We've promised some Lockdown, didn't we? Here he is. Getting pawned. By a mere engineer. Enjoy!
The engineer felt his systems wailing from the exhaustion. He was not designed to race, slaggit! Who was that other mech behind him, anyway—steadily closing up, after he made Wheeljack jump and flee with a few well-aimed shots? A Decepticon...? No, that couldn't be. They were driven away long ago, hiding ever since the Great War ended...but why was he shooting? As far as Wheeljack could remember, he had no enemies... Well, okay, actually, the repair bills totaled up quite nicely by now, but come on, science needed a few sacrifices! It wasn't the Kalis Science Academy's style to shoot their own; no matter how much damage they made...was it...?
Wheeljack steered clear of another obstacle in his way. A little more and they'll be out of the city. Where was the security force when he needed them?
Unfortunately for Wheeljack, getting outside of the city would only put him at more of an advantage for his pursuer. Really, where was the fun...? This hunt was somewhat interesting, but, the mech wasn't much of a fighter. Feh—he was a scientist. Rarely were those types fitted as fighters.
Lockdown supposed that he would simply have to capture the mech and get it over with. He could sense that—what was his name?—Wheeljack was slowing down, vents straining from the long run. He had to give the mech some credit, as he'd managed to keep out of Lockdown's grasp for a while, but...everyone tired out sometime.
He was closing in now, skyscrapers thinning to small homes to stone, society becoming sketchier until entirely nonexistent. Lockdown was so close that he could hear the other mech's vents hissing and trying to keep up with the activity to no avail. It was close enough... with a smirk, Lockdown took a final shot, clipping the mech in his tailgate. He wouldn't be able to run, now.
"You can run all you like," he chuckled, approaching his prey. "I always catch my target, eventually."
The what—? The light-colored engineer cried out as the hit landed on his tailgate, making him swerve and stumble on the ground as he changed into robot mode. "Okay, what's the big deal?!" He inquired, trying to get behind cover. "I haven't blown up the labs since at least five orns ago!"
"Whether or not you've blown up any labs doesn't concern me," Lockdown replied, transforming from his giant muscle-car form to tower over Wheeljack, powering up the EMP generator mounted on his arm with a smirk. "I'm just here to pick you up for someone else." He stomped a foot down on the mech's chest, to keep him from escaping.
"S-someone else...?" Wheeljack's optics widened and his headfins flickered from confusion. "What do you mean? I don't have business with anybody else, and besides, the shooting was completely unnecessary—"
Lockdown didn't waste words on the mech. Instead he flipped the EMP generator up to a suitable level, and let it loose on Wheeljack—the shock would put him out painfully, but it would get the job done.
At first glance, he didn't seem to have anything on him worth taking as a trophy, but Lockdown would save that judgment for later. He would have plenty of time to look for something while the mech was out cold.
Once back in his lair, he tied the engineer down properly, and started to scan his systems. Tools, tools, more tools, welder, screwdriver...a few blades too weak to be used as a weapon, little storage spaces filled with junk...honestly, scientists were such packrats, keeping every slagging singed wire end. Lockdown was about to give up, when the scanners suddenly caught up on something. He had to lean closer to double-check the data on the screen.
The engineer was packing a brand new weapon in his shoulder area. Lockdown had never seen anything like that before. It was a magnetic inducer, small but powerful, a real jewel. And fully unauthorized, there was no doubt about it.
"Jackpot," Lockdown murmured, chuckling. "That will do quite nicely." A device that could generate magnetic fields would be just as useful, if not more so, than the EMP device he had snitched off that sad old medic bot from years past. The things he could do with a magnetic inducer...Lockdown got the chills just thinking about it. It would make the hunts so much more exciting.
He swapped one of his hands out for a tool, something else he had also gotten off a previous target, and chipped away at Wheeljack's shoulder compartment while the mech was still under. If he were awake, he would be in quite a lot of pain...but even so, when he woke, the after-effects of the invasion would probably give him a satisfying throbbing ache.
After some effort, Lockdown struck gold, and a wicked sneer plastering itself on his face. Contrary to how he had treated Wheeljack's shoulder, he took the item out of its compartment delicately, holding it up in his hands like a thing to be revered. His vents sighed with pure delight, optics bright and wicked.
"Hello, beautiful."
"Morning, lovely," Wheeljack mumbled. He was just coming online, processors still in a daze from the electro-magnetic stun and the throbbing pain. "Owww... Shouldn't drink so much energon when I can't hold it, I ache all over..."
An irritated sneer, "I wasn't talking to y—" Lockdown turned his head to find the scientist coming to. He smiled wide. "Ah, you're awake," he purred, stepping over to meet the bound mech. "Perfect timing. I have a few questions for you."
