Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

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The transport turned out to be a large tourist shuttle with wide windows and comfortable seats in two rows along the entire inside, as well as with three entrances, all doors on the right side. Windows with almost imperceptible force fields, absolutely harmless to touch, unlike the prison ones. That is, if you touch this, your fingers will simply rest against a solid barrier, there will be no electric shocks. Still, Megatron had associations with prison shuttles.

A civilian mech in brown-grey armor was also waiting outside the shuttle. Almost the same height as Drift or Rodimus, outwardly nothing special, except for strangely thickened lower limbs with platforms welded to the pedes. A groundling, one of the locals, Megatron noted to himself, no altmode. Local mechs simply don't have them. And they communicate, unlike Cybertronians, exclusively using whistling or humming, but they are quite capable of understanding words, signals of other races. It's all about their vocoder structure.

He nodded, greeting the entire large group and hurried to take the driver's seat in the cockpit. The group quickly settled in the shuttle, Megatron went to the very back of the cabin so as not to attract additional attention to himself. Ultra Magnus settled down next to him, cautiously asking, "You mind?" Megatron shook his helm and stared out the window as Magnus took the seat to his right.

When the group members sat down, all three doors closed simultaneously with a soft hiss, and the shuttle, having risen two meters above the surface, flew along the roadway, moving in the stream with other vehicles. The sun had almost disappeared below the horizon, street lights and bright outdoor signs began to light up in the city. The traffic flow was quite dense, and Megatron didn't particularly pay attention to the visible part of the street, he simply looked out the window, trying not to think about anything painful and not to notice the Ultra Magnus's periodic worried looks at him.

The team reached the place in ten minutes. The whole trip really felt like a tour of sorts, with Windblade and Nautica talking about the city and the buildings the vehicles passed. Probably, this whole performance was played out for the driver, Megatron suggested, and there are also cameras in the cabin for the safety of travelers, at least I saw three. On Cybertron this is normal. Well, yes, they can't cooperate with a local travel company and directly state that all this is not a tour, but a secret mission to search for artifacts that no one has even seen. Yes, and it is known about them only from the Prime's words. They recreated a conditional layout of such a Key from the images sent to him by the Matrix of Leadership. Why pretend to be tourists at all... Well, who would believe such nonsense?

The hotel they arrived at was a complex of hemispherical glass buildings, one large in the center and six around it, connected by ornate arcs, and at the top of the central structure was a spire with a glittering sphere. A parking place, an organic park, crystal gardens and even decorative pools. According to the guide, Nautica, who, when they were still on their way here, briefly spoke about it, now many hotels on different planets are trying to combine the preferences of organic and mechanical guests. This also applies to the hotels' appearance themselves.

A fragile structure, Megatron thought bitterly as he was the last to exit the shuttle, and carefully survey the system of buildings. One salvo from a battlecruiser and there would be nothing left. Do they care about safety at all?

The main building's lobby of the hotel complex was somewhat like a waiting room in a spaceport, only mostly empty, no seats, only the reception desk to the right of the main entrance, opposite it were two passages with stairs up, and between them on the wall - a large holographic screen , two elevators on the left side: a freight and a passenger ones, respectively. The decoration color is mostly white and blue, and only a large gold sign above the reception desk: "Silver Spire" - it's the hotel's name.

Behind the counter sat a small bot with yellow optics and a diamond-shaped head, smaller than Tailgate, but his chair was quite high and seemed to have steps so that the diminutive receptionist could get down to the floor and climb into his seat without problems. The very height of his desk reached Rodimus up to his chest.

Windblade asked everyone to wait in the lobby, while she went to the reception desk and talked to the minibot about something, then called everyone, and they each in turn had to present an identity datapad and receive an electronic room key.

This was at the very beginning of the flight. On the first day, a few hours after the Lost Light emerged from the hyperspace tunnel, the Ultra Magnus gathered the entire team in the conference room, large enough for all assigned crew members, and Getaway handed each crew member a personal datapad describing the personalities they will have to show up on two of the four habitable planets scheduled to visit.

When Megatron got his, he couldn't even find the right words. The silver mech stared in surprise at the screen, where his fake identity was displayed, as well as his own photo to the right of the description.

"Name: Silverjet,

Race: Cybertronian

Age: 9012 Vorns

Alternate Mode: Supersonic Fighter Jet,

Home planet: Cybertron

Hometown: Vos"

Actually, I'm much younger, Megatron mentally noted, well, the name is fine, whoever created my fake identity file, obviously came with it from my alternate mode, but... Vos? Why Vos? The silver transformer nearly dropped the data panel. At the moment, he had no complaints about the city itself and its people, it was only about one particular mech from there. Two-faced, nasty, cowardly, vile...

