Rian: WARNING! READ THIS FIRST! There's some noncon later in this chapter, which will be made apparent by a this;
(Warning! Noncon up ahead! Skip ahead to next chapter after this if reading such material makes your uncomfortable!)
So when you see that, and it's right before a linebreak, know that that's you cue to skip the chapter, should such reading make you uncomfortable.
Jack almost stumbled in keeping up with Shockwave, who didn't let go when they got into the elevator, leaving Jack uncomfortably leaning away as to not lean into him. "So, I guess we're going to back to your building, huh?"
"Incorrect," Shockwave replied, "we are going to Iacon."
Jack jolted, startled to hear the word but he felt hope stir. "We are?"
"Yes. There is a place I wish to visit, and Iacon is one of the most prestigious cities on Cybertron. It is here they will likely have what I am searching for."
"Which is what exactly?" Jack asked, his heart thrumming with the excitement of being able to go to Iacon- this was his chance to find Orion!
"You will see when we arrive." Was Shockwave's blunt answer.
Jack sighed. He didn't know why he bothered trying to get details. If he didn't know any better, he swore the other mech seemed to take some satisfaction out of drawing things out. 'At least I can try and find Orion in Iacon.' That was his main thought. Though when he remembered how far Iacon was, he grimaced at spending what were looking to be hours cramped in a transport with Shockwave. 'Please just let that distance between Kaon and Iacon just be the difference in terrain.'
Jack barely made a sound as he was placed into the transport, moving to make himself more comfortable as Shockwave took the front. "How long will it take to get there, master?" He asked, keeping himself from gritted his denta as he did.
"It should take no more than a groon." Shockwave replied.
Jack's translation came back with the word as roughly being almost two hours. It was still an hour too many to spend with Shockwave. He groaned, and leaned against the wall, resisting the urge to bang his head against it.
Maybe he could recharge during the ride...Shockwave wouldn't be against that right? And he hadn't had an extended sleep in so long...
Jack found his systems lulling, turning down for the time being as he curled against the wall, optics closing. He fell into recharge, his thoughts giving way to more scenes from his past; watching 'Bee and Raf playing a racing game, Miko listening to Slash Monkey with Bulkhead, mom getting home early from the hospital and the two of them sitting to watch a movie. Jack's spark sank; the more he remembered them, the sadder he got, but this was for them. He could never let himself forget that.
"J-23," Jack stirred, blinking his optics a few times, "we are here."
"Here?" Jack repeated drowsily, but all sleep fled the moment he saw Shockwave leaning over him. "Okay, I'm up- I'm up!"
"You were muttering in your recharge," said Shockwave, observing him in what Jack could only assume was curiosity. Jack would have paled had he been physically capable of it. Had he said anything that would make Shockwave suspicious?
"Really?" Jack asked warily. "Like what?" It was not the subtlest of questions, Jack realized too late.
"Most of it was nonsense that was barely intelligible, but you kept saying 'for them' often enough." Shockwave replied.
Jack bit his lip for a moment, feeling awkward as he thought of how to spin it. "Well, I...I always wanted to make my creators happy, and...that left me with some residual feedback. It's been difficult to deal with now that they're gone." The lie came easily, and Jack wasn't sure if he should be proud of it, but he would take it if it meant Shockwave believed him.
"I see." Shockwave held out a hand, helping Jack out of the transport before maintaining a firm, but thankfully not painful grip on his wrist. "Do not think of running off." Shockwave warned in a sharp tone as Jack eyed the surrounding city.
It was different from Kaon, Jack asserted almost instantly. It wasn't as dreary, the people seemed more upbeat and it overall looked cleaner...
It didn't look like a city touched by corruption. 'At least, I hope it isn't.' Jack thought. He was pulled away from the transport, and Jack kept looking around, knowing that seeing Orion randomly wouldn't happen, but it wasn't like he could do more with Shockwave's grip on him. "I'd have nowhere to run to here." he answered, because dourly he realized it was true.
"Be that as it may I am not willing to take the risk." Shockwave retorted as Jack was forced to walk beside him. Several people gave him looks, mostly ones pertaining to disgust or a snooty smug expression that he wished he could hit off their faces.
'I almost forgot, even if it might not be corrupt, these bots still go by the caste system.' Jack thought sourly. He tried not to pay any further attention to them, but it was difficult as he couldn't exactly leave, not with the grip Shockwave had on him. 'Does no one think him dragging me around like this is suspicious?' After a moment, he added, 'Guess not' when no one stepped forward or said anything to Shockwave. Jack walked faster to keep up with him and prevent himself from being dragged the entire way.
