{American Patriotism. Rating: NA. Date: September, 2001}
Megatron stood in the command center, watching the display before him. Around him were most of the main Decepticon forces on Earth and the sight they were witnessing was rather horrific, even to Megatron.
On the screen was the World Trade Center. The twin towers were smoking and on fire. Moments later, one of the towers came crashing down, sending several humans running as fast as they could to get away from the falling debris. The other tower wasn't too far behind it. Megatron, for some reason, felt uneasy watching this display. While he didn't care much for the human race in general, something about this attack bothered him.
It's an act of cowardice, he thought disgustedly.
"This is pathetic," Starscream complained. "Why are we watching this? And why should we even care what these humans do?"
"Shut up, Starscream," Megatron growled. He was in no mood for his second's schemes or complaints.
"We're wasting time just standing here, Megatron!" Starscream nearly shouted. "We should be out there now, striking against the Autobots and running this planet! It's obvious that these humans can't even manage that!!"
"This coming from the guy who asked why we should even care not even a second," Skywarp observed darkly.
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Megatron snarled, whirling around to face them. "No one is to leave this base without direct authorization from me. No more strikes on the humans or the Autobots until further notice. Failure to do so will result in immediate disciplinary action. Soundwave . . ."
"Yes, Megatron?"
"Inform Shockwave that all shipments to and from Cybertron are postponed until further notice. All troops waiting to come here or go back will just have to wait."
"As you command, Megatron."
"This is ridiculous," Starscream objected. "What's the point in doing that?!"
Megatron glowered at Starscream, his already thin patience running thinner.
"I have my reasons, Starscream."
Still, Starscream seemed undaunted.
"And what shall we do for energy in the meantime?" Starscream countered.
"We can set up thermal energy taps," Soundwave interjected.
"Very well then. Have Rumble and Frenzy begin immediately," Megatron ordered, stalking out of the room.
***
"What is eating you?"
"What?"
Starscream had followed Megatron out of the command center and had tailed him to his private quarters, intent on finding out what was going on with his leader.
"What is eating you, Megatron? We should be striking out now and thanking whoever . . ."
"Whoever did this, Starscream, was both a fool and a coward. It may seem like a finely executed plan and he may have scared a nation but I'm fairly certain that their fears will fade in a matter of time and they will retaliate. All he managed to do was actually irritate those humans. Much like the humans irritate us."
"So you would confine us here? The humans aren't a threat to us, Megatron!"
Starscream felt a small amount of satisfaction when Megatron didn't reply back. He was fairly certain Megatron would rescind his order of confinement to base when Frenzy came running up.
"Megatron . . . It just came over the humans' news . . . They're grounding all of their commercial flights. Only military planes are allowed in the air. Anything or anyone who doesn't comply with it will be shot down!" Frenzy exclaimed, his voice filled with surprise.
"So?" Starscream scoffed. "What are a few humans fighters to us?"
"Silence!" Megatron suddenly comanded, causing Starscream and Frenzy to look at him. "I will not risk an air fight with both humans and Autobots, Starscream. The order stands."
"Going soft, Megatron?" Starscream goaded. "Afraid the puny little humans could even hurt us? Now if I were in command . . ."
"You'd be dead from your own stupidity," Megatron growled. "Have you any idea of how many of the human military installations there are in this region? Not including their aircraft carriers, the islands they call Hawaii, or the continent they call Asia? Do you?"
"N-no," Starscream stammered, taken by surprise by the vehemence in Megatron's voice and by Megatron's knowledge of such installations. To him, it was of no concern.
"Well, I do," Megatron snapped. "Right now, these humans are not to be messed with him. Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-yes, Megatron. Of course," Starscream replied, backing away from Megatron. For the first time ever, Starscream regretted raising Megatron's ire but he wasn't about to admit it or let it show.
"Now leave me be, Starscream. Before I find that your usefulness has come to an end."
"Yes, Megatron," Starscream said, turning and heading back to the command center as quickly as he could.
***
Megatron sat in his quarters, staring out his window and watching the schools of fish swimming by. He noted how serene everything looked as he stared out. It was a luxury he had never allowed himself to have before.
Amazing, he thought to himself. You'd never be able to tell that there was another war brewing among the humans.
