"Sentinel?" Optimus ran towards Sentinel Prime, who had by now drifted into stasis.
"Looks like he's been damaged," said Ratchet.
Megatron, observing, wondered why the Autobots cared so much for him, because all he seemed to do was stop his team from winning the battles. Then again, the Autobots were, according to them, programmed to protect life. Maybe they figured they should all stick together, no matter what.
"Oh, great, now we've already got one big Autobot injury," Optimus said. "And I'm bleeding too much, from my swordfight with Megatron."
"Starscream shot off my arm," Bumblebee added. Sure enough, his arm was missing. Megatron could see the still-sparking wires sticking out of his arm socket. "I'm injured too."
"So…maybe we should surrender for this solar cycle," Optimus said reluctantly. "Megatron, we will give today's battle to you."
"Hooray good riddance," Megatron told him. Optimus and Ratchet helped to drag Sentinel, still unconscious, back to the Autobot base, and the rest (Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Prowl) all followed them.
"You might have won this battle, Megatron, but you have not yet won the war!" Optimus called back as they walked away. "We will always keep on fighting!"
"Fight away!" Megatron said back mockingly. "In the end my Decepticons and I will be the victors!"
"Not even in your dreams, Megatron!" they heard Bumblebee yell, as he and his team finally disappeared from sight.
"Victory is ours, my Decepticons," said Megatron, putting away his swords, and Starscream and Tomato cheered.
…
Megatron was at the desk in his room, writing something very important, staring at the data pad with intense concentration. Finally, when the document was finished, he saved it and sent it to Tomato's data pad.
About a megacycle later, Megatron summoned his second-in-command, Shockwave, and the two of them entered Tomato's room. Tomato was taking a stasis nap on his bed. Megatron walked up to him and shook him to wake him up.
"What—oh, Lord Megatron!" said Tomato, bolting up. "Sorry, I just thought I should get some stasis after the battle earlier this solar cycle. I'm sorry about sleeping on the job like that."
"Okay, um…just don't let it happen again, then," Megatron replied. He wasn't very angry, mostly because Tomato hadn't actually been given an assignment that afternoon. "Either way, though, there's a reason why Shockwave and I came to your room."
"We have something very important for you," Shockwave added. "Have you checked your data pad recently?"
"No," said Tomato.
"Well, check it now," Megatron told him. "I sent an important document to you."
Tomato looked shocked, but he went to his desk and got his data pad. As soon as it was turned on, he went to his virtual mailbox and opened what Megatron sent him. When he read it, his red optics almost popped out of his head.
"W-What?" Tomato asked. "I'm…I'm invited to my Branding Ceremony?"
"Yes," Shockwave replied. "We've decided you're ready for it."
"But…but I-I didn't finish the obstacle course," Tomato sputtered. "How could I be possibly be ready to receive this honor yet?"
"Showing courage and quick thinking in a real battle is much more important than completing an artificial obstacle course," Megatron answered, feeling proud of Tomato. "In this solar cycle's battle, you have more than proved your worthiness to me."
"Oh, wow, um…thank you," Tomato told him, still looking shocked. This was going to be a big moment for him. "When will you do it?"
"Next solar cycle," Megatron replied.
"Ack!" said Tomato, falling backwards onto his bed and dropping his data pad on the floor.
"Um, are you all right?" asked Shockwave, walking over to Tomato.
"Next solar cycle?" Tomato repeated, lifting his head up.
"Is there something wrong with that?" said Megatron.
"N-No!" Tomato cried. "It just kind of…took me by surprise, y'know?"
Megatron sighed. "Lots of things are like that."
"Really, Tomato, you've got no reason to worry," Shockwave said, holding out his hand.
Tomato grabbed Shockwave's hand and sat up. "Yes I do! I have a lot to worry about! What about all the ceremonies and all that? And the pain that a branding iron can cause? Why don't you just use stickers like the Autobots do? Or can't I at least be put into stasis for it or something?"
"No, you must bear witness," Shockwave explained.
