Torment is alone when Typhoon walks into the command center. The large room that had bustled with activity when he had arrived at the Polyhexian Cartel's headquarter with Thundercracker and Nacelle is silent as a grave. Even the countless screens on the walls are turned off.
He steps closer to Torment, who is standing with his attention turned to the black screens.
"You wanted to-"
He doesn't get the chance to finish the sentence before Torment whips around and attacks him, sending him to the floor and placing a foot on his chest, leaning heavily on him to keep him down.
Torment's optics are full of rage as he looks condescendingly down at him.
"Talon would not hesitate to have you executed for what you did to Nacelle." Torment growls furiously. "But I do not think that Nacelle would like to see you get killed in front of him as compensation for what you did to him. Instead, I will give you a chance to make amends in a way that he would be more accepting of. And you will do so without a word of complaint, or I will give you to Talon for punishment. Is that understood?!"
He stares shocked up at Torment and nods mutely in consent.
Torment's optics narrows, but some of the rage in them dissipates.
"The Polyhexian Cartel does not tolerate this kind of behavior. That you are helping Nacelle with a 'cold' overload, I can accept and explain to Prowl, but that you take it further-"
The rage gets replaced by a profound disappointment and Torment shakes his head.
"I thought you were better than this."
"Torment wants to speak with you."
Nacelle has never in his life been more frightened than he is at this moment as he follows the frontliner who had delivered the order from Torment to the command center. He has been here less than a day, and now he has to face Torment again, this time completely alone.
What does the heir want with him?
And where is Typhoon?
Not that he wishes to ever see the dark blue seeker again, but whether he likes it or not, he is dependent on him as protection in these dangerous surroundings. After what happened with Typhoon, he feels unbalanced and utterly unprepared for a situation like this, and the mercenary's presence would at least give him a sense of safety.
Despite what he did, Typhoon is nothing compared to Torment.
The frontliner stops in front of the door to the command center, and Nacelle lets out a calming exhale to ease his growing anxiety.
It feels like his situation is about to go from bad to worse, but he has no other choice than to follow Torment's order. And it will only worsen the longer he hesitates to follow it. Gathering his courage, he walks into the command center, the frontliner dutifully waiting outside.
"You wanted to speak with me?"
Torment sits in a chair in front of the countless screens in the section of the command center housing their surveillance- and communications center. He looks over his shoulder at Nacelle when the green and white seeker announces his presence.
Nacelle's wings are lowered but visibly tense while he holds himself in a way that clearly signals how uncomfortable he is with being where he is, and Torment fills with anger at the sight, silently cursing Typhoon.
To Nacelle, he is the enemy, and it is only natural for the carrier to fear him. The whole reason behind Typhoon's role as protector had been to give Nacelle someone he could trust in his new surroundings. He should have had Typhoon by his side in a situation like this to offer him support and protection, but Typhoon has failed his duty and now Nacelle is forced to be alone among enemies without anyone he feels he can trust.
And it is up to him to fix that.
"I want to speak with you about what happened between you and Typhoon." He explains calmly and points to a chair beside him. "Come and take a seat."
Nacelle hesitates before he walks over and sits down in the chair. His anxiety grows at being this close to the sire who has the power to decide his fate, and he studies Torment warily.
"How do you know?"
He should be mortified that Torment knows what has transpired between him and Typhoon, but at the moment, he is so stressed by the situation he now finds himself in that he simply can't muster the energy to be ashamed of it.
"Surveillance."
Nacelle watches the content with a sinking feeling in his spark when Torment brings the footage from the surveillance camera inside their assigned quarters up on the screen.
If Torment wants to, he can use the footage to potentially destroy Nacelle's relationship with Prowl.
He can feel Torment study him, and he tries not to show any outward emotion. He doesn't want to give the sire the satisfaction of seeing how much it affects him to have his whole life held up in front of him, on the cusp of getting destroyed.
Torment turns his attention back to the screen, and a dialogue box pops up on it. He enters his verification code and deletes the footage.
Nacelle stares stunned at the screen when a system message confirms that the surveillance footage has been deleted, and he looks at Torment in confusion, countless questions filling his mind.
