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Chapter Text

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Optimus put away the datapad and leaned back in his chair, ex-venting wearily. The day turned out to be tense today. Another Senate meeting, an inspection of one of the construction sites and, of course, the next court hearing in the captured Decepticon leader’s case. The trial, which has been going on for more than a month. People need justice, and the Autobot propaganda makes the other side of the conflict to blame for everything. On their part, the Decepticons are the enemy that must be destroyed completely. Megatron surrendered, thus wanting to end the energonshed... and call the fire on himself.

The last thing that Optimus Prime remembered was how they challenged Shockwave together, then the explosion... Prime managed to push Megatron aside... and when he came online in the medical bay and a few days later was able to more or less perceive the information, Ratchet told what happened to him.

“That electromagnetic burst somehow repolarized your spark... It began to decay slowly. We do not know how to stop the process... and if is it possible...”

“How much time do I have?”

“Considering the initial power of the charge… at the current decay rate about… from one hundred and forty vrons to one hundred and seventy.”

“So little?”

“Another in your place wouldn’t last ten.”

It was not comforting. Average Cybertronians could live millions of vorns. Primes and Point One Percenters (special sparks considered a gift from Primus) could even live billions of vorns. Optimus is younger than ten thousands... And now there’s so little time left.

“We’ll work on a solution,” Ratchet promised him. “With proper treatment, it’s possible to keep the spark more or less coherent from five hundred to twelve hundred of vorns. Or more.”

“Don't tell anyone about it just yet.”

And Ratchet promised. Only with Optimus’s permission, the information was transferred to his colleagues: Perceptor, Wheeljack and Velocity, whose help Ratchet needed to find a solution to the problem. The information was classified for others. 

Prime stared at the ceiling. He felt fine, apart from a certain numbness in the spark. Perhaps there was something else here. The Matrix of Leadership is an artifact that he carried in his own chest for all these thousands of years, his faithful advisor, the repository of the knowledge of the Ancients... It became cold, no longer sent him visions, was not perceived as the inner voice. The Matrix was simply silent, for some reason now feeling a heavy burden, as if it turned away from its bearer.

Optimus also began to feel it only after the battle with Shockwave. When Megatron was arrested, they decided to harshly suppress the still resisting Decepticons. He made the wrong decision, and now doesn’t know how to stop the chain of events. There is only one way out: he must give the title to another, if such is the will of the Matrix... The Prime also told his old medic friend about this in hope of getting an advice... It was assumed that Optimus's successor would be his protégé Hot Rod, who had already taken the name Rodimus... But the further, the clearer it became that this Autobot is too egocentric, and there is simply no time for him to come to his senses. Ratchet noticed it too.

“Rodimus? He's not ready to be a Prime yet...”

“And he never will. It must be someone else.”

“And who?”

“Good question…”

Unanswered question. Although no, the Prime had the answer, although Optimus didn’t come to it right away. He mentally went over all possible candidates in his head, those who wouldn’t be eager for power, and at the same time looked at things with an open mind, but didn’t find such. Only two would be suitable for this, whom the Matrix of Leadership would choose.

The first one, of course, was Ultra Magnus: honest, fair, honoring the law and following orders. But at the same time, he is not a leader. Yes, Magnus is an excellent commander, but he's also used to obeying the Supreme Leader. This has been the case since the days of High Justice Tyrest, and then Ultra Magnus fought under Optimus.

It was then that the thought came about the second potential Prime. And it was absolute madness, because in this role Optimus for some reason clearly saw his once arch enemy. The one currently awaiting a sentence that is likely to be mortal. Megatron voluntarily abandoned the idea of concurring the Universe (at least within the limits of some star cluster), he thinks critically and is even ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of his fellows. A humble miner in the past, who was once afraid to even raise his voice to someone, a writer, an idealist... who turned out to be a Point One Percenter, one of the Primus himself chosen ones... who still denies his uniqueness. By the time the Senate realized the seriousness of the misclassification for this mech, it was too late.

“You are a Point One Percenter, Megatron... do you know who they are? You are special.”

“I am a simple miner... A terrorist in the eyes of your elite! But know one thing, Captain Orion Pax, this miner will ensure that people like me are respected!”

After all that he had experienced, he simply didn’t believe, and the war didn’t leave a chance even to think that the enemy could offer peace. Until a person themselves are aware of something, the words of others will be an empty sound. And now it’s the Autobots don’t want to come to an agreement, they with the complete destruction of the Decepticons. Or suppression. And then everything will return to the starting point again.

Although Megatron admitted defeat and is ready to suffer the most severe punishment... he still will not listen to Prime if he’d simply... offered to take his place. Would think of it to be a mockery. He wants to die... he even refuses to drink energon the guards bring him. Twice the medics barely managed to pull him out of a state close to a complete offline. And still he stands his ground.

“If you continue to ignore energon, I will have to force you to fuel,” Optimus threatened some time ago, on one of his early visits to Megatron's cell.

“Go ahead and try,” he snapped softly and at the same time with a challenge.

“I will,” Optimus promised, “but for now I still hope for your conscientiousness.”

Silence was the answer.

Optimus remembered his feelings when he first saw the silver mech in prison. When they stood opposite each other, separated by a blue and white force field. They looked at each other in silence. The Prime felt it. As if his chest was warming, and something seemed to be pulling him towards Megatron. He wanted to turn off the power barrier, step into the cell... embrace. Of course, Optimus had feelings for him, but stubbornly hid them throughout the entire multi-thousand-year confrontation. But there was something more there. Not immediately, but still Optimus realized that it was the Matrix. It’s next chosen one is here, in prison, may be sentenced to death... This should not be allowed to happen.

Everything must be done somehow so that Megatron wouldn’t guess. When he realizes, there will be nowhere to retreat, the Decepticon will have to accept his new ‘self’ and do what the current Prime failed to do.

‘Ratchet,’ Optimus called via his comm, ‘are you busy right now? We need to talk. It is important.’

‘What happened?’ the medic’s worried voice immediately responded. ‘Do you feel worse? I’m on my way...’

‘No- no,’ the Prime immediately assured, ‘this is about what we were talking about,’ and added, ‘about You-know-who. I've made my decision.’

‘Unicron damn it...’

‘I need your advice on how to do it. Let's meet in the archive hall, closed section, no one will overhear us there. I will give you access.’

‘Got it, I'm already going there.’

‘Thank you, old friend.’

Optimus cut off the connection, got up to his pedes and headed straight for the meeting point. Ratchet was not long in coming. He was quietly horrified when the Prime told him his idea, but the Autobot leader didn't need the notation, only options: is it possible or not.

‘In theory, it is possible to implement it, but... I don't even know. We can use the prison’s ultrasonic systems for restraining violent prisoners... they are installed in the walls of every cell, right?”

“Yes. Prowl can do it: make it look like they turned on by themselves. When Megatron is immobilized, it will be possible to move him to the medical bay, and then...”

“Do you understand how this can turn out for all of us?”

“The Matrix chose him, Ratchet. There is little I can do about this situation.”

“Well, I hope you know what you're doing. I don't want to rake the consequences for both of you... as usual. Tired of it, actually.” The medic shook his digit at Optimus and more calmly concluded: “But if you are sure that this is the right thing to do, I will support you... even though I don't like it.”

“Thank you, old friend,” Optimus smiled sincerely, “glad that I can count on you.”

Ratchet just snorted. After that, the medic tried to clarify with Optimus some of the details of what to do when the whole team takes off on a mission, and what to do with Megatron if he suddenly starts to go crazy because of the Matrix, which he won’t know about.

When they finished their conversation, it was already completely dark outside.

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At night Iacon is no less beautiful. Walking out into one of the Citadel's inner crystal gardens, the Prime raised his hlm to the starry sky. Usually during the day Optimus never had much time to stop and just watch. Captain Orion Pax's past life was long over, and most of his existence as Optimus Prime he spent fighting. He could have stopped it if he had understood everything earlier, if he had put himself in the shoes of the other side, as Megatron did... What the Autobots are doing now is wrong, and Optimus understands it. Only the Knights, if they exist, will be able to reconcile both sides, because somehow everyone continues to stand their ground. Probably for this reason the Matrix began to reject him, and the Prime doesn’t know what to do.

There is not so much time left as he would like... Cybertron will need a new leader... Did Optimus choose the right successor? What's the alternative? Starscream , striving to power, and once he get it, he will cause a new chaos on the planet? Rodimus the hothead who rushes into battle in words, but in reality when it comes to action, he runs for an advice? Prowl, dreaming of brutally crushing the remnants of the Decepticon resistance in the name of his own views of justice? They need a Point One Percenter strong enough to handle the Matrix’s power. And only one suitable candidate comes to mind. Madness, of course, but there are no others. Magnus? Yes, he is also in some sense a Point One Percenter, but, as it is already clear, he is completely unsuitable for the position. Rodimus has already tried, but the power of his spark is not enough, the Matrix didn’t choose him, especially it will never choose Starscream or anyone else from the new Senate. The war taught them nothing. No, Megatron is the only possible option.

Megatron... The Prime ran his right servo over his faceplates and clenched his digits into a fist. His once friend... and more. Became a sworn enemy. A great military leader, in the past a humble miner, a writer, a dreamer... One of the Point One Percenters chosen Primus’s sparks... An misclassified mech, who saw and felt the whole weight of the lower classes life... It shouldn't have been that way. He was not supposed to be there, he was supposed to belong to the Intellectual class. Point One Percenters are the supreme gifts of Primus, they are created for greatness... Optimus, once Orion, became the one he is thanks to the Matrix, while Megatron was equal to this Prime from the very beginning, but never considered himself special. The color and power of hiss spark has always been perceived by the Decepticon leader as nothing more than an accidental anomaly.

His potential Conjunx Endura... Optimus, while still being the captain Orion Pax, dreamed about it. In the past, he had fantasies about what would happen when the war was over. Megatron could become his bondmate... The two most powerful sparks of Cybertron... There were many rumors among the Autobots about the Purple Sign faction, especially their... interface habits and debauchery. But Optimus knew it wasn't true. Moreover, the Decepticons never even allowed themselves to talk about these topics at an everyday level. And Megatron never let anyone near him, he also never tried to force anyone... Prowl's spies, who were lucky enough to return, talked about the life principles of the Decepticons... The Autobots also got rid of enemy agents.

And now they can never be together. Even if this misfortune hadn’t happened to Optimus, Megatron would still never have accepted him. Not now. Not after the mutual suffering they caused to each other.

“Everything should have been different… We are both to blame…” Optimus shuddered at the realization that he had said it out loud, and looked around to see if anyone had heard him. The Prime couldn’t afford to publicly admit his mistakes. Not now, he's gone too far.

Megatron... Did the Matrix really choose him? The already cold artifact of wisdom in Optimus's chest becomes warmer again, as soon as Prime was around the former enemy. Perhaps this is a sign? Megatron can look at what is happening from both sides, and also wants their race to become united again. In the confrontation with Shockwave, Optimus has made a choice, and now he finds himself in such a situation. In the depths of the spark, the Prime still believes in Megatron, his feelings for the silver mech haven’t disappeared anywhere, and Optimus doesn’t at all want the Decepticon leader to be sentenced to death or life imprisonment. And this could be a chance to keep him alive and give the planet a better future.

Optimus looked up at the starry sky. Tomorrow he will hold a secret meeting, tell comrades his plan... and the reason for it. The Prime already presents their reactions to both statements, but he sees no other way. This is not fair either to him or to Megatron... or to the people of Cybertron, because Primus forbid his venture will fail... But if this is a chance to save everyone, Optimus won’t miss the opportunity, even if it is the last thing he will do in his life.

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Megatron sat on the floor in his cell, knees pulled up to his chest, back and helm resting against the wall as well. Today he spoke this shameful speech urging them to lay down their weapons and surrender... He knows that not all Decepticons will follow the order, Tarn and the DJD will be furious, maybe even start a hunt for him... for this betrayal. He betrayed everyone, let everyone down...

‘People you wronged...’

Well said... But what about those who wronged us? The revolution was not a mistake, but the war was, and the Autobots would never accept them as equals anyway. He had failed and betrayed his people... Megatron’s trembling right servo stroked the red Autobot symbol on his chest. Bumblebee’s insignia... beneath which hides his own – purple one. Shockwave... Senator Shockwave... These events will haunt Megatron's memories for a lifetime. Prime will not let him join the Lost Light crew even after today... Megatron is confident he will simply be disposed of. Publicly. To prove their victory. It doesn’t matter, while the ‘show and fair’ trial lasts, he has already reconciled. The only bad thing is that the Autobots will never admit that there are no ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in this war. And in the end, everything can return to where it began... He can no longer protect those who followed him, who asked him to intercede for them.

Doesn’t matter… the Decepticon wearily rubbed his faceplates and dropped his helm into his servos. This is no longer his business, this is not his world, Cybertron belongs to the victors, including once his SIC. Starscream... a perpetual traitor, a slime and a sneak. Why did Megatron put up with him for so long? It was necessary to get rid of him long ago, at least one would get what he deserves. Well, nevermind. It will be over soon, at least for him.

Megatron glanced dimly at the three cubes of energon left by the guards. Once again he ignored them, as he had done for the past few days. Soon he can be forcibly taken to the medical section, where medics will inject fuel through an IV directly into the lines... This has already happened several times. Prime still needs a living prisoner. Otherwise, why would the Autobot leader save him from Shockwave? Megatron himself wanted to enter there and stop the explosion... But something hit him from behind so hard that the Decepticon lost conciseness, and came online already here, in this very cell, where he has been for the last six months. Irrelevant. The Autobots have won. The winners write history, and Megatron already knows what it will be. Only the Knights could judge with an open mind, but Prime will not allow it to happen... In any case, Megatron thinks so. And he still doesn't know what will happen very soon, because of what he himself, and the world around him, will change forever.

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* * *

The secret meeting took place the afternoon. The Prime called a small group into an enclosed meeting room. A semicircular room with large panoramic windows, given the building’s height, the view of the city was fantastic. But now was not the time. Optimus Prime himself sat at the head of the large T-shaped table, the rest of the seats were taken by Ultra Magnus, Prowl, Rodimus, Ratchet, Perceptor, Wheeljack and Velocity.

In order not to strike everyone with terrible news at once, Optimus first asked to report on everyday things: preparations of the Lost Light for the mission, the crew’s mood, the situation in the city, and so on. But all this could be done in an ordinary setting, and was no need to... retire for secret conversations.

“We are ready to take off at any moment on your order, commander,” Rodimus raised his right thumb up, “once we deal with... this long-running case.”

“I'm glad you're optimistic,” Optimus smiled under his battle mask, which then folded into the grooves of his helmet. “But I called you all not only to hear how the preparations are going.” The Prime squeezed out a smile, but it turned out to be kind of completely sad. “There is something that cannot be hidden anymore. You all remember what happened six months ago when we beat Shockwave.”

“We captured Megatron and now can finally get rid of him,” the red-yellow Autobot suggested sympathetically.

“Don’t rush, young friend,” Optimus stopped him, “we will return to Megatron a bit later.” He sighed, remembering: “That bomb that almost detonated... I was then strongly irradiated...”

“Yes, but it's over now!” Rodimus tried to cheer him up.

“Unfortunately no. That electromagnetic field changed the polarity of my spark, now it is decaying.” In the tense silence, Optimus Prime quietly announced, “I'm dying.”

“What?!”

“No!”

“How???”

“It's impossible! Cannot be!”

“Calm down!” the Prime raised his right servo, calling for silence. Already accustomed to such things people fell silent, but one could feel how a mixture of emotions of fear, indignation, regret, grief boils in them... “I understand your feelings and value them dearly. But this should not lead us astray. The war is not over yet, Cybertron is only recovering, and” his gaze fell on Rodimus “we still have a serious mission ahead of us. Please, pull yourselves together.”

“Yeah-yeah, the mission...” he held out, drilling the metal table with eyepieces and his sad reflection in it. This news shocked everyone. Rodimus wanted to close his optics, shake his helm, and look back at the Prime to see a smile on his faceplates. That he was just kidding. Badly, viciously, but still joking. But alas, Optimus's face was still serious.

The Magnus sat as if struck by lightning. Is his commander... is dying? How can it be? He hid it for so long?.. Damn Shockwave and his experiments! Why did Optimus do it back then... Eternal heroic self-sacrifice... What will happen next? How will they be without him?

Only the medics present knew the truth, and for a very long time.

“In connection with this,” the Prime continued, “there is one more thing that needs attention. As you can guess, the matter of my successor.”

The shocked Rodimus looked up again. No... it can't be... Already?..

“After Megatron’s arrest and the declaration of victory, something has changed. The Matrix of Leadership in my chest turned cold. It closed from me everything that shared for millennia. Perhaps we have chosen the wrong path, or maybe... my mission has already been completed.”

“I don’t understand…” Prowl drawled slowly, his eyepieces narrowed incredulously. “How is it, the Matrix is closed from you?”

“I myself do not fully understand. It is cold, it is silent... But the strangest thing is, it reacts to the presence of the one it chose as the next Prime.”

“And who is it?”

“Megatron.”

There was a completely deafening silence. All the participants in the meeting literally turned to stone: some from fear, some from surprise, some from... disgust.

“What…” Rodimus winced in disgust.

“M-megatron?” Prowl repeated slowly. His gaze scanned Prime's faceplates in hopes of catching something suggestive of a bad joke, but as with the first statement, his inner search systems found nothing of the sort.

“Wow, how so…” Velocity muttered, speaking more to herself than to those who were nearby. Ratchet hid face in his hands, and Wheeljack and Perceptor exchanged a few barely audible phrases. Rodimus looked completely lost, it seemed to him as if the whole world was falling apart.

“Why Megatron?” finally decided to ask Ultra Magnus, leaning forward slightly.

“I don’t know,” Optimus shook his helm, “but it is so. The Matrix reacts to his presence, it answers him, as it once answered me. It is hard to explain…”

“And you try!” suddenly loudly exclaimed Rodimus, immediately drawing attention to himself. He had never allowed himself to raise his voice to Optimus, but now felt a genuine desire to yell. “This is just delirium of a madman! It cannot be! For the Matrix of Leadership to choose as the next bearer this... this... This Decepticon Darkspawn!”

“Rodimus!” Ultra Magnus slammed his massive palm down on the table with a clang. At any other time the young red-yellow Autobot would have shut up immediately, but now he was too dumbfounded, if not angry. The recent fear for Optimus has receded into the background.

“No, Magnus! Megatron is a criminal who has to be destroyed immediately!” Rodimus jumped to his pedes. “We have been suffering for half a year with this very useless trial, and now you say that this tyrant will become the new Prime of Cybertron? How can this even be?! Well now I... I just...”

“You will shut up now, sit down and listen to me to the end!” the Prime snarled at him. “I will not tolerate such behavior either from my apprentice or from anyone else.”

Rodimus's legs gave way of their own accord, and he slowly sank into his chair as if he had been hit hard on the helm, but still managed to mutter: "This is wrong."

When the passions subsided a little, Optimus continued:

“I perfectly understand each and every one of you, but this is how the circumstances developed, our actions to this. Look at yourselves: you crave reprisal against those who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their people. The members of the new Senate cannot agree with each other... The Autobots and Decepticons have switched roles! I know Megatron in a completely different way, and now, looking back, I myself understand how much a person that was being rejected can change. You all know that Megatron is a Point One Percenter and he wants to change. I am ready to give him this chance.”

“How?” asked the hitherto silent Wheeljack.

“He will join the Lost Light crew to search for Cyberutopia. The Knights, if they exist, will judge us fairly. And if they are not more than a myth, we will still understand how sincere Megatron's intentions are to help us.”

“Slag, no!” Rodimus protested immediately. “This is my mission! And besides, Megatron cannot be allowed on the ship without armed guard. He'll ruin everything!”

“Dangerous. In your opinion, all these modifications that Shockwave added to him are not enough? What can he do... Remote cyber connection with a cruiser's on-board computer, force fields generation... what else?” Prowl tinkled with two digits, addressing Ratchet, but the medic didn’t react, and the officer again turned his attention to the leader: “And having received the Matrix and freedom, Megatron... Unicron dammit, I don’t know what he can do!”

“Too true," Perceptor agreed grimly.

“Therefore, he shouldn’t know anything.” Optimus's calm voice sounded like a thunderous rumble to everyone. The audience fell silent again at the same time, for the third time.

“How's that?..” the restless Rodimus blinked his optics several times. Perceptor and Wheeljack looked at each other in confusion. Ratchet frowned in displeasure, guessing where this was going.

“It is necessary to temporarily put him into stasis, then I can transfer the Matrix,” Optimus joined his palms and leaned forward slightly, leaning his elbows on the table, “Megatron will not know what is under his chest armor until a certain moment.”

“Optimus…” the chief medic began quietly.

“The key word is ‘a certain moment’, ”Ultra Magnus put in.

“Right,” Prowl said, “there’s no guarantee that he won’t just… look.”

“Indeed,” Rodimus said angrily, “and if suddenly he starts seeing all sorts of visions and also hear voices… It happened to you, right? I don't need a psycho co-captain... No one will be happy to have... a psycho on board.”

“That's why I need you all to watch him closely,” Optimus pointed in turn at him, Magnus and the medics. Outwardly, the Prime didn’t succumb to emotions, although his spark was restless. The comrades are undoubtedly right. “The so-called Fool’s energon will hold back his power, Megatron will think that he has become weaker, and won’t dare to attack anyone. But if the Matrix really does have any effects on him...”

“Like putting pressure on his conscience, if he has one?” the red-yellow Autobot, leaning back in his seat, couldn’t resist a malicious laugh, but immediately stopped under the stern gaze of the Prime and muttered softly: “Sorry.”

“Optimus, is this really necessary?” for Prowl, the information he received still didn't fit into his CPU. One statement he heard was worse than the other. “If it really needs to be, he can fly with the Lost Light crew without the Matrix. Although I am against both cases.”

“Maybe,” the leader didn't argue, “but if the Matrix chose him as the next Prime… how can we deny the will of Primus? Maybe this is a chance to finally end this pointless confrontation?”

“You're exaggerating,” Prowl said quietly.

“Enough,” the Prime snapped, forcing the security officer to freeze, “as the chosen bearer of the Matrix of Leadership, I have every right to choose a successor. In the past, the Senate could propose possible candidates, but the last decision was always with the current Prime. And so it will be.”

Rodimus was visibly sad. Hot Rod has always been Optimus's favorite protégé and was preparing to someday become the new Prime... even has already changed his name... Not that he wanted to overcome his mentor, not at all. Rodimus respected and even loved him as a family, but... now what if it is? Megatron will be the new Prime? The same Megatron who was going to be sentenced to death... will now become the new leader of Cybertron? This is all not true, some kind of nonsense.

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After laying out his plan in detail, Optimus announced the end of the meeting and permissibly waved his right servo:

“On this we will finish, everyone may go.” People, talking quietly, began to rise from their seats. Holding his gaze on the large blue-white Autobot, the Prime called softly: “Ultra Magnus, please stay a couple more minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” again heading for the leader, Magnus almost collided with Prowl, who muttered something like: "Should have killed him sooner..."

Optimus waited for the door to close behind the last person to leave, and got up from the table. Magnus waited patiently.

“I have a request for you, Minimus. An unofficial one.”

“I'm listening,” Ultra Magnus nodded. Calling by name really indicated that the commander wanted to ask for something personal. They have always been good friends and comrades in arms, and Minimus Ambus, aka Ultra Magnus, was always ready to help his comrades. Or, at the very least, do his best. Just like he would wish to help Prime with his condition now, if he knew how. But this is hardly a question... so what it is about?

“Megatron.” Optimus simply said, carefully observing his subordinate’s reaction. The Magnus armor’s faceplates remained unchanged, but Minimus's spark skipped a beat. “You represented him very worthily in court, and there is no one else to entrust this with. You need to keep an eye on him during your journey. I'm afraid he might... do something ill-considered.”

“Betray us, for example?”

“No…” the Prime shook his head and quickly added, “I hope not.” He walked around the table and stood at the window, from where there was a rather beautiful view of Iacon, illuminated by the setting sun. “Megatron is strong, extraordinarily strong and smart, that's a fact... But he... is also confused... lost hope for everything. He regrets, and by seeking to prove that he has changed, hoping to protect others, he may expose himself to unnecessary risks.”

Magnus nodded in understanding and, walking up to Optimus on the right, quietly clarified:

“Are you afraid he may start seeking death?”

“Yes.”

Their gazes met. Minimus understood his friend's fears, he himself once... Ultra Magnus never talked about this, but in the past there was some understanding between him and Megatron... The Decepticon leader even suggested Magnus unite, but he was faithful to the Autobot ideals... he himself urged Megatron to stop. Extinguished a strange feeling of personal resentment when the Decepticon also refused.

“You are one of those whom he sincerely respects and will listen to.”

“I'll look after him, Optimus,” Ultra Magnus finally said confidently, confirming his words with a nod, “You have my word.” And quickly added, “I'll look after them all.”

“I know, my friend, thank you.” Optimus handed him a servo, and Ultra Magnus shook it. “Well, I'm not delaying you anymore. Will let you know when to come today. Your presence will be... desirable.”

Ultra Magnus looked away. He realized that it was about the transfer of the Matrix. Whatever they come up with. Putting Megatron into stasis... he only hoped it wouldn't harm the former Decepticon leader. Ratchet and his team must not let this happen.

“How are you feeling?” He asked before leaving.

Optimus smiled sadly in response.

“Just like the last six months. Don't worry, I'll still be among those who will welcome your triumphant return.”

“Catch you on that.” Magnus tried to grin, but the result was a bitter smile. Therefore, he decided not to linger any longer and left the conference room. Optimus contemplated the city for some time... In a few hours it will happen... Very soon.

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In the evening at the appointed time Optimus stood in front of the force field, behind which was Megatron's holding cell. The silver mech was still sitting on the floor against the wall, legs tucked in and helm down. The only one who could be equal to the Prime now looked broken, defeated, detached from everything that happened... and just waitied for his end. It hurt Prime to see Megatron like that. It is good that the leader of the Autobots could hide all emotions behind the battle mask, and he learned to mask his voice long ago. And again this feeling of warmth in the chest arises every time the red-blue transformer is nearby. The Matrix for unexplained reasons reacts to Megatron... The Prime is drawn to him, whether it be the artifact’s influence or his own feelings.

You have a difficult path ahead of you, he thought as he ran the left servo across his own chest, I can't help you if you keep pushing me away.

“Megatron,” he called in a cold, neutral voice. It is necessary to remain a strong leader, here and now the future of their race is being decided. Optimus is not sure if he has the right to do this, but they both have done enough in the past, made fateful decisions... After all, why not do it again? “I am willing to give you a chance to atone for your atrocities.”

My atrocities... These words slammed into the audials like an energy blade into the spark. The Decepticon's sensors immediately detected the Autobot leader's presence even before he approached the power fence, but Megatron didn’t dare raise his helm. He was afraid that Prime would now refuse him, destroy all his hopes, block the only way to somehow justify the actions of his soldiers, once oppressed strata of society, but...

Megatron raised his helm in surprise as the gazes of his worst enemies met. No, there are no enemies, the former leader of the Decepticons reminded himself, there is only the winner - he, and the defeated - me.

“You will join the crew of the Lost Light as the co-captain. Your task is to find the Knights of Cybertron, if they really exist. The rest will depend on their decision. That's all I can offer you, old friend.”

Megatron was torn by conflicting feelings. On the one hand, he felt relief - his request was granted, now it’s not for the enemies to pass judgment... If the Knights exist. But there is no guarantee that they will judge with an open mind, that they won’t side with the Autobots, that they won’t say that the nonentities from Tarn generally needed to stay where they were. And, nevertheless, this is a chance... to add that initially they fought for a just cause, so that at least generations of the future would not repeat those mistakes... Which is unlikely.

On the other hand, the former Decepticon leader wanted to scream, he wanted to rush at Optimus with shouts: ‘How dare you ?! Who are you to judge us? Have you ever been in our place? Do you know what it was like for us?!! ”

“Thank you,” he choked out and looked straight ahead. No, no need need to give in to these emotions. The truth is not on his side and never will be. Rampage will do nothing. External threats to the planet haven’t disappeared. He feels something inexplicable, it is somewhere out there, lurking, waiting... A danger that others do not feel. Although... maybe it just seems to him... and it was all in vain.

“Megatron?”

Contrary to the silver transformer's expectations, his former enemy was still standing by the cell. What else does he want? Without waiting for a reaction, Optimus spoke again:

“Hypothetically... If you had the opportunity to become a leader, to take responsibility for the entire Cybertron... for a better future: without wars, where all citizens are given equal rights... but at the same time to lose a part of yourself... Would you do it?”

The silver transformer frowned. Weird question. Probably a trick. What does Prime want to hear? How much has Megatron revised his outlook on life? Will he start a new war as soon as he gains freedom? Some believe that it is not the past, but the present is important, others - that we are our past... And who is right? Everything is subjective... Megatron from the pre-war past, having met his present self, would have shouted with horror: ‘You are not me! I don’t want to be you!’ If he could go back in time... what would he do? It's a pity, there is no such opportunity anyway...

The Prime, nevertheless, for some reason is waiting for an answer. And, apparently, some definite one, otherwise he would have left long ago. But Megatron won’t play these games, come what may.

“Only if extremely serious circumstances demanded it,” the former Decepticon's voice dropped to almost a whisper. “And... if I had a choice – then no. Never again.”

“Hmm… At least fair enough…” Optimus didn't seem to like the answer, but the Autobot leader left no comments on that. “Tomorrow you will be released, in three days with the crew you’ll be on your way.”

He knew it was time to leave, but pedes seemed to be rooted to the floor. How he wanted to turn off the force field, enter the cell, hug, tell the whole truth... As if this confession could fix something... But in the end everything would have gotten even worse. Better to let Megatron not know what is happening inside Optimus’s spark, let him not guess as long as possible about what will happen very soon...

During their journey Magnus will do everything possible to keep Megatron away from unjustified risks and stupidity, and Megatron will look after Rodimus and the rest of the team, not letting them to get into trouble. It won’t be easy for them all. Optimus kind of wants to fly with them, but he can't. He must keep the face of a Prime, no one should have guessed that another has become the bearer of the Matrix... It is necessary to prevent sharp confrontations in the Senate and somehow maintain stability. And what will happen after the Lost Light returns... no matter how long the expedition took. Well, let them come back first. On the way, Prime checked his internal chronometer. Soon, if Prowl won’t disobey orders. Less than an hour left...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

After Optimus left, Megatron stared blankly at the forcefield for a while. There were no thoughts in his head, the CPU seemed to refuse to work under the weight of the emotional burden. Allowed... This is a chance for him and all the Decepticons. And at the same time, HOW Megatron got this opportunity. After such a thing his fellows will turn away from him. The Prime humiliated him. And once, supposedly, he offered peace... Here it is, the so-called Autobot ‘peace’... Megatron knew this from the very beginning. And now he is alone... How will he fulfill the mission, being among those who hate him? They will decide to kill him and make everything look like it was Megatron who wanted to betray them... And no one will help...

And just as Megatron thought about it, four holes formed in the ceiling with a metallic click, from which red flickering beacons appeared, emitting an amplifying high-frequency sound... crashing into the audio sensors.

Megatron with a cry grabbed his helm, which, as it seemed to him, would now simply shrink, as if from the influence of strong gravity, the cell in front of his optics began to rotate, there were video interference, his frame fell limply to the floor.

Already on the verge of consciousness, Megatron made out someone's pedes... voices... There were several of them. They turned him over on his back, lifted him up, put him on some surface and took him somewhere. Megatron tried to focus his gaze, but couldn't. Who they were - he didn’t know. And only at the very last moment a painfully familiar red-blue silhouette appeared in his view. A strong servo sank onto his shoulder.

“I'm sorry, my friend, but this is necessary.”

So this is the end, flashed in Megatron’s CPU, and everything faded.

He was taken straight to the prison medical bay. For the guards, the defense systems activation was so unexpected that no one particularly began to wonder why the Prime returned so suddenly, and even accompanied by his first officers and the legendary medic. It cannot be said that someone from the security service was sincerely worried about the injured prisoner, especially if it was Megatron, and yet, similarly, such an incident is a serious stain on reputation. The Prime said that he will deal with this later.

Megatron was moved from the gurney to the medical slab, devices monitoring for his vital functions were connected to his frame, and Ratchet immediately ordered the two medics, whose shift was that evening, to leave immediately. The mechs didn’t dare to disobey. When the door closed behind them, Prowl locked the lock, and Ratchet checked Megatron's vital signs just in case. The Decepticon was weak due to long voluntary starvation. It is unknown how he will survive the union with the Matrix, but it is too late to retreat.

“Well, let's get this over with as soon as possible…” Ratchet manually opened Megatron's chest plates, filling the entire room with a bright green light emanating from the spark chamber. Green light, not blue. This shocked Optimus’s student. He had heard of such an anomaly, but thought it were just fairy tales and legends. No one will just show reveal their spark to another.

“Green spark!” Rodimus's optics became twice as large, and the jaw involuntarily fell off. “I've never seen such a thing before.”

“He is a Point One Percenter, there were very few of them before the war, and now there are almost none left,” Ultra Magnus, standing on his left, answered him in a low voice.

“I thought it was just a name... So yours is green too?” Rodimus looked at the tall blue- white Autobot in surprise. He silently nodded in response, and the red-yellow transformer just barely squeezed out: “Wow...”

Optimus Prime approached the silvery-gray frame that lay motionless on the medical slab and opened his own chest plates, revealing the Ancient artifact, partially covering his spark, emitting a blinding blue-white soft light. As he approached, the Decepticon's spark pulsed with increasing frequency, and the devices connected to his frame began to emit warning signals. But the Prime didn’t think to stop: it’s now or never. He removed the Matrix from his own chest and brought it to Megatron's open chest plates, holding it half a meter above the Decepticon’s spark chamber. The Matrix glowed and rang, and continued to hang in the air as the Prime lowered servos.

Megatron’s spark fought more and more and flared up more, literally attracting an ancient artifact to itself. Appliances around exploded with loud squeaks, due to the power surge lamps on the ceiling blinked. Rodimus and Prowl retreated, Magnus and Ratchet only shielded themselves from the bright light, and only Optimus didn’t move, carefully watching what was happening.

“I hope someday you will be able to understand and forgive me for placing this burden on you…” he whispered, looking as the Matrix, which had existed for so long in his frame, slowly moves into the frame of another. Now Optimus felt as if he had lost a part of himself, and at the same time there came a kind of relief, the burden of responsibility for the entire race seemed to be no longer so heavy. Now this burden will be borne by another...

Megatron's chest plates closed, the Decepticon's frame shuddered and froze. Those present also didn’t move, simply not knowing what to do. Megatron was alive, it was recorded by the life support systems, but... what next? Rodimus was the first to break the silence, whose voice literally brought the others out of their stupor.

“Did it work?” he squeezed out not very confidently. The red-yellow Autobot couldn't figure out whether to be happy or vice versa. If the Matrix accepted Megatron, then for Optimus’s student this is something like a personal insult, but on the other... the death of the Decepticon leader wouldn’t bring him satisfaction here and now either.

“Seems so,” Ratchet checked Megatron's vital signs again. “Fields are stabilizing. It will take some time, but... Apparently, everything went well.”

Magnus couldn't help smiling, Rodimus swore faintly, and Prowl clenched his denta and fists in displeasure. Optimus, standing next to him for a few more seconds, leaned over to Megatron, gently stroked his chest plates, as if calming and checking, after that he said quietly:

“From now on you are Megatronus Prime... The future of Cybertron depends on you...”

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron didn’t know where he was, but didn’t feel any sense of fear either. He floated in emptiness, frame seemed completely weightless... Golden streams twist around him, and in front was a pure calm blue-white light. Bright, but at the same time doesn’t blind the optics, you can calmly look ahead without fear of burning the optical sensors.

“You have realized everything...”

It was his voice... and at the same time, not his. A strange echo... Disorientation... Feeling that someone or something is watching over him, as if protecting him... The feeling of safety... so forgotten and pleasant... He hasn’t experienced it for a long time...

“You know suffering, you hurt others in the past, you want to change...”

I do, flashed in Megatron’s CPU. We wanted them to hear us... but everything went wrong... I am sorry... I don’t deny guilt... and want everything to be fair...

“Then prove yourself...” the voice seemed to hear his thoughts. “Prove the sincerity of your aspirations... Time will tell if you are worthy of me.”

The emptiness was suddenly replaced by a multi-colored sunset sky, around a cloud, two moons high above... And far, far below Megatron saw a city... Big, prosperous, safe... restored. Tarn, for some reason Megatron knows that this is his hometown Tarn... The war can only end if the terms of the peace agreement are equal... But will they want to... will they understand... Peace is impossible till...

“...till all are one...”

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) Interstellar OST - Main Theme; (Optimus' thoughts and memories)

2) Mustafa Avşaroğlu - Though Nothing Will Keep Us Together; (Optimus reflections)

3) The Hobbit OST - On The Doorstep; (Megatron's thoughts)

4) Mass Effect 3 Leviathan DLC OST - The Leviathan; (the meeting)

5) Transformers: The Last Knight OST - We Have To Go; (Optimus and Magnus)

6) Mustafa Avşaroğlu - Leave Me Alone; (Optimus and Megatron talking)

7) Transformers: Age of Extinction OST - Decision; (the Matrix’s transference)

8) Efisio Cross - If You Fall I Will Carry You (Megatron’s vision)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron stood among clouds and watched the sunset. It was calm and good. He didn’t think how he got here and why, he just watched the sun go down, beautifully illuminating the clouds, life boiling far below him in the huge city...

“Are you willing to risk your life for those who despise you and want you dead?”

“Traitor! You betrayed us all...”

“…and in the end you will end up where you started. Think if it was worth it.”

“At least I'll die a Decepticon.”

“Why change sides? Who are you now?”

“A lost spark...”

“I’m still on your side, Lord Megatron…”

“It's not about you, it's about our people. They need you, Megatronus...”

“...go down into the Cybertron’s core...”

“Megatron Ambus... Sounds cool if you ask me!”

“The question is not about regrets, but about what was the reason.”

“Optimus, no! Do not do that!!!”

“Let your spark be given to another, our connection will live... in memories...”

“At this point only the Matrix doesn’t let his spark fade away... As if Megatron himself refuses to regain consciousness.”

“Come on, co-captain! You are a Point One Percenter, you are a Prime! You guys are strong... Wake up, you hear me?! Don't you dare to leave us! We cannot lose you too...”

“Fool’s energon has nothing to do with it. It was you... you were always in control. Without even knowing it.”

“Come back to us, Megatron... come back to me...”

“Minimus...”

These voices, including his own... They are familiar... But also are so far away... Whatever happens where they come from, it doesn’t concern him. Here and now there is only serenity and peace.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Suddenly came from behind. Megatron was dumbfounded, for a moment it seemed as if all his internal systems had ceased to function. This voice... No, it can't be...

He turned slowly, barely suppressing an exclamation of surprise. A large, red and gray Manual Class mech stood ten feet away. Megatron’s height, outwardly also very similar to him, massive armor with yellow-black stripes, two searchlights on his helm... Shocked Menatron reset his optics several times and cautiously took a step back.

“Terminus...”

“Haven’t forgotten your old friend,” the miner opened up his servos in greeting, inviting to embrace in a friendly way, but the Decepticon leader didn’t move.

“You can't be here...”

“Here...” Terminus repeated the last word, looked around and specified with a hint: “And here is where? Do you know where we are and how we got to this place?”

“No… I don't…” Megatron rubbed his faceplates. He tried to remember, but couldn't. Images and thoughts eluded him. However, something has happened... something very important. Just... what exactly?

“And I don’t know either,” the comrade from the past suddenly agreed, “but if so, why shouldn't I be here just like you?”

“Yep,” Megatron was in no hurry to agree.

“You still doubt my words,” Terminus put servos on his belt and nodded knowingly several times, “you have always been much smarter than they initially thought you were. It was too late to realize what spark they missed. You weren't supposed to be among us.”

Megatron looked away. What to say now. He shouldn't have... Yes, no one should have lived like this... This is what he originally tried to convey to society with his writings. And what in response... what in the end...

A prison cell appeared in memory, radiators in the ceiling, his frame felt like shrinking, then the unknown appeared... So that's it? Is it over? I didn't even understand how... If all this is true, then there is no need to be afraid. Although... what's next? Where is Unicron, who would drag him into his dark world of horror and suffering. Probably it will appear soon.

“So this... and you... Is that all not real?" Megatron jerked his helm and looked around, circling everything around with trembling servos. “This is all... This...”

“You are not dead, if that’s what you mean,” Terminus interrupted him, from what the Decepticon fell silent in mid-sentence, “do not rush into the Well of Sparks, my friend, there is an important mission ahead to save our race. Finding the Knights is just the first step.”

“Knights?” Megatron frowned, suddenly memories began to roll over him one by one. A task after which everything will be decided what will happen to the Decepticons and to him personally. He asked Optimus himself, and Prime allowed...

“Do not turn away from the intended goal, and everything will work out.”

Megatron shook his helm.

“You think so? They hate me. How can we even be a team... It was a stupid idea. What do I do?”

“Show them that you and them are on the same side, become for them a leader whom they will respect. It’s not easy, but if you don’t do it, you’ll fail everything at all.”

Megatron was just about to ask a question, but the sun creeping beyond the horizon suddenly flashes brightly, and Terminus’s figure dissolves into a stream of tiny blue sparks.

“No! Wait!” Megatron lunged for him, but the flash blinded him completely. He just had to closed his optics with servos and turned away.

“But I'll be there and guide you if you go astray.” His voice fades. “Follow your spark and remember, Megatron, you are not alone...”

“Terminus! Terminus, come back! No!”

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

“No... Terminus...”

“He's coming to his senses," announced a voice to his left and a bit above.

Megatron abruptly opened his metal eyelids and found that the walls of some room had grown out of nowhere around him, and several painfully familiar mechs were leaning over him. Those whom he wouldn’t want to see.

“Calm down, kid,” the red and white medic said. He imperiously, but not painfully, pressed Megatron's shoulders, keeping him in a supine position, “do not make sudden movements, or you will fall into stasis again.”

Megatron’s eyepieces became round. He also liked that ‘kid’ thing , but compared to Ratchet, all in present could have been considered to sparklings by age. Wait... How did Ratchet get here?

“Do you recognize us?” the medic spoke again, of course not having heard the mute question. “Do you remember your name?”

“Megatron… Megatron of Tarn…” he managed, completely unaware of what was happening. Optics still malfunctioned, but gradually returned to normal. He felt exhausted, and at the same time, something life-giving was felt in his chest, right under the armor. It was pleasant and frightening at the same time. But attempts to scan his own frame didn’t give any suspicious results, except that HUD showed a low energy level: 23%, as well as a new flow of life-giving fluid entering his lines. An IV... Again? It happened before... Megatron turned off the HUD and again dimmed his optics, remaining motionless. The feeling was as if he had been released from a huge press.

“Memory is intact, good,” Ratchet stated and turned to someone outside of Megatron's view: “About an hour more, and we can go.”

“Cool! I’ll go on an excursion around the territory so far… ”the familiar voice of Rodimus exclaimed with obvious sarcasm, which made Megatron, still poorly aware, with difficulty suppress the urge to moan. And this one is here too... The Decepticon’s sensors detect presence of several more people near him, but it was difficult to determine. Still clutter...

“You and Prowl go back to the Citadel now, and we will all return by another transport,” sternly said the low baritone that belonged to his once enemy. To the former enemy? Where did he come from?

Megatron tried to at least raise himself, but his legs and arms didn’t obey, as if something was holding them.

“What…” the Decepticon managed to raise his helm and saw that his limbs were held by magnetic restrains. Although not immediately, he still recognized the prison medical bay...

“Quiet, lie still, “Ratchet appeared next to him again, “your condition is not stable yet, it was a necessary measure...” He coughed in embarrassment and looked away. “We didn't know what... the first reaction would be when you wake up.”

“What does all this mean?..” Megatron became very scared. “What did you do?..”

There was a bad silence, during which the Decepticon already managed to imagine what things the Autobots could do to him. He again diagnosed his frame’s condition, but found nothing suspicious except for a low percentage of energon. However, this silent pause led to bad thoughts. Suddenly, Optimus approached the slab, face hidden behind the battle mask as usual, and his attentive blue optics focused on the red ones drilling him with suspicion.

“We didn’t do anything, Megatron,” he began, as always, in a confident firm voice, “the security system failed, and it let to the suppression systems activation… You passed out and were brought here for medical care. But as it turned out, your systems were severely depleted from another long period of energy starvation. Try to remember...”

He tried... From the events of the last hours only some scraps remained in his memory: first Prime's visit, then emitters in the ceiling, vague figures... fall... green light of his own spark, warm blue-white light... Then he saw a long-dead comrade... That made no sense.

“And you? What are you doing here then?” Megatron from some side believed the Prime, but still, something didn’t work out in this story. Now he made out Ultra Magnus, Rodimus and Prowl standing at a distance. These five are a wow rescue team...

Rodimus just opened his mouth, obviously intending to sarcastically as usual, but Ultra Magnus, taking the red and yellow Autobot by the shoulders, easily lifted him and moved to the left, then came closer to the slab as well:

“We've come to get you from here. But there was a failure in the security systems.” His faceplate expressed sincere regret. “It was... It shouldn't have happened. Wish you didn’t have to go through this.”

Rodimus stood where the Magnus put him, and only gazed blankly with his optics. Prowl, catching his stunned look on himself, only spread the servos. Megatron tried to move again, clenched his fists, but said nothing. What for? They won't listen to him. But…

“If you promise to behave, I will release you," Ratchet promised unexpectedly. The surprised Decepticon reset his optics, and the doctor, pointing his left index finger at his chest, explained: “This means: do not attack, do not try to pull out the IV or disconnect the wires, lie still until the energon level reaches normal. Agreed?”

“Do I have a choice?” the Decepticon asked.

“Ratchet...” Prowl began uncertainly, but fell silent under the senior medic’s gaze, who had already turned to Megatron:

“Yes. And you know the options.”

Almost all the time in Autobots’ prison, the Decepticon received moctly conditions and threats in his address. He experienced this before, the good old pre-war days. However, Ratchet's voice was more of a familiar irritation than a desire to intimidate. Although Megatron is already scared, and now resigned to the situation. They will have to try harder to make him fear more...

“Then I promise,” the Decepticon said wearily, looking up at the ceiling.

For a moment a barely perceptible smile was reflected on Ratchet's lips... Or was it just seemed to Megatron? The medic walked over to the console on the right, pressed a series of buttons, and the magnetic restrains holding the Decepticon on the slab opened by themselves. Surprisingly, none of those present said another word.

“Thank you,” Megatron squeezed out, still aloof, but mentally he was grateful to the medic.

Megatron spent the next hour or so in the infirmary under Ratchet's care. Rodimus and Prowl left earlier at the behest of Optimus, and another transport was sent to pick up the others, including Megatron. They will go to the main Citadel of Iacon, the remaining time before the space expedition Megatron will live there, but not as a prisoner. This shocked him, to say the least. As well as sudden release ahead of schedule.

“You said tomorrow,” he remembered to Prime before Ratchet insisted that both the leader and Ultra Magnus go out the door and not make his patient even more nervous.

“Tomorrow or a few hours earlier... what's the difference?” he grinned, expecting that Megatron would smile too, but this didn’t happen. Then the Autobot leader simply nodded and announced that the transport would be here at the appointed time. And he left, not wanting to argue with Ratchet, although he so wanted to stay.

“Something has changed in him..." Megatron muttered to himself as the metal doors closed behind the red and blue transformer.

“What are you talking about?” Ratchet was somewhat surprised.

“I don’t know…” Megatron shook his helm. “Prime is not the same as he was a couple of hours ago I can’t detect anything, but... Something is not right.”

“It just seems to you,” the medic hastened to assure him, doing his best not to show concern. Megatron, although he doesn’t suspect, but already feels something... Sooner or later he will find out the truth, and then what can happen...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The transport that arrived was very different from the vehicles Megatron had seen since he was back here. Those were large military shuttles, armored, with weapons... He was also taken to prison in one of these... and every time to a new court session as well. But the car waiting for them was not at all like that. An elongated streamlined frame, three small wings at the rear where the engine was located, darkened windows, shiny white metal reflecting the light of the lanterns and windows of the main prison building.

Beautiful, nobles had traveled on such transports before, Megatron noted to himself, it’s not for nothing that they say that everything new is well forgotten old. Megatron turned to look at the two heavily armored armed bots at the main entrance and glanced at the guard next to the transport. The last thing the Decepticon could have expected was that the mode of travel would be... like this.

It was already dark outside, only the last streaks of sunset were melting on the horizon. Megatron wiggled his cuffed wrists. A small blocker was also mounted in his back, which didn’t allow transforming. With his new fighter jet alt mode, Megatron could easily take off into the clouds... if he wanted to. But he didn't want anything anymore.

“Come on,” Optimus pointed towards the transport. The Decepticon complied. Why now and not in the morning? Is Prime afraid that this could happen again? On the other hand, it’s in their interests to get rid of him as soon as possible. Slag Prime, what kind of game are you playing?..

The doors of the transport opened by themselves, inviting to enter. The guard saluted... Prime or Magnus... maybe both... no difference. It was bright and clean inside, with two long seats facing each other, and there was still enough room between them. Luxurious... This is how you live, Autobots, Megatron thought bitterly, at Prime’s gesture getting into the transport first. Optimus took a seat to his left, Ultra Magnus was in front of him, and Ratchet next to the Magnus.

The doors closed almost silently, the engines rustled barely, and the car drove off. They were released through the large massive gate, Megatron still managed to notice the saluting guards, and the transport began to speed up. The speed was almost not felt, only the dark landscapes outside the window quickly replaced each other. It turns out that the prison was not in the city, but far beyond its borders. Megatron didn’t know this. When the next trial took place, he was taken out of the cell, escorted to a closed armored shuttle, then the trip, and released only in the courthouse. The Decepticon leaned wearily against the window, for he hadn’t seen the sky a very long time.

Optimus pressed some button on a panel in the wall, and a small table appeared right from the floor, then from Prime he pulled out four cubes of energon from the compartment in it and placed it in front of everyone, including himself. Megatron sensed this action with peripheral vision, but did not react in any way.

“How are you feeling?” Ratchet turned to him. In response there was only silence. “Megatron?” The medic called again. “I asked how are you feeling.”

“And is it important at all?” He responded wearily, still propping up the window with his helm.

“Yes, it is.” Ratchet's voice sounded louder and angrier.

The Decepticon straightened up and, staring gloomily at the medic, stated with the same indifference:

“Then everything is fine.”

“Yeah…” Judging by his intonation, Ratchet didn't believe him.

Megatron locked gaze with Ultra Magnus, the only one of the group who understood him in any way. The commander of the Autobot army was his lawyer, he could have refused, but he didn’t. Honor and honesty have always come first for this' Mech, and Megatron respected that.

After some time they reached the city. First, small buildings and factories appeared, then skyscrapers, well-groomed streets and crystal gardens... and passers-by followed too. There are also more speeders on the road. Megatron moved away from the window in fright, accidentally nearly pushing Optimus. It seemed to the Decepticon that either a stone or a plasma charge was about to fly into their transport. The crowd would shout and demand reprisals against him here and now. At least this scenario, according to Prowl and Rodimus, who often liked to scare him when they met, was possible. Megatron was not genuinely afraid of this, but the instincts of self-preservation had not yet completely left him.

“What’s wrong?” Alarmed Optimus put a servo on his shoulder, and Megatron immediately came to his senses, moved back to his corner and tried to pretend to be as calm as possible.

“Nothing, I… I was just thinking,” he assured.

“Iacon has changed a lot since... ceasefire,” Ultra Magnus suddenly spoke up. “This is one of the first cities to be rebuilt. There will also be others next in line. It's amazing that one could...”

Megatron heard what Magnus was saying, but he didn't listen to the meaning. Only caught that so far nothing has been said about his own Tarn city. He was mentally far away, he was replaying the events of the past, comparing the truth with what the Autobots said at the trial. Crimes against the species... Prime's refusal to discuss the reasons...

“…if you dispute any charges, the trial will drag on for centuries. The public demands to do it right - and I understand that, but I don't think it is in anyone's interest to exhume every detail of our war.”

Definitely not in yours. Megatron squinted at the Prime sitting to his left, but catching his gaze on himself, immediately turned away and stared out the window. He understands everything, the Autobots use the right of winners only because he gave up. Megatron could accept this if not the opponents shouted to left and right that they are fighting for justice. Yes, justice from their point of view. And let's forget the reason at all, people like us don’t have the right to speak. What did I fight for... what did I come to...

“If you want to change the world, start with yourself...”

Yes, a good idea. Megatron clenched his fists, a tremor involuntarily ran through his frame, from frustration and regret it was barely possible to hold back the washer fluid. Only not in front of them... Where to fall below... Shame. What happened to me? I wasn't like that... or was I? Once he dreamed of becoming a medic, helped others in the mines sharing his own energon with exhausted comrades and still had the strength to work... He wrote poetry and essays on various topics... Wanted equality for everyone. But when they are always hostile to you for your views on life, for your opinion, you involuntarily get used to it, you yourself become aggressive and cruel... Attack first, strike for sure, so that the enemy doesn’t get up... and no one dares even think to stab you in the back.

Although no, the Unicron’s traitor Starscream... so that his wings break and the turbines stall forever... Well settled, Senator, I hope you won't last long in your post. Although, knowing your love for power and inability to solve complex problems, your fall is guaranteed. Let's see which of us two deserves pity.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron didn’t understand how unnoticed they got to their destination. It seems like they were just driving down the street, and now the transport is already somewhere in a large underground parking lot, and Prime announces that they have arrived. How did he fall out of reality? What happened? One had only to distract from what was happening... and now...

Ratchet informed that Megatron had passed out on the way, and they decided not to wake him until they got there. The Decepticon immediately felt uncomfortable, but no one, surprisingly, began to judge him or laugh at him. Only the medic thoughtfully suggested that before Megatron go to his new quarters, it was best to first visit the Citadel's medical unitbay. They have better equipment and experienced staff. To which Megatron immediately refused, saying that this was not necessary.

“Okay, just rest for now,” Ratchet backed down, “but tomorrow, after the morning Energon, I'll be waiting for you in the Citadel's medical building. Some one of my colleagues will take you there.”

“I'll do it myself," Ultra Magnus suggested. Ratchet looked at the commander in disbelief and chuckled.

“Acceptable.”

“Excellent,” muttered Megatron, whom they didn’t consider necessary to ask about anything. The large blue and white Autobot took a magnetic key from the subspace and released the Desetpicon's servos, but the transformation blocker remained in place, of course. The Prime then told Megatron to go with him.

All four entered the elevator, the entrance to which was located here on the underground level, Magnus pressed two buttons, and then Ratchet pressed another one. It turned out that they just had to go out on different floors. First, the commander of the Cybertron troops left the elevator, then the grumpy old medic did, and then the last to leave on the right floor were Megatron and Optimus.

“Your quarters is on the same floor as mine,” the Prime told him as they walked down the wide, bright corridor. On the walls there were holographic pictures with projections of different landscapes, cities, portraits... The closed doors in the walls were also richly decorated. “There will be security at the entrance, let them know if you need anything. I promise no one will harm you anymore.”

I don't buy it, Megatron thought. He was very uncomfortable here, and this is only a corridor. It would be nice if they headed not to quarters as such, but just a prison cell, as before... But now he no longer knew what to think. All has changed... He couldn’t understand what it was, but now everything was different. As if you woke up at home with your loved ones, but potentially felt that these were not the same people, and that someone invisible was watching you. This is what Megatron felt, especially when he looked at the former enemy: Optimus is different from the one he was still today, he looks the same, the voice is the same, the appearance... But something is not right. And others now relate to the Decepticon himself... differently.

Seeing two armed black and white Autobots, almost as big as Magnus, only a head smaller in stature, near one of the doors Megatron knew that they had arrived. The guards saluted the Prime, the ruler of Cybertron entered a code on the panel to the right of the door, and the metal doors swung open, lights immediately turned on inside. Optimus stepped aside to let in the new guest, and Megatron walked in first. The leader of the Autobots followed, the doors closed behind him.

“Hope you feel comfortable here.” Optimus circled the space in front of them with his left servo.

The spacious luxury quarters consisted of several rooms: an entrance hall, a living room, a berthroom, and a wash rack. Everything was bright, clean, even richly decorated... There was an entrance to the balcony, all the windows were fenced off by force shields. Well, of course...

“I know you like to read,” when they were in the living room, Optimus went to one of the datashelves and ran his left servo over the datapads on one of them, “here are collected writings on different topics: science fiction, poetry, adventure...” He grinned: “You know, a lot of what you wrote is still kept in my personal collection.”

“Really?” Megatron narrowed his optics in disbelief, but the Prime nodded in confirmation of his words. And then the next question escaped the Decepticon’s vocalizer: “Why?”

“I like your works. Hopefully during this mission you will have inspiration to write something else.”

I'm not going to write anymore, Megatron wanted to say, but restrained himself. He didn’t have the strength to argue with the Prime, he wanted to be left alone as soon as possible, go into recharge, if possible... Therefore, the Decepticon just shrugged his shoulders:

“We’ll see what happens.”

“We’ll see,” Optimus didn’t argue. He went to the closet near the opposite wall and opened it: inside there were ten cubes of dirty pink liquid: “This is a new type of energon, the so-called Fool’s Energon, made specifically to suppress your power. This is necessary for the safety of others. The only kind of energon you can count on.” And, spreading both servos, concluded: “This is the condition, Megatron. The price of your freedom.”

“Fine,” the Decepticon agreed resignedly. Well, now it looks more like the Prime, the Victor. Only he again makes a reservation: what Optimus described doesn’t look very much like freedom.

“Your frame will function as it should. However, the spark power and physical strength will be suppressed. You won't be so quick and won't be able to fly fast. During the mission, the dose rate will be calculated by Ratchet, and he will also monitor your physical condition.

“I said: fine!” Megatron turned away, clenched his fists and shuddered. He didn't want... he shouldn't have raised his voice to the winner. Otherwise Optimus will change his mind. “I heard you, Prime,” he said more calmly, turning to the former enemy.

“Alright,” Optimus nodded, after a short pause. From the silver mech’s behavior was clear that it’s better to leave him alone now, so Prime nodded again and went to the exit. At the door, he stopped and turned back to Megatron: “Tomorrow morning Ratchet will examine you, after that you’ll have an appointment with the therapist named Rung. He is also a member of the Lost Light crew. Based on their conclusions, I can decide if you are ready to lead the mission.”

“And if their conclusions will be unsatisfactory?” clarified Megatron just in case.

Squinting, Optimus moved so close that the thansformers’ chest plates touched. Megatron hardly suppressed the desire to retreat, and Optimus barely restrained himself so as not to flinch: even though he is no longer a carrier of the Matrix of Leadership, the red-blue transformer from experience still managed to feel its energy in the Decepticon's chest. The Matrix has come to life again! From this Optimus felt both joyful and insulting at the same time. Megatron doesn’t even understand, at the moment he is not even able to appreciate this gift... And him? Why so? Not fair…

“Then we'll have to postpone the mission, that's all,” Optimus muttered through the compressed dentas. “But since this is in your best interests, I do not advise you to give them reasons for suspicion. Any more questions?”

Unable to withstand the contact of the optics, Megatron turned away, and the Prime took a step back. Even though now in this glance, he showed who is still in charge here. And without another word, Optimus was gone, leaving Megatron to study the new quarters alone. Three magnetic locks clicked in turn, and everything went quiet.

“U-huh…” Megatron shook his helm and, putting servos on his belt, kicked the air. Medics again... How he doesn’t like them... And once he dreamed of being one. I could go to study, if not for the Unicron damn class system. So many missed opportunities just because someone made a classification error. A Point One Percenter was not supposed to be a miner, but when the truth turned out, Megatron refused, fled, speaking before in defense of the Working Class, he thought that agreeing to Senator Shockwave's proposal would be a betrayal of his friends. But I could have acted differently: agree, find supporters in the High ranks and stand for the interests of the Manual class mechs already at the official level, according to the law. Shockwave could help... And maybe Megatron himself could have saved the senator from the terrible fate...

And he could also become a medic, fulfill his dream...

“What's done is done. Accept this fact and move on.”

“Sounds simple as turning on the light,” Megatron chuckled in time to his inner voice.

He once again he walked through the compartments of his new quarters, in which some noble should have lived. In part, he himself was such by origin. A Point One Percenter in cold-constructed body... A hybrid... A forged spark and a cold-constructed frame. Chosen and forgotten, a symbol of hope and a lost one. Megatron hated himself for his own origin, was afraid of the color and power of his own spark, didn’t like it when someone called him a Point One Percenter aloud. For another, this could be a grace, for Megatron – it’s like a stigma, as if the Primus himself turned away from him from the very beginning.

“You had to see all aspects of that society’s life and how imperfect the system was.”

Shaking his helm, Megatron went to the closet where the cubes of this strange substance called Fool’s Energon were. He took one, opened it, took a sip... His olfactory sensor didn’t catch anything suspicious, but the taste... Megatron grimaced and almost threw the cube on the floor, but changed his mind in time: he closed it and put it back. The feeling was as if used lubricant was added to a normal Energon. Not that Megatron had ever tasted this, no-no, he just imagined how it might feel.

Then he went out onto the balcony surrounded, just like the windows, by a force barrier, behind which the night Iacon was visible. High enough. He didn’t even see what the new Citadel looks like... Some of the Senate live here, and also working political meetings go. Megatron had no doubts that he would still cross paths with the former SIC. If he had known how things would turn out, he would never have accepted the Starscream of Voss into his ranks. Terminus taught Megatron not to get attached... Sometimes he succeeded. But all the same, among the Decepticons there are still those whom he could call if not friends, but at least a special circle of confidants. Starscream was originally one of them.

Terminus... How many vorns have passed... One of the miners, erased from history, once Megatron’s good friend and even mentor. To see him, though in a dream, was extremely unexpected, and, nevertheless, pleasant. Only now Megatron realised how he missed the old comrade...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

“Where are we going?” Megatron whispered as he followed his friend through the dimly lit tunnel.

“Hush,” he turned back and again waved to go further, “you will see. I want to show you something. The main thing is that the guards don’t hear. And almost no one just goes to this part of the mines.”

“Terminus, you're scaring me.”

“Yes well, I myself was scared at first, as I found out, but in a good way.”

Megatron didn't understand at all. To him, the concepts of ‘good way’ and ‘fear’ somehow didn’t fit together.

Finally, the cave expanded, Terminus dragged him behind a pile of stones and, pulling on the servo, sat him on the ground, also sitting next to the mech. Megatron obeyed only out of surprise. Terminus put his digit to his lips once more and handed his friend a datapad extracted from the subspace, which Megatron took on reflexes.

“Check it out?”

“Where did you get it?” Megatron didn’t believe, at first deciding that Terminus wanted to show him a new acquisition.

“Not the point,” the second miner waved off and jabbed his digits at the datapad screen that Megatron was still holding. Every now and then, various information was displayed, the name ‘Megatron’, lines of his writings, as well as... forums where discussions were held.

“Your writings  become popular. I told you, you’ll shake our society!”

“Hoooow...” Megatron couldn’t take his optics off the screen. The friend said that Megatron's writings are read, but... he didn’t think there could be so many readers...

“You write, I distribute. Everything is fair.” Terminus took the datapad from his shocked friend, optics beaming with delight. “We'll do it, Megs. We will make these slag nobles understand that we also have the right to speak for ourselves.”

Megatron smiled broadly. He personally wasn’t outgoing or courageous to actively express his point of view in words, but in writing he did it quite well. Terminus was engaged in publications and PR, but how... Although it’s not very important, the main thing is that he has succeeded. They have succeeded. All this is somehow too... good, albeit dangerous, for he wrote out of stupidity without hiding his real name. Maybe he should have.

“How great it would be if someone else from the nobles would support us as well...”

“Megs...”

“Huh?”

Terminus looked at him with obvious reproach.

“Well, that’s too much: honorable nobles, those who would intercede for us, simple workers, simply do not exist. In any case, I personally haven’t met at least one. And you?”

“Me neither,” the writer admitted sadly. “It's just pipe dreams.” He put his arms around his knees. Terminus is right, the well-fed will not understand the hungry, as they say, and this elite has a lot of its own worries, they have no time to pay attention on some miners. And yet... “Thank you, Terminus... Thank you for everything you do.”

“Well, what else are friends for?”

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron smiled sadly. This was their seventh orbital cycle on Messantine. Half of a vorn before he almost had become a Shadowplay victim. Mnemosurgery… Megatron shuddered. He will never forget grinning Trepan, his voice, his look... For the desire to express his point of view, he was almost turned into a weak-willed drone.

The door lock snapped, then magnetic locks opened one by one, and someone walked in. The guest didn’t hide his presence, and the Decepticon immediately recognized this EM field.

“Megatron?” Called the voice of Ultra Magnus. “Are you there?”

With a sigh, he stepped from the balcony into the living room and met the visitor face to face. Immediately wanted to grin: here he is, an honorable noble, a rare representative of his kind.

“And where else can I be,” Megatron spread servos to the sides. “Where am left, there I stay. What can I do for you, Ultra Magnus?”

“You can call me by name,” allowed the blue and white Autobot, “in an informal setting, titles are not needed.”

And, nevertheless, very few people were allowed to call the commander of the Cybertron’s troops by name. And even more so, Megatron didn’t think that he could address to Prime's assistant like this again. This armor is only a strict, majestic mask, behind it hides a completely different mech with a kind spark.

“As you say, Minimus,” he surrendered. "So... what happened?"

“I brought you something,” Magnus handed him the datapad, “here is all the basic information regarding our future mission: the composition of the crew, the description of the ship, the upcoming route... In general, everything that you, as a future captain, should know on this stage. Optimus will tell you more at the briefing the day after tomorrow. Then you will meet the team personally. Many already know who will be... the ship’s second captain.”

“Rodimus blabbed?”

“Not without it…”

“I see,” Megatron skimmed through the list of members of the expedition, where he himself had already been included, lingering at the image of one mech. Drift... once his loyal follower, bearing the pseudonym Deadlock. A defector... One of those who left their faction. To deal with such ones the Decepticon Justice Division was created. And now Megatron is what... potentially one of them? Great.

“Optimus himself wanted to bring this to you, but it seemed to me...” He coughed somehow uncertainly, “it seemed... that you don’t really want to talk to him.”

I do not want to talk to anyone. You all are too ‘right’, and for you I am someone and something that doesn’t deserve the right to speak for myself.

“Thank you, I'll study it tonight.” Megatron put the data pad on the desktop.

“You’re supposed to rest at night,” Magnus said instructively, styling himself like the eternally disgruntled Ratchet. “You need it especially now. How do you feel?”

“I can and will fulfill my duties,” Megatron went to the window blocked by the force field.

“That's not what I asked,” came with a hint at his back.

“It's okay,” Megatron turned to him. “I've gotten a lot worse in the past, so don't worry.”

Another moment of awkward silence. Magnus knew from the intensity of the interlocutor's field that it was time to leave. He would like to stay, but couldn’t come up with a good reason, and even now it would not be very right to tire Megatron, who knows how great the Matrix’s influence is.

“Well... see you tomorrow then?" He asked uncertainly in a tone completely inappropriate for his title. Then, without waiting for an answer, nodded and headed for the exit. This is Minimus Ambus: a fair and confident commander, at the same time a polite and kind person.

An idea suddenly occurred to Megatron. This may be one of the rare cases when they are alone, he needs to take this opportunity...

“Minimus,” he called, following Magnus into the hallway.

“Yes?” the blue and white mech immediately turned around. Megatron stopped in the passage connecting the living room and the corridor: there was simply no point in coming closer.

“I... I didn't have a chance to thank you for... Well, for being my lawyer. You could well refuse.”

“In theory,” he agreed.

“Why didn't you?”

“Because I couldn’t otherwise,” Ultra Magnus himself approached the Decepticon at the distance of an extended arm. “Megatron, someone else might just not give you a chance. And I had to try.”

“Thank you.” The silver mech averted his confused gaze. “Thank you for being… the way you are. I'm... glad we're going on this mission together.”

Ultra Magnus's right servo jerked slightly: he wanted to touch Megatron's shoulder, wanted to slide over his arm... But what would that mean? He probably would have recoiled. No, it's way too early. Later, when Megatron can trust him, and when Ultra Magnus himself can trust Megatron. There will be another time... He doesn’t want to miss this opportunity anymore.

“Likewise,” the commander of the Cybertron troops smiled slightly. “See you tomorrow, Megatron… Good night.”

“Same to you,” the silver mech squeezed out.

The Magnus left, and the doors clicked again with three locks behind him. Megatron went out onto the balcony again, all wondering: what just happened? They all behave in a strange way. Did their conscience awaken as well? Unlikely. It's just Minimus, unlike Optimus, he remained the same honorable person. Perhaps there really will be at least someone on the ship, who won’t stab him in the back, who can be trusted at least a little.

Back in the living room, Megatron sat down at his desk and began reviewing the data Ultra Magnus had brought to him. This may be his last chance to somehow justify not only himself, but also those who once trusted him. That's the main thing. And it doesn't matter what will happen to him later.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) Interstellar OST - Our World; (vision, Megatron meets Terminus)

2) Mass Effect 3 OST - Squad Selection; (awakening)

3) X-Men: First Class OST - Rage And Serenity; (road to the Citadel)

4) The Theory of Everything OST - A Spacetime Singularity; (Optimus escorts Megatron to the quarters)

5) Limbo OST - Machine Gun Tranquility; (Megatron and Terminus in the past)

6) San Andreas 2015 OST - Divorce Papers; (Ultra Magnus’s visit)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron studied all the data that Ultra Magnus... Minimus Ambus... brought him. The first thing the former Decepticon leader looked at was crew members’ files, that included Ultra Magnus, Rodimus, Ratchet and Deadlock... That is, Drift. Once he came to Megatron, wishing to join the revolutionary movement. And now he decided to take the side of the enemy, return to the old name, as if there were no Decepticons for him at all.

How to behave with him? In the old days, he wouldn’t hesitate to destroy a traitor... It’s Starscream whom was allowed way too much, and the slippery guy used it. It’s probably better, at least for your own safety, not to remind Drift of the old days. Act neutral... Megatron still partly believes in his own righteousness. Partly... Everything in my head got mixed up... I no longer understand where the truth and where the lie is.

With some difficulty letting go of thought about Drift and Starscream, the silver mech began to study the ship’s characteristics, which is now in Cybertron’s orbit. A mid-range cruiser with decent hyperspeed as well as powerful armament. A perfact ship for long flights to the outer reaches of space. Looks like they have been preparing for this mission for a long time.

And, finally, he moved on to the planets they were about to visit. It is not very clear yet what will need to be done there, and how it will help in the search for that very Cyberutopia... Megatron hoped that Prime would tell him about this personally as he is the captain of this ship now. Not only Rodimus should know everything, otherwise what kind of team is this in Unicron’s name? On the other hand, Megatron understood that sabotage was inevitable, someone from the crew would definitely try, if not kill him, then set him up, and it didn't matter that the common cause could be failed. Well, only after getting to know the entire crew personally, the silver mech will be able to draw at least some preliminary conclusions. Now the main thing is different.

So, there are four main planets to visit. Two of them are inhabited by intelligent life forms, Cybertronians also visit them from time to time. As for the other two... One is too close to its sun, which has turned into a red giant (probably before that there was life on it too), the other is a kind of accumulation of various kinds of anomalies, expressed in the form of rather unusual funnel-shaped thunderstorms that occur quite often there. You can land there, but stay for a very short time, because when the element strikes, it is better to find a shelter, otherwise you may simply not survive.

“I hope I'm lucky enough… to see such a thunderstorm…” Megatron grinned sadly. One of the ways to avoid enemy reprisals on yourself... The team will return to the ship, and he will rush right into the heart of the storm...

'You shouldn't allow yourself such thoughts,' the inner voice reproached.

“The alternative is no better," Megatron objected resignedly to himself. Rodimus and Prowl in the past enthusiastically talked about what fate awaits him as a war criminal. Execution or life imprisonment. What awaits Megatron at the end of this quest is unknown, but he is sure that nothing good.

What a strange inner voice, it had never been so persistent and clear before. As if some other ‘self’ lives in me.. Probably this is some kind of malfunction, or I am going crazy... Which is basically the same thing. Okay, it's time to recharge, tomorrow morning they will again put pressure on my psyche. It was much better in that solitary cell... where most of the time I was on my own.

The silver mech got up from the desk and stretched. Camcorders. They are everywhere here, Megatron immediately realized this even before he himself spotted four in the living room and in the berthroom, two in the hallway and two on the balcony. Well, there was not a single one in the wash rack, in a way they respect his personal space a little. The Decepticon is already accustomed to the fact that he was constantly monitored in prison, but is this not a prison? Much more comfortable, but still a cage. A ‘golden’ cage. What are they doing this for? He has already given his consent, and this Prime’s act is hardly a gesture of goodwill. No, Megatron never trusted the Autobots, even when they had to team up for a short time. And now he doesn't as well. Enough pre-war events for him. Optimus needs something from me, wish I could understand what, before it's too late.

First of all, Megatron went to the wash rack, turned on the taps by pressing buttons on the panel in the wall and stood under the jets of cleaning liquid that began to beat from the ceiling. Sensations were wonderful, for a while the Decepticon even forgot where he was. He wasn’t dirty, the guards monitored this, and at trials the accused were supposed to be clean. But all the same, this wash rack couldn’t be compared with the prison one, just like everything else in his new quarters.

Then, entering the berthroom, Megatron first looked under the berth itself, but didn’t find any suspicious devices there. Only cameras on the walls and ceiling, which he tried his best to ignore. This is both a guarantee of security and a cause for concern given this incomprehensible resettlement. Should I lie on this berth at all... or should I recharge on the floor? Although, who would be better off from this, shame if I behave like a sparkling and even publicly. And video surveillance can be considered just such. Well, let's take a risk...

Megatron slowly sat down on the berth, involuntarily noting the special softness of the outer coverings, then lay down carefully, the lamps on the ceiling gradually began to turn off by themselves until the compartment was plunged into twilight. Optimus promised that no one would dare to harm Megatron, but how can he believe the words of the one with whom he fought for so long?

‘Do not judge only by the past.”

But they do, so why can't I? The inner ‘self’ gave no answer. Megatron chuckled quietly, tiredly, gradually falling asleep. Tomorrow, all things for tomorrow. Now I can't... I'm tired.

The video surveillance system worked properly, and that night at least one mech was watching the silvery transformer. Optimus told Prowl to give him access to the cameras in Megatron's quarters for personal peace of mind. The Prime fully trusted his security chief, they went through most of the war together, but a personal motive played here. And it was not even because of the Matrix, but rather a chance to just look at him, even from afar.

In his own quarters Optimus sat at his desk and kept looking at the recharging Megatron at the monitor. He was lying on the berth motionless, his face completely relaxed, his lips even touched by a barely noticeable smile. Maybe he sees something good... At first his frame trembled every now and then, the Decepticon frowned painfully and whispered something incomprehensible, and then suddenly everything stopped. The Matrix’s influence? Optimus knew this: in the past, when he himself had nightmares during recharges, the Matrix calmed him, drove all fears away, giving him the opportunity to think soberly.

How much Optimus would like to lie next to him now, hugging this beloved silver-gray frame of the mech, who for so long was an enemy, whom Optimus tried to convey his views and convince him to surrender, whom he dreamed of seeing as his sparkmate... The one who once killed Optimus when he was still captain Orion Pax... Soon Megatron will fly away for a long time, and it doesn't matter if they find the Knights, or those turn out to be a myth, upon the Lost Light’s return home the former enemy will be completely different... Megatron will have to learn to live anew, and Optimus will not be around to see it. At least Megatron will have something of him... Literally.

There was another unanswered question. It is strange that Megatron's memory was not changed or completely disappeared, as if... Optimus himself was amazed at his own thought: as if everything was as it should have been, the Matrix of Leadership has found its real chosen one. If this is indeed the case, one can only hope that Megatron, in his determination to sacrifice himself for the sake of others, will not ruin himself and will accept the situation as it is. Otherwise, everything is useless: a Prime, denying his duties and essence, is not a Prime at all.

Optimus wearily rubbed his faceplates and got up from the desk. In three days they will fly away... for a very long time. Communication with the ship will be maintained at all times, but they will not be around. The Prime even regrets not being able to watch Podimus harass Megatron with his behavior, and Ultra Magnus try to separate them. This team is the last hope for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, they will cope, they are the best. Well, it's time for hum to recharge as well. Megatron is not going anywhere, and tomorrow Rung will give a preliminary assessment of his mental state. Then Optimus will make a decision, now he can't do anything anyway.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

It’s so calm and well. No sadness, regrets, annoyances, not a single heavy thought that tormented him for centuries. And just a few moments ago everything was completely different: Megatron stood in the middle of a destroyed scorched city in the center of the battlefield, over which blood-red clouds swirl, he watched as Cybertronians with purple signs were brutally destroyed by shadows, who instead of heads had Autobots’ symbols.

They pull servos towards him, shouting: "Murderer!" - and at the same time in front of him they destroy those who have joined him. Megatron tries to rush to their aid, but suddenly Optimus Prime falls upon him with all his might from above. Megatron falls down, both roll on the ground, then, being on top, the Prime grabs him by the right shoulder with one servo, the other clenched into a fist, hits the faceplates with full swing and squeezes the cables on his neck, shouting: “It's all because of you! You are the scourge of our time! You alone are to blame for everything! How great it would be if you didn't exist! Just die already! ” Megatron resists as long as he can, but the Prime is clearly stronger... His view becomes cloudy, he falls through somewhere, and finds himself in a completely unusual place...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

He walks along an incredible crystal grotto, neither the ceiling nor the bottom can be seen... The road along which he goes is a kind of bridge of natural cave origin. From somewhere above, as if from a multitude of cracks, powerful rays of light break through, making the crystals on the walls and columns glow even brighter. Megatron hears strange sounds emanating from the crystal formations, reminiscent of unusual music, as if the cave system itself... is singing.

“Amazing...” the silver mech whispers, passing by a huge uneven stone pillar, also covered with multi-colored crystal formations.

Once, while still working in the mines, Megatron found a similar crystal, a yellow-green one, the size of his palm. The only one left from a small formation destroyed by mining equipment. Especially or intentionally, the young miner but decided to keep the crystal. It's not clear why, just didn't dare to throw it away. In fact the find was quickly stolen... for sale or for personal reasons – who knows, and the culprit was never found. It was a shame. And now there are so many of them around... and even of different colors and sizes... But servos don’t even rise to break one off... No, let them grow.

During the military conflict, Megatron, if he were in such a place, would immediately begin to calculate the options, whether it is possible to find some benefit for the Decepticons here: useful resources or hidden relics. And if there are none, you just need to leave and not waste time contemplating useless beauty. Useless... The war brought him to the point that the Decepticon leader stopped noticing everything that could at least please the optical sensors. There is no time to just stare, the Autobots are not asleep, if you gape, they will kill you.

But now he just wanted to watch and admire, just go ahead to see more. There is no one around, but the feeling in the chest, especially in the spark area - a feeling of external care, as if someone or something is looking after him. He is not afraid, he is calm.

‘There are still places on Cybertron that have not been touched by the war. The planet can only be revived by joint efforts. Become a new leader for our people, become their guide to a better future, Megatronus... Megatronus... Megatron ...’

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

“Megatron... Megatron...”

Someone was tugging at his shoulder. Gentle, but at the same time persistent. Megatron let out a faint groan of protest, his CPU completely unwilling to command the systems to wake up. However, the unknown didn’t want to leave him alone. Go away... you're bothering me...

“Megatron, wake up.”

Wake up? I’m not recharging… He flung open his optics and nearly screamed when he saw the flustered face of Ultra Magnus bending over him. Out of surprise, trying to sit up sharply, the Decepticon leader heard the characteristic high-pitched sound of a charged blaster.

“Just give me a reason,” Prowl, standing at a distance, threatened. The muzzle of his cannon was aimed exactly at Megatron's helm.

“Put your weapon down,” Ultra Magnus ordered shortly, “now.” And, making sure that Prowl obeyed, the Magnus has already turned to Megatron: “What's wrong? For three minutes I couldn’t wake you up.”

“Oh...” Megatron could only squeeze out, sitting up and lowering his pedes from the berth. It was difficult to think, considering how abruptly he was ripped out of the world of dreams, and in his head there was still the image of a crystal cave. The silver mech didn’t even immediately remembered the events of the previous evening, and that he was no longer in the Iacon prison.

“Time for a verdict?” he asked indifferently, trying to understand what these two need from him. The Magnus's face stretched out in surprise, and he honestly rushed to assure:

“A verdict? No, it’s time to visit Ratchet. We talked about it yesterday... don't you remember?”

I remember. At gunpoint, Megatron agreed grimly to himself. This was not discussed, but, surprisingly, it was simply implied.

“Now you will take your morning energon ration and go to Ratchet for an examination. After that you’ll have a therapy session with Rung.” Prowl rapped out and, going up to the berth and pulling something out of the subspace. "Give me ypur servo," ordered the head of security. Long experience with prison guards suggested that it was best not to argue. Megatron held out his right hand, and his wrist was immediately bound by a metal bracelet with flashing red and yellow lights. “This is a beacon signaling your position. While you live here, wearing it is a mandatory rule.”

Overseer. Prison. Security officials. Mines. Prisoners. All this has happened before... Can’t run away from the past. Can't change the future. An altmode and Shockwave-added features blocker, Fool’s Energon, and now also a tracking device. They don’t let me forget who is in charge here... and still consider me dangerous. Yes, Optimus (from the dream) is right, it would be better if I didn't exist.

“With a detonator or without it?” Megatron's voice sounded absolutely neutral. This was a simple clarification, not a joke.

“Want it with a detonator?” the head of the security service clarified with a clear hint.

“Enough!” the Ultra Magnus's unexpectedly loud voice made both flinch. The Cybertron commander looked very displeased. “Prowl, can we talk in private a few seconds?” And, without waiting for an answer, he led his comrade into the living room, holding him by the left wervo.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He spoke as soon as the doors to the berthroom closed, fencing them off from Megatron. “How can you behave like this with the new chosen one of the Matrix?!”

“Ugh, the Matrix! This monster will never be my Prime!” Prowl growled through the compressed dentals. He was close to hitting Ultra Magnus, and he would have done so if the Magnus hadn't been taller, bigger, and much stronger. With one stroke of a servo, the commander of the Cybertron army could put the head of the security service on his shoulder blades. “Megatron is a criminal and deserves the fate of a criminal.”

“Not all criminals are the same,” the Magnus crossed his arms over his chest. “One breaks the law out of despair, the other - for personal gain, someone just goes crazy no matter what reasons... Well, and someone does it on orders from above. Megatron and his people...” Ultra Magnus rested both servos on his sides and loomed over his interlocutor: “They were created by you and like guardians of the law, crossing the line, as well as by those whom you serve or once served.”

Prowl froze. He knew immediately who Ultra Magnus was talking about. And this made it even more offensive: Sentinel Prime and the Senate were the Law, and the Decepticon terrorists dared to go against them.

“I’m not defending the Decepticons in any way, but  not making excuses for you either,” the Magnus continued as the second Mech gathered his thoughts. “Megatron is will suffer enough, correcting his own mistakes, maybe your mind will return to you as well. People like you are no less dangerous.”

Prowl glared angrily at the Cybertron commander. In fact, there was nothing to object, so what was said further could be interpreted as defeat:

“Let me ask you something, Minimus, why would you protect him? This is not a trial where you played the role of his lawyer. Is it because of the Matrix? Or there is something more personal. Just for fun, I can see the way you look at Megatron. Tell me, I will not condemn.”

The Ultra Magnus straightened up sharply and pushed his servos against his hips.

“Firstly, I’d ask you to go without familiarities, secondly, I didn’t play the role of Megatron's lawyer, but fulfilled my duties, and thirdly, Optimus personally asked me to look after Megatron during the expedition, so I intend to fulfill my promise to a dying friend... It doesn't matter how I feel about it. So if there are no more questions...” The cold blue optics of Magnus's armor blazed unkindly: “Dismissed, officer Prowl.”

The red and white Autobot stood for a few seconds, thinking what else to say yes so that he had the last word, but as luck would have it, there were no suitable arguments. Especially the last one nailed: promise to a dying friend. Optimus is important to them all, and openly hurt Megatron is like hitting his leader right in the spark. Maybe later, when The Lost Light is far from Cybertron... Need to think about it.

Without saying anything, the security officer left the quarters, and Ultra Magnus returned to the berthroom, where he found Megatron still sitting on the berth, only now carefully examining the new device on his right servo.

“Are you alright?” the Magnus asked as he stepped up to the berth.

“Where is the warden?” briefly clarified Megatron, not lifting his helm up.

“Gone,” Ultra Magnus responded before realizing he understood the question perfectly. The Decepticon leader raised his helm, somehow smiling slightly. Magnus was immediately embarrassed. “What?”

“You didn’t specify who exactly…” Megatron explained, and almost always the serious Ultra Magnus felt the urge to laugh.

After Megatron, barely restraining his disgust, he drank two cubes of energon of those that were in the closet in the living room. The taste was disgusting, and he didn’t feel a surge of energy at all, but the HUD indicated that the energy level was normal. After checking the readings, Megatron turned off the visual alert. So, now he will have to exist like this all his life? Well, the word of the winner is the law, if he wants to somehow help his own people. The Magnus then escorted him to the Citadel's medical building, which was located in a completely different part of it and eight floors below.

On their way through the corridors, they came across several mechs, including Rodimus and Starscream. The senator with a serious look was saying something to the red-yellow young Autobot, he listened with a kind of sad expression on his face, and, meeting with an indifferent look from Megatron, quickly turned away, as if out of shame. Although no, more likely there is a simple disgust or resentment... I wonder what will he put this upstart in the first place: the task or personal dislike for me?

‘A common cause is more important than personal hostility...’

Yes, I know. Otherwise, failure is inevitable. I realized this from personal experience... it's a pity, others did not...

The Citadel's medical complex consisted of several large rooms filled with various advanced equipment. There was no need to take Megatron to the main Iacon hospital, no reasons for outsiders and the former Decepticon himself to know who he had become since yesterday evening, and even to raise panic.

Ratchet was in a ‘welcoming’ mood as usual. In the room where Megatron entered, accompanied by theMagnus, were the chief medic, as well as two of his assistants. One of them was a broad-shouldered (especially because of wheels) femme with massive aqua armor and orange accents. Yellow optics, helmet ends with three spikes, sharp faceplate features. The other was a red and white Autobot with a narrow, dark faceplate and blue optics. Megatron remembered him, once this mech came to him with a desire to join the ranks of the Decepticons... Only to leave them and defect. The same Drift or Deadlock. Is he now a medic? When? It was my dream... and it went to someone else.

Both greeted him politely, surprised by their behavior, Megatron could only nod and focus on examining the medical equipment around him. Good thing that no one heard his thoughts.

“You don’t have to be afraid of all this,” the senior medic chuckled, observing with what suspicious attention Megatron looked around the room. “This is a medical bay, not a torture chamber.”

Megatron was silent, although he had something to object to such a ‘joke’ remark. But to speak would mean to enter into an argument, and now I don’t want to argue at all. And who will liste... The Autobots are good, the Decepticons are bad, so it is established, and it doesn’t matter that not everything is obvious at first glance. The silver mech didn't like medical examinations. Megatron could easily have done them himself, if he was a medic, but when it came to checking his own systems, he felt at least uncomfortable, even if there was no reason for concern at all.

“We’ll just conduct a detailed medical examination, this is a common procedure for members of the future expedition,” Velocity assured, “everyone else has already gone through this, including ourselves. Only you are left, captain.”

“Correct,” the Ultra Magnus nodded.

If so, they may be right. The rules are the same for everyone... only I am the exception in most cases. It is forbidden to shoot prisoners. Come on, its Megatron... That same miner, a nonentity, decided that you, rusty slag, have any rights? You and your ilk are just disposables. Disposables... disposables...

"Megatron... Lord Megatron..." The former Decepticon, and now Ratchet's assistant, bowed respectfully out of old habit, his voice ripping Megatron out of the sudden surge of memories.

“Deadlock...” involuntarily escaped from Megatron, although he knew the real name of this mech.

“Drift, sir...” if he wasn’t afraid, he was at least nervous.

“Well, yes, Drift. I remember.”

“Enough chatter, talk later,” interrupted Ratchet, drawing everyone's attention to himself. “You,” his digit pointed to Megatron, “lie down on the medical slab, you,” already turned from Drift, “interview our guest about his perceived state, Velocity and I will engage in diagnostics. And you…” he began, turning to Ultra Magnus.

“I’ll stand over there,” he suggested, and went to the wall. Not having time to finish the phrase, Ratchet simply closed his mouth, nodded, and they got to work.

The examination took quite a long time, the medics checked each system of Megatron’s frame, the protoform integrity as well as the outer armor, along the way asking him questions about his health, whether there are complaints or new sensations. Probably, they are already interested in the effect of that same Fool’s Energon, he thought, but still answered that everything was fine, mentioning to himself: even when I feel negatives effect, I still won't tell them, Prime wants this, does he not? That I would start to complain?

“So you really are a Point One Percenter,” Velocity muttered as she studied Megatron’s spark readings.

“It's just an abnormality.” Megatron tried his best to pretend that the femme’s words hadn't touched him in the least.

“Well, in its own way,” she didn’t argue, attaching some medical sensors to his arms, “forgive my surprise, although I read your medical file, but still... Not every day we deal with... people of your kind.

Criminals? Megatron wanted to clarify this, but restrained himself. No. No unnecessary conversations. No need, it's pointless. Be quiet, be patient... It will be over soon. Soon you will be far from here... Only they will also fly with you ...

All this medical hell ended in about an hour later. Ratchet announced that all of Megatron's vital signs were within normal limits... for a Point One Percenter, as Velocity added. She is still a young medic, and the only ‘special’ before Megatron she dealt with was Ultra Magnus. Yes, Megatron knew that Minimus was a Load-Bearer, a kind of variation of a Point One Percenter, but not in a pure form. There was also the mysterious Tailgate, and Megatron remembered this name from the list of crew members, but there, according to the same Velocity, there is generally a separate topic, which one she didn’t specify.

The Magnus then escorted the silver mech to Rung's office thirteen stories higher. It's strange, Megatron thought, I expected this mysterious therapist lives here, in the medical complex... But in any case, it's good to leave this place, finally.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Rung's office was not at all what Megatron had imagined. He expected to see something similar to another medical office or a room, hung with various incomprehensible images, in which some hidden meaning supposedly lurks, but no. Nothing like this. It was a spacious, light office with large panoramic windows (now also obstructed by force fields), on the left side there was a desk and three chairs, on the right a large couch and an armchair, shelves with datapads near the walls, various holographic landscapes on them, also an artificial waterfall flowed from one of the wall panels.

The owner of this office himself was sitting at the desk and writing something. When the doorbell rang, he calmly said, “Come in,” and raised his helm, paying full attention to the guests. Yes, these were exactly the ones he was waiting for. Contrary to Optimus Prime’s expectations, who had told Rung who he would have to meet two days ago, the psychiatrist was not in the least afraid. Moreover, it was interesting for him to talk with this famous mech in person, to get to know him as he is, and not from what others say about him.

And now Rung was watching something strange in front of him: outwardly it was the same Megatron, but his emotional behavior spoke of serious problems. The pose, the detached look, tension of the EM field... It seems to him that it doesn’t matter what is happening around. Megatron has a purpose, and that's good, but what the mood is - this remains to be seen.

But also the silver mech’s field showed another important detail. So, it happened, Rung smiled at his own thoughts, interesting, interesting... You are the one who saw the dark side of life, who went through pain and caused it to others, the one who fled from your essence, the one whose spark ignited not where on the idea of many it should have had... We don’t always choose the circumstances in which we find ourselves, but certain actions depend on us. Free will. Let's see if you have the will to become that Protector. I'll help as much as I can, but in the end, the choice will be yours.

Megatron flinched, as if sensing a faint energy message. The therapist who met them wasn’t a tall mech, the color of the armor was yellow-orange, no built-in weapons. He was somewhat reminiscent of the civilian version of Rodimus, only he behaved much more delicately than the upstart favorite of the Autobot leader. True, one detail of his appearance, nevertheless, was strikingly striking - strange-looking optics. The large, round, dull blue eyepieces seemed oddly empty, as if there was no life in them.

“Hello, Megatron, Ultra Magnus,” he cordially greeted from the desk, “come in, please.”

“Good afternoon, Rung,” the Magnus greeted for both of them. Megatron stood still, attentively studying the mech, who had now risen from the desk and, going around it, would stop in front of them, still smiling good-naturedly.

Something is not right, Megatron managed to think, looking at the unknown. By appearance, it’s an ordinary Cybertronian, who reached the height of the Decepticon leader somewhere to chest level, non-military, as evidenced by the too ‘fragile’ frame structure, possibly belongs to the Intellectual class. Megatron couldn't get rid of the feeling that he had seen this mech before, long ago, even before the war. Appearance and characteristics are similar, but ... at the same time as if this bot was not the exactly the same one. Nothing remarkable from the first glance, apart from this strange "empty" optics, in it, and yet... His EM field is felt much more powerful than anyone with whom Megatron has ever dealt, even much stronger than Optimus’s, which didn’t correspond to this mech’s appearance. It feels like there is much more here than meets the eye. But what?

‘Don't be in a hurry with assumptions, all answers will come in time’, was the sudden reply.

“What?..” Megatron frowned in surprise.

“I say, Megatron, that I am very glad to meet you personally,” the therapist still smiled kindly. He held out a servo, which the Decepticon after a few seconds shook with obvious apprehension. And again, as soon as their palms touched, Megatron felt an unusual warmth wave through his frame. He was alarmed by something inexplicable. There is no threat, but maybe these are just internal fears? There’s a thrilling feeling in his own chest however,  that wasn’t there until he and Magnus walked in here. Who are you?..

‘The one who can help...’

Megatron looked at Ultra Magnus hesitantly, and the Autobot gave him an extremely worried look. But not about Rung himself, no, there must be something suspicious about Megatron's behavior.

“Please, take a seat,” the therapist pointed in the direction of two chairs on this side of the desk, and he went to the chair on its other side.

TheMagnus also took a step towards the desk, but Megatron continued to stand still. It cannot be said that he was openly frightened of something, but a certain feeling of a mixture of interest and alertness slightly knocked him off balance. He felt the same when, while still a miner, he explored the caves of Messatine on his own, wondering what interesting things might be hiding where a normal mech simply wouldn’t want to go.

“What is it?” the Ultra Magnus touched his right shoulder lightly. “Are you feeling unwell?”

“Don't you feel it?” Megatron placed his servoss on his chest, right at the Autobot mark.

“Feel what?” the big blue-white mech didn’t understand.

“No, nothing...”

Judging by his demeanor, Magnus really didn’t experience any unusual sensations. So it just seems to me. In general, I feel somehow strange since yesterday evening. Either there was something special about those ultrasonic suppressors, or the Autobots did something to me, but I can't find out what. Or maybe I'm just going crazy...

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) X-Men: Days Of The Future Past OST - Hope; (Xavier's Theme); (night reflections, Optimus watching Megatron)

2) Life is Strange Ep. 2 OST - Track 6; (Megatron’s 1st dream)

3) Dreamfall TLJ - Dark People's City (In-Game Soundtrack); (Megatron’s 2nd dream)

4) Life is Strange Ep. 1 OST - The Storm; (morning)

5) Beautiful and Relaxing Piano Music - Still; (meeting Rung)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron and Ultra Magnus sat down opposite Rung, who, after checking something on the computer, put both servos on the table and again politely turned to the silver transformer:

“So, Megatron, you are, as I understand it, our sudden addition to the Lost Light team. Co-captain. How do you feel about it?”

“I asked for it.” He simply answered with a shrug. Don't give him cause for suspicion. It feels like that even with such empty optics, this bot sees right through me.

“You did? So this is not an order from Optimus Prime.”

“At first, Prime was against it,” Megatron stared at his joined digits, “but I kept asking... After all, this is a chance to stop the war...” He sighed heavily: “Then Prime set me a condition...” Megatron's voice broke.

“That speech calling for the Decepticons to lay down their arms?” the psychiatrist clarified.

“That speech calling the for Decepticons to lay down their arms,” Megatron confirmed, not even thinking how Rung might know this. Everyone does... But the fighting didn’t stop. Megatron heard the guards in the prison chatting, saying that the Decepticons didn’t believe that this was their leader’s voice, they decided this was an Autobot trick, or even a betrayal by the ‘leader of this Unicron gang of tincans.’ This is who we are to them.

‘You did as instructed.’

And if I knew where everything would lead, I wouldn’t agree. I'm not an idiot to wants to die simply because of ‘wishing’ it. Of course not. But what is one life against a thousand or a hundred of thousands? And yes, I am scared... and now I am also ashamed, embarrassed by this whole Unicron situation. I was a quiet mech, beaten for having my own opinion, then I stopped tolerating and began to respond with aggression to provocations, and that's where I ended up...

“Ultra Magnus, if don’t mind, now I would like to speak with Megatron in private,” the white-orange bot suddenly suggested, from which the silver mech flinched, abruptly returning to reality. In private?

“Of course, Rung,” the blue-white mech stood up immediately, “let me know when you're done.”

“Certainly,” promised the psychiatrist, “for now you can take your time.”

The Cybertron army commander nodded and left the office. Minimus, don't leave me with him, Megatron thought, and immediately reproached himself for the sudden fear. What a shame, I’m frightened by some civilian... Well, haven't called Magnus on my private comm yet, that would be a shame.

As soon as the door closed behind the large Autobot, Megatron suppressed a shudder with difficulty. He couldn’t understand why he was frightened. This Rung won’t eat him after all... although, who knows. There is something elusive in him that could be described as ‘not as harmless as seems at first glance’, although maybe this is again a personal perception. Megatron was uncomfortable with the idea that someone would try to pry into his head, bringing to the surface some old emotions, somehow interpreting them in their own way. Well, we are alone, now what?

Rung got up, walked to the cabinet to Megatron’s left, respectively to his own right, and offered Megatron a cube of low-grade energon, guiltily explaining that he doesn’t have other kinds, since he’s not a fan of high-grades. But Megatron politely declined:

“Thank you, but no, I refueled not so long ago, and there is no need for that yet.” Even if he wanted, he still couldn’t, this is Prime's condition.

Tough conditions, Rung thought, but necessary in some way. Hold on, my spark, this won’t last forever, you are on the right path... Although it will not be easy. You were created different, not like most. You have been treated unfairly, you have been through a lot... In an effort to protect others, you have become a threat to them. You hurt others because others hurt you. There is no shame that someone refuses to die just because another decided that it is necessary. And now you have even greater responsibilities, because of all who remained, you were the first to realize that it was time to stop and try to find another solution. They will have something to learn from you, but you will also learn a lot from them.

“As you wish,” Rung closed the closet and pointed towards the opposite wall. Where there was a large couch and a chair near the panoramic window, “then I suggest us going to where we can talk.”

Following the therapist, Megatron approached the correct corner. Rank sat down in a chair, and invited the silver mech to settle on the couch. Megatron immediately refused to lie down. He had never gone to a therapist, but in theory he knew that sometimes the patient talks to a doctor lying down. Why is not clear. In any case, he could only lie down when recharging. The exceptions were cases when he found himself in the medical bay with severe wounds, and even then felt uncomfortable when medics around could move freely.

But Rung didn’t insist. Pointing to the couch again, he suggested:

“You can sit if you like. The main thing is that you feel comfortable during our sessions.”

Sessions? For some reason, Megatron involuntarily caught on to this word. Will there be many of them, or what? Why is this?

“No need to waste your time, Rung,” Megatron sat down opposite the white-orange bot, “I don't know anything about the Decepticons... In the sense of what they do while the Autobots think how, from their point of view, it would be right to get rid of me.

The therapist frowned in displeasure. Yes, everything is much worse than he thought at the beginning. When the Prime told him about Megatron mental state, Rung immediately realized that one meeting with this mech won’t be enough, and now he was also firmly convinced that they would need medication and long, hard, continuous work. It will take a long time before Megatron can open up even a little... It would be better to isolate him for the duration of the treatment at least at the initial stage, and if there was such an opportunity, Rung would have insisted on this, but... In the current realities, this is impossible - they have an important space expedition...

“What?” The large silver mech asked shortly, gazing intently at his interlocutor’s faceplate.

“You think this is an interrogation attempt?” Rung asked in surprise, leaning back in his chair.

“Violence doesn’t always help to find out something necessary,” Megatron held himself as if they were discussing the weather, “especially if a victim is already accustomed to constant pain.”

“Megatron, I assure you, no one is going to interrogate you, hurt you or get rid of you.” Rung felt quite uneasy. He was morally ready for aggression from the new patient, attempts to intimidate... Prowl even hinted about a possible attack... But such indifferent humility... And from whom? From Megatron? Constant pain... Yes, this mech is a really difficult case. But he was assigned to lead the Lost Light’s mission . “I just want to speak with you, nothing more. I had such conversations with other crew members. It's just…”

“An adequacy check,” Megatron prompted. “Yes, Prime told me yesterday.”

“If you like it better that way, then yes.” Next, Rung did something completely unexpected. Bringing the right servo to his face, he grabbed the right eyepiece with his digits and... took off both, which, as it turned out, were connected to each other, and behind them was a completely normal pale blue optics.

Megatron staggered backward, nearly falling off the couch to the floor. Rung froze in surprise, holding the fake eyepieces in the right servo. Without them, his face was much prettier and even younger. Megatron surely didn’t expect this. Confused by his own reaction, the Decepticon guiltily averted his gaze.

“Something wrong?” the psychotherapist was alerted.

“Glasses?” Megatron pointed his left index finger at the thing in Rung's hand.

“Glasses,” confirmed the white-orange bot, turned them in his servos and put them on again. The silver mech continued to chuckle quietly at his own behavior.

“I didn't turn on the HUD and thought... it’s your real optics...”

“To be honest, many people have such a reaction to my glasses,” Rung also laughed kindly. The atmosphere became kinder.

They talked for almost an hour on various topics that weren’t related to the war. Rung tried to avoid this. He asked Megatron to tell how he remembers his home city, how they lived there, the therapist knew some things about Tarnian culture as well, he also told funny or awkward incidents from his own practice, or about the places he visited.

After the time elapsed, Rung contacted Ultra Magnus via a comm. And informed that they finished, so he appeared a couple of minutes later to take Megatron back to his quarters. Megatron calmed down a little after the conversation with Rung, but still he couldn’t get rid of the feeling that this psychiatrist was clearly not from this world. The Decepticon really hoped that he left the impression of an adequate mech, at least there was nothing suspiciously forbidding in Rung's behavior.

And all would be fine, but on the floor where the Megatron’s quarters located, they were ‘lucky’, as if by chance, to run into Rodimus who suddenly appeared from the next corridor.

“Oh, hello!” He immediately began to speak, blocking the path. “Well, what has the medical board decided? Can I be happy, or not yet? Drift said he would like to see you... Like to have a chat, but Ratchet and I told him it wasn't safe.”

“Rodimus,” the Magnus was already getting angry, “go away. Find something useful to do...”

For example, read something smart, it won’t hurt, Megatron mentally assented. This upstart annoyed him more and more. He was not very kind in expressions when Megatron was a prisoner, and now, knowing that the Decepticon won’t touch him without consequences for himself, which means the red-yellow Autobot can have some fun.

“Okay, Mags, I’m leaving, I’m leaving,” he surrendered, showing open palms, and passing Megatron, Rodimus couldn’t resist stuck out his glossa at him.

And this is what I’ll have to endure during the flight every day, thought the silver mech bitterly, following Magnus to his quarters. And this is the ship’s captain... Charming.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

In the afternoon, at the appointed time, Rung arrived at Optimus Prime's office, the ruler himself and the chief physician, Ratchet, were already there. Both looked angry, the palpable tension in the EM fields of both indicated some recent argument. When the orange-white bot appeared, both hurried to pretend that there was no fierce discussion between them.

Rung didn’t elaborate on the reason, he only gave advices when the mecha themselves came to him, no matter whether it was a formal therapy session or a simple question. He just tried not to interfere, everyone live as they want, and make decisions themselves. Free will.

He had a rather good relationship with Optimus Prime, not to say that friendly, but warm. The Prime himself came to him for advices, especially in recent months. The Autobot leader didn’t give any reasons, but Rung didn’t need them, he already felt everything. And it was Optimus who invited Rung to join the Lost Light crew. The team will really need such a specialist. To which the orange and white bot happily agreed. Ratchet too, although he was not happy to leave Prime at such a difficult time. Wasn't that what they were arguing about?

After greeting each other, the three sat down, and Ratchet was the first to report to the Prime on the results of today's physical examination:

“His frame is fully functional. There are certain anomalies caused by the modifications made, but nothing critical. The installed blockers, of course, make it a little difficult to fully assess the situation, but in general Megatron is physically healthy, much even healthier than many of the crew members...” He coughed meaningfully and added: “Which is not surprising. The states of his spark and electromagnetic field are also stable.” The last sentence had a certain hint, and the Prime immediately caught it.

“Good,” Optimus approved and already turned to the psychotherapist: “And your conclusion? What have you found out?”

Rung thought for a moment how best to choose the words to give a positive answer, but also not to hide the whole truth:

“Megatron is determined to help, which is very good. He answered my questions honestly, without trying to evade or be rude. However, his perception worries me very much.”

“Explain, please,” asked Optimus with some apprehension.

“Megatron is tormented by a sense of guilt, supported by condemnation from others. Given that there are very few mecha ready to look at the situation from all sides, most believe the propaganda.”

Optimus coughed and shifted uncertainly in his chair. Prowl's one statement was enough...

“Where is he now?” Ratchet asked carefully.

“In his quarters,” Rung answered him. “Ultra Magnus escorted him there right after our session.” The white-orange bot adjusted his glasses. “Megatron is emotionally depressed, broken... It is necessary to keep him under observation, otherwise... irreparable may happen.”

“In other words, he can harm someone?” Optimus clarified.

“Himself first of all," Rung replied thoughtfully. “If we had time, I would recommend postponing the mission, but, as I understand it, this is problematic.” Now the psychiatrist gave Optimus a direct look: “You told him to order the Decepticons to retreat and surrender. Just like that, without explanation, and their reaction was not quite what you wanted... This was to be expected.”

The Prime looked away. He thought he was doing the right thing, but decisions made lately no longer seem so right to the Autobots leader. Was that why the Matrix turned away from him? Although, given his condition, the artifact of wisdom, for quite likely reasons, was looking for a carrier-successor. But Megatron...

“Your verdict?” He finally decided to ask. Rung paused briefly, then announced in a low voice:

“Under my responsibility, I give my permission for Megatron to participate in our space expedition. But under strict supervision. Sessions once a space week and also...” He pulled out a datapad from the subspace and handed it to Ratchet: “I usually don't require help in prescribing antidepressants, but since Megatron is a Point One Percenter, there may be some difficulties with calculating the dose. Will you help, doctor?”

“Of course." Ratchet scanned the data and put the data pad into his subspace.

“Rung, in that case, I'll be waiting for your reports after every session with him," the Prime interjected.

