VII.
Spilled Ichor
The hologram of Megatron in a defensive stance was shown to the other present Autobots within the meeting room.
The Prime ex-vented. He had to make a plan that would leave him and his team unscathed and the human involved safe. Optimus was still thinking on how to execute the plan. Megatron had no soldiers, no army and that gives then the upper hand.
However, that was Megatron and Optimus knew better than to underestimate the warlord.
Two days have passed and the Prime has yet to make a move. Humans around the area are threatened by him. New reports emerged saying that Megatron had raided towns and villages for their supplies. He didn't take much, just enough to last an Earth month.
Why would he do that?
"Can I see the femme, again?" Arcee, a petite pink and white cybertronian two-wheeled grounder, asked. She was supposed to be back in their base at Texas, but the warrior had decided tag along.
When the Prime inquired her about her post back on the Ark, the former spaceship now base, Sunstreaker had apparently covered for her if it meant less interaction with the organics.
Bumblebee nods at her request and changes it into the image of said human femme.
The femme's fur on her helm—hair, as humans had called it, was so long. Her optics reminded him of that of a doe, wide-eyed and in awe as she peeked behind the warlord's pedes. Optimus was probably just pulling on strands at this point, but he was sure that there was a hint of recognition in her eyes to whoever she was looking at. And, according to Bumblebee, she was looking at him.
"What could Megatron possibly want from a human femme?" Arcee asked, tilting her helm as she held her chin. "What's the name of the human ?"
"Epps and Lennox are still looking into it," Optimus answered. "Bumblebee, are you sure there were no other Decepticons in the area?"
A beep and a nod came from Bumblebee.
"The lil' femme aside, what about the sparklings?" Jazz asked, tossing the data pad to Arcee who caught it with no effort. "I mean, Megatron having four sparklings? Who in their right mind would want to bond and frag him?"
Optimus sighed as he looked away from Jazz and turns to Ironhide. "Retrieving the human femme would be easy, but the sparklings are the problem."
"Optimus, when you guys went to check on the area where the energon signature was detected, you guys didn't find anything, correct?" Sideswipe piped up as he looks at the hologram. "Could it be possible that the energon signature came from the sparklings?"
Ratchet shook his head.
"It couldn't be, otherwise, it would have shown four energon signatures." The medic pointed out. "There were no signs of any cybertronian activity, except for the tracks Megatron left behind, but even we were lead to nothing."
Bumblebee changes the hologram to the sparkling, he points to the red one. "—looks like they can fly!—just like their daddy!—"
"True, Megatron is a seeker and the sparklings might be as well, but they look nothing like him." Arcee pointed out, glancing at the hologram. "Unless... they took after their carrier. Seeing as according to Bee, they ran to Megatron when he startled them."
Crosshairs asked what everyone was probably thinking, "The thing is, who could possibly be their carrier?"
The metal doors open and Lennox and Epps walk in along with a few other humans. "I'm still getting used on using the ground bridge. We found some information about the girl, but I'm still confused as to why you guys need to dig into her." William Lennox said as Optimus went over to them and helped them up on the big metal table. "Is she like... aware of your guys' existence? Do we have to bribe her not to say you guys exist or something?"
"From the looks of it, it's more complicated than that, human," Crosshairs sighed as stood beside the former Decepticon who was silent throughout the whole meeting.
"According to the papers, her name was Persephone Villamora." Epps said, giving the papers in his hands to Jazz who had walked over to the group of humans. "But her files said she had died from suicide. Overdosed on pills, the poor girl."
Everyone was silent.
That caught his attention. How can she be alive when reports says she was offlined? Was it possible that the human femme had faked her death? For what? That or...
The thought disgusted the Prime.
A Decepticon Pretender might have taken her identity and disguised themselves as the deceased femme.
The thought revolted the Prime.
"Are you guys sure that the femme was offlined? If so, when did she... passed?" Ironhide spoke up first.
It was Lennox who answered, "Around five years ago give or take."
"But... she's alive." Sideswipe pointed at the hologram just as it changed to the femme in question. "If she was dead, how could she be seen alive?"
The hologram glitches and the femme moves. There was a look of awe in her face as she looks at where Bumblebee supposedly stood. But it later turned into terror as she falters and turns to look at where Cade supposedly stood.
Her dermas moves and Optimus could read her words easily.
"Just leave. Please." Was what she said, before the recorded hologram repeats from the beginning.
"Perhaps, this Persephone Villamora had already met the humans' maker," Optimus said as realisation slowly crawls into his processor. "It could be a... Decepticon Pretender that used the deceased human femme's identity as a human disguise."
"That... is so fucked up." Epps said, crossing his arms. "If that's the case, then what that Decepticon is doing would be identity theft."
The Prime looks away. How can someone steal others' identity and impersonate them? Even back on Cybertron, whether an Autobot or Decepticon, in death everyone was equally respected. Whoever this 'Con is had obviously tarnished the human femme's identity and didn't care so in the first place.
How repulsive.
At first, he had thought that she had been held hostage. Perhaps used to be a bargaining chip. Maybe that was Megatron's plan. To use her as a bargaining chip and she can spy on then.
Allowing the Decepticons to infiltrate them.
"That can explain the energon signature that Bumblebee sensed from her," Ratchet pointed out, brows furrowed. "Not only that, the Decepticon femme could possibly be the carrier of the sparklings and might have mostly taken after her appearance."
"No surprise," Jazz said, crossing his arms. "But could Pretenders age up the species they're impersonating? On the picture this Persephone gal have on her files suggests that her life was cut short at a young age, younger than Bumblebee when the war started."
The Second-in-Command pointed out. Optimus took in his words. He didn't know much about Decepticon Pretenders, seeing as they were experiments of Shockwave.