"Will you finally tell me where we're going?" Jack asked.
"We will arrive shortly."
Jack sighed heavily. That wasn't an answer. 'I really am starting to think he just likes drawing things out.' he thought. "Will you at least finally tell me why we're here then? Couldn't you have just done this on your own?" 'Instead of dragging me along with you.' he added silently.
"There is a task I wish you to preform while I am checking something else." He said, slowing down now.
Jack realized they had stopped in front of a building with large, open windows, an assortment of mechs and femmes inside that Jack could only assume were of the high caste.
They were examining various crystals of all shapes and sizes, along with set metal pieces.
Jacks brow furrowed. "What is this place?"
"A crafts shop."
"What." Jack wasn't surprised to know that, as it translated more closely to 'Jewelers Shop' or 'Metalsmith', just surprised Shockwave needed anything from here. "And what am I supposed to do?"
"You are to pick out the most suitable crystal in this store." Shockwave explained.
Jack raised a brow. 'He wants me to do his shopping?' he thought, both indignant and insulted. "And are you sure slaves are allowed near such valuable gems?"
"Provided you do not attempt to steal and have proof that your owner is near." The red optic brightened hotly, narrowing down on his frame. " I do not expect one formerly of the high caste to lower themselves to thievery.
"N-no, of course not, master." Jack assured him almost instantly.
"I will be contacting the intern while you are examining their selection." Satisfied by his answer, Shockwave moved inside, Jack reluctantly following him. "You will return to me once you find a suitable piece."
"Yes, master." Jack said tightly. His plating rankled as he caught the disparaging looks thrown at him, and the mars to his plating that contrasted with their perfectly kept appearances. Prices that made his plating itch were laid in little plaques below the selections. Some tiny gems costing almost as much as his original price for freedom. The comparison made him grit his denta.
And it was too clear where these gems and crystals likely came from, dug up in a mine somewhere. 'This is unbelievable.' he thought. Jack stepped up to a case that no one was looking at, as he'd seen how bots leaned away whenever he got too close. Spite made him want to just to see them scurry away, but he didn't want to start something.
Jack looked over the crystals inside the case, split into sections. There were some larger ones of rainbow colors that glinted from the artificial light. Some smaller ones that were deep in color and lighter in others. He grudgingly found himself admiring how the cut and finished product was nicer than its raw form.
It reminded him of words Megatron had once spoken. Mechs fighting over tiny crystals that were worth more than their lives. And for what? A useless piece of decoration...
Jack's servos curled into fists, feeling the sudden urge to smash the glass and toss the tiny shards. His denta gritted so tight his jaw was starting to hurt, optics narrowed into a glare. 'What use does Shockwave have for any of this?'
"Can I help you?"
Jack breathed in deep to steady his anger, clearing his expression even as he noticed what was likely the jeweler giving him a deprecating look. "My...owner," he tried not to spit the word, nodding to where Shockwave was still standing by the door, "wanted me to find him a suitable crystal. He didn't give me any specifics, so I'm just browsing."
"Try to make your visit brief." The mech stated pompously, keeping his optic on Jack as though he were a pest.
'Which to them I pretty much am.' He scowled, turning to browse another section.
Jack tried to ignore the judgmental stares, he looked over more crystals. Some were green this time, others clear and reminded him of diamonds. There was one set of small crystals that gleamed with a deep blue color, and even through the glass he felt oddly soothing. 'Maybe these can get Shockwave to stop acting so weird.' he thought, smirking to himself before walking over to the mech. "I've found the one."
Shockwave inclined his head. "Show me."
Jack led him back to the selection, gesturing to the deep blue crystals. "These ones."
That optic peered down at his chosen selection, then back to him.
"A distinguished choice." Shockwave said, sounding almost pleased with him, though for the life of him Jack didn't know why. Shockwave gestured to the jeweler behind the counter to come forth.
"Yes, sir?" The jeweler asked, sounding much more pleasant with the purple mech than Jack. "How can I help you?"
"I'll take four of these Praxian crystals." Shockwave said indicating the small gems.
The jeweler nodded. "An excellent decision; these crystals are the ones which hang in the Helix Gardens in Praxus." Four of the crystals were taken out, and the jeweler went to package them.
Jack wanted to ask just what Praxian crystals were but kept his mouth shut as the transaction was made, Jack's optics nearly short circuiting in their sockets at the sight of the price.
