Yeah, I know that I said Grimlock would be the next oneshot but I'm honestly stuck.
So I decided to do Megatron pt. 2 instead.
"Where are we, Izuku?" Mirio asked in confusion.
Megatron blinked in surprise, scowling as he began to think.
He retracted the sword.
"Don't you remember, old friend?" he asked as he helped Mirio up.
The door behind them was broken down, and out came Real Steel and some of the other heroes, fortunately none that remembered him.
"Lemillion!"
"Why did he call me that?"
"What did you do to him?!" another asked.
"Who are they?" Mirio asked in confusion.
Megatron snarled but grinned as he saw a ground bridge appear behind him.
"Our mortal enemies! We're outnumbered, go! I'll cover you!"
Mirio quickly left, barely stopping to look back at one of the adversaries who felt…familiar? But he shook it off and went through the portal.
Megatron was soon about to be overrun, not that he had anything to worry about really, but as the last of the heroes entered, Gravitrona met his eyes.
An unspoken agreement was made between them.
This was not over.
The heroes returned…but sorely despondent.
"Guys! You're back!"
"We're so glad you're safe!"
"Where is…Lemillion? Is he?" Suneater began.
"Dead? No."
"But he looked right at us without recognizing us, didn't even know his own name," Real Steel commented.
"Hm, when Lemillion surrendered One For All, he lost more than the collective power of the previous users…he lost his own memories."
Meanwhile, high above the skies over Japan, the Nemesis, Megatron's personal flagship, floated menacingly.
Megatron walked through the doors, his army kneeling before him.
"Welcome back, Lord Megatron," Knockout, formerly known as
Megatron moved to the side, and Mirio walked in.
Breakdown, formerly , transformed his fist into a hammer and charged.
"At ease, Breakdown." Megatron said with a raised hand. "That is no way to treat a long lost comrade."
He then turned to the confused Mirio with a smile.
"Mirio Togata, is one of us."
"It would stand to reason, that since he has lost the power of One For All, that he has reverted to who he was before being granted it. The hero student, Mirio Togata."
"And since Nejire didn't reach the chamber in time, Megatron was able to whisk Mirio away," Gravitrona said as she walked forward.
Nejire slumped in shame, though her friends tried to comfort her.
"Gravitrona…do you think Megatron will kill him?" Suneater asked.
"No. If he wanted to kill him, he would have killed him on the spot…not take him away," Gravitrona said as she began to pace and think.
"My theory is that Megatron will likely use him to further the Decepticon cause, or, at the very least ensure that Lemillion does not return." Suneater replied.
"But why keep him alive then? Why not kill him? He'd get rid of Lemillion and One For All at the same time!" Bakugo snarled.
"Because they were friends, once." Gravitrona said. "And perhaps a part of Megatron wants to keep that."
"What?"
"Preposterous!"
"That monster doesn't even know what friendship is!"
"Enough!" Suneater roared, silencing them all. "Gravitrona is…correct. It is the only possible explanation."
"Wait…then we need to know more about this. Suneater I know you told us a bit about Megatron and Lemillion's relationship before the war, but we need to know more…what's that old phrase, know your enemy, right?"
Suneater grimaced, truth be told, even he didn't know all the facts about the friendship they had before the war, only the bare bone facts.
There was, however, one person who might.
"...Gravitrona? I know that you did not wish to speak about the past but…"
"There is no choice…it is time, Suneater." she said, grimly nodding.
"Attention, crew." Megatron began as he addressed the entire ship.
"Our guest is currently in isolation to help ease his transition. When Mirio Togata emerges, he is to be shown every courtesy." he ordered.
"And the first to address him as Lemillion, or mention One For All, will have their voice box torn out."
"Lord Megatron, is it wise to let a hero, current or former, full run of the premises?"
"Nothing happens aboard this ship without my knowledge," Megatron declared as he turned his head to face her, glaring down. "You would do well to remember that, Airachnid."