"What do you say?" Rodimus whispered from the side, instantly knocking Megatron out of his thoughts. Glancing in the direction of the voice with a displeased look, the former Decepticon leader noticed that the Prime's apprentice was standing very close and staring at his ID-card over his left shoulder. The silver mech immediately pressed the datapad to himself, hiding the contents from the importunate Autobot. "I was the one who created fake personalities for us all." The first captain wasn't at all embarrassed by this gesture.

"Right." With the most neutral expression on his face, Megatron placed the datapad in his subspace and got up from his seat. If Rodimus really wrote this, then most likely he just filled in the files randomly, not really attaching any importance to names, ages, cities, and so on... Or did he do it on purpose to annoy me?! He knew where to strike, enough to draw a parallel with Starscream.

Of the entire group only Riptide, who joined the team much later, didn't have a fake ID, and Getaway had to urgently resolve this issue: first make a request to Cybertron, the information was transmitted to the femmes waiting on Yuntara, who had to add one more person to the 'tourist' list already on the spot. All of them again with an unkind word mentioned Rodimus initiative, and even himself.

After registration, they were escorted to the neighboring building with pre-booked rooms. Megatron still couldn't believe that he was participating in this 'performance', and no one was pointing digits at him, no one was demanding to execute him on the spot. No matter, all this will be later, he reminded himself, when the mission's over...

"Wow a fountain!" was heard somewhere behind. "Rewind... uh... Recorder, take a picture of me in front of it?"

The silver mech fought back the urge to turn around. Not interested. No matter what Swerve saw there, let them have fun, they have the right. But the fact that the ship's bartender almost destroyed the entire disguise is already more serious. We agreed, for safety net, to address each other here only using pseudonyms'. Let Magnus deal with this, no one will listen to me anyway.

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The living the crew members' quarters were on the ninth, tenth and thirteenth floors of the twenty-seven-story domed structure. They were located at the outer side and all, accordingly, had windows and terraces. The silver transformer was very glad that his living quarters on the thirteenth floor weren't next to Rodimus's or Chromedome's, who were placed on the ninth. Nearby, however, are the rooms of Swerve, Riptide, Drift, Ratchet, Rung and Ultra Magnus, but that's okay. These won't rub against my door for no reason. I hope... No thoughts came about where the Legislator, whom Minimus for some reason also dragged with them, had gone.

Megatron's hotel room was significantly smaller than the apartments in the Citadel where he was settled before leaving Cybertron, but at the same time, twice the size of his habsuit on the ship. There was about the same amount of furniture: a berth, a closet, a table with one chair and a small holographic screen on the wall, and a mirror, although not wide, but floor-to-ceiling high. There were also two large windows and between them the entrance to the balcony. And a door to the personal washracks. As if I really were a tourist, not a prisoner living out his last vorn. Or even less. How long will the expedition take?

The inner voice, fortunately, was silent, deciding either not to intervene, or to agree. It was already difficult for the silver mech to understand whether these were his thoughts, or some other personality's formed as a result of the chemicals affectionwith which he was pumped on a voluntary-compulsory basis. So far, the only 'medicine' that has been avoided is the one Ratchet instructs him to take before recharging. But this is for the time being...

Megatron walked back and forth across the room, stopping at the door to the balcony, but didn't even dare to try to open it - most likely it's prudently blocked. Many windows, much light and open space, he noted to himself with some wariness. Nowhere to hide in case of a potential threat. There are no windows in his habsuit on the ship at all, and the place that the silver mech visited most often on the ship... In that bay he could always turn off the light, be alone with himself and space.

It won't work that way here. In the prison cell he was under surveillance all the time, in the Citadel chambers, where he was moved three days before departure, there were also cameras everywhere, except for the washracks. And here... The Decepticon looked around. If not for neuroblockers, I would have found all the tracking devices at once. Yes, what's the point at all. Why are they doing this to me now, when we already know what will happen in the end? What do you want from me, Optimus Prime...

"Some kind of mockery..." Megatron muttered. He stepped up to the mirror and stared at his reflection: a powerful silver frame with black and red accents, sharp, beautiful features of the faceplate, mournful crystal red optics, a red Autobot badge over his own purple one...

