A/N: In case people don't know, Transformers Victory is an obscure Japanese Transformers anime. It features a new cast of Autobots and Decepticons and takes place in 2025, which is decades after G1. However this story uses the Victory manga ending instead of the anime ending because I like it better.
Cast: Because some of you are probably wondering who these guys are.
Star Saber- The leader of the Autobots, like Optimus Prime.
Deathsaurus- The leader of the Decepticons, like Megatron.
Leozack- Deathsaurus's second-in-command. He's a traitorous bastard like Starscream.
Hellbat- Part of the Breastforce under Leozack's command. He's a bit of a coward but sly and has a way with words.
Blacker- Star Saber's second-in-command. He can be blunt and honest. Also part of the Brainmasters.
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers. Any characters not mentioned above are OCs.
He couldn't believe the war was over.
One minute the Fortress was raining explosions down on the Earth's surface. The next minute Star Saber and the other Autobots had broken into the Fortress's supposedly impenetrable defenses. There, they would land the final and decisive blow, one that would destroy the Decepticons thoroughly.
But then Deathsaurus, instead of fighting to the finish or even surrendering, decided to show the Autobots what they would be really destroying. It was the most fateful unveiling in the entire Cybertronian war. For not only was the Fortress a weapon of destruction, but also the home to many of the Decepticon families.
Star Saber, being the heroic pain-in-the-aft, couldn't kill these innocent civilians as well as the Decepticon resistance. And Deathsaurus, who was fighting for the safety of all the families, realized that they would live better under a reign of peace. So the two leaders brokered a peace treaty, and an end to the war without the need for gunfire.
At least, that's what Hellbat hoped would happen. Even though Star Saber thought that this was the best choice, there were other Autobots that said otherwise. They expected Deathsaurus and the Decepticons to break the treaty at the first chance they get and start the war all over again. After all Decepticons, could never be trusted. Admittedly, Hellbat would've thought that Deathsaurus was actually conjuring some sort of plan to crush the Autobots while they were lulled into a sense of peace. But after working under the Decepticon emperor for many years, he could tell that he meant what he said this time.
And then there were the Autobots that said that the Decepticons must pay for what they did. They slaughtered countless Cybertronian soldiers and ruined the lives of many more. They destroyed planets, killed entire populations of sentient aliens... Their list of crimes went on and on and Hellbat knew that half of it was rubbish. Still, no matter how much he didn't want to believe it, their words had some truth to it. He doubted that the Decepticons were going to go unpunished for all they did. The real question was what was going to happen to them. Would they be sentenced to imprisonment? Community service? Death? Hellbat tried to tell himself that they wouldn't kill all the Decepticons that fought in the war. That would just create more resentment among their families that would eventually boil over into another war. He couldn't doubt the possibility of it happening though...
Around him both Autobots and Decepticons were talking and whispering. Mostly among those that shared their faction but he could see some robots that tried to mingle with their former enemy. If there really was going to be a new era of peace then the terms 'Autobot' and 'Decepticon' shouldn't exist anymore. Yet it was going to take a very long time for that to occur. Most Cybertronians were born during the war, so the war was the only thing they've ever known. Hellbat himself was one of those mechs and he can't imagine a life as anything but a Decepticon soldier.
Yet, he was going to adapt to this peaceful life somehow. He had to.
Beyond the door Hellbat was facing sounds he hadn't heard in a long time. High pitched squealing, loud yelling, someone that didn't know any better might've thought that the room was some sort of torture chamber. But the shouts weren't shouts of pain, but of laughter. When Hellbat opened the door, he was immediately bombarded with the eager chatter and beaming faces of young Transformers.
"Heeey! Storm Dive! Counter Flight! You've grown so much since I've last saw you!" Hellbat was patting and hugging the numerous young bots that were crowding around him. They were coming so quickly that as soon as he said one name another kid would arrive, begging to be greeted. Eventually they all had their fill of Hellbat and dispersed to let another mech through, an older femmebot that still had youthful energy in her eyes.
"It's been a while since you've last visited. You shouldn't have made them wait so long." She said with a faint smile.
"You know how it is Mercury! Being a soldier under one of the top commanders means I can't visit this place very often!" Hellbat told her apologetically. "But now that the war is over, I can come by as much as I'd like!"
"Is it really?" She tried to sound pleasantly surprised, but a layer of suspicion accompanied her voice.
"Yes it is. Emperor Deathasaurus and Star Saber are working out the details for the peace treaty..."
The Decepticon children looked up at Hellbat with starstruck expressions. Whenever he visited the Fortress orphanage, he always had war stories to tell them all. And they always ate it up, even if most of the exciting parts were over exaggerated. So of course it wasn't only the orphan caretaker that was interested in this news. The young bots wanted to hear the end of the epic tale Hellbat has been weaving.
