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roseymoseyberry · 7 years

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Arrangement (1/?)

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST PART. IF YOU MISSED IT, HIT UP THE PROLOGUE FIRST.

Chapters are gonna be pretty meaty so make sure you’re nice and comfy and in for a long read. Enjoy this taste of the political quagmire this is gonna be, haha.

From this point on, warnings are going to be chapter specific. If you want some of the overall warnings you can check the prologue or just ask about any specific ones you’re worried about popping up.

One change is that I have waffled between it being two or three years after predaking rising. When i posted the prologue I thought I wanted to go with three, but I’ve changed my mind and switched it back to two. I’ll edit the prologue accordingly.

Next chapter will be posted in two weeks (so every other thursday).

Title: Arrangement

Series: Transformers: Prime, post Predaking Rising. More or less ignores everything about RID15, and facts from the rest of the Aligned verse will be cherry-picked as I see fit

Pairing: MegaBee/BumbleTron

Warnings: Politics, mentions of previous canon character death (one of which is said if it was suicide), almost violence, and mentions of past violence/murder. But mostly a lot of politics.

Fic Summary:

“It’s not my deal. I’m just the glitch who agreed to take the job.”

The balance of peace in post-war Iacon is precarious enough when a former warlord returns unannounced from his exile. Without a war to fight in or a leader to follow, a scout turned warrior turned uneasy politician decides to irreparably tie their lives together for the sake of maintaining that peace.

And maybe it won’t turn out to be the worst decision Bumblebee’s ever made.

Chapter Summary:

The three Neutrals were not Autobots. They often leaned their way, but ultimately they weren’t loyal to either faction. Their votes had to be won, and for that the Autobots had to work within their rules.

Somedays, it was enough to make Bumblebee feel as if they were no better than the Cons.

|Prologue|

The lights of Iacon were bright when Bumblebee drove towards them. Most of them were still a ways away but the outskirts were finally coming up, scattered twinkling streetlights and lit windows. His visual sensors cycled and shifted to adjust to the artificial glare after spending hours scouting the vast ruins beyond the city. They were constantly watching for any Predacons straying too close and checking dilapidated buildings for their potential in the next expansion push. Bumblebee rarely needed his headlights on to see in the uninhabited portions of Cybertron thanks to the light of thousands of stars, both near and far. The vast majority of the planet was still lit in only that gentle fashion, the light soft against the jagged ruins of previously stunning cities. Or so Bumblebee had been told, since there was hardly any city untouched by war by the time he was brought online. Eventually it would all be rebuilt, but that would still take time. A couple centuries at least by Shockwave’s latest estimate.

The flood lights of the guard station were nearly blinding in comparison to the gentle starlight.

Bumblebee flashed his brights as he approached it, hoping that would be enough to convince the guard to raise the gate. Technically he, like any other explorer, was expected to check in upon arrival. And really, he should. It was hypocritical that he had had a part in planning these very guard posts himself but wanted to just skip the formalities.

But it had been a long day, his chassis was no doubt scolding to the touch from his long drive back, and there weren’t that many of them that went out on scouting shifts anyway. There was no way that the guard wouldn’t recognize Bumblebee, so what was the point?

And if Bumblebee knew that this was a guard post in the Cons’ part of town and just wanted to avoid having to talk with one of them right now, so what? Surely he was already putting up with more Con slag than anyone could expect from him when he had to listen to Starscream on a regular basis.

However, the gate did not lift. With a harsh ex-vent, Bumblebee cursed his luck and hit his brakes.

The guard didn’t look any more eager than Bumblebee felt. The line of her mouth was flat, though it twitched and threatened to curl into a sneer when another whoosh of Bumblebee’s vents expelled a wave of scorching air.

It would have added another hour to Bumblebee’s trip, but maybe it would have been worth it to get back home through the Neutrals’ part of the city.

“Uh, hey,” Bumblebee started, his chassis settling and his engine humming, “Bumblebee, checking in. Clocked out around--”Before he could get much further though, the Con raised a servo to stop him.

“I know who you are, so don’t bother,” she said, her servo now waving dismissively. “HQ couldn’t contact you, so they told us to tell you to call them immediately.”

It was probably for the best that Bumblebee was in his vehicle mode since otherwise he would have rolled his optics. Just what he needed after a long day – to get called into some last minute meeting. Still, he bounced on his tires and said, “Alright, well, message received. Mind opening the gate for me?”

The Con wasn’t even looking at him anymore, just typing a few keys before the gate shifted. As soon as it was clear, Bumblebee gunned his engine and drove as fast as he dared across the bridge and into the city proper.

The streets were lined with rubbish and Cons, the latter barely having time to sneer at Bumblebee before he was past them. Well, only a handful appeared outwardly hostile – the rest simply looked annoyed with how fast he was racing by. It was enough to guilt Bumblebee into slowing just a bit.

::Hey Arcee, just got back into town. Guard said--::

::Finally! Bee, you need to get your aft over here!:: Even across the commlink Arcee sounded unusually panicked. Bumblebee’s spark clenched in sudden worry.

