YAY! FINALS ARE OVER! I'm going to finish the story, you know I'll do it!
:D
~Zex
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Chapter 10- Hope or Pain?
Bumblebee found himself floating in darkness before the harsh reality of what had happened came back to him. His whole body throbbed from multiple impacts the white mech had inflicted on him. As he came to, awareness of his wounds befell him with no words in any language to describe the excruciating pain.
Siren. He was unable to protect her, so had that mech taken her? Angel, he had introduced himself as that. The yellow mech's blue optics came to life with static at first. The static cleared, leaving Bumblebee's optics to focus in the nill light of wherever he currently lay. His surroundings were not that of the warehouse, or the base, and the space was so compact Bumblebee could not move freely. The yellow mech ground his jaw from the hurt he felt as his joints grew stiff.
"Hang on, kid, we're almost there!" Ratchet called out as his charge in the hatch of his alt mode awakened.
Next to the medic, the forward optic sensors of Bulkhead had been drawn to the glowing mass in the sky. "Hey, docbot, check out the lightshow!"
Ratchet growled, just barely able to keep his patience with the curious mech. "We don't have time! Bumblebee's critical, and I need help getting him fixed up!" The medic shouted, pulling away without stopping meter by meter.
Siren sat in the rec room, a hot cup of energon clutched tightly in her hands. She had made up her mind before she arrived at the base with the others. She had to leave the Autobots before something else happened to them. Jazz had helped Siren escape her place on Cybertron to pursue what mattered to her, but now Ultra Magnus held the lieutenant prisoner possibly on charges of treason. Siren suspected that by the time the night was over, the once proud lieutenant who she knew would extinguish his own spark for her, would end up clearing oil drain pipes for the rest of his lifecycle.
"No." Siren murmured, her head hanging forward. She saw her reflection, and nodded. If she went back now, she might have a chance to clear Jazz's name, but what about Springer? She paused, and took a deep breath. There were also Wheeljack, Bumblebee, and Optimus Prime's team to consider.
Bumblebee was an accessory, she could hear the arraignment now. Ultra Magnus would have his memory core erased, this time for certain, and permanently. Springer, a civilian, Siren thought, the Elite Guard had brought him into this, they would not punish him for the trouble Siren had caused. Wheeljack, Siren mused, Wheeljack is too valuable to get rid of. She sighed. But the council would think of something.
A moment passed in the rec room. The television hummed softly with the news report of Angel in the sky, though the Earth reporter just called it "The sun at night?"
Siren sighed. It's hopeless. She set the cup of energon on the table in front of her. Am I really so powerless? After everything they went through to find me, to keep me a secret, is there nothing I can do?
A hand touched Siren's back. "Siren."
The black femme jumped, and looked up. "Springer. You startled me."
Springer sat down next to Siren on the makeshift couch. He could see the anguish in her yellow optics. He didn't need to ask if she was alright. The femme was visibly torn up inside. He could see she was starting to understand what her desire for freedom had started.
"Why?" Siren whispered, turning her head to look at the green mech. "Why was I so selfish? How could I bring all this down onto those who I would call friend?"
Springer had no answers for her. He was as distraught by the Elite Guard's reaction to Siren's would-be escape from Cybertron Central.
"I don't know." It was something, not much, but all he could say, and it spoke volumes of truth. Who did know? Who wanted to know? What would happen to all of them in the end? Would they live to know about it, or know to live with it? Would the Cybertron council let all involved be, or would they take the cowardly short route out of the situation, and away from questions, and erase they memories entirely?
"A fools tactic." Springer muttered to his own thoughts.
"It was all I could do," Siren spat, her anger mis-directed at Springer. "I could see the changes happening. They were the fools for not trying to eviscerate him from my memories as they thought they had eviscerated me from his. If I didn't know him, I would never have come here. I would never have..." Her words trailed off into disquieting sobs.
Springer started. "No, Siren, not you. I meant the council uses a fool's tactic; their solution to everything is to make you forget." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, and his optics dimmed as he sighed. "In the few short hours I've been on this planet, that little human girl showed me a movie called "Alice in Wonderland". About a girl who goes to an imaginary world where everything is exactly how she wants it to be, but she finds out it isn't what she wants at all."