They were made from both random Autobot and Decepticon prisoners back on Cybertron.
The action itself was disgusting and vile.
"Yeah, she looks... older on the hologram, guys." Lennox said as he appears to asses the informations and possibilities he was hearing. "She looks like she's in her early twenties."
Bumblebee whirrs and then shows the image of the Decepticon warlord again. What was the point of the Decepticon Pretender to retain its human disguise? It was living far away from human civilization. Maybe it had fancied the human femme's design.
"Wait, how is he fixed?" One of the soldiers asked, pointing at the warlord with a confused look. "I could have sworn the last time I saw him, his helm was mostly turned off and he was... beyond repair."
Optimus turns to the human mech that spoke. "What do you mean by that?" He asked, confused as to what the human meant by its words.
"Just before we got the news that you guys were coming here, Sergeant Keppard and some troops had ambushed him," The human soldier spoke, his human optics were wide with confusion. "I would know, I was the one to give the signal to fire. I was there. I swear, I saw with my own eyes that, that thing was beyond fixed. The Decepticon leader was on the brink of death, Sir."
Optimus raised a brow in surprise.
"You had planned to kill him?" He asked and the soldier nodded. "There were no human casualties, were there?"
"There was a close call, but we managed." He answered with a troubled look. "He was barely functioning and we saw him fall over too. When they didn't recover a body, we figured he had fled and died slowly. Not... fixed."
"Based on the human's testimony," Arcee said, gesturing at the human soldier. "I think we've got a situation in our servos, maybe Megatron has a medic that can patch him up good."
Ironhide shook his head in disagreement. "If he did, then Bee would have seen them," The Weapon Specialist said. "Seeing as Decepticons usually stick together and Megatron would have ordered them to fight as well."
"Not only that," Ratchet added. "If he was easily patched up like that after some damage, that should suggest that he had help, but seeing as Megatron doesn't have a medic, that would be impossible. And even if he did, they lack cybertronian equipment and this image shows that he was fixed with our equipment."
"Perhaps the femme is also his medic," Optimus suggested at the possibility. "And according to Bumblebee, Megatron's words heavily implies that he is protecting them." The Prime turns to Bumblebee and nods.
"—Leave with your human and never bother us! Otherwise I will not hesitate to have your helm for stepping in my territory and disturbing my family, scout.—" Megatron's recoded audio echoed within the room and had left most bots and humans with raised brows.
"Did I hear that correctly?" Arcee asked in disbelief.
"That's exactly my reaction," Sideswipe nodded as he crossed his arms. "Trust me, even now, my processor has trouble accepting the fact that he said those words."
"So, if we're going with the narrative that the lil' lady isn't human but a 'Con Pretender and those brood of sparklings are hers, then, what's the plan, Prime?" Jazz asked as all heads turn to Optimus.
He thinks for a moment and spoke. "We will have to secure them in one spot, seeing as Bumblebee has already locked on their locations. Once we've confirmed that they are indeed... bonded, we either leave them alone or offer them aid." Optimus informed, looking at each if the Autobot members in the room.
"Wait, you're saying we help them? A bunch of Decepticons?" Arcee interjected, crossing her arms. "And the very bot why our planet died? Am I the only one hearing this?"
"The sparklings would need sustenance and I doubt whatever they have left would let them get by," Ratchet replied. "Besides, this is the first time in eons since a sparkling had been sparked. Not just one but four."
Drift finally spoke after being silent the while time, "But Optimus how are you sure that after we've helped then, they won't bite the very servos that feed then?"
Crosshairs groans at the blue Autobot's words.
"We don't, but we must help anyone who are... in need, especially our own," Optimus answered. "However, if the human femme is indeed human and is simply being forced, then we will have to bring her and the sparklings under Autobot protection."
"With all due respect, sir, I don't think that's possible." Arcee said with uncertainty. "Besides, how will we be able to know that Megatron is away leaving the femme and the sparklings alone?"
"We will head there now," Optimus answered. "Arcee, you can secure the perimeter with his own cloaking abilities. Once the coast is clear, we shall... confront the femme."
"How are we sure she won't rat us out to Megatron?" Sideswipe asked, concerned.
Ironhide laughs. "What's he going to do? Fight us? There's one of him and seven of us, he doesn't stand a chance."
"To avoid any human casualties, Lennox, Epps, hold the fort down until we return. Drift, Sideswipe, and Crosshairs should stay here in base in case the human's would need assistance." The Prime says and the humans nod. The red and blue mech turns to his team and gives a nod. Finally, after two days, the meeting has come to an end.
As he left, five of the Autobots followed him.
Each transformed into their vehicle form and hits the road. Bumblebee lead the way as they travelled the desert until they reached the road. The highway barely had any cars. Earth intrigued the Prime.
The sunset and sunrise here were different, yes. However, humans were eerily similar to cybertronians, save for the fact that humans were organics. It was a shame the inhabitants of the planet were quite... disagreeable sometimes.
Bumblebee takes a turn off the road and the team goes through a savannah, the grass were tall and it slightly tickled the underneath of the Prime's form. Arcee, who had her holoform on so humans wouldn't freak out about a vehicle driving itself asked how farther do they have to go. In the distance there were some trees, it was far away enough from human civilization.
The road and the few cars that passed through it disappeared in the distance behind them as they neared the massive floras of this area. Bumblebee was the first to transform into his bipedal form and point into the wood.
"—Just beyond the woods—" A snippet of human audio from the radio came from Bumblebee as he points at the trees. "—Keep a look out, pardner—"
The rest transformed into their bipedal form. Arcee had readied her blasters as she went into the woods, before her form disappeared among the trees with Bumblebee behind her.
