TF: Being Watched
Rating: PG-13
Series: G1
Summary: Breakdown was right. He was being watched.
Warnings: Vortex. He needs a warning all of his own.
Disclaimer: As per usual, the good things in life are not mine to have, but belong to someone else... in this case Hasbro, Takara and IDW and anyone else I’ve forgotten…
Authors Notes: Yet another bunny from the tf_bunny_farm - Number 22 from this post. And apologies for the dire title.
Feedback makes friends. Flames dealt with by the masters of paranoia and fire, Red Alert and Inferno.
It was the unease that first attracted his attention. The way he would slink down the corridors of the Nemesis, virtually hugging the walls in a bid to avoid being detected.
Nothing more than simple paranoia.
Except he wanted it to be so much more.
He wanted to be the one Breakdown was scared of. Wanted to see the fear in Breakdown’s optics as he looked at him. Wanted to hear him pleading, begging.
But that would come later. Much more fun to be had in the long, drawn-out torment of the Stunticon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Breakdown sat in the mess hall of the fallen Decepticon cruiser, trying to draw as little attention to his presence as possible. He knew they were watching him though. They were always watching him. They could see what he was. He wasn’t like them. And he was sure they knew!
The other Decepticons in the mess hall paid no attention to Breakdown, save for a small acknowledgement (if he was unlucky) as he’d entered. Only one mech’s optics were focussed on Breakdown. Vortex sat watching him; fingers tearing the edge of the energon cube he’d been playing with, its contents forgotten in lieu of more entertaining things. He wondered how long it would take before Breakdown realised that someone was indeed watching him.
It wasn’t long.
Breakdown glanced around the room, feeling somemech’s optics burning into his plating. A reflexive shudder when he met Vortex’s optics. He swore the Combaticon was grinning at him from behind that battlemask. Fumbling the cube in his hands, he hastily finished his ration and darted out the door. There was only one reason a mech like Vortex would look at anyone in that way. And he had no desire to be the helicopter’s new plaything.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Every time he seemed to turn around, Vortex was there. Lingering in a doorway or lounging in a chair. Somewhere nearby. And always watching. Always staring. Always there! And always smiling, Breakdown would swear.
It unnerved him, set him on edge and he found himself constantly looking over his shoulder, just waiting for Vortex to appear. Each time he entered a room, he scanned for Vortex. After a while, he realised that if the helicopter wasn’t there, he felt… lost almost. He’d gotten so used to Vortex practically shadowing him that if the helicopter wasn’t there, something wasn’t right. And that in itself worried him. The fact that he missed the Combaticon was not right. He tried to tell himself that he was glad that Vortex wasn’t around as he wouldn’t have to put up with him staring all the time. Yet he couldn’t deny the way his frame relaxed when Vortex appeared. It was unusual to say the least, and he didn’t like it one bit!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It had taken two weeks for Breakdown to start looking for him when he wasn’t there. If it hadn’t been for his battlemask, Vortex wouldn’t have been able to hide the grin when he thought about it.
Vortex sidled up to where Breakdown was sitting, noting the way the Lamborghini’s frame actually relaxed slightly as he approached. This was going far better than he expected.
“I’ve been watching you.” He murmured, turning the chair around and sitting down, staring at Breakdown.
“I… I noticed.” Breakdown stammered out his reply, not having expected Vortex to come up to him. Vortex’s rotors twitched and Breakdown’s optics flickered to the movement. He might be more relaxed, but he was still edgy. Exactly what Vortex wanted.
“I’ve been watching you for such a long time.” He crooned, smirking at the tremor that ran through Breakdown’s frame.
“Why?” Breakdown whispered. Why would Vortex spend so much time on him?
“Because.” Vortex shrugged, as if that would explain everything.
“No no, I know what you want and you’re not getting it!” Breakdown babbled. Vortex just smiled behind his battlemask.
“Oh you know what I want do you?” He tilted the chair, leaning forward. “What is it I want then?”
“You want me on your table. I know what you do. I know.”
“And what if I do?”
“I don’t care. You’re not getting me.” Breakdown pushed away from the table, knocking over his chair in the process and disappeared out the door.
Vortex just laughed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Over the next few weeks, Vortex would corner Breakdown, watching for the fear in his optics before Breakdown managed to run away and hide. Vortex had watched him long enough to know all his hiding places. But it wouldn’t be any fun if Breakdown didn’t know that…
“I know where you hide.” He whispered in Breakdown’s audio, having managed to sneak up on the Lamborghini. He felt Breakdown shudder.
“You can’t.” He whispered back, sounding horrified at the thought he wasn’t safe anywhere.
“Oh but I do…” Vortex purred, letting his fingers trail along Breakdown’s spoiler. “That storage closet on the lower decks? I like the way you’ve got a stock of energon there.” Enough to let Breakdown know he knew, but not enough to provide anything concrete should anyone else overhear. Wouldn’t do for Breakdown to be scared of anyone else. Just him.
Breakdown stepped away hastily, turning to face Vortex.
“Don’t go there.” He almost pleaded, hating the thought that Vortex could find him, even when he was hiding. Hating that he couldn’t feel safe anywhere.
“How can you persuade me not to?” Vortex asked, relishing the flash of fear in Breakdown’s optics.
“You will not get me on your table.” He growled at Vortex, turning and stalking off, heedless that his back was towards the Combaticon.
“Is that a challenge?” Vortex called out after him, chuckling to himself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He’d hidden in one of his many hiding places, hoping that Vortex didn’t know about this one. A mission scouting out energy reserves followed by an encounter with a human news crew had left him twitchy and irritable. He’d needed to get away from everyone.
Settling himself in the darkest corner, he offlined his optics, concentrating on the silence, trying to calm himself. It might not be a very ‘Decepticon’ thing to do, but it helped. And if it made it so he was able to be useful and not get slagged by Motormaster, then it was a very good thing indeed.
He sat there for nearly an hour before his sensors alerted him to the presence of someone nearby. Metaphorically holding his breath, he hoped they would walk straight past the disused engine room. But luck was not on his side.
“I know you’re in here Breakdown.” One of the two voices he really didn’t want to hear. Actually, Motormaster’s voice would have probably been more welcome right now. Breakdown kept quiet. If he was really lucky Vortex would get bored and leave.
But he wasn’t really lucky.
He squeaked as Vortex’s face suddenly seemed to loom in front of him from nowhere.
“Hello Breakdown.” There was no place left for him to go. As he’d curled up in the corner, he couldn’t escape, couldn’t force his way past Vortex.
“Vortex.” He said as neutrally as possible. He thought his fuel pump would stop as Vortex leant closer, battlemask retracting.
And then Vortex kissed him.
“Gotcha.” The Combaticon murmured as Breakdown slumped offline.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Additional Author’s Note: Yeah, I know… It should have been dark and twisted and wonderfully sadistic. But alas, all I could do was fluff… even though I have been told it’s not at all fluffy… the ending still feels fluffy to me *shrug*