::What’s going on?::

There was a pause then that dragged on while Bumblebee’s nerves only heightened. It was probably nothing, but maybe Starscream was throwing another fit, or worse yet, Soundwave was settling into a silent protest, or maybe Discbrake had finally snapped and was mutinying against them all—

::Sorry, had to talk with Magnus. Just get here fast as you can, would you?::

::I’m doing my best,:: Bumblebee replied, his engines whining as he popped into a lower gear to accelerate faster. The annoyed looks were back, but they were easily ignored and within seconds he had finally reached a main road. ::But it’s still going to take at least half an hour, so tell me what exactly I’m driving into here.::

There was another pause, but this one much shorter.

::You’ll never guess who decided to show his fragging face.::

“Where’s Megatron?” were the first words out of Bumblebee’s mouth as his sprint slowed and finally skidded to a stop by his fellow Autobots. Ultra Magnus straightened from the bent over position he often took when speaking with Arcee, and Bumblebee was momentarily surprised to see that Ratchet was with them as well. Of course, not being an official member of the Council had never kept him from inviting himself when the medic deemed it necessary.

And Bumblebee was sure that Ratchet was one of the few who had even more to say about this unwelcome guest than he did.

“He’s been incarcerated in the one of the prison cells,” Ultra Magnus said. The only outward indication of his mood was how his mouth was a tighter line than normal.

When Bumblebee opened his mouth, Ratchet interrupted to explain, “And yes, in the new cell block, so nobody else has seen him.”

“Other than everyone that was there when he showed up,” Arcee said with a grim frown. “He came right up to a guard station in Neutral territory.”

“It is not a ‘territory,’” Ultra Magnus corrected sharply.

Arcee gave no indication that she had heard him. “So we’ve done our best to keep it under wraps, but the guard on duty along with anyone else who cared to look would have seen him. Everyone in this city will know by the end of the day.”

“Which is why we need to get this meeting started already,” Ratchet snapped. Ultra Magnus nodded in agreement.

“It’s imperative that we have a plan of action and make an announcement before it is demanded of us.”

“‘Plan of action’?” Bumblebee stared at the three Bots with narrowed optics. “Is that even a question? This is Megatron we’re talking about. Seems pretty obvious to me what we need to do with him.”

“Oh? Would you like to share with the whole Council what’s so obvious?”

Bumblebee’s plating pulled in tight to his frame at the taunting voice in his audial. Starscream had straightened by the time Bumblebee had spun around, and despite the seeker’s casual tone, his wings were raised high and his own plating flared, giving away how agitated he was.

Soundwave and Shockwave were still across the room from them, seemingly ignoring the ruckus.

With a smirk, Bumblebee replied, “For once, I think we’ll actually agree on a topic, birdbrain.”

Arcee’s engine choked and Ultra Magnus ex-vented nearly silently. Ratchet’s ex-vent though was far from contained as he crossed his arms across his chest.

“Actually, the Cons are unanimous is their position that we shouldn’t have even locked him up.” When Bumblebee simply gaped at Ratchet in confused silence, the medic added, “That’s what I said.”

“I seem to recall your reaction being much louder and colorful, Doctor,” Starscream said coolly. His optic ridges lifted when Bumblebee turned back to him, the warrior’s expression still twisted in confusion. “Don’t act so surprised. Whatever disagreements Megatron and I may have had in the past are irrelevant to the fact that this violates the first treaty this very Council created. Some of us wish to uphold our promises to this city.”

Behind him, Arcee’s engine now growled and Ratchet’s joined it.

“Your arguments were recognized the first time they were brought up,” Ultra Magnus said, and even his tone was laced with exasperation. Bumblebee wondered how many times he had had to explain it over the last two hours for even the stoic Ultra Magnus to grow impatient. “However, the treaty was not created with the magnitude of crimes Megatron has committed in mind. This is a special case--”

“Yes, yes, as you’ve all already made very clear,” Starscream interrupted. Finally a scowl crossed his face and his wings twitched irritably. “I can’t help but wonder if you would still be upholding that opinion if it was your dearly departed leader who had returned.” Then, the seeker tilted his helm and smirked, and Bumblebee felt his plating flare in preparation. “Of course, I suppose it would be much more impressive, considering Optimus’s--”

Ratchet lunged, held back only by Ultra Magnus’s strong grip on his shoulder and Bumblebee’s pressing back against his chest. “Just try it, slagger,” he hissed, optics flaring. “Go on, say it, see what happens.”

Starscream’s wings spread out wide as he lifted a pede to step closer. It froze, though, and the look he shot over his shoulder at Soundwave was murderous. No doubt there was a comm conversation between the two before Starscream relented.

Whatever he had planned to say, however, was interrupted.

“Alright, that’s enough!” Discbrake bellowed, shoving herself between the Bots and Starscream. She was barely taller than Bumblebee, but she had nearly double his weight in her stocky frame, broad with sharp corners and densely packed limbs. It was almost a blessing that she had been a Neutral, because she would have been a heavy hitter for whichever side she picked.

Not that she would ever, in a million years, so much as touch either badge except to shove at them like she did now to the one of Starscream’s chest, sending him stumbling back hard enough that his wings acting as a counterbalance was all that kept him on his pedes. “You start one more fight, Con, and I swear I’ll finish it for you.”

Starscream bristled and his servos flexed and clenched, but he did not retaliate, instead brushing himself off and watching as next Discbrake turned to shoulder past Bumblebee. She grabbed Ratchet by the collar plating and yanked him down to face her.

