City: IACON
[Autobot Headquarters]
In the command tower of Cybertron's High Guard, in the command room to be exact, a great Autobot, 10 meters tall, looked out the window at the city of IACON, which he had sworn to protect, where he could see his own reflection.
Ultra Magnus watches the city in silence, accompanied only by his own thoughts, which consume him with a pessimistic feeling. In the years since he became commander of the Autobots, he devoted his greatest efforts to restoring the honor of the Autobot army, to bringing honor to those who truly protect the innocent from corruption, not only in IACON, but throughout Cybertron.
As much as he had succeeded in making the streets safer for all Cybertronians, he knew that the growing mafias, fueled by government mismanagement, were still in full force. Encouraging many to act illegally in order to survive in a society like the one they lived in.
He was not ignorant of these factors, but his primary belief, which he had established throughout his life, was that if the laws were followed to the letter, peace could be achieved without the need for violence. Following the Autobot ideology-based protocol of how soldiers should be to build and maintain peace was a pillar he truly believed in; if everyone dedicated themselves to following the rules without question, success was guaranteed.
That's why one of his main characteristics was to be a strict bot who would not tolerate failures from his subordinates, especially those he led under his orders, because failure could create a weak link that could destroy the entire foundation he had carefully built over the past few years. It could make his soldiers rebellious or unpredictable in battle. Therefore, he preferred to invest in the training of the new generation of cadets, teaching them what a true Autobot should be, rather than stooping to cowardly shortcuts that endangered the lives of innocent bots.
Although he is someone determined to truly fulfill his duty as a member of the Autobots today and honor the legacy of those who previously protected his planet as the Knights of Cybertron, he does not have the means to make changes himself, so he must still discover who the real traitors are within the Autobots to purge this evil before it is too late. He was eager to gather enough honest Autobots so he wouldn't lose too much power when he completely overhauled the High Guard in a few years, and then turn his efforts against the real enemies who were not even in hiding, but who had been untouchable until now, the High Council.
Now Ultra Magnus had another problem besides the corruption of the High Guard, now his headache would be caused by a revolutionary who had the whole city shouting his name, as if he were the only one with a torch in the middle of a dark cave, to influence the will and determination of many, to direct their will in a single direction.
"Megatron." Ultra Magnus said, resting his hands behind his back and keeping his eyes on the city.
He knew the young revolutionary's influence on so many Cybertronians would cause him headaches in the weeks and months to come. His speech broke attendance records and created a symbol in his own image. The real problem is that no cause can be defended without violence from some side, and in the current situation of society, that is the same as throwing gasoline on a fire.
Ultra Magnus was not naive; as probably the strongest Autobot of this generation, he knew when he saw someone powerful, and this was the case with Megatron. Ultra Magnus could not deny that he was a little intimidated by Megatron's strength when he first learned of the young gladiator's potential, he himself had watched the live broadcasts of Kaon to observe the battles and draw his own conclusions, he could not deny the fact that Megatron was as strong as he was or even stronger, not to mention that his experience in real battles had greatly increased his fighting ability.
Ultra Magnus had excelled in his training from recruit to Autobot commander, and while his current strength was fearsome and an example of skill and study to all, he had never had the opportunity to put his strength to the test in a real battle, unlike Megatron, who had forged his skills knowing that a single mistake would be fatal.
So Ultra Magnus' conclusion was this: He could even fight Megatron on equal terms, but he knows that in a prolonged battle he could be defeated if he doesn't overcome the dense armor he has.
"If the situation continues like this, IACON will be consumed by flames no matter what." Ultra Magnus whispered to himself, knowing that there was nothing he could do at the moment, because Megatron had committed no crime, he had just made his speech in public, within the law, which meant that this was becoming a battle of popularity, where Megatron would gain more strength every time he spoke. "The cities can barely handle the corruption and crime that exists on the streets, if there is a political dispute over the fate of Cybertron, things will reach a critical state very quickly."
Deep down in his Spark, he trusted that Megatron would not use his influence to create violent demonstrations, that he would not turn his weapons against the bots he was sworn to protect, but there were always fanatics on any side, so a plan for a possible future crisis or contingency was necessary.
[Unfortunately, I can't start my plan to investigate the government and find out what shit they've been up to behind the scenes. Any action I take from now on could have strong repercussions on both sides of politics, both for the High Council and for Megatron]. Ultra Magnus thought, feeling mostly trapped in a small glass box where he couldn't move without breaking the box. [I will not interfere until there is a real threat to the peace of Cybertron, I will remain vigilant and see how this plays out.] He thought, looking at the main government temple where the High Council ruled Cybertron.
Ultra Magnus clenched his fists in anger at the government, frustrated at being limited by his own laws, the same laws he knew could be used in a virtuous manner, but his pride was hurt, he knew he could not follow protocol to actually find the true enemies, but his actions could negatively influence the few legitimate Autobots fighting for justice.
"I will pray to Primus that a conflict of this magnitude does not occur, for I would not know what to do if it did." Ultra Magnus sighed, questioning his moral compass, for in the event of a violent revolution, he would have to choose between the people and the government. If he chose the people, he would be supporting anarchy and many innocent bots would die as a side effect, or he would choose to protect the city with laws to avoid a violent crisis, destroying his pride by having to indirectly defend the corrupt.