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Summary: Optimus Prime and Megatron are trapped on a world and have to work together to escape.

Rating - PG

~~~~~~~

LIVE AND LET DIE

"Release the energy, Megatron," ordered Optimus Prime, holding him down.

"Never!" Megatron tried to throw Optimus off him.

"Megatron ..." said Optimus Prime worriedly, "your taking the energy with that energy collector has made this planet unstable. It could explode any astrosecond."

"Do you really expect me to believe you? They're mere side effects and won't last long."

"After over nine million years, I would expect you to know that I don't lie. Look around you. Feel the unstable climate, the Earth tremors ..."

Megatron still didn't believe him. "I see your point, Prime. If you get off me, I might be able to do something about it. "

Optimus complied.

"Hurry, Megatron - the Earth is about to be destroyed ..."

Megatron began to walk to his energy collector. He then spun around.

"You'll find, Prime, that you are the only thing that is about to be destroyed --"

Optimus threw himself out of the way quickly, as Megatron blasted at him. He then grabbed his laser rifle and blasted Megatron. Optimus then ran to the energy collector. Megatron ran after him. He didn't want to fire at Optimus in case he destroyed his collector. Optimus was about to push the off button, but Megatron grabbed him. Optimus tried to struggle free. He tried to push the button, but Megatron pulled him away from it. Optimus finally, with an effort managed to kick the button with his foot. Megatron let him go in anger. He was about to push the on button, but Optimus Prime pushed him out of the way, then blasted the energon cubes that had been filled, to restore the Earth's fragile stability.

"You'll pay for that ... " cursed Megatron angrily, blasting at him.

Optimus ducked. The blast hit the collector and started a chain reaction. The collector exploded, throwing both Optimus Prime and Megatron into the Decepticon space bridge. They both tried to escape, but it was too late. The bridge activated and transported them to another world.

Optimus landed on top of Megatron.

"Get off me!!" He kicked Optimus Prime away.

Optimus was hurt, but managed to stand. He looked at Megatron, who also stood.

"This is all your fault" Megatron cursed.

"My fault?!" exclaimed Optimus "Your energy collector would have destroyed the Earth! If you hadn't invented that blasted thing in the first place, we wouldn't be here."

Megatron was silent.

"We can continue, Optimus," he said.

"Continue what?"

"Our fight."

"Megatron, now is neither the time nor the place to fight. We have to find out where we are and how we're going to get back to Earth - If it still exists ..."

"Who cares if it exists or not? There's always Cybertron."

"And, Megatron, how will you get to Cybertron?"

Megatron was silent for a while.

"I'll destroy you and then find a way back to Cybertron..."

"You bore me, Megatron. We should work together," advised Optimus Prime. "Then we would have a better chance of ..."

"I don't need any help - especially from you."

Megatron began to fight with Optimus Prime. "I do not want to fight, Megatron, but you're leaving me no choice ..."

The sky began to darken. Optimus Prime looked up.

"We have to find or build some shelter," he said thoughtfully.

Silently Megatron agreed with him.

Optimus and Megatron walked on for a while. It began to get darker and colder.

A while later, Optimus was the first to see a primitive house. Both him and Megatron went to investigate.

"This is some kind of a dwelling," said Optimus Prime, " but my scanners indicate that it has been deserted for some time."

Optimus found some sort of a light switch and turned it on. The place lit up. It was a mess, coloured stone pots, cups, plates lay broken on the floor. Dust was everywhere. Two stone beds were jutting out of the wall. Optimus dusted off one of them and sat on it.

"It's hardly luxury," he said, "but It'll have to do for now."

"Home sweet home," said Megatron sarcastically. "But how are we gonna get back, Prime? Any ideas?"

"Not yet."

Optimus walked outside. He looked up at the many stars in the night sky.

"Megatron," he said.

"What?"

"I've found Earth."

"Where?" asked Megatron, coming to him.

"Look over to your right."

Megatron did as Optimus told him.

"Where is it?"

"Follow the sun over there three planets out. That bright blue one - that's Earth."

"I see it, but where the hell are we?"

"We're in the same galaxy, just another planet."

"How do you know?"

"I studied the star constellations on Cybertron, before we left Cybertron and on Earth."

"That was a long time ago."

