Chapter Text
“Come on, D!” Orion drawled, his expression reminiscent of a pouting sparkling. “At least consider it.”
“What is there to consider, Pax?” D-16 sighed in exasperation. He was doing it pretty often as of late. “This is insane. What next? Are you going to propose we hijack Iacon 5000?”
The remark was meant to be sarcastic, but seeing a glint of mischief in Orion’s optics, D-16 realised that he really didn’t want to know the answer to his question.
“I am not asking you to enter Iacon 5000! I am just saying that we could participate in another race and finally get out of the mines.” Orion said. D-16 silently wondered how he managed to bring such an annoyingly stubborn mech upon his helm.
“Orion, we are miners. We are meant to be in the mines.” D-16 reminded drily, crossing his servos.
“But don’t you want to be something more, D? To show them all that you can be something more?” Orion implored, the gaze of his azure optics unwavering in his conviction. D-16 could lose himself in its intensity if he wasn’t careful.
“There is no point hypothesising about this, Pax, since we are never going to be ‘more’. Even if I agreed to your idiotic plan - which I don’t by the way - our competition would be cogged mechs. There is no way either of us could beat them.”
“We would just have to work smarter, D! How do you know you would lose, if you don’t even try?”
“Because I am being realistic. You don’t even need half a processor to see that this is beyond reckless. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am now, to throw it all away for a fleeting chance of what? Glory? Recognition?” The grey mech chuckled humorlessly. “Never needed any of that, so thank you very much, Pax, but I will pass.” D-16 huffed, turning to leave the rooftop.
He should have known that the thoughtful silence he received in response promised nothing but trouble.
<#>
“If we manage to get out this unscathed, I will kill you, Pax.” D-16 grit through his denta, as his supposed friend merely chuckled, as if he was joking .
“Oh, hey D, let’s test out the new mod Wheeljack made to improve jetpack efficiency! Yes, it is imperative that we do that on the roof, no do not ask any questions, what do you mean I am being suspicious? Ha ha, oops, sorry, the jetpack was programmed to reach a certain destination (courtesy of Wheeljack), there is no turning back now!~”
He should have known that Orion could not be trusted. That once this helmstrong idiot put his processor to something, there was no convincing him of reason. Of course the son of a glitch that doesn’t have even a modicum of common sense would seriously think that sneaking into the Elite Academy entrance race was a good idea-
“Hey, Cybertron to D!” Orion waved a servo in front of D-16’s face, a stupid grin covering his own. “If you continue fuming like that it is going to melt your processor.”
“At least I have a processor.” D-16 hissed. The two of them were hiding amidst the support beams of an arch that loomed over the prospective academy students, awaiting the start of the race. D-16 prayed to Primus that none of them would think to look up.
“We are already here, D, why not give it a shot?” Orion whispered, looking absolutely unbothered. “Just imagine, two miner bots manage to enter the Elite Academy! The kind of opportunities we would get!” The blue and red mech’s gaze took on a dreamy look.
“And what, work as guards for the rest of our functioning?” D-16 shot back, displeasure radiating through his EM field. While the idea of working under Sentinel for the good of Cybertron was attractive, something twisted in his tanks at the thought of spending the rest of his functioning fighting.
“No, you gotta think bigger, D.” Orion grasped D-16’s shoulder, shaking him slightly. “Sure, we are applying to the martial faculty, because it’s the easiest one to get into, but after a while we could always transfer to another department! We would finally be something more, D, as we are supposed to be.”
“But we are not . We should not be breaking protocol like this!”
Calm down or you will be discovered. In-vent, ex-vent. One, two-
“Come on, D, I could finally step into the Hall of Records without fear, maybe even find information about the Matrix there!”
“Pax, it’s-”
Three, four-
“And you! You could start studying medicine, like you’ve always wanted and maybe even become a-”
“ Pax !”
The air around them stilled. For a mortifying moment D-16 thought that his outburst blew their pathetic cover, but after seeing applicants continue warming up without a care in the world, he let out a relieved ex-vent. He allowed himself to sag into a sitting position on a support beam, trying to make as little sound as possible.
His optics traced Orion’s movements as his friend did the same.
“None of what you are describing would make us any less cogless, Pax.” D-16 said softly, resting his helm on his knees.
Orion shifted a little closer to D-16, looking pensive.
