Chapter 28: Epilogue
"Pax? Can you hear me?" A voice called.
So distant, yet so familiar.
Orion's optics onlined slowly. He felt a wave of calm across his frame.
It had been a long time since he had felt this relaxed. He wanted to close his optics again. Let go.
Something felt off about his optics though.
One of them had been replaced, having been damaged beyond repair. He stared up at a shining white light above him. And for a moment everything made sense.
"...Primus?" He asked.
"No." The voice replied, sounding slightly removed. A red hand pushed the light away to reveal a silver face, with a white helm, a bright red chevron running across the top.
"Ratchet..." Pax muttered, feeling returning to his frame. He slowly tried to sit up, but grimaced when he did.
His body was, for lack of a better word, crumpled.
The feeling of intense calm was in large part the work of high grade painkillers.
"How long have I been out?" He asked weakly.
"Almost a day." Ratchet replied. "And the surgeries you've had to go through...well. You're still here, that's all that matters."
"Did you perform them?" Pax asked, as he sipped on a straw that led to an energon cube.
"Pfft. Who else would put you back together?" Ratchet asked with a small smile. "We were planning some fancy new chassis upgrades for you, shoulder cannons, cup holders, Magnus stuff. But Pharma was busy."
"Thank you Ratchet." Pax said with a weak grin. "Shoulder cannons would kill my shoulders. "Where's Prowl?"
"Oh he's around." Ratchet replied. "He stepped out just before you came to."
As if on cue, the black and white mech walked in and smiled as he saw the mech had awakened again.
"Oh thank the maker..." he muttered, collapsing into the chair next to the bed. "I don't...think I could've managed the guilt if you died."
"You're extremely lucky. You very well could have died if those injuries were left untreated." Ratchet stated. "Someone anonymously phoned the emergency line saying you needed help. That you were critical."
"Before you ask, it wasn't me." Prowl stated, hand on his chest. He paused. "I probably should have..."
"Probably." Ratchet muttered, lightly smacking the mech on the back of the helm. "Zeta Prime's inaugural speech is probably going on by now, would you like to watch?"
"Please." Orion replied, as Ratchet flipped the television on, to reveal Zeta Prime standing at a podium, the gold faced mech smiled brightly.
"The events of the last few days...while truly vicious in nature...brought to a close a dark chapter in Cybertron's history. Regardless of my personal opinion, the people of Cybertron made their choice, and they want a better future. I am happy to provide that for them. From this day forward, the functionist government is dissolved, and we will move forward with electing officials for the new senate within the month."
"Not what I would've gone with, but okay." Prowl noted.
"What would you have gone with?" Pax asked. "Wait. Never mind. I don't want to know."
Prowl chuckled lightly.
"I do not condone the decepticons use of force yesterday. However...I accept it, and am offering their faction and its many members a clean slate today. I must encourage that they remain within the structure of peaceful protest, and I assure you, if you do, no action will be taken against you. And for the people of Cybertron, I also must announce that the Primal Vanguard has been dissolved. Enforcers and members of the government and its army will now be known, as Autobots." He removed his badge and held it up for the crowd to see.
Orion felt a warmth in his spark, as he saw the red badge glimmer in the sun.
"Cybertron deserves a new start, and its government, a new face. The Autobots represent an ideal, that we can all of us, be greater than the sum of our parts. That we will not compromise the best parts of our nature, that we will rise above. That none shall be judged by their alternate modes, shape, size, function, but by their character, by their spark. By their compassion, their spirit."
"He's good at working a crowd, that's for sure." Prowl observed.
"We will not repeat the mistakes of our predecessors, Cybertron, this is the Autobot's sincere promise..."
The signal cut out abruptly, leaving a blank screen.
Orion frowned.
"Somebody's getting fired." Prowl muttered. "Cutting our during a Prime's speech? That's a big no no."
"Somethings wrong..." Orion muttered, struggling to sit up again.
"What happened?" Ratchet asked, walking back in. "Did I miss the speech already?"
"Hello Cybertron." A cold voice greeted, and Orion's stomach turned.
Like an old wound ripped open again. Only this wound was hours old.
"You have been shown today another false promise. Yet another of Cybertron's regimes has taken over, promising change, equality, promising corruption is a thing of the past. I am here to tell you, you are all being deceived."
"What the hell is he doing?" Prowl asked.
"Zeta Prime is Sentinel Prime. The new senate is the old senate. Nothing ever changes until you force it to. And I intend to force change upon this world. I will not allow this final Prime to steal our victory from us. To those who believed we were finished after our victories of two night's ago, I am afraid you are mistaken. Cybertron will not be saved until it is liberated from the tyranny of Primes, the corruption of senates. I issue this as a warning to Zeta Prime, and any who follow him, to any who call themselves Primal Vanguard, Senators, or...Autobots. Any who wear the autobot badge, know that you are marked, and the decepticons are coming for you. We will overthrow you. We will free Cybertron."
Orion stared at the tv screen. Somehow even after what had happened, this was a shock.
"Pax?" Prowl asked, as the message ended. "Do you think this is real? Is he that angry?"
Pax turned and looked at Prowl, his optics sunk.
"This is who he is Prowl." He struggled to his feet. Prowl rushed over to help him. "I always marveled at his bravery, his strength, his mind...but this is what he is. This is what he has been ever since he came back from Messatine. I was too blind to see it." He sighed, looking down at his own battered frame. "But it's plain to see now."
"It's not your fault." Prowl said, as Pax stood up straight.
"Where do you think you're going?" Ratchet asked. "Lay back down this instant, you've suffered heavy trauma!"
"I have to go." Pax replied. "There's too much to be done." He said, limping off, with help from Prowl.
"I'll take care of him." Prowl assured the unhappy looking medic. "He'll be okay."
