Chapter Text
Though the devastating blow to his leg sent him toppling to the ground with a reverberating thud, Megatron still found the wherewithal to block the blade his enemy plunged at his spark the moment he was down, pinning it between his servos to spare his spark. On his back and effectively immobilized, he put every ounce of remaining strength into defense.
The hulking Decepticon refused to relent, baring his dentae and using all of his considerable might to try and force his weapon downward. Weakened from his injuries and the preceding fight, Megatron felt himself losing precious inches, his arms trembling as the blade drew ever closer. Fresh pain burned along his chassis when the serrated edge scraped his armor and brought a rush of energon to the surface. Invigorated by the sight, his enemy cackled and pushed on, intent on running his former commander through. A cruel stomp on his crippled leg made Megatron roar in pain and fury.
Already wounded and suffering from a noticeable loss of energon, the former Decepticon had just enough clarity to know he wouldn't be winning this fight. It took seconds for his enemy to overpower him again, and when the blade scored a second gash in his front he knew his time was limited. A million regrets and fears tore through his mind as his trembling arms lost their grip, the pool of energon below him growing by the second as his wounds continued to bleed. The bright light of the setting sun cutting through the trees allowed him to see the glee shining in his enemy's optics all the while.
As the tip of the sword dug into his chassis, he took a final solace in the fact that his enemy would only be taking one life. He wished his final words to you had been more than a command to run, but it was more than worth it to keep you safe. By now he'd bought you enough time to escape and call for help, and that gave him a great deal of peace. With all the things he'd lived for, good and bad, dying for you would leave him with no regrets. His final thought as the sword inched deeper was that he only hoped you'd live well…
Instead of the bright light that supposedly welcomed his kind to the Allspark, his vision was suddenly filled with the glaring light of a fiery explosion, one that erupted over his enemy in a cloud of smoke and a wave of concussive force. Instinctively taking advantage of the distraction and rolling free, his audials were still ringing by the time he lifted his helm to find the hulking bot cradling a shattered arm. The sword that had nearly ended him lay discarded on the energon stained earth. Megatron was left pleasantly disoriented, completely unsure as to how he could have possibly had such a turn of fortune. His optics turned to seek the source of the explosion.
The rocket launcher resting on your shoulder was still smoking, the light summer breeze carrying the scent of gunpowder and touseling your hair to perfectly frame the fury in your icy expression.
Having never expected to see you again, Megatron was left frozen where he lay, the pieces falling into place one at a time. With the time he'd bought for you in the fight, you must have located the GHOST vehicle he'd intended you to flee with, along with the cache of weapons within. You could have jumped behind the wheel and fled, but instead-
The Decepticon you'd wounded snarled and used his remaining arm to retrieve his sword, the other dangling and bleeding at his side. Turning your way, he advanced with a clear thirst for immediate and brutal vengeance. "You little fragging insect, I'm gonna-!"
Before Megatron could even attempt to rise in your defense, you had your weapon raised again, your voice level but dripping with venom. "One more word and you lose the other arm." you warned, making it apparent you were looking for a reason to follow through on the threat.
The Decepticon snarled again, sounding more wounded by the blow to his pride than his shattered limb.
" Run ." you commanded, looking down the scope and lining up your shot.
Like any good Decepticon, the hulking mech knew he was beaten, and was running off into the dense brush before you could pull the trigger. Megatron watched him disappear, blinking once to clear the lingering smoke from his optics on the chance he wasn't seeing things properly. It seemed impossible; you forgoing your own safety, running to his rescue, taking down a bot dozens of times your own size… Had he possibly taken more than a few hits to the helm?
"Are you okay?" you called out to him, running to him as fast as you could with a heavy pack and an even heavier weapon in your arms. He watched in lingering disbelief as you approached, halfway convinced he had indeed suffered some form of processor damage. Words were a little beyond his grasp at the moment, something you obviously understood after catching sight of his mangled leg up close. Carefully setting down your weapon and bag, you put a tender hand on his chassis, wincing at his fresh wounds before changing tactics and speaking plainly. "I know you're not, but are you… can you move? We need to get somewhere safe if I'm going to patch you up."
Though he heard you, what truly registered was the fact that you were indeed real and here with him, your tiny touch confirming it. He couldn't keep the emotions from his voice as he spoke. "You didn't have to come back…"
"Of course I did!" you replied quickly and without hesitation, securing your grip as if to keep him from slipping away. Despite all the pain, he smiled weakly at your courage, uncertain as to what he might have done to earn such dedication. You got back on track quickly, eyes lingering on the gash that had been torn into his leg before opening your pack and pulling out supplies in search of something useful. "Here, if you can't walk, I'll do what I can to stop the bleeding and fortify our position. Hopefully GHOST can get a team out here before that guy regroups, I've only got three more shots-"
"Please…" he interrupted softly, reaching forth to tenderly cup the underside of your chin with a single digit. Turning your gaze to him, he couldn't keep his voice from cracking as he took in your perfect face. Primus, what had he done to deserve such perfection?
"Allow me to savor a moment of this. I never thought I'd have another…"
Your lip trembled and he felt your throat catch, but your voice was strong as you gripped his digit and met his loving gaze.
"No one is taking you away from me."