"It was Astrotrain." Those were the first words that Soundwave had heard out of anyone since Megatron had left him with Starscream.
Skywarp and Thundercracker were hovering nearby, optics never once leaving the form of their third seeker.
They knew nothing, other then the fact that Starscream refused to renew his bonds with them, yet refused to be separate from them either.
And any attempt to open any panels to allow access to the cords and ports resulted in a vicious attack from him.
So they had stopped trying, and helplessly watched Starscream's mind grow sicker and sicker the longer he lived separate from the data links he so badly needed.
Starscream refused any medical assistance, and threatened the medic's lives if they forced him in there or told Megatron.
Now Megatron knew what had happened to the young apprentice Hook once had.
He had been found dead, killed by horrific means, but no one knew who killed him.
Evidently, Starscream caught him on his way to alert Megatron to the fact Starscream refused medical help, and had been killed for it.
Astrotrain had turned a unique shade of guilty when the warlord stalked into the room, and had tried to sneak off, but Megatron caught him and forced the truth from the cowardly triplechanger.
Many, many years ago, a couple million to be closer to the truth, Astrotrain had seduced Starscream, and managed to fool the pretty seeker into believing the enormous triple-changer actually loved him.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Astrotrain began abusing him, until, before the love-blinded seeker knew it, he was being horrifically abused and raped every single night he spent with Astrotrain.
Starscream still loved Astrotrain though, and took the pain, refusing to leave his side even when Astrotrain skewered both wings and left him dangling from the ceiling in his quarters, using him as knife-throwing practice.
The loyal jet even stood there while Astrotrain clawed out some of his ports and set fire to the flier's own energon blood as it ran down his body, and then just watched him burn as he collapsed screaming in front of him, but still didn't run away.
What finally forced the lovesick seeker from the triple-changer's grasp was when the part-seeker ripped the trining cables from his wrists and tore out the bonding ports.
Starscream couldn't take it anymore and fled, and had been running ever since, though being forced to live in the same area as his abuser, was often caught and suffered in ghastly ways for, well, anything Astrotrain wanted.
Megatron discovered that all this time he thought Screamer was running from him, he was really running from Astrotrain.
The abuse the triplechanger gave to his seeker was enough to condemn him to death; the discovery that he had been the one to viciously attack Star in the main room and bite his spike off, that was enough for Megs to find the perfect death for the abuser.
Megatron treated him like he treated Starscream before killing him: raping him repeatedly for hours, visously ripping the cables Astrotrain had ripped from Starscream, clawing open all the ports, and slowly ripping off his thick spike, then light fire to the bleeding body once Astrotrain had screamed his last breath once Megatron had ripped him clean in half, starting with his interface ports up to his spark.
Astrotrain perished in the flames, writhing in complete agony, the strength to scream having left him with his breath.
Megatron watched in sick pleasure as the former Decepticon melted away, then ordered the remaining two triplechangers to clean it up.
Then the gunformer left to see to his seeker, wanting to see him fixed up and spouting angry insults once more.
Instead, he found Starscream strapped to a medical bed, tears dripping down his flushed cheeks, Ratchet nowhere in sight as yet.
The dark warlord bent over the wounded seeker, and gently brushed a digit under a closed optic lid, wiping away some of the blue fluid trickling steadily from his second's optics.
The suffering jet drew in a shuddering breath at the touch and his optic lids fluttered open, the red coloring washed out to a pale gray, and the powerful warrior felt his spark grow cold staring into those sightless optics.
One of Starscream's blue fingers twitched, unable to move his arms from being strapped down, and Megatron desperately wished he knew what the mute seeker wanted.
Hesitantly, he drew a servo over the black helm looking so small and pitiful against the ugly gray of the operating table.
Starscream slowly re-closed his optics, sighing gently, some of the tension in his pain-racked body seeming to ebb at the gentle touch.
Megatron repeated the move, to be rewarded with a tiny hint of a smile tugging the corners of the flier's energon-encrusted mouth.
Megatron stayed petting Starscream gently until the Autobot medic burst into the room, looking severely pissed.
"Move." He commanded curtly, shoving the astonished warlord when he didn't move.
"How dare you-mmmph!" Megatron tried to roar at the red and white bot, only to have those red servos clap over his mouth tightly.
Cold blue optics stared coolly into his fierce red ones from mere centimeters away.
"When I say move, I mean move." Ratchet started firmly. "You may be Megatron, but I am the medic, and we always outrank everyone in the medic bay."
He released Megatron and turned back to his patient, who was lying limply on the table, having passed out again.
