This chapter touches on several uncomfortable aspects and implies a few things about D'con culture in general. Please proceed with caution.
(Of molestations and bargains.)
Lockdown felt pretty damn pleased with himself. Things had worked out much better than he'd planned and they'd put at least four or five cycles worth of hyperspace travel time between them and Earth. Sure, he hadn't gotten any interfacing in, but his little pet was stuck with him for the foreseeable future. He'd have to find something to mark the Ninja as his, but that was easy enough. The autopilot charted route to Mumu-Obscura included a stopover at a neutral station for fuel et al, and Lockdown'd pick up some upgrades while trading there. While he was no expert, Lockdown doubted Prowl had gone past the first upgrades of an adult frame.
If he tried to train that, Sixshot would have his head, Amica or not.
After a double check they were still on course, Lockdown gathered the basic repairkit from one of his open shelves, and headed down to the only spare room.
He wasn't surprised to find Prowl in meditation. Ninja could stay like that for megacycles. This gave Lockdown time to run a discreet scan -
Bingo. The kid showed promise. A heck of a lot of it, too, and it seemed he was correct in the assumption Prowl was still on first upgrades. He wondered if the Autobots knew what they'd lost. Doubtful if Prowl'd been on some backslag team.
Eh. It didn't matter in the long run; Prowl was his. Forever.
He scuffed his foot on the floor - the only advanced warning he'd give. "Let's see your leg."
"Thank you for the warning," came the mumbled gratitude.
Lockdown smirked. "You don't live long in my line of work if you do stupid things like surprising a Ninja."
"Really?"
"Saw someone learn that the hard way."
He didn't wait for permission; simply took a seat across from the Ninja and took Prowl's leg firmly but gently and pulled it closer so he could start on the repairs. Lockdown had to suppress the nasty grin as Prowl cautiously relaxed after a few tense klicks.
"If only Bumblebee would have learned that."
"They're lucky you've got some self-control. That, or you haven't meditated well in a good while." His hands were quick and gentle. He could have let Prowl do it himself, but this gave him an excuse to be closer without Prowl trying the drone act again.
"I joined a repair crew sometime after I flunked out of an Academy-sponsored Dojo. I rarely had time to meditate."
"Same 'bots that Megatron's toying with."
"Toying?"
"What, you think you were that good to stand up to Decepticons?" Lockdown let the nasty grin slip onto his face at Prowl's mute 'no'. Time to shatter whatever thoughts the kid had about his team defeating the Decepticon Leader. "Megatron is toying with them. Stop twitching. I ain't going to rip anything out."
"Oh." Prowl shifted, uncomfortable. "You appear to be quite skilled at this, Lockdown."
"'ts fundamentally reversing the process of taking a mecha apart." He smirked a little bit at the uncomfortable squirm from his Ninja. Kid would get used what he did, eventually. "Plus, when you're on your own, it can be a lifesaver. I'm guessing you've always had medics do your repairs?"
"Correct. Ratchet, or sometimes Sari and the Key."
Lockdown blinked. "Key?"
Prowl hesitated slightly before speaking. "It's little more than a trinket as far as I can tell. Of no importance."
Lockdown paused his repairs, considering what had and hadn't been said. Information like that could be instrumental in something later on. "If it were just a trinket, how would it be repairing you? I've seen files on what Megatron's been doing. Sends them out occasionally to his troops to remind them the boss is still alive and kicking."
When Prowl refused to answer, he set his tools down and took the smaller by the chin. He leaned in, EM-field backed up by a low engine rumble. "We're not going back to that planet, and I'd bet Megatron knows what it is already."
Prowl flinched. Lockdown could practically taste the fear. He grinned a bit, other hand pressing on the half-repaired knee. Prowl buckled with a hiss. "It's connected to the Allspark. Sari is the keeper of the Key and in turn, we protect her and the Allspark."
"Connected to the Allspark huh?" Lockdown turned that bit of information over in his processors a few times before shrugging. "With Megatron already there, I ain't sticking my nose in and fragging him off."
He let go and started back on the repairs.
Prowl relaxed somewhat once Lockdown was back to fixing his knee, but it didn't last long; as soon as he was done, Prowl found himself pulled onto Lockdown's lap and his wrists pinned together by a single hand while the other one rested on his thigh. Prowl squirmed, only to tense when the hand shifted slightly. "-Thank you for the knee repair."
"Someone's got to take care of you until you learn to do it yourself." Lockdown didn't move though and Prowl resigned himself sitting quietly on the hunter's lap. Lockdown would eventually let him go, they both knew that. "The outpost we're going to should have plenty of parts for a frame like yours. Parts that fit me are going to be a bit too big for your frame."
"A frame like mine?" Prowl looked at the other from the corner of his optics. "What does that mean? I am ...average... for a Ninja."
"You're small and thin and it looks like you don't have the grade of parts you should. Most Ninjas have joints and servos made of sterner slag than this. Won't break or wear down as easy, keepin' ya'll quiet like you're supposed to be."
"I am plenty quiet!" Prowl bristled at the condescending chuckle, and Lockdown had to give the kid credit for remaining as still as he was.
"Never said you weren't. Just said you wouldn't have to go through as much maintenance if you had the right parts. The upgraded parts are more flexible and give you a lot more range of motion to do all of those fancy moves I've seen others do."