"Ah—what...?" The engineer's optics widened again, headfins flashing. "What's this all about? Who are you anyway? Release me!" He was panicking. He was not used to this! Dressing down, sure, he could deal with that, but physical violence and restraints? He tried the ropes. They did not yield, not even a bit. Wheeljack trained his sensors on them to analyze the material and he was left gaping at the realization. Those things were not used by civilians, aside maybe building crews...
"Struggling won't get you anywhere...Wheeljack, was it?" Lockdown chuckled. "I'm afraid I'm not very good with names. But, this will make a lovely little reminder." He held out the magnetic inducer, waving it in front of Wheeljack's face. "Thanks for the present."
The headfins flashed in pink from the embarrassment. "Y—you came for those...? I-I, umm, I can explain...!" He was not authorized to have weaponry on his own. Many of his companions called him a weirdo and much worse things for his passion with weapons and explosions. They accused Wheeljack that if he could, he'd start a new war just to test his new gadgets...which was not true. Though, the engineer would have admitted that he was a warrior deep inside his spark...somewhere right behind the passionate scientist.
"Relax, I'm not going to report this to anybody," Lockdown replied with a smirk, tapping the inducer and drawing it back towards himself. "No, this is something best kept to myself." he paused—then his optics lit up.
"Ah, I suppose I never introduced myself. My name is Lockdown. I'm what you call a bounty hunter."
"A bounty—but Autobots never—" The blue optics grew impossibly wide. "You work for the Decepticons..." That was bad news; very bad news. Though, what did the Cons want from him...? Surely, he was not that famous an engineer...or was he...? The thought was flattering, but... "What do they want from me?"
Lockdown shrugged. "That's of no concern to me. All I know is that they're paying me quite handsomely for my services," his lips peeled back in a sadistic smile, "And I get to keep this lovely invention of yours for myself, as well." He held it out again, stroking it with one thumb. "A magnetic inducer, isn't it? Nothing like it on Cybertron or anywhere else, I suspect. You must have worked hard on it."
"Well, yes, and I think it came out lovely, though—"
Wheeljack was interrupted by the bleeping of the communications panels of Lockdown's ship, signaling an incoming message. Lockdown suppressed a grumble, faceplates tightening into a frown. He leered sideways at the panels before strolling over, pocketing the magnetic inducer behind him and pressing a button to open up communications.
"Yes, what is it now? I have that mech you asked me for earlier."
"Splendid." The monotone voice, void of emotions echoed in the room. "Deliver him at the meeting point, and one of our agents will hand over your payment. You will not be disappointed. However, we also have another mission for you—I think you'll find it suitable to accept. Of course, the payment will again suit your efforts."
Another mission already...? Lockdown quirked an optic ridge, "That was fast," he commented, though he didn't argue the point. Yet another hunt so readily available was quite a blessing. Often, orns could pass by before he had another decent job. "Who is it this time?"
"A young Autobot leader in a faraway sector..." The hexagon-faced mech on the screen gave the coordinates. In the background, on the table, Wheeljack sharpened his audios and made sure the information is safely stored in his databanks. Who knows; maybe it would come handy later. "...We are quite eager to have him. He is also commanding a small unit. You can capture them as you see fit, and take as many upgrades as you want—we will pay a small prize for them, but your main target is Optimus Prime. Here are his data files. You are to be delivering him functional." The stress on the last word was practically adding "but not necessarily intact."
"Functional I can do," Lockdown replied with a smirk. "I'll be at the meeting point within the megacycle. And, Shockwave..." Lockdown gave a mock salute, saying on a particularly creepy note, "A pleasure doing business with you."
He then cut the communication line, screen going blank, and turned back to Wheeljack. "Now, where were we...?"
"You were leering at my magnetic inducer," Wheeljack replied readily. "So, you're taking parts from the bots you capture? That's just disgusting. However, I see you have snatched quite a few neat things..." He turned his head around with some trouble, to take in all the shelves on which, the different parts were piling up. "Is that a holographic cloaking device? And that acid pellet gun looks awesome—"
"Flattery doesn't get you anywhere, either." Lockdown held up the magnetic inducer as he began to install it into one of his arms. "I want you to tell me how this works, Wheeljack."
"It drives the energy from your supply system, so it won't really tire you, but might let you a bit vulnerable at times," the engineer explained. "The aim software and the neuro-connection establishing code lines are currently installed on a memory chip and it's in the back of the gun, I thought it'd be better to keep it like this, so it'll mach everybody, but I don't know, sometimes the outsourcing makes it a bit sluggish... You can regulate the intensity through the neuro-connection. It should generate quite powerful fields, but I really have to warn you, it was not yet properly tested..."
