#saltyart

It had been a very long time since Megatron had touched water, at least in his root mode. He had flown through clouds and rain before in his alt mode of course, but the last time he'd touched it had been on Aquatron.

How was he supposed to know it would cause this?

Megatron yanked himself away from Optimus as best he could. In trying to kick him while underwater all he'd done was a strange somersault. It had exposed his back and Optimus had wasted no time in shooting it. Even through the freezing fluid the shot hadn't been watered down by much and left stinging burns across his plating.

He made the decision to distance himself and to his surprise nearly jetted away, body whipping through the ocean currents. He grinned to himself as he turned about. Perhaps slamming Optimus into open water to remove him hadn't been a mistake.

Megatron flexed his tail experimentally. It wasn't the only thing that had changed, his arms had fins as well that helped him slice through the water. Megatron grinned as he sped into Optimus with a satisfying crunch of plating hitting plating. He spun around to charge his fusion cannon but it didn't activate. No matter, he enjoyed close combat anyway. His swords had no problem coming to surface as he charged Optimus again.

Even as Optimus brought up his blades to defend himself, with nothing to support him but ceaseless waves he was easily buffeted to and fro with every hit.

Megatron toyed with him, almost letting him sink into the darkness where he knew Optimus's vision was useless, the warped sunlight making his red plating look green before colour escaped all together. Then he slapped him with upward slices that bumped him back up to breach the surface and crash back down. Regrettably, though dramatic it wasn't effective for eliminating his foe. The force needed was excessive and required too much time to stabilise himself before he could launch the next blow. Optimus always had enough time to deflect. Megatron toyed with the idea of just letting his enemy sink to the ocean's floor. If it was deep enough his enemy would be slowly crushed, blinded and deafened before eventually succumbing. What a way for a prime to end. A waste even. He was better off doing it himself.

He prepared a deadlier strike but his earlier toying had come back to bite him when Optimus snatched onto him and held firm. Without legs he couldn't boot him off. Lashing his tail was all he could do but Optimus held tight, even as Megatron snapped to another direction or tried the occasional swipe, nicking his own plating. Then Optimus started climbing him.

His thrashing took on an edge of desperation and he dove. Deeper and deeper until finally there was sand. Megatron dragged himself against it in an attempt to dislodge him but only made it cloudy. Somehow they crashed headlong into a wall of it and Megatron shot up. They dragged themselves against the cliff but all too suddenly they were splashing up into blinding sunlight before smashing against the shore.

Having beached himself Megatron twisted and tried to curse but Optimus was still on top of him. A treacherous wave crashed against them and pushed Optimus further up his body. Megatron raged against the tide and pulled them away from the beach. He swam. He ripped at Optimus's hands and tried to smash him against the rocks around the island. He was thwarted by Optimus kicking him into making a wrong turn and suddenly they were wrestling hand in hand.

The sound of crushed plating was blocked out by the roar of water hitting rock and shore as the two struggled, creating a murky trail and scaring away the wildlife. It was a messy, artless struggle that Megatron thought he had ended when he finally crushed Optimus against a rock, only to find himself wrecked against it a moment later. The impact went through his whole body, leaving him momentarily stunned under Optimus who took the opportunity to rear back his fist and punch him. It lacked its usual speed but the force behind it was the same. Somehow that didn't shake him out of his sudden frame lock and for a moment Optimus hesitated. Then the current pulled at them and Megatron lashed out, finally separating Optimus from his frame. He whipped his tail and Optimus tumbled back, falling over the invisible edge of the sand.

Megatron swam forward, peering down and seeing blue optical lenses glowing and glaring at him. It wasn't deep enough to obscure Optimus from view, sadly, not even at the bottom of it. The sand laden cliff did have some rocks jutting out which Optimus was diligently climbing. Megatron promptly smacked him and watched his slow descent. Optimus had time to glare at him hatefully as he sunk and a satisfying ploom of sand poofed up as he hit the sea floor.

