Chapter Text
Cybertron's sky was dark that night. Only a few stars were visible, so few that there were almost none at all. In the night sky, only Cybertron's two moons could be seen, illuminating each other amid the darkness.
It had been a week since the last gladiator fight. Megatron had spent his time recovering and keeping himself occupied with his own pursuits. Of course, he still had to train every day. He had to keep his teeth sturdy and strong for the next fight. A hassle, certainly. But how else could he survive without the money from bots who wanted to watch lower-caste bots tear one another apart?
Megatron sat on the balcony of his apartment. He seemed to be enjoying a glass of warm energon, accompanied by several datapads containing classical notes and old novels. He himself was writing something on a datapad. His stylus moved across the screen, tracing one word after another, occasionally stopping to erase words he deemed unsuitable.
He was someone who deeply valued literature. He hated making even the smallest mistake in his writing. There was no denying that his fists and weapons were far easier to control than finding beautiful words to express his feelings through writing.
He paused for a moment, turning his gaze toward Cybertron's moons. His silver armor shimmered beneath the moonlight. The sharp lines of his frame seemed softer, while the silver glow made his face look almost regal. Ah, thank the moonlight.
After a while, he took a small sip of the warm energon on the table, then returned to his writing.
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Spica was writing something.
She seemed to be humming, lost in her own thoughts, occasionally jotting something down on paper. It looked like she was writing again.Spica had always been known for her chaotic behavior. She hated studying, was always full of energy, and was careless. However, everyone knew that Spica was a robot who had devoted herself to art.
She loved art. Dancing, singing, writing, drawing, painting, sculpting, and so much more. She even had her own art gallery, thanks to Professor Pisces. Every now and then, she would spend her time creating something, whether simple or complex.
Today was her physical training day. While waiting for her turn, Spica took the opportunity to finish the song she was working on.She scribbled across the paper, occasionally tearing it up and starting over, then getting annoyed with herself before finally giving up on writing. For some reason, she had been finding it incredibly difficult to concentrate lately. Something was bothering her, but she couldn't quite explain what it was.
Rather than end up with a terrible song, she decided to continue her work another time.
For now, she wanted to see how Sirius's training was going.
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Sirius stood motionless in the middle of the room. It looked like a place specifically designed for combat. Its iron walls were sturdy, yet still gave off a modern feel. A transparent glass ceiling allowed the scientists to observe the training simulation. On the other side of the room, there was also a large glass window, perhaps so the twins could look inside the arena.
Spica arrived outside the training arena's glass wall. Aries, Pisces, and several other scientists were already waiting there. A few more scientists were in the room above. Each of them held notes, cameras, and various analysis tools.
"Professor, has it started yet?"
Spica asked curiously, looking at her brother, who was still standing motionless in the middle of the room.
"You're right on time. It's about to begin."
Aries then typed something on her tablet. After that, she activated the microphone in her ear to communicate with Sirius inside the arena.
"Sirius, the simulation is about to begin. Please prepare yourself. Remember to be careful."
Sirius nodded, and the simulation began after Spica pressed a button.
As soon as the button was pressed, several sections of the floor opened, releasing robots roughly the same size as Sirius. Sturdy pillars of various heights also rose from the floor. At the far end of the room stood the tallest pillar, with a button on top.
That was his target.
Sirius braced himself, ready for the attack.
The robots raised the weapons attached to their arms and began raining bullets down on him. Sirius's arm reacted, deploying a shield that protected him from the hail of bullets.
A few moments later, Sirius charged forward and rammed one of the robots with his shield. He followed up by punching several others with his fists. Then, he retracted his shield and moved nimbly from one robot to another.
One of the robots aimed at him from behind. However, Sirius swiftly caught and seized its weapon, then turned it back on the robot and fired.
Spica smiled.
That's it!
Sirius's optics turned a deep purple. A target-like pattern appeared within them. The scientists immediately took note of the change.
This was Sirius's special ability.
His special optics allowed him to read his opponents' movements with precision. He could see their internal structures, from organs and bones to cables and energy flow, in real time. The optics also allowed him to predict his opponents' movements and calculate their possible next actions with an exceptionally high degree of accuracy.
His reflexes improved as well, making his movements quicker and smoother.
That was one of Sirius's greatest advantages. An ability perfectly suited to making him a secret weapon.
