Title: The Prime
Genre: Action/Drama, Friendship/Romance
Rating: T for mild transformer swearing, some violence, and crude language
Short Summary:
When a young mech destined to be the next Prime is exiled by his evil uncle, he must learn what it means to become a great leader.
Chapter Ten
Megatron was merciful. He knew he was. He had been merciful into killing his brother and merciful into his next plan. He had always plotted this day. And it sent wicked pride through him to watch as Sentinel Prime fell down the deep crevice into the rocky bottom where he hit hard, breaking several fuel lines upon impact.
Megatron watched with a wicked grin as he could barely see the dying glow of his idiot younger brother's lit optics grew dim before shutting off completely.
And then Lord Megatron moved back quietly, yet swiftly when he heard the shuffling inside the cart.
Orion had heard the crashes from outside and had heard his creator crying out in anguish and fear. He felt his spark rattle violently inside his spark chamber, knowing something was terribly wrong.
It was the painful jolt in his spark that made him freeze, clutching his chassis that he knew.
"N-no!" The young Prince cried before scuttling as fast as he could for the door. He heard Prowl cry out but he ignored him as he burst outside and looked frantically around. "Dad! Dad!" He called. He looked around for his creator, hoping to see him.
But The Prime was nowhere in sight.
Prowl came out, holding his arm, looking around. He noted that he couldn't see the Prime either and it sent a jolt of fear coursing through him.
Especially when he saw the bridge.
Holding a terrified breath, the young Praxian hurried over to the bridge and looked down. His optics widened when he saw the mass of ravaged metal at the bottom and he knew what it was. It killed his spark to see it.
Slowly, Prowl backed away, slowly shaking his head. He could not believe it. "Or-Orion." He whimpered out, wincing at how pained he sounded.
Orion spun to look at his friend before noticing how he was looking down the crevice. He felt his breath catch and he scampered forward. "Dad!" He cried out.
Prowl whirled around, trying to catch Orion before he could look but a sharp jolt up his arm made him hiss and he couldn't stop his young friend. He could only watch in pain and helplessness as the young prince looked down and froze.
There was not a lot that Orion did not know about. Death was one of them. It had been a subject that his father tried avoiding, stating that he had not been ready to know about such a gruesome thing.
But Orion knew about it because his uncle told him what his father would not.
And seeing his father's broken form at the bottom of the crevice, feeling the pain of a bond broken, Orion Pax knew it had come to this. His worst nightmare had finally come true. He knew the truth of what happened to his father.
Sentinel Prime was dead.
A choking sob escaped from Orion's vocoder before he felt his knees give out from under him. He fell to the ground, a strangled sound breaking the eerie silence. He felt energon spilling from his optics as he began to sob.
Prowl watched helplessly as his friend sobbed at the death of his father. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to help Orion in any way but he couldn't. He didn't know the feeling that his friend was going through. He had lost his carrier, his mother when he had been sparked. But he didn't remember the pain that Orion was feeling now.
Hearing steady foot steps behind them, Prowl whirled around and felt his spark jolt in surprise. He hadn't been expecting to see the large Cybertronian so soon.
Megatron looked down at Orion's sobbing form with nothing but emotionless. He did not smile wickedly though he was tempted to. He just stared blankly at the small youngling. "Orion Pax, what have you done?"
Orion jumped at the sound of his uncle's voice and whirled around. He looked up at him with wide optics before glancing painfully down at his fallen father. "Un-uncle Megatron! It was...it was an accident! I didn't mean for this to happen!" He cried, energon streaming down his face.
Megatron tsked sorrowfully as he carefully lift Orion into his good arm and held him close. "Of course you didn't Orion. No one ever means for these things to happen. Accidents do happen." He said and paused as he let Orion tremble against him. He waited for the right moment before looking down at his now dead brother, holding back a smirk. "But The Prime is dead. And people will not understand it."
"We...we can explain." Prowl spoke up, his vocoder trembling in sorrow yet fear.
Megatron looked at him with narrowed optics but he shook his head. He knew he could not allow these two to return to Iacon. The pits would break loose if they did. "But no one will understand. They will only see two foolish younglings who were responsible for The Prime's death. They will hate you. Ridicule you. They will despite you for what you have done, accident or not." He saw the pain and fear growing in the younglings's optics again. He wanted so much to smirk at them for it. "As it is, the people of Iacon already despise you, Prowl. No. I cannot allow you both to feel that pain."
