8.April.06

The Beginning

By: Sinead

~< Part Two >~

“That’s it! Hah-HAH!” Optimus yelled, and ran over to Awn’néad, who was sitting on a bicycle, looking over her shoulder exuberantly. Her six-and-a-half-year-old face lit up with a smile that, if turned into watts, could sizzle a planet to ashes in seconds.

She had just ridden her two-wheeler for the first time by herself.

Stormblend was watching the two with a smile, and was already planning a celebration gift for Awn’néad. Just as he turned to get back to his labs, a hovering holo-projector flew up next to him. He turned it on and saw the face of Electra, his assistant.

“Yo, wassup?”she said, smiling broadly. “I heard Prime yelling, but I saw nothing. What happened?”

“Awn’néad just rode a bicycle by herself.”

“And she’s only six?”

“Yup.”

“Cool. Tell her that I say ‘Congratulations.’ I really called you on another matter, though.”

“And what would that be?”

Electra sighed. “Elders are saying that there’s a midget punk around. He’s short, barely taller than Awn. He’s a real pain in the skidplate, and they say that only you have the skills to handle him. You know, another slag assignment for slot money.”

“Hmm. Is there anything else that should help me pick him out of the crowd?” Stormblend asked.

“Oh, yeah . . . The most important fact: He’s got a really thick Brookline accent, since he grew up in NYC, or something to that extent. Either him or his ’rents for all I know. So he doesn’t have any of Cybertron’s ususal accents. The Elders  either didn’t know his name, or they didn’t tell me. As usual, that’s it for leads. Good luck! Electra out.”

The image faded, and the holo-projector flew back down the halls to the laboratory, where Stormblend and Electra worked half of the time. Storm didn’t know what Electra did for the other half of her time, but he taught Awn’néad almost everything that she would need to know, since she would have to take up the political mantle her mother left for her. That would be a rather harsh task for the young girl, he knew. And yet Stormblend and young Optimus knew that she would be able to do it once she was old enough to understand the full responsibility and weight of her words. Especially what they would mean to Cybertronians who grew up with listening to her mother speak upon tragedies that happened within her lifetime, as well as when a resolve had been made between two popular groups and other public political events that she was involved in.

Optimus and Awn’néad walked up to him, and Awn’néad ran the final steps up to Stormblend, who swung her up onto his shoulder as if she was no heavier that a kitten.

“I did it! I really did it! Did ’ya see me? I rode my bike all by myself!”

“I did see you. I also saw you fall and skin your knee without crying one tear. Let’s get that cleaned up, then grab something to eat for lunch, then you can go back out before your lessons.”

“Aww, do I have to?”

“Yes, you do,” Stormblend said firmly, but kindly.

“Oh, fine.”

He chuckled, remembering how Sinead had sounded just the same at Awn’néad’s age.

~*~

Later that day, or rather, that night, Stormblend was pub-hopping, hoping to find the bot that Electra was talking about. He found him at the fourth one he went to. At all the other bars that he had walked through, friends had called out to him, but he declined any drinks.

“An’ so I said *hic* ‘If ’ya even tried ta hook me up wid a *hic* anoduh girl like da last one, I’d *hic* kick ’ya skidplate across Cybertropolis!’ *hic* Watcha thinks o’ dat one?” The small bot was inebriated, no two doubts about it. He could barely keep himself sitting up straight in the stool at the bar counter. The bartender laughed, saw Stormblend, and winked at him. That meant that the large Maximal should get the drunken, short freak-bot outta there before he started a fight. Stormblend was a genius at making compromises, and all the managers of bars and workplaces called him if they needed any help with employees, or in cases like this, a total whack-job that the bouncers were afraid of. Stormblend sat down next to the small bot, who hiccoughed again, and muttered, “Pour me anoduh cold ’un, Screamie,” and promptly passed out.

“I was looking for this one. Guess that I should get him out of here before the Elders send someone else to take my side-job, huh Novascream?” Stormblend said, smiling, catching the tiny just as the Maximal was about to topple off of the barstool. He knew this bot from years ago, even worked with him on a few things, and knew the reasons why he was drinking heavily on this night: His mother had been killed exactly twelve years ago. It was the twelfth anniversary of Sinead’s first marriage. Both happened upon the same day, and both were memories that were looked upon with negative emotions. It was a good night for Pyro to be reunited with an old friend, Stormblend thought, especially one who can help him over his grief. Wooph, he shouldn’t’ve had that last one! Primus, that reeks!

Novascream nodded, and said in a whisper as he set down a non-alcoholic drink before his friend, “He’s a regular, and I’m afraid to kick him out. He brags about being some demolitions expert from one of those mining base. He calls himself Pyrofreeze. You know how those miners can be.”

