Archive of Our Own

Orion looked around, where was he?

He took few steps forward, glancing around hoping to figure out where he is because he doesn't recognize Iacon from this angle.

Looking out, he could see the spiraling buildings, tall and looming as ever. But from up here, they didn't feel so large. The blinking lights of other bots were small and distant. Like a small corner of Iacon, just for him.

Okay, so he's on the roof of some building, in a part of the city he doesn't know. Which, to be fair, could be anywhere, given that he rarely went sight-seeing on the rare occasion he left the mines. Such as breaking into the archives.

Anyways, he still doesn't know how he got here, or where 'here' is.

Orion turned around quickly, he swears he just saw something move-

"Hello?" he called out once he noticed it was another bot, just as cogless. cogless?

The figure, he can't make out any details not even color, didn't turn around. They were sitting on the edge of the roof, their back to him. Orion thought maybe they didn't hear him until they replied.

"I used to love this sight, my favorite place to look at the city, y'know?"

Oh. Poor bot, probably snuck out often just like him, except Orion was never caught.

"Well, it's definitely a nice view," Orion agreed, settling down next to the bot.

"I don't remember it much, haven't seen it in cycles, but I bet it still looks amazing,"

"You know, I could probably sneak you up here one of these days. Sneaking out and back in is one of my specialties," Orion bragged. Okay, so sometimes being able to sneak back in was thanks to Dee, but Orion still deserves some credit.

"I wish, but there's no escaping down there, I tried. Bots up there just don't like me, push me back down every time I try, so I stopped. I stopped trying, stopped climbing, stopped seeing other bots even if they were yelling at me,"

Orion turned to look at the bot, and even if he can't see them properly, he knows they tucked their legs up and curled their arms around themselves.

"What?" he asked, he must've missed something, because what was this bot talking about?

"Yeah, don't remember the last time I talked with a bot that wasn't insults, or at all by now. There's no point in trying to track time down there, just made me feel crazier,"

Huh?

"It's so isolating, being down there. I deluded myself into thinking that maybe if I just did a good enough job they'd remember I'm down here and they'll bring me up again. 'Course, I know that's not possible, and they probably forgot about me, but still. Gotta have hope, y'know?"

Wait, what? This isn't right, what kind of bot gets isolated like that, to the point of near insanity- no, it can't be, right?

Orion looked, really looked at the figure next to him. The more he thought about it, the more the bot slowly gained features, more recognizable until…

B-127 turned to look at him, looking small, scared and nothing like the bubbly chatterbox he knows. Bee's smile was not big and bright, it was small and bitter.

"I thought about ending it, many times actually. Just stared at the incinerator and wondered if maybe it would be better for everyone if I just, wasn't here anymore. Even if someone came down, I don't fit in with others. Never did, that's how I ended up down there in the first place." Bee whispered softly, facing out to the city again, curling his arms tighter around himself.

Orion stilled, what…?

"I never did it, because I'm a coward. I was scared of being in more pain, of dying, being alone forever. Even as I stood in front of the fire I held onto the desperate hope somebot, anybot, would come down and save me,"

"But we did," Orion finally spoke up, "Me and Dee, we stumbled down there and took you out-" when did that happen?

Orion shook his helm. He needs to remain level headed if he wants to help Bee.

"We saved you, you're not down there anymore, you're not alone, there's me, there's Elita, Dee-" Does he really?

"Sometimes I still wonder if you guys are just an hallucination my processor made up to cope," Bee admitted, but his grip around himself loosened, letting go in favor resting his hands on the ledge instead.

Orion reached and grabbed his hand, pulling it close to his chassis, right above his spark.

"I am real, it's all real, you aren't down in sub-level 50 anymore, and I promise you, you will never have to go back there, not now, not ever." Orion swore, clasping Bee's hand tight.

Bee looked at him with wide optics, his other hand hesitantly moving up to hold onto Orion's hands.

"You- you promise?" Bee asked quietly, so quiet Orion almost missed it.

"I do." Orion affirmed, squeezing Bee's hand briefly.