“Certainly, sir. It will be hard for Megatron, but together we will be able to get him out of this state... if he allows it...”

“And if he won't?” Ratchet asked uncertainly, exchanging meaningful glances with the Prime. The psychotherapist who noticed this somehow mysteriously smiled sadly:

“Let's not consider the worst-case scenario just yet.”

Optimus was tormented by contradictions: Megatron is not ready to lead the team, although Rodimus, if look sensibly, is not ready as well. But Optimus trusts Rung and Ratchet, as well as he trusts the Ultra Magnus. There will be someone to look after his successor there, in space. He himself will inform Megatron in the evening, as he intended. Maybe they can talk... about things that Optimus never dared to bring up while they were enemies.

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

It was already late evening. The sky was clear and starry, high overhead two huge moons were shining with searchlights, and the last rays of the setting sun were extinguished on the horizon. Megatron stood on the balcony and simply admired the view of the night city, which was not at all spoiled by the transparent power barriers with a white reflection. It was around this time yesterday that he was released... under rather strange circumstances. Let’s hoped that today's medical board approved him as part of the Lost Light crew. When will it be known? Would be a surprise if, on the day of departure, Prime declares that Megatron will not participate in the expedition... No, it's better not to think about bad things.

‘Focus on the goal.’

Yes, it is better to think about the good... Although in my situation there is little good... for me personally. I will be executed anyway. They are going to use the maximum of me, and then just get rid of me. And I myself allowed this, and now, wanting to help my people, I hope to delay my own end as well. Megatron glanced down at the scarlet mark on his chest. The Autobot insignia... No, just for a show. There is something out there, beyond our sight, something dark and evil... No, definitely not human beings. I don't know... I hope partly it's just my own fears.

Megatron ex-vented heavily. Let everything work out, let the Winner give the go-ahead... We need to think about the good, but potentially be prepared for the worst. But the funny thing is, it only works in theory. It's a shame to get rejected anyway. And also to hasten my own demise. Prowl is dreaming about it so much... Here he and Prime will laugh when my spark fades away... Ugh... no. Not to think, I resigned myself to the situation, my own actions led to this, their actions are not counted. Anyway, I can't influence the situation in any way, which means...

In the past writing helped from bad thoughts. Poems, essays, invented stories... Megatron never complained about his imagination, comrades-miners, and then other mecha, always loved his work. Does even Prime still keep some of his works? If didn't lie, of course. Megatron himself told Optimus that he would no longer write anything. Lack of practice and no desire in general... But now for some reason he was inspired. Megatron wanted to fly away as soon as possible. Reluctance to remain among the Autobots as a prisoner, or how else could his situation be described? What else have they said about him... The crowd is an aggressive and stupid animal, respectively, a very dangerous one. The herd effect. If it’s not possible to win back Cybertron, he will at least serve the planet a last service. And even before the execution or life imprisonment, or maybe his own death during the mission, he will see something new and interesting. Chuckling, Megatron walked back and forth across the balcony and spoke to himself:

“Follow your spark to the unknown no matter what awaits ahead, this choice was made by you alone, the choice that you have always had. Eventually it may ‘come clear, that path has led you to the Dark...” Megatron thought for a moment, snapped the digits of his right servo, but a new line didn’t want to come to mind. “Again... that path has led you to the Dark...” The silver mech walked back and forth again, squeezed his temples for a moment and shook his helm: “Nonsense..” Although why, a sudden thought immediately flashed, everything is right. And if try another way: “That path have led you to the Dark, your spark will desperately scream, but there won’t be a turning back...” He squeezed both servos several times and smiled sadly: yes, that's about me. But falling is just a half the trouble, the second and most interesting part begins when you try to get out of this. Especially when circumstances or other people push you back with all their might and refuse to help. And in the end, realizing that once again nothing will work out, you just stop resisting.

‘Help can come from where you don't expect it.’

I wonder where from? Okay, nobody forced me. I could have just come to terms with the situation... Which I actually did in the end.

“… and there won’t be a turning back…” repeated Megatron, especially savoring this phrase, and quietly laughed sadly.

“Continue, please?” The sudden deep voice of the Prime made him flinch. Turning abruptly, Megatron saw the Autobot leader standing in the aisle between the living room and the balcony. The Prime watched him, leaning against the doorframe. How long has he been here? Why didn't I notice...

“Continue what?” Megatron tried not to show surprise. This is not his quarters as such, it is a kind of the same prison cell, and anyone can enter here, whom the guards allow. And especially the ruler.

“The part about awareness and getting back on the right path suggests itself.”

And what is that supposed to mean? No, Megatron, of course, took the hint, but how many more times the ‘perfect’ Autobots are going to hammer his CPU? Does Prime like it or what? If he wants to piss off Megatron, he shouldn't give in. In any case, until it is clear whether he was allowed to participate in the expedition or not.

“Even if it does, so far nothing comes to mind.” Answered the silver mech as neutral as possible.

Optimus made a sound that sounded like a grin or a chuckle, and stepped onto the balcony:

“Then maybe I'll give you a reason to continue...” And, without waiting for a reaction, he issued: “You are approved as the second captain of the Lost Light.” The Autobot leader nodded respectfully in confirmation of his words. “Congratulations. Briefing and acquaintance with the crew tomorrow.”

Megatron felt as if all his fans had stopped abruptly. So, permission granted... This is what the silver mech wanted so much... If the Knights exist, this is a chance for him, for the Decepticons, and indeed for everyone. Provided that he is given the opportunity to speak. But they may not accept the rebels' point of view, and besides, they may not exist at all. Two negatives versus one positive... that is, one zero and one minus. But at least some chance is much better than nothing. It is also an opportunity to postpone his own demise. Despite humility and willingness to sacrifice himself, and being on the verge of death so many times, Megatron is afraid of dying, like any other sane creature.

“Thank you…” he choked out. “Really. It means a lot to me.”

“There are, of course, certain conditions,” the Prime stepped forward, “as I said, Fool’s Energon is the only fuel source for you during the mission.”

“And I kind of agreed,” Megatron winced. It tasted like a complete slag, and he already felt somehow strange, although, again, self-diagnostics didn’t reveal anything.

“Second,” outwardly, it was easy for Optimus to maintain rigidity, but in fact it hurt him to pronounce every word, just to contain the EM field so that Megatron wouldn’t feel anything, “obligatory therapy sessions with Rung once a space week, he will send reports to me personally...”

“Why is that for?” Megatron's optics narrowed suspiciously. But Optimus just shook his helm.

“Consider this the second condition.”

“Ah, condition.” My leash is getting shorter and shorter, the Decepticon leader thought bitterly. “How many more will there be?”

“Just this.” the Prime suddenly assured, taking a step closer. “Megatron, all this doesn’t give me any pleasure, but such restrictions will show the truth of your intentions. I can't let you go with my people just like that.”

“I know... Therefore, to shame me, restrict physically and mentally is the best solution. Nevermind, thank you for not killing me right away.”

Optimus opened his mouth but didn't speak. It's good that the battle mask hid this unexpected confusion. It reminded him of the need to control the tension of his field, hide all emotions throughout the war, and now allows him to somehow keep the semblance of control over the situation when his spark is torn apart by fear, pain, despair, regret, annoyance... Primus, why?! Nobody forced, all decisions made became the basis for this situation. What did Megatron just say? ‘…this choice was made by you alone, the choice that you have always had…’ It remains only to continue to fight until his spark is completely extinguished.

“I’m not going to lie, Rung is worried about your condition, as am I...”

At this, Megatron didn’t hold back a bitter grin. Who's worried about me? Prime? This is news. Surely you are secretly enjoying your victory.

“I don’t remember giving him a reason.” Megatron frowned and spread his servos to the sides. Optimus just chuckled.

“Possibly, and yet you failed to deceive him.”

“Who is he?” Megatron asked this question before he could think.

“A therapist... Why?”

Megatron flinched and shrugged.

“I don’t know… When we were talking today, I had a feeling… How to say it…” the Decepticon thoughtfully scratched the top of his head, “as if, I don’t know, he was looking into my very spark, or something… And his electromagnetic field… don’t know how to explain… I have never dealt with psychiatrists in my entire life until now, but...”

“Yes, Rung can make an impression,” Optimus smiled under his mask. “We have been working together for more than two vorns, he and I... In the past he gave good advices to me as well.” From this statement the Megatron’s face stretched out in surprise, and the Prime chuckled quietly, then concluded: “Believe me, Rung is a good specialist who can help you... to understand yourself.”

Maybe, Megatron didn’t argue, this is still a condition, so my desires don’t play any role. Help me to understand myself... Yes, I know what I want. I want... I want... No, I don't know, damn it. Once I was aware, I clearly understood what and why, but now... let it all end, if it’s impossible to start over.

In time you’ll realize misdoings,

committed once, and start anew,

so all the things that now are going,

they’re completely up to you.

It occurred to him quite unexpectedly. Optimus wants to hear the continuation of the suddenly invented piece. Let's see what happens. Megatron could now voice it, but there was a feeling that one small fragment was missing. Just which one...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

“Are you alright?” the Prime suddenly broke the prolonged silence again. In response, Megatron shrugged.

“I promise to honestly fulfill my duties, as well as not allow Rodimus to make a mess on the ship.”

“This is not what I mean…” Optimus’s battle mask folded into the slots of his helmet, and the red-blue mech took two steps towards Megatron. The silver transformer answered him with an uncomprehending look and replied what in his opinion the ruler of Cybertron wanted to hear:

“I've studied everything Ultra Magnus gave me yesterday. About the upcoming mission. But still there are many questions left... Hopefully  you will enlighten me... what exactly should we find on those planets.

“I’m talking about you…” Optimus, who ignored this, came close to him. “After everything we've been through…” the Prime took his right servo and stroked his knuckles, focusing gaze on the electronic bracelet that bound the mech’s wrist.

“A tracking device, a gift from your officer,” Megatron tensed all over, fighting the urge to pull the servo out of Optimus's digits, “don't worry, you gave the go-ahead, and I will soon leave, Cybertron will finally be able to breathe freely, as organics say.”

“Well, come on,” the Prime was already uncomfortably close, Megatron had nowhere to retreat – there’s a blank wall behind him.

What is he doing? Are we still in sight of the cameras? Whether it was true or not, the red and blue bot was not at all embarrassedThe transformers’ chest plates touched, and both flinched: Optimus from the desire and sensation of such a familiar energy field of the Matrix, while Megatron from confusion and some kind of fear. The increased tension of their EM fields made the Decepticon uncomfortable, he had to think of something and quickly, while it was still possible. Not that he didn't want this, rather he was afraid. He never thought about doing it with his allies, if he really did, he’d only do it with his bondmate, but certainly not with a stranger, not with an enemy. Once, it almost happened between him and the Ultra Magnus, but Megatron then changed his mind in time and fled. Where to run to from here and now?

“Wait, what are you...” Megatron began, when the Prime squeezed his shoulder with one servo, and his other index finger touched the silver mech’s lips:

“Shhhhh...” and Optimus, leaning forward sharply, silenced him with a kiss. The Decepticon froze in surprise, involuntarily answering... Still, he tried to twitch, but suddenly the Prime’s servo that just touched Megatron's lips, moved to the back of his helm, preventing him from breaking free. The other servo was still gripping his shoulder carefully.

The kiss was long, gentle and at the same time passionate, the Decepticon himself didn’t even notice how his own servos grabbed the red and blue frame of the former enemy... The one with whom the confrontation lasted for centuries, the one who declared his victory, who told him to order the Decepticons to surrender...

“Hmmm... stop... Don't... Optimus...” having strained himself, Megatron, to whom again returned the ability to think, was able to push the Prime a little away from himself.

“Megatron...” the Prime again tried to captivate him with a kiss and even lift him in his arms. It was here that the silver mech couldn’t stand it:

“Stop it!” he abruptly pushed the Prime away from himself so that the leader of the Autobots involuntarily had to step back two steps. “What are you doing? We can’t!”

“Why?” Optimus looked confused. He understood that both wanted this, why is Megatron resisting his own desire? This is not the Matrix’s influence for sure, what then? Fear, Optimus suddenly thought. From Megatron's field voltage, the Prime suddenly realized: he’s afraid... afraid of me. “Megatron, this is not a game or an attempt at manipulation.” There was nowhere to retreat. “My feelings for you are sincere, they have always been and will be.” The pulsing EM field confirmed every word.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

“It's still wrong!” the silver mech heavily ventilated systems, pressing against the wall with his entire frame. Maybe it’s not a game, but I still can't. Why? Is it really necessary to list everything for him? Prime already knows everything. “Old Tarnian traditions: only with the sparkmate. And then... Too many contradictions, resentments, mutual pain...” Megatron closed his eyes, pressing his palms even tighter against the wall. “You are the Primus’s chosen, the Matrix’s Keeper, a symbol of hope for Cybertron, and I... I’m just a rebel who brought so much suffering...” Yesterday's nightmare appeared in his memory. “If I didn’t exist, nothing would have happened.”

Shock, resentment, pity, sadness... Through the EM field Megatron, still not opening his eyes, felt a storm of emotions in waves emanating from the Prime. It looks like he decided to finally stop holding back and let Megatron feel what he was feeling. No catch... Everything is real.

“You've become too self-critical," Optimus finally concluded quietly. He held out a servo, wanting to touch the Decepticon's shoulder, but his digits froze in mid-air not completing the action. “This is what concerns Rung the most. Self-flagellation doesn’t allow you to think sanely, as it is now.”

In response there was only a deep silence.

“Megatron, I swear to Primus, I'm not lying to you,” there was obvious… pleading in Prime's voice? That can’t be. “Even when the Matrix erased my former self… feelings didn’t disappear. For a long time I couldn’t understand what it was until I began to remember. I love you as I did before. I am the same - the same Orion Pax who once admired you and your writings.” He paused, apparently collecting his thoughts, and then spoke again: “Now we are doing what we should have done centuries ago - we are correcting the consequences of the slag, made by us. I try to prevent new conflicts, and you fly to look for a way to reconcile our race. Who knows how long it will take to find Cyberutopia. I want to be with you, and I know that it is mutual... but we cannot look into the future... You know as well as I do, even the Oracle's predictions are just possible scenarios... When you return, a lot will change, and maybe... Maybe this the last opportunity for us, and there won't be another?

Megatron shuddered. The last opportunity... So, he, nevertheless, plans to destroy me, or simply doesn’t believe that the mythical Knights can accept our point of view. And he also says that this is not a game. He will never understand me... the savior of the Cybertronian race... never. He's just upset, thinking that I don't want to understand him, but I do...

“Go away, I beg you,” the Decepticon shook his helm, still keeping optics closed, his frame supporting the wall.

“Megatron, please...”

“Leave.”

The silver mech didn’t move, didn’t open his optics, until the voltage of the EM field subsided, until the Prime’s steps died down, until three magnetic locks clicked... Only then the ability to move and think returned to Megatron. He slowly slid to the floor and pulled his knees to his chest, scarlet optics began to fill by itself with washer fluid... What a forgotten feeling. Megatron hadn’t cried for many centuries, he simply couldn’t allow himself, but now... now he could not explain why. Just now, something that Megatron feared and at the same time always wanted, almost happened. Optimus’s words were reluctant to leave his audio sensors: ‘I love you as I did before. I am the same - the same Orion Pax... I want to be with you, and I know that it is mutual...’

“Orion…” Megatron whispered, barely audible. The same Orion - a friend, an enemy, the one he killed, whom Shockwave turned into a Prime. Not a chosen, but created one...

‘My feelings for you are sincere, they have always been and will be.’

And Megatron crossed out everything. Maybe that is for the best. Orion... No, Optimus Prime will destroy him anyway, as befits a winner. And it doesn't matter what he feel’s about it. The end is known.

‘He’s right; self-flagellation does you no credit.’

But it won't stop me from fulfilling my duty either, Megatron objected to himself. Maybe I'll be lonely all my life, it doesn't matter. Now I have a much more important task - to correct the mistakes of the past as much as possible. Help those who believed me, whom I failed...

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) Mass Effect 3 OST - Resolution; (Rung and Megatron's conversation)

2) Mass Effect Andromeda OST - Memories; (Rung reports to Optimus and Ratchet on the results of his session with Megatron)

3) Interstellar OST - I'm Going Home; (Optimus and Megatron)

4) The Time Machine OST - Where The Ghosts Are; (the kiss)

5) Inception OST - Time (Optimus's confession and Megatron's rejection)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

As if in oblivion, Optimus walked slowly along the observation platform, one of those that girdled the Citadel several levels below. The sun had long since disappeared over the horizon, plunging Iacon into the darkness of the night... driven away by thousands and even millions of city lights.

Shame ... The Autobot leader felt as if a beacon flashed over him so that everyone could understand what he had just done. Megatron... Optimus waited so long for this moment, emotions that they both suppressed for such a long time... The red and blue mech hoped that the former nemesis, who had revised his views on life, will now be ready to accept him... But he was so cruelly wrong.

“Go away, I beg you...”

“Megatron, please...”

“Leave...”

And there was nothing to do but to leave the new Matrix bearer’s quarters, leaving behind only a feeling of fear... Optimus hadn’t seen the Decepticon leader in such a state for a long time. For a very, very long time. Even at the trial... Megatron was scared even then, but this...

“Old Tarnian traditions: only with the sparkmate.”

Optimus knew about this, Megatron told him about the culture of his people even before the war, and even still being Captain Orion Pax, he hoped that when the Senate corrected the classification error... Shockwave promised... He and Megatron would be together...

“Forgive me…” Optimus whispered, barely audible. He stopped at the edge of the platform and leaned against the railing. He wanted so much to turn around to the Citadel... The Prime realized where he was, knew that the windows of Megatron’s quarters overlook the same side, and if the Decepticon suddenly looked out, and the Prime turned around, they would see each other, and then Megatron would disappear from sight again. From this thought alone, it seemed to Optimus that all the energon circulating through his lines had suddenly been replaced by refrigerant, frame seemed heavy, pedes seemed to be rooted to the floor, servos didn’t obey, dull gaze drilled the railing, the ruler of Cybertron barely held back the washer. “Forgive me, I shouldn't have…” He heavily ex-vented and repeated resignedly: “I shouldn't have.”

“Optimus?” He heard the familiar always polite voice of a white-orange psychotherapist behind him. Quickly putting on an imperturbable look, the Prime turned around and saw the short, relatively fragile civilian in the same large pale blue glasses. Rung held an unfinished cube of mid-grade energon in his right servo. “What a surprise. It seems that I’mnot the only one who decided to take a stroll.”

“The night is quiet today,” the Prime responded in a neutral voice, “I couldn’t sit in my quarters.”

“Yes, the night is good y.” Rung approached him, with the left servo he took out another full cube of energon from the subspace and handed it to the leader of the Autobots: “You look upset, you need it.”

Optimus wanted to say no, but his left servo took the cube from Rung by itself:

“Thanks.”

They stood side by side, silently finishing their energon. From here, from above, the night city looks so alive... The process of the planet’s restoration is not going as fast as they would like, but, nevertheless, slow improvements are much better than nothing. From the outside it might seem that Rung was just enjoying the view, but he carefully watched the red-blue mech standing next to him. Attempts to suppress emotions were immediately noticed by the psychiatrist, and he also noticed a nervous twitching of the Autobot leader's servos.

“So… The briefing is tomorrow at nine, right?” Rung asked as if casually, putting the empty cube back into his subspace. Strike up a conversation on a neutral topic, and then imperceptibly push the interlocutor to the essence of the problem that torments him. This tactic has often worked.

“Yes.” Optimus finished his energon and did the same.

“Are we leaving in a new line-up?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Rung nodded. This conversation didn’t go well, apparently something serious had happened, just as he felt. But Optimus is in no hurry to leave, which means... it’s still possible to try to do something. Help him somehow. “How did Megatron take the news?”

“He thanked me.”

Then a bitter grin followed, but not at the Decepticon. No-no, this message of frustration wasn’t directed at Megatron at all. In his practice, Rung many times had to deal with mechs who were denied, or felt a sense of unrequited... affection. Optimus told him before about his crush on Megatron back when that mech was a miner and the leader of the Autobots was the captain Orion Pax. And if suddenly he confessed, not even wanting to, then he could well get a refusal. No surprising. The silver mech generally cannot think of anything like that now, he is tormented by guilt for his entire faction, as well as annoyance that all the sins of both opposing sides were blamed on him alone. Megatron is emotionally broken, he no longer sees the point in trying to shout to those who simply refuse to hear and listen. Society is a funny thing indeed, by its attitude alone it’s capable to turn a quiet, non-conflict personality into a cruel monster. Real or far-fetched - it doesn't matter. Under a group’s pressure any individual will sooner or later change.

...the only question is how.

“He is my successor, Rung...” the Prime admitted unexpectedly for himself. The red-blue transformer turned to the city below them and didn’t notice the understanding nod from the therapist. The orange-white bot was waiting for the explanations to follow, but Optimus was stubbornly silent and looked somewhere into the distance. So he had to ask a leading question to get him talking:

“What do you mean?” Rung's voice sounded soft and a little hesitant. Just so that the leader of the Autobots himself would want to give an answer.

“Just what I said.” Optimus turned to Rung, his optics completely serious. “Megatron is the new chosen one of the Matrix of Leadership.”He took a deep ex-vent and pronounced the last part of the phrase as neutral as possible: “The next Prime of our people. The last hope…”

Who he could have become a long time ago, if he had realized everything earlier... If only you had remained yourself, if personal enmity hadn’t erupted between you... Orion Pax... It seemed to Optimus that Rung's pale blue optics were shining through his frame even through large opaque eyepieces. Not surprising, Megatron was uncomfortable being alone with this bot in his office. However, Prime has more experience of communicating with him, and such an attentive look, which many might consider mistrust or doubt about the interlocutor’s adequacy, didn’t frighten him at all. Rung will not judge, Rung will understand.

“Does Megatron know about this?" finally asked the therapist, slightly shifting the weight to the right leg and putting the right servo on the hip.

“No, not yet. Optimus shook his helm, being mentally glad that the orange- white bot didn't ask... any questions at all. “But the Matrix is already inside his frame.” And then he told Rung everything, from how the artifact was handed over to tonight, of course, keeping silent about the conversation he had just had with Megatron.

Rung listened in silence, deciding to leave all possible questions for later. Vorns he spent among ordinary Cybertronians, bore fruit, he began to understand them better, knew when to object, and when to play along. His antipode, perhaps, would like manipulation more, but HE never sought to obey others. Only understanding, only fair judgment.

“When are you going to tell him about it?”

“Not until you return.” Optimus sighed heavily and lowered his helm, digits gripping the railing. “I cannot do this now... Megatron will either refuse, or...” the leader of the Autobots didn’t dare to say this aloud, but even now Rung didn’t interrogate him, only asked:

“And which option seems to you more feasible?”

“I don’t know…” the red-blue mech shook his helm and turned to the Citadel, to those windows up above, behind which Megatron's quarters. were. The light is on everywhere, which means that the new Prime is still online. What is he doing? When Optimus left, Megatron sat huddled up, shaking with fear. I am such a fool, the current ruler of Cybertron reproached himself, this was not necessary... How will he react at my presence now? How to fix this?.. Still looking in the direction of the Decepticon leader’s windows, Optimus admitted with a bitter grin: “I have long ceased to understand him.”

“And have you ever tried?”

The Prime shuddered. Fragments of memories began to appear by themselves. Has Optimus tried? Yes, many times. He tried to convince the opposing side that the Autobots were right and the Decepticons were wrong, he threatened, struck blow after blow, killed...

...but no, stubborn Megatron stood his ground, for some reason deciding that it was their path that was correct. Why? He was a pacifist... he wrote such inspiring things... And then...

“Megatron, everything you say... Do you understand this?.. All your words are saturated with hatred.”

“Ha! I've learned to hate in jail cells like this one. Thanks to the Autobots and their high-ranking friends who taught me everything about violence and its use. Now I live to hate. And it keeps me going...”

“Optimus?”

“I tried,” he finally admitted reluctantly. “Or rather, I thought I was trying. He still didn't listen to me.”

“But why?” continued Rung, trying to push the Prime to the answer, lying on the surface.

“I can't imagine...” the ruler of Cybertron shook his helm. “He was once so… so…” the Prime clenched his fists in regret. “So pure, kind, blameless… he was… an idealist. His writings... made me think... Megatron was right in many ways. But then he decided to play a tough game, because not everyone accepted his point of view.”

“Is it because of this?” Rung asked emotionlessly.

“What are you talking about?” The Autobot leader asked, puzzled.

The therapist smiled sadly. He didn’t want this, given Optimus Prime’s physical condition, but there is no other choice: only one admitted his wrongs, but not the other. Things are still out of balance. The new Matrix bearer will be away from Cybertron for a long time, and the one who is now still called the ruler of the planet need to convince the ruling elite to reconsider their views. People will have to accept their new Prime, and he, in turn, will be obliged to serve his people.

“Who were the Decepticons from the beginning? It all started with the discontent of the lower strata of society, it was all before Megatron, but he... being a Point One Percenter... felt and saw the suffering of. And he couldn’t be silent.

“Senator Shockwave had made every effort to get Megatron into the Ultra Magnus’s care. The Senate did what was necessary to correct the misclassification…”Optimus shook his head. “In theory, Megatron had the opportunity to speak for the oppressed... However, he...”

“In theory?” Rung specified with a clear hint. “Practice and theory are completely different things. And you, as a former police officer, a servant of the law, should understand this. And if Megatron had those opportunities, as you say, he wouldn’t have escaped.”

“He was impatient.” Optimus chuckled mirthlessly. “Sometimes the sense of justice, desire to achieve it here and now, drowned out his common sense. He fought for equal rights for all, dreamed of changing Cybertron for the better. I wanted it myself. Just like Ultra Magnus... and Senator Shockwave too.”

“But your views on a better future for the planet were different.”

The Prime shook his helm, involuntarily remembering the day Megatron decided to speak to the Senate. And Optimus, still being Orion Pax, warned him about the consequences of this choice.

“Megatron, this is getting out of control. Think about it, this is not what we all wanted. Many innocent people can suffer and die.”

“Any death is a tragedy, Orion. However, there is no other way: we must adapt to the current situation if we want to achieve our goal. You're right, I didn't want it to come to this. But they left us no choice.”

“… and only later, when you became Optimus Prime… Have you ever tried to listen to them?” Rung's voice suddenly chased away the sudden memory. “Or were you just trying to impose your point of view? How can you, the one who has always stood a few steps higher, say that you understood them when you didn’t even try to listen. Let them talk, not just listen to your calls to surrender... so that for them everything will be the same again or even worse.” The therapist exhaled sympathetically: “Which is what actually happens now.”

The Autobot leader froze, shocked by the sudden discovery. He had never thought about how the Decepticons perceived his words. Megatron didn’t believe the Autobots’ sincerity, because they didn’t give any reason to trust them. Temporary cooperation doesn't mean anything yet. The Prime still tried to put pressure on Megatron, forcing him to conclude a peace... which would exist on the terms of the Autobots, where justice would reign, as the Autobots understood it... And Megatron was afraid of this, and now he is afraid for those who still sincerely believe in their common cause... Freedom, equality and equal opportunities for all... All this has already been forgotten, and it has been replaced by resentment, hatred, anger...

In theory, peace was possible a long time ago. They could at least for some time try to exist together, try at least to agree on something... But the Autobots have long considered the Decepticons evil, and those knew that even if they somehow magically decided to stop fighting, then the faction of the Red sign would simply destroy them... And the last six months are a direct confirmation of this.

“I’m not judging you in any way, Optimus.” Finally, Rung spoke, interrupting the flow of his thoughts. The therapist's voice returned to a soft, calm tone, and the Autobot leader felt a strange relief that something invisible that had just threatened to crush his already unstable spark had suddenly disappeared. “You were right… in your own way. And Megatron was right on his part too. However inability... or unwillingness to stop early has jeopardized the very existence of our race. And he realized it before you did.”

“What can I do now?..” the Prime asked quietly, again squeezing the railing with his digits. There was not a single hint of hope in his voice to fix something right here and now.

“In this situation, specifically for Megatron - nothing,” these words sounded like a bolt from the blue. Optimus froze, feeling as if all his systems were starting to fail, and the observation deck under his pedes was about to disappear, and he would fly away into the unknown. “But you can do something for the people of Cybertron,” Rung added more confidently, and explained: “We need to work on a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Mechs must learn the truth: not immediately, gradually; it is necessary to stop anti-Decepticon propaganda and tell how it all began, what Megatron and his people wanted... and how they were rejected by high society. The warring factions will have to understand and accept that they are one people, and the Decepticons have the same right to live on Cybertron as the Autobots have. Live without hostility and constant fear of expecting a blow in the back. Only then will there be a chance for peace you have always dreamed of.”

Optimus slightly bowed his helm, looking at the fragile psychotherapist with some doubt, and at the same time with the realization that he was right. They came to nowhere: the new Senate is almost like the same as the previous one, and he himself hardly differs recently from those Primes, whose decisions led to riots among the lower strata of the population, which later resulted in a revolution led by a former pacifist. A Point One Percenter, who denied his true ‘self’.

“It’s impossible, Rung,” the Autobot leader concluded bitterly, comparing the facts, “the new Senate...”

“That obeys you and listens to you,” the white-orange bot suggested sympathetically, which again puzzled Optimus. “If Megatron is the new Prime, they will have to accept this fact... just as he will have to. And, since the deed has already been done, you both cannot escape this conversation one way or another.”

“So... what’s next?” The Prime rubbed wearily his faceplate again. “The further we go, the worse it becomes. Decisions I make no longer seem right to me. Every time it feels… ” he looked up at the clear night sky, “that I'm only making it worse. I don’t know what to do. Who I am now... what’s left of me... is not the Optimus Prime who was considered a hero, not the Orion Pax, who once stood guard over the law. I have failed us all, Rung...” For a moment, the Prime looked again at the upper floors of the Citadel, where Megatron's apartments were located. The light is still on. “I faild him.” At the last sentence, the Autobot leader's voice broke, and the red-blue mech hastily turned away, brushing a thin trickle of washer from his left cheek.

Failed him... They won't be together, won’t be any spark bonding, Megatron won’t be carrying his sparklings... Everything that Orion Pax secretly dreamed of for a very long time. When it turned out who Megatron was, and that was supposed to be in the Intellectual, and not the Manual class, he was placed under the care of Ultra Magnus... Then Orion thought that here it is, the opportunity... And he missed it anyway.

“It’s not over yet, Optimus,” the Prime shuddered in surprise, feeling a servo on his left shoulder. He turned slowly and met the gaze of the slightly sad smiling therapist. Pleasant warmth radiated from the the white-orange bot’s palm throughout the frame in waves. With just a single touch, Rung was able to instantly banish emotional and even physical pain. Who is he? The leader of the Autobots asked himself this question many times, but he didn’t dare to ask Rung, realizing that he won’t hear the truth. “You are very tired mentally and physically, you have been entrusted with such a burden of responsibility that few would cope with, Cybertron's mechs still believe in you and follow you. And if you give up, there will be no hope for us.”

The Prime looked at him blankly, he didn’t move, didn’t say a word... But Rung felt and understood that the interlocutor heard and perceived his words. The darkness didn’t recede. He’s biding his time. Disagreements haven’t disappeared. The war is not over. And Megatron is not yet ready to accept himself in a new role.

“Give them all time to adjust," Rung walked around the Autobot leader and stood in front of him, "let us complete the mission, do what you can to influence the propaganda... in a different way. But do not lose your vigilance, not everyone, even among the Autobots, benefits from the war ending.”

“I know…” Optimus was forced to admit. He understood that he must do the same as Megatron - to call on the Autobots to stop oppressing the opposing side. But does he have enough spirit? Without the Matrix, Autobots leader is no longer the same, nothing holds back his emotions, or gives strength and confidence. He relied on it for so long that now feels like part of the very essence of Optimus Prime has simply disappeared. Having deeply ex-vented, the red-blue mech ran both servos over his faceplates and quietly admitted: “I'm afraid ... I'm so afraid, Rung. Without the Matrix I am not the same person anymore... my spark is extinguished, I am not capable of anything.”

“You’re wrong, Orion Pax… Optimus Prime,” although the therapist’s voice sounded rather quiet, it still was full of confidence. Rung turned to face the city and pointed his right servo in its direction. “Look what you've achieved! What a progress in such a short time. Iacon is alive, and other cities will be reborn after it. And this is thanks to you. You are the leader, you know how to unite a scattered people... The Decepticons are Cybertronians, like everyone else, they have the right to live on Cybertron, like the Autobots, and Neutrals... Only together you and Megatron will be able to finally put an end to the Time of Darkness...

Optimus flinched. He and Megatron together.

“Now you are the link between the Autobots and Decepticons. If everything works out, if you manage to become a bridge of friendship for them, you will be glad that you didn’t give up.”

He is right, Optimus admitted bitterly, neither Megatron nor the ruling new Cybertron elite are ready to know out the truth. The secret transfer of the Matrix of Leadership to a former nemesis, to the one whom the Autobot sosiety considers guilty of all the troubles of Cybertron, thanks to propaganda. Is he the only one to blame? No, of course it can’t be so. And if Optimus directly declares his grave condition, then real outrage can begin. Someone like Starscream would certainly use the opportunity to remove the current ruler of the planet, and without the Matrix, there’s little Optimus can do to stop that. As a result, the leader of the Autobots won’t save Megatron and the entire Cybertron people, but will only make things worse.

“Will he ever forgive me?”

Rung frowned as he considered his answer. Free will is something that no one can influence. One can only direct a being in the right direction, but not force them. Need the right moment, you need to slowly and confidently lead them to this decision, then everything will work out.

“And you... Can you forgive him?"

This question came as a surprise to Optimus, although... It is Rung: sees the situation from all sides, doesn’t forget about the interlocutor’s feelings, even when they are discussing someone outsider.

“Too many contradictions, grievances, mutual pain...”

Mutual. Megatron said this for a reason. The Autobot leader felt that the silver mech wanted the same thing as he did. They could be together now, tonight, if Megatron only let his feelings to take over him... even despite traditions of the mechs of his city. If they both forgave each other...

“I hope so,” Optimus said after a moment's silence. Rung nodded understandingly and, placing his right servo on Optimus's same left shoulder, wisely said:

“So you answered your own question yourself.”

They stood a little longer at the railing and silently contemplated the night Iacon. During this time, Optimus looked back several times at the Citadel, but the light in Megatron's quarters windows didn’t go out. The lamps burned all night and turned off by themselves only in the morning, when the first rays of the Cybertronian sun fell on the city.

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Even after the Prime left, Megatron kept sitting on the floor, staring at the space in front of him. There were no thoughts at all in his head, he felt only fatigue... fatigue and despair. What will happen now? Will the winner Prime get angry? Will he change his mind and won't let him on board? Megatron almost succumbed... and what can happen to him nest? How low I have fallen... I’m doomed, but... others...

I lost the war when I first gave the order to attack... It didn’t have to be this way... I didn't want it. I dreamed of a better future for everyone, not just for the new elite from the enemy faction. History repeats itself... Faces and events from the past involuntarily appeared in his mind. Scraps, no chronological order, although memory archives are intact. Impactor once said that inequality is the norm, that his and Terminus’s venture will unlikely lead to anything good. But then everything was relatively harmless: publications about the reverse side of the medal of the Golden Age. ‘You’ve been deceived’ - this is how the Decepticon movement began, they wanted the Senate and the Prime to hear them, so that they would somehow change the current situation for the better. Then no revolution would be needed.

“...worthy? Tell me your doubts...”

Suddenly everything around was plunged into impenetrable darkness. Terrified, Megatron jumped to his pedes and looked around, but saw absolutely nothing. His spark was overwhelmed by a wave of emotional pain, which made him fall to his knees again, trembling with fear of the unknown... which suddenly clears up, and right in front of him, like a movie, the events of the past begun to flash: Messatin, Terminus, a shootout in Iacon, where Megatron heroically rushes to help innocent... Central Iaconian Hospital, Orion, Ratchet, Senator Shockwave... First meeting with Ultra Magnus. Followers, transition to decisive action... Megatron goes to the Citadel to speak with the Senate... Enforcers do nothing...

“No!!!” Megatron screams in horror, pulls servos forward, trying to attract the attention of himself from the past. “Don’t go there! Come back!” But everything is useless. And then the silver mech draws attention to the inactive guardians of the law: “Orion! Orion, help! Don't let me leave!!! I beg you...”

Massive doors close behind him, and the surrounding reality drowns in an all-consuming flame, symbolizing only revenge... With a desperate cry, Megatron grabbed his helm. Point of no return... And Pax just watched...

“We are one now… And yet, you are not the one who is capable of leading the people of Cybertron. Not yet. Tell me your doubts... Admit to yourself.”

His own voice... Megatron raised his helm and saw again that very soft pure blue light, in which a barely visible dark figure walking towards him, in the outlines of the frame very similar to...

“Terminus?..”

“Tell me your doubts... Admit to yourself.”

A dark silhouette holds out the right servo towards him, Megatron in response puts forward the left one... A flash of light...

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…And here Megatron is again on the same balcony where he was before the vision of the past overtook him. The whole frame was shaking shallowly, the silvery mech couldn’t understand if it was all for real, or just in his head. It probably seemed, but the images were so true, as if...

“Good morning.”

Megatron flinched at this voice and recoiled sharply when he saw Ultra Magnus sitting next to him. What the... When did he get here? Came to me... so close? I didn't hear, didn't notice... Megatron shook his helm. Did he accidentally start a recharge cycle right here on the floor, on the balcony? That means all this was not real... And only now he noticed that it was already light behind the power barriers.

“Is it morning already?” he stated doubtfully. Magnus nodded, calmness on his faceplate, a subtle smile on his lips. Embarrassed Megatron looked guiltily at his knees. “Well, yes… morning.” So he sat like that all night, and those mental images were nothing more than echoes of the past in recharge mode.

Magnus was silent, continuing to sit next to him, but his presence didn’t make the Decepticon want to run away, as in the case of Optimus. Once these two had a close relationship, Minimus Ambus, also known as the Ultra Magnus, acted as Megatron's guardian, when it turned out how special is that mech was, whom everyone considered a simple miner...

“What?..” Megatron frowned, seeing the Magnus scrutinizing him closely.

“No, nothing...” the big blue-white bot shook his helm. “Just recalled how we first met. Do you remember? They brought you to my house, escorted you to your new room... And when I entered to say hello, I saw you sitting in the corner... not paying attention to anything or anyone...”

“I saw you and others... and heard...” Megatron straightened up a little and looked up, fully leaning his back and the back of his helm against the wall, “but could not say anything... because...| with a sigh, he turned his helm to the Ultra Magnus: “Because I didn’t know what would happen to me... I didn't know what to do.”

“And I didn't know how to behave. How to establish contact between us... You didn’t react to my attempts to speak to you...”

“Then you just sat down next to me, and we were silent for a long time...” Megatron added a little embarrassedly, mentally reliving that moment again. The attack happened unexpectedly, the miner didn’t even know who it was. And then he came to his senses in a place like... an operating room. Chained to the slab, completely immobilized, he saw only the bright light of the lamps on the ceiling, the voice of that mnemosurgeon... Digits with needles...

...and then the order came. The mnemosurgeon objected, saying that they had almost started, but retreated. Megatron was freed and handed over to a group of enforcers who came for him, who took him to the Ambus estate, where the frightened miner already met his guardian.

Along the way no one specifically explained what would happen to him, they only said that he was special, and now a completely different life awaits him. And his new guardian, the one who sits now near him, turned out to be kind, patient and understanding... very different from most of the nobles of his house. And at another time, Megatron would have been glad of this opportunity, but... he considered it unfair, why him? If he hadn’t rushed to help of Orion and his group back then, he wouldn’t have ended up in the hospital where Ratchet worked... Orion's friend, a doctor with centuries of experience, and others. So his anomalous spark became known to the Senate...

“We did this quite often in the past,” Magnus recalled and smiled a little to himself, “the first time it seemed strange to me: just sit next to someone and be silent. And wait until you decide to speak up yourself, since all my attempts to strike up a conversation have been useless.”

“But then I asked what would happen next.” Megatron nodded, feeling a little foolish. How he would like to return to the days when nothing had happened yet. But with the knowledge of the future.

“And I replied that from now on everything would be alright and…” Ultra Magnus suddenly fell silent, rubbed his nose bridge with two digits of his right manipulator servo and turned away.

He wasn’t happy with the idea of the need to take a charge, he already had enough responsibilities. Some members of the Ambus House were especially opposed that now they were forced to take in ‘some idiot from a lower class. However, the head of the house reacted positively: a Point One Percenter with similar views... even if it’s a former miner, probably doesn’t have good manners, but this can be corrected over time. In any case, it was Prime's order, the unanimous decision of the Senate, and also Shockwave's words: "I can't trust anyone else with this." Minimus Ambus had no idea what plans they had back then for this large, timid mech. He agreed to be Megatron’s mentor because it was an order from above, and he also felt that it was right, it was necessary.

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Now the same Megatron was in front of him. Yes, he looked a little different, but the spark is the same, voice, face features and look are the same, the same essence. At the moment, the Matrix hasn't changed him at all, at least at first glance.

“I’m very sorry…” the head of the Cybertron troops finally said.

“For what?” Megatron was sincerely amazed. Magnus's sudden announcement knocked him out of his already precarious balance a little. What is Ultra Magnus apologizing for now? They both have done things in the past, and have already talked about it, or rather tried... when Megatron hadn’t yet resigned from the post of head of the Purple Sign faction. If only... Cold fear gripped him hand and foot. Unless Prime changes his mind and Magnus is here to take him to the Sentence chamber...

“I have let you down a lot in the past...”

“No,” Megatron immediately objected, “it is I who let you down, Minimus... You were a great friend and a wonderful mentor to me... I couldn't even dream of a better one. Thank you for being in my life.” Megatron humbly lowered his helm, waiting for the order to follow him to where it all ends...

“Why do you speak in the past tense?” Ultra Magnus was genuinely surprised. “I’m here, and you can still try to regain my trust.”

Megatron's optics wide in surprise. The meaning of the words spoken by the large blue and white bot didn’t immediately reach his CPU. Still here... can still try to regain trust... So there won't be execution right now? Even after what happened between him and Optimus yesterday?

“What do you mean…”

“We are on the same side again.” The Magnus smiled faintly and stood up. “Time to go, the pre-flight briefing will begin soon.”

Briefing? Megatron felt a strange relief: it means that nothing has changed, he, nevertheless, is going to fly with them. Magnus is unlikely knows what happened that night between Megatron and Optimus Prime. No, Prime won’t tell everything as it is, doesn’t have enought enough courage. Briefing. Space expedition. Think about the goal, about the Decepticons. The silver mech also slowly got up and, together with Magnus, set off from his time quarters to where the briefing would take place.

The past has passed and won’t return,

The future now is all that means,

Accept the fact and move along,

Do not repeat your bygone sins.

They walked to the elevators, went forty-eight levels down, then passed several more corridors, and then, when they reached a covered walkway in the form of a large glass tube with a magnetic monorail, where a special covered transport was waiting for them and four guards stood next to it, literally from nowhere nearby appeared Rodimus.

“I came in time!” He said happily, imposingly approaching the two tall mechs. “Good morning Magnus, Megatron. How are you both doing this fine morning?

“Good morning, Rodimus," Ultra Magnus greeted neutrally. Megatron only nodded almost imperceptibly and turned away, hoping that such a greeting would be enough, but he was mistaken:

“Very impolite, co-captain,” the red-yellow Autobot chided him back. “I treat him, you know, with all kindness, but what in return? Although am I saying...” Rodimus pointedly scratched the top of his helm and waved him off, “forgot who I’m dealing with.”

But I remember, Megatron objected to himself. And this is what I’ll have to endure every day in space. Something tells me, this is just the beginning. For some reason, he remembered the two pre-flight conditions set by Optimus: Fool’s energon and mandatory psychotherapeutic sessions with Rung once a week. To tolerate Rodimus is probably the third condition. Although... it’s not an actual condition, it’s just… as it is.

“Enough,” the Magnus interrupted Rodimus, who further continued to voice some verbal nonsense, “it's time to go.” He pointed behind his back: “Get into the transport everyone.”

“I'm the captain, Mags!” the red-yellow Autobot immediately resentful indignant and waved a servo towards the armored vehicle on the monorail: “So, everyone, get into the transport.” And the first leisurely walked through the open doors.

“Just ignore him,” Megatron advised to Magnus, who stood frozen in amazement. He didn’t answer. Formally, Optimus's protégé hasn’t violated anything, no rules or instructions, and so far he has nothing to even comment on. Perhaps, indeed, it is better to ignore him and don’t pay attention that Rodimus so desperately tries to get from them with his behavior.

“Come on,” and Magnus took the first step towards the transport.

It was light and spacious inside, even a mech as large as Ultra Magnus could stand there in full height. Seats in a row at the wall opposite from the front door, large windows, even a holographic screen was above the front door. When all seven mechs were inside, the doors closed with a subtle hiss, and the vehicle began to move, gradually accelerating. Through the glass ceiling of the monorail tube, the high-rise buildings of Iacon, as well as the almost cloudless sky, could be observed behind the windows. No worsening of weather conditions were predicted in the next decade.

“You guys mind if I turn it on?” Rodimus stood up from his seat and walked over to the flat holographic screen. No agreement or objection followed from any of those present, which was perceived by the red-orange bot as: ‘No’. So he pressed some button on the side and returned to his seat.

Only when he was in the transport, Megatron remembered that he hadn’t yet refueled today. Well, never mind. Fool’s energon... no saturation effect, and unless you check the HUD, you may not notice the difference at all. Sensations are the same. For now the energy level shows 87%, and this despite the fact that he didn’t recharge at night. Or... Anyway. he’s used to energy starvation, his spark is strong, nothing will happen.

He was much more worried about the upcoming meeting: how it would be held and who would conduct it. Prime? For sure. Nothing happends without him. Don't think about what will happened. Optimus won’t talk about this in front of everyone, the main thing is not to stay alone with him anywhere. Hold out for another day, and then - departure. Soon I'll be far away from here... Soon everything will happen.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) Wonder Woman 1984 OST - Lost and Found [Bonus Track]; (Optimus's thoughts and unexpected meeting with Rung)

2) Mass Effect 2 OST - Humans Are Disappearing; (Megatron's memories)

3) Pearl Harbor OST - ... And Then I Kissed Him; (Megatron and Magnus)

4) Transformers: Prime OST - Optimus Prime Returns (Megatron and Magnus: earn trust)

P.S. Past MiniMegs is a bit similar to Silver_setting_sun's story 'We Hail From Golden Chains' that I really love. But with my own changes of course. There will be flashbacks and even a chance for Megatron to return in time. He couldn't stay there however, because his real frame was still in the present time and the Matrix tried to pull him back. I don't actually follow the canon story either, I'm a BioWare games fan and... well, in the next chapter (the last of the Prologue) will tell you about their mission more.

Chapter Text

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The transport got to the place after about ten minutes. Along the way the monorail glass tube divided into additional branches, which, accordingly, led in other directions. The building they arrived at was a white skyscraper in the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners, next to which were hangars and docks. A spaceport it seems, Megatron thought. When they were just approaching, a small shuttle took off from somewhere nearby.

All the way, Megatron mostly looked at his knees, only occasionally raising the helm to see what was happening outside the windows. In part, this trip felt somewhat like those to the courthouse and back, like many times before. Only now the transport was lighter and more comfortable, and no cannon blows were directed at the Decepticon. The Prime acts like a winner, how would he feel if we switched roles? Silly question, he was always above me in status, even before the war. He will never understand. No Autobot will understand... I mean, none of these Autobots. Won’t understand.

‘All this is just one side of what is happening.’

Then I don't want to know the other. Once it seemed to me that our actions could somehow change lives of the rejected part Cybertronian population for the better. I wasn’t going to become the leader of the uprising... No... they asked... I agreed...

Megatron's thoughts were brought out by his own voice from the holographic translator screen. The speech he said at the behest of Optimus Prime... his pass to the ship, permission to participate in the mission to find Cyberutopia... The Prime’s order, the very one with whom he almost... Digits clenched into fists by themselves, the remaining energon in his tanks seemed was going to splash out, a small shiver went through the frame.

“Rodimus, turn this off, please,” Ultra Magnus asked, wary of Megatron’s behavior.

“What? Why?” he didn’t understand. However, looking down at his new co-captain, he quickly guessed what was going on: “Oh, okay. I'm not a sadist.” And got up from his seat again to turn off the screen above the entrance.

“How are you feeling?” Magnus addressed Megatron in a quiet, serious voice.

“Fine, don’t pay any attention,” he said, wiggling all digits of the left servo that were joined together. They think it's all just because of the speech. Good. Let them think so further.

The monorail transport stopped at the station right in the desired building. Light area, high ceilings, arched passages with stairs leading somewhere up. Megatron immediately noticed that there were at least four monorail tracks. Eight if we take into account both opposite directions. And no outsiders at all, which prompted Megatron to think: either this station is still under reconstruction, or it was temporarily closed specifically because of him, as a potential threat to the entire Cybertron. Wish it was possible to leave this hated, and once in the past with all spark of beloved planet faster...

From a light arch-shaped passage Optimus Prime, Prowl, and four other mechs with weapons at the ready descended a wide staircase to them. Where they came from was brighter than at the station, and it seemed to Megatron that the great ruler of Cybertron and his retinue were walking from heaven to insignificant mortal beings along the path lit by Primus.

Megatron suppressed a shudder with difficulty. Not in public. Prime will not start this conversation in front of others. And if so, I don't have to worry, hold still, behave as if nothing happened.

“Greetings," the Autobot leader nodded with all gravity. Magnus and Rodimus greeted back, Megatron just nodded briefly and quickly looked away. Optimus acted as always with all the dignity befitting the title. Megatron was also like this once... Forced, against his will, which over time just became a habit. Hunt or be hunted. “Come on. All the others have already gathered. Megatron,” the next welcome nod was for some reason addressed directly to him.

“Prime,” said the silver mech, echoing the ruler's gesture.

With Optimus's permission, the guards who had accompanied them during the trip were released, and the rest of the group followed the Prime up the same staircase they had just descended. Optimus led the group. He really hoped that from the outside no one had any doubts about his self-confidence, didn’t feel through the EM field all the storm of emotions that was tearing his spark apart. He wanted to apologize to Megatron for yesterday, but now it is better to follow Rung's advice and pretend that nothing happened. For both of them. The main thing now is the task.

The stairwells were bright and clean. No need to turn on the HUD to understand that the restoration was completed quite recently. Long narrow windows between floors. There is little sunlight from these, so artificial lighting was everywhere. They went up to the third floor, walked along a bright corridor past several closed doors, and stopped at one of them, the doors of which opened by themselves.

The room they all except three escorting guards entered, turned out to be a spacious conference room with panoramic windows and a large round holographic table in the center, around which there were many chairs, most of those were already occupied. The helms of those present, by the way there were twenty cybertronians, immediately turned to those who entered. Right away Megatron recognized some of them: Ratchet, Rung, Perceptor, Velocity, Drift... and Starscream?! This shocked the former Decepticon leader. Such painfully familiar sharp wings and this malicious face plate, a red cloak, a golden crown on his head - a symbol of power... Just like he was on trials. And what does that one need here? I thought it was a team-only meeting. It's funny that Prime, unlike this hypocrite, this time doesn’t wear similar crown. He wants to take part in everything, everywhere to show his importance, just like Prime...

Also not immediately, but still, Megatron recognized Chromedome. The same mnemosurgeon with whom Prime came to his cell once. Optimus was so eager to dig into the Decepticon's memory. For his own pleasure or some information, and it doesn't matter what he said at the same time. No, Megatron already knew that this mnemosurgeon was part of the crew, but it was still unpleasant...

This was followed by a part of getting to know the crew. The Prime introduced Megatron to everyone (although they already knew him, either from rumors or personally), then Optimus began to call the team members by names, pointing to each: Skids, Getaway, Tailgate, Rewind, Sverve, Cyclonus... and so on. Some of them nodded at their name, others didn’t react in any way, several mechs, for example, Getaway, turned away altogether. Megatron couldn’t blame them, whatever one may say, for them he is an enemy, and they are at least not his friends. When the acquaintance was over, the Prime asked everyone to take seats at the table.

“Why are you frozen, co-captain?” The red-yellow student of Optimus asked sympathetically on the left, pointing to one of the empty seats. “Nobody here will eat you. We're not like Decepticons.” He chuckled and hurried to take a seat at the holographic table.

“Rodimus Prime and other forms of psychological abuse,” Megatron muttered and sat down next to him as there were no more empty seats. Magnus tool place to the right of the Decepticon.

“Well, everyone's gathered, let's get started,” the Prime announced. He himself, unlike the others, remained standing.

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At Prowl's signal, all panoramic windows were closed with metal shutters, and the only source of soft blue light was... the very large holographic table around which they sat.

“Alright,” said the Prime, “as you all already know, the entire Cybertronian race stands at a crossroads: one path leads to survival and a brighter future, the other to complete destruction. The fate of the entire planet and futire generations,” the glow in the center of the table projected over it a large hologram of Cybertron, “will depend on our further actions."

He speaks well, Megatron chuckled to himself, if I was one of his followers, I would also gladly allow to hang all this slag on my audials. The truth is they are to blame for everything... just like us...

“The purpose of the Lost Light expedition,” continued the Prime, “is to find a possible way out of this situation. About six vorns ago, the Matrix Leadership sent me a vision, a sign that all is not yet lost for our people.”

A vision? Megatron shuddered. Slag. So this is where they got their data about this mystical Cybertopia... about the Knights... Damn you, Optimus Prime... and damn your Matrix too. How did Shockwave know? What did I get into...

“Somewhere in distant space, there is a place that in ancient times was called Cyberutopia, presumably the defenders of the Ancients went there... Those who once stood at the head of our kind.” The Cybertron hologram changed at these words, replaced by the projection of the entire spiral galaxy.

“Nice,” Rodimus grinned approvingly.

“Since we, the Autobots and Decepticons, cannot come to an agreement... Only the Wisest can judge us.”

“And when we ever tried… on equal terms…” Megatron squeezed out almost inaudibly.

“As you know, the Matrix doesn’t send visions just like that,” the Prime's gaze for some reason slid over Megatron, “so we took what was happening in all seriousness and began to collect data. Perceptor?”

“According to archival records, and practical research, as well as the results of some expeditions,” he spoke getting up, “we found out about the existence of some potential four Keys... Probably, these are devices that contain some information about the location of Cyberutopia. This is probably a broken map containing already coordinates. Our task is to find this very map. The good news is that, presumably, the two required elements are located on the planets in the Orion arm that is in the same place as Cybertron.” The desired arm of the galaxy became outlined with a red rectangle. “The other two are in the adjacent Perseus arm.” The second sector started flashing.

“So we don’t need to travel too far,” said the minibot named Tailgate. “But what do they look like?”

“Something like this,” Perceptor removed from the subspace something in the form of a patterned elongated pyramid with a narrow base and a luminous stone at the top, “pay attention that this is just a model that was created according to old descriptions. Perhaps the real ones look a bit different in some way.”

“How do they work together?” already inquired Rewind. “How to find the coordinates of what is not known with their help?”

Perceptor willingly began to explain, involuntarily going into the jungle of quantum mechanics, which were not understood by everyone, or rather, it was incomprehensible to the majority. Listening to him, Rodimus shook his helm in confusion. In general, he was poorly versed in science, and called everything that he couldn’t comprehend as magic. Studying was always difficult for Hot Rod or maybe he’s just lazy, and many were surprised why Optimus chose him as his protégé, and not, for example, Bumblebee, who is no more... However, he honestly tried to grasp the essence:

“So, we collect these four... magic keys, and they will lead us to the place where the Knights are hiding?”

“No.” Abruptly interrupted the voice on the right.

“What?” gazes of all those present instantly turned to Megatron. The silver mech was sitting slightly bent over, the right servo pressed to his chest, the left one at the level of the faceplate, optics closed.

“These four keys will indicate where the fifth is. And it will establish the location of Cybertopia.” Megatron himself didn’t understand where these thoughts came from. But the images... Four unknown mecha stand around the fifth one, each holding a luminous object, five rays merge into one... It was a sudden revelation, like a hint or realization. But how? He wasn’t going to say anything at all, just wanted to listen in silence, but the words themselves broke off his vocalizer, as if they had been spoken by an outsider.

“How do you know?” In the general silence, Optimus's voice sounded somehow especially loud. The Decepticon leader opened his optics and saw in the twilight of the room that absolutely everyone present was looking at him. “Megatron,” the Prime repeated urgently, “how do you know?”

He just shook his helm:

“I don’t know, it’s just…” The confused silver mech met the eyes of the ruler of Cybertron. “Just a guess.” Megatron spread the servos to the sides, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He himself was the most shocked of all. If the others could simply be filled with suspicion or mistrust, perhaps they would have considered it a joke... He, for some reasons, was confident in his own words... Which made absolutely no sense.

“A guess? Like an insight from above?” Rodimus pointed to the ceiling, and then emphatically ran a serco over his own chest, for which he received warning glances from the Prime, the Magnus, Ratchet and even Prowl, and guiltily pulled his helm into shoulders: “Sorry.” And again a question for Megatron: “Seriously, Megs, where did these ideas come from?”

Be silent, Megatron said to himself, just be silent and he'll ;eave you alone. He should, at least.

“So what, co-captain?” the ‘leader’ continued to pry. “Where did you get that there is some kind of fifth key?”

“Never mind, forget about it...” Megatron responded with restraint, squeezing digits of the left servo with the right one, and he added to himself: shut up the vocalize, enough of this... Rodimus was just about to ask something else, when Optimus interrupted him:

“Let's leave the topic of the fifth key for now. We know about the coordinates of four, and that's enough for now. The first planet you will go to is Untara, there are several Cybertronian settlements on it, the climate is also quite suitable for the existence of organic life...”

Yes, I remember, four planets, Untara, Sangor, Imano and Vinar, Megatron no longer really listened to what the leader of the Autobots was saying, focusing more on the mental reproduction of the data that Ultra Magnus provided him the day before yesterday evening. Each planet has an approximate area... about several hundred kilometers... where is what they are looking for must be... Whatever it really is. The Decepticon in thought placed his left hand on his chest, again feeling as if he was falling through somewhere: entrance, descent, glowing glyphs, concentric circles in the floor... a beam of white light...

“…Our experts, Nautica and Windblade, will meet you at the spaceport.”

Megatron flinched and reset his optics, looking around. Have I passed out again? Or was just so deep in thoughts? What was it? What the Pit is going on?

For the rest of the meeting, Megatron was silent. He pretended to listen, although he had long since lost the thread of the narrative. He also kept silent when Optimus invited the audience to ask questions. Every now and then, with peripheral vision, he caught someone's glance. Tailgate casually asked if Megatron had told the truth about the fifth key, to which Optimus replied that so far they have no official information regarding this. Rodimus even offered to make a bet, but he himself quickly rejected the idea under the menacing looks of Prime, Magnus and Prowl.

“Well, that's all then.” Announced Optimus, and the holograms on the table turned off. At the same time, a light came on, and the metal shutters on the windows opened again, letting in sunlight. “Tomorrow you all go on leave, and the day after tomorrow - the ship will be waining for you.” The Prime placed his right hand on his chest as he had done before, invoking the Matrix's response. “All Cybertron is counting on you, my friends. Our future as a race depends on the success of this mission. Good luck to all of us.”

To all of us? Spoken as if you are also going with us... Standing up, Megatron measured him with a displeased look and hastily turned away, fearing a reciprocal optics contact. Not a word about yesterday, not a thought... Just leave before...

“Yo, it will be great, huh?” the radiant Rodimus rose right in front of him. Megatron tried to get around him, but the stubborn Autobot took a mirror-like step, again blocking his path. “So, after all, where did you get your guess regarding the fifth key?”

“Go away, please.” Megatron rubbed the faceplate wearily. Now he only wanted to be in silence... At least for a short while, until this hell began on the ship.

“Rodimus, don’t,” Rung began cautiously, but the orange-yellow Autobot didn’t seem to be paying attention.

“Well, really, from where?” he clarified with some incomprehensible hint. “We have received data on only four in the last vorns. And then you come and make this spontaneous statement just like that!”

“Not again…” Megatron made a painful grimace. How he wanted, if not to hit, then at least to yell at the annoying Autobot... But this cannot be done, not his house, not his rules. “Oh, Unicron, save me from this...” he muttered, closing his eyes, fighting an angry shudder. Rodimus froze at these words, as if he ran into an invisible power barrier:

“What did you say?!” Shock distorted his faceplate.

“Rodimus!” The Autobot leader ordered sternly.

“Did you guys hear that?..” the red-yellow bot looked around the audience, ventilating them intensively. Several bots have already left the conference room, while the rest have stopped waiting. “No, did you hear that? He said: "Unicron, save me... It's just ... it's an insult to Primus himself!”

“Oh, is it?” Megatron flashed in response, involuntarily catching a wave of Rodimus's emotions through the EM field. It was necessary to mentally fence off, block external signals, just not listen and not notice...

But now Rodimus hit him into the most ‘chosen’ spark. In memory, by itself, one after another, images of past rulers came to be: just and not. The names... Megatron didn’t know any of them personally, but the last three were enough for him: Nominus, Sentinel and, most importantly, Optimus Prime. And since Rodimus is a potential successor to Optimus in the distant future, and he also hates the Decepticons, there is no hope...

“You know, Rodimus, to be honest, I once believed in him... But if Primus so cruelly rejected part of his people for the good of the former elite, there is hardly any hope for us at all. And if so, then I don't even want to...”

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Suddenly, the whole room swayed and began to spin before his eyes. Megatron froze sharply, trying to keep his balance. The whirlpool of colors was replaced by cold space, he soars in emptiness, and right in front of him in a dazzling flash a bright golden star appears, around which smaller pulsating balls move in different orbits, but even at a distance, each of them in diameter is much larger than the size of Megatron's frame. Three of them were green, the other ten - blue.

Megatron couldn’t move, as if something invisible bound him hand and foot, this warmth in his chest, pulsing in time with the glow of a strange golden star and its companions. For some reason, Megatron feels like he knows what is happening, and at the same time he doesn’t understand anything. The golden star is burning more and more brighter, its light seems to embrace Megatron, pulls towards itself, but there is no feeling of heat or pain from the dazzling radiance...

“Remember the words you will in time reconsider…” his own voice echoed from everywhere. “Tell me your doubts, admit to yourself, Megatronus... Megatronus...”

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

“…Megatron… Megatron?!”

The whiteness gradually forming patterns of the ceiling of the conference room, indistinct familiar faces, muffled voices... weakness in the entire frame... Megatron didn’t immediately realize that he was lying on the floor, supported by someone's servos. What... where... How did I get here... just been in another place...

“ …can you hear me? See me?” Ratchet's digits moved in front of his optics. Megatron tracked the movement, and the medic said confidently: “Okay, visual response is normal, already good.”

“Mmm… what happened…” Megatron choked out, gradually regaining consciousness. He was able to distinguish large blue and white servos of the Ultra Magnus supporting him in a semi-horizontal position, as well as other mechs and femmes bending over him.

“This is what we are trying to find out. Don’t move.” Ratchet told him.

Velocity scanned Megatron's body with a handheld scanner and stared at the numerical values displayed on the small screen in complete bewilderment:

“I don't understand... Ratchet?" the green femme handed the reading device to the chief medic, and he was no less surprised:

“What? All indicators are normal! The codes are normal, the internal mechanisms are normal, the spark state is normal.”

“How can it be?” Drift was confused, standing a little to the side. “Is the scanner working correctly?”

“I'll check it on mine,” Ratchet handed Velocity her device and pulled his own from the subspace. The transparent red beam slid across Megatron's frame again and produced exactly the same results. “Damn it… Looks like there is only one possible explanation…” He raised his headlm at someone, however, no one, including Megatron himself, had time to ask any questions. A displeased Rodimus appeared in the Decepticon's view. The orange-yellow bot looked at Megatron as if he was trying to disintegrate him with just one glance, and then declared:

“Whatever the reason, I hope it hurt.” And with a cold flash of optics, the Prime’s apprentice briskly walked out of the conference room before anyone could reprimand him.

As soon as the door closed behind Rodimus, the remaining mechs in the room turned their attention back to Megatron.

“Can you get up?” Without waiting for an answer, the Ultra Magnus pulled the incomprehensible silver transformer up and sat him down on the nearest chair. “How are you feeling?”

Strange, Megatron thought back. The weakness quickly receded, but the fear, bewilderment and shock didn’t disappear anywhere. What happened? I saw something... some... what... heard... But all attempts to remember didn’t lead to any result, the picture gradually disappeared from memory, only awareness remained.

“What happened to him?” A distant voice asked in a whisper.

“Beats me,” said the other.

Someone from the team. But it was still difficult for Megatron to move, so he didn’t even try to see who it was. Ratchet and Velocity unanimously confirmed that there were no failures in his systems, and self-diagnostic also didn’t reveal anything. All these oddities began after Megatron was released from prison... Before that, nothing like this happened even when Megatron brought himself to a state of energy and mineral starvation, refusing the energon brought by the overseers. What have they done to me... This cannot be the effects of ultrasonic suppressors... I know their effect. I know...

“You didn't refuel this morning, did you?” Ratchet suddenly looked at him reproachfully.

“And does it matter?” Megatron gave him the exact same accusatory look. Ratchet knows something... He was there when I woke up in the prison medical bay. And Prime was there too...

“So yes or no?”

“Megatron, please answer honestly,” said Optimus's soft and demanding low voice behind him. The Decepticon suppressed a shudder with difficulty. Just don’t turn around, I don’t want him to look me in the eye... Need to stop thinking about yesterday.

“I didn't have time...” he admitted, bowing his helm. “The briefing was more important. And then... what's the difference: an hour earlier, an hour later.”

Those present exchanged meaningful glances. Megatron looked at the floor and didn’t see the expressions on their faces, which, perhaps, was good, since the voltage of the EM fields was quite enough.

“It’s my fault,” the Ultra Magnus cut in. “I didn’t check. When I went to Megatron and... said it was time to go, he followed me without questions.”

After a couple of phrases with the Autobot leader on the internal commlink, Ratchet finally put the scanner into his subspace and stood up:

“I hope you don’t get into a habit. Mind you,” he shook his finger at Megatron, “I won’t run after you with this on the ship, captain,” the last word was said with particular irritation. And already through the commlink he warned: ‘And if you again decide to bring yourself to energy depletion, you will find yourself in the medical bay and listen to EVERYTHING I think about you.’

‘I’m scared,’ Megatron muttered over the communication channel too, no one else heard it.

Ratchet made an expression on his faceplate, which immediately showed that only medical protocols were holding him from hitting Megatron very painfully here and now. The slagmaker really asks for it... as if on purpose. Ratchet looked dubiously at Rung, who was standing behind Optimus's right shoulder. The orange-white bot shook his helm in warning, and the medic just waved a servo:

“Okay, since the meeting is over... Drift, Velocity, First Aid, Wheeljack, let's go. Nobody needs our help for now. - And he also left the conference room, having previously sent Optimus a closed message that he awaits him for examination and a serious conversation in the Citadel's medical center in an hour and a half. The other three followed, Drift and Velocity turned at Megatron and exchanged worried looks.

“Come on, I'll take you back,” the Ultra Magnus suggested and helped Megatron to his pedes.

Even though the silver mech was feeling much better, he didn't push the big blue-white Autobot away from himself. Neither did he turn around to look at the remaining mechs in the room when he and Magnus left. What a great first impression, Megatron scolded himself ironically.

'You're right on this part,' the inner voice agreed.

They returned to the transport, which brought them back to the Citadel just as quickly. Then Magnus accompanied Meratron back to his quarters and left him alone, saying that it was time to return to his duties. The former Decepticon had nothing to do, he didn’t want to turn on the large holocaster on the wall in the living room, what could they show there? Old movies? Cybertron’s recovery news for the Autobots? The next propaganda steps aimed at oppressing the Decepticons in general and him in particular? Enough of today's broadcast as they drove to the spaceport.

“Hmm…” Megatron opened the cabinet where the Fool’s Energon cubes were, took one and thoughtfully turned it over in his hands before drinking. What this chemical compound is anyway? Is that how it affects him? The strangeness began even before that... What is happening?..

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) Mass Effect OST - Noveria; (arrival and meeting with key members of the crew)

2) Stargate Universe OST - Countdown to Destiny; (the briefing)

3) Stargate Atlantis OST - Altantis Wakes; (images in Megatron's mind)

4) Mass Effect 3 OST - Squad Selection; (end of the briefing)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Back at the office, Starscream sat down at his desk, removed the golden crown from his helm, turned it over in his servos thoughtfully, and, putting it aside, began to review reports that had come in during his absence. The senator honestly tried to concentrate, but now and then he mentally returned to the meeting that had just passed. An ‘exiting’ journey awaits these idiots, maybe it’s even a one-way trip. And they will all perish including Megatron... who already barely stands on his pedes. He looks even less like himself than the last time I saw him at the trial. And where does such an assumption about this certain Fifth Key came from? Starscream only heard about four others today... What happened to him? What did these scou... the Autobots do to him?

“Wait, am I worried about this slagmaker?” The seeker asked himself. “About Megatron? Delirium of some kind...” With difficulty he suppressed a sudden attack of nausea. He wanted to be present at the meeting in the first place because of him... Where Megatron is involved, there is always a personal interest of Starscream.

What's happening? He liked it before, it was a pleasure to watch his former commander’s torments, it was nice to play a role of a forgiving once seriously intimidated ‘whipping boy’, but... If Megatron must die, then from Starscream’s servos, and not by the Autobots’ order, not like this... not by accident.

The intercom on the table chimed, and the secretary announced about an unexpected guest - the head of the security service. The seeker, of course, was very surprised, but replied that he could come in. This one just doesn’t come without a reason, especially to him, only on important matters.

“Officer Prowl!” Starscream got up from the desk as soon as the white-black mech passed through the sliding doors of his office. “What can I do for you?”

“There is one very important matter, Senator Starscream, that I would very much like to discuss with you.” Prowl, unlike the seeker, wasn’t in the mood for a fake exchange of pleasantries. “And this conversation is not for extraneous audials.”

With an understanding nod, Starscream pressed a button on the keyboard to the right, and the holographic monitor issued the appropriate command.

“Soundproofing is on,” the seeker sat down in his seat and pointed to a chair on the other side of his desk. “Please have a seat.”

But Prowl only crossed his arms expectantly over his chest. The silence dragged on, the tension of the EM fields made the winged mech rather uncomfortable. He stirred in his chair.

“So... what did you want to talk about?"

“A threat that has not yet been eliminated.” The warmech moved to the left, bypassed the Senator’s desk, and stopped at a large, bright window across the entire back wall.

“I'm afraid I don't understand..." Still sitting, the winged one began to turn, watching the policeman.

“Of course you do, Senator.” Prowl gave Starscream a stern look. “I'm talking about Megatron. He is dangerous, he should be... at least neutralized.”

“By a majority of votes and the Prime’s decision, the court has already delivered a verdict,” Starscream finally got up from the desk and slightly straightened his cloak, “Megatron goes with the Lost Light team in search of... don't-know-what, and won't show up on Cybertron, at best, in the next... fifty or sixty vorns at best. You understand, the relativity of time, all that,” the winged innocently spread his servos and rubbed his lower lip with his digits: “Although... they may not come back at all. Hunting for something than might not even exists...”

“Aren’t you worried about his today's spontaneous statement? About this upcoming mission to hunt for what one might think can't exist?” Prowl specified with a hint.

“A little,” Starscream agreed forcibly, going up to the military mech, “but who cares? He had a seizure at the end of the meeting, so I should also worry about this? I have other things to do.”

The security officer chuckled haughtily in response.

“And what if I tell you,” Prowl looked around, as if checking if anyone was eavesdropping, then approached Starscream almost at the distance of an extended arm, “that Megatron has every chance not only to rise above you in status again, but even to deprive you of your position?”

“Impossible,” the Seeker chuckled nervously, his faceplate instantly became more serious: “Why on Cybertron? The Senate...”

“The Senate hasn’t made any decisions yet. Things happening, Screamer, that you don't even know about. For now, I will say that we have a common goal - to get rid of Megatron once and for all.”

“I've tried this many times during the war.” Starscream put the servos on his belt and kicked the air with his left pede in annoyance. “Damn Point One Percenter,” he added through clenched denta.

“Only Optimus alone can cope with him, and even that is a controversial statement. We need to go the other way. There are several ideas.” Prowl held out the right servo to the former SIC of the leader of the Decepticons: “If you agree to work with me, I'll tell you.”

Hesitating a little, Starscream squeezed the first security officer's hand. The senator had an unpleasant feeling, as if he was being dragged into some kind of scam, which could turn out to be too bad for him, but here and now there was nothing to object to Prowl's convincing arguments. Nonsense: Megatron can take the leadership position again? This cannot be allowed to happen, not again.

“What is required of me?” Starscream asked at last as their servos unclenched.

“Nothing so far,” came the calm answer, “all the details later - after the Lost Light leaves the outer space of Cybertron. Here and now, Megatron is an inviolable person, but out there, in distant space,” Prowl pointed his digit at the ceiling, hinting at the sky, “he will not be under the Prime’s protection.”

Silent optics contact followed, and Starscream was the first to look away.

“For now you behave as usual, don’t give any reason for suspicion. Is that clear?”

Starscream snorted indignantly and fluttered his wings.

“Of course, it is.”

Prowl nodded his approval and left the office. Staying alone, the seeker slowly sat down at his desk and ex-vented heavily, trying to calm himself. What was it now? What did he agree to? And why? Many feared Prowl and didn’t want to cross his path, probably in this case, fear also played a primary role. But... go against the Prime now? When he achieve the highest position in all possible ways and with trivial luck, received the power that he had always dreamed of? In part, destroying Megatron seemed like a good idea to him, even despite the feeling of pity that woke up during the trial. But... can he trust Prowl? What game is he playing? It's another question.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

In his new quarters, temporary quarters, Megatron lay on his left side on the berth and stared unseeingly at the wall. His left arm, bent at the elbow, is under the helm, and the index digit of the right one moves along the soft surface, drawing invisible unknown patterns. He thought about the days when he was still a miner, when he and Orion Pax were friends, remembered comrades from the past... Impactor, Krok, Misfire, Spinister, Terminus...

Terminus... His once closest friend... loyal companion. They could become sparkmates, Terminus himself proposed to him a few days before... those events. And Megatron agreed...

“They made us the way we are now, but they will never admit it…” Megatron clenched his right servo into a fist and brought it to his chest. “I let everyone down... Is there any hope for us? Is it worth trying at all?..” He smiled bitterly.

‘ Tell me your doubts...’

One more day here and... The day after tomorrow... The day after tomorrow my journey will begin... the last journey. Maybe I am really delaying the inevitable because... I'm afraid. Only a fool is not afraid of anything. If I could go back... I would have done a lot differently. It is my own fault: I allowed this. Everything that is happening now is wholly the consequences of my own choice.

‘Tell me your doubts... Admit to yourself...’

Suddenly, the intercom on the wall on the other side of the berth began to make melodic booming sounds. Incoming call? Unexpected. Who could call him here... Probably a mistake or a glitch. Not going to answer, now it will make some noise and stop.

But the communication panel refused to shut down, its initially calm sounds became more and more annoying. Whoever it was, he rather persistently tried to contact the resident of these quarters. It scares, arouses interest, and at the same time irritates. With a sigh of displeasure, Megatron rolled over onto his right side, moved to the edge of the wide berth, and, stretching out his left servo, pressed the big red signal button.

“Yes?”

“Excuse me, you have a visitor,” said the guard at the door.

Frozen in surprise, Megatron blinked and jerked his helm at the same time, trying to figure out what was happening. It is difficult to say which part made him more alarmed: that someone had come to him and was waiting for permission to enter, or the strange polite behavior of the guard. Megatron had never heard of the soldiers at his door speaking even a word, and didn’t even think that they would even talk to him. However, before the Decepticon could ask a clarifying question, the polite voice of a therapist he already knew came from the speaker:

“Megatron? This is Rung. Sorry for interrupting, but... may I come in?”

The first thought was to answer: no. Although, what will follow? Prime has set a condition... And if Megatron refuses now, then the ruler of Cybertron himself may come to him as well, and the former Decepticon didn’t want this at all. And again, Rung is asking, not demanding, though... Could it be just a form of manipulation? How can you refuse without having the right to do so? This bot is strange, unusual - for sure.

“But you are already here,” Megatron replied as indifferently as possible and got up from the berth.

“Thank you.”

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Further Megatron heard a quiet hiss of the opening entrance door, the Decepticon leader left the berth room and ran into the white-orange bot with pale blue optics who entered the living room, this time there were no unusual glasses on the guest's face. But the general feeling of mystery hasn’t disappeared anywhere.

“How can I help?” internally Megatron was already alerted. Why did the psychiatrist come to see him now? Did today's events really so alarmed the Autobots? Not a clang without permission from now on. Why, these are not allies, but overseers...

“I just wanted to check on you. Today you made everyone a little... nervous and...”

“No one was hurt,” Megatron responded coldly, not letting the orange-and-white bot finish his sentence, and retreated to the windows next to the exit to the balcony.

“Except you,” Rung protested in his back. It was useless to convince the Decepticon that this was not the point at all.

“That doesn't count,” he said indifferently.

“What?” The white-orange bot asked in surprise.

“What you heard.” Megatron bit his glossa, but the words had already been spoken. Having heavily ex-ventied, he turned to the therapist with a displeased look: “Prime said that you insisted on obligatory sessions once a week during the flight. One of two conditions. If the other is clear to me, then here I am completely confused.” The silver mech crossed the arms over his chest. “What is this all for?”

“And what do you think?” Rung decided to start with leading questions, instead of trivial explanations. Megatron won’t believe that they want to help him... using him along the way. And for now it is impossible to tell him everything.

The Decepticon's optics narrowed in disbelief.

“And I have the right to consider something, to think? These are the winners’ laws, Rung, you understand that. Either I follow them, or no hope for justice. The confrontation will last until the complete extinction of the Cybertronian race.”

“And no thoughts at all that Optimus Prime wants to help you?”

“No!” the silver mech twitched from the memories of last night. He struggled to resist the urge to press against the wall between the windows. What do you want? Go away... leave me... Why did you come... to make fun of me, taking an opportunity?

“Megatron…” Rung joined his palms and walked over to him, stopping slightly to the left at a distance of two outstretched arms, an expression of extreme concern on his faceplate. Close enough, the Decepticon’s field is already pulsing with warning waves. “Megatron, you are not well. You have been through the Pits and you don’t even have a thought that something may change in the future.”

You're right, little bot, I don't believe any of it, he confirmed to himself, continuing to stare at the therapist in silence. No thoughts, no emotions... just waiting.

“I’m not going to claim that I can 100% help,” Rung continued calmly. “If it was so, mechs of my profession wouldn’t be needed at all. But we exist, and others come to us with problems: someone on their own, others are forced by close ones... as in your case.

Wha…? Close ones? Megatron twitched incredulously and reset his optics. Enemies. Winners. I had to go for it. Shockwave... Bumblebee... This shouldn't happen again. Maybe all this is an bad idea, but... the damned hope of justice... not only for the Autobots, but for us as well... What we didn’t know... what we were deprived of. ‘Towards Peace’... you are being deceived...

“I will follow instructions,” Megatron squeezed dryly through clenched denta, “but a warning in advance that all these games to help an enemy are useless. You won't get anywhere. You will only waste time and frustrate your superiors with unsuccessful attempts to get something out of me.”

“Games? Well,” Rung chuckled slyly, “all the more interesting. Who of us will give up first. If you are so sure that I will not be able to break through your mental wall, then there is nothing to fear.”

Oh, is it? I hate medics, be they physicians or these... psychoanalysts. Once in the past I dreamed of being... It doesn't matter, this is not, and never will be. When will this annoying visitor finally deign to leave? Stop digging into my CPU for today. You don't know me, and who are you, a mysterious mech, so that I could tell you something about myself? You will not understand, none of you will understand. It was all a mistake.

“You’re strange," Megatron said in a displeased voice and stared out the window again.

“That's what it is,” Rung shrugged his shoulders with a smile, “when you constantly encounter oddities in your work, you gradually become that way too. Isn’t it so?”

In response only silence. Megatron stared blankly at the city, and it seemed as if the silver mech was deep in his thoughts, and his mind was not here at all.

“Megatron...?" Rung called uncertainly. He took a step forward and held out a servo, wanting to touch the Decepticon's left shoulder pad, as he quietly replied:

“Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Well...” Megatron turned to the therapist with his whole frame. “Suddenly a stupid thought came to me for some reason. If only…”Megatron paused abruptly and clasped his digits at chest level, slowly bowing his helm. “Never mind. Forget it.” He turned his back to the therapist and looked thoughtfully into the clear blue sky beyond the force field.

“Tell me,” Rung asked, walking up to him from the left.

‘Tell me your doubts...’

The silver mech fought back the urge to retreat. He hesitated, realizing that if he said it out loud, the answer would be one hundred percent refusal. And what can this mech do in this situation? Whoever he is, the decision is still up to others, and they will say: ‘No!’. But for some reason, the Decepticon now wants to trust Rung, it will be no less offensive if Megatron remains silent.

“It's been a long time since I last spread my wings…” he managed, embarrassedly, as if it was a forbidden and obscene topic, like, for example, interfacing. “If I could take off even for a little while…” He smiled dreamily at the sky.

“Megatron...”

“...even at gunpoint...” he finished more calmly. Megatron's gaze was directed towards the clouds, and therefore Rung's faceplate, distorted in fear, remained unnoticed: at gunpoint...

“What are you talking about?” Rung clarified in the most calm voice. Two options... Which one?

“To fly into the Cybertronian sky… for the last time…” Megatron closed his optics and again couldn’t help smiling. “Each planet has its own atmosphere and its own gravity. This,” he looked at Rung in all seriousness, “is difficult to understand for someone who has never flown. Words are empty, you have to feel it. Being a ground pounder in the past, I couldn’t even imagine.”

“And what do you mean by ‘at gun point’?” Rung didn’t understand.

“As a guarantor of safety for the ene... for the Autobots. If I suddenly decided to fly away, they would have easily knocked me down, and that all.”

Rung looked away, not knowing what to say. There is no clear answer to what Megatron really wants. Perhaps it really about the flight itself. Not an attempt to commit suicide. It is difficult to predict his actions, this is a serious risk for the Lost Light team, but there is no other options. Maybe there, away from of Cybertron, everything will change, and Megatron can still be directed to the right path. It won’t be possible to do this here and now, at least in the blink of an eye.

“The military training ground ‘Delta-2’,” suddenly a voice said behind them. Both mechs whirled around to see Starscream. The former SIC, now a senator, stood in the aisle, leaning against the doorframe, smiling, this time he wasn’t wearing a gold crown or a cloak, “and I, too, would love to keep you company.” The winged mech slowly approached them, placing servos in a conciliatory manner: “Sorry, I accidentally heard...”

“Accidentally?” Megatron didn’t believe it. Here's another uninvited one.

Under his watchful gaze, Starscream shuddered involuntarily. An old habit, it's his own fault... But the seeker is also accustomed to blame anyone but himself for his own failures. Calm down, this monster is no longer dangerous to you, he reminded himself. You are no longer his pawn, you have achieved much more than him... thanks to him. So show compassion for the loser. Self-hypnosis worked, and the seeker, straightening his shoulders more confidently, said:

“Well, maybe not accidently, but anyway…” Starscream coughed uncertainly and returned to the topic. “So… what about a little competition… Lord Megatron? You haven't gotten too rusty in six months, I hope? Are your turbines still running? Oh yes, blocked... but it can be fixed!” And he rewarded both with the most good-natured smile.

Shows off in front of third parties, Megatron immediately realized this, even when Starscream came to ‘visit’ him in the prison cell, without guards he was still a coward, the EM field betrayed all his emotions. The seeker felt much more confident when at least someone else was around.

“Senator Starscream! Optimus Prime won't allow it,” Rung said firmly.

“I'll think of something,” the seeker waved him off, “I'm a master of words after all.”

“I don’t think that…”

“Deal,” Megatron interjected, and both mechs immediately turned their helms to him. “If you can convince Prime, deal, I’ll play air races with you.”

“Really?” Starscream was indescribably surprised and, let's be honest, a little wary, but one can't turn back what was said. It was his own idea.

“Yes.”

“Megatron, I don't think that..." Rung tried to intervene, but the sharp-winged seeker interrupted him:

“Good. See you tomorrow, then. I’ll solve all the issues today. Have a good evening. Lord Megatron…” Starscream walked away with a proud gait, wings spread even wider. The only thing that he didn’t calculate was that the doorway size turned out to be somewhat narrower... A surprised yelp and a sound of fall turned out to be loud.

Megatron winced ‘sympathetically’, trying his best not to laugh, and Rung chuckled. The seeker got up from the floor not turning around, slightly pushed his wings up and, just in case, went out into the corridor sideways. Both orange-white and silver mechs looked at each other and snorted at the same time.

It was only when the front door closed behind him, Starscream remembered the question he came to ask in the first place. Well, then I'll find out later why Megatron suddenly put forward such an assumption about those keys, he decided, most importantly – do it before their departure... Prowl hadn’t yet announced his plan.

“Was he always… like this?" The therapist clarified with a clear hint, glancing meaningfully at Megatron.

“As long as I remember him,” he replied, hoping that he and Rung understood each other, “but if he convinces Prime, I will be grateful. Although...” he rubbed the nose bridge with two digits of the left servo, “I doubt he will succeed.”

Alone - no, Rung turned towards the exit to the hallway. The seeker is still behind the door in the corridor, waiting, knows that Pax... Prime will not listen to him alone. I can only talk to him if you promise not to take rash steps.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

“Do you really believe in what you said today? That Primus turned his back on you?” Suddenly asked the therapist, already extremely seriously.

Megatron was dumbfounded. Rung's words sounded like an accusation, although they weren't so. Even the intonation was completely neutral. And yet it hurt him. Why did he say that today? Had to be silent... Too loud a statement for those who do not know.

‘Tell me your doubts...’

“Not on me alone.” Their gazes met, and this time Megatron felt no desire to turn away. “On all Decepticons. We are superfluous in this ‘perfect’ world of the upper classes." The silver mech said it quite calmly, without despair or annoyance. Like a simple statement of a fact in which he was absolutely sure. However, deep inside Megatron everything was seething with this injustice, and he had to make a colossal effort over himself in order not to succumb to emotions. “Anyway, it does not matter. Forget it, this isn’t…” The silver mech flinched as he felt the touch on his left arm armor.

“I am very sorry you and others had to suffer so much, my spark...”

Megatron didn’t even have time to understand anything. As soon as Rung's servo touched his forearm, tickling impulses ran across the entire surface of the protoform under the armor, giving way to pleasant relaxing warmth. Suddenly, the Decepticon's own body seemed extremely heavy, had to take a lot of effort to move servos or turn the helm. Megatron panicked.

“Rung? I what…”

“Hush,” the therapist’s second hand also rested on Megatron’s forearm. The room began to blur and darken before his optics. A quiet soft hiss in the audials, gradually absorbing other sounds. White noise? Thought only Tarn and Soundwave could do this...

“W-what is this..." Megatron rubbed his faceplate with his free servo and shook his helm. His legs gave way a little, and he felt that he was about to fall, but the fragile Rung held him firmly and confidently in place. A loadbearer? Like is Minimus or his brother? What was his... Dominus? Seems so. That was his name. “What's happening?”

“Nothing, you're just tired…” Rung's quiet, soothing voice seemed to hover around in this white noise, while its owner disappeared from sight, merging with the surrounding reality into a mixture of indistinguishable fading spots. However, the intensified EM field softly enveloped the Decepticon's frame, giving off pleasant tingling sensations everywhere, preventing Megatron from turning off right here and now. “Come with me. Today there will be no visions, no nightmares... Only peace.” Strong, albeit outwardly fragile servos pulled him somewhere, and Megatron obeyed, as if his frame, which suddenly felt incredibly light, didn’t belong to him. A slightly louder momentary hiss of the opening doors in the background white noise, and the next thing Megatron knew, he was lying on something comfortable and soft, and it became already completely dark around. Two resonators, in which one can still guess palms, moved to his chest... Two insignias one under another, one mecha, the new Prime of Cybertronian people... “One more question, before I leave you to rest,” he hears from somewhere and desperately clinging to this voice with his thoughts, so as not to fall into the unknown.

“Hmmm...” partly Megatron still tried to resist, but it’s so hard to think. Tired. Let go. Whatever it is, let it end like this, not in agony.

“How do you feel about Optimus Prime now? Tell me your doubts...”

No strength, no desire, no need to lie. This voice... I can trust it. I'll tell it everything as it is... and that's it... That's it.

“Winner...” whispers Megatron, already on the verge of shutting down, not even thinking if his invisible interlocutor hears him. “I surrendered… Otherwise, would have destroyed… Wouldn’t … dis-gra… ce…” And these were the silver mech’s last words before his systems finally gave in and the recharge cycle began.

Rung stood over Megatron who was lying on the berth for some time, listening to the subtle hum of the engine and cooling fans. Now the former Decepticon leader looked peaceful, the EM field calm, stable, he won’t wake up until tomorrow morning. Won’t remember this moment. They will come back to this topic... Later, much later, when the contact between them is fully established.

“Together with Starscream, I’ll talk to Optimus about your request, my spark,” Rung whispered, barely audible so that the listening devices in the surveillance cameras wouldn’t record anything. “Just don’t do anything stupid, please.” He bent down and lightly ran his digits over Megatron's cheek: “I will not leave you... But the choice, one way or another, is only yours.” And, slightly smiling at the deep recharging mech, Rung quit the quarters, before leaving he asked the guards for the rest of the day and the coming night not to disturb its resident unless absolutely necessary.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Sitting at the desk in his own quarters, Optimus Prime watched the everything from CCTV cameras. The Autobot leader has just returned from the Citadel medical complex feeling somewhat better. Ratchet suggested that he and Drift stay and work on finding a solution to save Optimus' spark not for hundreds, but for thousands of vorns, but the Prime refused, arguing that the team needed them more. Ratchet himself wanted to fly with pleasure, see new worlds, together with other daredevils to unravel the ancient mysteries, but... Optimus is a friend, and the medic would make such a sacrifice for him... If Prime would only ask.

Optimus saw and heard everything, already knew what Starscream would come to him with today and what answer he would get... He himself couldn’t help smiling when the seeker was unable leave beautifully. Saw how Rank then takes Megatron to the berth room, and he almost immediately goes into recharge... He hears those very words...

“How do you feel about Optimus Prime now? Tell me your doubts...”

“Winner... I surrendered… Otherwise, would have destroyed… Wouldn’t… dis-gra… ce…”

Disgraced... Rung was right from the very beginning, but for some reason Optimus decided that he was doing the right thing: the speech he wrote and forced Megatron to say should have made the Violet Sign faction to surrender. They didn’t want this, on the contrary, they became even more embittered. Especially the DJD. And now, perhaps, Megatron himself can become their target...

“Primus, protect them during the mission,” Optimus closed his optics and brought his folded palms to the faceplate, “give us a chance to fix everything… as much as possible.”

Already the day after tomorrow, the ship begins its journey. What awaits the team out there in distant space? Was Megatron right about the fifth Key? Do the Knights exist? It remains only to guess and hope for the best.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) Mass Effect 3 OST - Citadel: Huerta Memorial Hospital; (Prowl and Starscream)

2) The Theory of Everything OST - A Spacetime Singularity; (Megatron's thoughts)

3) 'Peaceful Prairie' by Chroma Music (Megatron and Rung)

4) The Death Cure OST - Teresa's Plea; (Rung puts Megatron into recharge)

5) The Death Cure OST - Chat with Teresa (Optimus watches from cameras)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Having instructed the guards so that no one should disturb Megatron today anymore – psychotherapist’s recommendations - Rung walked quite calmly back to his office. Or rather, he pretended to do so. There was no sign of the recent guest nearby, but the seeker is quite predictable, he will stubbornly achieve his goals in different ways here and now, without a shadow of embarrassment, even if the very same goal is simply a desire to show off and demonstrate his superiority.

On the way to the elevators in wide brightly lit corridors he met only two mechs, both of the upper class. Of course, only high-ranking officials have access to these levels of the Citadel. After all, Optimus Prime himself lives here.

Rung walked slowly, as if he didn’t know that a recent visitor was waiting for him at the elevators, the one who left Megatron's quarters so ‘beautifully’, and had previously promised to settle all issues with the ruler about his former leader’s wish. Decided not to wait right at the door, so that everything wouldn’t be too obvious... Well, let's see...

“I must admit, you are a rather brave mech,” a voice said from Rung’s behind when he was next to the elevators and only held out the right servo to the call panel. The orange-white bot turned towards Starscream, who ‘accidentally’ came out of the side corridor at that moment. Waited. This mech deserves praise for his dedication.

“What do you mean?” Rung didn’t understand, lowering the servo and completely turning his entire frame towards the winged one.

“Well,” the seeker slowly approached him, “to be alone with this slagma...” the psychotherapist's suddenly frowning face made him change his mind and not to pronounce this word, so Starscream hurried to correct: “Hmm... with Megatron.” He spread servos to the sides. “Few warmechs would risk being around when he is not in stasis handcuffs and there are no guards around. But you...”

“I can take care of myself,” Rung chuckled kindly, “and besides, Senator, you are exaggerating.”

“I say what I know, personal experience, if I may.”

“Conflicts are not born out of nowhere,” Rung objected with a clear hint, crossing arms over his chest, “whatever happened between you two in the past, it was clearly not without a reason.”

The seeker jerked offendedly, from what he caught an even more attentive and appraising look from the psychiatrist. There are individuals who don’t admit mistakes or their own guilt... They are ready to condemn everyone around, if only to remain innocent.

“You wish to talk about it? I still have time before departure.” Rung readily suggested while the other gathered his thoughts. “We can meet today or tomorrow in my office, whenever you say.” The look of the white-orange mech softened: “Your work is intense, serious emotional stress can be quite expected. I am ready to listen.”

“It would be nice,” Starscream agreed suddenly, “if that doesn't bother you too much.”

“This is my job,” Rung spread his hands to the sides.

“Then…” Starscream pulled out a datapad from his subspace, flipped it down, checking his schedule, “maybe tomorrow at eleven? Will it suit you?”

Rung nodded in agreement.

“I'll be waiting for you in my office. Floor fifty-three, section D, room 117.”

“Understood, I will be there at the appointed time.” Starscream made a note in the electronic datapad and put it back into the subspace. “So...” he lifted a left servo, slightly wiggled his digits, and then scratched a bit the top of his helm, “how is Megatron doing? He really has been acting especially strange lately. And today's sudden loss of consciousness... these unusual statements...”

Well, here we come to the main point, Rung chuckled to himself, and answered aloud:

“Now Megatron is resting, that's all I can say. Sorry Senator, but one of the main rules of medicine is confidentiality. I cannot and will not discuss my patients. Would you like it if someone disclosed your personal data to third parties?”

“Fair enough...” the seeker reluctantly admitted, clattering his glossa with displeasure. “And you, so to speak, his psychotherapist, if I understand that correctly?”

“Yes,” Rung replied quite calmly, nodding his own words, “his and the rest of the team. I am responsible for the emotional state of the entire crew of the Lost Light, and Megatron is the captain of the ship.”

“The team is very fortunate to have a professional like you.” Starscream smiled amiably.

“Thank you for the compliment, Senator,” Rung replied as neutral as possible. He really disliked sycophants and insincerity, but never refused to help anyone. The therapist, still expecting a potential continuation of the conversation, was again going to press a button for calling the elevator in order to somehow rush the interlocutor.

“Actually, Rung, I wanted to talk to you about something else,” came from behind, and the white-orange bot, smiling to himself, lowered the servo again. Thought so. “About what, Senator?” He turned back to the winged mech, who was suddenly standing quite close.

“I would like to discuss the flight idea with the Prime. But he won't listen to me alone...”

“And how can my participation help?” Rung feigned misunderstanding.

Thinks quickly, Starscream noted to himself, picks out the point right away. Many people speak of this bot as a true professional in their field. A well-known personality, like Ratchet among medics.

“He might listen to you. Megatron wants to fly, and I, as a seeker, understand him. And he is right - one flier will understand another much better. The flight will do him good, I know what I'm talking about.” Starscream smiled. Much more sincere this time than before. But it would be naive to think that he is proposing this in order to help Megatron.

“Do you realize exactly what you are asking for, Senator?" Rung narrowed his optics and tilted his helm slightly. “Given how complicated the situation is, I doubt that Optimus Prime will answer positively, no matter how compelling the arguments might be.” He needed to be sure of Starscream's sincerity. Even if he pursues his own interests, in this particular case it can help Megatron at least a little... But the risk of a rash act... There is always a risk. “Apart from how such a move will look in the eyes of the public, if someone finds out.”

“You speak as if this very public has long known that a war criminal lives in the Citadel on a par with members of the Senate. That he’s going to take part in a secret mission that...”

Listening to everything the seeker recounted, Rung pursed his lips in displeasure. A war criminal... Who are you, then, Senator? Who are the majority of the current ruling elite? Who gave and followed orders? If one takes full responsibility, it doesn’t remove the blame from the rest, no matter what they think.

“If that really helps a little, then good,” Rung surrendered, letting Starscream finish. “But it’s up to Optimus Prime, and not me, you, or Megatron. But we can try.”

“Great!” the seeker's face beamed. “Then I will contact the Prime today and specify when he will be free for this conversation. After that I will immediately let you know.”

“Here's my comm frequency,'' Rung sent a remote request signal, and Starscream opened the communication channel through which the therapist forwarded his ID, and in response received the frequency of the winged mech, “but it would be better if I tell Optimus myself and contact you...” And then Rung finally pressed the button to call the elevator.

“Well, if you think it’s better…” Starscream didn’t argue.

The sliding doors of the elevator silently opened, inviting to enter the spacious, light-colored booth, which Rung did.

“See you soon, Senator Starscream.” And the doors closed, blocking him from the seeker still standing on the other side.

This conversation will not be easy, Rung thought as he walked back to his office. He could have tried to find the right words, but he himself wasn’t sure of the correctness of this decision. Megatron can commit deliberate stupidity... But, on the other hand, it can be an opportunity to make him think... See in Prime’s actions not only negative outcomes. At least a little to convince him that all this is not the end, but a new beginning...

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Maccadam's Oil House hasn’t lost its popularity even these days. Now, when martial law was partially canceled in Iacon, mechs came here more and more often. The bar itself, of course, has changed a lot in appearance. If earlier it was an institution with just one counter and many tables for visitors, now it was already a real modern club. Moreover, the atmosphere inside depended on the time of day: during the day the lighting was quieter, and the music was appropriate, only the layout differed: to the right of the entrance there is a large stage with holographic dancers, a longer bar counter with additional decorations at the opposite wall, tables became round instead of square, one more hall was added. At night, the main lighting became dimmer, and additional neon lights turned on everywhere, the music also changed to more rhythmic - suitable for dancing.

Minimus Ambus wasn’t a frequent visitor to such places, but today he had to come here more out of necessity. Swerve, one of the Lost Light crew members, who had previously worked in this bar, made a request that Minimus couldn’t ignore. In order not to draw too much attention to himself, he decided to come without the Ultra Magnus armor. And, since the entire crew knew each other even before Megatron became part the team, there was no need for introductions.

Now there were a lot of people in the bar, most of the tables were occupied, several mechs were sitting right behind the bar counter, music was playing and three holographic femmes of pink, purple and blue colors twisted on the stage to the right of the entrance. No heavy armor, cute faceplates, and they moved like the real ones would never be able to simply for physiological reasons. As a warrior, Minimus knew the limits of the mobility of a Cybertronian frame. But the majority of the audience didn’t care: the main thing was that they were dancing beautifully, and whether it was realistic or not, almost no one thought about it.

Minimus reached the large semicircular counter at the left wall, but saw another bartender behind it, taking an order from one of the visitors. He scanned the premises in search of Swerve, and then the white-red minibot with a blue visor instead of eyepieces appeared to his right. For the sake of interest, he intended to catch the white-green mech by surprise... But Minimus didn’t even flinch.

“Where?” He asked briefly instead of a greeting, already mentally ready for the worst. Swerve pointed slowly to the left. Minimus traced the direction of his digit, looking for the desired subject, who wasn’t immediately discovered due to the large number of visitors and dim lighting. Had to connect the HUD and zoom in to see him.

Rodimus was sitting at the table in the very corner of the room, his cheeks propped on his fists and gaze directed to the pile of empty energon cubes in front of him, stacked on top of each other in the form of a tower or a pyramid. Several jelly-like enerngon candies of different colors were lying on a plate nearby, and from an elongated container next to this plate there were many long rust sticks in energonic glaze, and two more cubes full of orange liquid. Having studied the whole picture in a second, Minimus concluded: Rodimus only drank... and a lot.

“How long has he been there?” Minimus asked just in case.

“For two hours already,” Swerve replied, not taking his eyes off the yellow-orange visitor in the corner. “He came blacker than a cloud, made an order, and immediately went there.” The bartender shook his helm and admitted conspiratorially: “I don’t know what scraplet bit our captain, but it’s very good that Optimus Prime gave us all a day off before departure. Tomorrow he will feel very bad...” And, thinking, he added: “And if he won’t leave soon, it may be bad for all of us,” he circled the room with both servos, hinting at those present.

“I'll deal with this,” promised Minimus and moved towards the table at which the red and yellow Autobot was ‘meditating’.

Minimus walked around the tables, most of which were occupied, good thing he came in his true form, without the Ultra Magnus armor... Few people know, that this short white-green mech and the huge chief of the Cybertronian troops are one and the same person. No need for extra attention now. Minimus glanced to the right at the holographic dancers and almost bumped into some not very sober big bot. He staggered his way towards the exit, and only threw on the go:

“Shoo, little ones! Why there are so many of you... and all so similar...”

The short white-green mech followed him with a displeased look: how much did that one drink when instead of one he saw a whole group? Minimus himself never drank anything stronger than low-grade energon. Hedonia is a perennial problem.

Having reached the right table, Minimus stood nearby for some time, hoping that the fairly drunk comrade would notice him, but this didn’t happen. Rodimus sat motionless in the same position, his gaze directed exactly to the center of the pyramid of transparent empty cubes.

“Hey?” The white-green mech called softly, coughing quietly. Rodimus perked up, blinked and stared at Minimus, by the expression, wondering, where he had come from. Then, apparently realizing what's what, put on a surprised look:

“Look who is here, hic! Minimus Ambus himself... hic! Just lost something...” Rodimus giggled and moved the sservos over his helm: “Your second ‘self’... which is a big ‘self’... haha ... hic!”

Minimus grimaced in displeasure, and Rodimus, giggling again, pointed to the empty chair opposite him.

“Sit, let’s have a dr… ink... i-in a friendly way... Uh-uh?”

“I think you've drunk enough already,” Minimus grumbled, but, nevertheless, sat down at the proposed seat. Now, because of the built tower of the empty energy cubes Rodimus could barely be seen.

“I have the right!!” he was indignant, waving the servos, and almost hit the barrier between them. “Tomorrow have this...” He raised the optics to the ceiling, collecting his thoughts, and then snapped digits of the right servo: “Oh, yes! D-d-day o-o-off. We are… nowhere f-f-f... hic! ... fly yet, yep.”

“And so tomorrow you decided to suffer the consequences all day?” Minimus pointed to the empty cubes.

“Ah,” Rodimus leaned back in his chair, nearly falling, “you're so boring, Mags. I should have called Cyclonus and Tailgate with me... or Drift. But just thought... hic!… What if we get drunk like pit… I might accidentally blab out …”His helm drooped in doom.

About Optimus’s condition and the fact that Megatron became the new bearer of the Matrix of Leadership, Minimus immediately guessed. Here Rodimus must be given a credit: after all, he responsibly reacted to the request of their leader, no matter what he himself thought about it.

“You know, I too once was the Matrix bearer,” Rodimus suddenly squeezed out in a strangely clear and serious voice, making a strange sound like a sob. “Not for long. It was cool. At first, you, like, don't notice much difference, you just feel as if somewhere here...” he put the servos on his chest and, covering his optics, smiled a little, and then waved off again and jerked his helm: “And then Optimus came back and… I thought it would be right… If I don’t give the Matrix back, what will they think of me… but what in the end?” He rubbed his faceplate with his digits and dropped the helm into his palms. “Well... wasted, huh?”

Minimus was silent, he assumed what Rodimus could feel, and didn’t know where to find the right words of support. He himself had to go through the difficult path to become the head of the enforcers, and if he wasn’t a Loadbearer, he wouldn’t even think about being able to control the Ultra Magnus armor.

“Well, why...” Minimus began, feeling that he should at least say something, but Rodimus cut him off in mid-sentence, leaning forward sharply and slapping his palms on the table:

“Because I am selfish aft, that's why!” Several visitors at the nearest tables turned their heads in surprise, and Rodimus measured each with a predatory glance: “What are you staring at? Sip your drinks.” He sat down again and, clasping his digits in the lock, brought the servos to the very faceplate: “Optimus is dying, and I think only that the next Prime will be... this... this...” Rodimus made a furious thrust into the air. “He denies Primus himself! Unicron damn this Point One Percenter! After that, after that... I read in more detail who they... you guys... are.”

“Megatron does not deny Primus...” Minimus calmly objected, taking a rust stick from the glass.

“Ugums...” Rodimus said gloomily, he took one of the last two untouched cubes, turned it over in his hands and put it back on the table.

“…He just lost his way.”

“Well, let him go to Unicron, where he belongs... especially after what he said today...” the Prime’s student snarled stifled, clenching his fists, “seriously. And this is our new Prime? Cybertron is doomed! Really, Mins, do-oo-domoed-d-d! These Ancients just, they are crazy.”

Minimus looked around to see if anyone had heard it all, then silently put the servos on the table and stared at his digits. The news of Optimus's condition knocked him off balance. That evening, before the trip to the Iaconian prison, from where they took Megatron, Minimus alone, without the Magnus armor, traveled to one of the abandoned dilapidated buildings on the outskirts of the city that hadn’t yet been restored, and with his bare hands he destroyed everything that came in his way: he twisted metal, bent beams, threw everything that could be lifted... Nobody knew about it. Minimus Ambus rarely gave vent to such frenzied feelings, the last time he allowed himself this when he lost his brother. Now the fear of losing a close friend, their leader, the thought of what would it be without him, drove him crazy.

The only thing that held the Loadbearer back was the promise given to Optimus. Megatron needs him, as before, when he was Minimus’s charge. The future of the planet now depends on this mech... The new Prime. Minimus somehow accidentally overheard a conversation between Senator Shockwave and then Orion Pax in the past - this is the future that the Senator predicted for the Point One Percenter from the mines...

“You know, Rodimus, if you were the Matrix bearer...” Minimus thought for a moment whether it was worth saying this, but finally decided: “Megatron would really need your help...”

“No-o-o...” with a malicious smile, Rodimus, carefully so as not to touch the makeshift tower, held out his right servo and waved his index finger in front of the green-and-white mech’s nose, “what else, let him figure it out himself! I'm not this... not a sparklingsitter for him. Yeah”. He emptied one of the two remaining cubes and set it firmly on the table. “Emi... epi ... Em-pathical knowledge of the world is also useful. Plus, Prime told us to be silent. Yep.” He chuckled softly, apparently thinking about something of his own.