Siren could only stare at the mech. He made more sense now then he ever had in the few hundred stellar cycles she had known him. "You mean," she started, not sure how to articulate her thoughts. "I came here, wanting to see Bumblebee. It was nice for a while, but...caused things...that I didn't want?"
Springer laughed. "Sure, kid, sounds about right anyway. My point is, even though you got more than you expected, you'll get out of it, and I'm sure out of any of us, you'll remember this day, so remember for everyone who won't."
Siren nodded. "But I still have to do something. Jazz is being incarcerated. Primicon knows Bumblebee's location, and to top it all off, you're here, with Wheeljack, at Optimus Prime's headquarters. Wheeeljack, for Primus's sake! He's an Elite Guard scientist, my creator, and he-!"
"He wants to protect you as much as I or Bumblebee." Springer covered Siren's mouth. "For once in your lifecycle, Siren," The green mech leveled his gaze with her. "Stop trying to absorb every other bot's emotions, and intentions. You can't."
Siren gasped.
"You're strong enough on your own, you don't need the support of everyone else's spark!" He exclaimed.
Siren was about to answer, but the sound of screeching tires, and angry shouts from a familiar gruff voice drew Siren and Springer into the hall.
"Look out!" Bulkhead gasped, but Springer pulled Siren back into the rec room before they both got run over by the hurried medic.
"Are you guys okay?" Bulkhead paused next to the pair coming out of the rec room.
"Y-yeah. Was that Ratchet?" Springer asked, staring down the corridor.
"The doc's really bookin' 'cause we found Bumblebee." Bulkhead panted then ran down the hall after the trail of black tire tracks.
"Bumblebee." Siren ran after Bulkhead.
"Siren! Optimus told you to stay here! Siren! Frag it." Springer ran after Siren, and almost tripped over a small human girl in the hallway. "AAA!" Springer tried to avoid her, but tripped on his own feet, and fell sideways in the hall.
"EEEE!" Sari dashed to one side of the hall, and pressed herself against the wall for fear that the robot would fall on her.
Both were relatively unscathed, and relieved not to be damaged.
"Watch where you're going!" Sari kicked Springer's leg, stuck out her tongue then ran down the hall, shouting for Bulkhead to wait for her.
Springer blinked blue optics as the little girl trotted away. "What in Primus was that thing?" He asked the empty hallway.
Optimus stood in the main room of the abandoned factory, looking at adapted screens, and readouts from an uploaded Teletraan-1. Prowl stood next to, and behind his leader, watching the same screens.
On the screen, a ball of light the size of the factory hovered over the park.
"This is bad," Optimus turned to the young Autobot Cyberninja behind him. "Very bad. Prowl, any word from Ultra Magnus?"
"No, sir," Prowl shook his head, tapping into the comm. logs just to make sure. "Nothing, Optimus. I imagine he has his processors full what with lieutenant Jazz in custody, and most of the Elite Guard out searching for Siren." He looked up at his leader, clasping his hands behind his back. "Sir, I still don't understand why we don't just hand over the femme to the Elite Guard. They think she's dangerous enough, so why keep her here?"
Optimus turned bleary eyes to Prowl, and sighed. "Siren is under our protective custody. I don't care if she destroyed a planet, if she doesn't want to go with the Elite Guard, I won't force her."
Prowl sighed, and folded his arms. "From what she's done so far, and that light in the sky, I would think we needed the protecting now."
"This city, maybe even this whole planet is at risk from that white mech." Optimus bit his right thumb. I've seen him before, I know. Something about the academy...maybe...
"Angel?" the word rolled from Optimus's mouth like a foreign language. "It can't be, he was decommissioned." He muttered, unaware Prowl was listening to every word.
"Sir, do you know that Cybertronian spotlight?" Prowl asked, one gold-masked optic quirking.
Optimus looked back up at the screens, and recalled a white mech trainee who studied with him in his academy days. "He wasn't Angel then," Optimus frowned. "Gah, I can't remember. Prowl, take over here. Radio me if anything changes. I mean anything. If that screen so much as flickers, I want to know about it."
"Yes, Optimus, but where are you going?" Prowl saluted the blue and red mech.
"I can't remember, so I'm going to ask a bot who can."
Siren and Bulkhead stood just outside the open infirmary door, watching as Ratchet and Wheeljack made reparations to Bumblebee.
Ratchet turned, frowning. "In or out, I don't like drafts comin' in my med bay!"
