Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, however I do own Nanno, Neruoblock, Slipstream, and the plot. Any similarities between actual events and or persons are purely coincidence. And no animals or mechs were harmed during the writing of this story. Yes, there will be explicit robotic profanity.
Writer's Notes: Here it is. I hope you all have your tissues ready. Please be kind, Jazz still does play a big roll in this story. But I am not giving any clues. You will all just have to be patient. Getting into Prowl's head for this was like pulling teeth on a lion. The mech just doesn't want to " talk about it." But after making him a promise, that Yes is only to be kept between me, him, and my boyfriend. He cooperated. So enjoy the chapter and Pleas, please, please Review!!
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Small Packages: Nanno's Story
Chapter 9: Fallen Hero
It was quiet around the base when she sneaked out of her berth Ratchet had given the little sparkling fem. Preferring to keep her in the med-bay under close observation till all her repair work was complete. It still puzzled him how difficult at times it was to get her into recharge. Often after a long drawn out struggle, and a few blown audio respecters.
Tonight had been no different, as Ratchet quietly sat on a large mech-sized stool across the large expansive room beside one of the computer terminals. Quietly looking over the resent files on his small charge. Rubbing a hand across his brow ridge in frustration. Three long sections in surgery and he was still no closer to discovering anything remotely helpful. Only to be left to repair the massive burn damage to much of her wiring and other systems.
He marveled that she was still even functioning at the extent of much of the damage, disturbed at the same time. Sparklings often never survived injuries this extensive, not without hours of major extensive emergency reconstructive surgery. Even then it had to be slow. Her systems could not take the stress of the amount of repair work she needed. Often after a particularly long session under the knife. He would leave Mikaela to attend to her, trusting the young human fem could handle things OK. He was training her himself in Cybertronian medicine, the best teacher on Cybertron.
He smiled to himself softly when he had watched the young blossoming woman walk about the med-bay. The sparkling curled up in a thick warm blanket. He chuckled to himself inwardly at how much the scene resembled a new mother taking care of her new infant. And how unbelievably uncomfortable it had made poor Sam for a while.
Shook his head one day when he over heard the boy talking to Bumble Bee." You seen how she is acting around the Sparkling, Bee! " The poor young man pacing the floor in the hall, unaware of the medic overhearing the pair's conversation. " The next thing I know..." He ran his hands threw his hair, whimpered.
Bumble Bee stood nearby beside himself with worry for his agitated charge. Unsure exactly how to handle the situation. If anyone looked at it closely enough, even though the scout was far older then his human charges. Bumble Bee and Sam were pretty close to the same age in developmental years.
" Sam calm down..." The poor scout begged, unsure what else to say." You do not know for sure. She is only helping out Ratchet till the sparkling is healed again. And back to 100. "
Sam wheeled around as if challenging his friend, though the utter look of defeat and horror was written all over him." Bee, you don't understand women do you? "
" No..." This question kinda left the young mech stumped, yet utterly stumped. He thanked Primus the twins were on a recon mission to the Middle East, otherwise this would have been a whole lot worse. And this is pretty much how it went for the rest of the day. Poor Bee left to comfort a disgruntled Sam. Mikaela left baffled as to why her boyfriend had been acting so weird since the sparkling's arrival.
Somewhere in the darkened confines of the med-bay she wandered. Small icy-blue optics curiously scanning over the many tools and instruments she had been so familiar with back in her home in Neruoblock's lab. There was also a hidden twist of pair in her spark at this realization as well.
She had been doing better since her arrival, was starting the trust the other mechs more and more. But the Tactician, Prowl had left her baffled. The mech had been distant, though from listening to the others this was nothing new. But the sheer coolness of his damenor had seemed to of grown, but how? This left her baffled as to why? Though whenever he passed by the med-bay or was talking to Ratchet about reports or whatever. A strange feeling of familiarity would cross her spark, she'd stare at him for the longest time.
This had not gone unnoticed by Prowl himself. Though it bothered him the odd looks she would give him. He would quirk a brow at her as if the small sparkling were about to say something. Before she would suddenly shy away from him again.
It was this same strange pull that drew her to a fair sized room off-set from the main part of the med-bay. A sign above the door reading: Do Not Enter. Only Authorized Personal Beyond This Point. She found it odd that of all the rooms. This was the only room the others seemed to be the most hesitant to enter.
So here she stood as the large double doors swung lazily behind her. She those small optics adjusting to the darkness within the room. This soft glint of light playing off the dormant equipment that sat about the room. Surrounding a large berth that sat in the middle of the room.
