#chapter 2.2

Chapter 2.2

It wasn’t uncommon for death-row prisoners in Kaon to request final visits from old friends, but even the expressionless minicons seemed shocked today to see Optimus Prime’s name under Megatron’s on the visitor’s list.

     Wardens chattered in the halls as Optimus passed through cellblock after cellblock before entering a stiffly guarded containment cubicle designed for only the most highly dangerous of criminals. Kaon didn’t house many prisoners. Most Autobots were reliable enough as citizens, although some legislative changes had landed a number of black market dealers and vandals behind laser bars in the past couple hundred thousand stellar cycles. Naturally, it had been a long time since the last Autobot prisoner was sent to Trypticon on charges of treason. Instead, they were normally detained in the Elite Guard stockades. The Decepticon prisoners here were few, each of them bound to spend a lifetime within Trypticon’s thick plated walls. Optimus looked only forward as he – led by a minicon guide – passed Lugnut, Blitzwing and Shockwave going down a lonely corridor. Megatron was at the end. Four Elite Guard sentries guarded each threateningly powerful Decepticon officer. Optimus’s escort nodded his approval at the guards by Megatron’s cell who stepped aside to let the two of them pass through the first of three transparent laser gates that contained the inmate.

     Megatron sat in stasis cuffs behind the third gate. He looked tired, as if he had gotten no sleep since their last encounter, but anger flickered in his optics as his looked, almost eye to eye in his seated position, at Optimus Prime. 

     “You have ten cycles,” The minicon stepped back and the laser walls were replaced. No one could hear their conversation now. There was a tense moment when nobot said anything, and then Megatron sighed.

     “Optimus Prime,” His words came painfully slow. “I am delighted that you accepted my invitation.” His face said otherwise.

     The pistons under Optimus’s chest plate quickened their rotations, but he stood erect, servos clasped behind him “What is it, Megatron?” he spat.

     His nemesis was unhurried, though, and his words came gradually. “I have something to tell you, something that concerns you. Surely it comes as no surprise to you that I do not plan to let the weak will of mere Autobots dictate my fate, and because you have developed a seemingly inexorable interest in my plans for the Decepticons, I want you to remain informed.”

     Optimus squinted, “Informed of what?”

     Megaton glanced around his cell, “Omega Supreme… your pitiful crew… this place… it is all fleeting. In the wake of my empire, it shall all crumble.”

     Optimus rolled his optics. “Give it up Megatron. Your vision of a destroyed Cybertron and an enslaved generation of Autobots will never come to pass. You’re to be executed.” He looked inwardly for a moment before continuing, “But if it were up to me, you’d stay here forever.”

     “Ah, yes. How poetic it would be for a ‘narcissistic tyrant’ such as myself to slowly rot in prison, out of the public eye, while you – a worthless Autobot annoyance – to be worshiped as a hero by the fickle, uneducated masses.” Megatron chuckled at the thought. “I understand the average citizen. They are sure to forget about you just as soon as a fitting replacement comes along.”

     At this, their tense silence resumed, and the guards motioned to Optimus that only one cycle remained.

     As he nodded affirmatively in the guards’ direction, Optimus slowly internalized Megatron’s assessment of himself, not knowing how best to reply. The warlord, however, was at no loss for words and nodded as he provided closing remarks. “You tried so hard to make something of yourself, didn’t you? I’ve learned all about your life during my time here – everyone on Cybertron has.” Megatron cracked a cruel smile, “How you were disgraced by your own: left to rust on space bridge commission. How embarrassing. Needless to say, it was a short and rather uninteresting story.” 

     That’s it. Optimus turned aside and considered leaving prematurely. I don’t have to put up with this, he thought.

     Megatron’s voice rose in an attempt to recapture his attention, “You know, I’ve decided that I will remember your name... yes.” Megatron stretched the syllable, “History would want me to remember it – remember you: the ‘bot who stood in the way of the great Megatron, and who even now, after his pretend heroics, is without recognition and without a future.”

     “Time!” someone behind Optimus shouted. Optimus barely heard the laser gates reopen and his mind whirred as he was escorted hurriedly outside of Trypticon, outside Kaon. Standing just beyond the fortified border of Kaon, he wondered, What was that all about? There’s no hope for Megatron now. His officers incarcerated, his forces scattered and disillusioned… he’s going to be executed in nine solar cycles, for Spark’s sake!

Chapter 2.2~

...Apparently not. I guess he's going to remain a mystery for now.

My search on the wiki turned up only a default response, “There are no results matching this query. 32 unique IP addresses have searched the Parahumans.net Wiki for ‘Regent’ in 2011. Would you like to create the page?”

Well, at least it confirms that the year is 2011.

I wonder if Wildbow nabbed that URL. I'm not going to check, though, in case the front page contains spoilers.

Also, I'm guessing at least a few of those IP addresses are from the Protectorate.

The message board didn’t turn up anything else. I even did a search for alternate spellings of his name, such as Regence and Recant, in case I had heard it wrong. Nothing turned up.

Yeah, that bit... kind of caught me off guard. Good to know that it's not Wildbow's own views.

The Guild and New Wave are new names... It sounds like the Guild doesn't have a "local team" in the same way as New Wave, the Wards and the Protectorate, which suggests to me that the Guild is exclusively local, while New Wave, like the Protectorate and the Wards, has other teams outside Brockton Bay.

Judging by the name, I'm guessing New Wave might be a group that has broken off from another (the Protectorate?) on account of less traditional views.

But despite these defeats, Taylor and Bitch are apparently the first ones to put Lung so out of commission that he could be caught. That's quite a debut for Taylor!

A blurb read, ‘Armsmaster successfully ambushed and defeated the leader of the ABB, who was weakened from a recent encounter with a rival gang.

Seems Nathan Fillion I mean Armsmaster did indeed take credit for the defeat, but at least he didn't claim to have done it all on his own.

Though I'm not sure if Taylor is going to be particularly happy with the way it's implying that he was weakened by villains. She has been mistaken for a villain twice already, which is twice too often for her liking.

Lung was taken to the PHQ for holding until the villain’s trial by teleconference.

That's a smart approach. Wouldn't want him to vaporize the judge.

Given Lung’s extensive and well documented criminal history, it is expected he will face imprisonment in the Birdcage should he be found guilty at trial.’