Orion let out a groan as one of his legs buckled, and he collapsed again.
"No. You're not okay." Ratchet insisted, lifting the mech up, and placing him back on the berth. "You need to allow yourself to heal."
"I created him, Ratchet!" Orion shouted. "We...we created him!" He gestures to Prowl. "We have to stop him."
"You'll get the chance." A voice said from the doorway.
They looked up to see Zeta Prime standing there, looking concerned.
At his side, Ultra Magnus, who nodded respectfully to them.
"Allow yourself to heal Pax. Once you're on your feet, I have a job for you." Zeta said, sitting next to the battered mech. "If you want it."
Orion seemed surprised by the presence of the Prime.
"You got here fast." He said with a dry chuckle. "What do you want me to do?"
Zeta exchanged a glance with the regal, towering Ultra Magnus.
"I'm putting some teams together. In the enforcement division. Cops, ex Vanguard types. Anti-terrorism. I want you to lead one of the teams."
Orion looked down at his crumpled frame.
"I'm not the best fighter." He lamented. "Megatron wiped the floor with me, at times literally."
"I know." Zeta replied. "The injury update on you was...quite a long read." He said with a smile.
"You've got the spirit for this kind of work." Ultra Magnus said, arms crossed. "What you did, fighting Megatron like that, taking that beating, allowing Prowl to escape...you did good, kid."
"You have the mind, you have the spirit, and you've always been a natural leader." Zeta Prime said. "I want the decepticons shut down before they do something we'll all regret. And after that threat issued today, I want Megatron behind bars."
Orion looked down at his autobot badge. He looked up at Zeta.
"Are you up for this? I know he was your friend..." Zeta said understandingly.
"Yes." Orion stated, with a confident nod. "I'm...very...up for this. I'll bring the decepticons down myself if I can." He said, anger in his voice.
"Even Megatron?" Ultra Magnus asked.
Orion narrowed his optics.
"Especially Megatron."
"You made the right choice." Soundwave stated. "Taking a stand against the Prime."
Megatron stood next to him, staring blankly at the screen in front of him, as it showed decepticon and autobot positions across Cybertron.
"I'm glad you agree." Megatron replied. "And Soundwave. If you ever disagree with a decision I make, you would be well advised not to vocalize it publicly. Just so we're clear."
Soundwave stared back at him.
"Of course, Megatron."
"Lord Megatron!" Starscream screeched, landing next to the duo. "We hit the autobot energon refinery in Scarvix! The entire supply was lost!"
"Thank you Starscream." Megatron replied.
Starscream let out a grunt.
"We lost four fliers doing it, thank you? That's it?" Starscream asked. "I got one of my wings singed!" He shouted, showing off a large scorch mark.
Megatron turned to face him.
"Then that's four more fliers to recruit. And a single thank you for doing your job as it was assigned. Do you wish for a promotion as well?"
Starscream chuckled nervously. "I mean, I would certainly accept if it was offered..."
Megatron grabbed his burned wing, and jerked his helm down, forcing the flier to his knees.
"Then I would smile and nod more, and whine less. I tire of your groveling, screeching, whining. Leave my presence, now, I feel my fusion cannon warming."
Starscream squawked as he fell onto his aft and crawled away, rubbing the burn on his wing that Megatron had grabbed so roughly.
"Are you well, Megatron?" Soundwave asked. "What happened in the pit..."
"Will not be discussed." Megatron replied, staring at the screen again, hands folded behind his back. "Show me the progress on project Nemesis."
Soundwave nodded, and typed into the computer.
A hologram appeared in front of the two. A giant structure amidst a snowy world.
"We had to begin construction off world. Messatine seemed like a fitting place." Soundwave said, as an image of a massive metal structure appeared on the screen. "Far too large to construct here."
All across the surface of it, decepticons were hard at work welding, and riveting in metal plates.
"She will be the mightiest of warships." Megatron stated, optics marveling at the sight. "We will not fail, Soundwave. Destiny never fails. And Cybertron is my destiny."
Soundwave nodded. "And if in the process, you find yourself facing Orion Pax again...?" He asked.
"I will not be denied, my friend." Megatron replied, staring up at the grand image. He looked around, as all the decepticons stopped to look at it.
Skywarp. Thundercracker. Shockwave. Ravage. Rumble and Frenzy. Laserbeak swooping down from above. The newly returned Blitzwing. Swindle. Motormaster. They all stood in formation around the two decepticons.
Megatron smirked, looking back at his army, then up at their future.
"No one will stand in my way."
Cast:
Megatron-Frank Welker
Sentinel Prime-Josh Brolin
Proteus-Tomas Arana
Soundwave-Frank Welker
Starscream-Steven Blum
Orion Pax-Troy Baker
Prowl-Steven Blum
Shockwave-Tom Hardy
Skywarp-Jason Isaac
Thundercracker-Nolan North
Barricade-Jess Harnell
Terminus-Max Von Sydow
Brawl-Nolan North
Swindle-Bill Burr
Astrotrain-Maurice Lamarche
Ratchet-John C. McGinley
Ultra Magnus-Keith David
Zeta Minor/Zeta Prime-Warren Kole
End Credits: The Big Bad Wolf by The Heavy
Authors notes:
So hey, this took a long time to wrap up. Life got in the way, repeatedly, so for those who stuck around to see this story completed, thank you so much for following along, and apologies for the long waits. This story is only just beginning, I assure you.
PS, I do cast lists for all (most?) of my stories, I like to think of them cinematically. This is my first time putting an end credits song on a story, I just thought this song embodies the theme of the story. Pay the song and cast list no mind if you don't wish to, it is purely for my personal benefit. Thanks again all
To be Continued in Autobots Rising
