I spent so much time yesterday writing up until some of chapter eighteen for this. I was in the ZONE! This story keeps building and building for me so much that I don't feel like focusing on my other stories (that I haven't touched in months). Anyway, I figured the suspense was good and I'll post another sucker. Happy lobbing! And happy turkey day!

Chapter XIV

Prison Rules

Four Minicons against three Insecticons. Sure, the numbers looked good, but size was a totally different matter. Comparing them physically, the Insecticons overshadowed their smaller specie relatives. In mentality, the Minicons shined. The bugs were brutal and primitive. The only thing that would save the Minicons was their ability to strategize, find patterns, and weak points. That was if they could live long enough to evaluate.

The three slobbering metal bugs stood on one side of the field. Shrapnel dropped down on fours and ululated a terrible screech that made the players flinch and a few of the audience cover their ears.

"We're in for it, big time," Adalwulf muttered. Fortis nodded. They would need serious speed to avoid getting crushed.

"Just keep them busy long enough," Canis grunted and a blue glow and sparks emitted from his fingertips.

Bombshell was the first to move. He ran straight for the Minicons and they stood their ground, deciding which way to run. The choice was made when they realized the other two were directly behind him. Equus and Fortis ran to the left to get to the other two bugs, leaving Adalwulf and Canis to deal with the larger one. Adalwulf jumped high into the air in a fiery frenzy as Canis slammed a fist into the ground, just as Bombshell was about to grab him. The shock caused him to go off-balance and allowed Adalwulf to land atop his head. Feeling the intruder, Bombshell tried to grab him, but the Minicon started crawling down his neck to his shoulder. His body energized to a boiling point and melted a fair section of the Insecticon's left shoulder. The bug screamed in pain and tore the parasite from his joint. The Minicon landed and skid across the grass on his back. He looked to see how good of a job he did in crippling his opponent. Bombshell's hand hovered over the broken joint, screeching in agony. His gaze turned to his assaulter. His visor brightened and his mouth snarled to reveal both jaws of jagged teeth. This was no longer predator vs. prey; it was war.

Fortis took on Kickback. The grasshopper was much faster than he thought and he ended up being knocked down every now and again. He did not understand why the bug could not take him and eat him, for that was what beastly creatures did. They also played with their food. Kickback was merely teasing him. He heard the buzzing hiccup that was an Insecticon laugh. Finally he had enough and picked up the Minicon, a predatorial grin across his face. Fortis panicked and did what he was told to do; blind his captor. He mixed both Adalwulf's heat and Canis' electricity to send a strong bolt at Kickback's optics. The bug released him and screeched so loudly that even the protective glass over the bleachers shook and a small crack had formed on one of them; a reminder of the great battle.

Equus was left with Shrapnel. Both had agility and speed, and even their reaction times were matched. Equus wanted to aim for the eyes, but even with Shrapnel lowered so close to the ground he would be too slow. They stared at each other, locking glances, analyzing emotions. Shrapnel was drooling, his lower jaw showing two rows of sharp teeth. His optics were bright with excitement of battle. He would play along as an animal. Equus was focused. His face was stern and threatened the bug only slightly. To him it was real. The terrible screech from Kickback distracted the leader bug, but Equus refused to falter. He did not know what he was going to do but he knew he had to get close. He ran up to him, jumped high to Shrapnel's eye level, and dug his claws into his audio receptors. The roach hissed and grabbed the Minicon by the strings he called a mane.

"I hope I give you indigestion!" the little 'bot shouted.

Shrapnel howled a battle cry right before he took a white bolt to the wrist, releasing his victim. He snarled and looked around to see who injured him and met Canis' face. A flat hand pointed towards him, pulsing blue, poised for another attack. Equus scrambled over to him and stood by his side.

"I couldn't do much," he said, "but I think he's deaf no in his left ear."

"Then we should make it even."

Canis shifted his aim a little and sent a small bolt to Shrapnel's temporal area. The bug groaned and held the side of his head, optics flashing.

"Expect a rampage out of him," Canis said without any change to his expression.

"What? Why?"

"The area by your ear affects your memory. The bastard's going to become confused."

And so Shrapnel did, but for half a minute. He looked around frantically at his surroundings, wondering how he had managed to get here while he remembered fighting an archaeopteryx just a few seconds ago. Bombshell held on to a melted shoulder, Kickback's hands were over his face, and there was a metallic ring in his audios as he realized he had lost his hearing. There were spectators, organic and metal skin, on both sides of the clearing, like the gladiatorial pits he had seen on Cybertron yet at a smaller scale. Was that it? Was this a death battle? Where were the opponents if his teammates had been hurt? Were they fighting each other? He took another look at the audience. They were all terrified, as children seeing someone die in front of them and were able to comprehend it. Another detail presented itself: There were Minicons. Why? A second glance to the field. Four Minicons gathered together and talked frantically. Those must be his opponents.

