Burned (Transformers Prime)

Chapter Twenty-Seven | Step By Step

"We live and we learn to take one step at a time,
There's no need to rush,
It's like learning to fly,
Or falling in love,"

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Ratchet worked tirelessly on the formula, testing each new batch that he created in hopes that he could finally complete it and thus get to Dana faster. When he did, he would have to suppress the urge to just take her and run; he had no plan for breaking out, and if they were caught, Megatron would not hesitate to either never let him see her again, or kill him.

He was not about to do that to her.

Shockwave noticed the medic's meticulous work, finding his progress to be satisfactory as with each passing Earth day he became closer and closer to the final piece. Updates on his human companion's health status seemed to fuel him more than a cube of energon, so the scientist let him go without rations for a little while. Occasionally, the medic was forced to eat, but as quickly as he was given the cube he downed it and began working once more.

It was interesting, this Autobot's near obsession with the human. A species much lesser than himself, yet Ratchet did not seem to regard her as such. Shockwave perceived them to be close, though how close he was unsure. Certainly not much more than friends or partners; the medic was far too proud to stoop to intimacy with an inferior lifeform.

Shockwave was also intrigued by the affect she had on his master. Megatron was, at his best, ruthless and unforgiving even with his own Cybertronian kind; and he couldn't care less about the human race which tainted the planet below them. But not only had he toyed with her, then broke her, he had fixed her. Kidnapped another human for the sole purpose of putting her back together, because he did not trust even Soundwave to do the procedure correctly.

Megatron cared, whether he admitted it to himself or not. She had grabbed his attentions and held on so tightly he had begun to care about her own well-being. His fixation, Shockwave felt, was unhealthy.

Starscream had also noticed this, but he wanted to use the human for more malevolent purposes. If Megatron cared so much to give a lowly worm new life, then she could be his undoing. The second in command had already begun to plan, fully intending to use her as a means to bring Megatron to his knees, and give up control over the Decepticons. The only problem was the timing. When could he implement this idea?

Shockwave was pulled from his thoughts as the Autobot made a small sound of delight, most unlike him. The Decepticon scientist turned his optic onto the prisoner, who was looking at the screen in delight.

"I found it," Ratchet murmured. "I completed the formula!" He announced, looking at Shockwave expectantly.

His heavy footsteps echoed through the quiet lab as he took Ratchet's place, gazing at the screen for a long time before he pressed a few buttons. "Indeed. The formula is complete; thank you for your cooperation."

"I get to see her now," Ratchet demanded. "Take me to Dana."

Shockwave was a little surprised. The medic seemed to not care that they now held the key to reviving their planet, Cybertron. All he wanted was the human.

Why the human? It is simply illogical.

The scientist briefly tried to make sense of it, yet his thought processes went through loops and tangles that simply did not make sense to him. He decided to stop trying to understand, and simply contacted two drones to escort Ratchet to Megatron's quarters.