#megawave

So... that skybound panel, in tfp style.

It's an impressive composition, and I needed it in my preferred iteration/ designs.

And black. Black background. Of course.

Laserbeak’s instinctive reaction gave away Soundwave’s feelings.

As you command, Megatron

Was Megatronus offended to an unbelievable degree? Did Orion receive a great honor one day, and did Megatronus feel that his status and power had been taken away from him? Did he see Orion being crowned while he wasn’t, and simply become envious all of a sudden for such a long time? No. His resentment, his irritation, and his animosity toward Orion built up step by step. That fateful day was simply the last straw. And yet, it’s not that a clerk working under Alpha Trion himself has a rotten core, no. The poor fellow simply wasn’t socialized enough to realize the wrongness of his actions before it was too late.

Few would argue that Orion is erudite and more educated than many on Cybertron, but he may have been isolated from society for most of his life. To read such a vast amount of literature and other material, goodness, he probably didn’t have much time for walks or socializing. Plus, he was studying to be a historian-if my memory serves me right-and studying takes a lot of time, especially for someone who clearly aspired to be a top student.

Perhaps Pax was isolated from society at the very request of Alpha Trion himself, who wanted to shield his student from the horrors of the world. It’s like the story of Buddha, who never left his palace but later, upon seeing the horrors and filth of the world, decided to help set humanity right and enlighten it. A beautiful legend, one of my favorites.

Megatronus, however, being poor, at the bottom of the social hierarchy, and cut off from education, textbooks, and even food, lacked knowledge and erudition. But he had one advantage: he was always among his fellow members of society. Digging in the mines, sharing small portions with his brothers, finding comrades and listeners in the pits of Kaon, he absorbed things that aren’t written in books: he understood nonverbal communication, picked up on intonations and hints—things that Pax was deprived of, as he sometimes failed to grasp even obvious sarcasm. (Remember Sheldon and his “You have a sarcasm sign??”? Exactly like that.)

That’s why, by befriending someone like Megatronus, Orion discovered a whole new world of communication, much like a game of chess. He loves to learn, he adores it, and while Alpha Trion was opposed to this kind of interaction, it sparked the first rebellion of Pax’s entire life. Orion would sneak out of the archives just for a fresh dose of social interaction. And it was some hellishly bad interaction at that. I never thought I’d be mentioning Elon Musk in the context of Transformers, let alone comparing him to Orion Pax, but remember how this guy’s Twitter posts read like they’re written by a teenager discovering dark humor for the first time? Well, sometimes, when Pax opened his mouth, it was LITERALLY the exact same thing.

No, Pax wasn’t a jerk. Never. He was young, he was foolish, he was learning new aspects of life, of socializing, and—ultimately—of himself! And of course, his upbringing hadn’t gone anywhere. Crazy things would slip out unexpectedly, taking Megatronus by surprise and even amusing him, before it gradually began to get on his nerves. If Orion was hanging out with other Mechs or Femmes, he might tell a funny situation just to keep the conversation going, even if that amusing story was meant to stay between the Archivist and the Gladiator. If, during a conflict, someone told Pax, “If you don’t like it, leave,” he would actually get up and leave—after all… that’s literally what they told him, right? What do you mean he wasn’t supposed to? Was he supposed to pick up on something from the tone of voice? What are you talking about?

Could Soundwave have added fuel to the fire? Maybe he was whispering in Megatron’s audiosensors and nagging him every day? Obviously, the two of them had met earlier, and obviously, they spent more time together, since they were in the gladiatorial arena while Pax was in another part of Cybertron. Soundwave can’t stand Orion. Did he consider this archivist a surplus? Maybe he was constantly convincing Megatronus that Orion was a bad friend, just as one girl convinces another that her boyfriend is a red flag? Moreover, Soundwave himself sincerely believed what he was saying he never lied to his friend, not even for a single day. Orion, however, didn’t notice a thing, considering the two of them his best friends with whom he could speak without filter.

Ultimately, it all woven into a very intricately woven web of mistrust, things left unsaid, misunderstandings, and youthful foolishness. On the day Orion spoke in front of the High Council, drawing their attention to himself and speaking like the most enlightened and pure being on the entire planet, the last thread of patience simply snapped. No, it’s true after all. All this time, Pax really was just a scoundrel, simply used all those cycles of conversation, jokes, and trust just to make himself look better compared to the rest! How could Megatron have been so blind? How could he have covered for him and made excuses for him in front of the others? What a fool he is what a complete fool.

And all of this realization came to Orion only after Orion himself was already gone. Optimus feels sorry. For every word, for every joke that cut to the bone, for every time he wanted to have a heart-to-heart with Megatron but put it off, thinking they still had plenty of time together.

Have you ever found yourself recalling something terribly foolish or embarrassing you’d done, and cringed, burying your face in a pillow? He’ll have to relive that every time he goes to sleep. He still wants to explain the whole story to his former brother. But daily chores, hunger, the struggle for resources, and the danger posed by even a chance encounter with a Decepticon leader alone make the task impossible. And when would be the right time to invite him? When he’s running toward with the blade of his sword pointed right at the spark?