In the end, Morin decided to act with a conscience and didn't make Optimus and the others dance again.
Not that he ever lacked one.
He was a firm believer in fairness and always upheld the principle of equivalent exchange.
At least, equivalent from his perspective.
As for the others... well, they agreed to the deal. That meant they thought it was fair too, right? And if anyone disagreed, they were free to step forward and say so.
Morin happily admired the footage he had recorded, already imagining it sitting at the top of the charts. In reality, his previous video was already surging across all major video platforms.
Yes. All of them.
A creator wasn't limited to a single site.
He had even thoughtfully provided translations and dubbing for different countries, regions, and languages. For him, this was trivial. For ordinary people, it was almost absurd.
Most viewers had the same initial reaction.
They'd discovered a hidden gem.
Mastering eight or ten languages was impressive enough, but this guy appeared in every language imaginable. Even ones people hadn't realized they needed.
Then they looked at the content.
He spent a hundred thousand dollars just to shoot one video.
Was this guy some kind of billionaire?
Jealousy and skepticism aside, the video's views and likes were growing exponentially. Major platforms had already begun contacting Morin to sign him.
Naturally, he didn't refuse.
He was grinding experience points, after all.
Of course, he didn't even consider contracts with exclusivity clauses. Big platforms weren't stupid enough to leave such an obvious trap, especially with anti-monopoly laws existing everywhere.
And if things somehow turned ugly...
He could always have the Autobots collect his debts.
As a mecha designer, as long as he had sufficient materials, there was almost no model Morin couldn't design. Which meant that as long as the Autobots wanted to become stronger, they would have to keep working with him.
Until one day, perhaps, they would evolve from Transformers into something else entirely.
Omni-formers.
Along the way, they might also learn a few dances, memorize a few songs, and leave behind videos so embarrassing they'd want to abandon the planet altogether.
Morin thought the idea was excellent.
The Autobots did not.
While they were trying to process the shame of having sold their bodies for filming-while simultaneously appreciating the performance upgrades they'd received-a collective chill ran through them.
Or, for silicon-based lifeforms, perhaps it was better described as an abnormal junk data error.
"We can familiarize ourselves with these new forms during flight," Optimus said, clearly intending to pretend that nothing prior had ever happened. "Time is limited. If the Decepticons obtain the AllSpark, they'll gain an infinite mechanical army."
"Sure," Morin replied casually.
He was fully absorbed in editing.
If Optimus didn't possess perfect bodily control, and if he weren't constantly restraining himself from irrational actions, he might have already grabbed the laptop and reduced it to dust with his weapons.
This was too much.
Recording was one thing. Editing it right in front of them was another.
And he was adding a 360-degree looping screen-shake effect.
Was this not an insult to their entire species?
Unfortunately, Optimus couldn't win a fight.
And he needed Morin's help.
So he swallowed everything and chose not to look.
He had already blocked all of Morin's social media accounts on his end. He truly didn't want to see himself appearing in those videos.
But the sense of foreboding didn't fade.
Just because he couldn't see it didn't mean others couldn't.
And among those others, aside from humans, there would certainly be Decepticons.
The thought of his dance footage being viewed by enemies filled Optimus with a sudden, weary urge to destroy everything.
But he couldn't.
For the first time, Optimus felt that Megatron wasn't so bad.
At least when facing Megatron, he still wanted to fight.
Against Morin, that thought never even formed.
"What do you think about making the Decepticons do the same dance as you guys?" Morin suddenly asked without looking up.
Optimus's optics lit up.
So did everyone else's.
When suffering is shared with an enemy, it becomes joy.
Then their expressions dimmed.
An enemy was still an enemy. If Morin made them dance, would he also upgrade their forms?
That would be unacceptable.
So Optimus carefully chose his words. "It's probably better not to. Decepticons ruthlessly plunder the living space and resources of other races... If you have further requirements, Bumblebee can cooperate."
Bumblebee froze.
"!!!"
Why was it always him?
"I was just thinking out loud," Morin said, shaking his head.
He understood Optimus's concerns perfectly and didn't mind them at all. Such caution was normal.
In truth, if one viewed things from a broader civilizational perspective, the roles weren't so simple. The Decepticons were plundering resources to save Cybertron. From that angle, they were the protagonists.
The Autobots, protecting Earth's resources, could be seen as antagonists.
Only from humanity's perspective did those roles reverse.
Right and wrong were never absolute.
It all depended on viewpoint.
There was no need to dwell on such questions. One simply needed to know where they stood and act accordingly. Overthinking only led to becoming one of those so-called social justice warriors.
The Autobots transformed into their new flight-capable forms and soared into the sky. Compared to their former ground speed, the difference was overwhelming.
Not long after.
Starscream, having followed their trail, frowned as he scanned the area.
"They're gone," a Decepticon reported.
"Search! Find them!" Starscream shrieked, scanning the surroundings. "I don't believe it. Did they actually fly away?"
After half an hour of fruitless searching, Starscream froze.
He had seen the video.
Morin had updated his channel.
Not just one video, but an entire series.
The newest title read:
[How I Built Wings for Aliens Just for a Video]