Airachnid grimaced, still sore over her…defeat at the hands of Soundwave.
"But there's no need for concern. Mirio does not possess the same 'fight' that Lemillion is so renowned for."
"Then what use is he to our cause?"
"Ah, rest assured. Once he recovers from his procedure, Mirio Togata will indeed earn his stripes."
In the Nemesis' medical bay, Knockout grinned as he finished welding the Decepticon symbol to their newest recruit.
Mirio Togata blinked in worry, wondering if he made the right decision.
But Izuku hadn't led him astray yet.
Still though…he wondered what exactly the enemy had done to his body to warrant such a…drastic response.
"Welcome back to the winning team."
"In order to understand Lemillion and Megatron's relationship, it's important that you understand who exactly Megatron is," Gravitrona began as she sat down.
"Before he was Megatron, Lord of the Decepticons, he was Izuku Midoriya, a quirkless boy who…wanted to become a hero."
There was silence in the room.
"Megatron wanted to be a…hero?"
"Yes…once…" Gravitrona sadly said.
"What happened?"
"During that time, laws against the quirkless were harsh and unforgiving. In fact they were nothing short of inhumane. After he got involved with a hero incident," She glanced towards Bakugo, who averted his gaze. "He was secretly arrested and sent to the mines."
"Wait…the mines actually existed?" someone asked.
"They did…and still do," Gravitrona explained. "That was one of the first places that Megatron officially took over…none of the old guard is alive…and I know that he took great pleasure in killing false heroes stationed there."
"Ehem." Suneater coughed.
"Oh, right. Sorry. Anyway, Izuku was stripped of his name, his identity, everything. He was addressed only by his number, D-16, and was forced to mine for the rest of his days."
A heavy silence remained between them.
"How…how could the heroes allow this to happen? Didn't anyone say anything?" Mahoro asked, tears in her eyes from sheer disbelief and horror.
Gravitrona smiled sadly at her.
"Either they didn't know, they didn't care, or they actively participated."
"What?"
"If there is one thing I know for sure, back then the Hero System was corrupt. Heroes didn't care about the people…only for their money and reputation. Many heroes actively took guard shifts for the mines to…maintain order."
Mahoro desperately tried to look around, to see if any of them disagreed with her, but she found none. All the heroes nearby shamefully looked away…they knew about the past.
Mahoro needed to sit down, Katsuma and Kota sitting down next to her.
"It was actually because of an active hero that sent Izuku to become Megatron. D-16, at the time, was defending…a fellow miner from the advances of a scumbag of a hero." Gravitrona recalled, her eyes losing focus.
"During the altercation, he killed him."
"His first kill…"
"Yes."
"...That was how he saved me."
"What? You were in the mines? But you're not-"
"My parents were public sympathizers…and once they discovered my power…I was good for getting rid of rubble," Gravitrona glared at the ground as she clenched her fist. "Sympathizers, political prisoners…anyone who went against the HPSC's regime…"
"I…"
"Regardless…we knew that we were both in trouble, D-16 had just killed a guard, and it had been witnessed by the Warden…" she continued. "Fortunately, the Warden was…greedy, extremely so. He saw value in us…and especially in D-16."
"I will offer my protection to yourself and O-107, if you serve as my champion in the Gladiatorial Arena."
D-16 grimaced. They'd all heard about the Pits…and what exactly that meant for those who were sent there.
But if it meant ensuring O-10-...Ochako's protection.
"You will protect her?" He asked gravely, the dust and other debris long having damaged his vocal chords, though fortunately, his lungs had been given treatment.
There were so few quirkless that they couldn't afford to lose them.
"Izu-D-16! You can't be serious! It's suicide!" the young woman said, horrified.
"Either way, we are dead. We are guilty of killing a…guard. He could do whatever he wants with us…no hero will come here to save us," he coldly stated, having long lost his faith in them.
