Orion carefully walked through the halls. He looked into every room and glanced through every window, hoping for any sign of Ratchet, just to assure himself that his caretaker was alright, and that what he had been hearing wasn't true.
They had been watching him, medics and assistants alike as he passed by them. They eyed him sympathetically, and he could hear them whisper to each other, one mech saying how it wasn't right, another muttering about how a sparkling shouldn't have to go through any of it, and that Ratchet was horrible for leaving him, but Orion only smiled and waved, refusing to listen to what was being said, or pretending that it didn't bother him.
Orion tried to think of a reason for why Ratchet didn't come back. The uncertainty was making him very worried, just because he didn't know. His processor ran possibilities through his head, and they hurt. Maybe he had to heal someone. He might have been needed to cure a sick spark. He could have been trying to help someone. Maybe he needed to fix someone, or maybe he was suddenly busy, or maybe he got lost or maybe he just forgot or...
Maybe he hated him again.
No.
Orion couldn't believe that, he just couldn't.
Ratchet wouldn't leave him alone like that. Those medics in the hallway couldn't have really believed that Ratchet abandoned him. Ratchet wouldn't just give him away, right? Of course not. He wouldn't.
Right?
Orion shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn't believe that even came to mind. He shouldn't ever doubt his caretaker, not after everything. Not after everything. Not after he had been revived from nearly offlining, not after he survived the underground power station, not after he began getting better, not after he took his first steps, not after he first spoke.
His first word had been Ratchet's name.
That was Orion first clear memory. He did remember things before then, but not as well as he did that moment.
He knew with all his spark that Ratchet wouldn't do that to him.
And even if he did, that wouldn't stop Orion from looking for him, no matter how long it took.
The datapad had the names of five different Cybertronians on it. They must have had some connection to Ratchet. Orion couldn't find anything that connected them to his caretaker. Only one of them had even been treated by him.
Orion passed by an old mech as he walked, who didn't whisper, or stare, who didn't even notice him. Orion paused, turning back around.
That mech. Orion was almost certain that he had seen him before, when he was younger. He couldn't be sure. All memories before he spoke weren't as clear. His processor hadn't been completely developed, though from what he read on his datapad, it should have been by then.
Orion shook his head again. It was best not to think about it. He was a defective. That was his problem, and if he was wrong, then he was wrong. That didn't matter. Wrong or not, he had to find his caretaker. That was the only thing that mattered. Orion didn't want to be alone.
Orion carefully stepped up to the old mech, then stood in front of him to get his attention. "Hello?"
The old mech cocked his head slightly, taking a good look at Orion, before a huge smile appeared on his faceplate. "Hey, aren't you Ratchet's little sparkling?"
Orion immediately perked up at the name, optics wide. "Yes. Yes, I am!"
The old mech gave a hearty laugh. "I knew it! Those medics told me that my processor was going, but this just proved them wrong! You've grown so much!"
The old mech gave Orion a pat on the head, and Orion smiled, before he suddenly remembered what he was doing and why he was there. He might have known. If he was in the Medical Center, he might have known. Orion's voice rose with the thought. "Have you seen Ratchet? Do you know where he is?"
The old mech shook his head. "I'm afraid not, little sparkling. Haven't seen him since that last rust incident. I only came back for an examination, don't want my mates to be calling me 'Rusty' again. What a flattering name that is!"
Orion's happiness quickly faded away. So he had nothing, then. No lead, no idea, no clue.
He had nothing.
The old mech's smile remained, not noticing the sudden change of the sparkling's emotions, and he gave another laugh, though softer and shorter than the one before.
"I haven't seen you either, for that matter. You seem to have grown into a fine mech already! Ratchet must be very proud!" The old mech said, patting Orion on the head once again. Orion frowned lightly, glancing down without a word. He had barely started searching, and he was already at a dead end.
But he didn't plan on giving up just then. He had to keep trying. For his caretaker.
"Do you know anyone named 'Fireblast'?" Orion asked, looking back up. The old mech appeared thoughtful for a moment, before he shook his head. Orion continued. "What about 'Bumper Crest'? Or 'Chipset'? Or 'Anchor'? 'Skylight'?"
The old mech shook his head to each name. "No, I don't. Never heard of them before. Are they friends of yours? Other sparklings, perhaps?"
Orion deflated slightly, voice quiet. "No."
Orion didn't know what to do next. He never had to guide himself before, always having someone by his side to help him, but that someone was gone. Orion had no one but himself. He didn't know what to do. But he refused to give up. Ratchet would never give up on him.
"Do you know how to get outside?" Orion asked, fully prepared for a negative answer.
The old mech seemed puzzled for a moment, then he nodded with a grin. "Oh yes, little sparkling. Just through that door!"
The old mech pointed behind himself, where a large door stood tall. Orion stared at the door for a moment, then he glanced back up at the old mech. "Thank you."
"That's quite alright, little sparkling," The old mech said merrily. Giving Orion one last pat on the helm, he began walking to where he was going before.
Orion stood there until he couldn't see the old mech anymore, then he looked towards the door again. It was closed. No one was entering or exiting. It seemed like, for just a moment, that everything was okay, no one was in trouble, but Orion knew that it wasn't true.
He stepped forward to start his search.
The door opened, welcoming him to the outside.
He hesitated.
The reason he was never allowed to leave the building suddenly hit him and left him standing frozen in the doorway. He was wrong. Because he was wrong, he could get very sick. It was why Ratchet wouldn't let him outside. That was the only thing he was told, that he could get sick. Ratchet said that he didn't want him to get sick.
He had to risk it. He had to risk being sick. He had to find Ratchet, and the only way he could find his caretaker was if he left the safety of the Medical Center, the only home he had ever known.
Orion took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what he was going to do.
"I'll find you, Ratchet," Orion whispered. "I promise."
And Ratchet had taught him not to make a promise he couldn't keep.
He stepped outside.
Orion finally saw everything from the other side of the glass. Mechs and femmes were going about their lives in content. The streets looked as if they were glowing. The giant buildings reflected the light of the setting sun. Cybertron was beautiful. Any other time, Orion would have been ecstatic about finally doing what he had always wanted to do.
But it meant almost nothing. He wanted to enjoy it, but he couldn't bring himself to, not while the one he wished to see it with was gone.