"Why?"
Torment looks at him, and for the first time since he met the sire, Nacelle sees an emotion that isn't fueled by rage enter the cold and usually unreadable optics.
"When I assigned Typhoon to protect you, I did not take a situation where his personal interest would conflict with his professionalism into consideration. To rectify that, I will assign someone else to protect you and Thundercracker while you stay here with us. And I will personally apologize to Prowl. This was not your fault, but mine."
Nacelle looks at him in shock, unable to understand what is happening.
Torment is apologizing?!
"I could have been more firm in my refusal." He admits, knowing that he should have done more to stop the dark blue seeker's sexual advances.
"You should not have had to say no in the first place!" Torment growls furiously, his field flaring wide open in his anger. "Typhoon knew what he was doing, and I will make sure that he doesn't attempt to coerce you again! Your bondmate and I might be on different sides of the law, but I meant it when I said that you and Thundercracker are guests here!"
Nacelle senses the genuine anger and disapproval at what Typhoon did to him in Torment's field and realizes that he has gained a unique and invaluable insight into who Torment truly is behind his hardened outer shell. It lessens his fear of the sire to know that Torment, despite being a hardened criminal, is driven by such strong personal values as loyalty, equality, and oddly enough - justice and righteousness as well.
Torment regains control over his field, and it is again impossible to get a read of.
He looks into Nacelle's optics, focused on making the carrier feel comfortable in his presence. Hopefully, what Nacelle sensed from his field in his slip-up will help in that regard.
He knows that being honest and open is essential in creating trust, but he simply can't afford that. He is the heir to a global criminal organization, while Nacelle is the bondmate to a prominent investigative officer.
When the couple merges their sparks, all the information Nacelle gets access to will be given to Prowl. It is paramount to keep the critical information Nacelle acquires on them to an absolute minimum, but he can share less sensitive information to make Nacelle feel more at ease.
"The Polyhexian Cartel values every carrier that decides to work for us, and we have a strict set of rules when it comes to our treatment of them. We do not tolerate any kind of abuse of carriers unless it is absolutely unavoidable in our line of work and the reason is completely justifiable. Despite what most people think, we do not force any of our prostitutes to work for us. They willingly do so to gain our protection, and if they want to stop, they are free to do so. They only pay a small fee for our protection, and we negotiate contracts with them."
Torment looks towards the shadows in the far corner of the command center, and Nacelle startles when a dark figure on cue steps out of it.
"This is Shade." Torment introduces the stranger. "He is Talon's most trusted lieutenant and will from now on be responsible for the protection of you and Thundercracker."
Nacelle studies Shade in surprise as the black and silver tank-former walks over to him and Torment.
He is a carrier.
Torment's voice had been full of respect when he introduced Shade and Nacelle fills with awe as he watches how effortlessly the black and silver carrier carries the heavy layers of reinforced armor that have been added to his sleek frame.
Shade sits down in the chair beside Nacelle and offers him his hand with a genuine, gentle smile. Nacelle looks curiously at him as he takes the offered hand and feels Shade's field open up to him without hesitation, inviting him to explore it and get a read of who Shade is. It is the first time he has encountered anyone within the Polyhexian Cartel who is this open with their field, and the fierce protectiveness that completely suffuses Shade's field fills him with reassurance and makes him feel safe and protected.
It feels like a burden lifts from his shoulder at the feel of the completely open, brutally honest, and fiercely protective field, and he begins to relax for the first time since what had happened between him and Typhoon. Tears suddenly threaten to fall from his optics as the repressed emotions from the situation with the dark blue seeker overwhelm him, and the next moment he gets pulled into a protective embrace.
"You are safe now, Nacelle. I will not let anyone hurt you or Thundercracker while you are under my protection." Shade murmurs into Nacelle's audial while he stares furiously at Torment over the edge of the green and white seeker's wing.
Nacelle leans into the embrace, desperately seeking the protection Shade offers him, and Shade's fury only grows when he senses all the fear and anxiety Nacelle has managed to keep hidden from them until now. It radiates from the fragile carrier and reminds him of the times he has been summoned by one of their prostitutes to handle a violent customer.
