Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, even the ones who I've brought in as extras came from the Transformers Name Generator that Starstreak 777 put up a post about.
Authors note: This story follows on from where "Safety Shattered" left off but if that's not your thing (and it does get quite involved in places) I won't make you read it. All you really need to know is that to save Prowls life Jazz shot Soundwave in the face and now he wants revenge but that won't come in until much later. Err… what else do I have to say? Oh yeah. I'm going to apologise now for Red Alert and Mirages behaviour. My only excuse is that I needed a couple of mechs to rub Jazz up the wrong way and they seem to be pretty good at it. Jazz and Red have clashed before so I thought I could have more fun with that and Mirage is well… read the story and you'll find out. Hope you enjoy it and reviews are more than welcome. Thank you for putting up with me rambling.
Promises Made
Chapter 1
"Glitch infested, metala-rat nosed, exhaust vocalisered…" Jazz' tirade continued as he stormed through his quarters and into his wash rack, pausing only to kick a panel of the desk that Prowl suspected he only kept in his room for that purpose.
Prowl who had been sat on the recharge berth waiting for his bond-mate and reading a report wasn't sure if he should even ask what was wrong. The fact that Jazz hadn't even noticed him could only be explained by the levels of shear frustration and rage that he didn't need their bond to feel.
With a shrug he decided that he may as well get it over with and followed him.
He could barely make out Jazz' outline through the stream but he figured that his lovers scanners would pick him up once he had stopped cursing the mech who had riled him to levels that Prowl had never thought possible and lent against the wall to wait. He chuckled silently to himself as the insults became more convoluted and obscure but "Turbo tick processored spawn of a waste disposal drone and a faulty security siren." Proved too much for him and at the sound of his laughter Jazz spun to face him.
"What have you done to Red Alert now?" Prowl asked dryly.
"I should have dismantled him and sent his parts off to all of the great cities including the Decepticon ones so that at least some of his alarms would be right." Jazz growled. "I still might hand him over to Ratchet and 'Jack to see if they can unscramble his paranoia circuits or at least shut down his vocaliser for a while. I'm sure they'd be happy to help."
"I'm sure they would." Prowl nodded. "But you haven't answered my question."
"Twelve new recruits arrived last cycle. All of them able and brought in by Prime himself but not one of them has been cleared for duty yet because he's confined them all to barracks. Two of them are Special Ops and I should have spent most of my duty cycle assessing them but instead I spent all of it going thorough their records with him to try and prove that they are not Decepticon spies." Jazz ranted. "And do you know what he's said to me when I'd finished? I'm not completely convinced about your allegiances yet so why should I trust anything you say."
"What?" Prowl exclaimed with all traces of his mirth disappearing in a spark-pulse.
"I haven't gotten to the best part yet. He reminded me that he has had to discipline me three times for listening to the hub since he arrived, that the only loyalty he has seen me display is to you and he's not quite sure what I do around here apart from you."
"I'm afraid to ask if he's still functional." Prowl said quietly. "I think if I'd been up there I'd be helping you pack boxes by now."
"If Ironhide hadn't held me back I can't say what would have happened but he did so he's fine or at least as fine as he's ever been." Jazz seemed to run out of words to express his anger at this point and slammed his fist into the wall instead.
"But you're not." Prowl stated calmly as he took his lover into his arms in the hope that the contact between them would sooth him.
"No. I'm not." Jazz admitted. "I've made an appointment to see Prime once he comes back on duty. I nearly went straight down to his quarters but Ironhide made me promise that I'd try to calm down first."
"As his direct superior I should be there too if you want to make a formal complaint against him." Prowl pointed out.
Jazz shook his head firmly. "I've put up with his accusations for a quarter of a vorn, brushed off the sly comments and ignored the rumours that are going around because of his remarks but no more. I've given Prime eight vorns of service, done things in his name that would fry most mechs processors and for what? To have some jumped up Decepticon detector call me out for doing my job and telling other mechs that I'm not to be trusted. I know that I'm Special Ops and that a degree of doubt goes with the post but this is more than I can take. I'm going to see Prime to resign my post."
"Jazz no. Don't say that. You're angry, you're not thinking, you're just…"
"Reacting?" Jazz finished for him. "No I'm not. I've thought this through and Red Alert and I just can't work on the same base. Prime can replace me easily enough and Inferno can take over my duties for a while if needs be."