Megatron touched it with his left index finger. There were proposals to publicly tear off the purple insignia and trample it... But Optimus Prime considered this inappropriate. What does it mean? Regret? Kind of a way of saying, 'Was I wrong too?' Although no...

"Well, that's inappropriate, and the speech ..." The servo that was now touching the Autobot badge clenched into a fist with a grinding sound.

'No!'

Megatron fought back the urge to hit the mirror, and only the thought that he would have to apologize at best for damaging someone else's property stopped him. He fell to his knees, clasping the left fist in his right hand, still shaking with anger that couldn't be vented. I can't... I shouldn't... I don't have the right...

You have every right to be angry, my spark... I'm sorry that very few people now see the situation from all sides... like you do...

Suddenly, the silver transformer felt as if someone unseen had embraced him. Compassion... understanding... sympathy... A wave of affectionate emotions covered him like a heavy warm blanket, and Megatron felt the pain tormenting him gradually weaken. What's this? Who is it? Servos unclenched, the Decepticon looked around incomprehensibly, already feeling not annoyance and hopelessness, but rather curiosity and... even fear.

"Who is there?" he whispered, not believing himself that he was addressing to the empty room. Sensors pick up nothing. And at the same time, he clearly feels something that seems like an EM field. Powerful, protective, but once concentrate on this feeling, as everything instantly slips away. "What is this...?" Megatron stood up slowly, looking around again. The strange phenomenon disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. The silver mech stretched out his right palm in front of him, as if touching the air. It's happened before... He'd felt this before, when he remembered the spark ghost. Terminus?

Suddenly, there was a metallic knock on the door that almost made the Decepticon leader jump, and then Rung's voice:

"Silverjet? Are you here?"

"Huh?" The psychiatrist's visit was so unexpected that Megatron had to deeply ex-vent several times before going to open the door. Silverjet... It didn't take long for the silver mech to rememder that now everyone should be addressed by pseudonyms.

"Starbeam... Fortress Maximus... Did something happen?"

To Megatron's surprise, the commander of the ship's security service was also standing in the corridor to the therapist's right. It was difficult to say whose visit was more unexpected for him now. And both came at once? I didn't expect anyone.

"Time for a briefing on tomorrow's sightseeing tour..." the Ultra Magnus replied calmly. "Don't you remember?" The blue-and-white Autobot's voice was perfectly calm, but there was a clear concern in the optics. Minimus seemed to be looking right through him, as if checking for fresh damages to the frame that Megatron could inflict on himself if left alone. And he could, everyone present knew it. Well, enough already, the silver mech shuddered, you stopped being my guardian long ago.

"The tour? Ah, yes..." The Decepticon shook his helm. Yes, at 20:00 local time they have a general meeting in the conference room, where Windblade and Nautica should tell the plan of tomorrow's actions.

"Are you feeling alright?" Rung tilted his helm slightly to the left. Then he did something unexpected for both mechs nearby: "I brought your medicines for today." The white-orange bot took a confident step forward, and Megatron, for some inexplicable reason, reflexively stepped back, letting him pass. Unceremoniously, Rung entered the living quarters, approached the closet, and placed on one of the shelves two small cylindrical containers of yellow and red liquids, taken from the subspace. And then three more cubes of energon in a nauseatingly familiar dirty pink color – Fool's energon, as usual.

"Thanks," muttered the silver mech, gloomily watching the therapist's actions.

"You need to take your medicine now." The Ultra Magnus, as expected, also entered the room. "Ratchet's order." And he fell silent, meeting with the burning gaze of his once ward, who was clearly waiting for something and clearly was not going to do anything. "Megatron, please... You promised."

"Don't forget your orders, huh?" The Decepticon shook his helm, stepped towards the closet, and abruptly uncorking the container with the red substance, drank the entire contents in one gulp. Not as disgusting as Fool's Energon, I can tolerate it. "Well, are you satisfied?" he said irritably. "Can we go?" And, putting the empty container back with a thud, he quickly moved into the corridor.

On the way to the meeting room, Megatron tried not to look at anyone at all. The damn chemicals, he must admit, did have some effect. After taking the 'chemicals' prescribed by medics, the former leader of the Decepticons felt somewhat relaxed and calmer, it seemed to him that he was looking at the world, being behind an invisible wall, as if everything happening didn't concern him at all. It's a pity the effect doesn't last long... Now, of course, it can be useful: what if Rodimus starts performing again, or something else happens.

