A/N: Implied non-con
The sudden awareness of being awake hit Jack much sooner than he wanted it to, jolting when Shockwave shook his shoulder to wake him.
"I-I'm up." Jack stuttered as he shook the sleep from his mind. His optics caught Shockwave's gaze, and cringed when he saw in the dark cabin it was glowing brightly. The mech pulled him out of the transport, Jack almost stumbling to keep up. His tank churned; Shockwave seemed almost eager to get him inside. "S-slow down! You're gonna tear my arm out of it's socket!" Jack pleaded, Shockwave moving quickly into the building.
The purple mech halted, and Jack tensed when Shockwave looked at him, optic narrowed. For a moment Jack thought he was angry. "For being so small you're quite slow."
Jack's shoulders stiffened, the tension in his arm easing just a little. "And far faster than you look." he retorted. The mech didn't reply, and Jack yelped as without a word the hand around his arm gripped him by the waist and Jack was hauled over the mech's shoulder as he continued to the elevator.
Humiliation and embarrassment burned in Jack's spark, slithering to his tank as he struggled. "Put me down, I don't need to be carried!"
Shockwave didn't listen though. Jack was certain that his face would be beet red were he still human, squirming in the much-hated grip.
Jack felt the arm wrapping around his thighs after the elevator had been called, keeping them from moving around. He still struggled to get down, but knew anything of actual damage to the other mech would hurt even more. Jack stiffened when he felt the tip of a digit stroke his thigh, claw brushing against a seam and its wires.
"M-master, we're not even in my room yet-"
"I'm aware." Shockwave said, a small rumbling in his words. He still stroked along the seam, his touching lighter and Jack began to squirm for a different reason. "It is illogical, but I find it...pleasing, when you squirm at my touch."
Jack gasp as the claw made a sharp, deliberate jab into a bundle of sensitive wires, causing him to gasp and tighten. "Pl-please-"
"No protesting." Came the retort, followed by a pull on the wires. Jack groaned.
The assault didn't let up, until he was practically tossed onto his own berth, the mech bearing down on him.
Jack struggled against the weight which settled on top of him, a whimper escaping as digits tugged a cord in his pelvis, then trailed down before pulling a set of wires and Jack's tank rolled as his panel slid back on it's own. He felt the cannon by his hip as Shockwave used it to steady his balance, likely to avoid crushing the smaller mech, but Jack found it didn't matter as nothing would make this not awful.
Too soon he felt Shockwave pressing against his groin, now overly sensitive with Jack's panel retracted. Shockwave used his hand to press the small of his back, forcing Jack against his chest.
There was a pause, and Jack found that red optic glowing as it narrowed at him. Jack didn't know what he was supposed to do, so he hesitantly reached up and gripped the mech's shoulders as he was held against him. He felt the heat of the frame against his, tense as the mech was doing nothing else. "M-master, wha-" he gasped as the other mech's panel pressed harder against his exposed groin, shivering as the heat felt more intense.
Jack's optics widened. "Y-you said you weren't going to spike-"
"I'm not." Shockwave rumbled, his voice low as digits rubbed into Jack's seams. Jack wriggled against it, humiliation flaring as he was all too aware of the other body heating in response and flinched as the digits gripped a crevice as he slid his hand to his aft.
Jack's chest tightened and his digits clutched at Shockwave's shoulder, and he squeezed his optics shut. No matter what Shockwave did next, all he could try to do was block it out. Hopeless as it was going to be when he felt the hand sliding lower.
Jack had spent almost an hour scrubbing his plating when he woke up, furiously wiping every inch of himself down until he was sure sparkrs would fly off. He'd spent the rest of the time before Shockwave came to drop the computer off looking more virgourously for a way, anyway to just get out of the tower. He still thougt the grate would be his best bet, but he still looked around regardless for another option.
The door unlocked, and Shockwave came in carrying the small device he set on the desk. Jack cautiously stepped over, and jumped when the mech's hand cupped his chin, tilting his head up. "8 breems," he reiterated, "no more than that."
Jack grimaced as he nodded. The mech didn't let go, tilting Jack's head as he ran his thumb along his bottom lip. Jack's optics widened; like a turning point occurred, Shockwave's gaze was more… appreciative, his touch lingering before he left.
Jack grimaced and wiped his mouth as the door locked before getting to the computer and immediately typed in Orion's IP address. 'You there?' He typed in, hardly able to wait for a response.