Orion and Prowl looked up at him with surprise but fear. They didn't know where he was going with this. And they didn't like it.
"Wh-what can we do?" The young prince asked shakily.
Megatron set Orion back down, keeping a servo on his shoulder. He looked intensely at his nephew, yet firmly. "Leave Iacon. Never return. You are better off forgetting everything, my young beloved nephew. You will forfeit your right to be the next Prime to save yourself of being the most hated Prime in history. I am sorry it must come to this. But I have to exile you to save you. Run, my little youngling. And do not look back. Both of you." He told him firmly.
Orion shrank back but felt truth behind his uncle's words. He knew he could never return to Iacon. He would be hated by everyone. He would be hated by his mother, Ariel for her father's death, everyone.
Stumbling backwards, the young prince slowly shook his head, energon still spilling down his face. He glanced at Prowl, who looked hesitant before he whirled around and began running as fast as he could.
Prowl hesitated, glancing at the firm look on Megatron's face before scampering after Orion. He could not allow the young prince to go alone. It would kill him out there.
Megatron watched the fleeing pair with a serious look before he tilted his head to the side as he heard crunches of footsteps from behind him. He then allowed the evil smirk to curl to life on his face plates finally. "Kill them." He simply ordered.
"Ravage: eject and terminate targets." Soundwave spoke up blankly from behind Megatron.
And the metallic panther raced past the new Prime with a snarl, his optic locked on his soon to be next meals. He bound after the two younglings looking forward to the kill.
Orion and Prowl didn't realize they were being chased until they heard the snarling behind them. They had been running as fast as they could across the terrain, trying to get as far away from the crash site. The young prince had not stopped sobbing, however, feeling the pain of his father's death too hard for him to be able to cope.
This was a nightmare to both of the younglings. They were exiled from their own home and all because of an accident. But neither could bear the idea of being hated by everyone. Orion was almost too afraid to think what his mother would say. Would she hate him too if she knew what had happened?
In truth, Orion knew she would understand. She would not hate him. She would be upset but she would not hate her only youngling.
Others, however, might.
It was then they heard the snarling behind them. Orion and Prowl kept running but had glanced back to see what it was only have their sparks nearly rupture. They saw the very large black sparkpanther coming after hem, snapping its jaws as it was quickly approaching them.
"Run!" Orion yelled the obvious and kicked up his speed.
Prowl bound after him as fast as he could, knowing very well what would happen if they fell behind. He knew that he technically didn't have a job any more but he was making it a goal to protect Orion at whatever cost.
So when Orion mis-stepped into a dent in the ground and went crashing down, Prowl screeched to a halt and spun around. He felt his spark jolt when he saw the sparkpanther charging forward with a wicked grin before lunging towards the young prince, who yelped and covered his helm to protect himself from being ripped to shreds.
Prowl snapped into action and leapt forward to be between them. He didn't know what he was going to do but he couldn't let this thing hurt Orion.
The sparkpanther, Ravage slammed into the other youngling, knocking him to the ground with a metal crushing thud, causing him to cry out in pain as he sank his sharp fangs into the youngling's arm. Hot energon began to spill from the new wound and into the panther's mouth.
Suddenly something slammed into Ravage, throwing him off of Prowl and to the ground. Shaking his head viciously, he climbed back to his feet and turned a gleaming optic onto Orion as he limbed to his own feet, fists clenched.
Orion did not have a clue what he was going to do but after seeing this thing hurt Prowl he felt like he needed to protect him. It was just as urge he felt. He was trembling from so many different emotions that he just couldn't sort them out at the moment.
Ravage growled as he stood up, ready to pounce again. He wouldn't have gotten the chance, however, as them ground began rumbling under their feet. His audios perked up before he was scuttling backwards as if something was spooking him.
Then he turned and ran.
Orion and Prowl blinked in surprise, wondering what had scared the sparkpanther. But then they noticed the ground rumbling under their feet.
"Wh-what is that?" Orion asked uneasily.