-Keep Typhoon far away from me, because if I see him, I can't promise that I won't kill him!- He messages Torment as he soothingly caresses Nacelle.
-He has already been put in a cell and waits for his punishment.-
Satisfied with Torment's answer, Shade releases Nacelle from his embrace and his gaze is once again gentle when he looks into the green and white seeker's optics.
"I am responsible for the protection of the carriers that work for us." He explains while he keeps their physical connection by caressing Nacelle's lower arm soothingly with his thumb. "I am also their liaison within our organization and their direct link to Talon. Our prostitutes are, as Torment said, completely independent, but they can request our aid if they require it."
The soothing, almost hypnotic touch calms Nacelle further, and he begins to relax more and more while he curiously listens to Shade's explanation. His tense wings start to lower, and he lets out a deep, calming exhale when the stress of the situation slowly bleeds from him.
Torment notices the visible change in Nacelle and decides that it is time to see if the green and white seeker's relaxedness extends to him as well.
"Are you comfortable with Shade taking over your protection?" He asks, drawing Nacelle's attention.
Nacelle looks at him without hesitation or fear and nods in answer.
Torment hides his pleased smirk at how fast Shade has made Nacelle relax in his presence. He knew that the black and silver tank-former would be the right choice in this situation. Shade knows how to handle a frightened carrier and create a trustful relation.
Now that Nacelle is comfortable in his presence, it is time for them to move on to one of the other reasons he has asked Nacelle to come to the command center. He swivels his chair to face Nacelle and slowly takes the green and white seeker's hands in his. Nacelle stares cautiously at him, and Torment caresses the trembling hands soothingly while he allows emotions to enter his optics.
"I know that it is terrifying for you to be here and I want you to understand that we only are doing this to protect you and Thundercracker as long as Torrent is out there. I have no intention to keep you here for longer than is absolutely necessary and have arranged a vid-conference between you and Prowl to show you my sincerity."
Nacelle stares speechlessly at Torment while tears slowly begin to fall from his optics at the thought of being allowed to talk to Prowl. When he walked into the command center, he had feared the worst, but instead of facing his worst nightmare, he has now found out that the heir to the Polyhexian Cartel has a surprisingly considerate spark.
"All I demand of you in return is that you don't reveal anything you have seen or heard here to your bondmate."
The sternness in Torment's optics reminds Nacelle of Prowl.
Authoritarian yet considerate.
He can't help the smile at the striking resemblance.
"Yes." He answers, his smile widening.
It is an order that is easy to follow, and he would do anything to get a chance to see and talk to his bondmate.
Torment contacts Shift to tell her that they are ready, and when the request for a vid-conference pops up on the screen, he looks at Nacelle.
"Are you ready?"
Nacelle wipes the tears staining his cheeks away and nods in confirmation with a little smile.
Torment studies Nacelle closely, giving the green and white seeker a few more seconds to ready himself before he accepts the request and establishes the connection.
::Torment!:: Prowl growls icily the moment he appears on the screen, his optics full of fury. ::You haven't changed one bit, I sho-::
Torment completely ignores the furious tirade, looking sternly at Nacelle.
"You have ten minutes. Remember our agreement."
Then he rises from his chair and offers it to Nacelle.
Nacelle smiles at Torment and mouths a grateful 'thank you' before he sits down in the vacated chair and looks into Prowl's utterly shocked expression with a calm, reassuring smile.
Torment retreats with Shade to the far side of the command center to give the couple a bit of privacy. He doesn't look forward to the conversation he needs to have with Prowl, but he has to take full responsibility for what Typhoon did to Nacelle since he was the one who decided to kidnap the green and white seeker and then failed to protect him. That is why he, in this case, is going to follow the law by the letter to appease Prowl's sense of justice and ease the emotional burden placed on Nacelle.
He pulls a datapad out of subspace and hands it to Shade.
"I want you to give Nacelle this and have him fill out the legal forms for an official rape accusation and then bring him to the medical bay for the required medical examination and evidence gathering."
Shade arches an optical ridge.
"You are giving him Typhoon?"
