Become the Beast
by SMYGO4EVA
"Megatron, you shall repent for your crimes against Cybertron and against humanity." Optimus said as he unfolded his blades toward Megatron upon the top of a hill, right above the pit chosen for due punishment.
Megatron smiled as he turned to face his former comrade. "Still the mighty hero from tales of old, aren't you, Optimus?" he murmured, the smile still upon his features, a smile that made Optimus' optics twitch.
"You still choose to not surrender? Megatron, because of you, so many had to suffer. Many lives were sacrificed. I will make it my goal to make sure their deaths were not in vain. I do not want to send you to the Pit. But I will. If I must."
"Do not bother, Optimus. I have been there, I know what awaits me. And after all this time, I cannot say that I regret anything in the slightest."
Megatron raised his gaze to look up at Optimus, his optics studying the Prime's faceplates, even with the blade close to his neck. "Admit it, Prime. You know that you're not the pinnacle of heroism that you and your fellow Autobots claim to be. And it's a pity you're not even aware of it," he sneered out as his mouth curled into a grin as the Prime's optics narrowed.
"You know, I may be known by many things. But. Compared to you, I've lived a thousand of an Earthling's lifetimes. You relish the taste of battle as much as I do. You crave war and destruction. You and your team have done things that are morally repugnant. You have done actions that go against your Autobot nature. At least I admit it when I enact terrible things," Megatron whispered now, watching how Optimus followed every move of the muscle with his optics, waiting for the sentence to be finished.
"And you think that you can live without war, Optimus…." The tyrant said, his voice even lower now, as he watched the Prime swallow hard.
For a moment neither of them moved. Time seemed to stand still.
Then, in a sudden movement the Prime hadn't expected, Megatron dodged the blade near his neck cables, and forcefully pinned Optimus down by his shoulders, his own blade released and under the Prime's chin.
Optimus tumbled onto his back, pain searing through his chassis, his optics wide with shock that only lasted a moment until he tried in vain to push Megatron away from him. But it was no use, groaning and pushing with all his might.
"Megatron….I can live without war. I will do so, even if it means destroying you." The Prime breathed and was torn between disgust and rage.
The tyrant only laughed cruelly at the Prime's futile response. "Admit it, Optimus: you and I are so much alike. That truth terrifies you, the almighty Prime himself." Megatron said and again grinned at Optimus, as if he wasn't
"And you know what else? We are alike, and that truth only not terrifies you, but..." He leaned his head closely, his mouth almost near the Prime's audio receptors. "I bet that you feel….very…..much…alive with that truth."
Optimus' anger flared up due to those words, to such blasphemy. He yelled, forcefully pushing the tyrant off of him, and as Megatron got up on his pedes, Optimus stood up and swung his blade at him, only for Megatron to counterattack with his own sword, screaming all the while.
They clashed blades again and again and again, and the Prime's movements and swings became fiercer with each swing, venting raggedly with each swing, but it was nothing that the tyrant was afraid of. In fact, he was ecstatic as he fought the Prime, deflecting every swing of the blade. He saw the fire that was limitless in Optimus's optics, the fire that howled rage, the rage that Megatron held in his spark, and that was all that he needed to keep it flame.
"I knew it, Optimus!" Megatron screamed, almost in delight. "You are a monster, you hold such rage, such anger! Let that rage consume you! Just tell me, tell me, Optimus! Tell me! Tell me that you're just like me!"
Optimus responded to that with a roar of ferocity and determination, and he switched out his blade for his fist, making contact with Megatron's faceplate with one hard punch. The hit almost made Megatron topple over onto the ground, but the tyrant only shifted in his stance and wiped the Energon from his mouth.
There was a brief silence between them that was punctuated by their ragged venting. Megatron grinned wickedly at the panting and shaking Optimus. "Optimus, you don't have to hide your true nature. You just showed me your true colors. And like I have said, it terrifies and excites you. "
Optimus clenched his fists, shaking almost violently, breathless, but his optics furrowed. "Megatron, I….am nothing like you." He spoke, gritting his denta, his anger bubbling over.
The tyrant blinked and then shook his head. "Too late for that, old friend. You have already become the beast, the beast that you have suppressed after all this time. We both are – we were on Cybertron, and we always shall be."
With that said, Megatron quickly changed into his jet mode, and he took off into the skies, the skies that held darkness, thick and impenetrable. Optimus just stood, stunned, his fists still clenched, his chassis worn and exhausted.
What if Megatron was right? What if Prime was a demon, a monster that shouldn't be allowed the mercy of light and warmth? What if he couldn't live without war, after all was said and done?
He had lived for fighting, and when he had fought the tyrant just moments before, he had enjoyed it and he wished to do harm.
The Prime threw back his head, his servos almost clutching his faceplates, and a guttural cry of rage escaped his throat at the skies, his vocal processor loud for all to hear, yet no one heard but him and the gods above.
He had become the beast, and he was afraid to admit it.
Optimus ceased screaming, his vocal processor raw from such an outburst, his servos falling limp at his sides, and then he fell upon his knee joints. Blinking slowly, the Prime cast his optics to the grey sky, and felt warm but cold at the same time, unsatisfying in a way.
And though he tried to ignore it, he really did, Optimus couldn't help but think of the rage he had experienced a few moments ago, and he vented out a long and heavy sigh, defeated.
He couldn't deny it anymore – he had become the beast that Megatron said that he was, and there was no escaping that truth.