None of this really bothered her really, she had seen many gruesome things in her days under Neroublock's care. But this sight of a silver mech laying there motionless on table covered in a large white sheet from it's chest down. This was enough to send shivers threw her servos. She would of ran if it were any other mech, but something pulled her toward the clawed hand that lay limp over the edge of the berth.
Slowly she approached. Nervously reaching a small hand out to touch the still form. Trembled nervously. She leaped up onto the edge of the table beside the mech's still head. Those optics suddenly widening in surprize as she reconized the still form.
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Down the Hall...
The Tactician had buried himself in his work since his arrival on earth. Prefering to keep mostly to himself. Grumbled a bit at the constant requests from the other mechs unsure. Cursed himself for not coming on the mission. Why did he have to stay behind when Jazz needed him here.
He was glad that everyone was too preoccupied for now to notice the black and white mech out and about. Bumble Bee, Sam, Mikaela, Bluestreak, and Cliffjumper were all in the rec room engrossed in the latest collection of movies Sam had brought to the base. From the sounds coming from the large room, it was a pretty bloody horror movie. Wheeljack had locked himself in his lab again, thank Primus that Optimus Prime had thought ahead to be sure that that lab had extra thick blast shielding and extra emergency equipment.
He nodded to Ratchet as he stepped quietly into the lab, knowing the medic would not bug him. Ratchet had grown used to Prowl's often secret visits when the others were not around. So left the tactician alone. Just waved him on as he looked back to his datapad.
Prowl made his way across the massive room toward the marked door. His pace slowly noticeably. Optics shuttered for a moment as he stood outside the large double doors. Jazz had been offline almost a year now. In Prowl's mind it was still hard to believe. He half expected the lively mech to come bursting out those doors with the same showy pizazz he always had. He still remembered those spark chilling words echoing in the back of his processor. . I'm sorry, Prowl. Those had been his leader's words. But it still hurt.
He would of continued in this way if it had not been for a strange noise coming from within the room. The odd sounds muffled beyond the swinging steel doors, but he could still make them out clearly with those sensitive audios of his.
" Not..funny, Jazz. Wake up! " he heard within. His processor did a quick sweep of his memory chip to make the voice, but within an astro-second he quickly drew up a blank. This drew him closer to the door. With a slow careful movement of his hand, drew the swinging doors open just enough to peer inside.
The room was pretty dark inside except for the dim light shining in threw the two small port holes in the two swinging doors, and the sparse medical equipment that lined the room. Jazz's lifeless form still laying there as still as he last remembered him. But it was the small form beside the mech's body that drew his attention. Her soft keening and whimpering pleads for the lifeless mech to wake up.
Prowl felt that raising pit in his tanks. Was forced to close his optics a moment as he turned his head away from a moment. Trying to keep himself in check. Cursing himself for a moment. But it was those soft tears that was tearing at his spark.
It was her soft pleas that had suddenly sparked a memory in the back of his processor, barely noticing Ratchet's call in the background for the little sparkling.
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Flashback...
" You can't be serious Prowl! " Jazz burst out with a bit of indignation as he stared at the Tactician for the longest moment, slammed his fist down on the desk.
" Jazz," Prowl spoke about as calmly as he could as he sat there at his desk of the Autobot stronghold in Iacon City." I know Neruoblock is a friend of your's. But he also turned his back on us. I offered him many times to return to our ranks, even offering protection. He turned each of these offers down."
Jazz growled to himself," You don't understand what is at stack here."
" I'm sorry, Jazz. These are Optimus Prime's orders. You are honor bound as an Autobot and officer to go on this mission. If I have to remind you. " He gave the saboteur a hard look. He loved his spark-mate dearly, but there were times he just could not stand Jazz's stubborn will. This was one of those times.
Jazz just stared at him for the longest moment.
--
Back to the Present...
Prowl would never forget that look to this day as he watched Jazz walk out that door. A soft sigh escaping his exhausts, not even noticing as Ratchet walked up behind him.
" Prowl? "
He didn't even hear his name at first as he walked the keening sparkling. Till he felt a hand on his shoulder. Tensed for a brief moment, till his dark sapphire optics adjusted onto the medic standing behind him.
" Prowl?..." Ratchet giving him a concerned look as Ratchet spoke softly. " You OK? "
The black and white Autobot almost growled then, not again.
Ratchet shook his head softly." Sorry. Have you seen..." He didn't get a chance to finish that sentence before Prowl raised a hand to silence him. Pointed inside the room. Ratchet raised a brow ridge, leaned over the slightly shorter mech to peer inside. He frowned at what he heard inside.
" She is been doing that for nearly a joor. " Prowl spoke softly, not wanting to startle the sparkling.
