A couple of minutes ago…
"Lord Megatron."
"Airachnid. What is it?"
"There is something that has been… troubling me as of late."
"Oh? And what that might be?"
'The unnecessary amounts of resources you gave to Knockout to help that femme, for one. It's surprising how much energon it took to restore her levels to 100 percent.' The technorganic thought to herself as she grimaced. The two Decepticons were at the bridge tending to their respective duties. Soundwave was in his own area doing his job as well. Silently typing on his computer while listening to what Airachnid had to say.
"My liege, our energon excavations recently couldn't cover the deficit caused by your insistence to resurrect our guest from the dead. Knockout's orders to explore the energon source in the desert a few days ago didn't bear fruit due to those pesky Autobots. If this issue continues, then we will suffer from an energon shortage." the purple eyed femme explained.
"Then I suggest you communicate with Soundwave over there to find more." Megatron grizzly replied. Impatience running through his energon veins.
"I have, my Lord. But the issue at hand is that the operation does not have enough drones to help out with the grunt work. With all the Vehicons being ordered to search for the Iacon relics, the energon excavation crew do not have enough arms to make ends meet. It's inefficient and time wasting." Airachnid explained. She was in charge of said excavation crew. So, she knew firsthand how sloppy the drones under her command are. The spider mistress did not even bother considering drilling the Vehicons to top shape since, 'They have processors made of slag' as Airacnid put it.
Besides, she was supposed to be a ruthless killing machine who didn't care for anything other than herself. Why the hell would she train some drones that're gonna die anyways?
Megatron growled at the explanation. He had his back turned around his current second in command as he scanned the reports on the bridge console. He thought to himself that the ignorance of this femme will lead to his doom one day. He turned around and leaned down to glower at the now rigid Airachnid. Who didn't expect to earn the ire
"The Iacon Relics must be our top priority. Anything short of that will hinder our search. You have seen what power Optimus Prime has now. Did you? Then surely you have the capability of understanding the gravity of what it means if another Relic somehow lands into the hands of our enemy?" Megatron then returned to reading the search reports before saying.
"It would be best if you used your processor to come up with a way to make ends meet. Or is your cunning not good enough to come up with someth-"
KRA-KOOM
The Nemesis shook from the explosion. Causing the Decepticons and drones alike to lose their footing a bit. However, Megatron was the least affected by the shifting of the bridge. Airachnid, having regained her balance, wondered aloud.
"Where did that explosion come from?!" a remark Megatron couldn't help but think as well.
"Soundwave. Report." Megatron ordered. He kicked aside a random drone who had fallen to the ground as he made his way to the Communications Officer. The warlord then saw Soundwave open up a holomap of the Nemesis and highlighted the area where the explosion originated from using a red dot.
"That's the medbay." Airachnid said while resisting the urge to facepalm at the thought of whatever stupidity the red mech had done now.
"Open the surveillance footage within the room." Megatron said . Scowling in annoyance at Knockout's foolishness like the spider mistress beside him.
Soundwave obeyed and brought up the footage. The Communications Officer pulled up a live feed and brought it up on the same holomonitor he used to show the ship's map from earlier. The Decepticon warlord and his second in command watched as smoke from blue energon flames covered the footage. Airachnid in the background shouted for some of the drones in the bridge to radio in some grunts to the medbay to see what happened there. Megatron didn't stray away from the holomonitor footage. He waited as the smoke cleared out-
-To see the once unconscious femme standing beside the medtable she lied on. Staring at Knockout with suspicion. His eyes widened in surprise. He then ran towards the open door that leads to the hall and literally sped through the Vehicons blocking his path. He was only reminded of his second in command's presence beside him when she asked.
"Lord Megatron, what is our course of action?" Airachnid asked as she bellowed to the drones to move aside for the two of them whilst ordering them to follow suit behind them.
"Do not engage. Keep the drones away while I see to it that our guest is-." he replied but was stopped by another explosion.
CRASH! THUD!
"Ow… not my paint again…" Knockout groaned from underneath Breakdown. The large blue mech was rendered unconscious by the attack from the purple femme. Slashes covered with burn marks at the edges littered throughout his body as well as the red medic's.
