A slim black and gold mech crouched high in the foliage of a forest outside of Detroit, fighting to control the nervous whir of fans from his internal systems. His circuits were bundled tight, sensors on high alert. With every rustle and snap of movement, he tensed.

What was he doing here? Why hadn't he told the others? He had tracked his prey to this area, but for all his secrecy, he was at a serious tactical disadvantage. He had no idea what he could be walking into. What did the bounty hunter want?

***

Prowl had unblocked the frequency on a whim.

It was a handful of cycles ago, after a tense stand-off with Prime. In the midst of an argument, the frustrated blue 'bot had pulled rank, vocals dripping with condescension. Prowl switched to his alt form with an indignant snap and sped off, wires crossed at the blatant assertion of authority. Yes, command structure was important, but his leader just seemed to … revel in it.

He was acting like a protoform, he knew. But how else to purge the slow-building resentment of the past stellar-cycles? He could return to his family unit with a new reservoir of patience, all because of one empowered action. And it was relatively safe; it wasn't as if the bounty hunter would try to contact him again after so long.

The next week kept the Autobots busy putting out small fires, with a coterie of humans escaping from prison to cause havoc. Prowl had almost forgotten about his little secret by the time they delivered the last one to the police. The minute Prime mentioned heading back, Prowl sped off ahead of the others. His wiring was coiled tight after the busy week – any attempts at small talk would inevitable devolve into sarcastic sniping.

He was long out of sight of his team when he felt the tell-tale tingle of an incoming transmission. He had a sinking feeling in his core even before he checked the frequency.

"Lockdown?" He sounded more surprised than the angry he was going for.

"Hey, kid. How's it going?"

"What do you want?" the Autobot growled impatiently. Much better.

"Oh, I'm so hurt," drawled the gravelly voice on the other end. "You don't sound happy to hear from me."

Prowl's vocals held a smirk. "I thought you'd get that message when I told you never to contact me again."

"Hey, you're the one who unblocked me. Sending some mixed signals there, aren't we?"

"I don't have time for this. Stay off my comm line, bounty hunter." With that, he severed the link. Coolant rushed through his system with a near audible gushing. In the mood he was in, the last thing he needed was to hear from that obnoxious free agent.

And in the mood he was in, the last thing he could do was admit the older mech had a point.

* * *

Prowl stood, still and silent. The woods near the base were alive with the sounds of life. Trees danced in the wind, birds called to each other from invisible roosts and everywhere small organics swarmed through the dense foliage. The mech's optics and auditory sensors were off; he was blind to the outside world. All he had left was a a subtle sense of electromagnetic energy. With a focusing release of air, he slipped into an exercise to navigate by his own electrical field.

A high kick there, over that branch. A jump kick ending just before the trunk.

A punch through a hole in the tangled brush. Quick steps avoid a small mammal at his feet.

Why had Lockdown contacted him?

The next kick landed with surprising force. The shudder of contact spread through his pede. Optics booted up to the sight of a gaping whole where a branch had been. Third time this megacycle.

His servo grazed the surface of the wound, silently apologizing to the life form he had injured. Apparently this exercise was too dangerous in his current state of mind. He hadn't been this distracted since their first encounter with the neutral mech. Something about him seemed to stick in Prowl's processor.

He shook himself firmly. It was nothing but stray code. He should be able to block it out and focus on the task at hand. Where had all his training gone?

Into a junk file, apparently, because he was accessing a frequency he should have re-blocked solar-cycles ago.

"Well, isn't this a surprise." The voice on the other end was thick with self-satisfaction. "I thought you weren't talkin' to me, kid."

Prowl's vocals were dark. "That was before I realized your signal originated from earth. What are you doing here, Lockdown?"

"Worried that I might be a threat to your little planet?"

"My teammates and I are dedicated to protecting this planet and its inhabitants. If you're here, it can mean nothing but imminent danger."

"Again, I'm so hurt." Not false offense, but sarcasm. And something gentler – bemusement? "Isn't it possible that I'm here for completely innocent reasons?"

"No."

Lockdown's laugh was rough, but a note of genuine humor lurked there. For a moment, Prowl could almost relax. Almost.

"You'd be right, most of the time. But this is a special case. Needed a little vacation, and where better to relax than this pit-spawned back sector of the galaxy?"

"Hn." Prowl's vocals were tight. "A vacation? Somehow, I imaged you'd be the type to enjoy more … active pursuits."

"What, a pleasure model and some high grade?" Prowl could almost see his teasing optics. "Gets old after a while."

"Forgive me if I find it hard to believe you."

"If you're so suspicious, meet me in person." His voice took on a visceral, insistent quality. "We could have a little … interrogation."

Prowl shivered as the ghost of a current flowed through his sensors. The disciplined Autobot had no choice but to ignore his double meaning. "I don't see what that would prove."

"Figures you'd be intimidated," Lockdown said with an audible smirk. "You could always bring your faithful leader and the rest of the little family along for protection."

Prowl's visor narrowed to a slit. Intimidated? Hardly. "Here's a better idea. Why don't you leave this sector before I hand-deliver you to the elite guard."

"See, I don't think you'll do that," the bounty hunter drawled lazily. "You're like me. You prefer a more … personal touch. "

The only response was faint static. Lockdown chuckled gruffly. "Keep my offer in mind, kid. I found myself a nice secluded spot, so I'll be staying put for a while. You know my frequency."

"Unfortunately." Prowl disconnected with a snap.

He would go. He would stop whatever Lockdown was planning. And he would go alone.

***

The ninjabot's moment of nerves fled as soon as he caught sight of the bounty hunter below. Something much more integral to his programming than fear or questions or even allegiance took over. He leapt silently from branch to branch, sensors opened wide and processor running clear and hot. His electrical field clung tight to his form, all evidence of his presence masked from his hulking prey.

He had spent megacycles tracing the comm signals point of origin, megacycles more laying in wait amid the upper branches. Now, the effort paid off in energon-rushing moments of fluid movement – the hunt. Despite himself, Prowl felt a spreading, girder-deep satisfaction.

Lockdown emerged into another small clearing and stopped suddenly. Prowl could see no sign of his ship or any equipment, but the other mech had already proven his skill with cloaking technology. He waited, prepared to follow at the first sign of moment. But not prepared for his prey to speak over his spiked shoulder.

"That's enough playing ninjabot. Why don't you come down here and have some real fun?"