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Quick note: All of the chapters in these meme range between the E-10 and T ratings.  This chapter, however, is definitely rated T for violence.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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Cra-bzzzzt!!

That was the sound that every ground transport-bot dreaded to hear: the sound of their hover sled losing power.  The blue aura around the runners fizzled and gradually disintegrated.  The runners themselves dropped lower until they began scrapping along the metallic ground.

“Oh, bolts!” the bulky mech towing the sled muttered.  He hit the brakes and slowed to a stop before  unhitching his load.  The sled powered down the rest of the way and landed not-so-gently onto its runners, making the tarp over the supplies flutter.  The navy blue transport-bot transformed, turned around and opened a control panel to the side of his cargo.  Another vehicle pulled up beside him and transformed as well.  This black mech unsubspaced a handgun before approaching his companion.

“Hauler, why’d you stop?”

“The sled started losing energy all of a sudden,” the bulky mech answered. “I could have sworn I checked the fuel lines before we left...”

“Sabotaged?” The black mech immediately began doing a visual sweep of the vicinity.

“No, it’s not…”

“Because I could have sworn I saw a drag strip back there…”

“Safeguard…”

“…and this is a gang-controlled area…”

“Safeguard…”

“…I hear they’re always looking for energon…”

“Safeguard…”

“…and with the whole planet being in an energon crisis…”

“Safeguard!”  Hauler got up and put a hand on his bodyguard’s shoulder.  “I used to have a friend back in Iacon named Red Alert.  You know him?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

“Then thank Primus for small favors.” The older mech said, shaking his head.  “You’re just like him, you worry too much.”

Safeguard resumed his professional stance.  “That’s what you pay me to do, sir.”

“And I thank you for that.  But take my word, son, we are not under attack.  I think I found the problem; a wire must have come loose while we were going around a turn back there.”

“How long will it take you to fix it?”

“Not too long.  Do me a favor and keep an eye on the alleyways.  I’m not in the mood to chat with anyone from around here.”  With that, Hauler turned back to his sled and began tinkering with the control panel again.

Safeguard mentally sighed and concluded his visual scan.  This sector had once been the site of a major battle between the Decepticons and the Autobot “vagabonds” that still patrolled the area.  There was nothing left now but rubble and abandoned buildings, which made it the perfect spot for turbo-rats and criminals to hide.  It gave him the creeps right down to his central processor, but Hauler had insisted that this was the quickest route out of the Neutral territories and back to Iacon.  Who was the bodyguard to question his employer?

A rustling noise behind some garbage pails snapped his attention back to the narrow alleyway on the left.  It stopped for a few seconds, and then began again as the source of the disturbance moved away from the pails.  More trash was being pushed around, whatever that thing was, it wasn’t doing a very good job at keeping quiet.

:Hauler!: Safeguard short-waved to his companion, :I found something! Stay by your cargo and don’t move!:

:What?! Safeguard, if this is another turbo-rat…:

:It’s too big to be a turbo-rat! Just stay put!:  Hauler grunted but turned around to the black mech to keep an eye on his bodyguard.  Safeguard brought his gun out in front of him and trailed it on the garbage pails as he stepped closer.  The noise quieted just as he stepped in between the buildings on either side of the alley.

“I know you’re in there!” the bodyguard barked. “Come on out with your hands up!”

There was no answer.  “Fragging turbo-rats…” Hauler chuckled in amusement…

Safeguard gritted his dentals together.  He pointed his gun at the sky and fired off a warning shot, much to the verbal dismay of his employer, before trailing it back on the alleyway trash.

“I said come out! Now!!”

The rustling noise began again, followed by a whimper.  Safeguard’s optics opened a little wider in confusion.  ‘What the…’  The trash was pushed aside, and a dark red youngling crawled out.  Upon seeing the bodyguard’s gun, his yellow eyes grew fearful and he put his put his hands out in front of him in a defensive gesture.

“Don’t shoot me! Please!” he cried.

