So Far Away
by Blossoming Tree Flower
I don't own Transformers, the characters or anything of such. I'm merely expressing my creativity. Enjoy, review, criticize, whatever you feel is necessary, I welcome criticism.
So Far Away
"Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
…cause you know…you know…you know
That I love you… I've loved you along
And I miss you…." A song crooned over the radio station in the Witwicky backyard. It was the Fourth of July and the sun was ready to set.
Six year old Jazzie (Jasmine Samantha) ran around her backyard with a sparkler in hand and squealing with delight as her parents and grandparents watched with amusement.
She watched the little sparks of light as they flickered about, lighting the semi-darkness.
"It's a shame the bots couldn't be here tonight" her dad mused from the porch. Jazzie smiled, he meant the Autobots.
"What were they doing tonight anyway hun?'" her mommy asked resting her head on her husband's shoulder.
"Bee said something about a strange signal from their com links. They think it may have been a new arrival. That'll be the second this month."
"We should've went with them"
"And miss the fireworks?" Jazzie yelled horrified. Her parents laughed.
"We would've been in the way. Besides, it may not be an autobot." Her mom explained, a tone of seriousness emanating from her voice.
"Decepticons…." Jazzie hissed. Although she was only six that word was one she knew was a bad and horrible thing.
"Let's not think about them right now. This is a happy day." Grandma Judy said to break the topic.
Her husband and she finally learned about the Autobots the day Jazzie was born when Ratchet took Mikaela to the hospital. Let's just say that under stress, you often blow your cover. Ratchet couldn't believe him, of all the Autobots, slipped up and talked to Mikaela, with Sam's parents in the back. It had been rather amusing explaining who exactly Ratchet was between contractions.
The song faded from the radio and soon the national anthem began to play.
"Here we go Jazzie!" Sam yelled with a broad smile. To the west, fireworks began to explode in the sky. The colors and shimmers danced in Jazzie's eyes.
She reached up to touch them, shrieking with delight. They were almost within her reach…
BOOM!
A large explosion erupted, sending Jazzie falling to her knees. She heard her parent's and grandparent's screams of terror as Jazzie looked up to see what was so horrifying.
Plain as day, towering above her was a dark mechanical figure...and it didn't have the autobot insignia Jazzie recognized.
Before she could register what was happening, a pair of strong hands grabbed her from behind and began to pull her towards the house.
Her mom picked her up and began to run as a number of explosions took over the neighborhood; they were all targeting the Witwicky home. Jazzie felt her mom's panting breath as she dug deeper into the body of her carrier. But, before they could get to the house, both Jazzie and Mikaela were thrown backwards…no, dragged.
The monster-mech had grabbed them. Jazzie felt herself and her mother being pulled upwards.
"Remember me human-scum" the voice snarled. Jazzie screamed and Mikaela hugged her child harder, covering every inch of her from the decepticon.
"MIKAELA…JASMINE!" she heard her father yelling from what seemed like miles away.
Then, Jazzie felt like she was falling…she was falling. Fear.
Her mind could only register fear. There was no panic, only adrenaline. Jazzie felt a strange tingling sensation surround her body. She could her mom scream in pain from the sparks that were emitting from Jazzie's frame. Yet Mikaela held onto Jazzie harder than ever before; they landed.
Jazzie couldn't breath. In shock of landing so hard onto the ground, she struggled to regain her senses.
Fire
Screams
Smoke
It all stung at Jazzie as she lay there in her mother's arms. She heard their screams of pain and she didn't dare look. Soon it all became silent.
"VENGENCE! MY FALLEN MASTER HAS BEEN AVENGED!"
Without checking to make sure he had finished the job, little Jazzie—her heart barely fluttering—lay unconscious in her dead mother's arms.
"I keep dreaming
You'll be with me
And you'll never go…
Stop breathing
If I don't see you, anymore"
Jazzie woke to pain; so much pain that she couldn't find where it hurt. Everything hurt. There was nothing around her; she just floated in an airless vacuum.
Then she heard it…
"Jazzie…please wake up. Come on Jazzie, stay with me please!"
"Bee?" she croaked. Her airless state was replaced with a solid feeling of being on a bed. The pain doubled.
