The building was massive- bigger than the ones he had seen on his brief stint. It was decidedly more sinister looking with it's sharper points and design. Jack kept an eye out for anything note-worthy while keeping track of the turns they were taking inside. Another door came up, and when it opened, Jack thought his spark stilled for a moment.

Shockwave was at work even when they arrived, sparks flying everywhere as he examined a piece of what appeared to be Insecticon leg armor, given the spikes. The sight of it had Jack blanching at the thought of what must have happened to its owner.

On instinct, Jack tried to keep back, but he was only dragged further into the room. His feet scrapped against the ground, wincing as the screech of metal alerted Shockwave to their presence. He stepped back away from the leg, and Jack thought his spark was going to stop when that red optic locked on him.

Jack didn't know what it was, but the fact Shockwave looked almost exactly as he had in the future unnerved him. He thought Arcee and Bulkhead, and heck even Breakdown looked a little different despite being recognizable. Even Megatron looked different. The only thing different about this Shockwave was that he looked cleaner.

"You are late." Came the same cold, monotonous voice. Jack shuddered.

"The slave gave us some trouble." The guard responded. From the lilt in his voice Jack could tell he was nervous. "Ran off into the city- had to call the police to help round him up." Jack stilled as the mech began rambling, likely trying to save his own hide. The orange mech gestured to Arcee. "Luckily this one managed to catch him before he could scurry off."

Jack was more than relieved once Shockwave's optic slid from him to Arcee. "You retrieved the slave?" The one-optic mech questioned, indignation burning inside as Jack was yet again regarded as little more than property.

Arcee tensed, but nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. The slave was trying to find a route out of Kaon. I detained him before he could flee the city."

Shockwave held his gaze on her, but looked away dismissively as he turned his unnerving gaze back on Jack. Without a word, his servo came up and gripped his chin. Jack flinched as his head was tilted up to meet his gaze, head turning to the side as Jack realized with a jolt that Shockwave was inspecting him. And the thought sickened him.

"He has not received a proper decontamination." Shockwave noted, seeing the dust and grime. "Your payment will be docked."

"But-" The guard shut himself up when Shockwave looked at him, though kept his head bowed. "You never made any specifications, sir. You only wanted him brought in."

"I am a scientist. I do not work in unsanitary conditions." Shockwave replied, his voice still managing to sound reproachful despite the dull tone.

"Y-yes, of course sir." The mech nodded, unable to argue with the scientist. "I...apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused."

"The funds have been transacted," Shockwave continued as though he hadn't spoken. Jack would have smirked were it not for the dire circumstances he found himself in. "You may leave."

He watched them go- all but Arcee, who hesitantly waited until the guards were gone.

"That meant you as well, officer." Shockwave stared at her, his optic narrowing a few cycles.

The femme flinched slightly, but nodded, leaving the room quickly. She must have been as uncomfortable as the rest of them in Shockwave's presence.

There was no time to comprehend his new situation as Shockwave's clawed hand forced him to turn, gripping the back of Jack's neck dangerously tight. "You will decontaminate yourself promptly." The purple mech ordered. The talons at Jack's throat gave him precious little room to argue.

Jack wanted to try anyway, but the claws tightened more and he gritted his teeth. He nodded sharply, and Shockwave pulled him through the room, going into a hall that was just as dark and foreboding as the rest of the tower. He wondered how no one could realize Shockwave was probably evil; this place practically screamed 'I'm up to no good!'

Then again, they'd come in with Shockwave already working on something, and the reaction had been wanting to get as far away as possible. Jack wanted to as well. And while he couldn't argue without risking injury, something else was bothering him, something he hoped wasn't true.

"May I ask you a question?" And it burned to have to speak so politely to this mech, his voice scratchy from where Shockwave's talons were tight around his voice box.

The claws tightened again, and Jack's vents chuffed, but the talons loosened just enough for Jack to speak. "Be quick about it. You have already cost me valuable time to research."

Jack grimaced. "Why am I here?"

