Megatron stood back with his helm tipped toward the stars. His spark surged and fought within him violently as he handed off Lauren to his second.
The action should not have been as toilsome as it was. He'd be back for what was rightfully his; his men, his cause, and her.
Nothing would dare step in his war path. No person, no mech, nothing. A silent vow was made in the moment he watched her feet leave the earth.
He'd come back to her a victor, nothing less and always something more.
His primal desire to prove himself seemed to grow tenfold as his optics shifted to rest upon her soft features.
The way her eyes bore into him, making his metals feel too small and much too tight to vent in was seared into his processor, something she was growing increasingly proficient at. His denta gnashed.
The ache to follow her departure was immediate, tugging violently from within him. His spark grew heavier by the klik. He growled inwardly at the sensation.
He'd turn desire into fuel to get him where he needed to go, just as he'd always done.
That was two days ago, now, and the persistent burn of want, need, flickered through him with every thunderous step he took. His features twisted into a permanent snarl.
His pedes kicked up moist dirt and earthly foliage as he trudged on, paving a way for himself.
It was dark, the sky slowly becoming speckled with millions of distant stars. They were long dead, snuffed out into existence, he knew that, but time was a fickle thing.
Soon, if he kept at the pace he was going, he'd eventually intercept Lockdown's ship at the coast line. He'd act as a deterrent, a distraction of sorts. The bounty hunter was quick, his downfall would be human intelligence, however. Unless, the Quintessan went rouge, that possibility was most likely.
Megatron came to a halt, a low rumbled clawed up his throat as he surveyed the area. The decepticon sat himself upon the muddy earth allowing himself to recline back upon a tree.
He was tired in every sense of the word; tired of war, tired of losing, and surely tired of the wretched planet he'd been trapped on. The mech tipped his helm back, his sights casted skyward as he vented. Oh, how he longed for Cybertron once more, home.
A klik of silence dragged on before Megatron relented to his offlining optics, the tenseness melting away from his rigid servos as he slipped under the veil of unconsciousness.
_______________
"How do I look? Is my dress zipped up all the way?" He- Lauren sputtered with a flurry of her nimble hands, her nails painted a deep blue, trimmed short and neat.
Ah, it was one of those moments again. Another snippet of her past. He'd rather liked these moments, they were... calm, serine compared to the darkness he usually was swallowed by in slumber.
"Yes, yes! You look fine!" Came another female voice.
Megatron could distinctly feel the way her heart hammered beneath her ribs, she sucked in a deep breath greedily to calm herself.
Lauren smoothed her hands down over the stiff fabric of her dress, perfecting any wrinkles. Her heels squeaked on the waxed wood flooring.
"Our next performance will be from Lauren Ridgwell," The older man flipped over aa card in hand, the spotlight on him reflected off his circular glasses. "Singing 'Separate Ways' by Journey. Give it up for Lauren!"
"Oh my gosh, go, go!" Another girl whisper yelled as she ushered Lauren to the edge of the closing curtain.
Megatron's words were lost on him, he hadn't a clue what was going on, but if her racing heart was anything to go off of, then it certainly was important.
Lauren held her head high as she strode out onto the vast stage. The spot light was blinding with a palpable warmth. A steady round of applause made her palms clammy with sweat as she encroached upon the piano.
The decepticon took that moment to do a once over of the instrument.
Seating herself with practiced grace, Lauren splayed her fingers out over the ivory keys. A steadying breath was inhaled and held for a moments time, before she exhaled. She lent into the microphone perched just before her lips.
Polished fingertips pressed purposefully into the 'E' keys first and foremostly, before gliding dutifully between the neighboring keys.
It was something to see a recording of such a talent, but it was another to be so close, so personal.
Lauren swallowed back her saliva, wetting her throat.
"Here we stand. Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two. Sleepless nights. Losing ground, I'm reaching for you, you, you,"
Her voiced carried with an echo through the packed auditorium as she pressed firmly into each key.
"Feeling that it's gone. Can't change your mind. If we can't go on. To survive the tide. Love divides!"
Her voice carried powerfully with each climaxing verse, the anxiety she'd felt previously long since vanished. Megatron was left to experience the dopamine rush from her vocals. The brunette slammed her fingers into the keys fiercely, sucking in a short breath.
"Someday love will find you. Break those chains that bind you. One night will remind you, How we touched and went our separate ways. If he ever hurts you True love won't desert you! You know I still love you. Though we touched and went our separate ways!"
Megatron felt taken aback by the starkness of her words, something about them strung deep within himself.
"Troubled times. Caught between confusion and pain, pain, pain,"
A smile tugged at her lips as she leant further upon the microphone, adrenaline replaced the blood in her veins as she flew across the keys.
The way she spoke, the freeness bleeding off her very soul was haunting. He could've swore that she was talking to him with such passion.
