A/N: It's been a while! I'm alive, I just lose motivation every now and then. Rest assured, Transformers is still one of my permanent hyper-fixations, and this story still has more to come.

This is a long chapter (even though FF wordcount is off), but refuse to split it into two. It just feels complete like this :) And feel free to read chapter 13 because it's been months since I posted it.

Thank you to all fans, both long-term and casual. I appreciate all the reviews and I'm sorry I update very sporadically.

Thank you to: All Guests, smexy-soundwave, Featherboi, SpicyArbiter, Alice Gone Madd, Veritas-Morado812, plus all the favorites and follows and the kind words on Instagram, Tumbr, & Twitter.

Also, since there are more than two character perspectives, I'll be clarifying who is "narrating" (in effect after the first scene.)

---

Cybertronian Terms

Mechling: younger male Cybertronian.

Half-clock: can be used as an adjective or a noun to indicate that someone is stupid or slow.

Filthy Retro-rats: General insult. It has been suggested that retro-rats are nasty, parasitic things.

---

Chapter 14

"Didn't I tell you not to bother me so late? What is so damn important you had to interrupt my call?" A high-caste mech sat at his desk, an energon cube at his side.

The insecticon used his blaster to push the captive forward.

"Apologies, Owner Lanyard. It's this mech. He barged in demanding to be a Gladiator."

"We closed requests one joor ago," he rolled his optics, "Did you not close the gates, Imbecile?"

"We did, Sir! He managed to get in and confront us in the rec room."

The mech stood up, "Then kick him out! Do you need my permission for everything?"

"When we tried, we saw the front guards were unconscious, and the gate would not lock anymore. This mech is the only suspect."

"Him? You can't be serious. Look at him; he's all scrawny and malnourished," he said, "If I had to guess, he's probably a runaway energon miner from the K-200 sector."

"Soundwave: is more capable than you believe," the mech responded.

"Quiet down, prisoner!" The insecticon yelled.

The guard pushed him down to his knees. He struggled against the insecticon, frequently looking back.

Lanyard peered at him over the desk.

"So your name is Soundwave, huh?"

He stopped, "Affirmative."

"Are you responsible for the guards and the gate?"

He nodded.

"I ought to kill you for such an offense."

"Humbly request to become a Gladiator. To atone for actions, will repair and reinforce gate. No one else will be able to break in," Soundwave proposed.

Lanyard laughed, "That's not how things work around here. You don't get to make any demands, especially in your sorry state," he paused and turned on a small device showing a hologram of a familiar mech.

"Besides, I've already found my next Gladiator protégé. Megatronus, have you heard of him?"

Soundwave shook his helm.

In reality, that was false. He had waited for joors to request a Gladiator position, and he'd been close to reaching his turn. The whole time, a large, silver mech stood in front of him in line.

Right before the bot entered the arena, he turned back to Soundwave and introduced himself as Megatronus. When Soundwave hadn't replied, the mech simply wished him good luck.

After 10 kliks, the insecticons had cut off the line, announcing they all the fighter positions had been filled.

It filled him with more resentment to hear Lanyard say that Megatronus would be the Pit's next upcoming Gladiator.

"Well, I'm sure you can piece together that I have no need for you," Lanyard said.

"Full apology is offered. Aside Gladiator role, I will accept all further jobs."

"I already have plenty of formidable henchmechs."

"They are not efficient. Two were defeated at the gate, and two more in recreational room."

"Is what he's saying true, Infernox?"

"Er, yes, but he ambushed us—"

"Oh for Primus' sake," Lanyard pinched the bridge between his optics.

Soundwave spoke out again, "Moreover, I possess ability to hack into most technology. Given aerial alternate mode, I can also travel faster than insecticons."

The guard behind him hissed.

The Owner chuckled, "Well you have the audacity, I'll give you that, mechling."

He appeared to think for a few moments. His mood no longer appeared angry, much to Soundwave's advantage.

"Now that you mention it, I could use a stealthy bot on my staff."

"Sir, we insecticons are more than adequate—"

"Are you kidding me? Anyone can practically hear you a mile away."

He turned back to Soundwave, "So, you really want the job this badly then?"

"Affirmative."

"Hm, I see no need to have such persistence go to waste," Lanyard crossed his arms, "Infernox, take the cuffs off."

"But, Sir!"

"Don't make me repeat myself!"

With some resistance, the insecticon finally released him.

Soundwave flexed his fists to stretch them.

"Stand up, mech," Infernox commanded.

He looked over at him for a klik or so, purposely taking his time. He would make sure to remember this insecticon's face.

Without saying anything else, he did as he was told.

"Before you're dismissed, Soundwave," Lanyard said, "Consider it a favor that I'm agreeing to this. I'm not usually so kind, and know that it will come at a price.

"I don't know what you're expecting, but from here on out, I assure you it will be hell. If you even think about betraying me, I'll have you killed or sent back to your mining caste. So be a good mech and behave, understood?"

Soundwave nodded.

"Say it out loud," Lanyard ordered.

"Understood."

"Good. Infernox, inscribe him and take him to his room. Both of you are dismissed."

Before they exited, Soundwave gave the Owner a final look-over.

Lanyard had his back turned while talking on a device. The conversation revolved around vacationing, and he argued about wanting to take his own private jet rather than ride with his brothers. He did this all while sipping on his expensive, high-grade energon.

Like the owners of the mining facility, this one was just as callous.

Despite that this had been Soundwave's last effort to stay alive, this had merely been another cycle for Lanyard.

Only knowing suffering, he thought it would be different outside the K-200 sector.

It turned out, Cybertron had been nothing more than a disappointment— just like the factory he worked, except large-scale. Many endured pain, and only a select few benefited.

The first emotion he'd felt in his life had been rage. It was unforgettable, like a deep fire burning him from the inside out.

When settling in his room that night, he vowed that his first long-term goal would be to eliminate Lanyard.

It had been 6 vorns since that cycle.

Soundwave remembered what had been like first adjusting.

His preferred fighting strategy involved sneak attacks, but out in the arena he faced his opponents directly. Strategy had been his best skill out there.

Until he'd been able to acquire better armor, he'd been forced to mend himself over and over.

Once seeing his potential, Lanyard also began giving him missions. That only further put strain on him.

More often than not, he would consecutively work into the next morning. It was why he trained himself to operate on minimal sleep.

The situation had caused him to run out of fuel daily; he quickly found that using a lot of energy came at a cost. While working under Lanyard, he'd often request for more energon, much to the Owner's benefit.

Despite getting paid well for Gladiator's standard, Soundwave didn't believe he'd been fully compensated for everything he'd endured.

Working alongside insecticons and fighting in the arena helped build his strength, but it had been more draining than his old job as a miner.

In a short time frame, Soundwave had upgraded his armor twice and rose to high-ranking status. The experience he earned had been vital in his growth.

Among that, what benefited him the most was the ability to travel out of Kaon. His missions had taken place in big cities like Slaughter City, Tarn, Iacon, and Altihex, and he learned a lot about Cybertron and the people inhabiting it.

Once, Lanyard even sent him to Cybertron's second-largest library in Crystal City. Shortly after completing the mission, Soundwave lingered to take some datapads. Vorns later, he had frequently returned at night in secret. It was where he began his research for Laserbeak.

Since they'd first met, Lanyard had lost power, but Soundwave had gained much more.

All of it was coming together, and he would soon have favorable conditions to initiate his assassination plan.

…

Soundwave looked over the corner.

For now, he would have to deal with the present.

He'd been waiting near Darkstrike's room for some time.

Lanyard sent a spy around this time, and he'd planned to ambush the mech once he revealed himself. Since he already dealt with the cameras, it wouldn't be a complicated task.

As soon as Soundwave eliminated him, she would no longer be a target, at least temporarily. He would have half an orn before the Owner added her as a suspect. It was adequate time to complete his objective, more with the femme's help.

Though, now that Darkstrike was his indefinite assistant, he realized he'd have to keep track of her more often.

The femme certainly hadn't been a factor in his original plan. His past self from vorns ago would never believe he'd grow inclined to anyone, let alone form an alliance.

He didn't know what to make of it.

Not just her, but the entire situation.

Though he'd reinstated Darkstrike's role as his assistant this morning, he hadn't acknowledged what they'd done.

Yesterday, Soundwave finally had the opportunity to end it between them. All he had to was throw her out and forget about her.

His tendril had held tight to her armor, and letting it go would've meant never seeing her again.

And in the end, he couldn't.

He'd dropped his self-restraint and indulged without care. It was something he never allowed himself to do.

Soundwave had predicted feeling regret this morning, yet oddly enough he felt free.

Even more alarming, when he'd woken up in the morning and seen her resting peacefully, protoform fully exposed, he realized he desired more.

The satisfaction he experienced was intense, different than what he expected. He was careful, attentive to her comfort as much as his own.

They took their time pleasuring each other, whispering in each other's audios. He still remembered how she looked when she experienced her first sensual gratification.

It was entirely selfish to want to indulge in more; it disregarded all consequences.

As all of these thoughts filled his mind, he realized he was mistaken to think that one night would be enough.

There was no denying that he'd made things harder on himself by continuing their partnership, but he supposed it was a price he would have to pay for keeping her in his life.

Truthfully, Soundwave did have some doubts; he would stick to his word, but there was much to think about.

He'd made his choice based on what he wanted, but he wondered how wise it was to follow feelings rather than logic.

Sudden pedesteps interrupted his thoughts.

He stilled and listened closely from the corner.

Someone spoke out loud, "No boss, I've been standing out here for two joors and she hasn't left her room. I ain't waitin' any longer."

The voice sounded close.

It is time.

"If she doesn't come out in ten kliks, I'm chalking it up as suspicious behavior and barging into her room."

"Not yet! Wait another joor. If she is in there, she'll attack you on sight, and then I'll have another problem." Lanyard's voice rang loudly through the comm link

"I can take her, no issue."

