Now that I am free not really I still have paperwork that I brought home lmao time to yap about SG again. This time I will be talking about Bayverse because I do think SG Bayverse is a fascinating concept to explore and I am subjecting everyone to my yapping.
So like the whole gist, from what I've been told by friends who have read the comics and are big Bayverse fans, is that Megatron's descent came from being partially influenced by The Fallen and lowkey getting kinda tired of Sentinel's favoritism to OP and OP not doing his job as Prime.
Another fascinating thing I've been told is that Cybertron genuinely needs to overtake star systems (?) to keep themselves alive, though they usually take over ones that don't have sentient life. And that the Primes here are like... You have to be born a Prime (Bay OP is a nepo baby oh my god...)
So like I'm just imagining the SG scenario of Megatron being OP's Lord High Commander, and SG OP takes his job as Prime seriously unlike his baseline version... Except he goes out to conquer star systems regardless of whether they have life or not. Megatron is lowkey fine with this... For a while.
Then Megs gets influenced by SG The Fallen who I guess in this scenario regrets what they as Primes have been doing and manages to convince Megatron that their way of doing things is wrong. Megs and OP have their argument which escalates into the war.
And now I'm just thinking of the fact that Megatron chased after the Allspark before crashlanding on Earth and being frozen for years (I imagine it's not a long time for Cybertronians but ya know) and SG OP is just so horrified because Megatron just disappeared and he wants him back.
And like the concept of the SG Autobots mostly heading to Earth to go retrieve Megatron rather than the Allspark (cause this OP does not give a fuck about it... I mean baseline was already willing to destroy it lmao) and OP just pretending to Sam that they're the good guys.
So the movie plays out as usual with some minor hints that something is a little off here... And then that thing in the ending where Sam kills Megatron by shoving the Allspark in his chassis, then just the plot twist of SG OP actually losing it because he lied about the whole shoving the Allspark would kill him thing cause he already had a compartment made beforehand so if Sam did that it wouldn't actually kill him. It was just to ensure he gets the Allspark which would force Megatron to concede (not really because even SG Megs is stubborn but SG OP is delulu okay).
And so Megs dies and it's revealed that the SG Autobots are not the good guys. And just the angst for OP because Megatron disappeared for so long after they had a disagreement (one where he doesn't understand where it's coming from), then when he finds him, Megatron still wants to fight him and now Megatron is DEAD.
He'll be mourning like crazy, and the Earth better pray sksksk.
Anyway... Sorry for yapping, can you tell I'm losing my mind at the amount of paperwork I have sksksk. But yes... That's my SG Bayverse thoughts sksksks.
Also slight heads up I may be posting something this week, we shall see cause I am actually still busy since I do have work I brought home and then like two birthday parties to go to sskksks but yes, I will post something this week. And NO this is not an April Fools joke sksksksk I swear I WILL post something this week sksksk I would never joke about that sksksk. Sorry I just realized when I scheduled this post and I'm like "oh wait that's bad sksksk"
If Shattered Glass Optimus and Megatron were in a relationship pre conflict, I feel like Optimus being his obsessed self would totally send dramatic love letters (love messages?) to Megatron. Super long and poetic but also concerning.
It would be like this in sg Megatron's inbox if they needed to be apart.
SG!OP: My dearest Megatron, I have not spent a day without loving you.
SG!OP: I have not eaten a cube of energon without cursing my glory and ambition for keeping me from the spark of my very being.
SG!OP: In the midst of my activities, my adorable Megatron stands alone in my spark
SG!OP: And yet in your messages on the 23rd and 26th, you addressed me with no nickname! And 3 hearts instead of five!
SG!OP: How could my sweetspark write to me this coldly?
SG!Megatron: ...
SG!Optimus: And then there are the TWO days with NO messages!
SG!OP: What were you doing, because you certainly were not writing to your conjunx to be!
SG!Megatron: ...
Source video because it's awesome: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/BJ9boX4wBUU
Megatron knows he killed Orion Pax, and alongside him, D-16.
The thing that comes back is not the conjunx he loved.
Meanwhile, Optimus would just really like to help Dee heal.
I love Shattered Glass so much, they are my favorite and I enjoy making them suffer lmao.
So, for some context, this takes place after the events of the movie. I don't have a fleshed out SG TF:One AU, but I will be sharing some headcanons I have for it at the end notes (in Ao3 but tell me if you want me to post it here on Tumblr too) because it might help add more context to this fic, plus any other future Shattered Glass fanfics that I write since I will generally be following these headcanons.
Additionally, I really love the whole idea that Megatron doesn't see Optimus Prime as Orion Pax. Like, he genuinely thinks Orion died and Optimus is some random mech/the matrix controlling Orion's frame. I just think it's juicy. So, that's the premise of this whole fic. He's just in denial.
Anyway, hope you like this!
https://archiveofourown.org/works/64174636
It felt strange to hear the trickle of energon in his audials.