Someone activating the door chime brought him out of his thoughts and he shook his head, checking his chronometer as he did so.
I've been in here for that long? Maybe I am going soft . . . Nah.
"Enter," he said, turning around.
The door slid open to admit Soundwave. There was something different about the communications officer. If he hadn't known Soundwave for as long as he did, Megatron would have never noticed it. But what was bothering Soundwave, he couldn't be sure.
"What is it, Soundwave?"
"The thermal energy taps are in place, Megatron, and everything is running smoothly."
"That's good. . . So what's bothering you. And don't deny that there isn't something bothering you, Soundwave. I've known you too long to know better than that."
Soundwave merely nodded and held out a datapad.
"What's this?" Megatron asked, taking the disk.
"The human newscasters have compared this to an old human war," Soundwave stated. "So I did some research. Found some things that you might find interesting."
Megatron glanced at the start of the information on the disk.
"History of the United States? What brought this on?" Megatron inquired, looking up at Soundwave.
Soundwave merely shrugged.
"Curiousity, I suppose."
"So, because they compared it to an old war, you looked into their history? How did you manage that?"
"The Americans, as they call themselves, don't exactly keep it a secret, Megatron. It is a history that they are, for the most part, proud of."
Megatron widened an optic at that but said no more. He didn't care about the history of the Americans, much less that of the human race, but he wasn't about to question Soundwave's decision to research into the matter. If he was bringing the information to him, then there had to be some reason, some relevance to it.
"Very well, Soundwave. That will be all. Keep me updated on the current situation."
"As you command, Megatron."
With that, Soundwave left, leaving Megatron to read about the beginnings of the Amercian peoples. When he was done, he was left wondering about their inner strengths and just how much they could endure on their own homefront. In the end, he concluded that, while the Americans sounded like Autobots, they were willing to take up arms and fight for their beliefs, even if meant the scorn of others. Much like how the Decepticons were fighting for their beliefs, despite what others thought of them. And, just like the Decepticons, he decided, they survived somehow, becoming stronger in the end. He almost pitied the poor fool who initiated this. Almost.
~Finis~
Megatron stood in the command center, watching the display before him. Around him were most of the main Decepticon forces on Earth and the sight they were witnessing was rather horrific, even to Megatron.
On the screen was the World Trade Center. The twin towers were smoking and on fire. Moments later, one of the towers came crashing down, sending several humans running as fast as they could to get away from the falling debris. The other tower wasn't too far behind it. Megatron, for some reason, felt uneasy watching this display. While he didn't care much for the human race in general, something about this attack bothered him.
It's an act of cowardice, he thought disgustedly.
"This is pathetic," Starscream complained. "Why are we watching this? And why should we even care what these humans do?"
"Shut up, Starscream," Megatron growled. He was in no mood for his second's schemes or complaints.
"We're wasting time just standing here, Megatron!" Starscream nearly shouted. "We should be out there now, striking against the Autobots and running this planet! It's obvious that these humans can't even manage that!!"
"This coming from the guy who asked why we should even care not even a second," Skywarp observed darkly.
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Megatron snarled, whirling around to face them. "No one is to leave this base without direct authorization from me. No more strikes on the humans or the Autobots until further notice. Failure to do so will result in immediate disciplinary action. Soundwave . . ."
"Yes, Megatron?"
"Inform Shockwave that all shipments to and from Cybertron are postponed until further notice. All troops waiting to come here or go back will just have to wait."
"As you command, Megatron."
"This is ridiculous," Starscream objected. "What's the point in doing that?!"
Megatron glowered at Starscream, his already thin patience running thinner.
"I have my reasons, Starscream."
Still, Starscream seemed undaunted.
"And what shall we do for energy in the meantime?" Starscream countered.
"We can set up thermal energy taps," Soundwave interjected.
"Very well then. Have Rumble and Frenzy begin immediately," Megatron ordered, stalking out of the room.
***
"What is eating you?"
"What?"
Starscream had followed Megatron out of the command center and had tailed him to his private quarters, intent on finding out what was going on with his leader.
"What is eating you, Megatron? We should be striking out now and thanking whoever . . ."