"Don't even think about it! I'm paying you to be a spy, not a guard."

"Yeah, yeah," he said, "So you've said."

"Do as I say and report back. You have a fight later today so you better be on your best behavior."

"Yes, sir. Switch out."

There was silence for a klik or so.

"Wait for another joor, my aft. I'm tired of this." The spy approached the door and gave two hard knocks.

Soundwave waited.

Meanwhile, Switch was unaware of the tendril that sneaked up behind him.

It latched onto his leg and sent volts of electricity into his system.

"Agh!"

Before the mech fell, Soundwave used his tendril to hold him up. He approached the spy and pressed on his outer comm.

He played recordings of Switch's voice.

"Lanyard. Darkstrike… has left her room."

"Alright, just leave her for now. Get ready because I want you to meet with a sponsor later."

Soundwave replied once more.

"I'll be… late. Something came up."

"I don't care, be there in exactly two joors and clean, too."

"Alright."

Soundwave raised his sword and stabbed the mech through his spark. This caused the call to drop.

It was a swift and painless death due to his unconsciousness.

Quickly, he typed the code to Darkstrike's room and threw the mech inside. For now, it would be the quickest way to dispose of him.

He understood the implications if someone found him there.

Soundwave would remove him after his fight before the Owner had a chance to suspect Darkstrike.

Questions would arise the moment Switch missed the sponsor's meeting, but at least the femme would at least seem like an insignificant detail.

After assuring there were no witnesses in the hall, Soundwave walked away.

Now that he'd discarded the mech, his next objective would be going to Central Kaon.

He had a few joors before his fight, and he intended to make it count.

---

Darkstrike

She leaned on the wall and let the shower head drench her.

It soothed her sore frame.

What a relief.

About ten kliks ago, she'd finally exited Soundwave's room.

Before that, he'd told her to wait a joor so he could "take care" of the spy near her room. Though she was worried it would bring more attention to her, Soundwave assured her it wouldn't matter.

He seemed to imply that this would be the first step to get his plan in motion.

Though Darkstrike had only recently agreed to be his accomplice, it appeared he wasn't wasting any time.

Soundwave left her with clear orders; avoid her room, attend his fight, and meet him afterward.

Soundwave's match would take place in the evening, and he said he'd be out for most of the cycle in Central Kaon— something about having loose ends with associates.

She was curious but wise enough not to ask questions.

Darkstrike didn't know what would come next, but she would try to prepare for anything. As calculated as Soundwave was, she had a hard time figuring out what the bigger picture was.

If they succeeded, there would be a big price to pay.

There were a lot of factors involved, and Darkstrike had to disregard it all and trust him.

It would be a challenging first mission, and a part of her felt like it would also be a test to see if she was worthy enough to be his apprentice.

She shook her helm.

That didn't seem likely, this mission seemed too important to risk making it a trial.

I probably shouldn't speculate further; it's not like it's going to do me any good.

There were other things to focus on, like cleaning herself up and refueling. She needed to be in a good state, mentally and physically in case Soundwave had any more instructions for her.

Though, as she gave herself a full inspection, it looked like she would also have to make time to buff out some prominent scratches.

She touched the mark on her chassis where Soundwave's tendril had gripped her hardest. There was another one on her right shoulder, but not as visible.

Looking below, she also saw marks on her inner thighs caused by the friction of their armor. Anyone who stared hard enough could figure out it wasn't battle damage— not to mention bits of his navy paint were scattered over her inner thigh.

He'd been gentle, but at some point, she'd gotten eager.

Darkstrike bit her lip.

No one would suspect Soundwave, but she still didn't want anyone to speculate.

I'll deal with it after showering.

She slipped in another coin, making the oil go for another 5 kliks. Just a bit longer…

The femme stretched her helm to expose the crook of her neck.

There was a dull pain whenever she extended it far. She brought her fingers up to it, feeling abrasions on the cables.

The memory replayed in her mind.

"What happened to making me leave?"

"Do you wish to leave?"

Darkstrike shook her helm.

"Good."

She tripped back and bumped into the door behind her.

Her body became hot, making her claws suddenly glow blue. She could almost see the steam rise from her body.

Darkstrike shook her helm and dunked herself under the stream of oil.

Get a grip!

She still couldn't fathom how their fight had led to everything else.

Yesterday's pleasure was fresh in her mind, from the moment he'd kissed her, to the point when they'd both tiredly collapsed.

It all felt new to her.

At 230 vorns old, most bots her age had already experienced intimacy.

In her old job, she'd often eavesdrop on the new interns during break time, hearing them talking about relations as young as 180 vorns old— if not younger. Though it was embarrassing to think about, she'd gotten most of her knowledge of interface from listening in on the younger femmes.

Darkstrike remembered when they talked about their "first time" and how significant it was to make sure it was "romantic" and "exciting."

At the time, she'd scoffed in her office, mentally decreeing that such a thing only existed in fantasy.

She never would've imagined her first experience to have unfolded like it had.

Though the romantic part could be questioned, she certainly thought "exciting" was a good word to describe it.

Darkstrike initially thought that interfacing would resolve everything between them, but her feelings had only become more complicated.

They had yet to talk about it; on her end, she'd been too cowardly to bring up the subject.

At the time, Darkstrike had been more focused on the fact that Soundwave wanted to assassinate the Owner with her as his accomplice.

A lot had happened that morning, and she was still processing it all.

There were still many unanswered questions…

Did he initially fire me because I brought too much attention to myself, or was it because he didn't want to acknowledge the feelings between us?

Are those feelings only lust?

Why did Soundwave want to risk so much by killing the Owner? It was a big decision, but something he'd likely been planning for a while.

What would happen between him and I from here on out?

There was really only one chance she could've brought it up— the moment he grabbed her servo and suddenly pulled her close.

It'd caught her completely off guard.

Instead of saying something smooth, or asking about last night, Darkstrike had stuttered and changed the subject.

The memory made her groan.

Darkstrike realized that breaking that tension would be harder than expected— at least for her. She wondered what he would say when she finally mentioned it.

This morning hinted that he was open to a closer relationship, but she didn't know to what extent. She wanted to know his true thoughts, and before that, she would have to figure out a good way to bring it up.

Though being direct usually worked, Darkstrike worried she wouldn't like his answer. It would probably be easier to continue and not say anything, but she needed clarity for once.

If Darkstrike would be with him, she wanted to know how much to emotionally invest. After all, it was her future she was talking about.

That, and she didn't want a broken spark like last time…

The oil shower suddenly stopped.

Has it been 5 kliks already?

Darkstrike stared at her pedes, feeling too weary to move. Her wounds from the past 26 cycles weighed on her hard. With yesterday being added as a fight, she wondered how she hadn't offlined yet.

Perhaps after buffing herself, she'd reward herself with hard-earned rest.

Darkstrike would continue thinking about this later, but for now, she'd focus on recovering.

---

Evening

The arena was more crowded than expected.

Darkstrike arrived early, but a lot of seats had already been taken by then.

From what she heard, Soundwave's fight had gained lots of attention after news spread that his original opponent hadn't shown up to a sponsor meeting.

Rumor had it that insecticon guards had been sent out to look for him but were unable to locate his whereabouts.

A joor before the fight, Soundwave had been given another opponent with the excuse that the other mech had forfeited.

Apart from the new fighter being 5th high-ranking Black Out, everyone seemed attracted to the drama surrounding the match. Gladiators and other caste members filled up about 3/4th of the arena.

Rumors were certainly high.

The whole situation was strange, and Darkstrike couldn't help but make sense of it all.

There was a tapping sound on the speakers.

Looking down, she saw the speaker in the middle of the area.

"Good evening everyone, the fight will start in 25 kliks. This is just a reminder that today's opponents are Soundwave and Black Out. I repeat today's opponents are Soundwave and Black Out. All betting should be placed in their name. Thank you."

The whole crowd echoed with murmurs. If anyone didn't know before, they did now. No doubt there would be more speculation.

Darkstrike eavesdropped on the mechs around her.

"I heard that Switch tried to desert, but he was caught right before."

"What? No way, I heard he actually escaped."

"Apparently he was in cahoots with Lanyard and wanted out."

"No, you're all wrong. The mech had a debt with someone and they took care of him."

"One thing sure, he's long gone."

She bit her lip.

Soundwave never disclosed the name of the spy assigned to her, and for some reason, the whole situation made her feel uneasy.

The voices around her quieted.

Darkstrike looked around to see what had diverted their attention. Sitting in the top row, she had a good view of the arena.

At the bottom, she spotted Megatronus with a group of followers. Gladiators sitting around him visibly looked away.

Their whispers seemed to multiply.

Megatronus looked around the crowd of Gladiators, almost looking unbothered by the gossip.

His optics moved fast, giving the impression he was looking for someone.

She openly stared through the shoulders of the mechs in front of her. Being so far, she didn't think he would be able to spot her.

Immediately, Darkstrike was proven wrong when Megatronus made direct optic contact.

She quickly looked at her pedes.

A few nerve-wracking nano-kliks passed by.

When she thought it was safe, she looked up. Her spark sank when she realized that Megatronus walked up the stairs alone, leaving behind the group he came with.

Darkstrike slumped in her seat to make herself hidden.

She held hope he would go anywhere else, but it became less likely the longer he continued walking. It didn't help that her row was the emptiest out of all of them.

Her silent pleading ended being in vain the moment he passed the aisle before hers.

Mechs around her whispered much quieter.

Facing the fact that he was coming her way, Darkstrike sat upright again. She mentally prepared for the inevitable conversation.

Megatronus moved into her row.

He glared at the mechs in front of her and motioned his helm to the left.

Without a word, they all stood up and sat further away.

When Megatronus reached her, he cleared his throat.

"Hello, Darkstrike. May I have this seat?"

"Of course," she replied.

