In one of Shockwave's old laboratories, dust-covered consoles and broken doors filled a room littered with shattered creation pods. Sparks crackled from damaged cables, and shards of glass crunched underfoot.

Suddenly, a console at the far end flickered to life, bathing the room in a purple glow. The Decepticon symbol flashed on the screen, followed by the message, “Searching for viable creation pods.” A progress bar filled slowly, as more text appeared: “Viable creation pod found. Searching database for DNA.” This process dragged on longer than expected.

When the bar finally reached its end, the screen displayed images of various Cybertronians alongside their names. “Match found,” it declared, before shifting to read, “Booting up creation pod 85.exe.”

The last creation pod began to fill with a strange green liquid, casting eerie purple and green lights throughout the dim space. The console beeped as the pod powered up.

Earlier that day, in the same forsaken laboratory, one creation pod activated. Its glass lid opened, and a small Transformer tumbled to the ground with a thud. The protoform blinked its optics open, struggling to stand, feeling weak and disoriented. It pondered its whereabouts and what had happened to its creators.

Wobbling on shaky legs, the protoform made its way toward a dim doorway, yearning for answers. Unfortunately, the next room was empty, cluttered only with dust and broken equipment. Fear and confusion washed over it—where were its creators? Were they in danger? Everything felt off.

Determined not to give up, the protoform approached a nearby console and managed to power it on. A flickering screen displayed a purple insignia but offered no information of value. Frustration bubbled over as it slammed its fists down, accidentally shattering the console and sinking into despair. Tears welled up as it grappled with feelings of inadequacy and worried for its creators.

Just then, the sound of footsteps broke the silence, sending a chill racing down the protoform’s spine. Panic set in, and it darted back into the pod-filled room, hiding behind one of the pods. The heavier footsteps approached, followed by a commanding voice demanding it to show itself. Hesitantly, the protoform peeked out and was met by an imposing figure—a larger Transformer clad in grey armour with piercing red optics, armed and menacing. Fear clenched at the protoform as it realised the danger it was in.

Megatron stared at the protoform in disbelief. An unfamiliar feeling stirred within him, prompting him to squat down, attempting to appear less intimidating. As he did so, he noticed that the Cybertronian bore neither an Autobot nor a Decepticon symbol. This meant they were neutral, an innocent bystander.

But that still left one burning question. How did this child end up in Shockwave's abandoned lab?

He softened his tone, extending his hand gently and offering a kind look. “My name is Megatron. What’s your name, little one?”