Chapter 5, and once again, I is so sorry this a took a while, but it's been a stressful two weeks!
Anyway disclaimer: I do not own Transformers G1, it belongs to Hasbro. T-T
Enjoy!
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Chapter 5
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They moved quickly. All at once, the gladiators moved to face whichever opponent got into vision clear enough for them to aim their weapons.
From atop his father's shoulders, Cyclonus watched, biting the bottom of his lip plate from the third row of the arena's stands. He was shaking slightly from both excitement and anxiety as he watched Galvatron moving at one of the older gladiators, Blackwind.
It was a bit hard to keep track of their movements. His optics watched with complete attention and need to study their movements. He felt his father take his small servo in his own, and caress over the little one's smaller knuckles.
His own optics focused on the battle, but not on his student. He kept them on the opponents his pupil had to face and defeat in order to win this battle. After hearing that little speech from the Prime, Stormflare felt a small bit of resentment fill his spark.
Did Sentinel even know the first thing about Gladiatorial honor? Did he know that nowadays there was no room for sympathy, justice or valor for the rings anymore? Did that blasted Prime even care that a majority of the mechs and femmes down here were poor, hungry and fighting only for the credits and home?
The seeker mech flicked his wings before looking up at his son.
"Cyclonus, are you paying attention?" he asked, trying to speak over the crowd.
Cyclonus nodded, "Uh-huh."
He remained silent for a moment, noticing how Darkclaw made a misstep as she attempted to dodge Goldspear's mace. Good thing she dodged the club and it missed her helm by a mere millimeter. She rolled away, with a small yell.
Stormflare looked another way, and settled his optics on his pupil as Galvatron head butted his opponent, spear blocking the two twin black swords of his opponent. The violet mech brought his spear down through Blackwind's knee, almost completely severing it. The black, silver and grey mech gave a silent scream, once the spear was removed. Stormflare watched, his entire body slack, unflinching, with his attention span unwavering.
That spot was a particularly weak point to stab: it would render Blackwind useless to stand, force him to yield to Galvatron and have him taken away for repairs. Galvatron turned, red optics focused and ready for the next opponent. It helped him avoid killing the elder gladiator and because of that, the old seeker mech felt a small bit of pride for his apprentice. He admired that Galvatron only killed when he had to and was able to find loopholes so he wouldn't have to kill his enemies. Unless he was ordered to, then it was an entirely different situation.
No one disobeyed the higher-ups when they demanded that a certain gladiator die, but those cases were rare.
…
Sentinel watched the gladiators below, his face plates neutral, bright cyan optic dull like a mech who was getting bored before the fight had barely started. He rested side of his helm on his palm, casting a quick side glance at his nephew Megatron.
He kept himself from smirking at the way the silver mech was so tense and looked ready to break the nearest object that came at him. It brought him some pleasure knowing he was causing his nephew to be so uneasy, angry and uncomfortable. It was rare these days to get such a reaction from Megatron. Ever since Sentinel's younger brother, and the former Lord High Protector, Silversun, deactivated, Megatron seemed to become more controlled and less emotional around those he worked with.
He should make him come to the rings more often, if it brought out this reaction from the silver, red and black mech.
The Prime turned to his apprentice, and a sliver of concern crept into his spark when he saw that Orion looked a little squeamish and sickly. Like he was about to purge his energon right from his tanks at any moment.
The Prime tapped his apprentice's hand, "Orion, this is not how a future Prime should look in the public of his people."
Pax looked at him, his optics widened slightly as if he saw two other heads grow from Sentinel's shoulders. Then he slumped before he tilted his helm back and made a loud swallowing sound, like he was trying to hold something down.
"There's a good lad," he patted the young mech's shoulder.
He then caught Megatron casting a small side glare. He answered it with a smirk.
"What? We can't ruin the image of the Prime's apprentice, now can we? Primes must always stay in control, and I don't want my underlings believing I am a poor teacher," he explained.
Megatron grumbled, "It's not like it's the first time a young mech's purged his tanks at these things," the silver mech placed a hand over Soundwave's visor, when that dark swords-femme, Darkclaw, was bludgeoned and beaten to death by that bright yellow and black, sharp-looking mech named Goldspear.
Goldspear kept beating her with his mace, until energon bled from the cracks in her helm, and her entire body became dark grey.
Megatron felt his body shake slightly, as he removed his hand from Soundwave's face plates and watched the battle. He hoped any other deaths in this match wouldn't be so gruesome, for his son's sake.
His red optics settled on the violet mech with the spear. Quirking an optic ridge, he watched as the mech battled two seeker mechs, one white, and the other black. For some reason, the purple mech was moving quickly and nearly effortlessly. It was like he was a pliable, smooth creature capable of the most incredible and near impossible feats.
