(A/N: Please, please tell me what you guys are thinking of the story! I feel more encouraged and inspired when people let me know what they think/like/feel.)
Ratchet lay on his berth, optics dim as he attempted to focus through the haze his processors was in, letting out a soft groan to the femme standing nearby, watching him from behind her visor.
HUD filled with reports of infection, over heating and orders for immediate medical attention, but Ratchet ignored them. He knew what he needed, and he was certain that Titanium did as well. Though the Decepticon seeker seemed hesitant to touch him or call for a medic. Why would she not want to call for her tutor? Knockout surely could come for his protege?
Looking up through dim optics, Ratchet coughed again, every little movement making his lower regions feel like they were on fire. "Please." He hated begging, but he needed a medic, and he wasn't ready to offline. "Need a… Medic." Ratchet groaned, Titanium looking down at him with a torn expression on her faceplates.
"I will call for one."
Those words allowed Ratchet to relax, and he mumbled an unintelligible thank you under his vents, optics offlining as he vented heavily and attempted to relax his trembling frame.
Titanium looked down at the red and white mech laid out on the berth in his room, frowning deeply as she attempted to keep the frightened trembling from her wings. She knew that if she didn't call for Knockout, Ratchet could offline from the infection… But she would be the one at risk if she called for her "teacher", not Ratchet.
Venting softly, the femme paced back and forth. She didn't want an Autobot slave, but Megatron had made sure that she had had no choice in the matter, and now her peaceful existence was about to fall through her digits. Everything she had built up on, the Towers, being able to live a life free of the other Decepticons and society, would be damaged if not lost, with a single call.
Glancing again at the heavily venting mech, Titanium scrubbed a servo across her faceplates. She wasn't a fighter, at least, not much of one, and she wasn't a medic, though she knew rust infection when she saw it. She should've pushed aside her fear and just checked the Autobot over when she first learned of his abuse at another Decepticon's servos… Something she was particularly acquainted with.
Titanium shuddered as unwanted images assaulted her processor, immediately locking away the unsavoury memories of rape and beatings at the servos of several different Decepticons. Knockout, Dreadwing, Soundwave, even her father…. Shockwave, who had nearly blinded her with one of his experiments. That led the femme to touch her visor with her digits, tracing along it and venting softly.
As the seeker saw it, she either called Knockout and faced whatever would come with his 'visit', or let Ratchet suffer and offline… From what she thought, it was her fault he was hurt in the first place. She had sent him out with the full knowledge of what another Decepticon would do to someone weaker and lesser than they themselves were.
The young seeker looked at the Autobot medic again. She remembered all the times she had watched him, watched as he explored the Towers, read through every datapad she had had, how he had seemed to want to avoid her as much as she had wanted to avoid him… Titanium smiled faintly when she remembered how Ratchet had noticed her making repairs during the nightcycle, and he had respected her enough to not push her for answers as to why...
Finally, Titanium lifted a trembling servo to her comm, activating it. "Knockout…. I need you at the Towers, my…" Titanium hesitated and glanced at Ratchet. "Autobot needs immediate care." She finished, cutting off the comm before the red Decepticon could even answer.
Kneeling down on the ground beside the white and red medic, Titanium offered a tight little smile, though she knew that Ratchet wouldn't see it… He couldn't hurt her now either, even if he wanted too. Honestly, she was surprised that he hadn't already.
Titanium vented softly and reached out a servo, hesitating right when she was about to touch him, worrying her lower lip component before mustering up the courage to lay a servo to the side of his faceplates, gently caressing the flushed and heated metal. "It won't be long now." The femme murmured gently, comfortingly. "I won't let you offline." She whispered.
Ratchet onlined, groggy, to the sound of voices, letting out a soft groan as he shifted on his berth, optics slowly onlining. Repair reports were waiting for him, reporting of repairs to his valve and joints, the presence of an anti-virus in his systems prodding for him to sit up.
The sight before him was something he had hoped to never see again… Knockout was in the room, and had Titanium pressed into the wall, what he was saying, Ratchet couldn't hear, but he could see Titanium was frightened. The seeker femme was clawing at Knockout's armour, angering the medic so that he struck her.
"Slagging whore." Knockout snarled under his vents as he grabbed the blue visor and ripped it off, loving the way Titanium cried out, nearly blinded to the point where she had no idea where to scratch, where to go.
