Chapter 6, fight!

Anyway disclaimer: I do not own Transformers G1, it belongs to Hasbro. T-T

warning: some violence.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 6

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The crowd's excitement seemed to seep into Soundwave, as he reached the front of it all. It was much different from being up in the stands with his Amma and the Prime. But he was nervous as well, as he stood there, barely able to put his arms over the railing.

His crimson visor flashed in interest at the gleam from a sword, as it met the iron handle of the spear, with a resounding clang, followed by growls and grunts from the two remaining opponents on the arena. Immediately, Soundwave was pulled in a trance, as he watched the violet mech defend himself and attempted to deliver blows to the opposing mech.

Soundwave didn't notice his leg motoring as he watched, the feeling of anticipation running through him and throwing through his jumpy appendage.

He squeaked in slight fright when the blade almost slashed the purple mech's throat open. The mech with the spear did a back flip, dodging swipes from the electrum sabre, like one of those graceful Iaconian dancers Soundwave watched with Megatron when they were invited by one of the senators to go watch them. The difference between the gladiator and the dancers however is that the mech before him held a raw anger and determination, showing competitiveness and a need to conquer his opponent with each attack. So different from the dancers moving in graceful little dips and twirls of poise, with nowhere near the same passions as these two fighters had.

He was brought of his comparison of thoughts by a tap to his shoulder. The little blue and white mechling turned and then shuttered his optics in slight surprised when he saw a sparkling with two horns protruding from his helm the deeply resembled a petro-rabbit.

The stranger tilted his helm at him, before he opened his mouth plates, "I've never seen you around here."

Soundwave shuttered his optics at the strange mechling, before he replied, "I'm not from around here. I'm from another part of Cybertron."

A small, glimmer of excitement suddenly shined in the purple sparkling's red optics and he suddenly became very attentive of him.

"Really?! I've never met anyone outside of Kaon. Or outside the rings really…" his small horns gave a twitch in unison with his small wings, giving a small, nervous smile.

The blue mechling tried to hold it in so he wouldn't seem rude, but a small giggle broke past his lips at the twitch of the other mech's helm. He'd never seen a mech with horns like that before that twitched. He's never seen a seeker before either, except in history vids he looked at in the Prime's library in the tower and when his adopted carrier was going over cases about them.

It was actually really cute the way that seeker's helm tilted and when he did it only made the Iaconian mechling more fascinated.

Unfortunately, he noticed the way the other mechling slumped slightly when he giggled at the horns twitching.

"I guess you don't really care, do you?" the seeker mechling sounded miserable, like he had one of his hopes suddenly crushed.

Soundwave shuttered his optics, before he shook his helm in denial, "I actually find you pretty interesting to be honest….."

Immediately the seeker sparkling perked up at his words and he turned all his attention back to him, grinning like it was his creation day and he had gotten everything he wanted.

He was back there in a leap, taking Soundwave's servo in his, "I'm Cyclonus! The mech over there…!" he pointed at a dark blue seeker mech, with a similar helm design, but his horns were thinner and much sharper looking, and his face plate features were a harsh, "That's my father Stormflare! He's the mentor of the purple gladiator fighting right now!"

A resounding roar form the arena caught Cyc's attention long enough, to miss the small gleam in Soundwave's visor. The Iaconian mechling, smiled behind his mask at his good luck! Maybe if he talked with Cyclonus' father, his chances of getting his Amma to meet the gladiator would increase. And he really liked the seeker mechling.

He shook the seekerling's servo in return, "My name's Soundwave. It's really nice to meet you Cyclonus. Do you think, I could sit with you until the match is over? I don't really know a lot of mechs or femmes here…." He was answered with a beaming grin from the seeker, before he was yanked towards where the dark blue mech sat.

It wasn't long before the two little ones were standing on the bench, and cheering like there was no tomorrow, with Soundwave forgetting his original plan in favor of cheering the purple warrior on with his new friend.

Galvatron was tiring. He could feel his entire body reaching its limits, as he kept making himself fight his opponent. Everything ached, and he felt like his systems would crash at any second. It was getting harder to focus on Nightshifter, as warnings flashed before his optics.

He cursed and growled with each jab, cross hatch, kick and blow thrown his way, each movement made from spending mega-cycles training and preparing, his body on near auto-pilot.

Nightshifter, however seemed only to become more and more energetic, as he moved at his opponent. His optics held glee and excitement, as his body moved fluidly and loosely, like his insides were made of liquid.