He took one last look at the building he left, his home, prepared to leave it all behind, though he hoped to return one day. Hardening his will, Orion stepped forth, towards the road, to find someone who knew.
He had no idea where he was going.
He wasn't lost. The Medical Center was right behind him, and if he wandered away, he would be able to see the large building for a long while before it went out of view. But that wasn't the point. As soon as he lost sight of the Medical Center, he would be completely alone.
Orion was a sparkling. A small, innocent, vulnerable sparkling. He needed someone who cared about him. Not like a friend, not like a mentor, not like a medic, someone who truly cared. He needed family. His caretaker was the only family he had. He couldn't lose him.
So he would get lost to get his caretaker back.
Orion started down a path beside the nearly empty streets. There were very few Cybertronians driving or flying, or even walking. Perhaps it was because it was late, and getting darker by the Klik. Orion didn't know. He looked around at the Cybertronians wandering the streets, looking for someone he recognized, or who looked like they could help, before someone caught his attention.
A light brown mech was making his way down the nearest road. The mech was probably a seeker, which Orion assumed because of the large wings on his back. Orion looked around at the other Cybertronians, seeing them all with someone else, one or more, while that one seeker was alone. He looked angry, as if something was weighing him down.
Orion felt a gentle tug in his chest, but he just ignored it. He had felt them before, and there were usually from his illness.
He stood there, watching the mech walk away, before he began running towards him.
Orion knew that he shouldn't run. It would strain him, but he didn't want to lose sight of the seeker. He arrived next to the mech rather quickly, and once he did he tried to catch his breath.
The seeker heard someone rush next to him, and he quickly glanced to the ground, where he saw a sparkling breathing deeply beside him. The mech stopped for a moment, as Orion stood up straight and locked optics with him.
"Where are you going?" Orion asked, curiously.
The mech looked down at the sparkling, slightly confused at the sudden question, but answered anyway. "Iacon."
Orion's optics brightened. He had read on his datapad that Iacon was where the Monorail was. It lead to Kaon, where the Gladiatorial Pits were. One of the names on the list might have fought there. They might have seen Ratchet. Orion smiled. "Can I come with you?"
That question also received confusion from the seeker, but he nodded uncertainly.
Orion's smile grew. He was getting closer to an answer. He was getting closer to finding Ratchet. He hoped that Ratchet was alright, wherever he was, and that he was waiting for him there. Orion didn't want to let Ratchet down.
Orion began walking next to the mech, still grinning away. He looked up at the seeker, then tilted his head as something occurred to him. "Why are you walking?"
The mech looked down again with a frown. He waited before speaking, then replied. "Because it's the only way for me to get there."
"You could fly," Orion suggested casually, and the mech immediately stiffened. That movement made Orion quick retract his words. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you."
It took a moment for the mech to respond. He took a slow breath, then he waved a hand dismissively. "S'fine. M'not mad."
Orion was silent for a short while after that. Was it wrong of him to start such a personal conversation with someone he had just met? He glanced down the road. He couldn't see any of Iacon's buildings. He assumed that it would take a while to arrive. A conversation would pass the time. He smiled. Maybe he would like the seeker, but the mech seemed quite stressed. Was it really a good idea to talk to him? Orion couldn't find a reason for why it wouldn't be.
Orion spoke up again. "Why don't you fly?"
The mech paused again, glancing down at the sparkling with a frown. "Are you trying to give me therapy or something?"
Orion shook his head, gazing down at the ground. He said nothing for a long moment, then he looked back up. "What's your name?"
The mech quickly realized that he wasn't going to get any peace and quiet with the sparkling around, so he just gave up and answered. "I'm Anchor."
"'Anchor'?" Orion repeated, optics wide.
Anchor was one of the names on the list.
Orion ran in front of the seeker and stared up at him, clearly desperate. "Do you know where Ratchet is?"
Anchor stopped in his tracks at the sparkling blocking his path, and raised an optic ridge. "Who's 'Ratchet'?"
"He's a medic at the Protihex Medical Center," Orion said, taking a breath to contain his excitement. He might find out where his caretaker is. He might find him. "He left, and he didn't come back."
Anchor frowned, head cocked slightly to the side. "I don't know any 'Ratchet'."
Orion's happiness fell once again. His voice dropped down to a whisper. "But, your name was on the..."
"Why're you asking me this, anyway?" Anchor asked, seemingly irritated, apparently having not heard what Orion said. He began walking past the sparkling, who after pausing for a Klik returned to walking beside him.
"I'm..." Orion said quietly, voice wavering, before coming back slightly calmer, and loud enough to be heard. "My caretaker, he's missing, and I can't find him. I thought you could..."
"'Could' what?" Anchor countered, rolling his optics. "Fly and look around for him? That's not going to happen."
"Why don't you want to fly?" Orion asked curiously. Anchor took a moment to respond.
"A black and white mech made me fly into a rust storm, that's all," Anchor muttered. "I don't want to talk about it."
If Orion did hear the mention of a familiar mech, he didn't show it at all.
"What happened?" Orion continued. "Did you get lost? Were you hurt?"
The constant questions of the sparkling made the seeker grind his teethplates. He was already stressed, and the thought of what had happened made him finally snap.
"I said, I don't want to talk about it!" Anchor almost yelled, bit his voice was held back as to not make him seem hateful.
The seeker's sudden anger shocked Orion into silence, optics wide. No one had yelled at him like that before. They had yelled about him, but never at him. He remembered Voltlock and Ratchet, standing on the other side of a closed door, fighting about his well being. A pang of guilt settled itself in his chest. He didn't want to see anyone else hurt like that, especially not because of him.
Maybe he could help.
Orion spoke softly, watching the seeker who was clearly about to reach his breaking point. "Why don't you fly?"
"I crashed, okay?" Anchor growled, completely fed up with the sparkling's questions. "I crashed, and I got damaged. I was damaged for a really long time. I am not letting myself get damaged again."
Orion said nothing. He only nodded. He understood completely. Anchor had gotten hurt. Of course he wouldn't want to hurt again. No one would want to hurt. But sometimes pain couldn't be avoided. Sometimes it couldn't be fixed with time. Orion knew that better than most. There was one thing that kept him going.
