-1Well, you knew this was coming…
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megatron was so weak he could barely stand, but that didn't stop the crimson-cloaked guards from dragging him out of his cell, prodding him with fully charged shock sticks even as he complied with their wishes. He tried to tell them that he wasn't resisting, but that earned him a swift crack right across the face with one of the shock sticks. Convulsing as the electricity ripped through him, he collapsed like several tons of bricks even as the other guards gathered round and began to beat on him. Stuck on his back, he cursed the chains he wore for the millionth time. He couldn't shield himself from any of the blows. No, all he could do was lie there and take it. The pain was terrible and the blows just kept coming, he could feel his already battered armor beginning to buckle and give way under the assault, he could feel his hold on consciousness loosening bit by bit with each blow he took. It took him a few seconds to realize it had ended. A moment later he was roughly hauled up off the ground and back onto his feet, and once again prodded to continue going forward. His head was spinning and he couldn't walk in a straight line to save his life. As it was, he was just barely standing as they herded him forward.
His vision cleared in time for him to see that the hallway had widened into a large, very brightly lit room. The Arbiter stood atop a high podium at the opposite side of the room. The room's sides were lined with rows of seats a little like a very small stadium. Each seat had an occupant, in that the number of seats matched the number of shouting, cursing Autobots who now stood where they had been sitting moments ago, screaming their hatred and desire to see him suffer. Recoiling slightly, he shifted his attention away and scanned the room. Judging from the layout, this was supposed to be some sort of trial. His eyes narrowed even as he was led to what basically amounted to a small cage. A moment before he was shoved in his chains were unlocked. Allowing himself a sigh of relief, he stretched for a few seconds before his attention was called back to the matter at hand.
"Megatron," the Arbiter began, "You stand here on trial for monstrous deeds too numerous to count. Do you understand?" The Decepticon's eyes narrowed at that. Oh, he understood, all right… "Spare me this mockery of justice!" he spat with all his remaining strength. The Arbiter slammed a fist on the side of the podium he stood on. "Silence, or you'll be found in contempt of this court!" Megatron managed a harsh, sarcastic laugh. "I have nothing but contempt for this court!" Turning slightly, the Arbiter nodded to the two guards flanking the cage. Wasting no time, the two took up their shock sticks, charged them up fully, then simultaneously jabbed him in the back. In great pain, he convulsed where he stood, head thrown back, back arching painfully even as his knees buckled beneath him and he crumpled to the floor. The guards followed him down, keeping their shock sticks pressed hard against his back even as his attempts to pull away devolved into desperate, uncoordinated thrashing. "S-stop it… please…" He could barely recognize his own voice, tortured whimper that it was. "No more…" Panting harshly as the electricity ripped through him, stabbing down to his very spark, he struggled to keep from screaming in agony. "I'll… submit to your trial. Just… please…" A silent nod was all the response the Arbiter gave, but it was enough. The assault stopped, but it was a few fairly long minutes before he could muster enough strength to stand back up.
"Each and every person you see before you stands as a witness to your deeds, for have your crimes not touched us all? Yet you stand accused of a greater crime… the crime of not paying for your sins." Megatron hung his head. "My sins? I have paid for them. I am still paying and will always pay. I won't deny what I did. What good would it do to lie? You say you wish to punish me. Well, tell me… What greater punishment is there than to live with what I've done, to regret my crimes every day, to live them every day? What greater pain is there than to wish with all my heart that I could go back and change things, yet to know that the past is and forever will be set in stone? Have you considered that?" He paused, sighing. "I think you haven't. But then, how could you? You say all these things as if you know me, as if my very spark was laid bare before you with everything wide open for all to see. But you don't know me; not a one of you. You. Don't. Know me." His eyes narrowed as he hissed the last few words. "But I'll tell you. Yes, I'll tell all of you what only my brother and my beloved know! I have already tried to give everything to atone for my sins… right down to my very life! I have already attempted suicide several times!" The crowd was surprised at that, and such was all too visible. But Megatron didn't care. No, he just kept going, his voice rising with each word, becoming a shout more of grief and pain than any form of anger. "Look at me! My spark chamber's casing is laid bare before you… look at it! Look at the marks on it!" They could not help but do as he said, noting the unmistakable claw marks that crisscrossed his spark chamber. He held up his hands, flexing his claws for all to see. "You know the marks these hands have left. Do you not recognize them now?" Indeed they did. The marks that adorned Megatron's spark chamber had come from his own claws. "You do, don't you! Then how dare you accuse me of not paying for my sins! How dare you accuse me of not suffering for what I've done!" His voice dropped as he looked down in utter shame. "It's only through the All Spark's grace that I stand before you now, for otherwise I would have died several times over… by my own hand. Zephyr's love saved me from death… and, Primus help me, that hurts just as much. For someone so good, so pure to choose to love me… For her to know of all my sins and yet forgive me… I'm not worthy of her forgiveness after what I've done, much less her love. Yet still she loves me. And that's what hurts the most."
The crowd had gone quiet, all lust for vengeance stilled by the heartfelt outpourings of a tortured soul. A multitude of faces stared at him, hate replaced with compassion. He couldn't meet their gazes as they gazed upon the pitiful monster that was him. The Arbiter rapped on his podium several times, drawing everyone's attention back to him. His eyes still shone with pure hate. Megatron's impassioned speech had moved all save him. "Megatron, you stand convicted by your own words. This court finds you guilty on all charges and sentences you to death… by my hand, since no one else seems willing. Guards, take him back to his cell. You know what to do." The guards did as they were told, far gentler than before, not really bothering with their shock sticks this time around. He knew better than to try to resist in his current condition, so he just went quietly. Still the crowd spoke not a word, wide blue eyes watching his every move as he was led from the room. Casting a momentary glance their way, he was surprised as all eyes dropped. He had shamed them all, flung the reality of what they were doing in their faces and in so doing opened their eyes. He'd even affected the guards. All eyes followed him out in utter silence, marveling at his quiet dignity even in this situation.
Calm and serene even despite the fact that he had been sentenced to death, he was marched solemnly back to his cell, where things began to take a darker turn. Quietly mumbling "Sorry", one of the guards chained his wrists together again, this time securing them to chains that hung from the ceiling and pinning his arms above his head. The other did much the same thing to his ankles with chains attached to the floor. He'd thought he had been utterly helpless before, with his arms shackled behind his back… Now he knew true helplessness. The guard that had fastened the chains on his ankles straightened up and stepped closer even as the other one left. Tensing up slightly, Megatron just sort of stared at him. "They say you have some sort of bond with the Lady Wellspring," the guard said in a very quiet voice. "They say she knows what you know." Megatron nodded. The guard looked all around before leaning closer. "You're in the city-state of Kaon, Megatron. I suggest you pass that information along. I don't care how, but I suggest you do it quickly because the Arbiter doesn't usually participate in executions but the ones he does participate in are often very gruesome and take quite a while for all involved." The guard stepped away. "I'll come back, if I can." With that, the guard left and things were quiet for a long moment. Then Megatron spoke up softly, murmuring to himself. "Kaon, huh?"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fear Megatron's mad verbal skillz.
This will, in all likelihood, be the last update of the year, since I'm not going to have very much internet access during Christmas vacation.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, for the love of Primus somebody please review this junk, and may the Force be with you. It's 2 AM. If you're expecting coherency, sorry.