CHAPTER FOUR

XXX

As predicted, Jack felt sore the next day. Megatron's trap had left him unable to toss and turn during the night, his body aching from staying in its rigid position the entire night. He also kept waking frequently during the warlord's stay, Jack slightly shocked when he woke up to Megatron still present at 4:30 in the morning. His mom could be home any minute from work, check up on him, yet the tyrant did not seem to care.

So much for stealth.

However, when his alarm finally rang at 6:30, the mech was gone, leaving only a warm indentation where he had been. Even then the damage had been done, Jack's back and shoulders aching horrendously.

His phone buzzed as he stepped out into the garage, a stone dropping in his gut.

Hey man, Jonny is going to be sick, and we need a cashier. I scheduled you for his shift bc I know you don't have anything going on today. It's the 4p-11p shift, closing.

No, no, no. Holy scrap Megatron is going to kill me.

His fingers pound on the buttons, unable to hide the blood draining from his face.

I can't. I have a sci-fi club meeting today.

"Everything alright?" Arcee asked, her wheel tilting ever so slightly in his direction. Though she could not outright "see," her partner's distress was easy to perceive.

"Y-yeah. Things are great." He felt a sweat break out on his hands, pocketing his phone and sliding on his helmet. "Off to school we go!"

If the awkwardness was uncharacteristic of him, Arcee was at least gracious enough to not mention it. Instead, she helped him wheel her out of the garage, waiting until he was settled into her saddle to start up and go. Jack's phone buzzed again, and he pulled it out.

You've already missed work enough times bc of that club. If you no-show this, we're going to have a talk with my supervisor - and I'm sorry Jack, but it'll likely end with you getting fired.

He shut the phone, unsure how to answer and not really wanting to text and ride. Last thing he needed today was to get pulled over by a cop, or for someone to accuse him of distracted driving.

Jack's heart pounded. Megatron would not accept it, he just knew it. Night three, night three, into this, and he was struggling to prevent things from falling apart.

"You sure you're okay?" Arcee broke through his swirling thoughts. "You're gripping the handlebars tight."

"Sorry," he tried to relax, his arms aching. "I - the manager scheduled me to work a shift today. It's a four to eleven closing shift, and I was hoping to spend some time with you guys today."

"Well, there's always tomorrow," she suggested, her Autobot emblem glowing with each word. "And then it's the weekend, right?"

"True," he chewed his lip. "I'll have to double-check and see if I work those days." A lie, as he definitely did not work either of those days, however a plan was forming in his head. He would need to find a way to appease Megatron, and maybe . . .

Gross. Not a date. Call it something different.

The night might be "his," but if this was to work they would need to compromise on occasion.

"Kind of a jerk move, on your manager's part," Arcee said casually. "Do we need to teach him a lesson?"

"No, no, no," Jack sighed, barely able to muster up a laugh. Allspark, he was so stressed. "As funny as it would be, I'm already under scrutiny, and I don't want to risk getting fired."

Scrutiny from work . . . and I hope not scrutiny from you.

"Fair enough," Arcee quieted as they neared the school, pulling into the small parking lot. Bulkhead and Bumblebee both were parked in front, Miko chatting amiably with Rafael. The young boy looked much better, the color returned to his cheeks and a little more life in his eyes. Dark energon had done a number on him, but he pulled through just fine.

"Hey, you're almost late!" Miko crowed, Jack scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, well, I might've overslept just a touch," he said, smiling and high-fiving Rafael. "Feeling better?"

"Much," the younger boy returned his smile. "Are you coming the base today?"

Jack sighed. "I can't. Work."

"Lame," Miko concurred, adjusting the straps of her backpack. "Think we'll see more 'cons today?"

"Let's hope not," Jack flipped open his phone, replying to his manager.

Okay. I'll let them know.

As soon as he got to his locker, he shoved his books inside and grabbed what he needed, pausing and ensuring neither Miko nor Rafael were around to see what he was doing. Flipping open his phone, he opened up his messages to Amicus.

My manager scheduled me unexpectedly to work from 4:00pm to 11:00pm. I probably will not be back until well past midnight. My mom will be home. DON'T touch her.

He sent it, feeling as if the weight on his chest was increasing with every second. While walking to his first class his phone buzzed, the young man slightly surprised by the swiftness of the answer.

I will be waiting.

"Great, awesome," Jack huffed, pocketing the device. Honestly, the last thing he needed was a long day of work, then some kind of possible reprimanding from the tyrant.