The silver mech clasped his dark servos together, his elbows resting on the arm rests of his seat and chin resting on his knuckles. He didn't know why, but he couldn't take his optics off this particular gladiator. For the first time in a while, he was intrigued.
….
Galvatron dodged, lunged, attacked and blocked the seeker twins, Onyx and Calcite. These two mechs, despite the fact that if they fought together to take down their enemies and they both survived as the remaining two warriors they would have to fight and kill or cripple each other in the end.
The purple mech used his spear and disengage Onyx's sword, before snap kicking the mech in the face plates. The black seeker fell flat on his wings, nearly bending one of them in the process. Calcite moved, aiming his hammer weapon at Galvatron's helm. The purple mech used his spear to stop the hammer from coming down on top of him. It forced him to get into a crouched position. He kept his arms up, as Calcite kept applying as much pressure as his body allowed.
"Grrrr….!" Galvatron growled, his muscle cables aching and his arms shaking as more pressure was applied with each growing moment.
From the corner of his optics, he watched as Onyx got up, and brushed himself off. Then, there was a shout, making Galvatron look over. He yelped when he saw a large green, purple and black mech run at him, a large sword in hand. Galvatron narrowed his optics, looking both ways, as Onyx prepared to attack as well. Calcite kept pushing and pushing down on him.
The three mechs were closing in on him.
Time this right, time this right, time this right… he mentally said to himself, optics off-lined for a second to focus.
The running pedes grew louder as they struck the ground to get closer to him.
His optics flashed on-line, as Onyx and Bonecrusher both prepared to bring their blades down on him.
….
Stormflare's optics widened slightly, as his apprentice snap kicked Calcite in the chin, knocking the hammer from his hand, stabbed right through the white mech's upper thigh, nearly cutting it off, and then slid out from under the seeker through his legs, as the two swords of Onyx and Bonecrusher went through each other's abdomens, one cracking through the ebony seeker's cockpit. The hammer only hit ground, as the bright, white seeker, fell on his back screeching like some wild animal.
He watched the violet mech turn to the three mechs that almost came close to killing and he had just narrowly escaped from letting them do so.
Onyx and Bonecrusher both sounded like they were choking on energon, as they stared at each other in shock and slight fear. Purple fluid dripped from the black seeker's bottom lip plate as the large groundling's blade was pulled out of his cockpit.
The mentor narrowed his optics when Galvatron turned to the crowd, red optics searching for him. The two mechs made eye contact, before Stormflare gave a curt nod to Galvatron of slight, bitter approval. So far, Galvatron has only had to use his spear, his battle axes still sheathed safely.
There were claps and cheers from the crowd around them.
Then, the elder turned his helm in the direction of a loud, bellow. He gritted his denta behind his lip plates when he saw Nightshifter jab his ever faithful blade through the spark of another mech, off-lining him. The mech's entire body was covered in the life fluids of his opponents that he had slaughtered. At his feet laid three mechs and two femmes. Amongst those three mechs was Goldspear, his club broken in half and body greyed out, his optics still open and staring up in frozen terror at the ceiling.
Nightshifter had wide grin of glee plastered on his face plates, like a sparkling who had just received new toys. As he turned to Galvatron, that grin morphed in a smirk, like he had just found a new one to play around with.
Stormflare silently prayed to Primus for good fortune tonight.
…..
For the first time in a while, Megatron felt somewhat…impressed. This violet gladiator so far, has only injured his opponents into uselessness, but hadn't killed them. In fact, he seemed to be avoiding it. That was actually admirable in the silver mech's opinion.
At least it showed that mechs had a conscience.
There was a poke on his arm. Megatron turned to look down at his little adopted son. Soundwave tilted his helm in curiosity.
"Do you like that purple mech Amma?" he asked softly.
The suddenness of the question made the silver mech shutter his optics and stare at the little one. After a moment of thinking, he tilted his helm, "I don't know that mech Soundwave, so I can't really answer that question."
Soundwave sometimes tended to ask the older mech if he liked a certain strange mech or femme, when it seemed the silver mech didn't scowl or glare at them, like he did with the Councilors in Iacon
"Oh," was the reply. The little one rested the side of his face plates on his knuckle, humming in thought. He stayed in that position for the next few minutes, completely pensive and almost unaware of the world.
Then he looked up and smiled, "Maybe you should talk to him after the battle and see if you like him! I think you will, he seems okay!"
Megatron felt his face plates warm up in a small blush. Another thing Soundwave seemed to take interest in was trying to get his Amma to meet said person and speak with them to see if he liked them legitimately.