Should he tell? Was it something that should be said to someone he didn't know? Anchor shared his frustration with him, although that was probably because he couldn't hold it in any longer. They had only met a short while before. If it didn't need to be said, then it wouldn't have been.
Though, Ratchet had told him not to say anything to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary.
Orion hummed lightly, wondering what he should do. If he didn't say anything, nothing would happen. If he did say something, then it might help. He debated it internally for a moment longer before he looked up at Anchor.
"When I first learned to walk, I stumbled," Orion said suddenly, and Anchor looked down at him with unimpressed optics, wondering why the sparkling would bother telling him that. Orion continued. "Someone was there to catch me, but when I tried to walk again another time, and I was alone, I fell."
Anchor watched Orion with an optic ridge raised, then looked away with lack of interest. "I don't understand what you're getting at."
Orion smiled slightly, looking back up at Anchor. "Maybe you need someone to catch you."
Anchor seemed to pause at that, momentarily stopping in place and staring at Orion with optics glowing in contemplation, before he shook his head and continued on his way.
Orion frowned slightly, making sure to keep in pace with Anchor. "Don't you have someone?"
Anchor almost froze, his voice vanishing for a brief Klik. It returned just as quickly, though softer than before.
"I have a trine," Anchor said, gesturing away with his hand. He smiled lightly at the fond memories, though it quickly turned into a frown. "They weren't there when I fell. They don't know that I'm... afraid. They think that I just don't want to be with them, that I'm avoiding them."
Orion nodded in understanding. "Why don't you tell them the truth?"
Anchor frowned. "They wouldn't believe me. A seeker that's afraid to fly? 'S not really an excuse."
And after that his mind went blank.
Anchor had almost forgotten that he was speaking to a sparkling.
One that he had just met.
He had been yelling at a sparkling.
Anchor looked down. Orion didn't seem to mind his tone, or any of the things he had said. Anchor blinked, as it suddenly occurred to him that he was ranting about his problems to a tiny sparkling. He didn't even know if the sparkling actually understood what was being said to him. There was no way a sparkling would care about his problems.
Orion quickly proved him wrong. "You should find them."
"Why?" Anchor almost spat, talking in a way that made it seem like he was testing the sparkling's intelligence. "Why should I risk getting hurt again?"
Orion frowned lightly, as his own memories began to take hold. He had been sitting, as healthy as he had been in a while, without anyone near. He had wandered through the halls, lost and unable to find his way. Shaking will sickness as a hand was caressing his cheek. An injured leg, and a metal brace. A damaged frame, a caring figure. Orion looked up at Anchor, voice soft. "Sometimes it's better to hurt than to be alone."
Orion meant it. He would rather hurt and be with Ratchet, then to be healed and lose him. Because if he lost Ratchet, he knew he would hurt even worse.
He didn't get a chance to see how Anchor felt about what he said, because when he looked up, he realized where he was.
They had arrived in Iacon already. Orion was surprised. He had thought that the trip would take longer, but he assumed that his conversation with Anchor had lasted much longer than he thought. Orion looked around the area, noticing that it was much larger than Protihex, though the Cybertronians didn't look any different.
In the distance, he could see many things that he recognized from what he researched on his datapad. The Hall of Records, the High Council Tower, the Observatory, and the Monorail Transport Station.
Orion grinned, teethplates showing. He was getting closer. He could feel it. He just had to ride the Monorail to Kaon, and find someone who knew where Ratchet was, or had at least seen him. The names on the datapad must have seen something.
Orion was so distracted with his thoughts, that he didn't notice Anchor staring at the sky.
Anchor turned away, back facing the sparkling, and he took a deep breath. He had made his choice.
He paused, fear beginning to take over as it did each time before. He wondered if it was worth it, risking getting hurt again. He could end up crashing again, and he could end up getting damaged again.
But, if he didn't, then he would never see his trine again.
It was worth every risk, just so he wouldn't be alone.
With that thought in mind, Anchor finally stood tall. His wings snapped up straight, and suddenly his frame shifted, arms retracting, legs bending back, his entire body folding in on itself, taking the form of a sleek, strong jet. Anchor hovered in the air for a moment, remembering how it felt to float on nothing. He circled in the air, before he hovered next to Orion, and his voice echoed through the jet. "Hey, I hope you find who you're looking for."
Orion nodded his thanks, and Anchor flew around the sparkling once more. There was nothing to hold him back, and with a loud blast of his engines, he took off into the sky.
Orion watched the seeker fly away, until he was no longer in sight. He smiled, feeling rather warm.
He let out a short cough. It ended as quickly as it started. Orion didn't think too hard about it, as he had been through worse many times before.
Orion looked back around, optics settling on the Monorail. With a smile, he began walking towards it.
The Monorail was the only thing that looked different than anything in Protihex. The buildings only seemed different if Orion tried to find something about them that was. The metal they were made out of was the same as the metal of Protihex, though it did looked cleaner, and build with more care. Orion didn't know why, but he didn't really mind. They were all buildings, it didn't matter how they were built.
Orion stopped in front of the Monorail. He was relieved he didn't miss it. He had been worried that it would leave before he got there. He stepped into the transport, noting that there weren't that many Cybertronians riding it. Most didn't acknowledge him, some glanced at him then looked away when they lost interest. Orion stood at the entrance of the Monorail, unsure of what to do, before he slowly walked farther inside and climbed onto a vacant seat. His legs dangled over the edge of the seat, as he was too small to reach the floor.
The only thing he could do then was wait.
Orion coughed again, rubbing his chest at the dull pain that followed. He could tell that he was getting weaker. He assumed that it was because he hadn't rested in a while.
Orion's optics began to dim. He was exhausted. He hadn't recharged since the last Orbital Cycle, and even then he didn't really rest. His sickness had kept him from recharging well, and since then he hadn't truly had a break. He had waited for Ratchet, not consuming a single cube of Energon since even before he last powered down.
He felt very, very tired, from both a lack of rest and a lack of Energon flowing through his veins. The gentle trembling of the Monorail reminded him of when his caretaker had gently rocked him in his arms, and it was beginning to lull him into recharge. His optics closed. He tried to stay awake. He didn't have time to recharge. He needed to find the next name. He still had to know what happened.
He needed to find...
