Hey transformer readers!
Thanks so much for your wonderful feed back! I'm glad to be back too, and gosh am I so sorry to have left you all hanging for so long. On a side note, I feel kinda bad for Megs too! I mean, he did some awful stuff, no dispute there, but now he feels he has no reason to exist so he spends his time wallowing in self-hatred and shame! That's tough. SO! Let's see what happens here!
Chapter 36: Galvatron
...
Arcee was cleaning up an empty class room, collecting the work from her student's desks and piling them up in her arms. She enjoyed teaching, but unfortunately, not all of it was fun and games interacting with younglings. A lot of it was the darn filing-work. She hated it. Totally not fun. She'd gladly fight for her life against a squad of Decepticon drones any day over an afternoon of boring office work.
She walked over to her own private desk in the corner and slid a cabinet open to set them down with the rest of the stacks she'd yet to get to. Did she mention she was horrible at filing-work? She'd graded her student's assignments of course! But filing them away in all the correct places took so much time and concentration. If you messed up once you were pretty much scrapped of the hope of ever finding that assignment again.
The blue two-wheeler sighed and closed the cabinet to turn back around, when she jerked upon seeing Bumblebee was suddenly right there.
"Scrap Bee! You trying to scare me?" She demanded hotly. He had a ridiculously large smile on his face and shrugged.
"It's not very often someone can sneak up on you. Thought I'd give it a try," he admitted guiltily.
"Well, you were the team's scout for a reason I guess," Arcee smirked back, letting her anger upon being caught off guard melt away. Bumblebee laughed.
"True enough. You got quite a stack back there," Bumblebee commented, pointing to the closed cabinet. Arcee's smile vanished into a scowl.
"Don't remind me," she practically growled. Bumblebee chuckled.
"Well, why don't we take a few cycles and go through it together? We'll blow through it in no time," Bumblebee suggested, barging past Arcee to the cabinet to re-open it and grab the pile out. Arcee's mouth dropped open in protest.
"Bee, no really, you don't have to do that-"
"Oh come on, it will be fun. I need something to do anyway, and I'd like to help, so we're doing this," Bumblebee insisted determinedly, slapping the stack down on the desk before grabbing a second chair and scooting it up. Arcee groaned and moped over to her chair, plopping down in it. She looked up resentfully to see Bumblebee smiling mischeviously at her, his blue orbs sparkling with challenge.
"Bet I can get through more of the stack than you by the end of the cycle..." He goaded. Arcee's optics narrowed. Was that how he wanted to do this? Well then...
"Don't count on it," she quipped back, leaning forward and snatching the first file from the stack. Bumblebee smirked wickedly.
"Bring it on, Cee. Bring. It. On."
...
Bulkhead and Wheeljack hadn't intended on getting drunk. All they wanted was just a little high grade to take the edge off of a long, tiring day of work babysitting the new students trying to learn the precise and dangerous art of construction. The day had resulted in only a few accidents, but mostly a lot of processor aches for the two wrecker buddies.
"To bad ol Optimus ain't here to see all our fine progress with these clueless kids, huh Bulk?" Wheeljack asked from where he was, reclined in a chair in the rec room, a nearly empty glass of high grade propped in his left hand.
"Yeah, that's for sure. Even some of the less coordinated kids are finally starting to get ahold of the bolt-drivers," Bulkhead chuckled. Wheeljack chuckled with him until they both sighed sadly and there was silence once again.
"You know, I think Bee's been putting on the moves with Arcee," Wheeljack commented.
"And just what would make you think that?" Bulkhead grunted.
"Well, Knock Out told me that-"
"Since when have you been listening to Knock Out?!" Bulkhead demanded in amusement.
"Since we started a secret racing club with some of the other guys and meet out at our designated track regularly," Wheeljack shrugged.
"You never told me about this racing club!" Bulkhead proclaimed indignantly. Wheeljack shook his head.
"Secret, Bulk, secret," he grinned, giving his buddy a wink. Bulkhead sighed in disgust.
"You were saying..." The big, green wrecker prompted.
"Right," Wheeljack cleared his throat. "Anyway, Knock Out said he's seen Bumblebee and Arcee taking 'drives' together," Wheeljack slurred, making quotation marks in the air. Bulkhead cocked his head.
