(Of choices made)
If mechs could pale, Prowl would have been white as a ghost. Instead, his optics were wide behind the visor. No. No. No. This was not good. If he took the offer, he knew he'd be taken from this planet -from his friends- by the bounty hunter. He would be his personal toy. Interface toy by the data presented to him so far. If he didn't agree to that, then his death would be painful and he had no doubt Lockdown could deliver on such a threat. That wasn't even considering what the Decepticon said happened to Ninja. He dry-swallowed, a habit that he'd picked up from the humans. He did not want to make the choice. "... I-"
Prowl looked away, visor dimming in defeat. Better to live and fight another day than fight against insurmountable odds. "I'll be your toy."
Lockdown considered for a moment. "Giving in so easily?"
"You wanted payment, I'm giving it to you. End of talk." Prowl's hands fisted when Lockdown's hands roamed his frame, feeling the restraints, reminding him of the helplessness of his situation, of how powerless he really was to stop anything. His reply had been cold, but he told himself this was business. It was the lesser of two evils. That he was doing this to stay alive. He wasn't a traitor.
"You sure are taking all the fun out of this, kid."
Business like this wasn't supposed to be fun. Prowl scowled and distanced himself as best he could. He had nothing to say to Lockdown, even if the mech had pulled away somewhat. He refused to rise to any bait the bounty hunter might dangle. He knew he was young, but that didn't mean he would act like it. Lockdown'd made it clear what he wanted, so... why wasn't he just taking it? Prowl didn't understand - he wasn't sure he wanted to, especially when the Decepticon's hands passed over the injured knee then dipped down, toying with the sparking wound there. Prowl resisted the urge to shiver and turned his attention inwards-
He yelped.
"You owe me, but this isn't how I'm getting my payment. You'll be here a lot longer the more you do this." Lockdown rubbed the wire again, just to make sure he had Prowl's attention.
Prowl inhaled a few times in an effort to calm his processor. "Does it matter? I'll be here a while either way."
"Because this is boring!" Lockdown leant on the table and scowled at Prowl, ignoring the way the Ninja looked affronted about the sudden invasion of personal space. "You're supposed to fight back or something. I'm not letting you go, no matter what you do, but you could have it a lot better if you'd cooperate."
"You're in my personal space," Prowl mentally smirked when Lockdown scowled, but the Ninja continued on regardless. "I do not see why it's necessary I react to you taking your payments from me."
Lockdown leant further into Prowl's space, grinning devilishly at the twitch he got from his Ninja. "I treat my possessions well, Prowl. Give me what I want and I can give you more than you can dream about while you're stuck here on this planet."
"Lockdown, personal space." Prowl steadfastly ignored the data that so far suggested Lockdown liked unwilling interfaces. He didn't want to consider it. The Decepticon seemed to have some morals, but-. No. Prowl mentally shook his helm and hoped for the best.
"Don't care kid," Lockdown let a smug smirk work its way across his faceplates at the glare Prowl gave him. "You've got too much potential to waste it here on this dustball. You think that Elite Guard Ninja'll teach you forever? As soon as Ultra Magnus gives him something else to do, he'll drop you."
"He left me training implements," Prowl retorted, taking the bait at last. He could have kicked himself afterwards. But what Lockdown said about Jazz- it couldn't be true, could it? No. Prowl refused to believe that of the other Ninja. "He told me that if I keep practising, I would make a fine Elite Guard one megacycle."
"Did he now? Probably second-hand pieces of slag. He can afford to be generous with his words. He was leavin' the planet and could conveniently be busy next time you try to contact him."
Lockdown smirked down at the Ninja that had just attempted to headbutt him again. Prowl glared back, jerking when Lockdown tapped his fingers on a wrist near the restraint. "With me, you could get taught so much more than even Jazz could teach you, you know. Different styles, different weapons, anything you wanted. Hell, Sixshot owes me a favour..."
The offer was lucrative enough it caught Prowl's attention. Logically he hated it; emotionally it spoke to him in a way few things had since his Sensei's death and reignited that desire to learn, to become a proper Ninja, to be someone and not just a- a Ninja that'd been picked up by Optimus' repair crew. "You have no assurances I would not turn on you."
"Anything you learn, I learn. You wouldn't know anything I didn't. Therein lies my advantage. I'm still bigger, still stronger. I'm offering you a lot and a chance to learn, kid."
Prowl grit his denta at the decidedly predatory look from the Decepticon, then looked away, unease growing in his tanks like a puddle of fouled energon. Prowl hated this, even as his logic centres spilled out data. This was the best way to get what he wanted, even if he risked being branded a traitor. Yet could he betray his team, betray the one who'd offered to return and teach him? Jazz had been nothing but kind to him, nothing but willing to help. Yet the offer was tempting.