"If Prime wanted Inferno to do your job don't you think he would have given it to him? You were the mech he wanted, doesn't that tell you something? D'you think he would have given you the job if you weren't the best?"
"Inferno was my instructor and my first unit commander, I learnt everything I know from him, Prime promoted me because I helped save his life and for no better reason." Jazz snarled struggling out of Prowls embrace and turning away.
"And what about Blue and I? Are you gonna quit on us too?" Prowl demanded.
At those words Jazz slumped against the wall and covered his faceplate with his hands. "Blue hasn't needed me for vorns and we can work something out. It won't be like last time, you'll know where I am, we can talk on the comm every cycle if that's what you want, take leave at the same times…"
The distress in Jazz' voice was enough to make Prowl regret asking him the questions but it was his stance that nearly broke his spark. Jazz' confidence and easy grace were two of the things Prowl admired most in his lover but in that moment they were both gone. "Jazz." He said softly as he took a step closer to him. "My Jazz." He whispered as he reached out and coaxed his bond-mate into turning just enough so that he could see his face. "It wouldn't be enough and you know it. The time we spent apart was torture for both of us and I don't want us to have to go through that again. If you're leaving so am I."
"But your life is here." Jazz protested weakly.
"So is yours." Prowl assured him. "And I'm not just talking about me. Iacon is your home. Your friends are here and they love and trust you more than you know. Every one of them has your back and nothing is going to change that."
"I just…" Jazz whimpered.
"I know my Jazz." Prowl interrupted. "But we'll see it through."
"How?"
"First I'm going to talk to Red Alert and Prime, Second you are going to stay well away from him and third I think it's about time everyone knows what we mean to each other. Half of them suspect it anyway, all of them know us well enough now to trust us, they know that I don't give you any favour and it'll be one less thing he can use against you."
"And the rest?" Jazz prompted.
"Is something for your friends to take care of, you need to stay out of this as much as possible, keep calm and stay focused."
"For how long?"
"Five cycles." Prowl said firmly. "If things haven't turned around by then we'll both leave but don't mention this to anyone until we know for sure."
"Prowl I can't ask you to do this."
"You don't have to." Prowl smiled fondly. "You are my happiness Jazz and if you're not happy here neither am I but it's not going to come to that."
Jazz nodded slowly. "Five cycles." He agreed. "And when we're sure that we're staying we let them know about us."
"Deal." Prowl promised.
"Thank you." Jazz whispered and just his tone was all Prowl needed to know that Jazz was emotionally spent. Prowl took his hand and led him to the berth.
"I love you my Jazz." He whispered as they made themselves comfortable.
"Love you too." Jazz murmured already half in recharge.
Prowl lay watching him for a few breems. Not long after Jazz had returned to him they had made fresh promises to each other. One of them was that they would keep each other fighting and whole. It wasn't an easy promise to keep though sometimes they had to resort to underhanded tactics. Jazz had on occasion been forced to make him angry enough to carry on and for his part Prowl usually had to find a way to make Jazz stop and think.
"I'm sorry I had to do that to you." He whispered softly as he traced the line of his lovers jaw with a feather light touch that wouldn't disturb him. The apology went unheard but he felt better for doing it and soon enough he let himself recharge.
As soon as Jazz started to bring his systems back on-line he realised that he was alone, it was still early and he knew that Prowl wasn't on duty because he could feel their bond bright and clear in his spark but he wasn't in the room with him either.
"Where are you?" He asked as he forced himself off the bunk.
"On my way back to you. I've been to see Prime and Red, Prime has given Red a formal warning over his conduct and I've managed to convince him to let you have your new recruits so that you can get their assessments done. They've got to back to their barrack once you're done with them but it's a start." Prowl answered and a moment later he walked through the door. "How do you feel?"
"Like I made a fool of myself last night." Jazz smiled.
"You were right to be angry." Prowl reassured him as he handed him a ration of energon. "Primus knows I would have been too if it were me but let's not worry about that anymore. Okay?"
"Yes sir." Jazz grinned. "What would I do without you?"