Prowl shivered when a seam was traced, the hand moving slowly up- "How? The Elite Guard has the best that is possible. They have to have the best. Jazz was wicked in how he moved-"
Prowl, Lockdown noted, seemed to have a bad case of hero worship going on as he talked about the things that Jazz could do. His temper flared and the wrist grip tightened, drawing a startled hiss of pain. Lockdown didn't stop though. Fingers that had been playing with a waist seam dug in, and the Autobot froze. "Jazz is good but he ain't the best. The Elite Guard is choosy, the Academy is choosy, and the Autobots are choosy. Sometimes the best mechs for the job get passed up for some ridiculous reasons."
Like the fact you were Sparked naturally, and not from the Allspark, or from the lower classes. Or Matrix forbid you were a 'Hybrid'.
"That's not true!" Prowl blurted, shutting up soon after.
"Sure it's not, kid. I got passed up for weapons development stuff back before the Great Wars even began, and now look where I am after I turned to other means of learning. Ship of my own, lucrative business with my services in high demand. What more could I want?"
"And you're a Decepticon." Prowl twisted and tugged at his wrists in a vain attempt to get free, but another finger into the seam stilled Prowl.
"So what? You have potential, but unless you're actually the slaghead's Conjunx Endura - and I know you're not - you won't get far."
"How did you-"
"Professional curiosity. Your ex-team has a file based on what we know."
"What- how-"
"Megatron wanted to know what he was toying with." For more than one reason. "Bulkhead and Bumblebee certainly got tossed quick enough when they weren't exactly what the Academy was looking for. Same with Optimus. Seems like Ratchet got himself demoted, too."
"Demoted?" Prowl's only answer was a dark chuckle and Lockdown resting his head on a shoulder as he pulled the fingers out to trace thigh seams, delighting in the uncomfortable squirms from his pet. He ignored them though; there wasn't any chance of the Autotbot getting free. The exploring hand made it up to the hip joint and dipped in to caress the wiring in the between armour plates. Prowl shuddered under him, and Lockdown bit back the groan of denial. He was going to have to stop soon.
He wasn't a monster and he certainly wouldn't take it as far as rape. He knew the difference between fighting because one didn't want it and fighting because you wanted it. Knew it intimately.
"S-stop that."
Lockdown pulled his hand out, trailing it up Prowl's abdomen, taking in the smooth curves of his armour as Prowl tried to get away. "You don't sound too convincing."
"St-stop it. Lockdown, stop."
Lockdown clamped down on his own desire, hands still, but he didn't take them away, even as he brushed lip-components against an audio. "Nothing to be scared of."
"I am not scared," Prowl hissed, tilting his helm away. Lockdown begged to differ, but he'd let Prowl have his dignity. "You said - that you'd hold off until I had a good look at what you were offering."
Prowl had guts, but it didn't stop him from looking away. Lockdown growled. "I did say that and I intend on sticking to it." He tightened his grip just to hear a whimper. With the outpost nearing, he wouldn't have time for anything, even if he wanted it. "But how do I know you won't go back on your end of the bargain, hm?"
"I won't." Prowl twisted to look at the other, optics widening when Lockdown allowed it and he found himself sitting back on the berth, wrists still in the tight grasp. He floundered with his words. "I am by no means unaware of what interfacing is and what it entails, but..."
"Never 'faced before?" Lockdown grinned at Prowl's uncomfortable fidgeting. Oh yea. He knew well what the Autobot's called Interfacing and what they thought of it. "I'm not surprised. Haven't you ever sparked yourself before?"
"What? No-" Prowl shook his head so hard Lockdown thought it'd come off.
"That's better than nothing. Much more fun with a partner, though."
Lockdown chuckled at the spluttering, optics bright, alive in ways he hadn't felt outside the hunt for long megavorn. Prowl's glare said he'd hit a nerve, and he let the kid continue. "However... P-Perhaps we could compromise to start with first..?"
"I could go for a compromise." Lockdown suppressed the victory smirk; there was only one thing Prowl had to offer. Lockdown could take it by force and negate his efforts so far, or he could play nice. He released the other's wrists and gave Prowl some room. "What do you have in mind?"
"I-I-" Prowl reset his voice several times, door wings hiking up as his field pulsed fear. "I am willing to work at being able to handle more of t-that without starting to squirm away. All I ask is that when I do start to squirm, you back off, please. "
Lockdown nodded slowly, noting how Prowl seemed to relax. "All right, that's fair. What incentive do I have for letting you go?"
"You'd have the first payment sooner than later."
"Mmm...I can be patient. So, that's off the table." He looked around the room, quite obviously taking inventory of what Prowl before turning back to Prowl. The Ninja backed up, vents rattling at the look Lockdown gave him. Lockdown didn't need scanners to know his pet was worried. "I prefer a material thing to ensure my behaviour. That holo-projector of yours would make a nice incentive."
"... Very well." Prowl opened a panel on his chassis and pulled it out. Lockdown blinked as he took it, subbing it until he could lock it away safely; didn't need Prowl reclaiming it now. That was easy.
"You've bought my cooperation for now." He smiled playfully then stood with a stretch.
Prowl practically collapsed with relief.
Lockdown rolled his optics before heading back towards the bridge. "You've several breems before we dock. Get yourself calm and fuelled, or you stay here."
"What's the station's name?"
"The Guided Light."
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