'70 millions credits?!' he thought incredulously. 'And for these tiny things?' Megatron's words came back stronger than ever, and it made him seethe to know these useless things cost so much. Being in this store made him angry, and his temper only rose when Shockwave made him carry the box while grabbing his arm again as he dragged him out. "Is that it?" he said dourly.
"For now." Shockwave replied calmly despite his tone of voice as he led Jack back to the transport, where Jack was ordered to place the small package down gently into a storage compartment, after which he was led his usual spot and they headed back to Shockwave's tower.
It was a long two hours, which felt even longer now that Jack didn't feel the need to recharge further nor talk to Shockwave. Just sat awkwardly cramped in the back as he still had no clue as to what those crystals were for. When they finally arrived back in Kaon, and to their destination, Jack removed the package from storage and got out of the transport, sighing as Shockwave grabbed his arm again, grip tighter this time likely because he thought Jack still might run with these crystals.
'I'd sooner throw them over a ledge.' Jack thought, but the thought of pawning them off likely would get him some credits. "So where's this intern? Was he supposed to be here when we got back?"
A nod, and Jack couldn't help the sense of elation that filled his chest. The thought of being rid of all the scarring was an enjoyable one, and probably the only things he would ever actually thank Shockwave for.
"Yes. He will be waiting outside- I do not allow others into my abode unless I am there." He confirmed, leading Jack around the transport and to the front of the building, where a mech was waiting for them.
Jack thought he looked familiar, but once the mech heard their approach and turned around, Jack's spark leapt into his throat. 'K-Knock Out?!' he thought incredulously.
The mech looked younger, yet he was still impeccably polished and shiny. He lacked the kibble of his earth alt-mode, but the helm crest and the black and red optics were recognizable anywhere. His expression scrunched as he looked over Jack. "This is him? Looks like you didn't call a moment too soon."
Jack scowled at him, bristling. "You-"
"Indeed." Shockwave cut in as he gestured for them to follow. "I presume the scarring is within your ability to fix?"
"You presume correctly." Knock Out said with a smirk. It seemed he always had been boastful. "I'll have all those nasty scars gone in no time, though I can't do anything about the scowl."
Jack clutched the box tighter, glaring at him. "I've just spent a groon cramped up, I'm in a bad mood."
"Yes, I can tell." Knock Out grinned wryly, looking him up and down in an appeasing manner. "You're certainly not bad on the optics, but the scars certainly don't help you out a bit."
"You are here to work, not voice your opinion." Shockwave said tensely, and without another word Jack had to scramble to keep up when the purple mech moved for the entrance.
"Touchy." Knock Out muttered behind them.
"And controlling as frag." Jack muttered, equally low so Shockwave wouldn't hear him.
They made their way through the halls, to yet another lab even barer than the other two Jack had seen. Likely because those had dark energon and Shockwave likely didn't want anyone to know about it yet. It was a mild relief to go without feeling its pull in the back of his mind while he was here. He was ordered to place the crystals on a desk, but still the grip didn't leave him.
'Seriously?' Jack thought wearily. He didn't know what Shockwave's problem was lately, but he was getting tired of it.
Knock Out pulled a kit from his subspace, and went about sterilizing the berth, and patted on it once he was finished. "Hop on, sweetspark and it'll be over before you know it."
Jack rolled his optics, but he was prevented by Shockwave's grip tightening again, optic narrowing.
"You will refrain from referring to J-23 as such for the duration of your stay, and keep your touch strictly professional." Jack winced as the grip was nearly crushing, using a hand to push against the grip as Shockwave leaned in far too close for Knock Out's liking.
The red mech leaned back, blinking from the intensity of the stare and nodded. "Right, no endearments." he said.
Shockwave held his stare a moment longer, before nodding sharply and released Jack. Who heaved a relieved sigh as he rubbed his arm over the dented metal. Jack warily looked at the purple mech, before he climbed onto the berth and lied down. He watched Knock Out prepare his kit, and furrowed his brow.
"So...what are you going to do?" he asked. "Does it involve putting me under or just turning the pain receptors off?"
"The process causes a degree of discomfort and pain, so normally the pain receptors are shut down." Knock Out informed as he readied the necessary tools. "Afterwards is more pleasant- it includes buffing and polishing."
Jack could believe that, given how well-kept Knock Out had managed to keep himself even in the future. He glanced to the side where the servo tilted his head, and felt the switch being pressed being his body numbed itself. His head was tilted back down, but he still flinched when he heard the sound of a tool turning on. It did not bring back good memories.
"Quite a bit of damage you brought onto yourself." Knock Out attempted to make light conversation, to which Jack was only too happy to oblige, if only because it was a distraction from Shockwave's peering optic.
