"Hey, Mags!" Springer yelled. "You'll never believe this one. Megatron is here, requesting entrance."
Magnus' optics flickered in surprise. Megatron made no secret of his dislike of Earth, sneeringly calling it a mudball and occasionally mocking Optimus for his irrational love of the planet. He wouldn't voluntarily set foot on the planet unless it was something important.
"Dispatch a guard to escort him. Rodimus and I will set up conference room three."
Springer nodded. He knew without question to select the guard carefully: someone who would both protect Megatron and keep the Decepticon leader out of trouble. Just because they were allies didn't mean that Meggie had to know *all* their secrets.
Scant minutes later, Andromeda appeared to guide Megatron to the meeting place. Megatron acted causal, but his appraising glances indicated that he was impressed with the massive city. "You look familiar," Megatron mentioned.
"My name is Andromeda. I've served on several Alliance security details."
"Andromeda! You're Prime's girlfriend."
"Yes."
"Optimus was never one to speak much of his personal life, but when he spoke of you, it was always with fondness."
She bit her lip. Megatron wanted to pump her for information but knew the sensitivity and secrecy involved with that issue. She led the way to the conference room in silence. Just before he stepped inside, he thought he heard her whisper "thank you".
"So what's the good word?" Rodimus asked, forcing all thoughts of the dark blue femme from the Decepticon leader's mind.
"I've got something better than words." Megatron set the privacy and security settings to maximum. Magnus and Rodimus exchanged raised optic ridges. Once the room was secured, Megatron reached into a storage container hidden within his chassis. The two Autobots gasped as he withdrew a few crystals. They glowed with an eerie light, and Megatron cradled them carefully. All present recognized the powerful and unstable Death crystals shed by the now-deceased Chaos monster. "They must be worth a fortune!" Magnus gasped.
Megatron smirked. "I had to trade some valuable weaponry and blueprints, but believe me, I got the better half of that bargain."
Rodimus' appreciation of Megatron rose even higher. In the past, Galvatron had tried to use the crystals as a weapon. However, the Decepticon leader's more rational mind recognized the vast potential as an energy source. Now they could revitalize some of the destroyed and derelict sections of Cybertron all the faster. Granted, Decepticon territory was in worse shape and would benefit the most from the crystals, but the fact that Megatron chose to use the crystals to rebuild instead of destroy was striking. Roddy wished he had a camera to take a picture of Magnus' gaping face. Though Roddy's concerns of Megatron's loyalty had been banished, Magnus still had some lingering doubts. Clearly the city commander was seeing the light. If Megatron had wanted to start another war, all he would have had to do was hold on to a few of those crystals, and the battle would be half-won.
The Autobots set about finding a safe place to store the crystals. Metroplex had experienced the least amount of upheaval due to the Circle, so Megatron had figured that it was a better location for the crystal for the moment. Afterward, they devised a rough plan to harness and direct the crystals' energy. They'd need to consult a scientist such as Perceptor, but they had a rough idea of the crystals' potential and how to harness it.
Once that business was over, they found themselves exchanging small talk. The tense near-hostility caused by the Circle was nearly gone. "So how is Optimus doing?" Megatron asked. He'd received tidbits of information here and there, but they hadn't had a chance to sit down and discuss the situation.
Rodimus shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "No progress. He still seems stuck in the past, and nothing we've done has been able to jar his memory." He'd had a flash of inspiration the night before, after Nova had left. Optimus had placed the Matrix inside himself, and Roddy had waited, fidgeting in anticipation, but... still nothing. The disappointment was palpable.
Magnus nodded. "We've covered almost half of Cybertron, and his favorite places on Earth as well. But there's not even a hint of recognition toward anything he's experienced since his days as Orion Pax."
"We've pretty much tried everything," Rodimus agreed.
Megatron was silent for a long moment. "Maybe I should visit him." He'd deliberately kept his distance to allow Optimus some time to recover without awakening bad memories. The two leaders certainly had a lot of bad fuel between them over the millennia. But it sounded like they were running out of options.
Magnus and Rodimus shared a long look. "Why not?" Magnus finally decided. "We really are fresh out of ideas."
