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Starcrossed 9: Freedom at a Cost
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Jazz knelt on the berth, motionless, optics dimmed while he concentrated on the video feeds. One of the first things he'd managed to do was find the access codes and links to the rest of the Vortex's private surveillance, the cameras that weren't hooked up with the rest of the estate security. While looking through them, he'd found one pointed right at the small grotto where Prowl had been taken. They had never been hidden.

Jazz had made sure Prowl had access to Vortex's security systems, but the Praxian was still locked out from doing anything more than observing, since the system only recognized Jazz and Vortex and had a paranoid security that even the seneschal systems couldn't hook up with.

Accessing the entire network had been easy. What was taking him longer to do was actually manipulating the video feeds in order to override the live image with a loop to provide cover for movement. He was close, though. As a youngling, and later as a mechling, he had been a great frustration to his tutors with his tendency to look at things differently than how they were presented to him. A young noble was supposed to nod and memorize, and think how he was instructed to think, but Jazz had always wanted to know why and how and delighted in seeing how things could change when simply approached from a new angle.

A very small smile twitched across his features as one more level of security fell away. His tutors had called it impertinence, Prowl had called it creative genius.

His field held perfectly steady, even as close as he was to his goal, and the excitement surging through him didn't move over the sparkbond. If Vortex chose to look he would feel it there, but he had no reason to. Jazz had realized that hiding in plain sight was one of the most effective covers available to him. If he was still, Vortex never had any reason to check on the sparkbond, something that the rotor had no real interest in, and Jazz only had to make sure he didn't send anything.

One more shift, and the opening he was looking for became clear. The smile grew wider and Jazz brushed away the last layer, and the raw feed lay in front of him. He already had a replacement feed set up, one of him sitting still on the berth, and slipped it in with a loop command. He held the loop and the live feed up together and compared them for any differences, double checked that Vortex was receiving the loop, and raised his arms over his head in a slow stretch.

The live feed showed it, the loop didn't change.

Jazz turned his head to look right at Prowl. Check the cameras, he sent, then slid off the berth, optics powering up fully as he stood up, stretching fully.

There was a very long pause, a full klik, and several small movements by the Praxian before Prowl responded.

I can find no indicators that it is a loop.

Jazz slumped with relief and walked straight over to Prowl, and, being as mindful as he could of the recent repairs and fresh injuries covering the other's frame, slid his hands onto either side of Prowl's face and touched their helms together, x-venting slowly and stilling.

Prowl trembled at the first gentle touch he'd felt in over a vorn and leaned into it, almost falling forward into it with a pitiful whimper at how difficult it was to comprehend that this wasn't a prelude to pain. He reached his field out, seeking to mesh with Jazz's, seeking reassurance that this wasn't a delusion created by his processor after being pushed too far.

Jazz tightened his hold almost imperceptibly and nuzzled back, then shifted one hand over to stroke his thumb over Prowl's lips and while the other lifted away for a moment to come back with a cable, touching it gently to Prowl's chest, silently asking permission. The panel slid open immediately, though it was as much from well-trained knowing that to refuse always meant having it ripped off as any real grasp that it was not going to hurt.

It was only when Jazz pinged for a connection that Prowl finally accepted that this might just be real and he hadn't been deluding himself for metacycles about what they've been doing, that they'd been exchanging text messages. A tiny burst of hope flared in him, quickly quashed on reflex at what Vortex would do to him if he caught such a reaction.

Jazz waited, holding very still but for the continuous, soft touch on Prowl's mouth, and kept his field as soothing as he could. He could feel Prowl struggling with the acceptance and was certain that if he pushed even the slightest amount, the Praxian would break. He'd been watching Prowl closely over the recent metacycles, and the madness that he wore when Vortex tortured him had started feeling less and less like an act.

When Prowl allowed the connection, Jazz moved forward just enough to brush against his outer firewalls, and lowered his own completely. He felt Prowl rush forward at the opening, then the loss when the processors behind it suddenly realized he didn't know what to look for to reassure himself this was real.