"What is that? What is this?" Bulkhead mimicked the air quotations.
"Miko never showed you that? It's a human expression for like... Not really believing what it seems," Wheeljack explained. "Anyway," he waved and continued, "They go out together, just the two of them pretty frequently in their spare time. I think they're hitchin' up," Wheeljack commented.
Bulkhead frowned in thought, honestly, not having seen this coming at all. But then again, it wasn't like Bumblebee had been able to express himself very well without his vocalized before... Perhaps he was seizing the opportunity to really spend time sharing his thoughts with Arcee now that he had the ability...?
"That news rubbing you the wrong way Bulk?" Wheeljack asked, turning a curious look his friend's way. Bulkhead jerked, looking at Wheeljack before shaking his head abruptly.
"What? No, no, no. I'm fine," he promised. "Arcee's always been a good friend, but if her and Bee get together, I'll be happy for them," Bulkhead spoke his peace, lifting his hands before taking another drink of his high grade.
"Riiiight," Wheeljack grinned. Bulkhead bristled.
"You don't believe me? I'm a mech of my word, Jackie. Just because you had a secret thing for her doesn't mean I naturally do to," Bulkhead snapped, the high grade definitely making the big mech edgy. Wheeljack sat up at the accusation thrown his way, his brows drawn down in a frown.
"Hey, I never said I had a thing for her! I said 'she wasn't bad for a two-wheeler' ok?" He defended.
"Oh, don't even start with me! You were asking me all about her for days straight after first joining the team. And don't think I didn't notice how you're optics would follow her around when you thought no one was watching," Bulkhead retorted. Wheeljack shot to his feet, hyped up from the high grade and his own embarrasment.
"You have a big mouth you know that Bulk? A bit too big for my taste! So shut it before I start getting really angry,"
"Angry about what?" Piped Rodimus, who had suddenly walked into the recreation room alongside with the twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.
"Oh, ho ho, someone's gotten into the high-grade!" Sideswipe pointed at the bottle, covering his mouth with his other hand.
"Mags isn't gonna be happy bout that..." Sunstreaker added with a quirked brow.
"You know, Bulk and I were having a very peaceful, relaxing moment that was morphing into a good natured brawl, before you three morons barged in here," Wheeljack pointed out in a ripe mood.
"Hey, you're the moron old mech! You want a brawl? Call me a moron one more time!" Sideswipe beat his chest and took a combative posture.
"Guys..." Rodimus grimaced, "Let's not..."
"MoRON!" Wheeljack blared.
Too late. Sideswipe launched and the two mech's began going at it, tumbling and thrashing and banging into tables and chairs and the wall, fists flying and glasses breaking. Bulkhead rose to his feet, lumbering over to try and break it up but recieved a mis-aimed punch right to the jawline from Wheeljack, which only served to anger the green mech further. Rodimus rushed over with Sunstreaker to try and grab Sideswipe, but their attempts ended when Sunstreaker's expensive job paint got scratched, and Rodimus got kicked in the groin. Needless to say, the skirmish soon metastisized into a big blur of fighting mechs, and in the end, the fight didn't end until Ultra Magnus suddenly walked in. Followed by Bumblebee, Knock Out and Jazz, Ultra Magnus had rounded the corner to take in the horrendous scene of chaos with wide optics. His fists clenched in outrage at the childish behavior before him.
"What is going on here?" Magnus demanded, his tone loud and bordering on anger. His blue eyes swept the scene, noting how each of the mech's in the room was an absolute mess, the surroundings as well. And lying on the floor at the edge of the skirmish... A spilled bottle of high-grade, just a puddle on the ground. Ultra Magnus blinked.
"Who stole my private reserves of high-grade?!" Magnus bellowed. Everyone in the room stilled, eyes staring with absolute shock at their superior officer. Wheeljack, somewhere under the pile of tangled mech's, could only be heard in a muffled whine.
"Some strong stuff you got there Chief!"
Bumblebee winced, looking up at the commander. Jazz couldn't help it. He burst out laughing.
...
