XVII. A Woman Scorned


"Starscream, I wish to ask you something regarding Persephone."

"What about her, My Lord?"

Something was strange. It didn't add up as to why she was the way she is. Megatron noticed the changes when she and him had last spoken to each other.

"Do you also notice her smile? How her hair seems more darker in a flattering way or how her optics are quite alluring like the color of lilacs?"

Starscream paused at his words, raising an optic bridge at him. "Pardon, My Lord?"

Megatron shrugged. "Oh, it's just that she looked… more than just pleasing to the eye. Enticing even. Although, I wouldn't blame you if you think so as well." He smiles as he walks towards the femme's berth.

"Lord Megatron, I think you are the only one who sees her… in such a way," Starscream answered as he stood beside the leader. "You are… My brother in Primus, you are in love."

The warlord stops and laughed. "In love? Starscream such a thing does not occur to me," Megatron sneers at his Second-in-Command, "I am not easily distracted by such things, especially by a mere human femme."

He looks at where Persephone slumbers, her form sleeping sound and the way her optics closed shut as she recharged was adorable.

"Sounds like you've already sparkmated with her," Starscream muttered underneath his breath.

Megatron turned to him. "What did you say?"

"My Lord, I said that of course you cannot. Surely you only care about her because she is of use… No other reason."

Megatron eyed the Second-in-Command cautiously before turning his back to him and walked towards the sleeping femme. As he walked closer, he noticed a second form beside her.

The human captive.

He growled. "Barricade! Pray tell why our human prisoner is beside my Persephone? Why is she beside my pet?"

Barricade walks over and bows to him. "Lord Megatron, I could've sworn she was imprisoned and–"

"Make no mistake next time. We cannot afford to lose once more, am I clear?" Megatron snarled. "Primus has beseeched us with his relic, we must strike while the iron is hot." He walks over to the berth, snatching the human femme as it screamed. "Pray tell why you are beside her–"

Persephone's coughing catches his attention. "No! Don't hurt her!" She exclaimed. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"LET ME GO!"

"SILENCE!" Megatron snarled, gripping the human captive in his servo and that seemed to do the job as it shut its dermas. He turned to kneel beside Persephone. "What is she doing in your berth, little one?" His voice soft compared to its mood earlier.

Persephone wraps the blanket around her, his optics catching sight of the markings on her arms. "Megatron, I asked her to sleep beside me. She was freezing and dying, I didn't want her to die," She explained, "Please, if you're angry, be angry at me. I just wanted a friend."

"Am I not your friend?" He asked.

"You are my master and friend… but a girl friend would be nice." She replied. "I'm surrounded by guys! I feel left out, okay?"

Megatron hands the human captive to Barricade as he tended to his pet. He activates his holomatter avatar as he sat beside her, her heart monitor spiking.

"What is wrong, little one?" He asks her, cupping her face in his servos. She looked so small compared to him.

"You're always busy running around to rule and get Cybertron and I'm fine with that, but it gets lonely," She admitted, "You come back, then leave just as you arrived. Megatron, I have no one to talk to. Starscream is by your side, so I can't really talk to my friend, so I thought maybe I could befriend Mikaela."

"Why?"

"Besides from befriending her… I want to help you. I figured that maybe if I did that, she'd be more willing to help us, you know?"

The smile that spreads from his face is contagious as he hugged her. How thoughtful of her to think to help. Even in her current state, she was still prioritizing the Decepticon cause.

"You need not help me now, Persephone. You must rest," He says to her as she buried her helm at the crook of his neck; the fur of her helm tickling his neck. "Focus on getting better for me… I want you alive. I need you alive."

She clutches him tighter as she snuggled closer.

"I'll live. Don't worry about that." Persephone coughed, the marks showing itself clear as she covered her mouth.

"What happened to you?" He couldn't hide the worry in his voice as he examined her arm. His optics widened at the realization as to what mark appeared on her arm.

He pulls back the sleeves of her arm to see more. No. Not one, but dozens of marks. Each entailing messages. Megatron was no Prime, but he understood them because the Fallen had shared the language to him—taught him the language of the Primes.

"Shockwave!" Megatron hollered. "Examine her. Now!"

The scientist approaches as Persephone removed herself from his embrace. He watched as one glyph appear after another on her faceplates, each of them were dark like the inky void. There were some on her cheeks and on to her forehead.

Littered with riddles and rhymes. He cannot make sense of it all. Shockwave lifted her sweater from behind, showing her smooth back which were written with more words and unknown sayings.

And one had caught his attention.

The Empress rules alone

Her path she chose is unknown

The Prime shall yield to her commands

He cannot resist her demands

She who snuff's out the Deceiver's breath

For she holds the key to endless death.