"You know I will have my off days, and I'll probably not talk to any of you about it, right?" Bee sniffed, moving his hand to wipe his tears, which Orion didn't realize he was shedding.

"So what? You can't always be ok, but that's what friends are for, we'll be here for you always, for any problem," Orion assured.

He barely had a moment to adjust himself before Bee launched himself at him, latching into a hug. Orion made sure to give as good as he got.

"Thank you," Bee murmured, before leaving his hold.

Carefully, he stood up. He looked out to the city, and down at the probably really big drop, before he stepped back, onto the safety of the roof.

With a careful vent, he transformed?

Orion quickly stood up too.

He saw as Bee glowed briefly as the cavity in his chest that every miner has was filled by a glowing t-cog and his frame was covered in a layer of armor. Armor that had transformation seams, kibble, and wheels.

Orion was struggling to understand what happened when Bee disappeared.

A sense of satisfaction spread from his… spark? But that wasn't right, why was he-

Before he could think any further everything went dark, and there were no more thoughts about t-cogs and bad experiences.

Orion looked around, hey isn't this place familiar?

He paced around the cavern, the large and abandoned cavern. Yeah, he knew this cavern. It's been abandoned because it ran dry, or that's what they told Darkwing anyways.

As he walked, Orion ran a hand along the wall, the thinnest veins of energon running along the wall in a glowing, webbing pattern. It's not that it ran dry, there just wasn't any vein large enough to make the pay-off worth it.

Eventually he ran into somebot, thankfully not one of their supervisors. Orion couldn't recognize them, it's too dark, but it was clear enough they were also a fellow miner. he's not a miner anymore though

"I gave the order to abandon this mine,"

Huh, Orion never gave much thought to who gives the orders, especially ones which will absolutely get them in trouble with Darkwing over. But nobot's telling, so it's all good.

"I still come here whenever I need some time alone, away from everybot else,"

"Yep, as close as you're gonna get down here," Orion agreed. He usually just sneaks out whenever he wanted privacy, but to each their own.

"I wondered if I had made the right call often, if it'll take away all my hard work if I'm found out,"

Orion winced, yeah Darkwing was pretty heavy-handed with punishments. He would know, too often being on the receiving end. yeah like the time he was dumped in sub-level 50 wait what?

"I need to leave this place, I need to rise through the ranks and leave these wretched mines,"

Orion nodded along, yeah everybot has those aspirations.

"I never bother with making friends, with being friendly, because I'll just leave everybot behind when I ascend eventually,"

Orion chuckled out of surprise, wow. Straightforward much?

"So, what, you make no friends until you make it out?"

"That's my plan, to make it out, to leave these Primus-forsaken mines behind and never come back, but…"

"But?"

"I'll never leave if I can't control my section, if they don't listen to me then I have no hope,"

Orion ducked his helm as he rubbed his neck. He never considered how a single bot out of line could be so impactful.

"Well, maybe you can-"

"They don't listen to me!"

Orion shut his mouth as the bot snapped. Maybe they just needed to vent, Dee got like that sometimes. He hoped his silence encouraged them to just let everything out, which they proceeded to do.

"I do my best, every fragging day, to get everything done. And yet, there will be bots that come along and mess everything up and I take the blame as the one in charge, rewinding all my progress! I should not be punished for those who don't care about others,"

Orion flinched at the venom in their voice. He was reminded of the times Dee blows up on him, Dee and- no, can it be?

Elita glared at him, her posture as firm and intimidating as ever. But her eyes wavered, there's something else besides righteous anger in them.

"I want my freedom, I want out of the mines. But I want everybot else out too. I've… I didn't always hold everybot at arms length, you know?"

Orion's eyes widened, he didn't know. But then again, he never tried to know, either.

"Elita, I'm-"

"Before I became a lead, I was just another miner, and there was this femme who would have the recharge station next to mine. We… grew close. We used to talk about what we would do once we made it out."

Orion looked away, he's never seen Elita look so down, it was disconcerting to see. There was something she wasn't saying, so he tried prompting her.

"What happened?"

"I didn't see how destabilized the energon vein was, and it blew up. She broke protocol to return for me… I made it out, but she didn't."

