A/N: (I am writing this fanfic in front of my family yall XD)

Anna is seen looking around, eyes searching for a certain silver mech. Seeing that the warlord was nowhere to be found, she snickered and slipped quietly to her work space, intended to lay out a...special chapter for the mech.
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Only for the one and only Soundwave blocking her door.

"H-Hi!" Anna squeaked.

"..." Soundwave gave her a silent stare, before cocking his head at the writer curiously.

"....5 boxes of grape juice. No questions asked, if you please?" Anna held her palms together, begging the purple and blue mech to let her through.

"8? 9?!"

"...."

"10!!?"

"...15."

"Deal!!" Anna beamed. "Thank you, Sounders!"

With that, the communication specialist stepped aside, letting the femme in to do whatever she wanted.

Primus knows that if Soundwaves makes a bargain, you take it.

TW: Some mentions of sexual harassment, racism, angst, gore.

Ps: I'm not the best at medical situations, please bear with me hehe'~

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"OPTIMUS PRIME!" Megatron roared, charging forward with hatred burning in his optics. His silver, worn-out sword clashed against Optimus's shiny ones, a stark contrast of the two leader's status.

"Pathetic Autobots! Die in my hands, Optimus!" Megatron snarled and landed a harsh kick on the Prime's knee.

"Not today, Megatron!" Optimus retaliated, sending Megatron a punch to the gut which made the latter back away a few meters.

"YOU ARE THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE!" The warlord said spitefully, hatred filled his spark and spilled into his words, poisoning everything it encounters.

"Optimus, let's go!" Arcee yelled as the A-team's groundbridge opened. "COME ON!"

"AUTOBOTS! FALL BACK!" The Prime backed away and made a run for his groundbridge, eliciting another ear-shattering roar from the Decepticon warmonger.

"I WILL FIND YOU, OPTIMUS. I WILL FIND YOU, AND I WILL KILL YOU!" Megatron screamed as he shot at the Autobot leader.

"YOU CANNOT RUN FROM YOUR MISTAKES FOREVER! I AM YOUR DEBT COLLECTOR!! MARK MY WORDS!"

Megatron's sworn enemy may be endless, but there is a mech that topped everyone else. Said mech is none other than Optimus Prime, the Autobot's pride and Cybertron's so-called hero.
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Though, was the Prime truly a miracle mech?

Optimus; a plain archivist.

Megatron; a Kaon gladiator.

To have these two mechs going neck for neck on one another at first glance, surely this must take a long history, yes?

Was the Matrix truly the reason why Megatronus turned against our dear Orion?

Was the story of how Megatron went power hungry and lost his way, just like Icarus fell from the sky, simple as so?

No.

Of course it is not.

This is the story of how Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, turned our battered gladiator, Megatron, into the monster he had become.
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Location: Cybertron

Before the fall of their planet, Megatronus and Orion were friends, best friends even, updating on their meagre lives with one another. When they have more time to spare, the two would meet in an oil house, conversing lightly on politics and just about life in general.

Then Orion introduced Ratchet and trio was inseparable, though the medic had his apprehensions on the silver gladiator.

Currently, the three of them are relaxing themselves in a local bar downtown Tyger Pax, trying to unwind for the weekend. Megatronus received a call from his fellow mate and excused himself for a moment, which allowed Ratchet to have a private conversation with Orion.

"Orion, you are an archivist, one with a prestigious status even. To be even setting your peds on Kaon, what lengths did you take to be able to pass security just to talk with Megatronus?" Ratchet asked, genuinely worried for his friend's safety.

After all, Primus knows the times Orion ventured ALONE to Kaon just to have a quick Energon break with Megatronus.

"It's worth it if it's for Megatronus." Orion smiled as he sipped his Energon drink, earning a long sigh from the young medic.

"Yet you hesitate to meet me in the Iacon Hospital. I must say, you are playing favourites here, aren't you?" Ratchet rolled his optics.

"Oh, do I hear jealousy in your tone, old friend?" Orion replied playfully.

"Puh-lease, spare you theatrics Orion. I am but a meager mech compared to your infatuation with...that guy." Ratchet winced at the words. Setting his empty glass down, the mech turned to cast a serious glance at the young data archivist.

"But with all due respect, I do not give my full trust to the mech, seeing background is less than ideal. Utter barbaric, if I may add."

"Ratchet..."

"However, I wish not to jeopardize your friendship with Megatronus, so I pray you exercise enough caution to know when to say yes and no." With that, Ratchet placed a servo on Pax's shoulders and gave a soft smile. "You are my friend, above everything."

"Thank you, Ratchet." Orion returned the smile with a grateful one. Turning around, he saw Megatronus waving as the silver mech made his way back gleefully.

"Gossiping? How unlikely of you, Orion." Megatronus chuckled. "You're learning some bad habits from Ratchet, aren't you?"

