Author's Note: I'm guessing Megatron and Astrid are going to be fighting an uphill battle from here on out. You'll see what I mean.
Chap. 16: My Queen
I woke up the next morning to a knock on my door. Curse those decepticons for being up so early. I'm not a morning person, and I wish they knew that.
"Five more minutes," I said tiredly.
"Astrid, sweetie, it's late enough, get up or I'll come in there and get you up,"
"Aw c'mon Thundercracker, just five minutes,"
"No,"
"Three?" I asked hoping.
"None now get your lazy aft out of that bed,"
"Why's it so important that I get up right now?"
"We're going to Jungle Planet, and Megatron requests that you come. I don't think he can trust you staying here by yourself,"
"We're all going?"
"Yes, now get the hell up,"
Slowly I pulled the covers away and tumbled lazily out of the comfort and warmth of my bed.
"Are you coming?" Thundercracker asked impatiently.
"Yes, jeezum, give me a break," I said walking out the door.
"Megatron will break us both if we don't hurry up,"
"Whatever,"
We walked rather quickly to the command center of the base. Everyone was in there waiting for us, Megatron opened a dimension gate.
"About time you got here," the decepticon leader teased, "Astrid, you shouldn't stay up so late at night."
"It's your own fault sir,"
He smirked and stepped through the dimension gate. Ransack, Crumplezone, and Thundercracker followed after him. I was left staring at a smirking Starscream.
"You first," I said nervously.
"No, ladies first,"
He didn't have to tell me twice. I went quickly through the dimension gate and once safely on the other side I got as far away from the decepticon as I could. I couldn't escape Starscream's continuous stare though.
Megatron seemed to notice, "Astrid, come with me, we're going to go talk to Scourge. The rest of you keep and eye out for the autobots."
Megatron and I started walking further into the temple where the dimension gate had left us. Once out of hearing range of the other decepticons talk emerged between us.
"So Megatron, what is it we're going to talk to Scourge about?"
"The planet key of course. What else?"
"How long is it gonna take, 'cause I want to go back to bed and forget Starscream was ever staring at me,"
He chuckled, "You're so lazy, and I really don't think you're going to sleep Starscream away."
"I wish I could,"
"Don't we all,"
"Sir, if you don't like him either, why do you keep him around?"
Smiling again from my three-letter word he answered, "Because I need him, more than you may realize. He's a valuable warrior, and he knows that. He knows I need him, and uses that to his advantage. Astrid, I'm sorry to say that he knows your weaknesses, and he uses those to his advantage too."
"Do you know his weakness?"
"Sure I do, and I use it to my advantage,"
I was about to ask what it was when we arrived in the throne room of the temple. Scourge's temple I assumed. The bot sitting in the throne must be Scourge.
"Megatron, I see your back…with a femme,"
"Yes Scourge," Megatron replied.
"Is she a warrior?"
Megatron glanced at me then back to Scourge, "Not yet."
I could feel Scourge's optics on me, and they were just like Starscream's. Cold, lustful…terrifying, they weren't leaving, they were planted on me.
"What do you say we make a…bargain Megatron?" Scourge questioned his optics not leaving me.
"What kind of bargain Scourge?"
"Let me…borrow this femme for awhile in exchange for the cyber planet key,"
I felt my optics shrink and knew exactly what Scourge meant by "borrowing" me. And how could Megatron refuse? I sleep with Scourge, he gets the planet key. After all Megatron said he would do whatever it took to win the war. I sighed wishing I had never come and just stayed in bed. Today was going to be a bad day.
"No," Megatron said giving his answer.
I was stunned, and it looked like Scourge was just as stunned as I was.
"No?" said the baffled leader of the planet, "I thought you wanted the cyber planet key."
"I do Scourge, extremely bad…but not bad enough to hand Astrid over to you like that,"
I was so happy I could've cried. He did care and now I had a whole new respect for him.
"Tough luck Scourge, but I'm not that interested," I said proudly.
Scourge's stare turned into a rather terrifying glare and I shrank back.
"Hey sir, I vote to leave now," I said.
"Fine, I'll be back later Scourge,"
And with that we left the room. I shuddered from the thought of what almost happened. It didn't go unnoticed by Megatron.
"Sorry Astrid, that didn't go according to plan,"
"It's okay. Thank you so much though for choosing me over the planet key,"
"Don't mention it and don't tell anyone,"
"I won't," I said, "Why did you do that though?"