Rodimus agreed. "We've tried reminding Optimus of pleasant things, treading very carefully with his past memories, and it's gotten us nowhere. Perhaps he needs a rather unpleasant wakeup call to the reality of his past."
"Then let's waste no more time. Lead me to him."
They guided the Decepticon leader to Prime's private chambers. All three had a sense of trepidation, but if they were going to do this, they should do it now. Rodimus unlocked the room and ushered Megatron inside. Magnus went to step in, but Roddy pulled him back and engaged the security lock and privacy soundproofing. Megatron had not betrayed their trust yet, but being alone with his former archenemy might just be too much of a temptation. Both of them could not help feeling a twinge of dread. If something went wrong, if Optimus called for help, they would not hear. But this Alliance was based on trust, and they were willing to let Megatron exercise whatever plan he had in mind.
Optimus looked up in surprise as the Decepticon entered. They had deliberately kept this visit a surprise to maximize the shock value. "You look familiar," he said slowly. "You're... you're one of those flying robots, aren't you?"
"Yeeeessss!" Megatron hissed in his most intimidating manner. "I'm pleased to see you remember me. My name is Megatron."
"Megatron." Prime frowned slightly. "We've met before, haven't we?" The wary look on his face indicated that some fragment of memory had survived.
"Indeed we have. Though I barely remember the incident. You were just an insignificant bug to be squashed under my heel."
"YOU!" Optimus exclaimed suddenly. "You attacked us! Left me and my friends for dead!"
The Decepticon leader chuckled. "True. And had I realized exactly who you would become, believe me, I would have been certain to finish the job." The Autobot began backing away slowly, searching the room for a weapon. "Oh, don't bother," Megatron said casually. "I'm not going to hurt you. This time. I've come to talk."
"Talk?" A sneer twisted Prime's face under his faceplate. "Since when are Decepticons ever interested in talking?"
"Ah, so you DO remember our previous interactions! Not as amnesiac as we'd like to think, are we?"
Prime faltered and looked uncertain. "I -- I don't know why I said that. I don't really know any Decepticons."
"Oh, come off it!" Megatron lost his mock-playful manner. "You and I have been butting heads for nine million years! There's no excuse for your memory loss. Your mewling puny friends have told me that you're all healed up. So there's no reason for your memories to not return."
"Look, I'm trying my best, alright!" Optimus put his fists on his hips. "A lot has happened to me. I nearly died! So cut me some slack!"
"Oh, *big* deal! You've had so many near-death experiences that the Matrix is practically a revolving door for your spark! I refuse to believe that your injuries are to blame for your current state. I'll buy that they may have initially caused the amnesia, but you've had plenty of time to recover." Megatron leaned in until his face was right in front of Prime's. "No, there's only one explanation. You, Optimus Prime, are a coward."
"A coward!" Optimus yelled. "How dare you? You don't know anything about me!"
"On the contrary; right now I know you better than you know yourself. I made it my business. After all, the best way to defeat your enemy is to understand how he thinks."
"So we are enemies then."
"We were. Interesting, isn't it, how two people who are struggling so mightily against each other can come to understand each other so thoroughly. I know you well, Optimus Prime. Or at least I thought I did. There was a time in my life that I hated you with every fiber in my being. And yet I respected you. You had your principles and you stood by them, no matter how silly or inconvenient they may have been. You were also a formidable foe who always kept me on my toes. It was an honor to have you as an adversary." He shook his head. "I have called Optimus Prime many things, but never a coward. Pity. I never thought I'd see the day."
"Stop calling me that!" Prime yelled.
"Why should I?" It was Megatron's turn to sneer. "That's what you've become. A weak-willed coward who is afraid to face the reality of life. Isn't it convenient? You get a little bump on the head and suddenly you've got a free pass to shirk your duties. No more playing nursemaid to the sniveling, whiny troops who cry on your shoulder, who get boo-boos and beg you to kiss it all better. Who probably wouldn't know how to load their own guns if you weren't there to lead a shining example. Not to mention the paperwork. You Autobots are so in love with the paper trail, I'm surprised your desk hasn't caved in yet." He snorted. "It's far too much for any one being to bear. So what do you do? Instead of admitting you're overwhelmed, you hide from it."
