Here we are at chapter 10. Time for Megatron to have a little chat with Taiyang this time around. I do not own RWBY or Transformers. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 10. Enjoy.
Chapter 10: Many Histories
A few days have passed since Megatron returned to the Xiao Long household since he sliced off his left arm. It took a little adjusting, but Megatron learned how to go about the day with only one arm. He wasn't the former leader of the Decepticons for nothing. Yang has still refused to put on the new arm, despite all the good it would do her, and to be honest, Megatron was starting to get annoyed about it. However, a more immediate objective required his attention. Specifically, the woman he met the other night. There was something about her that he didn't like, but from the picture he saw, she obviously has some connection to Taiyang and Yang. And now the time has come to find out what that connection is.
It is early in the afternoon. Yang is up in her room, minding her own business, and Taiyang is outside, tending to his flowers. Meanwhile, Megatron is in the living room, staring at the picture of the younger Taiyang and the woman next to him. Honestly, Megatron didn't see the appeal for Taiyang to be caring for theoe plants. Yet another thing he would never understand about humans. Back on topic, Megatron decided he had waited long enough and goes to talk with Taiyang. He walks outside to find Taiyang finishing up his gardening. Taiyang notices his presence and stops his work.
"Megatron, is there something you need?" he asks, wiping his hands. Megatron pulls out the picture of Taiyang and the woman and tosses it to him. Taiyang catches it, "Megatron, what are you doing with this?" he asks, getting more serious.
"I would like to know about those people in the picture? I already know about you, and you told me about Summer, but what about the other two?" he asks.
Taiyang stares at the picture, "What does it matter to you?" he asks, frowning.
"Curiosity for one. I would like to know more about the rest of your team, and another thing. I noticed that the woman in the picture, the one standing next to you with the sword; she looks somewhat similar to Yang. That holds significance I believe. Then of course, there is the other guy with the large sword. He seems like a capable warrior. Care to tell me about them?" Megatron asks.
Taiyang stares at the picture before he turns away, "I, uh, don't think that's possible right now," he replies.
"And why not. You had no trouble telling me about Summer Rose," Megatron notes.
"Well…The other man in the picture is Qrow Branwen, Ruby and Yang's uncle. Technically, he's Yang's biological uncle, and Ruby's honorary uncle, but uncle all the same. Nowadays, he's a bit of a drunk, and a jerk. He and I don't exactly get along, but we've learned to…tolerate each other. I think that's because the one thing we can agree on is that we both care about Ruby and Yang and want what's best for them…even if our ideas on what's best for them aren't exactly the same thing," Taiyang explains…muttering the last part to himself.
"Is he dead as well?" Megatron asks.
"Unfortunately no, that old bastard is hard to kill. As much as I hate to admit it, he's one of the best huntsmen I've ever known, maybe even on the planet. Back when we were a team, I never had to worry about him slowing me or the others down. He can hold his own in a fight," Taiyang notes.
Now, Megatron gets to the real objective, "Okay, so that's Qrow Branwen…What about the other woman in the picture?" he asks.
Now, Taiyang hesitates, "I'm…afraid I don't feel like talking anymore about this topic. I need to go see how Yang is doing," Taiyang says as he goes to walk by Megatron.
"Is Yang's mother dead too?" Megatron asks, stopping him. Taiyang looks back at him. "She IS Yang's mother, isn't she? I said they look alike. What's her story?" Megatron asks as he glances back him. Taiyang glances away, and Megatron grunts in annoyance. "Well, now I see where Yang's cowardice comes from," he notes as he goes to walk by Taiyang.
Taiyang sighs, "Her is name is Raven Branwen…Qrow's twin sister, and Yang's mother," Taiyang finally speaks, stopping Megatron. "Yes, she is alive. Our situation is…complicated. She left a long time ago, I won't say why, but Yang has been looking for her for a long time. That search almost got her and Ruby one time. Luckily, Qrow was there to save them, and since then, she's at least eased up a bit on her search for her. It's been a…difficult subject for all pf us," he relents.
"Has Yang ever asked about her mother?" Megatron asks.
"A few times. I've always tried to…steer her away from that topic. There's more important things to worry about these days," Taiyang replies.
Megatron narrows his eyes, "More like tried to avoid the subject yourself because it is so 'uncomfortable' for you," he retorts.
Taiyang looks back at him, "It's not like that. Looks it's just complicated alright," he tries to retort.
Megatron scoffs, "Please, you just want to avoid the subject yourself because you're afraid to talk about it. And here I thought you at least had a spine. You won't talk about Yang's mother, and Yang won't put on her new arm because she's afraid. This whole fear thing with you two is starting to test my patience," he says.
"I wouldn't expect you to understand. I'm sure your family had its own problems while you were with them!" Taiyang says, but then immediately regrets his words as he remembers that Megatron never really had a family. "I…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," he apologizes.