They didn't stop walking, as he had hoped, but the mech did answer him. "An intriguing new substance has been brought to my attention as of late." Shockwave's dull voice explained, a dreadfully cold sensation flowing to Jack's middle. "As the only one seemingly capable of detecting the substance, I will be determining the effects it may have had on you."

Jack's optics widened. "Detecting it? I haven't been detecting it, I just got…lucky." His lips twisted sourly. "There's really no reason for me to be here just for that, is there?"

Jack gasped as the claws tightened a fraction again. "Do not presume to know anything above your station. I will be uncovering the value of such a substance, and how it may further my research."

Jack grimaced, because that was the problem. Dark energon was nasty stuff, and having Shockwave tinker with it was asking for trouble. "I-I need to get back to the mines though," he never thought he'd actually use that as an excuse, "I can't be here."

"You will be going back in due time." Shockwave replied calmly. "Only once I have finished what I can gather from you though. And then when I have further use of you, you will be returned here."

Jack didn't like the sound of any of that. "Y-you can't do that though." He had no idea if it was true, but letting a slave do anything but mine didn't seem to be how this system worked.

"You are mine to do with as I see fit. I own you." Shockwave's voice never changed, never gave any inflection, but a chill ran down Jack's spine all the same.

And Jack didn't have a chance to say anything more as he was pushed into a small, square room. There were holes in the floor, and directly above him was an object vaguely resembling a shower head. There was a click from outside the door, Jack assuming Shockwave had locked it. Without warning, liquid poured over him roughly. At first, Jack thought it was water, but it was thicker, with a slick consistency and a sharp, acrid smell. Jack sputtered as the stuff struck his plating, hard. At his feet he could see all the grime bring quickly washed away.

It was surprisingly warm, Jack thought once he'd gotten past the shock. Then again, he assumed that even here heat killed contaminants. Jack knew nothing good would come of whatever would happen afterwards, but he grabbed the bristled cloth, almost like steel wool but smoother, and began scrubbing down his armor.

He hated being here, but felt self-loathing at just how much he missed being able to clean himself. All the grime slid from his plating, quite honestly disgusting him as it drained away through the holes. Jack wasn't sure how long it took to clean himself, but he found himself feeling cold despite the heat of the room once the liquid had stopped.

'Now what am I supposed to dry off with?' Jack wondered. His question was answered when a blast of heat struck his plates, almost burning when he jerked into a nearby vent.

Once properly dried, the door opened to show Shockwave. "Follow me." He ordered the mech, Jack slowly pulling himself out of what he had dubbed the shower.

Jack's optics glanced to the opposite hall, but any fleeting thoughts of running were dashed as Shockwave noticed, and Jack yelped as the one-optic mech grabbed his neck again. "I wasn't going to run."

"You were looking to." Shockwave retorted, his voice calm. "Until you have learned to accept your place, it would appear I must keep a closer optic on you."

"My place?" Jack snarled, but gritted his teeth as the talons tightened in warning, tugging his neck as he was dragged down another hall. He groaned, pain starting up in his neck, and immediately side-stepped Shockwave once he was released. The thud of a door closing rang out behind him, a lock clicking into place being the loudest sound yet.

A sensation started up in the back of Jack's mind, the familiar and despised itch. He scowled as his optics glanced to a container sitting on a table. And inside, was all the dark energon he'd found. "What do you plan on doing with it? You already have what you want, don't you? I can't understand why I'm here if you already got it!" He demanded of the mech impudently.

Shockwave's optic narrowed sharply. "You are here because you are the only one whose been able to find this substance." he said, his voice still calm, but there was an edge underneath. "I do not believe in such illogical things as 'coincidences'. You have a connection to this, and I intend to find out what it is."

Jack shook his head, glaring at him. He couldn't give up what dark energon was, because he didn't know how much was known about it. From the way Shockwave was speaking, not very much. "It's glowing a weird color, probably just something defective. You're better off getting rid of it than studying it!"