But Megatron didn't care about the damage to his lieutenants. He was more concerned by the one who caused said damage. The medbay entrance still had some residual smoke coming out of it. Causing the mysterious femme to be shrouded by said smoke. The only visible thing Megatron could see was her piercing blue optics that had the same wisdom and strength the warlord could only attribute to a certain Prime that he once called brother. That, as well the shadowy figure that made the femme larger than she was.
The femme's attention wasn't directed to Megatron and Airachnid yet. She was still looking at her handiwork sprawled on the ground. Watching them groan and creak as the damage done to them by her fiery blue energon blades cut deep into their bodies. They will live, sure. But it will take a long while to recover. The femme heard a fake cough to her left. She turned towards the origin of the noise only to see nothing short of an army behind 2 distinct individuals. One of the two was a femme with purple optics and an amalgamation of a Cybertronian and an organic creature she could only compare with Quintus Prime's creations. The other is a grey mech who looked like a grizzled warrior. Scars all over his body, red optics, teeth akin to sharp knives, and an arm with a huge ion cannon strapped onto it were the most notable things about him, she thought. That, and the insignia on his chest that looked foreign to her.
"It appears that you have awakened." the grey mech said to her. Standing still whilst looking unbothered by the injuries she caused to his men.
"That I have." the femme replied warily. There was something in her spark that called for caution when dealing with this mech. She cannot understand why, though. So, she ignores it for now.
"Do not be afraid, my friend. We are not here to harm you." the grey mech sweetly smiled. If sweetness could be categorised as poisonous, that is.
"Then why have your soldiers attacked me the moment I asked them where I was?" the femme asked. Her optic ridge went up as she spoke. Her gaze was now at the two mechs who greeted her in a poor manner. The big blue one was carrying the smaller red one into the medbay to get themselves patched up.
"Ah. Then please forgive the foolishness Breakdown and Knockout have displayed. It is… understandable for a femme like yourself to stand up against such stupidity. I will make sure that they are adequately punished for their misbehaviour." Megatron said as he bowed in apology. He was secretly grinding his teeth as he thought of the many ways he could punish those two morons.
—-
"You just had to swing your hammer at her while I was trying to calm her down."
"Sorry, Knockout."
"Sorry won't fix my paint job, Breadown!"
—-
"But nevermind them. For I believe we have… as the natives of this land called it, 'started on the wrong foot'. Allow me to introduce myself." Megatron smiled again. The femme's face was neutral, but deep inside her spark, she couldn't help but feel unnerved by this mech and his politeness. The worst part is, she couldn't pinpoint where she's seen it before. She knows that she's missing something important. But what?
And also, natives? Does that mean she's on another planet? Is she away from cybertron?
"My Lord, wouldn't it be best if we showed our guests around the ship? That way we could find somewhere comfortable for her?" the purple optic femme suggested after she finally understood what Megatron was trying to do.
"Excellent thinking, Airachnid! I cannot believe I didn't think of that myself. Well then, if you follow me, I will take you to the bridge of my ship. Welcome to the Nemesis." Megatron then walked back towards where the purple optic femme and the army of drones were and glared at them to move aside for both he and the guest. Having no other reason to deny the offer, the femme followed. With Airachnid walking beside her.
"If that is what you think is best, then I will simply follow." the femme said as she looked towards Airachnid. Curious as to what kind of Cybertronian she is. The spider mistress noticed this and looked up to meet the femme's crystal blue gaze.
"Like what you see?" Airachnid cheekily asked. Adding a twinge of sultriness and flirtiness in her voice. A detail that the femme couldn't help but feel off put.
"Are you one of my brother's experiments?" the femme asked in curiosity. Quintus was always interested in making a living being that is both machine and organic. What was the term he used for that kind of being? Technomorph? She never found out about the final results of Quintus' work. So, she couldn't help but be intrigued by the bot beside her. Unfortunately, the spider mistress took it the completely wrong way.
"Excuse me?" Airachnid asked. Anger rising in her spark. The Technorganic bared her clawed servos in response to what the femme beside her said. Guest or not, Airachnid wasn't to let that remark slide.
"You are Quintus' kind, yes?" the femme asked again.
