Prohibition era! Megatron has risen up to be one of the most feared/respected crime bosses of (robot equivalent of Chicago) via his chain of extremely successful businesses- all of which house a speakeasy. His demeanor is as cutthroat as his practices, earning Megatron a reputation so ruthless that local law enforcement doesn’t dare touch him. It doesn’t help that he was a heavyweight boxer in his youth.
In this AU, PURELY BECAUSE AESTHETIC, clothes make the mech. Tailored suits custom to frametype, hats, ties, the works. Because of kibble, the fancy stuff even takes a few people to get on! Megatron’s made a pretty penny on his moonshine, so he’s got a classy 3-piece that takes a half hour. Nothing screams power like pinstripes.
Bee’s a newsy, a paper boy who provides the big boss with info about the goings on of the cops and other local big shots. With Bee’s observations, he can stay three steps ahead of the game. The little guy gets a cut, and even some sharp clothes out of it!
In the early days of the war, Gigantion sought peace with their ruthless invaders, the Decepticons. Blackguard was strong and clever, and what better way to secure a truce than with a bonding ceremony?
Megatron had originally been intending to take over the planet regardless. It would hardly be difficult with his firepower, and he could use all the resources he could get. However… his new wife was having none of it. She was scared of him, as any sensible mech would be, but she didn’t let fear stop her from berating him about going back on his word, even to the point of blocking his way and offering to fight him if he continued.
He would have arrived early, matching the Warlord’s time, except his train was a bit late.
Such hadn’t sat well for him. Concern already soaked him through, coming out in the way he fiddled with his stylus and the way he chewed at his derma, watching the skyline pass and the gardens approach.
He’s the first one off the tram when it begins to slow, brushing past any mechanical that was in his way.
He skids to a stop outside of the gardens, chronometer registering a few moments until his appointment, and thus he leans against the nearest hard surface to bring himself together. He’s had three days (and then some, cycles taken to get here and cycles spent doing nothing) to prepare, to ease himself and keep himself from looking like an absolute fool, and yet it doesn’t seem to matter.
He glances into the garden, half-hidden behind a delicate formation, and balks at the sight of powerful silver and violet.
His spark contracts painfully.
His chronometer pings. He has no more time left.
It’s a confident Pax, the Archivist who keeps the Iacon Archives in one piece and helps all he comes across, that walks out into the designated meeting space. His Datapads are settled under the crook of one arm, the other hand filled with two reasonable bottles of a roughly-cut highgrade, and he has plenty of styluses in his subspace.
He looks ready, but a careful brush against his EM field reveals nearly the obvious.
“I’ll admit,” he says, with the cheery sort of confidence that any service-oriented mechanical is capable of throwing onto their voice. “You are… far larger in person. It is one thing to know your structure, I suppose, and another to see said structure standing before me.”
He barely graces the very bottom of Megatron’s abdomen.
Megatron’s field, by contrast, is tight to his frame, barely detectable to those not touching him. Millenia of paranoia practice. The time ticks to the hour, and there he is, like clockwork. Some things transcend the multiverse, so it would seem. Orion’s punctuality and… his size. In fact, this one seemed to be even a little smaller than his own had ever been. The warlord chuckled, grinning down at the young archivist, at the supplies in his servos.
“You are different than the others. Much younger… and yet you seem to know so much, already, don’t you? Before you begin to ask me your questions, I have one of my own.” The old warrior turned, motioning for Orion to follow him. He took a few long strides over towards a bench, standing before it with his arms crossed behind his back, waiting for the archivist to take his place. Only after the young mech sat down did he speak again, voice even and serious.
“How did you come to know about the war? Before I can begin to answer you, I must understand your… personal context.” The warlord will remain standing until he receives an answer, towering over Orion even from a few steps away.
“Partner? Ah…” A little shadow of a smirk returns as he shakes his helm. “You are more sensible and sophisticated than you credit yourself for, Bumblebee. I should know.”
I know my limits, too! And I could say the same about you! You’re a mech of good taste and refinement. And you like Iron Maiden, you’re automatically a more awesome class of bot.
Yeah, Tacitus, an Insecticon. They’re surprisingly subtle courters. Courters? Subtle about courting. There’s a cultural barrier that he’s climbing over.
“Heh. The Number of the Beast is a favorite of mine.”
“I see. …That is good to know.” The vent he releases almost sounds like it could be a disappointed sigh. But of course, Megatron doesn’t make those kinds of noises, so it surely can’t be that.
(But Bee can hear those kinds of sounds. His spark leaps. Time for damage control.)
If I remember right, though, there’s a new wing of his bar opening up! At least, they’re renovating part of it. I don’t go into that part as much. You and me should visit sometime! Nice neutral ground for unwinding, and we could see Rung while we’re there! (He giggles.) See if he likes Iron Maiden.
(another whisper) He seems like more of a Zepp guy to me, though. I don’t really know where he falls on the scale. But the fun part’s finding out, right?
“Really, now…?” A small glint returned to his optics, the strange melancholy passed.
“I would gladly join you, if I’m welcome. It would be nice to share such company. To discuss music, of course.”
Megatron arrives early to the garden, carrying a personal copy of his original manifest. He flits through the pages in the datapad, adding notes here and there. Things that worked, things that didn’t. Hindsight’s view.
His optics remain filtered red, for now. It is, after all, the only thing he has left to hide behind.
“Partner? Ah…” A little shadow of a smirk returns as he shakes his helm. “You are more sensible and sophisticated than you credit yourself for, Bumblebee. I should know.”
I know my limits, too! And I could say the same about you! You’re a mech of good taste and refinement. And you like Iron Maiden, you’re automatically a more awesome class of bot.
Yeah, Tacitus, an Insecticon. They’re surprisingly subtle courters. Courters? Subtle about courting. There’s a cultural barrier that he’s climbing over.
“Heh. The Number of the Beast is a favorite of mine.”
“I see. …That is good to know.” The vent he releases almost sounds like it could be a disappointed sigh. But of course, Megatron doesn’t make those kinds of noises, so it surely can’t be that.
Megatron leans down slightly to tap the end of his claw against the crystal.
*TNNNnnnnnnng….*
“Delightful… What sort of crystal is it?”
Uuuuh- (gets out his borrowed notes) type of quartz! Ones that grow this color are pretty much nonexistent on Earth. I got this on Rung’s Cybertron! You know- (He gestures towards his spark area, touchy-touchy-wiggly-fingers.) that one!
Ah, the photographs. Yes. …I trust he is doing well?
He’s doing good! A little melancholy, though. (Bee whispers.) The mech’s kind of a giant romantic, but he doesn’t get a lot of romantic stuff in his life. He’s trying to play it cool but I can see it.
(Back to normal voice.) I’ve been trying to plan stuff with his not-quite-partner-yet to cheer him up a little, but sometimes I worry I’m not sophisticated enough for a mech like him.
“Partner? Ah…” A little shadow of a smirk returns as he shakes his helm. “You are more sensible and sophisticated than you credit yourself for, Bumblebee. I should know.”
Megatron leans down slightly to tap the end of his claw against the crystal.
*TNNNnnnnnnng….*
“Delightful… What sort of crystal is it?”
Uuuuh- (gets out his borrowed notes) type of quartz! Ones that grow this color are pretty much nonexistent on Earth. I got this on Rung’s Cybertron! You know- (He gestures towards his spark area, touchy-touchy-wiggly-fingers.) that one!
Ah, the photographs. Yes. …I trust he is doing well?