Who would have thought? A new chapter!
I am very excited, since I have actually been waiting to get this back from my beta for several weeks now as well ^^ So please enjoy, everyone, and heed the slight warning for colourful Cybertronian curses and drama!

Oh – and I almost forgot, if anyone wants to know the opening and closing theme of each chapter, I have decided that the Red Hot Chilli Pipers version of "Wake me up" makes a perfect theme song … XD

One would have thought this bit of news would have helped Starscream's mood. It certainly increased respect and appreciation for their new colleagues as far as the rest of the crew were concerned, if Megatron interpreted the flood of comments on the crew frequency correctly.

Starscream only glared at him and then stalked off to his room, leaving Megatron and Soundwave to stare at his back in silence.

"I'm not sure how annoyed at you I am," Megatron commented idly, returning to his datapad and the message from Tailgate and Cliffjumper. Soundwave was expectantly quiet and Megatron narrowed his optics at him. "Why didn't you tell me you knew Jazz?"

"Soundwave: recognised Jazz on account of characteristic glyph patterns used in discussion. Jazz: was using pseudonym. Soundwave: would have been rude to reveal his real designation to other mecha partaking in discussion," Soundwave replied, unperturbed, and Megatron growled a little.

"Then how come Rumble and Frenzy knew? And I bet the rest of your little terrors did as well."

Soundwave shrugged. "Rumble: recognised Jazz as well and messaged Soundwave to make him aware."

Sometimes Megatron honestly forgot that the smaller mecha were actually quite bright in their own right. In his defence, that was mainly because most of the time, they used their ingenuity either for their job (for which Megatron gave them all the credit they deserved) or to annoy the pit out of everyone else (which Megatron was much less impressed by).

He settled for rumbling quietly and frowning down at the message. Not that he didn't appreciate their scriptwriters asking in advance, but how did he feel about doing air battles with Prime?

"Query: why is Megatron annoyed with Soundwave?"

He looked back up and scowled. "Because Starscream has been complaining about you non-stop since you fraternised with Jazz, and I don't appreciate being treated to his screeching."

Soundwave emitted a small ex-vent, which translated to someone else banging their helm against the wall. "Starscream: sometimes sadly unconfrontational. Could have said something," he commented and Megatron snorted.

"I don't know about that considering how he has been snapping at you the last few cycles."

"Starscream: snaps at Soundwave more often than not. Increase in snappiness: only 10%."

Megatron snorted again, half amused. "In other words, you barely noticed?"

Soundwave's field transmitted amusement where it brushed against Megatron's in a fleeting touch. "Starscream: has not clearly stated his issue so far."

"To you maybe. I have heard my fair share of it." Megatron frowned and put the datapad aside, deciding that he needed to recharge on the scriptwriters' questions. "However, since you already made his acquaintance, what do you think made Jazz agree to this? Prime I think I understand if he wanted to become a sparkling holovid actor from the start, but Jazz?"

Soundwave remained quiet for several long kliks. Finally he engaged his speakers again. "Jazz: very secretive and multi-faceted mech. Motivations unclear. Soundwave: hoping to acquire more information during screening."

Megatron couldn't quite help the grin at hearing those words. "So there was an ulterior motive for you pushing that issue. Bravo, Soundwave, you had even me fooled."

Soundwave displayed a grinning smiley. Megatron slipped further down on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. "Well, perhaps we'll find out something more once we've seen his place. A house like that in Kaon, someone is bound to know something about Jazz' creator. Perhaps that'll explain his sudden desire to leave Iacon and work for Matrix."

Not that it made any sense so far; but with a house big enough for its own screening room, Jazz' creator had to have been rich. Houses like that did not exactly come by the dozen in Kaon.

Then again, Megatron had lived in Kaon all his functioning and never heard about a rich Iaconian living in a big house.

Truly, those Iaconians all seemed to have their own little secrets. With all of the surprises the current season had already brought about, Megatron would not be surprised to find Bumblebee was Alpha Trion's secret sparkling by Plane Coasting.

Considering that dedication, they had certainly had more than one opportunity to create one …

The identity of Jazz' creator certainly explained the mansion Megatron found himself standing in a few day-cycles later.

What it did not explain was how Gabbro Prime, one of only three femmes so far to ever be awarded the title, had managed to live in Kaon for stellar cycles without all of Kaon knowing she was there.

Jazz sniggered when Rumble blurted the question out of Soundwave's shadow. "She wasn't an actress for nothing, ya know? You'd be surprised what a little paint an' a different accent can do for a femme when she ain't in the mood to be signing datapads. Now, everyone, the house is yours for the evening – just stay out of my berthroom and washrack and we're good."

Megatron was not the only one that boggled at him at that, although Jazz pretended not to notice, instead turning to Prime, who had appeared from somewhere inside the house, evidently having arrived earlier already. "OP, would you mind giving them the tour? I think I can hear the Constructicons arriving."

"Of course." Prime inclined his helm and smiled. "The screening room is this way, and Ratbat has delivered a selection of fuels."