Ratchet turned to look back to the tactician. " She has not spoken a word in two months now...Why now? "
Prowl gave a deep sigh, looked back toward the room and the keening sparkling. Though he would not admit it out loud. Her cries were tearing at his spark. He could not take it anymore as he moved over, scooping the tiny fem up in his arms.
She struggled only for a moment, before she finally released Jazz's limp form. Curled up into the tactician's chest, cried." Jazz no ...wake up! "
Prowl gently ran those clawed fingures along her spinal column, something he had seen the others do when she was upset. It had always seemed to work. So he would do it too. His gaze never leaving her for the longest moment. Torn what to say for once.
Even Ratchet for the moment seemed at a lose. Bumble Bee had been so easy compared to this. As far as they knew she was totally ignorant to the war, death, and it's many other horrors. But theses actions of hers explained nothing.
" I think I know why..." Prowl spoke softly across the private link to Ratchet.
Ratchet startled for a moment, till he looked up to Prowl in confusion. " How? " he asked out loud. Then made a noise like he was clearly his throat, something he had seen the humans do often, switched to the private link. " how? "
" She knows Jazz somehow. " He spoke quietly over the com-link as he continued to calm the whimpering sparkling. Rocking her gently as he made a soft humming notice. An odd sight to say the lest coming from the nearly hermit-like mech. But this seemed to of escaped the medic's notice, so he was not bothered.
Ratchet barely seemed to take any notice indeed of the scene playing itself out before him. This new tid-bit of information gathering his full attention. " How? Jazz never once mentioned the exsistance of any other sparklings alive. Unless..."
Prowl gave him a hard warning look. Growled as he tensed a little.
Ratchet chuckled a bit, holding up his hands. " Sorry, Prowl. It was just an after thought. I'm not saying that she is. " Leaving behind their private talk over the link.
He relaxed a bit then as he felt the sparkling squirm a little, loosened his grip a bit. Giving her an apologetic croon. " Ratchet, with the war going on and all this chaos. It was the farthest thing from our processors. Even then, without a Fem. It would have been impossible. "
" Like I said Prowl, Sorry. " the Medic smiled to him, chuckled. " You would make a fine father someday. "
Prowl gave him an odd look, till he looked down. Neither mech had noticed how quiet their little charge had become till all was quiet. The slightest ghost of a smile crept across his metallic lips.
Ratchet watched the two for the longest moment. Before he finally stepped forward. Gently taking the sleeping tiny form from his friend's arms. The little bot shuttering in his arms till he had her safely in place. " Recharge time for you, little one." He smiled softly.
Prowl joining him quietly, till the medic was done. Then the two moved off some distance to talk more privately.
--
Ratchet's Office...
The tactician quietly leaned against Ratchet's desk as the pair gazed at each other for the longest moment. Prowl clearing his vocal processor for a moment before he dared to continue on.
" You remember that mission a few vorns back that Jazz was so up in arms about? " He finally spoke. Trying to keep some measure of his calm demeanor.
Ratchet merely nodded in confirmation. So the black and white mech continued on.
" I at first thought he was going to go AWOL on us at first. He was that angry with me over to whole "Project Sunder Mission" He continued. " Would not even speak to me, till the night of the base siege when Megatron tried to capture the Allspark."
Ratchet just stared on in quiet contemplation. Nodded softly as he listened.
" He just nodded to me. Walked out without another word. " Prowl sighed a bit sadly at the memory. " When he came back...that look in his optics. " He looked up at Ratchet for a moment.
The medic just release a small puff of air from his vents, reached a hand over to Prowl's shoulder. " He wouldn't talk to anyone about it, Prowl. " Ratchet joined in the Tactician's sigh. His gaze turning for a moment to the large glass window that gazed out into the dim med-bay, to the sleeping sparkling's recharge berth. " All he told me was there was something important he had to do for a friend. Made me swear on my honor as a medic not to tell you or Prime. "
It was now Prowl's turn to quirk a curious brow at the medic. Tilting his head a bit in curiosity. " Why? "
" He said that if anyone were to find out what he was about to do. You would be the first one to stop him. " Ratchet spoke carefully, sighed. " He said that he made a promise to a friend that if anything were to happen to this friend. That he would take care of whatever it was. "
With that said, both mechs turned toward the office window. " You think? " spoke Prowl softly in wonder.
" There is only one way to find out. I need Prime's consent first to do a processor dive. " Ratchet spoke a bit distantly as he thought this over. It was dangerous to preform such a procedure on one so young. But then again.
" Do it. " Prowl spoke a bit, some of that stern authority.
Ratchet was so familiar with finally returning. Making him smile a bit. With that said contacted Optimus.
