No Good Deed (A Transformers AU)

[Rojixus]

No Good Deed: Chapter I​

Orion Pax considered himself an introvert, that's why he loved his job at Storage Yard 67, but even he had to get out of his office every so often. Granted, his idea of venturing out was piloting the energon barge they sent up to the power plant to collect their consignment of energon, but that was good enough for an introvert like Orion.

Orion's friend Dion entered the pilot's cabin casually sipping from a box of Kremzeek energy drink. "So this is your idea of fun?"

Orion smirked. "You know, if you don't like it, I can let you out here and you can drive back to the yard."

Dion rolled his optics, "Ha. Ha. You're so droll! Besides, if it was up to me, I wouldn't have come along!"

"Well who was the one who thought it was a good idea to sneak a quick nap in the barge's cargo hold?"

"Well it seemed like a good idea at the time! And why didn't you check the cargo hold before you left? I could've been a burglar or something! I could've waited until you were out in the middle of nowhere, like we are right now, and BLAMO!"

"If there was a burglar, they would probably be after the energon cubes in the warehouse, they wouldn't be skulking around in an empty barge."

Dion pointed accusingly, "Hey, don't you use logic on me!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Orion rolled his optics. As a result, he was able to catch a glimpse of something…no, someone on the side of the canal. "Wait, who's that?"

"Don't change the subject!"

"I'm serious, look!"

Orion pointed toward a purple and black bot sprawled out on the side of the canal. From the looks of him, he had seen better solar cycles.

"Feh, it's probably some drunk, best not to make optical contact."

"I think I see blaster wounds! What if he's injured?"

Dion shrugged, "Not our problem. Someone else will probably turn up looking for him."

"You don't know that, we're probably the only bots who ever come down here. We should take him with us."

"Take him with us? It's not a stray cyber-sparrow with a broken aileron, Orion! We don't know this guy or where he came from. For all we know, he got whatever he had coming to him."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Orion steered the barge closer to the bank, "and since I'm the one operating this barge, I get to make the call!"

Dion sighed, "Oh for booting up cold! Fine, but don't say I didn't tell you this was a bad idea."

Orion deployed the magnetic clamps that latched onto the banks of the canal and extended a boarding ramp next to the stranger.

"Wait for me, I'm coming too!" Dion said as Orion began walking down the ramp.

Orion smiled, "I was hoping you'd say that, this guy looks pretty heavy."

The pair made their way to the unconscious mech lying on the ground. He was riddled with blaster wounds and what looked like slash marks. His left optic was just…gone.

"Frag me, look at this guy's shoulder!" Dion pointed at the insignia on the stranger's shoulder.

He was a Decepticon.

Although the Autobots drove the Decepticons off Cybertron, there were still some Decepticons who stayed behind as insurgents or bandits. Although it was getting harder and harder to tell the difference these days.

"We should still help him," Orion said after a moment of thought. "We're not part of this war, we'd do the same if he were an Autobot."

"You can say that, but if the Autobots find out we were harboring a Decepticon, things could get very bad for us very quickly!"

"Well, that's why we better make sure no one finds out! Now let's get him onto the barge and get back to the storage yard!"

"Fine, but if this blows up in our face, I reserve the right to say 'I told you so'."

---

Once Orion and Dion returned to Storage Yard 67 with the stranger draped around their shoulders, they were met at the dock by Orion's girlfriend Ariel, who also worked at the storage yard.

"Alright, before I even start on why Dion was napping in the barge," Ariel said, "why in the Pit did you guys bring back a Decepticon?"

"Sis, I assure you," Dion said, "there is a very logical reason for that."

"The Decepticon?"

"No, why I was napping in the barge!"

Ariel pinched the bridge of her nose, "Dion, could you please not be so…you right now? This is serious!"

"Yes Ariel, it is serious," Orion said, "that's why we need to get him into the EMD and out of here as soon as possible."

"Trust me Ariel," Dion said, "I really did try to talk him out of it, but you know how stubborn Orion can be once he gets an idea into his head."

Ariel smiled knowingly, "You're real lucky you're cute, Ori. But I reserve the right to say 'I told you so' if this blows up in our face!"

Ariel helped Orion and Dion drag the unconscious stranger to the medichanical station. After placing the stranger on the operating table, Orion activated the Emergency Medichanical Drone. Because there was no medichanic on site, the workers of Storage Yard 67 used an Emergency Medichanical Drone for any emergency situations that may arise.

"Please state the nature of the medichanical emergency," the EMD stated flatly.

"EMD, run a diagnostic scan on the patient on the operating table and initiate all possible repairs," Orion commanded. "But keep him in stasis lock, and notify us when the repairs are complete."

"Acknowledged." The EMD replied. Immediately afterward, mechanical arms descended from the ceiling and began to scan and operate on the stranger.

Dion dusted off his hands and grinned. "Well, that takes care of that! Now what?"

Orion shrugged, "Now we go back to regular work."

"Oh yeah, that," Dion sighed. "Do we have to?"

"Well the work's not going to do itself, Dion," Ariel said.

"No, but does it have to be us?"

"What are you talking about?" Orion asked.

"The Decepticons are the ones who made us work here and now they're gone! We can do whatever we want now! Why should we be schlepping energon cubes for the rest of our life cycles?"

Orion wanted to give him an answer, but…he just couldn't. Working at Storage Yard 67 was one of the few jobs Orion, Dion, and Ariel were authorized to have with their labor-class alternate modes.

Ariel was the first to speak, "Look, I know what you're trying to say, but what else would we be doing if not this?"

"I don't know!"

"Exactly," Orion pointed at Dion, "you don't know. At least we have jobs and can get fueled regularly instead of being a bunch of empties killing each other for scraps of energon. Let me tell you, there's plenty of bots who would gladly love to work here!"

Dion looked down at the ground, his shoulders slumped down. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Compared to the eventful beginning of the day, the rest of the work cycle was its usual mundane self as the trio went about their normal work assignments. The entire time, however, Orion couldn't put what Dion said out of his mind. Was filing away data for an energon storage yard really what he wanted to do for the rest of his life? Yes, it kept them fueled and off the streets, but was that enough?

Why did he feel so empty?

---

After their work cycle was completed, Orion and the others were alerted that the stranger had been repaired to the best of the EMD's abilities. As per Orion's instructions, the stranger was still laying on the operating table in stasis. The holes and gashes on his exo-plating had been filled in with some of the living metal they kept in storage for medichanical emergencies just like this. They didn't have any spare optic sensors on hand, so the EMD settled for bolting a plate of metal over the stranger's left optic socket to prevent dust and debris from settling into his inner machinery.

"Alright, let's wake this guy up! Emergency Medichanical Drone, reactivate your patient," Orion commanded.

"Acknowledged," the EMD responded.

Orion, Dion, and Ariel stood there looking at the stranger, waiting for him to wake up. After a while, it became apparent he wasn't getting up.

Ariel cocked her head to the side, "I don't get it; he should be up."

"Yeah, what gives?" Dion added, "I was waiting all day for this!"

"Emergency Medichanical Drone, has the patient been reactivated from stasis?"

"Affirmative."

"Then why is he motionless?"

"Cause unknown."

Ariel scratched her chin, "Emergency Medichanical Drone, run a diagnostic scan on the patient."

"Acknowledged." The EMD performed a diagnostic scan as ordered, "No medichanical complications detected."

"Alright," Dion said, "perform a self-diagnostic."

The EMD did as ordered, "No errors detected. All systems are nominal."

Orion shrugged, "okay, does anyone else have an idea?"

Dion walked toward the unconscious stranger, staring him up and down. He placed his head over the stranger's chest. "Well, I'm definitely getting a spark pulse, so he's not dead!"

Ariel rolled her optics, "look at Suture over here with the professional diagnosis!"

"Ha ha, very funny sis," Dion said, "but I don't see you trying any—"

Without any warning whatsoever, the stranger sprang to life and slammed a fist into Dion's face. While he was stunned, the stranger leaped from the operating table and grabbed him by the neck. Before Orion and Ariel could even react to the fact that the stranger had awakened, he lifted Dion up and slammed him onto the operating table with a sickening clang. The stranger's left hand retracted into his forearm and was replaced by a blaster. He pointed it straight at Dion's face.

Orion was the first to snap out of his shock-induced inaction. "LET GO OF HIM!"

Before Orion could pounce on him, the stranger slammed Dion's head onto the operating table again.

"Stay back, or this one dies," the stranger commanded.

Despite the frantic situation, the stranger's tone was as calm as the eye of a hurricane and so authoritative that Orion felt compelled to obey despite himself. Now that the stranger was up on his own two feet, Orion could see that he greatly towered over the three dock workers. This truly was a Decepticon built for battle. He was an actual killing machine.

And Orion was the one who placed them all in jeopardy.

The stranger glared at him with his single yellow optic. "You will answer my questions. First question, how long have I been unconscious?"

"I…I don't know! We found you by the side of the canal earlier today and brought you here!"

"And where is 'here'?"

"Storage Yard 67, it's an energon storage yard! Now please let my friend—"

"And who are you? I want names."

Orion pointed at himself, "I'm Orion Pax. I'm the administrator of this storage yard."

He pointed at Ariel, "She's Ariel Ambus, sh-she operates the communication equipment."

He pointed at Dion, "He's Ariel's brother, Dion Ambus. He supervises the drones."

"So you are civilians? I should have guessed by your builds."

"Yes! We are civilians. We mean you no harm! Like I said, I saw you on the side of the canal and thought you needed help. We brought you here to help you, I swear to Primus! Now please, just let my friend go."

The stranger's look softened and he looked back on Dion before letting him go. Dion rubbed his neck as his face twisted into a ferocious snarl.

"SPAWN OF A GLITCH!" Dion balled his hand into a fist and sent it slamming into the stranger's face. The stranger was unaffected while Dion clutched his hand in agony.

The stranger looked on Dion with pure disdain, as if Dion were a splotch of oil on his heel-strut. "You are a frightened civilian, Dion Ambus, therefore I will excuse your outburst just this once. But if you attempt to touch me again, I will kill you where you stand."

