Eyes of the Eons

Chapter 13: A Slave to Pattern

You belong to me.

You cannot escape me.

You failed me once before.

I am coming for my revenge.

I will take all that you hold dear.

I will destroy everything you touch.

"MEGATRONUS!"

Megatron was jerked from a dark abyss into reality at the sound of his designation. His fists, which were tightly clenched around something, loosened, resulting in a choked cough and a gasp.

"Optimus?" he looked down at the Prime pinned beneath him.

Optimus's optics brightened and he took a moment to restore his bearings. For that moment, Megatron was too surprised, too startled, to even get off of the Prime.

For his sanity's sake, Optimus didn't seem to mind entirely, simply glad his energon tubes were no longer being strangled. After a moment, he reached up and patted Megatron's chassis.

"Alright, move," Optimus huffed.

"Move," Megatron repeated as be stood. "What... what happened?"

Optimus glanced at Megatron before looking around. Silence laid around them for a long while and Megatron had the time to notice their surroundings. He was still in the ruins of the MECH base, but Wheeljack was nowhere in sight and it was completely destroyed already.

"Unicron," Megatron realized, turning to Optimus in anger. "It was Unicron."

The Prime nodded. "I told Wheeljack to return to the other wreckers. You're slightly annoying when possessed."

Megatron frowned. "How did you get me out of it?"

"By pulling on your connection to who you were before the war," Optimus replied. "It's the only part of you without any darkness."

At that, Megatron looked away and his servos clenched.

Optimus walked closer and laid his servo on the ex-warlord's shoulder. "Although, it is your will that allowed my words to affect you. I believe you will one day be at peace with the past, find your own light, and flourish in it. You have already changed tremendously in recent years."

"The change in my mind will mean nothing-has meant nothing, each time Unicron takes hold of it," Megatron seethed. "This time, I can't even see him. I can't even sense his presence."

"We will work on that," Optimus assured him. "For now, we need to find Minerva."

Megatron looked at the Prime again. "She's with Bumblebee and the bug."

Optimus frowned. "What bug is there besides Bumblebee?"

Megatron raised an eyebrow. "The human one."

"..."

Megatron rolled his optics. "Raf."

Optimus grinned smugly and then walked past him. "I knew you knew his name."

Megatron scowled, but followed. The two of them headed back into the woods.

"Is she okay?" Optimus asked. "I never saw her during the attack, but I assumed they'd taken her."

"They did. I broke her out."

Optimus looked at Megatron in surprise. "You broke her out?"

Megatron looked down in embarrassment, but kept his tone annoyed. "She was shot, according to the bug, and bled all over my seats, but he says she'll be fine. General Bryce is none the wiser to your involvement."