Hi guys, here's a new story for the vault. They're doing a MegOp week on Tumblr so I decided to make a story of my own. I'm going to make this description quick because I'm getting tired. It's a story centered around Optimus losing his memory and joining the Decepticons as Orion Pax... I know, I know, this story has been played to death, but I think I put an interesting spin on it. We'll see how this one does and if it does well I'll make a part two, so... Review my pretty's! Review!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

Cracks in the Crystal Ball Pt.1

Not a single drone on the Nemesis was happy with the knowledge of Optimus Prime was residing on the warship. It didn't matter to them at all that he had no recollection of his most recent memories, to the Decepticon troops he was still very much the enemy. He was the leader of the team that had brutally murdered and maimed thousands of their kind, and he was being treated like an honored guest. It angered them beyond belief and there was so much they wanted to do about it, but their master forbade anyone from going near the Prime without his permission.

For one group of Vehicons the craving for vengeance was too strong. Someone needed to pay. Optimus needed to pay, so they gathered together one night and devised a plan. In an empty storeroom believed to have no surveillance, they gathered around a turned over crate. Two of the six had items they needed to carry out their scheme. One held two serving cubes of different colors, blue and violet. The other grounder held a vile of a contaminated substance, and a very dangerous one at that. It was a miracle he was able to slip out of the med-bay without being noticed by any of the higher officers. His spark was still racing so much it made his servos unsteady. There was a sharp collective gasp before a heavy sigh of relief when the shaky Vehicon dropped the vile, but fortunately his partner was close by and he caught the glass tube before it could shatter.

"Careful Punchki!" The grounder across from him shouted. "That rusting agent is very potent! One drop could rust your servo off!"

"Lay off him Clemente!" The drone now holding the vile chimed in for his friend. "Poor Punchki is stressed out enough as it is. Getting a hold of this stuff was not easy."

"I'm not denying that," the Vehicon addressed as Clemente retorted, "but I think it's safe to say we are all stressed at the moment, and I'm sure the last thing we need is to endure a sudden outbreak."

"Then feel free to hold the vile yourself," Punchki stated when he got a hold of his own wit, "seeing how you are so inclined to show us how it's done."

Clemente scoffed at his shorter counterpart, encouraging Punchki's partner to move closer to him in a protective manner. However, everyone's attention was brought back to the task at hand when a fourth drone set the empty cubes on the makeshift table, then took the vile to open it.

"Enough squabbling," he subtly boasted as he carefully dipped a glass stirrer into the rusting agent, "the Autobot's ration round is drawing near. If we're still going to do this, we need to do it now."

"Careful Alex…" The drone behind him said in a worried tone. "Do you need any help?"

"Thank you, Zachery, but I'm fine." Alex replied but didn't object to his friend taking the vile from him when he was finished with it. With his free servo, Alex took the blue cube and with the stirrer he swabbed the inner rim of the glass. Again, Clemente scoffed as he watched the delicate procedure, then crossed his arms.

"I still don't see why we don't just dump the whole thing in. It's more than what he deserves anyway."

"If we did that then the chemical reaction would turn the energon red." The self-appointed leader of their group answered in half interest as he concentrated on his task. "I'm almost certain that even with his trusting nature, the great 'Orion Pax' would find such discoloration to be suspicious. This is just the right amount to get the job done."

"Remind me again why there's a second glass?" One of the Vehicons that had yet to be named wondered.

There was one reason and one reason only in the depths of Alex's mind and spark, but he could not say it aloud. His reasoning was purely cold, deceiving, and above all else purely selfish. The second glass was just an excuse to stay in the room, and refuel with the Prime… Because he wanted to watch. He wanted to be present and witness the end of his enemy, and see the light slowly snuff out in Optimus's optics as he choked on his disintegrating insides. Alex wanted his vengeance so badly, and he was not going to pass up the opportunity to seize it. Not when the Prime almost literally landed in his lap.

"It's my way in." He half told the truth. "I'm relying on his said trusting nature to allow me inside and share my refueling time with him. This way I can make sure he drinks the toxin without any unexpected incidents."