Ratchet watched in horror… Was Knockout seriously attempting to… Rape Megatron's daughter? He couldn't even dream of what consequences such an action would bring upon the offender! A chill ran through the medic. Unless Megatron didn't care… Knockout wasn't the type of mech to make such daring… Titanium's startled cry ripped the groggy mech from his thoughts.
Watching the way Titanium's struggle seemed to be weakening, how the seeker slumped against the wall, optics nearly white with what any average mech would mistake as fear, leading Ratchet to the assumption that she was nearly blind… THat would explain the constant use of a visor.
However, it was the sight of Knockout's servo sliding down black plating and between Titanium's thighs, accompanied by a frightened whimper, that spurred Ratchet into action.
Ratchet was off the berth faster than he would've thought possible in his half-drugged state, and launched himself at Knockout, slamming into him with his full weight and tossing all three to the ground.
Titanium let out a startled cry, helm swivelling as she attempted to see what had happened, but the sounds of cursing and metal grating against metal cleared up what had happened.
"You slagging piece of scrap!" Knockout howled, grabbing at Ratchet's collar, the older medic grinding his denta together as he attempted to ignore the electrical shock that passed through his frame. If he didn't stop Knockout right now and went into stasis, the other mech could easily get to Titanium again.
Ratchet struck Knockout across the faceplates as hard as he could, relishing the cry that got out of the Decepticon. "Don't you dare touch her again!" The medic hissed angrily, shaking with both exhaustion and anger.
Looking up at the autobot, Knockout gave a bark of laughter. "Why should you care? You're her toy after all." The red mech responded with a leer. "Just like she is! Do you think Megatron cares what happens to dear Titaniumwrench?"
Ratchet stilled. He had had his suspicions, but it was no less shocking to hear them confirmed.
"She's a toy, just like you." Knockout leered again, laughing. "I can have my way with her just as I could with you if I wanted! No one would care!"
Glaring down at the vain mech, Ratchet ground his denta together, the shock having ceased the moment he had stopped striking at Knockout, but gave off a threatening hum in response to his anger and the clenching of his fist. "I care." Ratchet responded in a dangerously low tone. "Autobots won't be pets forever! And when we aren't I'll kill you myself." The white and red mech responded, a flicker of fear passing through the Decepticon's red optics.
"You lay a servo on me, I'll have you removed from Titanium's custody and put into the common house!" Knockout shouted, squirming beneath the autobot.
Ratchet snarled and struck the red mech again, falling backwards off of Knockout when an strong electrical shock passed through him again, several times worse than he had ever experienced.
Knockout took the chance to scramble to his pedes, running to the door and glaring back at the two still in the room. "The Enforcers will hear of this! I'll ruin you both!" He shouted, vanishing from sight though his pedesteps could still be heard throughout the mostly empty building for some time.
"Titanium." Ratchet grunted, fatigued and weak, as he crawled over to the shaking femme. "Titanium?" The medic asked, afraid that the Decepticon might've taken more damage than he had first thought, but was relieved to find her still fully coherent. "Are you alright? Did he have enough time to…"
The black and blue seeker cut him off. "No. I am unhurt." She responded, attempting to sit herself upright, but Ratchet placed a servo on her shoulder in the pretense to keep her down, jerking it away when Titanium visibly tensed, a flicker of fear passing through her unseeing optics. "You aren't well." Ratchet finally clarified, glancing at the berth. "Would you mind if I moved you to the berth?" He asked.
Titanium was silent for several moments, shaking from the near-rape at Knockout's servos. It had been expected to happen, but Ratchet had intervened, and she struggled to wrap her processor around that fact. Why would the autobot defend her when she had kept him locked up and isolated? "I can manage myself." The seeker finally responded when she realized the Autobot was waiting for a response.
Rolling onto her side, Titanium vented shakily as she forced herself up onto her pedes and stumbled to the berth, leaning against it before hesitantly climbing atop it and lying on her back. She tensed when the white and red mech appeared at her side, and felt something hard and cool placed in her servo… Her visor.
Relieved, the black and blue seeker rushed to reattache the piece of glass over her optics, the restoration of her sight somewhat soothing as he rapidly pulsating spark slowed to a normal rate.
There was silence in the room for several moments, and Ratchet watched the seeker hurry to replace her visor… He didn't see any damage, but he no longer had his built in scanners to confidentally determine that. Titanium was obvious in shock, and frightened, but she composed herself frighteningly quickly.
"You have risked your own welfare… Others will come."