"I will be the one to determine its value." The scientist responded coldly. "You will merely be a means to an end."

"I'm not some plaything for you to discard once you're bored!" Jack snapped, jerking away from Shockwave's reaching servo.

"Were that the case, I never would have bought you." Shockwave replied.

Jack's optics widened. "What?" his faltering was a misstep, as he jerked back not quickly enough again before Shockwave lashed out and grabbed his arm. He tried to wriggle out of his grip, leaning back as Shockwave pulled him closer.

"An asset is too valuable to just let go, but I cannot keep you here lest you get ideas that you are above your station." Shockwave said. "It was only logical that in purchasing you I can keep you close to the city, should I send for you, slave."

"I don't belong to you!" Jack snarled back. "No matter how much you think you own me!"

"Logic dictates otherwise." Shockwave stated factually, like saying the sky was blue. Jack struggled and fought as he was forcibly pushed down onto a berth, Shockwave using his cannon to keep Jack down as he activated the restraints.

"Is everything to you just facts and logic?" Jack spat, even as he struggled against the restraints which held him down. He didn't like feeling helpless, didn't like the not-knowing of what was happening- of what was going to happen.

Shockwave didn't deign Jack with an answer as he finished making sure the restraints were secure, then moving on to a table with sinister looking tools. Jack tensed when Shockwave picked one up, and moved closer to him once more. Turning the device on, Jack was relieved that it was only a scanner.

That didn't last long, as once Shockwave received his results, he left to retrieve a blade. Jack screamed as it cut into his plating.


D-16 frowned deeply to himself when he came back from another shift. Wayward had yet to return still, even though it had been almost two sols.

It was not uncommon for slaves to disappear after being taken away by the guards, either for gladiatorial matches, or their own twisted ends. Wayward was sleek and pleasing to look at even with the grime, that D-16 thought the latter might have been his fate, had he not realized belatedly they took Wayward away due to the strange purple crystals he found.

They had been strange things, like energon but a sickly purple that shouldn't have been possible in them. Strange, odd things, much like the bot who kept finding them.

D-16, intrigued though he was by the strange crystals, despised the fact that Wayward had been taken because of them. What for he couldn't even begin to venture a guess. He only hoped that the little mech was still alive. A selfish part of him wished the mech would return to the mines.

Despite finding some of Wayward's quirks to be odd, he had begun to grow fond of him. It was a dangerous thing to have started to get attached, but in this fragging place every bot knew it was imperative to look out for yourself. It was something he'd always followed, which was why he surprised even himself in helping Wayward when he arrived.

And he found he didn't regret doing it. He'd only done it in the hopes to gain some inkling of the outside, when he saw the little mech was far too clean and well maintained to come from a low caste or another mine. Something had sparked from it, something D-16 couldn't place, but what he assumed was, dare he say it, actual friendship forming?

The word left a bad taste in on his glossa, but he had no other way of describing it. What else could it be but that to explain away his actions when Wayward had been attacked? Seeing the mech lying there, energon pouring from his throat had kindled a different kind of rage in him, one he had immediately taken out on the attacker. Then he tried to stop Wayward from leaking precious energon, but in his anger he discovered he had been too late.

Or so he thought he had been. Wayward was already turning gunmetal grey when he suddenly lurched and rolled onto his side, coughing copious amounts of energon on to his hand and the floor. Wayward had chuckled and prodded at his concern.

After that, it only grew. The worked together, helped each other and kept one another afloat in the terrible mines.

And now Wayward was gone, perhaps forever, or perhaps not, but either way he found it so irrevocably unacceptable. D-16 had no idea what could be happening to the little mech, or even where he was taken too. He had always hated being in the mines, being treated like nothing to the sadistic guards who abused their authority, and the apathetic ones who turned a blind optic. D-16 had survived though, had known what an awful place this was since the moment he became self-aware.

