Crystal took a long vent in, arching her back in a long, drawn out stretch. A few joints in her back gave a few pops before she sat up, optics slowly blinking. What she would give for a hot cup of energon with a spice blend. Some zinc sounded good right about now.
As per the usual, Sunstreaker was gone with his payment on the small nightstand. With a hum, she gathered up the credits and placed them in her security box. The collectors would be by during the morning check-ups. Crystal got out of berth and stretched out her legs, limbering up for what was going to be a long day. There was a long line of matches with power plays and championships on the line. While it was a good payout for everyone involved, she wouldn't be surprised if she would need another hip realignment. Pleasure bots were entered into the medical ward around the clock with injuries and concerns spanning anywhere from a "foreign object" unable to retrieved from their internals or the mesh lining in their valves ripped and hanging out of them waiting to be reattached.
With another deep vent, she opened her door and squinted at the bright light blaring into her optics. They readjusted to see femmes and mechs all hurrying to inspection. A late bot was a dead bot. She joined in the river, following the flow towards the arena.
"Crystal!" A hissed whisper caught her attention. Bluebird sidled up to her, keeping her optics forward. "Someone's getting the axe." She muttered in a hushed voice.
"Who?" Crystal looked around, trying to gauge the looks on people's faces.
"Who do ya think? Red hasn't been making status quo for an ornacycle."
"That long? She should've said something, I would've-" Crystal quickly stopped talking when they entered the tunnel. It was dark and there was broken off pieces of plating as well as energon. So much energon caked the walls in here. The line of pleasure bots filed out and stretched out into one line, getting into formation without being told. The pit master was just ahead, watching them all with an almost bored expression. As if this part of the job was tedious and inconvenient.
All cybertronians stood up perfectly straight with their hands behind their backs, clasped neatly. The pit master took a few steps forward, optics sweeping back and forth across the line, looking for any discrepancies.
"Look at all of my lovelies." He drawled, walking behind and taking slow, purposeful strides. "I'm sure all of you know how important today is to me."
"Yes, pit master." Came the unified response. It sounded so monotone and dull to Crystal's audials.
"Then I hope you don't disappoint me." It was a veiled threat, a hint of danger in his voice as his clawed hands brushed against backs and swiped the backs of necks. There was an innate need to touch his possessions, to remind them that they belonged to him. "It's come to my attention that there are those who understand the dedication I look for." He came to a stop behind Crystal and Bluebird, hands caressing up each femmes sides. They gave no outward reaction, keeping perfectly still. He hummed a positive note before continuing on. They waited until he was out of range to unleash shaky, quiet sighs. "And there are those who have continuously underperformed." The Pitmaster lolled his helm over to look at the femme known affectionately by others as Red. As much as she tried, her hands still trembled under his gaze. He gave a small tsk before continuing his walk. A mini bot carefully approached him and handed him a datapad. He bowed as he stepped back. The Pitmaster went over the list of all bots and their earnings. He went one by one, pointing at each pleasure bot that he wanted removed from the line. Red was the last one.
No one knew where they went once they left the arena. Some said they were resold since the Pitmaster couldn't or wouldn't pass up an offer of profit. Most concluded they were killed and smelted down for parts.
"Open." The Pitmaster ordered with a murmured tone, not even looking up from his datapad. He held out a hand palm up and another minibot scurried forward with a cube of energon, delicately placing it into his hand. Crystal could see the faint wisps of steam rising out of the glass prism and her tanks rumbled.
For a few seconds, there was just the sound of metal sliding away to reveal valves and a few spikes. Medics quickly jumped to their duties, going down the line and inspecting each pleasurebot carefully. Those with any sign of tearage, damage, or disease were pulled out of line and sent to the medical ward immediately. A small mech with a hunched back and darty optics came over, shining a light and spreading her valve with his fingers. Crystal remained unflinched. After a klik, she was given the okay and he moved on to Bluebird. Blue, however, had different plans for How routine inspection would go.
She slowly lifted one leg up, using both hands to hold it high. Her ankle was next to her audial. "What are you doing?" Crystal demanded quietly, panicked optics switching between her and the Pitmaster.
"Taking a risk. My hip's not great, I need the box suite today." Blue whispered back, keeping her focus on her balance. The box suite welcomed esteemed members that had the credits to watch slaughter in luxury. For a fee, anyone renting the suite could also rent a bot for the whole day. The bot had to be worth the fee, however.