“You don’t even have an official seat on this council, so I’m doing you a favor agreeing to let you stay. You don’t want me throwing your aft out, so I suggest you keep your engine nice and idle, yeah?”

Ratchet’s engine turned over, but it otherwise stayed silent.

“Charming as always.”

Discbrake’s frown gave way to something almost like amusement as she shoved Ratchet back a step. “Keep it in your panels, Bot.”

The Autobots exchanged looks, but kept their voice boxes locked. Discbrake’s ire was evenly split between the Autobots and the Decepticons, no matter how loudly both sides had argued to sway her in the council. Neither side could rely on her vote and she reveled in their frustration that her opinions would not fit neatly into either belief set. She was the perfect immovable representation of the many Neutrals who had blamed the results of the civil war on both factions in equal measure.

If anything, her mass that she threw around with ease reminded them that Neutrals outnumbered them all.

Discbrake considered Bumblebee for the first time since he arrived and her frame seemed to relax a bit. “About time you made it back. Metalhawk and Watts are already in the meeting hall,” she said and then increased the volume of her voice, so that even the Decepticons could hear her from their corner, “so let’s get this scrap show started already.”

One by one they filtered in and each took their respective seats around the large, circular meeting table. An extra chair had already been added for Ratchet, who settled himself as far away from the trio of Cons that he could. From there, the factions all sat next to each other – the Cons sat with Starscream between the other two to be more easily held back when his passions ran high. Next would be either Watts or Discbrake, depending on which faction they thought would be more hostile and in need of a bruiser to hold them back. Usually that meant Discbrake sat by the Cons, but today she settled in next to Arcee without hesitation. Watts sat by Shockwave, the minibot peering up at the one-opticked face and nodding in greeting, but even she kept otherwise quiet.

As usual, Metalhawk stood between his fellow Neutrals. While there had never been any vote or even verbal discussion about it, the tall, angular mech had become the de facto referee of the Council due to being the most composed of the Neutrals. For all the arguments and near brawls that had passed in the council room, Bumblebee had never seen Metalhawk look anything more than disappointed or exasperated with the rest of the group. While both the Cons and the Bots would have preferred one of their own running the meetings, that silent battle had long been put to rest for the sake of actually getting anything done.

Unfortunately this left the Autobots to have to butt up against the Deceptions on their other side, so Ultra Magnus and Soundwave always sat themselves together as the most level-helmed of their factions.

Today though, even Ultra Magnus bristled as Soundwave settled in beside him. The Con did not reveal his emotional state in nearly so obvious a way, but the fact that he did not carry Lazerbeak was indication enough that Soundwave did not see the meeting going well.

Metalhawk looked around the table, no doubt surveying the high tensions. “Now that we’re all here, let’s get started, shall we?” His gaze settled on Bumblebee and he continued, “While I assume you’ve been informed on your way here, Bumblebee, I think it would benefit not only you but this entire Council if we begin with a summary of the events. Watts?”

The minibot nodded and pulled a datapad from her subspace. Despite the topic, Watts still spoke in her usual calming voice.

“At 14:37 today, a report came in from the mech posted at guard station 7 requesting emergency assistance. Within two minutes, Autobots Prowl and Bluestreak and Neutral Cuff arrived to find Megatron waiting outside the guard station.” With a swipe of her digit on the screen, Watts continued, “According to the guard’s report, Megatron approached the station and requested the guard contact whomever was in charge of the city. The guard informed Megatron that reinforcements were on their way, at which point Megatron stood there and waited.”

There was more swiping. “Bluestreak indicates in his statement that upon arrival, Megatron appeared to be intimidating the guard, but this is not supported by Prowl or Cuff’s statements where they corroborate with the guard that Megatron appeared to simply be waiting silently. All statements agree that at this point, when Prowl arrested Megatron, he willingly allowed himself to be cuffed and detained. There was no struggle when he was loaded into a transportation vehicle and brought here to be imprisoned.”

“I do hate to interrupt,” Starscream said, his tone saccharine as he waved a servo to further catch the attention of the other Councilmecha, and when Arcee rolled her optics he ignored her, “but my companions and I are still confused as to why, exactly, this arrest has yet to be properly questioned regarding its legitimacy.”

“Don’t act as if we haven’t had to hear you whining about it since you arrived,” Arcee replied. “I think it’s been questioned enough.”

“Yet ours are the only voices I’ve heard so far.” Starscream managed to tear his glare away from Arcee long enough to shoot the Neutrals an acidic look as well. “I can understand why the Autobots are practically gleeful in their disregard for his rights, but I have yet to hear even a word from the rest of this council about how this is a gross breach in protocol.”

“I think it goes without saying why that monster is an exception,” Ratchet growled.

“I didn’t ask you, medic.”

Watts frowned and turned to look at her fellow Neutrals. It was Metalhawk who finally spoke up. “While we agree that this does defy the first treaty of this government, these circumstances are beyond what any of us expected and we do not condemn the choice the arresting officers made.”

Starscream sneered. “So you support this unlawful action?”

Discbrake shot him a dark look and retorted, “You know I hate agreeing with Ratchet, but for once he’s right. Frankly, those Bots showed more restrain than I would have had.”