With his mother in the other room.

Jack cringed. Would Megatron turn violent? Possibly. Would he likely try to bribe Jack into making a more advantageous deal due to this slip-up? Probably.

He took a deep breath. "Keep your head up, Darby," he muttered. "Don't let this make things worse."

The school day went by at a snail's pace, each ring of the bell leaving Jack dreading the next class, and the next step towards what could only be disaster. The stress was forming a small headache between his eyes, every heartbeat pulsing through his brain. Even at lunch, sitting with Miko and Raf, he was so distracted he barely participated in the conversation, even when Miko pointed out Sierra and teased him.

The final bell sounded like it was placing a curse on him, dooming him to some kind of punishment that would last an eternity. Work was no better, his manager smiling and greeting him, but it was clearly a fake gesture. He was trying to smooth over the fact he essentially threatened Jack to come in, on the grounds he would be fired.

When it came down to it, Jack would rather take whatever punishment Megatron was considering than try to explain to his mother how he was fired. Though she liked the Autobots, she was also not afraid to pull Jack away from them if it meant securing his life outside of their influence. Honestly, that seemed the worst of the outcomes - if the Autobots were no longer a staple for him, then there would only be Megatron . . . and that was a terrible outcome. At least with Arcee showing up every morning, he felt safe. She was the indicator that the night was but a temporary thing.

As night fell his anxiety was at an all-time high again, the teen swearing he would feel his phone vibrate, but every time he checked there would not be a single message waiting for him. The worst-case scenarios ran through his head, and he realized that without him there . . .

Megatron could easily be hurting his mom.

He pulled out his phone.

Where are you?

After sending the message he realized that was a ridiculous thing to do. If Megatron thought he was in trouble, he would send an entire fleet to this lonely little burger joint, and that would be impossible to explain away.

Once again, the reply was borderline instantaneous.

Your living quarters. Do you require my assistance?

No, I'm fine. Just forget about it. I should be leaving in a couple of hours.

He took a breath. That was dumb. And now he is definitely going to ask me about it.

The next couple of hours dragged as well, Jack still worrying whilst he took orders, then closed down the store. When he walked out, he realized Arcee was still parked outside of the burger joint. He wanted to smack himself.

Of course she would still be there; she was his guardian, after all, and she needed to escort him home. An irrational part of him wondered if she knew he had sent text messages to the mech residing in his room, then brushed it off. Surely not. Surely she would confront him if she did. That was how Arcee handled things - by leaping into it headfirst.

"Hey, long shift," he joked lightly, sliding on and placing his helmet on his head. He gripped her handlebars, trying to act totally normal.

She peeled out of the parking lot, heading towards his home under the relatively safe cover of darkness.

"Yeah. No 'cons either. It's starting to worry me," she frowned. "Why was Knock Out there that day? And why has he not tried to come back?"

"Maybe he saw us Groundbridge away and decided to try somewhere else?" Jack asked weakly, trying to diminish her fears and suspicions.

"Possibly," there was obvious doubt in her voice. "We will still be Groundbridging to and from the base until we figure this out."

"Smart plan," Jack felt sick as they approached his house. He doubted Cybertronians could sense each other through drywall, wires, and insulation, however it was terrifying to think about leaving the garage, then almost literally doing a U-turn into his room. He shared a wall with the garage, which made stealth an absolute necessity. If he so much as screamed, or raised his voice a little too loud, Arcee would know. Then his mom, only a few doors down, would too.

He slid off of Arcee and punched in the garage door code, helping her inside.

"Good night, partner," he smiled, trying to ignore how much he wanted to throw up. He was so nervous.

"Good night," she returned, settling down on her tires for the night.

Jack slipped into his house, navigating it without turning on the lights. Bracing himself he opened his bedroom door, forcing himself not to jump as he met red optics.

Stepping in, he quietly grabbed his pajamas and left without a sound or acknowledgement to the warlord, taking as long of a shower as he knew he could take without raising suspicion. Getting ready, he threw his dirty clothes in the laundry hamper, then trudged back to his room, closing the door and locking it for good riddance.

"Not in the mood to talk," he mumbled, feeling both physically and emotionally exhausted. At this point . . . he did not really care what the tyrant did.

"Shall I take care of your manager so this does not happen again?"

A shot of adrenaline burst in his chest. "No, don't," Jack hissed at him, collapsing into the bed and sliding under the covers. "It's something that happens on occasion. I'll make it up to you this weekend."