Orion didn't know what to say. Losing someone like that was hard. But it explained her need for control, and adherence to protocol.

"If I was careful, if I double-checked everything, if she followed appropriate protocol she would still be here, and we'd make it out together."

"But there's no way you could've known, and I don't know your friend but I know she chose to save you, despite the consequence to herself," ain't that a familiar story

"No matter, she's offline and I'm not. And I will not let anybot else stop me from achieving our dream, to leave these mines that took her from me."

"Elita-"

"And maybe if I'm in charge, if I stick to protocol, if I lay low, then I and everybot under me can make it out, to leave,"

Orion quieted down. What could he say? But maybe Orion didn't need to give empty platitudes, or regurgitated words of reassurance. Those would never land well with Elita anyways.

"Then I'll be right next to you when you do, after all, this isn't something you have to do alone Elita," Orion stated firmly, "I'll be right next to you once we get everybot out of the mines, and you'll be the one leading them," that's not exactly how it happened though-

Elita looked Orion over, searching for any lies of mockery. Orion, in turn, met her gaze steadily. He won't back down from this, for Elita.

Elita didn't need repeated words of comfort, she needed someone to back her up, who understands where she's coming from, who will be the steady presence at her side again. And Orion is willing to be that bot.

"Then I guess you better be ready to be bossed around again," Elita joked, as she punched him in the arm, "Because I'm not gonna go easy on you,"

Orion smiled as he dodged good-naturedly from her, glad she was feeling herself again.

The Elita stepped back, and in a strangely familiar show of light and transformation, Elita shifted.

Just like Bee Bee? Elita gained a t-cog which initiated her transformation, new armor and kibble, more color to her, wheels.

She made eye-contact with him before she disappeared.

Orion stumbled back. This is the second time this happens, how does he know that?

But just like last time, he didn't have much time to dwell on anything for long. Everything went dark and he slipped into unconsciousness.

Orion blinked and looked around. Does he know this place?

Plain walls, a single light shining above, a small simple desk to his left. The room was small, only big enough for maybe two miners, or a single cogged bot. like him?

Why is he in an office? Not that many cogless bots hold offices, most are miners. And this was clearly a cogless bot's office, the desk too small for anything else.

He decided to approach the desk, and promptly flinched back when it turned out someone was sitting on the other side.

"I still don't think I deserve to be here,"

Wow, such great manners, not even a hello? Whatever, it's not like Orion greeted them either.

Orion frowned once the other bot's words sunk in.

"What, you feel like you don't belong?"

"Maybe, but also it doesn't feel fair that I get to be here, in a private office, away from the mines, with energon provided twice a day. Any bot could take my place if they were taught like me,"

Orion nodded along, even if it didn't really click. But maybe he should just let the bot talk then he could understand better.

"The cogged bots look down on me, 'how dare I exist in their space', they're just bitter a cogless can do the same things they can."

Well, his attitude definitely assured Orion that the problem was not with the cogged bots. If anything, the bot seemed to enjoy annoying them by simply being there.

"But it's not fair that I get this cushy treatment just because the cogged bots don't care enough about us cogless to get us a real medic,"

Orion hummed in agreement before he connected the dots. 'Learned skills', casual attitude, medic. He looked closer at the dejected bot sitting at the desk.

Ratchet sat hunched over his desk, resting his weight on his arms as he leaned down. Orion doesn't see him very often, but just often enough to know he normally doesn't act like this.

"It's tiring, it's so fragging tiring, every moment of the day tending to countless wounded bots. Because while the cogged have all these nice polished panel of doctors, the cogless have me. Just me. And…"

"And?" Orion prompted.

"And I'm just one bot. I can't…"

Ratchet quieted down again, and something in Orion told him that if he let Ratchet clam up, then he'll never share again.

When Orion kept prodding for an answer, Ratchet finally snapped at him.

"I can't save every bot, okay! I'm just one measly cogless trying to heal every fragging cogless in this Primus-forsaken city, cogless who only come once they're literally falling apart if I might add! How in the name of the fallen 13 am I supposed to be able to be a doctor if I can't help all my patients!"

