Homecoming

 

Logged by Tempest in April 2001

 

Set in the aftermath of “The Ultimate Doom” and “Countdown to Extinction.”  Emotionally reeling from Megatron’s apparent death in “The Ultimate Doom,” Tempest rejected her initial impulse to flee the Decepticons and instead took control of a repair team in the damaged Decepticon undersea base.  Her attachment to the Decepticons is leaving her badly confused—almost as confused as her joy and relief to see Megatron back alive.  Now, Tempest comes slinking through the living quarters of Earthbase, driven by some unknown impulse to check on Megatron…

 

 

Tempest paged Megatron with 'There's a quiet knocking on your door...'.

 

Some quiet movements are heard from inside.

 

Megatron pages: Who is there?

 

Tempest hesitates, afraid she's woken him up or something, but when he speaks, she says softly, “Tempest...”

 

Megatron pages: Come in, the door is open.

 

 

Megatron's quarters        A small computer console, work station, and a recharge bed... there is nothing except for the extensions of the room that shows the importance of its owner.

         On the shelf aside the entrance, there are several rusty cannons of primitive design which belonged to the wrack of a pirate ship that is situated close to the base. They are small like toys to a Cybertronian. Also on the shelf, occupying a special place, lays a metal carving. It is a sculpture showing Megatron's Walther P38 mode, done by skilful hands.

        On the wall opposite to the recharge bed is a large picture showing only the starry sky...

 

 

Tempest peeks her head around the corner...

 

Megatron looks like just getting up from recharge. “Come in,” he repeats, rubbing his forehead.

 

Tempest slinks in, obviously still hesitant. “Slag, I woke you up, didn't I?”

 

Megatron smirks. “I'm awake now.”

 

Tempest looks rather embarraseed and closes the door behind her. “Sorry.”

 

Megatron says, “No problem, I should have gotten up anyway.”

 

Tempest takes a few paces forward...still looking shy. “I...this is dumb...” she looks up at him. “Just checking that you were really back.”

 

Megatron smiles gently. “I am, Tempest.”

 

Tempest takes another step forward...again looking shy, like she might any minute bolt out the door, but something pulls her forward. She grins at his comment.  “Congratulations on being the first I've seen to pull through something like that.”

 

Megatron says, “It was necessary to survive.”

 

Tempest nods. “Yeah, that I understand.” Again she slinks just a little closer.  “I'm sorry I was in such a rotten mood.”

 

Megatron chuckles. “I should be the last one to get angry about that. I'm known for my temper.”

 

Tempest says, “Yeah, well, then at least you're honest...Soundwave's been telling me to stop fighting myself all the time.”

 

Megatron looks at her a bit surprised. Why is she telling him that?

 

Tempest looks around, trying to find a place to sit, and sort of fidgets, again looking nervous.

 

Megatron says, “Is... something wrong?”

 

Tempest looks at him, hangs her head and says, “I don't know...I'm...” She looks up, her expression then blank, and then she says, more to herself, “so if you're my friend, you're not going to take me apart for this, so...” She takes a deep breath. “I'm confused, and scared...”

 

Megatron says, “Why should I take you apart?”  Megatron says, “Tempest, what is wrong?”

 

Tempest says dryly, “Come on now, I just admitted to being disoriented, confused and scared. Ie, Spaceways snack for anything bigger and stronger and meaner than me. Why do you think I'm so confused? I'm not used to this,” and she gives him a grin.

 

Megatron really is a bit confused. Not used to what of all that..?

 

Tempest says, “I was talking to Soundwave last night, and he was telling me it wasn't so bad really that I've found myself so attached to this place.”

 

Tempest adds, “And I find myself doing things I wouldn't have done before...like staying around through the recent, ah, “Crisis,” and like...like what I just told you. Out there” she flings a hand up and away, to indicate orbit “you never admit to being anything less than 100 powerful predator.”

 

Megatron now smiles again. “I'm glad you stayed. I'd feel sorry if you'd leave us again.”

 

Tempest glances up at him, a little surprised, and then smiles shyly...and slinks over beside him.

 

Megatron says, “You've done good work.”

 

Tempest tilts her head, smiles again. “I had to...we were both playing our games of survival...” and she reaches out towards him.

 

Megatron, automatically, offers her his hand.

 

Tempest carefully reaches out and puts her hand in his, as if to verify that he really is there...

 

Megatron closes carefully his fingers around her hand. Yes, he's real. Tempest can feel the warm energon pulsing under the black metal of his hand.

 

Tempest just kind of stares at their hands for a moment, as if not used ot the contact...

 

Megatron says, “It's me, Megatron, the one you know. I'm neither a ghost nor an illusion.”

