Everything was almost going perfectly!
Sure the Lugnut Supreme's had been taken over but Megatron knew exactly what he was going to do to that traitor when he found him… but right now the Autobot before him and his mockery of 'flight' were the real prize.
He wanted him dead and he wanted it now.
So when a bundle of Seeker clones swamped him, Megatron could only howl in fury at how they took after their creator and his backstabbing streak as they prevented you from escaping the exploding Supreme's blast, he couldn't even keep that blasted Autobot in with him!
Megatron at least tried, he attempted to fly out, continue the fight but all that did was fling him upwards.
Out and away from Earth.
The only satisfaction Megatron had was that he was surrounded by Seeker corpses, but with his current injuries and energon leakage, he'd soon be joining them too.
The long aimless float through space… hurt.
It was so vast and you so insignificant and the times you had to really make your name, your mark, on the universe were continually being thwarted even now.
With only himself to talk to Megatron was surprised when he answered back, yet also not surprised, after all, the energon-loss was surely making him woozy.
But no… Looking up Megatron saw himself, enveloped in a green fire!
Megatron, the other Megatron, stood there like space itself had warped to give him a platform.
The fire seeped from seams in his armour as if he was being powered by some ethereal force, the strongest you'd ever seen.
He wanted it.
The other Megatron smiled as if reading his thoughts, with an outstretched servo it spoke, voice echoing as if hundreds spoke in unison.
To you, it offered a deal.
The power for total galactic domination and revenge, in exchange for a partnership.
Seemed simple enough, all it wanted him to do was smash something for it.
What a loser, clearly whoever this version of Megatron was they traded their processing power for literal power.
Megatron smiled accepting his offer.
He took the beings offer and in the blink of an optic the flames enveloping his other self, snaked over to him then, he was burning, searing agony, stretching metal and molten heat poured through him until he was new, reformed.
And pretty purple.
Around him he saw the Seekers burning and melting, the same energy that had consumed him was practically burning away at their forms revealing new ones underneath.
The figure was still shrouded in green flame but it was different, it reflected his new form, it told him his new name:
Galvatron!
And these new troops - Cyclonus, the warrior and Scourge the huntsman and his army of Sweeps.
All this to destroy one measly object?…
Revenge shall be had.
Under his new master's direction, he travelled to Cybertron and Cybertron fell before him.
He found that Autobot, parading like a hero, he found him and made him into a message for all to see, for all to know this was the beginning of their downfall.
It was so EASY.
Galvatron had never before considered simply charging Cybertron and taking it by force, even when he had more troops to command.
But this… This was so much fun!
The exhilaration of torment and destruction!
It was years of slaughter, and y'know what it felt good! So good it physically hurt NOT to kill.
It. Felt. Good. To. Obey.
But no, no, that voice was demanding, very demanding.
He told him he was no toy, not a thing to be played with.
Galvatron could almost hear it smile before his spinal strut was twisted and snapped.
Galvatron could only gasp and lay stunned, something deep in his processor telling him not to give the force the satisfaction of his scream but he could barely hold it back.
It would take a while for this to be repaired.
Especially when your own troops ran away from you.
Ungrateful!
You'd think after being released from prison and leading a successful charge against Cybertron they'd be happy? But no, they cowered from you and your lieutenants hurrying to avoid optical contact.
As Galvatron crawled back to his base, spinal strut popping with the effort, he could hear that voice again.
It was right, absolutely right.
It cared about him… it hadn't run away! Surely… Surely that meant it cared… They were just spineless parasites running away from true power! Yes… That was it… That voice was always right… Just look at what it gave you! More than they ever did!
Cyclonus and Scourge took him away, deft yet quiet servo's fixing your back seamlessly.
See? See!? They weren't… they weren't ingrates!
They were good!
They were strong! Loyal!
They rarely spoke, however… it just left more room for your master to speak.
Such quiet things, drowned out by the rumbling echo of your master… Galvatron almost didn't see Cyclonus as he slipped down a corridor and into a dark room.
Arms hanging limply, covered in spider web cracks seeping precious Energon.
Galvatron hardly saw Scourge as he huffed and gurgled, Energon around his oral cavity gasping quietly as he barely took in any air.
Galvatron told himself it was alright.
The voice said something… Galvatron didn't like it… Pet? Toy?
How dare it! He was strong, he was powerful! Look at how the Autobots cowered!
This wasn't the strength of any pet or toy!
He belonged to nobody!
It hurt again, like a thousand needles piercing his processor, each one screaming as they went in.
Galvatron couldn't remember where he was but he dropped and fell, rolling pathetically down some steps.
One who gave power can also control it and take it away.
It wasn't like he was useless, unwanted and hopeless without Master… Right? Master was wrong… Right?
Galvatron didn't need him to be strong… Right?
Yet it felt so… rewarding to go back to him, to do what he said, he could almost forget that his legs were snapped the wrong way that morning when he dared idle as his Master spoke.
It was only when that stupid Autobot that had taken command this time showed up. Galvatron didn't know their name, he didn't need to know the name of a soon-to-be corpse anyway. Yet this day the Autobot had the AllSpark around its neck, there was an urge to destroy that first.