Emitting a buzzing cry he could not hear, he charged towards the Minicons. He was able to grab a hold of Adalwulf and Fortis, but the other two had ducked by falling to the ground. Shrapnel brought them to eye level, allowing them to see the face of their killer and a few seconds to live before he squeezed them together in this one hand.

"It's gonna get hot!" Adalwulf cried. Fortis felt the temperature climb and took only little bits of the thermal energy for later use, as not to steal all of it for their escape. Shrapnel's fingers began to melt, but he could not feel it. The burn was nothing compared to the galvanized headache he got from the bolt earlier. Fortis started to take some more for two reasons: To help burn the bug, and to keep his own hide safe from the same fate as Shrapnel's claws. Finally the perception of pain seeped through and slowly the Insecticon cried out. He could not move his hand; the metal welded together. The Minicons slithered out of the hand and jumped down to the ground to their fellow mechs.

"You worthless imbeciles!" Starscream hissed through the audio feed. "You can slaughter hundreds of humans but can't make a single scratch on four Minicons?!" The audience cheered. Ten minutes into the fight and all three Insecticons were crippled. "Destroy them!"

Bombshell helped out Shrapnel, pointing to the Minicons, addressing they had to kill them via mental link. Shrapnel agreed full-heartedly. Kickback left his instincts to smell and hearing, but it was hard to hear with all of the voices surrounding him in the bleachers. He shut off his audio, putting his olfactory sensors on full alert. Through scents he mapped out where everything was. He "saw" his fellow bugs and the pesky little Minicons, as well as the barriers of the field.

The Insecticons growled and headed towards the smaller 'bots, choosing their targets. Adalwulf and Equus ran separate ways, leaving their tougher players side by side. Canis placed a hand on Fortis' shoulder, and the latter did the same in return to make a hook. A line of white static passed through them as Fortis increased Canis' power and applied it to the both of them. Electricity sparked from their bodies in cracks of energy.

"Let's do it, brother!" Canis roared.

With a shout, the two 'bots unhooked and brought all of their strength from their body to their hand and pounded it into the ground. They continued to motion in a fast rhythm, causing their bigger enemies to stumble over each other. A crack opened in the ground and Shrapnel was the first to get stuck in the widened fault line. Bombshell tried to pull him out, but his entire right leg was caught. Kickback just stood by, wondering what to do. From his open side, Adalwulf jumped up and slammed a ball of fire to his glass-like wings. Kickback felt them burning and screaming in terror, trying to get rid of the fires. To Bombshell's open side, Equus ran up his back, jabbing into his spine as he did so. The beetle stopped his attempts to assist his leader and fell in pain.

Kickback turned his audios back on and shouted "We give up!" Bombshell dared a surprised glance. "Please! Don't hurt us anymore!"

"Idiots!" Starscream snarled. "You will fight! You are soldiers!"

"And now we're cowards! We can't fight! Please, Minicons, no more!"

"Then get yo bitch ass out of here!" Gyrofuse said. The people cheered. "And next time think twice before you mess with Minicons!"

Shrapnel managed to tear himself free and took straight to the air. Bombshell followed close, directing him since it appeared he could not remember where their hide-out was. Kickback ran along the ground, tracking his partner's scents. Starscream snarled over the cheering audience.

"This is not over! With or without a fight, I will be—!"

"Then come on down and take us," Canis said, pounding a sparkling fist into his hand. "If you think you've got the balls."

"Mark my words, Minicons," he growled, "the next time we meet will be personal, and will not offer mercy." The audio sizzled, signifying the cut link.

"If we can kick an Insecticon ass, we can your ass, sugar-thrusters!" Equus shouted and threw up both fists with middle fingers pointed to the sky. "Just bring it!"

"Now that's spirit!" Shockstick said. Before he could continue, he was interrupted by Electron.

"We do hope you pardon these events; I assure you this was in no way planned. Everything was real." The audience became loud with disbelief. "It was a real fight, real Insecticons, and the real Starscream. We certainly will not continue the lobbing match; it will be a draw. Both teams have won tonight, fighting for their right to live. Canis, Fortis, Equus, Adalwulf; you have all earned our respect and your names will hold in history forever, engraved in stone."

To the humans the phrase meant simply the Minicons would be remembers for their deed. The Minicons, however, knew that their names and the battle would be inscribed in the Tunnel. The Council would meet with them, as well as the Historian, to record their experience. They would become legends.

xXx

I enjoy Equus' diction.