Internally, her spark beat rapidly.

She couldn't hear the mechs around them, but she noticed how they pointed in their direction.

Darkstrike had sat in that section to remain unseen, but the exact opposite had happened instead.

Why do I always seem to attract misfortune?

He sat down, his arm brushing a little closer than she would've liked.

---

Megatronus

He sat down next to her, purposely leaning closer.

She glanced at his arm but otherwise didn't move.

"Apologies for the intrusion. I saw you from afar, and thought it would be alright to invite myself over," he said.

"Oh, I thought I saw you. Apologies; it's a bit hard to see from over here."

"Hm," he said, "A pity Soundwave couldn't have gotten you better seats for his match."

He baited her to see how she would respond.

"Well, I didn't exactly want to call attention to myself."

Megatronus brushed off her answer.

"I see you've learned from your master. Soundwave is quite the secretive mech, isn't he?"

"Yes, you could say that."

She was quick with her retorts.

He thought for a moment, prepared to gain a reaction from her.

"Understandably, a mech of a few words would keep some things to himself," he said.

She nodded.

"In any case, it is good that you are discreet. It is the best skill you can have considering your track record. You wouldn't want to give Soundwave any more trouble, would you?"

Darkstrike's optics widened.

He smirked.

"Where are my manners?" Megatronus chuckled, "It's been a while since we last spoke. Allow me ask, how have you been, Darkstike?"

He quickly changed the topic, taking control of the conversation.

"I've been well, thank you. Funny enough, I said the same thing when I ran into Orion yesterday." Her tone was sharper than before. It was clear she was trying to jab at him in return.

Megatronus brushed it off, "Ah, he did mention that to me."

"He was lost trying to find you. I don't mean to impose, but you should be careful letting him roam the halls alone."

It was amusing to hear her stand up for his student, simultaneously masking her irk for his earlier comment.

"You know as well as I that the best way to learn is through trial and error," he said, "Orion is already quite capable, but he is still inexperienced."

She looked at him, "It seems like that's a common phrase mentors use."

Megatronus chuckled.

"Does Soundwave often tell you that?" he asked.

She took a nano klik to respond.

He realize he was adding fuel to the fire, but he needed to turn the conversation back to her. The femme's hesitation meant she wasn't expecting his forward questioning.

Megatronus wanted to learn anything he could about Soundwave. He'd gotten word from his followers that the mech was someone he couldn't trust. A double spy, they claimed.

The evidence they brought him hadn't been enough, and so aside from them, Darkstrike remained his only direct source to the mech.

All he needed was for her to slip up once.

"No, I wouldn't say that," Darkstrike replied, "He'll really only tell me if I fail."

"Then it is good that you often succeed in your fights."

"Thank you, I try my best."

"I have to say, it's impressive you somehow convinced Soundwave to take you up as a student. In all my time in the Pits, I never once saw him take a liking to anyone."

"I wouldn't say he likes me per se."

He raised an optic ridge.

"You are underselling yourself. There must be a reason he continues to teach you," Megatronus said, "In all my time here, I have never seen him speak to anyone unless necessary."

"Surely, that's an exaggeration."

"Perhaps somewhat. Vorns ago, I remembered when Soundwave arrived. Believe it or not, we both began as low-ranking Gladiators around the same time."

Darkstrike looked at him with interest.

"Did you already know each other?"

"No, not at all. For some time, our only interaction was my introduction at the Gladiator tryouts. As you imagine, he was even quieter back then."

"Tryouts?" she questioned.

"Ah yes, I forget that you a part of the new-era Gladiators. Back when Lanyard had an abundance of fighters, you would need to audition in order to join this arena. Only six try-outs were held per vorn," Megatronus explained, "Soundwave was a special case. He joined a cycle after me after, despite the tryouts having been already closed."

She raised her optic ridges, "That's impressive."

"Indeed."

"Do you know how he managed that?"

"I am not sure. Despite my intrigue, all attempts at contact were unsuccessful. It wasn't until after our grand match that I had a chance to speak to him."

Her helm tilted. "Wait, wasn't that fight a vorn ago? Then, you both didn't talk until that much later?"

"As I said, your mentor is a reclusive mech."

"Now I know the extent of it."

"Would you say he is the same with you?" he asked.

"Hm?" Darkstrike looked surprised.

"Does you two speak outside of training?"

"Oh, well no. I don't know anything about him aside from stories, but that doesn't matter to me. I'm eager to learn from his experiences and in turn provide what I can."

"Provide?" Megatronus raised an optic ridge.

"Erm, well… I give him a portion of my Gladiator earnings as payment for mentoring me," she replied quickly.

With everything his spies were accusing Soundwave of, Megatronus didn't believe Soundwave would teach Darkstrike for mere credits.

Then there lay the question, what did she give back for him?

"While we're on the topic, can I ask why you chose to mentor Orion? I was very surprised when I found out— it's just, you both are so different," she explained.

He felt somewhat surprised at the question. It was unexpected, but if it kept the conversation going, he would humor her.

"We may look different, but our ideals are quite similar. Orion wanted to learn about Kaon, and I felt it was my duty to educate the ignorant minds of Cybertron."

"That's very generous of you."

"Attention, attention, femmes and mechs. The fight will begin in 10 kliks, this is the last call for betting. Repeat, the fight begins in 10 kliks, this is the last call for betting."

The crowd began growing louder.

There were obnoxiously loud screams coming from the neighboring section.

When he turned, he saw a row of femmes with symbols on their chests.

Looking closer, he could see the name "Soundwave" spelled out.

"It appears he has more admirers than I thought," Megatronus hummed.

He looked at Darkstrike.

Her optics narrowed, subtle but enough to show her irritation.

When she noticed him staring, she quickly relaxed her face.

It was clear to Megatronus that even if Soundwave didn't feel anything for the femme, the sentiment didn't appear mutual.

He felt displeasure knowing he hadn't gotten far with this conversation. Once the fight began, he wouldn't have another chance to speak with her.

Deciding to be more direct, he began again.

"I have something to ask, Darkstike. It is the reason I approached you."

"Alright," she said, "I'll try to answer as best as I can."

He took a moment.

"After my fight yesterday, I intended to meet with Soundwave, but he never appeared. I haven't been able to get in contact with him for some time, and I wanted to know if you knew anything of it."

"Yesterday night?" Darkstrike looked at him in surprise.

Now, we are getting somewhere.

Based on the information he'd received, Soundwave should have followed Lanyard's orders and appeared at his match yesterday. It had been orns since he last attended, making it appear more suspicious.

However, when that hadn't been the case, it left him and his spies confounded. They had checked every section in the audience just to make sure.

Megatronus thought he knew the extent of Soundwave's intentions, but that couldn't have been further from the truth.

As a last resort, he bought a ticket to the mech's fight to seek answers for himself. Seeing Darkstrike had been a surprise, but Megatronus took the opportunity without hesitation.

She leaned back in her seat.

"I'm not sure about why he hasn't contacted you in the last orn, but as for yesterday," she said, "We met last night to spar."

"Ah," he nodded.

"It lasted longer than anticipated and it got out of control. I regained consciousness much later. I'm not sure if that's the reason he didn't attend, though."

Darkstrike maintained optic contact with him, but he could see her claws twitch.

If her story had really occurred, the most obvious solution would be dropping her off and then leaving for the fight. He couldn't imagine Soundwave waiting for her to wake up unless he cared for her that much.

Megatronus trusted his followers' intel, and for now, he wouldn't rule out the potential of the mech being a spy.

There was a reason she spoke vaguely.

"I appreciate you telling me. I'll be very busy next orn, and I won't be able to meet with him for some time. I'll have my comm link open to him if he wishes to contact me. Please let him know, Darkstrike if you can."

Until he could confirm what side Soundwave was on, he would cut off face-to-face communication.

"Of course, I'll tell him the next time we speak," she nodded.

Her tone was lighter now.

Megatronus hyper-analyzed her, searching her body language to see if he could deduce anything else.

Darkstrike turned away, facing the front. She avoided optic contact.

Her shoulders looked tense and her posture straightened. She held her servos tightly on her lap.

These were all common signs of lying, but there was something else.

Darkstrike cleared her throat, using her servo to cover her mouth.

The movement brought his optics to her face.

He lingered, noticing some scars around her chassis.

His inspection came to a halt when he noticed her neck.

Megatronus' optics widened.

Could it be?

"It looks like you have something right there," he said, "Allow me to get it for you."

Darkstrike craned her helm and exposed the protoform of her neck.

"Oh, I don't think that'll be necessary—"

Without waiting for permission, he leaned closer to her to wipe a nonexistent stain off her shoulder.

Megatronus looked closely.

Without a doubt, he could see crescent-shaped marks on the cables.

His suspicions further grew.

"There, I removed it for you," he said.

"I—um, thank you," she cleared her throat.

Megatronus further studied her, watching as she shifted her sitting position.

Now having her thigh uncovered, he could see odd scratches around the area. They were shallow and repetitive, further pointing at being caused by intimate relations.

Despite the evidence, there was no knowing if Soundwave had anything to do with it. After all, Darkstrike could always be indulging with other mechs; he hadn't seen anything like that on her the last time he'd spoken with her, either.

The scar on her neck made it less convincing if the speculations of Soundwave having no face were true.

It would be plausible if the mask was only for show.

The stadium grew loud all of a sudden. Some bots in from of them stood up.

It prompted Megatronus to look at the arena. He watched as two fighters entered the field, Soundwave entered on the left and Black Out on the right. Apart from their unique armor, their signature colors could be seen from afar.

The mechs didn't interact, but they stared at each other from across the field. Neither paid any attention to the audience.

"It is quite the match-up, isn't it?" Megatronus asked.

"Yes, they're both capable in their own right," she replied.

"What do you think of their skills?"

"I think it'll be a matter of strategy and circumstance in the end."