As though in a daze, Megatron carefully sat down by the edge of the river, pressing his leg struts closer to himself as his optics trailed after the slow crawl of the energon. A few stellar cycles ago, he had been on the surface and the ground had been lifeless - the life source in which all Cybertronians depended on had been locked away by a god who had taken offense to the loss of his Primes.
He would never forget their ill-fated journey on the surface, even if it felt like another lifetime ago. He remembered the train, the crash, the Primes’ cave… He remembered how strange it had felt to be so free - far from the darkness of the underground mines. At some points during it all, he thought he could reach up and touch the stars themselves. How long had he dreamt of one day going on an off-world expedition, to fly far away from the confines of the mines?
How strange everything felt after it all…
A few stellar cycles ago, he had been D-16.
He… it didn’t feel right that in such a short amount of time, he had lost so much.
Wrong as it was, he almost missed being a miner. It may have been dangerous but… it was all he knew. It was all he had known.
Now… who even was he?
His servo reached out, shaking as energon slipped between his digits as easily as Pax’s hand had when he had let go.
He pulled back immediately, pressing his servo to his chassis as if burned.
He didn’t deserve this. No matter how much the High Guard lectured him that it wasn’t a matter of whether he was deserving or not, but rather survival. How could he ever look at energon - the one that flowed so freely now - and forget what he’d lost so this could be achieved?
He reset his optics, the darkness of the lunar cycle was not enough for him. He pressed his helm to his knee joints, hoping that somehow by doing so, he could almost pretend he knew what Pax had felt - falling into that abyss. He wished he knew. He wished that Pax had died long before the light above him disappeared.
Megatron could only wish he had died with the light being the last thing he saw.
It was all he could do to stop being so haunted.
He didn’t need a ghost living in his processor and in his spark.
“Dee~”
Not when that thing existed in the physical world.
—
Optimus let out a soft vent, feeling the Matrix jump alongside his spark as he caught the glimpse of a familiar white frame.
Primus truly did adore him.
At first, he’d been irritated that the Matrix had refused to give him any klik of recharge. Instead, it seemed to pull him to come up to the surface of Cybertron, encouraging him even.
If he had known that Primus was trying to help him claim his conjunx back, he would have put up less of a fight.
He made his way confidently towards the other mech, his pedes loud enough that Dee would have been able to hear him if he hadn’t heard him speak up. Cute as his conjunx was when startled, Optimus didn’t want to scare him on this lunar cycle. The surface was dangerous and Dee was sitting by the edge of a river. He didn’t know how good fliers were at swimming, but he didn’t want to take the risk.
He had only made it a few pedesteps before the whirr of a cannon stopped him. Optimus’ optics narrowed, his smile never wavering as he stared down the barrel of an oh so familiar weapon.
“Dee~ That’s no way to greet your conjunx.” His servo twitched by his side, but he kept himself from lunging. He didn’t want to startle Dee. “Our last goodbye was so explosive, do we really need to make this our new way of greeting each other?”
For a moment, a flicker of confusion crossed Dee’s blue optics as he stared up at him. Then his face grew steely, his dermas setting into a snarl as he continued to charge the cannon. “It doesn’t have to be. Get out of my sight, Prime.”
Optimus frowned behind the battle mask, sending a manual code to unlatch it to show Dee just how much that hurt.
At the sight of his entire face, Dee’s frame seemed to lock up, his wings tensing behind him as if he wanted nothing more than to flee. Gently, Optimus reached for the side of the cannon, gripping it in his servos.
“That hurt, Dee.” He didn’t care if Dee interpreted his words to mean the cannon, and well getting shot did hurt but… it had been Primus’ will.
At first, when Dee had shot him to keep him from killing Sentinel, Optimus had been angry. He knew Dee had done it by accident. A warning shot gone wrong. Now he saw that it had only been Primus’ will that it had to happen that way. If Dee hadn’t shot him, he wouldn’t have fallen into the Well and met Primus. How else would he have become Prime? It was only fitting, after all, that the mech who would help Orion Pax ascend would be the mech he loved the most. Dee had helped him become who he was meant to be.
Now, he just needed to help Dee.
“Don’t. Don’t call me that.” Dee’s blue optics narrowed, the cannon trying to shift away from Optimus’ hold but he held on. This was the closest he had been to Dee in stellar cycles. Which was unfair. They had never spent a singular stellar cycle apart before. “D-16 is gone. There is only Megatron.”
“Is that what the High Guard has been telling you?” He began to pull at the cannon, keeping his optics trained on Dee’s face. The other mech struggled, feeling himself be pulled forward as Optimus tried to close the gap between them. He had to thank Dee for choosing this location. He had nowhere else to go. If he backed up, he’d fall right into the river. “I read from the archives that Shockwave used to be a scientist before the empurata… and Soundwave, oh, he’s an outlier, isn’t he? Did they scramble your processor, sweetspark?”
This close, he could see the new changes that the transformation cog had done to Dee’s face. His cheekplates were more angular, and the helm had pressed closer to the faceplate. Yet underneath all that, it was still his Dee. Even with the helm having turned black, or the addition of a beautiful pair of blue wings on the back of his frame, this was still the mech that Optimus loved. He would have gotten closer, but the cannon got in the way.
