Elation soared within Megatron and heady with the potency of that rare emotion the great Decepticon Lord practically stumbled through the halls of the Nemesis.

Hear me, Megatronus…hear me, my brother…

Megatron had heard Orion's call, had heard and had answered.

It was all happening so soon, so very quickly. Even Soundwave seemed to not expect Megatron's appearance as the Decepticon Leader thundered past him, nearly trampling the slender spy under the force, the urgency of his stride. His mind clearly far from where he stood, Megatron scarcely glanced toward Soundwave as he barked a series of coordinates at him, instructing him in no uncertain terms to open a groundbridge for him immediately.

Hear me, Megatronus…hear me, my brother…

Yes…yes…I hear you…I hear you, Orion…

It was time, time to bring him back to where he belonged, time to bring him home.

But before he could, there were so many preparations that stood between them. Becoming impatient he rounded upon Soundwave, even as the growing cacophony of the green and blue lights of the groundbridge danced just steps away. Soon…so soon…

"You will stick to our plan," he snapped at Soundwave, "When I signal you next, it will be with the location of where to drop what is left of her for the Autobots to find."

The spiral dance of the ethereal bridge's movements called to Megatron, insistent. But a light touch upon his arm of Soundwave's emaciated digits drew Megatron's focus back.

"What?" he snarled.

Fluidly, Soundwave drew one arm through the air, pointing towards a darkened corner, pointing towards Airachnid. Shivering under the suddenness of Megatron's blood red gaze, she still could not shy away, could not ignore that thirst for vengeance.

"My lord…"

Megatron looked at her, through her, knowing what it is she wanted, what she longed to ask for—then looked away, back to Soundwave, "Keep to our arrangement." He turned his back to all of them then, no longer willing to entertain all that which kept him from Orion.

Time…

It was time to move forward…time to bring his brother back…permanently.

###

Miko leaned forward, towards the world passing by soundlessly beyond Orion's windshield. Her knuckles gripped the edge of his seat, turning white and bloodless from the pressure as the reality of her situation settled over her, an invisible weight, a fine filigree veil, casting a shadow over everything.

"They're all going to hate me…" she moaned. Bulkhead's anguished expression haunted her thoughts. Oh how she wished, prayed, hoped that he would understand.

"Peace Miko…I find it hard to believe that the Autobots would ever, truly hate you…"

"Yeah, and what if you're wrong?" She snapped out of hurt, out of uncertainty.

"Then we will bear their hatred together."

He made it sound so simple, so easy. But struggling in the thick of her emotions, Miko felt like she was drowning, "I…I can't do that…I couldn't bear it if Bulkhead hated me…forever…" She looked to the dashboard of lights that glowed just beyond her arm reach, "How could anyone ever bear someone's hatred…how? I know…I couldn't, I can't understand, I can't live even with the thought of anyone hating me forever…"

There was a thick pause, as he considered her words, "I could only imagine that to bear someone's anger, their hatred…would be a great burden…would be like a wound whose pain never fades, but that remains with you always…"

Miko rubbed her palms over the soft material of his seats as she listened to the soothing quality of his voice and wondered…wondered if he knew, if he remembered the age-old feud that had been brewing between him and Megatron. Did Orion instinctively know, did he somehow remember that such hatred was a burden Optimus was already weighed down with?

"Miko…"he spoke tentatively, timid; it was not Optimus' voice that called to her, it was Orion's, "I can only hope that you will never come to know such hatred…"

"Thanks, Orion…I know you mean that."

She smiled then, running her fingertips over the cool leather of his steering wheel, not flinching away from the Decepticon logo that was embossed upon the center of it. Rather her fingers traced it with feather light touches, as she grew not to fear all that such a symbol represented, but rather came to accept it as somehow, impossibly a part of Orion. Everyone had made demands, had placed immediate expectations upon him. Even she had wanted to force him to take up his mantle of Optimus again, without pause, only regarding her needs, her wants as important; she, like the others, had never given him the time, never given him the pause to feel, to think for himself.

She had looked at him and had seen, had expected Optimus. None of them had seen Orion.

