I'll Always Follow You, My Stubborn Lover

Summary:After a rough flight in a sand storm,Megatron lands himself in a tribe with small,pretty mechs who can't fly and he doesn't know what to make of them, especially the young mechling who had found him and saved his life.

Megatron stared at the old mech as Trion got up and walked over towards him. The old mech observed him for a few kliks, circling around him until he came to a stop right in front of him. He took in his fray color, his helm shape and the sharp and curvy design of his alt mode before raising his blue optics to Megatron's red stare.

"Truly slag! Are you perhaps related to either Galvatron or Megazarak? You look an awful lit like them, so you must be in direct relation to one of them." He asked after a few seconds. Megatron blinked at him.

"Megazarak was my sire and Galvatron was my uncle, but how do you know them?"

Trion ignored him and seemed to be deep in thought. "So that's where anyone would come up with the name Megatron."

"How did you know them?"

That snapped the old bot out of his musings. "They never told you?"

"Told me what?" He was getting impatient now. It was still a sore spot for him to talk about his sire and uncle, despite it being several vorns already for his sire and a few orns for his uncle.

"Yes, I'm interested too." Shockwave commented. He and Megatron grew up like brothers, Galvatron and Megazarak having had adopted him like he and Megatron had adopted Soundwave. He must be pissed that he had kept any information about them for all these years.

"Why that we were the closest of friends, of course!" He exclaimed, clearly surprised that it wasn't as obvious to them as it ought to be. "We were really close. In fact, I used to help them in their studies before the war. When they became mechs and the war started, I would keep some of their maps and plans stored in the Archives so no one could steal them. When the bombing occurred, I never got the chance to contact them to tell them that I will be hiding in the vault beneath the ground. The Archives had been built to withstand anything, and they have, might I say," Optimus rolled his optics good naturally while Blurr watched in amusement as his mate itched to record all this new information like a true Intelligence bot would. Megatron listened with rapt attention as neither Galvatron nor Megazarak had ever told him about Alpha Trion. "I was stuck for weeks but then I got out and walked around the ruins of Iacon before I found thirteen sparklings. Only thirteen out of hundreds survived." He said sadly as his optics glazed over, clearly remembering that particular moment in time.

Optimus walked over to him and put a servo on his shoulder, bringing him back from his rewire and the old bot shook his helm as if to shake it off. "Anyway, I took them in so I couldn't leave Iacon the next few orns, but every sparkling but one died. I knew chances of survival were slim so I never named them until that one survivor lived up to seven orns and accompanied me on one of our first searches for energon. Since he survived it, never got hurt and gave me courage and hope to keep going," he looked away from them to settle a fond gaze on Optimus, who only smiled gently at him. "I named him Optimus."

Alpha Trion looked back at the two Decepticons, who had been completely immersed in the story up to that point. When his wise gaze stopped on them, they quickly snapped out of their dream-like state and focused their attention on him. "I never got a chance to return to them. I was too busy with raising and training Optimus and then we set off on our self-appointed mission to collect all of the remaining data pads on the northers hemisphere. We went from Iacon to Praxus to Tyger Pax to Acrplex and so on until we stumbled upon this tribe. And that's about it."

Megatron felt the need to ask why they never continued on to Kaon or Vos or Tarn but then he remembered how Shockwave had explained that the tribe would never let two scholars like them go. As soon as these Autobots learned that Optimus and Alpha Trion could read, they claimed them as the tribe's property and impeded them to leave. They were literally prisoners with a larger cell and seeing as how far they had traveled to get all those data pads, they could never just sneak out and leave it all behind.

So this way the life Optimus was forced into? It didn't seem befitting of a mechling so free and independent to be stuck in one place without his consent. Alpha Trion had lived long and seen plenty, and despite their nomadic style of life before coming to the tribe, Optimus obviously still wanted adventure, maybe was even seeking for a place to belong. He was young and he obviously didn't fit here despite his best efforts. Maybe he will with time and changing, but was it truly fair, really right for him to change only so he would be liked? No, no it was not.

"So you're stuck here." Was his comment and he thought he saw Optimus flinch but it was so subdued that it could have been a figment of his imagination.

"Unfortunately."