"Oh Jazzie, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…please open your eyes." His voice was wrenched with panic.
Jazzie, with effort, opened her eye lids and was blinded by light. She immediately closed them.
"The light!" she whispered in shock.
"Ratchet, turn down light." A new voice came, it was Optimus.
"Optimus… is that…"
"Yes Jazzie, I'm here. We all are." His voice sounded distant. She tried to open her eyes again. The light was not as painful this time.
She inclined her head a bit to come face to face with a large group of Autobots all staring at her with concern.
"Thank Primus you're alright Jazzie" Ironhide said.
There was a moment of silence. Jazzie looked at the group assembled before her. In the center were Optimus, Ratchet, Ironhide, Bumblebee and Red Alert. In the corner, WheelJack, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Hound, Mirage, Perceptor, Inferno, Kup, Cliff Jumper, Gears and Blurr all stood. Even JetFire was peeking into the crowded med bay from the hallway.
"What happened?" were the only words she could think of. They weren't the words the Autobots wanted to have her say.
"I'm afraid you were visited by Blackout. The signal was a decoy." Optimus answered with a deep sigh.
"Mom? Dad? Grandma…"
"We couldn't save them" Optimus replied reluctantly.
Jazzie sat there for a moment, taking in everything as much as the six year old could. Her parents were dead. Her grandparents were dead. They couldn't be dead. She was just playing the backyard with them. They were watching fireworks…they were alive.
"No! That's not true…it can't be!" she hugged her tiny knees, trying to suppress sobs with no avail.
She felt someone hugging her. It was Bee's alt-mode. His yellow hair with a black streak down the center tickled her cheek. She cried openly into his shirt.
"Get your afts out of here…all of you" she heard Ratchet hiss at the other Autobots. Shuffling of feet and swishing of doors told her that she and Bee—for the most part—were alone.
"I should've been there Jazzie, I know. We didn't even think this would happen. We assumed you would be safe"
"I am safe…I'm with you." She said her voice cracking.
"It's time for you to rest little missy" Ratchet said approaching the two.
"Can Bee stay with me?" her eyes still glistened with tears.
"So long as you get your rest, I'm not concerned."
Jazzie snuggled into her covers, holding Bee's alt-mode hand tightly. Soon it slackened as she drifted off into sleep. Bee remained in that same position for twelve hours.
For a week Jazzie remained in med bay. Under Ratchet's orders she was not to leave the room save a disaster was to strike that room; it was very boring. Of course she had frequent visitors, especially from Bee, but it wasn't the same as being able to walk on your own. She had to get out. Just laying there replaying their deaths over and over was becoming too painful.
Day eight into her "captivity" Jazzie found the perfect opportunity to escape for a while. Ratchet had to go out for more equipment—Sunstreaker had "accidentally" run over an important pile of data tablets and got the slag beaten out of him by Red Alert.
As SunStreaker laid temporarily offline, Jazzie managed to slip off her berth and crawl out to the hallway as Wheel Jack was coming to administer some fresh energon to the foolish Lamborghini.
Her legs were in pain from lack of use, but Jazzie needed to move and with each stride she grew stronger. Roaming through the corridors looking for Bee, Jazzie could hear Optimus' voice, he sounded frustrated.
"I know this has been a difficult time for you but we need to discuss this. I don't want to wait too long, Jasmine's future needs to be decided."
"I think she should stay here, that's my vote" Jazzie heard Bee's voice reply.
"Live with Autobots, away from her own kind, are you sure that is a good idea Bumblebee?" Perceptor's voice replied.
"What would you do? Put her in a human orphanage?" Ironhide asked with a tone of disgust.
"Of course not, she would remain with her family, the closest living relative" Optimus replied.
"She could live with us, I would have to talk with Sarah of course…" she heard Will reply.
"And what if the 'Cons find out she's still alive?" Red Alert retorted. "Just leave her to their mercy?"
"That is a risk I am…" Optimus started gravely.
"Don't you slaggin' say that Prime!" Bee yelled at the top of his processor "You may not care about her, but I sure as Primus do! I won't leave her out in the open for bait."
