Chapter 15: Overflow of Emotions
Artemis groaned as she sat up and looked around the room. She glanced down and saw Megatron recharging next to her. The pair had fallen asleep in the same berth after a night of simply talking and arguing. Megatron was always too stubbornly helmed to let anything go or not have anything going his way. Artemis got up and glared down at the mech before going over and placing her hand against the door. "I would not try to escape in your current state, you are not strong enough to make it off of this ship by yourself or to even get past Claw ," Megatron said with his optics still closed. Artemis stopped before going and sitting at the edge of the berth as her mind wandered to the constant possibilities.
Flashback to a few nights ago…..
Artemis drank from an energon cube that Megatron gave her, though after a few drinks she could easily tell it was a very strong cube of high grade. Artemis set the cube down by her side and looked across the room to watch Megatron sharpening his blade with a metal orb. He was trying to act like he would before the war, but his mannerisms were more forced now to give a fake facade of safety. "Getting me drunk is not a way to persuade me back to you or get me to believe that you are still the mech that I fell for eons ago," Artemis said as she stood and walked over and leaned against the wall next to where Megatron was sitting. Megatron continued to move the metal orb along the side of his blade.
"I wasn't planning on getting you drunk to get you to come back to me. Artemis this time together as you heal is a break from the war as a whole. During the time period I am not having my troops attack or harm your team as they scavenge for energon scraps my miners have left behind," Megatron said as he moved the metal orb across the blade and created small sparks behind the orb. "I was just giving you a high grade cube to help you relax, you're just so tense due to being amongst the ranks of my ship. No one on the ship will harm you with me close, especially Claw," He glanced up at her and his face softened slightly.
Artemis glanced down at him and her face also softened and a small smile appeared before she shook her helm. "So me being here is keeping them safe? Me being around you is keeping you from murdering your once best friend and ripping the Matrix of Leadership from his chest?" Artemis asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You make it seem that if I stood beside you in this war that you wouldn't have murdered millions of helpless sparks," she says as she stands up and grabs the metal orb from Megatron. "Do not manipulate me like Claw," she says before crushing the metal orb. "As for protecting me from Claw, you broke that promise when the war started, no need to go back and keep it now after both Optimus and Ratchet threatened you."
"I am not saying that you by my side would have gotten me to not start this war. I am also not saying that you here, by itself, is keeping me from removing Optimus's spark either. But bonding with me and becoming my second in command would allow you to save your friends and your team from any more turmoil and maybe make our way towards a truce rather than have you against me. It would also protect your new love interests from me removing their spark out of pure jealousy" Megatron said as he retracted his blade.
"This is manipulating me Megatron, you know this," Artemis said as she dropped the pieces of the metal orb onto the floor. "Bonding with me will not get you to end this war, you will just use me to threaten Optimus and Ratchet more. Both you and Claw are treating me like some sort of prize to have rather than an actual individual that has her own abilities and strengths," she says as she moves away from the mech. "I am a trained warrior and could easily remove your spark or cause you to easily fall because I am aware of your weaknesses more than you are after all of those solar cycles within the gladiatorial pits," she growls as she extends her blade and places it underneath Megatron's chin. "You are aware of this, but you also know that because of our past, part of me will not remove your spark because I know of our truce from when we began courting. Because that is not my job, that is Optimus's, even though I would gladly take the honor of doing it for everyone else you have hurt more than myself." She retracts her blade.
Megatron reaches up and places his hand against her cheek before Artemis smacks it away. "I know you could, but we will not raise our blades against each other unless someone makes us, and I am still grateful that you have kept the truce even though I broke it," Megatron said before standing up and looking down at Artemis. "Part of my spark still loves you..and wants you by my side as my equal. It was our plan for that when I was to become the Master of the Arena and have a family together," Megatron said.
