Sanity Virus
Chapter 3: Completion
Optimus left Sideswipe to his thoughts and walked towards his sparkmate. At first, he thought that Megatron was just having a heated discussion with the Seeker before him but as he got closer, it became more and more apparent Megatron was pissed and Optimus had the feeling the Seeker happened to be the outlet. The fist collided with the wall next to the Seeker's head, just inside of the wing. The Seeker flinched. Optimus broke out into a run, closing the distance in three strides. He quickly wrapped a hand around the drawn back wrist, whispering harshly, "Megatron. Enough."
Megatron yanked his wrist from Optimus's hold and stormed down the hall. Optimus hurried after, not about to let his sparkmate do something stupid. They passed the sentries as Megatron worked his way deeper into the building. By the time Megatron had lost whatever rage had overtaken him, they had been speed walking for a good quarter of an hour, if not longer. They had come to a T and Megatron walked up to the wall. He placed both his hands at shoulder level before leaning into the structure, head hanging between his arms. Optimus came up beside him, placing a hand on Megatron's back. He kissed Megatron's neck, asking quietly, "What happened?"
Megatron shook his head, leaning all his weight onto his right hand so that he could rub at his head with his left. "I don't know. I was suddenly engulfed in rage, I didn't really have any control over my actions."
Megatron's frame was shaking beneath Optimus's touch. Optimus wasn't sure if it was because of all the stress or if Megatron was still fighting the rage. Optimus frowned, noticing Megatron's hand had yet to fall from the mech's temple. "It has gotten worse."
Megatron growled, stepping away from Optimus. Optimus met the glare with nothing more than concern. Megatron took a step to the side in an unconscious move that settled him in a battle stance. "Of course it's gotten worse. I haven't had time to take care of it and this situation isn't helping."
Optimus deliberately slowed his venting, fighting against the wave of fear. He took a calculated step forward, raising his hand slowly as he spoke, "I was merely pointing it out, Megatron. I am aware of how hard things have become. That does not mean you can deny yourself medical aid. Let us go back. Ratchet will take the few seconds to take care of you."
Megatron growled, turned, and punched his fist through the wall. Optimus leapt back. His sword engaged out of shear reflex as he fell into a battle stance. Silence fell with Megatron standing there with his hand in the wall and Optimus waiting with baited breath. Slowly, Megatron pulled his fist from the wall. Optimus forced himself out of the stance and retracted the sword. Megatron rubbed at his head again. Optimus stepped forward. He placed a hand on Megatron's arm just to have the larger mech flinch away.
Optimus's hand hung in the air where Megatron's arm had been. Red optics fell onto the outstretched hand before falling to its owner. Megatron entangled their fingers as he rushed, "I'm sorry, Beloved. I'm just on edge."
"You have no need to apologize, Megatron." Optimus stole a kiss before offering, "Let us return to the others and get you some medical treatment."
Megatron nodded and he followed Optimus's lead down the hall. It was quite, dark, and yet neither worked on fixing either fact. They progressed through the halls slower than they had traversed them. There was no hurry. The mechs and femmes at the medic bay were able to hold their own without them. After all, the ultimate goal was to keep the medic bay safe.
Megatron rubbed at his head for the second time in their walk and Optimus watched him, seeing the pain flash across the larger mech's expression. He gave Megatron's hand a gentle squeeze in hopes to convey some comfort. The squeeze was returned but Optimus wasn't sure if there was any emotion behind it.
A sound from behind them stilled their feet. Megatron still had a hand to his head but the pain had long since cleared from the bright optics. Fear coursed through Optimus with every pulse of his spark as he engaged his cannon. They turned as one to look back to where they had come from. Another sound, this one sounding like a screech, echoed off the walls. Optimus listened to Megatron's own cannon engage and charge. There was no comfort in the sound. Instead, it just seemed to intensify the fear. Shoving the useless emotion back as far as it would go, Optimus moved to the wall, pressing himself up against it as he knelt and took aim. Megatron moved in behind him but stayed standing.
The seconds turned into minutes and they waited. Optimus relished the touch of Megatron's hand gripping his shoulder even while it just seemed to add to the fear. Optimus's cannon never wavered and shot straight when the infected they had heard came around the corner.