He let out a frustrated growl, tightening his grip to leave enough of a dent.
“Unsummon it.”
—
Megatron cursed internally as the cannon disappeared back into his arm. A part of him - the part of D-16 that still lived on - incapable of refusing an order from Pax, even if this thing wasn’t Pax, it still looked close enough like him that his processor was conflicted.
He hated that D-16 still lived on, when Pax didn’t.
Instead, all that had come back was a monster who wore his frame.
The thing grinned.
If it had been Pax, he would have smiled back.
Instead, he stood frozen as it leaned closer. He could feel the heat of the other’s venting against his dermas as a servo reached to cup his cheekplate.
“That’s better.” That thing purred, amusement in its voice as he stared him right in the optics. As if it knew how much it upset him to see Pax’s frame defiled this way. “Isn’t this better, Dee?”
He gritted his denta, trying to push down the part of him that wanted to cry.
This wasn’t Pax.
Pax was dead.
D-16 had killed him.
“What do you want, Prime?” He kept his gaze trained on the imposter’s optics. The red so unlike his Pax’s yellow. It made it easier for him to remember that this wasn’t Pax. No matter how much “love” showed in this thing’s stare, it wasn’t real. It wasn’t the same. It can’t be the same.
“Fine, if you insist on calling me ‘Prime,’ at least add ‘my’ before it.” It chuckled, as if this was all a game. “Your Prime… I like the sound of that. Me being yours, you being mine.”
He resisted the urge to summon his cannon. He’d let it get too close. It would be no use now to summon his weapon.
Much to his horror, after that declaration, the thing had moved closer, as if it planned to—
He felt the press of dermas against his own before rage consumed his processor and spark.
With a guttural scream, he slammed his helm against the other’s, pain shooting through his HUD, but it didn’t hurt as much as the betrayal his entire system felt.
Not only had he killed Pax.
He’d let that… that thing that stole his frame just kiss him!
He didn’t realize he was still screaming until servos were latching onto his arms.
—
Optimus let out a yelp, clutching at his helm as he felt the trickle of energon against his face.
He forgot how strong Dee could be if he really put his processor to it.
Dismissing the small warning pop-up in his HUD, he turned back to his conjunx, a little annoyed that Dee was acting so hard to get.
The sight that greeted him made his spark nearly offline again.
Dee had buried his face in his servos, his digits splayed out against his white faceplates as wide blue optics stared into nothing. He had hunched slightly over, as if his frame was about to enter into emergency stasis.
What scared Optimus most of all was the screaming.
The sight of this reminded him too much of when he’d come back. No longer Orion Pax, but so much more.
There was glory and pride in becoming Prime, but admittedly, his first sight as Prime hadn’t been a pretty one.
He’d come back, ready to bring Iacon to a new golden age of Primes, to the sight of his conjunx having a breakdown at the edge of where he had fallen as Pax. He didn’t even have time to ask the other mech what was wrong before the High Guard were on him, trying desperately to fight him like the traitorous mechs they had shown themselves to be. By the time he’d rip one of them into pieces, Dee had been flown away by Starscream himself.
Optimus had been trying to get him back ever since.
His conjunx was clearly damaged, and being with the High Guard wasn’t doing him any favors.
He gently reached out, grasping the other’s arms as he tried to pull Dee into an embrace.
Optimus never liked it when Dee was upset.
Even as Orion Pax.
Sure, he loved it when Dee would pout, and even shed a few tears at times but…
He never wanted him to hurt.
Holding him close, Optimus ran a servo against the other mech’s back, letting the digits reach out to touch his wings. With his other servo, he pressed mech’s helm closer to his chassis. Whenever one of them was upset, they always tried to comfort each other by pressing the other’s helm to their chassis, close enough to hear the spark whirr - an assurance that they would always be there for each other.
“I’m here, Dee. I’m right here.”
—
He didn’t know how long it was until he regained enough strength to lift his helm from that cold chestplate.
His frame was shuddering, mostly from the meltdown that his system just went through and was currently coming out of, but also from how cold it felt to be so close to the Matrix.
Because there wasn’t a spark in there.
And if there was, it wasn’t the spark he loved anymore.
Megatron let out a shaky vent, unable to move as he was caged within the thing’s arms, and he could feel digits against his wingplates - sending sharp bursts of pain through his system.
Knockout said the pain would go away soon. His wings were only extremely sensitive because he’d been cogless for the majority of his life and they needed to adjust to being free for the first time.
Of course, that thing was taking advantage of this fact.
“You already took his frame…”
Why did you have to take this away from me too?
D-16 had only ever loved Orion Pax.
If Megatron didn’t know any better, he could say it was simply in his programming to love him and no other bot.
The thing must know that. Is that why it took great pleasure in kissing him? Because it knew it was something he would never be able to do with Pax again?
“What?” It slowly let go of him, but there was still a grip on his wingplate that only seemed to tighten - sending warning pop-ups through his HUD as his system registered the spike of pain.
