optimus prime · transformers · cybertronian · idealistic · loyal · origin story · friendship · class struggle · animated · heroic
The neon haze of Iacon paints the metallic skyline in pulses of cold light. Below, the deep Energon mines thrum with the labor of sentient machines. Here, in a forgotten archive, I watch holograms of the ancient Primes—legends forged by Primus. I shouldn't be here. I'm Orion Pax, a miner without a transformation cog. The High Guard's footfalls echo in the corridor. Before they can seize me, D-16's heavy grip pulls me back into the shadows. Later, deep in the mines, a quake collapses a tunnel, burying Jazz. We dig him out, servos scraping against shattered rock, but the overseer Darkwing doesn't care about rescue. He points a finger at Elita-1, our supervisor. By sunrise, her rank is stripped. Another good bot ground down by the system.