AN: Six shorts that can be considered character studies I suppose. Just little musings that I finally put together as part of an experimental project. Lemme know what you think!
Easy reading guide:
~Short 1: Could be worse - Megatron's thoughts on his team.
~Short 2: The Game - Shockwave chooses sides.
~Short 3: The Call - Prowl x Lockdown (It gets a little suggestive).
~Short 4: Cold Emotion - Blitzwing deals with emotion in a truly unique way, like it or not.
~Short 5: Jealousy - Shockwave is skeptical of Megatron's latest plan involving Lugnut.
~Short 6: Rock and a Hard Place - Megatron discovers that coming in-between rivals is the hardest place to be.
~Short 1: Could be worse
It was odd to think that out of the entire Decepticon race, their whole army, Megatron's crew had been boiled down to a hand full of misfits.
It was baffling to say the least. The young Autobots didn't know any better to even begin to question the logic behind the Decepticon leader and his choice in his most trusted comrades. Yet, Megatron tolerated them.
In his mind, they could have been worse. Of course they all had their problems. Their various little insecurities. But it really could have been worse. They were mostly loyal, at least. They feared and respected him. Well, at least they respected him to a point.
In the end, he didn't really miss his other soldiers. At least with these misfits, he was entertained. Even in their continuous failure, he was entertained. They certainly knew how to suck up to him. And, he had to admit... It could have been so much worse...
~Short 2: The Game
Shockwave had been playing this game for entirely too long. Half his active life it almost seemed like. Waiting. Always waiting.
He wore the face of a stranger so often that his own face was starting to become strange to him.
His loyalties never wavered. He always reminded himself of his true objectives. Each and every night. For all those years as he waited.
Waiting. He tried not to question what he was waiting for.
He had 'friends' in the Autobots. His commanders and those under him respected and trusted him. He was friendly. He was kind and he did his duty to the Autobots. He kept things running properly. And he did his duty to the Decepticons. He sabotaged, he changed information, and he mislead those that trusted him.
He would switch back and forth so often that he often wondered just who he was helping and who he was sabotaging.
It was a mistake anyone could have made in the same situation. Of course it was a mistake that had cost the Decepticons an easy victory.
He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't live this double life. He needed out. He needed to find his true self again. To find his face and his real spark.
And that was why he had cast it off so eagerly and left himself exposed.
And yet... He still wasn't sure who he would become.
~Short 3: The Call
Prowl sped along, trying to get away. He hated the city. It reminded him too much of Cybertron.
Out here, he could forget who he was. Who he had been and almost had been again.
The call had been too strong. He had forgotten how good it felt to give in.
Lockdown had reminded him. It was disturbing just how easily he had gone with Lockdown. His words and his way of life.
It hadn't even registered to Prowl what he was doing. Or that it was wrong.
If his team hadn't been there to remind him of who he should be, he would have happily gone with him. He would have given in to that side of life so readily.
Even now, it was so hard to let go. To turn and walk away. That was why he gave himself to nature.
To get away from the lure. The call. Lockdown never gave up.
He called him every chance he could. Taunting him. Tempting him with the promise of long hard days and passionate nights.
Nights that he could just imagine. Metal on metal. Oil clashing and claws digging into every crevice they could find.
He swerved along the road, distracted and picking up speed as he attempted to out race these thoughts.
And still that voice was calling to him with the promise of a spark to spark...
His own spark throbbed painfully at the prospect of that violent spark next to his again.
It was more than mods. More than power. It was giving in completely.
To a mech whose life was nothing but control and self discipline, the lure of giving in was more than he could handle.
To just forget it all and become like he was. To let him lead him and spar with him again.
Prowl skidded around a corner, sliding as he lost control.
Wheels Screeched as he skidded across the road into a barrier.
Breaking through, he starred up at the sky as he fell.
The fall was cut short as he crashed through metal out of place in the mountain roads.
"Well well... I knew you'd come to me eventually, Prowl... But I honestly didn't think you'd literally land in my lap."
~Short 4: Cold Emotion
Blitzwing was the very picture of being split down the middle when it came to just about everything.
Brute always wanted instant gratification and to take the most violent ways to anything and everything. Fire and pain appealed the most to him.
Cold was calculating and patient. He was always willing to stab someone in the back and take what he needed.
Crazy was the peacemaker between them. Though he may piss the other Decepticons off, the other two were tolerant to his antics.