"I do not know who this Quintus you speak of. But I suggest you stop calling me an experiment before things get… ugly." Airachnid threatened. The large femme narrowed her eyes in anger at this disrespect. Both seemed eager to beat the other into a pulp. They could've started a catfight then and there were it not for the hissing sounds of an opening door.
"Airachnid. Would you be so kind as to give a brief tour of the bridge to our guest? As a means to familiarise herself with her surroundings." Megatron said as he opened the door to the bridge. It had a hidden meaning to it. His eyes were warning the technorganic to be careful with her actions around their guest. A message Airachnid had no choice but to obey.
"As you command, Lord Megatron." Airachnid replied with a short bow. Gritting her teeth as she glared at the femme secretly. Who was too busy paying attention to what the technorganic just said.
"Megatron?" The guest exclaimed. Her eyes became wide from surprise and recognition. She turned to where the warlord was standing and saw that he was glaring at her in a hostile manner.
"Have you heard of me?" Megatron asked warily. His cannon slowly being primed to shoot at any moment should things go south. His servos clenching, his optics narrowing, even his body became tense. A detail the guest very much noticed. She needs to be careful.
"Did you get that name from a Prime, by any chance?" She innocently asked. Causing every Decepticon in the vicinity to be confused and relieved. Confused that she doesn't know who Megatron is. Relieved as well since she doesn't know who Megatron is.
The plan the Decepticon warlord had in mind might work after all.
"Yes. I did. But I shortened my name in protest of the council's decision of making someone truly unworthy of the title of Prime over me." Megatron seethed. Clutching his servos into fists as the memories of that fateful day washed through his processor.
"Council? What are you talking about? Where are we, really?" the femme asked. Having not heard of the institution that caused more problems than good to Cybertron.
Megatron smirked on the inside. He could forge a false story filled with half truths and lies that will inevitably convince the femme into siding with the Decepticon cause. But there was a hint of bewilderment as the femme seemed genuinely confused as to what the Council of Primes - the same Council that everyone knew caused all the War in the first place - were. Oh well, no matter. It's probably easier to brainwash the femme this way. Maybe doing the same thing he did with Orion Pax might work for her? Megatron thought.
'Let's see'. Megatron thought again.
"We are on a planet called Earth. Marooned here after the wretched Autobots caused Cybertron - our planet; our home - to become like this.'' He ordered Soundwave to show on the largest hologram what Cybertron now looked like. A lifeless husk inhabitable to even the hardiest of Cybertronians. Only desolated cities and parasitical Insecticons are left on that planet.
"No…" the stupefied femme to Megatron's left had the expression he was expecting. Grief, pain, anger. However, there was something else within her emotions that the warlord found odd. It wasn't like the pain he saw from, let say as an example, Orion Pax. Pax reacted like every other Cybertronian at the mention of the loss of their home. The femme, however.
She was reacting as if she lost a sparkmate. As if some invisible bond had been cut the moment she saw the dead planet.
"Father… Who could have done this to you…" energon leaked through her optics. Her head hung low. Her balled servos shaking furiously as righteous anger flowed through her entire being. The Decepticons present at the bridge were puzzled by her words. Father? Who's her father? Do Cybertronians even have parents? Is she one of those cases where she came from 2 parent bots?
"What happened to my Father! He's nothing but a dead planet now. I can't feel his spark being connected with mine. You have to explain to me everything you know." filled with the sorrow and pain one would have at the loss of their parent, the femme shouted at Megatron while glaring at the mech. Who casually blinked at the sudden shift.
'Curses, I'm dealing with one of those kinds of bots' megatron thoughts' to himself. He'd heard of those Cybertronian colonials - Caminus for example, delirious devouts to Solus Prime of all things - who worshipped Primus like a living god during his days as a miner/gladiator. He never met any colonial bots during the Nemesis' journey to Earth. (Might be because of the fact he ordered his men to kill on sight whoever stands in their way.) But he did know for a fact that these religious lunatics are willing to do anything in the name of Primus. Maybe he can use that to his advantage.