“Enough of your games, Prime. Don’t you have a city to rule? What would your beloved god do if he knew you were wasting time tormenting a waste of scrap like me?” He snarled, wishing he could push it away from him. He couldn’t though. Not with it holding his wing. “Do you enjoy this? Enjoy watching me suffer? Why not offline me now and be done with this? You see the High Guard and I as a threat to your rule, why prolong this when you could end it now?”
Megatron didn’t want to die. No mech really did, and he was no coward. He knew the Prime couldn’t be allowed to continue ruling over Iacon.
From the few reconnaissance missions that Soundwave had sent the Casseticons on, it was clear this thing was enforcing the old system - back when the Primes used to rule.
Life under Sentinel was horrible, but it was nothing compared to the horrors Cybertronians had experienced during the Primes’ reign.
He’d heard enough stories from Starscream to last him several cycles.
“Waste of scrap? Dee, you know you’re so much more than that.” It frowned, its free servo cupping his cheekplate again. “Even free you still hold onto what you’ve learned during Sentinel’s rule… It’s the High Guard, isn’t it? It’s okay, Dee. I won’t let them continue harming you this way. Listen to yourself… They really did a number on you, huh? Don’t worry, once I have you back in Iacon, I’m getting you the best mnemosurgeon.”
It even dared to pretend to care. Megatron let out a sharp vent, resetting his optics.
This was a ploy.
It only wanted him to believe it so it could prolong the torture.
“I am not a fool.” He let out through gritted dentae. He wished he hadn’t snuck out of the High Guard’s base this lunar cycle. He would have gladly wasted joors unable to recharge in berth than deal with this thing trying to trick him. “You may wear his face. You may use his frame. But don’t think I would fall for your tricks. I know my Pax, and you are not him.”
Because he knew Orion Pax.
The Orion Pax who he loved so much… who he still loves.
The Orion Pax he killed.
If Pax had come back, he wouldn’t be acting this way.
No. His Pax would have been angry.
D-16 had shot him and no matter how much Pax may have loved him, he wouldn’t have taken that betrayal lightly.
This thing thought that by acting sweet he’d get him to cave but it was wrong.
Because he knew Pax.
And the Pax he knew would never have forgiven him.
—
“What?”
He could hear the borderline hysterics in his own laughter as Dee’s words registered in his processor.
Primus, how bad was the damage in his conjunx’s processor?!
He replayed their entire interaction, dissecting every word the other had spoken.
Calling him Prime… He was already refusing to believe that he was Pax from the start.
The anger and accusations… He clearly thought Optimus was here to hurt him.
Calling himself Megatron… A clear attempt to distance his own self from D-16.
And then he did laugh, a loud amused noise that probably wasn’t helping his case, but the realization of it all was so funny that he couldn’t help himself.
Sure, he didn’t like to see the extent of the damage on Dee’s processor, but still.
Dee thought he was someone else.
And he was even attempting to believe himself to be someone else too!
Optimus laughed, trying desperately to vent.
Then it died down, leaving him disturbed as the reality came crashing down on him.
Dee… really needed help.
He dropped his servo from the other mech’s face, reaching behind to hold onto the other’s wing. He pulled Dee closer until they were faces nearly touching again, hoping that the other could see how much he cared and loved for him through his optics.
“Dee, it’s me. I’m right here—”
“Stop. Lying.” Blue optics glared at him, his conjunx’s frame uncomfortably stiff even as he pressed closer to Optimus’ frame, as if he was trying to escape the hold on his wings. Optimus held on tighter - enough so that he could almost feel the wingplates dent underneath his digits. He couldn’t let Dee fly away, especially now that he knew the extent of the damage. Those optics narrowed, his conjunx letting out a hitched vent as if he was in pain.
“I’m right here.”
To prove it, he let go of one wing and grabbed the other mech’s servo, pressing it against his chassis so that Dee could feel the familiar whirr of his spark.
He waited.
But Dee’s expression didn’t change.
If anything, his frame only shook harder and disgust filled his optics as he turned his gaze down - as if he couldn’t recognize Optimus’ spark anymore.
The Matrix thrummed in agony alongside his spark.
“You… you really think I’m someone else, don’t you?”
He could hear static at the edge of his voice, the pain of it hitting him fully as he lowered his helm.
He thought getting shot was the worst agony of his life.
But this…
His own conjunx couldn’t even recognize him.
How could it have gone so wrong in the span of a few stellar cycles?
He’d gained so much, had gained freedom, and yet he had lost the one mech he had wanted to share that freedom with so badly.
Optimus let out a shaky vent, letting the other mech go as he lowered his arms to his side. He expected the other to run, to transform and fly from his grasp but he stood there.
He looked up, almost missing the dents he had left on the other’s wings.
“I’m… so sorry, Dee.”
He didn’t know if he was apologizing for the wings, or for being late.
Optimus would never blame Primus for taking his time. He had granted Orion Pax the power to be free, and he would never go against his god.
No, the fault was entirely his.
He should have been quicker to dispatch those High Guard traitors when they attacked him.
He should have been faster to get to his conjunx, to get him to a medic or mnemosurgeon.