The one thing they all agreed on was that Cold was the one that was in control when there was nothing interesting going on. He was used as the default face.
Brute was easily bored and hated just following orders quietly. Crazy was not to be trusted when bored. He was likely to run off and do his own thing.
Cold wasn't asked if he wanted to be the main face, it was just understood. He was patient. He could handle what the others could not. He was trusted and the face most preferred by just about everyone.
Cold accepted his fate without question or complaint. However, there were times when Cold wished he could hide away.
Times that did not call for a brutal hot headed reaction. Times when being silly and crazy wouldn't solve anything. Times that he was expected to handle.
Cold took the pain for the others. He took the emotional scars so the others could remain as they were. He could not handle thinking of Crazy trying to understand and deal with this kind of pain. Or Brute trying to crush it and not being able to.
It was a sacrifice the others could not understand. It was a sacrifice that he would take time and time again so that they could remain safe.
He was patient. He was calculating. He was cold.
~Short 5: Jealousy
Shockwave was not Jealous.
In fact, he was far from it. It was amazing how un-jealous he was. Surely Megatron and everyone else could see how incredibly fine he was.
He stared up at the huge Lugnut Supreme clones. They seemed to stare back down at him.
"...Your plan is certainly... solid... Lord Megatron."
Somewhere behind him, Lugnut was carrying on about how he was indeed Megatron's favorite. How Megatron was genius in every way for this plan. How surely his own clones would be more than enough to serve their plans.
Shockwave's antenna twitched.
Megatron simply smirked. "You'll get your chance, Shockwave. Let him have this moment. He has earned it, after all."
"Of course, Lord Megatron... I have no problems what so ever in this. Lugnut has served you well."
He was NOT Jealous.
However, if these clones failed in any way, Shockwave would be sure to rub it in Lugnut's huge smug optic until the day he offlined.
~Short 6: Rock and a Hard Place
Megatron was terrible with names, but he never forgot a face.
Especially the face of the young Autobot that had 'inconvenienced' him so greatly so many different times.
Curiosity got the best of him and he had eventually ordered his intel spy to dig up whatever he could on the troublesome mech.
It was safe to say that Megatron's ego had taken an enormous beat down once he'd looked at the files. A space bridge technician who had been kicked out of the academy. Despite his many high marks and apparent potential, his leaders apparently saw him as past his prime and not even worth enough to waste resources looking for.
Further research had turned up the files on the other mech that had apparently outsmarted his whole team, rounding up his men to be sent to the brigs one right after another. Sentinel Prime, second rank and apparent successor to the Autobot UltraMagnus.
Megatron didn't think his ego could take another hit as he realized that Sentinel was only in his position because of Optimus' mistakes. It was… insulting.
They had a rivalry that he had attempted to use at first. If he could just widen the wedge between them, he could bring them both down from the inside.
Yet after much failure later, he was starting to realize that it was their rivalry that was actually helping them each grow and progress. Each time he left them arguing and pulling rank on each other, he found himself further and further from his goals. It was aggravating. It was illogical. It was downright rude.
Megatron did not look forward to the day when either one of them took command. The other was certain to follow and more likely than not, they would blunder their ways right through his army.
The very fact that Sentinel Prime's incompetence had forced Megatron back to earth was humiliating. But to have to send THREE of his Supreme clones just to take out Optimus Prime was unheard of. He would take no chances.
Perhaps if he could kill the one, the other would fall. In fact, Megatron was positive that with Optimus out of the picture, Sentinel would soon follow.
Of course he would never tell his men just why he wanted Earth gone before he got to Cybertron.
As far as they were concerned, Earth was practice. In reality, Megatron was starting to wonder if he needed a backup plan for his back up plans.
Floating between Earth and Cybertron, he felt the greatest processor ache he'd felt since his initial defeat after the Great War.
Attack one and the other follows. Attack them both and he was doomed.
Looking up at his seemingly unstoppable clones, he found himself praying to Primus for the first time in ages. Maybe he'd get lucky… Maybe one of the clones would accidentally land on the young Prime and crush him. And maybe Sentinel would fall down a flight of stairs and break his neck.
He shook his head as he boarded the ship. The best he could hope for was that he wasn't utterly humiliated this time. Maybe Starscream would get to him before one of the others did.
It was a sad day to be Megatron…