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..."

"Broken clasp, eh?" The 'Con teased, smirking growing. "It only makes you look even more appetizing..."

"Palladium, stop!" Ratchet whined, cheeks growing hot and even pinker. This was even more degrading than the collar.

Palladium laughed, before picking up a large metal clamp that resembled a belt, with a small dial on one side, from a table. He held it up for a moment, before wrapping it around Ratchet's hips and waist, clipping it on tight. "Alrighty, let's get to it!" He slipped a lock onto the clip, securing it.

"Wh...What is it?" Ratchet whimpered fearfully, watching Palladium secure the strange device around his hips and lower waist. The 'Con stepped back, examined it, then gave a nod of approval.

"Torture device. What else?" He rolled his optics, gaze meeting Ratchet's for a moment before he reached and twisted the dial on the device, cranking it up high. "In the event we have another hostage, we'll need to get information out of them somehow. And our normal techniques have become boring..."

"Who's idea was i- EEEENGH...!" Ratchet cried out as a sudden burning hot pain seared through his hips and waist, as the device glowed a faint orange, almost like an ember, as it heated itself. Palladium cranked the dial further and stepped back, as it glowed even more. Ratchet screamed in agony, feeling bad burns form all around his hips, as the searing pain continued. "P-P-Pallad-dium-m..." He choked out, biting his glossa to keep a shriek from escaping him. "P-Pleas-se..."

The 'Con smiled and walked over to the table, picking up the Cat-O-Nine, which Megatron probably left there, and began examining it, pretending to be engrossed with it's features. "I'm not turning it off, Ratch. Your just going to have to deal with it."

Another agonized scream escaped Ratchet, energon already beginning to drip from underneath the device. He yanked at the chains, whimpering and crying out, inwardly begging for someone to shut it down. His hips and waist were darkened with nasty burns, energon leaking from them rapidly, spilling on the floor.

"... Do we really have to do that? He truly hasn't done anythin' wrong." Sky Rocket stared at Palladium, wincing as yet another shriek followed. "We're supposed to keep him alive. If we leave him like that for too long, it'll have a much worse effect on him and he may not survive it. He's already bleedin' out."

"Give it fifteen minutes." Palladium replied, glancing at the agonized medic. "He can take it."

After those fifteen minutes had passed, the burns had worsened terribly. Ratchet's entire waist area was dark from the scorching, and painful looking gashes allowed even more energon to spill out. He was gasping in pain, breath ragged, and an exhausted look on his faceplate. A stray tear streamed down his left cheek, as Palladium turned the dial and unlocked the device, so it clattered to the floor with a hiss.

"See? Told you he could take it." Palladium said to Sky Rocket, smirking at Ratchet. "He's a tough little fragger." He proceeded to dropping the device in a tub of cold liquid; it hissed as it's hot edges met the cool substance. "I bet Optimus felt THAT over the bond. My my, he's gonna be worried."

"Ratchet?" Sky Rocket ignored him and stepped over to the other medic, gaze flicking over him worriedly. "Are you alright?"

Ratchet kept his gaze on the floor, biting his bottom lip as the pain lingered a while, deciding not to fade just yet. "N-Not really..." He muttered.

"I'll get some medical supplies, and I'll patch you up, alright? You've just gotta hang in there for a bit longer..." She offered a weak smile. "Megatron won't leave you in this condition."

"Sky, go get me an energon cube." Palladium ordered, coming back over, narrowing his optics at her. The Decepticon medic sighed and walked away. In her absence, Palladium approached Ratchet slowly, narrowing his optics.

"I-I'm... guessing y-you hav-ve... more planned-d..." Ratchet whispered, just loud enough so Palladium could hear. The 'Con smiled at him, stepping close.

"Of course I do. Your at my mercy, and I need to make the most of it." He replied softly, optics shining with a sinister glint. His servo drifted to stroke Ratchet's cheek; the medic didn't resist, knowing it would do him no good. "Megatron was angry with me because I allowed you to escape..." Palladium sighed. "But, we have you back now, so I guess it's alright."

Ratchet closed his optics, whimpering quietly, as Palladium withdrew his servo. "Y-You... have the c-cruelty in you t-to leave me like this f-for a while...?" He asked quietly.

"Hn. Of course I do. I just thought I might take a moment to... converse, with you." Palladium shifted closer, servos resting on his hips, purposely pushing into the burns, making Ratchet gasp in pain. He leaned forward, a playful smirk on his lips, as his servos traveled over the burns roughly, smearing the leaking energon.

"Ah! St-Stop!" Ratchet yelped, twisting away weakly. The 'Con chuckled and brought his lips to crash into the medic's, kissing him with little sympathy. Unable to do much, Ratchet whimpered and waited for Palladium to pull away, crying out into the kiss when sharp claws suddenly ripped across his wounds. Palladium nibbled on his lower lip, giving a growl of satisfaction, as Ratchet made continuous pleading whimpers of pain. He only released the medic when an angry snap disturbed him, belonging to the femme he'd sent out of the room before.

