Gift fic for Raisedbymoogles over on Ao3 and inspired by her 'Dark Skies Falling' fic. Originally posted on Ao3 under the username Agiftedmind.
Erm. Going with IDW heights and or the idea that Nemesis/Nova = taller than Rodimus. AU and based on an RP that never really got closure. Also, bunnied from the above fic.
Gilded Cage
It was a gilded cage and the chosen one of Cybertron knew it as he perched on Nova's shoulder like some decorative thing.
He most likely was, knowing the once and former prime, but least this was better than being lead by leashes or something equally humiliating and he had a better view of things.
It was still a gilded cage.
His freedom an illusion the tyrant saw fit to give him. It was like he could reach out and break the illusions. Galvatron's freedom was a fragile thing, the mech still traumatised by what he'd been though. What had been done to him.
Rodimus knew the price to keep him from further harm; surrender and supplication, obedience and deference - willingly, without hesitation.
It was a humiliation.
He gave it anyway.
He could deal with things.
"Pretty, isn't it?" 'Nova' gestured to the cyberhawk and it's handler, one of the once-Prime's own mechs.
"Yes, master."
Rodimus Prime did what he did for his friends.
A gilded cage wasn't so bad, if it kept them safe.
He looked up to the balcony where Nemesis stood then looked down at the drone he rode. Was it a drone? He didn't know. It was hard to work out if Nova still remained in the corrupted Prime. Rodimus would like to think so. It gave him so hope that one day he could end the nightmareish reality he'd found himself in.
He looked back at the cyberhawk as it's handler pet it -
A subtle shift, a small indication he wanted to get closer. The drone complied.
Rodimus had no illusions that his master was watching because in the end a gilded cage was simply a cage, no matter how one looked at it.