The former warrior sat down and started telling the story of the last battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons. He described in great detail how the Fortress's bombs annihilated the Earth's surface, and had the plan been successful, would've given them enough energy to run for stellar cycles. But then not only the troublesome Autobots got in the way again, Hellbat's own commander became a traitor to the cause! Overcome by his lust for power, Leozack tried to kill Deathsaurus and Star Saber in one fell swoop. This plan, like many others, was thwarted when the mighty Emperor of the Decepticons survived the death laser's blast and took down the betrayer himself. But the effort to follow through this action left Deathsaurus drained. He would not have survived the oncoming fight with the merciless Star Saber, and his defeat would've ensured the death of everyone on board. So to appeal to the Autobot's sense of mercy, he revealed the existence of the many families and children that lived on the Fortress...
"Instead of continuing this war and endangering innocent lives further, the two commanders decided to lay down their arms and unite in peace. This was all done for your sakes, so you wouldn't have to grow up in a war-torn world." Hellbat's voice was barely above a whisper at this point. He looked around the room, his red eyes making contact with the few children that were still awake. He didn't mind that most of them had fallen asleep though. Even though his stories were the best, growing Cybertronians needed their sleep and very few kids can sit still and listen and stay awake.
"That's a nice tale Hellbat." A voice from behind him spoke. He thought it was Mercury at first, but no. She was right in front of him. And that wasn't the voice of a femmebot. He turned his head around, and then sat up abruptly, knocking a few dozing children away.
"Blacker!" Hellbat fought the urge to assume a fighting position. It would be very bad if a fight broke out in the orphanage. Very bad.
"Relax. We're all supposed to be friends now that the war is over." The Autobot sauntered his way into the room. "Although I don't recall it ending the way you described it..."
"What are you doing here?" Mercury was also on her feet, although more ready to run and take the children with her than to fight.
"I'm just checking the place out." Blacker said nonchalantly. "And then I heard silver tongue over here telling the kids a very different story... Are you trying to start another war you idiot? Star Saber is not the bad guy! You Decepticons are!"
Hellbat was about to retaliate but stopped himself. A fight was breaking out, although it was one of words rather than punches. He pushed Blacker outside of the room and closed the door behind him so the children and Mercury wouldn't be able to listen in.
"You want them to think that they're the bad guys? When they have done nothing wrong? These kids should be living on a healthy planet's surface instead of being crammed into a spaceship! They should be getting full energy refueling instead of rations! They were suffering because of the war and you want me to tell them it's they're fault?"
"Well it certainly isn't our fault either!" Blacker snapped back. "Maybe you and the rest of the Decepticons should've thought about this before picking a fight!"
"You ignorant yatsu-ra!" Hellbat took a step forword, his voice dripping in enough fury to make the Autobot flinch. He wanted to punch his smug face, and he almost did. But that would've caused more trouble than it was worth.
"Is everything alright?" Mercury poked her head outside of the door. "I heard shouting and..."
"Everything's fine miss." Blacker told her, as if he didn't notice that the blue Decepticon was about to punch him. And Hellbat, not wanting to start a scene in front of her, forced himself to calm down.
"Are you sure...?"
"Yes. We're fine." Hellbat said reluctantly. Mercury gave the two of them a quizzical look before retreating back into the room.
Red eyes locked onto blue eyes as they dared each other to make the next move. But then Hellbat did something Blacker in a million stellar cycles wouldn't have expected. He apologized.
"Look. The war is over and done with, so it doesn't matter who's fault is it or who the bad guy is. But we shouldn't be harboring any ill will towards each other. Deathsaurus and Star Saber wanted peace to set an example for the children, so we should do the same. Okay...?"
Blacker blinked, as if he couldn't believe what came out of the Decepticon's mouth. But then, unexpectedly, he broke out into a smile.
"Right. This is like a new beginning and a new start for friendships. But you know, I wasn't actually surprised that you like to tell stories to orphans. It's something about you I picked up among our many battles."
"What? Really?" Hellbat was puzzled as to how that could happen.
"Yeah. Among all the Breastforce members, you've always seemed a bit... soft."
"Take that back!" The urge to punch Blacker was rising again, although he can tell that the Autobot was joking around. Before either of the two can provoke each other further, the communicator on Hellbat's wrist was flashing.
"Oh." He glanced down at the blinking light.
"What's that for?"
"I think... I think they've decided something important about the peace treaty and they need the Decepticons to hear it."
Blacker's face betrayed no emotion. Yet when he nodded and spoke some words of encouragement, Hellbat knew that he was expecting the worse to come out of the meeting. Because even though he said that this time was a time for new beginnings, the atrocious things done in the past can't exactly be ignored either.
But the encounter with the Autobot and his visit to the orphanage seemed to offer him some closure. So he was ready for whatever fate had for him. And as he turned to leave, Hellbat hoped it wasn't too cruel, so he could see the kids again.
A/N: In my own canon yatsu-ra is a Cybertronian swear. But it's actually a Japanese word they use a lot in the anime. And the subbers leave that word untranslated for whatever reason. Which is funny. I had to include it.