"Y'know, work in the mines, fighting the arena, defying death. The usual stuff." He replied casually.
Knock Out chuckled, likely thinking it was all just a joke, but his servos remained remarkably steady as he worked on the first scar. The overlapping plating was chipped away, leaving the scar on his shoulder nothing but an actual line. Knock Out laughed outright when he saw Jack's amazed expression. "I take it you've never gotten a treatment like this before, have you?" he asked.
Jack sighed. "No." he muttered. He glanced away from Knock Out's smug expression as he began to work on the long scar that ran from shoulder to hip.
"And where'd you get this one?" Knock Out questioned.
Jack narrowed his optics. "Told you, from the arena. We do get hurt there."
"It looks like someone tried to cut you in half." Knock Out mused, slowly chipping the scars away.
"They did. Didn't work out well for them though." Jack eyed his work, impatient to have that particular reminder wiped away.
Knock Out raised a brow. "Do you have any idea how lucky are you to be alive?"
Jack gave him a hard stare. "Yes," His gaze slid to the scar as it slowly grew into nothing but a line like the other. Soon it would be gone and he'd never have to think about it again, "I am."
"You've been through the pit and back it seems." Knock Out commented when moving on to the slash across his throat. Jack instinctively moved his head away, despite the fact he couldn't feel the fingers.
Jack only hummed in agreement, because he didn't want to accidentally cut himself on the chipper and make another scar to cleared away. He glanced down, trying not to wince as the shavings were filed away and let out a sigh of relief when Knock Out was finally finished.
"That's all there are on your front, any on your back that need to be taken care of?" Knock Out asked.
"The other side to this one." Jack tapped the former scar from shoulder to hip, getting up to lay on his front. It made him highly uncomfortable to have his back to others and not be able to see them.
Knock Out made an odd sound. "I take it back, you should be dead if it managed to cut through you like that."
"Well, I'm too stubborn to die." Jack said dryly, despite how his spark felt heavy. 'Or not allowed to stay dead.'
"Cease your rattling and continue your work." Shockwave reprimanded sharply, briefly breaking Knock Out's concentration. He simply nodded after that singular optic barred down on him, and chipped away more of Jack's metal.
Jack heard continuous chipping, but found a reprieve that he just stared at a wall while the mech worked. When he heard the sounds growing further apart, he knew Knock Out was almost finished.
"While you're on your front, I'll buff out the line here first." The red mech said, and without warning flipped the switch back on. Jack gasped as he felt the ache of the lines, not stinging but unpleasant all the same.
Knock Out glanced at Shockwave. "Do you want me to just buff out the lines or polish him up completely?"
"You will polish the entirety of my slave." Jack felt Shockwave eyeing the lines. Jack gripped the edges of the berth in discomfort. "I cannot have him reflecting poorly on myself."
"Right, wouldn't want that." Knock Out said dryly, and Jack heard the mech sifting through his kit, and glanced back to see him taking out a buffer and a polishing set.
Jack tensed when the buffer hummed on, but he found himself sinking back onto the berth when it started on the line. "That feels gooood." He moaned, feeling a little embarrassed by his own reaction, but he couldn't deny it was surprisingly relaxing.
The tension in his shoulders eased, and his arms hung off the side of the berth. If he weren't still wary, he might even have gone to sleep. And the fact Shockwave just kept looking at him made him rethink the idea too.
"What can I say? I have the magic touch." Knock Out chuckled at his reaction, Jack losing his voice when the rotary when over his lower back.
Jack knew he couldn't blush in this body, but that was for the better. His face likely would have been completely red by how much he was enjoying this. Along with the scar, everywhere the buffer went it was like the tenseness in his body was being drained out, and this was just his back! He sucked in a gasp when the buffer began to slide over his aft, and he looked at the floor in embarrassment.
"Hm, starting to look more like a proper bot now." Knock Out said as he went over, moving it across his left leg now.
Jack managed to roll his optics, but didn't say anything snarky in return. At least not right now, since he was enjoying the feeling too much.
The buffer slid further down his leg, easing the plating but didn't touch the pede, just the ankles. He was probably going to leave the pedes and arms for when Jack moved to his front. The fact Knock Out immediately jumped from one ankle to the other one only enforced it.
"Shockwave, sir," Knock Out started, though the title seemed like an afterthought, "the polish is going to take a few kliks to settle; would you prefer I polish his back before moving onto buff his front, or just continue buffing the front?"
