What Have I Done?

Chapter 32: One Shall Rise

Megatron's parental units had loved him and cared for him, all the way until their fateful demise; he could remember as much. The problem he faced now was that he could not recall exactly how they did it. Was it because he was too young? Or was his imperfect memory to be blamed on his childish ignorance and failure to pay more attention?

These were the questions that ran through his mind as he watched the gray seekerling he'd found crawl across the floor.

"Lord Megatron?"

Megatron turned, his newly red colored optics focusing on the mech that was standing in the doorway, "Yes?"

The mech's optics lingered on the sparkling for a moment before relocating to Megatron, "There is a former Iaconian Elite Guardsman here to see you from one of the refugee camps. He says it's urgent."

Megatron's spark stuttered. News of Orion?

"Let him in."

He nodded before leaving. Not long after, a blue and red mech walked in, his bright blue optics startling Megatron. He had been spending too much time around Decepticons lately.

Ultra Magnus stepped forward, and Megatron took a moment to note the ash smeared on mech's limbs and chassis.

"Ultra Magnus?" Megatron offered a shallow smirk, "I would like to say you are looking much better than the time we fought, but..."

The former Guardsman looked down, his optics dimming in an emotion Megatron could not quite place. Expanding his EM field tentatively, Megatron tried to reach out, but Magnus's field was pulled in tight.

"What happened to Orion?"

And just like that, Megatron's hope vanished. He offlined his optics and sat down, his gaze shifting to the sparkling, who was watching them with detached interest.

"I believe that Alpha Trion succeeded in brainwashing him while we were confronting them," Megatron explained. "I shouldn't have brought him along."

"You couldn't have known," Magnus turned aside, "but now that I do know, let me volunteer to help retrieve him. He helped my family find sanctuary and for that, I am ever in his debt."

Megatron shook his helm, "As much as I want Orion back, we do not have the resources to break into one of the most well-guarded buildings on the planet. Much less one in Iacon."

Ultra Magnus scoffed, "You have an army. You could destroy Iacon if you wanted."

"Yes, but that would result in the loss of hundreds of innocent lives," Megatron explained. "It would be a bloodbath. Orion would be horrified."

Magnus opened his intake to argue, but he paused. It was true. The stakes were too high to take anyplace in Iacon... by force.

"I know Iacon and their guarding procedures like the back of my servo," Magnus claimed. "If you gave me a small, specialized team, I am almost certain we could get Orion out before anyone knew he was gone."

Megatron frowned, "You forget that Orion would not come willingly. If you did that, he would be a danger to himself."

"His knowledge is a danger to the Council's plans already. How much longer can we afford to leave him in their servos before they kill him?" Magnus demanded. "That's if they haven't already!"

"I know," Megatron growled. "You think I haven't considered all of this already? That I haven't attempted to devise a million scenarios of ways to rescue him?"

The silver mech's voice was bordering on rage, and Magnus put his servos up to show that he meant no ill will, "You don't have anyone else with Elite Guard training. I'm your best shot."