As Garrick walked into the city, he was immediately questioned by a member of this planet's law enforcement. The first thing he noticed, of course, was how he looked to be of similar make to his own new form.

"-re you even listening?", asked the mech.

"Huh? Sorry, I zoned out for a second there. What did you say?", he responded.

"I said, who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I woke up out there," he said, pointing out into the nearly empty space where he had come from, "been walking for nearly an astroweek, searching for any sign of civilization." 'Thank the traveler ghost forced me to study the list of terms and their meanings he found in the new subsystems,' he thought.

'You're welcome,' Ghost thought back at him, smugly.

"Hmmm… Alright then. What city are you from?"

'I need to make something up fast… Classic guardian response!'

"I don't remember."

"You… Don't remember?"

"No, sir. I don't remember anything from before waking up. Not who I was, or what I did. Just my name." It was something he'd said hundreds of times before. This was the first time it had ever been a lie.

"And what is your name?"

"Drake, sir."

"Alright then. What about that symbol on your shoulder? Does that mean anything to you?"

He looked over to the symbol of the Sentinel Titans. The defenders of the last city. A metaphorical and literal wall between humanity and their enemies.

"Looks like a shield to me."

"Hmmm… Alright. You can come through. Enjoy your time in Kaon, I suppose."

As the law enforcement mech walked away, he chuckled at his own words.

"That was… Interesting. Might as well head further in."

And so, he did. He wandered throughout the city, doing as he would were he any other civilian. He would do this for three days, never needing a refuel, as his glimmer count, which ranged in the quadrillions, slowly trickled down, bit by bit. Then, one day, he met someone… Interesting.

As he sat on a bench he had made outside the city limits, someone else had wandered outside as well.

"Hey there," said Garrick.

Nothing but silence from the newcomer.

"... You wanna sit down?"

And the newcomer did. There was silence between the two for five minutes, before Garrick decided to break it.

"So, what're you doing out here?"

Silence.

"Uh… What's your name?"

Then, the newcomer spoke.

"Soundwave. What is yours?"

"Drake."

"How strange. You look similar to someone I know. Do you know a gladiator by the name of Megatronus by any chance?"

"I've heard of him, but never gotten the chance to meet him. I respect him. His goals for the future of cybertron make more sense than any I've heard so far, rumors of the council trying to push the workers beyond reasonable limits and all that. Do you?"

"I am his… Ally."

"Huh."

Silence between the two again.

"Where can I find you should I wish to speak to you again?", asked soundwave, breaking the tension.

"Right here."

Soundwave nodded, then got up and left.

"Goodbye!", Garrick (now Drake) called after him.

Soundwave made a mental note to recommend him to Megatronus, when his revolution began.

Days passed further, and Soundwave would walk outside the city to speak with Drake, telling him bits and pieces, while Drake ranted on and on about how much he hated the current cybertronian leadership, and how he was planning on walking all the way to Iacon from Kaon, and either give the council a piece of his mind, or punch whoever was in charge into submission. Soundwave learned of Drake's memory loss, and Drake learned of Soundwave's gladiator fights. Then, one day, by happenstance, Soundwave walked outside just as Drake was getting up to leave.

"Where are you going?", he asked.

"Iacon," responded Drake.

"Don't."

"Why not?"

"Megatron has a plan. In 5 orbital-cycles, he will go to Iacon with his friend Orion. Together, they will convince the Council that there needs to be a change in leadership."

"... Fine. But I reserve the right to punch someone if things go wrong."

"Understood."

"Alright."

Silence again. This happens a lot. Soundwave not liking to speak too much, and Drake not knowing what to say.

"I have to show you something," Drake said, "Something I haven't shown anyone. I'm going to trust you. Trust you you only tell people that you trust."

"What?"

"Follow me."

And they walked. They spent a few kliks walking, before Drake stopped.

"This should be far enough."

"What for? What did you want to show me?"

"This." Drake held his hand out, reaching for something… or nothing. Because as he focused, purple energy flared in his hand. As he focused more, it took the shape of a shield on his left arm.

"What… is that?", asked Soundwave, utterly perplexed.

"The light. A gift from a powerful and ancient being."

"What else can it do?"

"Defensive bubbles, flaming hammers, enhanced punches, explosives. All sorts of things."

Silence again.

"Come with me," said Soundwave, blatantly ordering Drake.

"Where, and why?"

"You will see."

And without another word, Soundwave led Drake back into the city, and to the place where he and megatron had been planning for over an orbital-cycle. If Drake had trusted him with knowledge of that kind of power, then he had to trust him with this. He had been approved for this by Megatron just last sub-cycle. Drake had proven that his goals aligned with Megatronus' own. Now, it was time to introduce the two.

"Hmmm…," pondered Megatronus.

"Huh…," Drake pondered back.

Then, the two began to laugh in unison.

"Like looking into a rounded mirror!", exclaimed Megatronus.

"Indeed!", Drake responded, "Although if it were a mirror, one of our cannons would be of the left arm!"

"Very true!"

"So, I hear you're going to Iacon?"

"I hear you were planning to."

"Indeed. But Soundwave informed me of your plan."

"I thank you for hearing me out before acting."

"Well, as much as I like punching things, I'd like it if someone else could try diplomacy first."

"That would be preferable."

"Just have one question for you?"

"And what would that be?"

"What are you planning if it doesn't work?"

"Soundwave informed me of your… Rather unique capabilities, while you made your way here."

"The light?"

"Yes. Is there anything else you can do with it?"

"Actually, a bit less than what I said."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. I mentioned some or the things the light can do. I mostly just use the shields and explosives. Purple stuff, or just the void."

"That will suffice. If things do not go as planned, then we will resort to violence. All three of us."

"Sounds good to me."

"I have one more question of my own."

"Ask away."

"Have you ever considered being a gladiator?"