Ratchet...
Orion's systems slowly came back online as he felt the Monorail begin to slow down. He rubbed his optics with both hands, clicking quietly, a noise he hadn't made since he was a newborn. His optics slowly fluttered open, and even though his sight was blurry he looked around for...
Then he remembered that he was alone.
Orion frowned sadly. Ratchet was still gone.
His processor was working slowly as he gradually woke up. He still felt very tired. A Joor wasn't that long of a recharge, but it helped Orion greatly. His spark didn't hurt anymore.
He was only half awake by the time the Monorail slowed to a stop. The doors opened, and he waited for all of the other Cybertronians to exit first before he left himself. As soon as he stepped out of the transport, he finally saw a difference.
Kaon was dark, dirtier than Protihex or Iacon, as if no one cared about what happened to anyone who lived there. The buildings were made of the same metal as the rest of Cybertron, but some of them had rust growing in the cracks. The mechs and femmes that strolled down the roads each looked angry or tired of everything. Orion didn't judge any of them for the way they lived. He only felt slightly sad. Why were they being treated differently than ones from Iacon or Protihex? It didn't make sense.
Orion didn't let himself think about it for too long. He needed to find Ratchet. But Kaon was large, and the buildings were huge. Orion didn't know how he would ever find the Gladiatorial Pits.
He heard yelling.
Orion looked around rapidly, fully awake, trying to see if someone was hurt, and in doing so noticed that no one else seemed to pay the screams no mind. Orion was very confused for a long moment before he heard cheering, and the sounds of weapons hitting each other and firing to the sky. Orion blinked as he figured out what the sounds were from. He turned around a nearby corner, following the cheers and sounds of battle, and he found what he was looking for.
The Gladiatorial Pits.
The arena was gigantic. There was a large entrance that was full of Cybertronians. The cheers were so loud, he could barely hear the sudden yell of an injured mech. The crowd roared with applause. Orion shook his head, then looked around the area.
Beside the entrance, there was a smaller door, clearly intended for Gladiators only. Orion smiled, walking over to the smaller door. The next name was probably inside. Orion might get information about his caretaker, where he was or where he had been.
Orion knocked on the door.
He listened to see if someone was coming. After a Klik and no answer, Orion was about to knock again, but just before his hand hit, the door opened and he pulled his hand back quickly. Orion saw two pairs of legs directly in front of him.
Orion looked up at the mech that had opened the door, taking in his appearance. He was tall, and his frame was a dirty orange, almost like a flame. He looked like a Gladiator. Just like one of the names on the list. Orion tilted his head slightly. "Are you Fireblast?"
The mech's optics widened. Then, he nodded with a large smile. "I didn't think a sparkling would recognize me."
Orion smiled back. "I'm hoping that you can help me."
"Are your creators fans of me?" Fireblast said with a smirk, almost completely ignoring what Orion had just told him. "Can't say I blame them."
Orion blinked, then shook his head. "I don't have creators. I came from the Well."
"Well, then you must have been trained in the Guilds to be a Gladiator, then!" Fireblast concluded. Without waiting for confirmation, he took Orion's hand and practically dragged him inside. Orion stumbled as he was pulled down a hall, passing many rooms with many Gladiators inside, and into a room, which looked like a mixture of a training room and a weapons locker. Fireblast let go of Orion, which almost sent the sparkling to the floor. Fireblast turned around and bent down in front of him.
"You look like a beginner," Fireblast said, tilting Orion's chin upwards and turning his face side to side to get a good look at him. Fireblast nodded. "Yep, definitely a newbie. Look at your clean, unscarred frame!"
Fireblast stood up and let go of Orions face, for which the sparkling was grateful. Orion rubbed his cheek as Fireblast looked at each of the weapons on the wall.
"I'll teach you what those Guilds never teach," Fireblast continued as he picked a machine gun off of a shelf. Fireblast practically dropped the gun into Orion's hands, which made the sparkling topple over from the weight. Fireblast didn't seem to notice. "Trust me, they leave a lot out. Mechs and femmes from all around come to me for lessons. It's not that difficult to learn if you're taught right."
Orion waited until Fireblast's attention was directed elsewhere, then he carefully placed the gun onto a nearby table. He didn't like any of the weapons in there. Why would someone make something just to hurt someone else? Orion didn't understand.
"Do you know where the mines are?" Orion asked, both trying to get information about the next name, and trying to change the subject. "I'm looking for someone who might have been seen there."
"Yeah, yeah, they're just a little ways away from the Pits," Fireblast said nonchalantly before returning to what he was saying before. "You know how strange some of these characters look? I mean, there was this tiny little femme at one point, and another time this mech couldn't aim to save his life, and there was this one black and white mech! Taught him how to shoot to kill without a problem! Learned real quick, he did. My handiwork, obviously."
Orion was too busy trying to think of where the mines were to notice anything that had been said.
"So," Fireblast said, apparently just remembering what Orion had asked him. "Who are you looking for? If it's me, you did a good job."
Orion shook his head. "I'm looking for Ratchet."
"'Ratchet'?" Fireblast said, thinking for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know a 'Ratchet'. Is he a Gladiator here? If he is, I probably beat him."
Orion shook his head again. "No, he's not. He's my caretaker. We were at the Protihex Medical Center, but then he left, and I don't know where he is."
"Protihex?" Fireblast laughed. "That's pretty far away. Why would he go there if he got hurt instead of getting patched up here? I'm sure some bitbrain here has experience in first aid."
"He didn't go there," Orion corrected with a smile. "He works there. He's a medic."
Fireblast stared at Orion for a long time. Slowly, the smirk dissapeared from his faceplate, replaced with a blank expression. The corners of his mouth twitched downwards. "Get out."
Orion blinked, tilting his head slightly. "I'm sorry?"
Fireblast abruptly stepped forward, nudging Orion towards the door. "Get. Out."
Orion almost jumped out of his reach, backing away from the suddenly furious mech. "What's wrong?"
He didn't get an answer. Fireblast just continued pushing him away. Orion was shoved out of the room, almost tripping from the force. He glanced back at Fireblast with wide and confused optics.
Fireblast's voice quieted down, though not by much. "Your kind is not welcome here."
With that, the door was slammed shut, leaving a small sparkling on the other side, wondering what he could have done wrong.
