Solar cycle 36:
The door rattled as it slid open on rusty wheels. Light touched his face plates the first time in solar cycles, but he refused look up. He could see Shockwave's feet, which were replaced by a view of a dirty blue figure. Two cubes of energon were dropped off in the corner, then the door closed again. Sunstreaker looked up.
He could barely see the bot in the gloomy shadows. He reached out a pede and pushed it gently. He was rewarded with a low moan of static.
His chains rustled as he leaned forward. "Are you functional?" Sunstreaker asked, feeling for dents and leaks.
"Yes." She winced as he fingered torn wires. Sunstreaker stopped, half in surprise at her gender and half because she winced. "M'designation's Misery, sir. Thank you." He covered the open gashes with flattened energon cubes, the best sealant in the situation.
He leaned back against the wall. She lay still in the crumpled heap she had landed in.
"You can take the berth if you can make it. It's in the corner." He said, ignoring her silent plea for a friend. Friendship and camaraderie had no value here. It only brought pain.
She acknowledged his choice and limped to the bare berth in the corner. He offlined his optics and fell into an uneasy recharge.
Solar cycle 37:
When he onlined, she was being dragged away. She didn't bother to scream. It was somehow sad, like a turbofox resigned to it's fate of being hunted for sport. He said nothing, instead using those moments of light to look at her. Bright blue eyes. Blue and yellow colorings. Nice shape. Then she was gone and the door closed.
Sunstreaker waited- he was good at waiting- for his turn. They never took subjects together lest they try to coordinate an escape. He was taken less than a breem later. While they had to drag others, he walked. He refused to give them that. They arrived at the lab quickly. he knew what to do. He sat down on a berth, let the cuffs hold him down and waited. Only this time he wasn't alone.
Misery was on a berth a few over. Shockwave was not there. She opened her mouth to speak, and he silenced her with a glare. She should know not to talk in here, not to talk anywhere; everything was bugged.
Shockwave came in holding two psychic patches. He relaxed slightly; At least this time he wouldn't be hurt anymore. He could care less about his paint job now.
He watched as the patch was first connected to him then to her. It wouldn't work. They weren't compatible, nor did they like each other. Shockwave wouldn't be able to force a bond.
Sunstreaker said nothing, as was his custom. After all, what would begging do? It seemed to bring the scientist pleasure, if he could feel any.
Then they were switched on and Sunstreaker could feel his processor falling in on itself. Implosion, reformation and silence.
He was alone again. Why was he always alone? It was dark too, but he felt warm. Were his optics off? No. It was something else. The doors opened and the bright light nearly blinded him. as his vision cleared, he could make out the shape of the room. He was in the arena.
Someone pushed him into the ring and he tensed, readying for an attack. It was only him and a femme. Sunstreaker knew how vicious they could be, but she seemed different.
Misery, he realized. It was Misery. She had a sword extended, but her stance was not sure. She didn't have any intent to fight; she wanted to flee. Sunstreaker drew his sword back into his subspace.
"If you don't want to fight, I won't fight you." He said quietly. She hesitated for a moment before following his lead. She nodded her thanks and everything faded away.
Sunstreaker woke up on the experimentation berth. Two of Shockwave's minions roughly dragged him away. The world spun and he could barely remember the femme from the arena. Her presence was hazy and thin. Did he really meet the femme before.
The guards dropped him on the floor. They didn't even bother to chain him, he was so weak. misery was deposited next thim soon after, along with two cubes of energon.
His shut off his optics and tried to rest his processor, but the question kept bothering him. Was that his memory?
He didn't have to ask; She did.
"Was that...real?" Misery coughed static.
Sunstreaker was too tired to check on her. "I don't know." The silence consumed them again.
Solar cycle 38:
He onlined early this time. Another prisoner was being dragged away. They screamed and clutched and grabbed at doors. The sound of a stun gun silenced him. He offlined his optics again and tried to recharge once more.
He couldn't. Sunstreaker was wide awake now. So was Misery.
She seemed unable to handle the silence. Cybertronians were sociable as a rule, and he was an outlier. Misery would probably go insane if he didn't talk.
"I was a frontliner."
"I was a sniper. Arcee wouldn't let me do much servo to servo fighting. That's probably why I'm here." She vented. Sunstreaker stood up shakily. He offered her a servo.
She hesitated, but took it. When she stood, she was almost up to his chest plates. Misery was small, which had many advantages if she knew where to look for them.
"Let me see how you fight." He took a defensive stance. She looked up at him dubiously.
"Okay." She said, lunging at him. They had no weapons, so that probably left her at a disadvantage.
He ducked but did not attack back. She rolled to the side and took a classic gladiators stance. Misery made a swipe at his throat before taking a shot at his legs. He blocked her and mimed kicking her in the head.
"Not bad, but you give away your position too easily. It's all in the optics." He leaned back against the wall. She sat down.
They received no energon that solar cycle.
Solar Cycle 39:
Shockwave came at his usual time. This time his lackey's took them both at the same time. He strapped them to the berths, but did not use the psychic patch. Instead he pulled out a laser scalpel.
Sunstreaker didn't move as he created a gash in his leg. It hurt like pit, but it would burn more with movement. Energon bubbled up through the cracks and began to leak down his leg. Misery winced and her led strained against the bond.
Shockwave brought out the patches and Sunstreaker could feel himself falling into his memories.
This was a memory he could barely remember. He was walking alone in the edges of Kaon. The Growth's reached high into the sky, untouched and untamed. They were of a beauty unfound in the city. He pulled a sketchpad from his subspace and began to capture the scene.
His hand slid across the pad, marring the picture, as somebot fell on him.
The bot quickly moved away. "S-sorry sir. I didn't mean to-I just slipped and I-" The fem-bot stuttered, making her doorwings shiver. She was nearly leaking she was so upset.
"It's okay. I prefer to capture with paint and papyrus anyways." He erased the print.
She looked at him with confusion. "Why don't you just take a still? It'd last longer." Sunstreaker laughed.
He had heard that before, though in a different context. "It's more of my own this way. Like I own the memory."
"That's...beautiful. I wouldn't expect that from a gladiator." She smiled and her denta reflected the setting sun. He pulled out his rarer supplies, the imported stuff from the market.
"How do you know of me?" He asked as he began to draw her silhouette.
"I fought a couple times, in the femme qualifiers. I saw you fight sometimes. You're talented."
He added in her face, gently rubbing in shadows.
"Thanks. What's your designation? Perhaps I've heard of you." She laughed, and it sounded like wind chimes.
"Misery." The sun fell below the horizon. The city began to glow, as if competing to outshine the moon.
He added her color and breathed it to life. "Is that a stage name?"
"Of sorts." She smiled faintly. He received a ping from the ringmaster; It was time for a show. He subspaced the drawing.
She stood and left without further words. He did the same.
Sunstreaker onlined in his cell this time. Only one cube was on the tray in the corner and Misery was no where to be seen. He sat up to reach for it and she fell from beside him.
"Wha-" She quickly removed her servo from his. "Sorry." She blushed faintly.
Sunstreaker looked down at the cube. His tanks were empty, but so were hers. He took a sip.
"Here. Have the rest." Misery did not hesitate to drink some, leaving a little less than half.
"I'm full." She pushed the cube to him. Her growling tanks refuted that, but he doubted anything he could say would change her mind.
Sunstreaker nodded and finished the meager meal.
They waited for Shockwave in silence.