The stranger turned toward Orion, standing straight up with his hands clasped behind his back. "Orion Pax, it appears I was mistaken. I have no desire to harm you. The last thing I remembered was being pursued by Autobots, so it's only logical that I would be highly cautious."

"You have a name, stranger?" Dion growled, cradling his hand.

The stranger maintained optic contact with Orion, as if he were a cryo-buzzard staring down its prey.

"I am Shockwave."

 

[Rojixus]

No Good Deed: Chapter II​

Orion Pax thought he had been in tense situations before. Sure, he had almost turned in a report late, and there were times when he had to deal with a clerical error, but none of those moments compared to the situation he was in now. He, Ariel, and Dion were in the Medichanical station alone with a full-fledged Decepticon warrior named Shockwave.

Shockwave gently brushes his new optic patch with his finger. "I suppose this was your doing?"

Orion quietly pushed Ariel and Dion behind him, his arms were out-stretched. "Yes, we didn't have any spare optic sensors on us, so that was all we could do for you."

Shockwave held up his hand dismissively, "It does not matter, I have been without that optic sensor for some time, ever since the Fall of Cybertron. Since then, I have not had the time to have it properly repaired."

Orion heard all about the Battle of Cybertron a hundred stellar cycles earlier. Since Storage Yard 67 was out on the furthest outskirts of the sleepy town of Rodion, there weren't any battles in the area. In fact, the day of the battle was completely normal as far as Orion had been concerned. The only way he found out that there had even been a battle was when he watched the news that night.

Ariel came up from behind Orion to face Shockwave, "Well, we won't keep you, you can leave whenever you want." Her voice was somewhere between a whisper and a hiss.

For a brief microsecond, Orion could swear he saw Shockwave's face contort into a snarl before reverting to his calm demeanor.

"Of course, I have imposed on you people for long enough."

He then turned back to Orion, "Orion Pax, I require a map of the area so that I may gain my bearings."

Orion nodded. "Of course, Ariel can take you to the data terminal in the communication room."

Ariel gestured toward the door. "Right this way, Decepticon."

Shockwave turned to Dion, "Dion Ambus, you had better use this EMD to tend to your own wounds."

"Thank you so much for your concern," Dion sneered.

After Ariel led Shockwave out of the room, it was as if a planet-sized amount of tension had left the room. Orion let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeesh! Who does that mech think he is?!" Dion shouted. "And not even a hint of gratitude! Where does he get off?"

"I can't argue with you there, that Shockwave isn't the most sociable of bots, he's like a walking refrigeration unit."

Although Orion downplayed his unease so as not to worry Dion, he couldn't help but feel that there was something…sinister about Shockwave. In fact, if he didn't know Ariel could handle herself in servo-to-servo combat, he would not have been comfortable leaving her alone with him. More and more, Orion was beginning to regret taking Shockwave with them. He should've just called the authorities and let the Autobots handle him. Why did he always come up with the good ideas after the fact?!

"I will give Shockwave this though—he finally helped me reach a decision," Dion said as the EMD started repairs on his hand, "Yeah, now I know exactly what I should do."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll tell you and sis later, after Shockwave leaves."

Dion's words were reinforced with such sincerity, it really took Orion aback. No jokes, no sarcasm, just an honest dialogue.

He didn't think this solar cycle could get any more bizarre.

***
​

After Shockwave received a map of the area, Orion and the others politely yet curtly escorted him off the premises. As soon as he stepped outside, he began looking up at the sky as if he were searching for something.

"You have honored both yourselves and your caste by aiding me this cycle," Shockwave announced, "Therefore, why not honor yourselves further by joining the Decepticon cause?"

Dion snorted, "You're kidding, right?"

"Hear me out," Shockwave ordered, "I am not saying you would have to fight and risk your lives, that is not the Decepticon way. Instead, I propose that a few of your energon cubes go…missing."

"I'm sorry, what?" Ariel sneered.

"A few spare cubes here and there could aid the Insurgency a great deal. And when the Decepticons retake Cybertron, I will do everything in my power to see that you are rewarded for your efforts. In fact, if you so desire, I can see to it that you are given special dispensations to have your alternate modes changed to whatever you see fit."

"It's a little late for that, pal," Dion barely suppressed a chuckle, "the Decepticons are history, there's nothing you can offer us that the Autobots don't already give freely. I think we've heard enough from you, feel free to return to your pals."

Orion could see Shockwave clench his fist at the first mention of the Autobots, though his face was as expressionless as ever.

"So I am to understand you are rejecting my offer?"

"Damn right!" Dion shouted.

"Got it in one," Ariel smirked.

Orion nodded, "Yes, I'm sorry, but we are indeed refusing your offer. We're not part of your war Shockwave, and you don't get to order us around like the Decepticons used to do. Goodbye."

Orion had to admit he may have taken a small bit of pleasure from telling Shockwave off, and he may or may not have taken additional pleasure from the brief look of pure rage that existed in Shockwave's remaining optic.

"So be it," the Decepticon said coldly, "it is ultimately your choice. But I must warn you, there will come a time when you will wish you had accepted my offer."

Shockwave began to raise his right arm, causing Orion to steel himself as if he were preparing for an attack. Fortunately, Shockwave was instead raising his arm in a traditional Destron salute. He clicked his heel struts together and raised his right arm at an angle. For a brief moment, Shockwave resembled the idealized Decepticon soldiers in every Decepticon propaganda video Orion, Ariel, and Dion were force-fed in Primary Programming.

"Hail victory!" Shockwave shouted as he transformed into his vehicle mode, some kind of VTOL craft. He lifted off on a pair of large thrusters at the ends of stubby wingtips. As soon as he was in the air, the thrusters turned ninety degrees and Shockwave sped off and quickly disappeared over the horizon. Orion truly hoped in his spark of sparks that this would be the last he would ever see of Shockwave.

"And don't come back!" Dion shouted in the general direction Shockwave left, "Wait, what's that?"

"What's what?" Orion asked. He looked where Dion was pointing and saw a cybird circling around them. Against the setting sun, the red cybird was nearly invisible, yet Orion was just able to make out its features.

"Huh, isn't that a cryo-condor?" Ariel asked, "You don't normally see those this far south."

Dion shrugged. "Well, this war has made the whole planet crazy, so I'm not surprised."

With nothing left to keep them outside, Orion, Ariel, and Dion began to return to the storage yard.

"So Dion, what was it you wanted to tell us after Shockwave left?" Orion asked.

"What? This is the first time I'm hearing about it," Ariel said.

Dion stopped, remaining silent. His head was downturned.

Ariel gently placed a hand on Dion's shoulder, "Dion, what's wrong?"

"Guys…I think," Dion shook his head, "no, I am quitting."

Orion and Ariel reeled back in shock. Dion was…leaving? How would that even work?

"What? Hold on, don't you think this is a little sudden?" Ariel asked.

"Yeah, what brought this on?" Orion added.

Dion shrugged, "It's not like this is coming out of nowhere…in fact, this was a long time coming. I don't know about you guys, but I never liked this job. In fact, I hate this job! The only things that kept me from blowing out my spark chamber were you guys. Never in a gigacycle would I ever choose to be some dockworker slaving away stacking energon cubes for the rest of his life! I'm only working here because the Decepticons made me and now THEY'RE GONE! We're free! And you know what? I HATE THE FRAGGING DECEPTICONS!"

"Granted, this isn't the most glamorous job, but it's better than nothing, right?" Orion asked.

Dion shook his head. "I used to think that, Orion, I really did. That's why I didn't just run off after the Decepticons were driven out. I tried to tough it out, but then I realized…I don't have to tough it out! None of us have to tough it out anymore! We can leave! Someone else can do this job, it doesn't have to be us!"

"What are you going to do? Where are you going to go?" Ariel asked.

"I'm joining the Autobots!" Dion said with his shoulders square and his face high and proud.

Orion grabbed Dion's shoulders, "Dion, no!"

Dion slapped his hands away, "I am, Orion, this is happening."

"But why? This isn't our war, the Autobots—"

"Sacrificed their lives so we can be free of the Decepticons, so we can be free to be whoever we want to be! I'm not just going to sit on the sidelines while people fight and die for me! Plus, the Decepticons could just as easily come back, the Autobots are gonna need all the help they can get."

"Dion…I had no idea you felt this way," Ariel said.

"Well…now you do," Dion said quietly. He transformed into his vehicle mode and drove back to their living quarters at the storage yard compound.

Any words Orion could have said were simply snuffed out by the sheer gravity of the situation. He looked over at Ariel, who looked just as lost as he did. They stared into each other's optics and embraced each other tightly. Whether they stayed that way for ten astrosecond or ten trillion, Orion couldn't tell.

***​

The next day, Orion Pax snuck out of the compound to do a bit of driving around the countryside to clear his processor. He wasn't built for maneuverability by any means, but he was still able to twist and turn and drift and spin well enough. To an outsider, Orion Pax would look like he had gone mad, but it was in the twisting and turning that he found peace.

He had to admit it was a bit cowardly on his part, to just run off before Dion or Ariel reactivated from their sleep cycles, but he just had no idea what to say to Dion…or Ariel for that matter. Her brother, his friend was going off to join the Autobots. He was going off to join the war. For the first time since they met, their happy trio was about to be dismantled and there was nothing Orion Pax could do about it. He was powerless to do anything about anything as usual.

"No, running away from my problems isn't going to help anything!" Orion Pax said to himself as he nearly tipped himself over doing a quick figure-eight maneuver. "I've just got to take this minotron by the horns. Dion's leaving, and that's just something I have to accept. But no matter where he goes, he'll always be my friend!"

Orion Pax skidded to a halt and drove himself back to the storage yard. The place looked the same as he left it.

Orion saw something flying around the compound, "Wait, what is that?"

Flying above the storage yard was that same red cryo-condor from yesterday! It circled around the compound, its optic sensors were trained on Orion the entire time. He felt a jolt run up his back strut. Perhaps he was being paranoid, but something just didn't feel right. Orion rushed toward the entrance and practically threw himself inside the building. Everything looked…normal. Just plain ordinary and normal.