"It's also dangerous." Clemente added as he filled the glasses with energon. "If you are caught as the last mech in the room with him, you will be deactivated by Megatron himself for sure."

"I've taken care of that." Punchki announced. "I managed to cut the surveillance on a timed black out. You will only have five minutes, however. It was the best I could do without being detected myself."

"You did very well Punchki." Alex said while lifting the tray and turning to face the door. "Thank you."

"Alex…!" The grounder next to him reached out to graze the side of his shoulder plating. "Please… Reconsider doing this alone. Let one or two of us escort you to the room. We can pretend we are guarding the main energon storage space."

"Dave… Don't worry about me. Just…" He paused and enjoyed the caressing feeling of the servo on his metal. It may be the last time he felt such warmth ever again after all. "Just keep an optic on Salem for me until I get back… Okay?"

He then walked away before anyone else could say anything and try to stop him again. He needed to be quick or they would try harder to talk him out of this plan, but Alex just did not care about the risks. He knew there was a high risk of being killed, and it didn't matter as long as it meant someone would pay for everything. The suffering of his brethren had gone on for too long, and for what happened to his mate would not go unpunished. Alex was going to see to it that Optimus Prime suffered as Salem had suffered. No one knew how the Miner drone was injured so badly with such awful burn marks to his faceplate and neck-cables, they just knew it happened during an ambush. Poor Salem has never described which Bot was his attacker, not only because his vocals were fried, but he was so traumatized he refused to speak of it all.

"I will help you find peace my love." Alex whispered to himself when he was alone in the halls. "The Autobots will not get away with this injustice… This I promise."

Alex made it down the halls to the main storage area without incident. There were no guards standing in front of the main doors as expected around this time of day. This was the only time when the troops would change stations during a longer period of time, because they would need to get their rations before returning to their post. This was the grounder's final and only chance, but he still shivered nervously as he approached his last turn off. It was the moment of truth, as soon as he passed the storage room he would be at the doors of the well treated prisoner. He just needed to repeat to himself that everything was going according to plan. No one had been caught so far, and he was making great time. It was almost done, and his eagerness was beginning take hold of his fear. Alex was going to finally go through with it, and if fate was kind, he would get away with it scot free. That was what he believed right up to the point he turned that final corner, and nearly ran right into his master.

"Oh no…" He whispered hoping Megatron didn't hear him. Again fate was not going to be kind.

"Pardon?" The taller mech questioned rather as calm, but that's how almost all conversations with the tyrant started out with. Before he finally lost his temper.

"Oh… Oh no… Time!" Alex blurted out, his servos shaking and jittering the tray. "No time to stop I'm afraid… Forgive me my Lord but I'm running late for my rounds and I can't stop to talk. Excuse me."

"Please take some time." Megatron stepped in front of the drone when he tried to walk around him. "I was hoping to run into whomever was bringing Orion his rations. I wish to bring his rations to him myself." He stared at his servant and noticed the way he was trembling. The next thing he noticed was the second glass on the tray. "Why do you have two cubes with you?"

"Um… Well… Like I said before Lord Megatron, I'm running late. I decided to grab my rations as well. I didn't think the Prime would mind if I shared my ration time with him."

"I see…" The silver mech pondered as he reached out to take hold of the tray. His much larger and clawed servos nearly covered the entirety of the platter and partially grazed over Alex's digits. "Give me your designation serial number and I will reimburse your ration tokens."

"That's not necessary." Alex quivered and did his best not to pull on the serving tray. "You are far busier than I, my Lord… I don't mind—."

"Let go of the energon, Vehicon." Megatron grunted sternly. "You are trying my patience."

"I…" It was a good thing Alex was wearing his visor since his optics began to fill with fluids. This wasn't happening. For a brief moment the quivering drone flat out denied what was happening in front of him, and because he had stopped paying attention he didn't notice when he lost his grip on the platter. Not until it was slipped from his digits, and as Megatron turned away from him, he immediately panicked. Alex had no time to properly think and all he could think of was sloppily covering up his own tracks.