“Empirical knowledge,” Minimus suggested sympathetically, ignoring this strange reaction.

“Whatever,” the yellow-orange Autobot dismissed and drank the contents of the remaining energon cube in one gulp, and then threw the already empty container somewhere over Minimus's shoulder. Someone was heard indignantly: “Hey! What the... ” but Rodimus didn;t pay attention to it.

“Alright that's it, enough,” Minimus got to his pedes and walked around the table, finding himself next to Rodimus, “this is too much. Time to go home, recharge.” He pulled the red and yellow bot from the table, who was not eager to leave.

“Nope, Mags... Mins, I-won't go-o-o!” Rodimus leaned forward and grabbed the chair with his free servo. But where can he handle the Loadbearer? Minimus pulled harder, and the Prime’s student, releasing the chair that he was holding on to, waved at the heap of empty energon cubes, sweeping them to the floor and to the nearby visitors...

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

At the same time, in his office, Optimus had a conversation with Rung and Starscream, who came to him with... This request would be unusual... strange... could shock the Prime and make him doubt the adequacy of both visitors, if Optimus didn’t see everything on CCTV cameras that moment. Of course, the leader of the Autobots couldn’t openly tell them that he was watching what was happening and was hearing everything, so he had to pretend that he didn’t know anything at all.

“You're asking me... what?” specified Optimus in the most surprised quiet voice, when Starscream told why they came. The winged mecha and Rung sat opposite the ruler, on the other side of the table, next to each other. It was already dark outside the windows, and a bright light was burning in the room.

"But this ... is it possible?" Starscream spread his manipulators inquiringly.

“Now the question is not even that,” the Prime objected to him, “but rather, how could such a thing come to your minds.” He turned his gaze to the therapist. “I understand Starscream, but you, Rung… How?”

“This is Megatron’s idea, not mine,” the seeker tried to justify himself.

Always has nothing to do with it, Optimus pursed his lips in displeasure under the battle mask, he knew that in fact Megatron just voiced his thoughts, but Starscream was the initiator of this proposal. It is not clear why the therapist suddenly decided to support this crazy idea. Unleash Megatron, remove the transformation blockers, allow him to take off...

“…at gunpoint.”

“What?” the Prime shook his helm uncomprehendingly, coming to his senses.

“Flying at gunpoint is his words,” Rung explained, crossing his legs.

Optimus flinched. Yes, he heard these words and partly also feared what they might mean... Rhen he definitely can’t let this happen.

“Forget about it.” The Prime got up from his seat and went to the window, putting the servos behind his back.

“But...” Starscream twitched, but immediately froze under the icy gaze of the blue optics of the ruler of Cybertron who turned towards him:

“I said ‘no’. It's not safe... for Megatron, and for everyone else too.”

Starscream felt as if the whole office had begun to rotate: there was nothing to object to such a categorical refusal here and now, and for some reason Rung was in no hurry to help.

“But I will fly beside him...” he tried to object. “My combat experience...”

“Means nothing,” Prime snapped. He walked around the table and stopped beside the sitting seeker, looking at him with the same habitual disbelief: “Starscream, you and I have been on opposite sides of the conflict for a long time, and you know Megatron as well as I do. What do you think might happen if we let him out into the sky?”

“At gunpoint,” the seeker reminded sympathetically.

“Under any conditions,” the Prime cut off.

“That is, to get freedom of movement, to let him fly away from Cybertron is possible, but he cannot go for a flight? I can’t calculate two and two.”

Of course, if you don't even want to try to understand the simple truth, the red-blue mech mentally condemned, and said out loud:

“This is completely different.”

“Not at all necessary," Rung interrupted unexpectedly, who didn’t particularly interfered before. He decided to let the seeker speak for himself, as he liked to do in the Senate. However, it always happened that Starscream could never openly express his opinion to his superiors, he could only point out to his subordinates and draw attention to himself. But here he seemed to have found the necessary line of dialogue.

“In what sense?” Optimus didn’t understand.

“Don't you want to be completely sure that Megatron can be trusted? That he won't betray us during the mission?”

‘The Matrix in his chest...’ objected the ruler of Cybertron via the comm so that Starscream wouldn’t suspect anything.

‘Which he doesn’t know about,’ Rung immediately objected also via comm, and aloud, leaning forward a little, already issued: "Thus, you can not only be convinced of Megatron's intentions, but also help him a little.” And again, via the comm, he finished: ‘You wanted it yourself.’

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Optimus was dumbfounded. Suddenly, a great fear swept over him. Fear of failure, fear of letting down his comrades. He wants to help Megatron with all his spark, hopes to improve relations at least a little while it is still possible. The new Prime shouldn’ot fly away from Cybertron like this, thinking of them as enemies. And at the same time... Flight at gunpoint. They will keep the new Primus’s chosen at gunpoint during the flight, and he can deliberately provoke them. Otherwise wouldn’t have suggested it.

‘Rung...’ he tried again.

‘Dangerous,’ the psychotherapist agreed, ‘but look at it from the other side: now Megatron is absolutely sure that he will face a death sentence upon returning home. Fliers are obsessed with the sky, so he can confirm,’ a nod towards the incomprehensible Starscream, who only looked in surprise from one mech to another, waiting for the conversation to continue. ‘Give him this opportunity, Optimus... Give him a chance.’

Still with the thoughtful expression of the faceplate, Optimus Prime turned his gaze to the large illuminated glass column in the corner, filled with a yellow liquid, in which large bubbles were constantly rising from bottom to top. Even before these visitors arrived, the Autobot leader had said a clear ‘no’ to himself about this, but now all his own beliefs were crumbling. If his spark remained stable, if he still had the Matrix, no one would have convinced him to change his point of view. But now, without the Primes' artifact of wisdom, he felt... vulnerable.

“With proper education, Megatron can be the one to lead the people of Cybertron. He will become a symbol of hope, the embodiment of our ideas about freedom and equality. Trust me, Orion, I know what I'm talking about. End of Functionism and the beginning of a new era.”

From the very beginning, Senator Shockwave saw in Megatron the future Prime, even when it was only possible to officially obtain permission from the Senate to take this modest downtrodden miner with a chosen spark in his chest under the head of the enforcers’ care.

“Stop me, Megs...”

His last request. At that time for some inexplicable reason, the insane Shockwave momentarily regained the ability to think as before. And this pain on Megatron’s facelpate, his trembling right servo with the fusion cannon aimed at the target... Optimus hadn’t seen his tears for a long time... He also could hardly contain himself when they fired together.

“For the person you were. I won’t forget you... Senator Shockwave... We will not."

“Alright.” The Prime clenched his fists and lowered his helm. Starscream twitched in surprise, thinking he had misheard. “Alright.” The leader of the Autobots repeated louder, meeting his gaze with the seeker’s crimson optics. “Tomorrow at four at the Delta-2 training ground.” He turned his back to both. “Now, please, leave.”

Still disbelieving his audials, Starscream nodded dumbly, got up from his chair, and slowly rearranging his pedes, left the ruler's office, staring at the floor. What happened now... The winged mech didn’t even know what to think. For a moment, he felt something inexplicable, as if someone's super-powerful EM field softly surrounded him, the spark was filled with a surging wave of emotions, so alien to him: compassion, concern for others, the pain of loss, a desire to help... It stopped when Starscream went out into the corridor, when the doors of Optimus's office closed behind his back, but the echoes of those sensations pursued him right up to his own office, the seeker himself didn’t understand how he ended up there - his pedes automatically led him there.

Rung stood up from his seat, waited for the door to close behind Starscream, and looked back towards Optimus. The ruler of Cybertron stood with his back to him, glaring at the glowing column with bubbles in the corner.

“Optimus,” he called softly, “thank you.” And not waiting for a reaction that wouldn’t have followed anyway, the therapist also left.

Alone in the office, the Prime slowly walked to the most bubbling column in the corner and, without taking his eyes off the balls moving upward, sat down on his knees. Bubbles are so different: large and small, rather amusingly swaying when moving up. Why don't they go down? Oh yes, the physics of a natural process... Nobody set the task to somehow reverse it. Reverse it... reverse...

The Prime leaned the trembling right servo against the glass and lowered his helm, dropping streams of washer running down the faceplate onto the floor.

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

“I know, I know... hic! I'm an idiot, yes?” The swaying Rodimus asked gloomily as they drove to the Citadel in Ultra Magnus's personal transport.

“Yes,” Minimus, who was sitting to his right, willingly agreed, “and tomorrow you will completely understand this.”

“Hic!”

They were unable to leave quietly and unnoticed. After the yellow-red Autobot scattered the empty containers around the area, three larger mechs, who were already pretty drunk as well, decided to deal with it. Minimus would have managed to resolve the issue peacefully, but the already poorly thinking Rodimus also put in his word... for that he got a hit into the faceplate from one of the visitors and landed on the table at which he had recently sat. Minimus, on the other hand, instantly knocked all the offenders to the floor and quickly took his comrade away from the bar, remotely asking Swerve via a comm what the captain of the Lost Light was drinking in such a large quantity. The answer came on the way back.

Having studied the data displayed on his EMD, Minimus realized everything: this type of high-grade energon affects not immediately, but after an hour or two, depending on the personal characteristics of a particular Cybertronian. Just so that the mech can get home relatively calmly. Suitable for those who want to forget all for a while... And Rodimus not only drank decently, but also sat for a while in the bar, waiting for the onset of the effect, which was just now getting stronger.

When they reached their destination, Minimus helped the Prime's apprentice out of the transport and led him past the guards to the main entrance. Rodimus was already shaking pretty badly, and Minimus had to hold him by the arm for balance.

“Look at the floor, don't talk to anyone,” the green-and-white bot ordered through the clenched denta.

“Uh-huh...” the other shook his helm in the affirmative, almost stumbling, but at the entrance he couldn’t resist and threw the guards a drunk: “Hello”. There was a small dent on Rodimus's left cheek, but this, Minimus decided, could wait until tomorrow, if take him to the medical center now, questions may follow that the Prime's protégé is unlikely to be able to answer in his current state. And tomorrow he will need help anyway. Maybe better call Velocity? She won’t rebuke like her boss. And Optimus is less likely to find out about it. Although…

On the way, Rodimus was still mumbling something unintelligible, and Minimus was thinking more about how to quickly bring the drunk friend to his quarters, and none of them suspected what was happening a couple of floors higher...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Starscream had just returned to his quarters, still recovering from what had happened in the Prime's office. He wondered if he felt it all alone, or Rung and Optimus too? If so, what was it?

As soon as the owner of the quarters entered, the lights in all rooms came on automatically. The seeker entered the living room slowly, typing a step. Tomorrow he will go to a therapy session with this Rung... it is worth asking if he also felt something strange today?

“Can't wait, huh? I seem to have clearly said: do nothing.” Suddenly a cold, angry voice behind his back reproached, and Starscream jumped up with an exclamation, turning around fast. Leaning against the wall with his left pede, the head of security stood between two decorative cupboards, arms crossed over his chest.

"How did you get here, Officer Prowl?" Starscream demanded, looking indignant.

“The door wasn’t locked.”

Yes, he just left to see Optimus, he was not going to go to his office afterwards, but... But he didn’t even think that someone would come here.

“This is a private territory,” Starscream tried again.

“Our conversation was also private.” Prowl approached him slowly, looking straight into the optics. The seeker kept the eye contact for a while, but already felt that he was ready to turn away at any moment. “And now I receive news that tomorrow at the military training ground, by the Prime’s decision, a flight will take place with Megatron’s participation... and yours. Would you care to explain, Senator?”

The demand was unexpected. Starscream fought back the urge to retreat. He had never expected this visit. What is Prowl up to... Will tell me when the ship departs. Now we need to come up with something more or less believable.

“This is… Why wait for the Lost Light to depart? We can do it tomorrow. All the guns of the military complex will be aimed at him. I can force him to leave the permitted area and...”

“Make it look like an accident? As if Megatron himself provoked the security and was shot down?”

“It can be arranged,” Starscream suggested eagerly.

“Don’t even think about it!” suddenly sharply objected the head of the security service, which plunged the seeker into deep confusion. He himself wanted this, so why... “That’s why I came here: tomorrow should be no provocations. Moreover, your task, since you will fly next to him, is to make sure that Megatron remains safe and sound.”

“Why?” The seeker was sincerely surprised.

“As I said, here and now he is an inviolable person, we must wait until he, along with the others, leaves Cybertron.”

“I do not understand…”

“No need yet,” Prowl went to the door, but before opening it, he turned around and gave the senator a stern look, which made him feel bad, “nothing should happen to Megatron tomorrow. Am I making myself clear?”

“More than that,” the seeker lied only so that the interlocutor quickly left his quart.

Satisfied with the answer, Prowl nodded and left. Starscream understood, why yes of course. With all the desire to deal with Megatron now, the white-and-black Autobot understood that this wouldn’t lead to anything good. If Megatron crashes during tomorrow's flight, others would discover the Matrix in his chest ahead of time. No, have to be careful here. So that everything should look as natural as possible. Even if Prowl has to betray the one he had once followed, whom he had never doubted before.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) Halo Reach OST - Ghosts And Glass; (Starscream meets Rung at the elevators)

2) Mass Effect 2 OST - Afterlife Upper Level; (Rodimus and Minimus at the bar)

3) Dreamfall Chapters OST - Storytime Conversations; (conversation between Rung, Starscream and Optimus)

4) Cyberpunt OST - Outsider No More; (memories, Optimus gives his consent)

5) Fallout 2 OST - Dream Town (Modoc); (Minimus leads the drunken Rodimus home)

6) Deus Ex Mankind Divided OST - Main Menu Theme (Prowl and Starscream)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron didn’t even immediately realize where he was when he woke up. Darkness... Is it night? No... Judging by the chronometer, it's already about ten in the morning. He felt strangely rested, pleasant relaxation in the whole frame, he didn't even want to get up. It has been a long time since he had experienced such sensations. A very, very long time... and was there anything like that at all? Maybe... when he lived in one of the Ambus estates, being the Ultra Magnus’s ward, when he didn't have to be afraid...

His systems were originally designed for heavy conditions, the ‘anomalous’ green spark a thousands times more powerful than that of most of the Cybertronian race. Megatron is used to it. The sudden change of scenery was pleasant, but wildly unnatural for him. As it is now. A Golden Age... A Golden Cage... You are being deceived...

Actually ... How long have I been recharging? And what happened yesterday? The last thing I remember... this strange therapist came, Rung. Then Starscream appeared... I blurted out something about flying, and...

Slag! Megatron sat up abruptly, and the lights in the berth room turned on automatically. The Decepticon intensively ventilated the systems, realizing his own stupidity he wanted to laugh nervously. Idiot... what have you done? Who pulled you by the glossa? Showed ‘willpower’ in the presence of a traitor and this psychoanalyst... That's it, from now on not a word anymore. Keep quiet, be strong and don’t disgrace yourself again. And the former SIC promised to come to an agreement with the Prime. An agreement with the Prime? Yeah, funny.

The Decepticon got up from the berth and looked out into the bright living room. It's already a white day behind the windows. This means that the chronometer is not lying. What happened to me? After Rung's visit, everything is like in a fog. I don't even remember when he left.

Fool’s energon... Megatron went to the rack, which contained four more cubes, opened the door and took one. Yesterday's falling out of reality, unexplained visions, nonsense that Megatron spoke, not understanding what he was saying... And now such a long recharge... Prime didn’t lie about the effect. Sedatives? Drugs? What's next?

“And again there are no alternatives,” Megatron muttered, gulped down the liquid and winced in disgust. Like diluted technical grease. “Rather, there are alternatives, but only even worse,” he continued to reason aloud, putting the empty cube back on the shelf. “Okay, I'll try to hold on as long as I can...”

Rodimus’d words involuntarily came to his mind: and you’re gonna end up right back where you started, think if was it worth it? Instead of his own reflection in the glass door of the rack, for a moment appeared the image of a maliciously grinning red and yellow Optimus Prime’s student. Appeared and was immediately gone, again being replaced by Megatron’s own reflection.

“Maybe… And maybe not…” he muttered to himself. The former Decepticon leader chuckled bitterly at his reflection. Back then my path led to nowhere, and now I also came... nowhere. It doesn't matter, he went to the windows and put the servos on his belt, after all, I’m alive so far... Maybe I can still do something good this time.

Suddenly there was a short melodic doorbell. Megatron turned around, startled. A visitor again? And this visitor is asking permission to enter?

Megatron stepped to the front door and pressed the comm button on the intercom panel on the left. A small display just above showed an image of a white and orange psychotherapist wearing round, pale blue glasses.

“Rung?” The Decepticon shuddered: this mech comes quite frequent now... And so far only he asks whether it is possible to come in or not. Of course, this is all for show, I know, the Autobots and their allies can do anything.

“Good morning, Megatron,” he greeted politely, “will you let me come in?”

Well, how can I refuse, if he asks in such an amicable way. Others enter and don’t feel embarrassed, just like it was in athe prison cell: it didn’t matter if he wanted to see anyone or not, they came anyway, they expressed accusations and their own discontent, mocked, expressed contempt and even fake pity. The tactics has changed; the direction of influence is the same.

“Sure.” Megatron snorted as he walked away from the door. He doesn’t need to do anything, the guards themselves will let the visitor in. This Rung is very brave. And an extremely persistent bot.

The front doors opened, once Megatron managed to take a few steps back, and the familiar low white-orange mech of a fragile build appeared on the threshold. This time, Rung's pale blue optics were covered with round glasses of the same color.

“Hello Megatron. How do you feel today? You look much better.”

“What?..” he asked dumbfounded, instead of greeting.

“Yesterday you passed out during the briefing. More precisely, after the briefing. Don’t you remember?”

“Yesterday...” the Decepticon rubbed his faceplate. It was. After Rodimus clung to him for a careless statement. “Everything in my head is such a mess... Sorry.”

“No, it’s alright,” Rung assured calmly, “back then I came to check on you and after our conversation, before leaving, suggested that you’d better go into recharge earlier.”

“Ah...” Megatron drawled understandingly. This explained a lot, only the silver mech for some reason could hardly recreate that memory in details. He remembered exactly, Rung was with him, then Starscream came... promising to resolve the issue of a joint flight. Then he left, catching his wings on the doorframe... And then - nothing. “I see. This…” Suddenly Megatron realized they were still standing in the hallway. This is wrong. “Why don’t you come in?” he waved towards the living room.

“Thank you, but I can’t linger long now.” Rung put out his right hand and shook his helm. “Just wanted to let you know that Optimus Prime has given his consent.”

“W-what?” Megatron bowed his helm in confusion.

“It’s about the flight,” Rung smiled at him completely sincerely. “Starscream managed deal with Optimus so that you and he would be allowed to ascend into the sky at the Delta-2 military ground today.”

Megatron froze in amazement, staring at the wall just above his guest's helm. You and he were allowed to ascend into the sky today... were allowed to ascend into the sky... What?.. Once again, what were we allowed to do?.. Rung's words rang in the audials, blocking thought processes and paralyzing the frame. It's not a joke? Megatron wanted to look the therapist in the face, but was afraid that this statement might be followed by something like: ‘It’s a joke.’ Rung doesn’t look like a joker, but also the silver mech doesn’t know him long enough to believe unconditionally.

“Megatron?”

Not a joke, the inner voice suddenly suggested, thereby returning the Decepticon's ability to move. He reset his optics, glanced down at the still smiling Rung and nodded slightly.

“Ugh-huh.”

“I hope you understand that all the anti-aircraft cannons of the military complex will be directed at you,” the obvious pain of the need to remind, just in case, could be heard Rung’s voice “therefore, I beg you, no provocations. Optimus Prime agreed to this with great apprehension.”

Megatron kept looking at him with empty optics, trying to take in the information received. The flight... Prime allowed... Seriously? Why? No matter. At gunpoint... But allowed... Whatever his motives are.

“I need to leave now, but we'll see each other again today. Get ready to leave at three thirty-five in the afternoon.”

In response only silence and still the same shocked blank look. Too shocked by this unexpected news. Amazed. Didn’t expect. Megatron has a long rehabilitation ahead of him. Here and now, the desired response from him cannot be achieved, and another patient who needs to speak out and relieve emotional stress is waiting for Rung. Therefore, after advising the silver mech to get a proper rest, the therapist left his quarters. But before he reached the front door, a soft voice called in his back:

“Rung?”

The therapist turned slowly to meet Megatron's dull red optics.

“Thank you.”

No need to thank me, my spark. If it helps you even a little... Just don't hurt yourself. I am here, I am with you.

“Just take care, Megatron, that's all I ask.”

And he was gone, leaving the silver mech in complete confusion and alone with his thoughts.

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

“And how did you only manage...” Velocity hissed with displeasure, referring to Rodimus, who could only mumble unintelligibly. The aftermath of yesterday's visit to Maccadam's bar. Last evening Minimus sent her a message with detailed explanations of what had happened (of course, without explaining the reason) so that she wouldn’t ask questions to the victim himself. Minimus didn’t dare to call Ratchet: his friend felt already bad enough. Velocity was the best option, she wouldn't lecture the Prime’s student. He knows well that he has gone too far.

Velocity had already visited Rodimus twice this morning with an interval of half an hour, but the commander of the upcoming mission had been still asleep all this time, but when the femme looked in for the third time, she heard a quiet moan and barely understandable curses in the berth room. Yeah, he woke up, and she can come it.

Quickly assessing the morning state of the red and yellow Autobot, Velocity went right to work. She pulled out from the subspace an empty cube for energon, some kind of bottle with a transparent liquid, as well as three types of multi-colored powders: white, yellow and green. Put all this on a table near the berth and began to mix in certain proportions.

“Can you tell me what happened?” She asked casually in the process. “I know you don’t need a reason, but...”

“There was a reason actually...” the Prime’s student turned pale and barely restrained himself so as not to spill outside the contents of his tanks. He just turned over on his right side.

“A good or a bad one?”

“Bad...”

And who got better from this...” the medic decided to leave this topic. Potentially, she could guess why their captain got so drunk yesterday... and even got into a fight. But she didn't press him.

“I don’t want anyone to know about it…” Rodimus muttered shyly, hiding his face in his palms. “Especially You-Know-Who.”

“Yeah, Optimus won't pat you on the head for that,” the green femme pursed her lips and continued to mix the ingredients.

“Velocity... I didn’t mean only him...” muttered the red-yellow Autobot, feeling how yesterday's energon is already beginning to ask for a way out.

“Hold on,” the medic brought the cube of the resulting light green liquid to her optical sensors for a detailed check. “It's done. Drink in small sips.” She walked over to the suffering Autobot on the berth and handed him the mixture. Rodimus almost dropped the container, but managed to bring it to his lips anyway.

Humans call this condition ‘hangover’. They were very surprised when learned that mechanized aliens can also suffer from something similar. And who thought of revealing to organics that the word ‘interface’ has another hidden meaning.

The liquid effervescent substance with a slight acidity relieved the feeling of nausea surprisingly quickly, which surprised Rodimus indescribably. Having drunk the whole cube, he even found the strength to take a sitting position, but his head was still buzzing, and the trembling didn’t completely disappear anywhere. However, the red and yellow Autobot was unspeakably surprised by the effect that had come: he assumed that after taking the hedonia remedy, he would immediately rush to empty the tanks as soon as the two liquids react. But no, the sensations that tortured him gradually faded away by themselves.

“Eh?” he patted his metal eyelids in surprise.

“Ratchet would use standard methods just to make you realize that getting drunk is bad,” the green femme chuckled at his reaction. “But it seemed to me that you already understood it yourself. Since, you say, the reason was bad to bring yourself to such a state.”

“Lotty, you are a miracle..." Rodimus muttered gratefully and lay down again.

“Rest now. I'll leave another cube here, drink it when you wake up. But as for this,” she touched the dent on his left cheek, “it would be better to go to the medical center.”

“No…” Rodimus grabbed his helm and shook it slightly. “Ratchet...”

“Today at four he will be elsewhere. So come in, I'll take care of everything. No one will know... unless someone of the mechs who were at the bar then and saw you would say something.”

“I didn’t do anything...” Rodimus got up and leaned on his right elbow, “and where will Ratchet be, if it’d not a secret?”

“At some military training ground,” Velocity put the second cube on the nightstand next to the berth, “our second captain and Senator Starscream are going to arrange a joint flight. You didn’t know? Ratchet grumbles about this all morning.”

“I-what kind of flight? What flight ?! Oh, damn...” Rodimus sat up again abruptly and thus felt a new attack of helmache. “I mean… Megatron’s going to fly?!”

“He's a jet, “ Velocity innocently spread the servos, “they all fly.” And at the displeased look of the red-yellow Autobot explained: “As far as I understand, Senator Starscream made a proposal, and Optimus Prime agreed. In any case, this is a great opportunity for you to secretly fix your face while they are all gone.” She retreated to the berth room’s door. “Okay, Rodimus, just rest. If you decide to straighten your cheek, let me know today.”And she left, allowing Optimus's protégé to suffer alone.

Hearing the soft hiss of the closing front door, Rodimus, with round optics fell limply on his back again, arms spread out. Slagging Decepticon... he is allowed more and more. How could Optimus do this?! Although... if he passed the Matrix to this... this...

“Don't spread your wings too wide, Megatron,” the red and yellow Autobot growled at the ceiling, “maybe you’re the new Matrix of Leadership’s bearer now, but I’m in charge of this expedition. I, not you, remember that.” And, clenching his fists a moment lster not very confidently added: “I'm not afraid of you, get it? Not afraid.”

And it's unclear why Unicron’s name Starscream got in here as well... again?

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

“… And then they… they…” Starscream with a painful grimace tightened his grip on his clasped palms in front of him, intertwined digits pressed even more against each other.

“Come on, don't keep it to yourself," Rung advised, sitting in a chair next to the couch which his patient occupied.

Starscream sat up, lowering his feet to the floor and looking at the white and orange bot, and sobbed aloud. The therapist simply waited silently and patiently, giving the winged senator an opportunity to vent his emotions. Extraversion, self-love at the level of narcissism, constant attention deficit... And no one understands him, doesn’t realize how hard it is for the ‘poor and unfortunate’ mech, from whom they only expect that he will solve their problems. Why? By hook or by crook, by honest and dishonest means, he strove for power. Well, you occupy a high position now, and this is a great responsibility.

“I can't tear myself apart! I am alone, and there is a whole bunch of these petitioners!” he waved his servos, imitating this very imaginary bunch.

“And who else should they turn to, if not you?” innocently asked the therapist, adjusting his glasses. – “For them you are kind of a protector. Their hope.”

“I know,” Starscream sobbed theatrically, “but I didn't think it would be that difficult!”

“And yet, Senator, you are doing well.”

“Do you seriously think so?” The seeker asked with obvious doubt.

“Of course.” The orange and white bot smiled warmly. “Very few can withstand the pressure that is constantly being put on you. You are much stronger than you think.”

They talked for a long time. Rung listened, occasionally uttering some words of support that the seeker subconsciously wanted to hear at the moment. He knew how to look at the same situation from different angles, he could put himself in the place of this or that mech. Even if it differed in his personal perception of good and bad. There are no completely right and wrong. Well ... maybe with rare exceptions.

“Rung, you are really an expert in your field.” Starscream admitted quite sincerely at the end of their session. Not a trace of his irritation remained, as if the very communication with this mech gradually took away all the fatigue, all the negativity that tormented his spark.

“Thank you,” the therapist nodded, following Starscream, “but I'm just doing my job. Think about my proposal. If you want to talk more - send me a private message. Our ship will be in touch, and we can meet online at your convenience.”

“Definitely. Thank you again.” Before leaving Starscream hesitated a little more in the doorway, remembering what he wanted to ask from the very beginning, then finally decided to say this: “Tell me, Rung... it’s about Megatron...”

“Confidentiality, Senator.” The therapist stood at the desk and shook his helm with a smile.

“I'm not talking about that, he...” Starscream took a few steps towards the white-orange mech, “has he really changed that much? Compared to his real self?”

“Rather, he returns to his real self.” Rung chuckled kindly. “Even a pacifist can be turned into a cold-blooded killer being under... certain conditions for a long time.” Even behind his glasses, Starscream found the therapist's gaze so cold that seeker winced. “Anyone can be broken, it's only a matter of time. But not everyone can go back.”

“And you don’t blame him at all?” didn’t believe the winged one.

“No. Neither him, nor Optimus Prime...” Rung approached the senator at the distance of an extended arm: “Or you. I have completely different priorities. Nobody is perfect, the question is,” the therapist took off his glasses, from his clear piercing gaze unpleasant impulses ran across the entire surface of the seeker’s protoform, “which is more in each of us: good or bad.”

He retreated to the large window, keeping his back to the Senator, thus hinting that the session was over and Starscream was free to go. And the seeker had no choice but to leave Rung's office without asking anything else.

Doesn't blame me, Starscream grumbled to himself on the way to his own office, but I'm a victim of circumstances here! From the very beginning of this whole Decepticon campaign! From the very beginning of the revolution. Well, Megatron, we'll see who wins.

* * *

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He spent the whole day waiting. Watched holocaster, showing no particular interest, also decided to read (chose a datapad at random, it turned out to be an old informative scientific report on space exploration), even tried to recharge again... Waiting torments. Especially if something is coming that you have wanted for so long... or afraid. In this case, Megatron couldn’t say exactly what he was experiencing: fear or anticipation.

The silver mech wanted to fly, glide in the air currents of his home planet’s atmosphere, he wanted to see Cybertron from above for the last time. And would be glad to have this opportunity if he were not surrounded by enemies. Why did Prime suddenly agree? It is possible that this could be a more lenient execution option... I’m in the sky, combat weapons are aimed at me, he gives the order...

Megatron shuddered as he imagined this situation. And the next moment suddenly realized that it was even better, everything would happen quickly and painlessly. Unlike what the Autobots originally wanted. Three shots: into the CPU, the spark chamber and the T-cog. To finish him off for sure. He looked at his palms. What will happen to his frame after that? Hydraulic Press? Smelter? Parsing into parts? Megatron won’t know this, won’t feel, won’t see the joy on the Autobots’ faces, that he’s finally done with. All of this will happen later.

‘In this case, you will be remembered as a coward.’

“History is written by the winners,” Megatron objected to his inner voice, “this is a well-known fact.”

‘Then become that winner and write history yourself. Save them. Stop what is coming.’

What exactly? What could happen even worse than what has already happened? And the most lousy thing, according to the law of meanness, everything’s possible.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

By the appointed time, Rung returned with Starscream at his side, and the therapist advised that they could go if Megatron haven’t changed his mind. The Dcepticon nodded in agreement that he was ready, and the three of them left the quarters. At the entrance, in addition to the guards, there were two more combat mechs - from the senator's personal guard. Starscream also said that Optimus Prime will meet them already at the training ground.

Of course, Megatron agreed mentally, it would be foolish to think that Prime would miss this sight.

In the underground parking lot, the seeker’s personal transport was waiting for them, painted in white, black and red. Almost the same colors as Starscream's own armor. Probably, so that everyone knew exactly who owns this vehicle, so that everyone immediately understood who has arrived, what an important bump has appeared. All five of them got into the light, spacious transport: bodyguards on either side of Megatron just in case, while Starscream and Rung took the seat opposite them.

On the way, the seeker noted for some reason that the weather was good today, perfect for a flight. He pressed one of the buttons on the panel in the ceiling, a small table with a small inner safe came out of the floor between the two seats, from which Starscream pulled out a box of long rusty sticks covered with multi-colored energon glaze, and three cubes of elite high-grade energon: for everyone except the guards...

Reminds me of our trip from prison to the Citadel, flashed in the silver mech’s head.

Megatron refused all the treats as politely as possible and noticed that if the seeker was going to fly with him, then he shouldn't eat anything superfluous either. And in any case, the silver mech wouldn't accept anything from Starscream. And the point here is not only in Prime’s new conditions relative to the Fool’s energon. The former Decepticon leader, frankly, disdained.

“You are losing a lot, Lord Megatron,” Starscream put a rust stick into his mouth, then moved the whole box closer to him anyway: “But if you suddenly change your mind...”

Rung only shook his helm at the senator's actions. Starscream tries to portray hospitality, shows condescension to the fallen leader... How in the future the seeker will be offended that Megatron is again higher in status... Even if almost no one knows about it yet.

The road to the military training ground took about twenty minutes. All this time Megatron gazed at the clasped digits of his hands and paid no attention to what was happening either outside the windows or in general around to him. Starscream coutinued chatting some nonsense, Rung kept small talk, Megatron answered questions addressed to him in monosyllables and without any desire. Mentally, the former leader of the Decepticons was very far away.

He was thinking about his first flight experience in a fighter jet mode. Megatron had flown before, but using built-in turbines, which was one of his first modifications. Then he still had a gun alt mode. But he could fly in his usual form.

The first test of a new alt mode - a jet fighter one- he will never forget. Shockwave strongly recommend Megatron not to take off alone, it was desirable that one of the experienced fliers was nearby for safety. For example, one of the seekers. But Megatron didn't listen. The leader didn’t want anyone to see him fail if something went wrong. Therefore, he did it secretly. He left the base at sunset, in his usual form on low-thrust engines flew a decent distance, transformed... and almost crushed.

It took some time to adjust. Skywarp said that a clear balance of four forces is necessary: thrust, gravity, air resistance and lift. Megatron almost crashed on a rock during the first maneuver, and the landing turned out to be painful: he had to get out of the alt mode very close to the ground... Yes, in normal form everything was much easier - you don't have to rely on wings.

After that incident, Megatron thought that this alt form was not for him, the choice was wrong... But he was haunted by the ease with which the Seekers glided in the sky. It was as easy for them as walking. Once familiar to him was the form of a heavy mining vehicle, then the cannon mode... Got used to both. This means that here, too, everything should work out over time. And Megatron continued to train: with the seekers and on his own. Now, centuries later, flying has become as easy for him as walking too. Now Megatron can say for sure, he won’t exchange this form for anything else.

The military range Delta-2 was located far outside the city, but they got there in about twenty minutes. Suburban routes allowed vehicles to reach high speed. The military complex included several training grounds, grouped hangars, radar towers, and more. The massive plasma cannons, designed to destroy the air enemy, were also noticeable. So, if anything, they will hit me, Megatron noted to himself, impressive. Strange, however, when he saw these ground artillery installations, he immediately ceased to be afraid. This has already happened several times during the war, he was shot down in the air. Though not to death, of course.

Optimus Prime, accompanied by the Ultra Magnus, Ratchet, Prowl and five other military men, came out from the command center to meet the arrivals, near which Starscream’s transport stopped. Just think, and all this is arranged for me, Megatron sarcastically noted to himself. Or maybe not for me, rather for Starscream. Now he has power. Achieved his goal after all. But then it is not clear why in Unicron’s name Optimus Prime supports him? As far as I know, these two were never particularly friends. Although... everything could have changed. It doesn't matter, it probably won't matter much to me soon.

They went into the control room, where several operators, sitting at the consoles, monitored the situation. Prowl, using a special deactivator, removed the transformation gear locking mechanism embedded in Megatron's armor, leaving the tracking device in place, and while Ratchet performed a full scan of Megatron's frame with a medical scanner to make sure that he was completely healthy, Prowl explained to the silver mech what, where and for how long they will be allowed to stay in the air. The area of the military complex is about twenty kilometers, the flight area's about a hundred, no more than thirty in height. Not enough space, but the Autobots didn’t set the task of creating comfortable conditions for their captive. Plus, he will be allowed to stay in the air for no more than twenty minutes. Well, so be it. Anything is better than nothing at all.

“Remember, Megatron,” Prowl admonished with an obvious threat in his voice, “we will constantly keep you at gunpoint. If you leave the permitted zone, we will immediately shoot you down, if you stay in the air even for a second longer than what is permitted, we will shoot you down, if you try something...”

"You'll shoot me down," the Decepticon finished calmly, nodding. “Yes, I got it already, not hard to guess.”

“Then you won’t want to do anything stupid.” The head of security gave him a hateful look, then exchanged glances with Starscream. The seeker nodded in understanding, but Megatron wasn’t looking at him at that moment. “Follow me.”

Megatron and Starscream followed Prowl to a different door than the one through which they entered. Optimus, Ratchet, Magnus and Rung just stared after them.

“I hope we won’t regret this,” the Prime muttered with obvious doubt in his voice. Twenty minutes, which will seem like an eternity to him. Rung's diagnosis of Megatron's unstable condition resurfaced in his memory. And if something happens to the former enemy now, or he decides to do something unpredictable, the Prime himself will be to blame - he is the leader, he gave his consent, the last word was his.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Halo 2 OST - Epilogue; (awakening)
2) Fallout 4 OST - Brightness Calling; (‘Good’ morning for Rodimus)
3) Halo 3 ODST OST - The Light at the End; (Rung and Starscream)
4) Man On Fire OST - Smiling; (waiting, Megatron's thoughts)
5) Mirror's Edge Catalyst OST - Story Trailer (I Am Faith); (to the training ground)

P.S. I was wrong, there will be 2 more chapters of the prologue, and then the story itself. It wouldn’t be very realistic if in the next chapter, Megatron's in-flight trick (which observers would consider a suicide attempt) was left without discussion. Well, and the ship’s departure will be in the chapter after that.

Chapter Text

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Prowl escorted them to a hangar adjacent to the main building, where large metal doors, currently closed, were clearly visible in one of the walls. According to Starscream, there is an acceleration tunnel behind them, through which they will fly out. Megatron nodded decisively, although he still hadn’t figured out what to do: be an ‘obedient’ prisoner and return when the time runs out, or deliberately provoke the Autobots to attack him. The main thing is to take off, and then according to the circumstances.

Starscream and Megatron took up position in front of the gate, that began to clang to the sides under the low warning sirens sounds, while large green numbers counted down to zero above the drop-down passage on the scoreboard.

“How about a running start?” suggested the seeker on the right.

“Okay,” Megatron agreed, looking straight ahead.

The countdown continues. A few more seconds... Five... four... three... two... one...

“Go!” Starscream shouted, both of them jumped off and started running down the tunnel that opened in front of them.

After the first few steps Megatron sent a signal from his CPU, the T-cog began to rotate, triggering the transformation process. Megatron jumped, turning on the turbines, at the same time his frame segments began to rearrange, and in less than a second he was already flying in the form of a long-winged silver fighter jet, and next to him at the same speed the red-white-blue jet of a slightly different design cut through the air...

They burst out of the launch tunnel almost simultaneously and immediately headed in different directions. Then each made a sharp turn, and the jets’ trajectories have already crossed. The sun is bright, there is almost no wind, no clouds. Starscream was right: the perfect weather for a flight. Frontal air resistance, this tickling pleasant feeling created by the movements of currents above and below the wings, joyful excitement... Megatron missed these sensations...

Wanted to accelerate more, but the allowed area is too small, even for medium speeds. The former SIC needn’t be afraid of this - no one keeps him at gunpoint. To confirm his own assumption, Megatron flew especially low over two ground cannons located close to each other, and they, accordingly, shifted their muzzles in his direction. Also, the silver jet was counting the time on the internal chronometer. Twenty minutes is incredibly not enough...

They were closely observed by those in the command center. Monitors broadcast images from cameras around the perimeter. Ultra Magnus watched the flight of his former ward with undisguised admiration, while Optimus was looking forward to the end of this unscheduled air show. Just don’t do anything stupid, he begged mentally, please, Megatron.

“They fly beautifully,” Rung whispered to Ratchet, watching the two fighter jets move in sync — loop, spin, dive — and it seemed as if the silver one had caught up with the red-white-blue jet on purpose, and now repeats his every move.

“Professionals,” he nodded in all seriousness.

Megatron suddenly sharply increased speed and in a beautiful turn bypassed his flying colleague, finding himself right in front of him.

‘Not fair!’ the Seeker said indignant via the comm.

‘Oh, really...’ the silver jet chuckled in response and begun to fly away from pursuit.

Oh, how great was the temptation to break his word... Now he will sharply change the trajectory, start to soar up... without dodging, so that it would be easier for them to aim... But Megatron also understood that if he died now, even so beautifully, no one would help his Decepticons at all... Rodimus's words resurfaced in my memory again... No. He resigned himself to his own fate, but if before dying he saves at least someone of his own... It will be worth it.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

On the other hand, what is it like: a conscious sense of risk when nothing threatens you at the moment? Megatron has never been a thrill-seeker, especially one that’d associated with the risk of dying. No-no, he had enough of this in usual life, but now... Now the silver mech had the opportunity to understand whether he really should and wants to continue to be a part of all this madness. Is there any reason for this at all. Yes or no. Yes or no…

“You're going to die, Megatron - and I'm sorry, but you deserve it. And you know you deserve it.”

“We won't be speaking again. I’m about to sit in judgment on you, and there are rules.”

“He deserves pity.”

“I defy anyone to stand next to Megatron and with a straight face say , “I think we should hear his side if the story.”

“…if you contest any of the charges, this trial could last centuries. The public wants this done properly - and I understand that - but I don't think that exhuming every last detail of our war is in anyone’s best interests.”

“Maybe they’ll bury you... Where was it? Where did you use to work? You’re gonna end right back where started...”

Megatron begun to tremble, it became more and more difficult to resist the oncoming air currents, the engines’ power began to fall. Does it make sense to fight... Maybe do it now? Thus, to avoid the fate awaiting him... by the winners’ decision.

‘Tell me your doubts. Admit it to yourself.'

“Megatron is flying somehow strange, don't you think?” Ratchet leaned a little forward towards the monitors. Optimus and Rung exchanged glances.

“Yes. Something is not right,” Magnus muttered anxiously, also noticing the silver jet’s unusual behavior.

Then the unexpected happened: Megatron left the alternative mode, hovered in the air on low-thrust engines and for a moment... and then, having completely turned off all the turbines, began to fall from a colossal height. Not dive, not trying to perform some kind of acrobatic air trick, namely, to fall limply from a giant height...

“No!” the Ultra Magnus whispered in dismay. The increased voltage of EM fields, following the shocked exclamations, could well cause the equipment malfunctions. Optimus felt as if the floor was slipping from under his pedes.

“Megatron… Starscream, stop him!” He ordered in a sharp menacing voice, pressing two digits to his left temple.

‘Stop him,’ Prowl repeated in the personal message to seeker.

Taking a sharp turn, Starscream hurried after the mech falling down, but he was too far away...

A free fall. Just a few seconds and it’s over. He closed his eyes, preparing for the inevitable. It will only hurt for a second... or won’t hurt at all... The frame cuts through the dense air, wild whistling in audio sensors, tickling fear in the abdomen, denial turning into acceptance... I don't want to die. I do not want to. But resisting is useless. They will not accept us as equals... Peace is impossible... They...

‘You will be remembered as a coward... unworthy of me.’

I will be remembered the way the winners want.

‘Then become that winner. Write history yourself.’

Again his voice as if being not his own echoes recent thoughts. As if from the past... when he was still hoping for something... Someone else's frightened voices were heard in the comm, but they seemed to recede into the background, replaced by completely different ones...

“I’m here, and you can still try to regain my trust.”

"My feelings for you are sincere, they have always been and will be."

“I am very sorry you and others had to suffer so much, my spark...”
“We'll do it, Megs. We will make these slagging nobles understand that we also have the right to speak for ourselves.”

‘Save them. Stop what is coming...’

A bright light ahead… and a familiar dark frame... stretches out his hand to him...

“Wake up, Megatron... Wake up!”

“Terminus?..” the Decepticon opened his optics and abruptly started the low-thrust engines, but the ground was already too close. A second later, he hit a hard metal surface. The landing was not very painful, but the impact with the hard metal was still palpable. The main blow fell on the left knee, right pede and left palm, but no serious damage, as if jumping from a not very big height.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Trembling with horror at the sudden realization of what had happened, Megatron raised his optics to the blue sky and the bright sun above. Fall from twenty-seven kilometers. I would have crashed if not for... Terminus? Is it really possible... And what if all this is not in vain? The silver mech clenched and unclenched the bruised black palm. How stupid... Primus, how stupid.

“Almost…” Megatron squeezed out through the pain, not knowing what he meant by that word. He straightened a little, fell on his back, arms and legs spread wide, looking up at the clear blue sky with rare clouds. Wow... that one over there seems to be somewhat reminiscent of my altmode...

“Megatron!!” He heard the growing rumble of the seeker’s engines hurrying towards him. No... go away... don't come any closer... Give me a minute.

The clanging sound of transformation very close, and then fast steps. The former Decepticon leader closed his eyes painfully, realizing who he was about to see. Strong servos grabbed his shoulders and shook him sharply, while the disgusting voice of the former SIC shouted in fright:

“Megatron! Primus, Megatron, what's with you?! Wake up, hey, can you hear me? Megatron!”

As if he’s seriously worried... If I didn't know you so well, Starscream, I might believe in your... ‘sincerity’. The silvery mech slowly opened his optics, and immediately saw the worried face of the former SIC bending over him. Who immediately stopped shaking him and with a bewildered look pulled away, remaining on his knees next to him.

“You scared me...” the seeker muttered frowningly, averting his embarrassed look.

“Tell this to someone else,” Megatron said coldly, remaining in a recumbent position. He stared up at the sky again. I almost died out of my own stupidity, on my own initiative. Idiot. What's wrong with me...

“Yes, he's alive. Probably... No significant visible damage. Don’t know, I’m not a medic, ”Starscream said nearby, clearly not addressing him. “Yes okay. We’ll be waiting.”

Minutes passed in silence. Megatron just lay on his back with his closed optics, gradually coming back to senses, and Starscream sat next to him, not knowing what to do. He said that the medics are on their way, they would help Megatron, and for some reason he assured that everything would be fine. At this, Megatron only grinned: it will not, in his case it is simply impossible. Suddenly the former SIC’s digits touched his left servo, and Megatron, still not opening his optics, just slightly pushed his own hand away. Don’t touch me. Don’t you dare.

A few minutes later the others arrived: Optimus Prime and the company in their alternative modes of ground vehicles. With a metallic rustle changing into their usual form, they crowded around both fliers. Only Prowl and the guards kept their distance.

Ratchet asked Megatron to lie still until he had completed a preliminary check of his systems. The Decepticon didn’t react in any way, he was still in shock over what had happened. He didn’t even budge when the Prime himself also sat down next to him.

“What happened?..” asked the Ultra Magnus, who was standing next to Rung behind his leader, not addressing anyone in particular. He hoped that at least someone would give the answer. It doesn't matter who. The therapist was silent, deep in thoughts.

“Unsuccessful maneuver.” Megatron understood that no one would fall for such an explanation, and the following idea occurred to him quite suddenly: “It seems that this Fool’s Energon, nevertheless, has it’s effects.”

Ratchet reset his vocalizer emphatically, putting the scanner back into the subspace, and began to palpate the bruised parts of the Decepticon's frame. Megatron winced with a painful grimace as the medic's digits touched the joints of his left knee.

“Hold on, kid.”

The silver mech pursed his lips, but said nothing. I promised myself... Don’t pay attention, don’t show that you are in pain, Megatron condemned himself severely. The Prime's gaze above him softened.

“I was afraid that you...”

I what? Would break my word? Of course, what else could you think...

“I wanted.” Megatron nodded twice in confirmation of his own words. “Really, there was such a thought: to deviate from the course so that your guns would shoot me down...” He closed the optics, imagining this moment in paints. “Death in the sky… free…” The sudden fields pulsations of those present made him flinch and reopen his optics. All the same sitting next to him, the medic, the ruler of Cybertron and the senator looked at Megatron as if he was a complete madman, but he didn’t care: “Not like a prisoner,” he looked at the Prime with reproach. “And not as someone who 'deserves pity’,” those words were already addressed to Starscream. Megatron's gaze turned to the sky again. “But then my mission will not be fulfilled.”

“Your mission?” The seeker reset his optics in surprise, which elicited a smug chuckle from his former leader:

“Try to do what the new Senate and their Prime were not capable of.” Megatron smiled at the surprised look of those present.

Megatron was quite able to get up and walk to the transport on his own. Ratchet assessed his condition as satisfactory in order to deal with the injuries of the Decepticon already at the Medical Center of the Council Citadel, and not here at the military base. They rode to the city in the transport of the ruler of Cybertron four of them: the leader of the Autobots himself, Megatron, Ratchet and Rank. The rest will get there in their own cars.

Before getting into the Prime’s transport, Megatron turned to look at the Ultra Magnus as if seeking his approval. He nodded gravely, and the mech, who had once been his charge, disappeared inside along with the leader and two medics. Magnus watched their transport until it was out of sight.

The former Decepticon leader stared out the window, struggling to ignore the eyes of others. Be silent. Nobody needs to know about Terminus. He wasn’t there... This is all the new chemical influence. There is no other way to explain all these oddities.

“Megatron," the Autobot leader sitting opposite him began cautiously, leaning slightly towards the former enemy, "can you tell us what happened to you?"

“I already did…”

“Don’t give me that,” the medic to the Prime’s right snorted in response, “who would have thought that you are so ... impressionable.”

“What?..” Megatron frowned, and then Rung interfered:

“Ratchet, if you don't mind, I would ask not to continue this topic.”

“No, let him speak,” Megatron objected, shrugging his shoulders, “I'm curious what others know about me that I do not.”

Much more than you think, Ratchet chided him mentally, and said aloud:

“You have been taking Fool’s Energon for only for three days, in such a short time it couldn’t have had any effects of that kind… especially on you.”

“Means your calculations were wrong, Doctor." Megatron looked down at his hands and met again with the red and white Autobot’s optics. "But that's good, isn't it?"

Ratchet and Optimus exchanged meaningful glances, Rung just shook his helm sympathetically. Today happened something they feared so much, but allowed it originally. And Megatron was still in conjecture: why suddenly, Primus damn it, did their attitude towards him change so dramatically into a... supposedly good side? What are they trying to achieve?..

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

After the medics repaired the damage Megatron received and returned the T-cog blocker into place, the silver mech was sent back to his quarters, and in the late afternoon Optimus Prime called a small meeting to discuss today's incident, there were Ultra Magnus, Ratchet, Rung, Prowl and Rodimus. The latter had to be invited, since he is officially in charge of the mission. They gathered in a small conference room, where on the wall screen saw a video of today's of two former Decepticons’ peformance.

Upon seeing what had happened, Rodimus fell into a strange state of shock. On the one hand, it would be good if the hated Decepticon, who stole his future, crashed to death, but on the other... It was scary to watch this. Even if it's Megatron. The same Megatron who just recently became the new Prime of the Cybertronian people.

“So, what now?..” he asked shortly, sitting at the table and propping his cheeks with his fists. There are no traces left from the recent dent on the left at all.

“What now,” Prowl snorted, two chairs away from him, “are we going to postpone the mission?”

“No way!” The red and yellow Autobot said again. “We already waited too long because of this trial.” He clenched his left fist. “And now this crazy winged ballast with suicidal tendencies caught on our tail. As far as I know, psychos are kept in appropriate institutions... Is it necessary to take him with us at all?”

“I'm afraid it is,” Optimus replied calmly, passing by the audiosensors all of his protégé’s dissatisfied speech, “the vision of Cyberutopia was sent to me by the Matrix of Leadership... Now Megatron has become its keeper...”

“Thanks for the reminder, boss,” Rodimus said almost with his lips, so that no one would hear this remark.

“…If the artifact has something to do with what we're looking for, Megatron should come along. Perhaps he will figure out where to look for additional clues.”

“Like the Fifth Key, which we knew nothing about until yesterday?” specified Ultra Magnus.

“And who will prove that this Fifth Key exists?” The red and yellow Autobot continued to argue. “We don't know that. What we do know for sure is that Megatron's crazy, and that’s all. As I said before - and I will repeat it again - it is more than dangerous to take a mad mech on board.”

“But you yourself said that the more dangerous a mission is, the more interesting,” the Cybertron army commander tried to joke, but the answer was the first captain’s of the Lost Light angry glance:

“Not funny, Magnus!”

“Calm down, please,” Optimus said wearily and rubbed his faceplate. “Rung, Ratchet, you need to keep an optic on him. Today's events have shown that Megatron... is capable of rash acts. Any ideas on how to restrain him... besides the Fool’s Energon?”

"How about mnemosurgery?" Prowl prompted with some malice in his voice, for that he earned displeased looks of his comrades. Rodimus involuntarily swallowed and hastily turned away, while Magnus stared at the table. "What?" The head of security threw up his servos in confusion. "This is the best option. Only the flight will have to be postponed a little."

"Officer Prowl, with all due respect, such a decision is made by the medical board, and not by those who are not even close to medicine," the white-orange psychotherapist remarked restrainedly, removing his glasses. He looked at the security officer with obvious condemnation, who silently gazed back. It seemed that the black-white Autobot wanted to seriously object, but something prevented him from doing so.

"I agree with Rung here," Ratchet said displeasely. "You are not a medic, and you cannot give advice on treatment in any way, as I, for example, wouldn't give you tactical advice due to lack of experience. In addition, we don't exactly know yet how the Matrix affected Megatron's consciousness." In response only the same angry silence. The white and red medic leaned back in his chair and coldly concluded: "We will leave the mnemosurgery option as a last resort."

"But let's not rule it out completely," Optimus intervened unexpectedly, involuntarily recalling the incident back in the prison cell. Theoretically, this can be done right on the ship, the qualifications of the medical staff and equipment allow it. But again, the Matrix... No, Prime tried to banish this thought from himself, let's hope it won't come to that. "For now, let's consider less radical methods. Ratchet?"

“Rung gave me a list of necessary medications yesterday,” the white and red medic replied, “I have already made the appropriate calculations of what doses are needed to affect a Point One Percenter like Megatron. Everything has already been sent with the remaining cargo to the shuttles.”

“And, as I said, sessions with him once a space week,” added the white-orange therapist, “reports will come regularly.”

“Alright then,” Optimus approved and turned to the Ultra Magnus: “Minimus?”

“As promised,” he said readily, taking the hint.

“Sparklingsitters…” Rodimus hissed through the clenched denta, looking at his indistinct reflection on the table surface.

“That's all then. Thank you all for your attention.” The Prime got up first. “Please rest well tonight, tomorrow is an important mission.”

Everyone begun to disperse. Slapping his palms on the table, the Prime’s student got up and was also about to leave, but the mentor’s voice called him in the back:

“Rodimus, please stay.”

He turned slowly. The Prime was already at the window, servos behind his back. After waiting for the door to close behind the last person to leave, the red and yellow Autobot approached Optimus on the left.

“I wanted to talk to you in private, you know about what,” the Prime turned his helm and looked his protégé in the optics. Who trembled in fright:

“Well, I did nothing bad.” Rodimus showed open palms. “It’s all his fault! I didn't even have time to say a word.”

“What are you talking about?” the ruler of Cybertron narrowed his optics suspiciously.

“About a fight in the bar...” Rodimus blurted out, to which the Prime blinked in surprise:

“What fight?”

“Oww...” Rodimus froze. “Isn't that what you wanted to talk about?”

“I wanted to discuss your relationship with Megatron. You are both captains of the one ship, and for the mission to succeed you will have to work together. But that can wait, as I understand it.” The Prime threateningly took a step towards his pupil, who also retreated a step: “Tell me in more detail about the fight you mentioned and when it took place.”

Rodimus chuckled nervously, scratched the top of his head and squeezed out guiltily:

“Oops...”

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron sat on the living room floor, between two datapadcases with e-books, servos limp on his laps, back and helm propping up the wall. He felt condemned, whom they decided not to execute at the last second. The silver mech could die today on his own initiative, leaving those who once believed in him to their fate. A good leader... Loyal Tarn could be ‘proud’ of him now. If not for Terminus, Megatron wouldn’t be here right now.

Terminus... Was he real? His voice... and those other voices... Closing his optics, the former Decepticon, in spite of his fear, tried to recreate today's fall in every detail. Feelings, thoughts, everything he saw... Megatron is flying down, the ground is getting closer... he doesn’t see it, but he feels it will be over now... Voices and images from the past... Minimus, Optimus, Rung, Terminus... Do spark ghosts really exist? And why now? Why not sooner? Or is it also a hallucination caused by the Fool’s Energon? If so... Prime, you're even more sadistic than I am.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The sudden doorbell nearly made Megatron jump. Rung again? Want to talk about today? There is nothing to discuss, I myself already understood everything perfectly. I won't even go to the door. Hope he gets the hint. It seems that this mech is far from being a fool, he will figure out what's what.

But the sound of the doorbell didn’t stop, and now, after a little over a minute, the front door opened by itself. Hearing this and the footsteps of the unexpected guest, Megatron tensed. No… this is clearly not Rung. He steps much easier. And exactly, turning his helm to the opening between the hallway and the living room, he saw Optimus Prime himself.

“Hey?” He called cautiously, staying in the aisle.

“Hey yourself" Megatron got to his pedes, still pressing his back against the wall. From the mere sight of the ruler of Cybertron, the entire frame tensed, and inner fear made the spark beat faster. We’re alone... Last time the unexpected happened. You won't catch me off guard anymore. I'm not afraid of you. And if you dare to do it again, I will hit you.

“Are you alright?” Prime nevertheless crossed the threshold and entered the living room.

“Fine,” Megatron averted his gaze.

“Are you sure?”

“If you're talking about today, then - yes,” Megatron looked at him with a challenge: “Although you could have warned me about the additional effects of this Fool’s energon of your’s.”

“Fool’s energon?” repeated Optimius, blinking his lenses in surprise.

“Is it not?” Megatron spread his servos and took a step from the wall... and from the Prime too.

“What kind of effects?: The Autobot leader's optics narrowed. The Decepticon didn’t say anything and just stepped up to the windows. “Megatron?” Optimus walked up behind him. “What kind of effects?”

Hallucinations, blackouts, he wanted to answer and involuntarily shuddered from the Prime’s such a close presence. No, I won't tell him anything. Why give your foe an extra reason to rejoice?

“It doesn't matter.” He squeezed out without turning around.

“Doesn’t matter?!” the Prime flashed. “You almost died! I would say it does matter!”

“This is your condition, and I follow it!” Megatron turned so abruptly that the leader of the Autobots involuntarily retreated. The silver mech fought back an angry shudder with difficulty. Calm down, do not fall for his provocations. “Again…” Megatron clenched and unclenched his fists, calming down: “This is your condition, and I follow it.” Unable to withstand the optics contact, the former leader of the Decepticons turned back to the window.

“I'm worried about you,” came softly from behind, and Megatron could hardly restrain himself from shouting out a loud “Ha!”. Did him and Starscream conspire? Sheer delirium. “You scared me very much today. Scared us all. Believe or not, it won't change the truth.”

An accidentally saved screenshot of the former Second’s frightened faceplate appeared in front of his eyes. Megatron himself was not sure why he took this picture, apparently just by accident.

“You scared me.”

“Tell this to someone else”

But why? It would be much easier for them all to get rid of him. Without trial and investigation. But no, his request to join the Lost Light crew has been granted, for the last three days Megatron has been living in normal, even luxurious conditions, he was allowed to fly... And Prime... said he loved him? After everything?

"I love you as I did before. I am the same - the same Orion Pax... I want to be with you, and I know that it is mutual..."

How I miss those mecha we once were... Megatron rolled his optics dreamily and smiled, involuntarily remembering both of them as young idealists... idiots, who had no idea that it would be them to drawn the planet into the abyss of chaos and madness.

“I didn't want this…” the silver mech squeezed out already noticeably quieter, and immediately reproached himself for lying. Wanted, at that moment he actually wanted to. Free will, no one forced me...

“Don't do that again, alright?” asked the ruler of Cybertron, standing to the left of the former enemy.

“I’ll try,” he said uncertainly. At least until we find Cybertopia, hear the Knights' verdict... It could take months... maybe years. Time is relative. It goes differently in space. If there was an opportunity to go back...

“Hmm, and yet Senator Shockwave’s wish came true,” Optimus suddenly broke the silence again. The mask folded into the slots of the helmet, completely revealing his face.

“What do you mean?” Megatron didn’t understand.

The Autobot leader gave a sly grin, but said nothing. What was that? Does he even speak to me? Optimus's gaze slid to the crimson mark on Megatron's chest and again met the bright scarlet optics. Something in him, after all, has changed. Outwardly, the Prime is still the same, and, nevertheless, he seems... lighter, or something ... As if some part of him has gone... a very extremely important part. Quite recently it was, and now... it disappeared somewhere.

“What is it?” Optimus tilted his helm questioningly to the left. “You have such a look...”

No, it just seems to me, the silver mech objected to himself, and besides, we are now talking about completely different things. Does he want to know? So be it...

“You once told me after claiming your victory over us that there was no point, I’ll quote: ‘to exhume every detail of our war’. When you brought that mnemosurgeon to me.” Megatron looked at him reproachfully, feeling that he was starting to boil again: “And you made me say a public speech...” He stifled a sigh of disappointment with difficulty. “You know, I don’t blame you, but I don’t believe you either. You act like a winner, nothing more. You have the right to hate me, but if you were in fact a noble ruler, that you think you are, you yourself would admit that you are stuck in sins and others’ energon. You would understand that your faction’s fault is no less than ours.” And, after a pause, he added: “If not more. How dare you condemn those in whose place you have never been?”

The Prime froze, dumbfounded. Yes, he knew that he was wrong in many ways, that he himself had gone astray, which he refused to admit publicly. And now it’s the one whom he secretly loved with all his spark, for whom he brought the last sacrifice, says such things to his face... Megatron doesn’t know about this. What will he feel when he finds out the truth? How will he behave when Optimus is gone? Will he cry secretly from everyone, will he remember him with warmth in the spark? And if so, who will miss the most: Optimus or Orion? They could have been together... they could have stopped this earlier.

The Autobot leader has repeatedly said that his goal was to stop Megatron at any cost. Stop, not understand and accept those whose lives were much harder than his own. Even Senator Shockwave paid for his ambitions and decisions. First with his personality, and then with his life. The Autobots couldn't be trusted no matter what they said. Their actions differ from words. At least the Decepticons didn’t hide their essence. And Prime offered to end the damned war... with a handshake.

A handshake? With a prisoner? As if this simplest handshake could at one moment correct the past, return the dead, erase past grievances from memory. And he never himself said what he demanded from the enemy...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

“There are individuals who unable to admit their mistakes,” Megatron brought the servos behind his back and, closing the optics, lowered his helm with regret, “for the sake of clearing their conscience, they can try to correct everything with actions, but say... Say: ‘Sorry, I was wrong too’ - they will not have the courage for this.” He threw a condemning glance at Prime again. “I know history, Orion Pax, you are not the first Prime with such a life position. Bumblebee's self-sacrifice made me think,” he ran his left servo over the scarlet symbol on his chest, “although I had been thinking about what was happening for so long, and agreed to this only in order to somehow help my people.”

“I offered you peace many times...”

“Surrender!”

“Never!”

“On your terms.” Megatron’s optics flashed and, turning away, he repeated: “Yours.” There was obvious annoyance in his voice. “You didn’t listen to me, didn’t try to understand, thought only about how to convey your point of view to me. Your goal was to stop us at any cost. And this is not a way to negotiate on equal terms. Even now, after that very speech... You still... you...” Megatron clenched his fists and closed his eyes. Desperate situation, meaningless conversation.

“Forced necessity. If you were the same, you would now try to kill me... I hope you understand my concerns.” Objected Optimus.

“I do. That's the point.”

“Megatron…” Optimus wanted to touch his shoulder, but the servo froze in the air not completing the action. The silver mech’s EM field pulsation burned like fire.

“Don't, Prime. Leave me, please...” the Decepticon's voice dropped almost to a whisper.

Still keeping his optics closed, Megatron waited patiently to be left alone. He didn't feel any easier from what he said, the silvery mech didn’t even know that could really ease the pain that was tormenting his spark. And also to see Terminus again... once more... even if not real, it was...

“Megatron…” Optimus called from behind again, to which the Decepticon could hardly resist not to flinch in surprise. What, are you still here? Go away. “I'm very sorry that it happened. It's true. And I still love you... I will always love you.” Then a metallic click was heard, indicating that Optimus again hid his face behind the mask, then footsteps followed, Megatron turned his helm towards the receding ruler of Cybertron.

‘And what if he really regrets, like you? Think about it?’

“So what?” Megatron objected out loud to himself. “They still made me, as the organics say, a scapegoat.”

Well great, now his inner voice reproaches him and protects his enemies. I'm slowly but surely going crazy, Megatron thought, mentally repeating Optimus' words again. He's sorry... he loves me... A quiet confession that won't play any role. This is not what Megatron want. Not at all.

“Prime!”

Optimus stopped abruptly and slowly turned around.

“What did you mean by ‘Senator Shockwave's wish came true’?

The Autobot leader's optics somehow flashed kindly, and Megatron thought that the red and blue mech was smiling under his mask. Smiling at some of his thoughts, and Megatron immediately filled with suspicion. They were friends, without Shockwave’s intervention Pax... Prime... wouldn't be here now.

“I'll tell you when you return home,” the Autobot leader finally replied. “He always had high hopes for you. But you know that.” And Optimus left. Now he didn’t have the strength to argue or prove anything. The stubborn Megatron will still hear only what he wants, interpret everything in his own way. Maybe Rung is right .. as much as it hurts.

Megatron stared out the window. This conversation devastated him completely. Slagging Autobot... who asked him? Who even called him here?! Megatron rubbed his faceplate and shook his helm. Shockwave had high hopes for me... And I let him down and everyone else as well. Thanks for the reminder, Prime... so your antennas became sluggish and something else as well.

“And I still love you... I will always love you.”

Megatron closed his eyes and clenched his fists. Damn you, Optimus Prime! Legs buckled, the Decepticon fell to his knees with a clang and hid his face in palms. Why are you torturing me so... Why, Orion, why?! What for…

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Wings by Thomas Bergersen; (Megatron and Starscream’s flight)
2) Interstellar OST - Atmospheric Entry; (the fall)
3) Halo 3 ODST - Defense For Darkness; (after landing)
4) Mass Effect 3 OST - You Look Good, Shepard; (discussing whether or not to let Megatron go with the team)
5) Interstellar OST - What Happens Now; (Megatron recalls his fall and Terminus)
6) Mass Effect OST - Vigil (Extended); (Optimus and Megatron, evening before departure)
7) Halo 2 OST - High Charity Suite; (Optimus and Megatron: second part of the conversation)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron was slowly climbing up somewhere. A wide, winding stone staircase led him through a dirty yellow haze, through which could be seen someone's distorted blurred images, places and events on both sides of the stepped road, replacing each other as he went up. Revolutionary march, explosions, a squadron of spaceships, battles... All the sounds also strangely muffled, as if the silver mech was surrounded by some kind of thick liquid... But at the same time, his frame feels incredibly light. Megatron goes forward without thinking, stopping, or being distracted by what is happening around.

“Megatronus Prime...”

This voice is familiar... It’s calling me. I’m here... I’m coming... No thoughts in his head, except that someone is waiting for him there, in this strange fog. One step, another step, one more step, and more... Megatron suddenly stops abruptly and looks to the right, where in a yellow cloud through the ‘watery’ barrier he sees himself, Optimus and Shockwave...

“Stop me, Megs...”

Megatron didn’t even think that the mad scientist would ever call him that again. Senator Shockwave... For a moment, his former personality woke up in him, realizing all the horror of his own actions... and the impending consequences. And there was only one way out. With a sinking spark, Megatron watched as his ‘self’ from the past aimed the cannon at the purple mech, Optimus standing next to him did the same...

…shot…

No! Shutting his eyes, Megatron sharply turned away. The silver mech didn’t even realize that at that very moment small streams of washer rolled down his cheeks. He didn’t notice it. Damn Functionists... They started all this... We continued and even now cannot stop. This is not what I wanted. Didn't want to be the leader of the uprising... Or did I? I agreed. Hatred... Even a pacifist can be turned into a cruel sadist. If you are constantly beaten, you either endure or defend yourself... And it's good if you can stop. I couldn't endure.

“They didn’t deserve it,” suddenly was heard very close.

Startled, Megatron opened his optics and turned to the source of the voice. Only now did he notice that the staircase ended, a yellowish fog was still hovering around, and his closest friend from the past was walking slowly towards him. ‘Former future’ bondmate, whose existence has been erased from the face of history...

“Terminus…” Megatron's spark skipped a beat. Him again... Wherever they were now, and whatever awaited further, now the former Decepticon leader was sincerely glad to see him. And, judging by the expression on another’s faceplate, he was at least not disgusting to be around.

“They didn’t deserve it,” Terminus repeated, stopping a little less than at arm's length. “None of them.”

“Of course not,” Megatron nodded in agreement, pursing his lips in a bitter grin. The right servo touched the red mark on his chest. “The whole war was a waste. They didn’t listen to us, the Autobots... the former elite... seek to suppress us. And this is the best case scenario.” The same servo that a second ago touched the Autobot insignia, clenched into a fist: “Thate speech written by Prime... uttered by me...” A wave of trembling passed through Megatron's body. “A direct proof of that.”

“But you agreed,” Terminus put the servos on his belt, “why?”

“As you said, they didn't deserve it.” Megatron took a step to the left and held out his left palm in front of him, as if wishing to touch the fog that enveloped them. “This also applies to… my Decepticons.” The servo sank down helplessly, and the silver mech ex-vented heavily. His Decepticons... He can't call them that anymore. Only not now... when he himself betrayed them in order to save. “The only hope is for these mythical Knights… And the chances are small.”

“Why do you think so?”

Megatron couldn't help laughing sarcastically. Do I really need to explain? Terminus has long been dead. This mechnext to me - who is he anyway? Or what? A memory? A figment of the imagination? Some kind of viral archive file? And I can't ask - he won't answer. Or it will leave... and I don't want that. And returning to Terminus’s question: it would be too good for the usual harsh truth.

“Megatron, what is the reason? Tell me your doubts.”

“What?..” the Decepticon turned sharply to his interlocutor. He had heard it before... Heard it, but didn’t pay attention. Lately, the inner voice has been acting especially strange. And now a comrade from the past repeats these words exactly. Damned Fool’s Energon...

“The main question that torments you.” Terminus came close to Megatron, looking straight into his optics. “If you will not realize this, then you will not accept the truth, and accordingly, you will generate a conflict. And, therefore, you will not be able to take the steps necessary to... fix all this.”

“What conflict?” Megatron frowned in disbelief, tense inwardly. Puzzles. Riddles again.

“There is very little time left before your first journey in your new life,” Terminus stated instead of answering.

“You mean the last one in my life?” Megatron asked gloomily, placing his right servo on his belt. Thanks for the reminder, Terminus... I try so hard not to think about it even for a bit. The miner smiled at this in a kindly condescending manner, and this angered the former leader of the Decepticons even more: “What?”

“The first journey in your new life,” he repeated calmly. Terminus slowly began to recede into the fog, back forward. “But whether it will be the last – it’s up to you.”

“Wait... Where are you going?!” Megatron, who before had stood still, rushed towards the disappearing friend, but he had already completely dissolved in the yellowish fog, which began to get thicker and denser. “Terminus!”

“I am with you, Megatron…” his voice said from everywhere, forcing the Decepticon to look around helplessly. But there was no one around, only the fog. “Whatever happens in the future, remember: they need you. You carry the burden of a leader.”

...they need you... they need you... burden of a leader... of a leader...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron slowly opened his optics, remaining on the berth. The room is still dark, the light will turn on by itself, he just has to get up. Judging by the internal chronometer, there are three hours left before the mission. Only three hours - and he will leave this planet... perhaps forever. In theory, the expedition promises to be quite interesting, mysterious and even dangerous. His own assumption of the Fifth Key - he had never seen the other four - aroused a certain interest, pushing a little apathetic resignation with the inevitable into the background. The fear doesn't go away. It will be with me until the very end. But... maybe during the flight I can... finally come to terms with the situation.

Okay, stop wallowing, it's time to get up. There is not much time left, and it will not be good if they come for him, and he meets them in a state of deep recharge. Just like when Magnus had to shake him two days ago to wake him up. What a shame...

As soon as Megatron sat up, the lamps in the berth room turned on automatically. The Decepticon stretched, got up and, sleepily shaking his helm, walked slowly into the living room. It's still dark outside, but big cities, as you know, never sleep.

Walking around the apartment back and forth, Megatron wandered into the washracks, turned on the sprinklers in the ceiling and simply sat under them, pulling his knees up to his chest, while warm streams of cleaning fluid continued to pour down the frame. Someone else might like this massage effect, but Megatron was now feeling some kind of irritation, but he was in no hurry to get up and turn off the water. This distracted him at least a little from the invisible entities called ‘sad thoughts’ that hovered everywhere around.

He could sit in the oil bath, the empty pool was just here, to the right of the shower rack. It was only necessary to turn on the tap and fill it. But Megatron quickly dismissed the thought. This whole situation, the quarters in which he lives, the Autobots’ strange changed attitude towards him... Like a mockery. He won't be fooled by that. The less comforts he uses here, the better, he will show the Autobots that they can go to Pits with their deceitful mercy.

Finally, the Decepticon got tired of sitting under a hail of water streams pouring from the ceiling, and he, abruptly turning them off, left the shower booth. Then, after a couple of minutes of drying, returned to the living room. What to do in the remaining hours before departure, Megatron simply didn’t know. He turned on the holocaster, but after going through several channels, he didn’t find anything particularly interesting, and turned it off again. Didn't want to read anything either, the CPU just refused to perceive any information from the outside right now...

Therefore, the silver mech went out onto the balcony again and began to look at what was happening behind the force field. Night city... Bright lights... Somewhere far below along the highways moving sparkless cars transporting living Cybertronians. How I would like to be there now, among them... A simple city dweller, unremarkable, goes about his business... Not breaking any laws. Megatron sat down slowly and leaned back against the wall. None of them even knows anything about any secret mission to find some kind of Cyberutopia.

“Oh, and why are we unable to travel back in time at will?” Megatron chuckled bitterly at his own question. “I would have done a lot differently.”

The remaining time before the flight, the silver mech spent sitting on the balcony, remembering the pre-war events... Remembering Terminus and the rest of his miner friends... his hopes... Before everything went awry. If only I could get lost in these thoughts... Not thinking about the cruel reality... If I could go back...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Exactly at the appointed time, when the sun had just begun to appear over the horizon, Ultra Magnus came and stated that it was time to go. Well, that's it. Megatron took one last long look at the spacious appartment that had been his home for the past three days. He lived like a noble. What for? It is still clear how everything will end...

“Well, are you ready?” Magnus asked with a benevolent smile.

“Of course,” Megatron nodded and, passing the commander of the Autobot army, stopped at the door. “Let’s go?” He asked, turning.

Ultra Magnus nodded and stepped out into the hallway first. The silver mech behind him. The Autobot guards that had stood at Megatron's door the whole time accompanied them as well. The former leader of the Decepticons didn’t even ask himself why this was all necessary. For them, he is an enemy, and that says it all.

In the underground parking lot near the elevator, two long white vehicles with darkened windows were waiting for them. And next to them stood five mechs, three of which the silver one immediately recognized: Optimus Prime, Rodimus and Starscream. Two more were unknown, probably from the former SIC’s guards. Why is he here again? Interesting. Does he want to always be in the center of events, or was he dragged in because of me?

“Megatron,” the Autobot leader nodded gravely as he caught the Decepticon's gaze. His red and yellow student waved his the hand with a feigned smile.

“Prime,” the silver mech greeted just as shortly, then glanced over Rodimus, making it clear that he had noticed him too.

“Good morning, Lord Megatron!” The seeker greeted, flashing his polished armor.

“Don't tell me you decided to come along with us?” Megatron choked out before he could think.

“I would love to, but…” Starscream shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands with the most innocent expression on the faceplate, “now I'm a busy mech, as you can see. So I just decided to see you off. Wish you luck... so to speak.”

If you were busy, you wouldn’t stagger here, Megatron gave his former Second an unkind look. To this Starscream chose not to say anything and only retreated to the second transport, next to which the two strangers were standing. Thought so, the former leader of the Decepticons rolled up his optics in displeasure.

“It's time,” the Prime announced, and nearest transport doors opened.

The four of them got inside, Starscream and his escorts disappeared in the second vehicle, and both transports set off on their way to the spaceport.

Although the windows were darkened, all the same, the view was not completely obstructed. And that’s good, because he could concentrate on what was happening outside, look at the buildings they passed by, and not meet Prime’s eyes, who was sitting opposite him.

On the way to the launch site, two more large yellow vehicles with red Autobot symbols joined them from the side. The familiar faces of the other crew members could be seen through the windows. This means that these transports picked up all the others, and now the movement continued in a column along the still relatively empty roads.

It was already daylight when they arrived at the spaceport. The entire convoy drove into the territory without delay and stopped relatively close to the landing pad, where four sharp-winged black shuttles were waiting. Oh yes, Megatron remembered, the ship is in orbit. We’ll have to fly on these shuttles to reach it, and then - already as it should be.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Prowl, Prime's assistant named Jetfire, and eight other elite guards were waiting at the landing pad. The crew members, talking quietly among themselves, took their places in the shuttles. Megatron noted that no one had any belongings with them, there were no cargo containers - nothing at all. Probably, everything was sent to the ship earlier, and perhaps something else was loaded into the shuttles. He didn't have anything with him to take on the road. The Fool’s energon, which he will have to feed on throughout the entire expedition, has also been sent aboard in sufficient quantities, if necessary, Ratchet and Perceptor could easily synthesize more. Well, it could have been much worse.

Following the Magnus halfway to one of these shuttles, Megatron suddenly stopped and... turned to the rising sun, which was already half over the horizon. Dark night clouds part before its powerful rays, giving way to a new dawn... A new beginning... A new journey... As Terminus said: the first in his new life...

Megatron closed his optics, delightingly exposing his face to the pleasant warmth of the heavenly body. For the last time... This sun will no longer shine for him... If he survives this expedition, he will receive a just punishment by the victors’ standards. Execution or life imprisonment... If only other Decepticons didn’t suffer the same fate.

‘You are not alone…’

Both palms touched the chest plates. This pleasant warmth... Still keeping optics closed, Megatron lowered his helm slightly. His spark trembled with the thought that not everything is yet lost... For a short moment, even the former Decepticon thought that the planet itself wished him luck...

“Megatron?”

Optimus Prime's voice nearby made him awake from the unwelcome illusion. An involuntary slight smile immediately faded away. Impossible. Cybertron is not alive, has no mind of its own. Vector Sigma is just a legend for naive sparklings. A cold construct with a forged spark - Megatron has never been a sparkling. And then again, if the planet was alive, then it certainly wouldn’t wish him luck. Probbably would wish him to be deactivated as soon as possible. Him and all those who are not satisfied with the victory of the ‘good’ Autobots. The ‘chosen one of Primus’ and his gang, who will never admit...

‘Tell me your doubts...’

“I’m ready,” he replied to the Prime in the most neutral voice, nodded and headed for the shuttle, near which were standing Ultra Magnus, Rung and Rodimus. Inside Ratchet and Deadlock were waiting... that is, Drift.

“It will be cool!” Rodimus, as usual, was at the peak of optimism and in every possible way made the second captain understand who was in charge here. "You don't mind if I pilot the shuttle, do you?" And jumped on the ladder right in front of Megatron's nose, forcing him to stop. “It will be safer that way.”

The silver mech only raised his open palms to the chest level, demonstrating that he doesn't care, and entered the flying vehicle last. The door immediately closed with a soft hiss behind him.

‘Good luck,’ Optimus's voice rang through his head. Megatron chose not to answer: too late, we are leaving.

In the spacious passenger compartment the seats were arranged along the walls, just like in the transport they travelled to the pre-launch briefing the day before yesterday. There are handrails over the ceiling so that was possible to hold on if one was flying standing. The cockpit could only be accessed from this very passenger compartment. There was no separating door, the opening was wide enough. Rodimus has already settled in the pilot's seat and begun to start the engines.

Without further ado, the silver mech sat down in the copilot's seat and looked around the control panel. More or less a standard dashboard, nothing remarkable, Megatron could easily pilot the shuttle himself. During the war he had to learned a lot through trial and error...

“Control, we are ready to takeoff,” Rodimus said over the communications channel.

“Roger that, Ranger-1,” the dispatcher's voice answered from the speaker.

“Everyone, fasten your seat belts!” Rodimus glanced at Megatron, then turned to the opening in the passenger compartment and focused on the controls again.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The engines hummed faintly, and the shuttle began to ascend, gradually accelerating. Megatron chuckled to himself, somehow remembering the human ships on Earth. These organics still have a lot to learn... But maybe it's good that their race is not yet as advanced as ours. Humans, if they were equal to us, could well become serious opponents... Allies of the Autobots. Hmm, I wonder if I treat them this way because they are allies of the Autobots and enemies of the Decepticons? Could it be another way or... In theory, anything is possible.

“Hey, is everyone all right? No one feels sick or something? How about a couple of tricks?” the pilot suddenly tilted the lever to the left, and the shuttle continued to take off, already rotating around its axis.

“Rodimus!” Megatron snapped, gripping his seat. Behind them there were surprised screams, and someone else dropped: "Hey, what the..." most likely it was Ratchet.

“Ranger-1, what are you doing?!” interrupted the dispatcher’s frightened voice.

“I just wanted to know what this thing can do, that's all!” Rodimus explained innocently, leveling the ship.

“Are you crazy?!” Shouted Magnus from behind. Megatron could swear that if not for the High Justice Tyrest’s protocols, the commander of the Cybertronian troops would have got into the cockpit and properly ‘explained’ to the so-called pilot the rules of shuttle control. At least this could be judged by his emotional exclamation.

“Another trick like this - and I will pilot the shuttle, and you won’t even enter the ship’s bridge!” threatened Megatron, gradually reducing the power of his inner coolers.

“You cannot exclude me, Megs, I am the captain!” offended Optimus’s student, but immediately fell silent under the menacing gaze of bright scarlet optics. “Okay, should have warned right away that none of you like attractions...”

Primus... Welcome to the madhouse, Megatron shook his helm and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. And this is all just the beginning...

The Lost Light appeared in line of sight three minutes later, after the four shuttles overcame the force of Cybertron's gravity. A silvery-gray middle-class spaceship, consisting of several elongated blocks, in general shape resembled a flattened triangular tip. Four powerful hyperdrive nozzles in the back, and in the front - in the bow - a panoramic window made up of separate parts. Probably, Megatron thought, this is where the bridge is.

“Home sweet home,” stated Rodimus on the left, clearly referring to the silver mech. He chose not to say anything. The less he shows attention, the faster Rodimus will get tired of clinging to him. Although... maybe not. And the ship is really good.

The shuttles split: two of them flew into the hangar on the right side of the ship, the other two - respectively, into the left one. Large, light cargo hold with high ceilings. As soon as the shuttles were inside, a red force field barrier formed at the place of the passage, and then the hatch doors began to close.

“Let’s go,” Rodimus was the first to jump out of the cockpit and then out of the shuttle altogether. The others followed in turn. The Prime’s apprentice waved to follow him to the bridge, and proudly headed forward, showing the way.

They walked along long, wide corridors to the elevator, got two levels up and followed Rodimus further. Most of the doors that came across on the way were closed, but that’s okay, later there will be a lot of time to study the entire ship in all details. It will even be interesting. Megatron is used to it, he spent most of the war time on space cruisers or directly on the battlefield. So now the situation was more familiar.

Both captains, the Ultra Magnus and five mech operators entered the bridge. The rest went to their posts on the ship. This room was two-tiered, most of the control consoles were located on the first level, and there were much more of them than the mechs present on the bridge. Probably, Megatron thought, the ship itself was designed to accommodate more crew members... in wartime.

“Control, we are in position,” announced Cyclonus behind the console on the right.

The main screen above the panoramic window and two smaller ones on the sides showed a close-up of Optimus Prime, behind him could be seen Prowl... and even Starscream? You said you’re a busy mech…

“Lost Light, over. Do you read?” clarified the operator from the command center.

“Loud and clear. Visual contact established.” Reported Perceptor from behind another console. “Ready for departure. We are starting the launching operations of the accelerators.”

Placing the servos behind his back, Rodimus proudly walked past Megatron and almost jumped into the captain's chair. He tries to mocks me, the silver mech mentally stated. Fine, how about this? He stood two meters in front of Rodimus, with his back to him, facing the panoramic window, thereby completely blocking the view for the red and yellow bot with his frame.

“Hey!” fuss was added to the indignant exclamation from behind. But, nevertheless, the student of Prime was in no hurry to leave his seat, fearing that the Decepticon would immediately occupy it. “I can't see anything behind you!”

“That's a pity, huh?” he muttered, but didn’t even think to move or turn. Impudent youngling. I don’t want to stoop to his level, but he simply won’t understand in a good way, but... in a bad way I don’t want to anymore.

“Starting the hyperdrive in twenty seconds…” Perceptor announced.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron looked up from the cosmic darkness in front of them and raised his optics to the screen that displayed the mechs watching them from the command center. His gaze was directed to the very eyepieces of the ruler of Cybertron. Still, he cannot fly away without saying goodbye. Can’t send him a secret message over a closed communication channel due to the long distance, but there is another option. It doesn't matter that they are not alone. Let them laugh later, because this will just show how low the Autobots’ lack of intellect.

“Optimus, I've been thinking about your idea, do you want to hear the finished version? While we are still on this side of space.”

“A version of what?” Prowl climbed in without warning, however his statement went unnoticed by both mechs. But the crew members who were on the bridge, who heard this, also stared in surprise at the second captain.

“A version of what?” Rodimus repeated uncertainly from behind. “What are you talking about? I don’t get it ...”

You don’t need to, Megatron didn’t turn around. Least of all the silver mech was worried about this upstart’s opinion, who, allegedly, is responsible for the successful completion of the task.

“Starting the hyperdrive in fifteen seconds...”

“I do,” the Prime responded, not taking his direct gaze from Megatron, expressing desire and interest.

The former Decepticon took a deep ex-vent and, dimming his optics, spoke, looking straight ahead:

“Follow your spark to the unknown,

No matter what awaits ahead,

This choice was made by you alone,

The choice that you have always had.”

Optimus straightened up sharply, attentive blue optics became even brighter. His face was hidden by thea mask, so no one could see the Prime smile beneath it.

“Eventually it may ‘come clear

That path has led you to the Dark,

Your spark will desperately scream,

But there won’t be a turning back.”

Although the crew members on the bridge performed prelaunch launch operations, talking quietly, they still listened with surprise to what their captain was saying. Few people had new about this very old hobby of Megatron, and those who did, they certainly didn’t expect to hear something from him in a similar manner again.

“In time you’ll realize misdoings,

Committed once, and start anew,

So all the things that now are going,

They’re completely up to you.”

Rodimus's jaw dropped. The Ultra Magnus gazed at the former Decepticon leader with some special attention, as if analyzing every word, every intonation. And if Megatron now looked again at the screen above the panoramic window, he could laugh as Prowl’s faceplate, who stood behind his leader. Starscream looked equally shocked.

“Start the hyperdrive in five seconds,” Perceptor reported and began counting out loud: “Five... four..”.

“The past has passed and won’t return,

The future now is all that means,

Accept the fact and move along,

Do not repeat your bygone sins.”

“…one… Go!”

There was a slight vibration throughout the ship, and a noise that was barely perceptible by the audio receptors was heard. For a moment, distant stars that were in sight stretched out into radially diverging white lines, then a blinding flash simultaneously with a sharp dash forward... And the Lost Light, breaking through the fabric of space at hyperspeed rushed to the first potential destination in a whirlpool of bright colors. From the side of the observers on Cybertron, the ship seemed to slip through an invisible barrier and disappeared from sight.

Well this is it, Megatron mentally stated, looking in front of him and smiling sadly, the journey has began. As Prime said at the briefing two days ago: good luck to all of us.

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

That evening, Prowl lingered in his office. Based on the report sent by his operatives that they were aboard the Lost Light, so far all goes well. The ship is heading to the first point, and they haven’t yet been spotted. He can send a combat group.

would be unwise to just attack the ship head-on. Have to wait until they arrive on the first of the four planets and set up an ambush there. Now the strike force must stay away for the time being, no one should know that there are secret agents among the crew who don’t obey either one or the other captain. Rodimus is just an idiot, he won’t figure out, and Megatron... this Decepticon slag will get what he deserves very soon. No matter how hard it is to betray the trust of their commanders. This is for the better good.

Prowl typed a sequence of holographic buttons on the keyboard, a white grid with a red sinusoid moving along it appeared on the black monitor in front of him.

“It's time,” announced the head of security, “you know what to do.”

“Acknowledged, sir,” answered someone's voice through slight interference, “our mole has already transmitted the coordinates where the ship is heading. What is the preferable way to ‘neutralize’ the target? Destroy or capture?”

“A Point One Percenter is not easy to kill, especially Megatron. The best option will be stasis, but if it doesn't work, then deliver his frame. Just one warning: no direct shots at Megatron's chest plates. There is... let's just say, a special upgrade hidden underneath them that can seriously harm your people.”

“What upgrade?”

“This information is classified. Just find him and return him to Cybertron. Alive if possible. Get rid of the others. Completely.” With that, he cut off the connection and rubbed the servos with a satisfied grin. “Well, Megatron, the game is afoot.” Prowl's optics flashed unkindly. “It's even interesting how long you can run from justice.”

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Dune OST - Prophesy; (Megatron's dream, a vision of Terminus)
2) Tomb Raider: Legend OST - Japan 4; (expectations)
3) Pillars of Eternity OST - Title Theme; (path to the spaceport)
4) Dragon Age: Inquisition OST - Calling The Inquisition; (Megatron looks at the sun)
5) Mass Effect Andromeda OST - A Trail Of Hope; (arrival at the ship)
6) Interstellar OST - The Wormhole; (last instructions, Megatron's impromptu, transition to hyperspace)
7) Dreamfall OST - WATI Corp (secret negotiations)

P.S. Well, this is the prologue... the expedition has begun. Our first mission is not related to the direct search for the keys, it will be a side mission, but the main enemy, about which nothing has yet been said, will be mentioned. As already said, the idea with the protagonist’s poetic impromptu was inspired by one episode from the movie Interstellar, when the ship leaves Earth, and Professor Brent reads to the crew Dylan Thomas's poem, soundtrack is the same.

Well, again my cosplay: D)))

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

"Co-captain! So can I call you Megs?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Wanna hear a joke?"

"No!"

"Too bad, it's funny."

Two days have already passed since the Lost Light left Cybertron. Two cosmic days. Since time goes differently on each planet, the first pre-war Galactic Council, tens of thousands of vorns ago decided to establish a single time system in the outer space. They did it simply: add up the length of the day on each planet that was part of the Galactic Community of the most intelligent races in the Milky Way, as earthlings call it, and divided it by the number of these same planets. One galactic day was about six-tenths of a Cybertronian day. This had to be taken into account when establishing connection with a planet, adjusting to the local time.

Travelling at hyperspeed require high energy consumption. So, having covered two-thirds of the distance in about an hour, the ship left the interdimensional tunnel and was now flying on the main engines to the planet Yuntara. The first of four to visit.

Rodimus, having ordered to tell Cybertron about the exit from the hyperchannel, immediately announced that the first shift on the bridge was his. And after that, somehow hesitantly jerked his helm, as if clarifying whether the second captain was against. Megatron indifferently threw: "As you say," and left, without waiting for any new actions from the annoying protégé of Optimus.

At first, the red and yellow Autobot decided to laugh it off and offered to check if they both fit in the captain's chair at the same time. Megatron didn't appreciate the joke, so Rodimus only waved his right servo to this, saying: "As you wish. Then the first shift is mine." And how does Prime put up with him? Probably the same way as Megatron was able to put up with Starscream for a long time... until the latter's betrayal... again. And there's also Deadlock, another defector. Well them be. One is far away, and there's absolutely nothing to talk to the other.

Leaving Rodimus on the bridge, Megatron left to study the ship, which will now be their home for quite some time. He wandered the corridors with a datapad in hand, displaying an electronic map. There was no desire to enter some compartments, like the boardroom or Swerve's bar, and as soon as the Decepticon's sensors detected the close presence of any team members nearby, he quickly changed direction or hid around the corner so as not to just run into anyone unnecessarily... It's enough that in his presence others startle, freeze and wait for him to pass by.

During shifts Megatron acts neutral, pretending not to notice the guarded and even hating looks, and so... When Chromedome approached him with explanations that it was all the Prime's initiative back then, he answered with restraint: "Hold your needles away from me and we will get along." The implication, of course, was that the mnemosurgeon would never approach him closer than a distance of several kilometers. No, the fewer contacts outside the ship's bridge, the better.

Once he had to hide in the nearest of the empty bays. Megatron dived behind the door in time, thus avoiding meeting with the three team members who passed along the corridor.

"No... really, our captain had a fight at Mccadam's?" One of them asked. Skids, judging by the voice. "I heard from Swerve in passing."

"Yep!" Tailgate's voice confirmed. "Cyclonus and I were there and saw everything: Rodimus got a punch in the face... Fortunately, Magnus, even without the armor, quickly dealt with those jackanapes."

"Without his armor?"

"He's a Loadbearer, remember?" Getaway chuckled at this. "Too bad I didn't see it..."

It was already difficult to make out further chatter, voices and footsteps quickly died down. But this was enough for the former Decepticon to figure out the main thing.

"Rodimus... drunk too much and got into a fight," Megatron repeated slowly, gesturing to the beat, and involuntarily giggled at the picture. We'll remember that... Will be possible to answer him if anything. He's already getting on my nerve... and the expedition had just begun. I wonder if Prime shoved him for indecent behavior, or does he know nothing about his student's actions? Whatever the reason...

On his first trip around the ship, Megatron found one of the unused ship bays on the engineering deck, almost empty and with several small windows. This is probably a workshop or something. Closer to the far wall to the left of the entrance was a closed rack, a table for assembling equipment in the center, in the near right corner were two containers stacked one on top of another... and that's it. Nothing remarkable in this room. And if also completely to turn off the lights, this bay may well become a second refuge for the former leader of the Decepticons.

The first was his habsuite. A relatively small space, there were only a berth, a desk with a holographic console and a rack with five shelves currently empty. There was a door to the personal washracks as well. And no windows at all. Bur here, in this unused workshop, there is at least some kind of view, allowing to look at distant stars for hours, completely immersed in thoughts and fenced off from reality, as he did before, staying alone. Here it will be my secret hideout, the silver mech decided, where no one would look for me unnecessarily.

And this is good. Because Megatron didn't feel safe. Anywhere. He wanted to leave the planet as soon as possible, to be far, far away from all of them and from Prime in particular, but now... Now the silver mech realized all the stupidity of his assumptions. A Decepticon on an Autobots' ship... They can unite against him in any second, inflict reprisals, motivating this with the desire to do justice. Megatron realized that he might not even live up to the time they discover the first Key, if those exist at all. But thanks to some unknown instinct, Megatron realized that Cyberutopia is not a myth, and the Keys are real. I know this... But how? How can you know about the existence of something that you have never seen? And I didn't even get any reliable data. Well, apart from Prime's claim that he received another vision through his Unicron damn Matrix.

"What good are his visions to me?" Megatron shook his helm, walked over to the panel next to the front door and, turning off the light, returned back to the window.

Yes, it's better that way - in the dark. Well, almost in the dark. If the faint reflections of his optics can be dimmed, then there's can't be anything done with the flickering buttons on the door panel. Okay, it's actually not a problem. Maybe even good. The utter darkness would be utterly creepy. No one will bother me here... no one will find me...

The second shift on the bridge was also uneventful. The ship flew on its course, there were no emergency situations or sudden attacks. Megatron, sitting in the captain's chair, was engaged in reading about the planet Yuntara, which they will reach in three more cosmic days. The city Curato is a large Cybertronian colony, mostly Neutrals live there, they are engaged in trade with representatives of both Factions, respectively, both Cons and Bots periodically visit this planet... which greatly increases the risk of meeting someone of the former allies... Now Megatron doesn't have any at all.

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

...it happened after his second shift. Once handing over the post to Rodimus and ignoring his 'friendly' remarks, Megatron went to the engineering deck in the very bay that he had chosen for himself as a place of solitude. Some team members visited Swerve's bar after their shift, others went about their business... And Megatron decided to be alone again. It is not safe to be in his habsuit all the free time - someone can easily set up an ambush. And the silver mech had no doubts that there would be attacks and attempts to get rid of him. One has to be a complete idiot to allow themselves to lose vigilance on the enemy ship. And Megatron never was like that. Perhaps he is now officially recognized as insane, although no one told him this to his face (and will not), but he is certainly not a fool.

Returning to the same weapons workshop, Megatron first turned off the light and only then the sense of anxiety receded a little. Lately, the Decepticon has the feeling that he is constantly being watched. And he, in case of danger, will not even be able to transform - the T-cog is still blocked, the suppressors of energy field regulation signals – Shockwave's 'gifts', installed under the helmet, were there as well. The tracking device on the right wrist also in place. Translating into the human language, Megatron would now call himself 'a bird in a cage', well... or 'a fighter jet in a hangar'. Not much difference. Everything was quiet for a while, and then...

He sensed someone approaching even before the door swung open behind him with a soft hiss. The silver mech stared at the long shadow of the frame in the resulting rectangle of light, then the door closed and it went dark again. The steps are getting closer. Quiet, careful... someone slowly approaches him... Danger! The thought of a possible attack immediately flashed in the Decepticon's CPU, from which the combat protocols activated by themselves. Yes, now he is restrained by blockers and the already noticeable effect of the Fool's Energon ... but Megatron won't give up without a fight. Whoever it is.

Warning! (hostile approach)

{

Race.identify = Cybertronian;

Class.identify = Unknown;

Faction.identify = Unknown;

Logger.Warning(" GetWARNING = ERRORS");

Identification.Set = Hostile;

}

The uninvited guest is already very close. The Decepticon leader sees their reflection in the window right behind him. Broad shoulders wrapped in tank tracks, two blaster muzzles behind the back and, most importantly, a clear outline of a mask in the form of a Decepticon insignia, covering the faceplate. Scarlet optics burning in anger... Tarn? Megatron froze, still staring into the reflection. It can't be... How did he get here?

The large figure, however, is getting closer. Footsteps died down... He is already at arm's length. Raises his left servo with what looks like a chainsaw...

"No!" Megatron abruptly turns around and knocks the attacker down.

He doesn't have time to shield himself from surprise, loses his balance and falls. The silver mech grabs him by the segments on his shoulders, pushes him into the wall, with his right forearm, on which the other's digits cling convulsively, presses the enemy's neck, and with his other servo groping for the light switch on the panel. The lamps tuen on and...

"You..."

Megatron took three steps back in horror. Legs gave way, he could barely stand, the servos trembled especially, with which he almost broke Tarn's neck, who turned out to be... Drift?

The racer slowly slid down the wall, venting heavily. Everything happened too quickly, he didn't even have time to understand anything. After all, Ratchet told him, warned that one shouldn't even come close to him for the sake of everyone, including Megatron himself.

"I didn't mean to..." Megatron shook his helm convulsively, looking at his palms. "I-didn't want to..." The voice was rather low, so unlike his own. The former Decepticon leader didn't even know what scared him more: the vision of Tarn who was about to kill him, or the attack on Drift. And it doesn't matter why he even came here. This defector is an Autobot now, they will believe him... Megatron has no excuses.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

But Drift, to his great surprise, didn't jump out of the room at the same moment screaming like: 'Help! He's going to kill me!' It looks like Megatron had no intention of hurting him, no, the second captain of the Lost Light was frightened by the suddenness. If Drift only called him out from a distance, then nothing would have happened.

Holding on to the wall, Drift slowly rose to his pedes, still staring at the silver mech as wary. He was in no hurry to turn off the combat protocols, which were activated by themselves at the time of the attack, either. Just in case. Don't panic... You just need to calm him down, Megatron must realize that there is no danger or reasons for a fight. Primus, how unpleasant, how terrible to see the former leader like that.

"Sorry, I... I wasn't going to..." Drift showed him open palms.

"Do you at least understand what you could have done?!" Megatron clenched his fists, barely holding back. Right now, he could be in real trouble because of this idiot... Hope for the entire clan could disappear in an instant if Megatron's mind didn't get the better of the panic.

"I honestly didn't mean to scare you... Megatron... Forgive me..."

"It's not in this case! It seemed to me..." the silver mech, closing his eyes, shook his helm and grabbed it with his servos. "I... I saw..."

"Whom?" Drift cautiously leaned forward a little, but now ready for a potential new attack. Whom did he see? An enemy? What have I done... Should have listened to what Ratchet said. "Megatron?"

The Decepticon retreated to the window again and turned his back to the racer. The EM field alone expressed a complete reluctance to continue the conversation, but it is important for Drift to know... it is important to find out his motives, to understand whether it is really Megatron in front of him, and not the one that was changed by the war. Can he come back...

"Megatron, tell me... who did you see?"

One of those whom I want to save from the fate prepared for me, Megatron wanted to answer, but restrained himself. Drift has betrayed the Decepticons, he is an enemy, to say this to an enemy would seem as a weakness. No... The former leader clenched his shaking fists and closed his eyes. None of your business. Who are you to question me? He went over to the Autobots, received their forgiveness and protection, and thinks he's allowed anything? No... No, don't.

"It has nothing to do with you," Megatron finally answered coldly and lowered the unclenched servos down. "And as for what do you need, Deadlock..." When the former Decepticon leader turned back to the racer, there was no fear, no regret, only suspicion on his face. "What do you want?"

"Ratchet asked you to come to the infirmary for an examination." Drift calmly responded, without losing optic contact, thereby showing Megatron his sincerity and non-hostility. There were no comments about his Decepticon name either. The stable EM field confirmed his words.

Probbably to test the Fool's Energon effect, Megatron guessed and quietly grunted thoughtfully, can't wait to see the first results? The Decepticon remembered Prime's phrase that this chemical was specially designed for him. And what next? They are unlikely to destroy the formula when I'm done. They'll probably use it on someone else...

"My comm is on," Megatron replied calmly, "he could tell me himself."

...without sending a henchman, he added mentally. Does Ratchet hate me so much that he didn't tell me personally, but sent an assistant? And whom? A former ally... Hoping to... piss me off? In the old days, Deadlock, I personally would have ripped your head off for treason. Traitor. What if...

"He was about to, but I... said that I would give you his words. I just wanted to see you... Megatron... I just wanted to know if it were you."

...they hoped to provoke me or... Huh, what... What ?!

"In what sense is it me or not?" Megatron patted his metal eyelids in surprise. Does this Autobot now have problems with vision in particular and with perception in general? Then he had the wrong address: this is not a medical bay.

Drift hesitated for a second. These archive files are some of those that are especially dear to him. The beginning of the revolutionary movement, a clear goal, realization that they are doing a good deed for their fellows... those who were rejected by the upper classes. And he leads them: the one whose forged spark is the gift of Primus himself...

When did they go astray? Lost their purpose... Not everything about Decepticons is true, and Drift knows it. The Autobots' propaganda did its job, they are more experienced in 'educational' activities than ordinary miners and workers... And they were led to provocation... just like Prime always easily lost his temper when Megatron spoke like he was enjoying hurting others. Lies. At least at first it was all a lie... but they believed. Drift himself doesn't deny the evil caused by the Decepticons. And Megatron had the courage to admit it... Unlike his current allies.

"If you are the real Megatron, or the one that was changed by the war." There was no fear or embarrassment in Drift's optics. He simply considered it necessary for some reason to find out this at the very beginning of their long space expedition, although Ratchet strongly advised to leave Megatron alone at least now.

For a moment cold lights of condemnation flashed in the former leader's optics, and it seemed to Drift that his frame would now shrink to the size of his own spark from this glance alone. But Megatron just shook his helm.

"Ask this question yourself," he advised calmly. Looks like it worked, as Drift is seriously thinking, judging by his faceplate. At least he got distracted.

"I don't know ..." the racer responded after a short silence, to which the silver mech cocked his helm in understanding. Drift stepped back to the left: "Ratchet is waiting for you in the medbay. I won't tell anyone what happened, I promise."

"Appreciated," Megatron said dryly and walked past him to the door to the corridor. Won't tell? Amazing. As an Autobot, he could well now tell the whole ship some scary story, as if I wanted to kill him, watched him in a dark room and... No, why am I screwing myself up like that?

"Megatron?"

The silver mech turned around slowly, his gaze completely blank, without any interest. From which Drift involuntarily shuddered, but decided, nevertheless, to voice his thoughts:

"What they did to you is wrong. Many people disapprove this... including myself."

Right, you should have killed me right away, the former leader mentally agreed, you would all approve of that. Autobot justice: public lies and propaganda. Nothing changes.

"Don't tell me, Deadlock, that now you want to switch sides again," Megatron's optics narrowed predatory. He again approached the former ally, slightly looming over him: "Who will it be now? Neutrals? You are as Neutral as I am." Drift opened his mouth but didn't have time to squeeze out a sound as Megatron continued, "Rejoice, defector, that your decision saved you from our fate. Is that why you betrayed the Decepticons?" And quickly left, without waiting for an answer. Betrayed because he wanted to, and that says it all. There is no point in listening to any explanation of the perfect deed.

"No," Drift quietly whispered to the closed door, "not because of this."

Megatron ex-vented heavily and rubbed his face, continuing to calmly walk down the brightly lit corridor. Such a contrast compared to the place where he was just hiding until he had to turn on the lights. Nonsense! This is all nonsense. Drift has no regrets. Starscream - even more so. Other traitors too. Otherwise, they themselves would have confessed to their deeds. Although... what am I saying? Autobot winners... Autobotcowards ... Spot the differences.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

"There you are!" Ratchet greeted him as always in his disgruntled manner. "Drift said you were coming, but I didn't think it would take that long to get from the engineering deck to here" The ship is not that big."

"Thirteen minutes, is that long?" Megatron grunted, noting that there was no one here except him and the senior medic. Apart from the two flying cone-shaped medbots with three manipulators, programmed drones, they have no sparks. Where are those two: Velocity and First Aid, I wonder? Scared and ran away? Won't be surprised... Well, at least this mnemosurgeon isn't hanging around.

"Given the location of the bay where Drift found you, you could have come faster,'' Ratchet flipped through the data in the datapad and put it on the berthside table next to some stationary medical device, then gave Megatron a stern, icy look. "I don't call anyone here without a reason, Captain."

"I'll take it into account," the silver mech muttered through the dentas, responding to the chief medic with the same look.

"Alright!" Ratchet shuddered, unable to withstand the optics contact and waved in the direction of the nearest medical slab. "Let's check how your systems work."

Megatron obeyed. Ratchet didn't need to know that the former Decepticon leader changed his direction three times so as not to cross with anyone. The silver mech sat down, the medic connected a stationary diagnostic device to the left of the berth to the medical port on the back of the Decepticon's neck. And while it was collecting the data, the Autobot chief medic gave Megatron the datapad with a refueling regime and the mandatory intake of additional chemicals with specific names, which were listed as antidepressants.

"Wha... seriously?" Looking up from reading, Megatron stared at Ratchet as if seeing him for the first time in life.

"More than that. And this," a small sealed glass cylinder filled with lemon-yellow liquid appeared from somewhere in the medic's servos, " you'll have to take it every time before recharging." He disconnected the scan device. "Starting today."

"What, Fool's energon is not enough?" Megatron said gloomily with reproach, looking at the red and white old Autobot like an idiot, still hoping to catch at least some hint of an unsuccessful joke, but didn't observe any.