"That part of your spark vanished when you broke that promise of us fighting when I came to change your mind. Or have you forgotten that battle where you yourself broke the truce? That small part of my own spark is fading for you as other loves come into my life as for me still keeping the damn truce after that it is because of everything we went through before the war," Artemis said as she moved away from the silver mech. "But convincing me that you shall change and work towards a way to end the war if I join your side is a lie. You want power and to rule more than have me as your bonded and have a family," Artemis mumbled.
Megatron growled and moved towards the femme, "Why choose them? They didn't protect you from Claw, they didn't help you keep your sister in the academy, they are from different casts and due to that they do not understand our struggles through the constant battles we went through just to be able to afford a cube of energon."
"They offered to bond with me to protect me from Claw. Optimus gave some funds to help me keep Arcee in that damned academy when I got the scarp beat out of me in those damn pits. Ratchet repaired me more than you ever did after my countless battles during the pits. I chose them because they didn't cause a battle that had me lose my sparkling. Also you do not get to speak about my sister after you ordered Arachnid to capture her and Tailgate on Cybertron," Artemis threatened. "I will not join your side to keep them safe, I will not be in your or Claw's damn control but instead fight against you for all that you have done to my team," Artemis screamed as she glared up at the mech.
"Threatening and manipulating me is not giving me a valid choice, especially after everything you have done in this war," Artemis said as she stood and glanced down at Megatron. "I choose them," Artemis said as she stood. "You cannot make up for everything you have caused me to go through by saying to bond with you to keep them safe." She looked down at the mech and frowned, "I love the past you with all of my spark, but Megatronus died when he challenged the High Council and killed our sparkling before going on a massacre of those of higher castes."
A knock could be heard from the door before Megatron stood and went and answered. In barged Claw holding one of his notorious collars. Claw was known across the factions for putting collars on his harem of bondmates to keep them in line and make sure they listened to him. Artemis had worn one before and had managed to break out of it multiple times. Claw walked over and smirked, "I have crafted a collar for my favorite sparkmate, this one is much stronger than the others and is Wrecker proof to say the least," he elaborated as his claw went under her chin. Artemis remained unphased as her optics just stared at the mech, trying her best to remain emotionless. "Soon we will be rebonded and shall begin to practice making sparklings."
Artemis's unphased expression changed as her optics narrowed. She tried to move away as Claw clamped the collar around her neck. She felt the small spikes move between the cords of her neck. "But before we can think about that, we shall get Knockout to look you over," Claw said as he pushed Artemis towards the door.
Artemis sat on a medical berth as Knockout examined her spark and spark chamber. Claw was outside of the room ordering some vehicons around. "Your spark seems to be fully healed but I would still not recommend any sort of bonding anytime soon," he said as he stepped away and looked up at Artemis. "As for your other scans and tests, they have come back saying that your body is unable to carry a sparkling safely," Knockout elaborated. "This could be due to the constant turmoil Claw has caused you within your sparkling chamber as well as genetic aspects."
Artemis released a small chuckle as she looked down, "I am grateful for that information…" she struggled to stay calm as a tear trickled down her face plates. "I knew about the hereditary aspects due to my carrier passing when I was born, but for Claw, I never thought he caused that much damage during his…advances."
Knockout frowned and moved to place a hand on her shoulder. "I know you are technically my enemy and everything, but what Claw has done to you and other femmes and mechs is horrible. I have treated some and he should go to the pits for what he has done…many in a similar case as you. When it comes to you going back to your team, I will not do anything to stop you from ripping his spark out."
"Thank you Knockout.." Artemis said as she moved to stand up as Claw walked in. "Knockout says I am unable to carry sparklings…because of genetics and aspects of the past I cannot carry any offspring due to it being dangerous."
"So let us create one offspring, but until then I should get you used to me again. I am not going to trust what a young medic says about creating offspring. But if you fail me, I shall go after someone with the same but perhaps slightly better genetics, such as your dear sister," Claw said as he gripped the collar before pulling her away.