Cascade stared, feeling terror freeze her frame as Deathsaurus fought. He was all sharp talons and wings, easily fending off his attackers. He was a truly terrifying sight to behold, standing tall with his wings flared out and a wide, fanged grin. His optics were all bright, glancing around and sometimes in opposite directions.
She jolted when Bacchus lightly slapped her shoulder. "Lighten up! Captain's just having fun!"
She nodded slightly, staring as Deathsaurus was jumped by two smaller mechs, both clinging to his arms as a third moved in for a swing. Deathsaurus' grin somehow grew and he clashed the two mechs on his arms together before throwing them at the third, sending them all flying back.
Bacchus cheered loudly, throwing a fist in the air. "Yeah!"
She glanced around at the cheering, watching as several bots groaned, offering datasticks to each other. "Are they... betting?"
Bacchus nodded, grinning widely as he took an offered cube of high grade. "Of course! Sometimes credits, sometimes favors like extra rest hours or a good backrub if you catch my drift. Captain doesn't mind as long as it doesn't cause problems."
She nodded, stepping forward when some bots shuffled past her. "Oh, that makes sense."
He nodded, snagging another cube. "Here, drink, relax, watch the show. It'll be a while before Captain takes a break."
She took the cube as he offered it, smiling slightly. "Thank you. I'll try to have fun."
He smiled, patting her shoulder again before spotting a group, his optics brightening. He walked over to them, joining in their affectionate slaps and jeers. She softly sighed and sipped some before lightly coughing, frowning at the burn down into her tank. Her wings twitched rapidly as the loud cheering continued, several bots jumping into the fighting pit as the trio climbed out.
She sipped some more and frowned slightly, coughing into her arm. Ugh. She looked around and offered it to a nearby bot, smiling politely. He happily took it, turning back to his friends and downing half the cube.
She softly huffed as bots kept brushing roughly against her wings, forcing her to move forward and closer to the pit. Deathsaurus continued fighting, showing off and flexing. The crowd cheered louder as response, music thudding from somewhere and adding to the energy.
Her wings flicked quickly as someone was pushed closer to her andssmiled slightly, rubbing her arms. She took a step closer to the short, makeshift barrier around the edge of the pit. The bot behind her was pushed roughly, sending them against her back and she stumbled forward, pressing against the wall before falling forward.
She yelped as she landed in the pit behind Deathsaurus and flicked her wings, glancing up at him. He cocked an optic ridge at her and glanced around, spotting the bot that had bumped her over. His current opponent grinned, pouncing on him and attempting to throw their arm around his neck.
Deathsaurus laughed, actually laughed, and grabbing their waist, pulling them off aand tossing them away. "Let's change up the rules tonight, shall we?! First one to get through me and lay a whole servo on this pretty bot gets a special treat from me personally!"
Cascade gaped up at him, the tips of her wings brushing against the floor. "I do not agree to this!"
She wasn't actually sure Deathsaurus heard her over the loud cheers, but he stepped closer to her, glancing down at her and smiking widely. "I protect what is mine, little Seeker."
Suddenly, she didn't feel so scared.