Orion recoiled. He wasn't expecting that. He winced internally, this will require quite a bit of tact, not exactly something he's known for.

"Hey, it's not your-"

"I have to pick who to save. I have to see multiple bots in agony, sparking wires and dented protoform and choose who I will treat. But I'm not allowed to pick based on severity because those pit-damned cogged don't like me using too much resourced on the cogless!"

Orion took a step back as Ratchet got riled up the more he talked. Ratchet had stood up, slamming his hands on his desk. Orion could see he was faintly trembling, although from what emotion was anybot's guess.

Before Orion was able to connect two sentences in his processor, Ratchet slumped down over his desk. Orion slowly approached again. He was right in front of Ratchet when he started speaking again.

"I'm a medic, and for every spark I save, at least 10 more go out, and I can't keep working like this, but if I don't then nobot is going to get treated and it'll be even worse,"

Orion was close enough to realize Ratchet was crying, his tears falling down his face and puddling on his desk. He tried reaching out but decided against it, Ratchet would probably not take it well.

For the moment, Orion just let Ratchet let it all out, who knows how long he's been bottling that up for. Once Orion was sure he was done, he slowly walked around the desk to stand next to Ratchet.

Firmly, he grabbed him by the shoulders, causing Ratchet to turn and look at him. Once Orion caught Ratchet's eye, he talked. He didn't know where the words came from, but he spoke them, flowing out of him.

"Ratchet, listen to me. You are a doctor, a true medic at spark. You help bots, you save lives, Ratchet you've saved my life before. You are not failing as a doctor because the higher ups are pulling the strings to keep us in line, it's not your fault you were forced to pick who to save, I know in my spark that you will not hesitate to give up your own frame and spark if it means you can save one more bot. And that's the type of sacrifice only a real medic could do, so don't blame yourself or talk yourself down. Those deaths are not on your hands,"

Orion kept his grip on Ratchet until he was sure his message had sunk in. Then he lowered his hands and stepped back, giving Ratchet space to process.

He didn't say anything, simply standing close enough he could see the emotions play out on Ratchet's face. Eventually it settled into a determined expression.

"You're right. I am a medic, I save lives, and I won't let the cogged bots control who lives or dies. Not anymore, not if I can help it."

Ratchet looked at Orion in the eyes, and nodded.

As expected why is it expected when did he see this? Ratchet's t-cog clicked into place, allowing him to transform.

Unlike Elita, who became more pink, Ratchet's armor set in, orange bleeding over the white on his limbs and chassis. Much to Orion's surprise, Ratchet's kibble resulted in glass panes over his chest and his armor bulked him up more than he's seen in others. who else has he seen? why is this so familiar

Just like before before? Ratchet too disappeared. Just poof, and gone.

This time Orion didn't try to fight the darkness.

New place, new bot.

Why is this happening?

How many more bots does Orion have to meet?

Again, why does he have to do this?

Is he gonna have to talk to every bot ever?

Why can't he remember what happened before all of this?

Is there a point to talking to all these bots? He's not even doing anything!

Talk to another bot? Why?

Hey, Orion knows this place!

Near the main exit to their 'room' there's an alley that allegedly has 'the best acoustics in all of Iacon', according to Jazz anyways.

Orion walked deeper into the alley, the only dangerous bots around here is Dee whenever Orion gets them in trouble again, or Elita… when Orion gets them in trouble again.

Wow, he sure causes a lot of trouble, huh?

Shaking his helm, he looks around. Why is he here? He already knows why, but why.

A figure leans against the wall, close to the mouth of the alley. Orion wondered how he could've missed him.

"Hey, what's up?" Orion called out as he approached the figure.

The figure doesn't acknowledge his greeting none of them do. But they do speak up once he stops near them, leaning on the wall too.

"I'm glitched, and it frags up everything,"

Orion blinked. Well, that's new.

"What kind of glitch, cause sometimes Dee calls me a glitch so it can't be that bad?" Orion offered, trying with a joke.