It was slow, but soon enough came a reply, 'Who is this?'
Jack smiled to himself, despite how he forgot to give himself a name. 'The slave you met at the conference the first night. My name's Wayward. Sorry I forgot to mention it then.'
'Ah, yes. Are you well?' Optimus sent his reply, Jack a little touched that the mech cared enough to ask.
Jack was about to say 'yes' but hesitated. No, no he didn't feel well at all. Especially not after what happened last night. 'It's…complicated.' Jack replied. 'Physically I am fine, but my master continues to terrify me.' He paused, and added, 'Sorry, I don't mean to unload like this; I can't exactly talk freely here though.'
Jack didn't like that it made him sound emotionally weak- he had been through a lot in such a short span of time. Without Megatron around anymore he had no one to vent to.
Orion's reply though tempered Jack's doubts. 'Yes, there is more risk to you for speaking out. I will listen to you, but should your master catch you, I fear for your safety if he sees your dissent.'
'He's locked me in my quarters.. I'll hear him unlocking the door before he enters my room. I'll have time to shut the comp down before he sees.'
The reply took a while, but finally the other mech replied, 'Very well, I am here to listen.'
Jack found himself smiling slightly. 'Thank you.' He said first off. 'So, where do you work? I've never seen much of the planet, always kept cooped up.'
'As I said before, I work in the Iacon Hall of of Records. I am a clerk of the data caste.' The reply came faster this time, making Jack wonder what it was Orion was doing.
Jack felt embarrassed he forgot so quickly. 'Sorry for making you repeat it-things have been hectic. Since you live Iacon, have you seen a lot of the city? Have you been to other places? Besides Praxus I mean.'
'Yes. I've been to several places to record events to later store in the records.'
Jack nodded, though belated realized Orion couldn't see it. 'I see. And what about the bots you work with? Or do you work alone?'
'I work with a few others. Alpha Trion oversees the day to day tasks, guiding us where to go.'
Jack blinked at the name, trying to recall where he heard it. 'That's right, it was his mentor.' He thought, but instead only wrote, 'Really? Is this 'Alpha Trion' important? It sounds like it if he's in charge of the hall.'
'Quite so. He was once a member of the council, but has since retired.' Orion went on to explain.
Jack tilted his head. 'Really?' he wrote. 'Then what's he like?' he asked, because he couldn't remember if Optimus had said anything before about his personality.
'Alpha Trion is a wise, experience mech. When he speaks, others listen.'
'Wow,' Jack replied, 'Then I guess him being angry is something to be avoided.' There was no reply, and Jack began to get worried. 'Sorry,' he quickly wrote, 'that was a joke. And not a very good one, I know.' Still no reply, and Jack started to panic a little. Had he already driven Optimus away?!
'I apologize,' Orion responded, the ping nearly scaring the spark out of Jack. 'I had to put away a datapad.'
'Oh, that's okay. I understand you have a job to do.' Jack replied.
'Alpha Trio is not one to be so easily angered either. I've never known a more patient mech.'
'Sounds like a pretty good boss then.' Jack replied, though given the people he labored under and right now-anyone sounded better.
'He is very good to me and others.' Orion responded, Jack leaning back in his chair. He steeled himself, hoping his next words wouldn't drive Orion away.
'Are you interested in a big scoop?' He asked tentatively.
The reply took a little while to answer, and Jack hoped it wasn't Orion having second thoughts. 'Such as?' Came the reply.
Jack bit his lip for a moment, but steeled himself as he typed his reply. 'The arena I was in,' he started, plating itching from how nervous he was. 'There's a mech called Megatron there- he's a friend of mine. He's trying to change things.'
Jack knew there was always a chance this could just end up making everything bad happen again, but he was willing to risk it-just to enforce he was going to get out of here.
'Change things?'
'Yes, he wants to abolish the caste system, but I think we both know he can't do it with such a restricted perimeter.' Jack typed.
'While an admirable goal, I do not see how I would be of much help.'
Jack's spark constricted. Orion wasn't Optimus, not yet, but he'd still shown himself to be capable and kind. 'Of course you can. Maybe you could go and record Megatron? So more bots could hear him. I mean, it can't be you engaging in dissention if you're just doing your job-right?'
'I suppose that is true...' Jack read, hope trickling into his chest.