“Gimme time with him. I know his reasons.” Down the hatch went the drink. Stormblend hardly tasted it, but he knew that it would have been a decent-tasting one.

“Reasons, hah. And you have time? You’re Sinead’s kid’s Sub-Guardian! I doubt that you even have the time.”

“I have a back-up of my own, and you remember that school for training Guardians that’s been set up. You know the routine: the basic Candy Striper deal; learn on the go. Some of them are level-headed, but most of them are a bit too energetic at times. The Daughter has a good time with them, always getting into trouble and playing pranks upon them, so they watch out for her. Primus, they love her. Plus, it helps give me time alone when they’re not begging for tutoring services.”

Novascream smiled, and said, “’Ya want another drink? On the house, if ’ya get ’im outta here. That one was last time’s tip.”

“Naw, but thanks,” Stormblend replied. “I need some extra sleep. Awn’néad is going on a field trip tomorrow, and it’s gonna take all my energy to keep up with her.”

“To where?”

“Sorry, but I can’t tell. Secrecy slag.”

“That’s okay. See ’ya later, Storm. Don’t forget to drop by sometime and have that drink. I do owe you, and I’m planning to see that you keep me to my word.”

Stormblend laughed, picked the small bot up, and said over his shoulder, “If you find him here again, don’t give him any spiked drinks, and call me immediately.”

Novascream nodded, and Stormblend left with the short bot under his arm just beginning to awaken. Looking up, Pyro saw the face of the bot carrying him, and whispered, “It’s you.”

“Yeah, and you’re in trouble. Rather, you would have been if Sinead was around to see you drinking like that. As it is, I’m tempted to find Titan’s son and see if he’d be up to beating your sorry skidplate into oblivion for no other reason than for me to say ‘Your father would have done so.’ ” Softening, Stormblend released a half-chuckle and a smile. “But it’s good to see you again, Pyro. Need a place to crash?”

“Primus, yeah. How’s da kid?”

“She’s fine. You’ll get to see her soon enough. Now you pass out again. I’ll keep an eye on you, don’t worry.”

“Yeah . . . thanks, ol’ buddy.”

“Anytime.”

~*~

Depth Charge knocked upon the door of the small apartment, only to hear a snarled cuss. Typical, and expected. The door was opened, and the Predacon looked up at him warily, sleep-filled optics clouded. “What do you want.”

“I’m Depth Charge. Your father asked me to speak with you.”

“Dad’s dead. Get out.”

Depth Charge stopped the closing door, and glared at the younger bot. “Your father asked me to speak to you before he died.”

Recognition dawned upon the younger bot’s face, and he whispered, “Sinead’s Guardian.”

“That was me, Steele. Let me in.”

“My sister’s asleep.”

A smaller bot stumbled against her brother, and hung on. Depth Charge smiled beneath his mask, and replied, “I think she’s up.”

Steele held the door open wider, and Depth Charge walked into the sparingly-decorated apartment to sit upon a chair. Steele picked his half-asleep sister up to place her upon the couch with her head resting on his lap. He dug though half-forgotten memories, most of them forgotten willingly. Stupid. “I remember you now. You visited Dad every so often with Sinead. How did you know him?”

Depth Charge didn’t flinch, didn’t seem to notice that the bot he had once played with as a toddler and a half-grown gangly kid on an almost-regular basis didn’t remember him. With the horrors that he had been through, the Maximal more than understood. “He was an old friend of mine.”

“How?”

The Maximal chuckled, an uncharacteristic display for him nowadays. “I helped him out of girl trouble more times than either of us could count.”

“Primus, you’re joking.”

“Absolutely not. Ask your mother.”

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, for Steele jumped to his feet, waking his sister up completely, and glared at Depth Charge. “She ditched us.”

“StarBlaze did what?!” the large Maximal hissed. “Impossible. She isn’t like that. She wasn’t. She just couldn’t . . .”

“She did love us more than anything . . . once.”

Depth Charge sighed, then saw the smaller Predacon child watching him. He blinked before asking in a soft, kind voice, “Who’s this, Steele?”

“Korona.”

“Do you have an income?”

“It was barely enough to keep this place.”

Depth Charge nodded, and said, “I know that your father wouldn’t have accepted this offer, but if you need some credits, especially for your sister, then I can channel some of my income to you.”

Steele weighed the possibilities. “What of Awn’néad? Don’t you fund for her as well?”

“Yes, but she also has Stormblend’s income, and he insisted that I not send as much as I feel I should.” He sighed. “Besides. Titan made me promise that I keep an eye on you.”

