Megatron moved to the entrance of the dam's base and stood just outside the gigantic doorway's shadow in the sunlight, looking up to the clear blue sky. He had a plan ready, but to pull it off he needed to put on a good show for his Decepticons.

"To all Decepticons," Megatron sternly said into his comm. "Meet me at these coordinates. Do not destroy anything. Do not kill anything. This is a direct order; defiance will not be tolerated."

"As you command Lord Megatron," a familiar voice replied. It was Soundwave.

Megatron felt a brief well of excitement for his old friend but forced it down when he turned to the humans. "My soldiers are arriving soon. I have told them to stand down, but it would be best if you kept your distance for the time being." The Sector Seven agents and soldiers nodded and began to disperse. They would stick to the sidelines until Megatron deemed it safe.

Megatron transformed and flew a short distance from the dam, only a mile, and landed in a clear space of desert. The government agents had already cleared out any civilian tourists under a cover story of there being a criminal in the area and would shut down all traffic within five miles until the situation was "under control".

The wait was short, only a few minutes. The first arrivals were a trio of fliers, two jets- one red and white and the other purple and teal, and a green and purple bomber plane, coming straight at him. Megatron stood his ground, staring at the fliers head on.

The trio slowed their descent, transformed and landed on the ground a short distance from Megatron. He recognized them. "Starscream, Slipstream, Lugnut," he said to each of them.

"I live to serve you, Lord Megatron," Starscream said, obviously feigning loyalty.

"It really is you," Slipstream said, awed.

"Our Lord Megatron still functions! Praise him!" Lugnut announced.

Megatron calmly stepped forward, giving a nod. "At ease, Decepticons. Yes, it is I, settle down now."

"Megatron, I can't believe we actually found you," Slipstream said. "We all thought you lost when you pursued the Allspark."

"Oh, truly this is a most glorious day for the Decepticons!" Lugnut loudly said. "Our rightful leader has returned to us to lead us to victory over the Autobots!"

"Yes, yes it truly is fortuitous that we are reunited," Starscream snidely said. "But we must focus on our priorities. What of the Allspark? Where is the Allspark, Megatron?"

Lugnut looked ready to yell at Starscream for his insolence but stopped when Megatron held a hand up. "The Allspark is in my possession."

The trio before him widened their optics. "Wait, you actually have it?" Starscream incredulously asked.

"Then let's go get it!" Slipstream eagerly said.

"Not yet. I will take you to it when the rest of your team arrives here," Megatron replied. He heard a thumping noise and looked to the distance. A helicopter was approaching, with two land vehicles speeding beneath it. "Ah, speak of the devil. I take it that must be the rest?"

"Yes," Starscream said with a frown. "They took their time."

As the new arrivals approached Megatron saw that the grey helicopter was of the large military variety, and the two land vehicles were a blue surveillance van and a black and white police car. The two cars slowed to a stop before him and transformed. The helicopter slowed to a hover, transformed and landed behind them.

Megatron nodded to each of them. "Soundwave, Barricade, Blackout."

"All hail Megatron," Soundwave said, standing resolute.

"We await your order," Barricade said with a sharp salute.

Blackout gave a low bow. "We live to serve you."

Soundwave's chest opened and out popped a familiar black and red flying Mini-Con. It flew a short circle in the air before perching on Megatron's arm, who smiled. "Laserbeak, it is good to see you," he looked to the others. "My base detected fifteen other Cybertronians on Earth. Am I to assume that all Decepticons on the planet are present?"

Soundwave nodded. "Affirmative. There are eight Autobots here on Earth. Optimus Prime leads them."

Megatron narrowed his gaze. "Prime is here?"

"Yes, as well as several of his top officers."

"Hm… good."

"So, when are we gonna snuff some Autobot sparks?" Barricade asked.

"Not yet," Megatron snapped. "We have a more important priority: the Allspark."

The four new arrivals had the same reaction as the first three. "You have it?" Blackout asked.

"Yes," Megatron calmly said. "I intend to take you lot to it at my base of operations immediately."

Barricade smiled. "Well alright, let's go!"

"Victory is assured!" Lugnut called. "All will be destroyed for the Decepticon cause!"

Megatron rounded on Lugnut. "No!"

Lugnut and the other Decepticons flinched. "Um, no, Lord Megatron?"

Megatron looked upon the seven assembled Decepticons, fixing them all with a glare and channeling the dead serious energy he had once commanded them with on Cybertron. Starscream, Slipstream, Lugnut, Barricade and Blackout all became visibly wary of him. Laserbeak leaped off his arm and onto Soundwave's shoulder, who stood straight and unflinching.

