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D-16 had never felt right in her own body. There was no right word to describe it, but anytime she saw glimpses of herself in any reflective surface of the mines made her feel… disgusted. She thought she just wanted a transformation cog, like any other miner. To feel normal, to be treated with respect.
However, there was hardly any time to think about it when there was energon to mine. She hoped to get to the top of her sector and rise the ranks to be treated with the respect she deserved. Maybe have a chance to get out of the mines. That was what she was missing, right? It was all just stupid dreams, but it kept her working hard even when she was at her lowest.
Then Orion Pax came into her life. The two clicked quickly, with their shared love of the Primes. Megatronus was D-16's favorite. She wanted to be just like him. She just didn't realize how far that would extend.
Something had changed one day. Orion had called her a 'him.' It must've been a slip-up, but D-16 couldn't help but feel right, for once. Orion seemed to notice, and continued with it. He was rather loud about it, and the other miners caught on. Soon, D-16 was remembered with 'he' and 'him.' Even Darkwing was respecting that. He was still… well, D-16, but he liked when Pax called him 'Dee' rather than his given name. Dee had never felt happier.
Then it all crashed and burned.
Him and Pax were thrown down to sub-level 50 after taking part in the Iacon 5000, picked up B-127, went to the surface with Elita, got transformation cogs… D-16 should've been happy. But his new body did little to quell his bitter mood. Maybe it did, but he was too caught up in wanting to murder Sentinel Prime to focus on that. He had little time to even enjoy his new body before they were brought to the High Guard and he was pummelling Starscream.
The cannon appeared. It wasn't there before, it wasn't apart of his body. But it felt right. Like it belonged there in the first place. Maybe it always had, before Sentinel took everything.
Everything else was a blur to him, finally executing Sentinel, the fight with Optimus, then being banished.
Something stuck with Megatron — he was quick to accept Optimus's new identity as a Prime.
Optimus never said his name.
The war had been going on for millions of years. Many perished along the way. With majority of the Autobots being miners, Megatron was sure that he had killed many that he had grown up with. He felt bad — not because he regretted it, but because he didn't. Overtime, the feeling dampened and he felt nothing for any of the Autobots he killed. He was going to get his way, even if it meant the death and betrayal of his former best friend and allies.
Orion Pax. Optimus Prime.
The memories of Orion smiling at him so fondly, joking around with him, caring for him even with D-16's cruelty were buried deep in his spark and replaced with Optimus's hard-to-read optics.
He hated looking at Optimus. The mech was wearing his best friend's frame like a wolf in sheep's clothing. The words he said before banishing Megatron stuck, so did his defeated expression.
Megatron would never admit it, but he missed the mech Optimus used to be. He wonders if Orion Pax is buried under his frame, or if he was truly gone. He missed the way Orion Pax would pull him into his foolish antics, getting him gifts, his blind optimism…
He missed Orion Pax, dammit.
But he couldn't tell anyone. He had to be a strong leader for the Decepticons, and the one he could trust with his spark was gone.
Megatron and Optimus Prime met on the battefield once more, divided by an invisible line. Decepticons and Autobots backed up their respective leaders, ready to fight once they had their little speeches.
"Prime, we meet again." Megatron snarled. "I'll take you and your pathetic Autobots down!"
"We meet again, old friend…" That look again. Optimus only looked at Megatron with that yearning in his blue optics. Megatron's fists curled and grit his denta. Still refusing to say his name.
"Stop looking at me like that."
"Are you not tired of the war? Of what we had before?" Optimus began. "When we were just Orion and Dee—"
Megatron struck Optimus's battle mask with thinly veiled anger.
"Don't call me that! My name is Megatron! Have you forgotten?"
"Dee—"
"Megatron."
"…Megatron."
"Good."
Megatron could see a blur of colors behind Optimus, the Autobots and Decepticons beginning to fight as Megatron's punch was invitiation for the Decepticons to attack, and for the Autobots to defend. Megatron yelled at Optimus as he threw more blows on him.
"I don't grovel about the past like a pathetic little sparkling."
A lie. Megatron absolutely did.
"I do not miss you."
Another lie.
"You're just wearing Orion's body!"
Optimus tensed at that, and he blocked Megatron's hits before securing his arms so he could talk without being throttled in the face.
"Megatron, I am still Orion. I remember you, all the memories we shared together. Orion is not dead."
"Your lies will not work on me!" Megatron thrashed in his hold, wanting to go back to beating the shit out of Optimus, not… this. It was all gushy and emotional and soft and he hated it. It reminded him of his weakest moments as D-16. He can't afford to be weak after getting so far.
"I am sorry. I just miss you, old friend." Optimus pleaded.
Megatron scoffed. "You miss a dead mech. D-16 is no more. She's gone, get that in your stubborn helm."
Optimus's optics widened as he realized the truth of why Megatron despised the name so much. He remembered being the one to make Dee blossom in the mines, the joy at being referred to with masculine terms. He honestly didn't remember a time where Dee was still being mentioned with feminine terms.
Optimus didn't know the her that Megatron was talking about.
"No, Megatron, I don't miss her. I miss him. My best friend. I remember how happy you were when I started referring to you with masculine terms, and when everyone else did."
Megatron faltered at that, slowing his struggles. The D-16 that Optimus was mentioning was not the one he was thinking of it. It felt… reassuring, yet also left a bitter taste in his intake. D-16 was weak-willed, soft-spoken, pathetic. Stupid. He was far from what Megatron was. If Optimus expects him to go back to being that naive miner…
"D-16 is a pathetic little miner, couldn't think for himself, believed in that traitor's lies—"
"Dee was tricked. He was strong. You were strong. You've always been, Megatron." Optimus leans in a bit closer to Megatron, as if wanting to hug him like how they used to, but keeping his distance, as if he were afraid Megatron would lash out. Megatron's spark ached.
"You miss me too. Would you say it's foolish for you to miss Orion the same way I miss Dee?"
Optimus took Megatron's hesitance as acceptance.
"I don't know whether to be upset or happy that you miss him… me." Megatron muttered quietly into Optimus's audials.
"It is definitely complicated. I can't say I'm too happy you miss Orion and not me. We are one and the same." Optimus finally allowed himself to embrace Megatron, detecting that he wouldn't start fighting again. "I understand how you must feel, you feel like I miss the 'weaker' version of yourself."
"…What are you trying to get at, Prime?" Megatron growled, but leaned into his touch. Just like when they were Orion and Dee.
"I want you to be able to move on from your past rather than dwell on it. You may not like Dee, but you should accept that he was just who you were back then, and you can't change that. No one had known anything at the time." Optimus explained gently. "Although I miss Dee and Orion, I want to pave a new future with you, as Megatron and Optimus."
They were rather close, lips about to touch. They hadn't realized how intimate it had gotten in the midst of the battlefield. He was sure that at least some of the Autobots and Decepticons were watching, maybe even trying to talk to them or get them away from each other, but all they could focus on was the other.
As if remembering where he was, Megatron suddenly jerked back and pried himself out of Optimus's grasp. "I—I need time." He turned away from Optimus despite how his spark throbbed. "Decepticons! Retreat!"
Optimus watched as Megatron and the Decepticons became smaller and smaller silhouettes before disappearing out of sight. The sadness filled his optics again, and he couldn't hide it.
He just hoped Megatron would take his words to spark.