What did Fireblast mean by his 'kind'? Surely he didn't mean defectives? Orion hadn't said anything about his condition, and he couldn't think of any way the Gladiator could have known. Fireblast only seemed to get angry when he said that Ratchet was a medic...
It didn't make any sense. They were all Cybertronian. Every single one of them. Why were some treated differently than others? It didn't make any sense.
Orion shook his head. He shouldn't dwell on it for too long. There was nothing he could do about it. He was just a small, weak, defective. He wouldn't be able to change anything alone.
Orion began walking towards the mines, which according to Fireblast weren't that far away from the Gladiatorial Pits. He just listened for the sound of drills.
Kaon was a noisy place.
It didn't take too long to find the mines. There was only one small entrance, but Orion knew that the tunnels spanned deep beneath the underground. He wondered what it looked like inside, and was tempted to explore, but he knew that he couldn't. He needed to find the next name. He needed to find his caretaker.
Orion walked up to the entrance of the mine, where only two mechs could be seen. They didn't notice him, and Orion stood there without making a sound, before he spoke up.
"Excuse me?" Orion said quietly, though loud enough to be heard by a miner holding a large drill.
The mech looked down at the sparkling with an optic ridge raised. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for someone named 'Skylight'," Orion answered, looking into the mine curiously. He quickly caught himself getting distracted, so he made himself focus on the mech in front of him. "Have you seen her anywhere?"
The miner seemed to recognize that name, and he frowned. "Is this some kind of a joke? Don't you higher classes have anything better to do than mess with us?"
The mech most likely wouldn't have said that if he was talking to a full grown adult, but there was nothing a little sparkling could do to him.
Orion blinked, then shook his head. "No, I want to ask her something. Do you know where she is?"
The miner eyed Orion suspiciously, then he rolled his optics. "She's dead. She got crushed during a mine collapse."
Orion straightened up considerably, opening his mouth to speak, before closing it when he realized that he had no idea how to respond. After a Klik, he said the only thing that came to mind. "Oh."
The miner rolled his optics again, then resumed his work, muttering about the 'clueless higher classes'.
Orion stood there silently as a weight set itself in his spark. He had no where else to turn. He had found the next name, but that name could not direct him to where he needed to go. He had no idea where to search.
He had started walking back to the transport before he had even realized he was moving. Time seemed to move very quickly. The Monorail had finished another trip around Cybertron, so it had started around again, and had arrived in Kaon. Orion stepped in through the door, and saw even fewer Cybertronians than before. He climbed onto a seat, and the Monorail started up again, leaving Orion staring forward.
No one took notice to the young sparkling, all on his own.
The ride back to Iacon took much longer than the first. His processor was bombarding him with his fears.
He would never find Ratchet.
He shouldn't have even tried.
He wouldn't have been able to help.
He was a failure.
Orion shook his head, trying to make those thoughts go away. He felt worthless.
His thoughts wouldn't leave him alone for the entire time he was on the Monorail.
It stopped much sooner than Orion had expected. He stepped out last, and then began walking down a nearby path.
What was he going to do?
He was lost. He was lost and alone. He didn't know how to get back to Protihex by himself. He wanted to go home.
Orion shivered, coughing again, much harsher than before. He was forced to take deep breaths after they stopped. His chest hurt again, but Orion believed that it was from the pain of losing his caretaker.
He didn't know what to do, and so, he walked.
He looked up at the sky. It was completely dark, no stars in sight, and the moon was hiding as well, leaving nothing to light his way. Orion shivered again from the cold as he stepped into a more unpopulated area.
As Orion walked, he saw something that seemed out of place.
There was a building, far away from the rest. The building seemed strange. It didn't look like a home. It looked more like a prison.
Yet, for some reason it felt like Orion needed to go there. He couldn't explain it. Sometimes it felt like his spark was leading him where he needed to go.
Negative feelings left behind, just for the moment, Orion made his way towards the building.
As he drew closer, he saw a large mech standing beside the doorway that lead inside. The mech's attention was quickly switched to him, and Orion suddenly felt very small.
The mech looked down at him, unimpressed. "What is your designation?"
Orion blinked, then replied. "I'm Orion Pax."
The mech seemed to recognize that name, and he frowned. He looked very intimidating, and powerful, as if he was someone of authority.
Orion looked up at him, unafraid. Orion refused to let himself get his hopes up, but he had to try. "Are you Bumper Crest?"
The mech almost seemed insulted by the question. He shook his head, and spoke with a deep and emotionless voice, turning around slightly to point towards the doorway. "He is inside."
Orion nodded his thanks, and then he began making his way inside, the mech obviously not caring about what could happen to him.
The path inside was dark, and Orion very nearly tripped on one of the three steps that led down, in a way that almost seemed like someone was trying to make it hard for anyone to get in or out. He didn't think about it for two long, as a light quickly came into view, originating from a room at the end of the hall. Orion stepped slowly and carefully forward, and stopped in the doorway.
There was a mech sitting down on a berth, not really paying attention to anything. He was large and bulky. His optics were blue, but had traces of green. He was yellow, but he was shades darker than Voltlock.
Voltlock. Orion wondered what he was doing right then. He had been really angry with Ratchet, Orion could tell, even though Voltlock had been trying to hide it. Orion saw that Ratchet looked very sad after he spoke with Voltlock, but Orion hadn't been told why. Perhaps it was because Orion had to leave him.
Orion didn't want to leave him.
Orion frowned lightly at the thought, then took a few steps into the room.
The mech heard footsteps on the metal floor, bringing him back to the present. He looked around for a moment, before his sight rested on a small sparkling standing before him. He raised an optic ridge and smirked. "How did you get in here?"
Orion blinked at the strange tone, but he answered. "The mech outside let me in."
The mech laughed. "The Guilds must hate you."
Orion tilted his head in confusion. "Why?"
"Well, they let you in here!" The mech replied with another laugh. "That Guild Member doesn't let anyone near me!"
Orion's head remained in that position for a while. He didn't speak for almost a Klik, then he voiced his thoughts. "Are you Bumper Crest?"
The mech's laugh died down to a chuckle, glowing optics showing his surprise. "So you know who I am. I'm guessing you know why I'm here, too."