"Ah, but there is more to consider. For example, if they are evenly matched in both categories, it will eventually come down to strength," he countered.

Megatronus looked at the femme next to him, prepared to initiate another conversation.

He paused when he saw her expression.

She craned her helm towards the screen that showed a close-up of Soundwave.

While Darkstrike's posture remained still, her optics widened and her pupils dilated the longer she stared. Her previously still wings also began twitching.

She hardly glanced at Black Out's screen.

"Soundwave is quite the impressive mech, isn't he?" he jested.

Her face became blue.

"W-well, I suppose I can't argue that." Darkstrike cleared her throat. She pointed ahead, "It looks like the fight's about to start."

"Indeed."

There was no denying what he'd seen.

Darkstrike's optics revealed admiration, and the rest of her body language showed yearning. Despite not flaunting her support like the femmes from earlier, she still wore her emotions on her chest.

This type of passion wasn't a simple display of respect, he knew what that looked like; this was a rarity only seen in the optics of those truly dedicated. The optics of someone faithful.

It was a pity; most bots that wore that expression often had a tragic end.

No matter the case, it was highly unlikely that Darkstrike would interface with any bot that wasn't Soundwave. Though it was mere speculation, Megatronus trusted his intuition.

Whether Soundwave was a spy or not, he had every reason to believe both bots were in an intimate relationship.

There lay the answer to what she provided for him.

In hindsight, it made sense, her loyalty to him, his patience for her— Judging by the fresh marks and bad buff job, this was something that had developed recently. The femme also didn't strike him as the "experienced" type.

Megatronus wore a pleased expression, now happy that he'd discovered somewhat beneficial information.

Interesting. Very interesting.

He wouldn't have expected Soundwave to have such conventional tastes.

A part of him wondered if the mech would truly risk being with the Owner's property rather than hiring a common courtesan.

Even if Soundwave worked for Lanyard, it was still risky to fraternize with her.

Perhaps that is what he likes.

Megatronus glanced at her once more.

It was true that she was a pretty femme.

Though, after speaking with her for the second time now, he'd consider wit to be her best trait.

She had almost successfully deceived him into thinking her relationship with Soundwave was one-sided.

The revelation was small, but it made all the difference. If the mech had trained her up to this point, it was clear he cared if she lived or not.

Darkstrike was devoted to him in return, it seemed.

He would keep both of them at arms-length, but at least he had extortion in case either of them acted against him.

Megatronus sat back and relaxed, now feeling a clearer sense of mind.

He slowly gained more control.

---

Darkstrike

Soundwave didn't bother prolonging the conclusion.

The fight had finished in a measly 10 kliks. It was almost comical how much setup there was for such a short fight.

There would be more matches coming up as well as the ones that had already taken place, but most bots came for the high-rankers.

Black Out had been a solid competitor, however Soundwave hadn't shown any mercy until the end.

For his final move, he'd pierced his sword through Black Out's torso.

She wasn't sure if it was intended to be a death match or not, but Soundwave hadn't bothered finishing him off.

He'd simply removed his blade and placed it in its sheath. The other mech had been left on the ground struggling.

Many Gladiators and low castes cheered, but high-castes booed and threw their energon cubes for not doing his signature decapitation move.

His actions caused a large stir among the audience.

Before the announcer could shout his victory, Soundwave had already walked away. The camera followed him the entire way.

He looked like a dark, mysterious figure when he vanished through the door.

Immediately, Darkstrike wanted to meet him as they discussed earlier.

Though, considering no one had gotten up yet, she didn't think it was a good time. Megatronus still sat next to her, too.

She would have to stay put for the time being.

"As always, Soundwave is very efficient," Megatronus said.

"Yes, I anticipated as much," she replied.

As she tried to figure out a way to excuse herself, she felt a soft sensation in her processor.

It felt like a whisper.

"Darkstrike…"

She had to stop from blurting out loud.

Darkstrike concentrated and opened her mind up.

"Soundwave? Is that you?"

It took a bit to hear a response.

"Affirmative." His voice was much clearer this time.

"I'm a bit stuck. Megatronus is next to me and a lot of mechs aren't getting up."

"Do not move from where you are. We will communicate from this distance."

"Alright…"

She took a moment to think.

"Megatronus and I were talking for a while. He was acting suspicious, asking a lot of questions about you."

"Elaborate."

"He asked me why you weren't able to attend his fight yesterday; apparently, he wanted to meet with you after. I made an excuse about us sparring late, but I left it open to interpretation."

He didn't reply at first.

It made Darkstrike grow nervous.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Yes, he told me to let you know that he wouldn't be able to meet with you in the next orn. He says he's leaving his comm link open if you need to contact him."

He remained silent for a few moments. Waiting for his response made her grow nervous.

"Soundwave?" she asked.

"Megatronus is growing suspicious."

"Then, what does this mean?"

"It means we will have to carry the mission out tonight."

She suddenly jumped up.

The movement caught Megatronus' attention.

"Are you alright, Darkstrike?"

She looked at him, suddenly composed.

"Oh nothing, I simply remembered some errands I need to run."

"On that note, I think I'll depart as well. My presence is required elsewhere," Megatronus said.

"Of course," Darkstrike nodded.

"I trust you'll pass on my message?"

"Yes, I'll do what I can," she said, "Oh, and say hi to Orion for me."

"I will, but feel free to greet him yourself when he comes by. I think he could learn a thing or two from you."

He stood up and extended his servo.

Darkstrike shook it, making sure to grip it tight. It was twice as big as hers making it hard to tell if he felt it.

He walked a couple of steps before turning back to her.

"Until next time," he said loudly, "And till all are one."

The Gladiators nearby turned their helms, and soon the whispering began again.

She wondered if Megatronus had done that on purpose.

"That is likely the case."

She perked up.

"You can hear my thoughts?"

"It is how I am able to communicate with you," he said "Quickly, respond to Megatronus with the same phrase."

"Till all are one," Darkstrike repeated.

The silver mech nodded and continued walking down the aisle.

"What if others think I'm part of his cause?" she asked.

"It will be beneficial. Any action you take from here will be traced to Megatronus."

As the silver mech descended the stairs, his acquaintances from earlier stood up. They all met up as a group.

She didn't miss the way they glanced at her from afar.

"Darkstrike," Soundwave spoke.

"Yes?"

"You will need to focus. I will explain the mission now."

She sat back in her seat, slumping to appear less visible to others.

"I'm listening," she replied.

---

Once a good portion of the arena had cleared, Darkstrike exited the stands.

In about 20 kliks, Soundwave's meeting with the Owner would start.

She would begin her part of the plan at that point.

Soundwave instructed her to attend the after-party and cause a large disruption. It had to be significant enough for Lanyard to send his two guards.

She also had to make sure to time it right.

This would act as a distraction and allow Soundwave to act without worrying about insecticons.

He assured her that if she were caught in the process, he would break her out right after killing Lanyard.

If Darkstrike managed to escape, she would meet him in his room, or the arena outskirts if she were followed.

She would have to trust that he'd succeed, and more than that, trust that he would come back for her if she failed.

I do trust him, I just hope it doesn't make me foolish.

This was it, the night would end her vorn-long servitude. She would have no owner, and the only bot she'd be able to rely on was Soundwave. He apparently claimed the same about her.

"I cannot trust anyone else," he said.

"Is that true? Do you really trust me?"

Darkstrike closed her optics, trying to prevent thinking about what he said this morning.

It's time to focus.

This wouldn't be an easy mission, and she needed to have a clear processor throughout it.

There was also another thing to worry about…

Getting into the afterparty would be easy, but once in there, she would be out of her depth.

Darkstrike never had attended these get-togethers and she had no idea what to expect, or whether they would accept her.

If she could get that to work to her advantage, she would be able to cause a much larger disruption. She at least had experience doing that.

Darkstrike pulled up the schematics of the hallways and walked ahead.

When she heard music, it let her know the area was close.

Turning on her comm, the femme spoke.

"I'm about to go inside."

"Affirmative," Soundwave replied.

Taking a deep breath, she turned the final corner.

Darkstrike fought the urge to look down at her appearance. She had showered extra but was unsuccessful in buffing all the scratches.

It doesn't matter. It'll probably be dark anyway.

An insecticon guard stood at the door.

"Name?" he asked.

"Darkstrike, Gladiator."

The insecticon did a double take, giving her a full once-over.

He scoffed, "You are the infamous Darkstrike?"

She crossed her arms.

"Do you want to see my sword for proof? Yes, I'm Darkstrike."

He looked at her suspiciously.

"What are you looking at, half-clock? I don't mind fighting you to get inside if that's what you're implying."

"You would not be able to reach even a pede inside," he growled.

"I'd get inside somehow, even if I had to cut off my pede and throw it in there just to prove you wrong."

He scoffed, "You are tasteless like the other lowly Gladiators. I do not know why the Owner placed has allowed you to enter a party meant for high-castes.

"I see why you're outside then," she remarked.

He raised his helm indignantly.

"Be a good insecticon and follow your master's orders."

He uttered a low snarl.

Despite his anger, he didn't make a move toward her. As Soundwave said, the insecticons were very loyal to Lanyard and as his property, they couldn't harm her unless ordered.

Acting like this would make him wary of her, making it more likely he'd keep an optic on her. If she were lucky, he'd be overly paranoid and call for backup earlier than intended.

He pushed to button, opening the door on her right. Right before she entered, she gave him a smirk.

"Lanyard would be so proud of your compliance."

"I hope you perish horribly, you abhorrent—" The door closed before he could finish.

Her smile grew large.

This won't be so bad, maybe.

When Darkstrike turned around and faced the inside, her mouth widened.

The whole place appeared more like a club than a room. Without moving her helm, she did a full scan of the room.

There was a bar at the center and several booths on the side. The room was clearly divided, Gladiators on one side and high-castes on the other.

Some mechs and femmes crossed both sides with trays of energon, likely the workers.