The city streets of the new capital, Prime City, were far nicer than Shockwave had anticipated. He'd expected some amount of progress since the Autobot's return to Cybertron, but not the amount he was seeing before him. The towers were gleaming with pride, the street sides were freshly reset and shops had begun to open for regular business. Places like the medical clinic that Knock Out worked in, and a paint shop next door. There were tire fitters and local wash racks. There was a fire crew, and an emergency response team headquarters, and then there were apartments. Rooms upon rooms lined the streets in tight and orderly rows. Everything seemed to have a logical position and the young mechs and femmes that passed had expressions on their faces that indicated happiness.
It was too much of a pretty picture. It had to be a lie. After all, all things that appeared good on the outside, were faulty on the inside. This was Shockwave's experience at least. Which was why he knew better than to believe for one nano-click that this society would last the way it was. Everything started off so simply, but the moment these younglings realized that they could rebel, that they could make things the way they wanted... Well... That was when Shockwave would act. Their naive minds would need some direction, and he would be ready to give it... But for now, Shockwave would have to be patient. Bide his time.
"And this is where you will be stationed from now on, presuming you don't fall back into your ways of old and wind up re-acquainted with the inside the Nemesis' brig," Ironhide commented.
Shockwave turned his optic up to eye the building they had stopped in front of, noting it was a single story and appeared to be some sort of professional laboratory.
"We are at a science lab," Shockwave deduced flatly as Ironhide opened the door and gestured the ex-con in. Shockwave narrowed his optic and took in the new surroundings. It was empty inside, completely untouched. Freshly constructed?
"That's right. You didn't think you'd get a free pass into society did you? On top of the research you've provided us with, you will be serving at this science office and conducting important projects. Project number one: how to get rid of Dark Energon. You created it, so you should be able to figure it out. Some of the stuff still pollutes the wilds of Cybertron's surface, even after the core's rebirth, and it needs to be gone," Ironhide stated.
"This place is your new home, so get aquainted and write out a list of the tools you will need," Ironhide continued, walking over to the front desk and pulling up a fresh blank page on the computer monitors. "Ping me when you're done and I'll get it to Ultra Magnus."
Ironhide then paced out of the building to go stand out front and assume his body guard position. Shockwave turned his gaze to the computer monitor and eyed it critically. Did the Autobots really expect him to just magically conjur up a cure to 'fix' dark energon? It had taken him terracycles to create the matter- and it would take no less to discover how to unbuilt the template. Especially since his information was mostly lost, wiped off of the Nemesis after the last battle of the war over earth. The scientist shook his head. Where to even begin?
Shockwave, not for the first time, was wondering if it had really been wise to turn himself in this way... Was the end worth the means? The logical answer, was yes. The Autobots would not- could not be left to rule Cybertron. Shockwave would do anything if it meant the re-establishment of all that Megatron had let be destroyed. Megatron... the Great Lord. What a dissapointment. And now, Shockwave was left to pick up the pieces. So be it.
...
"Megatron, as strange as these circumstances may be, Optimus and I are in need of your assistance," Elita One besieged.
"Will you, or will you not help me by sharing the location of the Book of Alsparks?"
Her tone was soft, but firm. Firm enough for Megatron to hear it clearly over the sound of the energonfall raging on in the background as it splashed into the energon river below. Megatron had originally chosen this hidden cave, hoping he would find some peace and solace within it. And yet, against all odds, here these femmes had found him. It was the universe's way of laughing at him. He was certain.
"It is not in me to withhold anything from you," Megatron answered with a sigh, his expression revealing the great pain he was suffering, physical and also mental. This was not an easy situation to be in, the old rival being asked to help his once, worst enemy. However, here he was, unable to summon any amount of malice or sense of satisfaction in the idea of keeping from this femme what she was looking for.
"I hid the big Book long ago in the tomb of the Fallen," Megatron relinquished with a small groan.
"You found the tomb of the Fallen?" Elita One asked, astonished. The Fallen's tomb had not been a place that the Great Primes of old had wanted to be known, and so they had hid it away, no mention of its whereabouts in their ancient texts or maps.
"My intelligence officer, Soundwave, did," Megatron admitted. Even stealing another's praise he could no longer stomach. How far had he fallen?
"And you still know where it is?" Elita One pressed hopefully, an excited glow in her sweet blue optics. With great effort, Megatron nodded.
