Rise

Chapter Sixteen - What a Solarcycle

Steeldust trudged towards home after walking to Bluestreak's house from the park. The smile he had forced all orn was now gone.

He still didn't know what to think.

His brother was alive.

"Then, why is our bond gone?" Steeldust wondered, pausing at an intersection. He stood on the sidewalk, watching numbly as mecha drove by. His doorwings drooped as low as they could go.

Thunder rolled in the near distance. Dark clouds approached, accompanying the low rumble.

"Maybe it wasn't actually Blurr. Maybe that mechling just looks like him."

But no. There were too many other coincidences. Blurr was about seven vorns older than him. That would make him fifteen vorns if he was still online.

The age that you could join the junior races.

Steeldust had also noted that the blue mechling on screen had moved and acted the way that his brother had.

Not to mention the announcer had said his name.

There was no way it wasn't him.

"Hey. Youngling."

Steeldust was suddenly jarred from his thoughts. He jumped, then looked up at the large, red mech who was waiting beside him to cross the street.

"You alright, youngin'?" the security guard asked gruffly, concern evident on his faceplate. "Are you waitin' for someone?"

Recognizing that the mech meant him no harm, Steeldust relaxed, his shoulder plates and doorwings going back to their normal positions. "No, sir. I'm fine. Just waiting to cross the street."

The mech rose an optic ridge and frowned. "Ya've been waiting for a while then. Ya were standing here when I showed up. Just after the light turned again." He tilted his helm, studying the youngling. "Are ya lost?"

Steeldust shook his helm. "No, just thinking I guess."

"Well, ya better think fast and get home. There's a storm coming."

Steeldust nodded. "Yes, sir."

The lights at the crossing turned. The security guard glanced down at the small youngling one more time. "Light says we can go. See ya, youngin'."

With that, he strode off across the street.

Steeldust sighed and followed slowly. His helm hung as he went back to his thoughts.

When he was almost across, someone honked their horn at him. He skittered quickly the rest of the way, reaching the sidewalk just as the mecha began to move again. They were in a hurry to get to shelter before the rain came.

Glancing back at the traffic, the young speedster resumed his trek home.

Before he got there, however, the storm caught up to him.

Droplets of acid rain began to fall upon the city. Mecha scurried into their houses or into shops to avoid the stinging liquid. Others ducked into doorways, hoping the rain wouldn't last.

Steeldust dodged the first few drops. But then the rain started to fall harder.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" he hissed, covering his helm with his servos as he ran. Optics darting around, he spied an empty doorway.

Zipping into it, he shook the acid rain off his frame as best he could. It still stung though. Especially on his doorwings.

"I should've hurried home," Steeldust thought, examine his servos and hands carefully. "Now Jazz will wonder where I am."