what looked to be a three-level warehouse, but seemed large enough still that the triplechanger would be able to walk comfortably on each floor.

Nitro also noted a set of tire tracks, fairly fresh, on the street leading to the building. And then they seemed to lead into an alley between the warehouse and the one next to it.

The young two-wheeler rose an optic ridge and frowned. The tire tracks, much like most, were larger than his own. However, they were much larger, and looked to belong to a four-wheeled transport.

Whether or not they belonged to a sentient transport or not, he wasn't certain.

Thundercloud led them into the alley, grunting a greeting to the transport that was parked several yards past a giant door in the side of the warehouse.

"T-64. Is Swindle already inside?"

"Yes," the transport rumbled in a neutral tone. "We just arrived not long ago. He asked that I would tell you he wishes to meet you all in the recreation room."

Thundercloud merely gave him a nod and pressed the button to open the massive door. Once it had opened, he beckoned for his group to enter first.

"Swindle is waiting for us," he muttered. "Best to not keep him waiting."


They'd met the noble.

From what Nitro could tell, none of them were really much of a fan of him.

So far, everyone, even Taser, was wary of the short orange and purple mech.

The mech seemed very pleased with the mecha Thundercloud had returned in tow with.

Introductions turned to rules and other topics of conversation that Nitro only half listened to.

Swindle made it clear that he was always in charge, even while he was away, which would be often. However, they would be more or less allowed to do what they wanted when he didn't require them or have a mission for them. As long as it was beneficial to him and didn't let anyone know who they're working for.

Thundercloud would be in charge while he was away, and after a bit of briefing from the giant, the noble decided on a few others' roles as well.

Roadrage was appointed as Thundercloud's second. At the red and black mech's mention of his former experience, Nitro was appointed as the tech specialist. Both Roadrage and Thundercloud would further Nitro, Dagger, and Taser's training. Ransack and Crusher didn't need more really.

"And what of your operation if there is truth in the possibility of a war?"

Swindle turned to face the mech who'd asked the question, Roadrage if he remembered correctly. The mech who'd asked with the underlying tone of one who was certain, who knew, that war wasn't just possibility.

But an inevitability.

Grinning broadly, the noble replied, "Well, war requires weapons does it not?"

"So you're a weapons dealer," grunted the grey and black miner.

Ransack or Crusher. Swindle didn't care to remember which one he was.

"Of a sorts," shrugged Swindle. "You'll be doing other things besides acquiring weapons."

"Like what?" the femmeling asked with a flick of doorwings.

"Sabotaging factories. Stealing technology. You know, that sort of things."

"Council owned?" inquired the grey and black miner, his interest in the conversation piquing.

Swindle grinned. He'd suspected some of that. Hoped for it actually.

"I perceive that various city-state councils have done some of you wrong," he said smoothly, feigning a sympathetic frown. "But I can assure you, I have dislike of them too. With me, you'll have lots of chances to get them back.

"Many, many chances."

Then, the mech turned to leave abruptly, talking over his shoulder as he walked towards the rec room door.

"I have found several other potential recruits that I will bring next orn. In the meantime, Thundercloud will show the rest of you around and you can get settled in."

In the doorway, he paused, turning to face them fully with a broad grin. "Oh! And while I'm gone, think of whatever it is you wish to have yourselves called."

With that, the noble then left the seven to sort themselves out.


Thanks for reading! And again, for those of you that have been waiting, thank you.

Thanks also to Blaster 2.0 for the borrowing of Thundercloud and for looking over this chapter for me.

See you next time!