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 Twenty Two

Rushing forward to Starscream's side, the supposedly Sentinel Prime quickly bent down, gathering up the Seeker. He carefully touched the young Seeker's abused vocoder, wincing when he whimpered in pain.

"Starscream, I am here."

Starscream looked up, whimpering and hissing at the pain in his vocoder before his features softened. "Wh-why did you come back? You knew...you knew what he did." He whimpered.

The mech nodded, his optics soft. "You really think I would let you face him alone? It isn't just your life he fragged up, my brother." He said softly.

"I...I...know...I wa-was just trying to make things...rig-right..." Starscream said weakly. "For you...for your father...and mine...Orion."

Optimus smiled faintly as he gently rubbed his friend's helm. "Thank you, Starscream." He said softly.

"Orion?"

Optimus' optics hardened at the sound of his uncle's voice and he looked up, glaring at him. He felt rage burning within him for everything that Megatron had done. And for what he had seen him doing to Starscream. He did not move from Starscream's side until Slipstream and Ratchet were beside him, checking the Seeker's damaged vocoder.

Only then did Optimus slowly stand up and start walked towards Megatron, who was gaping at him in surprise. "Megatron." He growled angrily.

"Orion Pax?" Megatron asked again before his optics lit up and he put on a fake smile of happiness. "Orion, my youngling! You're alive! I cannot believe it!" He said, though he shot Soundwave a look as he forced those last words out. He moved closer to Optimus, looking as if to greet him warmly.

But Optimus raised his arm and twisted it into a cannon, pointing it right into his uncle's face. "Give me a reason why I should not blow your processor out of your helm, Uncle Megs." He growled.

Everyone was on alert. The Decepticons started growling at the threat to their leader but what stopped them was several whirls of cannons being pulled out. They all looked around at the sudden appearance of femmes and mechs, pointing at them.

"Feeling lucky, Decepticreeps?" Ironhide half growled, half chuckled as he pointed his huge cannons at the Cons.

Chromia smirked from beside him, nudging his side. "I sure am. How about you and I go for a drive, hot stuff?" She teased.

Ironhide snorted as he kept his optics on the Decepticons. "Later, babe. After we are done here, I'll let you play with my cannons." he said teasingly right back and earned an excited squeak from the femme.

"Ewww! Ironhide, can you not tell interface jokes in front of us?" Sideswipe whined while Sunstreaker grimaced in disgust. They were ignored, however.

Megatron stared at Optimus for a moment, almost amused. "Orion, it is me, your uncle. Your father's..." he was saying.

"My father's murderer!" Snapped Optimus, making everyone go quiet, looking surprised.

There was a silence for a long moment before Megatron stared blankly at Optimus. "I do not understand, Orion. What do you mean your father's murderer? I would have..."

"Do not lie to me, Megatron." Optimus said sternly, his optics narrowed in warning. He was fed up with this. "All my life you have lied to me, my father, to everyone. I know what you did to my father, Megatron. You threw him off the Great Iron Bridge after he saved myself and Prowl. You covered up the destruction of Vos, blaming it on Prowl. You had Barricade murder Ariel's father."

There was a pause as Optimus realized what he said and je did regret it. He hadn't wanted to tell Elita One that.

"What?"

Optimus tensed when he heard Elita One from behind him. He vented softly and looked over at her. "I know I should have told you. I am sorry." He said, seeing the horrified look on her face. But nonetheless, he also saw the horrified looks on the Seekers' faces.

Megatron, however chuckled. "Oh, Orion. You fail to mention that who was it that sent your dear friend's father to his death. Who told him that I wanted to speak to him?" He asked before lashing out and grabbing Optimus' cannon, sending him nearly spinning off his feet.

"Optimus!" Several cried out in surprise but the mechs stopped when Megatron shoved the cannon right under their friend's own helm.

"Tell her who did it." Megatron sneered.

Optimus struggled for only a moment but then vented as he found that Megatron was definitely a little stronger than him. He couldn't even break free. He instead looked at the horrified look on Elita One's face, rather gloomily. "I am sorry, Elita. But it was me." He told her sadly.

