Megatron ascends to the flight deck of his ship, surveying the progress on the planet’s surface. Spots of gleaming silver amidst the scarred and scorched ruins were barely a dent in the overall reconstruction, but at least it was a dent. He stands up there in silence for a good while, until someone brave enough comms him to summon their leader to the bridge for a discussion on repairs on something or other. He sighs before returning inside.
It’s too quiet up here anyway.
…
Of course. OF COURSE THEY’RE-
I’m done for the night, since obviously you two are not.
To whoever thinks it’s a good idea to continue working while their engine stalls and their vents rattle- see a medic. Not only is it a sign of damage to your system, but it’s becoming distracting.
Megatron paced in his quarters, going over his strategy for the 186th time. So simple the formula for battle to his mind that it was nearly a subroutine that his systems naturally fell into. Easier than cycling air- unless Optimus was involved. Hence the planning. It was necessary, yet almost never worked. It was… different, fighting him.
The warlord stopped in his motions and his optics flashed.
…
“What…” This wasn’t the base. According to his mapping systems, this wasn’t even Earth. “…Cybertron?”
I feel the urge to punch Starscream through a wall. This isn’t an unusual impulse, save for the fact that I haven’t even seen him for several hours.
Hm.
Megatron had always had a silver tongue, both literally and figuratively. Weaving words to convey his thoughts in an inspirational and persuasive manner seemed to be a gift he’d been sparked with, although his eloquence had been hard earned. It was such that even his impromptu speeches carried a tacit weight, and many a mech had come away from them with a flare within that they hadn’t felt before. It was that spark that he hoped to ignite once again, but for whatever reason, this new piece was not as effortless as so many others had been.
It may have to do with the fact that he’s attempting to work in the news of his and Soundwave’s oath to each other.
It was an inspiring thing, to be sure- for their leader finding new strength and promoting the unification and solidarity of their forces. But, finding the correct words is a delicate dance. One of the most prevalent difficulties is that he must ensure that neither he nor Soundwave is lessened in any way in the optics of the soldiers by this union. It certainly has nothing to do with the fact that his romantic status is no one’s business but his own and his partner’s.
Megatron had intended on speaking with Starscream or Steve immediately after his grand entrance, but his mangled spark had other plans. He’d been forced to displace himself into a nondescript room, claws gouging into the wall as he tried to remain standing and focus on making the damned thing stabilize.
Soundwave’s inquiry is acknowledged only with a confirming ‘ping’ as to his location, not wanting to waste further energy on words. Still, he would not admit that the medic had been right. He should have waited to return, allowed himself more time to heal.
But he was here now, back among his soldiers and that was all that mattered, barring the fact that his internals felt like they were tearing themselves apart.
Gazing up at his soldiers filling the halls and balconies as they cheer transports Megatron back to Kaon. He’s covered in rust and energon, raising his sword and shield to the sky… No. He isn’t. He’s standing here, before his troops, barely washed clean of his own tainted fuel and running on borrowed energy. Now was not the time to address them merely as the gladiator, but the determination, the driving force that had once been behind him.
Blue optics beheld the new world that he knew he still had the chance to create.
“Decepticons. Look at what you have accomplished. Even with your leader thought slain, you have not lost sight of our goal. Never have I been more proud to call myself one of you!” It was true. It made his spark swell with pride, stretching the deep wound and forcing him to bite back a wince and force himself to remain standing. His vision is full of static now, but he presses on.
“But we cannot falter now. Our planet is alight once more, but it will fall back into the control of those who would oppress us if we stand idly by. Are we about to let that happen now that we have stood on the very precipice of victory?!” The resounding ‘No’ is deafening. Megatron grins wickedly through the pain.
“Then let them never forget the extent of what we can endure!” Tonight would be a night of celebration for most of the soldiers, but Megatron would not allow himself this luxury even if he could ignore the rending agony in his chest. He turns to the vehicon that lead him here. “Who made this possible? I wish to speak with those who facilitated the survival of my troops.”
The instant he steps through the bridge, the atmosphere is obvious. Before the war, when growing one’s entire life with that hum beneath one’s pedes, it was all but unnoticeable. But when the core had been corrupted and burnt out ages ago, the emptiness was distracting. Unsettling to most mecha who had known it before. Cold.
The devastation had never bothered Megatron, or so it seemed. Beyond blaming the Autobots (and privately, even Primus himself) for letting the planet darken, the gladiator appeared unaffected, striding across the destruction as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It was perhaps even a small victory for him, seeing how the loss of the planet they had fought over tormented his former ally.
But now, he thought not of the Autobot leader. He looked out over the mess of rusted shrapnel and wasted ruins with life at his feet once again and saw for the first time the scale of the destruction. Getting it close to its former state with so few was incredibly daunting, and the task loomed over the warlord; the very landscape a constant reminder of what had been done and all that was left to do.
His optics narrowed into a determined glare as he continued to walk, remembering first the mission at hand. An impossible challenge had never stopped Megatron before.
Megatron takes stock.
Time to find out just what Cybertron will yield.
Megatron's back up 