"I don't fragging believe it!" Megatron heard Starscream mutter as they followed Prime through the corridors, which he was obviously quite familiar with.

Then again, given that Jazz had hugged him in front of everyone upon arriving at the set, Megatron supposed this was hardly the first time Prime had visited the mansion. He had probably also known Jazz was Gabbro Prime's sparkling. Megatron, on the other servo, had not even know Gabbro Prime had had a sparkling, and that despite her being one of his favourite actors!

It did explain Jazz' predilection for pulling stunts that reminded Megatron more of a Polyhexian, though; Gabbro Prime had been Polyhexian.

He wondered how many at the Temple knew whose sparkling Jazz was, and was promptly distracted by Starscream scoffing at an old holo of a Gabbro-Prime-holovid. "Sure, why don't you?" he huffed. "Let it hang out, why not? If you got it, flaunt it!"

Enough was enough.

::Keep Prime distracted, I need to talk some sense into Starscrem:: he commed. Soundwave pinged back confirmation without even glancing at Megatron, who grabbed Starscream's arm and unceremoniously dragged him through the next door he could spot.

"What the pit -" Starscream started, temper and plating flaring, and Megatron clapped a servo over his intake, cutting him off. Starscream resisted, but Megatron still remembered how to effectively trap a mech, and he knew Starscream would not dare execute the required maneouvre to throw him off, not in someone else's mansion.

The room was an elegant salon. Megatron was only able to quickly glance around though before Starscream started pushing enough that he judged it wise to release him before they could accidentally break something tussling.

"What," hissed Starscream, brushing himself off, optics narrowed to slits, "was that?"

Megatron glared back. "You know exactly what this is about!"

Starscream scoffed. "Do I?"

If Megatron hadn't had to listen to Starscream complain and snipe and snap ever since the news about Jazz broke, he might have had more sympathy. As matters stood, he very much did not have any patience left for Starscream's attitude. "If you cannot behave like a professional, go back home and be annoyed there!" he said sharply, irritation bleeding into his field. "I don't care for being here either, but even I know better than to insult the host's creator!"

"I haven't insulted anyone!" Starscream snapped back. "Excuse me if the decor is not to my liking!"

"Dislike it all you want, but keep it to yourself until we're back home!"

"Oh, like you think it's good taste to show off one's creator's success?" Starscream put his servos on his hips and glared at Megatron, wings rigid and plating flared out. "You're the one who makes fun of all those Primes showing off their mansions during those stupid interviews!"

Megatron grit his denta. "And I would tell them to their face if I got the chance, but you have only been complaining non-stop! Have it out with him yourself, or take it to Alpha Trion if you want him gone!"

"Oh, like that would be of any use!" Starscream snarled. "After he's agreed to working for the pittance we earn? Alpha Trion would have to be mad to let him go!"

Megatron could not, in good conscience, inform Starscream of Alpha Trion's plans to give him his own seekerling series. This was something Alpha Trion needed to tell Starscream himself, and needed to tell him at the point where preparations had left the drafting table and there was actually a budget and episodes planned out for it. Telling Starscream now would only result in him either dismissing Megatron's words or ending up horribly disappointed if nothing came of it.

But of course, not telling him would only affirm Starscream's belief that Alpha Trion was planning to replace him with Jazz. And while having to work with other directors on RoRo had never thrilled Starscream in the past, Megatron could not deny that Jazz was much more of a threat than a director fresh out of one of the Academies with little to no actual experience.

"He would have to be mad to let you go as well!" he therefore snapped back, reasoning that what Starscream was out after was reassurance that he was not going to be out of one job after this season of RoRo had wrapped shooting. "You know bloody well you have fans!"

"Like that is going to help me!" Starscream almost-screeched. "Does that old fool have you wrapped around his digit so much that even you can't see where this is going?"

Megatron gawked for a moment, then bit out, "Excuse you?"

Starscream's optics took on a mean gleam that Megatron hadn't seen in quite a while. He could be mean, to the point of being cruel, but generally expressions of that cruelty were reserved to mecha who really crossed him.

And before Megatron had time to prepare, Starscream took aim and landed a low blow.

"Oh, my apologies, that's right, he doesn't even need to try and distract you, does he? His personal friend is doing that for him."

"Starscream!" Megatron growled and the optics began glowing with vicious glee.

"Did our dear employer pick up on the fact that his star has a crush on the big time actor he just so conveniently happens to be friends with? Think he already told dear Optimus? I'm sure if he put in a good word for you, Prime would go on a date with you. After all, he's already let you into his washrack, so what's a little mo-"

Megatron's servo made a satisfying sound as it collided with Starscream's helm. Starscream smirked at him, unimpressed by the hit. Ex-military trine leaders could take a lot more impact than that without so much as resetting their optics.

"You're one to talk, practically kissing the floor underneath his pedes!" Megatron snarled, trying not to lose more control. He knew Starscream was gunning for it now, wanted Megatron to fight him physically. They had known each other for a long time. But Megatron refused to be goaded into a physical fight right here, right now. "You invited him to an oil house, you took him to the editing room!"

