What Have I Done?

Chapter 14: Internal Affairs

Orion moaned lightly, burying his face further into the chair he was sleeping on. Of course, there was an extra berth, but it wasn't supposed to be extra...

At that thought, Orion sat up and rubbed his optics of the dust that had accumulated overnight. He sniffed quietly and looked around.

Megatronus's chair was empty, prompting Orion to frown and look around. He found the former gladiator on Soundwave's back porch, looking out into the Sea of Rust. Orion's attention was captivated for moment. He had never seen the sea in person. It was... underwhelming.

Megatronus on the other hand, was always an overwhelming sight. His carefully sculpted silver frame with spikes adorning his massive, powerful shoulders. Then his frame melted inward from there, beginning with his huge chassis and ending with his compacted midsection. He was covered in scratches and welding scars, but Orion admired that. Too many bots in Iacon were buffed to perfection and Megatronus was imperfect in a way that made him ten times more attractive.

As if the mech had been reading his mind, Megatronus turned to look at Orion, who froze under the Kaonian's gaze. All was silent for a long moment and Megatronus tilted his helm, observing Orion with those keen, intelligent optics of his.

The former gladiator took a step forward, "I can't quite understand you."

Orion swallowed hard, "What do you mean?"

Megatronus furrowed his brows, "Why? Why turn your back on the people who raised you? Why jump into the darkness, when you have the safety of Iacon behind you?"

"I..." Orion looked up at Megatronus, who was now only inches away and towering over him, "Iacon may be safe... but it is the real darkness. It's cloud of lies hides the truth about the pits, about the datachips, about... everything."

Megatronus reached up and lightly touched Orion's chin, "And you would run from darkness?"

Their optics bore into one another and Orion felt his receptors buzz with a small overcharge. He didn't dare look away.

"I would run from darkness..." Orion breathed, "but only when it hurts others."

"I've killed," Megatronus reminded him. "I've killed countless bots."

Orion frowned, "You were being forced."

"And if I told you... that I was not forced every time I took someone's life?" Megatronus asked.

Orion was quiet for a moment, "You're a good bot, Megatronus. I trust you."

Megatronus felt like the breath had been knocked from his chassis, but he didn't step away. He stepped just a little closer, impossibly close.

"Is that trust well placed?" He asked lowly.

Orion's optics were wide, "I... Yes. Always."

"I hope so," Megatronus whispered, moving his focus from Orion's optics down the former archivist's face. He raised his servo and caressed the smaller mech's cheek with a gentleness he'd never offered any other bot on the planet.

Orion's breath hitched as Megatronus's other servo lightly inched it's way up his arm, toward the archivist's neck cables. Megatronus had lost almost all of his self control by now and he vented quietly, offlining his optics and bringing his dermas dangerously close to Orion's. The archivist was still frozen in place, his spark pulsing rapidly, pounding against the confines of it's chamber.

"Megatronus..." Orion leaned away.

Immediately, the silver mech released him and stepped back, his optics online again. A wall had formed over his features, concealing any and all emotions he may have had. Orion wouldn't have known, because his optics were trained on the floor.