Title: Here Be Predacons
Prompts: if you want to live - run
Summary: Jazz is making all this up right?
"I don't get it," Hot Rod grumbled as he dropped down at the table next to Jazz.
"Get what, mech?" Jazz asked as he slightly lowered the volume on his music a bit to listen to the younger mech.
"Yesterday Grimlock and the Dinobots were challenging Optimus and pulling attitude on everyone. Even Wheeljack was commenting about their behavior and he's been their biggest fan so far. Today they haven't caused a problem for anyone. What gives?"
"That's simple. Prowl came back from Houston today," Jazz answered with a shrug.
"How does Prowl being back make the Dinobots behave?" Hot Rod looked at Jazz in confusion. "I was told Grimlock only respected power?"
"He does," Jazz said, waiting to see how long Hot Rod would wait before taking the bait. "The Dinobots know Praxians are among the scariest mechs in the Autobot army."
"Explain," Hot Rod grunted as he leaned towards Jazz in tentative disbelief. He couldn't figure out why the saboteur would lie to him like this. After all, he wasn't a Decepticon that needed to be bluffed.
"Praxians are different from the rest of us. You've noticed Prowl advocates a lot more aggressive plans than Optimus," Jazz waited for a confirming nod he knew would come at such an obvious statement. After all, even back on Cybertron Optimus was known to be a bit of a soft spark. "Did you know the other two survivors we've got can be just as ruthless?"
"No way," Hot Rod disagreed immediately. He'd already met all three Praxians here in the Ark.
Jazz just shook his head at the denial, "Bluestreak might act all sweet and friendly here on the base around other Autobots, but the mech is a created sniper in every sense of the word. Even the 'Cons underestimate how ruthless he can be. He's got some nasty flashbacks about the destruction of his home, but he never loses any recharge over the mechs he's shot. I've got that directly from the twins, and they should know. Do you really think they'd hang out with someone that different from them?"
"Maybe they like being around someone who's not a frontline fighter," Hot Rod muttered unconvincingly. It really was an odd trio now that he thought about it.
Jazz took a drink and continued as if Hot Rod hadn't spoken, "Then there's Smokescreen. He's everybot's drinking buddy who just so happens to know every con and cheat you could possibly think of an a few you are too decent to even imagine. He can get inside your processor and make you happy to give him everything you've got."
"Springer and Arcee warned me about playing games or taking bets if he's involved," Hot Rod agreed slowly.
"Prowl's displays his power and nature more openly than the other two. He draws attention so they can slip through the ranks and be wherever he needs them to be to do whatever's necessary," Jazz shifted a bit and watched Hot Rod's optics closely. "You won't find any proof, but there are some who think Ratchet and Wheeljack created the Dinobot's base coding from Prowl's suggestions."
"That doesn't make sense. They're too stupid and aggressive to be useful," Hot Rod denied instantly before glancing around to see if Ratchet or Wheeljack was in the room.
"The Dino's aren't as stupid as you think," Jazz said immediately. "Remember they might be big and powerful, but they're still sparklings. Grimlock and Swoop play a lot dumber than they actually are, and the other three have already developed a base cunning most overlook. They've been taught that being underestimated means they can get away with things."
"Who did that?" Hot Rod asked. "and why?"
"Smokescreen," Jazz said, looking at him like he was clueless. "Prowl's the one that told him to do it. Thanks to Wheeljack and Ratchet Prowl got a set of highly aggressive warriors that are willing to do what he says because he tells them to do things they want to do. Nobody complains that he doesn't give them monitor duty because no one wants to see what a bored Dinobot is going to do on it. If he tells them to go over to the big rock and wait they know that means there's going to be something nasty over there for them to smash. Grimlock is the Dinobot's leader, but Prowl is the one he listens to."
"Prowl's not aggressive though," Hot Rod said with a bit of uncertainty.
"Mech, all Praxian's are aggressive, some were just better at hiding it than others. When I lived in Polyhex, the gangs there used to avoid Praxus like it was the epicenter of cosmic rust. They said that mechs that tried to move in on Praxus never made it back out. Megatron didn't send ground troops in to destroy the city because he knew they wouldn't survive," Jazz leaned a bit closer to him. "Humans use to mark their maps saying 'Here be Dragons' to warn about unknown dangers. Some of the Autobots have started joking about 'Here be Dinobot' signs to warn others not to trespass. Praxians could have put up 'Here be Predacons' to do the same thing."
"You're pulling my tires," Hot Rod scoffed.
"Best piece of advice I ever got was that if you look over and a Praxian's optics are glowing that means the Predacon inside is coming out to play. If you want to live, run." Jazz grinned as Prowl entered the Rec Room and started towards the table. An annoyed look was clearly visible on his face and in his amber optics.
Hot Rod rose from his seat and moved out of the way as Jazz motioned for the tactician to come join them. He wasn't certain how much was true, but he didn't really want to find out.