“So that’s how you knew I was fired from my job.”

“Yeah.”

The Predacon sighed, and Korona walked up to the larger bot. He blinked at her, then smiled behind his mask. She smiled back after seeing the kindness in his optics, and climbed into his lap to sit back against his chest. The Maximal had to laugh. “You’re quite a bold one.”

“Steele says better t’ be bold than told.”

“Oh, so make your own choices?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you in school yet?”

“Uh-huh.”

“What level?”

“Third. Nearly Fourth.”

Steele sighed raggedly, and cleared his throat, trying to clear the raspiness from his tone. Depth Charge looked up sharply, then sighed, rubbing at his optics. “Titan always did that. Sorry. You sound like him.”

Steele looked down. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’d say that the more like your father you are, the better off you’ll be in life. He was a good bot.”

“Although factionless.”

“Faction doesn’t matter, most of the time.”

Steele sighed again. “I’ll accept your offer. Dad might not have, but Korona needs supplies for the Fourth Level that she doesn’t yet have. And I also have Eleventh Level to complete. They’re making us pay for our exams this year.”

“Matrix and the Pit. Why?”

“Government funding.”

“For the Tripredacus Council?”

“Yes,” Steele said guardedly, not knowing what his father’s friend would say to that.

Depth Charge only nodded, and he reached into his subspace pocket to pull out seven gold credits. Steele had never even seen a golden credit, much less held one. He took them, and the looked up at Depth Charge in shock, but saw the Maximal handing Korona a bronze credit. “Don’t spend it all at once. Try to make it last two weeks.”

Korona grinned, wrapped her arms around Depth Charge’s neck, and then bounded off to hide the money in her room. Steele smiled, and asked, “Will you visit often?”

“Most likely once a month. You’ll get a platinum credit once a month for rent and utilities. It should get you a larger place than this one, and you should have some money for leisure spending left over.”

Steele nodded. Pausing for a moment, he thought over his question, not wanting to push the larger Maximal for answers. Finally, he asked, “Was . . . did Dad go out fighting?”

Depth Charge nodded quietly. “Yeah. He was a mess, though, when I found him.”

“Where was be buried?”

“Where he died. I . . . I buried him before . . . finding Sinead.” Depth Charge shook his head, not wanting to remember, and yet, not wanting to forget. “He didn’t want StarBlaze seeing him the way he was.” A small smile hovered around Depth Charge’s sad optics. “He was always thinking of others, even when he was dying, the creep.”

“I’d like to see that place,” Steele said quietly, understanding that there had been a deep friendship between his father and Depth Charge. A friendship that . . . that he hoped, one day, to share with another. Anyone. As long as he’d have a good, dependable friend.

The Maximal shook his head again. “When you’re older, kid. You don’t need to see that place just yet. Wait until you’re older.”

There was a knock upon the door, and Steele went to answer it. Nobody was there, but he picked a note up. “What the Pit . . . ?”

Depth Charge took the note from the younger bot. “You have another sister?”

“Not that I knew of!”

“Slag. You wait here. I’ll get her.”

“But–”

“Steele, you have to stay with Korona. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

The Predacon nodded, and Depth Charge ran off to the address that was on the note. It wasn’t that the Maximal just wanted Steele to stay with his sister; he didn’t want him fighting. The boy was still inexperienced, and needed to beef up a bit more. Depth Charge expected a fight.

And he got one. The girl looked around the same age as Korona, possibly a little younger, maybe even a little older since she was petite . . . but it was a sort of petite-ness that indicated that she would grow to be tall and lean, stronger beyond her looks. A Predacon launched himself out of the darkness, but was batted aside by the back of Depth Charge’s forearm. He slammed into the wall and sagged to the ground. Others came at him, and he knocked them aside just as easily, his body remembering combat training from years past. Finally, none stood, and he walked towards the young Predacon girl. “I’m here to bring you to your brother.”

She ran to him and he lifted her up to carry her back to the small apartment. “Get Korona, and get anything you want to keep. I’m getting you somewhere else now. Someone’s onto you. I’ll try to get the rest of your stuff later.”

Steele nodded and grabbed three bundled, oblong objects once Korona had a small bag ready. They left and went across Cybertropolis to a better residential area than the one he had been previously living in. Upon entering a nice-looking apartment building, Depth Charge placed the girl down and said, “This is your sister, Korona, and Steele, your brother. Stick close to him. Steele, I’m getting you a place here.”

“But . . . this place has to be more than fifteen gold a month!”

Depth Charge blinked, shrugged, and said, “Actually, it’s only ten. Hey, Bladestar! Get out here!”