Such strange words yet they bear unknown significance to Megatron, so he chose to pay no mind to it. Perhaps, they are stories of the past, tales of Primes that had long since disappeared in the dust of time.

"Can you read it?" Persephone asked, breaking him from his thoughts. "I wanna know what they say."

"This one reads," he points to her arms, "She who does not belong shall betray a righteous leader, for he should not have heed her."

Persephone grimaced. "Wow, that's grim," She sneers, "What now? Am I some walking bible or something?"

"Not quite," Shockwave answered, "It seems the markings are written in the language if the Primes. An ancient text used by Primes in order for no one to infiltrate their strategies and conversations."

"A language that the fallen had taught me ." Megatron puffs his chest out proudly. "I was his pupil, after all; there was no choice but to learn it as I served him. I may not be a Prime, but at least I know how to speak like one."

"Aren't you quite the charmer," Persephone playfully swoons.

He grins at her. "I am. I'm glad you think so," Megatron turns to Shockwave, "Will she live?"

The warlord didn't notice the human femme tense at his question, nor did he notice the nervous purple eyes glancing back and forth between him and the scientist.

"Why of course, Lord Megatron," Shockwave confirmed, "The energon samples I took from her are quite promising. She will be sick, but she'll recover. The Allspark chose her for a reason."

"I suppose you are right," Megatron hums. "Pray to Primus that what you say is real. Otherwise, I'll offline you myself."

Persephone can't leave him.

She can't.

He dismisses the Decepticons, he'll deal with the human captive later. For now, he wanted to spend time with his pet. He walks over to her, holding her face in his servo.

Etching everything into his memory. Every skin. Every freckle. Every texture. Everything.

Locking away this image of her in the depths of his memory.

"I have missed you," He tells her.

"Me too," She coos but pulls away from him. "Deactivate the holoform, I want to talk to the real you."

Confused, he obliged with her request as he dismissed the holomatter avatar. His real body kneels, crouching to get closer to the small femme. "I cannot show you how I missed you if I am this big."

"Oh, trust me. I prefer bigger men," She winks at him with a coy smile on her face.

He laughed, understanding her innuendo. "My, my, I never thought a femme like yourself would ever make such jokes."

The warmth from her hands—small and cut—are a relief to him. She was like the heat in the middle of winter as she comforts him with her presence.

His darling Persephone.

The moment the tears started to fall, Megatron was wide awake, his eyes looking down at her worriedly. That's when she began to silently cry against his digits, letting him ease the sadness out of her through little drops that scatter against his armor.

He tried his best to comfort Persephone – rubbing circles down her spine and planting kisses at the top of her helm. He caught each teardrop with the tip of his digits, making her softly laugh.

"Why do you cry, little one?"

"Megatron, there is something I wish to tell you."

He all but coos, "What is it, my dear?"

She looks away for a moment and says, "I am scared… that one day I…" Persephone stutters. "I need to tell you something very important."

And for a second the warlord's spark stops in his chassis.


I love you, but I'm dying.

Persephone gulped. "Well, for starters, I wanted to confess," the warlord opens his mouth to speak but she stops him, "You can say whatever you want after I tell you every single detail, okay?"

"Alright, do confess," He purrs, petting her helm which sent butterflies to her stomach. "Tell me, what sins have you committed?"

Her cheeks turned red. "Oh, forgive me for I have sinned. Since I met you, I have sinned. Since I met you, so many wonderful experiences have happened to me, one right after the other," Persephone said. "I...I've fallen in love with this little thing we've got going on. You...you remind me of home. I feel...safe, and secure, whenever I'm around you. It...you...you make me feel..."

Her stomach was doing flips and all she wanted to do was puke. Her heart threatened to burst through her breast, to jump out and devour the warlord.

A feeling that made her feel small.

"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."

If she was correct, then maybe—just maybe—Megatron would reciprocate her feelings; because god was this so embarrassing.

Those fiery red eyes of his were piercing her.

"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." Persephone paused—or was that hesitation?—as she tossed a Lana Del Rey quote to appeal to him. "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 arms and look at me with such tenderness. Words cannot comprehend how much I adore and love you, Megatronous."

Please, love me back.

The silence was louder and deafening than what Persephone expected. She expected him to swoop in and accept her love or at least be disgusted by her.

She didn't expect him to laugh so loudly at her. Persephone wanted nothing more but to hide.

He grins at her, showing rows and rows of sharp teeth before he tilts her head towards his as he leans down and pressed his lips against hers briefly due to avoiding toppling the machines that kept her alive, which made her freeze at his sudden action.

Did he just kiss me?

Megatron growled in frustration before he activated his holoform, marching up to her as he held her face in his giant hand.

"I cannot do as I please if I do not use my holoform," He says to her as he leans in, their breaths on each others lips as she stared at the pools of blood, "You are mine."