The purple mech was starting to lose focus, as more and more warnings from his systems ran through him: his energy reserves were starting to become depleted, he was starting to cause some internal damage from the stress of his situation and his vision was starting to get blurry. He needed to keep himself going. He was not going to lose to Nightshifter…..he couldn't lose….

CLANG!

Harsh reality fell upon him in the form of a pede kicking straight to his face plate and sending him sliding across the arena's floor. He could already feel the dent in his cheek before he hit the ground, spear sliding from his hand and out of reach as this happened. The purple mech shakily began to get up, reaching up a hand to get his axes out. When he stood to his pedes, axes at the ready, he was met with another kick to his face.

Galvatron snarled, baring his fanged denta, one of his optic cracked from the second strike. He gave a bellow, before running at Nightshifter, swiping his weapons at the mech. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken the time to calculate and was charging blindly.

He was punched in the abdomen, and then his chin was introduced to Nightshifter's knee. He tasted the mix of energon and oil in his mouth from the impact as well as the pain in his mandible, before he was punched hard enough to send him flying into the wall of the arena and his axes slipped from his servos.

The crowd around him gave sympathetic winces and expressions at his predicament.

….

Megatron's full attention fell to the fight, his optics settled on the purple mech up against Nightshifter. His optics never left the violet mech, even as he was being beaten around by the other mech.

Sentinel hummed in disinterest, watching the two mechs with a bored expression, while Orion was watching with attentive and frightened, wide optics. The red, blue and silver mech had his hands over his mouth, while watching the match only because he wanted to see who would win.

It was unfair to beat an opponent in such a weakened state. It was clear that the violet mech was starting to lose energy, and it seemed clear who the champion was going to be tonight.

It would be a waste really if that mech died.

…..

Cyclonus and his new friend watched the fighting with wide optics, as Galvatron, his friend and guardian, was being beaten around by Nightshifter. Stormflare stared as his apprentice was having the slag beaten out of him and the elder mech felt a sense of familiarity.

This had happened before with some of his past apprentices and the mech felt that is would happen again. In fact, it had happened to all, save for one, of his protégés before Galvatron came along. Mainly it was because his past students couldn't handle the stress and had gotten sloppy, they were too exhausted to keep going or they were too reckless and stupid to realize when they have had enough.

His thoughts about Galvatron winning this match suddenly vanished and he watched, waiting to see if Nightshifter would deal the final blow or if Galvatron would yield.

The former was much more likely than the latter honestly.

…..

Galvatron stood up, holding his side as he did so. Primus, he felt like slag. He probably looked like it too, from the dents in his face plate and his abdomen. He staggers at his enemy, only to be smacked aside like he was nothing. He fell back on his skid plate, growling in frustration and pain. His weapons were out of reach, he was low on much needed energy, he was injured and he was fragged off.

Nightshifter grinned at his weakened state, a sense of pride and with the pleasure of a sadist shining in his optics. The mech twirled his sword in one hand, while walking towards the younger mech. He used the edge of it to tilt Galvatron's helm up to look at him. He leaned forwards with a grin that left the younger mech's armor rattle ever so slightly.

Fiery crimson optics glared at him with a raging inferno flickering behind them.

The mech licked his lip plating, "Do you yield to me, Gladiator Galvatron?"

A moment of silence filled the arena, the audience listening in to see what the response was. Then, there was a soft splat, as Galvatron spit the energon blood in his oral cavity on to Nightshifter's cheek. There was a few gasps and mumbles amongst the crowds, as the two mechs glared at each other.

The older mech sneered, before raising his sword and sheathing it within one of his enemy's limbs.

"GRRRAAAAAGGGH!" the loud growling cry escaped the younger gladiator's lips, pain and surprise filling him, as the blade was embedded into the lower half of his leg.

A harsh servo gripped his chin and made him face his opponent. Nightshifter glared at him, squeezing his jaw in between his digits. Stormflare's apprentice didn't even flinch when the enemy raised his fist.

His helm snapped to the side four times, from each blow delivered to his face plates. He could heard the mech, femmes and children around him gasping, muttering and yelling as each hit from the dark fist made contact with his cheek plate or nose.

When his enemy was finished, he felt the blade being removed from his leg. He took in shaky intake as Nightshifter pulled away, giving him some space.