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The lecture room where they gathered looked like a small cinema hall. The seats are arranged in rows, with the next seat slightly higher than the previous one. And opposite - a large holographic screen in the entire wall. Tailgate surmised that this was usually the place where movies were shown, to which Skids confidently stated that it was, it was one of the hotel cinemas.

After everyone took their seats, Windblade pressed the door lock button on the panel, and also attached a small round device to the wall nearby, which, once turned on, blinked, making an almost imperceptible ringing. A silencer, Megatron instantly identified, to make sure no one overheard this conversation outside... or inside.

Then she, Nautica and Perceptor, who came out to them, began their story about where, presumably, the very place that they should visit is located. Everything based on calculations, research and conjecture. The Matrix of Leadership sent a vision to Optimus, but did not indicate the exact location of these same Keys that would open the way to Cybertopia. There was only a hypothetical region on each of the four planets. But, having done some work already on spot, it was possible to significantly narrow the scope of the search.

In this case it's a system of caves in rock formations in the southwest of the city. Five hours to go on the same sightseeing shuttle, and another two or three hours to go already on foot. Unknown how long they will have to spend on the spot, perhaps several days. But have to be careful: according to locals, some anomalous things are happening in that area: those who were there experienced auditory and visual hallucinations, mechs' sensors failed... And after a whole group of tourists disappeared there, it's officially forbidden to visit this place.

Underground traps most likely, flashed through Megatron's mind. There is something there... Something underground... And this 'something' shouldn't be found by those for whom it is not intended. And this is not surprising, you can't get to the Key if you don't know how to do it. Megatron chuckled to himself, and fear washed over him like a coolant: Primus, where did such thoughts come from?.. Like that time when I said that there were not four but five keys... Like before landing on the planet... No, it's just my imagination.

"And where exactly did the tour group disappear?" Cyclonus raised the right servo.

"It is not exactly known in which cave it happened," Nautica spread her servos and shook her helm, "the rescuers found only an abandoned tourist shuttle, as well as traces of their stay on the surface." Appropriate aerial shots appeared on the screen, first of the transport in the middle of the desert, then of the likely camp to which the excursionists were going to return.

"Couldn't they have come back another way?" Rodimus got in, as usual, when not asked.

"And nowhere to show up ever since?" Megatron clarified with a hint and propped his right cheek with his fist: "Yeah-yeah..."

"Why do you interrupt every time for no reason, Megs?!" the yellow-orange Autobot suddenly flashed. He jumped out of his seat and walked over to the silver Decepticon, who was seating in his row on the far right. "I'm working out all the options, and you're just..."

"Rodimus!" the Ultra Magnus yelled at him as he stood up abruptly to his pedes.

"... sarcastically joking and making fun of me! I'm the first captain of the Lost Light, actually! So..."

"Even if you call yourself the herald of Primus, this won't change anything" The silver mech rubbed his faceplate and got up as well, looming over Optimus's for some reason pissed-off protégé. "You think it's all about the bad guys, codenames or ranks... but it's not. No! The point is a joint task to find a way out of a hopeless situation. I don't know why I'm saying this and to whom." He ex-vented tiredly and shook his helm: "You are an Autobot," he looked around predatorily at everyone, "you're all Autobots."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Getaway interjected unexpectedly, clearly angered by the last statement. If Ultra Magnus wasn't around, the winged Autobot wouldn't hesitate to point a cannon at the former Decepticon leader. Understanding this well, Megatron looked at him with a silent question: 'What is not clear here?' - and then just headed to the exit.

"Where are you going?" the Ultra Magnus called to his back.

"Out," Megatron snapped, and pressing the door unlock button quickly left the lecture hall.

Those present looked at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what to do. The large white and blue Autobot darted after him, pushing Rodimus out of the way with the words: "I'll deal with you later," and also disappeared into the corridor. Another tense silence.

"What?" slapping his thighs, Rodimus responded to Drift's silent question.

"What-what... Nothing!" he muttered with a hint of the contrary.

"Then don't," the first captain snorted and leaned against the wall, still overwhelmed by emotions. He made a mistake, but at the same time no one tries to understand what he himself feels. Rung, who was sitting at a distance, put his glasses into the subspace and wearily rubbed the faceplate: what are you doing, my sparks... And Riptide, having cleared the vocoder a little, carefully asked:

"I take it the meeting is over for today?"

"Silverjet, wait!" the Ultra Magnus caught up with him already in the lobby on the first floor. Megatron stopped and slowly turned around expectantly. "Where are you going?"