Also, he noticed how she ordered him around like she had some sort of authority over him. The nerve of this femme. No one commands Megatron! He would've bitch smacked this femme for her disrespect, but he was amused by the flames of anger behind her optics. That fiery personality is quite impressive from Megatron's point of view. He'll allow it. This time.
"Of course. It is your right to know." Megatron acquitted. Snarling inside as he realised that his words sounded like Optimus'.
—-
Hours later…
—-
And so, Megatron weaved a wonderful web of lies, half truths, and misinterpreted facts to paint the story of how the wicked High Council and the corrupt Primes sponsored by said council led the people of Cybertron into damnation through the use of the caste system. And how Megatron and the Decepticons rose up to fight against the tyranny of the Council. She also didn't know about the history before the Council was created so, he had to explain that too. He did the same thing when it came to the Quintesson wars, the Predacons, heck, she didn't even know about most of the events during the Reign of the 13 Primes themselves! And so, he had to explain that too. Much to his chagrin. Soundwave, the femme, and Megatron were the only ones left on the bridge at this point. Airachnid had better things to do other than listening to boring history, the drones attended to their duties for the day, and Dreadwing was outside commanding the Relic search with Megatron occupied with the femme.
But the lack of history knowledge did not mean the lack of technological knowledge. Megatron must be patient if he was to get access to secret tech that can turn the tide of war in his favour.
Even though the 'history' telling was boring and tedious, the warlord found it to be a very fruitful effort. He managed to control what the femme was feeling at the moment with rightly timed stories of corruption and evil tales that happened within the caste system. Many times the femme burst into anger when she heard of the injustices caused by the system. She did not know that she was being led astray until the moment a particular part of Megatron's story caught her attention.
"It was at this point when the accursed Council Halogen rejected my proposal of a peaceful, free, and secure Cybertron. After I objected to his refusal, I was betrayed by the one I called brother. The one who caused our planet to become the wasteland it is today." Megatron explained. Feigning pain and making crocodile tears for dramatic effect. Something Solus - ever weak to the machinations of Liege Maximo then - had no qualms believing.
"Betrayed?" the femme asked.
"Yes, that is true. My brother, Orion Pax, blatantly called for his own plan to make a society just like mine. With the only significant change being that he became Prime over me!" Megatron growled. His fists balling in rage. His optics were burning with hatred over his old friend.
"The wisdom and power of the Primes cannot be passed down like a mere title. This Orion Pax of yours was stupid in thinking that just because he was elected to become a 'Prime', he would then have the gifts that come after it. Only my Father, my brothers and I can give the right to make someone a Prime." the femme explained. Unknowingly insulting Megatron since, in real history, it was the warlord himself who wanted to be elected as Prime. Not Orion.
"Right… Yes, of course." Megatron said as he grit his teeth. How could this femme know much of how a Prime is chosen when she didn't even know about the caste system?! Megatron thought.
'Her words are confusing. They do not make sense!' the warlord thought.
"Moving on, Halogen and his crooks with the help of the coward Alpha Trion-
"I'm sorry, did you say Alpha-"
" -Trion. I said Alpha Trion. Make no more pauses during my explanation. I do not take interruptions lightly."
"Then please accept my Apologies. I thought you said the name of someone I knew."
"Hmph! As I was saying, Alpha Trion devised a crooked scheme to elect the traitorous Orion Pax into a Prime. Pax was so arrogant during his ceremony that he arrogantly proclaimed that he would be called Optimus Prime from then on! The nerve of that mech." Megatron said. Slamming his servo on the bridge as he spoke.
"Optimus Prime…" the femme whispered to herself. She turned around from the holomonitor showing pictographs of Megatron's twisted version of Cybertron's history. She hid her surprise well. Since no one noticed her reaction to the news that Orion Pax was Optimus Prime.
"Soundwave, open the recording." Megatron ordered. Which caused the blue eyed femme to turn back towards the large holomonitor and watch the recording of Optimus Prime delivering a warning call to all who would listen.
"Aeons of ceaseless war have caused our planet's core to shut down. Withholding its important power to produce energon - the lifeblood of all Cybertronians. Whoever hears this message, heed my call: leave Cybertron immediately. This world of ours can no longer sustain us. If you do not or can not leave the planet, there are few who are willing to remain to protect what is left of our home. Head to these locations I will send now. These places will be the only safe havens that will remain on Cybertron
I am Optimus Prime- *sudden cut*."