Bulkhead sidled into the infirmary, and gestured for Siren to follow.
Siren pursed her lips, and entered, the scene all too eerily familiar. She hugged her arms, and walked nearer to the yellow mech on the table. She stood by his head, frowning slightly.
Ratchet and Wheeljack glanced at the black femme then continued repairing the yellow mech.
Siren brushed Bumblebee's face with the back of her hand. "This is my fault." she sighed.
"Not it aint'," Ratchet frowned. "None of this is your fault, and I don't wanna hear another word about it!" The mech snapped. He turned, and frowned at the bulky green mech behind him. "You just gonna stand there, or are you going to help me?"
Bulkhead started. "Oh! Y-yeah, sure!"
Siren stepped away from the three working mechs, hugging herself. "I'm...I'll be around, okay?" she turned, and walked out of the medical bay.
Ratchet glanced over his shoulder then turned back to the mech on the table.
Siren walked quickly down the hallway, hands clenched at her sides. She glanced up just to see which hallway she was in, and saw Optimus waking quickly toward her. Siren stepped aside so the mech could pass.
Optimus paused, and considered the femme for a moment then nodded. Siren returned the nod, and watched the mech until he disappeared around a corner.
"Siren! Siren!" Sari ran up to Siren, and grabbed her leg, shaking back and forth against it. "Where's Bumblebee? Is he okay? What happened?"
Siren crouched down. "Bumblebee is all right. Ratchet has him."
Sari frowned. It was hard to take he femme seriously when she didn't look or sound as sure as she was obviously trying to be.
Ratchet glanced up when Optimus entered the room. "I'm busy, kid!" He snapped.
"I need to talk to you." Optimus folded his arms.
"Take a number." Ratchet grumbled. "When I'm done here there's gonna be a lot of bots wantin' to talk to me!"
"WAAAAA!" Bumblebee sat up on the table then fell back down.
Wheeljack started. "He's awake."
Ratchet grunted. "Believe it or not, he does that a lot."
Bumblebee groaned, and shifted. "Wahaag."
Wheeljack did a quick scan of the yellow mech. "His neuro to vocal processors are malfunctioning. I'll connect them now."
Ratchet stopped the white and green mech. "Just let 'im be silent for a nano."
"Whistle!" Bumblebee gasped. "Whistle stop!"
Optimus's mouth hung open slightly. "What did he say?"
"I was trying to tell you, his synopses are not connecting, I did not say they are offline. Like a pipe that has a crack in it."
Ratchet sighed. "So now instead of talking regular gibberish, he'll be talking gibberish gibberish."
"Precisely." Wheeljack nodded.
"Locate of Whistle!" Bumblebee exclaimed, grabbing Wheeljack's neck, and shaking him.
"Woah, kid calm down!" Ratchet grabbed Bumblebee's hands, and pried themo ff of Wheeljack. "Big shot bots Whistle steal planet gone!"
"Bumblebee! You're speaking gibberish!" Ratchet exclaimed. "Listen to yourself!"
"Buttons plank silence!" Bumblebee elbowed Ratchet in the face, and ran past Prime, shouting. "Respond Whistle instant!"
Ratchet rubbed his chin. "Slaggin' kid."
Wheeljack picked up a tool, and walked to the door. "He's looking for Siren. I'll be back, Ratchet."
"Yeah." Ratchet sat down. "Well that was fun," He looked at Optimus. "So whattya want?"
Optimus didn't beat around the bush. "Where have I heard the name Angel before?"
"Beats me." Ratchet wiped lubricant leaking from his chin. He soldered the spot with his medical laser, hissed in pain then sighed. "I'm gettin' too old for this scrap."
"Was Angel in the Autobot Academy?" Optimus stood over Ratchet.
Ratchet turned, and looked up at Optimus. "How do you know that name?" His blue optics narrowed.
Optimus folded his arms. "You tell me."
Ratchet rubbed his forehead. "Listen, kid, the only bots I keep tabs on are Siren and Bumblebee, and that's out of guilt, so if you got a problem, you can take it up with whatever bot you got a problem with."
Siren stood down the hall from the infirmary sans Bumblebee. She watched Optimus walked down the hall in her direction, but didn't plan on stopping to talk to the femme.
"You studied together." Siren said as Optimus passed.
