Cyclonus looked at the minicon quizzically. He wasn’t exactly the sharpest sword on the rack, or the most stable for that matter. And so the gesture sailed right over his head.
The decepticon shrugged and returned to his seat.
Meanwhile, Machbreaker and Railgun would very likely hear an unfamiliar voice grumbling through their tunnels.
“Wait a minute, am I lost? D@mmit! I’m lost! How the hell do these guys find their way around down here! Everything looks the same!”
Backbreaker roars and rears up onto his hind legs as one of his secondary heads is hit. Falling back onto all fours, the Autobot charges at Maximus, still breathing fire and plasma.
Maximus froze in a brief moment of panic. He needed to move so he wouldn’t get hit. But if he moved he would get burned.
He stood stock still. His body screaming to run, yet his legs would not move. He shut his optics tight and braced for impact. He felt his body briefly swell with energy. The crackle of electricity surrounded him. He felt the ground ■■■■■ rapidly under his feet, and then fell flat on his back. When he opened his optics, he was surprised to see he had moved several feet to the left, just in time to see Backbreaker run through where he was just a moment ago.
All six of Backbreaker’s eyes widen as Maximus suddenly… actually, he didn’t even know what the kid had just done. He skids to a halt, shutting his jaws to cease the flow of flames and plasma, and turns to robot mode, reacquiring Maximus as he draws his sword in his left hand, turning to the left.
So, what, the kid has super speed? he thinks. Slag…
The gladiator runs to the Maximus’ right as the lobs four fireballs from his cannon, slowly approaching the dragon from the side as the arced toward him.
Maximus looked absolutely as stunned and confused as he was. He quickly stood back up and readied himself for the attack. He tried to just take a step to the side to avoid the attack. Only to feel that same jolt of energy again. His body visibly surged with electricity, and dashed in that direction several feet. Moving almost as fast as lighting itself.
This again knocked him off his balance, and he fell face first into the ground.
“Oh come on! What the hell is this!”
He shouted, very clearly not pleased with what was happening.
Backbreaker was none to please about this turn of events either. Coming to a halt again. He growls as he draws his sword again, waiting for Maximus to get back onto his feet.
Maximus stood up and shook himself off.
“Uh… Sorry? I’ll try not to move this time.”
“You do you, kid,” Backbreaker says, firing a burst of plasma from his cannon.
“Just been a while since I fought somebody with super speed.”
The Autobot could tell the crowd wasn’t amused, and in spite of himself that added to his frustration. He needed to be putting on more of a show for the audience.
“I don’t really know if that’s what I’d call it, but then again I don’t really know what’s happening.”
Maximus said nervously. Clearly very distracted by what was happening. As he wasn’t paying attention, he wasn’t able to deflect most of the blast. His shoulder was burnt badly, and he shouted in pain.
He transformed back to beast mode, hoping that it would stop, whatever it was that was happening. He jumped at Backbreaker and tried to grab him by his shoulders.
When Maximus jumps, Backbreaker roars and slashes at the dragon with his sword, pivoting at the waist and throwing his back into the strike.
Tie-Grabber rolled his eyes and turned back around to watch the fight. While not necessarily more entertaining, it was getting interesting with the sudden flashes.
Meanwhile, Railgun and Machbreaker are working on the panel entrance directly into the arena. When they hear the voice, they both silently look at each other and then down where the voice is coming. They’ve had intruders in their passages before, including ones that can talk, but not always with those words.
The two cut out any light they’ve been making in this area. Then Railgun commands down the tunnel, “Identify yourself or die.”
The strike lands cleanly, and Maximus cries out in pain. Sailing right over Backbreaker’s head. He crashes hard just behind him. A long cut visible on his underside, energon begining to leak from it.
The spectators above very much enjoyed that move.
The footsteps they may have heard abruptly stop. A pale blue glow of energon visible from just around the corner at tbe end of the hall. The intruder says nothing.
Backbreaker turns around and walks over to Maximus, planting a foot on the dragon’s chest. In spite of himself, he looks up at the stands and takes a moment to relish in the cries of the spectators. For a moment, he is taken back to his days before the war, before his match with Megatron- known then as D-16.
He shakes his head. No; this wasn’t Kaon. He was no champion- not anymore. And the people in those stands didn’t give a glitch-rat’s tailpipe about him. He looks down at Maximus, retracting his battle mask as he holds the end of his sword at the Predacon’s neck.
“Had enough?” he quips with a friendly smirk.
“Yeah… Yeah… I’ve had enough.”
He said. The wound itself didn’t look too bad, but it was clear by Maximus’ actions that it was causing him a lot of pain.
Backbreaker stows his sword and removes his foot from Maximus’ sternum. He extends his right hand to help the predacon up.
He lifts his wing for him to grab. Not quite feeling comfortable going back to bot mode just yet.
A winner was declared and the crowd cheered. Nothing out of the ordinary. And nothing Maximus cared about at the moment.
Tie-Grabber lets out a cheer with the rest of the crowd, much more pleased with the fight near the end there.
Railgun makes a slight change to his cannon and fires a blast down the hall. A loud bang rings out, with flames and smoke barreling down. It was a blank, nothing more than to scare off the unidentified. Never know who you might accidentally kill, so a warning shot out of courtesy.
Backbreaker hauls Maximus upward, before giving an exaggerated bow to the throng of spectators above.
Oddball looks up at Axis.
“So, could your b-… could Maximus do that before, or…?”
“Sweet mother of Primus!”
The voice shouted.
They could hear the sounds of transformation, and a green and purple crane truck with two arms raced across the hall, carrying a very large amount of energon.
“You’ll never catch me alive suckers!”
He taunted.
Maximus held over the wound with his foreleg. Being in a great deal of pain, he wanted nothing more than to just get to Railfire and get patched up.
“He couldn’t do a lot of what he’s been doing before.”
Backbreaker offers to help Maximus to the medical bay.
“That so?” Oddball replies.