"What? Where's the rest of it?" the femme asked as she whipped her head towards Megatron. The red mech might have been different from the silver bot she once called her brother and… anyways. Even though the colour scheme and frame structure is completely different. She knew who he truly was. It was the spark behind the optics and the compassion within his voice that gave it away. And that was when the weave of lies started to come apart.
"That is all we have. But the point of the matter is: this message is nothing but a maniacal ploy used by Optimus to destroy the Neutral citizens of Cybertron. Not one of these havens exist anymore. And it's all thanks to that wretched scum." Megatron smoothly lied. He himself saw to the destruction of the safe haven of Malak - a small city near the Sea of Rust - whilst letting his lieutenants oversee the downfall of the rest. It was fortunate that Soundwave managed to cut off the part about the Decepticon blockade stopping the Neutrals from leaving the planet. Otherwise, the ruse would have fallen off quickly.
However, it was at this point did the femme stop believing his deception. Megatron made a mistake. By pinning all the evil deeds he and the Decepticons made to Optimus, he had inadvertently made an enemy out of the femme. Because she knew that Optimus would never do this. He was better than that. She knew him far more than anyone else to know that he would never lead Cybertron - his home and father - into damnation.
"You lie! Optimus would never do such cruel things! He would've helped them survive, not destroy them." the femme refuted. And that caused alarm bells to ring within Megatron and Soundwaves' processors. She knew almost nothing about Cybertron and all of a sudden she denied the part about Optimus. So clearly, something is wrong.
"I thought I knew him as well. He was a bright and peaceful bot. He wanted nothing more but peace and freedom for our people. But the council made him a monster. He could not control his inner desire to control and dominate all of Cybertron. I once called him my brother. So, the pain in seeing him do such heinous acts broke something in my spark." Megatron tried to salvage the situation by changing the story up a bit to make Optimus as an unfortunate victim twisted by the Council into a monster. Unfortunately however, the ruse had completely been thwarted. And it was all due to Megatron not understanding the relationship this femme had with the last Prime.
"I once called him my brother too so I know who he is on the inside. I know how loving, gentle, kind, and humble Optimus can be! Especially to the people he cares the most. He would rather sacrifice himself than let someone else die in his stead." the femme countered. Staunchly standing up for her fellow Prime.
"Out of all of the history you don't even know, you argue with me when it comes to the Prime. How do you know this insignificant clerk to not only dare defy me right in my face, but also defend him?!" Megatron growled as he lowered his gaze straight into her crystal optics. Rage and indignation rising up within his spark. And also a pang of something he didn't understand at that moment.
Both mech and femme stayed quiet. One of them is waiting for an answer while the other was thinking of the simplest way she could explain why she would risk her life the very same day she got it for some random, undeserving, pathetic clerk that managed to become a Prime through a ruse (it least, in Megatron's view, that is.)
"I am Solus Prime, Lord Megatron." Solus sneered. Her optics alight with newfound fury. "I am his brother, friend, confidant, and so much more that you cannot even begin to understand. But what I think you understand now is that you have made an enemy out of me by deceiving me into hating one of my own."
She unsheathes her blue energon blades from her wrist. And all hell ensued after.
—-
"Optimus, we've received a spike of Decepticon activity over a forest in Asia."
"Is it an energon excavation, old friend?"
"No, it's not. Using Raphael's algorithm, the locals noticed a strange object floating above them at around 20,000 feet. Not a single charter plane is currently flying above the area. The reports of strange fire fighting after the sighting only proves that it isn't anything but."
"Then we must head there immediately to investigate."
Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were just at the far side of the main room conversing with their human charges when they heard this. Each of them as well as the humans resting on the couch were expressing their own thoughts of the situation.
"I can't believe we've been waiting here for hours just for a simple 'Con activity." Bulkhead murmured.
"Yeah, man! I can't believe we have to suffer through sheer boredom of all things today. Why couldn't we go find some energon mines and crush anyone in our way while waiting?" Miko whined as she sprawled all over the sofa. Much to the chagrin of both Jack and Raf.