"Buff the front, then polish." Shockwave stated, Jack stilling as Shockwave moved in front of him, wincing as his head was tilted upward. A claw ran over where the scar along his cheek had been. "You will take extra care with his face."
Jack shuddered, grimacing as Shockwave let go. A chill ran down his spine.
"Of course, sir." Knock Out replied. "Such a lovely face shouldn't be marred anything, let alone such an unsightly line."
Jack turned his head to gape at Knock Out, unable to believe that he had said such a thing. Granted, he had no idea what his own face actually looked like, but for Knock Out, the vainest mech alive to comment on it...
Knock Out smirked at him. "Though I am still much better-looking." Jack groaned as he rolled his optics, but at least he knew the sky wasn't about to fall now. "And I've just finished with the back, so roll over."
Jack's optic twitched at the wording. "I'm not a pet." He said automatically.
Knock Out merely scoffed and rolled his optics, but one look from Shockwave had Jack on his back faster than one could blink. The sensation of the buffer rolled over his body again, Jack laying his head back at the pleasurable sensation.
His pedes were worked on first, sliding from the bottom of his heel to the top and over, then working up his leg. Jack would have been purring if capable and he wouldn't have cared. The buffer slide to his other pede, and repeated the process, this time going to his hip.
Jack furrowed his brow when the sensations began to coil in his tank, blinking as his spark started to heat up in his chest the further across his pelvis the buffer went. "Ack!" he jumped when the buffer began to slide between his legs.
Knock Out jerked away as Shockwave held Jack's shoulder down. The red mech snorted. "If you're this jumpy with a buffer, I can't imagine how you're going to like the polishing."
"You will remain still." Shockwave demanded of him, Jack squirming some more as Knock Out persisted with the buffer.
It was difficult and uncomfortable, nothing pleasurable about the metal going over his lower area despite the sensations never letting up more than before. He gritted his denta and squeezed his optics shut to try and not focus on it, or the fact Shockwave kept staring down at him.
And when the buffer finally slid to his stomach, Jack let out of a relieved vent. Though he was still aware of the hand on his shoulder. "Y-you can let go." He murmured.
Shockwave didn't answer him though, nor did he release his hand. Staring up at him, he saw that his optic was glowing gently, one of his antennas curling backwards ever so slightly.
Jack felt like shrinking away, but the hand still holding him down made it impossible. The way Shockwave was looking at him felt different than the others, but Jack wasn't sure why. It just made him deeply uncomfortable.
"If I had the room, I would not let you go back to the mines." Shockwave finally said, his voice strangely heavy.
Jack was struck with a flash of fear, just because he'd be leaving Megatron behind. "But…you're still sending me back, right?" he couldn't hide his relief, but winced as Shockwave's hold tightened.
"Yes." He said, voice low.
Knock Out made a face. "You want to go there?" he asked incredulously. "And after all the work I'm putting in here? What, you got somebot waiting for you there?"
"Ye-" Jack cringed as Shockwave's grip became painful, the glow in his optic brighter as his gaze narrowed. "J-just a friend..." he switched words quickly, but the grip didn't loosen.
"Well, whatever." The buffer went along his chest now, smoothing out his metal gently, but Jack could derive no enjoyment as he was all too aware of the hold on his shoulder. "More calls means more work for me." He shrugged, then looked to Shockwave. "I need to get to his shoulder, sir."
Jack worried for a moment that Shockwave wasn't going to move, but slowly he removed his hand and Jack resisted sighing this time. The mech seemed even more tightly wound than before, and as he moved to Jack's side his gaze never left him. 'Okay, he's even creepier than I thought.'
Jack blinked as the buffer came onto his shoulder, but still couldn't find it in himself to get relaxed again, despite the soothing motion. The buffer went up to his head, cleaning along the lines and Jack felt his head being tilted forward to get at the back of it. Jack warily eyed the buffer now. "So, how are you going to clean my face with that thing?"
Knock Out snorted. "Like this." He clicked a part of the handle, where it came off and attached to the end of it was a smaller tool, likely for this purpose. "Now, close your optics and mouth, wouldn't want any grime or shavings getting stuck, would you?"
"N-no." Promptly closing his mouth and optics, Jack felt the buffer going over his face gently, the sensation tingling on his metal, the humming going straight to his processor.
Too soon the buffing was finished, Knock Out pulling away. "Now it's time for the polish." He said, and Jack opened his eyes just in time to see him produce a glob of something from a container.
Jack wasn't sure what to make of it, nor the silvery mesh cloth it was poured into.
Knock Out smirked at him, though his optics did soften a touch, with…not sympathy, but perhaps pity. "Do you want me to leave the pelvic area for last before you turn over?"