Barely restrained fury fills Torment's optics.
"Typhoon took advantage of a vulnerable carrier I had placed in his care. He failed my trust, and I know what Talon would do in a situation like this, but that will not re-establish the trust between Prowl and us. My conversation with Prowl will not be easy, and I am going into it with the full intention to give him the concessions he wants, because we need him on our side, not against us. Our alliance with him is more important than anything else, and time spent in prison will not hurt Typhoon. Hopefully, he will learn something from this. Typhoon might be my friend, but Talon does not tolerate this kind of behavior, and neither do I."
Shade is impressed by how Torment has decided to handle Typhoon's betrayal, his respect for him growing.
The heir is truly stepping into the role of leader.
Torment walks over to Nacelle when the ten minutes have passed.
"The time is up." He interrupts the couple and focuses for the first time his attention on Prowl, who visibly is more calm and approachable after having talked to Nacelle. "I need to speak with you in privacy and will get Shift to arrange it."
Prowl looks at him with narrowed optics, his trust in them clearly already fragile due to their kidnapping of Nacelle, and it won't get better when Torment has spoken with him.
Prowl nods tersely in answer, his gaze focusing back on Nacelle.
"Be strong."
The connection cuts and Nacelle's wings lower a bit.
"Before you go, there is something else I want to speak with you about." Torment adds, drawing Nacelle's curious attention. "I want to transfer Skywarp into our care."
Nacelle stares at him in disbelief, his mouth open in surprise.
"What?"
Torment sits down in the chair beside Nacelle's, a flicker of emotion in his optics.
"I am aware of Skywarp and Thundercracker's special situation." He explains calmly in an uncommonly gentle voice. "We have not only been protecting you and Thundercracker, but Skywarp as well. And Darksteel, who I assigned to protect Skywarp, took out the attacker Torrent had sent to kill Skywarp when you and Thundercracker had to flee from A-63. Right now, it is safest for both of them to stay with us, and you will have the opportunity to work with them together."
Once again, Nacelle is given a rare insight into the sire's true personality, and Torment's words make him reflect on his current situation.
He never imagined that he could spend his time with the Polyhexian Cartel on re-establishing a relationship between Skywarp and Thundercracker.
But now that he is aware of Torment's true intentions, it suddenly opens up countless possibilities.
He is not a captive but a guest, as Torment has stated several times.
And now he believes it.
"I will have to speak with Quickstream about the transfer. He is the one responsible for Skywarp's care and knows if Skywarp is in a state where he can get transferred."
Torment nods in understanding and sets Nacelle in contact with Quickstream. He remains in the background, silently listening as Nacelle talks with Quickstream about Skywarp's state and arranges for the transfer when Skywarp's spark has been taken out of the spark containment machinery and returned to his frame.
The connection cuts, and Nacelle look at Torment with a wide smile.
Skywarp's condition has stabilized, and from what he has seen of the Polyhexian Cartel's medical facilities, they are more than equipped to handle anything that might arise.
Here among the hardened criminals, he can finally relax and dedicate his full attention to helping his clients.
When they have left the command center, Shade stops Nacelle and gives the green and white seeker the datapad Torment had given to him.
Nacelle looks puzzled at Shade as he takes the datapad, wondering what now is going on. His optics widen when he reads the legal documents on the datapad, and he looks at Shade in disbelief, unable to understand the meaning behind it.
There is only one reason for them to give him the documents on this datapad, but it doesn't make any sense to him.
Why would they do this?
Yes, Torment had been beyond furious at what had happened to him, he had felt it in the sire's field, but Torment and his people are criminals, not law-abiding civilians.
"We do not take what happened to you lightly, Nacelle." Shade explains seriously. "Torment asks you to fill out the legal forms for an official rape accusation against Typhoon and to have one of our physicians perform a medical examination to collect the necessary evidence."
"But-"
Shade puts a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"If you are worried about Prowl, then don't be. Torment will talk with your bondmate as he has promised, and if you afterward want to speak with Prowl about what happened, it can be arranged."
"And Typhoon?"
