Transformers: Prime: Web of Shadows

Chapter 1: A Shocking Revelation

Jack's chest tightened. He'd seen his mother face down alien invasions, stand up to giant robots without flinching — but now, she looked small, vulnerable, almost broken. "Mom..." he said gently, his tone softening. "Hey. You don't have to go through this alone."

She nodded faintly, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I know. I just... I need time before I tell him."

Jack sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You should tell him, Mom. He deserves to know — even if he's going to completely short-circuit from shock. He's changed. He loves you."

June gave a small, sad smile. "I know. That's what scares me. Because if something happens to this baby, Jack... I don't think either of us could bear it."

Jack looked away, the weight of her words settling in his chest. The image of Megatron — the mighty, once-feared Decepticon leader — standing at his mother's side as a father-to-be was something he never thought he'd have to process. Yet here they were.

He finally exhaled, quietly, almost to himself. "Guess I'm going to have a half-sibling who's... half-human, half-Cybertronian."

June managed a small, watery laugh. "The universe has a strange sense of humor, doesn't it?"

Jack gave her a faint, crooked smile. "Yeah. It really does."

The streets of Cybertron shimmered beneath the ambient glow of Energon streetlights. Optimus Prime walked slowly, his massive frame casting long, faint shadows across the sleek metallic pavement. The city felt quiet tonight, almost serene, yet a part of him remained restless. He had taken some time away from his duties—and more importantly—from his conjunx-endura, Elita-One. Their fight from the previous night had left an uneasy distance between them. For the first time in cycles, he allowed himself a walk, to think, to remember.

Passing the towering Iacon Hall of Records, memories stirred within him like distant echoes. He slowed his pace, recalling the days when he had been Orion Pax, a young and naive data clerk, fresh and eager with wide-eyed curiosity. A nerdy mech, small and untested, just as young as Bumblebee, unaware of the weight the future would place upon his spark. He had spent so many cycles immersed in the High Council's deliberations and the responsibilities of leadership that he had nearly forgotten the simplicity of that time, the innocence of learning, of hoping.

His thoughts were interrupted as a familiar presence approached. A slender figure, graceful yet sturdy, came into view—Melione, daughter of Megatronus Prime and Solus Prime, her optics bright with curiosity. She stopped a respectful distance away, inclining her head.

"Hello, Optimus. Long time, no see."

Optimus's optics softened, the hint of a smile forming in the corners of his faceplate. "Greetings, Melione. How are you and your...half-siblings?"

"We're doing okay," she replied, a faint shadow passing over her expression. "Spearhead is still in prison for secretly plotting to overthrow your daughter ten stellar cycles ago."

Optimus's optics narrowed slightly, a flicker of disbelief crossing his features. "Yes. We didn't expect Spearhead to be more of a villain than a true Autobot."

Melione shifted, her gaze turning momentarily away as if recalling the distant incident. "Where's Elita-One?"

Optimus exhaled a long, mechanical sigh. "She and I...got into a fight last night."

"How come?" Melione asked cautiously, tilting her head.

"It's...complicated," he said, his voice carrying the weight of centuries. "She found out that I had an affair with Sentinel Zeta Prime's daughter when we were young. She got jealous, and I tried explaining to her that I no longer had feelings for Aura when I first became a warrior."