When the Sun goes Down - Transformers Prime Fanfic

~ Chapter 14 ~

Mountain Goat

Standing outside of the gladiators living quarters, Sundown hesitated, she didn't want her brothers, or anyone for that matter, seeing her, but she didn't have another choice.

She walked in, keeping her helm lowered and optics cast to the floor, before walking down the hallway, hesitating again at the door.

She could hear both her brothers inside. "He scratched my paint of all things!" Sunstreaker was complaining about his paint, again.

While Sideswipe laughed, "that's what you get for becoming too cocky."

"Says the cockiest out of us both!"

Sundown pushed the door open, glancing in as she looked at them both warily, without missing a beat, they looked over.

"Hey Sundown!"

"How was today at the academy?"

Sundown shuffled her pedes, forcing herself forward, both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe gasped, she was covered in dents and energon stains.

"Hi." She spoke quietly, raising her helm as she looked at both of their shocked faceplates, before their optics narrowed, almost in sync, as anger burned within their circuits.

"What happened?" Sideswipe asked, trying to keep his voice from filling with anger, he didn't want to upset Sundown.

"Nothing." Sundown spoke quietly, kicking dirt from the floor, she wasn't that old at this age, she was an equivalent to a human preteen.

"Sundown." Sideswipe spoke in warning, as Sunstreaker kept his vocaliser off, he would begin yelling if he didn't.

"It was nothing, really." Sundown shook her helm, looking up but not meeting either of their optics.

Both mechs knew something had been up with her for the past few cycles, she'd come home, not meeting their optics, always seeming sad and off, she would force a smile on her faceplate, but they could easily see through the act, now it was confirmed that something was happening when she was at the academy.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker couldn't afford to send her to get a proper education, it was way too many credits, so they sent her to an academy, it wasn't the best one there was, but it was the best they could afford, they always needed to leave aside a few credits for injuries, which were common.

"Sundown," Sideswipe spoke gently, pushing down his anger and kneeling down in front of Sundown, placing a servo on her shoulder and staring into her optics, "what's happening? Who's doing this to you?"

She kept her optics casted to her pede and the floor, "I can't tell you."

"Sundown, you can tell us anything." Sunstreaker stepped in, keeping his voice from yelling but anger still rang its warning.

"But -"

"No buts," Sideswipe shakes his helm, "are you being bullied? Picked on?"

Sundown nodded, still keeping her helm down. "Who is it, someone else in your classes?"

"H-his are older then me, he threatened if I told anyone his designation, he'd beat me more."

"What is his name?" Sideswipe pushed further.

"I can't tell you!" Sundown shouted, running from the room, tears streaming down her faceplate.

~ Sundown