Burned (Transformers Prime)

"She pulls me in enough to keep me guessing,"

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As per his promise to Ratchet, Megatron left them, for the most part, unsupervised. Even the Vehicons stationed at the doorway were moved down the hall, still in sight, but not close enough to pick up anything should they be listening. The warlord himself had returned to Shockwave and Knock Out to confirm that Klindeston had been returned to his original location, and that the progress of the Omega Lock was nearly complete. Soon, Megatron mused, both planets could finally be his.

But there was a consequence he was reluctant to take into account. He saved Dana, gave her the ability to be mobile once more, yet now he intended to destroy her planet. She would not be able to survive on a Cyberformed Earth, and in addition she would be rendered the last human to exist in this universe.

Perhaps he could spare Earth, and instead revive Cybertron. Then, he supposed, he could use both outcomes to his political advantage. Megatron, the tyrant, finding the compassion in his spark to spare an entire planet of organic beings. Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, having worked his men tirelessly to find a solution, now revives Cybertron and restore it to its former glory.

Yes, he reluctantly agreed. That outcome was most satisfactory. Shockwave's work, for both Dana and Cybertron, would not be in vain.

The scientist in question was silently working to put the synthetic energon formula to its intended purpose, Megatron watching, but not truly taking in what Shockwave was doing, with equal silence. He was too busy keeping track of time, thinking of the medic and his human, and what they could possibly be discussing. Would she be angry to know that the Autobot had donated his skills to further the Decepticon agenda? Would she be grateful that he had donated a part of his spark - the shard itself having been given back to the donor after the piece they needed was cut off - to enable her to walk again?

He also tried to puzzle out the relationship. For an Autobot, one with immense Cybertronian pride no less, to give up a part of himself for a human, they must be close. Not intimate, no, Megatron could never see them cross that line, but certainly a level of care for one another that transcended mere partnership. Friendship? Familial?

What made her so special that Ratchet would abandon his own Autobot morals in order to simply converse with her? Heal her, even?

Megatron asked himself another question, but it was silly. It crossed the line he himself had put between them, not thinking that for either Autobot or human it would be possible. It was even ridiculous, as the femme Arcee and the human Jack, though close, were clearly not more than friends. The annoying human girl and Bulkhead the oaf were just the same. The little one and the silent scout, well, guessing by how the latter reacted to the poisoning of the former, they were close.

But close enough to donate their sparks? It was a little difficult to believe. Perhaps, but only if completely necessary. Though he presumed Dana's predicament could be perceived as necessary to her guardian.

His processor almost couldn't form the entirety of the question into a coherent thought. There was no logic, no clear indicators, of it being the case. In addition, it was just so improbable and, quite frankly, impossible that the answer to the question itself seemed obvious, yet there was so much doubt cast in his processor that even the self-assured Megatron could not just simply come up with it.

Does he love her?

"Lord Megatron!" The vocalizers if the Vehicon that came bursting into the room screeched, yanking the warlord out of his private thoughts and into the real world, forcing him to pay attention.