"And there's no way we're going to wear stickers like those foolish Autobots do!" Megatron smacked Tomato on the head. "Be brave! At least act like you deserve this honor!"
Tomato, still looking panicked, got up off of his bed, stood up straight, and gave Megatron his four-fingered salute. "Understood, my liege."
THE NEXT SOLAR CYCLE…
As soon as he awakened from stasis that morning, Tomato could already smell smoke. For a few moments, he wondered why, until he remembered that it was the smell of a branding iron getting heated up, just for him. It was the smell of the ceremony that represented the fact that he was now a true Decepticon warrior.
Tomato felt beyond nervous, but he got out of bed and headed for the kitchen anyway. Maybe some dark energon would numb some of his pain, he thought, even though he hadn't had any dark energon since the very first time he'd tried it.
All the Decepticons except Megatron and Lugnut were already at the table. Tomato knew it was because Megatron was getting ready for the Branding Ceremony, and Lugnut was probably just bothering him but not doing anything really useful, like always.
"Good morning, Tomato," said Starscream.
Tomato nodded and walked to the refrigerator. Inside were containers of dark energon. Tomato had promised himself he would drink some, but he lost his courage at the last moment and grabbed some of the fizzy energon instead. What kind of Decepticon was he, being afraid of a little dark energon? Tomato felt like a total fraud.
"I'm totally ready for this," Tomato muttered, trying to sound casual as he sat down at the breakfast table.
"Oh, come on." Blackarachnia rolled her optics at him. "You're just being a 'fraidy bot, like usual."
"Well, it's too late for that, you know," said Starscream, as Tomato opened the fizzy energon cube. "Now you have to go through with it, Tomato."
"Just think of zee honor and zee glory," added Blitzwing's Icy face. (Unfortunately, Blitzwing was drinking even more fizzy energon than Tomato was, so Crazy was bound to show up soon.)
"I guess so…" Tomato sighed and took a sip of his fizzy energon.
"Blitzwing is right, you know," said Shockwave. "Trust me."
…
After several fizzy energon cubes, Tomato's breakfast plan had backfired. Not only was he nervous, now he was all hyped up on fizzy energon, too.
"There you are, Tomato," said Megatron, walking into the room, then looking over at the kitchen table. "Come on, everyone. It's time to get to the main monitor room."
Lugnut was holding Megatron's branding iron, which was the size and shape of the Decepticon insignia. Everyone left, and Tomato followed them, lagging behind.
"I shall help you, oh great and glorious Master," Lugnut told Megatron. "I will not fail you! I will not—"
"Okay, okay, we get it, Lugnut," Megatron said impatiently. "Tomato, come forth."
"Yes, Lord Megatron." Tomato walked over to where Megatron was standing and saluted.
"Get down on one knee," Megatron ordered. "You shall take the Decepticon Oath, get branded, and officially join my ranks."
"Yes, my liege." Tomato got down on one knee.
"Repeat after me, Tomato," Megatron said. "I pledge my unquestioning loyalty to Megatron and the Decepticon cause."
"I pledge my unquestioning loyalty to Megatron and the Decepticon cause," Tomato repeated in all seriousness, looking down at the floor.
"I shall devote my spark to achieving our goal of a Decepticon-controlled Cybertron…by any means necessary."
"I shall devote my spark to achieving our goal of a Decepticon-controlled Cybertron…by any means necessary."
"And annihilate all who have driven us from our rightful home world…"
"And annihilate all who have driven us from our rightful home world…"
"Surrender is not an option."
"Surrender is not an option."
"Welcome, brave Decepticon." Megatron gestured for the branding iron, and Tomato stood up. Lugnut handed the branding iron over; everyone either winced or turned away as Megatron clamped one servo on Tomato's shoulder to hold him still and pressed the branding iron right on the front of his chestplate.
Tomato had been expecting this, all too much, but still it must have come as a surprise to him anyway, because he screamed with the sudden scorching-hot pain he was enduring. Everyone, understanding what he was going through, was either wincing, covering their audio receptors, refusing to even look, or all three, simultaneously.
