#wanting to burn down everything and even attacking Optimus who actually has the Matrix and was brought back to life

[quibbs126]

I’m thinking about it, and I think Optimus banishing Megatron from Iacon with the High Guard was probably one of the worst decisions he could have made to deal with this situation

Because Optimus pretty much left him alone, outside of his home and I’m fairly certain the only remaining city on Cybertron, so to live out in the wilds of the surface, with a bunch of complete strangers whom they literally call nut-jobs and have a strong belief of “strength of one bot over another”, and are also much older and more experienced than him

And in leaving him with the High Guard, he’s likely isolated Megatron even more than if he was banished alone. Because while Optimus and the others have friends they can be vulnerable with and be comfortable talk about their feelings, Megatron does not know these people, and they don’t know him. But he’s now their leader in a group that values strength above all else, and emotions are usually considered a weakness in these sorts of settings. So not only does he have no one to talk to, he has to bottle up his very strong and raw emotions to appear stronger and worthy of his position, thus making them far worse and probably leading to unhealthy coping mechanisms

This could end up not being the case, and the High Guard are very considerate of his emotions. But it’s also very possible the case that they aren’t, or Megatron believes he can’t be vulnerable around them. They (the quartet I mean) don’t know these people, and they’ve really only seen them be violent and aggressive, and Megatron knows he’s an outsider to them. It’s a more likely scenario that they’ll be harmful to Megatron’s mental state rather than helpful

And again, they’re a lot older than him too, and they probably all know this, at least on some level. And thus, he’s far more likely to be influenced by the High Guard’s mentality and beliefs, which we already know aren’t great (even if it’s somewhat justified why they’re the way they are by this point). And assuming they’re pissed at Optimus as well, they could very well try to have Megatron distance himself from his old friends, and it be more successful than if he was alone

But moving away from the High Guard, there’s the fact that Optimus banished him from his home and left him to fend for himself, which Megatron would absolutely take personally just on its own. He was clearly not in a mentally stable place at that point and I think he thinks what he’s doing is right, he’s the one not being like Sentinel while Optimus is. It definitely isn’t right, but he thinks he is. And the banishment to him could not only be Optimus/Orion standing against him, but essentially him saying he’s given up on Megatron, making him leave his home. And I mean, Sentinel did kind of do this to the High Guard 50 cycles ago, so yet another parallel to be made between Optimus and Sentinel

But note that when I say all this, I don’t mean it as a criticism of the movie, that this is a flaw of the plot. I’m fairly certain this was 100% intentional by the writers. It wasn’t just Megatron that created Megatron and led to the war, it was Optimus too, even if he didn’t intend to

Optimus probably thought at the time that this was the best solution in dealing with him. He doesn’t agree with Megatron’s actions but he understands where it all comes from, and he was someone very important to him. So he probably doesn’t want to arrest him, punishing him for what he thought was right and making himself more like Sentinel, oppressing those who were supposed to be on his side. But he still has to be punished for his actions. So by banishment, he is punished while still being allowed to essentially be free, just not in Iacon, and maybe in turn he’ll see his wrongdoings and come back better. And even if the High Guard aren’t ideal, they did help Optimus and Elita rescue their friends, and maybe he thought at least with them he wouldn’t be alone in his thoughts. Also they agreed with Megatron’s ideals and probably shouldn’t be allowed to just roam free in Iacon, especially in this politically fragile state it is right now

But in doing so, Optimus essentially threw Megatron to the wolves and created the perfect environment for his anger and pain to fester and cause him to become more like the Megatron we know in the future

I’m not sure what the actual best solution would have been to this issue though. Maybe it would have been just jailing Megatron? Granted in the short term, it’d probably sting even worse for Megatron, that his own friend would lock him up, and it’d probably make him even more resentful. But at least there, he’d still be in Iacon, with his friends and people who want to help him, and with Optimus and Elita at the helm, they can probably see that he gets treated well and has access to people that can really help him work through it all and see what he did was wrong

But that’s not what happened

[enlit12ww]

On the fringes of space exists a planet of metal.

Torn between both sides of good and evil, the celestial body is on the brink of collapse. Eons of warfare have ravaged the planet’s surface, leaving it near-dead.

Its name is Cybertron. Home world of the Transformers.1

*****

“Calling all Autobot2  forces! To anyone within range of this frequency, Optimus Prime3  has ordered the total evacuation of our planet. Look to the stars, brothers and sisters, our home world can no longer sustain us…” The voice echoed across the ship’s intercom.  “I repeat, to any Autobot who can hear this, the total evacuation of-”

Boom. The hull shook violently. The lone Transformer seated in the cockpit was almost thrown off his seat. That was the third barrage of cannon fire that hit the docks, he thought. He adjusted his seat, sat upright and looked around. Around him was the captain’s terminal. The screens flickered with static. Lights fluctuated in an unstable power surge

Behind him, a heavy, paneled door hissed open, and a thinly built female bot stepped through.

“Dion.4” She said.

The transformer turned in his seat. “Yes, Ariel5?”

“Engineering reports came back. The Praxis doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere anytime soon. The tanks took another hit, and the engine fuses are dislodged.”

Normally, Dion would be annoyed that his beloved ship took more damage, but at this point, the war was taking a toll on him. His apathy was starting to show. He shook his head and looked down, defeated and exhausted.

The lights came back. “-epeat. Evacuate immediately!”, the voice said on the intercom. Dion flicked a switch and turned off the transmission. Ariel sat next to him in the co-pilots seat.