"Heed my words Decepticons," Megatron said in a low tone. "I have an operation here a vorn in the making. I have made a delicate alliance with the natives of this planet and their help is vital to my plans. I am going to escort all of you to my base of operations and you will not cause any trouble. You will not kill any of the humans. You will not destroy anything. If I so much as suspect that any of you plan on sabotaging what I have built here I will destroy you." His fusion cannon brimmed with energy. "Do I make myself clear?"

The other Decepticons quickly nodded, remembering the Megatron of old who had a habit of shooting his own soldiers for even the smallest disobedience.

Megatron activated his comm. "Megatron to base, my soldiers are here. We will be arriving shortly. Over." He looked to his followers. "Now then, let us walk and talk."

"Can't we just transform and zip over there?" Barricade asked.

"It is a short walk, and I want a little extra time to discuss certain things. Now follow." Megatron began walking to the dam. The Decepticons shared confused looks, this was not quite the grand reunion with their leader they had been expecting, but they followed Megatron anyway. Starscream strolled up to Megatron's left, Soundwave did the same to Megatron's right, the others followed behind.

"What happened in my absence," Megatron asked. "What is the state of the Decepticons and the war?"

"The Decepticons achieved total victory!" Lugnut loudly announced. "The Autobots fled in ships, knowing their doom was at hand, and Cybertron finally belonged to the Decepticon Empire!"

"Everything went to the Pit after you left," Barricade cut in. Before Lugnut could rant at him he continued. "Infighting began almost immediately after we retreated from Tyger Pax. Nobody agreed who should be in charge. Factions started forming around the strongest candidates. We called it the Decepticon Civil War."

"Who won?" Megatron continued. "Who now rules the Decepticons?"

"Nobody," Soundwave said. "No one faction maintained a force large enough to be called an army for long. The Decepticons are now scattered across the galaxy, consisting of small teams such as the one before you."

Megatron could not but help give a sigh. So that was it then? The Decepticon cause shot itself in the foot and was barely limping along. "And what of the Autobots? You said they left?"

"Yeah, they got out while the going was good," Slipstream said. "While we were distracted fighting each other, Prime led the Autobots in a mass exodus off Cybertron."

"They are scattered like we are," Blackout rumbled. "No more great battles, only little skirmishes."

"Hm, I see," Megatron mumbled. So, the war had slowed to a crawl. He looked up. "Ah, here we are, just over the ridge."

The Decepticons were now looking down at the dam, and the assembled humans scurrying about. "Remember what I said," Megatron warned. He began walking down the road to the Sector Seven base, the other Decepticons followed.

They were now at the bottom, approaching the base entrance. The humans kept a wide berth to the side, watching. Starscream, Barricade and Slipstream sneered at them, readying their weapons. A warning glance from Megatron made them quickly stand down.

"These are the humans you mentioned," Soundwave half-asked, half-stated.

"Yes. They are the inhabitants of this planet, Earth, and my allies. Like I said before, cause them no trouble." Megatron activated his comm, speaking to the human agents in charge. "The base is cleared out, yes? Good. I will need some privacy with my soldiers. Standby." Megatron had already informed the humans of his plan, they agreed to cooperate.

The Decepticons entered the dam's base. With the whole group present it was a bit cramped, looking around at the rocky interior and taking care not to break any machinery. Blackout accidently knocked over a scaffolding. "Oops. Sorry."

"This primitive hovel is your home?" Starscream said. "Tsk."

"I've had to make do with what little I've had," Megatron snapped. He went to his computer at the end of the room and began typing in commands.

"What are you doing?" Barricade asked.

"Opening the door to the Allspark," Megatron simply said. The other Decepticons started at that, their interest rekindled.

A great door on the side of the room, four meters of thick steel, opened. Megatron waved the Decepticons to follow him down the Cybertronian-sized hall. Another short walk later they entered a giant cavern, and there in the middle of the room, was the Allspark.

The assembled Decepticons looked upon it with genuine awe and almost reverence. Starscream approached, hand outstretched. "After all this time, right here for the taking…"

Megatron stopped Starscream by putting a hand on his chest, holding the Seeker in place. Starscream stilled and took a step back. "Ahem, forgive me my lord, I simply got excited."

The expected reaction was for Megatron to hit Starscream to the ground and spout some generic insult or threat. Instead Megatron simply gave a curt nod and said, "Understandable, given what is before us." Starscream showed some small surprise but went along with it.