Smiling to himself Megatron made himself comfortable, laying on the clifftop and giving a small wave to his arch-enemy, who was already trying to climb again. He folded his arms and tilted his head coyly, considering when exactly he should pull the rug out from under him. Deciding he wasn't getting a good enough view from above he faked a stretch and swam out to safely watch Optimus from behind. As he was eyed warily Megatron put his arms behind his back innocently. He then ruined it with an ominous grin full of teeth. Optimus tried to focus on climbing but it was difficult as Megatron crept forward and yanked on his foot. Not only that but pushed him, pulled him, and threw rocks on top of him.

After the third time falling Optimus looked for a better route and Megatron swam the perimeter to make sure there wasn't one. As it so happened there wasn't and Megatron smugly waved at Optimus before surfacing. He would need to repair his fusion cannon and prepare to end the Prime once and for all. He moved towards the shore, intending to transform and regain his legs. All that happened was a confused Megatron on his stomach as the waves went over his head. He tried again but the only reaction was a sad little wiggle from his tail. He tried to become a jet to the same effect. His transformation cog must have been damaged, or perhaps he'd tripped a circuit from the sudden transformation he'd made under the water. Normally he might just wait for his internal repair to handle it, but with Optimus around and his fusion cannon down it wasn't the wisest course of action. He tried opening a call to the Nemesis but the instant feedback straining his audials told him something had gone wrong.

His only recourse was to go on land to find something that might help the situation, or ask his most hated enemy for help.

Megatron swam back and to his surprise saw that Optimus had gotten a hand over the ledge. Without thinking Megatron shoved it off. Optimus actually gave a small shout of surprise and Megatron chucked silently to himself. When he peeked over the edge he was met with blaster fire and Megatron decided he'd try again later.

The coast was sparse but he did find some driftwood large enough to keep him from crawling along the ground. Unfortunately the island was not as big as it had appeared from on his stomach.

In the center was a raised portion only partly taller than he was (when standing), where a palm tree and a rock were residing cosily. From one side of it water trickled down into a spring which was surrounded by thick greenery, trees and oversized bushes, along with some moss. The island was small enough that without trees in the way, standing, he would have been able to see the beach on the other side. At its largest the island could have been ten klicks(or kilometers as his translation software told him) across, which obviously wasn't going to be large enough to hide from Optimus and spring a trap in. There looked to be no secret facility here, human or otherwise and Megatron grimaced as he hobbled back to the water and swam out to find him.

Megatron begrudgingly peered over the edge only to find no Optimus in sight. He blinked, wondering if the water had corroded his lenses enough to cause visual errors. No, simply put Optimus had gone somewhere. For a moment he wondered if Optimus had tried wandering off into open water, surely not even Prime could be that stupid.

A shift in the current made him glance up. Any air left in his frame exited all at once.

The sound of a truck horn going off unexpectedly was surprising. One going off underwater as said truck ran you over was horrifying.

Optimus switched back to root form and slammed him into the surf, clambering over him and the wrestling started once more. They rolled over the sand, the water sticking it to their frames. Megatron focused on just getting Optimus off of him. Eventually he managed. Slamming him with a rock to the helm before rolling away. Optimus stood and Megatron glared, willing his body to allow him to do the same. It didn't happen.

"Megatron, do not think me above kicking you when you're down."

He would also take the ability to use his cannon. Or spontaneously being able to shoot lasers from his eyes. Anything really.

His tail flopped angrily and Optimus straightened out of his battle pose.

"You can't do it can you. You were damaged."

Oh no, I'm just being coy. Of course I can't, you idiot! Do you think I enjoy tumbles on the sand?

"..."

He opened his mouth but no sound came out. He clenched his jaw down tight as he turned away. This was perhaps a far more precarious situation than he had thought. Chatter often distracted autobots just long enough for Megatron to accomplish his goals. He tried resetting his vocalizer but even that seemed lost to him.

To Optimus it seemed only that Megatron had opened his mouth to say something but then thought better of it. His tail twitched, far less restrained than its owner.

"Optimus to base, come in Ratchet." Optimus called, and Megatron held the urge to roll his eyes. At the end of this road one of them would die, what point was there in taking him into custody and denying him the glory of a battlefield death. Though he supposed there was no easier way to turn someone into a martyr than that.