"Bold statement." Ratchet countered. "Can't say the same for you, however."

"Implying something?" Megatronus raised an optic ridge. "Orion, it seems your friend has his coating ruffled up today."

"Guys, knock it off. We came to relax, remember?" Orion pinched his olfactory ridges as he stood in between the two mechs.

Huffing, Ratchet rolled his optics and ordered another drink while Megatronus gave his little librarian friend a sneaky smirk.

"I win." He stated.

"Primus, you are a sparkling." Orion jokingly pushed the mech away, inciting a boisterous laughter from the latter.

Soon, perhaps with the effects of high grade, Ratchet shrugged off his hard exterior and continued mingling with the other two, allowing himself to be associated with the annoying gladiator. Just this once.

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"Hey sweetheart, bend over! Let us see some aft!" A slurred voice echoed the bar, making the trio turn their helms to see a tall, green mech cornering a femme.

Specifically, a (f/c) femme.

"P-Please just leave me alone..." you said, putting your servos out to get some space in between the two of you.

"How much per night, hot stuff?" The disgusting mech said, his slimy glossa sticking out. "I won't take no for an answer."

"N-No, s-stay back..." you winced, but you could not remove yourself from the situation as the drunk bastard has his servos placed on both of your sides, trapping you in between.

"Come on-"

"Frag off, glitch." A loud voice cut the mech's further attempts to harass you.

"Huh?" The unnamed green mech turned around, pissed. "Come again, douchebag?"

"Are your audial receptors fried? I said frag off!"

It was Megatronus.

"Mind your own business, trashbot." The green mech said.

"As you said," Megatronus gave the asshole a dirty smirk as he flipped a bottle in his servo. "I'm a trashbot."

"Yeah, no shit-"

"MEGATRONUS-"

"So, this is me cleaning up TRASH!"

With that, a glass bottle came in contact onto the mech's face, shattering into pieces and successfully made the mech faltered away, which you grabbed the chance to run.

"ARGH, WHAT THE FRAG!?" The green mech yelled.

"Get. Out." Megatronus snarled, faceplate inches against the drunk, staggering idiot.

"Make me!"

His bravado faltered when Megatronus lifted him up with ONE servo.

"U-Ugh! L-Let me g-go!"

"If I see you again. I'll throw you useless parts into the smelting pit, STARTING WITH YOUR SPIKE!" Megatronus hissed and raised his claws.

"AM I CLEAR!?"

Frightened, the mech quickly yielded.

"Y-YES! YES!"

He dropped the mech, casting a grossed-out look onto the low scum.

"You're a disgusting waste of space." Megatronus spat and kicked the mech's aft, and the latter scampered off like a fool.

Huffing, the tall gladiator turned to see you, a significantly smaller femme, giving him a grateful look.

"T-Thank you!" You bowed, spark swelled with gratitude for the mech that went above and beyond to help you.

"No need to thank me. You deserved none of those, miss." Megatronus courteously replied, tipping his helm at your actions.

"I-If it w-weren't f-for you, t-the mech w-would've-"

A pair of large servos hovered in front of you, halting your words.

"Fret not. I will ensure you; this shall never again happen in my presence." Megatronus replied, making you blush.

"I-I..."

"Though, I am honour to know of your designation, if you allow me so."

"(Y/N)! M-My name is (Y-Y/N) (L/N)." You said, casting a soft smile at the gentleman before you.

A simple action, yet it made the fearless gladiator's spark skipped a beat.

"Such a lovely name. Please, call me Megatronus." Megatronus replied, faceplate lightly dusted with blue tints.

"I-I uh, I've just clocked out, actually. If y-you don't mind, I'd treat you a high grade now, hmm?"

"Well, t-that... I-"

"That's great!" Orion piped in, startling the two flustered bots. "In fact, stay longer with us!"

"Orion. Pax." Ratchet hissed lowly, prying the young bot away as he flashed you an awkward smile. "D-Don't mind him. The name's Ratchet, by the way."

"H-Hello!" you squeaked. "Y-Yes, I would love to!"

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Just like that, you were the fourth friend of the group, and the first to ever made Megatronus stutter in his place.

With your lovely personality and an even lovelier smile (as our dear silver mech kept reinforcing), it was not long before Megatronus realised he is constantly having you on his mind, to the point that his gladiator pals took notice of his demeanour.

"Hey Dawnbreaker, don't you think Megatronus is a little...eh?" CircuitFry asked, making his servos in a tilting movement. "Kinda occupied, his mind I mean."

"Shh!!" Dawnbreaker gave his friend a smack on his back. "You lost to the mean guy twice and you have the fragging audacity to talk shit on him! Are your bolts loose!?"

