"Along Came a Rogue" is my fanfiction for Transformers. Now, while I imagine this in the Transformers Prime art style and will be incorporating major themes from the show, I will also be pulling in elements from other entities of the Transformers franchise. Obviously, Transformers, the characters, and places belong to Hasbro Toy Company. Original characters are not meant to represent any real person(s) past or present. My story is for fanfiction purposes only, not intended to be monetized.
There are a few things I would like to take the time to note. This fanfic actually started as a roleplay between MaiaNightmareMoon (on DeviantArt) and I. My storyline is more of a spin-off from that roleplay. However, I would like to give her credit for helping me develop the beginning of this story and my original characters. Some of what will be wouldn't happen if it wasn't for her!
Therefore, a couple of the characters that will appear were either helped created by MaiaNightmareMoon (on DeviantArt). Or they belong to her, and she's been gracious enough to let me reference them. The names of such characters are as follows: Kryschina, Nyx, Omne, Lumena, Umbra, and Razatamok. I'm not sure which ones will end up making an appearance, but if there are some that are included in the story but not here, I will be sure to notate, so my friend can get the credit she deserves. Again, this wouldn't exist if it wasn't for her!
Before the Great War….
This was not Iacon; this was much worse.
The two low lives pushed the poor femme further along. Further into Kaon. Laughing as they did so.
Kryschina's crystal blue optics were wide. She grunted when they shoved her again, her restraining chains clinking in response. She should have listened to the others. Never should have wandered outside the city-state. But her curious naivety had gotten the best of her.
One of the ruffians planted a well-placed kick in her lower back. Sneered.
Crying out, she crashed to the ground. Her faceplate had been gouged. She could feel the energon slowly seeping out. Blinking away lubricant, she put tapering fingers against her faceplate. Stared at the bright blue liquid.
The second kidnapper—the dark blue one—laughed. "First time you've ever had your precious energon spilled, isn't it, princess? What do you think now, up-worldan?"
Kryschina blinked again. "What…I-I have nothing to offer you."
They both laughed as the first one gruffly pulled her to her feet by the chains. Holding her close to his slate gray chassis. Whispering into her audio receptors. "There is plenty you have to offer. It's not every day we get femmes down here. The higher castes keep your kind all to themselves."
Her Spark pulsated harder. No bot would ever touch her this way in Iacon. At least, not so publicly.
"I really like your white paint. The way it shimmers pink in the light. It's so," his hand slid around her slender, metal waist, "fetching."
The second low life shifted uneasily, his uncared for joints grinding in the process. His optics flitted about. "Come on. We need to return to Clench before he decides to rip us apart or throw us in the one of the smelters."
The initial ruffian's optics flickered over to his partner. "True." He held the femme against him for a nanocycle longer before shoving her forward. "Move."
Kryschina complied, Spark pounding against her chest plate and her internal temperature rising with concern, fear. What would become of her? She didn't even know what the lower castes did down here. What occupied their time?
Well, there were the rumors….
None of which she knew well enough to recall in this strenuous time.
Kaon was three times the size of Iacon, but it wasn't nearly as cheery. There was nothing happy about this place. The lower city-state was dark, clouded, and raw. Refreshing whites and blues were not found here. The colors had been replaced with black and orange. Black from incessant smog. Orange from the numerous raging fires that continuously melted metal.
Deeper into Kaon only revealed how cramped the city-state actually was. Buildings atop buildings atop structures. The streets were narrower. The population denser. The factories and manufacturing plants billowing black smoke as miners fed material into beasts of smelters.
The more intense smell of the burning metal made her gut wrench, and she involuntarily placed a hand over her midsection.
Lower caste members who flooded the streets stopped to watch the pretty, flawless femme be paraded by. Most called out to her, made inappropriate remarks.
Kryschina did her best to stay focused on the road, but her optics wandered anyway. She gasped at the condition these bots were in.
None of them had brilliantly-colored paint. And, unless they were a younger generation, they were missing limbs, armor, optics. Dried energon and oil covered them.
The femme let off an exclamation, startled by a crazed mech planting himself in front of her.
The bot had an optic dangling from its socket, and three of his four arms were missing. Only his lower right remained attached. His vocal processor crackled and popped. "You have fresh energon." He reached for the white foreigner.
Her dark blue captor smashed him off to the side with a large hammer. "Back it up, Blackguard. This one is for the pits. I suggest you remember the last time you ran into Clench. He won't be merciful this time." Letting the hammer fall, he dragged it behind him as he led the trio. Sparks darted off the metal street from the friction. He dared anybot else to approach.