"I am the only one, outside of Soundwave, who knows of its location," Megatron explained. "I did not have it put in any maps or mission logs. I wanted to keep the place seperate, a place for myself," he murmured. To think he had once worshiped the great Fallen Prime. Only now, after suffering much agony and torture, did Megatron see his ancestor's absolute folly. What was torturing others worth? What was ruling others even worth? Nothing. It hadn't gained him peace. It hadn't gained him anything outside of a power that drove him maddly into the clutches of the Chaos Bringer, Unicron.
"I will bring you there myself," Megatron announced at length.
"But you are not strong enough to show us the way," Elita One replied softly, her optics taking on a gentle shape as she regarded him with something akin to pity. Megatron's spark shuttered. He'd feared being pitied all of his life. Now he couldn't bring himself to care.
"I have been like this for a long time, Elita One, do you not think I can manage?" Megatron almost scoffed.
"I think you inflict unnecessary injuries upon yourself by pushing yourself to your limit and never giving yourself a chance to recover," Elita replied sternly. Megatron would have laughed bitterly, if he'd had the energy to do so. So instead he just grinned ruefully and turned his blood red optics onto the femme.
"You think I'm undeserving of punishment? After all I have done?"
Elita took a fortifying breath through her in-takes.
"I think serving yourself all the punishment you think you deserve is a waist of your time and effort. If you truly regret your past actions, then you should stop thinking solely about yourself, and start learning how to serve others," the femme stated resolutely.
Megatron shook his head.
"I would be nothing more than a menace to society. No one needs my services. There is no place for me in this new age," he spat back.
"No?" Elita challenged, lifting her chin. "I have come here because I need your help, and you are the only one who I can go to for it. The ONLY one. If you aren't meant to serve a purpose in this new age, than why would I be here?"
Megatron growled lowly, and for a moment, a shadow of his old, easily irritated self emerged. Elita stilled, as did Chromia, both watching him carefully. But then Megatron relaxed again, the tenseness falling from his tired form.
"Femmes," was his only retort. Elita took that as a victory, and nodded at him.
"We aren't going to give up on you," she assured. "So sit still and I'm going to call in some of my team for medical supplies," Elita stated. Elita activated her com, and promptly ordered Moonracer and Ultra Violet to head back to the Tenacious and bring with them a trauma kit.
"Why?" Ultra Violet asked nervously.
"Are you hurt?" Moonracer asked in great worry.
"Chromia and I are both fine," Elita promised calmly. "The kit is for our ex-Con. Now both of you stay together and hurry please," she insisted.
"On it!" Moonracer declared. "Giant cliff stairs here I come!"
Megatron flushed a wheezy breath from his systems and allowed his head to lie back against the cave wall. He was loosing conciousness slowly. He could feel the blackness closing in. Elita just sat there in silence beside him, speaking with Chromia over their HUD messaging system and assuring her oldest friend that this was worth it. That Megatron was going to be reliable, and that he needed to be given this chance.
When Moonracer and Ultra Violet finally returned, Megatron was lost to unconciousness. He lie, unmoving against the cave wall. Both girls, a bit flushed from exertion, were startled by Megatron's massive size and his ugly physical condition, but with Elita's prompting, they approached and set the med kit down. Elita One and Chromia went to work right away on patching the mech up where they could, and treating to the best of their ability what they couldn't.
"He... Looks so sad... So miserable... " Moonracer murmured.
"What's his name?" Ultra Violet asked quietly, as if she was afraid to wake the monster.
Elita opened her mouth to respond, but Optimus's voice suddenly interrupted her.
"Galvatron. His name is Galvatron."
Elita One blinked, but accepted this new name without question. Perhaps this new name would be a big part of Megatron moving on.
"His name is Galvatron," Elita answered the girls.
Moonracer and Ultra Violet looked upon the newly appointed Galvatron with soft interest. They didn't need to know who he truly was. Not before they got to know him. Megatron needed someone to treat him without judgement or reserve. It would be a good experience for these girls to give him the benefit of the doubt.
And there you go. Another chapter out! Hope you guys enjoyed the read, maybe even had a laugh or two! Now I'm off to bed. Is the time change messing with anyone else here in the West Coast of America? Blah, I hate spring forward. Anyway, leave me some nice reviews! UP next... A certain Ghost... *grins evilly*