Now Dee was confused to the point he couldn’t even recognize his own conjunx’s spark.
Carefully, he reached for the other’s servos, clasping it as he fell to one knee. It did not fill him with shame.
Dee was the only mech he would ever let himself kneel down to.
He’d gladly kneel down to the only mech he had ever loved.
“I should have been there for you. I should have been there to wipe away the pain, but I wasn’t because—” No, blaming the High Guard was only deflecting the blame. Optimus shook his helm, staring deep into his conjunx’s optics as if by doing so he could somehow get into the other’s processor and reach out to the D-16 that he loved. “I should have been there. You must be suffering so much.”
“Stop. Please.” Dee tore his gaze away, helm turning up towards the starry sky. Even in the darkness though, Optimus could see that the other mech was holding back his tears.
“No! I won’t until you remember me, remember us.” He held onto the other’s servo tighter, trying to spark the warmth they had shared the first time they’d ever held each other. The first time they started the Conjunx Ritus. “I won’t stop until you remember yourself.”
The other was shaking, his processor clearly trying to fight Optimus’ words of assurance. He was no mnemosurgeon, but from what he had read in the archives, Optimus knew that the processor would fight hard to protect the entire system if it underwent a lot of trauma. This was only a natural response. Dee’s processor couldn’t accept what Optimus was promising that it was trying desperately to not listen.
He stood up, and that action had the other mech lurching back, nearly falling into the river before Optimus quickly caught him. With one servo still holding onto Dee’s, and the other splayed protectively over the back of his frame, Optimus held onto him.
Optimus would never let Dee fall.
“I’m sorry I let this happen.” He pressed his face against the other, close to Dee’s spark. He could feel the familiar thrum underneath the other’s chassis, and Optimus never felt so at home. He wished Dee could remember this feeling.
Dee was lost but Optimus will help him come home.
“I have you now. It’s okay.” He held onto his conjunx tighter, a promise that nothing would ever tear them apart again.
Please Ensure Your Penpal is Not a Politician (Shattered Glass Fanfic)
Alternatively titled,
"Please Ensure Your Penpal is Not a Future Serial Killer"
Then again, politician... serial killer... same difference (/j I studied political science I'm allowed to make this joke skskskks)
But yeah, some notes, this is based off of both the FunPub Shattered Glass and the IDW Shattered Glass continuity. I mashed together some of the elements together because I am crazy. Anyway, I know I should have updated "Did I Ever Really Know You?" but I promised that the last chapter will be released next year and I keep my promises skskksks. So... have this for now lmao. Different flavor of Shattered Glass.
Also warning this is also a Humanformers AU because I didn't actually have much time to focus on writing (because I am dealing with the holiday and stuff sksksk) and I didn't want to keep pulling up the list of transformer body parts and transformer units of time skskks.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
The Headmaster of the Polyhex Institute had issued him a warning a few days prior.
While classes were suspended due to the sudden loss of Crystal City and most of its inhabitants, it appeared that one of the Senators from Iacon City would be deigning the Polyhex Institute a visit.
Truthfully, Megatron did not wish to interfere with any of the bureaucracy that the visit would entail. He was merely a mathematics professor, and he had long since stopped pestering Iacon’s senators regarding the caste system that plagued Cybertron. As far as he was concerned, he would have preferred to lock himself inside his office until the Senator was gone.
Alas, he had never been favored by Primus.
He had barely hidden the letters sent by his equally-concerned acquaintances when the door to his office slid open. The intruder had knocked, but they had barely given him time to prepare.
With the letters secured in his desk, he glanced up, blue eyes squinting past his glasses as… Senator Orion Pax entered the room. Despite himself, he couldn’t help but shudder in the other man’s presence.
Honestly, the man wasn’t that intimidating to look at. Decorated in his senatorial garb, all purples and greens to showcase the opulence of the higher class, Senator Orion Pax was not physically threatening. Even as a mathematician, Megatron was sure he could take the man in a fight. Still, he would be a fool to think he would win any battle against a Senator. Years of debating and nearly getting outcasted into the Rust Sea had shown him how dangerous a politician could be.
“Senator Orion Pax, it’s an honor.” He stood from behind his desk, refusing to approach even as he extended a hand out for a handshake. He tried his best to show a genial smile.
‘Please for the love of Primus, get out of my office.’
Blood red eyes stared from a seemingly friendly face as the Senator moved closer, taking Megatron’s hand in his. Where there should have been warmth, Megatron could swear the man’s skin was as cold as the dead. He would have pulled away, but the Senator didn’t seem keen on letting go.
“A retired civil rights activist turned mathematics professor. I’ve read some of your works, from both your careers. Your reputation precedes you, Professor Megatron.” Then, much to his own shock, the Senator pressed his lips against the back of his hand - a sly grin on his face. “Or would you prefer to be called D-16?”
It took him some time to process the question, and by the time he did, Senator Orion Pax had finally deigned to release his hand. He took a step back, knocking the back of his knees against the chair. For some reason, the office desk between them didn’t feel like it was giving him enough of a safe distance from the other man.