Despite hearing Jack claim he was too tired to hold a conversation, Megatron continued, his curiosity piqued. "And how do you intend to do that?" He asked, a borderline purr in his voice.

Chills ran down Jack's spine. "I'll figure it out tomorrow," he said, mumbling. "Too tired now."

"Hmm," he felt Megatron shift his weight, the young man closing his eyes as he felt the tyrant's suffocating presence return to his side again, arm wrapping around him possessively. "Then I will wait for this 'weekend.' Do not disappoint me."

"Don't expect much," Jack huffed, resisting shivers as he feels Megatron's breath on his ear, ghosting across his neck. "We're still taking this slow."

"I was anticipating as much," Megatron's digits wrapped around the side of his ribs, a subtle hiss leaving the human as he was dragged closer. "Rest."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Jack made a point to turn on his side, his back to Megatron and loosening his grip ever so slightly on him. The Decepticon did not protest, seemingly satisfied with this arrangement. Jack partially regretted giving him permission to settle in beside him, however it was arguably slightly better than knowing he was just sitting there and watching.

Closing his eyes, Jack tried to push aside other worries and discomforts, sleep claiming him almost effortlessly.

XXX

Things were moving slowly for the Autobots, and efforts to find Optimus Prime were not any easier. As the Nemesis was a moving warship, it was understandably impossible to pinpoint its location at any given time. Ratchet was attempting other methods of finding their friend, and trying to finagle the Groundbridge into working as a Spacebridge, however one thing after another continued to fail.

Jack felt horrible, knowing the answer to everything laid in bed with him at night, however he was painfully aware Megatron would not give him anything. As they had agreed upon before, the war and their "courtship" were mutually exclusive, and they could not manipulate each other into giving up secrets. Jack suspected Megatron would try something, prompting him to remain careful while conversing with the warlord.

Today was a Saturday, and he felt guilty for lying to both his mother and Arcee about where he was. Both assumed he was at work, his guardian taking the day to scout for energon and signs of Decepticon activity while June worked a day shift, both unaware of what was going to transpire.

He paced in his room, waiting for the Groundbridge, which would take him to a remote location, far away from prying eyes. He kept his cellphone on him, a backpack of food and various other necessities on his shoulders.

Though Megatron did not particularly care for the organic planet, he was willing to spend a day in isolation with Jack, on the grounds that this was to make up for his absence a few nights prior. Jack tried not to demand much through text, well aware that misinterpretations were much more likely through voiceless words.

He just wanted to make it clear this was not supposed to be romantic. They were also to meet in neutral territory - not on the Nemesis, and not in Jack's home. Somewhere else quiet, private.

Though private was dangerous for the human as well.

The Groundbridge opened with its usual whirl behind him, the young man whirling as its green light bathed his room. He slung the pack over his shoulder, waiting for a few seconds. When he realized the bridge was waiting for him, he stepped into it, his heart jumping into his throat.

Would Megatron keep his end of the deal, or was Jack walking into a trap?

He took a breath. Time to find out how serious he is.

Groundbridges were, quite literally, bridges, or what humans might even call wormholes. It ripped a hole in the space-time continuum, reducing hundreds, if not thousands, of miles into mere feet. In this in-between of portals Jack could barely hear, much less smell anything. Thus it was a surprise when the first thing he noticed when stepping out was the wall of fresh air caressing his nose. It was bright outside, the sun high in the sky and kissing his skin. He had packed a jacket, unsure of the weather, however he would not need it - it was just comfortable enough for him not to worry about it. A quiet roar met his ears - and he wondered where Megatron had chosen to bridge him.

He only had a few requirements: it met the basic temperature and weather needs of humans, and it was isolated.

Looking around, Jack noticed he was in some sort of tropical forest, which was oddly silent. There were very occasional bird chirps, however they sounded like warnings. The hair on the back of his neck prickled, and he wondered if he had made a serious mistake.

"Is this a suitable location for you?"

He jumped, whirling around. Megatron was standing in some thicker underbrush, the sharp demon a stark contrast to the earthen environment which surrounded him. In broad daylight Jack was finally able to appreciate just how bizarre it was to see Megatron at such a tiny size. Yes, he still towered over Jack by at least a foot, and the idea that he could become so small seemed more terrifying than when he was at his natural height - assuming the tyrant did not add a few inches somehow.