He topped his digits against the arm rest, "Ah….Soundwave, I'm afraid that may not be possible…."
"Why?"
The silver mech gave a small cough, "Because….um….well….." Megatron eyes Sentinel to make sure he was distracted, before leaning down to Soundwave to whisper, "Because Mr. Snooty Prime there is an impatient meanie and if he doesn't go home after naming the champion and get some recharge, he'll be very cranky in the morning."
"You mean, like a sparkling? Mr. Wildhornet's sparkling did that too…." Soundwave pointed out.
Megatron cracked a grin at that, "Exactly."
The grin disappeared, when he saw his little one slump, with a heavy sigh. He rubbed the little one's helm to try and comfort him a little.
"Maybe if there's time afterwards, we'll go see him," the little one immediately perked up, "But I make no promises," Megatron warned him.
Soundwave slumped again, but he nodded in understanding. When his Amma said he wouldn't make it a promise, it most likely wouldn't happen.
With another small affectionate pat to Wave's helm, Megatron turned his attention back to the two remaining gladiators. The others were either seriously injured or dead. But the difference was, that Megatron was giving his full attention to the purple mech and Nightshifter.
He knew Nightshifter from a while back. In fact, he knew him enough to despise him and it worried him just a bit that the mech would win.
As Megatron watched, he didn't realize that his little one had scooted himself off his seat, and then tiptoed down the staircase.
…
Soundwave snuck past the guards when they weren't looking and snuck his way towards one of the entrances down into the lower parts of the stands.
Something his spark told him that his Amma would like the mech who was fighting. He felt that if they just talked, they would get along. Even though Megatron had the little one to raise, little Soundwave had no doubt that his adopted creator was lonely for an adult friend.
The only friends he knew his Amma had that were adults, was Orion Pax and Alpha Trion, but those two mechs were always so busy, and Megatron tended to get so caught up in his work….
The little mech walked down the steps into the lower part of the arena, once he was sure no one would see him enter. The first thing he came into contact with was a whole bunch of pedes of the adults. He moved his way through to get to the bottom at the front. He planned to yell to the gladiator and get his attention, and then arrange for that mech and his Amma to meet after the fight.
What Soundwave didn't calculate was the steepness of the steps leading downwards and the adults around him only made it difficult to go down. Taking in a deep intake, that swelled his body with determination, he made his way through.
He would prevail for his Amma's sake!
…..
Galvatron twirled his spear a moment, as he and Nightshifter circled each other. For a moment, it was a like the sound and overwhelming excitement of the crowd had decreased tenfold. All that was in focus was Nightshifter.
The mechs had had injured were already brought in and were getting repaired for another match for another time. As for the dead, they were already being carried out and to the morgue, if anyone with enough credits paid for it, or the incinerator, to be forgotten from existence.
He and Nightshifter tensed, ready to run at each other and fight, seeing who would be the first to make a move.
The darker mech set a relaxed pace, blade down by his side, almost touching the ground. His confidence in his skills was at an all-time high, simply inflating his ego. Galvatron could tell by his stance alone that his opponent believed he would win this match easily. He mentally rolled his optics: like he'd ever make it easy for the one mech he abhorred more than anything.
Besides, the confidence could be used to his advantage. Let the opponent's pride raise high enough, and said opponent starts to get sloppy or careless.
"So, little fighter…."
Galvatron felt his body tighten from the core of his spark, rippling out to his arms, and legs like a small tremor from the inside out. That disgustingly smug voice mixed with that stupid, insulting nickname set off a small flickering flame.
Nightshifter snorted at the other fighter's tension, "….are you prepared to die?"
"Like I would ever give you the satisfaction of killing me. I'd sooner join Unicron down in the pits," Galvatron spat.
"Oh you will join the pits, little fighter…..you most certainly will…." The older mech got into a battle stance.
The younger mech followed suit, optics narrowed dangerously, as his spear gleam with the dried energon of his last rival.
With that manic grin still on his face plates, Nightshifter moved at the violet gladiator, with a snarl. Galvatron roared, running at the opposing mech before him. And, one thought ran through their processors: only one of them would be the victor and with that thought, they ran at each other, with a swelling feeling of determination filling their sparks and driving them towards each other.
I swear, if I do not beat Nightshifter tonight, I will never forgive myself, even if death should take me!
That was the only thought in Galvatron's processor, as his spear met with the electrum metal of the opposing blade.
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To Be Continued...
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OOOOH! Cliffy!
Review please!
To Optimus' Girl: You'll have to wait and see in "Defying Fate", I might add that in there. (winks)