Megatron hovered over him as he worked, pretending not to notice the old medic's irritation at his close presence.
After a while, Ratchet began giving him short orders on where and what to hold, and how, and the mighty Megatron found himself as assistant nurse in short order, but strangely, he didn't mind.
The raw authority the stoic medic held affected even him, and now he felt he understood why the Autobots were so successful with a bot like this in the background, kicking everyone's afts when they slipped up.
The gunformer was most amused at the thought of Ratchet getting after Prime that he failed to pay attention and suddenly felt a harsh thunk on his head.
Jerking his head around, he glared at the medic, who was holding a wrench and glaring heatedly right back.
"Pull your weight in this room, or leave." Ratchet threatened, and Megatron knew he meant what he said, though he very much doubted he could make him leave.
Grumbling under his breath, he held the seeker's head still while Ratchet drilled into his helm.
No more words passed between them the rest of the long days they cared for the critically injured seeker, Ratchet making demands of everyone he came into contact with, and Megatron silently backing him up with his cannon if necessary.
Finally, after a week of constant care, Ratchet let Starscream out of his drugged stupor, right at Optimus Prime himself came to call.
Ratchet exploded at his leader, totally running over him when his leader tried to say something, whisper-yelling that he had told him not to come get him, he would return when his job was done.
Right in the middle of Ratchet's triad, a small whimper was heard from the medical berth where Megatron and the medic had moved the fragile seeker.
All three rushed to the flier's berthside, peering down at him as he writhed in his bindings, tears dripping down his pale, cool cheeks.
Ratchet gave Optimus a death glare, and the Prime flinched back.
Megatron found that fascinating, but his attention snapped back to his SIC when he began weakly screaming, thrashing as best he could bound to the berth like he was.
Ratchet stepped back after a quick scan, Prime mirroring his latter action.
Megatron stayed right where he was, bending down till his breath wafted across his seeker's tear-streaked face, staring at his closed lids, silently begging them to open.
Suddenly, his wish was granted as Starscream's optics flew open, and a brilliant scarlet red blinded the warlord for a couple kliks.
Starscream's screaming, if he pitiful noise he had been making could be called such, stopped, and his optics faded when he saw who was standing over him.
Starscream swallowed once or twice, then opened his mouth, trying to say something.
Megatron spun around, only to find Ratchet was a step or two ahead of him, shoving an energon drink into his eager servos.
Tenderly, Megatron tipped a few drops at a time into the seeker's mouth, unaware of the smug look on Ratchet face as he observed this.
Optimus watched without expression, though his facemask helped in this regard.
Finally, Starscream could talk, and in a hoarse whisper, he asked, " Why didn't you let me die?"
He sounded so hopeless, Megatron felt sorry for him all over again.
The warlord fished around for a reply, and was saved by remembering what got them all in this position to begin with.
"I didn't want to lose my first pet. I've always wanted one you know." Megatron watched as Starscream's optics widened in horror, then closed as he keened loudly.
The warlord felt fingers dig into his side and somebot yanked him back harshly, letting go and letting him stumble into Prime himself, who awkwardly caught him.
If looks could kill, Megatron would be doomed from the look Ratchet shot him as he bent over the weakly sobbing seeker, trying to sooth him.
That reminded Megatron of someone, and he felt a jolt as he remembered a certain telepath who was probably very forlorn with being left out of all this.
Suddenly realizing that he was still in the Prime's arms, he lurched forward and dusted himself off, not daring to look at his old enemy.
He could hear Optimus's intakes wheezing, and he strode quickly to the door, calling softly for Soundwave.
The blue mech was there in a sparkbeat, soundlessly moving to the seeker's berthside and running gentle fingers over him, the crying ending as a soothing melody floated around the small room.
"Well." Ratchet said as he stepped back and allowed Soundwave full reign over the unhappy seeker. "At least somebody cares for him."
Megatron growled, but didn't respond.
Then the medic turned to him and began issuing instructions he obviously expected Megatron to memorize, and it took the gunformer several moments to realize that the medic was preparing to leave Starscream in his care and go back to the Ark.
As he walked Prime and Ratchet to the door of the Nemesis, he stopped Ratchet before the medic left.
"Thank you." He said quietly.
Ratchet looked him up and down and nodded, then said something puzzling. "Be careful; Starscream is dangerous. Ask Jazz when you see him next."
Startled, Megatron glanced from the medic to the Prime, but both turned their backs on him and stepped out of the ship, and that was that.
The warlord leaned against the wall for several breems, then trudged back towards the med bay.
He would ask Soundwave about it later.
Surely he would know.