"Bumblebee…" Prime began
"Bee…just calm down" Kup reasoned
"Don't talk to me Kup. What is wrong with all of you? Don't you care about Jazzie…her parents? Do you even give a slag?"
"BUMBLEBEE!" Prime's voice vibrated across the halls "Do not think for one nano-click that I don't care about Jazzie's wellbeing. I was trying to say that I would never take such a risk. Jazzie is too important; you remember the "injury" you received from her when we arrived, right Bee?"
"Yeah, but I don't see…"
"That power is too great to be left alone, un-mastered. Jazzie would destroy herself and anyone around her if it got out of control. I guess she has to stay here. For the betterment of herself and the planet."
Jazzie just listened in shock. What power did she have? Why would the decepticreeps want it?
"Jazzie, what are you doing out of bed?" a voice whispered inches from her face.
Jazzie screamed involuntarily as she turned to face Mirage towering over her. Silence came from Prime's office and shuffling feet cascaded towards the door. Six Autobots and one human exited the doorway looking down at the guilty girl.
"Jazzie? What are you doing here?" Bee asked kneeling to her level with worry.
"I was just walking…Hatchet's med bay was starting to get creepy." Jazzie replied in a small voice.
Bee smiled at Ratchet's popular nickname, though Prime frowned. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe would be given a talk later.
"You are extremely lucky that Ratchet isn't back yet. If he found out you weren't in bed…" Prime began but Wheel Jack's voice and thundering footfalls came through the halls.
"PRIME! Prime, Jazzie isn't in the med bay! She's….here?" Wheel Jack looked like he was about to go into stasis lock. "Well…that was a waste of energon. Kid, you haven't been here long and already you're putting my spark on alert."
"Sorry 'Jack." Jazzie whispered looking at her socks.
"Who's sorry?" the dread voice asked as he walked down the hallway towards the group with supplies in hand…
So Jazzie moved in with the Autobots at the abandoned Sector Seven base. A small room was cleared for her (well to the Autobots it was small) but to Jazzie it was larger than her old room and the backyard combined. The backyard. Jazzie still had nightmares about that night and it took Bee, Sideswipe, and Hound to get her back to sleep.
"It's a common thing, the human Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, you have no idea how many Bots had it after their first battle with the 'Cons" Kup said to a disgruntled Sideswipe, who began complaining about not getting a recharge.
For fear of a similar assault, Will Lennox and his family moved into the Autobot base as well. Maggie and Glen soon came to live with them when Jazzie was seven. They all assumed some form of guardianship over Jazzie; Sarah and Will were like parents, Glen as an uncle, and Maggie as an aunt. Of course the Autobots were also the girl's guardians but in a different way.
Perceptor took over Jazzie's education with help from Prime, Ratchet and Wheel Jack (every bot helped the girl in some shape or form). Ironhide, Kup and Sideswipe began to train Jazzie combatively so she would be able to defend herself. Mirage taught her stealth, Kup would rant long about war where she learned tactics. Bluestreak taught her manners and Sideswipe and Sunny helped break those lessons (they were the cool uncles of the group). Bee was her pseudo father and friend and she would rarely leave his optics.
They all became her family and she readily accepted that; the transition from her parent's death to this new life went somewhat smoothly.
Here was the kicker: she never left the base. Yes, she went outside, but she never went further than two miles away (that was a special occasion). This did not bother her at first; however, it became increasingly apparent that if she did not leave soon, she would go crazy…
Author's note- I picked the name Jasmine because I thought Sam and Mikaela would try to honor the fallen Autobot. Plus Jazzie/ Jazz is a sweet name for a girl.
Review! Please…
Chapter 2
Six years later
Jazzie (or Jazz as she now preferred it) ran. Missiles shot around her from every direction. Her accelerated heart-rate pumped pure adrenaline as she dove, jumped and slid around the projectiles. With nothing to defend herself with other than her intuition, strength and agility, Jazz began to panic as she soon felt an energy drop. The missiles kept coming.
Her target lay ahead; a simple silver button that would stop a rocket from ejecting and releasing millions of poisonous gases into earth's atmosphere, thus killing the entire population. She stopped a moment to catch her breath. Two minutes still remained on the clock. Her pause was a mistake; from behind, a single missile shot forward and grazed her arm. She screamed as a painful tingling erupted in her arm. She fell to her knees to re-gather her bearings.