There was a moment of tense silence that fell over them. It was broken with the entrance of a tall but still clearly civilian blue, white and gray mech that carried around a big hammer, that annoying Sentinel and another red, orange and brown bot right behind him. He looked at the bots assembled in the library and sighed, moving to come closer. That triggered Megatron and Shockwave to step a bit in front of the three bots behind them, an instinctive reaction that the Lord had not known them to posses. Sure, he had heard that the Decepticons were meant to protect the civilians, but he had never known that it was on such a deep, subconscious level. The bigger mech stopped in his tracks but didn't draw weapons, unlike his companions who had drawn that silly shield and some spear like sword or whatever it was and an energy bow and arrows. Megatron felt his battle protocols coming online and he heard Shockwave's doing the same, the cave that was a substitute archive filling up with the sound of warframe programing coming to life.

''That is enough, Sentinel, Rodimus. Put your weapons down.'' The white and blue mech ordered and the two reluctantly put their weapons away but the battle protocols were still humming and the mech turned back to them. ''If you would please refrain from killing any of my people, I would be very thankful.''

Megatron snorted but did his best to turn off his protocols, Shockwave having a bit more luck with it since he had to do this quite often here. However, as soon as Optimus was there, his smaller serve resting on his forearm, Megatron relaxed enough for the protocols to go on standby and not be active. He cast a glance at the mechling but those blue optics were focused on the three Autobots in front of them so the Decepticon Lord followed his lead and looked back at the three.

"Now, I hope we can settle everything in a civil manner." He said and extended his servo towards Megatron. "I am Ultra Magnus, leader or chief of this tribe, the Autobots. These are my protégées, Sentinel and Rodimus," he pointed at each bot as he said their names. "As I see, you have already met Alpha Trion and his own protégées," Megatron nodded, making sure that he was at least half a step in front of Optimus. He owed the bot his life, he wasn't risking anything. Especially not after Blurr's comment about everyone wanting to interface with him. "And you seem to be familiar with Shockwave."

"I am." Was all he said and the two bots behind Magnus shied away upon hearing how deep his voice was.

"He's even bigger when he's standing!" Sentinel muttered to himself, never taking his optics off of the gray mech.

"He's bigger than Shockwave! I thought there was no bot bigger than Shockwave!" Rodimus hissed at him. "Why didn't you fragging tell me he's bigger than Shockwave?!"

Shockwave and Megatron both snorted. "Of course I'm bigger. Shockwave is a grounder warframe while I am a flier. It is quite normal for us to have a size difference. Fliers need more space for a bigger engine and bigger fuel tanks, not to mention the-"

"Nobot can fly." Sentinel cut in with a misplaced surety that was bordering arrogance. Megatron looked at him incredulously but he was even more so when Ultra Magnus nodded. He turned to look at Shockwave, who seemed used to this, then to the three Autobots behind him. Alpha Trion was rubbing his optical ridge and Blurr was rolling his optics. When his faze fell on Optimus, the mechling just shrugged.

"I told you; cocoon of ignorance."

"Well, they do say ignorance is bliss." Blurr commented, causing the two Iaconians to snort and Rodimus to giggle. It would seem that he was a nice guy unlike Sentinel.

"It's not ignorance but proven fact. No bot, not even Blurr, is light enough to fly."

"That's what turbo flight thrusters are for!" Megatron all but yelled. "And wings and flight stabilizers! Why the frag do you think we are this big?! For show?" Optimus was snickering behind him as they watched the others's rather comical expressions. Shockwave was doing his best not to follow either of them. ''Do any of you have any CPU power in those processors of yours?''

''Excuse me?'' Sentinel hissed but stepped back when the Fusion Cannon hummed. Then Megatron yelped as Alpha Trion walked up behind him and swatted at the back of his helm. ''Hey!''

''Don't do that.'' The old mech scolded. ''It's Galvatron's thing and I didn't like it on him either, so don't do that.''

Behind Ultra Magnus, Rodimus was mouthing his uncle's name at Optimus in a questioning manner. He felt the mechling gesturing in a way that's supposed to imply that they'll talk later. Megatron noted that those two seemed to be close, friends of sorts, and he knew that even though Shockwave described him as childish and naive, he was sure he has a lot more tact than that Sentinel fellow.

::They're close friends.:: He heard over his commlink but since only Shockwave was within range of his still damaged comms, he knows who's it from. :: One of those handful of friends I've mentioned.::

''So you expect us to believe you can fly?'' Ultra Magnus questioned. ''Care to prove that?''

Megatron crossed his arms over his chest. ''I would like to, but my thrusters are still healing. I have crashed into the desert not that long ago.''