"I know."

"Can we try to radio Earth now that we know where we are?" "We could give it a try " said Optimus, " but I don't know if our signals will be strong enough. We're way out of range."

Both Optimus Prime and Megatron tried their hardest to contact Earth, but failed. They stopped when they began to lose power. They walked back into the small house.

"I'm starving" Megatron complained.

"As am I," replied Optimus, "but we don't know where to find energy on this new planet. There must be some somewhere. There's electricity being generated."

Optimus Prime looked round a corner of the house. He saw some glass cylinders of clear liquid. Optimus sniffed it. It was some kind of fuel. He drank a little of it. It tasted it all right and was digestible.

"Here, Megatron," he said, leaving him half the cylinder. "This must be the native fuel of this planet."

Megatron grabbed the cylinder from Optimus Prime and began to drink it.

"Slowly, Megatron. No wonder you always eat so much. "

Megatron looked angrily at Optimus Prime, but then slowed down.

"Why are you giving me fuel?" asked Megatron. "You ..."

"It's called sharing, Megatron. That's a word you might add to your vocabulary."

Optimus began to clean the house.

The night went by with both Megatron and Optimus Prime thinking of ways to get back to Earth.

The planet's sun began to rise. Optimus stood up.

"I can't think of anything," complained Megatron angrily.

"Neither can I. If only there was a way to communicate with Earth ..."

"Well there's not" said Megatron. "None that we can think of anyway. I cannot stand being on this mud ball another second - with you."

Megatron threw Optimus Prime onto the floor. A piece of one of the pots stuck into his back. It hurt him a lot. His back started to bleed. Optimus pulled the sharp piece of stone out.

"I'm very sorry, Prime ..."

His sarcasm was not lost. Megatron kicked him in his side. Optimus tried to stand, but Megatron kicked him again. Optimus grabbed Megatron's foot and pulled him onto the floor, then stood up and wiped the blood off his back. Megatron quickly stood up and pushed Optimus hard against the side wall. Optimus quickly moved away, then picked up Megatron and threw him against the back wall. Optimus ran towards him and pushed him hard against the wall. He held a large sharp piece of stone at Megatron's throat. Megatron tried to struggle free, but couldn't. He didn't want to admit to himself that he was frightened. He focused his eyes on the sharp piece of stone in Optimus Prime's hand.

Optimus let Megatron stand. "I wasn't going to hurt you" he said, throwing the piece of stone away. "If you left me a choice. We're in this together and we have to work with each other, not against each other."

"All right." For now ... I've got to get rid of him somehow ... But how? On this world, we have no powerful weapons, no nothing... I'll have to find another way ...

The next day, Megatron walked outside and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"To search this mud ball of a planet for any communication outlets. If there are any, then maybe we can amplify them and reach Earth or Cybertron."

"How long will you be?"

"I don't know. You stay here. I'll report back as soon as I've found something."

Optimus nodded. Megatron flew away. He began to scan the area.

"This planet is worse than that mud ball Earth ..." he complained. "No technology ... no nothing ..."

Megatron then looked down. He saw a cliff and below it, a pool of acid.

"This gives me an idea ..." he said to himself, returning to Optimus Prime.

"I've located a communications tower " he lied.

"Where?!" asked Optimus, a little excitedly.

"Not too far from here. Come with me. Is your jet pack operational?"

"Affirmative, but we have to conserve our fuel."

Optimus Prime flew with Megatron to the 'communications tower.' Megatron landed at the top of the cliff near the acid pool.

"My jet pack's out of fuel" said Optimus. "How much further?"

Megatron was also losing power and couldn't fly anymore.

"Down there" he said, pointing to the edge of the cliff.

Optimus walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down.

"I don't see any tower down there."

Megatron pushed him off the cliff. Optimus jerked. He saw the acid pool and quickly threw himself onto a part of the cliff that was jutting out. It hurt him, but he was thankful that he was still alive. He began to climb up to the top of the cliff. He felt angry with Megatron. Megatron looked down, just as Optimus climbed up to the top. Optimus grabbed Megatron and held him over the edge.

"That's a very strange looking communications tower, Megatron," he said, loosening his grip a little.

"No! ..." exclaimed Megatron. "Don't let go! ..."

"Why not?"