Starscream threw back his helm and cackled. "You're just jealous because you keep putting your pede in your intake every time you talk to him!"

"That is not true!" Megatron hissed. "And even if it were, at least I'm not trying to crawl up his smokestacks for – what even? So he'll introduce you to other mecha into whose tailpipes you can crawl?"

Starscream's optics flashed with fury. "Maybe I have goals! Perhaps I have dreams, perhaps I don't want to spend my whole functioning directing sparkling holovids!" he snapped, obviously offended now as well. "Maybe I haven't given up on having a proper directing career, like you seem to have given up on ever playing anything but villains in sparkling holovids!"

It stung. It stung far worse because in all those vorns they had known each other, for all that he kept talking about his higher aspirations, Starscream had always stuck with Matrix. Megatron was used to him, used to his directing style, used to having Starscream around. He was their direct link to the industry workers in Vos. If he quit and went to Iacon to pursue his own career, Megatron didn't quite know how he would be able to maintain contact with the mecha in Vos. Thundercracker and Skywarp were still there, of course, but it wasn't the same as being served each bit of information with his morning or evening energon, depending on when Starscream talked to his trine.

Starscream was Megatron's friend, and he was almost as important for TIWU as Megatron and Soundwave themselves. Losing him was – losing him to Iacon of all places was unacceptable.

"If you want out of here so much, why don't you try your luck with Jazz then?" Megatron almost roared, rage quickly covering hurt. "Or is your pride not going to allow you to suck up to him because he's another director? One more famous than you?"

The servo hit his face before he had time to prepare and left his cheek stinging slightly.

"Frag you!"

With that, Starscream spun around and stormed out the door that obligingly opened for him, Megatron glaring at his back. His social protocols were pinging him insistently, and his HUD informed him that Starscream's servo had left a slight dent in his cheek. If they hadn't been at the stupid screening, Megatron would have stormed out, too, grabbed Starscream and given him a good, thorough shake before transforming and taking it to the skies to burn off their rage.

Even that thought hurt and further fuelled his anger. It had been several stellar cycles that they had had an argument spiralling so much out of control. It wasn't going to ruin their friendship, Megatron knew that much, because they had been through slag like this before and always managed to fix it, but it certainly wasn't going to help the process that their cathartic air battle would now have to wait until the screening was over.

Megatron fell back on the same temporary relief that he had learnt to appreciate in the mines.

"Fragging byte-processored, obnoxious, glitched, arrogant result of a blind virus fragging a system malfunction -"

Still cursing Starscream to pit and back in the most colourful language he was capable of, he stepped out of the door -

- and promptly found himself face-to-face with Optimus Prime, staring at him aghast.

There was no doubt that Prime had heard every single curse Megatron uttered. The door had still been open, after all, and Megatron was a trained actor – his voice carried.

He stood frozen as blue optics took him in and the expression quickly changed back to neutrality.

"I noticed you and Starscream were missing," Prime said quietly, his optics falling on Megatron's dented cheek. He had enough presence of processor to stop himself from reaching up and putting a servo over it; there was no need to confirm Prime's suspicion that there was a dent to hide. Instead he inclined his helm stiffly.

"My apologies. We needed a moment to ourselves. I hope we haven't intruded where we should not."

Prime looked at the door for a split klik. "Jazz meant it when he said the house is yours for the evening. You are free to make use of the salon if you like."

Megatron stopped himself from moving from pede to pede. "My apologies for not comming you about staying behind."

Prime inclined his helm and stayed silent. Megatron stared at him, uncomfortably reminded of their first few encounters when Prime had seemed incapable to keep his optics off Megatron. As if he had been waiting for him to – what, crack? Protest his presence?

Megatron did not know, but he did wish Prime would say something or even just start moving in the direction of the screening room. Primus only knew where Starscream was by now; Megatron hoped he had either slipped away to return home or decided to act like a professional. It was not like he couldn't.

And then Prime suddenly spoke up.

"I do not have much of an opinion of mecha who treat everyone around them with contempt," he said, his expression still neutral.

It took Megatron by surprise so much that his first reaction was to growl, "You and me both."

Then the real meaning of Prime's words hit and Megatron felt his control slipping as his field and expression broadcast just how taken aback he was. "What the – that is not -"

Prime met his gaze, calm and resolved. "I appreciate that your acting skills far outclass most of those around you, including Starscream -"

"Starscream and I live together!" Megatron sputtered, the only defence his processor could come up with, and Prime stopped talking, looking surprised and – dismayed?

"You are conjunxed?"

In retrospect, Megatron would admit that yes, his reaction to that did not speak in his favour. "Primus below, no!" he almost yelled. "I'm not glitched enough for that!"

Of course, the only reason he said that was because he knew what Thundercracker and Skywarp would try to do to him if he ever made a move on Starscream, and it kind of proved his point, but in his momentary confusion, he forgot that Prime did not know. A look of profound disappointment appeared on his face. Megatron watched, helpless, still wondering what was going on, and then Prime looked him straight in the optics.