"S-Sorry dude, j-just saying..." The black and cyan bot grumbled. "Ouch, pull your punches a little, will ya? I just had my backstruts wielded."

"Maybe if you lots didn't talk behind my back and start your stupid training, you'd make it on the board this week." Megatronus jokingly mocked as he walked past them.

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"DID HE JUST MAKE A JOKE!?" Dawnbreaker and CircuitFry said in unison, both horrified at the 180-degree attitude change of Megatronus.

"Soundwave, broadcast my message." Megatronus said, ignoring the two lousy fighters. "Today shall be the last of my gladiator days. In fact, this last challenger will be the most unfortunate, for I am coming out from this pit victorious."

"The last opponent is Volkanix from Iacon, though they changed his location to Gargonors, due to Iaconians not recognising his residency status. He's a triple-shifter with a habit of using illegal substances. Beware of his stingers, he laces them with underground paralyzing fluid; no cure and it melts your metal." Soundwave stated monotonously while showing Megatronus his final opponent's database.

"Height and colour scheme?" Megatronus asked, briefly glanced at the visor.

"Taller and flashier than you, sporting the red and neon green in ways you can't."

"Thanks for the sass, old friend." Megatronus chuckled as he started warming up, stretching his arms.

"He's dangerous." Soundwave warned.

"Danger's my dance partner." The silver mech huffed as he bent forward, counting to 5 on his stretches.

"Not (Y/N)?"

Megatronus stopped at his tracks. Slowly standing up, the gladiator gritted his teeth.

"5 minutes." Megatronus said-no, STATED.

He was going to KILL the fool that dare challenge him in the Pits in 5 minutes.

Nodding, Soundwave patted his friend on the back as he watched Megatronus stepped into the gladiator ring, murder evident in the mech's optics and spark.

"I'll time you."

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"The mighty, the vicious, the glory-taker! Please, extend your welcomes to...MEGATRONUSSSS!!"

When Megatronus stepped into the ring, your spark skipped beat seeing his figure standing proud facing the crowd.

'Please be okay...' you prayed inwardly as you kept your optics trained on him. His finish shined brightly, and you can't help but be in awe of his feature.

'He's so...breathtaking...' You thought to yourself as the spokesperson announced his final opponent, as Soundwave had previously broadcasted.

"This mech is vile, cruel and ruthless," The speaker said. "Calculating everything, he sees and hears everything. Big, bold, and bad! Give it up to VOLKANIXXXXXX!!"

Somehow, you felt that the broadcaster was a little bias with the introduction of Volkanix, but you knew deep down you had your preference on Megatronus.

"MEGATRONUS, TIS THE DAY YOU PERISH UNDER MY SERVOS!" Volkanix pridefully called out, raising his battle axe which incited load roars of approval from the crowd.

"Sincerely, you being scheduled with me is a fatal error. One that unfortunately," Megatronus took out his long blade. "You shall NEVER be able to atone from."

Growling, the narcissistic Volkanix charged forward, claws sharp and ready to puncture the silver mech's spark chamber.

Megatronus swiftly dodged that sloppy attack, returning his own with a nasty swipe to the triple-changer's left hips. That made the nasty mech roared loudly in anger and backed away, spilling lots of Energon on the floors of the gladiator ring.

"GET HIM!"

"FINISH HIM, MEGATRONUS!"

"AIM HIS LEFT HIPS, VOLKANIX!"

"LEFT HIPS, VOLKANIX! MEGATRONUS'S WEAKNESS IS THERE!"

'Is that even possible!?' You gasped as the crowd were helping the arrogant mech cheat.

"Kid, are you sure you wanna watch this fight?" An old bot spoke, prying your attention away from the bots.

"I-I'm good." You said, though your voice said otherwise.

"Rooting for the silver mech?" He teased, chugging an unknown substance, most probably illegal high grade.

"H-How'd you-"

"Your optics are literally glowing ever since you set them on him." He chuckled and took another swig. "Don't worry, I've fought him once, I surrendered before he ended my life, though he rendered my left servo useless forever. Still, he's a good mech, one with honour and a darn good fighter!"

You turned to look back at Megatronus, only to shriek out loud as Volkanix had him pinned to the ground.

"Oops, looks like I spoke too soon." The mech said and sat back down, optics darkening. "Seems like Volkanix played dirty."

That statement made your Energon ran cold.

'NONONONO-'

Back with Megatronus, the mech was literally fighting for his life as he made an error of getting slashed by Volkanix's poison barb, and he could feel his body shutting down with every click passing by.

"G-GET....OFF!" Megatronus roared, pushing Volkanix off from him. Panting, the silver one was going to gather his thoughts but once again, the narcissist Vol played dirty and punched him in the optics, drawing out more blood from the battered Megs.