Jack quickly wrote his reply. 'You could say it's for historical records. I'm not trying to get you in trouble, so I won't push you to make a decision. Just, maybe, think it over?'
'I will. Thank you for the suggestion Wayward.' He responded, Jack relieved that he hadn't driven him off.
'Great.' Jack replied, and tried to think of something else to say. Time was ticking, since he only had a breem left. Time really did seem to fly, and if he wasted even a minute he might as well sign off now. Jack sighed, rubbing his brow. 'I don't have much time left, but I really enjoyed talking to you.'
'I had a good time too. Hopefully you can contact me again soon.'
'Me too.' Jack replied, and when no reply came, he knew Orion had likely gone back to work. Hopefully the mech would consider the idea, and more than that if he could do it. Jack really didn't want Orion to get in trouble because of him.
Jack closed the messenger, and quickly checked how Megatron's progress was going online, but he found that there still wasn't much about him. 'Not surprising.' Jack thought morosely, but then turned his search to the dark energon to assess the damage of what happened at the conference. He couldn't type in dark energon, so he reluctantly searched for anything recent about Shockwave considering he had 'discovered' it.
He found a few articles here and there, though they didn't reveal much beyond a potential breakthrough in medical science. Jack was at least glad to see nothing more had been written or talked about it. Which hopefully meant when Jack escaped Shockwave wouldn't be able to continue his 'research' into it. 'He'd use everything he has up and it will just fade away from everyone's mind.'
That was the idea, unless Shockwave really did have the police hunt him down. Jack grimaced at the thought, but knew it was something to prepare for. He glanced at the door, and quickly shut the computer down as the door unlocked. He held the comp for Shockwave to take as he entered, the mech retrieving it carefully.
"I presume your time on the datanet was productive?" He asked, to which Jack nodded.
"Yes, I learned a lot." Jack said.
"Knock Out will be arriving shortly, follow me." Shockwave ordered, and Jack trailed after him. Jack had a knee-jerk reaction to run when they came to the purple mech's room, and warily watched the mech put the computer on his desk before grabbing a cube of energon and handed it to him. "Drink, your reserves must be low after exerting so much energon last night." His optic glowed faintly. "Mine were."
Jack shuddered as he took the cube, knowing all too disgustingly well, just what the mech was referring to. He wished he could wash the memory directly from his head like he'd done with the touches on his frame. Jack quietly drank his energon, the sweet taste bitter on his glossa today. "Will Knock Out only be doing the usual today?"
Shockwave nodded, and touched his shoulder where Jack had healed him. "And he will be taking care of this as well."
Jack kept his tone neutral. "I wasn't one to take you for being vain."
"It is not vanity, it is keeping myself maintained." Shockwave replied. "Though as Knock Out takes care of this I will be discussing with him potential modifications that your frame could be fitted with."
Jack tensed up, and he took a larger gulp to swallow the angry screaming he wanted to unleash. "I thought I was a valueable research subject, not some toy to alter."
"It will not involve invasive procedures, thus will not taint your internal structure."
Jack took another gulp of his energon, grimacing as he hated how the mech could be so calm about this. It didn't matter that it wouldn't be 'invasive'. It mattered that he didn't care Jack didn't want it. "I see." He said quietly, not trusting his voice to go any higher. He wasn't sure he could trust himself not to lose it with how messed up all this was.
When he finished the cube, Shockwave took it from him and set it aside. "During the appointment, a drone will also be taking several cubes to your room. They will last you an orn before a new set must be delivered."
Jack nodded, and trailed along the mech to the designated lab, where Knock Out had already arrived at. The red mech raised a brow when he saw him.
"Well, those are a new addition." He gestured to the crystals in Jack's plating. "Though it does bring out the purple nicely."
"Uh...thanks?" He said, slightly surprised.
"You can't seen to keep my work clean, can you?" Knock Out hummed as he observed the scars and lack of color on the smaller bot's hand.
"Well, don't blame me." Jack crossed his arms, and glanced at Shockwave.
It was hard to tell what he was thinking right now, but then his optic cycled into a narrowed gaze. "Get on the table." Shockwave said, and then looked at Knock Out. "And it would be wise to keep your demeanor professional."
Knock Out seemed to deflate a little, nodding. "Yes, sir." He said. "Though this session will have to be quicker, I've got another two touch ups and frame work later this sol."
"Really?" Jack's spark pulsed as he got on the table, Knock Out having already set up his kit. "That's great."
