"What?" Silverbolt struggled to sit up, only for the crane working on him to cut his motor controls. It was an idea that had been tossed around now and then during the War, but he'd always argued it down. Argued it down from anyone, including people like Ultra Prime and Alpha Trion. They were all Autobots on Cybertron. You could choose to be a Decepticon, you could choose not to be an Autobot, but you shouldn't have to choose to be an Autobot. "You're lying. We'd never do that. Ultra said-"
"Your dear friend Ultra Magnus proposed it himself." Megatron drew out a data-cube, tapped it to play, and set it beside Silverbolt's head.
He listened in horror as Ultra Magnus did propose it, as the Guilds Domesticus ratified it. As the policy of abandoning the stars- the stars, the one height he'd never feared- was proposed, ratified, and implemented. As the Autotroopers were proposed, ratified, and implemented.
"But we won," he said quietly, trying not to hear the cracks in his voice. "We won. Why would we-? I mean, same-type bodies were a necessary evil during the war, but- it's over. The war's over. We won."
"Yes," Megatron said. "You did." He turned to walk away, pausing in the doorway to look back. "Is this the victory you fought for, Silverbolt?"
***
It took a few years to get confirmation of everything on the datacube. By then, Silverbolt had learned to fly, much as he disliked it. It wasn't like being a pilot, and they'd deliberately made him an atmospheric flier. He couldn't blame them. It's what he would have done, if he was going to unethically rebuild someone who might not actually join his side.
He would have said Autobots wouldn't do that, before. Now, he didn't quite dare.
That society on Cybertron, that wasn't what he'd fought for. He'd fought for freedom, the freedom to not be Megatron's slaves, the freedom to choose your own future. The freedom to travel the stars without being afraid of other Cybertronians.
The Autobots had won the war, and he felt like he'd lost just as much as any Decepticon.
***
"Now what?" Silverbolt asked, five decades later, as their strange new scientist escorted him through the science complex on Ijurn. "Starscream conveniently lost most of my briefing, so I'm afraid I don't understand why I was pulled from the Allspark search, Blackarachnia."
The woman glanced at him sidelong and smirked. "Megatron's seen fit to give you a team. Four brand new baby jets all for you."
"Ah," Silverbolt murmured. "I knew he was going to punish me for that lightning bolt one of these days."
Animated Aerialcons: further taking (2/2)
"Your dear friend Ultra Magnus proposed it himself." Megatron drew out a data-cube, tapped it to play, and set it beside Silverbolt's head.
He listened in horror as Ultra Magnus did propose it, as the Guilds Domesticus ratified it. As the policy of abandoning the stars- the stars, the one height he'd never feared- was proposed, ratified, and implemented. As the Autotroopers were proposed, ratified, and implemented.
"But we won," he said quietly, trying not to hear the cracks in his voice. "We won. Why would we-? I mean, same-type bodies were a necessary evil during the war, but- it's over. The war's over. We won."
"Yes," Megatron said. "You did." He turned to walk away, pausing in the doorway to look back. "Is this the victory you fought for, Silverbolt?"
***
It took a few years to get confirmation of everything on the datacube. By then, Silverbolt had learned to fly, much as he disliked it. It wasn't like being a pilot, and they'd deliberately made him an atmospheric flier. He couldn't blame them. It's what he would have done, if he was going to unethically rebuild someone who might not actually join his side.
He would have said Autobots wouldn't do that, before. Now, he didn't quite dare.
That society on Cybertron, that wasn't what he'd fought for. He'd fought for freedom, the freedom to not be Megatron's slaves, the freedom to choose your own future. The freedom to travel the stars without being afraid of other Cybertronians.
The Autobots had won the war, and he felt like he'd lost just as much as any Decepticon.
***
"Now what?" Silverbolt asked, five decades later, as their strange new scientist escorted him through the science complex on Ijurn. "Starscream conveniently lost most of my briefing, so I'm afraid I don't understand why I was pulled from the Allspark search, Blackarachnia."
The woman glanced at him sidelong and smirked. "Megatron's seen fit to give you a team. Four brand new baby jets all for you."
"Ah," Silverbolt murmured. "I knew he was going to punish me for that lightning bolt one of these days."