Fandom: Transformers - All Media Types, The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Megatron & Velocity (Transformers), Nautica & Velocity (Transformers)
Characters: Velocity (Transformers), Megatron (Transformers), Nautica (Transformers)
Additional Tags: also Skids (Haunting the Narrative), Post-Transformers: Lost Light 25, Introspection, Angst
Summary:
Velocity has a realization about her best friend. She kind of wishes she didn’t.
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forgot to crosspost this a while ago, but here's a piece sprung from my fascination with the fallout of skids' death and attempted revival on nautica and velocity alike. also, megatron is there.
Transformers IDW1 Fanfiction The Death of Megatron Chapter 1
Chapter word count: 6k Chapters: 1/12
Summary:
Megatron is set to be executed by the Galactic Council, but Rodimus won’t stand for this. Luckily Optimus Prime is just enough of a bastard to secretly intervene and save Megatron, giving them a new identity and body for a life on Cybertron as a medic.
They now have to exist within the context of the new Cybertronian society that is being created in the aftermath of the war. They can no longer avoid the constant reminder of their sins and be on the other side of the galaxy from those for whom what they have done is far more personal- like Starscream. They also cannot avoid answering the open question of the nature and future of their relationship with Minimus Ambus.
(Basically having Megatron interact with characters and concepts from the RID etc side of IDW phase 2/3, as well as more of a bottom-up view of new Cybertron than we really see in canon. Plus more follow-up with the Starscream dysphoria plot point than we really got in canon.)
Relationships: Megatron/Minimus Ambus (Transformers), past Megatron/functionist universe!Orion Pax
Characters: Megatron (Transformers), Nautica (Transformers), Clicker (Transformers), Optimus Prime, Rodimus | Rodimus Prime, Other Character Tags to Be Added, As those chapters are written obviously Minimus and Starscream are going to be major characters
Additional tags: Angst, no unicron au (see notes), Post-Canon, Worldbuilding focus, non-binary!Megatron, Transgender themes, both literal and allegorical, passive suicidal ideation of pov character throughout, transformers doesn’t have consistent terminology the way star wars does and that almost killed me, Rung is haunting the narrative, extremely nuanced exploration of abuse, to the point its kind of a content warning, this will be attempting to reconcile on a thematic level how megatron is depicted in mtmte/ll with how he's used in taao
What is justice?, Why are you allowed to punish?, What if the worst person in the world really did change?
“...unsealing the stasis pod now.”
Megatron’s optics came online, but struggled to focus. Where...where was he? Last he remembered, he was in his cell, contemplating his execution, when it would finally all end...
He managed to make out the face of Orion Pax, looming over him. Was this the Afterspark? Even after all he had seen, his atheism remained unchanged. If anything, learning that the Guiding Hand were in the end just bots had solidified it for him. But now, had the Galactic Council denied him the chance of last words- knocked him unconscious before executing him? And he’d found himself in the Afterspark, and not just any Afterspark, but one that existed between universes.
“Or- Orion Pax...” he managed to force out. Why did his vocal synthesizer feel so strange?
“Could he have lost his memories?” Orion turned to speak to someone just out of his sight. Megatron forced himself to turn his head. As it thudded to the side, he saw the teal form of Velocity paging through a datapad. He also realized he was laying on a medical-grade circuit slab. Familiar enough medical equipment surrounded him, but this seemed more like some kind of research laboratory rather than a med-bay.
“I don’t think so,” Velocity replied, “but it isn’t an impossibility.”
Megatron looked back at Orion, although he found he could only move his eyes, and not his head after it had fallen to the side. That wasn’t Orion. That wasn’t his Orion. As his neural functions came back online he could notice the differences. That wasn’t the face of his conjunx, which he had last seen as he cradled Orion in his arms over a century ago. After Megatron had failed to save him.
No, this was someone completely different.
“Prime,” he growled, “what have you done?”
“I saved your life,” Optimus replied.
“Oh, like how you saved Earth?” Megatron shot back. A quiet background process immediately flagged how he was falling back into old thought patterns after mere moments around Optimus, indulging in anger and conflict- a behavior he had learned to keep a constant optic on. “Here’s Prime, always has to save the day, no matter the consequences or what anyone actually wants.”
“I thought you’d be grateful.”
“Oh? And that’s why you did it? So Megatron would be in debt to the great Optimus Prime for saving his life? Or maybe it's because if I don’t deserve execution, then you don’t have to feel guilty about anything you sanctioned during the war.”
“Don’t be too hard on him, Megs,” a familiar voice interjected. Velocity was leading into the room Rodimus; followed by Nautica, Anode, Roller, and Clicker. “I was the one who asked him,” Rodimus continued.
I'm curious of if Megatron only ended up pitching the idea of phase six and the experiments to the chosen members of the Warriors Elite after Rossum figured out how to make it work for sure, or if whoever theoretically got it first got the unrefined base version of it compared to say Overlord the last
Note: May have she/her lingering, but hopefully I fixed all that before getting this done and finishing. Another one that I’ve been picking at for over a few years.
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“Who is taking the fall for this time?” You spoke, looking through the cell bars toward the arena’s entrance. The high walls and transparent dome ensures that escape is futile. Masses of alien species fill any and all spaces up on the looming grand stands. All raging for the next big fight. Megatron stood beside you, sighing at the familiar sight having hopped to have left it in the past. Unknown to him, you as well had hoped that your past stayed as such.
“Rodimus.” Megatron finally responded, lightly huffing in annoyance. It was times like this that proved that the weaker energon he was given could ensured their deaths. Luckily he had more than enough experience to survive the longest here. Hopefully, long enough for the rest of the Lost Light to to figure out a rescue. Servo tightening subconsciously. He worried on coliseum’s rules. Fight till they all fall? Mostly likely, based on the fear that the seeker next to him tried to hide. Your field dimly pulsed with mixed emotions and familiarity. Focusing on that, had you been here before?
