Beta: Starfire201

I had the idea when I read the IDW comic in which Jazz really did kill the human to protect Bumblebee... and I wondered as I could not fault Jazz for his decision - but everyone else seemingly did.


Disagreement

The disappointment in Prime's blue optics would have moved lesser mechs. As it was, the Head of Intelligence and SpecOpcs, Jazz, only stared back coldly, waiting for his verdict.

"You know you have to be punished," said Optimus as he looked up from the detailed report in front of him. Prowl had compiled it and as always, it held everything he needed to know.

"Yeah." Jazz shrugged.

Optimus Prime frowned, his disappointment deepening. "Don't you care at all?"

"Should I?" asked the spy bored.

The indifference made Optimus angry. "You shot a human!"

"Yep, Ah did," confessed Jazz easily and crossed his arms. "It was a reflex, nothing more."

As if that made it better. "You killed him," accused the Prime. "Even though I have forbidden you all from harming any humans."

"Optimus," said Jazz with a familiarity that only few had towards him – and in moments like these, Optimus cursed even those few. "They don't like us. They are attempting to harm us. And soon they will succeed and your order still stands?"

"Yes," was the succinct answer that left no doubt at all. "They're innocents."

"No, they're not," countered the saboteur coolly. "But what's more important, we're not. If they attack, Ah'll always defend myself and my friends."

Optimus' optics narrowed with the spark of true anger. "Not if that means killing them."

For a long, long moment Jazz said nothing, just observed is angered Prime. Then, he said slowly: "Yes, I will. Everyone here will. We're soldiers, that's nothing we can change."

"You can and you will!" ordered Optimus loudly. "Once you didn't think about killing everyone. Once you would've thrown yourself in front of Bee and evaluated the situation, before shooting and killing!"

"Once," agreed Jazz. "When I was a civilian. But I changed."

"Then change again."

Jazz's visor darkened, and as he spoke there was an even match to Prime's ire in his voice: "I – no, we all heeded your call, formatted, changed our programming, ourselves for you and your cause. For your beliefs! We can't forget what we have learned." The whisper of regret touched Jazz's face, and then vanished as if it had never been there.

Optimus gritted his denta, wanting to yell. "No one asked you to forget, I only ask you not to harm any humans."

"And I tell you that if they attack we will. Because fighting is now our core function," Jazz growled, hands turning into fists. "We're bloodied, ruthless soldiers just like the Decepticons now, Optimus. Whether you like it or not!"

He waited for an answer, but Prime's optics just became colder. In that moment, Jazz read a new emotion that shook him to the core – contempt. He wanted to scream, instead he hissed:

"You might look at us as if we're monsters now." His hip touched the desk and then he leaned forward, until he was optic to optic with Prime. "But never forget again that we're your monsters." He searched for something in these suddenly foreign optics that had widened further with every word. "You created us, Prime."

Optimus flinched.

Jazz drew back satisfied.. "Don't abandon us for the humans."

Some might say it was a plea. Some that it was a warning.

Jazz just waited an astrosecond and then relaxed with a smirk as if nothing had happened. "I'll be in the brig if you search for me, OP," he said with a wink, turned and walked out.

Optimus slumped behind his desk and buried his face in his hands.