Anger shot through her. This training exercise was getting frustrating. No matter how hard she tried, she would be hit and hit again. The anger consumed her and then something strange happened.
Her arms began to glow a silvery white and had a tingling sensation. From her hands, a spark of electricity shot out and disrupted the flight of several incoming missiles. More still came. With a mind of its own, Jazzie felt this electricity begin to shoot out sporadically, overloading everything it came into contact with. Not again.
"IRONHIDE! Stop the missiles! I cannot control this!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she desperately tried to gain control. The thirteen year old girl finally could no longer handle the pressure. The only way to stop this was to either let the electricity run out her strength (destroying everything in its path) or knock herself out to cut off the power supply. Guess which one she chose.
Gritting her teeth, she ran forward headlong towards one of the walls of the training room as fast as her legs could run. She could hear the power of the training session die and hard footfalls chasing her from behind. More than likely it was Bee.
"This is so gonna hurt" she muttered through clenched teeth.
She made impact. Jazz felt her body slip away. The last thought she had was "I hate doing this…"
White light. That was the first thing she processed. The second thing she processed was a huge lump on her forehead that throbbed and threatened to knock her out again with agonizing pain. She finally heard voices.
"...the second time in the past two weeks Ironhide. Why make her use this power if the only way to stop it is through self-inflicted pain? Are you that much of a glitch-head?" That was Ratchet alright.
"I do not force her to use anything Hatchet!" Jazz smiled "Her own strength and ability is what I expect her to use. This ability comes on its own. I have as much control over when it arises as she does."
"Perhaps this means you should teach her how to use this power more conservatively, not just throw her in the training room and hit the start button!"
"Hey, don't yell, her hearing receptors aren't as strong as yours" That was definitely Bee.
"What exactly are you trying to say Bee?" Jazz asked sitting up.
The three turned to the weakened girl on the med table.
"Jazz, how do you feel?" Bee asked instantly approaching her side.
"I'm alright, just like last week. How does the training room look?" she replied with guilt.
"It's looked better, it would've been worse if you hadn't…." Ironhide began to say when he was interjected by Ratchet.
"If you hadn't slaggin' used all your energy on that fragging ability of yours!" Ratchet finished.
"Hey, language Hatchet! I'm still a minor remember." Jazz replied coolly "And besides, how am I supposed to know how to control this thing. None of you guys can explain it or help me control it. All I know is that whenever the slagging glowing starts, I'm really angry."
"Then you should learn to control your anger." Ratchet said in a slow deadly voice that was about ready to yell profanity. "I don't want to have to keep scooping you off the floor of the training room."
Jazz wanted to reply "Are you gonna join me in those anger management classes" but a new voice arrived.
"That is why I am banning her training sessions until Jasmine can control this power."
Only one voice called her "Jasmine"; Prime stood in the doorway with a group of heads staring around his shoulders to get a glimpse of the scene inside. They had obviously heard about the training room accident and if they didn't, Ratchet and Ironhide's yell-fest could be heard echoing across the halls of the base at Hoover Dam. Prime didn't look angry, but he was very close to losing his "cool" over these petty arguments.
"What?!" exclaimed 'Hide and Jazz.
"If this is such an issue and it threatens her health, I don't want her to practice it until she has control." Prime replied simply.
"That means extra lessons with Perceptor" Jazz muttered in horror.
Perceptor gave a small scoff from the hallway.
"Not that anything is wrong with your lessons…" Jazz replied quickly. Perceptor was a nice bot, but if you got him angry…well, let's not go there.
"It means you and I are going to have control management sessions Jasmine" Prime said sternly "Your recent behavior is unacceptable and when you can learn to control this ability of yours, then we will discuss continuing your training."
Jazz looked at him with a bit of fear. She loved practicing combat moves with 'Hide. It was the best part about living on the base; the only good part about living on the base. Jazz decided to test her luck.
"I would be less bitter if I actually left this place, ever. See other people. I love the Lennoxes, Glen and Maggie, but can't I ever go out to the real world?"
The air stiffened immediately.
Optimus gave her a look that seemed to possess a bit of pity.
