Disclaimer: I do not own them. If I did, it certainly wouldn't be a children's show anymore. ;)
The battle was over. Bumblebee and Bulkhead had been powered down for hours. Ratchet and Prime were still talking somewhere on the other side of the building. Prowl was settled on his tree, perfectly silent and perfectly still.
He could feel the chaotic energy of life surrounding him, the tangle of man and machine that made up the city. He could feel the comfortable presence of his teammates, the resonating aura of security that filled the building they called home. He acknowledged it and moved past it.
There was nothing but this room. Nothing but this tree. Its roots reached deep into the warm, living earth. Its trunk rose thick and steady from the rich soil. Branches encircled him and held him up, covered with gently fluttering leaves. He pushed his mind deeper, past the organic life around him. There was nothing outside of him. Nothing existed but the gentle humming of his core. He was adrift in the stillness, one with nothing and everything.
Moments passed in silence.
The background hum slowly escalated. He didn't react as it sped up and grew louder. For long moments, the whirring buzz was the only sound. Then a cooling fan kicked on, shattering the stretched tranquility. Optics flashed to life and Prowl let out a frustrated sigh to help cool his rising temperature. He'd been attempting to meditate for hours and was no closer to concentrating than when the battle had first ended. Every time his mind began to clear of distractions, flashes of the earlier fighting flooded in to replace them.
No, not the fighting. If he was truthful with himself – and he couldn't help but be – the battle itself had been out of his processor before the last dents had left his frame. It was their opponent that haunted his thoughts.
He was just so different. Since the adventure that led them to earth, his team had faced many enemies. Some of which had even outgunned and outmatched them. But that was never a matter of skill, only of resources or sheer power. Facing that bounty hunter today, he had felt … challenged. Equaled, for the first time since this journey had begun.
Lockdown was unleashed power, unlimited control. He had been toying with them, like he had toyed with so many others whose pieces lined the walls of his ship.
Prowl had limits. Prowl was control of self, never others.
Facing Lockdown was like peering into an alternate version of his life – a life where he abandoned the quest for balance and self-control, indulging in the depths of his power. Though they had taken different paths, it was abundantly clear that they were of the same mold. The connection was undeniable. And it was exhilarating. He found himself wanting to face him again, to see what he was like in a fair fight without that electromagnetic pulse. To match him blow for blow, tangled in combat and encompassed by the static energy of their combined electrical fields-
No. He absolutely would not indulge in this ridiculous folly. He was going to forget about this encounter and move on with his life.
Even if he had found it … intriguing.
As with anything, this is but one point in a continuing understanding of the characters and their relationship. So feedback is greatly appreciated.