Runaway

Chapter One - Reflecting

Steeldust awoke with a jolt. Sitting up on the bench he'd been laying on, he glanced around quickly.

Right.

Last offcycle he'd been captured by a creepy black and green mech. Then, he'd been brought to an abandoned warehouse and met a noblemech who he'd made a deal with.

Relaxing, Steeldust slumped against the back of his seat. He wasn't sure what had woken him up. Swindle was across the walkway, reading a datapad.

It mustn't have been him. Maybe the transport had hit a bump in the road or something.

Not really caring what had woken him up since nothing seemed to be happening, Steeldust turned his helm and watched their passing surroundings.

He didn't recognize where they were. And no wonder. They weren't on the surface of the planet.

Not that that surprised him. The planet was, after all, at war. Some areas weren't safe for traveling out in the open roads now.

On his journey from Praxus to Iacon, Steeldust had found that out personally.

Steeldust decided that even if they were on the surface, he likely wouldn't recognize where they were. Unless they took the route his creators used to get from Polyhex to Iacon.

He hadn't really been anywhere on the planet besides some sections of Polyhex, Praxus, and Altihex. And a couple places in Iacon.

Scrunching up his faceplate, Steeldust glared out at the Polyhexian landscape.

Actually, he'd seen quite a bit of both Praxus and Altihex's less populated regions.

Not to mention the streets of Iacon.

"No thanks to the mecha who were supposed to take care of me," he thought.

Apparently, his trust had been misplaced.

"Oh-well," Steeldust thought with a shrug. "I-don't-need-them-anymore. Right? I'm-gonna-be-a-racer. I'll-show-them. I'll-show-them-all. Show-those-stuck-up-Iaconians-that-I'm-not-just-some- Loser."

Shoulders and doorwings sagging, Steeldust frowned, features softening. He sure felt like a loser. He'd lost his creators, his brother, his guardian, his friends, his home.

Everything.

"Hey, mechling."

Steeldust glanced across the transport at the noble.

The orange and purple mech was still sitting with one pede resting on a knee joint, leaning back against the seat with his datapad in hand. The pad however, was lowered and the mech was looking at Steeldust instead.

"Chin up, we'll be at your new home soon," Swindle said with a broad grin. "Then, you can put your past behind you and start a new life."

Tilting his helm, the black and navy youngling considered that.

"Maybe-he's-right. What-more-do-I-have-to-lose? Might-as-well-try-and-start-again. That-is-sort-of-why-I-agreed..."

"Okay."

Swindle's grin grew broader. "Good youngling."

"Where are we?"

"In Polyhex. Just outside of the northeastern border of the city itself. It won't be long before we get to HQ."

With a nod, Steeldust went back to quietly looking out the window. Noting his own reflection in the window pane, he examined himself. He hadn't really seen himself for a little while.

To his surprise, he looked... Different.

And it wasn't just the dirt and scratched paint in various places on his frame from living on the run.

Steel wasn't quite sure what else it was though.

Maybe, it was the optics staring back at him. They were the right colour to be his. But, somehow, they were different. They looked... Sad. Lonely. Even a bit angry.

Just like how he felt.

Taking one last look, the nine-vorn-old averted his gaze.

In truth, it scared him a little.

"Things will get better," he told himself. "They've got to."

Little did he know how long it would be before things truly got better.

Credit Song: Doubt - Twenty One Pilots