The Monster of Kaon (Volume 2): Chapter 13

Author Notes: A shorter chapter this time around since I am still stuck in a bit of a situation IRL, the next chapter should be better than this one.

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I always believed that when I was faced with this moment, I would feel glee. Satisfaction that I had finally avenged my loved ones who died at his hands.

I would feel great having achieved what I always wanted.

Yet, I did not feel any of it as I watched Sentinel being paraded through the streets of Iacon, where he endured countless condemnations from the people he had ruled for so long.

Is it because he is not my Sentinel? Or is it because I have grown apathetic to the evils that is assocaited with the name of Sentinel Prime?

Honestly, I would rather be standing with Metroplex, Metrotitan, and Chela as we annihilate the Quintessons completely than stand here, watching this trial.

But, I will do no such thing because this is an important moment for my child as his first and last act as a true Prime.

Watching Megatronus sit at the position of the Judge for this trial, his Matrix of Leadership blazing with power as his crimson optics glared down at Sentinel, I could not be prouder.

I always knew he had the potential to be a true ruler of the people. His wisdom and courage were evident from the very day he was born. That is why I always groomed his ambition to take my position as the leader of the Ascenticons, knowing that it would be the first step towards his final goal as a true Prime, one that would actually care about his people and work to better their lives.

Unfortunately, everything came crashing down because of a single moment of misplaced trust on my part and paranoia on Alpha Trion’s part. But that is in the past.

Things have changed now. He is changed now.

He is no longer the grieving, angry bot that nearly brought our people to extinction through war.

He is no longer the leader of the Decepticons who fought against his brothers and sisters because of a misguided attempt at bringing order to Cybertron.

He is no longer my foolish sparkling who went against my teachings because of his emotions.

Now, standing by my side as the ruler of this version of Cybertron, he is a true Prime, what he was always meant to be, just like Orion.

Now, if only the bot that is silently standing behind me with her head down, not daring to meet my optics, was not here, everything would be perfect.

Watching Sentinel finally being brought to the central spire from which we were about to conduct his trial, along with the rest of the traitors, I felt a great deal of amusement as the group of Bots from the surface that helped transport him here kneeled in the direction of Megatronus with reverence clear in their optics.

“Lord Megatronus, we have brought the traitor.”

The Cybertronian High Guard, led by Starscream.

How funny that this version of Starscream technically held more power than this version of Megatronus before my Megatronus showed up with the Matrix.

Not like I can blame him, given that this version of my friends, including Soundwave, Shockwave, and the others, are completely different from my versions, even though their personalities are more or less the same.

Megatronus simply nodded at Starscream’s words before he glanced at the assembled council of judges for this trial.

Aside from this world’s Alpha Trion, who sat to his left, and I, who sat to his right, there was also D-16 and Orion Pax, who represented the common bots of this world, and surprisingly, my Orion, who came through the Dimensional Bridge some time ago, along with a few others, when he heard of what had happened.

And given the way he kept glancing at Megatronus with surprise and happiness, it is clear that he, too, is just as grateful as I that he had finally achieved the potential he was always supposed to have.

There was also no need to mention that my Primus had also sent through a strand of his consciousness through the bridge to this side. Something that only Megatronus and I knew about until this moment.

Megatronus knew because he was bestowed the Matrix by the combined effort of this world’s Primus and our Primus, before he could refuse the name of the Prime.

I resisted the urge to snicker as I remembered his glum face when he woke up with the Matrix already embedded firmly in his spark chamber.

I, on the other hand, could literally see the deity floating in the air like a ghost, invisible to everyone except me and Windblade.

I still don’t know how he is doing that, but I couldn’t care less about it.

After all, I am used to his shenanigans at this point.

Shaking my head to get rid of those thoughts, I looked down at Sentinel as Megatronus stood up and began the trial.

“Sentinel the traitor. You have been accused of treason towards Cybertron and its people, joining hands with the Quintessons to steal the resources of this world and subjugate its people as slaves. You have been accused of artificially creating the divide between those with T-Cogs and those without by removing T-Cogs from newborn bots before they come online. You have been accused of betraying the original thirteen Primes while you serve as their advisor and personally slaying them with your own blade.”

One after another, Megatronus continued placing the crimes that Sentinel committed on the screens across the city while also playing the memory recovered from this world’s Airachnid’s brain module.

Sentinel, of course, tried to say something, but could not say anything since Tarn was making sure he could not speak with his Outlier power while hiding in the crowd below.

Is it petty of me to not even wish to hear this traitor’s words and deny him the chance to say his last words in this trial? Yes.

But do I feel guilty about it? No. Because I could practically feel the approval of my Primus with what was going on.

The trial was as swift as I expected, as Megatronus put up the two possible verdicts that could be enforced on this Sentinel and gave the choice to the people of this Cybertron.

Execution, or Exile.

Needless to say, the people of Cybertron chose execution.

With the trial done. It is now time for me to take care of the biggest issue still left on this planet.

Walking into an empty chamber of the central spire, I stare at my shadow.

“It is about time we talk about what you are trying to do, Airachnid.”

The Femme simply grinned wryly at me.

“And what do you wish to talk about? Maximus?”

“....Trust me, there are a lot of things that we need to talk about, things that you need to answer for. And I don’t even know where to start with you.”

She finally stared me in the optics and spoke softly in a way that nearly broke my heart.

“Well, we have nothing but time. I am all yours, Maximus. Do what you will.”

Truly, what is up with the women in my life and the way they can break my heart so easily?