"Autobot, prepare to engage in battle in case our comrades need back up," Optimus ordered as his battle mask slipped on and his servos transformed into his battle axe.
The trees in the area were taller than the ones back in Texas, it towered over him. The trunk was thicker as well as the leaves that sprouted from it. Earth's flora was strange and maybe that was part of its charm.
After what seemed to be twenty minutes, Optimus received a comm link from Arcee.
{:Arcee reporting, sir. No signs of Megatron nearby, he must be off somewhere, but there are no signs of the sparklings either.:}
No sparklings?
{:Send your coordinates and stand your ground, we'll be there. Prime, out.:}
With that Optimus turned to the others and gestured to the trees. The Prime was the first to step in the woods, crouching every now and then to get by. As they passed, some birds would fly off the trees. There were flowers beneath them.
Colorful flowers beneath them could be seen as Optimus looked at it in awe. What a shame that they weren't there for an expedition. Not even the records that passed through his digits can compare to the mesmerising effect of the floras on this planet. It was simply beautiful.
The sunlight was growing dimmer as the trees grew dense. The forest seemed to swallow him and his team alive, but it didn't pose as a danger. Plants seemed to be much more simple and peaceful compared to the humans, despite living in the same planet.
His processor wonders to Arcee words. The sparklings weren't there. A sense of dread fills him as he moved him. What if it was an ambush?
Prime would have to swiftly come up with a plan to avoid casualties of his team and closest friends. When he spots the scout's yellow and black crouched form, he heads over. The scout spots them and waves over to them silently.
As they neared, Arcee can be seen with her back turned to them.
"What's the situation?" Optimus asked lowly to avoid being detected.
"Why do I feel like this is an ambush?" Arcee replied, glancing at the Prime and points. "However, the femme is present. She's by that body of water, alone. Megatron is nowhere to be seen and from the looks of it, there aren't anything here that implied this was where they were camping."
Jazz said, "If that were to be the case, why would they leave the lil' lady behind?"
"I will confront her, the rest of you stay here." Optimus ordered. "That way, they won't be startled and would show a little bit of vulnerability.
The Prime walked out of the woods slowly. The are lead out to a savannah and in the distance, there's a lake. The form of the human femme was stationed near the river. Slowly, to avoid being detected, he walks to her.
Optimus sensed an energon signature from her.
The femme didn't seem to notice him with her back turned. She was small, smaller than the other humans. Her hair was long and a rich dark color. Optimus noticed that flowers littered around her as she made what seemed to be... a giant flower crown?
He had seen Annabelle, Lennox's sparkling, make those when they came to visit back then.
The femme sighed as she appeared to finish her little project. She was silent. Her helm moves slightly to the side and she chuckled, "I can hear you, you know."
The Prime froze.
He stopped in his tracks when he heard her. She can sense him? Pretenders usually don't have the ability to sense a cybertronian and even Prime doesn't know why. How fascinating.
"Look, Megatron, I need to tell you something important," She confessed, her voice soft and gentle, which placed an ease on Optimus. The femme has mistaken him for its leader. Not only that, it appears to have some valuable information.
The femme sighed in frustration. "Fuck, I-... I don't know how to say this to you," He heard her say. "I... I am... Remember when I said- I..."
There was a pregnant pause.
"Remember when we first met? You've mistaken me for a spy." He heard her chuckle as she shook her helm as if the phrase itself was silly. "I know you're cautious of me and I can't blame you. I guess if you're often being betrayed, you can't help but question others' loyalty."
Optimus listened.
"You're probably wondering what this little fleshling has to say to you. Well, let me tell you," She starts. "What I'm trying to say is that I...I really appreciate getting the chance to meet you. I...I hope you...feel the same wa–oh my god,no, that'sstupid. That's evenworse. Let me just start this over. Please, let me finish before you speak."
She laughed nervously.
The Prime was more than happy to oblige.
As the femme moves to stand, the wind blew prompting the unused flowers to fly around. Some landed on the flowing river in front of her. While others landed near him. One flower lands on his pedes.
"Megatron, since I met you, so many wonderful experiences have happened to me, one right after the other." The femme said. "I...I've fallen in love with this little play pretend we did, and...you're all kind of my family now. But you...you remind me of home. I feel...safe, and secure, whenever I'm around you. It...you...you make me feel..."
Optimus felt his stomach drop. This was wrong. He shouldn't be the one listening to this, this isn't for his audios to hear. He wanted to stop her, tell her to save her words for Megatron and instead answer his questions.
But the Prime felt compelled to listen.
"You're arrogant and selfish. You use others for your own gain and you've tortured, kill, and committed a lot of war crimes to have Cybertron in your grasps," She continues, her form faltering a little. "You're a tyrant and you're dangerous. You're like this... hybrid. This mix of a mech who... couldn't contain himself."
He here's a shaky sigh from her, her servos running through her hair before dropping right back to both of her sides.
"I got the sense that you became torn between being a good person and... missing out on all of the opportunities that life could offer a mech as magnificent as you, and in that way I... understood you." The femme paused—or was that hesitation? "You have become the most important being to me now... the most important being ever. You have overwhelmingly bewitched me. Mesmerized my very soul by your existence alone. Your voice is sin to my ears and I am sent to Heaven when you held me in your servos and look at me with such tenderness. Words cannot comprehend how much I adore and love you, Megatronous."
There was a pause and Optimus himself didn't know how to respond. This was... a very sincere and genuine confession. He crouched down. Optics focused on her.
He felt ashamed as he was about to embarrass her.
"My apologies, but I am not Megatron," The Prime said and the small human femme stiffened.
When she turns, her face was red and her cheeks were wet. Her eyes were wide with surprise as her mouth gaped. She looked troubled. Her face contorted into a face of anger then twists into disappointment as she composed herself.