Safeguard immediately lowered his weapon.  “Oh jeez.”

:Hauler, you’re not going to believe this. It’s a youngling!:

:What?!:  The bulkier mech immediately trotted over and looked around his companion at the frightened mech.  “What in the Pits did you do to him?!”

“I didn’t do anything! He just came out, saw my gun, and…”

“Will you put that thing away?! He’s scared of it!” Hauler walked around Safeguard and knelt down in front of the youngling.  “Hey there,” he said softly, “we’re not going to hurt you.  What’s your name?”

The youngling kept his small hands in fists just above his chestplate, but didn’t back away from the transport-bot.  “B-Backburn, sir,” he stammered.

“Backburn, I’m Hauler.”  He took a look over the small mech.  Backburn’s armor was caked in oil and covered in dents.  He had a strong build for someone his age, but a growling noise from somewhere within his servos indicated that he hadn’t eaten anything besides diluted energon in quite some time.  His yellow eyes were huge with fear, and even though he held his ground, his body was tensed and ready to bolt. “Where are your guardians?”

“I dunno. I ran away.”

“From your guardians?”

“From the Tribe.”

Safeguard’s engine rumbled in alarm.  “That’s one of the gangs around here!  They’ll be looking for him!”  He started a visual scan of the area again. Backburn looked over Hauler’s shoulder towards the black mech and squeaked in fright.

“I don’t wanna go back there! Please don’t make me go back there!”

“Shhh, nobody’s going to make you go back.” Hauler grasped the youngling by his torso and lifted him up as he stood.  Backburn immediately went limp in his hands and trembled, obviously scared out of his processor.  “Safeguard, were taking him back to Iacon with us.”

“Are you kidding?!” the mech asked in disbelief.  “The Tribe will hunt us down for sure!”

“I don’t plan on returning here.  And this little one isn’t going to survive on his own.”  He hugged the youngling to his chestplate; Backburn returned the gesture and whimpered again.  “Shhh, shhh, it’s alright…”

Safeguard scoffed at the duo.  “Fine. But I’m charging extra to guard him too.”  His scanners still hadn’t picked anything up, but the fact that the little mech had gotten so close to them without setting off an alarm was beginning to make him doubt the scanners’ efficiency.

“Understood.  Hey, didn’t you say you had basic medical training?”

“I did.”

“Can you check this little guy out? He’s still shaking, I don’t know whether it’s because he’s injured or if he’s really that scared.”

“Will do.”  He walked over to where Hauler stood, but Backburn flinched and turned his head away, hugging tighter to the transport-bot.  “What? Primus, what’s wrong with you?”

“H-he’s scary…” Backburn whispered.

Hauler looked up at Safeguard.  The black mech was big, as most decent bodyguards were, but he wasn’t presenting himself as intimidating at the moment.  The navy blue mech refreshed his optics and took a second look over his bodyguard before understanding what Backburn was so afraid of.  “You idiot, I told you to put your gun away!”

Safeguard looked taken aback. “But sir! What about…”

“I don’t care! Subspace it before you frighten this youngling any more!”

Safeguard growled in agitation, but he brought the gun to his hip and flicked it away into his subspace pocket.  He showed his empty palms to Hauler and Backburn.  “There.  Happy?”

Backburn turned back towards him, and after looking at the bodyguard’s hands, slowly nodded.  His arms loosened from Hauler as the mech shifted him around and gave him to the black mech.  Safeguard held Backburn away from him so he could inspect his anterior body structure.

“Seems to be okay.  Most of his dents are superficial…” he muttered.

“Hauler?” Backburn said, looked over his shoulder at his rescuer.  Hauler gave him a comforting smile.

“Yes?”

“…I’m sorry.”

:Now!:

Gunfire erupted from the far end of the alley, its sound amplified by the close proximity.  Safeguard’s battle programming kicked on, and he brought the youngling in close to his chestplate while shouldering Hauler towards cover behind the garbage pails.  All three of them tumbled in to the trash as laser fire exploded where they had just been standing.