Sirius took several weapons from the robots he had defeated, then fired at the others. Most of his shots hit their targets with pinpoint accuracy.
Once only a few robots remained, he leaped onto the head of one of them. He continued jumping from one robot to another until he reached the one at the back.
From there, he focused his strength into his legs, leaped as high as he could, and grabbed the edge of the nearest pillar. He climbed quickly, then jumped from one pillar to the next.
Eventually, he reached the final pillar and pressed the button on top, signaling the end of the simulation. The remaining robots were immediately deactivated. The pillars slowly descended, returning to their place as an ordinary floor.
"Excellent! A new record, Sirius! You finished the simulation ten minutes faster than last time. You're truly talented!"
Aries exclaimed through her communication device as she wrote down the result. Several scientists applauded, while others began discussing the results.
Spica gazed at her brother in admiration.
She had always known that Sirius could do almost anything well. Especially this. Of course he would excel at it, too.
She began to wonder: when would she ever be as good as Sirius?
Those optics...
Could she have them, too?
The arena door opened, revealing Sirius as he walked out. He headed straight toward Spica.
"That was insane! As always, you're amazing!"
Spica teasing her brother. Sirius could only chuckle.
"Yeah. But you know that when it comes to things like this, you're usually the better one."
"Heeey, what are you talking about? Well, maybe. Right! I'm stronger than you!"
"But I'm faster and more accurate, obviously."
"I can be fast, too! Just wait until it's my turn!"
Sirius nodded. Then, he raised two fingers and tapped his little sister on the forehead.
"Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
Spica fell silent for a moment before swatting his hand away.
"I know, I know! I'll beat you!"
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Spica was now inside the arena. The scientists were ready to gather data and analyze her abilities.
From outside the arena, Sirius watched his sister with an expression that was difficult to read.
Almost... worried?
"Remember, Spica. The goal of this simulation is to complete the mission quickly and accurately. You don't need to take out every enemy! Stay focused on the objective!"
Aries reminded her. already imagine Spica doing something ridiculous again.
Spica snorted and lowered into a fighting stance.
The simulation began once more.
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Robots began appearing, followed by pillars slowly rising from the floor. The timer started ticking.
Spica looked excited. It had been a long time since she'd gotten to show off.
Close-quarters combat was her specialty, since she always relied on the strength of her punches. Honestly, she was ridiculously strong. You could even say her physical strength surpassed Sirius's.
That didn't mean she had no weaknesses, though.
For a moment, she felt a little pressured at the thought of failing. But she quickly shoved the thought aside and refocused.
The robots suddenly charged toward her while firing their guns. Startled, Spica immediately ran away from them, dodging as she went. She took a detour, then hid behind one of the shorter pillars.
"Ugh... I hate these shooty-shooty games!"
While thinking up a strategy, Spica watched the robots' movements from behind the pillar.
Suddenly, their gunfire stopped.
Spica was briefly confused. But three seconds later, the robots began showering the pillar where she was hiding with bullets again.
Oh, I get it! These robots have a reload delay!
She moved from one pillar to another, then braced herself to advance.
As soon as the robots stopped firing to reload, Spica darted out from behind the pillar and slammed into one of them with a powerful punch, sending it flying to the far end of the room.
The other robots immediately turned their weapons toward her. But since Spica was already so close, she attacked them recklessly, throwing punches left and right.
Her punches were no joke. A single hit could cause severe damage. Some robots had their chests crushed; others had their heads torn off.
Spica kept pounding the robots until not a single one remained.
"Phew! That was easy! Now I just have to climb, right?"
That was what she thought, at first.
Then the floor opened again, revealing several robots three times her size.
Spica gaped, unable to say a word.
Sirius, watching from outside the arena, immediately changed expression. He looked worried. He had known this would happen, but seeing it unfold in front of him still made him anxious.
Without warning, one of the larger robots swung a punch at Spica. Luckily, she dodged just in time.
"Wha-what is this?!"
Spica panicked and immediately contacted the people outside.
"This is part of the procedure. Don't you remember?"
"Huh?! What are you talking abou—"
Another robot swung at her. Spica managed to dodge again, then hid behind a pillar.
It seemed their large size made the robots' movements a little slower.
"What procedure?!"
