Date: 9/13/2012
CALM BEFORE THE STORM, PART 1: BROTHERS
(Optimus Prime approaches the Iacon prison facility)
COMPUTER: Scanning. Autobot: Optimus Prime, Supreme Commander. Code C-01. Access granted.
AUTOTROOPER: This way, sir.
OPTIMUS PRIME: Megatron... we need to talk. Officer, detach his mouth clamp.
AUTOTROOPER: Yes, sir.
MEGATRON: I wondered when you would come.
OPTIMUS PRIME: Megatron, the High Council has reached a verdict. You are to be executed for all of your misdoings.
MEGATRON: So why are you here?
OPTIMUS PRIME: So I can have one last talk with the brother I never had.
(Centuries ago)
ARCHFORCE: All right, you shinies... My name is Archforce, certified drill sergeant for the Autobot Force. But from this day forth, you will call me "sir." Understood?
DION, ORION PAX, & ELITA: Sir! Yes, sir!
ARCHFORCE: Good. Now that that's out of the way... Name?
DION: Dion of the Autobot Guard, sir!
ARCHFORCE: Not until I'm through with you. Shoot that target.
(Dion expertly takes down the target)
ARCHFORCE: Good... for a rookie. Name?
ORION PAX: Orion Pax, data clerk, sir!
ARCHFORCE: A librarian, huh? I'll be surprised if you last more than ten nanokliks. Do you have any arms on you?
ORION PAX: Um, I have a solitarium battle axe...
ARCHFORCE: Right then. Now use it.
(Orion Pax uses it to take out a dummy drone)
ARCHFORCE: Not bade for a data clerk... You just might have a career ahead of you, Orion Pax.
(Present)
OPTIMUS PRIME: Those were your first words to me, Megatron. Or, should I say, Archforce?
MEGATRON: Give me a break. Archforce was just another weak Autobot.
OPTIMUS PRIME: But it was who you once were!
MEGATRON: Perhaps... But I prefer to consider my past self to be a different stage or person of my life. I evolved from Archforce. Just as you, Optimus, evolved from Orion Pax.
(Years ago, Orion and Prowl arrest Crumplezone and Gasket)
ORION PAX: Right then... you have two options: My way or the hard way. My way, you get thrown into the stockade for seven solar cycles. And as for the hard way... well, let's just say you'd be in a medbay for a while.
(Soon)
ORION PAX: So... how was that?
PROWL: Well, I think you've got the acting down-pat... But I don't think you'll threaten any real thugs with those words.
ORION PAX: At least I did my best. Well, that's Praxus cleared. Dion, how are things going in Altihex? (Static) Dion? Dion! Dion, do you read me? Nothing. Prowl, Jazz, you're with me! Let's roll!
(Altihex...)
ORION PAX: By Primus...
ELITA: O-Orion...
ORION PAX: Elita! What happened? Are you all right? Where's Dion?
ELITA: I... I don't know...
JAZZ: Um... Orion? I... I found him.
ORION PAX: No...
(At Dion's funeral)
ARCHFORCE: I'm... sorry about the loss of your friend...
ORION PAX: It's all right, sir. I... I should've been there. I could've saved him!
ARCHFORCE: Now don't take it all out on yourself, Orion. I know how it feels. I've lost many comrades before. But I get over it, knowing that their memories will live on.
ORION PAX: He was like a brother to me...
ARCHFORCE: We're all brothers and sisters, Orion. That's what being an Autobot is all about. We're all in this together...
(Present)
BUMBLEBEE: Are they still talking?
PROWL: Yeah.
BUMBLEBEE: Strange. Didn't think they ever stood each other's company.
PROWL: Something tells me there's more to them than we know, Bumblebee. Who knows what Megatron was once like...
MEGATRON: Do you remember the day I -- Archforce -- disappeared?
OPTIMUS PRIME: Yes. You were sent on a mission to Kaon and never returned. Why?
MEGATRON: Let me tell you...
MEGATRON: (narration) The moment I arrived on Kaon, I was immediately fired upon. The source turned out to be a band of thugs who easily apprehended me and took me to Kaon's capitol, Kolkular. It was there that I meat a very interesting individual who proved to be my primary inspiration...
Megazarak, a former Autobot general who had started illegal gladiatorial games in Kaon. On his face, he wore the mask of Megatronus Prime.
OPTIMUS PRIME: Megatronus? You mean the Megatronus Prime figure of legend?
MEGATRON: The same. Megazarak had taken on Megatronus' likeness because, in his eyes, the legend of Megatronus Prime represented freedom.
OPTIMUS PRIME: But Sentinel Prime was already advocating the need for freedom!
MEGATRON: At the time, yes. But Megazarak viewed freedom to mean becoming free from rules, free to follow one's destiny. It was Megazarak's idea that Cybertron should be ruled not by an individual, but an idol. Megazarak wished to rule Cybertron, to recreate it into Megatronus's image.
OPTIMUS PRIME: And you decided to join him.
MEGATRON: Correct. I joined Megazarak's gladiator combats and soon rose to become his right-hand. It was then that he decided to rename me, to give me a name that represented the future had planned: Megatron. In the following years, I eventually overthrew Megazarak and created the Decepticons from his gladiators.
OPTIMUS PRIME: So this is what the war's all about? You and your Decepticons are fighting for the same thing we are?!
MEGATRON: Heh. No, Orion. I couldn't care less about Megazarak's ideals. My goal is to recreate Cybertron from the ground up, into a world of autocracy.
OPTIMUS PRIME: You mean... an empire?
MEGATRON: Yes. Soon, Cybertron shall be ruled by one ruler - and only one! And that shall be me!
OPTIMUS PRIME: You're delusioonal.
MEGATRON: Maybe I am. Then again... maybe you're the delusional one!
OPTIMUS PRIME: Officer...
MEGATRON: (gets mouth clamped) Mmph!
PROWL: Optimus... is everything all right?
OPTIMUS PRIME: I... Everything's fine, Prowl. Just fine...
(As Megatron languishes in his cell, a pair of voices begin speaking)
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #1: Did you hear what he said?
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #2: Yes...
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #1: He's named after--
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #2: I know.
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #1: So should we--?
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #2: Not yet.
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #1: But--
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #2: We should wait until the last minute.
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #1: And how long will it be until then?
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #2: Long enough.
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #1: So what shall we do right now?
MYSTERIOUS VOICE #2: Ready the trap... and let them spring it!
TO BE CONTINUED
CHARACTERS
Autobots: Autotrooper, Bumblebee, Dion (flashbacks), Elita (flashbacks), Ironhide, Jazz (flashbacks), Nightbeat (flashbacks), Optimus Prime/Orion Pax, Prowl, Sentinel Prime (flashbacks), Wheeljack
Decepticons: Megatron/Archforce
Others: Crumplezone (flashbacks), Gasket (flashbacks), Megazarak (flashbacks)
No comments:
Post a Comment