Notes

The story's plot is slow build. It's AU after Fistful of Energon/late season two. It outright ignores season three/the Almanac, and drags in G1, Prime, Beast Wars, and IDW characters/characterisations, along with other continuities as needed, though the roles might not be as expected. This is a dark fic that will not pull punches, though some chapters posted here may be edited versions of what goes up on AO3.

Rare ships are a thing, and canon!ships are a possibility.

Feedback is loved, encouraged, and adored.

Time units used

The Transformers race operates on a base-16. Earth-based Cybertronians use these interchangeably with Earth-time.

Cybertonian second - klik - about 10.3 seconds
Cybertonian minute - breem - about 8.26 minutes
Cybertonian hour - cycle - about 6.6 hours
Cybertonian day - a megacycle - about 13.2 days.
Cybertonian month - orn - about 1.75 years
Cybertonian year - vorn - about 83.4 years
A megavorn is 48 vorns, and it goes up from there.

(Of vanishing Ninja)

Things seemed at a standstill for now between the Autobots and Decepticons, allowing Detroit and the surrounding area to rebuild and recover as best it could. Unknown to the Autobots, this was in part due to the real Starscream currently missing-in-action, and Megatron repairing the Nemesis when not conducting stealth raids across the planet – or teleporting in needed materials from Charr. The Decepticons on a whole weren't that concerned about Starscream; Megatron required the Sky-Lord alive to control the rest of the Seekers, and no-one was honestly interested in getting the middle of that squabble. Even Tarn liked his limbs attached.

Even so, Lockdown refused to take chances; he'd called ahead like a good Decepticon would when intruding on a planet Megatron was having 'fun' on. He was here for pleasure, not official business. He'd enough credits in an account to fund it, and induce whinging in even a certain arms-dealer, who had apparently been here at some point in the last three or four weeks of the mudball's time.

Lockdown didn't know, or care, why.

He'd been on the mudball for three or so days – a quarter megacycle at best; partly enjoying the pampering of the automatic carwashes, partly enjoying the local drag-racing circuits, and partly because he wanted to take his time hunting his prey.

The prey in question was a Ninja with promise but lacked the training to make him a real threat like a fully fledged Cyberninja. Likely why the kid was still alive. Same with the rest of the Autobots on Earth. If Megatron wanted them dead, they'd be dead by now. Not that it was any of his business. He had mods and his newest prize to collect. Said prize needed urgent ascertaining if it was worth keeping alive and unhacked.

Lockdown didn't want to hand something promising over to the hackers, even if Frenzy, Vos, or Sixshot would pay out the nose for one. But they weren't here, and he was.

It meant all the more for him.

Lockdown grinned and sent a communications ping across a secure, private line. It'd be easy enough to find him, but it was much more fun to chase someone who knew you were coming. The look in their optics... nearly priceless. Of course, that was normally how things went when one wasn't dealing with a stubborn Ninja who repeatedly ignored the polite commpings.

With a growl of frustration, he folded down into his alt-mode. Prowling the streets, he followed the kid's energy signature. It was both annoying and pleasing, more so when he found the park where the Ninja was.

Lockdown gagged on his own idling systems, though he could see the logic behind being known and friendly to the humans. Another rev– more a scoff than anything– followed as Prowl seemed intent on ignoring him, patiently putting up with the humans. Lockdown rolled his optics. Prowl was good; any other 'bot would have reacted as if the bounty hunter were a threat.

Eventually, Prowl headed towards him, the Ninja folding down to his alt-mode, generic holo automatically in place.

"You owe me for those mods, Prowl," he said when the bike got closer; silently, Lockdown activated his jammer. "I plan on collecting."

"I told you that if I saw you again, I'd hand you over to the Elite Guard," Prowl deadpanned. "The mods are gone. I used them to keep the Seeker clones from destroying this city several weeks ago."

"Then I have even more to collect from you. Those weren't cheap." Lockdown revved his engine, edging towards the other. "If you can catch me, then I deserve to be turned over. I don't think you can. You couldn't even keep hold of a Starscream knock-off. How do you think you'll catch a real mecha?"

Prowl ignored the challenge, holo's face very much blank. "I have no time for games, Lockdown."

Lockdown smirked when confusion leaked into Prowl's EM-field. Another rev of his engine dragged Prowl's attention back to him. Now it was only a matter of time before he gave into to the desire to keep the organics as safe as he could. It seemed like an eternity in the strange face-off between bike and car–

Prowl swapped back to root-mode and took off towards the wooded area of the park, away from the humans.

Heh. Keep the stupid fleshthings safe at the cost of nature. Well, if that's how he wanted to play it, then Lockdown would agree to that, for now. He could also use it in the game between predator and prey. A quick calculation of the Autobot's path- the backstreets on the other side, eh?- and he was off, engine roaring to life.

"Game time, kid."

