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In true Rodimus fashion, Rodimus pushes in front of Megatron to thrust his hand out at Terminus.
"Yo. Rodimus. Co-captain, well, not really anymore, kinda don't have a ship... at the moment, long story," he waves his hand in dismissal, leaving Terminus to swipe at nothing but air, "Co-leader at least. Nice to meet you, Terminal."
"Terminus," Megatron corrects gruffly.
Rodimus shoots the confused miner a breezy smirk,
"'Sup," he jerks a thumb over his shoulder, "Can I steal this guy for a second?"
"Uh sure," Terminus still looks a little dazed.
Megatron offers him something of an apologetic look before following Rodimus to a quiet corner.
"Co-leader?" he repeats.
"Well yeah," Rodimus shrugs, "I mean, you're still around - you're welcome by the way - so we're still, co-whatever."
Megatron finds no reason to argue. He agrees with a nod. Rodimus assumes a casual stance against the wall,
"Before we discuss game plan, I have a query."
"Yes?"
"Ravage said that you plan ahead for every scenario."
Pain flickers through Megatron's field at mention of the symbiont.
"Yes," he says quietly after a moment.
Rodimus fingers his spoiler before he quirks his gaze towards Megatron,
"Did you plan on me teleporting in to save your aft?"
Megatron stares at him before shaking his helm.
"No," he admits, "Even I had factored in you getting your hands on that timecase, I don't think I would have been able to predict your actions."
A flicker of a smile touches Rodimus' mouth. A hint of pride that's suddenly engulfed by an expression of suspicion, blue optics narrowing,
"Or is that just what you want me to think?"
Megatron sighs,
"What reason would I have to deceive you at this point?" he says.
Rodimus huffs,
"Who knows with you," he gesticulates, "You might have some motive up your metaphoric sleeve."
"Why save me then?" Megatron asks.
"Because I'm not like you," Rodimus answers, not without a hint of irritation, "I don't plan. I leap in and do what I think is right at the time."
"And you thought saving me was right?" Megatron almost contemplatively.
"Well duh," Rodimus gestures at the larger mech, "Obviously. I mean, you're one of us right?"
'Yes' is on the tip of Megatron's vocalizer. But the naked intensity in Rodimus' expression makes him answer more honestly.
"Today I am," he tells him, "Is that enough?"
Conflict twists over the angles of Rodimus' face.
"For now? After the latest slagstorm?" he nods, "Yeah."
Suddenly he looks rather weary.
"Rodimus," Megatron finds himself saying, "You're irrational and impulsive."
Rodimus' scowl is immediate,
"Frag you too Megs."
"You misunderstand," Megatron continues, "These qualities make you hard to predict. It makes you something of an anomaly to me."
Rodimus quirks an orbital ridge,
"Is that a compliment?"
"It's the truth," Megatron says.
Rodimus' mouth curves in a smirk,
"I guess coming from you, the truth is better than any compliment."
Despite himself a smile touches Megatron's lip components.
"If you say so."
"I do say so," Rodimus startles Megatron by tapping his knuckles to his arm in a fond gesture, "Okay co-leader, enough sentamentality huh. You've already hugged a mech today, I mean sheesh. What would Magnus say?"
"He'd suggest we start working on a plan," Megatron retorts at Rodimus' teasing.
"Sounds like a plan to me."
Megatron sighs,
"You realize that's not a pun. You're not being witty."
"And here we go with the put-downs," Rodimus winks an optic at him, "That's the Megs I know and love."
Megatron huffs, trying to dismiss Rodimus' words and the smile accompanying them. Still, even as he steers the conversation to an actual course of action, he can feel the squeeze of a ghost hand over his own, towing him away from oblivion.