“Frag!” Hauler yelled as he tried to kneel, but fell forward onto some scrap.  His left leg sparked at the knee where shrapnel had sliced into the joint.  He pushed himself backwards against the wall as gunfire began to rattle against the pails shielding them.  Safeguard cursed darkly and reached for his subspace pocket with his free hand.  Just before he could summon his gun, though, white-hot pain shot through his upper arm.  He yowled and dropped Backburn, his other hand clapping down on the damage.  The youngling rolled backwards and landed in a crouch, his energon-stained laser sword pointed out at the two other mechs.

Safeguard’s optics narrowed as the situation became clear.  “You little fragger! It was all an act, wasn’t it?!” he hissed at Backburn.

The youngling didn’t answer, but gritted his dentals and swung at Safeguard again.  The black mech dodged the laser sword before it could slice into his chestplate.  His damaged arm was leaking energon heavily; his internal repairs were working to isolate the line from the rest of his system, but this rendered it non-functional.  He tried to reach for his gun with his free hand, but Backburn kept advancing and attacking before he could do so.  A few steps backwards, and he was nearly on top of Hauler.

Thinking quickly, Safeguard grabbed a broken piece of pipe and threw it at Backburn.  The youngling dodged to the side and swiped at it to stop the elongated end from hitting him, and this bought the bodyguard enough time to charge forward before Backburn could raise his sword again.  He ducked under a wild slash from the laser sword as Backburn realized his opponent had closed the gap between them, and, using his forward momentum, kicked his foot harshly into the youngling’s chestplate.

“Safeguard, no!”

Hauler’s warning came too late.  As Backburn was sent skidding backwards away from the pails, another mech on the rooftop, who had been holding back for his comrade’s safety, opened fire on Safeguard.  The youngling jumped back on his feet just in time to see the bodyguard pitch forward under three quick laser shots to his unprotected back.  The gunfire from the other end of the alley stopped as the thugs saw their most dangerous target taken down.  His laser sword still gripped tightly in his hands, Backburn crouched again into an aggressive stance in case the black mech got up and charged him again.  Both he and the rooftop gunman waited, but Safeguard made no movement from the ground.  Energon began to pool around him and drifted away from his shell.

oss,:  Backburn commed, :the bodyguard’s down, I think he’s offline.  The transport-bot is injured and unarmed:

:…Excellent…: a deep voice replied. :Tribe, move in.  Get that sled working again and back to base.  You four, drop those mechs off at the acid lake.:

Hauler had been watching everything in shock.  The youngling that he had cradled in his arms just moments ago raised his sword to him as he sidestepped across the alley towards the sled.  Hauler tried to stand again, but his leg sparked and he fell back down on his aft.  He winced and looked up at the youngling again.

Backburn lowered his sword slightly.  “Hauler, I…”

on’t.:

Backburn’s optics widened and he raised his optics straight up at the mech on the rooftop.  Pyrostorm stared down at him and shook his head.

on’t.  Not ever. Boss will see.:

At that moment, four thugs came charging down the alley and circled around the pails.  The first two grabbed Safeguard's arms and dragged him towards the street, his own energon streaking along the ground behind him.  The other two reached for Hauler, but the mech yelled and punched at them.  Both of them cursed, and the second one kicked his foot into Hauler’s torso, making the bulky mech double over.  They grabbed his arms as well and pulled him up, ushering him towards the street.  More thugs arrived and headed towards the sled.  One brought a rectangular device with him, and upon pushing a button on it, the runners of the sled glowed again and it lifted off the ground.

Backburn watched as Hauler continued to struggle against the two thugs holding him while they cursed at him venomously.  Shaking the energon off his laser sword, he subspaced it as they turned at the corner that lead directly to the acid lake.

“I’m sorry.  But we need these supplies more than you do,” he said quietly, making sure none of the other thugs could hear him, before moving to help his brothers move the weapons and energon.