Others seemed to be dancers and courtesans; most of them stayed on the high-castle side.

Darkstrike made her move, walking around the bar and through the high-caste section. Out of spite, she refused to turn to any of them.

Much to her pleasure, she heard some mechs scoff.

She sat at a small table in the Gladiator section.

A waitress approached her.

"Good evening, may I take your order?"

"I'd like regular energon. Premium please," Darkstrike ordered.

"Right away, miss," the waitress replied. She placed a menu in front of her.

"Thank you." Darkstrike picked it up and pretended to read it.

Now sitting at a new angle, she studied the room once more. Based on what she'd seen so far, there were about 10 high-castes, all with about 5 of their own bodyguards.

She couldn't tell how many Gladiators there were but she estimated about 15-20.

With so many guards there, Darkstrike wondered how much of a distraction she'd have made to get Lanyard to send insecticons.

For now, she would try anything to antagonize the high-castes; that seemed like her easiest bet.

Checking her internal clock, she had 15 more kliks before Soundwave attended the meeting.

Every klik counts now.

The waitress appeared in front of her.

"Here you are."

Darkstrike noticed she held two drinks on the tray.

"Oh, I didn't order that."

"The mech on table four sent it to you, he says he sends his regards."

The worker pointed across the room to direct Darkstrike where to look.

An older rich-looking mech sat in a large booth, two femmes already under his arm. His guards moved out of the way so he could wave at her.

This is my chance.

Darkstrike rolled her optics visibly.

"Thank you for bringing me this, but go ahead and tell the good sir I'm not interested."

The waitress appeared surprised.

"O-oh… alright…"

She set down her cube and quickly walked away.

Darkstrike could suddenly feel a lot of optics on her.

Gladiators behind her whispered and audibly laughed.

When the waitress reached the table, the mech shouted and angrily gestured. She looked uncomfortable making Darkstrike feel bad for putting her in this situation.

The waitress slowly walked over to her.

"Um, Mr. Piston says he would like to speak with you."

Darkstrike looked directly across the room.

She shook her helm and replied, "Could you tell him I politely decline? After that, I advise that you avoid his table. Tell the other workers, too."

She pulled out credits from her subspace.

"Close my tab. Here's a tip for your troubles."

The waitress's optics widened, "Alright, miss. I hope you have a great night, and be safe."

"You as well."

Before the femme had even gotten back to table four, the mech already looked irritated.

After the femme spoke, he shouted noticeably. Despite the distance and the music, Darkstrike could hear him yell "What!"

Gladiators behind her laughed louder this time.

The waitress quickly retreated into the kitchen. Darkstrike was relieved she wouldn't have to deal with the aftermath.

The mech, Mr. Piston spoke to his guards and motioned to Darkstrike.

Immediately, they walked her way.

She braced herself.

The bots arrived, fully imposing themselves in front of her.

Darkstrike scowled seeing their green optics.

Don't tell me they're from Altihex?

The city was especially known for its enforcement; it wouldn't be uncommon to hire guards from there.

"Come with us. Mr. Piston wishes to speak with you."

She sighed dramatically.

"Can't Mr. Piston take a hint? Tell him to frag off."

One of the guards gasped.

"I will not tolerate your disrespect towards Mr. Piston."

"What do you intend to do about it?" she challenged.

The mech crouched and curled his fists.

Perfect.

Out of the corner of her optic, she noticed a bot from behind standing up.

Darkstrike looked over her shoulder and saw a red-armored mech approaching them.

"Is there a problem here? Are these bots bothering you, Darkstrike?" Her optics widened when she saw Sideswipe standing beside her.

"This has nothing to do with you, filthy retro-rat," the guard spat, "Come femme, don't make us drag you by force."

Before the Sideswipe could respond, Darkstrike held a servo.

She stood up, meeting the guard's height, "Is that a challenge?"

"Ha, you Gladiators think too highly of yourselves. You're not even real fighters; it would hardly be a challenge for Altihex guards."

Darkstrike laughed.

"I'm sorry, is that supposed to mean something? You have the cheapest security jobs in Altihex, it's probably why Mr. Piston hired you."

One of them took a step forward.

"I am done asking nicely."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

She instinctively grabbed her sword.

"You're coming with us—"

Darkstrike unsheathed the weapon and sliced his servo right off.

The mech yelled out.

He fell back, clutching his arm tight.

Somehow, this felt reminiscent of the first cycle when she'd first arrived.

The other guard came at her.

He aimed his electrical spear at her torso.

Darkstrike moved out of the way in time, tucking under the mech. While low, she used her sword to slice one of his ankles.

The guard fell, but right before she managed to take hold of his spear and shock him with it.

Before she had time to process her victory, she noticed Mr. Piston command his other guards. Other high-castes sent their mechs too.

She looked at Sideswipe and asked, "Are you going to help, or are you just going to stand there?"

"Now you want my help? You're crazy, you know that?"

Darkstrike took a deep breath and glanced at her servos. One held the sword and the other the electrical spear. It was true that she was acting unhinged, but she accepted it if it meant succeeding in her mission.

"It's all in the name of a greater cause." The femme went into stance.

"Lucky for you, I'm all in," he said.

She looked at him to spat another retort, but she stopped at what she saw.

Other Gladiators behind Sideswipe began to stand up, coming to his side and handing him a weapon.

When one noticed she was staring, he responded by putting a first to his spark.

"Till all are one," he said.

"Till all are one," she repeated in shock.

Sunstreaker glared at her from a distance.

"I'm tired of getting warped into all your problems, Sideswipe. We wouldn't have to get involved if you had minded your own business."

"Come on Sunstreaker, where's your sense of honor? She's one of us!"

Darkstrike couldn't help but feel relief.

To her surprise, speaking with Megatronus earlier actually benefited her.

She faced the front, now confident that she had other bots backing her up.

I thought I'd have to do this on my own.

Feeling a sudden spike of courage, she was the first to charge forward.

"Fight!" Sideswipe yelled out.

Everything happened so fast in the next 5 kliks.

The escorts and workers all ran into the kitchen. Many Gladiators ended up joining in, and it almost felt like they had been waiting for any excuse to fight.

The guards hadn't been an issue for them, despite being outnumbered.

For several kliks straight, there had been only violence. The guards couldn't defend themselves alone against Gladiators and they began attacking in groups. It didn't help much, but it split all of them up in the process.

All the fighters had retaliated viciously, slicing off helms and other body parts.

The floor was evidence enough of their blood bath. Though she wasn't killing, she couldn't say the same for the other Gladiators.

It wasn't until Darkstrike reached Mr. Piston that things came to a halt.

She'd been so close to knocking him out.

The insecticon from outside had been notified of the fight and he'd immediately charged in to protect the high-castes.

After she'd knocked out Piston's last guard, he launched his whole body to push her away, pinning her to the ground right next to the table.

Darkstrike looked around to see if anyone could help her, but it seemed she was the first to make it this far. Her weapons were just out of reach, too.

The insecticon stood up, pulling her up with him.

He held her arm tightly and forced her to stand in front of the high-caste. Using his other servo, he pointed his blaster at her.

"One wrong move and I'm aiming for your legs," he growled.

Darkstrike glared at him but said nothing. She was more focused on the mech before her.

"All this for a drink?" he asked, "What a foolish way to die, femme."

"You should learn how to take rejection better," she replied.

The insecticon shook her up.

"You're a tough one, aren't you?" Mr. Piston asked, "Maybe I'll have you join my femmes over here."

"Sir, this femme is one of Lanyard's Gladiators," the insecticon interjected.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing her on certain cycles."

"I'd rather take up your offer to die," she spat.

"Oh, you'll wish you were dead, peasant. I don't care if you're Lanyard's property, I'll cut off all your limbs and turn you into a common drone if I want."

Darkstrike scowled at him.

"Tsk. This is what I get for coming to Kaon. I should've just gone to Altihex's Pit," he said.

She furrowed her ridges, surprised at the revelation there was also a Gladiator Pit in Altihex.

Suddenly, the insecticon's comm link made a sound.

Darkstrike was barely able to make out a voice.

"Infernox, what is the update?"

"I have the culprit apprehended sir. I'll escort her and the guests out."

"Her? Don't tell me it's that femme?!"

"Yes sir, it is Darkstrike."

"Great. Just great. Well, at least it's not Megatronus or any of his mechs."

"What do I do about the other Gladiators? Should I call for backup?"

"No, let them fight amongst themselves. Our guests take first priority, then we'll figure out what to do with Darkstrike."

"Alright. Infernox out."

Darkstrike began panicking.

Scrap, I need him to send backup.

What should I do?

She looked at the mech in front of her and back at the insecticon. Lanyard mentioned that the "guests" took priority.

That meant she would have to take aim at them.

Given how limited she was on time, she would have to put all her efforts into one or two moves.

Taking a deep breath, Darkstrike directed the heat in her chest to her servos. Given the stress of the situation, it was hard to control the adrenaline surging through her.

Once accumulating enough heat, Darkstrike dug her claws into the insecticon's arm. He immediately yelled out and shot his blaster.

The shot barely grazed over her arm, but she ignored it and swiped her servo on his back. Visible electricity encompassed his body and the insecticon fell to the ground.

Darkstrike picked up her sword and looked at Mr. Piston.

"Someone, help me!" he yelled

Other high-castes around them had their last guards securing them.

He glared at her.

"If you do this, you're going to put a target on yourself."

"It's already too late."

"Why are you doing this? Who sent you?"

Her comm activated.

"Darkstrike," Soundwave said.

She put a finger over her audio.

"Yes?"

"It has to be now."

"Alright, send me Lanyard's comm link."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to send a message."

She received it a nano-klik later.

Without waiting, she called the Owner.

Her spark felt incredibly heavy as it beat in her chassis.

Mr. Piston's question from earlier rang in her helm.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Hello? Who is this? Who gave you my comm link?"

