I've Done It Again

Megatron started walking. There were lights built into the ceiling, but they were broken and likely hadn't been used since the exodus. It made it hard to see, but the tunnel wasn't complicated and his optics provided enough light to keep away from the walls. Eventually, Megatron caught up to Optimus.

"What is the deal with you, Primus, and the matrix?" Megatron demanded.

Optimus glared at the ground, his optics dimmer than they should have been, and didn't answer. Optimus was fairly certain Primus rejected him and kicked him out of the Allspark to teach him a lesson. This wasn't a gift. Last he checked, they had no intention of sanctioning any godly acts unless Cybertron was on the brink of complete disaster. And the little political problems could not be defined as potential planetary threats.

The more likely situation was that Primus didn't want to deal with Optimus complaining about their way of doing things, so he sent him here to make him learn something that wasn't true. Or maybe just to get away from him.

As for why Megatron was here? Optimus didn't even know the ex-warlord died, so he certainly had no idea why he was alive again.

"You wouldn't care," Optimus finally answered. "How'd you die?"

"I was so excited about your death that my spark overworked itself and went out."

Optimus should have expected that.

"Oh! Oh!" Megatron grinned. "No, I have a better one. Your replacement, Bumblebee, is so incompetent that I died of embarrassment."

"I heard your Decepticons are renouncing you and your tyrannical ideas," Optimus said. "Perhaps you should be more embarrassed for yourself."

Megatron glared. "How could you have heard anything? You were dead."

Optimus shrugged. "My point still stands. If you had been nicer, they might have given you a place in the political arena."

"I am merciful!" Megatron exclaimed. "Do you know how many times Starscream betrayed me and I still let him back on my ship? That's kindness!"

"And how many times did you beat him?"

Megatron considered trying to stab Optimus again. "I taught him valuable lessons," Megatron defended himself with a raised chin. "That is why he is such an excellent Decepticon."

Optimus nodded distantly and continued walking, leaving Megatron with the impression he didn't really believe him. Which made him angry.

Megatron stomped forward and grabbed his shoulder, yanking him around so the both of them were face to face. "What is your problem?"

"I'm not—" Optimus stopped talking as a tile beneath his pede shifted downward. He stepped off of it and the tunnel creaked loudly. The two of them slowly looked around as the creaking continued, becoming louder.

"What is that?" Optimus asked.

Megatron narrowed his optics, but before he had the chance to reply, the edges of the tunnel exploded inward and the ground beneath them collapsed. Megatron jumped, trying to grab one of the cables hanging from the roof, but his servo wrapped around it and it slid right out of place, sending him straight down.

It felt like they were falling forever, right down a secondary tunnel that must have been perpendicular to their own. Megatron released his sword and tried catching himself on the wall, stabbing into it and grabbing Optimus's wrist.

They slid down, decelerating, and then Megatron's sword got caught on something. They had too much momentum to stop now and Megatron cried out as the force of their descent ripped the sword right out of his arm.