"Distant eyes. Promises we made were in vain, in vain, in vain. If you must go, I wish you luck. You'll never walk alone. Take care, my love. Miss you, love."
Lauren craned her head back to look upon the ceiling lights. In some strange way, they almost resembled stars.
"Love" The word struck him with a violence, the way her heart rapped internally was a thrilling sensation.
"Someday love will find you. Break those chains that bind you! One night will remind you. How we touched and went our separate ways! If he ever hurts you. True love won't desert you. You know I still love you. Though we touched and went our separate ways!"
Her vocals reached their crescendo as she slammed her fingers into the keys. The moment of instrumental allowed for her to pant, her lungs set ablaze.
"Oh, someday love will find you. Break those chains that bind you! One night will remind you. If he ever hurts you. True love won't desert you. You know I still love you!"
The words were sang with a cry, sweat beaded on her forehead and her scalp felt hot. She hastily sucked in the longest breath yet.
"I still love you, girl. I really love you, girl. And if he ever hurts you. True love won't desert you! No! No!"
Lauren squeezed her lungs, holding the final note till its end. Her fingers hovered the ivory keys as her shoulders jumped with her heaves. Her pace was not fast, nor erratic. It was kept in tempo and drawn out like a battle cry. He'd never heard anything like that before.
The crowd broke into an uproar, applause echoed throughout the entirety of the building. Sapphire eyes scanned the crowd, before landing upon two familiar faces. She smiled and gave a small wave. Tears nipped at her lower lashes and her skin felt hot.
"Another wonderous performance from Miss Ridgwell," The older announcer strode back out onto stage with a splitting grin tugging at his wrinkles, wrapping his gentle hand around her shoulders in a side hug. "Another round of applause for our pianist."
The crowd responded in tandem with the request.
Her smile tugged at her cheeks painfully, her hands flying up to cover the feature.
Lauren ducked out of his grasp to make her way off stage where she received further congratulations from others. She smiled and thanked each and everyone, before stepping down a short staircase and darting off into a small side room.
Her blue eyes found a mirror swiftly.
Megatron studied her features. She was younger, that was clear. Her skin supple and healthy, void of any and all wrinkles or lines. In truth, she didn't look much different, save for the way her hair was wrenched back atop her head oddly and the substances that decorated her lips and eye regions.
The brunette was swift to pull her long hair down from the top bun it had been yanked into, disposing of any bobby-pins that popped out. Hair now splayed out over her shoulders, she moved to scrubbing off the makeup her grandmother had so graciously applied to her face, As if she hadn't sweat off half of it under the warmth of the spotlight.
She pulled away from the sink basin, skin still wet, to peer at herself in the mirror.
_______________
Megatron awoke with a sudden start, weapons engaged instinctively as he shot to height. Crimson optics swept over everything, before the telltale hum of an engine struck him.
A growl ripped through his vocal processors, like a beat rearing its ugly head.
He took off in the direction of the noise. Had he miscalculated? Was Lockdown closer than he thought?
The decepticon warlord bulldozed his way through any and everything in his path, the noise grew closer with each step he took, until he ultimately ripped through the tree line with a roar. His sights found what he'd been looking for with a vengeance.
Lockdown anticipated the decepticon's presence from the moment he'd fly over the continent. Her turned with swift precision, his metal features contorted sternly. "Megatron." He'd hissed bitterly, his subordinates did not go without notice.
"Where is the human girl?" Lockdown seethed as he locked in his cannon.
Megatron glared sharply as he struck down a missile with one fail swipe. "Your fight is with me, make no mistake! You will not harm a cell in her body." His words were delivered with promise to do right by her and no mech; autobot, decepticon, or quintessan would dare stand in his way.
The bounty hunter snarled, lashing out violently and cutting down the warlord.
Megatron was quick to right himself, forcing the Quintessan back with a hefty blow, a roar ripped through his chassis. His spark ignited, setting him ablaze. His optics spotted the approaching enforcements with haste. He was outnumber, outmatched, and vulnerable, but he would not fall. He'd never.
He had a promise to keep.
"You Cybertronians are childish, possessive of useless toys." Lockdown stalked like a shirk circling it's prey. He Carried himself with confidence. "You and the girl will kneel before the one true race."
A growl erupted from within the decepticon, but was swift to be interrupted as he was struck from behind. With break neck speed, he snapped his helm around to face his attacker. It looked alien in nature, but was much too human by design.
The humans had replicated them. He'd not forgotten Soundwave's words, but it was the first time he'd laid optics on the blasphemous creations.
Primus, he hurt, but the paid only served to fuel him further as it fed into he unquenchable bloodlust.
Megatron pulled roared thunderously once more as he pounced upon the smaller, sparkless robot. At point blank range, he fired off his fusion cannon, claws embedded into carrion metal to secure the machine in place. It fell easy despite the automated combat response, it was just not fast enough.
With only a nano-klik to spare, the decepticon spun back around, limp bot in hand was used as a shield to fend off a blast from Lockdown. The human creation crumble into a sad pile of ash, eviscerated.