"Miko, your foot is on my laptop." Raf complained. To which the exchange student simply moved her leg out of the way.
"In any case, we would. But when Optimus says something's wrong, we have no choice but wait. It's like Unicron again. There are simply things only Prime knows that can't be explained even to us Autobot's." Arcee blankly explained.
"Sounds like you've been through a lot of these kinds of things even before Unicron, apparently." Jack observed as he struggled under Miko's attempts to make a pillow out of his lap.
"And what made you think that?" Bumblebee deadpanned. After Raf explained to the other two humans, the green wrecker shared his piece.
"I've heard stories about the time when Optimus first got the Matrix of leadership. Ironhide and Jazz - two of Optimus' oldest and closest lieutenants back in Cybertron - told me how he had trouble sleeping all the time. As if he had a bad case of nightmares. He frequently slept in a spare berthroom given to him by old bot Alpha Trion within the Hall of Records, they told me. The two of them would always find him reading old datapads on the Original 13 whenever he couldn't rest. Warpath - another lieutenant from back in the old days - thought that it was the Relics giving him the problem, so he suggested to Optimus to keep it in the lower storages and away from him."
"So, what you're saying is, the Forge of Solus Prime - one of the more powerful and important relics - is causing him to be paranoid?" Raf curiously asked.
"Or, we're just drawing conclusions based on something that happened probably hundreds of thousands of years ago. We should just be patient while Optimus figures out what's bothering him." Arcee stated. Quickly ending the discussion there as she noticed the last Prime approaching them with renewed purpose.
"Ratchet has discovered Decepticon activity near the forests of a place called Catanduanes. There are no energon signatures near the area. Which brings to question the motives of their presence there." Optimus said.
"Could it be another Relic hunt?" Jack asked. To which most agreed.
"I cannot assume that it is. The coordinates I have decrypted aren't examined enough yet to claim that there is one present there." Optimus replied.
"Then we're in it for recon?" the yellow painted scout asked.
"That is correct, Bumblebee. We are not to engage as much as possible. If we can help it, we will only be there to investigate. Ratchet will open a ground bridge in a few minutes. I need you three to be prepared." Optimus ordered the other Autobots in the room.
"Yes Sir!" the trio said in salute.
"I will meet you here once more shortly." and then Optimus left for the hall of relics.
"You think Optimus is going to use the hammer again? I can't wait to get a video on some Con whacking!" Miko exclaimed as she jumped off the couch and swung around an imaginary mallet as she envisioned what Prime would look like during a fight.
"I'll try and save a video for you to see Miko. Trust me, you're gonna love it." Bulkhead said as he chuckled at the energetic and boisterous response he got.
"What do you think, Bee?" Raf asked as the yellow bot leaned in towards where the couch is.
"Well, recon is my thing. So, I guess it's gonna be a cakewalk, or whatever you humans call it." Bumblebee replied.
Jack meanwhile, noticed his partner, Arcee doing that thousand mile stare whenever she's inside her own mind.
"Arcee, you good?" Jack asked. Which caused the femme to blink rapidly and return her attention towards the human.
"Yeah, I'm alright. I'm just having a strange feeling that this mission won't be that simple."
"Well, nothing ever is." Jack said. Trying to calm his friend's nerves.
"I know, but. Something in my spark is telling me that it's different this time." Arcee shared. Worry etched on her face.
"Looks like you got a woman's intuition right now." Jack joked.
"Heh. I heard that from June. She talked about how she always gets it whenever you do something embarrassing that had to be videoed. Like that time you were 7 and fell on-"
"Okay! Well, would you look at that, Optimus is finally here. Oh what? Is that the Forge? Welp, looks like you gotta go now." Jack nervously said as he distracted the femme from her train of thought. Miko was definitely not going to let him live it down if she heard it. That's why he distracted the exchange student by stating that the Prime had the hammer with him.
"Oh, okay. See you soon, partner." Arcee absentmindedly said as she and the other bots neared the now opening groundbridge.
"Autobots, roll out!" Optimus exclaimed. He transformed first into his alt mode and drove through the portal first. With Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee following respectively.