Chapter 11: Too Close for Comfort

Orion Pax strode ahead of his squad, purpose in every step.

Megatron watched every move carefully.

As Pax got close, he brought back his arm and punched the large grey mech across the face.

Megatron turned back to face him, as the decepticons pointed their rifles at Pax.

Megatron put up a hand, and their weapons lowered.

"Anything else you need to get out of your system?" He asked, wiping his mouth.

"Yes." Pax replied, before punching the mech again. Megatron was pushed back a little this time, and spit out some energon on the ground.

"You're welcome." He said, as he rubbed his jaw.

"Welcome?!" Pax asked. "This is all your fault!" He shouted as he took another swing.

This time Megatron caught his fist in the air.

"I allowed those first two, Orion. No more. The next punch will cost you a soldier." He said, as Starscream took aim at his squad.

"Pax, I will trade my life for another punch." Hound offered half seriously.

"Shut up, Hound." Orion snapped. "Alright. I surrender. Put down your guns." He demanded, pulling his fist back.

Starscream lowered his null ray, and the other decepticons lowered their respective rifles.

"I like the spirit of that one." Megatron noted, smiling at Hound, who glowered back. "You've got a good squad here, Pax."

"What do you want?" Orion asked, glaring suspiciously at his former ally.

Megatron let out a vent, putting a hand on the mech's shoulder.

Orion pulled away roughly.

"Pax. I come as a friend. A fellow Cybertronian. I want what you want."

"You're a liar." Pax spat. "Whatever you want, it isn't what I want, I promise you that. Your goals have been corrupted."

"I want what's best for Cybertron." Megatron stated. "And I want to save my home. Kaon is my home, Pax. I know about the rust cannon."

Orion's frame heaved as he looked at the mech, then at the other decepticons grouped around the ramp.

"We outnumber you. We outgun you. I could end all five of you right now if I wanted to. But I won't." Megatron continued. "Because I want peace. And I want my men to be safe. You want the same."

"What about Prowl?" Orion asked, skepticism in his optics.

"He will not be harmed." Megatron replied. "I am...trying...to let go of the past. Consider this a peace offering, Orion." He said, holding out his hand. "Return with us to Kaon. And we can work together to save Cybertron from Zeta Prime."

Orion looked down at the mech's hand.

"You've bombed buildings...killed autobots."

"It's a war, Pax." Megatron replied tersely. "There are always casualties. I've lost decepticons."

Orion looked back at his squad.

"Swear to Primus, Unicron, whatever deity you serve, that they will not meet harm." He demanded firmly.

"I swear." Megatron replied, holding out his hand still. "Not even Prowl."

There was a moment of tense silence, as the two groups glared at one another.

Then Orion reached out and gingerly shook his hand.

"Firmly, Pax!" Megatron said, pulling down on his arm and smiling, causing all four autobots to raise their guns again.

"Easy." Orion said, raising a hand as he turned to his squad. They slowly, hesitantly lowered their rifles.

"Are we...okay?" Jazz asked.

Orion turned to him.

"We're um...going with them." He replied reluctantly.

"I didn't just hear that." Ironhide snapped. "No. I did not just hear that...not from you."

"We don't have a choice, Ironhide." Orion stated. "Zeta has a kill order on us. Get in the shuttle."

"Orion." Prowl said, looking at him closely. "You know I can't get in that shuttle."

Megatron smirked as he pushed gently past Pax, and walked up to Prowl. The police mech stared as Megatron approached, optics getting bigger with each step.

"Energon under the bridge." Megatron declared, grabbing the mech.

Orion and the other three autobots swiftly pulled out their guns they had literally just put away, and took aim, but to their shock, Megatron pulled the mech into a hug.

"It takes more strength to forgive than to kill." Megatron whispered into Prowl's audio.

Prowl's optics remained wide.

"That's...a big step for you." He said shakily, patting the big mech's shoulder.

"I am being genuine, Orion." Megatron continued, releasing Prowl. "I am offering you shelter with my decepticons. Together we will take Zeta Prime down, and restore order."

Orion gestured to the others.

"Get in the shuttle." He commanded.

He turned to Megatron, as the others hesitantly entered the shuttle.

"If you betray us, I'll...I'll kill you." Orion stated after a moments hesitation.

"I'm sure you will." Megatron replied, as they entered the shuttle, and the ramp folded up.