"Y-yes please." Jack said, grateful to the mech when he nodded, keeping watch on the hand as it smoothed the polish firmly across his plates.
Knock Out deftly worked across his chest and stomach, sliding the cloth along one of Jack's sides before reaching to rub along the other side. He went to Jack's head next, and the little mech briefly closed his optics as the cloth was worked into the helm. "Keep your optics closed."
Jack only wondered why for a moment, but his answer came when he felt the cloth slid to his forehead, and kept his mouth closed too. His face tingled along with the rest of his plating, and opened his optics again when he felt the cloth on his neck. It rubbed over the area, and Knock Out made his way down to Jack's legs, where he started up again. It was soothing, but the further up Knock Out got only made him nervous again.
"Try not to tense up. It'll go by quicker." Knock Out advised, seeing how tightly pressed together his legs were getting the further he went up. Jack clenched his denta, hating the fact that he had to go over there. Shockwave wouldn't let him miss anything, or the bot could suffer some serious repercussions for not preforming the full job.
So Jack tightened his fists, loosening up and allowing Knock Out to finish the front before he turned over, where the cloth met with a new dab of polish. Jack felt like he could finally relax now that part was over.
"Do you preform paintjobs as well as scar removal and buffing?" Shockwave asked from above him. He couldn't see it when Knock Out nodded, but he did hear the mech hum.
"Just as good, if I do say so myself." Came the prideful statement.
"W...what for, Master?" Jack dared to ask, wishing he could take Knock Out's kit and smack Shockwave upside the head.
"Your colors have become quite dull to gaze upon. It is only logical to rectify that by changing your palette."
Jack's optics widened. "What?"
"Then I will be purchasing your services at a later date for rectifying the paint of my slave. We shall discuss prices after you are finished." Shockwave conceded, to which Knock Out could only shrug.
"But...I like the color I am now." Jack attempted to persuade him, as he did not want to go through what was likely to be a very involved process with getting a new paintjob.
"Have I not made myself clear?" Shockwave grabbed Jack's chin, whose optics widened as the mech made him hold his gaze. "You are my slave, and it is within my full right to change what I wish about you."
Jack grimaced, because the reminder hit him harder this time. He could have pretended to get a say in whether the scars were removed, but even this was only being done because Shockwave wanted him cleaned up. "But...why waste your credits on me?"
"Again you don't seem to hear me." Shockwave replied. "You are my slave, and I will not have you reflect poorly on me."
Jack gritted his denta again, and looked away when he was released. He could only nod, feeling angry with himself for not being able to fight back harder, but wanting to not have the next visit here end with him being vivisected without his pain receptors on. Jack sighed deeply. "I understand, master."
The brief, tense pause was broken when Knock Out finished his polishing. "There, all done."
"The credits will be transferred into your account accordingly." Shockwave informed Knock Out, who nodded, the smile all but wiped from face.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way then." He said, giving a glance to Jack before heading to the door. "Oh, and feel free to call whenever for the paintjob or another buff and polish." He said just before leaving.
Jack sat up, feeling refreshed but not able to enjoy it as he glanced at Shockwave. "What now?"
"You will remain in my tower for the remainder of the cycle. The next sol you shall be returned to the mines while I procure a contractor."
Jack felt the heat drain from his body at the words, quickly trying to come up with anything so he could leave. "You said there was no room though. Where am I supposed to go while you recharge?"
"It is only logical that in absence of your own room, you will recharge with me." Shockwave said evenly.
Jack just tensed. "On-on the floor?" he'd take that, anything other than what he hoped Shockwave wasn't suggesting.
"No," Jack's spark sank, sinking further when the mech added, "on my berth."
"T-there might not be any room." Jack stammered, grasping for any straws.
"I am not so large." That optic of his was a little more intense than it had been before. "Follow me."
Jack hesitated at the order, but noticed that Shockwave was being serious about this. He took an unwilling step forward, torn between running away and complying to make it easier on himself.
The purple mech ultimately took the decision for him, reaching out to grab Jack's wrist and yanked him forward. Jack's arm ached as he was forced to keep up with the mech's brisk pace out of the room. Each step made Jack feel heavy, because Shockwave hadn't made him stay before.
He was taken through another series of halls, and Jack was more unnerved by the fact Shockwave hadn't spoken, like he was focused on getting back to his room. And after going up several walkways, Shockwave finally came to a stop. Jack's spark pulsed rapidly, painfully hot in his chest as he knew beyond the door was the mech's room.