Megatronus was in a daze, his vision doubling as he tried to gather his strength. The crowds were growing wilder, and the surrounding voices made him further disoriented as they chant for Volkanix to end the battle once and for all.

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"MEGS! DODGE HIM!"

'Is that...'

'MEGATRONUS!!!!"

Optics snapped wide open, Megatronus moved out of the way just in time, missing the fatal blow barely. He turned to see you, standing against the railing, cheering your intakes out...for him.

"(Y/N)!" Megatronus gasped in astonishment.

"GO MEGATRONUS! I BELIEVE YOU!" You screamed, waving your servos like a mad femme as the surrounding bots casted you looks of disgust and curiosity, but you could care less about them.

This was about Megatronus.

Megs.

"KICK HIS AFT!" You screamed.

Your words rekindled the fire in his spark, and with a smirk, he turned to face a snobby Volkanix.

"Looks like you brought a pet. When I'm done with you, I'll go a few rounds with her, if you know what-"

SLASH!

Volkanix's glossa was severed CLEAN.

Energon spurted out like fountain, slightly drizzling onto Megatronus's shoulders. The former screeched in agony and writhed around, disbelief with how the tables have turned.

"Usually, I like playing with my food, especially when I'm giving them some hopes of winning." Megatronus calmly said and dashed forward, not allowing Volkanix a time to gather his thoughts.

"But you, asshole, do not deserve an inch of emotions out of me."

A clean SWIPE, and Volkanix's helm parted with his torso, flying a few meters in the air before dropping to the dusty ground with a thud. His body caved in next, kneeling before falling harshly onto the floor.

The crowd went silent. So, so silent, you could hear the gears of each and every bot within the arena.

Then the cheers began. The roar came in like tidal waves, as if the dams broke and a tsunami like of applause drowned the entire ring as Megatronus stood tall and proud.

He had, once again, came out victorious.

And you saw him, basking in the glory.

"THIS IS A WARNING, TO ALL CYBERTRONIAN AND SENTIENT MORTALS ALIKE, THAT THIS IS THE OUTCOME, IF YOU CHALLENGE THE KING OF KAON, THE GLADIATOR OF THIS DAMNED PIT! I, MEGATRONUS, SHALL PERSONALLY SLAY YOU!"

Cries of approval and thirsts of bloodshed grew louder, but all you ever paid attention to was Megatronus's laboured breathing. His gears were slowly locking in, and you, a young waiter, could see it, clear as day.

As the mech slowly retired behind the scenes, you sprinted down the arena, apologizing along the way as you shoved mechs and femmes out to see him.

"MEGATRONUS!" You yelled, hoping your peds could carry you faster to the mech your spark yearns for.

'Please be okay!' You begged to Primus as you skid to a stop when you saw Soundwave clutching onto Megatronus.

"Megatronus. 10 minutes and 50 seconds. You are sloppy, and you are dying." Soundwave mocked, but the mech had his tentacles on the datapad while his right servo administered something into Megatronus's shouldersplate, trying to keep his best friend from paying the Wells a visit.

"Urgh..." the warrior groaned. "F-Frag..."

"Megs!" You cried and knelt to his side.

"Unauthorized femme, let me handle him." Shockwave's voice chimed in. "Please leave this instance."

"L-Let me help!" You shook your helm. "I-I'm practicing medicine. P-Please!"

"Illogical. Megatronus is not your usual test run patient-"

"Stop fighting with me and focus on stabilizing his health, damn you!" You snapped, taking out a set of syringes and stabbing into Megatronus's chest.

"What are those?" Soundwave asked, taking the empty syringes away and inspecting them.

"Traditional herbs. I sourced it from other planets." You said, optic ridge furrowed as you cut out the infected metals from Megatronus's shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Megs..."

You saw him wincing and with each pull, he gritted his dentas harder.

"I got a chunk out!" You exclaimed. "Doctor, pass me the disinfectant now. I need to clear the area before the fluids corrodes another layer of his metal!"

Shockwave, although offended, did as you demanded and gave you the proper equipment, working together as all of you (including Sounders) fought against Primus for Megatronus's life.

After a long 5 hours of shitty operation on the floor with little to none proper tools, Megatronus's system finally purged all of the substances.

Turns out, Volkanix was desperate enough to douse Megs in all illegal fluids and drugs he could get his oily servos on.

"We need a proper medical base." You said, but Soundwave shook his helm. He lifted the groaning Megatronus up, eliciting more pained growls from the latter.

"I will do what is necessary. When the time is right, we will find you, (Y/N)." Soundwave said and left, dragging the barely conscious mech away.

You wanted to chase after, but your legs were nailed to the ground as you watched the two gladiators of Kaon went to Primus's knows where to heal Megatronus.

'Please be alright...'

A/N: This was longer than I expected, so I'm splitting this into parts, don't worry I won't leave y'all hanging for too long <3