With a sick feeling of accepting he'd simply have to trust, Prowl backed up to a more polite level and lowered his outer firewalls, such as they were. He rebuilt them each time, but Vortex was still able to shred his defenses in moments. He knew they couldn't be all that strong.

~Jazz?~ Question. Statement. Plea. Prayer.

Jazz shivered just from hearing his name and moved right to the edge of what Prowl had opened, no further. Almost a vorn since they'd been able to truly communicate, he'd all but forgotten what Prowl sounded like, felt like. ~Me, it's me,~ he answered, pulsing affection and relief through.

Prowl shuddered again, this time the sound he made was a real sob while his engine stuttered and hiccupped and he leaned into the touch with want for it. ~Hungry.~

~Here,~ Jazz said, drawing his hand away from Prowl's mouth and returning a moment later with a half-full cube that he hadn't finished earlier. ~Not too fast,~ he instructed, tilting it up. Too much energon, too fast, could wreak havoc on starved systems. Jazz had learned that under Vortex's tutelage, playing with mecha who were kept alive for dozens of orns before their sparks finally guttered.

Prowl complied, sipping it as he was offered. It was a vast improvement over having a cube forcefully poured down his intake. It wasn't even a full klik before more of his processor came on line with a mental sigh of relief. Linked as they were, Jazz also saw the ripple of activity as background programs restarted and began manipulating systems external to Prowl.

Jazz resisted the curiosity-driven urge to push forward and watch closer, and continued to linger on the very outer edge of Prowl's processors. He tucked the cube back into subspace when it was empty and brought his hand back up to Prowl's helm, slowly tracing the misshapen plating. ~Missed you so much,~ he whispered.

~Can you handle two more vorns?~ Prowl shivered and pressed into the contact, physical and mental, wanting it even more than he wanted energy. He'd held on for this for so long, it nearly made his gyros spin to finally have Jazz's touch and presence in the way he remembered it.

Jazz whined quietly and pressed back in every way possible, feeling his spark clench at the idea of spending even one more metacycle in Vortex's grip. ~I can, I will,~ he said, as much determined as he was despairing. ~I made it this far.~

~As have I,~ Prowl sighed, curling around the contact as best he could. ~The more I can siphon from him, the better our odds once we run.~

Jazz nodded, huddling into the mental touch. ~And I still need time. I can keep anything from moving over the bond, but I can't block him out.~ He huffed, a soft, bitter laugh. ~I practice when he overloads, he doesn't notice then.~

~Smart,~ Prowl purred into the contact and the choice. ~No matter what, you must be able to block the bond or he will be able to track us when we escape.~

Jazz nodded again and was silent for a few kliks while he basked in the simple feeling of Prowl's field and processors flush and mingled with his own, tracing his fingers carefully over the frame that was no longer recognizable as Praxian. When his hands returned back up to Prowl's shoulders where he'd started, he stilled and sighed, mentally backing up a step as he tried to think of a way to phrase what he wanted to say. Prowl didn't press, simply waited while Jazz wrestled with himself, for which Jazz was quietly grateful. Finally he decided that the simplest thing would be the easiest and stepped back in.

~I'm sorry,~ he said, and tried to push over his sense of how much of this was his fault. ~For all of this, for every time I help him hurt you, I...I'm so, so sorry, I can't even...~ Instead of words, he pressed his disbelief that Prowl still felt anything but hate for him, and his simultaneous relief.