"Yes, it seems my work is really getting out there." Knock Out replied.
"As it should." Shockwave put in, causing the two to look at him. "An endorsement from me will not go unnoticed in the high caste."
Knock Out just seemed to catch himself before he could look at Jack, instead keeping his optics on Shockwave. "Thank you for your generosity, sir."
The mech nodded, but Jack wasn't sure why Knock Out kept calling him 'sir'. Wasn't the medical caste high too? It had to be for Knock Out to maintain his appearance. Jack said nothing though, not within earshot of Shockwave at any rate.
"Are you using the same colors as last time?" Jack asked more to keep Knock Out talking than genuine curiosity.
"Yes, unless there's been a change?" Knock Out inquired as he glanced at Shockwave, who shook his head. "Well, there's your answer."
Jack vented, and felt the switch being turned off, and the numbness settle over him. He peered down to where Knock Out began chipping away at the scarring over his finger first, and then let his gaze drift around the room, his optics looking anywhere except down. "I'm getting too used to this..." He grumbled, hearing the plink plink plink of Knock Out working away.
"This wouldn't happen if you took better care to preserve his plating." Knock Out said, but to Jack's surprise he was reprimanding Shockwave.
That red optic narrowed. "What I do with my slave is none of your concern. Your only job is to maintain his appearance."
"Just saying." The mech shrugged, moving to Jack's arm now and working on the scars there.
Jack vented, hearing it more than feeling it as he kept his gaze looking around the room. There were several items scattered about on the desk, and he continued hearing the chipping before the sound transitioned to that of the buffer starting up.
"So how'd things go with Breakdown?" Jack was a bit surprised to find himself asking that, and even more so when the buffer sound faltered.
"Oh, that." Knock Out grinned audio to audio. "We ah...hit it off, you could say."
Jack didn't know if he wanted to ask about the details, so he settled for nodding. "Right." He said cautiously. "So it sounds like you two are getting along?"
Knock Out's grin widened. "Very along."
"Told you he was your type." Jack smirked, despite Shockwave watching him closely.
"This holds your interest?" Shockwave questioned. "Insipid relationship talk?"
Jack saw Knock Out's jaw clench, optics narrowed but didn't say anything as he kept buffering. Jack though said, "It does. It gets lonely here, so forgive me," he rolled his optics, "for speaking with the only mech who comes around here.
"Plus he's great for a chat too," he added when Shockwave fell silent. "Interesting, if nothing else. And has a sense of humor."
Jack knew he was listing off things Shockwave lacked in the most petty way possible, but after everything the mech put him through, Jack wasn't interested in being 'nice' right now.
Knock Out looked rather bemused. "You think that about me?"
Jack faltered, but nodded slightly. "You're not the worst company to have." Out of the corner of his optic he saw Shockwave's optic cycling into a point. "Not my type though, so don't get any ideas."
Knock Out chuckled. "I can appreciate a nice chassis, but you're not really my type either." He replied. "Though would it be too much of me to ask what your type is though?"
Jack didn't respond right away, looking at his master. He might have wanted to piss him off, but doing so could have horrible ramifications for himself.
Knock Out might not have known what a loaded question that was, but Jack was stuck. If he answered at all or gave an answer Shockwave didn't like, Jack was going to get in trouble. 'I'll take the easy way out for now and deal with it later.' Jack thought. "I…" he stalled, but made himself say it, "I never gave it much thought before."
"Really?" Knock Out mused, overlooking the mech. "Guess you didn't have much time to think on it between the mining and the fighting."
"Yeah, there isn't time to do anything else." Jack agreed. "I wasn't close to anyone except M-" he stopped himself just in time, and glanced warily at Shockwave to see if he saw the slip. "I uh...just had the one friend." He covered, seeing the optic was glowing a bit brighter now. Knock Out thankfully seemed to notice this made Jack uncomfortable, changing the conversation.
"Might do you some good to get out a little. See some of the city?"
"I uh...my master took me to Praxus yesterday actually. I was allowed to the see the Helix Gardens."
"Ah, I heard it was a beautiful place." Knock Out said. "Never got a chance to see it."
"It really is pretty." Jack replied. He saw Knock Out grabbing his pen device, and ran it along the plating that had been left streaked with gray. If it hadn't been for the fact the healing likely took care of the nanites, he would think the areas dead. "Does being a medic-in-training let you visit other places or are you stuck here?"