"Dion?! Ariel?!" Orion called out.

There was no answer.

"Guys, I'm back! I just had to…drive off and think. Guys?!"

At this point, Orion was running down the corridors. The storage yard was built with a large crew in mind. But with the war; the number of employees began to dwindle until there were only Orion, Ariel, and Dion.

"We're in the conference room, Orion!" Dion shouted from deeper within the labyrinthine complex.

"Come on and join us!" Ariel added.

Orion transformed into his vehicle mode and sped toward the conference room. Without even the hint of other bots, the corridors seemed impossibly cold and barren. No matter how fast Orion sped, there was still more area to cover. After what seemed like an eternity, he stopped before the doors of the conference room and transformed to robot mode. He reached toward the doors, but his hands wouldn't stop trembling. What was he so afraid of? It was just Dion and Ariel, the two bots he loved and trusted the most in the galaxy.

Orion calmed himself, steadied his hands, and pressed the button on the control panel that activated the door. He walked into the room and found Ariel and Dion sitting at the conference table.

Chained up and gagged.

And they weren't alone.

Sitting with them at the conference table were several Decepticon soldiers, the shortest of them nearly twice Orion's height. At the head of the table was none other than Shockwave, his fingers tented in front of him as if he were a supervisor about to discipline an unproductive worker.

"We're in the conference room, Orion!" A blue robot to Shockwave's right said…in Dion's voice. "Come on and join us!" He added in Ariel's voice.

The Decepticons roared with laughter until Shockwave cleared his air filters, after which, the room fell into complete silence.

"We meet again, Orion Pax," Shockwave said. His mouth was twisted into a contemptuous smirk and his single yellow optic blazed with malice.

"You should have accepted my offer when you had the chance."

—To Be Continued!​

 

[Rojixus]

No Good Deed: Chapter III
​

"Shockwave!" Orion Pax yelped in shock. He had honestly thought he had seen the last of the Decepticon, though perhaps that may have been more wishful thinking than anything grounded in reality. Now, there he was sitting right at the head of the conference table. Dion and Ariel sat bound and gagged next to him. If looks could kill, Dion's glare would have vaporized Shockwave on the spot.

"Look out folks, we've got a smart one over here!" the dark blue Decepticon chuckled.

"How did you get in?!"

"It was simple really. When I was at your data terminal searching for maps of the area, I left myself a little back door for my brother Soundwave to hack into your facility's security systems and disable them. We were able to walk in completely unopposed. Perhaps Ariel Ambus should have watched me a bit more closely."

The Decepticons roared with laughter.

"So this is the noble Orion Pax who saved my big brother after he got his skidplates handed to him by Starscream!" the dark blue Decepticon said, "I have to thank you, I really wasn't looking forward to taking charge of this pack of ne'er-do-wells and degenerates!"

One of the Decepticons, a white and red bot with a strange slotted visor over his optics who sat with his feet propped up on the table, took the cy-gar out of his mouth, "And you can kiss my shiny Chrome Cyberzoid skidplates, Soundwave! What makes you think anyone would want to follow you?"

"Soundwave, Exhaust, that's enough," Shockwave said sternly. "While it is true that the Aerialbots gained the upper hand over us in our last encounter, it is we who shall ultimately prevail. That is where you are required, Orion Pax."

"I don't understand, what could you want from—the energon!"

"Ding! Ding! Ding! That's two for two!" Soundwave declared, "And who said Neutrals were processor-dead simpletons?"

"That is correct, Orion Pax," Shockwave said, "We require your energon. I had hoped I could peacefully persuade you to give us the energon, but your recalcitrance has forced me to use…more extreme methods. If you will not give the energon to us willingly, then we will take it by force."

"WE SAVED YOU!" Orion roared, "Why are you doing all this? Is this what passes for gratitude among you Decepticons?!"

"Gratitude is irrelevant," Shockwave said, his face an expressionless mask, "The only thing that matters is the mission. Those that aid in the mission are to be rewarded. Those that hinder the mission are to be eliminated. There are no exceptions. I offered you a reward earlier when I invited you to become Decpticons. But since you rejected my offer, you have all become hindrances. You have no one to blame but yourselves for this outcome."

"But we're not part of this war, we're neutral!"

Shockwave's subordinates burst into a round of laughter.

"Neutral's just another word for target practice!" Exhaust cackled.

"Ye be either with us, or ye can be scrap at the bottom o'the sea!" A large purple and grey Decepticon bristling with large guns sitting to the left of Shockwave said before taking a swig from his flask.

"Yeah, you're either in-tune with the band or you're not, there is no in-between!" A black and grey Decepticon next to Exhaust said.

Shockwave rose from his seat, "You and your friends will load as many energon cubes onto the barge as it can carry. After that, I will consider sparing your insignificant lives."

"And if I refuse?"

Shockwave gave a light sigh. "Please, Orion Pax, you appear to be reasonably intelligent. Don't make me state the obvious."

Once again, Orion was powerless. Shockwave held all the cards and could kill them all at his merest whim. How could he possibly fight against him? It would be suicide to attempt it. Maybe if he went along with what Shockwave wanted, the Decepticon would find that killing them wasn't worth it. It was a long shot, but Orion just didn't see any other way for them to come out of this alive.

Orion glared at Shockwave with all the contempt he could muster. "So it's like that, huh? Fine, we'll do it. After that, I never want to see you again."

Shockwave smirked. "If that is what you wish, that is exactly what you will receive."

***
​

Orion loaded one last energon cube onto a pallet, "We're almost done guys; I think this will be the last trip."

"Thank Primus, I haven't been worked this hard since my first day here!" Dion sighed, "remember that day, sis?"

"Yeah, I remember alright!" Ariel said, "And our supervisor was as cold as a refrigeration unit!"

Orion rolled his optics, "Why are you guys bringing that up? I wasn't even that cold to you guys!"

Their conversation was brought to a swift end when Exhaust walked into the storage vault and blasted a spot in front of Dion. "Hey! I didn't give you bots permission to stroll down memory lane, get back to work!"

The Decepticons proved to be harsh task masters. Even with the help of drones, Orion and the others were worked down to their endostructures. Of course, none of the Decepticons themselves even considered helping them. As far as they were concerned, manual labor was beneath warriors such as themselves. Orion, Dion, and Ariel were clearly more suited for the job since they were mere labor-class bots.

Just as they got close to the barge, Exhaust kicked over Dion's pallet of energon, scattering the cubes on the ground.

"Ooops!" Exhaust cackled, "How clumsy of you! You better pick all that up or the boss is really gonna let you have it!"

"THAT TEARS IT!" Dion pounced on Exhaust in an attempted attack, but the Decepticon casually swatted him away as if Dion were a discarded oil can. Dion landed on the ground and was instantly assaulted with a barrage of Exhaust's kicks.

"You insignificant piece of slag, who do you think you are?! It's long past time you learned your place, brat!"

Exhaust grabbed Dion by the neck and repeatedly slammed him into the ground while unleashing a barrage of punches to his face.

Orion turned to look at Ariel. Although she was holding herself back now, it was only a matter of moments before she reached her limit and started attacking Exhaust too. Orion would be damned if he let anything happen to Ariel, he would have to do something.

"Please forgive him, sir! My friend didn't mean it, he was always a hot-head. We're almost finished here, if you would just let us continue—"

Orion was interrupted when Shockwave emerged from the energon barge. "That is enough, Exhaust. Go back inside until you are needed."

Exhaust extended his arm in a Decepticon salute, "Whatever you say, Shockwave!" Without any further words, Exhaust disappeared inside the storage building with a grin on his face.

"Orion Pax and Ariel Ambus, you will proceed to the barge. Dion Ambus, pick up the energon cubes and continue your task," Shockwave commanded before reentering the barge.

Although the trio was seemingly unguarded, Orion only had to look up to see a familiar red cryo-condor circling above the compound ready to alert its master if they tried to escape.

Orion tried to help Dion put his energon cubes back on his pallet, but Dion swatted his hand away. His optics blazed with pain and anger.

Orion reeled back. "I-I was just trying to help."

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" Dion shouted, "You helped us enough!"

"Dion, that's not fair and you know it!" Ariel growled, "Orion couldn't have known this would happen, no one could have!"

"It doesn't matter now," Dion sneered, "you'd better do as your master commanded you."

Orion couldn't disagree with Dion's accusations, he had been the one to save Shockwave's life and now they were all paying the price for it. He left Dion to pick up his energon cubes in solitude and took his own consignment of cubes to the energon barge with Ariel. There, the two unloaded the cubes in awkward silence.

Orion was the first to speak. "Dion's right, you know. What in Unicron's cauldron was I thinking, bringing a Decepticon back here? How could I be so stupid?"

Ariel stopped packing away her energon, "I don't think what you did was stupid, Orion. Yeah, it was a bad idea in hindsight, but helping another bot when they're in need is never stupid!"

Orion smiled, "You guys are a bad influence, the old me never would've done something like that! When did I start caring about complete strangers?"

"I think you always cared about other bots, you just didn't want to admit it. I think you said something about there being safety in indifference?"

"Yeah, I did," Orion chuckled, "But then you and Dion managed to drill your way into my spark anyway. And I'm really glad you did. Ariel, if we survive this…I think we should get married."

Orion Pax had no idea where that came from. He always dreamed of proposing to Ariel one day, but that day always seemed so far away, so tantalizingly close yet comfortably distant.

Ariel's face lit up like a sky-lamp, "Yes! Oh Primus, yes!"

Orion took Ariel in his arms and spun her around with a wide grin on his face. It was ironic that Shockwave's brutality was quite likely responsible for the happiest moment of Orion's life.

"Am I interrupting anything?"

Orion turned to find Dion entering the cargo hold with his consignment of energon cubes.

"We're getting married!" Orion and Ariel said in unison.

Dion scratched his head. "What, like now?"

"No, after all this is over," Orion's smile evaporated the instant he remembered his situation, "If we survive, that is."