"I don't know but I doubt it would be legal." Prowl grinned back at him. "Now drink up, get out there and show everyone who the better mech is."
"Are you ordering me out of my own quarters." Jazz asked playfully.
"Sounds like it doesn't it?" Prowl chuckled before he added in a more serious tone. "Let's keep the bond open for this cycle just in case."
Jazz nodded, drank his ration and stood up. As he headed for the door he leant in close to but not quite touching his lover. "I'll look forward to getting off shift." He grinned before he walked out with all the grace he could manage and all of it was for Prowls benefit.
He and Prowl had made a lot of promises to each other over the vorns but one of the more resent ones was that if one of them ordered the other about then the roles would be reversed when their duties permitted.
The common room was pretty busy at that point of the cycle and both the mechs he was looking for were there. Bluestreak was already moving toward the table where Sideswipe was sitting. Jazz smiled to himself as he watched them, as he knew that it would be easier to get the favour he wanted if they were together.
"Hey Sides." Bluestreak greeted the red twin. "Where'd you get to last night?"
Sideswipe grinned at him. "I figured that you and Sunny would like some alone time so I found somewhere else to be."
Bluestreak was about to ask another question when Jazz stepped up. "Neither of you two are busy right?" He asked after greeting them warmly.
"No. Why?" Sideswipe asked suspiciously.
"I'm gonna be running a few new recruits through some assessments soon and was looking for a couple of volunteers to help out."
"But Jazz…" Sideswipe whined.
"I'll help." Bluestreak cut in agreeably. "What do we have to do?"
"We?"
"I need to gauge their recon abilities and need some bad mechs."
"But…" Sideswipe protested.
"See you both down on the training level in say twenty breems?"
Sideswipe gave up and nodded just as a distant rumble shook the floor.
"Sounds like Wheeljack's havin' some fun." Jazz observed with a grin but his amusement disappeared when he looked at Sideswipe. Bluestreak followed his gaze and realised that Sideswipe was looking stricken.
"What is it?" He demanded already having some idea as to what could be wrong.
"Sunny." Sideswipe managed to get out.
Bluestreak looked panicked. "Take me to him."
"He wouldn't thank me for that Blue. He's in a lot of pain and he wouldn't want you to see…"
"Slag that." Bluestreak snapped. "I'm not made of glass Sides and I don't care what your overly protective brother wants. If he's hurt then I need to know how badly and what happened."
"Hub reports are sayin' that there was an explosion in the weapons locker three levels down, Ratchet and Inferno are already on their way, Sunny's on the comms and cursing so he can't be that bad." Jazz told him before he looked back to Sideswipe. "He can come to me if he wants someone to scream at later." He reassured him. "I need to get down there and take a look. I want your words that you'll both stay out of the med-bay until Ratchet gives you the all clear."
"But Jazz…" Bluestreak protested.
"Let the mech work." Jazz said softly.
It didn't take Jazz long to get down to the locker, thick smoke still hung in the air and twisted pieces of metal were everywhere. Sunstreaker lay close by with Ratchet bent over him.
"How are you?" He asked the yellow mech.
"I've just been blown up Jazz how the slag do you think I am?" Sunstreaker snapped.
"He'll be fine." Ratchet reassured him.
"Good." Jazz nodded. "Do me a favour and contact Blue and Sides as soon as you can. They're both worried about him."
"Will do."
"Hey Jazz." Inferno called from inside the room. "Come here and take at look at this."
Stepping carefully Jazz made his way toward the voice. "What a mess." He observed as he looked around. Then he picked something up on his scanner and bent to find the remains of a small devise that had no business being there.
"What d'you think?" Inferno asked him.
"That this wasn't an accident." Jazz growled. "This could have been fitted inside one of the guns." He held up the pieces. "I'd need Wheeljack to confirm it but it doesn't look like anything we use."
"Decepticons." Inferno snarled.
"Certainly." Jazz confirmed.
"There's no way one of them could get this far into the base." Prowl pointed out as he appeared at the doorway.
"I'm telling you that one of them could have. There's a chance that this was done on the battlefield but it's been four cycles since we saw any real action so I would have thought this would have happened sooner if it had been." Jazz explained.
"But everyone in the base has been here for vorns…" Inferno put in.
"Except for the twelve new recruits that came in two cycles ago." Prowl corrected.