"Already said, 'out'," angrily repeated the silver mech in response. "And that's not my name, Fortress Maximus, you know it." He put special emphasis on the big Autobot's alias.

"You can't leave..." the Magnus began, stopping so close that Megatron fought back the urge to retreat. He wanted to say 'Watch me', but Minimus would most likely have misunderstood him, so the silver transformer answered differently:

"I just want to be alone. It is forbidden?" Megatron raised the right servo to the optics level and pointed to the tracking device, still attached to the wrist: "I won't go anywhere, won't make any disturbances." He turned to the exit and already threw on the move: "Otherwise, you will have an excuse to destroy me ahead of time."

Frozen at such a statement, the Ultra Magnus only extended his right servoin front of him and opened his intake, but didn't utter a sound. He believed in Megatron's sincerity, and yet couldn't just let him go.

"Follow him, but keep your distance," he ordered via comm to the Legislator, who had just exited the elevator with two half-height organics.

"Ten," came the immediate confirmation.

"Just keep an eye on him and let me know right away if anything goes wrong."

That was all Minimus could do for Megatron at the moment. He needs to talk to Rung: Rodimus is really trying to provoke a fight. Has the loss of the Matrix of Leadership upset the red-yellow bot so much that he is literally ready to sabotage his own mission? Or is it all because of Optimus? He is still their leader and comrade, a close friend... Minimus himself is hurt by the thought that soon - in a few decades their leader, the head of all Cybertron, may be gone.

"Well, what have we achieved?" Drift crossed his arms across his chest. He, along with Rodimus, Nautica, Ratchet, Skids, and Riptide, was watching from a safe distance. There were enough people around not to draw attention to themselves.

"By 'we' you mean me"?" the Prime's apprentice clarified understandingly. All four, without saying a word, simultaneously nodded with a quiet: "U-huh", and the red-yellow Autobot couldn't stand it: "Alright, I get it! I'll be going then."

"Where to?" Nautica frowned.

"Out," and, catching Drift by the left arm, pulled him along. "Will you help me?"

"But..."

"Let's go!"

Diligently hiding among the guests from Magnus, Rodimus dragged the former Decepticon behind him into the street. Others remained to watch.

"Where are they going?" Riptide was surprised.

"To correct the mistake and provide moral support," Ratchet suggested, guessing that Rodimus alone was afraid to catch Megatron's optics now... or ashamed? He needed a company.

Meanwhile, the pair was already on the street.

"That was close," squeezed out Rodimus, releasing Drift's arm. The co-captain was nowhere to be seen. Unicron damn it, where did he go... Megatron has a tracking device, but Optimus's protégé doesn't have any detecting devices with him, he also doesn't know the frequency. And the red-yellow bot didn't dare to go to the Ultra Magnus for this. The first thing to do is to walk through the hotel, he couldn't just dissolve into the air, and no one heard the jet engines. Rodimus abruptly moved forward, hoping to find the familiar silver-and-black frame in the light of the evening lanterns.

"Where are we going to at all?" Drift caught up with the captain in a few steps.

"To look for you-know-who."

"But..."

"If he hurts someone, or runs away... or, I don't know, someone hurts him..." Rodimus reasoned to himself on the go, not looking at his companion, "Optimus won't have time to tear off my head, Magnus will do it long before that."

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Megatron didn't give much thought to where he was going, and didn't notice himself as he stepped outside the hotel complex territory. He saw only roads, passers-by, the surroundings, but didn't stare at any details. He wasn't angry at Rodimus, he felt just annoyed. How can you work with those who are against you? When he asked the Prime about this opportunity, he himself was more inclined to the version that this request would be refused. But Optimus for some reason agreed, and at first Megatron took it as a beam of hope... Not for himself, for the Decepticons, for neutrals and... perhaps for the Autobots - for all Cybertronians.

Idiot... Injustice has always been, is and will be. Impactor has long said that this is just life. Well, we ourselves make life what it is. Our choices affect others, their choices, respectively - affect us. Our lives depend on us only half, the other half is determined by others and their decisions. But few people understand this.

It was so strange to walk through the streets among ordinary passers-by, who also don't pay attention to him. Here and now, his name is Silverjet, a tourist from Cybertron, a Vosnian... Hmmm. Too bad it won't always be like this, but... at least this evening he can leave his real self and be a simple Cybertronian. Just like everyone else... like everyone else...

"Watch out!"

