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You don't know how you got here. One minute you were walking, sleeping, maybe dead -- then you're here, your feet suddenly carrying you down an empty street. Where's here?

Any Cybertronian would recognize this as their home planet, Cybertron, but it's not a Cybertron they've ever known. It has all the familiar hallmarks, but none of the specifics -- the city isn't one anyone here could identify, and even at a glance it's obvious that no one's set foot on the planet's surface in hundreds of years. The city and its surrounding areas all bear the marks of devastating war, of dust and rust collected over centuries. With no one in sight -- right at first, anyway -- there's plenty to explore. In fact, if you start walking, you'll find that your feet may just carry you in one particular direction.

A) The crater.
On one edge of the city is a massive crater left by some wartime weapon that seems to have taken out a large chunk of the surrounding metropolitan area. At the center of the crater it's broken through the surface of the terrain to reveal what looks like it might be a promising energon deposit. There is some strange but native vegetation growing around the edges, too, that no Cybertronian would be able to identify -- small, metallic, brittle-looking sprouts that bear a curiously organic-looking fruit of some kind that doesn't look like it's intended for consumption by any natives of the planet. In one rocky nook of the crater, light catches on the surface of a pool of water, which seems strangely out of place on Cybertron. On closer inspection, it seems that somehow an underground water source has formed a spring in the crater.

B) The center of the city.
If you follow where your feet seem to want to carry you, you'll find yourself in the middle of the ruined city. It seems that the center of the city was once home to a massive forum, and some of the pillars and structures still stand. At the very center of the forum is a massive, elaborately constructed fountain, although it has now long since run dry of whatever used to fill it. One of the low, inner walls of the forum has a terminal embedded in its surface, although it looks curiously ancient, out of place with the rest of the city, and unlike the rest of the technology still left around, there doesn't seem to be any way to power it on or operate it. There are a few scattered pools of water and a few of the strange metallic plants in the city, too, but they're not quite as plentiful as in the crater.

The planet was obviously once home to a massive network of communication relays, but those have all been long since destroyed. However, with the bits and pieces left behind and a few determined minds, it wouldn't be too hard to build a working, if rudimentary, one...

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Look, pal, she's about as confused and surprised as you are that she's even able to breathe on this planet. Last she checked, you definitely needed a spacesuit in order to survive on Cybertron if you were human. But when Optimus' towering form looms over here, June looks visibly relieved -- she doesn't realize right off the bat that this isn't her Optimus.

"Optimus! You have no idea how glad I am to see you. Do you have any idea what's going on here? I was driving home from work, and then next thing I know -- I'm just wandering around Cybertron, talking to a Megatron who's an Autobot!"

The fact that she recognizes him causes his optics to light up slight, both in alertness and in...confusion. Should he know her? She didn't seem familiar, at least. Not one of Spike's friends (hopefully, anyway), and while she showed SOME similarities to Verity, she's definitely not related. As far as he knows.

"I can't say I know any more than you. I was on my way back to Cybertron myself. Apparently I didn't get sent to the correct one."

Either that or Starscream REALLY FUCKED UP.

"But Megatron is here?" That's the part that gets him, not the insignia on his chest. Because...well, he's not in the dark about that one.

"Did you miss the part where I said he's an Autobot?" June demands, her brow creased in concern. She's looking at Optimus a little incredulously, because that's really the thing he should have been paying attention to, and...come to think of it, he doesn't quite sound like Optimus, not the one she knows, and he doesn't act like he knows her --

"And you have no idea who I am, because you're not the Optimus I knew back home," June sighs, rubbing a hand over her face. But then she straightens up, trying to brighten up a little, and extends a hand, as though she's talking to someone even remotely close to her size and not a giant robot. "Oh boy. Okay. Let's try this again. I'm June Darby, and I know you -- another version of you, I guess -- back home. And okay, seriously, why is Megatron an Autobot?"

Right, the whole Autobot thing wouldn't be common knowledge, especially to someone from Earth. In fact, he's still wondering just HOW she knew about Megatron, but then again...a lot of people knew about Megatron's occupation of Earth. It wasn't exactly a secret. That's what he's going with for now.

At least until she's one step ahead of him, figuring things out. His eyes widen slightly, at the very thought of there being more than one of him, and parallel dimensions while they're at it. He shouldn't be TOO surprised, a lot of strange things happened in the world, much weirder than alternate realities.

"I'm sorry. I can't remember us meeting before now." He takes to a knee to see her better, and when a hand extends, he awkwardly tries to figure out how to shake it without crushing it in the process. Eventually, he settles for a finger, gently pressing it to her palm.

"Megatron is an Autobot because...he lost the war. And every being deserves a second chance."

And because Megatron is master of loopholes.

"You wouldn't remember, because we've never met," June sighs, a little dismayed, because the longer he talks the more she's certain he's not the Optimus Prime she knew back home. He's not that different, not as obviously as Megatron, but still...she's known Optimus for long enough by now to know the difference.

"Wait -- what? The war's over? Since when?" She'll tackle that garbage about Megatron deserving a second chance later, because, hahaha.

