Hello again! I've decided to put chapters up every other Saturday or so, to kind of switch off between this one and the other story I've got going on for my present series - Maria's Adventures. If you're curious, you're more than welcome to look up Smash Worlds Tournament and see what I've got going on there. Your choice, though.
Autbotgirl2234 - Thanks! I look forward to hearing more of what you think of the story besides one-word statements, though.
Before we get to the story in and of itself, I'd like to share with you guys something I came across when I was writing this story back in July. These "extras" don't affect the storyline, but they're just fun little sections that could give you more insight into a character's attitude - specifically Wildfire for this one.
Enjoy!
Extra (1) - location and hobby
"Despite what it sounds like, Kaon isn't actually a bad place to live in. Sure, it's probably not as beautiful as Iacon or Crystal City, but it kinda grows on you after a while. I've lived there for most of my life, and I know how to get around pretty well. Unfortunately, I can't go everywhere.
"See, when I came into being, there was this thing that kept me from doing everything and going everywhere that I wanted to. It's called 'the caste system' by everybody else, but I just called it 'the repression society.' I mean, these people who run the planet pick where you're going to end up as soon as your Spark signal is registered. Some Cybertronians are chosen to be officers of the law, painters, musicians, members of the army...while everybody else gets sent to the factories where they make life better for everybody else. That's where I ended up. I'd probably still be blowing stuff up if I hadn't gone to actually see a gladiator fight in person. Those things were technically illegal, but the High Council seemed to know that it wasn't a good idea to take away our best source of entertainment, so they let it stick around.
"Just so you know, I have no qualms about offlining Cybertronians, because a large amount of them have died because of industrial accidents right in front of me already. But that doesn't mean that I don't get away with making any friends among the other gladiators. The Boss ended up working around that so I don't end up fighting them to the death."
And now, onto the chapter!
Chapter 2
Wildfire swirled the Energon around in her cube as she watched the monitor that showed what was taking place above in the gladiatorial arena, the sound lowered to the point that one could barely hearing what was being said in the crowd. It had been a few cycles since her scuffle with Jolt, and, like First Aid had predicted, the electrical surges no longer plagued her. However, she had yet to be cleared to enter the arena herself, and the femme's servos twitched at the thought of being unable to feel a victim's frame crush underneath them.
On the monitor, a silver and purple mech was battling three others, who had moved in complete unison when they had initially charged.
Wildfire's optics narrowed slightly as she watched the unfair match-up. Combiners. Great. Only he could be able to withstand a direct attack from those things.
"He" meant Megatronus, who really seemed to be having a field day with his maces and one of his victims.
"Another group of combiners?"
Wildfire turned her head, watching as a light blue Cybertronian approached - Jolt, who had long since had his arm reattached and was slowly recovering full use of it. The medic who had come in from Iacon - Ratchet, Wildfire recalled that his name was - had discovered that the alloy, while being near-indestructible, also allowed Jolt to have more control over his electrical discharges than the other alloys available for armor upgrades.
Jolt had ended up explaining that he had come up with the alloy himself, a few Mega-cycles before he had gotten into being a gladiator. Those present at the time ended up asking if the mech had lived in Crystal City beforehand.
"Does he get outnumbered like this often?" Jolt asked, getting Wildfire back to the present.
"Sheesh, where have you been all your life? Under a rock?" Wildfire asked. "Megatronus has been known to fight outnumbered battles like this before."
Jolt gave the femme a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I didn't get access to the Grid all that often, back where I came from."
"Hmph. And where did you come from? The scientist caste?"
Jolt shook his head. "I worked in one of the power stations in Iacon."
"Well, that explains your little power surge." Wildfire's gaze moved back to the monitor, taking a sip from her cube.
"So...where did you work?" Jolt sounded nervous, but equally curious.
Wildfire sent him a look. "Demolition." Her gaze soon returned to the monitor, the femme hoping that the curious mech would take a hint and leave her alone.
The two remaining combiners in the arena merged together, creating some sort of crazy monster that looked like something that had come from the Underworld. It was going to be interesting to see how Megatronus was going to handle this one.
"Is he going to go through with it?"
Wildfire's glare moved back to Jolt.