Something hit Megatron in the shoulder. He spun around sharply, getting into a fighting stance, but saw only a round disc of light metal on the ground at his pedes, half the size of his forearm. What's this? Looks like a frisbee for cyberanimals... As soon as the silver mech picked up the unknown object, two very young sparklings, about a little higher than his knees, jumped up to him. One's red-and-black, the other's white-and-blue, both have the same ruby optics as he has. Megatron froze, not knowing what to do. The sparklings also stood still, looking at the big mech. The silence dragged on. Perhaps they want to ask something... or ask for something... Their toy?

"Here," Megatron handed the disc to the standing closer white-and-blue sparkling. "Well? Go on, take it."

"Thank you, kind sir," the kid smiled, taking back the toy. The second sparkling nodded his thanks. And both hurried to where their creators were waiting. It turns out that the silver mech wandered into a park with organic trees and didn't even notice it.

Watching from the distance as the small mechs throw the disk to each other again, Megatron smiled sadly. Happy they are... Wish I knew what it's like to be a sparkling... To have creators who love you and never harm you. Minimus... With him around, I felt safe in the past, and then... Ah, doesn't matter. He shook his helm and kept walking.

Megatron continued to go further and further into the park, away from prying eyes. Climbed a hill where there was no one... Alone. Finally, alone. It's calm around here, even the city noises around don't bother... He no longer thought about the recent outburst of anger of the Prime's protégé. Moreover, what if Rodimus is right? Maybe he understands everything, but just trying to hint to me that I'm just superfluous here? I've always been redundant. Everything I've done... and haven't done... They know it's useless. I'm trying to start over, at least to live differently the time I have lest... And the Autobots in every possible way prevent this.

"Did I do the right thing by agreeing to this?" Megatron whispered, looking up at the sky. "Where does my path lead? What am I doing?"

"A pitiful sight... You think like the one unworthy of me. The only mecha that has now taken the first step towards saving the Cybertronian race... Was this choice wrong?!"

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron winced. His own voice... Hatred and contempt for himself... The spark chamber seemed to be burned by a flame, the ground began to leave from under his pedes, and the surrounding reality gradually blurred into obscure spots. Exorbitant horror shackled him hand and foot... The silver mech somehow was intuitively aware that he could die here and now. No matter how strong his spark, it can go out at any moment.

"You wish to suffer? You will suffer."

Another wave of pain. Megatron fell to his knees, clutching his helm with his right servo and his chest plates - with his left. It darkened sharply around him, he was surrounded by a dense dirty gray fog, and very close, just a few steps away, stood a long-dead friend.

"Megatron..." nothing but condemnation on the mech's faceplate.

"Terminus?" Jumping up from his knees, the Decepticon rushed towards him, but the miner put forward the right servo, forcing the silver mech to involuntarily freze, and the comrade's frame rose up from the ground and began to gradually move away, slowly dissolving in the air.

"Remember, Megatron, who you were... Remember what we wanted... Remember our goal..."

The fog cleared. Now the leader of the Decepticons was standing on the edge of a cliff, and in front of him, right from the void, images begun to appear one after another, events changed each other, not following any chronological sequence. Everything Megatron saw was so huge, like he was standing very close to a holographic screen in a Cybertronian cinemar. The silver transformer couldn't move, couldn't look away, didn't even have a clue what was going on and how he got here, wherever it was. He could only watch...

Demonstrations and protest marches, turning into clashes with law enforcement officers... Explosions... terrorist attacks... orders to shoot to kill ... Megatron clearly remembered how Sentinel Prime's guards, at the behest of their high commander, exterminated unarmed mechs fleeing away. Fear... rage... desperation... Hatred... Decisions made in anger. In a fit of emotion...

"Megatron..."

"You chose a side, Minimus... And so did I."

Space battles... From one planet, the war spread to other solar systems. Weapons of mass destruction, targeted strikes on civilian targets, betrayal in their own ranks... The former goal has already been lost. The Decepticons will not be able to live a normal life as long as the Autobots exist - those who seek to destroy them for the sake of a 'bright future'. Only subjugation or total annihilation. They don't even consider other options.

"Freedom for all sentient beings..."

"Well? Speak up, Prime! For all but us!"

His own fights with Orion Pax... and then with Optimus Prime... Traitor. Once we were on the same side... But you chickened out. You chickened out, and I decided to go to the end. Senator Shockwave believed in you... believed in us... And those, for whom you stand for, have turned him into a monster...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

"Stop me, Megs..." came a sudden echo from behind. Megatron whirled around: a tall, dark figure was slowly walking straight towards him from the clouds of fog behind. The silver mech was dumbfounded. Although the whole figure was one solid black shadow, he recognized the outlines of this frame at once. "You do remember, right?" Spiky helmet, high shoulder pads, elongated armor pieces on the forearms...