"Well, not stuck per say, but no, I'm stationary as a medic." Knock Out replied. "Though I do get to see other cities during my opportunities to do some part-time racing."
"Oh, you're already into racing?" Jack said, slightly amused before he realized his slip up.
Knock Out raised a brow. "Already."
Jack hurried to cover his slip. "I meant you're so sleek and streamlined it would be surprising if you weren't into that already."
"True enough." Knock Out stated confidently, his chassis puffing out a fraction. "Not too shabby a racer if I do say so myself."
"Yeah, just don't go trying to bump people off the road." Jack retorted dryly.
Knock Out huffed. "That would be against the rules." Jack blinked, and he shook his head. The red mech finished touching up the paint, and flipped the switch. "There, you're all fixed up."
Jack nodded, stretching out his limbs to shake off the numbness still lingering. He noticed Shockwave staring at him, and Jack looked away as he got off the berth. "Would you like me to return to my room while you get cleaned up, master?"
Shockwave regarded him for a moment. "No." he said finally. "You will wait in here until Knock Out is finished."
"As you wish master." He conceded, taking to looking around the lab as Knock Out started on the shoulder.
"How the scrap did you get these anyway?" Knock Out questioned as he chipped away at the scaring on his shoulder.
"It was a necessity of a demonstration." Shockwave replied tersely.
Knock Out only vented. "And would you like to touch up your colors too then?"
"No, my paint is satisfactory." The purple mech said. "Though I wish to make modifications for my slave, and I would need your medical opinion."
Jack stiffened, clenching his fists as he found a desk, seeing the tool scattered around it. He recognized one briefly as a laser scalpel-the unpleasant reminder of how Shockwave used it when a regular one wasn't bad enough. 'This will have to do.' He thought, quickly sliding it into subspace before continuing to look around and kept one audio on the conversation happening.
"What kind of modifications are you talking about?" Knock Out asked, slowly scraping off the scarring.
"My slave is taking longer to grow accustomed to me; there is progress, but is there any modifications that will make him pleased with me?" The purple mech asked, as though Jack weren't still in the room.
And it made his plating crawl. 'Progress?' Jack repeated angrily.
Knock Out though furrowed his brow. "Why would you even need something like that?"
"It is none of your concern. Is there such a modification or no?"
Knock Out frowned, lips pressed tightly together. "Yes." He said eventually. "Though it's only used for training mechanimal pets. It's frowned upon to use it on a bot."
"But not illegal." Shockwave said tensely. Jack stiffened. "Is the process invasive?"
"Not particularly, no," Knock Out admitted, casting a brief glance at Jack. "It is a simple band that continuously injects the host with nanites, which responds to the one who has the frequency they're tuned for."
The purple mech finally looked at Jack, who tensed from the way his optic cycled, glowing faintly. Jack didn't know what he was thinking, but it made his plating crawl because he could guess. "Fascinating."
Knock Out's frown deepened, and he finished buffering out the scar quickly. "All done."
Shockwave glanced at his shoulder. "And as always, your credits will be wired to your account. Escort yourself out." He said, and Jack winced as Shockwave grabbed his arm before dragging him out of the room.
"Certainly." The medic replied simply, seeming more than happy to get out. Not near as glad as Jack would have been.
Jack's spark pulsed rapidly as he was taken back to his room, and shoved inside with little thought before the door locked behind him. Jack was disoriented, but not ungrateful that Shockwave hadn't decided to stay and touch him again. He shuddered, and took a cursory glance around before noticing the berth was clean. 'I guess the drone did as told.' Jack took out the scalpel, and turned his attention back to the door. It was a faint, useless hope, but he needed to get out before Shockwave came back with one of those mods.
He waited a minute, maybe two, to ensure himself that Shockwave was really gone. One willing to risk but, he activated the scalpel and inserted it into the lock.
Jack wriggled the scalpel, gritting his denta as he heard it scraping against the metal. Metal winced, heat simmering from it as he could see the lock inside melting and twisting. Using all his strength, Jack shoved the scalpel up, a crack resonating from the door, and Jack pulled back as the metal slid open, the lock mechanism sparking as it was shredded.
Venting deeply, Jack didn't waste a second in getting out of the room. There were no stairs, so he used the elevator and rapidly pushed the button for the ground floor. His spark pulsed so hard he felt it deep in his tank and ready to leap out of his throat. His frame was tense and coiled as he kept thinking every second he was out that Shockwave would notice. 'Please just let him be too busy working to see I'm gone.'
