Author's Notes- Hello all. This is the promised fic about Jazz's last moments in TF2007. It contains spoilers for the film and anything recognisable is from there. I may edit it if I think of any more ideas for flashbacks.
Warnings- Major Character Death (though a happy ending I promise), violence, OOC-ness due to grief, mind games and transformer swearing.
Disclaimer- I do not own Transformers or its characters.
Unbetaed.
All mistakes are my own.
Hope you all enjoy it.
Old Friends
Jazz stared up at the Decepticon Lord and tried to clear the dust and debris from his vocaliser. He knew he had a choice and only astroseconds to decide.
To protect his comrades and the little fleshlings who had hurt Bumblebee (though the brave scout seemed to bear them no malice over it) and… get deactivated. Or to stay in the dirt and watch that same fate happen to those he cared about more than his own spark.
There wasn't a choice, not really
He stood and blocked the path of the tyrant, spark churning as the names of his friends, the reasons he was doing this passed across his processor. The sound of the humans fleeing reached the Autobot's audios. It was a shame really, this planet was so interesting and the musical mech knew he would never now have the chance to explore it.
Charging, Jazz hit the Warlord with his full weight and managed a few inconsequential blows before Megatron grabbed his throat in a crushing grip.
The fearsome Decepticon lifted Jazz, cursing and fighting, into the sky
So little Jazz are you still scared of heights? Megatron hissed through a long-forgotten private comm.
…Yes. In Megatron's grip he was. Not that he would ever admit that. Frag off!
Oh yes, yes I can see that you are. Foolish Autobot. You can't hide anything from me.
The tyrant seemed content, despite the rapid sped of time, to fly around leisurely with his captive in his claws. The All-Spark had seemingly been forgotten. As his engines revved in barely concealed panic, Jazz's optics took in his final sights of Earth. If it was the case that Megatron was genuinely distracted from his goal… a smile, despite everything, spread across the Autobot's faceplates.
The others would have the time they needed. Optimus would get here and save the orn.
Jazz's deactivation would have meaning.
Acceptance and peace filled and soothed him, his spark calmed. Everything was going to be alright. Prowl was sure to be waiting for him on the other side to welcome him as well as all of the other friends the First Lieutenant had lost over the millennia.
Staring up at the Decepticon Warlord, Jazz knew that this was one old friend he would never be seeing again once his spark was extinguished. Surely, even Primus wasn't so merciful as to let Megatron into the Well? It would be a travesty, a torture to all the innocents he had hatefully destroyed…
How about a game my little friend? Megatron whispered insanely.
A sparkling Megatron strode proudly down the street, frame gleaming, when a small sound caught his attention. Pausing in the centre of the metal road, he listened carefully, then curiously followed the strange, but pleasant, musical sound. Beginning to hum, the youngster rounded the corner and clapped optics on a tiny mech. He couldn't have been much more than a hatchling.
A sweet melody played quietly, emanating from the little one, who swayed gently with his optics closed. He was white and black and his engines rang gently in time to the music, complimenting it beautifully.
The larger mech stared, servos unconsciously twitching, following the rhythm. Moving his pedes forward he stopped, looming over the younger mech. Abruptly, the music ceased and a pair of shining bright blue optics stared up at him, chittering a greeting.
Cycling his optics, Megatron dropped down beside the grinning mech. 'My designation,' he began, arrogance dripping from his voice, 'is Megatron.'
'Meggy?' The smaller mech giggled.
'No! Megatron.'
'Meggy.' The musical mech stated decisively, laughter still rumbling through his frame and engines.
Snorting, air bursting out of his vents, Megatron chose to ignore his new nickname and asked, 'what do they call you?'
'Jazz.' The smaller's optics glittered and he offered his new friend his servo to hold.
Reluctantly, but oddly happily, the future Decepticon Lord took it and pulled the not yet Autobot to his pedes.
Jazz's small servos clapped together and his engines roared happily as the concert played out before Megatron and himself. The music felt as though it was combining with his energon to run through his frame, and his spark glowed with joy.
One of the singers, a mech called Blaster, stepped out from the rest and launched into a spark-stopping solo. Awestruck, the budding performer watched completely enraptured, mouthing the words so as not to lose a note that came from that wonderful vocaliser.