Bucktooth — Description
Quick note: All of the chapters in these meme range between the E-10 and T ratings.  This chapter, however, is definitely rated T for violence.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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Cra-bzzzzt!!

That was the sound that every ground transport-bot dreaded to hear: the sound of their hover sled losing power.  The blue aura around the runners fizzled and gradually disintegrated.  The runners themselves dropped lower until they began scrapping along the metallic ground.

“Oh, bolts!” the bulky mech towing the sled muttered.  He hit the brakes and slowed to a stop before  unhitching his load.  The sled powered down the rest of the way and landed not-so-gently onto its runners, making the tarp over the supplies flutter.  The navy blue transport-bot transformed, turned around and opened a control panel to the side of his cargo.  Another vehicle pulled up beside him and transformed as well.  This black mech unsubspaced a handgun before approaching his companion.

“Hauler, why’d you stop?”

“The sled started losing energy all of a sudden,” the bulky mech answered. “I could have sworn I checked the fuel lines before we left...”

“Sabotaged?” The black mech immediately began doing a visual sweep of the vicinity.

“No, it’s not…”

“Because I could have sworn I saw a drag strip back there…”

“Safeguard…”

“…and this is a gang-controlled area…”

“Safeguard…”

“…I hear they’re always looking for energon…”

“Safeguard…”

“…and with the whole planet being in an energon crisis…”

“Safeguard!”  Hauler got up and put a hand on his bodyguard’s shoulder.  “I used to have a friend back in Iacon named Red Alert.  You know him?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

“Then thank Primus for small favors.” The older mech said, shaking his head.  “You’re just like him, you worry too much.”

Safeguard resumed his professional stance.  “That’s what you pay me to do, sir.”

“And I thank you for that.  But take my word, son, we are not under attack.  I think I found the problem; a wire must have come loose while we were going around a turn back there.”

“How long will it take you to fix it?”

“Not too long.  Do me a favor and keep an eye on the alleyways.  I’m not in the mood to chat with anyone from around here.”  With that, Hauler turned back to his sled and began tinkering with the control panel again.

Safeguard mentally sighed and concluded his visual scan.  This sector had once been the site of a major battle between the Decepticons and the Autobot “vagabonds” that still patrolled the area.  There was nothing left now but rubble and abandoned buildings, which made it the perfect spot for turbo-rats and criminals to hide.  It gave him the creeps right down to his central processor, but Hauler had insisted that this was the quickest route out of the Neutral territories and back to Iacon.  Who was the bodyguard to question his employer?

A rustling noise behind some garbage pails snapped his attention back to the narrow alleyway on the left.  It stopped for a few seconds, and then began again as the source of the disturbance moved away from the pails.  More trash was being pushed around, whatever that thing was, it wasn’t doing a very good job at keeping quiet.

:Hauler!: Safeguard short-waved to his companion, :I found something! Stay by your cargo and don’t move!:

:What?! Safeguard, if this is another turbo-rat…:

:It’s too big to be a turbo-rat! Just stay put!:  Hauler grunted but turned around to the black mech to keep an eye on his bodyguard.  Safeguard brought his gun out in front of him and trailed it on the garbage pails as he stepped closer.  The noise quieted just as he stepped in between the buildings on either side of the alley.

“I know you’re in there!” the bodyguard barked. “Come on out with your hands up!”

There was no answer.  “Fragging turbo-rats…” Hauler chuckled in amusement…

Safeguard gritted his dentals together.  He pointed his gun at the sky and fired off a warning shot, much to the verbal dismay of his employer, before trailing it back on the alleyway trash.

“I said come out! Now!!”

The rustling noise began again, followed by a whimper.  Safeguard’s optics opened a little wider in confusion.  ‘What the…’  The trash was pushed aside, and a dark red youngling crawled out.  Upon seeing the bodyguard’s gun, his yellow eyes grew fearful and he put his put his hands out in front of him in a defensive gesture.

“Don’t shoot me! Please!” he cried.

