Hey Everyone!

Well the last chapter kind of up and failed due to the fact that no one got the emails to alert them and I got no reviews :( Sadness. However, here is chapter 28! I know, two chapters in two weeks it's a miracle. It's all thanks to the school holidays which are now ending so unfortunately no more quick updates for you guys. Actually, there won't be many updates in the near future due to NaNoWriMo, where i am writing an original fiction story. I hope that some of you readers are embarking on a similar journey and have fun in your novel-ling experience. Also, head over and check out the Life of a Datsun and A Hell on Cybertron forum which is up and running. The link is on my profile page, I'd love to see all you readers there. That's all for now, enjoy the chapter and please review.

Chapter 28

The swords felt heavy in his servos, not at all comforting in their weight. Sideswipe stood there nervously, feeling the energy that hummed over the tandem swords and into his arms. Orns later and he was still struggling with these slagged swords. They were a pain to use and a pain to practice with, especially when he was being shown up at every twist and turn by his brother who had taken to them like a duck to water. It just wasn't fair.

He didn't like the way they hummed with their own energy, the way he could hurt someone if he didn't wield them properly. They were dangerous, really dangerous. They were possibly more deadly than any other weapon he had used so far.

Looking up at SparkSmasher he cycled some air and began to turn the swords. He made it half way around, and then three quarters without once having to stop because the swords were becoming un-synchronised. This was a first. Usually he couldn't get that third quarter turn, the last quarter was easy to bring in.

Encouraged he went around again, slightly faster. Grinning from audio receiver to audio receiver the twin exulted in this small improvement. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

SparkSmasher had a slight smile across his faceplates, showing just how much of an improvement this was. The trainer had possibly doubted him for the last couple of sessions, especially after he threw a fit and walked out. He didn't want these swords, didn't want to battle and certainly didn't want to accidentally hurt himself or his brother using these weapons.

It seemed as though Sunstreaker had no such inhibitions as he wielded the swords. Moving from just a simple twirl in a circle his sibling had managed to start learning contact manoeuvres. Sometimes in their lessons Sunstreaker would gently spar with SparkSoul, the clash of their swords a ominous sound in the practice room.

Sideswipe twirled his swords faster and faster. He didn't notice them glowing until after a few kliks of continuous spinning. Shocked he brought them to a halt immediately, wondering if they had become unstable. SparkSmasher just let out a short laugh in front of him.

"You finally managed to get the swords powered up properly. Go again; don't worry about that kind of glow. If you were concentrating then you would have felt the energy spreading from the swords into your spark, forming a fairly strong connection. Focus in on that connection, start to feel what you can do with the swords," SparkSmasher advised before gesturing to Sideswipe to continue.

Sideswipe started up circling the tandem swords again. He closed his optics and focused in on his spark. He could feel it; he really just hadn't been concentrating before. There was the energy, running through his energon lines to seep straight into his spark. These swords were powerful, deadly and just a little bit majestic. They weren't bloodthirsty, just majestic swords used for battle but also as much for show as anything else. He could feel a mystery there, the swords letting in on a story that few knew and Sideswipe could barely decipher. There was history behind these swords, history like few bots would ever know.

In awe of the tandem swords Sideswipe flicked his optics back online before starting to twirl them faster. The energy overwhelmed him, wave after wave battering his spark. Any weakness he may have felt was washed away with the tandem swords energy, retreating to the very back of his processor. Now he understood why his sibling liked these swords so much. They were powerful, energising and awe inspiring.

He brought the swords to a stop and looked over to Sunstreaker where he was weaving back and forth, an intricate dance made up of twirling swords and nimble footsteps. He had never seen his brother so graceful before. Sunstreaker appeared more like a dancer than a gladiator fighter, each movement as graceful and smooth as the last.

Sideswipe looked over at his twin and realised something. Even if life wasn't what they wished it to be, being in these rings wasn't as bad a thing has he had originally thought. Here at least they were learning to fight, being given energon and medical attention. They had received the needed upgrades and they had some opportunities ahead of them. Maybe, just maybe if they escaped at some point they would have the skills they would need to survive on much tougher streets or even make a semi normal living in another city. Things suddenly weren't looking so bad as he had originally thought.

The audience of the crowd seemed to have grown since the last time Sunstreaker had fought. Had they put in extra seating or was he just slightly unused to it? Never mind, this was going to be a good fight. Sideswipe stood right beside him, ready to go if not a little hesitant at the idea of a fight.

They both had their tandem swords but of course they weren't going to use them. This was the first of the double battles and they would be able to take down their opponents with ease, or so their trainers seemed to think.

SparkSoul had mentioned something about many of the other double battle competitors not having very strong connections and not knowing how to work with one another. It seemed a reasonable summary of many of the other bots here. Most lived on the streets by themselves and rarely trusted another to look out for them. The trust between the twins may just be their saving grace.

From the other side of the ring they could see the doors slide open and allow two bots to enter the ring. They looked identical to each other but that was an easy feat to achieve, just giving two bots the same frame type. Most bots in here had the same frame type anyway.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe moved forward as one, each twin taking a different side of the ring. The crowd roared in anticipation, ready to watch some of their favourite fighters' battle it out in the ring. Up the back sat SparkSoul and SparkSmasher, watching the twins to see what would need to be worked upon in the following orn's lesson. This was a good a time as any to learn the weaknesses of their two trainees.