Prowl shook his head as he quickly shook his head as he clambered to his feet and held his injured arm. He backed away, looking frantically around. "I don't know. But I don't think we want to be here anymore. Let's go!" He said now hurrying way. Orion nodded and hurried after and not a moment too soon.
Because a megaclick later, the ground exploded and the two spun around to see what it was.
A large metallic scorpion had burst out of the ground, snapping its claws and looking around. It eyed the two younglings before hissing and scuttling towards them.
"Okay! Time to go!" Orion exclaimed as he turned and ran hard with Prowl right behind him.
The scorpion hissed, giving chase. Its claws were snapping at them, trying to get a hold of them. But they were running hard and fast.
Looking frantically around, the two younglings tried to search for anything that could help them. They were in an open savannah, not very many obstacles that would help them escape.
Then Prowl spotted it. He grabbed Orion's arm and booked it for a cluster of metal boulders. They ran hard for them, diving for a small opening. They heard a loud snap of the scorpion's claws before they were in the safety of the boulders, yet trapped.
But nonetheless, the scorpion didn't seem to be able to get at them. It was scuttling around the cluster, looking for a way to get the two but found nothing.
"It can't get in." Orion realized breathlessly.
Prowl sank down against a wall, still clutching his arm. He was hurting but it didn't seem to be bleeding any more. "We're just going to have to wait here until it goes away." He said in pain.
Orion sat next to him, his spark still hurting from the loss of his father. He trembled a little before wrapping his arms around his knees. "I want to go home." He murmured sorrowfully.
Prowl sighed as he leaned back against Orion's side and nodded. "I know. I want to go home too. But you know we cannot." He said miserably. He saw Orion nod sadly. They both knew they had no home any more. Not with peace any way.
The pain had come sharply and Beta knew it deep in her spark. It was so painful that it came as a surprise to everyone around her when she screamed in pain and anguish.
"My lady!" Firestar gasped, though she looked shaken from feeling her own pain from before.
That was what had happened moments before. Firestar had been the one to collapse from pain and anguish and everyone had been around her, trying to figure out what had happened. Ratchet had been called and he rushed to the chamber to see what he could find.
But now seeing Beta the one screaming in pain, he rushed to her.
Energon tears spilling down her face, Beta waved him off. She could not explain it but she searched her bond for her mate and son and suddenly found nothing. She could not find them.
"Someone, go find Sentinel Prime and my son now!" She ordered.
Immediately the guards rushed to so. But it was not long when Megatron returned, with the gravest look on his face plates. He looked as if someone had dropped the entire planet of Cybertron onto his shoulders. Especially when he was carrying the bodies of Sentinel Prime and Streamline.
There were two screams of horror ad pain before Firestar and Beta rushed forward with everyone. Ratchet quickly scanned them and his spark nearly stopped. He looked crestfallen as he dropped his head. "They're dead." He said those dreaded words.
Again, Beta and Firestar screamed in pain as they clutched onto their fallen mates.
It took a moment but Beta finally looked up at Megatron, her optics full of energon tears. "Ho-how?! What...what happened?! And whe-where is my son?! Where is Orion Pax?!" She demanded.
Megatron sighed as he lowered his head, looking sorrowful. "He...he is dead too. He fell into the same crevice as Sentinel had and was buried under rubble. I could not free his body. But I did stay with him until the end." He told her.
There were many cries of anguish this time, though Beta's scream drowned them out. She completely collapsed into a fit that Ratchet, who was also in terrible grievance, had to put her under.
But nonetheless, news traveled quickly through Iacon and the entire city became silent in respect and pain for the loss of their great Prime and future Prime. Even as Megatron was named the new Prime of Cybertron, since there were no other heirs.
However, the news had reached Alpha Trion and all he could do was hang his head in his own pain but also in confusion. He didn't understand it. He just did not see this coming. This hadn't been the future he had seen when he looked into Orion Pax's optics when he had been sparked. He had seen a great and powerful, noble Leader who would lead Cybertron into a great and peaceful future.
But the only thing that Alpha Trion could only think about in his pain was what went wrong and was he so old that he couldn't see the future clearly anymore?
That was why he locked himself deep within Cybertron, believing he was no use to anyone any more.