"Lanyard. It's Darkstrike."

Silence.

"I'm here with your "guest." Say hi, Mr. Piston."

"Lanyard! Do something about this crazy bitch!"

"As of today, I officially quit. For my resignation gift, I leave behind this corpse of a mech."

"If you do this, there will be severe consequences. You will not get out of this unscathed, Darkstrike."

"Lanyard, it's been awful working for you and Mr. Piston, I hope you've made your peace with the world."

"Don't you dare do it, femme!"

"Wait, wait!"

Darkstrike drew her weapon and aimed straight at his neck.

---

Soundwave

He remained hidden when Lanyard's guards ran out of the office.

The insecticons transformed and flew down the hallway.

They were traveling quickly, and Soundwave would only have a small window,

He acted immediately when the hall was clear. Without waiting for permission, he entered the office.

The Owner quickly turned around.

"Did you not hear me you useless insecticons, I said to— Soundwave!" he exclaimed.

He approached his desk, "I am here for payment."

"Listen, right now isn't a good time. In fact, I need you to hurry off and join those insecticons. Get that femme under control like you did last time."

He didn't respond.

"What's the problem? I said to go!" Lanyard yelled.

Soundwave unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the Owner. He held the point close to the mech's neck.

"Wh-What?"

Lanyard raised his helm, slowly backing up.

"Do not move," Soundwave ordered.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Finishing business."

"Don't tell me you're quitting too?"

He didn't reply, assuming his statement had to do with Darkstrike.

"So that's how it's going to be, huh? After everything I gave you?" Lanyard asked, "You would be nothing without me, you know! I should've left you for dead when I had the chance."

Soundwave further pressed the sword into his neck.

"Are those your final words?"

"H-How about we make a deal?"

"There is nothing else you can offer me."

He gripped the sword and held it up high to prepare for the final swing.

"But that femme, Darkstrike, she's working for you, isn't she? Does she mean anything to you?"

Soundwave paused.

The Owner breathed quickly, "Because she means a lot to United Energon!"

Soundwave lowered his weapon slightly, "Speak now."

"If you thought I wanted Darkstrike for myself, you should see her previous caste! Once you kill me, they'll be the first to know. You'll have the CEO of the third largest energon company after you!"

Soundwave concentrated on seeing if the Owner lied.

Upon grazing his mind, it revealed he was telling the truth.

Unwilling to accept this, he revised his processor several more times to make sure.

"Arg! You Bastard!" Lanyard snapped, "Check all you want! Word got around about her Gladiatorial endeavors, and her old boss found out. He contacted me with a few offers, but I declined. Because of my power, she's been kept away from that company."

He didn't respond.

"If you kill me now, you'll remove her only protection from them!"

Finally, Soundwave brought his sword back a mechameter.

"That's a good mech," he spat, "I'm glad you could see reason."

Darkstrike had mentioned her old employers a while ago.

He hadn't expected them to hold as much influence as Lanyard. Given their status, it was likely they wanted no witnesses leading back to that cycle.

The scenario complicated a lot for him.

Soundwave had endured much and bided his time for many vorns to get to this very moment.

His concerns about the femmes' impact on his life only worsened.

"You know, you and I aren't so different Soundwave."

He looked at the Owner.

"No matter how hard you deny it, you have a weakness just like everyone else. Darkstrike isn't just working for you, is she? I'll be damned if she is!"

Soundwave tightened his grip around the sword.

"I really thought you were incapable of such primitive desires. You had me fooled, always precise, and somehow unwavering. Now I know you're just like the rest of us."

He took in those words.

Inside his chassis, he felt outraged.

The same as him?

Lanyard had truly deluded himself if he believed something like that.

"I want you to escort me out of here. I'm sure Infernox will deal with the femme. For now, you'll be sticking close to me."

Soundwave was left with few options, and he considered all of them: Follow Lanyard's orders, or go along with the mission and risk United Energon finding Darkstrike.

He considered leaving her behind, but he decided against it in case she revealed him as the culprit behind it all.

Not only that but despite all the problems arising, his sense of morals wouldn't allow him to fall back on his word.

"Hello!" His comm sounded off.

Soundwave looked up.

"I don't know if this is going through, but I did it! I made it relatively out uninjured. I would hurry, the guards are going to realize I left. We'll meet where we discussed. Out."

"What?! She made it out?" Lanyard exclaimed, "Those useless insecticons!"

Darkstrike had succeeded in her mission. It was a surprising revelation.

Soundwave reevaluated his thoughts from earlier.

Just like everyone else, he had considered Darkstrike a weakness. She was naive, impulsive, and unpredictable. Her most powerful ability came from her unstable claw power. Many believed she walked the line between failure and success.

However, it was because she was perceived as such that he had gotten this opportunity the begin with.

Lanyard had only reacted like he did because the culprit had been Darkstrike. If anyone else started a fight in the afterparty, he would've fled Kaon in fear of an attack by Megatronus.

She might have been flawed, but claiming she was a weakness was an overstatement. Many would view her as such, but Soundwave would use that to his advantage.

"This is your end, Lanyard."

He held his servos up. "Wait, wait, this doesn't change anything! United Energon will still be after her and—"

"It is no longer a concern."

With full force, Soundwave pierced the mech's chest. He turned his sword 45 degrees.

The Owner released a gurgled, pained sound. He looked at the wound and then up at him.

"We will never be alike," Soundwave stated.

The mech's optics widened.

"You…m—made a big mistake…" he spoke, immediately coughing up energon after.

Lanyard's expression appeared regretful when he offlined.

Pathetic.

Suddenly, the door behind swished open.

Soundwave pulled his weapon out of mech's body and turned around.

"Lanyard, Sir! The insecticons were unsuccessful in calming the fight, instead we—"

Infernox stopped talking when he saw the scene in front of him.

Soundwave held a bloodied sword while standing over the Owner's lifeless body.

"What have you done!"

"What I always meant to do," he replied calmly.

"You will pay! I swear on Lanyard's name!" The insecticon made an animalistic sound and dropped on all fours.

Soundwave went into his usual stance, holding his sword with two servos.

"You will join him soon, glorified Pet."

Infernox growled and launched at him.

---

Darkstrike

She settled in Soundwave's room, attempting to calm down after experiencing so much bloodshed.

It had been 10 kliks, and her adrenaline barely began to waver.

She stared at the wall in front of her.

The events circled her processor over and over.

Darkstrike only meant to stir trouble among the high-castes, but the outrage she caused had been enough to prompt the other Gladiators on a killing spree.

In the end, there had been high-castes, insecticons, high-rankers, and possible spies on the field.

She wondered how many of those bots were still alive. If she wasn't mistaken, the Gladiators seemed to have taken a win at the end.

Any survivors would know what she'd done— she wouldn't be surprised if word had already gotten out by now.

Darkstrike felt bad leaving the Gladiators to fight her battle, but Sideswipe encouraged it, saying she would only get captured if she stayed.

She didn't know what would happen next.

Anxiety filled her as she waited for Soundwave, and it worsened with every passing klik.

She sat on the berth, closing her optics and taking deep breaths to calm down.

Inhale.

Exhale.

…

Suddenly there was a bang at her door.

Darkstrike rose up immediately.

"Who's there?"

She grabbed her weapon and sprinted to the entrance. Before she had a chance to investigate, it swished open.

Soundwave stood there, leaning over and clutching his side.

Darkstrike gasped when she saw the large gash on his torso.

He glanced behind and quickly shut the door as he stepped in. Immediately, she went to his side and helped him to the berth.

"What happened?" she asked.

Soundwave took a seat. He covered his wound tighter before turning to her.

"Lanyard has been terminated."

"Did he do this?"

"Insecticon intruded. Fought him to escape."

He shifted to expose his wound, revealing a long gash on the side of his torso. Some of the energon had dripped down to his side.

"Let me get your tools," she said.

Darkstrike went over to his broken desk and gathered what she could, taking what was most familiar to her.

When she set the tools on the berth, Soundwave took hold of them.

He likely wanted to do it himself.

Feeling the strong urge to assist him, she interjected.

"Allow me to do it. Your gash goes far, and you won't be able to reach it."

"No."

"I have a better angle, and I can do it faster. It's the best course of action," she extended her servo.

He looked down at the wound.

"You can supervise me the whole time," she suggested.

After a few nano kliks, he nodded.

Darkstrike set up the tools beside him. Taking ahold of the cleaning solution, she poured it and wiped the energon off of his wound. She was careful not to put pressure.

He didn't appear to react, making her wonder if he was feeling adrenaline or if he had a high pain tolerance.

After cleaning it up, she held a small machine over his wound.

She began the process of reattaching and much to her relief, it seemed to be working.

"How did this happen?" Darkstrike kept her optics at her servos as she talked.

"Soundwave: miscalculated once with insecticon. Reacted: too late." His voice sounded a bit slower.

"What ended up happening to him?"

"Terminated."

She raised her optic ridges.

Killing a bot twice his size was no easy feat, especially after getting injured. She'd barely managed to knock out the one she faced at the party.

"How did you do it?" she questioned, "And the Owner? Did you get any information from him?"

"Affirmative."

She looked at him expectantly, but he seemed more interested on her servos.

"Focus," he said.

Her face grew warm, "Apologies…"

She gave her full attention to his gash.

"We will discuss the rest later."

"O-of course!"

She realized she'd overstepped, but Soundwave didn't comment further.

Both bots remained silent.

As Darkstrike progressed, she managed to stop his bleeding. With how deep it was, she suspected it would leave a visible scar.

She eventually reached halfway across his torso.

The tool passed over a curved area, making him suddenly pull away.

Soundwave clutched the spot above the wound.

"I'm sor—"

"Do not apologize," he cut her off, "Continue."

Though hesitant, Darkstrike nodded and resumed.

She tried to work quicker.