It was another reason he had been drawn to Wayward; not only because he was so obviously not-from-here, but that he was likely from a high caste given his previously pristine plating and being surprised by how long they had to work. D-16 had been brought online with everything already encoded, but Wayward had likely been created from a spark, either the Allspark or a bot's, and so had the ability to grow up. Asking him about it during the beginning had been too personal, but now he wouldn't have the chance to ask.

'No,' D-16 thought, 'I will ask him when I see him.' He did not dare call it hope, because that had no place in this Primus-forsaken pit. It was a reality; in any state, he was going to see Wayward again.


Jack had thought maybe he had short-circuited, because the pain which had blanketed him slowly began to fade away. He knew bots had pain receptors, could turn those off and yet Shockwave hadn't done it. It would have been petty, to keep Jack aware of how much taking those samples would hurt. Jack could feel parts of his plating sticky with his energon, the wounds opened up underneath for those deeper samples of his protoform to be taken.

Jack groaned, because he had seen how Shockwave's optic locked onto his regenerating wound. It had gotten him an "Interesting," remark, before Shockwave's touch became less precise, but no less swift. Jack was chilled to know it was because of his healing ability all care to preserve his form was gone.

Shockwave hadn't gone deeper though than removing other pieces of armor, and testing out more of his healing, and then cutting those pieces out to study. He'd taken energon, protoform, and metal shavings. It left Jack feeling even weaker emotionally, and exhausted physically.

Jack desperately hoped that there was nothing left for Shockwave to discover about his body. Given how he kept muttering 'Fascinating' along with other nonsensical science garbage, Jack knew that was a long shot by far. His head lolling onto his shoulder was the most he could move when Shockwave returned to him, exhausted from torturous vivisection and lack of energon.

A small device was in his hand, which he placed on his leg. Jack groaned in agony when it was firmly attached. It turned to a scream when he felt Shockwave cut into him again. Then he found out what the device was for- spreading the wound open to keep it from closing.

"Ahhh! What is this even for!" Jack couldn't stop the screams, because with even the smallest reprieve just made this so much worse, so much more uncomfortable and painful. "You saw me heal! You know I can heal!"

"That is precisely the point." Shockwave replied. "I cannot have it closing too quickly."

Jack gritted his teeth as he felt the wrongness of the gaping wound in his leg, energon slowly oozing from him. "Please." He begged, willing for anything, for anyone, to come and stop this. "Please stop!"

"You should not have been so disobedient. I had planned on turning off your pain receptors, but your poor attitude is to blame. For that, you have to be punished." Shockwave explained, his voice never straying from its calm tone.

Jack hated it, hated him. "Don't pretend you weren't going to do this!" he snapped, but screeched as Shockwave dug a scalpel into the wound. Jack thought his voicebox was going to short out when the scalpel hit something in his leg, and Jack realized it was the bone. Or what passed for it.

When the scalpel cut into the metal, Jack never thought he could scream so loud. His whole body tensed and plating rattled as a chunk of the metal bone was cut out. His leg felt disjointed, the bottom half slumping down sickeningly. Jack wanted to throw up, and thought he would when Shockwave pulled the small metal bar out with a set of pliers. He set the bone aside, and merely stared down at the wound.

Jack gritted his teeth as he leaned back, because he knew what Shockwave was waiting for. 'He wants to see if I can regrow bones.' he thought darkly. And soon, he felt the stirrings in his leg of where the 'bone' had been cut out.

"Your healing properties appears limitless, extending to regeneration well." He faintly heard Shockwave mused as he observed the metal bone structure reforming from what appeared to be nothing.

Jack couldn't even bite out a retort at the mad scientist, his voice slightly on the fritz from his constant screaming. A weak glare was the best he could manage as Shockwave took the shard elsewhere for further study. His wound remained opened, though that didn't stop it from trying to heal.

It was an agonizing sensation. Metal restoring then breaking and restoring again as it fought to close the gap.

Jack wanted so much to kick, to move his leg and knock the tool loose. His still settling bone structure hurt to move though, and with a disgusted glance to the open wound found the device was in too deep to be dislodged. He'd end up hurting himself more in getting it out. Jack would have to wait until Shockwave was done playing mad scientist, but the thought of that made him feel ill.