Their knees were almost touching , the grey mech noted absent-mindedly.
“Listen, D, indulge me this one time and I swear, I will never ask anything of you ever again.” Orion offered, raising his closed fist. “Sure, maybe on our own we don’t amount to much, but together? Dare I say, that when we have each other’s back, we are nigh unstoppable.”
That’s exactly the kind of idealistic scrap Orion would unironically believe in , D-16 thought. However, the possibility of never having to deal with Orion’s dumbaft shenanigans again was too great to pass up…
Resigning himself to his fate, D bumped Orion’s fist with his own, making sure to roll his optics as dramatically as possible to properly communicate his disapproval.
And if the answering smile he got in return made his spark spin just a little bit faster, well, that was nobody’s business.
<#>
Maybe the heat from the vent they used to propel themselves ahead of other contestants damaged some of D-16’s inner processor circuitry and started causing hallucinations, because this could not be happening .
“What you two did was amazing!” Sentinel Prime steadily approached the two miners, who were sitting shamefully outside of the Academy grounds, promptly kicked out upon arriving last to the finish line.
The stately mech stood before them, his gold and blue armour shining with regal pride. D-16 shifted his pedes in place, suddenly feeling rather self-conscious of his own shabby appearance.
It was probably for the best that neither D-16 nor Orion knew that the whole event would be broadcasted to the entirety of Iacon, with Sentinel Prime supervising the potential recruits. That knowledge would have surely tripped D-16 up during the race.
Oh, but Sentinel Prime wasn’t done talking, he should pay attention.
“What you two pulled inspired other mining bots so much they met their daily quota thrice as fast!” The Prime exclaimed, gesturing at them widely. “Such a significant contribution to morale can not remain unrewarded. The Elite Academy would be amiss to not accept such hardworking and dedicated bots as yourselves into its ranks.”
Holy Primus.
D-16 was so elated, that he was willing to let slide the vaguely smug look Orion discreetly shot his way. Though the expression of unabashed joy his friend mirrored on his own faceplates probably helped with that as well.
“Thank you, Sentinel Prime, sir, we promise you will not-” Orion started.
“But of course! No need to thank me, you are the ones who deserve all the credit for this.” Sentinel Prime said, waving off Orion’s gratitude. “The only thing you will need to do is go back to the mines from time to time to further inspire your fellow miners. Show them that with enough hard work and dedication to their function they could achieve success just like you two did!”
“Er, Sentinel Prime, sir, but that’s not how we-”
“What he meant to say is, thank you so much for this opportunity, Sentinel Prime!” D-16 cut in, barely restraining himself from strangling Orion. What was this idiot even doing trying to argue with Sentinel slagging Prime ? “We will make sure to not disappoint you.” D-16 added for good measure. Scrap, was there any sophisticated etiquette he needed to follow to not make a fool of himself in front of Sentinel Prime? Should he bow?
Sentinel Prime merely smiled in response, thankfully unbothered by Orion’s misstep. He straightened his posture and folded his servos behind his back.
“I shall hope so. Remember that you are receiving not only the privilege to study at the Elite Academy, but also a heavy responsibility to empower your fellow miners.” Sentinel Prime’s optics took on a brighter shine. “And I will be your guiding hand to help you bear it.”
Without any further ado Sentinel Prime spread out his golden wings and shot off to the sky, on his way to lead Cybertron into a brighter future, leaving the two stunned miners behind.
Now that's what I call leadership, D-16 couldn’t help but muse, as his optics fascinatedly followed the fading dot of gold.
<#>
“Welcome to the Elite Academy!” A tall mech with yellow optics said, guiding Orion and D-16 through the grand entrance of the building.
D-16 stared in awe at gilded halls of the Elite Academy, as he and Orion entered the building together. Stealing a glance at his friend, D-16 realised that Orion wasn’t faring much better. Not that he could blame him though.
The arching ceiling above them was masterfully decorated with geometric ornamentation that gracefully descended through the walls and embedded itself into adjacent furniture. It was simultaneously harmonious and overwhelming, making D-16’s processor spin with so much new visual input. He wondered if that is where the energon they mined was going with all the ration reductions they were receiving lately - towards turning the Academy into eye-candy for its abiturients?
Shaking his helm, D-16 quickly banished that thought.