Especially All Might.
"We must save ourselves."
"Do we have a deal then…D-16?" the Warden said with a grin as he extended his hand.
"We do."
"From then on, D-16 was taken to the Pits of Khaon. Where he would fight as the Warden's champion. Sometimes he'd win, other times he'd barely survive, but as he grew older, he grew stronger, cunning, savage…all to survive. He'd go off against people with quirks, quirked beasts, machines, and more…and through his trial of fire, he was allowed to adopt a name for himself."
"Megatron?"
"Heh, Megatronus actually…he wasn't allowed to take back his original name, so he took the name of an obscure mythological warrior."
"It was soon during this time that he would fight against the Pits' current champion, the one you know today as Soundwave."
A devastating battle, the two champions fighting desperately, not only for the title of champion, but their very survival.
Finally, in a decisive blow, the opponent was struck down, Megatronus' sword at her neck.
The crowd roared, excited and enthralled by the carnage.
All of them were chanting for her execution.
But Megatronus could see the fire in her eyes, even as she bowed her head in defeat.
"No," he said as he put away his sword and extended his hand. The girl was surprised, but she warily took it.
When they were later approached by their…sponsors, he was demanded to explain himself.
"Think of the money you'd gain," he said in reply.
But that answer was a lie for himself and to his previous opponent, the two staring at each other in mutual respect.
Megatronus had another ally.
Perhaps even another friend.
"So…what made Megatronus become…Megatron?" Katsuma asked, wary of the answer.
"Megatronus' battles became more and more brutal, and he was gaining more and more attention by the masses. Not only those that paid to watch his fights, but those that were in them…he was gaining a following. By sparing the warriors who stood against him, he was not only saving their sponsors' money, but also gaining their loyalty."
"With time, he began to propagate his message."
"Hear me, my fellow citizens! My fellow fighters!" Megatronus roared from on top of the beast he had just slain. His fans cheered for their champion, confetti and other articles falling around him.
"I am Megatronus! Champion of Khaon! And I say that there must be change!"
The armored figure was an imposing sight, and his words were quickly rallying the people.
"I vow to you, my devoted followers! My fellow downtrodden and abused, I will challenge those at the top, to ensure the equality of all who live in Japan!"
"At first, the sponsors thought him amusing. Many had tried, all had failed."
Megatronus then raised his hand and gave the order.
"They never realized just how rooted he'd become, however."
The door locked behind her, and the sponsors gulped in fear as Soundwave appeared with her blades.
"The fights were never publicized, bloodsports were still technically illegal and Japan, and there were still good heroes, few as they were. Still, together, we managed to take over the Pits, and use it as our base…the mines would follow soon after."
Megatronus grinned as he raised his sword, his followers raising their own weapons.
"In other words, a hostile takeover. Eventually, every warrior would become a Decepticon."
Megatron walked onto the observation deck of the Nemesis, Mirio, who'd felt the need to at least keep his name instead of an alias, walked behind him, still slightly unused to his new body.
"You have been a captive of the false heroes, and locked in a mental illusion for quite some time, Mirio. Long enough for us to have grown apart, and even forced to fight over what is left of our home," Megatron explained…funnily enough, only somewhat lying.
After all, the best lies have a piece of the truth within them.
"What's left? What do you mean? What happened, Izu-Megatron?" Mirio asked, afraid and confused.
Megatron pretended to grieve, even looking away from Mirio in an attempt to 'save face'.
"We did it Mirio…together we managed to call attention to our cause, and present ourselves to the Diet."
"We did?" Mirio said with such earnest joy that it made Megatron feel something…nostalgic even.
"Indeed, together we proposed our vision for a changed Japan, and I was on my way to become the new Symbol of Peace for Japan."
"Megatron, that's wonderful! I always knew that you could do it!"
Megatron blinked in surprise, an unknown feeling rising through him, but he ignored it.