Ratchet heavily ventilated the systems, put the container of yellow liquid on the berth on which the silver mech was sitting, mentally counted to five, and explained as calmly as possible:

"Fool's Energon has nothing to do with this, and you know it. The reason was your behavior at the training ground." Ratchet menacingly loomed over him, for a moment even forgetting who he was talking to: "A suicide attempted, Megatron! Really?!"

"That is none of your business!" he snapped back.

"You're wrong! My business it is, get it?! My!" Ratchet barked and immediately fell silent, burning Megatron with an angry look. The fool understands nothing, and yet it is impossible to tell him now. This alone justifies the former enemy's stubbornness. "Yes, this is my business as a medic," he said more quietly. "Velocity, First Aid, Chromedome, Rung and I... We are responsible for the physical and emotional health of the entire crew. Including you, no matter how disgusting it is to me, my once friend and former enemy. You and Rodimus are leading the expedition, so..." The senior medic took the cylinder again and handed it to Megatron: "If you don't care about yourself, think about your team, captain. Think about the possible consequences. Think about the Decepticons."

Attack on Drift... Strange visions... Constant sense of anxiety... His clan... Desire of making amends. Prime thinks Megatron will do anything for his people (and he is right), and therefore continues to come up with all sorts of nasty things.

"And why am I not surprised..." With a sour face, Megatron nevertheless took the container from Ratchet and stuffed it into his subspace. But as soon as he got up from the slab and was about to leave, Rung suddenly entered the infirmary - the very calmness and benevolence as always. The former leader of the Decepticons tensed internally, however, from his appearance.

"Hello, Megatron," the therapist smiled at him.

"Good day, Rung," he said, stopping. But no further questions were asked, therefore, the white-orange psychiatrist came here not because of him, but for some business of his own. Okay then. "So... Can I go?" Megatron asked Ratchet, pointing towards the door.

"Yes, of course," the senior medic waved his left servo permissively.

The silver mech nodded and quickly left the medical bay, mentally glad that the therapist's sudden visit had nothing to do with him. The first session tomorrow, and today I'm not obliged to answer any questions...

"How is he?" Rung asked quietly as the door closed behind Megatron. "Physically, I mean."

"More or less." Ratchet also looked at the door. "Those devices, however, that suppress Megatron's new capabilities, partly affect his sensitivity, reducing it and distorting perception. I found some serious logic errors in the basic coding. Nothing critical for general functioning, but..." The red-white medic rubbed the faceplate with his palms and, throwing his helm up, ex-vented wearily. "Rung, this is cruel."

"I know," the therapist pursed his lips and nodded in agreement. Ratchet slapped his hand on the table next to which he was standing and walked over to the white-orange bot.

"No matter how highly I value Optimus's friendship, no matter how dear he is to me as an Amica and our leader, this is one of those decisions that I strongly disapprove of. This is just wrong."

"What options do we have?" the therapist forcibly agreed. "Megatron believes that even Primus rejected him, and certainly he is not ready to accept his new self, just as the current government officials and even the people are not ready to accepts the new Prime." Rung took off his glasses and put them in the subspace. "My own spark shrinks every time, looking into his optics. But he must pass this trial. With our help. For Optimus, and for the future of our race."

"For Optimus, and for the future of our race," Ratchet repeated with pain in his voice. Rung is right. But all this is so... So difficult to take in...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The fact that Megatron took the so-called sedative from Ratchet didn't mean that he would drink it immediately before recharging, as prescribed. Leaving a cylindrical container in the habsuit on the floor next to the berth, the Decepticon went off and took another portion of the Fool's Energon, spent some more time on the engineering deck in his new secret hideout, and then returned to his quarters. Five hours left until his next shift. Well, it's time to rest, both physically and emotionally, just disconnect from the world for a while. Megatron lay on the platform for a while, staring at the ceiling. And then he himself didn't notice how he plunged into recharge. The main lightings were turned off, only the emergency infrared lamps remained. Here it is better not to turn off the light completely at all, this is at least some kind of illusion of security.

He hangs in the air in some kind of huge hole right above the rotating black funnel that howls ominously, greedily sucking in the surrounding air. Megatron's arms and legs are held by yellow, glowing energy cords, somewhere overhead a distant source of white light. What is in there - unknown. The all-consuming abyss, into which he can fall at any second, is much closer.

"...free from conflict," he hears his own voice everywhere, "everyone's needs met. No want, no unhappiness, no dissent. Peace through tyranny."

"And what of autonomy? Personal responsibility? Free will?" clarifies the voice of the former... and the current enemy. "Do they fit into your brave new world?"

This conversation in the past... The outcome of which, to put it mildly, was unpleasant. Megatron struggles to break free, but the more he resisted, the more the wires entangled his frame. I don't! I don't want to hear this! Enough!

"An injection of rust to the brain, a single scraplet taken orally – whatever it takes. Just kill him, and kill him quickly."

"Megatron is, quite frankly, too dangerous to live."

"Wait a second. Kill him and you risk turning him into a martyr. The Decepticons have been fragmenting for some time now. Executing their founding member might give them an excuse to regroup. Besides I-I don't think it is right. It's not the Autobot way. I vote for imprisonment."

Bumblebee? The last phrase belonged to him... They spoke... Some unknown sense tells Megatron, that all this was actually said. In the past. What an irony... Little scout only then realized what the 'Autobot way' really was? Prime and others didn't tell him... Just as they didn't tell Rodimus and some others who piously believe in the correctness of the Red Sign faction.

Suddenly, his Arch Nemesis's red-blue frame appears in front of him... Only looks strange, beaten, damaged. A part of the combat mask has been chipped off; behind it compressed dentoplates are visible. Prime goes to him through the air, and the closer he gets, the clearer his intention to destroy.

"It's all because of you. A millennia of conflict. Innocent worlds disfigured in pursuit of demented ideology." He angrily repeats the phrases said earlier. The same intonation, the same words. "Galactic conquest as... as some sort of palliative for a crippling inferiority complex."

These words seriously offended Megatron at that time, and he decided to angry Prime for this completely. For the leader of the Autobots to hurt him, to show his true colors. It was only necessary to voice the truth: the Prime, in the depths of his spark, was glad that the war continues. After all, otherwise he would have remained no one and nothing, one of the many, meaning nothing mech. And now he is the biggie, the new Prime, the bearer of the Matrix of Leadership. And all thanks to the rebel Megatron and disadvantaged workers. It was a kind of test, because if Prime had fallen for it, he would have confirmed the Decepticon leader's words. And Optimus did it...

"I know what you're doing," repeats the crippled ruler of Cybertron standing in front of him. "You're trying to goad me. You try to get a reaction. You want me to lash out at you. You want me to hurt you. Be careful what you wish for."

From the energy harnesses that hold him, a wave of electrical pain passes through the frame, then the pulsating fetters weaken, and Megatron is in a state of free fall. The rotation around accelerates, at the same time the whisper of voices intensifies, but it is almost impossible to make out anything. Suddenly, his own rather distinct voice speaks again:

"Learn from mistakes made by you and others."

"You have to learn your lesson." And this one already belongs to... Terminus? "Otherwise, you will repeat the fate of those who came before you. You have to understand..."

"Understand what?!" Megatron screams desperately, throwing his head up. Somewhere out there, at the end of this black funnel, he can see pure white light. "Who are you?! What do you want from me?!!"

"Who are we?" Suddenly rumbled another voice from the same place - from the distant glow overhead. Megatron had not heard it before. "Why ask a question if you know the answer?"

"What?!"

"He suffers, Megatronus. He suffers more than you think... However, he has already made his choice, now you must make yours."

A flash of light blinds the optics...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

...and Megatron suddenly wakes up on the berth in the ship's hadsuit. Not a prison cell, he reassured himself, setting up and looking around. Dim red emergency lights above the ceiling.

The silver mech grimaced. Now in recharge he experienced the very moment when he was captured by the Autobots. Prime demanded to explain why he surrendered voluntarily. And when the Autobot heard not a humble explanation, but the truth about himself, he pulled the trigger, and Megatron was severely electrocuted. Prior to that, he offered to shake hands and end the war. Why didn't Megatron agree? Didn't obey, didn't give in to pressure? Prime is only kind to those who agree with him. Everyone else will face great pain.

Unknown voices in the dream said that he was suffering. Who? Optimus? The silver mech couldn't resist a nervous giggle. I wander, what does he suffer from, except for the sense of self-importance? Nevertheless, the Prime has been somewhat different lately, and I don't mean behavior. And in the dream he seemed completely... well, it doesn't matter. In any case, he is not threatened with early death anyway.

Megatron swung his feet off the berth and rubbed the faceplate. Unicron knows what it is. All sorts of nightmares have long ceased to be a rarity for him, but so bright... Six months in prison seemed to him an eternity. At the very beginning, there were two attempts to take his life right there, in the prison cell. Then everything stopped. Unless after that, Megatron himself tried to commit suicide, refusing the fuel brought by the guards. But it didn't work out, just as it didn't work out to commit suicide during the flight with Starscream.

Why were they all suddenly scared then? It was necessary to rejoice if he succeeded. What if this is a new perverted way of execution? Let the victim fade away on their own, observing the process from the side? Showing false sympathy, but in fact only contributing to the speedy approach of the end? He glanced down at the sealed container of yellow liquid on the floor near the berth. I should have had a drink as Ratchet ordered. Maybe then this dream wouldn't have happened. Or it would anyway... Surely, the medic will be very surprised to know that the second captain has appeared on the bridge safe and sound.

"What's wrong with me..." Megatron laughed as much nervously at the pictures helpfully thrown by the imagination. He never complained about fantasy, partly he understood that all this was nonsense, but... Knowing the Autobots, knowing what they are capable of, hiding behind their so-called moral foundations, knowing their propaganda, behind which only blatant lies... And admitting his own actions... Partly the silver mech couldn't blame himself for such assumptions. And after all, there is no turning back at all.

Rung joked that he would be able to reach him... supposedly try to heal his mind. Megatron chuckled mirthlessly, remembering those 'loud' words... False support, but I have to endure. I know - Rung won't help... Nobody will help. If only I can live up to the meeting with these mythical Knights, if we ever find them. And then come what may. Probably all I can do is write down my thoughts while the expedition continues. Have to look for a datapad that I can use. Maybe ask for one someone who won't refuse. Minimus or Rung... And then I will give my memoirs to one of them. Better yet to Soundwave, wherever he is now... Prime wanted me to write... Well, I'll write. Only not fiction, not political reflections, not a poem... I will write reality... Maybe make it a sequel to 'Towards Peace'? Call it something like 'When Dreams Die'. Yeah why not. Why not, really.

With a weary chuckle, Megatron got off the berth and wandered into the washracks in his hadsuit. But he didn't turn on the shower, he just stopped near the large mirror, looking at his reflection with some irony. Hmmm, what a pitiful sight. Who is this tired haggard mech with a blank look? Where is that great military leader who commanded the entire army? Where is that warrior capable of withstanding Prime himself? Where is that pacifist who inspired hundreds of thousands of sparks? Where is that humble miner with idealistic views on the future?

'It the world thinks you're a monster, what does it matter? The world is wrong. But when you start to think of yourself as a monster...'

And the Autobots themselves do not believe that they acted no less, and sometimes even more cruel... But they claimed that everything was right, as if it should be so... and they do not think of themselves as monsters... Rather who are they... liberators? Who are we to them? Freedom for everyone but us...

"N-not drones..." Megatron said in a trembling voice, closing his eyes. He already felt the energon boil inside with righteous anger. The servos clenched into fists with a grinding noise. "Not drones... Sentient beings... Why, Primus? Why did you create my spark? Why couldn't I be like everyone else?! Why..." Still keeping the optics closed, Megatron ran his digits over the chest plates, then gave the command for them to open...

...but as soon as they began to creep to the sides, the silver mech pressed down on the plates sharply, shifting them into place, and then again looked at his reflection. No I don't want to. What I will see is clear. At one time, a filter created by Shockwave was built into his frame. Specifically visually changing the spark color from green to blue. Just for self-hypnosis. The former senator didn't see much sense in this device, but did as the leader ordered.

"Remember me as I was ..."

After Senator Shockwave's empurata, being special for Megatron meant special end. A long time ago the naive fool who had heard how rare and important the Point One Percenters were, stupidly thought that no one would dare to harm such a Cybertronian... And even more so to do this...

"Stop me, Megs..."

They turned him into a monster... They turned me into a monster...

"Who am I?" With an unhappy look, Megatron turned to his reflection, which now seemed to him so insignificant. He touched the surface of the mirror with the digits of the left servo, the reflection repeated this gesture with it's right hand, respectively. The sight of himself was disgusting. A powerful frame, the rarest spark, once good intentions... All wasted. Destroyed. "Who am I?! What am I?!" the right fist sliced through the air and crashed into the clean mirror surface. The glass rang pitifully, cracks began, and a rain of small fragments fell at his pedes. Megatron dropped to his knees, no longer holding back the washer tears. What have I just done?.. Why?..

"Everything will be alright," the Ultra Magnus told him when they first met at the Ambus estate. "From now on, you are under my protection."

"Minimus..." Megatron squeezed out almost with his lips alone, looking at hundreds of tiny fragments.

Even if he is here... Minimus Ambus will not protect him. No one will... The great Lord Megatron has become nothing. Should have done earlier, during the flight. Terminus... Why did you appear to me then? Why stopped me...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode - till 3:43

"Megatron?" Suddenly came a muffled voice from behind the door. From which the silver mrch froze, as if struck by thunder. There was a faint hiss of a door opening, and someone rushed inside. "Megatron, where are you?!"

"Here..." he gasped convulsively, recognizing the unexpected guest. The Ultra Magnus. Damn it... Just don't come in here, don't come in... He imagined how Minimus looks into the washracks and sees all this... Megatron somehow got to his pedes, continuing to shake finely, the internal cooling fans worked more powerful than usual. "Don't come in. I'll be out now. Now..." He leaned against the wall, trying to calm the tremors and the EM field.

"Are you alright? I heard the noise... Megatron?"

"Coming." The Decepticon approached the door. Shards of the mirror crunched underfoot with every step. "Something happened?" He asked, looking out of the open doorway. The Ultra Magnus looked at him with some confusion.

"I don't know," the big blue and white Autobot spread the servos, "you tell me. I was passing by and heard a noise..."

"Oh..." Megatron scratched the top of his helm with the right servo, "I just..." He pointed to his back, "just slipped in the washracks and hit the mirror. Accidentally." Stepping through the opening, he already put on the most calm look: "Nothing bad happened, but..." Megatron lowered his helm in embarrassment. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, he was pleased that at least someone cares. The silver mech gave Magnus a faint smile and gestured to the exit to the corridor. "My shift begins in seven minutes. I'm going to the bridge."

The Ultra Magnus nodded in agreement.

"Yes, me too." Then he noticed a small cylindrical vessel with a yellow liquid on the floor next to the berth and pointed inquiringly at it: "What is this?"

"Where?" Megatron uncomprehendingly traced his gesture to the object he was looking at. "Oh this... Ratchet left, said to drink before recharging for some reason."

"But you didn't." The Magnus walked over to him, arms crossed over his chest and a stern expression on the faceplate.

"No need." Megatron shrugged, though the piercing gaze of the now-ship security officer made him uneasy. Stop looking at me like that for Primus's sake, you stopped being my mentor a long time ago. "I don't need additional drugs, there will be no more suicide attempts, I promise."

"Megatron," Ultra Magnus shook his helm in dismissal, showing that he didn't believe a word. And that angered the silvery mech a lot.

"Damn it, Minimus, fine!" Megatron threw up his servos and, demonstratively bypassing the larger mech, and with a quick step went into the corridor, - I will take this soothing rubbish before the next recharge." Leaving the hadsuit, he turned to the Ultra Magnus who was still inside. "If you want, come check later. Now I have to go to the bridge."

"I definitely will check," Ultra Magnus suddenly promised in all seriousness from behind, "and Megatron," the large blue-white mech caught up with him in a few steps and put the right servo on his companion's left shoulder, forcing him to stop, "please do not disturb medical prescriptions. I beg you very much."

Minimus' spark under the armor pulsed alarmingly. He's still chased by the thought of a forced mnemosurgery, which they discussed in Optimus's office the evening before the launch, if the new Matrix bearer suddenly gets out of control... Not that it should and can happen, but Minimus is worried about Megatron. The silver mech has endured a lot already, and this is not the end. "Please," he added insistently, lightly squeezing the shoulder of his once-former ward. Megatron silently nodded in agreement, and Minimus with a smile removed the servo from him. They went further to the bridge

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

"The event horizon is clear, co-captain!" Rodimus showed his thumbs to Megatron and Ultra Magnus when they came.

"What?" exchanging glances, both clarified in unison with a hint.

"This, well..." a feigned smile began to slowly creep from the faceplate, "the event horizon, kinda a term..." He chuckled nervously: "You didn't know?"

"We do," Megatron replied, "that's why asked." Passing Rodimus by, he stopped. "Do you know what is behind it?" And, turning around, he himself answered before the first captain had time to voice another stupidity: "No one does."

Before Rodimus even made a sound, one of the dashboards sounded a warning, and Perceptor announced:

"Incoming transmission, frequency 702." With a stone face he turned to Megatron. "Captain, this is a distress signal. No visual contact, only audio broadcast."

"Turn it on," the silver mech nodded decisively to him. The scientist nodded back and followed the tedious commands on the control panel.

"Can anyone hear us? This is Stellar-6 space station." A voice rattled off in Cybertronian. "We have an emergency. I can't say for sure, but it looks like the station is infected with some kind of virus, at the moment the number of victims is about a hundred. Several large segments were isolated, those who were not affected took refuge in residential sectors. We tried to get to the hangars, but they blocked all the aisles. Please, help..."

There was a tense silence. All those present, for some reason, were waiting for Megatron's decision. Probably because he had just taken up duty, and Rodimus had already passed his post. What are the Autobot instructions for such cases? The inner voice tells Megatron: we need to help those in need, but... Who will then explain to Prime why the ship deviated from the course exactly when Megatron was on duty? On the other hand, if they ignore this message, they will still have to explain to Prime why the ship did not come to the rescue when Megatron was on duty.

"Zugzwang..." he managed, clenching his right fist. He liked this human term, quite often it can describe various kinds of situations.

"Ugh..." Rodimus blinked his lenses and scratched the top of his helm. He only managed to collect his thoughts, but Megatron had already ordered to open a communication channel:

"This is CSV Lost Light, we're receiving your transmission."

"Praise to Primus!" the voice at the other end was delighted. "This is some kind of nightmare... Unicron's invasion of some sort, we don't know what to do. Never faced such a thing. This virus overwrites the basic codes of its carrier, thereby..." Suddenly there was interference. "Collective signal... Disruption of neural connections... you read? Over..." Suddenly, the mech on the other end completely fell silent.

"I lost him," Perceptor stated for some reason.

"Did you manage to detect the source of the signal?" Megatron asked him.

"Sector B-12, the distance is less than a parsec."

"Well," Megatron looked around all those present on the bridge with a hint, "we have two options: follow our course," he put the servos behind his back, "and pretend that nothing happened. Or!" the left index finger sliced through the air. "We can go there, investigate the situation, call for help from Cybertron. Not interfering with anything, not getting anywhere. Who's for the first option, raise your hands." And he paused, expecting a reaction. People hesitated, from the fields tension it was possible to understand what they like the first option more, but their conscience doesn't allow to say this. Therefore, team members keep silent and look away. Megatron was completely satisfied with this. "And who is for the second option?" he suggested more animatedly, and was the first to lift the servo up. This time the others, though reluctantly, began to repeat his gesture.

"Damn, is this really Megatron?" Cyclonus whispered to Skids.

"I don't even know what to say..." he responded also quietly.

"Then let's go," Megatron sat down in the captain's chair and ordered to change the course to the station Stellar-6.

Well, he thought, asking the main computer for basic information about this station, just scout the situation, help the victims and report to Cybertron, and then let their ships take care of the evacuation. We will not interfere with anything. What can possibly go wrong...

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) Mass Effect Andromeda OST - Meridian Ambience; (the beginning)

2) Dragon Age Inquisition DLC The Descent OST - Legion of the Dead; (Tarn's 'attack')

3) Mass Effect 3 EC OST - A Moment Of Silence [Extended Version] (conversation with Drift)

4) Maze Runner The Scorch Trials OST - Chat With Brenda; (in the medbay)

5) Salyut 7 OST - Approach to the Target; (Megatron's dream)

6) 'I Walk With Ghosts' by Scott Buckley; (Megatron's thoughts)

7) Interstellar OST - Where We're Going (till 3:43); (Magnus's visit)

8) Deus Ex: Mankind Divided OST - Info Link; (the distress signal)

P.S. The CSV Lost Light (Cybertronian Space Vehicle) is here kind of the SSV Normandy SR-1 (System Alliance Space Vehicle Stealth Reconnaissance-1). Most people, for some reason like SR-2 built by Cerberus more, but I have always loved the first ship... Too bad it was destroyed...

In the next chapter we will touch on the topic of the main enemy a little. I will not spoil much about what will happen, still need to put everything on the shelves in my head, but give you a hint that Shockwave will appear here not only in memories.

Chapter Text

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The Stellar-6 space station was a system of three concentric circles connected by several passages, and in relation to these circles there was a structure in the form of a long vertical cylinder in the center, orbiting the blue and white gas giant Tenarimus. The data Megatron received via the on-board computer had no actual information about what exactly they were doing here. Something to do with mining minerals from the asteroid belt around the planet and improving their properties.

Another important fact was that the station belongs to the Autobots, but there are also several representatives of the local organic race - Glassternapes - these reptilian humanoids are distinguished by their dense, but absolutely transparent skin, which displays internal organs and bones for all to see. Not a very plesant sight, but, as we know, no one chooses appearance at birth. Representatives of this civilization are not part of the Galactic Union, but they are smart enough and technologically advanced, have their own spaceships, albeit relatively primitive.

The Lost Light arrived at the source of the distress signal in about thirty-seven minutes. For some reason, Rodimus said that it would have been faster on the hyperdrive, but then there is no one hundred percent guarantee that they themselves will be able to reach Yuntara and not get stuck somewhere in space. No more distress signals followed, all attempts to contact the station were unsuccessful, and now the team was at a loss as to what they would see when they arrived.

"Control, this is CSV Lost Light," Perceptor tried to get in touch as soon as the station was in sight, "requesting permission to dock, over?" In response there was a complete silence. "Control, do you read?"

Against the background of the gas giant the silent space structure with extinguished external lights, by its very appearance, instilled a feeling of uncertainty and fear. If there was no distress signal, one would think that there is simply no one here, and everything is abandoned. But understanding what exactly was the reason, generally discouraged the desire to meddle there.

"No response," Perceptor stated after several unsuccessful attempts to establish connection.

"Does this mean..." Rodimus began uncertainly, but Megatron interrupted him:

"It doesn't mean anything yet." And again he turned to the operators: "What about hangars? Can we dock on our own?"

Brainstorm analyzed the data and reported:

"The doors... Hmm, the hangar doors... are open." He turned to Megatron and guessed uncertainly: "In theory, we can. But..."

"Do it, then." Megatron leaned back in his chair and crossed the arms over his chest. The former Decepticon knew that a landing approach without receiving an input code from the station could activate defense protocols, and then they would have to fight their way through. It happened before...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

There was enough light from the gas giant nearby to the left, and still, once in the hangar, they had to turn on the searchlights just in case. The ship entered the dock perfectly, but for landing it was necessary to use the retractable support legs. The dull metallic clang from contact with the floor seemed especially loud due to the general silence.

Megatron descended the ramp first, followed by Ultra Magnus, Cyclonus, Rodimus, Velocity, Getaway and Drift. The rest had to wait on the ship and, if something happened to the scout team, urgently leave the station. Tailgate also wanted to go, but Cyclonus persuaded him to stay. The task is simple: to explore the territory, find the survivors, if there are any, get information from them (or understand everything on their own) and send a signal to Cybertron, let them figure it out further. Get in touch every twenty-five minutes, the obligatory report on the progress, and also when the search group finds the survivors, it will be necessary to organize a safe passage for the rest of the ship's crew to the station for possible medical assistance and equipment repair.

As mentioned, there was no electricity in the hangar, and all lighting came only from the reflected light of the planet and the Lost Light own searchlights. Magnus, Rodimus and Cyclonus, nevertheless, put additional lights on their helmets. Everyone except Megatron also had weapons. The second captain, in case of danger, will have to rely on his own night vision systems and reflexes. No one has yet removed the blockers from him either. It was scary to walk into the unknown like this, without any protection... besides, the Decepticon didn't rule out that in case of danger no one would come to his rescue. Most likely no one. Not even Minimus...

Megatron squinted in resentment at the Ultra Magnus's back, who was illuminating the space on the left. Mentor, friend, enemy, and now a forced ally. Minimus Ambus has long tried to convince him that the war was pointless. What almost happened between them once... no one could explain. Megatron then came to his senses in time, pushed him away and fled, leaving at last: "Lecture your commander, not me. You are no longer my guardian!"

"Creepy," Velocity admitted reluctantly.

"Yeah..." Rodimus supported gloomily. "It feels like something might jump out of the darkness now. A techno-zombie... or worse..."

"And how many techno-zombies, I wonder, have you met in your life?" Megatron took out the datapad with a 3D map of the station loaded into it from the subspace. That voice said the survivors were hiding in residential areas. So, we need to go there. The exit on the right should lead to the desired corridor. "That way." The silver mech pointed.

"Well... not that I saw a lot of them..." Rodimus quickly caught up with the co-captain and was now marching to his right. The rest followed. "To be honest, not a single one alive, but... But what's the difference! Who knows what..."

"Not a single one alive," Megatron interrupted calmly, fundamentally continuing to look at the electronic map, and not at the red-yellow mech nearby. The question was rhetorical, and the Decepticon never expected that Rodimus would decide to answer. "So, your age times zero..." He portrayed thoughtfulness and, scratching the top of his helm with the free left servo, then he expressively squinted his gaze at the red-yellow Autobot. "How much is it on average?"

"Ugh..." Rodimus froze, trying to understand the seriousness of the question. Optimus's student always slowed down a little when asked about obvious things, like what day it is... or in this case: how much is something times zero. And what's this all about? But Megatron kept walking, ignoring him. And only when the whole group bypassed the frozen first captain, Rodimus realized: "Well... Ah, I get it, it's like a sarcastic joke, right, Megs?" And he ran to catch up with the others. "You're kinda joking, right?"

"Wish I could, but I have no authority," Megatron muttered as he and Rodimus caught up again. "And I kind of said not to call me Megs. Do your audio sensors junk, or you just have such serious problems with building logical connections?"

"Sorry... I just thought that..."

Velocity and Cyclonus looked at each other sympathetically, Magnus shook his helm in displeasure, Getaway squeezed his dentas in annoyance, and Drift generally thought that Optimus's protégé would now be hit, but... to the defector's great surprise this didn't happen. Megatron generally chose to ignore all further useless muttering to his right.

The corridor they entered was also plunged into darkness. No energy supply, therefore, the defense systems were also inactive. Good. However, the absence of 'local residents' is a bad sign. Megatron could use his new abilities: remotely connect to the station's computer network and through stationary cameras quickly understand if there's life here or not, but... Firstly, there is no electricity, and secondly, no one has removed neuroblockers, as already mentioned.

The elevators, accordingly, also didn't work, they had to use the stairs. And the further the group moved away from the ship, the more Megatron's sense of danger increased. Danger ahead, danger at their heels, danger from the ceiling and even under their feet. This feeling didn't leave him ever since life turned upside down: always need to be on your guard, always be ready to repel a potential attack not only of enemies, but also of some allies. The same Starscream, for example. More precisely, especially Starscream...

"Look!" Velocity pointed to something ahead and quickened her pace. The light from the lanterns snatched out two frames on the floor. One was lying on its side, the other on its back, both showed no signs of life. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that almost all of the outer armor was melted by the high temperature.

"What in Unicron's..." Getaway muttered, walking around both on the left.

Velocity sat down next to them, pulled out a portable scanner from the subspace and began collecting data, and when she realized that both were not a threat, she touched the burnt cables on the neck of the one who was lying on his back.

"Primus..." Rodimus felt unwell from what he saw. "It's like they were burned alive.

"From the inside." Confirmed the medic, turning to the first captain with obvious horror on her face.

"Excuse me, what?" he didn't understand. Megatron and Ultra Magnus exchanged glances, and the latter cautiously asked:

"In what sense?"

"They were burnt from the inside," she repeated as discreetly as possible. Now all the members of the group exchanged puzzled looks. "Judging by the nature of the damage, the heat began to spread from their spark chambers to the peripheral systems. As if..." The green medic looked at the frames in front of her again. "As if their sparks had suddenly exploded."

"But what was the reason?" Drift's voice broke the sudden silence.

"No idea," Velocity stood up, "I've never seen this before."

"Could it be a virus?" specified Cyclonus just in case. And Megatron remembered: that voice said that there was some kind of infection, but he didn't have time to convey the details.

"If so, then clearly not one of those that we were told about during studies," Velocity guiltily spread her servos.

Oh yes, thought Megatron, this young femme had just recently completed her studies at the medical academy. This was stated in her dossier. She graduated with highs in all subjects and, unlike her current mentor, who is now on the ship, Velocity is quite curious.

"There is little data, but..."

The green femme didn't have time to finish, because a strange rumble was suddenly heard very close by, as if something heavy had been dropped on the floor. Everyone froze and turned their heads to the source of the noise, which was now expressed in a dull metallic, uniform tapping, similar to someone's footsteps.

"What is it?.." Cyclonus whispered, peering intently into the dark corridor, where the light of the searchlights couldn't reach.

Apart from the movement in front, the sensors of none of the members of the group recorded anything else, no EM field felt either, so it couldn't be someone alive, at least not a Cybertron... Or could it?

"What the frag..." Rodimus only managed to say when the searchlights on of some of those present helms snatched an unnaturally walking high mech in the dark corridor. He moved his legs in a strange way, as if dragging, the frame was the same melted, the lower part of the faceplate was torn out, flames were burning in the holes where the optics were...

This something, which was probably a warmech in the past, continued to slowly approach with a metallic grinding. It was a head shorter than Megatron, but just as wide at the shoulders, in the twisted contraptions on the forearms one could faintly discern small plasma cannons. Maybe once 'it' was one of the security mechs. During the war, the Decepticon leader managed to see thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dead, he knew what was done with the corpses after powerful explosions... he himself barely survived several such enemy attacks. And what appeared to them now was beyond the bounds of logical understanding. Megatron tried to read the data, the preliminary scanning showed something completely incomprehensible:

Analysis ()

{

getStatus ()

{

CPU .state = offline;

SparkChamber. state = empty;

Armor. state= damaged (86%);

Protoform. state = damaged (75%);

Weapons. state = disabled;

}

Logger.Warning ("Unidentified substance detected.");

}

"Am I glitching, or is it... really not alive?" Rodimus suddenly said from somewhere to the left.

"I also noticed..." Cyclonus answered him.

"And I," supported Drift, "the frame is completely disabled, no signs of life. He shouldn't be able to move at all..."

So it's true, Megatron noted to himself, if they see the same thing as I do, receive the same data as I do... We can't all glitch at the same time, can we? It, nevertheless, continues to walk towards them, gradually accelerating the step, servos are sharply thrown up...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

"Get back!" the Magnus jerked his right servo in front of him with a powerful blaster and immediately opened fire.

Everyone rushed in different directions, Cyclonus had to bend down in order not to get hit. But, what is most surprising, the energy charges didn't slow down the creature at all, it continued to advance at the same speed... and the other two lying on the floor suddenly began to move with a clang and jumped to their pedes in the blink of an eye.

One grabbed Velocity's arm, but Megatron knocked him to the floor with a sharp blow from his right fist. Another tried to grab Rodimus, but Getaway, in a beautiful turn (as far as the corridor's width allowed), hit with his pede the crippled mech against the wall. But they again stood up and continued the offensive all three at once.

"What in Unicron's name?!" howled the yellow-orange Autobot.

"Retreat!" ordered the Decepticon, waving behind his back. "Move, move!"

All at once started to run. Megatron himself, along with Ultra Magnus and Getaway, struck another blow, covering the others, and followed them only after making sure that the mutilated creatures would take some time to rise again and resume the fight.

"I thought they were dead! Lotty, you said those mechs were burnt on the inside!" Rodimus complained continuing to run.

"But they were!" Velocity responded slightly from the front. "For all medical reasons, their frames were deactivated!"

"Then why are they still walking?!"

"To the left and up! Further straight ahead, the second door to the right. There is a spacious walk-through bay."Megatron checked the map. Now the team needed more space to begin with and break away from those creatures. Then they can think about the next step.

The map didn't lie, the path did lead them to a spacious room with two more exits. In the center there was a row of tables, some of which were punctured or broken, on the sides there were some cabinets and terminals, some of them were damaged. Judging by the appearance, some kind of scuffle also took place here, but at least there was more space.

"Alright... a minute to think," breathed Getaway, listening.

Behind the far currently closed door there were similar echoing steps... more than one pair of pedes, and then something grabbed the door leaves with a grinding noise and began to try to push them apart.

"...or maybe less," finished the flier, already on a raised tone.

Cyclonus and Velocity looked at the third open passage, which was still free. But in the one through which they all just ran, five more half-burnt damaged mechs entered one by one. One of them was almost the Ultra Magnus's size, the other had the helm dangling from his shoulder, it was connected to the frame with only a few thick cables.

"Called some friends," Megatron growled angrily.

"Do you think these are the same ones?" clarified Rodimus with some doubt.

"How do I know, go and ask them if you want. At least you have weapons."

Rodimus didn't have time to answer, because right now all five made a loud whistle from a distance and rushed into the fight, not really thinking who to disable in the first place. There was only one goal: to destroy, and how - it doesn't matter.

Velocity in a beautiful jump moved to the left of the enemy, who ran to her, and tripped him, thereby knocking him to the floor. Falling, he also hooked on the neighbor on the left. Getaveway and Cyclonus simultaneously hit another in the chest, Ultra Magnus knocked two attackers head-on at once. Drift with a blaster shot injured the knee of one of those who managed to get up, and didn't notice the approach from the back...

"Watch out!" Megatron jumped on Drift in time and knocked him to the floor, protecting from splayed fused fingers. The attacker's servo whizzed over their heads, its owner whirled around for another attack, but five yellow plasma blasts struck his frame in a row. Turning around, both mechs realized that it was Rodimus shooting.

"Get your nasty paws away from them!" he ordered menacingly and took out the second blaster from the subspace.

The walking twisted piece of metal immediately headed to the red and yellow Autobot, who shot him to the last and didn't think to retreat. Only when the distance between them was reduced to a meter, Rodimus realized that standing still was a big mistake... The creature whistled, lifting both servos up, but was abruptly thrown away by the Ultra Magnus's sudden appearance. From the opposite end, the doors opened, and three more came in... It is not known how the matter would have ended, but suddenly something round with a thud rolled across the floor, and then a commanding voice barked sharply:

"Everyone get down!"

The unexpected order was followed by all the group members except Getaway: Megatron and Drift hadn't yet had time to get up, Magnus ducked from another swing and fell to his knees, Cyclonus dropped Velocity and covered her with his frame, and Rodimus, the only one who had time to notice what swept past him , fell down and covered the audials with his palms and closed his optics.

Megatron only had time to turn his helm to a sudden new source of light, when suddenly everything in front of the optics was clouded with white, the audials rang. For a while, the silver mech lost his orientation in space...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

...then muffled voices began to emerge, someone tugged at his shoulders, then Ultra Magnus's worried face began to appear in the whiteness. Megatron didn't even immediately realize that he was lying on his back on the floor, and the large blue and white Autobot was trying to revive him.

"Megatron... Megatron!"

"Hmmm..." the silver mech clutched at his helm. Everything inside him was humming, but the ringing slowly faded, and reality took on more and more outlines. Events gradually lined up into a coherent picture: an order to fall on to the floor, something rolled by, a flash... "Electromagnetic grenades?" he choked out, raising himself slightly.

"Unfortunately, it's the only thing that incapacitates them." Someone's massive yellow-purple pedes appeared in Megatron's view. "You were surrounded, we had to take the risk."

"My armor protected me from the impulse." Magnus helped the silver mech sit up, still supporting his back with the left servo. Megatron looked up dimly at their owner, illuminated by the flashlight on Ultra Magnus's helm. Tall, with three sharp points on the helmet, sharp facial features, additional growths on the faceplate (among humans this is called 'mustache'), shoulder pads are also pointed and curved upward, armor on the forearms and below the knees thicker, just like most of the mechs'. The general color of the armor was yellow-purple, no sign of any of the two factions. A neutral?

"My name is Skyforce," he introduced himself, "I am... now in charge of this station. Are you're the captain of the ship that recently docked?"

"Me! I am the captain!" there was displeased indignation, and a bit shaking Rodimus, also being under the grenade effect, approached them. "And he is the co-captain." Ultra Magnus helped Megatron up. Rodimus shook his helm, recovering, and introduced himself: "Captain Rodimus, CSV Lost Light. We came to your distress call."

Now Megatron could discern that four mechs and four organics had come to their aid: reptile-like, walk on two legs, have long spiky tails, half the height of Megatron himself, and their skin is completely transparent, which was especially noticeable because of now more lanterns... Organic lifeforms from this solar system that he had read about on the way here.

"We had to dock ourselves, since all attempts to get in touch were unsuccessful." Megatron looked around. Almost everyone had already come to their senses, problems were only with Getaway, who just didn't get down with the others, and now he couldn't hear anything at all, Velocity and some other unfamiliar mech were busy with him at the moment. The effect is temporary, Megatron knew this from personal experience: Starscream somehow fell under the influence of the same grenade, for some time he couldn't hear anything at all.

"And you decided to poke your nose into one of the most dangerous areas, great move," a voice chuckled behind Skyforce, from behind his back came a tall blue and white mech with a scarlet mark on his belly. Purple faceplate, yellow optics, a white backward-curved outgrowth on the blue helmet, corrugated shoulder pads, the armor on the forearms is the same, purple inserts on the knees and pedes, two metal points behind his back increased his height by almost a third. It can't be... The silver mech reset his optics in surprise. There are a few significant modifications, but still recognizable...

"Riptide?" Megatron took a step forward, blinking his lenses in surprise. The second mecha stared at him with an equally shocked look.

"Rust it all... I heard rumors, but... didn't even think that I would see you here..."

"Likewise," the former Decepticon leader said quickly.

"You know each other?" Rodimus got in as always, pointing index fingers of both servos at the silver and blue-white mechs, respectively. Megatron answered him:

"We worked in the same mine before the war. Riptide was one of those who immediately chose the Autobots' side."

"Was it necessary to start this at all?" the blue-and-white one asked with a hint. "Was it not enough for some just to be special and take their rightful place in the Intellectual class? Did you want everything at once? To lead the crowd, to overthrow the legitimate government... I always knew that your writings won't do any good."

"And you haven't changed at all, still the same slow-witted," Megatron retorted. Yes, there were also those among the miners who didn't support the silver mech's ideas, fearing that those in power would rather eliminate those who disagree, instead of talking to them. Even if Megatron had supporters from the higher castes. Even when he was recognized as a Point One Percenter, transferred from Manual to Intellectual class and placed under the Ultra Magnus's care.

"But I stayed my way, unlike others," Riptide grumbled in response.

"Enough," interrupted Ultra Magnus, who also didn't want to stir up the past now. Not a time or a place. "We came to help. We all. Tell us in detail what happened here, and what were those... those..." He held open palms in the direction of the defeated enemies.

"Yes, of course," the commander of the detachment took the floor again, "but not here. We need to return to the residential areas, it is more or less safe there. We have cleared one passage, they don't go there."

"Great rescuers, who had to be rescued first," a previously silent low organic suddenly put in.

"Hey! How did we know that you have live-dead frames running around here?!" flashed Rodimus, looming over him, but Ultra Magnus easily grabbed him by the right arm and pulled back, after that he nodded confidently:

"Acceptable."

"Let's go, then," the commander agreed.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The now united group set off in the right direction. Since all the mechs and organics who came to the rescue also had lanterns with them, there was now much more light. Cyclonus supported the frightened Velocity. Although she said that everything was fine, and tried in every possible way not to show how scared she was, but judging by how she squeezed the purple Autobot's right servo, one could judge how anxious she was. Her first expedition, and this... The temporarily deaf Getaway was accompanied by two local mechs and an organic. Meanwhile, Rodimus, once again being next to Megatron, glanced at him sullenly, albeit with some malice, asked:

"So, techno-zombies don't exist, right, Megs?"

Fortunately for him, the silver mech didn't have a decent answer. Whatever it was, it really looked like, as humans say, the living dead. They burned out from the inside, and now they run and fight as if they were alive. Shockwave would be very interested in this strange phenomenon if he were here now...

"I didn't say that they don't exist, I asked how many techno-zombies you have seen in your life, these are different things," Megatron answered, involuntarily grinning at the sight of his comrade's outraged faceplate. For the future Prime this undersized mech is too uneducated, boorish and self-confident. And what did Optimus see in him that was not, for example, in Bumblebee? Megatron touched the scarlet mark on his chest with his left servo, his true purple insignia is still hidden under it.

"Till all are one..."

Or till they destroy us, Megatron objected to himself. Okay, let's leave that for now. I think not about what I should, we need to deal with what is happening here and now. It will be interesting if the Autobots did this to themselves... I'll catch it, I'll write it down. What other unexpected side will our enemies reveal to me...

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) Salyut 7 OST - Magnetic Tape; (approaching the Stellar-6 station)

2) Mass Effect 2 OST - The Collector Base; (exit from ship and the first attack)

3) Mass Effect OST - Protect The Colony; (the rescue)

4) Divine Divinity OST - Tangible Suspense; (meeting with survivors)

5) Mass Effect 2 OST - Horizon (the group goes to residential sectors)

P.S. Several explanations. Some characters will be added along the way (like Riptide or Nautica), some will, on the contrary, drop out of the team, but the main group must reach the end.

Although the soundtrack from Mass Effect 2 (The Collector Base) is involved, I didn't think about Collectors or Husks when I wrote this episode. But this track (and the episode with their ship itself, despite the fact that you wear a helmet there all the time) is one of my favorites in part 2 of the game.

I deliberately don't make pseudocodes look like real functions, since it would be somehow, in my personal opinion, ridiculous if a Cybertronian's systems were based on any of the Earth computer languages: Java, C/C ++, etc.

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Rung knew this would happen, he warned Optimus about the results this decision might lead to. But the deed is done, and now they have to face the consequences. At the very moment when Megatron publicly read the speech written for him, an invisible arrow pierced thousands of sparks, in an instant they lost everything: their goal, their leader, their hope for the future. And one special spark, as rare as that of Megatron, has lost all its former meaning of existence.

"Change of plan. We are going to war."

They will come, it is inevitable. They will come for him... but for what purpose? Will they want, in blind righteous anger, to try to kill the new Prime - their once hero, thereby destroying the symbol of hope for the unification of the Cybertronian people? Or will they decide to capture him and do everything to return the one who Megatron no longer wants to be? What will be the outcome... Megatron is much stronger, but he won't fight deliberately. And if he does... Is it still possible to save them? From death or committing an irreparable mistake...

One thing they are wrong: this is not a defection. This is a search for a way out of the hopeless situation... By calling fire on himself, Megatron wants to save others. Deep in spark he's still with them. But would they want to understand this? Will they be allies again? So many possible options... Everything depends on them... Megatron has already taken the first step.

One thing is for sure: something is going to happen soon... Something bad. Rung feels it. Megatron... This Mech – this Point One Percenter - is the catalyst of all events. He must survive, he must find his way, he must unite the Cybertronian race. Only together they will be able to repel the threat, which, although still hiding behind the dark veil of the invisible, is already raising its head...

"This is bad. No, it's just terrible. What was he thinking?"

"Assumption: not his words. Autobots'."

"Shadow play? Brainwashing? When I find him - I'll shake out his spark, if he won't tell what they did to him!"

"Warning: Ravage, be careful. The enemy must not know about your presence."

"But we have to find out what is happening with our leader. I'm ready to go, Soundwave, just tell me where to look, the rest is up to me."

"The Stardust freighter tomorrow is going to Yuntara, to Curato city. The Lost Light is known to be delayed due to a sudden change in course, so you can get there much faster."

"Understood. I'll find him, Soundwave. You have my word."

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The residential sectors occupied several levels, connected to each other by wide staircases. In this part of the station, the power supply was restored using standby generators. Since mechs and organics worked in shifts here, there were usually no difficulties with placement, but now the number of people present was slightly higher than usual.

The doors to almost all the living bays were open, from there several pairs of eyes or eyepieces watched those who entered, depending on their owner: an organic reptilian with transparent skin or a Cybertronian. Somehow all this reminded Megatron of his once difficult life if a miner, of the barracks, of the mechs gathering after a hard cycle of work... Only these are all forced to sit here, hiding, wondering when they will be able to leave this place.

"All surviviors are here," Skyforce said as they kept walking, "those who didn't turn into... What you saw."

"How many survivors and deaths are there?" clarified Megatron to begin a rough assessment of the situation.

"Thirteen Glasternaps and forty-seven mechs," Riptide replied, ahead of the commander. "More than thirty-nine Cybertronians have been infected. He glanced at the silver one. "Plus three are here. This rubbish doesn't affect our organic colleagues, so many were just..." He impressively rolled up his optics and jabbed his left thumb across his neck. Velocity shuddered involuntarily at this gesture.

"Wait, what do you mean: 'three are here'?" Rodimus didn't understand. "Caught, or what?" Organic to his left made a warning hissing sound and twitched his tail. But the first captain of the Lost Light only frowned and spread his servos: "What?"

"Not really," the hitherto silent red Autobot from the local escort shook his helm.

"Soon you will see," Skyforce added. He dismissed all his escorts (only Riptide remained on his own initiative) and led the group to the higher level, where the medical bay was located.

A spacious light-colored room, slightly larger than the Lost Light's infirmary. Eight slabs with panels of life support systems: four at each wall to the right and left of the entrance, at the far wall there are other kinds of equipment. Hate medbays, Megatron noted to himself again.

"You once dreamed of becoming a medic, wanted to help others."

I did, and so what? Many things in life turn out far from the way we want them to. Not everything depends only on us.

"But the choice: to hurt or not..."

To defend oneself or become a victim, he abruptly cut off his own inner monologue.

"You are not listening to me, you still have much to learn."

Something unpleasantly tightened in his chest, but after a second everything returned to normal. Megatron shook his helm, regaining consciousness. Again the same thing... What's going on? The Foo;'s Energon effect... They did something to me, but... I cannot understand... I am talking to myself, as if... another 'self' has settled in me.

But now was not the time or place for introspection. Megatron hoped very much that no one noticed his temporary distraction, and in fact others were more busy with something completely different.

Three of the eight slabs all to the left of the entrance in the medical bay were occupied. The mechs laying on them showed no signs of life, but life-support systems connected to them via wires emitted signals that their frames were still functioning. Also the entire delegation was greeted by a white and scarlet mech of medium height, with blue optics, a scarlet Autobot sign on the chest and medical chevrons on both shoulders. Judging by the build and configuration of his armor, he is a civilian medic.

"Greetings," said this mech, coming up to the group, "my name is Redlight, the local medic. Thank you for coming to help, the situation..." he glanced at the two mechs on the slabs to his right, "the situation is extremely unusual and dangerous."

"Yes, we noticed," Rodimus agreed willingly, "you have techno-zombies running along the corridors."

"As much as I do not like the wording of our captain, here I agree with him," Cyclonus supported, "what does this all mean?"

"To be honest, we would like to know that ourselves." Redlight walked over to one of the mechs on the medical slab and bent over the console, checking his vital signs. "Apparently, the damage occurs by an unknown species of nanites, they penetrate into the frame through physical contact. The first step is to rewrite the basic codes and change the CPU signals, then they replicate and gradually destroy the protoform." He straightened up again and turned fully towards the others. "The final stage of the disease is overheating of internal mechanisms and acceleration of the spark pulse. It can't hold on and explodes."

The mechs present exchanged glances. Velocity felt as if the floor was slipping from under her feet:

"So it's true..." she whispered, bringing the right manipulatorservo to her mouth, "true..."

For some reason, Megatron tried to imagine what an infected person might be experiencing. Agony? Loss of sensitivity? Did they know, feel, were there system warnings that in a second everything would end like this?.. And after that, the frames in some strange way still continue to function. He remembered the HUD message: Logger.Warning ("Unidentified substance detected."). Nanites... Could it be...

"Wait!"Rodimus's sudden voice interrupted the stream of his thoughts. "You said... through physical contact..." This statement has already attracted absolutely everyone'sthe attention. "And we..." he looked with disbelief at his open palms, "we touched them... Are we all..." His eyepieces became almost twice wider: "Are we also infected?!"

Megatron felt like an icy fountain of coolant sprayed over him. The silvery mech somehow didn't think about it at all, and now, when his imagination provided him with several visual images of further events, here Megatron felt scared.

Fortunately, the local physician named Redlight immediately dismissed this assumption:

"If that were the case, you would already be..." He gestured to the three immobile patients, then walked over to the one lying on the slab between the other two and pointed to the not protected cables around his neck. On closer inspection, one could notice smooth circular holes: "They pierce the victim's body and launch these very nanites into the systems," he explained, "instant stasis as the result, but the transformation itself takes a little longer."

"We brought five here," Riptide interrupted in a mournful voice, "but later had to... get rid of two."

"Meaning, you destroyed them?" Getaway asked.

"When their sparks were about to self-destruct, we carried them out of the residential sectors and left them there," Skyforce explained, because the blue and white mech's lips trembled and a trickle of washer rolled down his left cheek. "Unfortunately, a forced necessity. I'm afraid the other three will face the same fate if we don't find a way to stop this."

"It turns out that if..." Cyclonus looked at the scratched armor on his left forearm, "there was no such effect, and no one felt an instant change, then... we're alright?"

"In theory," Redlight agreed. "There were similar injuries among our people, but no one has been infected yet. However, just in case, I need to check all of you," he decided, "in order to confirm one hundred percent that none of you are potentially dangerous."

"I will help," Velocity immediately volunteered, "I'm also a medic, and there are Point One Percenters among us, the two of them." She pointed in turn at Megatron and the Ultra Magnus.

"Wow..." Skyforce drawled in shock, and Riptide snorted in displeasure.

"Point One Percenters?" Redlight was sincerely surprised. "I've heard of them, but... INever met one in person before."

"But I have," there was more confidence and perseverance inVelocity's voice, "and I've already carried out an examination. Their vital signs are drastically different from... average."

"Very well," Redlight agreed and waved the green femme to follow him to the cabinet with medical instruments, muttering as he walked: "Point One Percenters... really..."

Velocity felt a great relieve from his agreement to accept help,. It would not be so scary for a local physician to receive scan data from the frames of Magnus and Megatron, if not for the Matrix Leadership's presencein the latter's chest. The scanner could capture something even more unusual. And now it is not needed at all...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

When all the members of the reconnaissance group were checked, and it was confirmed that none of them had caught the infection this time, Rodimus suddenly remembered that they had already missed the communication time with the ship twice.

"A good leader, what to say," Megatron quipped under his breath. Although he had to admit to himself that he hadn't thought about it either. And all the same, this is Rodimus's expedition, he immediately tried to justify himself, I am here just... don't know why.

To the silver mech's surprise, the ship was still here. Although, if they were the Decepticons, they would also wait until the last (not counting the exceptions like Starscream), until they figured out what happened with their leader, and Tarn would have even dragged the entire Justice Division to search for him, despite the potential danger to themselves...

Once the contact with the Lost Light has been established through the consoles in the residential sectors, as everyone heard Perceptor's displeased speech, the general meaning of which could be simply described as 'Well, finally!'. The team was already worried; they were about to go to look for the missing crew members too. There were several attempts to get in touch from the ship, but the reconnaissance group's comms were silent, and from Magnus's part it was extremely unexpected - to leave the crew in the dark. Megatron could say for sure that no one tried to contact him, but, of course, he didn't voice anything.

"Oh, Percy, you won't believe it!" began Rodimus and, before Perceptor could make a comment about the distortion of his name, began to recount in detail what happened when they left the ship.

The crew had no suitable words or explanations for what they heard. Following medical protocols, Ratchet and First Aid began to insist on moving to the station, Magnus tried to argue that it was too dangerous, those who'dleave the ship might not return. But Rung, by some incredible miracle, convinced him, Skyforce and Riptide that the team would be able to help more if they didn't stay on the ship. As a result, at common peril and risk, an escort group was organized to meet and move another part of the team to the residential sectors. Fortunately, this time there were no attacks...

Megatron was once again amazed by the therapist's persuasive abilities, he had never met anyone like Rung before. The former head of the Decepticons himself still thought about evacuating the survivors, but remembering Riptide's words about their number, he realized that seventy-six refugees simply wouldn't fit on board the Lost Light, so he didn't even offer it.

Later, in a small conference room a meeting of a narrow circle of people took place, where they had a more detailed discussion of the current situation. The Lost Light crew included Megatron, Rodimus, Ultra Magnus, Ratchet, Perceptor, and Rung. From the station staff came Skyforce, Riptide and two organic reptilians, female and male, named Veranu and Seamus, respectively. Outwardly, they differed in that the organic male had more spikes on his head, and was taller than his colleague, both dressed in light glittering laboratory suits. Seamus also had pale green eyes with vertical pupils, and Veranu had red ones. As Megatron realized, these are local scientists.

When everyone was seated at the large oval table, Skyforce took the floor. Periodically, three of his other comrades added their comments. As it turned out, three cosmic days ago, a small cargo ship with spare parts for generators arrived at the station, they were waiting for this delivery on schedule, so that no one could even have a thought about how everything would turn out.

The crew consisted of five mechs, two of them were Autobots, and three more had no faction identifications. Having handed over the cargo and clearly noted everything according to the documentation, they asked for permission to stay at the station for a couple of cosmic days in order to solve some technical problem with the engine. Six hours later, it happened... Power outages in different sectors of the station, then sudden attacks began: the mechs from that ship went mad without a reason, instantly becoming soulless drones... as if they fell under some inexplicable obedience program. Nothing could stop them, not even the blasters and station's defense systems, as if their frames had also lost all sensitivity. They quickly approached the victims, entwined them with wires that crawled out from under the armor and pierced them, thereby spreading the infection.

It has already been found out that these nanites not only replicate on the protoform surface under the armor and in internal systems, but also incredibly rebuild the carrier's frame to suit their needs. Or burn it, Riptide added sympathetically. The head of the station, Metaldust, also fell from the servos of those unknown. Now Skyforce, who was his first assistant, had to take his place. Riptide was a part of the repair brigade, but proved to be a good fighter. Not surprisingly, he is an actual soldier, he fought in the war against us, Megatron added mentally. Most of the victims became simply burnt walking tins, and those who are capable of infecting retreated closer to the stationcenter, where its main reactor was located.

"...we didn't suspect anything... Until a certain moment." Skyforce joined his palms and lowered his helm mournfully.

"And you just let someone's ship to stay for such a long time? Unguarded?" Rodimus blurted out without thinking. Megatron thought to make a remark to him, but was forced to admit that the first captain's question, although it was incorrectly formulated, but one way or another had a place to be.

"This is not a closed station, we do not produce anything super-secret here," Veranu objected,"sometimes ships passing by come here to refuel, someone stays for two or three cosmic days. They also deliver supplies to us."

Well, yes, rightly so, the silver mech noted to himself, since the station is not a military one... They didn't even expect any threat... Although this is shortsighted.

"But what about the security system?" Perceptor didn't believe.

"It was turned off in the first place," Seamus told him. "Drones or not, they knew what to do. It all happened too quickly."

"And there's almost no military here," added Riptide with a hint.

"So... what now?" Rodimus asked again, somewhat more bewildered.

"We called for help in hope of starting the station's reactor," Skyforce explained. "Then we could get into the hangars and evacuate the rest. They have closed all access to the rescue shuttles, leaving only empty docking gates open."

"Hmm... the hangar we landed in... There were no other ships," Magnus recalled.

"A tricky move," Rung looked thoughtfully at the ceiling, "either they are subordinate to someone, or they are not at all as stupid as they might seem."

"Their CPUs burned out," Ratchet objected, "but the frames control through the nanites..." The medic scratched his chin with two digits of the left servo. "The idea, of course, is on the verge of insanity, but..." Then he turned to the silver mech: "Megatron, please remember, did Shockwave ever experiment with something like this?"

"As far as I know - no," he replied, "at least officially, but... Considering the final confrontation... He was silent about many things."

"Well, that's fair," Ratchet agreed grimly. The answer didn't make him happy, but at least Megatron wasn't lying. If the former senator really did something like that, it was kept in secret from his leader.

"So our target is the main reactor?" Ultra Magnus clarified just in case. "And then fight our way to the hangars."

"If necessary, launching the self-destruction system," summed up Skyforce and explained under the puzzled and even frightened looks of those present: "This is the only option. We can't let the infection to spread beyond the station, even if we don't have time to get enough data."

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After some more discussions, it was decided to go to the main reactor of the station and try to start it up. After that, Skyforce will set the countdown to Stellar-6 self-destruction. The Lost Light team will retreat to their ship, while the rest will fight their way to other shuttles, on which they can fly away. When Ratchet asked what would happen to those three mechs that had not yet had time to undergo a fatal transformation, the head of the station said that there's nothing can be done to help them. The locals have already seen what this will lead to, and, no matter how cruel it may be, they will have to get rid of the frames. In the meantime, medics still have time to try to learn more about this nanite disease, to collect at least some information. Skyforce was determined to both act and take responsibility for what would happen. One way or another, someone will have to answer.

The formed combat unit consisted of six groups of three and four members each. Every detachment was given an electronic map of the station with a built-in search program tuned to the signals of the infected ones. Redlight was able to partially identify them. Almost half of the entire squad was part of the Lost Light crew, the rest were locals. Riptide joined Megatron and Magnus, Rodimus went with Drift and Getaway, Skyforce teamed up with Whirl and two organics, Cyclonus and Skids were accompanied by the surviving mech from the local security... And so on. The minibot Tailgate was again out of work, although he insisted very much to go with them.

The move to the 'dark territory' was very tangible due to the lack of lighting, but they already went through this when they accompanied other team members to the living quarters to the survivors. Now, however, the task is much more dangerous: they have to get into the very lair of these 'techno-zombies'. Before the mission, Rung once again asked everyone to be careful, and Rodimus, somehow, in a rather pretentious hilarious way, assured the therapist that they would be back in no time. Megatron didn't share his enthusiasm, although he assumed that the red and yellow student of Prime behaved like this, because he himself was afraid to shiver.

The group left the residential sectors, together they went down the stairs several levels down and, splitting into previously formed squads, went to different corridors, following the established routes, communication was maintained through the comms. No need to attract the enemies' attention by walking around in too large a company.

And again, Megatron was the only one who didn't have any weapons, nor at the moment the opportunity to transform. Not that here, in the relatively narrow corridors of the station, one could take off and fly high, but still... This is Prowl's order: not to give him any additional dangerous means, even for self-defense. Ultra Magnus didn't approve it, but he followed the instructions... for now. He could only act as a bodyguard for the silver mech. So what if the latter won't like it. Riptide and Magnus himself had three more electromagnetic grenades in addition to the blasters. Not many, considering the danger, so they need to act as quickly and carefully as possible.

"Approximately two and three tenths of a kilometer more," Megatron checked his electronic datapad and pointed ahead of himself, "so far I haven't observed any potentially dangerous activity."

The Ultra Magnus nodded and, putting two digits to his left temple, spoke to the others via the comm:

"Shadow-1 to the group, do you read? Over? What's the situation?"

"Loud and clear," said the voice of Skyforce, "everything is calm so far, we continue to move towards the target."

The rest of the squads also answered in the affirmative.

"Got it," Ultra Magnus nodded in satisfaction.

"It feels as if these nanites are in the air." For some reason, Drift also shared with everyone.

Megatron chuckled. Such a statement he might have expected from Rodimus, but not from a former ally, a bad example is contagious. Although in some ways the silver mech himself agreed with him. The danger is really present everywhere, we are on their territory, we cannot feel them... But they can feel us.

"Maybe they are," Megatron agreed with maximum sympathy, "hold your vents just in case."

"Slag, what if they are really here?" Rodimus interrupted. "Next time we need to make filters like Whirl's head. Put on the top and that's it. Humans call it gas masks."

"I heard you, captain!" The discussed mech responded indignantly.

"Enough!" Magnus interrupted sharply. "Don't forget where we are. Rodimus, I'll talk to you in private later." And he quickened his pace, leaving companions behind.

"Is he normal at all? I'm talking about this... your co-captain," Riptide's optics became round with surprise. Here Megatron completely agreed with him: empurata is not a reason for jokes. Not a reason at all.

"Rodimus Prime?" He asked, following the Ultra Magnus. "I have no idea." They both caught up with the big Autobot a few steps away and were now walking a little behind.

"Prime?" Riptide reset yellow optics in surprise. "He... wait, what about Optimus?"

"Well... Rodimus is not exactly a Prime, but rather an apprentice of the current Prime," Megatron answered him. "But for some time he was a Matrix of Leadership's bearer. And then Optimus returned, and..." The Decepticon paused for a short time and finished with some irony in his voice: "Took it back. As I know."

"What have I missed..." a former colleague-miner in bewilderment scratched the top of his helm with his right servo.

"Indeed it is," Ultra Magnus agreed, checking the map. "Rodimus was a good Prime and remains a worthy mech today. Even if at times he speaks complete nonsense... and acts a little ... defiantly."

"The good and worthy wouldn't be deprive of the title," Riptide chuckled under his breath. Megatron barely resisted a grin. Although they were once comrades and now enemies, their views are still somewhat similar. At least with regard to some pretentious subjects.

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"We have a blockage ahead," said Drift, "let's try to go a level higher to..."

"Wait... Do you hear? Someone's following us..." Cyclonus's voice suddenly interrupted.

An unpleasant rattle was heard in the comm, then someone's exclamations and a crash. Before Megatron had time to fully realize what was happening there, three former Cybertronians also jumped out on them. Ultra Magnus pushed the silver mech back and opened fire along with Riptide.

One way or another they had to retreat. On the way, they encountered two more units of their own group, including organics, and even more charred drones. All battles were fought in complete darkness, broken only by flashes of blaster fire. It is good that the Cybertronians can turn their eyes into a clear night vision mode, organics don't have such an opportunity.

One of the mechs ducked, covering his organic companion, and began to lead him to safety... only to stumble upon another tall frame with spikes and much thicker limbs. He also had something like a small 'hump' on his back. He was significantly different from all the other 'techno-zombies'.

"These are the ones who infect! Watch out!" shouted one of the transparent reptilians. Riptide froze in surprise, disbelieving his optical sensors:

"Metaldust?!" He exclaimed, identifying his comrade in this frame. It flashed through Megatron's mind that this was the name of the former head of the station.

The molten body made a disgusting screeching sound, from this very hump on its back four long tentacles, which consisted of twisted wires, crawled out. Two tightly wrapped the mech in front of him, and two more stretched upward, bent and stuck into his neck... The captive screamed in pain, a wave of electrical discharges passed through his frame, smoke went from under the armor in several places, the air smelled of burnt wiring. Blaster shots flew at the creature from three sides, Getaway was not taken aback and threw an electromagnetic grenade at their feet, instantly incapacitating both.

"All back!" He shouted.

"To reactor, hurry! We must act quickly!" ordered Magnus, also tossing a grenade in the direction of five more drones.

The main reactor hall looked like a large circular shaft with several levels of platforms connected by walkways and stairs. At the very bottom was the installation that supplied energy to the entire station. The cylindrical structure in the center of the annular circles, if recall the structure of the station from the outside, Megatron thought. It was also dark here, except that there was blue emergency lighting downstairs.

The whole group appeared in the reactor room almost at the same time, and then they realized that they had fallen into a trap: out of the dark from the lower levels jumped at least fifteen simple charred frames and six more with wires-tentacles on their backs - all as one looked like... the one Riptide called by name at the time. Those were capable of infecting with nanites.

"Be especially careful with these!" Skyforce warned from somewhere. The battle ensued. The drones, too had nowhere to retreat, this was their very den. Some were knocked out of action by electromagnetic grenades, which were already not so many.

Megatron, without any means of protection, could only watch and help his comrades somehow fight back, although Magnus ordered him to leave the line of fire. Somewhere nearby, Rodimus swore very emotionally, someone screamed, two attacked Cyclonus at once, but Ultra Magnus came to his aid in time.

"We need to go down!" Riptide warned Megatron, knocking down another drone, that tried to grab him already. Whirl, Skids and Getaway fought off three tentacled ones at once.

"Go!" The silver mech pointed to the stairs in front of them. He and Riptide rolled down it and ran on. Passed several more levels.

"Slag!" Whirl swore from somewhere on the bridge above.

"Don't let them touch you!" supported Rodimus from somewhere nearby.

"Excellent advice, Captain Obvious," Megatron muttered softly, and then noticed that they were already very close to the control consoles. Just two more levels. "Riptide!" He called, pointing in the right direction. "The reactor!"

"Understood! Cover me!" He responded, for some reason he suddenly climbed over the railing and jumped to the next lower bridge.

Having made sure that it was safe, Megatron also jumped down, but his way was blocked by another equally twisted frame with wires twisting like tentacles behind his back and longer spikes all over the surface of the charred armor. In build, he was similar to Megatron and, unlike him, had additional means of attack. The silver mech was completely unarmed, he remains to rely only on his speed, physical strength and ability to react quickly. Riptide is already at the reactor itself, fiddling with consoles, trying to start the system. The others are far away... Here and now Megatron is on his own.

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The former Decepticon leader stood in front of the creature determined to transform him into his own kind. Megatron promised himself that if he was allowed to join the Lost Light team, he would never fight again, never hurt... What stands in front of him was once a Cybertronian, now it is alive and inanimate at the same time. What is more in it? Convincing is useless, not defending is stupid. Megatron has already fought with such, but first of all saving others, and not himself. Once Minimus taught him the art of combat...

The training room at the Ambus estate. The guardian of Megatron, at the request of the latter, promised to show several fighting techniques for self-defense. Megatron was back then peaceful, insecure and rejecting physical violence. But given what he had experienced in the past, he wanted to learn. In case of potential danger, wanted to be able to defend himself... to stop feeling like a victim. And at the same time, he didn't want to hurt others.

"Do you know which battle is the best?" Minimus Ambus, now clad in the armor of the Ultra Magnus, like most of the time, held in front of him at chest level a kind of large bag filled with something soft. Megatron, on his instructions, took turns hitting this very bag with his fists, as Minimus had previously shown. This was their first training.

"When good defeats evil?" the clumsy miner banged his left fist and nearly lost his balance. He already imagined the plots of fantastic works.

The Ultra Magnus chuckled and shifted his weight from his right pede to the left.

"As they say, the best battle is the one that never happened. But if it did, you don't have to hurt if you don't want to. Fight only if there is no other way."

"And if there is, then what?"

"Dodge. Let your enemy inflict damage on themselves. This is also a way to defeat a stronger enemy."

"How so?" Megatron frowned in confusion. The Ultra Magnus lowered the training bag and took a fighting stance.

"Try to attack. In any way. Just be serious, hit with all your might. And do not be afraid: if you can at least touch me, the sky will fall on our helms in the same second."

Megatron caught the hint, jumped forward sharply, raising his left fist to strike, but the Magnus smoothly walked to the side, tripping his opponent. Megatron fell, but quickly jumped up and again rushed to the attack. But again, to no avail. Ultra Magnus, although being arger than him, moved incredibly easily, without any effort.

After tormenting his student for several minutes, the head of the enforces intercepted him by the hand, turned him around and pressed against the wall with his armored frame:

"Now you get it?"

"G-guess so," the former miner squeezed out, trembling internally. From such close contact he was extremely uncomfortable. The Ultra Magnus took a step back, looking at his charge with a smile and warmth in the optics:

"You are a good, kind spark, Megatron. Always stay that way."

Changed by a strange illness the already dead Cybertron stood in front of him, as if assessing. Seriously, if he had at least some of the working systems, Megatron would think that the creature was scanning him. In any case, he himself tried to do just that. But the results were confirmed: according to all the known laws of the universe, this frame should not have functioned in any way, if not for this strange solidified substance under the armor, covering the protoform almost completely. Somewhere inside, movement was caught, it was especially noticeable in the area of the back, from where long moving tentacles twisted from dozens of wires protruded.

A monster, Megatron thought, and immediately objected to himself that it was a mech, the same cybertronian as I am... More precisely, he once was. But I don't want to fight anymore. All the time that I have left before meeting the Knights, if they exist, I want to devote to creation, not destruction.

"Dodge. Let your enemy inflict damage on themselves."

The tactics that Minimus once taught me... It should work.

Without thinking twice, the walking deactivate emitted a warning screech and charged at Megatron. The silver mech jumped back, dodged, blocked blow after blow... Only one thought came to mind: the enemy would inflict damage on himself if he 'accidentally' didn't hold on to the bridge and fell to the lower levels. Megatron jumped back again and began to retreat to the railing to dodge at the last moment.

"There! It's working!" Riptide shouted in the general noise of the battle, then followed a loud electric rumbling from somewhere below, and the lights turned on everywhere.

Megatron closed his eyes for a moment, not having time to adjust the optical sensors, and was almost knocked down. He dodged the sparking wires, tumbling to the side, but as soon as he got to his pedes, a strong sharp pain pierced his right palm... caused by a large metal dart that pierced the servo through. The capsules of some kind of dark blue liquid, mounted on it, bursted, injecting the contents into the damaged peripheral energon lines.

The Decepticon didn't even have time to be completely frightened, as he didn't have time to pull out the metal arrow, since the enemy again begun to attack, waving wires sticking out of his back and burned servos trying to grab the potential victim.

"The Legion of Chaos will rise!" the creature rasped warningly, making another attack in Megatron's direction. "We can't be stopped!"

Hearing this, the shocked Megatron hesitated for half a second - he didn't expect that the 'thing' could talk. And this time was enough for the enemy to throw him over the railing to the lower level. The creature pressed the Decepticon to the metal floor, four tentacles emerged from its back, ready to strike...

"All of you will join us!"

Megatron resisted with all his might, but a strange weakness in the frame continued to grow, the right servo, in which a sharp long arrow still protruded, almost refused to obey, the surrounding reality began to fade. HUD issued a critical warning. I can't cope... I can't, the silver mech involuntarily thought, still continuing to fight as hard as he could.

Panic...

"Megatron!" the Ultra Magnus swooped down on the large, melted frame from behind. The Loadbearer dragged him away from the Decepticon with incredible ease and tore out two of the four curled tentacles. He tried to hit, but the blue and white Autobot swiftly moved aside and struck a sharp blow directly to the enemy's head, forming a deep dent in the faceplate. The silver mech involuntarily opened his mouth in surprise, looking at the tough fight. Am I glitching, or is Magnus really... fighting for me? Anger, rage, a desire to protect... it was all clearly felt in the pulsations of the large blue and white Autobot's EM field.

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For a moment, Megatron fell out of reality. He heard muffled sounds of battle around him, somewhere near was a flash and rumbling. After that, all of a sudden, all the other drones stopped fighting, froze, and just hit the floor with a loud clang and rattle. Disconnected instantly, as if a second ago they hadn't run or fought at all. The silver mech realized this when the two crashed nearby, whom he hadn't noticed at first. His filtration systems tried hard to clear the fuel lines of the substance that was in that dart... The capsules were not removed, it still enters his body... A strong chemical... The recognition program gave out information about a modified neutralizer.

"Megatron!"

Terminus?.. A familiar figure leaned over him in the white light, which suddenly turned into the Ultra Magnus. No... not Terminus.

"You okay? Badly injured?" the Magnus asked, lifting him by the shoulders. He was deeply relieved that the silver transformer could move, and hadn't yet paid attention to the punctured right servo.

I must tell him, flickered in Megatron's head, I must say... Or not? Now it will pass... I don't need... I can... I can handle...

Fear...

"W-did it work?.." he managed, lifting himself slightly with the Ultra Magnus's help. Only now the Decepticon noticed that they were on the very site of the reactor, it was light all around, behind the back in one of the damaged power supplies, through which electric charges were still periodically running, laid an immobilized burnt-out frame.

"Oh, yeah!" Rodimus jumped up to them from somewhere down the stairs. "We did it!"

"But how?" Riptide tilted his helm to the left in surprise.

"It looks like when Mags destroyed their leader, others followed his example - they self-destructed," suggested Optimus Prime's protégé.

Ultra Magnus helped Megatron to his feet, and the four of them approached cautiously. The enemy, sticking out of the supply generator, one of the four, as Megatron noted, didn't move, but when the mechs were quite close, he gave a weak start and slightly raised his head...

"The Legion of Chaos will rise," his gaze focused on Megatron, "you can't stop us..." And he completely shut off. All four looked at him in silence, potentially expecting a sudden new attack, but nothing else happened.

"The Legion of Chaos?" repeated Rodimus, staring at the immobilized mech, then looked at his comrades: "What the hell is that means?"

"Beats me," Riptide spread the servos.

The silver mech shook his helm in mute denial, too. Numbness kept spreading throughout the frame from the damaged servo, the HUD continued bombarding with error messages and system blocks, the floor began to rotate underfoot. He staggered and, shaking his helm, grabbed something to his right for balance, which turned out to be the Ultra Magnus's hand.

"Megatron? What's wrong?" the surprised blue-and-white Autobot unwittingly grabbed the silver-black frame, and only mow discovered the pierced palm. "Primus, your servo..."

"What?" asked Riptide's voice nearby. "Wow, slag..."

Megatron tried to hold on, but it was almost impossible to stand. From a distance, he still understood, saw how Ultra Magnus was carefully examining his injured hand and the metal arrow still sticking out in it, he wanted to break free, but had practically no strength left. The silver mech didn't even feel the Magnus shattered the dart in half and removed it from his palm.

"What happened... Did he do that?" the Magnus's strong servos sharply turned the Decepticon to face him. The image of the big Autobot was clear and blurred. "Megatron, can you hear me?!" The blue and white bot shook him sharply by the shoulders. "Did he do that?!"

Probably, Minimus asks if that drone infected me, flashed in Megatron's mind. Maybe... I'm not sure... I don't think... Another made the shot. Someone form our side... So it happened... I knew it would... I knew...

Despair...

"No..." The Decepticon found his own voice incredibly quiet, even making a sound took a lot of effort. Won't make it... Can't. "Another..." Legs gave way, and Megatron began to sink to the floor. The Magnus grabbed him and slowly knelt down, keeping his once ward in a reclining state. He was scared, for some reason the losing consciousness Decepticon was absolutely sure of this.

"Mags, what's wrong with him?!"

"Megatron... Megatron!"

Gathering his last strength, the Decepticon looked into the crystal blue eyepieces of the Ultra Magnus, noting to himself that Minimus Ambus's real optics were the same bright red as his. Saw hinself in the reflection... Remembered the dream where he was suspended in the abyss between Light and Darkness... And voices...

"Given that execution is permissible in law, I have to say I echo Prowl's sentiments. Megatron is, quite frankly, too dangerous to live."

Realization...

"You..." Suddenly the former Decepticon leader understood. Voices... that voice from the dream... One of them... It was Ultra Magnus. It was... Minimus...

On the brink of consciousness, the silver mech extended the left servo to the concerned faceplate of the large blue and white Autobot holding him, but his digits never reached the target. The surrounding reality faded, sounds disappeared... Megatron didn't even hear how desperately the Ultra Magnus kept calling his name, didn't see or feel how strongly shook him, hoping to bring him back to his senses...

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) Independence Day OST - S.E.T.I. Radio Signal; (Rung's thoughts, Ravage and Soundwave's conversation)

2) Fallout 4 OST - Portal to the Past; (theresidential sectors)

3) Mass Effect 3 DLC Leviathan OST - Bryson's Lab; (explanation of the situation)

4) Mass Effect 2 DLC: Overlord ODT - Tension Rising; (moving to infected sector)

5) Halo 3 OST - Warthog Run; (the attack)

6) Halo 3 OST - To Kill A Demon; (Megatron vs. drone leader, the generator activation)

8) Mass Effect 3 OST - The Reapers Are Coming (the warning)

P.S. Well, now we know the main enemy's name. But for now it's just a name (I didn't think long about what to call them). Those voices that Megatron heard in his dream (in Chapter 1) are fragments of Optimus's memory transmitted to him through the Matrix, Rodimus will make an assumption about this when Megatron several times reproduces the events he wasn't a part of, but Optimus was.

At the very beginning of this chapter, I wanted to describe a short episode from the DJD and Tharn's POV, but something similar will be in the next chapter of "Rebirth of a Prime", so, in order not to repeat myself, I decided to write from Rung's POV.

I also liked FirstDragon's idea that the disease is contagious and that the team will have to face the consequences. So far, I haven't thought of such details of future distant events, I have only made a general storyline, but maybe I can somehow implement it in a slightly modified format. We'll see, some events come to my mind right at the time of writing.

Thank you, FirstDragon!

Chapter Text

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The mine was about to collapse. Everything around was falling apart, cracks snaked along the walls, dust and small stones flew from above, sometimes had to dodge larger rocks. Megatron ran as fast as he could, trying to think only about getting out, about what was waiting ahead... and not about what was left deep underground. About... the one who was left there.

Terminus ordered him to leave. To run without looking back, and just try to help other miners whom Megatron might meet along the way. Terminus... He stayed there. Badly injured and unable to move. If Megatron tried to drag him along, they would both die...

“You must go, Megatron. Save yourself while you still can!

“I won't leave you here!”

“Megs!” weakening servos grabbed his right forearm, the flickering optics began to fade. “For both of our sake... Save yourself. You are our hope, you must survive.” He ex-vented heavily and touched his frozen in a daze companion’s left cheek with trembling digits. “Run. Save everyone you can... The final tribute to me...”

Megatron slowly stood up, still watching with empty optics at the legless miner lying in front of him, life in whose frame was gradually fading away. This is the end.

“Go... Promise me that you will get out. Move.”

And Megatron ran. He ran as fast as he could at that moment. Working in the mines since their creation, Tarnian miners were well-versed in the tunnels and could remember where which passage leads, only once walking along it. There were three exits to the surface, and Megatron hoped to get to at least one of them in time. Thoughts about Terminus faded into the background, all Megatron could think about now was to get out alive and as quickly as possible.

The first exit was already blocked, the other – located at the highest levels, there was only one left... between them, but he still has to use the mine elevators... On the way, Megatron ran into five fleeing comrades, two more had to be quickly freed from sudden captivity: the right leg of one of them was crushed by a bar, the other almost fell into a nearly formed crack. Megatron was dragging the mech with a damaged leg on himself.

The six of them jumped onto the platform, another miner started the lifting process, but didn’t have time to jump to the others. They went up by some incredible miracle, as well as managed to get to the surface in time...

Falling to the ground along with his wounded comrade, who had previously been hanging on him like a dead weight, Megatron rolled onto his back and sat up, watching with round eyepieces in horror as the mountain inside of which they were mining began crumbling.

The survivors were already at a safe distance, and able to observe how landslides were rolling down along the slopes, completely blocking the exits, if there was still someone left in the mines. Then smaller tremor began... and an absolutely unpredictable thing happened: the huge mountain shook, and then sank into the ground to the very bottom, falling apart into millions of large and small stones... a giant dust cloud shot up into the sky, covering the heaven light.

And only now Megatron suddenly realized: the mine collapse was not accidental and natural, it also happened not because of the mining process itself. No... It was a directional explosion with a prior artificial ground quake. Of the forty miners who worked on this shift, only eighteen got out. And among the dead was Megatron’ closest person in the world...

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“It was a true disaster,” came suddenly from behind. Megatron turned around and saw Terminus alive and well behind him. Only now did the silver mech noticed that his own frame had changed to the already familiar one, there was a kind of dark blue haze and a thin, dirty white fog around them. “They blamed everything on natural collapse, right? Nobody took responsibility.”

“Because officially was an accident,” Megatron muttered, turning away. He remembered Terminus the ghost, he had already appeared to him several times, and then Megatron also saw the events of the past. With some incredible, as humans say, sixth sense, he realized that even now it was not for real, it all came from an unusual vision that took on the image of his deceased friend. “Why are you doing this, Terminus?” Megatron didn’t know who or what was this something, that took on the image of a miner, whose name was erased from the pages of history. Wasn’t sure that it was exactly HIM. And yet, how else to refer to him? Let it be that way... “Why torturing me?”

“You’re torturing yourself, being sure that you deserve only suffering,” he objected calmly.

“Isn’t it so?” Megatron clenched his fists as he approached him. “This is what the winners say!”

“And you - you personally - what do you think? Why did you agree to this?”

The silver mech froze with his mouth open and right index finger pointing forward. He stood there for a few seconds, collecting his thoughts, but stepped back and only waved it off. It would seem that this is the opportunity to say... But what's the difference. The word of the winners is law, history will be rewritten, all bad deeds be blamed on the Decepticons, and he himself, most likely, will die on this pointless task much earlier than the team even finds the way to Cyberutopia... if it exists.

“Megatron?”

“It doesn't matter what I think. Nobody will ask or listen to me.”

“I'm asking you,” said Terminus. Then he pulled the left servo out to the side. “They are also not indifferent to your opinion.” Eight already familiar figures emerged from the fog at once: Minimus Ambus, Tarn, Helex, Vos, Thesarus, Kaon, the Pet and Shockwave... Only not that familiar Shockwave, who had already gone through empurata, but the former one... Senator Shockwave.

Megatron gasped in dismay and took a step back, raising his servos in defence. But none of those who appeared said a word or moved. They stood as if they were not alive... Illusions of those whom he knows or knew once.

“If you show yourself worthy, you will find allies.” Now Terminus turned his right servo to the other side. At his gesture, nearly all of the Lost Light crew came out from there. “And in time,” the miner threw his helm up. Megatron did the same, and saw the entire Cybertron above him, covering almost a third of the foreseeable space, “others will come.” He again gave the silver mech an attentive look: “The only question is whether you will fight for those who now despise, afraid or don’t accept you. Will you protect them to the last spark beating, as you once wanted...”

“Protect from what?” the Decepticon was completely confused.

“You have a long and difficult path to accept yourself, Megatron,” the miner continued, as if he hadn’t heard the question, “but if you manage, if you get to the end, then the reward will be appropriate. Always remember: life is life, organic or mechanical. The Decepticons once had a different goal, revive it, and then history will not be changed by the victors, as it happened many times in the past.”

History is written by the winners, Megatron was forced to agree, if it was up to me, I would tell the truth: about us and about the Autobots. Let the people decide who is right and who is wrong. But this is hardly possible.

“It is possible,” said Terminus, and Megatron stared at him with genuine surprise and some fear. He... how did he know what I was thinking? “If you use this chance right.”

‘Tell me your doubts ... Admit to yourself.’

A chance... or an illusion of a chance? That’s the question. For me everything has already been decided, but if there is even the slightest opportunity to save others from this... I don’t know. Why speak in riddles... Why not tell everything as it is?

“You have to go,” the miner's voice cut off Megatron's train of thought.

The silver mech only wanted to clarify: where, but suddenly he realized – back into reality. How do I know this? No idea. I just do, that's all.

“Terminus...” Megatron called cautiously, fearfully turning away.

“What?”

“Am I going to see you again?”

Their gazes met. The miner, putting the servos on his belt, somehow smiled kindly, forcing Megatron to frown in confusion, and then said more quietly:

“If you want. Consider me your guide on this difficult path. A spark ghost, if you will.”

“A spark ghost?” Megatron repeated in surprise, and was immediately blinded by the powerful blue-white light emanating from Terminus’s and all other mechs’ and femmes’ frames, who stood around them. Involuntarily closing his eyes, the silver transformer shield himself with servos, and then...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

...Slowly opening his optics again, Megatron involuntarily winced and squeezed out a faint moan, since the light had not disappeared anywhere. Only it was already different, a little less bright, but was perceived much more painfully. The frame felt heavier than usual, no pain, but it was quite difficult to move. Tiredness...

Footsteps rang out nearby, and then a femme's voice agitated announced:

“He's coming to his senses.”

Velocity appeared in Megatron's field of vision. Or is it not Velocity? No, must be her. Can’t understand...

“Captain? Megatron, can you hear me?”

Focusing on the green femme, he nodded and closed the optics again. Systems responded slowly, only now self-diagnostics revealed two foreign substances fighting each other in the fuel lines, one of which was gradually decomposing the other. What are they doing to me... He looked at Velocity again with a mute question in the optics. Oddly enough, the medic understood him.

“You were injured during the battle with those monsters,” she explained with a guilty look that the silver mech didn’t like. “A strong chemical got into your systems... A neutralizer that blocks the CPU cognitive functions and physical activity. We are currently performing a filtration procedure to cleanse your fuel lines. But the poison’s strong enough, so the process goes slower than expected.”

So they... are helping? It was difficult to remember, but nevertheless he managed to rip out some scraps of memory: the reactor room, the battle, the right servo pierced by a large sharp arrow... The warning...

Lifting the right servo with an effort, Megatron found that his palm was completely intact. He clenched and unclenched his digits, only then noticing a long, narrow dark hose, one end of which was connected to the elbow, and the other went up somewhere. Exactly the same one was fixed on his left arm, three more wider ones were adjacent to each of two sides, and two more installed in the knee joints areas.

“But how…” Megatron felt confused. He remembered speaking with Terminus in the unknown place much more clearly than previous events. “I was elsewhere seconds ago.”

Velocity and First Aid, who also approached the berth, exchanged meaningful glances, and the latter decided to clarify:

“Not seconds ago, Megatron. You were brought here after the Stellar-6’s main reactor was started up. A little more than two cosmic days have passed since then.”

“That long?” stunned Megatron asked, surprised to find the strength to rise up a little on the berth. First Aid recoiled reflexively, while Velocity stepped up to the silver mech and pressed imperiously on his shoulders, returning him to a prone position.

“Captain, please lie still,'' she ordered sternly, “the dose of neutralizer you received is quite capable of killing... If you weren’t a Point One Percenter, you would have died maximum in a half an hour.”

Megatron stared at her with a tired, slightly annoyed look, then lifted the left servoand placed it on his chest plates. Not to say that these words really frightened him somehow, he was already accustomed to constant hidden dangers. You never know what awaits you, not just tomorrow, but the next minute. And among enemies, you shouldn’t hope for anything good. My own fault: distracted, lost vigilance... Idiot. One thing is not clear, what is all this for? Why help me...

“And yes, now we are still on the station.” The green medic added more calmly, this time not catching his silent question.

“On the station...” Megatron repeated slowly, gradually delving into what was happening. Yes, this medical bay doesn’t really look like the ship’s one. “So, it wasn’t blown up like Skyforce wanted?”

“Fortunately, didn't have to,” intervened another voice, immediately following the sound of the opening doors. Both medics turned to look at the newcomer, the silver transformer slightly raised himself to see him too, although it was already clear from the voice who it was. Ratchet. As always with a strict faceplate expression. “The main drone’s destruction resulted in the shutdown of all the others, they no longer pose a threat.” The old medic also went to the berth. “Welcome back to the world of the living.” And already turned to other doctors: “How is he?”

“I’m actually here, I can answer myself,” Megatron muttered before either of them could say a word.

At this, Ratchet looked at him like he was a naughty sparkling. For some reason, Megatron felt... smaller under his gaze. An old episode suddenly came to mind, the day of their acquaintance, when Megatron came to his senses in the central Iaconian hospital in a medical ward intended for VIPs. It was then that it became clear that his spark wasn’t just an anomaly, that he himself was not an ordinary Cybertronian.

“And I know perfectly well what you’ll say,” the senior physician said to him, not breaking the optics contact, “therefore I’m not asking you.” Then nodded inquiringly to Velocity.

“The filtration procedure is 73% complete, all basic inner mechanisms are functioning normally,” the femme extracted the datapad from the subspace and began to compare the new data with the previously received, “however, the connection between CPU and peripheral systems is still in the process of being established. The servo is completely restored...”

She speaks too much, Megatron thought, I would describe everything much simpler: survived - and it's already good, for me, at least. I am destined to be a medic only in my dreams. This thought made him feel especially sad. Although no, not the thought itself. It's just my spark somehow aches... I don't know, can't understand. Something else happened... As if we had lost something, or someone...

“Also weakness and slight confusion. But no threat to life, however...”

“What about the others?” suddenly interrupted Megatron, looking at the ceiling. There was no way he could explain this sudden, strange sadness. Perhaps this is all Fool’s Energon and plus the neutralizer’s effect. “How many died?”

“Fortunately, none of ours,” First Aid responded, “among the locals, unfortunately, there are losses, yes.”

“Four,” Megatron stated, surprised to himself. Why? Only one mech died in front of me like that, I don't know anything about the rest. I didn't see what happened to them. Where did the number four came from?

“Correct,” Ratchet said grimly, much to the former Decepticon leader’s surprise and even fear.

“A total of seven victims,” he also finished absently, “three were already infected when we arrived.”

Although Megatron didn’t look at the medics, their EM fields confirmed his guess. Seven dead... Why am I so sad? I didn't even know them. Primus, what's wrong with me... what's this? I experienced similar feelings at the beginning of the war: pain, longing, sadness about those mechs that died in battles... Sometimes I envied Shockwave, who was deprived of emotions...

“Any ideas what we were dealing with?” He asked to somehow defuse the situation.

“Not yet, unfortunately,” Ratchet shook his helm, “we have collected samples for research, planning to work on the ship and keep in touch with scientists on Cybertron...”

The Legion of Chaos, flashed through the Decepticon's mind. The transformed one said that we will all join them... Who? Who are they... Megatron closed his optics. The feeling of incomprehensible anxiety didn’t want to let go. This is a completely new threat from nowhere. Workers at this station talked about the ship on which the infected mechs arrived. But how did the infection get on that ship... I've never seen such a thing before...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Voices nearby continued to say something, but they were kind of quiet, words - illegible, as if speakers were behind a thick wall. Periodically, separated sentences nevertheless reached the Decepticon's audials, but the general flow of speech was devoid of any meaning. Megatron felt faint swaying, as if something he was lying on was floating somewhere...

“Magnus, they're here. Don't worry, Velocity and First Aid will watch over Megatron while we're gone. His life is out of danger... Magnus?”

“I will find out who did this and make them answer to the fullest extent of the law. I give you my word.”

----------

“Even a smaller dose of this substance can cause instant stasis... And according to Rodimus, Magnus and Riptide, for some time Megatron was conscious and even able to move.”

“Yes-yes! We didn't immediately realize that he had an arrow in his servo until Mags noticed.”

“Did Megatron say who could do it?”

“When I asked, he only replied that it was done by another, not by the infected mech he fought with. This is all, unfortunately. Moreover, Megatron... Optimus, he seemed to be hoping to hide the fact of injury!”

“What if they tried to shoot his enemy and not Megatron himself? What if our co-captain just got hit accidentally? Um... okay, just a guess. Then in a different way: what was the purpose of this? Kill? Temporarily disable? Make it an accident?”

“Depends on luck. In fact, any of these assumptions may be correct.”

----------

You worried? About whom, I wonder.

“What?”

“Well, what options can there be: about Megatron or about yourself? If he suddenly dies during the mission, he will most likely destroy the Matrix as well. Therefore, Cybertron won’t get neither this Deseptislagging Prime-successor, no any else.”

A clanging ringing and the sound of a fall came after these words immediately.

----------

“Hold on, my spark... You are on the right path.”

----------

“The Legion of Chaos will rise! You will all join us... join us... join us...”

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Megatron snapped his optics open, shaking shallowly and venting heavily. The silver mech didn’t even immediately understand where he was: the last thing he remembered was a voice from the dark, the very warning that he had heard before...

“Megatron? Calm down, everything is fine,” a powerful wide blue and white servo lay on his left shoulder. Turning his helm, Megatron saw the Ultra Magnus sitting to his left. “It's alright, you're safe.”

“Minimus?” the Decepticon was very surprised. Just now there were completely different mecs: the eternally displeased Ratchet and his two assistants were saying something to him, and now suddenly... they turned into the Ultra Magnus? “Where did you...” Only now Megatron drew attention to the absence of any hoses and wires that were previously attached to his frame, also quickly collecting data on his condition, he didn’t detect the presence of any suspicious substances. “How long have you been here?”

“A while,” came the evasive answer. Magnus removed the servo from his shoulder and sat up straight. “You woke up about four hours ago and almost immediately passed out again. How are you feeling? The neutralizer is completely out of your systems, but Ratchet warned that slight weakness and disorientation could remain for some time.”

The silver mech nodded briefly, sat up awkwardly, and swung his pedes off the berth. He felt much better for real, but a certain fatigue was still present. Nevermind, I can manage, I will survive. Until next time...

“Megatron...”

“Mmm?”

“Who could have done it?”

The Decepticon shrugged, deliberately avoiding the optics contact. He did not rule out the thought that even Magnus could make the shot. Initially, Megatron somehow didn’t think that Minimus might want to harm him now, but... After those words... If they were spoken... That seemed to me... No, well, in theory, he could say that, right? Could have wanted to get rid of me. We're enemies, yes? Enemies...

“Megatron?”

“I don’t know,” he said quietly, still meeting Ultra Magnus’s gaze, “I really don’t know.”

“Were there any hidden or direct threats during the flight? Maybe someone was looking at you with displeasure?”

“Minimus... A Decepticon on the Autobot ship - isn't that a reason itself for disgruntled glances?” Megatron reminded him with a hint, and hastened to dispel the suspicions of the security service chief: “There were definitely no threats.” Suddenly he remembered the skirmish with Drift, whom he accidentally mistook for Tarn. “No threats.”

The Ultra Magnus nodded in understanding. He wanted to say some words of support, to promise that this will not happen again, and that the one who did it will be punished accordingly, but... he didn’t know if it was appropriate at all now. Won’t he make it only worse?

“It doesn't give them the right to...”

“No matter, it's my own fault,” the silver transformer casually waved his left servo, “Had to be more attentive.”

“Megatron...”

Ratchet and First Aid arrival saved the former Decepticon leader from further explanations. It turned out that Ultra Magnus promised to comm when Megatron regains consciousness. Although the silver transformer was in an additional recharge for only four hours - the internal chronometer confirmed the Magnus’s words - it seemed to him that the conversation with medics was yesterday or even the day before yesterday.

While the medical examination lasted, after which they came to the conclusion that Megatron was healthy, and it was possible to leave the station, all three told the silver mech what he had missed while he was unconscious. Since the reactor was launched, there were no more new infections or attacks. Most mechs in the last battle in the reactor block escaped with minor injuries, only four were fatally wounded, and all of them were station workers; there were no casualties among the Lost Light crew. Three mechs who were already infected also died. But since their transformations weren’t completed, their sparks simply extinguished, and at the same time the process of changes was aborted. Seven victims, as Megatron anticipated.

Two hours later a delegation of scientists, military and medics arrived, some of the survivors were evacuated to Cybertron, (several frames of the deceased mechs were taken there for study as well), and some, including Riptide and Skyforce, remained. The latter was now officially appointed chief of the station. Now works on the station’s repairs and research on the dead Cybertronians continue. Also, the ruler of Cybertron expressed gratitude to the entire crew for coming to the rescue. Megatron also asked if Prime had been told about this very Chaos Legion, to which Magnus replied with a slight grin that Rodimus told him about it in the first place.

In any case, the Lost Light’s task remains the same: the search for Cyberutopia. Scientists from Cybertron will deal with this new infection. However, Optimus Prime gave the go-ahead to Perceptor and Ratchet and his team to start researching the collected samples, if it’s about a completely new danger, must be all possible resources.

Optimus... For some reason, Megatron had a feeling that the ruler of Cybertron also came to the station, no one mentioned this in the Desepticon’s presence, and Megatron didn’t dare to ask. But what really surprised him was Prime's permission to remove Megatron’s T-cog blocker. The rest should remain in place for now, and Fool’s Energon hasn’t been canceled too, but at least now he will be given the opportunity to switch to the alternative fighter mode. Ratchet will do the necessary procedure on the ship when they leave the station.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

An hour later, the ship was ready for departure. The energy supply had been restored throughout the station long ago, and was no need to be afraid of any ‘techno-zombies’. They were escorted to the hangar by Skyforce and two glassternaps - Seamus and Veranu - the very ones who helped with the plan for launching the reactor and further actions. The medic Redlight also was talking about something with Ratchet and Perceptor. Megatron admitted that this Skyforce is really one of those who deserves respect: knowing WHO came to help, he didn’t protest and demand for the Decepticon to immediately leave the Autobot station, the same mech convinced his other colleagues that it didn’t matter who arrived, the main thing is for what purpose. And if Megatron is now cooperating with the Autobots, then the war must come to an end very soon.

“Once again, thank you for your help. I don't even know what would happen if you hadn’t received our distress signal...” Skyforce thanked again as they were saying goodbyes at the ship's ladder. Besides Megatron there also stood the Ultra Magnus, Rodimus, Perceptor, Ratchet and Velocity, all the other crew members were already on board.

“We couldn't do otherwise,” Rodimus shrugged, pretending that it was all sheer trifles. Megatron chuckled to himself, remembering how the Prime’s student had acted when they first heard the SOS signal.

“Can you manage it further?” asked the Ultra Magnus.

“At this point - yes,” Veranu nodded confidently, “the team from Cybertron will stay here for some time, until the station is restored... After that everything will go on as usual. You helped us a lot.”

“This is our job,” the red and yellow Autobot got in again competently. “Well, we have to go.” He glanced at his comrades.

“Good luck,” Seamus said.

“Hey, wait!” they suddenly heard very close, and Riptide almost flew into the group. “Phew, made it in time!”

“What's happened?” Skyforce was alert. The others looked at each other in confusion.

“Nothing non-urgent, well in a sense something urgent, but not mortally dangerous,” the repairmech answered confusedly, still venting hard, “I just wanted to... I wanted to ask...” He hesitantly scratched the top of his helm. “Given all the situation, I would like to ask permission to join you. Captain Rodimus said you’re space explorers...”

“Captain Rodimus said so?” Megatron clarified and sent a predatory look in the Prime's protégé’s direction. “Riptide, this is not a pleasure trip. What we are looking for may not exist at all.”

“But the process itself is real, yes?” the former miner innocently spread his servos. “I wouldn’t mind taking part in such an expedition. Help however I can. If you accept me.” Riptide squeezed out a not very confident, but sincere smile.

“Why not,” the Prime’s student suddenly agreed and slightly nudged Megatron with his right elbow: “What do you think, co-captain?”

The silver Transformer didn't even have time to come up with anything when Ultra Magnus intervened:

“Rodimus, the rule number 36...”

“Let it even be number 136, Mags!” he objected. “Riptide is one of us, he fought on our side and now proved to be a good fighter. In addition,” a swing of the right servo towards the former leader of the Decepticons, “he and Megs are well acquainted.”

“You yourself will explain this to Optimus when he asks about it. And he will ask for sure.”

Rodimus snorted, muttering to himself. Megatron could swear he heard ‘Screw him’ in the midst of it all. This is something new... Maybe it just seemed to me... And if not, Prime urgently needs to take up his upbringing.

“You sure you want this?” asked Skyforce, when everyone managed to more or less agree with each other.

“Yes, sir.” Confident statement was confirmed by a nod.

“Well, good luck then.” They shook hands. “Take care of yourself and your new team members.” And already turned more to Megatron and Magnus: “And you look after him.”

Both tried to hide their indignation as much as possible. Of course, they need this sudden addition to the crew, like a fighter needed a car trailer, but what to do... Wonder what Prime will say when he finds out what arbitrariness his protégée is doing. None of my business of course, Megatron reminded himself, but it will be interesting to watch and listen.

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“Alright, team! Time to go. All aboard!” Rodimus was the first to proudly go up ladder and disappeared from sight.

Shaking his helm, Megatron, along with the rest of the crew, also stepped onto the ladder. Behind him, Riptide noticed that this Rodimus - formerly Hot Rod - is a rather extraordinary mech, to which Ratchet chuckled: "It’s just the beginning."

A few minutes later, the ship left the station’s hangar and continued its flight to the former destination - the planet Yuntara. From the station, which was already shimmering with external white lights, they were once again thanked for their help and were wished good luck on their further journey.

Megatron was happy with this outcome, only an inexplicable feeling of personal sadness over the dead threw him a little off balance. And also the mention of this very Legion of Chaos... Maybe all this is far-fetched, and there’s nothing to worry about... But if everything is true, the Cybertronians have big problems. And, of course, still unknown who shot him. The attack came from the Autobots, not otherwise. Those infection-altered drones weren't that smart. No, it was one of the new ‘friends’. And more attacks will follow, the Decepticon had no doubt about that. The only question is - when?

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) San Andreas 2015 OST - Hoover Dam; (the mine destruction)

2) Mass Effect 3: DLC Leviathan OST - The Leviathan; (Megatron and Terminus)

3) Dreamfall Chapters: Reborn OST - The House of All Worlds; (awakening in the station's medbay)

4) Method OST - Hmm; (voices)

5) Maze Runner: The Scorch Trial OST - Chat With Brenda; (Megatron and Minimus/Magnus)

6) San Andreas 2015 OST - Divorce Papers; (Riptide joins the team)

7) Mass Effect OST - Victory (the Lost Light leaves the station)

Chapter Text

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Ravage was a master at infiltrating restricted areas or guarded territories. No one on the freighter Stardust had even realized that there was an intruder on board. The cybercat managed to sneak into one of the storage bays during the materials loading. What surprised the scout most of all was the the crew’s carelessness, they didn’t expect any catches. A none-military ship, the Autobots’ territory, what could happen?

“Idiots,” the cybercat snorted dismissively as loaders left this bay and sealed the door.

Smugly sticking his glossa out to the blocked exit, Ravage jumped into the far corner and, sitting behind the metal crates, waited patiently. He and Soundwave agreed not to get in touch until the very end of the flight. Even the smallest chance shouldn’t be allowed for their radio communications to be detected on the ship. Now the task is next: upon arrival to Curato City, find two femmes - Nautica and Windblade. According to Soundwave’s information, they should be the ones to meet the Lost Light’s crew there. If Ravage finds them, he will find Megatron. If only get to him in time.

Megatron... How could he publicly say... that?! It cannot be that he did it of his own accord. What did these Autobot bastards do to him? The real Megatron would rather die than agree... And the Autobots know that. What then? Were his neural networks reprogrammed? Have they burn down his CPU? Changed his personality? Or it wasn't Megatron at all, but a hologram? A double? And how will the silver mech react upon seeing Ravage? There are also a lot of options: he will be frightened, won’t recognize him, or will say that all this is a secret plan...

“I hope the latter,” the cybercat summed up his thoughts aloud. “I really hope so.”

The journey passed for him in tense reflections. Ravage sat quietly in his hideout, leaving the desire to play the ship's ghost and slightly frighten the crew. At another time he would definately it, but now the situation was extremely serious to risk even the slightest opportunity to betray his location.

And so, when the ship, after four and a half cosmic days, reached the planet. Landing in the spaceport, unloading crates and containers... Slipping out unnoticed was easy for Ravage. Nevertheless he couldn’t resist and left on the wall in the cargo hold, where he spent all this time, an inscription, scrawled with a sharp claw: ‘Autobots are idiots’ and also ‘There was a Decepticon’, and under these two phrases he also left the symbol of the Purple sign clan. Let them explain with their superiors who did it, how and when.

The cybercat also decided not to walk openly around the lively spaceport, highly likely someone might recognize him. So he did a quick reconnaissance, made sure that the ship he was looking for hadn’t yet arrived, and ducked towards the warehouse hangars, where there was no one at the moment, removed the round holographic device from his left paw and dialed the addressee’s ID number. The small device glowed green and projected a full-length hologram of the Decepticons signal specialist.

“I’m there,” said Ravage, “the ship Lost Light is not on the list of arrivals yet.”

“Confirm,” he nodded, “they are out of schedule, but already heading in your direction. Estimated time of arrival tomorrow evening at 18:36 local time.

“Got it, I'll be waiting. In the meantime I’ll start looking for those who should meet them here. Maybe we can figure out something more.”

“Warning: there is confirmation that Megatron was attacked and seriously injured. The Autobots are trying to...”

“WHAT?!” the cyber-cat howled and immediately, pressing his ears, looked around in fright to see if anyone had heard. But there were no suspicious sounds. Having coped with the wave of surging emotions, Ravage asked more quietly: “Who attacked? How bad is it?”

“Now the leader’s life is out of danger, but who did it - there is no information. The Autobots themselves don't know what happened. At the station where the ship was, aserious confrontation happened, an unknown infection took place.”

“Infection?” Ravage asked confusedly, blinking his lenses in surprise. Soundwave nodded curtly. “What kind of infection?”

“Not enough data. But there are no infected on the ship itself. Ravage: ask Lord Megatron when you meet him. And be careful - the DJD are on the warpath, Lord Megatron is in serious danger.”

“What?” Ravage felt the floor began to slip out from under his paws. It is not enough bad things already, but now these are also... “But they cannot, in fact...” He began uncertainly and trembled under the piercing gaze of the red visor. “Do they know where to look?”

“Negative. At this point. There is also the possibility that the security forces are playing their game, they sent a team to eliminate the crew of the Lost Light.””

“Eliminate? So it is now Autobots versus Autobots?” the cybercat tilted his head to the left in surprise and twitched his tail. He wanted to giggle, but the interlocutor’s serious gaze didn’t let him do so.”

“They can detect the team much earlier than the DJD would. It is likely that there are traitors among Lord Megatron's new companions. And these are much more determined than the one well-known traitor.”

“I-understood... One piece of news is worse than another...” Cybercat nodded thoughtfully. “So, for now, we are acting according to the original plan. The next communication session is tomorrow at 18:00 local time.”

“Good luck.” The signalman nodded, and his holographic figure was gone.

Attaching the intercom to his left paw again, Ravage left the warehouse and headed for the city. Searched subjects: Windblade and Nautica. They will lead to Megatron...

* * *

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Minimus Ambus sincerely hoped that after the events at the Stellar-6 space station, they would reach Yuntara without any other sudden incidents, and he would be able to focus on the course of his investigation - to find the one who almost killed Megatron. Before departure, he requested video recordings of events in the reactor hall: everything that was recorded by CCTV cameras after the power supply was restored. He said - to study the behavior of the victims altered by the nanites, whom Rodimus called ‘techno-zombies’ in his conversations.

But the recordings were not enough, besides, Minimus was sure that the attacker would make a new attempt, and it was necessary to prevent this from happening at all costs. Megatron needs a bodyguard, whether he wants to or not. And this should be someone who won’t ask questions, start to complain, and, if necessary, manage to fight back one or a group of mecs. Minimus himself cannot be around all the time, it will be extremely unacceptable. And the silver transformer will not tolerate anyone else. Only one candidate came to mind.

“Ten,” called Minimus on the comm, “come to me.”

Less than two minutes, into Minimus's office entered a large, twice his height, combat mech with an excavator jaw and narrow slits for the optics. The armor color is dark yellow. One of the Legislators -non-sparking combat robots created by Chief Justice Tyrest. This one was found here on the ship, disconnected, some time before Megatron became part of the team. No matter how this drone got here, the find turned out to be very successful, it could well come in handy on this expedition.

“There's a task for you,” Minimus jumped off the chair, which just like the desk, was designed for the Magnus armor, and went up to him. “I have concerns that Megatron, our second captain, may be in grave danger.”