Orion said nothing as he stepped forward, getting a better look at Bumper Crest, wondering why he hadn't made a move to stand. Orion's optics trailed along the mech's frame, and only then did he notice a chain wrapped around his leg.
As Orion tried to think of words to use, Bumper Crest followed the sparkling's gaze and laughed. "Oh, yes. A Guild member put a chain on me. Funny, huh?"
Orion said nothing for a moment, but he didn't look away. "Why?"
Bumper Crest chuckled lightly, leaning back in his chair with a shrug. "I saw this mech outside that was doing something suspicious, and decided to investigate. My 'bodyguard' wouldn't let me go after him, and he tied me to a post. It's actually pretty funny when you think about it."
Orion frowned. He didn't find it funny. It wasn't right. What could Bumper Crest have done to deserve that?
"Don't look so sad," Bumper Crest added, chuckle dying away. "This won't last long. They lock me up all the time."
"They lock you up...?" Orion whispered, trying to understand. "Why?"
Bumper Crest talked Orion like he hadn't had a normal conversation with anyone in the longest time. He answered all of the questions truthfully.
"They say that I'm wrong," Bumper Crest said with a smirk. He tapped on his helm with his knuckles. "They say I'm sick or something. There's no virus in me. It's just how I am."
Orion watched him inquisitively. Orion noted that Bumper Crest did not look wrong at all. He looked just fine. He looked just like any other Cybertronian he could have seen during his entire search. He looked completely normal. How could he be wrong? He did not cough, or shake, or lose his breath after nothing.
Orion paused for a long while, then he spoke. "Why do they say you're wrong?"
The question received a raised optic ridge, but Bumper Crest's smile never completely left. The mech shrugged lightly, as if unsure of how to respond. "There was an... accident."
Orion waited patiently as Bumper Crest took a moment to compose himself, his expression becoming calm.
"I was with... a friend," He said, looking down at the chain holding him down. "I don't remember a lot. There was an accident, and I hurt my helm. My friend... I think he tried to help me, but I couldn't make sense of it, and I hit him."
Orion listened intently, watching the mech with worry. Bumper Crest waved a hand to say that he was fine, and he continued.
"I didn't stop. I kept hitting him, until he stopped moving," Bumper Crest said, clenching his fists slightly, not noticing that he did so. "I didn't even realize what I did until later, after I was sedated and dragged to a cell, and my processor snapped back in place. They labeled me unstable and locked me up here. Sure, I can go places, as long as they have a Guild member tailing me. My processor still snaps out of place sometimes and I get very... defensive, I guess."
Bumper Crest let out another chuckle, but it was weak, and clearly forced.
"I never saw my friend again," He said with a soft smile. "I don't even know if he's alive or not. The Guilds won't tell me. They seem to think I'm an aspiring murderer or something. I don't know."
Orion didn't know what to say. The mech before him just told him that he had an unstable processor, and that he might have killed someone. He should have been afraid, or at least nervous, but he wasn't. It wasn't his fault. Bumper Crest didn't mean to be the way he was, but he was still shunned for it, locked away for something he couldn't control. It may have been for his safety, and the safety of others, but it wasn't fair.
Orion walked slowly over to Bumper Crest, placing a gentle hand on the mech's leg. Orion frowned lightly, looking down at the floor. His voice was low. "I understand."
"You?" Bumper Crest chuckled again, shaking his head. "You're just a little sparkling. How could you think that they'd say those things about you?"
"I heard them," Orion answered calmly, as if it were just a casual conversation. Something he would just have to accept. Bumper Crest's smile faltered slightly, and he tilted his head. Orion shrugged. "They say I'm wrong, too."
Bumper Crest didn't know what to say to that. The sparkling in front of him said that he was wrong. That was probably why the Guild member let him inside in the first place. Bumper Crest frowned, looking down at the sparkling and knowing that he knew how he felt.
"You know, there's nothing wrong with being wrong," Bumper Crest said with a shrug. "We're just different. Cybertronians just don't like things that are different."
Orion tilted his head again. "Why?"
Bumper Crest shrugged again. "I don't know. We just do. We even treat lower castes like scrap. We hate them and they hate us. That's just how it is. They've done it, I've done it, I highly doubt you've done it but it's only a matter of time."
A sad expression appeared on Orion's faceplate. It wasn't right, treating others in such a way. There wasn't any reason for it. Orion had many questions, but he didn't ask any of them. He only told.
"I won't do that," Orion said softly. His optics glowed deep blue. "We're all Cybertronian. We should be nice to each other. I'm not going to hurt anyone."
"You're not going to harm anyone," Bumper Crest rolled his optics. "You're part of a higher class. You'll be treated better than, say, a Gladiator."
Orion didn't reply right away. He took a small breath. "I'm not going to hurt them. I'll help them."
Helping others felt... nice.
It was something Orion decided that he would always want to do.
Something in his head clicked. His optics grew large when he remembered why he came there in the first place.
"My caretaker," Orion started, speaking rather quickly. "He's gone, and I'm looking for him. Have you seen him? His name is Ratchet!"
Bumper Crest held his hands in the air with a smirk. "Woah, slow down! You're looking for your caretaker?"
"Yes-" Orion's answer was cut off by another coughing fit. It didn't last long, and as soon as he finished, he began again. "Yes. Have you seen him?"
Bumper Crest hummed for a moment, then he spoke. "No one really walked by here. I've only seen one mech within the past few Orbital Cycles. Besides the Guild member, but I don't count him."
Orion almost jumped with joy, giggling happily. "What did he look like? Did you see which way he went?"
Bumper Crest laughed at the sparkling's excitement, then he spoke.
"This black and white mech, he's always walking by here late," Bumper Crest said with a snort. "Last Orbital Cycle I saw him dragging another mech down the road. White and orange, or maybe white and red, I don't know. He wasn't moving, and I saw and Energon trail glowing behind them. No one was outside. I saw through the doorway. I went to stop him, but apparently my 'bodyguard' only saw me going nuts. That's why I'm chained to my berth."
Orion couldn't move.
He heard every word that was said, but he couldn't grasp them. Last Orbital Cycle was when Ratchet disappeared. A mech dragging an unmoving body. Leaking Energon. Black and white.
Tanker.
No.
No.