"Yeah," Dion said grimly, "Orion, I'm really sorry for what I said earlier, I…I was out of line. You couldn't have known anything like this could happen. I knew the Decepticons were total pistons, but Shockwave is on a whole other level."

Orion placed his hand on Dion's shoulder and smiled warmly, "Don't worry about it, brother!"

Dion smiled, "Brother, huh? I think I like the sound of that."

***​

After helping Dion putting away his energon cubes, the trio were escorted by Shockwave to the back of the storage yard where all the other Decepticons laid in waiting. Orion felt like they were about to be fed to sharkticons. He and Ariel took each other's hand and gently squeezed.

As if reading his mind, Ariel whispered in Orion's audial sensor, "I don't like the looks of this."

Orion glared at Shockwave, "Alright Shockwave we did what you want, now leave!"

Shockwave smirked, "I assure you, we will leave. There is but one bit of unfinished business."

"And what's that?" Dion snarled.

"Your executions!" Soundwave said cheerfully from beside Shockwave.

Exhaust pushed himself off the wall and perked up like an energon hound that picked up a scent. "Fragging A, it's about time!"

Orion's mechfluid ran cold. Execution? No, there was no way they were actually going to be murdered, was there? Orion had heard tales of Decepticon cruelty, but he thought they were just Autobot propaganda.

"B-but you said you'd let us live if we loaded the energon barge like you wanted!"

"Incorrect," Shockwave said, "I believe my exact words were…" He pointed to Soundwave.

"You and your friends will load as many energon cubes onto the barge as it can carry. After that, I will consider sparing your insignificant lives." Soundwave said in Shockwave's voice.

"I have considered the matter for approximately .00042 astroseconds," Shockwave smirked, "And I have determined that you have outlived your usefulness to me. Therefore, your lives are forfeit."

"Should've listened more carefully!" Soundwave chuckled, "Though you'd probably just be killed either way."

"Besides, it wouldn't do us any good if young Dion Ambus went off and joined the Autobots like he so passionately declared yesterday."

Dion's optics widened, "H-how do you know about that?"

Soundwave pointed up at the sky where the red cryo-condor circled the compound. "Let's just say, a little cy-bird told us. Back when I was with the Justice Division, I had Laserbeak reengineered into a surveillance device. She has proven herself quite useful over the cycles."

"Tidalwave, Exhaust, and Loudpedal, line these three up against the wall and shoot them. Afterward, rendezvous with me and Soundwave on the barge," Shockwave commanded.

"DECEPTICON SCUM!" Dion roared. He lunged toward Shockwave, ready to attack.

It was the last thing he ever did.

Without hesitation, Shockwave converted his left hand into its blaster configuration and shot Dion pointblank in the spark chamber. Dion stopped in his tracks, clutching his chest. His optics turned a dull orange and smoke billowed from his gaping mouth. Dion Ambus, Orion Pax's best friend and would-be brother-in-law, took two steps back and promptly collapsed.

In one terrible instant, Dion had been murdered in cold oil.

"DION!" Orion and Ariel shouted in unison. They ran to Dion's smoking body, hoping against hope that he was still alive. But the gaping hole in his chest was proof positive that Dion Ambus was no more. His face was twisted in silent agony, and his optics were charred black.

"SPAWNS OF GLITCHES!" Ariel shouted. She tried to pounce on Shockwave just as her brother had done, but Orion snapped back to reality in time to tackle her to the ground before Shockwave could murder her too.

"LET GO, ORION! LET GO OF ME!" She roared.

"Ariel, stop!" Orion begged, "I just lost Dion, I can't lose you either!"

"It seems to me that you'll be losing her regardless," Shockwave stated coldly.

"YOU SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH!" Orion snapped, "I should have let you die!"

Shockwave smirked, "Perhaps you should have, but you did not. Your compassion was your weakness, as it is to all who are swayed by that most insipid falsehood."

Ariel burst into laughter, "You're pathetic, Shockwave. You think compassion is a weakness? You don't know what you're talking about, you coward! I don't care how strong you think you are, you are nothing compared to Orion. He's strong enough to be kind, strong enough to be gentle! And that's something a cold and unfeeling thing like you will ever understand!"

Shockwave transformed into his vehicle mode and turned to Soundwave, "The weak-minded always babble nonsense when they are about to die. It is an altogether curious coping mechanism, I must admit."

Soundwave also transformed into his vehicle mode, some sort of stealth bomber, and turned to the other three Decepticons, "You three! Don't just stand there with your pistons in your servos, you've got your orders!"

"Yes sir!" Tidalwave, Exhaust, and Loudpedal responded in unison as Shockwave and Soundwave flew off toward the barge.

Without warning, Orion was wrenched away from Ariel and thrown against the wall. Ariel was similarly thrown, but Orion managed to catch her before she could make the same rough contact with the wall he did. Orion and Ariel held each other for dear life.

"I will always love you, Orion Pax," Ariel whispered.

"I'll see you on the other side, my love. You made my life worth—"

The Decepticons wasted no time in carrying out their orders.

—To Be Continued!​

 

[Rojixus]

No Good Deed: Chapter IV
​

1.2 Megacycles ago…

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Orion Pax asked after stepping into the office of his supervisor, Abacus.

Abacus's face lit up upon seeing the data archivist. "Ah, Orion! Come in! Come in!"

Abacus was at his desk as usual, but to the right of his desk were two bots whom Orion had never met before. They didn't look much older than he did when he started working at Storage Yard 67. One of them, a mech, was mostly blue and orange. He had a grin that reeked of insincerity, as if he had been told he had to constantly smile to win people over. The bot next to him, a femme, looked a bit more honest in her feelings. Her mouth downturned, she had a look of clear disgust on her face. It was a pity, she probably looked better with a smile.

Abacus motioned toward the two youths. "Now starting today, Orion, we're gonna have two more workers down here at the storage yard. Y'all introduce yourselves."

The male robot stepped forward, "I'm Dion Ambus."

The fembot did the same, "And I'm Ariel Ambus."

Orion shrugged, "Uh huh, nice to meet you, I guess." He turned back toward Abacus, having already let the new metal pass from his attention. "If this is about the report sir, I can assure you it will be submitted on time as always. I'm not the type of bot to do a half-sparked job."

Abacus shook his head, "That's not actually why I called you here, Orion. I want you to show Dion and Ariel the ropes and get them in working order as soon as possible!"

Orion's optics widened, "Sir?!"

"The Decepticons want more energon produced, that means they're sending us more bots. And that means, we need more supervisors. And starting today, you are going to be one of those supervisors."

"Wait, I'm getting a promotion?"

"That's right."

"Well um…that's good."

"Glad you agree," Abacus turned to Dion and Ariel, "Dion and Ariel, this is Orion Pax. He will be your supervisor. He's easily the smartest bot on the payroll, so you're in good servos."

Dion and Ariel bowed deferentially to Orion in the way bots of their caste were instructed to do during Primary Programming.

"Please take good care of us!" They said in unison.

"Um…sure," Orion said, "Let's just get right to it."

Orion decided to start off with a tour of the storage yard. It was no easy feat, the corridors were teeming with workers hurriedly rushing to and from their work stations. Above the heads of the rushing workers, drones flitted around like insecatrons hopped up on Kremzeek.

"This place sure is…busy," Dion said, his ever-present smile firmly bolted to his face, it was starting to unnerve Orion.

"Actually, it's a bit of a slow day today. The power plant up the river blew a condenser coil, so production took a hard dive. It ended up killing fifty workers."

Ariel gasped, "That's terrible!"

Orion shrugged, "It can't be helped, I'm afraid. The Decepticons are pulling out all the stops on energon production. They couldn't care less how many of us workers end up in the scrap heap. Count yourself lucky you ended up here instead of the power plants or Primus forbid the mines."

For the first time since Orion met him, Dion's fake smile faded. "Yeah, lucky us, I guess."

Orion turned around, avoiding looking Dion and Ariel in the optic. "I know things seem tough now, but you'll adjust in time. Once you start thinking of yourself as just another cog in the machine, you'll find that nothing can hurt you."

"Because you don't feel anything?" Dion sneered.

"Feelings are overrated."

"Do you actually believe that?" Ariel asked, placing a hand on Orion's shoulder.

Orion slapped it away, "I have to! And if you want to last, you'd better start doing the same! Don't get attached to anyone here, because you don't know when they'll be gone."

Orion cursed his luck. Why did he have to get these two bolted onto him? Oh well, they probably won't last. He'll be alone again soon enough.

***​

The Present…

Orion Pax had no idea where he was when he was forcibly reactivated. From the looks of it, he might have been in a medichanical station not unlike the one at Storage Yard 67.

As soon as Orion remembered Storage Yard 67, he remembered the horrific events that took place there. Dion was dead, and Ariel…

Primus, what happened to Ariel?

Orion nearly jumped off the operating table he was laying on, but a white and red fembot held him down.

"Woah, hold on there, big guy! Your internal systems are still on self-repair, you need to rest!"

"No! I need to—"

Wait, was that Orion's voice? That didn't sound anything like him, it was much deeper and practically rumbling! What was going on? He turned his head to look at a large mirror that took up most of the accompanying wall and was aghast what he saw.

Sitting next to the red and white femme on the surgical table was a powerfully built dull grey robot with blazing white optics. He couldn't make out the bot's face because it was mostly obscured by a silver mouthplate. Orion reached up to touch his face and felt a mouthplate, he couldn't help but notice the bot in the mirror doing the same.

Orion Pax was looking at himself. That was what he looked like now.

Orion got up off the table. He couldn't help but notice that everything seemed much smaller and shorter than he was used to. Or perhaps he was just bigger? He stumbled toward the mirror, he felt like he was wading through old visco. When he reached the mirror, all he could do was stare at his new face. It was a warrior's face, the face of a fighter. There was nothing left of Orion Pax in that fierce visage, nothing left of the dockworker who had nearly lost everything he had ever cared about. The dockworker who had been nothing but an obedient cog in the machine all his life. He…he was gone.