"Try to get rid of the castes, I mean," the mech amended. "Do you think he'd be able to do it?"
Wildfire's gaze returned to the monitor. "Megatronus can do a lot of things," she stated carefully.
"But can he do what he's been talking about?" Jolt persisted. "I heard a few of his speeches. He sounds like he's not going to back down if the High Council decides to hunt him down."
"He won't," Wildfire replied. "He's going to do what he can to remove the caste system from Cybertron. I plan on living to see that day." Her voice was filled with conviction.
On the monitor, Megatronus had successfully taken the combiner down from its lofty perch and was now proceeding to butcher it mercilessly while the crowd roared with excitement. Wildfire's servos twitched; she wanted to be the one out there, crushing the disgusting combiner's Sparks.
"He looks like he's enjoying himself," Jolt noted.
" 'Tronus has always fought like that," another voice stated.
Wildfire turned her helm, catching sight of a dark blue Cybertronian approaching, carrying a large, golden spear with glowing blue Energon lines.
"Hey, Wildfire," the mech greeted.
"Sparkseer," Wildfire greeted, giving a stiff nod. "Have you been watching this?"
"I was in my quarters when it started. They have it up on all the monitors from here to the storage vault." Sparkseer's electric blue gaze turned to Jolt, who was looking up at the tall Cybertronian with surprise. "So, you're the electric newbie I've been hearing about the last few cycles."
The other nodded. "The name's Jolt."
"Sparkseer, but you already knew that." A smile made its way onto the Cybertronian's face. "What made you want to become a gladiator? It's not exactly easy."
"It was better than the one I had. Monitoring power levels all cycle bored me out of my processor." Jolt gave Sparkseer a curious look. "What about you? You don't look like you came from where Wildfire did."
Sparkseer shrugged. "I was a part of one of the lower classes for the scientist caste, but they never let me do any of the experiments that I had suggested. I came here to find a change of pace - and maybe get to work with Tronus' medic, Shockwave."
Wildfire's optics narrowed slightly at the mentioning of the scientist Megatronus had managed to convince to join the cause. "Seer, Shockwave is crazy. I wouldn't trust him to teach me - or for me to even be near him during one of his experiments." She gave him a suspicious look. "You've used that gift of yours enough times around him. Can't you tell?"
"Gift?" Jolt repeated, looking at Wildfire in surprise. "Want do you mean?"
"Like you two, I was given an unusual ability. I can see the energy levels of Sparks and determine their emotions." Sparkseer chuckled at the look of shock he was getting from Jolt. "And yes, Wildfire, I am aware of Shockwave's intentions, and have given up attempting to work with him."
Wildfire's glare intensified. "Did you have to tell him?"
"It would only be a matter of time before he found out himself, Fire. Cool down." Sparkseer turned to look at the monitor, where Megatronus was throwing parts of the combiner into the crowd and yelling out something that they couldn't quite hear. As usual, the crowd ate it up, fighting over the parts that the gladiator was tossing up.
"Another cycle, another kill," Wildfire muttered noncommittally with a wave of her servo.
"How can you be so careless about it?" Jolt asked, turning to face Wildfire. "Those combiners could have had a life beyond the gladiatorial ring!"
"I tend to not dwell on that sort of thing. So long as the opponent is someone I can have a challenge in fighting, I don't need to wonder." Wildfire finished off the Energon cube in her servo and walked over to a slowly-growing pile of empty cubes next to the wall, adding her own to it.
Jolt looked at her with surprise, only to look up at Sparkseer when he placed a servo on his right shoulder.
"Wildfire has seen a lot of violence, Jolt," the tall mech murmured. "You're lucky you managed to get that many words out of her."
"Not one for talking, I guess."
"I prefer to let my swords do the talking," Wildfire responded, coming over. She had brought out her left vibroblade and was inspecting its edge. "I'm definitely going to have to ask if I can get this sharpened. Your alloy dulled it a little." She sheathed the weapon.
"Uh...sorry?" Jolt looked a little nervous.
"Happens all the time. You just sped it up a little."
"Have you heard the crowds?" asked a new voice.
Jolt jumped in surprise as a gray Cybertronian femme appeared out of nowhere, dull red and yellow creating stripes across her form.
