Orion Pax thought his life was simple enough, and he was comfortable with it. If a simple life involved joining a gladiator in the peaceful fight to rid Cybertron of the caste system. But his life was not overly complicated. As he strode down the halls, he spotted Ariel up ahead, finishing her work. She looked up when he approached her, a wide smile on her face. "Ready?" she asked.

Orion returned her smile. "If you are."

She hopped off of her seat. "Yep, I need to stretch my legs. Sitting around all day makes me sore." She looked up at him. "You lucky mech. You're not confined to one seat."

Orion chuckled as they walked out of the building. "That may be, but it does have it's downsides."

Ariel rolled her optics in amusement. "Oh please. You enjoy what you do."

Orion grinned at her comment. "Yes I do."

She grinned back. "I wonder if-" She stopped suddenly on the steps, her blue optics wide.

Orion looked at her with concern. "Ariel? What is it?" His immediate thought was that something was wrong with one of her sisters, maybe even Arcee. The young sparkling's danity spark was so fragile that one of the older sisters had to be with her at all time to share their strength. His spark stilled as he wondered if that was the case and if Ariel was feeling her sparkling sister's life fade out.

But Ariel's optics were wide with astonishment, not with horror and pain. "Orion," she whispered with excitement. "Look!"

Orion looked to where she was pointing, and he had to blink, as he was unsure what he was seeing. There, laying down on the steps, were three tiny beings, their tiny little chests heaving with exhaustion. He tilted his helm. "What are they?" he asked. To his surprise, Ariel put her datapads down as she crouched down, as if she was ready to pounce. She lunged forward, snatching at one of the tiny beings who let out squeaks of astonishment. Orion, seeing as the other two beings were near the edge of the steps, grabbed the other two, cradling them in his servos. He winced, hoping they weren't poisonous to the touch or wouldn't bite him. His next thought was that he better not hurt them, as they could be young sparklings and therefore would be very fragile. He looked down at their small forms, noticing how tiny they were. If they were indeed sparklings, they would be really deformed, but sparklings nevertheless.

"What are they?" Ariel asked, getting up. Her optics were filled with excitement with this new discovery as she examined the furious looking youngling in her servos.

Orion shrugged, trying to hide his unease. "I do not know," he replied. He swallowed. "Maybe we should take a look at them...somewhere else." Luckily, Ariel was too busy looking at the youngling to notice his sudden nervousness. She nodded, following him down the steps. The younglings made sudden, squeaking noises of distress, and the other sparkling, Orion guessed it was a femme, started calling out to her companions. Ariel let out a startled shout, and he turned to see her glaring at the small being in her servos.

"She tried to jump out!" Ariel exclaimed.

Orion frowned, coming forward. He looked at the tiny being who was glaring at them all, unfazed. He looked up at Ariel who's optics were glowing with concern. "I don't want to hold her too tight," she said. "But what if she tries to jump out again?"

Orion handed the two sparklings to Ariel before taking the feisty one. "I'll hold her," he said, looking at the small creature. A low growl escaped the tiny thing's mouth before she jumped forward. Sudden pain exploded in Orion's right optic, causing him to stumble back with a yelp. He still maintained a firm hold on the sparkling, knowing that a fall from such a height might kill her. But the throbbing pain in his optic confused his senses and made it hard to focus on the task at hand.

"Orion!" Ariel yelped, coming forward.

Orion winced at his throbbing optic. "I'm fine," he grunted. "Nothing damaged except my pride."

Ariel frowned, glaring at the small being who was grinning smugly. "Hold them," Ariel said, handing him the two boys before picking up the one who had kicked him. She turned the sparkling over before delivering a firm whack to the sparkling's backside. The little girl let out a squeak, glaring at Ariel in shock. Ariel just sighed. "You should know better then that," she scolded.

Orion blinked in surprise as he stared at her. The pink femme just shrugged. "It's what my creators did to me."

He looked up at the approaching acid storms with concern. "We should go," he said, gesturing to the sky.

Ariel looked up with a frown. "Yes, you're probably right."

Orion examined the small beings in his servos, noting how small and fragile they looked. He could tell they were scared, though they seemed to grow bolder when they looked around at the passing buildings. Orion smiled as he watched their tiny faces light up in fascination.