"Yes, well…you already know of the antagonistic relationship I had with Bakugo…it turns out that it was his explosion that led to my rebirth."
"What?"
"Yes. He could not accept a 'worthless deku', achieving such a position, and rallied the old guard against us. We were betrayed…and you were taken from me…Dynamight, as he so arrogantly calls himself, started a war against my faction…we were forced to defend ourselves, but the Warlord Dynamight's careless actions…led to this."
With a press of a button, an overhead view of Japan was shown, Mirio gasping in horror.
Japan, his home, split straight down the middle with a miles wide chasm that was filled with water and death.
"Japan…" he whispered before glaring and clenching his teeth.
Megatron gleefully looked at his expression.
"In time, Megatronus was able to go back to the public scene, taking back his birthright, Izuku Midoriya became a public figure."
Rallies, public events, even battles and challenges.
Izuku Midoriya was quickly becoming a household name, vowing to change society for the better, for true peace to be achieved.
"And in time, his words would reach that of a student…Mirio Togata."
Mirio would begin to meet with Izuku in secret, and although it was hard to trust him in the beginning, he…proved his intentions to them, and Izuku decided to trust him.
"You're good at what you do, Izuku. But I think that together, we can do even more! I've been going through my public relations training, and I think that if we follow some of those tactics, the movement can gain more traction with the public!"
Izuku raises his eyebrow, but nods his assent.
"Very well, Mirio…thank you."
"In time, we gained even more allies…"
"Wow! That's some pretty decent tech you got there, Mr. Gladiator!" an exuberant Mei Hatsume said as she flitted around him and inspected his weaponry.
Izuku had taken to wearing a…modified version of the armor he wore during his time in the Pits.
Although he could not carry his old fusion cannon all the time, and sometimes he still wondered where the hell the Warden managed to even get that, he did always keep his sword and shield with him at all times, much to the disagreement of other parties, but he'd be a fool to leave himself undefended.
Still, thanks to how backwards the laws regarding quirkless were, he could quite literally carry his weapons anywhere on his person.
And if by chance he partook in some vigilantism…well…it only counted if you had a quirk, so the law had no power over him as well.
And since the government knew that Khaon was under his control, they couldn't very well arrest him for interfering in hero fights, not when they didn't have anywhere to put him.
It was quite humorous really, according to Kyoka, they were terrified that he would manage to rally those at Tartarus, or that his followers would break him out.
Apparently Tartarus wasn't nearly as secure as the propaganda dictated…interesting.
"-although, really, you need to address your followers. I know you said that you're not responsible for those attacks, but sometimes people lash out…please, Izuku, if we want true peace, then please, tell them to stop."
Izuku hums in thought, even grimacing. It was true, some of his more…devout followers were dealing with discriminatory businesses and people with…well to be quite honest it was borderline terrorism.
It could disrupt the cause.
"I will consider what to say to them, but rest assured, Mirio. The cause will not fall due to our own actions," Izuku assured.
His thoughts are still distracted however, as he takes in the majesty of U.A.
Once, he would have loved nothing more than to walk these halls, and be one of U.A.'s students, striving to become a hero.
But now…he was something else. A champion for the oppressed.
Although he had retaken his birthright, many still called him Megatronus…especially heroes.
It irked him, knowing that they did so to reject his humanity, his freedom.
But as much as he disliked it, Megatronus was a name of power and some prestige.
Megatronus was the one who clawed his way out of the mines and Pits of Khaon. Megatronus was the Champion of the Quirkless…Izuku Midoriya was merely a forgotten birthright.
But still…he would cling on to it as much as possible, before he faced the inevitable.
"And of course…we made enemies."
"What the hell…what are you doing here, Deku!?" Bakugo Katsuki asked in a combination of rage, relief, horror and a multitude of other things.
Izuku chuckled.
"And here I thought this trip would go smoothly, if it isn't Bakugo Katsuki," Izuku laughed as he got up, his imposing armor casting a shadow on the other man.
