6

Orion Pax woke draped over Soundwave's lap. Soundwave was sitting up in the berth, staring out the far window. Orion took a moment to look at him, clearer in the morning light. Soundwave was as severe and beautiful as he had been on Cybertron ages ago, slanted optics now a brilliant shade of red, mouth a thin line on the chrome planes of his face.

"Are you troubled, Soundwave?" he asked. Something was definitely off. Soundwave looked at him with mournful affection, running a servo over one of his pointed audio fins. Orion spoke again. "You've been processing something for a while, haven't you?"

Soundwave slid out of Orion's hold and began pacing the room. He looked at Orion, his agitation increasing. Orion sat up with worry, hoping that patience would help Soundwave speak. But he continued to pace. At the risk of upsetting him further, Orion decided to approach him. He took Soundwave's servo to hold him still. "Soundwave, tell me what's the matter."

Soundwave's frantic pacing paused as he studied Orion. Suddenly he was resigned. He pulled away from Orion's servo. "Soundwave: traitor."

"Why?"

Soundwave took Orion's shoulder. One of his tentacles released, rearing up like a snake, the end opening up into a gyrating blade. Soundwave studied his face and his levels, but Orion wasn't worried; only confused.

"Trusting," Soundwave observed.

And still, Orion didn't resist when the whirring blade landed on his left shoulder plating, screeching as it scraped away new layers of red paint. It retracted, and Orion looked at the result, one of the symbols that Megatronus had ordered Knockout to seal over.

"This symbol… Megatronus said the Autobots engraved it when they were telling me lies about my history. What do you mean by revealing it?"

"Autobots: never lie."

Orion processed this repeatedly, taking in all of its meanings, listing them and categorizing them, all in a moment. After all, that is what he was made for.

"But they called me 'Optimus' before Megatronus brought me back here. Megatronus said Optimus was the name of the leader of the Autobots who is offline. You're saying I really am their leader?" Orion paced away, placing a servo against the wall. He couldn't face Soundwave. "Megatronus and I… we're not friends anymore are we?"

"Negative."

Orion's spark hurt. There were only two mechs on Cybertron that he had ever called his friends, Jazz and then Megatronus. One he had no idea the whereabouts of or if he was even online, and the other… it was impossible. He had shared his greatest aspirations with him. And in turn, Megatronus had shared his desires with Orion, his plans to free the gladiators, to tear down the notion of cast and show the High Council that he could stand on the same grounds as they. He had been the one to label his unusually close bond with Orion as a friendship. The word was not common on their home planet.

"Megatronus lied to me about the Autobots," Orion said, turning back to Soundwave, "Which means he lied to me about us as well. Was this the first time we interfaced?"

Soundwave's optics told him it was true. "And this… whatever this is between us, is this the result of Megatronus' orders?"

"Situation: complicated."

"It's a yes or no question. Did Megatronus order you to do this?"

"Orders: by Lord Megatron."

Orion's systems heated up. "So everything you said, the things you did to me last night, was because you were being commanded to be with me?"

"Negative!" Soundwave shouted, breaking for a moment out of the confines of his monotonous vocals. His expression was pained. "Optimus…"

Soundwave began to walk to him, and Orion pointed a digit. "Don't." Soundwave continued and Orion tensed. "I said, stay where you are!" His defenses lurched into action. His arm transformed into a plasma cannon. He looked at the foreign object with shock. "I don't have a..." When had he learned to form a weapon?

"Optimus Prime…"

Orion's optics flickered with confusion. "Optimus is a… You're saying that a data clerk is now a Prime? That's preposterous. I'm unqualified, unworthy of being a Prime."

"Orion: worthy."

Orion lowered the weapon, backing toward the door. His processor was spinning and his spark was drowning. It hurt just to look at him. "Soundwave, you stay away from me."

He left the room, not knowing where to go. He walked through the halls without a destination. His automatic reaction would be to turn to his closest friend, Megatronus, for help. But something in him told him that Soundwave had told him the truth. He was undoubtedly a captive here. He stood in the hall, who knows where. He was truly, in every way, lost.

Tbc…

What do you think?