 

Tempest finally glances up at him, her optics shining through the shadows of her helmet, and she repeats her line from teh engine room the other night, a hint of incredulity in her voice... “I missed you...”

 

Megatron can't prevent it, but smiles, feeling touched. “I missed you to, my friend.”

 

Tempest smiles radiantly at that. “Friend,” she repeats...and hugs him again

 

Megatron hugs back, nodding. “Friend.”

 

Megatron says, “One of the very few I have.”

 

Tempest gets a bit of a wry edge on that grin. “You and me both. You, though, seem to have a penchant for surviving...” She looks a little sad briefly and drives it away by giving him her full attention. “Soundwave told me you have a penchant for almost killing yourself and coming back. He says you do it a lot.”

 

Megatron jokes: “I'm simply too stubborn to die.”

 

Tempest grins. “Good. I'll try to be a little slower to mourn your loss next time.”

 

Megatron says, “I won't die. Not now, not later. This is a promise.”

 

Tempest glances up at him somewhat sadly. “Is it really that easy?” She looks down. “I said that a lot...and so far, so good...but I've never been under any illusion that someday my number isn't going to come up...”

 

Megatron looks her straight into the optics. “I said I will not die and I won't.”

 

Tempest grins a little. “I could almost believe you. Damn,” she shakes her head, “you're something else.”

 

Megatron says, “Something else then what? An ordinary warlord?”

 

Tempest says, rather frankly, “Something else than anyone I've met before. And yeah, most of them were warlords, pirates, mercs or Enforcers of one sort or another....”

 

Megatron says, “Tempest, I am the Decepticon empire, and the Decepticon empire will never end.”

 

Tempest smirks. “Heh. I've never met an empire before.” And then she tilts her head and she says somewhat more quietly, “But you mentioned something more in the engine room last night. The price you pay for being the flagbearer of the empire.”

 

Megatron nods. “The leader comes first, the mech has to take second place,” he answers. “That is the price to pay.”

 

Tempest considers that and shakes her head. “All I can say is, I couldn't do it.” She smirks a little, flicks at one of the spires on her helmet. “You know what it cost me to put business before my own heart and will...” And her face softens,because he /does/ know, she told him. She says quietly, “I hope being Emperor is more pleasant for you overall.”

 

Megatron says, “It is my destiny - I made my decision. Someone had to take the responsibility.” No, he doesn't mention the loneliness that comes along with it at times.”

 

Tempest nods a little again. “You've built a hell of an empire already,” she says, being obviously impressed with everything she's seen in the company of the Decepticons. She snorts a little. “And if someone had told me that in a year’s time, I'd be standing in the company of the Decepticon Empire, I would never have believed them.”

 

Megatron answers with a soft smile: “But you're standing now. This is what counts for me.”

 

Tempest laughs a little. “Heh. You must get a lot of robots who want to be in the company of the Decepticon Emperor.”

 

Megatron chuckles. “Some... but for different reasons.”

 

Tempest gives him a sly smile. “And look at me. I'm here /despite/ the fact that you're the Decepticon Emperor. Congratulations.”

 

Megatron smirks. “Well, if you are not here because I am the Decepticon emperor, so why are you here?”

 

Tempest glances up at him and says frankly, “Because you're my friend. Because I like you /despite/ the fact that you've got the authority to order me around.”

 

Tempest takes off her helmet, spins it around her finger and looks back at Megatron with a wink, “You know how much I love authority.”

 

Megatron chuckles. “As much as I do.” He turns serous again. “I like you too, Tempest. You are a magnificant warrior, you have a great personality - you have the possibilty for a great future in you. Take the chance, my friend.”

..

Tempest slips her helmet back on and stares up at him, looking suddenly very young. “A great personality...really?”

 

Megatron nods. “You have. Believe in yourself.” He looks calmly at her. “I believe in you. You showed your value more then once to me.”

 

Tempest's face heats up and were she a human, she'd be blushing...she ducks her head behind the air intake stack on her shoulder and peeks out at him shyly.

 

Megatron suddenly remembers someone else who once spoke quite the same words...to him. He smiles at her. “You can believe this stubborn old mechanism, Tempest.  Megatron knows what he's talking about.”

 

Tempest turns back to face him, obviously pleased with the compliments. “Okay...I'll try believing you instead of finding out the hard way...for once,” and shegrins. She shakes her head a little, again as if she can't quite believe where she's found herself.

 

Megatron really means what he says. He was impressed from the young femme from the beginning: her abilities to survive, the way she fights. And he had realized, she has a natural talent to lead.