"They're so cute!" Ariel cooed.

Orion raised an optic ridge in amusement. "Even the feisty one?"

She shrugged. "Nelchie may have a few behavior issues, but she's just scared."

Orion blinked in surprise. "Nelchie?" he repeated.

Ariel nodded. "It fit's her. The young 'meanie'."

Orion chuckled at that statement. "I suppose that she is a 'meanie'." He looked up with a frown, hurrying toward his home. Like all Cybertronians, he was not fond of staying out when there was a looming threat of acid rain. Punching in the access code, he entered his home.

"I feel like these storms are becoming more frequent," Ariel commented when they stepped inside.

Orion nodded. "It sure does seem that way." He set the young sparklings down on a low table, one of the few furnitures that he owned.

Ariel frowned. "Will they be alright there? What if they fall?"

"It is only temporary," he assured her, keeping a wary optic on the sparklings. They didn't seem to have any intentions of wandering off, but rather, staying together as a group. He frowned. Where were their creators? Were they abandoned? Anger and dismay filled his spark at the thought. It was not uncommon for unwanted sparklings to be left on the streets to fend for themselves. Many who did not perish from the lack of a spark bond became slaves. More often than not, Optimus would wonder if that was what happened to Megatronus. But, his friend was reluctant to speak openly about his past, and Orion would not push him for answers.

A gentle servo on his shoulder pulled him away from his thoughts. He turned to look at Ariel, who was gazing at him hesitantly. "Will you be alright?" she asked, gesturing to the sparklings.

He blinked, confused. "Of course I will be." Then his optics widened when he realized why she was asking. "You're not thinking about going back out there, are you?"

She pulled away, optics lowering. "I'll be fine," she said quickly.

He shook his helm. "No. You could get caught in the acid rain. It's not worth the risk."

"Orion," she said firmly. "I need to get home for Arcee. We can't be separated for long!"

"She's with Chromia," he reminded her.

"Chromia has had her all day at work," she argued. "She needs to rest, and she can't do that with a needy sparkling."

Orion looked at her, knowing this was a losing battle. Ariel smiled softly, reaching up to gently touch his face. "I'll be fine," she said once again. "I'll contact you when I get home." And with that, she turned and quickly ran out of his home, and Orion had to stop himself from going after her. He squeezed his optics shut, trying not to think of her out there in possible danger. He sighed, looking up to see one of the smaller sparklings staring at him. Understanding and compassion were in those little brown optics. Orion tilted his helm, confused. Brown optics? He had never known a Cybertronian to have such a color. But then again, he had never known a Cybertronian to come out of the Well to early.

He watched with growing interest as the smaller beings pulled out some odd containers before sitting down. He tried not to make any sudden movements as he approached them. Upon observation, he realized that the sparklings were eating. But eating what, he could not tell. He sat down, tilting his helm as he watched them. From his observations, he could conclude that the taller sparkling was somewhat of the leader, while Nelchie was the feisty one. He chuckled softly, noticing that even the other two sparklings looked exasperated with her behavior.

"Slag it you scrapped-brained-" a sudden, squeaking voice started swearing, and Orion was horrified to realize that it was the small femme, Nelchie. He didn't even think of his actions as he jumped forward, whacking her upside the helm and causing her to stumble back. He felt his face burning from the foul language he had just heard, and coming from a sparkling! How were they able to talk like that? And where had they learned such words?

Nelchie let out a squeak, glaring at him, which he returned. No, he would not tolerate such language in his home. Megatronus and Ironhide had learned that the hard way.

He blinked as he watched the small femme rub her helm, wincing. He felt a small feeling of guilt worm it's way into his spark once the shock had died down. Maybe he should have approached the situation differently. He just hoped she wouldn't cause any more mischief for him.

He rubbed his helm tiredly, wanting to groan. This...this was a bit more complicated than he thought it would be.

"What did I tell you?" Ariel asked through the comm link, and he could hear the amusement in her voice. "Meanie."