"What is it, Shape-Change?" Sparkseer asked, turning his attention to the newcomer.
"Our leader has a new name," Shape-Change stated. "Megatron."
The group of four fell silent upon hearing these words, allowing for the news to sink in.
Wildfire was the first to voice her opinion on the name. "At least he doesn't sound like some sort of myth that came back from the dead." Her tone was bitter.
"He's still going to be treated as one," Sparkseer stated with a slight smile. "I mean, come on - I doubt that any gladiator has lasted as long as he has. Or had the courage to take out the old bosses."
"Old bosses?" Jolt repeated, frowning.
"Last cycle's news, greenie," Wildfire replied carelessly. "Megatron is looking into bigger things."
"Do not expect the caste system to be so easy to remove, Wildfire," Shape-Change stated flatly. "It was put in by a Prime. Megatron may have great power, but he is no Prime. The High Council may put us down - for good."
Sparkseer gave Shape-Change an intrigued look. "You know, for someone from the factories, you sound like someone who should have been out in the research caste," he noted.
Shape-Change gave Sparkseer a blank look, hiding whatever her emotions were.
"Then consider yourself lucky that I was capable of slipping into the Hall of Records in Iacon for those scant few Mega-Cycles," she stated stiffly.
"You've been to Iacon?" Jolt asked, optics wide.
"It was arranged for me to go there in order to fulfill a few errands." Shape-Change gave him a curious look. "Why?"
"I used to work there - in one of the power stations. How did you manage to get into the Hall of Records? The only people who are really allowed in there are the people who work there!"
"My secret," Shape-Change responded in a tone that sounded like she didn't want to continue the conversation. Her head turned slightly, catching sight of a figure in the distance. "If you will excuse me." With that, she walked off without another word.
Jolt watched Shape-Change go with a look of confusion on his face. Sparkseer took note and chuckled.
"Don't mind her," he stated. "Shape-Change just likes to keep to herself and her mentor, Soundwave. I haven't seen her reveal any sort of burst of emotion."
"Nor I," Wildfire added calmly. Her gaze moved to the monitor again, which showed the arena being used by a pair of Insecticons who were being pitted against each other by two other Cybertronians who stood on hovering platforms above the arena.
"What do you guys know about her?" Jolt asked.
Wildfire shot the mech a look. "You shouldn't poke into others' pasts," she hissed.
"Besides, we know little to nothing about Shape-Change," Sparkseer added. "No one does, and we're pretty sure she'd like to keep it that way."
"Still, it's a weird name, though..." Jolt frowned. "I mean, who calls themselves Shape-Change?"
There was a silent pause, before one of the group spoke up.
"What do you know of shifters?" Sparkseer inquired curiously, cocking his helm slightly as he looked down at Jolt.
The other looked up at him in surprise. "Shifters? I've only heard -" He stopped short and looked in the direction Shape-Change had gone, then back at Sparkseer. "Are you saying she's -"
"Indeed. A femme of multiple forms, as well as multiple armaments." Sparkseer looked over at Wildfire. "What was it that one mech called her? A 'walking arsenal'?"
"Something like that," Wildfire replied indifferently. In reality, she was jealous of her friend, for she wanted to have access to that many weapons, as well. "Shape-Change is a femme of darkness, as well as one of habit."
Jolt blinked, then frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The femme fights like one who has experience with Circuit-Su," Sparkseer stated. His optics lingered on the monitor for a moment - a pair of mechs were going at each other with swords twice their size - then continued, "As with the other shifter in the area, she prefers to remain in the shadows when she fights. Provoke her, and the fight will end up worse off for you than before, as her number of weapons used will increase exponentially." The mech fingered his staff, eyeing the glowing blue lines. "I am due for a spar with Lugnut. If you'll excuse me." With that, Sparkseer turned around and walked away.
"I have something to do, as well," Wildfire quickly added. "My blades won't sharpen themselves." She started off for her quarters, leaving Jolt standing alone in front of the monitor.
It looks like Wildfire's got a couple friends, then. Review if you would - I want to know if you want these "extras" to continue, and if there's anything you want me to know about the story in general. Keep any flaming to a minimum.