#micronus

14. Interlude Pt1

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Sunday surprise! Suddenly a new piece of the Deal with a very tired Optimus and a bunch of Primes brothers arguing with each others.

ITA:

Finally posting art here! Also finally finished sketching out my reinterpretation of The Thirteen Primes (14 really). Important to note that in my version Megatronus is not The Fallen, Quintus is, and was wiped from recorded history, making 13.

The Friendship Between Micronus and Onyx Prime is Pretty Adorable

Similarly to their progenitor, at the end of their universe, the Mini-Cons were condensed into a single point. Instead of becoming a black hole, however, they became a new beginning. The aggregated being is recorded by similarly ancient extradimensional beings as calling themself Micron, and their combined Sparks brought life to the new universe. The knowledge of all parts of Micron condensed until eventually one Spark remained within them, and they lay dormant. A time came where a being from without entered this realm, claiming to be the First Being to exist. Using Micron's bountiful light, Primus fashioned new beings, and learned of this Micron, children of its Enemy, and took them in. While they were not the first of its creations, it still held them in a regard equal to the others despite their stature of form, which resonated with them somehow. In honor of the kindness offered by Primus to what remained of the Micron, they named themself Micronus of the Primes.

Notes below the cut

Chapter Fourteen

Charoite was grateful her walk with B wasn’t too…eventful. A few long stares, some angry, some surprised, but no confrontations or chases. Now she was just happy to lay low with B in a nearly empty arts and crafts store.

“You know, I’ve been considering getting a Micronus Prime decal for my room.” B stared at the yellow and silver decal that hung in a line of identical ones. “I’ve only decorated a little so far, since I haven’t been there too long either. I also have his cog! Did I mention that?”

“What?” Charoite exclaimed as she nearly dropped her Megatronus Prime decal. “How?”

“Well, when you were stranded on the surface, we actually were, too! Well, specifically, me, Optimus, Elita, and Megatron. We found a cave, looked around, and we found the thirteen Primes! It turned out Alpha Trion was still alive, but was unconscious, and he told us the whole ‘Sentinel killing the Primes and taking our cogs’ story. He gave us the cogs of some of the Primes, and I got Micronus’ cog.”

“Wow! That’s amazing!” Charoite’s face dropped. “Well, the ‘getting the cogs’ part of the story is. Can I see it?”

“Sure!” B opened his chest plate.

Charoite stared into his chest. She didn’t care that the cog looked just the same as anyone else’s. It belonged to a Prime and was given to him by another Prime! How lucky he was!”

“Let me guess, he was a miner?” A bot chuckled and walked away.

Charoite straightened her back. She realized how weird she must have looked, bent over and staring into B’s chest plate.

“So, you gonna get any more decorations?” B closed his chest plate.

“Uh, I think I’m good for now.” Charoite picked up her basket, which had a large Megatronus decal, and a decal roll patterned with vibrant blue swirls and diamonds.

Her mission. Charoite remembered she needed to get information.

“So, B…” Charoite began, “…have any battles coming up? Maybe I could be of help to the Autobots?”

B looked like he was almost going to laugh. “Uh, battles coming up? I mean, we don’t schedule battles. Megatron and his bots only attacked about three times, and there doesn’t seem to be a scheduled pattern…”

Charoite let out a high-pitched chuckle. “Okay, it was kinda dumb to ask if battles were coming up. Any strategies that you guys use that helped you win?”

Charoite felt some relief when B seemed to struggle to think about it. Maybe there were no secrets or special strategies, and she could just have nothing to report to Megatron and it wouldn’t be anyone’s fault! No longer would she have to feel conflicted!

“Oh!” B raised a finger. “I’ve got one!”

Aw scrap.

“The tunnels! We’ve never had to use them yet, but we’ve talked about how they would be good for sneaking up on Decepticons in case they broke into our place.”

Charoite nodded. “Huh. Guess they would be good for that.”

Okay, so not the most helpful secret, but it was something. The thought of the tunnels being used that way never occurred to her. Before, she had only thought of them as places she could hide if bots were chasing her. Maybe the Decepticons could sneak in through the tunnels….if they knew where the tunnels were!

“So, that’s it?” Charoite asked.

“Yeah. Us Autobots don’t really have any other secrets. Maybe we’ll get more secrets when we’ve been around longer! Exciting, huh?”

“Totally!” Charoite held up her thumb.

Yes! Something to tell Megatron! Charoite was thrilled! Not to mention, the Autobots having this one secret made her job easier. She however had a nagging feeling. Something telling her not to tell Megatron.

“Well, you wanna go to checkout?” Charoite glanced at the checkout area. “There’s only one customer there right now.”

“Okay, good!” B headed towards the checkout area. “I mean, not as many bots to talk to, or watch buy things that show us what their lives are like, but at least we’ll check out faster!”