Orion sighed, looking back at the sparklings. "Yes, she is definitely interesting." He had been relieved when Ariel had contacted him to assure him that she had made it home safely. "How are we to handle this?" he asked. "I do not think it wise to leave them here alone and unsupervised." He knew that his conversations with Ariel regarding the sparklings would have to be handled delicately when speaking through a comm link. They did not need word getting out to the Council that not one, but three sparklings had sprung from the Well with no creators. They would be taken away, possibly put down to avoid any 'weak-links' in the caste system. So far, Orion had just referred the sparklings as fellow co-workers, and Ariel caught on what he was doing.

"If they need help," Ariel started casually. "You could always show them around."

It only took him a second to realize that she was actually saying that he should take the sparklings to work. "I can't do that," he said. "The Hall of Records is off-limits."

"Then leave them with me," she said simply. "I'll take care of them."

He frowned. "Are you sure?"

"What else can we do?" she asked.

He sighed. "True." Sudden squeaks drew his attention to the box the sparklings were in. He could see the taller one with the soft dark helm banging on the glass, trying to catch his attention. "I have to go," he said quickly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Approaching the box he had put the sparklings in, he looked in to see the taller sparkling pointing at Nelchie's cheek, which was now a weird, purple color. He frowned, reaching in to pick her up, causing the femme to let out an adorable squeak. He held her close as he examined her, smiling at how cute she sounded when she spoke in that high pitched tone. He began rubbing her helm, noting at the different colors and how soft it was. He frowned, wondering if that was part of her deformity. But Nelchie just looked annoyed, so he put her down before reaching to pick up the taller sparkling.

The sparkling let out a squeak, looking around nervously. But Orion just brought him close to his spark in an effort to calm him down. He then sat at his desk, staring at the screen of work waiting for him. "The work never ceases," he said, looking down at the sparkling who shook its small head, letting out a mournful squeak.

Orion wasn't bothered by the limitations of typing with only one servo. Holding the sparkling was strangely comforting, and he enjoyed watching the smaller being stretch out on his servo in an effort to get comfortable. At one point, the sparkling was leaning against his spark, attracted to the warmth. He smiled, looking down at the slumbering creature. It looked so small, so fragile. The sudden loud noise of thunder, however, kept jolting him awake, and Orion could tell that the sound made it nervous.

When he had finished sorting out a certain layer of coding, Orion decided to call it a night. Ariel would always tell him that he could never stop himself from finishing a project and take care of himself. He was trying to make an effort of at least getting a decent amount of sleep. Ariel would know if he wasn't.

He smiled. She was not his spark-mate, and yet she could identify his limits better than he ever could.

Trying and failing to not wake up the sparkling, he gently placed it back in the box with it's friends before heading for his berth room, carrying the box. Glancing in the small container, he frowned. There were no sleeping arrangements for the sparklings, and he didn't want them to be uncomfortable. "That won't do," he muttered to himself, putting the box down before leaving in search of some suitable thermal blankets.

Ariel finished typing the last of her reports before sitting back in her seat. Her optics scanned the now blank screen and she closed them with an inward sigh. She glanced over at the sparklings Orion had left her with, and she smiled. She had been delighted, as always, when she saw him enter for work. And seeing him with the sparklings had filled her with joy. She had been wondering about them all night. She was curious as to where they had come from, and how they had gotten to the Iacon Hall of Records steps in the first place.

Leaning in, she watched as the smaller sparkling, Melchnie, gazed up at her with innocent curiosity.

Melchnie wobbled to his feet, placing his small, pale servos on the glass, smiling up at her. "You're a cute little thing, aren't you?" Ariel cooed as she leaned down to his optic level. Not able to contain herself, she picked him up, taking great care in how she held him. She cradled him like she would cradle Arcee, holding him close to her spark. She wanted to laugh at the irked expression on his face, but watched as the annoyance changed to one of content and peace. Melchnie slowly closed his optics, snuggling closer to her spark chamber.

"You like that, don't you?" she asked softly, adjusting her hold on him so that, she hoped, he was more comfortable. She then sat back down in her seat, glancing at the computer screen. She looked down at him with pure adoration she didn't know she could posses, save for the very special Cybertronians in her life. "You like that, my little Melchnie."

The name seemed to catch his attention as he looked up at her with interest. Excitement swelled in her spark as she saw the comprehension on Melchnie's face, the same way Arcee would look at her. But the powering up computer screen seemed to catch his attention, and he leaned forward to get a better look. Sudden, small clicked noises came from Melchnie as he looked up at her, then back to her work.

