It starts with pain,

followed by hate.

Fueled by the endless questions no one can answer.

Optimus vented out quietly as he stared out onto the horizon. Tension was in the air, and the Autobot leader was concerned. The 'cons had been silent. They were planning something, he knew it, and so did the rest of the team. He had come up here to "take a breather", as Agent Fowler would say on the occasion. The others were letting the tension get to them; they had been arguing and snapping at each other recently. Optimus had managed to stop Ratchet from throwing a wrench at Bumblebee, but at the cost of nearly getting a wrench to the helm himself.

A stain covers your heart, and tears you apart

just like a sleeping cancer

Optimus closed his optics, gently placing his helm in his servo. This war was taking a toll on all of them, even the humans.

The humans.

If Megatron ever took over this planet, millions of innocent lives would be lost.

He couldn't let it happen.

Now I don't believe men are born to be killers

I don't believe the world can't be saved

Megatron wasn't always like this.

He wasn't a evil warmonger bent on seizing power.

He was a gladiator in the Pits of Kaon, with ideas Optimus, or, Orion, had agreed with. Megatronus had become a friend, a mentor.

A brother.

How did you get here, and when did it start?

Optimus briefly thought of how he, Bulkhead, Ratchet, and Bumblebee had came on Earth and how many fellow Autobots they had lost along the way, and how they had gained some, like Arcee and Cliffjumper.

Cliffjumper.

The loss of Cliffjumper had certainly been a hard time for all of them. That was the day the 'cons had returned.

An innocent child with a thorn in his heart.

He briefly thought of all he and his team had gone through with the war, before thinking of the scout.

He was young, and yet had to enter the war as soon as he could. He was a brave and loyal Autobot, and he paid the price. His voicebox had been crushed by none other than Megatron.

"What kind of world do we live in?" Optimus whispered quietly.

A world where love is divided by hate, he thought, answering his own question. He looked back behind him, at the lift which had brought him up to the top of the base.

Losing control of our feeling

He thought about his fellow Autobots, who were most likely still bickering.

We all must be dreaming this life away.

In a world so cold.

Optimus vented out again, before walking back to the lift and heading inside.

***

Are you sane?

Where is the shame?

Megatron was pacing in his quarters. He was trying to concentrate, he'd been trying for a while, but couldn't. The past was starting to catch up with him.

A moment of time passes by

You cannot rewind

A memory briefly crossed his processor, one of both Optimus and himself as Orion and Megatronus, sitting together, talking, laughing.

Megatron froze. That was the day before he had gone before the council.

He shook his helm, trying to forget the memory.

Who's to blame?

And where did it start?

The Decepticon's optics narrowed, remembering how Optimus had "swooped in" and earned the matrix, something Megatron rightfully should've had.

Is there a cure for your sickness?

Have you no heart?

No matter, he would take the Matrix of Leadership from Optimus' lifeless husk.

Now I don't believe men are born to be killers.

I don't believe the world can't be saved

Influence is everything. If he can control the planet, there is so much he could do. He grinned thinking about it.

How did you get here, and when did it start?

He recalled the time he was searching for his "Decepticon Army", when he found the Dark Energon instead, and had nearly succeeded in bringing in his undead army of Cybertronians to Earth.

An innocent child with a thorn in his heart.

He remembered how Optimus-Orion-was concerned for him after the meet with the council. Megatron had pushed him away, still mad at him, and had even hired someone to attempt to assassinate Orion before he actually found the Matrix.

What kind of world do we live in? He suddenly thought. The questions surprised him, it seemed to have come out of nowhere.

Where love is divided by hate, he thought to himself to answer his own question.

Losing control of our feeling.

He decided, a planned attack on the Autobots might distract him from his thoughts, and left to go find Soundwave.

We're dreaming this life away.

***

What kind of world do we live in?

"Optimus, I've discovered some Decepticon activity...in what looks like an energon mine," Ratchet announced, interrupting the current spat between Arcee and Bulkhead. Optimus nodded, knowing they were low on energon.

"But the mine also seems to have traces of...dark energon in it."

"Understood, Ratchet."

"I'll get the grenades," Bulkhead replied almost happily. "Just in case."

