The med-bay was absolutely silent, and the air was thick with tension. Verdant was busy reconnecting the dark servo to Ultra Magnus's frame while the commander watched in restrained quiet.
The servo had needed several adjustments in order to be compatible with Ultra Magnus, but luckily, MECH had been using energon to fuel their machine, so Verdant only needed to rewire the servo to react to Ultra Magnus's processor and not a remote device.
Verdant finished the welding and carefully lowered the servo. "Don't move it until I've given you permission; the metal needs to cool so that your movements don't disrupt the setting."
Ultra Magnus nodded in understanding and Verdant stood up, more than ready to get out of the stifling atmosphere.
"Wait," Ultra Magnus shifted. "Verdant, we need to talk."
She didn't sit back down, or even turn to look at him, instead facing the door and pursing her derma. "There's nothing to talk about."
"I can't..." Ultra Magnus shuttered. "I can't imagine how you feel. I betr—"
"I feel fine," Verdant said curtly. "You're the one who needs to rest."
"I meant to tell you someday," Ultra Magnus told her. "I just couldn't say anything early on, because you would have done something you'd regretted."
Verdant finally looked at him, her optics swimming with emotions. "All that time in space and you never said a word."
"I..." he couldn't find the words. "We were on a mission."
She glared angrily. "Is that all you know how to care about? The mission? The cause? The war?"
"No," Ultra Magnus's voice hardened. "I cared."
"About what?" Verdant demanded. "How could anyone know that you're made of anything more than metal?"
He flinched and lowered his voice. "I thought you knew."
"So did I," Verdant took a step back. "And I was wrong."
They were silent. Ultra Magnus looked away, his expression guarded, but cracking. After a while, he spoke again, his voice unsteady. The authoritarian aura that had always preceded him was gone.
"In war, we make difficult decisions. If I hadn't initiated a strike on Steelbend, they would have destroyed us. I never meant to make it personal," he told her. "I always tried to treat you the same as any other soldier."
"You think that makes it better?" Verdant snapped. "I thought I was more than just your soldier. You were like a sire to me. I loved you."
She scoffed and started walking to the door. "I was a fool to think you had a spark."
Verdant grabbed the door and swung it open, storming out of the room. It slammed behind her loudly, and she didn't care to address Smokescreen, who greeted her as she walked past. Her shoulder hit his and she didn't say a word.
Her servos clenched.
She thought she had already settled her anger, but listening to Ultra Magnus's pathetic excuse for an apology made her want to scream.
Optimus turned the corner, his optics down, examining a datapad, but he looked up as she approached.
"Verdant, did you talk to—"
She ignored him and disappeared around the bend.
Verdant didn't even know why she cared, or why she had been so desperate to find him a servo, or repair his wounds. Commander Magnus may have recruited her, treated her with respect, and saved her life on numerous occasions, but it was nothing more to him than fulfilling a role. He was the commander and she was his officer.
YOU ARE READING
Going Green
Fanfiction"I'm not Soundwave." Ever since the destruction of her home, Verdant had spent her life as a loyal Autobot soldier. She was Ultra Magnus's third in command, and the most renowned intelligence officer in the Autobots. She was of the same frame-ty...