"W-where the hell have you been!? I thought you were dead?"
"And why would you care?" Izuku asked almost mockingly, "You made your opinion of the quirkless, of myself, quite well known. I would think that you would have…delighted in my demise."
The amused grin on Izuku's face takes Mirio by surprise, though he's not blind to Bakugo's increasing temper.
"Why are you here?" he finally manages to bite out. "You're no hero."
The barb is sharp, but Izuku merely laughs.
"I am not, and neither are you. But I am here under the gracious invitation of my friend, Mirio. Of course, if you are here to continue your antagonism, I can be…persuaded to show the folly of such."
Bakugo blinked before snarling in fury.
"Is that a threat?" Bakugo asked, his hands sparking.
Megatronus, not Izuku, laughed darkly.
"In the Pits of Khaon, there are no such things as idle threats."
His sword extended, the blade actually slicing off the tip of his hair.
"Woah, woah, that's enough now, we're not here to fight. Izuku…"
"Why not? We've finished our business here today with Principal Nezu…how about a spar?" he asked, a savage grin on his face.
"I'll beat you back to those Pits, Deku!"
Megatronus laughed, openly mocking him much to his fury.
"Mirio, would you be so kind as to be our…referee?"
Mirio shuddered. He'd seen the recordings of the Pits and knew that referees were only there to ensure that competitors lived.
Most times barely.
Megatronus and Bakugo stood across from each other in the arena. Although the challenge had been declared, it was up to Principal Nezu to authorize it.
And he did.
Megatronus merely stared with disdain at his former tormentor…it seemed that the years at U.A. had done little to help him grow.
It mattered not.
"BEGIN!"
Megatronus glared as Katsuki immediately charged, leaping into the air before crashing down with an explosion that blanketed the arena with smoke.
When it cleared, Katsuki gasped in surprise as he saw him unharmed, shield in hand before a quick blow to his gut knocked the air out of him.
From there on the beating only became more savage.
Megatronus showed no mercy, striking brutal blows against Katsuki that left him reeling with each one. He couldn't even escape or fall back to recenter himself, the one time he tried, his opponent ducked underneath the explosion and grabbed his foot, harshly stopping the momentum before slamming him into the ground.
No respite, no mercy. Only the savagery of a Champion of Khaon.
Finally, the battle neared its end as Megatronus raised his blade, ready to finish his opponent.
"Izuku."
He pauses, and turns toward Mirio.
"It's done. He is beaten."
Megatronus snarls in reply but he notices the heroes beginning to surround him and scoffs.
Izuku finally cracks his neck, relieving some stress before stepping off the other man.
He looks at the other students, all of them horrified.
"Let that be a lesson to anyone who dares challenge a Gladiator of Khaon!"
He then stalks away, unheeding of the students who help the unconscious opponent behind him.
"Izuku would later tell me that day, that whoever called him Megatronus would not be punished. Because although Izuku would still live, Megatronus was still the name of a champion."
"I cannot believe Bakugo capable of such…horrors…" Mirio said in disbelief.
"Yes, and to think that the False Hero's mad quest for power continues. His corrupted marauders have continued to wage war on us, attempting to reunite Japan under his rule," Megatron said as he walked away. "But we have resolved to ensure that it never happens, and that our people are never again subjugated."
"One question, Megatron," Mirio began. "Why are we called Decepticons?"
Megatron grimaced.
"Another craven 'hero' scare tactic," he replied as he turned to face Mirio. "The name was meant to demonize us, instead, we wear it as a badge of honor. For if speaking the truth is deception, then we are gladly guilty."
Mirio solemnly nodded.
"Now please, Mirio. There will be plenty of time for catching up. You must rest." he said as he walked away.
…
"Megatron."
He slightly turns his head in response.