"You didn't deserve being turned over to him, I don't want him getting his way with you either,"
"I see,"
"Heck, I shouldn't have made you so beautiful. That way all these idiots wouldn't be after you,"
"You saying I'm beautiful?"
"Well Astrid, I don't want to lie to you,"
I slid my hand into his. I saw him smile and he squeezed my hand.
"Hey, not so hard," I complained.
He loosened his grip, "How's this?"
"Just fine,"
We walked back to his troops that way, but we stopped holding hands before his troops saw us. The autobots were there though, and fighting the decepticons.
"Astrid, go back to the base and please stay there, we'll be back later, now hurry up and go,"
"You got it sir,"
A smile surfaced on his lips, like usual. I opened a dimension gate and went back to the decepticon base. It was a few hours before the decepticons returned, bruised and upset, and I assumed defeated. Not wanting to be in the way of Megatron's anger I simply went to my quarters. I wasn't in there five minutes when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"Uh, come in,"
Megatron was the one to enter and I offered him a seat next to me on the foot of my bed. I prayed his anger was gone or at least diminishing.
"Everything okay?" I asked.
"No," he confessed, "My minions can't fight worth a damn."
"The autobots got the cyber key didn't they?"
He nodded and I felt bad for him. He didn't deserve to lose; at least I didn't think so.
"Has this war really gone on for millions and millions of years nonstop?"
"There have been times of peace lasting a few years. And they all were birthed from decepticon failures,"
"But you've always come back,"
"Only to fail again it seems. Never has there been a time of peace where the decepticons reigned. The autobots always win," he said slamming his fist into my bed.
I put my hand on his fist and he looked at it.
"Sir, I want to help you. Teach me to fight,"
"Astrid, I don't have time," he said, "And you do fairly well on your own."
"Then why don't you let me fight the autobots?"
"I didn't think you wanted me to," he said lying down.
"I'd rather fight them then see us lose,"
He smiled looking up at me, "Oh so you are a decepticon now?"
"Well I do live in the decepticon base don't I?"
"Yeah, I guess,"
"What kind of answer is that?"
He pulled me down next to him so we were lying face to face on my bed.
"Are you a decepticon?" he asked.
"Yes, loyal only to you sir,"
He grinned, "I like you Astrid…a lot."
"That's a step up from last night,"
We were both silent for a few seconds before Megatron said, "Guess how close I've been to the omega lock."
"Show me,"
He placed his hands on my hips.
"The first cyber key?" I asked.
Smirking he pulled me closer to him until we inches apart and he whispered, "Ask about the second key."
"How close have you come to the second one?"
He was about to show me when suddenly there was a knock on my door.
Whispering I said, "Don't say anything."
Silently I sat up as the person knocked again saying, "Sweetie, have you seen Megatron?"
"Um, no Thundercracker, why?"
"Starscream wants him, for what reason I don't know,"
"I'll tell him if I see him,"
"Alright, thanks sweetie,"
I sighed when I heard him walk away. Megatron sat up and put his arm around me.
"I wonder what that bastard wants now, c'mon let's go see,"
"Wouldn't it look weird if we came together though?"
"I don't care," he said standing and then pulling my to my own feet, "Let's go."
And thus we left my room and went to the command center, where all the troops were.
"What is it Starscream?" Megatron asked.
Starscream handed him one of the maps. Megatron glanced at it.
"These blasted maps are worthless,"
He went to throw it into the fiery abyss but Starscream caught his wrist.
"No sir, look,"
The map activated and a dot appeared on it.
Megatron grinned, "So you actually found the location of one of the keys. Congratulations Starscream."
He opened a dimension gate to the location presented on the map.
"Troops, move out, Astrid you stay here, Starscream, bring up the rear," said the decepticon leader.
They all went through the dimension gate, all except for Starscream.
Confused I asked, "Aren't you going?"
"No Astrid," he said turning his attention to me, "It's a trap. Once they reach the location I set on the map a light will activate that will nearly blind them. Once it fades away they'll be trapped inside a nearly impenetrable sphere."
"No, you can't do this, I won't let you," I said about to step through the dimension gate.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me back laughing, "I don't think so my dear. You're mine now, and once I become king of the decepticons, you will be my queen."
Author's Note: Poor, poor Astrid. And wow, this chapter was longer than usual. Merry Christmas everyone!