Megatron went up to the Allspark and placed his palm on the great relic. The Allspark gave a glow and began to fold in on itself, shrinking until it was small enough for even a human to carry. With the Allspark in his hand Megatron turned to his Decepticons and said, "Today, my fellow Decepticons, our war with the Autobots comes to an end…"

The Decepticons cheered, raising their fists.

"We are going to use the Autobots to revive Cybertron…"

The cheering died down.

"By giving them the Allspark."

Silence.

"Um… what, my lord?" Lugnut asked, unsure.

"I am going to negotiate peace with the Autobots."

"What?!" Barricade exclaimed.

"You can't be serious!" Slipstream added.

"Now I know it sounds bad…"

Starscream boldly stepped forward. "What nonsense is this?! Peace with the Autobots? Clearly being stranded on this mudball has fried your judgement circuits if you are honestly considering handing over the Allspark to the enemy!"

Megatron sighed. Now was the part where he somehow convinced his Decepticons to go along with his plan. "And what do you propose we do with the Allspark then? Hm?"

"Obviously, we would use it to revive Cybertron! And while we are at it, we can use it to build a new army on this organic world."

"Starscream… the Autobots were desperate enough to eject the Allspark into space in the first place just to keep it out of our hands. If they knew we were in possession of it now and believed we intended to do what you just said… I believe they would destroy the Allspark just to stop us and save the inhabitants of this world."

The Decepticons stared at Megatron, awkwardly shuffling. "Even the Autobots wouldn't…" Barricade started.

"Our war lasted as long as it did because the Autobots were resolute in their defiance of us," Megatron pointed out. "The Autobots have already proven that they are willing to cross the line. The risk is too high to let them prove they are willing to go even further."

"That just proves the Autobots are too dangerous to leave alive," Starscream shrilled. "We should destroy them all!"

Megatron pinched the bridge of his nose. "For the longest time, I would have agreed. But that line of thought brought our race down to where it is now. We need to change."

"But-"

"The Decepticons revolted against the caste system of the Golden Age, we fought them, and we destroyed them. That was the right thing to do. It always will be. But we should have stopped after we tore it down before we went too far."

"The Autobots defied your authority," Blackout rumbled. "Optimus Prime stole the Matrix from you."

"And I let that blind me. The Decepticons should have focused on rebuilding what we tore down into something better, instead we weakened it."

"Oh, so what it's all our fault now?" Slipstream snapped.

"No," Megatron half-lied. "The Autobots share the blame for their part. But the Decepticons had a responsibility, a responsibility to undo the damage of the caste and return Cybertron to glory. But we kept on fighting after our true enemy was already defeated. Now look where we are. If what you all have told me is true, then Cybertron is a dead world, and our people are on the edge of extinction. We need to stop; we need to move on."

The Decepticons glanced at each other, unsure. "But what you are saying," Slipstream said. "The Allspark, of all things!"

"And what difference would it make? Cybertron would be alive again. Would that not be worth it?"

No verbal response. All the Decepticons looked torn between restoring their home and denying their enemy victory.

"How many protoforms have been born since I left?"

Silence.

"We need to end this status quo of self-destruction. Cybertron's people must be one again."

"And then what?" Barricade sneered. "We kowtow to the Autobots and do whatever they tell us?"

"NO! Never, we will never submit to them. What we will do, must do, is coexist with them."

"What makes you think they would even honor your offer?"

"Because I know Optimus Prime better than you. He will always give peace a chance, no matter how unlikely it seems."

"After all that has happened between the Autobots and the Decepticons… is peace even an option anymore?"

"Today we will find out. I am going to make this offer to the Autobots here and now, whether you follow me or not."

Soundwave, who had remained silent the entire debate, stepped forward. "I will follow you to the end, Lord Megatron."

Blackout did the same. "Your word is law."

"I always believed you knew what was best," Lugnut said. "And I still do!"

Barricade and Slipstream did not say anything else, but they stepped forwards anyway. Starscream looked back and forth, obviously flustered, but finally gave a resigned sigh and stepped forwards.

The Decepticons exited the dam. Megatron sent out a global call in Cybertronian.

"Optimus Prime, if you are on this planet, heed the call of Megatron. I am in possession of the Allspark. Meet me at these coordinates."

Megatron turned to the assembled Decepticons. "We are meeting the Autobots now."

Starscream saw the humans readying up and getting in their jeeps and helicopters. "What do they think they're doing?"

"The humans will be joining us for the negotiations. Everyone, behave yourselves."