Shockwave placed his hand against a scanner, causing the door to beeps and open, revealing the rooms contents. With one more tug he was pulled inside, where the door was promptly shut.
The urge to swallow was almost overwhelming to Jack, whose eyes focused solely on the large berth that took up the center if the room. He hardly even noticed when Shockwave moved, removing a cube from a nearby table and placing it in a storage unit.
"Do not touch anything."
Jack jumped, looking sharply at Shockwave as he picked up a datapad. "I-I wasn't going too." He stuttered, his optics glancing around the room. It was a wide room, but sparse and clean much like the other rooms Jack had been in.
The only thing which felt out of place was the window across the room. Jack gave Shockwave a wary stare before going over to the window. Jack's optics widened. Seeing the city from the ground had been one thing, but seeing it from this high up? He took several steps back, chest tight and optics fearful. Heights weren't his thing, not when he was human and not even now when he was a Cybertronian. "W-whoa!" He exclaimed as he bumped into the bed, falling a top it. Jack froze as he lied on top of the one piece he was trying so hard to avoid. "I-I think I would prefer the floor." Jack stuttered, trying just one last time to avoid lying down again.
Shockwave gave him a long stare. "You will recharge on the berth." He said firmly.
Jack grimaced, and he hugged himself to stop from shaking. "W-why do you want me here still?" he asked, just to stall for time. "Why not just send me back?"
"I will not have such craftsmanship dirtied so soon after it was applied." Shockwave gestured pointedly to the berth, and Jack knew he couldn't stall any longer least he enrage the scientist. With extreme hesitance, Jack curled on the berth, his back to Shockwave, his body trembling madly as the lights dimmed and his master moved into the berth with him.
The berth may have been more than just a rusted cot, but he'd prefer that to this, just because he wouldn't have to sleep next to someone like this. Jack's digits gripped the edge of the berth, hugging the edge as much as he could without falling off. It didn't help that behind him he could hear Shockwave moving still, and every time he did Jack flinched. 'There's no way I'll be able to sleep.' Jack stiffened as he felt Shockwave getting closer, all but panicking when the lone hand was laid across his side and midsection. Jack stared out, trying to pretend he was anywhere but here.
It was harder to pretend when the hand pressed down, and Jack found himself being pulled back until he was pressed against the other mech, his fingers letting go of the berth edge to avoid snapping them. But he would have risked it just to escape the hold on him. To escape feeling trapped, and even smaller. "P-please," he whispered, wincing as his voice cracked, "let me go."
There was a brief, heavy silence. Jack was all too aware of the hand curling around his not-stomach, before it pulled him a little closer, Jack letting out a little squeak.
"Recharge." Shockwave said simply, leaving him with no room for argument.
'How am I supposed to do that like this?' Jack thought uncomfortably. Every cable, filament and even his spark was tensed up. He wished he could put to use his training, and tear Shockwave's hand right off, but that would only backfire.
'Okay,' Jack tried to calm himself down, 'you can get through this; you just have to wake up before Shockwave does, and find something in here that can help you. There's gotta be something-even just checking to see if the door is unlocked.'
The little mech tried to keep that in mind, he really did, as he also tried just as hard to ignore the other mech and closed his optics.
(Warning! Noncon up ahead! Skip ahead to next chapter after this if reading such material makes your uncomfortable!)
Shockwave kept a firm grasp on J-23, his considerably smaller body trembling against his own. Nervous, perhaps, to be so close to his master. His own optic did not shutter or dim as he focused solely on the little slave in his grasp, how the shivering of J-23's body slowly ebbed away as sleep overtook him.
With it, J-23's frame began to unwind, all tension easing as he sank into the berth. Shockwave felt the hum of J-23's systems slowly going into stand-by, but he waited a klik longer to make sure the little slave was truly asleep.
Once certain, he eased up his grip on the mechs torso, pleased when he did not squirm or move away, merely laying still against his master. Shockwave's lenses zoomed in on the slender form of the newly polished and unblemished body.
It was a stark contrast to his previous appearance, matted with scars and metal dust from the mines. J-23's cheek had been course from the shavings and dust, but now as Shockwave ran his claw along the same cheek, it was smooth. And after all the work which went into making J-23 look spotless, as his master it was his right to keep him from being marred again so soon.
The slave stirred slightly at the touch, causing Shockwave to withdraw his hand until he settled once more. He inwardly frowned. This was a slave he told himself. It was illogical to lower himself to such standards.
If it ever got out, his reputation would take a massive blow. Keeping a slave for research purposes, to prevent anyone else from making discoveries before him, were valid reasons for buying this slave. To keep him maintained and clean was another reflection on himself. But here and now?