Ratchet was hurt. Tanker had taken him. Tanker had hurt Ratchet.
Ratchet.
"No!" Orion yelled, covering his faceplate with his hands.
Bumper Crest recoiled slightly from the sparkling's sudden change in emotion. He blinked with wide optics. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Orion heard, but he didn't respond.
He was wrong.
He failed.
He didn't save him.
He promised he'd find Ratchet and he failed.
"I'm sorry," Orion whispered, which returned to a yell. "I'm so sorry!"
Orion ran out of the room, leaving a shocked Bumper Crest behind. He ran back out the entrance, ignoring the mech as he passed him, ignoring any other Cybertronian he saw, ignoring every sight and noise, he just kept running as the tug in his chest grew stonger.
After so long, he ran into an alleyway, gasping for breath.
The Cybertronians he had seen told him all they knew. He had learned so much from them, yet at the same time he learned nothing. He knew that Tanker was the one behind everything, the reason Ratchet was gone. Orion sat down on the ground, arms wrapped around himself as a coughing fit took over. His vents were barely circulating, making it harder and harder to breathe. He felt really warm, but not in the same way as before. Everything around him felt so cold. What was happening to him only made him feel worse.
Tanker was trying to make the Guilds take him away.
They were going to take him away from Ratchet.
Orion buried his face in his hands, and his frame began to tremble. His intakes were short and shaky, and he brought his knees to his chest.
That was the first time he cried.
He began to rock himself back and forth as he sobbed, trying to find some sense of comfort, but there was none. There was nothing. How could he find safety in a world that only offered misery? He didn't know what to do. What could he do? He was alone.
He was alone.
He was so tired. He hadn't properly recharged since Ratchet left and never came back. Orion was lost. He didn't know where he was, or where his caretaker was. The names on the list helped him learn more about Tanker, but nothing they said gave him any clue as to where Ratchet was. The only thing he knew was that Tanker had hurt him. Tanker had hurt his caretaker.
Sobs wracked his frame. What would he do if Ratchet died? Maybe he was offline already. The thought of losing his caretaker made him cry even harder.
He didn't know how long he sat there, but it was long enough for his cries to soften into whimpers, though the tears never stopped falling. He felt so weak. His spark ached. He must have gotten sick. Ratchet said that if he left the Medical Center he would get sick. But it hurt. It hurt so much.
He felt someone lift him off of the ground, cradling him in their arms. Orion's first thought was that Tanker had found him again, and was going to take him away. Even though he was exhausted, he struggled against whoever was holding him, though weakly, not strong enough to hurt anyone. He wasn't strong enough to even move.
Orion's systems were sending alarms, but they were quickly drowned out by complete and utter silence.
Orion slowly opened his optics, and found himself laying on his back, facing the roof of a building.
Where was he? Wasn't he just outside?
Orion sat up, taking a look around. He was on a berth that was much too large for him. There was a desk with tools on it next to him. It almost felt like home, which sent a pang of pain through his chest. He distracted himself by taking a look at the rest of the room.
He appeared to be inside of a small repair station. He saw a table in the middle of the next room, covered in spare parts and broken objects that were scattered all over it. Orion tilted his head to the side. Why was he in a repair station?
"You're awake."
Orion's optics darted to where the voice had come from. He stood up and quickly jumped off of the berth. Had Tanker taken him as well?
The owner of the voice made himself known. A green mech with blue optics slowly walked into the room, trying not to cause any panic. "It's okay. I won't hurt you. My name is Chipset."
Orion became less tense, but he still watched the mech wearily. Chipset was one of the names.
So maybe he still had a chance.
In an effort to show that he wouldn't hurt the sparkling, Chipset stepped back and walked over to the table, grabbing each of the objects and parts, placing them on a nearby shelf. He gestured for Orion to take a seat as he turned and went into another room.
Orion stood where he was for a while, hearing Chipset moving something he couldn't see. He waited a Klik, then he walked over to the offered chair and sat down, still to small to reach the floor.
Chipset came back in a moment later, a cube of Energon in his hand. He came to the table, and sat down.
"Why were you all alone?" Chipset asked, placing the Energon cube in front of the sparkling. "Did you get lost?"
Orion carefully took the cube in his hands, and though he had a soft, sad expression on his faceplate, he sipped at the cube gratefully. "Mhm."
Chipset smiled lightly as Orion finished the Energon. Orion felt much better then, and it showed. He had a sufficient amount of Energon flowing through him, and he felt good. Orion smiled in return.
But he didn't have time to waste. He had to start his search again.
Anchor had mentioned a black and white mech. So did Fireblast, and Bumper Crest, though for the first two he didn't notice. He knew that the question he had been asking was the wrong one to ask. And so, he said something different.
"I'm looking for someone," Orion replied, holding the empty cube in his hands. He looked down at the blue liquid inside before he continued. "He's been taken, but I don't know where. Do you know anyone named Tanker?"
"Ah, Tanker," Chipset said with a fond smirk. "I remember that mech. He was so reserved, strange for someone that worked underground. I trained him in basic mechanics for a while before he left."
Reserved.
Tanker did seem reserved when Orion had first met him. He didn't get to spend a lot of time with them mech, but he could tell that much. He would have never suspected that Tanker was trying to...
"Tanker..." Orion whispered. "He hurt Ratchet."
Chipset's smile quickly left his faceplate, and his expression went blank. "Ratchet?"
"Yes," Orion nodded, looking down at the empty cube. "He's my caretaker."
Chipset said nothing for the longest time, then he slumped in his chair with a hand over his mouth. "By Primus."
Orion perked up as he watched Chipset's optics glow with recognition. "Do you know him?"
"Tanker mentioned him," Chipset answered, placing both hands on his lap as he frowned angrily. "He said that Ratchet had killed his bondmate after a mine collapsed on her."
Orion's optics widened. No, that couldn't be true. Ratchet would never kill anyone. It had to be a mistake.
Chipset noticed the sparkling's shock, and quickly went to calm him down. "I heard what had really happened. She offlined from her injuries. Ratchet tried to help, but he couldn't."
Chipset sighed.
"The last thing he said to me was that he was going to avenge her," Chipset shook his head, remorseful. "I didn't understand what he meant, but I should have known."