Natural light that softly poured into the hall through massive ornate window frames, made the Academy look nothing like the mines. It should have been obvious, but the dissonance still made D-16’s field ripple with unease. He felt a tentative touch of Orion’s own field, similarly off kilter, but radiating wordless support, as they continued walking ahead.
D-16 smiled at the gesture and raised his helm just a little bit higher. Of course there was no need to feel insecure, after all they were endorsed by Sentinel Prime himself! They were even given an opportunity to buff out their plating before arriving, as minimal as it was given Ratchet’s limited tools. The miners didn’t have many possessions to their name, so packing D-16’s stuff (miscellaneous Megatronus Prime mementos) was a matter of breems. On their way out, D-16 and Orion got numerous congratulatory words from their friends, (Jazz being the most genuinely happy about their success,) along with looks of poorly concealed envy, that D-16 did his best to ignore.
While leaving them behind did leave a bitter aftertaste in D-16's mouth, the mech couldn't bring himself to regret it.
The same couldn’t be said about Orion though. Despite D-16's multiple reassurances, he still felt guilty over leaving while the others remained toiling below.
“Pax, it was your idea to enroll into the Academy in the first place! Why bother feeling bad about it after you have finally succeeded?”
For some reason such a line of thinking only served to disgruntle Orion even further.
…No matter. If he didn’t want to listen to D-16’s advice, then so be it. Orion was a grown mech, he could handle whatever emotional messes burdened his foolish processor on his own.
Though that didn’t lessen the worry nagging at D-16’s spark.
“So, you two are D-16 and O-98, am I correct?” Their guide suddenly asked, pulling D-16 out of his reverie.
“Er, I actually go by Orion Pax.” Orion corrected.
“Hm, I see, I will need to fix that then…” The tall mech mused, tapping something on a datapad. “I am Breakdown by the way. From the medicine department.”
D-16 didn’t bother to hide his surprise. “I mean no offense, but aren’t you a… labour frame? I didn’t know that Elite Academy accepted those whose servos weren’t forged for medicine…” The grey mech trailed off, noticing a reprimanding glare Orion was shooting his way.
“Hah!” Breakdown chuckled. “Don’t worry, little guy, no offense taken. Though honestly…” The mech glanced around cautiously. Seeing the hallways be empty, he continued, lowering his voice. “No, they aren’t too keen on allowing bots like me to study medicine. Something about our hulking frames not being suitable for such precise and sensitive work. But I got lucky. A… friend of mine put in a good word for me and helped me prepare for the entrance exam, the best he could, so here I am, after all those cycles of trial and error.”
“Wow, your friend seems like a very nice person.” Orion said.
“Oh, he absolutely is. When he is not complaining about his finish that is.” Breakdown huffed, though his field faintly radiated fondness.
“So, uh, are you really going to become a doctor?” D-16 asked tentatively.
“Well, not exactly.” Breakdown cringed slightly. “The best I could hope for for now is becoming a medibot’s assistant. No amount of medical knowledge could change the realities of my frame.” He sighed. “It would still allow me to work with my friend though, so overall I am glad.”
D-16 ruminated the response, feeling his spark sink in disappointment. Even though Breakdown was a labour frame, at the very least the mech had a cog, so if even he could only ever become a medic’s assistant, what were the prospects for a meager cogless miner, such as D-16? He was forged to mine energon with functionality so basic and bare-bones, that he wasn’t even capable of transforming into an alt-mode, with his frame not any more graceful than that of a cogged labourer.
The taste of bitter disappointment felt foreign on his glossa. He should have been grateful for the already stellar opportunity he was presented, not wishing for more .
D-16 barely managed to refrain from scowling in annoyance. Constant exposure to Orion Pax was making his friend’s inane aspirations rub off on him a tad too much.
Despite being their supposed guide, Breakdown didn’t show them much of the massive academy. When asked, he shrugged and said that he was instructed to only guide them through the areas they would have access to.
After touring the key facilities of the labyrinth of a building thoroughly enough for Breakdown to be satisfied with a job well done, the bots arrived at an unassuming door. Upon their approach it opened with a quiet groan of straining hydraulics and revealed a much less furnished hallway, with pipes running through the length of the walls. D-16 eyed the area curiously, wondering what its purpose was.
Finally, Breakdown led them to another door, this one lower than the last. D-16 noticed with a hint of surprise how it was perfectly sized for cogless miners like him and Orion.
