Author's note. And the two roomed apartment is no joke, my granddad was a miner and that's where my gran brought up her kids.

BE stands for Before Earth, just so everyone knows.

This chapter was written by myself and my good friend AuroraFerreri.

Enjoy and please review.

Cybertron: Nine million years BE.

Megatron sighed with relief as he finally made it to the top of the stairs and reached the door to his apartment. It had been another long cycle down in the mines, and he was shattered. He was also pretty filthy, the sonic showers the miners used at the end of each work cycle were never enough to clean them properly, so he'd need to scrub up when he got inside. Or at least scrubbed up enough so that he wasn't leaving stains all over the place, engaging in proper cleaning cost credits that he couldn't afford to spend idly.

His whole body ached, but he ignored it, after all he always ached a little after a hard cycles work and for what? Barely enough pay to live on and the knowledge that he'd likely die mining, just like his sire. All the while the better off lived in perfect comfort, never worrying about having enough to eat or about keeping warm, in other words, those with plenty of credits and influence. Sometimes that really reeled him, but mostly he'd accepted it as the way things were, and nothing was likely to change.

There was no denying that life was hard, but at least there was one thing in his life that made it all worthwhile.

"Megatron."

He smiled as a small form collided into him, hugging him as though he might disappear. Bending down, he scooped the little form into his arms, a smile spreading across his face.

"Hello Orion, have you had a good day?"

"Yeah, it's been great," cried Orion excitedly. "Today, Professor Shockwave showed us a map of the galaxy and it was so cool."

Megatron chuckled as he made his way properly into the two roomed apartment he shared with his little brother. With a sigh, he flopped down onto the couch, not caring that it was going to get dusty.

"I'm sure it was," he said, though unable to hide his tired tone.

Orion immediately picked up on it, scrambled out of his brothers arms, and ran over to the Energon dispenser and after grabbing a cube, filled it up. Rushing back to Megatron, the little blue and red Mechling presented his brother with a wonderful looking cube of bright pink Energon. As Megatron took it, Orion said.

"You just stay there and relax, I'll get a cloth and clean you."

Megatron smiled as he sipped his Energon, he couldn't ask for a more perfect little brother, always ready and willing to help out. With a sigh he leaned back against the couch as his brother rushed about, getting the necessary things.

Earth: Present Day.

"And that was what life was back then Spike, for me at least," Optimus explained to the young boy who was listening intently.

"Wow," said Spike softly, it was a strange image, though in his mind's eye he could see the happy little youngling playing with his brother, he couldn't quite link that Youngling to the fully grown red and blue Mech in front of him.

"He....that is Megatron, doesn't sound all that bad," Spike said in wonder.

Optimus chuckled.

"No, he certainly wasn't. He may have been a bit strict at times, but that was just his way. But more than that, we were both happy together, even if we didn't have much."

Cybertron: Nine million years BE.

"I'm glad you've been doing well at your learning centre," Megatron said as his brother carefully wiped the grime off his elder brother's chest.

"I'm doing as well as Ariel and she's really smart, Professor Shockwave says me and her could go far," Orion said proudly.

Megatron smiled fondly, letting his brother know he was very pleased with his progress. As for Orion's last words, he certainly hoped that was true.

It was Megatron's hope that Orion would be able to find a better job than simply being a miner. The miners might be a community, one of the few good things about it, but it was so hard and dangerous. If Orion got a good enough education, he could maybe become a dock yard worker or something like that which could pave the way for an even better job.

Once you were a miner, you were always a miner. The only possible way out was if you bonded to someone of a slightly better station (but what were the chances of that) or joining the army. Megatron might have taken the latter route if not for Orion who had been orphaned young.

But he wouldn't give up his little brother for all the credits in this world, meaning he was content to raise him and try to ensure he had a future. Thank goodness, Orion had a processor, which he used so there was hope. All too often, miner children became uneducated, many barely able to read, and most unable to write. Of course this suited the government, if you were uneducated, you were more likely to do the harder more manual jobs that many would not do, given the choice.

Megatron growled softly as he gently patted Orion in gratitude for the attention he was showing him. He could never quite get over the injustices that Cycbretron suffered. But what could he do about it, he was just a poor miner with a Youngling to support. If things were changed, it certainly wouldn't be him doing the changing.

Present Day: Earth.

Megatron POV.

Megatron stood with his arms a crossed his chest and grim look on his face. He was standing with several other Mechs behind him. Everyone was located in the med bay awaiting the arrival of this mysterious Femme Megatron had found that was willing to come to Earth and carry let alone be a Decepticon. Most of the Army on Earth thought that Ravage and Laserbeak were the only Femmes in the whole of the army on both Earth and Cybertron. The Earth end of the Space Bridge was located in the Med bay for many reasons.