~There have been moments,~ Prowl admitted, the time he'd almost had his nose pressed into Jazz's dripping valve, the scent of the overload-heated lubricant while Vortex hurt him dominant among the memories of those moments. ~Loving you is the only reason I keep functioning.~

Jazz shuddered at the glimpse of that memory. ~For me as well,~ he said softly. ~Tell me how I can help you.~

Prowl simply leaned into the mental and physical comfort for a long moment. ~Focus on learning to block the bond. We can not leave before he can't track us. Keep my energon high enough to remain aware. Half this level at least. Not enough that I start looking better, but enough that I can keep my seneschal systems active.~

Jazz smiled a little as he listened. He'd had a feeling that was going to be his answer from the work-focused Praxian. ~I will do that,~ he promised, then leaned back far enough to look into Prowl's optics, and his mood sobered again. ~How do I help you? You have been struggling.~ He reached out a soft mental touch and brushed it over where he could still feel madness lurking.

Prowl shuttered his optics and shuddered, seeking more physical contact. ~The energon. I ... know how to cope, but I must have my processors energized. Manage this as often as is safe.~

Jazz nuzzled him and began his careful, gentle stroking of Prowl's frame again. ~I plan to do this as often as is possible,~ he murmured, shifting closer and bringing as much of their frames into contact as he could. ~I'm scared of losing myself,~ he added in a whisper. ~I don't like what I... what he makes me into.~

~Lean on me when you need comfort,~ Prowl told him with a warm upwelling of support and affection. ~We will see each other through this.~

Jazz shivered with relief and selfishly took the support, well aware of how much pain Prowl lived in and how much he should be the stronger right now, but unable to stop himself with it offered so freely. Prowl had been his safety for so long, it was hard to change that feeling.

As soon as he felt steady again, he sent as much as he could in return. ~The loop won't look suspicious for a few more joors. I'm going to stay right here until then.~

Prowl didn't answer with words, instead he allowed the rush of gratitude and want for this to envelope them before settling, allowing them both to simply enjoy the closeness and contact so long denied them.

SxSxSxSxSxSxSxSx S===================S SxSxSxSxSxSxSxS

Jazz strolled through the garden, face upturned into the light and heat from the sun as he passed by the extensive variety of imported organic growth. He'd never imagined it would feel this good to be outside again, and he hadn't smelled air this fresh since he'd first stepped through the estate doors. With everything that had happened, he hadn't even realized how much he missed it.

He paused to look around, recording everything in the highest detail he was capable of to transfer to Prowl later. The Praxian had asked for a walk-through of the outer gardens, and with the recent freedom Vortex had been allowing Jazz with the estates, it had only been a matter of a post-overload request, purred into the rotor's audial.

Jazz made a face as he looked into yet another decorative mercury pool. Vortex still had complete control of the door to their quarters. He was letting Jazz out, but he still controlled when Jazz could leave. It was another problem they would need to overcome. Prowl didn't have access to the lock systems, at least not for the Lords' quarters, which meant it was going to be on Jazz. They couldn't rely on Vortex giving Jazz the codes, which might change at any moment, which meant hacking the lock. He resented having to spend some of the time he could hide behind the recording loop doing anything but touching Prowl, but it was necessary.

Jazz passed by the small grotto that marked the single night he'd been with Prowl, spending no more time looking over it than any other part as he continued along. It wasn't until he reached the opposite side of the grounds that he finally stopped for a moment, sitting down on a bench and staring at the ground, lost in his memory of that night.

"Lord Jazz?" A low, quiet voice disrupted his thoughts. "May I ask a question?"

Jazz lifted his head, looking at the servant he hadn't even noticed approaching. "Of course," he said, forcing an easy smile, unable to stop himself from pulling the last time he'd seen this mech, back at his creators' estate.

"It is known that Lord Vortex took Prowl," the mech said softly, his optics down. "May I know his status for his next of kin?"

Jazz's optics widened and he grew very still, unprepared for the question. Well aware that Vortex could be watching him, Jazz paid careful attention to the bond for anything coming through, but it was still, no instruction forthcoming. Jazz refocused on the servant, then lowered his gaze back to the ground. "That is not for me to say," he answered quietly.

"My apologies for disturbing you, Lord Jazz." The servant bowed and quickly left.