"Whoever did this, Starscream, was both a fool and a coward. It may seem like a finely executed plan and he may have scared a nation but I'm fairly certain that their fears will fade in a matter of time and they will retaliate. All he managed to do was actually irritate those humans. Much like the humans irritate us."
"So you would confine us here? The humans aren't a threat to us, Megatron!"
Starscream felt a small amount of satisfaction when Megatron didn't reply back. He was fairly certain Megatron would rescind his order of confinement to base when Frenzy came running up.
"Megatron . . . It just came over the humans' news . . . They're grounding all of their commercial flights. Only military planes are allowed in the air. Anything or anyone who doesn't comply with it will be shot down!" Frenzy exclaimed, his voice filled with surprise.
"So?" Starscream scoffed. "What are a few humans fighters to us?"
"Silence!" Megatron suddenly comanded, causing Starscream and Frenzy to look at him. "I will not risk an air fight with both humans and Autobots, Starscream. The order stands."
"Going soft, Megatron?" Starscream goaded. "Afraid the puny little humans could even hurt us? Now if I were in command . . ."
"You'd be dead from your own stupidity," Megatron growled. "Have you any idea of how many of the human military installations there are in this region? Not including their aircraft carriers, the islands they call Hawaii, or the continent they call Asia? Do you?"
"N-no," Starscream stammered, taken by surprise by the vehemence in Megatron's voice and by Megatron's knowledge of such installations. To him, it was of no concern.
"Well, I do," Megatron snapped. "Right now, these humans are not to be messed with him. Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-yes, Megatron. Of course," Starscream replied, backing away from Megatron. For the first time ever, Starscream regretted raising Megatron's ire but he wasn't about to admit it or let it show.
"Now leave me be, Starscream. Before I find that your usefulness has come to an end."
"Yes, Megatron," Starscream said, turning and heading back to the command center as quickly as he could.
***
Megatron sat in his quarters, staring out his window and watching the schools of fish swimming by. He noted how serene everything looked as he stared out. It was a luxury he had never allowed himself to have before.
Amazing, he thought to himself. You'd never be able to tell that there was another war brewing among the humans.
Someone activating the door chime brought him out of his thoughts and he shook his head, checking his chronometer as he did so.
I've been in here for that long? Maybe I am going soft . . . Nah.
"Enter," he said, turning around.
The door slid open to admit Soundwave. There was something different about the communications officer. If he hadn't known Soundwave for as long as he did, Megatron would have never noticed it. But what was bothering Soundwave, he couldn't be sure.
"What is it, Soundwave?"
"The thermal energy taps are in place, Megatron, and everything is running smoothly."
"That's good. . . So what's bothering you. And don't deny that there isn't something bothering you, Soundwave. I've known you too long to know better than that."
Soundwave merely nodded and held out a datapad.
"What's this?" Megatron asked, taking the disk.
"The human newscasters have compared this to an old human war," Soundwave stated. "So I did some research. Found some things that you might find interesting."
Megatron glanced at the start of the information on the disk.
"History of the United States? What brought this on?" Megatron inquired, looking up at Soundwave.
Soundwave merely shrugged.
"Curiousity, I suppose."
"So, because they compared it to an old war, you looked into their history? How did you manage that?"
"The Americans, as they call themselves, don't exactly keep it a secret, Megatron. It is a history that they are, for the most part, proud of."
Megatron widened an optic at that but said no more. He didn't care about the history of the Americans, much less that of the human race, but he wasn't about to question Soundwave's decision to research into the matter. If he was bringing the information to him, then there had to be some reason, some relevance to it.
"Very well, Soundwave. That will be all. Keep me updated on the current situation."
"As you command, Megatron."
With that, Soundwave left, leaving Megatron to read about the beginnings of the Amercian peoples. When he was done, he was left wondering about their inner strengths and just how much they could endure on their own homefront. In the end, he concluded that, while the Americans sounded like Autobots, they were willing to take up arms and fight for their beliefs, even if meant the scorn of others. Much like how the Decepticons were fighting for their beliefs, despite what others thought of them. And, just like the Decepticons, he decided, they survived somehow, becoming stronger in the end. He almost pitied the poor fool who initiated this. Almost.
~Finis~