Optimus nodded once as Bulkhead left and returned a few minutes later, and the Autobot leader turned toward the others.

"Autobots, roll out!"

Where love is divided by hate

Ratchet opened the GroundBridge, and the portal opened, it's greenish hue filling the room, before the Autobots transformed and drove through, ready for battle.

Selling our souls for no reason

Luckily, Soundwave had been working on finding another mine, and was very successful, managing to find a small one with a few dark energon crystals. To lure the 'bots even more, they planted energon, and made it look like they'd been mining it. Megatron smiled, before he felt the shard of dark energon in his spark chamber pulse slightly.

We all must be dreaming this life away

"Soundwave, I require a bridge," Megatron said, placing two digits to the side of his helm. His request was answered when a bridge appeared in front of him, and he walked through it, and unsheathed his blade, ready to face Optimus Prime.

In a world so cold

The Autobots were greeted almost immediately by vehicon troopers firing at them, and they transformed and started shooting back.

There's a sickness inside you that wants to escape

Optimus went ahead of the others, knowing if there was dark energon, Megatron had to be around somewhere, and headed toward the mine has he defeated the vehicons that were coming at him.

It's a feeling you get when you can't find your way

Megatron walked out of the mine with a small shard of dark energon in servo, where he noticed Optimus shooting the last vehicon that had attempted to stop him, and the two faced each other briefly.

"Megatron, I will give you once chance to surrender the mine to us."

"Why waste your breath, Optimus? You and I both know that I won't do such a thing."

Optimus' optics narrowed, and Megatron raised his servo, where his already unsheathed blade was clearly visible.

So how many times must you fall to your knees?

Megatron lunged at the Prime, who only stepped back, before unsheathing his own blade and blocking another attack from the warlord, before punching him in the faceplate, causing Megatron to stagger. He quickly regained his balance and lunged again, swinging at Optimus, who ducked out of the way in time for Megatron to move past him. The 'con was surprised, and Optimus took the opportunity and jabbed him in the back with his elbow articulator, causing him to stumble again, before falling to the ground.

Never, never, never, never, never do this again.

Optimus walked in front of him, his blaster primed and ready.

"It starts with pain, followed by hate," Megatron mumbled quietly, looking up and glaring at the Autobot leader, who's expression seemed to soften as he remembered the history of the war.

"Now I don't believe men are born to be killers; I don't believe the world can't be saved," Optimus replied. "Megatron, is there really a reason for this war?"

What kind of world do we live in?

"I have my reasons," he replied, continuing to glare. Optimus didn't move.

Where love is divided by hate

"Are you not going to shoot me, Optimus?" he asked.

Optimus was silent as he stared at the warlord.

Losing control of our feeling

His blaster transformed into his servo, and he held it out to him.

"No."

We're dreaming this life away

Megatron raised an optic ridge, but he sheathed his sword, took Optimus' servo and stood up, and the two stared at each other.

What kind of world do we live in?

"Megatronus," Optimus nodded once, as if he was just now greeting him.

Where love is divided by hate

"Orion," Megatron replied, copying Optimus' actions.

Selling our souls for no reason

A ticking noise was heard, and Optimus knew Bulkhead had snuck past their fight and placed the bombs down and was now most likely trying to sneak away. He glanced at Megatron again before transforming and going into maximum overdrive.

We all must be dreaming this life away

An explosion sounded behind him, and he adjusted his rearview to see a silver cybertronian jet fly away in the midst of it.

In a world so cold

He turned around, staying in his vehicle form as he watched the explosion slowly settle. Arcee called for a bridge back, and they walked (or drove) through, and Optimus announced he was going for a small drive once he reached the base, and turned and left.

He needed to think for a while.

In a world so cold

~~~

Hey guys!

A friend of mine introduced this song to me and I was just like

"THIS IS AN AWESOME SONG FOR TF!"

So I immediately went on youtube to see if there was a TFP music video with this, but I couldn't find one :(

And I would make one myself, if I knew how to. XD

So, I wrote a one-shot instead.

I'm sorry if nothing makes sense, I literally just got caught up in the song, and with each lyric, and with the plot I was trying to do, I just...I dunno. I hope it makes sense to you guys XD

If not, please let me know in a comment or even a PM and I'll do my best to explain.