"I have looked forward to working with you ever since I saw Gladiator, and I truly enjoyed our conversations," he said, quiet sadness in his voice. "But I think it is probably best if we start meeting at the studio if we need to go through the script."

Prime was siding with Starscream. He was siding with Starscream because he had heard all the unflattering things Megatron had said about Starscream while he believed himself alone, and he was not hesitating to make his opinion known and -

It felt like he had thrown a punch straight into Megatron's chassis. With fierce determination, he dumped several threads from of his processor, focusing on one goal: Stopping Prime from walking away.

"Prime, stop and let me explain, will you?" he snapped, then immediately softened his voice as he continued talking as quickly as he could before Prime could move too far away. "Starscream, Soundwave and I have been sharing an apartment for more than five vorns now. And Starscream himself has been conjunxed to two Vosian actors since before we even met. I'm not saying they would offline me if I tried anything, but they would very definitely not be pleased. We're friends. Not always the best of friends, granted, but we're still friends. I was angry at him just now, but I thought I was alone. What I said was not meant for anyone's audials."

Prime halted his steps, but did not turn around. "What?"

Megatron's spark settled a little. At least Prime wasn't walking away from him any longer.

"Starscream and I are friends," he repeated and Prime turned around and gazed at him as if trying to read his spark.

"Then what was that about just now?" he said, voice carefully neutral. Megatron stopped himself from shifting uncomfortably.

"Personal," he said shortly, having absolutely no desire to divulge what exactly their little spat had been about. "But I can assure you, if Starscream really had an issue with me, he would no doubt poison my evening energon. He has plenty of opportunity to do so, and the other way around as well."

Prime was still tense. "And do you curse all of your friends like that when you are angry at them?"

Megatron snorted. "Prime, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in Kaon. Mecha around here don't really stand on ceremony with each other. I can assure you of that as well, the things Starscream is saying about me, probably right now, probably to Rumble and Frenzy, are at least as colourful as what I said. And if we didn't have to be here, we wouldn't have bothered with cursing each other at all, we would simply have found a spot of free sky and had it out there."

There was an unnatural stillness to Prime's frame. "You would fight about a disagreement?"

"We would race each other so that the winner can get his grievances heard first!" Megatron almost snapped, then forcefully reminded himself once again that Prime was from Iacon, where things were done differently. "I don't hate Starscream, and Starscream doesn't hate me, but that doesn't change the fact that he -" insulted the creator of one of Prime's friends in their own home, that was probably not something he should tell Prime, "- has been very high-strung recently and on edge, and someone needed to remind him that he is a professional."

There was another moment of silence.

"And you have the right to decide what is professional and what is not?" Prime said, glyphs absolutely neutral. Megatron grit his denta again. Looked like he had no choice but to tell on Starscream.

"I know that scoffing at someone's creator because you will have to share your job with them is not professional."

Prime startled minutely. Megatron could see his optics resetting and one finial flicker. "Starscream was insulting Gabbro Prime?"

"Starscream has not shut up about Jazz for a single klik in the last deca-cycle," Megatron replied, avoiding the question. "You must have noticed he did not like him being hired."

There was another moment of silence, then Prime relaxed slightly, enough that his frame did not look strangely locked any longer. "I have noticed, yes."

"I only told him to take it to Alpha Trion instead of complaining or ruining everyone's evening."

One finial flickered. "But surely Starscream wouldn't -"

Megatron could not help but ex-vent in exasperation. "Prime, take it from someone who has known Starscream for a long time – if he is in the right mood, he won't hesitate to snap and snipe at Jazz until Jazz finally retaliates, and I think we can all do without that kind of drama."

Another pause, then Prime said, quietly, "I thought those were just rumours."

Megatron reset his optics. "Rumours?"

Blue optics met his. "Yes, rumours. Your reputation precedes you. You and Starscream, in any case. I have heard numerous stories about the ways either of you intimidate young actors when you don't like them, and that you consider yourself above the rest of the crew and cast."

Megatron could do nothing but gawk, not least because this was the first time he heard about himself having a "reputation". Prime continued, bemused, "I cannot say that I found those rumours to be accurate after meeting you, although I have to admit that the atmosphere on set is certainly is a tad – rough, at times. Yet the crew all appear to genuinely like you, even when you order them around. In my experience, that doesn't happen with those mecha who genuinely consider themselves above their company."

Megatron could not help growling at that. "I do not 'order them around'. Starscream does, but he's the frigging director. It's kinda in the job description."

"You do frequently yell at them to get off the set," Prime noted. "Hook especially."

Megatron threw his servos up. "You don't know Hook, Prime! If we let him get on the way he wants to, we'd never be shooting any outdoor scenes! That mech is the most perfectionist glitch that ever functioned! Ask Alpha Trion if you don't believe me!"

There was another pause during which they stared at each other.

Then Prime gestured towards the salon. "Perhaps we could step inside for a moment."

Megatron immediately went, field fluctuating wildly with relief. At least Prime was giving him a chance to explain himself.