At least the awkwardness of the conversation dissipates with the topic change. He would gladly talk about the war being over rather than seeing her disappointment like that. Not 'her' Optimus was already enough of a question that he still had to let that sit.

There's multiples of him. He's not sure how to feel about that. What if one of them is evil or crazy, after all?

"Just recently. The war was won by the Autobots, and we've been trying to rebuild our homeworld as well as mend broken bridgeson Earth."

...

"The latter is not going as well as I'd like."

"Well, at least I stuck with the winning team," June muses, but she's looking at Optimuns curiously, a little forlornly. "If your Cybertron looks anything like the one I saw back home...you've got a lot of rebuilding to do. ...What happened on Earth? Megatron give you guys some bad PR?"

"That's certainly...one way of putting it." Bad PR was a bit of an understatement. "Any Cybertronian was filed as a 'kill on sight', and we were brushed off the planet despite attempts to help fix the mess Megatron caused."

Granted it wasn't their place to say whether or not they could stay, but it felt awful leaving the humans with their destruction.

June frowns, her brow furrowing. "Sounds like a bit of a different situation than I'm used to. I mean, Agent Fowler was definitely on the Autobots' case a lot, but I don't think he'd have ever tried to drive them off the planet."

This would usually be the part where she puts her hand on his shoulder, but he's way too big for that, so she just sort of...reaches over and pats whatever part of him is nearest.

"I'm sorry things turned out like that for you. If you're anything like the Optimus I know, I know you only had Earth's best interests at heart."

Look, she might have disagreed with the Autobots' methods at points -- she definitely didn't like them sending Jack off to Cybertron the way they had -- but even she'll admit that without them, Earth would be an easy target for the Decepticons. It's been a struggle even with the Autobots.

The pat on his leg is appreciated, definitely. He just wishes he could do something in return--not much can be done with a giant hand that could totally send June flying to the moon.

"Thank you."

It was tired, war-torn, but genuine. And despite the clear weariness in his voice, those eyes at least kept their strong glow. He's not a broken spirit just yet.

"It is what it is, though, and we can only keep an eye on our fellow planet, if as silent guards if we have to be."

"I'm sure at least some small part of humanity is grateful for that," June says quietly, keeping her hand on his leg. "Even if they don't know it. I know I would be. I am, in fact."

She rubs her hand over his plating in what she hopes is a soothing gesture in order to placate the overwhelming desire to give Optimus Prime a hug. Not a thought she'd ever expected to cross her mind. But she's seen that look before, and she knows what it means.

"The war's over, but your work is never really done, is it?" June's mouth twists into a rueful smile, and she lets out a sympathetic sigh. "I can't even imagine the kind of strength it must take, to keep going after all that."

"We had friends there," he reassures her, the glow in his optics returning a slight bit. Getting a tiny amount of that 'spark' back. But her words comfort him more than he can say, only shown in a soft smile under that faceplate. If you look close enough, though, you can see that from said eyes.

"Thank you. It never ceases to amaze me just how strong the human race is, despite everything they've been through."

In both her world and his.

"I'm sure there's a human equivalent. After all, you are on Cybertron, and yet worrying more about myself than your own well-being." If that wasn't strength, he didn't know what was.

He's not the same Optimus she knows, but he's close. His voice has the same weight to it, that forlorn gravitas, and it's familiar. June finds it deeply comforting in a way she wasn't expecting to. Optimus Prime, as she's known him, has always been grave and serious and sorrowful, and so is this one. June gives him a slightly sad smile back, leaning her weight against his leg just a little. She's touched by his words on a deep, appreciative level.

"I'm a mother. I'm used to worrying," June says wryly, rubbing at her neck. "Honestly, I'm worried about my son the most. If I've just up and disappeared, and he has no idea what's going on...it's not as if I don't know the Autobots would look after him, but that's not the same."

The weight against his leg causes his eyes to flick up in her direction, watching how easily she adjusts to him. Despite him being 'not the Optimus' she knows, she finds comfort in his presence. Something he's going to have to keep close to his spark.

He listens to her, and his eyes soften. Parenthood...something he'd often made comparisons to his own men. Not out loud, of course. "I'm sure he will be alright. If he's your son, surely he has some of your traits."

And he can tell right now, you're stronger than the metal of their own armour.

June looks surprised at that comment for a moment...and then touched. She smiles warmly up at him, patting his leg before she straightens up a little.

"That's sweet of you to say," she sighs, and a thoughtful look crosses her face as she studies his. Her smile broadens into a grin. "You really are Optimus Prime."

His optics flicker a moment, not entirely surprised by what she says (he sure hopes he's Optimus Prime, to be honest), but more at the certainty. The phrase, while seemingly obvious, carried a weight to it.

Trust.

"I hope we can work together as you two did."

You're the first human in awhile that's welcomed his company for much more than just 'give us information'. That's saying something.

June's heart swells a little at that -- with pride, relief, and a genuine fondness for the Autobots and Optimus himself, even if these aren't the ones she knew -- and her whole face lights up at that as she nods.

"I look forward to it," she says, determination clear in her voice.

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ssshhhh pretend i have icons uploaded to this account already

It's okay I know that pain

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