Optimus wanted to scream as he continued shooting. He knew that bright yellow paintjob. He knew that frame. He knew those bright blue optics were no longer the right blue. Megatron's grip on his shoulder quickly grew painful as Bumblebee came racing towards them, a screech emanating from the distorted form. Fresh energon splattered the walls and floor with every motion and Optimus could see that some of the energon on Bumblebee's frame wasn't even infected. Three strides away and Optimus engaged his sword. Two strides away and he felt Megatron move to the side with his own sword engaged. One stride away and Optimus was standing. Bumblebee collided with Optimus, throwing them both down the hall to impact the floor painfully. Optimus used the momentum to kick Bumblebee off but his foot slipped on the energon covered armor. Bumblebee was so much smaller than him, that he was having a hard time keeping a hold of the yellow scout. Bumblebee scratched at the plating over Optimus's spark. Optimus fought to keep his hold on the scout just so that Bumblebee couldn't get the chance to infect him. A swipe at his face and Optimus could feel four sharp fingers leaving gashes that went through his battle mask and scrapped his cheek. Optimus threw his head back to avoid the next swipe.
Suddenly Bumblebee was off of him and Optimus watched as Megatron threw him against the wall before decapitating him. Optimus rolled onto his side, sitting up. Sad optics took in Bumblebee's limp form as Megatron retracted his blade. Optimus stood as Megatron approached.
"Did he get you?" Megatron asked as Optimus's battle mask slid back. Megatron hissed.
Optimus reached up and touched the four scratches, tracing the longest as it went from his cheek to across his lips. "They are not life threatening, Megatron. The surface is barely scraped."
Megatron ran his own fingers over the marks. "None the less, you're getting checked. You ran into Bumblebee when you entered the building."
Optimus nodded, offering what he had. "He appeared normal to me. As bright as he had always been."
Megatron nodded as he dropped his hand. "Let's hurry back."
They had barely gone two paces when another rounded the corner ahead of them. Megatron attacked first, Optimus right behind him. It was a femme Optimus didn't recognize and she was faster than either of them had been ready for. Optimus was slammed into the wall as he blocked the attack. She landed a knee into his side and he crumbled into the blow, receiving a fist to his temple. Optimus's head snapped back, connecting with the wall. Megatron was there again and her head went flying down the hall. Megatron yanked Optimus from the wall, barking, "Why are you always the target?"
Optimus rubbed his head. "I doubt I could answer that."
Megatron placed a hand over Optimus's, kissing Optimus's temple. "That's the second time you've been the target and I have no idea why. I don't want anything happening to you."
Optimus met Megatron's gaze, offering, "Just as I want nothing happening to you. We must return to the others."
Megatron nodded, ready to reply, when a screech came from either end of the hall. A string of curses came from Megatron as he spun Optimus and pressed back to back. With cannons on one hand and swords on the other, the pair readied.
The infected charging at Optimus was the young mech in Bumblebee's squad, the one of black and red with too much experience to be on Bumblebee's team. Sure enough, the infected mech moved with an experience and unpredictability usually familiar with one of the older infected he had the ill fortune of fighting. He shoved the infected back, taking two shots. The first was dodged, the second was a direct hit to the shoulder. The arm dangled useless from the shoulder but the infected wasn't hindered. The second attack was a low kick and Optimus blocked, countering with a blast to the chest and a swipe at the head. The shot missed the spark chamber by millimeters and the infected dodged the swipe, the blade barely skimming the top of its helm. The infected bounded back a few steps before charging Optimus again. This time a blade was drawn and shoved at Optimus. Optimus felt the blade bury itself into his left side but, this time, he didn't miss his target and the head bounced against the floor.
As the infected frame crashed into the floor, Optimus yanked the blade from his side and moved to aid Megatron. Megatron was farther down the hall, shoving the infected back but never getting a clean slice at the mech's throat. Optimus ran as hard as he could but he felt as if he was moving through mud. He just couldn't get there fast enough, just couldn't get to his sparkmate. As Megatron passed the threshold into where two hallways crossed, a third infected launched itself into Megatron's side. Megatron went down hard but he was able to kill the infected. The first infected was on Megatron before he could recover and Optimus screamed Megatron's name as the infected's blade buried itself into Megatron's abdomen.