The older mech watched the show far more solemnly, a possessive arm slipping around the younger mech's shoulders.
'Bet you can't catch me Meggy,' the singer called out, already running.
Megatron chuckled and took off after the younger mech down the purple hill they'd been standing on.
As they reached the bottom, the older mech leaped and tackled Jazz to the ground. 'Caught you,' he murmured into the hysterically giggling mech's audio.
'Put me down Meggy I don't like it, put me down, please Meggy please!' The little musician began to sob, held high in the air by his far stronger friend.
'Oh be quiet Jazz, it's only a game, it's not as if I'm going to drop you.' The other mech snapped.
'Scary Seekers,' Jazz whimpered, 'don't wanna be taken 'way.'
'Wanna is not a word Jazz,' the older said sharply, 'and no one is going to take you away, you're with me. Silly hatchling.'
'I'm not a hatchling,' the little mech shuddered, 'don't like this game Meggy, please.'
'Well I do so we're playing it.' Megatron growled, shifting his smaller friend into one servo.
Frightened, Jazz trembled and fell silent in the older sparkling's grip, optic fluid streaming down his faceplates.
After a while, Megatron lowered the slighter mech to the ground and stared, stricken, at his distraught young friend.
His only friend.
Not giving Jazz the chance to run away, he pulled the little mech into his arms. 'I'm sorry Jazzy,' he whispered, 'we won't play it again I promise. Don't be scared.' Don't leave me.
'M'sorry.' Jazz sounded muffled against the larger mech's chassis, 'please don't hate me.'
'I could never hate you,' Megatron murmured, 'we'll play something better tomorrow.'
'Prowlie,' Jazz giggled, watching his new playmate's door wings flap, fascinated. Reaching out a servo, he caressed one lightly and the other sparkling giggled.
'That tickles,' Prowl self-consciously twisted away, faceplates heating. Jazz chimed out a tune to reassure the shy sparkling.
'Smile Prowlie, please,' he pleaded with an encouraging grin of his own. After a moment, the musician's new friend gave a nervous smile, half-hiding it by keeping his helm bowed, but Jazz's answering beam made the stars look dull. Wrapping his arm around the Praxian's shoulders they wandered off together chattering.
Megatron watched from the trees, glaring jealously at Prowl with his fists tightly clenched, drawing energon as his claws drove into his metallic palms.
'Meggy!' Jazz gasped, staring in horror as his older friend crushed beautiful metallic bugs between the tips of his claws. The insects were made up of deep reds, greens, blues and golds, and sparkled in the Cybertronian sunlight. They were coming out of a small hole in the ground to look for food, working efficiently as a team. 'Meggy, don't do that, please!'
'They're vile insects Jazz,' Megatron spat, 'vermin.'
'You don't know that!' Jazz thought that maybe they had a whole society of their own. That just because something is small doesn't mean it is not sentient or intelligent. That Megatron could be killing a family member or a friend of those little beings.
But he didn't have the words to express his views clearly yet.
'They are not like us Jazzy, look at them.' Megatron picked one up to show his friend, 'how can they possibly be of any use to anyone?' The delicate outer shell cracked and yellow liquid spurted as the older sparkling slowly pushed his claw through the helpless creature in his grasp.
'Meggy…' The older sparkling sprang up, catching Jazz and lifting him far above his helm. 'Meggy no! You promised!'
'New game, Jazzy. You know how long I can hold you like this and I can last even longer than last time. You have a choice. Either I keep you up there forever,' Jazz began to cry, 'or I put you down on top of that nest.' There was something in Megatron's voice that the little musical mech had never heard before; a darkness there that he somehow knew meant the end of their solar cycles' long friendship.
Jazz lasted a long time, even as his spark span erratically in its chamber. Terrified of being so far off the ground but not wanting to harm the little ones beneath him. 'Meggy… please don't hurt them. I just want to go home, please Meggy.' He whispered.
'That's not the game Jazz.' The older mech answered just as quietly. 'Do you want to come down or not?'
Closing his optics tight, trembling with cold and fear at hurting the insects, being off of the ground and the approaching nightfall, the small mech gave a tiny nod. The older mech laid him out on the ground, destroying as many of the little lives as possible.