"You are perfectly aware that this is not an option." Jazz glared at him
"And why isn't it?" The others looked at her as if she sprouted wings.
"Jazzie, you're tired. I'll take you to your room" Bee said trying to break the tension, extending a hand.
"I'm not tired; I just need to know why. It's not like the decepti-creepers will be waiting for me the second I enter a city. They think I'm dead remember?!"
That struck a chord on everyone.
6 years previous
A gray sky hung over Tranquil Endings Cemetery as a strange congregation hovered around five graves. Four out of place men stood, all in black suits. One with blonde hair with black streaks, holding a young girl's hand, a Grey haired man with spectacles on the bridge of his pointed nose. A burly bouncer-looking man with eagle fierce eyes, and a tall grandfatherly man standing next to him, an expression of deep solemn written across his face.
Further back, a large group of men stood near their vehicles, all different ages and appearances, Secretary Keller, William Lennox and his family, and even several members of the disbanded sector seven stood staring at the five graves.
The first one read:
Here Lies Samuel J. Witwicky
Brave Soldier
Dear Friend and Father
Brother in Arms
The second:
Here Lies Mikaela Banes-Witwicky
Loving Mother and Friend
Strong Comrade
Here Lies Ron S. Witwicky
Loving Father and Husband
Strong and Brave
Here Lies Judy Witwicky
Loving Mother and Wife
Friend and Good Soul
Here Lies Jasmine Samantha Witwicky
Beloved Daughter
May her soul rise above the sky into everlasting Peace
Jazzie stared at her own grave site in confusion. No matter how many times Optimus had explained that this was the only way to protect her, she did not like it. Ironhide moved closer to Prime and whispered "They're here"
Jazzie heard this and began to shake.
"They are here to make sure that Blackout was successful. They wouldn't dare attack. Even decepticons have moral codes embedded in them."
Jazzie sniffled, even though it was still July, today had been a damp day. Bee knelt beside her.
"It's all right…Annabelle. They are at peace" he said this with much difficulty." The real Annabelle was at the base, Jazzie couldn't risk being recognized so she borrowed Annabelle's name for the day.
"I'm not" she said, silent tears streaking down her face. Bee picked her up and headed back to his yellow Camero. Bee's alt form was leaking tears as well. He didn't want to leave his Sam there underground; he didn't want to face the facts. But he had to be strong, for Jazzie. That's what Sam would've wanted.
Eventually the other men returned to their respected vehicles and headed in the same direction: home.
"Barricade, what is your status."
"I'm watching the primitive human burial procession. The Witwickys' have been terminated."
"All of them?"
"Yes Starscream, Blackout was successful. Not even the little fleshling survived. A pity, it would've made a great pet."
"Don't you go soft on the fleshies. They are nothing but scum under our mighty feet."
"Never sir. Returning to base. Soundwave is trailing the Autobots."
"Don't be too long, Thundercracker needs your assistance."
When Jazzie returned to the base, she immediately went into her room and went to bed. Though she didn't sleep; she spent hours staring at the white ceiling, waiting for exhaustion to take over her senses. It never came. According to the government, she was dead, her parents were really dead, same with her grandparents and now the Autobots were her guardians. Would anything be the same again…
"Would you rather be unprotected and at the mercy of the decepticons?" Optimus asked frowning.
"No, of course not, but come on Prime. I've been in this base for six years. Other than the Lennoxes, Maggie, Glen and occasionally Secretary Keller, I've never seen another human in person. I need to stretch my legs."
This made several of the Autobots "giggle" because the base was so large that close to eight hundred Jazz clones could comfortably stretch their legs in the main room alone.
"We shall see" Optimus replied and then left, the Autobots moving aside so their leader could pass through. Then the crowd of metal men dispersed slowly until Ironhide, Bee, and Ratchet were remaining with Jazz.
Jazz frowned and her face turned red. She was ready to explode.
"I watched them die!" she yelled suddenly. The three mechs turned to look at the distraught girl. Shock filled their optics.