"Ratchet, I need a ground bridge, do you copy?" Megatron paused, his optics bright as he turned back.

Optimus couldn't get through either.

They moved at the same time. Optimus lunged at him as he ripped at the wet sand. All he needed to do was get back into the water and swim to where he could regain a signal. It's not as Optimus could get too far as the coastal shelf had a steep drop off and Optimus was prone to sinking.

He was in the surf when there was a horrible yank on his tail and he crashed back on the beach. Even as he squirmed out of Optimus's grip and gouged heavy tracks in the sand Optimus ran ahead and scooped him out of the surf yet again onto his back. They were back to tussling.

Megatron made a last bid to escape, coiling his tail under him as best he could so he could spring forward as Optimus got overtop of him again and tried pinning him under his heel. In launching himself he tripped Prime and laughed as finally he sank into the water his tail finally coming off of the sand. He jerked away sharply as a heel landed where his head was going to be. Prime didn't have to do anything this time as him rearing up made him easy prey for a large wave which crashed against him and the beach.

In a horrible irony it was like the exact opposite of the situation at the cliff. Anytime Megatron had the slightest chance of escape he was cruelly launched away from it. If he could have screamed he would have.

In the act of a furious and deeply desperate mech, Megatron lowered himself to throwing whatever was in arm's reach. The wiry rock burst over Optimus's helm and he shook his head as water spilt all over him.

He stood and glared. "I can do this all day, Megatron. Or we can do something productive to get off this island and back to our respective factions."

Megatron threw sand at him.

"Really?" He must have made the most exasperated expression behind his mask, but one Megatron had never seen fully.

He scoffed as Megatron made no move to speak. "You are in a perilous state, Megatron."

Megatron folded his arms. You're in a perilous state, Prime. How long can your team last without you. Are you willing to find out?

"We need to get out of this dead zone. That means getting out of range of it. I cannot do this alone. I... need your assistance. You know as well as I that signal strength isn't able to cope with transition from water to air. The time it would take me on this new world to get back to where we started would be immense. If your condition should start to worsen, there might not be enough time to get you help."

It was amazing how much Prime could prattle on when he wasn't interrupted. And just from the sheer fact he wasn't replying seemed to be ripping emotions from deep within Optimus's very spark. Megatron held up his hand to tell him to stop.

I'm not that damaged, Prime.

"I may not be able to call you old friend anymore, but this is not how it should end for you." Optimus entreated, his mask retracted as if to show his sincerity.

How poor had his performance been that Prime thought he was dying. His tail twitched again and he scowled at it. Stupid thing. It was beyond his control and he hated it. It flopped again. Sedacious glitch.

"Megatron!" Optimus took a step forward.

"..." Again, no sound came out so Megatron made a gesture that said it all. Frag off.

The mask returned.

All Megatron had to do was wait this out. His t-cog would fix itself within the day and with the arc destroyed the chances of being found by autobots was slim. His Decepticons would find him if they knew what was good for them.

"Say something. I'm not going anywhere until you do."

Megatron tried not to roll his eyes. Looks like they'll be here a while then.

"You can't do that either, can you." He said as Megatron was about to lay back. Megatron glared. His mutinous tail gave him away.

He pieced together what little cybertronian sign language he knew; Learned for counter intelligence – when Bumblebee still tried using it.

:Shut up, Prime.:

Optimus started laughing. He fell back with his legs fully outstretched, sitting back in the sand. He then had to rush to his feet and catch Megatron because he tried to make a break for it.

With the warlord beached again Optimus cleared his vocalizer.

"Megatron… I think it's time to have a chat." The mask had dropped and the malicious grin Optimus was wearing was one he had never seen before. "And this time, you are going to listen to me."

Optimus yanked on his tail as Megatron tried to claw himself away.

"I think we'll start with Ethics first. The basics of what those are, then we can discuss theories and praxis. And you are going to listen to it all."

This was a sick librarian joke and Megatron thrashed angrily, unable to growl but at least still able to struggle. If he could just make it to the water- no! No! NO!

"So ethics determine what behaviour is considered acceptable," Optimus started saying as he dragged Megatron deeper inland.