“So uh, how we all doing…? I don’t know about you guys, but I’m feeling ecstatic, you feeling it too?” Swerve trembled with a smile. They needn’t look at him to know he was terrified. They way both larger bots seemed to stare out to the crowds beyond the energon gates told him everything. Though he couldn’t help it, talking made him feel better. Maybe it helped them too? “I mean, can you hear the people out there? They already love us.”
You finally tore your optics away to look at Megatron, attempting to gauge his current feelings on the matter, It wasn’t looking good either. Knowing of him and his past fights, comparing to her own early life, only one of them would be getting out of this alive. And that was her trying to be optimistic. Truth is, they both knew he too would most likely will perish if he doesn’t give a good enough show. The fool’s energon he’s been forced to drink doesn’t help their chances.
Swerve swallowed dryly. No one was talking, it made the situation all the more difficult to calm down in. The crowds chanting for bloodshed, of spilt energon. His energon. Looking away, he stumbled over his peds away from the light of the entrance to the safety of the others also forced to eventually fight. Ratchet was here, Rung too. Cyclonus and unfortunately Tailgate too. Surprisingly Ultra Magnus was dragged here too by whatever light had nabbed them. More unfortunate for Magnus, he appeared without the Magnus Armor.
“No need to worry Swerve, I’m sure Megatron will find us way out.” Rung attempted to calm Swerve’s nerve, to quell the fear coursing through him.
“Hard to when Megs and Co. aren’t saying a word. They know something. They know we’re going to die here. Chopped up into tiny metal pieces and fed to what ever pets this place has!” The mini-bot was starting to lose his nervous grin, fear only rose to terror just thinking about what would happen to them. To him. He’s just a mini-bot. Tailgate couldn’t fight either. In fact, more than half of the stolen group was flightless. Well, sure they all could fight, but not to the degree that Megatron, Cyclonus or even their seeker can. Those 3 have much better odds at surviving than the rest of them. Of course Ultra Magnus could also survive, but not long without his armor.
“Does anyone even know how we got into this mess?” Ratchet grumbled, optics narrowing in annoyance. Arms crossed while he stood next to Minimus Ambus.
“My energon rations are on Brainstorm.” Minimus answered, also unhappy with the current situation. Despite his voice, it was obvious to everyone that he was uncomfortable being off-ship without his armor. The place was filthy.
“We’re gonna make it… right?” Tailgate peaked slightly from his where his helm was buried, looking up at Cyclonus. Said bot looked back down at him. Unable to tell Tailgate the truth. The older mech’s attention was drawn from his spark by the co-captain and fellow seeker’s approach.
“I’ve seen this sort of arena before.” You spoke, the both of them stopping short of the group. Wings flicking at an unwelcoming memory. Stay down. You tell yourself, to keep the painful start to your life buried deep. Megatron’s suspicions were made true at the seeker’s claim. Optics drifting slightly towards their wings. Their unknowing movement of them hinting that you knew more than you let on.
“That’s it! We’re gonna offline painfully and people will be happy about it. I can’t die yet!” Swerve freaked, spinning to face you and co-captain. “Please tell me you have a plan? I’m too young to die!” The bartender fell to his knee joints and wept. Covering his face with his servos.
“There’s an electrical dome above the arena that’s coursing with an energy similar to a EMP. Flying our way out will only short out our circuits. Leaving us vulnerable to attack.” You knew exactly what that dome was, having an unfortunate familiarity with it. Folding your arms and resting a curled digit on you chin, optics slightly closed in thought. Wings lowing slightly, then returning to its original position. There was a possible way of leaving, but a high likelihood that only one will make it. Both you and Megatron could tell with certainty. There was also another possibility of escaping, but that would rely heavily on if Megatron was able to be your battle partner and the stability of the arena’s walls.
“So no flying out” Tailgate warily asks, peeking part of his visor from Cyclonus’ neck to look at you.
“Only two of us can fly.” Ratchet joined the conversation. Mumbling some choices words.
“And I don’t appreciate being picked up for any reason.” Minimus added, crossing his arms.
The holding area grew quiet for a moment. Save for the light sobbing noise emanating from Swerve and the roaring of the crowds that demanded blood. Their collective demand for another show, though muted somewhat, made thinking of a plan more difficult than it should’ve been. The seeker still stood next to Megatron, his crimson optics softening. If you’ve seen the dome before, then perhaps you was here during the war? And if so, at what point?
“I do not wish to pry, but have you been in a place like this before?” Rung’s soft voice gently cuts through the group’s silence. Addressing the bot that was in deep thought. Taking off his glasses to give them a quick clean and returned them to their place. Gazing back up to her to give his full attention. The others gave their psychiatrist a strange look before turning their attention to the same bot, now wondering the same question. Rung spoke their name again, coaxing you from your deep thought.
It took you a moment to go over the request. Looking up, the seeker then looked to Rung. Recalling the question, quiet for a moment more then sighed. Those memories were painful enough as is, and if you were to, it would only drop current morale.
“Not here specifically, but I had been in a place like this. I am rather… intimate with the electrical dome.” Your servo slid up your face then back down to fully cross your arms. Grimacing when saying ‘intimate.’ “It’s a story I’d rather keep to myself.” Speaking as you look back to the cell’s exit. “There’s more important things to focus on now, than that of the past.”
Megatron followed your gaze back towards the mad crowd. You are right. Needing to plan something before anyone is picked, separated and torn to scrap. Before it’s too late for the others to aid them.