"The procedure where higher-level robots are deployed after all level-one robots have been defeated. I've explained this rule to you ages ago!"
"How was I supposed to remember that?!"
This won't work! I need to press that button as quickly as possible!
Spica ran between the pillars and tried to climb one. But she was too slow. One of the robots nearly hit her, forcing her to leap out of the way.
There's no other way. I have to destroy these robots!
Spica ran away again. One of the robots deployed a cannon and began firing at her.
Luckily, its aim wasn't very accurate.
Spica used the opportunity to approach another robot that was preparing to throw a punch. Before the blow could hit her, she jumped and landed on its hand.
The robot shook its hand violently, sending Spica flying into the air.
"Take this!"
As she fell, Spica aimed a punch straight at the robot's head. The powerful impact shattered its head and upper frame, causing the robot to collapse.
Now, only two large robots remained.
Exhausted, Spica began looking for a way to avoid fighting them head-on.
Her optics landed on the cannon attached to one of the robots. An idea popped into her head.
Before the robot could fire, Spica grabbed a piece from one of the destroyed robots and ran toward the nearest pillar. She climbed it quickly, then leaped onto the robot's cannon and held on tightly.
The robot tried to shake her off by rocking its body.
But Spica refused to give up. She aimed the cannon at the pillar where the button was, then waited for the weapon to begin charging.
As the cannon started glowing, Spica wedged the piece of robot debris into its muzzle, then crouched low to keep her grip.
Once the cannon was fully charged, the robot fired.
The force of the blast sent Spica flying toward the pillar at the far end of the room. She managed to catch its edge, then climbed with the last of her strength and pressed the button.
The simulation ended.
The pillars descended, while the remaining robots were immediately deactivated.
"Finally! Damn it!"
Spica let out a relieved breath before collapsing from exhaustion.
"Spica!"
Sirius rushed into the arena and hurried over to his sister. He carefully checked her condition.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine. Just tired. Did you see me back there?! I was awesome, right?"
Sirius could only sigh.
After all that, she was still the same reckless Spica.
"Spica, you strayed from the objective. Your time was also twenty minutes longer than Sirius's. Next time, prioritize the main mission and stop being so reckless. Oh, and don't forget to listen carefully when the procedures are explained!"
Aries began lecturing her again through his communication device.
Spica merely snorted and made a mocking face.
Sirius looked at his sister. He knew Spica had grown incredibly strong, perhaps even stronger than him in terms of physical strength.
But he also knew that this wasn't entirely a good thing.
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Night had fallen.
The twins spent their time on the rooftop of one of the facility's buildings, gazing up at the night sky. The wind blew gently past them, while the forests and mountains surrounding the facility looked majestic and mysterious.
The night was so peaceful, as though the world itself were sheltering them.
"Hey. Do you ever want to go outside?"
Spica suddenly broke the silence.
Sirius turned to look at his sister, who was gazing at the moon.
"We've lived in this facility our whole lives. We only know about the outside world through the internet. I'm curious—what's beyond those mountains? Are there cities? Oceans? Grasslands? Or other things we don't know about?"
Sirius fell silent.
He had thought about the outside world, too. But that was a long time ago.
Now, he was focused solely on his goal. A goal he wasn't even sure was right.
He wanted to tell his sister, but he knew it wasn't a good idea.
"I want to go outside. I want to see the world out there."
Spica hugged her knees as she gazed at the moon.
The longing for the outside world was clear in her optics. She wanted to see what grasslands looked like in real life. She wanted to visit a zoo. She wanted to go to the beach.
She wanted to be free.
Her daydreaming was interrupted when Sirius rested a hand on top of her helmet, gently stroking it as he smiled.
"Someday, we'll go see it together. And if the outside world isn't what you hoped for, or if it's dangerous, I'll always be by your side to protect you."
Spica fell silent.
Sirius's smile left her at a loss for words. Usually, she might have replied with a sarcastic remark or a joke. But this time, her brother's sincerity made her hold back.
Without saying a word, Spica threw her arms around her brother, sinking into the warmth of his embrace.
"Do you think I'll have optics like yours someday?"
Sirius froze for a moment.
But soon, he began stroking Spica's back again.
"I don't know. If you do, I'll guide you."
I hope you never have to possess opics like this.
That night, they fell asleep on the rooftop, accompanied by the gentle glow of the moon.
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