"Would you like a cube?" Prime stepped up to a wall, looking at Megatron expectantly. He gave a stiff nod, put on edge by the question. Prime opened a cupboard and returned a moment later with two beautifully cut glass crystal cubes containing the kind of midgrade Megatron would indulge himself with after a good review for the latest episode.

He suppressed an ex-vent and accepted it without a word. Prime chose one of the comfortable-looking chairs and sat down, motioning for Megatron to do so as well.

They sipped in silence, the blue optics once more sizing Megatron up.

He took a deep in-vent, put the cube down on a table and folded his servos. "Look, Prime, I don't know what you may have heard about Starscream and me, neither him nor me think we are better than everybody else at the studio."

"You said about the Constructicons that there were reasons why they don't act in front of the camera," Prime said quietly. "And Starscream has been very – demanding with Bulkhead and Bumblebee."

Megatron could well imagine, although he hadn't been present for most of their prepping sessions and only seen them on set. "He does the exact same to Soundwave and me, in case you haven't noticed. In fact, you are the only one he has been going easy on."

Prime inclined his helm. "Arcee did say that he seems to harp on you a lot more than on anyone else. But you are an experienced actor. Bulkhead and Bumblebee are not."

Megatron let the air escape his vents slowly. "I know it doesn't necessarily come across that way, but Starscream is trying to help them."

"They know that."

When nothing more came forth, Megatron met the blue gaze. "Neither you nor I can change Starscream, Prime. He may not be the nicest director around, he is certainly not as easy-going as Jazz appears to be, but he is a good director and he appreciates good, hard work."

A soft ex-vent. Prime looked down into his cube and said, "Bulkhead and Bumblebee have also heard the rumours. I can tell that Starscream is trying to help both of them, I have experience enough with different directors to know. So does Arcee. But they have spent most of their time in the business hearing about how much Kaonites look down upon Iaconians."

Megatron could not stop his optics from cycling wide. "We look down on them?"

"That is what mecha in Iacon say. Kaonites don't respect the Temple and they don't respect our plays and industry. One just has to look at – the other studio."

"The other studio?" Megatron repeated and two finials flickered.

"The second Kaonian studio."

Oh. That studio.

Megatron scoffed. "Just because Iaconians put their amateur porn on the grid instead of using a proper studio doesn't mean -"

"That is not the problem here," Prime interrupted, and Megatron thought he could detect faint embarrassment in that oh-so-controlled field. "The problem is that Bulkhead and Bumblebee arrived here already half expecting the mecha at Matrix to hate them despite Alpha Trion's assurances. They have been raised with the idea that Kaon disrespects Iacon on principle, and that since they are Iaconian, they cannot expect to be given fair treatment here. And the rumours about you and Starscream are not helping matters."

Megatron was getting a tad fed up with these vague hints at rumours.

"Well, what is it then that Iaconians have to say about Starscream and me?" he demanded, annoyed. "That he's an obnoxious little glitch with high expectations and more than a little tendency to drive mecha to exhaustion in his quest for the perfect shot? He's hardly the only director in the industry with that particular problem!"

Prime looked back up. "That he does not appreciate the work his actors do, and regularly asks for the impossible. That he plays favourites on set, particularly with you. That he believes himself to be on par with Jazz and other Temple-approved directors."

Megatron narrowed his optics. "Starscream always, always tells all of his actors that they've done good work."

"And so do you," Prime said. "I noticed, Megatron. I also noticed that you are trying to make them comfortable as well, but what neither you nor Starscream seem to realise is that it is – unsettling to watch either of you yell at mecha you have been working with for vorns."

"How is that their problem?" Megatron demanded, temper flaring. "It's not like they don't give as good as they get!"

Prime looked back at his cube. "Perhaps it would not be as much of a problem if there weren't a variety of rumours about you as well," he said, clearly choosing his words carefully. "Mostly about how you hate Iaconians and will do everything to mob them from your set, whichever it is. That you will not even stop at pretending to have feelings for a mech and cast them aside after you have berthed them."

Megatron stared at him, utterly speechless.

Prime looked back up. "I was – not aware of those rumours before I mentioned what Ratchet had said regarding me inviting you. Or -" he vented deeply, "- I was aware, but I had not encountered the particular rumour that you did it on purpose to make mecha quit Matrix Studios."

"That is a despicable lie."

The rage was so strong, a white-hot flare driving his core temperature up, that Megatron could not even bother layering his glyphs with it, so his words sounded completely flat and neutral. "I have never, not even once in my functioning, attempted to make any mech fall for me with the purpose of using their feelings against them."

"I know," Prime said and brought Megatron up short.

"What?"

Blue optics met his. "I may not have much of an interest in gossip, but I know enough of the world to realise that when mecha come to Kaon with its much laxer morals regarding interfacing, they might be tempted to engage in affairs that other Iaconians may look down upon. I also know enough of how the Iaconian industry works to be quite aware that when returning from Kaon, some mecha may choose to – alter some details regarding their – indiscretions, especially when the other party in question is far away and cannot protest."