''And we're supposed to believe that? Did you put him up to this, Optimus?'' The big-chinned mech turned to the red and blue mechling. ''I can't believe you'd go this far just so you would prove yourself right about something that has been known as fact long before you were onlined.''

Optimus bristled. ''I am not lying nor am I delusional, Sentinel. I know what I saw.''

''Please! Perceptor did all the calculations. There is no way any mech could fly, even with turbo thrusters.''

''Of course not every mech can fly!'' Megatron scuffed. ''There are special components that allow flight that only warframes have. You can implant it into civilians but they're never going to have a flight alt mode. I've heard of a few civilian flightframes but they were rare. It required intercourse between warframes and civilianframes and those were rare because they usually sought love in their own species. Strengthening the CNA line, or something. However, that is not the point of this conversation. The point is that I don't care whether you believe me or not. I'd be grateful if you'd just keep away from me. I have promised not to eliminate any of you, so at least honor me enough not to tempt me.''

Rodmius guffawed and Optimus smiled. Blurr was rolling around, having completely given up on trying to keep his laughter secret or at least quiet. ''Primus! You're killing me! Are all warframes comedians?''

''No, but Lord Megatron is known for his sarcasm quite well. Trained Tarnian comedians have been left jobless because of it.'' Shockwave supplied helpfully.

Megatron raised an optic ridge at the brown, orange and red mech. ''Fear me, Autobot.''

Rodimus joined Blurr on the floor while Alpha Trion simply shook his helm, muttering something about Megazarak and how similar his son was to him. Megatron smirked and looked over to Optimus, who had moved away from his side and was searching through one of the shelves to his left. He observed him as the mechling searched for something, only to see him struggling to reach something on a higher shelf. Without thinking, Megatron walked over and lifted him up effortlessly, startling the red, blue and silver bot. A yelp escaped him and now everyone was staring at them as Optimus turned around to steady himself by hugging Megatron's helm from the side. The Autobots were staring at them while Megatron just looked at the bot in his hold. Optimus locked optics with him for a moment before grinning thankfully and reaching for the data pad he had been searching for. He never told Megatron to put him down and he was pretty light for someone his size, so the Lord had no problem hold him. Besides, he was now out of Sentinel's reach and he seemed to be enjoying the new view point.

Blurr recovered from his laughing fit and walked over to where his adopted brother was sitting on Megatron's shoulder now. ''What are you looking for?''

''I'm pretty sure that there is a file on fliers here somewhere. I remember reading it once, but it's not detailed. However, there is a picture in there so it should be useful as proof for the existence of flightframes.'' Optimus explained.

''You've already showed them those files, Optimus. They won't believe you.'' The smaller bot reminded but Megatron's savior just snorted.

''I don't really care. I want to see how much of the facts that are listed here are correct and I want to expand it.''

''Spoken like a true archivist.'' Trion snorted, going back to his desk and reading.

Optimus grinned. ''I've learned from the best.''

Ultra Magnus decided to cut into this, to him, pointless banter. ''As far as I am concerned, you can do as you wish regarding this situation with Megatron here.'' The blue and white mech gestured with his helm at the Decepticon. ''However, before you start asking any questions, I would actually like to have a discussion with him regarding his stay with the tribe. Follow me?''

Megatron reluctantly placed the younger mech down and said his goodbyes before walking after the Magnus. He heard Rodimus walk over to Optimus and start gushing about him always having an adventure when he leaves the camp. ''I mean, I would have never been able to find him, much less drag him back into camp. I actually don't think I'd have the courage to do it.''

''There's no courage about it. A mech needed help and I was there to help him. And I only found him through luck.'' He heard Optimus say but the other mech scoffed.

''Optimus, I know for a fact that you saw something fall in the desert that day. You left without getting me or Blurr cover for you here because you were in a hurry. You knew there was a possibility for someone to get hurt and you searched for hours until you found him and dragged him back. I have no idea how you did that, if his wight is proportionate with his size, but I bet my bow it was no easy task.''

The library remained quiet until they exited so Megatron never heard Optimus's answer, but these little facts Optimus had left out of his story about finding him were intriguing. He agreed with Rodimus; there was no way Optimus hadn't struggled to drag him back and he had crashed around midday while he only saw Optimus at dusk. Was the mechling really searching for that long?

''I see that you are trying to crack the mystery that is Optimus.'' Ultra Magnus commenter from in front of him and Megatron returned his attention to the mech. ''He is an enigma, is he not? We've all given up on understanding him. He is too young to be predictable. After all, this was not the first or the 500th time that he escaped in the past 13 vorns they have been here.''