"I will do my part to stop Bakugo's unspeakable crimes of aggression." Mirio said as he clenched his fist. "This I vow, with all my heart."
Megatron merely grinned as he walked away, content with his…old friend.
Later as he met with Soundwave, he commented on the fact.
"It seems we have successfully achieved control of Mirio's spark, now to put his mind to work."
Soundwave walked up behind him.
"Have you sanitized the data core?"
Soundwave nodded.
"Excellent, our new friend will require unlimited access to our files. It would be counterproductive for him to stumble upon any sensitive information."
"Eventually…time passed, the cause grew and we were becoming a force to be reckoned with…of course, that's when everything went to hell."
"My people! I promise that I will challenge this corrupted world! I will bring freedom and justice to those discriminated either because of the unsuitability of their quirks or lack of one entirely!"
The crowd cheers, cameras flashing, as Izuku addresses his people.
He notices his phone buzzing on the podium, and barely manages to glimpse at it.
A text from Mirio?
He subtly passed his phone over to Ochako, while Kyoka kept watch over the crowd, it sometimes was rowdy.
Still though…something was off, Mirio knew that he had this speech today, so why-
"IZU-"
KABOOOM!
"The explosion had been caused by a bomb…Mirio tried to warn us. We would discover years later that the bomb had been created using Bakugo's sweat. And years after that, we'd discover it was done without his knowledge."
"Is that why…?"
"...Yes…when Megatron found out that your sweat was the bomb, he swore revenge on you…I suppose that…in that matter, your friends died unjustly…I'm sorry."
Bakugo turned away, a few trying to comfort him but he shook them off.
"Please…continue Gravitrona."
"Very well."
At first, he couldn't see, hear, or feel anything. Only darkness and even then he wasn't conscious of it.
"C'mon Izuku."
He barely hears it, but the words bring him back slowly to the light.
At first, all he can see is…green…and white lines with numbers, but his vision clears and focuses a bit more.
Izuku takes a breath, but although he can feel air rushing through his body it is…lacking. As if it is merely going through him instead of within him.
"Izuku…you're awake…" he turns to see Mei, looking at him with heartbreak.
"Mei…what happened? Where…am I?"
"There was an explosion at the rally…an assassination attempt…they weren't able to save your body…but I…I managed to save you."
"What?"
"I…I'm sorry, Izuku…but…without you, the cause would have fallen…"
Izuku gasped as he stared at the mirror set in front of him, he began to hyperventilate, but it only made things worse as he ripped himself out of the restraints and collapsed.
"IZUKU!'
Two pairs of metallic hands grasp him and he looks up to see…familiar figures.
He somehow, manages to calm himself and they manage to ground him.
He's still breathing heavily, but at least now he can think.
"...what happened?"
"To save you…I had to transplant your minds into what I call sparks…I then created new bodies for you all, basic protoforms that your sparks would manipulate with extra materials I gave it…you…you're no longer human…but you're still alive…I'm sorry," Mei whispered.
"Yeah…we had the same reaction, too…but considering that our…forms are a lot smaller than yours, we were able to be restrained a lot easier," he recognizes Ochako's voice, and takes in her new body, as well as that of Kyoka's.
"Yours took a lot longer to create, the sheer amount of material that your body was using left quite an interesting effect."
"I look like…my armor…given life."
"Indeed…even your voice has changed…it's…new."
Izuku looked at himself, listened to himself, honestly looked inside himself.
And he realized a simple truth.
That this would never end peacefully. As long as the higher ups were entrenched in their power, as long as the so called heroes remained willfully blind or malicious, his people would never be free.
It was time to confront the higher ups.
But first…
"Call the troops, I must address them…to assure them that I am alive and well."
"Izuku, Mirio's also been waiting for you."
Izuku blinked in surprise…and gratitude.
"Then I shall meet him on the way."
"Izuku, I'm so glad you're…okay? Are you okay?" Mirio worriedly asked as he looked over his friend.