Megatron stared at him. Prime lowered his optics back to his cube and cleared his intake. "You have a reputation as a flirt and a seducer in Iacon, Megatron. An ill-willed, ill-tempered and vengeful one, too."

Megatron opened his mouth and found himself still at a loss for words while at the same time, he wanted to disappear. Being told what others said about him was bad enough; being told by Optimus Prime was … was …

Prime's finials drooped a little, and Megatron hated it. "Knowing what I know about the – expectations the Temple has regarding their actors, I had always assumed the rumours were vastly exaggerated. Additionally, I figured the tale was spun in a fashion to make the Iaconian in question appear your hapless victim. I did not believe, nor did Alpha Trion ever give me reason to suspect you would use Iaconians as a springboard, or even just seduce whichever Iaconian you happened to meet."

"That – I haven't even considered approaching any of our guest-stars in stellar cycles!" Megatron blurted, processor running hot with the effort of processing all of this. "And I never, ever used anyone!"

"Yes, Knock Out said much the same when I asked him," Prime replied, one finial flickering before he apparently got it under control and it stopped in a neutral position. "Coming to Kaon and working with you has been very confusing. You are – rough and loud and harsh in many ways, yet you are clearly respected and liked by your crew, and you are always professional where we are concerned, so -" He ex-vented, then looked back up and met Megatron's half outraged, half stunned gaze. "That Ratchet of all mecha seemed to confirm the rumours I had heard was very much a surprise for me, since I had assumed he would be in a position to know whether they were true."

"Ratchet -" Megatron began, then broke off and dragged a servo over his optics, not even knowing where to begin describing the mess that had been his friendship with First Aid, and that was his current relationship with Ratchet. "Primus."

"I assume you had no idea these rumours existed?" Prime almost sounded sympathetic.

"None at all." Megatron tried to come up with more and found his processor had decided to run reassessments of prior interactions with Iaconian actors. He hated how little things, questions, looks, even smiles, suddenly made so much more and terrible sense. Then a thread popped up, his last conversation with Alpha Trion, and Megatron could not help a bitter chuckle. "If they are so intent on dragging my designation down the smelter, I'm glad to know I've just made it possible for every mech and femme that ever thought I stepped on their pedes to get me into trouble," he said, the words hurting his intake, and Prime reset his optics at him.

"Sorry?"

Megatron gestured. "Alpha Trion will be introducing a new process to enable employees at Matrix Studios to complain about on-set harassment soon. Considering what you just said, I guess I'll be at the top of the list of mecha others complain about."

Prime's optics brightened. "Is that a new TIWU idea?"

Megatron froze, all threads dropping from his processor.

"It sounds like a very good plan," Prime continued, apparently oblivious to Megatron's shock. "Although how are you planning to handle a situation where the story is changed after the mech in question has already left Matrix?"

Megatron had no idea. Just like he had no idea at all how to cope with Prime apparently knowing about TIWU. Technically, he didn't even know why he was so surprised, it was not like TIWU was a secret in the industry. It was just not much talked about in Iacon as far as he had been able to gather, on account of the general contempt most Iaconians held for it.

Fortunately, he was spared any reply by receiving a comm.

::Query: current location?::

Before he had time to reply, the door swished open and Jazz sailed inside, smiling brightly. "OP, Megatron! So that's where you two've been hiding? Hope the energon selection was to your taste?"

Prime looked as startled as Megatron felt. Jazz wrapped an arm around his pauldrons and grinned at him. "Sorry I have to interrupt your no doubt riveting discussion of whatever it was you were talking about, but we're about to start the screening. Unless you prefer to stay?"

Abruptly regaining his bearings, Megatron stood. "No, of course not. My apologies for disappearing. We got side-tracked."

The visor brightened in a way Megatron could not decipher. "Happens, ma good mech, happens. Keep that cube, doesn't matter, I'll bring it back in here later."

Prime stood as well, battlemask hiding most of his face. "Are you sure?" he asked from behind it, and Jazz patted his forearm guard.

"Positive, OP. Alpha Trion's been asking about you, too."

"Yes, of course," Prime murmured, looking over his pauldron to Megatron as they left the salon, Jazz chattering on about something – Megatron thought it was about Ratbat and energon. His processor was still too tied up to actively listen, so he simply looked back at Prime, not sure how he was supposed to react.

::I am sorry::

He stared at the glyphs for a moment, then at Prime, who was now walking beside Jazz and had turned his helm back to the corridor in front of him.

::What for?::

::I should not have told you like this. It was very inconsiderate::

Megatron suppressed an ex-vent. ::How does one considerately tell someone else that they're being made to appear like the Unmaker himself?::

Prime flashed him another look over his pauldron, and Megatron realised how snappish the comm sounded and tried to amend his words. ::I had to find out sooner or later anyway::

A pause. Megatron could already hear the chatter from a brightly lit room at the end of the corridor. They would be in there in less than a klik, and then there would be no more chances to continue this conversation. He should send another comm, but what should he write?

::Could we perhaps talk about this at another time?::

Megatron startled and looked up to meet blue optics.