Safeguard immediately lowered his weapon.  “Oh jeez.”

:Hauler, you’re not going to believe this. It’s a youngling!:

:What?!:  The bulkier mech immediately trotted over and looked around his companion at the frightened mech.  “What in the Pits did you do to him?!”

“I didn’t do anything! He just came out, saw my gun, and…”

“Will you put that thing away?! He’s scared of it!” Hauler walked around Safeguard and knelt down in front of the youngling.  “Hey there,” he said softly, “we’re not going to hurt you.  What’s your name?”

The youngling kept his small hands in fists just above his chestplate, but didn’t back away from the transport-bot.  “B-Backburn, sir,” he stammered.

“Backburn, I’m Hauler.”  He took a look over the small mech.  Backburn’s armor was caked in oil and covered in dents.  He had a strong build for someone his age, but a growling noise from somewhere within his servos indicated that he hadn’t eaten anything besides diluted energon in quite some time.  His yellow eyes were huge with fear, and even though he held his ground, his body was tensed and ready to bolt. “Where are your guardians?”

“I dunno. I ran away.”

“From your guardians?”

“From the Tribe.”

Safeguard’s engine rumbled in alarm.  “That’s one of the gangs around here!  They’ll be looking for him!”  He started a visual scan of the area again. Backburn looked over Hauler’s shoulder towards the black mech and squeaked in fright.

“I don’t wanna go back there! Please don’t make me go back there!”

“Shhh, nobody’s going to make you go back.” Hauler grasped the youngling by his torso and lifted him up as he stood.  Backburn immediately went limp in his hands and trembled, obviously scared out of his processor.  “Safeguard, were taking him back to Iacon with us.”

“Are you kidding?!” the mech asked in disbelief.  “The Tribe will hunt us down for sure!”

“I don’t plan on returning here.  And this little one isn’t going to survive on his own.”  He hugged the youngling to his chestplate; Backburn returned the gesture and whimpered again.  “Shhh, shhh, it’s alright…”

Safeguard scoffed at the duo.  “Fine. But I’m charging extra to guard him too.”  His scanners still hadn’t picked anything up, but the fact that the little mech had gotten so close to them without setting off an alarm was beginning to make him doubt the scanners’ efficiency.

“Understood.  Hey, didn’t you say you had basic medical training?”

“I did.”

“Can you check this little guy out? He’s still shaking, I don’t know whether it’s because he’s injured or if he’s really that scared.”

“Will do.”  He walked over to where Hauler stood, but Backburn flinched and turned his head away, hugging tighter to the transport-bot.  “What? Primus, what’s wrong with you?”

“H-he’s scary…” Backburn whispered.

Hauler looked up at Safeguard.  The black mech was big, as most decent bodyguards were, but he wasn’t presenting himself as intimidating at the moment.  The navy blue mech refreshed his optics and took a second look over his bodyguard before understanding what Backburn was so afraid of.  “You idiot, I told you to put your gun away!”

Safeguard looked taken aback. “But sir! What about…”

“I don’t care! Subspace it before you frighten this youngling any more!”

Safeguard growled in agitation, but he brought the gun to his hip and flicked it away into his subspace pocket.  He showed his empty palms to Hauler and Backburn.  “There.  Happy?”

Backburn turned back towards him, and after looking at the bodyguard’s hands, slowly nodded.  His arms loosened from Hauler as the mech shifted him around and gave him to the black mech.  Safeguard held Backburn away from him so he could inspect his anterior body structure.

“Seems to be okay.  Most of his dents are superficial…” he muttered.

“Hauler?” Backburn said, looked over his shoulder at his rescuer.  Hauler gave him a comforting smile.

“Yes?”

“…I’m sorry.”

:Now!:

Gunfire erupted from the far end of the alley, its sound amplified by the close proximity.  Safeguard’s battle programming kicked on, and he brought the youngling in close to his chestplate while shouldering Hauler towards cover behind the garbage pails.  All three of them tumbled in to the trash as laser fire exploded where they had just been standing.