The figure doesn't acknowledge that either.

" 'M already bad with my basic senses as it is, can't even see proper without the vis,"

Bad senses, visor, is it really?

Jazz turns to look at him, and even with the visor in place, Orion knows they're making eye contact.

"Blind without the visor, deaf as they come, got no perception or sense for ma surrounding. Ya got any idea how often the explosions happen cause I can't tell?"

Orion didn't say anything. Jazz was a close friend, and yet Orion just shrugged off getting called 'Smokey', or having to repeat himself a lot as Jazz's weird quirks.

"Ya wanna know the real reason I don't go up? Cause last time I bumped into a cogged and nearly didn't get away in time. Didn't sense them, couldn't see 'em cause I was on ma way to Ratch ta fix ma visor, couldn't even hear their insults that I just know they were shouting,"

Jazz was… struggling? And Orion didn't even know?

In hindsight, it was very obvious, and he didn't notice. Not even once. What a horrible friend. But he'll be better now.

"But that's not the worst o' ma problems. Didja know I can't hear ma own music? Jus' judge if it's any good from Blaster. Only voices I can recognize 'r Blaster cause he's real loud, an' Prowler. Outta all the bots, only two."

Orion hunched in on himself the more Jazz talked.

No.

Orion took a deep vent to center himself. This isn't about him, it's about Jazz. Jazz who can't hear properly, or see, or anything.

But he'll fix it.

"Ya can't fix a glitch, not even the fallen 13 can help ya there,"

Orion looked up, and saw Jazz click back his visor, revealing his mismatched eyes.

Orion wanted to spiral, but he centered himself. Another deep vent, before he met Jazz's eyes properly.

"You're right, I can't fix the glitch, but I can fix the other things," he stated, before seeing the familiar glow spread from Jazz chassis, which was now closing around a t-cog.

His dirty grey cleaned into a sleek silver and shiny blue. Orion coughed and looked away when he saw Jazz gain a bumper.

But that meant he immediately zeroed in on the wings? on his back.

When Jazz settled back down, he couldn't steel his expression if he tried. His wings fluttered behind him.

"Jazz?" Orion asked, once it was clear Jazz was not going to speak first.

"Oh blessed Primus below I can hear! By the Thirteen I can hear properly, and my balance is no longer fragged to the pits, wait I can sense you!"

Orion sagged in relief, but perked up quickly, Jazz excitement was contagious.

He saw Jazz excitedly flutter his wings as his clicked his visor off, probably seeing how much he could 'sense' with them.

Jazz soon enough turned back to Orion, before he visibly faltered. Orion grew worried as Jazz clicked his visor off. Sure enough, his glitch was still there.

"I can see you, properly,"

Orion took a second to process that, Jazz had practically mumbled.

"You what? But your eyes…"

"Glitched as ever, I know, but the cog, it fixed ma vis, I can see. Primus, I don' know how ta thank ya, this is… ya don't even know,"

Orion smiled. It worked, he helped Jazz how did he know that would happen. how did he know it would work?

This time Orion didn't even flinch when Jazz disappeared. But he was filled with questions that didn't get answered as he slipped into darkness.

Okay so he's helping bots but why him?

Why is he doing this, what happened to him?

Is whoever doing this going to answer him?

Can he just skip through this?

He doesn't think he could handle any more bots, why him?

What happened, why can't he remember?

Orion discovered he was on the catwalks near the stadium. He doesn't really hang out there, but every miner worth their energon knows every nook and cranny in the city.

There was a figure to his right, pacing along the boards.

"I talk too much, it's to cover for the fact I can't tell what's happening around me, so other bots are aware for me. Smokey and Prowl don't complain but I'm scared they find me annoying, I'm scared that if I stop talking then everybot will realize I'm fragged up but if I don't stop talking then I'll just annoy everybot away anyways."

*

"You don't have to compensate for anything, trust yourself. Also trust those around you, if you struggle that's what the rest of us are for, to help. And trust that those that care for you, Prowl, Smokes, Sunny and Sides, they'll always care for you even if you think you're annoying. Don't make that choice for them."

