What Really Happened - TFA MegaOp

Chapter 2

Megatron touched down with a soft grunt, the blades from his helicopter alt-mode neatly folding into his back. At his full height, he Decepticon leader stood well above most of the trees in the clearing of which he had landed. His scarlet optics narrowed as he checked the coordinates that had been provided to him. So far, he saw nothing of interest.

"This had better not be one of your tricks, Starscream." He spoke sharply, heading off into the forest.

<What would I gain from lying to you, my liege?>> Starscream's voice crackled through the comm link.

Megatron could hear him snickering and growled. "Nothing pleasant, I can assure you. Now, tell me which way the signal is headed."

Starscream cleared his throat nervously. <<Right. The signal is on the move just northeast of your position. If you get a move on, you may catch up.>>

"You would be wise to watch your tone when speaking to me. Do not make me come all the way back just to discipline you."

<<U-Understood, lord Megatron...>>

"Good. Megatron out."

Megatron rolled his optics. Starscream sure was a pain in the aft when he wanted to be. Sometimes he wondered why he even kept the annoying little scrap around.

It wasn't long before Megatron's own scanner picked up on the unknown signal. He had to be close. When he checked, however, he noticed that the signal had stopped moving entirely. Strange... He thought to himself, but continued forward. He wasn't going to complain if it made his job easier.

The Decepticon leader ducked under a few trees and stepped past some fallen logs before eventually arriving at a small clearing within the forest. As he scanned the area, he spotted a patch of red and blue colored amongst the green of the undergrowth. He had no knowledge of any blue or red Earth flora, so that meant the object wasn't natural. Checking his scanner, he confirmed that it was the origin of the signal.

But as he approached, he quickly discovered that this wasn't just any ordinary inanimate object. That red and blue coloring suddenly looked very familiar. Soon enough, he was standing over the still frame of none other than Optimus Prime. He frowned and tilted his head. What was the Prime doing all the way out here? And why did he look damaged?

Out of pure curiosity, Megatron knelt down beside the smaller mech and gently held his face with his digits, slowly turning his head so he could get a good look at him. Aside from several cuts that he assumed to be caused by branches, the Prime's face remained intact. He found the Prime's soft features intriguing. It was almost like he was sleeping. Since he almost always saw him scowling every time he encountered him, this was a rare moment.

The thought of disposing of him briefly crossed his mind. He could get rid of him. Right here, right now. No drawn out suffering and no possibility of being saved by his team, wherever they may be. However, something about killing Optimus while he was unconscious and vulnerable didn't sit right with him. The Prime was a very interesting mech. He actually enjoyed fighting him from time to time, as he had proven himself a worthy match for him. Killing him now would be an unsatisfying end.

Never did he consider the possibility that he was sparing him simply because he'd grown fond of him.

Without giving it a second thought, Megatron slipped his arms underneath Optimus and hoisted him up. He held the Prime against his chest, activating his comm link once more. "Lugnut, I want a cell prepared upon my return."

<<Of course, most glorious master!>>

***

Optimus's systems sluggishly came back online. He forced open his optics with a soft groan, already feeling the dull ache that pounded away like a drum between them. As his vision cleared, he soon realized that he was in a cell again. A brief wave of panic washed over him. Had Sentinel found him and brought him back while he was unconscious? Looking down, however, that theory was quickly dismissed. These weren't the stasis cuffs that the Guard used.

"Ah, you are awake."

Optimus jumped, his spark just about leaping out of his chest. He hadn't noticed Megatron lurking just outside the cell. "How did I get here?"

"I found you." Megatron answered simply, eying Optimus through the energy barrier. "You don't seem to be too concerned by the fact that you are a prisoner of the enemy. Why is that?"

Optimus pursed his lip, trying to formulate a response. He was discovering firsthand how difficult it was to think straight on low energy reserves.

Megatron could see that he was struggling and waved his servo dismissively. "We'll talk later." He removed an energon cube from his subspace and disabled the energy barrier. "For now, replenish your energy. I expect you to have finished it by the time I return."

Optimus only stared as Megatron placed the cube before him.

After reactivating the energy barrier, Megatron watched as Optimus devoured the cube hungrily. It made him wonder why the Prime had been so depleted of energy. Most of the energon in the area belonged to the Autobots anyway, as he had his own personal storage for himself and his troops, so why was he starving like this? A question for another time, perhaps.

He turned and left Optimus alone, walking down the hall with his servos folded behind his back. The Prime's condition was troubling, especially since he wasn't the cause of it.