'What kind of world is this? Buying bots, seeing them as nothing but slaves; I thought this time was supposed to be better?' Jack didn't know why it kept surprising him how awful things were, but maybe in some way he hoped that was just the underground where no one could see.

But everyone saw when Arcee arrested him. This place was corrupt, and everyone just went along with it. 'Because they don't know any better or they don't care?' Jack wondered. And honestly, Jack didn't know which was worse.

It didn't even matter in the end. People who ignored such injustices were as guilty as the ones committing them. It was no wonder Megatron felt the need to start the revolution, if this is how bad things had been.

It was ironic in a way, in a very bitter way that Jack could ever see the monster Megatron had become start from such a noble cause to change things. His optics rolled to the ceiling. 'No, that's not going to be this Megatron. I'm not going to let it happen; and that means getting out of here.'

It would also mean going back to the mines, but Shockwave already said he'd be sending him back there anyway. Which just meant getting sent back now. Jack did not like the thought at all, but he hated it even more here. 'There's nothing left to take.' He thought, repeating it to himself so he could say it with enough conviction that it would convince Shockwave the words were true.

Jack had no idea if it was, but he'd rather not find out. He shuddered a breath he didn't need, drawing Shockwave's attention back to him. "It is illogical that you intake as regularly as you do." The mech scolded, then went back to examining the bone shard.

"Just like I'm sure what you're doing is illegal." Jack snapped.

"As I have stated before; you are mine to do with as I sit fit, slave." Shockwave said calmly.

It was that tone which made Jack angry. "That's not my name! My name is-" Jack clamped his mouth shut, optics wide. He didn't know what he would have said; his cover or his actual name.

"I am aware of what is it," Shockwave said drolly, "the identification came with the purchase."

Jack scowled at him. "The one they gave me, maybe." He muttered.

"You are implying that you have separate designation."

"Of course I do!" He spat out angrily, answering even though it hadn't been a question. "Who would want a series of numbers and letters for a name?"

"The low caste are not allowed to have designations." Shockwave stated plainly.

Jack scowled at him even harder. "Well I'm not from here!" he jolted, optics widening. "There," he said quickly, "I'm not from there."

"That would explain why the CNA I have been studying is quite odd." Shockwave said after a long moment. Jack didn't know if he should be relieved that the mech bought his slip-up. "Those of the low caste are not given the privilege of being brought online through natural means. They are made to work, they do not grow or change. Your CNA though has done both; being affected by the purple crystals would not explain such a thing, but your ignorance suggests you were highly sheltered, a thing not possible even for the middle caste. Thus, the only conclusion is to believe you came from the high caste."

Jack stared at him, optics wide as he couldn't believe all the slag Shockwave just sprouted. If it explained away any suspicion though… "Then...then if you know that why are you still doing this?" He played along, hoping it could mean his freedom. "You know that I'm not a low caste slave!"

"Because if you are in the mines now, it means you fell from favor." Shockwave replied.

"It was against my will!" Jack hissed. "I was lost and they didn't bother to verify anything! They just threw me in and told me to start digging!"

"What you were matters little now; without stability on your own you would never have maintained your status." Shockwave said. "And given your ignorance, it is only logical that you would have ended up in a mine, and in my service."

Jack glared at him. "That's what you're calling it?" he spat. "And are my so-called services done yet?"

"No," he responded without missing a beat, "I have yet to uncover why you are capable of sensing the crystals, or why your body repairs itself at astonishing rates."

"And you need me here for that? You already have all your samples." Jack retorted.

Shockwave paused and Jack stilled. Had he finally gotten through to him? "I have taken many samples from you." He began, but his tone gave nothing away. "And you would be far more useful being put to work, though I cannot keep you here and spend my time constantly supervising you nor wasting it with any attempts you make to escape."