Orion knew that Chipset didn't do anything wrong. He didn't know. There was no way he could have known. Orion watched as Chipset began glaring into space, before he spoke. "What was her name?"
Chipset snapped back to the present. "What did you say?"
"What was her name?" Orion asked again, though he felt in his spark that he already knew the answer.
Chipset paused for a moment to remember, and he did. "Her name was Skylight."
Skylight.
She was the name that died.
Orion glanced away, sadly. His caretaker was in danger, and he finally knew why he was gone. Ratchet didn't do anything wrong. It was an accident that offlined Skylight. It was a tragic accident, and Orion wished that it never happened. He felt sorry for Tanker, but he wouldn't let him hurt anyone else. Not while he still functioned.
Ratchet told Orion that he shouldn't tell anything to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. It had finally become absolutely necessary. If Orion had any chance of saving his caretaker, he knew that he had to tell the truth. He took a deep breath, knowing what he had to do.
"It's my fault."
Chipset glanced up from his datapad, staring at the sparkling with a confused expression. "What?"
Orion frowned. "Tanker lured me into a trap, and I fell for it. I got hurt, and because of that the Guilds of Cybertron decided to take me away. If I hadn't followed Tanker, he wouldn't be able to take me away from Ratchet, and Ratchet wouldn't be hurt."
Chipset didn't say anything for a moment, then he shook his head with a sympathetic look in his optics. "Orion, what is happening to Ratchet is not your fault."
"If I didn't follow Tanker, Ratchet would still be here," Orion countered.
He took another quiet breath, finally voicing his inner thoughts.
"I don't know how anyone could be angry at someone who was trying to help, and I don't know if Tanker can ever understand that there was nothing Ratchet could have done," Orion explained, looking down at the empty cube in his hands. "But, I do know that Tanker wants Ratchet dead, and I know why he waited so long to exact his revenge."
Chipset opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find the words.
"Tanker lost someone that he cared about, and he believes that it was Ratchet's fault," Orion continued, setting the cube down and closing his optics. "Tanker wants to make Ratchet feel the same way he did, and he used me to get to him."
Chipset quickly grew concerned. Surely the sparkling couldn't be thinking of...?
"He's in danger now," Orion said, voice quiet. "Tanker won't rest until Ratchet feels the pain of loss, and there's only one chance of Tanker letting Ratchet go."
Orion looked back up at Chipset, optics glowing with determination.
"I'm going to get him back."
Chipset stared, mouth hanging open, before he shook his head. "No. No, he could kill you. I'll travel to the underground and get the Guilds of Cybertron involved."
"There's no time," Orion countered. "I'm not going to let Ratchet die."
All of a sudden, the sparkling had revealed a strength in him that he hadn't shown before. Perhaps it was because someone he cared about was in danger. The sparkling would do anything it took to keep his family safe.
And Chipset knew that he couldn't do anything about it.
"By the Pit I must be crazy," Chipset whispered to himself before raising his arms in the air in defeat. "Alright, fine. It's clear that I can't stop you. I'll tell you what I know."
Orion's optics glowing bright, though his stern expression remained.
"I don't know where he lives. He could be anywhere," Chipset explained. He sighed. "I always met him at the Hall of Records, not far from here. He never said why he was there. I didn't ask, but now I know that I should have."
Orion nodded, taking in all of that information. He slipped off of the chair he sat on, leaving the empty cube on top. He walk over to the door, stopping just before he stepped through. He looked back to Chipset, knowing that it was probably the last time he'd ever see him, or any of the other mechs he had met. Orion's voice was not devoid of emotion, just soft with calm resignation. "Thank you."
Chipset just watched him, without a word or a nod of acknowledgement. After a moment of silence, Orion turned around, walking out of the building without another glance.
He knew what he had to do.
He began making his way to the place Chipset had mentioned. If Tanker had been there, then perhaps there was a clue at to where he was, and hopefully, where Ratchet was.
Orion looked up to the sky. It was dark, half of the sky orange with rising sunlight leading to a dim blue with twinkling stars. The lights made Orion slow his pace, the scene overwhelming him with a sense of calm. As if everything was going to be alright.
A building could been seen from far away. The building with a dome roof, large and full of anything Orion could ever what to know. Except where his caretaker was.
The Iacon Hall of Records.
Orion returned to his normal pace, arriving in front of the building very quickly. He stood straight, looking at the large entrance. Mechs and femmes smiled happily to each other, talking or reading the datapads that were stored inside. Orion knew about the Hall of Records. That was the first place he had wanted to go when he got better, but he wasn't there because he wanted to be.
He was there because he needed to be.
Orion walked inside, and he quickly noticed that the building seemed bigger on the inside. There were datapads stored on shelves, and shelves were lines up as far as he could see. Orion would have loved the sight, but he was too focused on what he had to do to care. He looked around for any sign of Tanker, or Ratchet, but he found nothing. With a frown, he walked over to a nearby stairwell.
They led to another floor, almost the same layout at the one below. No sign of them either. Orion walked up another floor, then another, but he couldn't find anything that would help him.
Finally, he arrived at the top of the building.
There was a long corridor, which led to where the most important information was stored. There were very few Cybertronians around, and they very rarely passed by him. Orion glanced around again, looking for something, anything, that would help him.
Orion began coughing.
It was much worse that time. They wracked his frame, and the pain in his chest made him collapse to his knees. No one noticed, too busy with their own lives. Orion kept coughing, until his vocalizer hurt and he went completely silent. His optics were shut tightly. He didn't want to move. It hurt to move. But he had to get up. He had to get up for Ratchet.
He slowly relaxed, forcing his optics open.
He felt cold.
But it wasn't him.
Orion looked to the side, and noticed something he hadn't seen before.
There was a doorway in the wall.
Every Cybertronian was walking by like they couldn't see it. It was hard to notice, yes, but surely someone should have realized it was there at one point. Yet, no one gave the strange opening a glance.
Orion felt something pulling at his spark, telling him to go inside.
It didn't seem safe. The passage was dark, and he was weak. He needed to find Ratchet, and if the passage was just a dead end, he would be wasting precious time.
But he still felt something tugging him forward.
He had to try. He knew he was weak, but he would be strong for his caretaker.
Orion stepped inside.
He was going to find Ratchet.
He promised.