She smiled. "I don't think you'd find my work very interesting," she said. But she said nothing else, content with listening to Melchnie's small, one-sided conversation.

Orion had thought, aside from the three sparklings, that his day would progress smoothly. Though he was a little tired as he hadn't gotten much rest as he had woken up at odd hours of the night to check on the sparklings. He had been so worried for them, wondering if they were hurt, or if they needed anything. Though he was starting to doubt if they were sparklings at all. The way they examined their surroundings and how they regarded him and Ariel were not normal behavior for a sparkling. And he had seen sparklings before, and he knew that premature or not, that they were not normal looking.

"Orion," a sudden voice said, jolting him out of his thoughts. Funny, everyone seemed to be jolting him out of his thoughts lately.

Orion looked up in surprise at the sudden feeling of worry he felt over the bond he shared with Megatronus as brothers. "Megatronus?" he asked, concerned. "What is it? Are you alright?"

"I am for the moment," came the swift, sharp answer. "But I suggest that you leave immediately. Is Ariel with you?"

"Not at the moment," he answered. "She is at the front desk." He frowned. "Megatronus, what is going on?"

Sudden images of guards approaching entered his mind. They stormed through the building, dragging him away, along with Ariel. No one bothered to question them, no one bothered to help. These guards were sent by the Council, and their will would be done. Orion Pax and Ariel were no one, and they would be dealt with however the Council saw fit, all because of their affiliation with Megatronus.

Orion gasped at the mental image faded away, shocked and horrified. "They wouldn't," he breathed aloud, but his brother could still hear him.

"Would you be willing to take that chance?" the gladiator demanded. "I am too far away at the moment to help you, so you must flee and hide somewhere safe."

"Hide from the Council?" he demanded, knowing that would be certain death. Where would they go? And Ariel had a family that the Council could target. He quickly thought of the sparklings currently in Ariel's care. What would the Council do to them if they were caught? He held no illusions that the sparklings would be spared.

"The Council cannot do much to you at the moment, unless you both are taken somewhere...private and alone." Megatronus stopped for a moment. "They will not be able to do much to you. But Ariel...they will throw her in a cell, with inmates who haven't seen a pretty femme like her in years."

The thought was so horrifying, that it had Orion moving, knowing the meaning behind his brother's words. "What do I need to do?" he asked.

"Leave the building and head for the abandoned factories," his brother instructed. "Barricade is on his way, as am I." Megatronus stopped for a moment, and Orion could feel his brother's frustration growing.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Laserbeak has informed Soundwave that the guards are already on their way," he said. "You will have to leave separately."

Orion nodded. "I will alert her." At that moment, he felt his brother's wave of comfort wash over him through the bond. He could feel Megatronus's anger at the Council for daring to attack so close to his friends.

"I am sorry," Megatronus said, his voice pained.

Despite the situation, Orion smiled. "I'll be alright," he said. "It's Ariel I'm worried about."

He could feel his brother's sudden amusement. "Bond with that femme already and get out of there," he ordered, before withdrawing his presence from Orion's mind.

Ariel didn't ask questions, she didn't even hesitate. She moved quickly, knowing that to delay might just cost her more then her life. Holding the box that contained the sparklings close, she followed Jazz down the streets. Her main worry was for the small beings she was now protecting.

"Watch out for the guards," Jazz muttered. "He couldn't be more specific?"

Ariel shook her helm. "Aside from meeting at the usual place, he didn't say anything else." She frowned. "What is 'the usual place'?"

"It's where we would go to meet up and plan for our next move," Jazz explained quickly, optics scanning the crowd they were in.

Arie's frown deepened. "You mean, where you would plan Megatronus's political events?" She did not like the word, 'our next move.' It sounded too much like a battle plan. Though, she had noticed how tense Orion had been, and Megatronus had insisted on placing them under Soundwave's surveillance for safety issues. At first, she had thought he was being paranoid, but now…

"Wait," she said, coming to a halt. "We can't go in there!"

Jazz stopped and raised an optic ridge at the friendly looking tavern. "Why not?"

She gestured to the sparklings. "Younglings are not allowed."