Orion shook his head. "What…what did you do to me?" Orion was too struck with shock and disbelief to raise his voice any higher than a whisper. "I don't understand, why did you do this to me?"

"You should probably let me field that one, Ratchet," A voice said over a loudspeaker.

Without warning, the mirror was converted into a window. Orion instantly found himself looking at an elegantly constructed mech with a crisp white mustache who was painted in deep rich reds, blues, and purples. Orion yelped and leapt back, tripping over his own feet and falling head over heels onto the ground below. Orion would've found the scene hilarious if he wasn't on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Who are you?!" Orion growled. He was a bit taken aback at how his new voice made him sound far more intimidating than he intended.

The mech grinned, "I'm sure you've heard of the brilliant polymath Alpha Trion?"

Orion shook his head, "Um…no? Sh-should I have?"

Alpha Trion slammed a palm on the window. "What?! What in blazes do they teach you kids in Primary Programming these days? You know what? Never mind, this isn't about me for once. I'm coming over there and then I'm going to really let you have it! And by it, I mean knowledge!"

If this was the Afterspark, Orion Pax had been well and truly deceived.

A door next to the window opened up and Alpha Trion walked through. He gingerly stepped toward Orion and offered him a hand up. Orion took it, noting that Alpha Trion was far stronger than he appeared when he effortlessly lifted him up off the ground and back on his feet.

"Okay, first thing's first—introductions! I'm Alpha Trion, the commander of this base. We're part of the Autobot Resistance. And you are?" He pointed to Orion.

"O-Orion Pax."

Alpha Trion smiled. "Alright, good! You still have your memories! I was worried your brain module was too damaged for the memory algorithms to transfer properly. It was really touch and go there for a while. Unfortunately, your body was too damaged to be repaired, so we had to transfer your spark to a new body. I'm just glad I happened to have some spare parts left over from Project Magnus!"

Orion offered his hand, "I guess I owe you my life, thank you."

Alpha Trion shrugged and shook his hand, "Well, I didn't have much choice. Starscream and the others practically dumped you on my doorstep with nary a word. Even if you two weren't Autobots, I wasn't going to just let you die."

"Wait, there was two of us? A femme?" Orion asked.

"Yes, do you know who she might be?"

"She's Ariel Ambus, we…we were going to get married. Please, I need to see her!"

"Alright, I'll allow it," Alpha Trion said, "But you only get to look on with me in the observation room, alright?"

Orion nodded, "That's fine with me."

Ariel's room was right next to Orion's, connected by the single long observation room. Unlike Orion's room, Ariel's room was bristling with activity. Autobot medichanics, including Ratchet, worked tirelessly on the unconscious Ariel. She was stripped down to her endostructure, her laser core was hooked up to an array of life-support machines. Orion could only look on in horror as the love of his life hovered between life and death.

Without thinking, Orion slammed his new fist on the observation room window hard enough to leave a visible dent. Transparisteel wasn't easily dented, just how strong was his new body?

"Damn that Shockwave! Damn him to the Cauldron!" Orion hissed.

Alpha Trion placed a comforting hand on Orion's shoulder. "Orion, I promise you, we'll do everything we can to help her."

"How bad is it?"

Alpha Trion shook his head, "It's not great, I'm afraid. She's in even worse shape than you were, it's all we can do to keep her spark stabilized. And even if we do, we don't have any spare parts on site to build a new body for her. But we have placed an order for a new body that should be arriving soon. If we can get Ariel's spark stabilized enough for a transplant, her new body should be able to take things from there."

Orion leaned his head against the window that separated him from Ariel. She was so close, yet she might as well be in the next galaxy.

"I'm tired," Orion whispered.

Alpha Trion nodded, "I understand, adjusting to a new body can really take it out of you, trust me on that!"

Orion smiled, but there wasn't a hint of joy in his voice. "No, not that. I'm tired of being powerless. All my life, I had to be a good little cog in the machine. Never raising my voice, never causing a scene, never questioning, never thinking! Everything in my life was chosen for me, dictated to me. Everything except…Ariel and Dion. I tried to push them away, like I've been doing to other people all my life, but they just wouldn't let up. I chose to be friends with Dion, I chose to fall in love with Ariel. I made those choices, and I thought that was something the Decepticons could never take away from me! But then they did, they found a way to take even that away from me!"

"Orion, I think you'll find that you're not alone in that regard," Alpha Trion said. "Many bots who are victimized by the Decepticons and their caste system shut themselves off and try to survive by pretending to be mere cogs in some machine. It's a good way to survive, but a terrible way to live. We're not unsparked machines, Orion, we're sentient beings! Freedom should be our right, not something withheld or restricted to suit someone else's agenda!"

Orion shrugged, "I have to admit, I don't exactly disagree with what you're saying. But what would you have me do, join the Autobots and fight in your war?"

"First off," Alpha Trion pointed at Orion, "it's everybody's war. Second, why not join the Autobots? Come on and join us, we have energon goodies!"

"I'm not really much of a fighter."

"A lot of us weren't fighters in the beginning, but sometimes you have to learn to fight if you want to protect everything you hold dear."

Orion nodded, "I get what you're saying, but…can I take some time to think about it? I think I need to get out for a minute and spin my new wheels."

Alpha Trion slapped Orion's back three times in quick succession, "Sure, take as much time as you need! It'll probably do you some good to put your new body through its paces."

***​

Orion and Alpha Trion agreed with one thing—it was long past time to start fighting Decepticons. Although whether or not that included joining the Autobots was another matter entirely. Orion Pax wasn't quite ready to reject being a simple cog in a machine just to become a simple cog in yet another machine.

No, first thing's first—Shockwave had to die, no matter the cost.

Orion didn't know how long it would take, but he wouldn't rest until Shockwave's vile spark was utterly extinguished! Him, and his lackeys! Dion was dead, and Ariel could very well be next, all because Orion took Shockwave in. It was the biggest mistake of his life, it was a mistake he had to atone for.

Orion's stress-driving somehow took him back to Storage Yard 67. Perhaps when he stumbled upon a familiar road, he subconsciously took himself to a familiar place. From the outside, the storage yard looked more or less the same since Orion last saw it. Just how long had he been gone? Orion didn't exactly know how long he had been in Alpha Trion's care. He could've been there for a solar cycle, an orbital cycle, or perhaps even longer for all he knew.

While Orion was pacing around the premises, he heard a familiar sound coming from the north. He peaked around a corner to find an energon barge pull into the dock built into the complex. Any normal bot wouldn't find it out of the ordinary, but for someone who actually worked there, that barge was an absolute red flag.

It was arriving from the wrong direction.

The power plant was to the south, but the barge had come from the north, far past the storage yard. Where had it come from? Why was it here? Orion received his answer when the operators of the barge stepped out.

It was Shockwave!

And not just Shockwave, Soundwave and the other Decepticons were there as well, and there were even some he hadn't seen before.

Shockwave left the barge and looked around the area. Apparently, Shockwave had had enough time to get himself more properly repaired, no doubt a result of his sudden acquisition of energon to trade. He now had both his optics, both of them an unsightly sulfurous yellow. His dark purple exostructure shined brilliantly, and the golden filigree on his forearms were like bolts of lightning. And Primus only knew what was going on in his internals. Orion ducked behind the corner, praying Shockwave didn't see him. Even if he was in a stronger body, Orion was ashamed to admit that a part of him was still terrified of Shockwave when he was right there in person.

No! Orion was done giving into his fear, it's time to conquer it!

"What's the matter Shockwave," Orion said as he turned the corner, doing his best to look as calm and confident as he most certainly wasn't, "You couldn't get your fill of energon so you had to come back for seconds?"

Shockwave's optics briefly widened in shock before returning to his usual smugly confident expression. "Ultra Magnus, I presume?"

Wait, who was that?

Over at the barge, Exhaust waved at Shockwave, "Hey boss, you want us to scrap this guy?"

Shockwave smirked, "Unfortunately, you will all have to sit this one out. Ultra Magnus is mine to kill!" He turned back to Orion, "Did you hear that, Ultra Magnus? You will provide me with entertainment for the afternoon!" His smirk widened into a deranged and toothy smile, "But do not worry, I will be sure to send whatever is left of you back to the Autobots!"

"Sorry, you must've got me confused with somebody else," Orion sneered, "I'm someone else entirely."

Shockwave's smile wilted into a frown, "Then just who are you, stranger?"

Now it was Orion's turn to grin, not that Shockwave could see it beneath his mouthplate.

"Your worst nightmare!"

—To Be Continued!​

 

[Rojixus]

No Good Deed: Chapter V​

"Nightmares are only for those susceptible to fear," Shockwave sneered. "Tidalwave, Double Punch, Banzaitron, and Exhaust—tear this cheap knockoff apart and give me his burned-out laser core. The rest of you are with me, we have energon to acquire! Squadron X, advance!"

As commanded, the Decepticons disembarked from the barge en masse, with Tidalwave and Exhaust, along with two other Decepticons, remaining behind as the others followed Shockwave into the interior of the complex.

Orion wasn't about to let Shockwave get away; he made a dash toward the Decepticon commander, but a blast to the back sent him sprawling out on the ground in front of him. He turned to find Tidalwave and the others charging at him.

"Keep your eyes on the prize, mate!" A gigantic black and purple bot even larger than Tidalwave shouted.

At this moment, Orion Pax began to suspect that his bold plan of confronting Shockwave alone and unarmed may not have been the best idea.

"Your funeral," Orion growled. Hopefully, he sounded more confident than he was. Orion transformed to vehicle mode and charged at the smallest of his attackers, Exhaust.

"Alright, let's get this party started!" Exhaust cackled as he let loose a barrage of blaster fire.

It was strange, but…Orion could swear the blaster bolts were moving slower than the last time he had been on the wrong end of Exhaust's gun. He effortlessly dodged Exhaust's attack and nearly hit the Decepticon himself if he hadn't dodged at the last moment. Orion deftly turned and drifted until he was now behind the Decepticons. He transformed back into robot mode and raised his arms toward them without even thinking about it. His hands automatically retracted into his forearms and were replaced with a twin set of blades, the edges of which gave off a dull orange glow.