Ratchet looked up when the femme spoke, venting softly and sitting in the chair set up beside the desk, rubbing his servos on his thighs. He was honestly exhausted and in slight pain from the combination of recent repairs and the electrical shocks, but he couldn't rest when another's well being might very well be at risk. "I knew the consequences." He finally responded.
Sitting up against the wall, Titanium directed her gaze to the bigger mech. He confused her. She had expected him to take advantage of his bigger size and strength the moment he had been left alone with her that first cycle, but he hadn't. He hadn't hurt her in any way, or attempted to. He never pushed for answers, never questioned her when she was certain he suspected she wasn't as high up in the Decepticon command as it might seem. "No, I don't think you know the consequences!" Titanium bit out, more sharply than she had intended, but she knew what would happen… And she didn't want it to happen to the mech before her, the first one she could be in close contact with that never attempted to touch, hurt or rape her! "They will re-auction you. You'll be blacklisted as difficult and hard to handle, then they will reprogram you and sell you to the highest bidder as a pet!"
Ratchet flinched at the femme's rise in volume, watching her with surprise… This was the first time she had spoken so much to him, much less raise her tone above the usually mild one she tended to use… She was frightened. Her wings side it if her field and expression didn't.
"They will program you to serve to spread your legs when you're told! And you'll still be consciously aware! You'll know what's happening, but you won't be able to stop it!" Titanium continued her tirade, tears in her optics now as she rambled on. "If they don't do that, they'll drag you down to the pleasure houses! Do you know how long an Autobot survives there? Less than an earth week!"
Averting his optics, Ratchet looked away from the femme, visibly shaken by what she said… Reprogram? He hadn't thought the Decepticons would stoop so low, yet he had never expected all prisoners to be turned into interface toys either. "Then let them." Ratchet finally responded, venting shakily. "I knew there would be consequences to helping you. But it would've been worse if I hadn't."
Titanium stared at the former autobot, shocked. Ratchet thought it would be worse if she hadn't helped her? "I wouldn't have… punished you." She responded, the medic snorting in near-amusement before sobering. "I know you wouldn't have… It would've been worse for me, to know I could've helped you and I didn't..." He answered in a soft tone. "I care."
Silence fell over to two, former enemies, united now in slavery. One collared, the other no less free.
Titanium couldn't believe her audios. Ratchet cared about her? She was speechless as tears fell from her optics, some trailing down her faceplates while others were caught up in her visor. "Do you not understand… what will happen when they come back…?" She choked out, both angry, humiliated and frightened.
Frowning deeply when he noticed the tears, Ratchet pulled his chair closer and reached out a servo for the femme, hesitating just short of touching her when she flinched. "I know…" He responded, finally cupping the delicate faceplates in his servo, using his thumb digits to wipe away the coolant tears, smiling faintly. "But it was worth it."
The jet stared at him for several moments, a look of incredulity on her faceplates before she looked away. "You don't mean that." Titanium responded in a near-whisper.
"Regardless." Ratchet smiled faintly. "You need to rest." The medic added with a soft vent, Titanium looking up at him, a frown on her faceplates. "I don't need it." She responded in a stubborn tone, the medic frowning back at her, feeling that familiar sensation of irritation that he often had when one of the twins refused to recharge. The memory was a kick to the abdomen, but Ratchet ignored it. "You do. I will remain online for if some bot decides to show up." He added with a faint smile.
Titanium stared at the mech. He was confusing, and she wondered how he could act like everything was alright, everything would be alright, when he was the one on the line. He was so gentle and friendly, good looking and… The femme shut down that train of thought right away, hesitantly lying back. She was nervous about recharging near the autobot, but he had never hurt her before, when he had many the chance to, so she offlined her optics and lost herself to recharge before she could even realize it.
Ratchet smiled faintly at the femme, though it was conflicted. He pitied the femme and wanted to protect her, but she was also the one that was partly involved with the death of one of his oldest friends.
The medic turned away and vented heavily. He wasn't sure what he felt about the femme, but, for now, he knew that she was in danger… He felt protective of her, though he hadn't the slightest idea as to why.
Ratchet hadn't realized he had fallen into recharge until the sound of pedesteps and voices jerked him from it, the medic sitting stock upright in the chair beside the berth, glancing at Titanium and still seeing her in recharge he relaxed, but only for a moment.
The sound of pedesteps drew closer, and the former autobot remained where he was seated, taking several slow exvents in an attempt to calm himself as two big mechs appeared in the door.
Ratchet didn't spare the first, a Decepticon he didn't recognize but painted in the white and black common of an Enforcer. His attention was on the mech standing directly behind… Barricade.