Jazz frowned, peering at the small beings. "They look more like pets to me."

Ariel bristled, her optics glittering sharply. "They are living, intelligent creatures, Jazz. Not pets."

Jazz straightened up, realizing he had overstepped. "Just an observation," he muttered. "Fine, we'll go somewhere...sparkling friendly."

Ariel should have figured that 'tavern' and 'sparkling' never mixed well with 'friendly'. But she said nothing as she followed Jazz, sticking close to the smaller mech as he led her to the back of the room to a dark corner. She could feel unfriendly optics watching her, but she held her helm high, intent on not showing any fear or how uncomfortable she was. "Act like you're supposed to be there," Chromia had once said. "No one will question you."

"Do you want anything?" Jazz asked her as they sat down in the booth.

It was almost a reflex when she shook her helm. "No," she said. She adjusted the way she sat, so as to shield the sparklings. She didn't need to look to know they were nervous just as much as she was, though she tried not to give any outward appearance of one so worried.

Jazz nodded. "I'm going to order us something anyway. Just to look normal." That brought her small smile to her face. "I'm sure that's a terrible sacrifice for you to make," she said.

He smirked. "Well, drinking is part of the whole 'blend in' idea we got going on here."

She said nothing as Jazz ordered their drinks. "Does Orion know to come here?" she asked.

Jazz shrugged. "Eh, if he doesn't find us at the usual place, he'll know to look here."

Almost as if on cue, Orion came in, his optics scanning the room. Ariel felt her spark leap at the sight of him. She slid out of her seat, catching his attention. Within moments, he was wrapping his arms around her, holding her close.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

She nodded. "We all are," she said, gesturing to the sparklings. She looked back at him. "Orion, what is going on?"

He sighed, optics filled with guilt. "Ariel, I am so sorry."

"Ya love her, ya want to keep her safe. So sit down," Jazz said as he dragged Orion into the seat next to him. Ariel huffed, feeling a small flash of annoyance as she sat back down too. She glanced over at the sparklings, just to reassure herself that they were still there.

"What's going on?" she repeated.

Orion shifted uncomfortably. "I believe, that my affiliation with Megatronus has put you in danger."

Her optics widened. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I do not know."

"You and Megatronus are starting to spread hope and change," Jazz said, looking at Orion. "That is something that the Council does not like." He shrugged as he took a sip of his drink. "It doesn't take much to make a Cybertronian disappear."

Worry clenched her spark. "Chromia and Arcee," she started.

Orion's worried look matched her own. "I do not know," he answered.

Jazz leaned forward. "Look, the worst case-" He stopped, staring at the box. "What are they doing?" he asked suddenly, pointing to the sparklings.

Ariel looked to see the three sparklings sitting down, munching on some strange objects. She blinked. "I do not know," she confessed.

"They are consuming their substance," Orion explained. "I saw them do it last night."

Jazz stared, aghast. "Wh-what about their-?" He shook his helm. "Never mind." He nudged Orion out of the booth. "We've delayed long enough. We need to be on the move." He looked at the larger, red mech. "Megsy gave you the instructions? 'Cause I have no idea what to do with you two."

Orion nodded. "I know where to meet him."

Jazz nodded as he led them out the back door. "Good."

Orion looked at Ariel. "Do you want me to take them?" he asked, gesturing to the sparklings.

She shook her helm. "No, I've got it."

"Hurry," Jazz hissed, pushing them out. "No time to-" A shout broke him off, and they all turned to see the Council Guard running toward them. Ariel's spark froze in horror. There was no way they could hide from the Council, should they avoid these guards.

"Those aren't Council Guards!" Jazz yelped, breaking out into a run. Orion grabbed Ariel as they ran after the silver mech. She held the box close to her spark, hearing the startled squeaks the sparklings let out as they were tossed around.

"It's alright," she murmured as they ran, her optics flickering down at the sparklings.

"Split up!" Jazz shouted, turning left. "Hey! You piece of scraplet meat!" he jeered at the fake guards.

"Come on!" Orion urged, pulling Ariel one way. She nearly tripped over a piece of garbage as they ran. She dared not look back, knowing that it would cost her precious time. Instead, she ran alongside Orion, trying to offer waves of comfort to the terrified sparklings.