The Decepticons and Sector Seven agents moved out. The designated meeting place was not too far, only twenty miles away in an open space of desert scrubland. The Decepticons transformed out of their alt modes and stood in a line, Megatron in the middle with the Allspark, Soundwave, Laserbeak, Lugnut and Blackout to his right, Starscream, Slipstream and Barricade to his left. The two dozen human jeeps that came along hung back about thirty meters, ready to provide backup if things turned ugly. The six helicopters that joined the party hovered around the general area, keeping a fair distance.

After a wait of maybe twenty minutes the Autobots arrived. Megatron could make out eight distinct shapes appear in the desert horizon. As they got closer Megatron could see a red and blue semi-truck followed by a yellow beetle, a red pickup truck, a white and red ambulance, a white and black Porsche, a black and gold police car, a pink motorcycle and a green swat van.

The Autobots slowed to a stop two hundred meters away- a relatively short distance by Cybertronian standards- and transformed. The semi-truck was Optimus Prime, of course. Megatron recognized the pickup, the Porsche and the police car as Ironhide, Jazz and Prowl, three of Prime's inner circle. He vaguely recognized the ambulance as a medic he saw by Prime's side on the battlefield, Ratchet, he believed he was called. Megatron did not know who the motorcycle or the swat van were.

And the beetle… oh… that was the scout whose voice box he crushed. Bumblebee. Megatron felt a mix of guilt for what he did and relief that the little Autobot somehow survived.

"Megatron," Optimus stoically said.

"Optimus Prime," Megatron responded. "We meet again."

"You called, and I answered. To think you were still functioning after all these cycles," Prime's optics moved to the humans. "Building a new army, I see."

Megatron gave a small chuckle at that. "Nothing of the sort. The only Decepticons on this planet are the ones you see before you. Those you see behind us are the native humans of this planet."

"They are working for you?"

"They gave me safe refuge, and so I formed an alliance with them. I brought them along to make it clear the situation you are in."

Outmanned and outgunned, Optimus recognized. "I see. You claimed to be in possession of the Allspark. Is this true?"

Megatron simply opened his hand, exposing the shrunken Allspark to the assembled Autobots. The Autobots all became visibly alarmed.

Optimus Prime's expression was obviously shocked, even with that faceplate, but he quickly steeled his composure. "And for what reason do you have to tell us this?"

"I have a list of demands."

"Oh, here we go," Jazz said. "Figures!"

"I told you this was a trap," Ironhide grumbled.

"Megatron," Optimus firmly said. "If you believe you can use the Allspark to force the Autobots to surrender…"

"Oh, no, I want more than that!" Megatron replied, stepping forward. The Autobots and other Decepticons looked ready to fight. "I want the war to formally end."

The Autobots all stilled with surprise and the Decepticons just looked disappointed that they would not get to fight.

"… Is this true?" Optimus asked, almost hopeful.

"Optimus, you can't actually believe this," the motorcycle exclaimed.

"Come on this is just another trick," the swat van said. "It's Megatron for crying out loud!"

"We will have to take that chance, Arcee, Bulkhead." Optimus returned his attention to Megatron. "But my soldier's suspicions are not unfounded. After all this time, after all the chances I gave you to stop, why now?"

"The answer may not satisfy you," Megatron admitted. "But I've had plenty of time to think about my life choices."

Several of the Autobots- and Starscream- scoffed. Bumblebee gave a low, angry buzz.

"We can discuss the exact legalities and terms at a more formal location. But for now, I wish to give you a token of my good will, as proof of my sincerity." Megatron took a few more steps forward to Optimus, stopping halfway and held out his hand, showing the Allspark.

"Take it."

Optimus did not move at first, obviously uncertain. Then he moved forward at a slow walk. His Autobots tensed. Their suspicion was not unfounded, Megatron supposed. The Prime met Megatron at the halfway point. He cautiously moved one arm forward, and gently took the Allspark from the palm of his archenemy.

Optimus Prime now held the Allspark, looking down at it with almost disbelief that this was happening.

"There is a saying on this planet, Optimus Prime," Megatron said. "To pass an olive branch is to mean peace. Well, here is your olive branch. Do you accept the end of our war?" He held out a hand.

Optimus Prime took Megatron's extended hand and shook it. "I accept."

The other Autobots and Decepticons were a mix of emotions. Anger, confusion, relief, shock. All of them had been expecting a fight, another battle over the Allspark in which several of them would have certainly died. Instead, they were met with the end of their endless war, the audacity of it happening so suddenly staying their hands. Four million years of war, over.

Whether it would stay that way among those present remained to be seen. Megatron still had to negotiate the exact terms of the new peace, the future of both their peoples, and how they would even return the Allspark to Cybertron.

And he doubted the other Autobots and especially the other Decepticons throughout the galaxy would be so accepting of peace.