Orion shrugged, "I guess I was armed all along!"

Tidalwave burst into hearty laughter, "You call those blades?!" He summoned a twin pair of cutlasses from subspace, "These are blades!"

The blue and green mech standing next to him looked less than impressed, "Hmph, I don't know about you two, but I only need one sword to get the job done!" From his back, he pulled a long sword with a curved blade the likes of which Orion hadn't seen before.

"Oi, don't be brandishing your weapons like it's show-an'-tell!" the black and purple bot huffed, "Just take his skidplates out!" He charged at Orion, his hands retracted into his forearms and a pair of drills came out.

Without thinking, Orion charged at the Decepticon and unleashed a volley of chops and stabs…that he easily blocked and deflected. It made sense, Orion didn't have a single byte of close quarters combat training, unless watching six million episodes of True Tales of the Wreckers counted as training.

"What are ya even doin', mate?! You're just flailin', it's paffetic!" the Decepticon roared with laughter. His breath reeked of cheap engex.

"Yeah, well…shut up!" Orion gave a swift hard kick to the Decepticon in the shin, actually leaving a dent in it.

The Decepticon doubled over in pain, "Ah! You little—"

He suddenly didn't have much to say when Orion jammed his hand-blade into his neck where his vocal processor was located, and then followed it up with a sharp stab between his optics with his other hand-blade. The Decepticon collapsed at Orion's feet. It wasn't a pretty win, but he'll take it.

"Frag me, he took out Double Punch!" Exhaust shouted.

Orion pointed a hand-blade at him, "You're next, Exhaust!"

Exhaust took out a cy-gar and lit it with a shot from his blaster, "Any day, friend-o."

Orion couldn't help but notice Exhaust slowly backing away towards the entrance of the complex.

"But first, you're gonna have to deal with my associates! Go get him guys, you got this!"

"Damn your cowardice, Exhaust! I'll have yer circuits for slurry!" Tidalwave growled. "Come on, Banzaitron, we can take this worthless landlubber! Er…no offense."

Banzaitron nodded, "None taken, let's kill this dilettante first, and then we can tear Exhaust a new one!"

Exhaust slowly continued backing up to the entrance. "Well frag you guys too! I'm sitting here covering your backs, and this is the thanks I get?!"

These Decepticons have such a wonderful sense of comradery.

Orion transformed back into vehicle mode and sped toward the entrance as fast as he could. Tidalwave and Banzaitron jumped out of the way in time, which left Exhaust square in his sights. The Decepticon tried to dodge again, but either he was a bit too slow or Orion was a bit faster because Orion caught him dead in his sights. Without stopping, Orion and Exhaust crashed through the doors and entered the antechamber of the storage complex. He skidded to a stop and transformed back to robot mode, looking over his shoulder to see Exhaust lying motionless on the ground. He walked back to examine his handiwork, picking up Exhaust's rifle that had flown out of the Decepticon's hand when he had crashed through the door. Although it looked slightly too big for Exhaust, in Orion's hands it looked perfect!

He pointed the gun at its former owner, "Time to get what you deserve, Decepticon!"

Before Orion could pull the trigger, he felt the heat of a blaster bolt streak past his face. He looked up to find Tidalwave and Banzaitron firing at him from the hole where the doors used to be. He laid down a volley of suppressing fire and retreated deeper into the building. He may not be a fighter, but Orion knew this place like the back of his hand. Well…the back of his old hand anyway. Tidalwave and Banzaitron chased him from corridor to corridor, peppering the area with blaster fire. They probably wouldn't be so close to catching him if he transformed to vehicle mode, but that mode was far too fast and powerful for Orion to handle. One sharp turn and he'd probably run right into a wall. Orion threw himself behind a corner and started firing blindly back at his pursuers.

"There be no point in running, you rusty cur!" Tidalwave shouted as he and Banzaitron hugged the walls, "Come take yer death like a warrior!"

"You first!" Orion shouted. He was the first to admit his snappy action dialogue could use some work, he had no idea how actual soldiers could do it.

Without warning, something slammed into the back of Orion's head. It barely hurt, but it startled him all the same. Without looking back, Orion deployed his right hand-blade and slashed wildly at whatever was behind him.

"PRIMUS, MY FACE!" A voice shouted in agony.

Orion spun around to find a black, red, and silver Decepticon clutching his face. He fired at the Decepticon point blank in the chest, sending him crashing into the floor face first. Orion gave a hard stomp to the back of the Decepticon's head, putting him into stasis lock. Off to the side was what Orion assumed was the Decepticon's weapon, some type of rifle. Perhaps that was what had hit Orion? He picked it up to examine it more closely. He ejected the ammo pack from the gun and gave it a sniff, the slight tingling in his olfactory sensor told him the ammo pack was practically fully loaded with energon.

Orion smirked to himself, he had an insidious idea! Energon could be very explosive when destabilized, and Orion couldn't think of a better way to destabilize energon than to shoot it. He could toss it at the Decepticons, shoot it, and have it blow up in their faces—literally!

He turned around the corner and tossed the ammo pack at Banzaitron, "Hey Decepticon, catch!"

The plan was to shoot the ammo pack as soon as it fell into Banzaitron's hands, causing it to explode and hopefully take out both him and Tidalwave. Or at the very least, just Banzaitron.

While the ammo pack flew through the air, Orion drew his new rifle with lightning speed and prayed Primus had enough mercy to let him hit his target.

Naturally, Orion missed.

Rather than hit the ammo pack, he shot Banzaitron right through his right optic, taking off a large chunk of his head in the process. The Decepticon slammed into the wall behind him and slid down into a heap. The force of the impact sent the ammo pack flying from his hand onto the ground below.

It wasn't what Orion planned, but he'll take the victory all the same.

He had to admit to himself, it was probably a fool's errand to try to hit a small moving target like that. Especially when he had never even picked up a gun before today. However, since the ammo pack was now on the ground, maybe even Orion could easily hit it.

Tidalwave gave a hearty laugh. "Yar! I have to admit lad, yer pretty good! A bit on the weird side, but good! Tell ye what, I'll let ye live if ye agree to join us Decepticons. I'll put in a good word for ye with me brother, ye can be part of Squadron X. All the loot ye can take, all the Autobots ye can kill, all the engex ye can consume! I'll only make this offer once, so ye best be makin' the right decision if ye value yer life!"

"You want my answer? Well here it is!"

Orion turned the corner and fired at the discarded ammo pack. Or at least he attempted to fire at the ammo pack, he missed it by a seg. The shot kept Tidalwave at bay, so Orion attempted to shoot the ammo pack again.

And missed again.

If he survived this, Orion would not rest until he could at least shoot the broad side of a Titan.

After the second shot, Tidalwave's optics widened as what Orion was attempting to do dawned on him.

"Frag!" Tidalwave shouted as he lunged toward the ammo pack.

The third time ended up being the charm when Orion finally hit his target just as Tidalwave was about to land on it, meaning he was at ground zero when the ammo pack went off. Energon may have been the most stable way to store energy, but that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous when mishandled.

Orion quickly ducked behind the corner before he could be caught in the blast zone. When he peaked around the corner, he saw Tidalwave flat on his back, motionless.

"Huh, well that worked out nicely!" Orion chuckled, "Don't you think so, Tidalwave?"

The Decepticon let out a strained growl.

"Well, nice chatting with you again, but I have somewhere to go right now. You just stay right there, okay?"

Orion Pax had tried to fight the Decepticons like a soldier, but it was readily apparent he still had a ways to go before he could do that without relying on luck like he did just now. Instead, it was probably better to fight the Decepticons the way Orion Pax would. If Shockwave wanted to steal more of Storage Yard 67's energon, its manager had a few tools at his disposal.

It was time to quit fighting harder and start fighting smarter.

Since the Decepticons were split between stealing the energon and trying to kill him, Orion Pax made his way to the manager's office with ease. Orion rushed into the office without thinking and slammed his head on the door frame.

He winced and clutched his head, "Ah! This new body is gonna take some getting used to."

It felt like a thousand gigacycles since Orion was last in this office, but it had only been a few solar cycles at most. The office was completely the same, not a data-pad out of place. He stared out of the bay window behind his desk. The view wasn't anything to write home about, it was just a vast expanse of nothing with a tiny glowing speck in the distance that was Rodion. But even though the view wasn't spectacular, Orion would sometimes stare out of it for hours and imagined himself and Ariel driving away from his job and…well, Orion never actually imagined what he would do if he left this place.

But now was not the time for reminiscing, now was the time to act. He activated the computer on his desk and entered his 100-digit access code.

"Computer," Orion commanded, "initiate Emergency Lockdown Protocol."

"Please enter the command security code," the computer replied. After Orion entered the twenty digit command security code, the computer responded, "Access approved. Command acknowledged."

Since energon was such a hot commodity in peacetime, let alone during the greatest civil disruption since the Gigantion War, there were security measures put into place to protect the Storage Yard from burglars. The Emergency Lockdown Protocol sealed all exits and raised a silent alarm to the authorities. Access to the complex's systems was also restricted to the computer in the manager's office, any other device was automatically locked out. And of course, any and all drones controlled by the network would be shut down until the Emergency Lockdown Protocol was lifted.

Orion smirked, "Let's see you try to squirm your way out of this one, Shockwave!"

His work in the office complete, Orion raised his rifle and blasted the computer to pieces. Not even the greatest hacker in the galaxy can hack a computer that's been destroyed!

He had to admit, blowing up the computer did bring a smile to Orion's face. This wasn't exactly the way he wanted to quit his job, but if something good can come out of Shockwave's evil, he wasn't going to reject it.

Since the exits were all sealed, there was only one way for Orion to leave—through the front where Orion rammed his way in and demolished the doors in the process. He dashed out of his office and made a beeline for the front of the complex. As he ran, Orion took one last look at the place he called home for most of his life. Storage Yard 67 may have felt like a prison most of the time, but it could also feel like a home, especially when Dion and Ariel were around.