"It's no matter to me. And you're right, I wouldn't understand, unless you tell me about her," Megatron waves it off.
Taiyang sighs, "One day, maybe I'll tell you about her. However, if the day comes that I ever do talk about Raven, the first person I talk about her to will be her daughter. I won't compromise on that," he says.
Megatron grunts, "Very well. I just hope that when that day comes, that I'm there to see it," he says before he walks back inside.
Once he's gone, Taiyang looks at the photo, and sighs, "Kids can sure be pushy these days," he mutters.
Back inside, Megatron sits on the couch in the living room, thinking about what to do next, when…
"Megatron," he hears and looks over to the window to see Optimus's reflection in it. "You wish to speak with me about something," he says.
Megatron stands up and walks over to him, "I need to speak to you. The other day, I created one of Unicron's weapons…back when he had control of my body. I thought that once the chaos bringer's spark was ripped out of me, that I would no longer have those powers. So, why do I possess them now? Can it be that there still exists a small piece of his anti-spark within me? He asks, not looking forward to have to deal with Unicron again.
"No. When the container for the Allspark absorbed Unicron's anti-spark, it absorbed every part of it. There was no trace of his existence left within you," Optimus says.
"Then how was I able to conjure up one of his weapons? Could it be because of the fact that Dark Energon flowed through my veins?" Megatron asks.
"Honestly, even I am perplexed by this. This was unexpected. There's a chance that this could be your semblance. The history of Remnant dictates that each person's semblance is unique to themselves and no one else, except for a select few. No one knows why or exactly how they unlock their semblances, but it can happen at the most unexpected of times. Some say that your semblance is a part of your personality, or how you act as a person. Some say it can come from your innermost thoughts, and others think there is no connection at all. Since the people of Remnant have not fully unlocked the secrets of aura and semblances, I too do not fully understand. Perhaps your semblance has taken on this form as a reminder of your duty, or how you feel about yourself now, or maybe for another reason entirely. But, the fact remains, that if the power to summon Unicron's weapons has become your semblance, then you must learn to master it and make it into your own. You are no longer a slave to Unicron. This power is yours now, not his," Optimus explains.
Megatron raises his right hand and stares at it, "It seem I will never truly be free from my past. Though, freedom is something I do not deserve right now, not after all I've done," he notes bitterly.
"Freedom is what we make of it, old friend, and you have taken steps to achieving your own freedom. But, if there is one things I know all too well, it's that freedom is never free," Optimus says. Megatron hums and then glances at his missing left arm. "Yes…that reminds me, when I said to gain a better understanding of what Yang was feeling, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind. But, then again, you've always preferred to do things your way and went at them full force," he notes.
"It worked, didn't it?" Megatron deadpans. "Besides, it's not the first time I've lost an arm, nor is it the first time I've had my arm sliced off of my own volition," he replies.
"Yes, you've never let anything stop you when you set your mind to something," Optimus notes.
"…You stopped me," Megatron replies.
"I only helped you realize that there was a better way to restoring Cybertron. And you soon came to see it as well. That is in the past now. We must look to the future, old friend. I need to go, but we will speak again soon enough," Optimus says before he disappears from the window's glass.
Megatron breathes a heavy sigh, and then decides to pay Yang a visit. He walks up the stairs and without knocking (still learning human customs, and still hating it), opens the door to find Yang sitting on her bed, looking out her window with a forlorn expression. She hears the door open and looks back to see Megatron.
"Hey Megatron," she greets him, once more lacking her usual cheer.
"Still haven't put it on, I see. There's a surprise," Megatron notes sarcastically as he walks in and sit next to Yang on the bed.
"Gee, come on in, make yourself at home," she replies sarcastically as well. "If you want the arm, then maybe you should put it on," Yang says.
"You forget, that is for a missing right arm. I'm missing my left arm, so that won't work. And besides, that arm was made for you. I have no right to it," Megatron replies.
"What do you want, Megatron?" Yang asks.
"Just seeing how you're doing, all things considered. Is that so wrong?" Megatron replies a little annoyed.
Yang sighs and hangs her head, "…No. But, what are you going to do about YOUR missing arm? Dad might be able to talk to General Ironwood and have him make you one. But, it may take some time," she says.
"I'll figure it out. I've fought for a long time, I'm not about to let a missing arm stop me from being the warrior that I am. And neither should you," Megatron says.
Yang looks away for a moment before she turns back to face him, "Were you…always fighting back in your village, before everything that happened?" she asks.
Megatron stares out the window, "…For pretty much all my life really, and at different times, for different reasons…Long ago, when I was younger, I was a slave working in the mines of our village. They called me D-16 during those days, my slave number," he notes bitterly, remembering his past.
Yang's eyes widen in slight horror, "You…didn't even have a real name when you were just a little kid?" she asks.