"Can't be..." The shocked Decepticon began to back away and stopped only a couple of steps from the edge of the cliff.

"So it was said to both Orion Pax and you: 'Remember me as I was...'" the shadow stopped at a distance a little more than an extended arm. "You were our hope, but became our death..." The faceplate wasn't visible, but this voice... Incredibly alive and at the same time so calm. No reproaches, annoyance or accusations... Just a statement of fact.

A flash of lightning flashed overhead. Sensing something equally dangerous behind him, Megatron whirled around and saw the translucent frame body of an impersonal mech. The single yellow eyepiece's pointing straight at him. Megatron backed away again, but remembered that another was standing behind him. Looking in his direction, the silver mech noticed that the shadow was already holding out the right servo to him.

"Together we can end the suffering of our race..."

End the suffering? War... Cause, effect, outcome... My end is already known... But others... Can I help them as I wanted? They didn't deserve this... I'm ready to take the punishment, Senator Shockwave... Megatron held out a trembling left servo in response. I failed you... I failed Minimus... I failed everyone...

And at the very moment when their digits almost touched, something flashed sharply in the silver mech's chest, spreading like a fiery wave throughout the frame, piercing the CPU with a charge of electric pain. The shadow frightenedly dodged from the directed wave of the energy field.

Megatron shut his optics and screamed, the ground under his feet began to tremble and crack, and the next moment he falls off the cliff, flies somewhere in the dark... But the shadow doesn't follow him. On the contrary, it moves away, as if something's holding it back somewhere. And only the yellow eyepiece of the not moving huge frame of the purple impersonal Decepticon is still watching him intently. Servos are reaching out from everywhere with the intention of tearing apart...

"Megatron!"

"Primus, what is it... Drift, hold him tight!"

Numerous servos grab him at the same time, the silver mech screams in a desperate attempt to free himself, an unknown force abruptly pulls him out of the nightmare... The fall stops...

He lies on something solid, and there is someone nearby. Two of them. Only two, and not dozens of those who are ready to deal with him this very second. Finely trembling all over, the former leader of the Decepticons slowly opened his optics and saw a fuzzy white faceplate with blue optics and a red-yellow helmet against the background of an already quite clear starry sky.

"You..." The silver mech had almost no strength to break out. The whole frame seemed to be numb, painful pulsations were felt in the chest, echoing into the head. Another one nearby was hastily reporting something to someone. Pretty quiet and fast, so it was difficult to make out now, even if Megatron wanted it – there was some kind of quiet white noise in the audials.

"Don't twitch, it's over, everything is fine," Rodimus coaxed. He held Megatron by the right forearm with one servo, and the other placed on his chest over the red sign. "And if you hurt me, I will be seriously offended and, by the way, for long." The Prime's apprentice tried to grin, obviously joking. At the touch of the yellow palm pulsations in Megatron's chest seemed to decrease a little. Or did he just imagine it? Or maybe it's just a coincidence?

"I wouldn't dare..." the second mech's voice cautiously remarked, his servos supported Megatron by the left shoulder.

"I'm allowed," Rodimus chuckled mirthlessly and ran his fingers lightly over the Decepticon's chest plates, "I was the bearer."

"Well, it's not only about... this..."

Megatron was too sick to even think about the meaning of this conversation. He only understood that something bad had happened to him, and these two were nearby. And he can't do anything now. Almost like then at the Stellar-6 station. Is it that infection? Or again the effect of the Fool's Energon?

"Well, where are they, Unicron dammit?" Rodimus asked again.

"I gave Ratchet our coordinates," he informed Rodimus, and also sank down beside the former leader. "They will be here in a few minutes." And already turned to Megatron: "How do you feel?"

He shook his helm slightly in response, not knowing what to say. What happened now? Did they see the same thing, or is it just me...? Weakness... Barely perceptible pulsations are still felt under the chest plates, the sensitivity is slowly restored, the white noise is weakening. But it's still hard to move.

"What was it..."Megatron with difficulty brought the left servo to his head and closed the optics. This... It will pass now... I can handle...

Drift and Rodimus looked at each other in bewilderment, and then the latter hesitantly squeezed out:

"Beats me... You suddenly felt ill, and also... Some strange failure happened: a sudden short circuit somewhere... The whole area was left without electricity."

