Hey Everyone! Long time no see!
As you may have noticed, I'm re-writing all my fics. because, quite frankly, my writing style from a few years ago horrifies me...
Honestly it still horrifies me sometimes but never mind that; I'm a perfectionist and picky by nature.
So, here we are! I present to you a re-write of a re-write which will probably be re-written again sometime in the future.
Anyway, on with the fic! I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything!
The Coliseum; Kaon's beating heart.
Those with the strength to survive it become heroes. Those who did not only fuelled the roar of the crowds.
All knew of the arena's greatest triumph; Lord Megatron himself.
He had broken though the expectations of the crowds; he wasn't another of the mindless thugs who often rose above the rest because of their superior strength. No, he knew how to give the crowds what they wanted.
With his monstrous strength he decimated any who stood against him, but with his cunning he knew how to make them bleed first.
Though it had been years since Megatron had risen out of the Coliseum as its champion, his name was still spoken amongst the gladiators in revered tones. For he had risen above this hell and earned his freedom.
All had heard of his recruitment effort; the uprising of his Decepticon army, and almost all rejoiced in the thought of an even greater freedom. One which brought them out from under the heel of the aristocracy.
Yet even with the threat of war on the horizon, the Coliseum was more popular than ever.
Whispers of three new fighters, with skills on par with the legendary Megatron himself, had taken Kaon by storm. Their names spreading though the crowds like wildfire.
A pebble flew between the bars of the cell, missing the figure lying on the berth by inches.
"You missed, dumbass." a voice hissed, "Give that to me!"
After a slight scuffle, a second rock flew through the bars striking the figure within on the helm.
Icy white optics slowly powered online and the figure within awoke with a threatening growl.
"What!" came the low hiss, "This better be good!"
A low chuckle sounded, "Get up sleeping beauty; todays the day we earn our freedom."
The figure pushed themselves up off the berth and ambled over towards the door of the cell, rubbing a hand across their optics. "Is that really today?" they mumbled.
A second figure laughed, "You could at least be a little more exited! One more battle and then this whole nightmare is over."
The screech of rusted metal and the rattling of keys heralded the arrival of a guard.
Moments later, a glimpse of artificial light shone into the room.
The thunderous stomping of hundreds of feet. The roar of an eager crowd. The clattering of weapons and the triumphant cry of a victor.
These were the sounds which made up the great symphony that was the Coliseum. Energon, still fresh from the latest battle, stained the floor of the arena and high-grade was being passed around by the cube-full. All in all, a rather successful morning.
The Master couldn't have been more pleased; the Coliseum had been collecting record profits and it wasn't even mid-day.
As the arena was cleared of the dead, the crowd began to rumble in anticipation. They knew just as well as he that the best was still to come and oh how he craved it. After all, it wasn't every day that you got to witness the greatest pleasures in life all mixed into one delightfully violent yet arousing display.
Spotting those three brats at the slave markets not two years ago has been a Primus sent gift; Kaon born and raised, the three knew how to handle themselves in a fight. Their capture, he'd been told, was simply a matter of the three being in the wrong place at the wrong time. At first he'd only been after the set of twins but after watching the fight the femme had put up in order stay with her brothers, inspiration had hit.
It was exactly what the crowds had wanted; a femme who could hold her own, whose bloodlust sated even his own high expectations and whose face could melt the toughest mechs spark. The little femme had been his ticket to riches. It was as shame however that he couldn't sell her out to the highest bidder. Sure, he'd tried to. Once, that was; reimbursing the armless, or worse, mechs had become far too much of a hassle. Not to mention the reaction of her brothers. Lucky for him, the two had been restrained before they had broken through to his office. Although needless to say he'd needed to hire a few new guards after that debacle.
Regardless, today was his day of triumph.
Curling his lips into a smirk, he raised his voice to the crowds.
"And now, my dear Femme's and Mech's of Kaon! The moment you have all been waiting for!" he cried, "Our youngest victors in the history of this Coliseum are about to enter the final stage of the Trial of Champions!"
"I give you; your victors!"
As the great gates opened, revealing the silhouettes of three bots standing just out of the light of the arena, the crowds shot to their feet and a roar of thunderous approval bounced across the walls of the Coliseum.
"Wrathseeker and Bladecrusher! The energon chilling terrors of the Coliseum! These bots are two of the most bloodthirsty mechs I have ever had the pleasure to witness; fighting like demons from the very gates of the Pit!"
As the demonic terrors strode forward into the arena, one could see how they had earned such fearsome names.
Despite their battle-worn frames, the pair exuded not only the confidence, but the deadly grace of a predator. Undefeated in battle and utterly unapproachable outside the ring, they were the envy of every gladiator in the circuit.
Like others before them, they possessed not only great strength and prowess in battle, but strength of mind. Their analytical prowess in the face of battle was a skill which had led to the death of many naïve and arrogantly foolish mechs. However, they also understood the needs of the crowds; they knew when to appear to be struggling and on the verge of defeat and when to leap forward and claim victory in order to keep the rabbles favour.
With a hefty hint of bravado, Bladecrusher, placed a kiss on his fist and with a haughty smirk, raised it to the crowds who bellowed in approval. His brother, Wrathseeker on the other hand, rolled his eyes at his brothers tomfoolery and began showing off his skill with the twin blades he was known for; swinging them around in a short yet eye catching routine that gained more than a few 'ooh's and ah's' from the crowd.
The Master chuckled; the two were nothing if not suave.
Raised his voice once more, the Master reclaimed the attention of the rabble. "Now, now my dear friends! Let's not forget the third member of this disastrous trio! I give you the tenacious temptress herself! Queen of the Coliseum and mistress of the skies! Chaosrider!"
As the femme walked out into the light of the arena, she fired up her turbines and raised her wings high, flaring them in challenge. If Wrathseeker and Bladecrusher had radiated predatorial grace, then Chaosrider practically oozed it.
Her deceptively innocent smile sent the crowds into an uproar as she raised a hand in greeting.
The Mini-Seekress was a master of battle; there was a reason the people called her a Queen. She was unbeatable even when grounded and a true master with a blade. The fact that Seekers were a commodity in the arena only made her more of a prize. Most Seekers didn't last long in the ring. Although they could be called a feral race by nature due to their strict cultural etiquette, seekers had one great weakness; catch their wings with a blade and you have a downed Seeker. Chaosrider however had zero tolerance for fools and came down on any bot who touched her wings with the wrath of Primus regardless of the no doubt crippling pain.
"My my," the Master drawled, "I must say, Chaosrider is looking absolutely stunning today. Don't you think folks?" he smirked, eyeing the femmes dark finish, complimented by delicate purple highlights.
The twins' deadly gaze immediately flitted over to the Master in warning, causing him to chuckle nervously and swallow the lump in his throat, looking pointedly away from the femme sauntering around the ring. No one had forgotten what happened last time someone had looked at the femme the wrong way within reach of the twins.
With a malicious chuckle, Chaosrider, having seen the interaction between the three, made her way to the center of the ring towards her brothers. As the siblings stood together eyeing the crowd as they continued to cheer, the Master raised a hand.
"Three days ago, our victors entered the Trial and have since been put through four gruelling challenges to proven their worth! Today, in this final challenge, this deadly trio before you will be taking on some of the legends who have fought their way through this very ring! Should they succeed and defeat these fabled greats, they will be granted their freedom! However, should they fail and have survived their ordeal, our victors will have forfeited any further right to battle for their freedom."
"I give you; the Trial of Blood!"
So yeah...
There's that.
Hope you enjoyed reading! Please let me know what you think!
Reviews are always appreciated!
Thank you!
Little One xx