He regretted not being able to fight Shockwave, but it was probably for the best. He got by on dumb luck and raw strength up till now, but he wasn't going to take that risk with Shockwave. No, he would have to train himself in the art of combat first. Once he actually knew what he was doing, then he'd hunt Shockwave down and make him pay.

Naturally, just as Orion came to that decision, he ran into Shockwave and the rest of Squadron X who were blocking his only way out of the building.

"Oh frag my life," Orion whispered.

Soundwave giggled, "Speak of Unicron and he shall appear!"

Exhaust yelped in terror and ran outside the instant he made optical contact with Orion.

Shockwave glared at Orion with the deepest of contempt, "We meet again, Counterfeit. I take it you are the one behind our latest series of misfortunes?"

Orion smiled, "What if I was? What are you going to do about it?"

Shockwave converted his left arm into its blaster configuration and pointed it at Orion.

"Eliminate the problem at its source," the Decepticon hissed.

Why did Orion have to taunt the psychopath?

—To Be Concluded!​

 

[Rojixus]

No Good Deed: Finale​

Orion leaped out of the way of Shockwave's shot just in the nick of time, narrowly dodging an electron bolt as it whizzed by his left audial receptor. As soon as Orion hit the ground, he transformed into vehicle mode and sped toward Shockwave at top speed. Orion got his new body thanks to Shockwave, and by Primus, he was going to see it up close!

Orion slammed into the Decepticon and…nothing. Shockwave held him thoroughly in place, not budging a seg. Orion engine audibly strained as he desperately tried to run Shockwave down, but the only thing he did was deliver himself right into Shockwave's hands.

Shockwave gave another one of his infuriating smirks. "I do not understand, was that supposed to hurt?

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" Orion roared as he pushed his engines to their absolute limit. His tires squealed for mercy, but Orion didn't care. But as much as he strained, he remained just as immobile as if he were standing still.

Holding Orion back with one hand, Shockwave reached down with his other hand and gripped Orion beneath his bumper. With a swift upward pull, Orion was flipped onto his rear axle and received a hard roundhouse kick from Shockwave, sending him flying back. Orion's gotten his fair share of kicks and punches during his relatively short life, not every manager was as nice as Abacus was, but the amount of force Shockwave put behind his blows was on an entirely different level.

Orion's vehicle form skittered across the floor like a discarded toy. He attempted to transform to robot mode, which left him perfectly vulnerable to a blast from Shockwave. Orion shrieked with agony as the beam hit him, it was if he was being burned alive from the inside out. Was this how Dion felt when Shockwave killed him?

Orion tried to complete his transformation sequence but found that he couldn't move, not even to transform! Shockwave's weapon must've paralyzed his transformation cog! No matter how hard he tried, he was stuck in a bizarre half-transformed state.

"Oh my, my, my!" Shockwave chuckled. "It would appear you are having a bit of a…performance issue courtesy of my null ray! Can you believe I had it on its lowest setting? One of these cycles, I will have to thank Starscream for being so inattentive as to let me steal it from him! I do not know why you felt the need to interfere with my operations, but your stupidity has cost you your life!"

"You murdered my best friend!" Orion howled, "And the love of my life…she could be dead now. You ruined my life!"

A brief look of annoyance flashed on Shockwave's face. "I have ruined many lives, did you think I would remember the inconsequential details of whatever encounter you may have had with me in the past? In the grand scheme of things, you are nothing."

By this time, the pain that coursed throughout Orion's body subsided. If he could still use his face-plate, he'd be smiling.

"Yeah, well…you talk too much!"

Orion transformed back into robot mode with all his might and fury, using the momentum to fling himself into the air a split astro-second before the spot he had occupied was blasted with another beam from Shockwave's null ray. In a perfect arc, he descended back to the ground, his foot slamming into Shockwave's smug face. Both Orion and the Decepticon landed on the ground in a tangle of limbs, but Orion was the first to recover. He lifted the stunned Shockwave clear over his head and threw him out of the building with all his might. The Decepticon sailed through the air and landed head-first on the steps that led into the building with a satisfying clang, tumbling head-over-heels to the ground below.

Orion Pax grinned with delight, "You won't believe the things I can do now!"

He charged at the fallen Shockwave, letting nothing come between him and his target. But before he could kick Shockwave's loathsome head from his body, the Decepticon leaped back with the speed and agility of a felisabre and took a defensive stance as he skidded to a stop.

"Soundwave," Shockwave commanded, "find Tidalwave, Banzaitron, and Black Shadow and get them back to the barge. We are pulling out."

"What about you?" Soundwave asked.

Shockwave locked his optics on Orion and smiled, "Even commanders need to have a little fun every so often!"

With an outstretched hand, he made a beckoning gesture, goading Orion to attack him.

Intellectually, Orion knew full well that engaging Shockwave in hand-to-hand combat was a terrible idea.

But kicking that smug spawn of Unicron in the face and tossing him like an empty oilcan felt unbelievably satisfying. It was positively addicting!

Orion rushed forward, his hand-blades drawn and ready. He slashed at Shockwave with speed he never knew he had, but he couldn't so much as scratch him. Shockwave dodged every one of Orion's strikes with no difficulty whatsoever.

"It would appear that without the element of surprise, your movements are as predictable as clockwork!" Shockwave sneered as he slammed a knee into Orion's torso. He followed it up with a lightning fast punch while Orion was still stunned that sent him tumbling to the ground. Before Orion could get up, Shockwave sent him crashing back down on his back with a kick to the face.

Shockwave reconfigured his hand into the null ray and pointed it at Orion's spark chamber.

It looks like he'd be joining Dion in the Afterspark after all.

Shockwave grinned. "Any last words before I burn you alive from the inside out?"

If looks could kill, Orion's glare would've killed Shockwave on the spot. But before he could say anything, Shockwave was hit in the chest by a blaster bolt that sent him flying back. The Decepticon landed on his feet with a skid, clutching his chest which now sported a so very satisfying scorch mark. His face twisted in a mix of pain and anger. Orion leaped to his feet and looked up in the direction the blaster bolt came from. On the roof of the storage hall was a winged red, white, and blue bot standing triumphantly with his arms crossed and a confident smirk across his face.

"What's the matter, Shockwave," the bot chuckled, "am I not enough for you?"

"Why Starscream," Shockwave hissed, "had I known you and the Aerialbots were going to drop by, I would have made a bomb!"

Four bots landed next to Starscream, presumably the other Aerialbots. Each of them looked like they were ready for a fight.

The big Aerialbot next to Starscream grinned. "We don't want to put you out, Shockwave. We'll take whatever you've got!"

"Is that a fact?" Shockwave grinned. "SOUNDWAVE, NOW!"

Without warning, the roof below the Aerialbots was engulfed in a tremendous explosion, sending them flying. Out of the hole flew Soundwave and Loudpedal back to back with their guns firing. The Aerialbots circled them in the air returning fire.

"Starscream,"Shockwave announced, "This time you will fall!"

Orion pounced at the Decepticon, "Oh no you don't!"

But Shockwave effortlessly batted him out of the way with a roundhouse kick, sending Orion tumbling on the ground. Without breaking his stride he fired his null ray pointblank at Starscream…

And nothing happened.

"You didn't honestly think that would work, did you?" Starscream cackled with unhinged glee, "I created the Null Ray, you didn't think I made countermeasures to it as soon as you stole it?!"

"Tch, damned scientist," Shockwave growled.

The Decepticon took out an elaborately designed laser blade hilt from a storage compartment in his thigh and activated it. A long, thin red laser blade shot out of it. Orion recognized it as a laser rapier, a type of weapon used by nobles during the Destronger period in duels of honor. The red light of the blade made Shockwave look positively demonic. "It's just as well. I prefer to beat my opponents the old fashioned way—brutally!"

Like a missile, Shockwave launched himself toward Starscream in the air. The Aerialbot responded by taking out a pair of energo-sabers and dove at Shockwave like a dropped bomb.

"SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT, DECEPTICON!" Starscream howled with delight, a terrifying grin stretched across his face.

The two warriors clashed with speed and fury Orion had never even imagined possible. He knew he was only able to see every sword stroke, every kick, and every beam blast due to Alpha Trion's enhancement. If he had just been Orion Pax the simple dockworker, Shockwave and Starscream would just be a series of streaks and blurs. He looked over to where the other Aerialbots were battling Soundwave and Loudpedal. At some point, the Decepticons had been joined by a third member, a black one with horns and a jagged gash across his face. No doubt given to him by Orion earlier. Despite being outnumbered, the three Decepticons were holding their own against their opponents.

All Orion could do was stand there and watch as the seasoned combatants fought. He was so outside of his element, it was almost comical. Was this the world he wanted to get into? Could he really do something like this? Did he have what it takes to survive on a battlefield?

Out of the storage yard came the remaining Decepticons who made a beeline toward the energon barge. Out in front was a big green and yellow Decepticon who held Banzaitron slung over his shoulder while Tidalwave ran out behind him supported by a much smaller purple and yellow fembot.

Orion transformed into his vehicle mode and sped toward the fleeing Decepticons. "Oh no you don't!"

Before he could get to them, Orion's left front tire was shot out from under him, sending him tumbling chaotically on the ground. He hurriedly transformed to robot mode and tried to discern where the shot had come from. He saw Exhaust waving at him from the energon barge with a sniper rifle trained on him. A cy-gar was planted firmly in his mouth. Orion could do nothing but watch as the Decepticons ran onto the barge. But what was the point? That barge was no getaway vehicle. Orion had piloted that barge for kilocycles, it had all the speed of an old slaarg!

"Double Punch, take off!" Shockwave shouted into a communication panel, taking a break from his battle with Starscream.

Orion looked on in shock as the barge began to lift itself out of the canal and into the air. As soon as it was clear, the barge began rearranging itself. Wings and engines unfolded from the body which began to take a more streamlined form. It was becoming a starship! Apparently, Shockwave had had some work done on his newly acquired barge while Orion was offline. He had heard of vehicles that could transform like a Cybertronian, but he had never seen one in person. Orion couldn't help but be a little amazed.