“And you wonder why we doubt the true neutrality of your lot,” Starscream huffed, twirling a digit in Discbrake’s direction. “Why don’t you just ask for some of those badges? I’m sure the Autobots would be more than happy to call you their own.”

This time it was Watts who replied, “It is not a matter of which faction he led, but rather the fact that he led at all. Were the circumstances somehow swapped, I personally would still uphold our position that the arresting officers made the best call.” Discbrake and Metalhawk both nodded their agreement.

That had the Autobots sitting up straighter. Bumblebee barely managed to keep his systems from revving, but he could hear that Ratchet and Arcee hadn’t bothered to muffle theirs. Ultra Magnus waved a servo in their direction though, his meaning clear: they would let that one drop.

And in truth, Bumblebee wasn’t surprised. Watts wasn’t hostile like Discbrake, and she was more biased towards the Autobots and their ideals. However, the self-described sociologist gave both factions the benefit of the doubt, and could often be heard discussing how the similarities between Cons and Bots outweighed the differences. When confronted about it, Watts always appeared surprised by the ire her statements garnered. “I still believe the Autobots hold the moral high ground,” she would insist, “but I cannot deny that both factions were born from similar goals and hold similar social hierarchies and group dynamics. The differences are in gradients, not binaries.”

If Discbrake represented those Neutrals who held a grudge against both factions, then Watts was the perfect stand in for the other majority of Neutrals – mecha who trusted the Autobots over the Decepticons, but were not willing to blindly fall in line with them either.

And Metalhawk – well, Metalhawk was a hard mech to read on a good day. He was far more shrewd than the other two while also better able to mask his own opinions until he revealed them with precision and poise. At times he even voted in ways he admitted he did not agree with but felt best reflected the desires and needs of those he represented.

Somedays, it was enough to make Bumblebee feel as if they were no better than the Cons.

However, it meant that the Decepticons had to act accordingly as well. And for that reason alone, Starscream relented, though not without the smallest glance at Ratchet. “I don’t suppose I could get that in writing, just in case.”

Shockwave was not as adept at politics the way the seeker was, and for the first time since Bumblebee arrived, he spoke.

“Holding both factions to the same standard does not address the base concern,” Shockwave insisted, his optic bright with irritation as he glared down at Watts. “The first treaty clearly states that all mecha, regardless of faction, be granted immunity for actions directly linked to war efforts. I can again recount the entirety of the treaty if the councilmecha have forgotten--”

“We all know the treaty,” Bumblebee interrupted, even as the Autobots around him all ex-vented in exasperation. The warrior could only imagine the giant scientist in the hours that preceded Bumblebee’s arrival reading the treaty word for word when the arguments first started.

And while Shockwave did not follow up on his threat, he turned his optic to the rest of the council and continued to argue, “This was the basis upon which our population has been able to stand and move forward towards reconstruction instead of becoming entangled in endless glitch trials. Ignoring the treaty could lead to a regression to that unproductive state which will only further waste our time and resources to overcome.”

“You’re over exaggerating,” Arcee replied with a dismissive wave of her servo. “Arresting a former warlord isn’t going to result in some doom’s day scenario where everyone starts pointing digits again. If even Discbrake agrees it was understandable, then I doubt any other Neutrals will raise a fuss.”

Watts braced her elbows on the table and knitted her digits together as her optic ridges furrowed. “While I agree that the likelihood of the situation getting out of hand isn’t as great as Shockwave suggests, I would disagree that it’s not a concern at all. After all, while Megatron is certainly infamous and feared by even those of his own faction, we would be setting a precedent that goes against what we have previously upheld.”

“Do you believe that there are mecha who would act on that?” Ultra Magnus asked genuinely, ignoring the looks it got him from the other Autobots.

With all optics on her, Watts sank a little further in her seat, which only further emphasized her small stature. When she glanced at Metalhawk and received an encouraging nod though, she untangled her servos and held them out as she replied, “In truth, I think there is a possibility, yes. For all that we can correctly state that Megatron is a special case, the fact also stands that that is only due to his being the official instigator of the Decepticon Revolt and then the official leader of the resulting faction. Beyond that, his crimes are not much worse than the crimes that were committed by many residents of our city and even this--”

The minibot’s voice box clicked as she suddenly shut it off, though hardly quick enough. It only took a glance for Bumblebee to see that his fellow Autobots and the Decepticons were all watching with rapt attention. Even Soundwave’s helm was tilted ever so slightly, indicating his focus.

It took a moment for her to gather up her courage, but finally Watts continued, “In truth, many members of this very council committed and were forgiven for crimes of a similar degree. Warriors would have likely spent more time in battles than a leader would, so it’s certainly plausible that the same or possibly even more direct deaths were caused by their servos than Megatron’s.” Bumblebee and Arcee both stiffened, and Watts glanced at them apologetically. Still though she did not stop as she then looked to the others around the table. “Furthermore, Lieutenants were allowed enough power within their armies to make some of the same sorts of decisions that would have directly or indirectly resulted in multitudes of deaths and destruction. In the majority of cases where they did not, they would have still collaborated on such plans or even created them to be approved by their leaders. And that is all without discussing the fact this council includes the former Seconds in Command for both factions, meaning that each of you filled the roles of Megatron and Optimus at various times during the war.”