“Depth Charge?!” the bot asked, running out of a room across the atrium and over to the four bots. “What the Pit are you doing here?! Where have you been lately?!”

“Look at this boy. Tell me who he is.”

Bladestar blinked, squinted, then whispered, “Primus and Matrix above . . . it’s Titan and StarBlaze’s boy, Steele! And who are these little ladies?”

“His sisters. I need a room with the highest security.”

“That’s eleven gold credits, pal.”

“It went up?”

“Yeah, it’s popular.”

“Fine, I’ll pay it. Furnished?”

“Hmph. Twelve. You’re pushy.”

“You know I’ve always been so. Get it done, and I want it for eleven straight. I’m not getting conned into it for twelve, thief.”

After a glare, Bladestar nodded and led them to an apartment considerably larger than the previous one, and then handed Depth Charge a dataplate, using a human term. “Paperwork.”

“Fine, I’ll get it finished before I leave.”

“This time.”

“You’re asking for a beating, Blade.”

“Hah! Like that isn’t new?” Bladestar said, smirking and leaving the four bots alone.

Steele looked at his newly-found sister, then asked, “Why did that Maximal do this for us?”

Depth Charge looked up from the paperwork he was completing, but said nothing for a moment. When he did, the answer surprised the younger bot. “Anyone who was at Base Rugby, or looked for survivors there, will always help the families left behind, regardless of faction, age, gender, whatever. Bladestar met your father maybe twice, as far as I can remember, but as you can tell, it left an impression on him. So much of one that he recognized you.”

“What? How?” Steele asked, as he rested his hand upon his discovered sister’s head fondly. She was clinging to his waist, clearly not used to what was happening to her.

Depth Charge pulled out a holographic projector, and activated it. A list of names appeared, and he selected Titan’s name. It began scrolling over holograms of the bot. Steele leaned closer, his face showing his sadness, his longing for his father. Then, one that Depth Charge knew was in there, popped up. It was a picture of Titan, holding a newborn proudly in his arms. Steele found he had trouble taking in a breath. What surprised him more, was that he found himself sitting on a stool, holding the holographic projector, watching the images of him and his father scroll through. There were pictures of StarBlaze in there, too, just the way that Steele remembered her. Then, a picture of only his father and him, each grinning at the camera, it seemed, optics and the type of grin identical.

They cycled back to where he had started. Steele went to hand the holo-projector back once the pictures were done, but Depth Charge closed his fingers over it. “Keep it. I have another. And you’ll be able to remember the faces of everyone who fell at Rugby and Omicron. There’s also a hidden folder for those who were personally involved around Sinead. You’ll be able to open it, since your father and mother were family to her. It has pictures of her with those she knew personally.” He smiled a little. “Including a few with you in them.”

Steele’s previously unknown sister touched his arm tentatively. He looked from the holoprojector to her and said, “I apologize that I haven’t asked you your name.”

“Rogueslash.”

“Did you know your mother?”

“StarBlaze? Yeah. She called herself something different, though.”

Steele sighed, and said, “I think you might be younger than Korona. Cold be older, though. You look bright.”

“I dunno my age.”

“Doesn’t matter. Korona and I only know ours because, well . . . we really made note of it, I guess.” He turned the holo-projector over in his hand. Rogueslash blinked at Steele and he rested his free hand upon her shoulder. “I’ll keep you safe. I swear. I’ll never leave you.”

She flew into his arms. Depth Charge smiled from across the room, and Korona asked, “Who’s Titan?”

“Steele’s father.”

“Ooh. He looks like he was nice.”

Depth Charge chuckled, and replied, “When he wasn’t in an arena.”

Steele perked up at that, and asked, “Dad was an arena fighter?”

“An avid one. Utterly ferocious and ruthless. But he never broke any of the rules, and whenever he injured his opponent, he helped them to an R tank, or a CR chamber.”

Steele smiled, and said, “I’d like to be like that.”

“You’re lucky. Bladestar’s another arena fighter. He also learned how to fight using your father’s style, and keeps it to your father’s style only. He never makes any moves up that hadn’t been used by your father.” Depth Charge blinked, then said, “Actually, he was trained by Titan. I forgot that part. That’s how he remembered you. I only saw him talk to your father on a select few casual occasions.”

“Can I learn from him?” Steele asked, letting Rogueslash stand upon her own as she moved to look around the room they were in.

“Me too!” Korona piped up.

Rogueslash, not to be outdone already, tugged on Depth Charge’s arm. “Me too, me too!”

