Revelations

by Phantom

Chapter Seven

"Megatron?" Prime whispered, sitting up slowly. "You up yet?"

"I am now," he replied blearily. "Let me get my functions back online." He paused, then asked, "Have any bright ideas on how to get us out of here?"

Prime gazed down at the floor, struggling with despair. "No," he murmured softly, a note of defeat coloring his tone. "For once in my life I have no answers. I can't remember ever feeling so helpless."

Megatron slowly rose to his feet. "You can't think that way, Prime. We have to keep hoping that we will be saved."

Prime looked up at his companion with a mixture of sorrow and despair. "I don't think we will ever be rescued," he said softly. "We are going to die down here when our energy runs out, and then we will rust away. It's inevitable."

Megatron shook his head. "We can't give up hoping, Prime. It's the only thing keeping us alive."

Prime laughed humorlessly. "Soon even that won't help us. When our energy runs out, we're doomed."

"I refuse to believe that," Megatron said levelly. "I know you, Prime, and I don't believe you'd give up so easily. You've certainly put up a fight these past millennia, and I doubt you're ready to curl up and die the moment we face a setback."

"It's more than just a setback, Megatron."

"Fine, then. We could shut down and wait for someone to find us."

Prime considered this option. "That is a possibility, but we would still run out of energy at some point."

Megatron argued, "Of course we would, but it would still give us a chance."

Prime regarded his old foe solemnly, considering a new thought. "What would we do if we were rescued?" he asked.

Megatron looked confused. "I don't think I understand you, Prime."

"Think about it," Prime said. "Look at us, listen to the way we speak to each other. We've stopped fighting and have begun to accept each other. If we ever are rescued, we'd have to go back to fighting each other, and all the progress we've made here would be lost. Do you really think you could face me from across the battlefield and not feel affected by what we've been through?"

Megatron thought very carefully before replying. "I see your point. No, I don't think I could go back to the way things were before. We've come too far for that. However, I have an obligation to my Decepticons. We still have a destiny to fulfil."

"So that's it then," Prime sighed. "Nothing has really changed."

"Perhaps not," Megatron said thoughtfully. "You have opened my eyes, shown me the pain and suffering my goals were causing. There may be a way to unite all people without using violence and terrorism. Perhaps there could be peace without tyranny. It would take much effort and perhaps a little more violence among my troops to make them understand, but I think it can be done."

"Amazing," Prime said, his tone considerably warmer. "I never thought I'd hear such things from you. We both have come very far. However, your new ambitions will be for naught unless we can find a way out."

"I suppose that could be arranged."

Prime and Megatron stared at each other in shock. Neither of them had spoken. In disbelief, they turned to the entrance to the room.

"Soundwave!" Megatron exclaimed jubilantly. "You old son of a retrorat! I thought I'd never see your ugly face again!"

Prime smiled to himself as the two Decepticons greeted each other, then looked past them to spot another figure. "Blaster!" he cried in surprise and, yes, in pleasure too. "I never thought I'd say this, but I even missed your 'music'."

Blaster grinned. "I knew we'd find you guys! You're just too stubborn to die!"

Prime laughed, relishing the feelings of joy and relief that rose up in him like bubbles. "And I should have known you were too pesky to leave us alone! Anyway, how did you find us?"

Two shapes slunk out of the shadows. "Steeljaw and Ravage managed to follow your trails down here." Blaster gestured to the two trackers. "Believe me, it wasn't easy. We almost lost your trails a few times, and we had to split up when your trails branched apart. If it wasn't for Soundwave's device here," he held up the creation, "we'd still be wandering around searching for each other as well as you."

Megatron gazed sharply at the Autobot. "How did you two manage to cooperate with each other without starting a battle?"

"We had a common goal, and violence at that time would have been counter-productive," Soundwave informed him.

Megatron smiled, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "You know you can't fool me with all that fancy talk, Soundwave. If you wanted to, you could have wasted these Autobots without burning any energon."