"You..." Her voice trailed off. "I would appreciate it if you didn't tell him that, Prime." She chuckled nervously as she looked away and he saw a hint of sadness in her optics.
He raised a brow at her words.
"You... know who I am?" Optimus inquired as to why she wasn't being hostile towards him. She seemed docile for a Decepticon Pretender and she can eerily blend in with the humans what with the vocabulary she possessed.
"Yes, I'm aware. Last of the living Primes, right?" She answered as she crossed her arms. "Listen, we aren't plotting some evil scheme and shit. We don't want any trouble, so just... leave us alone. Please?"
The Prime comes closer to her and she merely stands as they both made eye contact. He asked, "Who are you? And why are you with the Decepticon warlord?"
"I'm Persephone Villamora," The human femme answered. "The reason I'm with him is because he saved me and because...I'm sure you've heard how much I adore him."
He looks her over, searching to see if there were any hints of deceit, but Optimus found nothing.
"May I speak with you, Ms. Villamora?" The Prime inquired and she only smiled at him.
"Please, call me Persephone," She replied.
There was something about her that confused him. One, she wasn't being scared at him which meant that Megatron hadn't filled her head with lies and victimising himself. Second, for someone who spent time with the Decepticon warlord, she was awfully calm in the presence of supposed enemies. What an odd girl. Lastly, if she were to be a Decepticon Pretender she should have shown her true colors already.
And yet, sees her as is.
The wind picks up again and her hair sways with it. That was the moment Optimus can look at her properly. Her skin was tan and the clothes she wore were new. Where had she got them?
He paused.
There were reports of the warlord raiding villages of their supplies. Megatron had no specific target and all of them had mostly been random. The femme looked take care of for the most part. She wasn't malnourished and there were no signs of abuse, but he did notice her knuckles were bandaged.
Was Megatron taking care of the femme?
Why would he do that?
"What happened to your servos?" He inquired as the human femme looked at her own. The damage on her servos peeked his confusion. What happened to her?
"Oh this? Don't worry about them," She laughed. "Wanted to prove I can kick some ass to the big guy, but I forgot that humans can't punch through metal."
Optimus walks over beside her, opposite of the giant floral crown she had made, and beside the river.
"May I see?" He crouched down on one knee and offers a servo at her. "It is alright for you to refuse, I have no intention of forcing you if it makes you uncomfortable."
Questions upon questions formed in his processor. What significance did the femme posses? She seemed normal, no hints of cybertronian except for the energon signature coming off from her. Optimus still couldn't find a reason why she gives that off.
Just who was she?
Persephone hesitated, looking away from him. "S-sure, I guess." She answered, putting her hand on the tip of his digits. It was only a scrape, a light-feather touch upon the tips of his digit and it sends a jolt throughout his frame.
White painted his vision briefly and he finds himself looking at her as the stinging fades.
It must have been because of the sun that hits her eyes, because Optimus could have sworn the color of her eyes were as dark as molasses.
A sea of honey, copper and gold mixed in one had concocted into a rich mesmerizing color that encircled a growing abyss—It melts the Prime within its display.
He felt helpless.
Everything inside him came undone as he stared at the face of the human femme in front of him. All the strings that held Optimus to his life were sliced apart in swift cuts, similar to the chains that would bound a prisoner to their cell.
Everything that made him who he was—his status as Prime, his responsibilities of fighting a war, the love he had for his planet and its people, the hatred he bears for his enemies, his newfound home, his name, himself—had all disconnected from him in that instant as all knowledge of himself is washed away into a sea of gold.
However, it does not leave him stranded.
In it's place was a thread.
Not a single thread, but billions. It wasn't a thread. No, not a thread but steel cables. A million steel cables all tying him down to one thing—To the very center of the universe.
He saw the cosmos and the galaxies of universe. Each leaving him speechless than the last. But it all pales in comparison when he sees who was in the middle of all the stars. Everything changed, meshed and blurred together until none of it made sense, but she remained constant—perpetual.
The Earth's gravity no longer held him down to where he is
It was the small, fragile human who looked at him with concern in her eyes.
Persephone.
"Are you alright? You didn't get hurt, did you?" Her voice, the only sound that could touch him in that endless instant, had rung out.
Like a melody.
Then he knew. In that moment he knew who she was. Who she was supposed to be—who she was meant to be. How this tiny little femme holds so much value to him.
Persephone tilts her head slightly away from the light, removing the gold in her eyes unintentionally. Her eyes turned brown the moment the light didn't shine in them—black, like the endless grasps of space. They were terrifyingly enchanting, bewitching. The Abyss threatens to swallow the Prime's form in its endless pool of darkness.
And who was Optimus to deny her?
— ixi —
After placing their supplies within the cave, Megatron had opt to get the sparklings. He wanted Persephone to go with him, that way it would make a one-way trip. However, she insisted on staying.
"The flower crown I'm making isn't done, okay?" Persephone had begged, looking at him pleadingly. "Please?"
He sighed. "Alright."
She rejoiced and telling him how he would love the creation she had made. He didn't know what she wanted to do with all those flowers nor why she requested several flowers in the first place. He didn't ask. The smile on her face had warmth surging within him.
And so, he respected her wishes.
Megatron stayed with the sparklings, giving Persephone some time to finish whatever it was she was doing. The last time he saw her the flowers were connected like strings and she had yelled at him to not look. She had went so far as to stand and black it with her body, limbs stretched out.
How can he pretend not to see it when the display itself was present behind her?
Her little form couldn't hide something so huge.
It was amusing, to say the least.
Megatron was hesitant in leaving her alone. She couldn't fend for herself for she has yet to learn how. However, he wanted to show her that he trusted her. So, despite him being scared that she might run off, he let her be.