*

Bluestreak's mono-grey shifted into different shiny shades of grey and silver, and wings grew from his back too. Orion glanced away again when he realized that Blue also grew a bit of a bumper.

When Bluestreak disappeared, Orion tried fighting the darkness, because he is still so confused…

Is this the workout slash gym near the recharge stations?

Orion looked around, and yeah, that's the pinball, and the energon dispenser, and the mysterious figure near the mats, and the punching bags-

What?

Orion turned around and sure enough, sitting down near the mats was a shady figure.

"I never doubt my strength, but what if one day it's not enough? I can't defend anybot if I'm not even strong enough to defend myself,"

*

"Part of your strength comes from your need to defend, but you hold a double standard, you don't think the rest can defend themselves. They can, they're stronger than you let yourself give them credit for, learn to let others in, a team is stronger together. And maybe get a gun."

*

Ironhide's colors stayed the same, surprisingly. His armor bulked him up quite a bit, which was probably good for his self-esteem. Orion already knew to expect different kibble, so Ironhide having glass panes across his chassis was not shocking.

But when he disappeared, Orion tried to outrun the darkness, but he couldn't. He can't. why is this happening? what did he do?

Again, Orion didn't know where he was. He looked around but nothing seemed familiar.

"Where am I?"

"The stadium, these are the seats that I had to fight to get so we could see the Iacon 5000,"

Orion nodded, but why wouldn't he recognize the stadium? It's where he and Why can't he remember what happened here?

The figure was sitting next to him, looking up at the screen, that wasn't showing anything.

"I'm worried I'll never do anything meaningful, ever. That I'll rust away in the mines until there's nothing left of me, having done nothing but mine. I want to do something with my life, anything that's not mining,"

*

"Learn to notice small things around you. Doing something meaningful doesn't have to mean big, just impactful. Be kind, or attentive, or even just remember details about others. You'll see how much one small act can affect a bot."

*

Arcee, quite contrarily to other bots that Orion has seen, didn't bulk up. Her armor was dense, but her figure stayed slim. Her colors brightened, but that was about it to her changes.

When she disappeared, Orion didn't hesitate to fight the darkness because- why is it so hard to fight? why can't he remember?

Orion looked around, is he in the storage unit?

He wandered around, it wasn't that big. He lapped the place maybe three times before he stumbled on the other bot.

They were curled up in a corner behind the door, probably why Orion didn't see them until he was debating just leaving.

"I'm reckless and I often put everybot at risk, I shouldn't be trusted with the drills, or with any machinery at all. I'll just end up killing everybot here, and make even more work for Ratch,"

Orion sighed, he has his work cut out for him.

*

"Repeat after me, I am trusted with machinery"

"I am trusted with machinery"

"Because nobot understands how they work like i do"

"Really? Oh right, ahem, 'because nobot understands machines like me' "

"Close enough,"

*

Orion was surprised to see Wheeljack's natural paint job was white, he thought it was grey. Seeing his frame bloom with greens and oranges was less surprising.

Although Orion had to control himself to not laugh when he saw Wheeljack's helm-fins each almost the size of his head. It was a bit comical since they used to be smaller than his fist.

But when the darkness came to claim him after Wheeljack 'left', Orion wanted to give up, but he didn't. He fought but was overpowered anyways.

I've talked to all these bots, please let me go. I've talked to just about every bot ever by now, please…

Orion blinked 'awake'. He knows this place. He knows it really well actually.

He's standing right next to his recharge station, looking over at Dee's station, unmistakable given it's practically a shrine to Megatronus Prime.

He glanced around, but it all looked normal, absolutely nothing out of place.

"Looking for something?"

Orion startled at the voice. He has not been addressed first once. Usually either the bot starts spouting their story or they answer a question he asks.

He turned around, ready to delve into the usual spiel why is it usual how long has he been here. That's when he noticed is unlike every other bot, who remain featureless until either Orion knows who they are, or they gain their t-cog.

No, this figure was different. They have eyes. Visible eyes. Glowing yellow eyes look at him from the otherwise featureless bot. Freaky.