The medic hesitated, but went on with his inspection. Just as he was about to stick his digits inside, one word halted everyone.
"Stop." The Pitmaster calmly spoke, walking down the line until he came to a pause in front of Bluebird. She wanted his attention and she had gained it. "I'll do this myself." He purred, patting the mech on the back to send him off. "Now then..," his optics trailed down to her valve and back up. "Who is my little show off today?" His words dripped with the coo of an adoring creator and it twisted Crystal's tanks into knots, no longer hungry for energon. He spoke to them like they were his daughters, and if that was the case, then he was the most successful pedophile in all of Cybertron.
"My designation is Bluebird, my master." She lightly spoke, keeping her optics downcast. No one ever looked him in the optic, just like how no one knew his actual name.
"Bluebird…" He contemplated the name, walking a circle around her. Crystal thought she was being circled by a space shark. "Oh yes. You've earned me a pretty sum in the years that you've been here."
"I am proud to serve you, my master. I only wish to please you." The Pitmaster only hummed in response.
"Flattering femme." He smiled, roughly sliding two fingers into her valve without warning. Blue inhaled, clenching her denta as she forced a slow exhale. After some pinching and prodding, he exited her and examined his hand. He nodded. "Consider yourself lucky, your little stunt has charmed me. Prepare her for the box suite." He stationed himself in front of her, softly grabbing her by her raised calf. "But move again without my say so-" he squeezed the metal, the pointed tips of his hands digging and scoring into her leg painfully. "And you will join your colleagues that didn't pass inspection today. Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes Pitmaster." She immediately replied. He smiled, letting go and softly caressing her cheek.
"Good femme." He praised before walking away. Blue quickly let her leg down and let out a deep sigh. Crystal said nothing, knowing her words would fall on deaf audials.
"Worth it." She assured Crystal before she was taken away to be polished and buffed. Crystal could only hope it was, for her sake. In the meantime, she had to focus. The gates were going to open soon and a crowd would flood the arena, lusting for blood or carnal pleasures. They all had to be on their best behavior.
They all went to the auction blocks where they would be advertised on the big screen between bouts. Interested patrons could purchase them at the push of a button and they would be immediately sent to their seat. Only those in the higher up seats had this privilege. The seats there were purposefully spaced out and were more like private viewing areas with their own door for a slim sense of privacy. It was all glass anyway. Crystal snagged a cube of energon and chugged it down. She hoped her first bid was into foreplay. She would need another two cubes to reach her peak stamina.
She stepped up onto a platform and settled for simply crossing her arms. Her programming allowed her to take on the role of whatever she needed to satiate someone's fantasy, and for today she stuck with what she was really feeling: Looking like someone who wasn't going to take your slag and put up with it. Dominance was a surprising seller during matches. Then again, it wasn't hard to imagine a mech seeing the beautiful physical prowess of a gladiator and wanting to be pinned down. She hoped Blue did well, despite their competitive dynamic with each other. She was the only femme she really spoke to.
A femme next to her was fidgeting nervously to the point of distraction. Crystal turned her helm and watched her for a breem more before deciding to open her mouth.
"First time?" She guessed. The femme snapped her helm up before sheepishly nodding her helm.
"I've only sold drinks before and sometimes, I dance. This is my first time doing this. I don't know what to do, I've never had to sell myself like this in front of so many people." Crystal held up a hand.
"You're already doing it. You are sending waves of submission and they will eat that up. Smile at the camera shyly, give a little wave, shuffle your pedes. There is honestly almost nothing you can do that will stop anyone from buying you." Crystal advised. The femme nodded, venting to herself and shaking out her hands like she was preparing for a fight herself.
It wasn't long before the gates opened and seats began to slowly pack themselves full. Once the first match started, pit would break loose. Bartenders would be sending drinks as fast as they could while pleasure bots would be sold instantaneously. Thank Primus there was a screen in here to watch the action. It helped to stay in the know, to congratulate the new champion or flirt with the new number one contender. As of now, Sunstreaker and his twin Sideswipe were set to defend their ranking as the number one team. A small pit of anticipation built up deep in her tanks and Crystal wasn't sure if it was because she would get to see Sunstreaker and his twin in action or if it was because the gates had opened.
She took in a deep, steadying vent and steeled herself. "Here we go."
Here's Chapter 2! For a while I just thought about where this story is actually going to go, and I think I have a vague idea now. Imma just wing it. Hope you liked it if you read it!