XXIV

"Wait, what is it?"

Knockout leaned against the table with one hand, watching Orion run his hands along the cover of the slab. Ratchet sat across from him while Shockwave and Soundwave stood in the back. The two were quiet, which Knockout knew was typical of Shockwave when observing but with Soundwave accompanying him, it made it several times more eerie. Orion grinned, running his fingers along the indented side of the slab. He then opened it, revealing several thin pages.

"Covenant of Primus," cheered Orion, looking over the pages. "It is said that it holds the entire history of Cybertron…what was, is and yet to come. This knowledge could reveal so much about early Cybertron, life for early Cybertronians! This could revolutionize our records, our archives!"

"Can we use it to our advantage?" hummed Shockwave. "As in, using it as a means of tracking our…councilman?"

"I'm not sure it works that specifically," mumbled Orion. "I'm not entirely sure how it works at all."

"Can we change it?" grinned Knockout, poking the pages.

"Not without the quill," remarked Orion, pulling the book away. "With the quill, it is said one could literally change history."

"Perhaps our councilman has the quill," perked Shockwave. "That would explain how he corrupted this timeline."

"But if he did, why didn't he write the Matrix into his hands? Why go through the trouble of becoming a councilman, lure me to the Matrix? Also, if he had both the quill and the book, then how did Alpha Trion get it?"

"Then where is the quill?" Ratchet sighed.

"Alpha Trion?"

"Likely had it at some point," nodded Orion. "And hid it for safety. That would make sense."

"What does it say," yawned Knockout. "Like what's it say about things right now?"

Orion looked back to the book and began flipping through the pages. The early pages were written in ancient Cybertronian, a language which Orion barely understood, and slowly progressed into the modern version. Flipping past a certain point though and the pages changed again, becoming an unreadable script. Orion returned to the pages he could read, scanning the passages for anything recent. He stopped.

"Well?" cooed Knockout. "What did you find?"

Orion paused, rereading the page repeatedly before beginning.

"After centuries of darkness, a new prime was found. Though the people were unaware of this…Primus had already selected one to take up the mantle…" Orion looked between the group. "Optimus Prime…"

"So, it is written,"Soundwave spoke softly.

"It talks about me," whispered Orion, flipping between a few pages. "It talks about me! My life…my visions…everything! Even…"

Orion stopped, reviewing the passage on his arrest. He briefly mentioned Ratchet and the others but the primary focus was on him. It had begun addressing him as Optimus, though earlier it had referred to him as Orion. It spoke of his disconnection and blacking out, afterward it spoke of his break out, the part he didn't remember.

"I…did all this?" Orion stuttered. "I attacked them for no reason…"

"There was a reason," nodded Knockout. "They illegally arrested you. I'd be upset if I was you. I wasupset!"

"There has to be a way to control this…defense mode," commented Orion, closing the book. "That's my priority right now."

"Perhaps, you might want to change your mind,"perked Soundwave, stepping forward. "I've been keeping track of someone else, and that matter as escalated."

"Who?"

"Ultra Magnus."

"Don't tell me," snarled Orion.

"Deceased."Soundwave's screen showed the guard's record. "According to the report it was due to his wounds, however, the previous report contradicts this."

"He killed him…" mumbled Orion. "That councilman knew…he knew Magnus helped us and killed him for it!"

"Likely," replied Shockwave.

"We can spend time worrying about what is perhaps a last resort advantage, or we could focus on disrupting the council from gaining further control."

"Disrupt? How?" Ratchet prompted.

"The same way Megatron did," remarked Orion, stippling his fingers. "We talk…and we form a group too big to be ignored."

"You talk under Megatron, you'll get arrested quick," added Knockout. "Need to a new name for things…"

"Right," hummed Orion, grinning slightly. "There was…."

"What?" perked Ratchet.

"A name, I guess. I knew of it in one of my visions as the name of my team," explained Orion, leaning forward. "I remember the symbol for it too. Nothing fancy but…it's something, right?"

"The name of your team in the other timeline?" asked Shockwave. "The correct timeline. The correct team. It will go unnoticed by all but the councilman who knows, to everyone else it becomes a symbol of revolution."

"It was a symbol for good," corrected Orion, standing up. "It isa symbol for good and will alwaysbe one for the greater good of Cybertron." He paused, looking between the group. "Agreed?"

The others nodded. Orion smiled, looking down at the cover of the covenant. Staring at the cover, he could almost see the red logo he once saw in his visions. It glimmered and shone on the black metal. He could practically see it.