Optics shut off as he wrestled with his emotional and logical side. Now he wasn't looking at Lockdown it was far easier to regain his equilibrium and remind himself that he was considering making a deal with a Decepticon. He wasn't a traitor. He was doing what he had to in order to survive. Perhaps he could use Circuit-Su to get out of this mess and get some even footing back. "I doubt you'd understand half it."
"Try me."
Prowl hissed when fingers dug into his wrist, squeezing until he looked back with a mix of anger and hate, emotions gaining a foothold. The grip didn't last, for as soon as he was looking back at Lockdown, the fingers wandered up his arm then dipped into his elbow joint, drawing a shiver and slight gasp of pain when several wires were pinched. "-You're touching me on purpose."
"It's the point, kid. I haven't been subtle about my intentions." He put pressure on a cluster of tubes, grinning at the squirms Prowl couldn't quite hide. Not that the kid was going anywhere, the restraints held him fast, and it finally looked like he would get what he wanted. It would take some more coaxing, but he was a patient mecha.
"I am your toy, am I not? Why do you not just take?"
"Because your attitude is the biggest thing that interests me. If all I wanted was payment for those mods, I'd take it from your components. But you present a challenge, a game; and I hate to lose."
"It's not going to change, Lockdown." He was kicking himself, wishing he had the time to get himself together again. The vibrations from the mech's engine didn't help; it drew splutters in protest, more so when Lockdown revved, shaking the table harder.
"I don't expect you to change. We can work together with you hating me," he seemed to study Prowl for a moment before grinning again. "Toy's the wrong word for what you are t'me. A pet would be a much more apt description. Pets can hate their masters, but at the end of the day, I'm the one with your leash in my hand."
Prowl stared. The mech could not be serious. As if pet was any better than toy. He turned his head away, only to have it yanked back by Lockdown -wait, when did the mech have two hands?- and Prowl couldn't stop the fear from flicking over his face and 'field. This wasn't good. This was very not good and with his comm-links offline there was no way he could call for backup.
Lockdown chuckled and Prowl's Spark seemed to skip in its casing when he leant in closer. "What if I told you I would put off collecting my payment for a bit longer if you came along with me? Take a real look at what exactly I'm offering you."
"You would?" Prowl blinked then studied his keeper for any sign of deceit, but he honestly didn't know what he was looking for when it came to Lockdown, so it was a useless endeavour. But he wanted to believe him - believe it wasn't a lie.
"Pets get let off their leashes sometimes." Lockdown didn't look away from Prowl's visor. "I don't make offers I don't intend on keeping."
Prowl nodded slowly as he gave it some much-needed thought. He wasn't happy with the situation - how could anyone be when they'd been practically claimed as Decepticon property. If he ran, Lockdown would keep chasing him until he got what he wanted, and in that case, there was also the risk of rape. There was also the risk to his friends and the people of Earth on top of everything else. Perhaps this way he'd avoid being raped and still be able to get some of the objects he valued the most, before he was dragged off by the other and possibly let his team know what had happened. "So. If I asked to be… allowed… to gather some of my items... I would be allowed?"
Lockdown thought for a quick moment. "Make it quick and keep your team out of it. You alert them or bring them anywhere in the vicinity of my ship, I'll detonate something very unpleasant in the middle of the city. Same if you try and run. If you drag any of those fleshthings-"
Prowl flinched at the threats- and the implied one when a hand trailed over his thigh again. There went any ideas he for escaping. "I won't. You have my word."
Lockdown released the restraints, nasty, nasty smile on his face. "Good. You've an Earth hour."
Prowl slowly sat up, careful not to startle Lockdown or do anything that would be seen as a threat. He stood, a little shaky and nodded. That wasn't much time, but he'd make do.
"Don't be late," Lockdown warned.
"Understood."
One Earth hour later, the Death's Head came back into view, and Prowl stalled for several moments. If he ran, the loss of life would be staggering. He refused to do that to innocents. He wasn't a traitor; this was the best he could do. Anyone would have done the same...
The docking bay opened when he approached and there was only a moment's hesitation before Prowl drove in; he was sparing his team, he was keeping them alive-. The door closed behind him with finality and Prowl was barely in root-mode when the ship took off. Denta grit, thoughts shaken from his helm, the young Ninja headed to the front of the ship. He found Lockdown waiting for him, the autopilot set for a destination – Mumu-Obscura?- Prowl didn't know.
"No-one saw me as far as I know."
Lockdown smirked. "I know."
Prowl eyeballed the monitors, resisting the urge to sigh as he turned back to his captor. "Where shall I put my belongings?"
"Spare room's down that way," he pointed towards the back of the ship. "Recharge berth and all. Don't expect it to lock, but it's yours."
"Thank you." Prowl nodded and limped off, not in the mood for talking. His knee hurt, his pride wounded, and he felt like he'd just signed a deal with Unicron. Granted, everything was better than he'd expected, but the invisible noose was around his neck and there was little chance of escaping it now.
Lockdown let him go; he doubted Prowl would try to attack him anytime soon.
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