"I…will be fine, Mirio. Thank you for your warning, it helped save us."
"Not well enough."
"Only because of my inaction, you saved my life, Mirio." Izuku assured him with a hand on his shoulder. It was kind of odd really, now he was looking down on Mirio instead of the other way around. "You saved all our lives."
"Now come," Izuku said as he led them to the Pits. Once the gladiatorial arena, now it was the gathering place for his followers.
Slowly, they began to hear it. A dull roar that rose with each chant.
"MEGATRONUS! MEGATRONUS! MEGATRONUS!"
They reached the light, and Izuku proudly raised his hands to his people as they cheered louder and louder.
"MY PEOPLE! I HAVE RETURNED! ALIVE AND WELL! NO! EVEN BETTER!" he began, the crowd roaring their relief.
"IT IS THANKS TO OUR FRIEND, MIRIO TOGATA, THAT MY FRIENDS AND I WERE WARNED, AND IT IS THANKS TO THE WORK OF HATSUME, THAT WE ARE REBORN!"
"MEGATRONUS! MEGATRONUS! MEGATRONUS!"
"THE COWARDS WHO ARE OUR ENEMIES, THOUGHT THAT THEY COULD KILL ME! BUT I HAVE ONLY GROWN STRONGER! AND I VOW TO YOU, MY PEOPLE, THAT I WILL NOT REST UNTIL JUSTICE IS ASSURED. NOT ONLY FOR MY ASSASSINATION, BUT FOR ALL THE CRIMES THAT HAVE BEEN LAID AGAINST US!"
Izuku dropped his arms as he considered everything that had happened.
He could not be Izuku Midoriya. That was the name of a boy who had been innocent and naive. A child of flesh and blood.
He had abandoned the mocking title of D-16 long ago as well.
But he could not be Megatronus exactly either, the times of the Pits were past. Yet, he could not abandon the name entirely.
"MY PEOPLE, IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE TO COME ABOUT! I SWEAR TO YOU THAT I WILL CHALLENGE OUR ENEMIES, AND ENSURE OUR FUTURE. WE NOW ENTER A NEW CHAPTER FOR OUR CAUSE, AND AS SUCH, I WILL TAKE UPON MYSELF A NEW NAME!"
He unleashed his sword, now apart of him as it always should be.
"I. AM. MEGATRON!"
"MEGATRON! MEGATRON! MEGATRON!"
"And from that day forward, Megatron would lead the cause, gaining more public traction due to his semi-martyrdom, and going to the point that he would finally meet with Japan's leaders."
"To show solidarity, I adopted the name Gravitrona…and Soundwave adopted her own name as well."
Soon after, Megatron and Lemillion would appear before the leadership of Japan, from the Diet to the HPSC. A group that so arrogantly declared itself, Japan's High Council, even though it was not an official term.
"I…do not know what happened in that chamber…but we heard the reports. Negotiations fell through, explosions racked the Diet, and Megatron returned a killer."
The sound of an engine screamed through the sky as Megatron approached Khaon, he transformed with loud clangs, before landing with a harsh crash.
"...Megatron…what happened?" Gravitrona said as she came up to him, only for her hand to be shrugged off.
Megatron snarled as he punched a wall, denting it harshly.
"...we were betrayed…"
"What?"
"Lemillion and I presented ourselves before the Council. I shared our vision…showed them the truth of what was necessary!" he roared as he clawed through another wall. "And they had the gall to call me a terrorist! A VILLAIN! Thousands of us are suffering and they'd rather keep their gilded thrones than lift a finger to help!"
"But…what happened? A council member is dead! Killed by you, according to the reports!"
"Lemillion…he…he interrupted my rebuttal, started talking about using different methods, methods that he said would 'ensure peace' but were nothing more than empty platitudes! They would have done nothing to help us! Only ensure our continued slavery!"
Megatron then fell to his knees.