“Ten?” the drone bowed his helm inquiringly. He could only pronounce his own name, but understood information well.

“I don’t know yet,” the green and white mech shook his helm, looking up at him. The Legislator was twice as tall, and if Minimus was now in the armor, which was now in the armory, he himself would have towered over him by about two heads. “But an attempt to take his life has already been made.”

“Ten-ten!” This time the drone's voice sounded harder. Legislators, by virtue of their programming, couldn’t normally perceive any illegal actions.

“I'm appointing you as his bodyguard. Keep an optic on him when I'm not around, but don't push too hard. Keep your distance. Report all suspicious activities to me.”

“Ten,” the drone nodded readily.

“Remain as inconspicuous as possible,” repeated Minimus with pressure, “Megatron should not know about your mission.” He just turned around, going to sit back at the desk, but suddenly again made a sharp turn to face the robot and, raising his right index finger, added: “And even if he does, his reaction is not important. The order comes from me, do you understand?” The robot nodded in agreement, and Minimus waved his servo permissively: “Then you can go.”

The robot left the office and went in search of the new charge. Well, Minimus ex-vented, one problemless. At least Megatron now has a personal guard. It's good. Ten and Megatron are almost the same height and size in the shoulders, both of their armor is massive... If the Legislator is nearby, the enemy is unlikely to decide on open hostile actions... Although Megatron is the ship's captain, and Minimus is the head of the ship's security service, here his act is fully justified. If only Ten wouldn’t become too overprotective.

Minimus walked to the window and stared thoughtfully at the distant stars. Megatron, for some unknown reason, began to avoid him. Meaning, the silver mech is already trying to keep contacts outside the ship's bridge to a minimum, but this... Before there was less alienation between them, in any case that's how Minimus thought. Now Megatron doesn’t even want to stay near him: their communication is reduced only to greetings, after that Megatron gives Minimus reports, which the latter sends to Cybertron, and... they walk away in different directions. And so continues already for two days since their departure from the Stellar-6.

Minimus does ’t exclude that it is because of stress, and therefore tries to be as delicate as possible. Megatron became more aloof, more indifferent. To the new reminder that Optimus had allowed the T-cog blocker to be removed, he replied that there was still time, and then added: “Honestly, I'm surprised that Prime didn't blame me for the station workers’ deaths. Why, a mech more a mech less, what difference does it make, in your opinion, I am responsible for the actions of BOTH factions!" And then hurried to leave, probably realizing that he blurted out something he didn’t want ot. On this occasion, Minimus shared his concerns with Rung. Today he and Megatron have the first psychotherapy session, and Minimus is not sure whether Megatron is taking the drugs prescribed to him... There are no questions about Fool’s Energon, everything is clear here, but about everything else - a big question. Good thing Optimus left the station before Megatron regained consciousness, they don't need to cross over again in the near future...

Tomorrow they will arrive on the planet Yuntara and begin to search for the first Key. Maybe, at least for a while, one captain will come out of depression, and the other will stop doing stupid things? The entire crew will begin to act as one... Lately, everything became more strangely with Rodimus than with Megatron. A little more, and he too will have to be sent to Rung... or worse.

Minimus returned to his desk. What happened to this cheerful fidget? Yes, many crew members are not happy that Megatron is not only on the ship, but also has a leading position – good thing almost no one knows about the Matrix of Leadership in his chest - but Rodimus became really something in the last couple of days. No, on the bridge Optimus's student behaves more or less adequately, but when his shift ends...

First he got drunk at Swerve's, almost like at Mccadam’s Oil House, when Minimus himself had to save him from the fight. Okay, this time there were no fists. But Drift later couldn’t resist commenting on this topic.

Then Rodimus, still being drunk, showed up on the bridge. Megatron only asked how long it will take to reach to Yuntara, and when Skids reported the arrival time and said ‘captain’ at the end of the sentence, Rodimus jumped onto the silver mech’s back with the words: "I am the captain!"

And before heading to his hadsuit to recharge, the Prime's protégé turned to the armory and drew a mustache on the Ultra Magnus's armor’s face like that of humans ‘for a more serious look’.

And how to deal with him... without force? Minimus hoped that the first captain would calm down and accept the situation as it is... in time. Maybe this very time has passed very little for everyone. For some reason, the Matrix of Leadership chose Megatron, and nothing can be changed now, but Optimus... Minimus made him a promice, and he is going to keep it. He really hoped that the attack on the silver mech was... No, not Rodimus... Please, not him...

* * *

Handing over the watch to the co-captain, Megatron first went to the storage with the Fool’s Energon and drank the necessary ration as ordered. Then - to the ship’s medical bay for the next doses of poison... that is medicine prescribed by Ratchet and Rung... For some reason, the senior medic insisted on taking them right in his presence, and again gave Megatron a container with yellow liquid, which the Decepticon had to drink before recharging. Shame... He felt like a pacified animal in a zoo, whose fate is to be the object of observation and entertainment for visitors for the rest of his life...

This time, Ratchet had already removed the transformation blocker from him. The rest, which were mounted under the helmet behind the solar panels, remained, as did the tracking device on the right wrist. No one had given permission to remove those yet. Megatron didn’t argue, even if now there was a theoretical possibility to fly away, he had neither the strength nor the desire for this In the past he would keep fighting, but now... He must stay and prove the Decepticons' right to their opinion. The only question is - to whom?

Further, Megatron was ordered to appear at Rung's office for the first psychotherapy session. The thought of this made him shiver and nauseous. What will they talk about for two hours? Will Rung try convince him of the fallacy of the Decepticon campaign? Indicate how much damage the war did? How many innocents have died? Will he appeal to Megatron’s conscience? Convincing that he wants to help?

“I will follow instructions, but a warning in advance that all these games to help an enemy are useless. You won't get anywhere. You will only waste time and frustrate your superiors with unsuccessful attempts to get something out of me.”

“Games? Well, all the more interesting. Who of us will give up first. If you are so sure that I will not be able to break through your mental wall, then there is nothing to fear.”

But really, no one said that I HAVE to tell him something. If it's a game for him... Well, we'll see. I, too, won’t give up right away. My mind is still mine, despite the abundance of chemicals they very wisely call ‘medicine’. Of course, sooner or later, they will prevail, but... let them try hard. They had twice the opportunity to finish me... Why helped? Why does this whole circus continue?

Megatron was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice the armored, massive robot of his size coming out from a nearby corridor. Megatron knew this drone, had seen him here before. One of the Pre-War Legislators, possibly the last of his kind. Now subordinates to the Ultra Magnus. Can only pronounce his own name.

“What?” Megatron asked confusedly with some apprehension.

“Ten,” he nodded, not moving. The silver mech looked around in confusion. There is no one else around, no danger coming from this drone, but his behavior is completely incomprehensible. Only Magnus understands him, and he is not here.

"Well..." Megatron stepped back to the wall, giving the robot more room. “This way or that way?” he pointed his servos to opposite ends of the corridor.

The dark yellow drone stared at the Decepticon with his optical slits for a couple of moments, then took a step to the right and walked down the corridor. Megatron reset his optics in surprise and headed in the opposite direction. Just an accident meeting, nothing more, he persuaded himself, this thing wasn’t going to attack. Since the Legislators don’t have sparks, therefore, they are not mechs, so you can call them whatever you like, this is a machine, not a living Cybertronian.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Reaching the therapist's office, Megatron stomped in front of the door for several seconds, gaining confidence and looking around, if anyone could see him now. Then he carefully pressed the bell button on the dashboard to the right. The door opened a moment later, and the office’s owner appeared in front of the silver mech.

“Good evening, Megatron, come in, please,” the white-orange bot took a step to the side, letting the guest in.

The Decepticon took a cautious step forward and Rung closed the door. It was light and spacy inside, the light was slightly brighter than in the corridor, the atmosphere was generally calm. On the left, at the far corner, Megatron saw a couch for the patient and a chair for the doctor himself, some shelves with datapads on the walls, on the right was a desk on which...

“My hobby, I love building models,” Rung explained, following the Decepticon's gaze. Indeed, there were many small design details on the table, tubes of glue, two tweezers and a stand on which there was already a small assembled piece of something. “Bought five more before this mission. And here,” the therapist went to one of the shelves those I already made.” On one of the shelves at Megatron’s chest were two rows of small spaceships of different classes and sizes.

The silver mech’s gaze involuntarily caught one. A medium-class research ship, elongated, with powerful engines, colored in white and black. Terminus once gave him such a present... Megatron kept the gift, kept it even after his comrade’s death, it was his lucky talisman... Which, unfortunately, the Decepticon lost when he was captured and dragged to the mnemosurgeon Trepan... Fortunately or, unfortunately, the Ultra Magnus’s men managed to intervene and take Megatron away before his memory was completely changed and will suppressed. Otherwise the Magnus would have gotten a quiet, harmless idiot, perhaps even unable to speak or think. In any case, it was intended to do so before elevating Megatron to the Intellectual class. Megatron never saw Terminus' gift again.

“My very first one,” Rung took this particular model in his servos and handed it to Megatron, “beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he bent down slightly, examining the ship in the therapist’s hands.

“Have you ever built constructors?”

"How to say..." The Decepticon straightened up again. “Do drilling and weapon installations count?”

Rung shook his helm and returned the toy back to the shelf.

“I mean, Megatron, toy models. Want to try? I just began.” Rung sat down at his desk and waved towards the second chair to his right.

“To build a ship?” The Decepticon repeated incredulously, going up to the table.

“Exactly,” the white-orange mech nodded, “we have many sessions ahead, and I would like to start our communication with something good.”

“And if someone hears and understands that we are doing not what we should?” Megatron took one of the small parts and turned it in his servos. “You have to extract information from me about my actions and so on...”

The therapist chuckled kindly and shook his helm.

“The task is somewhat different. And there is no order of extracting any information from you at all.” As he said this, he took one particularly small piece with tweezers, dabbed it with glue from a tube and attached it to several that had been joined together. “No, if you wish,” he put the assembled part on the desk, completely switching his attention to the silver transformer, “we can conduct this session in the classical format of a conversation between the therapist and the patient, or we can,” he held the open left servo over the desk, “build this model. What do you like best?”

Wow, Megatron thought dumbfounded. This is something he certainly didn’t expect. He didn’t like to talk about his own issues at all, considered it a sign of weakness, and couldn’t stand it when someone tried to crawl into his spark. Past experience had taught him that trust is very often costly. And mostly betray those, from whom you don’t expect this at all. Don’t want someone to wipe their pedes on your spark or trample on it? Be quiet, don't trust, don't get attached to anyone... Terminus, Orion, Minimus... Senator Shockwave was also betrayed...

“Do you have blueprints how to build it?” he sat down to the Rung’s right and put the part that was in his hands back on the desk towards the others.

“Yes, but I threw them away.” Rung moved spare tweezers, a tube of glue and a stand up to him. “It's more interesting that way, isn't it? To create something, knowing only in theory what the result should be.”

“There is a high probability to make a mistake.”

“Well, life is also without instructions, yes?

Megatron guessed where everything was going to, and therefore silently began to look for the necessary details. They spent most of the time in silence, which surprised the Decepticon. This was not what he expected when he had come here, and now... Now he even liked to sit next to the mech, who does on the same thing as he does. Rung sometimes glanced at Megatron, or rather at the result of his work, talked a little about exactly how he began to get involved in assembling models: one of his patients said a long time ago that he loved to do it...

“After one of the sessions, he handed me a box with a picture of a spaceship. I decided to give it a try... and enjoyed it.”

“I had a similar ship once, my friend presented it to me a long time ago...” Megatron admitted unexpectedly to himself, and immediately bit down on the glossa.

“Exactly the same one?” Rung daubed one piece with glue and attached it to the other.

“Yes,” Megatron confirmed, using tweezers to fit an especially small piece to those that he glued together.

“This is one of the rarest models, middle class ‘Tempest’, a stealth CSV. Limited edition. Now the fifth generation has come out. Specifications have improved, but the exterior has become a little rougher.”

“You know much about ships?” Megatron was genuinely surprised.

“A little,” Rung smiled and returned to work, “you need to understand what you are doing if you want to get the result. The one we are currently building is a heavy class dreadnought, model 312-D.”

“Figured,” with a grin Megatron showed the assembled stern with engine nozzles.

“Good,” Rung praised, smiling broadly. “Did you yourself assemble your friend’s gift, or did he do it for you?” The interlocutor’s wary look made the therapist suddenly realize that he had said something wrong and hastened to explain: “You are just good at it, as I can see.”

Megatron put the assembled piece on the table and stared at it thoughtfully, digits locked in the lock. Terminus made this gift to him after the first publication of his writings. He said let this ship be the start for Megatron into a wonderful future. And before recharging, both mechs went somewhere quiet, where Megatron was telling him different stories, as if the two of them were traveling on this ship, exploring planets, meeting new civilizations... It was great.

“Megatron?”

The silver mech shuddered. He again imagined the past so vividly that he temporarily lost touch with reality. Megatron himself suddenly realized that a trickle of washer was rolling down his left cheek. So he immediately brushed the tweezers to the floor and bent down after it, quickly wiping his cheek. Well done...

“Megatron, are you alright?” Rung asked wary.

“Dropped,” he showed the therapist the tweezers and put it on the table. “My friend, Terminus, gave me the ship that had already been assembled... And then I lost them both. A mine collapse, it happens,” Megatron looked at his servos, “Terminus didn’t survive.”

“My condolences,” Rung’s voice had sincere sympathy that the former Decepticon leader didn’t even want to be indignant, the therapist made him remember. Coincidentally, Rung may not have thought about it. And how could he know anyway?

“Thank you,” Megatron said dully in response.

They continued to build the ship, and even managed to fully finish it by the time the session ended. There were no more personal discussions, Rung quickly changed the subject, and Megatron got distracted.

“Well, see you next week at the same time,” Rung concluded before dismissing the patient. “By the way, thank you, the two of us coped much faster than if I did it alone.”

“It was interesting,” Megatron admitted, surprised to himself again.

"Indeed," Rung smiled and nodded. “Go and rest now. We'll reach the first planet soon, yes?”

“Yes. If nothing else happens.”

“I hope not,” the therapist agreed readily.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

They said goodbye, the silver mech just stepped into the corridor, but then a sudden thought came to his mind. Why - it's not clear, they just touched on the topic of Terminus, and this gave rise in Megatron's memory to a chain of pictures from the past... Supplemented with such vivid emotions, as if everything had just happened... He decided to gain courage and ask.

"Rung..." Megatron froze in the doorway, as if stumbling into an invisible barrier. “May I ask you something?”

“Of course,” the orange and white bot smiled warmly.

The silver mech took a step back into the therapist's office, and the door to the corridor closed automatically again. He doubted whether it was worth asking at all, especially a psychiatrist. What will he think? Would he consider him even more crazy and dangerous to those around him? And at the same time, an inner voice says that Rung can be trusted... This bot, although strange, but now in his presence Megatron feels calmer. Rung's unusual electromagnetic field and elusive mystery are no longer so frightening.

“Megatron?”

The Decepticon, who was standing still, heard footsteps behind him, and now, it seems, the therapist stopped right behind him. Putting the left servo on his chest, Megatron gathered his thoughts and turned around. Confusion, uncertainty and even shame flashed in his optics.

‘Tell me what torments you, my spark... Trust me... Tell me your doubts...’

“Have you ever... Have you seen...” Megatron lowered his helm and, ex-venting heavily, asked as quickly as possible: “Do you believe in spark ghosts?”

In the ensuing silence, it seemed to the silver transformer that the floor would now disappear under him, and he would fly straight into space. What did I say... Why... Fool-fool-fool!

“It is possible that they exist.”

...You're officially crazy, you are... Huh? Sorry, what?!

Megatron looked with round eyepieces at Rung, who at that moment took off his glasses. The therapist's gaze was serious and soulful. No hint of surprise or judgment. No clarifying questions.

“The universe is full of mysteries. Some mechs claim to have seen them, others think they have.” Something magical slipped through Rung's pale blue optics. “We still know so little about the world around us, and to exclude the existence of something, without having precise evidence to the contrary, is...” He threw up doth servos. “Wrong, I think.”

Megatron wanted to grin, but he held back. The silver transformer felt very stupid, but from the fact that he doubted, he was sure that Rung wouldn’t understand him. And he didn’t even bother to ask what caused this question. The orange-white bot remained silent, either waiting for the continuation, or making it clear that the session was over, and the patient could be free till the next time.

The silver mech nodded briefly and smiled sadly:

“Thank you for your honesty...” His voice cracked. “And for not laughing. Goodbye.” And Megatron briskly left Rung's office, looking down at his pedes.

He walked without thinking whether he would run into someone along the way. Megatron didn't care how would mechs react when they saw him. All the silver mech’s thoughts were now about one thing... Terminus... How they imagined the future... their own and their comrades’... Two dreamers who understood each other perfectly... Megatron didn’t have such a connection with anyone else, even with Orion. Terminus comes to the silver mech in dreams... Speaks and behaves like the real one... A spark ghost...

“Do you believe in spark ghosts?”

“It is possible that they exist.”

Terminus, is it really you? I miss you so much... Megatron couldn’t hold back a painful sob. At the thought of the dead friend, it became so hard and painful at spark... The silver mech darted into the nearest empty bays and, only after locking the door, fell to his knees, shaking with grief and shedding tears. How long has it been since the last time I gave vent to my feelings? Good thing, no one sees me now... I can't... I shouldn't... Where do these emotions come from... Enough...

“Am I going to see you again?”

“If you want.”

“I miss you,” Megatron pulled up his knees, put his arms around them and pressed his helm to them, “Terminus... I miss you so much...”

* * *

Rung walked over to his desk and rubbed the faceplate. He felt it, felt all the emotions that boiled in Megatron. What a pity that this frame’s possibilities are so limited... In part, he felt guilty that he unconsciously provoked this reaction. However, Megatron, after all, is not lost to the world. He must overcome this, he must move on, see what and who is ahead...

“My poor spark, how hard it is for you now...” Rung picked up the spaceship model from the table, which he and Megatron had just finished assembling, and put it on the shelf to the others. “You are capable of creating, and not only destroying. You still have something to give to this world, even if you yourself do not believe in it. You will learn, you will understand. I will help.”

The orange and white mech sat back at his desk, joined his palms in a lock at chest level, lowered his helm and, closing his optics, directed the flow of energy to Megatron, slowly but surely soothing the pain that was tormenting him.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) X2. X-Men United OST - Alkali Lake; (Ravage arrives on the planet Yuntara)
2) X-Men: First Class OST - Rage And Serenity; (Minimus gives the task to Ten)
3) Dreamfall Chapters: Reborn OST - Therapy; (Megatron and Rung build the ship model)
4) X-Men First Class OST - To Beast Or Not To Beast; (Megatron asks Rung about spark ghosts and remembers Terminus)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Thoughts about Terminus were controversial. Only now Megatron, thinking about him, wanted to yell from chagrin... Not knowing how to calm the burning pain of a long-standing loss, he even thought to open his chest armor and tear off his own spark, just to stop it... To get rid of these sudden bitter and such lively emotions... Emotions that, as the Decepticon leader thought, he had long killed in himself. But then a moment appeared in his head when the fellow miner offered Megatron to become his mate...

Starry night... Festive celebrations in honor of the city's founding day... Fireworks in the sky... And two mechs on the building's roof... Under the fireworks flashes high above their helms, Terminus kneels down and asks this question...

Sitting with his back against the door, the silver mech smiled and lay down on the floor. It suddenly felt so warm in the spark from this memory... joyful even. He felt as if something invisible, incredibly strong and at the same time tender and caring cocoon enveloped his frame, chasing away the longing... The Decepticon fancied a barely noticeable golden aura...

But as soon as he looked closely, everything disappeared. Megatron reset his optics and scanned the room. Nothing. Just like with Drift, whom he mistook for Tarn. A glitch... Perhaps it is the chemicals with which he's being stuffed on a voluntary-compulsory basis. Doesn't matter. That evening Terminus called him to talk about something important, while looking somehow tense. Megatron was already scared: what happened? And yes - indeed, something very important happened... Which ultimately was not destined to come true...

Tarnians rarely have sexual intercourse. Even the choice of a partner doesn't mean that the couple will ever even decide to kiss, not to mention the interface or sparklings. Very few decided on natural reproduction, not only because of a lack of funds, but also considering the method itself to be vicious. What a paradox.

And, despite the fact that the creation of cold-constructed mechs also took place in other regions of Cybertron, for the very outlook on life, many other mechs considered the people of Tharn, if not freaks, then at least strange ones, and sometimes those who simply hate mechlings. Precisely because of their view on the interface itself, of course, and not on the little mecha. But if someone decided to create a sparkling in this way, it's their own business..

The union between two Tarnians meant loyalty, support, platonic love...

Megatron pursed his lips in a bitter grin. Emotional pain receded, but sadness and fatigue came instead. Megatron was simply lying on the floor and staring unseeingly at the ceiling. The right leg bent at the knee, the left palm covers the scarlet mark on the chest, under which the purple one is located. The silver mech felt desolated, it was hard to even move. He wanted to recharge right here and now... But one shouldn't sleep on the floor. What if anyone come in and see him... just like this? The door is locked, but still...

"So how it all ended anyway?" suddenly came from the corridor, the sounds of steps of several pairs of pedes reached the audials. Three mechs. Megatron tensed sharply, while still remaining on the floor, but ready to jump up any second if they came here.

"No idea. The therapist's office is soundproofing... Who knows what they were doing there for two hours..."

The footsteps are getting louder. Megatron stared at the door in dismay. Not here! Don't come in here... Leave.

"Need to think about where to put listening devices. Megs has to go to him every week, as I understood from Rodimus's words. We'll think of something for next time. I'd like to hear..."

The footsteps began to subside. The moving bots behind the wall continued their conversation in the same vein, from which Megatron concluded that they would very much like to hear about what spark-tormenting difficulties from the past the Decepticon leader told the ship's psychotherapist.

"And if someone hears and understands that we are doing not what we should?" You have to extract information from me about my actions and so on..."

"The task is somewhat different. And there is no order of extracting any information from you at all."

Soundproofing... I should have asked. I didn't even think. Nor did I think that they would want to eavesdrop on us. However, this time they would still be disappointed... or, like me, surprised? What could all this mean...

"Do you have blueprints how to build it?"

"Yes, but I threw them away. It's more interesting that way, isn't it? To create something, knowing only in theory what the result should be."

"There is a high probability to make a mistake."

"Well, life is also without instructions, yes?

Right. However, not everyone is allowed to make mistakes. And those who are responsible for others, on whom other people's lives depend - generally have no right to fail. Rung, if I didn't know that you were on their side, I would have thought...

"Damn it!" Megatron slapped his right palm on the floor and sat up. "What is this... I can't... I shouldn't..."

But what exactly he shouldn't, the silver mech couldn't formulate. For all his rich imagination and vocabulary, Megatron now didn't know how to clearly express what was plaguing him right now. Too many things, one contradicts the other. And trying to tell those who just don't want to hear...

"Screw them all..." with irritation the Decepticon got to his pedes, approached the door and listened. Nobody outside. Then he carefully peeked into the corridor, looked around and only then decided to leave the bay.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Oooh... if only there were no surprises in my hubsuite... miniature bombs for example, no matter what stuffed with. I don't want to get into a showdown with anyone now. Tired... Very... But one can expect everything from the Autobots. Megatron wondered why the medics helped him? Could just wait for the poison to do its job... Or also Minimus. For what... he rushed to protect me, huh? Who asked him? Unicron damn hero...

"You don't really think so..."

"Yes, I do!" The silver mech objected out loud to himself. "He wanted to get rid of me..." Megatron stopped abruptly, pondering what was said. "Wanted to get rid of... It seemed to me that Minimus said that, but were these words actually pronounced... Yes, for sure!" He slammed his right fist into the left palm. "We are enemies... Here I am an idiot, such an idiot."

"Ten?" the unexpected voice made Megatron jump and get into a fighting stance. About twenty steps from him, he saw the already familiar Legislator. The robot waved his servo affably, no aggression emanated from him.

Damn... how did he get this close to me? I didn't notice, I was distracted, I didn't hear, I didn't feel... My senses are greatly dulled because of these Unicron damn blockers and chemicals they feed me.

"Why are you following me?!" Megatron snapped in his direction.

The robot not uttering a sound, slowly turned around and went somewhere. Frowning after him, the silver mech continued the way to his quarters. Unicron knows what... The Legislator's following the Ultra Magnus's orders, and if he sent him to spy on me... No wonder, he obeys Prime himself. Even here. Captain - in my case, this is just a name, a cover for the real definition of my position 'prisoner'. Not surprisingly, Rodimus is furious, this is an insult to him. Well, let...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

"Megatron?"

No, why am I... Maybe all this is just a coincidence? Both times. Magnus didn't send the Legislator to spy on me, he was just walking around with nothing to do, so we ran into each other. By chance.

"Megatron!"

The silver mech froze from the rapid steps from behind, turned around and met the ship's security officer face to face. Well, great, here he comes. What has he forgotten here? Could just walk by...

"What is it?" the silver mech crossed his arms over his chest.

"Nothing, I mean, nothing special," Magnus seemed to hesitate. "I just called out to you, and you passed by, as if..."

"Got lost in thoughts," Megatron decided not to go into details and pointed in the direction where he came from: "I was at Rung's office."

"I see," Magnus nodded. Without saying a word, they continued their way together. "How did it go?"

"Fine."

"Good."

This conversation wasn't going well. Megatron wanted to be as far away from Minimus as possible. He did his best to drown out the resentment for what he had invented for himself. Or maybe he didn't.

"Did anything suspicious happened?" the Magnus broke the silence again, continuing to walk beside him for some reason.

"Apart from Rodimus's too appealing behavior?" Megatron chuckled contemptuously. "But the ship is still intact and on course. So there is nothing to worry about."

"You know what I mean," said Magnus, slightly overtaking him.

"Forget it," the silver mech waved off, referring to the recent assassination attempt.

What do you mean forget it?" the Ultra Magnus asked, stunned. His digits clenched into fists of their own accord with a gnash. "You were attacked! How can I forget about it? We are all one team, and by law..."

"Law," Megatron just snorted and stopped. They were already near the door, which read 'Bay 113, co-captain's quarters'. "Your law doesn't apply to people like me. I am sure that the performer will also receive gratitude with entry into a personal file from his superiors, if he succeeds. I can't even defend myself now."

Magnus's faceplate was distorted with indignation. And not only because Megatron doubted the effectiveness of the laws, but also because his words were partly true. Otherwise, there would have been no revolution that grew into a centuries-old war. Minimus firmly believed in the Code of Justice, and at the same time clearly saw how its postulates were often violated by higher ranked ones. But couldn't do anything about it.

"And you know what," Megatron put his left palm on the door and clenched into a fist, "if it really was one of yours..." the silver mech glanced at the woodenly straightened security officer with some malice, "if they succeed, this will only confirm the Autobots' true intentions. You do not want peace, you want our extinction." With these words said, the Decepticon pressed a button on the wall panel and ducked into the opened passage. The Ultra Magnus just opened his mouth, but the quarters entrance had already closed, blocking Megatron from him.

The silver transformer locked the door and leaned his forehelm against it. The receding footsteps, heard after a while, indicated that Ultra Magnus stood nearby for a while longer... He waited for some reason. For what? Checking if I'm doing something stupid? Or is he really worried? Maybe these words were never spoken at all?

"And I can't even ask..." Megatron moved away from the door and, raising his helm to the ceiling, voiced the thought: "No, how will it look? Minimus, I'm sorry, but I don't want to talk to you, because I thought you said you wanted to get rid of me... When I surrendered. It's all clear with Prowl, Prime and the other Autobots, but..." the silver mech rubbed the faceplate and snorted in disappointment: "But you..."

"Megatron is, quite frankly, too dangerous to live."

"Everyone has their own truth..." the Decepticon thoughtfully walked around the room.

Minimus tried to talk to him many times over the centuries... Well, not to talk, rather, like Unicron damn Prime, to force him to change his point of view, to surrender to the Autobots's mercy, because they are "right" and the Decepticons are not. Megatron pursed his lips: yes, at first we were completely different...

"Write more. Write quickly. Write while you still can."

Terminus...

"Give people hope, Megatron..."

Hope for that... Once I fully believed that I was doing the right thing... but what now? Where has this led all of us? Megatron pulled out from the subspace another container of yellow liquid Ratchet gave him and sat down on the berth.

They had tried to pacify him before. Were afraid to get rid of him, were scared of the people's anger... The murder a Point One Percenter at that time would have been considered sacrilege. But nobody forbade shadow plays. Trepan... Megatron shuddered at the memory that still sometimes haunted him...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Magnus agreed to take Megatron under his guardianship - that was the Senate's decision. It's good that Senator Shockwave found out about his colleagues' secret plan and managed to intervene before Megatron's mind was taken away from him...

The silver mech clearly remembered how the needles on the mnemonic surgeon's digits had pierced his brain module, and then... Came someone's order to stop. Megatron saw only the light of the lamps hitting his optics, felt as if his head was splitting into pieces, heard Trepan arguing with someone, saying that he had already begun... But then suddenly, in a trembling voice, he said: "I understand. It will be done."

Then four elite guards came, and with them a little medic – a femme with incredibly expressive blue optics. Megatron remembered her right away: not only because of the look, but also because of the behavior. She carried out the examination professionally and carefully, it didn't hurt, even when the femme injected healing nanites into Megatron's lines. But at the same time she was swearing no worse than a miner repairing a very old drilling machine. Even the already familiar physician, Ratchet, didn't allow himself to speak in such a manner. She grumbled not at Megatron himself, but at how he was treated. Who would have thought that this very femme would someday become a part of his own Justice Division...

After completing the medical procedures, as well as insisting on visiting the wash racks, the femme announced that they could go. Where to - unknown. Megatron was then still in deep shock and couldn't speak coherently. He didn't understand what was happening, didn't know what awaited him next.

...And then he was taken out of the building and escorted to a shuttle, such ones Megatron had never seen before. A large blue and white shiny ship with long wings, black windows and red emblems. On those, probably, only senators travel... and now he is being taken there too. Megatron didn't even know what to expect. Did any of the high class mechs want to personally look at him before getting rid of him? But surprisingly, the elite guards were very... non-hostile. No one pushed Megatron forward, no one tried to hit him, no handcuffs, no aiming weapon, nothing at all. They just walked side by side, and the group was led by that very small femme, who only reached Megatron's knees.

Inside was clean, light, comfortable, but Megatron didn't care what was happening around. In his mind, he was still in that operating room, and the mnemosurgeon Trepan's grinning faceplate didn't want to disappear from view.

"Tell the Ultra Magnus that we are returning." Heard Megatron the voice of one of the accompanying mechs. "He ordered to inform when his ward will be on board."

Megatron was escorted into a room, seated on the sofa on soft pillows, one of the guards stood at the door, the rest left. Everyone, except for the small femme, who previously introduced herself as Nickel. She approached, or rather rolled up to him, since her legs ended not with pedes, but with wheels, pulled out some kind of datapad, leafed through something and noticed:

"You can say goodbye to your past life. From now on, everything will be different for you."

Say goodbye... to my life? Megatron shuddered, his gaze glazed, chill ran through all the lines. Are they taking me somewhere... to kill? It's over... Terminus...

Suddenly, the already familiar servo pulled a large cube of blue liquid under his nose:

"Drink. You need it now." The medic said persistently.

Megatron didn't react. The threat of liquidation and such strange treatment simply didn't combine. What kind of game is this anyway?

"Come on, big mech, I know they didn't have time to fry your CPU."

Megatron remained motionless. The femme angrily ex-vented, placed the cube on the table near him, and rolled away. Somewhere in the distance, there was a quiet chirping, and then her voice reached Megatron's audials:

"Yes, we've got him, made it at the very last moment. His physical condition is more or less satisfactory, but emotionally he is in deep shock. Reactions are inhibited, he doesn't say anything, responds weakly to external stimuli. What? Yes, I understand, of course. We're on our way back."

The frightened miner sat motionless during the entire flight to Cybertron. With peripheral vision, he saw movement around him, felt EM fields, heard Nickel's quiet muttering, but didn't react in any way. Where they are taking him... how will his life end? Will it be long and painful, or fast and he won't feel anything? May the flight be long. I don't want to... Please...

Ultimately, the ship went to land. At the spaceport, Megatron was met by other guards, and under Nickel's leadership they went to a ground transport: this one was completely white, shiny, with beautiful flaps. Megatron would have admired if his own life wasn't on the line.

Everything about this transport was as luxurious as the ship that brought them here. Iacon's spaceport, as it slipped through the conversations of the escorts. Now, in addition to him and Nickel, there were two more enforcers in the car. They sat opposite Megatron himself and the femme medic, they also didn't say anything, they just glanced at him somehow from time to time. All the way, Megatron looked at his servos, not paying attention to anything...

...and was incredibly surprised when the transport stopped in front of a huge mansion with an incredibly beautiful crystal garden behind a high cream-colored fence, and decorated with metal curls on top.

"Welcome to one of the Ambus estates," Nickel announced, pointing towards the massive, patterned gate.

Megatron's optics have doubled in size. Why did we come here? What does all this mean? I don't understand anything.

Nickel thanked the enforcers, guided Megatron through the security system at the entrance, and escorted him all the way to the mansion, where he was greeted by other mechs. They acted friendly, for some reason called their names, said that they were glad to meet him. Nickel insisted that Megatron was immediately escorted to the room prepared for him and was allowed to rest. To be on the safe side, she also clarified whether there were any sharp objects there - the guest's a little out of his mind after a strong fright. Others did not understand anything, but did not argue.

Megatron was escorted to the second floor into a spacious, bright room with large windows almost covering the entire wall. The wide berth near the left wall, with soft coverings and many pillows, was simply huge even for a mech, like Megatron, opposite it, at the right wall was a desk, next to it - a wall holographic screen, there were several bookcases in the room: closed and open with shelves, on the left in the near corner was a beautiful crystal multi-colored formation. Megatron had never seen such a thing before. Nothing like the usual miners' barracks. And the most incomprehensible thing: why is he here for?

The windows were locked, as well as the door. Can't get out. So he is locked up in here until someone arrives and finishes him. What's worse, to die at the mnemosurgeon's hands or in a few hours under unexplained circumstances? Nowhere to run. Everything is useless. In despair Megatron hid in the farthest corner and waited for the beginning of the end...

Sometimes someone looked into the room, unlocking the magnetic lock from the outside, they asked Megatron about something, but he was silent, just sat on the floor, leaning back against the wall and looking at the squares of light from the rays of the setting sun that penetrated the windows.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Two hours have passed. And suddenly someone entered the room... Big, judging by the careful heavy steps. Slowly he approached Megatron, who shrank even more into a ball. Now, yes? Thickened blue legs appeared in sight. Judging by the EM field, the person who entered is someone strong, important, has power and serious authority.

"Hello," the stranger greeted softly, "you're Megatron, right? Megatron of Tarn."

The miner tensed, continuing to stare in front of him. He wanted to look up at the visitor, but then, according to the rules of politeness, something had to be answered, and now Megatron couldn't even bring himself to squeeze out a word.

"My name is Minimus Ambus," the big mech spoke again, "I am very glad to finally meet you personally. I hope your journey here went well."

Megatron straightened up, still sitting still and now looking at his knees. Who is this? What does he want? Let him say and do what he was going to do, faster. Why wait... Or not... Don't...

"Hey-hey, it's alright, don't be afraid of me," the massive figure bent down, a blue-and-white servo appeared in sight, from which Megatron recoiled reflexively. Then this mech suddenly also sat down on the floor to the miner's right, which made curiosity overpower fear. Megatron turned his helm towards him.

It was a large warmech, judging by his size, taller than Megatron by a whole head or even one and a half. Massive blue and white armor with red elements, huge shoulder pads like two towers, blue optics, a blue helmet with white antennas. For some reason, at the same time, Megatron remembered Orion Pax, who had already become, if not a friend, then a well-known person.

"I heard what they nearly did to you. Terrible." The giant spoke again after a long silence. He called himself... Minimus? Wow. "But I am immensely glad that my people came in time."

In time? Megatron frowned. This giant with a name so inappropriate for him is acting very... friendly. Inexplicably friendly.

"How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

The miner shook his helm. Hurt - no, not anymore. In this mech's presence he even felt somehow less feared... In any case, for now.

The blue and white bot glanced somewhere towards the desk. Following his gaze, Megatron saw there a tray with three cubes of energon: two blue and one yellow, also something else on the plate nearby. One of the mechs that had come earlier left this, but Megatron didn't dare to take anything from there, and didn't want to at all.

"You haven't refueled today," stated the blue and white mech reproachfully. Their gazes met again.

"What do you want from me?" The miner asked hoarsely. "What will happen to me next?"

The big mech frowned.

"Nothing." He answered incomprehensibly. And then the next moment it dawned on him: "Nothing bad. Nobody told you why you are here, right?"

Megatron shook his helm in mute denial. Here it is, the moment when everything should be cleared up. Minimus Ambus nodded understandingly and smiled warmly.

"In time you will understand. For now, be sure that no one will dare to even lay a digit on you anymore. I give you my word. You are under my protection."

And I believed him... Megatron squeezed the vessel with the liquid in his right servo so that the glass couldn't stand it and cracked. Promises are also easy to break... With an angry roar, the silver mech leapt off the berth, swung, and threw the container into the wall. The fragile glass shattered into tiny shards with a clang, and the contents splattered the walls and floor.

The Decepticon froze in horror, looking first at the mess, and then at his palm. What have I done... an object first, a living mecha next? I have been given a chance... I must not be frustrated. If, because of me, the innocents suffer again... Wait, the Autobots cannot be innocent... Say it differently, if anyone suffers because of me, then everything is in vain.

"Maybe they already know it? So they agreed? Mentally rejoicing at my failures."

The inner self didn't answer. The silver transformer quickly picked up the shards and threw them into the garbage recycler, then, taking an absorbent cloth from the washracks, wiped away the smudges on the walls and a puddle on the floor. None of this happened... Nobody will know. Having calmed down a little, he lay down on the berth. Nobody saw it... Nobody...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron stood in the midst of the ruins of a Cybertronian city frozen in time. It's dark, but all around is light from fires that consume huge skyscrapers from the inside. Mechs run away from previously seen modified creatures with tentacles sticking out of their backs. Black silhouettes soar in the sky... dropping down energy bombs... It's a real chaos. And all this stopped in a moment, even the dusty suspension and clouds of sparks froze in the air.

Please, spare them...

Tarn... For some reason, the leader of the Decepticons knows that this is the city where he was created... The silver mech looked around. Behind him stood the entire Lost Light crew, all the DJD members and some other mechs he doesn't know. None moved. It seems like Megatron's the only one unaffected by the sudden stop in time.

Save their lives ...

The gazes of everyone who was nearby were directed somewhere forward and upward. Turning and raising his helm, Megatron saw high in the burning sky a huge black something, shaped like an earthly jellyfish... A ship? On unsteady legs the silver transformer took two steps forward. He feels, understands, realizes that all is lost. There is no hope.

Leave them be...

A low-frequency intense rumble pierces the air, followed by an electric crack, something shines in the lower part of the celestial structure, and a powerful light beam hits the ground...

...everything shakes, Megatron falls to his knees... The brightest white flash expands like a soap bubble, engulfing building after building, mech after mech, who still don't move.

Screams of pain, horror, despair... Megatron doesn't have time to do anything - the light wave reaches him. The electromagnetic flux pierces through the frame, which under its influence begins to gradually disintegrate into molecules. The burning sensation, which has spread throughout all systems, turns into unbearable pain. Desperate Megatron reaches out to the Ultra Magnus, who, like everyone else, is gradually disappearing from sight...

"And so the last Prime will fall before us," states an icy, ominous voice. "You are all doomed."

...And now nothing remains of the Decepticon's frame.

Having ceased to be, having turned into nothing, Megatron from somewhere in space is watching the death of his planet. The explosion occurs in a matter of moments...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The first thing Megatron heard when he came online was his own scream. The Decepticon flapped his servos sharply, trying to sit up, but something or someone grabbed his wrists and pressed back to the berth at the level of his helm, preventing the silver mech from getting up.

"Megatron!" said Ultra Magnus very close, to his left. The Decepticon jerked, but the grip on his wrists didn't loosen in the least. "It's alright. It was just a dream. Megatron, do you understand? It's me, Minimus."

Something throbbed violently in his chest, echoing into all systems, and Megatron still seemed that his frame was falling apart, or that he no longer existed. But the voice of the one who disappeared in the explosion a second before himself sounded incredibly loud and clear, and the sensations were so real...

Opening his optics, Megatron saw very close the clear blue eyepieces and the worried white faceplate of the Ultra Magnus. The large blue and white Autobot loomed over him, it were his servos that strongly and at the same time carefully pressed Megatron's hands to the berth. There was someone else nearby, several of them. The fields are familiar, but...

"Just a bad dream," the Magnus said. He loosened his grip a little, but didn't let go of the silver mech's servos just in case. "It's over, you're safe."

A dream? That is, it means...

"You are alive..." Megatron squeezed out with some relief in his voice, skipping what the blue and white bot said. Magnus let go of his hands and pulled back a little.

"Did you dream that I died?" He asked a little cautiously.

Megatron closed his eyes and shook his helm, squeezing it with his palms. Dreamed? No... It was... So, it was really a dream? Everything's so real... Like with Terminus... He heard muffled voices, felt movement around him, very close there was a sound reminiscent of a medical scanner. Hot... So hot and scary. Need to say. I have to warn them.

"N-no... Not you alone ..." The silver mech's voice broke. "All of us..."

The Ultra Magnus slipped a servo under Megatron's back, sat next to him and, lifting him slightly, hugged the former ward.

"Hush, it's just a dream," he reassured, "I'm with you. I'm with you."

Megatron had absolutely no strength to break out of this strange friendly embrace. Why does Minimus do this? And in front of witnesses... I'm a weakling... and a fool... Let them leave. I don't want them to see me like this. It's all because of them...

"Well, slag..." the senior medic suddenly swore very close. "Pulses are huge. This is very bad."

"Ratchet? What's happening?" Drift called anxiously in the distance.

"What pulses?" Magnus looked down at the silver transformer, who again fell out of reality and didn't hear anything. "Is there anything wrong with Megatron's spark?" a special alarm sounded in the last phrase.

"No, his spark is in perfect order, just like the rest of the systems... under current circumstances. The thing is different." Just in case, Ratchet lowered his voice almost to a whisper: "The artifact... It throbs. And as far as I remember from Optimus's experience, it happened when the Ancients wanted to warn about something."

"Warn?" Drift repeated uncomprehendingly. "Warn about what?"

"I don't even know... It already happened to Megatron once – after the briefing, two days before departure."

"This is when he suddenly lost consciousness?" Drift leaned forward and slightly extended the right servo. Ratchet answered him with a silent nod.

"Doomed..." Megatron whispered in a trembling voice, not opening his optics. He could still see the dream images clearly. "Everyone died... Inevitable... Unstoppable...

Those present looked at each other in bewilderment.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):

1) X-Men: First Class OST - Will You Date Me? (Megatron thinks about Terminus)

2) Total Recall OST - Secret Agent; (back to the habsuit)

3) Dante's Peak OST - Night Talk; (Megatron and Magnus)

4) The Day After Tomorrow OST - Cutting The Rope; (the memory)

5) The Day After Tomorrow OST - Burning Books; (first meeting with Ultra Magnus)

6) San Andreas 2015 OST - Extinction; (Megatron's dream)

7) Gaia in Fog by Dan Bodan (awakening)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Gradually, pulsations in the chest disappeared, but the inhibition of perception and motor activity weren't going to let go. Megatron with his optics closed lay motionless on the berth, supported by the Ultra Magnus, who didn't even think to go anywhere. Others, much to the silver mech's annoyance were also in no hurry to leave him alone. Moreover, the senior medic had summoned Rung for some reason as well.

Happy, huh? You're enjoying to see me like this? The result of exposure to your own chemicals... And then they will also report back to Prime, so he will be glad to know how the experiment is going... An experiment on slow destruction...

Another quiet click, then the subtle ringing of a scanning medical device, and then Ratchet quietly said:

"The ripples have stopped." And already turned directly to the silver mech: "How are you feeling?"

Megatron opened his optics and glanced dimly at the medic who was bending over him again, then turned his gaze to Magnus. Thoughtfulness, concern, confusion. They... don't understand what's going on? Or maybe... No, they cannot sympathize with me... And if they can, they will still carry out their leader's order. This is how it should be... And we are not allies... Not friends...

"The experiment going well, right" Megatron asked instead of answering, closing the optics. I shouldn't show them fear... it will only make the situation worse. The EM fields of those present reflected something strange. Misunderstanding? Confusion?

"What experiment? What do you mean?" There was genuine surprise in Magnus's voice.

Megatron only grunted in disbelief. Now he had absolutely no strength to resist them. As well as trying to free himself from the Ultra Magnus's servos. What a shame, what a humiliation. The large blue and white Autobot probably sensed this energy message and removed his servos from the silver frame. Having gained freedom, the Decepticon slowly took a sitting position, lowered his legs from the berth. He still felt slightly disorientated, and the images from the dream were still in front of his inner gaze.

"Megatron?" Ultra Magnus called again. He held out the right servo, but his digits stopped in midair. "What experiment? What are you talking about?"

Like you don't know, Megatron gave him a predatory tired look, but didn't say anything out loud. Maybe Minimus doesn't know anything... Although no, he should know. He's kind of like Prime's second in command.

"Why are you all here?" He tried to ask as imperiously as possible, but his own voice seemed to him more pathetic with an admixture of despair than commanding.

"I thought you were attacked," Ultra Magnus stated. The silver mech looked up at him again, remembering how the blue and white Autobot had jumped into a fight with that transformed mech. He saved me back then...

"...be sure that no one will dare to even lay a digit on you anymore. I give you my word. You are under my protection."

Minimus Ambus - friend, enemy, mentor, protector...

"Megatron," suddenly came on the right. To everyone's surprise, the orange and white psychotherapist sat down next to the silver transformer. "You had a nightmare, yes?"

Ratchet and Drift looked at each other in shock, and Magnus froze in place. Although Rung's optics were hidden behind his usual impenetrable round glasses, the Decepticon leader could still feel that attentive, focused gaze on him. Rung scares him from the very beginning with his mysteriousness... and how did he guess now?

Tell me, my spark, what torments you. Tell me your doubts.

"Why do you think so?"

"You screamed," Ratchet walked around the berth to be face to face with the Decepticon, "we couldn't wake you up for three minutes. Megatron," as the silver mech purposefully looked at the floor again, the medic knelt down in front of him to look into his optics, "what did you see? What did you dream of?"

He shuddered, servos grappling into the lock. Why do they care what I dreamed about? I've had nightmares before, though lately there have been many more vivid images... Everything changed back in the Autobot prison. They did something to me... I don't know what exactly... They don't confess. They won't say.

"Cybertron. Death... Destruction... Everyone died." Megatron squeezed out in a trembling voice. "Cybertron was destroyed. Completely." He kept looking at his interlocked digits. "No one saved. Explosion. The planet died."

"Explosion?" Drift finally said. "So Cybertron was destroyed? Because of the war?"

"No!" Megatron closed his eyes and clutched his helm. A ruined city... an oddly shaped ship in the dark sky... a flash... his own frame disintegrates... He shook his helm, still holding on to it. "No-no, not that... There was... And there were words..."

"Words?" Rung echoed. "What words?"

Megatron straightened up woodenly, remaining seated. His gaze directed past Ratchet, at the wall. Again those images, emotions, sensations... A pinching feeling that quickly turns into a burning sensation, and then wild pain... Agony, replaced by cold... That voice. Distantly familiar, and at the same time never heard before.

"And so the last Prime will fall before us." Saying this Megatron was still piercing the wall with the unseeing gaze. "You are all doomed." He in turn looked at each of the mechs present and, shrugging his shoulders, concluded: "And then nothing. The end."

None of the bots nearby knew what to say.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

About half an hour later a small group of knowledgeable mechs gathered in the ship's conference room, where communication with Cybertron was established. Crew members included Ultra Magnus, Rodimus, who was quickly brought up to date, Ratchet, Drift, and Perceptor. Megatron remained in his bad suit under Rung and Velocity's supervision, not knowing where everyone else had gone. He refused to go to the medical bay, and so it was disgusting that they saw him like that. Now the whole ship to know about it. Well a dream is a dream, so what? As if he had never had nightmares before. After all, he didn't tell them about the previous ones, and, fortunately, no one knows about Terminus.

Magnus sent a request to Cybertron with a note of high urgency, and within ten minutes there was a response confirming the prompt connection. On a large holographic screen on the wall, Optimus appeared sitting in a large chair and at a long table, as well as Prowl standing to his right, Jazz and Jetfire to the left, to whom Prime, or rather the former Prime, himself had told about everything. The team members were seated at the large round table, but all the chairs were turned towards the screen.

"We think it might be a warning," Ultra Magnus concluded as he and Ratchet explained what had happened.

"A warning?" The head of security to the right of the Autobot leader repeated derisively. "Since when did Megatron become the new Oracle? Who cares if this Decepticon slag had a nightmare! Now each of his clangs should be taken as a sign of Primus?"

Rodimus couldn't help but chuckle, but quickly fell silent, glancing at his mentor on the screen. Digits clenched into fists of their own accord, and the yellow-red Autobot gripped his dentas and stared at the table.

"Where is he now?" Optimus asked, preferring to ignore Prowl's remark.

"With Velocity and Rung," Ratchet replied and turned displeased to the security officer who had already spoken out earlier: "I don't know, Prowl, about, as you put it, a divine clang, but we again detected the Matrix's pulsations," now he looked at his leader: "Everything is the same as in the case with you, Optimus. When you had visions that then came true."

"And what if it's something else?" suddenly suggested Jazz, attracting everyone's attention and immediately hesitated: "I mean, what if the Matrix seeks to break free from his frame, thereby causing pain and sending nightmares?"

"It would be nice," Rodimus quietly muttered to himself under his breath so that no one could hear him.

"Then the Matrix would have rejected Megatron from the very beginning," Optimus calmly objected to Jazz, raising the index finger of the right servo. "Everyone who was near at that moment," the Prime from the screen looked around the present team members, and then glanced at the disgruntled Prowl, "can confirm that I personally placed the artifact of the Ancients in Megatron's chest. There was no rejection. And any mecha, a Point One Percenter or not, who tried to keep the Matrix of Leadership by force would be destroyed by it in the shortest possible time. Megatron would have died long ago if he had not been chosen..."

"Indeed," Perceptor agreed, "we have been monitoring Megatron's condition from the very beginning of the flight. Indicators are strongly deviated from the norm due to the spark characteristics and the Matrix's presence, but nothing has been identified that indicates serious malfunctions that threaten life."

"Except for mental deviations," Rodimus also interjected with displeasure, for which he caught displeased glances on himself and conciliatorily raised both servos up: "Okay, okay, I'm silent." And, leaning back in his chair, indistinctly grumbled something abusive.

"With all due respect," Drift got up from his seat and stepped to the screen, "you yourselves provoked it! Six months of charges in court, public humiliation, and now deception!" The former Decepticon turned to his comrades, seeking support. "You stuff him with drugs that don't really work, and only exacerbate the situation! What are you doing, it can't go on like this!"

"Shut up immediately, nobody asked your opinion, Decepticon henchman!" Shouted the security officer on the other side of the screen, making everyone in the conference room shudder.

"Prowl!" Optimus slammed his servo down sharply on the table.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at Drift!" Ratchet stood next to his friend shoulder to shoulder. "He's one of us, if you've forgotten."

"I also remember who he was before he switched sides," Prowl continued more calmly. One stern look from Optimus was enough to cool his ardor. "As you know, who betrayed once, will betray again. And he shouldn't have known about any of this at all!"

"I trust Drift," said Ratchet, also in a quieter tone.

"It means nothing," he objected, "a defector is a defector. Next time, what will you say? That you trust Megatron too?"

"If his intentions are sincere..."

"Don't you think that we have deviated somewhat from the topic?" Suddenly reminded the Ultra Magnus, also standing up. The dispute ended instantly. Making sure that everyone was listening to him, the big blue-white Autobot continued more calmly: "The topic of discussion was Megatron's strange vision of Cybertron's destruction, and you again become personal and look for the guilty, although in fact it would be worth paying attention to more important things!"

"Right, Mags," Rodimus unexpectedly supported gloomily, "I'm not a fan of Megatron, you know, however, if it wasn't just a nightmare, but a vision," saying all this, he purposefully avoided the optics contact with the leader of the Autobots, "it will be like... it is wrong to ignore it... I think. Especially after what we encountered at the Stellar-6 station."

"I agree," said Optimus Prime unexpectedly, which caused the red-and-yellow Autobot to be sincerely surprised, "the first research results indicate that we are dealing with a previously unknown disease. There are no such nanites in any Cybertronian databases."

"And in the ship's logs, where the first infection took place, the data turned out to be incomplete," Jetfire added, "it takes three space days to get from the Enorman system, where the cargo ship was marked for the last time, to Cybertron... They reached Stellar-6 in seven... never getting the final destination. And no information about where the ship was all that time. As if someone had erased all the information."

"In other words, the ship seemed to suddenly disappear, and after a while it reappeared? And the entire crew was already infected, but no one on board understood this?" Perceptor specified, not believing what he was saying.

"Probably so."

"So proceed with extra caution," Optimus took the floor again. "Let us know about any suspicious activity and oddity that you may encounter during your expedition." He put his elbows on the table and brought his palms together. "And keep an eye on Megatron, alright? The Matrix of Leadership is a powerful artifact, but even it won't protect the bearer from carelessness one hundred percent." He grinned under the mask and added: "Personal experience."

"So yes, sir," the Ultra Magnus nodded emphatically, "we will reach Yuntara in two and a half hours. The next communication session when entering orbit."

"Good. Good luck to you." The Autobot leader nodded and the screen went blank.

Everyone began to leave the room. Magnus and the senior medic went to Megatron's quarters to check on how things were going, Rodimus announced that his presence was required on the bridge, and Drift and Perceptor went to the laboratory to look at the results of their own research with samples containing new nanites that were currently no longer active.

Ratchet also noted to himself how steadfastly the current Prime is holding, despite the seriousness of his condition and the pressure of others who are primarily concerned with their own interests. Drift's remark was well founded in a sense. They calculated all the doses correctly, and the same so-called Fool's Energon must restrain the leader of the Decepticons... Everything would have gone much calmer if the Matrix hadn't suddenly become so... active. The second surge already, this is clearly no coincidence. First, Optimus had a vision, then confrontation with Shockwave, Megatron's long trial, the Matrix chooses Megatron as the next Prime, they face an unknown kind of disease that affects the mechanoids, and now Megatron sees the death of their planet in recharge. And not just death... Explosion, complete destruction. Primus, let it be just coincidences...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

In his quarters, Megatron with his closed optics lay motionless on the berth and, apparently, was in a state of deep recharge. When Velocity also entered the habsuit, Ratchet told the Decepticon that he, Drift and Magnus needed to leave for a while, and for now the femme medic and Rung would stay with him. Megatron growled in irritation, ashamed he wanted to fall through the floor and into outer space. If only away from them all.

"Wonderful, now medics should look after me, as if I'm already some kind of helpless nutcase," he muttered, looking at the floor, and then in the back of those leaving, said offended: "By the way, my mind is still mine!"

He immediately fell silent, realizing exactly what he blurted out. I can't make them realize that I know their plan. For me the only way out is to hold on, to resist their chemicals with all my might. For me...

Suddenly, someone's servos touched his right forearm, and Megatron felt waves of warmth, calmness, serenity roll over him one after another... Do not resist, do not fight this, a voice in his head said, everything will pass, just rest... Silver mech fell into recharge before he realized anything.

Rung placed Megatron neatly on the berth and nodded to Velocity that everything was fine. The silver mech was now in no condition to accept anyone's reasoning. His emotional state changes dramatically: either Megatron thinks about continuing to cooperate with the Autobots for his followers' sake, then sincerely believes that there are enemies all around him, and sometimes even convinces himself that any efforts on his part are simply futile. The best solution was to calm him down now, just like then, after the briefing... So that Velocity wouldn't be so nervous – the femme is a little afraid of him.

"Is he alright?" The green medic took a step towards the berth.

"He's fine," Rung assured in response, "emotional shock, Megatron will rest, and everything will be fine. There is no need to be afraid."

It's okay, my spark, it's just an emotional shock. Megatron needs to rest. Do not be afraid.

Velocity shuddered and froze at a strange sensation of calm that suddenly spread through her frame. Emotional shock... emotional shock. She blinked her lenses and nodded more confidently.

"Emotional shock, yes, you're right, Rung." The medic went to the berth and stood next to the white-orange psychotherapist. "He's so calm now..." Velocity smiled slightly sadly. It was unusual to see Megatron like this.

Tarnians are amazing people, my spark. In the pre-war period, despite the difficulties of life, they valued friendship, followed traditions, and in most cases remained loyal to one sparkmate... This was one of the reasons why there were so many cold- constructs among them...

"He was once a pacifist." Rung was also staring at the black-and-silver frame. "Looked into the future with hope, didn't even have the thought of hurting someone." The therapist shook his helm sympathetically and placed the servos on his belt. "I've read his work."

"I also read a couple of his pre-war poems. Can't even believe that Megatron once wrote so beautifully. How so?" She looked at Rung with obvious confusion.

"Not everything the Autobots say about the Decepticons is true." The orange-white bot took off his glasses. "I have been in different hot spots during the war and have seen a lot. The Purple Sign faction has every reason to hate." He ex-vented heavily. "Megatron was one of the first to realize that the continuing of the war would lead to the death of our entire race. Therefore, the Matrix of Leadership chose him..." And also quickly added: "Probably."

It chose Megatron a long time ago... If only circumstances were different. The fate of a person depends on themselves only half, otherwise on the actions of others and random events. Megatron hopes to restore justice, and Optimus Prime saw only one goal in his life - to stop Megatron, to defeat the Decepticons.

"He gradually returns to his true self, Velocity." The therapist's voice sounded a little more encouraging. "It seems to me that we still may see the real Megatron. Or it would be more correct to say - Megatronus Prime."

Rung didn't say out loud that this would require a lot of effort. There is no need to give a young femme additional cause for concern. This is her first real serious assignment. Very soon they will reach the first of the four desired planets. What could happen there... Rung doesn't know for sure, but he feels, understands that the threat is near. Megatron's vision was not a simple nightmare, what he saw may happen. This cannot be allowed.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron came online with a strange feeling that someone was calling him. Someone's elusive, distantly familiar voice was saying: "Awaken, my spark. It's time to get up... Awaken..." It seemed as if someone was watching over him, protecting him... someone cares... But in there was no one else in the habsuit. Strange, Megatron thought, getting up, if I were a sparkling, I would have thought that one of the creators was calling me... But I have never been this very sparkling, and I have no creators. Well, creators of cold-construct mechs are not considered as such.

Megatron felt much better, there was no fatigue, no particular fear, he didn't even immediately remember what happened just a couple of hours ago, but when he realized...

"Unicron dammit, what a shame." Standing up from the berth, the silver mech grabbed his helm and kicked the air with his right pede in annoyance.

It was not enough to see such a nightmare, so there's more... He lay exhausted in the Ultra Magnus's arms, and next to him were the grumpy old doctor, this psychiatrist from another world, and also the former ally. Primus, what a horror, huh? Did they set a goal for themselves in addition to harassing me physically also to humiliate me morally in the process?

'When you understand everything, you will be ashamed of your own words and thoughts.'

"What?!" Megatron asked himself dumbfounded. I wonder what else I should be ashamed of, huh? And so I have already reached the bottom... This symbol is my desire for cooperation, the left servo ran over the chest plates, it means nothing to them! If the Knights don't care as well, or don't exist at all, I'll find my Justice Devision and ask Tarn to personally shoot my head off and pull out my spark. At the very least, dying from the true Decepticons' hands won't be such a disappointment. The silver mech twitched. In his right mind, he didn't want to die (attempts to commit suicide in a state of passion don't count), but Megatron understands that this is what awaits him in the end.

Okay, he waved his left servo in annoyance. Time to go. If the internal chronometer doesn't lie, the ship is already quite close to the planet Yuntara. It will soon become clear whether this whole thing with Cybertopia in general and with the Keys in particular is not in vain.

"Pull yourself together," Megatron told himself at the very door, "act as if everything that happened means nothing to you. Just think, a nightmare... Nobody asked them to interfere." And he added to himself: they started it all anyway.

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Come on, you can do it, the right servo lingered next to the door opening button, in any case - you will have to come out. The silver mech tensed, nodded confidently, and pressed the button. The door slid to the side with a soft hiss, freeing a passage into the bright, spacious corridor. Megatron just stepped out of the habsuit when he almost bumped into two crew members walking by.

"Oh! Hello, captain," one greeted, the other just nodded. Megatron nodded to them too, and they parted in different directions.

I didn't notice any obvious ridicule... They don't know, come on, keep going, Megatron continued to say to himself. Imagine that you are on a Decepticon ship, you are their leader, they are your subordinates, not overseers. Nothing happened.

"Ten?"

Megatron turned sharply with his left fist raised above his helm and froze when he saw the already well-known Legislator behind him. A Unicron damn drone, again crept up unnoticed.

"Are you doing this on purpose ?!" the silver mech lowered both servos, heavily ventilating.

"Ten," the white-yellow Legislator calmly took a step back, then turned and walked in the opposite direction.

What in Unicron's...? For what reason... did he start following me? And he walks so quietly... A little more, and I would hit him just reflexively. Where is my instinct? Where is my vigilance? Oh yeah, Fool's Energon and other chemicals. No excuse! Megatron clenched his fists and quickened his pace. Not an excuse... The fate of the Decepticons depends on my actions.

On the bridge things were going as usual, everything was calm, no incidents happened. Except that one annoying incident with red and yellow armor, whose name begins with 'R', is in charge of all.

"Oh, look who's here!" the above mentioned 'incident' waved a servo from the captain's chair. "Right in time, co-captain! We're approaching Yuntara."

"Is visual contact established?" he asked calmly the operators at the consoles.

"Not yet, sir, expected in three minutes," Skids replied calmly.

"Fine, waiting," Megatron caught a glimpse of Ultra Magnus, stood next to Rodimus and crossed his arms expectantly. Now the Prime's protégé's shift wan't over, so the silver mech didn't make comments so that the annoying Autobot would make way for him. Anyway, soon they are about to land, and the Magnus's presence Rodimus behaves more restrained. Act as usual. Nothing happened...

'Are you feeling better?' a message came from the Magnus anyway.

'Don't worry about it,' the Decepticon immediately assured, catching his gaze again. It's unknown if this conversation would have continued further, but here Skids announced again:

"Yuntara is in sight."

"On screen," Megatron ordered.

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On both holographic monitors an enlarged image of a red-orange planet appeared, the right hemisphere of which is illuminated by a star around which this entire system revolves. The surface in many areas is dotted with deep canyons, you can also see the mountains. It seems that Yuntara is uninhabited, but this is only from afar. There are cities here, but almost no organic vegetation or water on the surface.

"Well, here we are," stated Rodimus in an undertone.

Megatron remembered from historical references that in ancient times this planet was allegedly rich in organic life, but natural disasters caused either by some native processes of atmospheric depletion, or by the actions of civilization that once inhabited Yuntara. The current archaeologists from Cybertron have found several cities underground.

Thinking about this, Megatron involuntarily assumed that the matter was not at all in some events caused by higher powers. Descent deep down, a city underground, a huge hall in the rays of blue light... Cybertronians also lived here, the civilization destroyed itself...

Here, the inner voice told him. Megatron shuddered, the surging obsession vanishing instantly. The first Key is here, somewhere in the bowels of this planet... The real Key, not the model that Perceptor showed us at the briefing. One of the four... of five pointers to our salvation... or our destruction.

* * *

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Sitting in his office, Prowl received the message just at the expected time. His agent was supposed to report on a secured communication channel when the ship entered the first planet's orbit. Ultra Magnus had the imprudence to report it himself, so the head of security knew exactly when the Lost Light would reach its destination, since they were so inopportunely out of schedule.

"Finally," he chuckled, reading the encrypted message, and then got in touch with his agents, or rather, he also sent them an encrypted message with the following content: 'It's time. Begin Operation Seizure.'

The answer: 'Acknowledged, sir' - came after 1.56 seconds.

Well, Megatron, the head of security, grinned predatory, and that is it. First, the special squad will capture him, then another group will eliminate the team, and then it will be possible to begin. Maybe this time it won't work out, but then they will at least understand the combat capabilities of the crew and their level of loyalty to the second captain. In any case, the Decepticon slag won't escape justice. All of them, sooner or later, will get what they deserve both for the revolution, and for the war, and for their existence. The end is near. Master will be happy to gain the Matrix of Leadership and access to Vector Sigma, and Prowl himself will be able to punish the rebel Point One Percenter as he sees fit.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Mass Effect 3 Leviathan Score - Grief; (in Megatron's quarters)
2) Mass Effect 3 Leviathan OST - Bryson's Lab; (discussion of what happened)
3) Fractured Light Music - Salvation Dramatic Beautiful Orchestral Music; (Megatron in his habsuit with Rung and Velocity)
4) Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 OST - Lily's Theme; (awakening)
5) Mass Effect OST - The Normandy; (path to the bridge)
6) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire OST - Katniss Is Chosen; (approaching Yuntara)
7) KotOR OST - The Leviathan (message from the capture team)

Chapter Text

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A huge dark hall, the distant stone walls of which are decorated with ancient paintings... intersecting rays of blue light... red light... yellow... green... concentric circles in the floor... Everything merges into one. Five bright lights... A white beam... Movement... A huge iridescent funnel with a white center right in the middle of outer space... Not a black hole... something else... This is the path. I feel it with my spark, we need to go there...

"Skids, report to Cybertron — we've reached Yuntara."

"Aye, sir."

Minimus? Skids? Megatron shuddered sharply and looked around in confusion. The ship's bridge, all the mechs here are performing their assigned tasks, and in front - already very close - is a red-orange dusty planet, which already occupies almost the entire visible space of the panoramic window. Far below, one can already make out a white-gray amorphous formation, streaked with many intersecting lines, some of which are much wider than others. A city. It's a city. The ship is in orbit... We are about to land... What... what did I miss?

"Hey, co-captain!" Yellow digits tinkled softly near Megatron's olfactory sensor. "It's not time to sleep." The silver mech flinched and stared to the right, where Rodimus sat in the captain's chair. The left servo is still pointing towards the Decepticon.

"What?" Megatron growled softly through clenched dentas. He could hardly restrain himself from grabbing the red-and-yellow Autobot's forearm, in the past the Decepticon leader wouldn't have tolerated such impudence.

"Wake up, you," removing the servo, the Prime's apprentice repeated with a more serious look, "we are about to..."

Rodimus didn't have time to finish, as the next second the image of his mentor appeared on the right screen. Behind him one could distinguish the control panels and mechs behind them. Megatron immediately realized that the broadcast was being conducted from the control center. The image of the ruler of Cybertron blocked all view outside the ship. Everything that happened there faded into the background for Megatron: now all attention on the Unicron damn winner... that is, the leader of the Autobots... that is, Optimus Prime.

"Greetings, my friends," he said under his battle mask in a calm, even, low baritone, "you have reached Yuntara, I hope the rest of the flight went well?"

The rest of the flight? Oh yes, he knows about the Stellar-6 station... Catching the Winner's gaze on himself, Megatron hastily broke off the optics contact and concentrated more on studying the planet's surface there, in front of them. Shut up, this conversation doesn't concern you, the silver transformer reminded himself. Don't even look at him.

"Everything is fine, sir," the Ultra Magnus assured from somewhere to the right behind Rodimus. "Ready for descent and land."

I've been on this planet twice in the past, Megatron tried not to listen and not to notice what was happening around, once in the Western Hemisphere, the other closer to the South Pole...

"Good. Windblade and Nautica await you at the spaceport."

What an interesting canyon, Megatron's gaze caught on a wide, winding line on the surface, closer to the equator. I wonder how deep it is? How long did it take to form? Just don't look at Optimus Prime... And those who may be around on the other side of the screen as well. Everything's been already said... I have nothing to add.

"...I hereby renounce Decepticonism and its offshoots, and denounce all those who continue to fight in its name... There is nothing intrinsically special about our race. Nothing that lifts us above non-mechanical species. We were wrong to assert ourselves."

Digits involuntarily clenched into fists. Wrong to assert ourselves... Well done, Prime. We originally fought for freedom. None of us had a thought of superiority over other races. We forgot about it... I forgot about it. And the Autobots took advantage of our mistake. We fought their alien allies. We killed them, they killed us. They would only accept our defeat, they would again drive us into the pit from which we once got out with such difficulty. I was there among the upper classes, I saw how they live. Why were my comrades denied at least a small part of the benefits that others had?.. Orion Pax always stood several levels higher, how dare he say that he understands those in whose place he has never been?.. Orion...

"I love you as I did before. I am the same - the same Orion Pax who once admired you and your writings."

"And to all those who follow me, I say this: do not expect guidance, or wisdom, or answers. I have none. I never did."

You... winner... how can you know that?! Once I believed you, I considered you almost my best friend. And then you... you... You are just as much to blame.

"To those Decepticons still out there, I give one final order: stand down. Discard your weapons, tear off your badges, and stand down."

And after all this, Prime had the audacity to declare that he loved me? Decided to play love with a prisoner who, in any case, will face a death sentence handed down by you yourself? Who of us fell lower than another, Optimus... Megatron eventually found the strength to look up at the screen. The Autobot leader still was saying something, but the meaning had already escaped the Decepticon, so the silver mech only pretended to be interested in what was happening.

When his and Optimus's gazes crossed again, Megatron suddenly felt a strange impulse in the spark area, and then something completely incomprehensible happened. Became dark, the frame incredibly heavy, can't move or make a sound... And such a strong fatigue...

"Can he hear us, Ratchet? Does he understand what's going on?" someone's strong digits gently squeeze his left palm, the EM field is very familiar, but it's so hard to think... He's not here... somewhere else.

"I do not think so. The neutralizer blocks most of the cognitive functions, filtering is 32% complete, so it's too early to judge when he will wake up. We have also detected minor Matrix activity. It may be helping Megatron's systems deal with the chemical."

"Will he be alright?" The digits holding his hand clenched slightly. Worry, anxiety, fear... But not for himself... For another... He is not the same as before. Weaker.

"He will live. Unicron damn lucky one. In a good way. I myself was horrified by what I saw... when they returned.

Returned... Returned fromwhere? The former leader of the Decepticons looked in surprise at his left hand, which he raised to chest level. Optimus?.. Nonsense... When was that? And was there ever...

"Will be cool, yeah, co-captain?" Rodimus asked from the captain's chair with mock enthusiasm. "There shouldn't be techno-zombies on this planet, huh?"

"What?.." Megatron stopped studying his digits and looked blankly in the direction of the red and yellow Autobot. "Yes, probably."

The side screen above the viewing window has already gone out, which means that Prime is no longer looking at them. Did I miss something again? How much time... Megatron clenched his digits into a fist and unclenched them again. There was still the subtle feeling that someone had literally just touched his palm.

"What's with you?" The first captain asked sympathetically, already much quieter. Anxiety slipped through his optics. What? Worry about a Decepticon and Rodimus? Are these things even compatible? I'm losing touch with reality... perhaps faster than I thought.

"Nothing," Megatron shook his helm and lowered the servo, "let's get down already."

"Yes, right, let's do it," Rodimus agreed willingly and ordered to send a request for landing. Perceptor made the necessary actions, and after a few seconds the dispatcher's voice announced the approval and also transmitted coordinates of the landing hangar.

Once entering the atmosphere, the cosmic night gradually began to give way to a bright day, or rather evening, since the star that gave light to this planet was already approaching the horizon. Local time 18:32 - almost exactly corresponds to the calculated one. Got there without new contingencies, at least that's good.

The Curato city's spaceport was located practically in its very center. In ancient times, there was a small mining, around which buildings continued to grow, intended for different purposes, and over time it became a real city. It was a long time ago, if we take Cybertronian time, the city was about 3570 vorns old. Now it is a developed industrial center. The war didn't greatly affect this planet, given its remoteness. However, Cybertronians now visit it more often. The local government tries to maintain neutrality, allowing representatives of both factions to remain here... which allowed them to cooperate with both.

Small evening clouds over the city seemed to make way for the descending ship. On the right, a slightly larger vessel was approaching the planet, and on the left, three shuttles flew up, already heading into space. Three round roofs of most likely waiting rooms, but oval structures at some distance from each other - Megatron counted seventeen of these - were hangars for individual ships that stayed hare for a long time, connected to the waiting rooms by pipe-like corridors without windows.

Outside the city there are only rock massifs and desert valleys. A few hundred kilometers to the north-east is another city, apparently larger, in the west - a small settlement. Where should one of the five mystical Keys be hidden here? Megatron somewhere at the subconscious level understood that they must find something here... But how? And where? Others have more information on this. Feelings and knowledge are completely different things. Let's see, Optimus Prime, if your vision turns out to be true, and where it all leads us.

The ship smoothly entered the hangar through the open roof, the doors of which, as soon as the Lost Light has landed, closed over the starship with a slight screech. It was bright in the dock, in the wall to which the ship's bow was oriented, there was a panoramic window, behind it could be seen control panels and silhouettes of two operators. Skids said the fuel hoses were already connected to the ship's tanks and refueling was in progress. Magnus nodded approvingly and ordered all the crew to go to the docking bay over the speakerphone.

The whole team - twenty-five mechs - disguised as tourists from Cybertron are about to meet their guides, check into one of the local hotels under false names, and then act according to the instructions that Magnus will voice based on the data received from those 'guides'. Rodimus and Megatron can command the ship as they want, but Ultra Magnus is still responsible for the entire squad's safety, so the last word, one way or another, is with him.

In a few minutes everyone was arrived. Rewind was telling Tailgate and Whirl about some architectural monuments in this city that, if there was time, those would be worth to visit. Rung also put in his word that he had visited this city before, Getaway and Nightbeat were primarily determined to complete the task, Riptide was interested actually in everything.

"Well, we've arrived," the Magnus stated in front of everyone, "do not forget, we are the tourists, so behave accordingly. Nobody should know the real purpose of our visit."

"He forgot to say 'split into pairs and go in formation'," Rodimus whispered to Drift, who reacted with a barely restrained grin.

I was hoping to do without it, since we are all adult mecha here not sparklings," Ultra Magnus approached them quite close, "but if you want it so, Captain..." By his look, the Cybertronian army commander didn't understand the joke. As always.

"Ten," the Legislator unexpectedly eagerly supported, suddenly emerging from behind the head of the ship's security service. Optimus's student, who was about to mumble another apology, at the sight of Ten, abruptly switched to a new topic:

"Wait! Will he come with us too?" Rodimus pointed towards the yellow-white drone.

"I'm also curious,", Megatron unexpectedly supported and crossed arms over his chest.

"Yes. Why, something's wrong?" the Magnus armor's faceplate remained serious, as if he himself didn't at all understand the reason why this question was asked.

"Huh? No. Nothing..." The Prime's apprentice stepped back and showed opened palms to the security officer. "There are just so many of us. If everyone leaves, who will guard the Lost Light if someone would suddenly want to... I don't know... steal it, or something?"

Drift giggled softly at these words, which caused the first captain to look at him with displeasure. Skids and Cyclonus, too, looked at each other with a barely audible grins.

"The defenses have been greatly improved since last time, Rodimus," Ultra Magnus reminded him, also probably remembering something. "If you had studied the new technical characteristics of the ship, you wouldn't have asked such questions. And the spaceport security service regularly fulfills its duties. Nothing will threaten the ship here. If Ten's help is not needed, I will send him back myself before the end of our stay. Until then," the Magnus's blue optics narrowed, "he stays." And the big blue and white Autobot walked confidently towards the descending gangway.

"Since last time?" Megatron asked himself blankly. The team had already followed the Ultra Magnus, and no one heard this question, addressed to the void rather than to anyone in particular. The silver transformer decided not to stand there and went to the exit with the others. Whatever happened back then, he's unlikely to find out in the near future. Although... it depends on who to ask.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The light hangar was roomy enough even for a ship like the Lost Light. Although... why be surprised? Megatron recalled that an even larger cruiser was landing alongside with them. At the gangway, to the silver transformer's surprise, there were no military mecha with weapons pointed at him, not a single representative of the security department, not counting the blue and white Autobot who had been flying with them all this time. Nobody at all. There were no spaceport personnel near the spacecraft either: the automatic docking systems worked as expected, and there was no need for the presence of personnel either.

It would seem that here it is, a chance to free himself, the transformation blocker was even removed. And the tracking device... well, its range is not so great, and I can break it if I wish. Just what then? Where will I run away in a weakened state, and without any purpose? This is an illusion of freedom, and I know what awaits in the end...

'For those who believe in you.'

For those who believe in me, yes. But where are they? What awaits them after I'm done? Soundwave, Tarn and others... Will they be the same as Deadlock? That is, like Drift? Or worse, like Starscream? Let them, at least, be alive. The leader of the losing side is responsible for everyone: for allies... and for enemies too.

The whole group walked throuhg a long, lighted corridor to the exits to the spaceports public buildings. Megatron still had the feeling that his systems had not yet returned to normal after that night vision caused by... something.

Each step was harder than the previous one, the thought was spinning in his head that now they would find themselves among strangers who would shout in his face with hatred: 'Murderer! The Autobots are our saviors! Destroy the Decepticons! Death to the opponents of the regime!' Or something like: 'Glory to Sentinel Prime!'. After all that Megatron has had to experience, especially in the past six months, who could blame him for such a representation of reality? He heard even on the ship how Whirl shared his thought with others that it would be nice for the 'Decepticon ballast' to change the frame color at least to white and pink before appearing in a public place, but... Megatron is a recognizable person, so there's no guarantee that paintjob would help. Drift condemned the very idea, and Getaway added, not very confidently, that hardly anyone was waiting for Decepticon leader to appear with the symbol of another faction on his chest. Maybe it's a mech that just liiks like him, who knows. Similar frame configurations. And since the personnel of the Stellar-6 station didn't demand instant reprisals, despite the serious danger of unknown infection, maybe the Autobots are exaggerating a little?

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The spacious circular building they entered was one-story, but with ceilings that rose almost a kilometer above their helms. More precisely, it seemed one-story only at first, since ten terraces were built into the walls, one above the other, completely encircling the walls. The color is mostly white with a metallic sheen throughout, with additional lighting provided by the wide patterned openings in the roof through which sunlight penetrated. There were information boards on the walls, four of which contained timetables, and the rest showed various kinds of advertisements.

There were relatively not many people, but it was already possible to distinguish representatives of at least five races, counting Cybertronians. Megatron didn't even look at anyone, still mentally anticipating a potential attack. And even the relatively low exclamation of Rodimus in the general noise seemed especially loud:

"Look, it's them!" the red and yellow servo pointed somewhere ahead. Looking in the indicated direction, Megatron saw two femmes purposefully walking towards them at a brisk pace, he remembered them from the holographic photos in the previously studied dossiers.

He had known Windblade before. A graceful warrior with red and black armor, a white faceplate and sharp wings with built-in propellers, flat black and yellow plates on the helmet add a special exoticism. A fighter jet alt-mode, just like his or Starscream's. Nautica is somewhat heavier, although not as Velocity, the main color of her armor is purple, although there are yellow and white elements, behind the back two powerful turbines, the face plate is white, the optics are blue.

"Here they are, finally!" the purple femme opened her servos in greeting and lowered them again. "We're getting worried," she said a little more quietly.

"We're slightly off course," Ultra Magnus told her calmly. "The storms on Tellarus are especially spectacular at this time." And he smiled. At the same time, Megatron couldnt help but notice the unnaturalness of this emotion. In the past Minimus himself rarely sincerely expressed joyful emotions, and during the war he lost the habit at all. What to say about his outer shell?

Tellarus is a planet from the category of gas giants, famous for constantly raging hurricanes, which from space paint the planet with bizarre multicolored patterns. An attractive place for space tourists whom they just have to portray.

"Oh yes, it is definitely worth visiting this planet, but there are also a lot of attractions here as well," supported Windblade, also playing the role of a second guide.

"For example, archaeological excavations?" the student of Optimus Prime, who decided to play along, stepped forward. "Historical places are great. Hi, I am Rodimus, and this," a wave of the right servo behind his back, "is my team." Then he pointed with the left servo in Megatron's direction: "A new member of the crew, our ship's pacifist. Don't worry, he won't bite." If the red-yellow Autobot deigned to look at the subject under discussion, he would understand that he can 'bite' with just one glance. But still, the silver mech hastily turned away, so as not to frighten anyone.

"Nice to meet you," Windblade forced a smile. "Well, please follow us? The transport is waiting outside, we go to the Silver Spire hotel, there we will discuss all the details of the further excursion."

"Acceptable," Ultra Magnus nodded, and the entire group followed the new guides to the main exit.

* * *

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Ravage observed the departing group from around the corner next to the corridor leading to the storage rooms. It was a great relief to see Megatron not only alive, but also able to move on his own. After what Soundwave said, the cybercat has already imagined all sorts of worst-case scenarios. But the degree of harm caused by the Autobots can only be assessed in person. Megatron looked sluggish, but outwardly quite healthy. The injury to the head processor remains to be assessed.

After listening to the group's entire conversation from and to, the cybercat noted the location of the hotel where the they were going to stay, and, hiding from prying eyes, hurried to the hangar where he first contacted Soundwave after arriving here.

"I found him." Reported Ravage as soon as the communications specialist's hologram appeared in front of him. "Looks better than expected, but behaves really weird. But that's not all, I spotted surveillance of them from three points: two cameras in opposite parts of the hall and one suspicious mech. Not one of ours."

"Statement: means that the enemies are already here. It's time to act." Soundwave, it seems, wasn't surprised at all. "Ravage: be careful. Once you make contact with Lord Megatron, visual contact will not be available. Further we transfer information using our method."

"Yes, I remember," the cybercat lowered his ears sadly. They've discussed this before. It should be so. At least now. "What... what to tell Lord Megatron when I see him?"

"Tell him ..." Soundwave thought for a moment. Expressing thoughts aloud has always been difficult for this mech. "Tell him it's not the endt. Many mecha still support him."

"Of course. Soundwave..." for a moment, Ravage's left paw froze over the interrupt button, they won't see each other for a long time. "I won't let you down. Promise." And he added as neutral as possible: "Ravage out." Then the metal clawed paw covered the button, and the signalman's hologram disappeared.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Avatar OST - You Don't Dream In Cryo; (landing)
2) Mass Effect 2: DLC Arrival Unreleased OST - Prison Infiltration; (Megatron's thoughts)
3) Mass Effect OST - The Citadel; (meeting with liaisons)
4) Mass Effect 2: DLC Arrival Unreleased OST - Countdown; (Ravage detects target and reports to Soundwave)

Chapter Text

Since my motivation is not the same as before thanks to the lack of comments, I'm not sure when I gain enough inspiration to continue. To those who still want updates, here is a short version of what else should happen in Part 1 of this fanfic.

In the evening, after discussing the plan, Megatron decides to take a stroll despite Rodimus and Magnus’s objections. The Decepticon points to the tracking bracelet on his wrist, hinting that he’s not going to run. And then, not listening to anyone, he leaves. Suddenly, when the Decepticon leader finds himself alone, he suddenly has another vision - a kind of mixture of images from the past and the future, as well as a black figure attacking him - the silhouette of Senator Shockwave. A malfunction occurs in Megatron's systems, as a result of which the neuroblockers burn out, and the entire quarter of the city turns out to be without electricity... As Rodimus and Drift said when they found him.

The Prime's apprentice via comm reports that Megatron is in trouble, Ratchet tells them to wait on the spot, but a combat squad of ten Decepticons suddenly appears. Rodimus manages to notice that this is not the help he was counting on. However, they are saved by Ten and Ravage, who arrived just in time. After defeating the attackers, the cybercat rips off the Decepticon sign from one of them and discovers an Autobt sign underneath. Other teammates arrive soon.

The next day the expedition group (not the entire squad) goes to the desert, where they find an underground passage with a gravity well in the cave system (almost like in Mass Effect Andromeda). The heroes descend underground and discover an ancient abandoned city. Strange things begin to happen to Megatron: he suddenly starts talking about this city and acting as if he had been here before. Magnus suspects that Rodimus is aware of the Matrix's effect on Megatron. At the same time, the silver mech’s optics suddenly become pale blue. They also find the Key thanks to Megatron, who is already in a kind of trance: the door to the vault (a hall with columns and concentric circles in the floor) opens from his touch, and the Key itself also appears thanks to him.

After that, they’re attacked by a Decepticon combat squad, but Windblade recognizes her friend among them - and he was never a member of the Violet Sign clan. Same thing: Autobots wearing Decepticon insignias. The team fights back and manages to escape thanks to Tailgate, who suddenly has an uncontrollable burst of energy.

As soon as the heroes get to the surface, Megatron's optics regain their usual scarlet color, and he completely comes to his senses, although he perfectly remembers what he was saying and doing there, underground. Nautica, Windblade and Ravage join the Lost Light crew.

However, no sooner had the starship moved away from Yuntara at a decent distance, another unidentified ship appears. Megatron gives the order to jump into hyperspace before the unknown spacecraft can fire, and when the Lost Light is already in the interdimensional corridor, the crew picks up a message that has come aboard before the jump, that they have attracted the attention of those they shouldn’t have.

On the ship, Ratchet removes damaged blockers from Megatron's head, which are no longer of any use. After that, the Decepticon wonders that in prison they added a sort of special firmware to turn him into a ‘hound’ that can find and collect these very Keys. The chief medic protested that this was not the case, to which Megatron bluntly stated that he doesn’t believe it. But come what may, he will do what he must. Rung, on the other hand, ponders how to direct Megatron along the right path, without revealing the whole truth yet. The silver mech has a dream about the destruction of a city very similar to the one they recently left.

So, the first Key is found, the ship heads to the next planet - Imano, which is located near the red giant. Uninhabited. Rodimu says that there will be no trouble at all. But he was very wrong.

Information comes from Cybertron that the Curato city on the planet Yuntara has been completely destroyed. How and under what circumstances - unknown. One of the Autobots suggests that Decepticons did it (Why? There are simply no other enemies.) Megatron, on the other hand, recalls his own dream about the destruction of a familiar settlement. This doesn’t escape Rung's attention (he knows what caused these visions). But Optimus, much to Megatron's surprise, dismisses the suggestion that the Decepticons were involved. Of the few victims that have been found, some of the mechs have undergone the same nanite transformation as before at the Stellar-6 space station.

The Lost Light lands on the planet's surface, but due to the red giant's electromagnetic radiation, some malfunctions occur in the ship's navigational instruments and detection systems. For a safe stay outside the ship, the crew has to use portable shield generators.

A small scouting party - the rest are waiting on the ship - is heading for a supposed descent into a similar underground vault where the second Key is hidden, but an ambush awaits them - the Decepticon Justice Division (later it will be clear that the ‘mole’ gave them coordinates, so as not to risk sending a new group Autobot Special Forces in an already dangerous place). The team is trapped, but Megatron draws fire on himself, giving the others an opportunity to escape. He becomes a prisoner of Tarn and his team.

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

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.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

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.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

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."

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

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.

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Rodimus slowly got up to his pedes while Drift was still sitting next to the recovering Megatron. Eight tall big bots, heavily armed, faces hidden behind masks and visors, purple Decepticon signs on their armor. They slowly surrounded the three mechs on the ground, gradually squeezing the ring around them. Weapons not yet charged, but their frames' language and EM field of each of them spoke openly of clearly hostile intentions.

"And that's all?" grinned the mech with heavy tank tracks on his lower limbs and triple-barreled plasma cannons on both forearms. "We thought it would be harder." He was a little smaller than Megatron, but had more massive armor.

"Guys, what are you talking about?" Rodimus asked. Hands open wide at head level, but at any moment the red-and-yellow Autobot was ready to fire the built-in flamethrowers on his own forearms. "We're just taking a stroll!" The first captain only tried to distract strangers with his behavior, to somehow play for time. The team's already on their way to help. "We are ordinary tourists, nothing... unusual." Something slipped behind the heavily armed Decepticon. Rodimus struggled to keep his optics in contact.

The big mech with tank tracks on his legs grinned wickedly in response and aimed both guns at him, others did the same. These guys were definitely not going to negotiate.

"Now you are all scrap metal." He declared under the buzzing sound of charges forming in the muzzles. Realizing what was about to happen, Megatron closed his optics and then...

"TEN!!!" suddenly roared the Legislator's familiar voice, followed by a loud clang interspersed with swearing and gunfire. But as soon as the silver mech opened his optics again, a thick fog was already swirling around, it was completely unclear where the fog came from. Megatron didn't even have time to analyze anything, as a small narrow hissing cylinder landed next to him, releasing new clouds of impenetrable gray smoke. Someone grabbed Megatron's arm, and first of all, only by the voice it became clear that it was Drift:

"Get up, Megatron! Quickly!"

The stressful situation did take its toll: chest pain and weakness finally subsided, and the silver mech jumped to his pedes more on his own than thanks to the former ally's help, and the second Autobot speeder's red-and-yellow frame immediately crashed into him with a scream. And as soon as Rodimus turned around, the fright on his face immediately disappeared:

"Oh, it's you..."

The sounds of battle were heard around, familiar voices reached the audials... Megatron suddenly thought that the opponents were fighting among each other in this impenetrable darkness, but, having switched the systems to detection mode, the Decepticon discerned the familiar silhouettes as well.

"Our team's here!" Rodimus confirmed his guess. The Prime's apprentice charged both flamethrowers, but then a new explosive flew into them from the left, already quietly humming and sparkling with red lights. At the same time a small black shadow flashed by and using the long tail shot down the cylinder flying at them with a very accurate blow... which immediately detonated when it fell to the ground.

A powerful explosion followed, but even though the blast wave was relatively weak, all three were knocked down by an air blow. Rodimus disappeared. Megatron, somehow getting to his feet, saw in front of him the same mech that had just threatened them. In fact, he was the only one of those guys who said a word.

"The order is clear: to capture alive or dead. The dead will be safer." He aimed the loaded cannon at Megatron's helm. "Die, Decepticon scum."

Decepticon scum? Megatron froze. This says someone who wears the purple insignia himself? There is something to be surprised if he wasn't on the verge of death. No defense, no weapons, and a hand-to-hand fighting from such a distance... the enemy will have time to shoot earlier... Can try to dodge, hide in the fog, or... It can't be! Megatron suddenly realized that, for some reason, once again he's gained access to the upgrades Shockwave had installed, which had so long and stubbornly suppressed by the neuroblockers implanted in his head right under the solar panels hidden under the helmet. It's like returning some of the senses.

The enemy is already close. Drift yells something, then lunges forward and a spiked fist hits his helmet hard. The former ally collapsed with a clang, rolled slightly down the slope and disappeared from sight. Megatron was left with the enemy face to face... one of the past allies, judging by the badge. Now he didn't have a single thought about Drift's or Rodimus's fate, nor regret that he had to confront a former follower (and not long ago he thought about how he could deserve death in the servos of Decepticons). At the moment the instinct of self-preservation worked, however, the sensible thought of doing no harm also didn't leave the silver mech's CPU. I can't fight... there's only one way out...

Megatron had five possible options for action: immobilize, suppress, seize control of the CPU, put into stasis or destroy, that is, send a powerful energy pulse that could potentially burn the enemy's neurocircuits. During that short time of possessing new capabilities, the Decepticon leader managed to test the first three options on small groups of enemies, but it wasn't easy for him either. Such emitters, according to the former Senator, required a large amount of both spark and CPU energy, and certainly couldn't be used by ordinary mechs. He said that in theory it is possible to refine the modification in such a way that it would be possible to reduce the load on the leader's frame, but... They didn't have time to finish what they started.

Megatron never used the last two, since such a volley could seriously damage his own inner mechanisms, and even hurt nearby allies. Shockwave warned that this could be used only for self-defense. Let's settle on the first, he decided, this is the safest option... in theory.

Having collected data on the approaching threat in milliseconds, Megatron put his digits to the temples and gave his systems the appropriate command:

enum Actions

{

Immobilize;

Suppress;

Control;

Stasis;

Destroy;

}

Actions [] action = action.voltage();

voltage.powerIncrease (22%);

logger.warning ("Target is too close!");

for (action a:: Actions) //2 colons is not an error, it's not 'for each' cycle (read the end notes)

{

this.a = Immobilize;

execute (a);

}

But, despite the EMD message, it was too late to retreat. Everything happened too fast. Tension in the frontal helm part, a flash of optics, the silver mech shudders, releasing an energy wave...

...And now the enemy, who was about to slay him down, froze without moving with a weapon put forward. Of the external signs only the blinking visor spoke that the enemy was alive and conscious. There were no optics seen behind it.

The clouds of fog gradually dissipated, at the same time the sounds of battle subsided. Oblivious to this, the dumbfounded Megatron stared at his own servos. It worked? How, how?! Just a few minutes ago, I couldn't do that, I didn't have the physical ability, their suppression devices... But no, self-diagnosis confirmed that although the neuroblockers were still implanted in his head, they were no longer active. Unicron knows what it is... No, the news is good, no doubt, but... how?

When the clouds of fog cleared, four deactivated combat corps lay on the ground, weapons around them, and figures of several team members rose around them with searchlights on their shoulders. Megatron saw them with peripheral vision, but as such he didn't look in their direction. He couldn't take his optics off the motionless Decepticon in front of him. He was alive, but completely paralyzed, the massive mech frozen in a fighting stance, with weapons aimed at Megatron. How...?

"Three are gone," Ultra Magnus stated from the right, and his massive servo landed on Megatron's shoulder, causing him to flinch and even swing his left fist reflexively. But, fortunately, the silver transformer changed his mind in time. "You alright? Unharmed?"

"More or less," said Rodimus, approaching them, slightly staggering. "A few dents, but I will live. He'll too," a wave of the servo in Megatron's direction, "as I can see."

The Magnus smiled kindly and patted the Prime's apprentice on the shoulder. For some reason, the latter defiantly staggered and with a quiet: "Oh-uh" moved his left hand. Then for some reason, with feigned joy, he showed the co-captain both thumbs.

"Ten-ten!" came from behind, and then followed by a characteristic clang - most likely a kick of something large, armored and motionless. Somewhere to the left Ratchet was examining Drift. The rest of those who came to the rescue surrounded Megatron and his motionless opponent.

"Is that... all, or what?" Rodimus looked around the battlefield. Scorched grass, weapon craters in the soft ground, there is also no lighting in the entire district, and somewhere in the distance the sounds of sirens were already heard, which meant the approach of local law enforcement officers.

"What's with him?" Cyclonus snapped his digits in front of the immobilized mech's visor.

"Megatron... did you do that?" First Aid turned to the silver mech, pointing towards the motionless figure. And the second medic is here too... Great.

"I..." he jerked his helm and spread the servos, "I shouldn't have... even been able to..." Megatron still had difficulty believing in what had happened. He tried not to show it, but his trembling voice and bewildered gaze betrayed obvious bewilderment and even fear. And the fear of not even a sudden attack, but namely... this.

"Meaning what?" Rodimus, no less interested, intervened. "Ah... how is that even possible?"

"I've never seen anything like it..." muttered Riptide, scratching the top of his helm. "Although I saw those at the station for the first time as well..."

"If my sensors don't fail, he's...alive, but..." Getaway walked carefully around the immobile frame, then carefully retrieved the blaster rifle, handed it to Skids, and slowly removed the Decepticon's visor...

...But as soon as he did that, the mech's head exploded, torn off his neck, and rolled away somewhere, spattering the energon of everyone who stood nearby. The frame remaining in the same position collapsed to the ground. Getaway was thrown away, he covered the optics with his palms with a cry and fell to his knees. Magnus raised the blaster and turned off the lights on his frame.

"Ten, Skids, Cyclonus, follow me!" he ordered. "The rest of you stay here!" And he ran.

Megatron turned sharply in the direction they had rushed, and using his zoom and night vision, he spotted a battle mech fleeing away with a powerful cannon at the ready. Was that... a shot? A shot at their own squad member?

"What...?!" the Prime's apprentice nearby shouted in shock. He was about to run after them, but Riptide intercepted him by the right servo:

"Where to?! It's said to stay here."

"But..." Rodimus began, but the new team member gave him a displeased look that cooled the first captain's ardor. "Okay, okay..."

There were no more shots heard, the police sirens were also wailing somewhere in the distance, and the park was quite large. The silver mech was very hopeful, this lull indicating that Magnus and the others hadn't managed to catch the three escapees after all... rather than falling into their trap.

"Better?" Ratchet asked Drift and waved his left servo in front of his optics. "Watch my digits. Here..." a movement to the left, "now here..." a gesture to the right. Drift obediently followed the command. "More or less," he finally concluded. "Can you get up?"

"I think so," he answered quietly and got up with the help of the senior medic and Getaway, whose right cheek was slightly melted. "Slag... We miscalculated. I didn't think the Decepticons would do it..."

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

"And what makes you think, Deadlock, that they were Decepticons?" suddenly came from the darkness. A large black cybercat with scarlet optics, pointed ears and claws, and a long spiked tail stepped into the illuminated area. Megatron backed away, Riptide choked out "What the...", and Getaway grabbed his blaster.

"Ravage..." Drift gasped in shock, his digits gripping Ratchet's shoulder tighter.

"Ravage? Soundwave'd operative?" Rodimus finally realized. "Why am I not surprised..."

The others didn't move, not knowing what to do next. Without answering, the cybercat slid gracefully towards the decapitated frame and jumped on top of it. Swinging his right paw, the black cybercat unsheathed his claws and with one blow swept away the purple mark from the deactivated mech's armor, under which it turned out to be... the red one?

"Here are your Decepticons," he snorted, pointing at the Autobot symbol.

"What?!" Rodimus was there so fast that he nearly knocked over the cybercat. Instantly forgetting about all the injuries received during the battle, the red-yellow Autobot even sat on his knees and brought his face to the red sign on the defeated one's armor so close that he almost touched it with his olfactory sensor. "What the..." Rodimus even touched it, ran his digit along the contour... The Autobot symbol... What in Unicron's...?!

"Stop clowning around and move it," Getaway pushed him a little and also squatted next to him, on the other side. The rest grouped behind them.

"So... We were attacked by... Autobots disguised as Decepticons?" First Aid could hardly believe what he himself was saying, but the facts spoke for themselves. "Kind of the vice versa Megatron?"

The silver mech shuddered, but didn't say a word. The right palm touched the chest plates. His insignia is still there, under the fake red one. But I did it for a reason. These however... Megatron shook his helm and rubbed his faceplate. They wanted to kill me... Along with Drift and Rodimus, just because they were nearby... It's not known why. And blame it on the Decepticons. Or not, what is all this was a set up? Maybe they are all together in this, and no one was going to kill these two? Then... why did the crew members kill their own? And that shot to the immobilized bot's helm... Is that... Are the Autobots hunting each other now? The silver mech would have laughed if he had been an outside observer, and not a direct participant in what was happening.

A few minutes later, a police brigade of local mechs arrived, along with the returned Magnus, Skids, Ten and Cyclonus. All participants of the fight were ordered to immediately go to the station to clarify the circumstances. Rodimus had previously clipped the purple badge Ravage had removed back onto the deactivated frame, obscuring the Autobot symbol, something the second captain hadn't missed.

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The next three hours or so turned into one big blur for Megatron. First, they were all sent to the local police department to testify. Windblade and Nautica also arrived there - according to legend, they, being the guides of this group, were responsible for all of them, Rung and Velocity also came with them. The initial medical examination didn't reveal any life-threatening injuries, therefore, first the victims must testify, and then they will be escorted to the city hospital for medical assistance.

The interviews in the precinct were conducted with everyone individually, except for Megatron, who was accompanied by the white-orange therapist. Rung himself asked for it: according to him, the mech named Silverjet is undergoing physical and psychological rehabilitation after a serious incident that nearly cost him his life. Details are a medical secret. Ravage, who somehow joined the team on his own, wasn't even invited for a conversation.

Everyone who was asked this question confirmed that the attackers were Decepticons, and they are all veterans of war, and now on a tour as part of a program to help the brave Autobots, who had such a hard time in the fight against the insidious Decepticons. Megatron, hearing this, felt a sharp attack of nausea and incredible disgust. He wanted to start objecting, but Rung quickly took the lead in the conversation and requested not to speak to his patient about the war. When asked about Silverjet's outward resemblance to the Decepticon leader - Megatron - the therapist only replied that it's not good to judge a mecha by appearance.

The legend with the Decepticons' attack, much to the silver mech's regret, justified itself. If it was the other way around, we'd be sued for beating the Autobots' fists with our faces, he thought grimly. It was disgusting to realize all this. I have already betrayed them once, forced to urge them to surrender, and now I am setting my clan up again just so that the local police don't suspect anything and finally release us...

After the interrogation, all victims and witnesses were sent to the main city hospital for medical assistance. Again, Ratchet and First Aid insisted on seeing their charges in person, there was no need to disturb the local medics. Therefore, they said that they would go to the hospital, but in fact went to the spaceport. The same tourist shuttle called by Nautica took them there. All victims were treated in the ship's medical bay. The bots were extremely opposed to Ravage's presence, but Megatron assured that the cybercat wouldn't harm anyone. However, his words wouldn't have convinced anyone if Rung hadn't suddenly stood up for the four-legged mech:

"If Ravage wanted to attack, he would have done it long ago, there were many opportunities."

"Many," the cybercat agreed, "besides, your own mechs tried to kill you."

"But it's insane!" Rodimus blurted out before realizing himself insane were his own words. "That is... Well... yep..."

"Insane or not, we will discuss at the unscheduled briefing," the Ultra Magnus decided. "Cyclonus, Windblade, Skids, you will now go with me to the hotel, pick up the rest of our people and escort them here." All three nodded and left the medbay. "I order the rest of you to remain on the ship until we return. Not a step outside, get it? Do not forget that three of the eight attackers managed to escape."

"Well, great," Rodimus muttered. Nobody asked his opinion in this situation.

During the silver mech's examination the doctors discovered that the blockers implanted in his head, indeed, were deactivated. They remained in place, outwardly safe and sound, but no longer represented any value, and there was no way to turn them on again - replacements were required, which were not available on the ship. To diagnose Megatron's state, he had to remove the helmet and unfold the solar panels, and this plunged Rodimus into shock.

"The bucket... comes off?" he whispered to Drift, who also remained in the med bay with the Decepticon leader, two medics, and Ravage.

"What did you say?!" the cybercat hissed at him, but Megatron motioned for him to be quiet.

"I mean... I don't understand, Megs, why are you hiding theses under the helmet," Optimus' student moved the servos over his own head, "you look like the sun... or a star! Amazing..."

The medics exchanged dissatisfied glances, Megatron pursed his lips and rolled his optics, and Ravage asked via comm with participation:

"Can I bite his head off right now?"

One way or another, without Optimus's command, Ratchet couldn't yet decide to remove the blockers. This can be done later, when they report to the Prime about the work done and, if he gives the go-ahead, Ratchet, Velocity and First Aid, possibly with Chromedome's participation, will carry out the necessary procedure to remove already pointless devices. Right now, they are of no use to Megatron, but there will be no harm either. It can wait.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

When the rest of the crew were on the ship, everyone gathered in the conference room, and direct participants in the recent incident told the uninformed ones about the unforeseen, rather frightening situation. The two captains couldn't do without an exchange of courtesies as well.

"If you hadn't left..."

"If you, as always, didn't start smacking nonsense..."

Luckily, Magnus stopped the incipient skirmish in time. How these two had worn him out already... Will they ever get along?

"So... what's next?" Whirl voiced the common question. "We need to report to Cybertron. What are heck anyway? the impersonal mecha raised his servos questioningly.

"That's what they'll say," Ravage snorted at Megatron's pedes.

"No one here asked your opinion, Decepticon henchman!" he said indignant. "What is this brat even doing here?!"

"I will not tolerate insults!" Ravage growled in response.

"Watch your words, Whirl!" Megatron's optics narrowed predatorily, and the servos on top of the table clenched into fists of their own accord.

"Agreed," Ultra Magnus supported unexpectedly. Oddly enough, for the most part everyone listened to him. "Ravage," the blue-and-white bot addressed the cybercat, "do you have anything to say on the matter?"

"Not very much is known at the moment," he answered more calmly, "and it's not only about the infection that you discovered on the space station." The faces of those present stretched out in surprise, the cat raised his left paw before any of them could even say a word: "Yes, I know about this, and about some special squads sent in your wake. As for what purpose..." He raised an inquiring look at Megatron.

"But why?" Nautica felt lost. "We are friends..."

"Ask the next group of mercenaries when they come," Ravage twitched his spiked tail, "and there is no doubt that they will."

"Why such confidence?" Rodimus clarified with a sarcastic sneer. His faceplate expressed open contempt. Cybercat drew back his ears and squinted predatorily:

"I do not disclose my sources. But they are reliable. Otherwise, how would I know about walking deactivations and all-infecting nanites, or about an assassination attempt?" Again his head turned towards Megatron. No one knew what to object.

The debate continued for some time, and as a result, the following decisions were made. No need to report to Cybertron yet, because if the mercenaries were acting on orders from there, the next wave of attack could overtake them completely unprepared. Also, Ravage remains with the team and becomes Megatron's personal responsibility. And the third thing: now the group must return to the hotel and act as if nothing had happened, so as not to arouse unnecessary suspicion among the locals.

"Does anyone have anything else to add on the matter?" the Ultra Magnus looked around questioningly.

"Yes," the irrepressible Rodimus raised the right servo and, with an approving nod from the head of security, turned to the co-captain: "Explain something to me! Why, huh? Well, why?!"

"Be more specific, please," Megatron clarified, arms crossed over his chest. He was too tired for the evening, and had absolutely no desire to enter into a debate with anyone now, especially with this one...

"When they attacked... You didn't even fight... didn't try to defend yourself! Why?!"

"I disabled one of them."

"So what?!" the silver mech's external calmness made Rodimus even more furious. He couldn't even imagine what Megatron was really feeling now, that he had now built an imaginary mental wall in front of himself and his interlocutor so as not to break loose himself. Vorns of practices at war. This is in the past, in the once peaceful, the so-called time of the 'Golden Age', he was vulnerable, emotional, timid... even shy. Why should he be afraid now, when everything is predetermined?

"So that," Megatron shook his helm and slowly stood up. "I think we're done for today. I suggest returning to the hotel and recharge. Tomorrow we'll have to run along the caves all day, who knows what it will turn into..." And this time he again left the meeting first.

Ravage, who had been sitting at Megatron's pedes all this time, couldn't believe either his visual or audio sensors. What did they do to the mighty Decepticon leader? He allows some half-wit to yell at himself, and such indifference in response... Shadow plays, nothing less. But never mind, these Autobot pieces of junk won't rejoice for long...

"Wait for me! Hey!" called Ravage, also slipping out after his leader. Megatron slowed down a bit, letting the cybercat catch up with him. "Are you always running around like you've got acid sprayed up your nozzles?"

"What?.." the silver mech asked stunned in response.

"Just paraphrased. You know this earthly saying."

"Not appropriate in our case," the leader replied, but chuckled a little nonetheless.