Where Shockwave was literally in the berth with the slave, holding him and deep down not wanting his slave to return to the mines and go back to that mech. 'It is illogical and foolish.'
There was a pause, in which he did nothing, thoughts racing through his mind, each one closely examined and thought through. His optic shifted again, gaze returning to J-23. No one could know about his...affiliation with him. And for now, not even J-23 could be allowed to know.
As there was always a chance J-23 could stir again, Shockwave reached behind the slave and switched off his pain receptors. He waited another klik, and touched J-23's cheek again, claw trailing along to his jaw. The little slave did not stir, did not shift, did not even feel it.
A moment of hesitance, Shockwave's hand hovering over the mech's arm, before trailing down with a light touch of his claws. The metal was smooth, glistening even, and pleasant to the touch. Emboldened, Shockwave trailed back up J-23's arm, crossing the shoulder and trailing to his chest. His claws raked across the metal, where his unusual spark resided. Shockwave's own chest began to feel heavy again, a sensation he felt whenever he was with his slave. His claws went lower, running along the stomach plating and brushing over seams.
Once his claws finished tracing the details of J-23's abdominal plates, he ventured even further, raking over his thigh, feeling for the sensitive seams that J-23 currently could not feel, digging his fingers inside.
His own plating felt tight as the tips of his claws brushes against wires, trailing through the seam that connected J-23's thigh and pelvis. Shockwave paused, his claws right on the edge of touching that tantalizing paneling between the little slave's legs. Shockwave remembered how J-23 reacted to Knock Out's cleaning there; every squirm, every twitch. 'He's truly untouched.' His chest tightened again.
Shockwave moved forward, pressing tightly against the slave as he touched the panel that hid sensitive material underneath, digging around the seams and wires in search of mechanism to open it.
It took a bit of digging, of finding just the right set of wiring that made the paneling finally slide back. Shockwave's venting became heavy, his optic glowing brighter as the lens adjusted to the darkness of the room and allowed him to take in the exposed area. There was a sheath which hid his spike, and a groove that dipped to a valve. Slowly, Shockwave touched the outer mesh first, feeling it bend pliantly under his fingers. Involuntarily his antenna dipped in correspondence to the emotions coursing through him.
Want. He wanted this slave. And Shockwave could not help but be disgusted with himself for giving into that want. 'I am no better than those guards who sought to defile my slave.' Yet his fingers didn't stop, as they brushed along the sheath. His optic narrowed. No, that wasn't quite right. 'I am better; I am only excising my rights to J-23. This is no different than my right to have him cleaned or repainted.'
With that thought in mind, he rubbed more intensely than before, though the sheath never responded to sensations that were as numb to it as the rest of J-23's body. Shockwave moved lower, the tips of his digits touching the outside ring of his valve.
There was no response here as well, no quivering or lubrication. It did not deter him though, and he settled for sinking a single digit into the ring of mesh. Something stirred behind his own paneling, but Shockwave did not dare give into that.
Though the urge to claim the slave's body completely was strong, Shockwave tempered it with the logical argument that it would be counterproductive. J-23 waking to find any signs of interface on his body would not due. And there was the chance even if he did not tell anyone, he could still tell that mech.
Shockwave paused. His optic narrowed, the brief flare of that other something in his chest when he remembered just when Taciturn told him of that wretched rumor. He would not be so base as to call it jealously, because only bots who were lesser could not control themselves. 'I would take you,' he thought, glancing at J-23's face, 'just so he couldn't.' He tempered himself though, and settled for this. For now.
Soon, he would no longer have to be bothered by such notions of waiting. He'd have the new room built, a place for J-23 to stay at all times lest he require the slave for testing or experimentation. Part of him was eager to see it done, but he was not so impulsive, and could do deal with the wait. J-23 would thank him for it, in the end.
And his slave would want for nothing, to never again be reminded of such drudgery of the low caste, and Shockwave would make any thoughts J-23 still had of that one a distant memory until finally he ceased to care about him at all.
With that, his probing touch went deeper, brushing against the soft mesh, prodding inner nodes that wouldn't respond. The fact J-23 wasn't reacting at all didn't matter, only the satisfaction that came with the knowledge he was the first to touch him in such a way.
And once he had his fill, Shockwave closed the paneling and switched the receptors back on. He placed his hand back over J-23's midsection and pulled him even more tightly to himself. The little slave stirred briefly, but settled back down.
And when they both awoke, it would be like nothing happened at all.