And then he kissed her.

Persephone's reaction was almost immediate. She threw herself on to him, not minding the slight sting in her hand due to the Dextrose as she happily closed the gap between them.

It tasted as sweet as honey when his lips met hers, maybe even sweeter. Nothing could ever bring her joy other than his touches, the coldness of metal against her skin as their lips collided with each other.

Megatron pulls her towards him, craving the warmth her body emitted; his free hand sliding down to her thighs and gripping them.

After a moment of ecstasy, Persephone pulls away, gasping for air. " Diyos ko po." She looks utterly delighted, smiling up at him. "I have wanted to do that… for a while."

He grins back, blissed out. "I didn't think a human's kiss could be so addicting," Megatron cooed at her. "I cannot love you, but I can make you feel loved."

It's like someone just dumped cold water on her.

"What?"

"I am not capable of loving you," the words a stab to her heart as he lets go of her, her form plopping back on the bed, "We are in the midst of war and I cannot afford a distraction."

Persephone pursed her lips. "That's not the answer that I wanted. Especially after you had kissed me." This isn't right. No.

He loves her.

He had to have love her because why else would he had kissed her?

"You are more than a friend to me. You are my pet and I see no reason as to why I should not kiss you." He shrugged.

"Humans kiss when they're intimate and, or in love." She snapped.

"The same can be said for cybertronians. Although, kissing you was better than any cybertronian. Let us do it again, little one–"

His head snaps to the side as her hand stings from slapping metal. "Don't fucking make fun of me!" Persephone snarled as she grabbed his helm and made the warlord look at her, her eyes growing blurry. "I confessed to you, thinking the worse you'd is say 'No'. I didn't think that you would stoop so low to ridicule me!"

She wanted nothing more but to disappear.

The stinging pain in her hand numbs as she growled. "What? Are you going to replace me now? I forgot about my family, I left my life behind. Have I not given everything?!" Persephone cried, tears streaming down her face. "Why the fuck won't you love me?! Am I so unlovable that even you only want to toy with me?!"

"I do not love you, but I do adore you," He tells her, caressing her thigh as he geld her waist.

And somehow that was worse.

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO BE ADORED, I WANT TO BE LOVED!" Persephone wailed, tears falling from her eyes as she sobbed. "I AM SO SICK OF PEOPLE USING ME FOR MY BODY OR FOR MY VALIDATION!"

She buried her face in her hands as she sobbed, not having the strength to pull away from him.

It hurts. It felt like her heart would have combust into flames and shrivel up and die. The warlord embraces her and she has no choice but to cling to him.

She had no choice but to depend on him.

He soothes her, rubbing circles on her back as he tried to calm her down. "I just want you to love me," Persephone sobbed. "Is that so much to ask?"

Megatron said nothing as he continued to comfort her.

And somehow that was worse.


"It seems like you and Lord Megatron have quite the fight."

"Starscream, so help me god, if you're here to mock me I will find a way to beat the shit out of you."

"I haven't seen the two of you separate for this long."

"I said shut it."

The Second-in-Command sits beside her berth, his massive form towering over her puny one. She turned to glare at him, flipping him off. Starscream mirrored her actions and they both laughed.

It's been a week since her confession with the warlord and Persephone made it clear she didn't want to do anything with him. Maybe Megatron finally had enough of her or something, because afterwards, he didn't even bother to talk to her or reach out.

"I come to bear an offering," Starscream says before he plops Mikaela beside her bed. "Tadaa."

"Mikaela!" Persephone cried out as they hugged. "Oh my god I missed you!" She pulls back. "How are you?"

"Shit, honestly, but Starcream was nice enough to make it a little comfortable because of you." Mikaela gestured to the Second-in-Command who scowled at her.

He snarled. "It's Starscream, insect."

"Yeah what he said." Mikaela agreed.

Persephone snickered. "I didn't think you guys would get along."

"The friend if my friend is also my friend," Starscream mused as he smiled at her.

"So, I heard you and Megatron had a fight? Of what exactly?" Mikaela asked, confused as to how the sickly woman was still alive if she picked a bone with the tyrant warlord.

"Okay, if I tell you, then promise you won't make fun of me." Persephone pointed at the two of them.

"I promise."

"Sure thing, fleshy."

She took a deep breath. "So, I may or may not have confessed to Megatron that I really like him, but he rejected me by saying he couldn't love me but he could make me feel loved. And how the fuck can you tell someone you don't love them after you kissed them!"

"Dial back." Mikaela stops her. "You guys kissed?!"

"As in dermas to dermas?" Starscream asked, bamboozled.

"Yes!" Persephone wailed. "He kissed me and I thought… He… And he fucking promised he'd never hurt me and he lied and I thought… I thought he wouldn't do that," she looks up to stop the tears from falling, "So… I… And I thought someone genuinely cared about me and I was wrong."