Megatron was silent. He tried to pull himself up, but Optimus Prime wouldn't let him.

"If I was in your position, Megatron, you would let me go without thinking twice."

"You're not me, Prime," said Megatron, uneasy of what Optimus was going to do with him.

Optimus loosened his grip a little. He didn't want to kill Megatron, but he had to make sure he would work with him, not against him. He pulled Megatron up. Megatron was half surprised and half grateful.

"Why didn't let me go?"

"As you said. I'm not you. I despise killing. You should know that by now. I could never kill anyone - unless I really had to, not even you, and I hope a situation like that never occurs."

Megatron said nothing. Together, they walked back to the shelter.

"You should be thinking of ways to get help, Megatron. It'll prove more useful than trying to kill me. When we get back to Earth, you can try again, but not now."

Megatron stifled a smile.

The next morning, Megatron and Optimus Prime drank a cylinder of fuel between them. Again Megatron went again to look for a communications outlet.

"Megatron, remember, you're looking for a communication link this time - not an acid pool."

Megatron smiled. "Trust me."

"hmph ... I'd rather trust an Earth politician."

After Megatron had gone, Optimus tried to think of ways to communicate with Earth if there was no communication link. He lay on the bed. He missed Earth, his friends, the good times they had - all that they'd been through together.

"I hope I can see them again ..." he said sadly.

Megatron was gone for days. Optimus couldn't help feeling a little worried. Where could he be? I hope he's okay ...

Megatron returned a few hours later.

"I was beginning to get worried," said Optimus. "Did you find anything?"

"Worried about me.." Megatron couldn't help smiling. "Unfortunately Nothing. I scanned the entire planet. It's uninhabited and no communication links."

"But this house ..." said Optimus. "Someone must've lived here..."

"Maybe they were destroyed?" suggested Megatron.

Optimus shrugged. "Perhaps, but I wish I knew."

"And what difference would it make?" snapped Megatron angrily. "We'd still be stuck here."

"I know" said Optimus. "There's gotta be a way back, but what?..."

"You tell me."

Optimus was sure there was some way, but couldn't think of it.

"We're probably never gonna get back ..." said Megatron, pessimistically.

Optimus walked inside and slowly brought some fuel for them both. He gave Megatron the cylinder. Megatron drank half of it and gave Optimus the second half. Optimus checked the fuel supply. It was getting low. Both Autobot and Decepticon Leader went to look for more fuel, but couldn't find anything.

"We have to use this fuel sparingly," said Optimus. "It'll run out soon."

"And when it does run out?" asked Megatron. "What then?"

"I don't know, Megatron. I just don't know ... We'll probably starve unless we get back to Earth."

Optimus sat on the bed closest to the window. He spent all night thinking of a way to communicate with Earth.

"This planet has no atmosphere ..." he said quietly to himself. "No technological means of communication, so how are we? ..."

Optimus watched the sun appear on the horizon. Suddenly an idea dawned on him.

"Megatron!" he said excitedly. "I have an idea to communicate with Earth! It may not work, but it's the best any of us have come up with."

"What is it?"

"When the sun rises here it's night time at Autobot HQ on Earth, but I'm not exactly sure what the exact time is there."

"So? What's that got to do with anything? What does it mean?"

"It means, Megatron, that they can see this planet in the distant night sky just as we can see Earth. We can use the metal sheets outside to reflect this planet's sun's light and create a Morse code message. It should be seen, as there's no atmosphere on this planet."

Megatron thought it was an excellent idea, but didn't want to admit it to Optimus. Both Optimus Prime and Megatron refuelled.

"That was the last cylinder," said Optimus. "I hope our communication works."

So do I

Back on earth, Blaster was looking up into the night sky.

I wish Prime was here ... he thought. He might've been destroyed when Megatron's energy collector blew. He was one brave dude ...

Blaster stared looked far into the distance.

"Look at that star over there" he said. "It's flickering."

Prowl looked up. "That's not a star, Blaster, it's a planet. You can tell by the reflected light ... But that's strange... planet's don't flicker." Prowl looked at it again, then his eyes widened. "I don't know if what I'm seeing is what I'm seeing, but if it is, it's transmitting a message!"

"Say what?" Blasted said.

Prowl immediately began to try decode the message.