Blaster bristled slightly, but he knew that this was not the place for petty arguments. "Ol' Sounder's right," he said, smiling a bit in Soundwave's direction. "He sure surprised me. But if he wasn't lookin' for a fight, I sure wasn't going to start one. Besides, the 'Wave-master isn't so bad after all." He grinned broadly. "He listens to some of the music that I do!"

Soundwave nodded, his optic band glowing softly, pleased at being accepted by the one that he was used to fighting against all these years. "Just at a much lower volume," he added, chuckling a bit. This caused some stares of amazement, even from Megatron, who had not seen Soundwave amused very often.

"Prime!" Blaster called out in alarm as his leader began to collapse. He quickly reached out and caught his leader.

Prime braced himself on Blaster's shoulder. "Would you happen to have any energon rations with you, Blaster?" he asked.

"Sure thing, chief," he replied, reaching into a small compartment in his torso and withdrawing a container. He nudged back the covering with his thumb, exposing several energon chips.

Prime's hands trembled as Blaster shook out the chips. He tried to consume the energy, but ended up gulping it voraciously. He paused and looked at Megatron, who was staring hungrily at the energon. "You can have some of mine," he offered, holding out some chips.

Soundwave shook his head. "That is not necessary, Optimus Prime," he said, reaching into his torso and withdrawing his own packet of energon chips. "I have my own supply."

Megatron was quite surprised. "Soundwave!" he exclaimed. "Since when have you been carrying around extra rations?"

"It is a prudent idea," Soundwave replied. "Perhaps it would serve us in good stead to adopt this as a common practice."

Megatron nodded. "Your suggestion is noted, Soundwave." He emptied the container of energon chips and began consuming them with a passion equal to Prime's.

Finally, when all the energon was gone, both leaders sighed in relief. "I needed that," Prime murmured, leaning against the wall.

"You're not kidding," Megatron replied. "Energon never tasted so good to me."

Blaster looked around at the small cluster of robots. "So what do we do now?" he asked.

Dead silence ensued. Each robot looked around him, unsure what to do or say next. Finally Prime broke the silence. "That's a good question," he said slowly. "We've changed too much to go back to what we were before."

"I agree," Megatron said, walking over to his formal nemesis. "I'd much rather have you as a friend than an enemy, Optimus Prime." He held out his hand in a gesture of friendship that he had seen on Earth. With a broad smile that only showed in his optics, Prime grasped the proffered hand and pumped it.

Soundwave studied the scene with a small amount of surprise, which was overshadowed by his satisfaction at this turn of events. He had supported Megatron all the way through the countless battles, but somehow he had known that there was a better way to achieve those aims. With the blossoming friendship between Prime and Megatron, not to mention himself and Blaster, perhaps a peaceful way could be found.

Soundwave turned to address the Autobot leader. "Blaster and I have established a temporary truce. Perhaps it would serve our mutual interests if that truce were extended a bit longer."

Prime nodded in agreement, his expression of pleasure muted by the mask that covered his face, but was still quite visible. "Perhaps," he agreed, shaking Soundwave's hand as well.

"Come on, you guys!" Blaster cried, gesturing to the exit. "It's getting a little crowded in here."

"You have a point, Autobot," Megatron agreed. They all moved to leave, but Prime and Megatron hesitated, somehow not quite willing to leave the small place where their old hatreds died and new hope began. After a moment, they turned and headed into the tunnels, and perhaps into a new era.

Soundwave gestured ahead of them. "The route we took to find you was quite circuitous, but I have plotted a direct route that will take us back in a relatively short amount of time."

Blaster grinned at his new friend. "Come on, 'Wave!" he exclaimed. "There's no need to hurry back! After all, there are some neat acoustics down here, and we can all dig the decibels!" This statement was greeted with loud groans, even from Ravage and Steeljaw, who scampered ahead together.

"Dear Primus, I feel tempted to break the truce already!" Megatron exclaimed in exasperation. This was enough to stop Blaster in mid-song.

Prime chuckled in amusement. "I think the truce will become stronger than either of us believe. Let's see where it takes us. Perhaps one day all will be one." With those words of inspiration, the motley group headed for the surface, ready to make their new dream a reality.

The End

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