Shade's field fills with an almost choking fury, but instead of being frightened by it, it fills Nacelle with reassurance. Their new protector openly communicates what he feels instead of hiding it. There is no subterfuge, and it's what makes trusting Shade so easy.
"He has confessed to what he did to you, and if you are worried about the deleted surveillance footage, it is not needed. Typhoon will accept his sentence without complaint. Years in prison is nothing compared to what he faced if he didn't accept his punishment. Do not feel bad for him. He wronged you, and now he faces the consequences."
Nacelle nods slowly in understanding.
Talking about Typhoon fills him with conflicting feelings.
The dark blue seeker did violate him, but he also saved him.
And now he is facing imprisonment.
He looks down at the datapad in his hand, letting out a deep sigh as he subspaces it.
This day has been overwhelmingly turbulent.
There is a lot he needs to process.
"Come."
Shade's gentle voice is like a balm to his overworked processor, and when a strong arm wraps around his waist, he leans against the tank-former for comfort, relaxing in the reassuring feeling of the battle-upgraded carrier's powerful frame close against his.
He has never felt more protected as they make their way down the many corridors to the medical bay, Shade sending clear warning signals to every ogling sire they pass on the way.
When they step into the medical bay, there is a joyous outburst before Thundercracker embraces Nacelle in a firm hug, and Shade keeps to the background, letting the two seekers have their happy moment of reunion.
"I mis-sed y-you."
Nacelle offlines his optics and leans into the embrace, welcoming the feeling of Thundercracker's field intermingling with his own. It is soothing and instinctively makes him relax and let go of the chaotic feelings that have built up inside him.
He lets out a shaky breath while a tear slowly runs down his cheek. In response, Thundercracker leans out of the embrace and looks worried at him, sensing his turbulent feelings.
"A-are y-you okay, Nacelle?"
"Yes, now I am." He answers softly and pulls Thundercracker into another hug. "What about you? You are looking better. Did they find out what was wrong with you?"
"F-Flux says I h-had an-n it-ty b-bit-ty v-vi-rus in m-my s-sy-stems. But t-th-at w-we c-caug-ht it in time. He did s-some-thing to me t-th-at f-fel-t s-str-ange and t-ting-led and s-said t-th-at I w-will be f-fine. M-my sp-sparkling t-too."
"That is good to know," Nacelle says in relief with a little smile.
He looks over Thundercracker's wing and notices that Flux is looking at him from across the medical bay. He nods in thanks to the chief physician and Flux smiles warmly at him before going back to his work, vanishing out of sight.
It feels good to have someone care for his and Thundercracker's wellbeing. Flux is clearly a gentle spark, so unlike his employers, and as a physician, he knows the strain they are under while staying here. He might have come to an understanding with Torment, but it is still stressful to live under these circumstances, even without the fear he initially had had for his captors.
While Nacelle has his musings, Thundercracker meets an intriguing pair of unfamiliar optics over Nacelle's wing, and he immediately gets piqued.
"Who is t-that?"
Nacelle pulls out of the embrace and turns around to face Shade.
"His name is Shade. He is replacing Typhoon." He explains as Shade walks over to them, taking Thundercracker's interest in him as his cue to step closer.
"He is a c-carrier." Thundercracker points out the obvious as he studies the black and silver tank-former.
Shade smiles and leans in close to Thundercracker.
"I am, and do you know what I also am?" He whispers to Thundercracker in a low, secretive voice.
Thundercracker shakes his head.
Shade's smile grows and there is a dangerous yet playful glint in his optics.
"I am so powerful that no one would dare to come close to you unless you want them to."
"You s-send people I d-don't like aw-ay?"
"If you want me to."
Shade's interaction with Thundercracker makes Nacelle smile.
He might be a hardened criminal, but being a carrier, Shade understands Thundercracker on a deeper level. And as a member of Talon's inner circle, his presence commands respect from everyone around him. The power he claims to possess in a primarily sire-dominated organization is not an empty statement.
That, together with Torment's reassurances, finally makes him able to relax completely for the first time in a very long time. It fills him with hope, and when they get Skywarp transferred into their care, he can finally begin to work on re-establishing the relationship between Skywarp and Thundercracker.