"Do not be hasty. Proceed slowly," Soundwave ordered.

She sheepishly nodded.

Darkstrike continued cautiously, sealing off his wound bit by bit.

This is much harder than doing it on myself. I can't make any more mistakes.

The gash had begun to leak again, and she was forced to put in more cleaning solution.

He held his side harder.

Scrap! Get it together!

Suddenly Soundwave spoke.

"How did your mission proceed?" he asked.

Darkstrike thought about how he'd told her to focus. She glanced up, then noticing his stiff posture.

He likely needed a distraction.

Part of her wanted to go faster to finish soon, but Darkstrike knew he'd scold her again.

"I was successful for the most part. I did what you asked but had to improvise a lot."

He remained quiet.

"During the afterparty, I angered a high-caste called Mr. Piston, and he sent his guards on me. I took them down, but more came at me."

She worked diligently as she talked, pausing only to check her progress.

"I gathered some support on the Gladiator side, and we fought the guards. I made it to Mr. Piston, but an insecticon caught me right before. At that point, I needed to act fast."

He leaned closer to her.

"You told me to use whatever means to cause a disruption, and I did. I broke free of the insecticon and ended up killing that high-caste mech. With the comm link you sent, I made sure Lanyard heard the whole thing."

"How did you escape?" Soundwave asked.

"I used my ability to knock out other guards. I flew away in my aerial mode and bulldozed through the incoming insecticons."

Darkstrike paused her work and turned to him.

"I hid and walked in circles, taking the long way to get to your room. I made sure no one followed me, but it wasn't easy. That's when I contacted you."

"The insecticons will be searching for you."

"I know."

"You will likely be framed for Lanyard's murder," he said.

"What?" She sat up straight, "But surely they'd realize that I couldn't be in both places at the same time!"

"Left party same time Lanyard was killed. Cameras were offline, and you were his last recorded call. Insecticons will not know any better."

"I see…" Darkstrike frowned.

"That is not bad."

She looked up.

"Femme's public appearance with Megatronus will lead them to believe he is behind it all."

"You don't think he would publically disapprove of these rumors?"

"If he wishes to gain more followers, he will not deny. I will speak with him soon; for now, remain hidden here."

"For how long do you think I'll need to hide?" Darkstrike asked.

He glanced away, "How many bots involved?"

She took a moment to think back.

"I think there were 50 guards, 20 Gladiators, 10 high-castes, and 4 insecticons."

"How many terminated?"

"I don't know. Everything happened so fast," Darkstrike said, "All I remember was killing that high-caste and some guards on my way out."

Soundwave thought for a klik.

"For now, remain here until further notice. Meantime, I will carry out the next phase."

She bit her lip.

The gravity of what they had done was finally sinking in.

They had disrupted the Pit's order, and there was no going back. She was finally free from Lanyard's ownership, but it wasn't over. Darkstrike wondered what the consequences would be.

Looking at her servos, she noticed they were stained with Soundwave's blood.

This was the first time she'd ever seen him like this. Even in his earlier fight with Black Out, he hadn't gotten gravely injured.

It didn't feel right.

It made her feel guilty, disappointed for not trying harder. She had taken a life for the first time— and multiple times at that— yet as she continued to mend his injury, it suddenly all felt in vain.

I don't like it.

When Soundwave began to stare at her, Darkstrike tried to brush off the thought.

She tried to convince herself that she'd seen a lot of bad injuries since arriving in Kaon; this shouldn't be any different.

Right?

"Is this your first experience killing?" he asked.

Soundwave's deep voice startled her out of thought.

Her mouth gaped open in surprise.

She cleared her throat, "Yes."

"Do you feel remorse?"

"For those high-castes? Not at all."

He held her gaze, but all she could see was her reflection.

Darkstrike looked away.

"Something bothers you," Soundwave said.

"No," she replied quickly.

He tilted his helm.

"Maybe…"

Darkstrike continued working to avoid his gaze.

"I always knew I would have to kill one cycle— I just didn't expect it to be today. It didn't really feel impactful, especially since you ended up getting injured anyway."

Soundwave leaned back.

"Outside of the arena, death is not glamorized. Killing is a primal action, many times done unplanned."

"You're right," she replied quietly.

"Darkstrike: will face more meaningless death in the future."

There was no doubt that after everything that happened today, she'd be forced to kill again. She might've been free from being a Gladiator, but violence would still follow her.

"However," Soundwave continued.

She looked up.

"Killing should only be used as last measure. There is freedom in acting without restraint, but momentary satisfaction will not win a fight," he said, "These are the consequences."

Darkstrike paused the machine and took a klik to look at his wound.

Soundwave shifted his body towards her.

"First mission was successful. However, always remember training."

"Understood."

Darkstrike felt reassured. As he said, she would have to act cautiously and make decisions based on the circumstance.

She realized that he wasn't the type to mindlessly kill. Though Soundwave was to the point, he was also reasonable.

Darkstrike sat behind him in the berth to get a better angle. She'd done a decent job, but there was a bit more left.

"Perhaps you should refuel. Do you have any decent grade? I think that could help you with the pain."

Soundwave motioned to his desk.

Taking his cue, Darkstrike went over to retrieve it.

Opening one of the drawers, she was presented with a row of bright blue energon. It was a grade she'd never seen before.

Darkstrike pulled one out and walked back over to him.

He hesitated in taking the cube.

She wondered why.

After a few more nano kliks, he appeared to make up his mind. The mech brought a servo to his visor, removing the thin mask and placing it in his subspace.

She couldn't help but gape at him for a nano klik.

Soundwave grabbed the high grade and threw his helm back. His throat moved as he took large gulps.

Darkstrike's cheeks grew warm, flustered at seeing him exposed like this.

After drinking a good amount, he set the cube down and settled into a more relaxed position. Some energon trailed from his lip to his chin, prompting him to wipe it with the back of his servo.

Without meaning to, she licked her lips.

Taking notice of her obvious staring, Soundwave looked at her.

She immediately turned away.

What am I thinking? He's injured; this isn't appropriate.

Darkstrike hid behind him, focusing on her current progress.

She placed a servo right above the wound to inspect it again. He was still a bit stiff, but much less than before.

"I'm going to continue," she said.

"Affirmative."

Resuming where she left off, Darkstrike turned on the machine. She gently put her servos over his back to keep him still.

He tensed up.

"I need to keep myself steady; is this alright?"

Soundwave nodded.

Throughout the rest of it, he didn't move besides checking her progress or drinking energon. It was peculiar to see the difference in his reaction compared to earlier.

He certainly handled high grade much differently than her.

Without issue, she was able to seal his wound after 10 more kliks.

After finishing up, Darkstrike stood up to grab a clean rag and oil.

She damped the flexible metal and walked behind him.

"I'm going to clean any remaining energon," she warned.

Soundwave nodded.

She slowly pressed the wet material on his back.

"Is this okay?"

"Do as you must. There is no need to ask."

Taking that as encouragement, she began cleaning the blood off his back.

Darkstrike began on his upper area, wiping all the rouge energon stains. She moved her servo in circular motions over his spinal plating.

She took care in cleaning him, restoring his armor to its usual shininess. Even though he had won the fight with Lanyard and the insecticon, she didn't like seeing him like this…

Slowly, Darkstrike descended to his mid-back. She avoided the wound and gently rubbed over his right side.

As she continued her calm pace, she could suddenly feel weight press on her.

Looking at the back of Soundwave's helm, she noticed that he had leaned back into her.

It appeared he liked her actions more than she thought.

Darkstrike suddenly felt flustered.

She brought her other servo up to support him. Feeling timid to have full contact, she hovered her claws over his shoulders at first.

When he didn't resist, Darkstrike finally put her palm down.

Out of a moment's distraction, the metal wipe slipped from her grip and fell right out of reach.

She didn't want to move from her current position, and after considering her options, she decided against retrieving it.

Darkstrike pressed against the edge of the berth to be closer to him. She put her servos on the area between his neck and shoulders.

Despite her hesitation, she wanted to massage him as he had her all those cycles ago. The situation might have been different, but she wanted to give it a try.

She looked at Soundwave for any signs of disapproval, but he remained silent. After a klik, he very slightly shifted his helm to further expose his neck. At this angle, she could see the wires of his neck and the bright biolights that led down to his back.

Her face felt hot again.

It felt a bit incredulous seeing him relaxed like this, especially with how guarded he was earlier. It made her feel excited that he wanted her to touch him.

Darkstrike held her breath and began kneading his shoulders. His frame felt sturdy and broad, just like the last time she held him.

Yesterday night.

The femme closed her optics, trying to ignore all the lewd memories flashing through her processor. To distract herself, she directed all focus to her servos.

It was, however, hard to ignore how warm his body felt under her fingers.

She kept her optics fixed on the back of his neck, making sure not to think about him inappropriately.

Without meaning to, she pressed hard suddenly.

Soundwave reacted by leaning his frame back more.

To prevent him from falling back, she jumped on the berth behind him and sat on her knee-plates. His back ended up reclining onto her chest.

Darkstrike gasped.

She held on tight to him, once again putting pressure into the crook of his shoulders.

Direct contact with him made her feel heated.

Looking at her servos, she realized they were beginning to glow blue.

The heat must've affected Soundwave because shortly after, he released a deep sigh of relief.

Being so close, she felt the sound pass through her chest and right into her spark.

She bit her lip hard to contain herself.

Despite wanting to succumb to the moment, a thought gnawed at her processor.

More than anything she wanted to take this further, but they still had yet to discuss what happened yesterday. A part of her knew it wouldn't be wise to ignore the consequences again.

Megatronus' words from earlier echoed in her helm.

"In any case, it is good that you are discreet. It is the best skill you can have considering your track record...

"You wouldn't want to give Soundwave any more trouble, would you?"

Her eager mood plummeted, leaving behind a dreadful feeling.