“Frag!” Hauler yelled as he tried to kneel, but fell forward onto some scrap.  His left leg sparked at the knee where shrapnel had sliced into the joint.  He pushed himself backwards against the wall as gunfire began to rattle against the pails shielding them.  Safeguard cursed darkly and reached for his subspace pocket with his free hand.  Just before he could summon his gun, though, white-hot pain shot through his upper arm.  He yowled and dropped Backburn, his other hand clapping down on the damage.  The youngling rolled backwards and landed in a crouch, his energon-stained laser sword pointed out at the two other mechs.

Safeguard’s optics narrowed as the situation became clear.  “You little fragger! It was all an act, wasn’t it?!” he hissed at Backburn.

The youngling didn’t answer, but gritted his dentals and swung at Safeguard again.  The black mech dodged the laser sword before it could slice into his chestplate.  His damaged arm was leaking energon heavily; his internal repairs were working to isolate the line from the rest of his system, but this rendered it non-functional.  He tried to reach for his gun with his free hand, but Backburn kept advancing and attacking before he could do so.  A few steps backwards, and he was nearly on top of Hauler.

Thinking quickly, Safeguard grabbed a broken piece of pipe and threw it at Backburn.  The youngling dodged to the side and swiped at it to stop the elongated end from hitting him, and this bought the bodyguard enough time to charge forward before Backburn could raise his sword again.  He ducked under a wild slash from the laser sword as Backburn realized his opponent had closed the gap between them, and, using his forward momentum, kicked his foot harshly into the youngling’s chestplate.

“Safeguard, no!”

Hauler’s warning came too late.  As Backburn was sent skidding backwards away from the pails, another mech on the rooftop, who had been holding back for his comrade’s safety, opened fire on Safeguard.  The youngling jumped back on his feet just in time to see the bodyguard pitch forward under three quick laser shots to his unprotected back.  The gunfire from the other end of the alley stopped as the thugs saw their most dangerous target taken down.  His laser sword still gripped tightly in his hands, Backburn crouched again into an aggressive stance in case the black mech got up and charged him again.  Both he and the rooftop gunman waited, but Safeguard made no movement from the ground.  Energon began to pool around him and drifted away from his shell.

oss,:  Backburn commed, :the bodyguard’s down, I think he’s offline.  The transport-bot is injured and unarmed:

:…Excellent…: a deep voice replied. :Tribe, move in.  Get that sled working again and back to base.  You four, drop those mechs off at the acid lake.:

Hauler had been watching everything in shock.  The youngling that he had cradled in his arms just moments ago raised his sword to him as he sidestepped across the alley towards the sled.  Hauler tried to stand again, but his leg sparked and he fell back down on his aft.  He winced and looked up at the youngling again.

Backburn lowered his sword slightly.  “Hauler, I…”

on’t.:

Backburn’s optics widened and he raised his optics straight up at the mech on the rooftop.  Pyrostorm stared down at him and shook his head.

on’t.  Not ever. Boss will see.:

At that moment, four thugs came charging down the alley and circled around the pails.  The first two grabbed Safeguard's arms and dragged him towards the street, his own energon streaking along the ground behind him.  The other two reached for Hauler, but the mech yelled and punched at them.  Both of them cursed, and the second one kicked his foot into Hauler’s torso, making the bulky mech double over.  They grabbed his arms as well and pulled him up, ushering him towards the street.  More thugs arrived and headed towards the sled.  One brought a rectangular device with him, and upon pushing a button on it, the runners of the sled glowed again and it lifted off the ground.

Backburn watched as Hauler continued to struggle against the two thugs holding him while they cursed at him venomously.  Shaking the energon off his laser sword, he subspaced it as they turned at the corner that lead directly to the acid lake.

“I’m sorry.  But we need these supplies more than you do,” he said quietly, making sure none of the other thugs could hear him, before moving to help his brothers move the weapons and energon.