Truthfully, Megatron hadn’t stepped foot in Iacon City since he had nearly been exiled. He had studied up in mathematics in the Iaconian University, publishing his political papers on the side and sending letters to the senate regarding the abolishment of the caste system. At some point, he had gained enough recognition by the Senate that they issued him a warning to stop unless he wanted to be imprisoned for treason or banished. After that, he had finished his studies and moved to Polyhex to pursue a career in teaching. The Polyhex Institute had welcomed him due to his mathematical prowess, but if he wanted to stay, he would have to give up his more… rebellious aspirations. While it pained him at the time, Megatron knew he had to let go of his dreams of a better Cybertron.
So, unless his published political papers were making the rounds again (which they technically were), there would be no reason for the Senator’s presence in Polyhex. There would be no reason for why the Senator was singling him out.
No, Senator Orion Pax was not here for any of that.
Of all the people on Cybertron, of course Megatron had the luck of having a Senator as his penpal.
“Forgive me, Senator, I wasn’t aware we were…” He trailed off, both embarrassed and a little terrified that all this time he had been writing letters to a senator.
Megatron had heard of Senator Orion Pax before. He was the newest one appointed to the Senate. He didn’t care enough to research more about what the other man was doing before he joined the Senate, but from his limited knowledge, the Senator was one of the more amicable ones. Still, after his correspondence with Senator Shockwave (who Megatron had a begrudging respect for), he was not inclined to trust any of the Senators as of recent.
In any case, Senator Orion Pax appeared to be Megatron’s penpal.
The name “D-16” had been an alias, and only one person knew it belonged to him.
But… his penpal - who had gone by the alias of Optronix - had said he was a librarian.
“No need to be so formal, Megatron. We’ve known each other for years. We’ve shared many words over the years.” The senator leaned closer, and he couldn’t help but blush as he remembered the more… intimate… letters they had sent to each other. “It’s finally a pleasure to meet you.”
Megatron couldn’t help but note, close as they were with only the desk separating them, that the senator was… physically appealing. Of course, that wasn’t why he had gained affection for his penpal. He had enjoyed their lengthy correspondences. Optronix had been of similar mind and moral. He was intelligent and charming.
More than that, Optronix had inspired him to be a mathematician and a professor. When they had first begun sending each other letters, Megatron had been a mere miner. Optronix had been the one to send him various academic papers that he had dedicated himself to learning.
He owed a lot to the other man.
But… it unnerved him that the senator had traced who he was. Despite how close they had become, Megatron had never shared his real name or where he lived in their letters.
“You said you were a librarian.” He said bluntly, though he really wanted to demand how the other knew he worked in Polyhex Institute - because the Senator knew - why else would he have gone out of his way to find Megatron in his office?
“You said you were a miner.” Senator Orion Pax teased back. His red eyes seem to trace every part of Megatron’s face. “We’ve both had a career change.”
Swallowing down the urge to ask what he really wanted, Megatron reached for the closest question that would satisfy his curiosity and soothe his worries. “I suppose… but Senator—”
“Call me Pax.” The tone was even, but it left no room for argument.
“... Senator Pax, while it is nice to meet you in person… Why the sudden visit to the Polyhex Institute? Is it on senatorial business? If so, thank you for taking the time to visit me.” Megatron ignored the irritated look that crossed the other man’s face as he continued to use the honorific. He began to fidget with his glasses, a nervous habit that he hadn’t done in years. He usually did it before every meeting he had had with the Senate.
“You haven’t responded to me in a month.” Senator Pax said quietly, as if admitting a secret. The other man gripped the edge of the table - the only indicator that he was upset - but the smile on his face never dropped. Megatron wondered if that perpetual smile was a practiced habit. “I was worried. You have heard about what happened to Crystal City?”
“Yes. Classes in the Institute were suspended. Some of the students come from Crystal City… I can’t imagine…” He trailed off, feeling tears spring to his eyes as he remembered the day the news had reached his classroom. Everyone in the room had been stunned into silence, before those who had family in Crystal City began to cry. He had done everything he could to console his students, now orphaned and left to be refugees in Polyhex. “I only wish—”
“That doesn’t explain why you weren’t responding to my letters for a month.” Wiping away the tears, Megatron peered over his glasses at the unempathetic senator. He had leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest as he gave Megatron a disappointed glare. “Tragic as it may be, the destruction of Crystal City has nothing to do with you.”
“I’m afraid it does.” He whispered, wondering if the other man heard him. With a sudden quickness, he moved away from the desk and towards the largest chalkboard in the room. After countless visits from his fellow scholars, he had covered it with the curtains.
He wasn’t sure how the other might react (and a part of him didn’t care if it scared off the senator from ever contacting him again), but the statement had sent him into a frenzy. It was a guilt that had been gnawing at his conscience since the destruction of Crystal City and that letter from Senator Shockwave.
He could feel the senator’s crimson eyes against his back as he swiftly pulled the curtain. He couldn’t help but compare it to a waterfall of blood as the red cloth fell and pooled against the floor, revealing the complicated formula that haunted him even in sleep.