The pair sat in silence for a moment, staring outside the windows of the cockpit. They could see the burning, metallic landscape of Cybertron glinting orange. Anti-air rockets streaked the skyline, followed by a flurry of explosions on a distant tower

Dion just stared.

“I’m tired.” He muttered.

Ariel stared back. Dion’s eyes were glassy, distant. She turned back at the landscape.

“Cybertron was beautiful. I still remember its shining city skylines… Iacon, Tarn, Vos. Now look at it. It’s a scrap heap. I never wanted this war. All I wanted was to sit back and- “

Dion paused. He saw Ariel sitting there. Both of them we’re tired. Not just from the war, but from living.

“Never mind.” He sat upright.

“No, it’s okay. I was a medic before, so I’m used to hearing stories.” She gave a weak smile. Dion sighed.

“Guess we’re stuck here. Damned rust bucket.” He leaned back. Clenching his fist, he looked to Ariel. “Y’know, I knew Optimus before he was Optimus, right?6”

Ariel’s facial expression changed. How is that one of the most hedonistic bots that she’s ever known, be familiar with the planet’s most noble leader?

“Yep. He was called Orion Pax… Orion for short. We worked at the Iacon Energy Storage Facilities before the war. Then a Decepticon attack threw the city into chaos. People were displaced. They lost jobs…” Dion frowned. “People got reassigned left and right. Orion was one of them. After a few weeks of waiting, I got word that he was assigned as a clerk in the city library; the Hall of Records.”

“And?”

“I dunno, the bot just started… changing,” He slouched forward. “Didn’t talk to him for a while, but when I did… he was like a whole new person. Started rambling about social injustice and scrap. Caste system, injustice… whatever.”

Ariel furrowed her brows.

“Before that, he and I just mucked around. We’d visit Crystal City Casino using whatever credits we scrounged up. He was a serious tailpipe, I tell you; but then… he just- he was full on political after the transfer. Started sounding like those sons of rust buckets in the High Council.”

Ariel leaned back. Now she was seeing the old Dion. The sarcastic, foul mothed, carefree bot she heard about before joining the Praxis crew.

“Before long, Orion came before the High Council. Started debating and what not… and those buckets of bolts were listening! They named him Optimus soon after; after one of them- Primes7 or whatever. I told him he doesn’t have to be this way. We could’ve waited the tension out, but he said no. Ran off to head the war effort against Decepticons…”

Dion rested his head in his palms.

“Thought that was it, but no.”

Ariel stayed silent.

“Apparently, he’d found that old relic we learned about in school during some recon mission… the uh, Matrix of Leadership.8 Crazy I know, but that’s what happened. Or so they say.”

Ariel nodded, intrigued.

“He became Optimus Prime after that. He was different. The Orion I knew was gone. That reckless, humorous bot who always had some trick up his servo. Optimus was… something else.

Ariel couldn’t help but agree. Optimus on the battlefield has an aura of comfort. You felt sure of everything when you were near him. Steadfast, humble, and morally sound, Optimus exhibited what a true Prime should be. Not like those rust buckets who ran the government.

“I’m proud of him. Even if he’s so… radically different, he’s something I could never be. Guess that’s why he’s the boss. Part of me actually wishes I could go back; join the war earlier. Maybe do something worthwhile for the Autobots… I don’t know anymore. I’m scrap, Ariel. He isn’t. Not anymore.”

Dion let out a deep sigh. Ariel could hear the regret in his tone. The feeling of a failed friendship; something lost.

“I don’t what to think sometimes. Am I angry at him for taking part in this war? Am I proud of him? I want to be. Maybe I am.”

Dion leaned forward to the terminal and flicked a switch. Communicating with engineering, he asked if they were in the clear to launch the Praxis. They said yes.

He turned to Ariel,

“Time to go.”

1 A race of sentient robots that have the ability to turn into an “alternate mode”, which is traditionally a vehicle of some type.

2 One of the two factions fighting in the Cybertron Civil War, with the other being the Decepticons.

3 Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobot faction in the Cybertron Civil War. Steadfast, compassionate, and morally just, he acts as a substitution for Siddhartha-turned-Buddha as both of them are regarded as noble figures/leaders.

4 A character from the original Transformers 1984 TV series (colloquially known as G1). However, unlike the Dion shown here, not much is known about him except that he was a close friend of Optimus Prime prior to the war, back when Prime was known as Orion Pax. For the sake of the story, Dion here is portrayed as a self-centered individual as a lens to analyze Optimus’/Orion’s journey. He is a substitute for Suddhodana, as both he and Dion carried a close personal relationship with Siddhartha/Buddha and Optimus/Orion respectively.

5 Ariel is a character who originates from the G1 TV series similar to Dion. In the show, she is the girlfriend of Orion Pax. However, here she acts a side character for Dion to open up to, as a means for exposition.

6 The following section is a retelling of Siddhartha’s transition into Buddha with the four sights using Optimus’ backstory as a parallel, especially with how both Buddha and Optimus started living with one lifestyle, and then moving on to another. Optimus’ transition is derived from his origins from G1, and the TV series Transformers: Prime.

7 In Transformers lore, while definitions vary, Primes are often cultural leaders and figureheads in both Autobot and Transformer history.

8 The Matrix of Leadership is an ancient Autobot artifact that carries great cultural and historical significance for the Transformers. It is often depicted as a blue crystal-like orb encased in an orange container, and acts as a vessel for “The Wisdom of the Primes”, hence its importance.