Galvatron was tense, as he turned over slowly on his hands and knees. He ignored the throbbing agony in his leg where the sword had stabbed him. He tries to use only his two arms and one good leg to get up, but it felt like his systems had frozen and locked in place.

Something cold and hard pressed against the back of his neck, where his main energon lines were connected.

He remained still, as Nightshifter chuckled from above him. He felt anger at the smug tone of that chortle.

"So, any last words, little fighter?"

Galvatron felt more pain wrack his systems. He felt like he was going to collapse any moment. He needed just a moment, only a moment to recuperate or at least regain some strength, but as he thought it over, it would be in vain anyway, even if he could muster up the energy.

There was another snicker from the mech above him, "Heh. I at least had hoped you would have something to say to that little seeker brat you like to hang out with. What was his name? Aw yes, little Cyclonus…."

He stiffened at the name of the little one, his mentor's little son, still just a sparkling. What as Nightshifter getting at?

"Once you're gone, no one will be around to protect him. His father will be too busy looking for another apprentice to train, instead of looking after that little brat…" Nightshifter hummed, "Oh don't worry, I'll take good care of him. I wonder what he sounds like screaming in pain…."

Galvatron growled, as something raw, enraged and murderous formed somewhere in his tanks, slowly causing them to tighten like a thin piece of thread. And as Nightshifter spoke further, the thinner it had started to become.

"….that little bunny's gonna be all mine once you're gone. And when I'm through with him, I'll go after Stormflare and kill him as well. A pity you won't be there to watch…." Nightshifter raised his blade, "I'll be sure to give your head to the little bunny, before I break him…."

The thread within Galvatron's core snapped with an echoing, inner roar that quaked through him and filled him to the brim.

The sword was brought downwards, aiming for his neck. But it never made it there.

A loud, metallic slapping noise rang out across the entire arena, silencing anyone and everyone spectating them.

Galvatron used one arm and his uninjured leg to balance himself, as he held Nightshifter's sword in his arm. His body shook, but this time, it wasn't just from pain.

In a sudden burst of unbridled rage, he stood up with a snarl, forcing Nightshifter to step backwards. He ignored how his bad leg protested in the form of a deep ache, and stood up to his full height. The mech suddenly yanked the mech forwards and backhanded him hard enough to make him let go of the weapon and stumble back a few feet away.

The purple mech didn't give him time to react.

It was like his entire body was on auto-pilot. His anger was fueling it to moved, and the abhorrence he held for Nightshifter drove him to deliver blows to anywhere he could reach. Instead of feeling the agonizing strain of exhausted systems that was only moments before, Galvatron felt numbness and a fierce sense of protective, brotherly instinct that was driving him at Nightshifter.

He would not, no matter what, let anyone touch that seekerlet the way Nightshifter implied. He was not going to die with that threat hanging around his teacher and his teacher's son. Even if he did die while protecting those two, he would not go out without taking the mech with him.

He owed those two for saving him from the streets and giving him a purpose and a reason to fight. They were his only family.

Nightshifter didn't know what hit him. One moment he was about to win the match, now he was being beaten and attacked by the mech he had almost killed. He was given no reaction time, no mercy, as he was hit, kicked, and assaulted from different angles. Apparently, he had gotten under Galvatron's armor a little too deep and instead of making the mech more miserable before dying, he had just given him an emotion energy boost.

His optics cracked, and he shrieked in pain, as Galvatron used the sword that had once belonged to the older mech, and stabbed his shoulder while forcing the blade into the wall behind him. He hadn't even realized he had been backed into the wall, until he was stabbed.

The younger gladiator pinned his free arm with his hand and used the other to grab his throat.

"Do you yield, Nightshifter?" his voice was soft, and angry, as those crimson optics glared right into the elder gladiator's spark.

Nightshifter coughed, when the hand squeezed harder, waiting for an answer. He had to be quick with it: if he yielded now, he could come back another day and kill him. If he didn't yield, he would die, and that just wouldn't sound fun. Then again, he could ruin his reputation at being beaten by this little twit….

His thoughts were interrupted, as the mech squeezed harder.

Nightshifter coughed harshly, "I…yield….I yield gladiator….Galvatron…..!"

Then, the last thing he remembered before being punched in the helm and knocked unconscious was a smirk and those same red optics glimmering softly, before blackness claimed his unconscious mind.

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To Optimus' Girl: Thank you for the support, I hope prime doesn't die either.