"Prowl no. I've spent some time with them and I can't believe that any one of them would do something like this." Jazz told him.
"Jazz just for once can you look at something logically." Prowl barked. "They are the unknown quantity in this there for they are where we start looking."
Jazz folded his arms stubbornly and refused to look at Prowl. "You haven't even met them." He said in a deliberately calm tone.
"So take me to them, I'll tell them exactly what I need from them and we can start trying to find out who did this."
"And if I won't."
"Then I'll go alone."
With a frustrated blast of his vents Jazz stalked out of the room, leaving Prowl to follow him.
"What's got his diodes knotted?" Inferno asked once he was sure Jazz was gone.
Prowl shrugged. "I'll find out though." It didn't take him long to catch up to Jazz. "What's wrong?" He asked softly. "Is it what I said about thinking logically?"
"Partly." Jazz responded curtly. "The rest of it is that not six cycles ago you promised me that we were safe here."
"I couldn't have seen this coming." Prowl said soothingly. "But we'll work it out."
Jazz stopped dead and looked at his lover. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "I know I'm acting like an spoilt sparkling but I…"
Prowl glanced around to make sure that they were alone before he interrupted him "Hush now." He said softly as he wrapped his arms around him. "Try to remember that this is an attack on an Autobot stronghold, not on you and that I'm right here. I'll keep you safe my Jazz."
"Thank you." Jazz said gratefully.
A few breems later the pair marched in to the dormitory that the newest members of their team were using until Red Alert deemed them trustworthy enough for duty. "Okay mechs on your feet." Jazz ordered and Prowl was pleased to notice that all the worry that had been in his tone only a short time before was gone.
The recruits formed a line immediately, each one standing stiffly to attention and looking straight ahead.
"This is your second in command." Jazz continued. "Designation Prowl. At your name you will take one pace forward." He instructed. "Traction is the veteran of the group, he's been running resistance cells in both Antihex and Vos for the last twenty vorns."
"Good to have you with us Traction." Prowl said politely.
"Bumblebee." A yellow mini-bot hurried to obey Jazz instantly. "This is our newest scout. Don't let his size fool you, he's proved himself in battle and is capable of taking down mechs a lot bigger than he is."
Prowl nodded and Bumblebee rejoined the rank.
"Saberburner, Wildstrike and Metalburst are all fresh out of warrior training but they were all top in their field and Wildstrike here has even been challenging Bluestreaks record as a sharp shooter but he hasn't beaten him yet."
"Well done." Prowl congratulated the young mech.
"Blaster. Communications specialist but he didn't come alone; his assistants are the twins Eject and Rewind. He also has Steeljaw an expert tracker and Ramhorn to watch his back."
"Hopefully these twins won't be as much trouble as the other pair." Prowl muttered over their bond and he felt his amusement reflected in Jazz' emotions but it didn't affect his voice when he spoke again.
"Nitrostrike and Mirage are both Covert Ops agents specialising in information gathering and Mirage here has the advantage of being able to make himself invisible to optics and most scanners. There are only a handful of Decepticons capable of detecting him."
"Thank you Jazz." Prowl said formally before he addressed the rank. "A short time ago an act of sabotage resulted in an explosion in one of our arms stores." He informed them. "I want written reports from each of you detailing everything since your arrival at the base, who you have been with, what you have done and when. Nothing is to be omitted. Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes Sir." The unit barked as one.
"Good. As you were." Prowl ordered and he walked out.
"Does he really think that one of us did it?" Bumblebee asked Jazz before he left too.
Jazz looked down at the small mech and relaxed his posture. "There are three things you need to know about Prowl." He told him. "He's logical, he's fair and he's determined. This attack didn't just destroy a load of our munitions supplies. It injured one of our best warriors, a mech that Prowl and myself have considered a friend for a very long time and we need to do everything to we can find out who did it."
"Jazz we can understand that but is this really…" Mirage put in.
"Mirage please don't even try to talk your way out of this." Jazz snapped. "It's just a report. I'm gonna be spending most of my time trying to work this out and I am the only mech here that can assess you so I know that you don't have anything better to do so stop moaning and get to it."
"Yes Sir." The blue and white mech saluted and stalked to a chair.
