Megatron stayed braced against the table, vents doing their work. How pathetic, to let himself fall into such a state in Smokescreen’s presence, to reveal such weakness! He could hold out a bit longer… Smokescreen will find that the only obvious issue seems to be his core burning hotter than his vents can handle. No unnecessary moving seems to be helping, though he refuses to lie down.
“I won’t collapse…” Probably. “…I mean that I fought Optimus for so long-! My only goal.. became ending him. I made… decisions based on that. Dreamed of final victory… But it didn’t matter anymore.” His arm unlocked, and Megatron sat more comfortably in his seat once he was confident he could hold himself upright easily.
“He had fled, I had won… I had Cybertron, he had a planet of his own and presented no threat. I didn’t need… or want to find him anymore. It was over.” Megatron’s fans clicked down a few cycles, beginning to even out. It still burned, but the high-grade was doing a good job of dulling everything.
“… But he was a worthy opponent. With determination and stubbornness to match my own. He was never a warrior at spark… but he deserved a death befitting one.”
His core’s just overheating? That’s. That’s pretty dramatic- “How’d this happen to you, anyway? You gotta take better care of yourself, Megs.” Maybe if he turns on his own fans, that’ll cool down Megatron slightly.
Smokescreen’s staying quiet, listening to Megatron, actually nodding some. Even if Megatron hadn’t really been thinking about him- something like that happening so suddenly’s a shock to him, too.
“I agree with you there- someone like him, going down with an Earthquake? It’s not right. Even if I never really got to know him- He should’ve been strong enough! After how much fighting, going toe to toe with you, a natural disaster gets him?”
“When did you realize he left? Was he that different than my Optimu- the Optimus that took his place?”
It wouldn’t seem as dramatic if Smokescreen could see the extent of his injury, but Megatron was not about to open his chest. “Have you really forgotten Bumblebee’s fatal strike?” he wondered aloud, thumb pointed at the center of his chest. Smokescreen’s fans turning on surprises him, but he doesn’t admonish the young mech this time. It does seem to be helping.
“An earthquake!” he spat, squeezing his optics shut. It hurt in a different way. “Millions of years of battle and look at the result…” High-grade was good at loosening lip plates. “A broken, defenseless planet with no spark, and not even the satisfaction of…”
Megatron trailed off, staring at the drained cube before him. “He could never have finished me… not with one hand still extended. He could have, but wasted every opportunity by hesitating.. lacked conviction..” It takes a moment for him to hear Smokescreen’s question, and it brings his attention back to the table.
“I didn’t know until the attack. I commed Optimus, calling him to do battle with me in what was meant to be our last stand… but instead he begged me to stop! Telling me that the one I was facing was not him… and suddenly it made sense. His upgraded appearance was someone else entirely!”
Megatron's back up 