"The blue cube!" He shouted in a wavered tone. "Please make sure the Prime drinks from the blue cube!"

"Why is that important?" The warlord's growl deepened, and time appeared to stand still for the grounder. Enough time finally passed before Megatron's lack of patience reminded Alex of his own status. "Speak up drone! Less you wish for my discipline!"

"Sweet minerals!" This confession was so out of nowhere that even Megatron needed a moment to think. Was this his reason? Or was it just his reaction from shock? Alex could see the bewilderment on his master's faceplate, and he knew it was his chance to properly lie. "I had a small vial of sweet minerals with me when I filled the glasses. Sometimes when drones bring him his rations, he doesn't drink it right away. More often than not, when we return to take his cube, it's still full. I thought this would be a good incentive to convince him to refuel properly. We… We need to keep him functioning for a while longer after all, do we not?"

Megatron pondered this for a while and Alex held his intakes in prayer. Condensation streaked down his metal from the stress, but to his tranquil relief, the giant before him bought his explanation. "I'll be sure he knows of your… Surprisingly kind gesture, and for your efforts I shall reward you with double ration tokens, but I still need your designation number."

"Uh…" Alex knew he shouldn't keep him waiting any longer, but he couldn't give the tyrant his name. If anything went wrong (or worse than it already has) then Megatron would rip his body apart and hang his helm in Main bridge as an example to the rest of his comrades. The only good thing about being a drone with the same framework as everyone else is that they could occasionally use someone else's serial number. And Alex knew just the Vehicon he could impersonate. "S-Steve, my Liege… My designation is ST-3V3, or Steve."

"Very well Steve." Megaton turned his back on his troop and opened the doors to the makeshift holding cell. "See yourself to the rest of your duties and your tokens will be sent to your personal account later tonight."

The exact minute the doors closed behind his master, Alex spun on his heels and dashed in the opposite direction. He didn't stop until the churning in his tanks took over his functions and stopped to purge against a wall. Whatever happened from that point on was out of his servos now, and he was either going to kill the Prime as he had planned, or accidentally kill the leader of the Decepticon army. Once he had stopped vomiting, and took the time to think clearly on the possibilities… Alex concluded that either way, it was a win-win.

"Orion?" Megatron addressed the Bot in the corner as he set the tray of energon on a table opposite a crudely made up berth. The Bot's back faced him and the luminescent light of the holoscreens illuminated the red and blue frame in an almost ominous silhouette. "I have your rations. Orion?"

The silhouette didn't respond in anyway, or even physically move in any sign of function. Megatron was worried by this display at first, but then he moved close enough to see one side of Optimus, or rather Orion's faceplate. The look of pure concentration, and determined focus was the entirety of his expression. It was a look Megatron had nearly forgotten and it compelled him into his own trance of admiration. He would never admit it out loud, but he actually missed that look of innocence. The way Orion seemed to lose himself in his own world and processed the data in front of him like it was his whole universe. Slowly piecing together all the forms of information like fragments of a puzzle that needed to be placed back together with care.

"Some things never change…" The larger mech whispered and slightly jolted when he was given a response.

"If they did, you would be the first to know… Compared to my knowledge any way." Orion smiled, but did not look away from the screens. He was on a roll and didn't want to be distracted.

"Even knowledge needs fuel to be pursued continually." Megatron went back to the table and picked up one of the cubes then swirled it in the air. "Come now my friend. Have your rations with me today."

"In a minute Megatronus." The Bot hardly noticed his informalities, but his mind was still exploring the world it created. "I think I found something important, but I need time to process it properly." Orion briefly heard the sound of the cube being set aside but didn't hear anything else afterward. He was on the verge of once again becoming lost in his work when he thought he might be alone. He didn't hear his new leader say anything, nor did he hear him leave. But it was confirmed Megatron was still behind him when the red and blue mech felt large silver hands caress his chest from under his arms. They wrapped around his chassis and pulled him back against a broad frame behind him.