"I'm not hiding from anything!"
"You're hiding from yourself!" Megatron spat. "Your friends and loved ones may be gentle and sugarcoat the truth, but I won't. You're hurting them, Prime. They're far too slagging caring and polite to show it, but they're miserable. You're forcing Rodimus and Magnus to delay their work while they try to bring you back to your senses. And have you taken a close look at your girlfriend lately? She's coming apart at the seams! And for what? For a weak-willed wussbot who can't own up to the demons in his head!"
Prime looked like he'd been slapped. "I -- I didn't realize... I'd never meant to..."
"Oh, SPARE ME!" Megatron roared. "As I said, I have no tolerance for cowardice. You place the universe on your shoulders and then try to hide when it threatens to crush you. Frankly, it's nauseating. You brought this on yourself."
Optimus winced at the harsh words. "But Rodimus--"
"Rodimus has the same burdens you do, but he knows how to blow off steam and enjoy himself. He knows how to ask for help when it becomes too much for him. Not you. You keep pretending everything is fine, while the pressure crushes you from the inside out. You have few ways to safely release it, and you know what? That's *your* fault. No one expects such high standards from you except you. The Autobots expect you to be a tireless leader because that's what you've shown them you are. From the start, Rodimus has shown himself to be a great leader, but he is still only mechanical and lets others see his faults."
"But I'm not perfect and never claimed to be! If I make a mistake, I admit it."
"You might as well be perfect. You're so busy setting a good example for the troops and trying to hold the Autobot army together, you almost never take time for yourself. You are the perfect automaton, doing your job and precious little else. Admit it, you love your job but sometimes you secretly despise it. It's gotten to be too much for you, but now you've got the perfect alibi and don't have to do a damn thing anymore. Admit it, Prime. You don't *want* to remember!"
"I do! I do!"
Megatron leaned in until his forehead was nearly touching Prime's own brow. "No. You. Don't."
"Shut up! Just shut *up*!"
"Come on, Prime. Remember. The bad along with the good. Remember how I nearly killed you and your puny friends. Remember how both factions drained the planet dry in our war. Remember your simpering love for the the mudball Earth. Remember your sickly-pink Alita One and how Unicron snuffed out her life like a cheap flare. Remember Andromeda, who tries so bravely not to cry when you're around.
"No..." Optimus whimpered, covering his optics. "I don't want to..."
"Remember, curse you!" Megatron yelled, yanking Prime's hands away and shaking him by the forearms. "Face your memories head-on and accept them!"
"NOOOOO!" Optimus screamed. He clutched his head in both hands, a tortured scream erupting from his vocalizer. He dropped to his knees as the memories flooded his mind, overwhelming him.
* * * * *
Rodimus paced nervously in his quarters, throwing an anxious gaze at the door from time to time. Magnus sat in a chair -- to the casual observer, he would appear calm and serene, but Roddy could see the tension in his frame.
"Roddy." Magnus rose and put his hand on his arm. "Relax. Let's find something to distract ourselves. Who knows how long they'll be in there."
Rodimus nodded his head jerkily. "Sure, let's put on a holovid. Anything's better than this."
* * * * *
Several hours later, Magnus powered up an optic as he heard a commotion in the hallway. He kicked Rodimus, who muttered blearily. They both had slipped into recharge and were now struggling to awaken. Roddy stumbled to the door and stopped short, his jaw dropping. Megatron and Optimus both staggered down the hall, holding onto each other for dear life. They both seemed over-energized. Rodimus decided his optic sensors must be malfunctioning, for both of their faces seemed damp. "Thanksh, Meg... Mega..." Optimus slurred.
"I gotschta get going," Megatron muttered, tripping over his own feet.
"You're not going anywhere in your condition," Ultra Magnus scolded, redirecting Megatron to nearby guest quarters.
Rodimus looked at Optimus sharply. "What's going on? Are you okay?"
Optimus looked him
straight in the eye, and despite the tipsiness and teariness, Rodimus could see
the change. "It's me, Rodimus. I'm back."