"Give it up, Megatron!" Optimus demanded as he followed Megatron through the fire and smoke of the burning factory. His systems felt heavy and leaden, drained by the child almost ready to emerge, but he couldn't let the Decepticons get away with the Perpetual Energy Generator.
Megatron laughed. "You always say that, Optimus. Do you really think I will?"
There were so many answers to that, all jumbled together in Optimus's head. Before he could sort one out, though, sudden agony lanced through his abdomen. He stumbled, shocked to have been shot without hearing the whine of the laser-
-then realized it was internal. The child was cutting its way out from his factory.
No, he pleaded silently. Please, wait. Just a little longer. Not here, not now. Not with Megatron so close.
The child didn't relent. Optimus dimmed his optics and cut access to his damage feeds. It was a risk, a stupid risk, but he had to stop Megatron. He just prayed the Decepticon leader hadn't noticed him falter.
He wasn't any luckier there.
"Slowing down, Optimus?" Megatron taunted, suddenly appearing out of the smoke. His fusion-cannon fired at point-black range, and Optimus twisted to take it in the shoulder.
The only reason he didn't lose the arm was because Megatron had lowered the power-setting to avoid setting off even more of the volatile materials already burning.
"I'm surprised at you," his enemy said, holding the Generator in his left hand. "You'd think you didn't want this."
Optimus growled and lunged-
-then half-staggered and fell to one knee as too many important wires were cut and one of his legs lost all power. Slag. Ratchet had warned him it would be a difficult delivery, with the way his systems were laid out.
Megatron regarded him with an irritated puzzlement. "What is- Oh. Oh."
His smile froze the fuel in Optimus's lines. "Keep away from me, Megatron!"
"How much will the child cripple you?" Megatron mused as he crouched down on his haunches to wait.
"It won't," Optimus growled. The child was fighting against his armor now. In another situation, he'd be cutting himself open to help it, but he could not, must not do that here. Not with Megatron waiting.
He would have only one chance-
He summoned his gun from subspace and brought it up-
Megatron's cannon-blast took his hand off. Then his enemy cocked his head, optics shifting to a middle-distance as someone commed him.
His optics focused on Optimus again. "Starscream has gotten tired of playing with your jetlings. It's time for me to take our prizes back to base." He drew a long-bladed vibroknife. "Don't worry, Optimus. I like younglings."
[TF G1] Optimus Prime. Knocked up. Has to fight anyway. Kicks all the ass (1/2)
"Give it up, Megatron!" Optimus demanded as he followed Megatron through the fire and smoke of the burning factory. His systems felt heavy and leaden, drained by the child almost ready to emerge, but he couldn't let the Decepticons get away with the Perpetual Energy Generator.
Megatron laughed. "You always say that, Optimus. Do you really think I will?"
There were so many answers to that, all jumbled together in Optimus's head. Before he could sort one out, though, sudden agony lanced through his abdomen. He stumbled, shocked to have been shot without hearing the whine of the laser-
-then realized it was internal. The child was cutting its way out from his factory.
No, he pleaded silently. Please, wait. Just a little longer. Not here, not now. Not with Megatron so close.
The child didn't relent. Optimus dimmed his optics and cut access to his damage feeds. It was a risk, a stupid risk, but he had to stop Megatron. He just prayed the Decepticon leader hadn't noticed him falter.
He wasn't any luckier there.
"Slowing down, Optimus?" Megatron taunted, suddenly appearing out of the smoke. His fusion-cannon fired at point-black range, and Optimus twisted to take it in the shoulder.
The only reason he didn't lose the arm was because Megatron had lowered the power-setting to avoid setting off even more of the volatile materials already burning.
"I'm surprised at you," his enemy said, holding the Generator in his left hand. "You'd think you didn't want this."
Optimus growled and lunged-
-then half-staggered and fell to one knee as too many important wires were cut and one of his legs lost all power. Slag. Ratchet had warned him it would be a difficult delivery, with the way his systems were laid out.
Megatron regarded him with an irritated puzzlement. "What is- Oh. Oh."
His smile froze the fuel in Optimus's lines. "Keep away from me, Megatron!"
"How much will the child cripple you?" Megatron mused as he crouched down on his haunches to wait.
"It won't," Optimus growled. The child was fighting against his armor now. In another situation, he'd be cutting himself open to help it, but he could not, must not do that here. Not with Megatron waiting.
He would have only one chance-
He summoned his gun from subspace and brought it up-
Megatron's cannon-blast took his hand off. Then his enemy cocked his head, optics shifting to a middle-distance as someone commed him.
His optics focused on Optimus again. "Starscream has gotten tired of playing with your jetlings. It's time for me to take our prizes back to base." He drew a long-bladed vibroknife. "Don't worry, Optimus. I like younglings."