Slowly Elita One shook her head, looking as if she couldn't believe it. "No. It cannot be...it cannot be true. Why didn't you tell me?." She asked painfully.

"I...I didn't mean to hide it from you. I was going to tell you but I just..." Optimus was saying.

Megatron suddenly boomed a laugh as he shook his head. "Oh, Orion. You are such a little whelp. You honestly thought you could hide it from your beloved Ariel?" He asked.

Growling, Optimus struggled to break free only to groan when his uncle shoved his cannon harder against his helm. "It wasn't my fault! It was you, Uncle Megatron! You told me to send Streamline to you! If anything, you are responsible for his death!" He snapped. "You will pay for what you have done! I will make sure of it!"

Chuckling darkly, Megatron shoved Optimus' cannon harder against its owner's chin, causing him to hiss in pain. "You really think you are can be a Prime, Orion? You, who ran away from danger? You, who had been gone missing for twenty vorns? You really think anyone would trust a weakling like you?" He sneered.

Optimus flinched at his uncle's words, feeling doubt in himself. He had been questioning him on that for some time as it was. He wasn't sure if anyone would...

"I would."

Optics lit up in surprise from Optimus and Megatron before turning onto Elita One as she glared at the tyrant. She had her cannon out and ready to use at any given megaclick.

Her femmes nodded as they stood taller, glaring at Megatron and his Decepticons. "As would we." Each spoke.

"I would trust him with my life and follow him to the ends of the universe." Ratchet spoke, his head held up high.

"Ya know I trust you, Optimus." Jazz said boldly.

Ironhide and all three of the younger mechs nodded in agreement. Starscream stood up, still rubbing his abused vocoder. "I trust you, Optimus Prime. You saved me from a life of loneliness and because of you," he growled turning a determined look onto Shockwave. "I learned that Shockwave was the one who ordered Vos' destruction for Megatron's cause."

The Seekers in the room hissed in shock, looking at the cyclops mech. They could not believe it. All this time, they had believed that Megatron and his former gladiators were their saviors and now, they find it was all a lie?

"It does not matter!" Megatron growled before roughly shoving Optimus to the ground, ripping the cannon out of his hand. He twisted and turned his arm until it transformed into a serrated blade, pointing directly at Optimus. "The rest of Iacon would never trust you! They would never accept you because they will all believe what I tell them! And after I have all of my Decepticons destroy all of you, I will feed them scrap about how you selfishly killed the former Prime, and I discovered the truth and rightfully punish you for what you have done!" He snarled before pulling back his blade and starting to thrust it forward to stab Optimus in the chest.

"Negative."

Everything stopped at those words spoken by the one they did not expect. Even Megatron stopped himself from slashing his nephew's vocoder open. He turned his burning glare onto Soundwave, who was looking quite defiant.

"What? What do you mean negative?!" Megatron demanded.

Soundwave merely shook his head as he stood straighter and folded his servos behind his back. "Enough of this, Megatron. I have had enough of this tyranny. You swore if I joined you, you would see my sparklings to be safe. And yet, you beat the slag out of Laserbeak and Frenzy for not following your orders of tailing Elita One, whom tried to force to become your sparkmate. As it is, I warned in the beginning that I do not find abuse on femmes appropriate. And yet, you have the femmes beaten when they do not follow your orders or be defiant." He spoke coolly. "I made my decision when you tried to force yourself onto Elita One. Therefore," he paused, glancing towards the large vid screen within the throne room. He activated his connections to it and turned it on.

To everyone's surprise, it was the Cybertronian connection channel and it was showing them, within the palace. And it was on line.

"The entire city now knows of your treachery, Megatron. You just revealed it all. The murder of Sentinel Prime, the destruction of Vos and nearly all of its Seekers, the fact that Orion Pax is still alive when you lied to all about his death. And let's not forget your other secret," Soundwave spoke, quite darkly amused. "You murdered Lady Beta as well when she found out what you really did to her sparkmate and her son."

Everyone froze at that bit of news, Optimus especially. He had heard of his mother's demise from Elita One but not like that. He had thought she died of spark break. But to hear that Megatron killed her, that was the last screw.

He felt a growl rise out of him as he scampered to his feet and he lunged at Megatron, throwing a fist back and letting it sail.