Transformers Prime: Through Bad and Through Worse

Chapter Forty Three

The berthroom door hissed open, and Megatron strutted in with a wide smirk, his gaze flicking around the room until it rested on Ratchet, who laid huddled in blankets, deep in recharge. The medic barely stirred at Megatron's enthusiastic arrival. "Up and at 'em, Medic!" He exclaimed, striding over to the side of the berth. Ratchet whined and curled up more in the blankets. "Ratchet. Get up," Megatron grabbed the blanket and jerked it off of him, allowing it to fall to the floor. "I'm not going to wait for you!"

"Nn..." Ratchet opened his faded optics, which were incredibly dull due to the severe lack of energon in his system, and looked up at him tiredly. "Meg-gatron..." He muttered. "I d-don't have the energy-y..."

Megatron scoffed. "Your fine! A few days without energon can't possibly hurt you that ba..." He trailed off, realizing how long it had been since the medic had refueled. If it was having this affect on him, he'd be too weak for what Megatron had planned. The warlord needed him to be able to survive those plans, and he wouldn't be able to if he was in this condition. "Fine!" Megatron muttered, fetching a cube of energon and shoving it at Ratchet roughly. "You better finish that. You'll need it."

Immediately, Ratchet snatched it up and began devouring it desperately, relief surging through him. The contents of the cube were gone almost instantly, which surprised Megatron a great deal.

"That was fast," he observed, raising an optic ridge.

Ratchet rolled his optics. "You certainly know how to treat your guests." He muttered. "The starvation was the best part."

Ignoring his comments, Megatron grabbed him by his cuffed wrists and yanked him up. "Alright. Your spending the rest of the day and the night in the lab, my pet." He said with a dark smile, pulling Ratchet towards the door. "We have some... new inventions we need to test. And a few old fashioned tricks." He reached into his subspace for a moment, and pulled out a Cat-O-Nine Tails, and moved it into Ratchet's sight. The medic stiffened, his fearful gaze locking onto the specially crafted whip that Megatron held, which was only being held to intimidate him.

"I haven't done anything wrong," Ratchet said quietly. "You... don't plan on using that... do you..?" He looked up at Megatron nervously.

"Hush." Megatron pulled him along, choosing not to answer. He led him down the halls, and into the laboratory, where several vehicons stood, along with Sky Rocket and Palladium. Ratchet tensed. "My only request is that he lives through the experience." Megatron said to Palladium, who walked over and grabbed Ratchet.

"Of course. But don't expect him to be in good condition." Palladium nodded, roughly yanking Ratchet towards shackles that were hanging from the ceiling. Megatron left immediately, after giving a nod of approval.

"Um... Palladium?" Sky Rocket asked softly, biting her bottom lip as the 'Con forced Ratchet to stand still as he removed the current cuffs and locked on the shackles, which kept Ratchet's servos chained above his helm. Ratchet gave them a yank, hoping they might loosen. Nope. The Decepticon medic sighed. "Palladium, I really don't think we should-"

"Shut up, Sky." Palladium cut her off. "Remember, that Cat-O-Nine is mine to use. And you've been worthy of a good beating for a while now. Sometimes I think you'd be a better Autobot, with that soft spark of yours. Some Decepticon." Sky Rocket silenced herself and went to working on something on the lab table.

Ratchet decided to speak up at that moment. "Wh... What do you have planned?" He asked, his voice low. Palladium smirked at him.

"We've created one or two... devices, as of late, and want to try them out." He replied. "But... it's gonna hurt."

"I-I... But..." Ratchet struggled to find words, now feeling nervous as ever. He stiffened as he noticed Palladium's gaze sweeping over his frame, lingering where his armor was slanted and revealing. Ratchet blushed madly, averting his gaze. "Palladium..."