Megatron knew what the other man might think. As perturbed as he was that the senator had tracked him down, he was sure he was quite the disappointment in the other’s eyes. He hadn’t had a moment’s rest since he had calculated the formula before him. His clothes were disheveled, and at this point he didn’t know what his hair even looked like. Whatever images Senator Pax had conjured up about his penpal - about D-16 - the reality paled in comparison.
His blue eyes stared forward, feeling the pain start in his chest again. He heard the senator move to stand next to him, a chill in the air as they both took in what he had calculated.
A month ago, Megatron had calculated the probability of civil war breaking out on Cybertron. He had raised the concern to his fellow academics, yet they had mocked him - stating that he had finally lost his mind in the numbers. He knew he wasn’t crazy. The numbers did not lie. It had agitated him. Enough so that he had contacted his old acquaintances from his time as a civil rights activist, explaining his predictions. Some had not sent any responses, some had even challenged his claims. Luckily, a few had listened. It was merely a precaution, but he needed to prepare for the inevitability of the civil war. An organized group. Nothing large, but at least enough to ensure that there would not be an absolute slaughter once the civil war began. And began it had, though no one else could see it yet.
The letter from Senator Shockwave was a warning.
Crystal City was a declaration.
“You’re brilliant.”
He turned his gaze to the man beside him, eyes blinking as the words sunk in. He was not surprised that Senator Pax would understand the formula and the prediction. He was a genius himself. Still, Megatron had expected the same ridicule he had received a month ago. At best, he expected concern for his mental being. Then again, the destruction of Crystal City might have been enough for the senator to believe in him.
“I calculated the possibility of civil war a month ago. Hence, why our correspondence was put on halt.”
Truthfully, that was one reason. The second was that the senator - well, Optronix as Megatron didn’t even know he was talking to a senator - had proposed that they finally met face to face. Even worse, he had proposed the possibility of initiating Conjunx Endura. He didn't know how to reply to that. Then came the calculations of the civil war, and Megatron could only focus on one problem at a time.
“I see.” They both knew Megatron had a second reason. The senator didn’t call him out on this. Instead, he reached out towards the chalkboard, fingers smudging the chalk carelessly. He kept the frown from appearing on his face as Senator Pax turned to him. “I’ll allow it. This is a good reason to be distracted from what I had proposed.”
“Thank you for believing me.” He tried to deflect. Megatron didn’t want to think about Senator Pax’s proposal about the Conjunx Endura. It was not the time. Certainly not the place. “I promise to be more active in our correspondence. I appreciate the visit.”
Admittedly, now that he was aware of his penpal’s identity, Megatron was uncomfortable with continuing their strange relationship. It was ridiculous, though he had no one but himself to blame for initiating a relationship with a man he had never really met face to face. While their correspondence had begun merely out of friendship, with both seeking companionship through the penpal system, it had turned into more. Optronix had been sweet and had supported him even if they were unable to see one another. Megatron had even sent him love poems once. The years they spent together - even if they had been limited to ink and paper - had been passionate and perhaps will be the strongest relationship Megatron has ever been able to maintain. It was unfair to Senator Pax, but Megatron couldn’t stop his distrust of the senators.
Not with Senator Shockwave’s warning that the Senate was compromised.
“No need for further correspondence.” Before Megatron could be relieved, the senator went on. “You should come to Iacon City with me.”
There was a moment of silence. Megatron couldn’t help but turn his eyes away, shock and indignation causing his face to flush red.
“Why?”
“While Crystal City is the first city to be destroyed, we cannot rule out the possibility that whoever the cause behind it is not targeting the scientifically-advanced cities. Polyhex is home to many brilliant minds… and a very pretty professor.” Senator Pax winked cheekily at him. Megatron had to wonder if the senator was usually this unserious when declaring extremely troubling news. “It’s my own theory but Polyhex might be next.”
“All the more of a reason for me to stay.” Megatron moved away from the chalkboard, moving to the window that overlooked the city. He watched as hundreds of people went about their business, guilt gnawing at him again. If he had only been insistent when he had first calculated the probability of civil war. If the senator’s theory was correct, Polyhex may very well be attacked soon. “Crystal City was eradicated from the map. If the historical records didn’t exist, no one would know it ever existed. I can’t leave Polyhex to the same fate. It’s the only home I’ve ever known.”
“You’re from Kaon.” The words were blunt, unsympathetic. He jolted as a hand settled at the small of his back. He kept his eyes forward, trying not to push the other man away as a heat brushed against his ear. “Polyhex welcomed you, true, Iacon would welcome you too. I’d be there to welcome you.”
“... I’m banished from Iacon.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I’m on self-exile.”
“So you admit you once considered Iacon a place to be exiled from?”
“I can’t leave Polyhex.” He insisted, gritting his teeth. He wasn’t surprised at the senator’s insistence. Optronix had been insistent too. There was a reason why Megatron had managed to escape his role as a miner. Optronix insisted on sending those academic papers, even with Megatron’s protests that he was not intelligent enough to really become a scholar.
