CHAPTER SEVEN
--Paradron--
"I have given you ample opportunity to provide me with a reasonable explanation on why you and your crew are harboring a dangerous war criminal." Landshark stared out the window of his office, his back turned to Rodimus. "You have yet to give me one."
"For the last time, we aren't harboring him!" Rodimus retorted. "We're only holding him until we can find the Knights of Cybertron so they can--"
"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Landshark snapped, turning around to face Rodimus. "Do you really think I'm going to buy that fairy tale of an excuse?"
"Yes," Rodimus said, "because it's the truth. The Knights are real. We're going to find them and they will decide Megatron's fate."
Landshark stared at him, as if expecting (perhaps even hoping) Rodimus to say he was only kidding. Realizing that the younger bot was indeed believing what he was saying, the Paradron leader sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Why did you come here then? Why come to Paradron?"
Great. It was that question; the one Rodimus had been dreading. "We were hoping to find some leads," he said, somewhat weakly.
"Like what?"
"Like... I dunno, anything, really."
Landshark blinked. "Are you telling me that you don't even know where you're going?"
"Well, we have a map," Rodimus said hastily. "Sort of. It led us to Caminus, but we... ran into problems there. We've gotten back on track since then and, well, Paradron was nearby so...."
Landshark shook his head. "You aren't going to find anything here. Paradron's isn't a colony world like Caminus or Velocitron. We don't have a Titan or a Prime associated with us. We're just a simple society trying to get away from the madness. We want no part in anything grand."
Rodimus nodded. "I understand. I apologize for embroiling your people in our mess. We meant no harm."
"I am not yet convinced of that. Just let us apprehend Megatron and we will allow you to continue your quest."
Rodimus frowned. "Are you sure your people will be able to handle him? I mean no offense, but given your pacifistic nature...."
Landshark smirked. "Don't let our nature deceive you. We are more than capable of handling threats; otherwise, we'd have been conquered centuries ago."
"Right." Rodimus' optics trailed to the window, where the Lost Light could be seen in the distance. "Should have figured."
--The Lost Light--
"This is it. Room 113."
Checkpoint glanced at Dion as the two of them and the former's security detail stood before the door to Megatron's quarters. "Are you sure you have this under control?"
Dion nodded. "He and I go way back. I know all of his nuances and quirks, and have made the necessary precautions."
Checkpoint seemed unconvinced but nodded anyway. "All right. Just holler when you need us."
"I will." Deploying a bypass-card, Dion slid it through the control panel and the door opened with ease. The orange Autobot stepped into the darkened room and closed the door behind him.
Megatron sat on the edge of his recharge slab, arms folded as he leaned against the wall. He stared at Dion with cold red optics, seemingly unfazed by the appearance of his thought-dead friend.
"Hello, Optronix," Dion said, his smile warm and cordial. "Or do you prefer Megatron? I'm fine with addressing you either way."
Megatron dipped his chin. "You're alive."
"Indeed! Amazing, isn't it? I've had quite the adventurous life since Polyhex. You remember Polyhex, don't you?"
Megatron said nothing, continuing to stare at Dion.
Dion chuckled. "Of course you do. Who am I kidding? But for a time, I didn't remember a single thing from that day, or anything before. For many years, I was a completely different bot entirely. Tell me, does the name Sprint mean anything to you?"
Megatron shook his head.
"Exactly. It's such a nondescript name that at least five other bots share it. I was a nobody in the Autobot ranks for hundreds of years... until Sigma Seven."
At this, Megatron's optics flashed, prompting Dion to chuckle again.
"That's right, I'm talking about the Sigma Project. Your Decepticons had captured me a year prior on Magmus Major and decided to use me as a test subject. The first two tests were actually successful, sending me briefly to the Earth years 1955 and 1985 with little incident. But when they tried to send me to their intended target year -- 2015 -- something went wrong and I ended up eight hundred years pass the target; too far for the 'Cons to retrieve me.
"As a result of traveling too far into time, my memories were wiped once again and I was left with only two names: my original name... and yours."
Dion paused, waiting for Megatron to speak up. When the Decepticon leader did not, the Autobot went on with his tale.
"Anyway, after I awoke on Earth and ingrained myself in the humans' society, I gradually recovered my memories -- as both Dion and as Sprint -- with the help of the scant records the Galactic Alliance had on Cybertronian history. Once the humans had acquired transwarp technology, I knew exactly what needed to be done."
"You're here to kill me," Megatron said.
Dion shook his head. "No, actually. I'm here to bring you to justice. The Galactic Alliance is all about tying up loose ends; once you are tried and executed for your crimes, the rest of the galaxy will finally be able to rest easily."
"I take it I'm already dead in the future."
"Actually, no one knows for sure. All contact with Cybertron has been lost for the past several hundred years -- by my time, of course. As such, retrieving a past Megatron from the last year any of his activities were recorded was our only option."
"I see." Uncrossing his arms, Megatron leaned forward in his seat. "So how exactly do you plan on bringing me back to the future with you?"
From behind Dion, a small blue Mini-Con appeared. "Cop-Tur here is a portable transwarp device," Dion explained. "He can open portals anywhere at anytime."
"Such as here and now?"
Dion nodded. "There's no need to make this difficult. Just come with me and everyone will be happy."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then I will have no choice but to force you. No matter what it takes, you are coming with me."
As if on cue, Cop-Tur's optics glowed and a portal materialized on the floor between them. Megatron stared down at it, gazing into the swirling blue entrance.
"It will be quick, you know," Dion murmured. "The trial, that is. It will be over before you know it. You won't have to suffer any more."
"Who says I'm suffering?" Megatron asked.
Dion blinked. "I... surely the guilt of everything you've done is weighing you down."
"Guilt?" Megatron lifted his optics to meet Dion's. "You think I feel guilt?"
Dion's mouth fell open in bafflement. "...Don't you?"
"Dion, you haven't seen me in more than a thousand years. Don't pretend you can still understand me based on everything you've heard of me since then. I am no longer the mech you once knew. I am not Optronix."
"But... you are," Dion said quietly. "You can't deny who you were. Who you are."
"I am not denying it," Megatron said evenly. "I have simply accepted it."
"Dion?" Checkpoint called from outside. "Is everything all right in there?"
Ignoring the officer, Dion stepped closer to Megatron, closer to the edge of the portal. "Please. Come with me. Don't make this harder than it already is."
Megatron lowered his gaze again. "I'm sorry, Dion, but I can't go with you. I still have unfinished business here."
Dion frowned. "What kind of business?"
"It's a personal matter... and it doesn't involve you."
Dion opened his mouth to protest but only uttered a scream as he was pushed from behind and sent falling into the portal.
As the portal hissed shut, Megatron rose to his feet and acknowledged Soundblaster, who now stood where Dion once had.
"There are still those outside," Soundblaster replied.
"I know."
"Dion?" A knock sounded at the door. "Are you still in there?"
Megatron outstretched a hand. "The Mini-Con?"
Nodding, Soundblaster held out a frightened Cop-Tur and placed him in his leader's palm.
"Do you have a plan?" Soundblaster asked.
Megatron smirked. "I always do."
No comments:
Post a Comment