Title: Star-crossed lovers
Continuity: Greekverse AU
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Shockwave/ Optimus/Megatron
Rated: M
Warnings: slash, Non-Con, Dub-Con
Words: ~8000

The war is over

"These violent delights have violent ends

And in their triumph die, like fire and powder
Which, as they kiss, consume"

Megatron sat on his throne, watching all the nobles and officials gathered in front of him, all bending their proud backs to him, the former gladiator, now their absolute ruler. From the Pits of Kaon to the throne of Cybertron, his was a story that belied imagination; when he started his campaign none of these sniveling insects now bowing to the ground believed that he would surpass them all; only his faithful followers, now flanking his throne, rising with him to rule and set this twisted and warped society right. Their world needed a strong hand to set the course, not the myriad inept councils and corrupt nobles that only cared about their own pleasures and set the city-states at each others' throats for their amusements; and his was that hand that would guide them if they could follow – and to crush them if they could not, for he had no interest in those unable to change.

The war was mainly over and all city-states bowed to his rule now – yes, there were still some pockets of resistance still here and there, some rebellious, naïve nobles and some stupid war-chiefs that couldn't see that they had no chance now against his forces. He let the former rulers of the city-states deal with these, only sending his Decepticons to their help if they could not – or would not – end those pitiful uprisings on their own. Mostly though they dared not to defy him and put down their own rebels quickly. He was amused by their fearfully and therefore badly hidden resentment towards him when he ordered them to execute their own people but so far none of them dared even a halfhearted protest against his will. By now there was only one rebelling group still fighting, surprisingly enough in the otherwise not very warlike state of Iacon, where he didn't really expect it. After acquiring an update on that situation, he ordered Shockwave to send there a contingent of Decepticons to 'help' the inept Iacon lord and eliminate the opposition.

Although he expected Shockwave to report a victory in a few orns, it didn't happen, and when he questioned his Second he had to learn that the rebels actually beat the Decepticon forces at their first encounter – and so they were still at large and even gaining popularity in the city-state. Shockwave was actually embarrassed by this, even though he was not there, and therefore the defeat was not his fault; he assured his Lord that with fresh forces and himself directing them he would wipe out the rebels in no time. Megatron had no doubt about it, as the intelligence showed them that the rebels were led by a young Iaconian noble only who must have been incredibly lucky so far, as his forces were pitiful against his and the Iacon Lord's. Their confidence was not unfounded, as the next orn the news of victory came back to Megatron's palace in Kaon brought by his Second and his Decepticon troops. They brought some prisoners too, as Shockwave informed his Lord, the Iacon Lord asking that he should deal with them.

"Why would Lord Magnus not execute them as I ordered?" Megatron asked irritably. He didn't like the prissy noble even though he was a capable leader, and seriously considered removing him now for this disobedience to his clear orders.

Shockwave answered by handing over a datapad to his ruler and elaborating on it vocally:

"The leader of the rebellion is his own son I believe. He begs forgiveness that he is unable to execute him on those grounds."

Megatron read the datapad and was forced to accept the mech's reasoning – it was the only thing he would accept for such thing. He had no family or bonding ties but still he could kind of understand the Iaconian Lord for being unable to kill his only son.

"Very well, we will deal with this… what is his name? … Optimus. Might even be useful to do something symbolical to show the population that all the rebellions are ended."

"Logical My Lord." answered Shockwave and continued "Do you wish him to be interrogated?"

"Yes, there might be some of his accomplices still at large. Don't damage him too much though and tell Soundwave to put together some sort of a ceremony for the execution."

"As you wish my Lord."

I'd known that at the sight of the Decepticons – mostly Kaonites - half my ragtag army would scatter in the winds and I couldn't even blame them for it. They were warriors, huge, ruthless, with gleaming, brand new weaponry, while my Iaconians have never been warriors, much less an army really; even those like me who were trained for it. Outmatched, outnumbered we still won the first encounter; they were clearly arrogant and underestimating us and I was counting on it, wanting to score at least one victory and escape somewhere to organize a more underground opposition; much like what Megatron was doing before he overtook Cybertron.

But they came again too fast after the battle, and this time they didn't make the same mistake, not with Shockwave in charge who meticulously planned and executed his maneuvers. My defenses crumbled like crystal shards under the barrage of fire on the magnitude I never seen before, they avoided the traps we set like they knew where to look for them, and when they got close my fellow Iaconians were no match for them. It was over before I could take down more than two of them, and no matter how bravely my friends fought we fell one by one…

I was shackled then, not even being so fortunate as to fall in a fight, damaged only slightly, and brought in front of my father and Shockwave, hovering behind and over him, not quite giving him the respect for his title, just making it felt exactly who was in charge. But no matter how he pressured the Lord he was still refusing to execute us – I knew that he loved me still but then sentencing us to Megatron's torture I felt distinctly unkind; I thought I'd rather be dead by a hands of my creator than see that ruthless dictator dole out what sick punishment he thought fit. But then nobody asked me about it.

They took us back to Kaon, where I was put into a cell, rather unceremoniously chained by the shackles and drawn up until I almost hang on them, feet barely touching the floor and they started the questioning. I guess they thought that a pampered noble would spill his guts easily and hardly done any damage; there were just a few blows, a little prodding with a shock-rod and they didn't go further even when I said nothing. Basically there was nothing really that I could have told and they seem to know it too. I was left alone soon to ponder about my fate… not that I could imagine too many variations in it.

Megatron found that he actually enjoyed the new duties of his rule; while he might not had the training for diplomacy or decision-making, he had plenty of intelligence and common sense and was not afraid to lean on his advisors' words if needed – or change the laws when he saw it necessary. Cybertron was in shambles and not only because of the war; the caste system, the unequal distribution of resources and goods, and the general uncaring, callous nature of the former rulers caused great scars in the society's fabric, further amplified by the almost racial enmity among the various city states' populations. The society was layered and splintered in so many ways that it was hard to call them all Cybertronians, as not many would accept a common designation with others – aside from families and bondmates almost no trust existed on any level of the society. He wanted to change all that but being no naïve youngster he knew that it must be done by force – and ruthlessly if needed.

He knew that many whom he ordered to be executed were not as guilty as it was portrayed to the masses; he knew that his Decepticons abused people almost as much as any callous Towers' mech; he knew he was a dictator and not a savior; but he did start changes in the lower levels, to educate people and make them possible to have better lives; and he did make the noble backs bend and forced them to give up their vast riches. Not nearly enough, he thought, but a start. Which thought brought a matter in his mind – that rebel in the cells that Shockwave reported not telling anything and being quite defiant about it. He decided to pay him a visit.