"So…" Tailgate began, servos clasping the Energon. His visor flickered as Cyclonus hummed in response, sipping the high grade in his clawed digits.

"So…" Cyclonus said raising an optic ridge. His voice grounded out like tectonic plates shifting against one another. Cold, distant, yet undefined in purpose which is to say what he meant. Was he being cold or did he just sound like that without meaning to?

"Yeah, how did you… get beat up?" Tailgate asked gesturing to Cyclonuses injuries. Cyclonus looked down to his patch-ups and back at Tailgate with a slight hint of amusement in his optics.

"Well, let's just say I had a run in with some old friends of mine." He took another gulp of his high grade, "They weren't too happy to see me." Tailgate fidgeted and swirled his drink around in its glass. He didn't want to just kick his new guest out, but he didn't want to be dragged into some gang war either. He didn't know what to do, much less how to keep his new friend safe. If his 'friends' did this to him in such a short few Nano-clicks then he didn't want to even think about what they could do to him in a few hours.

"Which brings me to the looming topic of me leaving; I can see the doubt in your optics so don't try to hide it," Cyclonus was so blunt it made Tailgate wish he didn't hide behind his blank face mask. Then again, he didn't know very many bots that could see through his visor.

"In truth I'm kind of tied up here, on one hand I don't want you to leave, and on the other I don't want to be caught up in something I never even signed up for." Tailgate rested his servos in his lap and shifted around nervously.

"I can understand that, it's quite a fearful topic, but never the less even if you didn't care about the consequences I would leave. I don't want to put you in any more danger than I already have."

"Well…thank you I suppose…but still I can't just leave you to die!" Tailgate didn't realize he had raised his voice until he heard the echo bounce off the cold white walls of the kitchen.

"…I see, so you want me to stay to keep your conscience clear…"

"What? No! I'm not doing this so I won't feel guilty I'm doing this because…you're the closest thing to a friend I have…no one at school will talk to me…Ratchet can't come and visit as much as he did before because he has work and…I just get so lonesome."

Cyclonuses optics dimmed at the sudden outburst, he laced his claws together and looked at tailgate skeptically. Like Tailgate said before, he didn't just want him to die alone on the streets. Cyclonus eyed the digital clock and saw it was fairly late. As far as he was concerned he had no business telling the other what to do, but really, he did have school tomorrow.

"We'll discuss more of this another time, but as I recall you have school in the morning." Cyclonus said standing up to his full height. Even when he sat down he loomed above Tailgate. When he stood up he towered over him.

"Uhm…right, I'll just go to my berth then…Cyclonus?" Tailgate asked, looking up at the other.

"I'll sleep on the couch, and don't worry," he kneeled down and patted Tailgates helm, "I'll be here when you wake."

"Thanks, it makes me feel a lot safer with you around." Tailgate chirred warmly.

"…yes, well off you go now. Don't doddle."

The night was long lived and dreamless, Tailgate rather enjoyed the new friend he had come to sort of…rely on as a bodyguard of some sort. Cyclonus would be lying to not only himself, but the rest of Cybertron if said he did not enjoy the mini-bots presence, but he did value the others life. He didn't want any more innocent mech's being off lined because of his recklessness. Not to mention the fact that his old gang was finally catching up to his sorry aft.

Lovely, absolutely lovely. Cyclonus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose; an oncoming helm-ache was surging over him. After a moment of contemplating he let himself fall backwards into the cool, plush couch. Before he knew it recharge washed over his frame it was welcomed and short lived, just like it had always been.

The next morning was, if anything, bright and unwanted. A warm smell drifted through the air and eased Cyclonuses on coming ache. His injuries flared and made him groan as he pulled himself up. Tailgate was standing over a warm energon pot, mist and evaporation fogging his smooth metal plating. Condensation pooled in seems and gaps dripping onto the kitchen counter.

"Oh, you're up. Here," Tailgate handed Cyclonus a steaming cup of warm energon. Cyclonus nodded and sat down at the table, the sweet cent clouding his processor. Ah yes, that was just what he needed, warm, soft and it helped more than he thought.

"Feel better?" Tailgate asked as he took a seat beside his companion. Cyclonus nodded and felt relief flood over him, he was used to pain, but hardly ever relieved of it. This was surely a blessing, to be ailed so soothingly.

"More than words could ever tell you." Cyclonus hummed as he gulped the solution down. Tailgate shrugged and finished his own drink.

"Well I have to get going, don't light the house on fire while I'm gone, if you need anything just call," Tailgate called as he walked through the front door. Cyclonus didn't catch the rest Tailgate said as he was too drowsy to even care. He just grunted in response as the youngling went to school.

After an hour long nap, Cyclonus was ready for just about anything, except Tailgates forgotten lunch. It even had a little note about not forgetting it.

"How this bot gets around without losing his own helm, I'll never know." Cyclonus grumbled as he tried to transform. He grunted in frustration as he was unable to, he sighed and walked the rest of the way to Tailgates school.

It was large, that was a definite. Composed of windows and sterling silver, the building shined in the sun light. Cyclonus groaned as he realized it was a high-school. He had never liked Teenagers; as a matter of fact not liking them was an understatement.

He despised them with every fiber in his being. But none the less he needed to get Tailgate his lunch. The femme at the front desk made a startled 'eep' as he approached her, his optics skimmed over a large data pad.

"I need to see Tailgate, please." He said looming over the accountant like a starved animal. He didn't mean to come across as fearsome, but in all honesty he didn't really care about her at the moment. He just needed to make sure Tailgate wouldn't starve to death during lunch.

"Y-yes of course, he should be in…the cafeteria! It's just around the corner; can't miss it." She chirped smiling sweetly up at Cyclonus. He nodded and went through the spinning doors his footsteps echoed through the empty hall way as he made his way to the cafeteria. It was filled with chattering students and obnoxious conversations, just as one should be. He skimmed over the crowd, but didn't see his tiny friend anywhere. Just a sea of strangers.

"Hmm…" he murmured under his intake, looks like this was going to be harder than he thought.

He strutted on and searched for the mini-bot, but to no avail. Where could one little bot get to?

"Gah! C'mon guys, let me down!" a shriek followed by heavy clanging. Cyclonus neared the corner of an unmarked hallway and was met with Tailgate hanging upside down by one ped. The Mech holding him up was smirking down at him and clenching his ankle in a vice grip. Tailgate struggled in the others hold while another Mech just laughed his helm off like there was no tomorrow.

What ever happened between Cyclonus snapping like a twig and the following screams of pain that followed was beyond Tailgate, but it went something like World War Two.