After all, she will be alright.
The feeling of something crawling behind him jolts the former gladiator out of his thoughts. He turns to see Ares, the little sparkling, chirps at him. He chuckled.
"Hello little one," Megatron smiled at him. The sparkling in his grasp laughed at the attention he was giving him.
Now that Megatron thought about it, he barely spent time with them. He was always looking after them from afar for the sake of their safety. The planet and its inhabitants were heartless and cruel. He had to keep them safe.
Persephone was the one who spent time with them. She wasn't as affectionate as other carriers that he had seen back then, often hesitating and looking at him for guidance, but Megatron can't exactly blame her. Even he lacked the knowledge of being a creator. He was afraid that these sparklings would hate him or hate her.
He had grown fond of them.
He didn't know which unfortunate couple had perished and left them behind, but he will look after them.
They were growing strong despite the odds of being against them and Megatron couldn't be more proud of them.
When he named himself after one of the thirteenth Primes, Megatron had envisioned himself as the next Prime. From a former miner to a gladiator who won every tournament in the Pits of Kaon, he never imagined waging a war. Optimus made a mistake appointing him as Lord High Protector.
But how can he ignore the cries of those cybertronians whose status were and are similar to his own origins?
To wage a war against those who looked down on others, to overthrow the mechs and femmes that looked down on the unfortunate, to abolish a horrific and unjust system—that was the very core of the Decepticon movement.
The death of the planet, losing comrades within the war, and losing his closest friends never crossed his processor as something he never thought would have happened. Especially standing as a creator for this sparklings. Yet, here he was. Was this also fate that he found them?
A series of chirr were heard as he looked to see Starfire arguing with Blackfire. He shook his helm and smiled. A sense of pride swelled in his chassis to see them lively. They were happy despite the circumstances they were in.
When he looks back at Ares he sees yellow optics, the kind that reminds him of Persephone's optics when they're illuminated, looks at him with wonder. He hugs Ares, holding the little sparkling close. Megatron swore that he will try his best to be a creator figure for them.
Right, he should come fetch her.
He sets Ares down as he stood up. The warlord head instructed the sparklings to stay within the cave. To wait for his return. "I will come get your carrier," Megatron said. "Under no circumstances are you to leave this cave, do I make myself clear?"
Four helm nods in agreement.
With that, the warlord turns to leave. He turns to them. He paused for a moment before hugging the sparklings in his arms. After setting them down gently, he leaves.
As he passed the barrier of water that the waterfall had created, he remembers the human femme.
The absence of her was everywhere and he was growing restless because of that.
It was a shame that they had to move after staying there. However, the move should be temporary. The waterfall was a great display to cover them, but humans needed the sun as well, so he will have to find a new area where Persephone can roam around. She had a habit of wondering off every now and then much to his dismay.
As he walked down beside the river his thoughts wondered what she was making. He didn't want to admit it, but as the minutes passed, Megatron was starting to miss her voice. The mech swore that all the magnificent planet and cosmos that he had encountered pale when she was around. However, he refused to tell that.
If she did hear that, she would simply laugh and say something along the lines of "Of course! I am pretty after all." While posing dramatically.
She was amusing.
And a he neared their sight, he caught sight of a familiar mech that was crouching down beside the river. The flowers he had gathered for Persephone were scattered here and there. Megatron felt dread hold him. Where was Persephone?
He snarled, his arm transforming into a cannon. The weapon hummed to life. Megatron opted to aim for his helm, but instead aimed for the shoulder. He fired without any hints of hesitancy, injuring a certain red and blue mech.
How dare Prime show his face here?
"Let that be a warning to anyone who dares to challenge the gladiator of Kaon—be they Decepticon or Autobot." Megatron snarled, his voice booming as if Judgement Day had arrived.
Optimus turns to him slowly, glaring at him as the mech's optics became a dark shade of blue. He felt a cold chill crawl down his spine. Did he found out who Persephone was? The Prime stands turning to him in a protective stance.
The human femme that he oh so adored peeked behind him and a look of relief spreads across her face.
"Megatron!" She calls out in joy as she moves to run to him, only to stop as Prime picks her up. "What the fuck? Hey, let me go. Please."
The warlord noticed the other Autobots as they ran, pointing their weapons at him while the human femme pleaded to be let go.
He does not falter.
Weapon still aiming at the Prime. "You heard the femme, Prime." He growled. "Let her go."
"Back off, Megatron. You and I both know well that she, a human, does not belong to you," Optimus growled, holding the struggling human femme close to his chassis like a sparkling would if they refused to share a toy. "You are outnumbered. Leave the girl alone and you may go unscathed."
He laughed. "What are you on about, Prime?" Megatron taunts, feigning innocence. "She chose to stay beside me and who am I to deny the fleshling?"
"You're not one for weaklings, much less a human," Arcee barked, glaring at him. "What are you planning?"
Megatron shrugged nonchalantly.
"My plan is to take the human femme somewhere safe, away from the servos of pesky Autobots such as you," He snapped. "Let the femme go, Prime. If you do, I will leave you and the rest of your soldiers... online."
"I have no idea what he has done to you, Ms. Villamora, but you will need to get away from him this instant." Optimus said, voice strong and certain making the warlord grimace. "We will escort you to your home today, and I expect you to cooperate with us."
The Primes looks at the human femme with an emotion that he was all to familiar with.
Fondness.
So, the Prime now knows who she is.
The thought angered him. It was none of Optimus' business. She paused, optics moving as she processed her words. Megatron saw a look of hope in her face. He felt... a twinge of pain in his spark.
Did she feel like a prisoner with him?
Persephone sighed in irritation.