Lockdown couldn't deny the thrill of the chase as he prowled the backstreets, sensors on high alert. The kid, from what he'd seen, was good. Better than he'd expected the wash-out to be. Maybe he would have a hack into him and see what sort of battle processor he was running. Couldn't be more than a standard Autobot one, but some of the tactics didn't match up with what information he had on his target. Prowl was still young by their species standards, yet he'd been fighting Decepticons on this dustball for several lunar months. A mental shrug. He'd have time to ponder and review the kid's file later. He knew what he would do with Prowl when he found him.

It was only a matter of time before he had the Ninja in his grip.

Ah- He grinned to himself and without much of a thought, transformed into root-mode and twisted out of the path of shuriken. A visual scan of the area - tracing the path of the shuriken was foolish, the mech who'd thrown them would have moved by now. Finding nothing, he growled and there was no way of knowing if the kid had unjammed his commlinks yet.

Best end this now.

"If you don't come out soon," his hook folded down into a cannon that then pointed down the street, towards the busy traffic passing by on the nearest highway. "I'll have to change the rules."

"They are innocents. Leave them out of this."

Lockdown's optics zeroed in on where he'd heard Prowl. He charged the cannon, knowing it'd force Prowl to move the more he threatened. "They're nothing but bugs, Prowl. There's so many of them on this planet, swatting a few wouldn't harm the race. In fact, a little weeding out would probably be good for them."

"Lockdown. They are not involved in this. Like you said, it is between you and I."

Lockdown smirked when Prowl showed himself, poised to leap in front of the cannon blast. He lowered the charged cannon, keeping it out and charged just in case the Ninja tried to be smart with him. "We done playing games, kid? You don't seem to be making much progress in catching me, after all."

"Well... if you put it that way."

Lockdown's face fell, and he blinked when Prowl vanished - only to hiss in anger when the slagging kid jumped from behind and the cannon went off, leaving a small crater in the ground. A growl, then a few fast-paced backsteps saw him ram against the side of a building in an effort to dislodge the Ninja. At the same time, he reached up to grab smooth armour to gain grip. "Seems you've been studying."

"The Ninja with the Elite Guard left me materials to study." Prowl covered the other's optics and focused, but Lockdown shut them off before Prowl could try that particular technique. It'd be more than enough to ward off the assault and he didn't need his optics with Prowl perched on top of him. While Prowl tried his little trick- barely more than a tickle than what it should have been doing- Lockdown pried fingers into armour, denting it but unable to get a decent grip. A growl built in his engine as he didn't want to use his hook unless needed, and he slammed back into the wall again. At the groan from his Ninja, Lockdown wasted no time in swapping the cannon for the trusty hook.

Once it sunk into the back of Prowl's knee, it was over in two kliks.

"Not good enough, Prowl." He pulled Prowl around to his front so the kid could see his smirk while his hand manually disabled Prowl's commlinks via tearing out a few wires before it grabbed the other leg; no point in damaging him, yet. "I've gotta hand it to you though. You're better than you were."

"I've had practice," Prowl shot back.

"With the right training you could be real good," Lockdown shrugged. "Now, the easy way or am I gonna have to knock you out?"

"You'll do as you please."

"True." He ignored the glare from his Ninja as he made his way back to Death's Head. That the kid wasn't struggling proved having the hook behind the knee was a good idea. At least the walk didn't take long – only a breem - and once he was in the ship proper, he dropped Prowl onto a table in the workbay and keyed the restraints online.

"Now. Time to talk payment for those mods, kid. Any ideas how you gonna pay them back?"

"...My holo-projector." Prowl watched the other pace around the table, refusing to squirm, to give Lockdown the satisfaction of seeing his fear.

"Tempting; it might make a nice little bonus." He reached out with his hand and dragged it harshly down Prowl's thigh, optics lighting up when Prowl shook his head. At least the 'bot understood that action. "But not good enough."

"No. I am not a trophy. Or something for you to use. "

"You've a choice. You can pay the price I've named, or I can take it from you part by part, data-track by data-track. Even the smallest parts have value in the market. But, I'd hate to waste a chassis like yours." He traced a finger down the light-bar on Prowl's forearm as the Ninja shuddered, visor flashing in fear. Lockdown smirked and leant over the table, putting himself closer to Prowl, only to pull back with a growl when his newest toy tried to headbutt him. If that was the way Prowl wanted to play it.

Lockdown's faceplates curled in a decidedly cruel smirk. "You owe me a debt and I'll collect. Being a toy is better than dead, Prowl. I won't make the offer again. I can drag out that death too. If taken apart the right way, a mech can survive for a pretty long time without some important components. Although I've been told it's very, very unpleasant." And just to push the point home further... "Ninja also sell high on the market. Not just for parts, but the skills and teachings your kind have."

"What?"

Lockdown ignored the outburst. "Though given you never finished your tr-"

"How did you know that-?"

Lockdown grinned and dragged the hook down over the other's frame, paint and metal squealing in protest. "I have my ways."

"You-"

Lockdown sneered, red optics hellfire bright. "Make your choice, before I make it for you."

"What-" Prowl stared at his captor.

"Trust me, you won't like it if I make it."

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