"Back to Kaon, Astrotrain." Megatron commanded.

The shuttle thrusters fired, and it lifted off, turning and streaking toward Kaon, leaving the smoking ruins of the Helex neighborhood behind.


"They got free, then?" Ultra Magnus asked.

Zeta Prime had his head down on his desk.

"Yes." He stated bluntly, angrily.

"With respect sir, I read the brief." Arcee stated, standing next to Ultra Magnus. "It sounds like they tried to surrender. Perhaps if we had merely taken them into custody..."

Zeta Prime lifted his head off the desk and glared at the femme.

"The only way these moles they have in our bureaucracy will fear betraying us, is if we give them a reason to. The decepticons practically run the prisons. They don't fear them. The only way to send the message is to Terminate them."

Arcee nodded, with mock sincerity.

"Of course, sir. I understand what you're trying to say. But Orion Pax...he practically founded the autobots. He would betray his own faction?"

Zeta's glare intensified.

"Just speaking my mind sir." She continued.

"I apologize for my officer." Ultra Magnus stated. "She's...a curious one." He said, smiling nervously. "I can put a team together. We'll find them, sir."

Zeta nodded.

"Altihex, Outback's command post, has quite a lengthy list of accomplished soldiers. Our best five just...defected." The Prime said regretfully, anger still present in his voice. "Pick out five more. You're in charge, Magnus. Don't fail me."

"Understood sir." Ultra Magnus replied with a nod.

"Permission to serve as Ultra Magnus's first officer?" Arcee asked.

"Denied." Zeta replied coldly, a slight grin on his face. "You're too...attached to the subjects involved. You're sitting this operation out." He said, folding his hands under his chin.

Arcee stared blankly back at him.

"Yes...sir."

"That'll be all. Dismissed." Zeta stated, as he sat back in his chair.


Astrotrain taxi'd into the underground decepticon base, landing in a small, darkly lit hangar.

The ramp opened.

The decepticons were spread out across the shuttle. The autobots were grouped around Orion Pax in the very back corner.

"Come, autobots." Soundwave droned, gesturing to them.

They didn't move an inch.

"Or don't. You'll get squished like insects when Astrotrain changed form." Starscream sneered.

Megatron smacked the seeker in the back of the head.

"They are our guests, Starscream. You will show them the same amount of respect you pretend to show for me."

Orion gestured for the others, who looked around with deep suspicion.

"Let's go. Don't let anyone take your guns." He said, as they walked slowly down the ramp.

"They don't look so tough." A big green and purple mech said, glaring at them.

"The red one looks like he could kick your aft, Scrapper." Brawl commented.

"Wanna Bet?" Scrapper asked.

"If you don't shut up, I'll knock both your afts out before you can even settle on a price." Ironhide drawled, shooting them both a look.

"How rude." Thundercracker commented, hanging from a ledge overhead. "Are all autobots this hostile?"

"Hey buddy." Skywarp said, walking alongside Ironhide. "We served in the vanguard together, remember?"

"I remember." Ironhide replied, glaring at the mech. "You were an afthole then too."

"Likewise." Skywarp teased. "At least I aged well."

Megatron led them to a side room.

"Your personal quarters. I imagine you don't trust us enough to separate you." He said with a knowing look.

"You're right." Orion replied. "But thanks, Megatron." He turned and found himself face to face with an old friend.

A single optic stared back at him.

"Shockwave?" He asked.

The mech stared down at him.

"Orion Pax." He tilted his helm. "And Prowl. It is...agreeable to see you again."

"What did you do?" Prowl asked Megatron.

"I saved his life." Megatron replied with a hint of irritation. "The senate removed his face, not I."

"Megatron is correct." Shockwave stated, his voice cold. Distant. "The senate tried to break me. Instead they made my purpose clear."

"And what purpose is that?" Orion asked.

"The advancement of Cybertron." Shockwave replied. "At any cost. A goal Megatron and I share."

"Indeed." Megatron agreed. "I imagine the five of you are exhausted." He said, his optics looked at the other squad members. "So we will give you some time to rest. Tomorrow we're destroying the rust cannon."

"Tomorrow?" Pax asked, with wide optics.

"Indeed. It poses an imminent threat." Megatron replied. "So rest."

He turned and walked away with Shockwave, as the door slid closed.

"No offense Pax." Jazz said, as he laid down on a recharge slab. "But ya got a weird choice of friends."