Lockdown waved the scientist off dismissively, working to set the code lines and connections to match his frequency. "Fascinating. I suppose, if it really does drain me that much, I'll have to use it sparingly..." he smiled wide. "I'll have to save this toy for the fun hunts."
"Be sure to try it out before you use it," Wheeljack warned.
Lockdown quirked an optic ridge at Wheeljack's suggestion, optics narrowing. Now, why would the little glitch be so eager for him to test out his new trophy...?
Well, whatever. It was in his possession now, and frankly, he really was just itching to try it out. He grinned wide. "Thanks. I think I will." Lockdown glanced about the testing room, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Now, what could I test it on...?" After some searching, Lockdown found a particularly impressive trophy that he had hanging from the ceiling near the entryway—it was a custom-built pistol for an Elite guard that packed quite a punch when it was set on the custom mode. That would do nicely.
Lockdown raised the magnetic inducer, aiming it at the pistol and intending to pull it forward to him—or at least down from the ceiling. "Now then, let's see what your precious little toy can do."
Lockdown activated the magnetic inducer, concentrating it to focus on the pistol—the air rippled with the field it produced, and the weapon detached from its hold on the wall, snapping over towards the bounty hunter, who was beaming with pride all the while. What a useful little device!
"Excellent! It works!"
Unfortunately, as Lockdown grabbed the pistol, laughing and gloating, he missed the flashing orange light on the back of the magnetic inducer. It blinked slowly at first, then faster and faster...
Lockdown went from a proud standing hunter to a seizing mass of scrap on the floor in less than a second, a clipped wail of agony slipping through the static. "You...LIED...to ME...!!"
"I did not!" Wheeljack pouted cutely, and promptly whipped out his welder, aiming it at the ropes holding him. "I did want it to suit everybody... But, what can I do? My colleagues often play pranks on me, and what if the military finds out that I have it? I wanted them to have a nasty little surprise if they try it out...near instant processor scrambling."
While he talked, the heat from the welder made the ropes glow at one point. Heat alone would not damage the restrains, Wheeljack knew it, but it made easier to cut them, even with his engineer tools. It was certainly not a quick process, but he was a patient mech, and until the gun was disconnected from Lockdown, he didn't need to worry about the bounty hunter coming around functionally.
Lockdown was barely able to talk, much less move besides every twitch and jerk of his systems—he attempted several times to try and remove the weapon, but he could get his body to listen to him long enough to actually pull it off. Whenever he could manage something through the static in his vocals and the pain in his processors, it was an angry hiss or snarl. He wasn't pleased about being lied to (because that's exactly what the frag it was, no matter what that glitching crazy scientist told him), and he was even less pleased about being unable to function without screwing up half his processors, which were already scrambled enough with that blasted magnet inducer on his arm.
With patience, a few minutes later, Wheeljack climbed off the table, and crouched down next to the bounty hunter, affectionately patting his shoulders. "Well, it's been nice talking to you. Really, I'm so happy to leave that little gem for you, and I'll even get you a few precious guests: the Kalis Security Force. Have a wonderful day, Lockdown."
With a mischievous chuckle, the engineer ran off, transforming into vehicle mode and heading straight to the inner part of the city. The Supreme Command needed to know that the Decepticons were up to something and that young mech—Optimus—surely needed a little help if the enemy had its sight on him.
Slaggit all to the Pit—! That loudmouthed little glitch! Lockdown snarled, his systems still seizing and making him writhe on the floor. He cried out in rage both during and after Wheeljack whittled his way out of the restraints and darted out of the room. Revealing him to the police? Lockdown wouldn't have it!
It was painful, but he tried again; tried to remove that damned inducer from his arm. His servos twitched and jerked with each push, his optics and audios were riddled with static. It hurt to concentrate, it hurt to be awake. Lockdown's systems were trying to force him into emergency stasis, and it was taking all the willpower he had to keep himself online.
At last, he managed to grasp the magnetic inducer, and after another long agonizing attempt, tore it (painfully, once again) from his arm. Once rid of it, Lockdown flung it halfway across the room like it was poisonous. His cooling systems sucked in cold air and spat out steam and his processors worked in overtime trying to get back in working order. The bounty hunter, still trembling from the scramble, hurried to the control board, and began punching in a number of codes.
"No...fragging way...in the Pit am I...gonna let...some stinking officers catch me," he hissed.
It took some time to the engineer to get his point across, so the Security arrived late; Lockdown was nowhere to be found once they arrived, although they managed to catch traces of his ship, which proved that Wheeljack told the truth. A few cycles later, the Supreme Command got the report, and Ultra Magnus thanked the engineer personally for the valuable information.
They had been looking for that Autobot for quite some time now...