Optimus paused, and looked at the femme. "How would you know that?"
Siren shrugged. "I can only assume because all elite Guard trainees go through the same programs. angel was selected for the project, you weren't."
Optimus folded his arms. "Did they erase my memories because I knew Angel?"
Siren looked up with yellow optics full of uncertainty. "No. You knew him in passing. Angel was in the academy a long time ago."
Optimus nodded. "My academy days were a while back. I was already in asteroid maintenance when I met Bulkhead and Bumblebee; was about the same time Ratchet showed up, too. I didn't think anything of it at the time."
Siren twiddled her fingers. "I wish you would ask me directly." She muttered, looking down at her fingers.
Optimus started. "Excuse me?"
Siren smiled slightly. "I know you and Prowl sit in the command center watching the monitors every time I went to talk to Ratchet."
Optimus felt like a sparkling caught in a lie. "I'm wasn't trying -"
Siren shook her head. "Don't apologize. You're protective of your crew, and I respect that. That's why I want you to keep Bumblebee here."
Optimus quirked one optic. "If this is Bumblebee we're talking about, he'll be gone before I can give him any orders to stay put. When I tell him to watch the monitors, he sits and plays video games, or watches TV."
Siren nodded. "I know it's not easy to make Bumblebee sit still, but," She turned, and started to walk. "I trust you can do it, if anyone."
Optimus didn't know what to say as the femme walked away, so he watched as Siren disappeared around the corner. "I just know that's the last time any of us are going to see that femme." He muttered.
High above Detroit, Angel's light darkened, and disappeared. The white mech came down from his place in the night sky, and landed on the ground in the park. His optics faded from white to yellow, and he turned his head to look at the femme standing near him.
"Hello, Siren." Angel smiled, though it was a far from comforting move.
Siren shifted, her hands clasped behind her back. "Hello."
Angel reached out to touch Siren's cheek.
Siren turned her face away from the mech. "I came to talk you out of siding with the Decepticons."
Angel laughed derisively. "Side with them? I might as well be leading them. The Decepticons are a cosmic joke, and Megatron is the punchline."
Siren frowned. "So you would rather follow a tyrant who only keeps you alive for his own selfish ends than be with bots who only imprison you for your own protection?"
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?!" Angel bellowed.
"PLENTY!" Siren shouted.
Siren's unexpected outburst made Angel lose his nerve momentarily.
Siren composed herself then spoke again. "I know plenty about being imprisoned, and manipulated for someone else's purposes. The only difference between my tyrant and yours, is mine is benevolent, and has remorse for the things he's done."
Angel snorted. "Prove it."
"Ultra Magnus gave me a way out." Siren narrowed her yellow optics. "He gave me a map showing a path out of the citadel, and arranged for a junk ship to take me and Jazz out of the system - wherever I need to go. Ultra Magnus found the names of Optimus Prime's team, and sent me in the right direction. He feels bad for what he did, but he's still the leader of the Autobots, second only to the Cybertron council of elders, and I understand that. He gave us a head start, and the benefit of the doubt. I found what I was looking for, and I found my happiness again. What have you found, Angel?"
Angel stayed silent.
"Look at me in the optics, and tell me no one helped you get away." Siren grabbed Angel's arm. "Tell me, Angel!"
Angel pulled his arms from the femme's grasp. "I don't have to tell you anything!"
Siren shook her head. "Then go! Go back to your Decepticons, and leave me be! I'm never going with you! You failed your master, now go!"
Angel narrowed his gaze. "I have no master."
Siren turned, and started to leave. There was no point in reasoning with a bot who refuses to see the light in his own optics.
Angel frowned, and made to grab Siren.
"Sireeen!" Hot Rod called out. He approached from the city, followed by Ironhide.
Siren sighed. "Oh great." She rolled yellow optics, and shook her head. She looked back to where Angel stood, but the white mech was gone. She looked around, and made to walk toward the now empty space, but a hand grabbed her arm, and pulled her back.
"Sorry, Siren." Ironhide whispered next to her right audio receptor then clamped a pair of stasis cuffs around her wrists.
Siren turned, and frowned at Ironhide.
Ironhide and Hot Rod started, both thinking that Siren should be frozen in stasis lock.
Siren shook her head, and sighed. "Men never learn." She muttered, and walked past the pair.
Hot Rod looked at Ironhide.