"They declared him fit to be the next Symbol of Peace…while marking the cause as a terrorist organization…ordered to stand down."
"What? Th-that can't be! Didn't Lemillion say anything?"
"No…he kept silent…I…he used me…he used our cause…to propagate his own ambitions…Nighteye's ambitions…I called him a traitor…and I left."
"But why kill a council member?"
"They ambushed me!" Megatron said as he turned violently to the side. "Tried to arrest me! Accusing me of treason! Wanted me to betray the cause! I resisted of course, and in the conflict…I killed him."
The silence was deafening between them.
"What now? The cause…we'll be finished. Every last hero will be sent against us." Gravitrona whispered in fear.
Megatron snarled and narrowed his eyes.
"The time for peaceful negotiations has passed. We have no other choice." he said as he stalked forward towards the arena.
"We must go to war."
"My People. My fellow Warriors…we have been betrayed. By one who professed himself to our cause." Megatron said from the stadium, the entire audience was quiet, slight mutterings here and there.
"As you all know, negotiations have broken down…and Lemillion…has been declared the newest candidate to be Japan's Symbol of Peace."
The muttering increased to a dull roar.
"I have now been branded a terrorist and a killer, all because I defended myself from being unjustly arrested…accused of treason and deception. They themselves called me nothing more than a machine who lies…a Decepticon!"
More protests, more anger.
"But I finally realize…that there can be no peace for us! So now I call upon you to stand with me! To fight for our freedom! Our families! Our futures!"
They were being galvanized.
"If they wish to call us Decepticons, then we shall gladly bear the name! For we will restore our freedom through every means possible! But now I call upon you, my brothers and sisters! To join me in this fight! For we are now at war!"
They roared their agreement! Chanting his name, demonstrating their support to the bitter end.
It was a calm day, but tensions between Megatron sympathizers and the rest of society had been fraying even more.
The particularly malignant began coming to blows, but there were still those who were too weak to do anything, oppressed by those who were supposed to be their protectors.
"Please! Leave us alone!" a quirkless father said, as he desperately tried to protect his family from the cruelties of a so-called hero.
Said hero merely laughed as he mocked the man and his family.
"You rejects deserve this, where's your 'hero' now?" he scathingly said as he kicked the man again. "Oh right, he's nothing more than a terrorist on the run."
"Oh really?"
The hero yelped as he turned to see Megatron approaching him from an alleyway.
"Megatron! You're under arrest for treason and murder! Surrender or I'll make it hurt!" he arrogantly said.
Megatron merely chuckled in amusement, crimson glowing dangerously.
"Oh? I'd like to see you try," he replied.
He idly noticed one of the sidekicks calling for more reinforcements.
Good.
"I'm going to enjoy this! You should have just stayed de-ACK!" the hero coughed as Megatron's fist was buried into his gut.
"How pathetic." Megatron snarled before activating his sword.
"KAGH!"
With a flick of his arm, the hero was sent flying into a wall, blood spattering across the street.
The sidekicks screamed in shock and fear but were quick to attack.
They did not last long.
Megatron stalked forward to the fallen hero, who was desperately trying to crawl away.
"P-please! Spare me!"
Megatron smiled, his red eyes glowing even brighter.
"Were you going to show them mercy?" he asked as he gestured to the small family. "I thought not."
WHIIRRRRR
"WAIT!"
"PTEW!"
He did not pay attention to the family as they were led away from Gravitrona. She'd decided to focus less on fighting and more on ensuring the safety of bystanders, which was commendable.
Soundwave focused mostly on intelligence and spying, though for today, she'd stand by his side.
Just like the Pits.
And so, he would lead the charge.
He could see them approaching, more heroes, as well as other forces to counterract him.
Good. It was time to bring about change.
His way.
"DECEPTICONS!" he roared, new warriors who chose to undergo the same process he went to have a better chance rose up behind him.
"TRANSFORM AND RISE UP!"