"I was not kidnapped for fuck's sake!" She yelled, bashing her fists on the Prime's servo that encircled her. "I chose to be with him. What part of that do you not understand? I told you to leave us alone, why can't you do something so simple like that?"
"She sure got her processor real messed up," The black Autobot comments as he glanced at the femme before glaring back towards the Decepticon warlord.
"Stockholm Syndrome can happen to anyone," Ratchet said behind him.
Behind him?
Slag.
This was not good, he was too focused on Prime and the femme in his grasps that he didn't notice the other Autobots had circled around him.
"Go on, then" Megatron challenged. "Put her down in between us and see whom she choose. See that I am indeed taking her hostage." His voice dripped with sarcasm.
The Prime snarled at him, optics on the verge of being purple before they look at the femme. His gaze would soften before he crouches down. Optimus hesitantly places her down. She looks at the Prime, her back turned to the warlord.
Megatron felt his spark sank in anticipation.
Then, without hesitation, Persephone runs to him and he wastes no time in crouching down and offering his servo at her. She clings into his touch and when she looked up at him, he knew how scared she looked.
A smile grazes his face as connects his forehelm with her tiny ones, something he realized she had favoured as well. Megatron cradles her to his chassis, dusting off the invisible dirt from the top of her helm. He has the femme in his servos and it was likely the Autobots wouldn't shoot. They won't harm a human, after all.
"Don't shoot them," Persephone pleaded softly as she leans to his chassis, her optics closed.
"For you, I will not." He answered.
Without tearing his gaze away from her, he walks away. The Autobots wearily allow him to go. When he was a good distance, he turned his neck to Optimus, showing enough portion of his face to flash him a smile that matched his true nature.
He heard the Prime roar as he charged at him. With ease, Megatron avoided his assault. The other Autobots charges at him and he barely placed down Persephone just in time to block the Prime's axe.
"So, predictable." The Decepticon warlord taunts with an evil smile. Optimus then use his other servo, which had transformed into a sword, and trusted it on Megatron's side.
He roars in pain, glaring at the Prime.
With that he kicks him off of him and he turns just to block an oncoming attack to his surprise it was the Autobot's infamous second-in-command. "Oh, I could have sworn I had ripped you in half before," Megatron mused.
"Well, it takes more than thatp to offline me, buckethead," Jazz grins before being tossed by the giant mech towards the Prime, knocking him down once more.
"No, stop!" Persephone yelled somewhere behind him and he sees her looking at him pleadingly. "No, don't hurt them. Let's just go, Megatron."
He couldn't stop.
He had to protect her otherwise they would take her away from him.
The warlord was about to answer her when he noticed the yellow and back scout was about to grab her and Megatron wasted no time in grabbing his arm. He bears his sharp dentas in a maniacal smile as he rips the scout's arm from his form. The weakling made sounds of pain as he grabbed him by the helm and tossed him aside.
Something small wraps around his neck only for him to be forced to fall backwards. When he opened his optics, the pink and white femme had powered her blasters pointing directly at his helm. Swiftly, Megatron aims her arm away from his helm and the moment he did, her blasters went off. A close call.
He snarled, switching the position to his advantage.
He holds her by the waist and ripped off of her leg. An energon-curdling scream tore its way out if her intake as he smiled. It was moments like this that takes him back on the battlefield.
Back in the Pits of Kaon.
When people rejoiced once he had slain foes that towered over him. Mechs and femmes who's arrogance got the better of them. If he closed his optics, Megatron can faintly hear the cheers and praise of every cybertronian who rejoiced at his victory.
He loathed the Pits of Kaon and those who held them there.
However, he loved the battles. He adored going out into that arena and give his foes false hope, as if they ever stood a chance against him. He grins at the Ironhide. "You don't stand a chance," He said before blasting his cannon on Ironhide who barely missed the shot.
Megatron effortlessly blocks the shots the Weapon Specialist made, tearing away his cannons and breaking his servos, prompting him to scream in pain.
Ratchet was beside Arcee, attempting to patch her up. The warlord didn't bother with him, the femme needed help after all. He didn't want anyone to die... at the moment.
Energon was spilled everywhere, the ground and on him. He laughs, echoing around the area. "I told all of you to leave me and my femme, alone," Megatron's voice boomed. "And yet, none of you listened."
"I'll crush you with my bare servos," Optimus glared at him. "I do not know what lies you have poisoned her with, but you will not lay a single digit upon her or any of my team." He goes into a fighting stance, battle axe and sword ready, the Prime glances at Ironhide.
A look of pensive rage clear upon his optics.
"Oh, so you dare to challenge me, Prime?" Megatron laughs. "Do hurry up, our sparklings are waiting for us." He grins, gesturing to him and the human femme.
Optimus lunges at him, sending the two bots tumbling. When the motion stops, Megatron finds himself underneath and he moves his helm just in time for the axe to land a few centimetres away from his helm.
Too close.
Before Prime can recover, Megatron shoves him off of him.
He tackled the Prime, grabbing one of his antenna and smashing his helm on the ground. He aims his cannon on the Prime's helm and firing, but Optimus was able to move swiftly. Megatron kicks him, and smashing his fists right beside the Prime's helm.
At least that landed.
Adrenaline rushes in his form as the thrill edges him. Just like in the Pits of Kaon, he will emerge as the victor. He always did. But he loved the way his enemies put up a fight, as if they were going to get out of this alive.
This time, he didn't want to hear the cheers of the cybertronians who paid and watched to see him die within the arena. No, he no longer fights for their amusement or for his survival. This time he fights for her. He fights viciously once more, letting himself be a tool of amusement for her—for Persephone.