Ironhide looked at Hot Rod.
"How's she...?" Ironhide started.
Hot Rod clamped a hand down on his shoulder. "If I were you, I'd stop asking." He walked past the mech, following Siren.
"Hey, you guys mind tellin' me what you're doin' with Siren there?" Bulkhead folded his arms, standing in the Elite Guards' way.
"This doesn't concern you, grunt, so just get out of our way." Ironhide made to pass Bulkhead, but the green mech stepped in his way.
"Sorry guys, I can't let you take her." Bulkhead's hand transformed into a wrecking ball.
Siren stopped walking when she realized the two elite guard weren't following her. She saw Bulkhead's back, and sighed. "Sorry, big guy." She started to walk toward him.
A hand grabbed Siren from behind, and pulled her out of the street, and between two buildings.
"What the big - Jazz?!" Siren gasped. "How did you-?"
Jazz pointed at himself. "Cyber ninja."
"Yeah, but you were in a cell, and-!"
"Cyber ninja." Jazz smirked.
"Can I finish a sentence, please?" Siren frowned.
Jazz was silent, still smirking.
"How did you get past Sentinel Prime? You were in a cell on the flagship." Siren said.
Jazz folded his arms. "I'm a Cyber ninja, and S.P. ain't the tightest socket on the switch board."
Siren opened to her mouth to protest, but nodded instead. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She sighed. "But what are you doing here?"
"Saving your aft...again." Jazz unhooked the stasis cuffs around Siren's wrists. "Let's get you back to Bumblebee."
Siren didn't move.
Jazz looked at the femme. "Siren, what's wrong?"
Siren shook her head.
Jazz would have raised an eyebrow if he had one. "What are you talking about? you came here to see Bumblebee, and that's what you're gonna do."
"So you'll force me?" Siren folded her arms. "Like everyone else? You're going to start making decisions for me, too?"
"No, I-." Jazz started.
"I'm saying I have to go because I have to go, Jazz! The Elite Guard want to take me away, and so far as I've been here I've brought Bumblebee nothing but trouble!"
"There was one incident, Siren, and it wasn't your fault." Jazz was starting to get angry at the femme, which was unfortunate because she mattered so much to him.
"Wasn't it? Angel is looking for me! For the Decepticons, I might add!" Siren exclaimed.
"What?" Jazz gasped. "Angel wouldn't do that."
Siren narrowed yellow optics. "How would you know? At least the Decepticons would kill me, or brainwash me, so I wouldn't have to remember all these horrible memories of Bumblebee! All the happiness I'll never get back! I wish Ratchet had erased my memories like he was supposed to!"
Jazz frowned. "I wish you wouldn't fell that way."
"How would you know what it feels like?" Siren exclaimed, feeling her spark hurt from the things she was saying.
"I do." Jazz folded his arms.
"You're an Elite Guard Agent, you've never known what it's like to be forced to do things, to be trained to kill!"
"Yes I do!" Jazz exclaimed more out of frustration. It was time she knew the truth. "I do know."
Siren shook her head. "You don't know anything except that you have to make me think I matter."
"No." Jazz hesitated then removed his visor. "I do know, Siren."
Siren gasped. "You...have yellow optics."
Jazz looked down at his visor. "I have my mask I hide behind, pretendin' like I'm not what I know I am. A protoform like you."
Siren was speechless for a moment then found her voice. "That's why," She looked at the visor in Jazz's hands then at his face. "Is that why you stayed?"
Jazz nodded. "Yeah. It's why I never let you outta my sight."
Siren sighed. "This doesn't change anything."
"Why the change of heart all of a sudden?" Jazz asked.
Siren averted her gaze. "It's nothing."
"It's angel is what it is." Jazz said. "I know it because he had that effect on me, too. My time was way before that kid, and I'm not sayin' I didn't make the council glitch out at all, but I did my job. I hated it, too, but I did it, and here I am. I earned my freedom, Siren, and it's not too late for you."
"But it's too late for Angel, is that what you're saying? That no matter what, he's doomed for the brig, or worse?"
Jazz sighed. "I dunno, Siren. I wish I did, but...I don't."
"Well I do, and it's not too late. You of all bots should understand that. It's never too late!" Siren pushed past Jazz.
"Siren!" Bulkhead called. "Hey, where'd ya go?!"