The trainers of the other set of fighters sat next to them in the stands. All four bots were well at the back of the room, perched upon some of the worst placed seating in the venue. More seating had been added to accommodate the growing audiences who had travelled from around Cybertron to watch the various matches held in this stadium. It seemed no easy feat to be able to fit so many into one large stadium but somehow it was managed.

Sunstreaker moved in on the larger of the opponents. The mech looked strong, not very agile but also seemed somewhat of a brute. It seemed the mech relied on brute strength to take out an opponent; something that Sunstreaker knew could be a great weakness if he exploited it properly.

Moving in nice and close he feinted a jab with his fist before twirling out of the way. He hadn't brought any of his swords out yet, choosing to keep them for a later moment in time. It would be much better if he played his cards close to his chassis.

Sideswipe seemed to be having no issues from where he was engaging the other opponent so the more withdrawn twin focused in on the mech in front of him. The brute lunged for Sunstreaker and the twin dived out of the way, spun round and slammed a pede into the back of the mech's helm. This was going to be a really easy battle if the mech didn't pick up his game.

The twin didn't move out of the way quickly enough and suddenly his pede was encircled by a strong, unyielding servo. He was thrown over his opponents head, colliding with the ground suddenly and painfully. Growling he pushed himself to his pedes and unsheathed a normal set of energon swords.

Sunstreaker lunged, just missing with his right sword before turning and hitting the mech with his left sword. A yell was let out as the sword cut through reinforced armour, piercing numerous energon lines as it slipped into the middle of the mech's chassis. That was going to be a difficult wound to fight with.

Withdrawing the sword in a skilled move Sunstreaker danced back and waited for the mech to retaliate. When it came the mech lunged at him again, using the sheer size of his frame to try and take out the twin. Sunstreaker didn't dart away, instead standing there and bringing up one of his swords to plunge it through his opponent's spark chamber. Immediately following the last manoeuvre he brought the other sword up and slit the energon line at the back of the mech's neck, ensuring that it wouldn't be long before the bot offlined.

Sunstreaker was knocked to the ground with the momentum, frame colliding with the harsh unforgiving ground yet again. He really did hate mucking up his paint scheme and his frame each time he went into battle. He would have to get better at that.

Heaving the other mech off of him the twin got up and looked over to wear sideswipe was fighting the other mech, finding that his sibling was just delivering the killing blow. This battle was over, the first of their ones in the double battles and they had done well, without the tandem swords.

Sideswipe made for his opponent quickly. He moved his pedes quickly and quietly, rushing forwards to meet this mech head on. They were exactly the same size so neither had a very large advantage over the other. It seemed to the twin that this mech was a little reluctant to go into a physical battle with him so Sideswipe immediately went for a tackle. The mech didn't move but nor did he embrace the tackle, being thrown to the ground hard before Sideswipe punched him dead in the faceplates. The mech's head snapped to the side before Sideswipe was up and darting away.

He moved back and surveyed his opponent carefully. It seemed as though this mech was relatively unskilled, maybe he hadn't gone up against anyone particularly hard to battle with last time he had come in the ring because he was seriously not very skilled for someone who had made it so far.

Sideswipe didn't unsubspace his swords, preferring to use his bare hands for this one. It would seem kind of unfair if he had such an advantage over this mech. Maybe this bot hadn't even fought before, instead a newbie brought into the ring in order for the other mech to have a partner.

Sideswipe danced around the mech until he was back on his feet and thoroughly enraged. The twin darted around as the mech rushed at him, using the mech's own momentum to allow his opponent to fall straight back onto the ground where he had been just moments before.

Jumping onto his opponents back Sideswipe started pummelling the back of the bots helm with his fists, delivering heavy blows to the sensitive part of his chassis. This wasn't going to take long at all.

The bot beneath him threw Sideswipe off onto the ground before stumbling to his pedes. Sideswipe was back up in a flash and already swinging a fist straight into the bot's faceplates. The punch, instead of just doing some light damage, went straight through the faceplates to reach out the other side of the helm. Sideswipe had just punched straight through the mech's helm, taking out the processor in the process. This was just disturbing.

Sideswipe removed his servo before dusting it off on the ground. The offline chassis of his opponent fell to the ground as the twin focused on the roaring crowd. Energon spilled out onto the ground as he looked around. Each and every member of the crowd was yelling for more energon, wanted to see more fighting and watch more mechs offline.

The twin was disgusted by the atrocities that these bots wanted to witness. They really had no clue what it meant to be on the edge of life, facing the possibility of being offline. Sideswipe found it in himself to pity these poor bots on their naivety.

The twin looked over to meet Sunstreaker's gaze. His sibling stepped over to him and they grasped one another's servos to lift them high in the air, showing their combined strength. The crowd went wild as the two painted smiles onto their face plates. Sunstreaker's smile was unforced but Sideswipe's was very forced, he did not feel the happiness that his twin seemed to feel, at all.

The two twins left the ring, the cheering crowd behind them as they retreated into the quiet of the quarter's complex. Glad to be returning to their room to cuddle close and rest before the next orn's training where they would undoubtedly be smashed.

There you go, Chapter 28. If you haven't read chapter 27 you may like to go back and do so. Thanks for reading and please review.