Megatron, still holding his branding iron with one servo and Tomato's shoulder with the other, held the branding iron on Tomato's chest for a few moments longer—even though to Tomato, it felt like stellar cycles. And then it was over.
Tomato's chest was still smoking, but Blitzwing ran up and gave him some ice. Tomato quickly pressed the ice onto his chest.
"Thanks," he said in a shaky voice, lifting his head up and wiping his eyes.
Blitzwing nodded, and Tomato sat down on the couch. Only then did he have the chance to look down at his chest, which was now emblazoned with the purple Decepticon insignia. Once Tomato caught sight of it, he couldn't stop staring at it.
"Well, I guess you really are a true Decepticon now, then." Megatron sat down next to Tomato on the couch and, uncharacteristically, put his arm around him in a comforting way. "It doesn't still hurt, does it?"
"It does," Tomato told him. "But I realize now that you guys were right. The honor and glory of receiving this stamp are worth the pain."
"Yes, of course they are," said Shockwave, sitting down next to them. "Do you guys want to watch my favorite show, Decepticon Spies Weekly?"
"Um…" Tomato didn't really know what to say. In truth, he hated Decepticon Spies Weekly, but then again, Shockwave was his superior, so how could he protest? However, not everyone seemed to be thinking this way.
"I hate that show!" Starscream yelled. "Why can't we ever watch what I want to watch? Let's see what's on the Seeker channel. Maybe there's something good on."
"You mean like Wind Beneath My Wings?" Shockwave suggested sarcastically. "Everybody knows you're in love with the show, Starscream, so you can stop saying you hate it."
"I do hate it!" Starscream insisted. "It's for femmes!"
"Like that ever stopped you," said Shockwave. "Besides, I bet you like Seeker Daily Drama, too."
"NOBODY LIKES THAT SHOW!" Starscream hollered at the top of his lungs.
"Remember, guys, Cybertron's Got Talent is on too," Blackarachnia reminded them.
"Or what about Autobot Makeover Madness?" Blitzwing added.
"Let's watch Decepticon Horror Show," Megatron told them. "You know, the one with the monster that's put together from parts of offline Autobots. That's on soon too."
"I will watch whatever my Master wants to watch!" Lugnut thundered.
"Just turn the stupid TV on," said Blackarachnia, so Blitzwing picked up the remote and turned it on. Unfortunately, the first thing they saw was a very dramatic episode of Wind Beneath My Wings, the show Shockwave was convinced Starscream liked.
"B-But…I love you!" some random Seeker was saying, with another femme Seeker nearby him.
"I can do way much better than you," she told him, preparing to walk out. The mech was starting to cry, even though it was obvious the actor was faking it. (One of the more infamous qualities of Wind Beneath My Wings was its terrible acting.)
"C-Come b-back!" he sobbed, running out the door after her. It was a snowy night out and all the streetlights were glowing. The mech slipped in the snow then got up, chilled by the winter weather.
"I'm leaving you!" the femme shouted. "And I'm taking the sparklings with me!"
"All five?" asked the mech.
"Yes!" the femme told him. "Even though the youngest has a broken wing, the triplets are always fighting, and the oldest is dealing with her growing pains by becoming a kleptomaniac, I still love each and every one of them!"
"They were all accidents, though!" the mech whined. "Can't I keep just one?"
"I'd love to stick around, loser," she said sarcastically, "but I gotta jet."
"PLEASE COME BACK!" the mech cried, but alas, he was too late. His love turned to jet mode and soared into the sky at an amazing speed.
"No!" they heard Starscream say. They saw that he was holding one of the couch pillows, looking a little teary. "I was sure she would stay with him until the next season!"
"Umm…what?" said Shockwave, looking in Starscream's direction.
"Oh, um, nothing!" Starscream covered up his faceplates with the pillow.
"We should probably turn this off now, Starscream," Shockwave told him solemnly, changing the channel to Decepticon Spies Weekly. "I think you've proven my point."
Megatron and Tomato looked at each other and grinned, then everyone but Starscream burst into laughter.