Watts looked between Starscream and Ultra Magnus who each pointedly did not look at one another. “There were times, however brief they may have been, when you were the official leaders of the Decepticons and the Autobots. Stating that Megatron’s arrest was deserved because he is the former Decepticon leader could leave plenty of room for any mecha, factioned or not, to call for your arrests as well.”

There was a moment of silence as Watts’s words settled in.

And then there was chaos.

Starscream and Ratchet were the first to their feet, screeching and bellowing, and they were quickly joined by Arcee, Shockwave, and Discbrake. Arguments flew left and right – “This arrest is unlawful and will lead to the downfall of--!” “Cut the hysterics, you bucket of--!” “While my calculations are still incomplete, there is a non-zero chance--!” “How dare you compare us to--!” “Shove it up your tailpipe--”

Bumblebee stood, ready to join in, but found nothing in his voice box queue. He was angry, certainly, his plating flared and his optics cycling and narrowing and his spark twisted uncomfortably in his chest – how could anyone compare them to Megatron? – but he wasn’t sure what to say.

All he could scramble together was instinct and loyalty and self-preservation. There wasn’t a single argument he could think to add or rebuttal he could make that didn’t come down to “You’re wrong because I’m right.”

He hated how often it seemed to happen these days.

Luckily, no one noticed his floundering because soon enough Ultra Magnus slammed his servos down on the table with a resounding ring and ordered, “Silence!”

The tension seemed thick enough to stick to Bumblebee’s vents.

However, the council waited and watched as Ultra Magnus sat back in his seat before turning his helm to address Soundwave.

“Lazerbeak left soon after you arrived,” he stated. “Can I safely assume you sent her to survey public reaction?”

Soundwave nodded.

“You did?” Starscream hissed, glowering down at his fellow Con. Bumblebee stared at the quiet Con, his surprise echoed by the rest of the council. Soundwave nodded again and Starscream bristled. “Well? Do you have anything to report?”

Soundwave’s visor display shifted and dimmed before white strands of light spread across the surface, quickly drawing outlines of the city along with a timestamp which all stood in sharp contrast to the otherwise dark surface. One by one, colored points of light lit up across the city, starting at a single point where the guard station was and rapidly spreading outward as the timestamp was nearly a blur with how quickly it fast-forwarded. By the time the visual data reached their current time, the dots were spread around most of the Neutral section of the city and a ways into the Autobots’ section. The dots were very scarce along the Decepticon border, but those that had made it were quickly starting to spread in real time.

Soundwave’s voice was monotone and cold, though it no longer held the novelty it once had for Bumblebee. The Decepticon’s vow of silence had been broken since he was brought back from the shadowzone to find the war over, and while he was still silent most of the time, there was nothing that could stop him when he did have something to say.

“Neutrals: aware of rumors of Megatron’s appearance and arrest,” he started, the dots in the Neutral area glowing brighter to emphasize them as he spoke. “Opinions are varied, generally neutral or positive regarding arrest.” A small graph appeared next to the map, too small for Bumblebee to really see from where he sat, but Ultra Magnus considered it carefully. “Autobots: arguing over legitimacy of rumors. Opinions are positive regarding arrest.” The same brightening of dots and graph appeared, though even Bumblebee could see that the bars on the graph were vastly different. “Decepticons: still learning about rumors, observations incomplete.” Then, with only the slightest of movements, Soundwave’s helm faced the Autobots a bit more. Somehow, his tone was even colder as Soundwave said, “Opinions are varied, generally neutral or negative, but unsurprised regarding arrest.”

Bumblebee could have sworn his spark froze in his chest. Starscream was always full of indignation and even Shockwave could rant with the best of them, but Soundwave had always been level-helmed even without his master.

It was just a crack but a crack in Soundwave’s exterior meant there had to be a torrent of emotion behind the visor.

If Ultra Magnus noticed the venom laced in the glyphs though, he gave no outward response to it.

“Thank you, Soundwave. Could you send that data to me?”

“I would like it as well,” Shockwave added.

The image on Soundwave’s visor flickered away and within seconds Ultra Magnus and Shockwave were pouring over their datapads.

Metalhawk had yet to take his optics off Soundwave. “In your opinion, Soundwave, do you believe there will be backlash for the arrest?”

“Data still inconclusive,” Soundwave stated, “but, if Decepticons continue to follow pattern: approximately 6% of population will act in protest to the arrest.”

“Six would be manageable,” Watts commented, pulling her own datapad out. “What do you think would be the worst case scenario?”

Without hesitation, Soundwave replied, “18%.”

The whole council winced.

“We’ll burn that bridge when we get there.” Discbrake settled back into her chair, and all the others who were still standing followed her example.

“Probably all Cons anyway, so at least they’d all be in one place.” Starscream’s optics threatened to burn holes through Arcee’s helm, but she just shrugged at him. “What? Are you honestly going to tell me I’m wrong?”

“Just because you don’t represent them doesn’t mean they aren’t still citizens of your city.”

“Yeah, and I know them well enough to know they’ll be the ones to whine about it.”

Starscream was back on his pedes but it was Soundwave’s thin digits on his arm that kept him silent. They shared a look – and no doubt another commlink conversation – before Starscream sat down with a loud huff of his vents.