As Jazz felt the bugs beneath him die, sure that it was his fault, he began to openly sob.
'Jazzy? Jazz?' Not Megatron's voice but Prowl's shouted as the sun began to set. Running up the Praxian froze for half an astrosecond before his logic capacitors put what he was seeing together. Stepping in between the two other sparklings, the normally calm mech's door wings rose in a protective aggressive manner. 'Leave him alone,' he hissed at Megatron.
The older mech glared down at him but Prowl held his ground. Megatron raised his fist and Prowl braced himself but the creators of the two younger sparklings began to call and the oldest mech growled and stormed off.
The logical, but highly compassionate, sparkling turned and scooped his bawling friend into his arms, crooning to him.
'They're coming.' Jazz murmured to Prowl, the new SIC of the Autobot army, as they looked over the soon-to-be latest battlefield in the Cybertronian civil war.
'I know,' the tactician sighed, 'it will be fine.' The Praxian reached over and squeezed Jazz's shoulder armour, digits stroking it reassuringly before he withdrew his servo.
The TIC wasn't so sure, something didn't feel right. It was like they were being watched and from somewhere close by. Barely an astrosecond after the feeling registered in his spark there was the sound of air being displaced and Skywarp appeared above them.
Grabbing Prowl, the teleporter vanished and Jazz cried out in distress. Ignoring Optimus's orders to stay back, he took off running alone across the empty field to the other side where Megatron waited for him.
Go back Jazz! His best friend's voice burst through their private comm. They'll tear you apart, go back!
Jazz paused for the barest of moments before carrying on, he was already over half-way there.
Jazzy! Go back, go back sweetsinger! Again, the spy stopped at the private rarely used nickname.
Can't lose you Prowlie. Jazz whispered.
I'll always be around sweetsinger, I'll be there when you need me. Prowl sounded sad but accepting. Please Jazzy, go back.
Prowlie? What's happening? A burst of speed brought him over the ridge hiding the Decepticons from view and ice wrapped around his spark, his systems coming close to stalling.
Prowl was being held at the tyrant's feet by Soundwave and as soon as Megatron caught sight of his once-friend he rammed his servo through the Praxian's frame and tore out the Autobot's spark. Jazz screamed in grief and dived into the Decepticon ranks, killing all he touched.
'You vicious slaggers!' Jazz roared. 'I'll kill you, you fragger Megatron, I'll tear your helm off!' At that moment the rest of the Autobots caught up with their beloved officer, bursting over the verge like a tsunami.
That orn the Autobots won for the first time on the field of battle using modified versions of Prowl's plans, and to avenge their dear friend's death.
That was many millennia ago and Jazz had taken Prowl's place as SIC shortly after the fight. Now he was the one that was at Megatron's mercy and he felt that he finally understood what must have been going through his best friend's spark as he waited for deactivation in the dust.
It was going to be fine. Prowl had been brave and he would be too.
Do you want to live? The tyrant chuckled cruelly. Look down; do you see those little insects? I will drop you and you will land on the organics, you will survive but they will be crushed. Your choice, their lives or yours. You have until we reach the top of this building or I'll tear you apart.
Jazz just laughed at him through the comm-link, raising his gun to fire at the larger mech.
Foolish, Jazz, very foolish. The Decepticon Warlord breached the top of the structure.
I won't hurt them. Not ever. They're not vermin, they're sentient beings. Jazz affirmed strongly. They have done nothing to deserve you and I will not allow you to harm them, you hateful ignorant slagger!
So be it. Megatron sounded almost saddened, then his voice hardened as he spoke out loud. 'Come here you little cretin.'
'You want a piece of me? You want a piece?' Jazz gave one last defiant act to bow out on, continuing to fire his weapon.
'No I want two!'
A tearing agony burned through Jazz's frame then everything went dark.
Jazz opened his optics to see a familiar silhouette, outlined against a brilliant blue light.
The being's door wings rose happily and an exquisite smile grew on his faceplates.
'Welcome home my sweetsinger.'
Hope you all enjoyed it and thanks for reading. Please review- I'd love to hear what you think.