That? That was the trinket his Master desired destroyed?
Pitiful!
But Master would be happy with it gone. Master would praise you. Master wouldn't break your back again.
Fighting the Autobot was a cinch.
They had become hardened over the time you had spent chasing them, hurting them, thinning their numbers.
Yet still, this one faltered, preparation ill-compared to the real thing.
Make Master happy now, Galvatron.
The purple mecha lunged, claws spread and stretched ready to tear the throat from this new distraction but he ducked and dodged, speed being more this fellow's thing.
Then again Galvatron found himself not aiming for the Autobot.
Need to get that glowing blue crystal around his neck…
It's what Master wants! He'll be happy when you destroy it for him! Then it'll all be better again! It'll be fine! Crush it for Master!
The tip of one of the two handles that adorned either side of it, snagged on one of his claws. It was enough and Galvatron twisted around mid-flow, bringing his fist up and directly into it's glowing core.
And then everything… went.
It wasn't like falling unconscious, no, Galvatron was conscious on some level but every sensor array had shut down.
Everything was gone.
Weird, strange, disconnected.
All of those words accurately described what he felt right now yet there was another thing.
Silence.
Master's voice no longer rang in his head.
Galvatron frowned, or at least he thought he was, he wasn't thinking the same.
Master wasn't Master any more, instead, a new word… No, name, came up in his processor whenever he thought of him…
Unicron.
The name rang bitterly, yet sensations started returning to him and Galvatron felt almost as if he were in a stream, the cool liquids washing over him, clearing him of dirt and filth.
Just as quickly as it came it went and Galvatron could see again.
He was in a chamber, so tiny, his servo's and pede's clamped tightly in a pair of stasis cuffs.
Only two?
How pitiful.
Galvatron pulled and the cuffs around his servo's snapped, a twitch of the leg and the ones around them popped off. A strong punch above him and the ceiling to this tiny place buckled and tore away.
Voices screamed and figures ran as Galvatron climbed out of the stasis pod they were attempting to seal him in.
Fools! They had nothing that could contain Galvatron!
Galvatron tore his way through a wall, part of it crumbling and crushing some Mecha's leg.
They screamed, fear and pain making the noise intolerable.
For the first time in cycles hearing that scream felt… awful.
Panic flew through his Processor and Galvatron smashed his way through another wall.
If he just kept going in one direction surely he'll be out of the enemy base eventually?
"WELCOME BACK" That voice, Mas- no, Unicron's voice… It sounded so distant when usually it sounded so close.
Feeling dread poke at his spark Galvatron whined, optics going blurry as he furiously bashed his way through the base.
"THIS IS NEW, ISN'T IT PET?"
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, go away.
"DO NOT FEAR MY LITTLE PET" Unicron's voice whispered quietly as a figure popped up before Galvatron, "YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO"
Galvatron screamed, what else could he do? He lunged forth, grabbing the figure, swinging it, beating it, clawing it, biting it, all until it stopped moving and something warm trickled down Galvatron's front.
The last wall crumbled as Galvatron didn't even bother to hit it, he just ran, burning ash and churning rust assaulted his olfactory sensors.
Galvatron flung his arm out, firing wildly at anything that seemed remotely person-shaped, continuing to charge across the landscape until figures that were slightly more familiar flew around him.
Only then did he slow, did he stop.
Did he look.
His cannon still smoked and Energon was splattered across his frame.
Yet everyone else matched that kind of description too.
It was carnage, twisted carnage.
Mecha all bearing a familiar purple crest rushed not to look at him, burns and breaks littering their frames, fear in their optics, corpses at their pede's.
Pain in their sparks.
"WHAT'S THE MATTER PET? WE WERE SO CLOSE TO WINNING THIS ALL, COME BACK TO ME" Toxic green energy tinged the rims of Galvatron's vision and heat spread across his faceplates.
Others of these mechas looked at him too, but they had something else in their optics, hope? No, it couldn't be hope… it was so hollow and empty…
'My brethren' Galvatron could hear a voice in the back of his head, a new one, grey servo's stretching out to a crowd of faces.
It was him, but it wasn't him.
'Together we will liberate our home of the tyranny it has been crushed by'
No, no, it was all lies! Filthy dirty lies! Replacing tyranny with tyranny is no sort of liberation! You liar! You filthy, dirty, awful liar!.
More heat spread across Galvatron's face.
It was Megatron…
It was him…
The lies, the manipulation, the pain…
It was all him.
"WHAT ARE YOU UPSET ABOUT? I TOLD YOU ONCE BEFORE, WE'RE NOT SO DIFFERENT AND THAT IS WHY YOU WILL ALWAYS COME BACK"
There was pain now, like hot claws dragging themselves over his internal systems, while cool hands rubbed at his shoulder struts like someone gently comforting him.
"N… no…this isn't… NO NO NO… please…" for the first time Galvatron heard his own voice, tired, strained, pleading, begging as the tears continued to roll down his face.
They deserved better.