"I-I guess so," Jack answered, looking around as Megatron approached. "Where are we?"

Red optics scanned their surroundings. "It is referred to as Angel Falls. Given that this is the rainy season, there are quite a few other humans visiting. However, if you wish to see them at a distance, it is a possibility."

Aft. He really is taking me on some kind of date.

Jack nodded, then paused. "Wait, Angel Falls? As in, the tallest waterfall in the world?"

"Yes," Megatron confirmed. "In your country of Venezuela."

"Well, not my country, but a country, yes," Jack corrected, looking around. "You know how tall the actual waterfall is?"

The tyrant tilted his helm, as if trying to tell if the human was serious, or not. When Jack just stared back, expected an answer, he acquiesced.

"It is approximately 870 meters . . . or 2800 feet, depending on what silly measurement you best affiliate with," he waved his digits, Jack's eyes practically popping out of his skull.

"What? 2800 feet? Does that, like, include the elevation it's at?" He asked, baffled. "That's, like, half a mile. In the air - and water is falling over the edge."

"One of your tallest peaks is approximately 29000 feet, so it is not out of the realm of possibility that such a phenomenon exists," Megatron pointed out, seeming to take great delight in Jack's apparent denial, since he was the one with thousands upon millions of bytes of information at his digit tips.

"Wow . . . I guess I just didn't expect it to actually be that tall," Jack adjusted the straps of his backpack, beginning to feel the sticky humidity. Venezuela was most certainly warmer and had a lot more water saturation than Jasper, Nevada. He swore he was inhaling literal water droplets.

Megatron was pleased to see his interest, gesturing in the direction of the falls. He had already taken plenty of time to scout the area, and knew a few places that were an easy hike for creatures their size to reach. "Would you like to see the falls?"

Jack met his optics, ever testing the tyrant's intentions. He had every right to be suspicious, however Megatron was eternally patient. The Decepticon had fought a war for thousands of years; he knew how to wait. Eventually, Jack would come to trust him, making this entire process that much easier.

"But we can't be seen by other humans," Jack said slowly.

"Naturally," came the smooth reply. "Come, I have already established a few viewing places that will leave us undisturbed."

Though the prospect of traipsing through a foreign jungle with Primus only knew what kind of venomous animals waiting under logs, Jack nodded. He figured he was probably safest with Megatron at his side.

Maybe if I ask nicely, he'll carry me. Then I won't have to worry about getting my ankles bit.

A cynical, bitter thought, however it did not sound like a horrible idea. Any snake or spider fang would break against Megatron's tough armor, and he was certain Cybertronian physiology would not react adversely to whatever venom was introduced to it. There were no binding proteins, and would be as harmless as if he had been injected with water.

He decided against the request for now, content to let the tyrant go first as they tread through the jungle.

As they progressed he felt the humidity really get to him, pressing against his lungs with each breath. The young man briefly wondered at what elevation they were at, realizing they would be at least less than 3000 feet above sea level. He might be short of breath merely because of the elevation change - though thinking back on it, he wasn't certain at what elevation Jasper, Nevada would be.

Let's just blame it on the humidity. Sounds like a plan.

He then smacked a mosquito as it bit into his skin, hissing.

Great. Didn't think to bring bug spray.

He also began to sweat, pushing his shirt sleeves up to provide more surface area for cooling while simultaneously wiping his face. He swore he saw water droplets collecting on Megatron's armor, wondering if that was the Cybertronian equivalent of "sweat," or just the wetness of the environment collecting on him as condensation.

"We are almost there," Megatron informed him. "It is a short walk."

Jack just nodded, continuing on their journey. "Almost there" could mean five seconds, five minutes, or an hour, however he kept going. Frankly, if an hour walk meant spending an hour in relative silence while Megatron kept his processor on a mission, that was fine by him.

Just a few hours, max. I can do this.

Before too long Megatron did stop in front of him, Jack circling around on his right, making careful note of the cliff edge. He looked up.

"Whoa," he felt his breath catch slightly. They were a fair distance away from the falls, probably further than he thought, however it allowed them to take in the entirety of the fall's massivity.

The mesa from which it fell looked like ordinary rock, however he knew it was meticulously carved behind the falls, worn to smoothness by the passing of water and time. It thundered over its crest, thinning and nearly disappearing altogether near the bottom. It was so tall that most of its water was evaporating before it had a chance to meet the river below, which Jack could barely make out through the trees.