"Looking for you, actually," Orion responds, trying to act nonchalant.

"Mhm, and you found me, now what did you want, Pax,"

Orion flinched, taking a step backwards. This wasn't following the script why is there a script is this all fake?

The figure wasn't responding to the prompts, they said his name. Why does the figure know his name?

But… it called him Pax. Only two bots call him Pax and Orion already talked to one of them, which means this figure is… no. No he is not doing this with him.

The figure crossed their arms, as if waiting for his response. Why is the bot acting like this, nobot else has done this? Is there a glitch that's causing this? Can he use the same glitch to escape?

"You're really testing my patience here," The figure It's Dee, why is it Dee, why doesn't it look like Dee? stepped closer, boxing Orion against the station.

Orion can swear he saw the eyes flicker orange, but that's not right, Dee's eyes are yellow- they turned orange after meeting the high guard remember?

Orion staggered, meet the who? When? Why is he remembering this now?

The figure, oh who is he kidding it's obviously Dee, who else could it be? Dee stepped back when Orion flinched, but he miscalculated and tripped, falling backwards.

Orion managed to catch him before he hit the floor, and a memory flashed through his head-

It's the Iacon 5000 and Orion had snuck them into the competition. Dee had skidded off the track and fell over the edge. Orion had barely managed to reach over and grab him.

For a moment, it was only them two, Dee's life in Orion's hands, but they both knew Orion would save him, it's what they did. Orion had pulled him up, and they rejoined the competition.

He shook his head as he pulled Dee up, who righted himself quickly enough, with barely a thanks.

"So? You never answered my question,"

Orion shuddered, it was still unsettling to be talking with a shadowy figure that he knows is Dee, but he can only see his eyes. Especially since the figures haven't really talked to him directly.

Dee didn't give Orion a chance to put his thoughts together before he approached again.

"What do you want, Pax? What are you doing here?"

Orion shook his head, he didn't know. He's been asking those same questions. Still, he tried to keep distance between them, getting more unsettled by Dee's attitude. This time he wouldn't get boxed in by the recharge stations.

"You learned what everybot here fears and worries, now tell me yours. What keeps you up at night? What worries you to the point you hide? What is your greatest shame you will never let see the light of day?"

As Dee asked each question, he took a step forward, and to Orion's growing unease, his eyes slowly ceased to be yellow. His bright yellow eyes slowly darkened into a deep orange with each question.

Orion aggressively shook his head, matching Dee step for step. But his eyes, what was happening to Dee? Why what this happening?

He knows he's avoiding the questions, he doesn't want to think about that, because he already knows. No, there's nothing there. No clue what Dee could be referring to.

Unfortunately, Orion wasn't watching his own step. They had reached the 'gym' and Orion tripped on the mat, they were always bad at cleaning up.

He braced himself for the fall, when he felt Dee grab his arm, stopping his descent. Orion looked up at Dee, frantically searching for his best friend, but… nothing.

Dee's eyes were red.

Orion flinched, but Dee's grip was tight. There was nowhere else to look at, except at Dee, who wasn't his Dee anymore.

"Failing you! My greatest shame… I failed you, Dee. I couldn't help you, I always pushed you into everything, it's always been about me, I saw you were struggling and didn't do anything. By the time I did, it was too late… Dee, I'm so sorry, for everything."

Orion saw in real time how the shadow that had enveloped Dee blow away, to reveal polished silver, everything in the same silver. The Megatronus emblem that Dee had loved and treasured oh so much, forever burned into his plating.

"No… you're not sorry,"

That was the last thing Dee said before he let go, except he didn't let go, Orion was missing his arm. Because it has already been blown off, he's dead

Orion fell, and fell, and fell. He was stuck in an endless free fall and he wasn't sure he ever wanted to land.

Eventually he heard a voice, some of the words were indistinguishable, but from what he could make out it didn't make any sense.

"Primus chosen- Trials of the Matrix… passed everything but… entrusted with the future- Matrix of Leadership…"

He's dead, but he can feel his frame start shifting just like it did when he first got his t-cog.

"Arise!… Optimus Prime."