Jack squeezed his optics shut, and nodded in reassurance to himself. He could risk the elevator, just because any other option would be too messy or attention grabbing. And if Shockwave even entertained the possibility of Jack escaping, nothing would be overlooked more than him going through the front door.
The elevator came quickly enough, and his chest constricted all the way down to the ground floor. His optics roved around, but the lobby was empty. He couldn't see cameras, couldn't hear an alarm blarring yet, so Jack hurried to the door.
Jack almost couldn't believe it, that it was this simple. Just..walking out of the door, because Shockwave never anticipated such a thing.
Certain that his spark had overheated, Jack stared at the sidewalks, the sky, the lack of a grip on his arm.
He took in everything with a new light now that he felt no overbearing presence looming over him. Jack heard everything, even when he remembered the world needed to change he took in what he could of it just to remember he was free. 'Almost, need to get away.'
The first thought was to get back to Megatron-but that would be the first place Shockwave looked. 'Where else can I hide until the heat dies down?' he thought.
There was Orion- but they had just met and Jack doubted even he would take in some mech he just met no matter how kinda he was.
"-never met such a control freak before in my life-" he heard Knock Out's voice flit through the air.
Jack straightened up, following the voice until he spotted Knock Out standing off to the side near the street, face scrunched up in annoyance. Even from the snippet, he knew the red mech was griping about Shockwave. Gathering his resolve, he quickly walked up to him. "Knock Out?"
Knock Out glanced at him briefly before looking away. Slowly, he froze just as he was about to speak, and his optics were wide as he looked back at him again. "How the frag did you-"
"Not important." Jack said quickly. "I just really need some help right now."
"I don't know what you're talking-" the mech began, but Jack cut him off.
"I need to get away from here!" His voice raised several pitches, eyeing the tower before turning back to Knock Out. "You have to help me!"
Knock Out narrowed his optics. "Look, I really do feel for you, but I can't get involved-"
Jack gritted his denta. "You owe me." He said, and that stopped Knock Out cold. Jack vented deeply. "I did what I said I would, and now you're going to help me."
Knock Out frowned. "What, am I suppose to take you to that gladiator pit and do the surgery right now?"
"No," Jack said quietly, "I need someplace to hide until Shockwave stops looking for me, and then you're going to make sure the coast is clear before the surgery can get underway."
Knock Out huffed, looking more annoyed than perturbed. "You're really going to wring everything you can out of this favor, aren't you?"
"To escape this hell hole I'd do nearly anything." Jack said through gritted denta. "Can you get me out of here? A vehicle, or something-"
"I don't bring anything like that with me." Knock Out retorted. He vented and his lips curled as he crossed his arms. "You'd be small enough to fit in my vehicle mode, but it's still going to be a tight fit."
Jack squared his shoulders. "Fine, I don't care-I just want to get as far from here before he finds I escaped. And after this is all over with we'll never have to see each other again."
"Fine." Knock Out said sharply, backing up to transform. Jack practically jumped inside. True to his word, it was a very tight fight, given Knock Out hissed in discomfort. "This is going to leave scratches." He griped.
Jack curled up to create more space, lying stiffly on the floor. "You can get Breakdown to buff out the scratches later."
Knock Out let out a huff, and Jack felt odd about being inside a sentient machine. Everything so far had been non-sentient. He couldn't say this reminded him of being back on earth, because there he wouldn't be arguing over getting help.
'Remember you're doing this so Megatron won't get slagged if Shockwave thinks he has me.' Jack thought. He doubted Megatron would go down easily from experience, but he'd rather not risk it.
"You're putting some serious drag on me." Knock Out complained as they drove, Jack having to curl up tighter to fit in more comfortably.
"You're fast? Then a little drag should be something you're used too." Jack retorted.
"You think so, huh? I'll have you know I catch traction without needing to highjack it from getting behind the other racers." Knock Out said proudly.
"Yeah yeah," Jack grumbled, looking out the tinted windows cautiously. No sign of any police or Shockwave...
Jack knew even if Shockwave hadn't noticed at this very second he was gone, the fact the door was wide open would clue him in instantly. He didn't want to imagine what would happen if he got caught, only that it'd be bad. 'Which is why I can't get caught.' He told himself.
If he was, everything could just turn out as bad as the future he'd been a part of.