::When we have more time and leisure at our disposal:: Prime added, and one finial drooped a little.

Megatron marshalled his threads. ::Yes::

The battlemask snapped back and he was treated to a tiny smile. ::Thank you::

Megatron was decidedly not himself for the rest of the evening, and it was a shame. The first three episodes of the new RoRo-season were possibly some of the best they had ever shot, and properly seeing himself fighting Optimus Prime on screen would usually have excited Megatron to no end.

It was still amazing, and he did manage to focus on watching for the scenes where Megatronus and Orion Pax met each other. He could definitely see a change in how he himself was playing Megatronus – they were electric in a way scenes with Sentinel had never been. The whole dynamic between Orion Pax and Megatronus was different; there was conviction and steely determination in both of them when they met each other, and Megatron got a shiver down his spinal struts when Orion Pax rallied his new team at the end of the second episode.

"Autobots, roll out!" really had a nice ring to it. Tailgate and Cliffjumper had come up with a good line there.

"Decepticons, rise up still sounds way cooler!" Rumble argued, more or less tumbling into their apartment ahead of Megatron. He grumbled and made sure not to step Frenzy, who likewise pushed his way inside, showing absolutely no concern about being stepped on.

"Yeah, totally!" he agreed, making straight for the big sofa and hopping onto it. Megatron moved further to let Soundwave and Starscream enter as well and Ravage squeezed past, joining Rumble and Frenzy on the sofa. Starscream glared at them, stalking off to the energon preparation area and clattering with cubes. Megatron could only distantly feel relief that contrary to expectations, he had managed to behave himself during the rest of the screening. Although there was a good chance Soundwave's almost-constant presence by his side was responsible for Starscream's uncommon restraint.

Which apparently had reached its limit.

"Do they absolutely have to stay over?" Starscream snapped, striding back into the common area and shooting nasty glances at Ravage, Rumble and Frenzy. Predictably, they ignored him. They usually did outside of a set. Soundwave went to the shelves along the wall, reaching for the additional bedding that they kept around for just such occasions. Megatron took it upon himself to remind Starscream of some facts of life.

"Feel free to try and convince them to go home," he muttered, leaning against the wall and watching the three considerably smaller mecha make themselves comfortable on the much-favoured piece of furniture. Starscream growled at him.

"I shouldn't have to kick them out! This isn't their home!"

Megatron ex-vented. He was in no mood to get into a fight with Starscream about something that really was not worth fighting about. "Just leave them be."

"Why should I?" Starscream crossed his arms, scowling, and Megatron lost patience with him for the second time that evening.

"Because this isn't your apartment either!" he snapped, and Soundwave's helm flew up. Starscream's optics widened. "Forget it! Just go to your room if you don't want to be around anyone!"

"Wow," Rumble commented from the sofa, just out of Megatron's sight behind the back. "What is up with you two?"

Starscream narrowed his optics, tapping a digit on his arm. "That is a good question indeed. I would have thought at least you would be in a better mood after you got to have your little exclusive chat with Prime."

Megatron's engine gave an annoyed rev. "How do you -"

"Oh please!" Starscream scoffed. "Long Haul and Bonecrusher saw you and Prime disappear into that salon and lost no time telling everyone else. However, Jazz went to fetch you so soon that nothing much can have happened there. Logically, he must have said something to you that then had you in such a weird mood that you didn't even properly pay attention to the episodes. I noticed. You were almost out of it for pretty much half of the first episode. Most of which featured Megatronus."

Rumble stuck his helm up over the back of the sofa, grinning. "You suck slag at being inconspicuous!" he said gleefully, then added, "What did Prime say that had your processor all tied up?" before Megatron could even decide how to react.

Frenzy cackled and poked his helm up, too. "Did he flirt with you? You were in that salon long enough for that!"

"All alone!" Rumble sounded very excited.

"Prime," Megatron said without inflection, trying to get a grip on all the emotions that wanted attention again, "kindly informed me that as far as many Iaconians are concerned, Starscream is an arrogant glitch with an over-inflated opinion of his own directing skills."

"What?" Starscream screeched, optics blazing crimson with rage. His arms fell apart and he instead clenched his servos into fists. "These horrible, slag-sucking nincompoops -"

"As for me," Megatron continued, ignoring Starscream and still without inflection, "I am apparently the Unmaker's new incarnation intent on seducing and ripping out the sparks of every Iaconian I ever came across for daring to trespass onto Matrix Studio grounds."

"Wow," Rumble said after a short pause, sounding impressed of all things. "For real?"

"Rumble: be silent," Soundwave said, drifting closer. "Query: what did Prime say precisely?"

"Yes, I would like to know that as well!" Starscream snarled. "What is it the high and mighty Iaconians dislike about us humble non-Iaconians?"

Megatron chose to stare at the big, dark screen. "About you, apparently only that you vastly overestimate your own abilities." Starscream hissed and Megatron glared at him. "At least they aren't accusing you of more or less abusing other mecha!"

Starscream stopped glaring and looked flabbergasted. "What?"