Breakdown entered a code into a panel on the side of the entrance, handing a small chip to Orion. “This chip contains the access code to your room. I hope you two don’t mind sharing space, there wasn’t much we could do on such a… short notice.” The mech looked at them sheepishly. D-16 didn’t have a time to come up with a response to that, before the room - their room! - was revealed and something caught the grey mech’s optics.
Their habsuite had berths .
The dorm wasn’t particularly spacious or opulent like the rest of the Academy, but at that moment D-16 couldn’t care less. It took all his self-restraint to not jump onto a berth right there and then - there was decorum to be maintained after all. Breakdown was going on about something else and D-16 silently hoped that Orion was listening, because at this point he was decidedly not. His attention was preoccupied with the belated realisation that they had their own separate personal room and horizontal berths and a place at the Academy and-
“So, be at home here, you two. The chip I gave you also contains my personal comm, so if anything arises feel free to contact me.” Breakdown added, moving to exit the room. “I am sort of a senior supervisor for you here, so you are my responsibility as well.” The mech glanced at Orion sharply. “ Hence , no shenanigans, that could get me in trouble, understood?”
Both of them nodded meekly, even though D-16 had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn’t the main source of Breakdown’s concern. Satisfied, the mech ducked his helm and got out of their room, a door closing with another groan of old machinery.
“It’s not like I have a reason for my ‘shenanigans’ anymore.” Orion muttered grumpily.
“It looks like your disastrous reputation precedes you, Pax.” D-16 remarked and chuckled at Orion’s scandalised expression.
“Well, at least this time my shenanigans brought us glorious success!” He argued, a self-satisfied smile creeping onto his faceplates.
D-16 rolled his optics good naturedly. “Touche.”
Before he could recycle his optics a blur of red and blue passed him at a lightning speed, making D-16’s processor spin, as a full-grown mech jumped on a berth with a soft Oomph!
For a klik D-16 worried if Orion broke the berth with the force of impact, but seeing it be perfectly intact, he merely huffed and made his way to his own berth. Unlike his uncouth friend he savoured the feeling of berth sheets beneath his servos, as he carefully sat down. Lowering himself on the flat surface felt almost sacrilege, as if he was infringing on something sacred. It is just a berth , he tried to chastise himself for hesitating, but the remark rang hollow in his processor.
No, this is a whole damn berth. All to himself to lie in and enjoy. There is nothing insignificant about this.
He finally allowed himself to sink into the berth frame, untensing his struts and joints after such an eventful solar cycle. D-16 let out a content sigh and closed his optics. It was still too early for recharge, but he would be happy to simply lie down in his new berth and savour the serenity for a while.
Of course, the tranquility had to be disrupted.
“So, this Breakdown guy seems pretty cool for a supervisor. Much nicer than that slaghead Darkwing.” Orion hummed from his own place on his berth.
“You shouldn’t call him that.” D-16 sighed in exasperation. “He is- I mean, was our superior after all.”
“Well, there is no way for him to hear it, so forgive me for letting loose a bit.” Orion smirked at D-16.
“Hmpf, just don’t get too loose, Pax.” D-16 said, mirroring his friend’s expression.
Orion’s smile softened and he shifted a little bit closer to D-16’s side of the room. Its width was big enough to fit two miner-sized berths, but it left little room in-between. So, Orion had no difficulty reaching out and gently grasping D-16’s servo in his own.
A charge of electricity briefly danced at the point of contact, though Orion didn’t seem to notice. Well, D-16 noticed and had to manually shut down his fans from kicking in.
“I won’t.” Orion promised, looking straight in D-16’s surprised amber optics.
Seeing Orion Pax’s earnest expression D-16 couldn’t help but believe his friend. What did he say a couple of solar cycles ago?
When we have each other’s back, we are nigh unstoppable.
Well, D-16 could concede that maybe Pax was onto something there.
Said mech continued holding his servo, despite turning away to stare at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought. Perhaps, he forgot that he was holding onto D-16 in the first place. Regardless, the… thing they had there still remained, and weirdly enough D-16 couldn’t find it in himself to mind.
Maybe it was his tired processor or a need for reassurance in an environment this radically foreign, but at a certain point D-16 found himself dozing off, still feeling the warmth of another servo in his own.
They could never be this close in their pods in the mines.