Kryschina kept her helm lowered. Crystal blue optics focusing on the rough, pitted road. She had no desire to view more of Kaon or its inhabitants. Not because they repulsed her. Because they saddened her. She thought all of Cybertron was like Iacon. It broke her Spark that it wasn't the same.
Her kidnappers violently shoved her into an area labeled "The Pits" with an arrow pointing down. And they pushed her down. Down below the ground level of Kaon.
She stumbled a couple steps, tripping on her chains and clutching the wet wall for support as she did her best not to tumble down what seemed to be an endless staircase. She glanced over her shoulder.
A giant door ground shut. Sealing away all outside light.
Her optics adjusted to the little light. Sections of the walls seemed to glow, and she wondered if there were channels of molten metal on the other side. The heat definitely indicated it, as well.
The pair of Clench's scouts kept her moving forward, down the broken stairs. Down a dim corridor.
Shivers coursed through her systems. Every forced step brought her closer to death. She may have convinced herself she wasn't afraid of death, but how she would join the AllSpark petrified her.
Deeper underground, the trio marched. Hung a right. A pair of doors slid open to a massive chamber filled with holding cells and restraints.
Kryschina's optics could not widen anymore as she took in the sights of the room.
The lowest members of Cybertronian classes were even more mangled than the ones above. Some sat on the floor, others stood. The rest were in the cages. Many did their best holding their circuitry inside themselves. Regardless of their condition, all helms swiveled to view the femme. Sorrow in their optics.
"Comin' though!" a brute yelled, waving his arm. He and another rolled in a flat cart directly across from the newcomer and her kidnappers.
The wheeled platform carried what was left of what appeared to be a reasonably-sized mech. Half of an arm stuck above the pile of destroyed body parts. Twitching uncontrollably.
Her mini-parade halted, allowing the cart to pass. She snapped her helm away when she caught a glimpse of half a Spark. By Primus, why did she have to accept that commission outside the safety of Iacon?
Murmurs started among the prisoners.
"He had a good shot."
"Are you kidding? Megatronus is undefeated."
Several agreements.
"I heard he gives parts to the crowd."
"No one survives a single round with Megatronus."
One of the miners suddenly sprang up from his place on the floor. Bolted for the exit. "I'm not going in! They can't send me in!" He pounded on the doors leading to the passageway. "Primus, save me!"
A large, four armed bot emerged from the same place as the cart. "Primus save you, indeed." All shrunk away as he strode by. He went straight for the helpless bot. Shoved a hand through the chest plate and ripped out the Spark.
Silence fell as the body crumpled.
The glossy black behemoth turned around, tossing aside the Spark. "Fresh energon, boys." Ignored the mass scramble of those not in chains. Approached the trio. "Lady bot goes in next."
The two handlers backed away. "Yes, Ringmaster." They knew the pecking order. Authority began with the four-armed bot.
Kryschina's Spark pulsed harder as Ringmaster grabbed her neck and all but dragged her along.
The pristine mech motioned to the bot stationed at the arena door. "Inform the crowd of Megatronus's new opponent. Clench and I are about to make huge profits." Then he leaned next to the femme's audio receptors. "Never had a lady bot before."
Her optics closed momentarily. How did she go from living in nice, quiet life to this repulsive place? Her internals still wrenched from seeing how eager those bots were to consume another's energon. Did life have no meaning here? No value? Was civilization all for naught?
Attempting to steady herself, she reopened her optics. Though it didn't matter. This short hallway possessed even less light than the first. She thought she heard a distant roar. Before she could focus on it, a shower of sparks raining from the ceiling made her jump.
Ringmaster laughed. "You have no idea how rich you're about to make us."
The roar formed into a chant.
Every piece of her trembled. Threatened to shut down on her. She wished her Spark would just give out now. By the Primes, what had she done to deserve this?
The door before them retracted upwards.
Kryschina shielded her optics at the piercing light flooding the dark tunnel. Stumbled into the ring.
Thousands of the lowest caste were on their feet. Their deafening clamor now clear. "Meg-a-tron-us! Meg-a-tron-us! Meg-a-tron-us!"
Her optics immediately locked onto the pile of rusting bodies in the middle of the arena. Fluids of all kinds perpetually dripped down the mound. Scanned up the pedestal of dismemberment.
On the very top stood a proud gladiator, holding high the helm of his previous opponent.
The one who had been wheeled in on the junk cart.
Kryschina's joints couldn't hold her weight any longer, and she fell to the spoiled ring ground. This was the end. This was how she returned unto the AllSpark. A brutal death for entertainment and riches.
She instantly froze.
The undefeated champion turned his piercing red gaze upon her.