"I watched them all be tortured and murdered. I heard their screams! I heard them become silent. I heard that monster laugh with sick glee! I watched my coffin be lowered underground. Empty. I might as well have been in there myself! That is all I am, I am dead to this world!" she began to shudder, sobs wrenching out, her heart rate accelerating…
Bee stood in shock. His spark couldn't handle what such a young woman was saying. His Sam's death still left a deep and hollow feeling in his spark. For most of Jazz's upbringing, Bee had lost some of his own joy and happiness, his attitude became darker.
"Don't you ever say that." Ratchet glowered. "Don't think that for one nano-click. You are our hope, our joy. We still have you. We didn't lose you."
"How can you be so sure?" she said defiantly. The sobs ebbing away, replaced with anger.
"You are here. You are speaking to us. You have a pulse. We can see emotion on your face. What more is there?" Ironhide asked.
"What about a soul? I don't feel like there is one. I just exist…" Jazz climbed off the berth and left the medical bay.
The doors of her room swung open as they always did, revealing a messy/clean room that was cluttered with books, electronic equipment such as a laptop, and cd player. Clothes lay in neat little piles. Her walls were butter yellow with black streaks and dots. They were covered with pictures, posters, and even training tips she received. The most special part of the room was a small "shrine" that consisted of items from her old life. Pictures of her family, special trinkets of theirs were upon a table covered with a silver cloth. Next to which was her desk that held bits of papers, cds, and jewelry. Her jewelry consisted primarily of pieces with the autobot insignia on them. Every year on her birthday and Christmas, Bumblebee presented her with a new piece. Last year she received an ankle bracelet and a ring. Wrought in silver, the symbol for the Autobots was emblazoned upon each.
She kicked off her army boots and fell onto her tie-dye bedspread. She crawled into the covers, fully clothed in her training attire: cargo shorts and a brown t shirt middrift with full body length black under-armor underneath. She rolled up the sleeves of her under armor and nestled under the covers, her brown shoulder length hair tangled under her head. Jazz knew she was right and that the Autobots believed it too. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she was losing a winless battle. They would never let her see the world beyond these walls so long as the decepticons were around.
With these thoughts, she fell into a troubled sleep.
Optimus sat in his chair, as he often did, unsure of what to do. Surely the decepticons would never suspect that Jasmine was still among the living, but if one of them engaged his troops and she were among them, she would be vulnerable. Then again, every human on this planet was vulnerable to the decepticons. But he couldn't hide them as well.
Not all of them hold a secret power; the residue from the all spark, passed down from father to daughter. Anything could happen, and he would never forgive himself if another human had to suffer and die for this cause that they never chose to be involved with.
He wished it were possible to leave this planet. The Ark was left with Ultra Magnus, the last time he was known to be online. It is unclear what happened, but he disappeared. That was a heavy blow to the Autobot forces. Prime had to assume all command. There were no troops able to leave their posts to search for the missing commander. Autobot forces were already stretched and scattered to the point were none could keep open communication.
Such memories were painful for the old mech. There were times when he just wanted to lay down and join his offline wife—Elita 1—in the well of all sparks. But then he saw the determination in his soldiers' faces and knew he had to go on. Jazz was his little ray of hope. All he ever wanted was for her to be safe and happy. So far he had achieved the first part, but he left out the second, unintentionally of course. The desire for human companionship was strong in the young girl's heart. He had assumed that the Lennoxs', Glen, and Maggie would be enough to feed Jasmine's hunger for human communication.
He was mistaken.
She has lived with mech's for over half of her life; all she knows is the life of an autobot, an autobot in war. Although he didn't want to believe it to be possible, the back of his processor always thought that maybe her attitude, anger, and inability to control her spark energy was because of this.
He didn't want to lose her. The loss of Sam and Mikaela has already left a hole in his spark, especially in Bumblebee's. The poor young mech still cannot handle their deaths. He is even more protective of Jasmine than himself at times. The moment the Decepticons find out about Jazz, she will immediately be targeted as the daughter of the murderer of Megatron. If they get their claws on her, there is no saying what will happen.
A knock came at his door.
"Enter" he replied, after a moment of coming out of his thinking stream.
It was Red Alert.
"Sir, I have the data tables you require. The Decepticons have made no attempt to attack. They are unusually silent."
"It would appear so." Optimus replied, taking the stack of data tables, looking them over.