His companion tilted his helm. "It is quite a feat of natural engineering," he acknowledged, standing at the edge and watching the water fall. His sensitive optics could see the humans down below, a boat taking them to their destination. He could also see that Jack's face was slightly flushed from exertion, perspiration coating his body, soaking his shirt where it met his back and chest. Megatron was no stranger to the salty water, checking to ensure Jack displayed no other signs of possible dehydration.

As if reading his thoughts, the human slung his backpack to his front and opened it, pulling out a water bottle. Megatron was curious to what other things he packed, however he pulled nothing else out at the moment, just taking a long drink of water.

"I'll admit, this is amazing," Jack said after his last gulp, blue eyes scanning the horizon. "And not something I think I would have ever seen in my life."

"I suppose it is a convenience to have a Groundbridge at one's disposal," Megatron acknowledged. He paused, as if he was considering continuing, however he changed the subject just slightly. "How long do you wish to stay?"

Jack looked back at him, surprised. "Um . . . I thought we would stay for as long as it took. You know, to make up for lost time."

Megatron waved a servo, looking amused. "It is far too risky for me to be away from my warship for an extended period of time, as it is for you to be away from your Autobot masters. We do not want suspicion to arise."

The human arched a dark eyebrow. "Surely your lackeys know that you're here?"

That earned him a soft growl. "Only Soundwave has any true business knowing my whereabouts. As for my other subordinates, I will not incur any sort of punishment from my activities. You, on the other hand, will have consequences - and not just from me. Optimus Prime tried to shelter you once - I will not allow the others to strip you away from me."

Jack flinched as claws came forward, but they were gentle against his skin, stroking his cheek and cupping his jaw.

Deep red optics gazed into his soft blue eyes. "I will not let you slip from my grasp. I have experienced loss once, and I have no taste for it."

"Then shouldn't you be distancing yourself from me?" Jack asked, carefully moving his chin away from Megatron's touch. "You know I will only live to be a 100 years old, max. And I'll definitely show my age by about forty. Fifty if I'm lucky."

"It will be much more time alloted to me than what I was given with Amicus," Megatron answered, the replies always ready at the tip of his glossa. He gazed back towards Angel Falls. "Though if I do ever find a way to extend your lifespan, I do believe I would not hesitate to use it."

Jack felt something akin to hot anger run through his veins, realizing what that could mean. He opened his mouth to protest, but then shut it again. This was a discussion that did not need to happen, as the likelihood Megatron would find anything to keep Jack preserved at a certain age. Immortality was nothing but myth even to these titans, and extending a human's lifespan by thousands of years was near impossible.

"Maybe," he said instead. "Depending on how these three months go."

Megatron turned to gaze at him, amused.

"I believe it would not be detrimental for me to remain optimistic," he gave him a slight grin, denta poking from between his scarred lip plates.

Jack just gave him a look, ever resistant. The tyrant's servo had long dropped back to his side, but he was itching to touch the soft skin again. There was something . . . soothing about the smoothness of the human form, a surprisingly aesthetically-pleasing design. Of course, it had taken him some time to appreciate its beauty, however he found he was quite selective in what he liked.

And though he could easily just do what he desired, he fully understood Jack was a separate entity from his long-distance descendant, and did not view romance and intimacy the same way either. He supposed he knew how Amicus felt, now; however he was not nearly as well versed in the art of seduction. And Jack was resistant - where Megatron had unintentionally come to hold affection for Amicus, unaware of what was happening before it was too late. Jack, on the other hand, was aware of what this was intending to lead to, making his reluctance almost twofold.

But Megatron was determined to change that.

"Just don't be disappointed if things don't work out the way you expected," Jack said.

"And likewise to you," Megatron promised, his optics glittering.

Jack looked away, his blue eyes brightening as the sun hit them. He shaded them, gazing at the falls. Megatron had no idea what was going through his mind, the human just as hard to read as any others.

There was a long bit of silence, Megatron content to just remain with him while he drew his own conclusions.

Jack eventually seemed to figure things out, looking over at the titan.

"Well, it's almost lunch time, and I brought food," he said, his suggestion wary with a hint of light tones. "So, why don't we have a picnic?"

XXX

Note: I changed this chapter just a little bit because, as Guest Jade pointed out, I am an idiot (no they didn't say that but, I am) and somehow confused feet with miles. Yeesh, I clearly was not sober when writing that bit. Thank you for pointing that out; it's fixed now!