H-E-L-P A-U-T-O-B-O-T-S -- -I- A-M T-R-A-P-P-E-D H-E-R-E -- W-I-T-H M-E-G-A-T-R-O-N --

"It's Optimus!" exclaimed Prowl, his logic circuits almost overloading. He hesitated, and then decoded the rest of the message.

W-E N-E-E-D Y-O-U-R H-E-L-P F-A-S-T -- E-N-E-R-G-Y

L-E-V-E-L C-R-I-T-I-C-A-L ----

"Prime needs us" said Prowl, "I pinpoint the transmission to be coming from the third planet in the Brentalian system, over 20 light years away, but our shuttle needs repairs. It will also have to go at WARP speed. I hope the shuttle can hold out. And I hope we can repair it in time ..."

Back on the third planet, Megatron turned to Optimus.

"Do you think we got through?"

"I sure hope so ... "

Back on Earth, it was taking quite a while to repair the shuttle.

"I hope Optimus holds out until we can get to him ..." said Prowl hopefully. "I'm not sure how long we'll be."

The Autobots spent all their time trying to repair the shuttle.

Optimus Prime was getting low on energy. He wished there was some more energy, but there wasn't. He then sat on the stone bed. Megatron looked at him.

"What if they didn't receive our message? What then, Prime?"

"If they didn't receive it" said Optimus Prime, slowly, "then there's no hope for us. We'll die here. I thought that was obvious."

Megatron didn't want to die, but he knew what Optimus Prime had said was right.

Through the next few days, Optimus Prime and Megatron were getting much weaker. They tried to find more energy in the house, but there was nothing but empty cylinders. Shattered.

"Megatron ..." said Optimus, "don't lose your temper. You're only wasting your energy. "

"Dying is bad enough, Prime" snapped Megatron, walking towards the door. "Dying with you is unthinkable."

Suddenly Megatron fell onto the ground. Optimus walked towards him, but also fell onto the ground.

"Our energy stage is critical. We can't even stand anymore."

"This is your fault that we're here, Prime ..." cursed Megatron.

"It isn't my fault. Your energy collector exploded and your space bridge brought us here. Don't blame me for your inventions - your mistakes. And soon it won't matter whose fault it was. We need help and we need it fast ..."

"Mistake or no mistake" said Megatron. "I can still finish you off --"

"Megatron, wait ..."

"I wait for no one --" Megatron lunged to attack Optimus Prime.

"You're wasting the little energy we have left ... We need to conserve it until we are rescued."

"You mean if we are rescued. The message probably didn't even get received. How can you be so sure they got it?"

"How can you be so sure they didn't?"

Megatron sat down. He too hoped they would get rescued, but felt the chances were slim as ever. He knew he couldn't destroy Optimus Prime in this weakened state, and he had to hand it to his enemy, even though he hated to admit this, it was because he refused to listen to him that they were stuck here.

Please, Primus ... Get us out of this alive.

The Autobots on Earth were still busy repairing the shuttle.

"This won't take much longer," said Wheeljack. "I hope..."

"Yeah," said Blaster. "But if we can get this baby to fly, let's just hope it reaches Prime, man. "

Wheeljack nodded, hopefully.

Optimus and Megatron were both getting weaker. Optimus was starving and his stomach was hurting. He lay on the ground. Megatron had been trying to save his energy.

Back on Earth, the Autobots had finally finished repairing the shuttle.

"I just hope it gets there on time ..." said Prowl, hopefully.

He boarded the shuttle with Blaster and Wheeljack and took off.

"It should be a few days before we reach them," said Prowl. "I only hope we're not too late ... "

Optimus Prime was getting weaker and hungrier. "I hope someone helps us ..." he said very weakly, and softly.

He also felt frightened.

What if they didn't receive the message? What if Megatron was right about that ...

The Autobots were nearing the third planet.

"How much longer to go, Prowl?" asked Wheeljack.

"Not long, I hope. A few Earth hours at the most."

Optimus Prime was dying and desperately needed some energy.

I'd give almost anything for some energy ... he thought slowly, weakly. Optimus Prime's stomach was growing more and more painful. He gently put his hand over it to ease the pain. It wasn't doing much good. Megatron had already lost consciousness.

The Autobot shuttle finally entered orbit.