He imagines himself back at the arena where several confetti fell as everyone celebrated his victory. Not confetti, but flowers and petals that rains softly over him. However, this time, the stadium is empty except for one creature. There, very close to the fighting ring was Persephone, imagining how tall she'd be of she gigantic like his species as she cheered him on.
He would fight anything for her.
And if she wanted the helm of the Prime, he would gladly give it to her. To see that smile on her, the very smile he wanted her to give. The adoring look she would give him—he wanted all of her for himself.
It was seldom he dwelled upon how he felt for her. Now, now he realized. She appears to him when he had accepted death. The human femme was affectionate, often kissing his cheek or the tips of his digits.
He loved that, in her own way, she worshipped him
Megatron had came across Greek Mythology when she had mentioned it. Perhaps, the human femme named Persephone is a goddess—no, she is a goddess. How can a tiny fleshling hold his spark in their grasps and not realize it?
He imagines her, no longer near the fighting ring, but upon this throne that is place way up but not so high up for her to not see anything. The warlord imagines her, dressed in the highest quality and expensive clothing of silk and velvet. She was no measly human. Persephone was–is a goddess and ichor runs through her veins.
The warlord is enchanted by her.
He longs to bask underneath her praises while beneath her gentle touch. Megatron needs to see her smile gently and lovingly at him, again. He does not want her to stop. For her optics to look at him with adoration—those blasted optics, he's never seen anything like it back on Cybertron, they were endless abyss like the ocean at night and Megatron finds himself drowning in them.
He decided, in that moment, what he will give to her. To conquer Earth and its people would be a disgrace. No. Megatron will make her ruler of Cybertron.
She shall know no hardships and cybertronian and organic alike must worship the ground she walks upon on. She is Persephone, the very goddess that puts him on his knees and takes his very spark with ease. However, the warlord will not admit it. Not to himself, at least.
Human life is fleeting while he and the rest of his kind will live more for eons to come. Humans were all the same, they were forgettable and annoying. However, Persephone was a different case, obviously. She was the only organic that he wanted to remember.
The only organic he wanted to live on forever.
He will... immortalize her, but how?
"Now!" The Prime barked beneath him, snapping him out of his trance. He turns his helm in time the shot to land on face, sending him stumping back wards.
A sharp pain erupts in his shoulder. His vision had been robbed for a moment and when they can finally see, the Prime's axe was burrowed deeply within his shoulder and energon starts to leak.
He applied force, wrapping the wires and cables that attached his arm. The red and blue mech chops his arm off, energon immediately rushing out into the open.
He saw Persephone running over.
"Don't!" He snapped at her, prompting her to stop. "Energon is highly toxic to you humans. I've seen your kind burn in moments contact."
She opened her mouth to respond–
The pain ripped through his processor, his mouth opened to scream but his audio glitches and no sound comes out. Optimus had grabbed him by the helm and proceeded to bash his helm on a boulder. The bashing continues, only this time it was accompanied with a liquid sound. Megatron can see bits of energon in the stone.
His other optics was useless now, damaged beyond repair. His other optic was barely functioning, but it was the only thing that aided him to see. He roared in rage as he flipped his body over and swung to punch the Prime, but Optimus caught his fist and crushed his servo. They were still functioning, but barely.
The neon blue liquid was hard to miss.
"No!" Persephone screams in the distance. "Optimus, please! Stop! Please!"
Megatron hears hysteria in her voice. He couldn't see her. The warlord pushes through the pain and forced his helm to turn in her direction. "Don't come near me," He groaned.
A blue servo blocks her path, covering her from his remaining gaze
"It is in your best for you to not talk to him, Persephone." Optimus said, gently. "He is dangerous and going near him can hurt–"
"I'll go with you!" He heard her snap at the Prime. "I'll go with you, just please, leave him alone! He didn't do anything wrong! At least... at least let me say goodbye to him, please?" No, she shouldn't beg like that. She didn't deserve to beg. If Persephone wanted something, she should have it.
His spark sank at her pleas.
The servo reluctantly moves away. "I will... give you time to part with him." With that, the Prime gets off of him and stands in a distance somewhere above him. How foolish of Optimus to think that he would hurt her.
Persephone cries as she runs and climbs on top of him, his remaining and functioning servo weakly helping her up. "No, no, no!" She yelled, slamming her fist down his face. "Why won't it work?!"
"What are you on about, femme?" He asked softly, gazing at his tiny little goddess. There was panic and there was fear, her cheeks were stained wet as she sobbed.
"I-I... I'm trying to heal you, like before?" Her voice shook as she sobbed and cried. "Don't die, please!"
How sweet of her to think of healing him once more. Truly, she is merciful than any god he has heard of. His battered and crushed servo hovers over her helm, his shaking digit, albeit shaking, pets her helm to calm her down. Persephone only sobbed harder as she turns and hugs his digit.
Her sorrow brought him to his knees, his spark screaming in pain. Megatron would do anything to not see her like that. So fragile. So helpless and in pain.
"Do not cry, Persephone," Megatron softly said in hopes of comforting her. "It pains me to see you like this."
She laughs. "Of course you're in pain, silly! You got your ass beaten." A sob shakes her form as she buried her face in his touch. "Today, was supposed to be a special day, but now those stupid Autobots ruined it."
"Why is that?" The warlord asked, intrigued.
She turns to him, hesitation in her optics and she bursts more into tears as she clung on to his servo. Her tears die down and Persephone turns to look at him again. She places her hands on his face again.
"I don't want to leave you." He hears her say. "Don't let them take me away from you. I want to stay here, beside you."
He closed his optic. "I will not let them do that."
She cried out in pain and he opens them again to see her holding her arm away in pain. It war burnt as a drip of energon fell from them. He wanted to kick himself, of course after the Prime bashed his helm there would be energon.