“Come back to Iacon with me…” He swore he could hear the other man’s voice strain as he added, “Please.”
“Would you abandon Iacon if you knew it would be destroyed.” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear the answer to that question. Truthfully, he was stalling.
“Iacon is the most protected city in Cybertron. It’s like a guarded fortress. After all, the Senate is at its heart.” Those red eyes met his in the glass, a forced smile on the senator’s face. There was a spark of emotion in that gaze, one that Megatron could not decipher. “I would feel better once you’re in Iacon. You’re coming back with me. I’m no longer asking.”
“If I still said no, what would you do? Detain me?”
“Yes.”
There was an awkward stretch of silence.
“...I’m joking.”
Was he though?
Megatron let out a tired sigh. Truthfully, the moment the senator had proposed going back to Iacon, Megatron knew he would inevitably agree. Once Optronix has a goal in mind, you need to get out of the way.
“Very well. I shall pack a bag.” He turned away from the other man, stumbling away from that cold hand that lingered behind him. “I’ll have to arrange accommodations—”
“I’ve settled those for you.”
He let out another sigh, his feet heavy as he headed towards the door. His living quarters were on the other side of the university, and yet it was not enough of a distance from Senator Pax.
“Some of my bodyguards will go with you, I’ll wait for you here.”
He could feel himself shudder as he spared a glance behind him. Megatron did not feel threatened. While he was perturbed by the senator and worried about Senator Shockwave’s warnings, he knew he could trust Optronix. Optronix wouldn’t hurt him, not after helping him achieve everything. Still… he still couldn’t piece together the sweet Optronix to the dangerous Senator Pax.
“That’s not necessary—”
“It is. I’m a senator, people would wonder about my relationship with you. Do it for my sake.”
While he could still feel an inkling of wariness, Megatron let himself relax. Right. He forgot how dangerous it was to be a senator.
He could manage a few bodyguards.
—
Optimus tucked the letters into a pocket.
While his sweet Megatron was brilliant in many ways, in the art of being quick he was not. Of course, he had hardly given the professor any time to prepare before he had entered the office. Still, the man should have been quicker if he wanted to keep his insurgent correspondences hidden. Optimus had noticed that the professor had shoved a few papers underneath the desk, taking in the horrified look in those blue eyes before they had looked into his own. Of course, Optimus never did like it when people kept secrets.
It was a good thing that Megatron was so slow. Otherwise, Optimus would not have ever known the danger his little professor was posing. He had to admit, he was impressed. The formula predicting civil war was brilliant on its own, but to create a contingency plan once it began to break out? Some would say it was the work of a paranoid man, but Optimus would say it was the work of a genius. An underground vigilante group? Why, Optimus found it endearing. It reminded him of his own secret police - though his faction had a reason to exist.
Megatron was correct about a potential civil war. After all, order did not come without a few deaths. Optimus expected that there would be many who would stand in his way, but that didn’t matter. If he wanted to reconstruct Cybertron, he’d have to quell the dissenters - especially this little group that his professor had gathered. It wasn’t for selfish reasons. Optimus could see the chaos in the Senate and among the cities of Cybertron, he merely wanted to fix it - to create a world where he could ensure peace. By ruling, he could ensure a world of perfect order.
Well, admittedly, it was also for a selfish reason. A long time ago, he realized that life had no meaning. It was only when he’d begun his letters with D-16 that he had come to a better conclusion. Yes, life had no meaning, but by making yourself known then life became worth living. He had thought long about how he could possibly make history remember him, then D-16 had inspired him with his words about equality and peace. Of course, what a perfect way to be remembered: to be the ruler who ushered in the eternal Golden Age of Cybertron.
Megatron would understand once Optimus brought him back to Iacon. His correspondences with his fellow rebels would have to stop, and Optimus could easily ensure that. He’d have to track down every single name mentioned in the letters and send the Wreckers after them. Soon, there won’t be any group that would oppose his own. While he could care less what happened to most of them, there were two prominent names in the letters that he would personally attend to. Honestly, it incensed him that those two had the nerve to contact his poor overtired professor. Have they no shame?
First, that insipid little scientist from Crystal City. While Optimus had not personally contacted Starscream regarding joining the Wreckers, he had heard that the scientist had refused. In retaliation, he sent the Wreckers to raze Crystal City to the ground. No one refused him. No one. Second, that overbearing nuisance of a senator, Shockwave. No wonder Megatron had been nervous around him the whole time. He was aware that someone from the Senate was a traitor. Optimus didn’t even know how Shockwave had realized that someone in the Senate was working against them, but the man would pay for this.
With a few tweaks to the letters, Optimus could frame Shockwave as instigating a rebellion. That should be enough for the Senate to reinstate the Empurata. They wouldn’t take kindly to traitors, especially one that had already destroyed a city. It was a fitting punishment for Shockwave for daring to expose him, and for scaring his Megatron.
He sighed.
Today was still a good day.
After all, Megatron had been everything he had ever dreamed of.
Brilliant. Beautiful. Naive.
He stood up from the office chair, moving towards the door.
He had a future Conjunx Endura to spend time with.