Jazz watched him go, then rose to his feet with a sigh. He needed to finish his walk and get back inside. Vortex may have permitted him to leave, but that certainly didn't mean the rotor was going to forgive unnecessary lingering.

SxSxSxSxSxSxSxSx S===================S SxSxSxSxSxSxSxS

When Jazz entered the berthroom, he noted that Prowl was fully energized, though looking a bit dazed still, and Vortex was grinning, all but vibrating with eager anticipation.

He paused, examining the situation carefully while giving Vortex a warm smile and inclining his head in submissive greeting. "Thank you for allowing me to walk in the gardens, my bonded," he said, pulsing affection and gratitude over the sparkbond.

The rotor purred. "You have earned some freedoms, and a reward. Make yourself look good on the berth."

Jazz hummed as he walked gracefully past Vortex and Prowl, ignoring the latter completely as he obeyed, sliding onto the soft material and turning onto his back. He stretched, making every movement as slow and sensuous as he could, before reclining back, one knee up while the other leg fell to the side, casually spreading his thighs just enough to be tempting. He settled one hand at the base of his neck and slowly trailed his fingers down to the junction between his hip and pelvis, then traced the same path back up, watching Vortex the entire time as the bond thrummed with lust. "As so, my Lord?" he purred.

"Yes," Vortex rumbled hotly. He grabbed Prowl by the back of the neck and hauled the unresisting but fully coherent mech to the end of the berth. He forced Prowl's face up. "You will pleasure him. Fail to knock him off line and I will punish you severely."

Jazz's engines gave a sharp whine of protest as his relaxation vanished. He managed to stay where he was, but his head snapped up from Prowl to Vortex as two different profiles warred for the appropriate response, and very real distress and confusion pushed over the bond. "Bonded," he trilled, softly and imploringly, "I don't understand..."

"He still desires you," the rotor growled. "After all this, he still desires you. So he's going to get a more direct lesson. I will break him before I extinguish him."

"But my frame is only yours to touch," Jazz murmured, still confused, and very alarmed on another level, though he settled obediently back down.

"Your frame is mine to do with as I will," Vortex corrected with unusual patience, a mixture of pleasure with Jazz and irritation directed elsewhere coming across the bond. "Right now I will see it used to teach this creature a lesson."

That answer was enough to settle the spiking anxiety in both profiles, leaving the construct happily purring to perform and Jazz to worry about his response and how serious Vortex was about extinguishing Prowl. His legs relaxed and fell apart while he licked his lips and looked at the rotor. "Anything, my bonded," he purred.

With a nod and flare of pleasure towards Jazz Vortex shoved Prowl forward, forcing him to stumble into the berth. "You heard, thing," he snarled at Prowl. "Make him scream with pleasure as you've wanted to."

Prowl tore his optics from Jazz to look at Vortex with real fear, then settled back on Jazz and let the lust he'd felt for so long flare inside him. He climbed onto the berth, his joints stiff from lack of use, and knelt between Jazz's legs. Unable to speak, he looked at Jazz, hopeful for some directions, though his frame knew what it wanted.

Jazz stared back, optics wide, trying not to think about how many times he'd imagined seeing this. Never had Vortex been looming overhead, golden optics watching everything. Jazz shivered and wondered if it would be better to ignore him or try to think about him the entire time.

That thought almost made him laugh. Vortex would never do this.

Won't take much. Wanted too much. Jazz settled back, laying down. As much as he wanted to watch, record every moment, he knew that was too dangerous. If his desire for Prowl came out too strongly...

He didn't want to think about what would happen if Vortex read that. He didn't want to think about what would happen as soon as he overloaded, so he tried to clear his thoughts and ignore everything but the sensory input.

Lacking any further direction and with Vortex looming behind him, Prowl shivered and admitted to what they all knew. His field bloomed rich with desire, focused on the now quite simpler looking mech he loved so much.

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