"Whistle stop!" Bumblebee's voice called.
Siren and Jazz both started. Siren walked out to the street, slowly followed by Jazz. "Bulkhead, I'm okay!"
Bulkhead turned around. "Oh hey, there you are. Man, we-"
"WHISTLE STOP!" Bumblebee tackled Siren, his arms locking around her. "Whistle give rear!" He exclaimed.
Siren slowly looked at Jazz.
Jazz did nothing to hide his laughter.
"Music clown traffic screwball!" Bumblebee shouted, shaking a fist at Jazz.
Siren snorted. "I wonder if you're clown or screwball." She looked at Jazz.
Bumblebee turned back to Siren, and took her hands. "Whistle stop who rope leave." He kissed her fingers.
Siren tried not to laugh, but a small chuckle escaped as she replied. "You're not making much sense." She slid one hand from the yellow mech's grasp, and cupped the right side of Bumblebee's face. "But I'm sure whatever you said was really sweet."
Bumblebee frowned. "Bucket feathers make-up wrench whistle stop!" He stomped a foot.
Siren gasped. "It's your neuro-vocal processing chip must've been damaged." she said, glancing at Jazz. "Bumblebee," She grasped both of Bumblebee's hands. "You have to let Wheeljack fix you, or you'll be speaking gibberish for the rest of your lifecycle."
Bumblebee shook his head. "No!" He hugged Siren tight. "See flowing it mew!"
Siren sighed.
A white vehicle drove up to the four Autobots then transformed into Wheeljack as Ironhide and Hot Rod came stumbling out of the clearing where they thought they had captured Siren.
Bumblebee turned, and seeing the Elite Guard members gathering, held Siren tighter, aiming one stinger at them.
"Wheeljack!" Siren exclaimed. "Hurry, you have to fix Bumblebee's processors before they fuse permanently!"
"Move!" Wheeljack pushed past Hot Rod, Ironhide, and Bulkhead, and approached Bumblebee.
The smaller yellow mech turned his stinger on Wheeljack. "Whistle marker bench!"
"Bumblebee, I'm not going to take Siren away." Wheeljack held up his hands in a surrendering gesture.
"What?" Ironhide started.
"Wheeljack!" Hot Rod barked.
Bumblebee turned blue optics uneasily to Hot Rod and Ironhide then back to Wheeljack. He slowly lowered his stinger, and it transformed back to his hand.
Wheeljack removed a tool from a compartment on his hip. "I have to remove your helmet, so you'll need to let go of Siren."
Bumblebee frowned.
"It's okay." Siren gently pried Bumblebee's arms from around her.
"I'll take her." Jazz pulled Siren's back to him, and wrapped his arms around her front. "This cat ain't goin' nowhere." He smiled.
Bumblebee's eyes narrowed. "Whistle armor fever scorch!" He clenched a fist at Jazz.
"Sure." Jazz smirked.
Siren looked up at the mech. "You understood him?"
"Didn't you?" Jazz chuckled.
"No." Siren looked back at Bumblebee.
Bumblebee removed his helmet, and held it as Wheeljack prodded. Bumblebee's optics darkened.
"Bumblebee!" Siren gasped.
"It's alright." Wheeljack said, concentrated on his work.
Hot Rod made his way around Bulkhead, weary of him as he got closer to Jazz and Siren.
Bulkhead stared at Wheeljack, arms folded. "You better not put my little buddy down for good, or I'll put you down, docbot!"
"Yeah, yeah." Wheeljack muttered.
"Jazz, I'm sorry to do this, but under code S-7, paragraph-" Hot Rod started.
"Take some anti-freeze, Hot Rod." Jazz sighed. "Cool your circuits, and wait 'til Wheeljack's done before you go readin' our rights."
Hot Rod frowned. "But I have to!"
"But you stopped." Siren said.
Hot Rod turned to where Ironhide stood, watching Wheeljack. "But... Ultra Magnus-"
"Haven't you figgered it out yet?" Ironhide walked up to the red mech, and patted his shoulder. "Ultra Magnus sent Siren out to this planet to find what she was lookin' for. Personally," He turned to Siren. "I don't wanna see that little lady go back into that prison cell the council calls a neuro processor."
Hot Rod stammered then frowned. "So when were you going to tell me this?"
Jazz grinned. "Thought you were jive to all these happenings." He laughed.