“Arrest: irrelevant at this time,” Soundwave stated, not even twitching when Shockwave’s helm snapped to the side to stare at him. “Autobot opinion: officers acted appropriately. Neutral opinion: in agreement. Decepticon opinion: outvoted. Further argument, pointless. Proposition?”

“Of course, Soundwave,” Metalhawk said, his expression giving away nothing.

“New discussion about next step.”

The room remained surprisingly silent after that, which had Bumblebee looking around. Finally he ventured, “Well, he was arrested, so that means we set a trial date, right?”

And, yet again, over half the council got to their pedes, a couple chairs tumbling to the ground behind them, and their voices were even louder than before.

All Bumblebee could do was shrug as Ultra Magnus, Soundwave, and Metalhawk all stared at him with exasperation.

While it had been years now since he had been promoted from being a scout to a warrior, old habits died hard as Bumblebee just watched and listened. When the council was first being formed, he had put up just as much a fight as Arcee or Ratchet did, refusing to be quiet as Starscream and Shockwave were allowed on the council, refusing to be gracious when the Cons were allowed to retrieve Soundwave from his Shadowzone prison, refusing to even listen when the three Cons tried to get Decepticon issues on the table.

“He has killed countless mecha, destroyed this planet, and then tried to destroy another on multiple occasions, and by the Allspark, he’s going to be held accountable for that!”

“We could lose everything if we give that monster even an inch!”

But it hadn’t done any good in the end. Arcee seemed satisfied knowing she had tried her best and would continue to, but Bumblebee couldn’t find solace in just yelling at a proverbial wall and slowing down any progress the council made.

So Bumblebee had watched Ultra Magnus and considered falling more in line with his style – collected and reasonable and open to giving some concessions if needed. Ultra Magnus never raised his voice except when calling for silence, never shouted his opinions. He kept his emotions in check.

“You cannot put Megatron on trial, and that’s final! If we start putting war crimes back on the table to be judged, you and I will both be offlined right along with him!”

“No one is suggesting that execution even be a consideration as a potential punishment.”

“Well then I hope you’re ready to be locked up together for eternity!”

“Soundwave, do you have updated statistics regarding public response, and could you extrapolate them to the scenario in which we hold a trial.”

“Don’t you dare entertain him for even a second--!”

“Protests in case of trial: 15% in best case and 36% in worst case.”

“We’re doomed if you put that bucket of bolts on trials!”

It became pretty clear to Bumblebee, as he watched Ultra Magnus calmly respond to Starscream’s shrieked protests, that he would never achieve that level of control over his emotions.

Which left Bumblebee at a lost in these meetings. He would consider giving his official seat in the council to Ratchet if he thought the medic would actually take it, but knew better.

So he fell back on scouting.

And it was with frustration that Bumblebee could see that they were going to lose this fight. While the Neutrals weren’t swayed by the fear-mongering that Starscream was spouting – they supported the first treaty because the city was in chaos, not out of real forgiveness of what had occurred during the war – they also seemed unconvinced that a trial was worth the risks.

Frankly, even Ultra Magnus looked concerned, his optic ridges furling deeper the more he looked at Soundwave’s data.

It was with a heavy ventilation cycle that Bumblebee bolstered himself. There was no point in scouting if he didn’t share his findings.

“Hey, guys?” Once at least a few optics at the table turned to him, Bumblebee continued, “Listen, we can debate this trial all night, and I know I was the one who even brought it up, but it’s pretty obvious that the trial isn’t an option.” Ratchet looked absolutely betrayed, and Bumblebee couldn’t help his shoulders drooping a bit. Now, all optics were on him. “I don’t mean that as my opinion, but the fact is that not enough of us think it’s worth the risk. The Cons obviously are against it” – Starscream nodded resolutely – “and I don’t mean to speak for the neutrals, but Watts is clearly against it, and I don’t think Metalhawk and Discbrake are convinced either.”

Watts only nodded, her opinion known, and Discbrake shrugged as she said, “I have no problem personally with putting him on trial, but I also know if I wasn’t on the council, I would want to use the excuse to put most of your afts on trial too.” She easily ignored the glowers as she turned to Metalhawk. “What about you, stiff?”

Metalhawk’s mouth turned down a bit before he nodded. “I understand why you and many others desire it, but making an exception for Megatron will leave too great an opportunity for those who were unhappy with the treaty as well as those who are hold little respect for factioned mecha."

"So you'll all allow Megatron, who only wanted peace through his tyranny, to escape the consequences of his actions?" Ratchet growled, his digits digging into the palms of his servos, his mouth tight and his optics bright with ire. "What use is a council if the Cons and Neutrals hold us back with their fear?"

"It's not just them," Bumblebee pointed out. He flinched when Ratchet turned to glare at him again. But still, the warrior looked to Ultra Magnus and said, "You don't support having a trial either, do you?" It was a question technically, but the way Bumblebee spoke it made it clear it was one looking for simple confirmation, not out of genuine curiosity.

Slowly, Ultra Magnus let out a long ex-vent and nodded. Now Arcee was running hot as well, her and Ratchet's optics locked on the tall rule-keeper.

