nliochristou I'm not sure as of yet. It might change as I get more into the war itself.
Chapter 3: The Thugs at the Docks
Orion Pax raced back to the docks where he and Ariel worked. His engine revved as he drove through the busy traffic that was a common thing to see in Iacon. The capital city of Iacon was always busy. Trade with the other city states meant that Mechs were coming and going all the time. This was one of the few times that he hated that living in Iacon. It was also the gangs and thugs that operated within the large city state. They had enough credits to remain under the radar of the Enforcers.
Managing to somehow get through the traffic he found himself at the docks. The docks that saw Energon coming all over Cybertron to Iacon. Cargo freighters were large ships and it took every Mech both of the ships and on the land to bring them safely. There was always the danger of running aground or being hijacked by one of the many crime lords who had liars in Iacon. It may have been the Golden Age for many of Cybertron's inhabitants, but there was many Mechs who were struggling. Some of them were exploited in either the mines, the Pits of Kaon like Megatronus or by other means. Then there was those who took profit because of this.
He had once been blind to the poverty that was happening all around him. He had been distracted by everything that was all around him. He had always been in a sheltered life growing up under the care of Alpha Trion and his adoptive sister who had left Cybertron as soon as she could. She could never stay still when they were both young. Then Alpha Trion had made him get a part time job at the docks. He didn't know why Alpha Trion had suddenly made him get a work at the docks when he first said about it. Now he was beginning to see why the old archivist had done this. He had been blind to what was happening deeper within Cybertron's society until he started working at the docks. Dock working was hard, not as hard as what Megatronus was doing in the Pits.
Orion came to the warehouse at the docks. It was the largest warehouse there. It was where they stored all the Energon that was brought into their dock. It also acted as their office. It was at the warehouse that either he or Ariel meet up with the clients who were bringing in Energon or anything else from the other city states. There had been too many times in the past few months that he had seen the crime lords in action. He had already been paid off not to say anything about the Femmes and younglings that had been smuggled into Iacon from wherever they had come from. He of course had reported them to the Enforcers who done their job.
He transformed back into his root mode and was meet by a large mech. The mech was much taller than him. So much taller than him that he was looking up at the Mech. He was a ground pounder like him, but he couldn't tell what his alternative mode was.
"Why is it always you that is getting into trouble, Pax?" grumbled the mech as he grabbed Orion's shoulder and shoved him back into the warehouse. The massive entrance of the warehouse was opened and allowed both Mechs to enter it.
Inside the warehouse was a group of Mechs that Orion had gotten to know in recent months. With them was Ariel. The small pink Femme stood between two of the thugs. She was being held by two of them. A small dripple of Energon was running down from her mouth that caused worry from Orion as he also saw scratch marks elsewhere on her body. He spotted on the thugs that a few of them also had scratch marks on their arms. One of the thugs who was holding Ariel was also missing an optic. Ariel may have been small, but she was able to defend herself from Mechs like them.
"Ah Orion! I see that you have gotten back from speaking to the Mech who wants to disrupt everything that has made Cybertron Great!" declared the largest Mech of the group. He was a Paraxian with the doorwings coming off from his back. His black and red plating had many scratches on them, many of them were much older. His yellow optics bore right into Orion as he toward above the younger and smaller Mech. "Now I am going to get to the matter at hand! I do hope you don't take all the threats and beatings as personal, Orion Pax. We are mainly doing what we are paid to do!" the Mech said in a calm voice.
Behind him the other Mechs who were a part of his gang chuckled.
"Look I do understand. I know we all have a job. Me and Ariel work here in the docks along with the others and I know that you get paid to be either bodyguards or pardon me,l thugs!" Orion responded back to the leader of the thugs. He stepped back when one of them was about to charge for him, but was stopped before he got to him.
The leader of the thugs glared at the angry Mech. The Mech who was so angry that he was vibrating and ready to punch Orion in the faceplate. "But boss, isn't that why we are here?" asked the angry Mech. He glared at his boss before he glared back at Orion Pax who despite all the threats that he already had gotten he stepped back.
"Enough!" the boss snapped at the flunky before he looked back towards Orion. "We are being civil! After all, what would the bosses think that the best port in all of Iacon was no longer allowing them to have access to their Energon and goods from the other City States!" he said as he kept looking at Orion Pax.
"Now this is your last warning, or we do more to your girlfriend other than scratching her? Stop supporting Megatronus! He will bring nothing but disorder and anarchy to our world! Not only will the owners of the mines and gladiator pits be affected, but it will also be Mechs like you and me who are affected if Megatronus gets his way!" the leader said to Orion.
Orion watched as the leader of the thugs nodded his helm towards the two thugs who where holding Ariel back. They both released her. They had both expected her to run right to Orion, but she didn't do that. Instead she turned around and kicked one of them in the knee. Then she used her small frame and speed to get away from the thugs and run back to Orion. Orion placed himself between her and them.
"Do you understand what is being asked of you? Stop helping the gladiator or else!" warned the thug leader. He walked then walked past Orion and Ariel. His yellow optics glared down at them as he walked past them. He was followed by the rest of his gang.
The Mech who was angry at him stopped before him. "The next time we meet bookworm, I am going to rearrange your faceplate!" he warned before he to stomped out of the warehouse.
Orion found himself relaxing once the thugs had left the warehouse and he had heard them transforming into their alternative modes. The next he heard was their engines revving and leaving the docks. He felt his shoulders relax as he knew that they were safe. At least for now. He would need to get in touch with Megatronus and tell him that he needed to keep low until the heat was off of him and Ariel. The threats were still threats, but he knew that sooner or later there will be violence that goes along with those words.
"Orion Pax, we need to talk! We really need to have a long talk!" spoke up Ariel bringing his attention back to her.
Orion looked at her and it was at this moment he wished that he was either in the Pits of Kaon fighting Megatron or had fought against those thugs. He was sure that he would survive both of them, but an angry Ariel. That was something else altogether. He would never put any Mech in against Ariel. She may have been small and may have been pink, but she was just as fierce as the gladiators in the Pits. The glare that he was getting from her, he already knew about the talk that she was going to give him.
"Ariel, I know what you are going to say! But this just proves that we are hitting nerves with the right people. The Prime knows he is corrupt. Its just a matter of time before the rest of Cybertron fell the same thing!" he told her.
Ariel glared at him. "Orion, you know that I support you! Especially after what we had found the last week! But this is getting dangerous, especially for us! You have to remember we may have weapon systems, but that's nothing compared to what they have!" she snapped at him.
"I know that Ariel. Once I have talked with the council with Megatron I will stay quiet until it is safe for me to campaign with him again!" he told her.
Ariel sighed and looked away from him. "I'm scared, Orion. Its just that we deal with all kinds of Mechs and most of them make a living with in the the businesses that the Prime supports!" she sighed still looking away from him. "Please, at least get in touch with your sister! You said she has a better understanding in fighting than you do!" she said to him as she looked back at him.
"I don't even know where she is, Ariel! She left three vorns ago!" Orion told her. He remembered the night when she just got up and left. She had explained to him and Alpha Trion what she was thinking about for ages. Their weakness was like the Seekers, they couldn't stay in one place for too long. He knew she was looking to find out who she was and she knew the answers she wouldn't be able to find it on Cybertron.
Ariel sighed and slumped her shoulders. "At least call her and tell her what's happening!" she pleaded with him.
"Okay, I will call her after I call Megatron and tell him about the council meeting tomorrow!" he reassured her.
Ariel nodded her helm. Happy that Orion was going to take some of her advice. Then she walked back into her office. They did have jobs to keep after all.