 

Tempest looks back at Megatron and smirks a bit. “You know, you're not so bad for a leader.”

 

Megatron smirks. “I'll take that as a compliment, Tempest, but don't tell it to Starscream or you may get trouble with him.” He laughs. “Although I fear the trouble would be bigger for him if he tried to challenge you.”

 

Tempest snickers a little. “Ruse says I should fight Starscream for his job. I don't want his job...” She pauses a little, shoots a telling glance to the painted logos on her wings. “But...maybe...”

 

Megatron turns back to Tempest. “Fighting with Starscream over his position... I admit, you had very good chances to replace him.”

 

Tempest says somewhat wryly, “Perhaps I should end up a member of this army before I start trying to be an officer in it.”

 

Megatron says, “Indeed that would be a good idea.”

 

Tempest glances again at the painted logos on her wings and looks up at him from her position on the couch. “I'm trying,” she says softly. “I really do think I'll be here long term...but I'm...” a pause. “...Still scared...”

 

Megatron says, “You are more then welcome. But if you are not sure... I'm not forcing you.”

 

Tempest smiles a little. “And I think that's the true reason I'm still here.” She draws in a breath. “It's strange...to belong.”

 

Megatron says, “I know. You lose a lot of your freedom, but you also gain somekind of... security.”  Megatron quietly he adds. “It helps against the loneliness...”

 

Tempest glances sharply up at that last comment. “Is that what you get from being Emperor? Security...for both yourself, and all the rest of us?”

 

Megatron says, “In a way. Without having something holding them together, the Decepticons would be just a bunch of mercenaries without goal. Our strength is that we are a unit.”

 

Tempest says, “You'd have the Spaceways. Here.” But she's still thinking of his words before. “Loneliness...”

 

Megatron knows what loneliness means - too well. Without having a goal he would have never been able to endure it.

 

Tempest glances up at him, then over to the rest oof the couch, as if to say she doesn't mind him near her if he wants to.

 

Megatron indeed takes a seat. “As I said, you don't need to join if you have doubts. I won't force you.”

 

Tempest shifts a little and looks over at him. “I want to,” she says slowly. “But...I'm still scared to go for it...scared that if I do, everything will go wrong...”   Tempest snorts a little. “This is stupid. You know this isn't like me, right? You know I'm a hunter, a risk taker...” she sighs. “In everything but dealing with these feelings I dont' understand.”

 

Megatron looks into the distance. “Feelings are hard to understand. I can't make this decision for you, but I won't let you alone with it...”

 

Tempest smiles a little...and very carefully rests her head on Megatron's shoulder. It's like being out in the forest and having a wild bird perch on you...the sense that any sudden move can scare it away...

 

Megatron realizes that it has been a while since he had cared privately for someone else, but Ruse or Soundwave. It means always a risk. However, he cares for Tempest for some reason he can't tell. He holds still, not giving her a reason to be scared.

 

Tempest noticeably relaxes a little, leaning against him a little more, and seems quite contented in that position...you can catch her peeking over at you at last.

 

Megatron looks silently back at her.

 

Tempest shifts away just a little, her optics questioning as if to ask whether he minds.

 

Megatron smiles softly. No, he doesn't mind.

 

Tempest catches the smile and immediately settles back down to her prior position. She says, almost musingly, “Maybe I should be talking more with Soundwave...about joining up and stuff.” But she's not making any movement to do it now...she seems happy where she is.

 

Megatron holds perfectly still. He enjoys the warm feeling that Tempest trust in him causes.

 

Tempest closes her optics, still smiling, and says, “I like it here entirely too much...”

 

Megatron remains silent. He smiles too, glad she seem to have found some piece.

 

Tempest will every once in a while peek over at him, and then settle in again, seeming quite content, until she finally says with a bit of a laugh, “You must have better things to do than this...or are you still tired from being almost blown up in space?”

 

Megatron looks at her. “Maybe Megatron, the Decepticon leader, has better things to do at the moment, but the mech can't imagine anything better then being needed by a friend.”

 

Tempest smiles. “So he doesn’t always get shoved aside by the Emperor.” She seems satisfied at that.

 

Megatron says, “Not today, Tempest, not today...”

 

Tempest grins at him...and waits, to see if he wants to talk about anything, or whether she should return to her previous resting position.

 

Megatron chuckles. “Today the emperor has to accept being defeated.” Yes he somehow feels free today.

 

Tempest starts a little...and then remembers her prior comment and laughs a little. “No one can be commander all the time...well.../maybe/ you, I could never stand it...but...” another smile “...but I'm glad you're not.”