The sobs breaks out of her like a dam had been opened. Days and days running away from the incident had finally caught up on her.

It wasn't fair.

She genuinely loved him, but why couldn't he reciprocate it back?

"Oh, Persephone." Mikaela went to hug her, holding her in a warm embrace. "He doesn't care about you. Someone who loves you would never do that to you."

She hugged Mikaela tighter as she wailed, letting everything go as she screeched her despair. Unaware of the warlord's gaze upon her, nor of the longing look he had.

Persephone buried her face at the crook if her neck as she sobbed, screaming and crying like a child throwing a tantrum. "It's not fair!" She wailed. "I gave everything and it's not enough! It's not fair." The latter being muffled and incoherent to the others.

Persephone could feel metal soothing the top of her head, making her look up almost immediately. Much to her dismay, it was Starscream who had been patting her head.

Not Megatron.

He doesn't care.

And it went in for at least an hour before they were finally able to calm her down. Starscream hands Mikaela a bottle of water, who handed it to Persephone. "Here, drink up," She urged.

Without a word, Persephone gulped down the water. The distraction calming her ever so slightly from her broken heart. "He wouldn't even talk to me." Her lips trembled at her words. "I don't see a reason why I should be with the Decepticons, if I can't have what I want."

"I don't understand what you see in him," Mikaela voiced out. "What makes him special, anyways?"

"He makes me feel at home." Persephone answered. "I like poetry, he likes poetry." She continued to list down every single thing why Megatron was special to her. "I need him."

"No, you don't," Mikaela said. "You don't need him. Am I right, Starscream?"

"Exactly. You don't need him," Starscream agreed.

"But–"

"No buts. Let me ask you this, fleshy. Are you truly happy with him? What makes you feel happy with him?" The Second-in-Command questioned.

Persephone opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

What did made her feel happy about him? Now that she looked at it, she couldn't tell. Was it the way he made her feel special? But how could he have made her feel special and yet belittle her? Had she been wearing rose-tinted glasses all this time?

Maybe they're right.

"Exactly." Mikaela said in response to her silence. "See, even you don't know what made you happy around him. Persephone, you don't need him!"

"Okay." Was all she said above a whisper, voice shaky.

If she didn't need him, then what was her purpose? What was she outside of the Decepticons?

Starscream activated hi holomatter avatar. He towered over Mikaela but still smaller than Megatron. He approached the two. "They plan to put a device on her, once Shockwave is done altering it, they will send her back to the Autobots to spy on them." Starscream says as he gestured to Mikaela.

Persephone gasped. So, they were going to pull a Dark on the Moon move again. She had no reason to ally herself with the Decepticons, not when Megatron made it clear he doesn't love her.

He doesn't need her.

And she doesn't need him.

She shouldn't need him.

The thought itself was sad, but perhaps it was a good idea to finally… distance her heart from him.

"I need you to give them a message from me," Persephone suddenly said, an idea coming to mind. "It's important, but tell the Autobots to play it once that spying technology is gone from you, okay?"

Mikaela pursed her lips. "Do you know what they'll put on me?" She asked, nervousness evident on her voice.

"If I'm right, then they'll put a watch on you. It's supposed to look like a watch and it'll be able to hide it's energon signature, and it would direct all conversations you have with the Autobots back to the Decepticons," Persephone answered with a sigh.

She'd seen it first hand on Sam Witwicky during the movie. So, she hoped that it'd be a watch too so that it's easy to identify. Persephone prayed that they don't hurt Mikaela too.

"If that were the case then how is she going to deliver a message without them finding out?" Starscream reminds her, "They'll be able to hear what you're saying through the other end of the line."

Persephone sat there for a moment, thinking as to what could be done.

She can't write a paper message, otherwise, the others might find out. Persephone threatened Megatron, sure, but those were empty threats.

She's a human, he's a cybertronian.

He could easily crush her if he found out about her betrayal. "Mikaela, I need you to hide a letter in your bra, write that they should listen to the video once they removed the device from you."

"That's actually really smart," Mikaela said. "But I don't have a paper or a pen."

"I do." Persephone tossed the notebook and pen at her.

"Why aren't you saying anything or alerting the others?" Mikaela asked Starscream, "Shouldn't you be reporting her to Megatron or something?"

"Well, insect, for starters she's my friend," Starscream says as a matter of fact, "Second, Megatron is not fit to rule the Decepticons. He's too… soft. Had I been the leader, I would have fulfilled the goals by now."

Persephone smiled. "I don't really see a reason why I should ally myself with someone who doesn't love me."

She took her phone and pressed the camera to face her before hitting record, despite the puffiness if her eyes or the redness if her nose.

The Autobots should reach her phone soon.


End of Chapter XVII