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Giving Up
The dust settles as Optimus Prime falls into a coughing, his golden axe illuminating the dark cavern that he and his opponent had fallen into. It is ridiculously dark, the only other source of light being the hole where he and Megatron had fallen through during their fight. It’s high above and there’s no way to climb through, the cavern walls are too far from the gap in the vast ceiling.
Optimus Prime finally feels able to breathe without a tickle in his intake making him cough and stands, using his axe as a torch.
“Megatron?” He asked, concerned as he realises there’s no sign of the other mech he had been fighting with moments before the ground collapsed beneath them.
He would rather not lose sight of Megatron and find himself with a fusion cannon held to his back. He starts to walk forward, axe aloft, his optics squinting through the darkness looming for the Decepticon leader.
“Megatron, where are you–”
His pede steps on something and Optimus stumbles back as he realises that it’s Megatron’s forearm. He’s lying face down on the cavern floor, his biolights dim and the only indication that he still functioned.
The fall must have knocked him out, Optimus realises as he draws a powerful floodlight out of his subspace to light the area they’re in so the Prime can assess the situation.
At the very least he doesn’t have to deal with a violent warlord trying to kill him. For now.
When he finishes setting up the light he looks down at Megatron, his unconscious body lying face down and chunks of the ground they fell through are scattered over him. A particularly large piece of solid stone is lying near his helm, silver staining it.
That explains what knocked him out then.
Optimus gently brushes the stones and rubble off of Megatron before lying the Decepticon leader on his back. He thankfully doesn’t stir, allowing the Prime to brush down Megatron carefully, assessing him for other injuries.
He doesn’t know whether to be disappointed or pleased that only cosmetic damage litters his frames. He wonders if the knock to Megatron’s helm will affect him. Probably not, that helmet of his is extremely thick and falling a couple of stories is unlikely to do much if anything.
Optimus gazed up at the hole they had fallen through. He could hear the chatter of people on the surface, some calling their leaders names, others yelling orders to each other. He attempted to send a message through his comms but unfortunately the cavern they were in was blocking any signals.
The Prime sighed and let himself fall onto his skidplate, his optics drawn to Megatron whose silver frame caught the glow of the floodlight making him appear ethereal, even angelic against the pitch black of the cave. Even dirtied and scratched up, Megatron’s frame held its unique beauty.
“Just you and me, old friend,” Optimus found himself speaking to his nemesis. “Our teams will find us eventually, I have faith in that.”
The unconscious warlord remained silent and still.
“For now I guess it’s just to two of us cosying up together,” Optimus continued, “Like that time we got trapped in one of the lower chambers of the Iacon Mines, do you remember?”
There was still no answer and Optimus sighed and shook his helm.
“I don’t know why I’m still trying to get through to you after all these vorns,” Optimus muttered bitterly to himself as he stared at the image of Megatronus Prime’s face in the centre of the Decepticon Warlord’s chest. “Everyone else who knew us back then has given up on you. But for some reason, I still haven’t.”
He reached out and gently brushed his digits against the Decepticon Insignia, his spark sinking at remembering how it had come to be. How they had come to be. The powerful T-cog of Megatronus Prime whirred and shifted quietly, just underneath Megatron’s plating.
“Why haven’t I given up on you, Dee?” Optimus Prime asked himself under his breath.
In response, the Matrix in his chest began to glow and pulse, a deep baritone growling voice spoke within his helm, its tone kind and creator-like as it spoke.
“It is because you have hope, Young Prime.”
Optimus was silent for a moment. He knew that the Primes could choose to reach out to him if they wished to. It was rare and he had only ever spoken to Alpha Trion, Prima and Solus before.
Never Megatronus Prime.
Optimus would be lying if he said he wasn’t intimidated by the Prime of Strength suddenly speaking to him after 2 and a half million years of silence.
“Forgive the intrusion,” Megatronus spoke again, his voice apologetic. “I thought it appropriate to advise you on this matter.”
“No, I’m just caught off guard,” Optimus admitted as he regained his composure. “It’s surprising to finally hear you, after everything that has happened.”
Megatronus Prime gave a contemplative hum as Optimus returned his attention to Megatron’s prone body lying before him.
“What do you think of him, of D16? Or Megatron?” Optimus asked. “He worshipped you. He loved you.”
“He loved the idea of me that Sentinel portrayed,” Megatronus corrected. “That was not who I was when my Spark still pulsed within my frame.”
The young Prime nodded quietly to himself, optics still focused on the Decepticon Insignia staring back at him.
“Perhaps, but, I get the feeling that D16 would have been a fan of yours even if Sentinel hadn’t done what he did,” Optimus Prime countered. “He always liked bots who were strong and something to aspire to. It was his source of hope. A source of achievement. He always wanted to be stronger, better. To prove to others that he was worthy of attention.”
“That is a decidedly unhealthy mindset to have,” Megatronus chided. “But I suppose, with his upbringing, it was only natural that he would be desperate to please those around him.”
“Have you been watching this whole time?” Optimus asked and there was a pause as the great Prime of Strength remained silent for a long while.
“Longer than you understand, young Prime,” Megatronus finally spoke, his voice quieter this time.
There was a hidden meaning behind his words but Optimus could not see it. Maybe he wasn’t meant to or maybe he didn’t have all the knowledge he needed too.
Still, his original question remained.
“Should I– give up on him?” Optimus asked, his voice wavering slightly and Megatronus Prime again fell silent for a long moment.
“No. You should not,” Megatronus finally said, surprising Optimus.
“I– shouldn’t?” Optimus asked, straightening his back strut at the answer. “Everyone else has. I don’t– I’ve been starting to think that there’s no hope for Megatron for a while now. It’s been 2.5 million years and he hasn’t let go of his hatred. Why would he do so now?”
“Because it is who you are, Young Prime,” Megatronus reminded him. “If you give up on Megatron then he will have no one left and that is a terrible thing.”
Oh. He hadn’t thought about it like that.
Slowly he nodded his helm, considering Megatronus Prime’s words. He was right, of course.
“Megatronus… do you think it’s possible for Megatron to comeback? For him to stop this madness?” Optimus asked, his gaze moving to Megatron’s face.
It looked like he was sleeping peacefully. He almost looked like D16. An older and more weary image of D16 but for a moment he could pretend that he was still here, that his best friend didn’t want to kill him. That the world made sense again.
“What does your Spark tell you, Young Prime?” Megatronus asked and Optimus sighed, he should have known better than to expect anything but a cryptic answer from one of the Primes.
“My spark is tired and wants its best friend back,” Optimus muttered bitterly. “My spark wants this entire pointless conflict to end before our species tears itself apart like it did Cybertron.”
The other Prime was silent, not responding to his confession. Perhaps that was for the best.
A groan of pain took his attention away and the glow of the Matrix of Leadership dimmed as red optics began to cast an ominous glow in the cave.
“Megatron?” Optimus asked, reaching out a hand to help the stirring warlord. It was promptly smacked away with a growl.
“Don’t touch me, Prime,” Megatron hissed, his voice menacing and laced with hatred. “Filthy Autobot scum!”
Optimus inwardly sighed.
Back to business as usual then.