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

By the time they all returned to the hotel it was well after midnight. Only few hours left before dawn. Tailgate also asked if it was worth returning, maybe they could spend the night on the ship, but Windblade noted that the less suspicious activity, the better. Despite the fact that there may still be recent killers wandering around.

The group got out of the shuttle that had stopped near their residential building, and the mechs made their way to their living quarters. Not all, of course. Swerve invited everyone to join him at the 24-hour bar on site. Those who agreed turned out to be Cyclonus, Chromedome, Windblade, and Whirl. The Ultra Magnus sent Then to 'invisibly' patrol the area just in case.

Since it is now night, none of the were no other guests in the hotel corridors met on the way to the room. Megatron, just in case, still asked Ravage not to make any noise when the two of them took the elevator to the desired floor - they managed to escape before someone else stepped into the cabin. They got to the right door quickly, in a hurry - behind the stairs were already heard steps and voices of the rest of the team members, moving in the same direction. Several of them also live on the same floor next door.

"Well, here we are." Megatron put a magnetic card to the side panel, pressed the desired button and took a step to the side, letting Ravage pass. He was confused at first, but still crossed the threshold first. The leader let him pass... No, not because there was some kind of trap waiting there. He's just... he...

The light in the room turned on automatically. The four-legged mecha assessed the situation and chuckled, then walked around the room, looked into the wash racks... Megatron, who followed him, watched with interest while the four-legged tailed mecha exploring the territory.

"No cameras, but there are motion detectors," the cybercat concluded sounding like an expert. Megatron scanned the room and noticed a foreign device in the wall behind the holographic screen. The presence of which not long ago he couldn't detect due to the neuroblockers. Probably installed in advance, before the ship's arrival. Especially for him... And in secret from the hotel staff: such things are officially prohibited here - invasion of privacy.

"No cameras and bugs - it's already good," Megatron went to the center of the room, "and it's okay. Pay no attention to..."

A sudden ominous growl prevented him from completing the phrase. Ravage flashed his optics and crouched, as if preparing to jump. The Decepticon leader's combat protocols activated instantly, but all he did was to step back hesitantly.

"Ravage?"

It happened in a fraction of a second: a lightning-fast jump, a sharp blow to the chest, and the silver mech fell to the floor with a crash out of surprise. Megatron would have evaded, but thanks to the mandatory regular intake of sedatives, his reactions were still somewhat sluggish.

"Betrayer!" big claws flashed, but the silver mech managed to intercept both cyberpredator's front paws. "You turned your back on us! How dare you?! HOW?!!!" He struggled to break free, kicked, growled, but still couldn't wrest his paws from the leader's strong servos, who remained on the floor and just... held the raging predator's paws of and looked at him with bitterness. And he was silent, which angered Ravage more and more: "Come on, answer me! Answer!" the last words were already a cry of despair, the predator's onslaught gradually weakened. "Answer me..."

"I..."

"Silverjet?" they suddenly heard outside the door. Then came a persistent knock. "Silverjet, what's going on?!"

"Slag, it's Magnus," Megatron hissed at the cybercat. The four-legged mecha froze, the frenzy in the crimson optics immediately fading away, the claws retracted, and Ravage slid off the silver frame.

"So open the door before he breaks in," he suggested in a calm voice, pointing with his left paw towards the entrance.

"Silverjet!" At the same time, a call request went through Megatron's commlink.

'Coming,' the silver mech called back, rising from the floor and cutting off the connection. Glancing meaningfully at Ravage, Megatron put his left index finger to his lips and went to open the door. What else does Magnus want from me... Could he rear all of this...?

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) X-Men Origins: Wolverine OST - Wade Goes To Work; (Ten, Ravage and others come to the rescue)
2) Mass Effect 3 OST - The Reapers Are Coming; (after the battle)
3) Mass Effect 3 OST - You Look Good, Shepard; (detention)
4) DA Inquisition: The Descent OST - Edge Of The Abyss; (discussion)
5) Time Machine OST - Emma; (Megatron and Ravage)

P.S. Regarding the pseudo-code... As mentioned, for (action a:: Actions) is not a for each loop, which is written with 1 colon, for example: for (action a: Actions). Here, on purpose, there will be pseudo-designations mixed with real ones, as I already said, because Alien processors, by definition, cannot run Earth programming languages). Therefore, here it is the choice of 1 action from the Enum. Well, then some action (a) is taken, a value is assigned to it, and then an execution command follows with this action as an input parameter).

Chapter Text

Megatron says hello) I have long dreamed of this kind of a figure! And finally got it... got him. The figure's great, except for one small but important flaw... In theory it can be fixed, but there's a risk of breaking the figure... So I won't touch anything.

Also there're all the alternative armor pieces for turning him into a miner. And here Megatron has am alt mode with wings! Like a fighter jet on caterpillar. Perhaps I will use it in my fanfic when they'll have to move quietly, most of the group members have wheeled altforms, but... the main character, remaining in fighter jet mode, will ride on caterpillars. A kind of Autobot trolling :D

Chapter Text

When the silver mech opened the door, the Ultra Magnus, who was standing in the corridor, barely restrained himself from pushing him away and bursting into the room. In any case, Megatron thought so, despite the fact that the white-and-blue bot was, as always, outwardly calm and as reserved as possible.

“Are you alright?” the Ultra Magnus asked, carefully examining the interlocutor's silver-black frame from head to toe.

“And why not?” Megatron frowned and pulled back a little. Be calm, he reminded himself, nothing happened, no one even broke anything. Whatever seemed to Minimus. Yes.

“I heard a sound similar to a fall,” the Magnus's massive frame leaned forward a little, and Megatron was forced to retreat, “what’s happening?”

“Nothing special,” Megatron shook his helm and stepped aside, letting the big bot pass into the room, - “there’s no one but us... You can check.”

In the past Minimus respected his ward’s personal space and would have taken his word for it. Now neither one nor the other has reason to trust each other completely. So Ultra Magnus went into the room and looked around. Seeing the unexpected guest, Ravage froze with his right paw raised and his tail arched. There was no one and nothing suspicious in the room.

“Satisfied, Inspector?” the silver mech asked reproachfully, stepping back to the wall. The Ultra Magnus for some reason also looked into the washracks, and admitted that he really didn’t see anything suspicious. However, before leaving, nevertheless, he drew attention to the closet:

"Don't forget to take your medicine before recharging," he reminded, pointing to the yellow cylinder on the shelf.

“Good night, Fortress Maximus,” Megatron replied forcefully, putting both servos on his belt and hinting with just a look that it was time for the guest to leave. The Magnus nodded and said in a somewhat absent-minded way:

“Yes, good night, Silverjet...” And he went to the exit. Turning around in front of the door, he also said: “Good night, Ravage.”

“Same to you,” the cybercat chuckled, narrowing his optics predatory.

And so the Ultra Magnus was gone. The silver mech also grunted ‘Overseer’ at his back. Whether Minimus heard the remark or not, anyway he chose not to react. The main thing is that there are no potential or real threats nearby, and it’s simply useless to butt helms with the former ward now. Here Rung is right.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Closing the door, Megatron slowly turned to face the cybercat, who continued to glare at him. Another moment of tense silence. For a second the silver mech thought that the tailed one would rush at him again now with a clear desire to cut through the neck cables or tear the faceplate off. Ravage, however, was in no hurry to attack. For a few seconds he kept his optics on the leader, then... simply went to the large window and sat down in front of him, back to Megatron.

After standing indecisively for a few more seconds, Megatron with his lips pursed approached the cabinet, slowly pulled out the narrow cylinder with a yellow liquid inside, carefully opened it, sniffed it... A barely perceptible smell reached the olfactory sensors, reminiscent of one organic herb, but the recognition program didn’t reveal anything dangerous, confirming the safety by the EMD message displayed. Just like with all other substances... And why am I surprised? With a heavy sigh, Megatron took the first sip. The liquid tasted somewhat sweet and much less horrible than the Fool’s Energon. What he was prescribed to take every time before recharging ... Megatron wondered how long he could avoid at least this...

“What are you drinking?” Displeasedly sounded behind him. Megatron nearly dropped the vessel in surprise.

"What’s ordered," he put the empty transparent cylinder into the closet next to the two remaining cubes of dirty pink liquid. “I would share, but... You won’t benefit from this.”

“And will you, hmm?” the cybercat abruptly jumped from his place to Megatron's feet. He threw up the servos, involuntarily hiding from a potential attack, but Ravage didn’t move further and only repeated the question defiantly: “And you?!”

“This is Prime's condition,” realizing that the tailed comrade wasn’t going to attack, Megatron slowly walked around him to the left and stepped up to the opposite wall closer to the large window. Leaning back against herit, the silver mech sank to the floor and drew the knees up to his chest, resting his servos on them. He was deliberately looking out the dark window, so as trying to not even notice what might be happening there. Just don't look at Ravage...

“So it's true...” the cybercat cautiously approached him almost closely. “True...” There was real horror in his optics. “Shadow play.” He began to walk back and forth in front of the leader, who sitting on the floor, and argue with himself: “Monsters... This is the essence of the Autobots. They remade your CPU, you've been forced to accept their point of view, you've been stuffed with chemicals. No-no-no-no...”

“Ravage…” the Decepticon leader was just about to stand up, but the cybercat rushed towards him, placing his front paws on the silver mech’s knees:

“Megatron... Lord Megatron...” his mouth is slightly open, the scarlet optics practically beg, but the leader looks at the unfortunate ally almost with condemnation:

“Don't call me that.” He asked quietly. There were no threats, no indignation in the voice, just a statement. Ravage was taken aback. "It is not Shadowplay," Megatron continued calmly. He felt tired. Maybe this is the effect of a new sedative, which has been avoided until now. “This is Prime’s condition. which I accepted. My life in exchange for the lives of all the Decepticons.”

“W-what?” Ravage tilted his head slowly to the left.

The silver mech ex-vented heavily and began his story. Everything from confronting Shockwave to his request to participate in an expedition to find the mystical Keys that will open the way to Cybertopia, where the Ancients live. Ravage already knew something, but some things made the cybercat feel completely unwell. Megatron spoke calmly, feeling like an outside observer - it was easier, not so painful to experience all this horror again. And the worst is yet to come...

Listening to all this, the four-legged Decepticon was already mentally thinking through his report to Soundwave. Hoped that he would come up with a plan to save the stubborn leader who went crazy. He alone cannot pull Megatron out if the same Megatron cannot be reasoned with.

“Turn off the light, please,” Ravage lowered his head and narrowed his eyes a little, “the optics hurt.”

“Of course.” The silver mech sent out a remote signal, and the room went dark. Light from the streetlights only filtered through the windows, drawing elongated yellow rectangles on the floor and walls.

“Megatron...”

The leader slowly looked at him with a dull look.

“Your call to lay arms down was not your idea, was it?”

The silver mech lowered his head again. Ravage nodded meaningfully.

“That's what I thought. And so did Soundwave.”

“Soundwave?” Megatron asked in surprise. For the first time since meeting Ravage, he really thought about his most loyal ally. Where is he now? How is he doing? What does he do? But the leader didn’t dare to ask these questions.

“He assumed that this could be another sabotage of our enemies, and sent me to make sure that the new you were the real you.”

“So, your conclusion, detective?” Megatron snorted angrily. How so is it the real me or not?

Ravage sat down opposite the leader, now looking at him somehow especially attentively. The Decepticon leader knew that look very well. Soundwave can read the other mecha mental signals, thanks to him it was possible many times to detect traitors and spies in the Decepticons ranks. Ravage is... This quadruped with sharp ears and long tail is also not so simple. The ability to ‘see’ the very essence of another mechs through their EM field...

"Yes...and no..." Ravage was now looking at Megatron as if never seen him before. “Something… has changed, something…” He spoke more to himself than to the leader. From the outside, it seemed as if the cybercat did not believe in itself. “Did You and Optimus Prime happen to…”

“I'm sorry, what?” Megatron shifted his weight to the left hip and leaned forward.

Under the silver mech’s uncomprehending look, he was a little embarrassed. How to explain it? How to formulate this?

“Did you two, by any chance, exchange energy fields or something?”

“What?..” Megatron repeated even quieter. Now he looked at Ravage like he was crazy. Exchanged energy fields... how is that? Sparks, right? Interface and merge? Megatron squirmed in disgust. Optimus kissed me, he wanted more, but I refused. Ravage, of course, wasn’t supposed to know about this. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing,” the cybercat shook his head, “I say what I see.”

“But I... am I the same?” Megatron asked uncertainly. It’s even difficult to decide what is better or worse: that I remained myself, or that back in prison, they did something to me... They made me obedient, in a way. I've been thinking about changing course for a long time, we've been at war for too long... fighting for survival. But this...

“Your consciousness hasn’t been changed, if that’s what you mean,” Ravage concluded, silently studying the silver transformer a little more, “that means I just don’t know what to do: to hug you or slash your faceplate.”

Megatron was silent. He, too, struggled with the feelings that engulfed the spark: joy that a comrade in the Sign had found him, and shame at the betrayal of his clan. All in the name of saving this same clan. If such an option is even possible. Soon everything will be clear...

“Why?” the four-legged mecha continued to inquire. “Why help them? Who are you now?”

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Good question... I've asked myself before - and still no answer. I'm no longer a Decepticon, and certainly not an Autobot. I will never be! Damned Prime contradicts himself: he talks about freedom of choice and at the same time readily eliminates those who disagree. They are all the same, one is not better than the other.

“Freedom for all sentient beings...”

“Well? Speak up, Prime! For everyone but us!”

And the angry Optimus struck another blow. There was nothing to argue, so the answer, as well as confirmation of his intentions, as always, was brute force. To believe the words of an Autobot is to disrespect oneself. And now he is cooperating with them, realizing that by joint efforts they have put their race on the brink of extinction. Honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing anymore... I don’t understand who and what I have become.

“A lost spark...” he finally squeezed out, not particularly addressing even his interlocutor. Megatron stared blankly at his own servos and didn't see the shocked ally's jaw drop.

When idi he die, the idealist I was? During the war with the Autobots? In protest clashes between Sentinel Prime's enforcers and workers? Or in the mine with Terminus? Or maybe Trepan did finish his dirty work... or all this is not real, and has never happened? Maybe Ravage is right and I'm not myself? Megatron carefully looked at the right servo, clenched and unclenched the fist. Who am I? Who and what have I become? A lost green spark...

“Megatron?” the cybercat suddenly called softly. The silver mech slowly turned his head. “What will happen next? What are you planning to do?”

“Help these…” he ex-vented heavily, choosing the right word: “Autobots…” Almost cursed. “Help them find Cybertopia and hope for the best.” At this statement the cybercat’s optics sharply went wide, his ears and tail twitched, he leaned back a little, even raised his right front paw. The silver mech chuckled mirthlessly. "That's all I can do, Ravage. We ourselves are no longer able to come to an agreement on an equal footing. The Prime and his Senate will never allow this. There are two options... even three.” The Decepticon thoughtfully joined his fingertips: “To fight until the victorious end of one of the parties and the complete destruction of the other, giving rise to even more destruction around us. Or to give up, but then the conditions for our species risk becoming even worse than during the Golden Age. The Autobots are not to be trusted, they hate us as much as we hate them, you know that as well as I do.”

“Yes, they say one thing, but do another,” the four-legged comrade confirmed gloomily and asked with much more caution: “And the third option?”

Megatron shrugged his massive shoulders with a sad smile and leaned his back against the wall.

“The third...” He glanced at the ceiling, as if looking for clues. But there weren’t any. “The third is to continue this very mission now. If there is no Cybertopia, then two other scenarios await us, and this is the end of Cybertronian civilization. But if, all this is true, if Optimus' vision was real,” his optics lit dreamily, “we still have a chance...”

“Megatron... A chance for what?”

‘Tell me your doubts. Admit to yourself.’

For what... the silver mech didn't even know. He had already wondered more than once whether the Knights would judge with an open mind, or side with the Autobots. The idea that they could support the Decepticons on the contrary seemed like something of a fantasy. Nothing to hope for. I failed them... I failed them all.

“So do you want to stay with me?” he asked instead of answering, looking hopefully into Ravage's optics.

The cybercat understood that now he wasn’t dealing with a completely adequate mech. It's not Megatron. More precisely, it is him, and at the same time – it’s not him. In his right mind, the Decepticon leader couldn’t speak like that, behave like that. But the fact remains. Ravage will soon inform Soundwave, who will mobilize his team, they will all together save the leader from this nightmare. But now Megatron is surrounded by enemies, he needs protection, he needs support.

“Pf, of course, that’s what I came for,” he grunted skeptically and shook his head, not believing himself what was happening. A barely noticeable, almost indistinguishable in the dark smile touched Megatron's lips:

“Thank you...” a quiet, but such a sincere gratitude. He no longer felt alone. At least at the moment.

Both, each immersed in their own thoughts, were silent for a long time, sitting on the floor and looking at the night sky outside the window. Then Megatron got up, made his way to the platformberth and sat down on it. Previously, he suggested that the cybercat sleep on the armchair, since he himself, due to his height, would not be able to recharge there. To this, Ravage replied that today he was ready to spend the night on the floor under the leader's platformderth: just in case, as a guard. However, with feigned indignation, he declared that he doesn't intend to endure further inconvenience during this trip.

"Fair point," Megatron chuckled in response.

That night he had no nightmares.

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

In the morning, Megatron woke up exactly at dawn. As it turned out, the windows of his room faced the east side, and the first rays of the rising sun immediately found it necessary to knock on his window, to fall right on his faceplate.

Opening his metal eyelids, the Decepticon grimaced, shielded himself with the right servo, and just thought of getting up to close the curtains, which he didn’t do yesterday, when he felt a slight stir and a quiet rumbling in his pedes. Rising a little, the silver mech found his four-legged comrade in the Sign there - fortunately there was still enough space on the berth. Ravage lay curled up in a ball, his head buried in his front paws and covered by his long tail. When did he get here? I haven't heard... My combat reflexes are completely failing, but I don't seem to be that old yet...

Megatron couldn't help but chuckle. There is no need to wake him up now, but if I move, he will definitely wake up too. I'll wait, there's still plenty of time, there's still a whole two hours and forty-eight minutes before going out... He lay down again and adjusted the optical sensors so that he could look at the sun rising over the horizon without discomfort. Dawn... Megatron saw hundreds of them, but he still couldn't help but admit that each sunrise, just like sunset, is unique in its way, regardless of the planet. Just like the day gone by will never repeat. And every minute brings us closer to the inevitable end...

"Don't," he asked himself aloud, "stop thinking about it. Nothing is over yet.” Indeed, if to think that the expedition had just begun, and they had just arrived on the first planet... And now Ravage... Now, for some reason, he wanted to laugh. Laugh at his own fear of being alone. The whole team hates him simply because they don’t know anything about the Decepticons except hatred and enmity - that’s how they were taught. We don't know ‘other’ Autobots either... For some they are good... for others we are good. But now there is someone on my side.

‘Your journey is just beginning...’

“There is still time,” Megatron smiled bitterly, looking at the ceiling, “there is still time...”

After a while the Decepticon fell into recharge again, and woke up at the right time. Ravage was still at his pedes, purring just as peacefully. Well, enough, need to get up... The time of silence and inaction is over, moving out soon. Megatron, carefully so as not to wake up the still dormant cybercat, slowly and as silently as possible got up from the berth. The comrade didn't even flinch. But as soon as the Decepticon approached the closet, where there was another cube with the Fool’s Energon, a quiet clang was heard behind him. Turning around, Megatron saw Ravage stretching.

“Good morning...” the cybercat reset his scarlet optics and jumped off the berth.

“Morning,” the silver mech took out a container and uncorked it.

“Are you drinking that crap again?”

“Again and again,” Megatron emptied the transparent cube in one gulp, no longer grimacing in disgust as before. Looks like the systems are starting to get used to it, but at least the other chemicals don't taste so bad. “Don't worry, you're not in danger, this rule applies only to me.”

“Absolutely crazy...”

“What?”

“I say, I'll go and refuel too. See you in the lobby in half an hour.” And the cybercat slipped out into the corridor before the leader could even make a sound. The silver mech put the servos on his belt and shook his helm.

“Oh well...”

Half an hour before departure... It makes no sense for me to leave early. He walked several circles around the room, turned on the holographic screen, they showed something about organic forests with killer plants... There was an oncident in the past, Megatron himself and four members of his team somehow ended up on an organic planet, the ship crashed right into the center of the jungle, teeming with all sorts of wild creatures, as well as carnivorous plants. Creepers of one such type could, if not break, then seriously damage even the robust frame of a Cybertronian. One thing was good back then: the Autobots chasing them also had a hard time... It's a pity that Optimus Prime himself wasn’t among them at that moment.

By the appointed time, the former Decepticon leader had descended into the lobby on the first floor. Had no gloomy or evil thoughts at the moment, and didn’t even want to remember yesterday. Indeed, there was a feeling that they were going on an excursion, and Megatron himself realized that this task would not be easy. Where are we heading to? What will we face? Will we understand the reason for the mysterious disappearance of that tourist group?

Megatron's attention was drawn to the five team members leaving the hotel restaurant. Skids complained that someone had deprived him of his draft energon with bubbles twice (as soon as he turned away for a second, and the glass was already empty), Riptide was perplexed who stole the energon sweets from him... And Rodimus managed to sit by the chair! Ravage paced slowly in the distance, hiding behind a family of three-eyed organics with tentacles for arms. Bad suspicions immediately crept into Megatron's head...

“Hey, what’s up?” asked the cybercat jumping up to him.

“Your job?” Megatron flashed his optics in the direction of the Autobots who had already passed by.

“No idea what you talking about!” Ravage proudly tossed his tail and pranced past towards the central exit.

Just think - the very innocence, the silver mech shook his helm with a grin and followed. Not to say that Ravage's behavior outraged him, rather the opposite. Megatron only hoped that the four-legged tailed saboteur wouldn’t overplay and arouse suspicion. But it would be fun to watch.

"Good morning everyone," he said to Magnus and Rung as they left the elevator. Following these two, six more guests appeared from the same place, who, apparently, had to huddle in the corners in the cabin due to the white and blue Autobot’s size. I wonder, Megatron thought, what is the passenger elevator’s capacity? I didn't pay attention...

“He feels a little better, have you noticed?” Rung quietly asked Magnus, following the silver mech in the distance.

“So it didn’t seem to me, good,” the blue-and-white Autobot smiled faintly. He still wasn't happy about yet another unexpected addition to the squad, but if Ravage's presence could do anything to improve Megatron's emotional state, then let the cybercat stay. Although in the past this member of the cyberpet family was one of those who had a bad influence on the Magnus's ward.

Outside the yesterday’s transport was already waiting, to which the participants of this particular campaign continued to pull up. Tailgate, Cyclonus, Perceptor and Getaway were already waiting in the shuttle's cabin, Windblade was speaking to Skids, who was the one of those supposed to stay at the hotel. Megatron was extremely surprised to see Ratchet and Drift come together.

“Are you going with us?” he couldn't resist asking.

“No, running through the caves is more for the young, unfortunately,” the senior physician grinned, “so do it by yourselves somehow. Velocity will look after you in case of need... which I really hope won't happen.”

“Where is she, by the way?” Drift asked him.

“Hey! Wait for us!” they suddenly heard the aforementioned green femme’s cry, and she ran up to them along with Nautica.

“Phew, Lotty, we made it in time!” she announced gleefully, raising her fists in glee.

“Hey, watch it!” the indignant Ravage barely had time to remove the tail from under her pede.

“Oh! Is that you, kitty? Good kitty!” Nautica with the same joyful smile sat down in front of the cybercat and was just about to pet him, when sharp claws flashed warningly near her faceplate:

"Touch me and you'll at least loose an optic or both," he growled, arching his back.

"Don't," Megatron warned as he approached them. Knowing Ravage, he knew for sure that this was not an empty threat. “He doesn't like it.” Well, who would: you walk, for example, along the street, and someone’s’ servos are just reaching out of everywhere to ‘pat’ you. Especially when it’s sparklings. If he was a cyberpet, he would have bitten all the impudent people for violating personal space and for bad manners long ago.

Nautica, either didn’t understand, or decided to smooth the situation so as not to look completely stupid:

“Wow, what claws!” she straightened up to her full height already more slowly and with some concern on her face. “Good kitty…really.” And together with Velocity hastily retreated to the shuttle. Megatron sent his comrade a displeased look, but Ravage only waved him off and silently pointed in the direction of the transport as well.

“Alright, team! Time to go!” from Rodimus’s the unexpected exclamation shuddered not only the comrades who were still standing at the shuttle, but also several passers-by. However, the orange-red Autobot wasn’t embarrassed at all. “Follow me! It will be fun!” and also disappeared into the shuttle, also almost tripping over Ravage:

"Look under your feet, Autotr... ahem... Autobot!"

“Don’t jump under my pedes!” the first captain said indignant, already at the door of the shuttle and disappeared into the cabin.

“May I... bite him, or something?” the four-legged Decepticon asked his leader.

“Now it is not necessary,” Megatron warned in response, entering the transport after his friend.

“And how about hitting with my tail? Sill deep scratches?”

“Do not even think about it.”

“Well, and what if...”

“No!

Ratchet, Riptide, First Aid, and Skids watched as the entire scouting party entered the shuttle's cabin, and the vehicle, revving its engines, got slightly into the air and flew away from the hotel complex. Before that, the senior medic once again waved with mock participation to Drift, who was one of the last to enter the shuttle. Is it right to send only a part of the team to search? Too many people present are also useless - they will only interfere. What if another strike will follow? They were attacked by Autobots disguised as Decepticons... What kind of provocation? Who could send them? If Megatron is their main target... what will happen to the rest of the team?

“Primus, let everything go well,” the senior medic whispered, raising his optics to the sky, “let them be fine...”

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The report arrived promptly. In detail, as ordered. A failure... Prowl nearly slammed a neon table lamp against the wall. The second attempt to capture Megatron was also unsuccessful. Worse than that, now this piece of slag again got the opportunity to freely use new capabilities.

This is unexpected... Who authorized the removal of neural suppressors? The Prime? Or is it already a concrete initiative, a violation of the order? There was only permission to remove the T-cog blocker. He would have known if the mole had given all the details, but this report came from the escaped soldiers. There was no signal from the Lost Light crew, and they were supposed to report the Decepticon attack... and the appearance of Soundwave's henchman. Well, well, the more interesting.

On the same evening before the attack, the mole reported on the further actions of the team. So, the hunt continues. Prowl rubbed his servoswith a grin. In some ways, it would even be boring if soldiers caught megatron so immediately. There is still time... Let him run a little, he won't be able to escape anyway.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Halo Infinite OST - We Do It Together; (Megatron and Ravage)
2) X-Men Origins: Wolverine OST - The Power Of Persuasion; (Ravage: what are our options?)
3) Time Machine OST - Stone Language; (the next morning, the team moves to search for the first key)
4) KotOR OST - The Leviathan (Prowl receives a message about the first squad's failure)

P.S. At first I wanted to add a couple of flashbacks into the conversation between Megatron and Ravage, but suddenly decided that it was too early for the newcomer to torment the main character with memories of the past. All this will come later.
And the idea came that Megatron's escape from Minimus (before the Decepticon Revolution) was not just an escape, but a staged kidnapping. Then the Magnus’s reaction will be more emotional))

Chapter Text

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"...this way we can significantly speed up the construction of this monorail section," the speaker raised her optics to the Prime, waiting for a reaction.

"Thank you, Senator Midnight," Optimus nodded gratefully, "your project is being considered."

The purple-blue femme thanked the ruler and left the podium. The project she proposed was indeed interesting. Construction of a monorail with branches that could be prolonged to Tarn, thereby connecting the two cities. For reasons unknown to many, Optimus decided to put the mining city on the priority list. No, there are a lot of minerals in the area, including energon mines, but... Allegedly, why revive this city and make it almost equal to the capital? Flattening it to the ground would be a lesson to Megatron and those who still dare to protest and start wars. And it doesn't matter that the conflict has been brewing for a long time.

Optimus, on the other hand, had other views. Since the rebellious Point One Percenter left with the approved team in search of Cybertopia, the ruler has somehow changed especially. He even gave a whole speech recently about the ongoing harassment and even discrimination against the Decepticons. They stated that after Megatron's capture - namely the capture, and not voluntary surrender - any Cybertronian, whether it be an Autobot, a Neutral or a Decepticon, could return to their home planet without fear of persecution or for their own lives...

...But it's all just words. In fact, everything happened a little differently. The Autobots for many years have been confidently waging an information war against their opponents, and even many Neutrals became sure that if a mech has a purple symbol on their armor, it is an enemy, a murderer, or even a creature that doesn't have the right to live.

Part of the Decepticons returned to Cybertron indeed, and now, in retaliation for hostile attacks against them, they continue the guerrilla war. Serious fights continue outside the Cybertronian solar system. Optimus's speech, which he forced Megatron to speak publicly, didn't help at all... Optimus's advisers have repeatedly said that it's necessary to suppress the remaining top of the Decepticon gang and give them all a fair trial... To this, the Prime replied that then the Autobots should start with themselves . The leader of the Red Sign now has only hope for the Lost Light team and his successor, once a mortal enemy, and in the past a close friend. While they are looking for Cybertopia, Optimus, for his part, will do everything for peace, no matter how hard it may be.

Today he prepared a whole report on the current situation. Ideally, the Decepticons should be given the opportunity to speak for themselves, express their needs and ideas, they should once again feel like a part of Cybertronian society. Especially if the next Prime himself is one of them. But he can't just take and voice this thought right away, dumbfounding the new Senate, which doesn't yet have a single Decepticon, and then - bang! - bring it to the consideration of the Galactic Council. No. He needs to act gradually. Allies will be needed, someone with more or less real views on the world. Maybe Starscream? He was one of them, joining the Decepticons for a reason. Yes, this mech primarily cares only about himself, but with the proper approach, his pride can be used for good purposes.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Prowl was, to put it mildly, taken aback by the Prime's decision. It is not enough to hand over the Matrix of Leadership to the leader of this rotten gang, so now also he wants to accept those who remain true to the Decepticon cause? Defectors are one thing, but the enemy mechs are another. If Primu forbid, they manage to unite, the plan may fail. No, the feud must be maintained until Megatron is captured. Optimus has a lot of supporters, he is a symbol of peace for the Cybertronian people... But even he is not immune from mistakes, and in the past he made a lot of them.

"Now do you understand what I was talking about, Senator?" he asked Starscream, whom he caught in one of the Citadel halls when no one else was around. "Megatron has every chance to take the leadership position again."

"Don't be ridiculous, Officer," the Seeker snorted not very confidently, continuing to walk. "The Prime's report didn't say anything about empowering him. Megatron," Starscream stopped abruptly, "is a prisoner who will eventually answer for his crimes. He took all the blame on himself."

"Now it was just a report," Prowl stood right in front of the winged mech and put the servos on his belt, "but what will happen next time? Or after one or two? For the Decepticons he is the leader, they will not listen to either the Autobots, or, especially, the traitors." The security officer took a step forward, the optics flashed menacingly: "Do I have to remind you of the DJD?"

Starscream stifled an ex-vent, feeling a surge of panic. First Megatron got his freedom, and now these... What would they do to him specifically? Unicron damn it...

"You didn't tell me your plan, Officer Prowl," he reminded in a whisper, after looking around.

"To begin with, to prevent the Prime from swaying the Senate to his side. Although he is the supreme ruler, he still won't go against the majority. Do you understand what I mean?" the white-and-black Autobot's faceplate was distorted by a malicious smirk.

"I understand," Starscream nodded demurely. He took office relatively recently, but thanks to his innate cunning, he has already received a lot of support. Although he didn't want to quarrel with the Prime, as well as potentially lose his seat in the Senate... But his own life, of course, is more valuable. And one more question haunted him: "How do you plan to get rid of Megatron?"

"More on that later," Starscream didn't like Prowl's new expression, "but I guarantee you won't regret it. His end will be especially painful. If we act together, everything will work out. Otherwise..." the security officer made a sympathetic grimace, "you don't want him to take the lead again, do you?"

"No..." the seeker squeezed out, already imagining it in all details.

"Then it's in your best interest, Senator. Have a good evening." And Prowl left.

Starscream continued to stand still, looking at the floor and not knowing what to do. Megatron... Again the Unicron damn Megatron... No, the seeker wouldn't even mind pardoning him, but only he wouldn't again try to break through to power. And the former leader, judging by his condition, simply doesn't need it anymore - Starscream clearly remembered every court session and all the accusations against the leader. But the thought of the DJD returning, the list of traitors, oh...

"And what if I tell you, that Megatron has every chance not only to rise above you in status again, but even to deprive you of your position?"

"Why would it be so?" the seeker asked himself and moved to his office on unsteady pedes. But Prowl's words kept repeating in his head again and again.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Optimus stepped into his quarters, folded the mask into the slots of his helmet, and wearily rubbed the faceplate. Every time, after three visits to the medical center since he learned about his diagnosis, the Prime always felt very tired. The next morning after recharging, the effect disappeared, and Optimus was much more himself, but somehow, the leader of the Autobots knew that the prognosis was unfavorable. Pharma and his team are, of course, experienced specialists, but they have never encountered anything like this. If the insane Shockwave had survived, he would have found a solution. But now he's gone... And the Matrix left Optimus too...

The Prime went out to the balcony, from where the city was visible at a glance. While the leader of the Autobots outwardly manages to look unflappable, and the battle mask helps a lot. Outwardly, he hasn't changed, although in reality he is no longer the same as he was. Not Optimus Prime... Orion Pax... All his life, being already a Prime, Optimus perceived the Matrix of Leadership as a part of himself, without even thinking how much he depends on it. And now it's gone. Both servos touched the chest plates... Emptiness... Wonder what Megatron, whose frame was chosen by the artifact as a new host, feels now... But the mech hasn't changed at all. At least outwardly. Why, I wonder?

They are already searching for the first Key... Optimus believes in their existence, he saw them in visionss sent by the Matrix... Now it could be him, if that battle with Shockwave hadn't happened... Now everything depends on Megatron, Rodimus, Magnus and others...

Cybertron, which he and Megatron once dreamed about together: free from the caste system, where all mechs have equal rights... An utopia where everyone lives in peace and harmony is, of course, impossible, but there is always a chance to minimize the conflict... if ALL parties agree to it. The Decepticons have the right to live on this planet on an equal footing with the Autobots and Neutrals - as a single nation. Together. The war will not end until all are united...

...till all are one...

Optimus adjusted his optics and looked up at the setting sun. It's probably stupid, but it is believed that if the one you think of with all your spark might feel it. Where are you now, Megatron... Are you thinking of me? Do you understand what I'm doing for you... for all of us...

* * *

(Meanwhile on Yuntara, in the desert)

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'Beautiful landscapes, interesting tour, very informative..." muttered Rodimus, looking around the surroundings through a two-ocular zoom, which among organic allies from the planet Earth is called binoculars. The Prime's apprentice was comfortably seating on the Ultra Magnus's left shoulder pad and now could observe the area from above. "Sand... dunes..."

"Am I interrupting?" the security commander asked with a hint, slightly twitching his left shoulder.

"Not at all, Mags, not at all," Rodimus waved him off, still looking through bbinoculars, "just... if you could walk a little more smoothly, I would be very grateful." The red-and-yellow Autobot was so busy looking for a potential destination point that he didn't even notice HOW the Ultra Magnus's faceplate was distorted at this.

But Drift and Velocity noticed. Both of them could hardly suppress their laughter, and Ravage, who was walking next to Megatron, asked the latter in a whisper:

"Is he always like this?"

"Actually," the silver mech looked at the first captain sitting on the shoulder of the unfortunate Magnus, who, for some reason, was in no hurry to drive him away, "now he is even more or less adequate." And already wondered to himself how patient the white-and-blue Autobot is? Minimus, of course, is a good mech, but there is a limit to everything.

They left the shuttle near a small tourist center, from where the groups usually continued their journey on foot. The road in total, according to Nautika, was supposed to take from twenty minutes to half an hour. These caves are, in a sense, a natural monument, and a close approach of large vehicles would be undesirable.

Strange, but the closer they are to the right place, the stronger Megatron's feeling is that there really is something out there... Excitement, a slight tension in the chest plates area, as if his very spark hints - this is not just a journey to nowhere. But maybe it's just an unwillingness to believe otherwise... And what if there are no Keys? What if we won't find anything? Maybe there is nothing? Or there is... There is definitely... Not in the caves themselves, but deep underground. A blue flash... concentric circles in the floor open up to reveal a tunnel deep underground, shimmering with the same pale blue light...

"And, nevertheless, something is not clear to me," Tailgate's voice drove away this sudden unsubstantiated vision. Not slowing down, Megatron flinched and shook his helm. "How did it turn out that one of these mystical Keys could be here? Exactly at this point?"

Indeed, Megatron mentally agreed. Well, we get to the caves, and then where? Do they even know it...

"That's the point, we know the approximate location, but not the specific place," Windblade replied, thereby confirming the silver transformer's assumption. "Optimus Prime said - the Matrix of Leadership sent him a clear vision of what we are looking for, and an approximate location. Then all is up to intelligence, scientists and mathematical calculations." She chuckled: "I can't tell all the details, sorry."

Can't or doesn't know, the silver mech wondered. As far as I understand, we are looking for something, unclear what. At the very least, exploring the caves is much more interesting than sitting in the Autobot prison. A beam of white-blue light breaks out to the sky, leaves Cybertron and rushes into space... Reaches one planet... touches its surface... reflects - rushes to another...

"Hey... Captain, are you alright?" this time it was Velocity's voice that brought the Decepticon back. "Megatron?"

"What?.." Only now he noticed that he had stopped, and both hands were clutching his own helm. Several worried crew members were in sight, causing Megatron to shudder involuntarily. Too close... Move away. "What is it?" The silver mech shook his head in confusion and lowered his arms.

"You tell us," Rung offered quietly, "what happened?"

"Thermoplegia?" Nautica suggested for some reason. It was indeed hot here, although Cybertronians can withstand much higher temperatures. There are still a couple of hours before noon, and almost no clouds in the sky.

"No..." Megatron shrugged and spread his servos. "There are no failures in my systems." He tried to act calmly, not to give them a reason for suspicion. Cursed Fool's Energon. Don't... just not now...

"You sure?" Ultra Magnus pointed out forcefully.

"Megatron..." Ravage cautiously touched his leg with his paw.

"More than that," growled the silver mech, clenching his dentae and fists. He took four confident steps forward, forcing the team members to part in front of him, turned around and calmly declared: "The caves here were formed as a result of a long-standing natural disaster, when the city that was here before went underground." Megatron again turned in the direction of the intended target. "What we are looking for is not in the caves themselves, but underneath them. Let's go." And he moved on with a confident gait.

"I'm afraid of you..." the cybercat squeezed out uncertainly catching up with his commander. He was the first to move, after a couple of moments the others followed.

I'm afraid of myself, Megatron thought as he continued walking. He himself didn't know where he suddenly got the idea from about the underground city, and even more so didn't want to scare Ravage. This thought appeared before the Lost Light's landing. It pounded dully in his CPU: there is something underground. We must go... find it... But how? I can't know... And I've never been here.

"I don't know if we're still talking to Megatron, or if it's not him already..." Rodimus said barely audibly, narrowing his optics at the Decepticon leader's back.

"What?.." the white-blue Autobot raised his helm at him in surprise, stopping. The others continued to walk, ignoring them.

"Nothing, Magnus, just thinking out loud." At this point the Prime's protégé slid gracefully off the bulky shoulder pad and continued on his own pedes. "Well, let's go?"

"Wait a minute," the Ultra Magnus instantly grabbed him by the right servo and pulled him closer, "what did you mean?" His optics widened in surprise: "Do you know what's happening to Megatron? Is it... the Matrix?"

"Maybe." The red-and-yellow Autobot replied in all seriousness, and it made Minimus' spark flicker. If Rodimus stopped behaving like a dunce and didn't even try to break free, it's no small matter. "If the artifact sent a vision to Optimus in the past, it may well tell us where to go and what to do. Boss Prime said could be possible."

Magnus slowly looked ahead of him, processing the information in his own mind. The Matrix of Leadership has repeatedly proven its ability to communicate with the bearer in the past, it is able to make its owner more powerful, stronger, faster... endows its owner with knowledge un available to any living mech... But it can also cause pain. Megatron has no idea what he owns... and only finds out about it if he suddenly decides to see for himself... And he has no reason to do so. But he also doesn't understand what's going on... he thinks he's going crazy.

"Come on, Mags," suddenly came from below, and Ultra Magnus slowly lowered his helm to the interlocutor, "the Matrix won't kill him, really..." With these words, Rodimus hurried to catch up with the others.

Only now, after saying that, did Prime's apprentice seriously think about his own words. Is the artifact of the Ancients capable of destroying its owner? Rodimus never thought about it even when he himself temporarily became the Matrix's bearer. But now, watching the second captain, he began to doubt. The artifact doesn't allow the new Prime to discover itself, but continues to speak to him through visions... But Megatron doesn't understand this... It must be... scary, in a sense. No, well, maybe the Matrix won't kill him, but it will drive him crazy sooner or later - that's for sure, if they won't tell him anything. But now it will be interesting to watch, Rodimus struggled to get the second part of this thought out of his head, which he was not only interested in, but also enviable.

The cave system was located in rock formations right at the junction of the desert and the mountain range. The black holes in the stone heaps looked impressive already from afar, and even up closer it became clear that a mech 5-6 times higher than Ultra Magnus could pass through. Tailgate, still on the descent from the last dune, muttered uncertainly that he somehow doesn't really want to go there.

"Impressive," Rung nodded respectfully, "just imagine, this is all a chain of moves of natural origin. Nature is amazing."

"Mech-made structures are just as good," Perceptor countered, "but they do look fascinating."

"Not surprisingly, the flow of tourists here is limited," added Cyclonus.

"And rightly so, I must say," Windblade remarked, "in some cases, the intervention of 'sentient' beings only hurts. It's like uncontrolled mining. Sometimes interfering with nature doesn't do any good."

Megatron growled softly and quickened his pace, taking it as a personal insult. In the past, when he was still a miner, he personally observed how adherents of the environmental movement (from the upper castes, it should be noted) sometimes staged protests and even tried to attack the miners for drilling and extracting energon. And what can workers do about it? They were ordered to do what they did. The bosses usually didn't suffer from such attacks. On the one hand, this is true, and the silver mech wouldn't have reacted so painfully if certain individuals hadn't declared that Cybertron would be much better off without the transformers inhabiting it, they say, suddenly there would be more organics, and that's it ... But not one would of those who said such things was ready to show by personal example how to 'help' the planet in such a situation. It can also be interpreted as: if the likes of you were gone, we would have more resources. Makes sense, Unicron damn it...

"But without us, who will appreciate the beauty of this or that creation of nature?" Rung asked while Megatron was gathering his thoughts on how to answer the dim-witted femme. "We are as much a part of the Universe as everything that surrounds us."

"And nature, in some cases, is not so harmless. Some natural disasters leave terrible traces." Getaway chuckled and immediately added conciliatoryly: "I'm not saying that we shouldn't protect nature and so on. But when it comes to survival..."

They continued the conversation further, but Megatron was no longer listening very much. The voices receded into the background, now the silver transformer was occupied with a completely different thing: a strange feeling that someone or something was calling him, pushing him forward... but where to?

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

And here they are next to one of the caves. The rocky corridor goes down, it's not dark - there is dim artificial lighting. A few meters away there are three more similar cave depressions. It's a whole system of tunnels, Megatron thought, no matter which passage we enter, they will cross one way or another.

"Well, dear experts, where do we go next?" Rodimus clicked his glossa and, putting the servos on his sides, walked a few steps back and forth. "Ugh... Megs?" he called cautiously. Several members of the team also looked at him expectantly.

"Hmm?" The Decepticon squinted in surprise. They're waiting for... my actions? Why would... Especially Rodimus. He never listens to anyone, he does everything in his own way. Why now? Do they feel it too? Or is this all to put the blame on me if we don't find anything? Autobots...

'Listen to yourself...'

Trust your intuition... It used to work when emotions didn't interfere with reasoning sensibly. Back then, I was able to find a way out of life-threatening situations, and even outsmart Prime a few times... Being a Point One Percenter has its advantages.

'Focus on the sensations, my spark...'

'Rely on your intuition...'

Megatron lowered his helm, closed his optics, and clenched his servos into a chest-height lock. What he was now experiencing could be compared to the faint signal of a beacon, although the Decepticon's sensors didn't pick up any extraneous radiation. Anywhere nearby. Not counting the teammates' EM fields, of course. Strange...

'Don't resist me.'

The underground labyrinth flashes before him as if in fast-forward. Further an exit to the surface. Again a stone tunnel ending in an almost perfectly round grotto with a flat surface underfoot. Concentric circles in the floor. There is something hidden in the wall that activates the entrance...

'You know your path.'

The silver mech shuddered sharply, as if from a weak but very unexpected electric shock, swayed, and the next second Ultra Magnus was right next to him, ready at any moment to pick up the Decepticon's frame if he suddenly lost his balance.

"Megatron!"

"Captain!" Velocity ran up to him.

"It's fine," the Decepticon shook his headlm and pushed his servos forward, signaling to the others to stay away. No need. I can... I'm holding on.

They all are still at the entrance to one of the caves. Now the Decepticon had no questions for himself, what he just saw. Whether it's another systems failure, expressed in the distortion of visual perception under the Fool's Energon and other chemicals influence, or something else, it doesn't matter now. The main thing is that our goal is not here... More precisely, not quite here. A bit further. We have come to the wrong mountain.

"It is not fine," Magnus retorted firmly, "you obviously look unwell. We need to get back to the city."

"I said everything is fine!" Megatron was dumbfounded, realizing that he nearly crossed the line, and already calmly added: "No need to return anywhere. We are already here." I won't give in, he added to himself, not in front of them.

Magnus was about to say something, but under the Decepticon's gaze, he nevertheless decided to back off and waved Velocity to do the same. Now before him is no longer that frightened, insecure miner, not knowing either his strength or his higher origin... Not the one whom Minimus Ambus once took under his wing. The current Megatron is self-reliant, war-torn, someone who, for perfectly legitimate reasons, doesn't trust the Autobots. Trying to put pressure on him, even with the best of intentions, will provoke aggression, and then, if Rodimus is right - if this is the Matrix - maybe he shouldn't interfere now...

"You sure?" Drift also clarified just in case.

"Of course I am," the silver mech snorted with contempt. This one also interferes when it is not necessary. They are trying to provoke me... He took a step forward and, sharply turning around to the group, inquired in a more sonorous voice: "So, did we come here to study the stones, or what?"

"What's wrong with him today?" Cyclonus whispered incomprehensibly.

"No idea," Tailgate shrugged and spread his servos.

"Maybe we should leave and return here again... at least tomorrow?" Perceptor suggested thoughtfully, moving closer to the silver mech. "You really look like..."

"Hate to admit, but here I agree with the Autobot," Ravage supported the worried, bypassing the leader in a circle.

"No." The Decepticon cut the air sharply with his palms, giving the scientist, and then the cybercat, a displeased look.

"Megatron..." Ultra Magnus tried uncertainly, for which he also caught a harsh flash of scarlet optics in his direction.

"Everything is fine. Let's go." And the Decepticon leader confidently entered the cave tunnel first. The comrades hesitated at first, but Rodimus also, unexpectedly for everyone, was the first to decide to follow the co-captain:

"Well, he said let's go." And with a confident step, he followed into the cave. The rest didn't have to be repeated twice.

Then began a long journey through the chain of underground grottoes, connected to each other by winding passages. Some caves received sunlight from natural rock crevices, while others were completely artificially lit. Megatron, leader of the group, walked very quickly, almost rushing to go on a run: the further they advanced, the stronger was the that the Decepticon leader's feeling that it was this stalactite cluster that he had already seen, passed by thick stone columns that connected the floor and the arch overhead, and this tunnel will soon turn left... All that he had just seen in fast-forward in his own head...

"How far is it?" Rodimus joined him on the right.

"Almost there," was all that the silver mech answered him, although he himself didn't know why, and where exactly they were going.

But they need to hurry... The excitement intensified, his pedes seemed to lead him by themselves, Megatron felt as if he knew exactly which direction to follow, although a sensible and quite appropriate thought was still spinning in his CPU: I have never been here, how can I know where go? Rely on your intuition, said an inner voice... Unicron damn it, I already wonder whether I'm right or not... Only right about what?

They went all the way through the mountain and, descending a winding rocky road, ended up in a gorge, then headed into one relatively narrow fissure. Unlit, not even intended for tourists to visit. Nautica also noticed that going to this part of the area wasn't part of the original plan. Some group members, including both 'guides', prudently took flashlights with them, so no one had to switch into the night vision mode. Megatron himself didn't know where he was leading the team, and preferred to either not answer all questions, or give simple answers like: it's not far, we'll be there soon, we're almost there, and so on. The further he went, the stronger was the feeling that the silver mech knew where he was going.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

In general the journey at a fast pace and sometimes even running took twenty-six minutes, and the end point was a dark cave grotto with stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Almost perfectly round in shape, about one hundred and fifty meters in diameter, an absolutely flat floor and... despite the centuries-old layer of ground crumbling from above, gaps of concentric circles clearly loomed in it, the largest of which had a diameter of half the entire underground hall. Megatron's spark flickered, a shudder went through the entire frame: this place... I've seen it before... The drawing on the floor... He wanted to laugh: from joy and fear at the same time.

However, not everyone shared his point of view...

"Well... Where did we come to?" Getaway clarified uncertainly, slightly running the toe of his right pede along the gap between two circles engraved in the floor, which were one in the other.

"Yes, where did you bring us, Megs?" Rodimus' voice sounded a little more accusatory. Some others also expressed their doubts and bewilderment.

The Decepticon leader didn't know what to say. On the one hand, he was confused, on the other - this is exactly the same place... It's hard to explain, no matter how to interpret it. But... what's next? The answer is here somewhere; can't they feel it?

"Megatron?" Ravage pulled back his ears and jumped out in front of the commander.

"Quiet," the silver mech put the left index finger to his lips and closed the optics, "don't distract me."

"What's with you?!" The alarmed Magnus was ready to grab Megatron by the shoulders and shake him to somehow bring him to senses, and then by force take him away from here to the shuttle. Back to the city. Matrix or not, Ratchet will figure out what's wrong.

"Shut up everyone!" The Decepticon raised both index fingers to the face level, urging everyone not to interfere. Mecha froze, and no one noticed how, under the opaque glasses Rung's pale blue optics flashed with a faint golden light. Come on, my spark, he carefully observed the silver mech, smiling almost imperceptibly, you can do it.

I can, Megatron assured himself, no longer wondering what the hell was going on. So, the wall... Something in the wall must set the mechanism in motion. What kind of mechanism, the leader of the Decepticons didn't know, he only knew that somewhere in the wall... there must be something...

He slowly approached the stone wall, put his right hand in its direction not touching the surface, and once activating a built-in scanner slowly begun to walk around the underground hall's perimeter counterclockwise.

"What is he doing..." Drift whispered in confusion.

"How should I know?" the cybercat hissed angrily in response.

Megatron stopped abruptly, noticing a small square bulge in the wall, slightly larger than his palm and covered with some kind of abstract patterns. He gently touched it, ran his digit along the four slightly beveled corners, and waved the left servo at the team members.

"Come here."

The mecha huddled around him, and everyone stared at the stone panel in the wall.

"What do you think it is?" Rodimus moved forward to this bulge in order to take a closer look at the drawing on it. He outstretched a digit, but his right wrist was immediately caught by Magnus, who shook his helm in warning.

"Looks like some kind of ancient switch," Windblade suggested, "maybe it opens some kind of secret passage or something?"

"Or activates a trap," Velocity agreed grimly.

One way or the other," concluded Perceptor. He removed a handheld scanner from the subspace and swept the information-gathering beam across the patterned surface. "There is some mechanism hidden, looks like it's still operating. At least, the analyzer doesn't indicate the presence of any hidden installations nearby that could be a threat."

"Is it safe to touch it at all?" Cyclonus also cautiously leaned forward to get a better look.

"If we don't, we won't find out," Rung rightly noted.

And again they are waiting for me, Megatron noted gloomily to himself. If this is a trap, which may well be, it's not just that a group of tourists disappeared here... Well, those who would fall into it will have someone to blame.

"Stay on guard," Megatron warned, bringing his right palm to the convex slab, "if anything, run away not looking back."

"If anything?.." Cyclonus began, but the silver mech, closing his eyes, sharply pressed on the stove, driving it into the wall.

The ancient switch under his palm flashed with a bright white-green light, at the same time, many unknown symbols flashed on the walls and ceiling, which was not affected by the growing stalactites, everything around begun to shake like during a natural earthquake, dust begun to fall on the heads of those present mechs...

"What is this?!" Tailgate was frightened, ready to run off at any moment.

Several members of the team rushed to the exit, but suddenly the concentric circles in the center began to move, rotating one by one clockwise and counterclockwise respectively. Then the smallest disk in the center began to descend, dragging all the others along with it. As they deepened, the circles began to separate into four parts and nestle against the edges of the tunnel opening down, along the walls of which white and green lights ran.

"Wow..." Rodimus' whispered, Magnus's jaw dropped, Ravage lowered his tail and ears. Others also froze in mute shock.

It worked, Megatron slowly raised his trembling right hand he used which the mechanism, and looked at his open palm, it worked... I did it... I found it...

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Mass Effect 2 OST - Migrant Fleet: Tali's Trial/Charges Of Treason; (the Senate session)
2) Mass Effect 3 DLC: The Leviathan OST - Bryson's Lab; (Prowl and Starscream)
3) Halo OST - The Maw; (Optimus on the balcony)
4) Dante's Peak OST - Harry Checks The Mountain; (in the desert)
5) Halo Infinite OST - Chapel; (road to the underground city)
6) Total Recall OST - The Mutant (the gravity well opens)

P.S. The beginning turned out to be 'crumpled', I felt a little bit boring to write about political squabbles in the dialogues, and this would have been for who knows how long... The focus is on the Lost Light team and Megatron.

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The opened passage was so deep that it was hard to even tell if this 'well' had a bottom, and the tunnel's diameter would allow the entire team to jump in holding hands, and no one would feel constrained. Lighting in the underground grotto was noticeably increased from the green symbols still burning on the vaults and the lights moving along the round wide metal tunnel. They ran down in circles, changing colors from white to green and back.

The whole group cautiously approached the edge holding a distance of several meters. Megatron couldn't believe what exactly he had done now and how. He led them to a cave much further from the supposed searching place, found a switch hidden in the wall, pressing which... this happened. I don't understand anything, he put the left servo to his forehelm in confusion, the whole body trembled with fear. What the... what does this all mean...

"Can anyone tell how deep it is?" Drift asked uncertainly. "There is some interference on my scanner."

"Same here," Cyclonus supported with doubt in his voice.

"Mine's malfunctioning too..." gloomily added Getaway. He carefully approached a couple of meters from the edge and knelt down on his right knee, carefully peering into the passage, as if fearing that something might jump out from there.

"I think everyone has this problem," Nautica 'reassured' those present. "It looks like an anti-gravity shaft. See those flashing columns of lights? These are sensors for the generation and regulation of the gravitational field. It's like an elevator, but without a platform. The mechanism Megatron activated set the system to descend."

"How do you know that?" Tailgate reset his visor questioningly.

"Logically, there should be a similar switch at the bottom of this shaft," Perceptor answered for the femme. Nautica barely opened her mouth, nodding in agreement, glad that the second scientist had picked up on her thought. "Look at the rings of lights, they are 'running' down, I dare to assume that this is the direction." He picked up a small cobble from the ground and threw it straight into the deepening metal tunnel. Flying a small arc, a piece of rock slowed down the fall and continued to move down more smoothly, not in free fall.

Seeing this, the purple femme clenched her fists in joy.

"Exactly! I'm right!"

"Looks like you are an expert in this," Rung stepped out from behind the backs of his comrades and stood to the Nautica's left, "your specialization is quantum mechanics, right?"

"Y-yea-ah... r-right..." the satisfied purple femme drawled in some surprise. Not that it was some kind of top-secret information, but Nautica herself remembered well that the scope of her activities wasn't described in detail in her personal file. "You are right, Rung." She was pleased, although questions still remained. Maybe Perceptor or Velocity told him? That would explain everything, because these two know everything. Windblade is more into history... and martial arts.

"Okay, let's say there is a lever down there," Cyclonus interrupted, waving his servos, "but how can we know for sure... and how will we go down?"

"Ah, well..." Rodimus scratched the top of his helm with a quiet screech and looked at the co-captain expressively. He continued to stand as if rooted to the spot, drilling the huge luminous hole in the floor with an empty look. Wonder, what, is he thinking about? It was no other than the Matrix sent him another vision, as before it did to Optimus. Unicron damn Point One Percenter, slagging Decepticon... Why you? Why?! It could be me now. That should be me!

The Prime's apprentice didn't even notice how expressive his gaze was towards the (former?) enemy, but the others, following his example, also turned their helms towards Megatron. Feeling a lot of optics on him, the leader of the Decepticons shuddered and looked around incomprehensibly: are they again waiting for my actions? Why...

"We just need to get down," he suggested, ignoring how the group members' faceplates stretched out in horror. Nobody wanted to jump into the shaft just like that.

"What ... you mean, to go down there?" Ravage reset his optics, pointing his right paw into the 'pit'. "Just jump in, is that what you mean?"

"Any other ideas?" with a hint of the opposite Megatron clarified in response. Like Perceptor before, he also picked up a pebble from the ground and also threw it towards the shimmering tunnel.

"None at the moment, but..." Drift thought about how to express his concern more clearly: "But what if we can't go back the same way? What if the gravity-regulating field doesn't work all along the way down, but only up to the middle of the descent? Or, if we are lucky enough to reach the bottom unscathed, what if the switch mechanism down there is broken, and there is simply no other way out?" and, noticing distrustful and even timid looks on himself, he smiled innocently and waved his servos: "Well, just a guess. Who knows..."

"There are at least four fliers among us," Windblade hinted with a smirk. "If anything, we'll pull back a few mechs at a time." She looked pointedly at the Decepticon leader.

Megatron kindly grunted in response: yes, the fliers are him, Cyclonus, Getaway and, just this femme herself. The rest, unfortunately, are not able to overcome the gravitational attraction. The only question is what's down out of sight. A sudden danger? Any other surprises? The missing tourists are not a coincidence. I'm sure they fell into some kind of trap. There are many of them here. The Decepticon winced. Many? How do I even know this...

"What do you think is down there?" the Magnus asked cautiously, walking up to the silver mech so quietly and suddenly that the latter almost flinched.

Megatron gave him an uncomprehending frown in return. Is he seriously asking me? Like I've been there before? Unicron damn it, Minimus, give me a hint that you're not seriously expecting an answer.

"In a word – uncertainty," he managed and turned away. It would be at least impractical to stand here still any longer. We've come for... what's down there, underground, and we're not leaving without it. Without the Key, no matter how strange it may sound even in thought. And it's there, I can feel it. But if not, then we shouldn't risk everything at once. "I'll go down there and try to find the gravity field switch. If I can, then when I get out, we will repeat everything again and continue the search. Wait here if I'm not back in..."

"Out of the question," the Magnus abruptly took a step towards him, but Rodimus suddenly jumped forward:

"Stupid and reckless!" he said angrily. "What if there's nothing down there? What if you won't get out? What if..."

"Why do you care?" interrupted the silver mech in a calm voice, causing the red-orange Autobot to freeze with his mouth open and his left index finger raised up. "if I find the switch, we'll know that we can return at any moment ... But if I don't find it, it's easier for you. Is that what you wanted to say?" Megatron didn't want to listen to another accusatory speech and suggestions about an escape, no matter what words Rodimus masked his thoughts behind. And now it doesn't matter at all.

"Screw you, Megs," the Prime's apprentice growled in response and, abruptly turning his back to the silver transformer, retreated to the cave wall. "Go on, go on, if you want to jump into Unicron's maw, it's your decision..." he announced loudly from there, not paying attention to the rest of those present. They were simply stunned by this turn of events. Even Magnus didn't know what to do.

"What a special kind of relationship," Windblade whispered to the green femme medic, shaking her helm in displeasure.

"They're acting like this from the very beginning," Velocity answered honestly, also as inaudibly as possible for others.

"...just don't expect me to rush to save you." The red-and-yellow Autobot finished, still boring the co-captain with an evil look. And to complete his words, he twice waved the servos away from him, as if pushing.

"I never expected this. Especially from you." Megatron's optics contemptuously narrowed, servos on his belt, pose confident. For a few milliseconds they continued to glare at each other, then the silver mech moved to the very edge of the cliff and looked down.

Can't see the bottom, only darkness, in which the rings of white and green circles of light running down the walls. Well, that's it then... Quite possible that everything will end here, or maybe not... Who knows what is down there. No one but me will check. But it's better that way than everyone thinks I'm chickened out. A shame. The inner self is silent, there is nowhere from to wait for hints. But there's something... we didn't come here by chance.

"Rely on your intuition, my spark... You are not used to waiting for help, but it will come. Although it won't always be obvious..."

"Megatron, I can't let you risk yourself for a dubious..." the Ultra Magnus just started from behind, steps added to his voice, but before the big Autobot could do anything, Megatron straightened up abruptly and not turning around said briefly:

"See you on the other side." And with that, he swung both servos and jumped from the edge straight into the shimmering shaft.

"Megatron!" Ultra Magnus and Ravage only managed to shout at the same time, but the silver mech had already jumped down. The cybercat rushed after him and stopped right at the edge of the tunnel. "What the..." Much to the surprise of everyone present, the Lost Light's co-captain's frame didn't collapse down as a dead weight, but began to descend rather smoothly, as in the case of earlier stones, as if the luminous tunnel was not filled with air but with some invisible liquid.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Lowering, the silver mech raised his helm to the cry of his comrades, and then again began to look down, at his feet, and also to the sides at the iridescent lines of green lights on the walls of the tunnel. A gravity shaft. Nautica was right... How deep does this tunnel go? The underground part of the city... I hope there really is something left of the city, but... What if...

"Hey, wait for us!" Rodimus' voice called from above. Raising his helm, Megatron saw the familiar silhouettes of the group members slightly above him. Ravage and Ultra Magnus descended closest to him, Rodimus flew behind them, and the rest jumped into the shaft in turn.

He told them to stay... So sure that I will run away, if they are ready to stick their heads into the maw of a predator in order to personally make sure that I won get out of there? Megatron would laugh ironically if they didn't fly, Unicron knows where not knowing if they'll be able to go back...

"Wow!" Windblade exclaimed from somewhere above, supported by the joyful shouts of Velocity and Nautica.

"It's amazing!" Tailgate even wanted to laugh with delight. "Like an elevator, only without an elevator!"

"I've never traveled like this before!" cheerfully agreed Rung slightly below.

"Never?" specified Cyclonus with a hint.

"Nope!" The smiling therapist shook his helm. He had learned to pretend for the vorns of life among the Cybertronians. He could portray a defenseless, confused or even frivolous mech without any problems, and only those who turned to him for help knew that Rung was something more than meets the eye. Of course, no one living today knew the truth.

It was indeed amazing to descend slowly, while remaining in a state of free fall. No thrusters, not even a platform under pedes. Of course, the Cybertronians used similar technology to descend and ascend in anti-gravity elevators, but... Megatron always assumed that this was a relatively recent invention, and the fact that there were such devices on a distant planet, and even created by Unicron knows how many vorns ago...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

And then something patterned began to appear below, green lines connected in bizarre drawings, then a gap appeared, and the walls of the gravity shaft ended, passing into the ceiling of a large dark room. Megatron's pedes touched the hard surface. There was no blow, as if he had stepped down a small step, and not jumped from a huge height. It's dark all around, darker than the cave they'd just been in, but still not enough to turn on the flashlights (which he didn't have on him anyway) or set the optics to night vision. The lines in the floor at the junctions of the metal plates, although they shone faintly, still allowed them to see enough.

An emergency lighting system, flashed through the Decepticon's mind. Even after so many thousands of vorns, it still works... Ravage's voice rang out overhead, and Megatron, speechless from shock, hurried to simply free the rest of the landing site and jumped off the platform where he had just landed. It towered only a few tens of centimeters above the rest of the surface.

Megatron stared around the room, in which there was absolutely nothing, only the floor, walls and ceiling. Everything's covered with dark shiny metal plates, the joints of which exude a dim green light. And nothing more, only nearby there is a rectangular elevation without any remarkable features.

A little later, the others landed. Those who had lanterns lit them just in case. Megatron, as before, had no weapons, no additional light sources. Well, at least now he can transform, and the neuroblockers are broken, he can defend himself if necessary... But it's still creepy here, even if there are no dangers nearby... That is, no living dangers.

"So... where are we now?" muttered Drift, looking around, to which he received the first captain's snide, quiet reply:

"Ask our 'pacifist', he dragged us here."

Megatron, although he heard this remark, chose not to respond. All the already familiar Rodimus's barbs seemed extremely insignificant to him now, at the moment the silver transformer is not up to this 'walking problem', things much more interesting and even frightening are happening. Until recently, Megatron assumed that the guides would simply indicate the place, and the team itself would begin the search. Throw caves, corridors of natural origin, or somewhere else... But not in an ancient forgotten underground city, dilapidated, where no Cybertronian has ever set pede for slag knows how long...

"Creepy place," Velocity already shuddered.

"I wonder how deep underground we are," Ravage went to the platform where they had recently landed, and raised his head: from here the end of the tunnel was also not visible.

"Good question," Windblade stopped beside him, also looking up, "I tried to track how far we were going down, but..."

"Signal fails," Ultra Magnus said unexpectedly, removing two digits from his left temple.

"What?" Getaway didn't understand.

"I tried to contact Ten, tell him where we are, but it's useless – there's only interference."

"So we're out of reach here?" Velocity asked uncertainly.

"We're deep underground, plus gravity field generators..." Perceptor took out some kind of data panel from the subspace and shook his helm. "If we move a little further, we can try again, although there are no guarantees," the scientist put the datapad back. "Or we can redirect the gravitational field to the ascent, then at least we will determine how deep down we descended."

"Like this?" Rung's voice clarified a little in the distance, after that the rings of white and green light moving through the shaft abruptly stopped and begun to move in the opposite direction.

Looking towards the source of the voice, Megatron saw the white-orange bot next to some kind of holographic panel a little more than a couple of tens of meters from the gravity descent. The therapist was standing next to a chest-high platform, over which a holographic screen with some diagrams was projected, and a similar bright orange holographic keyboard. The same construction, the silver mech noticed early, but didn't pay much attention to it.

"Did it work?" he asked innocently.

"What are you doing?!" the stunned Megatron got to him in two jumps.

"Nothing..." the psychiatrist raised his servos and stepped back. "I just touched it, and everything turned on by itself." He pointed to the ancient console next to them. "I tried to say this several times, but no one listened."

Megatron frowned. He certainly didn't hear anything of the sort, though perhaps it was because of his own strange condition. No, you can't now... You have to fight these chemicals... I wasn't paying attention, so I didn't keep track. And so Rung did something unexpected.

"Hey!" they heard from the direction of the tunnel. Megatron turned around at the shout and saw how Tailgate and Cyclonus, who was holding him, and Drift, who had caught him, were being lifted up. Well, Magnus, who was standing outside the range of the already anti-gravity field, managed to catch the latter by the pede.

"A little help here? Do it the way it was!" called the white-and-red racer, grabbing Cyclonus with both servos.

Megatron turned back to the psychotherapist and jerked his helm questioningly. Rung without further ado touched one of the buttons, which at the same time flashed yellow for a moment, a list of symbols appeared on the holographic screen of the ancient computer, and on the schematic slot on the right, the up arrows changed direction to the opposite. The rings in the vertical tunnel stopped and again began to move from top to bottom. Every mech caught in the anti-gravity flow collapsed to the floor with a clang and outraged cries.

"Oops..." Rung pulled the servos behind his back and smiled innocently. Megatron just shook his helm and, shrugging his shoulders, calmly walked towards the victims, who were already being helped by Velocity and Perceptor.

"Well, now we know that we can go back the same way," the silver mech stated calmly, carefully hiding a smile. Ravage couldn't help but snort. The situation, of course, is not funny, but... on the other hand, it did turn out funny.

"A cool attraction," the Prime's student stepped into the middle of the landing platform right in the center of the vertical tunnel, Megatron also thought: it's a pity that I can't quietly turn the mechanism back on again... Good thing Rodimus could not read minds. "What is this thing?"

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

"A transport hub," Megatron replied before he could think. His own words seemed to him more of an assertion than an assumption. "One of the many. At that time, the locals didn't use shuttles, as we do, but preferred to travel on anti-gravity roads with varying degrees of traffic intensity."

"What?" Drift and Ravage squeezed out at the same time. Perceptor stiffened at that statement. No, Megatron, of course, is smart, but... where do SUCH hypotheses come from? Is this...

The silver transformer himself understood that, from the point of view of those present, he was saying complete nonsense. Wouldn't have believed it himself if someone had told him... But again, the same thing: as if someone had told him, as if he knew, although he had never been here. Hasn't even been created. This city died long before his birth.

"Anti-gravity roads?" Nautica asked cautiously. "You mean the locals...could fly? Without engines?"

"We have just passed such a road," Megatron nodded and pointed to a hole in the ceiling, where they all came from: "Here is one of the exits to the surface."

"So there are more?" specified Getaway with caution.

"Hey, wait a second!" Rodimus suddenly interrupted, again drawing everyone's attention to his person. "If the city has gone underground, as our dear co-captain recently stated," the Prime's apprentice defiantly strode forward and, passing the four crew members on the left, stopped next to the silver mech, "then where did the underground transport hubs come from? Were they built before the supposed disaster?" He stared at Megatron expectantly, mentally rejoicing at this inconsistency.

He's not as stupid as he seems, the former Decepticon leader forced himself to admit. The question was indeed confusing, and it would have been, but... something also confidently told him that the answer was quite logical. Again, how...?

"Didn't I say that the city was multi-leveled?" Megatron calmly clarified. Now he was enjoying the first captain's confusion.

"Are you saying that part of it was originally underground?" Ultra Magnus clarified.

"This is... hmm... highly likely," Windblade unexpectedly agreed, "then, after the cataclysm - whatever it was - part of the settlement could well have survived." All this really shocked: the archaeologists who came here from Cybertron didn't even assume the existence of the ruins of an underground city so close to the modern one. A monument of nature... Who would allow detailed excavations here?

"A small part," the silver mech agreed gloomily, "I hope the main temple survived, otherwise it will take time to dig."

"What...?" Ultra Magnus asked incredulously. Even the white faceplate of the outer armor stretched out in surprise. The others were also looking at him with curiosity and apprehension, just like the time the Decepticon discovered the hidden switch in the cave.

"What?" Megatron didn't understand.

"What kind of temple?" the large white and blue Autobot approached the former ward almost closely, looking at him as if he had never seen him before. Magnus was just staring, as if it wasn't Megatron in front of him, but a mech that had escaped from a psychiatric hospital. At least the silver transformer had just such associations. "Megatron... what are you talking about, what temple?" the Ultra Magnus repeated cautiously, fearful of a potential outburst of aggression.

"The temple..." Megatron repeated incomprehensibly. He stared at the floor, rubbed his forearms, and then again raised the optics to Magnus: "I don't know..." As in the vicinity of the caves, he increasingly felt this strange 'calling' signal with his own spark. There's something here... Somewhere he's never been. Why... Megatron took a step back, looked around at those present and squeezed out uncertainly: "I have a feeling that..."

"That what?" Ravage asked worriedly.

But only silence in response. How can I admit something that I myself am not sure of? Who do they think I am? A weakling. A nothingness. They will begin to gloat even more, and they\re already doing it, I'm sure. It's all the effect of Fool's Energon and those slagging chemicals. They slowly poison me and I go crazy. They did something to me that last night in jail...

'Not a coincidence, keep thinking,' prompted the hitherto silent inner self.

Not a coincidence? What coincidence?

"Megatron," the Magnus called cautiously, stepping behind the silver mech.

"Captain..." Velocity also took a step towards him, but immediately froze, clutching the servos at chest level. She could carry out diagnostics, provide first aid or already assist in operations. But how and with what now to help the bewildered commander - she had no idea. After all, most likely, the former enemy's current state is not caused by system failures or malfunctioning internal mechanisms. What is happening to him is beyond her comprehension. Too bad Ratchet and First Aid stayed in the city.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

"You may not believe me, but... I feel like I know this place," the Decepticon himself couldn't help laughing nervously. He scanned the floor, feeling as if everything around him was beginning to spin. Now there will be a corresponding reaction from their side...

"How so that you know?" Cyclonus didn't understand.

"You've been here before? When?" these were already Drift's questions.

"Maybe during the war?" Tailgate suggested.

"No!" Megatron briskly pulled up his servos and cut the air with the edges of his palms, the team members recoiled in fright. "No, thing is I've never been to this place. Here specifically," he jabbed his right index finger at his feet. "I was on Yuntara, yes. But not here." He ex-vented heavily, rubbing his palms against the faceplate. "I didn't know about that cave, or about the hidden passage, or about ..." Megatron spread his hands helplessly, "about anything."

"But you were talking about the underground city and all that," Windblade remembered.

"And about that I..." Megatron stammered, remembering exactly when it happened. In the orbit of this planet. Then for the first time he had the idea that there used to be a city of another civilization. And not even one city. Back then Yuntara was completely different. "I didn't know about this before the flight. I'm just... just..." Both servos moved to the chest plates. "I just... felt something." He didn't say 'saw', although awareness came in images. "Go ahead and laugh," the Decepticon doomedly spread his servos, preparing for a new portion of humiliation. Although, compared to the 'fair" trial and the speech composed by Prime, everything else is not so scary.

Tailgate and Cyclonus looked at each other incredulously, Ravage opened his mouth and bulged his optics, Windblade and Nautica looked at Megatron with undisguised fear, and those who guessed everything also exchanged significant glances.

"It's not funny, it's scary..." the green femme medic seriously squeezed out after a general tense silence, "at least because, captain, so far you have never made a mistake."

"Yep," Rodimus agreed glumly, "in any case, we should explore to the end what, where, why and why." Here it was Megatron's turn to be surprised, and the Prime's student, meanwhile, continued: "I don't know what you see and feel, how you brought us to where we are now... and why you!" At the last phrase, he shuddered and slowly ex-vented, calming down. "No one else has any suggestions what to do next, and where to look for these slagging Keys... No matter how many there are. So come on, lead us."

"Where to?!" Megatron clenched his fists in anger. If this is just another mockery disguise of a fake support...

"I don't want to interfere, but we have another problem," Getaway suddenly interrupted.

"What now?" the Ultra Magnus readily clarified. They already have enough of them.

"Just now there were twelve of us here, and now there are only eleven. Where is this... psychiatrist. Rung?"

"Hmm?"

All the group members looked around in bewilderment. The white-orange bot really disappeared from sight.

"Well, great..." Rodimus threw up his servos and slapped his thighs with a clang.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Captain America OST - Frozen in Time; (the opened passage)
2) Halo 2 OST Vol. I - High Charity; (descent)
3) Halo Combat Evolved OST - Library Suit; (underground)
4) Halo Infinite OST - The Weapon; (this is a transport hub)
5) Halo 3 OST - Luck (Megatron's confession)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

"Rung? Rung!" Rodimus shouted, pressing both servos to his mouth.

"Rung!" Velocity echoed him, but there was no answer.

Megatron launched a detailed scan, but in the entire large hall he couldn't find a single mech whose parameters even somehow matched with the missing therapist. But he managed to find the whole three exits in the wall on the left and similar three in the wall on the right, which until now were of no interest - they were all hidden in darkness, and the team paid more attention to the gravity shaft through which they came here.

"Ru-ung!" Drift called, and when no one answered this time, the first captain slapped his thighs with a clang saying:

"Oh no, not this."

Okay, calm down, need to think where he could go, Megatron persuaded himself, already assuming that he could be easily blamed for the loss of a team member. Distracted everyone with his chatter about some kind of mysticism, and here they are: one of the group's missing. There were no cries for help, I didn't notice any suspicious presence either, maybe he went into one of these previously unnoticed corridors, to see what was there and how? Something that we should have done right away, instead of stomping around here, playing with gravity... Slag...

It would be worth worrying, but Megatron, for some reason, didn't feel a strong panic. He seemed to look ahead and felt that Rung would soon appear. In the distant past Minimus told him how to more or less not succumb to sudden panic.

"Imagine that you need to travel to another city on business, and you simply didn't leave your home for a long time. But you have to go, and the closer the departure time is, the more anxiety seizes you..."

It was evening, they were returning to the Ambus estate by personal transport after visiting the Enforcement Department. The sun was already setting over the horizon, Megatron contemplated the sunset colors sky and, at the same time, listened attentively to his interlocutor. Working in the mines didn't often allow to watch the sunset, the miners often remained underground for weeks or even months. Many still live like this... Why am I different? Why am I better?

"...for whatever reason," Minimus, seating to the left, calmly continued, his own frame, like most of the time, was clad in the Ultra Magnus's armor, "aerophobia for example: what if the shuttle would crash on the way, a chance of running into a criminal or..."

"A terrorist attack?" Megatron prompted, turning to his guardian. It was for this reason that the young miner ended up in the Iaconian hospital, where the medics learned about his anomalous spark. "Any tragedy somewhere in a crowded place?"

"This too, unfortunately," Minimus Ambus nodded and continued, "Hostage taking... natural disaster, whatever. The very fact of an adverse event can never be ruled out. But," the head of law enforcement raised his right index finger, "when such a panic seizes you, try to think whether these fears have a basis."

"Meaning what?" Megatron frowned in confusion. He always thought that if one is afraid of something, then it's not in vain. And, at the same time, personal fears are personal fears, and there is no need to shift them to others, they have enough of their own problems.

"Just think if you had this fear before you thought about any particular possible danger, or did it appear only after you imagined something bad. It doesn't always work, of course, it's absolutely impossible to calculate everything in advance, but at least slightly reduce the degree of anxiety and understand whether the fear is justified..."

The fear is justified, Megatron admitted to himself, glancing at Ultra Magnus briefly, but it's still too early to panic... We can start doing it in a few minutes... He looked around again hoping that Rung would appear on his own just as suddenly as he disappeared, but nothing like that happened. Drift and Velocity called out to the missing mech once more, but again to no avail.

"Damn, where is he..." Rodimus, who nervously walked towards one of the passages, again patted his thighs with a quiet ringing. "Was here a second ago." The first captain took a decisive step towards the wall, intending to shout into one of the adjoining corridors, maybe he'll be lucky. "Not enough to..."

"Come here! I found..." he white-yellow bot's unexpected appearance in the dark passage made first captain along with both Cyclonus with Nautica scream in surprise, and Getaway stood up in a combat stance.

"Primus!" Rodimus reflexively grabbed his chest plates. "Was it so necessary to scare me like this?!"

"Apologies, I didn't..."

"Where have you been?!" the indignant Ultra Magnus interrupted, abruptly approaching both the therapist and the still recovering red-and-yellow bot. The whole group also approached them.

"Well, there's a..." Rung, confused, pointed behind him into the dark passage, "there is an exit. I just... well, wanted to see, yeah."

"An exit?" Getaway didn't understand. "An exit to where?"

"To the underground city," Rung spread the servos with a smile, "oh, the view is fantastic! But I didn't go any further. Wanted to warn you..."

"Why did you leave at all?" the silver mech asked. He wanted at least to yell at this stupid civilian for being so stupid. At first, he just activated the ancient terminal, now he decided to take a walk alone, and Megatron is responsible for everyone. "Do you even know what could have happened?" Here he froze with the left servo raised in an explanatory gesture: in fact, the Decepticon leader himself didn't know what could happen, he only knew that it wasn't safe to simply separate from the group in an unfamiliar place and go wherever you wanted. This is not a luxury trip at all.

"I'm sorry, Captain..." The therapist bowed his helm guiltily, "I didn't mean to cause trouble, I just..."

"Co-captain," Rodimus intervened, holding the attention of those around him for only a fraction of a second.

"...I've just never before... It's so... fascinating!" He clenched his fists with a happy smile. "And there really is an underground city! You were right. Indeed."

"An underground city..." the Ultra Magnus drawled in shock, directing his attentive gaze towards his once ward, who froze, looking somewhere into the space to the left of Rung. What is happening to you, Megatron... Where are you... What are you thinking about...

Similarly, Ravage looked at the silver mech, completely bewildered.

The former Decepticon himself didn't know how to behave. Anger and the desire to explain to the white-orange bot what's what, evaporated somewhere. An underground city... airways... Whatever happened in those distant times... If I'm right about the city itself, maybe... the Key is real too, and it's here. Somewhere here. Why do I feel that we are here for a reason... Something told me the way here... But what or who... And so Optimus was right.

"I'll show you," Rung readily offered and waved his right servo, inviting the entire group to follow him. "Let's go, it's not far..." And he again disappeared into the dark opening, from where others had already heard: "And be careful, the stairs begin right next to the entry! Use night vision mode or flashlights."

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The stunned Megatron, driven by curiosity, was the first to follow Rung into the unknown. Rodimus yelped something indignantly in the background, but the silver mech didn't even listen. Much stronger was the desire to see what the ship's psychiatrist, who suddenly became thirsty for adventure, discovered.

The corridor was not wide, so they had to walk one after another, but there was still enough room even for the Ultra Magnus. Those who had flashlights with them turned them on in unison. The steps, indeed, steeply went down. Probably this was a way for those who came from the surface, and those who were about to go up used another passage, Megatron thought. Again, this is just a guess... What really happened here... I don't know. No one does.

"This way," Rung pointed to the right, toward the wide exit without any doors, and confidently quickened his pace. What was really there - it was impossible to guess exactly, only this something was a little lighter, in contrast to the surrounding space. It's like sitting in the dark and looking out the window at the night sky.

"What a place," said Ravage, looking around at the patterned walls, his lower jaw dropped in surprise.

"I wonder what happened here?" Tailgate asked curiously, rubbing his forearms with his palms. As one of the smallest in the group in this large and dark room, he felt almost the most vulnerable.

"Perhaps this was the place where the registration of arrivals and departures was held," Perceptor suggested. "If the upper hall is the departing station itself, then maybe there was something like a waiting room here?"

"Megatron said the locals traveled using anti-gravity roads..."

"Megatron the storyteller," Rodimus grumbled in such a way that the silver mech walking in front couldn't hear it.

Rung led the group to a spacious stone terrace, which adjoined a long staircase going down, the steps of which were fairly cracked either from time or from some other factors. On the right were fragments of what was probably once a column. But most importantly the view was amazing. It all really looked like a huge city inside such a cave that all the Cybertronians who were here seemed tiny against its size. A gigantic cave... perhaps even a whole system of them, since the distant walls, turning into massive vaults, had irregularly shaped holes... Megatron suggested that this city was divided into districts in this way. The surroundings were gloomy, however, surprisingly, even without additional lighting or night vision mode, the silhouettes of what were once buildings could be seen. There was no backlight, no power sources, and no living inhabitants either...

"I just... it's something, isn't it?" the therapist squeezed out, wanting to know the opinion of his companions.

"Wow..." Megatron ex-vented, feeling a growing uneasiness. He had to visit abandoned settlements during the war, and being there always frightened the silver transformer. Why, he couldn't explain.

"Holy..." the Prime's student wisely decided not to pronounce the next curse, so as not to spoil the moment.

"This is it? The mentioned city?" Cyclonus clarified more to himself than to those around him. "I mean, Megatron guessed...somehow..."

"Looks like it," Nautica couldn't stop smiling, "what a beauty!"

Megatron was tormented by conflicting feelings. Despite the confidence that they are on the right track, everything that happened the silver transformer enjoyed less and less. What did they do to me... Or was it not them... The Iaconian prison... I remember everything they did to me... Except for that last evening... What happened then? Is because of them? Or it's all about my... abnormality? I've had premonitions before, even visions, though not so vivid. But in this case, why doesn't something like this happen to Ultra Magnus? Minimus the Loadbearer, a variation of a Point One Percenter, these are especially physically strong mechs. We are not the same, he and I, but both of our sparks are differ from others. Maybe he feels it too, but also stays silent? I want to go back, I want to get out of here... and no, I want to go forward too.

"How are you feeling?" Magnus spoke softly to him. His voice is even and quiet, but there is a clear alarm in his eyes.

The Decepticon looked up incredulously. What does he want to hear from me? Admission that I'm going crazy? We've come, Unicron knows where, and I can't help but feel like I've been here before. What is not and couldn't be! Do I know for sure that the... thing we're looking for is here, or do I just want to believe it? Is this... all because of Fool's Energon and other chemicals? He knows, they all do... who are involved. Or his question means different? Minimus asks if I'm ready to explore this place? Whatever it is, I won't let myself be compromised.

"Yes... umm..." Megatron shrugged his shoulders, feigning complete bewilderment. "And you? You look tense, even the armor can't hide it."

The Ultra Magnus reset his optics in surprise. At the moment he looked so funny that Megatron couldn't help smiling a little: I managed to confuse him, after all he himself taught me how to do it. Not knowing what to answer here and now, the big blue and white Autobot suggested in a more confident tone:

"Well then, let's find out what awaits us there," and tried to grin. It turned out somehow unnatural. Without this powerful harsh armor, Minimus Ambus is different, more... alive, or something.

"What else to so," Windblade grinned, "whould be a shame to miss..." she circled the space with her servos, "such an... uh... opportunity."

"Let's go." Megatron nodded decisively. "And stay close." He in turn measured the psychotherapist and the first captain with a stern look: "Rung, Rodimus - this especially concerns you."

With an innocent smile, Optimus's student showed his open palms, and as soon as the silver transformer turned away, stuck outthe glossa in his back and, in a teasing gesture, twisted his digits around the auditory sensors. What a commander, he mentally snorted, take better care of yourself and keep an eye on others, you, poor excuse of a Prime... I can do without you.

"Our first captain is asking for trouble," Tailgate, who noticed this, stated gloomily. "I wonder what Megatron's tolerance threshold is now."

"In each case differently. Although... if Starscream was his second in command, Rodimus might still be lucky to stay alive," whispered Drift, who was walking beside him.

"How sad everything is in this life, huh?" Getaway 'sympathized' immediately.

"No one likes traitors, but some things can be forgiven to your own people."

Ravage next to his leader twitched his tail in displeasure. Unlike Megatron, who, judging by his look, was mentally... anywhere but here and now... the cybercat heard all their remarks. Soundwave's the only hope, the Decepticons are still fighting, even though their leader... is out of action for now. It's temporary, he told himself, when Megatron regained his senses, they would all feel very and very bad.

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Ever since they left, Ratchet has been feeling uneasy. Why didn't he go with them? Let Drift and even Megatron go. What if the latter starts having visions again that he cannot explain? What if they fell into a trap? Gone, like the tourists Nautica and Windblade mentioned? No... The medic did his best not to think about that possibility of future events.

They only left three and a half hours ago, it's too early to worry... Perhaps... or not? They could already be in trouble... The last message from Drift was when they arrived at the place and had to continue on foot. An hour and twenty-eight minutes had passed since then, they were supposed to report their progress every hour... Ultra Magnus ordered that others should only go looking for them a day after the loss of communication, if that happened. Can the current silence already be considered the beginning of the countdown or not yet?

"Come on, Drift, Magnus, Perceptor... Anybody... Let me know you're alive?"

He had just finished examining one of the hotel's guests who had suddenly become ill. It was an organic, one of those who are ill-adapted to such a hot climate, but neglected all sorts of protection measures. Prior to this, another guest was in need of help from Ratchet and First Aid – that one was from Cybertron. The old mech had serious problems with one of his engine valves, this mech had to be urgently taken to the city hospital.

The hotel had its own medical staff, of course, but the ship's chief medic, by sheer luck, just happened to be there when that mech had a seizure. First Aid arrived at the call less than a minute later.

After providing the necessary assistance to the victims and making sure that the local doctors took control of the situation, Ratchet decided to get to the spaceport and check the computer data, what if a report from the team led by both captains already came.

"Unlikely, of course," objected Skids, whom the senior medic asked to accompany with him. He has more experience with on-board systems. "If so, we would have been informed."

"The second hour there is no news," objected Ratchet, "I don't like it. Can't believe they were so carried away by the search that they simply forgot to report. Rodimus can, of course... But not Drift. And not Ultra Magnus."

Both have already left the hotel and headed towards to the road. There was no need to wait for public transport, if one can switch to the alternative mode.

"Do you think Megatron..." Skids began cautiously, but Ratchet interrupted him sharply, stopping:

"No. I don't." The senior physician came to his senses in time for not to explain the reason. Someday Skids will learn, just like all the rest. Not now. "Megatron is in no condition to revolt now." Yes, that explanation would work too.

"Well, yes..."

In their alternate modes, they made it to the spaceport fairly quickly. Everything was be fine, until Skids, halfway through the journey, reported that someone was watching them. Ratchet didn't like it; he himself had this feeling since last night, when Megatron, Drift, and Rodimus were attacked by Autobots disguised as Decepticons. What's going on anyway? For the first time, the senior medic was faced with a situation where his fellow Autobots attacked their own without explanation, in any case, he didn't remember anything like this bafore, this was not the way of the Autobots for sure, and the affairs of the internal Decepticons are the internal affairs of the Decepticons.

"We are being pursued," Skids said.

"No kidding," Ratchet said, also spotting the two Cybertronian soldiers following them in alternate ground transport modes. They moved in the stream of other cars, but tried very hard to stay right behind the medic and his comrade. "What's the plan?"

"We need to somehow break away from them, I made a route scheme, passing it on to you. Follow the green path, meet me at the spaceport." And Skids sharply slowed down, then turned into the oncoming lane and rushed in the opposite direction. Before that, he managed to give Ratchet an electronic map of the city with the proposed detour route marked in green.

Still on the move, the medic accepted the sent file, combined the new map with the one in his database, and turned off the main road at the next turn, then another. These roads were less busy, so he managed to break away. Which is strange... Maybe these are newcomers? Getting away from a professional soldier is not so easy, but here... as if he himself let his target to slip away.

"I'm too old for all this..." he muttered irritably, though he couldn't help but admit that he liked the process of getting away from the pursuer. However, questions also came. Once safe, the senior medic contacted Skids, who confirmed the meeting at the spaceport.

They crossed already in the dock itself next to the ship's gangway. The rules are the same everywhere: each member of the crew of their spacecraft during the entire time of staying has a permission freely enter their ship, it was enough to show a special pass issued to each upon arrival. Accordingly, the docks security had no questions.

"They fell behind," Skids grinned when he saw the medic.

"Yeah, this was a fun route," Ratchet shook his helm, "were they the same as yesterday?"

"I don't know... I didn't have time to determine their IDs... But I informed the others about a possible threat, and..."

"Ten!" suddenly announced a voice from above, and the Legislator descended down the ladder, dragging behind him... some kind of battle mech in a deactivated state. Skids and Ratchet's jaws dropped at the same time. "Ten!" A large light orange drone flung the motionless frame at their pedes. "Ten-ten!" Whatever he said, one thing's obvious: the Legislator is angry.

"What the slag..." only Skids managed to squeeze out, taking a step back. Ratchet knelt down next to the stranger and checked his vital signs first.

"Unconscious, but alive," he stated and turned to Ten: "How did you get here...?" with his trembling servos Ratchet pointed to the frame lying on the floor: "Who is this at all?!"

"Ten!" the Legislator replied sternly, placing his fists on his hips.

"Yes, we know your name!" Skids protested, taking a step forward. And he turned to the doctor: "Wish I knew what he says at all."

"Yeah... Only Ultra Magnus understands him, unfortunately. These two are on their own wave."

"Ten." The Legislator suddenly pointed in front of him. Skids and Ratchet turned to see four mechs approaching them, dock workers...too well armed.

"And what the slag is this..."

* * *

Members of the reconnaissance team descended from the stone stairs and found themselves in a place that, if it were an ordinary, familiar and not abandoned city, could be called a station square. The building they came out from, was in the form of a large cylinder and connected the base and ceiling vault of a huge cave.

Here everything looked like ancient stone ruins of human cities on Earth, only Megatron didn't remember these organics building something under the surface of the planet. It was unpleasant to be here, the environment was literally crushing... But this is nothing compared to the recent visit to the Stellar-6, where there was a clear threat even in the air.

"Whoo!" Rodimus shouted cheerfully upwards, putting his hands to his mouth.

"Whooooo... whoooo... hooo..." echoed through the cave. Those present looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Cool, isn't it?" The red-and-yellow bot chuckled. Ultra Magnus shook his helm in displeasure, while Megatron grimaced in pain.

Primus, give me patience, he prayed to himself, at least for the short time that I have left before they carry out their sentence... This is some kind of mockery, seriously, I...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

...suddenly, an inexplicable weakness came over the silver mech. He swayed and, feeling that he was about to fall, closed his optics and, grabbing his helm with the left servo, helplessly pulled the right one forward, looking for possible support...

"Megatron?!" falling, he heard the voice of Ultra Magnus, and the next moment he saw absolutely no one nearby.

The Decepticon was enveloped in complete darkness, the entire surrounding reality dissolved, even all the eleven team members that were nearby a second ago simply disappeared! He looked around sharply: the ground under his pedes, the rocky vaults above his helm, the devastation around - everything merged into a single black space, it was even impossible to tell where the top was, and where the bottom was.

"Minimus? Minimus!" he called, but no one answered. Just now Magnus was here... Megatron panicked. He called out to Magnus again, called out to Ravage, Rung, Drift and even Rodimus, but it was no use.

"Focus on the goal... Listen to me... Listen to yourself..."

The voice... His own voice, but this time it's much louder and clearer than before. That feeling again... awareness. Megatron doesn't understand what is happening, but he knows for sure - he must trust it...

"Find it..."

"Find it..."

"Find it..."

The silver mech touched his chest plates with both servos, feeling something beneath them... It was very close to his spark, almost touching it. Gently, carefully... and at the same time persistently. And suddenly Megatron understands: it wants to help... Whatever it is. Whether he's going crazy or not, everything worked out up to this point. As scary as it may be, it's worth a try, what other options are there.

"Please help..." he desperately asks, not knowing to whom or what he's addressing. If do nothing, he risks being left in this darkness all alone. Need to find the Key... Find it. "Help me..." Megatron's voice breaks. "Give me a hint... please..."

A light wind blew from somewhere, and images began to change one after another in the Decepticon's head: a long dark street of an underground city, a large square with columns and waterfalls, a black abyss with yellow lights floating around, and now Megatron is already standing at the foot of the pyramidal structure. On the patterned gates, four symbols light up in turn, accompanied by a certain sound sequence...

"Follow your spark to the unknown," says the echo of his own voice, "no matter what awaits ahead, this choice was made by you alone, the choice that you have always had..."

The massive gates swing open, and Megatron, having passed along a narrow corridor along the patterned walls, finds himself in a large hall with concentric circles in the floor, in the center there is a small column, and on it...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Someone grabbed him from behind, preventing him from falling, and then gently lowered him to the ground and sat down next to him. Unintelligible voices, as if breaking through the watery wall, a feeling of rotation and even nausea. Fear...

"Megatron? Megatron, can you hear me?"

The voices have become clearer, he senses there are others around him, feels the tension of their EM fields, catches many glances on himself, without even looking at who it might be. He understands that someone is holding him in a semi-recumbent state... someone whose frame is larger in size ...

"Step back," said the voice that belonged to the green femme medic.

"Ugh... what...?" muttered the silver mech, grabbing both servos into what, after a couple of moments, he recognized was Magnus's shoulder pad. He opened the optics. What the... just... just now I was in a different place. Right now...

"Captain, can you hear me?" Velocity knelt before him.

"Hmm..." The weakness receded, but the disorientation didn't want to leave as quickly. The silver frame trembled.

"Watch my digit," the femme medic waved her right index finger in front of him. The silver mech followed her movement with his optics. Velocity reached for the scanner in her subspace, but once again peering into the Decepticon's face, she froze in confusion, completely unsure what to do. What she saw simply couldn't be explained from a medical point of view.

Did it happen again? Megatron wanted to be angry with himself. An undetected systems failure due to already known factors? But no... something has changed. Before, when these seizures passed, only fatigue remained... Fatigue and pain. Now everything is different: the invisible presence hasn't disappeared, it is still there, in his spark. Megatron feels it.

"I know where to go," he whispered, and looked at everyone in turn with obvious hope, even with a smile. But instead of their approval, he faced the exact opposite: bewilderment, alertness, even fear... "What?" He frowned uncomprehendingly. He wanted to get up, but absolutely everyone was looking at him too suspiciously. Even Ravage. "What is it?"

But no one could clearly answer what they were so worried about. The team members looked at him as if they didn't know what to expect, or as if they had never seen him before. It was a different kind of fear, as if...

"Megatron, you... your optics..." Rung broke the silence uncertainly. Getaway and Cyclonus parted to let him through to the silver mech. "They..." The therapist pointed at his glasses with both index fingers.

"What?" The Decepticon was completely taken aback.

"They have changed," the Ultra Magnus, supporting him from behind, shifted slightly to the left in order to better see former Decepticon leader's face.

"They're blue," Ravage answered cautiously from the right. He wanted to add that he felt something else in the leader... Inexplicable. His EM field was no longer what it used to be, but now... On the one hand, it was the same Megatron, and along with it there was something completely alien in him, unfamiliar before. Now the difference was clear: there was more of Optimus Prime in him than the cybercat had thought before.

"What do you mean 'they're blue'?" Megatron didn't believe it. It all sounded like a sick joke, and let alone the Autobots, but Ravage? How could he participate in this?

The therapist, who was nearby, silently took a switched off datapad from his subspace and handed it to Megatron. Glancing at his reflection on the idle screen, the Decepticon almost screamed, his once scarlet optics now glowing with a pale blue light. Not blue, like the other Autobots, but rather turquoise. Optics of only one of the mechs' present were this color...

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Bound by Flame OST - World Heart Music; (Rung's return)
2) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - The Mockingjay (Main Title/District 13); (exit to the underground city)
3) Transformers: Dark of the Moon OST - Lost Signal; (attack on the second part of the group)
4) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire OST - Arena Crumbles; (new vision)
5) Tron: Evolution OST - Track 24 (transformation of Megatron's optics)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Iacon was gradually plunging into the night, the sun almost hid behind the horizon, numerous lights were lit on high-rise towers. Sitting at the desk in his office, Optimus was carefully reading a detailed report Pharma sent about the results of the research on the mechs' frames, whose who died on the Stellar-6. When the Prime first saw the incoming message from the medical chief, he became wary at first: in the absence of Ratchet, it was Pharma's task to be responsible for the ruler's of Cybertron health. But, having opened the letter, he was relieved: it wasn't an unscheduled call to the medical facility (although there's a comm for this), but the first research results. After all, Pharma was also instructed to lead a team of scientists finding out the cause of an unknown infection, as well as, if possible, discover where and under what circumstances all this happened.

Another squad was supposed to help in this - the technical group, they were instructed to establish what happened on the ship, from the moment of departure to the arrival at the space station, where all begun. So far, they have managed to collect little data on the cargo ship itself, but something especially strange turned out: the navigation system caught the approach of an unknown object (according to the navigator's assumption, it was a large ship), after which interference began, and then... everything, according to the crew, returned to normal, and the freighter continued on her way. Then all the mechs on board were already infected... Either forgetting about what happened, or even not realizing that they were attacked.

Those Transformes called themselves, according to Rodimus, the Legion of Chaos. Almost like from the ancient tales about Unicron's army... But those are legends... or not? And Megatron's vision about the destruction of the entire planet, sent by the Matrix, which he unknowingly took for an ordinary nightmare... Can these two events be somehow connected with each other? Might be worth checking it out for himself? Either someone is trying to imitate the ancient god of destruction, or... things could be very bad.

The doorbell beeped, Optimus pressed a button to the left of the holographic keypad and said, "Come in," and out of habit hid his face behind the battle mask. Jazz appeared on the threshold with some kind of rectangular container in servos.

"You stay late as always," he smiled at the sight of the leader, "may I?"

"Of course, my friend." The leader of the Autobots stood up and waved the left servo towards him, inviting the guest to enter. "Do not bury me ahead of time. I still have about a hundred of vorns in stock."

"Boss, don't!" said in horror the indignant white-and-black bot with a blue visor, realizing what the leader getting at. "Stop talking like that!" He strode over to the worktable and placed a container on top of it next to the computer. "You will outlive us all."

The Prime chuckled sadly behind his mask and stepped back to the window. Jazz and Jetfire also knew about his diagnosis and were as worried as the others. In part, Optimus had already come to terms with the imminent end, but on the other hand, he also hoped for a miracle. He only tried to cheer himself up: the current state of his spark is not an accident, not a predisposition, and not even fate. This is the result of a conscious choice, an act that saved many lives... And ruined one...

'Remember me as I was...'

Friend... Politician... Impersonal... Enemy... Mad scientist... Point One Percenter... Cybertron will change for the better, and he will become the new Prime, as you expected, Senator, Optimus imagined him so vividly thathad to bite down on his glossa so as not to say it out loud.

"Any news from the Lost Light crew?" he asked to change the subject somehow.

"Yes," Jazz placed the servos behind his back, "they moved into the searching area. I'll inform you as soon as I know something." He shifted from pede to pede. "But I didn't come here for that. Here... Prowl asked me to deliver you something." The white and black Autobot opened the container and gestured for the Autobot leader.

Looking into it, Optimus felt stunned: inside lay... the Matrix of Leadership! The Artifact of the Ancients, as it is, only the glow of the central bowl was much dimmer.

"A copy," Jazz quickly explained, before the leader of the Autobots had time to imagine at least something out of the ordinary "in appearance it's identical, but ... Well, you know."

"A copy," Optimus repeated slowly, feeling how the fear that instantly paralyzed his frame gradually releases the internal systems. Just a fake... The original is safe, nothing threatens the new bearer. Megatron is well.

"Yes," Jazz confirmed with a nod and stepped away from the table, "we had a discussion and thought that... Well, so be it, to completely discard suspicions. Until you... well..." the white and black bot made an explanatory gesture with the right servo, "you decide to tell everyone how things are..."

And sooner or later he will have to tell. Optimus pulled the fake Matrix out of the container and stared blankly at it. After three thousand warns of war, he could no longer imagine existence without the artifact of the Ancients, and now, having handed it over to his former enemy, he felt that he had lost part of himself. This copy is like a mockery of everything that the Autobot leader sacrificed... And at the same time – it's at least some illusory chance to feel the same.

"Thank you," the ruler said sincerely.

He turned away from his comrade so that Jazz would not see his blue spark, periodically emitting tiny white lights, opened his chest armor and placed Matrix's copy inside his frame. Nothing has changed in physical sensations, but the thought that none of the outsiders will guess what they have done. Even if those same imaginary outsiders, right here and now, would immobilize him and rip off his chest armor to check for the symbol of the Primacy. And his friends won't spread rumors. No. That's why they are friends, with whom Optimus went through the whole war...

Prowl, who was watching this, chuckled to himself. He observed everything on video cameras in the Autobot leader's office, heard the whole conversation and almost laughed out loud when Optimus only saw the Matrix's copy. Whatever he thinks, Megatron will have a different fate. As well as Optimus himself, and everyone who dares to support his idea.

Jazz completed the task without any questions. Neither he nor Optimus needs to know what was the actual 'reward' for the craftsmechs who made the false Matrix, how and for what it can be used if the Prime guesses something. Or what awaits the research ship's crew. Small sacrifices to prevent riots and revolutions in the future. The master will figure out what to do with the Decepticons, but the security officer himself also has a few ideas. After the Lost Light team is destroyed. After Megatron is in his servos...

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

He didn't know how to explain it. And, judging by the tense silence, none of those present knew either. For a mech's optics to change color by themseves? This simply can't be! To change it artificially - yes, of course, but just out of the blue... Megatron looked at his reflection in the dark screen of the switched off datapad as if the reflection belonged to someone else.

"Megs..."

But, strangest of all, Megatron felt no fear. He should have, but for some inexplicable reason he didn't at all. As if someone or something had assured him that everything's as it should be, that all was well. The most important thing is to find the Key. It is here, near, I know it... I feel it... I saw it...

"Co-captain, hey?" Rodimus called again cautiously.

Megatron raised his helm in a silent question, as if nothing had happened. Rodimus looked at him as if had never seen him before. And he was silent. So Megatron had to ask out loud:

"What?"

Rodimus shuddered incomprehensibly and pulled away a little. He peered at Megatron like a researcher watching some experiment go right. Awareness came unexpectedly, Optimus's student even smiled slightly involuntarily.

"Are you alright?" Ravage clarified with a clear hint to the contrary, cautiously taking a step towards his leader.

Good question, Megatron considered. Feeling like after a sharp awakening from a long recharge, he again fell out of reality for a moment. Is it related? The silver mech got up slowly, supported by Ultra Magnus, who released him as soon as realized that Megatron was more or less on his pedes. A slight disorientation still felt, but there're no critical system failures. Strange...

The group members' attentive glances seemed to burn through the armor. Even not looking at any of them, Megatron felt that everyone was watching him. The silver transformer threw his helm up and raised his fists in annoyance.

"What?!" and turned sharply to the others. Everyone except Ultra Magnus flinched, and Drift, Ravage, Tailgate, and Velocity even retreated. What's up with them? The desired is near, but they are preoccupied with... the color of my optics? "Let's move." Megatron returned the datapad to Rung and only took a few steps when Ultra Magnus blocked his path:

"We're not going anywhere." He was already balancing on the verge of activating combat protocols simply because he didn't know how events would develop further, and at what moment the unforeseen might happen. "You're not going anywhere."

"Say again?" the silver mech asked dumbfounded. Hostility. Is Minimus... going to attack me? Careful, he reminded himself, don't provoke him into a dredge. The goal is close, we need to go – this alone is important now.

The Magnus just opened his mouth when Rodimus intervened. Without warning, as always:"

What does 'I know where to go' mean?" he asked Megatron cautiously, while trying to avoid optics contact with the Ultra Magnus. Although looking into the Decepticon leader's blue optics was no less scary. "You said it yourself..."

"I..." Megatron thought. Well, how to explain it? First, an inexplicable feeling that he, if he hadn't been in this place before, then at least knows about it. Then this strange vision and the followed conviction that the goal's very close... But the confidence was melting with every second. The more Megatron thought about it, the less faith he had that this was not just some kind of malfunction... that couldn't be detected with self-diagnostics. "I don't know...". If all this is also the Fool's Energon and other drugs' effect, then... this is some kind of completely strange effect. The previous hallucinations and seizures didn't fit in with what he feels now. "Don't know..." he repeated, shaking his helm. "I just think that what we are looking for must be in some local temple... I saw how to get there, and..."

"You saw?" Rung hid the datapad that had been passed back to him into the subspace. "Just now? When you suddenly lost consciousness?"

"Something is there," Megatron was glad that at least someone understood him, "and it wants to be found."

"Well, here we go," Cyclonus muttered somewhere in the background. He and most of the others frankly couldn't understand why they hadn't left this place yet. Oddities happen not just with someone, but with Megatron. Former (or still current?) enemy, from whom one can expect anything. The optics color doesn't change on its own! And the former Decepticon leader himself makes such statements about this place that no one else would have thought of. But, most importantly, why don't Rodimus or Ultra Magnus give the command to return to the surface? Even Getaway is silent...