Optimus found himself coming to a halt, knees bend and blade scrapping gently against the floor. A battle cry rang through the hall and Optimus watched in horror as his sparkmate retaliated, ripping the infected mech to shreds long after the frame had gone limp. Fear shoved him forward, forced him to race towards the source of his fear. He grabbed Megatron's arm, yanking him away as his other hand went to Megatron's wound. "Megatron! Enough! It is dead!"
Frantic optics locked with Optimus's and Megatron slowly stopped struggling. His vents were on high and his weapons remained active. His entire frame was shaking and pain rippled across Megatron's faceplace. "Optimus."
"I am right here," Optimus assured.
Megatron's frame convulsed and his hands went to his head. A pained scream escaped Megatron as the mech doubled over. Optimus moved to go down with him but Megatron's hand was over Optimus's spark, stopping him. Megatron's bright red optics locked with Optimus's bright blue ones and Optimus could clearly see the fear. "Run."
Optimus placed a hand over Megatron's, shaking his head slowly, but Megatron shoved again, urging, "Beloved, run!"
Optimus felt the shove in his spark across the bond and Optimus stumbled back. Optimus watched in terror as his sparkmate started convulsing, screaming. Optimus could do nothing more than plaster himself to the wall behind him as hot tears streamed down his faceplate. The pain, the anguish, and the fear Megatron was experiencing was flooding the bond, blending with Optimus's own terror. As abruptly as it had started, it stopped, though the period of time it had traversed was so long that Optimus wasn't sure how long they had been missing. Slowly, he extended his sword, watching his sparkmate, frozen in mid convulsion.
Optimus jumped when Megatron's head snapped up. Try as he might, Optimus couldn't bring himself to look away. Megatron's face was twisted into one of pain, fear, and sorrow, places cracking from the severity of the expression. The only thing that just didn't fit with the face, though, was the grin spread across Megatron's face. Sharp teeth glistened in a grin that wasn't happy, or natural. Optimus met the red gaze once more before he ran. A screech alerted him that Megatron was following and Optimus felt fear shoving him harder down the hallway. Optimus skidded as he took the sharp turn, ducking as Megatron flew over his head. He felt Megatron's fingers scrape his back between his shoulders.
Optimus ran for as long as he could, longer than he thought possible. Fear had gripped his spark and refused to let go and he could not, for the life of him, understand where it had come from nor understand why it was affecting him so. He knew fear, knew how to overcome it and fight. His footfall faltered. He didn't want to fight his sparkmate, didn't want to face the fact that he was losing him. And he knew, without a doubt, this was the reason behind his inability to fight this fear.
Optimus cursed under his breath, skidding to a stop where a large chunk of the building had been taken out. By what, Optimus didn't want to know. He turned, ready to back track, but found that he was cornered. Megatron was just on this side of the next hall juncture, his blade out and scrapping the floor as he stepped slowly towards Optimus. Optimus readied his own blade and Megatron attacked.
Optimus met the attack, not wanting to be anywhere near the abrupt end of the hallway. Their blades met with a ringing force and Optimus found himself thrown back. He staggered, mere feet away from the ledge that he had been trying to avoid. He winced, his arm hurting. Megatron was either much stronger or he had forgotten just how strong Megatron had been.
His fear spiked as he blocked another attack. He was shoved to the edge of the gaping hole. Megatron's attack wasn't just a single blow and one slipped past Optimus's defense, catching his left thigh and leaving behind a rather deep gash that damaged the mobility of the limb. Optimus cringed.
Megatron took the opening and kicked Optimus. Optimus tried to grab Megatron as he lost his balance but missed. As he fell, Optimus watched as Megatron stepped to the edge to watch. Something hard and sharp slammed into his right shoulder and spun him in his tumble.
His back slammed into the floor two stories beneath the ledge. The floor was uneven, damaged, and it made the impact all that more painful. Systems were offlining and warnings were blaring. His right shoulder was on fire and his right arm was completely disengaged. He reached over, feeling a limb attached but something was protruding from his shoulder. He gripped what he realized to be a metal rod and yanked it out. Vents hissed but he was able to still the scream before it could erupt from his chest.