Megatron opened his optics and raised himself a little, only now noticing that it was dark around him. So he had to use the night vision mode. The silver mech tried to sit up again, but this time both Autobots held him back.

"Don't make any sudden moves," the former ally warned, "Ratchet and the others will be here in a moment. Everything will be fine, they will help you."

"I don't think they will," someone's unfamiliar voice interrupted, and eight combat Decepticons at once came out of the darkness fully armed, instantly taking all three into a ring.

"Yep... not the help I was hoping for," Rodimus managed to squeeze out, shifting his gaze from one unknown mech to another.

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

At the same time, far, far away a huge spaceship slowly glided through the darkness in space among the stars. The engines are off. There is nowhere to rush until the target is located. The search is on, but not as fast as they would like. A team from Cybertron set off in search of the five Keys. The vision was sent by the Matrix of Leadership, the artifact of Primus. So the time has come... Just think, so many options, so much time spent looking for a solution, and here is a sudden stroke of luck. The time has come.

He sat on his knees in the center of the round, dark meditation camber of the ship, immersed in stasis. The frame was surrounded by a purple mist, concentrated at floor level, and also flowing along the walls. Five Keys... None of the living mecha knows where they are hidden, and only the artifact created by Primus - the repository of the knowledge of the Ancients - will answer all questions.

Almost... Feeling the sudden activity of the hated artifact, he almost reached it. There is no protection against the energy of the Matrix, but the new bearer still doesn't know how to handle it at all. The Point One Percenter that changed the course of history. He doesn't even know what he posesses. What an irony...

"Stop me, Megs..."

That mecha had once been by his side. In the past, they had a common goal. They had... hope. Now idiots think that with the help of the five Keys they will find the way to salvation. But they will only find their doom.

Openeing the optics, he quickly stood up - at the same time, the purple mist swirling around him instantly disappeared - and headed towards the exit from the meditation room. After that - right to the bridge. Must hurry before they slip away again. This time, the pulse was incredibly powerful, when else can this happen again... There is no guarantee that the Key is actually exactly where the new bearer of the Matrix is now - his predecessor could have misinterpreted the message - but this former rebel, and now the next Prime will lead him to the goal without even knowing it.

The ship's bridge is as gloomy as the corridors and bays. The team, now there were twenty-two modified sparkless drones, did not react in any way to the commander's arrival - there was no order, no mental signal to do so. They don't talk, they don't argue, they don't think. No mind, no individuality, no free will - no conflict of interest, no confrontation, no war. This is the future for all the creations of Primus.

"Plot the course to the planet Yuntara, the Tilmaron system, the Orion arm of the Milky Way galaxy," he ordered calmly and, crossing arms on his chest, added with a grin: "Our target is found."

The bridge operators - beings that had once been of the Cybertronian race - silently corrected the course, the engines started, and the space cruiser headed for the indicated sector. Those who imprisoned him once have greatly miscalculated. He will take everything from them, destroy the very center of their civilization. He just needs to find a way to get out. If all goes well, he won't need this avatar any time soon. Although...

The avatar... This mechanoid was still alive when he took him, modified him and made him the vessel of his mind. All thoughts, feelings and memories of that person now belong to him. In this, he has a clear advantage over his Light brother, who did the same, but only by taking possession of the absolutely lifeless frame of a completely ordinary mech. And this powerful green spark is still alive. It gives strength, gives energy, it will serve his main purpose. The Legion of Chaos... Nothing and no one will stand in their way.

Soundtracks (indicating chapter episodes):
1) Pillars of Eternity OST - Title Theme; (arrival at the hotel)
2) Beyond: Two Souls OST - Jodie's Story; (Megatron's alone)
3) Fallout 3 OST - Explore 1; (discussion of the plan)
4) A Gift Of A Thistle by James Horner; (walking down the streets alone)
5) TES 5 TC: Enderal: Shards of Order OST - Nature of Humanity/Die Natur der Menschheit; (the first vision)
6) DA Inquisition: The Descent OST - Legion of the Dead; (the shadow of Senator Shockwave)
7) Mass Effect 3 OST - The Reapers Are Coming (the enemy notices the target)

P.S. Because the war in this story lasted a few millennia at most, not millions of years, Megatron and Optimus are relatively young mechs, which is why the protagonist remarks that he is much younger than his fake passport says.

And yes, the villain's ship is a photo of the Hyperion Ark from Mass Effect: Andromeda.