"What are you talking about?" the big blue and white Autobot didn't understand. "Something alive?" The armor's security protocols were already 'screaming' about the need to do something... And yet, he hesitated. If the Matrix is leading them now, is it right to intervene? What harm would be done to Megatron if they turned back... or what would happen to them all if, on the contrary, they went further?

"Not alive, but..." Megatron walked back and forth a few steps. "Can't you feel it?"

"We see that your optics have become a different color!" Ravage called to him. "Megatron, this is not normal, you must understand!" the cybercat took a step towards the leader and stopped in indecision. "And your EM field..."

"Ravage is right, Captain," Velocity interjected. She only helplessly spread the servos. One thing to fix a physical malfunction, but this...

"Do you propose to return and leave the search?" the silver mech growled, already beginning to get angry. "Have you already forgotten what we are doing all this for?"

To stop the war that is still going on, despite the 'winners' official statements, to come to a common agreement, so that the Knights, if they exist, make an unbiased verdict, so that...

"I think Megatron is right," the Prime's apprentice said in an unexpectedly serious voice, "we should get going."

"What?" Drift and Ravage asked surprised in unison.

"What?" the Ultra Magnus looked at the first captain like he was crazy.

"What?.." Megatron himself asked already, extremely surprised that Rodimus suddenly took his side.

"We still need to find the Key, right? And we only have a starting point." The red-and-yellow Autobot defiantly walked around near the mechs. "Or rather, we had, until now." He stopped next to Megatron, pointing his right servo in his direction. "If our co-captain says he knows where to go... what options do we have?" The expression on the faces of those present spoke of a clear disagreement, but at the same time, no one offered alternatives. Realizing where everything's going to, Rodimus calmly continued: "We can stand here for hours and argue, but there will be no results. Therefore, I propose this: we move on and stay vigilant. But, Megs," a squint look in the silver mech's direction, "some other strange things start to happen with you, I don't know ... hallucinations, or... you will pass out again... or, Primus forbid, you will show aggression..." The Prime's apprentice was silent for a moment, bearing the discontented look of the silver transformer 's already pale blue optics, and finished speaking more decisively: "We are finishing the search."

Megatron didn't know what to say. An optimist would've been incredibly surprised and thanked his foe for the opportunity, but the silver mech has long since lost all optimism. This mission is his last chance to help the Decepticons in any way... if that's even possible. The Autobots might not have given this chance at all... A chance or a mockery...

'Find it...'

"Alright then." The Magnus agreed suddenly. He wasn't at all happy with the first captain's decision, but according to protocol, until serious dangers are foreseen, Rodimus is in charge. No matter how lousy it may be. And then, the former enemy and ward speaks and looks completely normal, apart from the change in color of the optics after a sudden loss of consciousness. If this is the Matrix... maybe they really shouldn't resist its call? Wouldn't make it worse. "But there is a condition," he pointed to Megatron and said sternly: "Full medical examination after returning to the ship. And no objections, captain."

"Co-captain," Rodimus grumbled next to him once again, and added, crossing his arms over his chest, "Mags's right, you know."

"As you say," Megatron surrendered, knowing full well that it was useless to argue with Minimus, and against the two of them the chances were minimal. Who of us is even more stubborn... It doesn't matter. The main thing now is to understand whether I'm right or not... "Let's go."

And he led the team in a direction known only to him alone. How, why and where? Megatron didn't know. What kind of insight visited him - he also couldn't explain. He even thought, what if everything he saw was nothing more than just a glitch? Is blue optics also the result of chemical exposure? Soon everything will be clear... Soon I... we... will know everything...

The group followed the silver mech further. And none of them even thought that maybe it was worth closing the gravitational passage through which they got here, or at least change the force field's direction...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

They were followed from the very beginning. First, they monitored the tourist shuttle, then the group itself, which continued on foot. Those didn't even have the thought that they were being watched... One team must deal with those who remained in the city, and they also have to capture the Decepticon leader and get rid of his escorts.

Surveillance was carried out from a decent distance, it is necessary to catch them in a place with no escape routes or room for maneuver. The caves are quite suitable, that was to be expected. What the capture group didn't think of was that the main target would suddenly take off abruptly and lead his team somewhere in a completely unknown direction...

...into a deep cavern with a secret gravity passage...

When all the pursued jumped right into this shaft, they waited some more time, watching the activity of the gravitational field, and then also decided to go down, despite their own misgivings. The task is known: to destroy the group, and deliver Megatron back to Cybertron dead or alive.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Just walking through an abandoned underground city is already a kind of pleasure. And it is still not known where - that is still extreme. Everyone had questions, but few dared to start a conversation behind the back of the former enemy, who was included in the team at the last moment by a sudden decision of Optimus Prime himself, completely unclear to most. And now this enemy is also confidently leading them somewhere ... Well, if not to certain death. The enemy is the enemy ...

"I don't like all this, consider me a pessimist," Drift muttered under his pedes as he walked.

"Who would?" glumly supported Perceptor. "Where are we even going?" He asked the last question louder hoping that the guide would hear. But the silver mech didn't slow down, didn't even turn his helm. He continued to walk forward as if he was alone.

"So far the area is clear," Getaway said. He, Windblade and Cyclonus, in fighter jet modes, observed from the air, since the grotto was of such a size that there was more than enough space for flights.

The rest, including Megatron, were on foot. The area is clear, the silver transformer repeated to himself, and there shouldn't be anyone here... Unless some ancient traps, maybe... Perhaps the missing tourists also accidentally found their way here and... didn't get out? Finding them, one way or another, is not a task. Who, when, at what moment... And how... The path we used to get here is not the only one...

The caves were truly amazing. The local government should at least turn them into an object of cultural heritage, not only tourists, but also scientists and historians would be drawn here... But who knew. An hour ago Megatron himself couldn't imagine that here underground... can be something like this. One thing is to see fragments of fuzzy images in your head, referring to the Fool's Energon effect, on the other hand, to discover a whole stronghold of an ancient civilization. It's unlikely that all this is thanks to chemicals, everything is too unrealistic... Unless this experimental rubbish also opens up the gift of foresight. No, someone or something wants me to find it. Why me?

Tall, spire-shaped skyscrapers were once made of solid stone without any joints between the building blocks. Now many have been destroyed either to the ground, or half. And those that survived were all cracked. As Megatron noted earlier, there's natural light here. It's very weak, scattered, coming from somewhere above, although they are deep underground.

Once everything here was different: there was more natural light, it's all about a complex system of mirrors somewhere up above. Beams of sunlight focused on the surface in a special way and sent to the underground part of the city, and then it's up to diffusing lenses. Now it's much darker.

"And where is the whole system then located?" Velocity looked up again.

"Somewhere in the rocks high above us, I think," Perceptor suggested. "But this is just a hypothesis, so I can't say for sure right away."

"Hm?" Megatron listened to the conversation from behind. It looks like they were just discussing why it's quite possible to see the environment here without switching the systems to night vision mode.

"Hard to imagine anything like this," Rung's voice was filled with obvious admiration. "When we first came here, I thought it would be interesting to explore the caves. But... this... It's just..."

Suddenly, Megatron, leading the group, stopped as if he had run into an invisible wall, then, before anyone could even ask a simple question 'What happened?', he slowly turned to the others and announced in a confident voice:

"The signal is getting stronger. We are relatively close."

"W-what signal?" Nautica looked around nervously.

"I'm not detecting anything." Perceptor consulted his wrist computer.

Why don't they feel it? None of them. Nobody at all? Why only me... But fear still hovered somewhere in the distance, and Megatron didn't even want to admit to himself that he... even liked what was happening? This inexplicable feeling of confidence that he is doing something right, although he cannot explain it. He doesn't know for sure what awaits at the end.

"Of what we're looking for... I hope." And he smiled enigmatically. Not derisively, but sincerely, which, in combination with pale blue optics, looked especially unnatural for him. Or unusual. Tailgate shuddered, and Ravage and Drift flinched involuntarily.

"Now I'm really scared," Rodimus squeezed out quietly, turning to Velocity, who was next to him.

Megatron, ignoring their reaction, calmly continued on his way. And no one noticed how Rung smiled subtly in response to his confident statement.

Come on, my spark, you can do it. Trust your feelings, trust your inner voice...

"What did he mean?" he cautiously inquired of everyone walking nearby. "Some kind of beacon? Someone's signal?" Give them a hint, but not explicit clues. He is here as a guide and observer. "Or does Megatron really, in some inexplicable way, senses... the presence of the Key?"

"It's not Megatron anymore!" Suddenly, the red-yellow apprentice of Optimus Prime objected in a sharp whisper and immediately became embarrassed: "I mean, it's him and... not him at the same time."

"Repeat it?" Ravage didn't understand.

"And I wonder too." Magnus leaned forward. He asked the next question already, addressing via comm, because he remembered in time that not everyone was aware of the co-captain's secret: 'Rodimus, is this the Matrix? Has it... subdued Megatron's consciousness?'

'It hasn't... I can't tell you fast, I only have a guess what's going on.' He also answered silently, and out loud said the following more calmly: "What options do we have? We still need to look for the Key, but here..." He circled the space with his servos, "it turned to be a little more difficult... If Megs says that he knows where to go... I don't for example. And you?" He jumped forward to look at the whole group.

"No..." Velocity answered for everyone and shook her helm.

"Then let's follow him... ah!" Rodimus nearly fell over, tripping over the cobblestones beneath his pedes.

"Careful, or you might break your neck," the big white-and-blue Autobot warned automaticly.

"Thanks for the advice, Mags," Rodimus mutteredoffendedly and continued more calmly: "So, where was I... Oh, yes, since there are no other options, we have to... - Primus forgive! – trust him." And, havingalready opened the comm channel only with those who had more information, headded: 'The Matrix sent a vision to Optimus Prime. Perhaps it will help us too. Now everything's up to Megatron.' He thought for a moment before adding, 'Or...we're going to be lost in the dark because we let the possessed Decepticonleader take us to Unicron knows where.' The red and yellow Autobot chuckled,enjoying the comrades' reaction. He didn't have to say this, but Rodimus couldn'teven allow any assumptions in his address. Megatron is not a friend, it's mucheasier that way. But still...

'You're an afthole,' Drift muttered without malice over the comm channel as he caught up with the first captain.

'Only in public,' he didn't hesitate to answer.

'I know,' smiled the racer. He fully understood Rodimus' dislike for the former Decepticon leader. The mere possession of the Matrix of Leadership incredibly infuriated the red-and-yellow Autobot. Even before the flight, Ratchet shared his thoughts that with the ardent Rodimus and the unstoppable Megatron, the whole team would have a lot of trouble. And, nevertheless, something slips in Rodimus's relation towards Megatron, which Drift himself doesn't yet dare to voice.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay OST - Please Welcome Peeta; (Jazz brings Optimus a copy of the Matrix)
2) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay OST - It's Gonna Be A Long Night; (in the underground city)
3) Gravity OST - The Void; (enemy follows the team)
4) Tomb Raider Underworld OST - Mediterranean Sea/The Path To Avalon (Megatron leads the team to find the Key)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron felt like it's been a lifetime since he had found a way into the caves where they were under now. He led the group to where he thought was one of the five Keys, that would point to the location of Cybertopia. Exactly as 'he thought'. Everything that happened felt like something completely unreal, a kind of transparent dream. There is something at the end of the path, and another something invisible seems to be pushing the Decepticon in a given direction. As if he was told that he needs to appear in a certain place and knows only the address and the described route .

In fact, no one said anything like this to Megatron... But he saw it. As illogical and improbable as it was, the silver mech could see and know where to go, even though he had never been to this place before. And the further, the more clearly he understood this. Here down this road there will soon be a fork, we need to turn right. And the road to the left will go down steeply and...

"Stop staring, you'll burn a hole in me," Megatron grunted, turning to Ravage, who was walking to his left. The cybercat kept giving him long, attentive glances, as if studying him. But, catching a reciprocal look on himself, he turned away every now and then, pretending that he was more interested in the caves themselves. It annoyed Megatron. Although he followed his own intuition, he also was aware what was happening around him. "What is it?"

"Like you don't know," Ravage grumbled, staring down at his pedes and also continuing to walk beside him.

"What?" Megatron leaned slightly on the move and spread his servos incomprehensibly.

"You do know," the cybercat snarled and looked back at the Autobots following them. Why do they allow it? Well, let's say Megatron, and Ravage himself, are enemies for them, this's not discussed. But... why are these idiots following an enemy? Even seeing what's happening to him, and realizing that this is not normal. Not only Megatron's optics changed, the EM field also became different. It didn't feel like much before, but now...

"Did you and Optimus Prime happen to..."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Did you two, by any chance, exchange energy fields or something?"

Ravage himself was aware of the insanity of his then assumption, because such a thing is impossible. And yet... Megatron has changed a lot since Soundwave's assistant last saw him. These are not shadow plays, even all kinds of psychotropic chemicals wouldn't give such an effect, there is something else...

"What did he mean? Some kind of beacon? Someone's signal? Or does Megatron really, in some inexplicable way, senses... the presence of the Key?"

"It's not Megatron anymore! I mean, it's him and... not him at the same time."

Senses... the presence? This fosterling of the Prime knows something. And some others do too. The more interesting, that not all of them. As the Autobots have always boasted of their unity and well-coordinated work, and they were also famous for their ability to lie. Yes-yes. Some of the other planetary systems might have been impressed by their bravado and some of their actions, but the Decepticons knew who and what their enemies really were.

The cybercat caught himself on a thought that he was thinking about something completely different than what he should have been. Now the situation is hopeless: they are surrounded by enemies, and Megatron acts, to put it mildly, inadequately. Here and now Ravage can do nothing. As long as they go to, it is not clear where to, there is no danger. What will happen at the end of the path... It remains only to adapt to the situation. Ravage hoped that in the event of a threat to the life of Megatron or himself, he would be able to react quickly. He promised Soundwave, he promised himself.

Suddenly he felt... Ravage stopped abruptly and looked around, emitting a warning hiss, which greatly alerted the rest of the group.

"What? What is it?" Rodimus was ready to activate the blasters at any moment.

"Just seemed," muttered Ravage and lowered his spiked tail.

"What?" Megatron asked more calmly.

"It's as if we are being watched," the four-legged mecha answered honestly, "I don't know, maybe it's just this strange place..."

"Watched? By whom?" Tailgate asked worried. He and Ravage were the smallest among those present, and without the comrade who at the moment was observing from above, the minibot felt especially vulnerable.

"Getaway, what's the situation?" Ultra Magnus put two digint to his left temple and tilted his helm back, looking for the fighter jets observing from above.

"Visually everything is clear, sir," the flier also answered aloud over the comm, "unfortunately, the scanners in this place are of little use."

"Indeed," Magnus agreed forcedly and lowered the servo.

"Did you find anything suspicious down there?" Getaway's voice sounded again.

"No," the big blue and white Autobot glanced at Ravage and reluctantly replied, "but that doesn't mean there's no danger. Keep watching, we're moving on." Disconnecting the comm, the Magnus nodded permissively at Megatron. He responded with the same gesture and again moved in a direction he alone knew.

In addition to worry, the Ultra Magnus was also overcome with curiosity. All they had before was Optimus's vision, and then received intelligence data confirming the truth of the Prime's words. Now there is a real opportunity to find out if this whole mission is not in vain. Many crew members had such thoughts, but, since the authorities ordered, they must do the duty. The first step into the unknown is always the hardest. If the Keys were real, then... What then, Ultra Magnus didn't yet know for sure.

One thing gave him hope was Rodimus's relatively confident behavior. And the Prime's student is the only one who dealt with the Matrix of Leadership, so to speak, directly. But even if (or when?) they find the first Key, what will happen to Megatron? Will the former enemy become the same, or will his optics remain pale blue, and his consciousness will change forever? Maybe this is one of the stages of his transformation into the new Prime? Magnus didn't know exactly how it's happening. Right now, he could only follow Megatron and hope for the best.

The street they walked along opened onto a rather wide city square, most of which was littered with boulders. On the left could be guessed something like a collapsed columnar monument, and right in the center of this square something was faintly glowing... Barely perceptible undulating beams of white light, directed from the spotlights from below, connecting at one point above and forming something like a five-sided pyramid.

"Wow!" the surprised Rung ex-vented and slowly took off his glasses.

"Cool," Drift whispered with a smile as the group cautiously approached this glowing object, "what is this?"

"Holograms perhaps?" Velocity asked cautiously. Then the sound of jet nozzles intensified above their helms, and Cyclonus landed beside them.

"There are also such things in some places a little further away," he said, once transformed, "I counted fourteen more."

Perceptor adjusted the device on the right optic:

"Apparently, this is something like an illumination," he suggested, "I don't detect any dangerous radiation or electromagnetic field." And for incredulous explained: "They are harmless. As for the sources..."

"Autonomous generators made to work for... tens of thousands of vorns," Nautica reported from a distance. While the Chief Scientist contemplated the transparent flowing light tower, the purple femme cautiously approached one of the spotlights—the light sources for this holographic construct, "but the energy supply's almost at zero. Somewhere in seventy or eighty vorns will be completely extinguished."

"They used to be brighter," Megatron said barely audible with some regret in his voice. For some reason, he again imagined in his mind how such lighting installations pleased the eyes of local residents when life was seething in this city. This is an anomalous place, one should be afraid of it, he periodically reminded himself, but ... why do I not? What is happening to me...

He was distracted by the new sound of turbines, a wave of hot air and the clang of transformation as Getaway and Windblade reached the group. It turns out they managed to fly the entire underground grotto around the perimeter and more or less explore the city from above.

"We found... judging by the size, the main city square," reported the first flier, "and behind it... some structure resembling... a temple?" Getaway squinted his optics at Megatron questioningly. "Someone was saying something about a certain temple. But there is a problem..."

A temple... The silver mech shuddered, again remembering the images he had seen recently. No, this time it can't be medicinal chemicals. It's... something else.

"In two quarters there's a cliff," the red-black femme hastened to explain, helplessly spreading her servos, "a deep canyon about half a kilometer wide, and behind it - the second part of the city. And the Temple. But no bridges."

No bridges... Well, of course. A vortex flow carrying the frame into the unknown, an abyss with floating yellow lights... Anti-gravity paths! Megatron ran the servos across his face and shook his helm.

"Megatron... are you feeling bad?" Rung cautiously clarified from the left and lightly touched his forearm with his digits.

The former Decepticon flinched in surprise and raised his servos in a defensive gesture, taking a step back.

"No! No, no, it's fine."

"You sure?" this was already the Ultra Magnus's question.

"Of course – yes," he snorted and tried to portray equanimity, but with blue optics it was at least problematic. Megatron remembered Rodimus's words and was not going to turn back, especially when the target was already so close. "Let's at least look at this cliff first. There still might be a way to cross it." And to the surprised looks of the group members, he added: "As a last resort, four of us have wings."

They went on. For some reason, Megatron already had a clear idea of what the very gorge that Windblade and Getaway had reported on looked like. Its bottom is not visible, and the other part of the city is located fifty to seventy meters lower in absolute height than the one where they are now. And the temple... But there was something else in the vision. Burning symbols on the wall, a melody of five notes... This is how the gates open...

"Co-captain, may I ask you something?" the red-yellow Prime's apprentice again caught up with him to the right. Ravage also was walking to the left. "If you know about this place, can you tell who lived here at that time? What did they look like? Well... I mean... Yuntarians themselves are mechanoids, right? They don't have sparks like us, and they reproduce... Well, not like us. And now... Just curious."

Megatron just gave him a tired look. The question: 'Are you an idiot?', he decided not to speak up. In ancient times, Yuntara was Cybertron's ally, the ancient Primes have been here more than once... In the pastthe locals were organics, then they began to create mechanoids, looking for ways to extend and improve the quality of life. Then they began to replace some of their organs with mechanical ones. Enough... where does all this come from?

"If I say - techno-organics - will it be enough? You still can't check it." Megatron's optics narrowed predatorily. Oddly enough, the red-and-yellow Autobot was satisfied with the answer:

"Okay-okay," the first captain showed his open palms conciliatoryly and pulled his helm into the shoulders, "I just asked, no need to get mad, Unicron damn it..." And under Ravage's gaze, he hastened to lag behind both of them.

"Why are you provoking him?" Drift asked in bewilderment as he caught up with Rodimus.

"I'm not provoking anyone, just..." Rodimus looked around to see if others were listening, and decided not to risk it: "Let's finish this task first. Once we get back, I'll tell you my guess, okay?"

"I hope you know what you're doing," the white-black-orange racer decided not to argue.

So do I, the Prime's student agreed to himself, and assured aloud with maximum calmness:

"Don't worry."

When they reached this very cliff, Megatron realized that everything looks exactly as he imagined! That is, the underground part of the city in this cave grotto was divided into upper and lower levels, and they were separated by such a large cliff five hundred or six hundred meters wide. The bottom is completely dark, what's down there no one knows. Ravage even pushed a small stone into it to check... The sound of impact was heard after ninety-three seconds.

"A little bit high..." Tailgate was forced to admit, going to the edge. "How are we going to cross it?"

"We can transfer in turn all those who cannot fly, perhaps even at one time..." Cyclonus suggested, looking around the group, "there are four fliers among the twelve of us, which means that everyone who has wings can transfer three..."

"Flying with Megs is too risky, you never know..." Rodimus couldn't resist making a caustic comment.

The silver mech heard him, but chose to ignore. It's dangerous to fly with me... But I don't want to drag you on me as well - you never know! What a smart mech. He wanted to answer, but now Megatron was interested in something completely different - that the desire to put Rodimus in his place was relegated to the background.

In the vision, he flew over this very canyon, carried along by some kind of force current, without the need to turn on the thrusters or change into fighter jet mode. But it's just a vision, yes? Perhaps Cyclonus is right, and there are no other ways to get to the other side... Or are there?

"Megatron..." clasping his servos, Rung cautiously approached the silver transformer, "what's next?"

This question again made the whole team pay attention to him, waiting for further actions or at least suggestions. And he didn't know what to do. Just to transfer to the other side all those who cannot fly - what could be easier? But no... something stubbornly keeps telling him that there is another way... Anti-gravity paths...

Come on, my spark, you know what to do... You can't see them, but they exsist.

What am I really loosing? After all, we can always do as Cyclonus suggested... Megatron turned to the left and slowly started to walk along the cliff, holding the right servo over the abyss. You can't see them, but are they exsist? What a nonsense...

"What are you doing?" Ultra Magnus asked warily as he approached the silver mech on the left.

"Hush," Megatron, closing the optics, shook his left index finger calling not to interfere. Just like above ground where he found the lever that opened the gravity well. Scanners fail here, one has to rely on other perception mechanisms. Come on... help... Please...

His servo was suddenly caught in something thick and tingling. Megatron jerked back and opened the optics. He stretched out his digits again, and they were again 'embraced' by something dense, and golden sparks appeared around his hand. The shocked Megatron glanced sharply at Magnus.

"Did you see that?" he wanted to laugh. "Come here everyone!" The Decepticon waved to the other members of the group, who immediately surrounded them both. Megatron repeated the previous action one more time with a grin.

"What is this...?" Windblade gasped and leaned forward.

Perceptor again tried to adjust the device on the right eyepiece, but in the end with irritation, he removed it and put it in the subspace, stating with displeasure:

"The further the worse."

"What exactly?" Rodimus didn't understand.

"This whole place is one continuous anomaly," the scientist replied calmly, "everyone noticed that scanners don't work, but in some places radio communication works, although the signal won't break through to the surface. I can't say exactly what it is."

"Megatron said something about anti-gravity roads that the locals used to travel," Rung reminded him, also touching the sparkling air over the abyss, "maybe it is one of these bridges?"

"What is the width?" Convinced of the safety of this action, Drift also put out the right servo and held it through the air, provoking a whole stream of sparks. He walked twenty-five meters, after which the pressure on the palm eased, and the glow around it faded. "Understood..." the rider muttered, then picked up a stone next to his left pede and threw it in the direction of the air anomaly saying: "A proven method."

This time, the thrown stone didn't fly down, but was picked up by a stream of sparks and slowly began to move towards the other side of the gorge. The whole group watched it with undisguised surprise until the boulder reached the opposite side.

Megatron couldn't believe his own optical sensors. Everything happening is so unreal and inexplicable... Now I just have to reach the end, to understand what's happening to me... no matter how much I want to get out of here as soon as possible.

'Find it...'

"Well," the silver mech grinned mirthlessly and took a step to the very edge.

"Is it even safe?" Ravage asked uncertainly. Instead of answering, the leader, to everyone's surprise, simply jumped off the cliff...

"Megatron!" Magnus and Ravage exclaimed at the same time.

The Decepticon leader's frame, which was immediately surrounded by thousands of small golden sparks, was picked up as if by an unknown force and carried away towards the opposite edge of the gorge. The spark in his chest was throbbing with excitement. Already very close... almost... Let it be true... Primus, help us.

He heard surprised exclamations from behind, turned around and saw that the others also decided to jump after him, and now they were all flying a little behind. Small sparks were curling around them too. Two jet fighters flew overhead: Getaway and Cyclonus with Tailgate on his wing. Looks like they're the only ones who decided to cross the chasm on their own. And they arrived, respectively, much earlier.

This part of the city wasn't so different from the one that remained on the other side, except that there was a little more destruction. Probably the shock wave came from above. The more or less surviving buildings had rounded roofs rather than the spire-shaped ones seen earlier, and the streets were half as wide.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Sometime later a hiss was heard, reminiscent of the sound of waterfalls, and after a few minutes the group reached a wide open space, also illuminated by weak rays, and saw in front of them a tall pyramidal cascading structure with a relatively narrow base. It was made up of long vertical blocks, along which streams of water were falling. It was surrounded by a multi-meter stone fence twice the height of Ultra Magnus, with heavy massive gates.

I don't know, he wanted to say, and just silently shook his head in denial. I don't know... Now there are almost no doubts: what we're looking for is here somewhere. Maybe. And here the Decepticon leader became especially frightened: in the images he had seen before, he got here, entered the temple, but... didn't see the Key itself. Everything was over before he even realized he was on that plinth. What if there's nothing there? No, no-no-no...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The huge gates turned out to be sealed tightly, no panels nearby, no consoles, no levers observed either. Windblade reported that the fence was intact, no cracks to get inside. Except for by air.

"Walls are tough," Rodimus tapped the stone fence with his knuckles, "is this the place? Megs?"

The former Decepticon looked up at the temple roof, from which cascades of fountains were flowing, and tried to think. A sound combination... A sequence of symbols flashing green... What's the meaning of this?

"It looks like he finally fell into a trance," he heard Rodimus's voice again, who probably tried to joke... And again unsuccessfully. I can hear you, you piece of an idiot.

"Look!" Tailgate pointed to the gate itself. "What do you think these glyphs mean?"

Looking closely, the temple gates were indeed carved with many hieroglyphs the size of the palm of a middle-class mech, some of which were somewhat similar to the symbols of the Primal Vernacular, or the Old Cybertronian language. And nothing to do with Neocybex - the modern language of the technoplanet's inhabitants. Hard to work this out right away.

The Ancients have been here many times, Megatron clicked in his head, long ago Yuntara was Cybertron's ally. Maybe that's why the Key was hidden here?

"Hmm..." Rung came close to the gate and bent a little, looking at one of the lines of unfamiliar characters. Then he held out his servo to one: "I wonder what they mean... A-ah-ah!" As soon as the white-orange bot's digits touched the symbol pressed into the stone surface, it blazed with green light, and the surrounding area was announced by a loud rumble.

The entire team jumped back in unison. The symbol that had ignited at the touch went out, but the echo of the sound didn't die away immediately.

"What the?!" Rodimus exclaimed, and lowered the servos he had just raised in a defensive gesture.

"Rung!" the Magnus said indignant when everything became quiet. And, looking sternly at the psychotherapist, he asked more calmly: "Please, for the sake of Primus, do not touch anything without checking first."

"Apologies..." he chuckled nervously and, putting the servos behind his back, obediently stepped to the side.

A sound combination... that's what it is! Megatron remembered this moment! Immediately after flying over the canyon, he saw this: the symbols carved into the wall flash in a certain sequence, accompanied by sounds... Five sounds - but four symbols. So one must be used twice. What if it's something like a musical password?

Perhaps. Aloud, the silver mech didn't answer anything, still all happening here and now is beyond the realm of reality, and simply walked up to the gate, held the left servo forward, holding his palm over the symbol that he recognized from the vision. Oh, and over there, a little higher - the second one! Megatron touched the first glyph with his right servo and jerked back as it glowed green, and the rumble again announced around the area, but this time two tones higher. After that, the Decepticon reached out to the sign above and also touched it.

"What are you doing?!" Ravage exclaimed as the new sound faded.

"It's a password," the leader replied in a flat voice, though with a smile on his face.

"What?.." simultaneously squeezed out Velocity, Tailgate and Cyclonus.

"Look, he's awake again!" Rodimus quipped again.

"What password?" Nautica clarified, timidly lifting the right servo. He had to explain:

"These gates open by touching certain symbols on them and playing the corresponding music." Megatron chuckled, remembering the music lover Tarn. Yes, he would like it, and would have guessed faster than these...

"I understand you," the cybercat unexpectedly put in, "but how do you know that?"

Megatron just shrugged off his servos. How do I know, how do I know... How can I explain this to all of them? How?!

"And what's the combination?" Ultra Magnus walked to the right side of the gate, carefully examining the various signs carved into the stone.

Megatron glanced quickly around the left side of the stone door, but found nothing else. Then he went to the right, forcing Magnus to step back and not interfere. He found another necessary symbol at the waist level, and the last one in the area of the knee joints. From touching them, the entire cave grotto was filled with corresponding buzzing sounds. The picture took shape on its own.

"looks like this is it!" the silver mech reported to the group, having finished the search.

Megatron, albeit a little confused, nevertheless explained to those present what to do next. Magnus, Drift, Ravage, and Nautica stood at the gate and each pressed their own symbol in turn, and then Drift did it again, completing the sonic combination.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

As soon as a melodic buzz swept through the area, all the symbols on the gates blazed with the same green light, green luminous lines went along the contour of the doors, at the same time light strips ran along the corners of the pyramidal temple itself, rushing to the very roof, where they eventually formed into an energy ball that after a few seconds simply disintegrated into thousands of small sparks, which showered the surroundings with a shimmering green rain. The gates slid open to the sides, opening the way to the temple.

"Holly..." Rodimus began, but Drift put the left servo in his direction and warned:

"No need for human exclamations."

"...wonder," the Prime's apprentice caught on just in time. He just didn't have the right words.

Megatron looked at Ultra Magnus with delight, but the latter didn't share his delight. Even on the armor's faceplate there was a certain alienation, wariness, doubt and even fear. But, anyway, the white and blue Autobot decided not to escalate the situation and squeezed out a kind of smile:

"Well done."

Tailgate and Cyclonus glanced at each other.

"How did he figure out what to do?" the minibot sincerely perplexed.

"No idea," the purple mech answered honestly and spread his servos.

"We could just fly over instead of all this, it would have saved time," Getaway grunted beside him.

Then the temple itself would have remained closed, Megatron thought. Now he already felt scared: the decisive moment. We will find here what we are looking for, or... we will find nothing... or maybe something completely undesirable. Something brought me... us... here. What is this?

'Find it...'

Why don't others feel anything? Now, however, it's too late to retreat anyway - they won't understand, and I won't be able to forgive myself. We must finish this. Need to find out. We have to find the Key.

"Come on," Megatron commanded, and was the first to enter the temple courtyard. On the other side of the fence there was the same devastation as everywhere else, but the road to the doors of the building itself, consisting of patterned tiles, almost didn't suffer from time.

White and green patterns also flashed on the doors of the central entrance, and the doors opened by themselves without any additional manipulations. Further on led a long relatively narrow corridor with a high ceiling, where some sculptures that had suffered from time were molded on the walls, and now it's impossible to say for sure without restoration work what they depict.

"Incredible..." Windblade admired, "there is nothing of the kind in the Cybertronian archives, and I have read everything regarding those planets that we must visit."

The corridor led them to a large round hall with columns and a low ceiling, in which ... there was absolutely nothing! No ancient statues, no altar, nothing at all! Except for the pale green drawings on the columns, which gave the room light. A little to the right behind the columns is another arched passage: presumably a staircase to the upper levels.

"What's next?" Drift scratched the top of his helm in confusion.

I don't know, Megatron thought, that room was different... Now it was difficult for him to remember exactly, the vision ended too suddenly. However, now, for some reason, he was sure that they had come to the right place.

"To the hall on the upper level," Megatron himself was dumbfounded by his own words. Awareness came by itself, like everything before. Why? Where? Who are you? What are you?

'You asked for help. I'm giving you direction, the rest is up to you.'

"To the upper level? Right?" Ravage clarified doubtfully and pursed his ears, meeting his leader's gaze. "I mean... Well..."

"This is the first floor," Megatron calmly stated, not even thinking to get angry, "and we need to go to the very top."

"Well, of course, upstairs we need to go," Rodimus began and then noticed that the silver mech was already heading into the side passage and hurried to catch up: "Or maybe you somehow misinterpreted your vision or what it was. Maybe we needed to go somewhere else? Hey, wait for us!"

A spiral staircase went around the inner halls, located one above the other, all the walls were also in different faintly luminous drawings and unknown signs. Rung also asked if there would be time on the way back to inspect the temple in more detail, to which Ultra Magnus stated that the matter must be completed first, and only then... well, according to circumstances. The team walked thirty-six floors before stopping at last in front of the sealed door. And before anyone could do anything, a black round drone descended from the ceiling, releasing a white scanning beam, and began moving from left to right, shining through all the mecha.

"What the..."

"Hey!"

"Wait..."

Those present were frightened. Only Megatron remained calm, somewhere in the back of his CPU the thought flashed that this was just a recognition device. No need to panic, it's harmless - simply will not let in a stranger, that's it.

'To get the Key can only those who gave it... Or their successors.'

Who gave it? Ancient Cybertronians? Someone from the previous Primes? What the hell...

And once the scanning beam hit the silver mech, the drone made a few low beeping noises and shut off, the signs on the stone door also blazing with a pale blue light, and the doors slid open, inviting to enter.

"What, in the name of Primus, was that...?"

"A recognizer of some kind," Rung suggested uncertainly, whom the scanner didn't have time to reach, and hastily added with an innocent look: "Maybe... huh?"

"If an outsider doesn't show aggression, nothing will happen," the silver mech nodded in agreement. And before he had time to think what kind of defense mechanism there might be, Rodimus intervened again:

"And if they do, what will happen? And how to understand 'aggression' in this matter? And why did the door open for you?"

Megatron just reset his optics incomprehensibly.

"For me? It opened up to us all... somehow."

Indeed, the mechanism worked when the scanning beam reached him. Coincidence? Like everything before? But all these thoughts left Megatron's CPU as soon as he was again the first to enter the opened passage...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

This hall was no longer round in shape, but in the form of a truncated pyramid. The ceiling is quite high, no columns or drawings, only a cylindrical pedestal, the height of which reached Rodimus or Drift to the chest plates, and on it in the air, surrounded by pale green light hovered a small gray object in the form of a quadrangular elongated pyramid with a narrow base and a green stone in the shape of an icosahedron at the top. Almost like the layout that Perceptor showed at the pre-flight briefing!

"Wow..." squeezed out the mentioned scientist in a hoarse voice.

Megatron's jaw dropped involuntarily, numb limbs rooted to the floor, which for some reason began to rotate, and the cooling systems seemed about to fail. To say he was shocked is an understatement. All this time, from when the Lost Light reached Yuntara... until now... It's true... true...

"What in Pits!" Rodimus, not paying attention to anyone, went around the pedestal counterclockwise, not taking his own optics off from the luminous pyramid. "It's the..."

"So this is it... The Key?" Velocity clarified as she patted her metal eyelids. She even rubed the optics, but no - the mysterious object didn't disappear.

"Looks like it," Cyclonus forcedly agreed.

"What a beauty," said Tailgate, also coming closer to see better.

"Megatron, you..." Ultra Magnus couldn't find the right words, "you were right from the beginning."

Yes, but how and why, he wanted to ask, and still couldn't take his optics off the find. When he was given the opportunity to join the team to find the Keys, he had little hope of justice. After six months of incessant public accusations (almost half of which were grossly exaggerated or based on the 'highly likely' argument, and some were outright set-ups, and Megatron was aware of this, but couldn't object - who would listen to him?). After imprisonment and torture (which was typical for the Autobots even before the revolution). After the Prime forced him to publicly make a humiliating call for the Decepticons to surrender... Now they are on the trail of what can save the Cybertronian race from self-destruction or from returning to the old Functionist regime. But why me? If the first vision was sent to Optimus...

"...we just need to..."

"Rodimus, wait!"

Megatron flinched at Perceptor's sharp yell, followed by a red-and-yellow Autobot's who abruptly pulled back the right arm as if getting a burn.

"It beats with electricity!" he exclaimed indignantly. "Ah, slag!"

"I tried to warn," the scientist reproached him, "the Key is surrounded by a force field, don't you see? It can't be reached so easyly."

Drift also extended his left palm, but held it in the air, barely touching the energy barrier:

"And what to do?

"Is there a switch here?" Ravage gently touched the leader's right leg with his left paw: "What do you think?"

"Hmm?" Megatron looked blankly at the cybercat, and then back at the Key hovering above the pedestal. A switch... No... no-no, Ravage is wrong. They set up another defense. Something else... The right servo itself reached for the artifact, despite what had just happened to Rodimus. The worst case scenario, I'll get electrocuted too, right?

The silver mech was already prepared for the inevitable, when again a strange impulse passed from the spark to all peripheral systems, and the Decepticon's digits passed unhindered through the force barrier...

'...only those who gave it... Or their successors.'

"Megatron!" Magnus exclaimed from somewhere nearby, but it was already too late.

As the Decepticon's digits wrapped around the long ornate pyramid, the green stone on its top began to ring and flare up brighter and brighter, the very Key in Megatron's servo started to vibrate, as if trying to escape. Megatron grabbed it with the other servo in an attempt to hold it, the whole temple trembled, the ceiling opened like a stone flower...

... A powerful energy impulse passed through the entire frame, simultaneously bursting out of the stone at the end of the pyramid and rushing up... punching its way through the layers of rock... And everything drowned in white light.

The shock wave also reached the Curato city, its inhabitants even in the light of day could observe a white-green something resembling a comet rushing into the sky... Once reaching the upper atmosphere layers, it blazed even brighter and split into three smaller ones, that quickly scattered in opposite directions and disappeared from sight. A thunderclap followed a few seconds later...

The whiteness gradually receded, drawing the outlines of the surrounding reality. Megatron stood still, being in deep shock, the frame was shaking, and a small painted pyramidal structure made of smooth light gray metal with a green stone on top was firmly clamped in his palms. The First Key... One of the five... Left behind by the Ancients for the purpose... For what?

"What... what was it?.. What is THAT?" Ravage muttered hoarsely from somewhere down.

"The Key has sent out a signal... like a beacon," Megatron muttered, still staring fixedly at the object in his servos.

"What signal? To whom?"

"To other Keys," Megatron hardly took his optics off the extracted artifact and smiled at his Faction comrade. He still couldn't believe they had done it. The first step is made. He slowly looked around: the temple roof was still open, somewhere far-far above could be seen an uneven circle of blue sky, and everywhere now some small white lights were circling, which, if look closely, outlined something like a three-dimensional model of the Milky Way Galaxy.

"So... and what is this?" Rodimus muttered uncertainly, cautiously approaching the right. "A galaxy map?"

"Looks like it," Perceptor nodded in agreement. He noticed a blinking green dot and faint dashed lines radiating from it in three directions. The rest of the points where these segments closed also shone in blue, red and yellow. "We are here," the scientist pointed to the green dot, "and here are three other planets, where, presumably, other Keys are hidden."

"Probably they somehow 'communicate' with each other," suggested Nautiсa, "they are all connected, focused on something else."

"On the fifth Key?" Ultra Magnus cautiously suggested, looked at his former ward and noticed a new metamorphosis: "Megatron, you... your optics have regained their usual color!"

"What?.." silver mech shook his helm. Right now he felt like he was slowly coming back online after a long recharge.

"Indeed!" supported the surprised Rodimus. Drift and Nautica nodded in agreement, Ravage didn't know what to say at all. "But how?"

"It doesn't matter already." Suddenly spoke a voice that didn't belong to any member of the group. Everyone slowly turned to look at the three heavily armed mechs blocking the exit from the hall. Five more hovered in the air over what had recently been a roof, keeping the crew at gunpoint.

"Oh, great..." Rodimus quietly said and then muttered a few obscene curses that came to mind. Anywhere but here, in an abandoned underground city, certainly no one could expect an ambush.

"I felt like we were being watched," Ravage reproached himself.

Megatron was the first to notice the purple Decepticon signs adorning the heavy armor of unexpected guests.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) The Redwoods by Amadea Music; (through the underground city)
2) Halo 2 OST - Remembrance; (arrival at the temple)
3) Limbo OST - Menu; (a sound combination)
4) Halo 2 OST: Anniversary - High Charity Suite; (the temple gates open)
5) Halo 2 OST - Finale (activation of the first Key)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Nowhere to retreat, since there were no other exits from the hall. The only one was blocked by three Decepticons, five more held them at gunpoint above the open ceiling. Powerful weapons, heavily armor with clearly visible Decepticon insignias, their faces hidden behind visors with red stripes of optical sensors. And they came here on purpose...

"I have to give you a credit, we had to run to catch up with you here." The black and white Decepticon that hung in the air below the rest with his cannon still raised. "But after all, no one gets away the Chasteners.

"Who are you?" Rodimus tried his best to be confident. "What do you want?"

"Chasteners?" Cyclonus immediately shielded Tailgate. Megatron reflexively hid the Key in the subspace – good thing Drift was standing in front of him at that time, so no one noticed anything.

Chasteners? I don't remember such a group within the Decepticon ranks... Megatron also noticed that the engines on the enemy fliers' armor were somehow strange - not built-in, and four more had wheels visible on their frames. And the internal scanner immediately confirmed his guess, displaying the corresponding images on the EMD. So, they are ground pounders – all of them.

"Why, the DJD can't do their duty anymore?" Rodimus blurted out before he could make sense of his own words.

Megatron would have slapped him for this if he could now. One thing he knew for sure: these mechs were not in the mood for peace talks. They came with specific intentions... but what is their purpose, the Key or me?

"Don't touch them," the silver mech raised his servos up, "if you need me, do what you must. Just let the others go."

"Megatron!" the Ultra Magnus exclaimed indignantly.

"Megatron, don't do this," Rung warned from somewhere to the left.

The enemy group leader laughed in surprise:

"A bold statement and a pathetic sight at the same time. Looks like it will be easier than we thought. The commander would have preferred to see a live prisoner, but a deactivated frame will do too."

"That is, there will be no negotiations, as I understand it?" Rodimus casually asked, already ready for the inevitable battle.

"That's right," the Decepticon in a purple mask, who was standing a little further, pointed a cannon at him, "any last words?"

"Wildfrost?" Windblade gasped, recognizing the mech's voice. "Is it you?!"

"Kill them all!" the leader ordered. The entire Decepticon squad charged their weapons, aiming at the Lost Light crew... But no shots followed. None of the enemy weapons fired.

"What is this?!" one of the Decepticons hanging in the air shook his blaster, as if hoping to fix it this way.

There was also surprise among the Lost Light's searching party members, who had already prepared for the inevitable. And no one noticed the bitter grin on Rung's faceplate: the first warning, my sparks, you were not born with these weapons.

"Attack!" the commander wasn't taken aback and pointed at Megatron: "Destroy the target!"

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Ultra Magnus reacted next, throwing himself at the enemy leader holding a stun baton, which he always carried with him since the pre-war times. Drift, Rodimus and Cyclonus didn't get flustered, for some reason their weapons worked fine. Someone in the air threw an electromagnetic grenade towards the Lost Light group members, who didn't have time to bounce, when suddenly...

At the same time Megatron managed to fix with peripheral vision how Tailgate threw forward his left palm, an electric charge passed through the minibot's frame, and then... everything around drowned in a white flash, immediately after that the shock wave knocked the silver mech off his pedes, and he sharply hit the something solid. When the whiteness and noise in the audials receded, the former leader of the Decepticons found himself next to a stone wall in which had formed a huge crack. Probably because of the impact. The rest, including enemies, were also scattered around the perimeter. Those who were in the air at that moment completely disappeared from sight. And only Tailgate lay in the center of the hall...

The remaining four enemies were the first to come to their senses. They got up so quickly, as if they were not in pain at all... And then it began: Magnus, Perceptor, Drift and Rodimus rushed into battle, Getaway, Cyclonus and Windblade took on the rest of the returning enemies. Some of them also had already visible damage, but they still fought as if nothing had happened... or they didn't feel anything. Megatron knew what it was and what consequences would follow. He himself went through this several times during the war.

Something needs to be done... I have to help them. But don't have any weapons and... no desire to fight either. Never again... Never again... As Minimus has said in the past: the best battle is the one that had never happen? Let the enemy defeat themselves?

Rising to his pedes, the silver mech grabbed Ravage, who appeared to have injured his front right leg, and jumped towards Rung, Nautica, and Velocity, hiding in the corner, the medic as well managed to pull Tailgate away as she retreated.

"Help him." Megatron handed the cybercat to the green femme and looked up at Getaway flying overhead and the two Decepticons chasing him. Can immobilize them, just need to do it in such a way that 'our' people don't get hit.

"Megatron, what are you going to do?" the white-and-yellow psychotherapist exclaimed in fright, flinching at the loud sound of a blow as Magnus slammed his opponent into the wall.

"I have an idea... we'll see." The silver mech measured Rung and Velocity with a stern look and ordered: "Stay cover for now." Then, using low thrust engines, he flew out through the still open roof and transformed into a fighter jet.

"Megatron!" Ravage called out to him, but the leader already had disappeared sight.

"Want to get me? Here I am!" The silver jet made a sharp turn, drawing the attention of enemies in the air.

"Destroy the target!"

The two from those on the ground still able to fight activated their jet engines and rushed after Megatron, two more were already defeated. The rest also focused on the silver jet. However, out of the six, only five continued the chase him, because Rodimus managed to grab onto one of those taking off...

Megatron was flying over the half-ruined ancient city, dodging blaster shots; so their weapons hadn't completely jammed. Behind him were five enemies in their normal mecha forms, followed by three more fighter jets, who were already taking aimed fire at the enemy. The Decepticon leader rushed down sharply and at a very low altitude again changed the trajectory. The pursuer closest to him didn't have time to react and plowed the ground, leaving a decent furrow as he fell. Another one fired and missed, destroying some kind of stone column instead, which caused the collapse and damage to several buildings.

"Are you nuts?! This is a unique piece of history!" Windblade howled and rushed to the enemy who caused the damage. Megatron switched to his normal form and, hovering in the air, released an energy charge that immobilized the enemy, at the same time something strongly pricked in his temples, and an unknown error appeared on the EMD, but now there was no time discover causes of minor failures. The red and black femme had already completed the job, finishing off the immobilized opponent in the fall.

'Guys, can you help?!' heard everyone on the comm. The silver mech turned in the direction where one of the Decepticons, hanging in the air, was still trying to throw off the red-and-yellow Autobot clinging to him with all his strength.

Idiot, Megatron had only time to think, as something painfully hit him in the right forearm, slightly melting the armor: one of the three remaining badly damaged enemy mechs was rushing at him. But there's no time, Rodimus has no jet engines, and the fool is in danger of crashing if the enemy throws him off. So, grimacing in pain, Megatron transformed into the jet and rushed to the rescue.

'Let him go. Get off.' He ordered the student of Prime, rapidly reducing the distance.

'Are you crazy, Megs?! What in Unicron's...?!' yelled the indignant voice via communication channel.

'Do as I say. I'll catch you.'

Rodimus didn't have time to object: the enemy he was clinging to suddenly spun sharply in place, and the red-and-yellow Autobot involuntarily fell off...

"Aaaaaa!!!"

Megatron dived sharply and managed to reach the Prime's protégé a couple of tens of meters above. Or rather, the silver fighter jet dived under the falling comrade, and Rodimus landed on top of him.

"Wow!"

"Hang tight!"

The red-yellow Autobot moved to his knees, grabbed the protruding segment of Megatron's armor with his left servo, and charged the cannon on his right one:

"You maneuver, and I shoot... Just watch out, hey! Megs, I told you to be careful!"

"Shut up, or I'll drop you!" the Decepticon snarled, taking a turn again.

"I'll keep a couple of screenshots of this for the archive," Windblade chuckled as she noticed Rodimus balancing on Megatron's wings like a human surfer successfully riding a tidal wave.

A few more minutes of fierce fighting, and then all the opponents were defeated. When the group of four fliers and one groundling returned to the temple, where the other group members remained, Megatron before transforming and landing rather roughly threw Rodimus off, hinting that the flight was over, and Prime's student could no longer count on such entertainment. But the message was misunderstood:

"Wow, that was cool!" The red-and-yellow Autobot cheerfully threw his right fist into the air. "Let's do it again sometime?" and gave Megatron an overly joyful smile, which quickly disappeared under the murderous scarlet gaze: "Well, I... we won, yep."

Only Velocity and Rung managed to avoid injuries, and Minimus too - in his case, the Ultra Magnus's armor received all the damage. The rest one way or another, were hurt in the battle. Megatron managed to divert attention to himself and, thereby, avoid fatal casualties among his comrades-in-arms. They decided to get out through the hole in the cave vault, which was formed as a result of the removal of the Key. Each of the four fliers picked up three grounders and, following each other, they got to the surface. Fortunately, the size of the newly formed tunnel allowed it.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The sun's already setting, it is getting dark, soon the heat will subside, nights in deserts are cold. How long have we been underground, Megatron thought, it wasn't yet noon when we were just going down there...

After quickly examining everyone and providing some with primary medical care, the green femme medic came to the conclusion that the injuries received didn't pose a threat to anyone's life, everything could be sorted out in the ship's medical bay. Ravage suffered the most - his joint turned out to be knocked out, it had to be fixed. Once he agreed to get help from an Autobot... Although, Megatron couldn't say that he condemned him. Tailgate was still overcome with weakness, but judging by the behavior of some, including Velocity, they were not surprised by what had happened. On the way to the tourist center, where the shuttle was waiting for the team, Cyclonus carried the minibot in his arms. To all questions there was only an answer that Tailgate was a little... overdone, they say it's okay, all questions later.

"Let me get rusty, folks," Rodimus swore on the way back, "I expected anything, but this is... this..."

"I don't even know, we did find the Key and barely got out of the death trap," supported Nautica, who was walking nearby.

"I wonder how they got to the underground city..." Velocity raised the left servo to her lips in bewilderment.

"Followed us," Ravage casually replied, "I felt the persecution..."

"Why didn't you tell us then?" Rodimus interrupted sharply, stepping up to the cybercat but keeping his distance.

"I did," the four-legged Decepticon grunted in response, "someone either didn't listened or didn't get it."

"I think I recognized one voice..." Windblade muttered thoughtfully. "At least I think so... My friend, Widefrost... we last saw each other two vorns ago. But there was no way he could be with the Decepticons."

"Are you sure?" Rung took off his glasses, vented on them, and put them back on.

"Well, yes..." the red-black femme spread her hands. "Wildfrost was an Autobot soldier. He was an ardent opponent of... uh..." She looked guiltily at Megatron and squeezed out conciliatoryly: "No offence."

"I mean, are you sure it was him?" The therapist asked a clarifying question.

"I..." Windblade bit her lower lip and stared down at her pedes. "I don't know. Maybe it wasn't him... I really hope so..."

"Yesterday Autobots disguised as Decepticons tried to kill us, today it's Decepticons..." Perceptor summed up gloomily. "What's going on?"

"Maybe they were Autobots too?" Ravage objected sarcastically with a hint.

"They didn't leave a business card, but for some reason we didn't find out either, right?" Perceptor didn't remain in debt.

They're after me, Megatron forced himself to admit. The attack on the Stellar-6 station was also not accidental. It looks like they want me, and not the artifacts we're looking for. They didn't demand to give them the Key right away...

"We escaped miraculously," Drift admitted reluctantly, distracting Megatron from internal reasoning. "If their guns hadn't failed..."

"Actually, they really worked later," objected Getaway, shaking his helm and spreading his servos, "this was received not from just flying," he pointed to the damage to his own armor on his left leg and back.

"I'm talking about... that we... well, they didn't kill us on the spot, although they could," the racer quickly corrected with a guilty look.

"Maybe it's the anomalous place itself?" Rung suggested with innocent uncertainty. "We had problems with scanners and communication with the outside world, but we could use comms talking to each other..."

"It's the only reasonable explanation," Cyclonus looked doubtfully at the minibot he held in his arms.

"But it turned out great," Rodimus whispered with a nervous laugh. And in response to the silver mech's bewildered look, he uncertainly explained: "Well, I mean... We got the Key? Ugh..." the Prime's student moved the servos in an explanatory gesture and uncertainly clarified: "You have it, right?"

Megatron stopped, lowered the digits of the right servo into his subspace and pulled out the same object in the form of a long sharp pyramid with a narrow base and a faceted green pebble on this very sharp top. The artifact, streaked with unknown symbols, was still warm to the touch, and there was still a certain tension around it, pleasantly tingling digits. The pebble at the end had already ceased to shine, and now simply gleamed in the rays of the already setting sun. The whole group crowded around the silver mech, with interest examining the ancient find.

"Amazing..." Windblade whispered as she leaned closer. She held out the left servo, but didn't risk touching the artifact in the silver transformer's hand. "This is it... what we were looking for... The Key is real."

"The vision of Optimus Prime sent by the Matrix..." Ultra Magnus muttered to himself, also noting in his mind that this same Matrix had now led them to the first real Key. Whatever that means...

You took the first step, my spark, Rung noted to himself with satisfaction and, looking inquiringly at Megatron, casually asked:

"It's beautiful... And how many of them are there: four or five?"

In response the silver mech slightly shrugged his shoulders and shook his helm. Four plus one... A four-sided pyramid... The top cuts through space... A tunnel... There are several doors... but only one Key. What the...

"May I?.." Perceptor asked carefully, and Megatron, emerging from his thoughts, silently handed him the found artifact. "These symbols," the scientist carefully ran his right forefinger along one of the faces, "they don't look like Cybertronian ones."

Because they were not created on Cybertron, the former Decepticon leader wanted to object, but changed his mind in time. How can I know that the Keys were made by representatives of different races using a certain common technology? Each of these artifacts has its own characteristics... And only the last one is related to Cybertron... The one that is activated in the presence of all the others...

"All this is very interesting, of course," Velocity interrupted timidly, "but why don't we discuss all this somewhere in a safer place?" She scratched her left cheek with her digits. "Or did we just not get out of the death trap?"

"Arranged by your people," Ravage stated when nobody asked.

"Proof! Give me proof!" Rodimus stepped up to the cybercat and even bent down a little in order to be approximately on the same level. The Prime's apprentice seemed to have forgotten who he was dealing with, and that Ravage could at least tear off his eyepiece or both with one swing.

"Ask her again if you didn't listen!" the cybercat pointed in Windblade's direction.

"That's no proof!"

"Enough!" sharply interrupted the Ultra Magnus. "We return to the city and leave this planet as soon as possible." He clenched his fists and, putting them on his belt, grumbled through the denta: "I have a few questions for our leader..."

"And so I have... given the circumstances," the first captain glumly supported.

"Let's go," Megatron nodded in agreement. The Key, he decided, let one of them have it. The silver mech didn't want to leave the hope for peace in the Autobots' servos, but none of them would agree to make him or Ravage the keeper of the finding, although it was Megatron who discovered this Key... And yet, he thought, let this thing be kept away from me... As far as possible.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Upon returning on foot to the parking lot, the team was met by local guards. It turns out that the recent doomsday has attracted very strong attention: a huge inexplicable energy release was seen in all nearby cities and towns, several reconnaissance teams have already been sent to the place. There were questions for the Cybertronian group, given where these mechs came from and why they look like they've been in a serious brawl. Ironically, Rung stepped in, convincing the local police that there was nothing to worry about and that they should simply be allowed to return to the city.

"How did he do it...?" Drift muttered in bewilderment. The others were also surprised and delighted. The psychiatrist was beginning to win their respect.

Ultra Magnus contacted Ratchet and said that the mission was a success, but there were some difficulties along the way. Everyone needs to get back to the ship as soon as possible. The first thing that the blue-and-white Autobot heard from the medic was a wave of indignation, saying this is at least impolite to disappear for so long, given WHAT happened in the city... Having calmed down a little, Ratchet already demanded a report on how the searching group was doing. The head of security only reported unforeseen circumstances and that some members needed medical attention, but everyone, praise Primus, are alive.

"Return to ship. Now. All the details later." The chief physician immediately cut off and already with ill-concealed anxiety added: "And be careful. We have enough trouble as it is."

"What's it with him?" Rodimus didn't understand. "As if it's them and not us had to get out of the deadly trap there."

"No idea..." Drift answered him in confusion.

Magnus also ordered to inspect the shuttle that was still waiting for them, just in case. And, as it turned out, not in vain: in the center on the bottom and near the engines were found two explosive devices with remote activation. Each one had a Decepticon symbol on them. The power of one would be enough to completely destroy the shuttle, and two... It seems that the enemies decided not to risk.

"Decepticons really crossed all lines!" Rodimus fumed. "They thought we wouldn't check the transport... and... and... and all that?!"

"We don't put our mark on explosives," Megatron calmly objected, walking around the first captain from behind. The Prime's apprentice in response begun to argue, but the silver mech only waved the right servo, hinting 'I'm not listening to you'. The Ultra Magnus had to interfere again.

The shuttle was examined just in case three more times, but nothing else was found. The driver who delivered the team to the place also couldn't give clear explanations. Rodimus started to object and accuse, but Magnus reassured him that if an employee of the local shipping company was involved, he wouldn't have waited for the group to return. The red-and-yellow Autobot, however, said that these claims were unconvincing, but decided not to argue.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The journey to the city took what Megatron thought was an eternity. The trip itself in a transport on which, quite by accident - thanks to Magnus's vigilance - two explosive devices were found, is already an adventure. Not to mention previous events. Who wanted to kill them this time? Are they really Decepticons, or are they Autobots, just like the day before? What in Unicron's name happened to Tailgate and... to Megatron himself? How did I manage to do what I did... What led me to this... How can I explain it?

From all these events, the Decepticon's helm began to hurt again, or rather, the unpleasant sensation didn't let him go since during the battle in the caves, he used the new abilities added by Shockwave for the second time in a long time and immobilized the mech attacking him. Something is not right, it shouldn't be like this... Or it's not a matter of emotional overstrain? Already disabled neuroblockers in his head... under the solar panels.

Previously, because of them, was sometimes observed some confusion of consciousness, and there was a feeling of constraint by invisible chains, but Megatron didn't feel their physical presence. Except for the first week when they were first installed... the pain sensors weren't off buring the process. Megatron winced. It was real torture, but taught to suffer for three thousand vorns of war, he was silent. Even during the operation itself he didn't make a sound, no matter how hard it was for him. Megatron didn't mention this even after. Since this was done, it was an order. And whose? No need to guess: Prime knew everything... And he probably waited for me to give up and start talking about it... No, this won't happen.

They arrived immediately at the spaceport, which was also full of local servants of the law. The ship Lost Light was attacked by an armed group of Decepticons, in particular, three crew members were attacked, and there was also an attempt to get on the ship. Fortunately, there were no casualties among the crew, which cannot be said about the spaceport security officers who arrived to help: four died in the shootout, two more were sent to the hospital badly injured. Among the enemies, three were defeated, including the Decepticon who was knocked out by the large robot named Ten: he received a headshot from one of his own while retreating. The other five have disappeared, the police is looking for them. Therefore, the motives of the attackers remained unclear.

"They won't find anything," Getaway declared for some reason with dissatisfied confidence. "I don't think they can."

"Why are you so sure?" Riptide asked in bewilderment.

"Well, the previous attackers escaped too."

"Well, yes."

"And I bet that if you knock off the Decepticon badges from these... Then you would see Autobot signs under them," Ravage whispered to Megatron so that the others did not hear anything."

It wasn't possible to leave the planet right away: the local authorities closed the spaceport until tomorrow morning to check and find out new dangers, in addition, the whole city saw a strange phenomenon in the sky, which caused a lot of questions for everyone. However, the crew was allowed to spend that night on the ship, rather than at the hotel as before. Again thanks to Rung's diplomatic skills. How he manages to negotiate with everyone, so far no one from the team has understood. At the same time, Ultra Magnus strictly forbade the crew to leave the spaceship, and in fact they were fine with it. On the contrary, everyone wanted to leave Yntara as soon as possible. As Rodimus said: the planet is very inhospitable.

On the ship the medics took care of the victims of the fight in the underground city. Megatron couldn't hide the damage, much to his dismay. He really hoped for that. Didn't want to seem weak and once again turn to the Autobots for help, and then, the self-repair systems would have coped... Well, at least he insisted that his injuries were treated the last and didn't say anything about the helmache - now it disappeared, so that there is no cause for concern. Rung made a mental note to himself that Megatron's distrust of the medics would also need to be discussed during one of their mandatory weekly sessions. Not now, of course, later, when the silver mech will be less hostile to the outside world, and this problem has very old roots.

Tailgate was ordered to stay in the med bay for at least two days. This energy surge severely overtaxed his systems. But no less surprising, Ratchet and First Aid acted as if what had happened to him was something not unexpected. Moreover, the senior medic grumbled that he had warned him more than once about the need for self-control...

"As you can see, one doesn't have to be a Point One Percenter to have superpowers," Cyclonus answered mysteriously when Megatron once again asked what happened to the minibot.

One doesn't have to be a Point One Percenter... It means Tailgate has an ordinary spark, the Decepticon leader immediately concluded. The more incomprehensible. The personal file says nothing about it. Only a powerful built-in magnet was mentioned, which allows him to be even on a shuttle's tail. Literally. And also about some emotional instability in especially critical situations. And Rung approved it? A strange affair.

"But what happened to him? What was it?"

"Tailgate has, let's say, unusual abilities," Cyclonus explained with restraint. "Someday, perhaps, he will tell himself... If he wants to." And with an unkind chuckle he added: "Which is unlikely. He doesn't like you."

"What other news?" Megatron answered back as neutrally as possible. And added to himself: you might think I like any of you. But who cares. "If there is a threat to our mission, I have a right to know."

Cyclonus looked at him as if assessing a potential threat to his little friend, but didn't see one. Megatron doesn't attack, but he also gets into other mecha business, despite the fact that he himself owes the team an explanation.

"Tailgate is not a threat." The purple mech answered calmly and pointed towards Megatron himself: "But you, captain, are another matter. I think everyone would ant to know what had happened underground... And how did you manage to find something that the usual way we would have been looking for a very long time." And Cyclonus quickly left the medbay before Megatron could say a word.

"He's right, you know." Ratchet motioned his former enemy to the berth, and when he sat down, activated the medical scanner and aimed it at the silver mech's injured forearm.

When all the victims received the necessary assistance, Ultra Magnus gave the crew another half an hour to recover a little and reаfuel, and then ordered everyone to gather in the ship's conference room. It looked more or less like an ordinary lecture hall with a podium and tiered seats. Megatron has always had associations with classrooms. Long ago Ultra Magnus assigned him to the Academy of Advanced Technology, the rector of which was Senator Shockwave. The latter was sure that against all odds, a former miner could turn out to be a good scientist... and even something more (so he said, though didn't specify what exactly). However, Megatron had never completed his education because of the revolution.

First of all, the Ultra Magnus congratulated all the expedition members on the successful finding of the first Key. Perceptor visually demonstrated the find to everyone through the holographic projector, while noting the intricate drawings on the faces and the green faceted stone at the top of the pyramid. And, as expected, a waterfall of questions poured onto the silver mech: what, how, why and where, which annoyed the latter very much, because he had the same questions for himself. It's definitely not because he's a Point One Percenter. Otherwise, the Ultra Magnus would also have felt the 'call' of the Key, but this didn't happen. So it's not about the spark's origin, but about Megatron himself as such. But what? What did they do to me? They are silent about something ... they are hiding something from me. Or is it just contrived?

Also, they didn't ignore the topic of sent Decepticon assassins. Rather, Rung's casual question quickly turned the conversation in that direction. Windblade claimed that she recognized the voice of one of them, and this mech in the past wasn't a Decepticon at all. Moreover, they had last seen each other on Cybertron a very long time ago. He either managed to switch sides in two vorns, or he lied that he was in the Autobots league. And let's not forget the fact that the team had been attacked the night before... and those Cybertronians were definitely Autobots disguising as Decepticons.

"So what now," in the end, Rodimus asked into the air, "who is hunting for us? Friends or foes?"

"Friends who have declared a hunt for you, by definition, cannot be such," the silver mech sitting behind his back remarked instructively, and, rubbing the faceplate, wearily declared: "Use logic... if you have it even in its infancy."

"Ah, well, of course, Megatron always knows everything best of all!" The red-and-yellow Autobot whirled around, even putting his knees on the seat. "About friendship and enmity, for sure, you can give us a whole lecture. More than one."

"Just don't start again ..." Drift pleaded, perfectly understanding where everything was going.

"Tell him that!" the Prime's protégé pointed at the silver mech with his left forefinger.

"Enough!" Ultra Magnus immediately barked, losing his patience.

Rung, silently observing them, took off his glasses and, turning them in the servos, only shook his helm sadly: what to do with them, huh?

That night, no one had a proper rest, although the shift regime remained. Despite the spaceport's increased security, all members of the team were waiting for a new potential attack. Given all the trouble that had occurred, Minimus Ambus chose to stick to the plan and not report about success to Cybertron ahead of time. He was haunted by the Autobots disguised as Decepticons. Who were they? Who sent them? No doubt Megatron was their target... and the whole team along with him. Should he tell Optimus about this, given that the latter already has a lot of his own affairs and worries? Or...

"No... He couldn't... Not this."

Just in case, Minimus from his office again sent a request to Ten, who replied that the second captain was showing the ship to the newly arrived crew member. At the moment, nothing threatens the silver transformer or anyone else. This calmed the Loadbearer a little.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Ravage, after examining the ship in his leader's company, concluded that this large Autobot space ship was quite good for travelling. Not a usual Decepticon cruiser, but it will do. Megatron still couldn't shake the feeling that he was constantly being watched. From time to time, members of the team, who came across along the way, parted at the sight of him and saw him off with attentive silent glances. It's like the first days...

He and Ravage reached the door leading to the empty bay with a panoramic window on the observation deck, where Megatron usually preferred to hide from prying optics. Looking around, the Decepicon leader pressed the button to open the doors and stepped back, letting his comrade through.

"What's in here?" the cybercat asked, once inside. Much to his surprise, Ravage found nothing out of the ordinary, only a panoramic window that now showed only part of the hangar where the Lost Light resided.

"Usually the view from here is quite beautiful," Megatron closed the door and stepped up to the panoramic window. He didn't turn on the light, there was enough of it outside the window in the hangar.

"I can imagine," Ravage agreed with a heavy ex-vent, making a disappointing conclusion for himself: for Megatron, this place is like a refuge. He's trying to hide... Probably from the very beginning of the flight. And now... A dumb question hung in the air. The cybercat glanced at the silver mech from under his brows, wishing to somehow continue the conversation about... about anything... and all thoughts came down to one thing: "Megatron..."

"I don't know, Ravage..." the silver mech shook his helm, forestalling the question, "I don't know how this happened. It's true." And, looking at his friend with a grin, he innocently spread his servos: "You wanted to ask this, didn't you? About the artifact? I see it by your look. And my answer is still the same: I don't know how..." He placed his right palm on the chest plates and clenched his digits into a fist. "It was as if someone or something had given me a clue at that moment... Something I could trust." He smiled bitterly: "Stupid, right?"

"What kind of 'something'?" much to the leader's surprise the cybercat didn't even think of laughing.

"Hard to explain..." Megatron put the servos on his belt and walked back and forth. "Sometimes it appears. I do not see it, but feel... Everywhere: inside me and outside. At first I thought it was all Autobots' chemicals, but..." the silver mech froze, listening. Someone's footsteps were heard in the corridor, and after a few seconds everything was quiet again. "But what we found today..."

"And have already been attacked twice by the Autobots," the cybercat suggested sympathetically. "True, I still can't fully understand what we're getting into, but..." Ravage bit his glossa in time so as not to stutter about bad feelings, and this is exactly what the four-legged Decepticon wanted to do. Instead he decided the following: "But I do not refuse the promise to help you. We are together no matter what."

"Thank you." Megatron smiled sincerely warmly and immediately hurried to turn away so as not to show emotions to Ravage. "I mean it."

They then sat for a long time in the dark near the panoramic window and remained silent, each thinking about their own.

The spaceport was reopened the next morning, and the Lost Light was allowed to leave. The ship took off with the first rays of the sun. It was Rodimus' shift now, so it was him sitting in the captain's chair now. Megatron also showed up on the bridge just to check the situation. And again these looks, as if a leper had appeared. Well, great...

The first captain gave the order to take off, confirmation came from the spaceport, and after all the necessary launch procedures, the Lost Light left the hangar. The sun was already rising from the horizon, the darkness of the night was gradually receding, giving way to a new day. They will continue to live their usual lives, and it's time for us to move on, Megatron thought with some sadness, realizing that the first stage had already been passed. Three more... in case the fifth Key doesn't exist. And then...

"Well, let's fly to the next target, right?" Rodimus tried to somehow defuse the situation, but it didn't work out very well. The former Decepticon squinted at him wearily and clarified with displeasure:

"Where to?"

"What do you mean 'where to'?" the first captain didn't understand. "You're joking, aren't you? Are you kidding me?"

Megatron crossed his arms over his chest.

"I just want to make sure you're leading us the right direction. So what's the name of the next planet on the list?"

Rodimus froze. He forgot the name and, in order not to look stupid, relied on the navigators. No, who does he think he is, the Prime's student thought indignantly, I'm not piloting the ship, I'm in command.

'Imano,' Skids commed the red and yellow Autobot.

"Imano," immediately declared delighted Rodimus, briefly turning to the prompter. "Did you think I wouldn't remember?"

"I knew you wouldn't. Not always there will be those who can give you a hint." Megatron couldn't help but chuckle. One should have seen the protruding faceplate of Optimus Prime's annoying protégé. So, I wasn't wrong in my assumption. Who exactly gave Rodimus the answer, he did not know, but understood well, because Rodimus is Rodimus.

They had already left the upper layers of the atmosphere, when another unexpected... something happened. For no apparent reason, Cyclonus suddenly announced the appearance on the radar of something... very large. It moved too slowly for a comet pulled by planetary gravity, and the trajectory, according to preliminary calculations, intersects with the Lost Light's.

"And what is this?" Rodimus clarified in the voice of a self-confident captain.

In response to his question, first on the screens and then in the field of view a large unidentified object appeared. Big, elongated, it was approaching rapidly. What is this? A ship? A strange one... The silver mech was shocked: he had seen something similar elsewhere. Only that one had more designs resembling tentacles.

"Co-captain?" Rodimus waved his left servo carefully in front of the silver mech's face, but the latter didn't move.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

Megatron not only didn't pay attention, he didn't even see this gesture, didn't hear the Prime's student's voice, didn't realize that he was still on the Lost Light's bridge. It suddenly became cold. Very cold and scary. The outlines of the ship's premises are gradually dissolving into the blackness of space, the unknown ship on the contrary is closing the distance, as if about to ram...

...but then it also suddenly disappears too, and Megatron finds himself in complete darkness... There are only two unusually large luminous violet eyepieces in front of him, their owner, a giant whose silhouette is hidden in darkness, is very close. The silver mech doesn't see him, but for some reason is aware...

He is strong. He is close. He... will attack. Megatron can't move, can't believe his own senses, can't speak. It's just impossible... It can't be real. Danger...

"Remember me as I was... as I was... as I was..."

"This cannot be..." the Decepticon whispered in horror, and a second later he shuddered from the electric pain that passed through the entire frame. A loud metallic rattle in the audio sensors, something invisible began to slowly but strongly squeeze the CPU...

Clutching his helm with a scream, Megatron staggered and managed to catch on to something in time... which turned out to be one of the onboard consoles. The obsession disappeared, he was back on the ship. And opposite them was the same unknown ship...

"What's happening?!!" Rodimus shouted, writhing in pain in the captain's chair.

The lighting flickered, the whole ship trembled slightly, an unpleasant louder rattle reached the audials, as if from the outside something huge and invisible began to compress the ship's plating...

"Something is pulling... us... a-a-ah... to that ship!" Cyclonus shouted with difficulty and fell flat on the floor.

And then Megatron realized: they feel the same as he does. Everything that happening to him was happening to everyone else. He wasn't the only one experiencing pain. Chilling horror shackled him hand and foot. Someone or something stretches its long cold tentacles towards him, trying to penetrate his thoughts, to reach the very spark... Something already familiar... from visions and nightmares... Darkness... Frightening uncertainty...

"Remember me as I was..."

'Danger... You are not ready... Run... run... run!'

Suddenly, the Lost Light's combat systems activated of their own, and everyone on the bridge who had not yet lost consciousness saw two powerful golden-white beams hitting the enemy ship simultaneously from the starboard and port sides at once... Then a blinding flash, the shockwave reached the Cybertronian starship... and suddenly the inexplicable impact ended: the pain receded, and the power failures on the ship also stopped.

However, an unknown large space object, which, for unknown reasons, turned out to be at a considerable distance from the Lost Light, again abruptly began to converge.

'Run!'

Megatron gave the order not even thinking how his voice might sound:

"Emergency hyperjump! Now!"

Skids, who came to his senses, did everything without hesitation. The hyperdrives kicked in, and the Lost Light rushed right off the bat into the interdimensional tunnel. Another two and a half minutes passed before the last echoes of the inexplicable pain disappeared completely. Only weakness, uncontrollable trembling and fear remained...

"Status?" Megatron clarified hoarsely, getting up from his knees with some effort, but the left servo still held on to the console for additional support. The ship was flying through the hyperspace tunnel with no final destination. Transition in emergency mode provides for an automatic jump to the nearest safe corridor.

"No chasings detected," Skids ex-vented a sigh of relief and, wearily leaning back in his chair, stated more calmly: "We got away."

"The ship's main systems are functioning normally, however..." Perceptor was silent for a few moments, checking the data, and then issued: "External guns RS-1 and LS-1... have been disabled. Completely."

"What in space was that?" Rodimus asked indignant not referring to anyone in particular.

"Disabled?" The head of security didn't understand. He was just about to go up to the scientist and see with his own optics what the mech meant, but Perceptor brought up a scheme of the ship on the right side view screen. The sight of the blocks highlighted in red and the list of data made Ultra Magnus' jaw drop involuntarily: judging by the preliminary analysis, the cannons were gone, something destroyed them.

But this was not all. Suddenly the communication terminal beeped, informing about the incoming call, and Cyclonus cautiously stated:

"Uh-uh... captains? We have an incoming message... Transmitting it now."

On the left viewscreen, white on black, was an inscription made from symbols once used in the Old Cybertronian language:

"Yiv ilekvrio eshan ut enianv."

"You've got our attention," Megatron read aloud and, turning his helm to the right, met the optics of the uncomprehending first captain.

"Contact Cybertron and request an emergency meeting." The Ultra Magnus ordered in a flat voice. But his outward calm only added more anxiety. "Looks like we've another problem."

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Tron: Legacy OST SE - Round One; (before the fight)
2) San Andreas 2015 OST - Emma's Rescue; (the battle)
3) Tron: Legacy OST - Finale; (return to the city)
4) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire OST - Mockingjay Graffiti; (the new problem)
5) Mass Effect 2: DCL Arrival OST - Aratoht: Batarian Prison; (the return and meeting on the ship)
6) San Andreas 2015 OST - San Francisco; (Megatron and Ravage; departure from Yuntara)
7) Hunger Games: Mockingjay OST - Snow's Execution (Escape from an unknown ship)

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

No one had answers or even guesses. An unknown ship that almost destroyed the Lost Light in some incredible way, an inexplicable effect... What kind of weapon was it? And the message in ancient Cybertronian... Nobody speaks this language already for several thousands of vorns! Well, almost no one except for Vos. And whose attention did we attract, Megatron wondered to himself, what did I see?

"Are you sure no one's chasing us?" Rodimus asked hoarsely from the captain's seat.

"No traces, at least the on-board computer doesn't detect anything," Skids reported, rechecking the data.

"Are you sure?" the red-yellow Autobot still couldn't calm down.

"Yes," the second captain answered instead of the navigator. Megatron seemed to be staring at the nearest console, but in fact he didn't see it. The image of huge purple optics glowing in the dark refused to leave the silver mech's CPU. "We broke away."

"How do you know...?" the Prime's apprentice began again, but, meeting the co-captain's serious gaze happily fell silent.

"What in Unicron's name was that?" Cyclonus, nevertheless, found the strength to rise from the floor with Perceptor's help, but, just in case, he squeezed the back of his chair with his digits. "For a moment, I felt like..." However, he had no suitable words, and so the purple mech only ex-vented emotionally.

"Inform the others that the danger has passed," Megatron quietly turned to Rodimus and, at a bewildered look of blue optics, spread the manipulators: "You are in charge now."

"Yes, exactly, Megs... hmm... good that you remember," he grunted and pressed the speakerphone button on the right armrest: "Attention, captain Rodimus speaking," he announced in the most calm and confident tone, "whatever happened a few minutes ago, and I'm sure everyone felt it, now the situation is under control. Drift, Getaway, Whirl, Nautica, check the engineering deck, engines and main power supplies." And with a more gloomy look he concluded: "It's necessary in every sense to evaluate how badly we were shaken..."

And who did it, silver mech mentally added to himself. The pain was still throbbing in his helm. Slight but palpable, the EMD showed a few minor glitches, but Megatron turned off the log messages, everything's obvious.

"What? Did I say wrong again? What did I do?" Rodimus's discontented grumbling reached him.

"What?" Rubbing his digits across the faceplate, Megatron stared blankly at the first captain.

"I say, what again didn't you like in my actions?" The red-and-yellow Autobot leaned slightly towards him. "You made such a face..."

"No-no," Megatron shook his helm slightly and waved his right servo. Almost passed, there is practically no pain... Now... "You did everything right."

Rodimus pursed his lips and, narrowing his optics, nodded meaningfully. The Prime's apprentice really hoped no one noticed his self-doubt. Now that Megatron, guided by the Unicron damn artifact that chose him for some unknown reason, has found the first Key, it may turn out that they might start listening to him more... And not to the one who is actually responsible for the success of this mission.

"The message is sent to Cybertron, sir, awaiting feedback," Skids informed the Ultra Magnus.

"Good," he nodded, "let me know when the response comes." the large white and blue Autobot looked around at everyone on the bridge: "In the meantime, we need to inspect those guns. How bad is the damage and what could have caused it. Megatron, Perceptor, come with me. The rest of you, stay here, let us know," Ultra Magnus touched his left temple in an explanatory gesture, "when Cybertron responds."

The scientist nodded and got up from his seat, Megatron walked around behind the captain's chair with Optimus Prime's protege sitting in it and stopped at the entrance to the corridor, waiting.

"Hey, what about me?" Rodimus jumped to his pedes. "I want to go too!"

"You stay here and report back when Cybertron gets in touch," Ultra Magnus told him as he and Perceptor made their way to the exit door where Megatron was waiting for them. "Request an appointment directly with Optimus an hour later and let me know." The red-and-yellow Autobot just opened his mouth indignantly, but Magnus didn't let him make a sound and continued, "We also need to notify the Yuntarian authorities about the unknown ship... or whatever it was."

"It will be done," the offended first captain flopped back into his chair and angrily crossed the servos on his chest.

"It's important, Rodimus," not raising his voice, Magnus fixed Optimus's student with a direct, attentive look. In response, he issued an unhappy:

"Yeah-yeah."

Whatever the case, the Ultra Magnus considered this satisfactory and, with a nod, went out into the hallway first. Megatron chuckled slightly at this and left the bridge with Perceptor and Ultra Magnus. There is at least one Autobot on this ship whom this cheeky upstart respects and obeys. Reluctantly, albeit reluctantly... Although Megatron already knew that Minimus doesn't even have to raise his voice to subdue those who refused to obey him. Past personal experience.

The three mecha headed to the elevator on this level to go down to the deck where the damaged guns were, when Ravage and Rewind caught up with them.

"What, Unicron damn it, has happened?!" exclaimed the small bot with a blue visor. "One moment I was talking to Swerve, and next... Unicron, damn it, I thought the ship was about to shrink and crush us!" Confirmation of his words, Rewind defiantly clenched his fists.

"And I on the contrary thought that we were about to be stretched into molecules!" the cybercat objected.

"We stumbled upon an unknown anomaly, what it was – we still need to find out." Ultra Magnus said shortly and moved on. Rewind reset his visor in surprise, but remained where he was. Ravage hurried after the retreating mechs.

"What kind of anomaly?" the cybercat managed to jump into the elevator with them. The doors closed and the cabin descended quickly and almost silently.

"This is what we are trying to understand," Megatron spread his servos. And when all four got out of the elevator, suggested: "We need to inspect both guns. Ravage and I will take the port side, and you two check the starboard.

Ultra Magnus twitched slightly. Ten is not around, and calling him is an occasion for inappropriate questions. And what could threaten Megatron now? There are no pursuers, no hired killers either... Ravage... seems to be behaving not hostile...

"Alright," he approved after a short silence, "once you complete the inspection, let me know right away."

"Of course," Megatron replied, inviting Ravage to follow him with a nod.

For several seconds the Ultra Magnus gazed thoughtfully after the retreating couple, after that together with Perceptor, he followed towards the starboard side of the ship. Now the main thing is to figure out what they just dealt with, and only then - everything else.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

"So what was it?" Ravage asked Megatron as they walked, once they were alone.

"Wish I knew," the silver mech answered honestly, "we had just reached the Yuntara orbit, when suddenly noticed an unknown ship rapidly approaching us."

"A ship?" the cybercat twitched his ears not understanding. "Ours, Autobots', or someone else's?"

Ours... By this word, Ravage means the Decepticons. He still thinks we are... Megatron ran his servos across the faceplate and ex-vented heavily.

"Someone else's. Bigger than the Lost Light. Much bigger."

The interlocutor opened his mouth in astonishment, but said nothing, expecting the leader to continue, but... Megatron continued to silently walk along the corridor. And only when he stopped at the door to the weaponary bay and was about to set the combination to open the doors, Ravage, who stood on the left, extended his left paw in front of him:

"Megatron..."

The former Decepticon leader's right servo slid across the dashboard to the right of the door, clenched into a fist, unclenched again, and he slowly lowered the hand.

"What happened next... I..." the silver mech looked helplessly at his companion, "I don't know how to explain it. Perhaps it was a tractor beam. That ship tried to drag us into its hangar."

"For what?"

"Pits should I know!" Megatron waved his servos and slapped his thighs with a clang. "You wanted to know, I'm telling you."

"Yes, sorry..." the cybercat pinned his ears guiltily and pricked up again: "But can a tractor beam do such a thing? I mean, we're almost..."

"When it happened, I felt like I was in complete darkness." Megatron looked at his pedes, imagining that the floor under him was about to disappear by itself. "Everything vanished: the bridge, all those who were nearby, that ship..." Now the silver mech's look was directed inward: "From there someone was looking at me. Powerful... dark... truly evil."

Ravage frowned in confusion. Hear such a thing from Megatron? After everything they've been through together? All the horrors of war? Now the leader speaks so... as if he was so afraid of someone or something, that he himself doesn't even believe. What did the Autobots do to him anyway?

"And what happened next?" he asked cautiously.

Megatron winced and shook his helm. Should I continue and say everything as it was? He wasn't there... He didn't see Shockwave die... The real Shockwave, not the mad scientist, devoid of emotion, the faceless mech he was turned into... Didn't hear what he said to me in his last message...

"Next..." collecting himself Megatron clenched his fists, and then dialed the input code on the dashboard, "the guns that we have to inspect, fired uncharacteristic charges on their own, thereby breaking the connection with the unknown ship." The door opened, inviting to enter the intermediate bay, and Megatron resolutely stepped into the resulting passage.

"Fired on their own?" Ravage repeated quietly, not believing himself. Then he darted into the small bay behind his leader. A thought flashed in the four-legged mech's mind that the leader only imagined it, because Ravage himself, like everyone else, experienced a strange, extremely painful, inexplicable effect, but that such... "What?" he asked Megatron frozen at the next door. The leader pointed to the red indicator on the entrance panel.

"Depressurization. We need to seal the first door to go further, and turn off the internal ventilation systems."

He meant in their own frames, although Ravage understood everything anyway. For a Cybertronian, it's like stopping to breathe for a human. Unless, without air, an earthling won't last even a few minutes, while a mecha is able to maintain the frame's performance in such conditions without additional support systems for several orns, that is, several periods of eighteen Earth days. Megatron himself once managed to withstand almost half the cycle, that is, six Earth months. No wonder they say that the capabilities of Point One Percenters are much higher than those of ordinary mecha. It could have been longer, but the war couldn't allow the experiment to continue.

"Seal the first door," Megatron repeated calmly, bringing the left paddle to the touch pad on the wall. "Code 453-KL-3GD."

"Understood." Ravage keyed in the said combination on the first door's inside panel, then pressed the confirmation button. The door closed with a soft hiss, the locks clanged, the lighting in the bay switched from normal to emergency red.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

The silver mech opened the second door and, going inside, froze with his mouth open. From the bottom right an abusive emotional exclamation was heard, indicating that Ravage is nearby and he sees the same thing...

"What the..." Ravage's optics became one and a half bigger.

"Completely disabled," the silver mech echoed Perceptor's words, and put the servos on his belt with a mirthless grin. But before he could come up with a suitable... not an explanation, but rather a guess, the Ultra Magnus's voice suddenly came over the comlink:

"Megatron, come in. What's the situation?"

The silver mech put two digits to his left temple and reported aloud:

"Depressurization in the bay WDL-01. An impressive hole in the plating, the SL-1 gun is completely destroyed." He expected further questions, although he had absolutely no answers, but suddenly already Perceptor announced:

"Same thing in our case. Bay WDR-01. The damage is similar..."

"The edges of the hole are curved outward, and practically nothing left of the cannon itself?" the silver transformer sympathetically prompted.

"Yes, that's right," Ultra Magnus answered somewhat perplexedly. "Looks like the bow guns actually went off at just the right moment."

"But they shouldn't shoot like that! In any case, with their technical characteristics." Emotionally protested Perceptor. "This... this is simply impossible!"

"Then how to explain it..." Ravage sat on his hind legs, and circled the space in front of him with his front paws.

Equally surprised and confused, Megatron lowered the left arm and chuckled nervously. This mission is already becoming something completely incomprehensible, he thought to himself, what kind of slag is even going on?

"For those who are interested," Rodimus's voice suddenly sounded in the comlink, notes of unresolved resentment still slipped through, "I informed Cybertron about what had happened. The meeting is in one standard space hour. A message was also sent to Yuntara."

Well, here we go again, the silver mech mentally snorted, to see his enemies again, who, for sure, just won't believe in what happened. But on the other hand, what normal mecha would just take THIS for granted? If someone reported the result of their assignment in this way to me, I, most likely, would have considered them madmechs and storytellers.

'You would consider this an attempt to justify failure and a desire to absolve of responsibility.'

"Perhaps," Megatron agreed to himself, forced to admit the correctness of the inner 'self'.

"What?.." Ravage reset his optics in surprise.

Megatron winced. Am I talking to myself again in the presence of others? Damn, need to be more careful. The less noticeable my gradually growing madness, the more chances I have to complete this task. And then... come what may.

"I say a fun meeting it will be," the leader snorted and spread his servos.

"So true," the cybercat nodded in agreement and uncertainly suggested: "Should we go from here? What's the point of sticking around and staring at this hole..."

"Let's go."

And they left the damaged bay, also sealing the emergency door. Only now did the silver mech think that the Cybertronian command was unaware of Ravage's presence. Although they already know for sure that another attack attempt failed.

In his office, Rung walked to the window and stared into the distance. He saw and heard what was happening on the ship now, he understood that the crew had and still would have questions... And they would have to be answered when the teammates were ready. Especially the new Prime... Rung would like to avoid this, but now it's hardly possible. In any case, if the Lost Light research team collects all the Keys, they will find out the truth one way or another. That's the whole point. That's why Rung himself joined them. But now the situation has become so complicated... Only he alone understands how great the danger is.

It was him... How? The Dark One is still imprisoned, Rung would feel if he was released... But this aura, this dark energy... and the inability to detect until the last. The white-orange bot looked at his servos, then took off his glasses, turned them towards him and peered into his own reflection. The Dark One had already tried to get to Megatron from afar, but that was not a breach in the veil between dimensions... He also uses an avatar! He found a way to get into our world, bypassing the defense. And this very Legion of Chaos are his minions!

"No, brother... I won't let this happen."

Rung cannot and should not reveal his true identity now. Mecha are not ready. None of them. Big threat is coming. The Dark One won't stop until he reaches the goal... When the fifth Key unlocks the cherished door, the defense will also weaken... Then the Cybertronian civilization will have to make a choice: to accept and perish, or join the battle for their own future under the leadership of the new Prime...

* * *

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

At the appointed time a group of еру Lost Light representatives gathered in the meeting room, where a direct connection with Cybertron took place. From the crew were Ultra Magnus, both captains, Ratchet, Perceptor, and, for some reason, Rung along with Velocity. Drift also wanted to attend, but Ratchet begged him not to interfere this time. Therefore, the racer was nervously stomping behind the door all the time of the meeting, periodically listening.

Ravage sat under the table, out of sight. While it's unknown who sent those attacers both times, it was decided not to report the presence of the cybercat. Ultra Magnus had a hard time making this decision, but the commander of the Cybertronian forces was now primarily responsible for the team's safety, and that same team had already been attacked several times. Given the incident at the Stellar-6 station. On the other hand, Optimus Prime himself was present, along with the ubiquitous Prowl, also there were Jetfire and Jazz. Close friends, Megatron chuckled mirthlessly, good thing Starscream isn't present. At least I don't see him.

The silver mech had another headache attack, and the display flashed with messages about logic system failures, but he courageously ignored it. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter now. Hardly anything serious to run for help to the Auto... to the ship's medics. Ravage sat at his p[edes under the table and listened intently. First of all they discussed the latest developments and the potential threat to the Yuntarians.

"We've contacted the local planetary authorities and informed what happened, at the moment there are no suspicious objects detected in the orbit," Jetfire reported.

"Where did it go then?" Perceptor didn't understand.

"So far they haven't found anything," Optimus' advisor spread his servos.

"Did they search well?" Rodimus clarified with obvious doubt, leaning forward a little. "You can't just miss such a colossus!"

"They're doing everything within their capabilities," Prowl told him, "if that ship has radio jammers or stealth shields, it might not be detected. Their technologies are less advanced than ours, and no one has asked for our help yet."

"Have you already figured out whose ship it was?" Optimus asked Jazz in his low calm voice.

"Not yet," the scout shook his helm, "the Lost Light's external surveillance footage is badly damaged. Most likely, the effect of an electromagnetic field. We are doing everything to recreate the picture of what happened as quickly as possible."

"At least they admit the ship was real," Rodimus whispered to the co-captain on the right.

"Indeed," he admitted gloomily, mentally dreaming that this meeting would end as soon as possible. Megatron was already feeling emotionally tired, and the throbbing pain impulses in his helm were getting stronger. The silver mech has a few hours before his shift, it would be nice to recharge in silence. Maybe the pain will pass by then.

They discussed the strange episode with the cannons next, and also didn't ignore the message in the ancient Cybertronian language sent after the Lost Light from the unknown ship. Nautica and Perceptor learned from what they had studied in the time leading up to this meeting that there had been no command to open fire from any of the ship's consoles. The guns fired on their own, but couldn't cope with the load, because they were not designed for such power.

"From now on in more detail," Prowl interrupted after listening to the scientist's words, "you mean, the weapon systems activated in isolation? Was this intended by the design of the ship?"

"Only in manual mode, if the automation completely turned off," Ultra Magnus replied thoughtfully, "but there was no complete shutdown."

"Maybe the electromagnetic field of that ship itself?" Velocity suggested uncertainly, timidly raising her left hand.

"We need to consider all possible versions, nothing can be discounted," Optimus agreed.

It's absurd, but this is their business, Megatron grimaced and lightly rubbed his face plate with his digits, what a judgment. They should focus on a different thing... Very much different. But such are our former enemies. Autobots - there are Autobots, even in war, even in civilian life.

"...if you dispute any charges, the trial will drag on for centuries. The public demands to do it right - and I understand that, but I don't think it is in anyone's interest to exhume every detail of our war."

"Given that execution is permissible in law, I have to say I echo Prowl's sentiments. Megatron is, quite frankly, too dangerous to live."

"Megatron? Are you alright?" Rung's worried voice made the silver mech flinch.

"What...?" Looking around in confusion, the former Decepticon leader noticed that everyone in the conference room and the mechs on the screen were looking at him. Even Ravage's optics under the table came into his sight.

"Are you feeling well?" Ratchet frowned suspiciously.

The silver mech casually waved his servo, hinting that everything was fine, straightened up in his chair and hurried to divert attention from himself:

"Don't forget about the warning sent from that ship. Whose attention could we attract?"

"Good question," Perceptor said grimly.

"Could it be Decepticons?" Jetfire asked from the screen.

"Why Decepticons in the first place?" came an indignant hiss from under the table. Megatron had to kick the air a little, calling the hidden listener to silence, although he himself was also annoyed by this.

"I don't think it were Decepticons," the Ultra Magnus said thoughtfully.

"Why do you think so?" the head of the security service immediately announced from the screen. And more, probably for the sake of appearance, he added: "Sir."

"How can you be sure about otherwise, Officer Prowl, when there's not a single piece of evidence?" the big blue and white Autobot asked sternly. He was used to the fact that the head of security was sometimes forgotten, he had to be reminded who was in charge. The only thing that united them in the past was a common cause, the victory over the Decepticons, now Prowl is very unhappy with the outcome for the former enemy.

"Assumption, commander," he nodded reservedly, "who else could it be? We have no other obvious enemies."

"And this Legion of Chaos?" Rodimus suddenly remembered. "Well, those technozombies on Stellar-6? They called themselves the Legion of Chaos."

"Are we now going to consider as evidence the nonsense of mechs infected with nanites on the verge of shutdown? How can one know how and why..."

Megatron clenched his servos into fists, trying not to listen to the flow of words carried by the hated Autobot. Lover of casuistry and special perverted cruelty. It's not the war that's the reason this. No... Prowl has always been like that. It was done by his order, the Decepticon's digits touching his temples again. He was there...

"Megs... Hey, co-captain, are you okay?"

The lights in the conference room flickered, and the image on the screen rippled.

"Megatron!"

"What... what...?" He lifted his helm and noticed again that he was the center of attention. At the same time, power surges in the ship's systems immediately stopped.

"What's happening to you?" Optimus asked warily from the screen, making all the Desepticon's internal systems to strain.

"Nothing," he muttered in a particularly low voice, and felt under the table a cautious touch of a clawed paw on his left leg. "Honestly. I'm sorry, I didn't..." He held up his palms, hinting at the failure of the broadcast and the lamps. "I didn't do it on purpose."

"With all due respect, I suggest we finish for today," Rung interjected unexpectedly, sending an unequivocal look to the ship's senior medic.

"Agreed," he said unexpectedly, standing up, "Megatron, I strongly recommend that you go with me and Velocity to the medical bay right now, we need to find out what's wrong with you."

"I do not need..." Megatron also stood up and froze abruptly. He wanted to say: 'I do not need your help,' but suddenly everything around was dissolved in impenetrable darkness...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

...just like then in the cave, he again found himself in the dark, but this time everything felt different. Cold... Fear of the unknown... Pain... but not his own - someone else's. White mist crawls to his pedes from everywhere, surrounds him, covers the darkness... and when it recedes, Megatron is already in a completely different place.

First, massive dark figures of mechanoids with tentacles protruding from their backs appear. There are many of them... They go forward as if by order. The master is not here, but he is watching from somewhere... He is close...

Behind the silhouettes walking in his direction, the outlines of buildings are looming... Familiar buildings... Megatron suddenly realizes that he was here quite recently... He raises his helm to the gloomy dirty-gray haze, behind which the sky and the sun disappeared and sees the same ship with spread tentacles, the one from his dream.

"This is just the beginning."

The locals are fleeing in horror from the invaders, the troops are trying to hold back the onslaught, but everything is useless... The attackers feel neither pain nor fear, they don't have the instinct of self-preservation. Megatron can't even scream, he just watches helplessly...

"No one can hide from the Legion of Chaos..."

The voice... It's his voice! This time. So familiar and alien. As then in the dream, Megatron hears a rumble coming from the ship, a white-violet beam hits the ground, from which a powerful dome of light grows like a soap bubble, absorbing everything in its path. When the light cocoon reaches his frame, Megatron suddenly sees the destruction already from somewhere in space. A huge crater, on the site of which there were several nearby cities at once. He's not that strong... but this is for now...

Another flash of light, and now Megatron sees some blurry silhouettes above him. Muffled voices merge with some other sounds... Pain... the feeling is that the electrical wires are connected to the CPU itself, and the frame is practically not obeying. A familiar feeling, it happened before...

"Ready? Let's get started immediately. Chromedome?"

"Wait... Primus! Ratchet, he's conscious."

"What?.." someone else exclaimed.

"Megatron..." The senior medic's faceplate is very close, the right servo slightly squeezing the Decepticon's left shoulder. "Megatron, don't resist. We will remove them. Everything will be alright, I promise you. Hold on."

Must say... warn... It is happening now... They need to know... To stop it... With some incredible effort, the silver mech raises the right servo and literally catches the senior medic by the wrist:

"Yun...yunta...tara..." Megatron barely hears his own voice. "Yuntara... attacked..." The silver mech manages to say before strength finally leaves him, and he falls into darkness.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) KotOR 2 OST - Peragus Mining Facility; (the beginning)
2) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire OST - Fireworks; (Megatron and Ravage talking)
3) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay OST - It's Gonna Be A Long Night; (inspection of damaged cannons and Rung's thoughts)
4) Fallout 4 OST - Portal Into The Past; (the meeting)
5) Mass Effect 3 OST - The Final Decision; (the pain attack)

P.S. I'm evil, I know. Initially, I wanted to describe it a little differently, the warning from the Matrix and the operation to remove the rusting neuroblockers from Megatron's head, which were installed in prison, should have happened at different times, but then decided to combine everything into one (although this and that are not connected with each other).

Chapter Text

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

He was floating in space among the stars... There was nothing nearby: no planets, asteroids or other celestial bodies... Except one star that was relatively close... much closer than all the others. And for some reason Megatron's sure he understands what this place is and what must be here... or it will appear soon? In any case, somehow this unremarkable region of outer space is familiar to him...

"Silence... calm... emptiness... This how this part of space was like before Primus breathed life into it."

Megatron didn't even have to turn around, he was already aware of who was nearby. A presence that somehow ceases to surprise, although the former leader of the Decepticon movement has still not been able to come up with a logical explanation for what's happening to him. The silver mech turned his helm to the right and came face to face with his old comrade:

"You mean, before he created Cybertron?" the scarlet optics narrowed in disbelief.

Terminus nodded.

"So everything started here?"

An affirmative nod again. He and Megatron were watching trillions of cosmic particles attract to each other, forming a cloud that gradually becomes denser and rotated until it formed a geoid cosmic body, almost spherical shape. Then, as if in accelerated filming, the planetoid begins to grow in size and becomes overgrown with cities. The relief changes, more and more buildings appear, and within a few seconds Cybertron in its current form appears before the observers, along with two moons in its orbit. Megatron involuntarily opened his mouth at the sight of this metamorphosis.

"Everything started here," Terminus repeated the words of his comrade when the transformation was completed, "and here everything will end."

"Will end?" the silver mech didn't understand, but for some reason he immediately thought that it's about the physical cessation of the existence of their planet.

"Cybertron is in great danger, Megatron, and not only because of the war that is still not over. No," the miner shook his helm, "other forces involved here... you can't even imagine."

"What forces?" Megatron involuntarily remembered, the events at the Stellar-6 station, then on Yuntara, as well as his dream about the destruction of his home planet. Could it be...

"It's true, these are all links of one chain," Terminus confirmed his guess, "but the breach in the veil appeared even before. And not without your participation."

"The breach? What breach? In what veil?" Megatron was sincerely perplexed. What exactly did I do and when? Is it because of the war? Because of the revolution? Because...of my very existence? Wish he could force Terminus to stop speaking in riddles, but the silver mech is afraid that the ghost may leave him forever... And in the depths of his spark, Megatron doesn't want this at all.

"You will know. Not everything can be taken on faith, especially when you doubt yourself. But if you retreat, something irreparable will happen."

Links of one chain... Megatron locked the servos at chest level and turned again towards Cybertron. So close and so far... Is it really possible that the planet will cease to exist? I once wanted this... but another actually had a servo in it.

"But why me?" Megatron helplessly spread his servos, his voice trembled from a feeling of helplessness. "How can I influence something now?"

"Seek the answer in your spark, Megatron," the miner took a step towards him, his left index finger touching the red symbol on the Decepticon leader's chest, "in your special green spark, the true nature of which you have always feared."

"I don't..."

"You felt this threat before," Terminus interrupted, as if sensing that the silver mech wanted to object, to lie about his fear, "you felt it, but refused to believe. There's still time. You once told me that you want to change. Was the choice wrong?"

Told? The former Decepticon leader tensed. When did I say that to him? Was the choice wrong... These words... I remember them... but from where?

"The threat is real, Megatron," Terminus said with an extremely serious look instead of answering, "and time is running out. One planet will be followed by another... And so on along the chain. And, ultimately, what you saw in your dream," the miner extended his right servo towards the planet in front of them, "will become a reality..." He clenches his fist, and at the same time a white flash forms on Cybertron's surface, growing like a soap bubble. It becomes bigger every second, absorbing more and more new territories, and then...

...the planet explodes. The silver transformer doesn't even have time to understand anything before a light wave overtakes him and Terminus, and then... Nothing.

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

His own frame seemed incredibly heavy and numb, the peripheral systems were responding with obvious reluctance, and it was difficult to move. Megatron adjusted his optics and moved his digits a little. Sensitivity was returning slowly, it seemed as if his helm has been squeezed by a powerful vice, but now its shape was returning to normal. With a quiet groan Megatron pulled his digits to his temples...

"Welcome back," said the painfully familiar voice of the old medic, making Megatron almost jump. Or rather, it seemed so to him, in fact, he only was able to jerk sharply and raise his helm slightly. "Hush, hush, lie still," judging by the steps, Ratchet came almost close to him, "during this journey we've already barely pulled you out of Unicron's clutches once, kid, but I see for you one time was not enough."

"Don't call me that," Megatron snapped automatically, wincing from weakness. There was no desire to look at the doctor... no matter how he got into this situation.

The red-and-white Autobot just grinned sadly:

"Yes, you are no longer the timid miner I knew before the revolution." Ratchet looked thoughtfully at the ceiling, and then again at his patient and not too confidently objected to himself: "Or maybe you are. In any case, you still remain to be a stubborn piece of slag. How are you feeling?"

"What happened to me?" Megatron quietly clarified instead of answering. Another attack? The last thing he remembered was a video conference with Prime and his assistants in the meeting room, then... Then some kind of nonsense... fragments... danger... Terminus...

"Are you wondering how you ended up in the medical bay or what was the reason for it?" The medic paused for a second, and then said: "The neuroblockers. We removed them before the rust completely penetrated your CPU. The surgery lasted five and a half hours, another eight - you were in recharge."

What... Rust? Megatron felt as if the surface he was lying on begun to move into a vertical position, and he was about to end up on the floor. Optics opened on their own, and a mixture of fear and misunderstanding froze on the faceplate. Standing above him on the right side, Ratchet was piercing him with a stern gaze.

"Why didn't you tell me right away," the medic said and, putting the servos on his belt, turned his look to a monitor nearby. It wasn't a question, but more of a condemnation. And it almost seemed to the silver mech that Ratchet... cared?

Megatron looked around. They were in the Lost Light's medical bay, Megatron himself was lying on one of the four berth to the left of the entrance door, wires from a monitoring device were stretching to his left servo, also on the left, moving his head, Megatron also felt the connected wires from the screens at the head of the berth, he I finally reached his temples and discovered that the helmet was missing. A new wave of fear gave the silver transformer the strength to rise and move away slightly. Ratchet was still watching him silently.

"For what?" Megatron asked dully, looking into the void. Self-diagnosis didn't reveal any system errors for the first time in a long time, which was strangely unusual. No extra circuits were found either. It's good... and bad at the same time - they got into my head again... they didn't kill me, why? They could... "I didn't ask for this."

"Wish I could hit you hard, but medical protocols won't allow it." The Autobot doctor defiantly shook his right fist. Megatron glanced at him in disbelief: Ratchet is not a pacifist, although he is an experienced medic, he is also a warrior, he can hurt when he wants.

"This is not an answer."

Ratchet ex-vented heavily, went to the table and returned with some kind of datapad. He collected his thoughts for a few seconds, and then said:

"Somehow, the neuroblockers installed around your CPU began to spontaneously collapse, which is strange. Last time I checked they were down but stable. Megatron," the senior medic practically hovered over the silver mech, "is there anything you want to tell me?"

The silver mech lay down again, the fatigue still remained:

"I don't understand you."

"Fine, I'll ask differently. Did you do anything that could have damaged them?"

"Like hitting my helm against a wall?" Megatron closed his optics and quietly ex-vented. Even from a distance, he felt the negative tension of the medic's EM field. "No. Nothing like this." He really wouldn't want Ratchet to start asking how they were even installed. "Only in the underground city I again... immobilized the enemy. Just like that evening when we were attacked."

Ratchet straightened up with displeasure and pursed his lips.

"I see." He said briefly. "Rest now. Since the neuroblockers have been removed and your head circuits are completely cleared of... the destructive substance, there is nothing to be afraid of. But I intend to keep you under observation for a couple more days before you can return to your duties as captain." The Autobot medic pressed some sequence of buttons on the console on the right and walked away from the platform.

Megatron felt his systems gradually sink into recharge, but he had no strength to resist it at all. Just like arguing with the red and white Autobot. But he still decided to ask one question:

"Ratchet, wait." Megatron rose up on his elbows and saw the senior medic stop and turn his helm in his direction questioningly. "You said 'rust'..." he shuddered from suddenly remembering the words from his nightmare, "how did that happen?"

The medic was silent for some time, it was difficult to guess what he was thinking about, but Megatron could see with what force the Autobot's digits squeezed the datapad he was holding.

"We'll come back to this later, once you arewell." He finally said, for some reason especially quietly. "There are otherquestions that I would like to ask you. For example, HOW these neuroblockerswere installed."

These words and the look that followed them made Megatron's insides sank. The medic knows everything, even though he wasn't there... He must know of course. An order from Prime to do as it was done. How else? It's a test... he's wondering if I'll break. Start complaining. This won't happen.

But Ratchet didn't wait for an answer. After some intense eye contact, Megatron lay back down, signaling that the conversation was over, and the medic walked away, leaving the Decepticon alone. Soon the silver mech's systems succumbed to external influences, and he didn't notice how he fell into recharge. He dreamed of a peaceful pre-revolutionary time, when his friendship with Orion Pax was just beginning...

