Part 1-
Wings rose as the Crimson Racer thrusted his sword into the others Spark Chamber. Dull blue optics stared into his before flickering out and their body fell to the ground.
The Crimson Racer looked over to his partner and watched as he finished off his opponent.
The crowed around them went wild, the cheers bringing savage smiles to the Gladiatorial Regents faceplates.
"Looks like they will be eating tonight" the black and gold femme stated, her gold optics watching as the reigning champions returned to their room.
"One cube" the heavily armoured mech with crème armour and a pink visor ordered.
A small Minicon dipped its head and raced off. It grabbed one Energon Cube before heading to the Gladiator's shared quarters.
"Thank you Rusty" the Crimson Racer thanked the Minicon as he took the cube, the Minicon bleeped before heading off.
"What an odd little guy" he commented before tossing the cube to his brother, "here Sunny, drink up"
The Sun Killer glared at him, "you know the rules Sides', first one to finish gets the cube"
"But you didn't refuel in over a Groon"
"And that is my problem, eat Sides'" the yellow and black mech demanded, tossing the cube back.
Crimson Racer caught it before sighing, "fine"
He drank half the cube before faking being full, "I can't drink any more, you finish the rest"
Sun Killer narrowed his optics at him before huffing and taking the cube, he finished it off and moaned in delight as the Energon returned his Emergon reserves up to 50%. Crimson Racer hid his smile, glad that he could take care of his older brother for once.
…
Sideswipe hugged his tanks as he purged his processed Energon. He groaned and wiped his intake, his optics shuttered as he inhaled.
His optics flew open when he felt a strong, large servo touch his back, he jerked around and saw Drift standing there, concern in his teal optics.
"O-oh hey Drift" the mechling silently cursed himself for not hearing the older, "what's up?"
"Sideswipe, I was sent to find you, are you alright?" the black, red and orange mech asked.
"Yeah, totally, why do you ask?" the red and black mech faked his smile, like all of the other times.
Drift looked at where his purge was and Sideswipe rose his armour, daring the mech to speak about it.
"You did not arrive when the others have" the Samurai bot finally spoke, "it is unusual now-a-days"
Sideswipe glanced away, subconsciously rubbing his chest, before huffing, "well, let's not keep them"
Drift watched as the young bot walked towards the Command Center of the scrapyard. He followed soon after.
"Great, everyone's here!" Fix-it chirped, "we picked up a Decepticon sayonara-symbol-signal!" he hit his chest to fix his programing, "it is just thirty miles due West"
Team Bee Groundbridged to the location; they were in a forest-like biome.
"Spread out" Bee ordered, "comm if you find anything, if you find the Decepticon, do not engage alone"
They split into three groups: Strongarm and Bumblebee, Drift and Grimlock, Sideswipe and the ninja Minicons. Strongarm and Bee scouted North-West, Grim' and Drift scouted South-West and Sideswipe, Slipstream and Jetstorm scouted East-West.
Sideswipe rubbed his chest-plating, the itch was getting on his nerves.
"Sideswipe" Jetstorm started, gaining the other's attention, "are you alright?"
"Of course, I am just a bit itchy" Sideswipe assured, "and Jetstorm, Slipstream remember just call me Sideswipe; the 'mr' part makes me sound as if I am higher ranking than you"
The two nodded.
The returned to silence, looking for the 'Con or the Cryopod.
…
An hour passed when Strongarm called in, saying that she and Bee found the Cryopod and that it was empty. Drift called in barely thirty minutes later, claiming to have found wing-clamps, Seeker class, and a splatter of Energon.
'A Seeker huh?' Sideswipe followed the Minicons, keeping an optic on them, 'this should be interesting'
…
Another hour passed and they had decided to regroup when Sideswipe froze, his optics snapping to a clump of trees.
"Sideswipe, sir? Is something wrong?" Slipstream asked.
A low growl left the larger Autobot, he shifted to a fighting position and took out his sword, poising it in front of him. The Minicons instantly fell into fighting stances.
"Aww, you have pet Minicons, how adorable" a Seeker, dark green with brown accents, purred as he stepped out of the shadows, "shoo Minicons, this is between us big bots"
"Plow" Sideswipe spat his name like it was poison, his armour flaring, "I should have killed you when I had the chance"
The Seeker, Plow, laughed, "but you didn't little mechling. I came here because two different companies want you, sadly only one is paying the decent amount"
"Oh, I'd love to know who would send a notorious backstabbing 'Con after me" Sideswipe flipped his sword, stepping in front of the Minicons.
"One of them was your old job, the one with all the fighting. The other was the one who didn't get to finish his collection."
Sideswipe snarled, "Minicons, regroup with the others, tell them my location but do not return without them"
"But-"
"GO!"
The two Minicons took a startled step back from the mech who had very recently said he believed them capable of fighting alongside him. They looked at him, wondering why he wouldn't allow them to fight with him now and saw his optics when he looked at them. It wasn't annoyance or irritation; it was unbridled terror.
The two raced off the tell the others.
"I am so glad you didn't want them to see this" Plow cackled, "especially because I brought backup"
Sideswipe let out a scream as an electrical net wrapped around him, bringing him to the ground.
His blue optics lifted and saw a familiar figure standing there.
"Hello Split-Spark, remember me?"
"Lockdown" Sideswipe hissed with more fury than he had done with Plow's name.
The hooked bounty hunter chuckled and knelt down, forcing Sideswipe to look into his optics.
"I have the perfect place for your Spark Chamber: right next to Sunstreaker's"
Sideswipe snarled, "you do not get to say his name!"
Lockdown backhanded him; Sideswipe spat out a wad of Energon.
"I will have you know; I can say whatever I want" Lockdown lifted his optics and he looked to Plow, "I will pay you extra if you get me those Minicons"
Plows optics brightened with greed, "of course Lockdown"
"NO!" Sideswipe struggled, ignoring the zaps of electricity.
He gripped the handle of his sword and swiped up, the ropes broke and fell around him. He tackled the Seeker right as it was taking flight and the two wrestled in the air.
"LET GO GROUNDER!"
"NO! I WON'T LET YOU HURT THEM!"
Sideswipe took his sword and stabbed it into the Seeker's tail, he knew that Plow would survive if he transformed in time, he also knew that the Seeker won't be able to fly until the wound was fully healed.
Plow shrieked and lost altitude, transforming before he hit the ground. Sideswipe backflipped off the other and landed in a slight crouch.
"Now, now little one" Lockdown said as he shot Sideswipe with a tranq. dart, "no need for violence"
Sideswipe swayed and soon crashed to the ground, his optics having trouble staying open.
"Sideswipe!"
His team was here, they won't leave him.
...Right?