In an instant, the Prime holds her. Cradling her in his grasp as he moves towards the rest of the Autobots.
"Prime!" He roared, but it came out of him as a gurgle as he gasped at whatever strength he had. He turns, lying on his stomach as he glared at Optimus. "The femme stays with me."
Said mech turns to him with a glare as he holds the femme protectively close to him. This was suicide, going against the Prime and his supposed sparkmate. However, Megatron could care less. Persephone wanted to be with him.
He'd be damned if he didn't at least give her that.
Optimus growled.
"No!" She shrieked.
His battle axe raised and charged at Megatron, paying her no mind. As he was about to swing his axe, Persephone jumps off of the servo that held her as she fell to the ground with a thud. She gets up and runs towards the warlord and diving in front of him, legs apart and arms stretched out.
Megatron's optic widened as he weakly tried to stop the Prime.
"Don't!" He hollered, but even Optimus himself had attempted to stop his swing. Persephone would be sliced to ribbons, but the Prime had managed to transform his the weapon into his servo and tried slowing it down.
However, it was not enough to avoid the mistake.
Megatron heard her cry before she fell eerily silent, a loud thud afterwards was heard from where she landed. Mustering all his strength, he got up and rushed past the Prime who fell on to his knees. She was sprawled on the ground, frighteningly still.
Was he seeing this? He stared at the prone form.
He called out to her in cybertronian, nudging her. She seemed to respond to that before. Why wasn't she doing so now? The warlord refused to accept that his spark cam no longer sense her.
"Get away from her." Came a firm voice behind him.
He slowly lifted his helm and turned with a low snarl, his fiery gaze filled with hate.
"What have you done?" Megatron hissed, sneering at his arch-nemesis. He turns back to Persephone's body, scooping it in his servo. She was still warm, but her chest wasn't moving. She wasn't breathing.
No, it can't be.
"Why is it every time you're around, death follows?" the Prime asked behind him.
Megatron laughed, devoid of any amusement.
"You dare pin this to me, as well?" He asked, turning to glare at the Prime while he cradles Persephone. "Tell me, Prime. Why is it that every single time that you are around dead follows? First, you doomed our planet when you took the Allspark and sent it off in the cold reaches of space. Second, you've stolen the title of being Prime when it was rightfully mine and now..."
Megatron closed his optic. "And now you've taken her from me, as well." His audio wavered. The warlord turns. They needed to get home—him and Persephone. However, if they go straight to their new hiding place, the Autobots would surely follow.
He can't risk putting the sparklings in danger.
He never broke eye contact with the Prime as he brought Persephone closer, resting her against his chassis.
He sneered, mumbling something in Cybertronian with obvious distaste, and then began to turn away with long strides back down the hill. He waited until he was down on level ground before folding slowly down into his vehicle mode, Persephone in his cab, before driving away.
The sun was about to set and it was only a matter of time before it went dark.
The sparklings would look for them, but the both of them—him and Persephone—will return to them.
Megatron kept driving throughout the rest of the dusk as it turned into night. Where he chose to stop he no longer cared. He drove, nearly blinded in emotion and physical damage. His vehicle mode rocking and tossing about violently on the uneven grasslands and rocky landscape of the back country savannah.
His body continued to be battered and ruined, but again, he no longer cared—not when something more important needed to be tended to.
It couldn't be true.
The femme was motionless, he could tell she was no longer breathing. The warmth of her body was fading away as he did so. He had tried going over rough terrains in hopes it would jostle her awake, but she remained unresponsive.
Over the groaning of his system begging him to rest, squealing tires, and the growling of the engine no being can hear the slight whimper that escaped the mech.
He braked to a stop near a stream, which had shrunk partially half in size due to the dry season. He groaned low as he transformed into his mech form, the tiny, lifeless femme in his servo.
He nudged her cheek, but her head just rolled to the other side limp and silent. He took her by the shoulders with two claws carefully, and shook her lightly enough to be able to wake her. But once again, there was no response. Slowly, the mech let go of her and let her lie in his palm, and simply stared at her in silence.
With shaking servo he spoke. "Please, wake up." Megatron begged, tears leaking at the edge oh his optic. "Don't leave me." And he tried again.
Again and again and again and again in hopes she would look at him, smile and laugh at him. He wanted her tell him "Ha! You fell for it too! Now, those scummy Autobots won't bother us." And then dance like she would, then tell him that the position she had made her sore.
But she did not laugh. She did not speak and she certainly did not get up and tease him about his words.
Nothing.
Only a moment longer passed before the grief hit him with its entire brute force, sobering him with its frigid and accompanying realization.
She had said she wanted to stay with him.
Now she would get to do none of that.
Not any more.
Never had the Decepticon felt so much emotion weigh him down. Not in the losses of the Pit battles of Kaon nor the loss of brethren in the war. This…was different to him and it was the most painful wound he had ever received.
He wasn't sure if it would stop hurting.
Megatron had forgotten how fragile humans were. How easily their life can be finished quickly. Persephone is a goddess, the kind that smiled at him and looked at him ardently despite the heinous actions he have committed. It wasn't her place to forgive him, but he felt like he can atone for his wrongdoings when she was with him.
But she was no literal goddess. She wasn't immortal and she wasn't powerful. She was small and tiny. She's fragile. Persephone was a human that he wanted to always be around him.
And she paid the price.
Everything was silent. No insects making sounds and no wind blew. Her body had lost all of its warmth, her eyes no longer had that spark—they were lifeless as they were dark. Everything was still, as if the world mourned with him at the loss of his human.
How cruel fate could truly be.
The mighty Megatron sinks to his knees and wept into the night as he held Persephone's cold and lifeless body in his grasps.
End of Chapter VII