Megatron growled. "Well, what do you call it when someone seduces a mech only to later on break their spark? Which I, apparently, do on a regular basis, and only and exclusively to Iaconians."

Starscream looked appalled. "That thing with First Aid was a misunderstanding. Everyone knows that. The only one who still insists it was your fault is Ratchet."

Megatron tiredly rubbed his helm. "The rumours aren't about First Aid. Apparently it is fashionable for Iaconians who have fragged me to return to Iacon and pretend they fell victim to my 'seductive charms' or whatever. Basically, all blame on them not conforming to Iaconian expectations is put on me. I seduced them, I was the one who initiated interface, I was the one who pretended to have feelings so they would agree to interface and they fell for it. In short, it's all my fault."

Starscream snorted derisively. "'Charms'? You? Puh-lease! Your approach to flirting is to walk up to a mech and tell them they can spike you if they feel so inclined."

Rumble disappeared for a moment, resurfaced and threw a sofa cushion at Starscream. "That's not true!"

Megatron felt too drained to protest himself, but he appreciated Rumble's defence, even if Starscream only scowled more and snapped, "You have to admit it's not far off!"

"He doesn't say that!" Frenzy jumped in and they were off. Megatron ex-vented and sat down on the sofa as well. A moment later it dipped and Soundwave's field brushed his, transmitting affection.

"Did you know about this?" Megatron asked, dreading and needing the answer in equal measure. Soundwave met his gaze.

"Soundwave: has occasionally seen references to Megatron's berth skills," he said hesitantly. "Other rumours: never mentioned. Suggestion: rumours only spread off the grid, not on it, or in closed groups."

It made sense. After all, Megatron knew from his few stints in Iacon that set gossip usually ran rampant there. It was perfectly conceivable that no-one would bother putting these accusations on the grid, especially because that would give Megatron the opportunity to find and contradict the stories.

"They would do that, those cowards!" Starscream half-screeched, perfectly able to follow two conversations at once. Rumble crawled onto Megatron's leg, slumping forward against him and wrapping his arms around what he could reach of Megatron's chassis. It was not much.

"Don't listen to anything they say! We know you're not like that!"

Ravage, too, draped himself over his other leg, engine emanating a soothing purr. Megatron put a hand on his helm and huffed, and then Frenzy also cuddled up to him from the side. Standing, he just about reached Megatron's audial. "Yeah, don't listen to them. They're slag-heads and cowards, like Starscream says!"

Megatron ex-vented once more, shuttering his optics. "It is not that easy. These rumours can damage everything we have been working for all these vorns. Prime also told me that because of these rumours, at least Bulkhead and Bumblebee don't trust Starscream and me. That they think we will treat them badly because they're Iaconians." He hesitated and caught Starscream's gaze. "He heard us fighting and concluded that we hate each other."

Starscream gawked back, then gave a shrill giggle. "We. Hate each other? That is preposterous!"

Megatron ex-vented again, petting Ravage. "Apparently the way we interact on set has convinced them that we don't even respect each other, much less Iaconians."

Frenzy looked up at him, clearly confused. "What's wrong with how we act on set?"

Starscream snarled, throwing up his servos. "Oh, for – don't tell me it's because we yell every now and then!"

Megatron said nothing and Starscream's optics blazed crimson again. "That is equally ridiculous! Primus below, how prim and proper are they that they can't tell this isn't serious? Was none of them ever in the military?"

"Fact: most Iaconians not war- or flightframes. Probability for having been in the military: low," Soundwave spoke up and Starscream hissed.

"Unmaker-spawned byte-processored glitches! Can't they tell we don't hate each other? One would think it's quite obvious! I certainly wouldn't stand for being insulted for real by these mini-mecha! I could just step on them!"

"Hey!" Rumble huffed and Starscream rolled his optics at him.

"Oh, don't even start!"

Megatron intervened before another fight could ensue by patting Rumble and saying, "I'm told it is confusing to watch our interactions. And apparently, it is even more confusing that we do not yell at and insult them."

"I certainly can -"

"Starscream!" Megatron was so, so tired. "They don't get it, alright? They don't get that this works for us, because in Iacon, they do things differently. I don't quite know how they do things there, but we all know that Iaconians don't understand Kaonian customs. And that, coupled with those rumours, is apparently putting all of them on edge, even Prime, even when he believes Alpha Trion when he says we're a good team."

Silence fell after he had summed up their current situation. Then Rumble spoke up. "Well … then you have to show them we're not that bad. That it's all in good fun. I mean – there are Iaconians around who we clearly don't hate. Why would they stay at Matrix if we made their functioning pit?"

Megatron ex-vented again. "I don't know," he muttered.

"Soundwave: suggests Megatron contact Optimus Prime and makes further inquiries. Counteraction: only possible if precise knowledge of rumours available."

Megatron looked at his best friend, felt the soft pulse of affection in the unobtrusive field and nodded. "Yes. I know. I will talk to him again. Just – not right away."

Starscream crossed his arms, scowling again. "And he had better have a few answers for you! Byte-processored lying glitches!"