Starscream, Soundwave and Hook were to his right and the two trouble makers StoneDrake and Meltaron were to his left. Every Mech in the med bay held their breath as the space bridge hummed and brightened with its incoming Passenger. It light up bright and opened, Suddenly several canon shots flew through the opening and everyone instinctively dove to the ground. After a few seconds Megatron rose to his pedes, good thing to, just as he did so someone shot threw the opening right into his arms knocking him on his aft.

Dark Aurora had dived threw the Space Bridge expecting to just hit the ground in med bay, but no, that was not the case. She had to hit something VERY hard and with none other than her helm. Stunned and a bit dazed she was able to squirm a bit to a sitting position to regain herself. When everything stopped spinning, she saw several Mechs getting to their pedes. She, herself, was hauled to her pedes unexpectedly by the big green Mech she knew as Hook. He was the Nemesis Chef Medical Officer and he was quickly scanning her for injuries. As she watched him and several other Mechs, it became apparent to that most were trying very hard not to laugh. Looking around in confusion she finally spotted the source of their amusement.

With a groan she realized whom she had collided with. It was Megatron and he was still lying on the floor obviously dazed himself. There were two Mechs behind him holding one another looking worried she guessed these were the Problem. With a sigh she shrugged off Hook and made her way over to Megatron, She gently lifted him up to a sitting position and it was no easy task considering he was much bigger then she was. One of the problem Mechs that were behind Megatron came over to help her get him to his pedes. Once he was standing Hook came over and checked him over.

Megatron groaned with a very bad helm-ache.

"Thank you, Dark Aurora, for the Helm-ache," he grumbled as he rubbed his head.

After a quick look around himself he seen that most were gone except for Starscream, Soundwave, Soundwave's Cassette Ravage, Hook for obvious reasons and then there was those two, StoneDrake and Meltaron. Meltaron was holding his own chest with worry well StoneDrake was standing protectively aside of him. StoneDrake and Meltaron were both Predacons from the Planet Predica.

StoneDrake was a gigantic Stone like creature that looked similar to an Osprey, an Earth bird of prey, crossed with a Komodo Dragon. He was mostly rock laced with metal protecting his vital areas. His head was a bit unusual though, he had a beck like an Osprey, but made of rock with a metal tip. The inside of his beck was lined with dripping razor sharp teeth like the Komodo, however his saliva was not like a komodo. Whereas a Komodo's was venomous, his was acidic when necessary, mostly when he really wanted to do damage to an opponent.

The rest of his head was like those of the Komodo, but his optics were Osprey like. He had a huge set of wings that are larger than his body, in fact they were big enough to wrap around Meltaron. His wings are like that of an Osprey, but they are all metal but inside they are organic which in a sense are vulnerable. He had a very powerful set of arms that complement his Komodo side of being.

On the outside of his arms a very hard rock protects them but on the inside it is all flesh of a komodo with the little bit of feathers on his elbows. His hands are that of a Komodo's but his claws are all metal so they don't brake easy, his knuckles are rock. He does have an unusual aspect about him thou, his chest and pelvic area are that of a mech. His stomach is that of a komodo and his sides were covered in feathers.(very vulnerable) His legs are also that of the komodo making them extremely powerful and are very similar to his arms with protective rock on the outside and scaled skin on the inside.

He had Osprey like feet with metal talons like his claws on his hands. Unlike his hands though, the back of his feet were feathered. These were organic and were vulnerable. He also had a tail that was also mostly organic, the top of his tail was covered in feathers and the bottom half was scaled skin, the last half of his tail was sold rock and he used it like a wipe-like club. He was a Flier mainly but it was still effective on the ground.

Meltaron on the other hand, was completely different in many ways, though he had the same Mech-like parts that StoneDrake had but he was more Organic then his mate. Meltaron was almost like an Earth willow tree, except for the fact he was very nimble and did not stay in one place at all. His back was very hard and his arms and legs were laced with protective metal. What was already odd enough about, got even stranger when he could shift his bark around to reveal holes were one of his arms or willow-like wipes could reach in and retrieve anything. Meltaron was like an Earth Shaman, or medicine-man. His came to earth when several other Predicons joined in the battle on either side. He was a Neutral so he could take care of any his fellow Predicons. In the Neutral zone was where he called home, even though he was often at Nemesis because of StoneDrake.

Though the two Mechs acted like Mates, they weren't technically bonded which was why they required a Femme Carrier for their Sparkling. Meltaron was almost dancing with impatience to get the Spark transferred, so she smiled and said.

"Shall we go and get it done?"

Author's note. The next chapter focuses heavily in the past with the reasons for the start of the Decepticon rebellion. Till then.