The Maximal laughed, then nodded. “Ask him. He might say you have to finish schooling first, Steele, since the last year is rigorous.”

Steele nodded, and Depth Charge checked his internal clock. “Ah. I have a meeting to get to.”

“With who?” Rogueslash asked, clearly attached to the Maximal.

“Nightbreeze. I’ll bring her to meet you sometime. She–”

Steele snorted, smirking. “Don’t tell me: she knew Titan as well.”

“You’re catching on.”

“Will I be meeting Stormblend? I know that he and Sinead knew each other well.”

Depth Charge blinked, surprised. “I didn’t think that you remembered that. Well. I’ll have to introduce you to him as well, it seems. He’d like you, kid. Y’got spunk.”

“Will you be back?” Rogueslash was still standing beside the large bot, her optics sad.

He handed her a bronze credit, telling her the same thing he told Korona. He nodded and rested his hand upon her head gently, before looking at Steele. “I’ll be directly paying Bladestar the rent, and will deposit the remainder into your savings. That means you’ll have nine gold credits for the month, spending money. Split it evenly. Try to save up a bit, though. If you’re going to be an arena fighter, you either need a decent job, or you have to be sponsored. You’ll also need at least two decent swords–”

Steele unwrapped one of the three oblong objects he had retrieved from the last apartment, and held it out for Depth Charge to see. The Maximal knelt with an oath, and rested his fingertips along the hilt. “Never loose your father’s sword, Steele. Never let it go.”

“I’ll try,”

“What are the other two?”

Steele picked one up, and handed it to Depth Charge, who knew he was going to get an earful, as the humans say, from High Elder Nightbreeze. Once he told her why he was late, though, she’d more than just understand. She’d slagging insist that she pay half of the rent! He unwrapped the leather from around the sword, and nearly dropped it in his surprise. “This was Sinead’s . . .”

“She gave it to him for safekeeping when she got her second one, since she knew he took better care of inactive swords than she would have. That’s what Dad said when he showed it to me, anyway.”

“I know . . . I just . . . didn’t think that . . .”

“You can have it, if you want, in her memory.”

Depth Charge shook his head. “I don’t know how to keep a sword in fighting condition. You keep it. Someone else might need it in a few years.”

Steele nodded, and Depth Charge stood again, a different resolution upon his mind. “I’ll come and hand-deliver your credits.”

“Wait. The rent is eleven gold, and you’re giving us nine?”

“Well, if there was only you and Korona, then you’d have four each. But now you have Rogueslash as well, so I can’t cut her from the deal. So you get one more than I had planned, and one less individually.”

“But . . .”

“Steele, shut up and accept it, slaggit.”

“But–”

Depth Charge glared at him, then shook his head, sighing through the action. “One gold credit isn’t going to kill me.”

Steele followed Depth Charge out into the corridor, closing the door after him. “Wait.”

“What is it?” the Maximal asked, turning.

“Dad made me promise something.”

“About what?”

“Awn’néad.”

“What about her?”

“I’d teach her the style he taught . . .”

“Her.”

“Yes.”

Depth Charge swallowed, then said, “You’ll have to talk to Prime about that first. If I were you, though, I’d talk to Stormblend first, when I bring him to meet you. He’s more likely to listen to you, since he knew your father almost as well as I knew him. But only offer when you’re dead certain that you know your father’s style inside out, and when you can go one month of not being defeated in an arena against the highest-ranking bots. Got that?”

Steele nodded. “Upon the Matrix, I swear that I’ll wait until then.”

“Good. I’ll be back next month.”

Steele nodded again, then walked back into the apartment, seeing Korona falling asleep on the couch again. He smiled, picked her up, and brought her to a room so he could set her upon her bed. Rogueslash found him tucking their sister in and asked in a whisper, “Can I share a room with you?”

“You can have your own room. It’s right across the hall,” Steele said gently.

“I know . . . but . . . just for tonight?”

The elder brother embraced his trembling sister. He spoke in a whisper. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll sit with you in your room, if you want.”

Rogueslash nodded, and laid back in her new bed. Steele sat beside her, resting his hand upon her shoulder. She looked up at him, yellow optics worried. He tried to smile as reassuringly as he could. “I have to settle this place to look a little more like home. If you need me at all, I’ll be out in the living room once you’re asleep.”

“You won’t leave?”

“Not unless either you or Korona is awake to keep an eye on the place.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. I swear on my Spark.”

Rogueslash reached out, and Steele held her hand, moving to sit upon the floor, resting his head on his arms, watching her. He fell asleep there, only to be ambushed by both Korona and Rogueslash the next morning. Life was going to be different, but better, nonetheless.

Click here for part three