Jazz spent the rest of his duty-cycle as he had expected to, he checked in with Wheeljack to make sure that he was right, went through all the security footage looking for anything suspicious, which seemed to take an age and proved fruitless and reported everything he could to Optimus Prime then headed down to the med-bay to see how Sunstreaker was doing. At last all his jobs were done and there was only one place he wanted to be.
"How are the reports going?" He asked as he entered Prowls quarters.
"I'm never asking Bumblebee to write anything down ever again." Prowl answered with a slight growl. "He skips about all over the place and while I should be correlating his statement with the others all I want to do is correct his grammar."
Jazz suppressed a smile and moved to his lovers side.
"I've got one more to do then I'm all yours." Prowl informed him.
"Now that's what I've been waiting to hear." Jazz grinned as he trailed a hand lazily across Prowls shoulder and watched him shiver.
"How's Sunny?" Prowl asked as he started to study the last datapad.
"Bored. He tore up must of the cables in his back and can't move from the waist down so his entertainment options are limited, Ratchet threw a wrench at Sideswipe earlier so he's staying away and Blue's fussing over him too much which I think he actually likes but he'd never admit that to me."
"Poor Ratchet." Prowl muttered.
"I think he was about ready to off-line the pair of them but he's in the common room now so they're safe until his next duty shift at least."
Prowl slapped the datapad down hard on the desk and looked up at Jazz. "I'm gonna have to interview Mirage." He growled. "There are holes in this thing that Optimus could fit through."
"Prowl Mirage was created in Crystal City, I met him when I went there, he didn't want to get involved in the war then but I'm guessing that what happened there a vorn or so later changed his mind."
"He's got the skills, the report is slag and with his ability I need to know more. That's all I'm saying." Prowl justified himself. He rose from his desk and led Jazz to the berth. "What a cycle." He murmured as they lay down together.
"Relax love. Forget about it all for now." Jazz advised as he ran his fingers down Prowls chest plate.
"You're right my Jazz."
Early next cycle Mirage joined them in Prowls office. His stance was ridged as Prowl questioned him. Jazz spoke only when he felt that Prowl was being too harsh and eventually Prowl was satisfied and dismissed him.
Jazz left the room not long after intending to grab his energon ration before he visited Sunstreaker. The common room was quiet at that time and Jazz thought he was alone until his scanners picked up something. "There's no point hiding Mirage. It won't help." He said turning in the direction of the anomaly.
"If it had been anyone but you it would have." Mirage retorted. "Prowls interview has drawn attention to me and rumours are already spreading. No one really trusts a spy."
"Give them a chance and enough time and they will." Jazz contradicted him. "They trust me."
"And how many of them know all that you have done? Does Prime? Does Prowl? The two of you seem close but does he know what you're capable of?"
"Prime knows enough."
"And Prowl?"
"More than. He knows the very worst of me."
"I doubt he understands though. Not like I could. We could make quiet a pair you and I." Mirage whispered as invisible hands brushed Jazz' chest plate.
"Mirage stop this." Jazz ordered.
"You can be so commanding when you want to be. I admire that." The light touch pushed harder.
"I want to help you but I won't be able to if you continue." Jazz warned.
"I don't need your help Jazz. I've done nothing wrong." Mirage informed him before he lowered his voice to a whisper and asked. "Can I help it if I find you interesting?"
Before Jazz could respond he found himself pinned to the nearest wall and only then did Mirage show himself.
"I don't want to hurt you Mirage but I will if you don't stop this." He hissed and his tone conveyed that this Mirages last chance.
"Get off him now!" Prowl yelled as he dashed into the room and lunged for Mirage but the spy disappeared before he was caught. "Sparkling of a glitch." Prowl cursed. "Where is he?"
"Hold still, shut up and I'll show you." Jazz shot back. Prowl halted and a moment later Jazz' hand snapped out. Mirage became visible again to reveal that Jazz had him tightly by the throat.
"Security team to the common room." Prowl barked down the comm.
"I've done nothing…" Mirage began to protest.
"I don't consider assault on one of my officers nothing." Prowl snapped.
"Prowl I don't want this." Jazz said quietly.
"It's out of your hands Jazz." Prowl told him. "And into mine." He added with a menacing look to Mirage.