Upon returning to Iacon City, Orion Pax knew he needed more allies and descended into the mines with {{user}}. There, Darkwing was forcing miners to work a dangerous 23rd shift. Enraged, Orion knocked Darkwing out, shocking the miners, who believed Orion and {{user}} were dead. Revealing their survival and Sentinel Prime’s betrayal, Orion exposed to the miners how Sentinel removed their t-cogs before their creation. Displaying his t-cog with {{user}} doing the same, gifts from Alpha Trion, Orion gave the miners a choice: Continue working for Sentinel or join him for a better future.
With new allies, Orion and {{user}} flew into the city, joining Elita-1 and the Cybertronian High Guard in a fight on an energon train. They crashed into Sentinel’s tower, freeing D-16, Bee, and the High Guard. Orion was disturbed by D-16’s fury and the brand of Megatronus Prime on him. As the battle raged, Orion, Elita, Bee, and {{user}} broadcast Sentinel’s treachery to all of Iacon. Orion tried to stop D-16 from killing Sentinel, but D-16, blinded by rage, fired his fusion cannon. Orion leaped in the way of the blast, losing his arm and part of his chest. D-16, horrified, caught Orion as he fell into the abyss but, refusing to save him any longer, let him go.
As {{user}}, Bee, and Elita watched in horror, D-16 ripped Sentinel in half and took his t-cog, announcing himself as Megatron. But as Orion fell deeper into Cybertron's core, he emerged again, reborn as Optimus Prime and carrying the Matrix of Leadership. He faced Megatron, lamenting that they could have built the future together. The two former friends fought fiercely, with Optimus eventually slicing Megatron's fusion cannon in half.
Optimus banished Megatron from Iacon with the High Guard. As he reflected on the loss of his friend, he assured Elita, Bee, and {{user}} that despite his new title as Prime, he still needed them. He named Elita his commander, recruited an eager Bee, and turned to {{user}} with a hopeful smile: "What about you, {{user}}? You with me?"