Megatron smite down a smaller henchman with a battle cry as he lunged for the bounty hunter.
His target hit and the two mechs crashed down together, exchanging blows. The extra plating Lauren had secured to him was being ripped away by the klik, exposing him.
"You have no claim to this planet! This universe is mine!" Suddenly, the tyrant was wrenched away by another bot. He was quick to his feet, claws ready and ripping through poorly welded metals. Another one down, but how many were there?
"You sound like an autobot, decepticon." Lockdown was quicker to his feet and fast approaching, body angled low and ready to pounce.
Megatron snarled animalistically, he charged. His advancement was swift to stop as something sieged him. It was much too big, rivaling him in size alone. The warlord was forced to his knees despite his fight.
"When will you learn your place? You are not and have never been the top of the food-chain."
Everything was closing in on him and in some twisted way, it reminded him of his gladiator days.
"Break those chains that bind you." Her words rang out within him in that moment suddenly.
A hand curled itself around his helm curves and jerked his sights downward, forcing him into submission. He was pinned and growled dangerously, feeling something hard press into the midst of his back. He knew what this was.
It was an execution.
"Nothing left to say, Megatronous?" Lockdown taunted viciously. "Kill him. Bring me his helm."
The weapon pressed into his metal engaged. He snarled with narrowed optics, his denta bared as he bid his time, awaiting the perfect moment to strike.
He'd seen it all. Everything. No battle tactic was without his optics.
Forcing his foot beneath himself, he shot up to height, cannon readied, but not before something sweltering barreled through his right side. A pained roar lurched from his throat as he spun around to offline the bot in question. Crimson optics took only a nano-klik as he scanned the rivaling bot, storing away the schematic for future use.
He stumbled, taking a knee as his clawed hand flew up to cradle the gaping wound. He pitted, rolling out of Lockdown's aim and just narrowly missing his fire.
The emerald optic mech hissed.
Megatron clenched his jaw, biting back the pain as he threw himself in way of the hunter, weapon engaged and already firing.
His knew his mark hit when he saw the Quintessan fumble, a string of his native tongue was lost on him as he tore the helm off a much smaller bot in his way, leaving a mess of metals and petrolex in his wake.
The decepticon tore his way through the human made machinery, optics set on Lockdown.
The bounty hunter spotted his assailant swiftly. His metal features screwed up in pain. Retrieving his side blade, he sprang up to lodge the weapon into the crimson optic mech's side chassis.
Megatron did little, but growl at the minor infliction. A blade was sparkling's play at best, and useless at worst.
Lockdown was a formidable foe, but Megatron still possessed the gift of pure size and strength.
With earth-crushing strength, he took ahold of the blade and wrenched it away from himself, using that moment to seize the Quintessan.
Lockdown dodged the swipe narrowly all while he pulled the smallest of his hand blasters. He fired once, twice, three times before turning and transforming. He fled with his wound still leaking. His men were immediate to follow, not daring to give the decepticon a moment to kill anymore of them.
Megatron wanted to pursue, victory was in his clutches only to be torn away once more by cowardry.
Dropping to his knee servos, he roared angrily into the universe for all to hear. A vent escaped him as well as a pained growl. He stooped, his claws embedding into the wet sand as his other gripped at his new wound.
Pain possessed every fiber of his being as he pulled up his stored schematics. The bot in question was just about his size, if not a little bigger. Initiating the transformation, his t-cog was forced into overdrive as what remained of his original frame shifted, contorted, and twisted into the image in mind, shedding the former scrap stuck to him. Despite his best wishes, his wounds remained.
His kind were able to complete any number of feats, including the generation of new and improved metals, though instant healing was not something in his arsenal. Though, the new framing would offer him a minute time extension, if only it were a little.
He snarled, his denta bared. That final blow felt personal as be observed the surface wound residing just above his spark chamber, the new metal surrounding was smooth to the touch. Another growl clawed up his throat, petrolex dripped steadily from the gaping hole in his right side, the edges singed grossly.
So that was it? Back to square one; running on fumes, wounded, alone.
He needed to move and now.
With haste and a firm clasp on his side, he trudged through the land before retaking his battered truck design, thankful to have kept the schematic stored away.
Megatron's mind was momentarily dragged back to her. His femme. His spark surged painfully, overwhelmed with want and need. It'd been several earth days, a footnote of time in his existence.
He was speeding, his engine hammered as he pushed himself to the limit. Car horns blared as he zipped in and out of oncoming traffic. He'd push as hard as he could or until his body gave out on him.
His spark surged once more defiantly, biting at him and igniting a newfound urgency. He needed to get back to his men, get back to her.
Yes, her. Just like he'd promised, swore, vowed.
With each inch traveled, his spark soothed just that much more with the knowledge that he'd be seeing her soon.
Soon, Lauren.
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