“So, were you planning to go anywhere else?” B asked as they stood outside the store with their bags.

“Well…I wasn’t planning to, but…” Charoite wanted to stall on her call with Megatron as much as possible. She dreaded it more and more. She didn’t know if Megatron wanted her to call today, since he already called her, but she didn’t want to chance him getting upset if he didn’t get a call he expected. B was so kind and funny and fun to be around, and so willing to protect her—clearly not just because of a sense of duty.

“I know!” B began, “There’s a race going on soon. It’s provided by Maccadam’s Lounge. I’ve been thinking about going; a lot of the contestants are aspiring Iacon 5000 racers, so maybe we could—”

“—Yeah!” Charoite nearly spilled her bag as she threw her arms in the air. “Do they let anyone sign up at the last minute? I’ve been dreaming of racing in the Iacon 5000 since forever, and I was gonna be in it this year, but…yeah.”

“Well, I don’t know all the details, and I’ve only been to Maccadam’s race once. Maybe you could!”

Charoite’s spark sunk. “If they let anyone sign up last minute, do you think they’d even let me? You know…because of the Sentinel thing?” She also wondered how many bots would even be cheering for her. When Sentinel introduced her to Iacon, she heard so many cheers. Now at least half of those bots probably hated her now.

B’s face dropped. “Oh. Well, I’ll push for you if they try to not let you race.”

Charoite smiled. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” B flung his arm back around Charoite. “Let’s go!

Charoite laughed at B’s bag hitting her arm.

“Two tickets, please!” B slid his money towards a bot in a booth.

The burly, stone-faced bot widened his eyes at the sight of B. His eyes slightly narrowed when he looked past him at Charoite. He printed two tickets and slid them over the counter without a word.

“Thank you! Have a great day, sir!” B grabbed Charoite’s hand and walked away. He stopped short. “Oh! Wait!”

Charoite nearly encouraged B to keep walking. B was clearly about to ask the bot about joining the race last-minute, and she feared what the bot would say.

“My friend here was wondering if anyone’s allowed to join the race like, anytime? Like, now? She’s dreamt of being in the Iacon 5000, and almost did, until—”

“Thank you!” Charoite’s voice wavered as she held a hand up.

The bot rolled his eyes. “Well, the maximum racer capacity is thirty, and we have twenty-eight racers, so if you want to see about joining, ask the ref. He’s probably sitting at one of the front seats.”

“Twenty-eight racers?” Charoite asked. She turned to B. “Maybe you could join?”

“Oh yeah! That’s perfect! Two spots, and two of us! We could be a team, but competing against each other!”

A bot behind them transformed into a car and honked. She transformed back. “Hey, some of us are waiting for tickets, here!”

“Oh, right. Come on!” B grabbed Charoite’s hand and ran through the gates.

“You two want to sign up?”

A red bot, his name tag reading A-150, crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. Charoite and B were able to tell he was the referee, since he wore a “Maccadam’s Race” decal across his chest plate, and he spoke to the racers who stood on the track.

“You’re B-127, am I right?” A-150 pointed at B.

“Yes!” B pointed with both hands. “Glad to meet a fan!”

Charoite missed being able to say that. She hoped an unfair controversy wouldn’t someday hit B.

A-150 gave an unenthusiastic chuckle. “Yeah, well, okay. I’ll let you race, but I’m afraid your friend here can’t.”

“What?” Charoite and B exclaimed in unison.

Charoite didn’t know why she was surprised.

“I know who you are, Chariot.” A-150’s bitter look turned into a full-on frown. “I can’t have this noble race’s reputation tarnished by having a traitor like yourself fly.” His demeanor softened as he turned back to B. “So, if you’ll follow me to the registration screen.”

“Charoite.” Charoite sneered.

“No way.” B crossed his arms. “Either we both race, or I don’t.”

A-150 shrugged. “Eh, suit yourself.”

A-150 walked away and struck up a conversation with the race’s energon-provider.

“Look, B, if you want to race…”

“No,” B replied, the same amount of conviction in his voice. “I don’t wanna race when my friend can’t race.”

Charoite’s spark warmed at “friend.”

“Come on, Charoite. I see some empty seats in the front.”

Charoite didn’t follow him. A spark of excitement was ignited.

“Charoite?”

You made fun of TFP Starscream and MTMTE Rung for their eyebrows...

Spoiler warning

Micronus is the WORST. All of the primes but Optimus are shitty wtf.

That wasn't a test that was being like "Hey Optimus? You know how you need to save lives and shit and its a core value? Well fuck you you should know that doing a vague task with no idea of the outcome for a personal mission is more important than you know...saving Innocent lives

I'M SO INCREDIBLY SALTY OKAY?!!!!!! NO I REFUSE TO SHUT UP ABOUT IT!

Like the wholeass war wasn't enough of a trial?