Shockwave chuckled, "Well Starscream, it has been mildly entertaining fighting with you, but I have more pressing matters to attend to! Soundwave, Loudpedal, Black Shadow, fall back to the Pale Fire!"

"Shockwave, if you think—" Starscream was interrupted with a barrage from the ship's cannons that popped out of hidden panels. He dodged most of the blaster bolts, but a lucky shot blasted him in the abdomen and sent Starscream crashing down to the ground.

The big Aerialbot's optics widened in horror. "Starscream!"

He and the other Aerialbots flew down to their fallen commander to render whatever aid they could.

Shockwave grinned with satisfaction at the sight below him. "Yes Starscream, I very much do think. Goodbye!"

Shockwave and the other Decepticons flew into the barge through a hatch that opened up at the bottom of the now airborne craft. As soon as they were on board, the ship circled around the storage hall to where Orion knew the last of the storage yard's energon cubes were stored. Orion didn't know what they were trying to do, but his questions were soon answered when the Decepticons started opening fire. They were trying to ignite the energon cubes!

"NO!" Orion shouted as his field of vision was engulfed in a bright light and a deafening boom filled his audio receptors.

***​

Upon reactivation, Orion found himself in a familiar white room. Somehow, he had survived the explosion and was brought back to the Autobot base. Ratchet was hovering over him, checking his systems.

"Orion Pax, do you know where you are?" Ratchet asked as she shone a bright light into his optics.

Orion smiled, "I'm thinking…a sunny beachside resort on Stanix? You're not here to tell me my credit card's been rejected, are you?"

Ratchet chuckled, "Well, if you're making jokes, that's a good sign. Welcome back to the world of the living, Orion Pax!"

Orion stood up on the surgical table and saw Alpha Trion and the Aerialbots standing in front of him waiting expectantly.

"If you guys are worried if I lost my memories, don't worry," Orion tapped his head, "I'm still all here."

"Well, that's a relief," Alpha Trion sighed, "You scared the Pit out of me, you know that? I didn't bust my gears rebuilding you just so you could get scrapped again!"

Orion shrugged, "Well sorry, I didn't expect to run into Shockwave again so soon!"

Starscream placed a shoulder on Alpha Trion's shoulder, "Go easy on him, Doc. We should be thanking Orion for giving us the opportunity to give Shockwave another scrapping."

"So you guys were the ones who responded to the silent alarm?" Orion asked. "I was expecting the police, but I haven't seen a single officer in cycles. I guess they're not a thing around these parts anymore."

Starscream nodded, "You're right, local emergency services in this region are still stretched thin after we retook Cybertron, so we're here to pick up the slack." He extended a hand to Orion, "I'm Starscream, by the way."

He shook Starscream's hand, "Orion Pax. I guess I have you guys to thank for saving me and Ariel?"

"Don't mention it, that's just what we Aerialbots do," Starscream turned to the rest of his team, "Aerialbots, sound off!"

The large white and black Aerialbot stepped forward, "Jetfire!"

"My second-in-command," Starscream added.

A purple and teal fembot who somewhat resembled Starscream stepped forward, "Slipstream!"

"My sister, and the second fastest flier on the team. Besides yours truly, of course!"

A silver and green bot with a very pointed head stepped forward, "Thrust!"

"Our strategist. He's got a bit of an ego, but what can you do?"

A dark red and beige bot excitedly leaped forward, "Powerglide!"

"He's the new guy, he makes sure our weapons are in working order."

A blue and gold bot stepped forward, "Evac!"

"Our medic. He's a pacifist, but my fighting prowess is equal to ten regular bots, so it all adds up!"

Alpha Trion rolled his optics, "careful not to dent your armor patting yourself on the back like that, Starscream."

Starscream crossed his arms defiantly, "I'm just stating objective facts here! I can't help it if I was designed to be on a whole other level."

Alpha Trion shook his head, "Anyway Orion, I think there's someone outside who's dying to see you." He turned to Ratchet, "You can let her in, Ratchet."

Ratchet nodded, "Yes sir."

She briefly left the room and reentered with a powerfully built fembot the same unpainted gray as Orion. Orion had to admit his spark skipped a pulse the instant he saw her. The way this new fembot carried herself was somewhat familiar…

Orion's optics widened with hope and desperation. "Ariel?"

She nodded and smiled, "Yes! It's me, Orion! We made it!"

For Orion Pax in this single moment, nothing in the universe existed outside of himself and Ariel. Not even Primus Himself could keep him from running to her, the light of his life. With the speed of a Devastator Wind, Orion Pax rushed to Ariel and held her in a tight embrace while giggling like an idiot.

"Is this real, or is this a dream?" Orion whispered.

Ariel touched her head to Orion's, "If it's a dream, don't wake me up."

Alpha Trion cleared his air intake filters, rousing Orion out of his Ariel-induced euphoria.

"Oh, um…right! Everyone, this is my betrothed, Ariel Ambus. Ariel, this is—"

"Oh, I already know everyone," Ariel stated, "I ran into the Aerialbots when they were getting patched up after rescuing you a second time! What on Cybertron were you even thinking picking a fight with Shockwave again without me, Orion?!"

"Hey! I ran into Shockwave completely by accident!"

Ariel smirked, "Well, I guess that means I'll have to keep tagging along with you to make sure you don't accidentally run into any Decepticon psychopaths again."

Orion took Ariel's hands. "I won't lie, though. I really did want to hunt Shockwave down and kill him for what he did to us, and part of me still does. But now I know I'm a bit out of my element when it comes to fighting. That's why…that's why I'm going to join the Autobots!"

Starscream slapped Orion on the back, "Well alright! Welcome to Team Good Guy!"

"What changed your mind?" Alpha Trion asked.

"Shockwave," Orion stated flatly. "He said it himself, that he destroyed many lives. Ariel and I aren't his only victims, and I bet Shockwave isn't the only Decepticon who likes destroying lives either. They all need to go, not just him. The best vengeance against Shockwave is to destroy his precious Decepticon Empire, and I want to be a part of that. I'm done sitting on the sidelines!"

Ariel smiled, "I was hoping you would say that, because I was going to join the Autobots too."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah! Slipstream and I had a spark-to-spark chat while you were offline, and she made a really good case."

Orion smiled, "Then we'll join together! But…I don't want us to join as Orion Pax and Ariel Ambus."

"What do you mean?"

Orion took an astrosecond to put his reasoning into words, "We have new bodies and are about to live new lives, I think it's time for new names. Orion and Ariel died with Dion back at the storage yard, I think. We're not the same bots we were back then."

Ariel nodded, "Yeah…that makes sense. I like that. But what should we call ourselves?"

Orion looked over to Alpha Trion, "Well how about it, Alpha Trion? You gave us new lives, why don't you give us new names too?"

The older Autobot looked skeptical, "You want me to name you? Well…alright, if that's what you want. Let's see…I think I have some ideas."

***​

Optimus pointed at the wreckage of what remained of Storage Yard 67, the place that had been Orion Pax and Ariel Ambus's home and prison for most of their short lives.

"There it is, what's left of it."

"Wow…I guess there's no going back to our old lives even if we wanted to," Elita said, surveying the ruins.

After beginning their new lives, Optimus Maximus and Elita One decided to pay one final tribute to three young dockworkers whose lives were cut tragically short by the Decepticons. Orion Pax and the siblings Dion and Ariel Ambus had their share of flaws, but Optimus and Elita would nevertheless carry their memories with them as they swore to fight the Decepticons on their behalf. The two Autobots walked over to what had been the side of the storage building where Orion and the Ambus siblings had been murdered by Squadron X. They stopped over the spot where Dion fell.

Optimus took out a small vial of brightly glowing energon. It was the innermost energon of Dion's body that had been extracted when the Aerialbots laid his body to rest.

Optimus slowly poured the energon over the spot. "From Primus, our sparks come forth; and to Primus, our sparks return. Life and death are intertwined."

"The metal of Cybertron becomes the metal of our bodies. The metal of our bodies becomes the metal of Cybertron," Elita solemnly added, "Life and death are intertwined."

Both Optimus and Elita then took out vials of innermost energon taken from Orion Pax and Ariel Ambus's respective bodies. They poured the energon onto the same spot.

"Life begets death, death begets life," they chanted in unison.

"May the three lives ended here find peace," Optimus whispered.

"Till all are one," the two Autobots chanted in unison.

"So…that's that then. We're really doing this?" Elita asked.

"Yeah. Are you scared?"

Elita nodded. "Terrified. You?"

Optimus nodded, "Yeah. But I definitely think we're doing the right thing here."

Elita took Optimus's hand. "You know, I think I understand why Dion wanted to be an Autobot so bad. I never felt freer in my life! There's not a force in the universe that can tell us how to live our lives anymore, we'll never be slaves again!"

Optimus couldn't keep himself from smiling. He craned his head up into the sky and roared, "WATCH US, DION! WE'RE GONNA MAKE YOU PROUD!"

Elita joined in. "YEAH! WE'RE GONNA KICK DECEPTICON SKIDPLATES STRAIGHT TO UNICRON'S CAULDRON, DION!"

Optimus looked over at the horizon as the artificial sun that illuminated Cybertron began to rise. The darkness of night was giving way to the bright dawn, as it had been doing ever since the sun was forged. The light of dawn began to shine on Grand Highway 7, the great traffic conduit that would lead Optimus and Elita to their destination.

"So, we just go right down Grand Highway 7 and we'll be in Iacon by the afternoon, right?" Elita asked. Her new crimson and gold paintjob began to shine brilliantly in the morning sun, as did Optimus's own red, white, and blue coloring. The Aerialbots had given them paintjobs as a parting gift, Optimus had to admit that they had done their job well.

"That's what Alpha Trion said," Optimus responded, "You know, I've never been to Iacon. You think it's as ultra gear as the datanet makes it out to be?"

Elita smiled. "Only one way to find out, love."

Optimus nodded, "You're right! Let's transform and roll out!"

—The End!​