CHAPTER 11

"You again?"

The club opened every night. Fighters could be heard from outside. They warmed up, their loved ones cheered them up by screaming their name, their arbiter announced their combat orders. The bot stopped in front of the owner, arms crossed. He came to take his prize every night.

The owner scanned him, analysed him helm to pedes. The bot wasn't as large as the other many fighters here. The others were far more massive, able to crush their opponents' heads just by sending them crashing into the wall with their single arm. Nevertheless, the owner already knew that he shouldn't be underestimated because of his appearance. He knew this bot. He'd already met him when he'd started. He had been a homeless bot who'd struggled to gain energon by any means, going as far as throwing himself into free-fight arenas. His first fights had been…disappointing. He'd never been able to last more than five minutes, his opponents had always beaten him into a pulp. The owner had been forced to interfere many times in order to prevent the bot from being killed. He'd begged him not to come back here again. That's a waste of time and money, as much as to the bot than to him.

Yet he'd come back. Over and over.

The owner let out a sigh. He grabbed a Pad to check orders. The bot didn't move.

"So…Today you'll fight an opponent named Attilador. The prize is 300 Shanix."

The bot twitched. Yes. 300 Shanix wasn't an important prize…however, that's always enough for a meal.

Yes, he'd come back and he'd lost. So many times…

Till this day where his opponent had got on his nerves too much. It had been the last nail in the coffin.

That had been his first victory.

Others had followed.

Now, the bot came here every night. The owner led him to the changing room where other fighters were waiting to go into the arena. Participants glared, physically or verbally threatened each other. The bot ignored them then got himself ready. The owner stared at him. He couldn't help but asking him a specific question:

"Why?"

The bot turned around, an inquisitive look on his face.

"I mean. You have your own business now. You became this. A business man. Your enterprise works up pretty good for now. You don't need to come back here to gain your energon."

The bot simply shrugged.

"I actually do this for my enterprise."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Everything is a training. I must train up to become stronger and efficient."

"I couldn't know your enterprise required such a physical training."

The bot simply smirked.

"You can't imagine"

"Look at this! My adversary is actually that? That microbe?"

Attilador came into the changing room. The other fighters ceased straight away Attilador was a tall silvered bot with orange optics, a sabre at servo. The other bot didn't react. He pretended he hadn't heard anything.

Attilador stopped in front of him.

"Seriously. You should get an upgrade. You should have taken more armour if you wished to defeat me."

"I would be slow with it."

The bot's smirk didn't vanish. However it enraged Attilador more. As soon as the bot looked away, Attilador spat right in his face. The bot immediately reacted and stood up. A slow yet dangerous pace, the bot walked over to him, baring his dentas. The others moved back. Attilador gave him a disdainful scorn.

"Oh. I'm so sorry I dirtied such a beautiful chassis, you pussy. Though that wouldn't be the only one thing that will be in bad shape soon."

"I think you are way too self-confident" The bot growled.

Attilador laughed hard.

"Why should I be afraid? You are just a homeless bot who should be wiped off the map. At least, more energon for me. For powerful and useful people. I don't need to know your abilities. I'm the best one here"

Anger burning in the bot's optics soon vanished. He put up with a haughty smirk instead.

"Hmm…going as far as spreading about your fighting abilities…you don't even know who I am…I think you have something to compensate for."

Attilador threw himself at him. The owner rushed over to interfere before both fighters started to come to blows. He put a servo over their chassis to pull them apart. None of them tore their optics off their enemy.

"Calm down! You'll fight into the arena anyway!"

"Hmm…You're right" Attilador nodded.

As they walked away from each other, Attilador gave him one last threat.

"You. I'll tear your spark."

He then left the room. The bot clenched his fists. His state of mind was clearly obvious. Yet his smirk grew up.

"You are both good fighters" The owner said.

"I'm sure of this. However, he already lost."

He sat down again.

"Why did you say that?" The owner asked.

"I caught sight of his sword. This kind of warrior fight with an honour code."

He didn't add anything else.

The combat started.

Attilador and the bot stared at each other. They walked in circle around, both in a defensive stance. Attilador kept his sword in front of him, ready to strike. However, the bot didn't possess any obvious weapon on him. One was waiting for the other to attack first.

The owner watched.

What did he mean by "he'd already lost"?

"What's this?" Attilador sneered. "Do you actually believe that your own fists would be enough to protect yourself?"

He paused.

"I'm an extraordinary warrior! You pussy and your fists…you're just pathetic. You'll definitely lose against a fighter like me!"

The bot let out an annoyed sigh.

"You talk too much. Please finish me or I'll get bored to death"

Attilador roared.

In the end, he attacked first. The bot didn't move. Attilador tried to strike him at the head to decapitate him right away.