"You've got to be kidding me, Magnus," Arcee hissed. "How could you back down on this? Megatron needs to--"

"What I want unfortunately does not make up for what must be done." With a few swipes of his digits on the datapad, he slid the device down so that Ratchet and Arcee could see it better. Bumblebee looked down as well, but the graphs and statistics were too complicated for him to pull apart and glean the small details from. The percentage numbers though were easy enough to understand, and they were only getting larger as more data filtered in. "We must face the fact that the risk is, indeed, too great. Protests would come not just from the Decepticons, but from frustrated Neutrals as well as our own faction. There are far too many who would wish to utilize any break from the established treaty to indulge their own desires for revenge or justice."

"So we're brought down by cowards."

Arcee did not immediately add to Ratchet's comment. Her engine was still running hot, and Bumblebee saw that Discbrake was watching her warily, her frame poised to move if needed. However, ultimately, Arcee's crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back in her seat. "Fine, so we're outvoted. If none of you will listen to reason, then let's just move on."

Ratchet, however, still turned and looked at Bumblebee. "You too?"

That made the warrior pause. For all that Bumblebee had gathered the information and figured out that the fight was lost, he had not spent time to consider if his opinion had actually been swayed. He absolutely wished for Megatron to face his crimes, to have everything he had ever done laid out before him, to make him look at it all and know they were the reasons for his punishment. The public humiliation was tempting.

But Bumblebee also remembered all those Decepticons and Neutrals he had passed on his way to the meeting and their looks of distrust.

He’d heard his fair share from overcharged Autobots about what they would do if they had a chance to be in the same room as Starscream.

"I'm as sick and tired of Megatron coming back time and again as anyone is.” Bumblebee opened his servos and looked down at them, remembered how it felt to push that sword through Megatron's chest and watch the life fade from his optics, the relief knowing he was gone, before continuing, "But this is a dead end. We can’t risk everything we've worked so hard to make just because of him."

"Well said, Bee."

Bumblebee frowned over at Starscream, his plating flaring out in irritation. The seeker didn't seem to mind though as he continued, "Since all the official councilmecha are agreed then, shall we consider the circumstances of his release?"

"Whoa!" Bumblebee exclaimed, optics wide as he held his servos up. He was far from the only one. "I didn't say anything about release!"

"Nobody did and nobody should," Discbrake agreed with a surprising growl in her voice.

Nevertheless, Starscream's wings shifted to a high, aggressive stance and Shockwave's optic cycled narrow but bright.

"If we are not putting Megatron to trial, then it is unlawful to hold him," Shockwave insisted.

"By old laws, certainly," Watts agreed, and this time she only twitched when Shockwave's stare was blinding in its intensity down at her. "The guard has been functioning under similar rules as we had before the war, but technically only some of those rules have been fully processed and cemented by this council to be law. Many of them are still being tweaked and kept slightly fluid to best fit the current city situation as it changes, and one of those aspects is detainment."

"But if the arrest itself is unlawful because it was due to Megatron's war crimes, then that in turn means that detainment would be as well."

"Logically, yes. But we as a council did agree that we have accepted the reasons for his arrest and pardoned them, so the illegality of the arrest is now moot. With that out of the way, the only question is whether is it legal for us to keep someone detained without trial," Watts explained, "and technically we have not made a law about that. In fact, we avoided it for a while when we were making arrests but did not yet have a court system set up. There were several citizens we had detained without a trial date who remained imprisoned for months until we were able to process them."

"But we have those systems in place now," Starscream pointed out. "We held onto those mecha because we had no other means to deal with them. Now, however, we do have a path to trial, but have chosen not to follow through with that. Therefore, we cannot detain him."

"You're still speaking in moral terms," Ultra Magnus interrupted, looking to Watts for a moment to make sure his intrusion was welcome. When Watts nodded, he continued, "What Watts is saying is that legally we do not have a law against long-term detainment without trial. Whatever moral qualms we may or may not have, it is within our rights."

"And what about his rights!" Starscream slammed his fist against the table. "What about his rights as a citizen!"

"Sounds to me like they're saying legally he doesn't have those rights in this case," Discbrake replied with an almost gleeful glint in her optics. "And I’ll state up front that I have no problem letting him rust away down in that pit of a prison cell."

"While I agree that legally we're in the clear, I cannot imagine we can let this go on indefinitely." Ultra Magnus reached his long arm out to grab his datapad again. "Once enough questions are asked, we will have to tell the city that we do in fact have Megatron in our hold. Once we do, the next logical question is what we plan to do with him, and while obviously a trial is out of the question, detaining him for too long would likely result in similar sentiments."

"Timeline longer, build up slower. However, protests: still inevitable."

"Well, that's all fine and good, but we still can't just let him go," Arcee argued, leaning forward so she sat on the edge of her seat, her servos moving in front of her as she spoke. "I'll let the trial go, but what else can we do but keep him locked away."

"Maybe if, for once, this council would just listen to me, then you'd realize I'm not suggesting we just let Megatron wonder the streets." This time, Starscream pushed his chair back with carefully manufactured poise. It looked as if he was ready to pace as he spoke -- like he had tried to do constantly when the council first formed, and Bumblebee still wanted to ask if Decepticons just didn't have chairs at their meetings -- but he kept himself in one spot. "We cannot send him to trial because of the populace, and we cannot keep him indefinitely detained either for that very same reason. It will be slower, but there is an undercurrent of pitiful grudge keeping in our city that we can't ignore."