"I told you, the concept of family was not common in my former home. Back on point, I worked in the mines at a very young age, but I soon became tired of being their slave. That's when I found a way for me to rise up and gain my freedom. The Pits of Kaon," Megatron says as he remembers his days as a gladiator.
"The…Pits of Kaon?" Yang mutters.
"A gladiator arena, where the village's best warriors, among other things, fought for glory, riches, and for a chance at a better life. I fought early in the pits, and honed my skills as a warrior. After a short period of time, I became a gladiator champion, the very best of my village, and even more so at a young age. I gained many followers and worked my way up the classes of my people. I had earned my freedom. During that time, I decided to give myself a name, and so I named myself after one of my people's ancestors, Megatronus," Megatron says.
"Megatronus? Sounds like a name belonging to a king or something," Yang notes.
"In a way, he was. Megatronus was one of the 'Thirteen', the original Primes. I told you that my old friend, Optimus, was the last of the Primes. Well, they were the first, created from the spark of our creator, our god, Primus. You see, during the days of my youth, there was large amounts of corruption in high, influential positions in my village, and much inequality among the masses. I wanted to change all of that. I vowed to my followers, my people, that I would change things for the better, to create a home where we are all treated as equals. It was during this time, that I met the one I would soon call 'brother'," Megatron says as he thinks about Optimus, before he became Optimus.
"Optimus Prime," Yang mutters.
"Well, he wasn't always a Prime. It fact he wasn't always Optimus," Megatron notes.
"What do you mean?" Yang asks, getting really interested in the story now.
"Before he became a Prime, he was just a young clerk, an archivist, and a librarian, named Orion Pax," Megatron begins.
"Wait, he was a librarian? How did someone like that save your village?" Yang asks, skeptical.
"As I was saying, I met Orion and found out that he held many of the same beliefs that I held. He too was painfully aware of the sad state of things for our home, and wanted to do something about it. We became allies, then friends, and then brothers. When I left the gladiator arena for the political one, I shortened my name…to Megatron, which has remained as my name ever since. It was then that I began to really move along with my plans…and it was then when everything fell apart…" Megatron notes bitterly.
"What happened?" Yang asks.
Megatron makes no response and stands up to leave the room, but stops at the doorway, "It was then…that I made a tremendous mistake. One that would never be forgiven. One that would not be corrected until years later by Optimus," Megatron replies without looking back, and then leaves.
Yang watches him leave and then goes to look back out the window, thinking about everything Megatron has just told her today.
"He wanted to make things better for his people, and yet something happened that stopped him from doing that? Only his friend, Optimus Prime, was able to help. Still, what could've happened that would make Megatron feel so bad about it? How terrible was Megatron's home? His past?" Yang wonders.
Meanwhile, Megatron returns back outside behind the house to work more on his aura training. Now that he's unlocked his semblance, despite the bad memories it comes from, he knows that he has to master it as quickly as possible, especially considering he's only got one arm at the moment. Megatron sits down, cross-legged, and meditates as he activates his aura. He focuses his energy into his right hand, seeing the purplish flames slowly appear again. However, as he tries to create a weapon like before, he finds himself having trouble with the process. The flames begin to flicker and weaken, and he forces more power into his semblance, but that only seems to make it worse. Eventually, Megatron decides to stop and the flames dissipate.
"This isn't working…Maybe I need to try to ease into it a bit more," he mutters.
He takes a few deep breaths to relax himself and goes at it again. The flames soon return, but instead of forcing it, Megatron takes things slow, pouring only a little bit of energy in at a time. He thinks back to when he first created that hammer, and then back to all the weapons Unicron created with his power back when he had control of Megatron's body. After a moment and when enough energy is used, the hammer from before appears in Megatron's right hand. While Megatron is glad that he was able to do it correctly this time, he can only frown as he stares at the weapon, his semblance now a constant reminder of the worst time of his long life, and a reminder of what he once was so long ago. He takes a few swings with the hammer, finding it incredibly light despite its size. After a few more swings, the hammer disintegrates. Megatron continues with the same process, only this time trying to create a different weapon. Thinking about all the weapons he remembers that Unicron created, Megatron eventually falls onto his spear from before. Pouring energy into his hand, Megatron conjures up the spear in his hand. Remembering what it can do, Megatron stares at a random tree and throws the spear, the weapon imbedding itself in the tree. The spear then beeps like a timer a few times before it explodes, taking the tree with it. The explosion causes Yang to look out her window to see what's happening, and Taiyang to run around to the back of the house.
"What's going on?!" Taiyang yells.
Megatron just stares between him and the charred ground ahead of him, "…Gardening?"
And that's the chapter. Yang learns more about Megatron's past, while Megatron begins to master his new semblance, while also learning more about Team STRQ. We'll get back into volume 4 next chapter. Will Yang learn the truth about Megatron's past? How will she react? Will Megatron learn more about Raven? Until then, please Read and Review.