Laconic: Transformers Prime

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Two Cycles Later

When arriving at the Gladiator Pits, Orion made sure to stay put on the outskirts. Megatronus had instructed him to wait there, saying he'd come after he finished talking with an associate.

Orion had no issue waiting, but the longer Megatronus took, the more restless he grew.

He felt intimidated by his surroundings. A few residents had passed by, all much larger than him.

Orion mostly avoided optic contact, attempting to appear unsuspecting. Some of them didn't pay him mind while others openly stared. He could somehow feel their rage towards him, regardless of whether they expressed it aloud or not.

Orion sympathized with the Gladiators, but he had a suspicion they didn't return the feeling. It was best to keep to himself, regardless of his thoughts. They had weapons, and he didn't; they had a shorter temper, and he only had words at his disposal.

Bots from his caste wouldn't have considered coming to Kaon as a prank, much less defenseless and alone. Anyone would think him foolish for his stunt—Jazz certainly did. Alpha Trion would surely disapprove if he found out where he was.

He'd mainly talked to Megatronus through video, this only being his third time in Kaon. The city always lived up to its reputation, its sky filled with smog and crime transpiring on every street. Gladiator matches were viral in Kaon; he had yet to see one in real life.

Though, based on what he saw online, the fights were intense and violent; Megatronus alone had left plenty of energon in his wake.

These thoughts weren't helping him overcome his current concern. The mech began growing more nervous, checking the time once more. He was coming to regret his punctuality. Orion had to face the reality that Gladiators didn't follow etiquette.

The mech's blue optics roamed around the area, taking note of the conditions.

Even as the largest arena in Kaon, the building didn't seem well maintained. From what Megatronus told him, about 200 mechs resided in the area. Each fighter was obligated to fight at least once per orbital cycle, which meant there were a total of 11 fights occurring every cycle, perhaps more accounting for any repeats.

The mech stopped to look around. Surely, with the amount of currency the owners made, they could afford something more stable. He supposed he was coming from a privileged mindset, given that he worked in an extensive library.

That was why he came to Kaon, though, to gain new experiences and speak to someone with a different perspective.

Orion shifted, carefully turning his helm to observe more of his surroundings.

He straightened when his audios picked up the sound of pedesteps. Orion went back to his previous stance, putting his guard up again.

The steps seemed to slow down as they neared him. His first thought was that his friend had finally joined him, but judging by the sound of the pedesteps, he could tell it wasn't him.

His question finally received an answer when a bot came into view. The first thing he noticed was the femme's dark armor.

Red optics glanced at him before looking away. She turned around, taking a few moments to scan the area. The femme advanced, not paying him any mind. She continued roaming. It appeared like she was looking for someone.

He wanted to ask, but her posture gave him the idea that she was wary of him. She eventually stopped at a distance and stood still. Orion could see her out of the corner of his optic.