 

Megatron chuckles. Yes, today he allows himself the luxury of being a private mech. No-one knows when he has the chance again to escape from his usual role. Maybe destiny decided, he deserves a little rest from being the leader after he survived that explosion.

 

Tempest nuzzles up to him, having said her piece, and now very certain that he is in fact very much alive...ready to listen if he wants to talk, but in the meantime, simply enjoying the company of another...a very simple and very rare pleasure for her.

 

Megatron is a bit surprised as she nuzzles up to him, but pleasantly. He somehow feels special, and NOT because of being the number one in the Decepticon ranks, but for Tempest trusting him. He dares to wrap one arm carefully around her shoulders, a somehow protective gesture.

 

Tempest does start a little at the movement, but immediately curls up against him again, choosing to take the chance, and the tension in her noticeably drains away again...and she tilts her head enough to look at him...

 

Megatrron softly says: “Thank you.”

 

Tempest replies, “Hm?”

 

Megatron says, “...for caring.”

 

Tempest says softly, “I couldn't help it...I tried not to...” and then she says, “I think I'll give up trying not to. It's not so bad...” and from the way she's curled up there, she seems to rather like it in fact.

 

Megatron whispers: “No, it isn't...”

 

Tempest smiles up at him. “I'll trust you on that one too...you've been around longer than me.” She pauses. “So how did you get from the gutter to the throne?”

 

Megatron says, “Fight and diplomacy... Showing to be the stongest to earn the respect that is needed to get those together who have talent, but are without chance if they stay alone.”

 

Tempest thinks about this. “Soundwave said something to me about feuding warlords on Cybertron. What's this?”

 

Megatron adds: “And... because someone believed in me...” Then he answers Tempest’s question. “Several Decepticon warlords had small areas they contolled by their troops. But instead of unite their forces against the true enemies, the Autobots, they fought eachother. That weakened them. I was able to unite them.

 

Tempest nods, putting another piece of history into place. She picks up on the first bit. “Someone who believed in you...Soundwave?” She grins. “He idolizes you, you know.”  Tempest pauses, “or rather...he doesn't want to be like you, but he does think the world of you.”

 

Megatron shakes his head. “No, I don't mean Soundwave, I mean...” He looks over to the little hologram projector that stands deactivated on the shelf.

 

Tempest immediately picks up on the gesture and winces reflexively, shying away ever so slightly. “I'm sorry,” she says, glancing at his hand on her shoulder, glancing at him...as if to wonder whether she should be so close, or if she should be there at all.

 

Megatron shakes his head. “There is no reason for excuses, Tempest. You have done nothing wrong.”

 

Tempest settles back down, but says sullenly, “You could say I did nothing wrong as a little kid either...didn't help me.” But she does curl against him agian.

 

How should Megatron explain to Tempest the diffence between his feelings for her and for his long gone mate? The difference between the love to a friend and the love for someone who is like the other half of oneself?

 

Tempest, meanwhile, does not even understand her own motivations. Rage and hatred make sense to her; love and affection do not. Trying to make sense of what she feels only frightens her with its strangeness, and rather than dwell on it, she chooses to enjoy feeling safe right where she is..and keeping old memories, both of Backfire and of Harrier, buried in the shadows of the past.

 

Megatron says, “If you want to stay here tonight, you can take the bed.”

 

Tempest does start a little at that,blinking at him. But she doesn't bolt... after a few moments of rather comical surprise, she grins and says, “Megatron, I'm fine with the couch...it's a lot softer than the floor of a shuttle, where I've slept many times, and besides, I wasn't the one damn near blown to bits in space last week.”

 

Megatron chuckles. “You mean this old mechanism I am needs a recharge bed much more necessarily?”

 

Tempest smirks, “Look, I'm a pirate, if the couch ends up being /that/ bad I'll steal the bed out from under ya...” and she actually giggles.

 

Megatron chuckles. “Well, try it if you can!” He slowly gets off the couch heading for his bed, indeed he has to recharge a bit more, his internal repair systems still have to deal with some minor internal damages. “Take whatever you need to make it comfortable for you, Tempest. If something is wrong, just wake me up.”

 

Tempest grins. “Perhaps I should be the one thanking you for trusting me...you won't be sorry.” She rummages around for a blanket, finds something, and quite contentedly curls herself up stretched out on the couch...noticeably, with her back pressed against the back of the couch, coiled in a position that any threat has to approach her from the front, and both arms ready to spring her up if need be. Habit, more than fear.

 

Megatron smiles, watching her for a moment, then walks over to his bed. He turns off the lights and not much after he laid down, his systems turn to recharge.

 

Tempest is alert a little longer, optics glowing softly in the gloom...and then she drifts off, sighing happily in her sleep.