"That's it," said Prowl suddenly. "Where the message came from."

"AL-RIGHT!!" exclaimed Blaster.

They then began to scan the planet.

"I'm picking up a reading from that location," Prowl informed, pinpointing it with the on-board scanners.

Prowl landed the shuttle.

"There's Prime!" exclaimed Blaster. "And Megatron's there too!"

Prowl picked up and energon cube and handed it to Wheeljack. Wheeljack walked to Optimus . Blaster was quietly playing a song called Live and Let Die on his tape deck.

Optimus could hear something, but he wasn't sure what. Wheeljack knelt down and gently touched him. Optimus felt it, but wasn't sure what it was. He felt uneasy, but he was too low on energy to move, see or do anything about it. Wheeljack slowly began to feed him the energon cube. Optimus didn't know what was happening at first. He soon realised as the starving pain in his stomach was subsiding. He began being able to move. He realised he was getting some energy, but how? Optimus' optical sight returned. He sat up and looked around.

"Wheeljack!!" he exclaimed, not believing what he was seeing.

"We received your message, Prime. I'm sorry we couldn't get here sooner, but our shuttle needed repairs."

"That couldn't be avoided. It's all right, Wheeljack."

Wheeljack smiled. "Would you like another energon cube?"

"Yes please."

Prowl handed it to him. Optimus Prime drank it, then stood.

"Ohh ... That feels so much better..."

Blaster was still playing the song Live and Let Die. Optimus Prime looked around. The particular words `Live and Let Die' rang in his head. He looked down at Megatron, lying helplessly on the ground.

"I'm living ..." thought Optimus Prime, "and he's dying... I know he would've killed me, or let me die but ..."

The words `Live and Let Die' rang again in his head.

No ... he thought. I can't just stand here and watch him die...

"Come on, Prime," said Blaster, turning off the song. "Let's go."

"I can't leave Megatron here. I ... I have to take him back."

"Why?" asked Prowl. "He's our enemy. Why do you want to help him? It's not logical."

"Prowl, I can't let him die ... Not when I suffered in the same way he's suffering. He's feeling the same pain as I felt. I can't stand back and let him die. Not when I can do something about it. Get him aboard the shuttle."

Live and let live

The Autobots respected their leader's decision. They helped him carry Megatron aboard. Optimus lay him gently on a ledge in the shuttle. Megatron was extremely low on energy. He could feel something slightly, but wasn't sure what.

"Have you got anymore energon cubes, Wheeljack?" asked Optimus.

"No, but we have a small energy conductor. Give that to him. It won't make him much stronger, but it'll keep him alive until we get back to Earth."

"That'll have to do." Optimus took the thin cylindrical conductor from him. I should've let Wheeljack give Megatron the other energon cube ... I wasn't thinking ... Optimus felt guilty. He began to feed Megatron the energy conductor. Megatron began to drink it - very fast.

"Slowly, Megatron ..." calmed Optimus gently.

Megatron faintly heard him, but wasn't quite sure who was talking to him.

A few days later, the shuttle arrived on Earth. Megatron was semiconscious. Optimus walked into Autobot headquarters and returned with an energon cube for him, which Megatron drank hastily.

"Prime!" he exclaimed. "Where are we? What happened?!"

"Back on Earth. Our message got through."

Megatron smiled, but didn't want to admit to Optimus that he was wrong. "You brought me back here," he said. "You could've left me there to die. Why didn't you?"

"I was in the same predicament as you, Megatron, frightened, starving, in pain ... When my friends saved me, I looked back at you. I just couldn't stand back and watch you die."

"Why not?"

"I know you wouldn't've cared if it was me dying, but I'm not like that. You should know that by now. I feel I have to help anyone who needs me, even if they are my enemies."

"Thank you," said Megatron, awkwardly. He was grateful for what Optimus had dome for him, but not sure if he wanted to return the favour.

"It's all right, Megatron."

"But the-"

"Next time we meet we're enemies?"

"Yes. Were you expecting anything more?"

"Wishful thinking, that's all."

Megatron gave a small smile and started to fly back to Decepticon headquarters. Optimus watched him fly off into the distance, then walked into Autobot headquarters, feeling glad about what he had done, grateful to be alive, but most of all, grateful to be with his friends once more.

*

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