Thursday, March 2, 2017

Story: Hanging Tree

Mood Music:  "The Hanging Tree (Mash Up)"

Characters:  Orion Pax, Megatronus

War looms on the horizon as diplomacy stutters.

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The Iaconian assassin hadn't anticipated just how much time the clerk spent with the gladiator.  It was ridiculous, except, he supposed, to prevent events like the very one he was trying to bring about.  It would have been nearly impossible to target the gladiator.  A mech of his standing and from his background was naturally suspicious - a poison wouldn't work.  Neither could he attempt to ambush the much larger mech; that had already been tried to disastrous results.  No, the easiest option for stopping this supposed revolution was to target the clerk named Orion Pax.  

It was Orion who tempered the master gladiator - a surprising feat when most were caught up in the rush and energy of Megatronus.  Yet, somehow, amazingly, this little nobody could stand within that wave and not be washed away.  He brought knowledge of Iacon to the surprisingly already well-versed brute.  He offered a sounding board.  He offered company.  For that alone, he was wanted.  How could a mech with alpha heritage deign to fall so low as to offer himself to a once upon a time slave?

If he was killed, surely Megatronus would lose that edge that could change the weak hearts of the public.  No one could relate to this fierce creature from Kaon in the decent places of the world.  He wouldn't gain ground there.  Not without Orion.

Maybe the gladiator was aware of this.  He certainly kept a frustratingly close optic on the smaller mech.  Already the assassin's superiors had berated him for the amount of time it was taking to off one little nobody.  They didn't understand.  They didn't know Megatronus, and they didn't know the gladiator's must trusted ally Soundwave.  That mech was always watching...  Always aware.  Always-

A clawed hand punched through the wall he was hiding next to.  With a startled yelp, the assassin rolled away, bringing the guns in his forearms to bear as the master gladiator himself  tore apart the wall to allow his admittedly impressive bulk through.  Before the assassin could fire off his weapons, the massive servo was around his throat.  Knowing what awaited him and hoping to catch the gladiator off guard, the assassin sent a code to trigger the bomb hidden next to his spark chamber.  

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"Megatronus?" Orion asked as his friend entered their small apartment.  The silver armor was coated with black streaks and the distinctive stain of coagulated energon.  "What happened?  Are you alright?"

A low chuckle greeted his worry.  "I am fine.  Calm yourself, Orion."

After looking the gladiator over, Orion nodded and smiled, his plating settling from its worried clamp against his protoform to something more at ease.  "I know you can take a lot of punishment, but I still worry."

"I know you do."  He set a servo on Orion's shoulder, gently squeezing it.  "It's one of the things I find endearing about you."  The servo slid from Orion's shoulder to beneath his chin, a single blade-like finger raising it so that their gazes met.  The heat from the massive frame warmed Orion, and when the gladiator bent down to kiss him, the clerk rose up eagerly to meet it.

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