"Primus fraggit, Palladium, leave 'em alone!" Sky Rocket sent an empty beaker Palladium's way, which hit him in the back of his helm and shattered. The 'Con spun around, facing her angrily.

"Sky Rocket, you are out of line," he snarled. "I'll have you thrown off the ship."

The medic scoffed. "Palladium, leave him be! Let's just finish the job and send him back, we don't need to torment him more than we already are!" She sighed, grabbing a few bandages and walking over, shoving Palladium out of the way as she neared, coming to stand before him.

"Sky Rocket!" Palladium hissed with fury through gritted denta, as Sky Rocket gently ran a servo over the burns, and dabbed a wet cloth over them lightly, cleaning off the wet energon. She completely ignored the other 'Con, which seemed to make him even angrier, yet he said nothing else.

"Nn... P-Please be gent-le..." Ratchet squeezed his optics shut and bit his bottom lip, as she cleaned off the wounds. Despite the pain, he relaxed under the gentle treatment, appreciating it much more than the harshness of the others he'd encountered.

Sky Rocket nodded slightly, sending him a sympatheticlook. "Of course. I'll do my best." She carefully bandaged his waist and hips, securing them tightly, and stepped back, giving him a small smile. "I'll get you something for the pain, Hun. Just gimme a sec." She turned around, but Palladium stepped in her way.

"You little glitch!" He exclaimed furiously, backhanding her harshly in one quick movement. The medic fell to the floor with a cry. "I'll rip you to shreds! I didn't permit you to care for his wounds!"

"Y-You shouldn't have left it on him for that long!" Sky Rocket shot back from the floor, covering her cheek with one servo. "Any longer and the wounds woulda put him at risk of offlining! Megatron specifically ordered he remained alive!"

Ratchet watched with horrified optics as Palladium grabbed the Cat-O-Nine off the table, and took her by the wrist, yanking her to her peds. He turned her around and brought the whip down on her back eight times, each lash with all of the strength he could muster. Sky Rocket screamed in pain and collapsed to her knees submissively, gasping in pain as freshly spilt energon ran down her backstrut.

"That'll teach you to defy me," Palladium snarled.

"D-Don't..." Ratchet murmured quietly. "She hasn't d-done anything wrong-g..." He managed to choke out, earning both Cons' attention.

"Shut up." Palladium snapped, his gaze lowering to Sky Rocket. "Those burns were nothing. I'll give you good wounds to patch up." He stormed around them, standing behind Ratchet, and ran a servo down the medic's backstrut. Ratchet shuddered. "Get ready, Sweetspark. This is really going to hurt."

Frag. Ratchet tensed and held his breath, anticipating the pain. Palladium swung the Cat-O-Nine down hard, the nine knotted attachments cutting into the medic's backstrut, sending energon splattering. Ratchet screamed. The pain continued as Palladium brought it down on him twenty more times, each one more painful than the last.

"P-Pleas-se st-stop-p...!" Ratchet begged, as Palladium prepared to lash him for the twenty second time. Just as he swung, the doors opened; Megatron stepped in as Ratchet let loose another shriek.

"I am aware you are torturing him, but perhaps you could attempt to keep it down?" Megatron snapped, storming over.

"Of course, My Lord." Palladium replied, stepping around a bleeding, whimpering, begging Ratchet. "I was just-"

"My L-Lord?" Sky Rocket interrupted, pulling herself to her peds; energon continued to drip down from her backstrut. "May I speak with you?" The warlord nodded and the two of them stepped out momentarily, making Palladium growl angrily and lashed Ratchet again, deciding to take it out on him.

"Stupid brat! Throwing me under the fragging bus!" He hissed, swinging the Cat-O-Nine down hard.

"AAH!" Ratchet bit back tears that pooled in his optics, praying that Megatron would take him back.

When Megatron and Sky Rocket did re-enter, Megatron stormed over to Palladium, lifted him up by the throat, and heaved him across the room, snarling in fury.

"You disobey my orders and put the captive at risk by overdoing your task, you fail to complete simple procedures of testing different devices by wasting all of the captive's energon and energy on ONE device, and you abuse a fellow officer!" Megatron barked viciously. "Starscream would've done a better job than you!" He spun to look at Sky Rocket. "Patch Ratchet up and take him to my quarters!" He ordered. "I have a PEST to deal with..."

Relief flooded through Ratchet, and he relaxed a bit as Sky Rocket hurried over and unchained him. It appeared, despite being a Decepticon, she was a valued ally. Perhaps Palladium was right... she'd make a great Autobot.