"Can't imagine what that would be like," Discbrake muttered, but she leaned back in her seat and otherwise kept her thoughts to herself.

"So, we must find a way to make it look like a show of good will. Make it appear that we have every intention of keeping on as we have been. For all intents and purposes, it will seem as if we have allowed Megatron his freedom."

"If you honestly think that that will appease any grudges the Autobots hold, you're sorely mistaken," Ratchet pointed out. "They'll be furious. I’ll be furious!"

"True," Startscream admitted with an almost dainty looking shrug of his shoulders, his wings fluttering just once. "However, history shows that your lot aren't the revolt type, are you?"

"I think I could find it in me."

"Ratchet, come on," Bumblebee said quietly, elbowing the medic ever so gently. "Just let him get it out of his system or we'll be here all night."

Ratchet's plating shifted and flared before finally settling against his frame with a huff of his vents. "Fine. Get on with it then."

"How gracious," Starscream replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "It is true that there will be resistance to that as well, but we'll find resistance regardless of what we choose to do, so why not pick the path where ill feelings will remain feelings, shall we?"

"We're already letting you have your moment so just get on with it already," Arcee insisted.

Finally, with a nod, Starscream said, "We will release Megatron, but under house arrest. That way we will have an opportunity to get a feel for his intentions and keep an optic on him at all times, since I think we can all agree he cannot be trusted on his own.” Bumblebee glanced at Soundwave, but the quiet Decepticon revealed nothing, not even a shift of a single plate. “He will still essentially be detained, but to the public it will look like we’ve granted him his freedom as follows the treaty."

“And I suppose you want to be his new jailor?” Arcee’s optic ridges arched high.

Starscream practically preened as he glanced down at his digits – still clawed even after the war. “Well, I wasn’t going to say anything, but if you insist--”

“No one is insisting,” Discbrake tried but still Starscream continued.

“—it is true that I and my companions are uniquely qualified to handle Megatron. You spend enough years with that maniac and you start to see how he ticks.”

“Yet you never did find the trigger for that bomb, did you?” Arcee quipped, a smirk growing on her face at the indignant squawk that pulled out of Starscream.

“That’s an entirely different situation!”

“I think I finally get why you’re on board with defending Megatron,” Bumblebee added. “Easier to kill your former lord when he’s trussed up in your living room, huh?”

“I don’t have to take this from your lot!”

“Jealous that after millennia of trying, I got him in one shot?”

Shockwave’s servo clasped Starscream’s arms tightly while one of Soundwave’s data cables wrapped around the other, keeping the seeker solidly in place even as his wings beat an aggressive staccato against his back.

“Yet he still lives while your paltry excuse for a leader went and killed himself!”

Before either Arcee or Ratchet could make their move, Discbrake was behind them, her thick arms wrapped around them in tight helm-locks that lifted Arcee off her pedes. The small warrior’s kicks were no doubt precisely aimed though since Bumblebee heard the neutral mech hiss in pain. It didn’t help that most of her focus was likely on Ratchet whose strength was a close match to hers as he attempted to wrench his way out from under her arm.

Bumblebee didn’t really notice anything else though since he was already on his own pedes, opting to simply follow the shortest path between him and Starscream by hauling himself onto the table. In a flash though, Watts had vaulted her frame up onto the table and stood in front of Bumblebee, her arms outstretched to make her intension of getting between them clear, but even the warrior could see she was trembling.

Lightning fast, another one of Soundwave’s cables was between Bumblebee and Watts, the wires at the end spread out wide and sparking with charge at the warrior.

The threat was pointless though as Bumblebee’s gyros suddenly spun, his frame yanked up effortlessly and pulled tight against a larger one behind him. The arm around his middle was like a vice grip.

“Soldiers!” Ultra Magnus shouted, his tone sharp and leaving no room for argument. “At ease! Now!”

With his spark twisting and roiling it his chest, it felt wrong. Two years and still the absence hurt, a void that would never heal over, never stop being painful, never quiet the restlessness that plagued Bumblebee.

Yet spending his entire functioning as a soldier had his body stilling instantly. There was a relieved ex-vent from Bumblebee’s right as no doubt Arcee and Ratchet followed suit.

Even Starscream grew silent, though he still pulled uselessly at his companion’s holds on him.

Ultra Magnus did not release his grip either.

“Metalhawk, I recognize that we are on a short timeline, but I still suggest we break to collect ourselves.”

“I agree,” Metalhawk replied coolly as he slowly got to his pedes. “My only request is that when we return, there be no more discussion of the war beyond what is necessary. We must focus on this city as it is now.”

“Agreed.”

“Affirmative,” Soundwave added on behalf of the Decepticons, the data cable that had hovered above the table finally coiling back towards his frame.

And with that, Ultra Magnus finally dropped Bumblebee, but only so he could push him forcefully towards the door.

#fanfiction #heyo here we go haha #something that's more than a few hundred words #by which i mean 8k words #i tried to keep the chapters shorter but #it was hard to keep this business short oops #prepare yourself for part two in a couple weeks haha #transformers

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