Miko pressed her palm flat against the small Decepticon symbol, feeling the cool metal warm with her skin. Even amid her fear of hurting Bulkhead, she did not regret her decision. She needed to be with Orion right now, just as he needed her, even if he didn't know it yet. Because with her mere presence she could serve as his memory, as his reminder of Optimus, of the Prime that he was. In the quiet of those minutes, as she savored the feel of the edges of the Deception symbol against the underside of her hand, she made a silent promise to him that she wouldn't push, wouldn't demand Optimus, but that she would give him the time he needed. She would let him be Orion.

"So…where are we going? What's the plan Boss Bot?"

"…Why do you call me that?"

Her heart sank into her knees, "Oh…I'm sorry, Orion…" So much for her promise to let him be himself, "It's just…just a reflex, you see that's what I'm so used to you being…before…" she lifted her other hand, letting her fingers flutter helplessly, ambiguously in the air, as she searched for the right word, "…everything happened, you were our Boss Bot…"

"Is this Boss Bot you refer to…Optimus? Is it the Prime?"

Miko lowered her gaze, hid the expression of her eyes behind her eyelashes, "Yeah…look I'm sorry Orion, I won't call you that anymore…I didn't mean to offend or hurt you…"

"Do not apologize…for I am just as sorry as you are…the pain of losing a Prime is great, unthinkable…"

Roughly she sighed, "Yeah, you don't need to tell me twice."

"Miko…I am sorry…I know that you, and your friends are convinced that I am…that I was this Prime…but I'm…I can't…I couldn't be…" How was it that his voice sounded so much younger, so much more exposed and troubled? "Miko, I wish I knew, I wish I could remember, could do something to bring back your Prime…"

She let both of her hands grip his steering wheel, lending comfort where she could. In a very un-Optimus like manner, he did not object to her touch, "I know you do, Orion…and one day, maybe even one day soon, you will remember…"

His voice lightened, became easy, comforted, "Thank you for your faith, Miko." It occurred to her then how much he truly did trust her; he believed her and believed in what she said.

She would have smiled then, would have tried to come up with another soothing platitude, but a wide yawn interrupted her. Giving in to it, she stretched with a faint moan, as the urge to sleep began to pluck at her elbows, to knead at the corners of her eyelids. Noticing, he adjusted her seat, lowering it so that it reclined as far back as possible. Trusting him blindly, she curled into the movement of his seat, let it carry her backwards as sleep snuck up on her. The last thing she remembered before drifting away on slumber's soft currants was his deep voice murmuring, "Rest, Miko…I will keep you safe…"

I defend…I protect the innocent from the clutches of tyranny…

There it was again, the mantra resurrected, unbidden, from the fragments of his memory. What was it? And why did it seem to resonate with him, with his spark so completely? Miko and all of her Autobot companions seemed insistent that he was their lost Prime…but Megatronus…Megatronus had remained solid, consistent amid all of the chaos of confusion that he was lost within. Megatronus had looked up him and had welcomed him, had embraced him as he was, as Orion.

Megatronus…

So focused inward, Orion had given little thought to his surroundings, had not heard the roar of the approaching jet until he could feel its vibrations as it stirred the air high, high above him.

Orion, brother, I have found you!

Orion had no reason to hesitate, to hold back, to let Megatronus' call go unanswered.

I am here, Megatronus.

The jet circled, engines roaring, growling, a klaxon call, a declaration of triumph. There was the silvery echo of the metallic ring as joints formed, as the jet's wings split apart and became limbs, folded around a torso. Two optics, red, burning strong, glowed from beneath the darkness of night. Landing just steps away from Orion, the dry earth swirling around his peds, Megatron towered, stretching wide his arms. He seemed to hold within his grasp the very heavens that arched above him and as he looked down at Orion who lingered in his semi-truck guise, he seemed as if to offer it all to Pax; as if Megatron could wrest the skies themselves down, as if he could claim them for his own and then give it all to Orion.

"My brother…" So much feeling stirred within his words as Megatron stepped forward, placing one hand flat upon Orion's hood, silver fingertips brushing against the Decepticon logo that was embossed there, as he truly felt the presence of his brother, "At last…at last…it is with great joy that my optics gaze upon you…come, let us go home."

###

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