Darkstrike backed away completely, only leaving her servos so he wouldn't fall back.

Soundwave glanced back.

"There's something I wanted to talk about."

The fact that they weren't facing each other made it easier to bring up the topic.

"About last night—"

"Darkstrike," he interrupted.

The way he said her name made her spark skip a beat.

"Wait!" she implored, "Before you say anything, let me speak first."

Darkstrike waited for a few nano kliks to make sure he wouldn't interject.

Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"I realize that a lot happened; we were fueled by our emotions and the situation escalated much farther than anticipated."

He remained quiet.

"What I'm trying to say is— yesterday doesn't have to mean anything. We should acknowledge that we, um, did it and move on."

She felt incredibly embarrassed.

Why am I acting like this? It shouldn't be that big of a deal!

He turned his helm but was still unable to look at her fully.

"You have thought about this."

She stammered, "O-of course! Haven't—haven't you?"

"Perhaps," he replied.

Darkstrike internally panicked.

Perhaps? What does "perhaps" mean?

Despite having planned for this conversation, she had no idea where it was going.

"Face me when speaking," Soundwave said. His tone wasn't harsh, but it sounded nonnegotiable.

She tensed up, feeling her guard come up.

Slowly, she walked around the berth and approached him.

His white pupils bore into her, and she found it difficult to meet his gaze.

Darkstrike was still not used to seeing him directly like this.

It felt very personal.

She cleared her throat, "As I was saying, I think we should return to the way things were. For the sake of discretion, it would be better to keep this arrangement… simple…"

Somehow, that didn't feel like the best phrasing.

He stared at her with a neutral expression. Having a lack of his visor still didn't give her any indication of what he was thinking.

His constantly-moving pupils were the only sign that he'd heard what she said.

A klik passed by.

And then another one.

By the third one, Darkstrike began to grow impatient.

"Do I take your silence as confirmation?" she asked.

Soundwave looked away.

"Proposition appears to be best course of action," he replied.

She felt both relieved and disappointed hearing him say that.

"Alright, then we're in agreement?"

He remained quiet.

Just like before, the air filled with a tense silence. Though it hurt her the longer it went on, she was at least glad to prevent them from making anymore mistakes.

While thinking of what to say next, his chest caught her attention.

Looking at it closer, she saw it was fresh energon.

"You're still bleeding right there!" she pointed.

He duly looked down at it.

Without waiting for a response, Darkstrike grabbed the cleaning solution and wiped the gash.

It wasn't as big as the other one, and given all the stains on his frame, it was easy to miss.

"Let me patch this up. It's not as deep, so it should only take a few kliks," she said.

He sat back to give her more room.

She grabbed the machine and crouched down in front of him. Like earlier, she put a servo on his armor to steady herself.

When Darkstrike began working, she could feel Soundwave watching her. She tried not to let it affect her at first.

However, he persisted and never once looked away.

It began to make her grow worried that she wasn't doing a good job. Despite having done it already, she grew self-conscious, and it caused her servos to become unsteady.

Maybe I'm holding it wrong, or my pacing's off?

"Am I going too fast?" she asked.

He didn't reply.

Darkstrike stopped working and looked up at him.

Surprisingly, rather than looking at the tool in her servos, he looked right at her.

The words died on her tongue.

Soundwave's gaze was heavy. Half-lidded optics stared at her with interest and his ridges furrowed in concentration. Both his optics and bio lights glowed brightly.

The atmosphere around them suddenly felt different.

For some reason, touching his chest seemed to heighten the tension.

Despite not having moved, she felt very close to him, practically settled between his legs. She could both feel his body heat and see the rise chest.

Her optics roamed his heavily layered armor, following the maze of lights along his body.

When stopping at his spark chamber, she took a klik to try and hear the beat.

Soundwave extended his servo and brushed his fingertips up her arm. He stopped between her neck and shoulder, running his thumb over the wires.

Her spark immediately beat quicker.

Darkstrike leaned into it, eager to be further touched.

She was the one to suggest forgetting about last night, but she now found herself wanting to recreate it instead.

The fact that Darkstrike had set the terms for them made her want to break them more.

This is it… I've finally lost all sense of reason.

He held the crook of her neck and pulled her closer. Their helms were only a few inches away.

His expression softened a bit.

Purposely, she stopped right before their lips met. His mouth parted, and she could feel his warm breath.

She smiled when his optics flickered at her impatiently.

It made him take action, pulling the back of her helm and bringing her in for a kiss.

Darkstrike fell onto his chest, letting go of all her doubts and kissing him back. She slowly wrapped her arms around his torso.

Soundwave set the pace, steadily moving against her.

Feeling confident, she brushed her tongue over his lips. He immediately reciprocated and deepened their contact.

For a few moments, Darkstrike felt a hot, wet pleasure.

A mixture of "mm" and "ohh" sounds escaped her lips.

It seemed to edge him on more, encouraging him to become assertive. He pushed harder and gripped his fingers tighter.

After a while, she pushed him lightly, letting him know to back up.

He bit her lip hard right before separating.

"Soundwave…!" her tone came out more irked than intended.

She whimpered and touched her bottom lip.

I suppose that's payback for yesterday.

He looked at her with a pleased expression. He quickly leaned in again, but she stopped him right before.

"Wait!" Darkstrike interjected. She cleared her raspy throat, "I thought you said my proposition was the best course of action?"

"It does not mean that course of action will be followed."

She stared at him with wide optics.

"But you said—"

"Never agreed."

Darkstrike remained quiet.

Thinking back, it was true that he hadn't fully agreed to her proposition; she just assumed he had with his silence.

"What if I do not wish for a simple agreement?" he asked.

She winced at the emphasis on "simple."

"Well— I, um…"

This wasn't at all how she imagined this going.

Unable to process his words, Darkstrike looked away. She backed up a mechameter, and he removed his servos in response.

"You are hesitant," he observed.

"I… don't understand. Yesterday before we fought, you seemed so adamant about cutting contact," Darkstrike said, "Why is it different now?"

She didn't understand why Soundwave changed his mind, something so rare for him.

"I know you already admitted to making an error in judgment, but in all honesty, I was really affected during those 26 cycles…" she frowned.

He remained silent for a few nano-kliks. His pupils darted, and his ridges furrowed in concentration. His expression appeared unshielded, hinting that his next words would be said in earnest.

Soundwave then regarded her.

"Many factors contributed to making decision. I predicted you would reveal cover," he paused.

She braced herself.

"More than that," he said, "Believed pursuing this attraction would be futile. Assumed creating distance would eliminate temptations on both sides."

"Well, you assumed incorrectly then." Darkstrike couldn't help but feel disappointed that her concerns had some truth to them.

"It was a flawed way of thinking."

She looked up in surprise.

"Those concerns no longer matter," he said.

"But—but what happens if I make another mistake?" she questioned, "I don't want to be a weakness your enemies can exploit."

"You lack experience, but it does not make you a weakness," he said, "Soundwave: accepts all risks. There is more to teach you, but with time, you will become more powerful."

Darkstrike felt vulnerable, feeling a lot of her unease melt away with his words.

Am I foolish for actually believing him?

She closed her optics.

"There is no undoing the decision made 26 cycles ago. I can only offer full accountability. Otherwise, you may voice any further doubts," he said.

"Just one," Darkstrike replied.

She looked up at him.

He remained quiet, a stoic look on his face.

"Is there anything you hope to gain from this?" she asked, "And I'm not referring to being your assistant or your mentee."

Soundwave kept his gaze firmly on hers. His thumb gently grazed her bottom lip, and he leaned in.

"I only want you."

His voice was certain, and the deep tone resonated in her chest.

Darkstrike gasped, feeling an intense desire spread between her legs.

She wasn't sure if he knew how much his words affected her.

"I accept that there is no returning," he said.

Her spark pounded against her chassis. His forthcomingness made her burn up with both excitement and nervousness.

"H-How is this going to work?"

"There will be more time to discuss this," he replied.

Soundwave reached out to grab her, but he stopped right before.

"Darkstrike," he spoke, "Do you desire this as well?"

Without thinking twice she replied, "Yes…!"

She immediately covered her mouth, embarrassed of her quick response.

"What are your expectations?" he asked.

Darkstrike cleared her throat, "A-all I want is consistency."

"Then, let us proceed."

Soundwave grabbed her hips, guiding her back to him. He leaned down and she stepped on the tips of her pedes to meet him.

The moment their lips met, her whole body felt light.

Darkstrike wrapped her arms around his back, and he responded by pulling her frame tight on his. It felt undeniably good to be this close to him.

She gasped at feeling their centers grind together.

Darkstrike kissed him hard, moving on him with more force than usual. She repeatedly grazed his lip to retaliate for earlier.

Though he pushed with his tongue, he mostly allowed her to take the lead. He appeared to like her roughness, responding by breathing heavily and tightening his grip on her thigh.

One of his servos moved over to her mid-region. When he brushed his fingers over her sensitive area, she accidentally bit him too hard.

Soundwave grunted and withdrew.

He touched his lip with a servo. When he saw blue drops, he looked up at her with narrowed optics.

"Apologies!" she exclaimed.

His stare drifted lower, leering suggestively at her lips. He smirked at her faintly.

Hot..!

She found it very gratifying to make him react like this.

Soundwave grabbed her backside and lifted her above his lap on the berth. He spread both of her legs to straddle his waist.

"Hm!" Darkstrike cried out.

Their current position was new to her and slightly embarrassing; it also reminded her how sore she was from last night.

"All of this is still new to me," she panted.

"Soon, you will learn everything." His servo caressed her spark chamber and trailed lower.

When she looked down, she spotted his recent injury.

"B-but your gash."

"Irrelevant."

She didn't think it would be possible for someone to casually disregard a deep injury

Darkstrike felt dazed with arousal.

There would be other battles ahead, but in the meantime, she would enjoy her ongoing one with Soundwave.