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Previously Rodimus would've been happy if someone had told him that he would be the Lost Light's only captain, but now he was tormented by an unpleasant, bad feeling, as if he had been sprinkled with slag. The Prime's student himself couldn't understand what was tormenting him since the accident when Megatron was urgently sent to the medbay. The entire medical staff of the ship was called, the surgery lasted about five hours. No one knew what exactly happened, only later the first captain received information from Drift that it was because of neural suppressors installed in Megatron's head in prison. The racer himself wasn't allowed to stay during the surgery, but, according to him, the senior physician couldn't calm down after that for a long time.

"Ratchet is very angry," he later shared with Rodimus, Tailgate and Whirl in Swerve's bar, "I haven't seen him so furious for a long time." Drift folded the servos on the table and glared at the energon cube in front of him. "Something very bad happened there."

Whirl and Tailgate looked at each other in confusion. Megatron wasn't a friend to any of them, most of the team was openly against his participation in the expedition, and the rest were tolerantly neutral about this news. They feared him and preferred to avoid him; during the past fights almost all of Optimus Prime's associates got the impression that only the Autobot leader could defeat this renegade Point One Percenter completely and irrevocably. And there were no suicides among the team members. Behind his back, of course, they whispered, voiced their fantasies about ridding the world of the damned Decepticon... But that's all.

Although Megatron himself held his distance from anyone unless absolutely necessary, and he was rarely seen outside the bridge. The silver mech didn't quarrel with anyone (except for Rodimus), didn't threaten anyone, and actually didn't at all look like the tyrant that Starscream described him as. Some team members communicated with that mech personally, and then passed the information along the chain...

Now Megatron has become part of the team, and thanks to him they managed to find the first artifact of the Ancients, the existence of which until recently was evidenced only by ancient texts and Optimus Prime's visions... Be that as it may, without Megatron they wouldn't have been able to do that, and now seeing him suffering...

"That's why Mags is so angry?" the first captain finally drawled. Rodimus knew that Ultra Magnus had spoken with the chief medic after the surgery, and just one look at the blue and white Autobot made him want to run away.

"But he will live, as I understand it?" Tailgate asked as indifferently as possible and took a sip from his cube. Something told him that if the second captain's condition had been critical, there would be... a different atmosphere on the ship.

"Yes," Drift nodded and felt some relief from his confirmation, "Ratchet said he's out of danger."

"I don't even know if this is good or bad," Whirl grinned and, leaning back in his seat, crossed his servos over his chest.

"Hey, you weren't there, you don't know..." Tailgate suddenly began, but the impersonal one quickly objected with a little pressure:

"I was here, and we got hit too. And also saw that strange anomaly in the orbit that almost crushed us."

"Megatron said that the planet Yuntara was attacked," Drift remembered and, under surprised glances, quickly explained: "Ratchet said those were his last words before he passed out in the medical bay."

"Whatever the crazy mech may think," Rodimus drained his cube in one gulp and then threw into his mouth an energon candy from those on the tray nearby. "Who knows..." He suddenly shuddered at the call from the bridge on the internal comm. "Yes?" The red-orange Autobot put two digits to his left temple. "Got it, Skids, I'm on my way now." And he got up from the table: "Well, work is calling, it's time to go to the bridge. Don't know yet for how long I'll have to work for the two of us." And left the bar. Drift followed him.

"But isn't that what you wanted?" Whirl casually noticed him in the back, and then his only eyepiece fell on the empty cubes of energon left by both racers: "Hey, who's going to put away the dishes after your?!" But neither one nor the other was in the bar anymore.

"Did something happen, or you just decided to rid yourself of Whirl's company?" Drift caught up with Rodimus in the corridor. Problematic bot, sometimes he can overreact.

"One doesn't exclude the other," Rodimus grinned as he walked. "In fact, Skids asked to come in quickly... Says a message came from Cybertron. Marked as important."

"Then I'm with you, if you don't mind?"

"Sure. Although, I can't even imagine that this could be important, I... We have everything under control. Yes. It's unlikely that Boss Prime," at these words, the first captain's faceplate warped for a moment, "is interested in how our former enemy is doing, or they found out WHAT almost killed us when leaving Yuntara. Would be good, but..." The red-yellow Autobot stopped for a moment and, casually waving his servo, walked on: "No, it's some kind of nonsense, I'm sure."

"Have you already visited him?" Drift asked in a lowered voice when they found themselves at the elevator.

"Whom?" the confused Rodimus, pressed the elevator call button.

"You know," Drift entered the opened doors after him.

"Is it so necessary?" Having pressed the desired button, the Prime's student shrugged. "This combat drone of ours, whom only Mags understands, is stomping around outside the medical day..." He rolled up his optics and muttered thoughtfully to himself: "How do those two communicate with each other, I wonder? With signals or something?" Again, a glance towards Drift: "And this Decepticon henchman also hangs out right next to him. I'm a captain, actually, I have duties." And proudly walked out of the elevator.

The racer couldn't help but chuckle quietly at the red-and-yellow bot's back. How can Rodimus know that Ten and Ravage are actually guarding Megatron? Unless he personally tried to visit him. An outsider might think that the Prime's apprentice didn't care, but Drift knew well this bot's character and understood that despite his personal hostility towards Megatron, Rodimus cared.

The message from Cybertron turned out to be a real shock. Rodimus was wrong about only one thing: the message was really important...

The first thing Megatron felt when he came online again was the presence of a familiar EM field somewhere nearby. Ravage? There's someone else around too... Opening his optics, he again saw the familiar environment of the ship's medical bay around him, but now all the diagnostic instruments were disconnected from the frame. Like at the Stellar-6 station, he remembered, means... that's all?

Megatron stood up and then sat down again, which immediately attracted not only the cybercat's attention, who, as it turned out, was sitting next to the medical berth, but also both doctors' as well: Velocity and First Aid.

"Megatron?" came from below.

"Captain," the green femme medic quickly jumped up to him.

"Megatron... Ratchet, he's awake," First Aid said a little further away.

Both medics immediately appeared nearby, and their boss also came out of the inner office. Still sitting on the berth, the Decepticon grabbed his helm and swayed slightly. He was still feeling weak, but not as before. Even the helmet's back in place. He can even try...

"I know you can't wait to escape, but for now I kindly ask you to show prudence," said the senior medic who also approached the berth.

Megatron gave him a dissatisfied glance, Ratchet returned him even more stern one that didn't require any objection. The red and white Autobot had a distinctive feature: no matter who came to him as a patient - friend or foe - first of all, it was a mecha who needed help. Even now, Ratchet hasn't betrayed either medical protocols or his principles. Megatron couldn't speak for all doctors; he didn't often seek help.

In general, the medics agreed that they could already release their patient from under their supervision. As long as he follows their recommendations, of course. Megatron felt much better, despite some still unpleasant sensations. For the first time in a long time self-diagnosis didn't detect any foreign mechanisms in the frame. It was so... unexpected and...

Suddenly, the front door opened, and three more mechs entered the medical bay: Ultra Magnus, Rung and... The silver mech's systems tensed at the sight of the mnemosurgeon Chromedome. And so much so that the lights in the room began to flicker and the medical equipment began to malfunction. It was unexpected. It seems that now that the neuroblockers have been removed, it may be difficult to contain the surges in the energy field. This had often happened to Megatron before, despite all attempts at self-control. Rung made a mental note to look into this matter.

Megatron completely refused to let the mnemosurgeon approach him, despite statements that he was also directly involved in the surgery to remove neural suppressors from the silver transformer's head; no one messed with his memory banks. But now it was necessary to conduct a general examination before releasing the patient...

Took a long time to persuade him however... But in the end they agreed that Chromedome wouldn't even touch him. Would they have been able to convince him if it weren't for Rung... Megatron still had a suspicion that maybe that's why they had invited the ship's psychotherapist, guessing what his reaction would be? And another question - why did they invite Magnus?!

It's about to take seven days for the Lost Light to reach Imano, and Ratchet insisted on another two or three days of rest for Megatron, but if he really can't wait to return to his duties as captain, it can rbe educed to one. The silver mech agreed that one day would be enough, he already felt useless doing nothing. Almost three days offline, Rodimus has probably already claimed the ship as his property...

And as soon as he thought about it, as they say, 'remember the sun - here comes its ray', when a message came from the first captain via comlink to some team members to gather in the meeting room, an extremely important message came from Cybertron. Drift, who already knew about everything, called Ratchet as well. Rung also came... just if anything. Surprisingly, no one was against it. No invitation was sent to Megatron, and his appearance became a surprise ащк the red-and-yellow Autobot.

"I thought you're still unconscious..." he muttered under the dissatisfied gaze of the former Decepticon's red optics. "Seriously, Megs... If I knew, I would tell you as well... It's important." Rodimus hastened to retreat and get straight to business. "I ask everyone to sit down. News came... let's say..."

"What happened?" Ultra Magnus asked calmly when everyone took their sits at the table. There were only nine mecha present.

"Remember, we sent a message to Yuntara about that strange ship, and they said that they didn't notice anything?"

"Well, yes," the big white-blue Autobot confirmed with a nod.

"So..." the first captain scratched the top of his head with a grinding sound. "The answer has come... so to speak. Only from Cybertron."

"Rodimus, be brief," Megatron interrupted impatiently. Something bad has happened... The Decepticon felt it. And the Prime's student wouldn't chew slag if everything was fine.

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Skids took a remote control from a small shelf on the wall under the large screen and pressed a button showing a satellite image of a large cosmic body and many small asteroids around. It looked like some kind of uneven sphere with an impressive part missing.

"What is this?" Rung took off his glasses and reset his optics.

"The planet Yuntara. A few hours after our depature."

There was a tense silence. It seemed to Megatron as if the ship had begun to slowly spin, and he was about to be pressed against the wall under the influence of centrifugal force.

"Yuntara?.." Ratchet asked hoarsely.

"Yes. Two-thirds of the planet's burned out almost completely," Skids brought up space images on the screen, "the crater covers a quarter of the entire surface. Whatever it was, it came from outer space. And it's clearly not an asteroid."

"Surprising that Yuntara is still in its orbit," Perceptor added in bewilderment, "given the force of the impact..."

This wasn't the goal, flashed in Megatron's mind, to bring the planet out of orbit - to affect the entire system, if considered on a global scale, and the power wasn't enough. The images from the dream appeared again in his memory. The impact really came from space, just as he had observed.

"How did you know about this? Megatron?"

"What?" he stared at Ratchet with undisguised suspicion. How did HE... know this? If not...

"Right defore the surgery," the senior medic didn't look embarrassed or guilty at all, "you told me that Yuntara was attacked. I didn't attach any importance to it back then..." Here something similar to a feeling of guilt flashed in Ratchet's gaze. But only for a moment. "How could you know what was happening there?"

"Are you accusing me of something?!" He already felt offensive. Although... what to expect from Autobots.

"I didn't say that!" Ratchet raised his voice.

"But thought so, yes?"

"Enough!" the Ultra Magnus intervened before the old medic could reprimand the former Decepticon leader like an insolent sparkling. And Ratchet had something to say about this. "Megatron, no one is accusing you." In return was only complete disbelief, and Magnus, having ex-vented heavily, decided to try again: "I repeat, no one is accusing you or other Decepticons of anything. We just want to understand what's going on... Neither of us understands a thing going on, and if you can help somehow to figure this out..." The blue-white Autobot leaned forward, keeping his optics on his former ward, "then help us. Please."

He's joking, right? What can I... How can I tell them the truth? How to explain something that I myself don't understand. First the Key, now this... Does this mean that the physical destruction of Cybertron is also possible? That ship... How can I tell them this? How to explain? What's happening to me?

"Megatron," Rung suddenly called him, the therapist didn't raise his voice, but everyone fell silent in shock, "say what you wanted. This may be important."

"I..." the silver mech clenched his fists and lowered his helm.

"The threat is real, Megatron, and time is running out. One planet will be followed by another... And so on along the chain. And, ultimately, what you saw in your dream, will become a reality..."

Terminus... These are his words from the dream... Too many things don't add up, and at the same time fall into place. How so? My visions are a side effect of the Fool's Energon and other chemicals. Or not? Maybe not at all? The Key... dreams... premonitions... warnings... fears...

"Megatron?" Ravage, who also came along with the silver mech, called.

"I..."

Come on, my spark, it's...

'They will be afraid of you. But won't consider crazy.'

And what is worse? Only now there's nowhere to retreat. Who can explain what's happening to me? What is this? They are already afraid, so what do I have to lose? The given opportunity, because they are enemies...

"I saw it happen," Megatron admitted miserably, not looking at anyone, but clearly understanding their reaction.

The faceplatess of those present stretched out in surprise, a tense silence hung in the air, and only one mecha, whom no one was looking at, smiled barely. His pale blue optics sparkled approvingly, but no one saw it behind the opaque lenses of his glasses.

* * *

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It is just beyond everything. He survived the attack on Stellar-6, the team managed to deal with capture groups twice, and now this. The First Key has been obtained, but events don't go according to plan. Prowl walked back and forth across the dark office and stopped at the picture window.

It's already night. No point in contacting him now, it will only create more suspicion. With a slippery slag like Starscream, always have to be on guard. Now they have one goal. Almost. It's not that the seeker wants to get rid of his former ruler, but rather wants to retain power. A nonentity... But he has the necessary connections, and Megatron has enemies even in the Decepticon clan. Nobody likes traitors. So why not send punitive forces on the hunt?

The head of the security service returned to his desk, activated the console and displayed information about the person he was looking for. There was also an image on the left. Tarn is the leader of the Decepticon Justice Division, a group that hunts fugitive Decepticons. Great, the officer grinned at himself, exactly what's needed. Tomorrow he will talk to the defector to arrange a meeting. There is still time, in a standard move the Lost Light will reach the planet Imano in approximately one space week; if the Peaceful Tyranny uses hyperdrives, then the DJD will get there much faster.

Of course, there is a risk... This group may find out about the Matrix. But maybe that's even good? They'll get even angrier. Prowl leaned back in his chair and laughed, clenching his fists and imagining this situation in every detail. All that remains is to take Megatron from them, dead or alive. Of course dead is more reliable, but getting the living mech will be much more interesting...

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Hunger Games: Mockingjay pt.1 OST – District 8 Hospital; (conversation with Terminus)
2) ATOM RPG Trudograd OST - City Blocks; (awakening)
3) Hunger Games: Mockingjay pt.1 OST – District 12 Ruins; (conversation in the Swerve's bar)
4) Fallout OST – Follower's Credo; (Megatron learns of the attack on the planet)
5) ATOM RPG Trudograd OST – Port; (Prowl decides to send the DJD on the hunt)

P.S. The episode about the meeting of Megatron and Terminus is partly similar to the episode of chapter 9 of my fanfic 'Sailor Saturn: Guardian of Silence', where Hotaru sees herself and the destruction of Earth in her dream. But these 2 fanfics are not related to each other, I didn't think about one while writing another, so to speak...

So far, some characters, for example, Chromedome, Whirl and others, haven't received much attention, but they will still show themselves. For now, more about those who most often interacts with the main character.

Chapter Text

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The target was so close... And he arrived almost in time. The new Prime and the first Key could be in his possession here and now. The Matrix serves as a guide; it contains knowledge of the Ancients and gives additional powers to its owner. It chooses the bearer.

"It's him, the one..." he walked back and forth through the dark room filled with purple fog, stopped in the center and looked at his open palms.

The one's memory whose frame is now completely in his power... It was this rebellious Point One Percenter he was going to make the next Prime. But not only the Matrix protects its current bearer. No... His antipode is also here, in this world. A blow from the ship's cannons was almost in the Dark One's possession - it was a flash of His power...

"What a surprise." He wanted to laugh. As always, the Other interfered at the most unexpected moment, and it was possible to feel his presence only at that very second. He was on that ship... also in the form of an avatar. The capabilities of both of them in these forms although being great, are at the same time very limited, and it's impossible to determine exactly what the Other's avatar looks like in advance. But it's one of them. He's on that ship with those mecha. And he understood everything, knows everything... "This is even more interesting," the Dark One summed it up out loud and laughed contentedly. More interesting, although greatly complicates the matter. But it's not in the Dark One's rules to retreat from his goals. No, he waited too long...

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They looked at him in complete bewilderment. Intense silence... In the optics of some was distrust, some stared with fear, and others, for example, Rodimus, looked with some kind of evil suspicion.

"You saw?" Drift asked warily. "When? How?"

"At the last meeting, when my systems failed." Megatron felt like a predator driven into a corner. If they think I'm involved in this, let them try to prove it. Although... why look for evidence when they can invent it? "I don't know how, but," the silver mech hid his servos under the table and clenched them into fists, "I suddenly found myself there. Saw the attack... a strike from space... It happened at night, no one understood how it all started." Megatron now looked as if through the table.

"Started?" Rung already clarified. "Was there something that preceded the impact?"

"An invasion... They didn't even care about their own people. For what? If there are so many of them... And soon there will be even more... No one will hide... The scarlet optics, still drilling the table's surface, narrowed, the energy field began to intensify, which was felt by the first captain and the Ultra Magnus sitting next to him. The lighting in the meeting room dimmed a little, the lamps began to flicker, and the one that was directly above the silver transformer's helm went out completely.

"What's happening?" Perceptor became worried. There was also noise on the screen when it was turned on.

"Voltage surge? Um..." Rodimus looked around in confusion, and then at his co-captain with some apprehension.

The flashing lights buzzed in warning. Slag, they've been warned. No vigilance. They don't know what they're dealing with. They don't know... and neither do I...

"Megatron?!" Ratchet warned with emphasis, being the first to realize what was happening. Now that the neural suppressors are gone, this Point One Percenter's power is unchecked.

Calm down, my spark... On one here is your enemy. Just tell... Tell us what you can.

The Decepticon flinched and turned his gaze tothe medic. The energy field slowly began to weaken, the power surges stopped,and the image on the screen resumed with some glitches, but the extinguishedlamp didn't light up again. Something persistently and at the same time gentlypulled him out of the pool of fear, returned him to reality and made him thinkagain. Must tell it like it is. Useless to prevaricate, and no point anymore.

"First there was an attack," Megatron continued to glare at the table. It's easier this way, better not to look at any of them, not to see their expressions. There are already enough responses from EM fields. "It was night, an air strike, then... I don't know, a landing group?" He shook his helm. "And then a blow from space."

"An attack on their squad?" the Ultra Magnus clarified in surprise. Megatron looked up at him with a tired look, about to snap, but catching the contact of blue optics, he immediately changed his mind: Minimus is not mocking, he's trying to build a logical chain, as if... believed me?

"Maybe they don't feel sorry for their own people?" Drift suggested with caution.

"Like the Decepticons," the first captain snorted sarcastically, and immediately shut up under the gaze of the racer himself and his co-captain. Ravage, who had been sitting at the leader's pedes all this time, growled menacingly, extending his claws with a clang. No, this is too much.

"Don't," the Magnus intervened, before a new skirmish began, which could at least lead away from the topic.

"No-no, let him talk, I want to hear everything here and now." The silver mech's optics became even narrower, he clenched his fists above the table and was about to stand up, but his left forearm was immediately intercepted by the Ultra Magnus:

"Please don't," he warned in a lowered tone, feeling the EM field of his former ward sharply increasing again. The remaining lamps on the ceiling flickered threateningly once more.

"Megatron, that's enough!" Panic notes slipped through the senior medic's voice.

"Megatron," Rung, taking off his glasses, also called out to him. The psychotherapist didn't raise his voice, but for some inexplicable reason everyone froze at his call. Upon contact with the white and orange bot's pale blue optics, the silver mech suddenly had a strange thought: Rodimus sees the situation only from his point of view, he doesn't know everything, he doesn't know the truth. None of them does, they have never been on the Decepticons' side, and now it's useless to prove anything to them...

Gathering his will, Megatron weakened the EM field, unclenched his fists and stared at the table. The power outages have stopped again. Ultra Magnus, feeling that the silver transformer's field had stabilized, released him.

"Nothing more to add," Megatron squeezed out hoarsely, without even thinking about how his words might be perceived. "You don't have to believe me if you want to; I told it like it is."

Judging by the tense silence, glances and tension of EM fields, one could conclude that yes, they don't believe. Or they deny it because it's too difficult to accept right away. Even Ravage under the table is silent and doesn't take the suspicious gaze off him. The former leader of the Decepticons himself would have reacted the same way if someone else had told him this. Therefore, here the silver mech couldn't blame any of the former... current enemies...

"Megatron, I believe you," Rung suddenly declared. The helms of all present turned synchronously in his direction with the same expression on their face plates, but the therapist wasn't embarrassed at all: "What you did in the underground city on Yuntara cannot be explained logically..."

"What?.." Rodimus said quietly, but Drift, as unnoticed as possible for others, showed him a fist and sent him a message via comm: [Be silent!]

Megatron, who had turned all his attention to the white-orange bot, fortunately, didn't notice anything. Meanwhile Rung continued:

"You managed to discover something that none of us knew how and where exactly to look for. In the planet Yuntara's orbit an inexplicable anomaly almost crushed our ship, and now something destroyed this planet..." He clasped his digits and, having controlled himself, squeezed out: "Something destroyed it. And you warned about this much earlier than official confirmation arrived." The therapist looked around those present.

"There are too many strange coincidences," Skids unexpectedly concluded. "Not to mention the fact that someone have already tried to kill us several times."

"Including the technozombies on that space station," Rodimus frowned and scratched the bridge of his nose with two digits of his right servo, then hesitantly stated: "Although, it's not a fact that this is connected."

"And I believe that something very, very strange is happening," was muttered gloomily from under the table. Absolutely everyone agreed with Ravage here.

As a result, they came to the conclusion that since there were no signals from Cybertron regarding a change in course or interruption of the mission, the Lost Light continues its journey to the planet Imano in compliance with all maximum safety measures for the ship and crew. Megatron was ordered to return to the medical bay for a final check before he could be released. Magnus noted to himself that he definitely needed to talk with Optimus regarding the cruel methods of his officers. There was not even a question of finding out any information... but simply for the sake of some kind of sadistic pleasure. And Megatron remained silent about it... which in the end almost turned into a tragedy.

* * *

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That evening Prowl remained at work until very late. Reason: following his instructions one of the agents entered Senator Starscream's office while he was at the next government meeting and installed a spy program into his computer, which at the same time gave remote access, while the owner didn't even know about anything. An old trick, one of the ways to identify foes among your own.

Starscream won't know that someone has broken into his computer... until a certain moment. Now the defence systems have been improved, and it has become many times more difficult to bypass them. And once getting into the system, one could only stay logged in for a certain short amount of time, otherwise access would be closed automatically, the system would be blocked, and all unsaved data would be lost.

Now the senior security officer needed the Senator's old contacts. Prowl could have talked to the former Decepticon, the latter would have provided the necessary information himself, but in the end he decided not to tell him anything - after all, this would mean admitting his own failure. Starscream's not such a fool as not to notice this. Two serious failures, and, according to the mole, the Lost Light's crew had already guessed that the Decepticons sent to kill them were fake. Time is getting short. Need to hurry, send real Decepticons on their trail - need to send the DJD.

To Prowl, the very idea of even temporary cooperation with the Decepticons - and especially with these - was disgusting. All of them need to be limed, every single one of them. But dealing with the leader comes first. Megatron himself is a threat to Cybertron, Megatron with the Matrix of Leadership in his chest is a doubly threat. Having received the Matrix, the master will once and for all rid Cybertron of the risk of a new war, he promised...

And now, after almost the entire permissible time of remote connection, the search was crowned with success. Starscream actually kept the communication frequencies of his former comrades and ships in a separate archive. For what? As a keepsake, for blackmail, or as some kind of guarantor of safety? Doesn't matter. The last save date is relatively recent, looks like there have been updates. Wonder if Optimus knows about this? Does he know who the defector is doing business with? Prowl will have to ask around on occasion and see how the leader's face plate stretches out. Now the main thing is different...

The Peaceful Tyranny also, fortunately, was on this list. Wherever Tarn and his group are now, they might be very interested in this information. But it will be wrong to explain the essence of the matter in text format; he has to meet with them in person, via holographic communication. In the meantime, it's worth warning and sending an appropriate message. Short, just to interest them.

"In war all means are good," Prowl rubbed his servos contentedly, continuing to look at the screen with the displayed list of contacts. "Let's see how you like it, Megatron." His mouth stretched into a predatory grin. For some reason, he was absolutely sure at that moment that the Justice Division would happily rush on the trail of the most important traitor of the entire Decepticon community.

* * *

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"Well, not bad," Ratchet smiled faintly as he examined the scan results, "very good. Your systems are almost restored. How are you feeling now?"

"Don't detect any failures," Megatron responded with satisfaction. He stood next to the senior medic, leaning sideways against one of the medical consoles. For the first time in a long time, the Decepticon felt physically free. He had almost gotten used to the logical errors that his HUD sometimes produced during self-diagnosis, and now the absence of foreign components in his frame affecting his systems was a real relief.

"That's good," the red and white Autobot nodded with satisfaction. He walked around the large mech on the right, came up to his desk and sat down, "some unpleasant sensations may still be present for a couple of cosmic days while the electrical and logical connections of your CPU with peripheral systems are restored." Ratchet entered some data into his computer and looked up at the silver mech who approached him. There was no one else in the medical bay at the moment. "But, as we discussed, you can return to your duties as captain if you feel you are ready for it."

"About time," Megatron chuckled at this, "I've been absent for too long."

"That's the spirit," Ratchet nodded satisfactorily and stood up, "only now since there are no more neuroblockers, nothing suppresses your power anymore. Can I be sure that you will keep a low profile?"

Megatron slowly turned away to the right, clenching his denta. Outwardly, the silver transformer seemed impenetrable, but in reality he had to make a colossal effort on himself so as not to snap back, not to burn all the equipment and lighting here, not to shout, not to express out loud everything he thinks about the Autobots. And besides, if you knew what you were getting into, why was it even necessary? Why did you save me... twice?

"I fulfilled Prime's condition," Megatron sincerely hoped that his voice didn't waver at these words, "wasn't that enough?" Their gazes met, and now Ratchet felt a strong desire to turn away. "I publicly betrayed my people to help them... and you..." But the doctor's fears were clear to the silver mech: "I'll try." He squeezed out somehow especially quietly. He was just about to leave, but something unexpected came from behind:

"Megatron, that's not what I meant."

The silver mech froze abruptly, but was in no hurry to turn around.

"Your EM field, even in a calm state, is much more powerful than that of any mech I've ever dealt with," Ratchet walked around the former Decepticon to the right and stopped in front of him, blocking his path, "and Shockwave's modifications have significantly increased your point One Percenter capabilities."

Megatron crossed his servos over his chest, not understanding what this was all about. Why state the obvious?

"What I mean is..." the senior medic began again, "try to avoid repeating the incidents that occurred during the meeting." Now he looked at Megatron reproachfully. "Not only because all these malfunctions will do any good to the ship, but others can figure out what you actually feel." He raised the index digit of the left servo. "Just saying."

Megatron narrowed his optics and then nodded grimly.

"I'll take it into account."

"Fine, I believe you," now the old red-and-white Autobot stepped back to the right, hinting that he was no longer holding back the silver mech.

And Megatron left the medbay. He still had six standard hours left before his shift. Rodimus, however, is not waiting for him, so for the first captain it will be a surprise. Maybe someone else was temporarily on duty instead of Megatron; Optimus Prime's student cannot be on the bridge all the time and remain as cheerful and annoying as always. Or can he? Who knows what to expect from the red and yellow Autobot.

Ravage met Megatron the corridor and noticed that this large sparkless robot, who can say only his name, was hanging around nearby. To that the silver mech stated that this drone constantly follows him around the ship, watches him, although tries to keep distance. Most likely he followes the Ultra Magnus' orders and makes sure that the Decepticon doesn't do anything. And now there are already two Decepticons on the Autobot ship.

On the way, Megatron and Ravage also met Rung, who casually reminded the silver mech that tomorrow they had a second session as scheduled. But, if suddenly Megatron doesn't yet feel ready for this due to recent events, then this time the meeting can be postponed. The former leader of the Decepticons replied that there was no need for this, he would come as planned.

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And only when Megatron and his comrade entered their quarters did he finally feel at least a little calmer. No one looks at him with caution or suspicion - the silver mech began to notice this even more often after they obtained the first Key.

"Now what?" Ravage asked cautiously as soon as they were alone.

"What?" the silver mech didn't understand.

"No, nothing." The cybercat walked back and forth around the quarters.

Megatron stood by the closed door, not knowing what to do or what to expect from his comrade. Not another fight...

"I heard what they said," Ravage suddenly stated, "while you were offline, recovering from surgery... And during it, too." He stopped about one and a half meters from his leader and, before the latter could ask a clarifying question, said, not breaking optics contact: "Those things in your helm," the cybercat pointed to his ear with his right clawed paw, "were installed without turning off the painful sensors." Megatron involuntarily shuddered at these words, and his fellow sign noticed this. "Slagging bastards."

"Autobots." Megatron walked around his comrade to the left and sat down on the berth.

"That's what I said!" he snapped and sat down at the silver mech's pedes.

Megatron remained silent. Yes, he remembered that very well. They did everything relatively quickly then, but for him it seemed like long hours of torture... As if hid CPU was being sawed into pieces alive. But he was silent... They were saying like just ask, and the pain will stop. They wanted Megatron to beg... But this didn't happen. Which made Prowl very angry and probably Optimus Prime too. Surely this was his order. And Ratchet, although he himself was not present, like the other ship's medics, including the mnemosurgeon, probably gave instructions. Otherwise, how can he know this?

"...it's not surprising that you see all this mess."

"What?" Looking up from his thoughts, Megatron straightened up sharply and stared at the cybercat with suspicion.

"I said, it's obvious that you imagine all sorts of horrors, after what they did to you," Ravage repeated patiently. "I would probably go crazy... if I survived something like that."

"Do you want to say that all this didn't happen?" Megatron clarified with a hint, leaning slightly towards his interlocutor. "No Key, no attack on the planet, no..." He suddenly stood up and waved his servos, raising his voice: "Not ship that, Unicron damn it, almost destroyed us?!" Ravage pulled back sharply, and Megatron instantly felt ashamed of his attack. "Sorry... Forgive me, please, I..." The silver mech rubbed his faceplate with his palms and sat down on the berth again. "I didn't mean to, really... I'm sorry."

"I know..." Ravage nodded briefly and jumped onto the berth to his leader's right.

They just sat next to each other in absolutesilence for some time, each thinking about his own. Megatron eventually decidedit was worth recharging before starting his shift, lay down on the berth andput the systems into sleep mode. Ravage moved to his own berth in the corner,installed specially for him, and did the same.

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He walks in the fog, through which dilapidated buildings are faintly visible. There's no one around... in the usual sense. Instead of passers-by Megatron's surrounded by incomprehensible, blurry strange silhouettes. But the Decepticon realizes that there's no need to fear them. These are echoes of dead Cybertronians... Did he win? Everything is over? Did we fail?

"Megatron, come to your senses... I beg you!"

"Come to my senses? Minimus, are you serious?!"

Even now, hearing his voice from the side, remembering that fragment of the conversation between him and Ultra Magnus, the silver mech again feels a wave of negativity overwhelming his mind. The mentor suggests to give up... to talk... Although Megatron himself tried so many times, but no one listened to him.

"Help us..."

Not much time left... A few more minutes, and the planet will be destroyed. But Megatron is in no hurry, although all internal systems are compressed with fear. He raises his helm and sees the red sky through the parting fog, black shadows sliding up above... Powerful white energy rays periodically hit the ground from somewhere in the clouds.

"To fight Him, one needs to go to a different form. Become free from the physical shell."

"No, Optimus! It's my mission!"

"Your mission is to revive Cybertron..."

There is a plan, but will it work? Megatron's still not sure that he is worthy to do this, although everyone - Decepticons, Autobots, Neutrals - now rely on him.

"Twelve will unite, one will direct them."

He was there all this time... Secretly helping, giving hidden tips, guiding... He didn't give himself away until a certain moment. Their powers are absolutely equal; the followers win confrontations...

Megatron abruptly came online, venting heavily and shaking his whole frame. Didn't immediately understood where he was. Fear... An inexplicable, serious fear literally paralyzed him. What's happening? Was it a dream? Am I on the ship? Yes... yes, on the ship.

"Slag..." he squeezed out barely audibly, rose with difficulty and lowered his pedes from the berth. All internal systems were highly tense, and the limbs were still trembling. Megatron turned his helm towards a smaller berth in the corner, on which the cybercat was in full swing watching an unknown dream. Moreover, judging by the calm expression, Ravage was definitely not tormented by nightmares. "Lucky one, huh?" Running his servos over his faceplate, Megatron stood up with difficulty and moved on unsteady legs towards the washracks. Maybe a shower would help?

Trying not to make any noise, the silver mech walked to the adjoining bay, looked back at Ravage, then pulled the door aside and, slipping in, closed it. The light turned on automatically as soon as the motion sensors detected the presence of a mech in the room. Megatron turned on the water and, having adjusted the appropriate temperature, stood under the powerful stream, resting his servos against the wall.

"What nonsense am I dreaming about..." hemuttered and shook his helm tiredly.

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Damn chemicals. The 'noble' Autobots want to drive me crazy, but... Unicron damn it! This dream was one of the stickiest and darkest I've had in a long time. Although, it's debatable. If we hold a competition for the worst nightmare I've ever had, Megatron grinned sadly, several could compete for first place at once... And everywhere there is something... dark, dangerous, sinister... hidden. The threat is near... very close... Cybertron is in great danger.

Still resting his servos against the wall, Megatron closed his optics, mentally plunging into his past nightmares. All the same: in addition to visual images there's always an invisible sense of danger. If I remember in detail, I had felt something similar before, but only occasionally... and this 'something' wasn't related to the war. No... as if someone or something is watching from the side, waiting... And now another vision: of the present and the future. Artifacts... what do they have to do with me?

'Find a way... stop it... Or everything you saw in your dreams and in reality will become true...'

Megatron winced. Suddenly he felt a serious, inexplicable fear slowly spreading from the spark chamber to the peripheral systems. The stream of water pouring from above suddenly became unusually cold...

'...everything you saw in your dreams and in reality will become true...'

The silver mech clearly distinguished two huge glowing purple eyepieces in the dark... felt many writhing tentacles reaching out to him from their owner... Invisible in the darkness, but they are here... very close... and theyre about to grab him...

Logger.WARNING("Unknown error!");

The former leader of the Decepticons abruptly turned on his optics and, unable to resist, collapsed to the floor. He was still in the wachracks, water pouring down on him from the sprinklers overhead - warm again, as he had originally set it up, but the lights were flickering unpleasantly... and were restored only when Megatron had more or less calmed down.

Did I do it again? Slag... Looking into the void in front of him, the silver transformer sat down with his back to the wall and pulled his knees to his chest. The HUD displayed an unknown error... Not the first time... But I thought that after removing the neuroblockers this should stop. What was that... Panic attack? Have we gotten to this now? Ratchet was right. Nooo... Or does the Fool's Energon have nothing to do with it? I wasn't the only one who saw that ship... it wasn't my imagination that damaged our onboard guns... And the Key... the first of five. Although they talked about four.

What's going on? In my dreams Terminus told me many times about some invisible threat that would bring destruction to Cybertron... I felt something before, but now... And again the voice... Remember me as I was...

"No!" the silver mech hoarsely squeezed out, looking straight ahead. "It's simply impossible." Such an assumption made him want to laugh nervously. "He's gone... No, he died, I saw it..."

But did I, Megatron immediately objected to himself. Back then everything was so vague... The silver mech clearly remembered how the mad, impersonal Shockwave launched the Space Bridge, he and Optimus fired, then... an explosion. And after that - nothing, Megatron woke up in prison.

"And he asked..." Megatron lowered his helm to his knees. "But I let him down... I let everyone down."

Is it possible? I 'saw' him on Yuntara when I had another system failure, another attack. Everything was so bright... so real... Megatron remembered the black shadow holding out a servo to him, calling to come with him...

'Listen to your senses...'

"Am I going crazy?" Megatron whispered, looking at the ceiling. "Or did they do something else to me that they're not talking about?" He squeezed his helm with servos. Was that incident in prison, after which I was so quickly and easily released, a simple accident... or... "Or was it a set-up?" he voiced the last part of the thought out loud. "I don't understand anything anymore... Maybe Ravage is right... and all this are just consequences..."

* * *

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More than a standard space week has passed since the Peaceful Tyranny set off again. More than two - since Tarn announced a new military campaign after hearing Megatron's call to surrender. Everything happened exactly the opposite. Of course, some of the Decepticons gave up, more than half perceived the broadcast recording as a fake and obvious mockery, and many became even more embittered.

"Change of plan. We are going to war."

They have to figure out what it all means. Tarn wants to know the truth. Megatron couldn't just betray his faction. He couldn't go over to the enemy's side. No, not after such long fierce battles and losses, not so suddenly. The real Megatron would choose death over defeat.

Where is the leader now... on Cybertron? They can't just appear there, now this is the Autobots and defectors' territory. Starscream is there too. He and several other traitors on the list. Who needs to be gotten rid of. But there are also spies who know much more. Now the ship is heading to the Tojanus system, the meeting should take place there...

"What do we have?" with these words Tarn appeared on the ship's bridge. He was informed about a signal from Cybertron.

"Commander, we received a message," Kaon, the red, white and yellow bot with dark optics and two antennas on his shoulders, checked the data again just in case, as if he himself didn't believe what he saw. "Starscream's ID."

"What?" Tarn asked briefly in an icy voice, which almost made the SigSpec recoil. Two more mechs from their group - Thesaurus and Voss - who were on the bridge, also looked warily at their commander.

"The message is short with an offer to meet in person via video conference." Kaon even took a step back just in case. "He says there's information about Lord Megatron that he wants to tell you personally. Your orders?"

Starscream... This traitor should have been gotten rid of long ago. He has neither conscience nor honor, he flies to where it is profitable. If I were Lord Megatron, I would have gotten rid of him long ago... Slowly. Sadistically. With pleasure. Just as he deserves. But if he has information... Why would he share it?

"Commander?"

"What else was in this message?"

"Nothing, just this... What do you order?"

Perhaps a trap, immediately flashed through Tarn's mind; in Starscream's case anything is possible. This mech is a rather slippery one, and Tarn never liked him. And now he is also a traitor... and in the past - the Leader's Second. What's he up to?

"Commander Tarn?" Kaon called carefully again, ready to retreat just in case.

The leader was silent for a few more moments, and then said, still looking ahead:

"Tell him we'll open the channel in one standard cosmic hour. If it doesn't suit him, that's his problem, there won't be any more opportunities. Countdown starts from the moment of our response." And he turned his gaze to the sigspec: "Inform me as soon as you receive confirmation." With these words, he left the bridge not waiting for the order to be carried out.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Interstellar OST – Combines Went Highway; (Unicron's thoughts)
2) SWTOR OST – Ossus, The Victim; (discussion continues)
3) Fallout OST – Vault of the Future; (Prowl sends a message to the DJD)
4) Resolutions by Scott Buckley; (conversation with Ratchet)
5) Mass Effect 3 OST – A Moment Of Silence; (Megatron and Ravage)
6) Mass Effect 3 OST – Dream; (the dream)
7) Hunger Games: Mockingjay pt.1 OST – District 12; (sudden fear)
8) Mass Effect 3 OST - I Will Watch Over The Ones Who Live On (DJD receive a signal from Cybertron)

P.S. The events in this story are not identical to the comics (I haven't read them all). What Shockwave did here will come a little later, but it also has to do with Unicron and the nanites that turn into technozombies.
Andinitially I wanted Megatron in this chapter to ask Ratchet what they did to himbefore his release, but then thought - the moment isn't right. There will bemore about this later, but it will definitely happen.

Chapter Text

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Coming out of the washracks, Megatron was relieved to see that his comrade was still recharging, although had changed his position: now he was simply lying on the left side with his paws and tail outstretched, and not curled up as before. But still offline. Good, so he didn't notice the power failure. Though others probably did. And what difference does it make... what does it have to do with me right away. It was an accident.

There was still an hour and a half before the shift, Megatron carefully crept up to his berth and was just about to sit down, when suddenly...

"You're going to burn down the entire ship's power supply system this way," the cybercat's reproachful voice made him shudder. Turning around, the silver mech saw that Ravage had already taken a sitting position and was looking directly at him.

"I don't understand you," Megatron sat down on the berth and lowered his gaze to the floor.

"Yes, you do." Through the edge of his optics, the leader of the Decepticons caught movement of his comrade. "Megatron," Ravage gently appeared at his pedes in two leaps, "I am your friend. You can trust me."

My only friend on this forsaken ship, the silver transformer wanted to correct, but remained silent. Ravage wants to know what's going on with me, but I can't... can't tell him what I don't understand myself. I betrayed him and others, and no matter for what good purpose... Everything may be in vain. But he's here with me... wants to help? Or understand? Do I deserve it?

"What's tormenting you?" the cyber cat carefully asked again, sitting down on the floor.

Conscience... fear of imminent death or eternal imprisonment - what punishment will the Knights or the Council choose... being among enemies... helplessness... strange recent events... the unknown...

"All at once, I guess..." he muttered and smiled bitterly. Ravage tensed and pulled away slightly. "So what happened on the ship while I was... well... out, so to speak?" Megatron wanted to take the conversation in a different direction before the companion began to unravel him into revelations. "You said you heard them talking about me."

"Not everything, unfortunately... They had some other discussions too. Well, the medics and Ultra Magnus. They entered the meeting room and turned on the soundproofing." And then he showed his open front paws: "Not specifically because of me, I know how to conduct covert surveillance."

"Soundproofing?" Megatron frowned. It was foolish to doubt Ravage's abilities; this Decepticon is a master of surveillance. Most likely, this was done so that no other of the team could hear anything at all.

"Yes. They stayed there for about twenty minutes, then Ultra Magnus flew out of there so... so angry... To calm him down they even had to involve this psychiatrist, I don't know how he managed it."

"Minimus got angry?" Megatron himself was surprised at his own question. "What could have happened..."

"One guess."

"Hmm?"

"He got angry because of you." The cybercat raised his voice slightly. "Because of what those slagging scums did to you."

"Pfft... like he didn't know..."

"Imagine - no." Ravage stood up abruptly. "And so didn't this always grumpy old doctor. And for the rest it was a shock." He vented noisily and sat down again. "Including me." And he added seriously: "Ultra Magnus promised to rip off someone's limbs once seeing them again. It's not even funny, you know, he looked very menacing."

Well, this was already unexpected. Megatron straightened up, looking inward. They... what? Didn't know anything? Already in the Autobot prison, the Decepticon leader first saw Ultra Magnus only before the first court hearing, when the latter came to announce that he would act as his lawyer. Megatron saw Ratchet two or three times. All the rest of the time he had to see... others...

"I was certain they knew..." Megatron said hoarsely, not believing himself. He squeezed his helm with both servos and began to vent intermittently, fighting the urge to laugh nervously. "Well, good job me..." The silver mech again remembered the nightmare where he heard Magnus' voice saying that it was too dangerous to leave him alive. "Unicron damn it, huh?" Megatron dropped his helm into his palms and shook slightly from a quiet, ironic laugh.

"He hasn't changed in that," Ravage chose not to react in any way to his leader's behavior, "no matter what, he still cares."

"Minimus accepted me," Megatron smiled sadly, "and I betrayed him..."

* * *

Since the first days Minimus Ambus treated Megatron with some unusual kindness, and so did his older brother Dominus. Back then the former miner didn't know how his new guardian really looked like, and, looking at the Ultra Magnus's armor - this large white and blue combat bot, much bigger than Megatron himself - he was very surprised how these two could be spark brothers. The rest of the Ambus House members, whom Megatron met much later - they lived not only in Iacon - treated him rather coolly, perceiving him as a lower class foreigner, albeit with a special spark. Minimus didn't immediately reveal to Megatron the truth about the latter's origin; at first he wanted to let his ward get comfortable, waited until he got used to his new life at least a little... and didn't try to escape. Which, in fact, was what Megatron tried to do on the very first night.

This idea came immediately when Minimus Ambus personally - after the servants brought the guest into more or less decent look - offered to show the now former miner the Ambus estate - one of many. It was a whole chain of two and three-story buildings connected by overhead passages. The corridors and rooms were large and bright, with panoramic windows and expensive furniture. Outside, the estate was surrounded by crystal gardens with beautiful cascading fountains. And there was also a fence. High, slightly higher than Minimus Ambus himself. But surprisingly, despite the impressive size of the mansion there lived very few mechs: Minimus, his brother and five servants. Megatron believed several mining crews with their families could live in such a house. This is the 80/20 rule, he heard this quote a long time ago from his friend Impactor, who was also a miner, that 80 percent of the wealth belongs to 20 percent of the population.

Having approximately remembered where the exit was, Megatron tried to leave the estate that night and run to hell. This was all completely inexplicable. At first they wanted to shadowplay with his CPU for inappropriate thoughts and writings, which had become very popular among the common mecha, and now suddenly some noble took him under his wing, also not bringing any clarity to what was happening. Does he think I'm his property? Servant? Or who? Well, no, let him rust. No way.

Megatron pretended to go into recharge, but he listened, waiting for everything around to calm down and the path to be clear. This may be the only opportunity, because it's still unknown what are their plans. He wasn't used to trusting representatives of the upper classes; there were some exceptions, however. For example, Captain Orion Pax - his good friend. But most nobles were dangerous, for them a simple worker is nothing, and it's very easy to get rid of him. Have to run... Where to - is later, the main thing is – out of here. And so, when Megatron's internal chronometer showed almost midnight, he decided it was time.

Getting up from the berth, the young miner crept up to the door, listened again to what was happening behind it and pressed the opening button on the side panel on the right. The exit opened almost silently, but Megatron still thought for a moment that his actions would now alarm all the house's residents. This, fortunately, didn't happen. Good, the way's clear.

Hisroom was located on the second floor of the mansion's main building, andgetting to the front door wasn't difficult. Despite the fact that the lampswere turned off everywhere, there was more or less enough light from the streetlanterns; the night vision mode wasn't required. Megatron quietly wentdownstairs, crossed the hall and found himself at the exit. Very simple. Eventhe front door isn't locked. And there are no cameras anywhere... There usuallywere many in the barracks, so that the workers could see them and not take anysuspicious actions.

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Megatron got outside also without any problems... But the entrance gate was locked. A code or something was required... The young miner didn't know this, just as he didn't think about where the guards could have gone. Freedom is so close – just overcome this fence and that's it. And then further on the situation.

"I must get out of here, one way or another."

Megatron walked along the fence to the right of the main gate. If I can't do it directly, there must be a workaround. Need to somehow get over this fence. But it's so tall... Too bad I'm not a flyer. Megatron has always been jealous of those who can overcome gravitational pull so easily. This would be very useful now.

"What to do... Come on, think, you almost did it!" he muttered to himself, continuing to wander through the crystal garden. Megatron now had no time to even pay attention to the beauty of the formations growing there, which at night take on brighter shades and even glow. "I need something to climb on..." He suddenly froze when he saw a wicker gazebo made of white metal with a long rectangular table and four chairs inside of it. This could work.

The miner lifted the table quite easily and placed it right next to the fence. He climbed on, jumped, pulled himself up... and now he was sitting on the fence astride. No one on the well-lit street, there are smaller houses around, but with no less high fences. The upper class mechs live here. The place is unusual, alien and frightening. I have to get out before I'm spotted and mistaken for a robber, flashed through the miner's CPU. Megatron swung his left leg over the fence and jumped to the ground, landing on one knee.

Well, that's it, now let's get out of here. Not looking around, which turned out to be recklessly, Megatron stood up and only managed to take a few steps, still looking back at the fence, when he suddenly hit some obstacle and...

"Ouch!" having lost his balance, he found himself on the ground again.

"If you had such a great desire to go for a night walk, you could have just asked me for the entrance code," a familiar voice said reproachfully.

Lookingup, Megatron barely restrained himself from a frightened shout: towering overhim was a large white and blue combat bot with red emblems on his shoulders.Minimus Ambus himself. He looked at the young miner without anger orcondemnation, while the latter wanted to fall through the ground.

"Watching you was quite funny," Minimus squeezed out some semblance of a slight smile, "I'm used to seeing mecha... more careful in such matters."

"What?" Megatron moved away a little, still remaining on the ground. The big mech isn't attacking, he hasn't raised an alarm or anything like that. What does he want from me now?

"You haven't even thought about why there is no security around the perimeter, not to mention why the alarm didn't go off when you were on the fence. You are a smart bot, Megatron of Tarn, you can build the further logical chain yourself." Minimus extended him the right servo. Stunned, Megatron gave him his left one in response - and allowed the white and blue mech to help him up. Yes, suddenly the miner realized everything... and felt like complete slag.

"Why?" he asked dumbfounded, retreating slightly. "If you knew I was going to run and you yourself allowed it, then..."

"I am not your enemy, Megatron." Minimus Ambus put the servos on his belt and shook his helm. "And neither is everyone else in this house. As I have already said, and will repeat again, I am well aware of what you had to go through, thank Primus," saying these words he placed the right servo on his chest plates, "I am very glad that my people made it in time... And yes, I am aware of your growing popularity among the public. But that's not why you are here."

"Why then?" Megatron tensed. Here it is, the moment of truth.

"Let's just say... a certain mistake was corrected, of sorts." Minimus answered somehow evasively, causing Megatron's faceplate to distort with disbelief. "It doesn't matter what I say, you still won't believe it, because you are subconsciously afraid of me."

"I'm not..." Megatron lied, not too confidently. And Minimus understood this.

"Anyway, the Senate decided to place you under my guidance. Сonsider me..." Here he thought. To say 'guardian' would be inappropriate now; Megatron is not a sparkling who needs constant supervision. "Your mentor." And, noticing fear on the miner's face, he immediately hastened to add: "By no means not master, if that's what you're thinking." And noticed to himself that this is exactly what the one who called that mnemosurgeon and ordered to burn Megatron's CPU was trying to achieve. And again he hurried to establish contact: "I hope we will become friends - you and I - what do you say?" Minimus again handed the open servo to the perplexed miner. But not for help this time.

Megatron looked doubtfully at the outstretched palm. Friendship... with a noble? Mentor? What decision did the Senate make? And what mistake? He failed to run away... And to refuse would mean to upset this big mech... He's good, fair, Megatron feels it, he can be trusted. There's no danger... but the truth has not been revealed. If I agree, will he tell me? After all, he hinted that he will.

"And I hope so," hesitating, the young miner extended his right arm for a handshake.

Minimus Ambus smiled, and so did Megatron. This was the beginning of a friendship between two special mechs, who ended up on opposite sides of the barricades...

"Well," the big white and blue bot looked around, "since we're here, would you like to walk with me? I'll show you around."

"Now?" the miner squeezed out in surprise.

"Why not? As I understand it, you are in no hurry to recharge. It's safe to walk here." Minimus motioned Megatron down the street. "And if you suddenly decide to run away again, you'll at least know in which direction to move." And, noticing the bewilderment in the look of his ward, he showed his open palms in a conciliatory manner: "This is a joke. And Megatron?" His faceplate expression became serious again.

"Huh?"

"When we return, you will put the table back where you took it, alright?"

"Yes, of course..."

* * *

Ravage just shook his head. He didn't know Ultra Magnus as well as his leader did, but from what he knew and heard, the cybercat could only draw one conclusion:

"He's a good bot. Honorable. Too bad, an enemy."

"Once he was a friend," Megatron clenched and unclenched his left fist, "there were times when I thought that I could convince him to take our side, and then... after the first protests began, do you know what I did?"

"What?"

"I came to him, tried to talk, then pretended that I understood and accepted his point of view..." Megatron smiled sadly. "And then stole an electronic key with access codes to weapons depots and ran off."

"It was you?" Ravage's optics almost doubled. The silver mech nodded. "And I kept wondering where did we get schemes and everything else..."

"Yes. And yet Magnus didn't turn his back on me." The silver mech paused, and then hesitantly stated: "At least I thought so." He couldn't get rid of the obsessive thought that Minimus could actually utter that phrase...

But he didn't really want to talk about Ultra Magnus right now; something else was much more important. A sudden thought came to mind, who could be on that very ship. Just how to say this...

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"Ravage..." Megatron began cautiously, tensed internally, "do you think I'm mad?"

"Self-critical, however..." the cybercat barely restrained himself from whistling. "Why all of a sudden?"

Megatron places his servos together, brought them to his face and closed his optics:

"The vision of Yuntara's destruction is not the first. I had others... Including those about him."

"About whom?"

"Shockwave." The silver mech opened his optics again and met his companion's gaze. "That evening, a few minutes before the attack, when you came to our aid, I had a system failure again..." Megatron looked up at the ceiling, remembering. "I saw him... In two forms at once. Nonsense, of course, but..." He looked at Ravage again. "But when that unknown ship tried to drag us into its hangar, it happened again. I..." his voice became much quieter, "it was as if I was in complete darkness, and the next moment heard a voice..."

"His voice? Shockwave's?" Ravage's optics narrowed, he pulled back slightly, as if being afraid. "But he's dead, is he not?"

"You don't believe me," Megatron immediately felt awkward. It's good that I haven't started talking about the huge purple eyepieces in that same cold, impenetrable darkness. "Fine, forget it, nothing happened." The silver mech waved his right servo, was just about to stand up, but...

"I, too, at that moment felt something," Ravagesuddenly declared, he's gaze rushed up and to the right, "how to describe... atfirst there was a feeling that our ship was about to be squeezed by someone'sgiant-sized palm, and then... something else intervened." The cybercat closedhis optics, completely immersing himself in memories. "Right from here."

"From here? From the Lost Light?" Megatron clarified. Not opening his optics Ravage raised his right paw, calling the leader to silence, and the silver mech obeyed.

"Something unusually strong and almost elusive even for me," the cybercat continued. He lowered his head and placed the right paw back on the floor. "Just for a moment... An energy field that passed through the entire ship and then disappeared."

"And that's when the ship's cannons fired..." Megatron's words sounded more like a statement rather than a question. Ravage opened his optics and looked seriously at the silver mech:

"I didn't see the shot itself," he shook his head, "but you said it was a tractor beam. Yes?"

"Maybe."

"Do you think it really was Shockwave?"

"I don't know." The silver mech clasped his digitsand stared at them. "The voice said: 'Remember me as I was'. Before he wasarrested, Senator Shockwave managed to send me a video message," the formerleader of the Decepticons smiled bitterly: "Despite everything, I still keep itin my memory," Megatron pointed his right index digit to his temple, "afterall, this was the last time I saw the Senator for real... and alive."

Ravage tensed. It was obvious that he wanted to ask what exactly the former senator, a once smart and far-sighted politician, who later became an insane, impersonal mech, guided only by logic, and never by emotions, had conveyed to the leader.

The silence continued. Megatron saw and felt Ravage's desire to ask a question, but he himself didn't offer to tell. No... if he wants to know, let him ask me. I will no longer share my thoughts with anyone myself, only with their consent... I won't offer.

Finally, the cybercat couldn't stand it:

"And what did he tell you back then?" he asked hoarsely. The silver mech responded by getting off the berth and kneeling in front of his comrade:

"Open your comm channel. I'll show you."

Megatron sent a remote request and instantly received a positive response, then selected a tedious file from the archive and began playback. He wanted Ravage to see this message with him, feel it and, perhaps, suggest answers that the Decepticon leader himself hadn't been able to find during all this time.

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First darkness, followed a quantum corridor, and then both the sender and the recipient saw it. The same mech, a representative of the upper class with white-red-blue armor - the same color as Optimus Prime. This mech had a face... Clear blue optics, noble features. He was smiling, despite his poorly concealed nervousness. Ravage involuntarily shuddered: he had never spoken with Shockwave before the empurata, only saw and heard his voice from holoscreens. The Senator spoke and addressed directly to the viewer, it was a recording.

"Hello, Megatron Ambus... or Megatron of Tarn, as you once called yourself and still do again. And this is my fault. Yes, everything didn't go as I planned. Many mistakes have been made, many troubles will still happen. If you're seeing this, then the Functionists have caught me... since I've done something completely unforgivable for them. I can only pray to Primus that you and our other allies won't suffer the same fate as me... or worse.

I failed. Our enemies turned out to be much more cunning than I expected. The Functionists will do anything to maintain power, because if they lose it, they will lose all hope of security. From the very beginning they saw a threat in you: not only in your writings, but in you yourself. I didn't have time to tell you the truth, Megatron, I didn't tell you about my aspirations and plans for you. And if nothing works out, so be it. You still shouldn't give up, and you won't, I know it.

The fate of Cybertron depends on you. Finish our work, Megatron, restore justice. You were on both sides, you felt with your spark how harsh and cruel life can be, and you can fix everything. Trust only proven allies, lead our people to victory over the Functionists. It won't be easy, but I believe that together you will succeed and achieve your goal. You know what to do. Goodbye. Remember me as I was. Always your friend, now the former Senator of Cybertron... Shockwave."

The broadcast ended... the quantum corridor again... and now walls of their quarters grew around Megatron and Ravage again. The silver mech didn't take his optics off the cybercat, waiting for a reaction, and the latter had no idea how to behave correctly.

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"I don't know what to say..." Ravage nervously shook his head, looking slightly to the right. "So it was before his..." He pointedly ran his right paw over his own neck, and Megatron nodded in agreement:

"...еmpurata, yes. They depersonalized and re-made him. Shadowplay."

"Scoundrels."

"For the Functionists he was one of the main enemies, like Autobots for us. I still can't understand what exactly he did to deserve this. All I know is that Pax was with him... and allowed it to happen." The cybercat silently looked at Megatron, his mouth open, and the silver transformer just spread his servos: "He told me himself later. Shockwave surrendered hopping to give us time, to avert suspicion, so to speak." He squatted down, then straightened up to his full height. Ravage remained sitting on the floor:

"Orion Pax knew about this and allowed it? Why?"

"Well, I wasn't there, no idea what they were talking about." Megatron moved his servos along the sides. "Orion and I parted ways... you know when."

Ravage knew. Captain Orion Pax, like most of the security forces, didn't support the protesters; he refused to stand with Megatron before the Senate. Since then, a personal feud arose between the two, which continues to this day.

"So, it was... a kind of... goodbye?"

Megatron nodded shallowly and retreated to the wall, not looking at Ravage:

"I think yes. He said, 'Remember me as I was'. He knew what they were going to do to him." The silver mech turned sharply to his friend again: "I've already heard the same thing twice recently. Do you think it was my imagination? Was it so?"

"Your imagination?!" Ravage suddenly got up. "Didn't I just tell you about what I felt when we were attacked in the orbit of that ill-fated planet?!" He abruptly stood up on all fours and began to approach his leader, who didn't expect this. "Megatron, people go crazy individually, let it be known to you. And here I listened to how the Autobots on this ship shared their impressions. Everyone felt the strange effect - EVERYONE! Not only you..." He wearily ventilated and retreated guiltily: "Forgive me..."

"No."

Cybercat trembled:

"No?"

"No, you're right." Megatron, it turns out, didn't even look in his direction. "All this is too real to be just a mirage." The silver mech ran its right servo along the faceplate. "But I can't even think of a logical explanation." Megatron walked back and forth and clenched his fists at chest level. "Strange things began after the Autobots released me. And most of the mechs I spoke to afterwards acted like..."

"Like who?"

"Like the nobles of the past." Megatron suddenly realized when he experienced something similar. "For the high classes mecha I was still outwardly a member of the lowest class, but they had to tolerate." He slapped himself on the chest plates with his left palm: "Because of my spark."

Ravage tilted his head to the left in surprise.

"That is, the Autobots kind of realized that you are somehow connected with these artifacts that we are looking for, and they, like it or not, need your help. Right?"

Megatron was dumbfounded. There is a grain of wisdom in this... If Optimus received knowledge about the Keys from the Matrix of Leadership, perhaps this very Matrix told him something else? Unless there is one 'but'.

"But what do these artifacts have to do with me?"

"Pfft! Should I remind you?" Ravage spread his right front paw and began to defiantly bend his digits: "You started acting strange back in the desert – that's one. Led us to some cave that no one else knew about – that's two. Found a lever that opened an underground path - three..."

"Stop it already..."

"Then your optics changed color - four..."

"Enough, I said!" Megatron interrupted sharply,forcing the cybercat to involuntarily fall silent. He also missed a lot ofdetails. He didn't know that the first thoughts about the underground cityappeared in the silver mech's mind while approaching Yuntara.

"Are you saying I'm wrong?" Ravage asked rightly indignant, then his faceplate suddenly brightened: "Yes, I have an idea." He jumped to the exit to the corridor and beckoned the leader to follow him: "Come on, check something."

"Where to?" he frowned in confusion.

"Let's find out if my guess is correct, I know you're used to trusting facts. Although there were already plenty of them."

Driven by curiosity, the former leader of the Decepticons silently walked to the front door and pressed the opening button on the side panel. Ravage, making sure that there was no one nearby, jumped out first, followed by Megatron.

"So where are we going to?" he asked cautiously, bending slightly towards the four-legged mech.

"You'll see," he responded and headed somewhere to the right.

Megatron, not understanding anything, automatically followed. Wonder what ravage's up to, and what does he want to prove to me? Don't understand anything, and I'm already worried...

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials OST – Goodbye; (conversation with Ravage)
2) Fallout 2 OST - Dream Town (Modoc); (memory)
3) Halo Infinite OST – The Weapon; (Ravage recalls strangeness during the attack)
4) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire OST - Katniss (Shockwave's message)
5) Halo Infinite OST – We Do It Together (further discussion)

P.S. There will be more later in flashbacks about Megatron's early life and pre-war events. Also in this case, the explosion that infected a large part of Cybertron in the past wasn't the fault of the Decepticon leader. He and the Autobot leader fought, Optimus shot, Megatron evaded, and... But will Prime confess? After all, if it weren't for the Decepticons, nothing would have happened, right?

Chapter Text

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Halfway towards the elevator the cybercat suddenly stopped, twitched his ears, listened, and then, as if by chance, suggested:

"Maybe we should take the stairs, huh?" and not waiting for reaction, he turned right at the intersection of two corridors.

Of course, there were stairs between decks on the ship, but the crew members mostly preferred to use elevators. It wasn't hard to guess: there was someone ahead, and Ravage wanted to avoid unnecessary random encounters, Megatron understood this. Who knows, maybe this Legislator, who is now following on his heels most of the time, is hanging out there.

"So where are we going to?" the leader asked again as calmly as possible. He never liked surprises.

"To the bay where our recent finding is now stored." Ravage, who was leading him, didn't even raise his head.

They had already reached the stairs and were now descending to the lower level. It was a little darker here, small round lamps the size of Megatron's fist were all along the ceiling in a long chain.

"Why?"

"When we get there, I'll tell you."

Megatron didn't argue – he was interested himself. And here and now, a showdown with Ravage, who has decided to play a spy, can only attract the unwanted Autobots' attention on this ship.

They walked down two more flights of stairs and found themselves in the same wide, illuminated corridor as almost everywhere else. Megatron knew that there was a weapons depot here, as well as Perceptor and Brainstorm's laboratory... And for some reason, Megatron had a feeling that they were heading there, although he didn't know exactly where the Key was currently kept.

"Wait." The cybercat suddenly ordered and pointed up at the video camera under the ceiling. Megatron knew that almost the entire ship was stuffed with them, a recording was being made, but Rodimus didn't consider it necessary to view the material. "Just in case, it's better not to risk." Using magnets built into his paws, the cybercat quickly reached the detecting device along the wall and redirected the lens upward to the ceiling, then almost silently jumped to the floor and announced with satisfaction: "Now good."

"Yeah." Megatron grinned at this.

Ravage did the same with two more cameras, and now both mechs stood in front of a closed door with the sign 'Laboratory 202'. The four-legged Decepticon quickly typed a combination of buttons on the side panel on the right, and the passage opened in front of them with a quiet hiss. The room was light, but apparently empty.

"Here we are," the cybercat announced and was the first to slip through the open door.

"I don't even want to know how did you find out the access code," Megatron muttered, just in case, looked around, and followed him. "What if someone sees us?" In the past he would definitely praise his companion for such skills, but now... not understanding why they came here, when they shouldn't... The former Decepticon was lately catching himself that he was now becoming more and more the way he was even before the revolution, when he was afraid to cross the line and break the rules... And this began to happen to him even before that Autobot prison.

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The big lab was crammed with all sorts of scientific equipment: there were various terminals and consoles along the walls, two design tables in the center, left part of the room was filled with some containers, and lights there were a little dimmer. I was right, Megatron mentally admitted, even on the way, the silver mech had a thought that Ravage was leading him exactly here.

The recently discovered artifact was behind a special force barrier near the wall opposite the entrance. Ravage immediately rushed towards there, but Megatron approached much less decisively. The rack with the protective shell and the Key reached the silver mech somewhere up to the waist, while the power dome itself rose somewhere up to his chest plates. A long pyramid, painted with incomprehensible signs, stood vertically, the tip in the form of a green crystal in the shape of an icosahedron, as the former leader of the Decepticons approached it, began to turn pale, as if an invisible light was slowly lighting up inside it.

"Wow..." Megatron immediately stopped, as if feeling a response to it from his own spark...

"It reacts to you," Ravage stated in a whisper from the bottom right, "as I expected."

"Come on..." the leader looked at him as if the cybercat was crazy, although he himself realized the truth of the companion's words.

Slightly apprehensive, Megatron extended his right servo and held his open palm over the power dome, then lowered it. He raised the servo again, held it over the find and put it down once more. In both cases, the tip, as his palm approached, again responded with an even greater glow and faded away as soon as Megatron lowered the servo.

"But how... and why?" the silver mech, not understanding anything, retreated a couple of steps, pointing with his right servo in the ancient finding's direction. "I've never..."

'To get the Key can only those who gave it... Or their successors.'

"Maybe because you are a Point One Percenter?" Ravage suggested uncertainly. At this Megatron just shook his helm:

"Magnus didn't feel anything. And he is just like me."

"Not exactly," Ravage objected, "he is a Load-Bearer, and they..." The cybercat suddenly froze, ears pricked up.

"What?.." Megatron became wary, already guessing what was happening.

"Someone's coming. Probably here." Ravage quickly looked around and in a beautiful long jump found himself next to the distant shelves and containers. "This way!"

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Megatron didn't have to be told twice. He jumped to the dimly lit part of the laboratory and along with his companion, dived behind the shelves. Which turned out to be just in time: the doors opened a couple of seconds later, and someone appeared on the threshold. This someone walked deeper into the lab, then the beeping sounds of a working holographic console reached the hiding Megatron and Ravage.

Both mechs cautiously looked out and saw Brainstorm at a terminal not far from the high stand with a force barrier, behind which was the found ancient relic. The scientist entered some data into the computer, then a beeping sound of the installation next to the artifact distracted him and the mech came up to see what had happened.

"What in Unicron's..." his voice reached Megatron and Ravage, who were hiding in the dark part of the laboratory. They looked at each other warily. Then Brainstorm looked around in confusion and, putting two digits to his left temple, nervously called: "Perceptor, come to the laboratory 202 at once, something strange is happening here."

Megatron felt as if his inner systems froze: if the chief researcher also came, then how long would he and Ravage sit here, risking being found at any moment, and what was suddenly wrong with the artifact? They shouldn't have to come to this place...

Perceptor appeared in a matter of minutes. Brainstorm waved him to come close with his left servo and showed something on the screen of the console closest to the ancient finding. Both bots stared at the monitor for a while, then the chief scientist said incredulously:

"It's impossible. Are the readings absolutely correct?"

"I checked twice, everything matches." Was the affirmative answer. "Sudden, unexplained artifact activity? But what caused it..."

At these words Megatron and Ravage tensely turned their heads towards each other again.

"Did anyone enter here?" Perceptor clarified again.

"When I came, there was definitely no body..." Brainstorm responded with some doubt. "No one was standing at the door either." He scratched the top of his helm with his right servo. "We need to check the CCTV footage."

Watching them, Megatron nervously clenched his servos into fists at these words. Perceptor approved his comrade's decision:

"Do it. I'll report to Ultra Magnus."

"Shouldn't both captains know this as well?"

"Not now. Don't forget, even though Rodimus is leading the expedition, Magnus is in charge. And Megatron..." here the chief scientist hesitated for a second, probably looking for more decent words, and eventually said: "Despite his direct involvement in what's happening, a Decepticon cannot be trusted under any circumstances."

Now this hurts. Not that the silver mech expected any kind of good attitude - no, he knew who was who on the ship - but since he was the one who discovered the artifact... He, and not anyone else... It was simply outrageous to hear this: the Autobots are in their repertoire. Peace with them impossible. And one more thing... Direct involvement? What did this dot mean?

"Calm down," a fellow Sign member whispered to him on the left, before another power failure occurred.

"I'm calm," he growled in a whisper, having guessed where it was all going. Be that as it may, Megatron mentally thanked Ravage for stopping him in time.

When both bots - Perceptor and Brainstorm - left the lab, Megatron and Ravage waited a couple more minutes, then the cybercat was the first to jump to the door, listen, and, making sure that no one was nearby, announced that it was safe to leave. And when they were already in the corridor, he turned to Megatron with a hint:

"Now you see?"

The silver mech didn't even know what to say.

* * *

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At the appointed time Tarn and all other Justice Division members gathered at the communications terminal. The commander at first wanted to talk to the traitor in private, but then decided that it was better to let the whole team hear it: one way or another he would have to tell them everything. Starscream... Tarn's servos have long been itching to get to this slippery mech, and now also a traitor. This is the DJD's priority mission - to deal with those who have turned their backs on their own...

The room was in twilight, as it usually was during a holographic communication session, so that the interlocutor displayed 'at the other end' could be better seen without adjusting the optical sensors. At the right moment a connection request came, and Tarn gave the order to Kaon to open a comm channel. Imagine the surprise of all those present when, instead of the expected winged interlocutor...

"What the..." Thesaurus growled somewhere nearby. Tarn's fists clenched involuntarily. It seems that what he was wary of had happened: the Autobots wouldn't have been able to recognize the Peaceful Tyranny's communications frequency unless...

"Commander Tarn, greetings," spoke the holographic interlocutor, who turned out to be none other than the commander of the Autobot security force, "I apologize for such secrecy, but current circumstances require special measures."

"Did Starscream spill the beans?" the DJD leader coldly asked in response. To this Prowl just grinned ironically:

"Unfortunately no. He has no idea about anything. If we had more time, I could convince him to transfer the Peaceful Tyranny's frequency to me personally. But there's not much time. We need to have a serious talk: you and I."

Tarn's optics narrowed predatorily. Neither he nor anyone else present, except Nickel, felt fear; the Justice Division is too serious group even for the elite Autobot army. But anger... At the traitor... and at himself...

"We have nothing to talk about with an enemy," he announced after a couple of moments of silence.

"You're wrong," Prowl's malicious grin became even wider. If he had stood in front of Tarn here and now, the DJD commander would have squeezed his neck with bare servos, not even using the voice resonators. "We have a common enemy. The one who betrayed you," the Autobot security officer put the servos on his belt and proudly raised his helm: "The one who so easily defected..."

The floor began to disappear from under Tarn's pedes, the Decepticon lowered his helm slightly, just so as not to look at the hated mech rendered in the form of a hologram. The common voltage of the team members' EM fields and his own increased sharply. Megatron... Lord Megatron. It's about him and no one else.

"...who created the Decepticons and then tried to destroy them. But failed."

Failed. The leader's words involuntarily sounded in Tarn's head again - the call to surrender. A statement that the Decepticons don't have a goal and never had. Lies... Provocation... Manipulation. It cannot be so...

"Change of plan. We are going to war."

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If others could suggest something... But the whole team, as usual, is waiting for his order. Clear chain of orders, ideas and suggestions are only if the commander asks about it himself. But Tarn won't do this now... Not in front of an enemy. Cooperating with Autobots is beneath him, but playing along to get the necessary information...

Having made the decision, Tarn again looked into the interlocutor's optics with a cold, confident gaze. Something in Prowl's faceplate has changed: he no longer hides the fact that he's playing with fire... he understands who he is dealing with.

"What do you suggest?" was the commander's next question. Prowl's faceplate stretched into a satisfied grin again.

After a conversation with the Autobot, the Peaceful Tyranny got an exact course: to intercept the Autobot spaceship Lost Light, which is now moving towards the planet Imano. There they can set up an ambush and deal with the team.

"Are we really going to do this?" Nickel asked carefully when the communication session ended.

"We won't kill Lord Megatron... yet," Tarn responded, still looking at where Prowl's hologram had just been, and then looked down at the little femme medic, "but we have to find out what this slag is going on. Get to work! We now have a goal." And he was the first to leave the radio room.

"Heh, the Commander ordered not to hurt Lord Megatron, but didn't say anything about his escort," Helex snorted, leaving with the others. They supported him with consonant sounds of approval.

Nickel helplessly lowered her servos and stared at the floor. A new brawl is coming... and then it's up to her to restore these lovers of good fights. It always was this way, it will be like this again. It's her job as a medic after all.

* * *

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Walking to his second meeting with Rung, Megatron didn't know what to think. The first one was very... strange. They were assembling a spaceship model and hardly talked about what in the Decepticon leader's opinion they should have talked. I wonder what he'll come up with now? Considering he was with me and the others there when we discovered... what we discovered.

Like last time, the former Decepticon leader was heading to the psychotherapist's office with extreme caution, so as not to catch anyone's optic and not to drag attention. After hearing a conversation in the laboratory, he was filled with suspicion: they know more than they tell me. But from where? Why? And what did the Autobots do to me in prison... before freeing me? If you can call it freedom.

Looking around, Megatron pressed a button on the dashboard near the door, and with a quiet hiss the door slid to the left, letting him into the bright, cozy office of the ship's psychiatrist.

"Next time you will tell me more about this, alright?" Rung, who was sitting at his desk in front of the computer screen, raised his helm and wordlessly waved to the silver mech to come in.

"Very well," answered the voice, from which Megatron's faceplate stretched out in silent amazement. "At the appointed time, right?"

"Of course," Rung answered him and prepared to turn off the connection, "see you later." He pressed a button and stood up from the table, paying all his attention to the fur that entered. "Glad you could come, Megatron." The therapist left the table, also smiling welcomingly. "How are you feeling?"

"Was that..." coming closer the silver mech pointed his right index finger at the monitor on the table. He could swear... this voice couldn't be confused with any other.

"I still have other patients on Cybertron, would be wrong to leave them, don't you think?" the therapist asked with a hint, his gaze could be felt even through the almost opaque lenses of his glasses. Rung didn't want to admit, but he did it on purpose: didn't end the previous meeting earlier so that Megatron would understand that he was not the only one who needed help. Even those who are extremely confident sometimes experience difficulties.

"Starscream?" the former leader still couldn't believe it.

"Why not?"

"Wow..."

Rung pointed with his right servo towards the far left corner, where were a couch for the patient and a chair for the psychiatrist himself. So, today no plays with ship models or anything. Will it be an interrogation? A questioning? Digging into the past?

"And what did Starscream want?" Megatron sat down on the couch, while Rung took the chair opposite him. "Complained about how bad he felt under my command?"

"Not at all." Rung shook his helm. "He mentioned you several times, but never in a negative way. I can't say more: professional ethics."

Several times? How many sessions did they have? And when did the traitor seeker manage to do become one of Rung's patients? Hmm... never in a negative way... Is this a joke?

"Tell me about your relationship with him?" Rung unexpectedly asked. "He was your Second, right?"

He was, and tried to kill me many times, but it didn't work, the silver mech wanted to say, but stopped in time. Instead, he put on a slightly confused look and said as indifferently as possible:

"If he didn't say anything bad about me, why should I?"

Rung frowned kindly and moved back a little:

"Megatron, I'm not suggesting you sprinkle him with slag," the Decepticon reset his optics in confusion, and the therapist chuckled quietly: "Yes, figuratively speaking." He took off his glasses, looking closely at the patient again. "At least there was something positive or neutral, yes? Otherwise, you would have found yourself another SIC."

I should have done this long time ago, after the first attempt on my life, the silver mech mentally agreed. Why did I put up with it for so long? Why do some get dozens and even hundreds of chances, while others, after their first failure, have no opportunity to improve? I have never been a supporter of such punishments. Or I wasn't before... An enemy is an enemy, no matter whether external or internal.

"As a warrior he was good..." Megatron finally squeezed out, looking to the left. "And smart. There are few like him." It was worth adding: a cunning, slippery one. But the silver mech chose to restrain himself. He wouldn't complain. Never.

However, Rung gradually managed to get him to talk a little. Questions were careful, unobtrusive, Megatron also answered without losing his vigilance, but he didn't have the feeling that he was being interrogated. They were discussing not Starscream's actions, but Megatron's attitude to those times... The meeting, according to the silver transformer, passed quickly...

And only at the end they touched on what happened on the planet Yuntara. Rung casually dropped the phrase that the ship would soon arrive at the second planet, and perhaps Megatron would surprise everyone again.

At this, the silver mech shuddered. Suspicion... fear... mistrust... Maybe the hint was made too early?

"Do you think it will happen again? I don't even know what it was... Can't explain..." the former leader of the Decepticons said quietly, not looking at him. Does the therapist know something as well that Perceptor and some others do, judging by their behavior?

"Megatron," Rung called softly and paused, waiting for the interlocutor to look at him. When it happened, the therapist leaned forward a little and answered just as calmly: "I'm just an ordinary therapist, not a physicist or a wizard, so I don't have a precise answer. I can only suggest that if it happens..."

"What?" he muttered sullenly.

"Don't resist."

The amazed Decepticon's optics almost doubled in size.

"Don't resist," Rung repeated with a barely noticeable smile, shaking his helm slightly. "Perhaps you are the only mech here who can truly lead us to our desired goal. Whatever that means."

And I will continue to accompany you on this difficult path, my spark...

Megatron remained silent. Previously Rung hadn't condemned him for the question about spark ghosts. He convinced Prime to let him out for a flight... And in general, he behaved and continues to behave as if... as if he is not at all...

"And you are not afraid of me?" he finally decided to ask out loud.

"Should I?" the psychiatrist was genuinely surprised, leaning back slightly in his chair. "So far you have never given me a reason."

Megatron answered him with an expressive silence.

* * *

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It was midday in the Cybertronian capital, but already in the first half of the day Optimus had managed to hold two important meetings and visit a civilian facility under construction. In two hours he had another meeting planned, and then an evening trip with Starscream to Vos, where they were about to inspect the establishment of transport links with the cities of Tarn and Kaon. Some kind of accident had recently occurred in the latter city, and the Prime was planning to visit there personally tomorrow. Fortunately, there were no serious casualties, otherwise the ruler of Cybertron would have arrived there much earlier.

For now he had time to rest and sort out the incoming e-mails. Some kind of failure had recently occurred, there were several attempts to penetrate the system. Five in fact. Three had been repelled, but two were successful, as a result additional cyber defenses had to be installed. As Prowl later swore: the Decepticons, whom he called the most obscene words, don't learn anything at all. Instead of admitting defeat, submitting... and self-destructing, they continue to fight for some mythical rights, although their entire original undertaking was doomed to failure.

Optimus didn't approve of such sentiments and tried to suppress them at the official level in every possible way. The Prime cannot forbid someone from thinking, but there are laws, and the Decepticons are the same Cybertronians as the Autobots.

There were a lot of letters, the system was restored only recently, so the Prime was still sorting through those that were marked as important ones, and one of them was from Ratchet, and the second - from the Ultra Magnus. As soon as the Prime saw senders' names, he immediately switched to these two. First, he opened the Ultra Magnus's letter. Reading it, the Prime couldn't believe his own optical sensors. They... what?! Impossible... But Minimus wouldn't lie, especially about such things...

The letter from Ratchet, which Optimus opened next, contained details... How it all happened, what was the reason, and about the consequences that could have followed if the medical team hadn't reacted in time. At the end there was a note: "Please, old friend, tell me you didn't give such an order."

"What..."

The Prime felt as if the entire office had started spinning, and he along with his chair would now be pressed against the wall by centrifugal force. Confusion turned to shock, shock turned to anger. How could this happen right under his nose?! And there was only one mech who could have ordered such a thing...

"Prowl?!" Optimus growled, realizing what happened. Determined to have a serious talk with his security officer right away, he stood up abruptly, clenched his fists, and only took a step towards the exit...

...as something in his chest responded with a sharp pain, impulses passed along the frame from the spark chamber to the peripheral systems, causing failure after failure. The HUD involuntarily displayed a series of errors. Optimus fell to his knees, grabbed the table with his right servo, tried to pull himself up, but another pain attack almost completely paralyzed the ruler of Cybertron's frame. Still on the edge of consciousness, the Prime managed to send a short message: "Help..." - to the medic Farma, before everything around him went dark.

* * *

The Lost Light was almost at its destination. This time with Megatron being on duty, when they were about to reach the second planet. But Rodimus also showed up on the bridge at that very moment. Without a special invitation.

"Ha, thought I'd miss everything, co-captain?" was the first thing the red-yellow bot said as soon as he walked through the opened doors.

"I wasn't thinking about you at all," Megatron chuckled, casting an irritated glance at the Prime's student, and stared ahead again.

"Hey, that's rude!" immediately came the indignant answer.

Skids and Cyclonus exchanged glances, trying hard to hide their smiles.

[It's never boring with both of them,] the latter sent a message over the internal comlink.

[Indeed,] came a consenting response. The blue-orange mech with yellow optics checked the coordinates and after a few moments announced:

"We are approaching the planet Imano." And not waiting for an order, which would have followed anyway, he brought up an enlarged image of the planet on the large screens.

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A planet of volcanoes, completely unsuitable for normal life. But just like Yuntara, it hides something important... What we are looking for. Megatron looked at the screen with the feeling that he had been here before... Only in another life... There, in the depths of the hot planet, something was left that he and the others came to take. But here everything will be different – the vault is different... built by others... On purpose. There was no large-scale natural disaster here. How do I know this?! A recent conversation with Rung involuntarily popped into his head...

"Do you think it will happen again? I don't even know what it was... Can't explain..."

"Megatron, I'm just an ordinary therapist, not a physicist or a wizard, so I don't have a precise answer. I can only suggest that if it happens..."

"What?"

"Don't resist. Perhaps you are the only mech here who can truly lead us to our desired goal. Whatever that means."

"And you are not afraid of me?"

"Should I?"

But I'm afraid of myself... I don't want this to happen to me... and at the same time, I hope for the opposite. The entrance is under a huge active volcano... Rivers of lava... a gentle slope... a long corridor ending with... Megatron rubbed his faceplate with his palms and shook his helm, driving away the sudden obsession. Is it all repeating again? Nothing happened just now.

"What's wrong, Megs?" Rodimus's cautious, quiet voice seemed especially loud to the Decepticon. "Everything okay?"

"Yes," he lied, looking at the screen again, "the second Key is here."

And again, everyone's optics focused on him. But the silver mech didn't care. He felt, he knew that this planet was their next target. The artifact is here, Megatron knew it somehow. He knew, but couldn't confirm it yet... or deny it.

Soundtracks (with chapter episodes):
1) TES 5: Skyrim OST – Silence Unbroken; (path to the lab)
2) Mass Effect 3: Leviathan DLC OST – Bryson's Lab; (interaction with the artifact)
3) Mass Effect 3: Leviathan DLC OST – You Don't Belong Here; (someone entered)
4) SWTOR OST – Ziost, The Grave; (conversation between Prowl and Tarn)
5) Independence Day OST – SETI Radio Signal (Tarn makes a decision)
6) Mass Effect: Andromeda OST – Meridian Ambience; (the next session with Rung);
7) Mass Effect 2 OST – Horizon; (Optimus received news from Ultra Magnus and Ratchet)
8) Halo Infinite OST – Main Menu Theme (arrival on planet Imano)

P.S. One more chapter till the end of Part 1. Optimus' reaction was spontaneous, I thought it would be strange if with his unstable spark strong emotions wouldn't cause consequences. The fake Matrix has nothing to do with it. For now.

Chapter Text

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The Lost Light reached the Imano orbit in thirty-four minutes. Unlike the first, more or less 'calm' planet they visited earlier, this one already looked unfriendly even from space. No atmosphere suitable for organics, natural sources of water are also absent. Instead, there are numerous rivers of lava and sharp rocks. The temperature is quite high even for Cybertronians.

There is mining here, so appropriate bases and small spaceports present, but the potential landing point is far from them, the area is completely uninhabited and seismically dangerous. As far as Megatron knew, technologies that are used these days are quite different from those when he was a miner: now mining at particularly risky depths is carried out by machines, and 'alive' operators control them from a more or less safe distance. Yeah, the silver mech thought to himself then, in the past they were throwing us into the very pit as expendable material, sometimes without providing basic means of protection...

What we are looking for is here, the inner voice suggested. Megatron was familiar with this feeling from the last time: the awareness of a fact that is not confirmed by anyone or anything yet... which couldn't even be called a fact until a certain moment.

"Don't resist. Perhaps you are the only mech here who can truly lead us to our desired goal. Whatever that means."

Whatever that means... Megatron was carefully observing the orange thickened in some places winding lines on the planet's surface, which were lava rivers. There are more of them in the southern hemisphere... But we will land in the northern... There's a path under the highest volcano on this planet... The silver mech shuddered and shook his helm.

"What are the landing coordinates?" he asked the operators just in case.

"58.728673 north latitude and 64.947981 east longitude," Cyclonus responded, "the more or less closest to the supposed search zone landing spot." The purple mech brought up a map of the area on the large screens, where the desired point was marked with a green cross. "Only the site isn't very big, no more than two hundred meters." An uneven area was outlined in red around the green pointer on the screen. "The Lost Light definitely won't be able to land there. Suitable for the ship landing areas are even further away. "

"Then what..." Rodimus, who had hesitated for a moment, suddenly remembered what they had used to get to the ship directly from Cybertron, and asked the silver mech: "The shuttles?"

"Looks like it," he nodded sullenly, "to the surface by shuttle, and then on pede to Arog Janengo."

"Fire Mountain?" the Ultra Magnus's voice suddenly rang out from behind, recognizing the name said in Ancient Cybertronian. Megatron, remaining in the captain's chair, turned to him over his right shoulder and casually remarked:

"That's what this place used to be called..."

"Called?" Partly funny was to see the sincere bewilderment on the large Autobot's faceplate. "By whom?"

By whom... Megatron made himself thinking. No one had ever said if this volcano even had a name. This thought came unexpectedly... No, it's no longer just alarming, it's frightening. Whatever was guiding me before, it's giving me hints again... But for what, why, how?

"By those who hid the Key here." With these words Megatron stood up and announced to the entire bridge: "Bring the ship into a stable orbit and inform the crew: in fifteen minutes, everyone is to gather in the briefing room. We will discuss the details and begin the search." Megatron stepped down from the dais on which the captain's chair stood and was just about to leave the bridge, but Rodimus managed to ask a question into his back:

"Hey, don't we need to inform Cybertron as well?"

The former Decepticon stopped abruptly in the doorway and turned to look at the red and yellow Autobot. Rodimus wasn't a complete fool, he rememberes important details.

"No need to waste time waiting for a visual contact just for the sake of a report, a message will do. Go ahead."

And he left. The crew members present didn't even know what to think. The first captain, putting the servos on his belt, stared at the closed door for some time, until Skids's voice brought him back to reality:

"So... what should we do?"

"What-what..." the Prime's protégé muttered to this, "you heard the Expert, send a message to Cybertron about our location and to the meeting." He jerked his slightly trembling servos from worry and moved after his co-captain, muttering under his ex-vent: "Looks like something interesting is is about to happen again... slag..." Rodimus jumped out after Megatron, but was unable to catch him in the corridor.

* * *

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If Megatron knew what danger might await them on the planet Imano in addition to the seismic activity, he would never give the order to land without making sure. But the feeling of risk was mixed with the desire to find out what was going on. So he simply didn't think about the fact that they could fall into a trap... Another knew this. Knew, but didn't show it. Because he decided that it was necessary. For those there is still a chance... But will it work... Even He cannot accurately foresee the consequences, there is only a probability. He can only help not directly interfering.

The Peaceful Tyranny arrived to the planet of volcanoes earlier, having the same coordinates as the ship the Justice Division was searching for. That Autobot didn't lie... The Lost Light arrived a little less than a space day after the Justice Division team itself. Most of them went to the planet, only Kaon and Nickel remained on board. The sigspec was ordered to observe and inform others when the target was detected.

In the past Tarn was very impatient, but he had learned to wait, observing his leader's actions. The only thing that worried him and everyone else was whether this was a lie. If so, he would personally deal with this impudent enemy who had given them a false trail. Soon everything would be clear... Very soon.

And finally, after a tense wait that seemed especially long, the signal came from the Peaceful Tyranny: the target was detected.

"Get ready, everyone."

* * *

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The entire crew gathered at the appointed time. Again several large screens were used for the demonstration, this time with views and schematic images of the second planet they were going to visit. Perceptor, who had told the team about the previous planet, also took the floor this time.

The scientist described in detail the proposed search location near the volcano, which Megatron called 'Fire Mountain', and also, together with Magnus and Nautica, conducted a safety briefing. They would have to take shuttles. It was decided to use one for reconnaissance, so the team could include five, maximum six mecha - more would simply not fit in one shuttle.

"I can go down alone," Megatron suggested indifferently, partly understanding that such a proposal was more of an imitation of mental activity, and no one would agree to it.

"Out of the question," the Ultra Magnus was the first to object, as expected, and Rodimus immediately interrupted (supported) him:

"Keep dreaming, Megs!" He even rose from his seat towards the silver mech. "I'm the captain, actually, and this is my mission, in case anyone forgot. So if you think that..."

"I'm the captain, actually..." Megatron mimicked reproachfully, "try to at least rearrange the words in your sentences for variety. How many times can you repeat the same thing as if you're malfunctioning?"

Out of the corner of his optic the former leader of the Decepticons caught how some of his words made others smile, and also a quiet giggle was heard under the table at his pedes. Looks like Ravage also appreciated his statement.

"Ah..." Rodimus opened his mouth and sat back down in his seat with his lower jaw down, looking at the table with an offended expression. What does this mean, he asked himself indignant, that I'm repeating myself? I'm repeating myself?! - [Do I really repeat myself that often?] - he sent a signal to Drift via the comm.

[Constantly,] the racer didn't hesitate to answer, carefully hiding his smile.

In the end it was decided to send two shuttles to search for the Key, the rest of the crew had to remain on the ship in the planet's orbit, monitor the situation and wait for the results. Megatron, Rodimus, Magnus, Getaway and Velocity took one shuttle, and Perceptor, Cyclonus, Windblade and Riptide occupied the other. The latter unexpectedly offered to help, since he had already been in similar places when he worked as a miner. Megatron, being one himself in the past, although surprised by the unexpected offer, didn't say anything against it however, it's unlikely anyone else present, due to their high-class origin, had ever been in such locations. There's one bad thing: why should he and the annoying Rodimus fly in the same shuttle?

"I'll pilot this time," the silver mech deftly intercepted the red-yellow Autobot's shoulder and pulled him back when he tried to take the pilot's seat. "We've had enough of your past attempts." Of course, he was talking about the time when the shuttles took off from Cybertron, and Optimus's student decided to show off, scaring the others.

"Pfft! As if you are a perfect pilot, Megs!" the Prime's protégé frowned, but plopped down on the seat next to him, having first made a face at his co-captain.

On the mark from the bridge the shuttles took off from the ship's hangar one after another and headed for the planet Imano surface. There were two planned landing points: the one discussed on the bridge was for the shuttle under Megatron's control, while the second group was to land six kilometers to the southwest, then both teams would gather and begin the search. Ravage wanted to go too, but Megatron asked him to stay and watch the Autobots here. One can never know.

The descent was relatively short, but tense. The silver mech couldn't shake the feeling that they were not flying into an unknown trap, then at least something bad could happen there. I know what we're looking for is there, he thought along the way, somewhere...

"Maybe I should have taken the helm," came an uncertain voice from the left, "you look like... I don't know..."

"Like what?" Megatron's digits tightened on the control stick.

"No, nothing... Stay focused." Rodimus leaned back in his chair and crossed his manipulators on his chest.

The shuttles were already a couple dozen kilometers above the surface and were now flying smoothly, heading for the landing sites. The sky was gray with dirty, ragged clouds, the sun's rays barely breaking through. Half-light and fiery streams on the ground...

"Amazing..." Velocity, sitting in the shuttle cabin to the left of Ultra Magnus, who took the seat in the center, almost pressed herself to the window, "real rivers of lava."

"Oh yeah," Getaway chuckled on the right, "what a place. Did everyone grab the protective units?"

"Of course!" Rodimus turned over his left shoulder with his right servo raised up, on which, like everyone else, a bracelet for generating a force field was attached.

"Just don't turn it on here," the Ultra Magnus muttered barely audibly, not even really addressing the first captain. Anything can be expected from the Prime's apprentice.

"Come in, Ranger-1, approaching point Two," Perceptor, who was controlling the neighboring shuttle, announced over the loudspeaker. The ships began to move away from each other.

"Copy that. We're moving towards point One." Megatron reported and slightly tilted the control lever to the right, moving his shuttle away, the second one had already disappeared behind the mountain peaks.

When the other small ship disappeared from sight, the silver transformer felt a little uneasy. And it had nothing to do with the feeling that Megatron somehow knew where they were going to. No, during the war, the Decepticon leader's sense of impending danger had become ingrained in his reflexes, and with Starscream's presence, it had almost reached the level of paranoia. But what could be threatening here... besides the planet itself?

"Quiet... too quiet... and gloomy..." Rodimus shared his thoughts, nervously rubbing his palms with a weak grinding sound. "As if once we land, technozombies will attack us, like they did back at that station."

"What are you talking about?" Getaway couldn't help himself.

"Don't you feel it?" Rodimus turned almost halfway around to face him. "It's like..."

He didn't have time to finish. The shuttle's instrument panel began flashing warning lights of a missile approaching. Then was a sharp blow to the tail section, the ship lost control and plunged sharply downward.

* * *

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Prowl learned that Optimus Prime had been urgently sent to the medical center from Jazz, who contacted him via comlink. The security officer arrived a few minutes later and found not only the scout who had called him, but also Jetfire. Both were waiting in a small observation room with a panoramic window overlooking the lower level, where the operating room was located.

A large red and blue frame on a wide berth, some sensors attached to it, medics bustling around under Pharma's supervision... Previously, Prowl would have been seriously worried about his friend, but... not now... Not after giving the Matrix of Leadership to the Decepticon, not after he himself had made a deal that he now didn't regret at all.

"How did this happen?" he asked sharply, only entering the observation room.

"Unknown," Jazz shook his helm, not taking his optics off what was happening below. "As far as I can tell, it wasn't an attack. It's about..." He took a deep ex-vent and finished more quietly: "It's about his condition..."

Bad, the security officer immediately thought, too early. If the former still active Prime kicks the bucket, they'll have to change the plan on the fly. But first, they'll have to deal with the new Matrix bearer...

Speaking of the Matrix... Prowl's optics narrowed predatorily. The medics don't know... The copy is identical in appearance to the real one, what if someone has questions? Provided that they monitored Optimus's frame after he handed over the Ancient Artifact to his former enemy. Need to deal with this... as soon as they're done.

"Hold on, Optimus," the security officer said sympathetically, so that those present could hear him, and then added to himself very quietly: "It's not the time yet."

* * *

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The landing was rough... Luckily, Megatron managed to steer the shuttle at a tangent and soften the impact a little, but they were still shaken hard. The small ship plowed the ground with its nose, leaving a deep furrow behind it... stopping almost at the very edge of the cliff.

"Hey... Everyone alive?" the silver mech heard Magnus's voice in the bay behind him a few moments after everything stopped. "Megatron, Rodimus, Velocity, Getaway?"

"Ugh..." the green femme also moaned behind.

"I think I have a crack in my chest plate... or in both of them..." a voice complained from the left.

"What was that..." Getaway muttered.

Everyone's showing signs of life, good... Megatron unclenched his digits with difficulty, releasing the control stick. During self-diagnosis the HUD showed several errors, nothing critical, fortunately, but it didn't reduce the pain. Several dents and scratches, the systems are still recovering from such a serious shake-up. But it's nothing... I've experienced worse. Much worse.

"Megatron, you alright?" Ultra Magnus called. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes-yes... fine." He somehow didn't even think that he should answer right away. "What about you all?"

"Let's get out," Getaway and Magnus together pushed the door of the passenger bay. Since the shuttle was lying slightly on its side, and the cabin door was jammed, everyone had to get out through this passage.

"Slag it all, my temperature sensors are off the scale!" the red and yellow Autobot's cry reached Megatron. The silver mech was the last to be out, so it took him a while to understand the reason for the latest discontent...

"First of all, don't be dramatic, it's only 200 degrees max, nothing to go off the scale. Secondly, turn on the shield generator," Getaway advised the grumbler, pointing to his own left wrist. Rodimus nodded and activated the device attached to his right servo.

It became hot almost immediately as soon as they got out of the shuttle. Luckily, the temperature control system inside the ship didn't fail. Once outside, Megatron, like everyone else, turned on the shield device that was on his left servo. The miniature generator hummed slightly, a request signal passed through the systems, the silver transformer immediately gave a mental respond, his frame was surrounded by a barely noticeable whitish glow for a moment, and then disappeared. The shield was activated. The heat began to be felt much less, and the cooling fans in the frame immediately reduced their speed to normal.

As far as one can judge externally, everyone escaped with minor injuries, and the 'cracks' on the first captain's chest plates turned out to be scratches. Deep, but still scratches. In any case, no one needed urgent help. That's good.

The sun almost went below the horizon, which made the rocky peaks and lava rivers seem especially ominous. The fallen shuttle was only thirty meters from the abyss, and below it a lake of molten magma was seething. Every now and then fiery splashes shot up, fortunately not reaching the ship.

"Great Primus..." Velocity, who had hobbled to the edge, put her servos to her face. A little more and...

"Yeah, not the best landing," Optimus Prime's protégé, who had also come up to watch, agreed sullenly. "And here I am being reproached for supposedly flying badly!" he said the last five words especially loudly, not looking at anyone in particular.

"You're welcome, Rodimus," Megatron, who immediately caught the message, came up to him at the distance of an outstretched servo, "for your information, if I were even half as good at piloting as you, we would have definitely crashed into some mountain peak!"

"Ah, how easy it is to talk about what would have happened if it hadn't happened, but happened something completely different, right, Megs?!"

"What?.." the silver mech and the green femme asked at in unison, with equally uncomprehending expressions on their faceplates, but then Ultra Magnus's voice interrupted them:

"Everyone come over here!"

Megatron, Velocity and Rodimus turned towards the shuttle and without saying a word hurried to the call. Magnus and Getaway were standing near the tail section of the damaged shuttle, from which smoke was still pouring. The nozzles were completely torn apart, there was a serious hole in the tail section. Optimus's student even whistled at what he saw:

"Holy slag!" He squatted down and began to carefully examine the damage. "Were we hit by a rock flying out of some erupting volcano or something?"

"Looks more like a missile," Megatron didn't feel like being sarcastic about this. The onboard computer did report an attack a few moments before the impact.

"A missile?" Velocity felt as if the ground was slipping away from under her pedes. "But who... how... why?"

"Good question..." the Magnus responded thoughtfully. Then radio frequency noise came from the cabin, and then all five heard Perceptor's voice:

"Ranger-1, come in! Do you read? Please respond!"

Getaway immediately darted inside the shuttle and got in touch:

"We read you. This is Ranger-1, over?"

"Finally!" the scientist on the other end said indignant. "What's going on? First there was a noise, you disappeared from the radar..."

"We crashed, but fortunately everyone survived. The damage is minimal."

"What?.." Perceptor was horrified, and then Windblade's voice intervened:

"Crashed? Primus..."

"Everyone is alive, there's no danger," Getaway assured again, "head to the meeting spot, we'll arrive there soon too." He turned to the exit from the shuttle cabin and added in a lowered tone: "Be careful... Unicron knows what's going on here."

Once getting outside, Getaway reported to the others about the conversation with Perceptor that had just taken place. It was decided to also go to the meeting place, but then suddenly Megatron's attention was attracted by something: a small red flickering light under the right wing of the shuttle.

"What the pit..." He crawled under the wing and took a small device from the hull, easily fitting in his palm. "Look at this." Megatron showed the find to everyone. An unpleasant silence hung, broken a few moments later by the red and yellow Autobot:

"Is that what I think it is?"

"A signal beacon," the Ultra Magnus voiced the general assumption. "What in Unicron's..."

Yeah... Now Megatron had no doubt that the fall wasn't some kind of accident. This was definitely not an erroneous attack from one of the local mining outposts... It wasn't for nothing that the silver mech had a bad feeling.

Be that as it may, the group moved to the meeting point, trying to stay away from open areas. It impossible to contact the Lost Light now - some strange interference in the atmosphere. Not a good sign.

"I don't like all this, guys," Rodimus muttered on the way, "I can feel it in my gut," he demonstratively put his left servo to his chest as he walked, "we are being watched."

"But who?" Velocity was perplexed.

The one who shot me at Stellar-6? The one who sent disguised Autobots to destroy us... twice? The one who mined the ground shuttles on Yuntara? These may be different mechs... but they have the same goal. Megatron was fully aware of the danger he was exposing himself to by joining the Autobot team, but he was partly foolishly hoping for a favorable outcome upon successful completion of the mission, and then... come what may.

"They have already tried to kill us several times," Rodimus spread his servos. The narrow road they were walking along began to go up. "But here and now..."

'Danger!'

Megatron stopped so abruptly, as if he had encountered an invisible barrier. The fear he feels is no longer just apprehension, it is a sense of real threat. The left servo touches the chest plates... The inner voice screams at him to leave.

"Megs?"

"Captain?"

"Megatron, what's wrong?"

He silver mech can't say anything... even though he understands, they are here... close... We're trapped.

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"Watch out!" Megatron suddenly grabbed Rodimus and Velocity by the servos, jerked them sharply towards himself, and right at that moment something exploded several meters above them, and a stream of stones fell from above, knocking all five of them off their feet.

"Helms up!"

They rolled down the slope very quickly. And painfully. However, as soon as they had time to come to their senses, they saw in front of them...

"Hello, tourists. Took the wrong turn?"

All five froze, still remaining on the ground among the stones. A mighty huge Decepticon as tall as Ultra Magnus, tank tracks on his shoulders, a mask with a red cross covering his faceplate, and a huge depression with spikes in his stomach, which was already ominously rotating.

"Slagging aft..." Rodimus bleated quietly, moving closer to his co-captain, as to the only potential protection.

"Tesarus..." Megatron ex-vented, not trusting his own optical sensors. It's bad. Very bad. Extremely unlikely that he flew here alone and just like that, because he was interested in geology. Which means that the others are nearby too. It would be better if instead of him alone there was again a hostile group of Autobots disguised as Decepticons.

Megatron's guess was confirmed almost immediately, when from behind another, earlier rubble a green spiky four-legged mech appeared, slightly larger than Ravage. The Pet, formerly known as Agent-113. He looked around at those present with a snarl, lingering his gaze on Megatron and Ultra Magnus.

"Get up." Tesarus ordered coldly, making the appropriate movement with the right servo with a powerful cannon mounted on it.

Megatron obeyed first. Of all those present he was the only one who truly knew who they were dealing with. He knew how serious the situation was. Will it be possible to talk to them... Convince them to listen and understand...

"Lord Megatron. You will have to explain a lot."

Here and now, Tesarus wasn't in the mood to communicate. But Megatron didn't even have time to make a sound before smoke bombs and then plasma charges started flying from somewhere above at the Decepticon group that had overtaken him.

"Get out of there!" Perceptor's voice reached them.

And then the real battle began. Tarn, Vos and Helex appeared behind the team. The latter pushed Windblade and Riptide off the cliff where they were standing. Fortunately, not into the lava. The fight wasn't equal. Despite the numerical superiority of the Lost Light team, they would never be able to cope with the Justice Division, so they had to retreat. Windblade received such serious injuries that Ultra Magnus had to take her on his shoulder. Riptide could barely move his right leg, Perceptor's left servo had melted a bit and his right eyepiece had cracked, Getaway's turbojet nozzles had been damaged, so he couldn't take off now even if he wanted to, Megatron... Apparently, Megatron was the only one who hadn't been badly hurt in the scuffle, as if his former subordinates had been deliberately trying not to hit him. And, to be honest, the silver mech hadn't really been trying to get into a fight... He just didn't know what he could do now.

"They're your subordinates, Megs, make them retreat!"

"Mine? Rodimus, did you hit your helm or what?!"

"If we do nothing, all of us will be so hit that we won't be able to get up!"

They were caught in a narrow canyon on the way to the second, working shuttle. Another explosion... Looks like Perceptor's team was also being followed and the return route was mined very quickly. The former Decepticon leader was thrown so hard that he hit his helm on a rocky outcrop, instantly falling out of reality...

&Play the soundtrack while reading the next episode

*flash*

"Megatron..."

The silver transformer abruptly opened his optics and... suddenly found himself in a completely different place. Dark emptiness and fog... This place, whatever it was, Megatron remembered seeing it... once. But why... how did I get here?

"The situation is extremely serious. Critical, even. You know that."

Terminus. He's here, a few steps away from him. Looking intently, as if expecting something. For some reason Megatron is afraid now. Somehow he realizes, understands that he should be somewhere else... Not much time.

"What's happening..."

"That is not the question you should ask." It was very unusual to see Terminus so serious... no matter how ended up here. "If you mean," he gestures around the space around them with both his servos, "this. And as for what's going on in reality..." Terminus points to his left, and out of nowhere, a kind of window into another dimension materializes in the fog: a jagged portal, moving in waves, behind which...

"No!" Megatron rushed forward, but stopped at the last moment. What to do here and now? What can I do? He turns his helm towards Terminus again. The ghost is inactive, but there is a strong feeling that he is waiting for something from the silver mech.

"They haven't killed anyone yet..." the ghost of his comrade states. Both watch as the DJD herded all Megatron's group members into a bunch, some were even pushed or thrown sharply.

"But they will," Megatron suddenly realized. "Tarn wants me... to watch?"

*flash*

"Fight me, Unicron damn you!"

Someone roughly lifted him by the shoulder pad, then a strong fist hit him in the face... Then followed a kick to the stomach. Megatron couldn't hold on and found himself on the ground again.

*flash*

Megatron shook his helm and realized he was back in the misty, dark gloom, with Terminus standing next to him. The momentary pain the silver mech had felt receded as suddenly as it had appeared.

"That's only a small part of the consequences of your own actions," Terminus reproaches. There's not a drop of sympathy in his voice or his eyes. "You knew the Decepticons wouldn't give up."

"I failed them..." Megatron feels completely helpless. He knows he fully deserves the wrath of Tarn and the others, but the team... They have nothing to do with it. "I failed everyone."

"Not yet."

*flash*

He's already face down on the ground, his right arm twisted behind his back, his left one immobilized, something pinning him to the hard surface.

"Fight or watch your friends die! The choice is yours!"

"Enough!" Velocity's pleading cry reached them.

"Come on!" Tarn's voice is demanding and... pleading at the same time? As if he wants to be heard. "Fight back, dammit!"

*flash*

"Time is short, Megatron," Terminus hints again. "You have the strength to stand against them. You don't even need a weapon."

Megatron just shakes his helm:

"I don't want to kill anyone. I promised myself: never again."