His entire system nearly went into stasis lock. He forced himself to stay online, to stay active and, thankfully, pressure over his spark chamber gained his attention. He onlined optics he hadn't realized had flickered off only to look up at Megatron standing over him, a heavy foot on his chest and a cannon charged and ready to fire at his head. Optimus moved his dim blue optics from the cannon in his face to the red optics above him. The cannon fired and Optimus flinched from the sound. He onlined his optics and looked over to see the floor eaten away an inch from his head. He focused back up on Megatron's gaze.
He breathed, "Megatron."
Tears were streaming down Megatron's face, the broken grin still there. The twisted expression had yet to change, to shift to something else. The pressure on his chest grew as Megatron added more weight behind the foot. Optimus grunted, vents hissing.
Time ticked by and all Optimus could do was hold Megatron's gaze. Slowly, the weight shifted and the cannon moved. At first, relief flooded him at the thought that Megatron was regaining control, that Megatron was fighting. But as the cannon rose higher, so did Optimus's fear to where it was aiming.
"Megatron. Megatron, please." The barrel of the cannon settled against Megatron's temple, charging. "No. Megatron. No!"
His spark seemed to scream. The blast resounded through the hallways and it felt like a giant hole was ripped into Optimus's chest. Megatron's dead weight fell onto his legs and the fear was there, driving him to dig his fingers into the floor in a desperate act to get away. A ringing had settled into his mind, clouding it. Scratches lined the floor where his hands hadn't gained real purchase. He caught something solid and pulled. He didn't care what it was. All that mattered was that it held. He pulled himself out from under the mass that had been his sparkmate.
His left foot finally came free. He ran down the hall, stumbling over things his mind wasn't registering. His foot caught on something and, in a brief flick of logic where the ringing in his head died down, he wondered why he hadn't been kissing the floor, why suddenly he had use of his right arm. The fear and the ringing was eating at everything, pushing him forward, keeping logic at bay. If he could just get away, maybe – just maybe – the nightmare would end.
He heard his shoulder collide with the wall, but it was a flicker of registration that vanished the instant it was realized. It wasn't till he felt his foot catch again that he realized he was climbing stairs. As soon as that registered, his footfall was sure and he stopped tripping in his haste. Again, the fleeting moment of clarity vanished as quickly as it had come.
He slammed into a door and the door shattered. He tucked and rolled, coming up only to find himself facing a group of infected. The image before him flicker, as if the over image of the infected wasn't holding to a mirror image of still healthy Cybertronians. He spun around, ready to run in the opposite direction only to find another group of infected blocking his way. He looked to his left and found the hall empty.
He ran.
His shoulder caught something. He wasn't sure what and doubted it really mattered. All that mattered was the sudden, brief moment of clarity as he felt his balance disappear, only to have his body twist to accommodate and keep him running. He should have fallen, should have landed hard. The logic slipped from his grasp as the fear came back in, swallowing the thoughts and leaving his mind with one thought.
Keep running.
He rounded another corner only to find himself slamming into an infected. His body reacted, twisting with a blade out. The infected fell and the ringing in his head grew. A second was on him but his body moved as his mind reeled in pain as the ringing grew progressively louder. Optimus stumbled back a few steps, blade scrapping the floor. Something in his mind was screaming at him, screaming for him to see, but the ringing – no, screaming his mind was engulfed in wasn't allowing him to focus.
The screaming, whether from himself or some outside force, blinded him to his actions, blinded him from the sight before him. If he were to say he knew what he was doing, he would have been lying. A moment, he knew what he was doing, and the next, the memory of it was lost.
A sharp pain cleared most of the fog, bringing into startling focus the fight before him for a brief, spark stopping moment.
He knew now the screams were his.
He knew the infected he was fighting, weren't infected
He had fought alongside those he was now fighting as they protecting the medic bay. Already, a few he had come to know well lay beneath his feet. He watched as his blade sliced through a young feme, severing a limb before taking out a battle aged mech with a stab through the spark. As he turned, blocking another attack, he tried desperately to still his hand, to still his motion. It made no difference. His body parried the attack and took the mech down with a single stroke.
The fog of his own screaming, his own pain filtered over his mind again and he lost the clarity that had been there. He didn't care. He just screamed in pain and in the anguish that had been storming his system since his sparkmate took his own life.