''Thirteen vorns? But Shockwave said that they came here when he was a younling or something. How can he still be a mechling? Not to mention that he was a sparkling onlined just after the bombing.''

''Bombing?''

''Never mind.''

''Optimus is an older generation of bots that no longer seem to exist. He matures at his own rate mentality-wise but his frame develops a lot slower than us. As a result, we believe he will outlive us.'' Ultra Magnus decided to not delve on what Megatron had just dismissed and instead focused on a topic he could talk about.

''Older generation?''

Magnus nodded. ''The type of frame that existed before we were onlined. Alpha Trion tells us that bots used to have longer lives and that Cybertron used to be stable enough for them to know they had a clear future. Something is destroying our home now and since that's endangering our lives, Alpha Trion hypnotizes that we're all living faster so that we are ready for when things turn for the worst.''

''Makes sense. Sparklings wouldn't be able to survive in these conditions without adult help. And there is that saying: it takes a city-state to raise a sparkling.'' A startled laugh escaped the Autobot leader.

''Truly. We have a lot of sparklings and it is hard raising them unless we work together. I do not know how Alpha Trion raised Optimus all on his own, especially since he loves being curious.'' Ultra said as they finally entered a big tent. It was obviously a leader's place as it had a big symbol he had seen on everyone but Shockwave, Optimus and Alpha Trion. There were rugs made of soft metal mesh and a big berth on the other side of the tent. A big table with tow chairs was placed at the center of it and there was a shelf beside it, a few data pads there. Megatron took immediate not of is as he remembered Shockwave telling him that only Tony and Alpha Trion could read so he was wondering why they were there. Ultra Magnus saw what he was looking at and sighed. ''Optimus and Alpha Trion have stacked it here. It's reports of every one of our scientists, field workers or scouts. They believe that we should have it all recorded for future purposes. I don't know what is written on them other than that it should be something that will be calculated at the end of every groon.''

''Improvement progress?''

''I don't think they are happy when they do the math.''

''That's never good.'' Megatron walked over to the shelf and took one of the pads in his servo, wondering how the thing wasn't breaking in his grasp when it was so small. The data pads back in Kaon were so easily destroyed it was refreshing to be allowed to hold it like it was a normal object and not having to hold it like it was made of glass. ''Impressive. They don't break.''

''Iaconian made.''

''Should have guessed. Iacon was known for having millions of these.'' The Decepticon Lord commented.

''Can you read it?''

''It's in the northern hemisphere dialect, the one specific for Iacon. I have no idea what it says, but the numbers are same everywhere and these numbers don't show anything good if they're never happy.'' Megatron took another from the bottom of the shelf. ''Were these the first ones put in?''

''Yes. They put them from the right to the left.''

''That's strange.'' He mumbled. ''Shockwave was an Intelligence Agent, actually the Head of our Intelligence Agency. The only time they put things from the right to the left is when they know something bad is developing.'' He took another data pad from the top shelf from the middle. ''Whatever is progressing, it's not good. And if Alpha Tion has told you about the deterring state of Cybertron, then I fear it might be about Cybertron finally dying.''

''You can't mean?''

''Yes.'' A voice behind them says and they turn to see a resigned looking Alpha Trion. ''The end of our world is coming.''

''What?''

''Can't we do anything?'' A panicked Ultra demanded, stepping closer to the Iaconian but Trion took a step away. It was a clear sign: don't come closer. ''There must be something we can do to stop it. To save our planet!''

Megatron looked seriously at the old bot but Alpha Trion was looking to the side. He was hiding something and it had to do with the possible salvation of the planet. But why was he hesitating. ''You know something yet your are not doing anything that you know could save the planet. Why?''

Those old optics locked on him. ''We have some time but we don't have the right resources. The main one is missing and not just anybot can retrieve it.''

''You know who can?''

Alpha Trion stayed quiet and they had an intense stare down for five breem before Alpha Trion walked over to the shelf, placed in another data pad in its designated place before leaving. The two larger bots stared after him and then looked back at the newest data pad. Megatron took it and looked at the numbers. They were showing that the increase in bad things that he couldn't read was bigger than before.

''He knows who can do it.'' Ultra Magnus said as he came to stand next to him.

''Yes.'' Megatron nodded, looking at the numbers. He had a bad feeling. ''I think I do, too.''