The bot moved aside. Suddenly a blade came out from his wrist. He blocked it. Public let out a surprised cry. The owner frowned.

He'd never used such a weapon before.

Attilador went completely astonished. He moved back. The bot's blade didn't vanish. A second one came out from nowhere at his other wrist.

"You-you have no honour! I displayed my weapons! You…You just play with some tricks!"

"…Are you afraid?"

The bot personally insulted him by asking such a question.

Attilador engaged in combat again. The owner bit his lip.

The bot was perfectly aware of what he was doing.

The exchanged more blows, each using their own blades. Attilador managed to make him move back. He then used a vicious yet powerful attack to stab through his helm. The bot lowered just in time; the sword plunging into the wall and leaving a deep hole in.

Attilador growled. The bot dodged again then gave him a strong kick in the stomach. His opponent lost his balance. Attilador fell to his knees. Then the bot kicked away the sword he held.

The blade was sliced into two halves.

Attilador kept his mouth opened. The owner didn't understand. How had he been doing this?

Attilador was back on his pedes then tried to lunge at him with his bare fists. The bot smiled again then jumped forward. The next moment, the bot landed behind him.

"Who are you?" Attilador screamed.

The bot didn't reply.

Attilador felt something over his chassis. He shakily touched it. The owner shockingly realized what the thing had been.

He'd dared-

Attilador understood. He stared at the bot in horror. The latter got rid of his own blade.

A bomb.

"WHO ARE YOU?"

The bot pushed an invisible button between his thumb and foredigit.

An explosion.

Everyone screamed, echoing Attilador's.

The bot rushed over to his opponent. The bomb had blown Attilador's chassis open. The latter fell down. However, the bot didn't let him reach the ground. He grabbed him up to plunge his servo into Attilador's chassis.

His servo, bathed in energon, tore the spark out.

Light in Attilador's optics flickered off. The bot displayed the spark to public surrounding him. Then he dropped it off without any consideration. It fell on Attilador's still warm corpse.

A part of public clapped. The other remained silent.

Victory.

The bot deserved his prize.

He left the arena, heading back for the changing room. The owner joined him.

"…Impressed?" The bot asked him.

"…How?"

The bot smiled.

"Playing dirty is my strength. Honour is a weakness. It cost us dearly every day. I prefer becoming a killer rather than being a corpse."

The bot received his Shanix. He was about to leave.

It surprised the owner. Before he vanished in the night, the owner asked him.

"…What is your job already?"

The bot turned around.

He handed something over to him. A card.

"…I'm a bounty hunter" He answered. "You are free to contact me if you need to get rid of someone."

Then he left.

As soon as Jetstorm had received his energon, Shadow Raker entered in the Dojo. Deadlock stood up then grabbed his weapons. However, he felt like they were heavier to him. He didn't know if that's due to how exhausted he was or-

"Did you sleep well, my pupil?"

He stared at Shadow Raker.

He didn't pay attention to Jetstorm, still bound. He didn't even look back at him.

Deadlock wasn't in the mood for training.

Actually, that's like he'd lost any motivation for it. Not only because of that night…but because Shadow Raker was absolutely okay to let Jetstorm die, as if that was an useless tool to throw off in a trashcan.

He wasn't sure if he was strong enough for this.

"So, Deadlock. What's wrong with you today? Did you just forget the reason why I took you in?"

Deadlock shook his head.

Nevertheless, he'd to try again.

"Master…About Jetstorm…"

"You are really annoying! Just obey! We'll talk about it later!"

We'll talk about it later…Till when?

Deadlock put his optics on the Minicon again.

Maybe he'll actually never release Jetstorm…

Maybe he'll just leave him here?

No…No…He knew Shadow Raker…He wouldn't do such a thing.

"Come on, Deadlock! React!"

Deadlock blocked.

That incident…had displayed another side of Shadow Raker. A side he hadn't expected.

His mentor was strict…however, this…It went beyond severity.

Deadlock obeyed.

He wasn't sure if he would like it…

That place that took him in…That Mentor who had given him a goal…

…Anything in order to hide a violent Master who mistreated his own Minicons.

Did he even realize how much he'd made them suffer?

Deadlock attacked again.

But…if he left him…Where would he go?

Would he go back in streets? Would he steal again? Just like he'd tried the night before?

That stranger had prevented him from committing a mistake.

At the same time…Whatever happened between his Master and his Minicons wasn't his business…

That's the society today…

The training ended.

After the salute, Shadow Raker let out a sigh.

"Deadlock?"

"…Yes, Master?"

"…Release Jetstorm. He'll not do such a mistake again."

He paused.

"Otherwise, the punishment will be way more severe."