Orion sighed and surrendered to the warm embrace, feeling the large mech's hold tightened when listing his frame back. "Have I been gone that long?" There was no reply. Just the delightful tingle of hot exhaust rolling past his cold neck cables. Further and further he sank into Megatron's hold and waited for him to speak. There was still no reply, and Orion knew his friend was upset. "I am here now Megatronus... All will be well soon. I promise."

"It really is you…" The larger mech whispered while grazing his dermas over the back of Orion's audio, enjoying the way he shuddered in response. "You have been here in my grace for merely a week and for a time I thought it was all a flux… But you are really here."

"Is that why you are holding me like a lost youngling?" Orion smiled and laced his digits with the servo that was gradually slipping down his torso. "I'm not going to disappear."

"You have no guarantee of that." Megatron squeezed the hold on his servo, and gently nibbled the audio he was whispering to. The sweet Bot nearly melted in his arms, and he gently moaned from such attention. "Mmm… Maybe you're right… We can refuel a little later…"

"Is that what this is then? You're… Ah! Y-You're holding me hostage in your embrace until I concede to drinking energon with you?"

"That was the original plan." The warlord swirled his glossa over the audio receptor and hummed in delight as Orion's frame pushed back against his. "I'm comfortable where I am now… But if you changed your mind… We can always pick up where we left off."

"Uhn…" The shivering grew stronger, but Orion was not completely lost in his lust yet. "Then best to do it now… I have been thoroughly distracted from my work now."

Megatron chuckled and kissed the side of his captive's helm before releasing him. Orion stood suspended in place for a minute as he did his best to suppress the clicking of his cooling fans, but once he had his wits about him, he followed his leader to the table. He did his best to ignore the wide smirk staring at him, but his blush made his hidden arousal too obvious.

"Here, this one is yours." The silver mech held up the blue cube and chortled under his breath. "The drone that poured it for you said he added some sweet minerals to it, since you have been working so hard for us."

"Oh, not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but I've never really enjoyed the texture of sweet mineral." Orion sighed sadly. He worried he may have been insulting his rescuers, but Megatron just nodded his helm.

"That's right, I'm sorry I had forgotten." He reached for the violet cube and pulled back the other. "It's been a few million years for me after all."

The grounder chuckled and took the new cube offered to him. "Would you like to propose a toast, my Lord?"

"Mmm…" Megatron needed to restrain his engines from rumbling in desire. Nothing was more arousing than the sound of Optimus Prime calling him my Lord. Still, he raised the blue cube and muttered his accolade. "To the future… And the old friends that build it."

"To the future…" The Bot whispered almost seductively. They never broke optic contact as they clinked their glasses together, but as soon as they sipped on the energon, they immediately knew something was wrong. Orion's face twisted but he swallowed the mouthful anyway. "Oh my… I think there was a mix up. This is the glass with the sweet mineral."

"This…" Megatron heaved, frightening the other mech into a stance. "This cube… Something is… Wrong… Hack!"

He dropped the cube and the glass shattered at his pedes. He fell to his knee-joints coughing and choking on his intakes that began to fill with cycled energon. His blood pooled beneath him with a splatter and his body convulsed violently. If he was aware of anything other then the pain, Megatron would have noticed the red tint in the thick liquid he was vomiting. Orion didn't even seem to notice. He was too occupied with turning the giant onto his side and trying to contact a higher officer for help.

"Officer Knockout! Do you copy?! I need emergency assistance in my quarters now!" He tried the doctor first with no success, so he switched his comm links to Soundwave, but oddly enough the communications officer appeared out of nowhere. Orion decided not to question his rapid appearance and didn't even waste time explaining how this had happened. "Help me get him to the med-bay!"

Both of the mech's took one arm and pulled the sick flier to his pedes. Megatron apparently had enough coherency to feel the floor beneath him and did his best to assist his caretakers. He could not speak, and every breath felt like it was igniting his insides, but Megatron refused to lose consciousness yet. Not in front of Orion.

"Hold on Megatronus…" Orion caressed his free servo under Megatron's jawline. The warlord was hardly aware of his surroundings any longer, but the feeling was comforting, nonetheless. "I'm here… I will take care of you my friend… My love…"

-To be continued-