"And feeding me." Jack added, then continued pointedly. "Which is something you haven't done yet."

Shockwave either pretended not to hear it, or he liked hearing his own voice more. Heck, Jack wouldn't put it past him just to monologue because there was someone here at all. A place that screamed 'keep away!' likely didn't have many visitors.

"I can devote my time deciphering how your material reacts to the strange substance, and learning to replicate it to further scientific advancement." The one-optic mech continued. "This world has not yet had a discovery to such a magnitude for eons-it's growing stagnant, and that is the antithesis of progress."

"All the more reason for you to send me back to the mines- for the time being." Jack added in, hoping it would make it more desirable for Shockwave to be alone. "Any distractions would just slow you down."

"Yes, distractions would only cost me time, and you have proven yourself to be an ill-mannered thing." Shockwave said, sounding almost thoughtful.

Jack wanted to punch him for the remark, but only nodded along. "Yeah, got away with pretty much everything. You don't really want to have to waste your time on that too, do you?"

"I would not be the one teaching you manners." Shockwave replied. "Though for such a tumultuous time, giving my attention to anything but the immediate research possibilities would be illogical."

Jack could hear it, even if Shockwave likely didn't. He was so close to getting out of here.

Shockwave continued to speak, and Jack had to wonder more seriously if he was only doing so because he never had anyone to speak to. "For the time being you will reside in the mines of Kaon." He stated, and Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "When I am finished properly analyzing the data, you will then be returned to my lab."

That did not sit well with Jack, but unless Shockwave blew through all of the samples then Jack could at least devise a better plan of escape. "Yeah…right." He stalled the words, just to make it sound less like a derogatory remark. "Okay."

Shockwave didn't respond, but merely continued his work. It was a joor later that anything was said at all, besides his usual brand of butter. And by that time it was only to inform Jack that the transport guards had arrived to take him back to the mines.

The only reprieve had been finally getting that tool out of his leg, and letting the wound close. It left a sickeningly sticky trail of energon running down his leg, but the guards said nothing as they unbound Jack from the berth, but locked another set of cuffs on him. His optic twitched; he really could do without these every again.

Before Jack was pulled away, that was when Shockwave spoke, his voice never rising, but the even, cold tone was enough. "I will call for him to be sent here again; I expect my slave to remain in functioning condition."

"Yes, sir." the guard nodded. "He'll be well cared for."

Jack frowned. That wasn't reassuring coming from someone like him.

Shockwave though took it as an agreement, and looked back to his research. It was a clear dismissal and Jack grunted as he was dragged out of the lab. Once they were out of sight, Jack winced as the grip on his arms tightened.

"You just had to make things difficult with your pathetic escape attempt, didn't you, slave?" One of the guards hissed at him. Jack glared at him, snarling but yelped as the other guard squeezed his arm tighter.

"What happened here is nothing compared to when you get back to the mines."

Jack tensed, but narrowed his optics. "You can't kill me."

He just got an unpleasant smile. "It's not killing you; we're taking care of you."

Jack grimaced, getting the meaning behind his words. He was going to be in for a rough ride when he returned to the mines... Another part of him though hoped that Megatron wouldn't be dragged into this by proxy. If there was anything that could drive people down that path it was enduring the evil of others.

Jack squinted against the light once outside, the dark interior of the building making the sunlight all the more harsh. He was unceremoniously shoved into the trailer of a transport, but instead of leaving him be, one guard followed him in. Jack skittered away as the door was locked with a clang that echoed through the room. His optics stay trained on the other mech, his form tense. "What are you doing in here?"

"You think we're stupid enough to let you try and get away again?" The guard spat. "So you'd better sit down before I stun you for the rest of the ride there."

Jack wanted to spit back a scathing retort, but decided against it. He didn't want to be left in such a vulnerable state around the guard for so long. There was no telling what he would do afterwards.

So reluctantly, Jack sat down on the bench across from him. It was a bit bigger than the police trailer, but left him no less uncomfortable as he thought of what awaited him back at the mines.